This one is short (I actually wrote it in a little over an hour...)

-Jaz

~~~~

My Girls (Part Three)

Twelve Years Later

"I can't do this."

"Yes you can."

"No I can't."

"All you have to do is walk then stand there, Dad."

"I can't do this!" Luke shouted to no one walking back and forth. "She's my little princess!"

"You're so sappy, you know that?" Thalia asked  stepping in front him with her arms crossed.

"Never marry, Thalia. Never," Luke told her grabbing her shoulders.

"I'm pretty sure you're freaking Percy out," Thalia responded quietly pushing his hands away. "He knows that if you walk out on this wedding so will Annabeth."

Luke glanced behind to him to see Percy watching him clearly nervous.

Luke sighed. "She's my little girl."

"And my little sister. Now as the maid of honor and chief of staff of Dad control I have other things to do," Thalia stated glancing in a mirror as she adjusted her short gray dress. "Don't throw another tantrum while I'm gone," she told him before walking out the cabin.

Luke looked back to Percy. "Sorry," he said rubbing the back of his neck. "You know I like you and all it's just..."

Percy nodded but Luke could see he was still freaked out. Percy swallowed, "Yeah."

~~~~

Luke pulled at his collar nervously as Annabeth approached him a shaky smile on her face.

"You still agonizing over every detail?" Luke asked her as she took his arm.

"What if it doesn't go perfectly?" Annabeth asked him. 

Luke gave her a small smile and opened his mouth to respond before he closed it again. "Before I answer that, answer these questions first: is everyone you really wanted to be here?"

"Yes, but-"

"You look great in that dress, true or false?"

"True..."

"Do you like the cake?"

"It looks good."

"Those are simple things. None of those even matter," Luke told her as they walked out of the cabin. "The real question is do you love Percy?"

Annabeth nodded. "Yes."

"Then who cares if things don't go the way you planned?"

Annabeth smiled up at her father and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. "Come on. I have an aisle to walk down."

Luke smiled back as they continued walking through the old summer camp where Annabeth and Percy had met. "That's my girl."

They walked in silence as they came closer to the farm house. Luke could hear the music playing as they walked. Soon enough he could see chairs and people sitting as they waited. The people rose and beside him Annabeth took a deep breath. As they got nearer and nearer to them Luke's heart beat faster and faster thudding in his chest. In just a short while his little girl would no longer be his Annabeth Castellan. She was now an adult going on with her life without him. Even though it had been years since she had gone off to college, since she had moved out, and he had been a wreck then too but now it was so much worse.

Annabeth's grip tightened on his arm as they started down the actual aisle. Luke glanced at her to find her smiling and looking confident in her fitted white dress. Her blonde hair had been masterfully put up and make up sat on her face. She was truly a woman now.

Luke looked forward as he came closer to the farmhouse steps where Percy stood. Suddenly Luke felt something wet on his cheek and it wasn't until a guest pointed it out, that he realized he had been crying.

Finally he reached the steps.

He turned to Annabeth who wiped away his tears. Luke smiled at her and gave her a kiss on her forehead. "I'm so proud of you," he whispered. "I love you."

Annabeth nodded. "I love you too, Dad."

Luke stepped back and let her walk to Percy. Luke stepped away and he watched as the ceremony continued.

~~~~

The rest of the ceremony was a blur. Next thing he knew his daughter had kissed her groom and the officiant said, "Now presenting- for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Percy Jackson!"

Luke clapped along with everyone else and leaving the spot of the ceremony.

He followed as pictures were taken and he was happy to get some with Annabeth, and then Annabeth and Thalia, but he then stepped away to let her take pictures with her friends before the group shot.

"I'm proud of you, Dad," Thalia said coming up next to him and handing him a drink she must've taken from the cocktail hour.

"What for?" Luke questioned.

"You didn't cry half as much as I thought you would."

Luke rolled his eyes and took a sip of his drink.

~~~~

"Well it's good to see all those lessons paid off," Annabeth laughed as she danced with Luke.

"Those lessons were torture," Luke groaned. "But at least it's over now."

"You know you were right."

"I often am."

"Sure. But, I meant about things being perfect," Annabeth said. "Everything has been well perfect. Thanks for calming me down earlier."

"I'm your father it's what I do," Luke smiled. "Now, I think we've danced long enough." He said letting go of her to wave Percy over. "I think it's time you finally dance with your new husband."

Annabeth pulled Luke into a hug before starting to dance with Percy and Luke walked off the dance floor.

"They grow up so fast, huh?" Bianca asked him with a smile as Luke sat down at his table.

"Yeah," Luke said watching Annabeth with a fond smile.

"I kinda can't wait until Thalia gets married," Ethan commented. "You'll probably walk in with a shotgun in hand."

"Thalia won't have a wedding," Zoë corrected. "If she ever gets married she'll elope to avoid Luke's wrath."

"I'm not going to kill a guy unless he hurts one of my girls," Luke said matter of factly.

"You looked ready to decapitate my son when you met him," Sally laughed.

"I wasn't going to kill him without good reason," Luke promised her. "He never gave me one, you did good with him."

"Thank you," the woman replied looking at her son. "You certainly did good with Annabeth. The two of them are perfect for each other."

"Hope so. If things don't go well we can't afford another wedding," Paul commented.

Luke laughed and raised his glass and he Paul clinked them together. "Agreed."

"Please," Bianca said rolling her eyes. "You'd do anything for her. And Paul I know you do anything for Percy."

Paul sighed. "What we do for our children."

Luke nodded and glanced back out to the dance floor where the couple shared a kiss. "Yeah, what we do for them."

~~~~

"When Annabeth told me she wanted me to give a speech I was flattered, and I immediately had a ton of ideas. But then she gave me some rules..." Luke started looking out at all the people sitting and looking over to his youngest daughter who groaned. "The first rule was: no embarrassing stories. And as soon as she said that I lost every idea I had." People chuckled and Luke shrugged. "But I love my daughter so I promised to not say anything about how adorable she was, or how she used to refuse to wear clothes, or how she wouldn't get out of the bubble bath until she popped every bubble," Luke paused and gave his blushing daughter a wink. "The second rule she gave me was not to be sappy, the third was not to brag about her.

"That one caught me off guard," Luke admitted. "I mean I'm her father. Aren't I supposed to brag about my valedictorian, master degree wielding little girl?" At this people cheered for Annabeth who's face had only become a deep shade of red. "But in all seriousness, I'm proud of her. And more than anything I want her to know that. I didn't keep her in line, she kept me in line and I attempted to keep my other daughter, Thalia in line- and I say attempted because she was diagnosed with rebellion at the tender age six years old, and her condition has never improved." People laughed again and Luke looked to Thalia who raised her glass at him in reply.

"I honestly don't know where I'd be without Annabeth," Luke said with a smile. "I remember years ago things had gotten bad and she cheered me up and then I asked what I'd do without her," Luke gave a slight chuckle at the memory. "She told me that I would've forgotten many birthdays and special events. I then responded saying that the question was rhetorical." Once again people chuckled. "So after all of this has happened I'm not truly sure what it is I'm worried about. Annabeth can handle herself. I paid for her to take karate for years for a reason. And I also know, without a doubt, that Percy is perfect for her and they will take care of each other for years and years to come. But at the same time I can't help but feel a bit worried for my little girl," Luke sighed. "Guess it's just part of me being a dad. Just like I tried to find every reason to dislike Percy when she first brought him home. Lucky for everyone here I found no such reason... So now that I've broken all the rules, I'll finish by saying that all of this is because I am her sappy father, and I love her. So Annabeth, I wish you and Percy the best."

Luke walked off stage as everyone clapped around him. He headed bank to his seat when Annabeth stood up and hurried over to pull him in a tight hug. "I love you so much, Dad. Even though you broke my rules."

Luke laughed and returned the hug. "And I love you too."