Seaweed and Wise - Never letting go

22. Family ties

If it were by Percy, we'd stay in bed all day. But I had the better sense of integrity. "We've got a visit scheduled. You agreed to that too."
"But I hate getting up and I hate it even more when you leave me no choice because you get all alive and I have to go too because it's you and- ugh, you're evil."
I raised my eyebrows at him.
"Get up you lazy piece of a demigod," I laughed and grabbed one of the outfits.
Percy rolled out of bed with a groan and dressed in shorts and a grey shirt that had a US flag on it. How typically american of him. I checked my outfit in the mirror, glancing the fading scars softly visible where my skin finally caught some color again.
"You look pretty, don't worry."
"I bet you'd say that even if I had one of Mr D's shirts on."
Percy grinned.
"Would have to consider that... And how the hell would you get that in your hands."

One of us had blueberry milkshake and blueberry pancakes for breakfast...

We found Vicky with her son in her hand. He was a big kid already, about four.
"Hi," I smiled.
"Hello you two," Percy said, waving at the little boy.
"Oh hi, I was just about to go get you and here you are."
"You two like my mommy?" The boy said in such a little, cute voice that I just had to smile.
"Grammar Danny." Victoria rolled her eyes. "He's in this advanced language class in preschool and he decided to ignore all his talents right now..."
"Are you heroes too?" The kid asked again. Correctly this time, a tiny smirk playing on his lips.
"We are?"
"Sure, the best, and you're Danny right? I'm Percy and this is Annabeth, don't tell anyone but she's a little shy around boys."
The boy wriggled in Vicky's hands. "Mommy, pvease, I can walk on my own."
The little boy took Percy's hand right as he set his feet on the ground.
"I swear he begged to come with me and be carried around this morning," Victoria whispered my way, shaking her head.
"Seems like I've got a new buddy. Jason's gonna be soooo jealous when I tell him."
"Yeah just don't lose the kid on the way, right?"
"Danny's a smart kid. He won't bolt. Unless he sees a pigeon, he really loves chasing those."
It must be some weird ass Aphrodite 'dove' obsession.
"We're going by the shore Danny, lead the way."
The boy looked at his mom as proud as ever to be given such task.
"He's amazing," I smiled. Percy and the kid had walked a few steps ahead, talking nonsense.
"Are you really okay with us coming over and staying for lunch. Don't you mind? We just met and all."
"No way, Miles is excited to get to know you. I told him the bit I knew about you and he wants to know everything about it all, the battle's, what happened... Well, if you don't mind sharing that information."
Percy heard that and turned at me. I mouthed "I'm okay" and he smiled, getting back to his important talk about dolphins and turtles. They were bragging about who saw more of each.
"If we don't ruin your day with all that..."
Boy were they headed for a surprise of just how messed up our lives were.
It was quite a little house with a cute garden. We came inside and Danny dragged Percy to his and his baby sister's room. Vicky showed us around the house. It had a solid good architecture.
"This place is lovely. So modern, you did all that decor? But isn't it a little small for you?" I asked.
"Well, it's enough. Of course we could get a bigger house if our situation here wasn't as complicated and I could take a normal job." She shrugged. "And thank you, we did."
"What did you study? I mean, what do you want to do?"
"Oh, writing. I wrote in New York, then for the local newspaper here, for some time but-"
The front door opened.
"Now that must be Miles."
Victoria almost squealed that sentence.
"Daddy and Sofie are home from the market buddy."
I could have sworn she hasn't seen her husband in ages...
The kid welcomed his dad while Victoria whispered something to him, he kissed her, whispering back. Maybe she was a little nervous with us around. I hoped we didn't freak her out.
Her husband was about as tall as Percy and definitely related to Clarisse. He had short brown and a bit wavy hair, brown eyes, and resembled his siblings.
He looked at us and grinned.
"Hey, I'm Miles and you must be Perseus and Annabeth, right?"
"Yeah, hi."
Everything was a little overwhelming and for once again I didn't know what to say... Percy went to shake his head first.
"I heard that you kicked my dad's godly ass when you were twelve."
Percy chuckled. "Yeah. You mad or grateful I took it out on that punk?" Percy asked, laughing.
Miles handed Sofie to Vicky and hugged Percy, patting his back.
"He deserved it don't worry. He's a crappy father and an asshole at that."
"Language-"
Victoria was sure one of the nicest people I've met but she had a good attitude as well.
"Danny's like a parrot... It's only good that he speaks Greek in the kindergarten most of the time."
I laughed, shaking my hand with the son of Ares too.
"Can I hold her?" I asked, looking at Vicky who nodded her head quickly and handed me her daughter. She was adorable and I missed Victory. I missed her...
Sofie played with my curls, smiling and blabbing something. Not actual words.
Percy looked at the scene, knowing very well I felt bad about taking Victory as a daughter and leaving her right away.
I stole the kid for myself while Percy chatted with Miles who started working on lunch as soon as his wife set foot in the kitchen. They worked together. Danny was shoving hot wheels cars Percy's way and I had to smile. I could imagine me and Percy having more kids some day.
I stopped doing peek a boo at the baby girl when I noticed some photos on the walls...
"You should move to the city," I blurted out.
"I have been thinking about it ever since you mentioned it."
"And you could get the job you wanted again, New York is full of possibilities, even for us. I'm planning-"
An IM appeared in the air.
"Do you mind if we take it?"
"No way," she said. "Aww, that's a cute couple."
"Aphrodite genes," I muttered. The couple was no other than Jason and Piper... Paul stood behind.
"Percy," I called and grinned at the IM.
"Hi, how are you-" Piper said, looking at Vicky curiously. They were really alike. What was it with godly genes being technically non-existent yet so strong.
"Hey Pipes," I chuckled. Jason and Paul smiled cheekily.
Percy ran to my side with Miles behind.
"Hi!"
"Hey, you know what happend? We were on our way here and we-"
Piper nudged Jason and gave him a murderous glare.
"Annabeth where are you at?"
"Uhm, new friends. We met Victoria in the hotel and they invited us for a lunch."
Piper smiled. "You're my sister, right?"
Vicky nodded. "We'll get together once we move to camp, deal? Now don't be bothered by us."
She plopped down on the sofa, Miles with her.
I walked closer to the IM.
"So, what did you need?"
"Nothing..."
"We miss you too, guys," I grinned.
"Where's mom and Victoria?" Percy jumped in.
"I'll go get them, son."
Paul took enormous pride in calling Percy that.
Sally came, holding Victory that was awake and in a good mood at the moment.
"Hi Sally," I smiled, waving at Victory. I wanted to hold her and-
"Can you kiss her for me? She's such an angel."
Sally laughed at that, swinging the baby in her arms gently. "I sure will. Although you should just see her when there's not a demigod around. How are you anyway?" Sally asked.
I felt bad for having her take care of Victory. That was our job now, not hers.
"Thanks for taking care of her mom. And it's perfect here. Oh and we found the second child of Ares that doesn't feel the urge to tear me to pieces at first sight."
He announced it all so proudly that everyone in the IM and behind us laughed. The two were Frank and Miles.
"That's amazing honey, but I see that you've got someone waiting for you, and this one hasn't napped yet."
We said our goodbyes and I had to remind myself that this was our honeymoon. We deserved the time off. But I missed home. It was so far away again.
The empty space after the IM was disrupted by Percy. "Reality's calling."
I scoffed.
"Oh sorry, we had to take that. For reasons..."
"No it's okay. If I were to leave my kids- no I couldn't without calling them twice an hour."
Miles was about to congratulate Percy and I on our clearly newborn daughter.
"It's more complicated with us." Percy stated.
"No it's nothing bad that you had her before getting married." It was Miles that spoke.
"She's not his biologically," I sighed.
"Even if she's just Annabeth's, that's- I'm sure you'll be a good father anyway."
"No, it's not like that. I didn't give birth to her either. She's adopted. Not even that yet, we still haven't sorted through the papers."
That Ares kid looked at us like we just grew wings.
"Can you change her, honey?" Victoria handed the baby to her husband. He just nodded, moving to the changing table.
"Don't you mind clearing that up a bit more? I highly trust that you didn't just kidnap her..."
"Victory is Poseidon's daughter, her mother died. He asked us to raise her, that was a few days after Percy proposed to me. Percy's mom's taking care of her right now but we do plan to raise her as our own."
"First of all, that's some crazy demigod drama I've missed so bad. Second, it did seem weird. And finally, are you hungry?"
"I'm hungry, I want a cake." The kid as if woke up again.
"That boy sure knows what's good." Percy grinned.

Miles finally brought up the war at lunch, it was an interesting conversation to be had while eating Caesar salad with seafood and drinking ice cold lemon water.
Percy took the first turn.
"Long story short, we were the stars of the prophecies. And thank gods that Annabeth was with me or I'd be dead at least a hundred times. Id probably be still somewhere in the New Yersey woods, lost, screaming at a pink poodle..."
He continued on while I studied the other's reactions.
"She took a knife for me, by the way, even though I had the Achilles curse on..."
The two seemed to have more questions than before.
Percy smiled after he was done with the first war, encouraging me to talk too. He definitely painted me the hero of the story.
I took a deep breath.
I recited the second prophecy first. "So yeah, that blood ended up being ours. We were separated by Hera for over 7 months, having only a few months of peace. And then we were together again but troubles didn't stop coming. I followed the mark of Athena, that was mildly traumatic. I did find Athena in the end though..."
I didn't want to continue on that note but how could I explain getting where we were right in the moment without that part of our history.
"We fell into Tartarus and- we got out obviously- then we- sorry. We fought the Titans and Gaea in the end. The camps united for that. There were casualties, of course. Our friend died, taking Gaea with him... But he was given the physicians cure and he's alive again. Your sister Piper, she's really tough too by the way."
They had dropped their forks sometime along the way.
Maybe it was too much to take in at once.