Disclaimer: I don't own The Heroes of Olympus or its characters. Enjoy the story.

Completely Heartless

Juno caught the little boy's hands as he tripped towards her. He tilted his head up and smiled at her. His teeth were tiny, a scar above his lip curled, and his smile was both shy and open at once.

"Hopefully your motor skills improve, little one." The woman said.

He is very agile, the she-wolf said. It sounded -dare she say it- defensive. He is just very distracted by newcomers. Especially by gods. He senses all of you with a surprising agility.

Upon hearing her voice, Jason straightened up and hobbled off towards her. He laced his arms around Lupa's neck and buried his face in her coat, babbling about the cave and bedtime.

Lupa ducked her head and with a swing of her paw and a twist of her neck, she managed to flip Jason so that he was on her back.

What do you say, little one? She chastised.

"Thank you Lupa," he said softly before reclining against her neck and falling asleep.

Juno got up from the ground and dusted off her blue robes.

"And?" She asked.

And what?

"How is he doing?"

Well as you can see, he is a healthy and content child- as are all my cubs may I remind you.

"I mean power and scent wise," Juno asked. "Have you gauged that?"

He is still young.

"I know how old he is, that isn't what I asked," the queen of the gods snapped. "I took him to you because you were the best of the best. You are supposed to be able to know these things, Lupa."

Lupa starred her down. I am doing you a favour by taking him in so young, queen, do not sass me. Do not give me attitude. Do not challenge me. Your champion can be my midnight snack if I wish it.

"Nonsense. He is a Roman child." She said the next part with arrogance: "Besides, he reminds you of Remus and Romulus."

The she-wolf growled and the arch of her back inverted, as if she would ponce. Jason stirred and she stopped. She relaxed.

Clearly Juno had trod on a path still sensitive, years and years and years after the original wound had been inflicted.

The day Romulus killed Remus, Juno recalled, the day we all found out just how bloody this new empire would be.

Jason will be strong one day. He is kind and he worries about others. When a cub is injured, Jason is the first to notice and sit down with it. I don't know how powerful he is because he is a child and I will let him be a child. Lupa said fiercely.

"He did that for a cub?" Juno asked with a smile on her lips.

"Yes."

"What else does he do?"

Lupa eyed her cautiously.

The other day I caught him playing a game that he calls basketball. He says Lia was good at it, whoever she is- I don't suppose it's now that you'll tell me. He was throwing his ball into a hole in one of the old trees outside the house.

Juno smiled.

"Cute," she said.

Lupa made as close to a snort as a wolf could. I didn't think that 'cute' was what you were looking for, Lady Juno.

"Not me," she said. "Others? Yes."

Jason was holding Thalia's good basketball in his arms as he ran up the driveway. He tripped, not letting go on the ball. It bounced under him and tossed him onto his back. Thalia laughed once before picking him up. Being a tot, half of his falls didn't even make Jason think about slowing on. He ran away again.

"Lia no ball Lia no ball. Jason's ball, Jason's ball. It's mine. I make point. I make point."

"All by yourself?" Lauren asked, putting her hands on her hips.

Jason looked up at the basketball hoop, hanging over the garage door.

"Uh oh," Jason said when he suddenly realised that there was a height issue. She laughed.

"That's why we play basketball in teams," Lauren said. She scooped him up, and her long legs made up for the height.

"Oh no, you're going to score!" Thalia said. She ran forwards in a mock attempt at defense, but Jason managed to drop the ball through the hoop.

"Yeay!" Lauren cheered for him. She put him down. The smile on his face was brighter than she'd ever seen it. His blond hair was ruffled because of the autumn wind blowing around LA, and his blue eyes sparkled.

He started dancing around.

"I made point I made point I made point!"

Lauren laughed some more.

He's still playing basketball, you know. He even scores.

She didn't know where the voice came from, but she knew it. She knew that Jason still did. Of course he was still playing basketball, what else would her little bugger be doing out there? Just because he wasn't with her anymore didn't mean that…

Well, this was just a dream that Lauren was having. So the correct term was probably 'wished'. She wished that she knew. She wished that Jason was still playing basketball somewhere out there. She wished that Jason was still somewhere out there instead of… Well, the alternative to being alive.

Her dream quickly shifted and the thought was far from her mind.

She was sitting down on the chair next to the night stand. Very little of her energy and presence was currently in Lauren Grace's room, to avoid being recognised or losing her temper. But just enough of it was there for her magic to work.

"He's playing basketball still," she said softly. "He still carries all those memories with him. He even explained to his guardian how penalty shots worked. All those days on the driveway are still in his head, a year later. He remembers, and he cherishes those memories too. He's so safe."

Juno had to tell her. She knew fully well that by bumping Jason forwards on the road to his destiny she'd separated a mother from her child, and she wasn't so thick or distant from mortals that she couldn't feel the pain of it. Mother of her bastard stepchildren or not, Lauren Grace was still a mother. Juno was one too, no matter how her four children had turned out. Better than knowing, she understood.

"He even still has that nickname for his sister. Lia."

"Lia," the other woman mumbled sleepily.

"Yes," Juno said with a small smile. "And he's a complete sweetheart. You wouldn't guess how tenderly he treats others."

And Juno was not completely heartless.