Author's note: I don't own any of the characters. They all belong to Rick Riordan.

Chapter One

The hospital hallway was quiet. Three men were gathered outside the door to the delivery wing. One man had spiky black hair and electric blue eyes and wore a pinstripe suit. Another had longish black hair pulled back in a short tail and black eyes and he had the palest complexion of the three. He wore all black and there was a silver skull pendant around his neck. The last man was tan and had smile lines around his eyes. He had tousled black hair and sea green eyes. He wore khaki shorts, a blue-green button up short sleeve shirt, and sandals.

The man with blue eyes was Zeus, god of the sky and king of the gods. The man with black eyes was Hades, god of the Underworld. The man with the sea-green eyes was Poseidon, god of the seas. The three waited in the hospital for their mortal lovers to give birth. Though there was no outward sign of emotion, each god was worrying for their lover. They had been in the delivery ward for a lot longer than they should have been.

Looking at them, no one would be able to tell that they were anything but human. They repressed their godly auras, not wanting anyone to suspect they were the most powerful beings on the planet. They were famed for their rivalries and disagreements. Well, they had been until two years ago.

Two years ago, Poseidon's lover Sally Jackson had been killed in a hit and run accident, leaving behind their three week old demigod son, Perseus. A year after that, Zeus' lover Susan Grace had given birth to their demigod daughter Thalia. Susan had proceeded to walk out of the hospital as soon as she was well enough, disappearing without a thought for the child she had brought into the world.

Poseidon had rushed to his son's side when he heard of Sally's death. He had argued with Zeus until he had been allowed to take Percy to his kingdom of Atlantis. Zeus had done the same with Thalia, taking her to Olympus. At first, Amphitrite had been furious when her husband had brought his illegitimate son to their home. It was the same story with Hera. But both women had grown attached to the two infant demigods, becoming the mothers they had been denied.

Now, all three men waited for the lover of Hades, Maria di Angelo, to give birth. They grew more and more tense as time passed. They all surged to their feet when a sweat covered doctor stepped out of the delivery ward and started towards them. The look on his face told them all they needed to know. Zeus and Poseidon comforted their brother as he started to sob. He couldn't believe it. His lover was dead.

The doctor waited a few moments before asking, "Sir, would you like to see your son?" Hades took a deep shuddering breath and nodded, wiping the tears off of his face. His brothers followed him as he followed the doctor to the nursery. They stood at the window and looked at the small infant that lay sleeping in front of them. All three were silent for a time as they simply stared at the child.

Eventually, the same doctor came up to them and asked Hades, "What are you going to name him, sir?" Hades' reply was immediate. "Nico," he said quietly, "His name is Nico."

A week later Hades took Nico home to the Underworld. Persephone wasn't happy at first. She refused to even look at the baby for two weeks. That all changed when one night, as she was wandering the halls, headed for her garden. She paused as she heard crying from the direction of the nursery. She only debated with herself for a moment before turning and heading towards the sound.

She hesitantly opened the door and slipped inside. Her progress across the room was slow and uncertain. She came to a stop beside the crib and her heart immediately softened when she saw the miserable baby wailing in the crib. She reached out and picked him up, instinctively rocking and swaying to calm him. He quieted almost immediately, staring soulfully up at her with eyes that changed from midnight blue to black and back again. The same eyes as her husband.

Persephone looked up when she heard a soft noise at the door and saw her husband watching the two of them. He walked over and stood next to her, both of them looking down at the baby she held. She gave a small sigh before leaning down and placing a soft kiss on Nico's forehead. That was the moment that Nico was accepted by his father's wife.