Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or Harry Potter
The Unrelenting Frozen Seas: Symphony of Tempering
Chapter Twenty Three: Fateful Beginnings
Beta: ShadowofAxios
"I'm still wrapping my head around the fact that Atlantis has a university." Percy said at the end of summer as he, Rhode, Su, Annabeth, Thalia and Grover stood by the beach in Camp awaiting Rhode and Su's ride down to Atlantis. "Are its degrees internationally recognised?"
"Mortals will see it as an Ivy League degree apparently." Rhode said with a shrug. "At least Triton said they would."
"Isn't the Mist grand?" Su said with a giggle.
Rhode smiled at her wife, giving her a gentle hug and kiss to the temple. "You're still drunk, aren't you?"
"Just buzzed." Su said with a shake of her head. "It's not my fault, your constitution is crazy."
"And nobody asked you to drink a keg's worth of Chinese rice wine at the farewell party last night." Thalia scolded her. "Seriously, I know you're happy that your Dad finally got off your case now that you're finally furthering your studies but you could've shown some moderation!"
"Yeah, then Rhode wouldn't have to watch out for you the whole trip to Atlantis." Percy added, shooting Su a look of disapproval.
"Psh, party pooper."
"I don't mind." Rhode said, silencing her family with a look. "I like taking care of my wife."
At the reminder of their relationship, everyone snapped their mouth shut. Literally in Grover's case, which led to him rubbing his chin gingerly.
"Rhode, I think your ride is here." Annabeth said, and Percy turned towards Long Island Sound to see a massive whale surface in the distance even as a squadron of merfolk began cutting through the waves towards the beach dressed in full armor.
"Talk about a welcoming committee." Thalia commented with a few blinks of awe. "I don't know why I'm surprised, but it's still a sight to see."
"Well, I am their Princess." Rhode said with a shrug. "Formally adopted into the royal family and all that."
"True," Thalia allowed with a sigh. "Guess this is goodbye for now?"
"Only till next summer. Or sooner if you guys need us." Rhode promised. "I'm always just an I.M. away."
"We know," Annabeth said, pulling Rhode into a hug. "We'll see you soon, Rhode, Su."
"Definitely." Rhode promised.
"Su?" A pregnant Rhode asked as she leaned back on the birthing bed in their rooms in the Atlantean palace as she went through the early stages of labour under the watchful eyes of Thekla and Estella and the comforting presence of her wife.
"Yes, sweetie?" Su asked, as she clutched Rhode's hand comfortingly.
"Why did I agree to take the baby back when I came down to Atlantis?"
"Because you wanted to feel the magic of childbirth."
"Oh, right! Slap me the next time I think that."
"Sure." Su replied, smiling in amusement. "And I can carry our next child."
"You're the best." Rhode replied before hissing as another contraction hit her. "But no rush, okay? We're still plenty young."
"I know," Su agreed. "It's why we're both on birth control. But after the war…"
"We'll start work on that football team your Mum wants us to have." Rhode said with a giggle that Su soon joined in on.
"You two are truly adorable together," Mum observed with a giggle as she drifted into the room, Thekla closing the door behind her to ensure Rhode's privacy. "Are the contractions getting closer together, Rhode?"
"A little." Rhode confessed. "But they're still pretty far apart so I think we've still got a while to go. Must I really do this, Mum? Can't you- I dunno- just use magic to get it out?"
"I'll tell you what I told you when I convinced you to take the baby back," the Queen of the Seas said with a comforting smile. "This may be incredibly unpleasant but it'll be worth it. There is no better way to bond with a child than to actually carry it inside you and to birth it."
Unpleasant didn't even begin to describe it. Not that her pregnancy was all that bad. At least when compared to those of other women. She did manage to skip a good chunk of it since her Dad had removed the baby for the months she'd been in Camp but the months that she had endured were bad enough! Thank you very much!
Then again, gods could give birth in a matter of days and some just come out as fully grown children! They were so damned lucky! So Mum probably had a warped view of things. She wasn't about to tell her that though.
"Su! Distract me!" Rhode said suddenly. "Before I second guess the whole giving birth thing again."
"Sure," Su said with an amused giggle. "So how's classes?"
Rhode shot her wife an annoyed look. "That's not helping my stress levels, Su!"
"But I thought you were doing well in your classes." Mum said as she sat down on Rhode's left and across from Su.
"I am," Rhode said with a nod. "Hydraulic engineering just comes easy to me, but that just means I need to go the extra mile and score straight As!"
"If only you'd been this studious back at Hogwarts." Su teased.
"Well, it helps that I actually like what I'm studying now." Rhode grumbled, snuggling deeper into the nice pillows. "But enough about me. What about you Su? You created a new breed of kelp the other day, right? Tell me about it."
"It was a challenge, since I never really dabbled with water plants, but it was a fun challenge. I hope it gets me a good grade on my assignment."
"I'm sure it will," Mum assured her. "So how's Aquaculture been so far? Alright, Su? I know it isn't quite what children of Demeter usually deal with."
"It's just another form of agriculture." Su said with a shrug. "And that it's new to us just makes it all the more interesting. Though it does make things a little difficult at times. But it's worth it."
Rhode blushed at that. Knowing full well the double meaning behind her wife's words.
"Okay, so Mum, how are Dad and Triton taking things?" She said, changing the topic before her wife started gushing about how she felt about her.
"I managed, barely, to stop them from barging in." Mum said, sporting an amused smile. "They're waiting just outside the doors though and expect to be let in the moment the baby is out."
"Betcha they're wearing a rut in the floor outsi- Hiss!" Rhode cut herself off as a contraction hit her unexpectedly.
"That came a lot quicker than the last one," Su noted.
"The baby is on the way." Mum said with an expectant shine to her eyes.
Rhode could only nod through the breathing exercises she'd learned in her parenting classes.
Hurry up already, baby! She thought at her baby. Mummy wants this over with!
After hours of labour, Rhode had delivered a healthy baby boy and now a couple days later was presenting her baby to the Atlantean court. He was a boy with Jack's white hair and Rhode's green eyes whose facial features took after his father but who could breathe underwater like his mother.
"Theodore Achilles Potter, meet your Grandpa and Grandma." Rhode said, passing her son to his grandparents in front of the whole Atlantean court gathered in Dad's throne room. "We call him Theo for short."
Rhode didn't miss how Thetis gasped at Theo's middle name and briefly turned to offer the Nereid a smile. She was more than thankful for everything Thetis had done for her in her younger years, so honoring her by using her son's name for Theo's middle name was a no brainer. Plus it was a strong name which was just fitting for her own strong little boy.
"He's adorable." Mum said as she took her baby from her arms and bent down to both look at him more closely and coo at him, whilst Dad leaned over from his throne next to Mum to also get a closer look at Theo.
"Yes, he is." Dad agreed as he joined Mum in cooing at the baby.
Rhode exchanged a grin with Su, pleased and amused by how their son was thoroughly entrancing his grandparents.
He's gonna end up so spoiled that it isn't even funny. Rhode thought with a stifled chuckle.
"It'll be your job as his mother to prevent that Rhode," the unexpected voice of Apollo said as he materialised behind her and Su where they stood before Mum and Dad's thrones.
"Lord Apollo," Rhode and Su greeted formally as they offered the Olympian curtsies.
"Apollo," Dad greeted as he turned to look at the sun god warily. "Why are you here?"
Apollo just offered him a shrug.
"I am here to bestow my little legacy my blessing." The god of many domains said, causing a golden aura to briefly flare around Theo who startled slightly and began to fuss. Rhode moved to take him back but before she could so much as raise her arms, Mum had expertly comforted him and he had quieted as if he hadn't been upset at all.
Wow! Talk about being good at looking after a baby! Rhode couldn't help but think as she marveled at her Mum's childcare skills.
"Sorry about that," Apollo said sheepishly and before anyone could chide him for upsetting the baby, he continued. "Anyway~! Thanks to my blessing, the boy will have an exceptional affinity for healing. Any questions?"
Again not waiting for anyone to reply, the sun god barreled ahead.
"No? Good. Bye!"
With that he teleported away.
"That was-" Dad said, his eyes stormy at the disrespect Apollo had shown him.
"Don't get angry, Dad." Rhode urged. "You know Apollo has bad blood with Jack. And with Theo being his son, things are complicated for him. That he's willing to give him a blessing is a good thing."
"Yes, Lord Poseidon." Su said, backing Rhode up. "Let's take it as his way of burying the hatchet and let it go."
Dad didn't look fully mollified and huffed in annoyance but nodded.
"Listen to your daughter and her wife, Poseidon." Aunt Hestia said as she teleported in.
She wasn't alone though as amazingly enough she was accompanied by Emily.
"Fine~!" Dad said in what sounded dangerously like a whine, something that had Triton chuckling from where he'd swam up to coo over Theo. It seemed like her brother's patience had run out and he had decided to not wait for his turn. Rhode didn't mind so long as Theo didn't get overwhelmed and he seemed fine with it. Dad and Mum didn't seem to mind either, so all was good.
"By the way, Hestia, why is it you that is accompanying Miss Raines here?" Dad said, gesturing at Emily even as the daughter of Aphrodite curtsied and offered him a formal greeting.
"Well, no one else seemed intent on doing so." Aunt Hestia said with an annoyed huff. "The poor girl prayed to the gods for a week straight in every free moment for some way to be there for the birth of Rhode's baby, but no one seemed interested in helping, so I stepped in."
"And I thank you for it, Lady Hestia." Emily said, offering Aunt Hestia a bow.
"Don't mention it, Emily." Aunt Hestia said with a smile. "I was just acting within my domain."
"We thank you as well, Lady Hestia." Su said, speaking for Rhode as well as they both offered their Aunt a grateful bow. "We are happy to have Emily join us. And welcome Emily."
"Happy to be here." Emily said, shooting Rhode with an honest smile. "And I come bearing gifts."
Handing Su a mokeskin bag, she continued.
"There's a whole year's supply of baby goods in there."
Mum gasped at that. "That's a little excessive, no, Miss Raines?"
"Yeah," Rhode said with a chuckle. "Especially since you already gifted us a truckful of stuff back up in Camp."
"There's never too much." Aunt Hestia said with a grin. "Better to have more than you need than to not have enough when you need it. Looking for a diaper when the baby is bawling his eyes out is something you'll want to avoid, girls."
Su and Rhode both shuddered at that even as Mum and Dad both nodded.
Suddenly a pillar of fire flared to life for a moment behind the crowd gathered in front of Dad and Mum's thrones and out of it stepped Hephaestus, Penny and Gaige, with the latter in an old fashioned diving suit.
"Nephew," Dad greeted the Olympian with a questioning look towards Gaige's odd get up. "I can guess why you are here. But if you were bringing your daughter, why didn't you just bless her with the temporary power to survive underwater, like every other god did for their guests?"
"Can't beat the classics." The crippled god said with a dismissive shrug. "Besides, I only brought Gaige along so I could get an excuse to come down here to talk with the cyclopes about some projects I want their opinion on."
"Dickish as always, Dad." Gaige said with a sigh through the speakers of her suit. "But don't forget the gift. You don't want to be more impolite."
"You don't need to remind me, daughter." Hephaestus grumbled. "I know what I'm doing."
With a flourish and a burst of flames, the Blacksmith of the Gods conjured a scroll and handed it to Rhode.
"That's a written guarantee from me to forge a weapon for your son in the future." He said before teleporting away without even waiting for a reply. Presumably to meet with the cyclopes like he said was his real reason for coming down to Atlantis.
"No offense, Gaige." Rhode said, frowning at the fire god's gift to her son. "But your dad sucks."
"Oh, I know." Gaige admitted with a shrug. "He only brought me down because I proved I could build something that could survive Atlantis' depths and met his standards. He never does anything for his kids unless we put in the effort to prove ourselves worthy first."
"Yes, he's always been like that." Dad said with a sigh even as Aunt Hestia agreed with a resigned nod.
"Here, enjoy my blessing." Dad added and Gaige glowed aqua for a moment. "You can get out of that clunky suit now, Miss Glenanne."
"Thank you, Lord Poseidon." Gaige said as she began to squirm out of her diving suit with help from Emily and Penny.
"Husband, Rhode, do you think we will have any more guests?" Mum asked as she handed Theo back to Rhode, earning a pout from Triton as he lost sight of Theo for a moment as the baby changed hands.
"Not that I am aware of." Dad replied whilst Rhode took a moment to check if her son was alright. The boy was pleased if a little bewildered looking from all the attention he was getting. In fact, as Triton came to hover over Rhode's shoulder to make funny faces at him, Theo began laughing adorably.
He handles attention better than I do. Rhode thought with a smile, before handing him over to her brother.
"Here, so you don't have to keep looming over my shoulder." She told him with a roll of his eyes and the god of the navy blushed in embarrassment.
Ignoring her baby crazy brother for the moment, she turned to her mother.
"I think that's it." Rhode informed her. "Su?"
Her wife shook her head.
"Emily, you know if anyone else is coming?"
"I don't think so."
"Then I think this is all of us, Mum."
The Queen of the Seas nodded and after getting a nod from Dad, she stood to address the assembled Atlantean court.
"Then I declare this court session ended." She declared with her full authority. "It is now time to properly celebrate the birth of my grandson. It's time to party!"
As the party got underway, the various members of the court began mingling with one another. With the vast majority making a beeline to offer Rhode her congratulations. Thankfully, Rhode had quickly managed to escape from the fawning sycophants on the pretext of Theo needing a feeding. And by the time she'd returned from breastfeeding her son, she was relieved to see that the long line of well wishers had disappeared.
"How many hands did you end up needing to shake?" Rhode asked Su teasingly as with Thekla and Estella trailing dutifully behind her and with her swaddled child in her arms she made her way over to her tired looking wife as she stood in the middle of a huddle of their friends and family. Except for Mum and Dad, who were mingling, everyone else seemed to be there.
"A lot. Being your wife leads to a lot of people wanting to 'get to know' me more."
"It comes with the territory I'm afraid to say." Triton informed them apologetically. "Since Rhode is a Princess of Atlantis, the bootlickers will start coming out of the woodwork, as you land dwellers say, at every opportunity to curry favour."
Su groaned.
"You can go feed Theo the next time we need an escape." Rhode offered, earning herself a grateful smile.
"I take it that you're lactating too, Su?" Emily asked curiously.
"Yeah, I've got galactorrhea." Su nodded. "The healers think it's because I'm sympathising with Rhode."
"It happens sometimes." Emily nodded. "Especially if one partner or even close friend is a half-blood. Our bonds are magical."
"Yeah, witches too." Rhode added. "So we're doubly likely to develop the condition."
"Ouch," Emily winced. "Well, I hope you're handling it well."
"We are," Su reassured her. "And it means Theo has twice as much authentic breast milk as he would have otherwise, so that's a plus."
"That's true."
"Sister!" Tyson cried out suddenly as he ran over, before he presented her with a small metal orb with a reinforced glass front and little torpedo tubes. "I made present for baby Theo! Good?"
"Uh, Gaige, what am I looking at here?" Rhode asked the daughter of Hephaestus, the resident other Tinkerer, warily.
"And is it safe?" Su added, also eyeing the strange contraption with concern.
"It's a baby sub." Gaige said, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "One equipped with peanut butter munitions."
"But peanut butter good for anything." Tyson said with childish innocence, before tapping the side of the sub and causing a set of tank treads to pop out at its base. "It even have land mode."
"And as I was trying to tell you, my cyclops guy, giving a subtank to a baby is a little over the top."
Rhode was truly touched by the gesture, but she had to agree with Gaige. Arming her newborn son with a deadly weapon felt a bit much. Even for her.
Not to mention how in the world is peanut butter going to be used as a weapon? Tyson, I worry for you, brother. Greatly.
"I must greatly disagree with that assessment, child of Hephaestus." Triton said with a shake of his head. "The child should have as much protection as possible."
"Mhm!" Tyson bobbed his head in agreement with their divine brother. "Much better than chainmail bib idea. Still saved for later idea."
Why would Theo need a chainmail bib!? Were his mashed carrots going to revolt or something?!
"I don't know... I want him as protected as possible, but I think giving him an armored vehicle is maybe the way to madness." Emily said, adding her thoughts to the discussion. "And could he even drive it?"
Tyson puffed up in pride as he opened the sub up to show it the console consisted simply of four big cardinal direction arrows and a smiley face presumably for the peanut butter torpedoes. "Simple! Have tested with other baby cyclops. I commissioned to make seventeen more by cyclops' parents."
"It's nice to see your work is being recognized, Tyson." Rhode told him with a fond smile, making her cyclops brother flush in shyness and pride.
"Thank you, Sister."
"But," Su cut in, shooting Rhode an exasperated look as she did. "I think Theo is a little too young for something like this. Maybe when he is a little older, Tyson?"
Thank Olympus for Su. Rhode thought with relief. There was no way she could have told Tyson no. Not with how Su's rejection had him pouting oh so adorably.
"Hey, so where's Penny?" Rhode asked as she noticed the automaton was missing. "She was here when I got back."
"Oh, she went to get us drinks." Gaige said as she blinked in confusion. "But she should've been back by now."
"I see her." Triton said with a frown as he pointed across the ballroom in the direction of the refreshment table. "She's being accosted by Palaemon."
Rhode looked where he was pointing and sure enough, Gaige and Emily's automaton daughter was indeed being waylaid by the baby faced, surfer dude that was the god of sharks. He seemed to be showing off his shark tooth necklace to her if the animated way he gestured at the accessory was any indication.
"Penny!" Emily cried out in alarm before shooting over to her daughter's rescue, Gaige hot on her tail.
"Triton, could you?"
"Certainly, Sister." Triton said with a nod as he followed after them. "I do so enjoy putting Palaemon in his place."
"Thank you," Rhode said with a grin. "And have fun!"
Visiting Camp after so long felt surreal as they brought Theo with them to visit all his honorary aunts, uncles and second cousins. They had barely made it out of the Long Island Sound when the small family were swamped by the excited and curious Campers.
"Now that's a cute baby." Percy said, waggling his finger against Theo's cheek, only for the baby to strike like a baby shark with his gummy mouth to capture it. Leaving Percy befuddled by the action. "Okay, I blinked and that happened."
"Maybe you shouldn't put bait in front of a shark, Seaweed Brain." Annabeth teased as she and Thalia took their turn to coo over the child, even as she nevertheless coaxed Theo to let go of Percy's fingers. "But Rhode, he is so cute. Almost too cute to handle in fact."
"It's the eyes." Thalia remarked as she played with one of Theo's feet. "Rhode's eyes just make her look like a baby seal. Theo's got that look too. Percy too. It's probably why Percy gets you to cave so easily at times."
Annabeth flushed hot while Percy looked at Thalia in disbelief.
"No no, I get it." Grover chimed with a nod. "Add divine looks with a baby? Who wouldn't fall head over hooves for something like that? This little guy could charm me for piggyback rides whenever, I swear."
Practically everyone else at Camp at the moment were there as well, marveling at the miracle child. Rhode understood where they were coming from. Seeing one of their own living long enough to have a child? It was a sign of hope for many of them.
This continued until Mr. D appeared with a gouchy bloodshot eyed look as he spoke to the crowd.
"Oh honestly, shoo you little ankle biters. It's like you've never seen a child before. Those of you that Rhode didn't arrange to meet with can head to your activities. You have more productive things to do."
The crowd followed the god's command with some reluctance. Leaving Rhode, Su, Theo, Percy, Annabeth, Thalia and Grover with Mr. D as he ran a hand along his face, trying to tame his wild beard. He looked to the family and turned towards the Big House, the family following him as he began walking towards it.
"Idiot half-bloods," the god said with a disgusted shake of his head as he led Rhode and her family to the Big House. "It's like they've never seen a baby before."
"Well, we keep getting told we die young so seeing one of us with a baby is like a major source of hope for them." Rhode offered in defense of her fellow Campers.
"Legacies like that baby of yours are nothing new." Mr. D said with a snort. "And most of you die young because those that do are idiots. Or were you also not taught about the many, many half-bloods who lived to old age and had children? Roosevelt? Churchill? Just to name two of the most recent and famous. You fools are the ones who harp on the failures and let it hang around your necks like weights, completely missing the successes."
All the half-bloods could only blink in shock, turning to each other as they suddenly felt stupid. Thankfully for Rhode, Theo pulling at a lock of her hair with his grubby little fingers shook her out of her funk.
"I don't think anyone has ever thought of things like that…" Su admitted.
"And you wonder why I mock most of you?" Mr. D scoffed and sipped on his Diet Coke as he gestured into the Big House. "Anyways, you can talk at the Ping Pong table. Go show off your baby and get back to Atlantis ASAP."
"What's the rush?" Rhode asked with a frown.
"You're not supposed to be here." Mr. D reminded them. "You and your wife are not year rounders anymore. You can visit but not stay. Father dearest's new rules. Just for you too. He really doesn't like you at the moment. He thinks we pamper you too much."
"What?" Rhode asked in utter bewilderment.
"Need I remind you that Father never liked you? That he has an ancient rivalry with your father?" Mr. D said with a roll of his eyes. "That and he's a jerk."
"I-I guess that makes sense. Sorry. I was so swept up with the whole war coming to its head soon."
"Don't remind me," Mr. D said with a groan. "Now, get inside. I have paperwork to not do."
With that he teleported away in a purple mist that left a lingering smell of wine.
"Don't think too much about the future, Rhode." Annabeth advised as she came over and squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. "Focus on the present for now."
"Yeah," Percy agreed. "And introduce us to the baby. I want to get to know my new nephew."
"Same." Thalia chirped.
"Me too." Grover said with a goaty grin.
"Right," Rhode said as she led them into the Big House. "It's introductions time!"
Su felt exhausted from the long day. She honestly could totally empathize with little Theo at the moment, she was almost as tuckered out as he was from all the attention they'd gotten from the Campers today. And lucky him, he got to sleep his exhaustion off in Rhode's arms. Speaking of his mother, unlike Su, Rhode was still as full of energy as ever as they apparated back from Camp to their rooms in Atlantis.
Honestly, the daughter of Demeter just wanted to snuggle up into Rhode's side and sleep for hours. However that was not to be, for upon entering the area in the undersea palace they lived in, they were greeted to the sight of an uneasy looking Lady Amphitrite.
"Mum, what's wrong?" Rhode asked, holding Theo closer to her in unconscious worry. Worry that caused Su to move closer to her and place a hand on her shoulder.
The goddess took a calming breath, before addressing them with the utmost seriousness. "Oceanus has declared for the Crooked One. His forces have begun a campaign against Atlantis."
Su gasped at the news.
It seemed the prelude was over, the war had finally arrived.
Done and done! Thanks to Nameless and Axios as always!
And Theo is here, being the cute babbu that he is. Stealing hearts and making messes as babies do! Rhode taking her pregnancy back was more a symbolic thing as we talked about, so hopefully no one is going to call it out. I mean, this is Greek myth, the types of birth happening here was nuts. Like in most myths.
Nameless: Su suffering from galactorrhea in sympathy of Rhode's pregnancy was mainly to emphasize that she is Theo's mother too, regardless of his genetic parentage. That and to show just how synced up the couple are. Hope we got those points across.
And so the war has started right on Rhode's front door. It's here boys and girls, the final book of the first series has come! It's been a long road, but we've finally arrived!
You know what to do! Smash that review button and tell us what you love! No flames and peace off my peeps!