As I pull into my driveway, I take a deep breath and look at the cotton-candy blue sky above me through my sunroof. I've stopped crying, but I'm still shaking and my face is red and I don't want Holly or Will or Jason to see me like this. So I just sit, and breathe.
After ten minutes, I decide to get out of my car. I open the door to my home, and when I get inside, I slam it shut. My kids are in the living room playing with our puppy, Poseidon, but they stop to look at me. I clear my throat and demand, "Go to your rooms."

Holly stands up. "Mom, what's wrong?" she asks. She helps Will up by his hands, then she picks up Poseidon.

"Just... just go upstairs. I need to talk to your father," I say, trying to keep my voice steady. Holly rolls her eyes and leads Will upstairs. I wait for the click of their doors shutting before I walk to the kitchen, where I can hear pots and pans and bowls clattering. When I get there, I can see Jason is rummaging through the cabinets. "Jason, I need to tell you something."

He looks up and smiles. His smile gives me warmth, and makes me feel a little better. "Yeah?"

"It's not good," I say. "Sit down." I pull a chair out from the dining table. Jason eyes me, then he slowly gets up and sits down in the chair. I sit down on the other side of the table.

I'm just about to begin when Jason blurts out, "Annabeth, have you been crying?" I suck in air between my teeth.

"U-um... yeah."

"Why? What happened?"

I take a deep breath and look out a window. "Piper's in New Rome."

I look back at Jason. His eyes are wide, his mouth is dropped open. "...What?"

"I was shopping, and I saw a store. I went in, and Piper was right there," I explain. "I nearly passed out, and she asked me if I was alright. Then she asked me if she'd known me from somewhere."

Jason stands up. "Annabeth, how do you know it was Piper? There are hundreds of demi-gods that look like her-"

"No, it was her. She had a name tag on. It said Piper on it."

"Well, I don't believe it. And if it is her, she's probably moved on. It's been, what, ten years?" Jason asks.

"Eight. It's been eight. And Jason, it was her, I tell you. I saw her eyes. They were changing colors," I insist. "She's here. She saw me. She talked to me and she touched me."

"Annabeth, calm down. We're perfectly safe. We live in a gated community. And the gates are made of celestial bronze; There's no way she's getting here," Jason says. He takes my hand and helps me up. Then he gives me a hug. For a moment, I feel safe in his arms, like nothing will ever come between us.

But little did I know, that was the last time I would feel safe for a long time.

After a few hours, we call the babysitter, a daughter of Apollo. Holly and Will have never been fans of her. As soon as she walks in, Will runs up in his room and Holly starts her monthly speech of how she's "too old and cool to have a stupid babysitter". I roll my eyes. "Holly, I am not in the mood. Now go and do something to keep you busy," I instruct her. She mutters something under breath and storms into the kitchen.

I turn to Jason. He sighs, and opens the front door. We walk outside.

The cold air brushes my face. I look up and the moon is hidden behind thick grey clouds which are moving steadily across the black sky. Jason and I get into the car and Jason pulls out into the street. As he drives, I look out the window. I don't want to speak, my thoughts are racing. Is Piper planning something? Is anything going to happen tonight? Why is she back in the first place?! But the one question that was really bugging me was: Is Percy back, too?

"We're here."

We pile out of the car and I see that we're at a bar. "Oh, good. I really need a drink," I say. Jason takes my hand and we walk into the cool building. I don't take less than a minute before I'm ordering a Screwdriver and Jason's left at the door, holding my coat, scanning the room for where I am. By the time he finds me I'm already sipping my drink.

The bartender's looking a little weirdly at me, then he says, "I love your eyes. They-"

"Watch it, buddy. She's mine," Jason says. My cheeks turn rosy. I like how protective he is of me, like Percy used to be.

Percy? Why are my thoughts turning to Percy?!

This question runs in my mind for a long time, as I order my second drink, as Jason leaves to go to the bathroom, and when some guy tries to hit on me just as Jason comes back and nearly gets decked across the floor. And after Jason and I have been there for two hours, I find my mind wandering over memories of Percy and I. Then I hear,

"Annabeth?!"

I blink my eyes open and turn to Jason. "What? What?" I ask, looking around to see if anything's wrong.

"I was just asking you how many drinks you've had," Jason tells me. "for the third time."

"Um," I roll my tongue across my teeth and say, "three." Jason rolls his eyes and laughs.

"Right. You've had three and I've had none," he says. "I think it's time we head home." I nod and push my three empty glasses towards the bartender. We're walking to the door, ready to leave, and then I stop.

I squint a little, and through a crowd of teenagers who are probably using fake IDs, I see a familiar face. And when I squint harder, I can see the glimmering purple in her eyes, and then the shimmering gold, and the smooth turquoise.

"Jason, Jason," I whisper, tugging on his sleeve like a little kid.

"What?" he asks. "Why are you whispering?"

"She's here," I say, still looking at Piper. "She's here, she's here."

Jason practically whips his arm away and snaps, "Piper's not here!"

I open and close my mouth like a gaping fish, and I sputter, "W-What?"

"Annabeth," Jason holds me tightly by the shoulders. "Piper is not in this bar. She's not in New Rome. And for all we know, she might not even be al-"

"Excuse me?"

Jason and I look up and there she is. Standing in a knee-high gold and silver dress, her hair sweeping half-way down her back.

"I just noticed you two were arguing a little bit," she says, her thin lips perking up in a smile. "Just wanted to be neighborly and make sure everything's fine."

I feel my heart beating so fast I feel like it might explode everywhere, and hopefully all over Piper's perfect face. I then can see in Jason's eyes that he finally believes me, and that he's just as scared as I am.

"Piper, we don't want anything to do with you-" he tries to say.

"How do you know my name?" She asks.

Jason blinks. "What?"

"I've never met you before. Or your wife here, who looks completely shocked, just as she was this morning at the mall," she giggles a little under her breath. "It was you, wasn't it?"

I can't speak. I just stare.

"Oh, it was, I remember your hair," she touches some of my curls. I can feel Jason's stare burning through us. "You know, I really apologize for this morning, miss."

I shake my head wildly, "No, no. It's alright, no need to say sorry."

"Oh, nonsense," Piper laughs. "How about tomorrow at ten, I'll personally buy you anything from my shop in the mall." She looks from Jason to me. "I didn't catch your names?"

"Anna-"

What. The. Hades. You're just going to give your name away to a girl who once tried to kill you?! What is wrong with you?!

"Anna?" Piper asks. "Okay, Anna, ten a.m., tomorrow at my shop in the mall? Sound good?"

"Y-Yeah."

What the Hades is wrong with you, Annabeth? You just go shopping with any psycho you meet?!

"Okay. Well, I'm going to go back to my friends. See you tomorrow, Anna." And then she walks away.

Then, Jason grips my hand tightly and drags me out of the building.