PJO/HoO/HP Future: Kids

Meet at Midnight

Charlie

Got to get my breathing under control. I have to admit that I'm a bit nervous.

I've been praying to Aphrodite since I was seven years old and I went on my first quest with the twins.

We were sent to find Athena's war helm. It turned out that Hermes had taken it but he was so good at thieving that we were misled. We somehow ended up on an abandoned Circe's island. A Cyclops had taken up residence there and kidnapped Luke.

I remember having to hold Zoë back from rushing the cyclops head on to get her brother back. I convinced her to, for once in her life, use logic and wit as opposed to brute strength. Her mother had given her her invisibility hat so we used it just like Annabeth did with the cyclops Polyphemus. However, she was the last on the way out and was hit in the left shoulder with a giant throwing knife.

Luke and I dropped the chunk of broken wall over the entrance, effectively sealing it, and rushed to Zoë's side. Her breaths were coming in quick, short bursts as she winced in pain. Luke grabbed the hilt and pulled it out while I held her shoulder on either side of the wound and Zoë passed out.

Her dark hair shined with streaks of gold, fanned out all around her head. Her pink lips stood out on her skin made pale from pain. Her dark eyelashes cast shadows on her high cheekbones.

I was stronger than Luke so I carried her back to our camp. Luke tended to her wounds which not including the hole in her shoulder, was a broken wrist and a dislocated ankle. That night I took first watch. At around midnight Zoë woke up.

"Hey Charlie."

"You should be resting."

"I'm not tired. I've been passed out for long enough."

I nodded in understanding.

"Are you okay? Stupid question. Of course you aren't. You have a hole in your shoulder."

She sighed and looked out at the water.

Our camp is at a lake somewhere. Don't judge, I'm terrible at directions.

"Wait. Zo, can't your dad heal himself with water?"

"Yeah- wait. You may be on to something."

She reached toward the water. When she came into contact with it, it started flowing up her arm to her wounds. I watched in awe and relief as the water caused her shoulder to heal along with her other wounds.

She looked exhausted afterwards as she leaned her head on my shoulder.

"Go on. It's okay, sleep."

She nodded slowly and lay down, using my lap as a pillow.

That was when I realized that I liked her.

I've been seeing her at least twice a week since then. We go to camp together, we've never been on a quest without each other. The longest we've been apart since I was born was this past week and a half. I just hope she likes me in the same way that I like her. Lucas says she does but I don't know, she's had so many boyfriends before. Then again, it makes me wonder why none of them have lasted over five days.

I don't know. Maybe I have a chance.

I looked at the time. 11:58 pm. I climbed out the window and headed to the Jacksons' small doc. I sat on the edge, dangling my feet into the water, and looking at how the moon reflected off the waves, taking in the fresh, salty, ocean water. Someone walked up silently behind me, intensifying the smell of the ocean. She sat down next to me and leaned her head on my shoulder.

"Do you remember our first quest?"

I laughed.

"You read my mind Seashell."

As we sat there in comfortable silence, I was taken back to that night.

Zoë sighed in contentment and I hated to ruin the moment but I had to ask.

"Hey, Zo?"

"Yeah?"

"I have something I need to tell you."

She pulled away and looked at me with a puzzled look on her face. Then a pained look flashed quickly across her features but was soon replaced by a look of indifference. However, I could tell it was forced.

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

"No..."

She relaxed then tensed up again.

"But...?"

"But I hope to have one soon."

This time she didn't even try to hide her disappointment as her shoulders hunched in defeat.

"Who is she?"

"She's someone that you should know very well. She's smart, beautiful, sarcastic at times, loves the water, and can only be beaten in a sword fight by her father."

"But the only person with that skill is-" she gasped.

Her sea-green eyes were wide and round. In the soft glow of Artemis' chariot she looked so young and innocent. Almost delicate.

"It's okay if-"

I was cut off by her lips on mine and my brain burst.

Our lips moved together in perfect sync. She fit perfectly against me. My spirit soared as joy overrode my conscious mind.

In other words, I didn't notice everyone else that was staying at the Jackson house sneaking up on us, including Clarisse, the Stolls, including Travis and Connor's children, until it was to late.

"It's about time!" Selena Rodriguez said and together, her, Tom Stoll and Coren Stoll, cousins, pushed us into the ocean. As they did that, I could've sworn I heard the Stoll brothers.

C- They grow

T- Up so

C and T- FAST!!!

Typical.

That night, Seashell and I fell asleep on the ocean floor in an air bubble.

***
We walked in through the back door into the kitchen. Annabeth was making blue pancakes.

"Mmmm! That smells great mom."

She laughed.

"I had to learn how to make these as soon as I started dating your father."

It was true. Percy Jackson did love his blue food. Especially his pancakes. It was almost a requirement of being in his family.

"Are you two going to the dinning room?"

We looked at each other.

"Us. Go in there. After last night. Ha, good luck."

Mrs. Jackson laughed again.

"I understand. Clarisse led the army of campers to the canoe lake when Percy and I officially started dating. We didn't come up until the next morning either. We didn't even go to breakfast."

As Annabeth told tales of when they just started dating, I relaxed a bit. Luke was right. I'm already practically family to them. This would just make it more real and that's okay.