A/N: Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to PJO.
"People seem to forget that without me some of the most wonderful stories would've never been written. But alas I remain unappreciated in my contributions to the arts. Something you should appreciate Athena. Though I can't make out which one is the happy ending, and I've read all of them," the woman scolded laying bed with a book in hand and two other very similar looking books lying beside her. "You should read these; they'd be help in your endeavor with Poseidon. Thinking about it now I have another series for you to read instead, without your cousin and sister getting it on."
"Aphrodite, this isn't the time to make light of their situation nor mine. Don't you care about them," Athena asked as the other goddess stretched her arms out.
"Of course I care, why do you think I've be rereading these. Why do you think I told them to let it go," Aphrodite whispered the last bit as she shifted her eyes from the beautiful ceiling mural to rest on Athena. "How do you think it's going to end, just because you and Poseidon finally stopped being children doesn't mean love is end all be all. Love doesn't make gravity stop working, nor does it stop time or death. In the short term they'd be happy, very happy both with and without rubbing of skin. The problem would be the long term, tell Athena what would happen if Percy and Artemis had a child. Would the child have immortality? The answer is no, unless Percy himself becomes a god. Following this line of thought she'd have to bury them both, could you do that Athena?"
"You're assuming he won't garner favor for godhood?"
"Your emotions are blinding you here Athena, you care for the boy now as well as Artemis. I thank you personally for getting them to this point."
"I never meant for it to turn out like this," Athena interjected as she thought back to when she spent time with both Artemis and Percy for sister, soon to be step-son bonding.
"It doesn't matter if it was intentional or not. Back to your question, look at times now. It's relatively peaceful and most likely if there was another great evil in the coming future the new generation would be dealing with it. So if we are to presume that he remains mortal in their relationship bar a major catastrophe around the corner he will be. Most likely result Artemis gives birth to her first child. That child lives with her father due to the rules. Although with Artemis the rules are a little flexible for her to see her child more often than any of us. So she'll have more of a connection with her kid. And as they say the deeper the relationship the more painful the loss."
"Who would've thought you'd be against love."
"I'm the goddess of love, not tragedy," Aphrodite replied. "It only happens to be that tragedy can be a result of love, passion, lust whatever you want to call it. Here though the tragedy would be a burden Artemis would have to bear alone in the end. We may have lost many of our children over the ages, but we can't say we were that great of parents due to the rules. I want them to beat the odds, but they don't even have a fighting chance." Athena didn't have anything to say. "Even if he was granted godhood, he himself would have to bury his mother, step-father, and sister. After watching as they grow old and frail, first. I can't win. They can't win."
"You really cared."
"Of course I did, it was her first. I wanted it to be her last, but not like this. I felt sorry for screwing up his relationship with Annabeth. It's the best for everyone if this ends before it even begins."
"Aphrodite," Athena said as she went to sit on the edge of the bed.
"Have I ever told you how much I hate it when relationships just don't work out?"
"All the time."
"So," Percy let out as he watched the goddess sip tea across the table from him.
"Yes, Perseus," Artemis replied setting her cup onto the table.
"Give me a minute," he replied trying to piece together a way to tactfully say what he wanted to say.
"Don't break the silence to just break the silence. It just makes the entire atmosphere awkward."
"Well sorry."
"Don't be you're just being a dumb male," Artemis replied closing her eyes and smiling at him for a moment before reverting back to drinking her tea as silence washed over the apartment. Artemis felt time slipping by at the slowest pace she's felt in her existence. Each passing second was another layer of opposition to her choice; to what she would consider selfish answer.
"I've been talking to Aphrodite," Percy stated.
"Oh," Artemis inquired.
"I've been talking to her about you actually."
"Don't believe anything she told you about me."
"No, we didn't talk about specifically you," Percy replied. "I just… I like you."
"Of course you like me Perseus and I like you obviously. Why else would I be having tea in your apartment," Artemis stated.
"No, I like you as in more than friend or whatever this is now."
"Oh, that kind of like."
"Let me say something before you turn me into an animal," Artemis didn't say anything she just stared into his sea green eyes. "I was wondering if she had planted the seeds for my feelings for you. She said of course she did, she plants love in everyone. But she said she's not at fault for me liking you."
"Perseus."
"Artemis, I just want you to know that-"
"Percy," Artemis called to him as she grasped one of his hands with her own. "She gave you two outcomes didn't she?"
"How do you know?"
"Because I like you too," Artemis replied pulling their intertwined hands towards her. "I went to her too. I also talked to Athena about this. Yet I agreed with Aphrodite more so than Athena," there was pause, a moment that Percy's mind came to the realization of her choice, her answer. "I choose to be selfish."
Artemis rubbed the back of his hand against her cheek slowly as if to calm him down for a minute or two before looking back at him. Perseus remained silent as he stared back at her. He was thinking, thinking about what Aphrodite had said to him. About the fact that they would've been happy even though he'd be her personal punching bag from time to time. To her those short years would've been beautiful, although frustrating.
"Artemis," Percy began.
"I'm sorry," She responded quickly.
"No, I agree with you. It wouldn't work out in the end. You'll live forever, me I got to go at some point."
"Don't say that, you might never know what the fates have in store."
"If I had accepted godhood do you think that maybe," those words as they left his mouth became weaponized.
"We'll never know will we," she said ignoring the new wounds of what if he had opened in her thoughts. "This is the right choice right?"
"I don't think there was a right or wrong choice for us," he wasn't going to try to change her mind as much as he wanted this to be something. He had to agree with her and she had the final say as the one with the most to lose if they had decided to become more than what they were.
"I think I should go," the goddess stated getting up.
"Artemis," the demigod called out trying to reach the goddess. She gave him a smile as she faded in silverlight.
"Come on Arty, you didn't try for a goodbye kiss," whined Aphrodite as Artemis appeared in the goddess of love's bedroom, surprised to see Athena reading a book beside Aphrodite.
"Weren't you the one who told her to not pursue a relationship," Athena replied before Artemis could.
"Doesn't mean she can't enjoy a fleeting moment," Aphrodite sighed as she sat up in her bed. Looking over at Artemis she let out another sigh. "Are you okay?"
"Ask me that question in the next century," Artemis responded. "Why are you here Athena?"
"Just girl talk," Athena answered her sister as she continued to read the book.
"Why is she here," Artemis asked looking at Aphrodite.
"She was worried about you, like you are about her," the love goddess replied falling back into a lying position on her bed once more. Followed by Athena quickly placing the book she had been reading down quickly with a red face.
"Athena?"
"Oh, she probably got to your first night with Percy. It's pretty intense, although it's quite charming with you being so innocent," Aphrodite's chimed in. "Told her to be careful and that she probably should've gone and taken a book about her and Poseidon," Artemis was lost at words, Athena had just read smut between her and Percy. "Oh come on Arty dear, love finds its way through various mediums. Just be glad I didn't go with a visual medium for these."
"I never knew you were artistically inclined," Artemis awkwardly stated.
The remained in the bedroom for a while switching topics of conversation from Aphrodite's writing to Athena's relationship. They even talked about Aphrodite's own relationship problem with the brothers. It was these moments that felt precious to Aphrodite the most; to converse as with her fellow immortals. It made her feel less omnipotent. Now with something made and done, she felt she should fix a past mistake. Watching the two maiden goddesses flash out. Aphrodite thought of the best way to fix something she broke.
"Lady Artemis," Annabeth greeted surprised to see the maiden goddess standing before when she opened the door.
"Annabeth," the goddess replied as the demigod got out the way to allow her into the apartment.
"Is there something you need my lady?"
"I just needed to talk to your husband."
"Sorry, Percy went out to grab some things from the store."
"It's fine, when do you think he'll be back?"
"He should be back soon; he just needed to grab a few things. So are you staying for dinner then," Annabeth asked heading towards the kitchen.
"Why not, let me help you," Artemis said as she followed the daughter of Athena.
When Percy returned to the apartment he heard laughter and smelled something delicious. Opening the door with bags in hand he was amazed to see the scene before him; his daughter lying on the floor atop her blanket staring at Artemis. While the goddess made funny faces causing his daughter to laugh. Turning around towards the kitchen he saw his wife taking something out of the oven. Making his way over to the kitchen he placed the bags on the small wooden table.
"So what's Lady Artemis doing here," Percy asked as he embraced his wife from behind.
"She said she needed to talk to you," she replied. "Lexi really has taken a liking to her."
"She usually doesn't like strangers."
"Considering that she's a goddess I think Lexi doesn't mind playing nice with her," Annabeth said as she finished slicing portioning the meat as Percy let go of her. "Best not to keep her waiting."
"Alright, let me put the milk in the fridge at least."
"Put all of it away, since I'll be serving dinner in a bit."
"But you just," Percy tried to say.
"No buts seaweed brain," Percy just sighed as he went to do as his wife asked. After putting the last of the vegetables away he walked over to his daughter and the goddess.
"Hey there Lexi," Percy called out to his daughter causing Lexi to turn her attention away from the goddess to her father. Lexi smiled and giggled as her father picked her off the floor.
"She's easily entertained," Artemis commented.
"Of course she is, she's just a baby," Percy stated back rubbing Lexi's back. "So what did you need to talk to me about Lady Artemis?"
"It's private," Artemis's response perked Annabeth's interest.
"We can talk in the bedroom."
"No, I'll flash us somewhere more private," Artemis quickly responded not wanting to enter such a place where she didn't belong anymore then here. Annabeth came by Percy arms outstretched towards Lexi offering herself to her daughter. Lexi replied by reaching out for her mother.
"You two go on, I'll watch Lexi since the foods all done. Just be quick so the food doesn't get cold," Annabeth said as she took Lexi out of her father's hands. "And thanks for the recipe Artemis.
"Pleasure's all mine Ms. Jackson," Artemis responded. "Are you ready Perseus?"
"Sure," Percy responded. "Don't cause too much trouble for mommy okay," he told his daughter who wasn't looking at him as the two flashed away.
Percy took in his new surroundings, there was a waterfall spilling into a stream with trees surrounding them. "Where are we?"
"My sanctuary, Athena has her library and I have this," Artemis answered peering down stream. "Here, I want you to have this."
"What is it," Percy questioned as he saw the goddess pull something out of her pant pocket. When Artemis opened her hand it was a silver ring.
"I asked the fates for this treasure," she said treasure without confidence, because she didn't know if it was a treasure. "It's made from something that the fates wouldn't care about, at least not anymore. Took Hephaestus a while to figure out how to with fading strands of fate, or strands of fate for that matter."
"It's simple," Percy stated looking at the ring now in his hand. There was no engravings, it didn't even have shine to it. It was as plain as can be.
"Such is fate."
"I wouldn't say that."
"If it weren't so, Aphrodite wouldn't have been able to pull it apart for you."
"I heard she has camp duty now for what she did."
"She does indeed."
"A minor slap on the wrist for fixing things."
"I should thank her."
"Do what you will," she commented as he placed the ring in his pocket.
"Those loose strands are they mine or yours?"
"Ours, but really just yours," Artemis answered. "I think it's best we get back."
"Artemis is this," Percy started.
"You've started a new chapter of your life. The only one I have to worry about is your daughter," Artemis interrupted him. "Just don't make us regret this," Percy looked at the goddess with a frown for just a moment, before it disappeared.
"But you're staying for dinner?"
"I did tell your wife that I was."
"Really, next thing you'll tell me you convinced my daughter to join the hunters."
"No, that's what you're going to do for me," Artemis smiled as she flashed them back to the apartment.
A/n: After writing this and reading it, it pretty much became a compilation piece of past one-shots I've written wrapped into one. Can't really understand why I thought this was going to be something new for me. I also want to thank you guys for taking the time to reading this story and all my other ones, especially those you who've been taking the time to write reviews.