/break\

Paul nearly had a heart-attack when Sally's phone went off in the middle of the night, blaring Imagine Dragons' Thunder. Right next to his head. In the middle of the night.

"Thunder, feel the thunder, lighting and the thunder!"

"Sally. Sally, wake up. Our son-in-law is calling", groaned Paul, shaking his wife.

Sally grunted sleepily and reached out for her phone. "Jason? What's wrong?"

"I—I... I don't know what to do, Sally. I don't... VJ won't stop crying and coughing and I don't know what to do and it's the middle of the night and I don't..."

"Jason. Hey. Hey, kid, calm down", whispered Sally gently as she sat up. "Percy left you Mrs. O'Leary, right? Take her and come over. I'll help. It'll be okay."

The call disconnected and Paul sighed heavily. "What's going on?"

"VJ is sick and Jason is having a melt-down", sighed Sally. "Time to get up."

Both of them barely had time to put on their robes and then get out into the living room, where Mrs. O'Leary just exited the shadows. Jason climbed off her back, wearing worn-out sweat-pants and a blue hooded jacket that definitely belonged to Percy. He looked like he hadn't slept in three days.

"Hey, if it isn't my favorite grandson", whispered Sally gently, smiling. "Give him to me."

Carefully did she take the baby from Jason. VJ looked up at her with sea-green eyes, his blonde fluffy hair ruffled. He was rasping badly. Frowning, Sally carried him over to the bathroom.

"Leave him to her. Come, I'll make us coffee", grunted Paul, patting Jason on the shoulder.

"He's sick", muttered Jason, rubbing his face. "He's sick and I'm useless and Percy will-"

"Percy will fuss, like you're fussing, but he's not gonna blame you for your son getting sick", interrupted Paul gently but firmly. "Come on. Coffee, sleep, tomorrow things will look better."

Mrs. O'Leary whined as she got comfortable on the floor in the living room while Paul and Jason went to get coffee. Looking Jason over again, Paul judged that the boy probably hadn't eaten in at least a day either, so he placed the box of left-over pizza from dinner in front of him.

"Eat something", ordered Paul. "You look awful, kid."

Sighing, Jason accepted coffee and pizza at three in the morning. "I'm sorry I woke you."

"Don't be sorry, Jason", chided Paul with a frown, sitting down opposite him. "You're family. Believe me, I freaked out the first time Laura was sick and Sally was out too. She was visiting Percy in New Rome and Laura got a fever and I thought I was going to die. You and me, we're absolutely useless without the Jacksons in our life."

"We are", sighed Jason and took deep gulps from his coffee. "I miss him so much. It's stupid. I mean, it's not the first time we're apart. He's been on plenty of away-games with the team. Even after we had VJ. But... But now that he's sick and... I lose my head so easily over this, because I feel like I can do everything as long as I have Percy at my side. Without him..."

"You're helpless", ended Paul with a fond smile. "I'm the same with Sally. Or rather, without her."

"Dad? Dad, why are you awa—Jason!"

Bare feet patted into the kitchen and then came a squeak. The next moment, Jason's sister-in-law collided with him. Laura Blofis grinned broadly up at him, her brown curls a mess from having just woken up, azure-blue eyes sparkling as she looked at him. It had been fairly easy to wrap her around his little finger; she had barely been a toddler when Percy and Jason had first gotten together as teens, two years after the Giant War. Three years later, Percy and Jason got engaged. It was another year later that the two got married – it was a beautiful beach wedding at Camp Half-Blood, Chiron officiating it, with Leo and Grover as their best men and Laura as the flower-girl.

And a bit over a year after their wedding, Jason and Percy learned that apparently, Jason inherited one of his father's trades – giving birth through a thought. Jason and Percy had been talking a lot about children by then, Jason was twenty-four, Percy was twenty-five. Both of them were working, Jason as a social worker and Percy as a teacher and swim-coach in New Rome. Both were around kids all day, so it felt nearly natural to think about it, about what it would be like to be dads. And then, one morning, they just woke up to this beautiful, perfect little baby-boy laying between them in their bed - with Percy's sea-green eyes and Jason's golden-blonde hair.

"What are you doing here, Jay? Is Percy here too?", asked Laura eagerly.

"No. Perce is on an away-game with his team", grinned Jason, ruffling Laura's hair.

"Is my nephew here?", wanted Laura to know next.

"VJ is with your mom. But he's not feeling well", sighed Jason. "But you can play with Mrs. O'Leary. She's in the living room. Maybe you could bring her some food or water?"

"Oh! Ye—es!", exclaimed Laura excitedly. "I love playing with her."

"Honey, you need to... oh, why am I even trying?", sighed Paul fondly and shook his head. "She is as excitable as her brother, you know. There is no going back to bed for her now..."

"I really hope VJ doesn't take after Percy in that", muttered Jason mortified.

Paul chuckled at that and filled Jason's cup again. "Victor's probably gonna turn out even worse considering he has both your DNAs. Let's just pray he won't manifest his powers too early."

Jason made a high-pitched, terrified sound. The last thing he needed was for their son to make it rain over his bed, or control the electricity in their house, or... who knew what.

"Jason?", whispered Sally gently. "Come."

Stiffly, Jason got up and followed Sally to the bathroom, where everything was very steamy and... VJ was sleeping peacefully in a laundry basket. Staring surprised, Jason turned toward Sally.

"He'll be fine. The steam helps open up the lungs", assured Sally, resting a hand on Jason's shoulder. "I know this is scary. You're still a young dad. But your son is stronger than you think. He'll be fine. And you, young man, you need some sleep too. You look awful."

But before they could leave the bathroom, Jason pulled Sally into a tight hug. "Thank you. T... Thank you, I don't know what I'd be doing without you. Thalia is nearly always gone and... and my mother is... dead and you're... I don't really remember what it was like having a mom, but ever since I got together with Percy, you've been... you've been the mom I never had."

"Oh, of course, sweetie", chuckled Sally gently, wrapping her arms around him in return. "You are my son now. You married Percy, you made him happier than I've ever seen him and you gave me my first grandchild. You are part of this family and I will always be here for you, okay?"

Jason nodded and swallowed his tears before following Sally over to Percy's old bedroom that now mainly served as guest-room and VJ's bedroom when he stayed over for a weekend. Jason pulled out the sleep-couch and just collapsed face first on it, exhausted beyond belief.

"That boy is in over his head", whispered Paul as he stepped up next to Sally.

"I already texted Percy and told him to come to us when the game is won", agreed Sally.

"Laura is eating pizza in the living room", tagged Paul out after a long moment.

"Of course she is", chuckles Sally and shook her head. "You can't say no to her at all. Why don't you go ahead to bed, I'll make sure our daughter goes to bed too, mh?"

"You're a saint and angel, Sally", sighed Paul and kissed his wife.

/break\

Percy frowned doubtfully as he attempted to side-step a sleeping Mrs. O'Leary. He had gotten a cryptic text from his mom last night, but when he found her in the bathroom, everything steamy and VJ nestled against her chest, things made more sense. Sighing, he stepped up to them and kissed the top of her head, reaching out to gently caress his son's cheek.

"Jay panicked?", guessed Percy with a fond look. "I swear, VJ sneezes once, Jay's already getting our coats to bring him to see a doctor. VJ actually being sick..."

"He panicked spectacularly", confirmed Sally fondly. "I calmed him down. And VJ is already better too. Your husband is asleep on the couch in the guest-room. Join him before breakfast? Laura is looking forward to seeing her favorite big brother, you know?"

"You're the best, mom", grinned Percy, kissing her temple. "And you, young man, I hope you didn't stress grandma out too much, mh. Wanna come with me and check on papa?"

Yawning widely, because he had been flying all night to get to his family, Percy took his son from his mother. He smiled faintly when he entered his old bedroom. There was a baby-bed in it, for VJ, and a fold-out couch. Jason was sprawled out on the couch, wearing Percy's hoodie. Holding VJ with one arm, Percy grabbed a blanket with his free hand and then joined his husband on the couch, sneaking in and throwing the blanket over them both. Instantly, Jason started waking up, blinking bleary-eyed.

"Good morning, Mister Grace", whispered Percy with a smile, leaning in to kiss Jason's cheek.

"Morning, Coach Grace", yawned Jason. "How'd the race go?"

"Oh, we won. Which, not a surprise. My kids are the best", grinned Percy broadly.

He snuggled in against his husband, their son tucked between them. For a little while, they talked softly, until exhaustion from last night overcame them and they fell asleep arm in arm. That was how Laura found them two hours later when she wanted to get her big brother to make blueberry pancakes (mom's were great, but Percy made the best blueberry pancakes). And when Sally came to check on them another hour later, Percy had his little sister tucked under one arm, holding VJ in his other arm and with his head resting on Jason's chest, all four deep asleep. Sally smiled at that.

~*~ The End ~*~