Trigger Warning: loss and suicide attempt
"Annabeth?" Percy walked into their house with a wide smile on his face. "Sweetheart?"
He had gotten off of work early and he'd stopped to get her favorite tea from a small coffeehouse near her work. The baby was due any day now and her doctor recommended taking time off before her due date as well. Grumbling, she had agreed. Still, he knew how much she missed her herbal teas. She said they calmed the baby, which had been keeping her up at night.
Annabeth had been doing great the whole pregnancy. It had been a surprise, but they both been so excited. They accelerated their timeline. They were sstarting to build a house that Annabeth had been designing before they had gotten married. With the help of a few of their friends, they were able to get it built and moved in by the time Annabeth was 6-months pregnant. Percy had done most of the nursery his self.
Percy started to creep upstairs to their bedroom. Annabeth might have taken a nap. Again, the baby wasn't letting her sleep much. Still, she hadn't let it get to her. If possible, Annabeth was even more excited than Percy for the baby. He would constantly catch her rubbing her bump and talking to the baby. Telling him stories. Reading him books. Percy never thought he'd seen his wife so happy.
Percy rounded the corner to their bedroom. He frowned when he saw the bed and then the bathroom vacant. He stepped back into the hallway and noticed the nursey door halfway open. He walked toward it.
"Love?" he gently shoved the door open then his heart stopped.
The cup of tea fell to the floor. Everything happened in slow motion. Maybe it was in fast motion. Percy wouldn't remember. All he knew was his beautiful wife was laying on the floor covered in blood. So much blood. He fell to his knees and began to shake her.
"Annabeth!" Percy cried out to his wife. Her eyes barely fluttered and stayed shut. "Annabeth, gods, I," Percy's hand immediately reached to her stomach. Her stomach where in between her legs all the blood was pouring out.
He dialed 911 as he tried to feel for movement. To feel his son kicking or punching or moving. His son stayed still.
Moments later paramedics arrived. They put his wife on a stretcher as she didn't open her eyes. Gods, Annabeth, please.
He rode in the back of the ambulance with her. She had an oxygen mask on her sweat soaked face. Her blonde curls were plastered back. He just wanted to see her stormy gray eyes. He held one of her hands wrapped in his while his other rested on her stomach. Still, their son didn't move.
When they got to the hospital, they were separated. Annabeth and their son off to surgery.
Percy shook his head. "No, we, I can't," he fought against a doctor as they took them away. "Our birth plan. I need to be there. We said if she needed a C-section, I would still be there." Unshed tears blurred Percy's vision. "I need to be there. For her. For him. I," but the doctor cut him off.
"Sir, we are going to do everything we can. But you shouldn't be alone while you wait. Is there anyone you can call?" The doctor asked.
It felt like before he even hung up on them, they were there. Grover got there first. He didn't say anything to his friend already feeling all of his emotions. The fear. The anxiety. The worry. The sadness. His mom got there soon after. Sally's eyes connected with her son's and that's when he broke down.
Sally rushed over and pulled her son into her arms. It's what a mother did when her son was in pain. He sobbed into his mom's shoulder until he couldn't anymore.
"How are they?" Sally asked, her lips quivering.
"I, I don't know," Percy answered them. "I found her, and gods, mom, there was so much blood."
"Perseus Jackson?" the same doctor who had held him back earlier called out into the waiting room. Percy shot straight up, and the doctor approached him. The doctor glanced at his mom and Grover. "Let's all go somewhere more private."
The three of them followed the doctor back into the hospital. Back further and further. Percy couldn't breathe. His chest couldn't fill with air. That was, until they got to her hospital room. He let out a sob.
She was still asleep, but Annabeth lay there alive. She was on oxygen, an IV in her arm, and a heart monitor was tracking her, but she was alive. And she was alone. Percy's heart sunk. His knees buckled.
"Percy," Grover held his best friend up.
Percy stared at the doctor. He couldn't make out the words. "You have to tell me." He gulped. "I can't, please, tell me."
"Mr. Jackson," the doctor began. "There were some complications. Your wife had a placenta abruption. We were able to stabilize her. She should make a full recovery. But your baby," the doctor took a breath. "He was without oxygen too long. I'm so sorry, but he didn't make it."
He didn't take his eyes off of Annabeth. "And she doesn't know, does she?"
The doctor shook her head. "She hasn't been awake yet. She should be awake soon. I
can come back when she does wake up and—" but Percy cut her off.
"No," he looked at his sleeping princess. His wife who was so strong, yet he knew this would break her. "No, I'll tell her."
The doctor sighed. "Okay, I'll be back to check her vitals later. I'm very sorry for your loss." And she was gone.
Grover helped him to a chair beside Annabeth's bed. She was restless in her sleep, almost like she knew a part of herself was gone. Her skin was ashen from the blood loss. He reached up to grab her hand but pulled it away. His eyes darted over her abdomen that was no longer swollen with their child. Their now dead child.
"Percy," his mother kneeled on the floor in front of him. He didn't take his eyes off his wife. "Perseus," Sally took her son's face and turned it toward her. His eyes were watery and lost. "Baby, I'm so sorry. We're here for you."
But it wasn't enough. It would never be. A few hours ago, he was going to be a father. The last nine months he had spent every moment of every day preparing to be a father. He gave Annabeth everything she wanted because she was carrying his child. He was going to be an amazing father. But now he wasn't.
"My baby," he let out the most violent sob and fell into his mother's arm.
"I know, I know," she held him and let him cry.
He cried for his lost child. He cried for his wife who didn't know yet. He cried for their future. He cried until her couldn't anymore.
Grover handed him a bottle of water and although he was parched, Percy only sipped it. Grover gave a small nod toward Percy. He only felt a fraction of what Percy was feeling, but he knew it was killing his best friend. Just then, Annabeth began to stir from the bed.
Percy swallowed. "Can you give us a moment alone?" Grover and Sally nodded and left the room.
Finally, Annabeth's eyes fluttered open. Percy's breath hitched at seeing them. Would their son have had his mother's stormy gray eyes? Or his sea green ones?
"Percy, what? Where?" Annabeth started. She blinked the sleep out of her eyes.
Percy pulled the chair as close as he could to the bed knowing his legs wouldn't support him. He took his wife's hands and cupped them in his as he kissed them. She noticed his bloodshot eyes.
"Percy, what, I," then her hand slid instinctively down to her stomach. Her stomach that no longer had a baby in it. The heartrate monitor began to beep violently. "Percy," her words caught in her throat. Tears streamed down her face. "The baby. I was in the nursey. I, I thought my water broke, but there was this pain. I've never been in so much pain." She paused. "Where is he? Our baby boy?" Percy couldn't meet his wife's eyes. "Percy."
Percy fell to his knees. He grabbed the sides of Annabeth's face. She stilled. "There was a complication. The baby, our son," he shut his eyes, not being able to take her reaction. "He didn't make it."
"What, what do you mean he didn't make it?" Annabeth asked. When Percy didn't respond, she pushed him away. "Percy, no, our baby. He was safe in me this morning. He can't be," she sobbed taking in the reality of it. "I couldn't keep him safe."
"Annabeth, no," Percy opened his eyes. "Love, there wasn't anything you could have done."
"I was his mother," her face darkened. "All I had to do was keep him safe, and I couldn't. And now he, he's," her body began to rack in sobs.
And then Percy was there. He slid into her small hospital bed and let her sob into his chest. Their arms wrapped around each other in pain. Nothing had ever been this bad. The titan or giant war. Not even Tartarus. They had each other, but they had each lost a piece of themselves.
Hours later, Sally and Grover found them wrapped in each other's arms after they cried themselves to sleep.
Life never returned to normal for them. They had been preparing for their new normal. Waking up to a baby's cries. Spending there days with diaper changes and breastfeeding. Coming home from the hospital without a baby in hand was not a new normal they could accept.
Some of their friends asked when they would try again. They couldn't answer that. That was their baby that died. They couldn't replace him. They had been young when Annabeth had gotten pregnant. Percy answered them with that and that it would be at least a couple years. Annabeth didn't answer at all.
They didn't touch the nursey. They had only let Grover go in to take out the bloodied rug. They left it untouched for a whole year. Percy optimistically leaving it for their next child. That was until a year after they lost their son.
Crashing came from the room. Percy rushed in to see the room in disarray. Annabeth had torn it all apart. Books were thrown from the shelves. The crib was on its side. Annabeth fell to the floor when Percy entered.
He pulled her into his lap as she cried. He rubbed her back as she let everything out. That was the most intimate moment they had shared since the baby died.
Sometimes, they didn't even sleep in the same bed. Annabeth would fall asleep at her desk. Percy would go to camp for days without telling her. Once, Thalia found Annabeth asleep at Long Island beach. Percy hadn't seen her for three days.
It wasn't that they didn't care for each other. They both loved each other deeply. But the last person that had loved that deeply took a piece of them with them when he died. They couldn't do that again.
"I, I can't do this," Annabeth said.
"Do what?" Percy stiffened. He knew their marriage was on the rocks but even though they both needed space, he knew neither of them would survive without the other.
"I keep thinking about him, every second of every day," she said.
"Me too," Percy said.
She brushed a piece of hair away from her tear-stained face. "And everyone keeps asking me when we are going to try again. As if he was nothing. But he was everything." Percy ran his hands up and down her arms.
"So, what do you want to do?" he asked, not being able to look her in the face.
"He was it. My only baby. I, I can't do this again, Percy," Annabeth said.
He looked at her. "Okay."
Her brows scrunched together. "Okay?"
"You don't want another baby," Percy said. "Okay. He was it for us. I just can't lose my wife too." He sighed. "When I saw you lying here, I thought I'd lost you both."
"Percy," Annabeth hesitated. Still, slowly, she leaned in and pressed her lips to his.
They both were hesitant at first. Intimacy had not been their strong suit lately. Percy pressed his lips back to hers and she opened her mouth open a bit. Their tongues slid over each other's before she pulled back for a breath.
"You're really okay with this?" Annabeth asked. Her shoulders tensed, her boundaries closing up. "If you're not, I understand. I, I just can't, I," he cut her off with another kiss.
"Annabeth, I need you. Only you," he replied.
So, in the following weeks they got rid of all the baby's stuff. Grover and Juniper were pregnant with a baby girl. Leo and Calypso were waiting until their baby was born to find out the gender. Percy and Annabeth donated the rest.
Their house felt too big for the two of them and neither of them could go into the now empty nursey. So, they moved into a smaller house closer to the city. They each got their own office that could be used as a guest room if they needed it. They settled into their new normal.
Soon, all their friends were married and having kids of their own. Percy and Annabeth were an aunt and uncle to many little children. They babysat when their friends needed it. And every year they held each other as they cried on their little boy's birth and death day.
They were 34 when Percy left. It wasn't for long, but he left her. He had lied to her that day. Annabeth wouldn't be enough for him. She had known for a long time. It wasn't until she overheard him and Grover talking at the hospital. Grover had just had his fourth kid. Him and Juniper's first boy. Percy held the boy close to his chest.
"He likes you," Grover said.
Annabeth hadn't meant to eavesdrop, but she couldn't stop herself. She had gone to get Grover a cup of coffee but stopped outside the door. Percy held that baby boy so perfectly. He looked like he belonged to have a baby boy resting in his arms. And he looked so happy too. Annabeth's heart broke.
"I'm glad," the baby squirmed in Percy's arms, but he just calmed the baby down. "If you ever need any help, call me."
"You say that with each of my kids," Grover took the babe from Percy's arms. "So, are you and Annabeth going to be having one of these anytime soon?"
Percy's shoulders stiffened. "Grover, I told you. After our baby," he paused. "Annabeth and I don't want any kids."
Grover set his son down. "Percy, I know you. I know you're lying. You want kids more than anything."
"Not more than Annabeth," Percy replied.
"Percy," Grover scolded Percy the way his scolded his three girls.
"Okay, Grover, what do you want me to say? That yes, I want kids more than anything in the world? Fine, I do!" He ran his hand over his face. His tired face. Annabeth hadn't noticed how tired he was. "I want to have a baby of my own. A son or daughter I can raise. A baby that I can hold and care for and love. But that isn't going to happen. I love Annabeth and she doesn't want kids. That's it. End of story."
"It's killing you," Grover said.
"It's not," Percy said but neither of them believed it.
Annabeth decided to barge in. "Hey Grover, here's your coffee. You look like you need it," she joked even though everything in her was breaking.
"Thanks," Grover's eyes darted between them.
"Percy, we should go," Annabeth turned on her heels and abruptly left without saying a word.
Percy chased after her. "Annabeth, what?"
She fought tears back. "Not here."
The ride home was silent. When they got home, they fought. They fought worse than either of them had in their life. They screamed their throats raw. Somehow, it ended in Percy packing a bag and leaving. He'd finally left her.
Annabeth fell apart after that. She stopped taking her medications. She fell into a deep depression. As deep as when they'd lost their son. Except this time, she didn't have Percy there.
One night, it got to be too much. It had been a week since Percy left and nothing. He hadn't called or checked in on her. No one had. She was alone and all she wanted was to not be alone. She wanted her baby boy. So, she started walking.
As Annabeth began to walk, Percy awoke with a start. He'd been staying on his parent's couch in their apartment. Wrong. Something was wrong. He'd felt lost ever since he'd left his home. But now something felt wrong. In the middle of a rainy night, he drove back to her.
He didn't have to go nearly as far as he thought. He was on his way home when he drove over a bridge two miles from their house. He slammed on his brakes. Gods, no. He stopped his car and jumped out.
In her night gown, Annabeth stood on the railings of the bridge. She was shivering but all she did was stare at the rapid waters below. She bounced on her heels.
"Annabeth!" Percy yelled over the rain.
Startled, she almost slipped into the waters. She turned just her head back. She gave him a small smile.
"Hey," she said.
"Annabeth, love, what are you doing?" he knew what she was doing, but he still had to ask.
"I can't do this anymore. I need to see our son," she stared at the waters below. They would be so cold. But if this went according to plan, the cold wouldn't last wrong.
"Annabeth, no," Percy's voice was solid. Firm. He didn't let it waver no matter how scared he was. "Love, come down from there and let's talk."
"Talk?" she let out a sad laugh. "You left. And all I want to do is see my son."
"Annabeth, gods, no." Percy tried to keep calm, but it was hard to do with his wife on the edge of that damn bridge. "I shouldn't have left."
"You were right to," Annabeth cried. "Here I am, still mourning my son. You deserve someone who is going to give you a child, Percy. You deserved to be a dad."
Percy tried to hold his anger. Just for now. Until he could get her off that bridge. "You deserve to be a mom, too."
"I, I can't," she shook her head. She began to turn back to the raging waters.
"Annabeth, no, look at me." Percy demanded. "You can't leave me too." Cautiously, he took a few steps forward. She didn't flinch. "Don't leave me."
"You deserve a baby," she mumbled, unsure this time.
"So, do you," he breathed.
"I need my son," Annabeth said. And she jumped.
Percy screamed before jumping into action. He flung himself off the bridge behind his wife.
As soon as she jumped, Annabeth realized it was a mistake. She wanted to see her son in the underworld, but she also wanted to be with Percy. So much. And she didn't want to leave her friends. I'm sorry, she thought a moment before she hit the water.
But she didn't hit the water. Well, at least not hard. Percy was right behind her and broke her fall. Being a son of Poseidon helped a lot. The cold water still chilled her down to her bones. She shook in his arms. He willed the water around them to bring them to shore.
Percy stood her up and began to check her all over. He ran his hands over her. Checking her body for broken bones or scratches.
"Percy, I'm fine," she said, knowing as she said it there was no way he would believe it.
"Well, I'm not fine." His hands went to his hair and pulled at it. He was wet from the river and the rain. He couldn't focus on keeping himself dry. "I'm not fine because my wife just tried to kill herself!" He yelled.
"Percy, I," but a shiver went down her body.
He paused. "You're cold." She didn't respond. "Of course, you are. That river was freezing." He scooped her up under her knees. She began to protest, but he continued. "You just jumped off a bridge. I'm not going to believe you're fine for a long time."
Gingerly, he started up the steep slope towards his car. He pulled her close to his chest. Annabeth leaned into him, clutching his soaked shirt as she listened to his heart beating. He placed her down in his dry car and buckled her in like a child. When they reached the house, he took her inside.
He gave her a shower and didn't say a word the whole time. He didn't talk until he set her down naked in their bed and began to pepper her with kisses. He mumbled how much he loved her into her lips. Into her neck. Into her skin. He kissed her all over. Over her bare shoulder. Over her scar from where their child had been cut out. He kissed her lower until she cried out in pleasure and pain.
The next week, Percy wouldn't talk to her during the day. He also did not let her out of his sight. Then, every night he would take her to their room and show her how much he loved her. It wasn't until a week later when she whispered back, "I know. I love you too," did he talk to her again.
She was late. She hadn't taken any of her medications when Percy was gone. That had included her birth control. She didn't get her period that month. Or the next month. She was constantly exhausted and nauseous. She hid it all from Percy. It wasn't until the third month did she go to the doctor's office. She came back with a positive pregnancy test and an ultrasound of their baby.
Percy came home from work that day completely oblivious. Annabeth sat on the couch completely in shock. She knew it hadn't happened overnight, but she suddenly felt so pregnant. Her being bloated, she realized, was actually her beginning to show. You showed earlier in your second pregnancy.
She sat with her ultrasound in her hands waiting for Percy. Percy sat down and pulled her into a kiss. He frowned at the picture as he plucked it from her hands.
"Who's pregnant?" he asked. Gods, his eyes were so oblivious. He stared without knowing even though this had been weighing down Annabeth all day. Weeks, if she was being honest. She hadn't needed the doctor's appointment that day to confirm her suspicions.
"Us," she whispered softly.
Percy's eyes crinkled. "I'm sorry, what'd you say?" he'd been so gentle with her since her suicide attempt. Since she exclaimed she'd needed her son and jumped off and bridge. But she could see his façade beginning to fade away.
She gulped as she took his hand and placed it on her growing stomach. His hand settled there comfortably. "Annabeth," all of his breath left him.
"I'm pregnant, Percy," she bit her lip waiting for a reaction.
To his credit, Percy hid his reaction well. A flash of happiness crossed his face before he hid it. He didn't take his hand on her stomach still.
"What do you want to do?" he asked.
He knew her feelings on kids. She didn't want anymore. She wouldn't survive it if anything happened to her baby. But she was pregnant and all she wanted to do was keep this baby safe.
She shut her eyes. "We'll have to start moving things out of my office," she began. "And start soon. I'm fourteen weeks. The baby will be here sooner than we know it."
He let out a breath. "You, we, you want to keep it?"
Annabeth opened her eyes and saw the happiness spread across her husband's face. "I want a baby with you."
26 weeks later they delivered a full-term, healthy baby boy.
The Jacksons were the happiest they had ever been. Annabeth sat with their five-year-old son coloring as Percy sat with their daughter who had just turned two. They all sat coloring and laughing and living fully.
Annabeth draped her arm across her boy. She crinkled her eyes are his drawing. "Hey, buddy, what are you drawing?"
"That's you and daddy," he exclaimed pointing at two figures away from the rest of the crowd of people. "And that's me!" he said, pointing to a figure in the middle of the rest of the figures.
"Why are daddy and I away from you? You know we're always with you." Annabeth asked. Percy perked up too, staring at his son's drawing.
"Now you are, but this was from before," he said.
"Before what?" now Percy was interested as well. "Who else is there?"
"That's my Uncle Jason," he said pointing to the figure standing above their son. "And that's Auntie Silena and Uncle Beckendorf." He paused. And pointed to a figure a little bit away. "And that's that Uncle Luke but he left a little before I did."
"Baby," Annabeth had tears in her eyes. Percy and she had told their son stories before, but she had never been able to say everyone by name. She was sure she had never told her son about Luke before. "How do you know these people?"
He frowned. "They are your and daddy's friends."
"Yeah, but, son," Percy glanced at his wife. "They died a long time ago."
Their son's frown deepened. "I know. I met them in ely, ely, uhhh."
"Elysium?" Annabeth finished for him.
"Yeah!" he smiled and went back to his drawing.
"Baby," Annabeth pressed. "When did you meet them? Did you have a dream?"
He shook his head, not bothering to look up. "No, it was after I was in your stomach the first time."
"The first time?" Annabeth's eyes drilled into Percy's. They never spoke about their dead baby. Ever. Not since Annabeth was pregnant again.
"Yeah. I was in your tummy the first time, but I didn't get to meet you and daddy. I went to Elysium and Uncle Jason and all your friends took care of me. I played all day long, but then," he stopped drawing.
"But then?" Percy asked.
"Then Uncle Jason told me that you and mommy were really sad. And that mommy was really, really sad. That mommy wanted to see me again." He stared up at Annabeth with teary eyes. "I didn't want you to be sad. So, Uncle Jason told me I could see my mommy and daddy for real this time. I could be reborn like my Uncle Luke had. And I really wanted to meet you and daddy. So, I did." And with that, he went back to drawing.
Later that night, after they put their kids to sleep, Percy and Annabeth held each other crying. He was their baby boy. And now they had a baby girl. They were a family, and they were the happiest they ever were.
I hope you all enjoyed my first attempt at a one-shot! I'm trying to get back into writing again, so I figured a one-shot would be a first good place to start. Let me know what you think and please check out my other stories. I will be updating them soon!