Annabeth:

"Rachel," I smiled as soon as the redhead came into view. She smiled brightly, and her St. Patrick's Day green eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. Rachel ran towards me across the sidewalk from her lobby door to where I was walking over to her lobby where she told me to meet her, almost crushing me in a tight hug. Now that it was August, Rachel's Oracle 'Stay Right Here In Case We Need You' season is over. Now, she has to spend the next month making up for all the meetings and such she missed for the charity she runs.

"Annie, I'm going to miss you so much. I wish I could be here to help you with Sophie," Rachel smiled, trying not to smirk as she said the name she knows I hate to be called.

"Ugh, this is great for you. I mean, a month in traveling all over the world. Then there's two weeks with your family in Martha's Vineyard. You're going to have so much fun, Rachie," I smiled once more.

"Don't bring up going to my family reunion. I'd rather spend the rest of my life sitting around in a cave waiting for some kids to come bug for their future," Rachel grumbled. I knew she hated her father. Hey, I've only met the guy a few times, but I hate him, too. So, I feel for her, but he isn't the only member of her family. Her cousins who she gets along with very well are going to be there, and she's so close with one that she told him about her being the Oracle. So, I know she'll do fine. She's just being, well, in the words of Rachel herself, a drama queen. I was about to tell her that when she spoke up again.

"Take care of the kids, and make sure our little Idiot Boy stays out of trouble. Okay?" Rachel smiled, and I couldn't help but do the same. What? You and I both know my husband can be an idiot sometimes. Why do you think I'm trying my very hardest to make sure Luke is trained to be beyond brilliant? Yeah, I know, you can't train a kid to be smart, but he's really smart already. So, I suppose it could be called 'carroting' him along to reach his goals or something like that.

"As long you take care of yourself and don't dye your hair platinum blonde like that time-"

"Hey, I was drunk and nineteen, and I couldn't hook up with some random dude. What did you expect?" Rachel crossed her arms across her black business suit. I have to admit, it didn't really feel right to see her in a business suit. I'll always see her as the girl who drew on all of her clothing and took me to nine stores and loaded me up with random dresses until I finally caved and picked a prom dress, while she was wearing a purple tutu, a pair of black leggings, and a lime green 'Yeah, I'm Wearing Lime Green. Get Over It' shirt. Seeing that girl in a silk blouse, high heels, and a conservative business suit feels wrong on so many levels. A

"You are so screwed up," I almost laughed.

"Hey, you're the one who invited two gods who hated each other to your wedding," Rachel smirked.

"Shut up before you miss your flight, little missy," I nudged the redhead.

"Ugh, fine, Mommy. Tell Daddy I said hi," Rachel told me sarcastically, her green eyes amused.

"Alright, Sweetie, and I'll be sure Daddy knows how you called him Daddy," I smiled, my grey eyes trying not to look depressed from missing the little banter we always did. I really am going to miss this little mischievous red head. I can't imagine life without her. No, I can, and I wouldn't have gone to that reunion. I may have never seen Percy again, and I definitely wouldn't have Sophie.

So yeah, life without her sounds like Hades.

"Aw, that's my blackmailing girl. I'm so proud," Rachel smiled like a mother who used to be a famous dancer watching her daughter become the best dancer in a ballet recital. It was a little sad to tell you the truth for two reasons. A. she would never get to do that with her own daughter or any child of her own. B. she was proud because I just basically black-mailed her.

"I'm gonna miss you, Rachel," I smiled. When we were younger, I never would have thought I would say that. I hated her with every ounce in my being. At that time, in my mind, being friends with her would be like a vegetarian pulling up to McDonalds and ordering a big mac. It just wouldn't happen, but it did, somehow. Now, neither of us could live without each other. I guess that's what I get for saving her life. Rachel smile like a little girl who had just been given the puppy of her dreams, and it took every bit of willpower I possessed not to laugh.

"When I get back, Percy is watching Sophie and Luke, and we'll go have some fun. Deal?" she raised an eyebrow mischievously. In turn, I shook my head at how crazy she was, and told her a 'sure'.

Percy:

"Lucas," I crossed my arms, and anyone else would have been insanely intimidated and just given in.

But not him.

He was calling on the stubbornness he inherited from both of his parents. He was worse than Annabeth, and I didn't even know that was possible. But there Luke stood, his arms crossed, and his sea green eyes determined that he was going to win this. To tell you the truth, I was a little intimidated. I mean, he's four, and he can make me intimidated. You have to give the kid come credit.

"No," he simply told me, and I could tell right then that this wasn't going to end any time soon.

"Do it," I told him.

"I'm the one who has to do it. I think I should get a say," Luke shrugged. Okay, I think I'm going to have to have a stern talk with Annabeth to tell her to stop rubbing off on this kid.

"Yeah, and I'm your father. Now, do as I say," if it hadn't been me having to do this all, I would have been laughing my head off, but whatever humor was gone by now. Right at this moment, I just wanted to get this over with.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Luke's sea green eyes held their determination even as he looked up at me to ask me.

"I am your legal guardian which means you have to do as I say," I answered simply.

"What says that?" Luke shrugged.

"Luke, just go clean your room," I wanted to scream, but I kept the monotone we had been using for the last half-hour. He could be done by now, but no. He decided to put up a fight with his father instead.

Luke didn't say anything. Instead, he just looked into my eyes, completely and utterly determined not to lose. Ugh, why does my son have to be exactly like me? Couldn't he have become like his grandfather? Smart, gentle, and not so dang stubborn! Even being like Annabeth could have helped at this moment, but he decided to be me today.

This is going to be a long day.

As I looked at him, I couldn't help but remember when I first found out about him. Let me see, by now it's been about two years, but it feels like yesterday. For anyone who missed that all, let me explain.

When I was twenty-six, I got a job offer in Hawaii, and when Annabeth found out, she basically pushed me out the door before I could say a thing about it like how I actually wanted to stay. So, I spent three years in Hawaii, wondering how she was and wishing I hadn't left. Right before I was about to move back to my hometown of New York, my reunion came up, and Grover forced me to come. And there Annabeth was, looking just as, if not more, beautiful than ever. She was pretty cold to me at first, and I had just thought it was because we ended badly. At the big reunion party, both of got pretty drunk, and when I woke up, she was beside me. That was when I saw the picture of a little boy who looked exactly like me and her. That was about the time when she explained that we had a son, Luke, who she never told me about. Now that we had both just moved to New York, I got to meet Luke for the first time, and the next thing I knew, it was like I hadn't missed a thing with him. About three months later, I told Annabeth I loved her, and we got back together. One year later, we got married. Only a week into the marriage, Annabeth found out she was pregnant with Sophie. Now, we have two kids, Thalia-Sophia Athena Jackson and Lucas Charles Jackson. Yeah, as you can very well tell, Annabeth chose the names.

So, I think we're up to speed, right?

Okay, moving on.

"Fine," Luke stomped away, his arms still crossed, acting like he was still fighting to not have to do it. What the *bleep* just *bleep* happened? Okay, can I rewind everything a little bit? Just go back a few more moments back just a moment or so. See what happened with that because I'm really feeling like I missed something.

Because, I mean, who the Hades just walks away, still basically pouting, to do as they're told?

I knew if Annabeth was here, she would answer 'Luke'. She wouldn't say anything else, just 'Luke'. Annabeth wouldn't have to say anything more because I knew that if I went to my mother and told her she would answer, 'You did, Percy'.

I could have stood there stunned for another hour or so, but I heard the Little Mermaid song where the crab sang 'Under the sea' repeatedly coming from my phone. You know the song I'm talking about, right? Well, it was coming from the iphone I had charging in my room. As I knew how it would wake Sophie from the nap I spent a freakin' hour cradling her to get her in, I bounded the stairs two at a time, heading straight for my room without even checking to see if Luke was actually doing as I told him or if he had just told me he would, which he actually has done before though he says he started paying a little attention to the TV and got distracted. If Annabeth hadn't thrown a high heel at his last TV and promised him this on, I would get rid of it so he couldn't use that excuse anymore. Yes, Annabeth threw a shoe at a TV. Get over it. I did, he did, and I don't think you're in the place to not.

Pushing the door open, I saw that the bedroom wasn't as clean as it had been when I left for work this morning. By now, Annabeth had shoes strewn all over when she broke her heels, and those happened to be her 'just incase a shoe is ruined' pair. Luke had books on the floor when he was looking for Annabeth's copy of the Iliad. The bed was a little messed up from when I was rocking Sophie in my arms and came in here to get her favorite pacifier (Why the hades was it in here?) and had to sit down on it to get her to calm down after getting it. So yeah, we all had part in it meaning I can't blame anyone.

Beside my side of the bed, I had the ipod dock where my phone sat, showing a picture of Grover wearing some 'Hug the Tree Hugger' tee shirt from when we were eighteen. I knew he hated this song. Therefore, it became his ringtone. Don't ya' just love me?

Without even thinking about it, I managed to run over to the ipod dock and picked it up, hissing a 'what' into the phone.

"Someone's in a bad mood," Grover smirked.

"Do you have any freakin' idea how long it took to get Sophie to take a nap?" I crossed my arms.

"Dude, Daphne was born two days after my second anniversary. So, let me see, I was about twenty-four. I don't think you get the 'I'm having a worse time' card. Sorry, Perce," Grover sarcastically told me, his voice bored like he was waiting to get to the conversation he called me for.

"So what's up, Grover? Let me guess, Daphne broke something while practicing ballet. Oh, Juniper found out you didn't just have a migraine last night but was having a hangover-" I was about to keep going. I mean, I had hundreds more. Juniper doesn't drink because it hurts her when she does. I don't know. Don't ask, and she doesn't like it when he drinks. So, most fights are about how Daphne tries a new ballet move in the living room and breaks something or drinking.

"No, for once in my daughter's 'Ballet' life, she has not broken anything, and to the other, no, and you better not spill, little boy. But, am I not allowed to call my best friend? I mean, you called me yesterday while I was supposed to be grocery shopping, and you're not even doing anything right now. So, you are such a hypoctrite-" Grover probably would have kept going on, but I cut in.

"It's Juniper's time of the month, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"You're insane, Grover," I held the phone by my shoulder, hurting my neck in the progress, as I walked over to the laptop I left under Annabeth's desk. A few moments later, I was walking out of the room with my iphone in one hand and an Acer laptop, trying my hardest not to think of the irony of having PC and Apple together.

"Says the guy who took a sleeping pill with a bottle of coke when he last stayed with me," Grover mumbled, probably thinking I wouldn't hear him. I wanted to say something, but, instead, I couldn't help but peak into Luke's room where I found that not only was his room completely clean but he was sitting on his bed, mesmerized by Sponge Bob.

"I fell asleep eventually, didn't I?" I didn't pay much attention, as I was getting jealous and mad at how fast he cleaned his room. When I was last there, it looked like worse than Annabeth's dorm room when Rachel came over to do her hair so she could figure out what would look best at prom. Now, it looked like Cally's neat freak closet.

Forcing myself away, I started my walk down the stairs to the living room.

"Listen, where's Annabeth? Maybe Juniper would get a little better if she had a 'Girl Talk' or something," Grover asked. I couldn't help but just stop in the middle of the hallway.

"You're kidding me, right?"

"Well, what am I supposed to do?" Grover argued. I managed to roll my eyes as I walked over to the couch where I sat down on the couch, powering up my Acer.

"Simple, you get her chocolate, and do everything she says. You've been married since you were twenty-two. How have you not figured that out yet?" I typed in my password into the user with a starfish as my picture. The other has an ocean scene, and that one is my work. Considering I'm just checking my email and the news, I don't think I should go on the other. If I do, I'll start working, and the next thing I know, it'd be three hours later.

"You've only been married a year or so. How'd you figure it out?" Grover asked, trying not to sound angry.

"What do you think? When we were sixteen, Annabeth got angry and told me that secret of life. That's why I don't have nearly as much scars as I probably should," I answered as my home screen popped up, sending me straight into my email where I noticed I had two emails from Cally and Annabeth, making everything else junk.

"Dude, you're covered in scars.

"Yes, but if I didn't know this, I'd have way more," I rolled my eyes.

"Whatever, where is Annabeth anyway?" Grover asked, probably trying to get away from the subject of Juniper. You know, he is so picky when it comes to subjects. I cant bring up Apollo because he starts thinking about his beautiful daughter and how the original Daphne was changed into a tree because of Apollo chasing her. He prefers I never bring up Pan. Also ,no coffee or wild pigs.

"She is shopping."

"Annabeth shops? Our Annabeth? You're sure about that?" he asked like she was about to go to Rehab or something instead of just shopping for a dress for a benefit for work.

"I don't know about your Annabeth, but the one I married does shop, yes," I smirked, opening the email.

"God, remember when we were kids and she was 'Our Annabeth'. Those were some fun times," Grover told me dreamily, as if he were in a trance thinking about all those years ago.

"Yeah, other than almost getting killed all the time."

"Shut up," Grover almost growled. The next thing I knew, I was laughing like an idiot (Not one word), and I knew Grover would be blushing or getting so frustrated that his face would turn red. Either way, he would be red like a tomato.

"You're sure Juniper's the one who is PMSing?"