#Clarisse la Rue | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

demigodsanswer · 22 hours ago

Text

Percy was pretty good at getting gifts for Annabeth. She wasn’t that subtle about what she wanted. He was sure his wife wanted a dog. He was going to get her dream dog for Christmas. ~ Annabeth spent weeks subtly trying to get Percy to say what kinds of dogs he might like. Ever since they moved back to New York, and he’d once again left Mrs. O'Leary and Nope in New Rome, her husband had been a bit bummed out, staring wistfully at every dog they passed on the street. She was sure he’d love to get a puppy for Christmas. And she was going to get it for him.

Percy was pretty good at getting gifts for Annabeth. She wasn’t that subtle about what she wanted, and she’d sometimes just outright ask for something, or send him the link to the specific book, keyboard, and sweater she wanted.

So, he was sure his wife wanted a dog.

It was their first Christmas as a married couple. Fred (and Percy had to assume the gods, unless the Chase family was really this wealthy) had outright bought them a Brooklyn brownstone for their wedding. The upstairs had needed hefty renovations, but that was really part of the gift: it gave Annabeth a project. Where she found the time, Percy didn’t know. But the first floor was perfect for them while Annabeth redid the upstairs bathroom and bedrooms.

Now they had a dream home, a yard, and total freedom from landlord restrictions. And every night, Annabeth had a bevy of new cute dog videos to show him.

“Would you want to get a dog soon?” Percy asked, not bothering to be subtle.

She shrugged. “Could be nice to get one before we start having kids,” she said.

“A little practice,” Percy said with a smile, as if they hadn’t practiced plenty with Estelle for years.

“Would you want a big dog? Little dog?” Annabeth asked.

“I love a big dog, but in the city, something smaller might be better,” he said, hoping that was the right answer, or that it at least got her to tell him what breed she was thinning. But Annabeth just nodded.

“Maybe a hound dog? Or a beagle? Something medium-sized? We have a yard,” Annabeth said.

“A beagle would be cute,” Percy agreed.

“Would that be your dream dog?” Annabeth asked.

“Not sure I have a dream dog, but beagles are super cute,” he said. That was the honest truth. He thought they were pretty adorable, and they had big dog attitudes with small dog bodies. But this wasn't about his dream dog. It was about her dream dog. She was the one who'd wanted a dog ever since she'd left her doberman behind at age seven.

“What would your dream dog be, though?” Percy asked her.

“Oh, something big too, and that would be a good family dog. Maybe a lab or a collie,” she suggested.

When Annabeth fell asleep, Percy made a note in his phone, and then spent his lunch period looking up available shelter dogs. He had a few students who liked to hang out with him during lunch. One was a demigod, the other four were her mortal friends.

“You should find her a puppy,” Kaylee said as they scrolled through shelter websites. Most of the dogs were over five years old. “If it’s a baby test-run, a puppy will be better than an adult dog. And they’re so cute!”

Percy called Grover when school got out. “I need a puppy,” he said.

“Regular puppy or hellhound puppy?” Grover asked.

“Regular, family-friendly. For Annabeth. A lab or a collie or something,” Percy explained.

“I’ll ask around,” Grover promised. Plenty of satyrs volunteered in rescues and shelters, doling out long lectures about how animals were real investments, not just toys, to well-meaning parents hoping to surprise their kids Christmas morning.

“You’re the best, man,” Percy said.

Annabeth spent weeks subtly trying to get Percy to say what kinds of dogs he might like. Ever since they moved back to New York, and he’d once again left Mrs. O'Leary in New Rome, her husband had been a bit bummed out, staring wistfully at every dog they passed on the street.

She knew her husband would love a puppy for Christmas.

She knew she couldn’t get him another hellhound (she asked Nico), but what kind of regular dog would he want? A bernese mountain dog kind of looked like Mrs. O’Leary, and they were good with kids, but they didn’t live very long. Small dogs were practical for the city, but would Percy like something yappy?

“He likes you,” Clarisse said, as Annabeth recounted her woes.

“Hurtful,” Annabeth said back. “Look could you just … see if you can get him to give you an idea?” Clarisse taught in the classroom across the hall from Percy, turning their once antagonistic relationship into a genuine friendship and comical workplace rivalry.

“Why don’t you just ask?” Clarisse suggested.

“That would ruin the surprise,” Annabeth said.

“All I’m going to do is ask him,” she said back.

“However you want to do it is fine, just don’t tell him I’m getting him a dog,” Annabeth said.

Annabeth hated being wrong. And more than that, she hated Clarisse La Rue being right. Subtly wasn’t going to work. She needed to just ask. They were two weeks away from Christmas, and she was no closer to knowing what kind of dog Percy might want.

Thankfully, Percy had brought it up first, another one of his not-so-subtle hints that he wanted a dog: “Would you want to get a dog soon?” Percy asked.

Annabeth tried to play it cool. “Could be nice to get one before we start having kids.”

“A little practice,” Percy said with a smile.

It was finally time to just ask. “Would you want a big dog? Little dog?”

“I love a big dog, but in the city, something smaller might be better,” Percy said. Annabeth nodded, waiting a few seconds to see if he’d offer up a breed himself. He didn’t.

“Maybe a hound dog? Or a beagle? Something medium-sized? We have a yard,” Annabeth suggested. In her research, beagles were good family dogs, but not that big. Their barks weren’t yappy though, and they had a lot of energy. She could see Percy with a beagle. She'd like something a little bigger, personally, but he made a good point about the size. This was about his dream dog, not hers. He was the one who had to leave his dog behind in California.

“A beagle would be cute,” Percy agreed. She could tell from the wistful smile on his face that a beagle puppy would make him very happy.

The next day, she spent her lunch break looking for beagle puppies in New York. When that didn’t turn up many great results, she called Grover.

“I need a puppy. A beagle if you know anyone with a litter,” she said.

“ You need a puppy?” He asked.

“It’s for Percy,” she explained.

Grover paused. “Right, sure, okay. A beagle?”

“Yeah, or a hound dog, if that’s better,” she said.

“I’ll call you back if I find something,” Grover said.

A few hours later, he let her know he had a satyr friend in Queens who was fostering a litter. They’d be ready to go home right in time for Christmas.

“Your name’s on the list,” Grover said. “One of them is yours for sure, just get up there and see which one you want,” he said.

Annabeth picked out a little girl puppy in the end. She was barely three pounds, but she seemed to have all the energy in the world.

“Oh, you are going to steal all of my husband’s love and attention away from me, aren’t you?” she asked the puppy. It yapped at her, as if it say “without a doubt.”

“Oh, you are going to steal all of my wife’s love and attention away from me, aren’t you?” He asked the ten pound chocolate lab puppy. He was the runt of the litter, and given how quickly he’d stolen Percy’s heart, he was sure to steal Annabeth’s.

Hiding the little guy was going to be the hard part. His mom agreed to keep him at her place until they came over Christmas day, but he was worried about Estelle getting attached.

“Well, then you’re just going to have to come visit more if she does,” Sally said over the phone. As if he and Annabeth weren't there every Sunday for dinner.

“Thanks for watching her, Grover,” Annabeth said, dropping the puppy off at his small apartment. His current girlfriend was a rose bush in Central Park, so Grover had relocated to the city, taking up residence in Hell’s Kitchen. “I don’t know why Sally said she couldn’t take her,” she said.

“Probably just doesn’t want Estelle getting attached,” Grover suggested, keeping his attention on the puppy pattering around his apartment.

“I guess, but we see them every week. We could bring her with us,” Annabeth said about the puppy.

“Who knows,” was all Grover had to offer. “So I’ll bring her over when I come by for Christmas?”

“Yes, I’ll have you wait outside until I get Percy’s attention for the surprise,” she said.

“Good plan,” Grover said.

When his mom texted him we’re here Percy nearly sprinted out of the kitchen. Annabeth was fiddling with something in the living room as he walked by.

“Grover is walking up now,” she said, “go back to cooking, I can let him in,” she said.

“No, no, my mom just got here,” Percy said.

Annabeth looked at him confused. “Well, she and I have met. I can let her in too.”

“No, just …” he exhaled, “she has a gift for you, just close your eyes, and turn around.”

Annabeth did, obviously hesitant. “Okay,” she said, “but Grover has a present for you so if you see him … try not to see him.”

“Got it, wise girl,” Percy said, before opening the door.

He failed to not see Grover, and when Annabeth heard his chipper voice, she turned around.

Grover and his family were on the stoop. “The jig is up,” Sally said, stepping inside with the lab’s puppy carrier in her hand. She stepped into the living room and set it down as the puppy started barking.

“Merry Christmas, dude,” Grover said. Percy tried to get his head on straight. Because his mom had brought Annabeth’s puppy in already. So what was Grover holding?

“Oh my gods,” Annabeth said, kneeling at the carrier she was sure she didn't buy.

“You two are really perfect for each other,” Paul said with a laugh.

Annabeth opened the carrier and let the little chocolate lab puppy waddle his way out, before picking him up in her arms. “Hi baby,” she said. “Percy --”

She felt tears welling in her eyes, but before she could cry, she had to start laughing. Percy was on the other side of the living room, his new puppy in his arms.

“You all knew!” Annabeth said. “None of you said anything?” She was trying to sound angry, but it was no use pretending. She couldn’t be mad when she was holding a sweet little baby in her arms, one that Percy had so perfectly picked out for her.

Percy didn’t look angry either. He was holding up his beagle and letting her lick his nose.

“It was too cute,” Sally said. “It’ll be good practice in case you have twins.”

Annabeth shook her head. “Let’s not put that energy into the world.” She wanted kids, but one at a time would be ideal.

Her lab puppy got curious and wiggled his way out of her arms and towards the beagle puppy.

“You wanna say hi?” Percy asked it, placing his puppy down for them to sniff at each other. Within minutes, the two puppies were running around the living room, fast friends, and even faster holiday decoration destroyers. Not that Percy or Annabeth minded.

~ A year later ~

Percy called Max to him. The lab was staying close to Annabeth, who had, in a matter of seconds, gone from calling the dogs into the house, to throwing up in their vegetable garden.

Percy managed to get both dogs inside before either tried to eat what she’d thrown up. Nugget (full name, Chicken Nugget) was particularly food driven. They’d learned fast that beagles would simply eat until they exploded, with no cares about what they were eating. With both dogs out of the way, Percy pulled some water from a nearby puddle to wash most of the mess away.

“Morning sickness, my ass,” she complained. They’d learned quickly that it was not (a) limited to the morning and (b) not predictable at all. It was three in the afternoon; Annabeth had taken a half day and Percy hadn’t scheduled after-school activities to make it to this doctor’s appointment. Thankfully they were only walking a few blocks down the street. Annabeth had already thrown up on a fair number of subways in just two weeks.

“It’s a sign that the baby is healthy,” Percy said, rubbing her back.

“That’s because it’s stealing my health,” she complained. “Alright, I think it’s done for now. Let me just brush my teeth, and we can go.”

It was their first doctor’s appointment since the positive pregnancy test. They were hoping to see the baby and get some sonograms for the soon-to-be grandparents’ Christmas gifts in a week. Although Percy worried Annabeth’s spontaneous puking might give them away if his mom was around to see it. They’d managed to keep the secret so far. They could make it another week.

Annabeth couldn’t believe how fast she’d gotten pregnant once they started trying. Percy really must have had some strong swimmers. They were both so excited, overwhelmed with joy and both prone now to spontaneous crying, that it had swung back around to anxiety for Annabeth. The two weeks between the home test and this appointment had been filled with worry that something was wrong that she couldn’t know about.

“Everything is fine,” Percy promised, kissing her hand as they walked in.

“I’m telling you, something is … different,” she said. She knew he thought she was being a bit paranoid. How could she know what a normal pregnancy felt like, anyway. And for that matter, would a demigod pregnancy even be normal?

“We’ll always figure it out,” Percy offered as reassurance. She tried to trust him.

She was on the OB’s chair, her shirt pulled up as the OB squirted some cold goo onto her belly, barely bloated (and that might have just been holiday food).

The wub wub sound of the heart beat made Percy cry faster than she did, which she didn’t expect. Percy sat next to her, squeezing her hand as he sobbed. That made her cry more than anything. Annabeth let out a deep breath, and wiped the tears from her face as she looked at the screen, seeing mostly just wavy black lines.

“There’s your baby,” the OB said, pointing to a little peanut on the screen.

Percy, through his tears, cracked, “Aw, babe, it’s got your eyes.”

“Ope,” the OB said, moving the wand around.

“What?” Annabeth asked, as another peanut shape and additional wub wub appeared. “Oh no,” she said, covering her face with her free hand. She knew, she knew something was different about her pregnancy than Sally’s with Estelle, or Clarisse’s with her kids. She knew it. Sure, she was glad it wasn’t a bad thing, but --

“What?” Percy asked, trying to put together the images on the screen with the noise in the room.

“This is baby A,” their doctor said, pointing to the first blob they’d seen, before rolling the wand back over, “and this is baby B.”

“Two?” Percy asked, his eyes wide now.

“Two,” the doctor confirmed.

“I can’t believe this,” Annabeth said, finally turning to Percy. Leave it to him to mess with all of her best laid plans. They were going to have two babies at once. She tried to sound angry, but she ended up just smiling and laughing as she looked at him and announced: “This is your fault,” she said.

“Well,” the OB said, continuing the scan, “they’re fraternal. So there were two eggs, and two sperm. It was a team effort.”

“We are known for our teamwork,” Percy said with a grin.

“We are never going to make things easy for ourselves, are we?" Annabeth asked.

Percy leaned over to kiss her gently as the OB continued the scan. "We should be used to it by now."

#was going to go on a walk or maybe to the beach #but it was raining in socal today???#so instead have some new percabeth fic #percabeth #percy jackson #annabeth chase #percy jackon and the olympians #sally jackson #grover underwood #clarisse la rue

26 notes · View notes