*Drum roll* And tonight, Ladies and Gentlefish, I present to you... *Louder drumroll* CHAPTER FIVE! Now, please silence your cellular devices, sit back, relax, and enjoy the show! When the show ends, please exit from the two forward doors and leave a review at the bottom of the page. Thank you!

~Ali

Chapter Five

About Two Years and Four Months Later, May

"Percy, come on, we're going to be late for lunch!" I grab my purse and my son and head out to Jason and Piper's house. We're having a surprise birthday party for Percy today. My little boy is going to be seven. We walk over to their house, where Acacia and Icarus are playing outside. I assume that Jason and Piper kicked them out so they could set up for the party and not have to worry about their kids spoiling the surprise.

"Percy, why don't you play outside while I go in and help Piper with lunch, okay?" Percy nods and races over to play.

"Piper? Jason?" I call as I step into the house. Piper comes around the corner, wiping her hands on a dish towel. She smiles at me and lays a hand on her tummy. Her baby is due in about a month.

"Annabeth!" she hugs me tenderly, just as Jason comes around the corner.

"Hey, Annabeth," Jason says, hugging me as well before quickly pecking his wife on the lips.

I look away. It still hurts. Piper leads the way into the kitchen, where Thalia and Clarisse are working on unsuccessfully frosting the cake. I stop in the doorway and laugh out loud. Thals has frosting in her hair, and looks like she is trying really hard not to kill Clarisse at the moment. Clarisse, on the other hand, has frosting all over the bright pink apron that I'd bet Piper had to wrestle her into. A soft knock sounds on the door, and I hurry to get it.

"Katie! Travis!" I exclaim, hugging them both. I lead them to the kitchen, and Travis's eyes widen as he sees the mess of girls and food. He quickly excuses himself and runs out the door. Katie smiles and puts her one year old baby girl, Rhea, down in a high chair. After we had finally wrangled all the food we called the kids in to eat.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY ODSSEYUS!" everyone yells as Percy comes in the door. He stops and stares with wide eyes at everyone who came to wish him a happy birthday; Jason, Piper and their kids, Acacia and Icarus, Chris and Clarisse, Katie, Travis and Rhea, Will, Thalia and Nico and their daughter Bianca, Leo, and Connor and Lacy with their four kids, Atalanta, Hercules, Achilles and Theseus.

Slowly a huge smile appears on his face, as he continues to stand there.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's PARTY!" Connor exclaims, earning an embarrassed smack from Lacy.

"Hades, that had to be the longest party EVER!" Travis complains as he plops on the couch. Only Jason, Piper, Travis and I are left. Katie went home to put Rhea down for a nap and Thals and Nico are watching Percy. I think Acacia and Icarus went over to Leo's house, but I'm not one hundred percent sure on that.

"And you didn't even help clean up." Jason says.

"Like you have any room to talk, Mr. Oops-I-Think-I-Have-Something-To-Do." I say, playfully glaring at him before throwing a pillow at him. He ducks at the last minute, the pillow sailing over him and onto something behind the couch, creating a crash.

"Jason Grace, don't you dare break my house!" Piper calls from the kitchen.

"Annabeth started it!" Jason whines like a little kid.

"Jason Grace, don't you dare go blaming Annabeth either!"

I smile smugly at him and catch the pillow he throws before we break anything else.

As I collapse into bed that night, I can't help but think about Percy. A few tears find their way out of my dam and down my cheeks. It's been almost eight years, but it still hurts like Hades. Thalia and Nico are watching Percy overnight, so I can relax for once. Don't get me wrong, I love my son to death, but raising an ADHD, dyslexic, hyper, demigod all by yourself makes things really stressful at times.

Finally I fall into a deep dreamless sleep.