Persephone's POV

Persephone starred out of the window at the fiery colored autumn leaves, that seemed to shimmer and burn in the light of Apollo's chariot. She sighed.

In two days, she would have to return to the Underworld, something that, if Zeus was true to his word on, she would have to do every year. For six months! The other half could be spent above ground. With her mother. Which, in retrospect, wasn't much better.

Demeter like to be in control. Always, in control. No matter what. Even if it was something as frivolous as the too-plain dress she was going to wear to yet another one of Zeus' parties in the summer. Persephone was sick and tired of getting ordered around. Or worse, patronized. When she had picked that flower, that beautiful flower last year, it had been in defiance. Demeter had said to stay in the same old meadow with the same old nymphs that she had spent decades with, and to not go do anything new. She had no idea that when she picked that flower, she was only going to get yet another person who had the power to do with her as they wished.

Perhaps, though, Hades would just leave her be, just let her do her own thing, so long as she stayed in the Underworld. That was all he had asked of her last year. He hadn't given her leering glances, or tried to come on to her. On the contrary, he respected her space and left her alone. Maybe just, too alone. It was gloomy down there, after all, and she had only seen him briefly when he brought her down, but after that, he had been, 'too busy.'

And almost nothing grew, which, for the goddess of spring time who had been raise by the goddess of the harvest, and plants in general, that was a major sin. There was life everywhere, even deep in the labyrinth there was life, but in the Underworld, Persephone had only seen death and desolation. It was just down right depressing.

A snapping twig had the young goddess whirling around, eyes wide, hands up, in case it was another masochistic god who had managed to get past her mother's extensive defenses. What she saw instead was an even younger, tom-boy goddess, in a short silver tunic, hair done up in a braid, being followed by three young pups, and another goddess, with blonde hair and purple robes, a barn owl sitting on her shoulder, and a book tucked under her arm. Persephone smiled.

"Artemis, Athena! Oh my gods, am I glad to see you! How are your Hunters doing, Artemis? And is your project coming along well Athena? Oh, and how are you, Archimedes?" Persephone threw herself in Artemis' arms and hugged her warmly. Artemis stood still for a moment, before awkwardly hugging back, not used to the obvious girlishness of the other goddess.

"Um, good to see you to, Persephone. The Hunters are fine. Could you stop squeezing me now? I can't really breath..." Artemis replied, mumbling under her breath. Her dogs rushed over to Persephone, and proceeded to knock her to the ground, and covered the young girl who, to them, smelled like sunshine and dew, with wet, sloppy puppy kisses.

Persephone laughed and sat up, petting them and pushing them away from her face. "Missed you too, guys." The smallest managed to worm his furry little head under Persephone's arm and gave her a lick right on her face.

Athena laughed and said, "It's coming along fine, but there are still some kinks in it, and I might need to get Hecate to come take a look at some of the more magical elements of it. Isis wants it by Tuesday, so that should keep me busy till then. Oh, and hey, before I forget, Hermes found this while he was doing some errands for Dad." She handed Persephone the scroll that had been under her arm. "It's an Egyptian book of the dead, he found it in an old tomb. It's really interesting, see, supposedly, it is written to help souls reach the Egyptian underworld. I stayed up last night to translate it for you. It was horrid. The scribe who wrote it transcribed it into the hieroglyphic equivalent of cursive, and he wasn't a neat writer." The goddess of wisdom rolled her eyes. "Mortals can be so annoying."

"Glad to see you again, young Miss Persephone. I am very well, thank you. I trust that you are also well?" said the owl, Archimedes, in a low, breathy voice. He shuffled on Athena's shoulder, giving a low bow.

"Thank you Archimedes! And I'm doing, okay." Persephone curtsied. "Thanks for the book Athena, you didn't have to do that. Perhaps, um, Hades would like it too..." She looked at the ground shyly.

Artemis stiffened, her eyebrows drawing together. "Oooh, what I wouldn't give to let that puffed up, gloomy old codger a person taste of my arrow trips! I still cannot believe you have to go to the Underworld for six months, Persephone! I'm going to miss you! We all are!"

"It's okay Artemis. He isn't too bad. Or that old. I think. I can't exactly remember what he looks like..." Persephone replied, she looked over at her friend. "At least Ares, Eos and Apollo won't hit on me anymore. They are much too afraid of Hades for that." Persephone glanced at Athena, and was amazed to find the young goddess had a smug smile plastered to her face, the same look she got when she knew something everyone else in the room didn't. "What is it, Athena? What do you know?"

Artemis looked up, and the stared at the blonde goddess expectantly. "Yeah Athe, what did you find out this time? You're over there smiling like a drunken minitaur. C'mon, out with it!"

"Welllll, I went to Father the other day, to ask him about the rules to your arrangement, and as it turns out... " She narrowed her eyes, and pause for effect. "Though you can't leave the Underworld without Hades' permission, which you'll get right after Artemis gets a boyfriend, there are no restrictions banning people on visiting, you."

Artemis and Persephone sat there, mouths open, staring at their wise young friend, whom, it would seem, could find a loophole in a steel blade, should she so desire. They turned, looked at each other, then back at Athena.

"My gods Athena! Thank you so much!" Persephone swept her friend up in a heart warming hug, lifting her off her feet in an amazing show of strength, and twirling her around the room.

Artemis began to cheer jumping up and down in excitement. "Yes! Yes! Yes! That'll rile up Old Bones, if nothing else will! And I won't have to miss you ever so much, Persephone!"

Athena laughed as Persephone finally put her down. "I'm glad you are so excited, Persy." Her stormy grey eyes sparkled in amusement, before a rather puzzled look came over her face.

"What is it, Athena?" Persephone asked, her eyebrows drawing together. "Is something wrong?"

"Not exactly..." She paused a moment before looking over at Persephone. "Did you really mean it when you say you didn't even see him after he took you down to the Underworld?"

"Yes," Persephone looked even more puzzled, "Ares started a war between Sparta and Thebes, and Dionysus was less than pleased. He had to work over time making sure everything ran smoothly. Why?"

"Well, see... I had always thought you two had at least kissed before... I mean, it doesn't seem like him to not um, 'take advantage' of the fact he has a gorgeous new wife..." The normally eloquent goddess seemed at a loss for words, as she glanced at the tree tops. Artemis seemed shocked at Athena's hypothesis, but by the look on her face, clearly came to the same conclusion as the young book worm.

"Well? HAVE ever kissed him or not? I mean, it seems clear even to me he didn't consummate your marriage." The young huntress burst out, unable to stand the silence that had greeted Athena's not-quiet-question. Athena gasped and glared at her for bringing up such a private thing, but the goddess of the moon merely rolled her eyes and stared pointedly at Persephone.

The the goddess of spring time blushed and stared hard at the ground, saying in a small voice, "No, we never kissed before. Not even once." She swallowed hard before continuing, "I've never actually had my first kiss yet."

Now it was Athena's turn to looked shocked. "Seriously? You've never been kissed yet? Even Artemis has had her first kiss! That's crazy!"

Artemis looked up, indignant, "I have not been kissed by a boy before, thank you very..."

Athena cut her off, rolling her eyes. "Orien, remember him? That hunter you always insisted wasn't your boyfriend. That he was just a friend that so happened to be a boy..."

Artemis blushed a deep shade of red. "Oh, yeah. I remember now."

Athena rolled her eyes again, "Yes, of course you remember now... Anyways, that still doesn't solve the problem of Persephone not having her first kiss yet..."

Persephone sat there in horror as her friends picked apart her love life. Kiss Hades? Hades, of all people, was going to be her first kiss. The idea mortified her, it also held a certain amount of intrigue. Would the god of the dead be what Aphrodite referred to as a 'good' kisser? And consummate her marriage? The very idea of spending the night with a man, sharing his bed, terrified her. Though, even she had to admit, Demeter probably explained at as being worse than it actually was. Otherwise, Aphrodite wouldn't do it so much, and Eos wouldn't be such a popular god with the mortals, right...?

At that precise moment, Demeter stormed in. "Hello girls!" She said in a voice that betrayed force cheerfulness. "So sorry to break up this little pow wow, but I need to speak to Persy for a smidge-pinch. She can come visit you gals later though, m'k?" The harvest goddesses' sparkling brown eyes showed that this was an order, not a suggestion, and you had better do as she said young lady or so help her...

Artemis, always a bit more scared of Demeter than Athena, having grown up with a much more relaxed mother, sprang up and gave a quick bow, eyes wide as she waved good bye to Persephone, and bounded into the forest, her dogs following close behind.

Athena stood and gave a graceful bow, and Archimedes dipped low on her shoulder. Growing up with a dotting, yet sometimes forgetful father, surrounded by a bunch of hormone driven gods had given her the backbone to deal with anything the immortals could throw at her. "Good day to you Demeter." She replied, as she swept out of the clearing, as imperious as Hera herself.

Demeter had turned towards her daughter, and with a large intake of breath began her rant about how Persephone should behave and be on her best manners in the Underworld, "Now, Persy, don't forget to always greet the Furies by name, as it is far more polite than..."

The younger goddess tuned her mother out and let her mind wander. Without fail, it seemed to always return to the fascinating idea of letting Hades kiss her. Would his lips be cold, she wondered. As cold as death, perhaps? Or the be warm, betraying the fact that, for all of his cold, hard exterior, the god of the underworld did, in fact, have a heart, just like everyone else?

'Well, in two days' Persephone thought, 'I'm most certainly going to find out, whether I like it or not.'

A/N: Hope you guys liked it! Please R&R! Thanks!

~UC