Day 7 – December 31st

Annabeth
The day wore on and as it did so, my mind spiraled around, driving me insane. Mrs. O'Leary kept me company as I tried desperately to keep my emotions in check. Percy had been fairly good at keeping me distracted and I knew I needed the distraction, but here in my apartment alone, it was hard to find something to keep my mind busy. I wasn't into video games like Percy and I didn't have a single book in the apartment that was going to keep my attention right now.

"So, it's just us, girl. Momma is on the verge of losing her mind. What do we do since your daddy won't be home for another couple of hours?"

Mrs. O'Leary tilted her head at me before dropping it on my lap and licking my hands. I patted my chest and the beast slow crawled up me, pushing hard on my gut on her way up which sent a little chill up my spine but it subsided quickly as she settled across me and licked my cheek.

"Oh, why do you have to be so damn sweet?"

The pup nuzzled in closer causing me to rest my head against hers. I looked around the apartment, the random photo of me with Mom, standing out here and there.

"I'm not going to cry over her."

Mrs. O'Leary looked up at me and I could see the sadness in her eyes, as if she understood every last bit of my pain. I wouldn't doubt it if she did but that sad look was all it took to send me over the edge.

I needed my mother. I needed to talk to her and I really needed her after the fight with Helen. My father and my brothers were supposed to be here today and because my step-mother is such an evil witch, they weren't coming. My heart hurt and Percy was out at his usual 'boys day out' paintball party. I couldn't just call him to come home. I could and of course he would, but I wouldn't do that to him. He looked forward to this one day every year.

Usually, us girls would hit a fancy restaurant in the city and then catch a movie but Thalia bailed this year due to having Jasper and I just couldn't muster the energy to get out of bed.

My mother and I may not have always had the best relationship but we had traditions. We had things we did together every year and Christmas and New Years were when we made some of our better memories.

I was having a hard time and everyone around me knew it and yet no one would come straight forward and mention her. I had been horrible in not bringing her up. It hurt too much, but here I was nearing a nervous breakdown and Mrs. O'Leary could sense it. She knew something wasn't right as she nuzzled into me even more, whining as I tried not to sob all over her silvery coat.

All hope was lost as a tear broke free and I scooped up the beast, making a beeline for the bedroom. Mrs. O'Leary didn't leave my side as memories flooded me and as I was racked by sob after sob. There was so much I needed to tell my mother and I would never be able to now. She needed to know the secret I accidentally confided in Helen as she was yelling at me about my living situation with Percy and then she needed to know how she reacted to said secret. I didn't have anyone to confide in but Mrs. O'Leary and in my pain, I poured all of my anger and sadness out on her and like a good best friend, she sat there with me, listening.

Percy
"Annabeth, are you here, babe? We have to get ready, the party starts in about an hour and Mom is waiting on us!"

I pretty much crashed into the apartment, knowing if we weren't ready in about fifteen minutes, we were going to be really late. "Beth, answer me!"

There was silence in the apartment and I sighed heavily. She was asleep again. She had to be, this woman of mine who ran on adrenaline and caffeine was sleeping far too much and I was doing everything I could to keep her from getting sick and yet it seemed like it wasn't helping in the slightest.

I made my way toward the bedroom, the box with her next gift in my hands only to find myself dropping it on the floor as I heard her sobbing into Mrs. O'Leary's neck.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong?" I asked, scooping her up into my arms, leaving the poor pup confused as to what was going on.

"I can't Percy!"

"Can't what?" I tried to wipe the tears from her face but she refused to pull her face from my chest. "I can't help if I don't know what is wrong."

She huffed and puffed even more, trying desperately to gain some sort of self-control over herself but it just wasn't happening. All I could do was stroke her curls as she tensed, launching herself out of my lap and toward the bathroom.

'Ugh, here we go again.'

It took me twenty minutes to calm her down and get her back in bed, which sent her into another upset flurry of tears and hugs to Mrs. O'Leary, who seemed to understand that Annabeth needed love right now.

"I can't go to the party, Percy. Please go. We have never missed one . . ." she finally said, pulling her face out of Mrs. O'Leary's neck once again.

"We don't have to go."

"You say that so easily, but I know you want to go," she almost wailed into the dog.

"No, I want to be where you are Annabeth. If you want to stay here, we will stay here. The only thing I ask is that you tell me why you are having this massive meltdown."

She sighed and hiccupped for several minutes before looking up at me over the pup's neck. "I can't do it. I can't go to that party and see all of those people and take the constant pity look. It's hard enough waking up every morning and thinking, oh, I need to call Mom, and then remembering that she's not here."

She dropped a hand back down to her stomach and I leaned over the bed grabbing the trashcan to hand to her. She shook her head and pushed the can away.

"It's not fair, Percy. It's not fair that seventeen-year-old girl got to live even though she was the one that caused the wreck. She was the one texting and ran the red light and slammed into Mom's car. It's not fair that she gets to spend the holidays with her family and mine has been ripped apart even more!"

She was breathing heavily and about to hyperventilate and this Annabeth was the complete opposite of the girl who handled everything when her mother passed earlier this year. I never felt like she properly grieved and here it was now, rearing its ugly head. I looked down at the floor, feeling awkward in the moment as she was racked with sobs once again.

"I know it's not fair. You mother should be there with us tonight and she should have been at Christmas dinner and she should be there when we get married one day, but remember that she will always be with you babe. You will always carry a piece of her in your heart."

"Percy –"

"– don't start! You know it's true and I know that is the cheesiest thing a person can say to someone grieving."

"I'm not grieving."

"Oh please! The random crying says otherwise, babe!"

"Oh Percy, you are a moron sometimes! Like a legit Seaweed Brain!"

"Which is exactly why you love me, and you know I'm right!"

She growled at me and fell backward on the bed, wiping her eyes viciously with the back of her hands. My phone buzzed in my pocket and I quickly shut it off.

"Answer it Perce. It's probably your Mother," she moaned with an almost bitter tone.

The phone buzzed once again and I glanced at the caller ID to see that Annabeth was right and I quickly answered and put the phone on speaker.

"Hey, Mom. What's up?"

"I was just checking to make sure you two were okay?"

"Relatively."

"Oh dear god, Percy just tell her I am having a mental break down and we won't make it tonight!"

"Annabeth, she can hear you, you know?"

"I don't need attitude from you right now Perseus!"

"And I don't need attitude from either one of you right now. Annabeth, if you feel like coming over later, just let me know. Rest and make that boy take care of you."

"Psh, 'cos that was ever in question."

"You can be a bit clueless, Son. Just do as you are told. Love you both and try to have a happy New Year's Eve."

"Love you, Mom."

I hit the end call button and then shut the phone off completely. Annabeth needed my full attention right now and if I was going to do that, I needed absolutely no distractions.

"Come here Wise Girl."

She sucked in several deep breaths and ignored me but reacted when Mrs. O'Leary bounced on her gut.

"Owe! Down girl, down!"

"Mrs. O'Leary, here girl," I snapped my fingers at the dog, forcing her to sadly lumber toward me.

Annabeth held a hand out towards me and I gladly took it, pulling her up to a sitting position.

"I just can't tonight. I know you wanted a fun filled New Year's Eve and were planning on giving me my gift and all of that but I just can't do it tonight."

She was on the verge of bawling again and instead of forcing her to me, I moved toward her and crawled in her lap, lacing my arms around her neck.

"Oh god, have you put on weight?"She groaned under me, still trying to stifle the tears and yet a small smile played on her lips.

"The holiday ten baby," I replied, leaving a giant kiss on her cheek and patting my belly.

"God, why do you have to be so damn annoying and yet so cute when I feel absolutely terrible?"

"It's my gift and I am your spirit animal. Now, are we staying here or are we showing up fashionably late?"

She glared at me and I threw my hands in the air. "I had to ask. You're joking with me and have really been up and down here lately."

"I know," she whined, pulling me back toward her and burying her face in my chest.

"I love you Beth, you know that right?"

She sucked in several fast deep breaths and nodded, never looking up at me.

"I wish you would just talk to me. I want to know what happened in California."

She released a groan and then looked up at me, "Helen was in fine form. She was beyond pissed that I -" She stopped herself mid-sentence and then looked away before starting again. "She is pissed about our living arrangements. She said that it really disgusted my father that we are living together and yet we aren't married and we don't even have a place to actually live together. She said that it was driving him crazy that we bounce from place to place and don't have an actual place to call our own."

"You're leaving something out."

"No! She wouldn't lay off. I hate that my father wouldn't stand up for me in any sort of way, that he let her just go on about how disgusting we are. Don't get me wrong, I have never had any issue with how we live our lives until she started in on me. Percy," she cried, "do you want to spend the rest of your life with me?"

I was caught off guard by her question and she noticed the lack of a response and started in on me again.

"Do you not want to marry me?"

"Of course I do. I want to spend every last minute of my life with you. Why would you even ask that?"

"Because . . . Thalia and Luke have been married for what seems like ever and they have a baby now. Silena and Beckendorf are getting married later this year, and Piper and Jason are engaged now! Where the hell does that even leave us?

"I want what they all have. I want the engagement and the big elaborate wedding and your babies and I know that sounds shallow of me but . . . but . . ."

She was so upset that her eyes had gone from their usual storm gray to charcoal and shuddered slightly. I had no clue that Helen could influence her this much and I was about to break. I laced my fingers through her hair and pulled her face towards me, resting my forehead against hers.

"I love you so much. You are my world, hell, Annabeth, we have been inseparable since we were twelve years old. I never want you to doubt me, or my love for you in any way, shape or form. I love you to the moon and back. Now wait right here!"

I jumped off the bed and dashed to the closet, looking for my old backpack that I had her wedding band as well as the engagement ring that I hadn't taken to the store to get soldered and thank god. She needed this. She needed to know we were headed there. I wasn't going to deny her that little bit of comfort when her year had been so hard.

I quickly made my way back to the bed and found her with her head in her hands, crying once again which made me crawl right back into her lap.

"Annabeth Chase," I started picking her head to look back up at me, "I want you in my life forever. I want to come home to you every night." Leave it to the dog to interrupt me during one of the most important moments of our lives and I couldn't help but comment, "You too Mrs. O'Leary, you too." A small giggle left Annabeth as she gave the pup a loving pat on the head before pushing her back down next to us. "Will you do me the honor of being my wife?"

I held out the simple platinum gold ring with a single princess cut diamond to her and a smile spread across her face through her tears.

"Of course I will you idiot!"

I slipped the ring on her finger and then pulled her backward on the bed with me. Hugging and kissing her the whole time.

"Now, where is my present for tonight?" she asked through happy sobs and kisses.

"Woman, please! You didn't even get out of your PJ's today! That present will have to way for another day!"

AN - Slowly catching up. Attempting to catch up anyway. Thank you for the faves, follows and reviews! I appreciate it!

3 - God love you! Thank you for being my beta and catching all the mistakes...there were a ton here! Oops! One day I will get this writing thing down right! My dogs are old and grouchy too...can I get a new fluff ball? LOL And I had to get the poker dogs in somewhere. It fit finally!

By the way, go check out her latest story and chapter! So awesome! Love me some Daddy P and little P issues!

Guest & PJOIsDaBest - Got you 2 new chapters! Possibly a third this evening!

jodanfritz10 - Thank you! Hopefully you like the next one as well!