Okay, that took longer than expected. When I said I'll update soon I didn't mean it to take this long. So sorry!

Anyway, here's the new chapter! It took the time because I was wondering whether I should add up that extra part down there. And then there's this trouble with me trying to write something steamy. I just don't have the makings of a lemon writer. I should probably ask for help? Anyone know anyone?

Guest: Yeah, you're suggestion's coming true. Then again, it was already planned that way. Thank you for the review!

Chapter 3

Cont. of 2.0

...

Things had been better for us right after we talked about it that day in our living room. I never really mentioned anything about it to my wife anymore. No one actually does. There would be times when Annabeth would go quiet with a sad look on her face and I knew that she was thinking about it. I don't say anything. I was just there. When she noticed me looking at her, I just smiled and held her hand or hugged her or gave her a proper kiss. She returned the gesture with a heavy sigh. Sometimes I woke up to her crying at night, but it was nothing compared to the first month after the incident. I completely understood anyway.

It was now two years after that incident (I don't know what else to call it and I don't like referring to it in the direct way). I just got home from work and Annabeth was getting ready for bed. She wore the same silver satin pajamas I loved seeing her in. It made her look luminous. The moon's light would bounce off of it when she stood close to the window and it would give her a glow. Annabeth doesn't see it, but I do. And I love seeing her so beautiful.

"What are you staring at, Seaweed Brain?" She asked having caught me on my stare. "And close your mouth, you're going to catch some flies."

My wife continued to dry her hair with the towel she had on her hands. She rubbed the fabric on her locks until they were no longer dripping wet from the shower she just took. The towel was tossed on the backrest of a chair and it would probably stay there until the next morning. Annabeth didn't wait for me, and she crawled into her side of the bed, went under the covers and turned her lamp on. She grabbed the book that rested on her bedside table and began flicking through the pages quietly.

I made sure that I kept my stuff placed on top of the working table we kept in our room. My coat hung on the back of the swiveling chair. My eyes lingered to her quiet form as I did this and she probably felt it because her own orbs turned to me and I could see the question in them.

"Well aren't you coming to bed?" She asked me.

Here's the thing: ever since the tragic event two years ago, Annabeth had been – fragile, so to speak. She never told me directly, but I felt it. She was distant to me as my wife, almost as if she was afraid. It didn't take me long to realize what she was afraid of.

I sighed and walked over. My shoes were already removed downstairs so I simply sat on the bed and propped myself against the headboard. I turned my head to face her and she looked back. We stared at each other for a while, calculating each other. Poseidon knew what could be running in her head right now.

"How was your day?" was the question that came out of nowhere.

My brow was raised when I replied, "Uh, it was fine. There was nothing much going on actually. I just finished a few documents for some fieldwork my interns are doing next week. " And she only nodded. "What did you do today?"

"Nothing," Annabeth quickly answered with her eyes fixated on me. "Nothing, just a little cleaning and…" she trailed off. "I was thinking."

"Of?"

"Things." She said. "About me. And you. Us."

"What about us?" I asked her. It took her a while to answer. While waiting, I could already feel the tension that hung in the air. Whatever we were going to talk about, it would be serious.

"I was thinking that you're amazing." A smile appeared on her face. "Percy, ever since… ever since it happened you were there. You were always there. I was the one pushing you away, pushing people away. You never left me. You understood the situation not just because you're the father. You… " She licked her lower lip. "You have done the very thing a woman would want her man to do in a given situation.

"And I'm still sorry." She sobbed.

I shook my head and groaned. "Annabeth. You promised me…"

"I know." She said hurriedly. "I know I promised not to apologize for something that wasn't my fault, but please, listen."

All I did was sigh again and nod.

Annabeth grabbed my hand and held it in hers. "I'm sorry, Percy. I may have promised, but it would never go away. I would forever say sorry to you quietly if you don't want to hear it out loud. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I could have done something. I'm not weak, and you know that. I could have protected the two of us. If I had, then we would have a little kid running around right now."

"And I would never stop telling you how it wasn't your fault, love. It was never your fault. Never." What in the world would make those words go through her head and stay there?

"I know. You told me. Still… Like I said: you were amazing." Her hand squeezed mine then. "You gave me space, enough space. You never held on me too tightly that I'd suffocate from your presence, and yet you never held on too loosely that I would have flown away. You knew when to be there and when I needed to be alone. Gods, Percy… Thank you."

"Annabeth, I love you. You're my wife, my best friend before that, and I'm pretty sure I know you like the back of my hand. As I've told you, we are two parts of a whole. You're my other half and nothing in the universe could change that. I did what had to be done. I wanted to do more, but I was scared to push you. I couldn't lose you as well. I'd go crazy. I'd die. I'm happy and very proud that you're doing so, so well right now. I'm very proud of you. I love you." Then I kissed her nose.

"I don't deserve you." She quietly said but I could tell she wasn't entirely serious. "You're too good for me, Seaweed Brain."

"Nah, you're always better than me in everything." I smiled at her.

"We both know that's not true. At least not in the last two years. You were my rock. You always have been, but with what happened you have been my very foundation. Without you I would have crumbled down already. I know how difficult it must have been for you seeing me like that. I'm sorry for putting you through it. It was unfair of me, very unfair to you. You're my husband and you also knew what it felt like losing him. And I shouldn't have acted so distant with you no matter the reason. You're my best friend. I was just…"

And I could see her falter there. Her vibrant gray eyes produced a shadow of fear and concern. It worried and excited me at the same time. Worry was inevitable; excitement was brought out by the fact that things were finally coming out in the open. I knew that her acceptance before was just a small step. This was the bigger one.

"It's okay." I said. "I know. I feel the same way."

"You – you do?" she asked, surprised.

I nodded. My left arm went around her shoulders and she shifted her body so that she fitted in my side. Her book lay forgotten in her lap above our covers. "Yeah, I'm scared, too."

"Why?"

"You're my wife." I just answered knowing that she'd understand. Her eyes never left mine and right at that moment, it was as if she was reading my mind and soul. She searched deep inside me and I was more than willing to give things out to her.

"I'm scared." She just said with shaky voice.

"I am, too."

"But I thought about it already. I am scared, and I knew you would be as well, but I don't want to be afraid anymore. I want it, Percy. I want it so bad, but I just… all the what if's on my head won't stop."

"It won't go away." I told her. "I have them, too. I'm just too determined and stubborn I guess. Knowing you, you would be even more stubborn that I am."

For the first time tonight, Annabeth tore her eyes away from me and stared at the wall ahead. I leaned my head on top of hers and rubbed her arm. It took a few more moments before she spoke again.

"What if we lost him again?" She asked. "What if I got pregnant again only to lose him? Percy, I can't." Her hands tightened on my shirt until she fisted the cloth. Without looking at me, she continued. "Can you promise me that we'd be okay, that when I got pregnant again, the baby would be fine? Can you promise me that, Percy?"

"I promise you that I will be here. I am never leaving you. I swear it."

"I know." She whispered. I felt her move and Annabeth turned her body to face me. Once again, her gray eyes were on mine, but not for long. Her lips came crashing down on me and I was momentarily shocked.

It wasn't just a kiss. All these months, we've shared kisses, but nothing like this. The last time it had been like this would probably be a few days, maybe a week or two, before I found out she was pregnant.

Annabeth's hands came to my face and she held me. Her lips moved away from mine long enough for her to whisper, "I love you". I didn't even have a chance to say it back before she was attacking me again.

Then I realized: she had let go.

She was afraid, as was I, but here she was conquering her fear. This was what I have been hoping for all these months. Annabeth was moving on. I felt a smile form on my lips before my arms circled her body to hold her closer to me. I began moving my lips against hers with the same eagerness as she had. Soon enough we were breathless. That didn't stop me.

Annabeth surfaced from our kiss to catch her breath, but I didn't stop kissing her. I trailed my lips down her jawline, to the side of her face and below her ear only to snake down her neck. Her hands had somewhat gotten entangled in my hair and she was pulling at my strands. Moans began to escape her lips when I trailed lower and lower. At one point, her top had hindered my path, but it was soon resolved when I unbuttoned it with haste while she unbuttoned mine. I continued further south.

"Percy…" she whispered.

"I love you," I answered.

I leaned back to look at her. The satin blouse of her top was lying on top of the covers and she was in a loose tank top. I didn't focus on that though, not on her body. My eyes met hers again and her met mine. We looked into each other for what could be a million years, I never knew. Annabeth smiled at me, a real smile and it broke my heart out of happiness. The next thing I was aware of was that the rest of our clothes began to slither away from our body.

…

I woke up to the sound of footsteps quickly running through the hardwood floor. Retching followed it. My eyes opened drowsily and I took a deep breath to get some oxygen into my mind. I sat up in bed and stood up to walk towards the bathroom where I found my wife sitting on the tiled floor in front of the bowl. Her hands gripped the sides tightly and her left arm moved up to feel for the flush. I moved on and did it for her.

"Done?" I asked quietly and she only nodded her head. I assisted her in standing by the sink to wash her hands and then brush her teeth. After wiping her hands dry, we walked back inside the room and sat down on the edge of our bed.

"I can't sleep after that." Annabeth said. "I need coffee."

"You're on coffee ban, remember?"

"To hell with coffee ban." She mumbled before standing and walking out the door. I followed her. "Want one?"

"I'm only brewing one coffee, and that's for me." I snatched the mug that was on her hands and I held Annabeth by her shoulder to usher her down a chair. "You're getting milk."

"Percy…" Annabeth whined.

"No." I placed her mug in front of her and poured warm milk into it. "This is yours."

"I'll drink it if you drink one, too." She argued. "Or else I'm sneaking in some coffee."

My eyes rolled at her argument. Annabeth was stubborn and it went up at a higher notch ever since we found out that she was pregnant. Again.

Yeah, she was pregnant. We went to the doctor last week and we found out that she was starting on her fifth week. She started throwing up a little more than a week ago and it got me worried. I thought she was sick and you really can't blame me for panicking. It turned out that she didn't have the flu at all.

Right after that, we grabbed the first and most instructional book about what to expect when you're pregnant we could get our hands on. It helped us a lot, along with instructions from her doctor. Annabeth was particularly bummed with the diet restrictions, especially the coffee. Too much caffeine was bad and bad was the last thing we needed.

"Fine, milk for both of us and then we go back to bed." I told her as I set my mug down and poured milk into it as well.

I sat across from her on the table and we quietly drank. Annabeth's hands were unconsciously stroking her still flat stomach. She had this far away look in her eyes, like she was dazed. They weren't exactly hollow, they held emotions in there, I just don't know which.

"We're going to be parents," she said quietly and her eyes flickered to mine. She was smiling at me, too.

"Yeah, we are." I told her. "I still can't get that through my head, you know?"

Annabeth laughed shortly and then looked down at her belly. "There's actually someone here, Percy. We made a person, and he's here. Can you believe that?"

"And in less than a year, he's going to be here with us. Horrid little thing that will keep us awake in the middle of the night." I said.

"Yeah, but it will be worth it." Annabeth answered. "I know it will. And I promise I'll take good care of him this time. I'll keep him safe."

My hand immediately flew across the table to reach for her other hand that wasn't on her stomach. Annabeth looked at our joined hands and then smiled at me again. "I know. And I'll take very good care of the two of you. I'll keep both of you safe."

Review!

I wasn't exactly happy with this chapter, I don't know why. But then I like this last few lines. I hope you do, too. There's probably a chapter or two left for this, since it wasn't even intended to be a multi-chapter in the first tuned.

Thank you for reading!

~ Greek Wise Girl

P.S. I also updated Tampering With Fate so check it out?