December 19th
Annabeth's P.O.V
I was at home, on my own which was rare. Percy had to go to New Rome to turn in his last official project in person for grading. I knew he'd get a good mark, he'd pushed himself so hard this semester to make sure he graduated with me in January. I am so proud of him.
I looked out over the garden which had a dusting of snow on it with Nightshade's paw prints all over it. I wasn't feeling particularly great, I had a headache and my stomach was very unsettled, but I was yet to actually be sick. I hadn't told Percy I was feeling under the weather, I knew if I had he wouldn't have gone to New Rome to turn in his paper, he'd have stayed to take care of me.
Nightshade hadn't left my side all morning and every time she heard a sound she didn't recognise outside she started growling which was really unlike her. If she'd been like this with Percy, I would have bought it more, Percy was her favourite, and I was okay with that because he was my favourite too, so it made no sense when she had sat with me almost guarding me last night, in preference to her usual spot of sitting curled up next to Percy.
I was pretty sure I knew what was going on and I was waiting for the timer to go off to confirm my suspicions.
BUZZ!
Great it's time. I tried to steady my nerves as I walked over to the pregnancy test lying on the windowsill. Percy and I had decided to start trying for a family of our own when we came back from our honeymoon, as we'd spent most of the time, that wasn't visiting a monument, talking about what our children would look like and the more we spoke about it the more we longed for it. I picked up the test, my hand was shaking, I'll admit I was nervous, I took a deep breath and looked at the small window on the test that told me all I needed to know. Pregnant 3 weeks. I would like to say I smiled and was thrilled, and of course I am thrilled, but the realisation started to set in. We were pregnant, there's a child growing in my stomach, a child I have to keep alive for 9 months before he or she is born, I'm going to be a mom. The thought of being a mom both thrilled and terrified me in the same notion, it was no longer a it'll be nice to have children someday, it was happening right now. I was pregnant, oh Gods, I'm pregnant!
I felt like crying, and I had no idea why. I was happy, of course I was, but at the same time I was absolutely terrified.
Percy's P.O.V
I'd just handed in my last paper and I had waited around for it to be graded I wanted to be able to tell Annabeth with certainty that I'd be graduating with her in January, which I now could. To say I was thrilled would be an understatement; I couldn't believe it, I, Percy Jackson, who had been kicked out of almost every school since I was old enough to attend, was graduating from college with a first class honours degree in marine biology. Who would have thought? I dug out my phone, it was still weird to be able to do this, but Annabeth and Leo had pulled off one of the greatest technological advances for demigods everywhere with the creation of the Iris phone, not to brag but I helped a little. Anyway I pulled out my phone and rang my mom.
"Hello?"
"Hey mom it's me, how are you?"
"Percy, sorry hunny, I'm still getting used to you having a phone"
"No worries, I'm still getting used to it too" I chuckled. "I was actually just calling to tell you that I did it mom, I'm going to graduate with a first class honours degree in Marine Biology."
"Oh Percy, that's wonderful, I knew you could do it"
"Thanks mom, I'm just on my way back home now to tell Annabeth"
"She'll be so proud of you sweetheart, as am I"
"Thanks mom"
"Well I won't keep you, I'll tell Paul the good news, say hi to Annabeth for me"
"I will mom, love you"
"Love you too, bye"
"Bye"
I hung up and put the phone in my pocket. I could do that now thanks to my awesome wife and my awesome friend. I smiled the whole way back to Long Island. I stopped by the store to pick up a bottle of Annabeth's favourite wine to celebrate with. We didn't often have alcohol in the house, I'm not a huge fan of it, but one drink, every now and again, wasn't the end of the world, trust me I've prevented that enough times.
Blackjack landed outside the stables around 7pm, we'd taken regular breaks on the way back, so he wasn't exhausted. I made sure he was secured and then I made my way home through the woods to Greek village. I couldn't wait to tell Annabeth about graduation, I was so excited. I wondered what she did with her day as I made my way back home, probably designed something incredible I bet.
Piper's P.O.V
It's been so nice having Annabeth and Percy home from their honeymoon, because and it's a little selfish, it's freed up a lot of Malcolm's time, as he was covering all of Percy's sword fighting classes but also it's been really nice to have my best friend back to talk to. I can hold my own in the information department on Greek mythology and even class topics for the degree I'm working on at NYU but there is a lot of topics that Malcolm is so well inversed in that sometimes just go completely over my head. And, that's where Annabeth has been a real help, she's like a Malcolm translator or well an Athena child translator and most of the time when I've spoken to Annabeth about it, what Malcolm has said make complete sense, so I understand it just sometimes not the way Malcolm talks about it. It was something I needed to talk to Malcolm about without offending him because I really liked Malcolm, I might even love him, and the last thing I wanted to do was offend him.
I'd spoken to Annabeth about it and her suggestion was not to say anything at all and to try sparing with him to see if that helped breakdown the barrier a little. I mean we were never going to have a relationship like Annabeth's and Percy's, I mean true love is so rare, but something close would be ideal.
Thalia's P.O.V
It's been almost a month since Percy and Annabeth came home from their trip around the world. They'd had a great time, from the stories I heard when I took Nightshade home. It feels odd not to have Nightshade with me every day I had gotten used to having her to walk each day and feed and well just general company. I had the hunters for company and my wolf of course but if wasn't really the same as having Nightshade.
Fortunately I'd be returning to camp in a couple of days, it was a silly tradition that Percy and Annabeth insisted on, they made a big deal out of celebrating my birthday as if I wasn't going to be fifteen forever, it was nice though and I appreciated it. I was looking forwarded to it this year more than normal and I thought that maybe that was more to do with Nightshade than it did with it being my birthday.
Not that I was counting down but I had two days left with the hunt before I set off for camp.
Percy's P.O.V
"Hey Annabeth you'll never believe-" I said as I walked through the front door and put my keys on the table. I stopped myself and turned to close the door quietly when I noticed her on the sofa sleeping under a blanket with Nightshade curled up beside her. I smiled at the site she looked so peaceful. I went and put the wine I'd picked up in the fridge and came back to wake her to see if she'd eaten or if she just wanted to go to bed.
"Annabeth" I said as I gently shook her, I had no impact really but Nightshade woke and moved from her spot next to Annabeth waking her to greet me. Once she'd done that mind she went back to Annabeth.
"Hey Percy, what time is it?" She sounded very groggy like she'd been asleep a while.
"It's almost 7:20" I said looking at my watch "Have you eaten? Do you want to go up to sleep? I'm sorry I'm so late home"
"That's ok, no I haven't eaten, and I probably should before I go to bed" She told me and I frowned a little something wasn't right.
"Hey Annabeth are you okay?" I asked, she gave me her best 'of course I am' smile which immediately set me on edge, something wasn't right.
"I'm having an off day" She admitted sitting up.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Nothing's wrong as such, why don't I explain over dinner?" She asked standing up.
"Okay" I said, I'd learnt a long time ago that when Annabeth said she wanted to discuss something a certain way that it was best to go with it so that's what I was going to do.
I knew it was mainly because she wanted time to collect her thoughts because she'd just woken up but I was worried to say the least. We decided on a simple dinner, because she said as we were deciding what to cook that her stomach had been nauseous most of the day. The best thing I've learnt for sickness is dried toast and also homemade chicken soup. I set to work making both, and fortunately I had a stock in the freezer to use from the last set of roasted chickens we had, otherwise it would have taken me hours to make it rather than the half hour which it did. While we waited for that to be ready we ate the dried toast.
"How are you feeling now?" I asked, we sat at the island in the kitchen and colour had returned to her cheeks as she ate, which I took as a good sign.
"Not too bad, better than I've felt for most of the day certainly" She replied.
"Why didn't you call me? I'd have wouldn't have waited to get my grade I'd have come straight home if I knew."
"I know you would-" She said and then her eyes went wide "Oh Gods! Percy your grade I'm so sorry! How did you do?" She asked and I chuckled a little.
"Well Wise Girl, you married a Wise Boy" I replied.
"Oh Percy! I knew you could do it!" She said and she hugged me, before kissing me on the cheek.
"I had picked up your favourite bottle of wine to celebrate but if you're feeling sick, it'll keep in the fridge until tomorrow, if you are feeling better then." I said.
"Percy" She said suddenly very serious, "I won't be able to drink it then either, in fact I'm not going to be able to drink it for quite some time." No way! Is she telling me what I think she's telling me?!
"Annabeth, are you? Are we?" I asked trying to form a sentence but my brain wasn't helping me at all at this moment in time.
"Yes Percy, I'm pregnant, you're going to be a dad" She told me.
"Yes!" I shouted jumping up from my chair pulling her up with me. I picked her up and span her around before setting her back down gently. I was going to be a dad this is amazing! I kissed her as soon as I put her down, I couldn't be any happier than I am right now. I noticed Annabeth didn't seem as happy about it as I was and I tried to settle down a bit, albeit she was smiling like a Cheshire cat.
"Are you happy about it? Y'know besides the nausea, and other symptoms of pregnancy, that cause discomfort?" I asked "What symptoms do you have? Can I do anything to help?" I asked.
"Slow down Percy" She laughed, it was good to hear. "Yes I'm happy about it, but I'm also terrified, I'm solely responsible for keeping this baby alive for the next nine months well eight months and a week, we're three weeks pregnant according to the test. I need to make an appointment with Will to confirm."
I wanted to interrupt to tell her I'd do everything to help her, that she wasn't solely responsible but I knew what she meant, the baby wasn't growing inside my body, I'd do everything I could to help her feel less terrified.
"In terms of symptoms, I've had headaches – which I think is lack of water, and I'm going to have to stop having my morning coffee so I'm going to be a barrel of laughs first thing in the morning" I laughed.
"I can handle it" I said, "What else?"
"Nausea, but no sickness as of yet, today was the worst it's been by far, but maybe that could be due to foods I've eaten maybe? The toast has helped though I'll have to make sure I have toast for breakfast tomorrow. And, not today but yesterday certainly I had really tender breasts; they were really sore so I was thankful I didn't have that and the nausea today."
None of that sounded like fun, poor Annabeth.
"I'm sorry, that sounds painful" I said and she nodded.
"It is, but I'm sure he or she will be worth it." She replied.
"Oh without a doubt, and it'll be because they look like me" I joked.
"In your dreams Seaweed Brain, they'll look like me" She replied and she seemed much more relaxed than she had a moment ago.
"You're going to be a great mom Annabeth, I'm so excited!" I said.
"I know you are" She laughed "I am too, and thanks, you're going to make a really great dad too" she told me and I beamed with pride, because I really wanted that.
"Thanks" I said, taking the soup of the stove and dishing it up into bowls, passing one to Annabeth and placing one for me.
I got Nightshade her daily denta-stick and said as I gave it to her "Nightshade, Girl, you're going to be a big sister."
She barked at me as if to say I already know, and Annabeth laughed at me as I smiled and stroked Nightshades head, before returning to the kitchen island to eat dinner with my pregnant wife.
Life could not get any better.
~Author's Note~
Thank you for reading this chapter – I hope you liked it, please leave a comment and let me know!
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