A/N: Hey, everyone! Weird news. I have an idea for a new story that I really really like, and I think it'll blow this one out of the water. I'm still deciding if I want to start it and work on it alongside this one, or wait until I finish this story. Currently leaning towards finishing this one first, but please let me know in a review. The last few chapters have slowed a bit in reviews, which I don't mind but it leaves me a little uninformed about how you guys like the direction of the story. Please let me know, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 10: Home Sweet Home

Percy shifted slightly in the hospital bed, his dim eyes slowly bringing the room into focus. Apollo stood with his back to him, leaning on the bed while talking to someone Percy couldn't see. As Percy struggled to prop himself up, his stirring caught the sun god's attention. Apollo quickly whirled around with his trademark glowing smile plastered across his face.

"And he lives! How was your little nap, princess?" the god asked in a playful manner while his eyes critically scanned the busy beeping screens that tracked Percy's vitals.

"It was great, Apollo. I feel completely fine," Percy responded. The god laughed.

"That's good, but I have a feeling you're about to feel pretty bad," he warned.

Before Percy could reply, he began to convulse from a zap coming from the previously hidden figure stepping out from behind Apollo. Thalia was holding out her hand and had just released some electricity onto Percy's still-recovering form. He barely groaned from the surprisingly weak shock and when he tried to sit up again, he was tackled in an equally gentle hug.

"I'm glad you're alright, fishboy," Thalia said with her arms around him.

"Thanks, Thals. I never thought you'd be one to hold back like that."

"Strict condition by Apollo. He was worried you could literally die during recovery so I thought maybe just this once, I'll make an exception. Anyways, once you grow a pair and get out of that bed, we have to head back to our camp and then straight to Long Island," Thalia explained as she pulled away.

"Ah man. Wait, why? Don't we have more than a week until we need to get there? And how'd you recover from that arrow overnight?" Percy spitballed.

"Percy, that was 9 days ago," Thalia said a bit gravely.

Percy jerked up in his bed, which was a mistake because his head immediately started throbbing.

"I-I've just been lying here for 9 days?" he asked incredulously.

"Actually," Apollo interjected, "You've been lying there for just a couple. The rest of them were spent doing experimental surgeries round the clock to make sure you didn't die. You're welcome."

"Oh, thank you, Apollo."

"Please, it's the least I could do after you helped free Mom those years ago. It's just a shame that we're basically out of that Void Ether now that most of it's in you. But at least it was used for a good cause," the sun god said dismissively.

Percy's eyes widened as he looked down at his bare chest. He saw a new scar: a vertical incision on the left side of his chest definitely done by some kind of medical tool.

"What do you mean 'in me'?" he asked. Thalia also looked surprised, figuring that this must be the experimental surgery that Apollo hadn't gone into any detail about.

"Oh yeah, I guess I should disclose that as your doctor. That hydra poison got in and should've stopped your heart. Actually, it did. Like 10 times. It's some kind of artificially enhanced chemical, definitely Erebus-type stuff. But that's where the Void Ether came in. I've been studying it since Lady Chaos gave it to me, and it's literally the building block of all organic life. So I had a crazy idea. Basically, I surgically built a chassis around your heart out of the Void Ether. It LOVES organic matter, like your heart, and HATES artificial things, like the poison. Have you watched that mortal movie, Iron Man? Think of that thing in his chest; you have that now but it's just on the inside of your body. Since neither I, nor any other non-Chaos-level guy can physically remove the poison from your heart, this was the best option. Your little Void Ether chassis is constantly in a state of rejecting the poison from your heart."

Apollo finished his all-over-the-place explanation and took a deep breath. He went back to tweaking monitors around the room while Percy and Thalia processed what the god had explained to them. Before either of them could respond, Apollo seemed to remember something else important.

"OH! One more thing. I don't really think this matters, but I thought I should let you know. That Void Ether stuff is basically indestructible, right? WRONG. Don't let it come into contact with itself at high speeds or forces. I tried a little experiment dealing with literal nanograms of it, colliding them in a miniature accelerator, and it blew up my entire palace! I had to build a new one from dust! Anyways, yeah. I just thought I'd let you know. Well, see you two later," The sun god beamed before he vanished in a flash of orange.

"Oh my gods, Percy, you're like a cyborg now!" Thalia said, laughing.

Instead of milling over the specifics of what Apollo had described, Percy accepted Thalia's more simple explanation and chuckled in reply. As Thalia caught Percy up with everything that had happened while he was asleep, like how Anna was doing and Phoebe's complete 180 in her attitude towards Percy, the goddess of the hunt silently appeared leaning against the doorway.

Percy noticed her first, and his heart skipped a beat. He hadn't seen Artemis since before the attack, leaving their conversation unfinished. Artemis strode into the room, maintaining complete composure to not alert either of the demigods of how grateful she was to see Percy alive and well. Percy scrambled out of the hospital bed as she reached it, bowing quickly to avoid more throbbing from his headache.

"It's good to see you back on your feet, Perseus," Artemis said stoically.

"Thank you Lady Artemis, it's good to be back," he replied, equally emotionless.

Thalia rolled her eyes as she walked to the door.

"Milady, you think I didn't see you two holding hands in here a couple days ago? And all that tension at camp, come on it's so obvious. I'll give you two lovebirds some space," she said, wiggling her eyebrows at the now-dumbfounded pair.

Artemis's face was red and her eyes wide as dinner plates. Both were completely silent for a moment before Artemis narrowed her eyes.

"Not a word," she commanded in a steely voice.

Thalia just nodded and Artemis waved her hand, sending her back to the hunters' camp. She turned to face Percy and was immediately met with his arms wrapping around her waist and his lips crashing into hers. She tensed for a moment before closing her eyes and interlocking her hands around his neck. They just stood in that position for a minute before pulling apart, not releasing their arms around each other.

"I had to get you back after you shut me up in your tent," Percy said, unable to wipe the grin off of his face.

Artemis laughed softly as she lowered her gaze. They both realized at the same time that Percy still didn't have a shirt on. Both faces burned red as Percy released Artemis and fumbled with his clothes. He winced as he pulled the fabric over his back, and Artemis finally got a good look at where the poison had entered from. The spot where it had made contact was now permanently a soft purple color. Apollo had done what he could to "regrow", in his words, human flesh and that was about the best that could be done for such a serious injury.

Percy pulled the shirt down and turned back towards Artemis. They stood in silence for a moment staring at each other before Artemis got a sad look in her eyes.

"Percy, how is this going to work? It was incredible what you did for Phoebe, who has become a bit of a fan of yours, but how will her and the rest react to this? I don't know if it's the best idea."

"I don't know how it'll work, Artemis. But what I do know is how you make me feel and, now that I've told you, I can't take it back. And because of that, we'll find a way for it to, I promise," he said earnestly.

"Always an answer," she mused to herself, "We need to set some rules. Only Thalia knows, and she won't tell. No physical contact beyond necessary in front of my hunters. We cannot openly show any affection, even verbally, when around them. And we can continue meeting on the island," she demanded.

"Aye, aye, drill sergeant!" Percy saluted while puffing out his chest.

Artemis rolled her eyes and grabbed his shoulder, teleporting them to the hunters' camp.

New Brunswick, New Jersey (Hunters' Camp)

"Oh come on, we could've set up camp anywhere else," Percy whined as they appeared in thin woods.

Artemis looked at him quizzically, unsure of why he was so upset. He scrunched his nose in true New Yorker fashion;

"I hate New Jersey."

Standing in the center of camp, they were immediately mobbed by the hunters in the vicinity. Thalia stood by and laughed as Anna tackled Percy in a hug, crying hysterically that he was alright and about how worried she had been about him. The rest of the hunters in the area spoke cordially to Percy, welcoming him back and expressing awe that he wasn't confined to a wheelchair or a coffin.

Percy laughed it off as the crowd dispersed, still amazed by the group's collectively dark sense of humor. Artemis felt very warm at how well Percy had integrated with her hunters, followed by a soft pang of guilt that she'd be keeping a secret like this from them from now on. This feeling was elevated when Phoebe walked up to Percy after everyone else. Artemis wasn't sure what she was going to do, but she couldn't help but worry a little.

Phoebe walked with soldier-like posture as she approached Percy, as if she deliberately wanted to look extra dignified. When she reached him, Percy consciously tensed his legs in case he needed to quickly dodge. When she moved, he wasn't fast enough, mainly due to shock. Phoebe held her hand out to shake. After a moment, Percy clasped her hand in return.

"Thank you for what you did for me. And I am sorry for misjudging you all this time, brother."

Phoebe quickly walked away in the same dignified manner. Percy stood shell-shocked, his arm still outstretched as he shook hands with thin air. Artemis stifled her laugh with her hand as Percy turned to her with wide eyes. He eventually shook it off, but was amazed at the development.

"Now that you've been reintroduced, get a good night's sleep. We leave for New York tomorrow morning," Artemis said.

"Camp Half-Blood… Home sweet home," he said a bit sadly.

"Actually, it's Camp Olympus now."

"What?"

(Line Break)

The hunters were roused and moving before the sun had even risen. They tore through New Jersey under the cover of the night's remaining darkness, on pace to make it to Camp Olympus before the Pavilion would stop serving breakfast. During their travel, Artemis and Percy weren't doing too great of a job sticking to their rules.

Firstly, Anna clung to Percy's head, seated in her normal position on his shoulders when they needed to move this quickly. Anna had accidentally revealed the details of her and Thalia's operation to the two, earning embarrassed chuckles from both of them. So the two let her in on their secret situation, making her promise not to tell the other hunters.

Secondly, Anna didn't have to reveal any hints to any of her sisters. Artemis and Percy ran together ahead of the pack, playfully jostling each other to try and earn an inch of distance in front of the other, ignoring their no physical contact rule. From the brunt of the hunters, Thalia could hear little whispers between them regarding the two. To Thalia, this was a good thing because she was confident that Percy could win them over, even if the idea was this crazy.

"You don't think Lady Artemis…" Thalia picked up from Rachel's conversation with Alia, another huntress.

"No, she's not allowed to, right? Could she?" Alia asked.

"I mean look at them," Rachel retorted.

Thalia smirked, addressing the whole group to "Shut it and focus on running" as she tried not to laugh.

At around 9 AM, the group arrived at the top of the hill overlooking the new Camp Olympus. Compared to the last time any of them had been there, it was a breathtaking sight. The newly furnished cabins and constructed marble buildings made the camp seem even more complete. They could hear the clang of swords in the newly massive arena from here, and the rumble of the belching forge that had tripled in size. There was a mixture of Greeks and Romans milling about in the camp at the bottom of the hill. Percy felt a deep nostalgia standing at the top of the hill, looking out towards the life he had left behind.

Artemis stood next to him, placing her hand on his shoulder. She retracted it quickly after remembering the rest of the hunters were also here. Thalia switched spots with Artemis, who then began briefing the hunters. Thalia looked at Percy sadly.

"I know you have so many bad memories here, but you have a new family now. Cameron is gone, and I know your friends miss you so much. Let's go meet them," she said softly.

Artemis watched out of the corner of her eye and listened as Thalia talked to Percy. She noticed that Thalia didn't mention Annabeth, which was probably a good idea because Artemis didn't want to watch how that interaction would go. A small part of her hoped Annabeth wasn't at camp at all, but that was a childish thought that she quickly wiped away. Although this whole idea of relationships was incredibly new for her, she wasn't going to let something as mortally trivial as an ex-girlfriend affect her.

Percy steeled his nerves and nodded, donning his hood to cover his eyes. Artemis led the walk to the Big House where a familiar centaur stood waiting.

"Lady Artemis," Chiron said, bowing. He smiled warmly at the hunters but stopped when his eyes came across a man standing at Artemis' side.

"Who is this?" the old centaur asked, apprehensively.

"This would be better discussed inside," Artemis decided, dismissing all of the hunters but Percy to her cabin, which was also newly renovated. The band of man-haters nodded and began their stroll towards the glowing silver building that stood now two stories tall, and they glared venomously at any male campers that they came across. The remaining trio stepped into the Big House, Chiron's eyes trying to gauge the familiarity of the man walking with them.

They seated themselves in the main room, Seymour the leopard still in his signature spot. Percy couldn't help but recall the meeting with his father in here, the start of the worst year of his life. He was pulled out of his thoughts by Chiron's eyes boring into Percy's head.

"Who are you?" he asked again.

Percy just sighed. Chiron had never done any wrong to him, which is why he was so afraid to reveal himself. What if Chiron had never forgiven him for leaving, and suddenly Percy was back with no explanation. But Percy had to accept his consequence, no matter what it was. He dropped his hood.

Immediately, he was scooped right off of the ground into the tightest hug he had felt since Leto, and he was grateful how much stronger his body was than last time. Chiron didn't let go for several minutes as Percy hugged him back, his eyes softly welling with tears knowing that Chiron held nothing against him.

"My boy, it is so good to see you," the centaur said a bit shakily as he let go, "How have you been?"

"It's great to see you too, Chiron. I'm sorry that I left but it was something I had to do. It was a lonely few years but I'm a part of the Hunt now," Percy said, smiling.

The centaur couldn't help but laugh.

"Only you could somehow find yourself in the most dangerous, exclusively-women organization in the Greek world," he said, "Milady, I hope you've been well as well. All of the campers are currently gathered in the Pavilion if you wish to address them with news of the prophecy,"

Artemis nodded as she turned to Percy.

"I will also be revealing your return to the campers due to your relevance to the prophecy," she said impartially. Artemis may have let her guard down around her hunters but she would be absolutely stoic in the presence of the campers. Percy accepted and they left for the dining hall.

Artemis stood at the forefront of the Pavilion, looking out across the sea of campers as she recited the prophecy. On one side stood a dutiful Chiron, staring gravely ahead as he pondered the Great Prophecy's meaning. On her other side, to the campers' collective bewilderment, stood a tall, muscular, unknown man with a hood covering his eyes and a huntress perched on his shoulders. Artemis finished the prophecy and the entire room was silent. Most of the people in this room hadn't even known a prophecy was issued at all, let alone that it was already the one they've been training for. Whispers began to be heard among the campers but nobody raised their voice.

Percy looked out across the audience and noticed many familiar faces. All of his old friends from Camp Half-Blood, Reyna, Leo, Nico, Calypso, Piper, Jason, and.. Annabeth. Each face he saw sent a pang through his heart, none worse than the last. He felt the urge to back out, taking flight and disappearing into the sky. But Anna sitting on his shoulders squashed those thoughts.

Jason was the first to speak.

"If we want to break down the prophecy line by line, who's 'the betrayed one' supposed to be?"

He seemed to confidently address the crowd of campers as well as Artemis. His oration skills had improved significantly after becoming Pontifex Maximus for the Roman counterpart of Camp Olympus. Percy smiled at his friend, happy to just see him again even if Jason didn't know who he was yet. There was a sharp gasp in the audience as all eyes turned to the daughter of Athena.

"Percy?" she half whispered but the whole room had heard her. Annabeth would have recognized his smile anywhere; it was too familiar and she was too brilliant not to. Percy felt a sharp pain in his chest at her recognizing him without seeing his face. His shoulders slumped slightly as he dropped his hood again, accepting that this was just as good (or bad) a time as any to reveal himself.

The Pavilion went nuclear with noise, a mixture of gasps, shouts, confusion, and the rumble of some of Percy's friends trying to shove to the front of the room. Percy did the same, softly dropping Anna from his shoulders before running to meet his friends that he hadn't seen in years. For now, all seemed to already have been forgiven as Leo, Jason, Piper, and Nico rushed into a massive ball hug that ended up on the ground.

The real problem began when they all started whaling on Percy with blows for leaving without a trace. Nobody was punching for real; none of them could with tears in their eyes at the sight of their lost friend. Percy was crying too, a mixture of laughter and sadness at the pain he must have caused them by leaving. Their little debacle continued but it must have looked much more serious from the outside.

"Back up!" a voice shouted over the rest of the ruckus.

Everyone turned to look at where it came from. Phoebe, along with half the hunters, had their bows trained on the tumbling bunch. Percy immediately scrambled to his feet, hands outstretched in surrender.

"Wait, wait, wait, they're fine, we're fine," he said, still teary-eyed. It made him feel weirdly warm that his new family was willing to kill for him at such short notice, but these were his friends.

They hunters retracted their bows and sat back down at their table. Chiron retook control of the room, announcing that any other reunions could be done after this meeting. Percy's friends found their way back to their seats, recouping from seeing their friend again and almost getting killed for their enthusiasm. Percy seemed to drown out Chiron's continued speech as he saw Annabeth's seat now empty. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched a blur of blonde hair disappear behind a pillar out of the Pavilion.

Percy's body seemed to move on its own, regardless of how afraid he was to see her again. He gave Artemis a quick look,

"I'll be back in just a minute," he whispered as he drifted towards the columns.

Artemis had also noticed what happened. Again, she felt an ugly feeling in her stomach at the thought of them meeting. But she did her best to somewhat push it down. The bottom line was that Percy was the only trustworthy man, and his loyalty truly wasn't her worry. Artemis wasn't sure why she felt like this but she didn't like it at all. But she continued to stare straight ahead, ignoring the feelings swarming in her head.

Percy slipped between two columns and quickly walked towards the one Annabeth had left from. As he walked past it, he heard sniffling from the other side of the furthest column at the back corner of the Pavilion. Again, he tried to command his body to stop but it didn't listen. He trudged ahead reluctantly, rounding the last pillar and almost walked immediately into her back. He stopped just in time.

"Annabeth," he whispered, reaching to touch her shoulder but he couldn't.

She tensed for a moment before she slowly turned to look him in the eyes. Percy stared into the same stormy grey irises that he had fallen in love with all those years ago. That feeling no longer existed, but the pain of looking into them felt very real. She was crying, her hands gingerly cupping an object. She didn't even try to hide it as Percy lowered his eyes, his eyes fixating on the ring he had thrown onto the beach years ago.

"Percy," she replied, almost silent.

A/N: Also little teaser, Annabeth/Percy will be the pairing in the next story. Call it basic now, but you'll be mindblown by how it actually pans out I promise. Also just to make it so there's no confusion, there is absolutely no circumstance Percy and Annabeth get back together during this story. Anyways, hope you enjoyed and review what you think!