A/N: HEY I KNOW YOU DON'T WANT TO READ THIS SHIT, BUT MAYBE YOU SHOULD THIS TIME. Cause I really need to apologize in advance. This chapter was written in bits and pieces throughout the week and the weekend, which all made sense until I actually put them together. So I'm sorry if it doesn't flow. I just know I'm on the verge of a mental breakdown, and 6,000 word fan fiction chapters do most definitely not help.

Despite however choppy and confusing this chapter may be, I still hope you enjoy.

The seconds ticked by into minutes and the minutes ticked by into hours. Piper stared at the aged wood of the floor thoughtlessly the entire time, counting the ticks of her watch and the breaths of her siblings. If she thought about what was she was going to do when the clock struck midnight, she might change her mind. And she couldn't afford to change her mind.

Piper broke out of her trance to look at the time. 11:50.

Taking a deep breath, she slipped out of bed and stuffed her phone in her pocket. No one stirred.

(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)

Jason closed his eyes. What would she look like?

He recalled laying in bed all those weeks ago, the night Piper told him the news; the images of a child with bright eyes and soft skin still seared his memory. It had brought him solace and comfort then, a reprieve from the fear. But now the fear was gone; nothing scared him anymore. That face was nothing but bittersweet pain to his heart. He opened his eyes.

So many things could happen in thirteen years. Hell, thirteen years was almost three quarters of his own life. Doubt rolled around in his stomach, keeping him awake. Piper was only meters away from him, making the decision that would seal their daughter's fate forever. Some small, selfish part of him wanted to run after her, shake her and yell. Stop, we can't let this happen.

But he couldn't afford to be selfish.

(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)

The moon seemed to shine brighter than ever that night. Leaves crunched under Piper's feet as she trudged to the edge of the woods, and the sound seemed to echo for miles.

Her heart beat like a hammer against her ribcage. Would this really work? Would Artemis really stay true to her word? Piper couldn't imagine what they'd do if she didn't.

She trekked on past the edge of the woods and through a long copse of trees, before reaching the same clearing that she'd stood in only a week ago. It was eerily silent.

"You came."

Piper nearly jumped out of her skin. She whirled around to see the goddess standing only a few feet away from her, her eyes wide and bright. As always, a bow was slung over her shoulder like a wiry wing; she was clad in white and grey hunting attire. Artemis seemed to blend in with the moonlight.

"Yes," Piper breathed out.

Artemis took a few steps forward, so that Piper could see flecks of silver and black in her irises. The leaves didn't make a sound beneath her sandals.

"And?"

"And-" She swallowed. "And we've decided to accept your offer."

Artemis didn't look even slightly surprised. She smiled. "I knew you would. You're a smart maiden."

Piper nodded her head a little bit, unsure of what to say. "So…how, how does this work?"

"Watch." The goddess's hand went to her side, where a leather sheath was wrapped around her thigh. But instead of producing a dagger, she revealed a tiny, clear vial.

Piper could see her tired reflection in the glass. To her eyes, it was completely empty. "What is that?"

Artemis tapped the side. "Something that will help you withstand the divine fire."

Piper stared. "Why is it empty?"

"Look closer."

She did, and to her surprise, the vial contained a practically invisible substance; it appeared thinner than water, and it shined like liquid crystal. Piper stared in amazement.

"Drink, daughter of Aphrodite," Artemis commanded, holding the little vial out to her. It was barely the size of the goddess's thumb. "Drink, and feel the divine fire subside within you."

Piper did as she was told. The glass felt like thin ice between her fingers, cold and delicate, like frozen butterfly wings. "And this will make me better? The baby and I will survive?"

Something flashed in the goddess's eyes, making doubt poke at Piper's heart. "Yes. Drink, daughter of Aphrodite," she repeated.

Piper took a deep breath, uncorked the vial and drank. The liquid moved like gluey water over her tongue; it was as cold and tasteless as ice, but it felt like heaven to her dry, parched throat.

Eyes closed, she kept the vial to her lips long after it was empty of its contents. She felt like she was submerged in a pool of cool, refreshing water after spending a thousand years beneath a burning sun. Relief rolled off of her in waves.

"How do you feel?" Artemis's voice sounded distorted and far away.

Piper could only nod. She pulled the vial from her lips and offered it back to Artemis, who took it fluidly, twisting the cap back on. "Good, then?"

"Yes," Piper answered. Her voice was silky and smooth and soft, the sound pleasantly unfamiliar to her ears. "Does that mean it worked?"

Artemis smiled. "Yes, I believe it does. I have upheld my end of the bargain, demigod. Can I trust you'll do the same in return?"

Piper's bubble of elation popped. "Yes," she replied tonelessly.

Nodding, the goddess examined the empty vial. "Excellent. Meet me here every full moon until the child is born. I will be waiting for you."

"Alright," Piper agreed. "But I've been thinking…"

Artemis didn't take her eyes off of the vial. "Yes?"

"What will we tell people? When she's born, I mean. What will we say when she disappears?"

"I will manipulate the mist to convince your friends and family that the child was stillborn. I think that's believable enough, yes?"

Piper swallowed. "Okay. But what about when she magically reappears all those years later? Won't that be kind of hard to cover up?"

Artemis was silent for a moment, still staring at the object in her hand. She opened her palm so that the vial was balanced in the center, then looked at Piper.

"You have thirteen years." With a sharp movement, her fist clenched around the vial and Piper could hear the crunch of broken glass. "I'm sure you'll figure something out."

The goddess opened her hand and let the shards spill onto the grass like a shower of tiny knives. With a flash of bright light, she was gone, and Piper was alone in the clearing.

(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)

Jason felt like someone had knocked him back in time to the day after he found out Piper was pregnant, sitting by the lake having no idea what he was going to do. But he figured it out then, so he could figure it out now. Probably.

The two of them had already decided that Camp Jupiter was the best option in their situation- Piper wanted to be close to her dad, and Jason wanted her to be safe. The Roman camp was perfect.

Perfect, except for the small problem of how they were going to convince Reyna to let Piper stay in the city. Ten years in the legion equals life in the city; it was a rule Jason had known for fifteen years. Zero years in the legion-such as in Piper's case- equals nothing in return, of course. Romans were all about that kind of bargain.

A week after Piper met with Artemis in the forest, she and Jason finally sat down and talked about it. They took a rain check on lunch at the pavilion and decided to picnic by the lake. Piper "snacked" on flaming hot Cheetos, a tuna salad sandwich, frozen raspberries with whipped cream, and diet mountain dew, all of which she'd bribed one of the younger campers to deliver to them from the pavilion. Whatever Artemis gave to his girlfriend, it seemed to be making her feel a lot better. Jason had almost forgotten how pregnant girls acted when they weren't being scorched from the inside out; in other words, how much pregnant girls eat. (The diet mountain dew made it healthy, Piper said.)

"So who's in charge of all this 'who-lives-where' stuff, anyway?" Piper asked, spooning a liberal amount of raspberries into her mouth.

Jason tilted his head back and squinted at the sun. "Well, there's specific people that keep up with the day-to-day operations in that area, I guess. But it's the praetor who has the final word." He paused. "Praetors, now that Frank's up there with Reyna."

Piper nodded. "So if we can get their permission, we're good?"

"Yeah," Jason sighed. "I don't think Frank would hesitate to help us out, but Reyna…"

Piper didn't say anything.

"I mean- Reyna's an amazing person and all, but for her…duty comes before personal favors, you know?"

"So you need to convince her," Piper stated simply. Jason gave her a sidelong glare.

"Why do I have to be the one to convince her?"

Piper put down her spoon and took his hand. "Because, Jason, you're the one she might have any grudge against. You did kind of snub her a little." She said it without malice.

Jason sniffed. "Hey, you're the one who stole me from her."

"Nah, I think Reyna's the type of person who gets that we already have enough unnecessary girl-on-girl hate in the world," Piper replied nonchalantly, leaning back on her palms. "Besides, that's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?"

"I mean, I don't think she holds a grudge against you in a romantic way," Piper explained. "More in a good-friend-you-sort-of-let-down kind of way. Reyna's done a lot for everyone, Jason, and no one really ever does anything for her."

Jason raised his eyebrows. "So you're saying she shouldn't let us stay in New Rome?"

"No." Piper held up her hands in defense. "I'm just saying you can't hold any reluctance she might have against her. You can't, not really."

"Reyna's a reasonable person," Jason said, more to himself. "She'll understand."

(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)

"I don't understand."

Jason wrung his hands out, glancing back and forth between Frank and Reyna. Frank was looking at him with a mixture of pity and curiosity. Reyna, on the other hand, looked only irritated.

Jason couldn't blame her. He'd given her a days notice before packing his bags and flying all the way out to San Francisco, showing up at Camp Jupiter's "doorstep" with puppy dog eyes, and settling at her feet to grovel. It wasn't very dignifying for either of them.

But here they were, in the Praetors' shared office, sitting in a circle of chairs like kindergarteners.

"I just need a favor from the two of you, that's all. Not a big one," Jason began, licking his lips nervously.

"And you couldn't Iris message us?" Frank was incredulous. "You had to fly five hours instead?"

Jason continued to wring his hands. He probably looked like an old-timey movie villain. "Well, you see, it's kind of a big favor."

Reyna raised her eyebrows. "You just said it wasn't a big favor."

Yeah, well, I lied. "Um, well it sort of is and it sort of isn't." He took a deep breath. "Piper- Piper's pregnant."

Frank looked like he was about to fall out of his chair. Reyna remained expressionless. "And what does this have to do with us?"

"We need a place to stay," Jason breathed out. "Not for long, though. Just so we can be close to Piper's dad-"

"You mean you want to live in New Rome?" Frank interrupted, glancing at Reyna.

Jason bit his lip. "Yes."

"But you have to have served-"

"In the legion for ten years, yes, I know. And I have-"

"But Piper hasn't." Reyna still refused to show any kind of emotion and it was making Jason feel unnerved. "And so you're asking for a favor, as you said before. Is that what you're trying to say?"

There was a beat of silence. Jason nodded.

Reyna ran her tongue over her teeth and crossed her arms. "Frank," she said quietly. "Could you give us a moment?"

The son of Mars stared at both of them for a second, then stood up, his chair scraping against the floor. He left with one last pitying glance towards Jason.

When they were alone, Jason started, "Nothing gets past you, Reyna-"

"No. I suppose not," she said shortly. "Why can't you stay at the Greek's camp?"

Good old Reyna, always cutting right to the chase. "Like I said before, Piper wants to be closer to her dad- he lives in Malibu- and we've decided that Camp Half Blood just isn't the right place for this to happen."

Reyna didn't say anything, so he plowed on. "It wouldn't be for long. We'd only need until about a month after Piper has the baby, max, to stay. Just to get things worked out."

"When is Piper due?" Reyna asked, her chin leaning on her palm, fingers tapping the oak desk. If Jason hadn't known her so well, she'd almost seem bored.

He counted the weeks in his head. "February."

"Jason," she said, shaking her head. "You know the rules-"

"Of course I do. I've lived here my whole life." Jason looked her in the eye. "I'm not asking you a favor as a demigod or a citizen of New Rome or an ally, Reyna; I'm asking you as a friend."

Reyna stood up suddenly and turned away from him. She stared at the pictures framed on the wall, her back turned. Jason held his breath.

"You always have a knack for getting yourself in trouble, don't you, Grace?"

Jason felt a smile pull at his lips. "Guess so."

He reminisced silently on the times when they were partners in crime, just Reyna and Jason against the world. Everything was so much simpler back then. He tried to remember the day when he woke up and everything was different; he couldn't.

"I've done so much for this camp, Reyna," he pleaded. "I've sacrificed more than I can bear. Please, just let me have this one thing."

Reyna straightened a picture frame minutely. Jason recognized his own lopsided smile and felt his heart grow heavy. "Please."

"Six months," Reyna said shortly. "You can have six months. Then you will leave."

Jason released a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Thank you-"

Reyna held up hand up to silence him. "I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't feel I owed you something. I owe you as a praetor and a warrior." He heard his own words echo in hers, and they sounded shameful. "But I can't say I owe you anything as a friend."

Jason watched her with a sad expression. "I'm sorry it has to be this way. I wish I could change things."

Reyna shook her head. "No, I don't think you do. But it doesn't matter."

"Reyna-"

"We're done here," Reyna announced, finally turning to face him. "You have been granted your asylum in New Rome for time served in the legion. Piper will be granted temporary stay under the terms of an emergency. At the end of March, you'll be expected to vacate your designated premises. Are we understood?"

He nodded, dumfounded.

"Good," Reyna said, her voice sounding slightly smaller. She fiddled with the golden bracelet around her wrist. "There will come a day when I no longer have the will to save everyone else, Jason. I can only be the martyr for so long. You of all people should understand."

She said it so quickly and quietly, he might've misunderstood. Her expression, though, told him that he hadn't. "I'm sorry."

Cloak billowing, braid swaying, she was gone.

(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)

Dinner brought back too many memories for Jason. Having Hazel and Frank made it more bearable, though.

Judging by Hazel's barrage of questions, Frank had kept his mouth shut about Jason and Piper's little "surprise." Jason had nearly forgotten about the son of Mars, who, as of the Giant War, had just as much say in official matters as Reyna did. When he tried to ask Frank for permission, the boy just waved him off.

"Whatever you need man, I'm here for you." Jason couldn't have been more grateful.

"Alright," Hazel said. "Is anyone going to explain to me what's going on?"

The two boys shared a look. Jason popped his knuckles and said simply, "Piper's pregnant."

Hazel looked expressionless for a moment, then slowly, a grin spread across her face. "Oh, I get it. This is a joke. I'll admit, you almost had me…"

She trailed off at Frank's grave expression. "Wait…you can't be serious. Are you?"

"I wish I wasn't."

Hazel was silent. She looked deeply into Jason's eyes, looking for any trace of humor. When she found that there was none, he saw the realization light up in her eyes.

Then she reached across the table and pinched Jason on the elbow. "Why did you take so long to tell us?" she demanded.

"Ow, Hazel! Geez." He rubbed his arm. "Everything's been pretty jumbled lately, I guess. I'm sorry."

"It's alright," Frank replied, shooting a quelling glance at his girlfriend. "We understand, right Hazel?"

Hazel harrumphed, but her eyes softened. Frank smiled and asked, "So, do you have any plans?"

"Frank and Reyna have granted us- me and Piper- stay in New Rome until the baby is born."

Hazel's eyes widened. "So we'll get to be there when the baby's born? I'll get to be Aunty Hazel!"

"Yeah," he lied with a tight smile.

"How long are you staying?" Frank asked.

"Only a couple more days," Jason replied, taking a sip of Pepsi. "I don't want to be away from Piper for too long."

Hazel pouted. "You came all this way just to stay for three days? That's kind of pointless, don't you think?"

"Yeah," he shrugged. "But we'll have plenty of time to spend together once we're living here. Piper and I want to get settled as soon as possible."

"This is so exciting!" Hazel announced. Her eyes were bright.

Jason gave them a weak smile, and judging by their expressions, it probably looked more like a grimace.

Frank patted him on the shoulder. "You're gonna be alright, man."

(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)

Leo had picked an awful time to visit.

He was sitting on the floor of the Aphrodite cabin, trying to engrave his initials into the post of Piper's bunk. Piper let him.

She watched him from her bed, trying to think of something to say. What could she say?

"Are you scared?" he asked, not looking up from where his pocket knife was gnawing into the wood.

Piper pinched her bare toes; her hands were freezing. "That's a stupid question."

"I ask those a lot," Leo mumbled. "You should be used to them by now."

"Yes. I'm scared."

"I think that's okay. To be scared, I mean."

"It's just," she sighed. "We can't afford to be scared."

"I think you can. You're not the first teenagers in the world to go through this, you know," Leo said matter-of-factly.

There's more to the story than you realize, Leo.

When she didn't reply, he added, "Fear is good. It means you care."

He sat back and inspected his handiwork. From that point on, the letters "LV" would forever be engraved in that bunk post. Leo looked rather proud of himself.

Piper closed her eyes. "Yeah, I guess it does."

(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)

Chiron came back the next morning.

He refused to answer any questions with a reply other than "We have very few ideas as to what's going on exactly, but we're working as hard as possible to address the issue. No need to fret, children."

It was, as always, annoyingly cryptic.

That evening, Piper ate ravenously. Her taste buds had magically- literally, magically-been revived and her love of all things buttery and creamy had come back. She barely even listened to the conversation that buzzed around her about Chiron's return.

A kid of Eris, Stephan, came bearing news while she was mid-bite of her mashed potatoes.

"Uh, Piper?"

She gave him an annoyed look. "Whaf?"

"Chiron wants to speak to you after dinner. At the Big House."

A few people at her table stopped talking and stared at Piper. She swallowed. "Okay. Thanks."

(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)

Jason took a long, deep breath.

The fountain in the main square trickled quietly, spraying a blanket of crystal water onto the stone courtyard. A few people milled about on the street and on restaurant patios, speaking in soft tones to one another, as if afraid to disturb the peaceful atmosphere. Their voices were a steady hum of sound in his subconscious.

He sat, sheltered from the nearly noonday heat beneath a green awning in front of his favorite café. Old favorite café, really. He remembered coming here with his friends after war games and morning drills. Espresso con Panna for Jason- to keep him energized, he claimed- and iced coffee for Reyna. They would sip their drinks beneath the very same awning Jason sat under now, if the weather permitted. If it didn't, they would escape the chilly, rain-kissed wind by huddling by the windows inside the café. Rainy days were the best days for drinking coffee, Reyna would always say.

Images of mist-fogged windows and teary raindrops sliding down dark panes of glass danced at the edges of Jason's memory. Before his thoughts could carry him off, a high-pitched shriek coming from the fountain, followed by a bark of laughter, chased them away.

Jason looked up to see a tall, tan skinned man with a little girl on his shoulders; he was leaning forward so that the spray of water tickled her face. She giggled and scrunched her eyes shut, reaching out blindly in front of her, letting the water wet her hands and arms. The man put her back on the ground and let her venture closer, watching her dip her small fingers into the bubbling fountain. He crouched down beside her and pushed a damp curl away from her face as she splashed around, smiling in a way that only a person that loved so strongly and unconditionally could. Jason felt a sharp pang of sadness in his chest.

He would never have that. He would never have a little girl to love and care for and protect and brag about and wrap in his arms and to love him back. His daughter would be miles and miles away, not knowing or caring that she might have had a life completely different from the one she'd always lived. Not knowing that she was so incredibly loved and suffered over.

Would she choose to come back? They were going to spend the next thirteen years asking themselves that same question over and over. Even if she did, would their daughter ever love them fully?

She might, Jason decided. She might come home; she might love them as they had loved her for so terribly long. He imagined bringing her back to their house, apartment, wherever they would be in thirteen years; she would have a place to sit at the table and a bedroom all to herself. She would tell Jason and Piper that she had missed them awfully and had counted down the days, weeks, months, years until the three of them could be a family together, just like she'd always wanted.

But in the end, he didn't care. He didn't care if she never came home, never missed them, never even thought about her long-lost parents; he just wanted her to be safe and happy. That was all he could ever want.

That was all he could ever hope for.

(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)

Chiron looked distracted when Piper found him on the porch. His thick, calloused hands were folded in his lap, his gaze somewhere far away. Piper climbed the creaking steps wordlessly and stared at him. When he wouldn't meet her eyes, she cleared her throat.

"Chiron?"

The centaur's eyes flicked to her in surprise. "Piper. You startled me."

She glanced around and stuffed her hands in her pockets. "Sorry."

There was a beat of silence. "Sit down, Piper. I want to talk to you."

Piper sat.

(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)

Jason couldn't stop tapping his fingers. They seemed to twitch on their own accord, the way that knees bob and palms sweat; an uncontrollable, ever-present nervous tick that just won't leave you alone.

A toneless voice crackled over an intercom, making Jason jump. "We will be beginning our descent into Long Island shortly. In the meantime, the captain has turned on the fasten seat belt sign; please return your seat-back tables into their former, upright position and turn off all electronic devices. On behalf of all the flight crew, we'd like to thank you for choosing American Airlines and we sincerely hope you enjoyed your flight."

Jason resumed tapping his fingers against the armrest. The woman next to him sighed and shut her eyes, trying to block out the irritating sound. Jason felt bad for disturbing her.

He kept tapping.

(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)

"How's everything going with the quests?"

Chiron fumbled with his tweed jacket. "I can't really say."

Piper raised an eyebrow. "Can't, as in you don't know? Or can't, as you just don't want to tell me?"

"Both, I suppose," he replied, shooting her an apologetic smile.

She huffed and sat back in the wooden chair. "Alright."

"That's not what I wanted to talk to you about, though."

Chiron didn't say anything for a while, and Piper suddenly felt impatient. She motioned for him to continue.

"I'm proud of the both of you for handling your situationso responsibly. I truly am, Piper," he finally said, taking a deep breath.

She waited for the 'but.'

"But I am disappointed in you for lying to me," he said sternly, sitting forward. "About what really happened on your quest a few weeks ago. I'm giving you another chance to tell me the truth. Will you?"

Piper shifted in her seat. "I can't really say."

Chiron looked mildly irritated. "I am worried that whatever it is that you're not telling me, it's pulling you under. You are in over your head, child- Jason too. With matters like these, you…" He struggled for the right words.

"You have to know your limits," he finished.

"I do, Chiron," Piper said softly. Did she?

Chiron gave her a long look. "For the sake of both you and this child, I really do hope so.

(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)

The weight of Chiron's words stayed with Piper even after the old centaur had excused himself to go lead that night's campfire. She opted to wait on the porch for her boyfriend's arrival. He was supposed to be back that evening.

Piper sighed and pulled at the hem of her socks, lost in thought.

Limits. What were her limits? Whatever they were, Ilithyia sure didn't give a shit about them. She had pushed Jason and Piper near and over and past their limits in only a few weeks. Her brow furrowed.

"Don't strain yourself, Beauty Queen," a voice laughed. Piper's head shot up.

"Jason!" Her boyfriend was trekking up Half-Blood hill, duffel in hand. He had a bright smile plastered on his face. Piper ran to meet him.

When they touched, his lips skated down her cheeks and landed briefly on her lips. Piper wrapped an arm around his neck and held him close, breathing in his scent.

"How did it go? You didn't Iris message me; I was afraid something had gone wrong." she murmured into his shoulder. Jason pulled back and smiled lightly.

"Six months. Reyna says we can stay in New Rome for six months, then we have to leave. That gives you enough time for you to have the baby, then for Artemis to…" He trailed off.

Piper took his hand and pulled him onto the steps. "How are we going to pay for the cost of living? And food?"

"Doesn't cost anything to live in the city. It's a reward for serving in the legion. And we can figure something out about the food part." He nudged her in the side. "Don't worry, I won't let you starve."

They sat in silence for a moment. Fall was approaching and the air grew colder with every passing day; a chill ran down Piper and she shivered. Jason rubbed her arms with his warm palms.

"We're into my second trimester now- twelve weeks. That's a third of the way through," she said softly, glancing up at Jason. His expression didn't change. "Are you scared?"

Jason nodded mutely and his arms tightened around her. She nuzzled her forehead into his shoulder. "Means you care."

"I hope so."

"I guess hope is all we have now," Piper mumbled.

"Hope," Jason echoed, twirling a lock of her caramel-colored hair. Piper met his eyes.

"That's a nice name, too."

Eyes closed, she smiled and let another burst of cool air wash over her.

Hope.

(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)

The Aphrodite cabin was almost completely empty by the time Piper's heavy feet led her to it. Almost.

In the dim, dusky light Piper could see Lacy perched on her top bunk. She held a phone in one hand and tapped anxiously on something in her lap with the other. Piper let the screen door snap shut intentionally, alerting Lacy of her presence. The fair-haired girl started.

"Lacy? Why aren't you at the amphitheater?" Piper asked quietly, walking forward and leaning on the metal post of the bunk.

Lacy looked down at her through a crown of curls and smiled coyly. "Why aren't you?"

Piper sighed and sat on the mattress below her sister's, looking around the empty cabin. "I don't think that's really a valid question these days."

"Any question that you don't know the answer to is a valid one," Lacy replied matter-of-factly. She climbed down the ladder and sat herself next to Piper, rumpling the sheets.

"What's that?" Piper pointed at what Lacy had been concealing in her lap. It was a white box wrapped in blue ribbon; Lacy clutched it to her hip.

Lacy smiled goofily. "A present."

"A present?" Piper quirked a brow. "For who?"

Lacy gave her an incredulous look. "For you, dummy. And for…the baby."

Piper bit her lip. "Okay."

"Here," Lacy said quickly, seeing the expression of her sister's face. She thrust the little box from her own lap into Piper's. "Open it."

Piper stared at it for a moment, running her fingers over the smooth, satin ribbon; it was small enough to fit in the palms of her hands. Carefully, she began to undo the tie, numbly pulling at the knot. The ribbon came apart like water and Piper lifted the white lid.

"Oh my Gods, Lacy," Piper whispered, hand over her mouth.

Inside the box was a little pile of delicate green fabric. She removed it from the box and unfolded it, reveling in the softness of the cotton on her skin. It was a newborn baby's outfit the color of lime sherbet, with petite pink bows the size of her pinky nail adorning the sides. Piper squeezed one of the little bows in between her fingers, disbelieving. How could anything be so tiny?

"I saw it online and I couldn't resist," Lacy grinned. "Do you like it?"

Piper nodded mutely, struggling for words. "It- it's so small…"

Lacy giggled. "Yeah, babies tend to be that way."

Piper looked up at her sister. "Thank you so much, Lacy. I love it."

"I'm glad," Lacy said. "I mean, I know this is going to be really hard for you guys, but I still think you should be a little excited. It's just that neither of you seem very happy about anything these days-"

Piper pulled the girl into a tight hug, the little outfit nestled between their chests. "What would I do without you, Lacy?"

Lacy took a breath, as if to answer, but Piper pulled back and poked her in the ribs. "That was a rhetorical question, you know."

"But a valid one, I think," Lacy said slyly. Piper rolled her eyes.

"Come on. I think we can still make the campfire songs if we head over now," she said, folding the outfit and tucking it back into the box.

Lacy stood up and threw an arm around Piper's shoulders. "You're going to have a pretty darn stylish baby, sister-o' -mine. Be excited."

Piper smiled half-heartedly; she was doing that a lot lately. "I'm trying."

(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)

Sleep came easily to Piper that night. The little white box sat underneath her bed while she slept, pulsing like a heartbeat through the mattress and into her body. Its presence lulled her to sleep and into the heaviness of a nightmare.

Darkness blankets her vision like hot, sticky cotton. The sound of creaking wood whines in her ears, slowly and steadily. Bit by bit, light dots her vision, growing wider and wider until her surroundings sharpen into visibility. It takes Piper a moment to adjust to the brightness.

She is standing in a nursery. The walls are tinged a mild purple with little green vines painted along them. An empty white crib is placed in the corner of the room, its mobile of doves spinning and twisting for nobody. The creaking continues.

Piper looks around and finds the source; a woman with a curtain of dark hair over her face is sitting in a rocking chair, rocking back and forth. She is holding a baby in her arms.

"I don't like to be defied, daughter of Aphrodite." Her voice is like black silk, and horrifyingly familiar to Piper's ears. She wants to speak, but her lips are cemented shut.

"My sister, bless her, has taken pity on you," Ilithyia crows, stroking the bundle in her arms. "Olympus knows you need it."

Piper can't move, can't speak.

"But my dear, I just think that you do not understand," she goes on. "You are so, so very blessed, to have been gifted with a child of unimaginable power!"

The baby starts sniffling and fidgeting. A tiny, cream-colored fist peeks out from within the blankets. Ilithyia doesn't acknowledge its discomfort.

Piper finds her voice. "Stop," she croaks. Stop the crying, stop the tormenting, stop the misery. "Please stop."

Like the baby, Piper is ignored. The whines and sniffles turn into loud shrieks that pierce the air. Still the goddess does nothing but stare vacantly at Piper.

"Would you like to hold her?" she says softly, offering the wailing bundle out to Piper. Her eyes are glazed over and dull.

Piper's feet carry her involuntarily closer to the rocking chair, her arms stretching outward to take the miserable baby. As soon as the baby is cradled in her arms, the crying stops. Ilithyia smiles.

The child is swathed in white cotton, rough and scratchy. She pulls the fabric away from the girl's face layer by layer, until finally, a patch of pale flesh is visible from within. Two glassy eyes like gray marbles stare up at her. Its little body is unmoving and cold in her trembling arms. The baby, she realizes, is dead.

The goddess continues to rock back and forth, the creak and whine of wood tearing at Piper's eardrums. She smiles emptily and stares at the distraught girl, completely detached.

"I don't like to be defied, daughter of Aphrodite."

Piper feels herself fall the floor, the silent bundle still clutched in her arms. She can't breath, can't feel, can't think, can't believe-

"And there will be consequences."

(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)

Piper woke up shaking like a leaf. The sheets had been kicked to the footboard of her bunk and she lay exposed to the cold air, struggling to fill her lungs with air. She wiped the sweat off of her face with the back of her hand and crawled gracelessly out of bed.

Piper went to her knees and reached underneath her bed, groping around for the pulsing heartbeat that no longer beat. Satin grazed her fingertips and she grasped it. The white box shone weakly beneath the moonlight that streamed in from the windows. She held it in her sweaty hands for a moment and allowed the slow breathing of her siblings in their bunks to calm her.

Finally, she lifted the lid and gently removed the tiny piece of clothing. It looked like a leaf spotted with pink in the darkness, so small and so sweet. The sight broke something inside of her.

Piper held the fabric to her face and let it soak up her tears as she cried silently, heavily. Cried for herself, for Jason, for Hope, for her dad, for Lacy, for everything that had gone so terribly wrong.

And most of all, she cried for this little piece of wasted love that would never be worn.

(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)

1. Whoaaaa 6,000 words is a lot

2. I'm dying of stress

3. I am very upset with this chapter

4. I hope you don't hate me

5. Someone tell me that I'm a good writer and that you don't hate me

6. Yes, I am fishing for compliments

7. That's how low I've sunk

8. School is fucking hard

9. That is all

As always, I hope you all have marvelous days, nights, whatevers!

PS: Poll is closed if you wanna check it out