Disclaimer: Oh, wow... I'm honored. You think I write as well as Rick? You think I'm him? Hehe, no, silly! I just use his characters, everything in this belongs to either Rick Riordan, Suzanne Collins or Tim Burton. Except for the kids. They're mine. :)

oooOOOooo

"And you're sure you remembered the candy?"

Jason rolled his eyes from beside her as they stood in the elevator. "Pipes, that's the fifth time you've asked me. I remembered."

Piper crossed her arms. "Well none of us want a repeat of last year."

"Percy and Leo ate all of theirs and I forgot to bring our share one time. Let it go! Leo's not here this year to eat any and I'm sure the kids loved the Halloween decorations we gave them! Lot's of them even got a Twizzler!"

Piper raised an eyebrow. "We handed the Twizzlers out of the package one by one. Our kids were embarrassed to even be seen with us after that. It took a week before they stopped glaring, and even now Michael still gets reminded of the time his parents 'rooted all the candy and stole from right under the children's noses.'"

"Okay, okay." The elevator opened and they made their way to the apartment, passing a couple of young children in costumes as they did. "I dropped the candy off this morning with the kids."

He knocked on the door and a second later it opened to reveal Annabeth.

"Hey guys!" Annabeth and Piper gave each other quick hugs before she turned to Jason and did the same. "You're just in time, the kids are getting their costumes on right now-"

"Mommy, mommy!"

The three of them looked down at the young girl with Percy's green eyes and Annabeth's hair, cut in a short bob around her shoulders. She was on a pink tutu and ballet slippers and tights.

"Zoe, oh don't you look beautiful!" Annabeth crouched down to look eye-to-eye at her four year old daughter. "You'll be the prettiest ballerina around!"

Piper smiled. "Hey there, kiddo."

"Auntie Piper, Uncle Jason!" The little girl practically launched herself into Piper's arms. "Michael and Christie are almost ready!"

"Where are our two troublemakers?" Jason asked, faking puzzlement. "You know, Piper, I think we lost them!"

Annabeth stepped inside to let them follow her into the Jackson's apartment and smiled.

Piper noticed that the Nightmare Before Christmas was playing on the TV and the Jackson's apartment was covered with Halloween decorations, candy bowls placed randomly around the place and the sounds of children came from the hallway leading to the bedrooms.

Zoe looked at Jason with shock.

"No, no, Uncle Jason!" She cried. "Christina's getting ready in my room and Michael is-"

"Annabeth!"

Percy's voice came from one of the three apartment bedrooms and Annabeth smiled. "Just a second," she said, before walking quickly to where her husband's voice had come from. "What?" She asked.

"Mandy is having trouble with her Cinderella outfit and apparently I can't put the tiara on right and she needs you to do it for her." Percy walked out of the bedroom his two daughters shared, holding Mandy, his six-year-old girl, hand in hand as he did. He looked up at Jason and Piper, noticing they were there for the first time.

"Oh my gods, you actually did it!" Piper said in surprise, setting Zoe back down on the ground so the youngster could go over to her parents.

Annabeth nodded distractedly from where she was kneeling in front of her daughter. "Oh, yeah. At first he didn't want to but I... was able to persuade him."

Piper moved closer to Percy, circling him as she appraised his costume. "You look exactly like him!"

Jason moved closer too, frowning. "Like who? Dude, who are you supposed to be? You're dad?"

"What? No!" Percy said horrified, looking down at Annabeth. "You said people would get it!"

"They will." Annabeth said, standing up after carefully placing a silver plastic tiara on Mandy's pinned up blonde hair. "Finnick Odair is one of the most popular fictional male characters."

Piper nodded. "Percy, you look hot."

He stood in front of her with his hair dyed blonde (temporary dye), a trident in his hand and a loose white shirt with shorts. With his tan skin and green eyes he looked exactly like the Hunger Games character.

"Hey," Jason exclaimed.

"Shut up, Sparky, you always look hot." Piper said, hitting him on the shoulder playfully.

"Umm... thanks?" Percy said questioningly, before looking over at Annabeth. "Do I not usually look hot?"

His wife, who was dressed as Marilyn Monroe (it had been that or Taylor Swift), smacked his arm. "Hush, Seaweed Brain."

He smiled at her and she grinned back at him, her lips coated in red lipstick and her hair done up. She wore the stereotypical Marilyn white dress with a v-neck. A dress that reminded Piper eerily of when her mother gave her a makeup years ago at Camp Half-Blood when she had been claimed.

"And no need to guess who you two are," Annabeth turned to them, smiling. "Piper is Belle from Beauty and the Beast and Jason's obviously Superman."

"What gave it away?" Jason asked dryly, still looking at Percy's costume with confusion. "Was it the skin-tight suit or the big red and yellow S in the middle of my belt?"

"Michael's dressed as Harry Potter!" Zoe piped up before blushing cutely. Piper smiled at her. It was a well known fact between the four parents that Zoe and Michael, who was only a year older than the girl, had a little bit of a mutual crush.

Percy, the father of the young daughter, was not altogether approving. Piper had a feeling that soon, as soon as Zoe would be able to understand, about the gods and their DNA. And that even though technically they weren't related, Jason and Percy considered each other cousins so that made Michael her... second cousin?

Piper decided to not think about it. Percy and Annabeth were the ones who would deal with their daughter. Annabeth thought it was a harmless phase, and Piper and Jason agreed, but Percy was already becoming a bit protective of his little girls.

"Wait!" Piper looked up at the sound of her five-year-old son's voice. "I'll show you! Is everyone looking?"

His voice came from Simon's bedroom (Percy and Annabeth's youngest child, their 2 year-old-son), so Piper looked in the direction of the hallway.

"We're all waiting!" Jason replied, a smile gracing his lips. "Come on out!"

Seconds later their brunette haired boy came from the hallway dressed in dark wizard's robes, a Gryffindor scarf, glasses, a face painted scar shaped like lightning and a wand in his hand.

"Are you sure you're not the real Harry Potter?" Piper asked him, smiling at her son. "You look just like him!"

"No, mommy, it's me." Her little boy gave a quick bow before snatching a small Mars Bar from an orange bowl full of candy. "Remember, you bought the costume with me?"

"Oh you're right, silly me, I remember now." Piper spoke to her son while Percy, Annabeth and Jason talked. "Are you excited to go trick or treating?"

Michael's face lit right up, his blue eyes sparkling. "Zoe and I have a bet. I told her I could get more candy than her, but she didn't believe me, so the winner gets-" Suddenly her son blushed bright red.

"What?" Piper asked him suspiciously. She'd learned in five years that her son could get into some serious mischief with Percy's daughter. She still couldn't go back to Camp Half-Blood without Chiron bringing up the 'My Little Pony' incident. "What does the winner get?"

"Don't tell Uncle Percy?" Michael asked her, suddenly serious. "He might get mad. Zoe says he doesn't like hugging unless it's him with his family."

Piper smiled at her son. "The winner has to give somebody a hug?" She asked.

"Shh!" Michael looked up at Percy and Annabeth who were now talking with their little girls, Jason had disappeared- probably to find Christina. He leaned forward secretively. "If I lose I have to give Zoe a hug," he confided. "And if she loses she has to give me one."

Piper smiled. "That's a serious bet."

Michael nodded. "So I have to win."

Piper ruffled her son's hair. "You will."

"Mom!" He complained, trying to flatten his now mussed up strands.

Piper smiled. "Don't worry about it," she told him, "Harry could never get his hair to lie flat in the books anyway."

"Mommy!"

"There she is!" Piper said happily as she caught sight of Christina. "You are the most beautiful fairy I've ever seen!" She hoisted up her 3 year old. Christina had Jason's blonde hair and Piper's eyes. Her hair swung down below her shoulders and Piper smiled at her daughter in her pink, glittery fairy outfit. "Don't you look pretty! Did you have fun with Uncle Percy and Auntie Annabeth?"

Christie nodded seriously before leaning in to whisper, "Percy gave us candy." She said, loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Seaweed Brain!" Annabeth said as Percy adopted a fake look of innocence.

"I don't know what she's talking about," Percy told them all seriously, making his little girls giggle. Then he turned to Christina. "That was supposed to be our secret, Christie!" He said. "Now your parents will never let you come over again!"

"No!" All of the children said in unison.

"Way to go man, now you've scared them." Jason said, rolling his eyes.

Percy grinned. "Just shows how much fun it is in the Jackson home." He said proudly.

Annabeth sighed. "You guys will still be able to come over," she told the kids. "Don't worry about it."

A noise came from Simon's room and Annabeth went to go check on him just as Mandy said, "Auntie Piper, are you a princess like me?"

The little girl's eyes were so wide that Piper had to smile as she handed Christina to Jason. "Yes, I am." She said. "You're Cinderella and I'm Belle. You know Belle, right?"

Mandy nodded, ignoring her sister and Michael as they jumped on the couch behind her, causing Percy to watch them carefully. "From Beauty and the Beast. But then... does that mean Uncle Jason's the beast?"

Percy's laughter came from the couch. "Oh, yeah, definitely. I can see the resemblance."

Jason's mouth fell open. "No! I'm Superman! See?" He gestured to his blue and red outfit. "I fly." He hovered a foot above the ground and Percy rolled his eyes.

"Show off," the son of Poseidon muttered.

"So... who's the beast?" Mandy asked.

"He's... not here right now." Piper said. "He went on a vacation."

Mandy thought about that for a second before nodding. "Okay!" She turned around to play with the other kids and her father.

Piper went to stand beside Jason as he let down Christina. They watched Percy play with the kids, as he let them tackle him and tickle him and made him give them pony rides.

"The Beast?" Jason asked her. "I'm obviously Superman, aren't I?"

Piper placed a placating hand on her husband's shoulder. "Of course you are, Sparky." She said as he turned to look at her. "Just without the hair."

Jason rolled his eyes. "Percy may be able to pull of blonde, but I cannot pull of brown."

Piper nudged him playfully. "I think you could pull off anything you wanted." She said before kissing him quickly. "But I like you blonde."

He smiled at her as the kids unanimously said, "eww, gross!"

Piper looked to find the four of them and Percy all staring at her and Jason. "Mom," Michael complained, looking at them both seriously. "Dad. I thought we agreed no kissing! It's embarrassing."

"And gross!" Zoe piped up.

Percy looked like he was trying not to laugh. "Yeah, guys," he said. "It's gross."

"Oh shut up, Perce," Jason said playfully, his familiar sparkle back in his eyes. "You and Annabeth got caught by Coach Hedge after spending a night together on the Argo II. Not to mention you two are like the King and Queen of PDA. I wouldn't talk."

Annabeth chose that moment to come back, Simon on her hip in his bumblebee outfit. "Frank and Hazel called," she said to the adults. "They can't make it. Frank's sick."

"Sick?" Percy asked. "On Halloween?"

Annabeth shrugged. "He ate too much milk chocolate. It got to him." Annabeth turned to her son- a spitting image of Percy. "Isn't that right, honey?" She turned back to the three of them. "Hazel promised that they'd come over and check out the candy the kid's got tomorrow. Honestly, I think she was a little relieved," Annabeth said. "I think the pregnancy's making her tired."

"Well if she's anything like you were," Percy started but faltered at his wife's glare. "I- um, I bet she's doing great!"

Jason fist-bumped him. "Nice save, man," he said, as Piper and Annabeth met each other's eyes as if to say, 'and we married these guys?'

"Alright, well!" Annabeth said. "Everyone's here, so let's go. Piper, Jason, you're sure you're okay with taking the kids out while Percy and I stay here with Simon to hand out the candy?"

"Sure, Annabeth." Piper said, smiling at Simon as he gurgled to himself happily. "It's no problem-"

"Ya, candy time!" Michael exclaimed, leading the kids to the door. "Come on, dad, let's go!"

Percy laughed at Jason's expression as Piper smiled and walked towards her husband. "We ready to go?" She asked him.

Jason looked at all of the kids. The loving, proud look in his eyes made Piper want to kiss him again. "Oh yeah, let's do this."

So, surrounded by their family, they went out trick-or-treating.

And they totally rocked it. No monster attacks, no meltdowns or tantrums and no fighting. Michael cast a couple of spells on play-along mothers, and kids complimented each other on costumes. By the time the kids were tired Jason was carrying Christina's pillow case of candy and Piper was carrying Christina.

When they made it back to the Jackson's apartment Christina was asleep, Zoe was talking less animatedly to Michael and Mandy was yawning. They let themselves in to find Annabeth and Percy sitting on the couch, Annabeth with her head on Percy's shoulder, watching- again?- The Nightmare Before Christmas.

"This is Halloween, everybody make a scene
Trick or treat till the neighbors die of fright
It's our town, everybody scream
In this town of Halloween..."

The townsfolk of Halloween Town sang their well-known song and Piper smiled tiredly at the movie. She had grown up watching this movie every Halloween- sometimes with her dad.

"There you are!" Percy exclaimed, making Annabeth's head shoot up. "How'd it go?"

"Daddy, I got more candy than Michael!" Zoe bounded over to her father, her full pillow case bouncing behind her as she went and sat beside her parents. "Look at all the candy!"

Percy immediately started talking to his daughter, dumping out all of the candy she got in the middle of the floor so they could see the variety. Michael went and hesitantly sat beside them, protesting that he had gotten more candy.

"They've been sneaking some," Piper confided to Annabeth as she got up and made their way over to them, picking up Mandy's bag for her. "They might be a bit hyper."

Annabeth waved a hand. "No problem, thanks for watching them. I actually think you got the better task this year, you should have seen some of the people who came by here..."

"One of them was dressed as Katniss!" Percy called to them. "She loved my costume but said it made her want to cry." Percy shrugged. "Who knows what that's about." He asked rhetorically before turning his attention back to the children.

Annabeth sighed as Jason moved to go beside Percy, both of them talking to the kids. "He never read the books," she confided to Piper. "He's only seen the movies- and the third one isn't even out yet. He doesn't know what happens to Finnick. Unfortunately the teenage girl seemed very distraught. I'm guessing she's a hard core fangirl."

Piper nodded sympathetically, shifting Christie in her arms. "It's a hard life."

Annabeth smiled. "But people did recognize him. I'm so glad you made me dress Percy up as Finnick, it was fun." Her eyes sparkled. "And you were right earlier. He looks very good in that costume."

"Woah, little ears here." Piper said, gesturing to Christie in her arms. "Neither of us need to hear anything else." Piper rolled her eyes. "Speaking of little ears, we should probably be going soon. The kids are all tired."

Annabeth nodded. "And I think it will take at least an hour to get them all to calm down and go to sleep after they're separated."

Piper nodded in silence before both girls turned to their children and husbands and said unanimously, "alright kids, bedtime."

"What?" Zoe looked up. "No!"

"I'm not even tired," Michael said before trying to hide a yawn behind his robes. "Can we stay for a little bit more?"

"Please?" Mandy asked her father.

Percy met his daughter's eyes and hesitated, and Piper knew she had to act fast. "Nope, it's time to go. You'll see them tomorrow, remember? And Frank and Hazel will be here too."

Michael looked at Zoe sadly. "Do we have to go?"

"Yes." Annabeth said firmly. "You're all tired."

"Daddy?" Zoe turned her father.

"Umm..." Percy looked hopelessly at Annabeth. His wife raised an eyebrow at him and all hesitation cleared from his face as he stood up. "Yes, it's time for bed." He said. "We'll see them for lunch tomorrow, and after lunch you can all eat candy together."

Percy's word was law in this house apparently, because immediately his girls started to say their goodbyes.

"Bye, Uncle Jason!" They said, hugging him around his waist. "Bye, Auntie Piper."

She hugged them back as best she could with Christina in her arms. "Bye girls."

As the parents said goodbye, Piper noticed Zoe was tentatively up to Michael. "Bye, Michael." She said.

He opened his mouth to respond but before he could Zoe gave him a hug. "I know I won the bet," she said. "But I wanted to hug you anyway."

Piper bit back a smile and gently tapped her son on his shoulder, making him turn to look at her. "Ready to go?" She asked him.

He nodded. "Ready." He turned and gave Zoe another hug. "I wanted to too." He told her, before turning and taking his mother's outstretched hand. "Okay, let's go."

Jason raised an eyebrow at her, obviously having seen the interaction, but Piper just shook her head. "Bye guys, we'll see you tomorrow!" She said to the Jackson family.

"Bye!" The two girls chorused. Zoe waved to Michael and Percy saw this, because his brows furrowed. "See you tomorrow!"

Jason hoisted his son up to sit on his shoulders. "So, did you two have fun?"

"Yes! Dad, can we go back again next year?" Michael asked.

Jason looked over at Piper and Piper looked at Jason. 'Up to you.' She mouthed.

Jason looked up at his son. "I think that can be arranged."

And so, with two bags of candy, two tired children and grins on all of their faces, the Grace family went back home- fully intending to come back again next year for some more family fun.