Will frowned. "What do you mean? Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I just....feel weird. Uncomfortable."
"What feels weird?"
"My stomach, like a tugging-" His eyes widened.
"What?"
"I know what it is! We need to go! I think she's going to come to Camp, so we have to get everything ready in the infirmary!"
"What?!"
"I know what I was feeling! It's just like when someone I care about dies, I can just tell who it is, and I just know! Well, what I was feeling was Sally going into labor! Go get your doctor stuff, anything you need!"
"Okay, I'm going to need your help. Come with me."
Together, the 2 of them got the infirmary ready. Then, they talked to Chiron.
"Sally Jackson is coming here? To have her baby?" He asked.
"Yes! I need your help, Chiron! I want you to help me deliver the baby! I got everything ready!" Will told him.
"Alright, but how do you know they're coming?" He asked
Nico frowned. "I'm not sure. When I got the weird feeling in my stomach, I could just tell that wherever the source was, it was getting close. And it just makes more sense, doesn't it?"
"Okay, then. We should probably wait by Thalia's Pine for their arrival."
Sure enough, a car pulled up onto the side of the street below Camp. Nico could see 4 figures walking towards them.
As the outlines got closer, he could tell they were Sally, Percy, Paul and Annabeth. Sally's stomach was a lot bigger than the last time Nico had seen her, which made sense. She was 9 months pregnant.
Chiron quickly said a couple of words, letting Sally and Paul onto Camp property.
As soon as she noticed Nico, Will, and Chiron, she smiled. "I'm so glad you're here." Behind her, Paul, Percy and Annabeth were trailing after her. They all looked nervous and frightened.
"Hi, guys." Will said. "It's good to see you all. Um, Chiron and I will be delivering the baby in the infirmary, if that's okay?"
She nodded. "Yeah, that's perfect." Sally held her stomach and breathed in and out. "Sorry. Contraction."
"Are you alright?" Paul asked, steadying her.
She smiled at him. "Yeah, I'm okay."
Percy was off to the side, his face pale, and his eyes wide. Annabeth had her hand on his shoulder.
Will led them to the infirmary, and they all sat down inside. Chiron went over to where Will had set up some of the equipment and fixed some of it.
"Well, here's a gown, so if you would like to change into that." Will said, handing her a blue dressing gown.
She took it and went to change in one of the areas where people stayed in the infirmary, and shut the curtain. A minute later, she walked out.
"Alright." Will said, pulling on gloves. "Who's all going to be present when she's giving birth?" Will asked.
"I'll be there." Paul said.
"I want Percy and Annabeth to stay outside the infirmary." Sally said.
"Mom, I want to be there." Percy argued.
"I'm sorry that I don't want you to see me having a baby. All the blood and grossness." Sally explained.
"Mom, I've been in so many different battles where I've had to see things like that."
"Well, you've never seen someone give birth. Certainly not your mother."
"But-"
"Are you seriously going to argue with a woman who's in labor?" She asked gently.
Percy closed his mouth.
"Alright, everything is mostly set up." Will told them.
Nico watched Will take order, and act all serious. It was kind of hot. After the baby was born, he definitely needed to kiss him.
"Alright, let's go over here really quick so I can see how many centimeters you're dilated." He explained as he led her and Paul over to where Chiron was standing.
After a couple of minutes, he came out with them. "Okay, apparently Nico's powers tell him when someone is in Active Labor. She's 6 centimeters dilated. In between contractions, you should walk. You should go pee periodically to make room for the baby. Start your breathing exercises. I'll be checking to see how many centimeters along you are occasionally."
Will pulled out a thermometer and checked her temperature. He checked her pulse and blood pressure as well.
Sally groaned and used her breathing exercises as she had another contraction.
"Everything looks normal right now." He placed a monitor on her stomach for a few minutes, then took it off. "The baby's heartbeat is fine."
"Do you want an epidural?" Will asked.
She shook her head. "I want a more natural birth this time around."
"Okay. Has your water broken?"
She nodded. "Right before we left."
"Okay, perfect. Now we just chill, while I periodically check how far into labor you are."
"Okay."
The 6 of them sat around for a while, just talking. Every few minutes, Sally would have a contraction.
Eventually, Sally was 8 centimeters dilated.
"Alright, we should probably take you to the bed now." He told her. Paul helped her towards the bed.
Will squeezed Nico's hand. He looked a little nervous. "I should be back in a few hours. It just depends."
"Good luck."
Will gave Nico a quick kiss on the lips, and walked towards Sally and Paul.
That left Nico with Percy and Annabeth, walking outside. Annabeth was squeezing Percy's hand to comfort him.
They sat down in the grass, under the stars.
They didn't talk for a while. Just sat there. Nico sat a little bit away from Percy and Annabeth.
"Thanks for doing this." Percy finally said, his voice shaking.
"Of course."
"How did you know?"
"That your mom was in labor? I suddenly got a tugging feeling in my stomach, and I knew it was your mom."
He nodded. "I'm glad it's Will and Chiron delivering my sister. Better than someone that I don't know. I trust Will. He saved Annabeth. And of course I trust Chiron."
"Yep, my boyfriend is a pretty trustworthy guy."
"How are you guys?" Percy asked.
"We're good. We hang out with Rachel a lot. Watch TV. Do normal Camp activities. Burn down the Lotus Hotel and Casino. Visit his mom-"
"Wait, you did what?!" Percy exclaimed.
"We decided we wanted to burn down the Lotus Hotel, so we did."
Annabeth looked at Nico. "Impressive. I'm glad it's gone. That place was horrible." She shivered.
"Annabeth, why didn't we burn it down years ago?" Percy asked her.
"We were too busy saving the world several times."
"True. Well, I'm glad someone burned it." Percy said.
After a few more minutes of silence, Nico decided to ask Percy a question. It had been on his mind for the past few weeks now, and he thought he should ask someone. "Percy?"
"Yeah?"
"Uh, I was wondering when you first told Annabeth that you loved her."
"It was Tartarus." Percy said. "Why were you asking?"
Nico felt his face heat up. "Um.....Well....I....Well, I want to tell Will I love him, but I'm scared." He twisted his skull ring.
Percy smiled. "You love him? That's awesome."
Nico looked at his feet. "Yeah, I don't know if he loves me, though."
Annabeth chimed in. "With me and Percy, it kind of just happened. To be fair, we were in literal Hell when that happened, though. It's different for everyone."
"I really do think he loves you, Nico. He's head over heels." Percy added.
"You really think so?"
"Totally!" Annabeth agreed.
"But, like, how am I supposed to say it?"
Percy smiled. "How about you practice on me?"
"What? No."
Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Percy, that's weird."
"No it's not! Nico doesn't like me like that anymore, it's fine!"
She shook her head. "It's just weird in general, seaweed brain. Anyways, just tell him. He would want to know. Find a good time, and tell him. That's my advice."
Nico smiled slightly. "Thanks, guys."
"No problem, man." Percy said. "We're here if you need anything. And hey, it's not just you. Tons of people get nervous about telling their significant other that they love them."
Hours after Sally, Paul, Will and Chiron went into the infirmary, they walked out. Sally was holding the baby in her arms, and she was all clean. The sun was coming up behind them. They had really been out there for a while. She stopped in front of the group. "Everyone, meet Estelle Blofis. Born March 20th, 4:33 AM."
Percy started crying as the baby was put in his arms. "I have a little sister." He choked out.
Annabeth was smiling brightly. "I'm so happy for you, Percy."
"Everything went pretty well. She had to get an episiotomy, but many people do." Will said. "And as I explained to Sally and Paul, Estelle probably has Poliosis. It's probably harmless, but I would check with a doctor just in case."
Nico didn't know what Will meant until he looked at Estelle more closely. Her hair was black with tufts of white mixed in. Nico didn't think he had seen hair like that on a baby before. It was adorable. She was adorable.
Percy, Annabeth, Paul and Sally kept on switching back and forth holding the baby. After a while, after she had been in Will's arms for a bit, Sally asked if Nico wanted to hold her.
That took him by surprise. "O-okay."
Will put the baby in his arms. She had a little onesie on.
"Hold her like this." Will said, moving Nico's hands.
Nico didn't think that he had ever held a newborn before.
He rocked her slowly in his arms, like he saw Will do with Chuck.
"You're going to be so loved." Nico told her quietly. "You have an awesome mother, an awesome father, an amazing big brother, and a very cool sister-in-law. Well, I assume to be a sister-in-law soon."
Percy stood next to Nico. "Hey, you're an uncle."
Without looking away from Estelle, he asked Percy what that meant.
"For one, both Big 3 kids. Big 3 kids share a certain bond. Plus, my mom has basically adopted you at this point."
"What makes you say that?"
"When you said that my mom reminded you of your mom, dude."
"Oh."
He held her for a little while longer, then passed her to Percy.
As they all held her, Will came over to him and grabbed his hand. "Don't worry, they're clean."
"They better be."
"This is like when we first ran into each other, back when Gaea tried to take over. I had just delivered a baby then."
"You were trying to flirt with me, weren't you? Telling me you delivered a baby, then holding my hands."
"Well, duh. Not my fault you didn't realize."
Nico sighed. "That wasn't a very good flirt, though."
Will laughed. "So it didn't work?"
"I didn't say that."
"So it did?"
"Maybe a little."
"Well then, it wasn't so bad, was it?"
"I guess not." He was silent for a few beats. "You know what I just realized? You're dad brought me here, to Camp. Back when I was 10. But it was you that made me stay. That's kind of poetic, don't you think?"