The Moments We Live For

Written by ArtemisKnoxx.
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own PJO/HoO characters. All credits go to Mr. Rick Riordan.
WARNING: This event takes place six years after the war with Gaea and is up-to-date with Trials of Apollo: The Burning Maze. If you do not wish to read any spoilers, I would suggest not reading this story. Thank you. :)

  The Moments We Live For
A short story written by ArtemisKnoxx
*Credits to Mr. Riordan.

        I had never been so nervous in my life. And I'd faced all the gods at Olympus. Over four times. I'd held the literal weight of the world. I fought Kronos, the reincarnated titan. I turned down immortality. I killed giants and fought Mother Earth. I had faced thousands upon thousands of monsters. I fought a war god when I was twelve. I saved the world. Twice. Worst of all, I even fell into Tartarus with Annabeth and survived. But never in my life would I have thought that I would be a father yet.

        Yet here I was, waiting with Piper, Leo, Calypso, and Hazel. (Frank has Praetor duty and Jason tragically died five years ago when he went on a quest to help Apollo after the war with Gaea...) It was kind of awkward at first sitting next to Calypso, despite how long it has been, waiting to meet my me and my wife's new babies. Notice I said "babies," plural. We're having twins.

     Piper must've noticed my uneasiness. She put her hand on my shoulder. "Percy, stop being nervous." She said. "Annabeth loves you. You can't dwell on your doubts. You will be a great father." She said assuringly. I smiled and immediately felt better. "How is it that you do that?" Piper frowned. "Do what?" "How do you read people's minds like that?" I asked. She laughed. "I guess it's an Aphrodite thing." My smile quickly melted upon thinking about other 'Aphrodite things'. "Were you using charm-speak on me?" I asked. She laughed. "Maybe." Finally, the nurse came in. "Percy Jackson?" She asked, smiling. I stood up. "Right this way."

     I know what you're thinking. Why weren't you in there? You both love each other to Tartarus and back, right? Well, the answer is that I was at Camp Half-blood teaching sword lessons and she found that it would be nice NOT to tell anyone about her contractions. Thankfully, Piper was visiting her in New Rome and insisted on calling the Roman doctor. She rushed her here with only five minutes to spare. Annabeth had the babies just thirty minutes after she got into the room. (I think Athena had something to do with the quick labor....) All while I was completely unaware. 

      So while they got the cosmetic stuff done with her and the twins, Piper called Chiron. Piper had also called everyone else. Everyone BUT my mother, which I still need to do....Anyways, I got Mrs. O'Leary to shadow travel me to the Pomeranian line. A shadow travel that far tired her out and so I had to convince Terminus to let me through and then ran to the hospital. Apparently when you have a giant bronze dragon like Leo and Calypso, you don't have to ride a giant dog from New York to California.

       When's I followed the nurse into the room, I was shocked to see that Annabeth was sitting up and talking to a nurse. How bad could it have been? She stopped talking when she saw me. She smiled and I quickly rushed over. I leaned over the bed and looked at her. She laughed and pulled my head down for a kiss. Only then did I realize the two blankets snuggling in her arms. My eyes widened.  

       The nurse set down a package of Ambrosia, smiled, and then left. Annabeth picked one of the bundles up and handed it to me. "Keep the head up and don't drop her." She said, being as bossy as always. Suddenly it dawned on me. Her? I thought. I smiled and picked her up. She opened her eyes. Her beautiful sea-green eyes. Her hair looked dark. Too dark to be blonde. I gasped. Annabeth smiled. "You won this baby." She said. We had an on-going bet about eye-color since we both inherited them from our godly side.