"Absolutely not!" Reyna sentenced at his fellow praetor.

"Aw, c'mon, Rey-Rey," Jason nudged her gently, teasingly. Reyna's pale cheeks mottled red at his gesture.

"You will get us killed- like last year," Reyna began.

"It won't happen again! Besides, I look closer to sixteen than you do," Jason pointed out.

Reyna hated to admit that that was true. Still, she clutched the van's keys tighter into her hands, leaving imprints on her palms.

She bit the inside of her cheek as looked around, trying to buy time.

The rest of the Romans had already climbed into their respective cars and they were all impatient to go home.

Reyna cringed as her eyes scanned the disaster they had left behind, but there was nothing left to do with the smoking crater where Krios had stood just three hours ago; the trees were charred and black, the sidewalks had big chunks missing and there were cars turned upside down. At least they had put most the fire out. Still, the signs of battle were evident.

A blonde head poked its way out of an open car window. "Well?" Octavian spat. "What are you two waiting for? Camp is three hours away! Get going!"

Jason's taunting eyes became steely as he looked at him. His voice matched his cold glare. "Careful, Octavian."

"Hold that tongue of yours," Reyna added, her chin tilted up high.

Irritated, the augur murmured something through gritted teeth and closed the window.

Reyna looked up at Jason and sighed, defeated. She was tired and she just wanted to relax or sleep all the way through. She reluctantly placed the keys on his open palm.

Reyna did not withdraw either her hand or her gaze but remarked, "I don't want to end up in the infirmary this time, okay?" She then winked, uncharacteristically like her, before hopping in.

Through the car window, she could see a slow smile lighting up Jason's face.

Maybe this was not such a bad idea after all.

"Camp Jupiter, the heroes are going back!" he announced to the skies. The campers who had heard him cheered.

Reyna slumped in her seat and groaned.

Every now and then, Reyna noticed that Jason sneaked glances at her direction instead of keeping them on the road.

"What?" she finally asked, feeling self-conscious.

Jason smiled. "You look pretty with your hair down," he stated.

Reyna blinked and stared, almost uncomprehendingly.

Jason's cheek tinged red. "I mean, you also look incredibly good with your braid, don't get me wrong- I meant-"

At this, Reyna threw back her head and laughed. She gathered all her courage and took Jason's right hand. He looked pleasantly surprised, and he closed his fingers around hers.

The car's windows were down, making the radio's music drift off and mix with the wind's roar.

Reyna was shuffling through some CDs she had found and trying them on the radio to muffle her boredom somewhat.

She kept brushing the her long black hair behind her ear. Jason couldn't help but notice her impatient gesture. He chuckled to himself quietly.

Reyna looked up at him through thick lashes for some seconds before turning her attention back to the radio.

She is seriously pretty, Jason thought. He hadn't told her this yet, of course, but he planned to.

Last year, before they were chosen preators, they had been sent on a mission to stop some monsters that had been causing wreckage along the country. Reyna had driven for most of their journey back to California, until Jason's constant complains finally got her. Not even a hundred meters before arriving to Camp Jupiter, Jason had forgotten to swerve and had crashed their car against a lamp pole for having been distracted staring at her.

Reyna's fingers changed songs as fast as they could, barely hearing what it was transmitting. But Jason had.

"Stop!" he said, so suddenly he managed to startle Reyna.

Her hands flied off the radio's buttons and to her belt where she kept her knife.

"I like that song," Jason corrected.

Reyna's shoulders relaxed and she sheathed her dagger in again. "What a way of manifesting it," she muttered. Then she added, "What song is it?"

Jason turned up the volume for her to listen.

He started bobbing his head up and down at the rhythm as Reyna stared disbelievingly at him. "'Staying Alive'?" she questioned.

For all response, Jason sang the chorus: "Ah, ha, ha, ha, staying aliiivee!"

Reyna snorted out a laugh in a futile attempt to hold it in.

Jason's body began swaying, trying to dance at the same time than trying to not crash the car once again.

He noticed the way Reyna was staring at him and he turned down the volume a bit. "What?"

Reyna looked back, out of the window and into the other cars full of Romans. She seemed to be amused by Jason's unexpected behavior.

"What in the name of Jupiter are you trying to do?"

"Don't be like that, Reyna! We just won a war: can't we kick back and relax?"

Reyna's expression turned guarded. "That's not very Roman of you, Jason."

He made a sour face at her statement, partly because he knew it was true. "As your fellow praetor, I am telling you to dance and enjoy."

Reyna's eyes shone.

"It wasn't an option." Jason took her left hand in his and turned the volume up again.

He began rolling his shoulders backward in circle motions as he sang along as loud as he could:

Well now, I get low and I get high,
and if I can't get either, I really try.
Got the wings of heaven on my shoes.
I'm a dancin' man and I just can't lose.

Reyna's lips were beginning to pull upwards as Jason tugged at her hand. Reluctantly at first, she followed his example.

You know it's all right. It's OK.
I'll live to see another day...

Now they were both singing, louder than ever, their voices being carried around by the wind to the other camper's curious ears. But Reyna didn't mind anymore. She was enjoying herself.