I love thee a perzoe story

Zoe loves Percy

They were racing through the Garden of the Hesperides towards the top of Mount Othrys. Zoe stared at the back of Percy's head as he held Riptide firmly in his hand, swinging it at Ladon, the dragon that guarded the the garden. So similar to Hercules, she thought. But, she realized, he really wasn't like Hercules at all. Whereas Hercules had lacked conviction and loyalty, Percy's problem was the exact opposite: he was too loyal- to his friends, to his family, to perfect strangers like her.

"No!" she shouted.

"Run!" He barely knew her, yet he was willing to put his life in danger for her; she couldn't let anything hurt him. That was when she knew. She loved Percy Jackson. It was also the moment right after her realization that the dragon had bit her in the side, infecting her skin with lethal poison. Usually the bite would have just hurt and gone away in a few days instead of killing her, but as a Hunter of Artemis, the maiden goddess, the moment that she broke her vow to never fall in love, she was no longer a Hunter, and therefore no longer invincible to the bite's sting. Surprised and shocked at what this would mean, the pain of the bite made her cry out, but she was smart enough to know that she had to get out of there.

As they ran up the side of Mount Othrys, Zoe could feel Percy's vigilant green eyes on her, but she ignored him, trying to deny what she knew had just happened, until they got to the top, when he stopped her as she was explaining the past behind the mountain they were standing on. He interrupted:

"You're hurt." He pushed, "Let me see."

She shook her head and continued explaining, until they reached the summit of the mountain. There she suddenly spied Lady Artemis in chains, and she rushed forward to help her with a cry of shock. But to her surprise, Artemis stopped her with a strained voice, saying it was a trap. Only Zoe could see the realization in Artemis's eyes at what had happened to her. The others may not have noticed the lack of a faint shimmer on Zoe, but she knew the goddess wasn't stupid, and wouldn't be fooled. The disappointed but understanding expression on the goddess's face felt like a massive blow to Zoe, and she sallied forth to assist her without resisting the urge to cry. She tried to explain the situation to Artemis in a hushed tone while tugging at the chains that bound the young goddess, but it did no good- neither to tug nor to try to explain. Artemis just shook her head, but at which attempt on Zoe's part, she did not know.

Zoe turned away from her lady long enough to catch the tail end of the conversation that had been occurring while her back was turned:

"...as soon as I deal with this wretched girl," her father was saying. She assumed he was talking about her. Her eyes shone and her heart burst, though, at the sight of Percy stepping up to her father to defend her.

"You're not going to hurt Zoe. I won't let you." He said it with such determination, such strength, that Zoe almost believed that she wouldn't be hurt in the few minutes to come.

"You have no right to interfere, little hero," Atlas said with a mocking sneer." This is a family matter."

"A family matter?" Percy furrowed his brow in confusion, the way that usually made Zoe laugh, but that only pained her more for what she had to tell him. Apparently Percy didn't know the truth, and it was her duty to tell him.

"Yes," she said, strained. "Atlas is my father."

Percy's look of utter shock was so haunting, so shameful, that Zoe honestly zoned out for the minutes that followed. She was faintly aware of demanding the release of Artemis, a tense conversation between Thalia and Luke, and warning Thalia not to do something- join Luke, maybe? She was so caught up in the haze of the moment, that she only snapped out of her muddle when Percy's sea green eyes met her dark brown, nearly black, ones, and he spoke one word that sparked action into her lifeless body.