March 14

PAUL

Paul Blofis would like to consider himself as a methodical person and someone that always has plan for unexpected events. He would also say that he was always calm despite the situation. He had acquired these traits after years of working as a high school teacher. So it came as a complete surprise when he got a frantic call from his wife telling him that the baby was coming.

The day had started out like any other day. He woke up early, had breakfast with Sally and Percy and then drove to Goode after giving Percy a ride to his school. The teacher's first period class went as expected. Teaching freshman English at 8:30 AM was always an issue but he managed to make it through the hour. When the second period arrived, things went as expected.

During the third period, however, is when things went haywire. Paul usually silenced his phone during classes so as to avoid distractions and to set a good example for his students. He would come to think this little oversight when he suddenly got a call in the empty classroom.

All the students' heads turned up from the sound.

"Alright class, keep working on your exams. It's just a phone call."

He picked up his phone and saw that Sally was calling him. That was odd, she never called him during work and she usually texted him if she needed something.

He stepped out of the classroom and took the call. "Hey Honey," he greeted. "What's wrong?"

The line was quiet for a second and then he heard his wife taking deep breaths. "Paul… I think…" She took more breaths. "I think the baby is coming."

Paul was at a loss for words. He knew that Sally was nine months pregnant at the moment, but the doctors had told them that the baby was likely to come out closer to the end of the month. Then again those were just estimates and times could vary. He had already planned to take time off during those days that Sally would be in the hospital.

"Are- are you sure?" He asked, still trying to take in the situation.

"Yes! I can feel it!"

"Okay, okay," he breathed trying to calm his nerves. This was the first time the English teacher was feeling like this. He never had children of his own and this coming baby would be his first. He had read multiple parenting books about the baby delivery, so he thought he was well prepared for when the time came, but everything went out the window once it actually happened.

"Okay, okay," he repeated. "Let me find someone to cover my class real quick and then I'll take you to the hospital."

Sally continued with her breathing. "Alright, be safe. Love you."

"Love you too." He hung up the phone and looked back into his class. Out of all days for the baby to come it had to be on the day his students were taking a test.

He ran to the classroom across the hall and knocked. The teacher, Ms. Pedroza, who taught algebra, answered shortly after.

"Mr. Blofis, what can I do for you?"

"Can you please watch my class? They're taking a test right now. I need to leave, the baby is coming."

The other teacher's eyes widened. "Oh yes, definitely, I'll watch over them."

"Thank you so much Natalia. I'll contact the office to cover the rest of my classes."

She smiled. "Don't worry about it. Go see your wife."

"Thanks again." Paul ran back to his classroom where he quickly addressed the class. "Ok, I need to leave. Ms. Pedroza will watch you guys. Be nice to her and I don't want to hear any bad things from her."

Paul quickly started gathering his things when a student asked where he was going. "Where are you going Mr. Blofis?"

He put his backpack on his shoulders. "Home and then the hospital. My wife is going to give birth."

The class was silent for a moment before it erupted into cheers and claps. "Go!" The class yelled all at once.

"You guys be good now! I don't want to hear complaints from anyone."

He made a quick phone call to the administration letting them know he would be out the rest of the day. He reached the parking lot in record time and threw his bag onto the back seat and drove out of the school.

He drove home so quickly he was surprised that he hadn't been pulled over. He probably broke a dozen traffic laws in the process. Then he parked the Prius as close to the apartment complex as possible.

As he ran up the stairs, it made him think that it would be nice if the apartment had an elevator. He unlocked the door to find his wife sprawled out onto the couch. She was breathing in and out and holding onto her stomach.

He ran to her side and took her hand. "Hey, how are you feeling?"

She calmed her breathing. "I'm doing okay. Just had another contraction. I think the baby didn't want to wait any longer."

He nodded. "Let's get you downstairs and to the hospital."

She motioned to their bedroom. "I packed a bag. It's in the bedroom. Just has some things that could be helpful like extra clothes for me and the baby."

He gave her a quick kiss on her head. "Just relax. I'll get it for you and then I'll help you downstairs."

He ran into the bedroom where a backpack and a baby bag were packed. He grabbed both then ran back to the living room where he saw his wife walking around.

They made eye contact. "Ready?"

"Yes."

He gently put one one her arms around his shoulders and guided her outside the apartment. He made sure to lock the place before leaving, knowing that Percy has his keys.

Going down three flights of stairs turned out to be more challenging than he expected but they made it down after about 10 minutes. They had to stop every two or so minutes to take a breather. He helped Sally into the passenger seat and threw the bags into the back seats.

As he drove Sally to the hospital, they held hands and kept telling her that everything would be okay.

The drive to the hospital took about 10 minutes. All throughout the ride, Paul kept asking how his wife was doing. She for the most part stayed calm, something about this not being her first rodeo which only brought back the fact that she had Percy when she was really young. Paul for his part… well he was freaking out. He thought all those books he read would prepare him well, but as it turns out none of them matched the real thing.

It was embarrassing when Sally was the one that ended up comforting Paul instead of the other way around.

"...Sally, did you call the hospital to let them know we are on our way?"

Sally groaned slightly as another contraction took hold of her. She was quiet for about a minute, breathing deeply as the contraction released her.

"I did," she breathed.

Paul could only nod as the two of them continued the drive to the hospital.

"How long were you in labor with Percy?"

"About 16 hours," she answered calmly.

"How long so far with this little one?"

"I started getting contractions soon after everyone left."

"You didn't call when you started having them?" He asked skeptically.

She shook her head. "Paul, dear, I've been having contractions for a while now, but today… things are just different."

"How can you tell?"

Sally could only smile. "Mother's intuition."

Paul parked the car in the maternity ward parking lot and gently helped his wife out the car, along with the bags. Checking in had been a breeze and soon they were led into a maternity room. As far as the room went, it was quite standard. A large medical bed in the center with monitors to track the mother's and the baby's vital signs, a wheeled bassinet stood by the bed along with a medical supply cart. On the far end of the wall stood large glass windows and a long couch with a table.

The nurse continued asking them both questions before Sally was hooked into her IV and the monitor.

"Paul look," Sally pointed. He looked over at the monitor where it showed the rate of Sally's contractions as well as the baby's heartbeat. "She's all healthy."

"Just like her mother," he responded kindly.

As the contractions continued taking hold, other nurses popped into the room from time to time to ask how progress was going. So far, Sally was dilated at five centimeters, so she still had a way to go until she was ready.

"Did it… did it hurt when you had Percy? With him being part god and all?" Paul asked once the nurse left the room.

Sally smiled and shook her head. "I was in labor with Percy for many hours, but he never hurt me. I think that maybe Poseidon helped me along."

Paul hoped that the same blessing would be bestowed onto his wife a second time. He looked at his watch noting that it was 3:43 PM. They had been at the hospital for over three hours with Sally having been in labor for over seven hours.

"Should I let the kids know that you're in the hospital?"

Sally was thoughtful for a second. "Percy has practice today, right?"

"Yes, basketball." Paul answered.

"Let him know after he gets out of practice. It will be a while before the baby comes" she answered easily. "There's no need to stress him or Annabeth out."

Paul nodded in agreement and then said, "how are you feeling?"

She gave him a small smile. "Like a pregnant woman."

SALLY

As the hours went on and the sun went down, the contractions started increasing in frequency and pressure. She had gotten an epidural to help numb her lower areas so she wouldn't feel as much pain when it came to deliver the baby.

Even though this wasn't her first baby, it had been almost 18 years since she brought Percy into this world. So much can change in just 18 years. She went from having to put aside her years of college to take care of Percy, having to marry Gabe to protect her child and then having to let him go once he knew he was a demigod. It was hard at first and it was still difficult to see him go each and every day into this dangerous world. As a mother, one always wishes the best for the child no matter the cost. She promised the same for this new baby that she would be having.

By now it was almost seven PM. She had been in labor for over eleven hours. She expected the labor to last as much as Percy's did at sixteen. That would put the birth of a new daughter in the early morning the following day.

Sally looked over to her husband who was sitting on the couch. "Have you texted the kids yet?"

Paul nodded. "Yeah. They should be here so-"

He was interrupted by a loud bang coming from the outside followed by a familiar voice cursing and apologizing. "Fuck! I'm so sorry. Here let me help you."

Another voice followed right after. "Percy stop, you're making it worse."

An exasperated nurse cried out. "Young man, just… we'll handle this."

Both Sally and Paul laughed at what was going on out. "Guess that means that they're here."

The door opened a moment later. "I'm really sorry," Percy cried out to what Sally guessed was the nurse.

Annabeth came into the room first followed by Percy behind her.

Sally raised a playful eyebrow. "Do I want to know?"

Percy rubbed the back of his neck while Annabeth spoke. "Percy was in such a hurry that he bumped into some nurses and knocked the trays they were carrying and all their files."

"I said I was sorry, okay," Percy protested. "It's not like I did it on purpose." He turned his attention back to Sally, leaned in closer and took one of her hands in his. "Hey mom, how are you feeling? Does it hurt?"

In all honesty Sally could feel worse, but she could also feel better. She had opted for an epidural which numbed her lower regions so she wouldn't feel as much pain as she normally would. She brought her eyes to Percy's and reassured him. "I'm alright honey, nothing I can't handle."

His eyes kept looking at her, his brow furrowed in an expression she recognized as being worried. An expression that she knew he got from her. "Did it… did it hurt when you had me?"

She offered him a kind smile and put a caring hand on his cheek, tracing his cheekbone. "It didn't hurt, you could never hurt me."

He gave her a full toothed grin before lifting himself up and pressing a kiss onto her forehead. "Love you mom, I know you've got this in the bag."

"Who do you take me for?" She joked with a light tone. Sally brought her attention to Annabeth. "Thank you for coming Annabeth."

Annabeth leaned down next to Percy and offered her own reassuring message. "Thank you for having me, Sally. I know this is a big moment and I feel honored to be able to come in."

"Oh nonsense dear," Sally chided. "You're like family."

After a couple more minutes of greetings and catching up Sally thought it would be a good idea to crack a joke at the young couple's expense. "Percy, Annabeth I hope that the two of you are taking serious precautions otherwise Annabeth might end up in this bed too soon."

Both of their faces went bright red and they tried not to make eye contact.

"Gods, Mom! We know already," Percy muttered under his breath.

Sally knew that the two demigods were responsible, but she never got tired of teasing them about their sex lives.

The hours continued to roll by with Sally getting more frequent contractions. Every so often a nurse would check up on her to see her status and to call if Sally thought the delivery would be soon. All the while, Paul, Percy and Annabeth kept her company. Percy was reading out an excerpt from his recent book Greek Gods out loud. Sally was still in awe that her little boy had written and published a book. His dyslexia had made it hard for him to type for long periods of time, so she had helped with transcribing the text and looking over grammar mistakes, but she couldn't have been prouder.

They ordered food to the room since no one wanted to leave and by 11 PM Paul asked the kids if they would like to head home for the night. They both vehemently refused and stayed in the room to keep the older couple company. By 1 AM, the contractions were starting to ramp up and by 2 AM Sally knew that the baby was on her way. The last checkup by a nurse informed everyone that she was dilated at nine centimeters, so it was only a matter of time before she was ready.

By 3 AM, roughly 19 hours after the contractions started, Sally knew it was time. This baby was going to pop out soon, she could feel it in her bones. She took deep breaths while she called out for Paul to call the doctors.

"Paul, dear," she breathed heavily. "Call the doctor, the baby is coming." She brought her attention to the kids who were sleeping on the couch with Annabeth laying on top of her son and him drooling onto the cushions. They had fallen asleep about two hours ago. "Kids!" she called. Annabeth was the first to wake up. Her eyes were bleary as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"I…uh… huh," Annabeth mumbled. She looked around the room and all the sleep seemed to leave her expression. She began shaking Percy's shoulder and saying, "Percy wake up, the baby is coming."

Sally let out a laugh when her son's arms wrapped around Annabeth's waist and pulled her back down to his chest as he mumbled. "I know baby, you can come sleep with me."

Annabeth tried to free herself, but his hold seemed to be tight. Instead she groaned in frustration, "not that Seaweed Brain. Your little sister is about to be born."

That seemed to have done the trick as he quickly opened his eyes and sat up with Annabeth still pressed onto his chest. "The baby is coming," he said more coherently.

Just at that moment the doctor and two nurses burst into the room. After a bit of scrambling, Percy and Annabeth agreed to wait outside until the delivery was over. Paul stayed by Sally's side holding her hand as the doctor began to give Sally instructions.

The seconds stretched into minutes which then stretched for half an hour. Each passing minute the contractions only got more intense as Sally began to breathe more rapidly.

"You're almost there, dear," the doctor said calmly. "Take a deep breath and then push once more."

Sally held onto Paul's hand so hard that she thought that she might break his bones. She took a deep breath and with one final push she felt the tension between her legs release and knew that the baby had been born. It was quiet in the room save for the deep breaths that Sally was taking all the reassurances that her husband was giving her.

"Congratulations," the doctor said ecstatically. "It's a healthy baby girl."

Paul pressed a kiss onto Sally's sweaty forehead and murmured. "You did great out there, Love."

Sally was still calming down from the exertion. She asked if she could hold her baby and soon enough the little one was placed on her chest. Sally pressed a soft kiss onto her daughter's thin black hair and welcomed her to the world. "Welcome the world, little one," she greeted.

Several minutes later, the medical procedures were finalized, and the baby was wrapped in a warm blanket and her vitals taken. The doctor and nurse told them to feel free to call in case they needed anything and once again congratulated the couple for their baby and that they made a beautiful family.

"She's beautiful," Paul said lovingly as he held onto their new daughter.

Sally could only smile at the overwhelming happiness she was feeling. "She gets her good looks from her father."

"Don't sell yourself short, Sally. You're beautiful."

There was a soft knock on the door and a "Hey Mom, can we come back in?"

"Come in kids, come meet the new baby," Paul said. Soon enough the demigods walked in with her son looking ecstatic. They sat close to the bed and took turns holding onto the baby.

Sally's heart fluttered in warmth when Percy was carefully holding onto the baby. She looked so small in his large hands. She was seeing her two babies together for the first time.

"She's beautiful," he said quietly to not wake her up. "What's her name?"

She and Paul had discussed the name but hadn't shared it with the kids yet. They looked at each other and then in unison they answered. "Estelle, Estelle Blofis."

"Estelle," Annabeth whispered. "It means-"

"Star," Percy answered. "It's a beautiful name."

"After your grandmother, Estelle Jackson," Sally told her son. "She was a very kind woman and loved to help everyone out."

"I wish I could have met her," Percy said.

"Me too sweetie." Sally's soul warmed seeing her small little family. She had lost her family at such a young age and here she was many years later making her own. She was proud of everyone that had come to visit her and wished for the best future.

"We should take a picture," Paul offered.

"That sounds like a great idea," Sally agreed. She held her hands out so Percy could gently hand Estelle back. Sally pressed another kiss on the baby's forehead as Paul set his phone to snap a picture. Paul sat on her right side while Percy sat on her left side. Sally noticed that Annabeth wasn't in the shot. "Annabeth dear, join in."

"Oh Sally, I don't want to intrude," she said.

"Nonsense dear, you're like family. Come join in."

Annabeth nodded and sat next to Percy just as the phone took the picture. Sally would have to make sure to have it framed later.

"Welcome the world Estelle Blofis," Sally murmured. "You have a very caring and loving family."

AN: Whoa it's been such a long time since I've done a Sally/Paul POV. It made the most sense to write this chapter from their POVs. I completely forgot about Sally being pregnant until I sat down and started drafting this chapter.

22 Chapters down only three left. Granted those last three chapters have word count of around 45k words combined. Really hitting the homestretch now. Next chapter we are back to Percabeth shenanigans.

TV show is finally out! Watched the first two episodes! Really hyped to see how it goes. 📺

Happy Holidays to everyone as well. 🎁🎁

Thanks for reading! 😉