A/N: Hey everyone! I know it has been such a long time... I'm sorry... school work has been overwhelming. I've had this idea for a while but it has taken me sooooo long to write. I finally decided to update in celebration for 50 reviews on my other story, Rachel and Nico. For people who read that, don't worry, an update is coming soon.
For those of you who haven't read my other stories, Carter is Annabeth and Percy's daughter.
This is cute and fluffy and what can I say? Tell me what you think!
"What's the problem in here?" Percy asked, peeking his head around the corner and peering into Carter's room. Annabeth was standing in a heap of children's clothes, her arms crossed in front of her chest. She was glaring at a red-faced, shirtless Carter, who was standing in a mirror position, giving the same petulant look back at her mother.
The tension in the air was thick, and Percy knew that if he smiled at the similarity between the two of them, he would come face to face with a pissed-off Annabeth or a screaming Carter. And quite honestly, he couldn't tell which one was more terrifying.
"Mommy won't let me wear the red shirt," Carter huffed, her voice shockingly menacing for that of a toddler.
"Green and red don't match. You can't wear the red shirt and the green pants. You'll look like a Christmas tree," Annabeth replied, gritting her teeth in frustration.
"What's wrong with Christmas?" Carter responded, tugging the shirt over her head anyway.
"Nothing is wrong with Christmas. Stop changing the argument."
Annabeth reached down and shuffled through the mess of clothing around her. She grabbed a black shirt with a button down collar that, even Percy knew would look much better than the fashion-disaster Carter was currently sporting.
"Carter," Annabeth said, lowering her voice a little. "This would look much nicer on you. We're going to be late to school if we keep fighting over this, so please take off that shirt and put this one on instead.
Percy glanced down at his watch. 8:25am. Annabeth was right, they weren't going to be on time. And if there was anything that put Annabeth in an even worse mood, it was showing up late.
"C'mon," Percy piped, wrapping his arm around Annabeth's shoulders in an attempt to comfort her. "It's the middle of May. Who doesn't have some Christmas spirit?"
Annabeth knocked his arms off.
"Stay out of this," she snapped.
Percy sighed, and wondered if all women were this difficult. "Carter, how about you just change your shirt then? Can you do that for me?"
Carter shook her head, indignantly. "Mommy's right. Stay out of this."
Percy groaned. What had he done to deserve two of them?
"Annabeth, just let her go in the red shirt. Who cares? It's called self-expression. Let her make choices for herself, it's not a big deal. Plus, it's her birthday in a few days."
Percy leaned in and gave Annabeth a gentle kiss on the cheek. She softened slightly to his touch and he knew that for once, he had won. They'd been together for long enough that he could sense just by her body language that she wasn't actually mad. Maybe she had a bad dream, or hadn't drunk enough coffee, or she couldn't find matching socks and that put her in an irritable mood. Whatever it was, she was just agitated, and Percy knew that the only way to calm her down was to just try and talk to her logically.
"Okay, fine," she admitted, pulling in a deep breath and frowning at the concession. "Wear a red shirt if that's what you really want."
"Yeah," Carter added, grinning in triumph as Annabeth led her by her hand out of her room. "Plus, I'm going to Jeremy's house later today and his favorite color is red."
"Exactly," Percy agreed, following behind them. "Wait, what?"
He froze in place, one eyebrow quirked in question.
"What do you want for a snack?" Annabeth asked Carter, ignoring Percy in the scramble to get ready.
"Applesauce."
"Who is this Jeremy kid?" Percy asked, suddenly rethinking Carter's clothing choice.
"We're out of applesauce, thank the gods. What else do you want?"
"Who is Jeremy?" Percy repeated.
"I'll have carrot sticks," Carter replied.
"WHO IS JEREMY?"
"Carter's friend," Annabeth replied absentmindedly, scanning the room for any last minute things before leaving.
"Is Jeremy… a girl? Is that a girl's name or something?"
"Nope," said Carter, popping the "p" and giggling slightly at her dad's cluelessness. "Jeremy is a boy. We're best friends. We share our crayons and read each other stories during recess every single day. And we're line buddies, so when our class goes somewhere we get to hold hands."
Percy widened his eyes at this response, and shot Annabeth and alarmed look. His mouth was slightly open and he looked a mixture between concerned and panicked.
"Is there a problem, Seaweed Brain?" Annabeth said, winking and walking out the door, Carter in tow.
"Bye daddy!" Carter waved over her shoulder.
"Wait!" Percy shouted, but was greeted with the click of the door closing behind his wife and daughter.
"Maybe letting her wear red wasn't such a good idea," Percy muttered to himself.
"Mommy!" Carter shouted, a jubilant smile stretched across her face as she raced over to her mother afterschool, her tiny toddler legs padding across the grass field, all negative emotions from that morning completely forgotten.
"How was your day?" Annabeth asked, reaching down to lovingly pat the top of Carter's curly head and pry her backpack from her tiny hands.
"Good," Carter replied, reaching her arms up to ask for a kiss. Annabeth obliged, giving Carter a small peck on the lips, her hear swelling with the love only a mother has for her daughter, even if that daughter was as stubborn as she was.
"What did you do today in school?" Annabeth probed as they walked to the car, Carter waving at her friends along the way.
"Nothing," she responded, giving the typical after-a-long-school-day answer.
"You must have done something."
She shrugged. "I drew a picture and played." Carter yawned and rubbed her eyes, unwilling to elaborate any further.
"Okay," Annabeth chuckled. "Well, we have a big afternoon ahead so I hope you're not too tired."
"I'm not!" Carter chirped, revived at the prospect of seeing her friend later.
"Well, we're going to Jeremy's right this minute. Now, I can either drop you off at his house or stay the whole time. It's up to you."
"You can drop me off," Carter said, much to Annabeth's surprise. She crossed her arms pointedly and set her jaw forwards. "I'm not scared."
"Alright," Annabeth replied, grinning at Carter's stubborn expression that she knew was exactly like hers. He lower lip was jutting out slightly and her eyebrows were furrowed, exuding confidence and determination and a bit too much pride.
They got to the car and clambered in. Annabeth pulled out of the daycare, slightly ahead of all of the other mothers and their daughters, successfully avoiding the pick-up chaos. They drove the quick fifteen minutes down the road and were greeted by a friendly white house with large green shutters. The paint was peeling slightly and the lawn needed to be mowed, but Carter's eyes landed on the bright yellow swing set in the front and she was immediately sold.
Annabeth parked the car and turned to unbuckle Carter, but she was already out of her seatbelt and exiting the car. Smiling to herself, Annabeth followed and the two of them made their way to the front door.
"Can I ring the doorbell?" Carter pleaded, standing on her tippy toes and waggling her fingers, trying to reach the small silver button just out of her grasp.
Annabeth picked her up and Carter pressed the button with a satisfied grin. There was no response. She pressed the button again. And again. And again.
Annabeth was about to reprimand her for being rude, when they were greeted with bark from deep within the house. The windows shook slightly at the sound and Carter's finger froze on the button, her whole body tensing at the sound.
"It's okay, they just have a dog," Annabeth soothed her, hugging her slightly to her chest.
"That sounds like a big dog," Carter pointed out. The dog barked again, and Annabeth could have sworn the sound reverberated down the block. They heard the clatter of the dog's paws thundering down the hall towards the door, and the front porch shook slightly under their feet. Carter swallowed hard.
"It does, but I'm sure it's a friendly dog," Annabeth agreed, placing Carter on the floor. Carter straightened her posture, but Annabeth noticed that she hid slightly behind Annabeth's legs.
"I told you I can stay if you want," Annabeth reminded her.
Carter shook her head and stepped forward.
"I'm fine, Mommy," she said. But the look on her face wasn't completely convinced.
When Annabeth knocked on the door to Jeremy's house a few hours later, she was met with the surprise of Carter curled up around a huge black dog, which looked about four times her size. The dog placed a sloppy, wet kiss on Carter's cheek as Annabeth walked in, causing the young girl to giggle and stroke his head affectionately.
Jeremy was standing next to Carter, his face red and arms crossed as if wished he were the one cuddling with Carter. Annabeth suppressed a grin. Her daughter was already a heartbreaker.
"Mommy!" Carter waved and nuzzled her face into the scruff behind the dog's ears. "This is Blaze. He's super friendly and cute and I just love him."
Blaze whimpered slightly as if he could tell that Carter was complimenting him. He glanced at Annabeth with gentle black eyes that clearly said don't you dare take my new friend away.
"That's sweet, honey," Annabeth replied. "How was the playdate?"
Jeremy wordlessly marched into the kitchen to get his mother, leaving Annabeth alone with the inseparable girl and dog pair. She sighed, mentally preparing herself for the oncoming battle.
"As much as I love to see you and your new friend together, we have to go home, Carter. We can come visit Blaze and Jeremy soon, though."
"Under one condition," Carter replied in a very matter-of-fact manner, rising to her feet.
She turned to give Blaze a soft kiss on the cheek. The sight normally would have made Annabeth's heart twinge at the gentleness of her daughter if she wasn't so nervous about Carter's supposed condition.
"What's that?"
"I want a pet for my birthday."
"We've just got in a new litter of most adorable kittens I've ever seen," the saleswoman said, crouching down in front of a playpen and pulling out a baby tabby that couldn't have been larger than a coffee mug. Mia, the woman's nametag read, handed Annabeth the cat without question, and dragged a long, painted fingernail down the cat's back. The tabby mewed softly and nipped at Annabeth's shirt collar.
Annabeth cradled the cat awkwardly— not daring to look down at the wistful expression she knew would be on Carter's face. She and Percy had discussed getting a pet, and they both agreed that it would be manageable as long as the pet wasn't something that required a ton of responsibility. The last thing she wanted was a new kitten, especially with Percy and Annabeth both working during the day. That and the fact that in a few months there would be a new member to the Jackson family.
But she hadn't told Percy that part yet.
The tabby wriggled in her hands and Annabeth gave the cat back to the woman at the pet store before Carter could get her hands on it.
"I think we're looking for something, a bit smaller. A bit less responsibility, if you know what I mean," Annabeth informed Mia.
The brunette nodded.
"I completely understand. Good news for you, we just got in a bunch of the cutest little things you'll ever see. Come take a look at this."
Annabeth rolled her eyes. Either this woman seriously thought every animal was the most adorable, fluffy bundle of joy in the world, or she was just trying a bit too hard at her job. In Annabeth's opinion, it was probably the latter.
Mia placed the kitten back in the playpen and grabbed Carter by the hand, pulling her towards another glass case a few feet away. Annabeth followed quickly behind, supervising to make sure that Carter didn't become too attached to any animal before Annabeth made the executive decision of whether or not it was reasonable.
Unfortunately, Mia moved a bit too fast and by the time Annabeth had made her way over there, Carter was already coddling something small and furry against her chest.
"Please mommy? Please please please? This is just so cute!" Carter piped, stroking the animal lovingly.
"What is it?" Annabeth asked, brushing back Carter's princess curls to reveal the thing in her arms.
A guinea pig stared back at her, its huge brown eyes unblinking. Its tiny pink nose twitched furiously and all Annabeth could think about was Percy.
Percy in guinea pig form.
The flashbacks came immediately. It was their second mission, their second time out of camp trying to stop Kronos. She was just friends with Percy at the time, and even though she would have never admitted it, she thought he was a hero. Now, she supposed it was a sign of love, that a subconscious part of her 13-year-old-self knew Percy was in trouble and was able to save him. But in the end, out of all the preposterous situations Seaweed Brain got himself into, getting turned into a guinea pig on Circe's island was probably at the top of the list.
At the time, it was horrifying. But looking back on it now, Annabeth could hardly suppress her laughter. Getting the guinea pig would kill two birds with one stone. It would make Carter happy… and since when could Annabeth ever pass up an opportunity to make Percy feel like more of a Kelp Head than he actually was?
"I think it's perfect."
"Daddy! Guess what? Guess what? Guess what?" Carter squealed, clambering into the house. The guinea pig was in a box in one hand, and with each step she took it bounced up and down.
"Careful, Carter!" Percy said, removing the box from her hand and placing it on the kitchen counter. The guinea pig made a scuffling noise inside, causing Percy to furrow his eyebrows in question.
"I got a pet!" Carter announced, dragging a stool over and propping herself up at a better height. "Can I play with it now?"
"Of course," Percy said, "I'd love to meet the newest member of the Jackson family."
Annabeth smirked, and went to the other side of the counter so she had a good view of Percy's face. His reaction was something she did not want to miss.
Percy took a seat next to his daughter and she opened the box. "Isn't it just so cute Daddy?" Carter asked, picking up the guinea pig and shoving it in Percy's face.
Percy locked eyes with the guinea pig, his huge green eyes glaring at it in a mixture of horror, disgust, and fear, as if the little bundle of fur in Carter's hands was a ticking time bomb. The guinea pig squirmed and Percy flinched, causing him to quite literally fall out of his chair.
Overall, Annabeth would say his reaction did not disappoint.
"I think it likes you!" Carter replied, oblivious to her father's reaction.
Annabeth laughed loudly, offering Percy a hand as he scrambled to his feet.
"You got our daughter a guinea pig?" Percy whispered the last two words, like saying its name was a crime.
"I knew you'd like it," Annabeth responded with a chuckle, grinning at Percy's wide-eyed expression.
"Seriously? A guinea pig? Out of all the animals in the pet store you had to get that? Look, the source of the problem here is that Jeremy kid. If she hadn't gone to his house then she wouldn't have wanted a pet and we wouldn't have that creat-"
"Mommy!" Carter screeched, interrupting the not-so-silent argument.
Both Percy and Annabeth turned to see the guinea pig scampering across the kitchen counter. Apparently, the little thing wasn't too bright because they both watched in horror as it ran right off the side of the table.
Acting upon years of demigod reflexes, Percy dove for the guinea pig, catching it a few inches off of the floor.
The whole kitchen was dead quiet for a moment, the relief almost tangible.
"Well," Annabeth said, breaking the silence. "It seems Daddy and the guinea pig have… a connection. They both like falling off of things." She stressed the word connection, winking at Percy as she said it.
Carter let out a giggle, and even Percy allowed a small smile.
"I try not to make a habit of it. Now, what do you say we put it away before more disaster occurs?" Percy affirmed, grabbing the cage Annabeth had bought at the pet store and placing the guinea pig safely inside.
"Wait!" Carter announced. "We need to pick a name for her!"
"Her?" Percy confirmed. "It's a girl?"
"I have no idea," Annabeth replied.
"No one knows?"
"You should check."
"No, you should."
"Really, you do the honors."
"I'll do it!" Carter interrupted. "How can I tell?"
Percy shot Annabeth a help-me expression, which she returned with a slight shake of her head.
"It's a girl," Annabeth decided, trying to avert the conversation. Percy nodded his head in agreement, feeling slightly guilty about the 50% chance that the guinea pig would live its life having an identity crisis.
Carter paused for a moment, looking thoughtfully at the guinea pig, which had nestled itself in the corner of the cage as close to Percy as possible. "Let's name her Jackie," she decided. "Jackie Jackson the guinea pig."
Annabeth winced at the redundancy, but Percy crouched down to Carter and gave her a thumbs-up. If he had to deal with a guinea pig in the house, the least she could do was have to deal with the name.
"I think Jackie Jackson is perfect. Why don't you take Jackie now and carefully go show her the house?" Percy handed the cage to Carter, and she took it in her arms, walking slowly towards her room.
Once she was out of the kitchen, Percy turned to Annabeth.
"I've been trying to forget that whole event, and now I have to see Jackie Jackson every single day. Trust me, being a guinea pig was not one of the more heroic moments of my life I'd like to remember."
"Awww, well, if it makes you feel any better, I thought you were a cute guinea pig. Plus," Annabeth muttered defensively, "you're the one who saved it from jumping off the side of the table."
"I didn't really want a guinea pig pancake on the kitchen floor."
"I hear those things are a mess to clean up," Annabeth gave a playful shudder.
"Do you think you're being funny, Wise Girl?" Percy asked, lightly tugging on one of her stray curls.
"Well, I certainly try," Annabeth replied. He kissed her lightly on the nose, and placed his hands on her hips, pulling her in close.
"I'm glad you enjoy my general pain and discomfort. You're just full of surprises, aren't you?"
Annabeth smiled to herself at the irony of his words.
She took his hands that were placed on her hips and brought them to her stomach. They were the same hands as always, calloused and strong from fighting, but also gentle. They were Percy.
She decided to tell him about how their family of three Jacksons—well, four if you were counting Jackie—was soon to grow one more.
"Well," she said, pulling him close enough to smell his scent that was so distinctly Percy that it made her vision go fuzzy, "while we're on the topic of surprises…"