A/N: This was so hard to write. It kind of jumps forward a bit, but I hope you like it. More below!

Three years later

-Apollo-

I sat at my desk, filling out the day's paperwork. Zeus had gone very corporate on us the past few years. He wanted weekly reports on our various sectors to make sure his "kingdom" was running smoothly. Really, I think it was less about the reports and more about boosting his ego. He always had this smug look when we delivered them.

"Daddy!"

I turned in my seat towards the voice. My little girl, my Lex, launched herself into my arms, my sister not far behind her. I loved all my children, but I'd never been able to be there for them like I was for Lex. She just had a special place. Having her made me a better father, made me realize things I didn't notice before. Now, I checked on my demigod children as much as I could without breaking the rules. Sometimes, I even broke the rules, but I had to be on good behavior for now. My actions reflected on Addie….and Addie…It was a delicate balance, but I was managing.

"Did you have fun today?" I asked her. Lex nodded her head excitedly. She seemed to be aging about like a human, at least physically. Her intelligence was far greater than that of a two and a half year old, and her strength matched our own. She was working on the dexterity part. She fumbled like all children did, learning how to control and hone her body. She was learning very quickly, though, and once she did, her grace was stunning. She still held the innocence of a child, which I enjoyed.

"I shot a bow!" she squealed excitedly.

"Arrow, Lex. You shot an arrow with the bow," Artemis amended for her. While I completed approved of my daughter learning archery, I didn't think learning weaponry should start so young. She had an eternity to be a warrior. Right now, she should enjoy being a child. I looked at my sister, who just shrugged her shoulders. "What? She has to learn sometime."

"She's not even three yet, Artemis. What bow did you use?"

"Mine, from millennia ago. It was just two arrows," she pointed out. "She'll have to get a bit older before she grows into it, but she wanted to try it out. And how can I say no to that face?" she cooed. Lex laughed, a light and airy one that warmed the soul.

"I hit a tree," Lex stated proudly. I have to admit, I was proud of my baby girl. Addie would have been proud of her, too. I took a mental note to tell her next time we saw her. I fought the tug in my chest, forced myself to keep the smile. We were halfway there.

"Good job," I told her. "What else did you do today?" She jumped from my lap and ran to Artemis, holding out her hands. Artemis pulled out a jar from her bag, and Lex ran back to me with it. She offered it to me, and I stared at it. The jar held a perfectly formed little storm. Dark clouds swirled within it, varying in shades of dark blue and grey. While it emitted no sound, it vibrated every once in a while from what I suspected was thunder. It even had lightning inside it. Rain swirled around it, pooling at the bottom before cycling back to the clouds. It was a marvelous little piece of magic.

Lex had already shown an affinity for her immortal powers. She didn't have power over the earth, and she wasn't the best healer. She was wicked with instruments, though, which made me happy. But her best gift was the storms. I guess Addie's ancestry and mine melded perfectly together. Earth, Water, and Sun….it was what made a storm, and Lex had power over all of it. After Addie had Lex, the storms that happened when she was angry or upset disappeared. Maybe that part had been meant for Lex all along. The first time she really lost it in the toddler stage, she caused a storm so bad that power went out in New York for over a day. She really had a temper. I could only imagine what was going through my wife's mind. While I couldn't talk to her, that didn't stop me from checking on her through Chiron. He said she was beside herself during it, worrying over Elexis.

"This is beautiful, Lex," I whispered to her. She smiled at the compliment, her turquoise eyes twinkling in joy before glazing over. Her smile turned to a thoughtful frown.

"I made it for Mommy. I didn't want her to forget me."

It felt like the floor fell out from underneath my feet. This. This was the worst part about Addie's punishment. When my daughter looked at me like that, when all she wanted was something so simple as to see her mother and I couldn't let her…it broke my heart.

"We have another three months before we can," I reminded her. I'd explained plenty of times what had happened to Addie, why she wasn't here. Lex seemed to understand, but that didn't stop her from asking occasionally. Even my father had trouble telling her no. It was kind of amusing watching the King of the Gods crumble at a little goddess's request. Lex had most of the immortals wrapped around her tiny fingers. She was spoiled, but I made sure she knew how blessed she was. It's what Addie wanted, and I agreed. She never needed to take what she had for granted.

"I know, but I miss her," she sighed. I wrapped my arm around her, and Lex laid her head against my shoulder. I looked up at Artemis, who had tears, actual tears in her eyes.

"Why do you think she'd forget you?" I asked

"Because the others do. They never see their children either," she surmised. "Maybe she'll forget like them."

"No," Artemis responded thickly. She cleared her throat and knelt before me and Lex. "You know how at Camp, they give us offerings?" Lex nodded her head. "Addie gives one every day, even though she doesn't have to. She doesn't even eat. While we can never answer, she always prays for your health and happiness, that we will take care of you when she can't. She prays for each day to pass quickly, so that she's one day closer to having you back. She would never forget you. She loves you, Lexie. You are her miracle."

"It's just not fair," she whispered.

"It's not," I agreed. "But we are halfway there. You can be strong for her, right?"

Lex nodded her head while messing with the fabric of my shirt. I looked at Artemis, wondering what else I could do. It wasn't fair. I'd tried to get her out of it about a year ago, and my father threatened to tack on another two years. I'd resigned myself there was nothing to do but wait, as much as I despised it. Artemis looked just as thoughtful. Her eyes narrowed slightly, before a wicked grin broke out on her face.

"Lexie, what if I could get this to your mother? Would you like that?"

Lex nodded her head excitedly. I gave Artemis a disbelieving look. We didn't need to chance Addie's sentence becoming longer than it already was. "Artemis-"

She held up her hand. "Father will never know we had a hand in it. Trust me. I know a god who is willing to help, and there are plenty of channels to work through. Let me handle it."

"Please don't get anyone killed."

Artemis just gave us both a wink before taking the jar and disappearing.

-Addie-

Three years, eleven months, and twenty days.

I didn't keep tally of it on purpose. It was engrained in my mind at this point. Every day that passed got me one day closer.

At least my sentence was somewhat physically comfortable. The gods has graciously given me my own little home, right off the bay. It was far enough away that I wasn't with the kids and offered me some privacy, but close enough that they could come get me if needed. I walked out to the porch, the crisp early spring air biting my cheeks. It had been a lot cooler this winter, the cold refusing to leave. I had a feeling that it would warm up soon though. It always did before Elexis came.

I walked back inside. Her birthday was two days away, but it would be another three weeks before I could see her. I was given five days with my newborn daughter before I was banished from Olympus. I had a few immortals stop by on my equinox days. I'd seen Artemis, Athena, and Di a couple of times over the past few years. Di had been let off his punishment when I began mine for good behavior. He only had like six months left, anyways. Once, Thalia and Urban came down, and even my father dropped by. But they all knew what I really wanted. Those days were reserved for Lex and Apollo, but mostly for Lex.

It sucked, it royally sucked, but I'd accepted everything for a while now. I was getting near the end, and that's what mattered.

One more year. I could make it one more year.

I sat down on my bed to put my shoes on, but I stopped to stare at my gift from Lex. I'd kept it by my bed. There were plenty of nights I just sat there staring at it. It'd gone through a lot of channels to get to me. Hermes delivered it to Camp Jupiter, where it was picked up by Thalia and the Hunters, who gave it to Reyna to give to Nico to bring to Percy and Annabeth to bring to camp. It was risky, but I was grateful they managed to find a way to get it to me before the equinox.

For almost four years, it had been me, the Demigods, and Chiron. The winter months were a little harder. There wasn't as many campers, so there wasn't as many classes to distract me. I was confined to Camp, so there was no visiting the city. Percy and the others came to visit when they could. Percy and Annabeth were married, which I had to miss. Besides, it was probably good I couldn't leave camp. I don't know if I could be that close without being tempted to go see them. I tried once, and I just managed to shock myself in to a stupor. I was in a nice little cage. The same force that kept mortals out kept me in.

I shook my head. Today was going to be a good day. I could feel it.

I left my cabin, thoroughly bundled up. Snow was still falling, the result of the latest cold front coming through. I wrapped my scarf a little tighter around my neck and headed towards the Hephaestus cabin. Smoke billowed from their forges, meaning that Harley was already hard at work. I stepped in and heaved a sigh. The heat was sweltering but wonderful against my cold skin. I had a sword class in about an hour, a weekly one for the few campers that stayed here year round, but I had enough time.

I remember when Harley first came to camp, a tiny eight year old who looked at Leo like a god. Now, he was fifteen years old and one of the best smiths I'd ever seen. He wasn't so much technical as he was artistic, and all of his work was stunning. The weapons he made could have been for the gods. Harley was seated at a workbench, these weird glasses fitted on him, ones that magnified what he was working on. He had a tiny screwdriver in one hand and a set of tweezers in the other. I leaned against the doorway and watched him work, absolutely fascinated. The finesse…it was something I could never do. I edged closer, and Harley looked up, a huge grin on his face.

"How's it going?" I asked as I sat beside him. He pulled off the glasses and moved his work light out of the way.

"It's going. I'm glad you are here though," he ventured. "I wanted you to take a look and see what you thought."

He beckoned me closer before setting the tiny locket in my palm. It was no bigger than a mortal quarter, not extremely thick and light as a feather. I pressed the tiny latch, and it sprung open. The scene inside of it was gorgeous. It was tiny mountains carved from a deep green stone I'd found while wandering around the camp. There was a tiny yellow diamond that took the place of the sun, and the sky seemed to shimmer and move with tiny clouds rolling over it. Just looking at it, it looked like a regular locket (minus the moving sky). But the true magic of it was that it played whatever you most wanted to hear. Right now, I was hearing the Second Waltz, but it was a rendition played by Lex on the piano. She played for me the last time she was here. I swear, I never saw a bigger smile on Apollo's face. Lex could play anything on any kind of instrument. He said she picked up his Lyre and just started playing some symphony. She had a gift, and she loved music.

"It's prefect," I whispered.

"Not quite. The magic you imbued with it is messing with the wiring for the sky. It stops after a few minutes, see? But that's on me. I needed some celestial bronze wiring. I'll have it figured out before she visits, don't worry."

"Thank you for helping me with this." I handed it back to him.

"Thank you, Addie. I mean, I didn't think I'd ever make anything for a goddess."

"It still feels weird when you call me one. Besides, you deserve to make more than just a necklace for my daughter. I know quite a few gods and goddess that would be impressed. After all, the work you've done on my daggers-"

"It was nothing!"

"It was stunning. They never dull now, and the handles! Trust me, if you are up to it, you'll have a lot of business coming your way."

"Thanks, Addie," he muttered, a blush rising on his cheeks.

"I'll see you in class later." I left the shop, deciding to take the long way around to the arena. I didn't need to eat like a mortal now, so there was no point in going to breakfast. There were still things I craved, like French fries and cinnamon rolls, but I only needed a little of nectar and ambrosia every once in a while. I usually only went for dinner when I offered up my daily prayer.

I neared an outcropping that looked over the bay, the air clouding in front of me as I let out a breath. The edges below me were frozen, the waves adding to them with each roll. I looked over the bay, pulling my jacket closer around me. It was nothing like the warmth of Apollo's arms. I closed my eyes, almost imagining that he was here. His whispered words brushed against me skin, and I smiled.

"You've done incredibly well."

I knew that voice. I whirled around, ready to throw a dagger and send a blast of energy to banish that old hag right back where ever she came from. It may have been years, but I was still pissed.

"Clotho." She gave me an appraising look, eyeing the dagger in my hand. "You shouldn't be here, if Zeus-"

"He doesn't command me, young goddess, and neither do you. I will be wherever I desire."

I took a step back. I think it was the most I'd ever heard her say. I lowered my dagger. The last thing you ever wanted to do was piss off a fate. "Sorry. I just don't-"

"You don't want to make your punishment any worse? No worries about that, dear."

I edged to the side, a little skeptical. There was no way I was putting my daggers up just yet. "Why are you here?"

"I've been meaning to come talk to you. We all agreed it would be for the best if I did, but things needed to die down a bit. If we'd come earlier, you would have tried to kill me."

I still kind of wanted to. "Why would you want to talk to me?"

"Well…I'm here to explain some things. We owe you that. And apologize."

"Apologize? I beg your pardon?"

"When I wove your thread, gods, it was going to be beautiful. A demigod hero that became a goddess, who took over the duties of the earth. You'd find true love despite a broken heart. Tiberius was just a chapter in your life, but he made you into who you were. You were made for Apollo, Euadne. He's your other half. It just took too long for both of you to see it. But everything is finally set right now."

"Wait. What are you saying?"

Clotho smiled. "That was your fate. Not all the tragedy and backstabbing, not all the lying and pain. You were always meant to be an immortal. We…we weren't ourselves back in the split either. We let the gods go too far before we stopped them. It took a long time to make things right again. So on behalf of me and my sisters, we are sorry. We are in your debt, goddess."

"Does that happen often?" I breathed.

Clotho chuckled. "Not really."

"I wanted to kill you for that hat. I felt like-

"Like you had no power. It's the immortal in you. Fate always has a plan, darling."

"And now?"

"And now…you deserve some happiness. There will be trials, but I think you deserve a bit of quiet for a while. Don't you? Just be patient."

She turned to walk away. Thoughts raced in my head, the words bubbling up before I could stop them. "Wait!" Clotho turned. "The… I- I…the hat? The quest? Me coming to see you? The curse lifting, Gaea coming back, the second split….you knew all of that!?"

"Not exactly. Remember what we told you before? That fate is certain points, but the path to them can change?" I nodded my head. "We always knew you would be a mother. We knew one day, you'd become a goddess. We intervened to set things right, but Fate had to work itself out."

With that, she vanished, disappearing in a swirl of snow.

-One Year Later-

"Percy," I gushed. "He is so stinking cute."

I held Annabeth and Percy's little boy, Aeneas, in my arms. Their son was just four months old and completely adorable. He carefully watched me with intense grey eyes, the same color as his mother. I tickled him just a bit on his tummy, and he let out a peal of laughter. Other than the eyes, he looked just like Percy.

"So does that mean he gets your blessing?" Percy asked.

"My blessing may not count for much," I countered. I made a funny face, and the baby laughed again. I waved my hand, making a pacifier appear in it. "Father didn't?"

"Of course he blessed him," Percy wagered. "After all I've done, I think they kind of owe me. They better protect my son."

"Plus, it was a competition to see whether my mom or his dad could bless him first," Annabeth added. I handed the baby back to her, and she looked at him lovingly. It was a little weird, seeing Annabeth and Percy as parents, but they looked the part. They were both around twenty seven now. They had jobs and started a family. I realized I'd watch then grow old, watch their kids have kids….it was bittersweet, that feeling. I'd been used to it for a long time now, but it didn't make it any easier. I'd miss them.

"And who managed to get there first?" I asked as I sat back down.

"Poseidon, but mother said she's getting the next one, and if he even tried that it'd be worse than the Trojan War," she huffed. "Please don't let that happen."

"I'll do my best," I chuckled.

I looked out from the deck, sipping on my cup of coffee spiked with nectar. It was warm for March. The sky was dark, the humid air almost sticking to my skin, but it's what I expected for today. The wind was choppy, the waves in the bay rough. Percy would feel it too. The weather was on edge.

"When are they coming?" Percy asked me.

I shook my head. "Not until later today, I'd imagine. Zeus would make them wait until my time was completely up."

"You think? He let Mr. D off for good behavior."

"I think we'll know when they are allowed to come," I said waving towards the sky. "Are you guys heading back to the city later?"

"Actually, we were going to go to the beach. We rented the cabin in Montauk. Thalia and Leo were going to come by," she trailed off, looking uncertainly at me. I offered her a small smile. To see them meant they had to leave me.

"I'll stay here. Go see them," I offered. Percy and Annabeth looked at each other. "I'm serious! It's my last day. I can manage to be alone for a bit on my last day."

"Fine, but we are coming back by before we leave," Percy promised.

"I'll be right here."

Percy walked up behind me and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. He gave me a squeeze which I returned.

"We're going to miss having you around so much."

"I know. Me too," I quavered. When my punishment was lifted, that meant I'd have to abide by the immortal rules, which meant keeping my distance from mortal affairs. I'd have to watch from afar.

"Just come when you can," he responded as he let go of me. "See you later?" I nodded my head, and Percy followed Annabeth towards the path that led to the big house.

Things were quiet at camp today. There were no classes to distract me, nothing to do but wait. It was maddening, but I wanted today to be a good day.

Last night, Chiron had given me a rundown of my new orders from the gods. I was taking over the duties of goddess of the earth. Demeter and my Father, along with a few minors, had taken over the duties when Gaia went into her slumber, but apparently it was time for a new goddess. I would also oversee the training of the demigods at both camps. I'd assist Chiron, basically taking Mr. D's place, but I wouldn't be around as much. Getting to see everyone every once in a while would be more than enough. It was a dream job, if I had to be honest.

I closed my eyes, letting the damp breeze wash over me. The air smelled like the outdoors, like fresh rain and pine. It was wonderful.

"Momma?"

I opened my eyes. A little girl stood in front of the house, just five years old. I'd recognize her without ever seeing her or hearing her voice. Her very essence was ingrained in my memory. Her wheat blonde hair hung past her shoulders, laying in soft waves. She wore jeans with boots and a long sleeve shirt. Her hair was pinned out of her face, showing off bright turquoise eyes that matched my own.

"Elexis."

I ran to her, tossing my cup the gods know where. She broke into a sprint, meeting me halfway. She jumped into my arms, clinging to me. Thunder clapped the moment we touched, and rain began to pour down in sheets. She smelled like the fresh air after a thunderstorm, pure, clean, and wild. She didn't get wet, and neither did I, despite the rain pouring down around us.

"I wasn't expecting you for hours," I gushed as I pulled away from her. She wore the necklace I'd given her last year around her neck. I examined every inch of her. She'd grown in the six months since I'd seen her. Her eyes were bright and confident, her cheeks rosy. She looked happy and healthy, which is all I ever wanted.

"Grandfather let us come early," she whispered. She wrapped her arms around my neck, hugging me with all her might. I laced my hand through her hair, holding her to me. I'd never have to let her go again, knowing I couldn't see her. That freedom…gods, it brought tears to my eyes.

"He said he couldn't stand her pouting anymore," a voice announced from behind me.

I turned with Lex in my arms to see my husband. Apollo stood with his hands in his jean pockets, looking perfectly at ease. I knew him better than that though. His eyes were molten, pure liquid bronze. The emotion in them couldn't be mistaken.

"Daddy told me to pout really hard," Lex admitted in my ear. "Said we could make him give in early." I laughed, one so bright and merry that I swear the foliage around us turned a brighter, more vivid green.

"That so?" I questioned Apollo. He took a step closer, his eyes drinking me in.

"It was a team effort," He explained. He was close now, barely half a foot of space between us. He reached up, softly caressing my cheek. I leaned into it, closing my eyes as the warmth flooded me.

"Can we show Mommy her surprise, please!?" Lex begged.

"I have a surprise?"

Lex nodded her head excitedly. She looked to Apollo, who looked a tad petulant, but resigned.

"We always have later," I whispered to him, knowing exactly what he was thinking. His eyes brightened, that adorable smirk I fell in love with gracing his features.

"Correction, my love. We have forever," he said before placing a soft kiss on my forehead. He took my hand, and together, we walked into the cabin.

And he was right. We did have forever.

The end.

Oh my god. I can't believe this is over. Between this and fighting fate, it took a little over 3 years to write. I really hope you enjoyed the story.

Thank you for each and every review, for the time you took to read each chapter and respond. It means so much to a writer to get feedback from your readers. You guys are amazing. As much as I hate to let this go, I need to focus on some original work. I might visit this again, but it will be a while. However, if you have any requests, things you want answered, ect. feel free to drop it in my inbox. I'm more than happy to discuss!

Check out some of my other work! And who knows...maybe you'll see me on the shelves soon.

love, H