Hey guys, this is my fanfiction. I tried to format it and proofread it to the best of my ability, so if I messed up, please review and tell me about it and I will get to it as fast as I can and change it. It would also be helpful if you guys would also give me a review, saying if you liked the story or not. I wrote this awhile back and have finally gotten around to publishing it on here. My updates most likely won't be very often, probably once a week or two weeks. It all depends on what I can come up with and how well it flows onto the paper and screen. Hope you all enjoy this story.

Chapter 2

For the first few months, it was great having a guy cover the scent of her child, without him knowing. But just when she thought it was great, her world came crumbling down.

One night, her boyfriend came home drunk. His words were slurred and he hobbled going from the door to the couch. The stench of alcohol was strong of whiskey, bourbon, and vodka.

He was with his buddies again, the mother thought exasperatedly. She put Duke to bed in his crib, which was simple, yet complex. It was oak, that had dark spires like a jail, but the wide ends were lighter in color. There were pictures of the sun and medicines, but there was also beaches with waves crashing on the sand.

The night was dark and gloomy, for the forecast was rainy. But the weather was suppose to be mild, it was dangerous outside, disastrous even. Duke still slept remarkably well, even when the thunder shook the apartment. The mother just prayed he would stay that way, but she had a sneaking suspicion it wouldn't happen.

Another flash of light and then the building shook, more than before. She hoped Zeus wasn't angry at her, she tried her best not to anger him. But her attention came back to her boyfriend. He was beginning to be angry and violent. "Honey, please lie down. I'll make you coffee, and clean the apartment so you don't have to worry about it." she said to him.

He wheeled on her, his light brown eyes, becoming dark brown. It didn't help his eyes were bloodshot either. He towered over her, and started to yell, "Clean the apartment? Why would I clean the apartment? That's your job anyways! I don't need coffee, I need more alcohol!"

Then he did something she hadn't experienced before. He brought his fist up and came down with it toward her face. It happened so fast, she didn't know what happened to her, until she hit the floor. She was reeling from the hit, she didn't notice that he had picked her up by her arm. When she did, she yelped in pain, and he just tossed her across the room. She got up shakily and heard Duke start to cry.

She rushed as fast as she could to check on him, but the monster had blocked her path. He was beyond mad now, he was furious. "What are you doing? Going to see your bastard? Your fatherless child? Why am I even with someone who can't be loyal to me?" he yelled at her.

She tried to move pass by him, but he kept getting in her way. Finally, she faked one side and the monster went for it. She moved as quickly as she could to her son. She was almost to the door, then she felt his hand on her shirt. He yanked her back, and held her there, in front of him so she couldn't move. She struggled but couldn't get out of his iron grasp. She reached for the nearest movable object. Her hand grazed something and she grasped it, it was the tv remote.

She threw her hand back behind her, and felt it hit something hard. The monsters hand loosened to clutch his injured head. The woman ran to the door and closed it quickly behind her, and locking it. She went to Duke who was still crying. She kept trying to soothe him but she just couldn't. She prayed to Hestia to help her with her child, to quiet him. She turned around and on Duke's dresser was a small bottle with an orange liquid inside. She looked at it questioningly. Then she felt this warmth spread throughout her body, giving her a sudden calmness. Her baby wasn't quite as loud, but still crying.

She stayed in the room trying to hear if the man was outside waiting to beat her and her son. When she didn't hear anything, she opened the door, slightly, to see where he was. The man was lying on the couch, with a slight bump on his head where she had hit him. He was snoring very loudly, she was surprised her neighbors below didn't complain to her yet.

Finally, she turned and grabbed the bottle and got some warmer clothes for her and Duke. When she had everything she needed, she lifted her baby and quietly left the apartment. She had gotten out of the building, she heard the outraged cry of the monster. She quickened her pace to a slight jog. The night was still dangerous with the electricity from the sky. Thunder rumbled here and there, bringing a frightening tension. The woman came to the forest behind the apartment, where she went on walks to calm her and her son.

She plunged into the dense foliage, keeping to the side so she was not as visible. Lightning flashed overhead and illuminated the world. She looked behind her and saw him closing in on her.

"Shhh, be quiet, sweetheart." the mother said gently, yet firmly. "We don't want him finding you." The woman hurried with her baby to a hiding place. The wind was cold, unrelenting, driving to find shelter for her and her baby. Duke started to fidget and cry a little bit. His mother brought the liquid out and poured a small amount into the baby's mouth. He relaxed a little when the liquid went down his small throat, and he settled into a nice napping state. She gave a sigh of relief, but it was short lived. She heard the stomping and shuffling of feet against the wet ground, the feet of a drunkard and violent person.

"Come out frrrom wherre you are woman! You can't hide frrommm me foreverrr! You and yourr chillld!" the man yelled and slurred.

"Where are you?" the tired mother whispered to the clouds, but they gave no answer. She was alone to fight, with her baby in the balance. She kept running, farther from the deranged man. She came to a slight clearing, with large trees to block most of the wind and and all of the rain, that was now coming down in a great downpour. She looked for a place to set Duke, but she had to settle for keeping by a bush. She poured some more of the liquid down his throat, to keep him quiet. She prayed to Hestia, goddess of the hearth, and Artemis, goddess of the Hunt, Moon, and childbirth, to keep her son safe while she dealt with the man. It seemed like the moon had gotten just slightly brighter and she had gotten a warmth, again, spread through her body. Her previous injuries seemed to have disappeared.

She turned toward the direction the steps were coming from. The monster had come barreling out of the woods. He was still angry, but not furious, which surprised the woman. She thought hitting him would make him more angry. Unless it knocked some of the drunkenness out of him, she thought dryly. She faced him, and panting slightly, while he heaved with heavy breaths. When he had finally recovered enough to talk, the woman had a small knife in her hand, that was wisely placed behind her back so he could not see it.

The man started to scream incoherent words, lost in the thundering of the sky, which also slightly shook the ground. When the man stopped moving his mouth, he was about 3 feet away from her. She could still smell the alcohol heavy in his disgusting breath. She didn't flinch from the odor or his angry behavior, she stood her ground with the knife. She had her dagger but it couldn't hurt this man no matter much she wanted it to. He was mortal, Celestial Bronze was useless here. She only had to rely on her knife that she had grabbed from the kitchen before her small journey with her baby into the woods. She still wanted to hurt the man, but she wanted to keep her son safe. She would cooperate with him, no matter how long it took. For her son, she would do anything.

When she was distracted with thinking of her son, the man grabbed her arm roughly. "Where is he?" he questioned her. "I won't hurt him, as long as you walk in a straight line!"

"Unlike you? You can barely go three steps before stumbling or swerving." the woman whispered to him.

She was hoping he hadn't heard that, but from his look, he had. He looked very mad now, he raised his fist. She saw it and unwillingly flinched and closed her eyes. She waited for the hit, but it never came. She opened her eyes, to find him smirking, like he had won a war at minimal casualties to his side, while his enemy suffered heavy losses. She was ashamed now, to have now felt little. He walked away stumbling once in awhile. "You better be back in 20 minutes, or I'll finish my move!" he called behind him, not once looking back.

She fell to the ground, weeping in her moment of weakness. She wept quietly at first, then the sorrow overcame her, and she mourned loudly. She had lost her dignity, herself of being strong. But she started to hear her son cry softly at first, then louder each passing second. She hurried over to him and scooped him up ever so gently. She tried to calm him as best she could, but he just, very little, stopped crying.

She almost smothered him, but just at that moment, she felt a warm presence appear behind her. Like sitting by a fire, in the middle of winter, even though it was spring. She turned around to find an 8 year old standing there, with a smile on her ageless face, but there was sadness and sympathy in her dark amber eyes. She thought she saw a fire reflecting off of her eyes, then she realized, with a start, her eyes were actual balls of fire. She started to back away slowly from the woman.

The woman just lifted her hands to show she didn't have any weapons, and that she didn't want to hurt her or the baby. She started to move toward Duke, but the mother put herself in the way. She knew she was facing a goddess, but she didn't care, she was going to protect him from any danger, even if it means her life. The girl stopped and spoke softly to the mother. "I'm not here to harm the child or you. I would like to help you and him. He is already very strong even though he isn't of the Big 3. He will have a hard life ahead, as you already know. But he will save many people, if it takes his life or not."

The girl gestured that she would like to hold him, with her arms outstretched to take him. The mother cautiously gave the baby to the girl. She held him like a mother caresses her child, lovingly like a mother, comforting the pains and sorrow. The woman watched in amazement as Duke quieted down and stared at the goddess with wide eyes. Just starring at her face and eyes of fire. He reached his arm up to touch her nose and when he did, he giggled and laughed. A laugh that gave his mother a smile on her face. It had also brought a bright smile to the little girls face, but not a blinding smile, a warm smile like a quilt.

"I will watch over you little one. Remember this, for when the time is right, I will be there for you." the girl said to Duke. He smiled his toothless smile and giggled.

The girl turned toward the mother and said, "I will be watching you as well, for you have sacrificed and prayed to me. A lowly goddess." She handed Duke back to his mother. Then she did something that surprised the mother. She bowed and kissed the baby's head, then turned and touched the mother's left arm. She felt a rush of fire run through her veins then she felt her wounds disappearing. The mother bowed to her and the girl smiled and vanished in a flash of flames.

It had previously warm but now the wind had brought cold back to her bones. The mother brought her son closer to her body, to keep him warm. She then made her way back toward the dreaded apartment.

Hope you guys enjoyed it, and please review if you can. Have a good day/night.

BAbrink3