the scientist
Summary – Seeing the light flicker on in Reyna's eyes, Piper and Leo ponder what could have been. AU
Pairings – Jeyna, One-sided Leyna
Notes – Inspired by the sudden overload of 'Reyna and Annabeth get switched' AU's. If you write those, bless your soul since you make me squeal into my pillow in the middle of the night. So, the background for this is basically the above. Reyna and Annabeth got switched.
(In retrospect, the summary does not match the fic.
Bleh. Whatever)
PIPER wonders if she's ever been more frightened than she is now, standing on the deck of Argo II and staring defiantly ahead, refusing to looking down at Camp Jupiter. Her heart is pounding and she clutches the railing like a lifeline, Reyna standing stiffly next to her. This could make or break their friendship and she doesn't appreciate having to compete against the other girl's past. Even if the Mist induced memories she had of them just hanging out were fake, they were still her. The girl in her memories had every trait Reyna had and she didn't want to lose her after going through Hell in back. Seeing Leo's face growing grimmer and grimmer as they near the ground, Piper knows the son of Hephaestus is feeling the exact same thing but for him, it probably hurts even more. The daughter of Aphrodite knows that he's always had a crush on Reyna, affectionately calling her Queen every chance he got and the cruel reality that she might have someone waiting for her on the ground, watching the flying ship grow closer, haunts him.
"Are you scared?"Piper suddenly asks, not wanting to be alone in her fear and the other girl tensed, staring at the ground and her expression grows wistful.
"Terrified,"she replies quietly and her heart goes out to her, not enjoying the pure weakness that Reyna is displaying. Piper is use to her being stoic, in control at all times and the fear that shows on her face worries her. The daughter of Enyo(Bellona,she reminds herself)is most likely more scares of what is on the ground than Leo and Piper combined. Since whatever is waiting for is what makes her she is. But the daughter of Aphrodite couldn't help but wonder if she's worried about Jason and Hylla. Nights ago, when they were over the plains of the USA, Piper had accidentally walked into the other girl's room and had seen her in the midst of a nightmare, fighting against her covers and crying out Jason and Hylla over and over. For a few minutes, she had stared, absorbing what was going on with disbelief, before rushing over and waking the girl up. Reyna woke up and immediately began to sob, grasping Piper's shoulders like a lifeline, and murmuring "They're dead and its all my fault. They were right there and I let them die." over and over like a prayer. They would find out today if Jason and Hylla were dead or if it was just a nightmare, a shockingly realistic one that only demigods could have.
"We've received permission to land!"Will Solace suddenly calls and Piper's breath hitches in her throat and she holds onto the railing with all she has. Reyna's face goes blank and she just stares down at the ground of teenagers clad in purple shirts, her eyes scanning for people she might recognize, when she suddenly freezes, her eyes growing wide and she leans over dangerously, trying to get a better look. She stares in the crowd before she begins to grin wider than Piper has ever seen. The only words to describe what her expression is pure euphoria and her eyes are sparkling in the way that usually on Aphrodite children could do.
"Reyna!"someone cries from the ground and curious, Piper leans over, trying to spot whoever had cried the girl's name. There's a small group huddled together, staring up at Argo II hopefully, and the tall black-haired boy has his hands cupped around his mouth, probably the one who had called. A pretty girl is clutching his arm, yelling something indistinguishable over the loud hum of the crowd, and a smallish, dark-skinned girl is leaning up on her toes, craning her neck for a better view. Another lanky boy with a mop of wild brown hair is waving his arms so fast that he looks seconds away from taking flight. The only one that isn't going completely nuts is the handsome blonde boy, dressed rather strangely in a purple toga, and staring up at the ship, his arms crossed and lips pressed in a firm line. Standing a ways left of him, a woman that looked like an older version of Reyna is talking to a blonde that could only be Annabeth, glancing at Argo II every once in a while. But try as they might, the blonde and the older girl (Hylla and Jason. There's no doubt in her mind) are worried, moments away from demanding that they land and snatching away Reyna and never letting her go.
She sees possibilities better than everyone and what she sees stuns her. The Romans described by the only Roman they knew as warlike, strict people are actually displaying their hearts on their sleeves. Some are trying to compress it, shove it in the recesses of their mind, but Piper knows better. She sees the expression of pain hidden that she's memorized from Leo. The small group that was panicked for their lost friend loves her like family and she gets the suspicion that the handsome blonde probably cares for her more than just a friend or a sister figure. He is Jason, the boy that had made her wake up sobbing with the mere thought of him being dead. He is Jason, the boy that is struggling to hide away any emotion that could show weakness. He is Jason and Reyna is in love with him.
Piper is suddenly struck with the realization that all the while she had been worrying about the upcoming battle with Reyna's past, she had already lost.
XxXxX
LEO fiddles with small scraps of middle, trying his best to keep calm and not scream, grab Reyna, toss her in Argo II, and sail away while laughing madly. Next to him, Piper is holding his hand, trying to comfort herself with the only friend that won't ditch her, and her kaleidoscope eyes scanning the crowd. Percy is standing in front of them, grinning so big that it looks like his face is about to split open, and Thalia Grace whacks him with the pretense that he looks like a creeper. Usually, the sight would make him die of laughter and crack a few puns but the tension in the air is too heavy to even grin.
"We're so pathetic,"Piper suddenly groans, slouching and scowling at the ground. Leo raises a brow. She's usually the one with the 'HADES YEAH, WE CAN TOTALLY DO THIS AND NOT DIE IN THE PROCESS.' and he's the one who supports her in her random bursts of energy. Quite-Possible-High!Piper he could deal with. Depressed!Piper was something that he had barely even seen before. "Reyna is off hiding somewhere, Will Solace trying his best to comfort her, while we, her best friends for Gods' sake, are here, moping about. I mean, how sad is that? We're the ones being all depressed,"she sighs and kicks the ground, frustrated. Up ahead of them, Percy is walking over to the middle ground and the tall, blonde dude in the purple bed sheet is striding over to meet him.
"Yeah, we'll be pathetic forever,"I grin at Piper, trying to convince her to be happy but she only whacks my arm, shaking her head.
"Still, we're just so..."
"So what?"Reyna suddenly asks, appearing between us and we jerk apart, Will Solace grinning slyly as he gives Reyna a one-armed hug before heading off towards the Stoll Brothers. She barely pays him any attention, preferring to glare at the duo and wait for a reply. Leo gulps before going back to fiddling with the metal scraps, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end. She hadn't noticed the blonde guy that had suddenly stopped in the middle of his conversation with Percy to stare at her and he didn't know what to think. It cut him so deeply that there was somebody waiting on her, somebody with real memories of her, that could probably beat him all the way to Italy. The scrap pieces begin to melt in his hand from the rapidly growing heat and he yelps, dropping them and stomping on them to try and put it out.
"Leo!"Reyna cried, giving him a firm whack on the back of the head. Her eyes were glowing with anger, though he suspected that she was just using him as an outlet for all the tension that was still pent up inside of her, and she was so intent on lecturing him, she hadn't noticed the crowd grow quiet. "Control yourself! Remember what I told you? Keep a cool head! Do we want a repeat of the burning Piper's scarf incident?"she barks, pointing her finger at him and Leo couldn't hold back his grin.
"No ma'am!"he replies and she huffed, opening her mouth to deliver even more scathing words when a smooth voice butted in, causing her to stiffen up, her eyes wide with shock and remembrance.
"If I had any doubts about that being you Rey, they all disappeared just then,"the blonde with the purple bed sheet grins at her, his grim expression from earlier being completely wiped from his face, and he strides towards her, a group quickly following him. Leo watches, trying to keep his emotions intact, as a girl that is sobbing tackles her, blubbering out empty threats and a small dark-skinned girl (He had seen her somewhere before...) latches onto anything that is left, copying the older girl's actions. Reyna stands stiffly, staring at the blonde boy before slowly moving her gaze towards the group that is slowly forming around her. She grabs the crying redhead by her shoulders and pulls her away, holding her at arms' length.
"Gwen,"she says and, without giving the other girl anytime to respond, she moves onto the younger girl, scrutinizing her before a name comes to mind. "Hazel." The girl cheers, excited that Reyna remembered her and the Daughter of Bellona moves on, naming everyone in the group thats huddled all around her. Leo doubts he'll ever forget their names and he grips Piper's hand, the roles reversed as he tries to remind himself that he's still got one best friend and he's not exactly alone yet. Reyna steps out of the small crowd and heads towards the blonde that now has a tall, older version of herself next to him. Her head is held high and she seems so confidence that its not hard to believe that she had been a former leader here. She's so in control that the idea that she's never been powerful can't even cross his mind.
"I haven't forgiven you,"she promptly says to the older version of her before breaking out into a wide grin. "Hylla." What can only be her older sister nods, her smile mirroring Reyna's, and Leo stares at them, wondering what had happened between them that even now, the girl can't forgive her own flesh and blood. The train of thought doesn't last long however as she moves onto the blonde boy, crossing her arms and staring at him.
"You're still the biggest idiot ever, Jason. I mean, honestly. No one is in ranks or anything," Reyna huffs, indignant and Leo watches in disbelief as the now blonde boy with a name grins widely before stepping towards her, pulling her into the tightest hug he's ever seen.
"Don't you dare ever do that again, Rey. I've been pulling my hair out with the loss of my better half,"Jason teases and she tenses before relaxing in his arms, hesitantly wrapping her arms around him. Something flickers in her eyes and Leo feel his heart stop before shattering. He's seen the look in her eyes before, in dreams when they were together and in people around him.
He's seen it in Percy's eyes when he speaks of Annabeth bossing him about.
He's seen it in his old teacher's eyes when her husband spontaneously dropped by and gave her a giant bouquet of flowers.
And now, Leo's seen it in her eyes and he can't feel anything except Piper's hand gripping his tightly.
Notes – I might write other drabbles like this.
'Cause I like this.
Its fun.
Really!
Though I tortured poor Leo 3;
(Its ok babe, you always have an army of fangirls at your disposal. And if it makes you feel better, I ship you with Thalia, Calypso, Annabeth, Piper, & Percy. All people I'm sure you love.)