"So Percy, how is camp this summer?" asks my step-dad, Paul. He is holding a happy baby on his knee, who had spit drooling down her face.
"Oh you know, it's going pretty well, we've gotten some new demigods, and people are just busying themselves getting ready for the Romans coming this friday." I replied, making faces at Estelle. Estelle lets out a shriek of laughter and lets her head fall back, laughing. I smile at her and stand up.
"You mind if I hold her?" I ask Paul, holding out my hands and giving, Estelle a grin.
Paul gave me a smile and handed her too me. "Not at all Percy." I held Estelle in my arms and curved my face so that my cheek rubbed against her cheek. She gave me a smile and a little gurgle.
"I lwoveeeee you Estelle." I say to her and she gives me a smile. When my mom got pregnant with Estelle, I was ecstatic. Most people asked me if I was upset with my mom being pregnant again, but I told them I was so happy that my mom got to have another chance at a better family. She still has me, but now she has Paul and Estelle.
"Ohhh look how cute my kids are!" I hear my mom say out to us with a huge smile. I give her a huge smile back. Annabeth comes in behind her and also has a smile on her face. She leans up against the banister and crosses her arms. I hand Ellie (my nickname for Estelle) over too my mom and walk over to her and envelop her into a hug. She looks up at me with a smile and kisses my chin.
"You are so cute with Estelle. I love watching you two." she whispers to me. I lean down and kiss her nose. "Funny, I love watching you with her too." she shakes her head and smirks at me.
"So Sally, Estelle turns one here soon, what are you planning on doing for her birthday?" Annabeth asks mom, sitting down on the sofa. Mom sits down with Ellie on her lap and Paul sits on the arm rest.
"Well, Estelle doesn't have very many friends, other than if you count all of Percy's friends, so if they want to come over and have some cake, I wouldn't mind doing that." mom answers with a shrug, and I smile at the idea.
"Yeah, they all love Estelle. Especially Nico. Her and Will are pretty much the only thing that can make him smile." I say laughing sitting down next to Annabeth. Mom smiles and leans down to kiss Estelle on the cheek.
"That boy needs more happiness in his life. Maybe we should give him Estelle for the day! Huh, what do you think about that Estelle? Would you want Nico coming over for the day?" My mom asks Estelle in her higher pitch, baby voice with Estelle laughing.
"Neco!" we hear a small voice scream out. All of our heads turn to Estelle.
"Did she just-" Annabeth starts. "Oh my gosh! Estelle spoke her first word!"
"Are you kidding me! She spoke Nico's name before my name?" I cry out throwing my hands up in the air. I look over at mom and she is just sitting there stund. So is Paul.
"Correction Seaweed brain. She said "Neco."" Annabeth corrected me, pointing a finger at me. I rolled my eyes at her and went over to pick Ellie up.
"Come on missy, we are facetiming Nico and telling him what you just said." I pulled Estelle into my arms and went to the kitchen where my phone was. I picked it up and went into my contacts and selected Nico's name and a picture of him laughing.( a rare picture, I know.) I pressed call on the facetime button.
"Hey Percy what's up?" Nico answers. I show him who I am holding and then bring the phone back up to me.
"You will never believe what she just SAID!" I yell at Nico through the phone.
"Wait, Estelle spoke? For the first time?!" he asked. I nodded my head and gave him a glare.
"Yeah but guess what her first word was!" I asked him, still giving him my glare. Nico gives me a weird look and shakes his head.
"I don't know, what?" He asks me. I sigh and prop the phone up and hold Estelle to the camera.
"Estelle, who is that?" I ask her, hoping (but not actually, because I am very upset that she spoke his name before mine) that she says his name.
"Hi Estelle!" Nico says, hand waving at her. Estelle gets a huge smile on her face and coos.
"Ellie, can you tell Nico what you just said?" I ask in my baby voice. Estelle turns her head up to me, smiles and laughs.
"Percy sometimes it takes them a while to actually say their first word agai-"
"NECO!" Estelle cries out, and then laughs. I roll my eyes and give Nico a 'see what's happening now' face. He just sits there on his phone with a stunned look on his face.
"How is that even possible, I mean I've only seen her at least five times since she's been born!" He tells me, throwing his head back on the pillow. I shake my head and give him a sigh with almost a force smile.
"YUP and I have seen her at least five times as much as you! Ugh, this sucks!" I yell out, and just then Annabeth comes in and grabs Ellie from me, giving her happy faces. Ellie laughs and Annabeth raises an eyebrow and leaves the kitchen with her.
"Listen, I'm sorry man, I don't even know how this happened. I wish she spoke your name first." Nico apologizes. I give him a small chuckle and then grin at him.
"Hey, I'm not so mad, but the next time you come over, I would watch out for my mom and Paul. They on the other hand, might be a little upset." I cautioned. After I said that, Nico gives me a grim look and a frown.
"What time are you guys getting back here? Chiron wants all the camp counselors to meet about arrangements for the Romans and gods coming soon." I look down and groan. When I move my head back up, Nico is giving me a look.
"Dude, you and I both know that they won't show up. They have a terrible track record." I complain. I scrunch up my face and continue "I know everyone wants to believe that they are going to show up, but I am telling you, they are going to flake. They always do." I sigh and see that Nico is about to say something.
"Nico, I gotta go. I'm with my family and I don't really want to ruin my day, talking about the gods. I'll see you later. Tell Chiron we will be back within three hours or something like that." I tell him, ending the call.
I know that it was rude of me to do that, cut him off and end the call like that, but ever since the war, I have been getting major anxiety when someone mentions the gods, because I'm always afraid that they are going to ask me to do something for them again, and this time, I might not make it out alive.
I start shaking, my whole body, thinking about my dream from last night. Losing Annabeth. And then the night before, my dream about not making it out of the titan war. The night before, how I saw Gabe kill my mom and-
"Percy, honey, come here." I look over and there is my mom standing there with her arms open. I rush into her arms and some tears fall loose. I shake in my mother's arms and my knees buckle. She falls with me, both of us landing on our knees and she grabs me tighter. I squeeze her tighter, hoping that something doesn't take her away.
"Percy, my love, you are safe. I've got you. It's okay, you are safe." she says, petting my hair and rocking me a little bit.
"Mom, it hurts. I can- can't t-think anym- anymore." I stutter, "Mom, why do their na-names make m-me feel this way?" I hiccup out while crying. My mom shushes me and I feel some of her tears.
"It's called a trigger, Percy. When traumatic things happen to you, certain things can trigger you into having anxiety attacks or panic attacks. This will be over soon. Don't worry." she reassures me. I nod my head and ask her "when will these stop?". My voice fragile and weak.
Mom pulls away from me and brings her hands up to wipe away my tears. She brushes some of my hair out of my face and keeps her hands on my cheeks. She looks at my through glassy eyes and swallows.
"Percy, these will eventually stop. You will eventually go back to normal. And yes, I know you don't remember what normal is, but can I at least paint a picture?" she asks me, searching my eyes. I nod and she grabs me and leans back on the dishwasher. I lean my head on her shoulder and listen to her.
"You marry Annabeth. You guys have this beautiful wedding, with all of your friends there, Jason standing at the altar giving you a thumbs up, with Nico next to him, giving you the brightest smile you've ever seen him give. Leo, is up there too, giving you a cat call, because that's just who he is. Frank is there, shaking his head at Leo, but he's there supporting you. And then, in front of all of these wonderful men in your life, is Grover. Your best friend since forever. He stands there, smiling at you.
"Then, the music starts. And Annabeth walks down the aisle, in a white gown, with her dad walking her. And when she gets to you, you remember small adventure, with the big ones too. You take her hands and get a rush, the one you always tell me you get when ever you see her. And who ever is officiating you too, but the entire that they speak, you are just staring into each other's eyes." I take in a deep breath, only hiccuping a little bit. I look at my mom and she gives me a smile.
"And then maybe down the road, you guys have a kid or two-"
"Five. We want five." I interrupt my mom. She looks down at me and gives me a smile, and then goes back to talking.
"Okay, you guys end up having five kids. And you all go to camp during the summer, leaving your home in New Rome. And you and Annabeth grow old together. You too reminisce about old memories, old adventures and old stories.
"Percy, you are going to have such an amazing life ahead of you. These past couple of years have been really, really hard for you. But I can tell you right now, all of that is over. You now get to spend your life with Annabeth. Well once you finally ask her to marry you. Seriously though, when are you going to get on that?" My mom asks me. I laugh and look around the room for anyone. I hear Annabeth out there playing with Estelle and Paul, so I bring out the ring.
"Percy! Oh my gosh that is beautiful! Wait, you aren't going to propose to her now and here, are you?" my mom whisper asks me, looking around and searching for Annabeth with wide eyes. I laugh and shake my head.
"No mom. No, I just carry it around with me, so that if the moment happens, I can. It also gives me confidence, you know?" I tell her. She smiles at me and ruffles my hair.
"Percy, please don't worry. You are still in this life game. And you will be for a long time. So now, you need to be happy. Percy, we've all got you now." my mom smiles at me. I give her a grin and hug her.
"Come on, let's go join the rest of our family." She says.
"Okay, so I was thinking about Capture the flag against the Romans" Annabeth starts after I take a bite from my sandwich from the small little deli we were at. We decided to leave my mom's and Paul's flat a little early so we could go on a date and eat out together. "I was thinking about who they would send out as top runners, you know, the people we should be most worried about and-"
"Annabeth?" I interrupt. She looks up at me and motions for me to continue.
"Stop talking love. We can talk about this when we get back to camp, I just want to spend the day with you." I tell her, giving her my best smile, hoping she doesn't kill me for telling her to shut up. She leans her head sideways and gives me a look, but goes to eat her salad anyway.
"Okay, I have a question, do you know what you are going to wear to the party on friday?" she asks me after swallowing a bite of her salad. I look up at the ceiling and think for a moment when I shrug my shoulders and shake my head.
"How about you tan khakis and the baby blue shirt that your dad got for you on your eighteenth?" she suggests. I nod my head and smirk. I'll pair it with my white tube socks and white vans to piss of Thalia!
"What's that look for?" Annabeth asks while raising an eyebrow. I shake my head really fast and take a bite of my sandwich.
"Whatever." she says rolling her eyes.
"What do you think of this?" Annabeth asks, holding up a white sundress and a yellow bow for Estelle. We had gone into a baby boutique that was close to the deli and wandered around for Estelle. Annabeth loved spoiling her, and so did I.
"I like it, but don't you think that all the boys will like it too?" I question. Annabeth scowls at me and shakes her head.
"Percy, she is not even one yet. Her birthday isn't for another month!" Annabeth whisper-yells at me. I smile at her all innocent like and go back to looking at clothes.
"Everything is half off today!" we hear a squeaky voice exclaim throughout the boutique. We look around the room to find a woman standing at the counter, straight as a board,smiling without showing her teeth. Annabeth and I both look at each other, with weird looks on our faces.
"Um thank you!" Annabeth wearily calls out to her, while I took the moment to realise that we were alone in the store.
"Annabeth, I don't really like the sound of her voice and the way that she is standing." I whisper. She looks at me and nods, and then glances back over to the woman/maybe monster.
"I can't wait to live in New Rome, not worrying about monsters all the time and giving weird people, weird looks." she tells me, still taking glances at the lady who hasn't moved.
"Well that will be a plus." I whisper back to her. She smiles, and continues to look at clothes.
"Hey I'll be right back, I have to use the restroom, will you hold these things for me?" she asks, gesturing to the clothes and bows in her hands.
"What do you think you are doing!" I whisper to her. "That lady could be a monster and you are leaving me here all alone to deal with that?"
"Percy you are a big boy, I will just be a couple of minutes." she whispers back, and then promptly walks off. I just stand there, while muttering things about how it was totally unfair of her to leave me, when I take the chance to glance back over at the woman, who wasn't there anymore!
"Have you found things you want to buy, Percy Jackson?" I jump at the sound of her voice, and turn around to find her not even three inches away from me.
"Woah, woah, back up!" I say, dropping everything in my hand and pulling out Riptide.
"Percy Jackson, you have lived for too long! I will be the one to end you!" the monster screams, morphing into a harpy. And not the kinda nice ones at camp. I uncap Riptide and jump back, taking a fighting stance when the harpy lunges at me. I duck under her and roll over, smashing a clothing rack down at the same time, trying to put some distance between us to catch myself up. I think the harpy had the idea of making me one of the items on the clothing rack because she picks it up and throws it at me, but I roll out of the way just in time. I stand back up, and lunge at her, swinging my sword in the process. But this time, it's the harpy's turn to throw down a clothing rack, and when she does, she screeches loudly.
I take this chance to leap over the clothes and swing my sword towards her. I almost hit her, but she flies up and out of the way just in time. I groan in frustration, but keep moving. She flies over the the front counter and lands there, in a crouching position, almost like a lion about to kill its prey. And then she lunges at me, throwing her hands up to tackle me, which she succeeds in. I take the chance to swing at her torso, hitting it and turning her into dust.
"You know what else is half off? You!" I shout excitedly.
"Percy, that was a really bad pun." Annabeth says, walking out into the mess and grabbing our stuff.
"Do you think we have to pay for all of this? I mean, I feel like this was just a monster store set up to kill demigods." I ask Annabeth. She just rolls her eyes and shakes her head.
"Let's go, seaweed brain."
Alright guys, there is chapter two for you! I hope you enjoyed, and stick with me on this, because it will get better. I just wanted to talk to you guys about somethings, I have spring break coming up soon, and during that time i will be getting hip surgery. So because I don't have a set schedule for when I want to upload my story, I do know I will have lots of time on my hands here soon.
The other item on this agenda is that I am so impressed that I actually have people following this story and commenting on it! Thank you guys so much for this support!
I also wanted to say that this story will completely ignore the trials of apollo series except for a couple things such as Sally having Estelle. I also am fudging their ages a little bit because I want them to be older.
Last thing, and this is kinda embarrassing, but do you guys know how I can publicly reply to comments? I am super confused and want to be able to chat with you guys and thank you all for your suggestions and stuff, but I don't know how. So if you guys could tell me, that would be great!
I do not own the Percy Jackson series, all rights reserved to Rick Riordan.