Merry Christmas all! Or whatever holiday you celebrate on this day!(:

And I told you I was going to update all day today and that's what I'm planning on doing. Luckily, I might just be able to have the energy to get it done.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

The gods stood in the Throne Room at awe of all the decorations that Hestia had put up and spread out. The room no longer looked like it was for an Olympian council who have never even celebrated this holiday, but it was one of the mortal's living rooms. A brick fireplace was placed on one wall, the fire crackling and burning brightly. Thirteen stockings hung over it, names engraved on the red cloth of the boot. A Christmas tree was set up in one corner, a fifty foot tall Christmas tree to be exact. It doned ordaments of all kinds; plastic balls of different colors, a symbol for every god and goddess that was tinted their color, Santa Clauses standing up, on a sleigh with reindeer. On the top was a glass star that caught everyone's attention, lighting up the nearby branches. Colorful strands of lights were circled around it, shining merrily and illumiating the strands of popcorn. The top of the walls bore reefs, all around the room. On the Throne Room doors, two wreaths stood with red plastic flowers and bows. The thrones were assembled to be like couches around the fire and near the tree.

And it was all done in less than four hours.

Let's just say that Hestia was quite proud of herself when she stood up, wiping her hands on her thighs and watching the awed expressions of the other Olympians. "Like it?" she asked, staring around the room herself.

They all nodded eagerly. "How did you do it?" Athena wondered, looking over at the fellow goddess who shrugged.

"It was fun, really, and I had seen a few mortal houses at this time of year."

"Wait, are we in the right place?" Apollo joked, smiling. "This does not look like the Throne Room I know."

Aphrodite gave a little smirk that no one would notice and flicked her hand, mistletoes appearing in the most random, but yet stragetical places. "What do we do now?"

"Let's sit for one," Artemis offered, walking over to her throne. "Shopping was never my place."

"I love shopping! I should take you shopping sometime! Oh, I know the best place to find something for you!" Aphrodite gushed, taking her seat next to the goddess.

She plastered a fake smile. "No."

The love goddess frowned and crossed her arms over her chest as everyone sat down. "Be that way then."

"So...what now?" Hermes wondered, scratching the back of his head.

"Now we open presents!" Apollo clapped his hands together. "Right?"

"Not quite," Athena replied, her eyes clouding over in thought. "It may be Christmas morning, but no mortal wakes up this early to experience it."

"We wait then?" Ares clarified, scowling at the idea.

Dioynsus groaned. "I'm not sitting here for five hours."

"D's got a point," Apollo pointed out. "We should go back to our palaces and wait?"

Poseidon frowned and rubbed his temples. "I might just stay here then."

Demeter stood up. "To our palaces?"

Everyone nodded. "Be back here at eight," Zues ordered, grimacing. "I want to get this day over with."

"See ya!" Aphrodite waved cheerfully before disappearing back to her palace.

The rest followed, all except Athena and Poseidon. "What are you still doing here?" she asked him, looking over at him.

He glared at her. "What are you still doing here?"

She raised her eyebrows. "I asked you first."

He rolled his eyes. "What are we fifth graders now?"

"Fifth graders are more mature than you."

He snorted. "Great comeback, Owl Head."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "What is so wrong with you?"

He put up a fake, forced smile. "Nothing, dearest."

She glared at him. "Don't call me dearest."

"Then don't ask me questions."

"I am allowed to ask questions."

"And I'm allowed to respond anyway I want."

She huffed. "You respond in the most ridiculous ways."

He sighed. "That's nice."

Her eyes narrowed. "What is wrong with you anyway?"

"You're giving me a headache."

She raised her eyebrows. "And how am I doing that?"

He rolled his eyes. "I don't know." He stood up and with a scowl, he said, "I'll be leaving now. Have a good evening- morning, whatever." He flashed out to his palace.

She thought about why he was acting so weird, but came up with nothing. Letting out a long breath, she poofed herself back into her own palace and climbed into bed, the big day only in a few hours.

When everyone regathered in the Christmas Throne Room at around 8, the whole world was up and celebrating the holiday, laughing with family, rejoicing, and opening their presents, giving out others'. Hades yawned and looked around at them. "What now?"

"Presents!" Apollo cried, smiling like he had won the lottery.

"Who wants to go first?" Hermes wondered, raising an eyebrow.

"I will!" Aphrodite volunteered, jumping out of her seat and hurrying over to the tree, picking up her present. "Here ya go, Demeter."

Demeter smiled and took the present. "Thank you, Aphrodite." She opened the small box up, thinking it was something to do with clothes, but instead it was a picture of her and her daughter with something written to the back of it, One free whole year with Peresphone.
Love Aphrodite.

"What is it?" Artemis inquired, looking at her friend with interest as tears gathered in her eyes.

"It's- it's a free year with my daughter," Demeter replied, a broad smile gracing her lips.

"What?" Hades exclaimed, his expression nothing but shock.

Aphrodite nodded merrily. "And you're going to let it happen."

"Thank you, Aphrodite," Demeter wiped her eyes to prevent crying. "Thank you."

Aphrodite smiled and crossed her legs. "I knew that you would like it."

"Who's next?" Apollo asked, looking up at everyone.

"I guess I'll go," Hephateus mumbled, standing up and retrieving his present for Zues, placing it on his lap before returning to his seat. "There you are."

Zues raised his eyebrows and opened his present, moving around the tissue paper. He grinned when he saw what it was and replaced everything, a promise in his head to place it somewhere in his palace later. "Very well," he said, the image of a mosaic of him looking manly and powerful, holding his lightning bolt and the clouds gray behind him, a faint thunder rumbling sound and lightning flashes in his head.

Hephateus smiled, knowing this was the best thank you he was going to get. "My turn," Dioynsus grumbled, tossing his present at Apollo.

Apollo caught it and flashed a glare at him. "Thank you," he replied, though he knew it was something that no time was spent on it. He opened it and nodded at the mirror inside. "Is it my turn then?" He grabbed his present and showed it to Aphrodite, a grin growing on his face. "I think you'll like it."

She squealed and opened the present gingerly, her excitement building up more and more. She took the top off the box and out sprang a little golden retriever's head, his tongue sticking out and all. "Aw!" she gushed, picking him out the box and holding him. "It's so cute!"

"You can name him," Apollo added, glad his gift wasn't rejected.

"I'm going to name him Paws," she smiled to herself and shook the puppy's paw. "Hi Paws." He barked happily in response making her giggle and hold the puppy closer.

"I figure I'll go next then," Hera announced, gathering up her wrapped box and handing it over to Hermes.

His eyes sparkled as he opened the box and full out grinned when he saw the contents. "Sweet. Thanks, Hera," he nodded and took a single Nike out of the box and observed it.

"Dude that shoe is kicking!" Apollo exclaimed, suddenly jealous of the other's gift.

"It's the right size and everything. Oh yeah, these are good pranking shoes." Hera sent him a stern, motherly look as the mischevous attributes came to his features and he dropped them immediately. "I mean, uh, good running shoes?"

Artemis rolled her eyes. "That's exactly what you meant."

He smiled at her and placed the shoes aside, putting his present for her on her lap. "That's exactly what I got you."

She raised her eyebrows in suspicions as Apollo whispered, "That was not a good comeback."

Hermes ignored him, knowing it wasn't and watched as the moon goddess opened the box and her eyes went wide with shock. He smiled broadly and leaned back in his throne, pretty satisified with her reaction. "What is it, Artemis?" Athena wondered, looking at her friend with raised eyebrows.

There a faint meow and Artemis finally reached out and picked the gray kitten up, the rest of the room gasping. "It's...it's a cat."

"And the good part is now when your Hunters are chilling out, they have someone to play with," Hermes explained, his smile widening.

"They aren't hard to take care of you know," Poseidon added, nodding in agreement with the gift. "Just a few necessaties and they're set."

"He can go hunting with you!" Aphrodite cried, holding her own pet.

"It's a she," Hermes corrected. "That you can name."

Artemis, still in shock at the adorable kitten in her hands, blinked at the cat before looking at Hermes. "What?"

Hermes rolled his eyes. "The cat is a girl since you swore off men and everything. You can name her because I would probably pick the wrong name."

The cat settled itself on Artemis's lap and yawned, stretching out her limbs, the whole room awing. She started purring as she fell into sleep. "I- I think I'll name it Shadow," she announced, tentatively petting the cat's back. Shadow purred louder in response as Hermes smiled. Artemis looked up at him and gave a small smile. "Thank you."

He nodded and Hades sighed, annoyed. "Just another heartfelt meeting," he rolled his eyes and threw a present at Hephateus. "There you go."

Hephateus tossed his eyes and opened the present, chuckling as he saw the metal in there. "Just what I needed," he replied, though no one could tell if he was sarcastic.

"Here punk," Ares grumbled, passing a box to Hades.

Hades, with no emotion at all, opened the present and his eyes brightened at the sight of the leather jacket. "Hmm," he hummed, replacing the top over.

Ares satisified with his reaction, leaned back and folded his arms under his head. "Oh, Ares, your present is under the tree with the Santa wrapping," Artemis informed, freely soothing Shadow's hair down and enjoying the kitten's company.

Ares grunted in acknowledgement and snatched his present, opening it to see a baby wild boar with a wrap around his leg. He grinned, the flames in his eyes growing. "He's going to be a real killer."

"No humans," Hera ordered, looking sternly at him.

Ares shrugged, partially hearing her and watching as the boar tried to bite his finger, the slightly frightening teeth being bared. His grin grew. "Yeah this is going to be fun."

Poseidon, without a word, placed his present in Athena's lap before returning to his seat and watching her for her reaction. She, following his quiet example, opened the present and gasped when she saw the contents. Everyone looked over at her and Aphrodite asked urgently, "What is it? What?"

Carefully, as if it would break, Athena lifted the jeweled owl on the necklace, his eyes wide, but knowing. "Where'd you find this?"

Poseidon shrugged, the corner of his lips lifting slightly. "Some jewerly store downtown."

"It's beautiful," she breathed out, her fingers tracing over the excellently detailed feathers on both wings.

"What is it?" Demeter wondered, leaning over her friend's shoulder and gasping. "It really is."

"Well?" Aphrodite snapped, impatiently, wanting to see it.

Athena shook her head lightly and put the top back over it. "I'll put it on later," she smiled at Poseidon. "Thank you."

He nodded in acknowledgement, returning the smile. "It's my turn," Demeter rushed over to the tree, handing her present over to Poseidon.

He raised his eyebrows and unwrapped it, beaming at the picture of Sally and Percy Jackson smiling in front of the Christmas tree in their apartment, the city landscape hidden halfway by the branches through the window. He ran his finger over the two, his heart pinching at the thought of not being able to spend this day with them. He looked up to Demeter who was watching him intently and grinned. "Thank you," he replied, the present perfect for him.

She smiled and nodded, happy with the reaction. Dioynsus rolled his eyes. "Such a heartfelt day this is."

Zues grimaced and tossed him a longer box. "I know I'm going to regret this later."

Dioynsus, his curiousity sparked, opened the box and laughed when he saw the two wine bottles in there. "Am I finally off the hook?"

Zues glared at him. "No. It's just for today."

Dioynsus picked a bottle up, popping it open and took a swig of it. "Well then, merry Christmas to all!"

Athena tossed his eyes at the god happily drinking wine and handed her own present to Hera. Hera nodded and opened it up, gasping at the glass figurine of a peacock, small colored panels of glass filling in the tail perfectly and making it all the more beautiful. She gave a small smile to her step daughter. "Thank you, Athena."

"And we're done," Hades said with relief. "Can I leave now?"

"Soon," Hestia answered, coming into the room, beaming around at everyone. "Because you all just learned the meaning of Christmas."

All their faces morphed into confusion as they looked at her. "What's that?" Hephateus asked, having some clue.

She looked at her watch. "Just in time for the end of Christmas too."

"What did we learn?" Aphrodite wondered, looking so lost it was almost funny. Almost, since everyone else looked just like her.

She smiled broadly. "Spending Christmas with your family, giving to see happiness from the other, and not bickering."

They all blinked in surprise. "She's right," Athena agreed. "We did learn something."

"Well I'll be damned," Ares laughed and pounded his fist on his throne. "Christmas isn't so bad after all."

"Shall we do it next year?" Artemis inquired, her eyes sparkling as her cat brushed her head under her hand.

"To hell with it!" Dioynsus held up his wine, smiling, and shouted, "Merry Christmas!"

The rest of the Olympians laughed and recited, "Merry Christmas!" the clock striking midnight just as they finished.

I think the ending was pretty nice. I'm getting on the other stories right now, but this is my first finished one. So let's learn like the Olympians and enjoy Christmas.

Happy holidays, guys, and to all a good night C:

Love it? Hate it? Tell about it(: