So here's the next chapter. Before we get started there's a few things I wanted to say. First, I'm not 100% happy with the way this chapter turned out. The story itself I'm happy with, but the structure is somewhat off. What I should have done is put the first scene, Artemis' first POV during the honeymoon, at the end of the last chapter instead at the beginning of this one. Thematically it fits better there than here. When I finish the story, I plan on doing some minor editing, and I'll fix that. For now however, just read Artemis's first POV here as a continuation of the last chapter, and read Ava's POV in December 2023 as the beginning of this chapter.

Also I'm nearly done writing the next chapter, so the wait for that one won't be nearly as long as the wait for this one was. I will be busy the next week or so, and my editing process does take a while, but you can expect to see chapter nineteen posted in the next two or three weeks.

That's all I have for now though, so onto the story! As always I don't own PJO. Enjoy!

Artemis (One month later, August 15th 2023)

Artemis flowed through the towering coastal redwoods, attention focused solely on the quarry before her. She caught fleeting glimpses movement through the misty forest ahead, but her prey remained ever ahead, just out of sight. Abruptly the forest ended, and she found herself running north along the top of a sheer cliff, the wind churning the ocean into a froth below her and to her left. The one she sought was a pale shadow dashing through the fog ahead.

Artemis skidded to a halt grinning. He won't expect an attack from the ocean, she thought, and stepped over the lip of the cliff. Falling the hundred or so feet to the water, Artemis landed on a large boulder protruding from the water, bending her knees slightly to lessen the impact. She felt Poseidon become aware of her entering his domain, but his attention quickly left, leaving her in peace. Aaaand thank you Percy for that little perk, she thought. Surging forward, she leapt to the next boulder, a distance beyond that of any but a goddess on the hunt. Quickly making her way across the boulder strewn water, she pushed herself hard to gain a lead on her target. The bond they shared told her he'd slowed down, losing sight of her and growing suspicious of an ambush. Above, she saw him place his back to the ocean and face the wilderness before him.

Artemis grinned, and launched herself at the cliff face. The climb was over in a matter of seconds, and Artemis threw herself at his back before he had a chance to notice her. She hit him with all the force of landslide, and the two tumbled forward, a tangle of limbs and muttered curses. Finally the pair came to rest with Artemis on top. Artemis smiled, then leaned forward to kiss him. "I win again, Husband" she murmured as she broke the kiss.

Percy grunted as Artemis pushed herself off and offered him a hand. "Nice trick, coming from the ocean like that," he said with a grin. "Still, I'm proud of three out of ten when going up against the great Goddess of the Hunt herself."

Artemis smiled up at him, and twined her hand into his, pulling him southward. "I'm just going easy on you because it's your birthday," she said lightly. Together they turned to walk along the edge of the cliff back the way they'd come. Toward the camp they had not seen in the three days since their contest began.

Percy quirked an eyebrow at her and grinned down at her. "And last week when I won four, what were you doing then."

Artemis waved a dismissive hand and sniffed. "Our…activities that morning had me a little distracted." She felt her voice turn slightly husky, and her cheeks colored. She loved Percy, and loved having him for a husband, but talking about their intimate encounters so openly even with him still made her slightly uncomfortable. Artemis was beginning to think that would never go away, she also more than suspected that Percy knew that and teased her on purpose. "It was hardly a fair competition."

Percy smirked in an extremely self-satisfied way. "Our…activities huh?" Artemis wanted to hit him. Then his grin turned roguish as he pulled her to a stop and slipped an arm around her waist. The desire to hit him vanished suddenly. "I don't suppose you'd be opposed to more…activities would you?" The tone of his voice put a king's ransom worth of meaning into the word.

Artemis felt herself smiling back. "Perseus Jackson," she murmured. "You wouldn't be trying to seduce me would you?" She pulled him into a deep passionate kiss. Fates above I love this man, she thought to herself.

"Always, My Lady," he breathed when the kiss broke.

Laughing, Artemis flashed the two of them back to their camp, and more importantly, their bed.

Hours later found Artemis and Percy wrapped in each other's arms beneath tangled sheets in their tent. Artemis smiled as Percy shifted slightly in his sleep. Despite everything else he was, her husband was still only a man, and though he had impressive endurance, matching a goddess stride for stride would inevitably exhaust him.

As Percy slept, Artemis let her mind wander. Tomorrow, she and Percy would have to return to their lives, but tonight she just wanted to enjoy the last few hours of their honeymoon. I've been married for a whole month, she thought, mind still slightly shocked at the idea. It had been a good month. Quite frankly, it had been the best month of her entire long life. A month spent traveling together through remote wildernesses far from Olympus and all the cares that went along with it. A month spent in each other's company, growing closer than she'd ever been with anyone else, and even after all this time together, a month spent learning new things about each other. Likes, dislikes, passions…it was all so new, exciting and strange. Artemis felt her cheeks color slightly at the thought and she grinned. Learning some very interesting things about each other. Artemis knew this almost dream like euphoria wouldn't last, eventually the two of them would settle into the routine of married life as billions of others before them had, but for now she wanted to enjoy it while it lasted.

This was a good place for them to end their honeymoon. This abandoned stretch of Northern California coast where ocean and wilderness met felt like home to Artemis with Percy lying there in her arms. This place where the untamable power of the sea met the feral expanse of wilderness, where the pulling power of the Moon churned the tides into fury acted as a nexus of power with the two of them here together. Artemis felt alight with energy, thrilling in the sheer joy of life itself. All because of the bond she now shared with Percy. She felt more alive than she'd felt in centuries.

Artemis looked at her husband. I'm never going to get tired of saying that, she thought with another small grin. Lying here in the arms of any man, let alone a man she was really, genuinely in love with, was a place Artemis never in her wildest dreams thought she'd find herself. Percy looked…peaceful. He'd changed as much as she had since they'd run into each other nine years ago today. The violent, depressed man he'd been was long gone, instead replaced with a genuine, loving man who she helped raise a small child into a teenager. The two of them had done well with Ava, and Artemis couldn't wait to do it again with him. She knew he was ready too. On more than one of the many long nights they'd spent wrapped in each other's arms talking about everything under the Moon, she'd seen the eagerness in his eyes when they talked about their future child.

Artemis looked at Percy again, considering. Thirty years old today, she thought. By human standards, Percy was well into adulthood, and more than old enough to have children of his own. Barely an infant in comparison, but comparisons are meaningless, Artemis thought. For a long while Artemis laid there watching her husband sleep, still considering. Eventually she came to a decision and smiled. As Goddess of Childbirth, she had some small control, control she rarely exercised, over conceptions. Concentrating, she willed the potential inside her womb to come awake and felt the tiny budding awareness burst to life within. Again Artemis smiled. "Happy Birthday, Percy," she said.

Ava (4 Months Later, December 2023)

Ava watched as Artemis moved around the kitchen preparing lunch for the two of them, and sighed inwardly. She wasn't exactly jealous of Artemis's looks, but gods the goddess was beautiful in a way that no human woman could ever be. Not exactly jealous, but definitely a little envious. Now that her pregnancy was finally starting to show, the woman was even more beautiful than before if that was possible. There was a glow about her now, more than the normal soft silver glow Ava saw around her sometimes. No, this was different, warmer; a sense of life and vitality. Ava supposed all pregnant women shared that, but it was magnified with Artemis. More…real. Even wearing one of Percy's old t-shirts the woman was breathtaking.

Ava sighed again. "When are you going start letting me help you?" she asked as Artemis turned from the counter where she was making sandwiches. "Technically I'm a teenager now, and you and Percy have been teaching me to fight with weapons for months. I think I can handle cutting up a tomato for a sandwich."

Artemis smiled at her, and Ava's breath caught. Mortals aren't meant to spend this much time around gods and goddesses, Ava thought. I'm going to end up having a heart attack before I'm twenty. They're just too pretty. Ava wasn't interested in her new sister-in-law in anyway, but only a blind person would be unaffected by that radiant smile. I guess mortal minds just can't handle perfection. Aunt Athena's blessing helped some, but not completely. She pushed down the offending thoughts in time to catch Artemis's answer. "When are you going to realize that I actually enjoy preparing food for us?" she asked. "I know you could do just as well for yourself, but I like doing this for you."

Ava sighed again. "Fine," she said, but smiled back to let Artemis know she wasn't really upset. "I will need to learn how to feed myself eventually though. I'm pretty sure eating is important to us humans. I think I remember Aunt Athena telling me that anyway."

Artemis laughed. "Then eat up," she said. "I wouldn't want you passing out tonight from lack of nourishment."

Remembering the planned training session for that night Ava brightened and tore into her food. As she ate, she watched Artemis. Since Artemis and her brother were married, life had largely gone back to how it was before the wedding with Ava going to school, her lessons with Aunt Athena, and training with Percy and Artemis in between. The one major difference was Artemis's pregnancy. Thankfully, Artemis suffered from none of the ailments normal human women did when they were pregnant, Aunt Athena said goddesses never did, with one notable exception. Mood swings. Artemis had had a few over the past months, and they'd been…memorable. Never directed at Ava, and not even at Percy. Sometimes the goddess just got angry. Ava glanced at the unblemished wall above the staircase. A few weeks ago that wall had been destroyed by a particularly forcefully thrown chair. That was Uncle Apollo's fault, Ava thought. He'd come to check on the progress of his sister's pregnancy and made a comment Artemis was not supposed to overhear. Aunt Athena said the reaction reminded her of the old Artemis. When she'd finally calmed down however, Artemis apologized to her brother, which Aunt Athena said most definitely was not like the old Artemis.

The front door opened, breaking Ava from her reverie, and out the corner of her eye she saw Artemis perk up slightly with a smile splitting her lips. She's in love with that man, Ava thought with a smile. She's as much in love with him as he is with her. "Percy's home," she said aloud, and jumped down from the stool she was sitting on to go and meet him.

Percy

Percy made his way home down Pearl Street, walking with his shoulders hunched against the wind. Even now in the middle of the day the recent cold snap kept the temperature well below freezing. Percy shivered as he walked and muttered, "Remind me not to complain when you're trying to melt us next summer will you Apollo? Even that's better than this cold." The thin sunlight flashed slightly brighter for a moment before dimming again. Percy could imagine the sun god beaming at what he no doubt perceived as a compliment. "Insufferable Olympians," Percy muttered again, this time fondly. Thunder rumbled softly in the distance and Percy snorted a laugh.

To distract himself from the cold Percy let his mind wander, and like so often in recent years, his thoughts turned toward Artemis. Or more specifically, the child that was growing within her. Percy hadn't really expected to have a child so soon after being married, but when Artemis told him what she'd done the morning after his birthday he'd been overjoyed. Well, after the shock wore off anyway, he admitted to himself. I'm going to be a father, he thought with wonder for what had to be the millionth time. The idea excited him more than he'd expected it to, and terrified him more than he'd ever thought possible. Excited to finally meet his child and terrified he'd mess this up somehow. He just wished this waiting was over already. Percy knew from his time at Camp Half-Blood that none of the other goddesses who had children ever actually carried the children more than a few days before giving birth. One of the perks of being a goddess he guessed, but Artemis had decided to carry the child for the full nine months. She claimed that she wanted to ensure that the bond between mother and child formed fully before giving birth, which Percy had to admit sounded pretty important, but he was growing impatient. Five more months, he told himself. I can wait five more months. Hell, I waited nearly nine years for Artemis. He shook himself as he walked up to the front door of their home. Or she waited nine years for me, he admitted.

Opening the front door, Percy stomped the snow and ice off his boots before stepping inside and closing the door behind him. Ava rounded the corner from the kitchen and met Percy at the door. Percy felt himself smile as his sister bounded up to him and spread her arms wide for a hug. Already a teenager and still as excitable as ever, Percy thought. Bending down to give the girl a hug he added to himself. As small as ever too. He didn't know where that came from, neither their mom or Paul were short people, but Ava was still closer to four and a half feet tall than five. "Come on," Ava said pulling away. "Artemis and I were having lunch." She grabbed his hand and started pulling him toward the kitchen.

Laughing Percy allowed himself to be dragged. "I'm coming," he said. "I'm coming. There's no need to pull my arm off." Ava rolled her eyes at him and kept pulling him into the kitchen, finally releasing him and returning to her food when they made it to the end of the short hallway.

Artemis rose to meet him when he entered and Percy studied her openly. She was wearing a worn pair of jeans, an old swim team t-shirt of his, and had her hair loosely tied back at the nape of her neck. Her pregnancy was just starting to show. She was simply put the most beautiful thing Percy had ever seen. Artemis paused, then smiled with a quick glance at Ava. Raising her hands over her head she twirled in a slow circle and asked suggestively, "Like what you see?"

"Ohh my gods," Ava groaned. "You two are ridiculous sometimes."

Artemis laughed and Percy snaked an arm around her waist, pulling her close. "I think you look better in that shirt that I do," he said and kissed her lightly on the lips. Ava was still rolling her eyes as Percy and Artemis joined her at the bar for lunch. Artemis snapped her fingers summoning Percy a plate and he squeezed her hand appreciatively before digging in.

"That's saying something," Artemis whispered in his ear in a voice that could be heard across the room. "Pretty as you are you could stop a mortal woman's heart wearing this thing."

Ava groaned again. "It's like you two try to be lame," she said. "Can't you just be cool sometime? Please? Just once? For me?"

"I'll have you know," Percy told Ava, as he stole a potato chip from her plate. She glared at him as he continued. She really did hate people messing with her food. "When I was your age everyone in the Greek World thought I was the coolest thing since sliced bread."

Ava rolled her eyes again. "Okay Grandpa. Whatever you say."

"That's not completely true," Artemis put in, and Percy raised an eyebrow at her. "What?" she asked. "It's not. I barely knew you existed at the time, and I'm pretty sure Ares still wanted to stick his sword in you when you were her age."

"Aren't you supposed to be on my side here?" he asked her asked her between bites of his sandwich. A notably delicious sandwich. Even at something as mundane as making lunch Artemis excelled. "You know, sticking up for your husband and all that?"

Artemis smiled at him and patted his shoulder fondly before whispering to Ava in a voice that probably could have been heard in the street this time. "He had a few impressionable demigods fawning after him, doesn't mean he was the coolest thing since sliced bread."

Percy scowled, then had to laugh with them. "Truthfully at the time I had two friends. Annabeth and Grover," he said. "And trust me when I tell you neither of them were doing any fawning. I'm pretty sure they both thought I was a little crazy at the time."

"Well nothings changed then," Ava said. "I'm still convinced you're crazy half the time. You just grew a little taller I suppose."

Percy raised an eyebrow and glanced at Artemis. "I think you and I just might have to forget a certain someone when we go training tonight," he said.

"You wouldn't!" Ava nearly shrieked before throwing up her hands. "Fine!" she said. "You know for someone who spends so much time with Uncle Apollo, you think you'd be better at taking a joke." With that she jumped down and made her way to the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Percy asked as he slid her plate across the bar and took a bite out of what was left of her sandwich.

Ava turned and glared at him again but laughed when he grinned at her around a mouthful of food. "I'm going read or something till tonight," she said. "You two obviously need some alone time."

Artemis chuckled slightly as Ava turned and ran quickly up the stairs. "Watching the two of you go back and forth reminds me of Apollo and I when we were young."

Percy smiled at his wife fondly then changed the subject. "How's the baby?" he asked, taking another bite of Ava's sandwich. Artemis really was good at this preparing food stuff.

Artemis sighed. "Same as when you asked me a few hours ago, Percy," she said. "She's healthy, strong, and still growing quickly." She smiled then. "I think she's starting to recognize your voice though," she continued after a moment. "When you speak her awareness sharpens slightly. I think she already likes you Percy."

Percy had to admit, having a wife who could sense literally everything about the life growing inside of her did wonders for his peace of mind. Without this reassurance he'd be driving himself crazy with worry. He didn't know how mortal couples did this. "Of course she likes me," Percy said grinning and eyeing the remaining chips on Artemis's plate. She sighed again and pushed the plate toward him. "I'm her father and I'm awesome. Though I still think we should be having a son," he said after a moment. "Between you, Ava, and the baby I'm going to be vastly outnumbered here. I'm still not convinced you didn't do something to ensure we had a girl."

Artemis laughed at him, "I don't have that much control of conception, Percy. It stretched my abilities just to make it happen." She suddenly grew a little more somber, laughter fading, and Percy frowned slightly. "I'm not opposed to trying again sometime in the future if you want to even the odds a little," she said with a weak grin, "but why don't we try to survive the next few decades first, okay?"

And there it is, he thought. The thing we've been avoiding taking about for nearly a decade now. Their daughter would be born to fight, and possibly die, to fulfill a prophecy. Percy himself knew what that felt like, and he would rather fight the coming war alone and unarmed than allow his daughter to be used as an instrument of Fate. "She'll be fine, Artemis," he said softly. "She'll be leading the other demigods true, but it's you and I who will have to face Gaea. We can keep her from that at least. Between the two of us and with Chiron's help we can train her well enough to make sure nothing can touch her."

Artemis grimaced and looked away. "You've been in enough battles to know that's not enough Percy," she said softly. "You know as well as I who lives and who dies comes down luck more often than not. Training helps, but it doesn't guarantee survival."

"Then we do what we can and trust the rest to Fate," Percy said as cheerfully as he could. He himself felt like weeping, but he had to do what he could to cheer up Artemis. "We train her, we give her every advantage we can think of, we surround her with the best warriors we can find, and when the time comes we trust her to do what she was born to do." He grinned then, "Maybe we pull a Thetis and dip her in the Styx when she's born."

Artemis laughed then, still somber, but less so than before. "That might be a little much," she grinned. "But you're right, we do what we can and trust the rest to Fate. That's all we can do."

Percy grinned back at her. "You know, I'm pretty good at the husbanding stuff if I do say so myself," he said as he reached down to grab another handful of chips. Startlingly, there were none left. He'd cleaned his place, and what was left on Ava and Artemis's. "Cheered you right up!"

Artemis rolled her eyes at him. "I swear you're like a garbage disposal when it comes to food. Where do you put it all? And how are not as big as a house?"

Percy grinned. He still felt like weeping, but he forced a grin for Artemis. "What can I say?" he asked. "I'm a growing boy."

Artemis laughed at him again, then reached over and squeezed his hand lightly. "Thank you," she said softly, and then moved off to start washing the dishes. Percy sat for a moment, watching her, before rising to help.

Artemis

Artemis spun lightly out of the way of Riptide's arc and flowed forward knives held ready for an attack. Percy of course was ready for that move, she'd used it on him thousands of times before, and twisted just enough for the gleaming silver to miss his side by inches. The wind from her blades cutting the air tugged lightly at his shirt. Back and forth they dueled across the soft snow covered ground of the dark mountain meadow. Of their meadow. Here where they'd first met all those years ago, here where Percy had proposed, and where they'd spent their first night together. Artemis felt herself smile as she lunged toward Percy's middle in a feint, I'm really starting to love this place. Again he knew what she was doing, or thought he did, and flowed forward into the feint sword low. She caught his blade with her other knife and flowed forward herself to meet him. She snaked a leg between his knees just as her shoulder collided with his chest. Not a hard hit, but hard enough to take his feet from beneath him. A moment later Percy hit the ground hard, flat on his back, and let out a loud grunt as the air was forced from his lungs.

"I thought this was only supposed to be a cool down bout," Percy said after a moment when he'd finally caught his breath. "Didn't know you were going to try and take me down." He looked up and grinned, and Artemis felt the child within her perk up slightly at her father's voice.

Artemis smiled back, dismissing the daggers, and offering him a hand up. "I saw an opportunity for a lesson and took it," she told him. "You assumed you knew what I was doing and moved to counter it. A clever enemy will bait you to get your guard down." She felt her smile devilish. "Unluckily for you I just happen to be very clever."

Percy accepted her hand with a grin and pulled himself up to a sitting position. "Happen to be full of yourself tonight too, it seems," he said.

"Well am I wrong?" Artemis asked, quirking an eyebrow at him. Wisely Percy decided to misinterpret the question. Or maybe he didn't. He could be strangely single minded at times her husband.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Percy muttered dusting the snow off his clothing as he climbed to his feet. "Chiron used to drone on and on about stuff like that at camp. I thought I'd left those lectures behind me."

"Married to me they'll never be behind you," Artemis laughed. "I'm 3,500 years old and still push myself to improve with every spar. It's how you stay alive in this crazy world of ours, and I for one plan on keeping you alive for a long time."

Percy paused for a moment in bending down to pick up their parkas. "Let's not tell Apollo I got my ass handed to me by a pregnant woman," he said. "I'll never hear the end of it."

Artemis laughed, accepting her parka and pulled him toward the small frozen lake at lower end of the meadow where Ava was practicing some knife fighting forms they'd set her to before their spar began. She knew he'd been pulling his punches and going easy because he feared harming the baby, they both had really, so she'd do what she could to save him from that particular torment. "You're secret is safe with me," she told him as they walked.

As if reading her thoughts Percy asked, "So how's the baby?" for what had to be the hundredth time this hour.

Artemis grinned inwardly at his concern, but kept her face neutral. No need to let all of reputation go, she told herself. "I know my limits Percy," she told him somewhat sternly. "I knew them before and I know them now. I won't let harm come to our child, and besides, exercise is good for both me and the child."

Percy smiled for all the world like he could see strait through her stern exterior. Insufferable man, she thought, but felt herself smiling anyway. "I know Artemis," he said. "I trust you."

Artemis felt the stern mask disappear completely and she smiled up at him before turning to Ava. "Widen you stance," she called to the girl who paused to listen. "If you're feet are too close together you'll lose your balance in a real fight. Lose your balance and you're dead." Ava nodded, before returning to her practice. The girl's breaths was coming in white puffs of mist as she pushed herself hard. Artemis was proud of her foster daughter's determination. She'd have made a fine Hunter, Artemis thought.

"She's good for a mortal," Percy said after a moment of watching his sister flow through the forms. Artemis had to agree with him. Athena's blessing definitely gave her an advantage, but the raw talent was all hers. Artemis now had confidence that Ava could match any mortal warrior with knives. "Still," Percy continued after a moment, "I hope she never has to use this training."

"She's had good teachers," Artemis said. "And so do I, but it's better to be prepared than not. Especially given who and what the people she associates with are."

Percy just nodded and continued to watch his sister. "We need to come up with a name," he said suddenly. He looked at her. "For the baby I mean."

Artemis paused for a moment, slightly surprised, then said, "You know I hadn't even thought of that. How did I not think of that?"

"Well I have," Percy said. "And I've got an idea I thought I'd run by you to see what you thought." Suddenly curious, and also wary because knowing him it could be anything, Artemis nodded. "I was thinking maybe we could name her Zoe?" Percy said. Unbidden, Artemis suddenly found her eyes on the stars above. On one constellation in particular. "She was your best friend and companion for thousands of years," Percy continued. "And she died saving both our lives. I thought it might be fitting."

Artemis was silent for a long time, fighting to control the confused emotions raging within. Grief for her lost friend, love for the man beside her, and both joy and fear at what was to come. Finally she whispered softly. "I love it Percy."

"I thought you might," he said. Then laid back in the snow, watching the stars. Artemis joined him and together they sat in silence.

Artemis heard footsteps approaching a few minutes later and looked up to see Ava approaching. "I'm done for tonight," she sighed, sinking down on the other side of Percy. "I don't have the stamina you immortals seem to have."

Percy opened his mouth to reply, but Artemis never heard what he intended say. A surge of power, vast power, familiar power, and a flash of light from across the clearing brought her to her feet in an instant, bow in hand and half drawn with an arrow already knocked. Percy she noted was only a moment behind her, scanning the darkness for the threat. What Artemis saw made her blood run cold. "Abyss below," she cursed. "Ava, get behind me now!" Percy cursed quietly under his breath, and took a half step forward, putting himself between both Artemis and Ava and the new arrivals. Normally Artemis would be annoyed, but the action barely registered. Her full attention was on the two figures slowly crossing the clearing toward them.

"Which ones are they?" Percy asked quietly. "I can feel what they are, but can't make out their faces," he said.

"Krios and Perses," Artemis whispered back. Behind her she heard Ava gasp but she ignored it. Raising her voice she called, "Stop where you are Krios," loud enough to be heard across the short distance. "You as well Perses." Both figures continued moving forward for a few more steps before stopping. "Why have you come here?" Artemis asked in what she hoped was a confident voice. Fates above how are we supposed to face two fully restored Titans. From the auras coming off the two it was obvious that both were at their full strength. For everything else he was Percy was still only a demigod, and Artemis herself was pregnant. She could fight as well as ever, but that would risk harming the baby. We have to get out of here, she thought. If we fight we die, but if I flash us away they'd only follow. She wracked her brain looking for a way out and coming up empty.

Krios stepped forward. "For you Artemis," his deep voice echoed across the meadow. "And the thing inside you." Beside her Percy growled, and took a threatening step forward. Artemis' hand shot out and grabbed his arm. Percy stopped, but never took his eyes off the Titan before him. "You've grown lax," Krios called after a moment. "Predictable. We knew it was only a matter of time before you came back to this place." Krios took another step forward and Percy tensed even further beneath her hand. "My mother wants you," Krios said. "All of you, very badly. Come with me. There need not be bloodshed here tonight." Perses moved behind his father, sliding off to one side in an attempt to flank them. Percy turned with him, tracking the movement but keeping his eyes locked on Krios, to keep both Titans in front of him.

"When they move," Percy whispered, "stay behind me."

"You can't fight two Titans alone Percy," Artemis hissed under her breath. "It's suicide!"

"Do you have a better plan!?" Percy demanded. "They're after Zoe, and you trying to fight will be playing right into their hands." His voice grew stern. "Protect Ava," he said. "I'll handle these two."

Artemis' heart leapt at the first use of their daughter's name, but she pushed the thoughts down and cursed under her breath. He was right, damn him but he was right. "Fine," she hissed back. "But don't get yourself killed Percy." In a louder voice she called. "I think not Krios."

"Then I fear my son and I must take you by force," Krios said, and both Titan's drew swords.

Artemis tensed. She knew the conflict had been unavoidable the moment she'd felt that surge of Titanic power, but she had to delay the inevitable for as long as possible. The longer she delayed the more chance there was for an opportunity to present itself. She had to try. "Why Krios?" she called. "Why must you do this? Kronos' power is broken, the other Titans are dead or scattered. Whatever hope you had for returning to preeminence died with your brother. Why do you now serve a mother who loves her other children more than she ever loved you?"

The look of agony and shame that flashed across Krios' face was clear even across the distance between them. "For redemption," he growled then dashed forward.

Percy leapt forward to meet him, sword held high, and Artemis backed away with knives at the ready, preparing to protect Ava. Artemis ignored Percy and Krios trading blows. The latter's with enough force to crack the ground beneath them. Percy was outmatched in strength there, but no one could match his skill. Even if he couldn't win, he'd be able to stay alive. Instead Artemis focused on Perses as he moved around the whirlwind of Bronze that was his father and Percy and made his way toward Artemis and Ava. "I ask again," Artemis said. "Why must you do this Perses?"

"I am loyal to my Father," he said simply, and raised his blade. Artemis readied herself to fight. An instant before leaping forward to close the distance with the Titan, she caught a flash of Bronze out the corner of her eye, and Perses stumbled. Percy's dagger, the one he'd worn in a sheath at his ankle for as long as she'd known him, was sticking out of Perses' side, just below his breastplate. Somehow in the middle of his duel with Krios, Percy had drawn the dagger and thrown with terrible accuracy. Perses growled a curse, and pulled the dagger free, tossing it to the ground. "Now you've pissed me off little demigod." Perses turned away, and moved to join his father.

Artemis's heart broke inside her when the moment Perses turned away. She felt grief as if Percy was already gone. He's going to die, she thought. Ohh gods not even he can survive this. Before she knew what she was doing she'd taken a step forward, but a small hand gripped her wrist and pulled her to a stop. "Don't Artemis," Ava breathed, eyes wide with terror as she watched Perses enter the fight. Percy was hopelessly outmatched fighting both of them together, but for the moment he was holding his own. Flowing around blades, striking fast as lightning, both Titan's already wore wounds flowing with golden ichor, but Artemis knew that wouldn't slow them down. "They're here for you and the baby. All it would take is one hit and all of this would have been for nothing."

Again Artemis cursed. It was the hardest thing she'd ever had to do in her life, but she stood by and watched as her husband fought a desperate battle for their lives, cursing herself for a coward the entire time. Beside her, Ava was still holding her wrist, but was now murmuring to herself. Artemis ignored it, and focused on the fight. Percy twisted out of the way of a two handed strike by Krios and under Perses' sweeping blade to strike out fast as a viper, and scored a hit along Perses' forearm as the Titan's blade passed inches over his head. Peres cursed and switched to a left handed grip, but Percy was already moving toward the father, blade a blur. The Celestial Bronze rung as it struck Krios' breastplate, buckling the armor inward, and bouncing off. Krios stumbled back, and Percy used the momentum to follow through with another attack on Perses. On and on it went, and Artemis watched, eyes growing wide as Percy kept the impossible pace going for far longer than she'd have thought possible. He was fighting beyond thought, beyond reason, and surviving purely on the instincts decades of training had instilled into him. Artemis summoned her bow, but with the fighters moving faster than the eye could follow, she couldn't find a clear shot. Finally, Perses made a mistake, and Artemis saw it the same time Percy did. Whether from growing frustration at a demigod hindering them for so long or from some other reason, Perses raised is blade just a bit too high in an attack and in that instant Percy struck. Riptide dipped under his arm, and then flashed upward, ripping through the flesh and bone of Perses' sword arm. The blade fell from limp fingers, and before Perses could stumble Percy struck again.

Artemis screamed, "Percy, NO!" but it was already too late. Any swordsman who saw the opening Percy did would have taken it, they wouldn't have been able to help themselves, and any sword master would have drilled their students relentlessly to instill in them the instincts that drove Percy now, but in that moment, facing these opponents that beggared comprehension, it was the absolute worst thing he could have done. Riptide tore through Perses' neck, ichor flying in a wide golden arc, and Percy spun away from the dying Titan to face Krios. He was too late. With Artemis' cry still echoing across the meadow, Krios sword struck Percy in the middle when he was halfway through his turn. Percy's body seemed to curl around the sword, bending nearly in half, and the force of the blow launched him from the field of battle into the trees. Percy's body hit the trunk of the tall spruce tree they'd sat under the first night they met here all those years ago, and the trunk exploded, splintering in a thousand different directions. The tree came down with a crash, and Percy's body rolled to a stop among its splintered wooden remains. He wasn't moving.

Artemis heard someone screaming as lightning began to fall from the heavens and the ground began to shake. The darkness around the meadow seemed to grow deeper, more menacing. Artemis ignored it all. She realized that the scream was coming from her, but couldn't be bothered to care. The next thing she knew, she was beside an unconscious Percy, cradling his head in her lap. With an anguished sob, she realized he wasn't breathing. Apollo was there suddenly, outfitted for war and holding a bared sword that dripped with golden ichor, shouting something to her over the roar of battle that surrounded them, but Artemis ignored him. The only thing she heard was the mantra in her head. Don't leave me Percy, I can't do this without you. Please Percy. Don't leave me.

Don't leave me.

Well there it is. Kind of slow to start off but ended with a bang I hope. A few things I wanted to note. Both Artemis and Percy are kind of overly affectionate here in this chapter. I did that on purpose. They're still in the honeymoon phase of their marriage. In real life that wears off eventually and people return to normal life. We'll see what happens.

A few notes about Krios and Perses. Krios is an Elder Titan and brother to Kronos. He was Lord of the South and Titan of the Stars and Constellations. Perses is his son and Titan of Destruction. When Kronos assaulted Olympus in PJO, Krios was the one left behind to guard Othrys. In the books he was killed by Jason, but since the Romans don't exist in this story, we'll go with the explanation that was given at the end of The Last Olympian where he fled in fear when he heard of Kronos' fall. Might have something to do with his seeking redemption.

I don't plan on leaving you guys with a cliffhanger for long, so just bear with me! Like I said before the new chapter is already in the works.

Also to answer a few reviews that caught my eye. The gods adapt to an extent to the customs of land they settle in. I made a point of pointing that out early in the story, because I knew where I was headed with the wedding scene (and others already passed and yet to come). That's why the wedding had many more modern Western/American themes than it did ancient Greek themes. I could lie to you and you I had some grand reason for making it that way, but the truth is I just don't have the adequate knowledge of Ancient Greek customs to write about them accurately. Instead of making mistakes through ignorance, I chose to stick with what I know and work it into the story in such a way so that it made sense. I think it works this way, and I'm happy with the way it turned out.

Not calling out the reviewers who mentioned this. All of the ones I remember were positive, and only brought it up questioningly, so I thought I'd address it to explain my choices. Thank you for caring so much about the story to ask those types of questions. It's people like you who give me the motivation to continue writing.

Also to the person who was upset with me for "making Nico gay," did we even read the same books?

Anyway, that's all I have for now. As always let me know what you think. Questions, comments, criticisms, and of course praise are all welcome, so leave a review. Until next time.