Aftermath-Percabeth

Chapter Fifty-Eight

"This is huge!" Annabeth exclaimed as she rushed into their empty new house. She rushed around the living room, her arms extended in glee.

Percy grinned and joined her. "I know, right? And look—there's room for all our furniture. No need for storage. We can finally take my recliner out."

Annabeth laughed nervously. "Oh, great....the one with all the stains? That'll just look lovely...."

"Hey, I prefer the term lived in, actually," Percy commented as he pulled her into a hug. "Now let's go look upstairs."

The two made their way upstairs and saw all four bedrooms, all larger than the bedrooms in their old apartment.

"Okay, so we'll put my at home office in here, and I guess you can have a desk over there...." Annabeth murmured as she walked into the spare bedroom.

Percy rolled his eyes. "Gee, thanks, wise girl. Now what about a spare bed?"

Annabeth squealed. "Finished basement! We have a finished basement!"

"I can't believe it, either," he replied. "Now how about we look at the crown molding again?"

Then Annabeth's phone started ringing. She sighed. "Can I just ignore this?"

Percy shook his head. "Sadly, no. It's probably your job. They're falling apart without you."

Annabeth grinned wearily before answering her phone. "Hello?"

"Hello, is this Marina and Charles Jackson's mother?" a familiar voice asked.

"Uh, yeah, this is," she replied. "Is this Marina and Charlie's day care? Is everything alright?"

The voice wavered before responding. "Oh, everything is alright with them, but we need you to pick them up. Straight away."

Annabeth furrowed her brow. Percy stared at her, clearly confused. "May I ask why? Are they sick?"

"No, no, but, uh, something strange has happened," she replied.

Oh, great, Annabeth thought. What is it this time?

"What's happened?"

"Marina.....I don't really know how to explain it. Some kid was pulling on her hair and before we got over to them to break it up, she....she...."

"What?!" Annabeth exclaimed anxiously. Then she took a deep breathe. "What did she do?"

"They were by the pool. And the-the water. I don't really know, it....it practically grabbed the other child...."

Annabeth sighed and rubbed her forehead. "It what? Are you sure?"

"I don't know, it was all sort of a blur. And super....super...."

"Misty?" Annabeth suggested, her worst fears being confirmed.

"Yes! That's it. It was all misty. Anyways, we'd like for you to come pick her up. Along with Charles," she said, her voice going completely normal again.

"Uh, okay, we'll be right there," Annabeth finished as she hung up the phone.

Percy stared at her anxiously. "What happened?"

Annabeth explained the call, although she was pretty certain he had heard all of it. His face dropped as she mentioned the mist.

"I knew it. I knew we weren't off the hook yet...." Percy murmured as he tousled back his hair. "I was sort of worried something like this hadn't happened yet."

"I know," Annabeth murmured with a snort. "When I was a kid I was constantly seeing monsters. I stabbed a cyclops at age seven."

"A cyclops stalked me on the playground when I was little," Percy admitted, causing Annabeth's jaw to drop. "It's true! I also strangled snakes in my daycare crib."

Annabeth furrowed her eyebrows. "How did I not know this? You should be legally obligated to tell me these things before I decide to have kids with you!"

Percy laughed and took her hand. "Alright, let's go get Marina and Charlie before she drowns someone. Or worse."

"Ha ha, she won't drown anyone. Don't even joke about that," she muttered as they headed out of their dream house and into their car. "Oh, Gods, I really hope she doesn't drown anyone...."