The Beginning of the End (J. Grace)

XI: The girls plan my wedding

I really do miss out on all the action.

Apparently, Percy (or, as Coach had said: Mr Sneaky Jackson), Frank and Hedge had gone out to find... salt water? Or something like that. Oh! And Annabeth's grounded. I will never shut up about that.

Leo had told us all of this, sending Hazelnut apologetic looks every millisecond, then asked Lightning Boy to help him guard the ship under Hedge's orders. Jason reluctantly left, giving our daughter and I a weak smile before getting up and leaving the cabin behind Iron Man.

When I turned back to Hazelnut, she was smiling widely, which low-key terrified me.

"What is it?" I laughed, giving her shoulder a small squeeze.

She shook her head before looking back up at me, grinning. "When are you two gonna start dating?"

I swear I choaked on air.

Yes, I've thought about dating him. I've thought about that a lot, actually, but to have that thought voiced? That's a whole another thing. I coughed a little, as though clearing my throat of all that... air could clear my thoughts and give me a dam answer.

"I- um... well, I don't- it would be... er... why do you... I- "

Gods, why can't I form words? It was like my tongue had been turned to led and was now heavy and useless in my mouth.

"What's this?" I could hear Wise Girl tease as Hazel laughed at my predicament. "Are you finally lost for words?"

I fixed her with a small, playful glare, noticing that Dove was behind her, too. "And are you actually grounded?" I shot back, because that's all I could think of saying.

She only laughed and came into the room, pulling over a chair from Hazel's small desk and sitting down on it, facing the two of us. Piper then filed in and plopped down on the bed on the other side of me, smiling broadly.

"We need to have a girl talk." She decided, leaning forwards on her knees to look at all of us, her eyes turning her excited colour of blue with flecks of sunny gold.

"We do?" Annabeth looked over at Dove slightly worriedly.

"Well, I need to ask you something first." I decided, remembering how her eyes had turned light pink when she had looked at Lightning Boy. I need to know what that colour means. I need to know.

"Oh?" She raised one eyebrow with a hint of amusement on her face, but curiosity in her sea green with flecks of silvery grey eyes. "What is it?"

"Your eyes turned pink yesterday." I explained almost pointedly, like I was accusing her of something, though I was smiling so that she knew I didn't mean it as a negative.

"They did?" She furrowed her eyebrows, but Bethy Baby and Hazelnut seemed to understand what I was on about and nodded their heads until Dove exclaimed: "They did!"

We all burst out laughing at her realisation.

"So, what does it mean?" I pushed, hoping and praying that my theory was wrong. Please say she's not still in love with him. Please, please, please. I've never wanted to be wrong more in my life.

She thought for a moment, then decided on what to say. "I think it means that I'm calling on my mum's powers. I was charm-speaking, right?"

"That makes sense." Wise Girl decided, and I let out a small, inaudible breath.

"Mum, can you answer my question now?" Hazelnut wondered, looking over at me innocently and I think I almost choaked on air again. Gods of Olympus.

"Um, well..." My voice trailed off as I struggled to find suitable words. "It's just... I don't think that we'll... I'm not sure that..."