Unexpectedly Expecting (Previously Known As Unexpected)

6 - Percy

Later that day, Annabeth goes and talks to Piper before our going away party. I'm going to miss this place, but now I'm going to another safe place where it can just be me and Annabeth, together, forever. I wouldn't be going if she wasn't, too.

I go to see Rachel and say goodbye personally before we say goodbye officially.

She sits in her cave, painting things she saw in visions. She hasn't gotten many since Apollo fell down to earth as a mortal, but she gets them when they're really urgent.

I knock on the cave wall, and she turns to me with a smile.

"Back to say goodbye, huh?" She smirks.

"I wouldn't be where I am right now if it weren't for you, Rachel," I confront. "Saying goodbye personally would be the least I could do."

She sets her paints down and gestures for me to come in and take a seat.

She sits next to me with her white paint-splattered couch.

"How are things with Annabeth?" She asks urgently.

"Um... things are fine. Why do you ask."

"What about you? Are you okay?"

"Yes. Why all the questions?"

"Am I not allowed to make sure my friends are okay?" She laughs.

I smile. "Touche."

She shoves my shoulder with hers. "I'm gonna miss you, Barnacle Breath."

I put an arm around her shoulder and pull her into a hug. "I'm gonna miss you, too, Dare."

We sit there for a minute, and then she sits bolt upright.

"Rachel?" I exclaim. "Are you okay? What's going on?"

"I'm going to ask you this again, and you're going to tell me the truth this time, okay?"

"Um... okay."

"Is Annabeth okay?"

"Yes, she's fine."

"Percy-"

"Well, It depends on what you mean by 'okay'"

"What? What's that supposed to mean."

I sigh. "If I tell you, you can't freak out and you can't tell anyone, okay?"

"Okay. Just tell me."

"She might be pregnant."

Rachel doesn't even hesitate. She doesn't look shocked. She doesn't need to realize anything I just said. She just yells, "Knew it!"

I stare at her, stunned. "What?"

"Twins of water and wise."

"Am I supposed to know what that means?"

"It's a prophecy I got last year."

"Um, recite please?"

"The twins of water and the wise,
New hero's legacy begins to rise.
One is chosen, the other unknown,
Thrown upon an ancient throne.
Peace and love are given with cheers,
But soon be taken in elder years."

I stand there frozen. I'm not so sure I heard a single good thing in that prophecy.

"I need to go," I say as I rush out into the woods.

I run until I get back to camp. I storm into the Athena cabin, where Annabeth sits by herself on her bed, reading. She looks at me, at the alarmed look on my face.

"What's wrong?" She asks, putting her book down.

"You need to take those test right now." I say around breaths.

"Percy, calm down. I can't hear what you're saying. Just take a few deep breaths and tell me."

She walks to me and puts a hand on my cheek. "Breathe."

I take some deep breaths, then touch her hand, which is still resting on my cheek.

Her hand falls, but I still hold on to it.

"There," she soothes. "Now, tell me what you need to tell me."

I take another deep breath. "We need to take those tests. Now."

"Why?"

"I'll explain later. Please, Annabeth, just do this for me."

She hesitates before letting go of my hand and walking to her trunk. She kneels in front of it, opening it and taking a test out before walking back to me.

"Percy," she explains, "once we do this, there's no going back. Are you sure?"

"Yes," I assure, grabbing her hand again. "We need to know."

--------

I wait on a bed in the cabin while Annabeth goes in the bathroom to take all 5 tests. I nervously tap my foot and fidget with the blanket on the bed. The ADHD doesn't help.

I think long and hard for that 5 minutes. What if she is pregnant and something happens? What if something happens to the baby, to her, to me?

I pull myself from my thoughts to lecture myself. Everything is going to be fine, I tell myself.

Annabeth slowly comes out of the bathroom, her eyes brimmed with tears. I stand up and put my hands on her arms.

"What happened?" I urge.

She doesn't respond. Instead, she takes my hand and opens it. She puts one of the tests in my hand, the reader facing my palm so I can't see the sign, and closes my fist around it.

I hesitate. She nods to me, and I slowly turn the test in my hand to look at the sign.

It's a negative.

"Annabeth, this is great," I tell her.

She grabs my hand and slowly says, "No. No it's not, Percy."

"What? Why not?"

"Because that's the only negative one."

It takes a minute, but realization hits me. "Oh my gods, Annabeth-"

She doesn't say anything. She presses her face into my chest and sobs. I wrap my arms around her, but I'm too stunned to do anything else.

Annabeth's tears soak through my shirt. I feel a tear of my own fall down my cheek, unsure of how I feel. After all, this is partially my fault.

Or is it...

"Annabeth?" I whisper.

She slowly and hesitantly pulls her head out of my chest.

"I need you to be honest with me, okay?" I order.

She nods.

"Is it mine?"

She looks confused. "What?"

"The baby. Is it mine?"

Another tear falls down her cheek. "Of course. Why would you think otherwise?"

"I- I don't know. I guess... I guess I just let the bad things get to my head."

She sets a hand on my cheek. "I would never do that to you. I love you too much for that."

I smile and give her a quick kiss. I haven't kissed her in a while, I realize.

She puts her head back in my chest where I still hold her tight.

"We're gonna get through this, okay?" I whisper.

She nods. "Okay."