A/N: I don't own PJO, HoO, Disney World, Bruno Mars, or Green Day. Also, this is my first PJO/HoO story.
Olivia seemed to sense her mother's worry, so what happened next stunned Thalia for a moment or so: Olivia kicked.
Thalia stopped, placed a hand on her stomach, giggled softly to herself, and then took off again as she heard Luke's footsteps draw closer. After what he did, there was no way she was letting him near her unborn daughter.
Luke, meanwhile, was still shocked that Thalia was pregnant. The last he had heard of her had been while he was fighting Kronos for control, and what he had heard was that she was the First Lieutenant in the Hunters of Artemis. What, or rather, who had caused her to leave her older sister's service?
In the throne room, Aphrodite had entered as Hera and Nico discussed what Nico had done to save his wife and child. Upon hearing this, she squealed, going off about how this was the most romantic thing since Paris waged war with Greeks over Helen. Hera had walked off, unable to tolerate the Love goddess any longer.
"Um, Aphrodite, you do remember that Paris was fought twice in ten years, was killed, and his side was the loosing side, right?", Thalia asked as she walked briskly into the room.
"Be lucky I love you, little sister!", Aphrodite said with a half-hearted glare, shaking her head at her half-sister.
Thalia stuck her tongue out at the goddess, who just walked away, smiling while rolling her eyes.
As soon as the love goddess had exited, Luke had entered. Nico tensed, his hand twitching towards his Stygian iron sword, currently in ring from on his right hand. Thalia realized she had her necklace, bracelet, and earrings back. If Luke did anything stupid, they were both prepared.
"You're Nico, right? Son of Hades?", Luke asked, not quite sure who he was talking to as he saw the other young man.
"Not to mention, I am the Ghost King, Prince of Darkness, and current owner of a Stygian iron sword that can send you to the darkest part of Tartarus in under three seconds flat.", Nico added, moving in front of Thalia.
"Oh don't tell me this is your boyfriend!", Luke exclaimed.
"He's not.", Thalia said with a smirk.
"I'm her husband.", Nico added, smirking as well.
"I still want to know how you're alive.", Thalia stated flatly, undoing her lightning bolt earrings.
"My dad blamed himself for what happened. He was right for once. Lord Hades allowed him to bring me back, as long as he gave me part of his soul.", Luke said, the bitterness evident in his voice.
"What does that mean for you exactly?", Nico asked, trying to sound pleasant.
"I'm a minor god, my dad's assistant for eternity.", he said in fake glee.
"You don't deserve what your father has done for you. He loves you, Luke. He nearly begged Percy to try to bring you back to our side. He cares about his children and his siblings, unlike you. When I found out I was pregnant, he was one of the first to congratulate me, right after Piper, Annabeth, Percy, Apollo, Lord Hades, Persephone, and Lady Demeter.", Thalia said dangerously, two seconds from turning her earrings into two mini-thunderbolts.
"Really, because he's never acted like it.", Luke tossed back, thrown onto the defensive.
"He does care. He cares so much that he allows himself to get hit by random plants to protect Travis from Demeter whenever he's out on his dates with Katie; he takes the fall for some of Connor's pranks that cross the line; lastly, he flat out told Ares that Clarisse was not good enough for Chris, but because Chris loves that girl so much, he would allow their relationship and if Ares dared to intervene, your father threatened to slice him open with any of Ares' own weapons. He's even protected most of your sisters from mortal attackers when they were outside of Camp Half-blood. Sometimes, I just don't see how you are related to my amazing big brother.", Thalia snapped, the lighting jumping off her body sending Luke flying across the room.
When Luke stood, he had golden blood, ichor, dripping down his cheek. He was furious. His blue eyes shone with rage. His rage stated the one fact that terrified Thalia and sent Nico over the edge.
"You even think about going after my wife, my child, my sister, Percy, Annabeth, their son, Travis, Katie, Connor, Chris, or Clarisse, and I will send you to a hell you didn't even know existed, you got it?", he said in such a dark tone even Lady Athena, who had hurried to the throne room when she heard the sound of Luke hitting the wall…HARD, shrink back into the hall outside.
Luke simply flashed out in a soft light, leaving Nico standing there, his extremely lethal sword pointed at nothing.
"Honey, let's just go to bed. We can worry about him in the morning. I have a feeling we'll need to talk to Rachel about this.", Thalia whispered, placing a hand ever so lightly on Nico's shoulder.
"Okay, Thals. But you know, if he comes near you, I will send him away for some quality Great-Grandfather/Great-Grandson bonding time.", Nico whispered to his wife.
"Could he use it? I mean it isn't as if they haven't already spent so much time getting to know each other.", Thalia joked, sarcasm in every word she spoke.
Nico just laughed, and the parents-to-be walked off to their temporary room, falling asleep almost immediately.
The next day, Thalia and Nico returned to Camp Half-blood, immediately getting bombarded with questions about the baby's gender. The only person who seemed uninterested in the baby news was Rachel, who went straight up to the attic and locked the door behind her.
"What's wrong?", Rachel sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, not responding to her patron god, who sat up and pulled her into his arms.
"Rachel, tell me what's wrong.", he said, pleading with the Oracle.
"Everyone's getting so worked up about the babies, and it sucks! I'm excited for all four, well, six of them, but it hurts knowing I'll never have one of my own.", Rachel finally said, burying her head in Apollo's chest.
"The spirit of the Oracle would be forced from you, and we don't have a candidate suitable for the spirit to enter.", Apollo said, his voice loosing its normal cheery tone.
"Then we'll find one. I don't want anything to do with the spirit of the Oracle anymore!", Rachel snapped before covering her mouth with her hand, realizing what she had said.
"I know you don't mean that entirely. Why don't I go get my car, and I'll take you out to that café you like? How does that sound?", Apollo asked the red head, tugging one of her curls.
"Pick me up by the window. I really don't want to have to walk to Thalia's tree and have to hear more about how cute Maverick and Olivia will be and how much Aphrodite thinks they will get together when they're older!", Rachel replied, getting up and walking over to the small dresser in the corner of the attic.
"See you in a little bit, Rae.",the god said telepathically as he flashed out.
Rachel smiled as she decided what to wear. She settled on a pair of dark-wash skinny jeans, an I heart NYC t-shirt, a black trench coat, red high heels(mostly because Apollo had a habit of making himself 6-inches taller than her whenever they went out together), and a raspberry beret. To finish off her look, she grabbed her golden sun pendant, Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses, and her pink paint-splattered purse.
As she buckled her shoes, she heard two things: Apollo pull up by the window and two people walking up the stairs. Rachel unlocked her window, slid it up, motioned for Apollo to open the passenger side door of the Chariot, and unlocked her door. In less than a minute, the door opened, Nico and Thalia stood in the doorway, and Rachel jumped out of the window and into the Sun Chariot, slamming the door behind her.
"Dramatic much?", Apollo asked jokingly.
"You know how much I love being dramatic.", Rachel replied, winking at him.
"Almost as much as my father.", Apollo muttered, only for the sky to thunder at him.
"Oh cool it, Lord Zeus! At least you still hold the title of most dramatic!", Rachel called out, causing the sky to clear and the rumbling to stop.
"Did you just yell at my father and get away with it?", Apollo asked while laughing.
"Yes, why yes I did. Now drive, Golden Boy!", Rachel replied through her own laughter.
Meanwhile, on Olympus Aphrodite watched three different scenes on a H-TV split screen. One was Percy and Annabeth in the Poseidon cabin, watching some movie that did not interest the Love goddess. The second was Nico and Thalia, sitting in the Hades cabin, trying to figure out what had just happened in the attic. Aphrodite was wondering a bit of the same as she saw Rachel and Apollo zooming through New York in the Sun Chariot, which was in the form of a red Porsche. Apollo had one hand on the wheel and the other intertwined with Rachel's left hand.
Getting an idea, Aphrodite zapped herself to Camp Half-blood. She found Chiron on the porch of the Big House, playing cards with Mr. D.
"Chiron, would it be all right for me to hold a karaoke night here at Camp?", she asked, shocking the centaur and the wine god.
"Aphrodite, weren't you on house arrest for three months?", Mr. D asked, not even looking at the goddess in question.
"That ended yesterday, Dionysus.", Aphrodite responded irritably.
"Either way, I think Karaoke Night might be a good idea. Will everyone be for- I mean must everyone sing at least one song?", Chiron asked, hoping she would say "no."
"Yes, everyone must sing at least one song. I even have a list of which gods and goddesses must sing as well. Thanks, Chiron. I've got to get going. I haven't eaten anything other than ambrosia in three months. Have I ever mentioned how much I hate my step-mother?", the goddess said before flashing out of the camp, leaving a grim looking Camp Director and an even more grim Activities Director.
Aphrodite arrived at a Greek restaurant, pulled out her cell phone, and dialed Apollo's number. After about three rings, he finally answered.
"What, Aphrodite?"
"We need to talk. Bring your girlfriend and meet me at that Greek place on 42nd Street between 8th Avenue and 9th Avenue."
"What girlfriend are you talking about, and why?"
"I'm talking about Rachel, you moron. I know how you feel about her and I know she's with you now. As for why, I wanted Greek food as I haven't had anything but ambrosia for the last three months!"
"Fine, Aphrodite, we'll see you then."
Then Apollo hung up and turned to Rachel.
"We won't be able to go to that café, Rae. Aphrodite wants us to meet her at a restaurant. She says we need to talk.", Apollo told the red head, who sighed.
"Why is it every time I get close to having you all to myself, someone decides that you really need to be pulled away?", Rachel asked, placing her head in her hands.
"It's because I have a very needy and completely messed up family.", Apollo replied in complete honesty, thinking about each of his sisters, his father, and his step-mother.
"Maybe I, your needy sister, can help you with your dilemma.", Aphrodite said as the got out of the car/chariot in front of the restaurant.
"I'm sorry, Sis. I didn't mean that.", he said quickly, holding his hands in front of his face.
"It's okay. Now let's talk inside. I'm starving!", Aphrodite said, perhaps a bit to dramatically, for her brother replied to her almost at once.
"No, Sis, not you too! Everyone's so dramatic today."
After Aphrodite had told Apollo and Rachel, or Rachollo as she began to call them, of her plan, she disappeared, and no one heard anymore of Karaoke Night until Nico's birthday, which happened to be in January.
After Aphrodite had shown up that night at the party to tell everyone, her news resulted in three things: 1) Nico fell backwards into his cake out of shock, 2) Rachel, dressed in the same outfit from the surprise meeting with Aphrodite, swore in ancient Greek, a habit picked up from hanging out with Apollo so often, and 3) Annabeth had collapsed, a puddle around her.
Okay, so the last one was not actually Aphrodite's fault. Annabeth knew what was going on, as did Percy, Nico, and the heavily pregnant Thalia: Annabeth's water had just broke and the newest demi-god was on the way!
While most would have gone, and did go, into panic mode, Apollo and Rachel had both known this would happen. Apollo took Annabeth and Percy to Olympus while Rachel began to calm everyone down.
"Rachel, you've got to let us go up there.", Thalia said, amazed that Rachel just smiled at her.
"Why are you smiling?", Nico asked, a bit worried as well.
"He told me this would happen. I never intended on keeping you here. Go, before he thinks I've been cursed or something.", Rachel whispered, laughing.
"Who?", Thalia asked, but Nico wrapped an arm around her and disappeared into the shadows.
Twelve hours later, Thalia and Nico sat in the waiting room of Apollo's infirmary, waiting to hear the first cries of the baby, knowing if he was anything like either parent, his screams would be, and could be, heard anywhere.
"Hey, guys. I got the rest of the year rounders listening to Katie, and Travis and Conner are cleaning up the mess from the party. I threatened them with death, so they're not objecting.", Rachel said as she set her jacket and purse in a nearby chair.
"Where did you come from?", Thalia asked, blinking as she saw the Oracle in front of her.
"Camp Half-blood, obviously.", Rachel replied, adjusting the beret perched on her curly red hair.
"Rachel, you're here! Get in there and talk Annabeth out of killing Percy.", Apollo said as he entered the room, smiling even though he had just said the daughter of Athena wanted to kill the son of Poseidon.
"If you're out here, the baby is fine I take it?", Rachel asked, standing next to the god.
"Maverick Fredrick Jackson is just fine. He has black hair, just like his father, and he has sea green eyes infused with swirls of grey. Now go before Percy winds up dead.", Apollo said, joking at the last bit.
"Why do you still have that song in our head?", Rachel yelled over her shoulder as she ran down the hallway.
"Look in a mirror, darling.", Apollo called back with a laugh, "Raspberry Beret" playing through his head.
"Why is she the one you send to keep Annabeth from killing Percy?", Thalia asked, watching the red head run down the golden hallway.
"She must still really be in love with him if she's saving him from Owl Face.", Nico mused, only getting a laugh from Apollo.
"I sent her because she knows how to use reverse psychology, and she's done it on orders from me several times. She hasn't been in love with Percy since she was sixteen or seventeen, I think. No, she loves someone else now, and it's been tearing her apart because she's the Oracle. She asked me to find a replacement for her.", Apollo said with a melancholy smile, knowing exactly who it was that the young Oracle was in love with.
"Who could she possibly have found now?", Thalia asked.
"Ah, yes. Rachel has finished, so would you like to see the new family?", Apollo asked in reply, not letting a thing slip.
Thalia realized she would not be getting an answer, so she took her husband's hand and followed her brother down the hall, stopping at a set of golden French doors. Inside the next room were Annabeth, in the "hospital" bed, Percy, sitting next to her, and Rachel, holding a baby in her arms, cradling him with a ghost of a smile upon her face.
"He's a beautiful baby, you two.", Rachel said sadly as she handed Maverick back to Annabeth.
"Thanks, Rachel.", Annabeth said tiredly, just as the red head fled the room holding back her tears.
"May I hold him", Thalia asked, looking away from the door quickly.
Annabeth nodded and Thalia took the baby into her arms. Nico was in a corner, asking Percy if it was likely Thalia would want to kill him when the time came.
"She'll say it, but she won't mean it.", Percy assured him, no one noticing Apollo slip out of the room.
Apollo walked briskly through Olympus, looking for Rachel, wondering where she could have ran off to. He finally found her in his room/temple, curled up on the couch, crying.
"The red heart is true.
Forbidden lover cries,
The Dream burning with light.", he whispered into her hair as he sat down beside her and pulled the red head close.
"That wasn't as horrible as the normal ones.", Rachel whispered back.
"That one actually had meaning behind it.", Apollo said, earning a confused pair of emerald eyes locked onto his own blue ones.
"I love you, Rachel Elizabeth Dare. I hate seeing you cry, as there is nothing I can do about it.", he whispered, smiling down at her.
Rachel giggled, bringing her lips to meet his. Apollo kissed back, heat flowing through both the god and the Oracle. It was a peaceful moment to themselves, which as Rachel had said the day Aphrodite came up with her brilliant plan, was not a common occurrence.
Neither, however, had noticed the door open. It was the squealing that alerted them to the presence of the love goddess.
"What, Aphrodite!", Apollo snapped, unintentionally pulling Rachel's hair as he turned towards the door.
"Ouch!", Rachel hissed.
"I'm sorry, Rachel.", Apollo whispered, glaring at his sister.
"It's fine.", Rachel muttered, also glaring at the goddess.
"Oh! Nico and Thalia just left. Percy sent me to ask you if there was anything else you needed to do concerning the baby.", Aphrodite said as if she had just remembered what she was even there for, which she probably had.
"I'll go and make sure everything that needs to be done is done, and then I'll to start on my morning rounds. Aphrodite, go fix your make-up or something!", Apollo said with a huff, standing up, watching as his sister ran to fix her flawless make-up.
"Are you forgetting something?", Rachel asked once Aphrodite was out of earshot.
"Nope, because I'll be back in twenty minutes tops to get you. Artemis called me last night before Annabeth's water broke. She asked me to come and meet with her, so maybe you can find a huntress willing to take the spirit.", Apollo said hopefully.
"Or maybe I can not go and avoid your daughter all together! We all know how much Phoebe loves me. Not!", Rachel replied, causing the youthful looking god to stop dead in his tracks.
"When was the last time you saw her and what did she say to you?", he asked quickly.
"The night the hunters came to Camp, I was on the field, helping Chiron and Annabeth. Phoebe got hurt by one of Nico's skeleton soldiers and I was tending to her. She asked me how I liked being her father's new sex toy. I told her I had no clue what she was talking about and let her go.", Rachel said, fighting against the rage pent up inside her.
Apollo's face fell. He knew Phoebe hated all of his other children because she did not trust men, like her father, because of what happened to Zoë.
"Rachel, you know that's not true. I love you, and the last time I checked, we've never once slept together.", he said, sitting back down and pulling her close again.
"I know that, and I love you too. I know why Phoebe feels that way. She doesn't trust men and thinks you're all whores. In truth, Hermes and Ares are the whores. But let's just face it, the only reason I'm still a virgin is because we don't have another girl who is willing to take on the responsibilities of the Oracle of Delphi.", Rachel said, not caring that she had just insulted two gods while on Olympus.
"That's not the only reason, Rachel. I will never pressure you into anything, so it will always and has always been your choice. I will be back as soon as I can, so don't worry about anything. Phoebe will never insult you while both Artemis and I are there, so she will have to be civil if we see her. I love you, darling.", Apollo said, kissing Rachel's temple.
"I love you too.", Rachel replied, sighing to herself as she watched the golden god walk away.
"Dear gods, you're dating my brother?", Thalia asked from the doorway.
"Yeah, and you're married to your cousin. Big deal!", Rachel said, still unhappy about going to Camp Artemis.
"We're not actually related that way, Rachel. It's because of the no real genetic material in ichor thing. Apollo on the other hand usually just sleeps with the Oracle, lets the spirit find a new host, and repeats the cycle. He didn't do that with the last one because of Lord Hades cursing the body and all, and if he hasn't done it with you, then he must really love you.", the eight months pregnant demi-god said, smiling.
"I know he loves me. It's Phoebe I don't want to talk to or about.", Rachel said angrily.
"I've known her for a while and I will tell you now Phoebe is a bitch. That's the only way to say it. I've tried telling her that men are not all like HIM, so she shouldn't be so hard on her father, but she won't listen. She definitely won't listen to me now that I'm pregnant, married, and she has my position.", Thalia said, laughing.
"Thanks, Thalia. That makes me feel better. Don't you and Death Breath have anywhere else to be?", Rachel said sarcastically, standing up and looking around the room, watching as Nico backed up and leaned against the wall opposite the main door.
"What are you looking for?", Thalia asked, perplexed.
"Might it be this?", came a voice from the door, except it was not Nico.
There Luke stood, Rachel's raspberry beret in hand. The Oracle snatched it from his hands and ran over to the nearest mirror.
"Where did you find this?", she asked, adjusting the beret now on her head.
"It was just outside the door. I didn't think Apollo wore raspberry berets, so I thought it might be yours when I heard Thalia say you were looking for something.", the newest god said.
"I didn't say anything. I asked Rachel if she was looking for something. Do I need to zap you out of here, or can you find the way out by yourself?", Thalia replied, her eyes turning dark for a moment.
Luke saw the change in eye color and fled, terrified of the young woman before him. Nico noticed too, but he just laughed.
"I'm not sure if that was from Olivia or the part of my, well, our soul in you, but your eyes just went a bit darker. That's one of my favorite tricks.", Nico said as he wrapped his arms around his wife.
"Can you two leave now? As soon as Apollo returns, we're leaving.", Rachel said as faint footsteps could be heard in the hall.
Thalia and Nico nodded shadow traveling off, and most likely back to Camp Half-blood. Rachel picked up her purse and jacket, which Apollo had sent to her, and was preparing to leave when the door opened and a female voice echoed through the golden room.
"Change of plans, little brother. I've brought Phoebe with me so we can have a discussion about that favor you owe me.", Artemis called, making Rachel freeze physically, screaming out for Apollo in her mind.
Apollo must have heard her, for moments later, he hurried into the room where Phoebe was glairing at Rachel, and Artemis sat on the couch, shocked.
"Phoebe, I want you to go with Rachel. Perhaps Percy is still awake. He may let you see the baby. His name is Maverick.", Apollo ordered, looking from his glaring daughter to his now glaring girlfriend.
"I hate you, Apollo", Rachel thought.
"No you don't, Rae. Just please let me know if she says anything derogatory towards you.", Apollo replied mentally, getting a nod from the red haired Oracle, though he hid his smirk at her mental comment of 'Someone's trying to be smart, using big words like that!'
Rachel and Phoebe left, neither one happy. Artemis turned to her brother and offered a smile, a rare occurrence.
"What, Arty?", Apollo asked, not falling for his sister's nice-girl routine.
"You owe me a favor. I got you out of trouble in Miami all those years ago, now it's your turn to help me.", Artemis said firmly.
"What do you want?", Apollo asked, already knowing as he happened to be the patron god of prophecy.
"I want to make them pay! I lost three hunters and a possible fourth because of them. I want justice.", Artemis said, confusing Apollo slightly.
"Could you please elaborate on who 'them' is?", he asked as nicely as he could.
"Percy, Nico, and Olivia! If Percy and Nico would have stayed away, Bianca would be alive, Zoë would be alive, Thalia would still be with me, and Annabeth would have joined me! Things only got worse when I found out about that little bundle of freaking joy! Not only had I lost my First Lieutenant and younger sister, I had to know she shot her oath to Hades behind my back.", Artemis growled, sounding very childish for blaming anything on Olivia, who was not even born yet.
"Artemis, I cannot help you. I promised Thalia I would not be the cause of any harm towards her child, or any children she may have later on. I also do not wish to be thrown off Olympus like Hephaestus was. Our step-mother is now protecting both the Chase-Jackson family and the di Angelo family. Perhaps I should add in that the Big Three and Athena are also protecting them? My hands are tied.", Apollo said, though he was more concerned with the conversation he could hear in his head.
"I don't really want to see the little brat.", Phoebe said, not knowing every word she said, Rachel played back in her mind for Apollo.
"Then what do you want to do?", Rachel asked as sweetly as she could.
"I want to go back to Camp Artemis so I can be with my sisters and so I can get away from my man-whore father and his new naive little Oracle of Delphi/sex object.", the huntress snapped, rounding on the Oracle as if she had planned it all along.
"Let's get one thing straight, Phoebe. I have never, and I mean NEVER, slept with your father! While we're at it, don't you dare disrespect him like that either! Say what you want about me, but don't ever speak ill of your father. He may be immature at times, his poetry may be awful, but he is the most caring, loving, and protective person, or immortal if you want to get technical, I have ever met. I bet you didn't even know he was the one who told Thalia to leave the Hunt. He's the one that told her to have Nico get her away from your dear Lady Artemis.", Rachel nearly yelled back, hoping she had not said too much.
As the screaming match continued, Apollo, unwisely, ran toward it. Artemis, curious as to where he was running, followed. The two immortals were met with the sounds of Rachel screaming at Phoebe, who was backing away from the angry red head, not even bothering to fight back.
"Rachel, calm down. You might wake Maverick, or worse, Annabeth.", Apollo whispered in his Oracle's ear, trying to diminish her anger.
"I need to go. I have school tomorrow, and my dad said no matter what pointless classes I'm taking, I can't miss much of my senior year.", Rachel said quickly, pushing past Apollo and Phoebe, Artemis behind them all, shocked at Phoebe not fighting back.
All three just watched as the red head fled Mt. Olympus, hailing a cab and crying once more as she went back to her father's mansion.
"Phoebe, we need to talk.", Apollo said gravely, steering his daughter into the currently empty throne room.
Apollo paced back and forth, his anger and frustration radiating off of his body in heat waves.
"Why do you do this? Why must you fight with her?", he asked, not trusting himself to look at his daughter.
"I fight with her because I know how much you care for her. You care for her more than you care for your own children. If Cabin 7 were to go up in flames with all of your children and Rachel inside, she would be the only one you would save!", Phoebe yelled, tears streaming down her immortal face.
"I would do no such thing. I would save as many of you as I could. At the time you were born, we were not allowed to have so much interference with our demi-god children. If it had been allowed, I might have spent more time with each of you. Now that we can have time with our children, most of you want nothing to do with us. As for Rachel, I would save her, yes. That being said, however, the feelings I have for her are greater than any I have had before. I have both seen and heard her cry many times since she became the Oracle, and it hurts that there is nothing I can do to stop her tears.", Apollo said, not razing his voice and still not looking at Phoebe.
"I will take her place as Oracle, Father.", Phoebe said suddenly, silence settling over the throne room as she spoke.
"What did you just say?", Apollo asked, honestly confused himself.
"She means a lot to you, so let me take her place as the Oracle at Delphi. My newest sibling, the one named Carmen, has the natural gift of foresight, so let me be the Oracle until she is old enough. When the time comes, I will return to Lady Artemis. Perhaps I might even manage to get along with Rachel by then.", Phoebe said, knowing it was her only option.
"I will have to think about it and talk with Rachel, as she is the current Oracle. If she deems you worth of her post, I will allow the Spirit of the Oracle to pass from her to you. Phoebe, I want you to go with Lady Artemis. I will let you know the outcome of Rachel's decision within a fortnight.", Apollo said, finally looking at his daughter before dismissing her.
"Yes, Father.", Phoebe said quietly, leaving the throne room silently.
Back at Camp Half-blood, the Hephaestus cabin, led by Leo, was busily building an enclosed arena for the Karaoke night, which Aphrodite wanted to make into a spectacle more than a night of pointless fun. Only the goddess herself had the set list, and refused to tell anyone who would be singing and when. This filled many, such as Nico, with dread. It was not that he could not sing. It was more that he did not want to sing in public. In the car, or late at night, when only Thalia was around was one thing, but in front of the entire camp? No way in the name of his father would he do that…voluntarily at the least.
This thought bothered him for the rest of the month, and only one thing could shake his dread of singing. This one thing happened around midnight on February 23rd.
"Nico, the baby's coming!"
A/N: I know haven't updated in almost a week, but I've been sick. I have a bronchial infection, and it hurts. A LOT! To make up for that, I give you this extremely long chapter.
I dedicate Aphrodite's master plan of Karaoke Night to my friends Raven and Randi. You two managed to make an over used idea into something I could craft into something silly. I debated about if I would include.
I always found something in each story that I would have changed, so I think about that when I write. I try to write what I want to see, but I try to write it in a way that my readers want to see it R&R, please!
TUNE IN NEXT TIME FOR: Olivia's arrival, Karaoke Night, and Rachel's last prophecy…
