Don't Think So Much Annabeth
Chapter VII: Say What Now?
Seven Weeks
"Marry me."
"What?" Her question came out softly, barely audible over the pounding of her heart.
"Will you marry me?" He asked. She sucked in a breath and she closed her eyes, counting to twenty before opening them again.
World War III was going on inside of Annabeth's head, logic and reason fighting with her desires. She immediately wanted to tell him no, but she did promise to consider his earlier question, so she assumed that would apply to this one as well.
While she really liked Percy and was enjoying every moment spent together, they had only known each other for a little over a month. She'd heard horror stories of men getting possessive and overly controlling after marriage, and while she didn't believe Percy would be that type of guy, she couldn't be absolutely sure yet. But what if Percy was her dream guy? What if they got married, and lived happily together until Hades pulled them apart? Or what is she has the worst luck on the planet and somehow found herself with another Luke?
"Percy… I just can't. Oh no, no, no, not because of the reason you think." She was quick to rectify herself when she saw the hurt and disappointment in his green eyes. Sitting up on her elbow she backed away from Percy slightly, so she could look at him.
"Give me a good reason, and I'll drop it." He bargained.
"We've only known each other for little over a month."
"That's not a good excuse. Try again."
"Wouldn't people talk if we were engaged and married so suddenly?"
"What's the worst they could do, start a pregnancy rumor? We both know I don't care what other people think of me, just you." Annabeth couldn't help but laugh at the pregnancy rumor thing— leave it to Percy to make light of something so serious in a way that would actually make her laugh.
"What if we get married and live together and find out we hate one another? What if you get irritated with my blueprints all over the place? What if you think something I do is really weird and decide you can't handle it? What I decide something you do is so weird I can't handle it?"
"Still not good enough. We can work through those things. When Mom and Dad first moved in together, she almost literally strangled him for leaving a trail of dirty clothes all over the place, but they worked through it. Besides, I'm pretty sure if I can live with Thalia for years, you would be a treat." Annabeth giggled a bit, fully knowing how Thalia could be at times.
Her apartment was for the most part spotless, with the exception of her work area, but Thalia's apartment was always a wreck. She had no comprehension of personal boundaries, as Annabeth learned when she was taking a bath and Thalia barged in to use the toilet.
She sighed and decided to tell him a little bit about Luke.
"Growing up I had this friend named Luke. In high school we became more than friends and started dating, and it was amazing at first; dates to the movies, he brought me flowers all the time, and he made me feel like I had hope for a future despite the harsh things my step-mom would tell me. He was my escape from home.
"Then, he just… changed. He never wanted to go out, we stayed at his house all the time, he would become extremely jealous of anyone I talked to, and eventually he started getting violent when I would try to stand up for myself.
"My freshman year in college I met Thalia, and when she found out what Luke was doing to me, she took matters into her own hands. I'm terrified of getting into another relationship like that one. I know you're different Percy, I really do, but it's just hard to get rid of those thoughts." Anger flashed across his green eyes, but after a moment of fear she recognized his anger was directed at Luke.
"Okay. I won't push," He sighed. Percy pulled Annabeth close to him again and settled down into the fluffy covers for the night.
"Thank you for understanding." She kissed his cheek before snuggling down and letting blissful sleep overtake her.
The next morning, Percy was still wrapped around her. His chin rested on her shoulder, which would have been cute, if she didn't feel the slight dampness of her shirt.
"Percy." Annabeth prodded his leg with her foot, but he didn't move.
"Percy, you drool in your sleep."
"No, I don't." He mumbled, burying his face further in her neck. For some reason his response struck her as funny, and she couldn't help but start laughing.
The movement made Percy finally sit up and look at her. His eyes widened upon seeing the slightly darker spot on her t-shirt, his cheeks turning bright red.
"That is embarrassing."
"Not as embarrassing as getting pregnant on the first date." She quipped, making them both start in a round of laughter.
At least if she had to go through an unplanned pregnancy as a result of a one-night stand (or what she thought would be a one-night stand at first), it would be with someone as sweet and funny as Percy.
Annabeth always saw herself dating a guy for a few years before getting engaged, then waiting a few more years for the wedding, but her whirlwind romance with Percy somehow felt right.
The anxiety of her family and friends finding out had a nagging presence in the back of her mind, yet she still wouldn't turn back time and risk not meeting Percy that night. Every chance he had to prove her toxic thoughts wrong, he'd effortlessly taken and as a result her whole life was turned upside down. In a good way, of course.
8 Weeks
Annabeth's nausea had gotten progressively worse in the span of a couple weeks, and after much bickering and a compromise to drive an hour and a half to a hospital far away from the prying eyes of her stepmother, Percy finally convinced Annabeth to see a specialist obstetrician.
The car ride over was tense, both parents-to-be nervous but excited. Percy had read he would be able to hear the heartbeat at 8 weeks, and while Annabeth found his chatter about it to be endearing, she also wanted to duct tape his mouth shut and to let her stew in silent worry. As they were led to the exam room, Percy was still trying to make her feel better.
"I'm sure everything will be fine. My Mom had really bad morning sickness with me, and I turned out great."
"That's not helping Percy but thank you for trying. I'm worried my body is trying to reject the baby, or I have some other odd medical condition that will cause me to miscarry or worse." She'd been googling ways to ease her urge to puke every time she smelled food and stumbled across pages of ways a pregnancy could go wrong. Gods she hated Google sometimes.
"Even if it's something abnormal, like a baby with two heads, I promise I'm not going anywhere. Even if the worst happens, I still will be right here with you through everything." His words were sincere, and they helped to ease her worried mind. Despite the two-headed baby joke.
They were both so caught up in their little bubble after a nurse had come in to draw some blood, that when the doctor knocked and opened the door, Annabeth and Percy both jumped in shock and laughed. The doctor smiled, and she moved to shake Annabeth's hand first.
"I'm Dr. Sandeska, the head of the OB department at this hospital. You must be Momma Annabeth," Then she turned to Percy. "and you must be Daddy Percy." After releasing Percy's hand, she took a look down at the charts in her hand and smiled.
"So, everything seems normal so far, except for some extreme nausea. Your blood work shows you are deficient in a few nutrients and vitamins, as well as dehydrated. I'm going to give you a prescription for extra-strength prenatal vitamins to help replace those lost when you get sick, and request you try to double your water intake. Does water make you feel sick?"
"No, just food." Annabeth answered, and the doctor nodded and scribbled down a few notes.
"Good. I'm also going to get you hooked up to an IV today just to get some fluids into you before you leave. But before we move to comfier room for that, let's do your ultrasound." Annabeth could see Percy perk up out of the corner of her eye and couldn't resist a quiet laugh.
"Excited, Percy?" Dr. Sandeska asked, and he enthusiastically nodded.
"Good, excitement is good. How about you Annabeth?"
"More apprehensive at the moment. Google has me a bit freaked out." She admitted, cheeks flushing.
"Google will do that, but my sole purpose today is to put your mind at ease. Go ahead and lie back and lift your shirt up to just under your bra for me."
As Annabeth got comfortable, Percy scooted his chair closer to her head and so he could better see the monitor. Dr. Sandeska pulled over the ultrasound machine, taking out a large tube of ultrasound gel from a small area with a light.
"Hopefully we'll be able to see the little one this way, but if not, we'll do the other ultrasound," Dr. Sandeska told her. Annabeth really hoped they didn't have to resort to the other option. While Percy and she had did the do she was not ready for him to witness that. "This will be a little warmer than your body temperature, but it won't burn. If you feel any discomfort, just let me know." Annabeth nodded, and the doctor began.
The gel felt soothing, like stepping into a warm bath. All heads turned to the black and white screen as the transducer moved around, and Percy was the first to make a sound.
"I see the head!" He almost jumped out of his chair in his excitement.
"Yep, right here," Dr. Sandeska pressed a few buttons and an orange circle surrounded the head, "and over here is the left foot." She went through each of the major body parts, highlighting them on the screen. It looked like little more than a blob to Annabeth, but she was still breathless.
"Your baby looks perfectly healthy, measuring at a little over 8 weeks. I'll print you off a few copies while you wipe the gel off, and then we'll go get you hooked up to an IV."
On the way back to Percy's apartment, Annabeth couldn't stop staring at the picture in her hands. Her fingers traced the lines of her baby gently, unable to grasp that it was inside of her.
"I'm gonna be a Mom." She whispered.
"Yep, and an amazing one at that." Percy grinned, taking her left hand and bringing up to his lips for a quick kiss.
"What if I'm not a good Mom? I didn't have one to look up to growing up, and I'm not sure how reliable my maternal instinct is."
"Tell you what, if you're that concerned how about I take you to meet my Mom? We don't have to tell her anything yet, but just being around her might make you feel better."
"You'd do that?"
"Well yeah. You're worried about being a good Mom and my Mom is the human form of a cinnamon roll. When you're ready to tell her about the baby, she'll be ecstatic and answer any questions you have." Annabeth could hear the adoration in his voice, and suddenly she really wanted to meet Percy's mother.
"Yeah, I'd love that."
