I am on a bit of a writing spree tonight, so I took this update that I started a few weeks ago and finished it up for you lovely people before bed. Enjoy!


Percy is 32.

Maya is 15.


Maya was a great soccer player. I didn't have much experience with the sport myself, but even to my untrained eye, it was obvious.

My sister was spending the weekend with us and I had come to pick her up on my way home from work. I didn't do this often, but I figured I'd get out and actually walk her to the car rather than wait there. Practice was apparently running a little over today and I sat down on the bleachers to the side of the field and watched the players finish up. The clouds were rolling in, threatening rain, and I hoped it held off long enough for us to get back to the car. The practicing soccer team didn't seem very concerned.

Maya spotted me from across the field and grinned before her teammate passed the ball to her and she turned away to carry it toward the goal. My sister was what her coach liked to call a 'versatile player.' I'd seen her play both offensive and defensive positions, and she was great at both, though I happened to know she preferred offense. As I watched, Maya dribbled the ball up the field and passed at the last second to an open player near the goal. The shot slipped just passed the girl playing goalie and the coach blew his whistle. The tired players broke position and trotted over. Practice was apparently over. The handful of other parents and rides scattered around the bleachers stood and gathered their things to leave. I followed suit and stood up myself.

The players' bags haphazardly lined the ground next to the bleachers. Maya, along with a half-dozen other girls, made her way over now. She waved as I walked over and then brought her water bottle to her lips for a drink.

"Hey," I said when I reached her, "Ready to go?"

She nodded, putting the plastic bottle back in her bag and straightening. Before she could say anything more though, the coach called out, "Hey girls! Bring it in a minute!" She glanced toward him and then back at me with a smirk. "Hold that thought."

I chuckled, watching her jog back over to join the group of her teammates gathering a few feet away. I grabbed her bag off the ground, slung it over my shoulder, and stood there with my arms crossed, listening from afar to the coach's words.

"Good work today," he was saying, "We're looking really good. Don't forget, we have a game on Wednesday. There's no practice on Monday, so I want you all ready to work hard on Tuesday—Don't give me those looks. You're all more than capable. Also, T-shirt fundraisers begin the end of next week, so if you want in on that, you need to let me know before you leave today if you haven't already so we can order enough. Other than that, you're free to go. Eat well, practice, have a good weekend. I'll see you all next week."

The circle dispersed then. Some of the players made to leave while others broke, talking, into groups of two or three. Maya turned as if to head back to where I stood, but was intercepted by two teammates who I vaguely recognized as friends of hers. She stayed and talked with them for a minute, at one point glancing over at me and then back again. She broke free and continued over again with an odd expression on her face.

It was starting to rain now. By the time Maya reached me, whatever expression she'd worn had been replaced with a smile. "Come on!" she said, hurrying past me toward the parking lot. Such was our relationship that she didn't even check to ensure that I'd followed.

Once in the car, Maya took her place in the passenger seat and, with her things stowed safely on the floor behind me, I shifted into gear and backed out of the parking spot. "How'd that science test go?" I asked, maneuvering through the parking lot behind a handful of other cars filled with students leaving various extracurricular activities. She mentioned the other day that she'd been dreading an upcoming chemistry test, and I had yet to hear the outcome.

"I think it was okay," she answered, "I haven't gotten the grade yet, but I studied for, like, four hours, so it'd better be good." I waited for her to go on then, either to expand upon that answer or to switch to a different topic, but she did neither, instead falling into an uncharacteristic silence. I stopped at a stop sign to wait for the line of oncoming traffic to dissipate and allow me entrance onto the main road, and took the opportunity to glance beside me.

I was startled to find Maya looking at me and wearing the same odd expression I'd noticed back at the soccer field. I narrowed my eyes slightly, but turned quickly back to the road as an opening for my right-hand turn appeared. My sister's eyes were still on me. "What?" I asked.

She blinked, maybe in surprise at having been caught staring, and looked quickly away. "Nothing."

Curious now, I looked at her again. "What?" I repeated with more emphasis.

"Nothing," she said again.

I raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? You're looking at me awfully strangely for it to be nothing."

"Sorry."

I breathed a laugh. "You can tell me, Buggie."

She shook her head. "It's weird."

"I really doubt anything you tell me could be weirder than anything I've already experienced myself."

"Whatever," she said, and then changed the subject, asking about Noah, who had come very close to witnessing a monster attack a week earlier.

"He's fine," I assured her, stopping at a red light, "He's none the wiser."

She shook her head. "I don't know how you do it. How can you be a demigod and keep that from your kids? I mean, I get why—it's safer and everything, but how do you not slip up and accidentally say something in front of them?"

"Practice," I said with a shrug, "And a few lucky breaks. We're not nearly that good."

"Even Annabeth?" she asked with a smirk.

"Alright," I amended, "I'm not that good." She laughed.

The conversation tapered off after a few minutes though and not long after, I felt my sister's eyes on me once more.

I gave a laugh. "Maya, if you're not going to tell me what's going on, fine, but stop staring at me like that. You're freaking me out."

"Sorry," she mumbled.

I was more curious than I'd been in a while, but I decided not to press the issue. We drove in silence for another minute, until I stopped at another traffic light just as it turned red. I looked over at her.

She glanced up after a second, met my eyes, and then looked down. "Fine," she sighed, "Marissa and Cara think you're really hot—their words, not mine."

I continued to study her and raised an eyebrow when she didn't say anything further. "That's it?" I asked.

"Well, yeah," she replied.

"So what?" I asked after a pause.

"So it's weird," she said, like I was missing something obvious. "You're my brother."

"Okay, but why does their opinion affect you?"

"Percy, you're my brother," she repeated as if that somehow explained the scandal of it all, "How would you feel if one of your friends told you they thought I was hot?"

I raised my eyebrows, pulling the car forward as the light finally changed. "Maya, I am seventeen years older than you. If any of my friends told me they found you, my fifteen-year old little sister, hot, he and I would need to have a serious conversation." I finished and then added, as sort of an afterthought, "And I might have to kill him."

Maya gave a short laugh now. "Okay, that was a bad example." She shook her head. "It's just awkward, I guess. And I totally don't see it."

"Well, since you're my—" I began, but broke off when her words better registered with me. "Wait a minute," I said, alternating looking between her and the road ahead of us, "Were you checking me out before?" I didn't know whether I was more amused or disturbed by the idea.

"I was trying," my sister admitted blandly, "It wasn't really working." I laughed and she managed an embarrassed smile herself. "I can't look at you that way."

"Honestly, I'd be really concerned if you could," I told her.

"Gods," she breathed in half a laugh, and then looked at me with playful accusation. "Why couldn't you be one of those gross, annoying older brothers that my friends could laugh with me about instead of disgust about liking you?"

I shrugged in mock-conceit. "I'm half-god," I grinned, "It doesn't work that way." She scoffed and threw a wadded up napkin at me from the cup holder between us. I swatted it easily away, laughing. "Hey," I said, "No throwing things at the driver."

Maya giggled. "You deserved it."

I drove on, still grinning and chuckling a little. After a moment, though, I grew serious. "Hey, Maya," I said. She looked at me. "Just because no one my age is allowed to find you attractive doesn't mean guys your age don't." I glanced sideways at her, "And when those boys come around—and they will eventually, believe me—if you decide you want to date any of them, you tell me so I can meet him, okay?"

"So you can scare him off before he has the chance?" she asked with a smirk.

"If I have to," I allowed, "But also so I can make sure you can have someone who deserves you." She looked at me, surprise in her blue eyes. Apparently she hadn't expected that. "Deal?" I asked, risking another quick glance at her before looking ahead again.

She was quiet for a moment as she turned straight ahead, a thoughtful expression on her face. After a second, a small smirk graced her lips and she looked back at me. She offered a small nod and a wider smile, looking touched. "Deal, she agreed.


Thanks for reading! Hopefully you found this funny and not weird. I thought it might make for an entertaining conversation. I hope you did too!