Unexpectedly Expecting (Previously Known As Unexpected)

4 - Percy

I sit by myself in my cabin. I sometimes wish I had siblings, but not all the time. Only when Annabeth is busy and I have nothing to do.

After a while, I hear a knock on the door.

"Come in," I invite.

Josh from the Apollo cabin steps in. Him and I became really close after the war.

"Hey," he nods to me.

"Sup."

He comes in and sits next to me. "What's your problem?"

"What?" I ask.

"You look mad."

"I'm not mad."

"Well, you look like it."

"Well, I'm not."

He holds his hands up to surrender. "Whatever, man."

I sigh. "There is something on my mind, though."

"Ooh, gossip. You wanna paint our nails, too?"

"Shut up."

He laughs. "Hit me."

I sigh again. "Annabeth has been acting weird lately."

"Weird... how?"

"I don't know. She just... isn't acting like herself."

"Well, how does herself usually act?"

"She's usually talkative, and she's always focused. But she's been a little out of it lately."

"Well, is she sick?"

"That's what I thought."

"What do you mean, you thought?"

"I mean I think otherwise now."

"Meaning...?"

I look him dead in the eye. "You can't tell anyone this, okay?"

"Swear on the Styx, man. Tell me whatever you need."

I hesitate. "I think she's pregnant."

His eyes go wide. "I was not expecting you to say that."

"Well, what were you expecting me to say?"

"I don't know! Maybe that you thought she was cheating with another guy?"

"Gee, thanks for putting that thought in my head."

"What if she is pregnant, but it's someone else's baby?"

"Josh!"

"I'm just explaining the possibilities, man."

"Well, can we try some more positive possibilities?"

"She might be pregnant with your child."

"I said positive!"

"That is positive!"

"Dude, I can't be a dad. No, sorry, not happening."

"Why not? Being a dad would be cool."

"Name one way how."

"Well, you have little tiny servants to do everything for you."

"Well, I now know you don't know the first thing about parenting."

"I thought we were being positive still!"

I put my head in my hands. "This is not happening right now."

Josh slowly stands up and walks towards the door. "Imma head out and let you... figure this out."

"Tell no one!" I yell at him as he walks out the door.

--------

I take a shower and sit on my bed after a while. After I get dressed, Annabeth opens my door.

"Can I come in?" She asks with a smile.

"I dunno, can you?"

She laughs and comes in, shutting the door behind her.

"Long day?" She asks, standing in front of me.

"Yeah," I wrap my arms around her waist. "I sat in here all day, wondering where on earth you were."

She laughs and sets her hands on my arms. "I had catching up to do with Pipes."

I smile. "Of course you did."

"Shut up, Seaweed Brain."

I pull her up and kiss her, long and hot. She kisses me back, and I get lost in her.

My hands tighten around her waist. She slowly runs a hand over my cheek and down my neck.

We keep it up for a while. But the second I put my hand on her bare hip, she stops and looks at the floor, and mutters, "no" over and over again.

"Annabeth?" I put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Her breath is labored and raspy.

"Annabeth-"

She puts a hand on her chest. I touch her cheek, which is burning hot and sweaty.

"Annabeth!"

She looks at me and I see tears in her eyes.

"Annabeth, what's going on?"

Her breathing calms down and she sobs. I wrap her tight in my arms and she cries, hard, into my shoulder.

"I'm sorry," she mutters.

"Annabeth," I pull her head away and look her in the eye. "What are you sorry for?"

"I- I don't know..."

"What happened?"

She looks at the floor again. "I don't know. I panicked."

That doesn't make sense. We make out all the time. Why is she suddenly freaking out about it?

She looks at me again. "I don't know what happened."

"Annabeth, it's okay."

"No. No it's not."

"Annabeth, what's going on?"

"Nothing."

"Annabeth," I put a hand on her arm. "Something is wrong."

She sighs. "I don't know about wrong-"

"Annabeth."

She looks me in the eye. "I need to tell you something."

My heart hammers. I think I know what she's about to say. I hope I'm wrong.

She begins, "Percy, I-"

"Am Pregnant?"

She jumps and her jaw drops. "How did you-"

"I suspected it when you went into the pharmacy."

She looks down at the floor. "I don't know, Percy."

"What? What don't you know?"

"If I'm pregnant."

"How do you not know?"

"I think the test I bought was wrong. It said I wasn't, but I don't see how I'm not."

"So... what?"

"Piper's going to but some more tests tomorrow. I really hope that test was right."

I sigh. She wipes tears from her eyes and says, "Percy, I'm scared. I'm really, really scared."

"Hey," I say gently. "It's okay to be scared. I'm scared, too."

She lays her head on my shoulder and I hold her. I didn't mean for this to happen. Not to her.

If it was even my fault.