HAPPY CHRISTMAS... two days late. Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or the song "Mary's Song (Oh My My My)".

"Put them on."

"No."

"Yes"

"No."

"Annabeth!"

"Thalia!"

"Put. Them. On." Thalia shoved the five inch heels at me, determination set in her face. "Now."

"Thals, my dress is floor length. No one will see my feet!"

"This isn't some party where you can kick off your shoes, honey! This is your wedding! Now put your damn shoes on."

"I thought maids of honor were supposed to be supportive, not controlling-"

"Oh no, the bridesmaids are for support," said Piper, floating into the room, dressed in her sea foam bridesmaid dress. "Thalia is here to make sure your ass gets out there in tip top condition."

"And tip top means shoes!" called Thalia in a sing song voice from her perch at the mirror, touching up her eyeliner.

Sighing heavily, I made a big show of accepting my shoes. I made a mental note to get rid of them when nobody was looking, but for now I chucked them onto the cream colored couch and flopped down next to them. The hotel that the wedding party had chosen was outfitted with cream and gold decorations, creating a very wedding-ish ambiance about the place. Glancing out the window, I could see the mountains standing majestically in the slowly setting sun. Despite the warm May weather, the peaks where capped with snow. Percy and I had picked Denver, Colorado to be married in; aside from the beautiful view, it was halfway between San Francisco and New York, and not near the sea to offend my mother. Not to mention that Nico had wanted to go snow boarding for Percy's stag party, which I whole heartedly supported... I was less than excited about the plans the Stoll brothers had made, which may or may not have included strippers.

"Annabeth- the florist just called, she's bringing the bouquets up in twenty minutes," Juniper said, checking the time. "Which should be perfect." I nodded, doing a little mental math to see what time I should put my dress on.

I was in the typical bridal shift with my hair piled on top if my head, loose ringlets floating about my face. Thalia had wanted to straighten and then re-curl my hair to obtain the perfect "Runway Model Curls", but Percy had insisted that I keep my natural curls. My makeup was minimal; one bonus of being part god is that you hit the genetic jackpot when it comes to beauty. For once I wasn't covered in monster guts or in blood or sweat. I felt... Pretty.

It was a weird feeling. Very odd indeed.

"Can you believe it?" Sally Jackson walked up behind me, dark hair in curls pinned up and dressed in a soft blue-silver dress. Her own wedding rings glinted on her finger.

"After all this time, Percy and you! Oh, my... I can remember when you were twelve." She chuckled to herself. "You were so much taller than him, no doubt you could have snapped him in half."

I smiled at the over a decade old memory. "That's certainly changed, hasn't it?"

"Yes, and good thing too," Sally said. "He's going to have enough problems dancing with you tonight without you being a foot taller than him."

"He has kelp for a brain and two left feet," I agreed, laughing with my mother in law to be. Truthfully, I already considered her one of my parents; we had always gotten along well, and had grown extremely close during the months of Percy's absence oh so many years ago. Even after his return, Sally and I had kept up our weekly meetings. Sometimes we met for coffee, others we went grocery shopping together, and sometimes we just sat in her living room and talked. She taught me how to knit several years ago.

"OK, guys, it's a quarter till!" I called. "Time for the dress!"

"Not quite yet!" Thalia said deviously.

The women in the room buzzed with excitement; aside from my three bridesmaids, Thalia, Juniper and Piper, there was Sally, several of Percy's aunts, a few of Paul's sisters, my father's sister, my stepmother, Sally's mom, several if my cousins, and Aphrodite, who had demanded to be part of the getting ready party, but was forbidden from being "An obnoxious overbearing princess" by Thalia. She had remained in a corner of the hotel room for the majority of the day, perched on a chair and swathed in pink silk and dripping in diamonds. My mother still hadn't shown; I had finally accepted that she wasn't going to come.

"What do you mean, not quite yet?" I said worriedly as Piper and Thalia exchanged a mischievous glance. I had put up with Thalia's shenanigans good naturally for my bachelorette party, but I certainly was not in the mood for her tomfoolery on my wedding day.

"Annabeth, you mean the world to us," Juniper said. "And were all so happy that you've included us in your big day." The women all nodded in agreement.

"And we're all so happy that you and Barnacle Brain finally admitted you liked each other all those years ago!" Thalia called. "Seriously though," she said over the laughter. "It was getting ridiculous."

"Anyway," Piper said. "We'd like to give you a few things."

Raising an eyebrow, the room fell still as Thalia called, "Mr. Chase! Come on in!" The white door swung open, revealing my father clutching a deep red velvet bag. When he saw me, his face split into a huge grin and his eyes filled with tears.

"You look beautiful, sweetie," he whispered.

"Thanks, Dad," I said, smiling at my father with whom I had, after many years of hurt feelings and little communication, finally made amends with. With shaking hands, he pulled at the cords of the velvet pouch and pulled out a jeweled headband. I gasped- reaching out to touch it, I felt my throat tighten and my eyes begin to water. It was nothing short of gorgeous; it was made of pearls and diamonds delicately woven together into a stunning masterpiece.

"It's a family heirloom," my dad said. Tearing my eyes away from the bejeweled headband, I threw my arms around my father. He held me tightly.

"Thank you, Daddy," I said hoarsely, tears cascading down my face. My father grunted in surprise and let go of me.

"What?" I asked, hoping I hadn't offended him somehow. My dad promptly burst into tears.

"That-" he choked. "That was the first time you've called me daddy... Since before you left."

"Oh... Oh daddy..." I hugged him again, both of us crying like babies in front of twenty some women. Several aww's and a few sniffles could be heard. Pulling apart from my father, I had Thalia carefully nestle my headband into my mound of curls, all the while she muttered about my ruined makeup, though the damage was minimal. Giving my father one last peck on the cheek, he left the room with the promise to meet me at the aisle.

"So, let me guess," I said to the room at large. "That was something old."

"Oh, she's not the daughter of Athena for nothing!" Aphrodite said in a singsong voice. The mortals looked about in confusion as those of us who were in on the secret glared at the goddess, who merely shrugged and pouted her shiny pink lips.

"So, anyway." Piper said, shooting a death glare at her mother. "Juniper and I will be giving you something new." Piper glided across the room and pulled the closet door open and produced...

"Oh, Gods," I said as the devilish daughter of Aphrodite presented me with an enormous pink-stripped Victoria's Secret box. Peals of laughter rang out across the room as I blushed.

"Let's see what we have here..." Juniper said, lifting the lid of the box.

"No!" I cried, yanking the box out of her reach. "Nobody needs to see whatever ridiculous, lacey-"

"Sexy-"

"Stuff you picked out for me!" I said, tossing the box under a nearby armchair, embarrassment still evident upon my face. Truthfully, I knew it would be put to good use, but I didn't fancy showing my lingerie off to a roomful of old ladies, most of whom looked thoroughly scandalized right now.

Clearing my throat, I said, "Moving on..."

"Something borrowed!" Thalia said. She turned her back to me and busied herself with extracting something from her clutch. Finally, she whirled around and presented me with something for me to borrow.

It was a garter; vintage in its appearance, white lace with an assortment of white jewels sewn onto it.

"Oh, Thalia, it's perfect!" I said.

"I know!" she gushed. "It matches your dress, doesn't it?" she said, referring to the lace on my gown.

"It does," I agreed. "Thank you so much!" She pulled me into a hug, her strong, immortal arms wrapped around me.

"I have to ask," I whispered into her ear so no one but Piper and Juniper could hear. "Why am I borrowing a garter... From an eternal maiden who will never marry?"

"Oh, it belonged to a huntress who died a few years back," Thalia chirped happily. "It was hers- the day of her wedding, though, the groom didn't show because he was drunk and was found in bed with another girl. She swore off men and joined the hunt, but kept her garter as a reminder that men are 'Foolish Pigs'."

"Oh," I said, hoping the garter didn't bear any sort of bad luck.

"It was just too pretty to get rid of," Thalia said, grinning, "Never thought I'd find a real use for it!"

After hugging Thalia again, I looked around, wondering where my "Something Blue" was. Percy's mother smiled at me as she stepped forward.

"I have your something blue," Sally said, looking at me with all the tender love of a mother. "But you have to put your dress on first."

The room rustled with excitement as Thalia brought out the black bag that held my wedding dress. When she unzipped the garment bag and pulled out the gown, there was a collective gasp as everyone in the room oh'd and ah'd.

My dress was floor length intricate white lace and tulle with delicate lace sleeves that graced my shoulders elegantly. The whole thing trailed in the back in a romantic fashion with just the right amount of pouf in the skirt.

Thalia took those wretched shoes and placed them on the ground while Piper took the hanger off the dress. The plan was for me to step in the dress straight into my heels, and stand there while I was zipped up from the back.

"Ready?" Thalia asked, my gown a puddle of white around my shoes, held up by the sleeves by Piper and Juniper.

"Yes," I said, carefully aiming my foot at one of the horrendous heels. After both feet were securely in my shoes and I had straightened up, my bridesmaids began to pull up the dress. Just as I was about to put my arms in my sleeves, something blue caught my eye. There, stitched on the inside of my dress were nobody would be able to see, was a blue heart. It was sewn right where my heart was.

My eyes swiveled to meet Sally's; our eyes meet, and I knew right away that it was a scrap from one of Percy's shirts.

"Thank you," I said, tracing the little heart with my index finger.

"You're welcome," she whispered, eyes brimming with tears.

As soon as my dress was properly on, I whirled around and hugged Sally fiercely.

Gods, I want even married yet and I was already emotionally overwhelmed for the day.

Not long after a last toast of champagne and a few of my more embarrassing baby stories, courtesy of my Aunt Charlotte, the florist arrived in a flurry of flowers. Clutching my bouquet of white peonies, baby's breath, white roses and lavender, Piper did one last swipe of lip gloss and we were on our way, down the hall and to the limo that was taking us to the chapel. Until the ride there, it hasn't really hit me yet; I was getting married. I was going to become a Jackson. I would wake up every morning for the rest of my life, next to Percy drooling. I would sign all of my blueprints as "Annabeth Jackson". I was suddenly scared, scared that I wasn't cut out for this, that Percy deserved better than me. But just thinking of him made me feel better, him and his eyes that shine every time he looks at me, like pretty lights in the night sky. By the time we pulled up at the little chapel, my fears had been reduced to nothing more than anxious butterflies.

Pulling myself out out of the car, careful not to damage my makeup, hair, or gown, I squinted into the setting sun. It had to be about six, and I was scheduled to walk down the aisle at seven thirty.

"Grover just called," Sally said, adjusting my headband. "I told him that they can arrive anytime after six fifteen, when you're safely tucked away in one of the rooms in the back."

"Ok, great," I said. Sally kissed me on the forehead and joined all the other women who were chattering away as they made their way up the stairs and into the entrance hall of the church. Thalia, Piper, Juniper, and I walked around the side where we were let in by one of the staff and ushered into a small but quaint room, where I would wait for my father to come fetch me.

"I just want to run-"

"Run outside and check to make sure everything's ready to go?" Piper finished for me, shaking her head. "No way. You are to stay right in here. I will go check," she added on when she saw the panicked look on my face.

"Ok, but make sure the-"

"The flower arrangements are symmetrical, the minister has your vows, the flower girl has the petals, and that Percy actually shows up." Piper finished smoothly, sailing out the room with a wink.

"Don't forget to check the girl whose in charge of the guest book!" Thalia called after her. "Oh, what's her name... Daughter of Apollo..." Thalia snapped her fingers.

"Taylor," I said, referring to a younger kid from camp.

"Right," Thalia said.

The next hour passed agonizingly slow. Whatever doubts I had experienced were gone and replaced by the urge to get this done and over with. The waiting was killing me. I paced until Thalia complained that I was making her dizzy and forced me to stand still.

"It's not too late to call it of and join the hunt!" She said, but was silenced by a look from Juniper. Finally, at a quarter past seven, my bridesmaids left me alone in solitude.

"We'll send your dad down at seven thirty!" Piper, giving me one last hug.

"Yeah, as soon as we get everyone in the wedding party lined up we'll tell him to come get you," Thalia said.

"Thanks for everything, Thals."

"Good luck, honey!" And with a swish if sea foam green and the click of the door, I was alone.

Seven sixteen.

I occupied myself with twirling in front of the mirror, inspecting myself from every angle. After concluding that I did in fact look good, I checked the clock again.

Seven seventeen. Damn it.

Knock knock.

Eyes darting to the white door, I strode over to it and began to turn the knob.

"Wait! Don't open the door!"

"Percy?!" I yelped, leaping back from the door. "What the hell are you doing here? You're supposed to be standing in the chapel!"

"What, and look like a nervous wreck for the next fifteen minutes? Pass."

"You're nervous too?" I asked quietly, relieved I wasn't the only one.

"Definitely," Percy assured me. "Here, open the door a crack, but stand so we can't see each other."

I opened it a few inches, hiding myself behind the door so I was still out of sight. Percy's hand appeared which I gladly took. We stood there in silence for a while.

"Hey Wise Girl, I have something for you." Percy let go of my hand for a moment, returning with a small box. Inside were a set of pearl earring, iridescent under the fluorescent lights of the church.

"Oh my gods, Percy!" Turning the box over, I spotted a small green trident etched into the box, and I knew these weren't your run of the mill department store pearls.

"You're going to be married to the son of Poseidon," he said. "I figured it was about time you had a set of real pearls."

"Oh gods... They're beautiful. I'm putting them on right now." I took out the crystal studs I had been wearing and replaced them with my new earrings. Taking Percy's hand, I squeezed it tightly and said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome, darling."

"Seaweed Brain," I said.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"I'm... I'm really happy that I'm going to be your wife."

"Me too," he whispered. "After all this time... You and I."

"Yeah... You and I."

"We didn't really have the typical romance, did we?" He chuckled.

Laughing, I shook my head. "No, we sure didn't. We went from hating each other-"

"To tolerating each other-"

"To being best friends," I finished. "And then I was sixteen when suddenly, I wasn't that little girl you used to see."

"Hey! I always liked you!" Per y said.

"Really?"

"Well..." Percy stammered, and I could practically see him blush.

"JACKSON!" Thalia's voice rang out.

"Where in the hell have you been? Do you know the time? Have you-" she stopped short, presumably seeing us hold hands.

"Did you see her!?"

"No! Didn't see her! I promise!"

"You better not have! You two must be the most haphazard couple ever, the last thing you need is more bad luck," she muttered, dragging Percy off.

"Meet you at the altar!" He yelled as Thalia yanked him down the hall.

"I'll be the one in white! I love you!" I called to him.

"I love you too!" they both called back.

"Not you, Thalia, me!" I heard Percy say.

It wasn't long before my dad came knocking. We made our way to the double doors that marked the entrance to the chapel. I took deep breaths to calm myself, but abandoned all hope of serenity as the first chords of Pachbell's Cannon sounded out and the bridal procession began. Just before Thalia walked out, she turned around and gave me a wink, and gracefully loped down the aisle with all the elegance of an immortal teenager. Suddenly, I was regretting only having three bridesmaids.

"Ready?" my dad asked, offering me his arm.

"Yes. Wait! Not yet." I kicked off those damn shoes an shoved them into a flower arrangement near the doors into the church.

"Ok, now I am. Lets so this."

And then, I was walking down the aisle. I assumed at all eyes were on me; I don't really know, since the only thing I was looking at were a pair of green eyes that looked thoroughly blown away. Percy and I both grinned at each other. As I kissed my father good bye, I saw Athena in the back of the church, looking pretty pissed off but here nonetheless. I handed my bouquet off to Thalia and faced my fiancé.

Turning to the minister, Percy squeezed my hand tightly.

"You look wonderful," he whispered.

"Thanks," I beamed.

"We are gathered here today..." The minister began, the light of the sunset shining into the stained glass windows and splaying fantastic colors across the chapel. Percy and I just gazed into each others eyes like idiots, only looking away once to glare at Nico for miming nausea. After a lengthy bit regarding marriage by the minister, we finally arrived to the portion of the wedding I was most nervous about.

"And now for the vows..."

Oh, look. Butterflies are back.

The minister handed me a sheet of paper with my vows written out. Taking a deep breath, I began.

"Percy, we meet when we were twelve. We were an odd pair," I said, and those in the audience who knew us well nodded in agreement. "But you showed me what life could be like. A life of trust and hope and love, things I had long since abandoned. You taught me how to live, and I taught you algebra." Chuckles from the audience. "They all used to joke about us growing up and falling in love. They never believed we really would! You remind me of Camp, of home; the big tree that you always said you'd beat me up... But never did. When I dared you to fight me and ran when you tried. Just two kids... You and I."

I heard several "Oh my"s from the guests.

"I promise to be your best friend, your battle partner, and to tie your ties before going to work. I promise to be your lover, companion and friend, your partner in parenthood, your ally in conflict, your greatest fan and your toughest adversary.

Your comrade in adventure, your consolation in disappointment,

Your accomplice in mischief.

I love you." I finished my vows, hardly believing I was actually getting married. Though he was still grinning, Percy's eyes gave him away. They shone with unshed tears as he looked at me in the special way that he didn't look at anyone else with.

After a bit, I nudged him. "It's your turn!" I whispered.

"Oh, right!" He fumbled around in his pocket and pulled out a sheet of paper. "Erm... Annabeth," he said lamely, and the church giggled. I squeezed his hand reassuringly.

"Well, we've pretty much known each other for a long time. The first thing you found out about me is that I drool, and you still said yes when I asked you to marry me." More laughter.

"But there's always been a part of me that knew from the beginning, you with those princess curls and big eyes, I knew I was toast. I knew you were the one. Denied it for a while," he added on, "but still knew." I smiled.

"Every time I look at you, it takes me back to Camp, back to the creek beds we turned up. Back to two in the morning, driving around the country in my truck. All I ever needed was you next to me; and that's all I'll ever need. So, with that said," Percy said, casting a lopsided grin at me, "I'd like to marry you.

"I promise I will kill the spiders. I will share my fries with you when you've finished all yours and are still hungry. I won't ever pop my collar." Our guests laughed, knowing that while these vows were humorous, Percy was far from kidding. "I will never be rude to your tummy- when I hear it growl and gurgle, I promise to bend down and reply respectfully. I will eat the mushrooms when we order the supreme pizza. I will kiss the paper cuts and the door-slammed finger and the counter-bumped hip." With each promise, my smile gut wider and wider and my heart beat faster and faster. "I'll try my hardest not to get annoyed when you whisper questions and comments during movies. I will be the big spoon. I will let you win at wrestling. Sometimes. Other times I will not. I will send you random notes and leave you silly gifts. Not always. Not on schedule. Just whenever I want to. Whenever I think you need one. Or seven. I will check your tire pressure, and remind you to take your car in. I will hold your hand. I will be your knight in shining armor. I will love you." At this point, we were both trying our hardest not to start crying. "I will love you," he whispered. "I will love you."

The silence hung there for a while, finally broken by Sally Jackson's sob.

"Just ignore me!" She said, holding a hand up in apology while sobbing into a scrap of lace, Paul patting her sympathetically on the back.

Beckoning the ring bearer forward, the minister began another lecture about matrimony. I placed Percy's ring on his finger, and he slipped my wedding band on next to my engagement ring.

He said "I do". And I did too.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride!" But Percy had already pulled me in, our camp friends wolf-whistling. He scooped me off my feet, and high-fived Nico before carrying me out of the church.

"Annabeth Chase! Where are your shoes?!" Thalia yelled.

"Whose Annabeth Chase?" Percy yelled over the laughter. "I only know an Annabeth Jackson!"

Oh, my my my.

Later that night at the reception as Percy stood up to dance with his mom, the piece of paper he had taken out for his vows fluttered to the ground.

Snatching in up, I unfolded it planning to keep it forever.

It was blank.

I turned it over... Nothing.

"Whatcha got there?" Thalia asked, grabbing the paper. "Oh, paper. Lovely."

"No, it's what Percy read his vows off," I said.

"But... It's blank."

"Yeah, I know."

"Hey, what's that!" Percy said, yanking the paper out of Thalia's hand. "Oh," he said, blushing.

"Where are your vows?"

"Well," he said, scratching his head, "I didn't really write them."

"What- you just got up there and winged it?"

"We'll no, not exactly. I mean, I just... Said what I felt."

I looked up into his eyes. I knew it was true.

"I really meant it," he said.

"I know."

"I love you," he said, touching our foreheads together.

"Love you too, Seaweed Brain."

How many kids should Percy and Annabeth have? Gender? Names? Let me know your thoughts!

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