All rights belong to Rick Riordan

Chapter 38

Three Simple Words (Or Not)

(Percy)

I had slowly begun to regain my senses with the first being the intense discomfort in several of my wings and the most blatant. However I remained unable to move or even sense anything beyond my own body so I was unable to verify what was causing the pain as I did not remember getting them injured when I had been hit with something.

I remembered working to save Diana and perhaps taking a bit of pleasure in giving her mouth to mouth but hey I asked if anyone knew how to do it and there was no time to teach Thalia or Reyna how to do it properly. When suddenly I had been hit with something in my side and it had caused me far more pain than I had felt before, which as someone who has twice been in the Styx is not an easy thing to compare to. I had blacked out pretty quickly and felt nothing until now where I was trapped inside my own body.

The pain was good for one reason however as it meant I was not dead.

I remained in this sense of Limbo for what felt like an eternity however as I slowly regained my strength I noticed other extra sensory information that I was unable to locate the source of in my paralytic state such as the gentle drops of some liquid onto one of my suspected injured wings and another that was the sound of metal clattering across a stone floor.

With great difficulty I was slowly able to regain control of some of my extremities as I slowly relearned how to flex my fingers slowly and became aware of the soft surface I was laying on which I was thankful for as it meant I was not still laying in field at least.

However my limbs remained unresponsive as did my eyes and mouth but I became aware that someone was with me at least and if the occasional sound like sniffing a blocked nose was anything to go by.

I tried to use my sense of detection to work out who or what my companion was but like everything else they were equally screwed up beyond telling me there was someone near by.

It was infuriating to know that someone at least cared about me enough to stay with me but not to know their identity especially as they refused to talk or make any noise I could possibly have recognized beyond that annoying breathing sound.

After a few more minutes I detected movement to my left and felt a shadow cross my face judging by the drop in warmth and I finally managed to open my eyes slowly and come face to face with a silver set that I knew and recognized and loved.

'err… Hello Percy.' Diana said awkwardly sitting down from her position leaning over me and I noticed the tell tale sign of Immortal tears on her cheeks and parts of her clothes. Seriously having golden blood must have been annoying but golden tears was extreme, it was even worse hell than from what I knew of mascara that ran when wet but that would be the least of a goddess's concerns with a trail of gold down half your face.

At least she was Ok though I thought as I slowly tipped my head to the side she was on and immediately recognized my surroundings as being my own bedroom back in the palace at Orthrys. Great to be back here again or not, which for that matter how long had I been out of it I thought, as I used my internal senses that were now beginning to work as I checked off the time and date in reverse order glad at least that it was the same year, month and only the following day in the very early hours of the morning which gave me a question if she was here who was in the chariot?

'Hel—Hello Milady, glad to see you are safe.' I finally managed to croak out through my parched mouth.

'Don't worry about me you idiot you nearly died, I am a true immortal remember I can't die unlike you.' She said annoyed.

'Your welcome then.' I said hoarsely which she noticed before looking around my room and taking standing and walking of out of my line of sight before returning shortly thereafter with a glass of water she gently placed against my lips as I struggled to drink the fluid and ended up dribbling more of it down her hand than down my throat but it was at least a lot more easy to use my throat by the end of it.

'Thank you Diana.' I said after she had taken a seat again looking at me.

'No thank you if not for you I would still be encased in ice or spending some time dead.' She said apolitically.

'It's my job after all to make sure you and the hunters are safe, was anyone injured?' I asked concerned.

'No only us two and one other after the battle.' She said regretfully.

'What happened to me? All that I remember was massive amounts of pain before I lost consciousness.'

'Sadly there was a incident with one of the hunters who acted rashly and over reacted.'

'Let me guess Tania.' I asked as it did not take a genius to work out who was the most prone to rashness and the fact she did not like me. Diana simply nodded in agreement.

'What the hades did she hit me with that could this?' I asked unable to believe that a single arrow could do so much after all I had been scratched with Backbiter/Maelstrom once and that seemed minor by comparison.

'She managed to acquire one of your own arrows and used that against you. Apollo and I were able to save you but until later on we were unable to heal you of all the effects.' She explained.

'How did she get one I only shot the thing a few times and only once while with the hunt and that one hit you, which you have my respect for on its own for actually walking around after being hit without collapsing in pain.' I admitted confused by how the girl could have obtained one after all it was impossible for her to get that one as she was unconscious at the time.

'Jacqueline stole that one and Tania subsequently stole it off her and kept it. As for the others we had to find out what happened with each until we found one that was unaccounted for the one you shot at Lelantos, we were able to find it with Nico and his pets help down the mountain… amongst some rocks.' She added after a pause as if thinking it through which was strange as she never hesitated at any other time.

'So where is Tania now?' I asked concerned.

'Well after being captured by Thalia, Reyna, Nico and Piper she was taken into custody with Lord Hades and is currently in the Underworld until we knew what was happening to you. Your father and just about everyone else was concerned about your survival even my father was worried about you and had to work with Hades to pull your father off of Ares when the idiot opened his mouth.' She explained and I was dumbstruck that my uncles would actually care that much about me.

'Is she alright?' I asked.

'Tania? I don't know the only person who has seen or spoken to her is Hades and they are reserving judgment for you.' She stated and I felt concerned for the daughter of Ares sure we had our differences but to think her life was in my hands was too much responsibility and I would not let her suffer for a mistake even she must have realized she that by now.

'Tell them to let her go.' I said simply.

'What are you serious she nearly killed you. I will not let her back in the hunt after this.' Diana said in shock.

'The amount of people who have nearly killed me is longer than my list of friends which is not a good thing besides she may actually realize I don't want her to distrust me as you said she made a mistake. We all do she just made a big one. I am more concerned with what Thalia is going to do to me when I get back I may be joining Oceanus yet.' I said with a chuckle remembering telling Thalia to wait before I explained to her

'Fine but I will be keeping her under close observation that is twice she has betrayed my trust now, she stole from another hunter and then attacked you.' She said firmly and there was little I could do to argue the point.

'So why were you crying and for that matter how did I get into my bedroom back at Orthrys.' I asked and I watched as the goddess paled considerably.

(Diana)

There it was, of course the idiot was so concerned with how everyone else felt he brushed off all thoughts of himself. I was surprised it had taken him this long to ask about what I was doing here. Now was the time for a decision and admit I was worried about him or try and brush it off and be seen through how else I could explain the fact I had been crying around him.

'Percy I, I, I was worried about you. You nearly died saving me and this was all my fault. If only Tethys hadn't beaten me then none of this would have happened. Why is it always me getting captured and you having to save me?' I said tearfully only to stop my tirade when he lifted a hand and brushed a tear from my face and that one simple touch calmed me down.

'It is not your fault she beat you, I was foolish for putting you against her in the first place in your weakened condition I am just glad you are Ok.' How could he be so selfless and take the blame for my failure as his own.

'For once stop being so well… well you. This was all my fault so stop try to shift the blame onto yourself, you don't need to prove yourself to anyone anymore we know what you are like, you need to stop beating yourself up over others shortcomings. I know how much I screwed up just like I knew when Atlas captured me, I got reckless and for it I paid the price and in this case it got you injured as well.' I practically screamed at him but he seemed unfazed as he sat there with a small smile that made me lose my anger at him as soon as I stopped talking.

'Milady I will never let those I care about willingly endanger themselves. I did once and it cost someone I loved their life I will not do the same again. Not you, Thalia or any of the hunters if I can stop one of you getting injured and it is within my power I will do so no matter what the cost to myself because that is who I am and there is no changing that.' He replied calmly and the worst bit was I knew it was true, he would die for anyone that he cared about and that was what made my decision harder knowing that if I chose him that one day he would make a mistake and it would cost him a lot more than yesterday had done and once again I would be alone with nothing but a broken heart.

'Why do you always have to play the hero, you don't need to spend your entire life suffering why can't you just sit back and let others do stuff for themselves otherwise one day you won't be so lucky and I could lose you forever.' I shouted tearfully at the bedridden figure.

'You said I.' He said with a smile throwing me off.

'What ar-are you talking?' I said hoping he had not listened that carefully to my tirade but he sat there with a knowing smile.

'You said I could lose you. Not we which means you would actually miss me if I did eventually die.'

'Of course I would miss you, you are the only bearable male out there and I suppose technically we are friends.' I replied.

'Hurray Diana has finally made a friend who is not a man hating hunter.' He said jokingly completely random.

'Though in all seriousness most friends don't sit at someone's bedside all night crying when they are supposed to be doing their duties and something tells me that it is more just because you were told too.' How he could play my feelings about so much while keeping a straight face was beyond my comprehension, it was as if he knew the dilemma that was playing in my head.

'I felt responsible I guess, so here I am.' I said neutrally.

'Diana how many times do I have to tell you this was my fault, I underestimated Tethys and focused on Oceanus and everything cascaded from there. So stop beating yourself up about me getting hurt. Why were you crying anyway as you were already upset before I woke up as I could hear you and I don't think you are one to spend all day crying over little old me unless this was more than just being upset about me getting injured.'

'I don't know everything is so confusing for me and it scares me.' I blabbered out accidentally.

'I love you.' He said simply and I froze.

(Percy)

I may have just made the biggest mistake of my life. I had for some reason admitted my feelings and I don't even know why only that it felt right at the time but now I was having second thoughts as I looked at the goddess who was staring at me with wide eyes as she comprehended my words. The saying like a deer in headlights was a fitting one to describe her current expression though she could easily swap the positions and it would be me getting hit with an SUV.

'Wha-what did you say?' She asked struggling to put the words together.

'I love you Diana or Artemis, I like the complete you I guess.' I admitted and I saw her slump into her seat and my heart dropped as her face paled.

'I am so confused.' She finally said tearfully yet again her clothes were beginning to look like she had been stabbed what with the drops of golden liquid all over her.

'It is not the hard to understand.' I said simply as I slumped against my pillows having risen forward when I dropped my bombshell confession.

'Not about you idiot, me.' She spat tearfully and I had no reply to that although it did mean she felt something towards me.

'This was never supposed to happen, it should never have happened, why is it always you? You change every known convention with every action you take. 3000 years of stability then along you come and change it all and the worst bit is I don't even mind.' She muttered to herself loud enough for me to here as she sat with her arms across her chest rocking slightly like she needed someone to help her. I wanted to be that someone but here I was stuck like an invalid in this bed as I watched the women I loved suffer internally and know it was all my fault.

With agonizing slowness, I managed to force my body towards the sobbing goddess desperate to comfort her and if necessary apologise and tell her to forget I ever said something, not that short of a dip in the Lethe was ever going to make her forget what I had admitted to.

I leant across to place my hand against her cheek when I realized one minor detail I was no longer actually entirely on the bed and had instead been leaning on one of my splinted wings when suddenly my stable position gave way and I fell in a crumpled mess on the floor at her feet. I did the only thing any self-respecting man would say.

'Ouch that went better in my head.' I struggled to say under the burden of my own body which had suddenly rag dolled again leaving me unable to move.

As I lay there however I noticed something different and it wasn't the fact I had finally found my old Converses under my bed, though I had spent days looking for them last year. The sound of mumbling and sobbing had been replaced with the high notes of laughter and I realized I had never actually heard Artemis/Diana laugh and it was something I could listen to all day providing it was not directed at me.

'You are such an Idiotic Seaweed Brained Impertinent Impulsive Fool sometimes.' She said seemingly happily.

'Less of the big words please this is really uncomfortable.' I replied aware of the fact I was currently laying on two of my own injured wings.

'Welcome to my world, now you know how it feels to be left uncomfortable.'

'Would it help if I said sorry and that you should forget everything I ever said.'

'No.' She said simply and my heart sunk once again, well this was going to make things awkward from now on.

'Diana listen I didn—' I began only to be cut of when I suddenly saw the ceiling again and found her holding one of my wings up in the air carefully.

'Shut up and say it again.' She said firmly confusing me.

'Say what?' I asked in confusion.

'Say those three words again.'

'What ones? Oh. Diana I love you.' I said eventually catching on and suddenly she gained a smile on her face and I realized truly how beautiful she was when she did so. Despite all the weariness and signs of distress on her face at that moment if I had a choice between Aphrodite and Artemis, I knew who I would choose.

'Good because if you ever betray my trust from now on, the world's population of Jackelopes will gain a new immortal member.'

'Wait did I just miss something then? How come you are happy again?' I asked totally lost in the goddesses constant shifting moods of late.

'Because I realized what I liked about you. Your constant ability to be totally random and do the unexpected. How you can be the greatest hero the world has ever seen and yet still be a complete idiot. You are unique and the only male I could ever actually like let alone and maybe even more than that.' She said keeping that smile on her as I was transfixed by her radiant silver eyes as she looked down on me.

'And here was me thinking it was my good looks that were the cause of th—ow.' I said cut of by a sharp kick to the side.

'Shut up I am not some shallow whore like Venus although admittedly you aren't that bad, when you aren't in a crumpled mess on the floor.' She said with a grin.

'Well then perhaps you could always help me up because this is not doing me any favors.' I complained.

'Only because I like you.' She said carefully letting my wing go so it dropped to the side before reaching down and grabbing me by the arms and pulling.

Now despite every known convention of it being impossible for a much smaller person to lift another she eventually managed to get me back onto the bed after a lot of cursing and muttering at my expense about how I needed to lose weight which I replied was not exactly an easy thing to do when it is a part of you permanently.

At last after one last push I fell back onto the centre of the bed but as I flipped over onto my back my wings flipped as well and knocked her off her feet. Fortunately she landed on something soft. Me.

'Perseus one thing at a time, I wouldn't want people talking about me being easy as they call it.' She said strangely seductively as she rolled of my chest to which I was thankful even if she was still beside me laying on my uninjured wings but she seemed content to lay there and I was in no position to complain really.

'So how exactly is this gonna work, I don't think we can just inform everyone and expect them to take it lying down, what about the hunters and what would our parents say. My Dad is going to hate this.' I said turning towards her only to find her smiling at me.

'Oh I wouldn't worry about Poseidon.' She said simply confusing me.

'Why? He would never let me be with a child of Zeus.' I explained.

'I am no just any child of his though am I? Besides I am his favourite niece and he may kinda know already.' She said happily with a sly grin.

'Wait hold up you confessed to my dad before you admitted to me, then what was all that about before?'

'I am sorry, you told my mum weeks ago and I never thought you would actually like me that much, besides you are right I don't know how we are going to make this work, I am not exactly used to the dating scene, I don't know how anyone will react not the hunters or the councils after all you are a Titan and I am a goddess.'

'But your mum is a Titan so what is the difference.' I asked confused.

'Leto is a minor Titan and I would not exactly say they had a relationship for long as father was already married to Hera. We are both respective council members.'

'Well that complicates things a bit I guess.'

'Exactly as for the hunters I don't know, they were a condition of my oath and that as long as I remained a maiden they would serve as my followers. If I break that oath what happens to them?' She said sadly.

'Two things just came to me. The first is who said you have to break your oath anytime soon, it is not as if either of us is going anywhere anytime soon and the second is I just admitted I love you and Styx hasn't claimed my soul for breaking my oath not to flirt with any of the hunt.' I explained in confusion.

'Because I am not a hunter am I idiot, you swore not to flirt with my hunters, I am not one of my hunters and besides technically I am Huntress in this aspect as well. As for my oath, thank you but you never know what can happen especially around you. Now would you kindly try and getup without falling over, I think you have had enough rest for one day. I was up and about within a few hours and fetching the twins you have had twice that and can barely move.' She said poking me playfully on the top of a pair of wings and the touch made me spasm and laugh.

Diana noticed my apparent ticklish spot and intensified her actions careful to switch from one pair to another whenever the wing fluttered out of reach.

'Diana please stop this is so unfair.' I protested only to see the look of joy on her face and immediately give up my complaining at the sight.

'Well then maybe if you got up I would.' She taunted.

With great difficulty I flipped myself forward so I was sitting up and I hurriedly folded my wings together preventing her from reaching them and she stood their pouting at the end of her source of amusement.

'Killjoy.' She said sadly.

If you want to do that rub this one, all that laying around has given me one bitch of an itch an my arms don't reach that far.' I said extending one of the opposite sides wings across the room and she walked around the bed before more gently massaging the wing tip causing me to groan in pleasure at her delicate touch.

Eventually after a few minutes manipulation the problem was resolved when she pulled out several feathers that had become askew and I folded the wing back in. It would a while yet before I could fly again what with the broken trio on one side but I was still in better shape than Lelantos had been at least I hadn't lost a pair.

'Now your pruning is done can we get moving it is almost sunrise and a lot of people want to know if you are alright, so get out of your damned bed already.' She said crossing her arms and looking at me.

'But it is comfy and better than my bed back at the hunt.' I protested weakly.

'You picked that damned bed so don't give me that, besides if you keep wasting time Thalia is only going to hurt you more for lying to her and I would rather keep you alive, I don't want to be a widow this early into a relationship actually come to think of it. I am finding a way of making you a proper immortal, there is no way I am risking losing you again.' She said firmly even if I didn't know of any other ways that she could do it.

'Don't remind me about Thalia that just makes me want to stay here even more at least here we have a nice set of gates to keep her out besides, Ladon makes a great anti-salesperson sign.' I said wearily.

'If you don't get out of that bed I am going to bring her here and you can explain it to her.' She said with a harsh tone.

'Yes mum.' I said jokingly gaining a raised eyebrow.

'You are pushing your luck now move it, if you are not out of this room in the next five minutes I am telling my father what you confessed to.' She said with a sly look before walking out leaving my body with an ultimatum.

Frantically I tried to regain motor function in the remainder of my limbs, stubbornly my legs took what felt like forever to respond and I ended up with less than a minutes to grab some fresh clothes and step outside only to find her waiting with a golden hourglass in hand which contained a minuscule amount of sand that emptied as I watched it.

'Well aren't you lucky.' She said with a grin before throwing the hourglass onto the Lazyboy recliner.

'That remains to be seen, I am surprised I am still alive after what I admitted to.'

'You mess with me and that can change very quickly.' She said with a feral grin before winking and smiling happily.

'You do know people are going to know something is up if you are suddenly smiling all the time especially around men.'

'Except we are still alone ad the only people who may know are your father, my mother and Lelantos who doesn't care.' She replied.

'Wait how does Lelantos know did you tell him?' I asked shocked.

'No Seaweed Brain, he overheard you and my Mum during your secret conversation on the palace roof as you were standing above his balcony. That reminds me I should make you pay for not letting me here what you said that night.' She said sharply.

'Hey you were the one eavesdropping that not my fault.' I protested.

'That's not the point; I spent days and nights imagining what you said. All the while hoping that you did like me.' She said pouting.

'And you were right again now come on let's go face the music.' I said wearily not looking forward to telling my cousin the truth.

'Can you do something about this first?' She asked pointing at her ruined clothes. I gently placed a hand on her shoulder and returned the garments to their prior condition. After doing so I realized I was only wearing a shirt and was missing my duster but then again the truth was out now and I didn't need it.

'One more thing.' She asked and I turned to look at her only to be grabbed around the back of the head and pulled down before feeling her lips against mine and our eyes locked opposite one another and I tasted cinnamon which I vaguely remembered as being familiar before she pulled away leaving it at an innocent kiss.

'You have no idea how much I wanted to do that again, the first two time were good but that one was better.' She said with a smile.

'Wait two times did I miss something again? I only remember it happening once when we had our battle.' I said confused.

'Oops, I may have done it again that night when you fell asleep, I had gone down to confess and you were asleep. After that I was too afraid to try again.' She admitted.

'Wait that was why I tasted Cinnamon when I woke up shortly after, you're a covert kisser.' I said putting things together before taunting her.

'Well if you hadn't gone to sleep none of this would have happened. Now come on Inspector before you have to investigate how my shoe got stuck up your ass.' She said stepping towards the door and with extreme relief I followed her looking forward to the future.

AN. And finally that is done. I hope I didn't mess that up for anyone and that you all enjoy it.

I wanted to get this out today as House of Hades is out tomorrow and I will probably spend the rest of the week reading that a few times for ideas for the future. I wont rip concepts from the book but I find the novels great for a character pool of people I don't know about in Mythology.

So next chapter around the weekend hopefully depending on Mr. Riordan.

As always read and Review