"Bored?" Alvie nodded, sulking. Percy smiled at him. "I haven't played Black Ops in ages. Want a game of that?" Alvie brightened.

"Ok." He agreed. Percy grinned and set about setting the PS3 up.

Having a broken leg didn't give him an excuse to stay off school. He was only off today because of his 'psychic fit' last night. The bomb incident had been three days ago. Since then, Alvie hadn't started 'crying' blood again, but following some nightmares, he had woken up blind and shouting for his parents. He had been forced to sit still for two hours with a damp cloth over his eyes until his sight had fully returned, clear and sharp. Annabeth had asked him about any dreams he had had, but he couldn't remember them.

"Hey, you just shot me. That's hardly fair." Alvie smiled weakly. "Where's the trigger?" Percy smiled, using his 'Batman' voice. Alvie's smile turned genuine and less nervous. Percy stuck his tongue out cheekily.

"Hey, you just shot me. That's hardly fair." Alvie mumbled in a mimic of his father.

"You're good."

"Dad?"

"Mm?"

"Is Crystal coming over after school?"

"Uh… yeah I think so." Percy cast him a sly look and smirked. "Why?" Alvie fidgeted nervously, but didn't respond. "Tell me." Percy cast Alvie the puppy dog look. Normally, this worked with his other children, but Alvie remained blasé to it. "Ugh, fine. Meanie." Percy mumbled. "Dude, what-? You're a gaming ninja, you are."

"Are you losing, Dad?"

"Slightly." He grumbled, pretending to sulk.

Annabeth dropped in from work during her lunch hour to check on Alvie.

"Hi, sweetie."

"Hi, Mom."

"Seaweed Brain?"

"He's cheating!" Annabeth looked at her husband quizzically before noticing the PS3 controllers in their hands. She smiled, shaking her head at them.

"Honestly, Percy, you and that blooming game. Alvie, have you eaten?"

"Mm-hm."

"Percy, don't let him do this game all day. It's bad for the brain."

"OK."

"I mean it."

"OK."

"Seaweed Brain…" She warned. "I seriously mean it." Percy glanced at her, staring at her as if she seriously thought he was so stupid. "Percy, I will kill you if he sits there all day on that stupid thing."

"If it's stupid, why did you buy it?"

"Because you somehow bribed me."

"Of course I did." Percy smiled sweetly.

Annabeth sauntered off, disappearing into the office. She returned a few minutes later with some books Alvie had left in there.

"You were reading these, right?"

"I've already read them, Mom." Alvie said. "I left them there for you to read."

"Aw, thanks Alvie." She smiled, ruffling his hair. Alvie returned the smile sheepishly, gaining another sneaky kill in.

"No. Fair."

"He's sulking now, Alvie." Annabeth smiled proudly at him.

"I'm not gonna share my cookies with you anymore." Percy told him childishly.

"What cookies?" Annabeth corrected. "I distinctly remember you eating them all and me being too lazy to make some more."

"I'll make them myself." Percy defied, getting to his feet and walking into the kitchen.

"No, don't." Annabeth went after him. "Seaweed Brain, you are not burning my house down!" Alvie was distracted from his parents' playful bickering by his phone buzzing in his pocket.

"Where are you?" Crystal demanded.

"Um…"

"Are you OK?" Her tone was softer.

"Yeah, I'm good. Dad is a bit of a sore loser on Black Ops and now he wants blue cookies."

"What is it with this blue food?"

"Something about Dad's first stepdad- not Paul- saying there was no such thing. Then, um, I think Nan went out of her way to make blue food. And blue is Dad's favourite colour."

"Oh OK." Crystal paused. "Why aren't you in school anyway?"

"Stuff…" Alvie said uncertainly, his eyes fixing on the light above him.

"What sort of stuff?" Crystal asked warily. Alvie didn't reply. "That psychic stuff again?"

"Something like that…" He mumbled, frowning at the light.

"Are you OK? You sound… distracted." Alvie pulled his gaze from the light and looked back at the screen.

"I'm OK."

"Mmm…" She hummed. "Anyway, I'm coming over after school!"

"Exciting."

"You could at least sound a bit more enthusiastic."

"Exciting."

"Shut up, Alvie." He stayed quiet. "You are still there aren't you? You have this thing about being so quiet; you're like a goddamn ninja."

"What's wrong with ninjas?"

"Too quiet. I don't like quiet."

"You don't say."

"Is that sarcasm?" Alvie blinked. Crystal started laughing. "Oh my gods, Alvie Jackson is capable of sarcasm! At last!"

"Wh-? I- huh?" She laughed again.

"You're a noodle."

"Noodle?"

"Mm-hm. Speaking of noodles, I haven't had my lunch yet. I'll see you later, Alvie."

"Bye Crystal." She hung up. Alvie felt a bit better having talked to his friend. How long until school finished?

"Oh, Alvie?" His mother called from the kitchen. "Alvie?"

"Huh?"

"I ran into Joy on the way back and we've agreed for Crystal to spend the night here."

"Really?"

"Well, it's a Friday; Joy's working and neither of us saw Crystal spending the night with only William for company." Alvie smiled. "And she's staying over for the weekend as well."

"Mom, you're so cool." Annabeth laughed.

"Why thank you, Alvie. Percy, no."

"You've got eyes in the back of your head!"

"No, I just know you so well."

"Stalker!"

"Wife." Annabeth corrected.

"She's gonna kill me!"

"I will if you don't shut up."

"Alvie, help me! She's gone physco!"

"He's got a broken leg. Leave him alone."

Annabeth had found some books for Alvie to read- surprisingly ones he hadn't read before- and he lost himself in those books in the next few hours while waiting for Crystal. Percy successfully made a batch of blue cookies- on his sixth attempt- and they didn't taste that bad. Not as good as Annabeth's and definitely nowhere as good as Sally's, but they were satisfactory.

"How can you just sit there reading?" Percy asked him. After the cookies had been eaten, Percy had sat and watched Alvie read for a while, but his ADHD made that a short while. Alvie didn't register that his father had spoken until Percy poked him in the side of his head.

"Dad?"

"How can you just sit there and read for ages?" Percy stressed the last word, pulling a face.

"Reading's good."

"It's difficult."

"Can't you get Ancient Greek copies?"

"And it's boring."

"Find something you'd like then." Alvie told him.

"Like?"

"I don't know. Do they have books on blue cookies?" Percy smiled.

"So you do have a sense of humour." Alvie stayed quiet, recalling Crystal's… praise for his supposed sarcasm earlier.

Suddenly the doorbell started ringing. And it didn't stop. "Well, that's Lou." Percy got up and went to let his sister in.

"Where's the cripple?"

"He's not a cripple!"

"I've been telling her that all morning, but she doesn't listen."

"Damn right I don't." Louisa brushed past her brother and spotted Alvie. "Hey, Squirt."

"Hi, Lou."

"Kid's a bloody bookworm." Louisa said, turning back to her brother.

"I blame Annabeth. Came back with this stack of books and told him to get off the game." Leo wandered over to Alvie, holding a box.

"Made you choccie cake." Leo smiled. Charlie cleared his throat, walking alongside his father. "Charlie helped."

"We no share choccie cake nor-mal-ly." Charlie said slowly. "It a… a… pri… pr- Daddy?"

"Privilege."

"That." Charlie smiled. "How you spell that?"

"Um…" Leo glanced at the Poseidon twins, who looked back blankly. Damn dyslexia. Leo shook his head. "It doesn't matter." He handed the cake box to Alvie, smiling. "If anything explodes or whatever, it was Charlie."

"Explodes?" Alvie held the box gingerly. Charlie's devilish smile didn't help.

"Don't tell him that." Percy bopped Leo on the head. "Just ignore Leo, Alvie."

"Bro?"

"Lou."

"If his girlfriend is comin' over in an hour or so, why does this place look like Ares?" Thunder rumbled. Louisa ignored it, holding her brother's gaze.

"She's not my girlfriend." Alvie protested weakly, feeling his cheeks burn. Louisa gave a knowing smirk, which prompted Leo into shooing her away.

"Care to help then, Lou?"

"No. Peasant's work."

"I'm your twin. I'm not a peasant and I still help with the house work."

"You need a job."

"I have a job."

"A day job."

"It's bad enough working at night, Lou. Day time is my sleepy time normally."

"Sleepy time? What are ya, five?"

"I nearly five!" Charlie smiled proudly. "I go school soon and be like Elsie and Kia!" Louisa pulled a face at this, sulking. Charlie's smile faded. "Mama?"

"Favouritism." Percy coughed. Louisa punched his arm.

"Ain't ya supposed to be cleanin', peasant?" Percy stuck his tongue out at her, massaging his arm.

The Jackson residence was considerably tidier by the time everyone got back. Max instantly sulked up to his room, not bothering to stop and saw 'hello', although Alvie was sure a flash of guilt had appeared in Max's eyes when he first saw Alvie. Sage greeted Alvie happily, smiling and hugging him- a hug that Alvie returned awkwardly. The triplets, who had been spending the day with Sally and Paul, attacked Alvie. Well, Theo and Callum did. Lilly simply drew a wobbly smiley face on his cast.

Crystal wasn't with his tide of siblings. Annabeth told him that Joy had picked her up and would bring her over while on the way to work. "About five, half five." Annabeth told him. She picked up the book he had been reading- The Forgotten Legion by Ben Kane. "Any good?" She asked.

"Violent. Lots of swearing. But it's good."

"I might borrow it after you." Alvie nodded and she returned the book. Within seconds, he was reading again. Reading helped him relax and these particular books helped him to understood Ancient Rome, Roman battle techniques and some Roman history as well, all of it linking up to make a great story.

He didn't notice Crystal until she bopped him on the head, making him jump.

"Hi Alvie." She smiled sweetly at him.

"Oh… hi, Crystal."

"You and those bloody books." Alvie stared at her. "Sorry if I'm not such a big fan on reading." Joy waved at Alvie from by the front door. Alvie waved back and Joy beamed. "Mom's your, uh, biggest fan apparently."

"Fan?"

"Yeah. You know- Team Alvie or whatever." Alvie bit his lip, glancing over at his friend's mother who was now thanking Annabeth and Percy greatly, hugging the pair of them.

"Crystal, be good!"

"Are you doubting me, Mom?" Joy just rolled her eyes, waved again and left.

Alvie set his book down and held his hands out to Crystal. She instantly helped him to his feet while Theo and Callum dutifully appeared and handed him his crutches.

"Thanks." Alvie smiled. "I hate that."

"What? Not getting up on your own?" He nodded and Crystal laughed. "Oh well." Alvie noticed the rucksack she had with her. "Alvie, I can carry it. You can't." She picked his book up and read the description on the back. "These people have weird names. I mean- Romulus?"

"That was the name of the original founder of Rome."

"Fascinating." Crystal replied, clearly un-fascinated. Alvie missed that memo, following her upstairs. He collapsed on his bed and lay down across it. "Comfy?"

"Mm-hm." Crystal grabbed his wrists and pulled him into a sitting position before moving a stool to prop his leg up. "How long until this thing comes off? It's annoying."

"Couple of weeks." Alvie's shoulders slouched in defeat. "Oy, chin up." There was a knock on the door and Percy poked his head round.

"Everything OK?"

"Alvie doesn't like the cast."

"No, I figured." Percy smiled reassuringly. "Blue cookies will make him smile though." Alvie did smile and Percy looked triumphant. "Awesome. I would have you make them yourself, but your mom said you'd be a hazard in the kitchen on those things." He nodded at the crutches.

"He's a hazard anyway."

"That's you, Crystal."

"Of course it is." She smiled proudly.

"Oh and Tobias is on his way over, so be warned." Percy smiled. Alvie and Crystal pulled faces at him and his smile broadened. "I'll be back in a bit with those cookies." He left.

"I have CDs for you."

"CDs? Which CDs?" The last CD Crystal had given him had been a Justin Bieber one. She didn't like Justin Bieber- (good girl)- but she thought it would annoy Alvie. And it did. A lot.

"Don't worry, you'll like these ones." She delved into her rucksack and pulled a stack of CDs out-Adam Lambert, Neyo, Adele, Pink and Justin Timberlake.

"Don't know, haven't heard, some songs are OK, rock chick and not sure." He said, rubbing at his forehead.

"You OK?" He nodded. "Look, if you go blind or start crying blood on me, we're going to have issues. This is a new T-shirt!" He looked bewildered and she smiled. "I'm just kidding. William's loaded. He doesn't notice the odd ten bucks disappearing here and there."

"You steal money?"

"Only from William. I don't like him."

"You'll be in big trouble if he found out."

"Which is why he won't find out." She rolled her eyes at him. "Honestly, Alvie, you silly billy."

This is mainly a filler chapter, but I am working on more, I promise. Hope this is OK and sorry if it's too drabbley.