Totally had this all done before Christmas, haha, yeah... D:

"How's your hands?" Reyna asked. Annabeth showed her palms with a sigh.

"It was basically a strong static shock, but more… oceany. Did it work?" Reyna's cheeks warmed and she nodded. Annabeth beamed. "You're welcome. Although, I'm sure you're on Denise's radar now."

"I think I was anyway. I'm not white."

"Oh, how dare you, Reyna, that's absolutely appalling."

"I'm not sorry."

"Good." Annabeth grinned. "I still want to know how you get her to behave." She aimed her chin in Louisa's direction. Reyna smiled secretively. "Fine." Annabeth crossed her arms. "Keep your secrets."

"Moooommmmm, she won't stop callin' me Fish!"

"But you are Fish!" Lizzie cooed, capturing her sister in a bear hug. "Ickle Fish, you're so cute!"

"MOM!"

"OK, OK, I'm coming." Jessica remained at the buffet table, loading up on mince pies, until Louisa called her again and Lizzie began cackling. "What is it, Fish?"

"Nooo!" Louisa squirmed and protested, swearing in Latin.

"Lou!" Reyna laughed. "That's vulgar!"

"Help!"

"Don't move, Reyna!" Lizzie warned. "Obey my standards, obey my standards!" She jabbed a finger at her, glaring. Reyna furrowed her brow at her. "I don't care if you're some hoity-toity leader person in a cape-"

"Cloak."

"-you will obey my standards or Fish is off-limits."

"Um, excuse me-?"

"Shut up, Fish. Big Sister is talking."

"But-"

"Sssh." Lizzie stroked the top of Louisa's head. "Hush now, small child." Louisa settled into a full-body deadpan, a look Reyna knew all too well- murder. "Hey, Mom, seeing as you're over here, can I ask you something?"

"Depends."

"Cool. Uh, this way?" She smiled sheepishly, pointing away from the others. Jessica rolled her eyes, taking a large bite of pie and followed. Lizzie dragged Louisa along. "Don't worry, boomer, I will be back!" She smiled and waggled her fingers. Denise ignored her.

They settled in the kitchen, Louisa finally wriggling free. She proceeded to raid the fridge, muttering to herself. "I hope those aren't swear words, young lady."

"Oh, they're always swear words." Jessica shook her head. "What'd you want then? There's mince pies out there with my name on."

"I waaaanted to ask about my dad?"

"Oh. Oh." Jessica snorted, snickering into the back of the hand holding her half-eaten mince pie. Louisa looked over her shoulder questioningly, eating a large chocolate cake with her fingers. "Don't worry about him too much."

"Who was he?"

"Someone I went to school with. You know what my mother's like- boys were for marriage and babies."

"Ooh, you've got that look. What did you do?"

"His name was Chadwick Rowbotham."

"Oh my gods, Mom, a Chad?"

"I didn't even like him."

"Then why-?"

"Because my mother reeeally didn't like him. And he thought very highly of himself, needed to be brought down a peg or two. He always thought he could have any girl he wanted. Except me. You should have seen the look on his face when he realised…" She grinned devilishly. "He was using girls for their bodies, so I decided to give him a taste of his own medicine."

"Good for you!" Lizzie beamed.

"Mother found out, tried to send me to an all-girls boarding school in… oh, I can't even remember where. We went for a tour of the school and I asked the principal if the school had a maternity ward. By that point, I was too far pregnant for an abortion. Not that I would have had one anyway- I treasure Mother's face when she found out, one of the best moments of my life."

"Did Chad know? About me?"

"Eventually. He thought he could win me back. I told him I didn't need him anymore, I was having a baby and he had served his purpose. Never saw him after that. Think his mom moved him schools. And my mom took me out of school until you were born."

"And then she gave me away."

"Yes." Jessica's smile dimmed. "That wasn't part of my plan. I… I was going to run away with you." Lizzie tensed, her look of amusement fading into wistful awe. "Yeah." Jessica said, nodding solemnly. "But you're here now." She smiled. "And Mother can stick it."

"Yeah," Louisa agreed around a mouthful of cake, "she can fuck off."

"That's not what I said, Lou."

"That's what I said."

"We know, Lou."

"Fish." Lizzie corrected, cake splattering on the side of her head. "OK, Fish, that's it. Outside, let's do this, I'm gonna kick your ass."