I don't own Percy Jackson or As I Roved Out.

When Broken Shells Make Christmas Bells

"What's your favorite song?"

"Promise you won't laugh?"

"Promise."

"As I Roved Out. It's an Irish folk song."

The first time Jason asked Piper to marry him it was eight in the morning and she was late for work.

"Jason!" Piper yelled from the kitchen.

Jason groaned and put a pillow over his face, but when she called his name again he removed the pillow and sat up. He looked to his left and rolled his eyes when he saw the reason she was yelling.

"Morning," he said when he reached the kitchen.

"Have you seen my…"

Jason tossed the phone to her. "You're welcome."

She kissed his cheek and said "Coffee's in the pot," as she walked towards the door.

"Piper!" he called on a whim, running after her.

She was waiting with her hand on the doorknob. "Make it fast, Sparky."

He put his hand on the back of her neck and kissed her (he'd never admit that she still made his heart beat faster even after three years). He pulled back and leaned his forehead against hers. "Marry me?"

Her breath caught in her throat for half a second, but she didn't let him see. She smiled, kissed him, and whispered, "No."

She pulled away, still smiling as his face fell. "When you ask the right way, then I'll marry you." She shut the door.

A huge smile broke out across Jason's face.

Thinking back on the second time, Jason wasn't sure why he thought it would work. Piper wasn't that kind of girl.

He'd packed them a picnic and blindfolded her when they got in the car at the house.

"Jason, where are we going?" Piper asked.

"It's a surprise," Jason responded, grinning.

Piper huffed. She hated surprises.

The picnic consisted of sandwiches, chocolate milk (Piper's favorite), watermelon, and a cupcake each for dessert. When Jason handed Piper her cupcake and bit in his own nonchalantly she stared at it.

"Jason."

"Hmm?" he said, his mouth full of cupcake (which was delicious).

"Why is there a ring on top of my cupcake?"

"Because I want you to marry me."

She looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "Then why is the ring made of frosting?"

He hummed, put down the cupcake and dug in his pockets, finally pulling out a black velvet box. "Because the real one is right here." He gave her a big grin as he lifted himself from a sitting position to one knee and held out the box. "I'm going to skip the sappy speech because we both know you won't like it and I couldn't think of one anyway." He took a deep breath. "Piper McLean, will you…"

He was cut off by Piper wiping her cupcake on his nose.

Jason blinked. "What was that for?"

"I wanted to know how you would look with frosting on your nose," Piper said with a completely serious face. Then she leaned forward and licked the frosting off, cupping his cheek with her hand. "No."

Jason sighed. "Not quite right?"

She smiled and shook her head. "Not quite. Don't worry," she kissed him, "you'll get there."

Jason decided not to be disappointed because by the time the night was over she'd more than made it up to him, not that she'd needed to.

And they had made sure that neither of them had frosting anywhere on their bodies. Just, you know, to be safe.

The third time began with Piper being irritated because Jason had woken her up on her day off by yelling in her ear.

She smacked him in the face with a pillow and sat up, scowling. "What do you want?"

He grinned from his place on the floor. "Merry Christmas."

She groaned and fell back onto the bed. "You woke me up at…" she glanced at the clock, "8:00 just to tell me that?"

"In my defense, you should be awake anyway," Jason replied as he got up off the floor and dusted himself off.

"Not everyone is awake at five in the morning."

"I'm not awake at five every morning! Just on Christmas."

Piper rolled her eyes. "You're such a kid," she said. She got up and kissed him on the cheek, then left the room. "You better have made coffee," she called over her shoulder.

"In the pot."

As she was pouring herself a cup of coffee she felt Jason wrap his arms around her and kiss her on the cheek. "Good morning," he said.

Piper tried to keep the smile off of her face, but she couldn't help it. She set her coffee mug on the counter and turned around to give him a quick kiss. "Morning."

He took his arms off her in favor of grabbing her hand and pulling her towards what passed for their living room. "Come on, come on, I have a present for you."

Piper grabbed her coffee and followed him, laughing. He sat her down on the couch and picked up a small box from underneath their tree. It was gold with a silver bow on top. He handed it to her and knelt in front of her.

She smiled and took the top off of the box. Inside was a tiny bell. She picked it up. She couldn't tell what it was made of, but it didn't ring. She looked up at him confused, then her eyes widened. He was holding the same black velvet box he'd been holding three-and-a-half weeks ago at their picnic.

She looked back down at the box. "Broken shells," she said. "When broken shells make Christmas bells, we might then get married."

Jason grinned. "It's your favorite song."

She got down in front of him and kissed him. When she pulled back she smiled and whispered, "Yes."

"Yes, you'll marry me yes?"

She nodded, laughing. "Yes."

Jason's grin widened and he kissed her again.

Almost exactly twelve months later when Piper walked down the aisle on Christmas Eve, everyone was holding a little bell.

This is the first Jason/Piper story I've ever written. When I uploaded Tired of Sorry about a year ago people asked me to write more Jason/Reyna, so I was trying to think of another story idea and this came into my head. I was originally going to write it for Jason/Reyna, but it just didn't feel right. I like both couples, please don't rip my head off for that. I like Jason/Reyna because they're very strong and I like the idea of Reyna trying to stay strong even though Jason is gone. But I like Jason/Piper because they're usually very light and fun.

I love this song so much, if you're interested in listening to it I'd suggest looking up Loreena McKennitt, she's a folk singer and she's absolutely amazing. I saw her in concert, it blew my mind. This song is on her album The Wind That Shakes The Barley. The song is actually about a girl who goes up to a soldier and asks him to come to her house later and he does and they sleep together, and then the next morning the guy gets up to leave and she thinks they're going to be married, and he tells her they aren't. Which just proves that he's a complete jerk.

I didn't really like the end of the second part, but I think it got the point across.

The lyrics for the song are below, and again look up As I Roved Out by Loreena Mckennitt.

Review!

And who are you, me pretty fair maid, and who are you, me honey?
And who are you, me pretty fair maid, and who are you, me honey?
She answered me quite modestly, "I am me mother's darling"
With me too-ry-ay, fol-de-diddle-day, di-re fol-de-diddle dai-rie oh

And will you come to me mother's house, when the moon is shining clearly
And will you come to me mother's house, when the moon is shining clearly
I'll open the door and I'll let you in, and divil 'o one would hear us
With me too-ry-ay, fol-de-diddle-day, di-re fol-de-diddle dai-rie oh

So I went to her house in the middle of the night, when the moon was shining clearly
So I went to her house in the middle of the night, when the moon was shining clearly
She opened the door and she let me in, and divil the one did hear us
With me too-ry-ay, fol-de-diddle-day, di-re fol-de-diddle dai-rie oh

She took me horse by the bridle and the bit, and led him to the stable
She took me horse by the bridle and the bit, and led him to the stable
Saying, "There's plenty of oats for a soldier's horse, to eat it if he is able"
With me too-ry-ay, fol-de-diddle-day, di-re fol-de-diddle dai-rie oh

Then she took me by the lily-white hand, and led me to the table
Then she took me by the lily-white hand, and led me to the table
Saying, "There's plenty of wine for a soldier boy, to drink if he is able"
With me too-ry-ay, fol-de-diddle-day, di-re fol-de-diddle dai-rie oh

Then I got up and I made the bed, and I made it nice and aisy
Then I got up and I made the bed, and I made it nice and aisy
Then I got up and laid her down, saying, "Lassie, are you able?"
With me too-ry-ay, fol-de-diddle-day, di-re fol-de-diddle dai-rie oh

And there we lay till the break of day, and divil a one did hear us
And there we lay till the break of day, and divil a one did hear us
Then I arose, put on me clothes, saying, "Lassie, I must leave you"
With me too-ry-ay, fol-de-diddle-day, di-re fol-de-diddle dai-rie oh

And when will you return again, and when will we be married
And when will you return again, and when will we be married
When broken shells make Christmas bells, we might then get married
With me too-ry-ay, fol-de-diddle-day, di-re fol-de-diddle dai-rie oh