Christmas' Presents

2015 Unique Chapter: The Legionary and the Ice Queen (for Jem)

Piper McLean adored Christmas.

Since very little, Christmas was one of the few moments that she was bound to have alongside her father, Tristan. Not that the Native-American descendent teenager hated her father. Or that she lived with her mother. No, nothing like that. It happened that Tristan McLean was a famous actor. Christmas was the one time were no one would bother him. Piper always treasured the memories of Christmas.

Now, she was fifteen-year-old, but she behaved like a five-year-old. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Califronia, Piper had tremendous pleasure to accept the invitation of her friend Percy Jackson and his mother, Sally, and his step-father, Paul Blofis, to spend Christmas' Eve and Christmas with them. Percy and Piper had met in Camp Half-Blood, a place for the kids of Greek gods, and they instantly clicked into the brother-sister relationship. They'd teased each other endlessly. Like they were doing at the moment.

It was snowing outside, so Percy (a born-and-raised New Yorker) took Piper out to the street for a snowfight. He threw the first snowball and Piper wasted no time in firing back. Soon, the teens were having a fight and had included all the kids and teenagers of the neighborhood. It wasn't too long before dinner time was around and kids were called back for dinner, Percy and Piper not excluded.

"How was your first real snowfight?" Percy asked his friend, walking inside his mother's apartment. Piper looked like a kid on sugar, very excited. Percy simply chuckled at her, earning a bump on his arm from Piper. She was guided to the kitchen, where Percy poured some hot chocolate in a couple of cups and handed her one. The adults were in the living room, talking and sharing anecdotes.

"What do you expect this year?" Piper suddenly asked Percy. Percy looked surprised by the question, but was quickly to answer.

"Anything blue would be OK" It was Piper's turn to chuckle. It was well known that Percy had an obsession with blue since his mother baked him blu chocolate chip cookies when he was a little boy "Hoestly? I'd like one of those new video games with multiplayers and all the stuff..." Percy admitted, shrugging. Piper didn't want to object or even critize, just because her family was wealthy, didn't mean she bragged it.

"Maybe, if you wish really hard... you might get the console as well..." she smirked, in a teasing way. Percy smirked back and, as the playful banter these two had, he pulled his tongue out.

"I never asked you... What you and your Dad usually do for Christmas' Eve?" Percy wondered to her. Piper sighed and looked into her memories, not able to choose one.

"Every Christmas is different..." she recognized "If you hadn't invited us this year, we would probably be watching some Russian ballet play... That was this year's plan, at least" Percy whistled in admiration, with a smirk on his lips. Piper shook her head and punched him lightly.

"Hey! No violence on Christmas, Beauty Queen!" he pouted, as if he was a little boy. Piper rolled her eyes and continued to drink her hot chocolate.

"Percy! Piper! Food is ready!" Percy's mother, Sally, announced to them. The friends were careful not to sprint down the hall with their cups of hot chocolate, but they did rushed into the living room, where the grown ups were already seated "Wow, never saw such a fast respond" she joked, especially for Percy, whose love for food could never shadowed the love for his mother, his friends of his girlfriend, Annabeth "Sit, kids..."

"So, Percy..." Tristan McLean began. He was curious to finally meet the young man her daughter always talked about so highly "Piper told me your have a girlfriend... Anniebeth, right?"

"It's Annabeth, Daddy" Piper corrected him before Percy did it. She was used to her father mix up the names of people he didn't know.

"You're right, Pipes. My mistake" Tristan apologized for his confussion, which only was followed by a thirty minute monolog from Percy on how perfect was Annabeth. His mother and step-father both wore smirks on their lips, eating in silence. Piper wore the same expression while her father listened to every word Percy was speaking. As if he wanted to share, or even feel that kind of passion for someone else.