Prologue

Percy Jackson didn't know exactly what to do. He sat in the apartment that he and Annabeth shared, listening for any sign of distress from their bedroom. The Apollo girls were inside, keeping Annabeth as calm as possible. There were many things that Percy had faced throughout his life. He wasn't old, but old compared to most demigods. Twenty-four didn't seem old enough for this though. Fatherhood was on its way. And the fact that Annabeth was in there, alone, facing something that he couldn't help with terrified him more than he wanted to admit.

They didn't know the gender. It's their first child, they wanted it to be a surprise. There are doctors and equipment in New Rome, but it wasn't like a full-fledged hospital. Most birth's happened at home, unless something bad happened.

"It'll be fine Percy, don't worry." Annabeth was standing in their kitchen, her back to him. He could see even from behind that motherhood was changing her body. Her back bent to carry the weight of the baby. Her blonde hair was towered on her head in a bun. "Everything will be fine, the baby and I, will be fine."

She turned to him and he could see the fatigue in her face. She kept up most of the night tossing and turning. She was nine months along. Anytime the baby could be here, and Percy felt the excitement and fear creep into him everyday they got closer.

"I know I know," he said smiling at her. "I'm still voting on it being a girl."

Annabeth smirked, "It's a boy, I know it." She walked around the counter to him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He could feel the bump against his side, he placed a hand on it. Beneath his fingers was his child, his son or daughter. Someone who was created by them, but worse someone that will be burden by their troubles. Being the son of Poseidon made life hard. Annabeth never had it harder. But, he minded himself, this child will have both parents. Both parents that will know how to keep them safe.

"He's gonna look just like you," she muttered against his neck. "Little boy with dark hair and green eyes."

"Gods I hope not," he chuckled, "he needs to be more like you, less like me."

"Oh, shut up seaweed brain." She laughed and kiss him, "whoever they are, they're lucky to have you as a father."

Now it was the moment. Labor started early Saturday morning, now it was Saturday night. Percy had spent the past ten hours standing beside Annabeth, holding her hand as contractions made her groan. It got to be too much around five, and around seven the girls decided that Percy needed some water. He sat in the kitchen, knowing that he needed to go back.

"Labor could go on for hours," one of the girls had said, "it might be a little longer. Go get some water, relax. We'll need you later."

Annabeth had looked so pale and tired, she hardly seemed to notice if he was there or not. Sweat dripped down her face, and she drifted in and out of sleep and moaning. It was starting to be too much. Percy feared that something could be wrong. He wasn't the most educated in birth, he'll admit, but how much longer could it really go on before they decided something was wrong?

Then he heard the scream, it was sharp and it was enough to make him run back to the room. A girl was walking out as soon as he got there, "It's time to push, let's go."

"He's so pretty," Annabeth smiled and kissed the forehead of the baby. Of course, he was bald, and his eye color wouldn't come in for another few weeks. But, the baby was a boy for sure. He slept against Annabeth's chest. Both of them were exhausted from the past twelve hours, and Percy felt like he might pass out right there.

He gently laid in hand on the head of his son. He was warm and soft. Baby fuzz covered the boys head, and it reminded Percy of dandelion fuzz.

"He's so peaceful," Percy whispered.

"Gods he's perfect Percy," Annabeth seemed close to tears. "What do you want to name him?"

They had a few names picked out. Names were a hard thing, they carried a lot of weight. They had a lot of names that they knew they wanted, and Percy knew what weighed on Annabeth's mind. She wanted her son to have Luke's name. A name that had haunted them for years, but a name Percy knew meant a lot more than revenge and violence.

"What about Lucas?" Percy said. It was close to Luke, but it was something that this boy could make his own.

"Lucas Jackson," Annabeth said, "I like it."

It was a year later before Marie was born. This one was easier on Annabeth, and Percy was grateful. Sally Jackson had decided that since she missed the birth of her first grandchild she wasn't going to miss the birth of the second. She cradled Luke in her arms, as Percy waiting for one of the girls to call him in for the pushing. He wasn't any less nervous this time. At least he knew what to expect.

Lucas was an easy baby, didn't sleep all night but he at least fell asleep easily. Another one was going be the hard thing.

Marie Jackson came out with dark hair. Which made Annabeth happy, she wanted babies that looked like Percy for some reason. He was happy that his baby girl was healthy. She smiled at his first thing. He held her while Annabeth slept, and she snoozed in his arms. She was beautiful, like nothing he had ever seen. Different than Lucas, Lucas was adorable and smart for a baby. But Marie slept and Percy could tell that she held the world in her fingers.

Beck came two years later. The kids stayed at Percy's mom's place. He came on a winter morning. And cried throughout the night. Annabeth slept while Percy tried to keep the boy settled. It was hard, Beck didn't like to sleep alone and he didn't like to be left with other people. Getting a babysitter was almost impossible. But they managed.

The kids grew, and Percy saw Annabeth more and more in Lucas. He smiled like her, and had the brains of an Athenian child. Marie was more like him according to Annabeth. She'd beg to have a bath almost everyday, staying hours in the water. Talking and chatting about fish friends and animals that she was going to meet. Beck stayed glued to Annabeth until he was five. Keeping her within eyesight almost at all times. Percy felt the jealously that his youngest son would rather sit with him mom than him. But he felt better when Beck would beg for a bedtime story from his dad.

They spent summers at Camp Half-Blood, but Annabeth and Percy kept the kids at Camp Jupiter. It was hard for Percy, he wanted to kids to grow around the Greeks. Not that he had any problem with the Romans. They had elementary school and classes that taught the kids how to protect themselves. It was more than Percy every got as a kid, and he was thankful. Frank and Hazel were always there, their daughter was born the same year as Marie. They grew up together. Piper and Jason brought their boys around sometimes when they went to visit Piper's dad. Leo and Calypso had a daughter a year younger than Marie.

The kids grew up together, and it was more than Percy could have ever asked for. Kids with friends, friends that were the sons and daughters of his best friends. It was an amazing life. But, Percy constantly felt the worry that something could go wrong.

"It'll be fine Percy," Annabeth would tell him at night. After he had spent a few hours tossing and turning. Worry keeping him awake. "They're trained, they're our children. They'll know what to do if the time comes."

Percy didn't want the time to come.