When Annabeth returns from her meeting with Leo, she finds Tyson has spread a blanket out on the floor of the main room of the cabin and both he and Sophia are asleep on it. The cute thing about it is they are laying exactly the same way, on their backs with their arms up over their heads and their faces turned toward each other. She sneaks in around them and grabs her camera. That's a picture to send to grandpa Poseidon, she thinks, as she looks at the image on the screen. She leaves them alone and starts quietly straightening up around them. She is dusting, when Shelly pokes her head inside the open cabin door. Annabeth puts a finger to her lips but motions Shelly into the cabin. When Shelly is inside, Annabeth points at the floor to get her to look at the cuties asleep on the floor. Shelly puts her hands over her heart because it is so sweet. Annabeth makes a come on motion with her hand and leads her friend toward her bedroom, so they can talk.
"What am I going to do Annabeth," Shelly says with tears streaming down her cheeks. "I love him so much, and seeing things like that break my heart. He would make the best daddy and the best husband."
"I still think he'll come around," Annabeth tells her, "We haven't been pushing him because we don't want him to leave. Poseidon wants this for him too. I have to believe he'll continue to work on him even if he leaves this fall without changing him mind."
"If he does not change his mind by the time he leaves at the end of summer, I will have to leave camp," Shelly says seeming lost and staring at the wall.
"Don't be silly. There is no reason for you to leave camp," Annabeth tells her sternly.
"I cannot stay and disgrace my sisters," she insists.
"You have disgraced no one," Annabeth tells her putting her arms around the naiad.
"Annabeth you do not understand, but I must leave. I cannot say why, as it would cause too much scandal for everyone. Just trust me that I will have no choice," Shelly tells her sadly.
"Shelly are you expecting a baby?" Annabeth asks bluntly thinking there could be no other reason she would feel this way.
Shelly looks away in shame instead of answering the question.
"Shelly," Annabeth says gently taking her chin and turning her back to face her, "Answer me please."
"Yes, my Lady," Shelly says them puts her face in her hands.
"I didn't think that you and Tyson had… Shelly, this is nothing to be ashamed of. You and Tyson are in love," Annabeth tells her.
"But he no longer wants to be with me," she sobs.
"He does want to be with you. He's just upset about all that happened. When he finds out you are carrying his child…"
"You cannot tell him!" Shelly says adamantly.
"We have to tell him!" Annabeth insists, "He deserves to know he's going to be a father."
"I will not force him into anything," Shell says a little quieter.
"This isn't forcing him, don't you see? This is a sign that you are meant to be together," Annabeth says taking Shelly's hand.
"He must decide on his own without this information," Shelly says, "Promise me you won't tell him."
"Please don't make me promise that," Annabeth begs.
"You must," Shelly insists.
"Fine I won't tell Tyson you carry his child," Annabeth agrees grudgingly.
Shelly leaves after forcing Annabeth to make a promise she didn't want to make, but she isn't going to let that stop her from doing what she knows has to be done. She turns on the light under the crystals and says, "Fleecy please do me a solid. Poseidon at his underwater palace." One of the drachmas disappears from the stack on the dresser and her father-in-law appears in the rainbow.
"Annabeth," he says pleasantly surprised.
"Hi Dad," she says, "I hope I'm not bothering you."
"Never my dear, how is my beautiful little Sophia?"
"Dad, you have to see this picture," she says holding the camera to the rainbow, so the image will show on his end. She can hear the hearty laughter on his end.
"I should like a copy of that," he says when she takes the camera down.
"You've got it Dad," she says then hesitates, "Um I hate to ask you this, but I really need to talk with you about something, and once I talk with you, I think you might want to talk with Tyson."
"You want me to come there?" he asks.
"Are you too busy?" she asks.
"Of course not," he says, but it's not through the IM, as he's standing behind her in the bedroom now.
"Oh my gods," she says startled.
"Sorry," he says with a grin.
Annabeth then tells him what she learned from Shelly a little bit earlier. "She won't let me tell him, but he has to know. Do you think this will change his mind?"
"I'm not sure. It is possible with Tyson that he will become more depressed," he tells her.
"If you forced him to be with her because of the baby, would he accept it?" she asks, "He's miserable without her and she's miserable without him. He's not sleeping at night, which is why he's been out so long this afternoon. He's been throwing himself into work at the forge during the day, but today I asked him to take a break and watch Sophia for a few minutes. I think seeing her sleep must have finally knocked him out. I'm worried about him, and it's all for no reason."
"Does Percy know about any of this?" Poseidon asks.
"No I contacted you first," she tells him.
"I will talk with my son, when he wakes," her father-in-law says then kisses her forehead.
"I'll get Sophia and take her to Percy's class. That will give you some time alone," she says then grabs the diaper bag and leads him back out into the main room. Poseidon smiles at seeing his son and granddaughter still asleep in the floor, as they were in the picture. Annabeth picks Sophia up without waking her, lets grandpa give her a kiss then heads out to find her husband. Poseidon takes a seat on the floor next to his son and waits for him to wake.
Tyson wakes about twenty minutes after his father joins him in the floor, but he's really confused when he starts looking around. "Where is Sophia?" he asks concerned, since he was supposed to be watching her.
"She is fine. Annabeth took her to watch Daddy's class," his father tells him.
"What are you doing here," Tyson asks then hugs his dad.
"I need to talk with you about something son," Poseidon tells him.
"Have I done something wrong?" Tyson asks because his dad is so serious.
"Well no not really, but it will be wrong if you do not correct it," his dad tells him.
"Tell me what I need to do," he asks his father.
"I spoke with you after the council meeting," his dad says, "I asked you to consider something. Do you remember?"
"Yes, you wanted me to get back with Shelly," he answers.
"Have you considered this?" his dad continues.
"Yes, and I want to, but I don't see how I can after what happened," his son says.
"So you think you should be punished for another's actions?" Poseidon asks him.
"I lead her to it," he tells his dad.
"Should yet another person be punished because of the actions you're taking now?" his dad inquires.
"Shelly is…"
"I'm not referring to Shelly," his dad says, "I am referring to an innocent child who had nothing to do with any of this, but will be punished if you do not go back with Shelly."
"I do not understand Father," Tyson says clearly confused.
"You will understand, but I need an answer first. If there were a greater responsibility to be fulfilled by your returning to the girl you love would you do it?" his dad asks.
"Greater than taking responsibility for Bubbles' actions?" Tyson questions.
"Yes, taking responsibility for your own actions," Poseidon says.
"Yes of course if the responsibility is greater," Tyson tells him.
"Then I want you to go find Shelly and ask her to take you back," his dad says, "Once she agrees, asks her to tell you what she told Annabeth earlier today."
"I do not fully understand, but I will do as you request," his son agrees then says, "Do you mean now?"
"Yes now," he father says pointing toward the door.
"May I see Shelly," Tyson asks her sister when he arrives at the underwater cabin the naiads share.
"Yes, General," she says then sees him inside. She leaves him alone to go retrieve her sister, but only Shelly returns.
"General," Shelly says softly when she sees him, "I am surprised…"
"Shelly, do you still want to be with me?" he asks cutting her off before he loses his nerve.
"Yes, but I won't force you into anything," she says assuming Annabeth didn't keep her promise.
"My father says I have other responsibilities greater than those for what Bubbles did. I do not understand. He said you will explain this," he tells her.
"Your father, you talked to Lord Poseidon about this?" she asks in shock.
"Yes just now," he says.
"He did not tell you what the responsibility was?" she asks, "No only that it was more important that I live up to this one instead of punishing myself for what someone else did in my name. Do you want us to be together again?"
"Yes Tyson, I do," she says crying again.
"If you do, why are you crying?" he asks confused, "And would you tell me what you told Annabeth today."
"Tyson do you remember the third night you stayed with me here in my cabin?" she asks.
Tyson blushes, "Yes I remember."
"Something very special happened that night," she says then takes his hand and places it on her belly.
"You mean… you mean a little Tyson or a little Shelly?" he asks in shock.
"Yes," she tells him, "We are to have a child, but I do not want you to be with me just because of that if you do not wish it."
"If I do not wish it?" he says with a laugh, "I have wished for nothing but since we met." He picks her up and kisses her. "Tyson is going to be a daddy like brother Percy. I am so happy," he tells her with a huge grin.
"I love you Tyson," Shelly says caressing his face.
"So could we maybe do that again," he says, "To celebrate."
"General, you are so bad," she says with a giggle then leads him to her bedroom.