Song Recommendation: "Something Wicked" by Starset. If you were around in the beginning of this story, you may recall that it used to be by this name instead of its current one. I had intended for this story to be far different when I first started writing it, with it originally being far more dramatic. It shifted at some point and you all are reading the new version. Definitely glad I made that shift though as it has been tons of fun to write.

As it would happen, she had not been kidding. Percy had followed alongside her as the two of them had meandered around the acropolis before eventually coming to a gradual stop towards the edges of the party. Neither of them were particularly interested in the loud, rather rambunctious group, so they had stuck to the fringes of the parter. That aside, Percy had felt like screaming as soon as the sun god came into view. Naturally, Artemis hadn't missed a beat, sending him a mischievous look before pulling her brother aside. Now, the rational part of Percy's mind knew that she wouldn't tell him, but the irrational part of him was freaking out. Thankfully, other than a few offhand comments about the situation, their conversation had nothing to do with his conversation with his ex even as he joined in. Conversation came as easily as it ever did with both Percy and Artemis having a good time messing with the sun god. Naturally, he was still drunk off whatever drink he'd gotten his hand on. That being said, it seemed that he was better off than he usually was.

Apollo hung off of his sister, using her to support himself, even as they walked. And while she grumbled about it, Percy could tell that she didn't mind. It was good to see that they were doing better, though he did note that the sun god wouldn't stop whining as the three of them talked.

"C'mon Arty," he put his chin on the top of her head, "Let's do something fun. I'm bored."

"You are also drunk," Artemis replied as calmly as ever while shooting Percy a quick look. He just grinned at her, not at all jealous of her situation.

Percy couldn't help but laugh as the goddess rolled her eyes at him before shifting back to Apollo, "Where's Hermes?"

Apollo turned to his friend, nearly falling over in the process, "Was talking to Hades. Where have you been?"

Artemis turned to the young man with a smirk but he pointedly ignored it as he responded, choosing to take the bull by the horns rather than avoiding the topic all together. He'd find out anyway so Percy figured that it'd be better to get it out of the way altogether, "Talking to Annabeth."

Apollo's eyes widened a little as he stood up. Or tried to anyway, "Spill."

Percy shrugged, casually shifting the conversation, "Ask your sister. She was there for some of it."

Apollo's head whipped towards said sister, only to nearly fall over, "What happened? Why were you there?"

Artemis glanced at her friend, though the son of the sea was ever thankful that she played off of him with ease. She hardly even questioned it, even if she did raise a brow in interest, "It was not intentional, and nothing of note."

"That's good news!" Apollo nodded sagely, "Don't need any messy situations with your ex getting in the way of your new relationships. Always tragic when that happens."

"You sound like Aphrodite again, and I've already told you that I'm not going to be in any new relationships. We've talked about this," Percy groaned.

The sun god glanced at his sister before smiling widely at Percy, "Right. Keep telling yourself that."

Percy's eyes narrowed a little, "I take it back! You're worse than Aphrodite."

Apollo's smile was lopsided as he leaned over precariously, "I've got a more personal stake in the race so it really shouldn't come as a surprise to you."

Artemis pushed him lightly, causing him to laugh, "He means to say that he's just nosy."

Apollo gasped, feigning hurt, "I am not! Hermes is nosy, I'm just invested."

Percy grinned, "You definitely are."

The god of medicine opened and closed his mouth a few times before grumbling, "Can't win anything between you two."

"You know you love us," Percy grinned, "Nobody else puts up with your bullshit."

"That's not true," Apollo exclaimed, nearly tipping over only to have Artemis grab his arm to steady him.

"Hermes does not count," Artemis said easily. Apollo deflated a little but was quick to brighten back up.

"How can you be so mean to your own brother?"

"You think that's being mean?" Percy asked jokingly, watching as the two interacted. It was always interesting to see how they did, especially given how much their relationship had improved in recent years. When Percy had been a demigod, he'd had the distinct misfortune of getting in between on of their arguments. He was quite happy to see that the two were having a good time, and he had to admit he was a bit jealous. Having a sibling always sounded so cool.

That being said, his happy disposition quickly shifted as Artemis's eyes fixed on the son of the sea with unveiled interest, "Are you saying that you think that I am mean?"

Apollo snickered, draping an arm around Artemis's shoulder so that he wouldn't fall over while sounding like a young kid that had just told on their sibbling, "Somebody's in trouble."

Percy just shrugged, turning so that he could address the goddess who'd yet to take her eyes off of him, "I didn't say that."

"But you didn't deny it," Apollo chimed in, looking more like a cat that had caught the bird with each passing second.

Percy jabbed his friend in the side, grumbling as he redirected his attention yet again, "Not helping Apollo."

"He does have a point," Artemis smirked at Percy as she turned to look at the young man, "Do tell though."

"Who knows?" Percy sing-songed, intent on being as light tipped about it as possible.

Artemis took a sip of her drink before turning to address Apollo. Percy wasn't sure he liked the look on her face, "Did I ever tell you what he said to her?"

Percy's face blanched, "You wouldn't."

"Wouldn't I?" Artemis smirked.

"What are you talking about?" Apollo looked confused.

Artemis hummed, "Well Perseus?"

The young man in question mumbled, finally caving in, "Maybe you are mean."

She laughed, lightly running a hand down his arm in a comforting manner, "Was it that hard?"

"If you two could stop flirting for two minutes," Apollo cut in, "could one of you explain?"

"I feel like we've had this talk before. We're not flirting," Percy shot his friend an annoyed look, "We're friends and people can be friends without flirting with each other."

Apollo stared at him for a moment, eyes full of disbelief, "Right. I'm sure they can but you aren't. That's flirting if I've ever seen it."

Artemis just laughed as her friend and brother argued back and forth. While she would have preferred Apollo to have been sober, she was still quite happy. In a strange way, Apollo seemed to act more like his old self when around Percy. For that matter, so did she. Strange, but she chocked it up to his natural personability. He always seemed to befriend the strangest of people, and occasionally creatures. He'd befriended both Apollo in almost record time, not that that was saying much exactly. It was akin to saying that Hermes had stolen something, a given if you would.

Currently, the two were bickering about something or other. Granted, she wasn't paying much attention to the details of their conversation, but they were getting quite animated. Artemis sipped on her drink and watched amusedly while her brother shook his head and exclaimed about something or other. Percy, meanwhile, had an air of calmness, even as he shot back with vigor. He seemed to strike a good balance between the two. And, he demonstrated great restraint. She'd noticed that he'd had plenty of opportunities to tease the dunk god, but he'd refrained, perfectly matching Apollo's style without coming across as harsh or excessive. It was probably something he didn't even realize he was doing, but it spoke greatly of his interpersonal skills as well as his disposition.

It was one of the things that she liked about the son of the sea. He always seemed to strike the perfect balance between freedom and respect. She'd certainly been surprised how easily he'd joked with her during their first few encounters but had quickly grown to enjoy it. It was refreshing. Not only that, but he also knew both when to yield, and when to push back. The goddess respected him all that much more for it too. If she was honest, she much preferred that he knew when to fight back. It made her like him much more than those that had simply cowed before her. In her mind, there was nothing fun about such a relationship, hence why she often rejected many such friendships.

All of that was without mentioning some of the other ways he'd demonstrated his balance of the two given the numerous instances in which he'd proved his character. She'd watched him fight back against the war god with ease, showing perfect restraint up until the end, even though the god hadn't deserved such kindness. And to top it off, it hadn't even been for himself. He'd fought for the innocent, and that was certainly something she could respect. Admire even.

As her father had once said, it took a great deal of strength to stand up for oneself, and even more to do so for another. And throughout all of it, he was still the same person. Strong, kind, and a tad strange, but that added to the charm of it all. Then again, Percy just seemed to be a charming person in general. People loved him for a reason and she understood why. He had all the traits of a great leader seemingly without any of the usual pitfalls. As annoying as his humble nature was at times, she would take it over hubris or pride every time. That wasn't to say he wasn't prideful. He was. But, it was tempered and had been more than earned and was never overbearing.

All of that was to say that she was quite impressed by the man.

"You okay over there?" Percy's head was tilted as regarded the moon goddess with a half cocked smile. Artemis blinked as she snapped back to reality. Percy sat directly ahead of her, eyes showing his interest.

She hadn't even been aware that they'd been speaking to her. But, given the look on Apollo's face, she knew she was going to be up for some teasing later, not that she truly minded it, "Perfect."

Percy's smile grew a bit, "Apollo was saying you had a look on your face."

"You did," the sun god chimed in helpfully, grinning at his sister, "It's that look you get whenever yo-"

Artemis smacked him before he could go any further, causing her brother to laugh happily while Percy observed with interest, "I think that's enough out of you."

Apollo laughed again, "You're just upset that I'm right."

"Upset is not the word that I would use," Artemis smiled in turn.

Percy looked on curiously, "Am I missing out on something?"

"Very much so yes." Apollo grinned at him. Artemis nodded but didn't elaborate either.

"Should I be worried?"

"It is nothing of concern," Artemis was quick to block her brother from talking.

Apollo just laughed, "On a completely unrelated note, how are you enjoying the party?"

Percy shrugged, "I was having a decent time until you started bothering us."

"Seconded," Artemis agreed.

"That's not very nice," Apollo grumbled, turning to fake glare at his sister, "Older sisters are supposed to be nicer to their brothers."

"So you admit I'm older now?" Artemis grinned.

"Only when it serves me," he returned the look.

Percy just laughed, "Did you really expect anything different?"

"Hey!" Apollo was indignant, "I'm not that bad."

"Operating word being 'that'," Percy countered.

"I'd argue that I'm quite good as far as gods go."

"You are certainly one of the more insouciant," the moon goddess was quick to chime in.

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"I must have said it wrong," Artemis shrugged, causing Percy to laugh. Artemis smiled.

"Hey look on the bright side," Percy came to the god's rescue, "You're definitely in my top seven as far as gods go."

"Only seven?" Apollo whined, "Who's ahead of me?"

"Hesita, his father, Hades, Hermes, Lupa, and myself obviously," Artemis listed off a few gods off the top of her head.

"Definitely not true," Apollo grumbled, "You're like top fifteen at best. I'm definitely the favorite between the two of us."

"First off," Percy decided to chime in, "I don't think I really know fifteen gods. Secondly, your sister is in the top three."

Apollo nudged his sister a bit before addressing the son of the sea, "The sun's definitely better than the moon so you're wrong."

"Disagree," Percy was quick to counter, "Can't have tides without the moon."

"You can't have life without the Sun!"

Percy shrugged, "So be it."

Artemis grinned, "Face it, brother. I am the favorite."

Apollo grumbled for a second but gave his sister a conspiratorial look when Percy wasn't looking, "Can't win them all."

Artemis rolled her eyes, "Or in your case, any of them."

Apollo jokingly acted offended, "That's pretty harsh, sis."

Percy was quick to jump in, "Shouldn't you be used to it?"

The moon goddess turned to the young man, "Again with this?"

Percy gulped, quickly placing his arms out placating, "I said nothing."

Apollo cackled, "You're not even married yet and she's got you under her thumb."

Percy was too busy trying to apologize to even notice him say that, but Artemis certainly did. She stared at her brother for a second but he just gave her a thumbs up. Of course, Percy seemed to notice this, leading him to ask the moon goddess a question that she didn't hear. After a few moments, she felt somebody's hand on her forearm. Her head didn't quite snap, but she did come to see Percy's outstretched arm with his hand placed gently on her lower arm.

"Uh you okay?" Percy asked curiously, "you looked annoyed."

"Did I?"

"Yeah, something on your mind?" Percy asked curiously. She noticed that her brother subtly excused himself with a wink under the pretense of going to chat up some nymph. Even if he was an idiot, she'd have to thank him later. Her attention snapped back to the son of the sea who as he'd yet to look away.

"Nothing in particular."

Percy hummed as he leaned back, letting his arms stay behind him so that he could stay up. Their conversation stalled for a little bit with the two basking in the warmth of the nearby braisers, both sat upon the thick marble lined railing of the gardens. Percy turned to her after a while, "You know it's the first time I've enjoyed one of these in a long time."

She looked at him with interest, "Any reason why?"

The sound of the party raged behind them, but he didn't seem to notice, "Just the company I guess."

"I'm sure you enjoyed my brother badgering you about whatever it was you were talking about earlier," Artemis asked as she tapped her finger against the stone walling.

He groaned, "Don't get me started. Can you believe that he thinks gold is better than blue?"

Artemis paused for a moment before stifling a laugh, "You are not serious."

Percy grumbled, shaking his head as he recalled their argument, "I'm telling you it's better. Gold's cool and all but blue goes with everything."

"You are serious," Artemis noted with a smile, "He's a sun god, Perseus. It is natural that he thinks that gold is better."

"Who do you agree with?" Percy turned to her, looking not unlike an expectant puppy waiting for attention.

She just smiled, "I would prefer blue over gold."

"See!" Percy exclaimed, sitting up a bit more to agree with the goddess, "I knew there was a reason I liked you. Silver goes better with blue than it does with gold anyway."

Artemis rolled her eyes with a smile, "This is true."

"See this is great," Percy leaned back, letting his arms fan out behind him, "we can have blue everything and silver everything and it'd be fine."

"I am not sure if I'd want everything I have to be silver. Even I must admit that it might be a little gaudy," Artemis laughed before turning to him, "But it does remind me. I do have something for you."

Percy perked up at that, quickly responding to the first point before addressing the second, "Best not to follow in Apollo's footsteps. I can only handle one shiny god. And you didn't have to get me anything."

The moon goddess laughed, "You will change your mind when you see it."

"Yeah but now I feel bad because I don't have anything for you."

She shook her head, "I did not do this because I expected something in return."

"But still," Percy frowned, "I should have gotten you something."

"You have yet to even see your gift and you are already worried about returning the favor?" Artemis asked him sarcastically, "At least receive it before you worry."

Percy grumbled but took her hand as she offered it, "Still going to get you something."

She just smiled as she reached out to him to flash them both. It was mere moments before he felt his surroundings shift. His stomach churned a little and he stumbled around for a bit before getting his bearings. He had to admit that this was not where he'd expected them to be as he was greeted by his own small cabin by the beach, salty sea air hitting his nose as he took in the sights again. "Why are we home?"

Artemis looked at him, "You are joking, no?"

Percy looked at her blankly, "I know you said you had a gift but I thought it'd be something that you could just hand me or that it might have been at your home."

Artemis hummed, "Your gift is here as it is not something I could just hand you."

"Oh okay," Percy nodded, "And really, why'd you get me anything?"

"If you recall, I received quite a large gift from you."

"Did you?" Percy asked, trying to figure out what exactly he'd done.

"I did," Artemis said, pulling him through the door and into the house, turning back to face him, "Something that I, or rather Diana, informed you was too much."

Recognition dawned on the young man's face as that particular memory flared up, "I thought I told you it wasn't. It's not like my dad minded either."

"Even still," she shook her head, "It is only right that I get you something in return. Though, if I am honest, this is for something else entirely."

"What for?" Percy asked, following the goddess as she strolled towards his bedroom with cat-like grace.

"I will tell you after you've received it," Artemis said lightly, opening the door. What could she possibly have gotten him that would be in here?

"O-kay," Percy stretched out the first syllable as he followed her. It was quickly answered though as she sat herself on the bed, tossing a set of clothes at him.

"Change," she said simply as he caught them. Percy stared at her blankly for a moment but she had the same expectant look so he moved to pull his shirt off. It was at this point that the goddess rolled her eyes, calling out his name to grab his attention, "Perseus."

"Yeah?" The young man in question called back, pausing as he moved. He'd already gotten most of it over his head when the goddess had stopped him

"I meant in the bathroom," Artemis said dryly.

"Oh." Percy blushed. Thankfully, his face was completely obscured by his shirt so the goddess couldn't see it, "Uh sorry."

He could hear the smirk in her voice and his face heated up a bit more, "If I did not know better, I would think that your drink was getting to you."

He wanted to grumble, but she was definitely right. What exactly had been going through his mind? Regardless of that though, he made his way to the bathroom after grabbing the thrown clothes and quickly began to change. It wasn't all that different from what he'd been wearing, but everything felt a bit thicker. And was that padding on his joints? "What is all of this anyway?"

He could practically hear the goddess's smile, "You will see."

He regarded himself quickly. Everything was tight, but it fit well and was decently comfortable. His black cargo pants were slimmed down to match the contours of his body and had some sort of inner lining on them that fit him like a glove while his shirt was a dark blue made of some thick quilted thread. He could feel something like pads on the back sides of his arms whenever he moved but they didn't hamper movement at all.

"Well," he opened the door and stepped out, "How do I look?"

The goddess gave him an appraising once-over, "It looks good on you. How does it fit?"

Percy pinched at a bit of fabric by his stomach as he did a quick spin for the goddess, "Pretty tight but not in a bad way."

"Good," Artemis' happy look seemed to grow as she observed him. She took a second glance at him before standing up and gesturing to some boots, "Put those on and reach into your right pocket when you're done."

Percy gave her a confused look but moved to grab the offered footwear anyway, "What are these for?"

"You will need them," the moon goddess's response was light. Percy shrugged as he finished tugging them on. They were simple black combat boots with a few extra buckles. He noted that the ankles were a little stiffer than normal but moved past it as he remembered to reach into his pocket. Interestingly, he found a thin rectangular piece of metal roughly the size of his thumb in terms of both width and height. It was simple, not having much more than a sort of moon crest on it and a small accent piece that he didn't quite understand but it was pretty enough. He wasn't entirely sure what it was, but he could feel the goddess's eyes on him, "If you would follow me."

Percy's eyes came up from the small metal plate so that he could look at her and nodded, quickly moving in step so that he was next to the huntress. Interestingly, she led him outside, quickly bringing him over towards the back of his home. Had he forgotten to shut the doors to his little shed thing last night? Of course, Artemis was watching him with unveiled amusement as Percy wandered over towards it in a state of confusion. As he came around the side of it, he noticed two things. First, the garage/shed area was clean. Quite a bit cleaner than he'd left it anyway. Secondly, and more importantly, it seemed that his garage was missing its vehicle. He… hadn't lost it last night, had he? He remembered most of the night, but there did seem to be some time he couldn't quite recall.

He turned back towards his friend only to find that she wasn't where she'd been standing. Great. He was misplacing belongings and people. That, or she was messing with him. Either one was plausible given his track record. Of course, he spun around a little, only for his eyes to land on both the moon goddess and his missing truck. Artemis was watching him with a look of amusement while she leaned gently against the passenger side door. Had she changed outfits? He wouldn't have been surprised if she had given that she could do it instantly.

"Well," Artemis said lightly, "I do hope that you enjoy your gift."

Percy snapped out of his stupor, only to notice something in the back of the bed as soon as he approached, "What's that?"

"Your gift," Artemis smiled, "Consider it my congratulations for your upcoming ascension to godhood."
He turned to look at her wildly as he made his way around, "You didn't."

As it would turn out, she did. He'd been at a loss for words for a moment before scrambling into the truck bed as he was greeted by the sight of his gift. He looked at the goddess wildly, gaze shifting between his gift and the giver. It took him all of a moment to jump straight out of the bed and wrap her in a bone-crushing hug. When she'd told him that she'd gotten a gift, he'd expected a knife or a weapon or something, not the bike of his dreams.

She laughed as she returned it, "I see that you like it."

"I don't think 'like' is enough," Percy said softly as he pulled away. She could see a wealth of emotion making its way across his face.

"I am glad," she said easily as she turned him around, beginning to steer him towards it. Now, she hadn't actually seen the finished results of her creation, but she was all that much more proud when she did. The motorcycle was almost an exact copy of the one he'd shown her in his mind. She'd slightly adjusted the color so that it matched his truck, but most everything else was just about the same. It was everything he'd imagined it to be. Actually, it was a bit better. It had the flat, brown leather seat. It had the black hardware and small bar mirrors, complete with the racing headlight he'd envisioned as well as a few accents. And it was coated in the same beautiful blue color his truck was.

The only real differences were the small silver crest/emblem on the fuel tank and a few other silver accent pieces in the trim. It was one of Artemis's own personal touches, but it brought a bit of life to the bike. The crest itself was simple, consisting of a simple crescent moon with a few tall pine trees running through it, but it made the small portions of exposed metal pop all that much more. And, for the first time in a long time, Percy was speechless.

Artemis smiled as the young man turned to her with a stupidly happy grin, "I don't really know what to say. It's perfect."

The goddess chuckled as she watched him, "You have yet to even drive it."

"Don't need to," Percy ran a hand over the leather seat as he finally sat down, "Thank you."

She wanted to wave him off and say it was no big deal, but she couldn't quite bring herself to. While the money she'd put into it was inconsequential to her, she imagined it was the thought that counted. She was happy to see him so overjoyed, "I am glad that you are happy."

"Again," Percy laughed, "More than just happy."

The goddess smiled as he gently pulled it off of the truck bed. It was surprisingly light for what it was due to one of the many enchantments she'd personally had placed on it, "Are you ready to take it out then?"

He nodded as he set it down on the sand, "Are you joining me?"

"In a matter of sense." His jaw practically dropped as she summoned the moon chariot down to them, watching as it morphed into an entirely different form. He knew that the celestial chariots could, but he hadn't exactly imagined the moon goddess to be sitting on a silvery-white sport bike of her own, "Do try to keep up, Perseus."

"You're not fucking with me, are you?"

Diana, apparently having been listening in, chose this moment to speak in her mind, playing off what Percy had said by slightly altering it. Thankfully, the Roman aspect had chosen not to assume control to do so. Artemis gave her an exasperated look in their shared mind, even though she didn't necessarily disagree, "Have I given you any reason to think I would be?"

"I mean, other than doing something completely crazy for me?" Percy asked rhetorically, "I was expecting a sword or a bow or something."

"I considered it," Artemis replied honestly, "But I wanted to get you something different. Anybody can get you a weapon."

Percy smiled lightly, "Would it make you happy to know that you're literally the only person who could have come up with a gift like this?"

"I am sure that your father has some idea."

Percy shook his head, "I meant that you're the only person I've ever told about that bike. Sure, I mentioned wanting one but I never really described it to anyone else."

"Then I hope it is everything you could want."

Percy snorted, "You're kidding right? It's definitely better than what I could have possibly asked for."

"Again," Artemis pointed out, "You have yet to even drive it."

"We should get on that then, yeah?"

The moon goddess just laughed, "Fair enough."

Whew! Fun chapter to write. Some may have read the author's note from a few chapters ago, but this chapter and the last used to be the same. I changed it since it was a rather jarring shift, and it ended up being quite long. Also! 100K words! That's fun. Never thought I'd really see the story reach that point as it was going to be a short little one ending somewhere about ten chapters in. Obviously though, it has extended far past that. It's been tons of fun to write and I'm glad I've been keeping up with it.
Anyway, onto one of my favorite things. To PhantomFuryJP, OkBoomer147, and TheFiction101: Thanks as always! Always happy to hear that you guys are still enjoying. It's always extra motivation for me to continue and do my best. To anon516: That means a lot to me mate. I do try to keep updates as regular as possible for just that reason. I'm glad you're enjoying and to that last part, I absolutely agree. I wanted to showcase that in a sort of idealized sense while making it seem as realistic as possible. There are some shortcomings, particular when it comes to the writing itself, but I've enjoyed every step of the way. To TomorrowCarpe Diem: Heh. Resolved. Heh. Yeah. Something like that. there's more I want to do with that but I did want to have some start to progress for them. It's going to be one of the running plotlines in the future so yeah. And about the relationship stuff, thanks! I'm trying to keep it respectful but fun and engaging without seeming to trope-y. Thank you again. To The Dark Sapphire: Thanks! Changed and updated.

Well, enjoy!