Piper and Jason stand holding hands in silence, as the elevator of her parent's new apartment slowly rises. "So what do you think they have to tell us?" Jason asks.
"I honestly have no idea," she says squeezing his hand a little tighter.
"You need to ask her to do something about Ares, so he leaves you alone," her husband reminds her.
"I will," she says as the elevator door opens. They step off and walk to the only door on that floor.
"Can't wait to see this place. Your dad must have expensive taste," Jason says.
"He used to do it for appearance sake, but if he's really giving up acting, this is for mom not him. He doesn't really need all of…"
"Sweetheart," Aphrodite says opening the door before they even get the chance to knock.
"Hi Mom," Piper says giving her mother a hug, "So what's up?"
"We wanted you to meet your little brother," her mom says.
"What, you just…" Piper says not understanding how the baby could already be here.
"I'm a goddess, Baby. We don't gestate like mortals, not unless we want to hide our identities. You're father knows who I am now, so there was no reason to prolong things," her mom says.
As Aphrodite shows them into the living room, Piper and Jason find Tristan sitting on the sofa with a baby stretched out on his legs. "Daddy," Piper says going to him.
"Hello Beauty," he says kissing her when she sits next to him. "Jason," her father says greeting his son-in-law.
"Dad," Jason says shaking his hand. "That's a good looking boy you have there."
"Thank you, we're blessed just like when our Piper was born," Piper's father says.
"May I?" Piper asks wanting to hold her baby brother.
"Sure," her father says letting her lift him off of his legs.
"What is his name?" Piper asks.
"We decided to name him Addonia," her mom says.
"Really," Jason asks with a smile, "You both agreed to that?"
"I know where it comes from," Tristan tells him. "And I still agree."
"Well with you two as parents, I think it will be fitting," Piper says kissing her sleeping brother on the cheek.
"If he looks anything like you I agree," Jason says winking at his wife.
"So have you really given up acting?" Piper asks her father.
"Yes, I'm done," he tells her just as Mellie enters the room.
"Would you care for anything?" Mellie asks sweetly.
"Mellie," Jason says happy to see her, as he goes to give the wind nymph a hug. "So you're still with Dad," he says.
"We couldn't let our Mellie go," Tristan says with a smile.
"She's indispensible," Aphrodite agrees. "Would either of you care for something?"
"No thank you," Piper says, as Mellie gives her a hug.
"I'm good, thanks though," Jason agrees.
"Please let me know if you need anything," the aura says sweetly then leaves the room.
"Mom," Piper says as Jason takes the baby from her. "Ares has been asking about you."
"I'm sorry, sweetheart, he hasn't bothered you has he?" her mom asks.
"Not really," Piper says which prompts Jason to chime into the conversation.
"He was threatening her."
"That…Well I'll put a stop to that immediately," Aphrodite says standing and balling her fists.
"You knew he would do this," Tristan says softly trying to calm her down.
"I should go right now," Aphrodite says.
"I don't want you to go alone," Tristan says now standing behind her with his arms around her.
"I'll go with you," Piper says.
"No you won't," Tristan and Jason both tell her.
"I'm a very powerful goddess," Aphrodite tells them, "I can handle Ares. Besides, I would feel better knowing the two of you were here with your father and brother just in case."
"Mom, are you sure," Piper asks concerned.
"Yes, my beauty. I can handle this," her mom says then shimmers away.
"So, Dad, how are you adjusting to Aphrodite being a goddess?" Jason asks, as they all take a seat again.
"It's hard, I'm not going to lie to you. I get mad that Piper had to grow up without her mom just because she's a goddess. I certainly wouldn't want Addonia to have to grow up the same way. Another part of me wonders if your mother is the reason why my career has been so successful. If it was all her doing and not really mine," he tells them.
"Don't think that way Dad," Piper tells him. "You are a fantastic actor. Even I believe in your characters and I'm your daughter. And growing up, I didn't miss Mom."
"But you missed me. I wasn't always there for you," her dad says caressing her face.
"You're here now and you'll be here for Addonia. That's all that matters," his daughter tells him.
Behind them there is a commotion as Mellie is trying to stop someone from entering. "My Lord you must not," she says.
"Get out of my way or I'll blast you away," an angry hateful voice tells her.
Jason quickly hands the baby to Tristan and runs to Mellie's side.
"Well, well, well little brother. Keeping secrets from me I see," Ares says when he sees Jason.
"Ares you shouldn't be here," Jason says putting his hand on his brother's chest.
"You'd better get out of my way Jason, or Dad will have one less son come sun down," Ares tells him.
"Aphrodite is allowed to make choices for herself and you have to live with them," Jason continues.
"Hey, if she wants this puny little mortal as her lover, more power to her, but he should be a man and fight me for her," Ares says with a hateful smile on his face.
"That's not going to happen, big brother, and you know it."
"Who's going to stop me, you," Ares says laughing so loud the walls are shaking.
"Maybe me," comes a voice from behind Ares now.
"Percy Jackson," Ares says recognizing the voice without even looking.
"Percy what are you doing here?" Jason asks shocked to see his cousin.
"Sorry it took me so long," Thalia now says coming up behind Percy. "Blackjack was insisting on hanging around."
"You think because there are three of you that you can scare me away?" Ares asks.
"You'd better make that four," Piper says coming up behind her husband.
"Fighting Mommy's battles," the god says with a chuckle.
"No, Mom is ready to destroy you if you don't agree to leave her family alone, but she's hoping you'll smarten up…"
"That'll never happen," Percy says smartly.
"And see that this is only for a small amount of time in your scheme of things," Piper continues. "Dad is a mortal, 70 years from now at the most and Mom will be available again, but if you do anything to hurt anyone over her choice, she'll never come back to you. Are you really willing to give up an eternity with her because of this moment in time?"
"She can't live without me, no matter what I do. Surely Adonis should tell you that?" Ares says with a smirk.
"You swore to me that you were not the one," Aphrodite says coming up behind Piper. "I believed in you."
"Come on Dite, it's me. You know you can't live without my lovin'," he says trying to step toward her.
"I'd rather spend eternity with my husband than with you. At least he cares about me, about my feelings," she tells him.
"Since when do you care about that?" Ares asks.
"I always feel that way when I'm not around you. I know the difference between love and lust. I had both with Adonis. I now have both with Tristan. I could have love with Hephaestus and that would be much better than lusting after you. I've been a fool all these years to not see it. So no matter what you do now, I'll never be with you again," she tells him.
"I've heard that before," he says with a grin, "But you always come back for a piece of Ares."
"Never again, I will never forgive you for killing my beautiful Adonis," she says as tears run down her cheeks.
"Dite don't say that," the god says.
Tristan comes up behind Aphrodite and puts his arm around her. "Come my love," he says softly and leads her away from the others placing their son in her arms.
"Dite!" Ares bellows after her but she doesn't return.
"Now I think it's time for you to leave," Jason tells his brother. "There doesn't need to be anyone hurt over this matter."
"I'll never give her up," Ares insists.
"Maybe, years from now when Dad is gone and she's had time to get over what you admitted today, she'll give you another chance. I can promise you, though, that if you do anything else to hurt her, she'll never forgive you. My mom has a long memory," Piper tells him.
"I'll leave for today, but only because she needs time to get over what I said about Adonis," Ares says trying to look like a big man.
"See ya," Percy says with a friendly chuckle. Ares glares at him then they all look away and he's gone.
"How did you..." Jason now asks his sister and cousin.
"Aphrodite messaged us and told us she was afraid he was coming here," Thalia tells him.
"She knew we would want to help," Percy adds. "I never give up a chance to put that jackass in his place."
"Can we see your new brother?" Thalia asks excitedly.
"Come on," Piper says and leads them back into the living room to meet Addonia.