It has been 2 years since Zoe and Percy have moved to New York and since then, Percy has successfully avoided Olympus and the gods, other than Apollo, Poseidon ,who was very happy to know that he has a grandchild, Hestia, she visits every now and then, and surprisingly Artemis, who became good friends with Zoe to the point of calling her mom. It surprised both Artemis and Percy, although Percy was asking not to be turned into an animal while Artemis just laughed. Percy and Artemis have also grown closer together to the point of going out on Mondays and Fridays, and somehow none of the Olympians know about that. Not even Aphrodite.
"When will I see mom again?" Zoe asked her father.
Percy almost did a spit take with his blue colored cola.
"What?" Percy asked, setting his drink down.
"When will I see mom again?" Zoe repeated.
"This Friday I believe," Percy replied, not even bothering to correct her.
"You didn't correct me this time," Zoe stated.
Percy sighed.
"Sometimes I forget that you are actually 10," Percy said, "you act as if you are 12 or 13."
Zoe just stuck out her tongue at her father and then an Olympian flashed in.
"Zoe cover your ears for what I'm about to say," Percy said without turning around.
Zoe did as she was told while Percy got up and turned around.
"What the fuckin' Hades do you want you slut!" Percy shouted at the love goddess, "Don't you even care that I have a 10 year old in my apartment?!"
"She won't say a thing about this meeting to anyone," Aphrodite replied, "I'll make sure of it."
"You won't be doing anything to my own daughter bitch," Percy told her, thanking Chaos that Zoe's ears were still covered, "now leave. I don't want anything to do with you."
To emphasize his point he brought out Maelstrom and put the sword to her neck.
"Fine, but just wait till I tell Zeus that the hero of Olympus has a daughter," the goddess said.
"You tell him and your children won't have their mother nor their powers."
Aphrodite then backed away and flashed back to her palace.
"Wow," someone said, making Percy turn around, "I was hoping she'd show up and then you threaten to make her fade."
"Hello Arty," Percy said, "I thought that you'd be here Friday. It's Wednesday."
"I wanted to give Zoe something as an early birthday present," Artemis replied with a small, soft smile.
"Mom!" Zoe shouted seeing Artemis.
Artemis laughed as she turned into her 33 year old form.
"Hello my little Archer," Artemis said, happy that she's getting to know her own daughter, "how are you doing?"
"Good," Zoe replied, "are you going to go out tonight dad?"
"Might as well," Percy said before turning to Artemis, "do you think that Thalia would like to watch Zoe?"
Artemis nodded and said, "Let me go get her."
She then flashed away and a few minutes later, appeared with Thalia.
"Aunt Thalia!" Zoe said when she saw her "Aunt", "Are you going to watch me while mom and dad go out?"
Before Percy could say anything Thalia turned to Artemis saying, "I never knew you and Perce were married. Does dad know about this?"
"Shut up Thals," Percy told her before giving a slight chuckle, "next you'll be saying that I slept with her."
Oh Percy, Artemis thought, if only you knew.
"You ready?" Artemis asked as Percy nodded.
"Yeah let me just get changed and we'll leave," Percy said, "oh and Thals. Same rules as last time. Bed by 9:00 and she likes the story of the Titan's Curse."
"I remember," Thalia replied, "just don't do anything that Aphrodite would do."
Artemis blushed and Percy went into his room to change. When he walked out, he was in a dark navy blue tux with a black tie.
"You ready Mi'Lady?" Percy asked Artemis.
"Yes I am," Artemis replied as they both entered the elevator, "where are we going tonight?"
"A very expensive restaurant," Percy replied smiling, "and before you protest, it's because you're my friend Arty and you've given my daughter a mother figure to look up to, so think of this as a way of saying thank you."
Artemis smiled at him and when she saw the car that they were taking, said, "Where in the world did you get this?"
"I got it in an auction a few years back and now I use it whenever I go out with friends," Percy replied, coming up with a lie in a split second.
Artemis looked at him, as they entered the car, and said, "I know that you're lying Perce."
"Fine, I might've had a couple of flings in London," Percy replied, "they were just 1st dates and some 2nd dates which didn't workout at all. I figured that I'd try and move on."
Artemis nodded, waited a few seconds and said, "That's good. Um... Percy?"
"Yes?" he asked as they entered a parking lot to an expensive restaurant.
"I'm... nevermind," Artemis replied.
Percy raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything.
"Well here we are," Percy said as he got out of the car.
They then walked up to the doors of the restaurant and Percy said, "I made a reservation under the name Jackson."
"Right this way Mr. and Mrs. Jackson," the person at the front said.
Artemis looked at Percy and saw that he was a bit red on his face and felt sure that she was as well.
"Well, let's go," Percy said before they started walking towards their table, "thank you sir."
"Your welcome Mr. Jackson."
Percy then pulled out Artemis' chair and she sat down, with Percy sitting down across from her.
"Order whatever you'd like," Percy told her, "I'm buying."
Once they ordered their food, Artemis said, "You tricked me didn't you Percy?"
"I have no idea what you mean," Percy replied innocently.
"Why did you really bring me out here?" Artemis asked Percy.
"I knew that you'd say no right to my face if I asked you out and so I decided that I'd trick you," Percy answered, "I'm sorry for that."
"So you wanted to ask me out, but you were scared that I'd reject and instead tricked me into a date," Artemis said with slight amusement, "you do know that we've been dating for 1 year, right?"
"Well yes, but only as friends," Percy replied, "and I was hoping if you'd become my girlfriend."
"Yes," Artemis said, surprising him, "also I think that I should tell you who the mother of your daughter is."
"Who?" Percy asked.
"I'll tell you in 2 years," Artemis replied, "after all you did make us all promise to claim the demigods by the time they were 13 correct?"
Percy nodded and said, "You are correct. I just hope that you don't lie to me."
"I swear on the River Styx that in 2 years time, you will know the real mother of your daughter," Artemis said, "now let's eat."
After they ate, the two of them talked a bit more and then paid for their food.
"I had a fun night Percy," Artemis said when they got into the car.
"Me too," Percy replied smiling as he started the car.
When they arrived at his apartment, Artemis said, "Why did you become an Assassin?"
"Thalia told you, huh?"
Artemis nodded as Percy sighed.
"Because it was... a choice," Percy replied looking her dead in the eye, "I wanted to do something that I was trained to do. So I joined my Uncle's Brotherhood in London and I found that I was a decent Assassin."
"It's just that being one of them doesn't suit you," Artemis said.
"I understand ," Percy replied, "it's just, after all that's happened to me since I was 12..."
He trained off, making Artemis nod.
"I understand Percy," she replied.