AN: So, another chapter. I am glad everyone is enjoying this story, and I am really happy about how many reviews it's gotten.

Now, this chapter is the birth, so bare with me.

I've never seen a birth or had any kids so I don't know all the details. Just what I've read, heard from others who have had a baby and seen in movies and on TV. It's as accurate as I can get it.

Also a reviewer (sorry I can't recall what their name was) asked about the whole major and minor god thing. They wondered if it was possible for Luke to be a major god when it seems like only the twelve council members are major gods.

Well, it is true that it seems like only the twelve Olympians are major gods, that might have to do with power. I believe it has to do with power and what fate decided as to if a god is major or minor.

Hestia and Hades aren't on the council but it is obvious they are major gods. Hestia stepped down for Dionysus because it would be uneven otherwise. She mostly did it to keep the piece, but she is still a major goddess.

So it is completely possible for Luke to be a major god and not be on the council. But then, who says he wont be in the future? There are two more sequels after this after all.

I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

One More Day.

Chapter 9: A Heroine is Born.

April was upon them.

Percy could hardly believe so long had come and gone, and yet at the same time her swollen stomach showed the evidence of the passage of time.

It was so large, she was sure she looked like someone who'd eaten two beach balls.

Lupa never seemed to have a straight or simple answer if she'd ask if she was fat and really, it wasn't about being fat that bothered her.

She just wasn't used to standing up and having this weight at her middle weighing her down, or swollen breast and ankles, and the fact she couldn't see her feet!

She just hadn't been expecting it, and if she had she'd forgotten it with all the other memories Hera had stolen from her.

Sitting down all the time wasn't something she wanted to do, so despite Lupa's words of caution she would spend at least part of the day walking around the Wolf House or in the woods surrounding it.

There was a creak, that probably led into a large river not far from the Wolf House and she liked to frequent it.

During this time she always had one of Lupa's wolves or Lupa herself following behind her, just in case. Despite how it seemed at times, Lupa did care.

She wasn't sure exactly when in April it was, the beginning she knew but Lupa didn't own electronics or even a calender she went on instinct to what date or month or time it was.

She was always right, or at least so it seemed. When Luke would visit – as often as he could since he and Diana had found her – she'd ask him what date it was.

it always seemed to correspond with what Lupa said. She assumed it was just part of a goddesses instincts or that Lupa had been around so long she just instinctively knew these things.

Possibly connected to her being a wolf goddess.

You should be resting, Persephone,' Lupa's voice said, though it sounded different.

Almost like she was talking to her through some sort of telepathy, seeing as Lupa was in her wolf form.

Percy sighed and sat on a large rock by the creek edge.

"I'm not an invalid, Lupa. Besides, I can't stay sitting or laying all day," Percy said. "It's boring and drives me crazy."

Lupa sighed in her own wolfish way.

'I had almost forgotten demigods had ADHD.' she mutters.

Percy laughs, and then frowns, her hand going to her stomach.

Lupa sat up to attention.

'Is something wrong, Persephone?'

Percy frowned and grimaces when there was another sharp pain, but at first she just assumed it was Maeve playing soccer with her guts.

She'd never thought a baby could move so much, her mother had never said anything about her bladder and other organs down there becoming soccer balls.

Percy blinked again, wondering where that thought had come from. She didn't even remember what her mother looked like, much less her mothers name.

"I think she's just being acti – " Percy stopped herself as there was another pain and she nearly bent over from it. "Or maybe it's something else.."

Lupa stood to her feet, her mind racing over what it could be. It was around that time Diana had estimated her being due.

'Has it been happening often?' she asked.

Percy stood then, her hands still on her stomach.

"Since last night, but it hasn't been like this – ow!" Percy gasped, not expecting the rather sharp pain that really didn't feel too much like a kick now.

Then as she took a step towards Lupa there was a sound like water being released, and water running down her leg and soaking through her jeans (her extra clothes courtesy of Luke and Venus).

"Oh, I don't think that's..." Percy groaned as what she now realized was another contraction hit her.

Lupa growled and allowed herself to return to human form. Seconds later Lupa was helping Percy back to the Wolf House.

"Just breath," Lupa told her, knowing the basics of childbirth.

"I am," she said, and she groaned.

She'd felt worse pain, like being slashed with Kronos' scythe or even when Luke had stabbed her in the side. Or when she'd blown up Mount St. Helens.

But this was also nearly as painful. She knew Ops' blessing made childbirth a bit easier to deal with, but it was still painful.

"Lay here, take off your pants and I will go and grab some towels and water," Lupa said once she'd gotten them back to the Wolf House ten minutes later.

Percy was now thinking back to how long she'd been feeling these pains. She couldn't imagine how painful they would have been without Ops' blessing.

'It will still be painful, my champion,' a familiar warm voice echoed in her mind. 'It will simply be a relatively easier birth then it could have been. Think of it this way, in a hospital you'd be given pain killer of some sort, but my blessing almost imitates the effects a painkiller would have.'

Percy winced, laying back once she'd gotten her pants and panties off.

"So this could get even more painful?" she asked, in disbelief.

Ops' soft laugh rang in her mind.

'You are about to push something the size of a watermelon out of something the size of a quarter...of course it's going to hurt child.'

Well, that was a lovely though, Percy thought sarcastically.

A minute or two later Percy was relieved when Lupa returned and then something hit her hard.

"Where is Luke?" she asked, panicked.

xXx

There was a council meeting when it happened.

Zeus was discussing opening Olympus back up, and it seemed many were relieved by this. All expect for Hera who was looking at her husband in surprise and weariness.

Her thoughts circulated to Juno's plan, her plan as well. Out of all the gods she and Juno were the most alike, Greek or Roman. So she and Juno had better recollection of what occurred while in one aspect.

She also got the feeling he wished to discuss their missing heroine, Persephone Castellan. Seeing as Luke was present for this meeting even though he wasn't on the council.

What if this ruined her plan?

She didn't think it could, things had already been set into motion, the worse they could do was yell.

It wouldn't change the fact Persephone Castellan had to go to Camp Jupiter and was one of the Seven.

She would be the glue that held the seven together, but at the same time Hera feared the girl would ruin the whole thing. That it would be her that ended up insuring Gaea won this war.

"Now, all in favor of opening Olympus back up to the mortal world?" Zeus asked, a bit of a grumble in his voice.

Even if Artemis and Athena had convinced him that he'd been wrong to close Olympus, it didn't mean he had to like admitting it. And by casting this vote it was as good as admitting to being wrong.

For once in thousands of year the whole council, minus Hera's hand, went up. Even Zeus raised his after a moment of hesitance. Zeus sighed, and nodded.

"Motion passed, as of today Olympus is open once more," Zeus said, and there were mutters of relief.

Zeus cleared his throat and began again.

"Now, onto the next matter. Persephone Castellan – " his words were interrupted when the doors banged open.

A woman in a white dress (Grecian style but also on the modern side) entered. She had just past her shoulders length black hair and large bright blue eyes.

"She's in labor!" the woman exclaimed and Luke jumped to his feet along with Artemis, Apollo and Hermes who knew exactly who she meant.

Hera rose to her feet as well.

"Eileithyia, what is the meaning of this?" Hera demanded of her daughter.

Blue eyes turned cold as they locked on Hera.

"Really mother," the goddess of childbirth and midwifery said frostily. "Like I was going to be so cruel as to not help Luke, Artemis and Apollo when they asked."

Hera frowned disappointingly at her daughter but sat down at Zeus' warning glare.

"Eileithyia," Zeus said to his daughter. "Who do you mean?"

"Persephone Castellan of course," she said, rolling her eyes and turning to Luke.

"You asked me to tell you when she went into labor..well she'd been in labor for about thirty minutes now. If you wish to be there you must go now."

Luke shot over and began towards the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" Hera snapped standing.

Luke turned, his eyes alight in rage when his eyes met her.

"To my wife," he snapped.

"No, I forbid it. As queen of the gods..." Hera began, her mind racing.

If he went then...but Percy should still be asleep? If she wasn't than her plans to take the child and hide her until the war was over would be ruined. But it was for the best, the child would only slow Persephone down. Only get in the way!

Zeus stared at his wife in contempt.

"Hera," he growled, standing as well.

"As King of the Gods my word is above yours. Do not think I have forgotten the fact you've went against my orders, and the laws separating the Greeks from the Romans. I understand you motivation to an extent but I do not agree with how you went about it."

Poseidon stood then as well, his eyes dark like an ocean after a sever storm.

"Nor do I. You took my daughter without so much as a warning. You placed her in a predicament that could hurt her and my grandchild."

Hera scoffed.

"I took all the measures in the world to protect her and the child. I am not heartless."

"You could have fooled me," Hephaestus grumbled under his breath.

Hera sighed.

Even after the war and their attempts to build a mother son relationship it hadn't been as easy as it seemed at the time.

Maybe the pain was just to deeply sown to be fixed between them? But any progress had probably been lost with the stunt she'd pulled with Jason and Persephone.

"That is no reason," 'Aphrodite' sneered. "You put my great-granddaughter in danger!"

The council members who didn't know looked at Aphrodite startled and then realized it was not Aphrodite, but Venus.

The only way to truly tell them apart was the fact Venus had amber eyes with flecks of every human eye color imaginable in them – where as Aphrodite's eyes changed with what others saw.

"Venus?" Poseidon questioned. "Did you just say..."

Venus sighed, and nodded.

"Yes, I did. Sally Jackson is my granddaughter, a Roman legacy. That means Percy is my great-granddaughter and also a legacy of mine."

"She's both Greek and Roman," Athena realized with some amount of awe.

"Luke, Artemis, and Apollo," Zeus said, after a minute and a deep frown (there was no time to discus this new revelation about his niece). "You three are dismissed. Go, to wherever it is Persephone may be."

Poseidon smiled then, and looked to them.

"I expect an update on how my daughter is when you return," he said.

The three nodded.

"This is not -" whatever Hera was going to say was cut off with Luke turned to glare at her his eyes flashing.

Hera was forced down onto her throne by a force unseen – but many were sure was tied to Luke's powers as the god of Rage and Betrayal.

Suddenly there were two golden shackles around her wrist and he smirked.

"I told you I learned more from Kronos than how to sit back like a good lapdog. You can also thank Hephaestus, he did help me create them," Luke spat, and he laughed in an almost madman way before turning to leave the throne room.

"You can't do this!" Hera screamed, though the other gods while shocked didn't seem to be that upset.

"I just did," Luke growled back, never turning around. "Stay away from my wife and daughter, Hera. Or you'll live to regret it."

Once outside the throne room the three gods disappeared for the Wolf House.

Poseidon's eyes narrowed, and he turned to his sister.

"Hera, what did he mean by that?" Poseidon asked.

Hera didn't look phased, though annoyed by the fact she couldn't get the golden wrist shackles off – and wondering when that cursed son of Hermes had time to trap her throne without her knowing it.

"It's for the best brother," Hera said, as sweetly as she could.

"Hera," Zeus began, his eyes narrowed. "What did you do?"

"Nothing," Hera said. "I just thought it would be best if she didn't have to worry about a child, it would only get in the way. So I planned to go and retrieve the child, and hide her away until after the war."

That was when Ares and Hermes had to grab Poseidon in order to stop the sea god from attacking his sister. Though it was obvious no one was happy with what the Queen of the Gods had just said.

xXx

While Hera was being yelled at on Olympus; Luke, Artemis and Apollo had arrived at the Wolf House.

Upon arriving he saw his pain ridden wife, and Lupa beside her with a bucket of warm water and towels.

There was fur over her raised knees as if it were a blanket, covering her from view. From the pants and underwear thrown beside the cot his wife laid on, he knew she had nothing on under the fur.

He was instantly by her other side, and Apollo and Artemis followed close behind.

Lupa upon seeing them stood and moved, giving Apollo her spot, while Artemis knelled down on the ground, sitting on her knees between Percy's legs.

"She's close," Apollo said, removing his hands from her stomach. "I'd say she'd nearly ready to start pushing."

Artemis pushed the furs back some to get a better view and nodded.

Percy groaned as a sharp pain tore through her, and her hand found Luke's.

"I thought you wouldn't make it," Percy said, looking over into Luke's blue eyes.

He smiled.

"I said I'd be here, I wouldn't miss this for the world," he said, kissing her forehead and running his hand through her hair.

Percy smiled and then made a pain filled sound, not quite a scream but not exactly a grunt either. Luke winced, not only from seeing his wife in such pain but because she'd squeezed his hand at that moment.

Even now she had a strong grip, and he was pretty sure by the end of it Lupa might get to see her break his hand after all.

It was another thirty minutes before she was completely ready to begin pushing.

The twins of Leto and Zeus were not at all surprised by the vulgar words and curses Percy spat at him once she began pushing. Lupa actually seemed amused from where she watched, ready to help if Artemis needed it.

"Dear Ops!" Percy said, as she stopped pushing on Apollo's orders, and Artemis said something about the head being out.

"Of course she had to inherit your big head!"

She said this with a sharp glare at her husband who was trying to flex his hand. It wasn't broken but it hurt.

"My big head?" he asked and stopped there at Apollo's head shaking side to side as if to tell him to not finish that thought. "Right, of course love."

"One more push, Percy, and it'll be over," Artemis said, smiling at her friend and Percy grunted and took a deep breath and pushed.

A minute later she let out a sigh of relief and there was a piercing cry that rang through the Wolf House.

Luke's eyes lit up expectantly and Lupa brought over a bit of fur that would have to do as a baby blanket for now. It was actually around the right size and thickness for a baby blanket.

Artemis finished drying off the baby, smiled as she wrapped it in the fur Lupa offered her and stood.

Apollo smiled as well, and took the baby from his sister and handed it to a joyous and waiting Percy.

"It's a girl," Artemis said, "though you already knew that."

Luke grinned proudly and looked down at the baby in his wife's arm. He looked at his wife when he heard her startled gasp and looking back at the baby he realized why.

The child's eyes blinked opened rapidly but when they opened up and cleared enough you could see large golden orbs – though there was also flecks of sea green throughout them.

So they weren't pure gold but a mix of Percy's sea green as well.

He sighed, but had been expecting the girl to inherit something other then a few powers from Kronos. Her hair, though sort of wet was obviously blonde and curly, the same hair color as Luke and the curls had to be from Percy herself.

Percy had been taken aback by her daughters eye color, but the gold brought back a forgotten memory.

She remembered now the night she thought Maeve must have been conceived, and recalled that it had been when Luke was hosting Saturn.

It was a blurry memory, but she could now recall what she'd known about her daughter having two fathers.

It didn't make her love her daughter any less though. The child had nothing to do with who her second father was, and Luke was the dominant father from what Percy could now recall.

She was happy to note that the gold was not pure gold, but was flecked with sea green.

"You alright, Sephie?" Luke asked, concerned.

"She's beautiful," Percy said, smiling up at her husband. "Though I thought babies all had blue eyes at birth."

Luke blinked and shrugged.

Artemis and Apollo both chuckled.

"Demigods are different," Apollo said. "They are always born with the eye color they'll have for the rest of their life."

"Oh," Percy said.

"What's her name?" Artemis asked.

"Maeve," Luke said, smiling (though it seemed like he hadn't stopped smiling since he'd seen his daughter).

"Maeve Anna-Grace Castellan," Percy said, and frowned slightly.

She knew she'd picked the name before her memories had been stolen, and that Anna-Grace was in honor of two people who were her friends, but she couldn't remember their names.

She wasn't sure but she didn't think it was Anna or Grace. She was pretty sure that was just part of their names, what part she had no idea.

"I'll go get a birth certificate into the hospital," Artemis said, and Apollo stood and nodded.

"I think your father is waiting for the update on you and Maeve," Apollo said.

"Alright, thank you for helping me," Percy said, smiling at the twin gods and they nodded and quickly left to finish their errands.

Luke looked at his wife and child and blinked back what he was surprised to find were tears.

A year ago he'd never dreamed he'd be alive, a god, or have this family. But here it was, he had a true family, one he'd never have to loose again.

"I love you," he said softly, kissing his wife's forehead and stroking Maeve's small chubby cheek.

Percy smiled and said, "I love you too, both of you."

She said the last part looking down at her newborn daughter.

For the first time it didn't mater that she didn't have all her memories, or at a war was coming, or that she had choices to make. Right now she was happy.