PASSING DAYS

"Just now you can't stay in this state forever. The Hunters need their mistress and I need my sister back"

- From Forbidden Love, Thalia Grace

Short Summary:

Twenty-eight days, twenty-one hours, three minutes. That's how long Percy had been gone with no explanation of his disappearance. Even though they had broken up, Artemis couldn't help but be worried.

Artemis sat by herself in her tent, tears flowing down her face as she furiously wiped it away, but more tears replaced the previous ones. Her silver parka was messy and her hair was a mess as well. Sobs shook her body as she hugged her knees close to her chest, her back leaning against the bed frame.

The lonely and dark night only seems to stretch on longer. Even through the soundproof tent, Artemis could hear the rain beating down rapidly. The sound was surprisingly soothing and comforting, letting her forget her worries for a while.

It had all been perfect. The smooth and steady relationship they had, the joy and love she had felt when she was with him. But then he broke it off twenty-eight days, twenty-one hours, and three minutes ago. She wasn't counting the date, she just had a natural sense of time.

The lies couldn't seem to reach her heart as Artemis stared angrily at the picture on her bed stand. It showed Percy, the son of Poseidon and her now ex-boyfriend, with his arms around her shoulder. They were looking at each other, love in their eyes as Thalia took the picture.

"Artemis?" A voice called out from the other side of her tent flap. Maybe the soundproof system is broken again, Artemis thought to herself as she curled herself up tighter. The last time it was broken was with Percy, when Thalia somehow played with the magic, causing it to fade. It had been a week full of teasing and talks of blackmails from Thalia. Percy hadn't fared any better but he just laughed it off.

"Are you okay?" Thalia's voice sounded out again, pulling Artemis out of her own thoughts as she wiped the tears away from her eyes with her sleeves. She wiped her nose as well, ignoring the now wet sleeve. She stared at the door for longer than needed.

"I'm doing fine!" Artemis called out, trying to sound convincing and stopping her voice for quivering. The attempt wasn't as good as she'd hope it would be but it would do for now. Or so she thought.

"I'm coming in!" Thalia called out once more, making Artemis cursed under her breath. Of course the tent was only soundproof from the inside. The people inside could hear what's going on outside but the one outside couldn't. The odds definitely aren't in her favor lately.

Twenty-eight days, twenty-one hours, ten minutes.

The groan of annoyance could be heard as Thalia tried to open the zipper of the tent's flap but failed miserably at her attempt. Artemis was too numb to laugh, staring at it blankly. She called out weakly. "It's locked."

"WELL, CAN YOU UNLOCK IT?!" Thalia shouted. Artemis rubbed her temple as she pressed her palms against her ears. And now the tent decided that it doesn't want to be soundproof at all. Artemis looked around the room once more, choosing to hide the picture frame as she got off the bed and walking toward the tent flat with a sigh.

"What do you want?" Artemis asked tiredly as she greeted her sister with puffy eyes and blank stares. Thalia stared at her older sister with a loud sigh. She pulled her back into the tent as she zipped it behind her, earning a protest from Artemis.

"You're worse off than I'd imagined," Thalia commented dryly as Artemis sat back onto her bed, turning toward Thalia, who was studying her with her electric blue eyes. "You can't just stay here all day."

"I can and I will," Artemis said with a monotone voice, getting under the cover without another word. "Now leave me alone, Thalia. I'm trying to sleep."

Thalia sighed as she got up again, walking toward the tent flat. But just before she went out, she turned back toward her sister. "Just now you can't stay in this state forever. The Hunters need their mistress and I need my sister back."

Artemis' eyes were closed as Thalia sighed once more, opening the tent flat and closing it again. She murmured quietly to herself. "For your own sake, I hope you get better soon."

Artemis opened her eyes when she was sure Thalia was out and looked around the now closed and dark tent, her eyelid heavy as she closed her eyes for real this time.

Twenty-eight days, twenty-one hours, twenty-three minutes.

Her dreams were as bad as reality. It showed what she can't have, the love she'd long for that was gone as quickly as it came. Artemis had never thought that the son of Poseidon and the savior of Olympus would catch her eyes, yet it did. They had a rocky start for their relationship but it soon turned out better than she'd hope.

Percy had been assigned a quest, and her idiotic brother's orcale just had to insist that she come with them along with the daughter of Athena who Percy had been dating. But half-way through the quest they broke it off for reasons Artemis still struggles to understand. But from what Percy had told her, Annabeth founded another guy. The tension in the air between the three questers raised a little higher.

They had never planned a relationship, but it started with the quest. Then their first kiss, then the day he'd asked her to be his girlfriend. Artemis had accepted without a doubt, believing nothing would ever come between them.

She saw the memories again, the scene that had been repeating in her mind for days and days.

"I need to tell you something," he had told her seriously that day, looking into her eyes and making sure she understood what he's saying. Artemis nodded, thinking that she's prepared for what's coming. Percy seemed to be choking back a sob as he continued. "We… we can't go on Artemis. I can't…"

"You can't what?" Artemis had demanded, her anger barely concealed as she stared outrageously at the person she had come to trust, come to care for, and come to love. He wouldn't meet her eyes as he rubbed the back of his head.

"I can't put you in any more danger," Percy whispered, looking down at the ground before looking up once more and capturing her lips in his. No matter how many times they did that, it always gave her warm and tingly feelings. "I'll be back… I'll fix everything."

"Percy," Artemis whispered softly, trying to grasp his hand but he pulled away, giving her a sad smile before dashing off into the night, away from her, away from everything and everyone he cared about. No one had seen him ever since. But Artemis had caught rumors that her father had something to do with it.

Artemis woke up, tears already gathering in her eyes. She wiped it away. How pathetic am I? She questioned herself as the words from Thalia finally sank in. She can't keep on living like this, she needs to start living again.

Twenty-nine days, six hours, forty minutes.

For the first time in twenty-nine days, she walked out of her tent. The Hunters around all paused as they stared at their mistress, surprised and thankful looks in their eyes. Some look grateful, some look hopeful, some gave her looks of pity. They were all staring at her, studying every inch of her as if trying to learn all of her deepest secret.

To Artemis' relief, Thalia shooed the hunters away as she led her to the dining area, passing her a plate filled with bacon, eggs, and potatoes. Artemis just stared at the plate of food, her hand reaching for the fork.

The rest of the hunters filled into the area and whispers and stares started following Artemis again. Thalia shushed them, threatening a month of laundry duty if they kept on staring or whispering. She sat down beside Artemis after that, smiling gently at her.

"How are you feeling?"

Artemis shrugged as she slowly took a bite out of her scramble egg, her eyes widened at the amount of tastes she had felt. For the past twenty-nine days, she had been living off ambrosia and nectar, but now she finally realized why she still eats mortal foods.

She quickly took another bite, and another bite after that. Sooner than expected, the plate was empty. Thalia chuckled lightly as Artemis stood up and walked toward the archery range, her fingers aching for the touch of a bow and arrow again. She looked up at the sun just before she reached the archery range.

Twenty-nine days, ten hours, fifty-six minutes.

The arrow reached the bull's eyes without problem and Artemis smiled for the first time in a while, glad that she hadn't lost any of her archery skills.

"Not bad, milady," Thalia smirked teasingly as Artemis pulled back another arrow, pretending she didn't hear anything her sister had said. "Though maybe you need more practice. The aim was an inch off."

Artemis turned to face her, anger slightly presented in her eyes. "Are you challenging me, Lieutenant Thalia?"

"Yep," Thalia nodded with enthousiasme, making Artemis' eyes sparkled, taking on the challenge. The competition ended with a tie as Thalia suddenly ran up and hugged Artemis tightly, surprising the goddess. "Welcome back, Artemis."

Twenty-nine days, twelve hours, three minutes.

"Girls," Artemis said in a threatening manner as a fuming Thalia stood next to her. Her hair was covered in green slim and her skin was as pale as snow. "Who is responsible for this?"

"Not me," the younger hunters echoed as they slowly backed away from the ground, running back toward their tent. Giggles and whispered were exchanged between them as Thalia glared at their retreating form.

None of the hunters spoke up as they tried not to laugh at their lieutenant. Artemis crossed her arms, getting more impatient by the second. Still no hunters speak up. She sighed, looking back toward Thalia. "Guess you have to find out who pranked you."

"And I thought you can read mind," Thalia grumbled under her breath as a smirk appeared on Artemis' face.

"I could, but why should I?" She dashed toward her tents before her enraged sister could respond.

A hundred and fifty days, eighteen hours, thirty-one minutes.

Artemis laid in her bed wild awake, twisting and turning. She couldn't shake off the feeling that something was going to happen tonight. She bolted up suddenly when she heard the zipper of her tent open. No one has access to it beside her and…

The name brought bitter tastes to her lips as her fingers held her bow tightly in hand. The zipper paused for a second before the whole tent flat opened, showing Percy standing there. His clothes were ripped in several places and there are scratches all over his body. Some dried blood was seen on his face but he didn't seem to notice it. He zipped the tent behind him, only to be met with an arrow.

"Artemis," he breathed out as the said goddess glared harshly at him. The hand around her bow was shaking and tears were threatening to spill as memories filled her head once more.

"Come on! I want to show you something." He'd shown her an amazing gazebo next to a hidden lake.

"Don't worry, I'll always protect you," he fought off Hercules when she was powerless to stop him, chained to a celestial chain.

"I'll never leave you, I promise." His smile had been so bright and Artemis just sank into his embrace believing every he'd said.

"Perseus," she greeted rather coldly as he flinched under her glaze. But the sight of him just made every wall she had built crumble down in matters of seconds. Artemis threw herself at him, tackling him to the ground as she punched him weakly, tears falling down her face like a waterfall. "Where were you? How can you just disappear like that? Why did you leave me?"

"Shh," Percy comforted quietly, combing his hand through her long auburn hair. "I'm here. It would be alright. Everything would be okay."

"How do you know?" Artemis asked quietly as she felt a pair of lips connecting with hers.

"Because we're here together. And I swear on the river Styx I won't ever leave you again."

One year.

It has been one year since Percy had returned to Artemis and she's loving every single moment of it. Her hand made its way to her swollen stomach, rubbing it as she flipped through a photo album, showing different pictures.

Percy sat beside her, his arms around her shoulder as he dozed, his head leaning against the wall and a trail of drool on his face. Artemis chuckled to herself but did nothing to wipe it, instead choosing to lay her head on his shoulder.

A wide smile made their way to her face as she thought of everything that had changed in her life ever since Percy appeared. All the ups and downs and all the hardship they faced. But it brought her to where they are today and given the chance, she would do it all over again.

Artemis looked up at Percy before closing the photo album and closing the light soon afterwards. She got into the bed beside Percy, the smile never leaving her face.

AN: Hey! I am so sorry to everyone reading Breath of the Wilderness. I lack the enthusiasm to write the chapter and I needed something to help me start the process of writing again. I guess this one-shot is it. I hope I can finish the next chapter tomorrow but we'll see.

I guess everyone has different ways to deal with guilt and this is mine. Hope everyone enjoys the one-shot and feel free to PM me with requests or leave a request in the review section!

This idea was... really different than what I usually write, tell me what was your thoughts on it!

If you haven't already, check out the discord server I'd made! Link in my bio :D

Stay safe.

- Kathy