Chapter 41

Piper

The night was a blur of celebration and my mother's touch was everywhere. The girls gathered around Annabeth to gawk at her ring, the guys around Percy to congratulate him. Everyone wanted to know the date but both insisted they wouldn't be setting one until the quest was over.

Unfortunately the mist faded and their earthly parents and step parents faded out all too soon. Both sets were full of pride and happiness for their children. Neither had expected their kids to live this long and to see them go on to a life of happiness and relative normalcy must have been a wonderful feeling. Both agreed to meet with the other soon to start planning but Annabeth just rolled her eyes and this is when she announced, for the first of a dozen times, that no date would be set until the quest was over.

Percy's other family, Tyson, managed to make it thanks to Jennifer, and he totally creeped out the Hogwarts crowd until they got to know him. He and Hagrid were about the same size physically and in the end hit it off well. He was happiest when he and Leo visited Leo's shop and the two of them shared ideas all night. Grover, Percy and Annabeth were practically inseparable all night. For many of us it was the first time we realized the importance of Grover in both of their lives. Annabeth and Percy made sure everyone knew that neither of them would be alive had Grover not been there to save them innumerable times, and Grover made sure everyone knew he had done nothing really and that he was only alive thanks to Percy and Annabeth. Chiron was happy for the couple and enjoyed meeting the Hogwarts professors. They spent the rest of the evening sharing stories about their educational careers, but Chiron mostly talked about Percy, Annabeth, and Hercules. The Hogwarts professors didn't really have a student as famous as Hercules. Of course we all made sure everyone knew what a total dick Hercules is.

Will dj'ed and the party lasted into the wee hours. At one point I found myself alone with Jason who was, as my grandfather might have said, "as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs."

"So, uh wow. Big step huh?"

"Indeed it is." I replied.

"Awful young."

"Yes, but come on. After all they've been through? I think they will last forever. Don't you?"

"Well yeah, I mean, of course they will, no doubt about it. I'm just saying eighteen is young."

"Historically kids got married at twelve or thirteen in some societies."

"Well yeah, but not lately."

"Oh sure, like in the last hundred years in America. Ask Hazel. She'll tell you."

"No, I mean... well, no, just forget I mentioned it. I think they're great together. Its like they have always just been one person, you know, in two bodies."

"Yeah. So, why does their getting engaged make you so nervous Jason?"

"What? Me? I'm not nervous."

"Oh, I thought since my mother was Aphrodite, you know, the goddess of love and procreation, and you're on loan to Hera, or Juno, you know, the goddess of family, that maybe you were feeling some pressure to ask me something." I giggled.

"What? No! I mean, no! I love you but.."

"Just teasing Jason! Wow, you are easily spooked." I laughed.

"Okay, you got me!" He laughed. A long silence followed as we swayed to the slow song that was playing. "It does make you think though doesn't it?"

"About?" I asked, assuming he mean something about the frailty of life or something.

"About us. You. Me. Our future. Whether we're going to live in New Rome or somewhere near Half Blood. What we will do, how we will raise our kids. I was thinking I could get a job as a stuntman, and you could be an actress. Maybe have three or four by the time we're thirty. But I think I want them to go to regular school, unless they show some real ability. Second generation kids don't do well with Lupa, ya know."

I just stared at him. Had he really thought this far out? "So you think we'll always be together?" I asked.

"Yes. Of course."

"And you want to get married and have three or four kids?" I asked.

"No, I just want to have the kids. We should honor the procreation and love of Aphrodite, not the marriage part of Juno. I mean, after the last war, gosh, she's caused enough problems, don't you think?"

I stared at him flabbergasted for at least a minute as a million thoughts went through my head. I never imagined Jason would just see me as a baby factory. Did he really think I would... I mean lots of kids these days just have kids but that didn't seem like us, especially me. Finally his deadpan expression changed into a broad grin.

"Just teasing Piper, you're easily spooked." He smiled as I stomped a little bit and slapped his chest.

"Oh... oh oh oh, I'm going to get you for that Jason! Oh my gods I thought you had... oh... If you ever think you're going to get me pregnant outside wedlock, you... forget Aphrodite and Hera, my dad would kill you!"

We laughed and cut up all night and danced quite a bit too. The Hogwarts crowd seemed to be having a good time, each in turn congratulating the happy couple and demanding to attend the wedding. Each was told no date was set, but that they would be expected to be there.

Chiron mostly visited with Jennifer as Leo was showing off his workshop to Tyson and the Hogwarts professors turned in early. He decided to stay a few days with Bob and visit with his followers in the forest. Grover decided to go with him to talk to the wild things there, and Tyson just decided to stay a few days so he could hang out with Percy. The Hogwarts folks went off to bed eventually leaving just America House and Neville by the pool.

"Well. Congrats again, both of you." Jason said as we sat by the table sipping our drinks.

"Thanks, it means so much to me that all of you were here." Annabeth said.

"Right. And it means that... well, I'm just going to say it, for all the guys here... just fuck you Percy Jackson! First you turn down deification and now you steal your girlfriend's surprise party to propose. How are regular guys supposed to compete with that?" Leo laughed.

"Exactly!" Neville nearly shouted. "I'm a nice guy, a pretty good dancer..."

"And a great gardener" Reyna added with a smile.

"Right, I grow awesome magic potatoes. Do I have a chance to turn down being a deity and stealing a party for Reyna? Oh hells no! What about you Frank?"

"I've not even been to hell once!" He smiled.

"Yeah, and well, just fuck you Percy, and I mean that from all us regular guys!" Jason said with a laugh.

"Hey! We love you guys anyway, even if you're not as special." Hazel giggled, then turned to Rachel and whispered "Was that funny? I was trying to be funny."

"Yep, you nailed it girl" Rachel said with a high five.

"Okay, so my hubby to be set the bar a little high for you guys, but you don't have to do all that, you just have to be as special to your girl as Percy is to me. Isn't that right oh daughter of the procreation goddess?" Annabeth asked.

"That's right. Sure Jason's never blown up a mountain for me, or walked through hell for me, but I'm sure he would" I said as Jason smiled. "Of course Jason is smart enough to never be in the position where he had to blow up a mountain or walk through hell so I dont have to worry about him apparating into invisible walls or doing anything else really stupid." I grinned as everyone, including Percy and Annabeth, laughed.

"Well okay, so he's not the smartest, but I love him anyway." Annabeth replied as she kissed Percy yet again.

We cut up like that until the wee hours of the night, after all, the next day we could sleep in.