Annabeth's POV
"Christmas, Christmas time is here. Time for toys and time for cheer." The radio sang the voices of Alvin and the Chipmunks at the ungodly hour of three a.m.
"Uh gods, why?" Percy groaned, switching the alarm off. All our kids had been listening to was Christmas music. I love Christmas music but not when it is sung by a bunch of high pitched chipmunks.
Today we were leaving for San Francisco, Percy and I decided that we'd spend Christmas and a week and a half during the summer in San Francisco to visit my family. It was nice to have a change from New York every once in a while, and visiting my family was always fun.
"Come on Percy, our plane leaves at five thirty." I jumped out of bed, excited for this holiday season.
"Ok, just give me a minute." Percy mumbled, turning his face back into his pillow.
I rolled my eyes and went into my closet to get changed. I pulled on a pair of jeans, a red shirt and a purple Patagonia sweater. I brushed my teeth and hair, then turned on every light in our room to wake Percy. "Oh gods, turn it off." Percy shoved his head under the pillow.
I rolled my eyes in frustration but tried to hide the annoyed smile pulling at my mouth. I ripped the covers off Percy and kissed him. "Get up seaweed brain, we have to go. And you taste awful this morning."
"Do that again." Percy smirked.
"Maybe later, I'm getting the kids." I slapped him with a pillow.
I crept down the hall and woke Luke first. He was groggy, his green eyes were half open.
"Mommy, it's too early."
"I know kiddo, but it's a long flight to San Francisco, you can sleep on the plane, I promise, now come on. Do you want to wake Zoe or should I?" I stroked his gnarly blonde hair.
"I'll wake her up." Luke slowly crawled out of bed, he followed me towards Zoe's room.
"Zoe, it's time to wake up." Luke whispered.
I touched Zoe's shoulder and tapped her, "Zoe wake up."
"What?" Zoe groaned.
"Zoe wake up we are going to San Francisco." Luke seemed to realize why he was awake and he turned into a big ball of excitement.
Zoe rolled over and smiled, "wait we are leaving today?"
"Yeah! Come on Zoe, get dressed!" Luke bounced up and down. Zoe crawled lazily out of bed and got dressed. Luke ran back into his room to change, while I awoke the twins and carried Taylor downstairs who was thankfully still sound asleep. Taylor needed to sleep, because once she was up, she usually didn't go back to bed. I carried her into the car and buckled her in. In the trunk were six suitcases and two carry on bags for Percy and I. We didn't have to pack a crib anymore, thank the gods. I left a door open for fresh air while I rounded up the rest of the kids.
I made sure we had everything, plane tickets, jackets, one sleeping toddler, and four groggy kids. The car ride was quiet, Luke and Zoe were beginning to fall asleep, the twins were already asleep, and Taylor was still out cold. We parked in the airport parking lot and I carried Taylor in one arm and pulled my suitcase in the other, Percy and I checked our bags, then we rushed to the terminal after the long process of security. Soon enough we boarded our six and a half hour nonstop flight from New York to San Francisco.
---
After a long flight and lots of action movies, we finally arrived in San Francisco. The kids ran towards their grandparents where they surprised us as we waited for our bags.
"Oh my goodness they've gotten so big!" My stepmom cooed, as she hugged the kids, Taylor buried her face into my shoulder, she seemed skeptical about my parents. She probably didn't remember them, I didn't expect her to, we only saw them twice a year.
"There's Taylor, how's my superstar?" My dad outstretched his arms to hold her. I smiled at his nickname for Taylor as I handed her over to him. Taylor, being the mellow child she is, didn't fuss or cry as she was passed around by my father and stepmother.
"Where are Bobby and Mathew?" I asked my parents as we strolled through the airport.
"Mathew is at home and Bobby will be arriving later tonight." My stepmom answered blankly.
She and I had a rough history together, as much as I had tried to mend our old bonds there wasn't anything I could do now to change my past with her.
—-
We pulled into the driveway of the old brick house, a black Cadillac was parked in the driveway and luscious green bushes boarded the outside. "Whoa! Your house is huge grandpa!" Luke and Zoe awed.
"Well, I wouldn't say huge." My dad chuckled from the driver's seat.
"It's giant!" Charlie added, the kids couldn't keep their curious, eager young eyes off the windows as we pulled into the garage.
"Where's my room?" Luke demanded.
"No I want mine first." Zoe whined.
"Me first." Charlie pouted.
My dad took their whining very well, "any door that is closed isn't your room. When I say go, run and find your room."
"Ok!" Their eyes lit up in excitement, Silena had gotten in on this too.
"Three...two...one...GO!" My dad grinned with amusement as Luke, Zoe, Silena, and Charlie sprinted as fast as they could into the house in pursuit of the room. We could hear them shouting at each other as they opened doors and slammed them shut before they found the next room.
"Where is it Lukey?" Silena asked.
"I don't know!" Luke retorted.
"I think I found it!" I heard Zoe shout.
"Where?" Charlie asked.
"Downstairs, it's so cool!" Zoe's squeaky little voice echoed from the basement.
I heard footsteps that sounded like elephants running from the kitchen and the kids thundered downstairs. "What did you set up dad?" I asked him as I carried Taylor downstairs with Percy in my wake.
"You'll see." Dad gave me a naughty grin.
"No! Zoe, this bed is mine."
"No it's mine I found the room first." Zoe complained.
"But I'm the oldest." Luke argued.
"But I'm stronger than you." Zoe responded, I could almost see her standing there with her hands on her hips and giving her brother an annoyed glare.
"Wow, dad this is great." I stood in awe at the basement that had been transformed into the dream kids room. Christmas lights lined the walls the toys were in the left corner of the room, a big flatscreen tv was the centerpiece. On the right side of the room were two sets of bunk beds wedged next to the walls with a window between them. Under the window was a small twin bed in between them.
"Mommy. I want this one." Luke pouted as Zoe climbed up onto the top bunk with all the Christmas lights encasing the frame of the bed.
"Luke the other one is exactly the same, why is this one different?" I bent down and to his eye level.
"Mine doesn't have lights."
"We can put more lights by it. You can either have this bed or sleep on the bottom bunk, I'm sure Charlie would love to sleep up there without complaint." I suggested, the fire in Luke's eyes softened, he knew I'd won this one.
"Ok, fine, but I want as many lights as Zoe has on her bed." Luke crossed his arms.
"Ok, we will get more lights. Happy?"
"Yes, thank you mommy." Luke's eyes sparkled with delight. Man, if getting lights in his bed made him that happy he'd be going crazy on Christmas morning.
"Kids, you and grandma, grandpa and uncle Matt are going to go have some fun!" Percy exclaimed.
"Yay!"
"Where are we going?" Charlie asked.
"A water park." Matthew chimed in as he joined us in the basement. I greeted him with a hug hello.
"A waterpark?! Let's go now!" Luke's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree.
"Get your suits on, then come upstairs for sunscreen." I instructed. While the four kids changed into their suits, I helped Taylor change into her bright pink two piece, spread sunscreen all over her, gave her a pink and white sun hat before Percy and I put sun screen on the rest of our energetic kids. I handed Taylor to my stepmom and helped my family get the kids situated in the car before they drove off to the water park. Percy and I stayed behind, because first of all, we both needed a nap. And second, we had lots of Christmas shopping to do.
---
After our brief nap, Percy and I drove out to the toy store and did our best to fulfill our children's Christmas wishes. Luke's list consisted of a new basketball, a new football, Cars 3, Cars toys, and Legos.
Zoe wanted Legos, a new sword, a jean jacket, a new swimsuit, swim cap, and Scooby Doo movies.
Silena wanted some coloring books, art supplies, an eisle and an American Girl doll.
Charlie wanted a new hockey stick, a baseball bat and glove, a tennis racquet, and a New York Giants jersey.
And Taylor was easy. We could anything we wanted and she'd be happy about it. After filling the big blue cart of toys and wrapping paper, Percy and I headed back to my parent's house. We wrapped each gift and hid them in the closet in preparation for tonight. We got another nap in before the familiar shouts and squeals came from the garage.
"Mommy, daddy! Guess what?!" I heard Zoe screech.
"What sweetie?" I asked her, smiling proudly at Zoe.
"We got to try surfing at the water park! And I was the best." Zoe beamed with pride.
"You were?" I tickled her sides.
"You get it from your daddy." Percy laughed, he scooped her up and tickled her.
"I wanna turn daddy." Luke pouted.
"Me too." Charlie tried to chase his father around.
"How were they?" I asked my family, who looked exhausted but content.
"They were great, Taylor fell asleep in the car, Matt just took her downstairs." My stepmom informed.
"Hi mommy." Silena jumped into my lap.
"Hi sweetheart, did you have fun?"
"Yes I did. I love swimming." Silena smiled, her grey eyes twinkled, and her jet black hair smelled of chlorine.
---
We had ham for dinner that my stepmom had prepared, it was delicious. After we all watched a movie together, we sent our kids to bed early that night. Percy and I talked to my family and we greeted Bobby as he came in around ten p.m. Bobby had a very serious girlfriend, Sami, who was super sweet and smart. She had wavy brunette hair, pretty brown eyes and a charming smile. She was currently at law school studying to be a lawyer. Bobby wanted to be an engineer, they met at college a few years back and have been together since.
Around eleven, everyone clocked out and went to bed. Percy and I stayed up, stuffed the stockings, wrapped the last few presents and placed them neatly with each stocking designated for our kids. We fell fast asleep that night, not thinking about how our kids would react the next morning.
---
"Mommy! Daddy! Santa came!" Charlie squealed with excitement. Luke, Zoe, Taylor, and Silena were jumping on the bed.
"What time is it?" Percy groaned.
"Six a.m." I moaned.
"Daddy come on, you're so lazy. Get up." Zoe groaned.
"Zoe that's no way to talk to your father." I scolded.
"She's right you know, or else...the cyclops is going to get you!" Percy sat bolt upright, and grabbed Zoe, who laughed and screamed with delight. "You awoke the cyclops Zoe Jackson, now you must suffer." Percy hissed playfully as he tickled her harder.
"Luke, Charlie, Lena, Taylor help me!" Zoe laughed between giggles.
Luke jumped onto Percy's back, and Charlie tried to tickle Percy, Silena and Taylor tried to get in on the fun. All the while I was laughing like a maniac at my crazy family.
"Let our sister go you mean cyclops." Charlie demanded.
"I've got a knife, I just stabbed you in the back!" Luke howled.
"Oh no, you've discovered my weak spot, curse you, young demigods!" Percy pretended he was dying and fell on top of Zoe.
"Daddy, you're crushing me." Zoe wheezed. Percy sat up with the kids on his back, and helped her up.
"Can we open our gifts now?" Silena asked, she and Taylor were sitting on top of me in their matching Frozen pjs.
"Yes kids, you can open your presents, but wait until daddy and I get downstairs."
"Ok!" They all answered in unison.
"Mush daddy, mush." Charlie giggled as he clambered onto Percy's back.
"Oh alright." Percy smirked.
I stood up and followed my family down the stairs where Luke, Zoe, Silena and Taylor sat around their stockings. "Ok guys open them up." I ordered as Percy and I plopped down on the leather couch by the tree.
"Whoa! I got Cars 3!" Luke awed.
"Look at my sword daddy!" Zoe grinned.
"A hockey stick!" Charlie exclaimed.
"I got my dollie! Thank you Santa!" Silena hugged her boxed American Girl doll.
"Birdie!" Taylor barked, waving her stuffed owl in the air.
I leaned into Percy, he still smelled like the ocean, his chiseled features glowed from the lights overhead. "Merry Christmas seaweed brain." I locked eyes with him. His dreamy green eyes pulled me into him and I never wanted to leave.
"Merry Christmas wise girl." Percy kissed my lips, soft and sweet, before we turned our attention towards our excited kids as they opened one present after another.