PJO/HOO One Shots

Mommy Issues (Part 2)

Part two of the mini-story I've been working on for ages. It's the longest piece I've ever written, so I hope you enjoy it!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Point of view: Omniscient and Limited Third

Type: Mortal AU

Main Ship: Percabeth

Word Count: 11,271

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Annie, sweetie," Annabeth's father murmured, rubbing her shoulder, "it's time to get up."

Annabeth rolled onto her side and palmed her sleepy eyes. "Five more minutes," she grumbled.

Frederick laughed. "You've already said that, and I gave you five more minutes. Now you have to get up. Come on, you don't want to be late for school."

The little girl's grey eyes shot open and she sat up abruptly, almost colliding her face into her father's. "Are you kidding? I have school?" she exclaimed.

Her father nodded, holding back a smile. "Yes, sweetheart. Get up and get dressed, and meet me in the dining room. I have news for you."

The little girl nodded frantically, scrambling out from her grey comforter with white polka-dots. She threw on her school uniform and grabbed her small backpack before sprinting down the stairs.

As Annabeth rounded the corner into the dining room, she spotted her father sitting at the head of their gargantuan table. There were two plates loaded with toast, eggs, and bacon, as well as a mug and a glass of orange juice. Frederick had his mug in his hand and his cell phone pressed to his ear. Her footsteps slowed as the curious kid tried to listen in on the conversation.

"As I said, come over tonight at about seven o'clock. I'll get Annabeth on board this morning. Just be casual, and don't be fake, babe. She hates when adults talk down to her." He paused, sipping from his mug. "Yes, she's only eight. She knows what she wants, that's good. Alright, see you tonight, sweetheart."

Annabeth frowned before shuffling farther into the room. "Who was that?" she asked bluntly.

Frederick looked over at his daughter, who was pulling out her chair and climbing up onto it. "Oh, she's just my really good friend. I want you to meet her. She's coming over for dinner today to see you."

Scrunching up her eyebrows, the young girl spooned some of her eggs into her mouth. "Weird. You've never had a girl over by herself before. Only guys."

"Yeah, well," her father said, resting a hand on her shoulder, "she's special."

The rest of their breakfast was silent. As Annabeth munched on her food, and as she climbed into the family car, and as she stepped into her second-grade classroom, thoughts of her father's "special friend" filled her mind. What made this lady so special?

For once, Annabeth wasn't happy to return home after a fulfilling day of school. She didn't want to have dinner with her dad's new friend. The second Jules-Albert pulled the car to a stop, the young girl hopped out of the car and sprinted up to her room.

She spent several hours doing her homework, studying for her upcoming quiz, and reading her newest book. Around six o'clock, as Annabeth was flipping the page to a new chapter, her father called her downstairs for dinner.

The girl sighed, finished her sentence, slipped her bookmark between the pages, and stood up. She shuffled out of her bedroom and down the stairs, trying to elongate the time it took to get down to the dining room as much as possible.