The birth

"Are you sure you don't want me to wish for an easy birth?"

"I'm sure." Annabeth nodded. "The ritual requires a natural birth."

"OK, just checking," Jason said, but his eyes still showed concern.

Annabeth has explained to him that among the magic she learned, there was a ritual that allowed a mother to transfer her intelligence to her child during birth. That's how her grandmother Methis gave the wisdom of her mother Athena.

Jason leaned forward to hand her a glass. "Drink some water. You're sweating a lot."

"Thank you." Annabeth took the glass and drank it whole.

After inhaling a deep breath, she knelt down on a blanket, feeling her labor getting worse, and moaned in pain. All she wanted to do was to scream at the top of her lung, but she must save her energy to push later on.

"OW! Oh fuck, it hurts!" Annabeth said, holding herself up with one hand braced on the edge of the bed, the other clutching her hard, painful belly.

Jason got up from the chair in the corner of the bedroom and stood behind her. "I can make the pain go away. Allow me?"

"No! It—it hurts so much, but I can bear this pain," Annabeth sobbed, but her tone was full of determination,"I'm a heroine, and I want to share my brave to our child."

"OOOoooOOO!" Swaying her hips side to side, Annabeth rubbed her back with her hands. "It is okay little one.... Your time to come back into this world is coming closer now," She told Jason, "This will be the last time I do this One childbirth is enough for the lifetime."

"Are you sure? Because I love to put more babies in your belly, and I don't think you are going to refuse."

"This is not the time t—oh!" Annabeth said, and grabbed her belly. "Here we go again."

She closed her eyes and moaned, a low, guttural sound. As the time passed moan shifted octaves and became a high-pitched scream.

Jason reached out and touched her hand, and she smiled at the contact.

"I can feel the baby. I can feel his head. It's too big. That's all your fault."

Jason could see the baby crowing too: "Yes, yes, that's all my fault. Now, push!"

"FUUUCK" She groaned, "I think that is the baby's shoulder, moving through my pelvis." Annabeth looked up and grinned "—Ready to be a father?" She asked.

"Yes. I'm a hero too, and I want to take this challenge. Please push for me."

Annabeth's tired body gave a final push and their baby dropped out into Jason's hands. The room was filled with her startled cries.

"Congratulations, we have a daughter. Do you want to name her?"

"No, I need to rest. I give this honor to you."

After a moment of thinking, Jason said: "We'll name her Sophia, which means wisdom in Greek."