Percy probably shouldn't have told Estelle that he'd take her to the candy shop if they had time left after they finished buying things for Artemis, because she kept running in and out of stores, pointing the most random things out to Artemis.
"Estelle!" Percy said exasperatedly after Estelle pointed at a neon green scarf. "I think Arty can pick her own clothes"
Artemis had to keep her anger down because, unfortunately, Percy still hadn't told Estelle that her real name was Artemis, not Arty.
"But I can help her!" Estelle argued.
Percy held his hands up in surrender. "I give up"
"Estelle" Artemis said gently. "I don't think that scarf would suit me"
"Ok!" Estelle replied, not at all deterred, before running out of the store and looked for a different one.
"I'm an idiot" Percy said as they rushed after her.
"What's new?"
"Arty" Percy whined.
Artemis just rolled her eyes. "Come on, we have to catch up to Estelle."
That was no easy task. They had both underestimated the speed of a small child when said small child was motivated by candy. They were both panting and gasping for water when they finally found her.
"Estelle, for the love of the gods, please calm down. I promise i'll buy you candy later" Percy pleaded.
"Fine" Estelle crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.
A few minutes later, Artemis had caught her breath. "Your sister is way too hyperactive"
"If you think she's hyperactive, you should have seen me when I was a kid" Percy grinned.
"Oh, I don't need to see you. I am positive you were a menace" Artemis snorted.
"I was not" Percy pouted.
"How about a notebook?" Estelle interjected, pointing at a display.
Artemis looked at the notebook and was immediately hit with a wave of nostalgia. It was spiral bound notebook with 'written in the stars' branded across the front. A memory from a couple of years ago swam across her mind. She would rather not remember it. Although it was a happy memory, it reminded her of... Zoë.
*Flashback*
"Why do you always write in that dam notebook?" Artemis questioned. She was sprawled across her bed in her tent. Zoë was sitting on the sofa in front of it, writing in her notebook with her head tilted ever so slightly. Artemis didn't even know how she had noticed that head tilt. It probably came from centuries of knowing Zoë.
"I like writing in it every day. It helps me organize my thoughts" Zoë replied absentmindedly, shifting the pen's position in her hand.
"I don't know how you remember to write in it everyday. I barely remember to feed you all 3 times a day" Artemis remarked.
"Don't I know it" Zoë scoffed, being the one who reminded Artemis.
There was a silence for a few minutes. Then Artemis sat up suddenly, startling Zoë so much that she fell off the sofa.
"What thy Hades?!" Zoë demanded.
"Sorry" Artemis smiled sheepishly.
"A little help?" Zoë asked, holding a hand up. Artemis grabbed it and hauled her up. "Now, what was so important that thou had to startle me?"
"I just wanted to see what you're writing"
Zoë blushed. "It is better that thou do not see"
"Oh, come on. please?" Artemis whined.
"Thou acts like a child" Zoë rolled her eyes.
Artemis reached for the notebook which Zoë hugged tightly to her chest. A minute later Artemis had wrested the book from her grasp and was looking at that day's entry.
"Is this a drawing of me?" Artemis asked incredulously. Sure enough, there was sketch of Artemis lying on the bed, one hand in the air fiddling with a strand of hair.
"I was bored. Thou were just lying there so I decided to draw thee" Zoë admitted.
"It's so good" It really was. The details were all right, from the shape of the nails to the small strands of hair framing Artemis' face.
"Thou can keep it. I have no need for thy drawing" Zoë shrugged. Artemis grinned, ripped the page out, folded it and tucked it into her pocket. From then on, Artemis had caught Zoë drawing members of the hunt having fun and being their crazy selves all the time, all in that notebook.
*end flashback*
"Artemis?" Percy asked gently, looking at her with concern.
"I'm fine. It just reminded me of... Zoë" Artemis assured, faltering a little when she said Zoë's name.
"Stars" Percy muttered.
"She always loved them." Artemis smiled faintly, remembering Zoë's love of stars.
"Who's Zoë?" Estelle asked curiously.
"An old friend" Artemis told her.
"Where is she now?"
Percy and Artemis spoke in unison. "In the stars"
Estelle looked a little confused but didn't question it. She could see the sad looks on her brother's and Artemis' faces.
"I think i'm going to get one" Artemis decided, heading into the store. 5 minutes later she walked out with the notebook.
"Where to now?" Artemis asked.
"Lets get you some clothes" Percy said after a minute of thought.
"Ok" Artemis replied.
"Let's go!" Estelle exclaimed, leading the way. The entire time she was skipping and humming happily.
"How much sugar has she had?" Artemis questioned.
"She's always this excited when I take her anywhere. I think she's just happy to go anywhere with me" Percy admitted.
"That's so sweet" Artemis cooed.
"She's my little sister so I always spoil her. That's the only reason." Percy elaborated.
"That's not the only reason." Artemis argued. "She's genuinely happy. You know why? Because she gets to spend time with her big brother who is always kind to her and loves her so much. If it was anyone else, she wouldn't even crack a smile"
Percy stlll looked doubtful, which irritated her to say the least. He had to know how good of a big brother he was. She was honestly shocked at how good he was with Estelle. she had never seen a man act like that.
"Estelle" Artemis called towards the girl who was a little ways ahead. "Can you come here for a minute?"
"Yes Arty?" Estelle asked, peering up at her with wide eyes filled with curiosity.
"Why are you so excited that you could come to the mall with us?"
"Because I can spend more time with my big brother!" Estelle exclaimed, jumping up towards him. Percy caught her and swung her around before putting her down.
"See Percy?" Artemis looked at him with an 'I told you so' expression.
"Yes Arty, you were right" Percy rolled his eyes.
"Don't you roll your eyes!"
"Sorry Arty"
"Don't call me Arty!"
"You two fight so much" Estelle giggled.
"It's not really fighting, just... I don't know" Percy tried to think of the right words.
"What do you mean?" Estelle asked.
"Anyway" Percy changed the subject. "Here we are"
They all entered the store and Artemis looked around in wonder.
"So this is a modern clothing store" She remarked.
"You say that with so much wonder. It's just a clothes store. Nothing special" Percy laughed.
Artemis rolled her eyes. "Yes, well, it may be normal to you but to me, it's strange"
"How about this Arty?" Estelle said, holding up a dress that was dragging along the floor.
"Estelle, let Arty pick her own clothes!"
Estelle just stuck her tongue out at him. Percy stuck his out as well.
"You know Percy, you're so mature, it's hard to believe someone could be that mature" Artemis said conversationally.
"I know right" Percy replied.
"What about this?" Estelle interrupted.
"Estelle!"
"Percy, it's fine. That's actually really cute" Artemis gestured to the shirt Estelle was holding.
"It's your choice." Percy said.
20 minutes later they were at the counter with a huge pile of clothes. Most were picked out by Estelle but Artemis didn't have the heart to keep telling her no.
"Won't this all be a bit expensive?" Artemis questioned.
"Nah, doesn't matter. Posiedon's footing the bill" Percy held up a credit card his dad, Poseidon, had given him. "I barely use it, but I think it's fine in this case"
"Well, if Posiedon's footing the bill, then I think I need a few more outfits, don't you?" Artemis smirked.
"Why of course!" Percy exclaimed before turning to the person at the counter and asking if they could leave the stuff they had already picked up there. Then he grabbed Artemis' hand and pulled her along, the two of them racing down the aisles with a panting Estelle following them, yelling about how she was smaller than them.
"These look nice" Estelle said when she finally caught up to them, gesturing to a nice pair of shoes.
"They do" percy agreed. "Why don't you try them on?"
"Ok" Artemis answered.
Percy picked the shoes up and led Artemis to one of the seats. Artemis pulled her shoe off and reached for the ones in Percy's hands, but he jerked them away.
"Nope, that's my job" he pulled the shoe on her foot.
He looked up and their eyes met. It was like time had stopped. Artemis sucked in a breath at his gaze. It was warm and he was smiling widely which she didn't want to look away from. The moment was interrupted by Estelle's giggling.
"You two are like the prince and cinderella!" she exclaimed.
Percy turned bright red while Artemis' face changed to one of confusion.
'Cinderella?' Artemis mouthed to Percy.
"It's a fairytale" Percy whispered back.
Ok?" Artemis said, still confused.
"Percy! can you hurry up?" Estelle demanded.
"Coming, Estelle" Percy sighed, before turning back to Artemis. "Do you want these?"
"ummm, sure?" Artemis replied.
"Let's go catch up to Estelle before she grabs everything in the store for you"
Artemis put the shoes in the box and then the pair got up to grab an overexcited Estelle.
"Percy?" Estelle asked innocently, popping up from a random aisle.
"Yes?" Percy said carefully.
"Can we get a birthday cake from the bakery instead of candy?" she questioned.
"But its not your birthday... ?"
"It's not like the cake will know!" Estelle replied indignantly.
"I don't know whether to be proud or annoyed" Percy answered.
"Perhaps both?" Artemis suggested.
"Or we could just go get my birthday cake?" Estelle offered.
Percy rolled his eyes but relented after a bit more pleading from Estelle. "Alright, alright, let's just finish up here first"
And so the trio went to the counter and Percy paid for the clothes. It was then that Artemis regretted her decision of buying so many clothes as she nearly broke her hand carrying all those bags. Honestly, how did Aphrodite do this all the time?
"Need some help?" Percy offered with a smirk.
"Absolutely not. I think I am capable of carrying a few bags"
Percy rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say your majesty. Let's go get Estelle some cake and then we can head home"
"cake!?" Estelle exclaimed.
"yes, Estelle, cake. Why don't you lead the way?" Percy asked, a devious smile on his face.
"Percy" Artemis warned.
"yes?"
"need I remind you that I am a goddess?"
"…"
Percy was saved by Estelle who had grown impatient and started to head towards the bakery. There were, however, two problems with this. The first was that Artemis was carrying tons of shopping bags, which did not make running after an excitable kid and excitable teenager easy. The second was that Artemis was not a goddess that had good self restraint, which meant that numerous curses found their way to her mouth and had to be censored as she yelled at Percy.
"yikes, Artemis, calm down!" Of course, that was a mistake, as Percy soon learned telling an already angered goddess of the moon to calm down did not calm her down. Who would have thought?
"calm down? Calm down? I swear to gods Percy when I get my hands on you, you little…"
"please don't be mad at my brother arty" Estelle pleaded with her puppy eyes and how could Artemis say no to them?
"I'm not mad at your brother Estelle" Artemis assured the younger girl, although the glare she threw at Percy said different.
"yay!" Estelle cheered "Arty likes my brother!"
"Estelle!" Percy yelled, because he did not have a death wish.
"your sister is interesting" Artemis told Percy. That did not help the situation.
"Estelle just tell me what flavor of cake you want. I'll go get it for you" Percy had figured this was the best course of action considering they were only half way there and half the mall was staring at them.
"hmmmmm, I want chocolate and vanilla!" Estelle decided.
"Great, now stay with Arty and listen to whatever she says, ok?" Percy instructed her before taking off.
"come Estelle, let's go sit while we wait for your brother" Artemis led her to a bench.
"Do you miss your brother? I would miss my brother if I didn't see him every day" Estelle asked randomly.
"Of course I miss my brother" Artemis replied. Despite how much they fought, she still loved Apollo. She had always been close to her twin. He was perhaps the only man she could trust. Well, apart from Percy.
"well why isn't he here?" Estelle questioned.
why wasn't he here? Artemis had thought he would have checked up on her at least once.
"I don't know Estelle" Artemis admitted.
"I'm here, im here!" Percy yelled.
"how are you back so quickly?" Artemis asked.
"I did not want to keep you two waiting."
"mhmm, that's the only reason?" Artemis said skeptically.
"of course"
"So it has nothing to do with the fact that I promised I'd watch finding Nemo with you when we got home?"
"… No?"
A/N: I'm sorry for the late update. School happened, then exams happened, then summer happened, and then school started again. Point is, I'm back and I'll be updating more often now. Hopefully. Most probably. Hope you enjoyed the story so far.