A Drop Of The Ocean - ( Percy Jackson Fanfiction)- Completed

Ch 5

Sally kept talking as they loaded into the car: Annabeth up front and Percy in the back with Estelle. Annabeth couldn't keep her eyes of Percy and the way he interacted with his little sister. It was something she'd loved to watch ever since Estelle had been born. He was so gentle and kind with her, nothing like the demigod warrior she also knew. Percy doted on Estelle, even when she was a baby. He was constantly giving her presents, finding her little trinkets, and telling her bedtime stories.

Gods. He was going to make a great father. She didn't know when she'd started thinking about starting a family. As a child of Athena it wasn't something that was in the forefront of her mind. She wanted to work. To make things. To create. Well...a family could be those things too, right?

Sally's hand on Annabeth's brought her back to the present. She glanced at her mother-in-law, a silent conversation going on between them. For all of their years together, Sally had been their biggest supporter. She was the one who helped Annabeth and Percy plan the wedding (and pay for the wedding, if they were being honest). Sally had helped them when they'd decided their majors at school, when they'd moved into their little apartment. Even after all the grief she and Percy put his poor mother through, Sally had been their rock.

Annabeth felt like she didn't deserve Sally right now. She felt like there were huge things happening in Sally's son's life that would possibly take him away from her in a different way than everything else they'd been through...and all Sally could do was smile.

There wasn't much more time to think about it, because before she knew it they were pulling up in front of the Blofis' building. Percy kissed Annabeth's cheek before he grabbed their bags, and Estelle slipped her little hand into Annabeth's.

"We have a tree, but Mommy and Daddy said we had to wait for you and Percy to decorate it. I've been waiting forever," she said with an exaggerated sigh.

They climbed the five flights of stairs to the apartment and Annabeth could practically feel the little girl's excitement. It was contagious and Annabeth couldn't help but grin at her tiny sister-in-law.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, princess," Annabeth laughed and tapped Estelle on the nose. "I can't wait to see it!"

"You can't miss it," Sally sighed. "It takes up half the living room," she said as she opened the door to the apartment.

"Are you talking about my tree again?" Annabeth heard Paul's voice from inside the apartment.

Sally just rolled her eyes and kissed her husband. Estelle dropped Annabeth's hand and ran to Paul. Even Percy set the bags down on the floor and hugged his stepfather. It was amazing to see how Percy's family had grown in the few years since Annabeth had first met him at Camp Half-Blood. She'd remembered how sad and scared he'd been. How they had traveled to the Underworld and tried to save his mom. How even then, at twelve years old, he'd sacrificed what he loved most for the good of everyone else.

Yeah, he was going to be a good dad.

Paul greeted Annabeth with a huge hug and she felt tears prick her eyes for what felt like the millionth time that day. Is this what it's going to be like? She asked herself.

Once they got settled Sally brought out hot chocolate and cookies, and the group set to decorating the massive tree that Paul had picked out. It was fun to be with the Blofis/Jackson family, but Annabeth still missed her family a little. Her father, stepmother, and brothers were back in California, but Annabeth and Percy didn't see them much. Sometimes she wished that she could talk to her cousin Magnus, but that didn't happen often either.

Still, she was happy. Comfortable. Ready for a new chapter to begin.