Annabeth shouldered her bag, trying her best to keep her eyes open as she walked into the supermarket, mindlessly grabbing a bag as the click of her heels echoed throughout the relatively empty aisles.

It was three in the morning, after all. As she threw the contents of her meticulously planned grocery list into the cart, she couldn't help but wistfully imagine her husband and childrens' faces as she walked in the door, a week before she was supposed to arrive at home.

Before she knew it, she was arriving at the cash register, handing the equally sleepy cashier her card, gathering up her bags and practically sprinting out of the store's automatic doors. The drive home was a blur, the only thing on Annabeth's mind the thought of sinking into her husband's arms and drifting off to sleep. Despite how hard she tried, she wasn't able to sleep on a plane. Her husband's fear of flying must have rubbed off on her.

The bump of the driveway's curb jerked Annabeth out of her thoughts as she parked and scooped up the few grocery bags from the trunk, trying her best to hold the groceries while unlocking the front door at the same time. After a few unsuccessful attempts, she pushed open the door as quietly as possible, squinting to see in the darkness of the silent house.

Annabeth quietly unloaded the groceries, placing each item in its designated space before hanging her purse and keys on the hook by the door and slipping off her heels and jacket. She made her way up the stairs, careful to avoid the one stair she knew squeaked each time someone stepped on it. As she passed her childrens' rooms, she smiled, placing her hand on the door softly before advancing down the hallway. She didn't want to wake them until the morning.

As Annabeth approached the end of the hallway where their bedroom was, she grinned when she noticed the light spilling out from under the door. It was just like her husband to be awake at four in the morning. She could picture him sitting on the bed, his laptop balanced on his lap as he sipped his fourth diet coke - blue, of course - rolling his eyes at her repeated scoldings on the lack of nutrients the drink provided.

She pushed open the door slowly, watching as the scene she had imagined played out in front of her. Her husband didn't even glance up from the computer's screen, instead continuing to type as he spoke. "Zoe, baby, go back to bed. We can find your blanket in the morning." When Annabeth didn't reply, he glanced up, his green eyes widening in shock as he took her in. She suddenly felt self-conscious, as it was no secret that she was beyond jet lagged, her usually perfect curly blonde hair spilling out of her hastily-thrown up ponytail and her slightly wrinkled blouse and pencil skirt.

"Beth?" he asked slowly, watching as she stepped fully into the room, carefully shutting the door behind her. "Hey, Perce," she said softly, watching his eyes sparkle as he shoved the computer off to the side, holding out his arms towards her, inviting her forwards. She grinned, crawling onto the bed and settling herself onto his lap, burying her face in his neck. "What are you doing here?" he whispered, pulling her hair out of its ponytail and softly running his fingers through it.

Annabeth pulled back a few inches to look at him, taking in his sea-green eyes, the dusting of freckles across his nose and cheeks, and his black hair falling in his eyes. She couldn't help herself from leaning forward, pressing her lips against his. She could feel him smile against her lips before reciprocating, cupping her cheek as he kissed her with the passion of a man who hadn't seen his wife in two weeks.

A few minutes passed before they broke apart, and Annabeth grinned at the slight blush on his face as she bit her slightly-swollen lip, brushing his hair out of his eyes. "My boss let me come home early because she had to go on maternity leave," she replied to his earlier question, enjoying the way his arms tightened around her waist. He grinned in response. "Tell her congratulations for me," he whispered before releasing his grip, allowing Annabeth to slide off of him and patter over to the dresser on the other side of the room.

She shot him a grin over her shoulder, pulling out a pair of well-worn cotton shorts and one of his shirts. When she turned back around, she blushed at the look on his face as his gazed settled on her choice of sleepwear. "Five years of marriage and I'll never get tired of seeing you wear my shirts, Beth." She stuck her tongue out at him and quickly ran to the bathroom to change. After brushing her teeth, washing her face free of the makeup she had been wearing for twelve hours straight, and running a comb through her hair, Annabeth flipped off the light and walked back into the bedroom.

Percy glanced back up from his laptop, smiling as she climbed in beside him. He pulled her against him, and she curled into his side, watching him finish a report for his manager on the benefits of the aquarium's new water filtration system. He closed the tab before shutting down the computer, placing it on the beside table and turning off the lamp beside him. He pulled her closer as they lay down, gently kissing her again before settling his hands on her waist. "Good night, Anna," he said sleepily, and she smiled before closing her eyes, allowing sleep to overtake her. /p

Annabeth slowly opened her eyes, squinting in the brightness of the beam of light filtering through the window. She turned over, her eyes opening all of the way when she released the bed was empty. Then she smelled the telltale signs of breakfast, and couldn't help but grin at the thought of her seeing her children.

She didn't bother changing, instead grabbing a cardigan and wrapping it around herself as she made her way to the kitchen. Peeking around the corner, her heart fluttered at the sight before her. Percy had her back to her, balancing Zoe on his hip as he flipped a pancake at the stove. Charlie sat at the table, coloring with a large pack of markers spread before him. Bianca sat quietly in her cradle, sucking on a pacifier with a small bowl of banana puffs in front of her.

Annabeth stepped into the kitchen, causing Charlie to glance up before a wide grin spread across his face. "Mommy!" he exclaimed, dropping his marker as he scrambled out of his chair and sprinted into her waiting arms. "You're back," he said, glancing up at her from his tight hold on her legs. "Yes, buddy, I am." By that time, Percy had turned around. He gave her a look of such adoration and love that it make her weak in the knees. "Mama," a small voice piped up, to which Percy set Zoe down on the floor.

Annabeth watched as her daughter tottered over to her, her heart practically bursting. She scooped Zoe up, holding her tightly as she ran her hand through her soft black hair. "I missed you, Mama," Zoe said, her lip trembling. "Oh, baby, I did too. So much," Annabeth replied, kissing her daughter's forehead before leaning down and doing the same to her son's. She set Zoe down, letting her roam around the kitchen as Annabeth made her way to the crib next to the counter, leaning down and sliding her pinky into her other daughter's tiny fist. Bianca gave her a gummy smile around the pacifier, and Annabeth resisted the urge to cry as she kissed her tiny forehead.

"What, no love for half of the reason these little gremlins exist?" Annabeth rolled her eyes at her husband's remark, sliding over to where he was finishing the last of the pancakes. She sank into his waiting arms, allowing herself to listen to his steady heartbeat. After years and years of fighting for their lives, she had to remind herself that this wasn't a dream - he was real, and he loved her. She tiled her face up and kissed him, blushing slightly as he deepened it, pulling her against him until there was not an inch between them. She could feel the cool metal of his wedding ring pressing against the sliver of skin between her - or his - shirt and her shorts, and couldn't help but shiver.

Before long, he pulled back, pressing one more chaste kiss to her smile before picking up the large stack of pancakes and placing the plate on the table. As she watched the love of her life and her three children settle next to her, she reached across the table, taking her husband's hand and squeezing tightly, mouthing "I love you," as the chaos of having two toddlers and an infant in one room filled the atmosphere and solidified what Annabeth had known all along - that this was where she belonged.