I am Artemis

Ultrasound

Kaori

It had been about a week since that day I told Inu I was pregnant. I had told everyone who helped thank you. I exchanged numbers with them and they said I was welcome at their restaurant anytime. I thanked them and when they left I talked with Ash. Today was the day he was taking me to someone who would do the ultrasound for my baby. I was nervous, but I felt better when he said Tory would be coming along. I stood outside of my law firm waiting. Soon a sports car pulled up and the door opened.

"Come on, Kaori." I smiled at Ash and climbed in.

I shut the door and buckled up. As Ash pulled away from the curb I turned and faced Tory.

"Hi Tory! How are you doing?" She smiled at me.

"I'm doing amazing. How are you?" I smiled back at her.

"I'm doing great. I've been busy and the tea I got from Mama Peltier has been helping immensely with any of the morning sickness. Not to mention the recipes she's shared with me. It has helped immensely." She looked so happy.

"That's so good. I'm so happy for you, Kaori." I felt a warmth in my chest.

"Thank you, Tory." She nodded and then Ash cleared his throat.

I turned to him, "I'm happy to see you too, Little Brother."

He gave me a look, "that's not why I cleared my throat and you know it. Has he contacted you?"

I frowned and looked out the front window.

"No. He hasn't. I did go see your mother and told her what today was. I promised to bring her a copy of the ultrasound. She said she would have a word with him, but I," I looked out the passenger window, "I'm hoping, but the likelihood he will actually show up is probably slim to none. I know what I did hurt him, but if he doesn't show up today it will hurt me just as much. Two wrongs don't make a right. Even if he doesn't come I'll be okay. I have a wonderful brother and sister here with me."

Ash

She didn't turn back to face us. My eyes met Tory's in the backseat and I could see the fury in her eyes. We had been getting to know each other once I told her the truth about the journal. She never said who was about to the world, but she shared it with the world. My curse didn't affect her in any way whatsoever, just like Kaori had said. We pulled up to a gate and I heard Kaori unbuckle.

"Ash, where are we?" I looked at her.

She looked confused. I patted her head, ruffling her hair.

"All of our squires have an in-home clinic. That includes an ultrasound machine. So come on." She nodded and the gate opened.

I drove in and it closed behind us. Kaori opened her door and stepped out. She started to move her seat to let Tory out.

"I'll let her out on my side, Kaori." She smiled and nodded.

She stepped away and closed the door.

"Where is he, Acheron? He should be here for this. For her." Tory climbed in the front passenger seat.

Kaori was leaning on the hood of the car with her arms wrapped around herself.

"I know he should. My mother called me this morning and said an order didn't work on him. He said that Kaori told him not to make promises he can't keep. I think there's more to the story, but I don't want to ask her. She's been through enough and doesn't need the extra stress." Tory slipped her hand into mine.

I turned to her and she smiled at me. She leaned forward and kissed me. I kissed her back.

"Let's go be our sister and friend. I'm ready to see her baby." I smiled at Soteria.

"Thank you for being you," she smiled at me, "always hun."

Apollymi

I was furious with Chatos. He was following my orders except going to see Kaori. I was ready to beat the shit out of him. I opened the door to my throne room and found him on the balcony. I snarled in anger.

"If you're not here to go see Kaori then get out." He turned to me.

"I can't, Akri," I narrowed my eyes at him, "why?"

He looked down, "I understand she is a goddess of another pantheon, but I don't understand why she can't break the habit of doing everything on her own. She's had our help for hundreds of years. Why won't she just depend on me completely?"

"Are you seriously asking that," he looked surprised, "she does. She trusts you with every fiber of her being. It may not seem that way, but she trusted you enough to tell you the truth about how she felt about my son. She respected you enough to not hide the pregnancy from you. She protected you from my son's wrath when you were being an idiot! Kaori changed my son's future. She changed my life and she has become someone who I would trust with all my heart. My son trusts her wholeheartedly because even though he hurt her she never blamed him. She always understood my son's actions before he knew the truth about Kaori, before he even knew she existed. That woman thinks twenty steps ahead to ensure the safety of those around her. You're angry and have said hurtful things to her and she isn't angry at you for it. She still wants to make it work and let me tell you, that's a trait that is rare in humans now. They do what's best for them, not the people they supposedly care about. She may have lived, but she dealt with a fear that she may not get to stay here. The moment she became Artemis one fear she had was Artemis would come back and she did. Then Kaori had to go to Artemis's mother. She couldn't ask for our help because she needed the god and goddess who birthed Artemis to help make her the new Artemis. She couldn't answer the phone or tell you because they would've killed you."

He scoffed, "that's no excuse. I don't need her to protect me."

Inu

I knew right then and there I had messed up. Akri gripped me by the ear and dragged me outside. She threw me down on the ground.

"Foolish! You are foolish and a prideful idiot! She put you to sleep to fix Artemis's mistakes. She left when you compared her to the monster who raped her and molested her sister. She protected you when she thought she would disappear! She feared that Leto and Zeus would return Artemis back to her goddess self and Kaori would be trapped in a human body, arrested for murder! She didn't loop you in because Zeus would have killed you. They may have let Kaori become the new Artemis, but if you had been there they would've forced her to choose. Kill you or they would." I looked up at her.

What?

"That's right, you fool. They would've slaughtered you. She protected you because she had finally found happiness. Someone she wanted in her life and someone who she loves. Her decision to keep you in the dark about the blackouts was because they came on suddenly and it would be up to Artemis's parents who became the new Artemis.  It could've gone the other way and she could've ended up human again, but Artemis messed up. She made a mistake in the human she had inhabited. She disrespected Zeus and that was all it took. Be lucky you are alive. That girl  had a list of things to fix the moment she realized who she had become. She was willing to sacrifice herself to fix the mistakes Artemis made because she knew all about my son and what happened to him. She fixed almost everything that bitch had a hand in ruining. She deserves better than how you have been treating her. Now if you're ready to go be with her to see your child for the first time you better get moving." I had seen Akri get mad before, but this wasn't just her being mad.

She was beyond furious with me. I had only ever seen her this way when it came to her son. The fact that she was defending someone who wasn't her son surprised me.

"Well?" I looked up at her.

She was glaring at me. I knew that depending on what I said next would seal my fate.

If you can't get over the fact that Leto and Zeus would have killed you if you had been there then get out!

"I'll go." A door appeared.