Because I Care

Welcome Home

This time, I made myself add description. Hope you like :)

"Mommy, where are we going?" Alex whined from the backseat for the twentieth time.

"It's a surprise, remember?" Annabeth reminded him, and turned around to smile at her son. "Do you want a clue?"

"Yeah!"

"Daddy and Mommy grew up here during the summer. We helped keep the gods safe, like I told you. Do you remember how many gods there are?"

Percy chuckled softly behind the steering wheel, glancing at his wife before turning onto a completely empty side-street. He pulled to the side of the road and cut the engine.

"Twelve!" Alex shouted, and smiled triumphantly. "Zeus and Poseidon and Hades and Athena and Hera and Artemis and Apollo and... and..."

"Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Ares, Hermes, and Hesita," his father finished for him, and laughed for real. "We're here, Al. Can you see it?"

"Where where?!" Alex nearly leaped from his car seat to look out the window.

Annabeth glanced at Percy, who looked almost as confused as she did. Why wouldn't he see Camp? Was he unable to see through the Mist?

"Don't you see the archers shooting the arrows?" Annabeth asked, almost panicked. "What about the rock-climbing wall?"

"I'll take him to the hill," Percy whispered, climbing out of the car. "Maybe he just can't see over it."

"Yeah, okay," she agreed, and watched him unbuckle Alex.

"Ready?" Percy asked, putting excitement in his voice. She knew this was from years of training the little campers how to use swords. Other than swordplay, she had to admit that Percy Jackson was definitely good with kids.

"Yeah!" Alex shouted again, and Annabeth slid out of the Prius to follow them up the hill.

As expected, Chiron wheeled onto the top of the hill. Percy had asked him to hide his horse half - nothing like shocking your three-year-old son with a horse man.

"Welcome home, Percy," he said, stretching his hand out.

Her husband shook it whole-heartedly. "How's Clyde handling things?"

"Perfectly fine. Your brother's a fine swordsman. I wonder who taught him..."

The two laughed together.

"And Annabeth!" She bent down to wrap her arms around his shoudlers. He smelled faintly of the stables.

"I've missed you," she whispered into his ear, and leaned away. Her old mentor's eyes twinkled with pride and happiness.

"Me too," he said quietly. Then he looked at Alex. "And who is this?"

"Chiron, meet Alex," Percy said, taking his son's hand. "Al, this is Uncle Chiron. He's the one who taught me how to use a sword."

"Oh, Luke did most of that," Chiron said, and Annabeth's mind quickly shut down.

"Who's Luke?" Alex asked, so innocent and young. No one answered, and Chiron sent an apologetic look towards Annabeth.

"That's a story for another day," Chiron told him. "Would you like a ride on my wheelchair? I can show you around."

"Yeah!" Alex cried out, and let the old mentor lift him onto his lap. Percy took Annabeth's hand and watched them roll down the hillside.

He grinned. "Remember when my mom was going to pick us up after the second Titan War?"

She nodded. "I haven't called you Seaweed Brain in the longest time..."

"That's okay, Wise Girl." She bumped him with her shoulder, and he laughed.

"I haven't kicked your butt in the longest time, either."

"How about a rematch, then?" he offered, throwing an arm around her shoulder.

She kissed his cheek. "As long as I win."

GUYS THIS IS THE SECOND TO LAST CHAPTER!! :O

West Coast, Coconut Records.