Banished

38

Third PoV

Percy smiled and extended his arms toward Artemis when she appeared back home at the palace. "So, how did your meeting go?"

She approached him and sunk into the hug he offered, resting her head on his shoulder. "It went surprisingly well. You should prepare for a shovel talk from more of them, but that was to be expected."

He kissed her forehead. "There's something else. What is it?"

"I was thinking about how my family asked me when I would be having children," she replied.

"Pregnancy is a whole new topic," he remarked. "Obviously we would want to wait until Athena is certain that the mutated monsters are no longer a threat before you have any, but what are your thoughts after that?"

The goddess sighed. "I've dealt with preteen and teenage girls for as long as can remember, but I've never actually had to care for an infant. I have no idea how to parent, and I don't know if I would be a good mother."

Percy kissed her forehead again. "I'm sure that you would make a great mother. If you're really that unsure about it solely because you question your ability as a parent, we could get a pet first."

Artemis smiled and kissed his cheek. "I love you, Percy. Thank you for being so understanding."

"It's no problem," he replied, holding her tightly. "Now, what kind of pet do you think we should adopt?"

She thought for a moment. "I know I already have my wolves from the hunt, but I've always wanted a domestic dog."

"There's a lot of thought that would have to go into it," the god commented. "Don't get me wrong, I would also love to get a puppy. The main things right now are whether we should get the pet before or after the marriage and whether we should adopt one from a shelter or get one from a breeder."

"Well, the second answer is very easy," the woman replied confidently. "Purebred dogs usually have many more health issues than mutts, and not all animals from shelters find homes."

He smiled and gave her a quick kiss. "I love you."

"So, I've told my family and my schedule is clear for the rest of the day," she started. "Did you have anything in mind for us to spend the rest of the day on?"

"I want to tell my mom about our engagement, and I would like you to come with me," he responded. "If we visit today, she's going to find a way to get us to stay for dinner. Is that alright with you?"

"Of course," she replied, squeezing his hand. "Should we get going now?"

Percy checked the time. "Yeah, and, uh, to be clear, she knows about all the Greek not so myth stuff, so you can talk freely and whatnot. She might be a little surprised that you're a goddess, but she'll probably figure it out on her own since she knows I'm a god."

Artemis rolled her eyes lightheartedly at his babbling and kissed his cheek. "Lead the way, Mr Jackson."

They appeared outside his mother's apartment and he rang the doorbell.

The mortal woman answered quickly and let them in, giving them both hugs as they entered her home.

"I'm happy to see you, Percy. You can tell me this big news you have while we eat dinner, though, because it's almost done," she started before turning to her future daughter in law. "I'm glad to see you too, Artemis. I'm going to have to show you how to make my blue cookies one day. I swear, every time I bake them, he shows up. I have a batch in the oven right now!"

Artemis laughed lightly and Percy did a small fist pump.