Percy snuck into his and Annabeth's house. It was their house but wasn't their home. They had been chased out of that. With all the attacks, they had been staying in their cabin at camp. Annabeth had designed cabins for older demigods, particularly married ones to avoid breaking the no boy and girl in a cabin at the same time rule.
He shut the door softly behind him. All the lights were off, and it was the middle of the night. Annabeth was surely sleeping. Percy took his jacket and shoes off and snuck back into their room.
Their cabin was cozy. A one-bedroom, one bathroom with a small living area and kitchenette. It was meant to allow older demigods a private space to spend a weekend away at camp. Not the three months he and his wife had been staying there.
Carefully, he hopped over Annabeth's books thrown across the floor. While he'd just come back from a week away at Mount Olympus begging the gods to help, Annabeth had continued searching through books. It seemed neither of them had been successful.
He reached their room and Annabeth slept in their bed. She was clearly asleep but not peacefully. Her arms reached across the bed to his empty side. They'd been married for two years now but had lived with each other since college. She hated to admit it, but Annabeth always slept better with Percy at her side. They both did.
Staying quiet, Percy stripped off his clothes leaving only his boxer shorts to sleep in. He lifted up the blanket and slid into bed. Annabeth immediately relaxed. She turned and pressed her back into his chest. Percy slid his arms over his wife and pulled her close.
The attacks had made each of them more vulnerable. There had been a few times when each of them had been in bad shapes. Twice where Percy thought he would lose Annabeth. After the second time three months ago, they'd temporarily moved to camp. They held each other more tightly now.
"Percy," Annabeth mumbled in her still half-asleep state.
"Shh," Percy pressed a kiss to her temple. "I'm here, Wise Girl. Sleep."
"We," she let out a sigh as Percy kissed her shoulder this time. "We need to talk."
Percy nodded behind her. "In the morning. We," his voice broke. His talks on Olympus had not gone well. The solutions the gods suggested were ones he didn't want to think about. "We need to talk. But right now, we need to sleep more. I just need you." Percy tried not to tense up as he spoke, but Annabeth could feel his tension.
She turned so they were face-to-face and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. Her hand pressed into his cheek. It was hard to tell in the dark, but Percy swore he saw tears on her eyelashes. Annabeth never cried.
He scrunched his eyebrows. "Annabeth?"
She pressed a kiss to his nose. "In the morning. For now, just hold me?"
He wanted to turn on the lights and ask what was bothering his strong wife. But it could be so, so many things. Instead of insisting she tell him what was wrong, he gave into his exhaustion. He nodded and he held her close as they fell into a dreamless sleep.
The next morning, he woke up to an empty bed and the sleep of coffee. Annabeth must have gotten up before him. That wasn't a surprise. He always liked to sleep in. She was an early riser, sometimes getting hours of her day in before him.
Slowly, he got out of bed. He knew that they needed to talk. He'd spoken to Athena and she'd given him a heart-wrenching solution. Hopefully not long term, but he couldn't keep putting Annabeth in this situation. He showered and shaved quickly before meeting his wife out in the living room.
He smiled at Annabeth. Her blonde hair was up in a bun as she wore her orange camp t-shirt and black leggings. She was cooking some blue pancakes and Percy arched an eyebrow.
"Blue pancakes? What's the occasion?" he asked. Blue pancakes were their special occasion breakfast. Annabeth tended to move quickly in the mornings. Pancakes were normally not her forte.
She shrugged as Percy went to grab a cup of coffee. "I was just feeling it."
He narrowed his eyes but didn't push. They both knew that they had a lot to talk about. Percy going to Olympus had been the last hope. They had to discuss the next steps.
They had breakfast in relative silence. Only at the end did Percy start to talk. "How's Adrian?" he asked.
Annabeth smiled. "Good. Leo and Calypso made a visit to camp last week. Leo had made Adrian a new leg and I think he's liking it more than the last one. He'd outgrown it months ago and this one he can swim in."
Adrian was Percy's younger half-brother on his father's side. Adrian was pretty reserved ever since coming to camp. He was only twelve and had arrived to camp last year. That was when the attacks on children of Poseidon increased. Grover had managed to find Adrian, but not without injury. Adrian had been left for dead by a gorgon. His left leg needed to be amputated.
"That's good," Percy said.
Percy felt like a terrible older brother. Estelle and Adrian were around the same age and he hadn't been able to see either of them lately. Even with Adrian at camp full-time.
Percy was scrambling for a way to end the bounty of the children of Poseidon. So far, his father made no move to try to end his argument with Echidna, the mother of all monsters. So, monsters kept escaping Tartarus and attempting to murder the children of Poseidon. None of the gods were able to help either.
Percy began to frown. "Annabeth, Olympus didn't go well."
Her neutral face fell. "I figured."
She stood up and walked over to the couch. A more comfortable place for the conversation. Percy followed and sat next to her. Annabeth had curled up into herself. Her arms drawn close around her legs. Neither of them wanted to have this conversation. But Percy didn't want his wife to close up. He reached out and pulled her legs towards him. She didn't fit it. He pulled her close, so her legs fell on his lap. He ran his hands up and done her legs.
"What happened?" she asked quietly.
Percy ran his hands over his face. "Apollo got me to talk with most of the gods. Well, besides my father, of course." Percy still had no idea why his father was allowing this hunt to continue. Poseidon's children were the target, and he didn't seem to care. "I mentioned the idea, the idea of," Annabeth finished for him.
"Of Tartarus," she said.
He nodded. They knew a majority of the monster were escaping through a small hole in Tartarus. It wasn't as many as when the doors of death were open, but it was consistent. All of them escaping targeted the Poseidon bloodline.
"Zeus said it wouldn't work," Percy sighed. "Even if we managed to get there again," he faltered at the thought of going back into the darkest place he knew. "Zeus said the monsters would recognize me instantly. And, closing that hole would only bide us time, not stop the bounty. It's not worth the cost."
Annabeth nodded. "So, that's it?"
Percy shook his head. "I talked to your mom."
"What did Athena say?" Annabeth asked.
"You're not going to like it," Percy mumbled.
"When do I like anything my mom has to say?" Annabeth asked.
He sighed. "I told her how worried I was about you," he stared into his wife's stormy eyes. "How the last attack you almost died. The monsters are after me, but they sense you around me too. They know getting to you gets to me. So, she, she," Percy had tears in his eyes. "She said we should break up."
Annabeth let out a laugh. She actually laughed. "Percy, we're married." She held up her left hand to show him her ring. "We can't just break up." She gritted her teeth. "And there are other factors at play. Breaking up isn't going to do anything. I love you."
Percy nodded, tears growing in his eyes. "I told them that if we separated, you would still be my weakness. Anyone would know that."
"Them?" Annabeth shifted.
"Aphrodite," Percy swallowed. "She agreed with Athena."
This threw Annabeth for a loop. "Wait, the goddess of love who has been highly invested in our relationship since before we got together, suggested we get a divorce?"
Percy grabbed Annabeth's legs to steady himself. "She said we'd have to make it convincing. Not see each other at camp. Make it seem real to all our friends and family. Have a big falling out." He bit his lip. "They said that would keep you safe." His lips quivered. "You don't have Poseidon blood. The monsters would stop attacking you. Well, at least less frequently."
"Perseus Jackson, are you actually considering this?" Annabeth pulled her legs back into herself.
"Annabeth," he cupped her cheek. "All I want is for you to be safe. For you to be alive." Both of their minds drifted back to a few months ago when Annabeth's heart had stopped. He'd been so close to losing her.
"Percy," Annabeth gritted her teeth. She was getting mad. "You aren't leaving us."
"I'd do anything to keep you safe," Percy argued.
Annabeth's eyes burned with tears. "It won't work."
"They are only going after you because of me. If I leave you alone, I," but Annabeth cut him off.
"Percy," her tone was so forceful it made her husband pause. She swallowed. She took his face in her hands. "It won't work."
"It will. We know these monsters are after Poseidon blood," he said.
Annabeth held back a sob. "But I do have Poseidon blood."
Percy blinked. "What?"
She sighed. She knew she'd have to repeat it again for him. She took her husband's clenched hand and opened it before placing it on her still flat abdomen. She dropped her other hand to cradle his hands over her stomach. Realization slowly dawned on his face. His tears began to fall.
"Annabeth," he couldn't make out any more words.
"I have a little Jackson baby growing in me," she let out a sad smile. "So, a little too late about the Poseidon blood thing."
Annabeth dropped her hands, but he didn't drop his from his wife's stomach. From her womb where she was growing their child.
"How? How long have you known?" his lips quivered.
"I a pregnancy test last week," tears fell down her face too. "I'm 8 weeks along."
Neither of them could stop crying. "Gods, Annabeth, I," he couldn't say anything else.
They had decided to start trying for a baby last year. It hadn't lasted long though, with all the attacks, they decided to stop trying until after the bounty on descendants of Poseidon stopped.
"My birth control must've stopped working after the attack," she continued. "I was on so many other meds, they must have canceled each other out."
"How are you feeling?" Percy stared at his beautiful and pregnant wife.
A sob wracked her body. "Percy, I'm so scared." Immediately, Percy pulled his wife into a hug as her body shook. "I'm so scared. What if the monsters come after me while I'm too pregnant to defend myself? What if they come after the baby?" she hugged him tight. "Being a parent is scary enough, I shouldn't be this scared. I should be happy."
Percy pulled away and wiped a tear off her face. "It is happy. I'm happy." He kissed her. "We just need to decide how to protect the baby. Protect both of you."
"It's what I told you," a new voice said.
Annabeth and Percy jumped back from one another. Percy had his sword out the next instant and sword against the person. His mother-in-law rose an eyebrow.
"I'm glad you have quick reflexes to protect my grandchild," Athena said.
"Mother," Annabeth sat straighter and wiped the tears from her cheeks. Percy cautiously sat next to his wife.
"What do you mean it's what I told you?" Percy asked.
"You two need to get a divorce," Athena said plainly.
Annabeth's face reddened. "You're delusional. I'm not divorcing my husband. You've always hated us together and you can't stand that we are having a child together."
Athena pursed her lips. "I don't hate you together. Perseus has proved himself worthy over the years."
Percy cocked an eyebrow. "I, I have?"
Athena rolled her eyes. "Don't think much into it. But you would do anything to protect my daughter and your child, correct?"
Percy's eyes glanced over to his wife. "Anything."
"Then you two need to separate," Athena said. Annabeth opened her mouth again, but Athena held her hand up to stop her. "You don't need to legally get a divorce. Just tell everyone you are. You haven't told anyone about the child, have you?"
Annabeth shook her head. "I've barely wrapped my mind around it."
"Good. Have a fight. Tell everyone you're ending things. No one can know about the baby. Annabeth, you'll need to hide out until the baby is born," Athena said.
Percy's face reddened. "You think I'm going to leave her and the baby?"
"To save them, both? Yes, I assume you would," Athena said. "But that isn't necessary. Annabeth needs to leave first before she shows, so, Perseus, you need to play the role of the angry, sad, or whatever you decide, ex-husband."
"This doesn't matter," Annabeth spoke. "The baby will have Poseidon blood in them."
"Zeus has decided the help hide the baby's scent," Athena said.
"He did?" Percy asked. Zeus had been particularly hard to convince to get him to speak to during his time on Olympus.
"Well, Apollo convinced his father. I think Apollo is still soft from his time as a mortal," Athena confessed. "Still, the baby will be safe from the scent. Monsters will hunt the baby out if they find out Poseidon has a grandchild though. The baby needs to remain a secret."
"But I have to leave them?" Percy would do whatever it took to protect them. Still, he hoped he would get to raise his child with Annabeth.
Athena sighed. "Why are you so dense? No. Occasionally, you could visit. We've secured a home in Minnesota. There's an area that is a relative dead zone for monster activity. Your demigod scents should be low there, but not non-existent."
Percy had rage built up inside of him, but he knew yelling at a goddess wouldn't do any good. "You want me to leave them," he repeated.
"Whatever it takes so no one knows that you have a child. That's the only way this'll work," and with that, she was gone.
"Percy," Annabeth sat shaking violently. Her hand went to grasp her stomach. "I want to protect the baby, but I can't do this alone."
They both had been so afraid of losing one another. But now, there was a third person in the mix. One both of them loved more than they thought possible and the baby wasn't even born yet.
"Hey," Percy smiled at his wife. "I'm not leaving you. We'll be cautious. No one will know that we have a beautiful baby."
"Promise?" Annabeth asked.
Percy swallowed. Slowly, he pressed a kiss to Annabeth's lips. Then, he kissed her neck. He kissed her over her shirt lower and lower until he reached the hem. He lifted up her shirt to expose her bare stomach. Percy rested his hands on her kiss as he pressed a kiss to her abdomen.
"I promise on the river Styx that I will do everything in my power to protect you and our baby," a chill went down his spine. "I promise on the river Styx that I will love you and our baby, no matter what. I will be there for you, both of you."
She nodded trying her hardest to believe him. He leaned up and gave her another kiss.
"Now let's break up," he stated.
A new story! I'm hoping writing for this will inspire me on my other stories. Please check them out and let me know what you think!