"I'm home," Percy called into the seemingly empty apartment, hoping Annabeth was there. "Hello? I'm home!"

Percy sighed and placed his keys on the counter, assuming she was working overtime. Again.

He slipped off his light jacket and headed to the windows. He cracked them open slightly and listened to the hum of birds outside the window. It was now officially March, and the weather was starting to clear up.

As Percy breathed in the cool air from outside, he heard sniffles. At first he thought he was just hearing New York traffic, but as he listened more intently, he realized they were coming from inside his apartment.

Alarmed, he hastily shut the window and pulled Riptide from his pocket. He threw the cap on the floor and the pen turned into a mighty and glowing bronze sword.

He headed into the bedroom where he heard the sound and shoved open the door. He scanned the room before setting his eyes on the bathroom.

He shoved the door of the bathroom open and rushed in, prepared for the worst.

Instead of seeing a hideous monster prepared to fight, he saw his wife, Annabeth, balled on the floor. Her face was tucked in her knees and tears were streaming down her face.

Percy dropped Riptide to the ground with a large clank and slid next to her, wrapping his arm around her as he did.

"Hey," he whispered in her ear as she slowly flung herself onto his chest. "Everything's going to be okay."

He didn't have to ask why she was crying-he knew. He'd been in the same position as her a few times over the past three months.

"What was it this time?" he asked as she wiped her face free of tears.

She shrugged. "I dunno. It's just....my co-worker was on paternity leave and today they-they brought in their little daughter...."

She heaved a sob off her chest before composing herself.

"That'll be you, okay? Some day," Percy assured her unsuccessfully.

"No! It won't!" Annabeth cried as she shoved herself off the bathroom floor. "It's not going to be me someday because of how big my mouth was as a teenager. Hera's cursed me, you know that!"

Percy opened his mouth to argue, but her argument was well thought through. Hera and Annabeth have been feuding forever, and since Hera was the goddess of motherhood, it seemed unlikely that she'd let Annabeth go into her domain.

"Maybe we could go see a specialist-" he suggested half heartedly.

Annabeth snorted. "Try and have a mortal intervene with Hera's business? Unlikely."

Percy didn't know what to say. She was making all of this so difficult, and it was his job to console her. But this time he couldn't.

"Then screw it," he shouted, much to her surprise. "Let's just take all the money we've been saving and blow it. You can finally subscribe to those fancy architectural magazines, and I can finally have the car of my dreams-a Maserati!"

Annabeth glared down at him. "You r-really think so?"

He nodded and stood up. "Of course I do. This is what we want. We can finally start living."

Annabeth felt her mouth grow dry. All she wanted was a baby-and now Percy was convincing her against it. "You don't even want to see the mortal doctor?"

"Nope."

"Adoption?"

"Too risky. Do you want to put a mortal child's life at risk?" Percy asked. Annabeth sighed. She knew he was right, so she just sucked up her pride and nodded.

A grin appeared on his face, although the two both knew it was fake. "I'll go to the dealers. You wanna come?"

"No, no," Annabeth replied with a laugh. "You have fun."

"Oh, I will," Percy said with a wink as he swung out of the bathroom. Annabeth waited in the bathroom until she was certain Percy had left. She didn't want him to see her at her weakest point.

She'd promised herself never to ask this goddess for help, yet she found herself setting up and altar on the counter.

She sprinkled rose petals around a few apples and got to her knees, and then she intertwined her hands in prayer.

"O, almighty goddess, Aphrodite, hear my prayer," she begged. After pleading for several minutes straight with no answer, she felt seriously stupid. "This is what I get, huh? A dozen quests and no answers to my pity prayers..."

She disassembled her makeshift altar and headed into the bedroom, her eyes suddenly feeling droopy.

The second her head hit the pillow, she was out, and it was a much needed miracle.

After a few minutes of a dreamless sleep, Annabeth found herself in the empty Olympus thrown room. The hearth was burning, yet Hestia was no where to be seen.

"A little birdy told me that you've been praying to me!" a giggly voice said, making Annabeth turn. A gorgeous woman with full deep lips and ringlets of deep and luscious curls stood at the entrance of the throne room. She was dressed in a simple white Ancient Greece styled dress with gold accents.

"Aphrodite?" Annabeth asked wearily. She laughed and make her way to her throne.

"Does my visit surprise you? I answer the prayers sent up to me," she responded simply and innocently, although Annabeth knew that wasn't true.

She shrugged. "I-I just needed your help. Percy and I-"

"Want kids. I know," she said with a frantic eye roll. "That's three months ago tabloids! We all know that, Annabeth. And I think I know why you're praying to me."

"Yes, you know why." She swallowed. "Could-could you help me?"

"I would love to!" she said happily. Annabeth's face grew a smile. "But you see, Hera is my mother-in-law, and I can't disobey her orders."

Annabeth's heart sunk. She knew it was too good to be true.

"But I suppose she wouldn't have to know it was me as long as no one tells her," Aphrodite said with several winks. "Now, you are going to be waking up soon. I want you to go to your bathroom. You'll find several tests there, take them. And keep this on the down low, if you know what I mean."

Annabeth blinked and tried to let her happiness override Aphrodite's strangeness. "Thank you, goddess. You are truly amazing."

Aphrodite blushed. "There's no need to gush like that over me! Now go, go!"

With the snap of her fingers, Annabeth awoke, feeling strangely rejuvenated. She immediately ran to the bathroom to check if her dream was just a dream.

When she opened the door, she was shocked. An unmarked box sat on the counter, and she peered up to the heavens. She opened the box and looked inside. Exactly what she was expecting.

~

"I'm home!" Percy yelled as he parked his brand new cherry red Maserati on the curb outside his apartment building. He peered up at the window he'd left open and wondered if Annabeth had heard him.

He quickly pulled out his phone and clicked on her contact. After several rings, she picked up. "Hey! I'm home."

"R-really?" Annabeth asked, her voice sounding shaky. Percy wondered if she'd been crying again.

"Yeah, come out here," he said, "this car is amazing! I can't wait to show you all the cool features it has."

Annabeth swallowed before responding. "S-sure. I'll be out there in a minute. I just have to grab a coat..."

Her voice trailed off before she hung up. Percy stared at the grand stairs leading to their apartment building and wondered how long it would take her to get down there.

She'd seemed different on the phone, making Percy worried. But it was probably nothing, right?

The doors opened and Annabeth walked out, wearing an oversized sweater and a smile. Her face was red from crying, making Percy worries again.

"Hey!" he called to her, waving her over to the car. Annabeth nodded and rushed over to him. "So, this car has everything! Heated seats, Bluetooth radio and speakers, a roof-"

"I'm pregnant."

Percy stopped in his tracks. He turned away from the car to face her. Tears started welling in her eyes again. "....it also has built in WiFi."

Annabeth laughed quietly and bit her lip. "Did you hear me?"

Percy nodded. "I-I think so...? So, is it, uh, true...?"

"Yes, Seaweed Brain," she muttered and pulled out the test she'd been concealing. Percy's eyes grew wider as he carefully approached her.

Then he pulled her into a hug. "Does this mean I have to return the car?"