The sound of a crying baby filled the hallways and carried itself towards Athena and Nike's room.
"Not again." Athena sighed, still half asleep.
"It's your turn now." Nike muttered, turning around and snuggling deeper underneath the warm blanket.
"You're the one that wanted a baby. I told you me and babies don't mix." The daughter of Zeus grumbled.
"You're the one that agreed and said you'd try for me. I've gotten up the past two times. It's definitely your turn now." The angel responded.
"Ugh, fine." The wisdom goddess grunted.
At the snap of her fingers the small light on her bedside table turned itself on. The daughter of Zeus dragged herself out of bed, envying her wife, who got to stay.
Athena put on her robe and step by step she made her way through the hallway, down to the room next to her own.
As she made her way to her son's room she wondered how she even got here. Then she remembered.
It had been a messy week since Alexia first asked her question of wanting a sibling. In between their work whenever their daughter was free and saw either of the goddesses the same question escaped her mouth.
"Can I have a baby brother or sister?"
Over and over. Athena was haunted by it. Even in her sleep her daugter kept asking her for a baby sibling. She shruddred at the thought.
One night she shot up again. Nike woke up too from the movement next to her.
"Darling? Are you okay?" Her sleepy, but worried voice asked.
"Yeah... Yeah, I'm fine.." The wisdom goddess said, trying to catch her breath.
When she layed back down she could feel Nike's hand on her chest. A warm feeling spread through her because of the angel's touch, calming the daughter of Zeus.
"This is about the sibling thing again isn't it?" The victory goddess asked.
Athena didn't reply. Saying it out loud sounded silly and denying it was equally stupid.
"Look, I told you, it doesn't have to be a baby if you're not comfortable with it." Nike said, placing her head on her wife's shoulder.
"Except it kinda does have to be a baby because Alexia has been specifically asking for 'a little baby brother or sister'."
Nike couldn't argue with that. Alexia had been very persistent and had never once asked for anything else.
"So a baby it is, why are you so worried? You're a great mother to Alexia, why would this be different?" The angel wondered.
"Because Alexia is old enough to start understanding games I can play. She can read and actually talk. It's hard enough trying to keep her entertained when you were never a kid. Let alone a baby. What am I supposed to do with it?" Athena said, letting all her worries stream out in a waterfall of words.
"Darling, little kids are harder to entertain than a baby, trust me. But, even so, that's not the only thing you're worried about is it?" Nike questioned, digging a little deeper.
If they were going to do this, which they probably were seeing as Athena promised if Alexia kept asking for a week. She wanted to get rid of every doubt or worry her wife had. This could only work if the two of them were fully commited.
"What if the baby and I don't connect? With Alexia you were the one that made that happen because you gave her Aegis. What if it doesn't happen now?" The daughter of Zeus admitted.
"It won't." The victory goddess decided.
"What do you mean 'it wont'?"
"Because you're going to give birth to it." Nike said, as a plan started forming in her head.
Honestly if she'd have known her wife would be proud.
"I'm going to what?!" Athena exclaimed.
"Shhh. Alexia." Her wife sushed her.
"You've got to be kidding me." The wisdom goddess continued in a lower tone.
"Why is it such a problem? You've done it before."
"Demigods yes. Not actual gods! I've never been attracted like that to another deity."
"Ahem? Ever thought about your wife?" Nike grumbled.
"Of course, but we had Alexia, the need was never there. What if I can't do it?"
"Oh you will be able to, I'll make sure of that." The angel smirked.
Athena shook her head, pushing the memories to the back of her mind. When she opened the door to the baby's room the crying became a little louder.
At another snap of her fingers a dimmed light was lit. The baby seemed to know it meant someone was coming to his aid, because the crying became less intense.
"You little.." Athena started muttering.
The moment she stood next to the cradle, to see how her son was doing, the baby started laughing. He seemed to enjoy keeping his moms awake.
"Stop enjoying this." The wisdom goddess said to him, not able to hide her own smile.
When she stuck out a hand towards the baby to touch him he grabbed onto her fingers. He brought them to his mouth.
"I don't think so." Athena said, swiftly freeing her hand from her son's grip.
She didn't feel like having baby spit on her hands tonight. Frankly, not ever. But alas such is the way of a mother.
Behind her the goddess heard footsteps. They were tiney and soft. If she wasn't trained to hear every sound she would've missed it for sure.
"Momma? Why was Daemon crying?" The voice of Alexia asked.
Athena turned around. She saw her daughter, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Her hair was all over the place and her pj's messy from sleep.
"Because Daemon likes attention and I think he's hungry." The goddess stated.
Alexia walked up to her.
"Is he going to cry again? The girl wondered.
"Because I'm tired."
"No. I'm taking him to me and mommy's room. He'll be quiet once he's eaten a bit and when he sleeps with us. Then you can sleep too." Athena said in a gentle tone, combing her fingers through her daughter's auburn hair.
"Can I sleep with you and mommy too?" Alexia asked, a little jealous that her little brother would have both their moms for himself.
"I don't see why not." The wisdom goddess smiled.
Her night was already ruined anyway. Daemon had been keeping them up more than once tonight. She might as well enjoy it no?
Athena bent down and picked Daemon up out of his crib. With the little boy resting on her arm and Alexia holding the other the goddess left the baby's room and walked back to her own.
"Rise and shine angel." Athena smirked, knowing very well the angel would prefer sleep.
The victory goddess muttered something incoherent. Than she turned around.
"Alexia? Why are you awake honey?" Nike asked.
"Daemon woke me up." The girl responded, hopping onto her parents' bed.
"Did he now?"
The girl nodded, crawling next to her mommy and snuggling into her embrace.
"Alexia, will you hold him for a moment?" Athena asked, knowing her daughter loved holding her little brother.
"Yes, but not too long. I'm tired." The girl stated.
Both her moms chuckled at her statement. Carefully Athena handed Daemon to his older sister.
With her hands free now, the daughter of Zeus got into bed with the rest of her family. As soon as she was she summoned a bottle of milk for the little boy, who was still grabbing for fingers to put in his mouth.
"You want to give this to him?" Athena asked Alexia.
The girl nodded taking the bottle from her mother's hand and giving it to her brother.
The wisdom goddess layed back and relaxed. Her wife kept an eye on the kids so she could just...
She didn't even finish the thought and closed her eyes. In a matter of moments the goddess fell asleep.
When she was done feeding her brother Alexia handed the bottle to Nike who made it disappear.
"Mommy?" She asked, still holding her baby brother, who laughed at her.
"How are babies born?"
"Well-" The victory goddess started as the memories flooded her brain.
"AAARGHH!"
Nike felt Athena trashing around next to her. When she turned on the light she could see Athena grabbing for her head, twisting herself in the most unthinkable ways, trying to escape the pain.
"Nike! Get Hephaestus! Now!" Her wife urged her.
"Are you sure? Are you going to be okay?" The angel questioned, slightly panicking.
"Now!" Athena exclaimed, digging her nails into her scalp.
The victory goddess got up out of bed and snapped her fingers to get dressed. A moment later she materialized in Hephaestus' workshop.
"Hephaestus!" Nike called out, her voice echoing of the walls.
"What?" A distand grumble asked.
She flew in the direction of the voice where she found the blacksmith half asleep on his drawing table.
"It's Athena. It's time." The victory goddess urged.
"It's the middle of the night, can't she wait?" Hephaestus grumbled, wanting to go back to sleep.
"As a matter of fact she can't. Besides, why are you complaining? You get to split open her head with an axe."
"I suppose when you put it like that." The blacksmith mumbled.
"I'll be right there." He said, getting up and shooing the angel on her way out.
Nike shook her head and materialized back into her room where Athena was still trying to escape the painful throb in her head. She was sweating and her breathing was heavy.
The angel took place next to her wife taking her head in her lap, forcing Athena to stop trashing around.
"It's alright. He'll be right here and with one swing, it'll all be over." The angel said, although she didn't know if she was trying to reassure herself or her wife.
"One swing..." Athena muttered, squeezing her eyes shut.
A couple of moments later Hephaestus arrived with a sharp, double bladed axe.
"Alright little sister. You know how this goes. Stay still." He grunted.
"Step aside victory."
Nike did, she turned her head away as Hephaestus struck her wife's head. A moment later the sound of a crying baby filled the room and everybody's ears.
"There. Next time if I'm asleep, you wait until I'm awake." The blacksmith grumbled at his sister, hiding the slight happiness he felt for her and her wife.
Without another word he flashed himself away once more.
When Nike cast a look at her wife she saw her laying in the bed with a baby boy in her arms. She had managed to soothe him a bit. How was this woman afraid she was going to be a terrible mother?
The only evidence of her struggle and the swing of the axe was the line of ichor that stained Athena's forehead and her sweaty body.
"Nike, come meet him." Athena said, still out of breath, but looking up at her wife with a tired smile.
The angel couldn't hide her own smile as she stepped closer.
"Hey little guy." She whispered, stroking her finger over his cheek.
"He's wonderful." The victory goddess said, kissing her wife.
"He is." Athena agreed.
"He deserves a name don't you think?" She added.
"Something modern, but at the same time something old that reminds everyone of his heritage." Nike muttered.
The wisdom goddess nodded in thought.
"What about Daemon?" She asked when the name popped into her mind.
"Spirit." The angel automatically translated.
"I think it's perfect." She grinned, kissing her wife once more.
"Daemon it is then." The daughter of Zeus mumbled, staring at the baby boy in her arms.
"-That's something you're going to have to ask your mom when she wakes up." Nike chuckled.