Disclaimer: I do not own PJO nor Mythology.

Smile

Artemis stood there very silent, mulling over the words that the son of Hermes had spoken. Everything began making sense as her mind worked hard to figure out all the reason to believe the traitor that held the knife up toward the neck of the innocent boy, but something was controlling her not to. It was a force that told her not to believe anything he had said. The child could not be a god, but the golden blood that stained her knuckles said otherwise.

The blood that dripped from the boys neck was pooling on the forest floor. It looked like he was about to faint. Something was very wrong with him. Something was weakening him immensely. The blood flashed and turned crimson red for a second, but as quickly as the flash came it faded and the blood turned into its natural color. Golden.

Artemis stared at Perseus trying to look in the eyes of her enemy, but he held his head down. Sweat drenched him in a blanket atop of his forehead. It looked like he was trying to hold onto reality itself as he trembled. It was like he was a ghost, a ghost about to fade.

Perseus rose his head and locked eyes with Luke, "Are you going to stand there or are you going to fight?"

"I think I already outmatched you my dear friend. A sword is at your neck and what do you have against me? Nothing! You are weaponless." Luke cackled. It was as if he was a crazy scientist that had discovered a new way for world domination.

As fast as light itself, Percy moved out of the position he was in, and stood behind the demigod; a sword at the neck of his own enemy.

"You were saying?" Percy whispered in the traitor's ear.

The sword that rested at Luke's neck shined in the light of the afternoon sun. The sword's blade looked sharp enough to cut through metal and it gleamed like a crystal itself. It's beauty was deadly; like a rose with thorns.

Perseus' eyes flashed seeing Artemis tied up in chains. Quickly, and Swiftly, he took the sword from Luke's neck and slashed at his legs. Crimson blood immediately gushed out in torrents.

"Gah, I'll get you for that you stupid god!" Luke screamed. Luke knelt, the pain in his legs too much to handle. His legs felt like they were being cooked and flamed.

Percy ran to Artemis' side and untied the chains that bound the bemused goddess. He grabbed her hand and led her through the horrid of monsters that attacked the defenseless camp.

Artemis didn't know what was going on. Who was this person that held her hand? His touch felt so similar to someone she knew a long time ago. Was Luke right all along? Was this the person that had saved and destroyed her life?

Artemis froze in place, "Who are you?"

"What? You're asking me this now when we're being chased by millions of monsters?" Percy asked trying to pull her arm, but to no avail seeing as she was stubbornly standing there not wanting to move.

"I asked you a question, who are you?" Artemis asked coldly. Rain began sprinkling from the gray sky. Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled. The gods had finally found out that the camp was being attacked. Great timing.

Percy looked toward the muddy ground and sighed, "You know exactly who I am, Artie..."

Artemis gasped, golden tears threatening to overflow in her silver, lively eyes, "What did you just call me?"

Perseus didn't answer as he used all his remaining strength to flash them out of the battle that occurred in the home of the children of the gods.

Both gods appeared in the ally of New York city. Water dropped from the brewing sky's as it claimed the night. The sun no longer out as the moon was covered by the gray clouds and the streaked purple and blue sky.

Percy collapsed in the hands of the moon goddess. His strength had been completely sucked out of him by the power and force he had used in the forest. The breathing of the godling was quick and short.

Artemis shook him as his eyes began closing, "Don't. What's wrong?"

Once again, Perseus did not answer as the world began fading from his eyes. The only thing he could see were the eyes of his love. Golden tears dripped on him as he fully began losing the grip of the world itself. Sleep was welcoming him in it's warm blanket.

"What's happened to you, Percy?"

…

Aphrodite lay in her bed as she played with a strand of her own hair. Ares laid beside her, asleep. The only thing that covered the two gods were the blankets that laid atop of their bodies.

Aphrodite sighed, "Why is this not good enough anymore?"

The goddess couldn't comprehend on why the feeling of being beside her lover was not as refreshing as she thought of it to be a few years ago. The excitement of being with Ares was gone. It bored her and she didn't know why.

The god of war shuffled in his sleep and threw an arm over Aphrodite's covered form. She pushed it aside. Nothing filled her anymore.

She wondered why the world needed her. Love was a mere concept for her even though she was the goddess of love. All love in her world was gone. The hopes of ever finding it diminished. Poseidon had reassured her of that.

"Idiot god of the sea." She mumbled, "Only you could be stupid enough to have another child with a mortal. Amphitrite must be raging by your affair with that innocent mortal."

She laughed manically. Aphrodite had truly gone insane after looking for her lost son for many years with no such luck. She had given up and could have probably taken on the role of the goddess of insanity. But of course that was Dionysus' job so it had already been taken. The other goddesses tried to stay far away from the crazy goddess of love, but she was always in their heads. Always.

Except for only one goddess, but she didn't know how that goddess had not broken yet.

"Artemis." Aphrodite angrily spoke, venom dripping from her beautiful voice.

Artemis had never waned in the presence of the love goddess. Aphrodite's most biggest desire was to finish that insolent brat once and for all and have her bow down before her. Aphrodite had not given up on having the moon goddess to fall in the trap better known as love.

Suddenly, Aphrodite's form flickered and she clutched her head in agonizing pain. Her heart ached and her eyes glowed with a violet worried light. She had been having these sudden flickers for many days now and the pain was growing immensely. It felt like her very form was being split in half. She didn't know why this was happening or why she even felt pain. It was new to her.

The pain began to subside and her eyes went back to her normal kaleidoscope eyes. Every time that happened she felt weak and tired.

She gasped for air, "What's happening to me?"

Quickly, she got out of the covers and ran to the bathroom. A gigantic mirror occupied a good portion of the bathroom wall. The bathroom itself was enormous and it held everything the goddess of beauty needed to look like her beautiful self.

Aphrodite leaned across the sink and looked at her features. Her usually tan skin was a deathly pale and her eyes looked lifeless. Something was happening to her and she didn't know what. Her hands trembled as she shook her head in worry. She wasn't fading, was she? 'How stupid are you to think that. Of course you're not fading, it's probably something else. Maybe you should ask Athena...'

"Ugh, ask that incorrigible wisdom goddess for help? No way." Aphrodite growled. Athena always thought herself to be better then Aphrodite and it irritated her.

She gripped her head with one of her trembling hands and breathed in a shaky breath, "I need to find out what this is. I can't live like this."

"Aphrodite!" Called a cranky voice from her bed. It was Ares.

"What!"

Ares grumbled and walked toward the bathroom where Aphrodite stared across the crystalline mirror. He took a good long look at his beautiful lover and walked behind her, encircling her waist with his tough hands.

"You look beautiful as always, what's wrong?" Ares asked, worriedly. A very rare thing for the war god to show was worry. But he was talking to Aphrodite, so he had to be on his best behavior.

Aphrodite sighed, "Nothing. Nothing's wrong with me."

He began kissing her neck, but she turned and looked him straight in the eye. Ares froze seeing her eyes. Her eyes were the most beautiful thing he had ever seen but he knew that with one glare that she gave him it was like a shot of venom. He tried to never get her upset for he would pay for it later.

"Are you upset?" He asked nervously.

She scoffed, "No. I said it was nothing, okay. Just leave me alone for a second."

Ares nodded and left her to process her thoughts. When she was in a bad mood it was hard to enjoy doing something with her.

Aphrodite closed the door to the bathroom and sighed deeply. Her head was still pounding and her heart was aching terribly. This couldn't be happening to her. She wasn't supposed to feel pain, she was immortal after all. These were mortal things and it just wasn't like her to feel physical pain.

She put her head in her hands, "What in Zeus' name is wrong with me!"

There was a knocking on the door making her jump. She stormed to it and opened it almost ripping it off it's hinges, "What do you want Ares I thought- Oh Eros it's you, what do you want?"

"You seem to be in a 'happy' mood today," Eros rolled his eyes, "Well, I was just strolling around Olympus and happened to cross Poseidon-"

"What did I tell you about invoking that name around my presence, Eros?" Aphrodite growled.

"Oh, come on mother! What's so wrong about saying his name, hmm?" Eros said, throwing his hands up in the air.

"That's none of your damn business, Eros. Now, what did that man tell you?" Aphrodite waved her hand in a hurry up gesture.

Eros once again rolled his eyes, "As I was saying, I happened to cross the sea god and you wouldn't guess what he told me."

"What did he tell you?" Aphrodite made a nail filer appear and began to file her nails to pass the time.

"He was whining about that new child of his, what's his name? Oh, yeah, Perseus." Aphrodite flinched at the name, but Eros didn't seem to notice, "Well, he was whining about the kid and then he said, 'Why must every child I have seem like my first child?', I of course heard in on this and hurriedly came here to tell you."

Aphrodite waved her hand in a go on gesture, "What else or is that all?"

"That's all."

"Then why are you wasting my time away. His children seem to be like Triton all the time, why is this something new to me?" Aphrodite said this, while sitting on the bathroom counter.

"Mother, you don't get the point do you? He wasn't talking about 'Triton' he was talking about another kid and he almost said his name, but bit his tongue probably not taking a risk at saying the kid's name on Olympus." As Eros said this Aphrodite began getting a faraway look in her eyes.

"Really?"

Eros nodded his head conforming it was true. Aphrodite had a distant look in her eyes as if remembering something. Her eyes were sad and held pain deeper than the ocean itself.

"Perseus." Aphrodite mumbled quietly for only herself to be heard. It wouldn't go well for her son to hear her. It would bring suspicion to her second child. Eros always thought that he was the first and foremost child of Aphrodite but he was wrong. It was Perseus, her first and missing child. Her child that she would never forget. Never.

"Perseus, come to mommy." Aphrodite clapped her hands to get her child's attention. Aphrodite and Perseus were both in her temple as it was his home as well. He was playing with a dagger and Aphrodite was trying to get him to release the dagger and come with her.

Baby Perseus gurgled and smiled, "Mommy."

"Yes, Perseus I'm your mommy. Now come over here." Aphrodite smiled, worriedly. The dagger was in his mouth and it was making her nervous.

Perseus began crawling to his mother with the dagger in his tiny toddler hands.

Quickly, Aphrodite dropped to the ground and swiftly grabbed Perseus, while the dagger clanked to the floor. Perseus tried reaching for the dagger, but Aphrodite grabbed it before he even had the chance to even touch it, "No, Perseus. I don't want you cutting yourself, okay. Don't touch it ever again, you understand?"

Perseus made a pouting face and began to cry. Why wouldn't this woman let him touch the pointy stick? He wanted to play with it.

"Shh, don't cry. You know you're not suppose to touch stuff like this." Aphrodite hugged young Perseus toward her chest and patted his back softly, moving on her feet back and forth to calm her weeping son.

He struggled to get out of his mother's grip but she was just too strong. He had to think of something else. He suddenly got distracted by another shiny object. It was a tiny crown that was covered in a silver that made the shiny crown sparkle even more. He reached his hands out trying to reach the gleaming object. It was so pretty.

Aphrodite, curious to see what he wanted, put him down and watched his son crawl to a marbled bench where a crown lay.

"Pretty." Perseus spoke in his childish baby voice.

He was about to touch it when he got picked up by his mother once more. His eyes watered and he was about to let a loud wail escape his immortal baby lungs when the crown was put on his head. Perseus looked up in confusion.

Aphrodite smiled widely, "My dearest child. This crown represents that you are and will always be mine. You are my little prince and no one will ever take you away from me. I love you, Perseus. I love you..."

"Mommy." Perseus gurgled and a little bit of drool dripped from his mouth, "I-I luv you t-too."

Aphrodite couldn't help but tear up as she heard those words come out of her child's mouth. She whipped her son's drool and hugged him close to her chest once more. Her child would always be her's and for someone to marry her son it would take a lot. No woman could ever be good enough for her child and if any of those ignorant girls ever tried laying a finger on her son they would pay dearly.

"I love you..."

At the memory of her lost son her eyes began to water. Eros noticed and looked at his mother carefully.

"What's wrong, mother. Aren't you happy to hear this news?"

Aphrodite quickly composed herself, "I'm fine. I need some time to think. Please leave."

Eros nodded, "Mother you might want to put some clothes on too. It's kind of disturbing walking in and seeing you naked." With that said he made his way out the door and closed it behind him.

Aphrodite looked down and noticed that she wasn't even dressed. She snapped her fingers and made the latest wear appear on her body. A purple, sleeveless dress sparkled in the light of the bathroom. She wore silver high heels on her feet and for accessories she wore matching purple earrings and an equally purple heart shaped necklace.

She frowned, "Ugh, this will have to do."

Aphrodite looked at her form, frowning as she did so. Her usual glow was weak and her eyes looked less colorful.

'I love you, Perseus.' Her sad eyes looked down sadly. She had given up on looking for him and it made her feel disgusted with herself. 'I gave up on you. I'm sorry my son...'

…

Artemis had caught Perseus once he had fallen out of exhaust. She struggled to keep him up, but he was heavy and since she was in her twelve year old form it didn't help.

Her tears had subsided only for worry to take place in her silver eyes, "Perseus?"

Her mind still couldn't comprehend on the fact that this fourteen year old kid was a god and non other than Perseus himself. 'Percy.' She corrected.

Still, she had something stirring inside of her that told her that this was in fact Percy, the love of her life and the person that had betrayed her. She wanted to throw him in front of a car and watch as he got crushed under it, but then the other side of her said to hug him and keep him close to her. But what if this wasn't Percy? 'Ugh, everything is so damn confusing!'

Artemis knelt down and took Perseus' head on her lap. This was unlike her. It was the side she had never shown to any of the other gods nor her own hunters. The only person that knew this side of her was Percy himself and she really didn't know if this was him or not.

She looked toward the gray sky and groaned, "Why must you punish me father!"

Thunder rumbled angrily in the distance, which she paid no attention to as she looked down toward the fourteen year old boy that interested her so. Pushing a lock of his raven black hair, Artemis proceed to dragging the unconscious boy to a corner of the alley they were in. She wanted to leave the boy and wished to have him killed, but her heart tugged at the thought of leaving the handsome young man to fend for himself.

She growled, "Why must my feelings come toward you, boy? You are nothing special. You are no hero..."

Percy frowned in his sleep as if thinking the same thing. His innocent face annoyed her, she wanted to punch his lights out right then and there, but of course, she restrained herself.

The ichor on her knuckles began to wash away as the rain poured down from the sky, but she could still smell it and see it. The blood had a weak color to it. It no longer held the once golden aura it had held the first time she had seen it. In fact if this was her Percy then it no longer held its once brilliant color. She looked toward the mysterious boy and noticed how tired he looked. His skin held a slight glow, but not the glow of a god. The glow seemed to be disappearing but it was still there.

Something clicked in her immortal brain and her eyes immediately saddened. He was fading. The thought of the boy ever fading was saddening. She hated boys with a passion but this one seemed to be an exception. Was this the Perseus she had met in the forest? The one that had protected her but that had also betrayed her? That question was swirling in her head. It had been since he had called her Artie. Percy was the only one that knew that name and had ever called her by it. Apollo had tried calling her that, but she always nearly killed him or hung him from the Empire State building.

From the corner of the alley way there were grunts and growls, Artemis knew right away that there were monsters close by. Soon, those monsters would find her and an unconscious Percy.

Once again she began dragging Perseus, but his weight was too much for the twelve year old goddess, "Gods! What do men eat these days, bricks?" Artemis whispered. Yes, she was a goddess but it seemed that Perseus weighed more then Zeus at his full height, which for a god that was pretty big.

The grunts and growls were getting closer and it seemed that Perseus was regaining consciousness and he was also being a little too loud. "Ugh, where in Hades' name am I?" Percy grumbled as he began getting up.

"Guy's I think I heard something over here..." One of the monsters in the group waved over to where Artemis and Perseus were hiding.

Perseus, clearly not seeing the situation they both were in, began crawling out of the hiding place.

Artemis wasn't paying much attention to him until he was close to where the monsters were standing. She panicked, "Perseus, get your ass back here!"

Perseus didn't seem to hear her as he began getting closer to the group of monsters. Artemis shot herself to where Percy stood and yanked him by his hair.

"Ow! What the hell is wrong-" Percy was cut off as Artemis' right hand connected to his cheek in a mighty slap, while her left hand covered his mouth.

"I swear to Zeus if you don't shut up I'll be stitching your mouth together!" Artemis whispered, angrily.

Percy held his cheek in pain, "Seriously? You can at least say 'Please'!"

Artemis scoffed, "Like I'm going to say 'Please' to the likes of you..."

Perseus was about to retort but the group of monsters could be heard stomping their way toward both Artemis and Percy.

"What's that noise?" Percy asked, curiously.

"Monsters." Was the only thing she said before grabbing his hand and dragging him into a dumpster.

"You're kidding."

Artemis smirked, "It's the only thing we've got."

"You're kidding." Perseus repeated.

Artemis rolled her eyes, "Do you want to get captured by those pests?"

"I thought the moon goddess was supposed to be 'smart' and besides you have that silver bow of yours just shoot down those monsters and we'll be done with it..." Percy regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. Artemis was about to slap him but he pushed her into the dumpster and dived in, pinching his nose at the horrible stench that emanated from the stinky garbage.

He had pushed her in just in time for the monsters to walk by and stop right in front of the dumpster, sniffing out the air for their scent.

"I swear I heard something." A Telekine looked around, bemused.

"Idiot! You have wax in your ears." A Cyclops smacked the Telekine into the alley wall making the monster disintegrate into sulfur dust.

The Cyclops slung his club over his shoulder and grunted, "Come, we have to find those two. We'll be rewarded greatly for their capture."

The rest of the monsters nodded their deformed heads in agreement and they left the alley not knowing that Percy and Artemis were hiding in the dumpster.

Percy poked his head out of the garbage checking if the monsters had truly left, seeing that the alley was no longer occupied by the ugly monsters, Percy jumped out of the dumpster. He held his hand out for Artemis to take but she declined and jumped out on her own.

"I swear if you ever do that again I'll throw you down a plane and enjoy seeing you break every bone in that little body of yours." Artemis grumbled.

Percy blinked, "Won't I die from such a height?"

"Seeing as you're a god, no." Artemis crossed her hands over her chest and lifted her head up for effect.

Perseus shook his head, "What if I'm not a god? You'd be committing murder."

Artemis laughed bitterly, "I've done worse things then that, what makes you think I won't commit murder as well?"

"Good point." Percy said, while walking away.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Artemis followed right behind Perseus.

"Nothing."

Artemis' anger flared, "Why do you always avoid my questions? I command that you stop."

"You don't command me, I command my self." Perseus argued.

Artemis reached out to grab his hair, but all she seemed to grab was air. She looked around and suddenly felt a slight tapping on her shoulder.

Artemis turned and saw Perseus wave at her in a taunting manner, "Hi."

Artemis growled, "Stop!"

"What am I doing?" Perseus smiled, innocently. His face reminded her so much of the Percy she had met thousands of years ago. The smile that was plastered on his face was enough to light up a persons day, but to Artemis it just sent anger flaring through her veins.

She gritted her teeth together, "Quit that!"

"What?" Percy said, while tilting his head to the side.

"Stop acting all innocent. You men always act like nothing has happened but you don't know what you've done, you don't know the people that you've hurt!" Artemis exclaimed.

"What are you talking about? I've done nothing..." Perseus trailed off.

Artemis whirled around, hunting knife in hand, "You've done everything! You destroyed everything that I cherished and loved the most, you know exactly what I'm talking about, Perseus!"

Percy held up his hands in a manner saying he didn't do anything. He knew exactly what she was talking about, but it would be better to not let it be noticeable. Artemis was very short tempered nowadays and it wouldn't do good to upset the cold goddess.

"Look, I don't know what you're talking about and can you please just put away you're knife. Lets talk like civilized people here." Percy lied.

Without any warning, she jumped at him, pinning the confused god to the floor. Her eyes were like little silvery pools of terror and all Perseus could do was stare at them in confusion. She was scared. It looked like she was on the brink of crying but she didn't let the emotion show much. But Percy knew. He had been with her far too long to notice whenever she got upset or scared. He could read her.

Perseus stayed motionless as she brought the knife toward his neck, but she stopped there. He looked at her tenderly, "What are you waiting for, do it."

"You don't order me."

"Well, I'm just saying if you really want to kill me that badly, then do it. I won't stop you." Percy stared into her watery eyes.

She shook her head, "I don't want to."

"Then why do you hold a knife to my neck?"

She began trembling, her tears almost overflowing her eyes, "I don't know..."

"But you must know." Percy stroked her cheek.

Artemis pushed his hand away, angrily, "Stop!"

"Why?"

"B-because I just want you to leave me alone. Stop trying to protect me." Artemis mumbled.

"I'm not protecting you." Perseus stated.

"Yes you are! I can take care of myself perfectly fine." Artemis said, growling.

"No. I'm only helping a person in need and you seem to be that exact person I'm helping." Perseus said, shaking his head sadly.

"I'm not needy. I don't need help. You act as if I'm a mere mortal when I'm in fact a goddess... You act as if you need to protect me for a reason I may not know. I don't need help nor do I need a stranger helping me for that matter, because you are in fact a stranger." Artemis glared down at Perseus as if he was her biggest enemy or maybe even one of her prey that she caught when she hunted.

Artemis stood, throwing her knife to the wet concrete ground, and began to walk off. Perseus immediately sat up from the position he lay on the hard, cold ground, "Where are you going?"

Artemis froze, "That's none of your concern, boy."

"I think it's much of my concern seeing as Luke knows you're with me and he might try to capture you again. You're in danger now, Artemis." Perseus argued.

"Listen here, Perseus Jackson," Artemis snarled. "That boy is a mortal, while I'm a goddess. I can easily incinerate him with a snap of my fingers. I've killed many that are stronger then that weakling himself... I can even have you at my knees, begging for mercy. Don't tell me what I can and cannot do. I may not know who you are, but if Luke's right then I'd have the pleasure of seeing your little head smashed into a marbled floor!"

Percy stood there receiving the insults of the goddess of the moon with stride. He looked at her closely, narrowing his eyes, and looked deep into those silver crystalline eyes that sent a new fire through his own veins. His anger was barely being controlled and if another insult were to be thrown at the furious godling, he would vent his anger on the closest thing in front of him, Artemis.

He breathed in a shaky breath and looked more respectfully at the goddess, "Then go."

Artemis blinked, "What?"

"I said, go! Don't you get the meaning of that? If you really wish to see your life hanging by a thread, then go. I won't stop you. You're too stubborn now... I don't work with your kind." Perseus glared. He had a composure that clearly read annoyance and boredom.

"What the Hades is wrong with you? At first you're all, Oh, Artemis this and Artemis that, but then you explode on me like you can't even stand being in my presence? You men confuse me way too much..." Artemis crossed her arms over her chest. Perseus was getting on her nerves and soon she'd be the one snapping at him.

"I'm just saying, Artemis. Leave. Get killed. Just don't come crying to me for any help." Perseus spit out, bitterly.

Artemis rolled her eyes, "I'm immortal! I'm none dieing. Do. You. Know. The. Meaning. Of. That?"

Artemis spoke as if she were talking to a little five year old. It sent Perseus' anger, raging, "Everything ends! Nothing lives forever! Soon we all come to a stopping point, some are faster then others, but eventually we all meet the face of death."

"You speak as if you know that for a fact rather then an opinion. Why?"

"Because I'll soon meet my time and I won't get to have the person that I love, love me back nor will I get to hear a sorry come out of her dang mouth, because she's so stubborn!" Percy leaned back on the alley wall, close to where the monster disintegrated, and slowly let himself be pushed down by gravity.

Artemis looked closely at the sulking god in front of her and decided to comfort him. She didn't know why, but this godling really did bring the best out of her, even though she wanted to strangle him to death. What if Luke was right all along about this scrawny boy in front of her to be the Perseus she loved and cared about. She had to find out. Artemis needed Percy and after all this time away from him she felt herself dieing more and more inside. The lively god was the only thing that kept her going. His smile would shine her world and leave it glowing for many years, but that light faded long ago. Her world had clashed and exploded after that fateful day that he had destroyed it with his betrayal.

Artemis knew that it would take a lot to forgive him, but she only needed that one smile that lit her for so many years to come back. That one smile may even help her forgive him for his evil deeds.

She decided to speak, "So, you have a lover?"

"No. She was a friend of mine and I loved her, but she never payed any attention to me. What about you, did you have any lucky men on your mind?"

Artemis scoffed, "Me? I don't date."

"But you must like someone. Maybe it's a girl. I don't judge." Percy snickered.

She smacked his arm and glared, "No, I just don't date."

"Uh-Huh, and I'm not a guy to know. Seriously, who do you... like." Percy chuckled. Also, he wanted to find out who she liked. Maybe she already had a relationship... the thought of that set Perseus' anger again, but quickly, he composed himself.

Artemis breathed in a sigh, "Well, I-I used to like this guy, but I killed him."

"Who?"

"His name was Orion." Artemis conformed.

Jealousy sparked in Perseus' eyes, but once again he breathed in a shaky breath, "Oh, is that all?"

Artemis heaved a sad sigh, "No. There was this other guy, he was a god. I loved him..."

"What was his name?"

Artemis hesitated, but decided to tell this stranger her life story. How she appeared in the cursed forest and how she met the love of her life. She didn't know why she told him this, but she felt that she could actually trust this being that sat beside her. This boy had earned her trust in only mere hours and it scared her. Her deep emotions that she kept hidden for so long, wanted to be released. Soon, she found tears flowing down her golden cheeks.

When she was finished the boy sat there, thoughtfully. His eyes held no emotion as he mulled over her words. He was too oblivious to even understand that he was the one she loved nor did she see that he was the one she truly loved. Both were too oblivious to comprehend each others feelings.

"What's the guy's name?" Percy asked after a while.

Once again, she hesitated, but decided to release her lover's name, "... Percy."

Perseus' eyes widened to the size of saucers, "P-Percy?"

She nodded sadly.

Silence came over the two as they sat there silently. Nothing was said. Percy was too surprised to even say a word, while she was just too upset to even speak; afraid that her crying would worsen.

"I'm really sorry, I shouldn't have made you tell me this... I'm sorry." Percy apologized after a while.

Artemis flinched at his apology, those were Percy's last words to her as she was pushed into the portal that separated her from her love, "It's fine, you didn't know..."

'I'm sorry.' The words reverberated through her mind as she thought more about Percy. The god that was beside her just watched in sadness as he saw her in pain. But deep inside he felt like he could fly, fly so high that he'd outmatch Zeus. She loved him. He was also, saddened at the thought of pushing her through the portal. He had broken her heart. 'What have I done...'

"You remind me so much of him, you know?" Artemis spoke, softly.

Perseus turned his head in shock, "M-me?"

Artemis nodded, "Yeah, you both sort of have the same personality. He was always cheerful and happy. You are too, sometimes... Also, you both have the same eye color and your scent is quiet similar. I only opened up to him, but now I just told you everything. You both are exactly the same... If not for the looks then I'd say you were the same person..."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Percy stared at her with an open-mouthed expression, "I'm not that ugly, am I?"

She snorted, "Yeah."

Perseus glared, "Thanks."

"I'm just kidding! You're not that bad looking yourself, but don't you dare tell anyone I said that." Artemis laughed. It had been the first time she had laughed in years. Her laugh made the sky a little brighter and it also made the rain subside a bit.

Percy smiled, "I'm glad to have amused you."

Artemis stared at Percy, admiration sparkling in her silver eyes. This godling had broken her cold sheet of ice that covered her and opened up a side of her that no one had ever seen, besides Perseus of course.

"Thanks."

"For what?" Percy asked, bemused.

"For making me feel better." Artemis answered, happily.

Percy stared at her for a second and his heart began feeling something that he had thought to have been lost. Love. His heart was beating wildly as he saw a smile plastered on her pink, soft lips.

A genuine smile was on his own lips, "You're welcome... Artie." Though he had whispered the last part for her not to hear. It wouldn't be good for her to find out that he was the Percy that had betrayed her trust and also, her love.

Artemis looked up toward the sky and saw the gray clouds subsiding as well as the rain. It was as if Perseus' own smile lit the sky up and made the rain go away.

'Thank you, Percy...'

…

Well, I Updated! I know it's a little late, but I had some stuff to do. And I'm sorry that it was a little short. Thanks to all who reviewed, added this story to your favorites, and also, alerted my story. I didn't think my story would be good enough for the tough critics on FanFiction (Reviewers) and I didn't think this story would be liked by so many people. Thanks for all of the support that people have given me and please review, it gives me inspiration to keep writing this story and have faster updates. Thanks for reading!

Please Review!

-PercyxArtemis