Hey guys! It's been a while since I've added to this story, so I thought I'd grace you all with my presence and an update.

As many people have pointed out to me by now, Percy's sister's name, as mentioned in Ship of the Dead, is Estelle, not Maya. However, I wrote Nine Months, the original inspiration for this story, long before the idea of Percy's sister was even canon. So I will be sticking with Maya because I love her and these one-shots. And that's that.

This is a bit different than most of the drabbles for this story, a bit sadder, but I'd imagine Percy leaving for college would be hard on a toddler-aged Maya and I thought I'd try my hand at writing it. As always, I hope you like it.

Percy is 20.

Maya is 3.

Maya had been clinging to me for almost three hours now. And with every second that passed, my heart grew a little heavier at the prospect of the impending goodbye.

There would be a lot of tears, and I couldn't guarantee they'd all be from my little sister.

Currently I sat at the kitchen table, my sister in my lap with her head against my shoulder while my mom fussed. Annabeth was in another room somewhere, probably finishing with last minute packing and making sure we had everything we needed.

We were leaving in a matter of minutes now for our third year of school in New Rome and Maya was not happy about the prospect. She was old enough now to understand that it would be a while before we'd return. She'd sauntered over to me after I showered and dressed this morning and had linked her arms around my neck in a vice grip as soon as I lifted her up. She hadn't let me go since—I'd had to plead with her just to let me use the bathroom an hour ago.

After the grueling cross-country drive we'd made to New Rome the first time, the prospect of having to endure that every few months had been enough to make me consider going somewhere closer for school, but Nico was back and forth between the camps often enough that he offered to Shadow Travel us as needed, and thank the gods he did. The new semester wasn't set to start for another few days, but he was planning to go today, so we'd taken him up on the offer. It would give us some time to settle in anyway.

I'd spent this summer between camp and home, and after so many months of being so close, I'd honestly gotten attached to seeing Maya and my parents whenever I wanted. I tended to stay a few days at one place and then switch. Sometimes Annabeth came with me, sometimes she didn't. I'd spent the last full week at home though. She'd joined me here yesterday.

When Maya was born, the guest bedroom in my parents' apartment had gone to her, so when Annabeth stayed over she technically didn't have her own space. It had never caused much of a problem though as she usually just stayed with me. My parents didn't mind, not when during those first months after the Giant War, the only way we'd been able to sleep at night was with each other. Nothing beyond that ever happened and no one questioned it.

Anyway, she'd arrived yesterday after lunch and had been shooting glances and hidden smiles in Maya's and my direction all morning. She'd always found my relationship with my sister to be just about the cutest thing ever, and I knew she found no small amount of amusement in my current predicament. I didn't mind, though. Second to Annabeth and maybe my mom, Maya was my favorite person in the world, little as she was. And I was going to miss her like crazy.

She didn't seem to mind the current topic of conversation, boring as it undoubtedly was to her three-year old ears. She entertained herself twirling the beads on my camp necklace around my neck and was apparently intent on hanging on to me until the bitter end. "Hopefully you'll be able to adjust to the time zone a bit before your classes start," my mom was saying, finishing packing the lunch she was sending us with. "California's three hours behind here, so you'll probably feel it worse tomorrow morning."

"We'll be alright," I assured her.

Annabeth appeared then. She stuck her phone in her back pocket as she walked. "Nico just called," she announced, looking at me, "He said he's fifteen minutes out. I told him we'd meet him in the parking lot."

"No," Maya whimpered, the first sound she'd made in a few minutes, and curled further into me. She held the material of my T-shirt in a tight fist.

My mom had asked Annabeth a question I didn't hear and the two now left the room together, talking. Something about picture frames. Paul moved to follow them, but I caught the look he sent my way and couldn't help but wonder if he too had noticed his daughter's reaction and was leaving me alone to talk to her.

I almost wished he hadn't. Then I could go on pretending I wouldn't have to make my baby sister cry today. Instead I took a deep breath and ran a hand through her soft curls. "Maya," I said gently.

"Don't go," she said into my T-shirt, "I want you to stay."

I sighed. "I know, Buggie. I want to stay too. Believe me."

"Then don't go."

"I have to."

"No," she squeaked, her voice breaking on the word.

"Don't cry," I begged, squeezing her, "Hey. Hey, look at me." With some effort, it seemed, she pulled back to do so; big blue eyes bright with tears and bottom lip wobbling just slightly. "Don't cry," I said again, brushing her hair from her face.

"Why d'you have to go?" she asked miserably.

"I have to go to school, Buggie. Far away in California."

"But I go to school and it's not far away. I come back after and stay with Mommy and Daddy here. Why can't you do that? You can go to school with me." The hope that flared in her eyes at the idea nearly broke my heart clean through.

I sighed again. "I can't go to school with you, Buggie," I told her.

"Why?" she asked, tears flowing again.

"Because I'm too old," I told her simply, "They won't let me in."

"I'll tell them to," she offered, "We can pay them."

I couldn't help the laugh of surprise that slipped free at that. "I can't, Buggie."

"Because you don't want to?"

"No," I said quickly, "No, Maya, I'd love to go to preschool with you. But I'm already in the middle of school in California. And all my stuff is there, all my books and clothes I didn't bring back here. So I have to go there."

"And you can't come back everyday when you're done?" Her lip trembled again.

"I wish I could," I said, "I wish I could come see you every day after school, but it's too far away. I have to live there."

"But I miss you," she protested, crying in earnest once more, "I hate your school that takes you away!"

"Shh, don't say that, Maya," I said, trying for sternness. Maya only looked at me, tears still leaking from her eyes. I sighed once more. "I miss you too, Buggie. All the time. But you can call me or talk to me on the computer, right? And I'll be back to visit you."

"When?"

"I dunno, Thanksgiving?"

"When's that?"

"A few months."

"That's a long time!"

"Maybe before that," I offered, "We'll have to see if Nico can bring me back some weekend for you, okay?"

"Before a few months?"

"Yeah, maybe like one month."

"That's a long time too," she said, still pouting. I suppose at once point in my life, a month had seemed like an eternity to me too.

"Only four weeks," I told her.

She looked to consider this as if it wasn't the same amount of time. I might have found it funny had she not looked so pathetic. "I don't want you to leave," she said weakly again.

"I know," I replied, moving to stand. She wrapped her arms tightly around my neck once more, as inclined to leave as ever, but she let me stand up. I carried her to the living room, where my family was waiting. My mom and Annabeth were still talking and rummaging through bags, maybe searching for something or double-checking them. We'd packed light—it was hard to Shadow Travel with tons of stuff.

Shifting Maya to one arm and bracing her against my hip, I grabbed a waiting bag off the floor and managed to shoulder it on my free side. "Maya," Paul said, coming by and reaching out a hand as if to take her, "Come here. Let your brother get his stuff together."

Maya's answering shriek was ear splitting—especially considering that it was, in fact, next to my ear. "NO!"

I winced and shook my head at my stepdad. "It's okay," I told him, "I'm okay. Just…" I glanced beside me, "Can you grab that?" I nodded at my nearby suitcase.

Paul sighed in resigned disapproval. "Yeah, sure."

My mom stepped out and I glanced up to see Annabeth's eyes on us, on Maya. My sister was still crying quietly despite our chat. I could feel her tears moistening the fabric of my T-shirt. Annabeth's eyes met mine then and she offered a sad smile. I just held her gaze.

My mom reappeared behind me, the food she'd prepared for us—and Nico—in one hand. She ran her other through my hair, pausing beside me. I glanced at her and saw sadness reflected in her own eyes. I knew she hated my leaving just as much as Maya did. Ignoring the heaviness in my own heart, I raised the corner of my mouth in a smirk. She smiled back, the action not meeting her eyes, and then sighed lightly at Maya. My sister, her head resting once more on my shoulder, watched as our mom smoothed her brown hair as well. Maya, not yet forced to leave my arms, allowed it. Her tears continued to fall. My mom sighed again and reached up to kiss my cheek. "Can we walk you out?" she asked.

I nodded. "Yes, please."

She nodded back and looked between us. "Do you have everything?" she asked. After an exchanged glance, Annabeth and I confirmed that we did.

"Alright, let's go then," Paul said, lifting the suitcase he was manning for me.

Maya cried harder as we left the apartment and made our way down to street level. "It's okay, Buggie," I said to her as we went, trying in vain to comfort her. It was no use.

Nico was rounding the corner just as we stepped outside. He waved when he saw us. Annabeth hugged him when he reached us, setting her own suitcase down temporarily to do it. My mom moved forward to greet him too. "Hey, Ms. Sally," he said.

"How are you, honey?" she asked him.

"I'm good," he said with a smile, "Busy."

"That's what I like to hear." She handed him the covered plate. "This is for the three of you. Just some egg salad. I thought you might need some lunch before your meeting."

"That's great, actually," Nico said, grinning, "Thanks." His gaze fell on me then. "Someone's not happy," he commented, eyeing my sister.

"Yeah, she's having kind of a rough time," I said, readjusting my grip on her.

Nico's gaze turned sympathetic as he looked between us. "Well, we kind of have to go, but if you need a minute…"

"Unfortunately," my mom said gently, "Another minute won't make much difference." I knew she was right, even as my heart clenched at the thought of leaving.

As if on cue, goodbyes commenced. My parents hugged Annabeth and me goodbye, doing so around Maya's death grip on me. When she stepped out of Paul's embrace, Annabeth crossed to me. "Bye, Maya," she said to my sister, laying a hand on my arm as she looked at her, "I'll miss you."

Maya was crying as hard as ever. "Bye," she offered weakly around a sob.

"Can you give Annabeth a hug?" I prompted her.

She nodded after a slight hesitation and leaned forward to do so, though she kept a fistful of my shirt gripped firmly in one hand for good measure. Annabeth hugged her with a tender look in my direction. When she let go, my time for procrastinating had run out. "Alright, Buggie," I murmured, jostling her gently for emphasis, "Time to let go."

"No," she cried.

"Come on, you have to," I told her.

"I don't want you to leave."

"I know. Remember what I told you though? I'll be back. I'll come visit soon." She didn't say anything and did not seem inclined to let go. I looked to my watching parents for help.

"Maya, you have to let him go," Paul said firmly but gently, stepping forward, "Come on."

"No," she cried, drawing out the syllable.

"Come on, sweetheart," he said softly, "Come here." Maya, her lip trembling, looked up at me. I nodded down at her.

I saw the reluctant decision she made to cooperate in her eyes and when she leaned in again, it was for one last hug. "Love you, Maya," I whispered, squeezing her. When I let her go, she allowed Paul to take her from me, and though her tears still fell relentlessly, she allowed her daddy to comfort her as I stepped away.

My mom offered me one last hug. "I love you, Percy," she said, "Be safe."

"I will, Mom," I managed around the surprisingly large lump that had taken up residence in my throat, "I love you too." She smiled and that was that. She joined Paul and Maya, and the three of them moved back toward the apartment building.

Annabeth's hand slipped into mine as I turned to face the waiting son of Hades. "Ready?" he asked with only a trace of awkwardness.

I nodded. "Yeah, let's go." We followed him to an empty, shadowed part of the lot.

Half a minute later, the three of us, along with our bags, appeared from a shadowed corner of the Caldecott Tunnel entrance to Camp Jupiter. And for the next fifteen weeks anyway, I was home.

Thanks for reading!