"Percy," Sally called over the clamor, "who did you say was coming for Thanksgiving again?"

She was in the kitchen, and things were getting pretty hectic. The overhead fan was on to cool down the tiny room, which always heated up quickly even when she wasn't preparing such a large meal, and she could barely hear herself over its incessant whirring. Pots were boiling, and the oven dinged and beeped as the side dishes cooked. They all had to be done at different times and temperatures, so that was why she was doing them the day before Thanksgiving instead of the day of. She wanted to have them out of the way by the time the turkey was ready to be roasted. Paul could make incredible stuffing, and she didn't want to be in his way when he worked his magic tomorrow.

Percy slid into the kitchen and went straight for the plate of blue cookies she had just pulled out of the oven. He reached for one, but she smacked his hand away. "Those are for tomorrow, honey. You can wait just one more day, can't you?"

"I can't help it," Percy said, "they're calling to me, Mom!" He put a hand over his heart and gave her his best dramatic face, complete with his baby seal impression, but she just shook her head and smiled.

"Very funny, Percy, but you still haven't answered my question. It's just Annabeth, Tyson, and Grover, right?" She turned back to the bowl she had been mixing and started spooning the macaroni and cheese into a deep dish. She always thought it tasted better baked.

Percy pretended he hadn't heard her. "What else are you making, Mom?" He looked around her and enthusiastically said, "Are those brussels sprouts? Great!"

She recognized his tone immediately. It was the same tone he used when he had run away from camp a few summers ago and ended up in the Bermuda Triangle. The same tone he used when he had smashed her china cabinet to bits with his javelin. The same tone he used when he wanted her to think that everything was just fine, Mom, why wouldn't it be, it was only that he had gotten into a little bit of trouble, but really he was okay, and would you please pass the butter?

"Percy," she said suspiciously, putting the spoon down, "how many people did you invite?"

"I didn't mean to!" he protested. "But then I remembered that Nico didn't have anywhere to go, so I was inviting him, but then Hazel walked over, and then she had heard about it so I had to invite her too, and then I had to tell her to invite Frank, but once I had invited them I had to invite the other Romans…."

"So how many people are coming?" Sally asked slowly. She had been planning a small dinner, just her, Paul, Percy, and the three others, but she supposed she could stretch the food and fit one or two more chairs around the table….

"Um… fourteen?"

Her face must have been doing something quite extraordinary, because he added hurriedly, "But don't worry, I told them they all had to bring something, like a potluck or whatever, and Piper doesn't eat turkey anyway, so we're all good with food!"

She didn't really have anything to say to that, so she just turned back to the mac and cheese, picked up the spoon, and started to spread it evenly. They were already invited, so there was no point in saying they couldn't come, and if her son's friends needed a home to go to for the holidays, she wasn't going to send them away, that was for darn sure.

"Uh… I'll just go now." Percy edged slowly towards the door, then turned and sprinted down the hallway to his room. She heard him trip, then scramble to his feet. His door slammed moments later. He was probably hoping he could get away before she changed her mind, and that she might even forget about what he had done if he made himself scarce.

That was her boy, she thought, smiling faintly as she slid the macaroni into the oven, filling the last available spot. Always trying to do the right thing. Always trying to include everybody. She supposed she couldn't fault him for it.

She looked around at the kitchen and sighed.

They were going to need a second turkey.

AN: I've actually been sitting on this for a year, but since I wrote it a few days after Thanksgiving, I had to wait until now to post it. All characters belong to Rick Riordan, not me! And in case anybody was curious, the full guest list includes Annabeth, Grover, Tyson, Rachel, Frank, Leo, Hazel, Renya, Jason, Piper, Nico, Will, Thalia, and Ella.