My first one-shot. I have no idea where I got the idea from. Let me know what you think.
Perhaps it was I who was selfish. Perhaps not. All I know is that she was different. She was special. And I regret that she could have been my daughter. But alas, she was not.
I remember the first day I met her. What a cute little thing she was, sitting on a stool in her room, reading a thick book quietly. That was the first time Fredrick brought me to his house when he decided that I should finally meet his daughter as I had agreed to his proposal. I always knew he had a daughter; I had already accepted the fact and was ready to treat her as my own.
Fredrick knocked on the door and opened it. Strange, I had thought. Usually children's doors were filled with stickers of some sort.
And there she was. She was more pretty than cute for someone her age. Honey-blond locks fell around her face like a princess. She sat on a stool near the bed as she read her book quietly. It was Homer's Iliad. I did not have much interaction with children, but I was sure kids her age don't read books like that.
She was bent over the book in concentration, gray eyes narrowed. She had not heard her father come in. It was only when Fredrick tapped her shoulder she looked up. First at her father, then at me.
"Hello, Dad. How was your day?" She spoke rather well for someone her own age. She seemed to be ignoring me. I wasn't offended though, she must feel uncomfortable with a stranger in the house.
Fredrick smiled at her, though it looked forced. "Annabeth, meet Helen." He gestured me over, and I walked over to him and bent down to smile at her. "Hi, Annabeth. I've heard a lot about you." I gave her a hand to shake, not very sure how to talk to a little girl.
She looked at the hand offered for a long while. Then she turned and glared at her father. "Who is she? Why is she here?" Her voice was cold.
Fredrick looked at me apologetically, then frowned at his daughter. "Annabeth, that's not very nice of you."
Annabeth turned back to me. She shook my hand carefully, grey eyes analyzing me. Her father crouched down and took her hand. "Annabeth, Helen is...well, she's your new step-mother."
I expected her to have a reaction. Either burst into tears or happiness. But she didn't. Instead she looked at her father. "The first day you bring her home and tell me she's my new step-mom."
Fredrick looked awkward. "Annabeth, I know this is hard for you but-"
Annabeth closed her book and stood up, tucking the book under her arm. "Well then," she never finished her sentence. She simply walked past me and out of the room.
As the room door closed behind her, Fredrick sighed. "I'm sorry, Helen. She's like that. She's probably mad at me. Just give her some time."
-o-
I knew there was something different about her, but I was tactful, and was careful not to ask questions about her.
It was only when we were married, that one night I worked up the courage to ask.
"Who is her mother? She is special. And I want to know why." I had asked quietly.
" Do you really want to know?" His eyes were sad and forlorn the second I had touched the subject. I wanted to pretend I never said anything, but it was too late. I nodded.
"Her mother is Athena, Greek goddess of wisdom."
-o-
I never doubted his words. The girl was so smart and mature at such a young age, it had to be a miracle like Mozart if there was no reason behind it.
For untold reasons I felt hatred and anger towards her. I was not this sort of person, I was always rationale. But I could help but feel that way.
When I was carrying the twins, I treated her badly. I thought I hated her because I knew my children would never be as good as her. I thought I hated her because I was worried that Fredrick would treat her better than he would treat my sons.
When they were born, I spent most of my time with them, if not with Fredrick. It was as if she had never entered my life. As time went by, she became more and more distant, often locking herself up in her room for long periods of time to read her books.
I knew Fredrick wanted to say something, but he was afraid of offending me, so he kept quiet like a good husband. He never disagreed with me.
-o-
When she was five, she ran away.
I have never seen Fredrick so broken. He wasn't usually the type to express his feelings openly, but he cried for her. A few months later, Chiron, a centaur, had informed Fredrick that Annabeth had reached Camp Half-Blood safely. She was with all the other kids who were like her. Demigods.
It was when she was absent that I realised that I didn't hate her as what I thought. I felt...regret. I regret that she could be my daughter but wasn't. I regret that I could have borne that child that my husband was so fond of. I made a promise to myself that I would be nicer the next time we meet.
-o-
Seven years. A letter came from her, and Fredrick was beyond elated. She said that she would want to try to live with us again. I had to be honest with myself: I was relieved.
She came back after summer, and we tried to make it work out. It was hard though; when we tried to have a family outing, some monster would attack and she would have to fight them. I was impressed with her fighting skills, but I was worried that one day she would get us killed by attracting monsters.
Even so, I kept my promise to be nice to her. Sometimes she was still wary of me, as if she was remembering her five year-old self being scolded by me almost every day.
I thought we were doing well, until the next year she ran away again. I thought she was still mad at me. Only after did I know she ran away because she felt she was putting us all in danger.
I tried to help Fredrick persuade her to come back. And she did. But she was hesitant to move with us to California. She said it was a dangerous place for half-bloods, but eventually she came with us.
I took that as a good sign; she too was trying to be closer to this family again.
That winter she went on a quest with her friend Thalia and Percy. I met them both when they came to our house to ask Fredrick for help to help save Annabeth; she was captured.
The boy Percy seems so nice. I've heard Annabeth mention him before, when we tried to talk to each other. He was a son of Poseidon, god of the seas. The way Annabeth talked about him made me wonder if they were dating. I smiled every time she told me of him, because she always had a rather dreamy expression on her face.
When she came back alive, I was relieved. She had a single grey streak in her hair. She didn't say how she got that though. She said I won't believe her. I told her I would. So she told me, but never told her father.
She had held the sky.
-o-
The following years were better. We all became closer to her. It was only that summer she had to go fight a war in New York. Everyday Fredrick waited for her and so did I. She was way too young to go to war. Especially when this war was probably more dangerous than mortal war. This involved monsters and that was more dangerous. Once in a while I could hear something from Mount Tam, but Annabeth had said that she was in New York to defend Olympus.
When she came back we celebrated. She told me that she and Percy were now going out. I've never seen her so happy in her life. She looked in bliss for the two months that they dated. They've gotten so close.
Their winter break started early this year, and she went to camp to see Percy again. She often called home when she could, as she was afraid the phone signals would attract monsters to our house.
Before she left for camp she told me that it was Percy who told her to give the family another chance. When I heard that, I was very grateful to him, if not we would not be like we were now.
-o-
Christmas was coming soon. Annabeth had mentioned that she would be spending Christmas at camp. We had prepared our present for her already, to be mailed to her, whereas she had already sent her presents to us. Bobby and Matthew refused to listen to me and had already opened their presents.
Their favourite toys were inside-Annabeth had remembered what they liked. Fredrick's one was definitely a book; the shape gave it away. I could not predict what was mine.
That night while I was doing the dishes, the phone rang. Bobby and Matthew were playing in their room, and Fredrick was in his study. I picked up the phone. "Hello?"
"Mom?" It was Annabeth. I had never been happier to hear her call me that.
I heard her take a deep breath. When she spoke, her voice was shaky.
"Percy's missing."
Pls review! It means a lot to me as this is my first one-shot.
And check out my Mark of Athena fanfic.
P.S. It's a random question, but anyone ever wonder whether Percy eats seafood? He's the son of the sea god and all. Fishes actually respect him... Someone answer my qn pls!
Moonlite Artemis