Disclaimer: I do not own The Heroes of Olympus.

Jason had learned a few things upon returning to Camp Jupiter. One, being missing for almost a year suddenly made you the most popular guy at camp once you were back. Two, everyone and anyone, even the people you weren't particularly close to (or never met before), took it upon themselves to personally welcome you back. And three, this meant that no matter how hard you tried, you were not, under any circumstances, going to have a moment to yourself (even when you were training, which was pretty dangerous considering how many times he'd almost gotten skewered).

He had missed being at camp a lot. It was the only home he ever knew, but as thrilled as he was to be back and see all of his friends again, to be honest, he wished everyone would leave him alone, just for a little while. He and the rest of the Greek campers had arrived three days ago, and he was still being bombarded by campers and the people from town telling him how happy they were that he was back.

Truthfully, he wanted some time so he could speak to Reyna. Since he had arrived at camp, they had only said few words to each other. They didn't have a lot of opportunities to talk, just the two of them, and the only time he saw her was during Senate meetings, which didn't leave a lot of time to talk about anything except the impending war. From the few times they had spoken to each other, he couldn't even tell if she was happy to see him.

That evening, he'd finally been able to sneak away from his Fifth Cohort friends and make his way back to the praetors' villas. Sure, he technically wasn't a praetor anymore, but Percy had insisted that the house was still his.

He had made it to the front door of the villa, and was about to step in, when he noticed the lights in Reyna's house were still on. Before he could stop himself, he walked over to Reyna's door and let himself in.

Before his extended fieldtrip to Long Island, Jason and Reyna had been really close (enough so they could walk into each other's rooms without knocking). They were praetors, best friends, and, if his memory didn't fail him, he had a feeling that they could've been something more. Of course, that was until he was kidnapped by his crazy, godly stepmother.

He found Reyna at her desk, rifling through old books and scrolls. She looked up at the sound of the door opening and met Jason's electric blue eyes. He was greeted by Reyna's dark eyes, along with two pairs of ruby ones, courtesy of Aurum and Argentum.

He stood at the entrance, wondering if it was okay to come in. Sure they had been close before he disappeared, but things were different now. Did Reyna still think of him as his best friend, like he did? And Aurum and Argentum didn't seem so friendly towards him anymore, baring their teeth like that.

"Hi," he started awkwardly.

"Jason," she said, slightly puzzled, "did you need something?"

"Uh, no," she could see a small blush creeping up his cheeks. "I just saw your light on, and I thought I'd come in. If you're busy, I can leave." As an afterthought he added, "Sorry I came in without knocking. It's just, before I disappeared we never knocked so…"

"It's okay. You can hang out in here if you want to."

Reyna looked back down at her various papers and notes. Jason was about to step out, not wanting to disturb her, but he had been wanting to talk to her. This could be his only chance. He ignored the voices in his head telling him to leave and stayed, trying to look casual. Of course, that was pretty hard when he didn't know what to do. Or say.

He glanced around the villa. Everything looked like it had eight months ago. Decorative spears on the wall. Check. Aurum and Argentum lounging beside Reyna's desk. Check. Photo of the two of them from last summer. Check. He walked over to the photo hanging on the wall. It was one of his favorites. Reyna actually had a real smile on her face, rather than the stern expression she usual wore, and he was next to her with an even wider grin. They were wearing their praetors' robes. He was pretty sure it was from one of the celebration days after they won the war last year.

"I remember this." He gestured to the framed photograph.

Reyna looked up from her papers again, giving him a quizzical look. "You do?"

"Yeah, it was during one of the parties last summer. After the war." He grinned, recalling another detail. "Remember when the Second Cohort stole Octavian's stash of stuffed animals?"

Reyna had gotten up from her desk and walked around it so she was standing by Jason. A smile was on her face too. "Yeah, and then they gave them away to the kids in town." They laughed at the memory. "I'm glad you remembered."

"I remembered you too."

The words slipped out of his mouth without a second thought, and the blush that had crept onto his face when he first entered the room was nothing compared to the blaze lighting up his cheeks.

"I-uh. I mean, when I forgot everything-I didn't remember anything but my name, and you-sometimes I'd hear voices, or your voice, in my head and-uh-"

While Jason struggled to make coherent sentences, Reyna watched, slightly amused. The flustered look on his face was enough to elicit a small smirk from her. Finally, she cut him off from his stuttering.

"So, you remembered me?"

Jason cleared his throat awkwardly. "Yeah."

"Well, even if it was just my name, that's nice to know." She turned to look back at the photo. "You didn't totally forget about us." Her voice was wistful, like she had thought about this before.

Suddenly, a guilty feeling struck him. He had left Reyna at camp and she had been forced to be strong and lead everyone by herself. Granted, it wasn't like he had wanted to leave (or knew), but the thought was enough to make his chest feel tight, like a hand was gripping his heart.

"I'm sorry I left."

Reyna tore her gaze from the photo to meet Jason's electric blue eyes.

"Why? It's not like you could've done anything to avoid it. And it was the right thing to do."

"Still, I'm sorry for leaving you here alone." He let out a heavy sigh. "I know you're plenty capable of handling everything, but, you and me, we're a team, and I should've been there to help."

Reyna walked towards Jason so she was standing in front of him. She placed her hand on his shoulder and squeezed it lightly, like she used to do before he disappeared. It sent a familiar warmth through him that he hadn't felt in a while.

"Don't be sorry. It doesn't matter that you left. What does matters is that you're back now. You don't have to feel guilty."

She gave him a reassuring smile and he returned it. While standing together, another familiar feeling passed through Jason. The same one that made him wonder if maybe there was supposed to be something more between him and Reyna. They stood for several moments staring at each other, but finally, Reyna broke eye contact, and the feeling was gone.

She walked back behind her desk, and Jason watched her, still as composed and graceful as the day he left.

When she was settled back in her chair, he spoke up again.

"I know I'm back and everything that happened was inevitable, but I can't help but wonder what things could've been like if I hadn't disappeared. Maybe things would be different."

He stared at her intently, carefully observing her.

"It's not wise to dwell on what could've been. All you can do is face what the Fates have handed you," she said soberly.

"You don't think," he started slowly, "that things could've been different?"

"They probably would be, but it's not what things are like now."

"You don't think things between us would've been different?" he asked bluntly.

Reyna paused her note-taking, but she didn't raise her eyes to meet Jason's. The silence was palpable as she stared at the page in her hand thoughtfully.

"Maybe." Her tone was final, like there was no explanation needed. "But like I said," she finally looked up, "it doesn't matter now. Now, we have to deal with what is happening."

Jason nodded mutely. Maybe. That could mean anything. Maybe they would've ended up fighting constantly and decided to end their friendship. Maybe one of them might've ended up dying in battle. Or maybe they would've realized that they were in love with each other and lived deliriously happily for the rest of their lives. Maybe...

"Jason?" Her voice pulled him from his thoughts.

"Yeah?"

"Are you okay?"

Honestly, he didn't know the answer to that question either. Was he okay? He couldn't be sure. All that he knew was the there was a feeling in the pit of his stomach telling him maybe wasn't a good enough answer.

"I'm fine," he lied. "Just tired. I think I'm gonna go to bed." He walked towards the front door, Aurum and Argentum finally remembering him again and winding themselves through his legs. "I'll see you in the morning."

He was about to leave when he heard Reyna's voice call him again. "Jason?"

"Yeah?"

He paused in the doorframe. Reyna got up from her desk again, and before he knew what was happening, she had wound her arms around his waist and pulled him into a hug. The suddenness wasn't the only thing that caught him off guard. Reyna was hugging him. The daughter of Bellona didn't just hug people. His arms were limp in shock for several moments before his motor skills returned and he wrapped them around her.

"I missed you," she said into his shoulder.

He smiled as he hugged her tighter. "I missed you too."

When they pulled apart, Reyna was quick to compose herself again. She gave him one last smile before saying goodnight.

"Goodnight."

Maybe. It wasn't a real answer. It wasn't an acceptance. But it wasn't a rejection either. It was a careful. Smart. Something you could say when you aren't sure of something. But it was hopeful too.

Jason stared at Reyna's villa as he walked back to his own. Sure, it wasn't a real answer, but he'd get one eventually. And he'd stay hopeful. And just maybe things between them would be different one day.

AN: A big apology to any readers that follow me or have been waiting for me to post or update something! Sorry, I've been so caught up with school recently and as soon as it started, it sucked me in like a black hole, and the only things I've been writing lately are reading notes (lots and lots of notes, ugh).

Excuses aside, I hope you really like this! I'm a pretty big fan of the Jason/Reyna pairing, but probably mostly because they're like the Roman equivalent of Percy/Annabeth. Maybe not my best work, but cut me some slack. The most romantic thing I've encountered recently is the Romantic Era. Haha.

I hope you enjoyed this! Reviews are welcome and appreciated!

xoxo Cherie