Remember For Better Or Worse? Artemis and Apollo as step siblings?

Well I figured this would be a short and entertaining thing for the end of the twelve days of one shots: aka Christmas Day (don't expect any updates for a while).

🎄🎁🎄Merry Christmas!🎄🎁🎄

-Jaz

~~~~

How They Care

"I can't believe Christmas is tomorrow," Artemis smiled sitting on down a chair in the kitchen.

"Did you finish all your shopping?" Her stepmother, Leto, asked where she stood looking in the fridge.

"Yup," Artemis said closing her eyes and getting comfortable. "I got some stuff for Dad, something for Zoë, and of course something for you, not gonna tell you what though."

"What about Apollo?"

"Hmm?"

"Apollo? My son?"

"Oh yeah, him! I got him..." She trailed off for a moment before she opened her eyes and sat up. "I didn't get him anything!"

"You should hurry up with that then."

"Well I doubt he got me anything. It'll be fine," She said laying back down.

"Actually he told me what you he got you. I think you'll like it."

"Shit!" Artemis screamed standing. "I'm taking the car!"

~~~~

"So you've finished wrapping everything then?"

"That was the last one," Apollo replied. "Mind helping me carry all these to the tree?"

"No problem," his stepfather, Zeus, smiled beginning to pick up the wrapped presents and skimming the names on them. "Can't believe this is going to be the first Christmas with all us."

"Well two more people mean two more presents," Apollo smiled. "Wait. Unless did you and Mom combine on mine?"

"Maybe," Zeus shrugged walking away. "Hey I noticed none of these are for Artemis. Is hers already under the tree?"

Apollo blinked. "Huh?"

"Artemis. Ya know the girl about your age who lives here?"

"A present for Artemis... I didn't buy her anything! Damnit it's too late? Do I need to get her something?"

"If she gets you something it'd be awkward," Zeus answered putting presents under the tree. "And if you buy her something and she didn't get you something it'd be better for you in that strange rivalry you share."

Apollo quickly threw the presents under the tree. "I'm taking the car!"

He ran out the room and to the key holder were the key to car he and Artemis now shared sat. But when he grabbed the key he found another hand on it. His eyes narrowed. "Artemis. What do you think you're doing?"

"Taking the car. What are you doing?" Artemis replied with a glare.

"I'm taking the car."

"No you're not."

"Where are you going right now?"

"I forgot to buy Zoë a present."

"Bullshit. She's you're best friend you've had her present picked out for months," Apollo said with a smirk.

"Well- it doesn't matter! I need to go to the mall!" Artemis declared pulling the keys from his hands and heading to the door.

Apollo walked after her. "Wait! I- I need to go to the mall too."

Artemis pulled on her coat and frowned. "I'm not shopping with you and I'm driving." When Apollo opened his mouth to argue but she raised a hand. "With your driving we won't live to enjoy Christmas morning."

"Fine."

As they hurried out the car Zeus walked into the kitchen. "He forgot."

"I knew he would," Leto nodded. "And you were right about Artemis forgetting. So I prompted her into going to buy something for him. I assume you did the same?"

"I had too. I know our children."

Leto laughed. "Now let's just hope they get home without killing one another."

~~~~

"I'll meet you back at the car in... two hours?" Apollo told Artemis.

Artemis shook her head. "It's Christmas Eve. They close in one hour. And with all these last minute shoppers I'm gonna need all that time."

Apollo nodded and took off into the crowd of people rushing around. Once he was far enough away Artemis followed so he wouldn't see her going in the same direction.

Soon enough she came to the bookstore and hurried in. But now she had a different problem. A time constraint, huge store to search for a single present, and long line of customers.

Artemis took a deep breath and began to hurriedly skin the aisles. "Okay what does he like besides hot people?"

~~~~

"I'm screwed," Apollo muttered running around the store. "I have no clue what she likes besides silver and archery! I guess I look for silver things..."

But unfortunately for him everything silver in the stores he dashed in and out of were clothes and jewelry. Two things which would get him killed by her if he gave them to her.

He glanced at the clock so close to giving up when he noticed a T-shirt. The most perfect T-shirt ever, so perfect that she couldn't even kill him for it. He grabbed a small hoping that was the right size and ran to the check out line. He bounced on the balls of his feet, his eyes continuously flickering to the clock on his phone.

"Come on. Come on," he muttered. There were seven people in line in front of him and ten minutes until the store closed. People moved too slowly for this.

"We are now closed," a voice declared over the intercom.

"No!" Apollo shouted running forward. He slammed a twenty on the counter. "I'm taking this! Keep the change!"

When he made it back to the car Artemis wasn't yet there. He internally smirked before he realized that now he was stuck standing outside in the cold, and that he hadn't bring his jacket.

~~~~

Artemis glared at the person behind the counter. "I was standing in this very spot handing you money right before the announcement came on. If you had taken the money instead waiting for a minute first, I still wouldn't be here!"

"We are closed miss."

"Either take my fucking money or I am stealing this book."

"You're admitting to stealing?"

"I haven't done it yet so it's hypothetical," Artemis growled.

The man behind the counter only crossed his arms.

"How about this. You let me pay for this and I'll give you a twenty dollar tip."

The man's eyebrow raised and his eyes flickered around at the other around him who were busy arguing with their own customers. "Alright." He allowed Artemis to pay and then asked for his tip.

Artemis shrugged. "Sorry. It's late, my account is closed."

"You were paying with cash."

She shrugged and turned to leave. "That's nice. See you now."

"I'll tell my manager!"

"Go ahead! Tell them that you were going to take a bribe!"

The man didn't respond and Artemis smiled as she ran out of the store.

When she reached the car Apollo was standing there holding a plastic bag close to him as he shivered in the cold.

Artemis quickly held her bag behind her back. "You should've brought a coat," she told him.

"S-shut up! And u-unlock the car!" Apollo glared.

~~~~

"Alright any presents left?" Zeus asked.

"I have something for 'Pollo," Atermis said passing him a present.

"I got you something too," Apollo told her passing her his present.

"You actually bought me something?"

"I'm just that awesome."

"You're many things but I doubt awesome is one of them."

"Oh come on Arty. You can't deny my amazingness."

"You might want to stop talking before your ego makes your head any bigger, Polly. Once it does you might not fit in the house," Artemis told him. "Actually, one second thought keep talking."

"Oh very funny."

"Can you guys just open the presents?" Leto suggested.

Both the teens suddenly remembered the gifts in their hands and tore off the wrapping paper.

"Perfect!" Apollo smiled. "I lost my old one! Thanks Artemis!"

"What is it?" Zeus questioned.

"A song writing book."

"I will wear this shirt everyday," Artemis declared pulling on her new T-shirt.

"I don't wear bows I shoot them," Leto said reading off the shirt.

"Thanks 'Pollo."

He smiled.

"Group hug!" Leto declared pulling them both in close.

After a moment Zeus chuckled and joined. "I'm jut glad we prompted them to buy each other things." When all eyes landed on him he blinked. "I said that aloud then?"

"What do you mean 'prompted'?" Apollo questioned. "Is that why you questioned if I had bought her something last night? And then I had run around the mall?"

"You got me to buy him something?" Artemis realized looking at Leto. Then she turned to Apollo. "You didn't buy me anything till last night?"

"Hey you didn't buy me anything until last night either!" Apollo argued.

"That's not the point!"

"It's completely the point Arty!"

"I should've bought you a Polly Pocket if anything! Instead I nearly punched a guy for you!"

"I gave away extra cash for you! Just you'd have a nice Christmas!"

"I was trying to give you a nice Christmas! I put effort into this!"

"I can't believe I spent time caring about you!"

"I spent more time!"

"Yeah right!"

"Will they ever stop bickering?" Zeus questioned.

Leto gave a small laugh. "It's how they show they care, so I think it's better if they bicker, but since I know you don't like it I bought you another gift."

Zeus raised an eyebrow but took the present from his wife and opened it. "Ear plugs?"

"Merry Christmas honey."

He laughed and put in the ear plugs enjoying what he heard. "Merry Christmas."