A/N: It's not the longest chapter, but it had to happen for character development. I know a lot of you have been asking about Orion, and we will get more from his POV, but it may be just a little bit. Excuse the typos and such, I've been really sick lately so I'm sure I've missed things. :(

-Artemis-

"Don't you have a curfew or something?"

Artemis stared at the night sky, pleasantly comfortable. All afternoon, Orion and she had been in the woods, shooting and laughing. She had a wonderful time. When she was alone with him, she felt young again, like she didn't have millennia weighing on her heart. She forgot about the drama with her family, the petty arguments and schemes. He made her feel energetic. Gods, she wanted to hunt something so bad she could taste it, but she couldn't exactly tell a mortal boy that they were going to go hunting for mythological creatures. If that didn't blow her cover, she wasn't sure what would. So, she had to settle for shooting targets in the woods behind his house, which was surprisingly fine.

"I promise you they aren't looking for me. I can do what I want," she assured him. Orion's foster parents had come out to check on them once during the afternoon. It was just a yell over the fence, but Artemis could see that he adored them.

Orion looked thoughtful. He was tending to the fire in front of them, a perfect blaze keeping her pleasantly warm. She hated the cold to her very core. He made it as soon as it started to cool off, like he already knew she would be.

It bothered her, but it made her smile at the same time.

"Your parent's don't care that you are out this late? Alone? With a boy?"

Artemis snorted. Her father, Lord of the Skies, hadn't cared about what she did in years. She always kept herself in line and did her duty. Her mother was long gone; she hadn't seen her in years. Or was it centuries? Time began to blur when you had lived as long as she had. They had nothing to worry about with her and a boy, but the thought caused something in her chest to flutter.

"They don't have anything to worry about between us," she assured him. "My parents are never around. It's mostly just me and my brother. They are always gone on um…business trips or whatever."

"Your brother doesn't seem like a terrible guy," he admitted. "Can't be half bad not having anyone around."

"It's not terrible. He's a pretty laid back go-uy," she stuttered as she corrected herself. If she had to be stuck with someone for two years, she was glad it was Apollo and not Aphrodite or Persephone. "He just doesn't think, and he's such a damned flirt! He's too carefree sometimes. He does things without thinking."

Orion laughed, and Artemis found herself smirking back.

"What?"

He just shook his head, chuckling to himself. "So, they moved you here from Texas? What was it like there?"

Artemis sighed. Their previous location was just a ruse for the mortals, but it represented more now. She missed the woods, the freedom. She missed hunting. She missed being able to do what she wanted when she wanted. She missed the feeling of the earth under her feet, the quiet way she would track her prey. Having to act like a mortal, like she was human, was aggravating.

But Orion helped. She felt more at ease with him, like it was before she had the hunters.

"I miss the woods, being outside. I don't care for the city much, but I didn't exactly get a choice in the matter."

"I like it better outside. I'm glad my foster parents got this place. It helps a lot. I like the trees and the stars. I love watching the moonlight drift down through the trees. It's relaxing."

All she could do was nod her head. She knew he was staring at her, but she couldn't bring herself to look at him.

"You know, you're welcome to come out here anytime. I'll go hunting with you, even if there isn't much to find here."

"I appreciate that."

"You look better out here, for some reason, like you're glowing or something. Your eyes look lighter, more vibrant," he added gruffly. "That's crazy, isn't it?"

Artemis shook her head, chuckling quietly.

"No, not crazy at all."

She leaned back against the ground, gazing up at the stars. They had a perfect clearing above them, and she could see all the constellations.

"What's your favorite?" he asked as he lay down beside her.

"I don't really have one," she replied stiffly.

"You'll never guess what mine is."

"Orion?" she drawled in a bored tone.

"The greatest hunter than ever lived!"

She snorted, and Orion stiffened beside her.

"You don't think so?"

"No, I think he overestimated his abilities. I would say Artemis was the greatest hunter."

"For a girl," he teased. "She was a goddess, of course she was amazing. He hunted with the gods! He was famous in ancient times."

"And his arrogance showed. He was too prideful."

"Artemis, your namesake, admired him," he countered. "Didn't she have a thing for him? Orion must have been a pretty attractive guy to catch the eye of a goddess, let alone her. Wasn't he her hunting companion?"

"According to the legends, he was for a time, but I don't think it meant anything to her. Artemis was a maiden goddess, remember? If I had to guess, I'd say she probably just thought of him as an assistant or something. I'm sure she was far superior in skills. After all, he was just a mortal."

He didn't respond. The only sound that filled the air was the soft rustling of the leaves in the low breeze and the snap and pop of the fire. She turned to him, taking in his expression. Orion had a stony expression on his face, and she could see him ball his fists up in his lap. He looked almost sad, but at the same time, determined for some reason.

This feeling pooled in her stomach, and she realized that she felt…guilty. Okay, Orion was more than a friend when he had been alive. He was her best friend, and she cared deeply about him. It scared her how much she had cared then. She had sounded harsh.

"It's just a legend," she assured him. "A tale. No need to get so worked up. You are not really him."

But it felt wrong saying that.

"You ever wonder what really happened? That maybe the tales didn't do the actual people much justice?"

She froze. She knew the legends weren't exactly on point. Different versions, motives… the mortals had taken their early lives and tried to make sense out of it. Some of it was true, yes, but some parts were completely left out. No one ever knew how close Orion and she had really gotten. There were rumors, sure, but no one ever knew the truth.

"What do you mean?"

"Like the legends and myths make the gods seem all-powerful, and they were. They could do whatever they wanted whenever they wanted and it was to hell with everyone else. But what if they were more like humans than the legends let on? I bet they had thoughts and feelings just like we do. They speak of mortals as objects, as matters of little consequence but their triumphs and failures always seem to settle around them."

"What's your point?" she asked, getting slightly annoyed. He turned to look at her, the firelight casting shadows across his face.

"That maybe they relied on and cared about mortals more than they like to admit."

She couldn't help but admire the sincerity in his voice, the determined expression on his face. He was brave, something she greatly admired. His eyes were molten rock. The brown looked warmer, lighter. They were drawing her in, like a magnet. A crack echoed in the clearing, and Artemis shot up. She brought her knife into her hand, looking around quickly. The fire popped, and it sent a puff of smoke into her eyes. She quickly rubbed her eyes, cursing loudly in Greek.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine!"

"Artemis, let me look."

She brushed off Orion, her eyes watering. She wanted to just wave her hand to make it go away, but before she could he grabbed her face. Orion held her tenderly in his hands. She blinked, and he wiped the water from underneath her eye.

"Just relax."

She did as he requested, but to be honest, she couldn't move. She was paralyzed. How long had it been since he was this close to her? How long had it been since any boy was this close to her? He was clouding her mind, making it difficult to think. She could feel the heat rise in her cheeks, the way his fingers were rough with calluses. It sent a shiver down her spine. He was close, so close she could feel his breath hit her skin and part. He was examining her eye, a calm and caring expression on his face. She felt hot. Her heart was racing out of her chest. She tried to take a breath, but it was stuck in her throat.

"I don't see anything in there," he whispered. "You okay?"

She nodded her head, but Orion didn't let go. Something was pulling her to him. He was staring at her in longing, and she felt something flutter inside of her. Artemis had never even thought about kissing a boy. She had never kissed anyone, but gods, right now she wanted to. She wondered what it felt like to have lips touch you, to taste another person on her lips. She liked the way he held her, and she could feel her heart speed up in response.

Reason was gone. A part of her was screaming in protest, asking herself what in Hades she thought she was doing, but she had no control. She was leaning forward, and so was he. It was instinct now, as necessary as breathing to her. Not even an inch separated them now…

A rustle shook the tree nearby, and they sprang apart. Immediately, Artemis's head began to clear. That was close, way to close.

Cassia stumbled into view, clutching a bag to her back. She stumbled into the clearing, obviously exhausted. She didn't even notice the pair looking at her.

"Cas?"

She looked up at Orion's words, suddenly startled. She dropped the bag in surprise, its contents spilling everywhere. She fell to the ground, scrambling to gather the papers and objects. He rushed over to help, and Artemis followed. She leaned forward to pick a book, but Cas had beaten her to it. It didn't stop Artemis from seeing a little of what was inside. It was filled with old texts, some that looked just as old as she was. What in the world was a mortal girl doing with information like that?

"It's eleven at night, what are you doing in the woods at this hour?" Orion ground out. He looked irritated with her.

"What are you doing out at this hour!?" she retorted.

Orion cast a glance at Artemis, and she could see it in his eyes, the regret at being interrupted. Artemis had never been more thankful for her. Thank the gods for fate.

"You shouldn't be out in the woods this late."

"Okay, Dad. I suppose you are going to ground me now?"

"You know, it probably would help if you came home through the front door like a normal person," he reasoned with her. Cas just rolled her eyes and slung the bag back over her shoulder.

"Yeah, like a normal, perfectly well-behaved teenager," she said as she limped past them. Artemis noticed she was favoring her left foot, hardly putting any weight on her right. She knew the young girl was in pain, and not just from her foot. It was one of the things Artemis could do well, sensing maiden's distress.

"Are you okay?" she asked quietly. Cas looked up, and for just a second, she looked completely and utterly broken. Artemis could actually feel her despair, how scared she was. The expression left before she could even get a proper handle on it. Her face was perfectly blank, not a hint of any emotion showing.

"I'm fine," she replied carefully. "Just had a really long night."

She limped off, obviously going to the house next door. Artemis took a step back, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"I should get going."

"I'll give you a ride back."

She knew she was panicking. She had to get away from him, where he couldn't mess with her mind anymore. Just like the last time, they were getting to close, and she had to put an end to it. She shook her head, taking another step away.

"It's fine. My brother's coming to get me."

"Oh, okay. Well, I guess I'll see you Monday?"

"Sure," she muttered. She had already turned, walking around the edge of the property to the front street. Artemis closed her eyes, willing herself to be back in her apartment. She didn't understand why she felt panicked, why the feelings inside her were warring against each other.

She just knew she had to get away.

Review? please? :)