Fic: Knocked Up (Percy/Annabeth, Rachel/Nico - PG-13) 2/4
Title: Knocked Up
Characters/Pairings: Annabeth/Percy, Rachel/Nico, Katie/Travis, Connor Stoll, Will Solace, Jason Grace, Leo Valdez, Piper McLean, appearances by other demigods, mentions of the gods.
Summary: In which Annabeth gets pregnant, a wedding quickly follows, and everyone and their Olympian grandmother gets involved. Not to mention, the birth of Annabeth and Percy's child. Prelude to my 'Babysitting' one-shot.
Rating: PG-13
Author's Note(s): I'm sorry this took so long! I've been working on a lot of other stuff lately, and this got put on hold for a bit. It turns out however, I had to do some re-plotting. This chapter used to contain everything you're about to read, as well as the rehearsal dinner and the wedding and the honeymoon and it was OVER 12,000 WORDS. Yeah. So now, it's a four part fic, because Part II is now "The Preparations" instead of "The Wedding".
This second of four parts shall contain planning of the wedding, visits to the doctor, fittings for the wedding, and a very unorthodox bachelor's party. It's SUPAH LONG, like 7,000 words+ but I swear it doesn't drag, and I'm actually quite proud of it! Oh, and because Jason, Piper, and Leo get appearances, it is a post the Lost Hero fic, everything having been resolved, blah, blah, blah. Comments are appreciated and relished!
II.
-The Preparations-
-o-
If Percy and Annabeth had thought Nico and Rachel were bad, they had clearly not spent enough time with Katie Gardner and the Stoll brothers recently.
They were forces to be reckoned with- they bulldozed into their lives just the day after the very eventful visit from Athena and Poseidon, and they weren't planning on leaving anytime soon.
To make a long story short: Rachel's apartment had gained three new occupants.
Well, she might as well have gained two more residents in her kingdom of an apartment- they were there at all waking hours (and non-waking ones), Katie to plan the wedding and giggle and squeal, Travis there because Katie was there, and Connor there because Travis was.
Percy and Annabeth, both still shell shocked, weren't sure how to handle all this new company. Nico and Rachel, however, were ecstatic that their best friends were getting married, and were even more ecstatic to help Katie in the planning of the rehearsal dinner, and the wedding itself. Dresses and suits were to be bought, caterers to be hired, and the best part was that Katie could go all out, because she had not one, but two gods funding her.
"Where are we having it?" Percy asked one day, after being ignored for several minutes by Nico, Rachel, and Katie, who were talking about plans. Connor and Travis were by Annabeth asking her obscene questions about pregnancy, and making "observations" ("Wow, Annabeth, your boobs really have gotten bigger!").
"A ballroom," Katie answered quickly, and then continuing to ignore him.
"A ballroom," Percy repeated, incredulous.
"Don't worry, Percy," Nico sneered. "It's not going to be in Bowery Ballroom."
Percy glared, but they continued to ignore him.
"Okay, Annabeth," Connor began, "what are you gonna name the kid?"
"Yeah, seriously?" Travis joined in.
"Well," Annabeth said, looking uncomfortable, but still managing to grimace effectively at them. The Stoll brothers, however, looked unfazed. She was lying on one of the plush white couches, feet up, her hands on her five months pregnant stomach, still barely showing. However, her hands rested there in such a protective fashion, you'd think she already had the baby in her arms. "We don't even know what the gender is yet."
"Haven't you gone to the doctor?" Travis asked. He and Connor sat in front of the couch, crossed legged, much like little children listening to an interesting story.
"Yeah, aren't pregnant woman supposed to do that?" Connor added.
Annabeth rolled her eyes. "I went to make sure I was pregnant, yes. But we haven't even gotten the sonogram yet. We have an appointment next week, so after that we'll start talking about names." She smiled slightly at Percy.
"No!" Percy said suddenly, caught of guard, standing up from his chair. "I don't want to know if it's a boy or girl."
"What?" the entire room said in unison. They'd all turned toward him, Rachel, Katie, and Nico included, and were staring at him as if he'd lost his mind.
"Percy, what are you talking about?" Annabeth repeated.
"I want to wait till you have the baby to know what it is!" Percy said, fists balled at his sides.
"No, no, no," the voice was Nico's. "No. There is no way we are waiting till the thing's born to know if it's a boy or girl."
"The thing?" Annabeth demanded angrily.
"You know what I mean," he said.
"I'm with Nico," Rachel said, standing next to him, her arms crossed, a stubborn look on her face.
"Us too," the Stoll twins said.
"Indeed," Annabeth said.
"Why do you guys care so much?" Percy demanded, gesturing to everyone but Annabeth.
"Hey, asshole," Nico said, seemingly outraged. "We're in this now, too. You're the one who knocked her up, and now you must suffer the consequences. And one of the consequences is that you are to find out the gender of your unborn, bastard child before it is born, whether you like it or not."
Annabeth glared at Nico, but said, "As much as I hate several of the things Dead Boy just said, overall, I agree with him."
"You're agreeing with him over me?" Percy repeated, incredulous.
Annabeth shrugged. "He has him moments."
Nico looked smug.
"Look, Percy, I don't see why you want it to be a surprise," Annabeth continued. Everyone was looking at Percy now, Travis, Connor, and Annabeth from the living space in front of him, and he could feel Rachel, Nico, and Katie staring at him from the kitchen behind him. His face felt hot, and his heart was beating fast. He felt much the same as he did before going into battle, and, he realized, this was really a battle of it's own. One battle in what could be called the war that was his and Annabeth's relationship.
"I- I just do," Percy said. "I know it doesn't really make sense, and it's always surprises or questions or the complete opposite with us, but I want this one... nice thing to be a surprise."
"But- but-" Katie sputtered.
"You really want it to be a surprise?" Annabeth said to Percy.
"Yes." Percy said, calming down a bit.
Annabeth sighed. "Fine," she said finally.
"What?" Rachel, Nico, Katie, and the Stoll brother demanded in unison, much as they had before, but minus Annabeth this time.
"I don't see why Percy should have to know before the baby is born if he doesn't want to." Annabeth said.
"But we want to know!" Nico spat.
"Yes, Nico, we all know you're very self important," Annabeth shot back.
"It's not just Nico, Annabeth!" Rachel joined in, jumping over to the couch, kneeling in front of Annabeth, and pushing the Stoll brothers aside rather comically. "I need to know!"
"You need to know?" Annabeth repeated.
"Yes!" Rachel said, holding her hands together as if getting ready to full out beg. "I have to know! Do you know what it's like, being the Oracle? The most interesting thing that happens to me all day is that I just might spout out some creepy prophecy about some poor young half-blood that going to meet a very violent death at the hand of- of a giant flesh eating ninja turtle! The best company I have is him-" she gestured towards Nico- "and he's just as bad as me, telling me that someone died in here thirteen years ago or that the sink is haunted!"
Rachel took a breath then, whilst everyone stared at her. (Except Nico, who looked like he was trying very hard not to laugh outright, although Rachel has technically insulted him).
"And you know that I live vicariously through you, Annabeth!" Rachel continued. "You told me about when you and Percy first had sex, you-"
Rachel was cut off by Nico, who was laughing uncontrollably now, Katie frowning at him for interrupting what had been a very interesting speech, and Rachel glaring at him for the same reason. The Stoll brothers has amused smiles on their faces, and Annabeth took the moment to give Percy an apologetic look.
Percy, although feeling quite embarrassed, shrugged, saying, "It's okay. I told Nico."
Rachel ignored Nico's laughter, turning back to Annabeth and saying, "Look, whatever, you've told me, like, everything, and I'll be damned if I do not know the gender of this child by next week! This is all I have, Annabeth! The wedding's weeks away!"
Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Yes, weeks. Such a long, long time."
Rachel resorted to begging then. "Please!"
"Rach, I wanna know too!" Annabeth groaned. "But Seaweed Brain here doesn't, and I've decided that for once I should respect his wishes."
"Gods, who cares about his wishes?" Nico demanded. "He wanted a shark tank for Christmas last year!"
"This is true," Rachel said, pointing at Nico.
"Why'd you want a shark tank?" Travis asked.
"So I could get a shark!" Percy said, throwing his hands up. "Getting a shark's the easy part, but I'd need a really, really big tank."
"Okay, we totally could've gotten on board with that." Connor said.
"Seriously," Travis agreed. "I think we know what we're getting you for the wedding!" He and Connor high fived. Katie rolled her eyes.
"You are not getting him a shark tank!" Katie said, storming into the middle of the circle that had been forming in the living room ever since the beginning of this disagreement. "It was a stupid idea in the first place, but with a baby?" She shook her head, brown hair swinging.
"Thank you!" Annabeth said.
"That'd be so cool though-" Percy started.
"Percy! We are not getting a pet shark! What would we even name it, anyway? What would you name a Shark, Percy? O.J.? Hitler? Manson?"
"Well, there you go," Nico said. "If you get a pet shark, Percy can practice naming living things, so he'll be better prepared for his baby whose gender he doesn't want to know!"
"Shut up, Nico!" Annabeth said. "Stop encouraging him, he'll think you're serious."
"Hey, I'm not that dumb!" Percy protested.
"I was being serious," Nico sneered.
"Just shut up, Nico! Go do something useful, like make fudge!" Annabeth nearly shouted.
"Can we get back to the subject on hand, please?" Katie said.
"You mean the shark?" Connor said.
"Percy is not getting a shark, and that is final!" Annabeth said. "I want there to be at least some chance of Mother approving of him."
Nico snorted.
"Hello, baby's gender?" Rachel demanded.
"Percy doesn't want to know!" Annabeth repeated.
"Since when do you care about what Percy wants?" Nico said.
"I'm trying, Nico! GO MAKE FUDGE!"
"Look, just you find out, don't tell Percy, and then tell all of us." Katie said.
"Yes!" Travis said.
"Like that will ever work!" Percy said. "None of you can keep a secret! At least not one like this."
"He's right," Annabeth agreed, "you're all shameless gossips."
"We'll try really, really hard!" Rachel plead.
The rest of them nodded, Percy, meanwhile, shaking his head.
Annabeth looked at Percy. "This seems like a good compromise to me."
"But you know they'll spill it-"
"We won't!" the 'they' in question said.
"Compromise, Percy!" Nico said.
Percy's fists clenched at his sides, but looking at Annabeth's face, he immediately gave in. It was obvious how much she wanted to know, and the fact that she was willing to not find out for him was one of those rare things that Annabeth would do that was just so sweet. She'd always had these moments, but they were rare, and he had learned that if one occurred, you did not fuck it up.
"Fine."
A collective cheer came from the occupants of the room there, other than Percy and Annabeth, although the latter looked very, very happy. Her smile was broad, her gray eyes shining, her hands rubbing her slightly swollen belly slowly, softly, lovingly. His resolve broke completely, and for whatever the reason, he smiled too.
-o-
Percy was sure the nurse had never seen a group such as this one.
"We usually don't let so many people in for one woman," the nurse said to them as she turned off the lights in the small room. "But you were all rather insistent." She clucked her tongue.
Annabeth lay on the exam chair, Percy sitting in a small chair by it, holding her hand, Rachel and Nico standing just behind him, and finally Katie and Travis (Connor had been too hungover to come with them) at the end of it by Annabeth's feet. The nurse stood on the left of all this, by a nervous looking Annabeth, setting up the screen that would show the sonogram image of Percy and Annabeth's still growing child.
"Yeah, we've been told that before." Percy said with a smile.
"Are you all family?" the nurse asked while putting gel on Annabeth's bare, showing (but still only slightly) stomach. Annabeth's shirt was tugged up to her waist, and she squeezed Percy's hand a little tighter when the gel began to be applied.
"Uh..." they all said stupidly.
"Well, I'm his cousin," Nico said, gesturing to Percy.
"Yeah, and I'm his girlfriend," Rachel said, pointing to Nico beside her.
Annabeth and Percy started at this statement, looking at them quickly, shocked to find that Nico looked completely calm at this comment, as if he was... used to it? And, from the looks of it, Katie and Travis didn't look at all surprised by the statement either. Oh, they would all have some explaining to do later.
"And we're..." Travis said uncertainly.
"Emotionally involved," Katie finished with a smile.
"Yeah," Travis said.
"Well then," the nurse said. "Shall we begin." She was holding the sonogram wand then, a smile on her face.
"Yes," Annabeth said, giving Percy's hand another squeeze. He squeezed back.
The nurse placed the sonogram tool on Annabeth's stomach and she shivered slightly as the nurse began to rub it along her stomach, searching for the child.
"So, you're twenty-three, dear?" the nurse said to Annabeth.
"Oh, yes," Annabeth said. "We both are." She nodded her head towards Percy.
The nurse smiled faintly, and then paused on the movement of the tool. "Ah, here we are."
"The baby?" Rachel asked excitedly. Annabeth looked nervous, but happy, as did Percy. Katie and Travis looked expectant. Nico, however, was expressionless.
"Yes," the nurse said, turning the screen towards them. There was a collective gasp, save for Nico, who was backing away quietly, standing apart from the group, leaning on the door.
"Oh my gods," Annabeth murmured. Percy has the same expression of awe on his face.
"It looks like a... bean." Travis said, cocking his head to the side slowly. Katie slapped him on the arm. "In a good way!" he protested. He turned to Annabeth and Percy. "A very cute bean."
But Annabeth and Percy just laughed, and turned back to the sonogram. Rachel was staring at it adoringly, although it was just a blurry, black and white screen, showing what looked like a blob with a big circle on top, curled in on itself.
The nurse pointed to what looked like the circular part of the screen, saying, "That, there, is the left eye."
All of them were smiling now, including the nurse, except for Nico, still standing far away, his face giving nothing away.
"Would you like to know the gender?" the nurse asked then.
"Um, we all would, except Percy," Annabeth said, taking her hand from Percy's, who was standing up to go.
"Oh, that happens all the time. Don't worry about it, dear, just please go stand outside." the nurse said sweetly.
"OK," he smiled at Annabeth again, and walked out of the room, giving Nico a questioning look as he walked out.
The nurse smiled at them all, and when there was no chance of Percy hearing, she said, "It's a girl."
-o-
"Percy, get the hell out of here!" Katie yelled when Percy entered the bridal shop the day of Annabeth's fitting.
"But-"
"Leave!" Rachel shouted. "You're supposed to be meeting Nico, Travis, and Connor to get your suit on the other side of town. What the fuck are you doing here?"
"I want to see her in the dress, she asked me-" Percy tried.
"No! You don't want to know the gender of your bean child and yet you are okay with seeing your girlfriend in her wedding gown before the wedding? Talk about bad luck."
"Where am I supposed to be meeting them again?" Percy asked, back slowly towards the door of the bridal shop, receiving glares from the women who worked there as well.
Rachel groaned, and Katie flipped open her folder full of plans, furiously scrawled something down, ripped it out, and stormed over to him, shoving it into his hand.
"Now go!" Katie and Rachel shouted as he half sprinted out of the store, reading the address in his hand.
"This is gonna be a long day," he muttered to himself.
-o-
"So... how do I look?" Annabeth asked nervously.
Rachel and Katie gaped at her.
"Gods, that bad?" Annabeth said, ready to run back into the fitting room.
"No!" Rachel said quickly. "Annabeth you look amazing!"
Katie could only nod.
The saleswoman sauntered over, nodding approvingly. "You can't even tell she's pregnant."
"Okay, now you guys are just trying to make me feel better," Annabeth said, looking at her reflection in the long mirror with a look of dread.
"No, we're really not," Katie said. "You- you really can't tell. The fit's perfect. Like, amazing, really."
Annabeth looked at her reflection again. It was a long gown, slim to her legs, the satin fabric cascading down her body. No ruffles (thank the gods) and it was sleeveless save for a slip of mesh fabric resting on each shoulder, thin as could be, helping hold the dress up (along with her newly enhanced pregnancy boobs). The dress wasn't white, although it was close. They thought absolute white, considering its implications, would be ridiculous, so they chose a ivory dress, which Annabeth like better anyway. Right at the waist, was a band of black, which somehow helped the fabric beneath to flow loosely over her stomach and hide her small baby bump. She didn't even look like she'd eaten a big lunch.
She had to admit. It was stunning.
Her face and hair, however, were another matter entirely.
Annabeth's skin was blotchy and red, she has a small pimple on her chin (but it was still there) and her hair was dull without it's usual bounce and shine, all a result from sleepless nights. Percy stayed up with her when she couldn't sleep, which resulted in him not looking his best as well, but she definitely looked worse. She was the pregnant one, after all. The bastard.
"I guess this is the one then?" she said, smiling despite herself.
-o-
"Everything there was so... white."
Percy stood on a pedestal of sorts while man worked on the leg of his black suit, uncomfortable and trying hard not to fidget.
Nico was longing in one of the surrounding chairs, wearing jeans, a gray t-shirt, and black converse. His long legs were hanging over the arm of the chair, his head hanging of the other arm, ignoring the glare her earned from the store manager for this. His black hair was tousled, a bit overlong, and windblown. His jaw was covered in black stubble, the result of not having bothered to shave for a few days. His mandatory look.
Travis and Connor were draped over other pieces of furniture similarly. They all watched Percy as he got fitted, however, knowing Katie and Rachel would find a really sick way to make them pay if they didn't make sure this all go according to plan.
"Isn't that 'cause it's supposed to symbolize purity, or something?" Travis said.
"Yeah, like the bride's supposed to be a virgin." Connor added.
Nico snorted. "Well, I suppose that ship has sailed," he said lowly.
Percy would have lunged at Nico then if he hadn't been on the Pedestal of Death as he now thought of it, and would probably get a pin in the leg in the act.
"You, get up," the sales manager said to Nico suddenly, not bother to even act polite.
"What?" Nico asked, raising his head slightly.
"You need to be fitted as well," the man responded.
"Why?" Nico said.
The man sighed as if Nico's stupidity was exhausting. "You're the best man, correct?"
Nico nodded.
The salesman got a look on his face, like he couldn't believe anyone would want Nico as a best man (although, Nico though, that has crossed his own mind as well), and said, "Then you need to be fitted as well as the groom."
"But," Nico sputtered. "Why don't they need to be fitted?" He pointed towards Connor and Travis, who were viewing the scene with amused expressions, blue eyes mischievous, looking much like their father in that moment.
"Because they are not the best man." the sales manager said impatiently.
"So?" Nico was sitting up straight in his chair now.
"So they do not have to dress accordingly to how the groom dresses." Nico waited, and the salesman sighed. "You're suit needs to be fitted for you and designed according to that of the broom, much as a bridesmaid to a bride. They may buy their suits in whatever style and whatever time they please- they are simply attending the wedding. You, however, are a part of it."
"How poetic," Nico sneered. When he saw there was no way the salesman was backing off (this guy took his job way to seriously, Nico thought), he jumped up, causing the salesmen to step back quickly and almost lose his balance, much to Nico's delight.
"Let's get this over with then," Nico said, allowing the salesman to lead Nico to the fitting room with a grimace on his face. When he passed Percy, he smiled cockily, saying, "Too bad I have to leave now, you look so pretty in your little suit."
Percy glared, but laughed when the salesman jerked Nico forward, calling after him, "You so had this coming, asshole."
-o-
"Money isn't an issue Percy! Now buy her the damn diamond ring and let's get the fuck out of here." Nico shuddered.
"But, what if she doesn't want a diamond, what if she wants this blue one-?"
"A sapphire?"
"Yeah, or the green one or something." Percy shifted nervously.
"I say we stick with the classics, and you buy the diamond." Nico shrugged. "It's not even that flashy. It's, like, modest, but really nice. Annabeth will like it."
"You think?"
"I couldn't give less of a flying fuck, Percy." Nico spat.
-o-
"Percy, stop being a pussy and get the fuck out here this instant!" Nico yelled through the door.
"Go away, Nico! I told you, I don't want the fucking party." Percy said, his back up against the door to keep it closed, although it was already locked and there was a chair under the doorknob.
"It's not up to you, asshole." Nico called back. "Bachelor parties aren't even for the grooms anyway! They're for the friends, and you are not ruining this shit for us!"
"Fuck you, di Angelo." Percy said. "If it's that important, you and the guys go, but leave me alone."
"What is your problem?" Nico demanded, banging a fist on the door and causing Percy to jump. "Annabeth's having one! She's totally cool with it!"
"You're lying!" Percy accused. "Annabeth isn't having one."
"Yeah she is," Nico said. "Red, Katie, and some Aphrodite girls are going with her."
"And where are they going?" Percy asked.
"Why the fuck would I know? It's there party, and this is ours! Now get out here and start acting like a man!" Nico shouted. He banged again on the door of Percy's room in Rachel's large penthouse apartment. Percy knew that everyone was out in the living room- the Stoll brothers, some kids of Hephaestus, and Apollo, Jason Grace, Katie, Rachel, Annabeth, and, according to Nico, some Aphrodite girls.
"Nico, I don't want to go to a strip club," Percy practically whined. "I have a pregnant girlfriend out there, soon to be my wife, who I love and I don't give a shit if she's having a party. I don't want one," he finished feebly.
"Um, like I said, I don't give a flying fuck!" Nico yelled. Percy heard footsteps outside the door then, and knew it was more of the guys showing up at the door to bully Percy into attending his own party.
"What's going on?" he heard one of the voices- Travis- say lowly.
"Oh, Percy's just being a dick. As usual." Nico didn't bother on lowering his voice.
"Come on, Percy!" It was Will Solace, son of Apollo, now, and he sounded quite insistent. "We're all waiting!"
"Yeah, asshole, hear that?" Nico again. "We're waiting. Now grow a pair, stop acting so selfish, and get the fuck out here!"
"My child's going to be born cursing if you don't cool the fuck down, Nico!" Percy yelled, pondering the irony of his words after he said them.
Nico snorted. Then, in a low voice this time, he said, "Go get Jason."
"No!" Percy said quickly. Percy knew that Nico saying this, meaning for him to say it, was another one of those infuriatingly smart plans that Nico tended to come up with, ensuring that the person he was targeting would have no way out of it. Percy knew Jason and Nico would combine their creepy child of The Big Three powers and get Percy out of there in record time.
Percy knew that he had lost.
"Is that surrender I smell?" Nico said, and Percy could hear the cocky smile in his voice.
"Fuck you," he spat, throwing the chair aside, unlocking the door, and stalking out, glaring at Nico, who followed closely behind. Will and Travis must have gone back to the living room, because Nico was the only one there.
"Good job, Percy," Nico said, sidling up beside him. "I knew you'd come to your senses."
Percy glared some more. "It is four days before the wedding and you're forcing me to go to a strip club," Percy said. "Your moral sensors are so far off base even psychotherapy couldn't help you now."
Nico smiled gleefully. "You know, this is a worldwide tradition. It's not just something I came up with to fuck with you. The groom goes out with some guy friends, usually to something like a strip club or the like, get hammered, and then has at least a three day recovery time before the rehearsal dinner, and is all brand new and shiny for the wedding." He paused for a moment. "And, you know, the groom usually enjoys this tradition."
"I still don't want to do it," Percy said.
"And, we're not bringing you to the actual strip club. Who wants to do that? With all the other middle aged and old guys drooling and having heart attacks left and right? No. We hired some strippers."
"Where are you taking me to see these hired strippers?" Percy said, as he stopped to tie his shoelaces, Nico leaning against the wall, waiting patiently.
"Some rented room in some club downtown," Nico waved his hand dismissively. "Travis knows the directions. Now will you hurry up?"
Percy groaned. "Fine." He stood, and followed Nico into the living room.
The scene that met his eyes was not at all what he had been expecting.
"Nico, you lying bastard!" Percy said, turning on his friend with outrage.
Jason, Will Solace, Leo Valdez, and the Stoll brothers stood around the living room, talking to Annabeth mainly, who was answering their questions and comments calmly and comfortably from her spot on the couch. They were all dressed casually, but well, much like Nico, and were obviously ready to go out. The girls, however, were a different story.
Annabeth lounged comfortably on the couch, wearing pajama pants, and a comfortable looking long sleeve shirt, which hugged her small baby bump. Piper McLean was sitting by her, also in pajama pants and a t-shirt, her thick brown hair in braids. Katie sat on a loveseat by the couch, wearing the same attire. Rachel was laying on her plush carpet (much as she did) that was between all the furniture atop her hardwood floor, by her coffee table. She, however, was wearing boot-cut jeans, Doc Martens, and a lacy black top with a perfectly cut leather jacket atop it all. Her red hair was cascading about her. She, like the guys, looked ready to go out.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Nico said innocently. All the attention in the living room was turned on them.
"Firstly, you said their were Aphrodite girls here with Annabeth!" Percy said.
"Piper!" Nico said, pointing towards said girl, who smiled questioningly.
"Girls. Plural! This is girl! Singular!"
"Okay, Cavepercy," Nico said, amused. "So I got one teensy detail wrong. That doesn't make me a liar."
"You said they were having a bachelorette party!" Percy practically shouted.
"And?"
"This is obviously not a bachelorette party! None of them are dressed- well, except Rachel."
"Maybe they're just planning on getting drunk, or the party's coming tothem- I don't know! I told you I didn't know what they were doing!"
"You lied!" Percy turned towards the girls. "What are you doing tonight?"
"We're having a sleepover," Piper announced, with a cute wrinkle of her nose.
"Ha!" Percy boasted. "You lied!"
"Look, you wouldn't come out of there. We have plans. I committed a public service, and you're acting like that's a bad thing." Nico said.
"I'm not going to this stupid party!" Percy said.
"Oh, just go," It was Annabeth. "They've got it all planned."
"I don't want to." Percy said petulantly.
Annabeth laughed.
"Well, I want to."
Everyone turned towards the voice. It was Rachel.
She was standing now, hands on her hips.
"What?" Nico demanded. "And why are you dressed like this? What about your sleepover?"
"I'm dressed like this 'cause I want to go to the bachelor party," she said simply.
The men all stared at her with bemused expressions. The women with amused ones.
"Look, Rach," It was Leo Valdez. "I respect that and everything, but I don't think it's exactly a place for you. Any girl at all, really."
"What do you mean by that Leo?" She demanded, although her tone was playful.
"You're- you're the Oracle," said Will Solace. Leave it to him to remind her of her duty to his father.
"I'm aware of this," Rachel said. "Now, are we going or not?"
"Red," Nico said, taking a step toward her. "I don't even care about the Oracle thing- well, you know that. I just don't want any girls at a bachelor's party."
"How rude," Rachel said.
None of the boys backed down.
"Oh, come on," she said. "Please?"
"No way," Nico said.
"Fine," Rachel said crossing her arms. "It's too bad, really. I was planning on drinking a lot. And, you know, after that, who knows what I might do? I might just start dancing with the strippers. Really, not much is to be said for me drunk."
The boys stared at her collectively, even Percy, odd sorts of looks on their faces.
"Gods, they're so easy," Piper whispered to Annabeth, who giggled.
"Fine, you can come." Nico finally said.
"Yes!" Rachel said, fist pumping into the air.
"Let's go then," Jason said, shaking his head.
"Wait," This time it was Katie. "You're all just leaving us here, with our lame little sleepover?"
"Uh, yeah?" Nico said.
"We want to go too!" Piper announced.
"Okay, this is getting out of hand," one of the other kids of Apollo said.
"Seriously," a Hephaestus kid said.
"I don't know guys," Leo said. "Will you all be getting drunk too?"
Piper shrugged in a very saucy manner. "Like Rachel said: who knows?"
"I vote we let the other girls come," Leo said, turning to the other guys, who were already sold.
"Well, I won't be getting drunk," Annabeth said, patting her belly lovingly, "but I do wanna go."
"Why don't we just invite Persephone while we're at it?" Percy heard Nico mutter as they walked out.
-o-
It turned out that Nico had lied again; it wasn't a room rented in "some club". It was the apartment that Travis and Connor shared, which didn't look like much at first glance, but they had turned it into something completely different.
The furniture had all been pushed out, leaving a gigantic living space, only a few big arm chairs placed about strategically. All the normal lights had been turned off, replace with strobe lights that flashed green and purple. The kitchen cabinets and fridge had been shrouded in silky looking sheets (the effect was actually quite nice) and the island counter had been turned into a bar you could serve yourself from, although many of the strippers walked around as waitresses as well, with trays covered in shots.
And, there were a lot more people then Nico had let on. Tons more sons of Apollo, Hephaestus, Hermes, and Dionysus had shown up. It was crowded and loud from the music and talking and laughter, but Percy had to admit, it was pretty cool. All the girls there were strippers, every last one of them pretty or at least very interesting looking (Percy thought some of them could be models if they wanted), and wore only a bra and panties or some fancy lingerie. The only exceptions to this rule were Rachel, Piper, Katie, and Annabeth, who were enjoying themselves very much it appeared. The girls had gotten dressed very quickly, quite in the same style as Rachel, and Annabeth wasn't bothering on trying to cover her baby bump.
Piper was waltzing, with a lot of laughter and giggling, with one of the strippers (a blond girl of about the same way, wearing a baby blue bra and panty ensemble, with black heels) whom also seemed delighted to be getting attention from someone who wasn't some typical drooling guy. Katie, Travis, and Connor were losing their minds over the fact that Rachel was about to endeavor into taking a jello shot off of one of the strippers bare stomachs because of a bet from Leo Valdez, Jason and Will Solace were laughing at the sight of Piper and the stripper as they transitioned into the tango, and Annabeth was sitting down and talking to a stripper named Lila who had thought it was absolutely darling that she was pregnant, and immediately went off to fetch her a bottle of water. They had been sitting next to each other and chatting ever since, Annabeth in her flowing green dress that just hit her knees, Lila wearing a piece of black lingerie that went just to her thighs, and a match set of pumps.
Nico and Percy, however, were a bit away from the rest of the crowd, at the bar. Percy stood where the bartender would, leaning his elbows onto the counter, Nico in the same position but on the opposite side. They each had a bottle of beer in their hand.
"So, you like Piper?" Percy said.
"Yeah," Nico said, taking a swig from his beer. "I like any daughter of Aphrodite who turns out like her. She's cool."
"And pretty," Percy noted.
"Yeah..." Nico said, narrowing his eyes.
"So you like her?"
"I told you I like her,"
"You know what I mean." Percy said.
"What are you getting at?" Nico said.
"I'm wondering if you want to sleep with her," Percy said.
Nico choked on his beer.
"What on earth makes you think that?" Nico demanded.
"Well, you're like, what, fifteen now-"
"Nineteen,"
"And you know that's when you start thinking about sleeping with girls and stuff-" Percy continued.
"Look, asshole, stop trying to give me 'the talk' five years too late, 'Kay?" Nico said.
"You admitted that you like her!" Percy said. "And that she's cool and pretty."
"Yeah, Percy, there's a lot of cool and pretty girls in the world. Doesn't mean I want to sleep with all of them."
Percy raised his eyebrows.
"Okay, so maybe I think about it," Nico allowed. "I'm nineteen! Doesn't mean I'm gonna do it, you know."
"Or that they'd let you."
Nico got an odd look on his face then. It took Percy a moment to decipher it but- yes. That was it. Disgust.
"Are you insinuating that I'd rape a girl?" he demanded.
"No, of course not, I'm just trying to figure out why you acted like I'd suggested you rob a vaulted bank when I asked you if you wanna sleep with Piper!" He paused for a second. "Anyway, you know I don't think you'd do anything like that."
Nico narrowed his eyes again, but said nothing.
"I mean really, what was that?" Percy said. "I remember when you were like eighteen I asked you if you'd sleep with Rachel, just objectively, and you said yeah! Objectively, of course."
Nico lowered his head slightly, but said, "Yeah, and if you asked me if I thought Annabeth was cool and pretty, I'd say yes. But if you asked me if I'd sleep with her, I'd say no."
"Well that's good..." Percy's mind had stuck on something though- he wasn't completely unobservant. "Why'd you do that?"
"Do what?" Nico said, avoiding his gaze.
"You stopped looking at me when I mentioned Rachel,"
"Did I?" Nico said, still not looking at him.
And then, even through the drunken glaze, it all clicked together.
'He's my boyfriend,' she had said, and no one had reacted as though this was an odd statement. Poseidon's congratulations to them the day he and Athena had shown up. Oh, Hera's panties, he was living with her!
"Holy shit!" Percy said suddenly, and very loudly, though no one from the party seemed to notice.
"Fuck," Nico muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"They- they all knew but us?" Percy said, shocked.
"Uh, duh," Nico managed his usual sarcasm, but still didn't manage to look at him.
"Why- how- when- what?" Percy sputtered.
"Okay, I'm just gonna spell it out for you," Nico said, finally looking at him. "Rachel and I realized we liked each other, events... ensued, Apollo found out, naturally, and very much to our surprise gave us permission to do everything but. Following?"
Percy nodded, stunned.
"I had nowhere to live but the Underworld or your apartment, and watching you and Annabeth suck face was getting old, and we basically had permission to be a couple, so I moved in with her. This all happened a few months ago." Nico took a swig of his beer. "Everyone found out one way or another... everyone but you or Annabeth."
"But why?" Percy said.
"'Cause we knew you'd react like this. I mean, we knew you had to find out eventually, but we figured we'd put the breaking the news thing on hold. Anyways, you and Annabeth tend to believe what you want to believe when it comes to me. And Rachel."
Percy stood there in stunned silence. Nico waited.
"Are you angry?" Nico finally asked, and Percy realized with a start, that Nico actually did care if he was or not.
"Yes," Percy said. Nico visibly flinched.
"That you didn't tell me, you creepy fucktard."
Nico looked up.
"Did you seriously think I wouldn't approve?" Percy asked.
"Well... yeah." Nico said. "I mean you're protective of Rachel, and with the whole Oracle thing-"
"Nico, Apollo gave you permission. How could I be angry with that?" He paused. "Especially if you're both, well, happy and stuff."
Nico blinked. "Happy and stuff?" he repeated, smiling now.
"Shut up," Percy said, but he smiled too. "So... everything but?"
Nico smiled broadly, and nodded vehemently. "Yeah. I mean, if we delve into anything that goes farther than everything but I get castrated, but still, it's pretty cool, and I, you know, like her and stuff..." he trailed off uncertainly.
"'Like her and stuff'?" Percy repeated, smiling even wider.
"Shut up," Nico said, still smiling. His face softened slightly then, and Percy knew he was about to say something important.
"Look, Percy, um... I know I kind of acted like, um, well, a prick when you told us about the baby..."
Percy waited.
"But, um, I know- I know you're really happy, and Annabeth is too, and... I, well, I guess, just..."
Percy waited some more.
"I guess, just, congratulations. Really. I'm- I'm happy for you."
Percy stared at him.
"And, I know that at the sonogram I acted weird, and one moment I'm interested and the next I'm not, but, I, uh, I really do care, I do. I'm just... scared."
"You're scared?" Percy repeated.
"Don't- don't ever make me hold it, okay?" Nico said suddenly, looking up at Percy again, and there was a fire in his eyes now. "Unless I ask, don't ever make me hold it. And, don't expect me to babysit, or watch h-" he stopped himself before divulging the gender, much to Percy's relief. "Just, I don't want anything to happen to it, okay? And- and I'm really happy for you and Annabeth."
"Nico-" Percy began softly, but Nico cut him off again.
"And don't you dare tell Annabeth any of what I just said, okay? I'll tell her myself at one point."
They stood there in silence for a few minutes.
Finally, Percy said, "So... Rachel's your girlfriend?"
"Yeah," Nico said, smiling slightly.
"You're girlfriend just licked salt off that woman's stomach and then took a jello shot." Percy said.
"Shit, seriously?" Nico spun around. "Shit. I can't believe I fucking missed that!"
Characters/Pairings: Annabeth/Percy, Rachel/Nico, Katie/Travis, Connor Stoll, Will Solace, Jason Grace, Leo Valdez, Piper McLean, appearances by other demigods, mentions of the gods.
Summary: In which Annabeth gets pregnant, a wedding quickly follows, and everyone and their Olympian grandmother gets involved. Not to mention, the birth of Annabeth and Percy's child. Prelude to my 'Babysitting' one-shot.
Rating: PG-13
Author's Note(s): I'm sorry this took so long! I've been working on a lot of other stuff lately, and this got put on hold for a bit. It turns out however, I had to do some re-plotting. This chapter used to contain everything you're about to read, as well as the rehearsal dinner and the wedding and the honeymoon and it was OVER 12,000 WORDS. Yeah. So now, it's a four part fic, because Part II is now "The Preparations" instead of "The Wedding".
This second of four parts shall contain planning of the wedding, visits to the doctor, fittings for the wedding, and a very unorthodox bachelor's party. It's SUPAH LONG, like 7,000 words+ but I swear it doesn't drag, and I'm actually quite proud of it! Oh, and because Jason, Piper, and Leo get appearances, it is a post the Lost Hero fic, everything having been resolved, blah, blah, blah. Comments are appreciated and relished!
II.
-The Preparations-
-o-
If Percy and Annabeth had thought Nico and Rachel were bad, they had clearly not spent enough time with Katie Gardner and the Stoll brothers recently.
They were forces to be reckoned with- they bulldozed into their lives just the day after the very eventful visit from Athena and Poseidon, and they weren't planning on leaving anytime soon.
To make a long story short: Rachel's apartment had gained three new occupants.
Well, she might as well have gained two more residents in her kingdom of an apartment- they were there at all waking hours (and non-waking ones), Katie to plan the wedding and giggle and squeal, Travis there because Katie was there, and Connor there because Travis was.
Percy and Annabeth, both still shell shocked, weren't sure how to handle all this new company. Nico and Rachel, however, were ecstatic that their best friends were getting married, and were even more ecstatic to help Katie in the planning of the rehearsal dinner, and the wedding itself. Dresses and suits were to be bought, caterers to be hired, and the best part was that Katie could go all out, because she had not one, but two gods funding her.
"Where are we having it?" Percy asked one day, after being ignored for several minutes by Nico, Rachel, and Katie, who were talking about plans. Connor and Travis were by Annabeth asking her obscene questions about pregnancy, and making "observations" ("Wow, Annabeth, your boobs really have gotten bigger!").
"A ballroom," Katie answered quickly, and then continuing to ignore him.
"A ballroom," Percy repeated, incredulous.
"Don't worry, Percy," Nico sneered. "It's not going to be in Bowery Ballroom."
Percy glared, but they continued to ignore him.
"Okay, Annabeth," Connor began, "what are you gonna name the kid?"
"Yeah, seriously?" Travis joined in.
"Well," Annabeth said, looking uncomfortable, but still managing to grimace effectively at them. The Stoll brothers, however, looked unfazed. She was lying on one of the plush white couches, feet up, her hands on her five months pregnant stomach, still barely showing. However, her hands rested there in such a protective fashion, you'd think she already had the baby in her arms. "We don't even know what the gender is yet."
"Haven't you gone to the doctor?" Travis asked. He and Connor sat in front of the couch, crossed legged, much like little children listening to an interesting story.
"Yeah, aren't pregnant woman supposed to do that?" Connor added.
Annabeth rolled her eyes. "I went to make sure I was pregnant, yes. But we haven't even gotten the sonogram yet. We have an appointment next week, so after that we'll start talking about names." She smiled slightly at Percy.
"No!" Percy said suddenly, caught of guard, standing up from his chair. "I don't want to know if it's a boy or girl."
"What?" the entire room said in unison. They'd all turned toward him, Rachel, Katie, and Nico included, and were staring at him as if he'd lost his mind.
"Percy, what are you talking about?" Annabeth repeated.
"I want to wait till you have the baby to know what it is!" Percy said, fists balled at his sides.
"No, no, no," the voice was Nico's. "No. There is no way we are waiting till the thing's born to know if it's a boy or girl."
"The thing?" Annabeth demanded angrily.
"You know what I mean," he said.
"I'm with Nico," Rachel said, standing next to him, her arms crossed, a stubborn look on her face.
"Us too," the Stoll twins said.
"Indeed," Annabeth said.
"Why do you guys care so much?" Percy demanded, gesturing to everyone but Annabeth.
"Hey, asshole," Nico said, seemingly outraged. "We're in this now, too. You're the one who knocked her up, and now you must suffer the consequences. And one of the consequences is that you are to find out the gender of your unborn, bastard child before it is born, whether you like it or not."
Annabeth glared at Nico, but said, "As much as I hate several of the things Dead Boy just said, overall, I agree with him."
"You're agreeing with him over me?" Percy repeated, incredulous.
Annabeth shrugged. "He has him moments."
Nico looked smug.
"Look, Percy, I don't see why you want it to be a surprise," Annabeth continued. Everyone was looking at Percy now, Travis, Connor, and Annabeth from the living space in front of him, and he could feel Rachel, Nico, and Katie staring at him from the kitchen behind him. His face felt hot, and his heart was beating fast. He felt much the same as he did before going into battle, and, he realized, this was really a battle of it's own. One battle in what could be called the war that was his and Annabeth's relationship.
"I- I just do," Percy said. "I know it doesn't really make sense, and it's always surprises or questions or the complete opposite with us, but I want this one... nice thing to be a surprise."
"But- but-" Katie sputtered.
"You really want it to be a surprise?" Annabeth said to Percy.
"Yes." Percy said, calming down a bit.
Annabeth sighed. "Fine," she said finally.
"What?" Rachel, Nico, Katie, and the Stoll brother demanded in unison, much as they had before, but minus Annabeth this time.
"I don't see why Percy should have to know before the baby is born if he doesn't want to." Annabeth said.
"But we want to know!" Nico spat.
"Yes, Nico, we all know you're very self important," Annabeth shot back.
"It's not just Nico, Annabeth!" Rachel joined in, jumping over to the couch, kneeling in front of Annabeth, and pushing the Stoll brothers aside rather comically. "I need to know!"
"You need to know?" Annabeth repeated.
"Yes!" Rachel said, holding her hands together as if getting ready to full out beg. "I have to know! Do you know what it's like, being the Oracle? The most interesting thing that happens to me all day is that I just might spout out some creepy prophecy about some poor young half-blood that going to meet a very violent death at the hand of- of a giant flesh eating ninja turtle! The best company I have is him-" she gestured towards Nico- "and he's just as bad as me, telling me that someone died in here thirteen years ago or that the sink is haunted!"
Rachel took a breath then, whilst everyone stared at her. (Except Nico, who looked like he was trying very hard not to laugh outright, although Rachel has technically insulted him).
"And you know that I live vicariously through you, Annabeth!" Rachel continued. "You told me about when you and Percy first had sex, you-"
Rachel was cut off by Nico, who was laughing uncontrollably now, Katie frowning at him for interrupting what had been a very interesting speech, and Rachel glaring at him for the same reason. The Stoll brothers has amused smiles on their faces, and Annabeth took the moment to give Percy an apologetic look.
Percy, although feeling quite embarrassed, shrugged, saying, "It's okay. I told Nico."
Rachel ignored Nico's laughter, turning back to Annabeth and saying, "Look, whatever, you've told me, like, everything, and I'll be damned if I do not know the gender of this child by next week! This is all I have, Annabeth! The wedding's weeks away!"
Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Yes, weeks. Such a long, long time."
Rachel resorted to begging then. "Please!"
"Rach, I wanna know too!" Annabeth groaned. "But Seaweed Brain here doesn't, and I've decided that for once I should respect his wishes."
"Gods, who cares about his wishes?" Nico demanded. "He wanted a shark tank for Christmas last year!"
"This is true," Rachel said, pointing at Nico.
"Why'd you want a shark tank?" Travis asked.
"So I could get a shark!" Percy said, throwing his hands up. "Getting a shark's the easy part, but I'd need a really, really big tank."
"Okay, we totally could've gotten on board with that." Connor said.
"Seriously," Travis agreed. "I think we know what we're getting you for the wedding!" He and Connor high fived. Katie rolled her eyes.
"You are not getting him a shark tank!" Katie said, storming into the middle of the circle that had been forming in the living room ever since the beginning of this disagreement. "It was a stupid idea in the first place, but with a baby?" She shook her head, brown hair swinging.
"Thank you!" Annabeth said.
"That'd be so cool though-" Percy started.
"Percy! We are not getting a pet shark! What would we even name it, anyway? What would you name a Shark, Percy? O.J.? Hitler? Manson?"
"Well, there you go," Nico said. "If you get a pet shark, Percy can practice naming living things, so he'll be better prepared for his baby whose gender he doesn't want to know!"
"Shut up, Nico!" Annabeth said. "Stop encouraging him, he'll think you're serious."
"Hey, I'm not that dumb!" Percy protested.
"I was being serious," Nico sneered.
"Just shut up, Nico! Go do something useful, like make fudge!" Annabeth nearly shouted.
"Can we get back to the subject on hand, please?" Katie said.
"You mean the shark?" Connor said.
"Percy is not getting a shark, and that is final!" Annabeth said. "I want there to be at least some chance of Mother approving of him."
Nico snorted.
"Hello, baby's gender?" Rachel demanded.
"Percy doesn't want to know!" Annabeth repeated.
"Since when do you care about what Percy wants?" Nico said.
"I'm trying, Nico! GO MAKE FUDGE!"
"Look, just you find out, don't tell Percy, and then tell all of us." Katie said.
"Yes!" Travis said.
"Like that will ever work!" Percy said. "None of you can keep a secret! At least not one like this."
"He's right," Annabeth agreed, "you're all shameless gossips."
"We'll try really, really hard!" Rachel plead.
The rest of them nodded, Percy, meanwhile, shaking his head.
Annabeth looked at Percy. "This seems like a good compromise to me."
"But you know they'll spill it-"
"We won't!" the 'they' in question said.
"Compromise, Percy!" Nico said.
Percy's fists clenched at his sides, but looking at Annabeth's face, he immediately gave in. It was obvious how much she wanted to know, and the fact that she was willing to not find out for him was one of those rare things that Annabeth would do that was just so sweet. She'd always had these moments, but they were rare, and he had learned that if one occurred, you did not fuck it up.
"Fine."
A collective cheer came from the occupants of the room there, other than Percy and Annabeth, although the latter looked very, very happy. Her smile was broad, her gray eyes shining, her hands rubbing her slightly swollen belly slowly, softly, lovingly. His resolve broke completely, and for whatever the reason, he smiled too.
-o-
Percy was sure the nurse had never seen a group such as this one.
"We usually don't let so many people in for one woman," the nurse said to them as she turned off the lights in the small room. "But you were all rather insistent." She clucked her tongue.
Annabeth lay on the exam chair, Percy sitting in a small chair by it, holding her hand, Rachel and Nico standing just behind him, and finally Katie and Travis (Connor had been too hungover to come with them) at the end of it by Annabeth's feet. The nurse stood on the left of all this, by a nervous looking Annabeth, setting up the screen that would show the sonogram image of Percy and Annabeth's still growing child.
"Yeah, we've been told that before." Percy said with a smile.
"Are you all family?" the nurse asked while putting gel on Annabeth's bare, showing (but still only slightly) stomach. Annabeth's shirt was tugged up to her waist, and she squeezed Percy's hand a little tighter when the gel began to be applied.
"Uh..." they all said stupidly.
"Well, I'm his cousin," Nico said, gesturing to Percy.
"Yeah, and I'm his girlfriend," Rachel said, pointing to Nico beside her.
Annabeth and Percy started at this statement, looking at them quickly, shocked to find that Nico looked completely calm at this comment, as if he was... used to it? And, from the looks of it, Katie and Travis didn't look at all surprised by the statement either. Oh, they would all have some explaining to do later.
"And we're..." Travis said uncertainly.
"Emotionally involved," Katie finished with a smile.
"Yeah," Travis said.
"Well then," the nurse said. "Shall we begin." She was holding the sonogram wand then, a smile on her face.
"Yes," Annabeth said, giving Percy's hand another squeeze. He squeezed back.
The nurse placed the sonogram tool on Annabeth's stomach and she shivered slightly as the nurse began to rub it along her stomach, searching for the child.
"So, you're twenty-three, dear?" the nurse said to Annabeth.
"Oh, yes," Annabeth said. "We both are." She nodded her head towards Percy.
The nurse smiled faintly, and then paused on the movement of the tool. "Ah, here we are."
"The baby?" Rachel asked excitedly. Annabeth looked nervous, but happy, as did Percy. Katie and Travis looked expectant. Nico, however, was expressionless.
"Yes," the nurse said, turning the screen towards them. There was a collective gasp, save for Nico, who was backing away quietly, standing apart from the group, leaning on the door.
"Oh my gods," Annabeth murmured. Percy has the same expression of awe on his face.
"It looks like a... bean." Travis said, cocking his head to the side slowly. Katie slapped him on the arm. "In a good way!" he protested. He turned to Annabeth and Percy. "A very cute bean."
But Annabeth and Percy just laughed, and turned back to the sonogram. Rachel was staring at it adoringly, although it was just a blurry, black and white screen, showing what looked like a blob with a big circle on top, curled in on itself.
The nurse pointed to what looked like the circular part of the screen, saying, "That, there, is the left eye."
All of them were smiling now, including the nurse, except for Nico, still standing far away, his face giving nothing away.
"Would you like to know the gender?" the nurse asked then.
"Um, we all would, except Percy," Annabeth said, taking her hand from Percy's, who was standing up to go.
"Oh, that happens all the time. Don't worry about it, dear, just please go stand outside." the nurse said sweetly.
"OK," he smiled at Annabeth again, and walked out of the room, giving Nico a questioning look as he walked out.
The nurse smiled at them all, and when there was no chance of Percy hearing, she said, "It's a girl."
-o-
"Percy, get the hell out of here!" Katie yelled when Percy entered the bridal shop the day of Annabeth's fitting.
"But-"
"Leave!" Rachel shouted. "You're supposed to be meeting Nico, Travis, and Connor to get your suit on the other side of town. What the fuck are you doing here?"
"I want to see her in the dress, she asked me-" Percy tried.
"No! You don't want to know the gender of your bean child and yet you are okay with seeing your girlfriend in her wedding gown before the wedding? Talk about bad luck."
"Where am I supposed to be meeting them again?" Percy asked, back slowly towards the door of the bridal shop, receiving glares from the women who worked there as well.
Rachel groaned, and Katie flipped open her folder full of plans, furiously scrawled something down, ripped it out, and stormed over to him, shoving it into his hand.
"Now go!" Katie and Rachel shouted as he half sprinted out of the store, reading the address in his hand.
"This is gonna be a long day," he muttered to himself.
-o-
"So... how do I look?" Annabeth asked nervously.
Rachel and Katie gaped at her.
"Gods, that bad?" Annabeth said, ready to run back into the fitting room.
"No!" Rachel said quickly. "Annabeth you look amazing!"
Katie could only nod.
The saleswoman sauntered over, nodding approvingly. "You can't even tell she's pregnant."
"Okay, now you guys are just trying to make me feel better," Annabeth said, looking at her reflection in the long mirror with a look of dread.
"No, we're really not," Katie said. "You- you really can't tell. The fit's perfect. Like, amazing, really."
Annabeth looked at her reflection again. It was a long gown, slim to her legs, the satin fabric cascading down her body. No ruffles (thank the gods) and it was sleeveless save for a slip of mesh fabric resting on each shoulder, thin as could be, helping hold the dress up (along with her newly enhanced pregnancy boobs). The dress wasn't white, although it was close. They thought absolute white, considering its implications, would be ridiculous, so they chose a ivory dress, which Annabeth like better anyway. Right at the waist, was a band of black, which somehow helped the fabric beneath to flow loosely over her stomach and hide her small baby bump. She didn't even look like she'd eaten a big lunch.
She had to admit. It was stunning.
Her face and hair, however, were another matter entirely.
Annabeth's skin was blotchy and red, she has a small pimple on her chin (but it was still there) and her hair was dull without it's usual bounce and shine, all a result from sleepless nights. Percy stayed up with her when she couldn't sleep, which resulted in him not looking his best as well, but she definitely looked worse. She was the pregnant one, after all. The bastard.
"I guess this is the one then?" she said, smiling despite herself.
-o-
"Everything there was so... white."
Percy stood on a pedestal of sorts while man worked on the leg of his black suit, uncomfortable and trying hard not to fidget.
Nico was longing in one of the surrounding chairs, wearing jeans, a gray t-shirt, and black converse. His long legs were hanging over the arm of the chair, his head hanging of the other arm, ignoring the glare her earned from the store manager for this. His black hair was tousled, a bit overlong, and windblown. His jaw was covered in black stubble, the result of not having bothered to shave for a few days. His mandatory look.
Travis and Connor were draped over other pieces of furniture similarly. They all watched Percy as he got fitted, however, knowing Katie and Rachel would find a really sick way to make them pay if they didn't make sure this all go according to plan.
"Isn't that 'cause it's supposed to symbolize purity, or something?" Travis said.
"Yeah, like the bride's supposed to be a virgin." Connor added.
Nico snorted. "Well, I suppose that ship has sailed," he said lowly.
Percy would have lunged at Nico then if he hadn't been on the Pedestal of Death as he now thought of it, and would probably get a pin in the leg in the act.
"You, get up," the sales manager said to Nico suddenly, not bother to even act polite.
"What?" Nico asked, raising his head slightly.
"You need to be fitted as well," the man responded.
"Why?" Nico said.
The man sighed as if Nico's stupidity was exhausting. "You're the best man, correct?"
Nico nodded.
The salesman got a look on his face, like he couldn't believe anyone would want Nico as a best man (although, Nico though, that has crossed his own mind as well), and said, "Then you need to be fitted as well as the groom."
"But," Nico sputtered. "Why don't they need to be fitted?" He pointed towards Connor and Travis, who were viewing the scene with amused expressions, blue eyes mischievous, looking much like their father in that moment.
"Because they are not the best man." the sales manager said impatiently.
"So?" Nico was sitting up straight in his chair now.
"So they do not have to dress accordingly to how the groom dresses." Nico waited, and the salesman sighed. "You're suit needs to be fitted for you and designed according to that of the broom, much as a bridesmaid to a bride. They may buy their suits in whatever style and whatever time they please- they are simply attending the wedding. You, however, are a part of it."
"How poetic," Nico sneered. When he saw there was no way the salesman was backing off (this guy took his job way to seriously, Nico thought), he jumped up, causing the salesmen to step back quickly and almost lose his balance, much to Nico's delight.
"Let's get this over with then," Nico said, allowing the salesman to lead Nico to the fitting room with a grimace on his face. When he passed Percy, he smiled cockily, saying, "Too bad I have to leave now, you look so pretty in your little suit."
Percy glared, but laughed when the salesman jerked Nico forward, calling after him, "You so had this coming, asshole."
-o-
"Money isn't an issue Percy! Now buy her the damn diamond ring and let's get the fuck out of here." Nico shuddered.
"But, what if she doesn't want a diamond, what if she wants this blue one-?"
"A sapphire?"
"Yeah, or the green one or something." Percy shifted nervously.
"I say we stick with the classics, and you buy the diamond." Nico shrugged. "It's not even that flashy. It's, like, modest, but really nice. Annabeth will like it."
"You think?"
"I couldn't give less of a flying fuck, Percy." Nico spat.
-o-
"Percy, stop being a pussy and get the fuck out here this instant!" Nico yelled through the door.
"Go away, Nico! I told you, I don't want the fucking party." Percy said, his back up against the door to keep it closed, although it was already locked and there was a chair under the doorknob.
"It's not up to you, asshole." Nico called back. "Bachelor parties aren't even for the grooms anyway! They're for the friends, and you are not ruining this shit for us!"
"Fuck you, di Angelo." Percy said. "If it's that important, you and the guys go, but leave me alone."
"What is your problem?" Nico demanded, banging a fist on the door and causing Percy to jump. "Annabeth's having one! She's totally cool with it!"
"You're lying!" Percy accused. "Annabeth isn't having one."
"Yeah she is," Nico said. "Red, Katie, and some Aphrodite girls are going with her."
"And where are they going?" Percy asked.
"Why the fuck would I know? It's there party, and this is ours! Now get out here and start acting like a man!" Nico shouted. He banged again on the door of Percy's room in Rachel's large penthouse apartment. Percy knew that everyone was out in the living room- the Stoll brothers, some kids of Hephaestus, and Apollo, Jason Grace, Katie, Rachel, Annabeth, and, according to Nico, some Aphrodite girls.
"Nico, I don't want to go to a strip club," Percy practically whined. "I have a pregnant girlfriend out there, soon to be my wife, who I love and I don't give a shit if she's having a party. I don't want one," he finished feebly.
"Um, like I said, I don't give a flying fuck!" Nico yelled. Percy heard footsteps outside the door then, and knew it was more of the guys showing up at the door to bully Percy into attending his own party.
"What's going on?" he heard one of the voices- Travis- say lowly.
"Oh, Percy's just being a dick. As usual." Nico didn't bother on lowering his voice.
"Come on, Percy!" It was Will Solace, son of Apollo, now, and he sounded quite insistent. "We're all waiting!"
"Yeah, asshole, hear that?" Nico again. "We're waiting. Now grow a pair, stop acting so selfish, and get the fuck out here!"
"My child's going to be born cursing if you don't cool the fuck down, Nico!" Percy yelled, pondering the irony of his words after he said them.
Nico snorted. Then, in a low voice this time, he said, "Go get Jason."
"No!" Percy said quickly. Percy knew that Nico saying this, meaning for him to say it, was another one of those infuriatingly smart plans that Nico tended to come up with, ensuring that the person he was targeting would have no way out of it. Percy knew Jason and Nico would combine their creepy child of The Big Three powers and get Percy out of there in record time.
Percy knew that he had lost.
"Is that surrender I smell?" Nico said, and Percy could hear the cocky smile in his voice.
"Fuck you," he spat, throwing the chair aside, unlocking the door, and stalking out, glaring at Nico, who followed closely behind. Will and Travis must have gone back to the living room, because Nico was the only one there.
"Good job, Percy," Nico said, sidling up beside him. "I knew you'd come to your senses."
Percy glared some more. "It is four days before the wedding and you're forcing me to go to a strip club," Percy said. "Your moral sensors are so far off base even psychotherapy couldn't help you now."
Nico smiled gleefully. "You know, this is a worldwide tradition. It's not just something I came up with to fuck with you. The groom goes out with some guy friends, usually to something like a strip club or the like, get hammered, and then has at least a three day recovery time before the rehearsal dinner, and is all brand new and shiny for the wedding." He paused for a moment. "And, you know, the groom usually enjoys this tradition."
"I still don't want to do it," Percy said.
"And, we're not bringing you to the actual strip club. Who wants to do that? With all the other middle aged and old guys drooling and having heart attacks left and right? No. We hired some strippers."
"Where are you taking me to see these hired strippers?" Percy said, as he stopped to tie his shoelaces, Nico leaning against the wall, waiting patiently.
"Some rented room in some club downtown," Nico waved his hand dismissively. "Travis knows the directions. Now will you hurry up?"
Percy groaned. "Fine." He stood, and followed Nico into the living room.
The scene that met his eyes was not at all what he had been expecting.
"Nico, you lying bastard!" Percy said, turning on his friend with outrage.
Jason, Will Solace, Leo Valdez, and the Stoll brothers stood around the living room, talking to Annabeth mainly, who was answering their questions and comments calmly and comfortably from her spot on the couch. They were all dressed casually, but well, much like Nico, and were obviously ready to go out. The girls, however, were a different story.
Annabeth lounged comfortably on the couch, wearing pajama pants, and a comfortable looking long sleeve shirt, which hugged her small baby bump. Piper McLean was sitting by her, also in pajama pants and a t-shirt, her thick brown hair in braids. Katie sat on a loveseat by the couch, wearing the same attire. Rachel was laying on her plush carpet (much as she did) that was between all the furniture atop her hardwood floor, by her coffee table. She, however, was wearing boot-cut jeans, Doc Martens, and a lacy black top with a perfectly cut leather jacket atop it all. Her red hair was cascading about her. She, like the guys, looked ready to go out.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Nico said innocently. All the attention in the living room was turned on them.
"Firstly, you said their were Aphrodite girls here with Annabeth!" Percy said.
"Piper!" Nico said, pointing towards said girl, who smiled questioningly.
"Girls. Plural! This is girl! Singular!"
"Okay, Cavepercy," Nico said, amused. "So I got one teensy detail wrong. That doesn't make me a liar."
"You said they were having a bachelorette party!" Percy practically shouted.
"And?"
"This is obviously not a bachelorette party! None of them are dressed- well, except Rachel."
"Maybe they're just planning on getting drunk, or the party's coming tothem- I don't know! I told you I didn't know what they were doing!"
"You lied!" Percy turned towards the girls. "What are you doing tonight?"
"We're having a sleepover," Piper announced, with a cute wrinkle of her nose.
"Ha!" Percy boasted. "You lied!"
"Look, you wouldn't come out of there. We have plans. I committed a public service, and you're acting like that's a bad thing." Nico said.
"I'm not going to this stupid party!" Percy said.
"Oh, just go," It was Annabeth. "They've got it all planned."
"I don't want to." Percy said petulantly.
Annabeth laughed.
"Well, I want to."
Everyone turned towards the voice. It was Rachel.
She was standing now, hands on her hips.
"What?" Nico demanded. "And why are you dressed like this? What about your sleepover?"
"I'm dressed like this 'cause I want to go to the bachelor party," she said simply.
The men all stared at her with bemused expressions. The women with amused ones.
"Look, Rach," It was Leo Valdez. "I respect that and everything, but I don't think it's exactly a place for you. Any girl at all, really."
"What do you mean by that Leo?" She demanded, although her tone was playful.
"You're- you're the Oracle," said Will Solace. Leave it to him to remind her of her duty to his father.
"I'm aware of this," Rachel said. "Now, are we going or not?"
"Red," Nico said, taking a step toward her. "I don't even care about the Oracle thing- well, you know that. I just don't want any girls at a bachelor's party."
"How rude," Rachel said.
None of the boys backed down.
"Oh, come on," she said. "Please?"
"No way," Nico said.
"Fine," Rachel said crossing her arms. "It's too bad, really. I was planning on drinking a lot. And, you know, after that, who knows what I might do? I might just start dancing with the strippers. Really, not much is to be said for me drunk."
The boys stared at her collectively, even Percy, odd sorts of looks on their faces.
"Gods, they're so easy," Piper whispered to Annabeth, who giggled.
"Fine, you can come." Nico finally said.
"Yes!" Rachel said, fist pumping into the air.
"Let's go then," Jason said, shaking his head.
"Wait," This time it was Katie. "You're all just leaving us here, with our lame little sleepover?"
"Uh, yeah?" Nico said.
"We want to go too!" Piper announced.
"Okay, this is getting out of hand," one of the other kids of Apollo said.
"Seriously," a Hephaestus kid said.
"I don't know guys," Leo said. "Will you all be getting drunk too?"
Piper shrugged in a very saucy manner. "Like Rachel said: who knows?"
"I vote we let the other girls come," Leo said, turning to the other guys, who were already sold.
"Well, I won't be getting drunk," Annabeth said, patting her belly lovingly, "but I do wanna go."
"Why don't we just invite Persephone while we're at it?" Percy heard Nico mutter as they walked out.
-o-
It turned out that Nico had lied again; it wasn't a room rented in "some club". It was the apartment that Travis and Connor shared, which didn't look like much at first glance, but they had turned it into something completely different.
The furniture had all been pushed out, leaving a gigantic living space, only a few big arm chairs placed about strategically. All the normal lights had been turned off, replace with strobe lights that flashed green and purple. The kitchen cabinets and fridge had been shrouded in silky looking sheets (the effect was actually quite nice) and the island counter had been turned into a bar you could serve yourself from, although many of the strippers walked around as waitresses as well, with trays covered in shots.
And, there were a lot more people then Nico had let on. Tons more sons of Apollo, Hephaestus, Hermes, and Dionysus had shown up. It was crowded and loud from the music and talking and laughter, but Percy had to admit, it was pretty cool. All the girls there were strippers, every last one of them pretty or at least very interesting looking (Percy thought some of them could be models if they wanted), and wore only a bra and panties or some fancy lingerie. The only exceptions to this rule were Rachel, Piper, Katie, and Annabeth, who were enjoying themselves very much it appeared. The girls had gotten dressed very quickly, quite in the same style as Rachel, and Annabeth wasn't bothering on trying to cover her baby bump.
Piper was waltzing, with a lot of laughter and giggling, with one of the strippers (a blond girl of about the same way, wearing a baby blue bra and panty ensemble, with black heels) whom also seemed delighted to be getting attention from someone who wasn't some typical drooling guy. Katie, Travis, and Connor were losing their minds over the fact that Rachel was about to endeavor into taking a jello shot off of one of the strippers bare stomachs because of a bet from Leo Valdez, Jason and Will Solace were laughing at the sight of Piper and the stripper as they transitioned into the tango, and Annabeth was sitting down and talking to a stripper named Lila who had thought it was absolutely darling that she was pregnant, and immediately went off to fetch her a bottle of water. They had been sitting next to each other and chatting ever since, Annabeth in her flowing green dress that just hit her knees, Lila wearing a piece of black lingerie that went just to her thighs, and a match set of pumps.
Nico and Percy, however, were a bit away from the rest of the crowd, at the bar. Percy stood where the bartender would, leaning his elbows onto the counter, Nico in the same position but on the opposite side. They each had a bottle of beer in their hand.
"So, you like Piper?" Percy said.
"Yeah," Nico said, taking a swig from his beer. "I like any daughter of Aphrodite who turns out like her. She's cool."
"And pretty," Percy noted.
"Yeah..." Nico said, narrowing his eyes.
"So you like her?"
"I told you I like her,"
"You know what I mean." Percy said.
"What are you getting at?" Nico said.
"I'm wondering if you want to sleep with her," Percy said.
Nico choked on his beer.
"What on earth makes you think that?" Nico demanded.
"Well, you're like, what, fifteen now-"
"Nineteen,"
"And you know that's when you start thinking about sleeping with girls and stuff-" Percy continued.
"Look, asshole, stop trying to give me 'the talk' five years too late, 'Kay?" Nico said.
"You admitted that you like her!" Percy said. "And that she's cool and pretty."
"Yeah, Percy, there's a lot of cool and pretty girls in the world. Doesn't mean I want to sleep with all of them."
Percy raised his eyebrows.
"Okay, so maybe I think about it," Nico allowed. "I'm nineteen! Doesn't mean I'm gonna do it, you know."
"Or that they'd let you."
Nico got an odd look on his face then. It took Percy a moment to decipher it but- yes. That was it. Disgust.
"Are you insinuating that I'd rape a girl?" he demanded.
"No, of course not, I'm just trying to figure out why you acted like I'd suggested you rob a vaulted bank when I asked you if you wanna sleep with Piper!" He paused for a second. "Anyway, you know I don't think you'd do anything like that."
Nico narrowed his eyes again, but said nothing.
"I mean really, what was that?" Percy said. "I remember when you were like eighteen I asked you if you'd sleep with Rachel, just objectively, and you said yeah! Objectively, of course."
Nico lowered his head slightly, but said, "Yeah, and if you asked me if I thought Annabeth was cool and pretty, I'd say yes. But if you asked me if I'd sleep with her, I'd say no."
"Well that's good..." Percy's mind had stuck on something though- he wasn't completely unobservant. "Why'd you do that?"
"Do what?" Nico said, avoiding his gaze.
"You stopped looking at me when I mentioned Rachel,"
"Did I?" Nico said, still not looking at him.
And then, even through the drunken glaze, it all clicked together.
'He's my boyfriend,' she had said, and no one had reacted as though this was an odd statement. Poseidon's congratulations to them the day he and Athena had shown up. Oh, Hera's panties, he was living with her!
"Holy shit!" Percy said suddenly, and very loudly, though no one from the party seemed to notice.
"Fuck," Nico muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"They- they all knew but us?" Percy said, shocked.
"Uh, duh," Nico managed his usual sarcasm, but still didn't manage to look at him.
"Why- how- when- what?" Percy sputtered.
"Okay, I'm just gonna spell it out for you," Nico said, finally looking at him. "Rachel and I realized we liked each other, events... ensued, Apollo found out, naturally, and very much to our surprise gave us permission to do everything but. Following?"
Percy nodded, stunned.
"I had nowhere to live but the Underworld or your apartment, and watching you and Annabeth suck face was getting old, and we basically had permission to be a couple, so I moved in with her. This all happened a few months ago." Nico took a swig of his beer. "Everyone found out one way or another... everyone but you or Annabeth."
"But why?" Percy said.
"'Cause we knew you'd react like this. I mean, we knew you had to find out eventually, but we figured we'd put the breaking the news thing on hold. Anyways, you and Annabeth tend to believe what you want to believe when it comes to me. And Rachel."
Percy stood there in stunned silence. Nico waited.
"Are you angry?" Nico finally asked, and Percy realized with a start, that Nico actually did care if he was or not.
"Yes," Percy said. Nico visibly flinched.
"That you didn't tell me, you creepy fucktard."
Nico looked up.
"Did you seriously think I wouldn't approve?" Percy asked.
"Well... yeah." Nico said. "I mean you're protective of Rachel, and with the whole Oracle thing-"
"Nico, Apollo gave you permission. How could I be angry with that?" He paused. "Especially if you're both, well, happy and stuff."
Nico blinked. "Happy and stuff?" he repeated, smiling now.
"Shut up," Percy said, but he smiled too. "So... everything but?"
Nico smiled broadly, and nodded vehemently. "Yeah. I mean, if we delve into anything that goes farther than everything but I get castrated, but still, it's pretty cool, and I, you know, like her and stuff..." he trailed off uncertainly.
"'Like her and stuff'?" Percy repeated, smiling even wider.
"Shut up," Nico said, still smiling. His face softened slightly then, and Percy knew he was about to say something important.
"Look, Percy, um... I know I kind of acted like, um, well, a prick when you told us about the baby..."
Percy waited.
"But, um, I know- I know you're really happy, and Annabeth is too, and... I, well, I guess, just..."
Percy waited some more.
"I guess, just, congratulations. Really. I'm- I'm happy for you."
Percy stared at him.
"And, I know that at the sonogram I acted weird, and one moment I'm interested and the next I'm not, but, I, uh, I really do care, I do. I'm just... scared."
"You're scared?" Percy repeated.
"Don't- don't ever make me hold it, okay?" Nico said suddenly, looking up at Percy again, and there was a fire in his eyes now. "Unless I ask, don't ever make me hold it. And, don't expect me to babysit, or watch h-" he stopped himself before divulging the gender, much to Percy's relief. "Just, I don't want anything to happen to it, okay? And- and I'm really happy for you and Annabeth."
"Nico-" Percy began softly, but Nico cut him off again.
"And don't you dare tell Annabeth any of what I just said, okay? I'll tell her myself at one point."
They stood there in silence for a few minutes.
Finally, Percy said, "So... Rachel's your girlfriend?"
"Yeah," Nico said, smiling slightly.
"You're girlfriend just licked salt off that woman's stomach and then took a jello shot." Percy said.
"Shit, seriously?" Nico spun around. "Shit. I can't believe I fucking missed that!"