So, bit of a heavy chapter at times.

Artemis sucked in a breath as she and her hunters made their way through a rather rough stretch of woods. In the past week, many members of the council had been stirred into a frenzy, primarily stemming from their inability to contact Percy. His father was surprisingly calm about it, remaining one of the few rational voices (at least in regards to those who were close to him), but he'd expressed his concern as well. Initially, it'd been her brother who rang the alarm bells at being unable to find him after having waited at his home for well over half a day and into the night.

After that, he'd asked Hermes but the messenger had no clue either. Naturally, given some of the… recent occurrences, they'd quickly spread the message to those close to him, Artemis included. She'd been content to give him some space since it seemed that he might have needed it, but after a few nights of not seeing him at his home, she had grown concerned as well. It'd been almost two weeks at this point, hence why she had tasked her hunters with finding the man, at both his friends' and her own behest.

They'd started with it only being those closer to him, limiting it to his father and closest friends (as well as Hestia), but as time had passed, they'd grown more and more restless. Nico had offered to check Camp Halfblood while the roman praetor, Reyna, had checked the other demigod safe haven. While both were done very quietly, neither had turned up any leads. They'd even gone as far to check in with Hylla of the Amazons, but that hadn't given them any leads either. Thalia, happening to overhear a conversation between Reyna and Artemis, had given some advice before attempting to set off on her own to search. Of course, the goddess of the hunt shut this idea down in favor of moving the entire hunt to search.

It was now that they found themselves in the northwestern portion of the United States, still having turned no leads. For all intents and purposes, Perseus Jackson had fallen off the face of the earth. At some point, her lieutenant had pointed out that they hadn't asked his mother, but they'd quickly avoided that topic. Nobody was eager to tell his mother that they had potentially lost her son, especially given what Artemis had informed her of a few weeks ago. Hopefully, she wouldn't have to be the one to inform her.

She shook those thoughts from her mind as she vaulted over a fallen log. They were going to find him. With that being said, she wasn't even entirely sure why they were in Oregon. They'd had no luck, but something that Poseidon had said had struck her as odd. Something about a place to think. For that matter, she wasn't even entirely sure why she had assumed that meant the west coast. By all standards, there was little chance he was here as opposed to somewhere in the east. She frowned as a small contingent of her hunters found her.

"No luck," Thalia kicked a bit of brush. She was upset; that much was obvious. At each dead end, her mood only worsened.

Artemis nodded, not allowing herself to show her own worry, "Gather the rest of your sisters and set up camp for the night. We'll call it for the night."

Thalia blinked, "You're not going to keep searching, are you?"

Artemis shook her head, "No. Not tonight. I must update everyone else on our situation."

Her lieutenant nodded, "Should we expect you back?"

Artemis shook her head again. She'd assumed that she'd be gone for a while.

It was an apt assumption as their discussion had taken an additional two hours on top of each of the other god's own debriefings. Unsurprisingly, nobody had turned up any leads. The messenger god had been using any free time he had to search, something that only served to make the rest of the group more distraught. It was rare that he couldn't find someone. Added to the lack of findings by Artemis, and things were looking bleak. Poseidon had been the person that she'd expected to be the most worried, but he had been calmer than anyone, except Hestia of course.

Artemis glanced at the two as the others filtered out. She had intended to question the two as soon as everyone else had left, but she was surprised to see the son of Hades remaining as well. Given the way he was looking between the three, it seemed as if he had something to say as well. She was not disappointed as her uncle began to speak as soon as everyone else had filtered out.

"Something is on your mind, Artemis." Poseidon wasn't asking. His eyes wandered around the room.

Similarly, Artemis's next statement wasn't a question either, "You know something."

None of the three seemed surprised to hear her say this. This time, it was the di Angelo boy that spoke up. His voice was rather pointed, "You should tell her."

Artemis's gaze snapped to the young god. Nobody could miss the hard edge in her tone, "What do you know?"

This time, it was Hestia that spoke up, "Artemis, before you become angry, you must listen."

Artemis huffed, "So all three of you know something and didn't tell any of us?"

Hestia nodded, "Yes, though we do not know as much as we'd like. Perseus is safe, but none of us know exactly where he is."

"And you didn't want to tell any of us?" her gaze flicked between the three in anger.

"Nico here insisted we tell everyone, but I overruled him," Poseidon said placatingly, "I understand that you are concerned, but he is okay."

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Artemis glowered, "I have been running my hunters ragged and Hermes has been using up all of his free time to search."

"Nobody knows exactly where he is," Nico was the person to speak. Artemis's anger died a little as she observed Thalia's other closest friend, "And if I'm being honest, I don't think he's as fine as he's letting on."

"But you've talked to him?" Artemis asked.

Poseidon nodded, "We know that he is somewhere forested near the ocean in the west."

"How?"

"Because I brought him there," it was Hestia's turn to reveal something.

Artemis wanted to be angry, but it was quickly being replaced by concern, "Why?"

"He asked me to," the goddess of the hearth stated simply, "He expressed his wishes to be alone for a time."

"Which is stupid," Nico grumbled, "He keeps trying to act like he doesn't need anybody."

"It is in his nature to try to shoulder everything," Hestia said.

"Which is why we shouldn't let him," Nico retorted, "How's he going to get better if he keeps pulling this shit?"

Poseidon's voice was tired, "My son must learn to handle things as they come. Right now, he is worried that his anger will cause him to lash out again."

Nico spoke again, "He's getting worse. Being alone was okay for a bit, but it's not getting him anywhere. Look at what happened last time."

"What exactly do you know?" Artemis asked, turning to the young god once more.

"Percy's been like this since the war ended. I just got to see it more than everyone else," Nico sighed, "he reached out to me in the beginning so that I could talk to Sally and keep her updated. He's kept in touch a bit since he's disappeared, but I can see it in the way he acts. It was good for him at first, but he's got it in his head that he needs to handle it on his own before he hurts someone close to him."

"Why does he think that?" It was Hestia's turn to ask questions. Both she and Poseidon looked interested in this bit of information.

"Since everything ended, he's been angry. It comes out sometimes, but he tries to keep a lid on it so that he doesn't upset anyone. Now, he's worried that he's going to hurt someone."

"Why?" Artemis asked.

"It is who he is," the sea god spoke, "He will try to shield everyone he cares about."

"But why do you let him?" Artemis asked, "He's only hurting himself by doing that."

The god looked pained before he spoke, "He asked me not to. Against my better wishes, I have obliged him."

Hestia spoke this time, her voice soothing, "My brother was doing what he thought was right for the time. What may have been good at one point may no longer help. It is why we're telling you now."

The huntress wasn't satisfied yet, "And what happened if he got hurt or something happened? Then what?"

Hestia's voice was calm, "You refer to what happened recently."

The goddess of the hunt's eyes widened a bit, but Hestia spoke once more, "He made you a promise. He is not one to break his word."

Artemis sighed, "What can we do then?"

"Go to him," Hestia said, bringing on a look of surprise from Nico. Poseidon nodded in agreement.

"I think that his sense of duty will outweigh his other feelings. He will not ignore you if you ask him to come back," Poseidon said, leaning back in his seat. He looked tired, "It is late. Start tomorrow with a fresh day. I am sure this is a lot to take in. Rest will do you good."

And with that, he was gone. Nico sighed but stood up and walked out, calling out to her as he left, "Can you have Thalia let me know when you find him?"

Artemis nodded before gazing down at the table. She could feel the hearth's warmth.

"Relax Niece," Hestia said soothingly, "He has suffered through worse with far less. He will be okay."

And with that, the huntress was left alone in the room. That had been both enlightening, and wholly frustrating. Sure, she could understand both sides, but she couldn't understand why they'd elected to keep it secret from everyone. All they had to do was explain that the young man wanted to be alone. For that matter, she didn't understand why Perseus himself had been the one to ask for secrecy on the matter. What was more though, was that she still wasn't all that sure where to find him.

At the very least, Perseus was okay. That alone was going to be a weight off of everyone's shoulders. She supposed that he wouldn't ignore an iris call if it was from one of his friends, at least according to his father. Perhaps it would be a good idea to have Thalia call him? Then again, her best huntress wasn't exactly the most tactful person. In fact, it was possible that she might make things worse. Her huntress tended to take things better after the fact. The huntress finally stood up after a long while and stretched. She had no interest in sitting around in the empty room any longer.

As she flashed out, it occurred to her how absurd it was that nobody had tried Iris calling him. Obviously, it seemed like others were able to get in contact with him so it seemed unlikely that he was ignoring anyone reaching out to him. She brought her palm to her face for a moment before shaking her head. Wonderful. Just great. She'd spent the last several days running her hunters around the country to find someone they could have just called.

The worst part was, it made perfect sense too. She stopped herself from groaning as she strolled through the forest. Her hunters had set up camp already, though it looked like they were mostly asleep. That was good. She'd inform Thalia to let them rest tomorrow, but for the moment, she needed to clear her mind. While the gods didn't require sleep like mortals did, it did sound nice. That being said, she was certain that she'd have no luck trying to. Well, she supposed, some time to think wouldn't be the worst. Her legs carried her automatically down a familiar path leading towards the ocean, back towards one of her favorite spots.

She sighed as she walked up towards the arching tree, lithely jumping up her normal path. Sure, she could have flashed in, but there was some satisfaction to doing it herself. It didn't matter if the trunk was blanketed in snow. She'd been here more times than she could count, chiefly whenever she needed to think. Tonight happened to be one such night given the sudden revelations that had occurred earlier on. She shook her head once more before jumping down to the familiar clump of branches.

"Uh, hi," she recognized that voice quite easily given that the owner had hardly left her mind in the past several days. Her head snapped towards the far end of the small structure, closer to the trunk. Her eyes narrowed for a moment even if her mouth quirked up a bit. Nestled in a rather comfy looking blanket was one Perseus Jackson. It looked like he had a small pack and a book nestled in his lap.

"Perseus," Artemis's voice was unintentionally clipped, but she was understandably annoyed.

He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Hi, M'Lady. Late night?"

She pinched the bridge of her nose, "Quite."

Percy nodded thoughtfully, "Do you want to sit down?"

He patted the seat next to him, grabbing a small bunch of the blanket and offering it to her. She sighed but nodded nonetheless. Percy scooted over a bit, placing himself on the far edge so as to give the goddess the majority of the space and blanket. She rolled her eyes but appreciated the gesture regardless. She stepped gingerly over a small portion of the fabric before sliding under it.

"I am not so rude as to steal both your seat and blanket."

"I have another," Percy shrugged.

Artemis pursed her lips before speaking. It was more of a command than an offer, "Sit."

Percy looked reluctant but obliged regardless. The goddess had to admit that it was quite comfortable with their backs against the thick trunk.

"So," Percy started, looking out towards the sea, "Long day?"

Artemis nodded, "Unfortunately."

Percy closed his eyes and leaned his head back so that it rested against a small knot of wood, "What happened?"

Artemis's voice was tired, "You did."

He didn't open his eyes, "I figured. Anything in particular?"

"Just an oversight," Artemis said plainly, "Nobody thought to iris message you so many of us have been running around the country trying to find you."

He smiled a bit, "I'm not really one to ignore calls."

"I have come to realize," Artemis said, "How have you been faring?"

Percy tilted his head to look at the goddess, "Honestly? Not that well."

"I imagined that would be your answer."

He smiled lightly, "You're figuring me out pretty quick."

"Are you surprised?"

"Not at all," his smile grew a little, "What have I missed?"

The goddess shifted to observe the man next to her. He looked relaxed, surprisingly, "Not as much as one would think."

"That's good," he brought his arms up to rest behind his head and glanced at the goddess again, "Miss me?"

Artemis chuckled, "I never did get to congratulate you."

"For what?"

She pulled the blanket up a bit as she pulled her knees towards her chest, "I know that you may not take pride in it, but you've managed no small feat."

"You're talking about Ares?" He was calmer than she expected him to be.

"I am," Artemis replied, "He got what he deserved."

"Bit less than if you're asking me," he said easily, "But I'm not too proud of it."

"Because you let your anger win out?" Artemis asked.

He seemed to deflate a little but responded honestly nonetheless, "Yeah. Something like that."

"Would you like to talk about it?"

"Not particularly," he sighed, "I've spent the last two weeks thinking about it."

Artemis nodded, "I am here if you wish to."

"I know," Percy said. His voice was sad, "I'm hesitant honestly."

"And why is that?" Artemis's eyes steeled for a moment.

"Not sure," he said, pausing, "I guess I just feel like I'm undeserving of it."

"It being what?"
"You guys have done a lot for me," Percy shrugged, "I just feel like I'm a burden sometimes."

Artemis nodded as she tapped her fingers against her arm, "I trust you know what I'm going to say."

"That I'm being stupid?" Percy joked.

"You are stupid, but not for that," Artemis shifted a bit against the trunk, "I think that you forget that you already carry a great burden. There is no need to try to carry more."

"I can handle it," he responded almost automatically.

"I did not say that you couldn't," Artemis placed a hand on his shoulder, "Understand that there is no need for you to do it alone."

He sighed, "But I don't want you guys to have to."

Artemis shifted so that she was facing Percy a little more, "And I do not want you to bear it alone, yet you still try."

His face flushed with embarrassment, "I guess that's a good point."

"Listen when I say this," Artemis said, her voice soothing, "You have done more than anyone could ask of you, and now you must take care of yourself."

Percy glanced around, his eyes settling on a rather interesting knot of wood on the floor, "It's hard."

"And fighting Kronos alone was considered nigh impossible but here you are," Artemis retorted before she took a breath, "Hear me. If you cannot do it for yourself, do it for your friends. I am certain that is a sentiment you can understand."

"And what if they get hurt trying to help? And what if I lose them because of it?"

Artemis sighed, "You won't."

"How do you know that?"

"Perseus," Artemis grabbed his face so that he was forced to look at her. Her eyes were steely for a moment but they quickly softened, "I am thousands of years your senior. I understand being afraid to lose or hurt those close to you, more than you know, but understand that you cannot take care of them if you cannot take care of yourself. I understand that you feel like you have to protect them, but the best way to do that is to also take care of yourself and sometimes that means letting others help you. There is nothing wrong with needing the help of others."

The goddess sighed for a moment, letting her hand drop to clench the blanket, "You're hurting the people close to you. I do not say this to hurt you, but you must understand. Your friends care about you far too much to see you hurt like this. As dependable as you are, you must learn when to let yourself depend on someone else. It is not easy, as I myself have learned, but many of the important things in life aren't."

He looked pained for a moment, like he wanted to say something but was stopping himself. Artemis's heart went out to the man as he spoke, "I know that it's true. I know you're right, but I can't just can't get myself to."

She could see it in the way that he shied away from her gaze, the way he refused to meet her eyes. She could see him closing up once more, little by little as time went on. Tonight, it just came to a head. And, unfortunately, she was almost certain why. It was painfully apparent in the way that he held himself, how he acted. It was easy to see him falling apart, and she knew exactly where it stemmed from.

"Because your friend broke your trust and you blame yourself for it," Artemis had initially questioned that sentiment, debating if it was due to that particular incident, but the more that she thought about it, the more sure she became. It was only confirmed in his actions. He stiffened up for a moment before crumbling. It was easy enough to understand. Someone who had unwavering loyalty would be hurt most by betrayal. His entire personality reflected it, as did his actions. It was little known that his mortal spot had been the small of his back. She'd been surprised when he'd told her, not expecting him to reveal something like that. It'd come naturally during a conversation they'd had one night and he hadn't seemed the least bit hesitant to show her, but he of all people wouldn't have been.

From the way he spoke to his choice of location, it made sense. Tactically speaking, the back was often covered by a shield or armor but the truth of the matter was different. He never wore armor and he seldom used a shield. He didn't need to. The only way for him to fall would be for someone to stab him in the back, but he'd always led from the front. The only people behind him were his friends. In truth, the only way he'd fall would be to be betrayed, be it physically, or his trust. That still remained true even without the curse and she was currently witnessing that play out in front of her.

He wasn't sobbing, he wasn't yelling in anger, but he was shaking. His hand was in front of his mouth, eyes screwed up with unseen tears as he sat silently. His other hand grasped at the wood beneath him, splintering it where he did as his breathing became ragged. She could hear his breath come in ragged gasps as his world closed in around him. He was in desperate need of help, and so she offered hers. Small words of comfort, little gestures to demonstrate that she was there.

Neither could be sure how long they sat, nor did it particularly matter. No words could be said, so they sat. Perseus bared much of his heart that night. When he'd said that she wouldn't understand, she told him to make her. And so he recounted his tale. The huntress had heard stories about it, even the occasional ballad, but the truth was different. The stories told of great deeds, but left out the struggle and hardship. Hearing it from the source was another matter. From his first deed of killing the Minotaur at age twelve, to besting the father of the gods in single combat, and then losing almost a year of his life so that he could save the world yet again, nothing had been simple. But in all of his time telling her, he only broke down a few times.

The loss of his friends weighed heavily on him. He blamed himself for them at first, but he'd grown out of that in his isolation. She'd thought that the worst of it was behind them when he'd finished laying out the many deaths of his family, but then came the Pit. For the first time in a long time, he cried. Openly and unabashedly. And her heart went out to him as he struggled to talk about it. He'd freeze up as he spoke and the goddess would watch as he'd begin to tremble and shake about. And once again, she was there. Be it a hand on his shoulder, or calming words with warm drink.

This had been the longest part of his tale. He'd given her many details regarding his other exploits, but this was the first time that he'd fully recounted anything. If anything, he seemed to be more fixated on this portion of his tale than any other. And the goddess could understand why as he continued to speak. She hadn't known that he suffered from nightmares when he was down there, but she supposed that it made sense. He'd met Tartarus himself and then (very) briefly fought. Few in the current pantheon could say that they had ever even spoken with the primordial, much less fought him. And as such, the primordial had done more damage to him than anyone or anything in his past.

He'd become angry, bitter. It'd drawn out many emotions from him. It wasn't to say that he hadn't been angry before, but certainly not to that level. Never to the point where he was afraid of himself. And from there, she came to understand something. He could see why he blamed himself. From what he'd told her, he'd scared his (then) partner even more so than he'd scared himself. It wasn't to say that she was justified in her actions, or that what she had done made complete sense, but she could understand.

But, what was more than that, she could understand why he reacted the way he did after his actions towards the war god. As he put it, there were some things you weren't meant to control and he'd done so with ease. And he was disappointed with himself for letting himself do that.

Eventually, his story came to a close. It was abrupt. Everything just seemed to end. He'd won. He'd done everything he needed to. And that was something that he'd been both happy about, and scared of. He explained that much to her. He'd shown her his heart, left nothing out. And she understood him better than she thought possible. He'd continued to take deep, ragged breaths as his story came to an end. He was still very much broken, but she was certain that he would get better. No matter how long it took, he would heal.

Well, this was fun to write. Might not be as much fun to read, but I do hope that it accurately conveys something that many have felt. It's hard to put some of those feelings into words, so I'm hoping I did an adequate job. What did you guys think? Probably one of the chapters I like the most.

I like a lot of the upcoming chapters though. As it stands, stories at about 60k words including the unpublished parts. I'm going to keep updating until the start of July and then I'll probably stop for a few weeks. I'll be in London for the month and I won't have a lot of time so the plan is to upload a months worth of chapters all at once which will also jump the story up to that aforementioned total. Then, the intention is to get two more chapters written so that I can publish them as soon as I return to the states.