Updated: 15/2/2022

Chapter 23: Misunderstanding: (1)

Artemis always felt somehow different from everyone else. Like she just didn't click with people as easy as her brother. She thought her brother understood her. But she couldn't believe she was wrong.

It was at the Summer Solstice party. Everyone was there. She didn't want to be but has decided to try at the last second. After all she did promise Apollo. She kept to the shadows nervous about being here. Males except her brother made her uncomfortable. For a number of reasons.

She was trying to find Apollo as she would feel better besides him when she saw him talking to Aphrodite, Athena and Hermes she slowly approaches but they don't seem to have noticed her.

"Can you believe how Artemis is?" Aphrodite asks.

"She is bad with parties that is why she isn't here", Athena replies.

"No reason to leave Apollo hanging after saying she was coming", Hermes points out.

"What do you expect from a cold-hearted person", Aphrodite retorts.

"Yes, but parties are just not her thing and sometimes she just likes to be…", Apollo starts.

"To be a bitch to you", Aphrodite finishes.

Apollo doesn't answer and Artemis felt her heart starting to hurt.
"She doesn't have a heart Apollo", Aphrodite states.
"Well…", Apollo starts like he was going to agree with her.

"Why do you put up with it and her bitchy attitude towards you?" Hermes asks him.

"She has been taking it a bit too far lately", Athena points out.

"She is just difficult", Apollo states.

"How can you let her act this way towards you?" Hermes asks.

"Come on Apollo open your eyes and see what we are telling you!" Aphrodite exclaims.

"Your making good points for…", he starts but Artemis doesn't stay around to hear the rest.

She quickly makes her exit tears in her eyes.

Did Apollo really think of her like that? She tries to get away without nobody noticing her but Hestia does.

"Artemis what is it?" Hestia asks worried at Artemis's devastated expression.

"Nothing", Artemis says trying to leave but Hestia grabs her arms to top her.

Artemis flinches in panic, "Let me go!"

Hestia quickly let's go not knowing what she had done.

"Artemis I am so sorr…", Hestia starts but Artemis shakes her head and rushes out.

She had to get away. She had too.

Her brother didn't like her. Her brother didn't…those thoughts went around her head as she flashed out…

Apollo was annoyed by Aphrodite, Hermes and Athena's comments about his sister. They didn't know her.

"Your making good points for an outsider. But you don't know her like I do. And I don't appreciate what you have been saying about her", Apollo tells them his eyes flashing.

"Apollo she is just…"

"ENOUGH!" Apollo booms everyone turns to him, "I am SICK and TIRED of everyone judging Arty without knowing her like I do. You ALL need to leave her alone and allow me and Arty to act the way we do too each other. We have our own ways of talking and acting that you could never understand. She has her reasons why she doesn't like parties and act like she does. I love her and I know she loves me! So, unless you know her like I do. Back. Off!"

He was panting by the end of his rant glaring at the three main offenders but others that he had heard say bad things about his sister. When he hears his name being called urgently.

"Apollo!" a voice cries out sounding panicked.

Apollo spins around to see Hestia running towards him.

"Auntie Hestia what is wrong?" Apollo asks having a bad feeling about this.

"It is Artemis!" Hestia exclaims.

"Oh joy", Aphrodite mutters.

Apollo throws her a dirty look.

"What about Arty?" Apollo asks Hestia.

"She just ran out of here very upset. I thought I saw tears in her eyes!" Hestia tells him.

Apollo's eyes widen, "Where is she?"

"I tried to stop her but she flinched when I grabbed her arms, so I let go and she flashed out", Hestia explains.

"Damn I need to find her", Apollo curses going to flash out.
"Lord Apollo?" a small voice calls.

A Dryad was looking at them nervously.

"What?" Apollo asks getting annoyed.
"I saw Lady Artemis going towards you and hear your conversation with Lady Aphrodite, Lady Athena and Lord Hermes. She left during the part of you say, 'You make good points for' and then she quickly rushed out", the Dryad says nervously.

Apollo's eyes widen she heard that part she would think he was agreeing with them.

He snarls at the trio, "You better hope I can find her"

Apollo flashes out and knocks urgently on Artemis's Temple door. No answer. So, he let himself in. He was the only one allowed in her Temple.
"Arty? Little One?" Apollo calls out going through the rooms looking for her.

He was getting worried as he searched her Temple without getting an answer.

Apollo checked all over the Temple, but she wasn't there, so he flashed to her Hunters Camp.

"Thalia!" he calls seeing the Lieutenant/his Half-Sister.
"Apollo?" Thalia asks confused.
"Have you seen Arty?" Apollo asks urgently.

"Not since she left for the party. Why? Didn't she go?" Thalia asks.
"Doesn't matter. I'm going to check her tent", Apollo says walking towards her tent.
"You can't go in there!" a Hunter exclaims angrily.

"Watch me", he retorts to the Huntress.

They try to stop him he growls.

"Artemis will understand and you have no right to stop an Olympian. So, step aside", Apollo orders them losing his patience as he was too worried about his sister.

"Let him through girls he is her sister", Thalia orders, "We don't want Artemis to come back to find our Camp ruined"

The Hunters grumble but more. Apollo nods to Thalia in thanks and moves the last few steps to the tent.

He knocks on the canvas.

"Arty are you here? Can I come in?" Apollo calls.

No answer. He goes in and again it is empty. He looked for clues and saw a few drops of ichor. That had him worried even more.

"Shit", he curses, but knew it was old ichor.

At least that was something.

He leaves the Hunters Camp after making Thalia promise to Iris-Message him if Artemis turned up. She did promise.

Now Apollo had to try and find her someplace else. He tried a few other places he knew she liked but nothing. He was getting desperate and seriously worried.

Then an idea pops into his mind. It was worth a shot.

He flashes onto Delos. Nothing much had changed here, and he would have to look all over the Island. But this was his last chance to find her.

Apollo looks over a few of their favourite places on Delos and nothing. Then he remembered the meadow that he and Arty found not long after they were born. It had been one of their favourite places.

He cautiously approaches the meadow, and he hears crying. He sees his sister curled up miserable in the meadow, she was still in her dress that he assumed she had worn to the party. The sight broke his heart.

He sighs and moves down and kneels before her.

"Arty?" he asks softly, "You had me so, so worried"

He goes to pull her into a hug. But...

She whimpers and scrambles back from him.

His eyes widen she had never done that to him before.

"Arty I won't hurt you", he says softly staying where he was.

"No. No. Leave me alone", she stutters, "It will be better for the both of us"

"Oh, Little One you heard wrong. I would NEVER say anything like that about you. NEVER", he tells her gently, "I would rather hang myself first"

She shakes her head, "I heard you"

"Not all of it Little One. Why don't I show you?" Apollo asks gently.

She looks at him her silver eyes looking at him with distrust and pain. It hurt him but he knew what she heard was coursing this.

He creates a rainbow.

"Iris can you show my conversation with Aphrodite, Artemis and Hermes for me?" Apollo asks Iris.
"Of course", Iris says.

The image shows the conversation with the trio in full context including his rant at the trio. Defending Artemis and saying he loved her.

Artemis hears this and she gets teary eyed again. This was the truth? Apollo still loved her?

"I am not cold hearted?" she whispers.

"No. Your heart is the warmest of them all", Apollo says gently.

"I am not a bitch?" she whispers.

"Not to me", he says gently.

"I have a heart?" she asks tears falling.
"The biggest heart of them all", Apollo confirms.

She sobs and Apollo pulls her into his arms. This time she doesn't flinch away from him. He holds her close as she cries.

"Shh Little One it is ok. I'm here and I am so, so sorry you heard that", he tells her kissing her forehead.

She clings to him still thinking how others could think that.
"Arty don't think on them. I'll deal with them later. Just know I will ALWAYS have your back", Apollo tells her gently.

"Promise", she asks childishly.

"Promise", he vows kissing her forehead.

"Sorry for making you worry", she whispers, "For a silly misunderstanding"

"It is ok. I understand. But if something like that happens again, I want you to swear to talk to me or just go back to your Temple where I can find you so we can talk it out", Apollo pleads with her.

"I'll try", Artemis says thinking about it for a minute.

"That is all I'll ask. For now", Apollo replies with a relieved sigh.

She curls up in his lap going to sleep. He runs his fingers through her hair smoothing her to sleep. Then he notices a few drops of ichor on her sleeve.

He gentle manoeuvres her into comfortable position in his lap as she mumbles in her sleep.

He pulls up the sleeve to see a couple of scratches. He sighs and sends his powers over it and the scratches heal.

Apollo knew he would have to deal with Aphrodite, Hermes and Athena's attitudes and maybe find out way Artemis believed it so quickly.

"Love you", she mumbles in her sleep.

"Love you too Little One", Apollo replies softly.

She snuggles more into his lap.
"Always", he adds quietly, "And I'll make sure nothing like this happens again"

Maybe in a few days he would confront a few people.

But for now, he just wanted to spend time with his sister and he was sure they both needed it…

Author's Note: What do you think? Please Review:)