Despite how much I wish I did, I do not own Percy Jackson or any of the characters in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series.

Authors note: This story takes place after The Last Olympian and before The Lost Hero.

Christmas at Camp Half Blood

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

It was Christmas time in New York. Percy and Nico were trying to hang up lights on the big house. Annabeth was on the ground watching with Thalia, who had dropped by the camp for a little visit. Any other time, Percy would have loved having Thalia around, but seeing how she and Annabeth had done nothing but bust he and Nico's balls as they tried to decorate, he was pretty much ready for her to go home.

"How is it going up there?" Annabeth asked for what had to be the hundredth time.

Percy wasn't even going to answer her anymore. He could only lie and say "fine" so many times before even he stopped believing it.

"Very cold," Nico yelled down from the roof.

Now that was the absolute truth. It was freaking cold as heck out there, which only added to the pain of decorating. Putting up lights with numb fingers was almost as productive as trying to make fire under water…and just as frustrating.

"Come on down. It's almost lunch time and they have hot cocoa," Thalia shouted.

Hot cocoa. Percy didn't have to be told twice. Without even bothering to check to see if Nico was down with a mini break, Percy yelled "Geronimo" at the top of his lungs and jumped off the roof. Nico followed right behind, without the yell and skillful landed on his feet on the ground next to Annabeth and Thalia. Percy on the other hand landed in a big pile of snow on his butt, much to everyone's amusement. Everyone but his, that was.

Wincing, he leaned over onto his side a bit and rubbed his aching backside. "I think I flattened my butt."

"That's a pity," Thalia teased. "It was already flat enough."

"Hey now," Percy scowled. "I'll have you know my butt is far from flat. Right babe?"

"Yeah. Not flat at all."

Percy stared blankly at Annabeth. She didn't even try to make that believable. "Someone is getting nothing but coal this year."

"You know I love you and your flat-flattering butt."

"Feeling the love." He was so not feeling the love.

"Let me help you up Seaweed Brains." Annabeth said putting her hand out. Percy grumbled under his breath but took her up on her offer. Once he was on his feet, they made their way as a group over to the center of the camp where a large campfire had been set up.

Chiron, in his not so great wisdom, had decided the best way to build up camp morale this holiday was by having everyone eat together circled around a big camp fire instead of as they normally would, at assigned cabin tables. Any other time of the year Percy would have been fine with that…but it was winter and snowing…and while it was pretty, it was still winter and snowing. Sometimes Percy wasn't sure what Chiron was thinking. No scratch that, most of the time Percy wasn't sure what Chiron was thinking, but Percy was learning to just go with the flow, because if bad things were going to happen and of course bad things always happened, at least he was there with his campmates.

After grabbing a drink from the cocoa dispenser Percy took a seat on the log between Annabeth and Grover. Everyone was cold so they were all sitting really close together, blocking the wind while huddling ever closer to the fire. Surprisingly it didn't suck half as bad as Percy thought it would. It helped that Chiron wasn't allowing the full force of the storm to infiltrate the camp, so instead of a blizzard they were getting snow flurries.

"I have an idea to help keep us warm," Connor said out of the blue

"Oh oh," Grover teased. "Everyone hide."

Connor's ideas normally ended up with someone in the infirmary.

"Ha ha…no." Conner flipped Grover off then continued on as if the satyr hadn't interrupted him. "We should sing Christmas carols!"

"How about 'All I Want for Christmas is a Hippopotamus'?" Travis said.

"Hades no," Will said with a shake of his head. "Deck the Cabins."

"Come on Will. How about-" Chris started.

"Hey guys," Katie interrupted, drawing everyone's attention to the pretty girl who was walking towards the group with a potted plant in her hand. "Who sent me this?"

Katie held up the pot, which much to Percy's surprise and amusement held not just a regular old plant but a mini replica of a Pear Tree with a Partridge sitting on a branch near the top.

"I did," Travis said standing up. Katie handed Thalia the present and ran over to Travis and jumped in his arms. Laughing, he picked her up and spun her around before setting her back on the ground then covering her mouth with his. Their kiss evoked cheers and wolf whistles from their campmates but if it bothered the two of them they didn't show it.

To Percy's surprise Annabeth sniffed and swiped her hands across her eyes. Concerned, he placed his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in close to him. "You okay?"

"Yes," she said as she laid her head on his shoulder. "That was just really sweet."

Percy thought it was a little lame but obviously it was working for Annabeth, which meant one thing. The necklace he bought her wasn't going to do the trick. He was going to have to step his game up. The only question was how.