Cressida didn't know why she was so nervous as she knocked on the door.
Maybe because this was the first time she was out in the world without an escort and not on a deadly quest. Maybe because she was finally about to meet someone's mother, a mother that by all accounts was amazing and she didn't want to mess it up like the last time she dealt with a mother - her own mother.
"Hi, can I help you?" asked the gorgeous woman with dark curly hair as she opened the door.
"Hi, Mrs Jackson. I'm Percy's friend from camp. He invited me. I'm -"
"Oh, you're that pretty girl that Percy has photos of in his room. Cressida, right?" she beamed, and Cressida offered her a smile.
"That's me."
"Oh, please, come in," she invited as she held the door open, and Cressida walked in.
"Thank you."
"Percy's in his room. The cookies are almost done."
"Thanks, Mrs Jackson."
"Oh, please," she said. "Call me Sally."
And Cressida gave her a warm smile before heading for Percy's room.
Percy was sitting with his back to her on his bed as read through a card, likely from Annabeth who wasn't able to come today. She hadn't really left Thalia's side since she came back.
"Your mom said that you had photos of me in your room. I don't know if I should be flattered or concerned," she said, and Percy flinched.
"Gods, don't sneak up on a person like that!" he exclaimed before he saw who it was. "You came."
"You say that as if it's a surprise," she grinned as walked into his room, swinging a rather big bag in her hand.
"And that wouldn't happen to be a birthday present for me, would it?" he asked with a mischievous grin as she plopped down on the bed next to him.
"Why would you assume that? It could be for your mom."
"But it's not, is it?"
"Happy birthday, Fish Face."
"Gimme," he said like the child he was as he took the bag. And he pulled out a skateboard, the top black and the bottom painted with scenes from the last two summers at camp. "Whoa," he gaped.
"Forged by the sons of Hephaestus. That's a board that won't break," she explained as he ran a hand over the pictures on the back.
"Who painted these? Annabeth? Apollo cabin?"
"Me," she said as if it should've been obvious. "Gave me something to do in arts and crafts."
"Wine Vine, this is seriously cool, but did you have to include me as a guinea pig in there?"
"I'm sorry, have you met me? Of course, I had to include it. But isn't he cute?"
"You think I'm cute?" Percy asked with a raised brow, yet his heart was beating a million times a minute and his stomach was rolling.
"I think the guinea pig is cute. Never said anything about you, Fish Face."
"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Grape Girl," he said, and she shoved his shoulder. "But seriously how'd you know I liked skateboarding? I've never told you that."
"Annabeth mentioned she saw a skateboard with a broken wheel in your room that day she stalked you at the start of summer," she explained and Percy suddenly got even more nervous as he thought about the picture of her that Annabeth saw in his notebook and that bully who turned out to be a giant tried to steal it from him.
"Uh, did Annabeth happen to tell you anything else she saw that day?" he wondered and now it was Cressida's turn to raise a brow.
"Why? Was there something else that she should've told me?"
"Nope," he said immediately.
"Whatever helps you sleep at night," she teased as she nudged him again and they laughed before there was a knock on the door.
"Cookies are done, Percy. And did you offer Cressida some cake?" his mother asked.
"No, he didn't. And after all the praising he sang about your cakes too," she grinned.
"Please come this way, then," Sally invited and Cressida had left Percy in the dust. "How much would you like sweetheart?" she asked as she led Cressida to the kitchen to show her the rectangular cake that was completely blue, the icing, the insides and even the writing.
"As big of a piece as you're willing to give me," she answered, and Sally laughed before cutting off a very healthy slice and giving it to her.
"Thank you," Cressida said eagerly before picking up the fork and taking a bite. "Oh my gods, this is heavenly," she gasped. "This is way better than the stuff they serve at camp."
"Percy mentioned that you're a year-rounder," Sally said and the girl nodded.
"The only family I have are my two brothers and my father. I don't really get out much."
"Well, from what I hear with you constantly saving my son, when you do get out, you are always welcome here," Sally said and Cressida didn't really have the words to describe what those words made her feel.
"Thank you, and, uh, if I'm being honest, your son definitely doesn't make it easy to save his life all the time."
"I resent that," came Percy's voice as he joined them in the kitchen. "And it's not like you make it easy to save you either."
"Um, hello, if we tally it up, I've saved you way more than you've saved me. And half the time, you've had to save me it's because of your stupid plans in the first place. Falling off the St Louis Arch for one."
"What?!" Sally exclaimed and Percy cringed.
"You didn't tell your mother that you made us fall 630 feet?" Cressida asked.
"He told me he blew it up stopping a monster but not that he fell six hundred and thirty feet!" Sally said with a pointed look at her son. "I think you and I should have a nice, long conversation about exactly what your quests entailed, Cressida."
"Gladly," the girl said as she ate more cake.
"Some friend you are," Percy grumbled.
"Within five minutes of meeting your mother, she's fed me the best cake I've ever had in my life and invited me over whenever I'm in town. I think you can tell which Jackson I like better," Cressida said as she shovelled more cake into her mouth.
"I've also got an album of Percy's baby photos if you'd like to see them," Sally offered and Cressida's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree.
"You don't have to ask me twice."
"Mom!" Percy protested. "If you do that, I will never hear the end of it. It's my birthday, please."
"Your birthday or not, I'm still going to see those photos," Cressida said. "And this cake is amazing. Forget giving me nectar every time I tire myself out, one bite of this cake and I'll be good to go."
"I'd be happy to make you one for your birthday, if you'd like," Sally offered and her jaw dropped.
"May Papa bless you. Percy your mom is amazing," Cressida said and Sally chuckled.
"I know," Percy said with a warm smile.
"Mmm," Cressida hummed as she swallowed her next bite of cake. "And by 'papa' I mean my father, Dionysus, and I'm his only daughter so you will definitely be blessed."
"Percy told me you make the best grapes he's ever eaten. So, thank you for at least getting him to eat something healthy," Sally said.
"Yeah, well, he said the same thing when we were floating around the Sea of Monsters for over a day after our ship was blown up," Cressida replied.
"Blown up?"
"Would you shut up and stop ratting me out to my mom?!" Percy stressed to Cressida who just speared the last piece of cake onto her fork.
"If only you could stop doing stupid things that you have to lie to Sally about," she sighed tragically before she dragged the cake off the fork with her teeth. "Do you have any pot plants?" she asked as she put the plate down.
"Sorry?" Sally asked.
"Potted plants. Or even any empty ones," Cressida said.
"Yeah, there are some empty ones on the fire escape by Percy's window. Why?" Sally wandered.
"You'll see," Cressida grinned as she headed back to Percy's room. They followed her as she wedged the window open and climb through it onto the fire escape. They watched as her hand hovered over an empty box of soil that was attached to the railing and a grapevine grew from the dirt, a few bunches of red grapes hanging from it.
"That's incredible," Sally marvelled as Cressida pulled her switchblade from her boot and cut one of the bunches off.
"And now, Percy won't have an excuse not to eat them," she grinned as she tossed them at him. "Because that vine won't die unless I do."
"Tempting," Percy said and his mother smacked his shoulder.
"Perseus Jackson," she scolded.
"Oh, relax, mom. I was joking. Her brothers would destroy me if I hurt her, I don't even want to imagine what they'd do if I killed her," Percy said as he snacked on the grapes.
"Small family, all boys. I'm the youngest and the only girl. They're a bit protective," Cressida explained as she climbed back into Percy's room, and he shut the window behind her.
"That's putting it lightly," Percy said.
"Alright, you two," Sally said as she placed an arm around her son. "How about you save the bickering for after pizza and cookies?"
"Blue pizza and cookies?" Percy asked.
"Is there any other way?" Sally retorted and Percy grinned at his mom before turning back to his friend and he held out his hand.
"Come on, Wine Vine," he invited. "I'll let you pick the movie."
"You sure that's a smart idea? Camp isn't exactly the most tech-savvy place."
"Fine. Then I'll introduce you to some of the best movies ever made."
And Sally saw something that day as her son led his friend into the living room.