Annabeth comes from the bathroom and takes a seat on the edge of the bed next to Percy. When she doesn't say anything or lay back down next to him, he reaches out his hand and caresses her arm. "Something wrong?" he asks.
"No, not really," she says, but he can tell something is bothering her.
"I know you better," he insists.
"It's just that I was hoping when we started trying for another baby that it would happen right away like it does for everybody else around here," she tells him.
"It's only been a few days," he says trying to make her feel better. "We could be pregnant right now."
"No we're not," she says softly. "I started my period."
Percy sits up and puts his arms around her then kisses her neck. "It's okay," he whispers. "It'll happen."
"You know, Nico and Thalatta got pregnant the first time," she tells him.
"Because Hades went to Hera and made it happen," her husband tells her.
"Clarisse and Chris got pregnant on birth control," she continues. "So did Leo and Crystal if you consider trusting Hera as birth control. Still they got pregnant right away."
"It's possible that Ares or Hermes had a little something to do with that, and come on, trust Hera?"
"I know, you're right, I just can't stop wondering if the time we spent in Tartarus…"
"We promised not to talk about that," Percy says stopping her.
"But what if it changed us?" she says.
"Just because we didn't get pregnant after a few days of trying, doesn't mean there's anything wrong with us," he tells her.
"If it would make you feel better, we could see someone," he suggests.
"How can we do that? It's not like we can just go see a regular doctor, and if we asked anybody in the family, they'd just make it happen and I don't want that. Do you?" she asks.
"No, I'd like to do it on our own," he agrees. "But maybe Artemis?" he suggests.
"She's childbirth, not fertility," Annabeth reminds him.
"Who would be our choices, besides Hera?" he asks.
"Aphrodite, but I don't trust her to honor our wishes. She's meddled in our love life enough," Annabeth says.
"Agreed," he says. "We could go visit Dad," he offers.
"How could you're dad help, we're not sea creatures," she says.
"Well I sort of am," he says with a laugh.
"I love Dad, but he'd just make it happen as well," she says.
"You're probably right," he says. "What about that penis guy?"
"You mean Priapus? Seriously, Percy he's gross," she tells him making a face.
"But if the problem is with me," he offers.
"And if it's not?"
"That leaves Aphrodite's boys doesn't it?" Percy asks.
"Eros or Hermaphroditos," she says making sure that's who he's talking about.
"We've met Eros, well his Roman self anyway," Percy says. "Would you be comfortable talking to him?"
"Which one of them would be the best?" she asks.
"You'd be better to answer that than me. You know way more about our family than I do," he tells her.
"Hermaphroditos might be better since he's male and female, but how would you feel about it? I mean would his sexuality bother you?" she asks.
"Hermes has always been good to me. If that's who you want to ask, I'll contact Lord Hermes and ask for his help reaching his son so Lady Aphrodite doesn't get involved," Percy tells her just as Sophia starts to move around in her crib.
"Good morning Beautiful," Andy says as he walks up the steps of the big house.
"That is really inappropriate to say in front of my current lover," Iris says glancing at Chiron.
"It is true," Chiron says with a smile.
"Uncle Andy," Tharin says getting to his feet and trotting over to his sister's dad. Tharin and Andy exchange a big hug.
"You are getting so big," Andy says ruffling the young centaur's blue hair. "How's your flying?"
"Still can't," Tharin says with a smile, "But my wings are getting bigger."
"Maybe while I'm here, I'll see if I can get you up in the air," Andy says getting a raised eyebrow from Tharin's mother.
"AWESOME!" Tharin shouts.
"It won't be right now," Chiron tells his boy getting him to come back to breakfast.
"I appreciate you calling me on this," Andy now tells Iris. "How's Crystal doing?"
"She's fine, but she's a little scared. She's afraid of what Boreas might be up to, but she's also worried about what Leo might do when he finds out," Iris tells him.
"Did you reach Hephaestus?" Andy asks.
"Yes, he said to let him know when you were here and ready to tell Leo what was going on," she says.
"I guess there's no time like the present," Andy says. Iris opens her hand and a rainbow appears then Hephaestus' face appears in the middle.
"Lord Hephaestus, it's time to address that little issue we discussed," she tells the god.
"My son still does not know?" Hephaestus asks.
"No he has not been told," Iris says. "Crystal's father is here now."
"I'll be right…" a pillar of fire then appears on the lawn.
"Coooool," Tharin says of the god's grand entrance.
Once the pillar dies down and Leo's father is standing on the lawn, Chiron directs his attention to a couple of small fires burning in the grass. "Our lawn, My Lord," the centaur says.
Hephaestus picks up his foot and snuffs out the flames. "Get some of Aunt Demeter's kids to fix that will ya," the god says. Chiron rolls his eyes and nods.
"Well I don't have all day," Hephaestus says.
"Sure thing," Andy says and starts to walk away with Crystal's father.
"Don't think the two of you are doing this without me," Iris says going after them. Now it's Hephaestus' turn to roll his eyes and gives Andy a look.
"Yeah, she's like that," Andy says with a chuckle.
When the trio appears at the doorway of the Hephaestus cabin, Leo, who answers the door, knows something is up.
"What have I done?" he asks slyly.
"Nothing yet," his father-in-law tells him. "Is my beauty here?"
"Crystal!" Leo calls toward the back of the cabin. "I think you'd better come out here."
"What…" Crystal starts to ask what's going on, but when she sees their parents, she knows why they are here.
"How about we walk over to the bunker," his father suggests.
"You don't want to tell us why you're here first?" Leo asks.
"Crystal already knows," her mom says taking Leo's arm and leading him away.
"That's kind of scary," Leo says but allows himself to be lead. "Crystal, are you okay? It's not the baby is it?"
Crystal gets to her husband's side and takes his hand. "I promise the baby and I are both fine," she assures him.
"Then is something wrong with me?" he asks with a weak smile.
"No it's nothing like that," his father tells him leaving it at that until they get to Bunker 9.
"So what is it?" Leo asks when they enter.
"Leo, do you remember before you and Crystal were married and I had a little issue with Boreas?" Andy asks.
"You mean when he wanted to kill you? Is that the little issue you mean?" his son-in-law says.
"That would be the one," Andy agrees.
"Is he threatening you again?" Leo asks.
"Not exactly," Andy starts.
"Leo, before we tell you what's going on, I need for you to promise me that you won't try to do something on your own about this," Crystal interrupts.
"Why would I…" Leo starts to say then it dawns on him why he would need to make a promise like that. Flames start dancing along his fingertips. "I'll kill him myself if he's threatening you."
"We don't know for sure that's what is happening," Iris says trying to calm the boy down.
"Maybe someone had better start talking," Leo says looking from his girl to each of their parents.
"My dreams, nightmares," Crystal starts, "A few times I've dreamed that Boreas tries to take our baby when it's born. It could just be a dream…"
"We're demigods, we don't just have dreams," Leo says.
"That's why we're here, to do something about it, but that doesn't include you going off half-cocked," his father tells him.
"He can't do anything to me or the baby while we're here at camp," Crystal says still trying to calm Leo down. "I promise we won't let anything happen to him."
"Him?" Leo says, "You mean we're having a boy?"
"I think so," Crystal says with a smile.
"I'm having a son," Leo says getting a proud grin on his face. "Dad did you hear that? I'm having a son," he continues, jumping into his father's arms.
Hephaestus is a little shocked to find his son in his arms, but pats him on the back anyway. "Yeah?" the god says like he's not sure how to respond.
It only takes Leo a couple of seconds to get over the euphoria of finding out he's getting a son and back on the fact that Boreas is threatening his family. "What are we going to do about this?
"We aren't going to do anything," Crystal says putting her hands on her husband's chest. "Please, Leo, promise me you'll let our fathers deal with this."
"Nobody is going to mess with my family and expect me to not do anything about it," he replies.
"That's probably what he's hoping for," Andy says.
"What did you do to piss him off this bad anyway?" Leo asks, "You never said."
"I, uh," Andy says getting a bit of an embarrassed look on his face. "I had a little fling with his daughter."
"That's all?" Leo asks like it had to be more than that then it dawns on him. "You mean Khione? You slept with the ice bitch?"
"You've met?" Andy asks with a chuckle knowing most people don't think of her that way, unless they've met her that is.
"You could say that," Leo says. "She only tried to kill me a couple of times."
"Then you know how beautiful she is," his father-in-law says with a smile.
"Still, your penis didn't freeze off?" Leo asks.
"Don't forget I have wind in my veins. I can adjust," Andy explains.
"So what happened?" Hephaestus asks thinking this sounds like a good story.
"Khione got a little hot when it ended up being just a fling. I mean, she was beautiful and fun in bed, but she's still a bitch. I wasn't planning on a relationship. Then she told her father. The next thing I know, they're telling me she's knocked up…"
"Was she?" Iris asks her ex.
"She did end up having a little girl. It's possible she's mine. I told Boreas I'd be a dad, but no way in Hades was I gonna play house with his ice princess of a daughter," Andy tells them.
"Daddy," Crystal says a little shocked to hear her father's story.
"I thought your mom told you why he was mad at me," her father tells her.
"Not exactly," Iris admits. "Your daughter idolizes you. I didn't want to make you look bad."
"I don't think that makes Dad look bad," Leo says remember how he wanted to do Khione himself until he got to know her.
"I did try to go see Azure, that's the little girl's name, but Boreas tried to capture me. I got away and he swore he'd never give up until he found me. He threatened me that I would stay with his daughter or die," Andy tells them.
"I thought Zeus told him to layoff?" Leo says.
"He did, that's probably why he wants to get at Daddy through me, our baby," Crystal explains.
"Well it's never going to happen," Leo assures her as he places his arms around her.
"I just don't want you to do anything that will make him come after you," she says kissing him softly. "Lord Hephaestus, isn't there something you can do to stop all of this?"
"I could melt his little palace up there in Canada, but Zeus won't like it," Leo's dad offers.
"There's no guarantee that will stop him either," Iris suggests. "I think we all know how vengeful he is."
"What about getting his brothers involved to make him back off," Hephaestus asks.
"Bad idea," Andy says with a chuckle.
"Why?" Hephaestus asks.
"My girl Iris here has a past with Zephyr. Let's just say it didn't end well," Andy explains.
"It could work," Iris says. "If Notus, Eurus, and Zephyrus all force him to end this once and for all…"
"Mom, you finally got rid of him," Crystal says remembering how much it took to get Zephyr to leave them alone last summer.
"My beautiful Crystal, I can't let anything happen to you or your family. If Zephyr can stop this mess, I can't not get him involved," her mother says caressing her face.
"I like the idea of burning down the palace in Montreal," Leo says.
