Update: 25/12/2021
Merry Christmas Everyone. I hope you all have a great and safe Christmas/holiday. Have fun and enjoy yourselves. But take time to think of those who can't be with you by distance, by illness, unable to travel or those that have past on. But also take time to think about the less fortunate.
Have Great Christmas or Holiday
and
A Happy New Year: And I hope it will be a good one!
And on a personal note to my Nan who passed this year. I'll miss you at Christmas the most. I love you and I hope you have quite the celebration in Heaven with the rest of our family and friends that have gone before you. I hope you know we will be thinking about you and everyone else at Christmas.
Love you guys and this Chapter is just as much for you as it is for everyone.
Chapter .3.
Apollo and the others were still so scared. Even through Lou had promised them that they were safe know. Apollo had curled up afraid next to the fire with tears in his eyes.
He just wanted his sister. He just wanted Arty. Just her. She would make everything better.
But would she have forgotten about him? Would she care after all this time? How long had it been? Had she just dismissed their disappearances or not care? Would she love him in this broken state?
Even if Lou did tell them Artemis has been looking for them for 60 centuries how could they been sure it was the truth?
They ALL didn't know what to believe anymore.
Would those that tortured them and imprisoned them come back to finish the job?
Before they could think about it even farer the door to this den flies open making them cringe. But Apollo's teary eyes looked at the woman who was scanning them all with her frantic eyes. She seemed to look more like him then before.
There standing in front of them was an out of breath and frantic looking Artemis.
"Arty?" Apollo cries.
Artemis had taken in the scene and when she heard her brothers cry for her, she was within seconds crossing the room and fell to her knees in front of Apollo. Not caring how uncomfortable it was for her.
"Little Brother", Artemis murmurs reaching for his face.
Her blue/silver eyes looking at him with such gentleness it made more tears fall from his eyes.
Apollo sobs, "You real?"
"Oh dear one. I am as real as you", she says softly and cups his face, wiping his tears away with her thumb, ever so gently.
Like a mother would so for their child.
Artemis could see how distressed he was so she quickly pulled him into her arms. Rocking him back and forward as he cried into her. Clutching her dressing grown as tight as he could.
The others all starting to feel hope building in their bodies and minds. Hope that had long been beaten out of them.
Apollo buries his face in his sisters chest. All he had wanted for, for so long was his big sister. Now she was here and he was having a hard time believing he was finally safe in her arms.
"Shh Little One. Your safe. Your ALL safe. Artemis is here and I won't let ANYONE harm you again", Artemis tells them while rocking her brother and kissing his forehead.
Apollo smelt the comforting smell of his sisters scent. But it seemed to have changed slightly. He started to calm down hearing his sisters words.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry…", Apollo sobs.
Artemis pulls back and looks in his dull eyes.
"What are you sorry for dear one?" Artemis says softly.
"I am broken. I believed you had left us behind", Apollo whispers.
"I would never leave any of you behind if I could help it. I have been searching for you the whole very long time", Artemis replies lacing her words with truth.
"I betrayed you…I'm broken…you won't love me anymore", Apollo whimpers.
"Oh Little One. I have never stopped loving you. I love you with all my heart and soul and it has been killing me not being able to see you or find any of you", Artemis tells him pulling him back into a hug.
Apollo tries to hang onto the words his sister was saying. Was it really true?
Then he realised he was still filthy and he was getting all that filth onto his sister.
"Sorry, sorry", Apollo says breaking out of the hug.
"Whatever for?" Artemis asks confused.
"How can you stand to be near me? When I am so dirty and haven't had a shower in Gods knows how long", Apollo states.
"Little Brother clothes are not important to me. You could get me as dirty as you want and I won't care. Your my Little Brother who is hurting, scared and desperate for reassurance from the one person you could always trust. I would never grudge you for that", Artemis tells him.
Apollo sure her eyes were so gentle. And they seemed to be filled with motherly concern. A type of concern he never knew she had.
"Lou can you get some food, ambrosia and nectar? Oh and maybe some clean bandages?" Artemis asks not getting off the floor.
"Of course. I'll be right back", Lou says gentle and disappears from the room.
"Help me up Dear One and I can see to ALL of your injuries", Artemis tells them, "After all the floor is not the comfiest place for my these days", she jokes.
Apollo helps her up and freezes like they all do when Artemis's dressing gown opens to reveal her slightly rounded stomach.
That could only mean…
"Arty…?" Apollo asks confused.
Artemis laughs at their expressions she had waited so long to tell them her new lifestyle.
"Why are you laughing?" Athena asks confused.
"I have waited so long for you to have a part in my children's life and for you to see my pregnant. That I nearly can't believe this is happening", Artemis says with a smile and then pulls Athena into a comforting hug.
She then does the rounds. Around ALL of them. Hugging everyone and kissing cheeks to everyone including the shocked males. She whispers reassurance in their ears as she does.
Promising her love, support, comfort and that of her people's.
That is when Lou returns with the things Artemis had asked for.
"Thank you Lou. You can leave us. But this must remain between us", Artemis orders.
"As you command", Lou replies.
"Oh and set a council date with EVERYONE for when my Husband returns", Artemis orders.
"At once. As you command my Queen. By your leave Your Majesty?" Lou replies bowing before turning and leaving at Artemis's nod.
"Your Majesty? My Queen?" Zeus asks weakly.
"Yes Dad. Someone needed to step up in all these centuries and many have including me and my husband", Artemis replies gently.
"Your husband?" Hera asks looking curious even know she was still wearily.
"Yes. You didn't think I would cheat would you? Or not have a child without a husband? And my husband doesn't cheat either by the way. We have been quite happily married for a very, very long time", Artemis says teasing her.
"I didn't mean to offend…", Hera says hurriedly.
"Auntie I was joking. Honesty", Artemis tells her gently, "Except the part about cheating"
They nod still not really sure about everything.
Artemis takes a seat on one of the couches.
"Please sit and take as much food, nectar and ambrosia as you need. While I tend to your wounds. Little Brother come sit next to me", Artemis orders gently in a tone they would have never expected from her.
A motherly tone.
Apollo tries not to hurry to his sisters side. He didn't want to be parted from her long. When he sat closer to her he didn't expect her to smile softly at him.
"Let me look Dear One", Artemis murmurs softly holding out her hands to inspect him.
Apollo trembling does and Artemis gently sends her powers out. He was amazed to see most the cuts, bruises and marks on his arms fade and warmth spreads through his body. She also cleans some of his not healable wounds with disinfectant and bandages them up.
"Remember I told you once before Little Brother that I have more then enough experience to heal you wounds", Artemis teases at his amazed look, "And besides I had a good teacher"
Apollo looks at her shocked. Did she just compliment him? In front of everyone?
Artemis sees his and ALL of their insecure looks.
"None of this changes anything. I know your not whole yet. And I will do my darndest to make sure you get whole again", Artemis informs them firmly.
"But you don't know what happened to us", Hestia says softly.
"I know that. But it still won't change", Artemis firmly.
They still not look convinced.
"I speak the truth dear ones", Artemis says lacing her voice with the truth, "Why I won't force the issue to talk to me. I would like it if you see our God of Mental Health at some stage. But if your not comfortable my door is ALWAYS open for any of you and I am sure your children won't mind either once they know you have been found", Artemis promises, "This I vow on the River Styx, the Black Stone and the God of Oaths"
They all felt the oath take affect and they started to believe. And as Artemis tended to them gently and told them things she never pushed for them to tell her anything or how they got the wound. She just smoothed them and bandaged them up.
They felt more safe and secure then they had ever felt in their lifetimes. Especially lately.
Artemis felt angry as she treated each of their wounds but she made sure not to sure it and project what she was feeling.
She could see they were nearly asleep. Obviously some good food and tender care is what they needed. She checked the clock and saw it was 1am.
'Time to bed I think', Artemis thinks.
She finishes the last of the wound care making careful mental notes for when she shows those bastards who did this what pain felt like.
"Come on Dear Ones. You need to sleep and it's late. Let me show you to your rooms", Artemis coaxes gently in a tone she used on her frightened children.
They look at her a little relucent.
"We have rooms?" Demeter asks softly and flinches expecting to be hit.
"And do we need too?" Apollo asks scared to be left alone but he too flinches.
Artemis saw the flinches and knew she had her work cut out for her to get them better.
"Aunt Demeter, Little One I will never raise my hand to you or probably my voice. Trust me I only get angry when someone does something incredibly stupid or council meeting or my children deciding to break the rules or my husband getting hurt again. But they are only words not physical punishment this I swear", she assures them.
They nod and the see her reach out her hand in offering. Apollo quickly snatches it up. Clinging to it to make sure this was still real.
They follow her through the halls. All was silent. It was so peaceful.
"Now you all have rooms pretty close to mine and my Husbands. And if you need us at night our door is always open. We won't care what time it is. Him and me will just want to help in anyway we can", Artemis tells them softly.
She could tell they were jittery and deathly scared to sleep. Artemis promised herself she wouldn't go back to bed tonight they needed her more then she needed sleep.
"We have rooms near yours?" Hermes asks uncertainly.
"Yes in fact we are here. My room is at the end of the hall", she tells them pointing at the double oak doors at the end.
They nod seeing them.
"Now we have had your rooms prepared for a while…", she notices their disbelieving looks, "I always KNEW you would come back. That you would be found. So these rooms have been here since the palace was constructed and you ALL have clothes in there too. Goddess of Fashion and Goddess of Clothes out did themselves"
They nod too tired and nervous to say anything and what was there to say about that?
She directs the to their rooms and wishes them goodnight and breakfast would be at 8. They nod and slowly enter them. But Apollo keeps at tight grip on her hand.
"Would you like so see your Little Sun? I designed it especially and it is connected to mine. And of course I'll say with you", Artemis tells her gently squeezing his hand.
"Thank you Arty", Apollo says softly letting her lead him in.
It was everything he could have dreamed of in his room and he just felt Artemis's presence all over this room.
"Get changed Little Brother", Artemis nudges him to the bathroom having picked out a pair of pyjamas while he was looking.
"Thank you", Apollo whispers.
"No need to thank me Little One. I love you", Artemis tells him.
"Love you too", Apollo whispers.
He goes and has a shower and change and he sees Artemis on his bed and she opens her arms for him.
"Come here Little Brother", Artemis orders gently.
Apollo hurries into her arms hardly believing she was going to stay with him. As he cuddles into her he felt her pull up the blankets and this was more conformable then anything he remembered.
"Thank you Big Sister. I loved you and missed you", Apollo whispers tiredly closing his eyes knowing Artemis had his back.
He felt a kiss on his forehead and fingers running through his hair.
"I missed you too Little Sun. I missed and love you too. Always and forever"
Author's Note: What do you think? Please Review:)