Well I've got a thick skin And an elastic heart But your blade might be too sharp. I'm like a rubber band Until you pull too hard Well I messed up and I moved on. You won't see me fall apart Cause I've got an elastic heart. - Elastic Heart, Sia

I'm posting this new story against my better judgment of finishing Down the Aisle first. But this story came alive in my head this morning and I knew I needed to write it. Be warned: it made me cry.

For those star-crossed lovers, whose destinies seemed intertwined but never joined.

July 1, 2006, The Barracks

Today sucked. Like worse than the usual amount of suckiness. This whole Titan War has got everyone on edge and I'm also really terrified. Everyone keeps looking at me like I'm going to be the death of them, which I probably am. It's like every birthday they know I'm just getting closer and close to judgement day and every year they just get more and more terrified of me.

I hate being the son of Jupiter. Why couldn't I be the son of, I don't know, Ceres. I'd grow some wheat, some corn, some barley, and everyone would like me. Instead I get to be the son of the biggest, baddest, boldest god, and everyone either expects me to save them or kill them. I hate being the son of Jupiter.

Dakota tried to cheer me by stealing all of Octavian's pins so he had to run around camp holding his toga up. But it kept slipping so we had a nice show of Octavian's boxers. It was funny, for a while. But it doesn't change the fact that Octavian keeps smirking at me like he knows exactly how I'm going to die and he knows it's going to be really painful. Why else would he be smiling at me like I was the greatest gift he's ever gotten? He hates me, I know it.

So another birthday has come and gone and all it brought was more guilt and responsibility. I'm sick of this shit-show. (I'm starting to like cussing, it's liberating).

July 14, 2006, The Barracks

Dakota and I had a desperate plan to save the Fifth Cohort from humiliation during tonight's War Games, but as usual, we ended up looking like the biggest losers in the universe. I love this Cohort but sometimes I really wish they'd start taking training more seriously. We could be great, I know it. They've got so much potential in them, why do they all think they're losers? Maybe because we keep making them feel like losers, all the time.

It sucks that I don't know how to make them feel differently.

September 1, 2016, Livy's apartment

Julia has got to be the sweetest baby sister on earth. I miss Thalia.

September 5, 2016 The Forum

We're watching the fireworks right now. I love fireworks. Why do people love fireworks? What is it about them that makes people ooh and aah even though they've seen them a million times? I asked Dakota and he said I was just overthinking it, as usual. "They're just fireworks. They're nice and loud. So shut up and just enjoy the show."

But then I looked over to my left and this new girl at camp was sitting there, her legs crossed, hands folded on her legs, and her face turned towards the sky. There were tears running down her cheeks and she quickly wiped them away. I looked away before she could see me. I didn't think she'd want me to see that she was crying, and honestly, I was embarrassed. But now I wonder why she's so sad, and why the fireworks made her cry.

September 6, 2016, The Barracks

Today, the new girl surprised me by looking at me. I know that's weird to say, but she actually looked at me. Like she was waiting for me to say something. Maybe she knew I'd seen her crying at the picnic. But then I looked away and when I looked back at her, she was talking to the boy beside her. But now she looked a lot less tense. Maybe she did know and she was afraid I would ask her about it. I'm not. The whole thing just makes me uncomfortable. I have enough problems to worry about. I don't need to worry about everyone.

I snapped the journal shut, loudly, and I was almost tempted to throw it across the room. But I didn't. I only had one place to let myself think what I really thought, so this book, even though it was just a book, was precious. So I just stuffed it back under my mattress, stretched up, turned off the light, and burrowed down under my blankets. Tomorrow would be just as good for worrying about my responsibilities.

But when I woke up the next morning, life just needed to punch me in the face. When I showed up to training, the Third Cohort was there.

"Why are they here?" Dakota grumbled.

"Because legionnaire," Philip said dangerously, "I ordered it." Philip was one of our praetors. He didn't look like much, but he was strong, quick, and intelligent. He made one helluva leader. "The Fifth Cohort, as you may all have noticed, is the shame of this legion." Some members of the Third laughed, and I had to clench my fists to stop from punching one of them. "Perhaps, working with the Third might motivate them to step up to the plate. I'll start with a demonstration. Ramirez!" The new girl's head snapped up. "Yes Praetor Hall?" Jheez, she needed to loosen up. "You're new, let's break you in."

Her jaw clenched and unclenched so fast that if I hadn't been staring at her, I wouldn't have noticed. Then she straightened her shoulders, nodded, and stepped in front of Philip. She looked so tiny, even in comparison to Philip, whose lanky body towered over her.

"Alright Ramirez, try to block me."

That was totally unfair. He hadn't prepped her at all. But she just bent her knees, widened her stance, and put her fists up. Philip started barreling towards her. I knew what he was going to do – try to break her stance and land her on her back. But suddenly she smiled, and when he was close enough, she sidestepped him, tugged his right arm back, swung him around, and pushed him flat on his back. The she put her right knee on his chest, pulled out her dagger and pushed it against his throat. "Dead," she said calmly.

She had stunned everyone into silence. Holy shit. I couldn't believe she'd just done that. She'd only been her for a few days and she already fought like a legion veteran.

Then Philip started laughing. "We'll make a fine warrior out of you Ramirez." She stood up, and he followed. "Pair up everyone." Dakota turned towards me. "I meant one person from Fifth pairs up with another from Third. The gods know you all don't need to be fighting each other." Grumbling from the fifth. I hated when the rest of the camp shamed us, it was even worse coming from the praetor who was supposed to be on everyone's side.

Everyone separated and somehow I found myself standing in front of the new girl. I nodded at her and she pulled out her dagger. Without speaking, we started to spar, and before I even knew what was happening, she was standing behind me, both hands around my neck, one pressing the dagger against my throat. She was taller than me, I noticed.

She let go and we started again. She ducked my swings, and came back up with the point of her dagger against my throat. She kept it there for a few seconds and then pulled back. Then she put her dagger away. "Bare hands," she said. The first words she'd ever said to me. I tried a few quick jabs. She ducked them all, landed one in my stomach, spun around, and kicked me in the jaw. I fell to my knees and tasted blood.

"Jesus! Are you even trying?" she asked me irritably. I looked up at her to find her glowering at me. "If you're not going to fight back, you might as well just give me the pleasure of using you as a punching bag instead of falling to your knees like a damsel in distress." That made me angry, I growled and pulled out my gladius, straightening up. She smirked at me.

"Good, you're angry. Use it." I jabbed at her. She spun out of the way, and smacked the hilt of her sword onto my wrist, making me drop it. As I bent to pick it up she said, "It's not a toothpick that you just jab randomly. Think of it as an extension of your arm. Swing it like it's your arm. Trust it the way you trust your body."

"I'm not sure I trust that so much right now." Puberty, after all.

She frowned at me, and stepped really close, so that her face was just an inch away from mine. "Is this some kind of joke to you? We're in the middle of a war and we need every soldier we can get to fight. If we have to rely on you to help us win, we're all going to die."

I'd had enough berating for one day. "Why do you need me if you're so good then?"

"I worked hard to get this good. You're just a lazy, entitled, son of Jupiter. You think you don't have to work for anything!"

I stepped closer to her. "You don't know anything about me. You just got here. I'm not the one who goes around crying at picnics."

She was furious, her eyes burning with rage. She punched me and I pushed her, hard – she fell down. I hadn't expected her to be so light. She was getting to her feet, preparing for another punch, rage burning in every line of her face. How could such a tiny person be so angry? "You stupid, arrogant, weak, no-good piece of shit." She was going to land a hard punch, I could see it. I picked up my gladius. "Try punching me now, cry-baby." She screamed and pulled her fist back but just then Philip came running up and grabbed her, picking her up off the ground. She was kicking furiously, still yelling "I'll get you for that!" He spun around and put her down, turning back to me. She was still trying to get to me, but Philip put his arms out, holding her back.

"Ramirez, enough!" he growled. She glared at him, every part of her body poised in rebuke, but she stood down. "Well we thank you both for that wonderful piece of entertainment. Unfortunately, it was completely tasteless so you'll spend the afternoon washing up dishes after dinner."

I glared at her and she glared back, her fists clenched tightly at her sides.

There went a perfectly good afternoon.

That afternoon we were standing side by side washing dishes. Who knew a couple of Roman demigods could use these many dishes. I was staring to despair that we'd be here all night. And the water was starting to get cold.

But it wasn't nearly as cold as the girl standing beside me. She didn't say a word, just dumping the dishes in the soapy water, scrubbing them, and then handing them to me to rinse.

Finally, I decided to break the silence. "Listen, I'm sorry I pushed you."

"No you're not."

I clenched my jaw. "And I'm sure you're sorry about all those things you said about me."

"Nope."

"Are you at least sorry you punched me?"

"Nope."

"You know this whole exercise is supposed to help us bond or something, not just punish us."

"Not my problem."

"What is your problem then?" I grumbled.

"I don't like you."

That made me pause. Ok, so I wasn't used to not being liked. My whole role at this camp was based upon being liked. People came to you to help them mediate problems if they liked you. And people came to me all the time. It was annoying. "Why not?" I demanded.

"Just cause."

"Excuse me? That's not an actual reason."

"I don't owe you any explanations."

I guess she didn't.

"Well I'm sorry I called you a crybaby. Honestly it was none of my business." She didn't respond, just handed me another scrubbed plate. After a few minutes of silence, I finally said, grudgingly, "You fight good."

"Well."

"What?"

"You fight well. Not good, well."

"Well thank you Miss," I said sarcastically.

She nodded. She went back to scrubbing the plates, but something was different now. Her shoulders were less tense, and she seemed less hostile. So I ventured, "You know I don't actually know what your name is."

She didn't say anything for a while. Then finally, "Reyna. My name is Reyna."

I thought about that. "Like Queen?"

She nodded stiffly.

I smiled. "Maybe one day you'll be Praetor," I said conspiratorially.

She looked at me. I thought she'd meant to glare at me, but below that, her look was frantic, and desperate. "I never want to be praetor," she whispered. "Never," she said more firmly.

I frowned at her. "That's weird."

"For you. You're the prodigal son."

I rolled me eyes. "Again, with the labelling. I told you, you don't know me."

"I know enough. You're the hero that's going to save us all. Our Saving Grace. You're the child of the most powerful god and everyone loves you and looks up to you."

She was handing me another plate, and I yanked it out of her hands. It slipped and fell, crashing into a million pieces on the floor.

She rolled her eyes at me. "Great, now we have to clean that up as well." She rinsed her hands and collected the broom from a corner of the kitchen. Whilst she swept up the shards, I scrubbed a few plates.

"Look if it bothers you so much, I'm sorry," she said, from behind me.

"No you're not," I growled.

"Maybe I am. I get it. You don't like people expecting so much from you. It's hard to live up to it sometimes. You're terrified you're going to let everyone down."

I kept scrubbing. I didn't want her to know that she was right. She finally stepped back next to me, and dunked her hands into the soapy water. "It won't go away you know. People won't stop expecting things from you." It was weird what she was saying. Her voice was high and a little squeaky. But her words were those of an older person. Somehow the two just didn't go together. She was so strange. Suddenly I remembered how angry she was earlier. That was also the rage of an older person. How could this little girl possibly be carrying so much around?

We finished the rest of the dishes in silence. By the time we got out of the kitchen, it was dark, and the campers were already beginning to troop off to bed for lights-out.

I turned around to say good-night but she was already out of ear-shot, marching resolutely away to her barracks. Fine, I marched off to bed too.

When I lay down on my bunk, Dakota leaned over the edge of his top-bunk and grinned at me. "Nice show today, you and angry girl." I threw my pillow at him, and he chuckled, disappearing back onto his bunk. Great, now I had to stretch for my pillow.

I was about to turn off my light, when I decided to grab my journal.

September 7, 2006, The Barracks

The new girl is so angry. I think the world has given her too much sadness. I wonder what kind of pain she's carrying around.

Oh, her name is Reyna. Like Queen. Only more regal because it's not in English.

I stuffed the journal away and turned off the light.

The next morning when we showed up to training, there was another surprise waiting for us. Philip was nowhere to be seen, and neither was the Third Cohort. All of them, that is, except Reyna. She was standing beside a training dummy, swinging two batons casually in her hands.

When we were all finally standing in front of her, she said, "Right. From now on, I'll be your new training instructor."

"Says who?" Dakota challenged.

"Says Praetor Hall," she said firmly.

"We don't need a new training instructor. Besides you've only been here for like three days," Bobby argued.

She sighed, like she was already tired of the conversation. "Look, you all suck." More grumbling, but she held up her hand, and surprisingly, most people fell quiet. Praetor material indeed. "You don't need a sucker to teach you. And I'm the only one who volunteered for the job. You need me. So suck it up. If any of you have a problem, you can take it up with Philip. After the lesson." She smacked one of the batons on her left palm. She meant business.

"Right, partner up, and I'll come around and help you with you form. We'll start with basics. Hand-to-hand. You can put all your weapons away."

It was weird that this tiny, twelve year old girl was schooling us, especially since most of the Fifth was older and bigger than her. After a while though, people started warming up to her. She hid all that anger I had seen the previous day. Instead she was encouraging and warm. I wondered how someone could fake it so well. And she was good at what she was doing. By the end of the lesson, most of the Fifth could throw better punches.

"Good lesson everyone. Tomorrow we'll work on staying light on our feet." She picked up her bag, and as she was walking away, I caught her eye, and she nodded at me. I don't know why, but I grinned at her.

Turns out, that wasn't the only surprise of the day. When we got to dinner, our Praetors had an announcement to make. "The time has come for another quest."

The dining hall broke out into low murmuring, but when Philip raised his hand, it fell quiet again.

"There have been rumours that a distance slab created by the Sixth Legion during the building of Hadrian's Wall has been found. If these rumours are true, then we must find it and bring it home. As you all know Hadrian's Wall marked the north-west frontier of the Roman Empire. So why is this slab so important? Well apart from marking the completion of a section of the hall, these slabs were also imbued with protective spells by the Vestal Virgins, strengthened by their blood sacrifice. It was hoped that this magic would protect the empire from the barbarians and the monsters of chaos of the north. It worked. Now one of these slabs has resurfaced. If we can find it, and bring it back, then we could use it to reinforce the borders around New Rome. This is exactly the sort of extra protection we could use right now, with the Titans on the rise."

There were stunned gasps, and expressions of disbelief, of fear, and of hope from the campers. They were terrified. If there was something that could protect them, we needed to bring it back.

Before they could get too loud, Philip continued. "One hero has already been chosen for this quest. As a son of Jupiter, it is only fitting that Jason Grace goes to reclaim his brother's legacy." I had to try very hard from groaning. Would they ever stop expecting so much from me? It won't go away you know. People won't stop expecting things from you. Great, now I even heard her voice in my head. Philip was staring at me. I knew he expected me to go up there and act all solemn and pleased that I was given this great honour. I tried my best to fake it. If Reyna can fake not being angry, you can fake being happy, Jason. Get it together. I had begun to follow her example. Little did I know I'd come to rely on her for much more.

I stood beside him and he clapped me on the shoulder. "The omens have been read. The gods approve of this choice. Who will join him?"

I knew Dakota would volunteer but before he even had a chance to open his mouth, a tiny, twelve year old girl was piping up from the back. "I'll do it, I'll go!"

I frowned and when I looked at Philip, I was glad to see that he also looked puzzled. Good, I didn't want to trek across country with a grumpy girl who was just as likely to spear me in my sleep as save my life.

"Sit down, Ramirez," someone shouted from the front. "You just got here."

But she didn't. She stood up on the table and stared down at us all. "Every single one of you has had the chance to prove yourself. To prove your loyalty and love for this city. Let me prove myself to you now. I claim this chance."

Gods, did she really buy into this 'for the gods and Rome' bullshit? No one actually believed in that. But whatever her beliefs, this twelve-year-old girl looked really impressive, staring down at us all like that.

But the more I looked at her, the more I started to notice something else. One hand was on her dagger, the other clenched in a fist, her mouth fastened in a tight line. She was terrified, but here she was, volunteering anyway. She was either really eager, really brave, or really stupid. Anyway it was clear she felt like she needed to prove something to the rest of us.

"Reyna. No one doubts you, but you just got here. You need more training," Philip said calmly.

She snorted. When she spoke, her squeaky little voice rang out, tinny, in the hall. "Everyone here doubts me. I know. I see the way you all look at me. You don't trust me. Well when I bring your golden boy back to you safe and sound, you'll know you can trust me." I rolled my eyes. Yep, definitely trying to prove something. For starters, more mature than she looked. I wondered why. This girl was a mystery.

Philip was about to say something else, but she cut him off. "Look, from what I understand, there hasn't been a quest in a while. Which means that most of you have been stuck in camp for a while. I was on the run just a few days ago. I know what it's like out there. I'm smart and resilient. Jason will need my expertise. I can do this. I know it."

Most people still looked doubtful, and I was about to tell Philip to shut this down, when he said, "Very well Reyna. We shall read the omens, and if they are good, you will accompany Jason on this quest."

Octavian, the scrawny augur, was coming forward to read the guts of some teddy bear to let us know what exactly the gods said, when Dakota piped up, "Wait we need to choose one more person. Custom dictates three companions on a quest. I volunteer."

I grinned at him. Wouldn't be so bad now. But when I looked at Philip, he looked sad. "No Dakota. Only two will go on this quest. We don't have the campers to spare."

Dakota was going to protest, but Philip cut him off.

"What do the omens say Octavian?"

The omens were good.