Magnus and I talked a while longer about Percy and questing and any advice I had for him. I assured him that we could meet again during the school year and he assured me that he would continue to send raven messages as often as possible. I gave him a tight hug before I left and tried to not to worry too much about him on the train ride back to New York.
I was trying to finish a complicated science question a couple days after my return to New York when a voice said "Hey, Annabeth."
In a practiced movement, I grabbed the Imperial Gold knife from its hiding spot under my desk, and turned into a fighter's crouch to face whoever had gotten into my room. I blinked. It was -
"Nico." I said with a sigh, tossing my blade onto my bed. "You really need to call before you shadow travel into someone's locked room. One of these days I'm not going to be able to stop in time and I'll stab you."
He shrugged and pointed at Will. "That's why I bring him."
"For healing?"
"Or a human shield." Nico offered with a teasing smile.
"Hey!" Will protested. "Not cool!"
"What's going on with the emperors? Any word?"
Both boys shook their heads.
"None." Nico said, grinding his teeth. "And my dad informed me I'm grounded from the Underworld for a while."
"Oh?" I raised my eyebrows at him.
"Apparently he found out about me trying to sneak Bianca out of there during the Giants' War."
I smiled at him. I loved Nico for still trying, even if it got him grounded from the Underworld for a while.
I looked at Will. "But no messages from Jason or Reyna or Leo?"
Both boys shook their heads again. "None." Briefly, I wondered if I could use ravens to send messages, since that was still working. Maybe Magnus could be a middle-man for demigod messages? I wasn't sure, but quickly jotted the idea down.
"We'll let you know if anything happens." Will assured me. "But for now -" He shrugged. "Sit tight and enjoy your senior year."
"Are you and Percy going to prom?" Nico asked.
Will elbowed him. "Why does that matter?"
"Because I want to see Percy in a baby blue suit."
Will teasingly shoved Nico while I laughed. "We are going to prom, it's in about a month, and no, Percy's not wearing a baby blue suit."
"Too bad." Will muttered.
"Hey, that was my line." Nico complained.
"Boys! Why are you here?"
Will smacked his forehead. "Right. Oops. Uh -" He fumbled in his doctor's bag. "We got a message from Percy."
"Percy? Is he -"
"He's fine." Nico assured me. "Mrs. O'Leary brought the message to me at Camp. I guess since he couldn't reach you by phone or Iris-message, he decided to use the Shadow Express."
I grinned at him and took the note. "Then what's going on?"
"Percy's mom is in labor, she's having her baby." Will explained calmly. "He sent the name of the hospital she's at, he wanted you to meet him."
My heart thudded and I reviewed the note. There really wasn't any additional info. I looked back at Will and Nico. "Did you two want to come, or -"
Will held up his hands. "Absolutely not. I still have nightmares about delivering that satyr baby last year. Nope. Nico and I are going to go to the American Museum of Natural History, check out some dinosaurs."
"But have fun with the baby." Nico said, taking Will's hand as they dissolved into shadow.
I went straight to the hospital. I found the nurse's station. "Uh, excuse me? What room is Sally Jackson in?"
"Are you a family member, sweetie? We can only allow family to visit."
"Yes." I said without hesitation, shifting from foot to foot with impatience. The nurse gave me the room number. I pushed open the door carefully. Percy grinned at me from where he was sitting by the window, beckoning me in.
"Hi." I said quietly, looking around the room. A nurse was typing on the computer and Paul was holding a tiny wrapped bundle. "Is she asleep?"
Sally smiled at me and shook her head. She looked tired, but ok.
Paul, grinning ear to ear, explained, "She just woke up. Want to meet her?"
I nodded, biting my lip. I hadn't held a baby since….. Since my mortal half-brothers were tiny. Even then, it had been brief. My step-mom had thought my demigod scent would wipe off onto them, so she'd taken my brothers whenever she found me holding one.
Paul came over, holding the tiny creature. "Uh, I'm not sure how I -"
"Like you're handling explosives." Percy offered. That helped.
The nurse laughed. "She handles a lot of explosives, does she?"
"Yes." Sally, Paul and Percy said in unison. The nurse looked confused and left. Gently, Paul settled the baby into my arms. She stared at me and wiggled.
"She's…. Cute." I decided.
Sally laughed. "Newborns aren't exactly cute. She'll get cuter."
I smiled at Sally. Then I looked at Paul. "Am I holding her right?"
"That's perfect." He assured me.
"What's her name?" I asked, looking at Percy's little sister as she thrust her hands up in the air.
"Estelle. After my mom." Sally explained.
I walked over to Percy and sat in his lap. "She's really tiny."
"Yeah." He agreed, still smiling ear to ear.
"She kinda looks like you. The way her eyebrows get all scrunched together."
"Hi Estelle." I whispered to her. "My name's Annabeth. We're going to be friends, just you wait and see."
Percy and I walked home shortly after, leaving Paul, Sally and Estelle to get some sleep.
"Tell me again," Percy was saying as I unlocked the apartment. "Was she the cutest baby you've ever seen, or what?"
I wanted to laugh. Percy had gushed about his sister the entire way home. "She was pretty cute." I agreed.
Percy and I spent the evening cleaning the apartment - we wanted to make sure Sally and Paul had one less thing to worry about when they got home. Then we played video games until it was time for bed.
The next day I headed back to Brooklyn House for my lessons. I was almost there when I saw a group of girls trip Sadie and laugh. I ground my teeth - I hate bullies. I've always hated bullies. I've dealt with them since before I ran away when I was seven, but the worst was that year after Percy's and my quest to the Underworld. I had gone home to the mortal world for the first time and…. Let's just say I didn't fit in. I had no idea how to do almost anything and was teased about it mercilessly. Simple things like how to small talk, or what the current trends are, or that you have to ASK to use the bathroom, just aren't covered at Camp. I hadn't made a single friend that year and basically lived for Percy's emails and Iris messages - just to remind me that there were still good people out there.
So when I saw these bullies going at Sadie, well, I'm glad I was wearing Walt's magic-suppression pendant, or things might've gone flying. I ran over and realized who it was -
"Drew?" I asked, stunned to see the former head counselor of the Aphrodite cabin.
"Oh my go-" Drew caught herself before she said 'Gods' plural. "Annabeth? What are you doing here?"
"Meeting up with a friend." I held a hand out to Sadie, who took it and I helped her up.
"Oh." Drew blushed. "Sorry, I didn't know that you…. Uh… I've got to go." She and her gang hurried off. I heard one of them ask who I was, but Drew shushed her quickly.
Sadie stared at me. "I have NEVER seen Drew leave so fast. How do you know her?"
"She goes to Camp." I glanced around. There were enough mortals I didn't want to say more. I gestured to the stairs. When we were safely in Brooklyn House, I explained, "Drew is a daughter of Aphrodite, goddess of love, beauty, and complicating my life."
Sadie stared at me. "She's a demigod? She, like, fights?" Several of the others came over to hear what we were saying.
"Sometimes." I agreed. "She fought in the Titan and Giant Wars. But when lives aren't in danger, Drew is a bully."
"Agreed." Jaz, Walt, Cleo, Alyssa and Sadie said at once.
"She was actually head of her cabin, like me, until my friend Piper fought her for it."
Carter whistled. "Does she have any special powers we need to be aware of?"
I nodded. "Drew can Charmspeak - it's magic that can persuade you to do what she says. It's not too hard to resist if you have practice. I can talk to my friend Piper, she has the same power. Maybe she can help teach you how to resist it."
Everyone murmured what sounded like excitement at learning a new skill.
