Hey guys! A fast update, hopefully to make up for the super long wait for the last chapter (I can tell you guys are so disappointed). This one's a little on the shorter side, but the idea just kinda came to me, and it was kinda needed.

Anyway, I hope you all like it! As always, let me know! R&R!

Disclaimer: Rick Riordan owns the rights to all PJO characters and anything else PJO/HoO related!

Paul glanced at the clock on the table beside him: 5:52 am. It was still early, and he could go back to sleep for another few hours if he wanted to, which he normally would, but he couldn't, so instead, he lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, letting his mind wander. As far as he knew, Sally slept peacefully beside him.

It was early July, the Fourth actually, and Percy and Annabeth had left for camp the day before, wanting to catch the fireworks at the beach the following night, which was tonight. They were only planning on staying until after the show, but Paul knew there was a possibility they would stay another day. Maybe even two.

That, of course, depended on one thing and one thing only.

Camp Half-Blood strictly prohibited two campers of different godly parents to be alone in a cabin together. This, apparently, applied to everyone, no matter what, and Percy and Annabeth, being senior counselors, had to set the example.

Normally, when the demigods were forced to sleep apart from one another, they simply didn't sleep at all, which probably wasn't the best option, but it was the one that allowed the most peace for the two, and for those around them. Paul assumed that the demigods would have spent the night in manor similar to this, but, for some reason, he had a feeling that they hadn't. He wasn't sure what it was or where the feeling came from, but something told him that last night had been different, and the outcome could be either good or bad.

He wasn't sure what to call it. A sixth sense maybe? But Paul had been unable to ignore it, and it had resulted in him getting very little sleep that past night. Had it been anything else, and Paul would have pushed it aside, brushing it off as stupidity or paranoia, but this wasn't anything else, this was Percy and Annabeth.

In Paul's mind, the last couple of weeks had been tense and stressful for both him and Sally, though in reality, they had been pretty uneventful. After Percy's bad day, about two weeks ago, the two had been extremely worried that Percy and Annabeth would be set back on the road to recovery because of the one year marks approaching for the quest and the horrors that came with them, which was, as far as they knew, what had originally caused Percy's fateful episode in the first place. Now, to say that the anniversary had had no effect on the two at all, would not be true, though, compared to what Paul had feared and dreaded, the effects were next to nothing.

Annabeth had struggled a little one morning with a flashback, but Percy had taken care of it pretty quickly, just as she had for him a few days earlier. Other than that though, the only effect Paul had seen in either demigod was the glazing over of eyes once in a while, but only for seconds, before it would disappear, and the demigod would be left acting like nothing had happened at all. Percy and Annabeth had been closer than was usual, which wasn't really saying a lot, since they were close almost all the time, but for about a week, the two almost never left each other's side, and were constantly touching in some way, shape, or form.

To sum it up, Paul had been pleasantly surprised and very relieved, and he knew Sally felt the same way.

All that still didn't take away from the nagging feeling that something big had gone on with the demigods the previous night, which could turn out positively or negatively. Paul didn't have a clue though, and it was really starting to drive him crazy.

He wasn't sure when he'd fallen asleep, but the next thing he knew, the sun was pretty high in the sky, shining through the bedroom window, and Sally was no longer next to him. He rolled over and squinted at the clock, which now read 9:42. Paul blinked, doing a double take. He'd known he was tired, but not that tired. He must have gotten even less sleep last night than he'd thought. Still half asleep, Paul got up and waded into the kitchen, where he found Sally at the table, looking just as tired, sipping a cup of steaming coffee.

"Why didn't you get me up?" Paul asked as he fished a mug out of the cabinet and poured his own coffee.

"I've only been up for a few minutes," Sally answered, shrugging, "You got hardly any sleep last night. I figured I'd let you get as much as you could."

"And how much sleep did you get last night?" Paul asked gently as he joined her at the table. Sally just shrugged, taking another sip, but Paul knew what her answer was. She hadn't gotten any more sleep than he had, maybe even less.

"You feel it too, don't you?" she asked quietly after about a minute of silence. Paul knew what she meant, and a part of him couldn't help feeling relieved that he wasn't crazy after all.

"Yeah," Paul answered solemnly, "I do."

Sally was quiet for another few seconds, staring down at her coffee mug. "Do you think they're okay?" she asked eventually. She sounded almost scared for his answer.

Paul hesitated for a second. "I don't know," he answered after a pause. He didn't feel like lying. "But I do know," he continued, "that this is Percy and Annabeth we're talking about. Knowing them, I'm sure they're fine. After everything, it just makes sense that they would be."

Sally's eyes traveled to meet Paul's. "That's the problem. When it comes to Percy, nothing that happens ever makes sense."

Paul blinked. He really couldn't argue there. "Well, in that case, it makes absolutely no sense at all." Sally smiled minutely, and he managed a small smile back at her. After a few seconds of meeting her eyes, Paul's expression wavered. He sighed and put his head in his hands. "Since when do I worry so much?" he asked aloud.

Sally chuckled humorlessly. "I've asked myself that question since the day Percy was born." Paul met her eyes again through his fingers. "I still don't have an answer," Sally added, smiling for real now. Despite himself, Paul had to chuckle, and at that moment, he decided, if not just for that day, he would push his fears aside and enjoy time with his wife, because the worry could always wait until another day.

That night, around eleven, Paul sat in the living room with Sally, who was curled up beside him, dozing as they watched the news. They hadn't heard from Percy or Annabeth all day, but they weren't expecting them home until, at least, the next morning, so when the front door opened, Paul was immediately confused. He turned away from the television, sitting up a little, toward the hallway, in time to see Percy walk in, holding Annabeth's hand. They looked tired, but not as tired as they should have looked for staying up for almost two days straight. In fact, they looked pretty well rested, considering. Both were smiling as they walked in, and something was definitely different about them. It didn't take long for Paul to figure it out.

The demigods were practically glowing with victory, and they walked with a bounce in their step. All in all, they looked much too happy for people who'd had a long day, never mind having stayed up the entire night before. And that, Paul realized, was simply because they hadn't. He met Percy's eyes, and he knew. No, they hadn't been allowed to sleep together, but that was what made the accomplishment so great. One look at the both of them, and Paul knew, they had managed to make it through an entire night apart, and they had actually been able to sleep, from the looks of things, fairly well, which meant the nightmares had been kept to a minimum. As far as milestones went for the two, this was huge.

Paul couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. One look at Sally, and he knew she saw the same exact thing in the teenagers that stood before her. He didn't know why he even bothered to double check for her recognition. Of course she would have noticed, probably twice as fast as Paul had, but still, it was a great sight to see.

"I take it you slept better than we did," Sally announced, after the hellos and hugs were exchanged.

It was Annabeth who answered with a shrug. "The nightmares were surprisingly manageable."

"But it was pretty weird to sleep alone," Percy added, grinning cheekily. Paul chuckled.

This new breakthrough left for happier morale throughout the entire Jackson-Blofis (And Chase) residence, along with things that would have to be discussed within the next few days, but for now, Paul was determined to enjoy the happiness and excitement that came with such a milestone.

In the light of everything that night, Paul's earlier fears were long forgotten in a short amount of time. He still wasn't used to Percy and Annabeth constantly proving him wrong, but he definitely wasn't complaining, because it was almost always for the better.

His family had grown so close over the course of the last year, and it seemed that it would only grow closer. With every step along the road, every rung of the ladder reached, the demigods grew closer to a full recovery, and though Paul still wasn't certain what a full recovery meant for them, be it completely back to normal or not, but he honestly didn't care anymore. Sure, a completely back to normal Percy and Annabeth would, by no means, be a bad thing, but he was way past hoping solely for that. Now, he simply wanted the two to be able to function normally, live happily, and grow old together, because honestly, what could be better than that?

The thought made Paul smile.

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