I owe you guys an apology! I meant to post this last Saturday, but sadly, but computer cord got struck by lightning! My computer was fine, thank god, but without the power cord and a battery that's lucky to last 30 minutes, it died. I got my new cord in today!

There will be another update Sunday! Some big things are revealed in the next two chapters.

I'm editing this at work, so if I missed something, I apologize.

Enjoy!

-Addie-

Getting stabbed absolutely, positively, one hundred percent blows. It certainly wasn't the first time I'd felt a sting of a blade, but this was different.

Apollo carried me in his arms, and even the few steps from where he appeared to the bed was enough to have tears streaming from my eyes. I shut them, trying to fight the pain, before another bright light filled the room.

"Drink this," Apollo ordered. I willingly opened my mouth, letting him pour the contents in. It tasted absolutely horrid. "That will buy us some time. Artemis, go get Hecate. Now."

"I already stopped by. She's on the way."

"You told her?" Apollo asked.

I didn't have to open mine to know Artemis's eyes were on me. "No. Just to get her happy ass here with her strongest healing stuff."

"What can we do?"

At that, my eyes flew open. Percy and Nico stood behind Artemis, looking absolutely helpless. Apollo did something to the wound, causing my body to jerk. I gripped the bed, trying my best not to scream.

How could I have been so stupid?

"Artemis, get them out of here."

"Addie, I'm not leaving-

"Yes, you are," I stated through gritted teeth. "If the wrong immortal shows up here…" Apollo pressed more bandages to the wound, and I let out a moan. "Please, Artemis."

"What in Tartarus is going on?"

Hecate stood at the door, looking at all of us in shock. Her eyes grazed over everyone, stilling on Percy and Nico. "They were on that quest," she surmised. She took a step back, her face colored with disbelief. "Apollo, please tell me you didn't interfere."

"I didn't have a choice."

"We all have a choice! That's the point! When Zeus finds out—"

"She's pregnant, Hecate. No, I didn't."

The silence that followed felt like something tangible. I wanted to take it and hold it to my chest to protect it. I'd do anything to protect my little elephant. My stomach gave a roll, and I fought the urge to be sick. One of my arms went around my stomach, and the rolling stopped. I felt a fear that wasn't my own course through me. I put my hand on my stomach, and it receded some. I didn't want it to be scared. I wanted it to feel safe, to feel happy. I needed it to live.

"With an immortal child? An Olympian?"

Apollo must have nodded his head. "She's carrying the next generation. That's something we all protect. She's your granddaughter. We cannot let her die," he croaked. "I will not let them die."

Even I could feel the heat from Hecate's stare. "You've changed the course, you know that? Once you pass a crossroads, there's no going back, Apollo. There will have to be something to balance it."

"I know, and if they live, I'll gladly take it."

"This isn't smart."

"Are you going to help me or not?" he snapped.

Hecate groaned loudly. "Of course I am. May the fates forgive me."

They went to work on my back, but their words were becoming indiscernible. My eyes fluttered open, but everything was blurry. A soft hand lifted mine from the mattress, giving it a comforting squeeze. I knew that hand.

"Artemis," I whispered while my eyes found Percy and Nico's blurry forms. "They'll die if they stay here."

"We're not going anywhere, Addie," Percy promised.

I shook my head. I had no idea what I looked like, but I felt wild, on edge. I'd never been so scared in my whole life. "I won't have their blood on my hands. Ple….please t-take them to camp. For me. Please. Keep them safe and out of this. Promise me."

"Okay, okay. I promise." She kissed my hand, her warmth vanishing from it. I heard some shouting, but it was so hard to make out. A minute later, a bright light filled the room, and I hoped they were gone.

I had died before. I knew what it felt like, approaching that darkness you couldn't come back from. It was terrifying. Yet, it was welcomed as a reprieve from the pain and complications of life. I was so exhausted. I just wanted to sleep.

But I had to fight for my family. By the gods, I would.

"This goes deep, no telling what all it hit. It'd help if we knew the pantheon," Hecate murmured.

"I could guess," Apollo replied. "She'd be dead if it hit something major." Someone's hands left me, and my body sagged over. Apollo put a firm hand on my shoulder, keeping me on my side. "Liakáda, I need you to stay with me. Talk to me."

"I'm tired," I managed weakly.

"I know. You can do this. You'll be able to sleep soon, I promise."

I nodded my head right before a spasm of pain shot across my back. I cried out, and Apollo reached around and found my hand. The pain brought a moment of clarity. If I died, I was the only one who knew.

"Ap-Apollo," I slurred.

"Hecate, we've got to move faster," he gushed as he withdrew his hand. "She's fading. She's already lost so much blood."

"I know. I'm going to have to guess at a few of these ingredients, but I think I know—"

"Apollo, t-there's something I-I need…" I tried to get it out.

"You can tell me later, Addie. Do not give up yet."

"I'm not," I groaned. Didn't he understand how important it was? He needed to know. It was the most important thing next to saving my child. "He…didn't…"

Pain rocked through my body. I let out a sob.

"I'm so sorry, Addie. It'll be over soon," Hecate explained. "Apollo, she needs something for the pain. She shouldn't suffer. It's hurting both of them."

"N-no," I warbled. I tried to speak again, but my mouth didn't want to move. A sharp prick ran through my arm, and everything went dark.

-Apollo-

I'd thought I'd felt the worst pain imaginable when Addie died the first time.

I think it was just something that compounded with time. When she lied there, bleeding in my arms, I thought that her first death was nothing compared to this. Maybe it was that my fear was tied to the two most important people in my existence this time. Maybe it had to do with feeling it all over again, like a fresh wound on an old scar.

I will tell you that I'd never been more relieved.

Addie was sleeping soundly in our bed, curled on her side. With each breath she took, I said a prayer to every god and fate I could think of. I had just finished stitching her wound up. We had all sat down, as exhausted as we could be for immortals.

"They would have felt the shift," Hecate murmured. "I'm surprised they aren't here yet."

The wrath of my father was coming. Magic that crosses pantheon lines can be felt by immortals, and it took all we had to save her. I was in trouble, major trouble, worse than when I brought Asclepius back.

But my wife was alive. And so was my child.

"Go. I've got this. I'll tell Zeus something so he won't come for you. I swear it on the Styx."

"If he really wants to, then there's nothing you can do," she pointed out.

"I'll do everything in my power to see that he doesn't."

Hecate nodded her head. She looked like she was going to say something else, but she just shook her head and left. Artemis sat on the other side of the bed, her fingers running helplessly through Addie's hair. We just watched her for a few minutes, until Artemis broke the silence.

"Can you feel it? I couldn't until everything calmed down."

I looked up at my sister. "Feel what exactly?"

Artemis's smile was small, but I could detect the joy in her eyes despite the worry there. "I was right. I'm going to have a niece."

"Seriously? You aren't joking?"

Artemis shook her head. "I can feel it. Remember, I protect young women. You are going to have a girl."

I looked at Addie, a smile of my own growing. It always amazed me how light moments could creep into the dark ones. I knew she'd be happy with anything, but after having so many brothers, she'd like another girl in her life. "Addie will be thrilled."

"When will she wake up?"

"She'll be out for a while, I hope. That drug was strong. Even if she manages to wake up, she will be completely out of it. She needs to rest as much as possible."

"Father will be here soon. How are we going to explain this?" she sighed.

"Yes, how will you?"

Zeus stood at the edge of the room with Hera and Athena right behind him. I could feel the rage come off of him in waves, off of all of them.

"They have absolutely no sense of decorum," Hera hissed. "This is the second time you've messed with the cosmos, boy."

I didn't deny her. But if I had truly interfered, wouldn't the Fates be here as well? Still, I'd defied my father's orders, and that was all it took.

"If it was to get the scroll, I'll be more lenient on your punishment," my father informed me.

What could I say? I didn't even know if they'd managed to get the scroll. That wasn't my biggest concern. It would have been so easy just to tell them. But I made my wife a promise, and I would not go back on my word to her. I started to explain, but Artemis beat me to it.

"Father, it's just as much my fault as it is his," she stated with a fierce expression. "As to the scroll, we won't know its fate until Addie wakes up. Someone, someone from outside our pantheon, attacked them. We didn't get a chance to ask."

"That doesn't excuse it. Artemis, you should know better," Athena admonished. "I know it is Addie, but it tips the balance. She has a mortal body! There are rules for a reason."

"An argument could be made for the opposite as well because her soul is not."

"But she had demigods with her," Athena countered. Artemis was silent for a moment, biting her lip as she collected herself.

"There's a lot more to this than what it seems. We will take whatever punishment is to befall us, but it had to be done. You are wrong," Artemis replied simply. Athena looked positively enraged. No one ever told her she was wrong.

"Well, if there's a lot more to this, then you better start explaining!" Zeus roared. "I have a right mind to blast her soul straight to the abyss myself!"

Something snapped. I made my bow appear, a golden arrow trained right at my Father's forehead. Could I kill him? No, but I sure as Tartarus could injure him.

"You aren't going to touch a hair on her head, let alone her soul," I swore. Artemis came to stand beside me, resting her hand on my shoulder. She sent waves of calm through me. I knew it wasn't smart to lash out like this, but at the moment, I didn't care.

"This is treason! Would you really disrespect your Father, your King?" Hera demanded.

"For them, I'd do anything." No one noticed my slip-up. Artemis squeezed my arm in warning and attempted to lower my bow.

"Apollo, don't act rashly," Athena scolded. She may have been upset, but she was trying to keep the peace. They just didn't understand.

"She is the cause of all of this. That girl is more trouble than she's worth!" Zeus roared as he took a step forward.

"You take one step closer, and I'll send this straight through your forehead."

"You are trying my patience, boy."

"Good. You are trying mine."

"Apollo," Artemis warned me. My father was already starting to glow. Artemis took a step towards him, but I saw her hand reach for the daggers she kept at her waist. "There is a reason, and I'm sure Addie will be able to tell us what happened."

"That reason is probably that your brother couldn't stand to lose his precious toy," Hera scoffed. Artemis's eyes shifted from slate to brilliant silver in an instant.

"Or is it that you are jealous that a god can actually manage to have a good marriage with his wife, unlike yours," Artemis retorted with a knowing smirk.

"Why you little!" Hera began.

"I think we all need to take a step back and calm down," Athena offered hurriedly.

Everyone started yelling. Lightning formed in my father's hands. Artemis pulled out her daggers. Hera was starting to glow red. My fingers were itching to let the string go. If my father thought I was going to let anything happen to her, then he had another thing-

"Stop."

Her voice was weak, but somehow, I heard it through the commotion. I turned to look at her for just a second. Artemis must have noticed as well. Addie was curled on her side, her hands wrapped around her stomach. She looked like a ghost, her color still gone from the blood loss.

"Look who has decided to grace us with her presence!" Zeus bellowed.

And the yelling picked up again. They were all yelling orders at her, and her color when from white to slightly green. She shook her head.

"MY GODS, CAN YOU ALL PLEASE JUST SHUT UP FOR ONE MINUTE!" she screamed.

Then I felt it.

A wave of force left her, causing all of us to go silent. It was strong enough that I staggered back. I opened my mouth to respond, but I literally couldn't talk. I looked around at the others, and they had the same astounded looks that I had. She tried to move from the bed, but all she managed to do was sit up. I could feel the pain it caused her, but something else was stirring inside her.

"I'm going to be sick."

I made a bucket appear in my hands and handed it to her. She wasn't lying. The whole time, she clutched at her stomach, gently rubbing it. When she finished, I made the bucket disappear. Artemis handed her a damp rag, and she took it gratefully.

"Sorry," she muttered before looking up at us. "You all were terrifying my elephant. Please don't do that again because it really sucks when it's upset."

"Addie, what are you talking about?" Athena breathed. It still sounded like it was difficult for her to get the words out.

"Apollo and Artemis are not to blame here. If I hadn't been so stubborn, then none of this would have happened, so I will take their punishment," she whispered.

"Absolutely not!" Artemis objected. I looked into Addie's eyes, seeing the grim determination there. I could argue with her later.

"You'd take the punishment?" Zeus asked skeptically.

Addie nodded her head. "They were only trying to protect me. I should have told you when you gave me this mission."

"Told us what?" Hera wondered, her tone a lot softer than expected. Addie opened her mouth once, but nothing came out. I knew she was scared. Hell, apparently our daughter was terrified. I didn't know what to do, so I took her hand, cradling it in my own. She looked gratefully at me, her eyes never leaving mine as she answered.

"That Apollo and I are having a baby."

We didn't need a magical blast this time. All three of them were in stunned silence. I reached for Addie's cheek and brushed my knuckles gently across it. I knew what it took for her to finally get those words out.

"A daughter," I added. I saw a flash of joy in Addie's eyes before we turned back to the others. Athena had sat down at the edge of the bed.

"I thought that was just you. I thought that it was just getting close to time," she stammered. Addie shook her head. "You said that you couldn't."

"Apparently, I was mislead," she grumbled while she looked at Hera. Everyone followed her gaze. Hera looked sheepish.

"I might have exaggerated slightly," she murmured. "It was an extremely small chance that you ever would. I didn't want to give you hope where there was practically none."

"Glad to know," Addie huffed. "Did you know?"

Hera shook her head. "I had no idea."

Addie nodded her head and swayed dangerously. I wrapped my arm around her to steady her. She needed to rest. They both did. I laid her back down, shifting the pillows so she'd be comfortable.

"What about the scroll?" Zeus finally asked.

"It's safe," Addie mumbled. She was close to passing out again, the drug and her exhaustion taking hold once more. "I s-swear on the Styx."

Zeus looked like he was going to protest further, like maybe shake her until she woke back up, but Hera laid a hand on his arm. "When she wakes, we will get the truth from her. If she's the only one who knows where it's at, then that's the safest it will be for now."

"You trust her word?" he responded doubtfully. We all knew Hera bullied Addie. She hadn't been the worst, but she was far from kind to her.

"I trust that she wouldn't put her child in danger by lying to us," Hera admitted. Zeus looked around the room, his eyes settling on me.

"This changes things, but only slightly. There will be a punishment, but it can be delayed for now. We'll have a meeting when she's recovered."

With that, my father and Hera left the room. Athena stayed behind, looking stricken.

"If I'd have known, I wouldn't have pushed her," she swore.

"Athena, she doesn't hold a grudge. You were doing what you thought was right," Artemis reasoned. "If Addie had been in her regular state, she would've been my choice, hands down."

"Gods, that girl," Athena swore. After a minute, a small smile crept up on her face. "Do you know how long it has been since we've have a child on Olympus? Everyone's going to be so excited."

"Not everyone," I reasoned.

"Most will. Don't argue on this one, brother," Artemis supplied. "I've got to check on the hunters. Do you think you two will be okay for a while?"

I nodded my head. Artemis vanished, leaving Athena and I alone. Athena brushed Addie's hair away from her face before rising. "I'll stay nearby in case you need me. No doubt the gossip has already begun. They'll want to come see for themselves."

"And they can wait until she is ready," I commanded.

"I'll make sure of that," Athena promised before leaving herself.

Addie lived, hooray! And they are having a little girl! How exciting! :)

So lots of questions to be answered next chapter...Addie says she protected the scroll, but how? And our villain told her some things the Olympians will not be happy about...Plus, Apollo and Hecate guessed right at the Pantheon. Any clue to who it may be? I love hearing your theories!

Please leave a review. Thank you so so much for all the ones for the last chapter!

Until Sunday!