Piper McLean has always loved the stars, a love that has only increased since she read the Greek 'myths' behind the constellations.

She has her favourites, as most do. For some reason, she loved the tale behind Gemini the best, for the brothers who were able to alternate between Olympus and Hades after their deaths. She's felt lonely all her life, and wanted siblings from the day she understood what the word meant. She wanted two brothers, like Castor and Pollux, who'd always be together to protect her and play with her.

The tale of the Dioscuri fascinated her, naturally, and Gemini was the first constellation she ever learned to spot in the sky.

Of course, one couldn't study the twins without at least stumbling across their sisters, Clytemnestra and the infamous Helen of Troy. Clytemnestra had a smaller role in history than her siblings, but the role she did have endeared her to Piper. A mother who mourned her daughter? A welcome change in Greek Mythology.

This just left Helen. Who Piper couldn't love, despite the infamous story of the Trojan Horse. What was so great about being beautiful? And was love really worth leaving behind a nine year old daughter? Was that the reasoning her mother had left her by?

Finding out that Katoptris belonged to Helen of Troy had hit her hard. Of all the people it could have belonged to, it was a useless daughter of Zeus? The demigod whose choices lead to a long and bloody war, which killed both her brothers and thousands of her countrymen? A woman who'd used a dagger as a looking glass? Never mind it was a symbol of wealth and power, it was a weapon. She was a demigod. The idea that she'd just lounged around and let soldiers (or her brothers more likely) deal with the consequences of that heritage disgusted Piper.

As for beauty… It annoys her sometimes, that she is beautiful. On the one hand, she likes that she is attractive, that boys (such as Jason) find her attractive. On the other hand, beauty is worthless on its own. Being beautiful means you're never allowed to be anything more. The day she'd received Aphrodite's blessing, she'd nearly been ill. No matter what she'd done, she had been beautiful. And everyone had acted like… now she was pretty, her existence had been validated. That hey, what more did she need? A personality? A heart? A working brain? All that mattered was that she was a pretty face.

If she hadn't been so terrified for her father, she'd have hated them for it. She still can't describe how grateful she was when Jason had checked on her, treating her exactly the same way as he had since he'd woken on the bus. She didn't know what she'd have done if he'd been as shallow as some of the campers.

When she'd finally had a chance to speak to Leo about it, they'd been sitting by the lake after a long day of camp, finally trading stories about those first few terrifying days.

"I didn't see you after I was claimed." She'd mentioned, as casually as she could.

"Yeah, I was kind of freaked about my job for the night." Leo said, before shrugging off the memories and grinning at her. "But if I'd ever had any doubts about the demi-god thing, I knew the Gods were alive, and occasionally granting miracles the second I saw you wearing make up." He laughed slightly. "Don't get me wrong, you're pretty without it Beauty Queen. I just figured it'd take a wedding or something to make you gussy up."

Piper had frozen where she sat, staring at the fire-started. That was his only thought on the subject? Not, 'hey you should dress up more often', or 'you looked nicer then'?

"Did you just say gussy up?" She eventually said, her voice blank.

Leo huffed. "Nope."

Piper couldn't help it- she'd laughed.

Later on, when she did eventually stop laughing, her eyes fell on two stars in the sky. She smiled at them, no longer feeling so lonely. She'd found one of the brothers she'd always wanted, not in one of her cabin mates, but in Leo Valdez. Her best friend ever since they'd both showed up that first day of Wilderness School, who may not be as strong or as tough as the Dioscuri, but would protect her and hang out with her all the same.

When she tells Leo this, he smiles brightly, and points out that they're technically step-siblings, and he'd always wanted a sister who could beat him up.

Grinning, she tackles him into the water. She's a good sister after all...