Point Place, New York

Saturday Afternoon

Percy Jackson's Basement

12:07 p.m.

Percy was sitting on the couch watching 'American Band Stand' where Dick Clark was introducing The Spotlight Dance with Lou Rawls. As Lou Rawls began to play, Percy stood up and started seductively dancing to the disco music. He twirled around and found Piper standing in the doorway to the basement with a smirk on her face.

"Piper!" Percy shouted. "Door! Knock!"

She laughed. "Sorry, I didn't know you'd be doing anything so embarrassing." She walked up to him and asked if Annabeth was around to which he replied in the negative as he turned the television off. "Well, I need to talk to someone. I could really use a friend right now."

Percy clapped his hands together. "Okay, well, good luck with that."

He turned to leave but she called after him. "Can I talk to you?" Piper pleaded which made Percy turn back around to face her. "Look, I've always been able to trust you and gods, you are such a nice guy."

Percy sighed as he sat down on the couch. "Okay, okay. What happened? Did Jason forget your birthday or something?"

"I'm pregnant."

Percy choked on his own saliva as the words hit him hard.

(***)

Hours later he found himself watching Annabeth shooting hoops. Well, he was more staring blankly at the driveway and Annabeeth was somewhere nearby shooting hoops. She scored and went to pass the ball to him but it bounced off the back of his head. Percy turned to face her and found her looking confused.

"Seaweed Brain, you're like a million miles away. What's going on?"

Percy swallowed. "Okay, Annabeth, I need to tell you something but you have to promise you're not gonna tell anybody else."

Annabeth got excited. "Dirt. I swear, now tell me."

"Not here," Percy said before dragging her to sit in the Vista Cruiser. He whispered his secret into her ear and she stared with wide eyes out through the windshield of the car in shock.

(***)

At the Big House, the guys and Piper were sitting at a table while Frank relayed to them his dream.

"And then, in the dream, two of the three Stooges fed me grapes while I played them a beautiful song on my accordion… in the nude," he finished.

Nico was sitting between Percy and Will with his sunglasses on. "Somehow the accordion part bothers me more than the nude part."

Jason reached for one of Piper's fries and she smacked his hand away. "Stop it," she snapped.

"What did I do?" Jason asked, clearly confused as he stared at the hand that had just smacked him.

Piper tugged at one of her braids. "I just need all the food I can get right now."

Percy busted out in loud, nervous laughter causing everyone to stare at him like he had just lost his mind. Will and Nico were sharing a confused look when Annabeth came rushing through the door demanding that Piper go to the bathroom with her.

"Ohmygods," Piper gasped as she stood up from the table. "You have never asked me to go to the bathroom with you before."

Annabeth quirked an irritated eyebrow. "Yeah, yeah, it's a big day." She grabbed Piper's hand and dragged her off to the bathroom.

Jason's brow furrowed as he watched his girlfriend get dragged off. "She's been acting so weird lately. I wonder what's going on, you don't think she's gonna break up with me, do you?"

"There's probably something serious going on in her life, man, grow up!" Percy shouted.

Nico looked at Will again, both of them looking even more confused. Frank and Leo avoided looking at Percy, afraid he might start shouting at them next.

In the bathroom, Annabeth cornered Piper. "So, is it true?"

"Yes, Annabeth, it's true. I'm carrying Jason Grace's child."

"Piper, you're a sophomore, how could you be so stupid?" Annabeth exclaimed, leaning closer to the other girl.

Piper meekly replied, "I'm a sophomore."

With a sigh, Annabeth tried to calm down. "Why didn't you use protection?"

"Because my cousin Carla told me that I couldn't get pregnant for eight days after my period," Piper said matter-of-factly.

Annabeth pinched the bridge of her nose as she tried to cling to her patience.

"Ohmygods, Annabeth, this child is going to ruin my whole life," Piper cried.

"Well, yeah," Annabeth said.

"What am I gonna do? I'm in such trouble," Piper sobbed as she hugged Annabeth who quickly returned the hug.

Annabeth rubbed soothing circles on Piper's back. "It's alright, we'll get through this. What does Jason say about this?"

Piper jumped away from Annabeth as she proclaimed, "No, no, no, I cannot tell Jason about this. It's way too embarrassing."

"You have to tell Jason. If you don't, I will," Annabeth challenged.

A loud crash was heard from outside the bathroom's door and the girls rushed out to find Frank trying to smack Jason awake. Piper wrapped her arms around her as she turned to face Annabeth. "I think he knows."

(***)

Calypso was eating dinner at the kitchen table while Sally and Paul stared at her.

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing," Sally stammered. "We're just a little surprised that you're home, that's all."

Calypso rolled her eyes. "It's no big deal, I just didn't want to go away for Spring break."

Sally stared worriedly at her step-daughter. "Honey, is there a warrant out for your arrest in Fort Lauderdale?"

Paul shook his head at his wife. "Now, Sal, I'm sure she's home to spend time with us and … Okay, why are you home?"

"It was a really, really tough quarter, Daddy," she said with a pout.

"Well," Paul said with an encouraging smile, "I'm sure you'll pass with flying colors."

Calypso laughed. "You know the whole concept of grades is so subjective, it's really the experience of college that's so important."

Paul shook his head. "No, it's not."

The sliding door opened up allowing Percy to drag a dazed looking Jason inside. "Sorry I'm late. We were at the Big House and I had to drive everyone home and then Jason says…"

Paul held up a hand to hush his son. "I don't want excuses. You're late. Be responsible for your own actions."

Jason bristled. "That's easy for you to say, pal!" He turned and walked back through the sliding door with a huff.

"Is that boy okay?" Paul questioned only to have Percy answer with a quick shrug.

(***)

In the Chase's kitchen,the Chase family was eating dinner when Fred looked at his watch and stood up. "Wow, don't wanna miss 'Sanford and Son'." With that he left the kitchen and went into the living room, leaving Marybai and Annabeth alone.

Marybai stood up to put her dishes in the sink when Annabeth called out.

"Mom, can I talk to you for a second?" Annabeth walked to the sink with her mom before continuing. "Okay, a friend of mine - not me - is pregnant."

Marybai gasped and clutched a hand to her chest. "Is it you?"

"No, Mom, not me," Annabeth repeated.

"Oh, thank God, I just had the most horrible flashback to when I was sixteen and…" she trailed off as Annabeth looked at her. "You were saying, honey?"

Annabeth shook her head. "The whole pregnancy thing is just so scary and overwhelming. Piper… I mean… My friend…"

"It is you, isn't it?" Marybai questioned again.

With a huff, Annabeth said, "No! She had one night of fun and now her whole life is outta control."

Marybai nodded in understanding. "Honey, let me just tell you what I think: sometimes, in the heat of the moment, things happen. And the backseat of a car is no place to be worrying about birth control."

Annabeth was about to thank her mother when Fred Chase came rushing into the kitchen. "Sanford thinks he's having a heart attack. It looks like the big one, come watch!"

Marybai and her daughter shook their heads at the man.

(***)

Will and Nico were sitting on the railing of the Jackson's patio watching a deflated Jason and Percy. Frank and Reyna were sitting opposite them on the railing, as well.

"So, I've been thinking about it," Jason said seriously, with his hands buried in his jacket pockets. "And I'm gonna do the right thing. I'm gonna be responsible. I mean, I have to, I'm gonna be a father."

Nico nodded. "On the plus side, you walk into a liquor store carrying a baby, man, they'll sell you beer."

Will elbowed him in the side.

"Yeah?" Jason laughed. "Besides, I like kids. I still have some of my legos and stuff. It'll be fine." He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. "This is terrifying, man, I might have to get married and I haven't even talked to my father about this, yet. I swear, I'm never having sex again."

Percy laughed. "Yeah, good one."

Jason sat back again. "No, I'm serious, man. It's just not worth it. Just wait, Perce, this could so easily happen to you."

"I don't think so," Percy snarked. "I'd probably have to have sex first."

"It's just so unfair," Jason murmured.

Reyna shrugged. "Well, life's unfair. It's your own dumbass fault for not wearing protection."

"Yeah, I'm just glad I won't ever have this problem," Nico said with a smirk, which earned him another elbow to the ribs and a laugh from Reyna.

(***)

At the drugstore, Percy and Calypso were standing in line when Percy turned to face his older sister with a smirk. "So, Cal, I've noticed you hanging around the mailbox a lot lately. Anything important the family should know about?"

Calypso tugged at her jacket. "I dunno what you're talking about."

"What could be so important that you'd give up a week of whoring around Fort Lauderdale?" Percy continued.

"Maybe I just wanted to spend time with Leo," Calypso suggested.

Percy shook his head. "No, last I heard you two weren't speaking to one another. I know, it's your grades right? You're flunking out! Bingo! Jackson scores!" He threw his hands up in victory.

Calypso pursed her lips. "You know what? Dad likes me and he doesn't like you."

Grabbing at his chest, Percy pretended that she had hurt him. He turned to the counter where the pharmacist asked him how he could help. "Pictures for Jackson," he answered before grabbing a small bottle of cologne and inhaling the scent.

The inhale was a bit too strong, though, and he began coughing uncontrollably. He was just grateful that Calypso was busy looking at magazines to notice him. Unfortunately, Fred Chase came running in to help him.

"Hey, there, Percy, you okay?" Fred asked.

"I as just.. How are you?" Percy stammered.

The pharmacist came back with the pictures and handed them to Percy before turning to assist Fred who was there to pick up a prescription. Fred reached over and took the cologne bottle from Percy.

"Trying on cologne for Annabeth, huh? That is so darn cute," Fred said with a laugh.

"Thank you, sir," Percy muttered.

The pharmacist returned. "That'll be twenty one dollars and fifty cents."

Fred put the cologne down and furrowed his brow. "That's pretty pricey for cough medicine."

"Oh, no, this is a prescription of birth control pills for Annabeth Chase," the pharmacist explained.

Percy jumped before turning quickly to face Fred who was staring at him with murder in his eyes while Calypso laughed uncontrollably. Instead of facing the danger head on, Percy bolted out of the drugstore.

(***)

Percy was looking like hell in his dining room while the rest of his family ate dinner.

"Sweetie, you're not eating, are you sick?" Sally asked worriedly.

Calypso smiled sweetly. "Yeah, Perce, you seem upset. Did something happen at the pharmacy?"

"What happened at the pharmacy?" Paul demanded to know.

"Nothing," Percy said quickly.

Paul gave him a look before turning his head to look at his wife across the table. "Sally, what happened to the mail?"

Calypso jumped before settling in her seat. "I checked the mail, Daddy, nothing, no mail."

Sally giggled. "You know, the mail keeps disappearing. I think we have a little mail thief."

With a smirk, Percy turned to look at his sister who glared back at him. "Speaking of, Calypso, I could've sworn I saw an Ogygia University envelope sticking out of your bra. What's that all about?"

Paul's head swung around to stare at Calypso who stared back in fear for a moment before throwing her hands up and smiling. "Annabeth's on the pill."

Sally choked on her sweet tea at the same time that Percy choked on his food.

"What did you do?" Paul shouted.

Percy shook his head violently. "Nothing!"

"Dinner's over," Paul commanded. "You," he pointed at Percy. "Kitchen. Now."

In the kitchen, Percy sat down in a chair while his parents stood in front of him. His eyes were wide with fear as his mother anxiously fluttered her hands and his father glared down at him. This was not how he had expected dinner to go.

"I know you're seventeen and we can't stop you from doing what you wanna do…" Sally started.

Paul cut her off. "Yes we can."

"Paul," Sally warned. "All I'm saying is have respect for her."

"You respect her by keeping your hands off her," Paul ordered.

Calypso walked in with her dirty plate. "You're a dirty, dirty boy, Percy." She shook her head at him and smiled wickedly. Percy wanted nothing more than to knock her down a peg, he just needed an opening.

"Let's talk about birth control," Sally suggested.

Paul pointed at him. "Birth control? Don't do it, that's your birth control."

"I'll pray for you, Percy," Calypso said.

"You're the devil," Percy said with a glare directed at his step-sister. He pointed at Calypso and said, "Did you know Calypso is flunking out of college?"

Paul waved him off. "Don't change the subject. You've got strange thoughts in your head mister and that Annabeth is a nice girl."

Exasperated, Sally turned to look at her husband. "You're giving him the wrong idea about sex. It's not dirty. Which reminds me, always make sure your nails are trimmed and clean. And foreplay is very important."

Percy hoped the floor would open up and drop him straight to the deepest level of Tartarus because surely that would be better than listening to this lecture. He never wanted to hear the word foreplay again.

"No it's not," Paul argued.

Sally raised an eyebrow and said clearly, "Yes, it is."

(***)

Marybai was sitting at her dining room table with her irate husband. He had come home from the drugstore upset about the birth control pills she had ordered for Annabeth. She really couldn't understand why he was so against the idea.

"Personally, I'm very proud to have a daughter who acted so mature and responsible," she said.

Fred sighed. "I'm her father. You should've told me." The door behind him opened quietly as Annabeth walked in. "Can you imagine how i felt standing there with Percy when the pharmacist handed me birth control pills?"

Annabeth's cheeks warmed as she realized that Percy knew she was on the pill. "Percy knows? Thanks a lot, dad!" She grabbed the pills out of her father's hand and stormed back into the living room.

Fred sighed again. "You know her and Percy are dating."

"All the more reason," Marybai explained. "Would you rather she get pregnant?"

"That's not gonna happen to Annabeth," Fred exclaimed. He'd be damned if he let his daughter go through the struggles of a teenage pregnancy.

Marybai looked at him pleadingly. "It happened to us, Fred."

Fred put his head in his hands. He just didn't want to admit his little girl was growing up.

(***)

Annabeth walked into the Jackson's kitchen in search of Percy but instead she found Calypso holding an envelope over a steaming tea kettle. Calypso asked her to watch the living room door, so she walked across the kitchen to keep a lookout.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

The steam opened the envelope, allowing Calypso to pull the contents out. "My grades. I have to turn some F's into B's before my dad sees them."

Poking her head into the living room, Annabeth said, "You're fine, Paul and Sally are watching Bonanza."

She turned to leave out the sliding door when Calypso stopped her. "Smart move going on the pill. Best decision I ever made. Just wait 'til you get to college."

Annabeth recoiled before racing out the door only to be stopped in the Jackson's driveway by Piper.

"Guess what!" Piper said as she came running up to Annabeth.

Thinking this situation could only get worse, she answered, "You're having twins?"

"No, I'm not pregnant!" Piper said gleefully. "Now I can forget about this whole ugly thing, put it behind me, and never think about it ever…"

Annabeth grabbed Piper's shoulders and shook her violently. "As your friend, I will not let you forget about this. You got really lucky and I'm not gonna let you be stupid about this." She paused before whispering, "I went on the pill, Piper."

Piper just stared at her in amazement.

"I don't want to be stuck in this stinky, little town. Once this ERA passes, I'm gonna be able to do whatever I want," Annabeth said. "And so will you, if you don't screw it up."

They turned to walk down the driveway as Piper considered Annabeth's words. "So, tell me more about these pills."

(***)

The guys and Reyna were sitting at a booth at the Big House. Jason's head was face down on the table. Nico and Reyna were trying to explain birth control pills to a confused Frank while Percy was consoling Jason. Leo was uncharacteristically quiet.

"I don't understand why Annabeth has to take these pills. Is she sick?" Frank asked.

Reyna shook her head. "No, Frank, she takes these pills so she can have sex without worrying about getting pregnant."

"With such as a useful product available," Nico said as he grabbed Jason by the hair and hauled him up, "what were you thinking, you idiot?" He let go of Jason and watched in amusement as Jason's head fell back onto the table with a thud.

Jason sat back up in his seat. "I wish Piper had thought about going on the pill. Man, if I could go back, I'd do it all different."

Percy nodded. "That's what you get for having sex with my cousin."

The door to the Big House swung open and Annabeth walked in followed closely by Piper. Annabeth walked up to Percy and asked to speak to him alone. The two of them walked out as Piper bounced over to Jason and announced to the table that she was not pregnant.

Jason stood up from his seat and picked Piper up, swinging her around. "Oh, thank the gods. I'm not ready to be a father."

"I'm sorry about this whole thing," Piper said pitifully.

"No, no,no. It's on both of us," Jason said, putting Piper's feet back on the ground. "But we should talk about you going on the pill."

Piper laughed. "Way ahead of you."

(***)

Percy and Annabeth were sitting on the hood of the Vista Cruiser that was parked in the Jackson's driveway. Annabeth had her head in her hands while Percy informed her that his parents also knew she was on the pill.

"Yeah, I had a nice conversation with my parents about," he shivered, "foreplay."

"Sorry," she said sheepishly.

Percy looked off into the distance. "Yeah, me, too."

Annabeth chuckled before turning serious. "Seaweed Brain, I don't want you to think this changes anything between us."

"I don't," Percy said before reconsidering. "Well, I mean, it could."

"I suppose. I mean, who knows, it might even be you," she said.

Percy stared at her. Who else would it be? Did he have competition? "Might?"

Annabeth smiled. "All I'm saying is we have to wait for the right time."

"Okay. How about now?"

She stood up with a shake of her head. "No."

As she walked away, Percy called out, "I've got a birthday coming up."

"Shut up."

Paul came out from the backyard carrying the garden hose. When he was within a few feet of Percy, he turned the hose on and sprayed Percy down. Percy fell off the hood of his car as the water pelted him.

"It's for your own good, son," Paul explained.