A/N: I do not own PJO or HOO.

PERCY

He would've said it was a perfect day, despite the screaming of Olympus as all the demigods and immortals threw their hearts into celebrating the end of the Giant War. He was relieved, he supposed, but had no intention of getting stone drunk and stumbling around like Dionysus on steroids.

But over the screaming was a more quiet noise, something he hadn't heard since he collapsed in front of the Doors of Death. Sure, he'd seen Annabeth come close, but it had been a while since he heard someone cry.

Furrowing his eyebrows, he started towards the direction of the sobs.

The garden of Olympus was beautiful even through the war, with roses and tulips blooming so brightly they glowed in the dim light. Music still reached his ears though he was a good mile away from the source, and he internally winced at the thought of actually being next to the sound.

He was so busy in thought for once that he almost fell onto the metal bench.

Hades, even the benches were fancy, engraved with sophisticated looking words in English and Ancient Greek. Golden swirls covered the entire backing, and they could've been real for all he knew. Annabeth had a knack for making things out of precious metals; it came with struggling to be perfect, he supposed.

The woman pulled her knees up onto the bench and hugged them, a chestnut braid weaved with gold and peacock feathers falling over her shoulder. Her luminescent dress glowed just like the flowers around her, but it was tattered, as if it had ripped through a rosebush. The hem hung over the side of the bench, streaked with dirt, and torn to pieces from trailing on the ground.

Hera.

He wondered what Zeus had done this time.

Tentatively, he sat down next to her-for all he knew, the Queen of the Gods might blast him to pieces just for seeing her. Briefly, he thought about leaving before she noticed his presence, but before he could stand she lifted her head.

Her golden brown eyes were tear stained and slightly red from crying; it took a while for her to notice him through the haze of tears. Instantaneously, she snapped her fingers, restoring her state to the stern woman he had once loathed, and admittedly still held somewhat of a grudge to.

"Should you not be with the Daughter of Athena?" if he hadn't been paying attention, he might've missed the slight quiver in her voice, the lack of the cold harshness she treated him with. But as much as Annabeth told him, the Hero of Olympus was not as dense as he seemed.

"She is inside, with her mother," He answered somewhat stiffly, still wary of the goddess. "She told me to get some air." Hera nodded, fiddling with an object around her ring finger.

Though Percy would never be known as the sharpest sword-Hades, he was probably one of the most dull-even he knew it was a wedding ring. "Something wrong, My Lady?" The words were unfamiliar in his mouth, as he had never had much respect for the Goddess of Marriage.

She shook her head so quickly her braid fell apart, and with a slight huff she re-braided the end and stood, her robes whisking across the ground. "I must be going now," She said crisply, turning to leave. In a split second decision, he stood and grasped her arm.

"Wait!"

On second though, that might not have been the smartest thing to do. Hera already hated his guts-well, most of them-and he braced himself to be turned into a small furry animal.

It never came. Hera turned, her features settling into a cool composed mask again. "Yes?" One eyebrow arched as she waited for him to speak, almost daring him to say something.

He swallowed, preparing to be turned into a newt. "Did...did your husband do anything?"

Hera froze. Percy was sure she was about to transform him into a reptile of some sort, but she turned and cautiously lowered herself onto the bench again. A breath of relief escaped his lips, and she shot him an almost amused smile.

Wait, what?

Hera did three emotions-furious, impassive, and annoyed. And she never smiled. So What in the name of Poseidon was going on here?

The goddess wrapped her shawl tighter around herself, almost instinctively. "Mortals say it helps to talk," She wondered out loud, her words soft but still somehow loud. Music still played, the sound of thousands of people yelling echoing slightly in the background.

"It doesn't," he blurted before he thought. "It never does." Well, the words were out there, so what could he do? She raised her eyebrow again, waiting for an explanation. "It relives the memory in a bad way." The goddess nodded, fiddling with her ring again.

"You are correct in your assumption," She said finally, looking up. For once, her expression was unguarded, open and trusting, and he had the feeling he would not be seeing this expression often. "Zeus is off, drunk on some alcoholic drink."

Her eyes watered for a second.

"With another woman?" He dared to ask, edging away from Hera as if that would save him if she indeed became furious. But Hera just sighed, looking down at her hands again, slender and milky white.

"With another woman." As Percy slid a little closer to her, he realized that in her mortal form he was the same height as her, if not taller. Tentatively, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

She tensed, and just as he thought he was done for the goddess of marriage leaned her head on his shoulder, as if too weary to put up a facade. "I thought it would be different this time," She spoke wistfully, shifting slightly. "I thought he would be able to stay faithful for one night. I should've known I was wrong."

The wedding ring glowed white-hot for a second, and she yelped before glancing down at it just as it fractured. The silver band mended itself in seconds, but the goddess stared at it for a long time, not looking up at him. A tear splattered on her hand, and she hastily wiped it away, still gazing at the diamond.

Somewhere, Percy remembered a myth-an old one, but a legitimate one. "Is that..." He trailed off, afraid of offending Hera.

She nodded slowly, a sob tearing from her throat. Burying her head in her hands, horrible gut wrenching cries wracked her body with shuddering gasps. He watched, awkwardly at first, before pulling her closer.

Wiping her tears with the back of her hand, Hera inhaled brokenly before she sagged with sorrow. "Zeus was so kind when i first saw him," She murmured to him, clutching his sleeve like a lifeline. "He was so determined, and i agreed to marry him, hoping he'd stay faithful."

Percy nodded, tracing circles absently on her back. If someone told him he would be holding the one goddess that hated him more than Athena, he would have called Apollo without a second thought, but when did his life ever go to plan?

"The first time, i forgave him," She remembered. Her eyes welled with tears again, glimmering with the light of the stars. "I killed the nymph he was with, and only later did i find that he had forced himself upon her." she twisted her hands together again. "The second time...well, he was a wonderful actor, and i fell hard."

He smoothed a lock of chocolate colored hair behind her ear, listening intently. "The third time...there were so many times by then i hardly cared." A bitter laugh burst from her lips. "I loved him, i supposed, but he never loved me. Perhaps at first, but..."

She looked up at him for the first time since she started talking, resting her chin on his shoulder. SHe was definetely shorter than him in her mortal form...

"You were right," She admitted, her lips set in a grim line. "Talking doesn't help."

If it was Annabeth, he would've been gloating till the day he joined Hades, but... this was Hera. She would smite him to the ends of the universe before he could hold it over her head.

The bushes rustled and they froze, turning and facing Athena, who was staring at them, gaping. Annabeth stood behind her, her gray eyes wide with shock.

"Is that...Hera?" Sheepishly, he unhooked his arm from around her, and Hera lifted her head from his shoulder.

"Thank you," She murmured in his ear, so soft no one but him heard. "For listening." Then she was gone, a swirl of peacock feathers and a dumbstruck wisdom goddess the only indication she had ever been there.

If he had managed to wow the goddess of wisdom...well, that was a major accomplishment.

"You, Perseus Jackson," Athena mused, eying him carefully. "Have a knack for defying the odds." She fixed him with a stare before turning. "Treat my daughter well." Then she too, was gone, melting into nothingness.

Annabeth shook her head before looping her arm through his, smiling slightly. "Seaweed Brain," She muttered, but she didn't look very angry. Amusement shone in her eyes. "Only you."

He kissed the top of her head. "Hera really isn't that bad, you know. Thousands of years of putting of with Zeus has got to have made her bitter."

"I'm sorry! Really! I didn't mean it-auuugh! Apollo, help me! Poseidon? An angry goddess chasing me here!"

The cry startled the two, and Annabeth looked up. "I wonder who that could be." A sly gleam in her eyes caught the light and gave her away, and Percy squeezed her hand.

"Must not have been very important, then." Annabeth nodded, watching the night sky.

"Help me! Hades? Demeter! Help! Auuugh!"

A/N: Well. I had the idea stuck in my head for a while, and thought, why not publish it? So here goes. Review if you liked it; it's the pretty little button at the bottom of the page. I am starting a new series with this oneshot, where Percy comforts and/or helps some of the Olympian goddesses, or just a goddess in general. Review if you want a certain goddess or immortal to be mentions-I'm open to ideas!

Thanks for reading!

~Johanna Night