Updated: 24/1/2022

Chapter 12: Never A Nuisance

Artemis shivers after a bad nightmare that resulted in another panic attack. She didn't used to have these. It was after she was attacked that they happened. Luckily, she managed to fend off the attack. But it somehow seemed to stick with her. On want could have happened if she hadn't managed to kick the bastard's ass.

But that what ifs still haunted her, and she didn't want to tell anyone what nearly happened. But she wasn't getting any sleep and she didn't trust herself to be able to not jump at shadows and she had to fight the urge not to go to Olympus. As that was when the attack happened and so her mind was telling her it wasn't a place she should go.

Nobody in her family would understand.
Well one might. As she had always been closer to him than anyone believed. But she didn't want to bother him. As he just got his Godhood back and she didn't want to be a nuisance.

So, Artemis kept ignoring her problem and she started not feeling too good. She just couldn't sleep probably. And just couldn't seem to relax most nights. So, she would stay in front of her campfire in the cold and just stare at it. Trying not to think on the could have been.

She was startled out of her thoughts but the feeling of a council meeting being called.

She coughs, "Great"

Artemis flashes to the Council Hall and most were starting to arrive as she goes quietly too her throne. Not really paying attention to what was going on around her.

But others were noticing her. As she didn't participate in their conversation.
Apollo looks at his sister worriedly. What was wrong with her? He was getting more and more concerned as time went on. Especially when she coughed.

Apollo suddenly gets up not being able to stay out of this anymore. And it didn't even look like Artemis was paying attention to anything anyway. Otherwise, she might have noticed that many of the council were looking at her strangely.

Apollo goes over to her throne and kneels in front of her.
"Arty?" Apollo asks gently touching her hand.

She jumps in fright before calming and looks at him, but she doesn't say a word.

That got him more worried. As she would have by now snapped at him. And what was with that jump of fright?
Apollo slowly puts his hand on her forehead, and he could feel the heat radiating from her.

"Arty you're sick", Apollo states.

"No, I'm not. I'll be fine", she coughs.

Apollo snorts sarcastically, "Yeh that I really believe"

He goes to do a scan, but she flinches back, and he stills.

"Little Sis why are you flinching from me? You know I won't hurt you and you have never done this before. How did you get in this state?" Apollo asks gently trying to coax an answer out of her.

She just looks at him with a slight whimper.

"Alright let's get you to my Temple", Apollo decides.

"No", Artemis coughs.

"Why is that Little One when your obviously sick and in need of being cared for?" Apollo asks curiously and with slight worry in his voice.

"Not safe", Artemis mutters not really thinking clearly.

Everyone was now paying attention to the Twin Archers.

"How is that? What has happened to cause this? You look like you haven't slept in weeks", Apollo says softly as he starts to coax an explanation and answers out of her.

"I haven't", Artemis whispers feeling sick.

Apollo knows he shouldn't take advantage of his sisters obvious lack of sleep and fever but he needed answers.

"And why is that?" Apollo asks gently probes a bit farther.
"Not safe", Artemis mumbles again.

"Arty want happened?" Apollo asks really concerned now.

"Olympus not safe. Hunt not safe. Nowhere safe", Artemis mumbles to their shock.
"Little One who has hurt you so?" Apollo asks starting to see something.

He really hoped it wasn't as bad as it seemed to be.

"Attacked", Artemis says her mind feeling hazy.

"By whom?" Apollo growls.

His protective streak rearing its head.

Artemis whimpers at his tone. Even though she believes Apollo would never hurt her.

And Apollo has to take a deep breath.

"By whom Little Moon? Remember this is your brother you're talking to and I'll know if you lie", Apollo says to her.

"Hercules", Artemis mumbles.

Gasps go around the room.
"What did he do?" Apollo asks gently.

Struggling to appear calm for his Sisters sake. When his ichor was beginning to boil.
"Nothing managed to fight him off. But I might not be able too again", Artemis coughs, "Can't sleep thinking about it"

"Nightmares?" Apollo asks softly.

"Yes. Panic attacks...", Artemis coughs.

"Why didn't you tell anyone? Why didn't you tell me?" Apollo asks starting to see how come Artemis was sick.
"He didn't do much and don't want to be a nuisance", Artemis mutters in a bit of a daze.

Apollo and everyone else were stunned by that omission.

"What?" Apollo asks as he was sure he misheard.

"Don't want to be a nuisance. Big Brother has enough going on and so does everyone else", Artemis coughs more violently.

Everyone was stunned. Did she really see herself reporting an attack a nuisance? Did she really believe it was nothing?

Apollo was stunned she called him Big Brother in front of everyone. As she only did that rarely when they were alone.

"Oh Little One you can never be a nuisance", Apollo says pulling her into his arms.

She trembles in them and leans on him heavily.

"Get her out of here Apollo and see to her. Take Hestia with you. We will deal with this serious problem. And assure her HE won't do this again and that she could never be a nuisance", Zeus says looking like he had been run over by a truck after learning what he just had.

Apollo nods.

He kisses Artemis hot forehead. Which was slightly worrying.

"Let's go home Little One", Apollo murmurs.

He gathered her in his arms as he felt her legs weaken. He flashes them too his Temple. He felt Artemis shivering against him. He thought it was either the fever or she was somehow still scared.

"Let's get you on the couch and all rugged up", Apollo says gently.

Artemis weakly nods but Apollo could feel she was slightly clinging to him weakly.

He tries to put her on his couch, but she wouldn't let go. He could have broken her grip as it wasn't that tight, but he didn't want her to feel unwanted with those thoughts she was a nuisance in her mind.

He was going to do everything within his power to convince her she was and could never be a nuisance. Maybe he would even try the impossible to make her feel anything BUT a nuisance.

"Auntie Hestia can you get some blankets, glass of water, the God grade pain meds, cough medication…", Apollo reels off what he would need and where to find it, as he settles on the couch with Artemis in his lap.

Hestia nods and goes about collecting everything as well as starting a roaring fire.

Artemis was soon wrapped up in her brothers blankets. Surrounded by his comforting scent.

"Arty, Little One I need you to take these pain killers to revive your fever and cough medicine", Apollo says gently.

He helps her slowly take the tablets and the cough syrup and then makes her comfortable in his lap running his fingers through her hair. Soothingly. She was quickly asleep.

"How did she get this way?" Hestia asks softly.

"She admitted to not sleeping. I would say the combination of the nightmares, lack of sleep and stress made her run down. To even she could get a cold", Apollo says softly as Artemis sleeps in his lap.

"Did you know or even have feeling she thought of herself as a nuisance?" Hestia whispers to him urgently.

Apollo shakes his head sadly.

It pained him to think Artemis had felt this way for Gods knows how long.

"I never got a feeling like that from her", Apollo replies, "Trust me Hestia I would have nipped it in the butt very quickly if I had known. I would NEVER have allowed her to think like that for long if I known"

Hestia gives him a soft smile, "I know you wouldn't have nephew. As I have seen how close you BOTH are to each other. How she was able to hide this for so long is beyond me"

"I know what you mean", Apollo mutters not liking what Artemis had been thinking.

Suddenly Artemis whimpers in his arms and starts mumbling.

"No…no I won't let you…stop…never…", Artemis coughs in her sleep and begins to struggle in Apollo's arms.

As she starts to cry out for help.

Apollo adjusts his hold on her and begins to whisper in her ear lovingly.

"Arty shh now. Shh your safe Little One. Your Big Brother is here. Your safe Little Moon", Apollo whispers over and over again rocking her in his arms.

Artemis cries out absolutely having a night terror as she bolts up right in his arms.

'Shit these aren't nightmares, they are more like night terrors', Apollo thinks, 'Dammit. When I see that bastard next, I will make Tartarus look like Elysium'

Artemis felt like she couldn't breathe. Where was she? Did HE have her after all? Who was holding her down?

Suddenly a voice penetrates her panic and terror filled mind. It was a voice she had known ALL her existence. A voice that had always sent calm, warmth, love and peace through her. That had always had the promise of safety in it. A voice belonging to a person she knew that would never hurt her and would rather hurt himself before hurting her.

"Shh Little One deep breath. You need to calm down before you make yourself sicker than you already are. Your safe you Sun is here and will always be here", she hears in her ear as she felt him rock her.

As she struggles to calm down due to her terror. And she was coughing more violently.

"Easy Little One. Your fine. I have you", Apollo murmurs softly as he rubs her back to try and get her breathing under control.

Apollo was worried he could feel the heat radiating off his sisters skin. He saw Hestia looking at him in panic.

'What can I do?' she mouths as not to startle Artemis.

Apollo just shakes his head. As he knew only, he could deal with this.

He begins to sing a song that he had wrote when they were children. After a few verses he could feel his sister starting to sag on him. Her breathing was getting under control. But her coughing was still bad, and he could now hear the wheezing in her breathing.

"Shit", Apollo swears as his next scan picks up that her cold had turned into pneumonia very quickly.

Artemis whimpers, "Apolly I don't feel good"

Apollo's eyes widen when she was a long unused nickname. She must really be bad to have reverted back to calling him that.

"I know Little One", Apollo replies softly.

"Make it go away Apolly", Artemis replies burying herself weakly in the comforting embrace of her brother.

Apollo would do anything for her. Especially when she acted like this. But he didn't know if it was in his capabilities to take it away. He decides it is worth a shot to make Artemis feel better. He kissed her hot forehead.

"I'll try Sis", Apollo says softly as his hands glow as he tries to at least take some of the stronger symptoms away.

She coughs against him. She could feel her brothers' powers wash over her. She felt something change but she still felt terrible.

"That is all I can do Little One. Rest, medicine, ambrosia and nectar will do the rest now", Apollo tells her.

He helps her drink some nectar and eat a bit of ambrosia.

"I am sorry", she mumbles hoarsely.

"Whatever for?" Apollo asks confused.

"For being a bother and a nuisance and Gods knows what else", she replies coughing and whimpering.

Apollo pulls her impossible close.

"Arty listen here you could never be a nuisance to me. Never. When you come to me, I would never send you away and I would never be angry with you. Don't ever, ever think you're a nuisance especially to me", Apollo tells his lacing his voice with his power of truth.

Artemis sobs as his words get through her clouded and sick mind. She could hear the truth in his words. But could it really be true?

Seeming to sense at last some left over doubt in her mind he hugs her somehow even tighter.

"You are so loved Arty. By everyone, our Father, Our Mother, our Uncles and Aunts I swear you are the only one besides Auntie Hestia that can get emotion out of Uncle Hades. You are loved by our Brothers and Sisters much more then you realise, that even Ares would defend you. Your Nieces and Nephews love and trust you. You're the most trusted and respected Goddess with our allies. Your respected by the Demigods. You are worshipped by the Natural Spirits. You are treasured by our family. You are adored by your Hunters. You are still loved by those you have lost to death. But nobody loves, adores, treasures and worships you more than me. And I swear on the River Styx, the Black Stone and Chaos that you would never be a nuisance to me and that my love is infinite and will never fade as long as I still draw breath and exist. Whether it be death and reforming or my HIGHLY unlikely going into the realm of the faded. I also swear that you will always have a home and be safe with me. And I'll always put you first. Always and for all times. So I say, so smote it be, for now and for all times, so I say, so it shall be", Apollo says in his speech as a tear falls from ALL their eyes.

(Which includes a teary eyed Hestia).

Thunder booms and rumbles signally the truth and taking of the oath and declaration to her.

Artemis hugs him with what strength she has. Surprisingly her strength had come back a bit with his speech or was it his declaration? She felt her heart warm, and the doubts seem to ease from her mind and heart.

Maybe, just maybe she wasn't a nuisance after all…

Author's Note: What do you think?