Song Recommendation: "Young as the Morning, Old as the Sea" by Passenger. Off the album of the same name, this song is relaxing. It's got great instrumentals, and obviously the singer of "Let Her Go" has an amazing voice. It's soothing, and it's a song that nicely encompasses both Percy and Artemis in a sense. Percy is immortal in this story, sure, but he is still quite mortal in a sense. He's still very human, not yet jaded by time. He's "as young as the morning" so to speak, while having seen more than many would in ten lifetimes, making him "as old as the sea". Add the fact that he's the son of the sea god, and it's pretty on the nose. On to Artemis though, she is old. Three thousand or so years old, and yet she's still very young in a sense. Sure, you could take her choice of company, or her domains literally, being a patron of young women and girls, but you must also consider her as a character. Artemis, at her core, is someone who is very rebellious and a free spirit by nature. The song reflects as much, wanting to go out and do all these random things making her both literally old, but still quite young in that sense. The other gods are static, but Artemis, much like nature in that sense, is the opposite. Changing, adapting, doing whatever it is that she does. Anyway, let me know what you think.

Percy fought back the urge to yawn as he poked at his opponent, "Your guard's a bit low. If you bring the tip of the blade up more, it'll let you maneuver easier."

The girl he was working with was quick to correct it. She was a mortal girl that'd been blessed (or cursed depending on how one looked at it) with clear sight and what she didn't have in power, she made up for in tenacity. They'd been sparring for a good ten minutes at this point and though winded, she'd yet to give up. He could certainly respect that.

Another minute later though, she found herself on the ground, lungs heaving as her sword skittered a few feet away. He would have tossed her a piece of ambrosia but she likely would have burned up had she eaten the godly food.

"You alright?" He offered her a hand which she took weakly.

"Yeah just need a minute or something," she wheezed out as she hunched over.

"You know you didn't have to push yourself that hard. I'm not going to judge you."

"Kinda hard not to want to when you're fighting a living legend," she sucked in another breath, "I want to prove myself."

Percy understood that well enough, "Yeah but you're not going to do that in a day. I'm more concerned that you're being a bit too rough on yourself."

She coughed a bit as she forced herself to stand, "I'm okay, really."

Percy cocked his head in amusement, "Really? You like you just got run over. Twice."

"Ha ha," she sucked in a deep breath, "I was fighting you so probably not that far off."

He glanced around for a second before motioning for her to sit. She looked a little confused at first but did so. He joined her a second after, letting himself fall back until he was lying flat against the ground, "We're going to sit like this for a bit."

"Uh why?"

"I'm tired."

She looked like she didn't believe him, "You're tired?"

"That is what I said, yes," he chuckled.

"As in, you, Perseus Jackson, are tired?"

Percy tilted his head lazily, "Yeah. Had a long night."

"Are you being serious?" she stared at him, causing him to laugh.

"Dead serious. Your patron decided that I wasn't going to get any sleep."

"So did you mean for that to come across like it did, or are you just an idiot?"

"Definitely an idiot," he yawned, "but point stands. I'm tired and this is a great chance for me to just recharge for a second."

"You are not at all what I thought you'd be like," she mumbled, causing Percy to grin.

"Good or bad thing?"

"Good thing," she paused, "mostly."

"That's good to know," Percy let his head fall back, "So what's your story?"

"As in how I ended up here?"

"If you want," he couldn't quite shrug, "I would like to know your name though."

"Isa," she replied shortly, taking a moment to look at him, "Why do you want to know?"

"Everybody's different, right? Why wouldn't I want to know?"

"I dunno. Doesn't this seem a bit beneath you?" she questioned.

Percy laughed as he recalled a time when he'd asked the same question, causing the mortal girl to look at him strangely, "Sorry sorry, not laughing at you. And no, it's not."

"Really? Cause I feel like you've got better things to do than listen to me."

"Disagree," Percy said easily, "You're my student, right?"

"Is that a rhetorical question?"

"Yeah pretty much," he used his hand to block a bit of sunlight from shining in his eyes, "but I'm sure you get what I mean. Just because I'm some guy or just because we haven't met before doesn't mean I shouldn't take an interest."

"You're hardly some guy," she quipped.

"Guess not," Percy said lazily, "But here, I am. You're my friend's hunters. I'm just the person that she asked to help."

"Even more reason to not care."

"I guess you could look at it that way," the son of the sea paused, "but that's not really how I see it. Your patron asked me to protect you by training you because you're all important to her. And that makes you important to me. That's not to say that it's the only reason, but it's one of the easier ones to understand."

"And what are your other reasons?"

"Everybody deserves a chance to live their lives happily," he said simply, "And I'm more than willing to help out where I can."

She sighed, "When you asked about my story, what did you want to know about?"

"Whatever you want to talk about."

"So say I wanted to tell you about some trip I went on as a kid, would you be annoyed?"

"I meant it when I said whatever you want. You could tell me you think that cold pizza is awful and I'd listen. I'd tell you you're wrong, but I'd listen."

From there, the girl seemed to lighten up a bit, conversing amicably with the son of the sea even as they picked up their blades again. She seemed more determined than before, though not in the same fervent manner. He grinned as he parried her blade away with a perfect riposte. Earlier, she'd been erratic, forcing energy into her limbs and body in order to continue. It was effective in short bursts, but fighting like that made her imprecise as time began to drag on. Now, she was more methodical, following up attacks with vigor while not making it excessive. It wasn't perfect by any means, but it was a step in the right direction and he made sure to point it out.

Their training session did eventually come to an end with many of the hunters either hauling themselves towards the showers, or taking a moment to rest while they waited. Percy decided he wanted to rinse off quickly and made his way towards his own tent. His clothes weren't clinging to him by any means, but he did feel a bit dirty. That, and he desperately needed the rush of energy from the water. Maybe he'd take a small nap if he could find the time. Or, maybe he could postpone their second training session until the evening. Then again, he knew they'd been wanting a third session, so that option was probably out.

He yawned as he made his way into his tent, staring at his bed as he passed it. He could sleep later, instead choosing to make his way into the shower. He stripped out of his clothes quickly and turned on the water. Maybe cold would be the way to go. Gods knew he'd probably fall asleep if he made the water warm. Even as he felt the cool water hit him, he couldn't help but slump down against the wall so that he was sitting.

He sat there for a good twenty minutes before finally pushing himself up and finishing his routine. In another ten, he was out. Normally, he would have just toweled off, but his bed was calling to him and he was not willing to take any extra time when it could be spent curled up under a blanket. He didn't bother with anything other than closing a few of the lights. His hair would be fine, and he was alone so there was no need to worry about anything else.

Nearly three hours later, he found himself waking with a yawn. Percy could feel some of his muscles loosen up as he stretched, pushing himself up slowly. Even still, he felt much better than he had several hours ago. Thankfully, his sleep had been peaceful. No issues with dreams and he'd been pretty comfortable too so Percy wasn't complaining. That being said, he was glad he hadn't slept long. He had a schedule to uphold, even if it was self imposed.

After quickly brushing his teeth and getting dressed, the son of the sea found himself outside wandering around. Typically, he didn't start making the hunters work until about five so he had plenty of time to do whatever. Or he would have, had a certain moon goddess not approached him mere moments after he stepped foot in the dining area, not that he minded in the slightest.

"Sleep well?"

Percy nodded as he began fixing up some sandwiches, "Yeah it was pretty nice. No dreams or anything so that's a plus."

Artemis smiled, "Your hair is messier than usual, so I'm assuming it must have been."

Percy chuckled, "Yeah I should probably run a brush through it."

"You could just put it up," she commented as she sat across from him, watching as he worked.

"If I had a hair-tie, yeah." Percy glanced up to find one being offered to him, "Right. Goddess. Forget about that sometimes."

"You are one of the few."

"You are definitely the most normal of the gods so it's pretty easy."

Artemis snickered, "Normal is not often used to describe me."

"It's relative," Percy grinned, waving his utensil in a circle as he looked up at her, "Among the gods, you're certainly one of the least eccentric."

"Yes," Artemis laughed, "I, the goddess who rejects the company of men in favor of young immortal girls, am not eccentric."

"See I knew you'd get it," Percy laughed, "Jokes aside though, you're definitely the easiest to talk to and you're pretty cool otherwise, so that makes you the most normal to me."

"That is because you like me the most," Artemis said simply.

"Can't really dispute that," Percy conceded as finished up his work, setting a plate piled high with sandwiches down on the countertop. As soon as he was seated, he slid it over between them. Artemis just smiled in amusement as he grabbed one for himself, humming as he took a big bite out of one.

"I was thinking," Percy said after swallowing, "That we should visit that girl when we're in California."

"She has been asking about you," Artemis nodded, taking one of the offered items, "I imagine she would appreciate seeing her savior again."

"You say it like you've been visiting her."

"That is because I have."

"What?" Percy turned to her in surprise.

"Are you really surprised that I have visited a young girl in need of help?" Artemis laughed lightly.

"Okay fair," Percy agreed, "but now I feel bad because I haven't seen her in like a month."

"If it pleases you, we can visit her today."

Percy perked up, "Really?"

Artemis laughed, "Yes really."

Percy bounced around a little in his chair for a moment before quickly finishing his sandwich. Between the two of them, the food didn't last very long with the two finishing up in mere minutes. After that, they were off with Percy only taking a minor detour to grab a few items from his tent. Within a few minutes, Percy found himself stumbling around as they arrived at the infirmary. According to Artemis, the girl was still being kept on account of her rather severe malnourishment. They had changed her room though to give her one where she could walk around a little more. Apparently, she was going through a whole rehabilitation thing so the doctors had moved her around.

As the medics had put it, all the ambrosia and nectar in the world wouldn't cause her muscles to grow even if it remedied most wounds. He knew that well enough since he'd tried to eat a whole load of the stuff as a kid only to pass out from excess energy. It didn't take them long to reach her room, with the two knocking gently. Apparently, she hadn't been expecting visitors at this time as they heard some rough scrambling around. The door opened a minute or so later, revealing a still very thin, but significantly healthier looking girl. She was small in terms of stature, being quite a bit shorter than both he and Artemis, but he imagined that was to be expected.

"Mind if we come in?" Percy grinned.

It seemed that she'd found her voice in the time since he'd last visited. She was soft spoken, but she didn't hesitate to speak to him. Maybe that was just because she knew them though. Regardless, she opened the door as widely as it'd go while dipping her head, "Lady Artemis, Percy."

"Aww what happened to calling her the 'goddess lady'?" Percy laughed as they all made their way inside. There wasn't much place to sit, but Artemis quickly remedied that by summoning a few chairs, "How have you been?"

"Alright," her voice was still quiet, "I didn't think you'd come again."

"Promised I would," Percy shook his head, "Why wouldn't I come?"

She looked away, "I've been told you're a pretty big deal in this world."

Percy waved his hand, "I made you a promise, so that's all there is to it. And I'm not that big of a deal."

"They talk about you like you're a god."

"He will be soon enough," Artemis smiled, "But Perseus isn't the type to care about status."

"Like you."

Artemis nodded, "Like me."

Percy grinned, "Just think of me like some other dude."

"Easier said than done for most," Artemis chimed in, "But his point stands. There is no need for formality between us."

Percy nodded in agreement before changing the subject, "What do they feed you around here?"

She smiled a little at that before quickly looking back at the floor, "The food is good here. Better than what I got anyway."

Percy nodded, "Have you eaten yet?"

"They bring lunch around midday and dinner will not be served for a few hours," Artemis supplied for her. The girl sent a quick, thankful glance at the goddess who simply smiled in return.

"Then would you like to eat?" At this, both Percy and Artemis watched curiously. She seemed a little torn between saying yes, and staying quiet. After a moment, she spoke.

"I will eat if it doesn't bother you."

Percy suppressed a sigh. It seemed that she wasn't all healed yet, but that was to be expected. He smiled regardless as he did the same thing he had last time. Hestia, ever the kind soul, answered immediately. Percy could feel a bit of energy rush through him, and found several trays in front of them. Artemis eyed him curiously for a moment, but turned to watch their charge who was staring at Percy. It was obvious that she wasn't quite used to some of the godly stuff yet, but they did note that she seemed more comfortable.

"I'm sure I don't need to say it," Percy snagged a cookie from the tray, "but you're welcome to anything here. And if I see you're not eating because you're worried, I'm going to summon you your own tray to keep."

Artemis nodded along, taking a cookie for herself, "Seconded."

The girl looked away, "I'm sorry. I'm still trying to convince myself that you're not going to take it all away."

She trailed off a little and Percy found himself talking, "Yeah I get it. It's what they do right? They were nice for a bit just to rip it all away. Probably did it a few times too huh?"

She looked surprised while Artemis looked at him with an indiscernible look, "I had a step-father like that. Hated that asshole so I get it."

"What happened to him?" the girl asked quietly.

"Turned him into a statue," Percy shrugged.

She blinked, "Like you killed him?"

"Well sort of. Technically my mom did the dirty stuff, but I mailed her the head so she could turn him into stone."

"You…" she looked confused as she tried to piece the story together before giving up all together, "What?"

"Okay okay okay look," Percy started before pausing, "Can I ask you what your name is cause if I don't get one, I'm going to have to make up a name for you and that'll be a whole mess."

"You will do no such thing," Artemis jumped in.

Percy snapped his fingers with a smile, "Right. Mom said I couldn't so I'm going to scrap that idea."

"I am not your mother," Artemis rolled her eyes.

Percy just shrugged turning to address the young girl again, "Well then-"

"Sedena." The girl, now named, filled in, causing Percy to grin.

"Pretty name," Percy commented, but Sedena looked at him expectantly. He grinned before continuing his story, "basically, when I was twelve, I got accused of stealing this lightning thingy and while I was going to figure out who actually stole it, I ran into Medusa. Side note, she makes really great burgers so if you ever get the chance, you should try one."

Artemis elbowed him, causing him to laugh and continue, "Sorry probably shouldn't say that. Point was, we ran into her and I ended up killing her and you know she turns people into stone so I kept her head. At the end of my quest, I ended up sending it to my mom through the mail and told her she could use it if she wanted and presto, we've got a really ugly statue."

Artemis grinned, "One of the many reasons I respect your mother."

Percy nodded, "She's pretty great."

Sedena looked a little lost as she idly picked at the food, "I thought god's weren't allowed to interact with mortals."

Percy shook his head, "They are. It's just a very limited amount."

"How did you and Lady Artemis meet?" Sedena asked after finishing off a piece of cheese.

"Oh well my friend who's half goat needed some help rescuing these two demigods and we sort of ran into each other there."

"What?" Sedena looked confused again.

Artemis nodded, filling in some other parts of the story, "Ultimately, it culminated in Perseus holding the sky for me while I fought the titan, Atlas. He earned my respect and then we became friends many years later."

"I feel like there's a lot being left out of that first explanation," Sedena pointed out, "and I thought you didn't like men though."

"I am not fond of people in general but I hold no ill will against men as a whole. Specific males may hold my ire, but that is hardly reason to hate all of them," Artemis said simply, "I had no reason not to like him."

"Basically," Percy chimed in, poking the goddess, "She likes me and sees me as her best friend because I'm like a puppy."

The moon goddess's mouth twitched but she didn't disagree, "He does make for a rather cute pup."

Sedena looked back and forth between the two of them, "Gods are weird."

"Not a god," Percy scratched the back of his head, "probably still weird though."

Artemis laughed, "It is endearing."

Sedena, seeming more comfortable, agreed, "You are very easy to talk to."

Percy smiled, "Well, I'm only an iris away if you ever want to talk."

"What's that?"

Artemis had expected that question, so she answered, "Demigods cannot use many electronics as it gives their location away to monsters so they instead use iris messaging. The namesake, iris, comes from the goddess Iris of rainbows. She will often connect a call when needed, so long as there is a rainbow present."

Percy nodded, "Any rainbow works too. Even the ones you can make with mist from a hose."

"I feel like that doesn't make any sense." Sedena still looked confused but accepted it anyway.

"Eh," Percy shrugged, "You get used to it. I just kinda stopped asking questions."

"That is because you are an idiot."

Percy didn't disagree, "I've got you to be the brains now so yeah pretty much."

Artemis conceded that point, "It works out well enough."

Percy laughed before clapping his hands and turning to their charge, "So how long do the doctors want to keep you here for?"

She shrugged, "They're not really sure. Probably another few weeks though."

Percy nodded, "And how do you feel about that?"

"I've never been to a doctor before so I don't know."

Percy nodded again, "Isn't it boring though?"

It was the girl's turn to nod. Artemis shot her a sympathetic look, "And I do not imagine that your caretakers let you out much either."

"Not really," Sedena shrugged, "Haven't seen much more than the hospital grounds really."

Percy shook his head, "That's pretty sucky. What do you do for fun?"

"Cards, sometimes."

"With yourself?" Percy asked curiously.

"Sometimes the doctors or nurses will join in. Miss Reyna too."

"Does she visit often?"

"A few times a week," Sedena nodded, "Sometimes she brings snacks or stuff and we go out around."

"Wait," Percy perked up, "so you're allowed to leave?"

"With Miss Reyna."

Percy grinned as he turned to Artemis, "So are we thinking the same thing?"

"Something like that," Artemis replied easily, "Though I imagine you've got something a bit wilder in mind."

"I was thinking," Percy turned to Sedena, "that we could visit somewhere you've wanted to see."

The girl blinked, "How would we do that?"

"I am more than willing to bring you wherever you'd like, so long as it is reasonable."

"You don't have to choose anywhere either," Percy quickly added, "We're here for you so it's only if you're up for it."

She looked wary for a moment but quickly got past it, instead looking like she was thinking about something. After a good few minutes, it seemed that she finally had something, "Could we visit someone, rather than something?"

Both Percy and Artemis looked surprised but were quick to agree, "Sure. Like a friend or something?"

"Not really," she looked bashful for a moment, "I sort of wanted to visit someone you guys knew."

Artemis nodded, "I don't see why this would be an issue. Who would you like to see?"

"Uh," she stared at the floor before looking up at Percy, "I was hoping we could visit your mom. Just for a bit if that's okay?"

Percy stared at her for a moment. It was utterly silent before it was broken by Artemis's poor attempt at stopping herself from laughing. She wore a wide smile as Percy looked at her with wide eyes, "Your heart just skipped a beat."

"You could hear that?" he rubbed the back of his head, "And to answer, yeah she'd probably love that."

"I could," Artemis smiled before turning to their third member, "My only concern is that it is a rather long distance for you to travel."

"So we can't?" the girl seemed downtrodden, causing Artemis to quickly shake her head.

"No, we can," Artemis said, "But I do worry that you may not feel well after."

Percy had to agree, "Yeah it's a bit disorienting, even for me."

She sounded sad, "I see."

Artemis was quick to speak though, "There is no need for worry. We will be going, but I am just voicing my concern."

Percy agreed, "Yeah it's just better that you know about it rather than worry about something being wrong. Probably your first time with the whole godly travel thing since we first brought you here."

She still didn't seem quite convinced, but nodded anyway. Of course, that quickly changed when Artemis shooed Percy out of the room so that she could get Sedena some clothes other than her hospital garb.

Naturally, minutes later, they found themselves standing outside of the ever familiar door of his mother's home with Percy busy explaining a few things to their charge. She had been woefully unprepared for their little flash across the country so Percy had made sure to offer her a small bit of nectar as soon as they were there. She'd taken it with many thanks, and some of the color had returned to her face, even if she still looked worse for wear.

They didn't have much time to do anything about it though as the door opened soon after, with Artemis being the first to notice and the first to be hugged.

"Can't help but feel like you like her more than you like me," Percy grinned at his mother as he moved his charge in front of him.

"I do," Sally said simply before her eyes dropped towards the newest member, "And who's this?"

Percy grinned, "This is Sedena. She wanted to stretch her legs and so I said we should come here."

"Stretch her legs?"

"Yeah," Percy scratched the back of his head, "she's been cooped up in a hospital for about a month now so we broke her out."

Sally stared at her son for a moment before turning to Artemis, "How did he talk you into this one?"

Artemis shrugged, "He was very convincing."

Sally nodded slowly, "O-kay. How many times did he ask?"

"Only once."

"I bribed her," Percy nodded. He sounded quite enthusiastic.

"I see," Sally shrugged after a moment before turning to the youngest member of the party, "Let's get you inside then. What will you be having?"

Sedena looked a bit overwhelmed for a moment, but Percy was quick to place a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "Ask for whatever. She'd be more upset if you didn't."

Sally looked at her son curiously but he didn't seem to notice. That was about par for the course though, and she quickly brought the three inside. As per usual, there were a few pads scattered around her kitchen as well as a plate with what looked like leftover chicken.

Of course, being Percy's mother, she couldn't resist the urge to poke a little fun at her son.

"Juice box for you?" She asked her son.

"Mom, I'm twenty-two."

"And I have no grandchildren so you're still very much my little boy to me," Sally retorted, "you should get on that."

"Still twenty-two," Percy groaned.

Sally smiled at Artemis, "One of the great pleasures in life, messing with your kid."

Artemis laughed, "He makes it too easy."

Sally grinned at her. Artemis noted that it looked uncannily similar to her son's but didn't say anything in favor of watching said son show their charge around. She seemed overwhelmed still, but she was slowly warming up to everything and even looked a bit more comfortable than she had at the hospital. That made sense though given who's home she was in.

"So," Sally started, sliding a cup of tea towards the goddess as they watched the other two wander around, "What's the deal?"

The Huntress took it thankfully, taking a sip before responding, "We found her a month and some odd days ago."

"She's thin."

Artemis nodded, "Her situation was not favorable. We happened upon her almost by chance, and it seems that she's taken a liking to your son."

"Someone has to," Sally smiled, "Though I suppose that you don't need competition in that regard."

The moon goddess tensed for a moment before a smile gave way, "Has he always been so oblivious?"

"You have no idea," Sally groaned, "He wouldn't know until you stuck your tongue down his throat."

Despite her normally impassive face, Artemis had to fight a blush back as she considered it, causing the older woman to laugh, "I cannot say I disagree."

"His father was the same," Sally shrugged before changing the subject, "How long will you be staying?"

"As long as you will have us."

Sally smiled, "You're welcome to stay as long as you'd like. I certainly don't mind having Percy home."

"He speaks of you often," Artemis smiled, "Many of my hunters are quite interested in meeting you because of it."

"Yes, well, I'm not sure I have enough space for all of them, but I'd love to meet them. Maybe we could do something at Percy's home?"

Artemis nodded, "All you need do is say the word and we will be there."

Sally glanced at the other two before quickly returning to her mug, "Do you mean for her to join your hunt?"

"I will offer," Artemis shrugged, "But I have no thoughts about it other than that. She has been isolated her entire life, and I feel that it would be unfair to restrict her in such a way."

Sally looked like she was thinking, but she quickly voiced her thoughts, "Do you think it's restrictive?"

"Yes and no," Artemis was thoughtful, "We spend much time isolated from others, but my hunteresses are essentially free to do as they please."

"To an extent or in general?"

"So long as they inform me of their intentions, I see no issues with my hunteresses setting off on their own for a time, or even starting their own life outside of the hunt."

"Really?" Sally looked interested, "I always thought that you traveled in a pack and they just sort of followed your orders."

Artemis smiled, "In times passed, yes, but that was centuries ago. We simply have not bothered to inform others of it for the reason that it keeps those lone hunters safer. Some settle, others wander about as they please. I try not to limit them when I can."

"So what are you going to do?"

"About?"
Sally stared at her for a moment, and Artemis couldn't help but feel like she was talking to her own mother. Of course the goddess knew what the older woman was referring to, but she wasn't sure what to say. How could she?

"I don't know," Artemis said honestly.

Sally didn't seem surprised by this, "I'm sure you'll figure it out."

"Were it so easy," Artemis shook her head, "How do you feel about all of this?"

"Does it matter?"

"To me, yes."

The older woman smiled, "Are you happy?"

"More so than I have been in a long time."

"Then that's all there is to it."

Artemis sat there for a moment. It would seem that Percy's mother was more similar to her own than she'd ever thought, "And what of Perseus?"

Sally laughed, waving her hand as if it wasn't even worth considering, "Percy? You're worried about whether he's happy or not?"

Artemis nodded, causing Sally to smile. The older woman spoke again, trying to alleviate the goddess's fears, "He looks at you like you've given him the world and you're worried that he's not happy?"

The moon goddess sat for a moment, "I do not have the best history with men."

"So?"

"He's just now healing," Artemis shook her head, speaking more to herself than to the other woman, "I worry that I will be the cause of any more heartache. He's had enough in his life."

"Bullshit," The Huntress looked up in surprise as Sally spoke, "I'll tell you the same thing I tell him. Live your life. I'm not going to have the two of you dance around each other for the rest of your immortal lives if I can help it. And I can help it."

Artemis smiled in spite of herself, "I imagine that my mother would say the same thing."

Sally returned said smile as she stared into her cup, "It's what we do. Talk sense into our kids."

"But I am not your child," Artemis pointed out.

Sally waved that off, "You will be given a few years."

Artemis didn't say anything for a moment, but a smile broke across her face, "Do you truly believe that it will go that well?"

"Course," Sally grinned, "When have you or Percy ever backed down from a challenge?"

Artemis conceded that point, "You are far more optimistic than I am."

"Are you saying that you don't see a future with him?"

"Honestly?" Artemis asked, "I couldn't imagine one without him."

Sally clinked her mug against the counter, "Then that's that."

"He may not feel the same way."

Sally stared at the goddess for a moment, causing Artemis to blush a little, "He would give up the color blue before he'd lose you."

"It is odd that that is reassuring," Artemis sighed, taking a moment to think before speaking again, "It is strange. I try to be open about it, make jokes about it, but other times, I cannot help but feel like it is the wrong decision."

"In what regard?"

"In that he needs something, someone more stable."

Sally snorted, "Stable. Right. Percy and stability mix about as well as kittens and barbed wire."

"That," Artemis laughed, "Is an odd way of putting it."

"Thalia came up with it," Sally shrugged.

"Perhaps stability is not the word I am looking for," Artemis paused, "It may be more apt to say that I am volatile. I'm torn between being open about this and just keeping it from him."

"Well," Sally started, "You've got plenty of time to figure it out. The way I see it, you're not going to go wrong either way."

"How so?"

"Unfortunately for us both, my son is about as observant as a brick when it comes to things like this. Short of you outright showing him, he'll think you're just messing with him."

"I do not understand that."

"For better or for worse, he's trying to be respectful," Sally clicked her tongue, "At the same time, his relationship with Annabeth has ingrained this idiotic notion that he's not fit for love."

Artemis nodded, "I suppose that makes sense."
"Something like that," Sally tapped her mug against the counter, "Long story short, whatever you do will work out."

"You think so?"

Sally grinned, "He'd be an idiot to turn you down."

"That doesn't mean he won't," Artemis pointed out, "We've seen that his sense of duty tends to outweigh his other feelings."

Sally waved her off, "Trust me."

Artemis smiled softly, downing the last bit of her tea, "This is not a conversation I ever expected to have."

The older woman smiled, "Goddess you may be, but you're still every bit the girl in love. Everyone has their irrational fears about love, and yours are going to be especially bad since it's your first time."

"I suppose so," Artemis agreed, taking a moment to reflect, "Perhaps I am overthinking it."

Sally snickered, "And you think you two aren't made for each other."

Fun chapter to write even if it was all over the place. Interestingly though, that was sort of my intention in the sense that I've been writing this portion of the story very slowly. They've been on this roundtrip for not long, but they'll be departing relatively soon from the hunter camp. Got some fun stuff in this chapter though and it was really enjoyable to write it. Hope you guys like.
On to the fun stuff: To mastercheif1229: Love to hear that you're enjoying and that's some crazy turnaround on that reading. Glad you've liked it that much! To Professor Donger: Yep! We see a bit more of that during the next few chapters. Hope you enjoy. To TomorrowCarpe Diem: Hestia is indeed. Atalanta and Thalia had some fun and that's a question I'm trying to answer subtly through dialogue stuff. I'm hoping it's coming across well enough but I will be more forward about it soon enough. And carefree Artemis is just fun to write. Genuinely my favorite character in all of this. To kikinder: Thanks! The dialogue is a huge part to me because I'm not all that great at writing stories with storylines and all that. It involves a lot of planning that I just suck at doing so I try to focus on my characters being fun and enjoyable, or at the very least well thought out. Puppy Percy is always great so I'm going to have to make him return at some point. To Six Foot Assassin: Thanks! Love to hear that, and I appreciate you taking the time to read. To Ishimaru Taiki: First off, song! Easy top five for sure. Secondly! Thank you so much because that means a lot to me. I sort of imagine them both being the black sheep of their respective worlds, so it was just natural to me that they'd both be black animals in general. Glad you're enjoying! To Vladiz45: Thanks! Glad to hear you enjoyed. To iNeptune: Thanks! A very sweet chapter to me, and I've got some fun stuff planned. To PhantomFuryJP: Yes it does! Fun to write and I intend to expand on it more. To Prenicolado: Thanks mate, means a lot to me. Glad to hear you've been enjoying. It's been a great time writing. To Dudududhehe: Thanks! Always love hearing from you so thank you! Means a lot to me and thank you for taking the time out of your day! To Vestor: Thanks! Next chapter is out and I hope you enjoy. To willdulevitz: Thanks! Artemis's personality is one of the things I enjoy the most about writing this story. She's a blast to write since I feel like she's always got some sort of surprise for even me when I write. Percy as a puppy will certainly be happening again because it was just too much fun to write. And thank you for the long time support. That means the world to me and I can't fully express how much I've enjoyed writing this story. All the best to you too! To Ladis11: Thanks! It's been so much fun to write and I think those two are definitely what pulls this story together since I can't write full on storylines for shit. Thank you for reading! Means so much to me. To skotos07: Thank you for reading! Means the world to me. To Aether27: Always great hearing from you and thanks! I think it might be mine too! To OkBoomer147: Thanks! Tons of fun to write, hope it was fun to read! To Piratekittycat: Thanks! I wanted to just have a nice fun chapter to show off some of the ways that Artemis has changed since the beginning of this story. Thanks for reading!

Anyway! Hope you guys enjoyed! You guys definitely enjoyed the last one since it's the most reviewed chapter I've written on this story. Thank you to you all! Hope you enjoy!