A Christmas special! Happy holidays to whatever holiday you celebrate. Thanks for the reviews and alerts (:


Nico's cheeks were bright red. "Dakota told me that you guys were hanging out...not that you guys were making out."

"Hey, man!" Leo waved. "Thanks for coming. I think I'm gonna die from all the PDA in here."

"N-no problem," Nico said, glancing at Percy. Annabeth laughed at his wary expression.

Percy grinned. "How's it going, Nico?"

Nico looked a little relieved, like he was glad that he didn't have to see his best friends kissing in front of him. Annabeth knew that Nico considered Percy like his older brother, and looked up to him. Percy had a girlfriend though; Nico still seemed a little young for that.

His next words changed Annabeth's mind soon enough.

"Oh," Nico said offhandedly, "I've been hanging around with the Hunters a lot. You know...mostly Thalia, though."

"Thalia?" Annabeth repeated incredulously. "And she hasn't killed you yet?"

Nico shrugged. "We're pretty good friends."

"Thalia?" Jason suddenly said. "My sister?"

Piper looked at him sarcastically. "Do we know any other Thalias?"

"That's my sister-"

"Anyway, guys," Percy said loudly. "We were just looking at the photo album when you came in, Nico."

Hazel, rolling her eyes, turned the page of the album.

Percy, Jason, Frank and Leo groaned simultaneously.

"No, no, no-" Jason muttered.

Frank hid his face in his hands.

"Why?" Leo and Percy said at the same time, raising their eyes to the ceiling. "Why?"

Annabeth, Hazel and Piper all collapsed into giggles.

The Christmas after the giant war, they had forced all the guys to wear Christmas sweaters. Annabeth had spent an awesome time with Hazel and Piper at the mall, trying to find the most tacky Christmas sweaters in all of New York.

The first picture showed Annabeth standing in front of Percy, waving a green sweater in one hand.

Leo had stood on one side, grinning widely as he snapped the picture (he obviously didn't know that he as going to have to wear one, too). Annabeth remembered that day so well because of how funny it had been.

She was clearly yelling in the photo, a mixture of frustration and exasperation on her face.

"It's just a sweater!" She protested. "Just for one day!"

Percy had crossed his arms defiantly and stared at her in disbelief. "You're really trying to force me into a Christmas sweater." He said. "What did I do to deserve that?"

In the picture, his black hair was mussed as he ran a hand crossly through it. He looked annoyed.

"Come on," Annabeth wheedled. "It has some blue on it, look!"

Percy rolled his eyes. "No." He said flatly. "N-O no. You are never ever going to get me to wear that thing ever-"

He was wearing it in the next picture.

Percy scowled as Nico cracked up, pointing at the picture. The son of Hades gasped between laughs, staring at the photo.

"Look - at - his face-" He wheezed.

Percy shot him a look. "Shut up, Nico." He said through clenched teeth. "Or I'll tell Thalia you like her, I swear."

Nico looked horrified.

In the photograph, the four boys stood in a line at the bow of the Argo II, all decked out in Christmas sweaters.

Jason was on the left, looking mortified. He wore a blue sweater, a shade slightly darker than his eyes, that had a huge, cheerful white snowman on it. Piper had picked it out, saying that it would bring out his eyes.

"Gods, Pipes," Jason said. "Why did you have to pick the snowman?"

"I thought it was cute," Piper responded innocently.

Frank looked even more embarrassed in his Christmas sweater. The big guy wore a thick red sweater that had the face of a reindeer on it. Hazel had told them at the mall that it reminded her of the time they had gone to Alaska on the quest.

"Remember we had reindeer sausages?" She asked Percy and Frank. "Not that I want to eat the reindeer on your sweater, Frank, but you know..."

Frank sighed.

Leo was grinning from ear to ear in the photo. He had put up a fight with the sweater, but in the end had given in. It had been easy to pick a sweater for him; a knitted sweater with an elf on the front. Hazel, Piper and Annabeth had decided on it in an instant. Between the elf's loopy smile and Leo's cheeky grin, Annabeth couldn't decide which one was more hilarious.

"Team Leo, right there!" Leo whooped.

Then he frowned. "I don't think this is gonna win me any points with the ladies."

Percy stood on the leftmost side of the photo, looking both awkward and irritated. He was rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortable, the other hand in his pocket.

His sweater, an emerald-green colour, had different sized blue and white snowflakes all over it. The green colour of the sweater had made his eyes seem greener than ever.

His sea-green gaze was fixed on someone beyond the camera; Annabeth.

"Just one more picture, Percy!" Annabeth called out, laughing. "Three, two, one-"

"Annabeth!" Percy sprinted towards her, looking murderous.

She laughed as he grabbed her from behind, around the waist.

"Not cool, Wise Girl," He muttered in her ear. "I feel like such a dork."

She turned around to face him, poking his chest. "I think it looks good."

Percy kissed her cheek. "Merry Christmas, Annabeth."

Nico was still staring at Percy in horror. "You - you wouldn't actually tell Thalia anything...would you?"

"Nah," Percy punched his arm. "I wouldn't do that."

"I would," Jason grumbled. "That's my sister you're talking about."

Piper shushed him.