𝑥𝑣𝑖

                                    

                                          
For the record, Annabeth's dad was a perfectly nice guy. And let that record also show that Ash was perfectly aware he was a perfectly nice guy. However, that didn't stop her from holding a little grudge for the man's general neglect and incompetence in raising a demigod daughter. That ALSO isn't to say he wasn't trying now, for the record.
	"Ash, my dear!" He said enthusiastically, throwing the door open after she'd knocked. The others, not having met Dr. Chase before, all took a step back; he was wearing an old-fashioned aviator's cap and these goggles that made his eyes look HUGE.
	"What are you doing here?" he asked, ushering everyone in without question. "Are you delivering my airplanes?"
	"No, Dr. Chase, I'm not sure why I would have your airplanes," Ash said. "Which ones are you missing?"
	"The Sopwith Camels. I'm down three."
	"Dam."
	"Ash," Percy whispered, elbowing her in the ribs urgently. This was not what they'd come here for.
	"Right, sorry," she said a little sheepishly. Dr. Chase was one of the only people she'd met that vibed on her frequency of ADHD, so it was easy for them to distract each other. "Sir, we came about Annabeth. It's important."
	But before he could say anything, a little boy screamed from the other room. "Dad! He's taking apart my robots!"
	Ash broke into a grin, striding into the living room. "Bobby! Stop taking apart your brother's robots!" Dr. Chase called absently after her.
	"I'm Bobby," the little boy whined. "He's Matthew!"
	"Well, Matthew, stop taking apart Bobby's robots or you're going to get it!" Ash's teasing voice was followed by a series of delighted shrieks. The group came to stand half in the doorway of the living room to see the daughter of Thanatos holding one small, cackling toddler upside-down by the ankle with another attached to her leg like a baby koala.
	"She's rather good with them, isn't she?" Dr. Chase said fondly.
	The two older girls cracked a smile, Zoë for perhaps the first time since Bianca died, while Percy took in the scene with an odd sort of look on his face. He was confused. After hearing Annabeth gripe about her family for the past 2 years, he kind of expected them all to have devil's horns. But the house was warm and homely, Dr. Chase seemed nice, and her little brothers were... adorable. Especially with Ash holding them and smiling so widely he couldn't help the corners of his mouth lifting too. Then there was the "evil stepmother," who had just walked in, also looking spectacularly nice.
	"Honey? What's all the... oh, Ash, we weren't expecting you!"
	"Ashy's here Ashy's here!" the two little boys chanted.
	"Hi Mrs. Chase. It's nice to see you again," Ash said, flipping Matthew the right way over and holding him normally against her hip.
	"You too, darling, you too. And who are your friends?"
	"Oh," Dr. Chase said. "This is..." He stared at the rest of them blankly.
	"Frederick," the woman chided. "You forgot to ask them their names?"
	They all introduced themselves before Dr. Chase brought the focus back to why they were really here. "My love, they came about Annabeth."
	Percy examined Mrs. Chase warily, expecting her to go nuts at the mention of her stepdaughter, but she just pursed her lips and looked concerned. "All right. Why don't you all get comfortable, and I'll bring some food."
	They settled themselves around the coffee table, which was covered in both Legos and important-looking papers and maps. Zoë picked one up as she sat perched on the arm of Thalia's chair. "The German lines were further from the river," she stated, laying it back on the table.