Nico suppressed a groan, "She has strange timing."

Will was gripping the steering wheel, the car parked. "No kidding."

"Um, strained relationship?"

"My mom is a bit…flighty. She kind of flits in, then disappears and leaves a mess. Musician."

Meg nodded, "I'm familiar with the type. Maybe I should…let you guys get reacquainted." She looked nervous.

Nico wished he could suggest something to get both him and her out of it.

Will shook his head, "The more people around, the better she behaves. Please?"

Nico couldn't help the groan, "I hate it when you beg."

"You just prefer when I beg in bed." Will teased, then got out.

Meg made a sort of gagging sound, "Could you not while I'm in hearing distance?" She also started getting out.

Nico snorted, "Sorry, he's just tense. He usually cracks jokes like that when his mom shows up. Honestly, it's embarrassing."

The three of them walked toward the house.

Nico could hear some guitar chords being played inside, "Why did we give her a key?"

"Because last two times she visited she arrived after midnight and you got mad that I was woken up." Will reminded him, an arm slipping around Nico's waist. "I thought you were going to summon skeletons to attack her."

Nico remembered, but barely, "I almost did. If I hadn't been half asleep I probably would have."

Meg hesitated by the door, "Um, aren't I staying in your guest bedroom?"

"It's a five bedroom house. Even with the nursery, and our master, there's three rooms we aren't using." Will shrugged.

Nico gave her a reassuring look, "I've got your back, mostly because I'm stuck visiting and you don't have to be."

Meg nodded slightly.

Will led the way in, "Mom?"

She looked up from her guitar, "Hey, baby!"

He went over and gave her a hug, "What brings you to town?"

"The baby shower!" She said as if it was obvious, "I can't miss my grandbaby's baby shower! I'm finally gonna be a grandmother!"

Will nodded, smiling, relaxing slightly, "Ah, right."

"And there's my other boy!" She hugged Nico tightly, like she was trying crush his ribs.

Nico hugged her back awkwardly, "Hi, Mrs. Solace."

"I told you to call me mom, or Naomi." She swatted his arm, and then looked at Meg. "And you must be the saint that's having the baby for my boys!"

Meg had a polite smile, "Megara, yes."

"Oh, let me see you!" Naomi examined Meg, then felt her stomach, "Oh yes, you'll do nicely."

Meg kept the polite look, but a quick glance at the boys spoke of the volumes to which she was wishing to escape. Especially since Naomi was going for a hug.

"So, Mom, how's the tour going so far?" Will asked abruptly, catching Naomi's attention and snapping it away from Meg.

Nico mumbled something about starting dinner and waved for Meg to follow.

Once they were safely in there, Meg shivered, "Okay, I know that I should be used to random people feeling my belly and all that but geez Louise."

Nico nodded, "I've had five years to get used to it. But I can't. Man, at least we can distract her from her lame tour stories with the news about the baby."

"Thinking of, didn't your friends all tell you they were coming over tonight to find out?" She pulled out the bread dough she had made earlier for breadsticks.

Nico groaned and cursed, "I forgot about that. Aw man! We better get cooking."

She smiled, "What does it look like I'm doing? We've been preparing for this all morning and we still have three hours. Plus they all said they were bringing a dish to share, and desserts." She preheated the oven.

Nico nodded, "Right. Right, so I just have to clean."

"Exactly, happy excuse." She started making some dip for the fruit platter they had cut up that morning.

He ran a hand through his hair, "Hey, Meg?"

"Hmm?"

"Look, I haven't talked with Will about this yet, but…" He wanted to make sure he said this right, "You know that you're more than just our surrogate, right? That you're also our friend? So, even after…"

She was watching him, her eyes soft, a faint smile, "Yes, I know. Even after. Now go clean."

Nico nodded and started in the bathrooms, then he moved to the living room where he was forced to talk about work as he straightened things up.

"I swear you never sit down and relax! It's just me, you don't have to straighten the pillows."

"We have friends coming over tonight to find out what gender the baby is." Nico explained.

Will's eyes widened slightly, "Oh, I forgot they said they were coming."

"Whoa, wait? You know what it is?"

Nico shared a grin with Will, "That's where we were this morning. That's why Will isn't at work."

"Are you going to make me wait?"

Will nodded, "Yeah, can't have you blabbing before we can make our announcement. I better help Nico clean, Mom." He gave Naomi a kiss on the cheek.

"Alright, I'll get out of the living room for you. Hey, is that girl living here?"

"Her apartment building kind of burned down, so yes." Will shrugged.

Naomi was quiet, a strange look on her face, "Well, just be careful." She put her guitar in it's case and went to the bedroom Will must have told her to use.

Nico frowned, "What does she mean by that?"

Will was frowning as well, "I don't know. It's Mom. She could be implying anything from 'be careful she isn't a thief' to 'be careful with the girl's emotions' to 'be careful not to get a lawsuit put on you'."

Nico snorted, "At least our friends didn't invite your grandmother to the baby shower."

Will stared at the wall, "We hope."

Nico groaned and kept cleaning.

"Hey mom, do you know if Grandma got an invitation to the baby shower?"

"Of course, she'll be up the day before."

Nico could strangle them all.

"Mom, does grandma know about me?" Will asked, looking a little pale.

It was quiet, "Well…"

"Dang it, Mom! You told me to let you handle telling her that I was dating a guy!" Will shouted.

"You've met your grandmother! She isn't exactly the type of person you can go up to and tell that her grandson is gay! She doesn't believe it!"

Nico groaned again, dropping onto the couch.

"Great, so I'm going to have to tell my grandmother that I'm gay as she comes to a shower for my baby?"

Naomi came back out, "Goodness, no! Wait until after she's given you the gift, then tell her. That way she doesn't take your gift with her when she leaves to find a priest to try and cleanse you of the demon that must be inside of you."

"Geez oh Pete, she's catholic, isn't she?" Meg asked, having come in to figure out what the shouting was about.

Nico looked at her, wondering why that distinction mattered.

"Yeah, she is. Why?"

"Catholics are pretty much the only ones who believe in modern demonic possession."

"And you know about this…how?"

"I'm a midwife. At least half of my clients are religious, and getting them to talk about their religion is an easy way to do my job because I can all but tune them out and get on with my job. Plus curiosity. I like many of the morals that Christians have."

Will shrugged a bit.

Nico shook his head, "I swear, the more I get to know you the less I actually know."

Naomi looked amused, "So you believe in…?"

Meg gave a mysterious smile, "A lot of different things. Mostly life, hope, love, compassion, grace, and forgiveness. And food." She went back into the kitchen.

"Well, she's a closet Christian." Naomi chuckled, "I have to go meet my agent, baby, I'll be back in an hour or two."

"Okay," Will said, still sounding somewhat defeated.

Naomi walked out the door.

Will groaned, "Now I have to figure out how to tell my grandmother."