#i'll share the next chapter of tvel soon

[byima]

a sort of mother's day drabble for our otp and for sally jackson, best g-ma in the world. set right after this drabble.

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“Hey ma,” Percy announced their return. “Hi,” he lowered his voice, when he took in the scene in their apartment.

Sally was on the couch, Charlie asleep on the cushion next to her.

“Hi hun– Hi sweetheart,” Sally addressed Annabeth, who was bent over in the hall behind him, unbuckling her sandals. “How was it?”

“It was nice.” Percy tossed his keys onto the dining table. “Went to Olive Garden and had their, uh, soup salad thing.”

“The lunch special,” Annabeth explained.

“Yeah. We brought you some soup, the one with gnocchi.”

“You can put it in the fridge for me, thank you.” She sang the last bit as Percy headed into the kitchen to follow instructions.

“Hi,” Sally said for the third time, when Annabeth sat close to her side.

“Thanks for doing this today.” Annabeth crossed her arms over her chest, nudging Sally’s body with her own.

The older woman smiled at her, narrowing her eyes before patting Annabeth lightly on the thigh. “No need to thank me. The gnocchi does the trick.”

“I know, I just…” she chewed her lower lip, then laid her hand over Sally’s. “Hold on, I want to show you something.”

She reached for her bag, which she had tossed by the arm of the couch, softly calling Percy over as she pulled it into her lap.

He was behind them, arms braced against the back of the sofa, by the time she’d located the manilla folder in the clutter of her purse.

Sally had already gone still when she saw the folder, then started crying when Annabeth slid the contents free, one black and white photo after the next.

She covered her crying eyes and leaned into her. Annabeth wrapped both arms around her mother-in-law, returning Percy’s grinning, slightly teary look over Sally’s hunched form.

“I can’t breathe, oh my god,” Sally moaned. “I’m going to pass out.”

“Breathe, ma,” he rubbed her back comfortingly. “We need you alive for this.”

Sally ignored him. “I thought something was going on, I mean, I just knew something was going on, but I didn’t think it would be another baby, so soon.” She sat up.

“So soon?” Sally turned, directing the question at Percy like the timing was his fault alone.

He flushed, even though he knew better. “Um–”

“I’m only eight weeks,” Annabeth clarified. 

Sally laid a hand over her heart

“We just found out–I couldn’t keep it from you,” she explained, hardly knowing what she was saying. “It's a bit of a shock for us too.”

Sally looked at Percy again, but this time he laughed.

“I don’t know why you keep looking at me like that.”

“Like what?” She tried to play innocent. “Com’mere.” She held him by the shirt, bringing him down to her level for a tight hug. “I’m so happy for you guys. I love you. I love all the grandchildren you give me.”

“You know you’re the best ma/g-ma in the world.”

“Two little babies,” she crooned.

Charlie started stirring in all the commotion–light sleeper that she was–making fussy noises until her dad rounded the couch and picked her up.

“How are you feeling?” Sally had the ultrasound photos in her hands and was going through them one by one. She brushed her thumb over one image, the developing fetus curled like a lima bean.

Annabeth watched Percy with Charlie, who had decided nap time was over. She clung moodily to her dad, cheek on his shoulder, two fingers in her mouth.

“Really good, health-wise," she answered, eyes lingering on the father-daughter pair taking laps around the living room. "I’m taking things day by day.”

"That's the best thing you can do. Soak up these moments before they're all grown up." Sally followed Annabeth's gaze. "Saving the world and having their own babies."

Annabeth lowered her voice before she mentioned, "He freaked out at the transvaginal ultrasound."

Percy looked at them snorting together and groaned. "The sonographer pulled out a fucking... baton, no warning."

Sally waved him off with a laugh. "Did you cry–you know, when you heard the heartbeat?"

"Like a baby." He grinned at his wife, bouncing Charlie lightly as her eyelids began to flutter closed.

Annabeth nodded to confirm this. "I was worse though. I couldn't even ask her any questions, I was such a bawling mess."

After a long back and forth about sexes and maternity jeans and the probability of colic twice in a row, Sally eventually stood, moved by the hunger that comes with good company. She handed Annabeth her leftover breadsticks before heating her soup.

In the kitchen she leaned against the stove, watching the little family as she waited for the microwave.

Annabeth had tucked her legs up underneath her on the couch. Charlie was still fighting sleep, despite her dad's cajoling. Percy had settled into the space by Annabeth, nodding when she offered him a bite of her food.

She fed him too much at once. He angled his head away to avoid deep-throating the breadstick. She stared, fighting a grin, and he stared back, jaw working hard to chew the mouthful. He shook his head, eyes narrowing at her mischief. Hers crinkled with her smile. Then she leaned over, careful of the baby, and gently kissed him.