Meeting Number One:
The one where Jason has nightmares and Reyna is a holy Messiah gifted to the Argo II by the angels.
The sky was a crisp blue, the sun was shining, and any birds that Argo II passed were singing their souls out, evidently in good moods. It was, by all accounts, a beautiful afternoon. The crew of the Argo II would have loved to relax and watch the clouds go by if it weren't for the fact that they were about to land in a possibly dangerous camp inhabited by violent children of the Roman gods, who were most likely armed, and most definitely angry. Their resident Roman might have been a big help if he wasn't cooped up in his room, taking a "power nap". Let's visit the rest of the crew, shall we?
Annabeth Chase, the blonde haired, grey-eyed daughter of Athena was leaning against the railing, looking down at the ground, her fingers tracing out maps of Zeus knew where on the wood.
Piper McLean, the Cherokee daughter of Aphrodite was pacing back and forth in her room, debating whether or not to go wake up Jason, her maybe-sort-of-kind-of-not-really boyfriend.
Leo Valdez, the awkward but lovable son of Hephaestus was in the engine room, carefully navigating the ship towards Camp Jupiter. His eyes focused on the sticks and buttons, a distraction from his thoughts. A repeated tapping scared him until he looked down and realized that it was his own finger causing it.
Mama, I'm scared. Mama, I'm scared. Mama, I'm scared…
And, of course, Coach Hedge, the war crazy satyr, who was currently watching an unknown action film, most likely something with Chuck Norris in it, if the shouts and cheers of "Go, Chuck! WHOOOO!" were anything to go by.
Piper eventually stopped pacing and, instead of going to Jason's cabin, headed out onto the deck and stood beside Annabeth. Both girls looked out at the world below, their thoughts completely different, and yet, in a twisted sort of way, the same.
Annabeth's went a bit like That Seaweed Brain better remember me, or Gaea will seem kinder.
Piper's were more along the line of Please Mom, Jason's mine. He loves me, but he's been acting so distant lately. He's not Roman anymore, he cares about me, I know it. Please don't let him love someone else.
Annabeth was pleading that Percy did remember her while Piper was pleading that Jason didn't remember anyone from home. Maybe that was selfish of her, but she was in love with her Sparky, and she didn't plan on letting him go anytime soon.
A loud thud startled both girls.
"It came from the cabins," Annabeth told Piper, her grey eyes narrowing.
"The cabins…" Piper said, her eyes widening. "Jason's in the cabins!"
Both girls ran towards the cabin of the son of Jupiter. Leo was already at the door when they reached the cabin, fiddling with the doorknob. One more tug and the door swung open, revealing a tossing and turning Jason Grace,
Mumbled words fell from his lips, but one repeated many times until he was basically saying it over and over, almost like a prayer.
"Reyna, no. Don't you dare. Reyna, I swear to Jupiter and back- Reyna, what if-."
His breath quickened, and then a scream erupted from his mouth.
"Reyna-NOOOOOOO!"
Piper couldn't stand the pure pain in his voice, so she ran to his side and shook him awake.
All the words of comfort on her lips died when she saw the look in his eyes.
Jason's eyes were wild, bright with intensity, and filled with loss. Piper wanted to look away so bad, so, so, so bad, but she couldn't, because there was something in Jason's eyes that she had never seen before.
Anger.
Because now anger flashed in his electric blue iris's, a deep, primal emotion that Piper had never seen so blatantly.
It was then that she realized that the Jason she knew was gone. That this was Roman Jason, and that she didn't know how to calm him down.
"Jason, calm down, you're safe, everything's good-" She snapped her hands in front of his face, making her voice sound light and breezy.
Nothing happened.
The same look was in Jason's eyes, only there was shock bleeding into the mix now. Silent tears ran down from his eyes and his body shook with quiet sobs. Piper wondered if this boy, this strong, noble, man had lost his ability to speak. When she heard the quick murmurs he was muttering under his breath, she almost cried with relief.
"I let her die. She was right there and I let her die and now she's dead and it's all my fault and she was right there and I let her die and now she's dead, oh gods, Reyna's dead."
His voice shook with emotion and Piper's heart just about broke at the sound. She gingerly sat down beside him, gently hugging him.
"Jason, shhh, it's fine, Jason, shhh…" She wondered, off-handedly, if this was what having a child was like.
It was when Piper realized that Jason was still murmuring that name over and over and over that that it finally struck her.
This was not her Jason.
This was the old Jason, the Roman Jason, the first Jason, the Jason that probably had some girlfriend who was better than Piper could ever be, the Jason who had done things that Piper hadn't been there for, the Jason that had friends that Piper had never known, the Jason who had a million inside jokes that Piper would never understand.
This was the Jason that Piper had never met.
It was at that moment that she realized why Annabeth had been looking at her with fear in her grey eyes for such a long time.
Because Piper and Jason reminded her of what could be Percy and some other girl. (Bitterly, she wondered if maybe it could be that Reyna girl.)
"Piper-" Annabeth stopped, searching for the right words. "Piper, you can't help him now. He's probably got someone else at home-" Piper flinched, "Who knows what this is about and who's probably calmed him down before. I know you're used to caring for him, and healing him, and just being there for him, but you've got to remember. The Jason you've been with these past months had a different past." She heaved a sigh. "A past that didn't have you in it."
Ouch. Piper's eyes flashed.
"Who are you to judge whether I can help my boyfriend or not?" She hissed, her words laced with venom. "Annabeth, he chose me when he didn't run away, when he kept going, all those small moment where it feels like you two are the only ones in the world. He's my boyfriend now, and nothing can change that. I know that you're worried that Percy is doing the same thing, but I promise you, he's not." She offered a half smile as Annabeth raised her eyebrows.. "Daughter of Aphrodite, remember? From what I've heard, you're relationship is strong enough to endure what Hera put it through. He'll remember you."
"But what if he doesn't?" Annabeth cried. "What if he's doing the exact same thing that Jason is because it's the easy way out because he's found some prettier, nicer girl in Camp Jupiter?! What if when I go there it'll be too late and it'll be just what's happening with you two?"
"Is that why you think Jason's doing this?" Piper demanded, all of it finally becoming too much. "Because you think that I'm prettier and nicer and easier than whoever he has at home? That I'm just replacing the place of a girl until she comes back? I'm not a boyfriend-stealing skank and just because you're missing your boyfriend, it doesn't mean you get to terrorize me about mine!"
"I'm not calling you a boyfriend-stealing anything!" Annabeth retaliated. "I'm saying that what you don't realize is that someone back at Camp Jupiter-" She gulped, what she was going to say next hitting a bit too close to home. "That someone back at Camp Jupiter is doing exactly what I am right now." Her piercing grey eyes drilled into Piper's own kaleidoscope iris's. "Don't you get it? Piper, this Reyna? She could have been important to him? She could be going out of her mind with worry right now and-"
"And she could be dead," Piper bit back. "She might not even be alive. Have you ever thought of that?"
Annabeth stilled, her eyes wide shooting Piper a clear message: You screwed up.
Piper slowly turned around, apologies spilling from her lips. Because behind her, on the bed, sat Jason Grace, stunned and shocked, with his eyes full of mourning.
"She's dead," he whispered. "She's dead and there's nothing anyone can do about it." He looked up at Piper, and his next words just about broke her heart. "You said it yourself." With an air of finality, he croaked-
"She's dead."
No one had the heart to contradict him. How could they? After all, what if this Reyna actually was dead, and all they had done by reassuring him was building his hopes up then tearing him down?
There was a beat of silence, where Piper was too shocked to say anything and Jason just stared at the floor, his shoulders slumped like he was beaten down.
"Piper-" Annabeth started.
"I get it! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-" Piper interrupted.
"Make him think that his best friend was dead?" Annabeth hissed. "Piper, I've felt that and it's horrible."
Piper opened her mouth to retaliate when Leo waved his arm in between them.
"Hey! Ladies?" He raised his eyebrows when the daughters of Athena and Aphrodite turned to him as if they had forgotten he was there. (Which they had.)
"Yeah, still here. Um… Not to be a killjoy but… We're here. Like, right in front of Camp Jupiter." He grinned down at Jason uncertainly.
"Isn't that great, buddy? You're back with your scary Roman friends!"
"What's the point?" Jason's voice was a gravelly whisper. "What's the point if she's gone?"
He suddenly tensed up and grabbed Piper by her arms, his blue eyes wide. Piper flinched.
"Don't you get it?" The son of Jupiter roared. His hands left Piper's arms and fell back down as he stared at the wall with a broken tone to his voice.
"She's. Gone."
His shoulders started to shake with silent sobs and it was like Piper was a thousand miles away from him watching it through a screen because she saw it and heard it and wanted to help him but she just couldn't.
Annabeth opened her mouth to say something but was cut off by an Iris Message, slowly flickering in front of them.
There were two people in it, a boy with messy black hair and sea green eyes and a girl beside him, with a long black braid and glowing dark eyes. Behind them stood a sea of legionnaires, teens in purple T-Shirts, holding weapons of all kids.
"Percy," Annabeth breathed. Her eyes flitted to the girl beside his. "And you are… Reyna?" She asked, her voice hardened. The girl chuckled dryly.
"I see why Percy calls you Wise Girl." She spared the aforementioned boy a glance. "A lot."
Percy grinned sheepishly, spreading his arms like Can you blame me?
"You… Remembered me?" Annabeth questioned, her eyes shining. "You-" She ran a hand through her hair. "Oh, my gods."
Percy's eyes were twinkling.
"Of course, I remembered you, Wise Girl." He smiled goofily. "How could I ever forget?"
Piper let out a small aww before realizing the problem at hand.
"Wait, if you're Reyna-" She said, her eyes slowly widening, waiting for the others to get the hint. Annabeth didn't she and Percy were too busy staring at each other, but Leo got it.
"Then you're still alive!" He whooped.
"I'm sorry, what?" Reyna asked, raising an eyebrow. "When was I dead?"
"We didn't think you were dead," Piper amended. "But Jason did."
"Jason?" Reyna's eyes widened and Piper glimpsed something of a softer Reyna, the one that had been waiting eight months for her… Whatever Jason was to Reyna.
"Yeah," Piper nodded, trying to quell the churning waters in her gut. "He's… Um…" She moved aside to show the son of Jupiter, who was slightly shaking, murmuring something under his breath.
Percy sucked in a breath. "Oh gods, that's…" Reyna's eyes filled with sorrow.
"Not again," she whispered. She exchanged a look with Percy and he nodded (Annabeth gulped). He slashed his hand through the Iris Message and the mist dispersed.
"What just happened?" The daughter of Athena murmured, leaning against the wall. Piper shrugged.
Leo ran a hand through his hair. "Alright, someone thinks of something to-"
They were interrupted by a loud noise that sounded like something heavy hitting wood.
"What is that?" Annabeth wondered.
"It coming from the upper deck," Leo said, frantically, heading upstairs. "Alright, who hurt my baby?!"
Piper shook her head. If Leo did ever find someone, he would be insanely protective of whatever daughters he had.
"Should we go help him? What if it was a monster?" Annabeth asked. Piper shook her head.
"I don't think we need to." Annabeth looked at her incredulously.
"Piper, I know you're angry but-" Piper shushed her.
"Listen." There was a beat of silence where both girls stared up at the ceiling. "See?" Piper motioned after a moment. "No screams, no loud crashes, no Spanish curses. I don't think that it was a-"
The door was flung open and Reyna stood in the doorway and Piper wanted to go hide in a hole because it didn't matter that they were in a small bare ship's cabin, Reyna still managed to look powerful.
Her black hair gleamed and her dark eyes flashed and her skin glowed and everything about her just screamed power.
Then she rushed towards Jason, shed her purple cloak and sat beside him with her arms laced around him.
"I'm right here, Jason, it was all just a bad dream, I'm right here, don't worry, I'm fine."
Silently, Percy entered beside Leo and hugged Annabeth, resting his head on her blonde curls. She buried her face in his neck and they stood there, not talking, just embracing.
Piper felt lost. She turned to Leo and they exchanged a look.
I'm still here for you.
Because Percy and Annabeth were reunited (and kissing, ew) and Jason and Reyna-
Piper turned back to Jason and Reyna, a small, shallow, selfish part of her hoping that Jason was looking at her again, that look in his eyes that used to be there.
But he wasn't.
His sobs were slowing down and Reyna was murmuring comforting things under her breath.
"Jason, I'm here, I'm fine, you're fine, that ugly creep of a monster is dead, and everything's good. Okay?" She rubbed circles on his back slowly then started speaking in… Was that Spanish?
Leo whistled. "Damn, that chica's good at comforting!"
"Why? What's she saying?" No, Piper wasn't desperate, why would you say that?
Leo gave her a weird look and opened his mouth to explain when he suddenly froze. "You know what, I think it's sort of a private thing so… Um… You know, just comforting stuff."
Piper raised an eyebrow and turned back to the two Romans, who were hugging each other and-
Wait, what?!
Hugging each other?
Jason's head was up now and he was smiling gently Reyna. It was a sweet scene, and if Piper wasn't in her situation she would have awed.
Reyna slapping him sort of ruined it.
The sharp "SMACK" echoed through the room and Jason recoiled, holding his stinging cheek.
"What in Jupiter's name was that for?!"
"Jason Grace you know FULL WELL that I didn't die and while I'm touched that you care that much about me, Octavian and the Senate are now going to give me a bunch of crap about "running off to fraternize with barbarians" and I can't deal with that now."
Jason held up his hands.
"Hey, I'm sorry that I care! I can't control my dreams and are you actually going to blame me for caring? You realize what that sounds like, right?"
Piper knew that she shouldn't, but she couldn't help feeling a slight joy that they were actually fighting.
Jason and I don't fight.
Reyna huffed and the son of Jupiter sighed.
"Come on, Reyna-" He blinked. "Reyna?"
"Took you long enough, Cinderella," she teased. "I mean, really, how long-"
The daughter of Bellona was cut off by Jason launching himself at her, laughing happily as they tumbled across the floor.
"Oh my gods, oh my gods, oh my gods, oh my gods, you're here, you're here, you're finally here-"
He pressed his face into her hair, muttering-
"Gods, Reyna, you're here."
They stayed there for a moment, just laying down, Jason on top of Reyna, silently.
And Piper wanted to be angry, she really did. She wanted to be bitter and hurt but she just couldn't because how could you, when you saw how happy they were?
The kiss they shared when the others had left the room only proved that.
(So did the second.)
(And the third.)
Here, have some shit that I've cooked up because what Rick gave us WASN'T ENOUGH, DAMNIT. Also, yes, I KNOW that I've written another Jeyna reunion but that one's a tad OOC, and I just don't really like. FURTHERMORE, I HAVE READ THE HIDDEN ORACLE AND I AM DISAPPOINTED ABOUT SOMETHINGS AND HAPPY ABOUT OTHER THINGS AND AHHHHHH I NEED TO FANGIRL, GODDAMNIT.