Will groaned softly as he slowly woke up feeling around for whatever was making that annoying beeping sound.
"Nnniiicccooo," he whined honestly half asleep, "Turn off the alarm already."
When he didn't get a response he opened his eyes to find that this wasn't their room, it was one in the New Rome hospital that he was interning at during his studies. The beeping was coming from the heart monitor attached to his finger and there was an IV in his arm. After a few moments Nico and Jason came in carrying bags from McDonald's.
"Will! You're awake!" the Italian said hurrying over, looking relived.
"What happened?" Will asked realizing how dry his throat felt as little Jason considered eating on the floor.
"One sec," Nico said picking the child up and putting him on the other bed before turning back to him, "You passed out. When we got you here your fluids were low, and you were lacking a lot of nutrients because you were having trouble eating."
"Uncle Nico was scared," commented Jason, "Can you open my sauce for my nuggets?"
Nico did this after getting Will some water, the little boy starting to eat.
"Really? McDonalds for lunch?" Will gave his boyfriend a look.
"Don't start, I didn't want to be away from you for too long and it's something Jason will eat. I got him milk and apple slices," Nico said pulling out his own lunch and gave the child some fries before sitting by Will's bed and starting to eat, "They want to keep you here for a few days for observation and to make sure you can keep food down."
"Fine," Will replied before snagging a few fries that he was amazed he was able to stomach.
"Hey!"
"It smells good and I'm hungry!"
"Than call the nurse and get some lunch."
"Speaking of calling, did you let Percy and Annabeth know where their son is?" Will asked after the nurse was called and he looked over his lunch options.
"I thought Annabeth was going to deafen me when I called her," he said holding up an invention of Leo's called a Demi phone, a smart phone that didn't attract monsters, needless to say, they sold like hotcakes, "She thought he was hurt until I managed to get out what was going on. They hope you get well soon."
Will nodded, he had to focus on getting better and keeping himself and their child alive.
…
November went by well enough bring excitement over the up coming holidays. Will had found that a single drop of Nectar, usually mixed in with milk, in the morning helped him get on with his day without sickness. He was able to go to class and Nico was able to babysit Jason at his own house without worry. Today Nico and Will were both watching him while his parents went shopping for Thanksgiving supplies.
"Aunt Reyna told me Aunt Piper's moving here for good this year and she went to get her and they're bringing a prize!" the three-year-old told his favorite babysitter as they watched a movie, his sea green eyes sparkling.
After Jason Grace's death Reyna had comforted Piper and around the time little Jason turned one the two started to date. Though some people suspect it may have had something to do with Nico locking them in a closet at Jason's birthday party.
"Prize?" asked a confused Will looking up from his homework.
Nico looked up from where he was tracing Jason's hand for a hand turkey, "I think he means a surprise."
The child nodded eagerly, "Aunt Reyna said it was something I'd really like. Maybe it's my own metal doggy!"
"Your father has Mrs. O'Leary," Will pointed out.
"She doesn't live with us though, she lives in the camp," Jason pointed out.
The child looked up and raced to the door with Nico on his heels when they heard a knock at the door.
"Aunt Piper! Aunt Reyna!" the little boy cheered as Nico opened the door to show instead of what the boy was hoping for it was Percy with arms full of bags of groceries for the feast, having used his foot to knock.
Jason pouted and shut the door on his dad not seeing what he wanted causing Nico to crack up.
"Jason Luke Jackson!" Percy snapped as Nico opened the door still laughing, "It's not funny Nico! What got into him? Why isn't he taking a nap?"
"We were finishing up making hand Turkeys and then we started talking about the Reyna and Piper's surprise," the younger male told him taking a bag.
"Well now Captain Cranky's out and about. Will, could you put him down for his nap?"
"I don't wanna take a nap!" whined Jason, "I wanna wait for Aunt Piper and Aunt Reyna!"
"You'll either go down for your nap now or you'll do it after a time out," his father told him.
The youngest blonde scrambled for his room, Will following him as Annabeth came over with more bags.
"Why did you yell?" she asked, heading for the kitchen.
Percy looked at her and replied, "He shut the door in my face."
Annabeth hid her amused smile as Percy left to get more bags with Nico.
"Uncle Will," Jason said as the older blond knelt beside his bed, "Can I see the baby?"
"Alright but there's not really anything to see," Will told him lifting his shirt, "See?"
"Are you sure there's a baby in there?"
Will chuckled, "Yes, soon we'll be able see pictures of the baby that's inside my tummy. Now go to sleep."
After the little boy's nap, around four o'clock they heard the doorbell ring, this time Jason was held back just to be safe. Percy opened the door to find the two female demigods they were waiting for along with a little girl whose face was hidden by a large Minnie Mouse doll and the crook of Reyna's neck. Her dirty blonde hair in plated pigtails was just visible.
"Is that the surprise?" little Jason asked pointing at the other child.
Piper nodded, "Everyone this is Rose, daughter of Hermes and adopted daughter of us. We had a little help from her dad getting the adoption through. Then we went to Disneyland to celebrate. Want to meet everyone honey?"
"Nah-uh!" came the child's voice making Reyna smile.
"But you were so brave at the park. You met Minnie and the princesses, you even told Gaston off. Why don't you want to meet the rest of our family?" the daughter of Bellona asked.
The little girl looked up showing shy hazel eyes, "What if they don't like me?"
"I think one of them is eager to meet you," Piper told her pointing at the wiggling Jason.
"How much sugar did you give my son?" Annabeth asked Nico.
"What are you looking at me for? I didn't give him sugar he's excited to meet his new cousin," Nico pointed out, "And before you ask I know for a fact Will didn't give him any either."
"Hi I'm Jason! Daddy put me down!"
"Are you going to chill out?" Percy asked looking down at the little boy, "Cause if you're not you are going to scare her more."
"I'll chill."
After the adults were introduced to the little girl both children were put down while adults discussed dinner.
"Daddy said we'll go to Disneyland after he marries Mommy, so the rest of our family can come. Grandma Sally, Grandpa Paul and Aunt Stella live on the other side of the country in New York," Jason told her.
"I've never been to New York, but Mommy has, she told me so," Rose replied making the little boy tilt his head.
"Who's your mommy?"
Rose pointed to Piper as said demigod came over, "We're going out for Italian food."
"Hi Mommy!"
"Hi sweetie," the native American demigod replied, "Ready to go? We're going to have to leave Minnie in the car."
"Speaking of the car, we forgot the souvenir we got for Jason in it," Reyna pointed out.
"Thank you, Aunt Reyna, Aunt Piper, Rose," the little boy said hugging his new cousin.
…
"I think you guys should sign the kids up for daycare," Nico told the parents while the two children colored on the paper covered table, "Not that I don't love Jason and I would love to get to know Rosie better, but Will and I have to get ready for our kid."
"Wait, what? Back up, are you two adopting?" asked a very confused Reyna as Piper blinked, sipping her tea.
"No, Will thought it would be a good idea to follow my example except he's bringing back Nico's big sister; Bianca," explained Percy, thumbing at the eighteen-year-old blonde.
"You Greeks are nuts."
"That just earned you a night on the sofa, Rey."
"I didn't mean you Pipes," Reyna protested, "I swear!"
"Is Mama in trouble?" asked Rose, "Mommy sounds mad."
"Your Mama said something not nice," Will told her.
"Bad Mama!"
The others snorted, it wasn't every day the female Praetor was told off by a three-year old, let alone her own daughter.
"Back to the idea of daycare," commented Annabeth, "I honestly like the idea since it would not only be good for their social development but educational."
"I don't want to go to daycare! I want to stay with Uncle Nico and Uncle Will," protested Jason.
"We're going to sign Rosie up for daycare, don't you want to hang out with her?" Piper asked.
The little boy frowned, he did want to spend more time with his new cousin, but the idea of daycare scared him.
Annabeth pulled him into her lap, "I know you have a lot of fun with your uncles, but it wouldn't be fair to them, the new baby or to you when it comes because they'll have a hard-enough time taking care of it and in Will's case studying."
"We'll still come to see you and babysit you from time to time, just on date nights and stuff," Nico promised.
"You should at least try it," Annabeth told him, "And don't try lying to me and your daddy, we know how to tell."
"Okay Mommy…"
Annabeth squeezed him, "That's my little Hatchling."
Jason turned pink at his mother's nickname for him, he had gotten it because for his first Halloween costume his mother's stepmom had sent having found it prefect for the boy. It was of a baby owl coming out of a fake egg shell.
"You came out of an egg?" asked the now confused Rose, "Do you still have a belly button?"
The others laughed as the little girl tried to look under Jason's shirt.
"He wasn't born from an egg," Annabeth told her, "For his first Halloween he was a hatchling owl."
"It was my Grammy's idea," Jason explained, pink.
"I think he looked really cute," commented Piper having seen photos.
"I know right?" agree Percy his son hiding his face.
After an uneventful Thanksgiving the kids started daycare giving Nico more free time than he was sure to what to do with. He had studied childcare using audio books before Jason had been born since he had been the little boy's main babysitter from the get-go, keeping him happy and quite while his father did things like work out or take a nap having been kept up by a fussy baby. With nothing better to do he started looking into actual houses and baby supplies, though only gender-neutral basics since there was no way of being 100% sure the baby would be a girl. He marked things he liked to discuss with his boyfriend before sighing. That had taken a lot less time than he had thought. Maybe he should investigate taking classes or helping at the hospital because he wasn't going to run errands for his dad. His phone went off reminding him he had a lunch date with Hazel.
"What's wrong?" she asked as he ate his minestrone soup.
"What make you think something's wrong?"
Hazel gave him a flat look, "I'm your sister, I can tell when something's bugging you. Now tell me."
"Fine, I don't know what to do with my time now that JJ's in daycare," he admitted, "And since the baby isn't going to be born for several months and we can't be sure about the gender yet, so we can't plan for that. I feel like I'll die of boredom!"
"You could see if the day care needs helpers or help with the kids in the hospital."
Nico nodded, "I did consider helping at the hospital."
A few days later Will got quite a shock passing by the pediatric ward of the hospital to find his boyfriend surrounded by a bunch of kids listening to him read them a story about Curious George. Pulling him aside after he was done.
"What are you doing here?"
"Keeping myself sane for one thing," Nico told him with a smile, "And for another I can have lunch with you while I'm here. I don't plan on being a permeant story teller but it's something to do until we have to prepare."
TBC