Pertemis and Pothena

Chapter 3

I am sooo sorry!  I forgot to update last week, so as a gift, I will post 3 new chapters this week, how does that sound?  *Checks face in the mirror* Alright, fine, I still don't own these characters.  I own some of the locations because they are completely imaginary, but Rick Riordan, the best most horrible feels author owns most of it.

ARTEMIS POV

We appeared in a large room with earthen-looking walls.  I took a deep breath and smelled the earth that I had missed so much.  I directed Athena, Poseidon, and Percy to their rooms before showing Rhea where my dad was.  I stopped outside a door and told her to wait there.  I walked inside the room to see my dad.  He was lying on a bed, weak.  We talked for a few moments, before I called Rhea inside and left to go talk to my mother.  I found her in the dining hall, staring at pictures of us when I was little.  I looked at them for a bit.

I softly said, "I took Rhea to dad's room."

Mom said, "That's good."  She turned to face me, and took in my appearance. "Change your dress."  I smiled and used the powers I had over the earth to form a new dress.  (Frozen, anyone?)  She smiled as she took in my clothing.  "Still your favorite dress, isn't it?"

"Yeah, and I don't think that's ever change."  I chuckled.  She looked down at my slightly emerging stomach.

"How far along are you?"  I sighed at my mother's question.

"About 15 weeks."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Zeus was making everyone stay on Olympus.  He said that if we left or communicated with the outside world, we would be forbidden to come back.  I had to wait for Percy.  I already don't know how to raise a child."

"I understand.  I get it.  I'm assuming Zeus and Leto aren't going to be in the child's life very much?"

"No, they aren't."

"Come here, child," Mom said, opening her arms to me.  I went to them, tears flowing out of my eyes, as soon as she folded her arms around me.  "What's wrong?"

"I don't know what to do.  All of Olympus will be after this child, and I don't even know how I'm going to raise it."  

"You're not going to be alone.  You have Percy, your father, Athena, Poseidon, Rhea,  and me."

"Yeah. but Percy's never done this before, Athena and Poseidon are going to have their own kid to worry about, and dad and Rhea are going to be too busy doing who knows what."

"But you'll still have me.  It's going to be hard, but all of us are here."

"It's just, scary.  How am I supposed to know if I'm doing anything right?"

Suddenly a female voice interrupted our conversation, "You never do.  You just have to go with your gut feeling." I turned around and saw my dad and Rhea.  I gave my dad a hug and kept one arm around his waist.  Looking up at him, I felt like I was seven again, when I was afraid of a thunderstorm and I crawled into his bed so that he could protect me from the big bad storm.  

"Dad, what if I do something wrong?"  I asked him, and he smiled at me.

He said, "Artemis, here's what you have too know.  With kids, you never know if you're doing the right thing or not."

Rhea cut in, "And take it from me, the titan of motherhood, it's not easy.  But once you have your child, it'll all be worth it.  Everything that you go through, and I bet Percy will agree."

I said, "I know.  It's just, there's no way I can get ready for it.  It's not like getting ready for battle, where you're training as hard as you can, and sharpening your knives and polishing your armor."

Rhea said, "No, it's not like a fighting battle.  But it's a different kind of battle.  Just trust your gut, your mind, your heart, and your partner.  You need to have trust between you.  And warn him that you will be saying some pretty mean stuff to him beforehand so he's prepared."  I nodded.  

I said, "I should probably go check on them.  Just to make sure that Percy hasn't destroyed my room.  I'll see you guys later."  I left the room and ran through the palace to get to my room.  I walked into the room to see Percy with nothing but boxers on.  I blushed, left the room, and closed the door.  A few moments later, he opened the door, fully dressed, and pulled me inside.  I walked over to the bed, and he came and sat next to me.  I turned over so that I was straddling him before wrapping my arms around his neck and kissing him.  He responded  within minutes and placed his arms around my waist as he kissed me.  He laid back so that I was lying on top of him and flipped us over.  For a second, he pulled back and looked at me.  I smiled and pulled him in for another kiss.  We stayed like that until we heard a voice in the hallway.  I groaned when I registered who the voice was and what it was saying.  Percy rolled off me, and after fixing my hair, we got Athena and Poseidon, who were in a similar state, and went down to dinner, holding hands.  I sat down in my normal spot, on the right of my mother, who sat at the head of the table.  My father sat at the foot of the table with Rhea on his right.  Athena and Poseidon sat across from me, and Percy sat on my right.  There were three empty seats on the table, and I smirked.  It didn't matter how many people were at the table, but it always shrunk or grew to fit the exact amount of people who sat at it.  Including unborn children.  I turned to look at Rhea and my dad, who were trying to avoid my gaze.  "So, dad, Rhea, got something you want to tell me?"

Rhea started by saying, "No, not really."

I gestured to the third empty seat, "Well, since I'm pretty sure neither Athena nor I are having twins, that kinda leaves you.  So, either you tell me, or I force it out of you."

Dad smiled guiltily, "Surprise??" I smiled.

"I'm happy for you.  And this makes it easier for me and Athena, too."

"Why?"

"Because we can say that Rhea had triplets when someone asks about who the other two kids are."  They nodded in agreement.  We ate dinner in silence, and after it, we all went back to our rooms.  After dinner, Percy and I talked for a few hours about the baby before going to bed.  I changed my dress into a nightgown and got into bed.  Percy got in behind me.  I curled my legs around his and he wrapped his arms around me.  One laid on my waist and the other on my stomach.  I smiled before I fell asleep.