Happy Mark of Athena Ever, folks! I realize that is probably deserted now but OH MY GODS WAITING IS NEARLY OVER! Thank you to everyone who waited for me and Jeyna fans, the moment of truth is near.
So I post this now because I had this idea, this beautiful idea, and it's quite possible that after Mark of Athena it just won't work with anything. Anyways, enjoy this and enjoy your books if they come out where you live!
Disclaimer: Me no own
Waiting for Grace
The First Time
The First Grace
"Hey, I know that after this quest, when we get back to camp... you probably won't want to stay." Jason said.
"How do you know that?" Reyna asked.
"Because that's who you are. I found you in the woods and before that something horrible happened to you and now you aren't trusting anything. But I promise, Camp Jupiter's a good place. It saved me when I was a baby. Maybe it'll save you too." Jason said.
"I think you're enough of a Saving Grace for taking that sword for me," Reyna said. "Who needs another?"
"You do," Jason said.
Reyna didn't deny it.
A year
"Well aren't you cute, Pretzels," someone said. One of Reyna's braids was flicked into her face as she walked home from the senate, and she wildly slapped in the general direction of the culprit.
"Is that a reference to my hair?" She asked as Jason ran to avoid her hand and shoulder her.
"Yes, Pretzels," he said with a twinkle in his eyes.
"What's wrong with my braids?" Reyna asked. She wasn't mad. Jason's playful and happy energy rubbed off.
"Nothing," Jason said. "I said you were cute, didn't I?"
"Hmm, maybe you should grow yourself some braids." Reyna suggested. Jason laughed.
"Please don't create yourself a mental picture for that it's bad." He said. He flicked her braids. "Sorry, I've been wanting to do that all day, P-"
"If you call me Pretzels one more time you won't have a tongue by the time we're back in New Rome," she said. Jason laughed. His eyes were twinkling and he just looked like the most charismatic and happy person on earth.
Go on, Grace, she said. Say something else. I'm just waiting for your move, because I won't make mine. I've got to wait and see if it'll pay off.
The end of the Wait
He pulled back and part of him looked surprised with himself, part of him looked impressed with his own guts. Reyna felt about the same, but most of her felt as if a bunch of emotions had gone through the blender and were now mushed beyond recognition.
They were both panting. Reyna wondered if that was his first kiss too. Nope, she determined.
"That was nice," he said.
"I hope so," she said. "Because if we can do better…"
"Well we can try," Jason suggested.
Best idea he'd had all day.
The Second Time
Waiting One month
After the initial terror of finding an empty bed, empty room and empty villa; Reyna was just annoyed. And waiting for him to pop up at the Camp's border lines with missing armour, ripped jeans, and a wild story, all because he was Saving Grace of course. He didn't need to be saved. Ever.
Two Months
Reyna put down more red disks on the table-map of the United States in the principia. More places the legion had looked, more places where Jason Grace was not.
"Hank, move that one to the right. Your right." She said.
She gave a few minutes for the other twits in the room to read and register the map on the table. Her plan was already formed.
"We'll try New York, Arizona and Oregon." She said. "I want the first and second cohorts in New York. The third in Arizona, Four in Oregon, and the Fifth stays here to guard."
"You trust them to guard the fort?" Octavian asked snidely after a snicker went through the lines of Centurions.
"No, but I trust them if Jason comes home." Reyna said fiercely. "And you will do good not to start questioning my decisions just because we are waiting for the return of our second praetor."
His face fell.
"Yes Reyna."
Three Months
"Reyna?" She heard. She looked up from a map of the United States divided by territory of gods' temples, and saw Hazel Levesque at the Principia door.
"Yes Hazel?" She asked.
"I just wanted to ask… are you going to stop looking?"
"Looking?"
"For Jason."
"No," Reyna said. "No, of course not. There's a chance that he's alive. We're going to have to ask your brother for further detail when he comes back, of course. But if Jason hasn't come home on his own, then he needs help, and Rome does not leave men behind."
Hazel bit her lip.
"Hey, I miss him too," Reyna told her friend. "And so do a lot of people."
Hazel nodded.
"I wish I knew what my brother would say," she said. "Just once these stupid gems and the stupid earth…" She shook her head and got over it.
"Just keep waiting, Hazel." Reyna said.
"Is that what you're doing?" Hazel asked. There was a kind of innocence to her every word and certain wisdom to every syllable that made Reyna trust her.
"Yes," Reyna admitted.
"I'm not good at waiting," Hazel mumbled.
"I swear you're ADHD," Reyna said with a slight smile. "I don't know how your school and mother missed it."
Hazel quickly changed the subject. "It's time for you to go to bed," she told Reyna. "Seriously. Come with me, staying up late and working is not healthy."
Octavian had been nice to her all week, which made Reyna panicky and uncomfortable. He was trying to butter her up for praetorships, Reyna realised one night when he'd offered to come help classify papers.
"I do believe that I am getting the hang of the paperwork system you've established," he told her.
"Octavian, do me a favour and stop preparing yourself for a job you'll never have," Reyna said turning sharply to face him. "If that's the only reason you're here, you might as well leave because I can get Gwen or Hazel down here and they're prettier to look at."
Octavian's glare told Reyna that he wasn't going to forget this.
Crap, she'd just put both feet in her mouth.
Four Months
She tossed the rag into a garbage bag and tied a knot to close it. She looked around his villa. It wasn't as dusty anymore. It smelled a lot like lemon, but it wasn't dusty. Maybe it was cleaner than when he'd last cleaned up, anyways.
Reyna hated cleaning, it made her think back to Circe's spa, or her days as Blackbeard's slave. But she figured that he'd want something comfy to come back home to.
Five Months
His arguments were stronger. His vocabulary was bigger. His words were more riddled than ever.
"That is why, great Senate of Rome, I suggest we abandon the search for Jason Grace."
People were very quiet. Then the clapping started and Reyna's breath caught in her chest.
Octavian turned to her.
"Praetor?" He asked.
Reyna took a deep breath.
"The only valid point you have made was that the accident number has increased in the mortal world," Reyna said. "Why else would you suggest we annihilate the quest for Jason Grace?"
"It's been five months," Octavian said. "With all due respect, no demigod can live that long on his or her own."
"He's done it before," Reyna said. "You must remember. His run to the wolf house was side tracked by a quest. It was the longest run that year."
"He was not alone," Octavian argued. "He had you."
That hit Reyna in the stomach. Yes, he'd had her. Now he didn't.
"He is a much more experienced half-blood now. Praetor of Rome and ex-Centurion of the Fifth Cohort, in case you forgot." Reyna said. "I do believe that he could manage."
"With no sign of life, no cue? Something would have happened for the legion to notice, surely. A dream amongst our soldiers, an event on the news, a prediction in the auguries," Octavian said. Youyou're your auguries, I will tie you to a column and feed you stuffing.
Octavian continued; "Jason Grace is not the type to remain silent if he knows he is needed, unless he is dead or has abandoned us all."
"He would not do such a thing."
"Then he is dead," Octavian said.
Reyna looked at the rest of the senate.
"It's up to vote, I suppose." She said. "Although I personally do not think that abandoning Jason Grace is a good idea, it is now the decision of the senate. This legionnaire has never abandoned Rome. Furthermore he was a friend, a trusted colleague, and an exceptional leader. You all seem quick to abandon him to me."
"Why aren't you vetoing it?" Someone called out.
"I do not want to risk legionnaires if the outside world really is getting more dangerous somehow." Reyna said. "That will be looked into, but let's take matters one at a time. Who thinks that abandoning the search is a good idea?"
The number of raised hands was painful. Like each of them was slapping her.
"It's settled, then. Jason Grace is MIA."
"Presumed dead was what I was going for," Octavian said.
"Well see, I veto that," Reyna said. "Give me a body, and then we'll see."
If the senate was tired of waiting and the legion grew impatient, Reyna would still wait for him.
Six Months
"I have a full memory of the last two hundred praetors of Rome," Octavian commented.
"Wonderful," Reyna said. They were hiking back up to the senate, and for some reason –Juno knew what that reason was, but it better be good- Octavian was hiking with her, helping her carry boxes of criminal files. Some legionnaires were getting let go of in the morning.
A one kilometer walk had never been longer to Reyna. For hell's sake, was she on a treadmill?
"I know much about the legion's history."
"Also wonderful."
"Reyna, I know that Jason was very dear to you, but I do believe, as I've mentioned multiple times before-"
"Yes, multiple times," Reyna commented. She didn't know what he was going to say, but she was sure that she'd heard it all.
"That you need someone working by your side. It's a job meant for two people."
"Octavian, I'm doing fine." Reyna said. "I can shoulder the responsibilities on my own."
"Then why am I helping you carry these boxes?" Octavian said.
"That's one time," Reyna snapped.
"One plus one plus one plus one eventually adds up to something, Reyna."
Four, it'd be four, Reyna bit back.
"It won't," Reyna said. "Though your concern is touching."
"I think you need a partner," he said.
"You've made that clear many times."
"I think you need one now."
"You have made that clear many times also."
"Reyna-"
"You can drop those boxes off at the Principia and lock it up with your key," Reyna said. "I have more work to finish, and dogs to feed. Thank you, and good night." She said strictly, telling him the matter was closed.
She freed a hand to open her villa door, walked in, had dogs swarming around her ankles, kicked the door shut, dropped the box and punched the wall. Her dogs scattered and she punched it again. And again. She might have yelled in frustration.
She grabbed handfuls of her hair.
"No, I'm a daughter of war, not destruction," she said walking into her living room and looping around the coffee table and back. She'd had this discussion with herself before.
She took a deep breath to try and calm down the gush of anger that was rising through her as if she was a mercury thermometer.
She backed herself up against her wall and breathed deeper and deeper. She couldn't calm herself down. She was just too sick. Gods, she was breaking down for the first time in years.
She got up and started moving. Agitated equalled to active and jittery for Reyna, and right now she was on an overload of stress and worry and frustration and anger and dare she say it, maybe even a bit of sadness.
Sick of fighting, sick of everything.
She collapsed on the couch and buried her face in a pillow. Aurum or Argentum, probably Argentum, licked her ankle in comfort. She wondered if they could tell she was crying. They prickled and burned like tears of anger, but they felt like downright sadness.
But she wasn't sick of waiting, because she'd wait for Jason her whole life.
She was just sick of people trying to stop her from doing it.
Seven Months
She got up and bowed to the temple of Venus once again.
Then walked out, and made her way to the temple of Mars Ultor.
She didn't know for how long she prayed to her step-father, but she knelt and prayed hard.
She got up and went to the largest temple, bowed to the statue of Jupiter Optimus Maximus, prayed. She prayed especially to him. Then she got up, bowed to the statue once more, and made her way to the temple of Bellona.
She sat down in front of the patch of foreign dirt. She was at ease here.
"Mother, you've always watched me, and you've seen each one of my fights," she whispered. "You know I'm a fighter. I will always honour what I am. Please help me win this one battle."
She got up and moved on to one last temple, the temple of Mercury –travelers and journeys- before returning to Camp Jupiter's Fort for muster.
Eight Months
"I've got to catch up on-"
"Paperwork, legion forms, cohort transfer sheets, bills, letters of recommendation- blah, blah, blah." Gwen exclaimed. "But you can just take one day off, please? We're all super worried about you. It'd make everyone feel better. Just you and me, for the day, okay?"
Reyna had sighed, but had cracked afterwards when Gwen told her she had information to share.
And so Reyna had followed, slipping into mundane clothes for the first time in… months, walked around New Rome, window shopped and laughed with Gwen about how poor legionnaires were, and had stopped by a gelato shop for sugar. This was nearly foreign behaviour to Reyna- it had been a while since Jason had coaxed her away from work and professionalism and into what everyone called her 'gasp normal teenager' faze.
They were sitting on round tables in the shade of a parasol just outside. The insides of Reyna's cheeks were frozen and her mouth was filled with the taste of chocolate-marzipan.
"So what I had to tell you in the fort…" Gwen said. Reyna swallowed a spoonful.
"Yes?" She asked. Gwen tried to change the subject by reaching out and touching Reyna's hair.
"It's really pretty when you wear it down," she said.
"It gets in the way though," Reyna said. "What were you saying?"
Gwen hated breaking bad news and making people feel bad, a fatal flaw. She bit her lip and sighed, her spoon smoothing out her Indian Orange gelato.
"Octavian talked to me last night," Gwen said. "Now I sent him packing, don't get me wrong. But-"
"He asked you and Dakota to join his electoral campaign, didn't he?" Reyna said.
Gwen sighed. "Yeah he did," she said. She looked so sad and upset, she pushed her gelato away.
Reyna pursed her lips and nodded. So he was finally trying to dig into the misfit pile that was the Fifth Cohort.
"He must think his base is already real steady if he's trying to dig into Jason's cohort." Reyna said.
"I know," Gwen said wincing. "I'm really sorry."
"No, I'm glad I know," Reyna said.
"What are you going to do, Rey? I… Of course you know this, but I don't think you can wait any longer."
"Oh, I can wait." Reyna said. "I waited my whole life for my saving grace. I waited my whole life for the light, for the sign that things were okay in the real world. I waited years to feel okay after Blackbeard. But it's Rome who can't wait, and it's that empty seat that can't be patient- because Rome never is. It's always go, go, go, coup after coup, siege after siege, war after war."
"What's your plan?"
"My side of me will stay put and keep looking," Reyna said. "But… I'll start trying to stop Rome from waiting."
"You'll suggest Octavian as praetor to the senate?"
"No. Please, then Rome will have to wait for another saving grace."
Gwen laughed, and for a second the sound made Reyna feel good.
"So who?" She asked.
"I don't know," Reyna said. "But I'll wait for the right person."
"You do a lot of waiting for an impulsive ADHD daughter of war," Gwen said. "You're more of a ninja than a legionnaire."
Nine Months
"You destroyed the power of our mistress," she said. "You freed some prisoners who took revenge on all of us who lived on the island. My sister and I… well, we survived. It was difficult. But in the long run, I think we are better off away from that place."
"Still, I'm sorry. If I hurt you, I'm sorry." Percy said. Reyna crossed her arms over her chest and just stared at him. At first she'd thought that this boy was a lot like Jason. Brave, strong, experiences, seasoned, heroic, noble… but she was starting to see differences- big differences. Not all bad, not all good. But there were some definite character differences.
"An apology? Not very Roman at all, Percy Jackson. You'd make an interesting praetor. I hope you'll think about my offer."
Please do. If I wait any longer I'm in Octavian-land and there'll be no turning back after that.
An Indefinite amount of Time
They were holding hands.
They were… Her fingers laced around his as they set off to tour New Rome.
She knew it. She'd known it from the second she'd seen them together after her brain had ruled out the fact that Jason was back and had started thinking logically.
And the new girl was pretty. She was gorgeous, actually. And she spoke with sorcery in her words, in the likes that Reyna hadn't seen since Circe. She was powerful and obviously brave. She was smart.
Reyna wondered what waiting for something that would never happen was called.
No More Waiting
The meeting after the war was held in the courtroom of Olympus.
Piper complimented Annabeth on the throne room's beauty, Leo just freaked out about columns and supports, Percy held Annabeth closely and said how he hadn't thought that even she could come up with something like this. The Romans were wary of being invited to this throne room- they were always further from their gods. To Jason, it felt… it felt wrong, to be honest.
Besides; he didn't feel like being called a leader and a prophecy child anymore. He wanted to go home, take care of his legion, fix his errors and explain to Reyna what had happened. Explain to Reyna what had come over him and how he wasn't strong enough to resist the influence of the goddess Aphrodite.
But he was strong enough to apologise, and he hoped that that would be enough.
The war leaders walked in. The cabin counsellors, the Centurions, and Reyna. Embraces were shared. When Jason's hand closed around Reyna's forearm in a roman salute, he couldn't stop himself.
"I'm so sorry," he said. "What I've said and done wasn't right and I know you don't like excuses but we need to-"
"Shut up," she said.
Jason's newfound burst of energy deflated. He had done it. That was that.
"I told you; I can recognise magic," Reyna said softly. "I always knew."
And it wasn't appropriate or professional but Reyna shot up like a viper and kissed him, and he couldn't do anything but hold her head and kiss her back.
The Third Time
One Month
She didn't even know she was waiting.
Two Months
Jason let go of her hair when she straightened up and wiped her mouth with toilet paper and flushed.
Three Months
She needed the perfect moment and until she got it the news would wait.
He'd just come home from a monster-hunting day with Percy, Frank and Leo. He was happy, he'd gotten to eat disgustingly unhealthy food and run around all day, he'd seen his cousin and best friends…
Four Months
She looked in the mirror, the edge of her shirt rolled up.
"This is new," Jason commented, walking into their room with his toothbrush in his mouth as he scrambled for work.
"Yeah," she said.
He put an arm around her.
"I'd kiss you, but it'd be disgusting." Jason said, his mouth full of toothpaste foam.
"Ever the romantic," Reyna remarked.
Five Months
"Does pizza sound good?" Jason said as they tried to figure out supper.
"No," she snapped. "Nuh-uh, no tomatoes, cheese is so disgusting, and forget pepperoni, Grace."
Seven Months
Okay, she was done with his awkward waddling. She was done. She couldn't wait to walk like a normal person again.
Eight Months
Bless him.
Really, there was only one person in this household who was forced not to sleep because of x, w and z, but he still brought it onto himself to stay up and watch lame late-night television with her, wrapped in blankets and crashed on the couch.
They weren't watching TV though.
"You can see it kicking." Jason said. "Like, through you…"
"It's normal, Grace. Have another cup of coffee, you obviously need it." She said annoyed.
Nine Months
The pain woke Reyna up, which was something rather unusual for a daughter of war who tended to have high pain tolerance. The cramps took over her half again and it hurt like hell.
Shit, she thought.
She struggled to get up and winced.
"Jason," she said reaching out and shaking his shoulder. "Owe- shit- Jason," she said.
He mumbled.
"Okay, what are you craving?" He asked.
"Nothing," she said, a bit offended that he thought that every time she woke him up it was because she was craving something stupid. "Just wake up, I think that-" She felt like her insides were imploding. "Shit."
The swearing caught him off guard and he sat up.
"Is it coming?" He asked.
"Yeah, think so. It totally feels like it."
Jason got out first, and then helped her out with a hand on her back.
Okay, could this wait a little longer? Her heart was beating like a drum and she wasn't sure she was ready for this.
No More Waiting
Reyna was cradling him in her arms. He'd just woken up again and was giving her big bright blue eyes again. She was wondering if they'd stay that way when he grew up. Oh gods, he'd grow up...
"Hi," she said smiling at him. "Hi, you."
He squirmed in her arms. Jason's eyes softened as soon as he did. Reyna had barely ever seen him as unguarded and relaxed and happy. But he was still nervous; Reyna noticed the slight shake in his hand as his finger touched the baby's cheek. He pecked her on the forehead.
"I love you," he said softly.
Reyna closed her hand over Jason's. He looked up at her, and then their eyes shot back down.
"Rey?" He said.
"Do you think I'm good?"
"At what?"
"At, you know, being what I'm supposed to be." Jason said. "Being a friend, a brother, a cousin, a person, a husband."
"Yes," she said. He was pretty saint-like as far as half-bloods went.
"I want to be an even better father," he said. "I just… I'm looking at him, and I'm looking at you and I have to."
"I wouldn't let you not be," she said softly. But she understood his paranoia. How could you be something you'd never seen in action? That was like trying to speak Mandarin to someone fluent who wasn't as nice and understanding as Frank Zhang. She'd spent much time panicking over this herself, with Annabeth and Piper trying to either a) calm her down or b) calm their children down but mostly c) both.
She leaned back into him.
"You know what?" She said. "I think the gods would be better at the parenting thing if they saw us. Like, really saw us. Not as heroes, but as little kids growing up and exploring and trying to be normal. I think that if you see that… well, then you can't go wrong. Which means that in your case, you aren't leaving out of the blue on a magical quest anytime soon or ever again, got it? Because I will cut you, even if you're the father of my child."
"I won't," Jason said. "I will never, ever."
"Good," Reyna said.
Looking down at the squirming baby in her arms, getting calls and IM's from the helpful ("Any initial ideas that you can work with as far as naming goes?" Piper asked) and the unhelpful ("I think Leo's great." Leo suggested), Thalia and Hylla somehow managing to be the first to visit their nephew, Jason not backing down when Hylla was talking to him, having a kind of wacked up half-immortal family in one room…
She really had gotten her saving grace. She'd been saved from the dark parts of herself; she'd been saved from insanity and overworking many times. Her whole life was fixed thanks to a saving grace she'd fixed herself, and the full-circle effect was kind of beautiful, she thought as her eyes went from Jason, to the clock on the wall ("I could totally sleep now"), to Isaac Halcyon Grace in her arms, to the clock on the wall ("gosh giving birth is exhausting, I am so sleeping now").
Jason was next to her, and she was bundled in his arms. Having slept for 23 hours out of the last 24, he looked pretty confused. Reyna put her head on his shoulder. The arm he had around her tightened by some reflex she loved about him, and she fell asleep.
And that was the last time she waited for a Grace.