"This is it," Annabeth said as she pulled the rental up to the curb. There were already plenty of cars around, and it looked like they were the last to arrive. Annabeth stared up at the two-story house. Her gaze moved to look at Reyna, but her fellow fighter remained silent.

"What should I expect?" Reyna questioned as she turned her head towards Annabeth.

"My family is very..." Annabeth hesitated as she tried to find the right word. "Old school. Conservatives maybe. I wouldn't say they are racist, but some of the older ones kind of are. They do not like the thought of homosexuals, or homos, as they call them. They also don't like me for a lot of reasons. Number one is the career I chose. Instead of, you know, a housewife."

"Sounds fun," Reyna commented. She got out of the car. Reyna was wearing the same suit that she wore to Thanksgiving. Annabeth was wearing a silver dress that her father had given her long ago. She was amazed that it still fit her. Reyna looked at her. "How touchy are we getting?"

"How comfortable are you with touching?" Annabeth replied back.

"Arm around a shoulder or hip is cool. Just warn me if you want to cuddle when sitting down," Reyna said. "And, um. This is weird to ask, but what about kissing? Off limits?"

"I just want you to be comfortable," Annabeth began. "Percy and I kissed a few times, but we both agreed it was like kissing a sibling. I don't want you to do anything you're not comfortable with. Especially because you're dating Thalia."

"Can you imagine how pissed she would be if I told her that you were a better kisser?" Reyna teased with a smirk. Annabeth glared. "I'm cool with kissing too. Peck on the cheek or even on the lips. Just try and give me a warning, so I don't freeze up."

"Oh, I'll make you freeze up," Annabeth teased. Reyna blushed. Annabeth blinked in surprise. Had she just said that?

"Yo! Where the HELL is Percy!?" a voice yelled. Annabeth's attention snapped to the side, and she smiled. She was immediately wrapped in a hug by her cousin Magnus.

"Long time no see," Magnus greeted happily as he finally pulled away. He was wearing a suit with a green tie. His dirty blonde hair looked freshly cut but was still long enough to hang past his cheeks. His gray eyes were the same shade as Annabeth's.

"Too long. I need to visit more," Annabeth admitted. She turned her head towards Magnus' significant other. Alex Fierro smirked back and waved a hand. "I'm sorry, Alex. No Percy this year."

"You wound me," Alex said, with an expression of mock pain. Alex wore lime skinny jeans, and a pink dress shirt that was covered by a green and white sweater vest. Alex's green hair was freshly dyed and shorter than Magnus'. "Fake or real?"

"Fake," Annabeth answered. "This is Reyna. One of my fellow fighters. Percy couldn't make it this year because extended family finally wanted to meet him. So, Reyna is filling in as a fake date."

"I'm Magnus Chase. Annabeth's cousin," Magnus began as he held out a hand. Reyna slowly reached out to shake his hand.

"Alex Fierro. He/him today, and Magnus' boyfriend," Alex explained. His eyes focused on Reyna. One eye was dark brown, and the other was a pale amber. Mirth and maybe a bit of suspicion danced in them.

"Boyfriend today?" Reyna slowly asked, confusion evident in her tone. Annabeth hesitated. She hadn't told Reyna that Alex was genderfluid. Some days Alex felt more male, and others Alex felt more female. Annabeth's extended family hated Alex and seemed to go out of their way to place the gender upon him that they thought he should be.

"Yup. Maybe girlfriend tomorrow. Maybe still boyfriend," Alex confirmed. Reyna nodded slightly. She still looked confused, but there was no judgment in her eyes. That was good. Most people usually judged Alex, especially since he was so upfront about it.

"We should get inside. Say hi to Uncle Frederick and then hide in a corner before the mob comes knocking," Magnus joked. He wrapped a protective arm around Alex and held him close. Alex snuggled against him.

"Shall we?" Reyna asked. Annabeth smiled and walked towards Reyna. The two started to walk towards the front door. Annabeth felt her heart starting to race as they stepped into the house. She was immediately met by the sounds of talking and laughing. It sounded like the party was happening in the kitchen.

Annabeth felt herself tensing. This was the moment of truth, but she didn't know if she could go through with it. Annabeth told her father that she was bringing a date, but she told him through text and made excuses whenever he tried to call.

"My family is made up of a lot of scholars," Annabeth said softly. Reyna glanced at her.

"And, you picked the career that on paper looks like the exact opposite of what a scholar would do," Reyna commented quietly. She moved closer to Annabeth and seemed like she was moving her hand to wrap it around Annabeth. Instead, she brought her hand back to her side.

Annabeth would have enjoyed the comfort, especially as she walked into the kitchen. The kitchen was attached to the dining room, but it really could have been called more of a dining hall. When her father had remarried, he moved into a much bigger house than he needed. The dining room table could seat twenty people comfortably, which was a good thing as most of the seats were taken.

Annabeth's eyes moved around to her family. Her eyes focused on the four people that all wore suits and held pipes in their hands. They were the grandparents of the family, and they all were either working at Harvard or had just retired from a career there. Most of the people in the room worked at a prestigious institute if they weren't a lawyer or doctor.

Most of the family turned to look at the new arrivals. Annabeth hated how everyone visibly studied Reyna, and she saw the sneers of disgust or judgment on their faces. She quickly looked away, and she tensed as her father walked towards her.

"Annabeth," Frederick greeted as he held his arms out. Annabeth hugged her father awkwardly. The hug he gave in response was awkward as well and tense. Annabeth pulled away and studied her father. "Who is this?"

"Reyna. One of the fighters on my team," Annabeth introduced. Her voice died for a moment, but she cleared her throat and forged on. "And, my girlfriend."

"Girlfriend," Frederick repeated in a quiet voice. He smiled tightly, but Annabeth saw a new look in his eyes. Anger? Sadness? Disappointment? Either way, Annabeth hated it. She swallowed painfully, and a gentle arm snaked around her waist and pulled her close.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Chase," Reyna said as she held out her other hand. Frederick shook Reyna's hand, but it seemed only to make him tenser.

"I should say hi to Magnus and Alex," Frederick said. He turned and walked away. Annabeth watched her father go. She knew that he had already greeted them. Did he hate the thought of her dating a female so much that he would use the first, worst excuse that came to his mind?

"You okay?" Reyna whispered.

"Yeah," Annabeth muttered. She looked at Reyna. "Do you want alcohol?"

"Please," Reyna replied. Annabeth smiled slightly and walked towards the table full of wine glasses. She grabbed two glasses and poured alcohol for both of them. Reyna grabbed the glass and seemed to study the room. "Be honest with me: am I the dumbest person in this room?"

"I wouldn't call you the dumbest," Annabeth answered. She took a sip of her drink. "Probably the least educated. Most of my family are teachers at universities like Yale and Harvard. A few are lawyers. There are two doctors as well, and one business owner."

"Your salary is probably more than theirs," Reyna commented. She looked at Annabeth. "So on top of being old-fashioned, they're also jealous."

"Probably," Annabeth said with a shrug. "Some of the older men of the family think I should be a housewife. God forbid I have my own career and make a living. Or make more than them."

"Your family sucks," Reyna said. She drained her glass. "No offense."

"You're right," Annabeth agreed. Reyna smirked and poured herself another drink. "Do you know your extended family?"

"I don't," Reyna answered. She shrugged and looked down. "My grandparents on my father's side passed away before I was born, and I don't think my father had any siblings. As for my mother's side of the family, I have no clue."

"I'm sorry," Annabeth said. While most of her family on her father's side was terrible, she still knew them. "I don't know anyone on my mother's side of the family."

"Think they are better than this half?" Reyna joked. Annabeth smiled slightly.

"Annabeth!"

"Big sister!"

Two teenagers crashed directly into Annabeth. She almost dropped her glass. Instead, she placed it down and wrestled her two stepbrothers into a hug. Reyna watched with a small smile.

"I missed you two," Annabeth smiled. She hugged her two stepbrothers tightly. As a kid and through most of her teenage years, Annabeth had been jealous of her stepbrothers. They were treated like princes while she was treated like the help.

It was only when Annabeth finally left her house that she saw her stepbrothers weren't the ones at fault. It was mostly her stepmother and her father. Annabeth let go of her stepbrothers and introduced them, "Reyna, this is Bobby and Matthew."

"It's nice to meet you," Reyna waved with a smile. Bobby and Matthew stared at her. Reyna glanced at Annabeth.

"For some reason, you're one of their favorite fighters," Annabeth stated.

"More than you?" Reyna asked as her smile turned into a teasing grin. Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"Could we get an autograph?" Bobby began.

"How about an autograph and a picture?" Reyna countered with that grin still on her face. The smile that lit up Matthew's and Bobby's faces caused Annabeth to smile as well. She watched her two stepbrothers lead Reyna away, talking to her about her latest fight.

Annabeth's smile died as she was left alone. She focused on her alcohol and tried to ignore what felt like her entire family staring at her back. Someone stood next to her and poured alcohol. Annabeth turned her head and relaxed slightly.

"Did you do this just to take the heat off of me?" Alex asked. He looked at Annabeth and took a sip of the wine. "Your dad always buys weird stuff."

"I think it's the alcohol he gets gifted throughout the year," Annabeth reasoned. She shrugged and looked behind her. It seemed like most of her family was involved in their own conversations. "Partly. I was drunk when I thought of this. Reyna brought it up in the first place, but why should I keep pretending to be dating Percy? Why should I pretend like I'm not bisexual?"

"You shouldn't," Alex answered. He turned to look around the room. "Magnus told me that we didn't have to go this year. That we never have to go, but I always tell him it's important for him to see his family. Terrible or not."

"Does it bother you? The looks, the whispering, and the snide comments. Or, do you brush it off?" Annabeth questioned.

"Both," Alex answered after a few moments. He sighed and looked at Annabeth. "I try to not let it get to me, but it does. There are some days when it's easier to ignore the comments. Other days I just want to throw something, but I'm not about to conform to what people think I should be. I won't be what they want me to be, because they don't walk in my shoes."

"Honestly, I think you shouldn't put so much pressure on yourself around your family," Alex stated.

"I'm not," Annabeth began, but Alex's grin made her falter.

"You are," Alex countered. "Why else would you bring Percy as a date every Christmas? Sure, he's not the sharpest tool in the shed, but he cares greatly for you, he's loyal, and he would make a good boyfriend to everyone. I know you think you're sticking it to your father, but the rest of your family sees Percy as a decent candidate for a husband."

"You bring him because he conforms to what these people think of you. They wonder why you aren't a scholar and question your career, but we know that most of them don't think you can do anything besides be a housewife. With Percy as a fake date, it's almost like you agree with them. You're showing them this Annabeth that doesn't talk about her career and has a loving boyfriend, "Alex explained. "Having Reyna as a fake date is a step forward but also backward."

"How?" Annabeth asked as she took another sip of wine. Her eyes moved to find her father, but he wasn't around. A frown touched her lips.

"You need to come as yourself. Stop having fake dates and stop ducking conversations about your career," Alex answered. "More importantly, you need to stop caring about what your father wants. Who cares if he wants a grandkid in the future or anything else? You should do what you want."

"There's a reason I don't worry about correcting any of our family or even informing them if I feel more male or female. I know most don't care and will label me however they want. That's why I don't bother with them. You shouldn't bother with showing up with a date unless you're actually dating them. Just be proud of who you are," Alex said. "But, that's just my opinion."

"It's just hard," Annabeth replied quietly. She rubbed her forehead. "I know I shouldn't care, but I do. I want to stick it to my father, but at the same time, I just want him to accept me for who I am."

"Have you tried talking to him?" Alex questioned.

"I can't bring myself to," Annabeth admitted. "I understand that it is the smartest thing to do, to put my feelings out there and clear the air, but I'm worried. Talking to my father runs the chance of him admitting that I am nothing more than a disappointment. I can handle the disappointed looks and him walking away. I just can't handle him actually admitting it."

Annabeth placed her drink down and stared ahead, "I'm just worried about what will happen. I need to make a plan for it, but I don't even know how to plan for a talk like that. What if he disowns me? What if he just kicks me out then and there? What if he doesn't want to talk?"

"I just think this is a wound that has been festering for years, and it will only get harder and harder to talk about until you make it happen," Alex said sagely. He gently grabbed Annabeth's arm. "It's not easy, but we both know how tough you are."

"Thank you," Annabeth whispered. She didn't know if she could talk to her father about this, at least not yet. It was something she would have to work towards. "I appreciate it."

"I have my moments. In payment, I want Percy to visit me," Alex said with a grin.

"You and Magnus should visit. I'll even pay for your tickets," Annabeth offered. Alex looked at her in surprise. "A Christmas gift."

"You don't have to," Alex began.

"You and Magnus are the best of the extended family. I would love for you two to meet my friends and be adopted by Sally. She loves all the stories I tell," Annabeth said.

"Only good ones, right? About me at least. You can tell all the embarrassing Magnus ones," Alex joked. Annabeth smirked. "I'll take you up on the offer. Magnus and I will plan a time."

"Good," Annabeth said. She looked around. "Now, I say we enjoy our drinks and get drunk enough that the old folks here don't sound like the worst people in the world. Then, our dates can drive us to the hotel."

"Counter offer: let's just leave early after you greet everyone and have dinner with just the four of us," Alex suggested.

"Sounds like a plan to me," Annabeth agreed.

"First to finish all their greetings and drag their date to the car wins," Alex challenged. Annabeth raised her chin in acceptance. Then, the two raced to opposite ends of the kitchen to start their competition. Annabeth knew she would lose as most of the family wouldn't exceed two sentences with Alex, but it was still something fun to do. Annabeth just hoped the rest of the visit would go smoothly.