"MOOOOOOOOOOM!" Annabeth sighed and squinted at the blueprint in front of her. She had been locked up in her office all night and she just needed to finish

these last two designs but her mind was swimming. She heard knocking at the office door and she squeezed her eyes shut.

"Zale, I told you to leave your mom alone," she heard Percy's sharp tone on the other side.

"Jaycee hit me again!"

"Did not! You're such a baby, Zale."

"Am not!"

"Are so!"

"Am-"

"Kids," Percy raised his voice. "Mama is working. Let's go downstairs and make some cookies, how's that sound?"

"Blue cookies," her daughter asked excitedly.

"We didn't even see Mama when we got home from school," her son whined. "Mama, will you come out for just a minute? I wanna show you something!"

"Zale, you know she has a big presentation this weekend. Let's let her work. You will see her before you go to bed, ok? And you can show her your picture then." She didn't hear the kids protest anymore and she sighed as she propped her head on her hand. She heard a very soft knock.

"I've got it covered, love. You keep up with your work, but take a break when you need to." She heard his heavy footsteps on the stairs and she sighed again. She

hadn't seen her family all day and she missed them terribly. This presentation was a huge deal, though, and she wanted to impress the investors. The company could expand not only across the country, but world-wide. She had been chosen to design five masterpieces and then present those designs this weekend. She only had two more to finish. Two more…

Annabeth jumped when she felt a hand gently shaking her shoulder.

"Wh-what?"

"Come on honey, I'm taking you to bed."

"I- I can't. Just have to finish-"

"Annabeth," Percy said sternly. "You're exhausted. You fell asleep, locked up in here. Thank the stars I'm able to get in here without a key. You need some sleep. I bet you didn't even touch the dinner I brought you." He glanced at the tray he had brought up hours ago and he shook his head.

"You haven't eaten and you haven't slept. I'm calling an intervention. The gods order you to put the work aside until tomorrow. We're worried about you."

"The gods order? You mean you order." He shrugged.

"I used the collective we. Come on." He helped her up and unlocked the office door. She yawned and dropped her head on his shoulder as he practically dragged her into the bedroom.

"The kids are already in bed," he said softly. "Zale was pretty torn up that he didn't see you today."

"I'm so close to finishing this presentation, Percy, and then I can spend some time with you guys."

"Annabeth you know I love you. And you know I support you in everything you do. But the kids miss you. I miss you. I think I've seen you for a total of 20 minutes in the past week."

"That's not tr-" she tried to stifle a yawn and he shook his head.

"You have four days before the presentation. Can you try to rest tomorrow and take a day off?"

"No way," she took her glasses off and rubbed at the bridge where they had cut into her skin. "I'll try to finish them tomorrow and then I can spend tomorrow night with you and the kids. Ok?" He sighed heavily and pulled her nightgown out of the drawer.

"I'm happy for you, Annabeth. I am, but I want to know what will happen after this presentation."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means do you really think things will slow down if they decide to expand? They will overload you with new projects and send you on business trips and keep you away from us even more."

"Percy," she said gently. "This is my job. I like to work. You know that."

"When they were born, you said being a mother was the most important thing in the world. That you would never miss a thing in their lives." She frowned and crossed her arms. Percy followed suit.

"Well guess what, Annabeth? Zale called you at your office to tell you he lost his first tooth. Jaycee cried to me last week because she got her first D on her report card. I mean, she's my kid so I'm sure that won't be the last but, that's besides the point. You missed Zale's first steps, you missed Jaycee's first word, you missed their first day of school. You're missing it, Annabeth! I'm a god and I see more of our family than you do."

"I'm making a name for myself, Percy," she jumped to her feet, suddenly angry. "I'm doing something no other demigod has done! I'm-"

"Annabeth," she froze as if he had yelled but his voice was so tender that it took her by surprise. He reached out and took both of her hands.

"I am so damn proud of you for all you've accomplished. You have made a name for yourself. Hell, you redesigned Mount Olympus! You gave birth to not one but to two legacies. You're the Mother of Earth. You don't have to keep going like this. When will you take a step back and see that you have some pretty amazing things in your life? Your deadly flaw is flaring up again and I just want to see you happy. Think about it." He squeezed her hand and walked out of the room. She watched him go, her jaw agape. Sighing heavily, she grabbed her nightgown and stomped into the bathroom to finish getting ready for bed.

Percy didn't come up to bed and Annabeth felt her eyes closing on their own. She wanted to fall asleep in his arms, like she used to. Lately she had been sleeping in her office or curled up on one side of the bed. Percy never wanted to wake her so he slept with his back to her, his arms wrapped around the pillow, a sad substitute for the wife he missed. She turned on her side and grabbed the pillow that he used. She buried her face in it, inhaling his scent. Sighing, she squeezed it to her chest and fell asleep quickly.

When Percy returned to the bedroom, he watched her sleep for a moment, a sad smile on his face. She clutched his pillow to her chest, squeezing for dear life. He remembered when she would grip onto him that tightly while they slept. Her nightmares had improved over the years but he still woke up to her hiding her tears in the pillow. Since the kids were getting older, she just didn't sleep as much as she used to. Percy tried to be the perfect dad and husband but unfortunately, there was no such thing. He was a stay-at-home dad, though, while Annabeth went to work. He was the one who helped with their homework and attended PTA meetings and helped with their bake sales. They adored their father but they missed their mother. Especially Zale, who got picked on for being a 'mama's boy' by his sister, mostly. Percy tried to put some kind of balance into his family's life. He wanted Annabeth to love the work she was doing and come home to them at the end of the day. But this expansion was driving her mad and he could see how drained she was lately.

He gently pushed her hair off her forehead and tenderly kissed her temple. She stirred for a moment and squeezed the pillow tighter. Percy smiled and quickly changed for bed, climbing onto the opposite side so he wouldn't disturb her. Sighing, he moved to his side and stared at the wall. She was so close, so warm. He scooted back just a ways, praying she would not wake. He just wanted to be near her, to feel her close. He felt their backs touch and he closed his eyes. How he wanted to turn over and wrap his arms around her, burying his face in her hair but he hadn't done that for awhile and he wasn't even sure she would still want him to. He had lost count of how many days it had been since they were intimate. Two children, two legacies, made parenting hard and between the kids and Annabeth's work, they didn't have a lot of time to themselves anymore.

His hands itched for her smooth skin, so he buried them under his pillow. Blinking in the dark, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He hadn't been sleeping well lately either but he tried his best to hide it from Annabeth. She was busy with everything else, she didn't need to worry about her husband too…

"Annabeth?" Percy's eyes darted around his surroundings, trying to understand what had happened. Hadn't he just lay down in his bed? Now he was… well, he wasn't sure. It was hot. So hot, in fact, that his skin started to blister.

A river of fire steamed and bubbled right by his feet and he frowned.

"Annabeth, where are you?" His voice seemed to echo in the empty void. He could see dark rocks in the distance, like jagged pieces of glass.

"Wait…" he knelt next to the river of fire and placed his palm to the ground. Glass littered the ground and he leaped to his feet in panic.

"No. No way." He shook his head in terror, spinning around on the spot. "This… this can't be right." He knew where he was. But how? And where was Annabeth?

"Annabeth, answer me!" There was cold laughter to his right and he dug in his pocket for Riptide. A huge shadow crept toward him, terrible clicking that made him want to clap his hands over his ears.

"Beautiful sacrifices," the creature whispered excitedly. "Sacrifices for the goddess. She will be so pleased."

"What are you talking about, you hag? What have you done with Annabeth?" The creature cackled and waved a barbed leg toward a shape on the ground. Percy's eyes widened in horror.

"No!" He ran toward the crumpled form and scooped her into his arms. Annabeth's body was broken, he could see that immediately. Blood poured from her mouth and her blonde hair was matted with blood.

"Annabeth," he sobbed. "Please wake up. Please."

"Beautiful beautiful sacrifices," Arachne said behind him. "First the girl, and now you, son of Poseidon." He barely heard her. She couldn't be dead. She just couldn't be. He gently shook her, his hand moving to her lips.

"Annabeth, come on. We're supposed to...survive Tartarus together. You can't leave me. You can't." Her head flopped to the side and her eyes remained closed. Percy choked back a sob as he buried his face in her torn shirt. Arachne clicked her pincers as if she were clapping.

"Oh yes, son of Poseidon. You are next. With no daughter of Athena around, how long will you survive the pit?" Percy blinked back furious tears and hugged her

body to his chest.

"Come back to me," he whispered in her hair. He didn't even feel the sharp barb from the spider pierce his heart.

"ANNABETH!" Annabeth shot straight up at the sound of her name and blinked in the dark. Her husband was fighting with the blankets, tossing his head back and forth.

"Percy!" She grabbed his shoulders and gently shook him. His eyes were squeezed shut and he continued to whimper her name.

"Percy, wake up! Wake up!" She moved to straddle him, slapping his face lightly.

"Percy, look at me. You're ok, you're just dreaming."

"Annabeth," he gasped, his eyes flying open. She leaned over him and pushed his damp hair out of his eyes.

"It's just a nightmare. We're together." Not safe. Not ok. Together. Just like they were kids. But being together was still what mattered the most. Percy blinked back tears and she tenderly wiped at them with her thumb.

"We're together," she repeated. He sat up and hid his face in her chest, his arms wrapping around her waist. She stroked his hair and let him hold her for as long as he wanted.

"I love you, Percy." Percy tilted his face to look at her and he gave her a watery smile.

"You haven't said that to me in a long time." She bit her lip as she gazed into his eyes. Those eyes that could see into her soul. She stroked his cheek and he nuzzled into her palm.

"I'm sorry, Percy," she whispered and his eyes moved back up to hers. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what's happened to me. I've become… someone else. I haven't even noticed my husband is having nightmares while he sleeps next to me."

"You've been busy," he muttered, shrugging but she shook her head and cupped his chin.

"You were right. My family has been missing me and I've been too busy to notice. Can you forgive me?"

"There's nothing to forgive, love," his hands rested on her hips as he leaned up to kiss her. She shivered as his bristly chin raked against her throat. His tongue followed the familiar path up her neck and behind her ear, though it had been so long since they had done anything like this. His fingers tightened on her hips and she moaned as she realized there would be bruises. Her moans spurred him on and he brought his lips back to hers, tracing his tongue along her bottom lip before pushing into her mouth. She clutched his dark hair in her fist as she grinded her hips over his. He gasped against her mouth, his fingers digging into her thighs, as she felt him come to life underneath her. Her hands scrambled to pull his sleep pants down so she could feel him against her. The thin material of their underwear didn't do anything but drive them crazy with the friction. Annabeth was on the verge of pulling her panties aside so she could take him inside her but Percy broke their kiss and shook his head.

"What's the matter," Annabeth asked, trying to keep the hurt out of her voice.

"Do you know how long it's been since I have had my tongue buried inside you? I'm going to relish this moment, Wise Girl. Now lie back." Annabeth was torn between wanting her husband's mouth on her and wanting him inside her. But gods was he good at that, and he was always so eager and it HAD been so long…

She scrambled off of him and moved to her back. Percy pushed her nightgown up her body, kissing each inch of exposed skin as he went. His tongue swirled around her nipple, her areolas soaked in his saliva. His eyes darkened as he trailed his hand along her inner thigh, his fingers tracing patterns in the wetness that had gathered there. He spent a few more minutes reintroducing his lips to her breasts. He nipped and licked and trailed his tongue down her stomach. He hooked his fingers in her underwear and pulled them down her legs, moaning at the sight of her.

"You are so fucking beautiful, Annabeth." She chewed on her lip anxiously, squirming around a little. Of course Percy noticed and he moved back up to kiss her.

"What's wrong?" She started to shake her head but he cupped her chin and made her look at him.

"Tell me."

"I just… didn't think you wanted me… like this. Anymore." His brow furrowed in confusion.

"What are you talking about?"

"I got so fat after the kids were born. I'm… I mean, I'm not young anymore, and less attractive and-" he cut her words off with his lips, pressing hard against her mouth. She gasped at the assault but her fingers went back to his hair.

"Annabeth," he whispered against her mouth. "You drive me fucking insane. I mean it, you are a royal pain in the ass." She frowned and jerked back. He was smiling that cocky Percy Jackson smile and he shook his head.

"How could you think I would ever see you as anything other than beautiful? You remember what I asked you, all those years ago, right after I became a god?" She shook her head and he pushed a strand of blonde hair out of her face.

"I asked you not to lose faith in me. And here you are, years later, questioning my love for you."

"You can love me without really… desiring me," she shrugged half-heartedly.

"Love and desire go hand in hand. I could never stop wanting you. You're the only woman I have ever been with, because I couldn't imagine doing this with anyone else. You turn me into a horny teenage boy any time you touch me! And by the heavens, this right here," he reached down to swipe his fingers through her wet folds,

"is my favorite place to be. Inside you. In your arms. You are my home, Annabeth. You always have been." He leaned up on his hands, caging her in his embrace, and smirked.

"So if you're done being self-conscious, I can stop being so sappy and get back to what I was doing." She snorted but let out a choked gasp as he leaned down and

flicked his tongue against her inner thigh. She wasn't nearly as groomed as she would have liked to be but Percy obviously didn't care, so neither did she. She clutched the sheets in one hand, his dark hair with the other. He spread her open and pushed his tongue deep inside her.

"Fuck I've missed this," he grunted as he took her clit between his lips.

"Oh my gods, Percy," she whimpered, trying to keep as quiet as she could. He moaned in response and the vibrations made her shriek. He reached up to tweak her nipple between his fingers while he buried his face deeper in her pussy. He sucked on two of his fingers before pushing them inside her, feeling her clench around him.

"Cum for me, love. You're so damn sexy and squeezing me so tight… fuck, Annabeth, I need to be inside you."

"Then get inside me, Percy!" But he thrust his fingers in and out, crooking them slightly until she cried out against the pillow. He grinned as he pushed the pillow off her face so he could kiss her. Annabeth wasted no time in pushing him onto his back and yanking his underwear down. He nearly swallowed his tongue as she took him into her mouth and he threw his head back onto the pillow.

"Sweet fucking Olympus, Annabeth, you gotta stop that babe. I can't handle… gods, it's been so long." She understood perfectly and threw her legs over his sides. Both of them bit down on their lips as they were joined, Annabeth sitting flush against him for a moment.

"Honey… you have to move," he whimpered, jerking his hips. She smiled as she leaned forward to hold his wrists down while she grinded against him. He tossed

his head back with a sigh and she trailed her tongue along his throat.

"I'm not going to last long, love. You feel so amazing."

"I want you to cum for me, Percy," she whispered in his ear before tugging his lobe between her teeth. He sucked in a breath as he tried to hold on but she knew what he was doing.

"You like my pussy squeezing you? Milking your cock? Cum, Percy. Cum for me."

"Oh… Annabeth, shit," he gripped her hips as he drove himself home. She planted soft kisses over his face and chest while his body quivered beneath her. She slid off of him and moved to her hands and knees. He raised his head off the pillow and his eyes widened.

"What do you say, Seaweed Brain? Put those powers of yours to use and fuck me again." He scrambled to his knees, glancing down at his softening dick but ran his hand down her spine and through her wetness. She shot him a smile over her shoulder, making Percy's heart hammer in his chest.

"Hold on, Wise Girl. This is going to be hard and fast."

"Good. And then later, you can make love to me. We can take the kids to school in the morning and then come home and sleep in each other's arms." He kissed both of her cheeks and reached around to rub at her clit as he slid inside her.

"Sounds like a plan."

True to her word, Annabeth stayed up with Percy all night. Neither of them could remember the last time they had done that. After Percy spent hours making love to her body, he ran them a hot bath so they could clean up. She had barely fallen asleep in his arms when the alarm went off but she was the first one downstairs to make breakfast for the kids. Zale cried out excitedly when he saw his mother, not his father, in the kitchen. Annabeth and Percy dropped the kids off to school, then came home to take a nap. Percy woke up to Annabeth's mouth on him and they made love twice more before the kids came home. She didn't enter her study once the entire day.

"Good luck, my love," Percy cupped her chin and kissed her as he handed her the briefcase. "You are going to knock them dead."

"I love you," she said, her palm on his cheek before taking her briefcase and pulling her coat and scarf on.

"Don't worry about the kids, I will pick them up from school," he said behind her. "And I'll have dinner ready when you get off work."

"I'll be home a little early," she said dismissively. Percy nodded and she blew him a kiss as she closed the door behind her. He visibly deflated, letting out a deep sigh.

The last few days had been wonderful, almost to how they used to be. Annabeth had spent time with the family and once she had finished the remaining designs, she hadn't gone back to her study. Now the new week had started and the career woman was back in place. He loved his wife and hadn't been lying when he told her he was proud of her and everything she had accomplished. But sometimes he wished she wasn't so good at everything she did.

Annabeth straightened her jacket as the investors pushed their chairs back to come greet her. They all shook her hand, polite smiles on their faces. Annabeth returned the smiles, nodding and thanking them all for their time. She glanced back at her presentation and sighed. It was over. She had done it.

"Amazing job, Annabeth," Lyle exclaimed as he came around the table and squeezed her hand. "Seriously, you were on fire! They looked so excited, there is no way they won't expand the company!"

"Thanks Lyle," she said warmly. "Who do you think the McGraffs will ask to open the international offices?"

"Um, duh Annabeth! They will want you for it!"

"What, me? No."

"You're on your way to Paris, my friend! And London. And Tokyo, and Shanghai, and Berlin-"

"Annabeth," her boss reentered the conference room. "Very well done, my dear. They were so impressed with your designs. Every single one of them."

"Thank you, sir," she nodded with a smile.

"May I see you in my office when you're finished here?"

"Oh, sorry Mr. McGraff, we're finished," Lyle looked excited. "I'll see you at lunch, Annabeth."

Annabeth hardly heard anything Mr. McGraff was saying. He spoke about her passion and her dedication and all of her hard work over the years. The many beautiful

things she had created, and her mind went to her two masterpieces who were sitting in a classroom. They were her miracles, her greatest works of art.

"Annabeth?" She blinked and shook her head.

"I'm so sorry, sir, what did you say?"

"I asked you if you would be interested in the position. It would entail a lot of travel, of course, but Senior Ambassador would come with a lot of perks." Her eyes widened. Senior Ambassador. Opening all of their international offices, which she was responsible for. It was a literal dream.

"Thank you so much for the opportunity, Mr. McGraff. But I'm afraid I have to turn it down. I can't be away from my family that much." Her boss looked disappointed but he nodded in understanding.

"In fact, I think I'm going to cut my hours down like you offered to me when I was pregnant. I would like to spend more time with them and I've done what I hoped to accomplish. The firm has made a name for itself and we are on the map with international offices. This is everything I hoped for."

"I hope you know how much we appreciate you, Annabeth. If you need anything, you'll let us know?"

"Yes sir. Thank you, Mr. McGraff. You've always been very kind to me." He patted her hand and she exited his office.

She hurried home as fast as he could, her eyes on the clock. It would almost be time for Percy to pick up the kids and she wanted the chance to talk to him first. When she entered the house, she heard his deep voice talking to someone.

"Sure Mom, I'm sure they would love that. Yeah, I'll talk to Annabeth about it tonight and we could drop them off this weekend. Uh, I don't know, I mean, she won't be home til late and I'm sure she rocked that presentation so… I'm just not sure how much we will see her. They'll undoubtedly want her for the expansion. Yeah, I know Mom, I'm really happy for her… I just miss her. Yeah. I know. OK, well I need to go pick them up from school. Yeah, see you this weekend. Love you too. Bye."

Annabeth smiled as she set her briefcase down and hung up her coat. She slipped her heels off and left them by the door. Percy's back was to her, as he bent over to retrieve his keys from the table. She tiptoed over to him and wrapped her arms around him. He stiffened only for a moment but relaxed in her grasp, turning his head.

"Well this is a surprise. You're home early, is everything ok?"

"It's fine. Are you going to pick up the kids?"

"Just about to leave. Um, what happened with the meeting?"

"The investors were very impressed and they want to office six new international offices. The company is expanding across the world." His eyes widened and he turned to face her, his hands resting on her hips.

"Honey that's amazing. I'm so proud of you."

"And Mr. McGraff asked me to open all of those offices. He offered me the title of Senior Ambassador." He swallowed deeply.

"Wow. Annabeth, that's… wow."

"I turned him down." Percy stared, certain that he hadn't heard her correctly.

"Wait. What?"

"I turned him down," she repeated.

"But you… what? Why… why would you do that?" She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her forehead to his.

"Because I've already built something permanent. With you. And I've created hundreds of masterpieces but our two legacies are the most special. So I told him I'm cutting my hours. I'll be a consultant only, working only when they need me. That way I can be here with you and Jaycee and Zale." Percy squeezed his eyes shut.

"Annabeth, I just want you to be happy. Is this… something you really want?"

"I should have done this when we got pregnant," she said, stroking his cheek. "You are all I want, Percy. You and our children. I've been blind not to see how lucky I am." He tightened his hold around her and kissed her hard on the mouth.

"I love you," he murmured.

"I love you too. Let's go pick up the kids. And when they finish their homework tonight, we can have a family night. Movie and dinner."

"They'll love that. And after the kids are asleep, we can make up for lost time." She grinned as he reached down to squeeze her ass.

"I'll hold you to that, Seaweed Brain."

One more chapter after this, and I really hope to have it before Christmas! XOXO