A/N: Hello, it's me. I know it's been a long time, but better late than never. I've had some writers block, and my Percy Jackson vibes are kind of dying under school work. I want to continue to the finish for this story, it may just be very drawn out. Thank you for being patient to whoever is still reading.

Chapter 20

I was dropped onto the sandy shore and was relived to see that he didn't take us to Atlantis, but it was still close to his territory.

"Could you have picked a different spot?" I wanted to kick him in the face, but I couldn't stand yet after the fall. He must have sensed my incapacity and had a lopsided grin.

"Of course I could have. We could be underwater right now adoring Percy's niece."

I was glad I was already sitting, because that phrase would've knocked me to the ground. I felt all the air leave my body as I laid there. I blinked a few times.

"His niece?" Apollo gave a half laugh.

"Yeah, that's normally what you would call the child of your sibling. Well I think so anyway. I'll never have one to know." I was elated and agitated all at once.

"I know what they're called." I snapped at him and he laughed again. I was getting really tired of his laughing.

"Look Arty, the point is it's not Bubble Brain's baby. He really wants to see you." I sighed and saw the waves breaking against the shore. I knew he had been looking for me. It took all my power to make sure no one could. It was draining.

"I know he does." His smile faded and this was the most serious I had seen him in a while.

"Artemis, when are you going to stop running?"

"I'm not running," I answered defensively.

"I'm pretty sure you climbed up a tree to run from me today. Admit it, you're getting tired of it." Yeah, it was getting old constantly having to back track and check over my shoulder. But I needed it.

"I wasn't just running. I more than doubled my forces and I'm not done."

"Yeah, I heard about your new recruits. They're merciless. I heard one girl shot a man in the forest just because he broke a tree limb." I winced. Yeah that had been a bit of an extreme. The new girls had been more man hating than the rest, but they had their reasons. Well, mostly.

"They're not all like that." He gave me a knowing look.

"How would they react if they knew their leader was in love with a man?" I stayed silent. I knew how they would react, which was a reason why I was running. If I went away long enough I had hoped my pain would just turn into hate. It had been working too, until Apollo said it wasn't his baby after all. I knew my tough exterior was starting to crack and it was only a matter of time before the new hunters would call me out on it.

"They can't know. They would demand my head."

"It will only be worse the longer you hide it." I leveled him with a glare.

"I know that! But right now there's nothing to tell, it's all in the past." He rolled his eyes at me.

"Sure Arty. Let me know if that opinion changes in ten minutes." He was walking away from the shore, leaving me lying on the beach.

"Apollo! Where are you going?"

"My job here is done." I picked up seashell and hurled it at him. He ducked at the last minute and turned back to me with a pained look on his face.

"Look, I would never do this if I didn't think you needed it. And you know I'll be the first to kick his ass if he hurts you." He was right, but that didn't mean I had to like it. I scooped up sand and hurled it his way, but it just scattered in the air.

"Nice try. I'll be around if something happens." He retreated over the dunes and I stared after him. How hard would it be for me to teleport? At least a few hundred yards away. I closed my eyes and tried to focus my energy. Nothing. Well nothing except a drops of water falling on my knee.

I took a deep breath and smelled the scent of the ocean and seaweed. It was normally a comforting smell, but now it made me want to burrow into the ground.

"Artemis?" His voice was smooth and cool, but it wavered with emotion. I took a deep breath before opening my eyes to see the hope in his.

"Perseus."

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Percy's POV

I froze when I saw her. I couldn't convince myself that she was really there, that Apollo actually found her. So I walked over to her. She had her eyes closed and she looked so peaceful. I had to know if it was really her.

"Artemis?" I sounded weak. She kept her eyes closed for a while and took a deep breath. When she opened them, all the air left my lungs. Her eyes were cold as steel and she held no trace of a smile on her face.

"Perseus." I recoiled at the tone. It was sharp like a knife and I felt like I was going to be stabbed many more times by the end of this conversation. I sat down next to her, keeping my distance. I was fidgeting with the sand below me and running it through my fingers, while she remained still as a statue looking out at the sea. Her only tell that she was nervous was the way her feet kept burrowing into the sand.

"What's her name?" The question startled me but I couldn't help the smile that took over my face. Just thinking of my little niece made me happy.

"Tessaria wants to call her Morgan." She let the name wash over her and she looked deep in thought.

"Princess Morgan. It's nice." Princess. I let out a half laugh and prayed for that little baby.

"Yeah, I don't want to give her the princess title so quickly. That's a lot of responsibility to put on her shoulders." We could both understand that.

"Are you ever going to tell her the circumstances of her birth?" She sounded like she was investigating me.

"Haven't really thought about that yet. I'm sure we will, it's only right. She's Triton's and it's not fair to just give him the uncle title."

"When's the official unveiling?" I wished there never would be one, but that was a perk of being royal.

"The Atlantians will see her in three days. Poseidon is trying to arrange an extravaganza on Olympus next week." Artemis gave a soft smile and I could see her exterior starting to crack.

"I'm sure that will be a blast." I had to look at her and get answers. When I turned she reluctantly looked at me too.

"Are you going to be there?" I saw the storm under her eyes. She was at war with herself and I just hoped I could be on the winning side. She bit her lip and I had hope that I was gaining ground. She opened her mouth and I saw a slight upturn at the corners.

"Yes." I let out a sigh of relief and wrapped her in a hug. She was stiff as a board but I didn't care.

"Artemis, I've missed you," I whispered and she relaxed a little. I pulled away so I could read her face. She was still wearing a mask and I knew she wasn't going to tell that easily.

"These past nine months…"I paused thinking of the right word to describe it. "It's been hell not knowing anything. Not knowing if I was the dad, or where you were, or if I would ever be able to talk to you again."

"I guess you know all of those things now." She sounded bitter. I deserved it but she suddenly scrambled to take it back.

"I'm sorry Percy. These past nine months have been rough on me." I was sure of that. I knew that I wasn't the only one that had been suffering. I covered her hand with mine and she didn't pull away.

"I'm sorry. I never wanted to hurt you, you know that right?"

"I know you didn't mean to. It wasn't the ideal situation." I heard a little of the old Artemis back and I felt myself smile.

"I don't expect you to forget about this, but is there a chance we can move on from it?" She was deathly silent and I would've given anything for the ground to swallow me whole. I was laid bare there on the beach and she had the power to control me. I was thinking she was going to stay silent until I left and I was about to until I felt fingers lace through mine. I looked at her in surprise and I saw the smallest smile spread on her lips.

"Yeah. I think I could move on." I scooted closer to her and crushed her in a hug. Nine months without seeing her. Without smelling the sweet scent of pine and hearing her bright, clear laugh. I pulled her closer and I heard her wince.

"Ah!" I slowly released her and saw her pained expression.
"Arty? Are you okay?" She took four deep breaths and her eyes were clearer again when she opened them.

"Well, not really." I took her hand ready to do what I could to help her.

"What happened?" I saw the slightly tinge of pink on her cheeks.

"Well, I kind of went through labor today."

How the… Then the pieces fell into place.

"Your blessing to Tessaria. Triton said she didn't feel anything." She looked down embarrassed.

"Yeah. Didn't feel a thing." I saw the way she cringed when she shifted around.

"Every time you give your blessing you have the labor pains?" She nodded.

"Is it always this bad?" She gave out a half laugh and tried stretching her legs out.

"I've never had a demigod child. It was more….challenging." I gripped her hands in mine.

"Artemis, why did you do it?" She avoided my eyes.

"She didn't need to suffer anymore than she already was." Looking at her now, we were worlds away from the icy glares.

"You didn't need to either."

"It's part of my duty." Her voice cracked on the word. I scoffed.

"Duty. Why does that control everything we do?"

"Percy, you know who does." I did and I wish I could have killed them a hundred times. She squeezed my hand.

"They Fates aren't always kind, but we were chosen for a reason." I involuntarily smiled thinking of the situation. Here she was, in pain because of her duty and she was still gracious about it.

"That's why you're the Olympian."

"Well it's true. It's not random what they gave to us. It's our responsibility to take care of it."

"Sure, but I'd still like to have a stern talk with them. They're playing with us like we're puppets. They drop obstacles in our life just for their entertainment." I heard her laugh clear as day and she leaned her head on my shoulder.

"I think we've adapted to those pretty well."

I looked down of the mess of auburn and kissed the top of her head. If we could get through this, we could get through anything together.