Helloo! So are you happy I'm FINALLY putting this up? Of course =] Well.. Here you go then!

I walked off the plane with Thalia and Julia (who actually didn't need to come but thought it was a good idea. Just incase anything went haywire. Plus we needed what the orphanage called a "Witness" ). We went to the luggage claim place and grabbed our bags. Then we all went outside and after a little while finally nabbed a taxi which we took to our hotel in downtown Moscow. After checking and taking all our things to our rooms (Thalia and I in one and Julia in her own) we had a very uneventful dinner thanks to us all not sure if we should be sleeping are wide awake. Thank you time difference. We talked about tomorrow and how excited we all were, and how cold Russia was, even for this time of year. We talked a lot about Thalia's wedding. It would be held at the New York Botanical Gardens, although there was quite a fight why it could not be held on Olympus. The gods weren't getting the fact that Blake's family had no god blood in them at all. After dinner we all went back to our rooms, Thalia and I washed up and got in bed. Big day tomorrow after all. I was finally meeting my baby. My baby, I liked how that sounded.

"Are you nervous Ann?" Thalia asked as she turned the lights off.

"I guess a little, why?" I asked.

"Because I'm really nervous. And you the one adopting Alice, not me!" Alice is her name. Her given name too. I didn't even need to change it. Although her middle name, Valkerie (which reminds me of an over-weight pigeon or something) was changed immediately to Athena.

"Well, you're the godmother. That deserves a degree of nervousness"

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Yeah what is it?"

"When you zoned out at the hospital, you were asking someone things and telling them not to leave. Who were you talking to?" Well, I thought, the answer to that was simple. But ohh, so difficult.

"Percy."

"How?"

"He said Hades owed him something and he wanted to talk to me." I smiled. He could have picked anyone. His mom, Grover, but he picked me.

"What'd he say?"

"He told me not to do anything with Daniel unless I knew what happened was real or not. That's why I needed to talk to Rachel. And he said he was waiting for…. That he was always waiting for me."

"Your never going to be able to get close like that to anyone anymore are you." She stated it instead of asking. Like she already knew the answer. Maybe she did. But I really had no idea.

"I really don't know"

"Goodnight Annabeth"

"Night Thals." and with that I closed my eyes and drifted into a world where everything made sense and Percy was still alive.

The next morning I wake up at 7am, although my appointment isn't till 2pm, I'm the most excited I've ever been in my life. I try to go back to sleep seeing as the sun isn't even up yet, but the point was moot. I get up and check my phone, the sun starts peeking over the horizon but I decide to keep the blinds closed as Thalia is still sleeping and I know she'd kill me if I woke her up this early. My stomach starts growling as I decide to go downstairs for breakfast. I figure if I wait for Thalia to wake up, I'll miss it. I walk down stairs and into the room to the left of the lobby. I walk in and see Julia eating a bagel and sipping on some coffee, reading the NY times on her iPad. I walked up to the buffet and grabbed a banana, cinnamon roll, some bacon and a coffee for myself and sat down next to Julia. She tried to shoo me away before she looked up and saw it was me. I smile at her.

"Annabeth! Just the person I wanted to see!" She said being the morning person I'd always assumed she was.

"What about?"

"The orphanage called and their 11'o clock appointment opened, so we can go then!"

"Wonderful!" I said. That only left 4 more hours till Alice will be all mine. I finished breakfast and texted Juniper back to assure her that we had made it here all safe and sound. Sally (Jackson, who had become like a second mom to me after Percy had… Ya know), Anyway she left me a message making sure we got in ok, so did my father. I called them both back getting the message machine for both too. I let them know that we had gotten here safe, I let Sally know we would come to see her when we got home, and let my dad know we couldn't wait to see him when he flew in next month. We, Alice and I, I liked it. Julia switched from the NY times to the New Yorker, for an adoption consultant she was quite well informed. I checked my email on my phone. A message from Scarlet with pictures of her new baby, Nicholas. He was the cutest thing I had ever seen. A couple from work I would read later, and one from a nobody. Literally, it had no address as to who it was from. I opened it anyway.

Wisegirl,

Good Luck today. I'll be there with you the while time. I'm sure she's gonna be perfect. Miss you.

Love,

Seaweed Brain

I nearly fell backwards in my chair. Percy was emailing me! Did they have computers in the underworld? This could open whole new doors. This could be my ticket to getting Percy back! I look down at the email. Only to find out there is no reply button. My high from this is totally gone. My head hangs low.

'What's wrong?" Someone say's sleepily putting a hand on my shoulder. Thalia. I looked up, she was still in sweats and a tank top. I looked at the time. 9am. Had I been down here that long?

"Well are you going to tell you why your pouting?" She asked walking over to get food. When she sat next to me I showed her the email.

"Wow!" She sequels in delight. "it's like a love story from beyond the grave." She continues to rant on, so I slap her. But smile because she's totally right.

At 11:15 were in a taxi driving to the orphanage. We pull up to what looks like a school, with the words "St. Petersburg home for children". It looked nice, not at all what I expected from watching Annie my whole childhood. We walked in, greeted by a plump woman who spoke to us in Russian. She started to walk and motioned for us to follow her. The whole time we walked she kept talking in Russian. We all nodded like we understood until she came to a door and let us in.

We walked into the room and there was a woman sitting at the desk right in front of us. She's quite tall, with very sharp features. But she looks very motherly.

"Hello! I'm Melana, I run the orphanage here." She said speaking in a thick Russian accent.

"Hi, I'm Annabeth." I say shaking her hand. She does the same with Thalia and Julia as they introduce themselves.

"Is this everyone?" She asks.

"Yes" I answer back.

"Well surely there must be someone still coming"

"No, this is all of us. Should there be more?"

"Well, there should be at least four. Two parents, at least one godparent. And a witness of your choosing." She says, her thick accent.

"Well, Julia's the witness, Thalia is the one godparent and I'm single. I'm the only parent." I said smiling as we all sat down in the blue chairs.

"Oh, well I'm sorry but every child adopted from here has to have two parents. The rule has been that for over 50 years." She said. Did I just hear her right? Two parents or no Alice? No, this can't me happening. I look at her face ready to see her laughing because she does this to all the single moms to scare them. But when I look at her face its an apologizing face. That she's sorry this isn't going to work. Tears spring to my eyes, I bury my face in my hands. This can't be happening.

"Damnitt. I must have read over that. Annabeth, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault." Julia says, tears in her words too.

"WAIT!" Thalia hollers at both of us. We look up.

"What if I'm the other parent, Julia can be the godmother and the lady who brought us in here can be the witness?" Thalia. My hero.

"Well, I guess that would work. Let me page her and tell her to come" She says lifting up the phone. Just then the door opens and in walks the woman. But someone's with her. A tall man, in a Hurly t-shirt and a black north face sweatshirt over that, jeans, and blue Nikes. His black hair an unruly mess he had tried to tame with no effect. He bends down to kiss me, which startles me to no end seeing as I have no idea who this man is.

"Did I miss anything?" He asks looking at me. His sea green eyes pericing mine. Oh my gods. That can't be! It's-

"Percy Jackson" He says shaking Melenas hand. He takes a chair and sits down taking my hand and running some crazy story about his plane being late and yes, he was the father. Thalia's eyes were popping out of her head and I was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

"Dear are you ok?" He turns asking me. Am I ok? Well, your supposed to be dead but somehow your sitting here next to me, so I'm leaning towards no.

"Can I talk to you in the hall?" I ask quickly getting up and walking out there.

"This'll only take a second." He tells Melena and walks towards me. Once were out there alone, I just stand there staring at him. Not sure what to say.

"How?….What?….Why?" Is all I can seem to get out. He comes over and hugs me. "Percy. How are you here?" I ask burying my head in his shoulder. It's him. Really honestly him.

"I was watching, and all the sudden I saw that they weren't going to let you adopt Alice. And the only thing I wished was to be here. So you could. Then suddenly I was." He says rubbing my back.

"Oh Percy, I can't believe it's really you" I say starting to cry.

"Hey, Annabeth. Dear don't cry. Don't cry. I'm here and you….we can get Alice. And that's all the matters. So shall we?" I look up at him and wipe my eyes.

"Yeah, yeah lets."

"Ok and this is the last thing you have to sign" Melena says putting one last piece of paper in front of us. We sign the designated lines, as do Thalia and Julia.

"Then that's all done. Now are you ready to get her?" She asks smiling.

"Yes! Yes of course!" I say jumping out of my seat. Percy and Thalia laugh at me as the chair tips over behind me.

"Sorry" I mutter looking down.

"It's fine dear, but everyone can follow me." Melena says getting up and walking to the door. We all get up and follow her. Percy takes my hand and Thalia comes up on my other side.

"Percy! How the hell are you here?" She whisper yells.

"If I knew I would tell you thal's. But I seriously have no idea." He shrugs.

"Oh, well. Let's just be happy you are here.. I guess. Although you know it all would have been fine if you hadn't shown up. I had it all under control." She says importantly.

"So I heard." He laughs and Thalia scowls at him. Then smiles and gives him a hug.

We walk into a brightly lit room filled with toys and blankets and bottles and cribs. The nursery. My hands tightens around Percy's. This is it. I'm getting her. I'm getting Alice!

"It's all be fine dear" He whispers in my ear.

"Right over here!" Melena says from where she's standing by a pale white bassinet. We walk over and I peer over into the crib. And there laying there, is Alice. Her eyes blink open and she yawns and little. I look at Percy and smile as big as I can. This is amazing.

" Would you like to hold her?" Melena asks.

"Yes! Yes of course!" I say. She picks up Alice out of the crib. She's dressed in a little pink onesie, with white socks on her feet. Her head is covered in a fine layer of blond hair and her eyes are hazel. She puts her in my arms. She's lighter then you would think. I look down at her and she wraps her hand around my finger. She looks up at me and smiles.

"She's perfect" Percy says from behind me.

"So perfect" I say as she yawns again and closes her eyes.

"Smile!" I say to Percy who's on the couch holding Alice. He looks up and smiles as I click the button on the camera.

"I think I've taken to many pictures. Do you think 400 pictures is normal for…4 days?" I ask sitting down next to them. We've been home for 3 days, and we stayed in Russia one day after we got Alice.

"Annabeth, that's like a hundred pictures a day." Percy says.

"It's not that much… is it?" I ask.

"Yeah kinda" Percy laughs. Alice starts crying.

"Ohh, Ali Bear! Shh, shhh" Percy says rocking her. Ali bear, that's his nickname for her. It's horrible.

"Percy honestly. Ali bear? Please stop calling her that." I say getting up to get her puckie. (A/N which is a….pacifier? Yes.)

"She likes it" He says smiling.

"No, she really doesn't" I laugh.

I step out if the shower and wrap a towel around me. I start to brush my hair out, when I hear Alice crying. I don't worry though, because Percy has her.

As I finish up and put sweats pants and a t-shirt on though, she's still crying.

"Percy! What's wrong? Why is Alice crying?" I yell out. But there's no answer.

"Percy!" I yell again as I walk into the living room. He's not in there though. And there's Alice sitting alone on the couch. So where's Percy?

"Percy!" I yell. Nothing.

"PERCY!" I yell even louder. He had to have heard me right? But then why hasn't he said anything. Did he have to run out? No, he would have told me. And he wouldn't have left Alice sitting here alone. I pick up Alice and realize what's happened. Just as soon as he came back, he had to go again. I guess I always knew he couldn't stay forever. The one thing you can't cheat right? Death.

The next day I wake up to hear Alice crying, I look over to get Percy up. But then I remember. He's gone. I get up and walk over to her room. There she is laying in her bed. All bundled up in her pj's, wailing her little heart out. I pick her up and start rocking her.

"Shhh, shhh. Alice your ok. Shh, shhh." I mummer. But her voice seems louder then ever.

"Ali, Ali shhhh.." I mummer rocking her.

"Ali, honey what ever is wrong?" I ask walking over to the changing table. I change her dirty diaper. But that doesn't seem to help.

"Ali, are you hungry? That must be it. Your hungry right?" I shhh her while we walk into the kitchen. I grab a bottle and warm it up. But she won't even let it by her mouth. So I set it down. What is her problem? I walk into the living room with her and sit down on the floor with all her toys. But none of them seems to do the trick.

"Ali, Ali dear." I mummer rocking her in my arms. Nothing. Alibear, she likes it! I hear Percy say.

"Ali…bear?" I say. Ali stops wailing, but tears are still rolling out of her eyes.

"Ali bear. It's ok. Everything's ok baby" I say rocking her. She staops crying and wipes her eyes. She makes the little popping noise with her mouth. Which I've come to know as "I'm hungry, feed me". So I walk into the kitchen and grab a bottle which she drinks right up.

I guess it's not just me who misses Daddy.

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