Okay, so here's the thing. Tomorrow im going to a wedding so there is a chance I wont update. If I do update, I may be drunk which should be interesting.

Chapter Twenty Six

It was a usual Christmas for us. The egg nog was poured, dad burned dinner, the phone call to grandma that always got a bit emotional towards the end. I opened Percy's present in my room before I went to bed, knowing I shouldn't, but it was the first thing I wanted to open. The smallish box was neatly wrapped – Probably by Sally because my boyfriend did not have this much finesse – but had a bit of weight to it.

Carefully, I unfolded the present, revealing a plain white box. A delicate bracelet lay in a bed of cotton, so beautiful. It was a dark silver colour. It looked old, like an antique, a single gold band with what had to be a cubic zirconium. I was going to kill Percy if it really was a diamond. It was stunning.

Placing it on the night stand beside my bed, I got dressed into my Pjs, slipping into bed so I could sleep for a few hours before Christmas started.

It was nice waking up to the bracelet, the Christmas was the usual affair. The Egg nog was flowing, dad burnt the turkey – again – and the Christmas phone call to Grandma and Grandpa in New York was emotional. It reminded me of how much I actually missed them.

Coming in from school to grandmas to find freshly baked cookies on the counter as grandpa sat at the piano playing something he had composed. I used to sit and watch on the bench next to him, watching his fingers move over the keys.

The movies were watched, the washing up left on the side for us to worry about later. And before I knew it, I as heading up to bed with a load of presents under my arm.

I couldn't sleep, the excitement from Christmas still rushing through my veins, keeping me up. My window was open, the sound for the sea calling me to it. A strong urge propelled me out of bed, and trying to be as quiet as possible, I snuck down the stairs. Before I knew it, my bear feet were touching the soft sand as the tide drifted out again.

It was quiet out here, giving me a little time to think. I didn't really get much alone time these days, not that I was complaining. But there was something to be said from getting away from it all. The boyfriend, the friends, the parents. School. Just spending a little me time on the beach, sitting down in my favourite spot as I watched the wave roll in.

These past couple of months had defiantly been something to remember. More drama had happened then in sophmore and junior year combined, the days when I was invisible to almost everyone. The simpler days, when I didn't have a bitch on my back and the only thing I really had to worry about was when I was going to get the homework in and the next time I was going to be ambushed into going shopping with the girls.

Now I had to worry about buying presents. I didn't even know how Percy was going to react to the present, weather he liked it, or weather I was intruding on his memory. I couldn't even imagine loosing my father. That thought just couldn't comprehend in my brain, but it's the type of thing that never leaves you. And I can't bring myself to try to understand that kind of loss that Percy has in him. He may not really remember him either, but he still misses him, that's plain to see.

"Wise girl?" oh so me time is over. Percy came into view, his board shoulders silhouetted in the moonlight. "What are you doing out here?" I asked, getting up form my spot and walking towards him. He opened his arms to me, wrapping them securely around my waist "I couldn't sleep, thought I'd come get some fresh air. What about you"

"The sea was calling" I whispered, leaning my head so it was over his heart. "Thank you" he whispered into my hair so faintly that I almost didn't hear him

"for what?"

"For my Christmas present" his voice was still low, his head almost buried in my shoulder whilst relief flooded though me "So you liked it"

"I love you"

"I'll take that as a yes then" I smiled, pulling away so I could look him in the eyes. Those perfect sea blue/green eyes staring back at me, the colour memorised in my head. Before he could deepen the kiss, I whispered against his lips "Thank you, for my Christmas present. Was it too expensive?" I cringed, not really wanting to know the answer

"Didn't cost me a thing" he answered pulling away to sit down on the sand. Opening his legs I crawled in between them, leaning my back against his front as we both looked out towards the sea. "Please don't tell me you stole it" I joked, loving the feel of his arms around me. And I was slightly reassured, because that meant he didn't hate the present completely.

"No stealing was involved, even though you are worth it. It belonged to my grandmother actually"

"Percy" I gasped, moving so I could look at him. His face was deadly serious. "Mum gave it to me to give to you. She wanted you to have it"

Grabbing his face in mine, I kissed him with all my might. He fell back onto the sand, his hands finding their usual spot on my hips as we rolled around. I didn't really know what happened, all I knew is we didn't stop. The feelings just washed over us, the heat of the moment warming us in the cool Christmas air.

When I woke up the next morning, we were still on the sand, curled up together, our clothes keeping us mildly warm. There was sand everywhere, but I didn't care, I was so happy in this moment. And we didn't even have to have the awkward talk about it. It happened when we were both ready – thankfully I was on the pill so there would be no surprises there – and it was everything I dreamed it would be. Well I didn't dream the sand, but we got to wash that off in the sea which was certainly something. Never thought I'd be into skinny dipping, but with Percy it was a lot more fun. And he was certainly talented, though he swore that was because of the internet and not from experience. And I believed him.

"I love you wise girl" he murmured from under me in a sleepy voice "I love you too seaweed brain" I smiled, knowing that this was defiantly something Thalia and Piper would want to hear all about. And because of that thought, I never wanted to leave the beach.