Chapter Text
Athena hadn't said anything, but she had been hovering a little closer to Hera the entire day, not anxiously, but with that almost uncanny caution that told Hera her daughter felt there was something different.
She lay down with the girl that evening, heart swelling at how easily Athena curled into her arms. It had been seven years since the early days after the crash, four since she was officially hers even in the eyes of the law, but Hera did not take her daughter's affection for granted.
"You wanna talk about something, right?" Athena asked in a small voice.
Hera stroked her hair.
"Very perceptive, baby. Yes, I have something I want to tell you."
Athena looked up at her, grey eyes shrewd.
"Can I guess?"
Hera frowned, amused.
"Sure, you can guess."
Athena hesitated, throat working. Her fingers bunched Hera's shirt nervously.
"Are you- are you gonna have a baby?"
For a moment, Hera was speechless.
"I can't see it, that's not what I meant," Athena continued hastily. "You look like always. But you keep touching your stomach... for a few weeks now. At first I thought it was hurting but you don't act like that, so I thought maybe... It's probably wrong, I'm sorry, Mom."
Hera hugged her more tightly, chuckling in disbelief.
"No, sweetheart, you are dead on the money. I just can't believe you noticed that, you're so observant and sweet. Yes, you're gonna have another sibling."
She watched the girl anxiously, unsure of her reaction.
Athena smiled cautiously.
"Pallas is gonna lose it when I tell her," she said softly. She wrapped her arms more tightly around her mom.
"Probably," Hera agreed. "And how are you feeling about it?"
"I'm happy," Athena said, though it sounded a bit automatic. "I- I hope they'll like me."
Hera kissed the top of her head.
"Of course they will, darling. You'll be their big sister, and I know you'll be great with them. They won't be able to help loving you."
Athena nodded, though her brow remained furrowed.
"Does Ares know yet?"
Hera shook her head.
"I wanted to wait to tell you in person, not over the phone, and you know he could never keep that secret from you."
That got a smile out of the girl. Her gaze traveled to Hera's stomach.
"Can you feel them yet?"
Hera smiled.
"Not quite yet, it's a bit early. Probably in the next weeks sometime."
"How old are they?" Athena asked, her hand gingerly touching her mom's belly anyway.
"About three months," Hera said.
"But you knew for ages then," Athena said, sounding slightly hurt.
Hera stroked her hair.
"For a little bit, yeah. Dad and I thought very carefully about when to tell you, because we don't want you and Ares to have to keep it secret from your friends and from the rest of the family, and now's a good time. It's not because we don't trust you, we just want to make it easier. It'll be a big change."
Athena nodded thoughtfully.
"But can you call me when you feel them?" she asked quietly. "Right away?"
Hera nodded.
"Promise."
Athena settled her head against Hera's chest the way she had done when she was smaller.
"Do you have a name yet?"
"No. I was hoping you'd help me find one. You do not want to know what Dad wanted to name Ares, he is banned from naming kids forever."
Athena giggled.
"No, I wanna know!"
Hera laughed.
"You will not believe me. He wanted to call him Khrysopelex."
Athena snorted.
"What kinda name is that?"
"I have no idea. No name my child is getting, that's for sure. We have to save this one from a similar fate."
Athena nodded, serious.
"I'll find a book. I hope the school library has one on names... they might not, though. Not many moms looking for baby names there."
"I have some from when I was looking for names for Ares. You can take some to school and look through them if you want."
Athena nodded eagerly.
"When will you know if it's a boy or a girl?"
"In a few weeks when I go for an ultrasound, maybe. It depends how they're positioned whether you can see. Ares was not very cooperative back in the day. But I think we should pick boy- and girl names, just to be sure we don't get surprised when they're born, don't you think?"
Athena nodded. Naturally, she was in favor of the safer option.
She was quiet for a bit and Hera sensed something else was coming.
"Would you have had them sooner if not for me?" she asked quietly.
Hera looked at her, heart aching at the unspoken question.
"Maybe," she replied truthfully. "And maybe I would not have another baby at all. It's impossible to say."
Athena looked at her own hand resting on her mom's stomach.
"Did you want three kids?"
Hera closed her eyes briefly, then pulled the girl closer.
"Thea. I know what you're asking. And I can assure you, no matter how things came to be the way they are, no matter how little we planned it, you've been such a gift in my life. I don't love Ares more than you, and I won't love the little one more than you either. You're my baby, Thea, and you will always be, no matter what happens. We're having a baby because we want to give you and Ares another sibling, not because you're not enough for us."
Athena didn't reply, but she buried her face in Hera's shirt and let herself be held, and Hera hoped that maybe, she believed it a little bit.