A happy hello again to all you lovely readers! It's been a while ("a while" being like 5 months). But hey! At least it wasn't a year! Haha, I got quite chewed out for that in the reviews for last chapter. I'll try not to disappear like that again without at least a word of warning in advance! Sorry that's the best promise I can make, but as we all know, life gets crazy. On a different note, thank you, thank you to all my reviewers! You have my most sincere thanks for all your kind and motivational words. Knowing that you guys are keeping up with this story and enjoying it is a huge part of what keeps me writing. I know I've been slacking off answering reviews, but I'm gonna get myself back in shape. So, without further ado, I present... the chapter! Please read, enjoy, and review!

Disclaimer: Rick Riordan owns PJO and HoO. I own nothing except this story's convoluted plot.

Previously:

Hermes moved to get up, but Perseus snarled, "I think not! First you accuse me of nonexistent treason. Then you fail to offer an unbiased and complete trial! Now, you expect me to go quietly to spend eternity on some island! I will not accept this. You Olympians have ever only used others for your personal gain. I refuse to bend to your whims any longer. From this day onward, I am finished with you and your foolishness. If you wish to destroy yourselves, be my guest. I am done. I will no longer associate myself with you. This is goodbye." Perseus' eyes roved darkly around the room, finally stopping to rest on Artemis. His gaze softened, and he attempted to convey all his regrets and sadness in that one look. Before Artemis could so much as blink, Perseus was gone, and the throne room was plunged into silence once more.

Artemis stood briskly, attempting to suppress her tears of anger, and glared upon each and every god assembled there. "You have no idea what you have just done. You may well have condemned us all." With that ominous message, Artemis followed Perseus out in a flash of silver.

Goodbyes

November 15, 1864: Hunters' Camp

Artemis arrived back at the Hunters' camp to find Perseus exiting his tent. He was frowning down at the bow and quiver that he had first taken from the armory all those centuries ago. Artemis smiled sadly at him and joked weakly, "I guess I didn't manage to teach you to use that after all."

Perseus' head snapped up. He grimaced, holding out the weapons for Artemis to take. "No, but I was a lost cause to begin with."

Artemis carefully inspected the polished, if slightly beaten up, wood of the bow before pushing it back into Perseus' arms. "Keep it," she said, "Consider it my parting gift."

Suddenly, the realization that they would likely never see each other again crashed down on both gods. Artemis' breath caught in her throat as she thought about it. She couldn't remember a day in the last two millennia in which she didn't see Perseus. Glancing up, her eyes met Perseus' own, and she knew he was thinking the same thing she was.

"Perseus, I…" Artemis trailed off, unsure how she could convey what she was feeling using words.

"I'm sorry, Artemis," Perseus blurted.

"What?" Artemis asked incredulously, "What are you sorry for?"

Perseus clenched his fist, "If I wasn't so rash and stupid, none of this would have happened. If I had just stopped to think and not go in hell-bent on getting revenge, Ares wouldn't have been able to pin a crime on me, Zeus wouldn't have banished me, and I wouldn't be… I wouldn't be abandoning you."

Artemis' eyes widened. She couldn't believe Perseus was blaming himself for the gods' own stupidity. Taking the bow and quiver from Perseus' grasp and setting them aside, she lifted Perseus' head and asked, "What are you talking about? The gods are unreasonable. End of discussion, so stop blaming yourself. And what is this nonsense about you abandoning me? You never have, and you never will. I can take care of myself, you know."

Perseus' eyes widened, "N-no! That's not what I meant. I just feel like such an idiot-"

"You are an idiot," Artemis deadpanned. Perseus' jaw dropped in shock and confusion. "You are an idiot," Artemis continued, "for blaming yourself too much. What's done is done. You might not have handled the situation with Ares very well, but you made the obvious choice in that kind of situation. It's a fault anyone would forgive you for because it's a mistake anyone would make. Ares did something unforgivable to your family, and you lashed out. Plain and simple. We're not perfect. All we can do is try to fix our flaws and move past them."

"Exactly! I went overboard and attacked him! If I could have controlled myself better, that wouldn't have happened," the god growled.

"Yet all you did was respond to the fight Ares was asking for. And you beat him fair and square."

"But," Perseus protested.

"Enough," Artemis said sternly, "we're just arguing in circles. I can't convince you to forgive yourself, and you can't convince me to blame you. Just know that I do not hold you accountable for what happened on Olympus. I can take care of myself, and you are in no way 'abandoning me.' Know I will always be there for you… wherever you are." Artemis trailed off, thinking about how Perseus would be alone again. This time forced to traverse the country in a bid to flee the gods who were out for his blood.

"I know," Perseus sighed, "But please, you must not contact me. The gods can trace everything. You must try to convince them you are on their side. Otherwise, they will banish you too. What will happen then? I have the easier job of staying out of the gods' way. You have the harder job of keeping the gods in check. I'm just sorry I can't help you with it anymore."

Once again, the permanence of their situation crashed down on Artemis, and she sighed, "At least wait until the Hunters return, so we can explain the situation to them. They would be quite distraught if you left without a word."

"Of course," Perseus smiled sadly, but there was undoubted love in his tone as he talked about his sisters in all but blood, "How could I not?"

Artemis' heart skipped a beat. She had always enjoyed watching Perseus interact with her Hunters. He was the perfect older brother that many of them never had, and they all adored him as such. Over the years, Artemis had watched Perseus slowly but surely win over the girls, and for some reason it filled her with a great sense of pride and happiness. She had quietly observed interactions of many kinds. She had seen Perseus act as a confidante to many a lonely or worried Huntress. She had seen him act as a mentor in not only his appointed job of sword fighting instructor, but also life in general. She had seen him risk his life and limbs to protect her Hunt. Artemis was immediately reminded of the incident centuries ago when Perseus quite literally risked an arm for Zoe.

He has shown the girls the respect and love that they deserve, and they in turn showed him their own. She distinctly recalled a time when Phoebe had challenged Perseus to a sword fight, and he put everything he had into that fight, despite both of them knowing she was less experienced and more likely to lose. He had demonstrated his great respect for her and permanently won over her respect as a result. Then, there were the laughs. The numerous laughs they all shared each and every day. Whether it was laughing at Perseus' expense - his jokes haven't improved over the centuries - or laughing with him, there was a different atmosphere that he brought to their camp that Artemis doubted could be replicated by anyone else.

Artemis pulled herself from her memories and said to Perseus, "You have been the best friend and brother my Hunters could ever ask for. They truly do love you." Perseus' face split into a grin filled with a mix of surprise and happiness that was so goofy and so him that Artemis felt another painful jolt in her gut knowing they would soon be parting ways. Without a word, she pulled Perseus into a hug. Pulling back, she stared him in the eye, silver to blue, just like when they had first met. Suddenly, she was gripped by that one strange fancy she so often had and so often ignored. Her heart leapt into her throat and raced frantically. Her mind was telling her to bail on her inane plan. After all, she would never see him again. But Artemis knew she couldn't leave Perseus forever without telling him this secret. One she'd hidden from the world for millennia.

"Perseus, I-" her words caught in her throat, and she frowned. Perseus watched her internal struggling with confusion and concern. Finally, Artemis seemed to relent and stared back determinedly. She mustered every last bit of courage in her and - leaving Perseus no time to prepare himself - kissed him.

Perseus' brain finally caught up to the situation a split second later, and he returned the action, channeling every ounce of his own feelings into it. Warmth spread through both their hearts as they cherished the special moment. But there was something about their kiss that brutally reminded both gods of an unavoidable end. It could have been the knowledge of their impending parting. Or it could have been the sadness underlying the love that both Artemis and Perseus felt so strongly. The kiss, therefore, felt undeniably more like a goodbye rather than their first real kiss, and neither god was naive enough to deny this truth.

The moment ended, and the gods stepped back, eyes downcast as they thought of all the things they'd had and all the things they'd lost. Artemis looked up after a moment into Perseus' beautiful blue-green eyes, "I always did love you, I think. It only took me several centuries to realize that and several more to finally tell you."

Perseus chuckled weakly, "I could say the same about myself. I love you too, Artemis. Always have, always will. I'm just sorry we didn't have nearly enough time together."

Artemis smiled ruefully, "Quite the understatement." She had just twined her fingers with Perseus' when the Hunters' horn sounded, signaling their return.

Perseus sighed with resignation, and said stoically, "Well, best get this done." He gave Artemis' hand a squeeze before releasing it and walking out to the center of the camp to greet the Hunters.

"What!" Zoe had shrieked after they finished explaining the new developments, "How foolish are the gods? Can they not see what's right in front of them?" The lieutenant stood and paced back and forth. Everybody could see her frustration, anger, and sadness plain as day. Suddenly, she growled in exasperation, "Why, Perseus, must you be a man?"

Perseus blinked, "Um, what?"

"You. Are. Such. A. Man," Zoe punctuated each word by jabbing a finger to his chest.

"Uh… I am a man, yes. Could you please elaborate, Zoe?" the god said bemusedly, watching the Huntress carefully.

"You had to have a brawl with an Olympian! With Ares no less!" Zoe exclaimed, "Granted, it's Ares, and nothing short of a beating will get through to him… But still! Beating him in a fight just gave him an excuse to go crying to his daddy. So what if he was acting despicable like he usually does? So what if he deserved a sound beating? Argh! Why did you fight him?" Perseus hung his head shamefully. She had echoed his own thoughts loud and clear. But Zoe wasn't done, "Why are you so insanely righteous?"

Now that was new.

Perseus' head snapped up, just in time to see Zoe fling her arms around his neck in a hug. He was so surprised that he was nearly knocked over. "I'm sorry, what?" he asked incredulously. How did Zoe go from pointing out his mistakes to complimenting him.

Zoe stepped back and gave him a sad smile, "Sometimes, Perseus, you have to be selfish. Sometimes, you have to realize that you are in more danger than those you are trying to protect, and you have to act accordingly. You have too pure and rigid a moral code, and you are too loyal to those you deem worthy. I both love and hate that about you."

"I…" Perseus was speechless. He never quite thought about things that way, but as he mulled it over, he realized Zoe had a point. Maybe he had trouble going along with her point, but the truth was there nonetheless. "I, uh, I'll work on it?" Perseus said after a momentary pause.

A friendly punch from Zoe broke the thoughtful atmosphere, and Perseus scowled, "Ow! My Lady, control your maidservants."

"They are not maidservants!" Artemis snapped, but there wasn't any real malice behind it.

"Maybe not anymore," Perseus snorted. Artemis rolled her eyes. It wasn't completely untrue.

"But really, Perseus, we're going to miss you," Phoebe spoke up, walking up to the god. Since the ginger-haired demigoddess wasn't one for emotions, Perseus felt especially honored by her words, though he had never wished to hear those specific words out of any of the Hunters' mouths. He smiled slightly and lightly ruffled her hair, "I'll miss you too." He couldn't help letting his eyes roam around the group until they came to rest on Artemis. He held her gaze for a moment before the sadness he could see swimming there became too much, and he looked away guiltily. He knew he was the cause of that sadness, and he hated it. With a sigh, he said, "I'll miss all of you. Just know that every one of you holds a special place in my heart. Spending three thousand years with you tends to do that." He chuckled at the half-hearted glares the Hunters shot him. He also noticed, with a stab of guilt, that many of the Hunters, his friends and sisters, had tears running down their cheeks.

The youngest Hunter (well, honorary Hunter since she wasn't old enough to hunt or receive immortality), a six-year-old daughter of Hermes named Alice, was sobbing. Perseus had a particular soft spot for Alice as he had been the one to find her about a year ago, wandering alone in the woods after running away from home, and to take her to the Hunt. She had imprinted on him like a baby duck and had taken to following him everywhere. Whether he was teaching the older girls swordplay or helping to make dinner, Alice was always there. Perseus was the first person she showed her first loose tooth to. He was also, as it happened, the one to reassure her that loose teeth at her age were normal. Noticing Perseus looking at her, Alice sniffled and threw herself into his open arms. Perseus picked her up like he'd done hundreds of times before and wiped away the tears. "Don't cry, Alice," he said, "Everything's going to be okay."

"B-But I don't want you to go, Percy!" Alice sobbed in response.

Perseus smiled. Alice was the first and only person to habitually call him Percy. The rest of the Hunt had already known him for centuries as Perseus, and even before that, they were old enough to understand who - and what - he was. On the other hand, five-year-old Alice did not understand the concept of gods or reverence and only knew that "Lord Perseus" was too hard to say. Perseus cherished that childish innocence and did everything he could to protect it. Thus, he earned himself a nickname, and Alice earned herself a god who spoiled her rotten. Lightly bouncing the crying girl in his arms, Perseus said, "But I'm not going anywhere."

Alice looked up at him in confusion, "You're not?"

"No," Perseus shook his head, "I might not be physically here with you, but that doesn't mean I'm gone. I'll always be with you if you think of me here," he tapped her head, "and here," he poked her in the chest.

"But Percy, hearts can't think," Alice frowned.

Perseus laughed, "Well, how about this: I'll always be in your heart because I love you."

The little girl beamed and threw her arms around his neck, "I love you too, Percy!"

"Good," he smiled, "because I would be sad if you didn't love me after I gave you all that extra dessert against Lady Artemis' orders." Alice giggled, and Perseus was happy to see she had stopped crying. "Don't cry because I have to leave. Save your tears for those who are truly gone. If you miss me, just remember that I'm also wandering around somewhere on this earth. Look at the stars and know that I'm looking at the same sky and thinking of you too. Got it?" Alice nodded resolutely. "Alright," Perseus grinned, "Now, I'm going to put you down so I can say goodbye to the rest of your sisters, okay? Be good, and don't cause Lady Artemis too much trouble."

Alice gave him a mischievous smirk and a sloppy kiss on the cheek before scampering back to her fellow Hunters. Perseus gave each girl a hug and some parting words until he reached Artemis. "Milady," He said. The silence seemed to stretch between them for centuries as they stood there observing each other, trying to memorize every last detail about the other while they still could.

Suddenly, Artemis yanked him into a hug and whispered, "You are and always will be my best friend, as you weren't given the liberty of being anything more." She scoffed regretfully before saying, "I love you."

"And I you," Perseus replied. Artemis gave him a lingering peck on the cheek before releasing him. As hard as she tried, she was unable to keep a tear from falling from her eye. Perseus gently wiped it away and smiled through the haze of his own suppressed tears, "Like I told Alice. Save them for those who are truly gone." The two gods shared one last smile before Artemis stepped back and rejoined her Hunters. Not once did she and Perseus take their eyes off each other, even as he unleashed his true form and vanished.

It was later, when she walked into Perseus' empty tent to find all his belongings gone and the room neatly organized that another tear fell, despite what Perseus had told her. Walking out, Artemis surveyed the tent once more. She noticed with a private little smile that Perseus' bow had disappeared with the rest of his belongings. In its place, however, there was an envelope. Artemis picked it up curiously and opened it. Inside was a letter containing two words, "Forever yours." Artemis choked back a sob.

She was so focused on the letter that she nearly missed the small object at the bottom of the envelope. It was a simple necklace: a small crescent moon pendant, carved out of what looked to be deer antler, tied with a leather cord. However, there was something powerful and astonishingly beautiful about it. Much like Perseus himself. Holding the necklace, Artemis couldn't help but feel like she had a piece of its creator back with her. Slipping it around her neck, she could almost see Perseus sitting right beside her, laughing at one of his own terrible jokes. And somehow, despite the sadness that still bit sharply at everybody's hearts, Artemis knew that they all would be okay.

And we've made it to the end of another chapter. This was a lot of dialogue/backstory and not much action, I know. But I felt it was the time to slow down on the plot and focus on character and relationship developments of the Hunters because they are so important (Like, Percy's spent every day for 3000 years with them. That's pretty important.), but they don't get very much screen time. Hope you liked Alice, my one and only OC. I'll probably develop her character more later on. Also, the Pertemis was strong in this chapter! I thought it was time.

Anyway, just some things to address. I intentionally called Percy "Perseus" throughout the fic so far because the distinction between names will come into play later on. You'll see it soon :). Also, I've gleaned from the reviews that the plot is really convoluted, which it is. I've also sorta been rushing through everything because all of this has been build-up to the main plotline, so sorry for the super fast (and confusing) plot progression up to this point. It will slow down soon, promise. Anyway, a great big thanks to everybody who read and/or reviewed! See you next time!