Ash POV

After I walked off, I headed to the edge of the woods, finding a spot near the Poseidon table, high up in a tree. I looked into the camp, and that's when I saw him.

Percy Jackson.

My brother.

Gods I missed him.

It's not like I hadn't seen him before, just, not with so much hope. Even if I didn't want to admit it, I hoped more than anything that Nico was right. I missed Percy, and, don't get me wrong, I didn't want Percy to go through that as well, but if he didn't remember me at all? I just don't think I could handle that.

I know I left them. I know I have no right to miss them the way I do, but I can't help it. I know I have these walls I put up and masks I wear, it's how you survive, but I start to crumble at the slightest thought of Sally's blue chocolate chip cookies, and I break with the memories of Percy's and my blue dessert creation.

-FLASHBACK-

I sat on the couch with Percy in our family's small apartment. It was our mother's birthday and we wanted to make something special for her while she was at work. Technically, we were both supposed to be at school, but we had gotten set home early, all I knew was that now Percy and I both had a "3 day suspension, with possible expulsion" whatever that was, and all this because the big metal bird had trapped us on the roof.

Anyway, we were sitting there, trying to think, but so far we had nothing.

"Ok, what do we know she likes?" Percy said, finally breaking the silence.

"Umm, blue, annnnnnd cookies, oh! and brownies." Percy nodded thoughtfully at my answer, pacing the room with his hand on his chin.

"But for birthdays you don't make cookies or brownies, you make cake!" He started muttering, and it didn't always make sense, so I figured I would have to get an idea on my own.

I walked to the cupboard to see what we had available to use, it wasn't like a four year old and an eight year old could go shopping, we didn't even know where the store was! I saw some brownie mix, veggie oil, sugar, vanilla, flour, powder soda, salt, sugar, blue frosting, and, of course, choco chips.

I figured it out as I rushed, and stumbled a bit i'll admit it, to the fridge to check for the rest of the ingredients.

"What is it? Where did you go?" Percy's confusion was clear in his voice as he hadn't noticed that I slipped away until I made a bit of a ruckus, which happened quite a lot. I quickly scanned the items, I was sure we had them. There they are.

"YES! Pers! Pers! I know what we should do!" I called, jumping up and down in excitement.

"I- huh?" Percy hadn't yet caught up to what I was doing.

"Just listen to me, your... curi-odd-ity will keep you... come-place-ant. Now get me the.... the... pie thingy.. oh! and preheat the oven." Percy grabbed the pie.... tin! thats what its called, and set the oven as I grabbed the other things we needed for the cookie dough, mumbling about how I wasn't allowed near the oven. I mixed up the dough, having Percy hand me things as I stood on a stool to help me reach the top of the counter.

"Ok, pie tin please."

As Percy handed it to me he said "But that's not how you bake cookies, A."

"Don't worry about it Pers, just put this on the counter and help me make the next part, do not put it in the oven." He shrugged and moved the tin away as I cleared my workspace.

"Ok, next.... the brownie mix."

"Brownie mix?"

"Brownie mix." He handed it over and I mixed up the batter. "Pers, I need the pie tin again!" He placed it on the counter in front of me and I poured the mix on top of the cookie dough, making sure to not get it on the very edge so we would have something like a cookie crust. "Perfection. Pers, oven it."

"Um, ok, so what did we make?" He asked as he put it in the oven.

"Brownie Cookie Cake!" I announced, proud of my creation.

"that sounds.... AWESOME! Mom will love it! Nice thinking, A!" I beamed at the compliment, not used to them as a four year old who couldn't seem to say in the same school for a full year.

"Now we just wait for it to bake, when is mom getting home again?"

"Ummmmm, soon? I don't remember, sorry."

"Naw, its good Pers, Lets just hope we have time to frost it."

"Yummmmmm, frosting, its blue right?"

"Of course."

-Time Skip-

The door unlocked as Mom got home, and Percy and I put the last few sprinkles on and stuck the... pie? into the fridge.

"I'M HOME!" Mom called from by the door, we rushed up to hug her.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!" We called, and Mom chuckled.

"Wow, its almost like you didn't say the same thing when you left for school this morning."

"Mom! Mom! Me and Ash made something for you! We didn't know what you liked best, so we made it all!" Percy shouted, unable to contain his excitement.

"I- that's very sweet of you two, can I see this creation of yours?" Mom said, sounding warry for some reason.

"Nope." I called with extreme certainty "Dessert is after dinner, and it won't be a surprise if we show you, now will it?"

"Ha, no, I guess it wouldn't. How am I supposed to make dinner without seeing it?"

"We got dinner covered, don't worry! It's your birthday! You should relax! Um, quick question, Mom..."

"What is it Percy?"

"How do you feel about mac and cheese for dinner?"

"Percy! Don't give away the special for tonight!" I was annoyed, but I guess he was right to ask our mom if she was good with mac and cheese, we couldn't cook much else. "Well, I guess there's no hiding it... Is mac and cheese ok mom?"

"It sounds lovely." We cheered at her response as Percy lead her to the couch to relax, she didn't want to be to far away in case something bad happened, as I started boiling the water.

The real secret to tonight was the blue dye. In this house, if you could make a food blue, you did, no matter what, that's why we only had white cheddar stuff, yellow would just make green.

The water boiled and Percy helped me pour in the mac and cheese, I was sacred of the water attacking me, but Percy loved anything to do with water. Once he tried to stick his hand in the pot while it was boiling, our mom freaked out and so he told her he wanted to know what the pasta felt like. Basically, he's and idiot.

We added the blue dye for the noodles and waited for it to cook. After it did, Percy strained it and left it in the strainer to drain while we mixed the cheese sauce together, which we of course dyed blue.

Over all, Mom tried to come into the kitchen to help us you see what we wereding about ten times, each time being escorted out by whoever was least busy.

We had dinner, all happily chatting, and then it was time for dessert.

Percy helped me light the candles, I also wasn't aloud near the lighter or matches, and I brought out the wonderful creation.

Blue cookie cake with brownie on top, topped with blue frosting and as many sprinkles we could fit on it.

"Kids!" Mom said with delight "This is amazing! Where did you find the time!" I looked at Percy and he looked back with a sad nervous look on his face, one I was sure I mirrored on my own. I grabbed a letter from my backpack and handed it to Mom.

"My teacher said to give this to you, cause we kinda got sent home early..."

"What?" Mom was confused, nervous, slightly mad, and disappointed, she knew what was coming, but me and Percy both knew that it would be ok, our mom was the best, and the only adult who ever believes us. She read the letter and calmly put it away. "How about we have some dessert and watch Ariel, and we'll talk about this tomorrow?" We both nodded our head, excited to watch Ariel and glad our mom wasn't mad at us.

- END OF FLASHBACK-

Sally was the best mom I could have ever hoped for, in all the memories I have of her, it really sounds like she loves us as her own children, both of us.

I get startled out of my day dreaming by a sharp tug that almost throws me out of the tree. I quickly recover and look down at the camp, looks like dinner has started, and my life could be about to change forever.

1533 Words