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Jelly tarts – A PJO fanfic ft. Athena and Estelle
Parties weren’t exactly Athena’s forte. She didn’t enjoy them like most other people did. Usually what would end up happening was that everyone would be standing in their own little groups and she would stay to the side, sipping a cup of nectar. She didn’t exactly have a group to belong to and she was often too emotionally drained to pretend she was one of them, like she might have centuries ago. Instead she let her gray eyes wander over the people attending the small gathering for Annabeth’s birthday. Most of them were mortals she noticed. Other than Poseidon she seemed to be the only deity present. He wasn’t exactly her favorite person for a some small talk or any talk for that matter. Athena wasn’t exactly interested in discussing the hustle and bustle of mortal life with people who didn’t even know she was Annabeth’s mother, let alone any other subject. She sighed as she watched Poseidon make small talk with Paul. She had to admit, she was surprised the former hadn’t turned the latter into a shish-kebab just yet. The sea god seemed to take rather well to the English teacher, despite the them practically being opposites. Athena’s theory was that Poseidon likely saw Paul was very good for Sally and Percy. Estelle, daughter to Paul and Sally, was the living proof of their blooming relationship. That and Poseidon probably didn’t find him very threatening. The wisdom goddess took a sip of her drink, champagne today, inspecting the rest of the crowd. Annabeth seemed engrossed in a vibrant conversation with Sally and Piper. She decided it would be best not to impose on the trio and thus refrained from interrupting.
Pssst...
Athena’s senses picked up on a presence nearby. A hint of a whisper, just loud enough for her to hear.
“Could you pass me a jelly tart?”
What? The goddess looked around herself. There was no one near enough who could have asked such a thing.
“Do I look like a waiter to you?” She asked the suspicious voice.
If she could keep whoever it was talking, she could locate the voice and thus the person who it belonged to.
“Well, no… But you’re closer to them than I am. Soooo…”
“So?”
“My mom says you should always try to be the reason someone believes in the goodness of people,”
Athena rolled her eyes at the comment, deciding to ignore it. She had noticed the voice seemed to come from underneath the table she was standing next to.
“Perhaps if you want your jelly tart you should come from underneath this table? Independence is a good thing to learn,”
By now she had recognized who was underneath the table.
“Orrr you could just give it to me and we can continue to live our lives,”
The invisible person countered.
"Now you’re starting to make sense,” Athena mumbled, knowing they would hear.
She let her gaze roll over the attendants again, making sure no one was paying any attention to her or what she was about to do, before crouching down. Part of her felt self-conscious, wondering just how ridiculous she looked. Pride was a fickle thing, especially for gods. Athena was no exception. Embarrassment at a party full of mortals would be more than she could handle. She lifted the table cloth just high enough to peak underneath. Sure enough, an eight year old Estelle broadly smiled back at her.
“Caught me,” The little girl grinned.
“I really need to stop meeting Jackson kids underneath tables,” Athena muttered.
“What does that even mean?” Estelle wondered.
“Never mind,”
“Does this mean you’ll give me the jelly tart?”
The wisdom goddess couldn’t help but smile at the adorable sight. The few drops of jam on Estelle’s shirt and the crumbs in the corners of her mouth suggested she had already had a couple of them.
“Why are you even under this table Estelle?” She asked instead of answering the girl’s question.
“I’m hiding from my mom,”
Athena raised a brow. Estelle could be very clingy when it came to Sally. The fact that she was actively hiding from her mother made alarm bells ring in her head.
“Why is that?”
“She told me I couldn’t have any more jelly tarts,” Estelle admitted, a guilty expression on her face.
“Ah, so therefore you ask me?”
Estelle smiled sheepishly at the goddess in front of her.
“Promise you won’t tell?”
Athena glanced over her shoulder towards where Sally was still engrossed in conversation.
“Promise,” She stated.
“Pinky swear?”
Estelle held out her pinky, clearly expecting something from the wisdom goddess.
“What is a pinky swear?”
It wasn’t often Athena didn’t know something, but contemporary social gestures were entirely foreign to her. Especially those used by youth and children. She didn’t have much use for them, so why would she waste her time learning them? She had at least a dozen much more important and more pressing matters to tend to.
“A pinky swear is the most sacred promise someone can make,” Estelle explained.
The wisdom goddess suppressed a snort. Sacred huh? Not in any pantheon or religion she was aware of. Yet Estelle seemed dead serious. She looked adorable as she mustered a cute, focused scowl to prove just how serious she was. The jam on her shirt and the crumbs on her face weren’t aiding her resolve.
“Ah, like an oath in Styx’s name then,” Athena summarized.
“I don’t know who that is, but it’s probably even more serious than that,”
“Naturally,”
Athena figured she might as well humor the little girl. It’s not like she had anything better to do. For once no one seemed to be in a direct need for her attention or advice. No one except this little child that was.
“So you’ll swear?” Estelle asked eagerly.
“I will, but you will have to explain me how to fulfill this sacred oath of yours,”
“You hook your pinky in mine and just say ‘I swear’,” The little girl explained.
It was such a small gesture, yet worth so much. The simplicity was nearly ludicrous, yet for some reason Athena felt more bound to this promise with a mortal child than any oath she had ever sworn in Styx’s name. The goddess was almost convinced Estelle’s disappointment would be much worse than any punishment Styx could dish out. Estelle held out her pinky again for Athena to take. This time she knew exactly what she was expected to do. Athena hooked her pinky in Estelle’s.
“I swear,” They said simultaneously.
It must’ve been quite a funny sight. Athena’s long finger, rough from years of warfare and working behind a loom, intertwined with Estelle’s small, smooth pinky.
“Can you hand me one now?”
Before Athena could reply a call ruptured through their conversation.
“Estelle!” Sally called out.
The little girl groaned.
“I don’t want to go. I still want my final jelly tart,” She pouted.
In a split second a plan started forming in Athena’s mind. It took shape as she let her gaze ping pong between Sally, who seemed to wonder where her daughter had wandered off to and Estelle.
“I have an idea on how to get you that jelly tart, but you’ll have to trust me,”
Estelle nodded eagerly. A jelly tart seemed to be all the encouragement she needed. Athena let the table cloth fall back in front of the little girl, hiding her in plain sight. Just then Sally walked up to her.
“Sorry to bother you lady Athena, but I was wondering if you might have seen Estelle? She seemed to have ran off somewhere and I have no idea where she is hiding,”
“Unfortunately I have not seen her,” She informed the slightly worried mother in front of her.
“Perhaps she is with Bobby and Matthew? I believe I saw them running into the house earlier," Athena offered.
Meanwhile behind her back, her hand reached for the tray of jelly tarts. It was hardly the most strategically challenging plan she had ever come up with, but sometimes deception and distraction were the most effective. Not all plans needed to be complicated.
“Mhm yes, thank you lady-“
“Athena is fine,”
Sally smiled and gave a nod.
“Of course. Thanks for the hint Athena,”
With that Sally continued her search for her daughter and disappeared in the direction of the house. The wisdom goddess retrieved her hands from behind her back, a jelly tart in each. She crouched down next to the table again.
“So one jelly tart right?” Athena asked.
A small hand reached out from underneath the table cloth. The goddess piled both tarts in the tiny hand. The hand disappeared again. It was followed by a not so subtle gasp. A moment later Estelle rushed from underneath the table and flew around Athena’s neck.
“You’re the best!” The little girl proclaimed.
“I wouldn’t say that,” The wisdom goddess said, patting her back.
Later that evening, after Estelle had happily enjoyed her jelly tarts and Sally had found her, Athena overheard a conversation between Estelle, Annabeth and Sally. She was about to leave, but she didn’t just want to flash away without saying her goodbyes to Annabeth and Percy. She almost interrupted them, but caught herself just before entering the room. Instead opting to respectfully wait and maybe eavesdrop a little.
“Annabeth, your mom is the best,” Estelle said, holding her dad’s hand.
She was clearly exhausted from her eventful day, but too proud to let her father carry her.
“Oh really?” Annabeth chuckled.
“Why is that?”
“She’s just really cool,” Estelle offered.
It was beyond clear the girl wasn’t telling them something, but nothing they tried could coax the words from her mouth.
“She played with me today.”
Annabeth seemed shocked at the revelation.
“Who played with you?” Percy asked, joining in after saying goodbye to some other guests.
“Estelle and my mom,” Annabeth said.
Percy’s jaw hit the floor. To Athena that look alone was priceless. If anything it made her feel a little smug. She enjoyed being unpredictable and mysterious.
“What did you play?” Annabeth asked, recovering from her initial shock.
“I can’t tell you,” Estelle stated.
“We made a pinky promise. Those are sacred you know.”
The adults all gave a light hearted chuckle and from her place in the doorframe Athena smiled as well. After saying their goodbyes Annabeth and Percy saw the Jackson-Blofis family out. Estelle still waved back. Percy thought she waved at him, but in reality the little girl was waving at the goddess behind her big brother, who gave a wink in return.