This is a one shot to go along with my Fighting Fate/Tempting Fate series. It takes place before Fighting Fate, centered around Apollo and Addie.

This one shot is dedicated to my very good friend, Martyna. Her birthday was a couple of weeks ago, and she's had this head cannon for quite some time. I hope you all enjoy!

-Addie-

1962

This game was not going well….at all.

Apollo owned over half of the monopoly board, either a hotel or a slew of houses on every one. He'd already beaten out Dionysus, Artemis, and Urban, leaving just the two of us. They gave up watching long ago. The last thing I wanted to do after two harrowing days at Ares's beck and call was play a board game, but when immortals ask, you do it.

"Addie, no one would blame you for quitting," he teased me. I rolled the dice, thankful that I landed on my property instead of his. The only reason I was still in this thing was due to the fact that I received everyone else's property before they went bankrupt or quit. They'd rather sell out to me than Apollo. Artemis was the last to quit, shouting something about her egotistical brother and practically throwing all of her property and money into my lap before ordering me to try and beat him.

Hence, why I was still here at two in the morning.

Apollo landed on my Marvin Gardens, earning me a small sum of money. He grudgingly handed it over before I rolled.

Park Place. Son of Hades!

If I wasn't so tired, I would have cursed. Instead, I handed over what he gave me times three. I put my head in my hands, wondering how much longer this would take before I went bankrupt.

"Addie, we really can quit," he muttered. I looked up, those ancient eyes studying me.

"I can't quit," I stated.

"I could order you to."

"And then get the headache from hell? No thank you. Your sister told me to try and beat you. Those are going to clash. Just roll the dice. We both know how this will end."

"Actually, we don't," he pointed out with a soft smile. "I have the higher probability, sure, but it's still anyone's game."

"If you call it quits, that means I win. You don't like to lose, Apollo."

"Not in my nature, no."

I groaned in frustration before hitting my head against the table. All I wanted to do was sleep. The dice hit the board, and I looked up briefly to see Apollo land on a community chest space. He read the card, flashing it to me to show me it was a get out of jail free card. Boy, could I use one of those in real life. For a second, I just imagined the look on the council's, on Ares's, face if I whipped one of those out.

I reached for the dice, but Apollo cleared his throat, making me pause.

"How about a wager?" His eyes sparkled with mirth.

"A wager?"

"You roll an even number, you win. You roll an odd, I win, and you have to do something for me tomorrow."

"You can order me to do anything you like," I countered.

"Sure, but it will be more fun this way. Plus, you wouldn't be as mad with me."

I narrowed my eyes. I had no clue what he had in mind tomorrow, but I didn't like the sound of it.

"If you get something, then I should get something if I win."

He looked thoughtful for a minute. "I'll give you a week off."

"Why do I have a feeling that you are setting me up to fail?"

"I guess you'll just have to trust me, darling." I played with the dice, weighing my odds. I knew I wasn't going to win, that much was obvious. Apollo wasn't one to mess with me like the others. He was a friend, but that nagging feeling still tore at me, screaming to not trust an immortal. I peeked up at him, warm amber eyes meeting mine, nothing but kindness in them. "Either way, you get to sleep in."

That pretty much sold it for me. We shook on it before I picked up the dice. I rolled, the first die landing on a six, and the second…. landed on a five.

Apollo grinned before waving his hand. The game disappeared.

"You knew," I spat weakly. He simply shrugged his shoulders.

"Come see me when you wake up, Addie. Tomorrow is going to be fun."

"No, no, no, no. Absolutely not."

This was something out of my worst nightmares. In front of me was something I was quite familiar with thanks to Apollo. His fucking chariot, currently in the form of a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT Series II. The only reason I knew the model is because he obsessed over it every single time we talked.

"You need to learn how to drive, Addie. You've been avoiding it for years."

I'd been avoiding it for more than just a few years, more like fifty. We'd been on this road before, Apollo and I. He tried to teach me to drive when the first automobiles came out. It ended with his chariot/car almost in a wreck. I shook my head, moving away from the vehicle. There was no way in Hades I was going through this again.

"Why in the free world would you want to do this again!?"

"Last time, you were a nervous wreck."

"And this time it's changed!?"

"You didn't do a bad job."

I took yet another step back.

"You drove it when it was in chariot form," he admonished me with a grin. "I remember you liking driving my chariot."

"Because it was a chariot, Apollo, not some crazy, metal contraption fueled by gasoline!"

"Technically, it's fueled by the sun."

I rolled my eyes and shot him a withering glare. He was being impetuous. With any other immortal on the council, that would have earned me a whole lot of trouble. "You know I've never wanted to learn to drive these things. Change it back, and I'll be happy to drive you around."

"You love to ride a horse, do you not? I seem to remember you taking off, riding Pegasus or whatever kind you could get your hands on, flying at breakneck speed."

He knew I loved to ride, so I didn't answer. "What's the point?"

"A car is better, faster. You just need to get the hang of it. That's what today is for."

I looked down at the ground, anxiety flooding my system. There was so many things that could go wrong with this. What if I wrecked it? That was pretty much the equivalent of breaking Zeus's lightning bolt in half, and I knew what would happen there. Me, now a pile of zapped ash.

"Addie?"

I raised my head, Apollo just a breath away from me. He was close, but he never crossed that line that I'd drawn so long ago. He knew. He understood. His eyes searched mine, reading way more into them than I liked.

"What are you scared of?" I opened my mouth but nothing would come out. It's not that I was scared of him, but…I was scared that this god that I called my friend would no longer be that, that a mistake could unleash that volatility he seemed to cage around me. He held out his hand, an offer that I knew I could refuse if I wanted. Tentatively, I placed my hand in his, which he gave the gentlest squeeze. His eyes were so bright, so warm. "I'd never hurt you, Addie."

"Even if I wreck your chariot?" I murmured as I squeezed his hand.

"Even if you wrecked my chariot. I'd make you help me fix it, and I probably wouldn't be happy. But it's a moot point because I'm not going to let it happen."

"How?" I laughed.

"I'm a god," he pointed out, tapping my nose. "I can do anything I want." His expression sobered. "If you really don't want to learn, you don't have to. I'm not forcing you."

I thought about it for a minute, studying the car. "You promise that you won't let me wreck?"

The corner of his mouth tipped up. "I swear it on the Styx."

I took a deep breath before nodding my head. He gave me an encouraging smile before leading me to the car.

"Now, press the clutch and put it into the next gear."

I did as he asked, grateful that this time, there was no resistance as I shifted gears. The car moved smoothly along, the wind blowing our hair all over the place. Apollo waved his hand, a ball cap appearing in it. He sat it on my head, turned backwards, which helped keep my hair out of my face. I glanced over at him, happy that I seemed to be getting the hang of this.

"Go ahead," he urged, pointing to the shifter. "Let her loose!"

I changed gears again, the car speeding ahead. I let out a laugh. Apollo was right; I loved the speed. The road flew underneath us. The air was warm, a prefect early summer day. The sun shone bright, only a few clouds in the sky.

"Take a left up here."

I slowed down, the gears creaking just slightly as I downshifted. I pulled on the dirt road, a little bumpy compared to the asphalt. I concentrated, smoothing the surface. The car swerved slightly, which I quickly corrected. It was more difficult than I thought trying to balance driving and my powers.

"Did you just do something nice to spare my chariot?" he mockingly gasped.

"Don't get all high and mighty on me now, sunshine."

He laughed, a deep throaty one that warmed everything, even made the sun shine a little brighter.

"Right here!"

I hit the brakes, a lot harder than I meant to. We shot forward, hard enough that I could've sworn the whole car tipped up. We fell back, both with wide grins on our faces.

"We are going to have to work on your breaking."

Apollo vanished, appearing outside of my door, opening it for me before offering his hand. I took it, letting him drag me through the little bit of brush.

"Where are we going?" I chuckled.

"You'll see!"

We broke through the tree line, and I stopped. We were well out of the city, but I hadn't realized how close to the ocean we were. We stood at the top of a rocky cliff, the waves crashing below us. The sun was just setting, basking us in warm orange light. For a moment, I wasn't a slave. For a moment, my life wasn't dictated by others. I was free, breathing and living.

I turned. Apollo stood back, his hands in his pockets, his smile soft and hesitant. I took a step forward, wrapping my arms around his waist. Most immortals wouldn't take the time out of their day to teach me to drive, wouldn't risk their most prized possession on a mortal. It meant a lot. He returned the pressure, his warmth relaxing my tired muscles. He knew I needed this, that after two days of hard labor with Ares, I needed a chance to breathe.

"Thank you," I whispered before quickly pulling away. There was something in his eyes, a flickering feeling, but I wasn't sure what exactly it was.

"Anytime, Addie. Anytime."

God love them. Please review!