Disclaimer: HoO are not my characters. Dam!

Author's Note: 4 weeks of daily updates. I'm tired, but really happy for the overall response... Finally, some Percy in the picture... sort of.

29. The Anniversary

Over breakfast and the rest of the morning, Mama was clearly upset. This was their 11th wedding anniversary. I tried my best to distract her after Henry went back to Camp for a shower and finish the morning training. We cleaned the house while Mama Sally and Papa Paul took care of Pamela. Philip and Paris were out with Patrick, and Peter was locked in inside Philip's bedroom. He was clearly upset of losing the game and me.

I was just finishing dusting a shelf when I heard the door knocking. I opened it to see a middle age really cute man carrying a messenger bag. He looked at me and smiled.

"Hey, you must be Pearl" said the men.

"Yes, nice to meet you and you are?" I said.

"Nice to meet you too, I'm Mr. Sean Forrester, son of Mercury and your mailman. This package is for Annabeth" said Sean.

"Thank you" I said and closed the door.

I walked to the kitchen were Annabeth was cleaning the whole refrigerator just to do something. I put the package on the counter next to the fridge.

"Mama Annabeth, this is for you" I said. She turned to see me.

"From who?" she said standing up and looking at the package.

"It's says Quincy Mase from New York" I said reading the sender label.

"I don't know anyone with that name. Is it really for me?" said Annabeth.

"Well, you are still Annabeth Jackson and you live here, right?" I said moving the box up and down shaking it and putting it near my ear to hear the inside.

"Just open it" said Annabeth exasperated at my antics. I opened and saw a tattered and damaged piece of metal with a blue triangle on the back.

"Oh my, this is Daedalus' Laptop" said Annabeth gasping in surprise when she saw the object. She took it and opened it. "It still works" as she started hitting the keys.

"Who? What's that?" I said clearly confused.

"Daedalus was an inventor and he gave me his laptop with all his designs. I lost it before falling into Tartarus. I thought I would never see it again" said Annabeth click here and there clearly amazed and absorbed to the object.

I picked inside the box and I saw an envelope on the bottom.

"There is a note" I said taking out the envelope.

"Let me read it. Maybe Daedalus found a way to send it to me. It makes sense now. Quincy is a derivation of Quintus, his name when I met him. Mase as in misspelled Maze for the Labyrinth…" said Annabeth as she took the envelope.

She opened it and took out a white card. Annabeth gasped loud covering her mouth with her hand. Tears started to fall from her eyes and said sobbing "Oh gods"

"What is it?" I said scared and surprised looking at Annabeth's reaction. She walked away almost running to the bedroom. I walked fast behind her.

"Mama, what's wrong? I said from the bottom of the stairs.

"Stay here. I just need to be alone. Sally, you are in charge" said Annabeth from the top of the stairs and ran to her room locking the door behind her. I was flabbergasted by what just had happened.

"What's wrong?" said Mama Sally.

"I don't know she was happy because she received something she lost years ago. Then, she read the note and ran to her room… The note!" I said to Mama Sally and walked fast to the kitchen. She walked behind me

The note was on the floor and said in Percy's handwriting: Happy Anniversary, wise girl. You made me the happiest man 11 years ago and gave me 3 amazing and beautiful children. I Love you. I will do my best to protect all of you. I'm sorry for ever hurting you.

I also gasped also in surprise and handed the note to Mama Sally. She was already crying by just seeing Percy's handwriting then she read the note and started to sob loudly and uncontrollable. I held her with tears in my eyes.

Paul entered the room carrying Pamela and saw us on the kitchen floor crying and holding each other.

"Sally, Pearl. What's wrong? Why are you crying?" said Paul looking concerned at us.

"Give me Pamela. Mama needs you. Percy sent a wedding anniversary gift" I said standing up.

"Oh… Sally, honey" said Paul as he gave me Pamela and took her wife. Paul made her stand up and sat in the couch to cry.

I stayed on the kitchen carrying Pamela, crying and looking to the note on the floor and the laptop on the counter. Pamela started to cry and I fix her a milk bottle. Then I sat in the backyard under the tree feeding Pamela.

After a while, Pamela fell asleep again in my arms. Paris walked out of the house. They were back from walking around town.

"Pearl, did mom love her gift?" said Paris smiling.

"How did you know?" I said.

"I dreamed it a couple of days. I dreamed dad picking out an old thing smiling. He said that mom would totally love it for her anniversary. Why? Mom didn't like it?" said Paris looking at me confused. I should have guessed that Paris' dreams were more insightful and more prophetic that most of our dreams.

"She loved it so much" I said smiling at her.

"Then why is she crying?" said Paris sad.

"It's because she really misses your daddy like everybody else" I said.

"Daddy is fighting back" said Paris looking directly at my eyes making me clear her words. There was still hope.

"Then everything is not lost" I said and she nodded to me.

The Di Angelos came for lunch and found us sad and mom still crying on her room. Piper went upstairs to talk to her while Mama Sally and I cooked lunch. We ate lunch in a gloomy funeral like environment. Annabeth was so sad that she barely ate. She spent the rest of the day crying in her room.

Paul took everybody (except Annabeth though I tried to convince her) for ice cream just to take us out of the house. Nico paid since Papa didn't have the local currency.

In the evening, Henry came and we talked in the backyard. I told him what happened and I cried a bit in his shoulder. He wiped my tears and kissed me with his loving and eatable lips.

"Tomorrow, I am taking you out just the two of us, no family. The whole day will be about us" said Henry so caring and looking me with his gorgeous dark eyes.

"Sure. That would be lovely. Could we train too? I feel a bit rusty" I said.

"Whatever you want, salty lips" he said and kissed me.

Henry had to leave early to arrange training. He was actually excited about the idea. I walked him to the door and he kissed me goodbye in the door frame.

I walked to the master bedroom to sleep. The kids were already sleeping and looked so peaceful. As I laid in bed, I saw Annabeth looking at me.

"How are you?" I muttered.

"Out of tears. Sorry for making you worry. I just miss Percy" said Annabeth softly almost whispering.

"I know. I will everything to bring him back" I whispered and Annabeth smiled.

"You and Percy are just so alike" whispered Annabeth.

"Good night" I whispered and closed my eyes.