A/N: Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays! I wasn't planning to update this soon, so consider it a Xmas gift. If you want to give me gifts, you can leave votes and/or comments! I finished writing it less than 5 min ago and didn't review it, so expect mistakes.

Piper's Flashback

SUNDAY, 12th February

Hearing the text alert of her phone, Piper started laughing when she read Annabeth's texts.

A: Helga woke up in a bad mood because dad messed up last night.

A: And to atone for his sins, he got pastries for breakfast

A: How could I not think of you?

Right beneath it, there was a picture of madeleines.

Do you have a love for pastries I don't know?

I like pastries every once in a while, but no, no particular love for it.

Then why is she thinking of you?

When I first met Annabeth, she was... in a bad place. Percy had gone missing and no one could find out where he was. This is bad in any circumstances, but when someone disappears from a place that should be considered their safe haven, things get serious.

I can imagine.

She was nice to me, especially when she made me realize that all my memories of Jason weren't real, that the feelings, relationship, and shared experiences were all one-sided. Imagine if Claire suddenly lost all her memories of you. Or if you discovered that you imagined the whole thing. Or worst, your godly mother had a hand in your overgrown imagination. How would you react?

You had to use Claire as an example?

I know your relationship with her is more of a sister, but I needed the intensity of your feelings. I thought I was deep in love and so was he.

But he had no idea who you were. That sounds... crushing.

How can you look someone in the eyes, someone you feel you love, who you feel is part of your life, and find no recognition in their eyes? Just an empty staring? Or worst, once they learn how you feel, and they look at you with pity? Apologizing for something that isn't either your fault.

Knowing Claire, she would apologize for not knowing how to offer me any consolation.

What is the worst? Knowing you lost something you never actually had? Being a stranger to someone you love? Being pitied by someone who doesn't really know you? Or watching the stranger you love in anguish because they didn't want to upset you, while you know they didn't do anything, that the whole problem is your own head?

Can I choose E, all of the above?

Despite having her own crushed heart – or maybe because of it – Annabeth took me to the side and gave me time to recover in privacy, away from the pitying and understanding stares.

Very nice of her.

I thought so too. She was so patient, keeping me company without pushing. For a moment, I almost prayed to be her sister.

You didn't know she was Athena's daughter?

I didn't know I was Aphrodite's.

Ah, ok.

I didn't have much time to get to know her, because right after, Leo, Jason, and I left for a quest. Annabeth was leaving to search for Percy on her own, anyway. After we came back and Jason got his memories back, his real, Roman camp memories, we figured out where Percy was, more or less. The searches for him continued, but less frequently and less desperate. Knowing Hera was the one interfering made it highly unlikely to find him, but I know they couldn't just stop searching.

If it was Claire, I would make everyone's lives hell until she was found.

Now imagine it Claire was adored by at least half the school and everyone couldn't wait to have her home.

Search parties!

Percy had several of those looking for him, each one in a different place, keeping in touch with Annabeth to make sure they were covering as much ground as possible.

I remember you said he was missing and people were looking for him, but I didn't know it was that serious.

It was that serious. But after they knew Percy was alive and likely among the Romans, waiting for us to arrive with Festus, it was like a weight was lifted of Annabeth. She wasn't light and happy, but it didn't look like she was crumbling with the weight of her worries. That's when we started becoming friends. Around a month after I became counselor when Drew was again coming for me and really being unsufferable, Annabeth dragged me outside camp. We got a Grey Sisters' Taxi to New York – by the way unless someone is literally dying and that's the only way, I'll take any other ride. I mean it, ANY other ride.

Why, suicidal drivers?

Well, their driving certainly isn't for the faint of heart, but no, my problem is their smell...

Why? Old people? Dirty people? Dead people? Dirty old dead people?

I don't know how to describe it, but it stuck. To my clothes, skin, nose. I went to bed that night after two showers and I could still smell their taxi on me.

Yuck.

Anyway, Annabeth took me to a café and since she offered, I felt bad refusing, so I got a tea and a madeleine. But like I said, I could still smell their taxi, so the madeleine didn't look all that appetizing. Annabeth clearly didn't have the same problem, because while I was gathering my courage, she finished her croissant, her mini tart, and started on my madeleine. I wasn't really bothered, so I decided to wait to see how long would she take to notice.

She ate the whole thing before noticing it, right?

Actually, we went back to camp and she still hadn't realized it, so I decided to tell her. Not to complain, just to provoke. Later that week, I saw her ignoring her breakfast while talking to her siblings, so I decided to steal it, saying she owed me. Before we realized it, it became kinda our thing.

What thing?

Stealing each other's breakfast. It's not always, otherwise it wouldn't be funny. The point is to strike when the other least expect it. And it all started with a madeleine.

You're really good friends, aren't you?

We both had trouble before keeping girl friendships, for different reasons. Which sounds weird, because, between us, it was... natural. Comfortable. She didn't consider me a threat to her popularity or her relationship like other girls. It didn't matter if I never gave them a reason to think of me like that, they just did. And I knew she didn't want anything about my father or fame or money, just wanted me to be me.

That does sound nice, I wish I had this.

You have it with Claire.

Yes and no. Claire is an absolute angel and I ADORE her.

But...

But we have known each other since forever. We have done everything together. And we met in an age where she couldn't really understand what is having a famous father. I'm not saying Claire would be this kind of girl, but by the time she could understand, we were already best friends, for her, it was something normal, which is why she told Will. She-Will, I mean.

I got that. How did she-Will react to it?

She had her fangirl moments and the 'WHY are you keeping this a secret, you could be popular' moments but understood that she either got a hold of herself or she would really annoy me. And an annoyed me meant no Claire for her, so she stopped.

Did she like Claire all that much?

Honestly, I think she liked Claire at some level in her own way, but mostly, she followed Claire like a puppy because Claire was the only one really giving her attention. She was a bit sad if I think about it. Of course, any pity I might've felt disappeared when she told Vanessa about us.

What did she tell?

About me? My father, mostly. My address, the things I had at home, the kind of gift I got for birthdays. You have NO IDEA how hard it was to get Vanessa and her clique to leave us alone.

What did you do?

I got some dirt on them. Almost literally. My clothes that night were unsalvageable; I lost my favorite jeans. And yes, I'm still salty about it.

Do I want to know what kind of thing do you have on them?

Probably not.

Does Clare know what you did?

Definitely not!

If Will told Vanessa about your father, what did she tell her about Claire?

You see, this is why I hate Will. My father's career, I understand; it IS juicy gossip, but Claire? It was about her mother. How she still sleeps with the last plushie her mother gifted her. How she sings French lullabies and cries while baking cookies on her mother's death anniversary. How sometimes she calls for her mom while sleep-talking. How her father still puts a third plate during holidays – actually, the fourth one, because I'm usually the third person. About Claire's glasses being her mother's old model with new lenses. This kind of thing.

It all sounds very sweet.

Well, Vanessa and her friends apparently thought it was all really ridiculous and just childish. They said so several times. Aloud. In a really mocking way.

What!?

I know! HOW can you mock someone for missing a parent? Vanessa isn't just annoying or arrogant, she's downright evil. Same thing for Peter's ex.

Sirena?

Yeah, the kind of rumor she spread about Jodi for no reason was just... I'm not a selfless person, I'm not kind and sweet, but even I have limits. Those two? They must feed of misery, I don't see other explanation.

Wait a second. Isn't Jodi Annabeth's friend?

Actually, she's Peter's friend. She and Annie started talking just after you arrived, so I think it's Percy and Annabeth's closeness that sparkled that friendship.

But if she's Peter's friend...

... why was he with Sirena? Beats me. He was a terrible friend, thank God Percy is setting him straight. And if you want my opinion, Jodi forgave him way too fast, but each with their own.

A knock on their door distracted them.

"Trish, you here?"

"Yes, Kenzie, come right in."

The other girl opened the door and popped her head in, looking curiously at Trish's bed covered in clothes.

"What are you doing?"

"Don't stand behind the door, come in. And to answer your question, I'm cleaning my wardrobe."

When she got closer and saw the haphazardly thrown clothes all over the bed and on the floor in random piles, Mackenzie's eyebrow rose in skepticism.

"This doesn't look like cleaning."

"Ok, Miss Critic, I'll have you know there is a logic in my apparent madness."

"Tell me."

"Ok, that pile is donations. Either I don't like it anymore, or it's too small."

Kenzie gave Piper a deadpan look.

"Trish, that looks like half of your wardrobe. When was the last time you did this cleaning?"

Who is she to judge the frequency I clean my wardrobe? She doesn't know my life or how busy I was.

You literally said this morning you had time but no patience to do it.

Yeah, but she doesn't know that.

"So maybe I haven't cleaned my wardrobe in one or five years, don't judge me so harshly. That other pile are things I use frequently; that other one is for things I still wanna use but should probably be rewashed."

I'm really happy to have found my 'I'm awake but at what cost?' shirt. I thought I had lost it.

You did lose it; inside that black hole that was your wardrobe.

Are you siding with her?

Do you think I don't know you insisted on cleaning your wardrobe while I'm still here so I'll do the manual labor and you just have to say 'donate, keep, modify'?

Well, you should pay for the rent of my body.

I'm a victim in this situation just as much as you.

Still, you're the one wh-

"And that pile?"

Piper focused back on her present, following Mackenzie's finger to the third small mountain of clothes.

"That one is the customize pile."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning I don't like those clothes as they are now but maybe if I change them a bit..."

"Like what?"

I pity those who never let it go and went crazy on their clothes. Not only it makes them more you, but it's also hella fun.

"Dying it, cutting it shorter, ripping it, adding beads, ribbons, combining two in one. It depends on the piece and my humor. I usually count on Claire's creative spark to get it done."

"Is Claire the one to push you to dress more... unusual?"

So now she's criticizing my style?

"She doesn't push me; she just helps me get it done."

"Oh. I asked because I wanted to know if she was the one behind your hair from some years ago."

My hair? I didn't do anything crazy with my hair for a while, I wonder what she's talking about.

"What are you talking about?"

Kenzie reached to her back pocket, pulling a photo and handing it to Piper.

"You said I could read any book and I found this inside one."

Oh. My. God. I thought Claire had burned that thing!

... You had dreadlocks?

It was a phase, ok? I kept them for almost a year and it took me five days to comb it out, so never again.

Why dreads?

I was listening to reggae a lot and felt like doing it. Not a good idea.

Why not? You looked good.

First of all, I was thirteen, no one looks good in pictures when they're thirteen, dreads or not. Second, I didn't know how to keep it clean, so it started to stink – I had to cut some dreads shorter than the others because there was mold starting to grow inside.

Ew.

Yeah, that's when I first had my whole randomly chopped haircut. But in the end, it flattered me, so I kept doing it. Anyway, that picture shouldn't have seen the light of day again.

"This should've been burned a long time ago."

Now that Kenzie wasn't trying to hide it, the mirth in her face was obvious.

"Why? I think you rocked it."

"Sarcasm not appreciated."

The dark-skinned girl laughed loudly.

"It wasn't sarcasm, I really think that! But you look better now, anyway."

"Well, if I had lost to my dreadlock thirteen-year-old self, I wouldn't leave the house ever again."

Mackenzie kept laughing, sitting down on Trish's bed to catch her breath, precariously keeping her balance on top of the pile of clothes.

Wow. She looks beautiful laughing.

Are you saying she wasn't beautiful before?

No. She was cute, but now seeing her laugh so freely for the first time... how could her boyfriend be such a jerk to her?

After seeing her crying and being upset for so long...

And yelling till her throat gave out, having mental breakdowns, sniffing in the corners, puking her insides out, sweating and shivering from starvation...

I get it, I was there. I was about to say it's nice to see her being happy. 

Fine, so maybe that priest wasn't terrible.

Do you think he's going to be able to ask her family for a talk?

I don't see why they would refuse their priest's invitation. Besides, if they kicked her out based on religion, their own priest saying 'that's not what you should do' should give them pause. There are so many hypocrites in the church. They say they follow Jesus but the truth is that they never understood his message. Not offering forgiveness, not understanding that sometimes people make mistakes, but that doesn't make them less deserving of love and understanding. Mackenzie didn't become a serial killer, she just got pregnant from a boyfriend who turned out to be a jerk. And she didn't want to become pregnant, it was an accident.

I remember reading a phrase somewhere, it was 'love me when I less deserve it because it's when I need it the most'.

Mackenzie's laugh slowly died down and she gave Piper a relaxed smile.

"Well, do you want some help in separating your clothes?"

"Since you've offered, yes."

After all, she should also pay for the rent of the guest room, right?

No, she's a victim of her circumstances.

And I am not!?

I offered her my guest room, I didn't offer you my body.

It's not like I chose to be stuck in your body!

You have your own body, you can go back to it if you don't like it.

You know I would've done it if I could.

I know. But it's fun to rile you up.

They spent the next five minutes sorting through the clothes, with some veiled criticism from Kenzie about too old clothes with too many holes that were kept inside the wardrobe for years. After she threw a jacket into the customize pile, Piper noticed the other girl was staring at her with an odd expression.

"What?"

"Claire is your best friend, isn't it?"

Mentally agreeing with Trish that it was a strange start for a conversation, Piper answered.

"She is."

"Is my presence ruining your friendship?"

Not really, but where is she coming from?

"What?"

"I appreciate you offering me your guest room, I really do, but I don't know if I'm putting you in a tight spot with Claire."

"What are you talking about?"

Mackenzie's eyes dropped along with her head, but her guilt was clear in her voice.

"I heard you on the phone yesterday, telling her you should postpone your girls' night. I don't want to be in your way."

Oh, so that's why! Ok, let me answer!

Be my guest.

Piper got the other girl's hand, gently squeezing it.

"Kenzie, listen. You're not getting in the way."

"But-"

"Let me finish. I love Claire, she's almost like my sister. And one thing I can tell you about her is how understanding she is. She already knows there's something going on, something that I can't tell her, and she's okay with it. We talked it out and things are okay. Maybe you changed my routine a bit, but you're not getting in the way. I canceled a girls' night, big deal. I've had hundreds of those with Claire, it really isn't important."

"You know if you want-"

A beeping alarm went off.

"... And that's dad forgetting to adjust the timer on the stove for the third time this week."

"I like your dad, he's funny."

She only thinks that because he isn't her father.

"... I suppose he is."

***

"No! No, dad, I already salted it!"

"Oh, right, I didn't re-."

"Oh! Sorry!"

Piper and their father turned to see Mackenzie leaving the kitchen in a rush. Turning back to her father, she could see a small pout forming.

Oh, my, he's feeling bad again.

I understand now that I need to adopt because my dad will never survive a pregnancy from his own daughter if this is how reacts to a girl's he's barely known.

In a lovely attempt to create a homely routine, both for him and his daughter as well as their temporary guest, Tyron tried to have as many home-made dinners as possible with the girls. Mackenzie could usually eat some bites with them, but ate most of her food reheated at odd moments of the day. However, more often than not, the smells during the cooking would send her straight to the bathroom; and Tyron's expression at every single time was similar to a kicked puppy.

"Dad, you know it's not the food you prepare, it's the pregnancy."

"I know, but I could tell garlic would upset her stomach most of the times, so I thought about not using it..."

She took the spatula from her father, moving to take over the stove from him.

"Dad, it's okay, really. You've been here for only ten days, but trust me, she's making a lot of progress from when she arrived here."

He pulled her by the shoulders for a side hug, with a kiss to the side of her head.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here to help you."

"It's okay."

But it wasn't okay. Having him away for so many months but then so close and loving was confusing. The first couple of days, it felt weird being hugged by him. It's not like Trish or Piper went without hugs for all those months. Claire was a compulsive hugger, and now Piper also had Jason by her side. She was the one doing the hugging when Will went through his first period, even if that one was accompanied by awkward shoulder pats. Meeting with Annabeth would result in at least one quick hug, usually followed by a playful push or punch to the arm. And yet, being hugged by her father was completely different. Claire would say that hugging Trish was as cozy as entering a warm bed after shower. And yet, Tyron was always warmer than her. He could be wearing only a shirt during a blizzard, but he would feel warm. And she couldn't explain, but it wasn't just his broad shoulders or the strong arms that changed the hug; Piper had received a hug by Frank in her universe and it was like being hugged by a bear.

"I got a melon for later. You still like it with raspberry sauce, right?"

"Yeah, I do. Thanks for remembering."

"Of course."

No, it was something else, something in the basic nature of his hug. Maybe it was because he was her father or maybe it was something from his essence as a person, but his hugs made her feel... exposed. Like her walls crumbled to dust; all her masks and boasting and bravado ripped to shreds, leaving her open and vulnerable. In ordinary conditions, she would hate feeling like that. One thing is to voluntarily open up, another is being stripped of any protection she might have. And yet... she didn't completely hate it. It's true that her father's hugs made her feel exposed, but they also made her feel protected. Accepted. Precious. Her legs could give out; her heart, her courage, her confidence. In his arms, everything could fail and she would still feel no fear of being harmed, kept safe in that little safe haven. And that scared them more than anything. They both wanted to enjoy their father's company, but the possibility of becoming addicted to the feeling of being hugged, loved, protected, important, just to later spend months alone prevented them from completely giving in.

"I was thinking, during the summer we could go to a park and try that slack-line I got as a gift from the crew."

Piper nodded, not raising her head to meet his eyes.

"Yeah, that sounds like fun."

"It's a shame I couldn't take you surfing when you went to visit me in Brazil."

"I really didn't mind; I would've felt bad about leaving Claire in the sand. Or worse, if she'd decided to try."

"She's a brave girl."

Piper chuckled and repeated Trish's words.

"She is, but not against waves. She would panic and hit her nose on the board, and then panic about attracting sharks."

Tyron and Piper shared a look and exploded in laughter.

Damn it, stop being so nice and making me wish for a routine I can't have.

With his charisma, is no wonder he's such a successful actor.

I know he never planned on having a daughter, but I wish I could crave for more than I have; I wish there was a chance I could get what I want, that I didn't know the disappointment was certain.

I know he started doing it to give me a better life than he had, a life filled with comforts.

Is it a better life when you need to watch your heart to not get too attached to your own father?

Watching their father set the table for three, whistling an old song, a favorite of them, Piper felt her heart squeeze in pain.

I wish I knew the right thing to do or say.

You and me both.

Flashback over, back to present

MONDAY, 13th February

"Trish, hey! Do you remember the anon with the two-lines poetry?"

Piper turned to look at Bea in surprise, her biology book halfway inside her locker. They didn't actively avoid each other outside from working on the paper, but they didn't search each other in between the classes either.

"Yes? What about them?"

"Can I check his other notes? I mean, his notes? Please!?"

What do you say?

She's acting weird, but I don't see why not?

"... Sure, I guess?"

"Where is it?"

"Wait, you want to check now?"

Bea looked at her sheepishly.

"If that's not a problem for you."

Piper kept her eyes on the redhead but didn't sense any ill feelings from the girl.

Maybe she found similar handwriting and wants to compare?

I would expect this from Claire, not Bea.

To be honest, we just met Bea, so maybe that's normal for her?

You're right.

Piper took her keychain and removed the key for the room they'd use to write the paper, handing it to Bea.

"The second drawer to the right, there's a manilla folder with the tag 'Anons'. I think maybe Claire joined all the notes from this anon with a paperclip, but I can't be sure. It's certainly in there somewhere."

The redhead stared at the key with relief, giving Piper a brilliant smile before turning to leave.

"Thanks so much! I'll check it out and then give you back the key before the next class!"

"Wait, are you skipping class to do it now?"

Bea's eyes went from Piper to the key and back to the brunette, before she gave Piper a smile that was designed to make her look more confident than she was feeling.

"Yeah, sure; it's not going to affect my grade."

She left before Piper could say anything else.

If you say so...

Maybe she could skip all her other classes and start already sorting out the confessions box.

How many last-minute confessions do you think we will find?

Oh, are we betting? Let's see... fifty-three, but only twenty... four? Yes, twenty-four will fulfill the conditions to be published.

***

Piper's eyebrows shot up when the confession she was reading went from sweet to vulgar.

Oh. Should we just... edit this out?

I don't know... editing this out doesn't change that this guy is being a pig by thinking about confessing to a girl like this. I mean, what you think in the privacy of your home is your business, but he really thought that confessing to the whole school by saying what he wants to do with her body was a nice idea? He sounds like a creep to me.

And another one to the pile.

I thought we would get some creeps, but I didn't think we would make a folder of 'creepy messages we keep in case one of the authors cross a line and the victim needs proof of their creepiness'.

"Trish, Piper, I need your help!"

Instinctively Piper rose her head and checked her surroundings. But seeing it was only her and a recently arrived Claire, she relaxed her features and stood up, walking closer to their friend.

"Fire away."

"Niel asked me on a date?"

Piper froze in surprise and stared at Claire.

... what?

Piper reran the words in her head and frowned.

"Was that a question?"

Without looking Piper in the eyes, Claire reached for the spring head dog she kept on her table, fidgeting with it in a familiar way that Piper couldn't pinpoint.

"... Maybe?"

She said no, I assume.

"Trish wants to know what did you say?"

Piper knew the answer just from the way Claire start pacing around their little office without meeting their eyes.

"Hm... yes?"

What!? WHY?

"Trish is asking why."

Claire tried to smile, but it looked more like a grimace. While Piper thought Claire was free to say yes to anyone she wanted without needing to justify her answer, she also understood the friendship between Trish and Claire was something she couldn't yet fully understand and it wasn't her place to interfere. Still, she could sympathize with Claire trying to convince Trish that saying yes to 'the pirate' was a valid course of action.

"Because he's nice?"

Trish's mental snort was as predictable as her next words.

I can think of several adjectives, none of those get even close to 'nice'.

Is he really that bad? He seems cool and he hangs around Nico.

Are you saying hanging out with your antisocial friend should be considered a good thing? Wow, they get to be weird together, fantastic!

"I mean, he even gave me flowers!"

That brought their attention to Claire, who must have seen something in their face because her too-wide smile quivered a little at the corners and the wide-open arms fell down a little.

He did!?

"He did? Where is it?"

Piper looked around, but couldn't see any bouquets lying around.

Maybe she threw it away!

Do you have to sound that hopeful?

"Well, he gave me drawings of flowers."

Claire's smile was tentative and awkward, like a child being asked to smile for a picture without any time to prepare. She had moved from the spring head dog to a pen, unconsciously picking it apart. That's when it hit Piper; Claire's nervous energy was reminding her of Leo. She smiled and shook her head in fondness for both friends.

Oh, Claire, what am I supposed to do with you?

"Can I see it?"

"Sure!"

Piper accepted the A4 drawing paper Claire was handing her, where a pencil profile drawing of Claire was surrounded by flowers painted with watercolor.

Ok, that was creative. And somewhat romantic.

Which side are you on?

Just because you don't get along with him, are you gonna isolate Claire from someone who clearly wishes her well?

"Besides! It's just a friendly date, so you don't need to be angry. That was meant for you, Trish."

I'm sorry, what?

"Claire, what do you mean it's a friendly date?"

"We're just going out as friends, it's not date-date, you know? Like the two of us do sometimes. I mean, when we do it as friends, not a couple. Not that we ever do it like a couple. You know what I meant!"

"You mean an outing?"

"Yes, that's the word! We're going on an outing."

Piper's eyes went back to the pencil drawing. She was no expert, but she had seen her fair share of both Annabeth's and Leo's projects to recognize the lines flowing and mending so effortless that indicated a practiced hand drawing the same shape for the hundredth time. It wasn't hard to realize Niel'd probably drawn Claire a LOT. And she had to admit, he captured her perfectly. Her expression was relaxed and partially distracted, with the tiny smile on the corner of her lips she always had when her mind slowed down from the hundred-miles-per-hour. She didn't know when Niel had seen Claire like this, but she was sure he had seen the same thing she did whenever Claire was like this: her friend had a natural beauty; calm, comfortable, easy, and soothing. No exotic or otherworldly beauty, just ordinary lines brought to light by Claire's bright personality.

You have to admit he did her justice.

I suppose so...

She put the drawing down on the table next to them

"Claire, I don't know what words he used, but he asked you on a date. He gave you a pencil portrait with watercolor flowers. No one does that to ask a 'friend' in an 'outing'."

"Oh, I know, but I think he gave me this for you."

Piper and Trish groaned in sync out of frustration.

Claire, darling, my sweetheart, I love you so much that I want to hit you right now.

"Claire, please explain to us why he would give you this for us."

"He knows you don't like him, so I think he gave me this so you would see he means well and just wants to be my friend; it has nothing to do with your feud."

"Claire, he doesn't care what Trish thinks. If he did, he would come groveling at our feet before asking you out."

"I think you scared him; you can be a little scary sometimes, you know?"

Him. Scared of me.

That's what she thinks.

She's so smart, but sometimes... ugh! Please tell me you have the patience to move this conversation forward without cracking her head open and just shoving the truth inside.

Piper clapped her hands once and brought them to her lips, taking a deep breath to calm down.

"Claire, darling, listen to us. That drawing has nothing to do with us. It's way too personal to have any meaning for anyone apart from you and him."

Claire's eyes moved to the drawing on the table and smiled while still looking at it.

"He's really good, isn't he? I don't know who she's supposed to be, but I liked the drawing so much that I said yes."

Wait, hold up, what!?

Piper looked at the drawing and at Claire. Yes, he had even added the mole Claire had next to her left jawline, not mentioning her glasses, which were an old model for belonging previously to Claire's mother.

"Claire, what do you mean you don't know who she's supposed to be? It's you."

"No, it's not."

Oh my God, she's gonna make me die of frustration!

"Claire, he even added your glasses."

Piper regretted insisting when she saw the flash of pain over Claire's face.

"Piper, or Trish, I don't know who is speaking right now, but I know how I look like, and I know I don't look that beautiful."

Oh my. Sometimes I want to shake her hard to see if all the good she sees in others could be distributed to her self-esteem because that's not the first or even third time that she makes me that frustrated.

Deciding it was not the time to continue this argument, Piper just nodded and gestured to the pile of confessions they still had to sort out.

"Either way, do you want my help to prepare for your friendly-date?"

Claire's smile was as bright as ever.

"I'd love to! It's going to be this weekend."

"Where are you going?"

"He said it's a surprise. And you know I love surprises."

Piper covertly rolled her eyes at Claire's innocence, but didn't say anything,

Friendly-date is one of the most ridiculous things I ever heard.

Do you think Claire is so conditioned into thinking she's not date-material that even if he said date, she inserted the 'friendly' by herself?

Hm... if I have to guess, she was so confused about being asked out that she entered a state of shock and he chickened out and said it was 'as friends'.

Niel. Chickened out? I thought we knew from experience he doesn't back down.

Ah, but we're talking about Claire. And it appears that that despicable sealion is smitten with her.

***

When Bea arrived a couple of minutes later, she moved towards Piper to ask for her share but stopped halfway next to Claire's table when she saw Niel's drawing still resting on top. She picked up for a better look, admiration clear on her face.

"Claire, who drew this?"

"A friend."

Piper rolled her eyes.

"She means her new friend who asked her out on a friendly-date."

Bea's eyes left the portrait to raise an eyebrow at Piper.

"What's a friendly-date?"

Leaning back on her chair, Piper kept her stare trained on Claire, who was pretending she didn't feel her friend's eyes on her.

"Apparently, it's a simple outing as friends. Even though he gave her that portrait when he asked her."

The redhead's attention went back to the said portrait, carefully observing every detail.

"Just a date then? Not a boyfriend?"

Claire's voice was barely a squeak, her cheeks flaming red.

"A boyfriend!?"

Bea nodded, still not taking her eyes from the drawing.

"I thought you had a secret boyfriend I didn't know about."

Claire looked at her best friend with a comical expression of shock, but Piper latched onto Bea's honesty.

"Why would you think he's a boyfriend?"

Bea stared at Piper in disbelief, turning the drawing towards Piper like seeing it again would make the answer obvious.

"Well, exhibit A."

Well, at least we know she doesn't need glasses.

Piper smirked at a still shocked Claire.

"He likes to drawn, from what I know."

"I'm not talking about the quality, but the... light?"

"What do you mean?"

Piper didn't know if Bea had caught on to her plan, but she answered anyway.

"Well, from what I can see, he sees Claire in a more... intense... light that I'd expect for an ordinary date. He clearly spent a lot of time observing her to drawn this expression. I haven't seen it yet, it looks really relaxed, the kind of expression you would only show around people you're really comfortable with. The amount of care that went into this... my guess is that he's already halfway in love with her."

I don't think we need to go there yet!

Claire slapped both hands on her table in protest, her blush now down to her neck.

"That's absurd! Niel is not in love with me!"

Bea's jaw dropped in shock, staring at Claire like she was seeing her for the first time.

"Niel? Like Niel Niel? He's the one? Damn, I know at least half a dozen that would kill to be in your place. Me included."

Seriously, what do they see in him?

Choosing not to dwell on Bea's last sentence, Piper crossed her arms and kept her eyes on Claire for her next question.

"Bea, who do you think is in the drawing?"

"What do you mean?"

"Who is the girl in the picture?"

"Are you blind? It's obviously Claire."

Claire threw her head back, groaning.

"Not you too! It's not me."

Bea blinked in stunned silence, before shaking her head to gather her focus.

"What do you mean it's not you? Why would your date give you a drawing of another girl?"

Claire sighed, clearly not happy to be back in the same argument.

"I don't think it's another girl, I think it's an ordinary drawing, not someone in specific."

The redhead looked at Piper for an explanation, but she only had a shrug as an answer.

"Claire... it has your glasses."

"She thinks it's not her because the girl in the drawing is beautiful and she's not."

The silence stretched while a bewildered Bea looked between Claire, uncomfortable and shy, to Piper, who had a deadpan expression to confirm that she'd heard right, to the portrait still in her hands.

".... What!?"

A/N: I got to explore Piper and Trish's feelings both towards her friendship with Annabeth (there is more I will hopefully insert), Jason at the beginning, she-Will, and their father. Which part was your favorite? Did I soften any Piper-hater's heart?