A/N: I hope you enjoyed the last two chapters. Now we return the Piper.

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Chapter 8

Greeks, Romans, Cherokee, Part 1

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It was nice to have another day off from filming. Piper didn't take advantage of the time to "seize the day." She didn't have anything to seize. She had very little energy to do anything. She had no errands to do nor any chores to be done. She chose to relax in her home in Los Angeles.

Piper McLean's apartment was modest compared to other celebrities' homes. It was on the top floor but wasn't a penthouse. It had two bedrooms and two baths. She argued that she was one person with no big family, so what's the point of living in an extravagant mansion? Okay, she grew up in one in Malibu with her famous dad, but she always had simple tastes.

The furniture and décor were colorful. Piper was always into asymmetry, so very few things matched and were not completely squared. It was eclectic. A more common factor in her decorating was the Cherokee artifacts. Most of which she made herself.

Her panoramic windows gave her a great view of the city and the mountains. The setting sun sparkled off the other buildings but only reminded her of how lonely it was. She hadn't had a roommate since her first movie paid for this apartment. And she wasn't friends with that chick. Plus, she was always so busy. Maybe she should get a dog. Perhaps a Yorkie or a toy poodle. Or a Samoyed! She loved those big fluffy coats.

Piper kicked those thoughts out and sat on the sofa in comfy clothes, snacking on pretzel sticks and Nutella. "Now, what to watch?" she said, holding the remote to the TV, searching her streaming networks. Binge Game of Thrones? Fighting, dragons, Kit Harrington and Emilia Clarke? Nah. That'd be hitting too close to home. Friends for a good laugh? Well, what else was there? Clash of the Titans—no! Mean Girls—NO! Maybe something scary? Perhaps Friday the 13th or A Nightmare on Elm Street?

Then she found the movie Babe. She could use a cute, feel-good movie. Piper wished she could play in a movie like that. For some reason, she found herself crying harder than usual when the sweet pig Babe asked the dog Fly if he could call her his mom. Such a beautiful scene.

I'm going to be a mom, she thought.

Here she was. Piper McLean, daughter of Aphrodite, was pregnant with more money and fame than she needed, without a husband or wife. She must raise a child alone and worry about everything. Especially worry about Hera striking both her and her baby down. With that thought, she caressed her belly, saying, "I won't let anything happen to you. I love you. I love you."

Fatigue, she went to bed. Only sleep eluded her for a long time, not only because of fears about babies and mythical dangers but also because of the itchy memories of the best lover of her life.

The new morning started off slowly for her. When Piper's consciousness returned to her body long before her alarm clock went off, to her delight. All she wanted was a moment of tranquility. Lying there in bed, feeling the linen sheets on her bare skin, was calming. Laying there couldn't stop her crowded mind from wandering. Of course, most of her thoughts were about her baby. The fear of childbirth, changing diapers, grounding them for misbehaving, and other things involving them. Gods! Even the thought of them in their teen years will be a nightmare.

There were also some more atypical questions rolling around, such as religion. Sometimes, Piper wished she could pray to God for help. Capital G God that is. Jesus would've been a bigger comfort than the gods Piper was born to. Percy, Annabeth, and others have said that other gods from other cultures also exist. And where was the Lord in all this? She and her dad didn't grow up very religious, though. Perhaps she should do some research. Perhaps find a Bible and crack it open. Or look up YouTube videos that explain them—for the sake of her dyslexia and ADHD. But there were so many stories, and two Testaments of them.

She realized how funny it was that Jesus had a somewhat similar origin to Zeus. It started with a prophecy of a future king, and then the current king of the time had babies killed to prevent it, only to have the real one escape to fulfill it later. However, Jesus was humble and lived like a man. He's sort of like a demigod on a Greco-Roman technicality. The Son of God… but also God Himself? Piper didn't know much about it. But how could she pray to God if she already believed in other gods? Or that she was a daughter of a pagan god? Or how Piper had given herself a god the Romans who killed the Son of God pray to? So many booby traps. All these religious politics were too controversial and confusing.

By the time Piper rolled over on her side, all of that was forgotten by the sight of Jupiter's face. He was kneeling by her bedside, his striking blue eyes gazing down at her. For some reason, she wasn't shocked or scared by this. It was pleasing to see him.

Piper sat up, pulling the blanket to her chin. "I didn't think I'd see you again," she said.

He took a deep breath. Who would ever think that gods need that much oxygen? "I wanted to see you again," he simply said.

Searching his face, she could not discern any other intentions hidden in his eyes.

"Well, as long as you're here," she threw the blanket off, and Jove's eyes burned with lust at the reveal of her buxom, clean-shaven skin, naked body. "Get to work." She spread her legs.

He was on her in an instant. Worshipping her body. His beard tickled her thighs. His skillful tongue probing her forced her over the edge relatively quickly. Once Piper regained her breath and was properly wet, her godly lover was face to face with her and his unbelievable member at the ready.

"Daughters of Aphrodite are indeed aphrodisiacs," he whispered into her neck.

Pushing inside, he plowed her deeper into the mattress. Piper held onto him for dear life. She didn't care if Hera would smite her. Piper needed this with the way Jupiter moved his hips to hit all the right spots. Or how she adored running her hands over the solid muscles of his front and back. Especially his glutes. Not to mention how skilled his hands were. The exciting feeling of electricity sent her to a new level of frenzy. He wrapped his hand on the side of her neck, stroking her throat with his thumb. It drove her into a quivering, toe-curling craze.

Whatever the reason was, it was pure lust shared between them. Libidos screaming for the two of them only to make glorious, wonderful passion. That compelled Piper to open herself up to the king of the gods and wrap all her limbs around him so he could take her to heaven. Those sappy romance novels had a point; if it was wrong, then why did it feel so right?

She moaned louder with more frequency from his merciless thrusting. She remembered him as a ruthless lover.

"Please don't stop, Jove. Don't ever stop—AH!"

"I don't want to stop. Ever!" Jupiter moaned with her. "You feel amazing, Piper. I've never known a woman like you. I… I love you!"

She didn't have time to react as the tsunami of their orgasms hit her. She held onto him tighter while she rode out the feeling.

Just as the clouds in her head were clearing, she finally noticed that they weren't in her bedroom in LA anymore. The bed itself was beyond king-sized. The sheets and pillows were gold but softer. White marble was everywhere, making the walls and stretched to the high ceiling in colossal columns. Light from braziers bathed everything in a gold light.

"You brought me to Olympus?" she asked, perplexed.

Jove rolled off the bed and dressed in a toga.

She pulled the blanket up to cover herself. Jupiter's prolonged silence was wearing her patience thin. "Why did you bring me here?" she demanded. She looked around. It didn't look like the entryway had a proper door. Only a curtain. That sent anxiety through her. Anyone could easily walk in or simply sneak a peek. And if this was Zeus's bedchamber, then it must've been Hera's as well.

Gods, did Hera know Piper was here? In her bed?

He sat back down on the mattress, facing away from her. When he finally spoke, it was that gentle, caring manner that drove her into his arms. "When your friend Percy Jackson was born, I scolded Poseidon for breaking his vow to siring no more children. He placed the same blame on me before he told me about how he fell for that mortal woman. I thought he was mad. I understood that human women can be irresistible… but I never would have thought of falling in love with one."

He turned to face her. A shock went through her as Jove's electric blue eyes met her swirling kaleidoscope eyes. So many emotions passed between the two of them.

"I love you, Piper McLean. I love your luminous eyes. I love your voluptuous figure. Your strength. I love how you are not afraid of me or my zealousness and the way you charm me but have the most tender heart. You are everything I could desire, and I want you to be my wife. I'll leave Juno," he moved over to hold her by the shoulders, staring lovingly into her eyes, "for you."

Piper shivered where she sat. It was probably the most romantic thing anyone had ever said to her. All the studies in Greco-Roman mythology were chockfull of Zeus's affairs. Not one of them ever said anything about him leaving his wife for someone else. None of them said he was in love with either of his liaisons. They were just about his insane sex drive. That was what she thought their relationship was.

He interrupted her thoughts. "I know you are also attracted to women. I have countless beautiful female servants to please you in any way you wish, at your beck and call." He turned towards the entryway. "Ladies!" he cried.

At his command, several servants walked through the curtains and lined up with their heads bowed. They wore simple white stolas. Each of the women was beautiful in their own way. Some of them had to have been nature spirits.

Was this real? Did he love her this much?

Piper wanted to say something. Anything! But what should she say? Should she say, "Yes! Yes! I'll marry you! I love you too!"? She didn't get a chance to ask, though.

"You don't have to give me your answer right away," Jove said. "Take some time to mull it over. Please, let the servants tend to your every need. Enjoy the bath and the wardrobe and explore Olympus. Just please consider it."

"But what about work?" she suddenly remembered.

He smiled and winked. "That won't be a problem." He stood up from the bed. His toga changed into a blue pinstripe business suit. The scent of ozone wafted from him. "I must tend to my duties. I will see you tonight."

He vanished just like that, and Piper was alone with these serving wenches. They approached her bedside.

"Come, my Lady. Let us wash you," beckoned a curvy dryad handmaid with golden hair tied up in a bun. She had a pleasant ruby smile and a dainty nose with a dusting of freckles on her green skin. She smelled of lilies in full bloom.

Piper hesitantly took her hand. She was slow to get out of bed. Not only was she aching from the lovemaking, but she held onto the blanket up to her chin to keep cover. But the bed must've been magically programmed to make itself since the blanket flew out of her grasp. Her face burned when she was walking fully exposed to the in-floor bath, along with the group of nymphs flocking around her. Even in private, she was self-conscious, hugging herself. They all compliment her, from her face to her feet, including her callipygian form. They helped her step into the bath. The water was not hot because they were aware of the baby. Naiads surfaced from the water. They were as nude as Piper. The sight of them aroused her again. She allowed them to do their job. They scrub her down, wash her hair, rub oils and lotions, and even massage her.

She let her imagination wander for a moment. She could have the mighty Zeus for a husband. Which meant she'd be sharing his bed for eternity. Frankly, that was an offer she didn't want to refuse. Then, by taking Hera's place, she would be the queen of the gods. Would she also be the goddess of women and marriage? That might mean she would take the throne on Jupiter's right hand and Cabin 2 at Camp Half-Blood. In that case, she would try to make things easier for all the demigods. She thought about the animals of power for the position. A peacock and a cow. She remembered something Annabeth said about Hera cursing her with intestine-challenged cows. Maybe Piper would change the cow to a bison for her Amerindian heritage.

Unfortunately, her blissful fantasy fell apart when it came back to Juno.

She probably wouldn't be the goddess of marriage. She'd probably be the goddess of mistresses or prostitutes because that was what she felt like. Would she have to change her name too? Piper didn't sound like the name of a Greek goddess.

"You are truly a beautiful woman, Lady Piper," the blonde dryad, Lily, said as she did her nails.

Piper thanked her. All this pampering made her forget that she was naked among strangers. Her mind nearly turned to mush before one girl whispered to others, "Lord Zeus has chosen a perfect bride-to-be. I see why he selected her."

A lightbulb went off! She had questions and decided to ask these handmaidens. "Have any of you girls been with Lord Zeus?" she asked.

All of them giggled.

One of the girls tending to her feet, Coral, answered for all of them. "Of course we have. The only women here who have not slept with him are his daughters and devout maidens."

"He is wonderful, isn't he?" Zora asked dreamily. Piper smiled with the other swooning ladies.

"But how does his wife still let you work here if you slept with her husband?" she asked.

"It's a long story," Lily answered. "I will not bore you with the details. All I can say is that it was a long time ago before the king and queen decided to get marriage counseling. Although, with your being here, I'm not sure that counseling is working for them. Ambrosia?" She held out a platter of food.

Piper looked at it warily. Psyche became a goddess when Eros gave her ambrosia. She, herself, had eaten it only to help heal after a battle. She was hungry, though. She hadn't eaten breakfast yet. So, she only had a few bites.

"My Lady, if I could be so bold to say?" Lily requested.

"Yes?"

"Lord Jupiter has said that you desire women in addition to men, and he said that if you agree to be his queen, you may request for us to give you satisfaction if you yearn for female companionship."

Piper was blushing again from hearing where this was going.

"If you do agree, we can promise you that we can please you in any way you wish. I cannot promise that we are as amorous as Jupiter, but we are skilled in all forms of lovemaking. Including lesbianism. We can make you happy."

She held in a gasp when she felt a hand move up between her legs. There was no denying that she was attracted to all those women around her, but they were still strangers. If she did marry Jove and did indulge in the female staff, would he allow her to indulge in the male staff if she wanted? Probably not. At first thought, if she married him, he'd be the only person she could need. She'd be a devoted wife—to anyone she marries! So, if he wanted an open relationship with her, does that mean he would continue to pursue other women?

The nymphs helped her out of the bath to dress her. The dress itself was, of course, beautiful. Jove must have chosen it because of how sexy it was. It was red, had a sweeping collar, a slit in the long skirt, her arms were bare, and she was adorned with a lot of jewels.

"Uh, ladies," she turned to the servants, "I plan to go back to the mortal world, and this dress wouldn't be practical for my work," she gently explained. They all nodded without question and then changed the gown into a similar sundress. Satisfied with the dialed-down, casual version, she faced all of them and said, "Thank you all for your assistance, but I need to return to California. I have a job to do. Thanks again."

The way back home was easier than she expected. The moment she appeared in her bedroom, her alarm clock went off. She hadn't expected how early it was when Jove woke her. She waited in her apartment for Mellie and their driver to pick her up.

The drive to the set was filled with Mellie's run-through of the weekly schedule. The filming, appearances, charity work, interviews. Piper forgot how it was with all of this. That made her touch her belly. Mellie looked at her sympathetically. It was clear that she noticed that Piper had just received royal godly treatment.

Finally, they arrived at the set. The set was a scene in a farming town. There was livestock such as horses and sheep, but how did a cow pile nearly end up where she almost stepped? A certain cow came to mind.

In her trailer, the makeup artist came in to get her ready for the camera.

"Wow, Piper," the makeup artist said, stroking her cheek. "Your skin is very soft today. And you smell divine. Are you using a new skin routine?"

"Uh, yeah. Just tried something new. But I had help with it, so I don't know what it was," Piper half-lied.

Changing into her costume was more difficult than before. True, she was pregnant, but she was only a few weeks along. She may have gained a pound, though, for the food from the 4th of July. It didn't make it easier when the costume was a 17th-century English faded blue silk gown with a corset. She should ask her mother to take her back in time so she could murder the misogynistic moron who invented corsets.

Walking out of the trailer, Maggie approached her. "Hey, Pipes," she greeted. "Enjoyed your 4th of July?" After Piper said yes, Maggie eyes her suspiciously with a grin. "You seem to have had a good time last I saw you."

Piper shut her eyes tightly for a moment. The last time they saw each other was in England at the hotel bar.

"So, how did it go with Gerald?"

Piper furrowed her brow. "Gerald?" she asked.

"C'mon, I saw you two leave together at the hotel. C'mon, gimme the details." She must've read the confession on her face. "Don't tell me you forgot. You know whom I'm talking about. Gerald Birmingham. The guy playing John Smith. English guy, tall, brown eyes, brown hair, goatee, cute bum. Anything ringing a bell?"

It did strike her like a bell. "Oh, right! Yeah, Gerald."

"You don't sound so happy about it. Was it that bad?"

Piper looked off into the distance. "No. It wasn't what you think," she said. Although her brain went back to that night. Then, to this morning. It was like a thunderstorm.

Shooting the scene was not going as smoothly as usual. Part of the reason why was that Piper kept forgetting her lines. She barely had any time to study them. There was too much on her mind. And her baby daddy had to make her jumbled mind hurt more by asking her to marry him. She couldn't get that out of her head. Could she marry him? Could he make her a goddess? Will she replace Hera/Juno?

Di immortalis!

What Caligula did to her dad financially was less taxing.

She tried to put that maelstrom aside and focus on the scene. The scene they were filming was of Pocahontas in an orphanage surrounded by a lot of poor kids, and she had to comfort them. She was supposed to tell them a story. It would've been the most English the character had spoken after learning it. But not for the life of her, remember the monologue. In between a few of the takes, she looked back at the script. The stress plus her dyslexia weren't any help at all.

For the twenty-second take, Piper sat there with everybody staring at her. Her mind was blank. What were the lines again? Without a hint of memory, she resorted to reaching deep within her spirit, and from it, with deep longing feeling, came a song. It came from her ancestral roots, but why was it that song in particular? In Cherokee, she sang Amazing Grace.

Oh, Great Spirit,

Whose voice I hear in the winds,

And whose breath gives life to all the world,

hear me!

I am small and weak,

I need your strength and wisdom.

Let me walk in beauty, and make my eyes

ever behold the red and purple sunset.

Make my hands respect the things you have made

and my ears sharp to hear your voice.

Make me wise so that I may understand the

things you have taught my people.

Let me learn the lessons you have hidden

in every leaf and rock.

I seek strength, not to be greater than my brother,

but to fight my greatest enemy – myself.

Make me always ready to come to you with

clean hands and straight eyes.

So when life fades, as the fading sunset

my spirit may come to you

without shame.

When Piper finished singing, she gazed around to see so much awe and wonder in the cast and crew. So many of them had tears in their eyes.

The director then shouted with excitement, "I don't care if that's not in the script. We're keeping that!"

In the end, they decided to put the song in the end credits because it was not accurate since Pocahontas was not Cherokee. The rest of the day went by well, yet slowly, with the looming decision she had to deal with. And to remind her of that, she kept finding steaming heaps of cow dung in her way.

A/N: Will she choose to marry Jupiter? The answer may not be what you think.

For the passage about Piper wondering about God and Jesus, if anything seems off, see it from Piper's perspective. How religious was she before meeting Jason? Was her dad religious? Was he Christian in any way? Rick didn't really get into this sort of thing. As he wrote in book one, God's existence is a mystery. That's probably because of so many religions in the world that borderline it's controversial. Some people complain about the series because it "promotes" paganism. So Rick had to be careful not to insult people's faith. Some good advice my dad taught me; whenever you are conversing with anyone, NEVER talk about politics or religion! Social media is not that wise. It's okay to talk about it, but some rash, immature people are not respectful of other people's opinions. It's sad.