Rick Riordan owns PJO/HOO in all of the two series glory! Speechless because, well, look at the chapter number...Onwards, my lovely readers!
Chapter Forty: Figuring Things Out
Point of View: Third Person
After the little episode with his father, Percy heads to the Realm of the Moon. He walks clear to his home in the Valley of the Hunt. When he walks through the doors, he heads straight to his room and just looks at the bigger bed.
He sighs. "Artemis." He murmurs. He smiles a little. "Looks like it will be different from here on in. I couldn't bear to lose her now. It would be worse than before." He whispers.
He sits down on the bed and then lays down. He looks up at the ceiling, contemplating over everything. It's only a couple hours later when he feels a light pressure on the bed beside him.
"Thinking again, my Guardian?" Artemis asks him.
He sighs and turns his head to gaze at her, her eyes melting his tension immediately. She smiles at the effect. "I am always thinking, my Moon. There is not much in the way of stopping me. I am needed."
She smiles. "It is time you rested. Let others worry along with you. I know you want to spare others and bear the burdens from their shoulders, but you cannot do it alone. It is impossible."
I chuckle and shake my head. "Not impossible for me, but I will try. It is hard to not help others." He wraps his arms around her. "Especially those that I love," He whispers. "With all my heart." He kisses her.
She smiles into it and he jumps a little as she touches his old Achilles' Heel with moonlight.
"Artemis." He says breathless.
"I never showed you because it was nerve racking before. Now that I am used to it, I can show you." She says.
"I thought you wanted me to sleep." He laughs.
She sighs. "I do."
"What do you want?" He asks her.
"For you to sleep." She grumbles.
This makes him chuckle. "I think you need to sleep as well."
She snuggles into him further, burrowing into his warmth. He holds her closer and smiles.
When she is close to sleep and so is he, he asks a question. "Are you sure you want them?"
Artemis looks up at him tiredly and kisses his cheek as she smiles. "Absolutely."
Her answer warms his heart and his eyes flutter closed. She smiles and kisses his cheek again, watching him sleep. Even in his younger form that he switches into, he still looks older and more mature than you could ever think him, but when he is sleeping, he looks so young and like nothing in the world could make him grow up. She closes her eyes and falls asleep, entrapped in his embrace.
~The Next Morning~
The huntresses all look in to see their patrons and Phoebe and Thalia come inside first before others follow. Still some others standing in the doorway. Thalia shakes Artemis and she looks up at her. Artemis glances at Percy to find him still sleeping. She slips from his hold and climbs off of the bed.
"Milady, is he alright?" Atalanta asks.
Artemis nods. "He is still healing. Leave him be. He is finally resting."
Everyone nods and files out into the dining room where brunch waits for them. They all thank Naisha and begin a conversation.
"Is it the emotions and all that has been going on?" Thalia asks.
"Yes. He has not gotten the chance to rest and still has so much more to take care of as a new god. He will not be here all day today from what he told me." Artemis sighs.
"Oh? What all is there left for him to do?" Phoebe asks.
"I don't even want to get into that. Just some details he needs done, plus he is on high alert for Nico and the others. More, so much more to do." Artemis looks sad.
"His emotions ride higher than yesterday and are fluctuating more freely." Tiffany states.
"He talked with Poseidon yesterday." Artemis admits.
"What?!" Thalia drops her fork.
Artemis nods with a brooding look on her face. "Yes, he finally got all that out of his system. We also had news to tell my father and brother. So, that plus Poseidon probably is the cause of his sleeping off the emotion high."
Everybody nods thoughtfully. "So, when do you think he will wake up?" Jade asks.
"Who knows?" Artemis shrugs. "Depends on how much he plans on healing and if he won't awaken until fully mended. Could be later today or tomorrow or a couple days from now." She says as she eats slowly.
"What did you speak to dad about?" Thalia asks curiously.
"I am...how to best explain this?" Artemis muses.
"My lady," Atalanta looks flabbergasted. "Are you with child?"
Artemis nods. "Yes and no."
This confuses them all. "How can that be?"
"I am pregnant, yes, but not with one child." Artemis tells them and they all smile.
"How many? Twins like you and Lord Apollo?" Phoebe beams at her.
"Uh, no. Not even close." Artemis shakes her head and they all look at her strangely. "Nine children."
"How can you tell?" Jade asks.
"I am not mortal and the souls are already tied to both Perseus and I." Artemis says.
~Four Hours Later~
"Is he still not up and about?" Phoebe asks Artemis in worry.
Artemis shakes her head as she comes out of the bedroom. "Hasn't even moved. He must be more tired than he let on." She sighs.
"I am sure he will be fine, milady." Thalia reassures her.
~The Next Day~
Artemis blinks her eyes open to find herself in the same position she was in before when she crawled back into his arms. She watches his stress free face and enjoys it. She feels the girls are already going about their day and is glad they let her be with him.
After another two and a half hours, he wakes up and breathes deeply as he starts to move. He sits up and then looks down at Artemis.
"Morning sleepy." Artemis giggles and she sits up to lean against him.
He just looks at her for a few minutes and then smiles. "Morning." He finally answers.
"You do realize you were asleep for two days, right?" Artemis asks.
His eyes widen. "What? Crap!" He says, but she pulls him back down on the bed before he can get up completely.
She giggles. "Calm down, nothing happened."
He nods and lets her pull him back down on the bed. "Okay. How are you?"
"I am great." She smiles hugely.
He nods and rubs a hand across his face. He blinks as he looks around the room. "I feel a little different today." He comments and stares at the wall.
She looks at him. "How so?"
"Like a weight is gone." He admits. "Maybe it was my admittance of my feelings to my father and accepting the fact that he still loves me." He sighs. "And sleeping off a lot of everything probably helped. I feel awake and hyper."
"Do you absolutely have to go?" Artemis whines.
Percy looks at her with a raised eyebrow. "Is something wrong?" He pulls her closer.
She shakes her head. "You're a workaholic. Spend some time with me."
Percy looks upset. "I am sorry."
"Oh, no! You didn't hurt my feelings." She backtracks and he seems to shake it off.
"What would you like to do?" Percy asks her.
"How much work do you have to do today?" She asks him.
"I only have to visit Teliria and help Nico if he should call on me." Percy answers.
She sighs. "Okay. But hurry up." She groans as she falls back onto the bed.
He chuckles. "Someone's impatient." He flashes out before she can say anything and she grumbles to herself.
He makes Teliria his official Protector Lieutenant and Arthur his official Companion Lieutenant. He helps Teliria grow his symbol even faster and helps her plant the next one in places where there is room in the graveyard. Dadarios calls on him and he names a mortal Tender for the Verafold. A boy of fourteen named Samuel Jahanason. Then he flashes back to his room in the Valley of the Hunt.
Artemis is staring at the ceiling. He leans in the doorway. "So, am I the only busy god these days?"
She jumps and looks over at him frowning playfully. "You're a new god, of course you are busy. I have everything done already. All I have to wait for is for a job to do for the war."
"So, what do you want to do?" Percy asks.
"Come lay down with me." She tells him.
He laughs and comes to sit next to her. "I think you should get up."
"I don't want to get up unless you are going to come with me somewhere." She says.
"Alright." He replies and lays next to her.
"You are in an older form." She points out.
"So are you. Your emotions are easy to read, Artemis." He connects his mind with hers. "Especially when I do this."
"It feels different." She wonders.
"I wonder why." He chuckles quietly.
That's it for this chapter! See ya soon, my lovely readers!