A/N: Hey all! Sorry this took so long, but I had to get it just right! ;)

OOOO. If you want Apollide wedding night smut, then you can find that on my profile. Its a story called "The Cabin". Please check that out! :)

I have a small announcement. As you guys know, I do have a job, and until April, we are in our busy season. I will be working 50+ hours a week, which means not as much time for writing. I will try to keep updating, but I'm going to attempt to finish one of my other stories (which doesn't lack much to be honest), and then focus just on this one. I just think that once I get some things off my plate, I can write faster. So bear with me over the next few weeks!

I was really happy with this chapter. I hope you guys enjoy it too!

Little time jump, but things are going to move a lot faster the next few chapters. Get ready, because a big storm is coming :)

Two months later

I slumped into the chair at Thanatos's desk, utterly exhausted from the day's work.

For the past three weeks, my time had been split with assisting Hades with the new development and Thanatos. I'd checked every security measure he could think of. I acted like one of the dead, trying to break in and out of the underworld. I'd been to the fields of punishment, checking on the prisoners there. I also went to Elysium, which wasn't bad because I got to see some of my old friends and my brother. I'd even stayed in the underworld a few nights, to Apollo's displeasure. It was taking a toll on me, and he could tell. My skin was a lot paler, and there were dark circles under my eyes. He didn't say anything, but I could see the worry in his eyes. I was proud that he was trusting in me knowing my limits, that he knew I could handle this.

Well, Hades I could handle, but Thanatos….I saw why this was my favor. If I didn't owe him, I would've bailed a long time ago. I was at my wits end. Thanatos was being worse than Hades, and that was saying something.

I'd just finished testing the holds at the doors, making sure that I couldn't find them if Thanatos wanted them hidden. It'd been a week since I had started searching, and I'd come up with nothing. No spell, no magic that I knew of could lead me too them. I told him I may be able to have done it once I had died, but Thanatos said that was good. I had one more task ahead of me, and then my debt to him would be repaid.

He was talking to Macaria, but I zoned out. My eyes were closed, and I was resting my head against my hand. It had been a very long day, and I couldn't wait to get home to Olympus.

Correction: I couldn't wait to get home to Apollo.

They say there's a honeymoon phase, and I must have been in it. Everything with him was perfect. We hadn't fought in weeks. He wasn't pushing me or rushing me to become immortal anymore. If getting married would have fixed that earlier, then I would have done it a long time ago. I'd stayed in the underworld the past two nights, and I needed to go home to see him. I really missed him. I wished that I was back in that cabin in the middle of snowhere with my husband.

Yes, pun intended.

"Are you ready?"

I blinked my eyes back open, letting the sleepy feeling fade back.

"Yeah, what have we got to do?"

Thanatos was rising, but Macaria bit her lip.

"Honey, maybe you two should tackle that tomorrow. Addie looks like she is about to fall out."

"I'm fine," I argued.

"She's fine," Thanatos agreed. "This is the last thing."

Macaria put her hands on her hips. The light in the roomed dimmed slightly, a result of her underworld powers. Shadows seem to crawl to her, but she shot her husband a knowing smile. "We're not all workaholics like you. She's been here for three days straight, and she deserves the night off. She looks like death. No offense," she added while looking apologetically at me.

"None taken," I whispered. Macaria was one of the nicest goddesses I knew, but sometimes, she could be scary.

"If she says she's fine, then she's fine, Macaria. Quit worrying."

She rolled her eyes and turned back to me. "Addie, when's the last time you ate something?"

I bit my lip, trying to remember. "Lunch today?"

"And what did you have?"

"Um…a pack of peanuts from the new welcome center."

"Anything else?"

I kept my mouth shut. I hadn't eaten anything else since lunch yesterday.

"She's going home tonight, Thanatos. The kids are with Mom on Olympus, which never happens. She's going to be back here soon and so will they. Your wife deserves a little bit of attention, too, you know," she asserted. Thanatos raised his eyebrows, a pleased smile appearing.

"That so?" he said as he reached for her.

"Besides, she couldn't beat that thing right now. She'd die trying, and then we'd be at war with Apollo and Artemis, not to mention my Uncles."

"Hey!" I protested. I may have been tired, but I wouldn't have died trying. I just would have gotten hurt.

Thanatos wrapped his arms around his wife, and the light came back into the room. I had to admit, it made me miss Apollo even more seeing the way those two looked at each other. They had a good marriage, and it gave me more hope for my own.

"Addie, we'll see you in the morning. Eight, sharp."

"Ten," Macaria corrected. Thanatos pulled back about to protest, but she grabbed his head and quickly whispered something in his ear. His eyes got wide and a little blush creeped into his cheeks.

"Ten," he amended in a shaky voice. I knew that was my queue to leave. I waved my hand and disappeared before they started going at each other.

I appeared on Olympus, desperate to get some sleep. I wasn't even hungry, if I was honest. I walked into Apollo's place, wanting nothing more than to crawl into bed, but then, the most wonderful smell filled my nose. My stomach grumbled, and I found myself walking into the kitchen.

When Apollo and I got together, he had added a kitchen to his place for me. Normally, it was never used unless I was there and hungry. To my pleasant surprise, I walked in to find my husband pulling out a baking dish. He even had a cheesy apron on that said "Kiss the Cook".

"Is that homemade macaroni and cheese?" I groaned.

Apollo turned to me, looking proud and confident. "Yep. And I made it."

"You didn't magic it, didn't get Hestia to do it for you?"

He shook his head. Impressed, I sat down at the bar. Two glasses and a bottle of wine were already sitting there, and I helped myself. I poured Apollo a glass as well, and he fixed up two plates.

"You are eating too?"

"This smells amazing. After working on it all day, I want to have some."

"How many times did it take you to get it right?"

"This was only my third try, smartass. Macaria messaged me this afternoon and told me that you would be coming home tonight. I wanted to make sure you had a proper meal."

So that's why Macaria insisted. "Did I ever mention that I love you?"

"Once or twice," he admitted as he handed me the plate. I took it from him, not even letting it cool before I shoved a bite in my mouth. It was absolutely wonderful.

"Oh my god," I breathed in between bites. "This is so good."

"How good?"

"Remember that night in Hawaii on our honeymoon?"

"Yes."

"Better."

"Tartarus, I need to step my game up." He blew on his own bite before shoving it into his mouth. His eyes closed, and he groaned in appreciation. "Dammit, you're right. I'm amazing."

"Third time is always the charm with you, isn't it?" I teased.

"Says the girl who had three in a row the first night in the cabin."

I threw my fork at him, which he caught with ease. He raised his eyebrows playfully, and I reached to get it back. Apollo held it away from me, a smirk on his face.

"Going to have to come get it, liakáda."

I got up with a huff and walked around the bar to him. I seriously considered getting another out of the drawer. As soon as I got close enough, Apollo set my fork down on the counter and wrapped his arms around my waist. He pulled me to him, enveloping me in the warmth I loved so much.

"I missed you. I'm glad you are home tonight," he muttered softly before kissing my cheek. "I've grown very fond of waking up next to you. I don't like it when you aren't there."

"I don't like it either."

"Well, after tomorrow, you will be done. Take a few days off with me."

"I don't know if I can," I muttered. Even though I was done with Thanatos after tomorrow, we were on a deadline with Hades. He wanted everything done before Persephone came to spend the cold season with him, and we were already running late. We had a week to finish it.

"Hades has to know that it's not going to be finished. Zeus won't let him wait any longer. The seasons need to change."

I grabbed my plate from its spot, choosing to stand beside Apollo. I nodded my head and finished eating my food.

"What does Thanatos have left for you to do?"

"It's some vault at Persephone's grove. He wants me to make sure it is still secure."

Apollo stilled slightly, but it was only for a moment. "Do you know what you are looking for?"

"No, he just said I'm supposed to try and get in. It's probably just a vault full of jewelry, knowing Persephone."

"Yeah, probably. Just be really careful, okay?"

I gave him a thumbs up. I was miserably full and tired to boot. Once I finished, I moved back to my chair, listening to Apollo as he caught me up on the latest gossip. I was leaning on the counter, fighting my eyes closing. His voice was so comforting, so smooth. I could listen to it for days.

"All right, that's enough."

"What's enough?" I mumbled. It felt so good to have my eyes closed, but I knew I needed to wake up. I wanted to talk to Apollo, to hear about his day. But instead, I was lifted out of the chair.

"Apollo, what are you doing?" I whispered sleepily. I blinked open my eyes, expecting him to look aggravated, but he just smiled lovingly down at me.

"You are dead on your feet. We have all the time in the world to talk. You need to sleep."

Apollo laid me down in the bed, and I kicked off my shoes. He handed me one of his shirts, a Yankees tee, and I traded what I was wearing for the t-shirt. He helped me pull the shirt down, his hands lingering on my waist. I smiled, wishing I wasn't so tired. He pulled the blanket up for me, and after maybe a minute, I felt him join me.

"You don't have to stay," I pointed out. I yawned loudly and turned into him. I knew he was a busy god, but this felt wonderful.

"I want to," he replied. His lips brushed mine, and before I could say anything else, I drifted off the sleep.

I sat in my usual chair, pleased that I actually beat Thanatos here this morning. He waltzed in, with dark circles under his eyes and a cup of coffee in his hands.

"You're late."

He jumped slightly, giving me a go to hell look. "I'm surprised you are here on time. I assumed you wouldn't be."

"I actually slept ten hours last night. What did you and Macaria do?"

Thanatos shot me a deadpanned look, and it took all I had in me to not die laughing. He reached behind his desk and pulled out a map. It was the familiar one of the underworld I had memorized by looking at it so much the past few years.

"You know where the grove is, correct?" I nodded my head before looking up at Thanatos. "The vault's entrance is located in the grove. It's full of flowers and jewels, but be careful. If you touch anything, you will be trapped down here forever. Mortals are attracted to it, so I'm not entirely sure how it will affect you. The entrance is near the replica of the Elm of False Dreams. I need you to try and break in."

"And that's all I get?"

"That's all you get. Don't feel bad if you can't get through."

I fought the urge to roll my eyes and disappeared. Persephone's grove was right at the edge of the palace, adding yet another security measure to this little project. Hades always had guards patrolling, but I managed to squeeze through them, and with some quick stonework on my part, I'd managed to get into Persephone's garden.

Funnily enough, I'd never been to her garden before. It was breathtakingly beautiful. The flowers were made of gems which seemed to shine from within. There was every color, from rich reds to deep dark sapphire blue, and some colors that I didn't know what to call. I walked through the garden, thankful that the urge to grab one wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Towards the back, near the far corner, I stumbled upon the tree.

It was a little over twenty feet tall, and instead of leaves, tiny diamonds and opals shone. It reminded me of the way trees looked after an ice storm. They moved slightly, like a breeze was pushing them, but no breath of wind touched my face. I looked all around the tree, searching for an entrance, but I came up with nothing. I ran my hands over the wall, inspected the floor, everything that I could think of. I was missing something.

I sat on the ground, frustration rolling through me. I was better than this.

That's when I noticed something that looked like a handle on the trunk of the tree.

It was made of bronze, glowing dully compared to the gems that dripped from the branches. It had the bark etched into it, but a knot was raised, and the vague outline of a door could be found. This was too easy though. This was a replica of the elm to which false dreams cling, and I wasn't supposed to touch anything.

I guess I was about to find out.

I reached forward, and as soon as my fingertips brushed the bark, a swirl of images flashed in front of me.

I was with my mother, brother, and Poseidon, living together at our family's estate in Rome.

I was at my brother's wedding, cheering him on as he married a beautiful girl.

Bear wrapped his arms around me, whispering indiscernible things in my ear which made me laugh.

I watched our children play in the courtyard, along with my brother's.

I held Bear's hand at our kitchen table, both of us worn and grey.

I watched my children get married, and I held my grandchild in my arms.

Tears prickled my eyes, a few spilling over. I knew better than this. This wasn't my fate. It was all a lie, things I had once hoped and dreamed of having. I focused my resolve, and the tree came back into view. The mist thrummed through me, and I willed the door to open. The knot turned slightly, and it faded away to reveal a small hole with a flight of stairs descending down into darkness.

Oh goody.

For some reason, I couldn't stop crying. I wiped under my eyes and then made a ball of fire appear in my hand. I started working my way down. I knew they were lost dreams, but it didn't mean that they didn't hurt a little. I would have loved to grow old beside my love, to have kids and watch them have children, but that was never a possibility for me.

The stairs wound downward in a spiral, and I was beginning to wonder how far down they would go before I felt something break against my shins. The steps disappeared from underneath me, morphing into a slide.

A freaking trip wire!?

I slide down, unable to find anything to gain some purchase. I brought my daggers into my hands, but for some reason, they hesitated. I tried again, and they finally appeared. I prepared myself for the worst as I slid out on the floor. I stabbed down into a crack to stop myself. I looked up to find molten eyes staring at me from above.

Why did the gods always insist on dragons?

It opened its mouth, preparing to breath fire, but I launched a rock from the floor. The dragon choked on it, giving me just a minute to scramble away. I darted behind a column, and the dragon roared in indignation. I peered around, seeing that it had a dog color around its neck with a tag hanging from it. I squinted to see its name, and once I did, I groaned loudly.

Cychreides, the dragon who was slain by Cychreus after it went on a rampage and destroyed Salamis.

Fan-freaking-tastic.

I quickly looked around the chamber, trying to get my bearings. There were columns like the one I was hiding behind all around the room, with lit braziers on top. The staircase which I had slid down was nowhere to be seen, most likely disappeared until I either died or destroyed the dragon. I didn't see any jewels, nothing of importance, but that didn't mean anything.

I felt it in the ground before I saw it.

The dragon came after me, his long tail swiping at the column I hid behind. I darted out of the way, just in time to keep from being squished by the stone sliced in half from the spikes on his tail. I held up my hand, stopping a few shards of rock from cutting me. The dragon had me in a corner, and I could've sworn it was smiling at me. It opened its mouth, releasing a torrent of flames.

I moved a slab at my feet, throwing it in front of me before I was burned to a crisp. I had to figure out a way to beat this thing.

The myth was all messed up. There was a reason the myths weren't clear on this dragon. He did a lot of damage, A LOT, and the gods were kind of embarrassed at the amount of people it killed before some legacy managed to kill it. Not many knew what really happened, and I only knew because Ares had told me back when I was still cursed. What had he said? Cychreus killed the dragon and became king….but dragon hide is super strong. It takes a lot to kill a dragon…unless it has a weakness…

I remembered now. There was a vulnerable spot on the dragon's abdomen. When the flames stopped, I shoved the rock into its face. It reared back, but not quite enough. I kept sending rocks at its face, and finally, I saw it. Just under its left arm, there was a bare patch not covered by scales.

"Vythísei vathiá," I whispered desperately to my daggers. My magic raced into them, and I reared back, letting them fly. One hit just shy of my target, but the second one held true. It struck the dragon, burrowing deep into its flesh. It let out a wail of misery, flailing around and destroying the chamber. Rocks were flying everywhere, and I dove out of the way. I tried to keep the big ones off of me, but my magic felt funny. Maybe I was just drained from the spell? One got through, hitting me in the ribs. I let out a yell of pain. The dragon was dying, and finally, it disintegrated into fine ash, covering me in it and sending a tremor through the floor.

Another big rock came falling down on top of me, and I couldn't stop it. I just managed to get out of the way. It was so close that my fingertips could brush the stone. I lay on the ground, trying to catch my breath and fight through the pain. I reached at my waist and grabbed the small vile of nectar I always kept on me.

A light appeared on the other side of the chamber, and behind me, the staircase reappeared. I just laid there for a moment, letting the nectar do its work. It just felt like a bruised rib, and Apollo's super nectar would have me healed in a few minutes. When I felt better, I walked to the pillar, expecting to see something very rare and powerful, but instead, all is saw was a rolled up scroll. I grabbed it, curious as to what it said.

From the deepest desires often come the deadliest hate.

:D

You've got to be effing kidding me.

I crumpled up the note and blasted some of the rocks back for good measure. A rumble shook the chamber, and I hoped and prayed that Thanatos could feel it. To send me all this way for a practical joke was way over the line. I had been busting my ass for him for weeks, and this is how he repays me? We'd become friends for crying out loud, or so I had thought. I pulled my daggers back, my anger beginning to go from a simmer to a boil.

I marched back up the stairs, my fury quaking in every step. I knew I was sending tremors through the ground. A part of me realized I was most likely causing earthquakes above ground, but at that moment, I didn't care. I just wanted to punch Thanatos in the face.

Which I wouldn't do, but I would give him a piece of my mind.

I stormed into his office, aware that I was covered in rock dust, ash, and god knows what else. Charon was there, along with another of Hades's sons and Macaria.

"You think this is freaking funny!?" I yelled as I slammed the door behind me. Thanatos just smiled good-naturedly at me.

"I take it you couldn't get in?"

"Of course I got in, you stinking pile of rotting flesh! I almost died doing this stupid errand, and you leave me to find a freaking note!? If you want anything protected there, then you need to step up your game because that security was PITIFUL."

I slammed the note on his desk, and a few things fell from his shelves in the tremor that followed. Thanatos looked slightly confused, and the others took a step back. I felt hot, and I realized that I was glowing slightly. That was weird.

"What are you talking about? There should have been a chest."

"Well, there wasn't. Only this damned note. You are very funny, you know that?"

Thanatos grabbed the note, reading over it quickly. As he read it, his complexion faded. He looked white as a sheet, and in the underworld, that was saying something. He stood, his anger causing the lights to dim in the room.

"If this is a joke, some kind of prank-"

"It's not. Why don't you go check yourself if you don't believe me?"

Thanatos took a deep breath, his gaze focusing on me. "There was no chest? Nothing on the pedestal after you killed the dragon?'

"Only the note. I swear on the Styx."

For a minute of two all Thanatos did was stare at me. It was silent in the room, and the others were looking from me to him. I could see thoughts rushing behind Thanatos's eyes, the same look he had when he touched me and I didn't die.

"Thanatos, what does that mean?" Macaria asked in a soft voice.

"It means that we are in big trouble. Zagreus, fetch your father. We've had a breach."

Oooo any thoughts or theories?

btw, Vythísei vathiá means plunge deep in greek, at least according to google translate XD

Please leave a review. They really do inspire me to write faster because if you guys are excited, then so am I!