PERCY

One day to go. One day to go and he still hadn't found the right chain to use for Annabeth's necklace. Having almost given up, Percy turned to his last hope to get this done on time...Tyson.

His brother answered the iris message almost immediately, like he had known Percy would contact him. Tysons face lit up like a traffic light when his brother saw him.

"Hi brother."

"PERCY"

"Hey I know its a little late in the year for this, but I need your help."

"What you need brother?"

Percy showed him the pearls. "I need you to put these together as a necklace for Annabeth"

"Annabeth!" Tyson said, pointing to the pearls, he always got excited when Percy mentioned Annabeth.

"No, she can't know, this is between us."

"No, Annabeth!" Tyson pointed again, this time more urgently. Percy turned around.

"She can't know what?" Annabeth asked from the doorway. Percy quickly hid the pearls behind his back.

"Annabeth, hey. We were just talking about you." She walked towards him. Percy quickly slipped the pearls into his jean pocket, careful not to drop any. Annabeth hugged him, using the gesture to see what he was hiding Percy guessed. When she realised her efforts were fruitless, she pulled away again.

"She can't know what?" she repeated.

"Well if I told you, you would know what you can't know, wouldn't you? Therefore, I can't say."

...

ANNABETH

Annabeth hated not knowing things, but she also hated fighting with Percy. She just had to trust that whatever he wasn't telling her, he had a good reason for it. Besides, she had been keeping secrets too. She and Piper had been working together to give Jason and Percy the best surprise christmas ever, except maybe the one Jason had planned for Nico. NICO. She had been so wrapped up in her gift to Percy, that she had forgotten to do anything for the son of Hades. Annabeth ran out of the Poseidon cabin, hoping she didnt hurt Percy's feelings, or let him think he'd hurt hers, but she had so much to do and not enough time to do it in.

...

THALIA

Thalia hated heights. Absolutely hated them. But this was for her brother, Jason had done everything he could to give Nico his first proper christmas and she couldn't let him down, not now. It was a short ride from Mount Tam to camp half blood, stopping at camp Jupiter on the way to pick up Frank and Hazel, but her heart rate didnt slow down and her grip didnt loosen. Don't look down. Don't look down. Don't look down. She repeated the phrase over and over again, but it was like telling someone not to think of purple elephants, and her eyes constantly shifted to the ground, too far away for her liking.

Frank noticed her nervous glances. "Are we expecting an attack or something?" he asked. "I can scout ahead if you like."

Thalia ignored him, thanking the gods that Percy had told Jason, who had told Nico, who had told Hazel, who now admitted to Frank that she was afraid of heights. At least that meant she didnt have to tell him. Although, it did mean that most of her demigod friends knew that she, a daughter of Zeus and hunter of Artemis, was afraid of heights. She would be having words with Jackson when thay landed.

...

JASON

Jason had his eye on the sky. Thalia, Frank and Hazel were already late and he had only allotted half an hour to decorate the chariot. He hated deadlines. The moon shone in the distance and seemed to get brighter as his sister got closer, another ten minutes and she would be here. That gave them twenty minutes before Will showed up with Nico to get the Moon Chariot ready.

As Jason watched, he began to notice things that shouldn't be there yet, like tinsel for example.

"Sorry we're late little bro" Thalia called out before the moon came to a complete stop. "We were a little behind schedule so I told Frank and Hazel to get started on the decorating." As if on que, Frank and Hazel stuck their heads over the side of the chariot and grinned at him.

"We're almost done" Hazel exclaimed, "just a few finnishing touches to go."

As she said this, Leo came from the bunker with a red and white outfit on and a big black sack slung over his right shoulder.

Jason sighed, not at the outfit or the sack, but at the grin on his friends face. "Leo, we've been over this, Will gets to be Santa Claus because he asked first. Now get the elf outfit on."

"Done" Hazel pronounced proudly and Jason turned away from Leo to the chariot.

"Whoah" he breathed, Hazel's finishing touches had been rubies and emeralds, positioned in such a way so that the reds and greens intertwined with each other to create a natural looking yet magical glow surround the chariot.

6 50. They had ten minutes until Nico arrived.

...

NICO

Wills outfit was cute. Nico would never admit it, but he liked Wills quirky enthusiasm for everything he did. In fact, Nico couldn't think of anything he didn't like about the son of Apollo.

The two of them meandered through the woods without any thought on where they were going, Will seemed preoccupied, checking his watch and speeding up every few seconds.

"Something on your mind?" Nico asked, getting more and more suspicious about Wills behaviour. Will was usually relaxed, calm, collected, it was Nico who would usually be checking watches and speeding up.

"Huh?" Will replied. "Oh yeah. The uh... we should hurry."

That was it. Nico was now completely suspicious of Wills behaviour. Will NEVER stuttered, or hesitated, he always knew what Nico needed to hear, but not today.

Voices. Not clear enough to hear what was being said, but clear enough to hear who was talking. Jason. Hazel and Frank? weren't thay supposed to be at camp Jupiter? Percy. Annabeth. Piper. Thalia, great, Nico hated it when the hunters came to camp. They reminded him of Bianca, and why she was dead. And Leo.