A/N: Fanta Shokata, better known as 'blue fanta' because it is blue. Percy likes it because of stereotypes.

'Sixteen already!' Sally Jackson exclaimed as she let me into the apartment. 'Unbelievable!'

'Time flies,' I snickered. She sighed.

'Wait here, I have something for you.' She walked into her apartment. 'Oh, but do come in! Percy will be here soon and Estelle is awake. Paul is just getting her dressed.'

I walked after her, into the living room. There were toys everywhere, which made it look smaller than it actually was. I had to push a few plush toys from an armchair before I could sit down.

I stood up again a second later. 'Do you need some help?'

'No, just stay there!'

'Are you sure…' I walked closer to the kitchen. Sally looked into the living room. 'My house, my rules, and I say you stay in the living room.'

'Ah.' I nodded and walked back to my chair.

A moment later, the door opened and I got up once again. 'Who…'

Percy barged into the living room, with his coat and shoes still on. 'Nico! Good afternoon!'

'Shoes off!' Sally screamed, and he left once again.

Percy just sat down (without his shoes) when Paul came down the stairs, with Estelle in his arms. She was curiously looking around.

'Nico!' Paul greeted me. He waved one of Estelle's arms around, which made her giggle. 'Welcome!'

'Yes, thanks, hello to you, too.'

'So, how was your trip?'

Before I could answer Sally came into the room, with a giant chocolate cake.

Percy tried to hide his excitement and failed miserably. Estelle cooed and stuck out her hands. 'Doesn't that look nice, Estelle?' Paul muttered to her, while bouncing her on his leg.

Sally looked at me. 'What do you think?'

I looked at it with my mouth open. 'It looks so pretty…'

'Well, thanks!' She smiled wide and put the cake on the coffeetable. 'Of course, I did not want to overwhelm you, you did not come here for a birthday party, but you did turn sixteen, which is such an age, so…'

Percy sighed. 'Mom…'

'I love it, Sally, thanks a lot,' I said, with a little smile.

Percy rolled his eyes, which got him a strict look from his mother. He quickly looked back at the table.

'Yet, there was something you wanted to tell me. That's why you came here,' Percy said, while Sally began cutting the cake.

'Eh, yeah.'

'Eh… yeah, maybe we can first eat cake?'

'Good idea.' Sally shrugged and cut off four pieces. She put the largest piece on my plate. 'He needs to grow,' she explained, before handing it to me.

Percy slowly nodded, a little sad. I felt bad. He needed to grow as well, eighteen or not.

I didn't feel bad enough to give up my cake. I needed it more. Sally gave me a fork and I shoved a big chunk into my mouth. It was good - not that I had expected anything else. Sally Jackson could probably make cooked rat taste good.

I took another bite, and then another one, until Percy stood up. I lowered my plate. He walked into the kitchen and came back with a jumbo bottle of Fanta Shokata, better known as blue fanta.

'Anybody want some?' He looked around the group.

Paul shook his head. He was feeding Estelle a few tiny chunks of cake, which she seemed to like.

Sally rolled her eyes, but I shrugged and nodded. 'Sure.' Dionysus had given me so much weird stuff to drink last year, I could probably take blue fanta.

He handed me a glass and I took a sip. 'This tastes better than I thought.'

'It's amazing.' Percy looked at his cup like it was the best thing in the world, even though his mothers' cake was right there.

'It's… alright,' I said again. I took another sip, before putting my cup down and taking another bite of cake. I looked at Sally, who winked at me. Yeah. She knew I liked her food better.

'Do you feel sixteen already?' Sally asked, when I was almost done with my cake.

I put down my fork and shrugged. 'I don't know if I am supposed to feel a certain way,' I admitted. 'I still feel like some guy.'

Percy slowly nodded. 'Yeah, that doesn't really change in a day.'

'I mean, technically, for you it did.'

He shook his head. 'Nah. You might think so, but really, I was still Percy. It is not like I was suddenly a way better person. I was still me, I was still a dumb kid, I was still unsure of my life.' He sniffed. 'Yeah.'

I nodded. 'Yeah.' Although I could not totally agree. Percy wasn't some normal dude, even if he wanted too.

Yet, of course he didn't want people to think that. What did it make him feel that people saw him as a massiah?

Dionysus would probably say I should not worry about someone else right now. Maybe he was right. I had enough time to talk to Percy later.

'Yeah, I understand,' I said again. 'Can I have another slice of cake?'

I got another slice of cake and so did Percy. After that, he got up. 'Okay, now…'

He tilted his head and did not go on. 'Mom…'

'Oh, did I forget to tell you?'

'Forget to tell me what?' Percy looked at her.

'Gods. Two kids and I forget everything. Today one of the staff members from Camp Halfblood had to come bless the house again, because of the sanctum.'

'The sanctum?' I looked at Sally.

Percy answered: 'Our house is a sanctum for demigods on the run. Every once in a while, someone has to come bless it, so the monsters can't find it.'

'There is only one person in our camp who can bless things.'

'Indeed.' Percy nodded towards the hallway. 'That is why we are taking the fire exit out of here.'

'Percy…'

'It's okay, mom.'

Sally sighed, while she looked at me and shook her head. I smiled.

'Let's go, then,' I told Percy, while we walked to the hallway.

'Thanks for the cake, Sally!' I yelled over my shoulder. 'We'll be back soon!'

'Of course, of course! Bye bye!'

Percy threw me my shoes before he put on his own. I grabbed our coats and we bolted upstairs, to Percy's room.

'He's there, right?'

'Totally,' he answered, while we stepped onto the fire exit. 'Yet, we aren't. I actually took two cans of Blue water, it is all blue, it is nice, and we'll drink it while talking. Now, what did you want to talk about?'

A/N: Continuing this story in the next chapter!

Also it was cannon Percy had an entrance to the fire exit stairs in his room right? I think they said so in Battle Of The Labyrinth.