Sorry for the late delivery of this chapter! I may have had a tiny bit of writer's block... but I hope you enjoy it!

I know you guys think it's been going a little fast, and I agree, so I'm gonna try and slow it down in the next few chapters.

Enjoy ;) xxx

PERCY'S POV

In the hours after our visit to the infirmary, the news had really sunk in. We were going to have a baby... and sooner than expected. I was excited, I guess, but I was also apprehensive. I don't know what I would do if I had to see Sophie in incredible pain again, and that situation was looking more and more likely. Plus... I wasn't sure that I knew how to be a dad. What if my son or daughter hated me? Or what if they got hurt, and it was my fault? A few months ago, I didn't know whether or not I should have told Sophie if I liked her, and now... now we were preparing to be parents. It was all... a lot to handle. But I needed to be strong, be an anchor for Sophie. I turned over in bed, seeing her lying there peacefully, her long eyelashes brushing her cheeks, her lips slightly parted, and this sight instantly calmed me down. I sighed quietly, trying my best not to wake her, and smiled a little. Everything was going to be okay. It might be a little expedited, but we could handle that. As softly as I could, I brushed a stray strand of auburn hair off her forehead. Her skin was silky smooth and felt cool beneath my fingertips. I moved a little closer to her, brushing my lips against her forehead. Her eyes fluttered open. I smiled at her, and she smiled back dreamily. I could tell she would fall back asleep any moment, but I didn't mind. She snuggled into my chest and wrapped her arms around my torso. In return, I wrapped mine around her waist and pulled her closer to me. I rested my chin atop her soft head and closed my eyes. As usual, we were all we had. Suddenly, a shocking realization struck me: it wouldn't be that way for much longer. Soon, we would be a real family. Well, a larger one at least. It was then that another thought came to me: if we were going to be a family, why not make it official? I smiled widely, because I had just come up with the best idea ever.

...

After breakfast the next morning (and two quick pit stops to the bathroom for Sophie), I told her I had to go talk to Chiron about new training methods for the winter, and headed to the Hephaestus cabin. I was whistling as I walked in, which drew some strange looks, but all I could do was grin. Nyssa approached me, smiling. "Percy! What brings you to our humble abode?" she said, speaking up over the sounds of machinery coming from the workshop.

"Well, I have a pretty crazy idea, and I was wondering if you could help me out?" I asked. Nyssa raised her eyebrows.

"Ok," she began hesitantly, "but only if it doesn't involve another one of those revolving ballistae." I laughed.

"Don't worry, it's much more exciting than that." She sighed, but shook her head good-naturedly.

"What do you need, Perce?"

"Can you guys possibly make..." I hesitated, but only for a second. "A ring for me?"

...

SOPHIE'S POV

It had been a very pleasant day, albeit quiet. There weren't many campers around since it was only early December, and Percy had been running around with Chiron and Will all day to set up some sort of training program. It had all seemed a little strange to me, but I guess that was just the... pregnancy hormones. It still felt weird to use that word to describe myself. Weird, but good. I was trying to tidy up the Zues cabin (unusual for me, but it wasn't like I had anything else to do) when Percy crept through the heavy doors. He grinned at me, leaning up against one of the pillars. I wandered over to him, smiling, and he pulled me into his arms and kissed me. Gods, it felt so good to kiss him. He broke away (much to my chagrin) and beamed at me. "So, Sparks..." he started.

"So, Seaweed Brain," I replied.

"I was thinking that maybe tonight we could have dinner together?" he asked. I laughed.

"I don't know if you realize this, but we have dinner together every night." I said.

"I know, but I was thinking maybe we could have something a little more... private tonight." I looked up at him, surprised, and he smirked at me. That little smirk always took my breath away. I reached up and brushed a lock of dark hair out of his face, smiling back at him. I stood up on my tiptoes and kissed him lightly. I broke away, leaning my forehead against his.

"I'd love to," I said. At that, his grin grew wider.

"Great," he said, uncoiling his arms from my waist. He began walking towards the doors. "Meet me at the top of the hill overlooking Strawberry Fields at 6:00!" He continued.

"I'll be there," I replied. When he left, I felt a bit... odd. In a good way. I had a good feeling about tonight.

...…

PERCY'S POV

I stood at the top of the hill, anxiously waiting for Sophie to arrive. I shivered a little, though not from cold (because of the controlled weather, it was still a balmy 72° inside Camp Half-Blood). I was really nervous. Excited too, but really, really nervous. I was wearing the tee shirt I had worn the night we got together, the green one, and jeans. I kept reaching down to play with the little box in my pocket, opening and closing the miniature latch. It was a beautiful box, wooden and carved with mythological scenes. Then, I saw a figure come up over the hill. The sun was setting, and the rich, golden light spilled in behind her, reflecting off her hair and eyelashes. As she got closer, my smile grew wider. She looked beautiful. She was wearing her Camp Half-Blood tee shirt, a pair of beaten-up ripped jeans, and her lucky converse with the little lightning bolts all over them. When she finally reached me, she leaned in immediately to kiss me. I enjoyed it so much that I almost forgot that we had dinner waiting. I broke away (with some trouble), and smiled at her. I pulled out the chair at the table behind me, and gestured for her to sit down. "Your table, my lady." She raised her eyebrows at me, but sat anyway. I quickly sat across from her, my anticipation growing. I cleared my throat, fondling the clasp of the box, but she spoke.

"Wow, Perce, this all looks so amazing," she said. I smiled shyly.

"You think so?"

"I really do." I cleared my throat again.

"So, I've been doing some thinking, you know, about us," I started. She nodded, her smile gone. If only you knew, I thought. "And how we're going to be a family. And I've loved you for..." I stopped, feeling a small lump in my throat. I cleared it again. "For a long time, and I'm so excited that we're going to have a little guy soon." She smiled. "And I just... I love you so much, and I've wanted to be with you for so long. I just want to be with you for all eternity." Her face flushed, and I could see tears in her eyes. I moved to get out of my chair, catching the table cloth a little. But I caught myself, and finally, I bent down in front of her. She gasped and bit her lip. "So, Sparks, I have a question for you. Will you... will you marry me?"