Yay, an update! Sorry about the wait. Good news is, the wedding is over and I should be back to updating at least once a week again. :-)

As for this chapter, it is kinda an interlude but there is one important event. I don't know if you've ever been stuck in your house with absolutely nothing to do for an extended period of time but I have. Trust me, its mind numbing...

Disclaimer- I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or the Heroes of Olympus Series. (One can dream though) All rights go to the proper parties.

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December 22st

Percy POV

Patience had never been my strong suit. I had been confined to the apartment for three days and I already felt like bouncing off the walls. I asked Apollo if it was possible to get cabin fever in only a few days but he told me that it wasn't. However, I wasn't convinced.

By the fourth morning of my self-imposed captivity, I was almost bored enough to miss high school. Even with Apollo there to keep me company, there were only so many things one could do that didn't involve leaving the apartment. What made it even worse though was the fact that the god of music needed to go pick up some groceries. He hadn't gone shopping since the two of us went together. I knew the only reason he hadn't gone before was that he didn't want to leave me alone with no way to go outside that didn't involve anyone getting incinerated.

I had been a god for just under two months and so far, I was highly unimpressed. Not only did I put people in danger, but I couldn't even control my new powers. Combine that with mind numbing boredom and suddenly mortality was looking rather appealing.

"I've said it before and I will say it again, your apartment really needs a T.V."

The god of the sun chuckled and gave me an amused look, "I promise to file your complaint with the council once I have my throne back."

I fixed him with my most serious look and nodded, "Make sure you do."

Apollo rolled his eyes in amusement, "I hope you know that you're fairly odd, even by Olympian standards."

I laughed, "I'm not odd, I'm unique. There's a difference."

"And thank my father for that. I don't know if I could handle dealing with two of you." He had to duck under the throw pillow I sent flying his way.

"Ha-ha, very funny." I rolled my eyes at his triumphant look. "Just go get your groceries already."

"Ya I guess I've put it off long enough, is there anything you need?"

I shrugged. I knew that I needed to find some ambrosia but that wasn't something you could just pick up at the store. Not even in New Rome. "I wouldn't mind a box of cookies."

The god of the sun chuckled and grabbed his coat. "Cookies it is then."

I sighed. I really wasn't looking forward to being locked inside alone. It was bad enough when Apollo was with me. He made normally tedious things fun. I could only imagine the boredom his absence would cause.

"Don't worry Perce; I'll be back as soon as I can."

I looked at him in surprise. It seemed the more time I spent around the sun god; the more he could tell what I was thinking without me even saying anything.

I forced a smile and nodded. "I know. I'll be fine for a few hours."

As much as I didn't want to be alone in the house, I didn't want Apollo to feel as though he couldn't leave. I felt bad enough for imposing on him as it was. I wanted him to know that he could still go do whatever he wanted. He didn't have to babysit me.

He gave me a look that told me he saw right through my forced bravado but fortunately, he didn't say anything else. "Alright then, see you later."

I gave him one last wave as he left.

As soon as the door closed behind him, I sighed. I stood up and went to the window. I could see most of New Rome spread out below me. On the horizon, I could see big gray clouds beginning to head our way. Judging by the wind I could see blowing through the trees, it looked like we'd be getting that white Christmas everyone had been hoping for. It made me even more depressed since there was a high likelihood that I wouldn't even be able to enjoy it.

I shook my head and moved away from the window. The last thing I wanted was to have someone look up and see me. I really needed to figure out how to shield my godly form. I had originally hoped that it would turn off on its own. However, judging by the fact that I was still glowing, it was beginning to look less and less likely.

I shook my head to dispel the thoughts. I looked around the vacant apartment and frowned.

Now what am I supposed to do.

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Apollo POV

During the walk to the store, I let my mind wander.

I really didn't want to leave Percy alone. Logically, I knew that my presence in the house didn't do anything to help him gain controls of his abilities any faster. Yet I couldn't help but feel like I should have been able to do more to support him. If I had still had my godly gifts I could have assisted him in hiding his form but as it was, I was powerless.

Mortality really sucks...

I was very grateful to get into the store and out of the wind. The temperature outside was dropping rapidly. The clouds in the distance promised snow and they were moving towards us at an unnatural pace. It looked like Demeter had finally given in to the requests of her children.

I would have to remember to grab another blanket before I headed home. Percy had been borrowing mine while he was staying with me. I normally didn't mind a little cold but I had never been a huge fan of the snow. Sunny beaches were more my scene. I was the god of the sun after all.

ΩΩΩ

I was originally hoping that it would be just a quick trip but judging by how packed the stores were, I knew that I would be a while. I had nearly forgotten that it would be Christmas in a few days. I had never been really big on celebrating it, very few Olympians did.

In the end, I was very glad that I had decided to go grocery shopping when I did. It was still a few days before Christmas but it looked like everyone was already stocking up on food for their Christmas feast. They were sold out of a lot of items. I was lucky that microwavable dinners didn't seem to be on a lot of people's holiday menu. I got to the snack isle just in time to snag the very last box of Oreos for Percy.

I was on my way to their small pharmacy section when I passed a huge display of hot chocolate. I debated with myself for a moment before I added a can of it to my cart. Judging by the increasingly chilly temperatures outside, I was certain that both Percy and I would enjoy a hot drink.

I was hoping that the pharmacy would be the section I needed. I had never actually needed to buy any form of first aid supplies before. Being an immortal god came with the added benefit of self healing. The only thing I had ever needed had been Ambrosia or nectar. Since demigods used Ambrosia solely for its healing purposes, I was hoping this would be where it was kept.

Percy hadn't said anything but I had noticed that he hadn't eaten any Ambrosia in the entire time he had been at my house. Judging by the fact that he hadn't asked about any either, I was guessing that he was out. If the store didn't stock it, I wasn't certain how I would find any.

After a good five trips up and down every isle in the pharmacy section and asking for confirmation from a passing worker, I had to accept that they didn't sell any. The store clerk even told me that no one in New Rome sold any Ambrosia. I was at a loss of what to do. I could probably get a little of it from Reyna but I couldn't see it lasting Percy more than a week. Truthfully, other than on Olympus, I had no idea where to get it.

I was just about to resign myself to not being able to find any when I had a strong gut feel that I should try going down the aisles once more. It was a rather bizarre desire, but the instinct was strong enough that I just decided to go with it.

I was halfway through the first isle when I saw a large bright pink tin that definitely hadn't been there before. Upon closer inspection I realized that there was a card on top. I picked up the card and felt my eyes widen. In a familiar, perfect, cursive, the name 'Apollo' was written on the front. I looked around me, but I couldn't see the one who had left it there.

I lifted the lid of the tin to peek inside. I was more than a little surprised to see that it was full of Ambrosia. I closed the tin and opened the card.

I felt my eyebrows pull together in confusion.

You're going to need this, trust me.

Aphrodite.

The message was simple, but it raised several questions. The first and foremost was, why would the love goddess be helping Percy? Percy had told me that when he was younger, she had promised to make his love life interesting. Perhaps this was her gift to Percy so that he would be in the best possible mood to make up with Annabeth? I tried to ignore the strange, unpleasant, way that my stomach clenched at the thought.

The second question it raised was not as immediately noticeable, but twice as confusing. Why did it say "you're" instead of Percy? She knew perfectly well that I was currently stuck as a mortal. Maybe she had forgotten? She was fairly well known for not really paying attention to most council meetings.

I shook my head in confusion. One could never really understand anything that the love goddess did. Out of every Olympian, she was the hardest to predict. Love was hardly ever rational and so she was always doing the unexplainable. I shrugged off the thoughts and put the tin in my cart.

At least I have Ambrosia for him.

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By the time I had my groceries and the new blanket, the snow was already coming down hard. The temperature had dropped by at least 15 degrees since I had entered the grocery store and it was only getting worse. It was so seldom that Khione was permitted to freeze anywhere this far south, she always ended up making it colder then completely necessary.

I found myself wishing that I lived closer to the store. By the time I made it back to my building, I was practically an Apollosicle. My relief at making it back inside the building was short lived though. The walls may have stopped the wind, but the building clearly wasn't insulated to withstand this kind of cold. I could only imagine how cold Percy must be. I hoped that he had started the fireplace in my apartment.

He was a god and the cold wouldn't kill him, but that did not mean that he would be comfortable.

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Percy POV

The sun seemed to set very early, though that could have been due to the thick clouds and blowing snow. I could hardly see ten feet outside of the apartment windows.

I had tried playing solitaire for a while until that got boring. Then I had tried playing with dominos to pass the time. Eventually I had even decided to attempt to read one of Apollo's poetry books, not that I would ever admit that to him, but I couldn't understand Shakespeare. I was tempted to try to find another book written in normal English, but that would have involved leaving my blanket cocoon and that was just something I was not willing to do.

I had taken a seat on the couch and wrapped myself up in Apollo's quilt. I was even more grateful then normal that it was super warm. I shrugged the blanket even higher so it was covering my ears. I knew that the cold wouldn't kill me but I still didn't like it.

As the temperature outside got colder and colder, so did the temperature inside. It was already so cold that I could see my breath. It was even colder in the apartment then it had been outside when I went to Alaska. True I had gone in summer, but that was no excuse.

Apollo had a fireplace in his apartment but it seemed to be strictly decorative. He didn't even have firewood. Then again, I never had been very skilled in lighting a fire anyway.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I ended up jumping a little when I heard the front door open. I turned just in time to see Apollo walk in and dump the bags of groceries before closing and locking the door behind him.

He looked around and raised one eyebrow when he saw that I was wrapped up to my eyes on the couch.

I gave him a wave from under the protective layer of my blanket.

He gave me an amused smirk, "Cold are we?"

I rolled my eyes. "I may be a god now, but not all of us have a heater built into our bodies like some people I could mention."

"Why didn't you turn on the fireplace?"

"You don't have any wood for it." He looked at me in surprise for a moment before he burst out laughing. I frowned, "What's so funny?"

"Percy, it's a gas fireplace. You don't need wood."

I gave him a look of disbelief, "Please tell me that you're kidding."

He shook his head, still chuckling, "Nope. Didn't you ever wonder what that switch on the wall next to it did?"

"So you're telling me I've been sitting in a freezing cold apartment for the last several hours for no reason?"

Apollo gave me one more amused smile before picking his groceries back up. "It would seem so. I'll make you a deal. I may have, as you say, a built in heater but that doesn't mean I'm not cold. So you start the fireplace and I'll go and make us some of the hot chocolate I just bought."

I sighed, "Fine."

I watched him head to the kitchen to start putting away groceries before I turned back to the fireplace with a frown. I felt more than a little idiotic for not realizing that it was a gas fire. Then again, I had never stayed anywhere that had one like it. The few places I'd stayed that had a fire had all been normal wood burning ones.

I continued looking at the fireplace and my frown deepened. I really didn't want to get up. The apartment was really cold but I was actually quite warm in my cocoon. Abandoning the warmth to walk across the room sounded highly unappealing. Not for the first time in my life, I wished I had jedi powers.

I desperately wished that the fire was already on. I could completely see the fire already on in my minds-eye. I could practically feel the heat rolling off the crackling flames.

I was surprised by how realistic it looked in my imagination. I was soaking in the imaginary heat when Apollo walked in with our glasses of hot chocolate. He put the glasses on the table beside us and sat down next to me will a blissful sigh.

"Thanks Percy. That feels worlds better."

I looked at him in confusion, "What?"

He rolled his eyes, "The fire, I can already feel the difference in the room."

"What are you talking about? I haven't turned it on yet."

He gave me an indecipherable look as his eyes flashed between me and the fireplace. I looked too and was surprised to see that my mind was still happily supply the warming images of the flames.

His eyes suddenly snapped back to mine in surprise. "Wait, you said you haven't got up yet to turn on the fire?"

I frowned, "Isn't that kind of obvious?"

"No, not really," My confusion only increased. He laughed as he through an arm around my shoulders with a smile. "Congratulations Percy. It seems that you just learned to control the mist."

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Authors Note

Hey guy's. So I've decided I'm going to be trying something a little different to get me back to updating in a regular fashion. I'm going to take a page out of one of my favorite fan-fiction authors and set a date in advance for my next update. I think my update day shall be Sundays. Why? Cause it's just as good as any other day of the week. ;-)

Next update will be on June 21st. Here's a little sneak peek.

Next Chapter:

The atmosphere in the room was more than a little awkward. I really shouldn't have been surprised though. Having your girlfriend believe that you don't want to talk to her for almost five days is bound to create a bit of tension in any relationship...