The 12 Days of Christmas - The Great Holiday Mystery

Christmas at Camp

~The Mess Hall~

Leo sung Jingle Bells under his breath as he, Jason and Frank hung fairy lanterns around the Mess Hall.

'Jingle Bells, Jason smells, Frank likes to be a fish,' he sang, badly. 'Percy thinks that Piper stinks, so Annie hit him with a dish. Hey!'

Percy laughed from the other side of the pavilion where he and Annabeth were spreading table decorations on each of the cabin tables. He removed a miniature Christmas tree from a box and examined it almost teasingly.

'Nice song, Leo,' he said lazily. '100% true.'

Annabeth, passing by, hit him over the head with an empty box of Christmas crackers before continuing out of the dining pavilion and down to the Big House, smirking the whole way. Percy winced and held his head.

'Ow. See what I mean?'

'All I saw was that Annabeth can sure whoop your lazy butt, Perce,' Piper's voice sounded from across the Mess Hall. 'Uh, Anyone care to help?'

She gestured to the snow sprinkled Christmas tree she and Hazel were dragging in. They both glistened with sweat, but still were grinning happily.

'Of course,' Leo said brightly. 'Jason go help them.'

Jason rolled his eyes and flew down from a pillar he'd been tying a string of fairy lanterns to. He took hold of the Christmas tree and helped the girls lug it behind the head table. With the help of his wind powers, he, Piper and Hazel stood the tree up.

'Wonderful,' Annabeth smiled as she walked back in, cardboard boxes piled high in her arms. 'It looks great, guys. All it needs now is some decorations.'

'Yeah!' Leo cheered, climbing down from a ladder. 'That's the best part.'

Hazel frowned, 'Best part of what?'

Leo rolled his eyes, 'Preparing for Christmas, duh!'

Percy chuckled, 'Finally. A Christmas without any wars, monsters or impending doomsdays.'

Annabeth sighed, 'Its a welcome change. Although Clarisse thinks everything is too boring. Typical Ares kids.'

The others laughed as they each grabbed a box from Annabeth and proceeded to open it.

Frank and Hazel opened their boxes to find them filled with baubles. Jason and Percy found theirs topped with tinsel. Leo and Piper's boxes had other bits and bobs to put on the tree.

Annabeth placed the final, much smaller box on the table and gently tore away the duct tape. Inside was a beautiful silver star that shone as bright as the moon itself.

Percy smiled and pulled Annabeth into him, 'That's ones all for you, Wise Girl.'

'It's not for me, Kelp Head?' another familiar voice shouted cheerily. 'But I thought you said I could do the star?'

Percy rolled his eyes, 'Was I conscious at the time, Pinecone Face?'

Thalia smirked, 'Maybe. No promises.'

'You having a party without us?' Travis whined, walking into the Mess Hall with Connor hot on his tail and Nico not far behind.. 'How could you?'

The others all stifled laughs just as Reyna joined them.

'What's going on?' she asked with a small smile.

'They're having a party without us,' Connor pouted.

Reyna rolled her eyes, 'How will we survive?'

Percy, Jason, Frank and Leo burst into fits of laughter while the girls simply sighed and gave a resigned smile.

'So all the Romans settled in nicely?' Frank asked.

Reyna nodded, 'The cabin Chiron organised was perfect. Most of the Romans have to share a room with five or six others, but it's all good.'

'Well now you're all here,' Annabeth said. 'You may as well help us with the tree.'

'Yes!' the newcomers cheered and rushed forward to grab some of the decorations.

As the twelve of them worked, Leo sang his own modified Christmas carols. Pretty soon, he'd infected the rest with his merriment and had everyone singing along.

'Deck the camp with fairy lights.

Fa la la la la la la la la.

Campers laugh into the night.

Fa la la la la la la la la.

Romans and Greeks finally together.

Fa la la la la la la la la.

For the greatest Christmas holiday ever!

Fa la la la la la la la la.'

They finished decorating the tree and had only the star to go. True to his word, Percy gave Annabeth the shining silver decoration and kissed her on the cheek.

'Brighten it up, yeah?' he murmured against her lips.

She chuckled heartily. Leo and Jason fetched the ladder from the other side of the Mess Hall and positioned it beside the tree. Annabeth squeezed her boyfriends hand and grabbed the railing, pulling herself up. She reached the top and held her hand out to place the star on the top.

Then she froze.

'Annabeth,' Percy called up. 'Annabeth, are you okay?'

The daughter of Athena nodded, 'I'm fine. Just, there's something in here. A note!'

She pulled a piece of paper from the bottom of the star, stuffed it in her pocket and placed the decoration on the top of the tree where it shimmered and glowed silver.

Annabeth climbed down as everyone ogled the Christmas tree. When she reached the bottom Percy grabbed her arms.

'What did the note say?' he asked.

Annabeth extracted the paper out of her pocket and unfolded it.

'It's a riddle! It says, "On this one holiday which you might, be alone by Christmas night. To reclaim the lost you must take heed, follow what was written to find the key."'

She folded the paper back up, looked around at the group and shrugged.

'Some kind of warning?' Reyna frowned.

'Maybe,' Annabeth replaced the note in her pocket. 'Or maybe it's nothing to worry about. The paper is really old, it could've been there for a long time. After all, camp hasn't celebrated Christmas properly for years.'

'I suppose,' Jason shrugged uneasily.

'Makes sense,' Thalia nodded.

'Yeah,' Percy said. 'But then why does it give me such a bad feeling?'