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IMPORTANT: I POSTED A DOUBLE UPDATE TODAY...MAKE SURE YOU READ CHAPTER 3 BEFORE THIS

Chapter 4

For a few moments, Percy simply stands in front of Clarisse in shock, trying to process everything she had just said. When it finally registers that she's looking at him, waiting for his response, he unfreezes and tries to put his thoughts into words.

"You did what you had to do, Clarisse. Trust me. I've been through an experience similar to that, and if I could've found the courage to do what you did, I would have. I get why you feel guilty - really, I do. But you have to understand that you had no way of knowing. Your mother never told you about her illness, and I'm sure it was done in an effort not to worry you. What happened wasn't your fault. It's just life - and it's shitty and it really sucks, but that's how it is. I hate to be the one to say this, but you know as well as I do that everything in our world happens for a reason. You were meant to kill that sorry excuse for a man. And who knows, your mom may live out her life and die of old age. Doctors get it wrong sometimes too. My point is, I know you feel like you screwed up, but you didn't, Clarisse. You did what nobody else had the courage to do. You did the right thing."

Clarisse glances down at the ground and mutters, "I don't feel like I did the right thing."

Percy steps forward, sensing her walls being rebuilt around her. He's not going to let her shut him, and everyone else, out again. Not now - now that he knows.

"I know, Clarisse. I know. But you did, and everyone knows it. Even your mom." She snaps her head up in shock and meets his gaze. "That isn't true. Don't lie to me like I'm a child, Percy. I know the truth. And that's not it."

"Except it is the truth. Deep down, your mother knows you did the right thing, but she's ashamed. She's ashamed that she couldn't do it herself, that she put you - her daughter, and a thirteen-year-old child - in that situation. She's ashamed that she even married that man in the first place. But she's doing what you have been doing your entire life. She's hiding. Hiding behind a facade. Behind the wall that she's built up against you. That's the look that you see in her eyes every time she looks at you. She's not ashamed of you. She's ashamed of herself. Of her failure as a parent - as a mother."

Clarisse's tears have returned in full force, but this time for an entirely different reason. It sounded far-fetched at first, but the longer Percy talks, the more she sees what has been right in front of her eyes for so long. She finds herself beginning to believe what he's saying.

"Talk to her, Clarisse. As soon as you can, ask to meet with her somewhere. And talk to her - about everything. Tell her what you're thinking - what you're feeling. Help her understand. Because she's probably as confused as you are. And you're very close to losing her, Clarisse - not to the cancer, but to the uncertainty, the doubt. And your mother is one person you cannot afford to lose."

And she sees it now - she really does. All this time, she's been convincing herself it was her fault, changing her entire lifestyle to try and fix something that was never even broken. She just never looked at it from a different perspective - and that's all she ever needed.

It's funny how the things we need the most in life often come from the places where we least expect them.

Overcome with emotion, she steps forward and pulls Percy into a tight hug, surprising both him and herself. After a couple seconds, she steps back and looks him in the eyes. "Thank you," she whispers quietly. "For everything."

Those two words carry so much weight, a weight that she's been carrying by herself all of her life. Maybe, she thinks to herself, it's time to let someone else share the burden.

Percy just smiles and says, "It's not a problem, Clarisse. Anytime you need to talk, I'll be there."

The corners of her mouth twitch upwards just a fraction, but on her face it is the equivalent of a mega-watt smile. Still smiling, she turns and leaves the kitchen, a lightness in her step that hasn't been there in years.

A few hours pass, and the apartment is bustling with activity. Sally is preparing the home for the Christmas dinner that she is hosting, and Percy, Clarisse, and Annabeth have decided to help out. As they rearrange furniture, decorate, and bake, Clarisse takes on a whole new look - her real personality. She is buzzing with excitement for the holiday season, and it is rubbing off on everyone. Annabeth, noticing this drastic change began after the talk that Clarisse and Percy had earlier, pulls Percy to the side to ask him about it.

All he tells her is that the talk went well and they were able to work out a lot of their problems with each other. There is one thing he says to her that sticks with her for the rest of the evening - mainly because she's pretty sure it's a Tumblr quote, but also because it rings true deep within her.

"Be kind. Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about."

They continue preparing for the guests to arrive, the quote circling around in Annabeth's head the entire time. Eventually, she decides that she needs to stop thinking so much and just enjoy the atmosphere - and, yeah, maybe she decides this after Percy turns to her and declares, "You think too much, Wise Girl. Just enjoy the ride." So what.

By the time dinner rolls around, everyone is starving. Sadly, they have a lot of guests over, so they can't dig into the food like they normally would. Instead, they each take a smaller portion (which for Percy is only half of the food on the table).

"What?" he exclaims when they stare at him as he continues to wolf down the food. "I'm a growing boy!"

"I sure hope so," Annabeth says with a snort. "All of that food has to go somewhere."

"You want to see where it goes?" Percy questions with a wink, cracking up when Annabeth throws an empty water bottle at him.

Clarisse stands off to the side, completely immersed in the holiday spirit, as she watches the two of them bicker. She can't imagine a better Christmas than this one, surrounded by people who care about her. She doesn't even mind when after dinner, no presents are exchanged.

And when Percy does complain, Sally has a comeback all ready to go.

"Christmas isn't just a holiday where you get a bunch of presents. Christmas is about coming together as a family, as a community, and enjoying each other's presence. Christmas is about celebrating the fact that you have people that love you. Christmas isn't about the materialistic gifts. It's about the gift of life. The life you have, the life of your friends, the life of your family. That's what all of this is really about. I hope you remember that."

Two days later, Clarisse is standing on one of the platforms at Grand Central Station, waiting for her train to arrive - the train that will take her back to camp. As she waits, she reminisces about her holiday - by far the best she's ever had. And to think, it was all caused by something that really doesn't even upset her that much anymore. Just goes to show that things aren't always how they seem at first glance - and maybe not even at second or third glance either. But no matter how bad things may seem, something good is coming later on down the road. Sure, life isn't always fair - but it's a balance. And that's something that you can only learn through experience.

Clarisse steps back from the platform, takes out her phone, and dials a number.

Ring

Ring

Ring

Ri-

"Hello?"

"Hey mom...can we talk?"

THE

END

A/N - Well, this is it...the end of the story. Or is it?

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Yeah, it probably is. But I may do an alternate ending if enough people want one. Just let me know. And let me know if you have any other prompts - holiday related or not - that you would like for me to do. Also, if you enjoyed this don't forget to leave a vote or comment - it really makes my day.

Happy Holidays everyone

-runwild14