What’s Up with the Jacksons?

by maf_ffff_ffff

Summary:

Percy and Annabeth have a beautiful family in New Rome, but they decide it's time for a change, to help their kids feel normal. What they didn’t count on was that dealing with school would be much harder than they imagined

Notes:

I wrote this while I was really bored. I'm on vacation, so it's likely I'll update frequently. Also, English isn't my first language, so I translated half of this with the help of Google Translate and my primitive English skills. All the books are canon except that Jason doesn’t die (he’s my favorite character) and Leo and Calypso never happens because it’s weird, okay? I introduced an OC just because I think it’s fun to see how mortals view demigods lol.

Chapter 1: I Have Some Neighbors…

Helen was very happy. She and her husband had a beautiful house in the suburbs and three wonderful children. Today, her youngest son Sam had his first day of elementary school. On the surface, it didn’t seem like a big deal, but she knew that from now on he would think of himself as a “big boy.” He wasn’t, really, but if she had learned anything from raising two other kids, it was that. They weren’t much older either, the eldest was only in third grade.

However, Helen’s week hadn’t been so normal. About two months ago, construction started on a house next to hers, and a week ago a moving truck had stopped in front of the house. But… she hadn’t seen the owners, or at least that’s what she thought. The house itself was beautiful, she didn’t know much about architecture, but whoever designed it had impeccable taste. That morning, when she stepped outside, she saw two cars parked in front of the house. Maybe she really did have new neighbors.

She hurried out of the house with her three kids, afraid they’d be late (they had overslept). She didn’t notice the neighbors’ car pulling away.

---

Percy and Annabeth had been married for about eight years and had two wonderful children. The youngest was just six months old, and the eldest was starting elementary school today! The family’s week had been, to say the least, chaotic. Percy and Annabeth had married after finishing school and built a happy life in New Rome.

But Percy wanted to be closer to his mom, Paul and Estelle, he also wanted the kids to have a “normal” life, to grow up away from the legion, prophecies, and wars. The children of Hephaestus/Vulcan and Hecate/Trivia had managed to build amulets capable of hiding demigod scent, and for the family, that was more than enough to start a new life in the beautiful house Annabeth had built in the suburbs.

They were supposed to move in that week so they’d have time to unpack before Eli’s (Elizabeth) first day of school. But Sally had called, and the kids (well, Eli — Aleks couldn’t talk yet, but he loved seeing Grandma) begged to go visit her.

So they had spent THE ENTIRE week at Sally’s, resulting in an extremely chaotic morning, trying to find their things. It was very late by the time all four of them got into the car and sped off.

---

Mission accomplished. Helen had dropped off her two older children at school. Now things were different with Sam, she knew she had to take him directly to the classroom since it was his first day of first grade.

Her husband hadn’t even bothered to come. Honestly, they’d been having some problems lately. She didn’t like to think he was cheating on her, but… what if it was true? How could he? Their oldest daughter, Aretha, wasn’t even Helen’s biological child, and yet she had raised her as her own. Her name was even listed as the mother on the birth certificate. The only people who knew Aretha wasn’t Helen’s daughter were her and her husband. She loved her and never held it against her, but she expected a bit of decency from her husband.

She shook off those thoughts while squeezing her son’s hand. At the entrance, a couple she’d never seen before was holding the hand of a little girl. The man, Helen assumed he was the father, carried a sleeping baby in his arms.

He was extremely handsome, with striking green eyes and messy black hair that somehow made him even more attractive. He wore casual jeans and a sweatshirt. His wife (again, Helen assumed) was stunning, with curly blonde hair tied back in a neat ponytail and sharp, intelligent gray eyes. Unlike her husband, she wore a tailored suit and low black heels. The girl between them had her mother’s blonde hair but her father’s eyes. The baby had black hair like his dad’s, but Helen couldn’t see his eyes.

Helen got the sense that they were lost, so she approached them and asked:

“Do you need help?”

They both turned to look at her. Both smiled.

“We’re just a little lost,” said the woman with a smile. “I’m Annabeth, by the way, and this is my husband Percy.”

Before she could finish, the girl between them interrupted:

“I’m Eli, and my brother is Aleks! And you? What’s your name?”

Eli was absolutely adorable. Helen couldn’t help but smile.

“My name is Helen.”

To her surprise, Sam smiled at Eli and said:

 “I’m Sam.”

Eli smiled back, and the two started talking so fast that Helen couldn’t catch a word they were saying.

She led Percy, Annabeth, little Aleks, and Eli to the first-grade classroom. Helen said goodbye to her son with a smile and a kiss on the forehead. She turned to see Percy and Annabeth still saying goodbye to their daughter.

Helen wasn’t sure, but she could’ve sworn Annabeth was handing her six-year-old Daughter a dagger what?! No, no way, she must have been imagining things.

When they left, Annabeth said goodbye to Percy, apparently, she had to go to work.

“Say bye to Mommy,” Percy said as he waved Aleks’s little hand. The baby giggled, and Annabeth kissed his forehead before getting into the car.

Helen looked at Percy.  “Where are you going?”

 “Home. Someone here needs more sleep,” he said as he tickled his son.

“Oh, do you live nearby?”

“Yeah, actually just a few blocks away, at xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.” (Let’s imagine that’s the address.)

 “I live right next door…”

And just like that, they fell into a conversation about their daily lives. Helen wondered if her life would ever be like that. Annabeth was an architect and now ran a major firm in the city. Percy, on the other hand, stayed home to care for the kids. He ran a marine research center, but worked from home.

Helen’s husband would never let her follow her dreams if it meant he had to watch the kids. God, Helen couldn’t even remember why she’d married him in the first place.

---

Annabeth was worried. Eli was starting school at a mortal school, what if something happened to her? Leo had assured them that the amulet worked perfectly and no monster would be able to smell them. But what if he was wrong?

Against her better judgment, Annabeth had given her daughter a celestial bronze dagger. The thought that her daughter was a year younger than she had been when she first wielded a knife made her shudder. Not that Eli didn’t know how to defend herself, Percy had taught her how to use her powers since she could understand them.

Annabeth shook off her thoughts and refocused on the document in front of her, it was a beautiful building she had to review before sending it to a client.

That night she returned home for dinner. She walked in to the smell of whatever Percy had cooked. She had no idea what it was,  just that it smelled amazing.

She smiled at the sight of her family. Aleks was eating and throwing food everywhere. Eli was trying (unsuccessfully) to get him to eat, and Percy was still at the stove, adding spices to a pot.

She wondered what she had done to deserve such a wonderful family as she greeted everyone and sat down for dinner.

Chapter 2: Parent-Teacher Council

Percy felt strange. It had been two weeks since they moved, and the amount of free time he had was… a lot. Even though he had to take care of Aleks, back in New Rome he used to help train the new recruits and even assisted Hazel and Frank with their duties as praetors. Now, there wasn't much to do, whether Eli was at school or even at home.

While in San Francisco and intrigued by Mr. Chase’s research on sunken warships, Percy had started leading expeditions to find them. That, of course, kept him busy, and honestly, he liked being busy.

They had moved in search of normalcy, to be closer to family, and yet… he missed his life in New Rome, just a little.

That afternoon, when he went to pick up Eli, a woman approached him. She looked to be a few years older than him, wearing a blouse and dress pants, giving her a formal air. She walked up to him with too much confidence, as if the school belonged to her.

"Hi!" she said enthusiastically as she took Percy’s hand.

"Hi," said Percy, quickly pulling his hand away from hers.

"I'm Karen Lewis. I've noticed you've been coming around a few times," she explained. "But I still don’t know your name. By the way, who’s your wife? I’m sure I must know her."

Percy didn’t know how to react. In New Rome, EVERYONE knew who he was, and more importantly, who he was married to. But things were different here. Not that he was complaining, different was what he and Annabeth had wanted when they moved, but maybe he wasn’t ready for the “casual chat” with other parents.

"Well, I don’t think you know her," Percy said. "I drop off and pick up Eli every day. We’re new in town."

"Really?" the woman said in a tone Percy couldn’t quite figure out. "I would’ve sworn you had a local accent."

Okay, now he was officially uncomfortable. The only other person he had talked to was Helen, his next, door neighbor. She never asked awkward questions. They could have light conversations about random things while Sam and Eli ran around the park. She never pried too much, and neither did he, why would they? They’d only known each other for two weeks.

"Well, I was born and raised in Manhattan, but my wife and I moved to San Francisco for college. We came back three weeks ago."

"Ah, I see. But you still haven’t told me your name."

"My name’s Percy. Percy Jackson."

Before Karen could ask anything else, he saw his daughter running toward him for a hug—thank all the gods. Well, not all. Not Zeus. Probably not Hera either. He didn’t think Hades would be much help. Maybe Hestia? Or Hermes? Or maybe his dad? Artemis? Probably not her style. Apollo still owed him a favor—was this his way of saying “Hey Percy, I saved you from the weird lady, we’re even now”? Wait, focus—he thought, just before being tackled by his daughter.

"Hi," Percy said, smiling at Eli, who was grinning wide, showing off the gap where her tooth had been.

"Hi Daddy," the girl responded, pulling out what looked like a test paper. "Look, Daddy, I got a 10! Do you think Mom will be happy?" she said, shaking the paper proudly.

Percy felt so happy. His whole purpose for moving here had been to make Eli feel normal. He and Annabeth had never felt normal—but now, everything was different. Eli had friends. No one knew who they were. No one pointed at them in the street.

"That’s amazing. I think she’s going to be very proud of you," he said with a smile.

"Well, well, what an adorable little girl," Karen said in that tone Percy had already learned to hate after just a few seconds of knowing her. "I suppose I should give you this," she added, handing him a flyer titled Parent-Teacher Council .

"See you later, hope you can make it," she said as she walked off.

---

Sam and Eli were playing something Helen didn’t quite understand while Percy sat beside her reading a flyer, which—unfortunately—Helen recognized.

"You met Karen today?" she asked, trying not to laugh at the horrified look on Percy’s face.

"Yeah," he muttered. "Unfortunately."

Helen couldn’t help but laugh. Karen was everyone’s worst nightmare, including the teachers’. Her husband was, unfortunately for everyone, the school principal, and she believed that made her the boss of everything.

"If it makes you feel any better, everyone hates her," said Helen.

"I guess that makes me feel a little better," Percy said as he handed her the flyer. "Do you know what this is?"

"Yeah, but I think all the info is there."

Percy smiled like Helen had just said the most ironic thing in the world. "I’m dyslexic—and this font is horrible."

"Oh… well, the Parent-Teacher Council’" Helen said, exaggerating the quotation marks and mimicking Karen’s voice, "is a group of moms who organize school events and stuff like that."

Helen wondered if Percy was seriously thinking of joining. It was basically a pack of vipers ready to bite anyone who didn’t respond fast enough.

"What are you guys eating tonight?" Percy finally asked.

"I don’t know. I figured I’d grab something on the way home."

Percy smiled broadly. "I cooked too much today. Want some?"

---

Annabeth came home after an exhausting day. She had forgotten how hard it was to deal with men who didn’t respect a woman’s work. She walked into the living room to find Percy sitting with Aleks and Eli watching cartoons. The three of them looked completely mesmerized by the screen.

"I think you like cartoons more than the kids do, Seaweed Brain."

Her husband looked up at her with a smile, then stood to kiss her. Afterward, he caught her eyes and made a face.

"What’s wrong?" he asked, with that caring look of his.

"Work," she muttered, resting her head against his chest.

"Mommy, look!" Eli interrupted, waving her test paper with a proud 10 on it.

Annabeth grinned from ear to ear before kissing her daughter’s forehead and congratulating her. She’d been very successful academically, but she’d never really made friends—not ones that felt real. She knew Eli wouldn’t have the same problems she did, and that made her happy.

That night, Percy told her about the parent council and said maybe it would be a good idea to join. Annabeth got a bad feeling about it—but said nothing. Percy needed a hobby, and this could be his chance.

Chapter 3: Eli's Problems

Look, Eli didn’t want to get into trouble. She was really happy about the move. Sure, she missed her friends from New Rome, but school here was fun too. The kids didn’t just come up to her to ask about her parents, and that felt good.

That day, however, she and Sam were playing in the playground. Eli had been teaching Sam how to sword fight with wooden swords (even though she wasn’t as good as her dad, she hoped to be someday), when Liam showed up. He was an annoying kid, a year older than them, and he always picked on the younger kids. Eli didn’t like him, but she didn’t want trouble, so she said nothing.

But that day, Liam decided it would be a good idea to pick on Sam. He came over, flanked by his usual gang, Juls, a third grader who was twice Eli’s size, and another boy whose name Eli didn’t know.

Liam snatched the sword from Eli and held it above her head, out of reach.

 “Well, I think it’s someone else’s turn to play with the swords.”

Sam stepped forward and shouted, “Hey, give it back!”

Liam frowned, and before anyone could react, he hit Sam. Eli got really angry, not only had he taken her sword, now he’d hit her best friend (and with terrible technique, to be honest).

She stepped forward to grab the sword, but Liam grabbed her wrist to stop her. And that’s when Eli got an idea…

She grabbed his arm, pulled him close, and before she could think too much about it, she threw him over her shoulder and slammed him to the ground. She pinned her knee on his chest to keep him down, giving him a look that said “move and you’re dead.”

And of course, just then, Miss Jones appeared. She looked at them in shock.

“Oh my god, what are you doing?!” she said as she ran toward them.

Now she was definitely in trouble.

---

Helen really should have knocked, but in that moment it didn’t seem necessary. She was just dropping off a container Percy had lent her. If he wasn’t home, she’d leave a note and that’d be that.

She opened the door and stepped into the foyer. She heard noise coming from the living room, so she headed that way, expecting to find Percy.

Instead, she found a very pale man with black hair sitting on the rug, dressed head-to-toe in black in a style that could only be described as gothic . In front of him, Aleks was playing with giant LEGO blocks, while the man ranted about someone named Will.

“I have a shift at the hospital, Nico,” the man said, mocking someone’s voice. “I can’t have dinner with you,” he continued. “I mean, he told me he was going to stay with me, Aleks. He couldn’t have just left the evening open or something?”

Aleks babbled in response.

“And then I come over to vent to Percy and what does he do?” the man kept going. “He leaves me with his son while he goes out shopping. I should’ve gone to see your aunt Hazel. She doesn’t have kids to dump on me.”

Aleks looked genuinely sad at his words. Did he understand? Helen wondered. The man, Nico? seemed to notice too, because his expression softened. He picked up the baby and said:

“It’s not your fault.” He tickled the baby’s tummy. “You and your sister are the only family members I actually like.”

That’s when Helen accidentally tripped, making a small noise. The man immediately stiffened and stood between her and Aleks.

“Who are you?” he demanded.

“I’m Helen, the neighbor. I just came to return a container Percy lent me…”

The man frowned, clearly suspicious. But at that moment, Percy walked in with two big shopping bags, one in each hand.

“Oh, Helen! You can leave the container in the kitchen, thanks.” He noticed Nico’s expression and added, “It’s fine, Neeks, she’s my neighbor.”

Then he hesitated a little before continuing, “Helen, this is Nico, my cousin. Nico, this is Helen, my next-door neighbor and Eli’s friend’s mom.”

Percy set the bags down in the kitchen when his phone rang. He looked confused, and a little worried, when he saw the caller ID. He answered, and Helen watched his expression drop at whatever he was told. Nico noticed too, because the moment Percy hung up, he asked:

“What happened?”

Before Percy could answer, Helen’s phone rang too. She answered, and suddenly understood Percy’s expression perfectly.

---

Eli had no idea how mad her parents were going to be. She was sitting in the principal’s office, when her dad walked in, she felt a wave of relief, he looked more concerned than angry. And to her surprise, Uncle Nico was right behind him. Eli resisted the urge to run up and hug him.

Helen came in next, looking just as worried as her dad. Then came a woman Eli assumed was Liam’s mother, the only one in the room who looked angry.

The principal cleared his throat and said:

“Thank you all for coming. Before you ask, yes, all of your children are fine. What happened was…”

Eli watched as her dad’s expression shifted from anger, to concern, to surprise… and then to, was he proud ?

“Haha, well done, Eli. You’re definitely your mother’s daughter,” Uncle Nico said with a huge grin.

“Nico, maybe you and Aleks should wait outside,” her dad said, rolling his eyes and handing him the baby.

Nico looked annoyed but stood up and left the room with Aleks in his arms.

“Maybe it’s the kind of people she spends time with,” said the principal with a cold expression, “that caused Eli’s violent behavior. I believe a two-week detention and a short suspension is appropriate.”

“Violent? Suspend her?” her dad asked, using that tone, the one that meant he was really angry.

“Yes, violent,” Liam’s mother chimed in. “That girl is a danger to this school. She should be expelled.”

Was Eli a danger? She didn’t want to be. But maybe if she was hurting people, it was better if she left.

“How dare you,” her dad nearly shouted. “She defended herself and her friend. Your son hit a younger child and started the fight. My daughter didn’t do anything wrong.”

The woman paled. The principal frowned, clearly unsure of what to do next. That’s when the door opened, and Eli’s mom walked in. Her hair was a mess, and she was breathing hard like she’d been running.

Seeing the confused look on Dad’s face, she said:

“Nico called.”

“Mrs. Jackson, we were discussing Eli’s punishment.”

“Punishment? For Eli? You can’t do that,” her mom said firmly, using that tone, her “you know I’m right” tone.

 “I can , as school principal…” he began, but she cut him off.

“You have the right to assign disciplinary action if a student’s behavior endangers others,” she said, like it was obvious. “However, my daughter did not endanger anyone. On the contrary, she defended one of her classmates.”

“That’s not true, Mrs. Jackson—” he started, but Sam spoke up.

“Eli defended me, sir,” said Sam, before anyone else could speak. “Liam bullied us and hit me.”

To Eli’s surprise, she didn’t get punished. Her parents weren’t mad on the contrary, they praised her for protecting her friend.

Apparently, getting into trouble was exactly what she needed.

Chapter 4: Interviewing Gods / Planning Parties

Notes:

I'm back, writing this took me longer than I expected, but it's like two mini chapters put together.

Interviewing Gods

Eli was excited. You see, today her teacher thought it would be a good idea to teach about Greek and Roman mythology, and Eli loved the idea. She had grown up in New Rome, surrounded by mythological creatures like Miss O’Leary, and you could even say that her parents, and Eli herself were a bit mythological.

Her grandparents were the god Poseidon and the goddess Athena, who brought her birthday and Christmas presents every year — though Eli was pretty sure they just competed to see who was her favorite (neither was; her favorite was Grandma Sally).

Anyway, now she had a project: she had to research a god of her choice and make an entire presentation about them. She couldn’t be more excited. She could even interview the god in question or ask her parents to tell her stories related to them. The possibilities were endless.

That night during dinner, she decided it was a good time to tell her parents about her project.

“Today at school we were assigned a project,” she began, “it’s about the gods.”

Her dad looked a bit worried, but her mom smiled and encouraged her to continue.

“We’re supposed to choose a god and make a presentation about them.”

 “Do you have any god in mind?” her mom asked.

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “I’d like to choose a god I could interview,” she said thoughtfully. “Maybe Grandpa or Grandma.”

“Well, think about it, and we can help you with the interview if you want,” her dad said, making Eli smile.

---

Athena thought it was an insult that HER granddaughter would even consider doing her presentation on that insufferable Poseidon. Sure, maybe he was her grandfather — and so what? It was obvious that she, Athena, was far superior.

So, when she received her daughter’s prayer, she couldn’t help but smile. Of course HER granddaughter would want the presentation to be about her.

***

Poseidon knew Eli's presentation would be about him, of course. He wasn’t surprised his son had asked, because Poseidon was 500 times more interesting than dull old Athena. There were thousands of myths that involved him; his children had made history.

He began thinking about all the things he’d done. Maybe he’d leave out a few slip-ups — like that Odysseus thing (he doesn’t talk about that). He could tell her about Theseus…

---

Athena was delighted, emphasis on “was”,  because when she appeared in the Jacksons' living room, she saw POSEIDON, THE DAMN SEA GOD .

 “What are you doing here?” she almost yelled, though she kept her voice calm.

“What are you doing here?” Poseidon shot back.

“Eli decided she wants to interview both of you before choosing,” said the annoyed voice of her son-in-law. Honestly, of all the people her daughter could’ve married — why a son of Poseidon?

---

Incredible. HIS GRANDDAUGHTER — not Athena’s — wanted to interview both of them. As if Athena were anywhere near as impressive.

At least he was going first. Now he was sitting on a tiny chair in the child’s bedroom. The room was nice, with one blue wall, a big bed filled with pillows and stuffed animals.

“Alright, Grandpa,” said Eli in a serious tone (well, as serious as a six-year-old can sound) as she sat across from him, holding a toy teacup full of water.

Poseidon smiled. Maybe his son had married one of Athena’s spawn, but that didn’t bother him, it had given him a wonderful family.

 “Can you state your full name and your domains, please?”

“My name is Poseidon, son of Cronus, god of the sea, storms, earthquakes, islands, horses, sea creatures, navigation, dolphins…”

***

After interviewing both Poseidon and Athena  (who were both extremely nervous) the tension was palpable. Their rivalry had been legendary, from Athens to now. And yet, this felt more decisive, as if the presentation of a six-year-old would determine which one was better.

They sat on the Jacksons’ couch in this order: Poseidon, Percy, Annabeth, and Athena. Percy and Annabeth wore supportive smiles. Eli sighed, looking at them as if she were about to deliver terrible news.

 “Well, after the interviews, I still haven’t decided which one I want to do my presentation on,” she said firmly. “It’ll take me a few more days.”

---

Athena knew she would win. She had to. She was better than Poseidon — much better. And she thought maybe it would be more humiliating for him if the presentation were public. Yes, that sounded good.

It was only a subtle interference in the teacher’s mind,  the idea of making it “bigger,” “better for the children,” something to present in front of families…

---

Helen didn’t expect Eli’s grandparents to show up. No big deal — don’t get her wrong, she and her husband were there to support Sam. But for two people who, in Percy’s words, “aren’t very present in my life,” showing up for something this ordinary was strange.

It was obvious who Percy’s dad was and who Annabeth’s mom was. There was a man who looked just like Percy, only older and bearded. Then there was a blonde woman, but more importantly, the woman had gray eyes identical to Annabeth’s. They were also joined by a teenage girl with messy short black hair and electric blue eyes.

The presentations began. Most kids talked about the Twelve Olympians, though there were also presentations on Hades, Persephone, or Eros. Sam did his on Apollo, and Helen had helped him decorate his poster board with golden glitter.

Eli stood in front of the audience and cleared her throat:

“Good morning, everyone, my name is Eli,” she said with confidence. “It was really hard to choose a god for my presentation, but thanks to my Aunt Thalia, I was able to decide,” she continued. “Today I’ll be talking about the goddess of the hunt, Artemis.”

She turned to see Percy, who was clearly trying not to laugh. Annabeth had a huge grin on her face. Curious.

***

Unthinkable. Eli hadn’t chosen her — nor even disgusting Poseidon. No, she had picked Artemis. HOW? WHY? And while she tried to figure out what had led Eli to that choice, her daughter and son-in-law just kept laughing. Ugh.

Planning Parties

Percy finally decided to join the Parent-Teacher Council. He really needed a hobby, so there he was, running as fast as he could (which meant very fast), with Aleks babbling in his baby carrier. According to the flyer Karen Lewis gave him, all interested parents were to meet in room 5-B at 12:30 PM on Friday.

With everything going on, Percy had completely forgotten about the meeting. So naturally, he left the house at 12:30 PM. He didn’t live far,  just a 10-minute walk,  and at his speed, he arrived at 12:35. Not that late, he thought, as he entered the room.

Inside were 8 women, and Percy could easily tell how they grouped together. See, Percy was never very good at deciphering the complexities of human relationships, but this time it was obvious.

On one side of the room was Karen, wearing clothes very similar to what she’d worn when she invited him. She was talking to two other women dressed almost identically. They all carried a strong air of superiority and arrogance rarely seen in mortals.

Then there were two other women, and to Percy’s surprise, he recognized one of them. He didn’t know her name, hadn’t bothered to ask, but she was the mother of the kid who had bullied Eli and Sam. He was definitely staying away from that group. Clearly, these two were trying to join Karen’s conversation but were being ignored. Percy couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to talk to Karen or dress like her.

On the other side of the room, holding a much more friendly conversation, were the remaining three women , without the superiority complex of “the Karens,” as Percy had mentally labeled them.

He sighed and approached the second group. No way was he getting near Karen. When he walked in, no one looked up. He headed straight toward the friendlier group, nervous — he was really bad at making friends. And maybe now he had a decent number of friends, a wonderful wife, and two kids, but that didn’t make meeting new people any less terrifying.

“Um,” he cleared his throat, catching the women’s attention.

“Oh,” said one of them, “you must be new. I’ve never seen you before.”

“Yeah, we’re new,” Percy said. “Just needed a hobby, so I figured… why not?”

“Well, it’s a pleasure,” said the woman, extending her hand. “I’m Sarah, and these are Liasa and Nancy,” she said, pointing to the others.

“Percy. Nice to meet you,” he said, smiling. “And this is Aleks,” he added, shaking his baby’s hand.

The next ten minutes passed chatting mostly about Aleks. That was a conversation Percy could handle. He could talk about his family as much as they wanted.

Once it was clear no one else would show up, Karen cleared her throat and stood in front of the group.

“Good afternoon, I’m glad to see there are quite a few of us,” she said, smiling. “I see you decided to join us,” she added, looking at Percy. “That’s good — we needed more members.” But something in her tone made Percy doubt her sincerity.

“Well, let’s begin. As you all know” (Percy didn’t) “our Halloween party is in a few months, and I’m very excited about it. I want to make it as special as possible for the children.”

Now, Percy was totally on board with making a celebration for the kids. But something about the way Karen said it made it clear she had bigger ambitions.

“Well, I think the kids will want to go trick-or-treating, right?” said Sarah, and even with Percy’s limited understanding of group dynamics, he knew she was challenging Karen.

In the end, they decided to have the party on the 29th so the kids could trick-or-treat on the 30th. That worked. The rest of the meeting was spent discussing the “Halloween celebration” things like time, place, decorations, blah blah blah. And honestly? He… liked it.

After so many years worrying about prophecies and wars, hearing moms debate which shade of purple was best for decorations made him smile. It was such a normal kind of concern.

A few hours later, just in time for school pickup, the meeting ended. Percy wondered — was this what normalcy felt like. 

Notes:

I don't know, I just love the idea of Poseidon and Athena fighting over who’s Eli’s favorite. I also like to think that Percy and Annabeth will bully them about the Artemis thing for the rest of their lives. I think trick-or-treat it's the term you use, but I don't know. I saw it in a movie, Ok? We don't do that in my country (well, yes, but it's different).

Chapter 5: Why My House?

Notes:

I finished this at dawn; if it has any errors, please let me know

In the past few weeks, Percy’s life had turned into chaos. First, there was the fact that Aleks was teething and WOULD NOT STOP CRYING. He had tried everything, but nothing worked.

When Eli was teething, it was easy—frozen toys were all she needed to feel better. But things with Aleks were different; Percy had no idea what to do to help his son feel better.

And as if that wasn't enough, he was also being bombarded with messages from the Parent-Teacher Council. Why him ? For the first time since Apollo had actually gotten the demigods secure phones, Percy regretted having one. He sighed before opening the group chat.

10:12 am
Karen: Hi parents, how are you? Just a reminder about tomorrow’s meeting.

11:15 am
Karen: Parents, I need you to please confirm.

1:30 pm
Miss Jones: Parents, I’m afraid you won’t be able to have the meeting in the usual room. There will be a primary school staff meeting.

1:35 pm
Karen: We can’t cancel the meeting, does anyone live near the school?

2:00 pm
Sarah: Sorry, we can’t do it at my place. My husband is sick and I don’t want to spread it to anyone.

2:10 pm
Liasa: Sorry, my cats don’t like strangers.

2:20 pm
Nancy: Sorry, but I live too far away. It would be inconvenient for everyone.

2:27 pm
Nora (mom of the annoying kid): Sorry, but they’re fumigating my house. 🤷‍♀️

2:31 pm
Avery: Sorry, but my parents are in town and staying at my place.

2:38 pm
Eloise: I’m really sorry, but we’re out of town. I won’t be able to attend or host.

2:43 pm
Natalie: Sorry, but my kid is sick and the house is a mess.

2:50 pm
Karen: Parents, my husband let me peek at his files, and it looks like Percy lives closer than I do. Percy, could we have the meeting at your place?

Percy stared at his phone screen in horror. Shit, think Jackson, think of an excuse! He racked his brain trying to come up with one...

---

Annabeth was exhausted. It had been a long day, and yet she smiled from ear to ear when her daughter ran up to greet her.

“Mommy!” she yelled with excitement as she hugged her.

“Hi baby,” she replied, stroking her hair.

They had dinner and talked about their day. Even Aleks babbled cheerfully about something Annabeth was 70% sure was about his LEGO blocks. Maybe he had a future as an architect too.

But she was worried. Percy seemed nervous. She didn’t know if it was because of Aleks’s teething and constant crying or something else. That night, she lay beside Percy in bed and rested her head on his chest.

“Percy,” she said, lifting her head to look him in the eyes “What’s going on?”

Percy sighed. “Remember the Parent-Teacher Council?” Annabeth nodded “Well…”  he said, handing her the phone.

Annabeth looked at the group chat and felt… relieved. So relieved she started laughing. The idea of hosting a parent meeting sounded so trivial, the kind of worry a normal family would have—and that put her in a good mood.

For the next hour and a half, she listened to the Son of Poseidon rant about some Karen who was apparently the principal’s wife and had looked at the Council’s files (or the PTC, as they had abbreviated it), just to say Percy lived closest so it had to be at his house.

“What?” he said, seeing how amused his wife was.

“Nothing,” she replied with a huge smile “It’s just… such a normal worry. It makes me think maybe we really made it out.”

Percy smiled at his wife. “You’re right… but that doesn’t make it any better,”  he grumbled.

That night, Annabeth went to sleep knowing they had done it—a normal life, with normal problems.

---

That morning, Helen had offered to drop off and pick up Eli from school after seeing Percy’s absolutely miserable face, and he couldn’t have been more grateful.

He walked into his house and placed Aleks in his baby seat. Looking around, he decided the best course of action was to make a to-do list before the moms arrived:

• Clean the living room and dining room (no way they’re going upstairs)
  
  
• Make something simple to eat, and lots of it
  
  
• Call the pediatrician in New Rome and ask what to do about Aleks’s teething
  
  

He started with the living room. It wasn’t a disaster—just some toys lying around. He fluffed the pillows and dusted the coffee table. Then, he wiped down the dining table, straightened the chairs, and put away the tablecloth Eli had left that morning.

He entered the kitchen and decided to make cookies. He knew the recipe well; they weren’t complicated and everyone loved them. He put three trays in the oven, who knew how many cookies these women would eat? Then he called Dr. Espinoza.

“Good morning, doctor.”
“Good morning, Mr. Jackson. How can I help you?”

The call was shorter than he expected. It was a normal condition for legacies; the best remedy was to dip a finger in nectar and gently massage the gums. Percy sighed, picked up Aleks, and did what the doctor suggested—and finally, Aleks felt better.

The doorbell rang. Percy looked at the door, gave Aleks one last squeeze, placed him in his baby seat, and opened it. Standing there was the smiling face of Karen Lewis.

“Percy, darling! What a beautiful house you have,”  said the woman with a fake smile that gave Percy the chills.

“Karen, you're early. Come in,”  he said, trying to sound enthusiastic (he wasn’t—not even a little).

Minutes passed, and slowly his living room filled with moms. Each one gave some kind of compliment: “What a nice house,” “What a comfy sofa,” and so on. He knew none of them actually meant it, but he smiled anyway, trying to look flattered.

 “Well,”  Karen began,  “first I want to thank Percy for letting us use his lovely home for the meeting.”

The meeting itself was more of the same, only this time they were discussing more specific details—decorations, food, and activities. After all, they were dealing with 6- to 8-year-olds who needed something solid to keep them entertained.

Bit by bit, the conversation drifted and they ended up talking about their personal lives. Percy usually didn’t mind talking about his kids or wife, but it was different with these women.

“So, Percy, how did you meet your wife?” asked Karen, reaching for another cookie.

“At a summer camp. We were 12,” he replied.

 “Awww, was it love at first sight?” —asked Avery, one of the Karens.

 “No,”  Percy laughed “I think she actually hated me.”

“Oh, I see,” said Karen.

And for some reason, the questions kept coming. WHY? Natalie (another Karen) even asked if he got along with Annabeth’s parents. Nora—the mom of the kid who bullied Eli—kept insisting on the “violent influences” thing, and Percy was frankly fed up.

He walked into the kitchen looking for a moment of peace, sighed, and took a sip of water. Come on, Jackson, you can do this. But before he could leave, Sarah walked in.

“Do you have a problem with Karen?” she asked.

Percy didn’t know how to respond. He had hated many people and things in his life: Smelly Gabe, his father (though now it was more indifference), Clarisse (though now they were kind of… friends?), Zeus (mutual hate), and Hera. He had hated Octavian, though he felt guilty for being glad he was dead.

But he didn’t hate Karen. She was annoying, yes, but not hate-worthy. And Sarah’s question seemed… out of place. She and Percy weren’t friends, were they? Why talk about this?

“No, everything’s fine. Thanks, Sarah,” he said, heading for the door.

“You know,” Sarah said “next year I’m planning to run for committee president.”

 “That’s nice,” Percy said. He had no idea where this conversation was going, and it made him nervous.

Before Sarah could say anything else, Aleks started crying—and Percy almost cried with joy. He picked up his son, excused himself, and went to change his diaper.

When he came back down—miraculously—the meeting was over. When the women offered to walk together to school, Percy said Helen (bless the gods) would pick Eli up, and with that, the group of witches left his house.

---

Percy sat, miserable, next to Helen on a park bench.

“You look miserable,” she teased, amusement in her eyes.

“I just don’t get it,” he said, frustrated  “I think Karen hates me and Sarah wants to be my friend, but everything’s so weird. Why should I care if Sarah wants to run for council president?”

Helen laughed. Percy was pretty sure she enjoyed his misery.

“She told you because she wants your support—so others will support her too.”

“And why would anyone care if I support her or not?”  Helen laughed even harder.

 “Because you’re very popular with the moms.”

Percy had been called many things—weird, troublemaker, dyslexic, reckless, disrespectful, and many more—but popular was never one of them. Maybe in New Rome, but that was different. There, he wasn’t just “popular,” he was a war hero, and people remembered him for that. And even when he had real influence, he had never cared to use it.

 “Popular?”  he finally asked.

“Yes, Percy. Popular. Look—you’re handsome, and you take care of your kids responsibly. The moms adore you.”

That night, he turned to the smartest person he knew: his wife. Talking to Annabeth was comforting—somehow, she always knew just what to say to make him feel better. Gods, how he loved his wife.

Notes:

I like the idea of a Percy who has no idea what's going on, and of Helen just trying to help him understand. I think it's kind of a Karen move to keep sending messages even when no one replies, and then there are the moms who are just looking for an excuse. In fact, I based it on excuses my teammates gave me for not doing the work at home.

Chapter 6: Happy Birthday Mom

Annabeth woke up to a kiss on the cheek followed by a “whisper” that was really more of a small scream.

“Mommy “ whispered Eli as she shook her a little “ Mommy, are you awake?” Eli shook her again “Moooooom”

Annabeth groaned out loud before turning over to look at her daughter.

“What’s wrong, Eli?” she asked. It was Tuesday, which meant she had at least until 8 to sleep and leave the house at 9.

“Mommy, come” she said, pulling her hand.

Annabeth sighed but took her daughter’s hand and went downstairs. On the dining table was a breakfast that Annabeth could only describe as enormous. There were pancakes, fruit, yogurt and granola, eggs, bacon, etc. Now, don’t get her wrong — Annabeth thought the breakfast looked delicious — but it wasn’t something she was used to seeing on a weekday. They usually didn’t even have breakfast together.

In the living room, there was a huge banner that said “Happy Birthday.” It was clear Eli had written it with her slightly crooked handwriting, and there were handprints from Aleks all over the poster board.

“Happy birthday!” Eli and Percy shouted at the same time, while Aleks babbled something vaguely similar.

Annabeth grinned from ear to ear. She walked over to Eli and hugged her tightly. Before she could react, Aleks, who had just started walking — oh yes, Aleks was walking now and was a tiny whirlwind — came toddling toward her.

As they were eating breakfast, Percy widened his eyes as if he had just remembered something very important.

“Aleks” he said as he picked him up “do you have something to say to Mommy?” he asked, stressing every syllable of the word “Mommy.”

This was new. Aleks could babble basic sounds to express simple needs, like when he was hungry or thirsty (though more than words, they were babbles everyone interpreted). If Aleks had learned a word, Annabeth would’ve known, right?

At that moment, to Annabeth’s surprise, Aleks said loud and clear “Mama.”

Annabeth’s eyes opened wide. You see, Eli’s first word had been “daddy.” There was nothing wrong with that, but still, Annabeth couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed back then.

Now she was sure Percy had secretly taught him to say “mama” first. Gods, she loved him.

Everything was going according to plan — yes, you read that right — Percy had a plan, and a pretty good one, to be honest.

Percy walked alongside Helen as they returned home, mentally reviewing the 5-step list.

• Breakfast with Annabeth
• Bake and decorate the cake
• Decorate the house
• Hide the guests
• Surprise Annabeth

He got to the house and started baking. That would take a while, so he spent the whole morning among cooking ingredients.

“Smells good” said a familiar voice from the kitchen corner. Even though Percy immediately recognized the voice, he still jumped in surprise.

“Weren’t you banned from shadow travel, Nico?” Percy asked, looking at his younger cousin.

Nico rolled his eyes as he walked toward Aleks’s baby carrier and picked him up.

“I didn’t come to see you ” he said  “I came to see your son, who happens to be the only family member I like. Oh, and Eli too.”

Now, Percy knew that wasn’t really true. After all, despite all their issues, they had managed to become as functional a family as a bunch of terribly traumatized demigods could be.

And with that, step 2 was complete.

• Breakfast with Annabeth
• Bake and decorate the cake
• Decorate the house
• Hide the guests
• Surprise Annabeth

Helen knocked on the Jacksons’ door. It wasn’t Percy who opened, as she had expected. It was a tall, blonde, absurdly handsome man, with bright electric blue eyes. He wore black glasses that made his eyes stand out even more, but what stood out the most on his face was the scar above his lip.

The man smiled at Helen, which made the scar twist slightly.

“How can I help you?” the man asked, looking directly at her.

“Umm “ Helen stammered,  “I told Percy I’d help with the decorations.”

As if it were even possible, the man smiled wider and invited her in. Inside, there was a small but very diverse group of people. First was Nico, Percy’s scary (and not very friendly) cousin. Then there was Jason, the incredibly attractive blond guy (also Percy’s cousin).

There was also a huge Asian man, probably around 1:80m, muscular but with a babyface. Near him, inflating balloons, was a girl with golden eyes and black afro hair. She had a defined muscular build and was absolutely gorgeous, though not very tall.

On the other side of the room was a small Hispanic boy — oddly enough, with pointy ears and a look that screamed trouble. Next to him was the most attractive person Helen had ever seen. Their hair was braided, they wore a super casual outfit, and their kaleidoscope eyes couldn’t decide on a color.

In the kitchen, helping with the food, was a woman in her 50s who vaguely resembled Percy, along with a man with salt-and-pepper hair, and a blond boy who looked so much like Annabeth he had to be her relative. He was about 16 and accompanied by a girl his age with green hair.

There were many people in the room, like a redheaded woman Helen could’ve sworn was Mr. Dare’s daughter — but that couldn’t be, right?

Helen helped with the decorations, staring at Percy’s sticky note in the kitchen:

• Breakfast with Annabeth
• Bake and decorate the cake
• Decorate the house
• Hide the guests
• Surprise Annabeth

Helen hid with the others, waiting for Annabeth.

Annabeth walked into her house only to see a massive crowd of friends and family yell “Surprise!” all the Seven were there (including Reyna and Nico), her cousin Magnus, Thalia, Grover, and even Clarisse.

Annabeth had never been much of a party person, but this didn’t feel like a party — not with loud music and people drinking — it felt more like a family reunion. They talked about trivial things and played board games like any family would.

That night, before going to sleep, she saw Percy cross something off a list.

 

• Breakfast with Annabeth
• Bake and decorate the cake
• Decorate the house
• Hide the guests
• Surprise Annabeth

Chapter 7: Uncle Nico

Notes:

Hi, I’m back haha. Honestly, I ran out of ideas to write, and since this story doesn’t have a set plot, it was hard for me to come up with another cute chapter. By the way, while thinking about it I said, what if I do write a plot? So I’m going to try. Also, I’d like to do a time skip — maybe create a series and write a separate fic.

Nico felt like he was about to explode with frustration. What did you just do, William? he thought, nearly hysterical. That day, while they were having dinner at the Jacksons' house, Annabeth had casually mentioned her upcoming trip to New Rome for work.

Her original plan was to leave the kids with Sally, but at that moment, her fiancé William Andrew Solace had suggested that he and Nico could stay and watch the kids for — and read this carefully — A WHOLE DAY.

Now, you might think, “Well, one day isn’t that much.” It is. When Nico visited his niece and nephew, he usually had Percy’s help. Being responsible for them for a whole day was a lot, even with Will.

See, it wasn’t unusual for Nico to be at the Jacksons’ house. In fact, he spent more time there than he’d like to admit — playing with the kids, even watching cartoons. Maybe, in Will’s mind, staying with the kids sounded like a good idea, but this was nothing like spending a couple of hours building Legos with Aleks.

Nico nearly choked in shock as he slowly processed his future husband’s words. He was so doomed.

---

It took Nico a moment to realize where he was. Right — he was in the Jacksons’ guest room. They had left the night before. Will smiled as he handed him a cup of coffee — gods knew Nico was not a morning person.

He got up with effort and sighed. This was going to be a long week. He walked through the hallway lined with family photos — pictures of Percy and Annabeth at just 12 years old, group photos with all seven of the prophecy kids, and even one of Nico himself after Jason had basically tied him to his side. Photos of Eli and Aleks, of Estelle and Sally — among many others.

He knocked on Eli’s bedroom door. When there was no answer, he assumed she was still asleep, so he naturally let himself in. Inside, Eli was drooling on her pillows, deeply asleep. Her alarm was still ringing, but the girl didn’t show even the slightest sign of waking up.

Nico approached her and shook her gently. He didn’t want to be too rough — he himself needed a monumental effort to get up early. She groaned, then turned to look at him.

“Come on, Eli, get up. I don’t want you to be late. The gods know your mom would kill me.”

Eli laughed at her uncle’s comment and got up. Nico left her room and headed downstairs, surprised to be greeted by the smell of freshly made breakfast. Will was standing at the stove making omelets.

“Don’t you have work?” Nico asked, stealing a slice of cheese and popping it in his mouth.

“I cleared the day,” Will declared. “Wanted to spend time with you and the kids,” he added with a smile. “What about you?”

“Same. Dad gave me the week off after he found out.”

Nico had started doing errands for Hades, who paid better than any other job he could get — not to mention the benefits. Will laughed, thinking about how much they both needed a break. They’d been working non-stop, maybe after this, they could take a real vacation, somewhere like the beach.

Eli came downstairs already dressed for school, even wearing her backpack. They all sat down and started eating. After breakfast, Will took Eli to the bathroom to do her hair. It’s not that Nico doubted him — it’s just that the closest Will had ever been to styling hair was getting his own cut.

Nico went back upstairs and entered Aleks’ room. To his surprise, the baby was already awake and leaning on the bars of his crib. Nico walked over to pick him up, and his nephew made a happy noise. Nico changed his diaper and dressed him the best he could.

He headed downstairs while feeding Aleks his bottle. Downstairs, Eli now had a ponytail — or at least something trying to be one. Her hair puffed up in strange places.

Will, on his side, looked proudly at Eli’s hair. Nico didn’t have the heart to tell him the truth.

They all left the house. Outside, Eli ran into her friend Sam, Helen’s son — Percy’s neighbor. By now, they weren’t strangers. She’d been there the day Eli got called to the principal’s office, and the day of Annabeth’s party.

They all walked to school together and dropped the kids off. That’s when a new problem presented itself: WHAT THE HELL WERE THEY GOING TO EAT?

They spent hours online looking for easy recipes for the week. Normally, they just ordered delivery from different restaurants, but Will had insisted on cooking. They eventually settled on enchiladas — quick, easy, and, according to Grover, delicious.

Red Enchiladas Recipe

Ingredients:

• Shredded chicken
  
  
• 5–6 tomatoes
  
  
• ¼ onion
  
  
• 2 garlic cloves
  
  
• 1–2 serrano chiles
  
  
• Sour cream
  
  
• Cheese
  
  

Instructions:

1. Cover a pan with aluminum foil and, over high heat, roast the tomatoes, onion, garlic, and chiles until the tomato skins start to peel off.
   
   
2. Blend everything with a little water.
   
   
3. In a large pot, add a bit of oil and pour in the blended sauce slowly.
   
   
4. Wait until the sauce changes color, then add a bit more water or chicken broth (preferably broth). Add salt or chicken bouillon if needed.
   
   
5. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
   
   
6. Heat some oil in a pan and fry the number of tortillas you want (about 12 for a family of 4).
   
   
7. Dip each tortilla in the sauce, place it on the plate, and top with shredded chicken, cream, and cheese.
   
   

Cooking turned out to be chaotic. Even with a recipe that called itself easy , they had plenty of trouble making it. Oil, salt, and tomatoes splattered all over the kitchen — but they finally managed a decent result.

All four of them ate together — even Aleks (who only babbled) contributed to the conversation. Eli, on her end, seemed excited about an upcoming field trip.

Getting Eli to bed was harder than Nico expected, but after a story, the girl finally fell sound asleep. Aleks, meanwhile, had dozed off on his own. Nico gently put him in his crib and walked into the guest room, collapsing on the bed next to Will.

“Tough day?” Will asked.

“I actually liked it. I mean, the food part was stressful, but I liked it,” Nico replied. Will smiled before speaking again.

“What if we adopted? I mean… after we get married.”

Nico looked at Will for a moment before answering. “I think that’s a good idea,” he whispered, before resting his head on Will’s chest and falling asleep.

Notes:

I really liked this chapter. I don’t plan to give Nico and Will too much spotlight, but I loved this chaotic family idea and I adore seeing Nico happy. Also, the enchiladas recipe works and isn’t spicy — yay! So if you ever wondered how they taste like, now you can make yours! And if you do want them spicy, just add more chiles.

On another note, I’m going back to school :( so updates will be more sporadic