Hey everyone! Wow! I didn't think I could finish this chapter on time... but I did, so there!

here is the continuation of the story.

enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own PJO (^_^)

Chapter 9: I'm not that person! I'm Different!

Zeus' POV

When Athena said that Lamia has returned, it was okay. But when she added that Lamia has teamed up with a group of gorgons – it was not good.

"That's terrible. What should we do?" asked Aphrodite. She was obviously scared.

"We must send someone to confront Lamia and the gorgons, obviously" replied Demeter sternly.

"But who?" Ares asked back

Everyone was silent for a while until someone spoke out. "I'll go."

Everyone then turned their heads to the direction of the voice, including myself. And I couldn't believe who said it. Everyone was shocked but most especially Perseus.

"Poseidon… but why?" Hera asked

"Lamia is of my blood. She is my daughter after all. It is only right that I should go." Poseidon replied.

"There are gorgons there, dad. I won't let you go alone. I'm coming with you." Perseus joined in.

"It wouldn't be wise to send a man there." Athena interrupted, "As much as I hate the both of you, I won't allow it."

"Athena is right." Aphrodite joined in, "Lamia is a very beautiful woman. She is best known for devouring children. Some says that she seduces men and kills them, without exception. So even if the two of you would go, she might not make an exception."

"Both of them are correct." I finally cut in, "So it might be best if a female would go."

And then another round of silence filled us all.

"I'm doing it then. I want to do it alone." Artemis volunteered.

"Why, Artemis?" Perseus asked shocked. "It doesn't concern you."

"It concerns me more than anyone." She replied seriously. "I am one of the goddesses of childbirth. And the only reason why Lamia devours children is because Hera killed Lamia's. It is my duty."

"Are you accusing me?" Hera bellowed enraged.

"Shut it, Hera. Artemis is right. You just can't accept the fact that Zeus has many children outside and when you find them, you try to kill them. You should be ashamed, you and Zeus. And even grateful to Artemis for she is catching your faults." I was taken aback by what Hephaestus said.

To prevent further humiliation, I accepted Aretmis' self-nomination. "Is anyone against it?" I asked before moving on. No one raised their words.

"Very well. Artemis, you will depart tomorrow at sunrise. Be prepared." And with that the meeting was adjourned.

Artemis' POV

I just knew that I should be the one to go, that's why I volunteered myself. And besides, I do important tasks alone, I can do this.

When the meeting was adjourned, I first thanked Hephaestus for defending me before going to my palace. When I arrived at the front door, Perseus was waiting for me leaning against the post at the top of the steps, arms crossed.

"May I help you?" I asked.

"Why'd you do it, Artemis?" he asked back.

"I already said it at the meeting." I answered back.

"I'm coming with you! –"

"No!" I objected interrupting him. "You heard what Athena and Aphrodite said. It's dangerous, maybe especially for you. And I don't what that."

He was silent for a long time. I could see in his eyes that he really wanted to go and that he was hurt that he can't do anything about it. It pained me to see him that way.

I couldn't bear to see him that way. "Why do you want to come so badly?" I asked. "You didn't act like this when Athena said you couldn't go. You didn't fight for it. But now that I'm going, you're fighting to come. I do not understand."

"You said it yourself, Artemis." He replied. "It'll be dangerous. I don't want you to get hurt. What if something happens to you that you can't get out of and no one will be there to help you? Just like before." He reasoned out to me.

"I won't let you come. It is true that we made a good combination during the first time that we met when we bore the weight of the sky. But this is different; this is something I must do alone." I tried reasoning out with him, but the look in his eyes still won't change nor waver.

"Why are you so concerned?" I finally asked.

Before answering, he went down the steps and stood right in front of me. "Artemis, I… I-"

"Artemis!" someone called out. Perseus and I both turned and saw Zeus coming. "I just wanted to – oh, Perseus, you're here. What are you doing here?"

"Just wanted to wish Artemis luck on her quest." He replied. He then looked at me, his eyes still hurt. "I guess I better get going then. I'll see you when you get back." He told me, and with that, he teleported away.

When Perseus left, Zeus gave me some reminders and such. After a while, I went inside my palace and prepared the things I needed for my quest. After that, I laid in my bed at 9:00 and at 10:00, I still couldn't sleep. It's been 4 hours now since Perseus left.

I keep on remembering Perseus begging me to let him come along. But he has to understand that I can't bring him. He was making me feel so guilty, I couldn't sleep.

And that settles it.

Percy's POV

I teleported myself to camp half-blood where I spent time with my old friends and just have fun, I also asked Chiron to allow me to stay for the night which he approved.

It was already 9:00, and everyone was already asleep. I was inside my cabin looking up at the ceiling and still thinking about Artemis and the quest. When I finally couldn't take it, I took a blanket, a jacket, and a pack of coke with me and headed to the canoe lake.

I laid there for who knows how long, looking up at the stars and sipping coke once in a while.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" I heard someone say. I immediately got up to see who it was. At first, I didn't recognize her. She was wearing a pair of jeans, a shirt, and slippers. Her auburn hair flowing down her shoulders, she was really beautiful. It was only when I looked into her silver eyes that I recognized her.

"Artemis,"

She smiled at me lightly, "I reckoned you'd be here." She then came close until she was standing beside the empty space on the blanket beside me. "May I join you?"

I simply nodded. She sat down, and I gave her a can of coke which she accepted.

"I'm really sorry about a while ago." I began. "It's my fatal flaw." I admitted.

"Well then, I'm honored." I looked at her questioningly, "Athena told me, that your fatal flaw was that you would give up the world just to save the people you loved. I'm honored to be a part of that." She smiled at me.

"Artemis, why can't I come with you?" I asked her

"What if I got you killed on the quest? What if I accidentally shot you? What if-"

"Those are just probabilities!" I said interrupting her. At that point, I was sitting down infron of her, "I'm a god now, I can't die."

"But you could still get hurt. Do you think I would be able to handle that?" she said. And for the first time, I saw that she was almost near to tears.

She lowered her head, then she leaned it on my chest. "Perseus, I don't want to argue anymore. Please?" she begged me.

I took a deep breathe, then lifted her head off of my chest. I held her face so that I was sure she was looking at me. "It's Percy."

Her sad face immediately cracked a smile. "At a serious moment, you're still forcing me to call you that?" then we both started laughing.

I don't know how but we started talking about our past love lives. She told me that I was almost like Orion, and I admitted that in some ways she was also like Annabeth even though I didn't want to say it. After that, we started laughing again

When we stopped laughing, she looked me directly in the eye and said, "Thank you for caring about me. And I want you to know that I care about you, too. That's why I can't bring you along. You know what happened to Orion. I killed him with my own arrows."

"You also killed Adonis, and the daughters of Niobe. What's the difference?" I reasoned with her.

"I loved Orion! If I could kill someone like Orion, do you think I can't kill you? As much as I hate to say it, but you brought his memories back to me. When we were training, you triggered my forgotten memories of Orion. And I came to a conclusion that the both of you are similar in some ways."

"You accidentally killed him." I pointed out. I then stood up a little angry. "And for Apollo's sake, Artemis, I'm not Orion! Maybe I look like him, I act like him, we're both children of Poseidon, or whatever! All I know is that I'm not him. I suck at Archery and at hunting, and I can never impress you in the things he can."

She smiled at me, and stood up. "You're misunderstanding me."

I looked at her in confusion. She licked her lips and continued, "I'm thankful for what you did. If you hadn't brought back those memories of him, I wouldn't have learned how to let go. To move on. So what are you trying to say to me?"

"I'm not Orion, and I could never match up to him. But I know for sure, that I have fallen in love with you." I admitted finally.

She was silent for a while. I don't know why but I looked at her expectantly for an answer.

"Did you fall in love with me, because of me? Or because I'm like Annabeth?" she asked.

"I've always liked you since the day I first met you. And it was only just recently that I confirmed it. I do love you, Artemis." I told her.

"Are you even –" she began to say but I stopped her, and in the most unexpected method to use especially to someone like her.

I kissed her.

ohhh, What do you think Artemis will do in response to what Percy did? And what do you think of the story so far? Tell me! Reviews, Comments, Suggestions, and Questions are all HIGHLY APPRECIATED!

Oh, and since I already received some comments on the last chapter, I decided to respond to them now. But please, still review the last chapter and this for more Review count ;)

To:

ffsah1 - Thanks for saying(erm-typing) that! And of course, I will always try to update as soon as I can. =)

Neon Templar - Thanks for saying that. I'll try to update as soon as I can, so please stay tuned. =)

xXxrouxXx - don't worry about that. At least you got the most correct. =) . Yeah, Congrats to Percy. He finally hit the target! thanks for reviewing again, by the way! =)

BLOOMIX - I do try to update at least a chapter a day, so I hope that you'll like them all. Thanks for reviewing!

Please don't forget to give me your sincerest opinions in my story.

Love y'all!

Always,

kheilynn, D.N.