Percy was standing by the training area at Camp Half Blood. Considering his new domains as God of Free Will, the Tides, and Loyalty, Zeus had stationed him there to help train new heroes. Although Percy was thankful that he would never have to train anyone for another prophecy ordained by the Fates, he realized that the benefits of free will also came with a few downsides.

For example, if anyone was trying to issue a coordinated attack on Olympus or Camp Half Blood, there would be no prophecy indicating any plan of action. Would the right answer be to find this ancient item on a remote island to fix the problem? Or would the right thing be to stay and fight? There just was no certainty. Also, most of the time, the hero would win, but Percy didn't consider that a benefit to the Fates, as he witnessed Luke die while he supposedly 'won' the war against Kronos.

Regardless, Percy lived every day as happy as he could be. He was able to train demigods, which he still considered himself as. This whole 'Olympian' thing was really foreign to him. He never acted superior to anyone. If someone didn't know about his status, they would have no indication by his demeanor or humility.

Beyond that, Percy was a happy man because he was married to the woman he loved the most- Artemis. The wedding took place shortly after he became an Olympian, and he was surprised that no one had any quarrels with the idea of the maiden goddess getting married (then again, defying fate was sort of his thing).

Although he didn't get to see her much since she was with the Hunt, they IM'ed each other most days. Every time they talked, he was always reminded of how he perceived her before they were an item. She appeared strict and not to be messed with, especially by a male. But after seeing the other side of Artemis, all he could do was be happy. She was always positive, never dramatic, and had a pretty good sense of humor.

He was taken out of his train of thought when Chiron walked up next to him.

"How are we doing, Percy?" he asked him.

Percy smiled at him. "I appreciate the informality, Chiron. Once the heroes realize I am an Olympian, they act different towards me. I turn into 'Lord Perseus'... and I hate that. But things are about as good as they could be, considering the rough patch in my life."

Chiron nodded his head and stroked his beard. "I'm glad to hear that. I always was concerned with heroes after their prophecies were finished. That's the interesting thing with most of them. They accomplished these great task, but afterwards, their lives returned to normal. Most of them weren't able to cope with that normality after receiving the fame and notoriety."

Percy pretended to cough. "cough 'Hercules' cough."

Chiron smiled, revealing the crinkles on his cheeks. "Exactly. And that dependence for recognition is just as bad as any other addiction I have ever seen. It ruined most of their lives," he noted. "But with you, I knew for certain that wouldn't be the case. I hoped you would just get the life of security and happiness you deserved, but in the back of my mind, I was trepidatious to say the least." He frowned.

"I understand you, Chiron. That was one of the problems with the Fates. Heroes achieved their supposed 'destiny', and then their life could really only go downhill from there, just by the nature of things. They think life is like a movie, where, after the big climax, everyone is left happy. But we don't know what happens after the credits in the movie. The parts after it could be terrible, but we just assume the best. And that thinking in real life can really be a problem, because it is an unstable expectation."

Chiron was amused. "They should have added: Percy Jackson, the God of Philosophy," he joked.

Percy chuckled to that one, and continued. "And for that, I consider myself lucky. I never viewed the defeat of Kronos as a highlight of my life because I was burdened with the loss of Luke, and more importantly, Annabeth's depression because of it. But, I suppose," he realized, "That this high point I am experiencing right now in my life is also uncertain. I'm just thankful that I am in control of it though. If I remain this happy, it is because I took the right actions to secure it. And if I fail, well, at least I know that I can only blame myself."

Chiron nodded. "People think that making external excuses can help them. But it's only when they realize the things that they can control. That is where growth and character is found." They stood there in silence, thinking of what they said.

"Um, excuse me." Percy and Chiron turned around to about 25 heroes standing there.

Percy's eyes widened. "How much of that did you guys hear?" he asked.

One of the girls spoke up. "Almost all of it." Percy and Chiron looked at each other seriously, and then, after a moment, laughed out loud.

Thing were going well for Percy Jackson.

Later that day, Percy received an IM from Artemis. Whenever he saw her, he never failed to notice how perfect she was. She was beautiful through and through.

"Hey Artemis!" he greeted. She smiled at him.

"How are things going for you, Percy?" she asked.

He gave her a big smile. "Honestly Artemis, I couldn't ask for anything better in my life than how things are going right now."

She gave him a serious face. "Why? Is it because I'm not around." His face fell flat and his cheeks reddened.

She tried to keep a straight face, but she couldn't do it. "I'm just messing with you Percy. I'm glad things are going well for you. Listen, did you want to meet tonight? We haven't seen each other in a while."

His face lit up. "Absolutely! That would be great. Should I pick up some food?" he asked. After they got married, Percy showed her the wonders of restaurants. They were like places you could get food without, get this, having to chase it, kill it, clean it, and cook it. Although Artemis did give Percy a salty face when he mentioned that to her the first time...

She nodded thoughtfully. "I suppose. How about KFC?" she asked.

He feigned being disappointed. "Uh, Arty, you always pick KFC."

She shook her head. "I told you Percy, they don't have chicken in the wild. Sure, there are grouse, but they are small. Besides, my hunt never fries food anyways."

"Alright, I'll pick some up for us. Meet at Montauk?" he asked.

She nodded her head. "Montauk it is." She swiped through the IM, and Percy just stood there with a dreamy face. Artemis had this effect where he experienced the same emotions with her after a long time of being together. It was like a permanent honey moon phase. It was like she was an "eternal new car smell". He decided not to tell her that one, though.

Percy went to the dining pavilion, and they all looked at him expectantly.

"Heroes, good work today. I can see all of your improvements, and I hope you can as well." He grabbed his chalice, and then realized something. "You know, I was going to say 'to the gods', like I did when I was in your shoes. But now that I am one, I think it would be sort of arrogant." He set the cup down, and the campers chuckled.

Chiron chortled and then stood up. "Then allow me. To the gods!"

"To the gods," they replied.

Percy scooted over towards Chiron. "Hey, I have a date tonight. Mind if I headed out early?" he asked.

Chiron just gave him an amused face. "You are an Olympian now, Percy. You don't have to ask for my permission to do anything."

He nodded. "Sorry, it only feels right." And then he was gone with a sea breeze.

The sun had just set on the waters of Montauk Bay, and the moon started to dominate the light in the sky. Standing below it was its very controller, Artemis. She looked out towards the sea and smiled. The relationship between the moon and the sea made her happy. She set a blanket down on the soft, white sand.

"Sorry I'm late," Percy said, vaporizing behind her. In his hand was two huge bags of KFC.

"What did you bring me?" she asked.

He smiled. "The question is what didn't I bring. The cashier seemed pretty surprised when I asked for one of everything on the menu."

He sat next to her on the blanket, and the two of them enjoyed their greasy food.

Percy smirked at Artemis but didn't say anything. That annoyed her. "What is it, Percy?" she asked.

He pretended like she caught him, and scratched the back of his head. "Oh, um, nothing. Nothing at all. Nope. We're good... We are all good," he responded.

She glared at him with suspicion. "Just because you're my husband doesn't mean I can't fight you. And just because you're an Olympian doesn't mean I won't try to turn you into a jackrabbit.," she threatened.

He put his hands up in the air. "No, no, you're right. Okay, there is just one thing. I didn't want to say it, but now I feel compelled to do so." She looked at him expectantly. "It's just that you have a little grease on your face."

She frowned. "Where?" she asked. She started to wipe her face.

He shook his head. "Here, allow me." He started to lean forward and examined her face. He put his hand on her cheek, kept moving forward, and examined.

Then he licked her.

"Percy," she squealed. She was about to slap him, but he was prepared, already running away from her. She caught up to him quickly, though, and tackled him to the ground.

He rolled over, still pinned to the ground, and smiled. "Got me," he told her. "What is my punishment?" he asked, unthreatened.

She smirked. "Well, I was going to tell you something tonight, but now I don't think I will." She started to walk back towards the blanket.

"Oh man, now you have to tell me," he urged.

She gave him an innocent look. "Oh, no, it's fine. I think I forgot what I was going to tell you anyways."

He gave her a defeated look. After they finished their meals, they laid on the blanket, holding hands and looking up towards the sky. They didn't need to talk. They just enjoyed each other's presence.

"Percy?"

"Yes Artemis."

"Did you really want to know what I was going to tell you?" She asked.

"Absolutely," he replied. She squeezed his hand, and they rolled over to face each other.

She smiled at him, and then looked down.

"I'm pregnant."

Woo-hoo! Thank you guys so much for reading. I hope you will enjoy this sequel! I am super duper excited! Have a great day.