Unexpectedly Expecting (Previously Known As Unexpected)

23 - Annabeth

When I woke up, I could barely feel my limbs. I was laying on the ground, surrounded by white and trees. I was cold, and every muscle in my torso hurt. What happened?

I sat up, my gut and back screaming in protest. Gods, everything hurt. I almost didn't even feel the cold, it was so overwhelming.

I looked around, looking for Percy, piper, anybody. I didn't see anybody, or anything for that matter.

I was alone. In the snow. In the middle of nowhere. Pregnant. My chest got tight, my vision blurred, my ears rang, my head hurt. I was having a panic attack.

Calm down, I told myself. You're going to be okay. Just take deep breaths, deep breaths...

Eventually, I forced myself up off the ground. It was hard, with my stomach and my pain, but I did it. I scanned my surroundings for shelter, or anywhere I could hide for a while while I wait for my cramps to calm down.

I walked around for about 10 minutes, calling out for someone, anyone, with no success. I eventually came across a cave that only went about 10 feet into the cliffside. There wasn't enough snow for an avalanche, so I didn't have to worry about that.

I sat down on the dry cave floor and leaned against the wall, relieving some of my back pain. Gods, what happened to me? This was misery!

I stayed there for quite some time, calling out for Percy and Will and Rachel. After a while, with no success, it got hard to breathe. My doctor taught me breathing exercises for when this happened, and I'd used them a few times already. In, in, out... in, in, out... in, in, out...

"Annabeth! Annabeth, where are you?"

Oh, thank the gods. "Piper!" I yelled. "Piper! Over here! I'm in a cave!"

I heard hers and a few other people's footsteps get closer. I prayed that Percy was with them, but he wasn't. It was Piper, her girlfriend Shel (oop, spoilers! Sorry!)  Malcolm, Frank, and Leo. I was relieved to see them, but I couldn't help but worry about the rest of them.

"Thank the gods we found you," Shel said, kneeling down behind me. "Are you okay?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Just sore."

"Sore where?" Piper asked.

"Just my back and my hips. Nothing to-"

Another shot of pain darted through my abdomen. I groaned, and Shel and Piper exchanged a worried glance. Everyone else was at the mouth of the cave, looking for anyone or anything else that could help us.

"That doesn't sound too good," Piper said.

"Wait," Shel said." Do you guys hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"The voices."

I listened closer, and sure enough, it was voices. Familiar voices.

"Percy!" I shouted.

Piper ran to the mouth of the cave. "Hello? Will? Lee? Percy? Is that you guys?"

A moment later, a voice responded, "Piper? Is that you?"

"Percy! Come quick!"

"Why? What's wrong?"

"It's Annabeth. I think something's wrong."

After that, all I heard was footsteps. Loud, fast footsteps headed in our direction. Soon enough, everybody from the party was standing at the mouth of the cave as Percy rushed to my side. He bent down and pressed a kiss to my forehead, his warm lips pressing into my cold, moist skin. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I assured him. "Piper's just being dramatic."

He sighed, his shoulders relaxing. "Thank the gods."

Pain shot through my stomach and hips again. I shifted, making myself comfortable.

"Are you okay?" Percy asked.

"Yeah. Just help me up."

He put a hand behind my back and grabbed one of my hands and started lifting me up. As he did, I swear something popped. Warm liquid ran down my legs and pain shot through my so fast and hard that I couldn't help but cry out. "Nope! No no no. Put me down, put me down..."

"What?" Percy asked. "Why? What's wrong? Are you okay?"

I looked him dead in the eyes. "My water just broke."