Nico paced back and forth in the living room while Percy tried to watch tv. He wasn't really paying attention to it because he could see Nico out of the corner of his eye. He glanced down and was shocked to see footprints in the carpet from Nico's trampling. Percy was surprised his husband was still wearing his black sweatpants and t-shirt. He figured Nico would dress up in a three-piece suit for this. He watched as the son of Hades turned around at the wall and slowly walked the same path to the other side of the room. Percy kept telling him to calm down but it was no good and more than once Percy noticed his own leg was bouncing. He sighed and hit the off button on the tv remote.

"Nico, please sit down," he asked. "You're making me nervous."

It was like Nico just woke up and noticed he was in the room. He nodded mutely and sat next to him on the couch and Percy could feel the waves of anxiety rolling off of him.

"She said today though, right?" Nico asked for the fifth time.

"Yes," Percy sighed and threw an arm around his husband's shoulders.

"I'm anxious too," he confided.

"Do we have everything?" Nico asked.

"Nico, you've checked everything at least four times, you've read a library full of books, and you have my mom on speed dial," Percy said smiling. "Everything will be fine."

"Do you think it'll take after us?" Nico asked tentatively.

"I don't know…this isn't a normal situation," Percy said scratching his head in puzzlement.

"Well, I hope it doesn't drool in its sleep like you do," Nico said smirking.

"Last time I checked that was the only thing babies did. And I don't drool that much!" Percy said mock offense.

Nico laughed and Percy shoved away from him to the other side of the couch but he was smiling. Nico followed him, still laughing.

"Nope," Percy said wiggling away from him. "I might drool on you."

"You have my permission this time."

"Oh! I have permission to drool on the Ghost King," Percy grinned and pulled him closer and kissed him.

Percy sank down and pulled Nico on top of him. For a few minutes all their worries were lost as Nico settled between his thighs and kissed him back. Percy slipped a hand under the hem of Nico's shirt and slid it up his back feeling the lean muscles under his skin but he felt Nico pulling away.

"Wait," he pleaded when the kiss broke.

"We can't," whispered Nico with a smile.

"Don't stop on our account."

Nico climbed off of Percy and they both stood staring at the goddess in their living room. Aphrodite was wearing a diaphanous pink gown that gave teasing glimpses of skin, her hair was in loose spirals and she seemed to glow with a soft radiant light. She looked triumphant and exceedingly pleased with herself. But it was the little bundle in her arms that held them in awe. They couldn't even see the baby, just the silver blanket cradled carefully in her arms.

"Well?" she asked, smiling at their stupefied expressions.

"Is…" Percy breathed.

"Yes," she said gently, "you two should come meet your son."

They looked at each other with strange mixture of happiness and fear and it was Nico who recovered faster and walked over to her. He looked down at the little bundle and Aphrodite handed it over to him with infinite care. Nico stared down at the baby in his arms and then looked at Percy in shock.

"Percy, look at him."

He came to stand in front of Nico and looked down at the tiny face peeking out of the blanket. The baby was sleeping peacefully as Percy and Nico stared at its little features. Percy reached out and gently touched the chubby little fist clenched under his chin.

"What will you name him?" Aphrodite asked breaking the silence.

"Umm," Nico started like he was coming out of a trance. "We talked about it a lot and Percy wants the baby to have an Italian name like me and of course I want the baby to have his last name like I do now…"

"If it was a girl we would have named her Bianca after Nico's sister," Percy explained still mesmerized by his son's tiny hand.

"But we have a son," Nico said, like he was realizing it for the first time. "And his name is Cesare Jackson."

"Cesare," repeated the goddess thoughtfully. "A handsome name. I approve."

They smiled at each other and went back to gazing at the baby.

"I should warn you," she said seriously. "This baby will be different."

"You swore-," started Percy.

"Not because of me," Aphrodite said interrupting him, "because of what he is."

"What do you mean?" asked Nico.

"Haven't you two noticed anything about the legacy children here in New Rome?" asked Aphrodite.

Percy and Nico looked at each in confusion and then just stared at her with perplexed expressions. The goddess sighed heavily and crossed her arms.

"When two demi-gods have a child that baby can come out nearly mortal. Certain abilities cancel each other out in their genetics otherwise you'd all be spawning monsters. Eventually it's all nearly lost. Sometimes there will be an odd great-great-great-grandchild with unusual talent in something, but that's it," she said waving her hand dismissively. Then she fixed them with a serious look.

"But if the two parents are particularly powerful then the baby will most likely be like any normal demi-god. Your son is different. You are two of the most powerful demi-gods currently alive -and children of the Big Three besides- there's no question he'll be strong," she explained patiently. "And the way he was "born" will set him apart. He's the only child of his kind."

"So, what does this mean exactly?" asked Nico. He looked a little alarmed as he cradled their baby to his chest.

"That maybe you'll just have to keep a close eye on him," Aphrodite shrugged. "Like I said, this has never been done before. We're in uncharted territory."

"We can handle it," Percy confidently. "He won't have to grow up around mortals so he shouldn't feel too alone. And you said he'd be just like a normal demi-god strength-wise."

"Very well," she said smiling. "I'll peek in from time to time to check on his progress. Good luck, Dads." She winked and disappeared leaving them with nothing but a faint whiff of expensive perfume.

For a long time they just stood there staring down at the baby until Nico finally had to admit that his arm was going numb. They put baby Cesare in his new cradle and continued to stare. Percy's stomach was tight and his heart hammered every time the baby moved or made a tiny noise in his sleep.

"You should call your mom," Nico whispered eventually.

"Oh…yeah, I promised pictures too so I'll go get the camera," said Percy. He stumbled out of the room. Nico reached down and touched the soft curve of one pudgy cheek. He noticed a little moisture at the corner of his son's mouth and smiled.

"You drool just like your Dad."

The Praetors' office was becoming too familiar to him. The glittering mosaic of Romulus and Remus on the ceiling, the polished marble floor, banners of velvet on the walls and along the back wall were all the military symbols of Camp Jupiter including the Golden Eagle his Dad had helped recover. He always felt out of place in this room but he hated the Eagle most of all. He felt like it was judging him, seizing him up with those frigid little beady golden eyes…and it always found him wanting.

In the center of the room the two Praetors sat at a large wooden table that was littered with paper, scrolls, iPads, and weapons. Blaine had blue eyes and dirty blond hair and was a legacy of Jupiter. He looked as bored as Cesare. This was just another of his bi-weekly "visits". Sitting next to him in the other chair was Stacy. Brown haired and hilariously petite for a legacy of Mars. She was Blaine's fellow Praetor, girlfriend, and Cesare's main problem at the moment. As usual she looked like she was about throw something at him. At least he was in uniform this time so he just stood there and remained silent. Stacy could never hold it back for long.

"Cesare," she began as calmly as she could, "please tell me how you manage to cause such chaos all the time."

"Well, it's hardly-"

"You were supposed to be watching Hannibal! How do you lose an elephant?" she shrieked.

"I did find him," he said.

"Not fast enough! The fauns were feeding him peanuts and now he has indigestion and cannot participate in the war games tonight!"

Cesare sighed heavily but didn't respond. Boredom changed to sympathy and Blaine spoke up.

"Stacy, it was his fault Hannibal wandered off but the fauns also know better than to feed him peanuts so that's not really Cesare's fault." She crossed her arms and huffed but didn't disagree.

"Cesare, you are one of the most promising members of the Legion," he continued. "In the past you've shown bravery, leadership, and intelligence in combat. You also came to us with some of the most excellent credentials ever seen. Letters of reference from four former Praetors, three of them from the famous Seven heroes, one of them is your Dad-"

"Yes, he has impressive connections and a…rare lineage for a legacy," Stacy agreed grudgingly. He felt his SPQR tattoo like a brand. He was the only one with two godly symbols. "But none of that excuses the constant lack discipline, the shirking of responsibility-"

"But there is a lack of focus," Blaine interrupted gently.

"Lack of focus," Stacy repeated with a mocking edge, "I'm still surprised he made it past probatio the first time!"

"Never the less, he did, and his talent is undeniable. Perhaps we just haven't found the proper job for him?"

"What else is there?" asked Stacy. "He falls asleep during guard duty, wrecked the fortifications in the field of Mars the last time he was on the construction team, used his powers to send the Lares into a panic," Cesare tried to keep a straight face over that one. "Failed to show up in uniform several times during evening musters, bribed all the fauns with cupcakes so they would flash mob sing We Didn't Start the Fire," he did smile over that but fixed his face before Stacy saw. "And now this!"

"It's clear he has a somewhat playful nature," Blaine tried. He was often the voice of reason during these sessions but it made Cesare feel conflicted. He and Stacy were always bumping heads and sometimes he felt like she was kind of out to get him but he still felt guilty whenever her boyfriend rushed to defend him against her.

Stacy clearly wasn't having it today.

"And there are rumors that he enjoys the protection of this very office!" She said angrily. That sent a sharp spike of apprehension through him and he was sure Blaine felt it too from the way he stiffened. The other Praetor leaned back in his chair, his face a stony mask.

"So, what do you think we should do?" he asked Stacy.

He expected her to look satisfied that her boyfriend had handed the decision over to her, or was at least ready to be serious about the issue. But Stacy looked a bit shocked and deflated.

"Cesare Jackson," she said turning back to him. "It's true that you possess untapped potential that could be an asset to the Legion, but your lack obedience is a liability to us. I recommend he be downgraded back to probatio," she said turning back to Blaine. "And that he not be allowed to participate in the war games tonight."

It wasn't as bad as it could have been. She could have had him sewn into a sack full of weasels again, but it was still a slap in the face. Blaine agreed and he felt himself shrink down to the size of an ant under the stare of that golden eagle. Stacy dismissed him after that and he trudged out of the principia. He left the fort and at the divide in the road, he considered turning left. It would take him to New Rome, to his Dads, but he just shook his head and went right. He couldn't face them right now. His Dads were pretty laid back, especially Percy, but no matter what they said he still felt like he was disappointing them.

On the way there a couple of fauns offered to sing for more cupcakes but he waved them away. His dark mood was starting to seep into his aura and that kept the rest of them back. The crooked stone path took him past the altars and vault-like sanctuaries of to the other gods. The Temple of Neptune was still only the size of a tool shed but it had a fresh coat of paint now and the trident on the front gleamed from being polished. He and his Dad had tried to restore it as best they could and he made regular offerings at both the Temples of Neptune and Pluto. He'd never met his grandfathers but he still felt connected to them.

Inside they mounted torches and decorated the walls with paintings of the sea and its various creatures. He tossed out a bowl of old grapes and sat down on the floor.

"Sorry Gramps, I'll bring another offering later. I just needed to get away," he said as he unstrapped his Imperial gold sword and laid it on the floor next to him.

"My Dads had already saved the world once by my age," he muttered. He blew a long lock of curly black hair out of his face and closed his eyes.

All he ever heard was how much he looked like his Dad's. He had Nico's hair and lean build, Percy's smile and tanned skin, and his dark green eyes were like a compromise between theirs. But compared to their long list of great deeds, he had nothing close. It wasn't their fault and he was proud they were his parents but he wanted to make them proud of him. And everyone else looked at him impatiently like, "Hey! Do something awesome already!" And gods, it was the worst when they asked how he looked so much like both of his Dads, and if he was adopted. You get weird looks when you tell people you were a magic baby made by Aphrodite using the blood of two guys. The bright side was that Venus was highly praised in Camp Jupiter so it was like being created by her outshined the bad luck of being a grandchild of both Neptune and Pluto. Plus, girls thought it was romantic and meant he was a great kisser, which he was.

He looked around and remembered the afternoon he spent with his father fixing this place up. Maybe he should have gone home. His Dads would make him feel better. Nico would brush his hair out of his face and call him "little hero" in Italian. Percy would laugh and tell him how many times he'd screwed up while saving the world. But then he would just ache to stay. Sleep in his room, in his bed, in their villa, and not have the expectation of living up to his fathers over him every day. It couldn't happen. He'd be disgraced for leaving the Legion and that would disappoint his Dads, no question. He would disappoint himself too. So no going home, at least not until his Dad's birthday. He got time off for special family visits.

The door opened behind him and Blaine stepped in.

"Hey," he said sitting down next to Cesare. He wore more armor and so he kind of flopped down and clanked. His purple cape fanned out behind him.

"Hey," replied Cesare.

"Could have been worse," Blaine said helplessly. "We could have executed you."

"I haven't broken any rules…technically," said Cesare.

"True, but your offenses are piling up. You might wanna, I don't know, stop offending?"

"Besides the thing with the Lares and the fauns, I'm not doing this on purpose."

"Stacy wants to muster out and go to college after her ten years are up," Blaine said quietly.

"Good for her," Cesare said, his tone flippant.

"When she's gone, we'll need a new Praetor." Suddenly the Temple felt too tight and cramped with the both of them in there. He could feel the weight of what Blaine wanted settling on his shoulders with the rest of his burdens.

"Blaine-"

"If you tried harder, really put your mind to it, you would fly up the ranks. I know the other legionnaires would vote for you. I would break up with Stacy and we could-"

"Stop," Cesare suddenly. His face felt hot and his stomach felt like it was full of bees.

He'd known Blaine since they were kids. They'd both ended up at the Wolf House together when they were six. They'd trained there together, survived together, and earned their place in Camp Jupiter. But when they'd tuned twelve and joined the Legion, Cesare realized he had a crush on his friend. He'd agonized over it and finally decided to talk to his Dads about it. They told him the risks of bringing it up but also encouraged him to do so if he felt bad keeping it a secret. Long story short, Blaine rejected him and it hurt. He'd gotten over it though and they stayed on okay terms, except now Blaine wanted to try and he wasn't so sure he wanted to anymore.

"Are you ever going to forgive me for what happened?" Blaine asked as if he could read his mind. "I was scared. I didn't understand how I could like girls and boys and I didn't grow up with two Dads like you so I didn't think it was acceptable. You could talk about things like that with your parents. It took me years to figure out that mine didn't care and I was fine."

"I already forgave you a long time ago," Cesare shrugged. "But you're with Stacy and you like her and we're just friends now."

"But I want you more," Blaine said, looking at him with bright blue eyes. "And I want you by my side as Praetor."

"I'm not sure it's what I want," he said honestly.

"At least think about it?" Blaine asked. "I'm asking for a second chance." He froze as Blaine reached out brushed his curls behind his right ear. "I love your eyes," Blaine whispered and leaned in to kiss him but Cesare pulled away.

"You have a girlfriend," he reminded him and stood up. "And we'd better hurry or we'll be late for evening muster."

Note: If you need to know how to pronounce his name, please go watch Showtime series The Borgias. Cesare Borgia was my inspiration.