Athena showed up just as Annabeth was pouring sparkling apple juice into her glass, which was particularly hard to explain.
Of course the gods didn't stay away. Of course. Annabeth quickly whipped the bottle behind her. Piper, in a very smooth move, swept by and picked it up all without seeming to notice Athena.
Thankfully, Annabeth reflected, her mother was not ten feet tall and glowing. She wore a long white dress and a silvery royal blue wrap, and she looked around her with grudging pleasure. Annabeth herself couldn't get over how beautiful her reception was, and couldn't help but feel happy her mother thought so, too.
Round tables draped in rich white tablecloths were scattered around under the massive tent. Big white chairs were pulled up to all of them, and in the center of each table was a vase bursting with silver beads and turquoise flowers. Twinkle lights were draped across the ceiling, washing the space in a warm glow. Pillars and end tables bearing candy and vases were scattered around the outskirt of the tent. At one end, the head table, raised two feet above the ground; at the other, the dance floor, where Leo was playing DJ. Buffet tables lined with drinks, magic plates, candy, and blue cupcakes spanned one side of the tent. Wine circled on platters held by invisible servants. It was still early, dinner having just finished; none of the speeches were done, dancing had yet to kick into high gear, and nothing had blown up yet (that was the biggest indicator of the hour). Dusk had fallen around the tent, and New Rome's lights twinkled in the distance, the stars in the vast field the tent had been pitched in shining like diamonds. Even on her wedding night, Annabeth had sent a silent hello to them, for Bob.
She was having an amazing time. Earlier Sally had come up to her and they'd just hugged each other until Percy sheepishly cut in. Sadie had informed Annabeth that she looked "spiffing." Annabeth had had a forty-minute catchup with Thalia, which was great, and then gotten into a very funny debate with, of all people, Rachel, Nico, and Magnus, over whether or not people who dyed their hair red were actually considered redheads. And through it all, the ecstatic, warm feeling in her chest that came from the lovely knowledge that she was Mrs. Jackson from now on to forever.
She'd also been kissing Percy to the point where Hazel had started fanning her face aggressively, so that helped.
In the vague interlude between dinner and speeches, Annabeth was standing at the head table, glimpsing the turquoise skirts of her bridesmaids through the crowd, and watching Jason smile at Piper like she was his whole world, when she decided she was thirsty. Under her chair, the handily unmarked bottle of apple juice. She poured into her champagne glass and was admiring how it looked extremely realistic when her mother showed up. Annabeth almost spilled juice all over her dress, which would've been very bad, since she had several hours in it to go.
"Mom," she choked. Percy appeared, trying hard, for his credit, not to look terrified.
"Annabeth," her mother returned. Annabeth could just picture her dad in the crowd, keeling over—if he was watching at all. Very few people were, thankfully.
"What are you doing here?" Annabeth tried for a rephrase. "I mean—we didn't expect you."
Athena smiled. Annabeth relaxed a little. "Contrary to Percy's expression, I am not here to cause trouble." Annabeth whacked her husband as subtly as possible and sensed his mouth close. "I came to offer congratulations."
Annabeth's heart melted a little (hormones, she swore). "Really?" She asked, softly.
"I'm not a tyrant, Annabeth. It's rare that my children get a happy ending." Athena smiled,a little sadly, then looked at Percy. "I entrust to you, Perseus, the job of giving her one."
"Absolutely, ma'am," Percy said without faltering. Annabeth could've kissed him right there. "Mom," she said, hesitantly. "I still—I can't believe you're here. Do you want to stay, or…" She trailed off.
Athena just shook her head, smiling that same little smile. "You know as well as I do that you can't stay."
Then Athena did something very surprising. She gave Annabeth a truly wonderful hug. When she drew back, she looked at Percy severely. "Take care of her."
"I will," Percy promised, taking Annabeth's hand.
"And you had better name your daughter after me," Athena added, mischief sparkling in her storm-cloud eyes. And then she vanished.
"That was surreal," Annabeth said, dazed.
"Did she say daughter?" Percy's voice was strangled. Annabeth's fingers skimmed over her stomach. "She did. Huh."
Percy started mumbling about being outnumbered considerably when Piper whisked by. "Nobody exploded?" She asked.
"We're having a girl." Annabeth said, disconnected.
Piper blinked. Then she squealed and threw her arms around Annabeth. "Yes! I was so hoping you were!" She grinned at Percy. "You're going to be outnumbered."
"Holy Hades," Percy mumbled.
"We should start speeches." Piper grinned, linking arms with Annabeth. A photographer captured that moment, the two girls smiling, arms linked, leaning on each other slightly. "Sit down and eat cake."
Annabeth recovered considerably faster than Percy. There was a bunch of speeches, all of them short and sweet. Jason and Grover did a joined best-man speech. Grover quickly recapped the story of the lightning thief from his perspective—in which he was third-wheeling hard-core. Jason admitted that, yes, Percy probably could've killed him. "Cheers, bro," he said, toasting. Percy laughed and clapped Jason on the back as he came back up.
"When I first met Annabeth," Piper began her speech, "she scared the living daylights out of me."
"Me too!" Leo hollered from the back. Annabeth smirked at him.
Piper laughed. "Clearly, things have changed." She turned to Annabeth and raised her glass. "Annabeth, you are the best friend I could ask for. You're living proof of the opposites attract concept, you kick monster butt, and you have an amazing relationship. You're always there for me and I'm so thankful you made me part of your day. So here's to the best quest leader around. I promise to try to be a good a friend to you as you have been to me—to all of your little family, however much it may grow." And Piper winked, and toasted. "To Annabeth!"
And darn it, Annabeth was sniffling.
Parents talked next.
"Percy was never the easiest kid to raise," Sally admitted, "but he was the best. I thought no one would ever be good enough for my little boy. And then came Annabeth." She laughed. "Here was this girl, incredibly intelligent, fighting by his side through thick and thin. The two of you have never left each other. You have been through unimaginable terror together and came out stronger. I can't believe how lucky I am to mother a son who is perfectly matched. Welcome to the family, Annabeth."
Frederick Chase recounted how, despite everything, Annabeth had always come through, and had always- eventually—come back. And he loved her for it.
After that, the mic was opened up to pretty much everyone. All of the wedding party said a few words. Reyna's speech was probably best of them: "I honestly cannot believe we made this boy praetor. Clearly, we should've chosen Annabeth. I love you guys." Leo mentioned how, no matter how much junk he blew up, these guys didn't hate him—and that was pretty cool. Thalia got up and said a few words.
"I'm generally opposed to marriage," she admitted. "But having had the privilege of knowing Annabeth for fourteen years, and Percy for almost that long, I can tell you that they are exactly what a couple should be, weaponry and all. Percy, you annoy the heck out of me, but you're a great best friend to my little brother, and you complete my best friend. Annabeth, even if you are getting married, I'll still love you like a sister. You're the best kick-butt warrior friends a girl could ask for. Cheers."
And on the speeches went—Rachel, Chiron, a host of others. Annabeth laughed, and cried, and was spectacularly happy.
After speeches, they cut the cake, and Annabeth promptly smashed a cupcake into Percy's nose. In return, he kissed her, getting frosting all over her face. They broke apart laughing.
They got half a song for their first official dance as a married couple, and that was how they liked it. Two minutes of slow dancing was enough for demigods. The party went on into the late hours of the morning. Most of the older adults—the parents, authority figures, etc.—left by eleven, with many kisses and hugs and good wishes, and left the younger people to party.
Annabeth was dancing, laughing, with her bridesmaids when she noticed Percy at the edge of the tent, talking earnestly with a man in a slightly more tasteful Bermuda shirt than usual. Poseidon caught her eye, smiled, and nodded. And Annabeth smiled and nodded back.
The father-son conversation didn't last long. When it was over, Percy came back and just held her, right in the middle of the dance floor, for a long time.
"You okay?" She asked.
"Perfect," he promised, kissing her forehead. A shiver of pleasure traced her spine.
Annabeth noticed, as she low-key danced with her friends, what looked like a demonic flaming ballerina howling as they hurled pats the tent, trailing tulle and flames, Calypso trailing after them, yelling "LEO VALDEZ, STOP ATTACKING THE DECORATIONS."
Annabeth elected to ignore that.
Slowly, the crowd dissipated, and by three in the morning it was just the core group. The seven, Reyna, Nico, and Calypso, smiling at Leo. They all had their feet on one of the tables as the staff started subtly clearing things up.
"Who will cook?" Leo challenged, trying to stump the newlyweds.
"We take turns," Annabeth said.
"Yeah," Percy said. "I cook fun food, she cooks healthy food."
Annabeth whacked him. Hazel, head resting on Frank's shoulder, laughed.
"Number of kids?" Reyna tossed out.
"Absolutely, positively, no more than three," they said simultaneously.
"Newlywed fistbump," Percy announced.
"Newlywed kiss," Annabeth countered.
"I like that better." They kissed (obviously). Nico covered Hazel's eyes. "Innocence at stake!"
"Nico, I am nineteen years old," Hazel scolded. Frank flushed.
"You ruined the cinnamon roll," Frank informed Percy. "It's all your fault."
"Bro," Percy said. "I'm kissing my wife. Hold on a sec."
"That's fun to say," Annabeth said happily, obliging him.
Piper sighed contentedly. "That will take some getting used to."
"I think they'll be perfect," Calypso said softly, smiling.
"You have no idea," Nico said vehemently, "how freaking long it took them to FINALLY get together."
"And when we did, you all chucked us in the lake," Percy reminded him.
"And I'm sure that bothered you immensely." Nico countered.
"So," Piper said, stretching. "Was it a perfect wedding?"
Annabeth thought of her mother's surprise visit, the flaming tulle she'd heard about earlier, the near-disaster with Magnus and her dad, Leo's demonic ballerina impression, the monster at the tunnel, the apple juice, the cake frosting, and she grinned at Percy.
"Yeah," she said. "It was."
And that's the Percabeth wedding! I'm taking baby name requests—as Athena mentioned, they are having a girl. I'm also taking requests for scenes pertaining to the baby/pregnancy, and have used/drafted every request given to me, so if you want to be part of what is quickly becoming funny Percabeth fluff, just send me a request. Next up are various funny (and highly G-rated) honeymoon scenes, and after that, everyone finding out Percy and Annabeth are having a baby. Enjoy, review, & keep reading!