A\N: A little announcement: Let's have in mind that this is Jason before he met the Greeks. He hadn't had the time to get to know them and accept their ways. This is a fully Roman Jason, who had spend almost all his life in camp Jupiter, surrounded by rules. It's normal for him to not be quite in character with his book version. But it will get better.

Chapter 3: Fall apart

The whole camp was in chaos. There were far too many campers everywhere and bickering could be heard almost all the time. Piper and Leo were spent most of their time walking around and breaking up quarrels before they could turn into full-blown fights.

She still hadn't talked to Jason. Ever since they came this morning, the blond guy was either with Chiron and his co-praetor, or with Percy and Annabeth discussing defense and attack strategies for the upcoming battle. Because yes, the army of giants was nearing camp Half-blood now, just almost a day and a half away. Piper didn't feel it was the right time discussing where they were. He seemed like a totally different person and she was kind of afraid to find if this was his true self.

''We should better head to the Big house, the councilor meeting is starting in half an hour.'' She said to Leo while they were exiting the fighting arena.

''Oh, sure but I just have to get back to my cabin and talk to Nissa about that robot statue she wanted to built. See you there Beauty queen!'' he smiled at her, waving as he walked away quickly.

''Don't call me that!'' she shouted after him but the only thing he did was laugh out loud.

Piper sighed and headed towards the Big house, shaking her head at her best friend. He would never stop teasing her with that stupid nickname, would he?

She expected to find at least Chiron in the Big house but for her surprise, there was no one in there. Or at least that's what she thought until she reached the door to the room where they usually held the meetings. It was opened just a tiny bit so Piper could hear two voices coming from inside. She was about to walk away and leave them to finish their conversation in private but a word stopped her. Her own name being said.

''Come on, I'm not blind Grace. I saw the way you look at that Piper girl. Do I really have to remind you that we're in a war?'' Reyna's voice sounded like a scolding mother and Piper flinched.

She leaned a little and saw the two Roman praetors standing by the ping-pong table and frowning at each other angrily.

''I haven't forgotten Reyna. And what I do is not your business.'' Jason said back, crossing his arms over his chest.

''But it's my business when it affects the legion. You met her two hours ago and you're already distracted. You can't let a simple Venus spawn draw you away from the purpose of our arriving here!'' She spat the name of the goddess like it was some kind of venom she didn't want to touch her mouth.

''First, she's a daughter of Aphrodite not Venus…'' Jason tried to defend but Reyna simply threw her hands in the air from exasperation.

''Even worse! Greek stupidity with Aphrodite's incompetence, a brilliant combination for you to look at.''

''You have no idea what your talking about.'' He said dangerously, leaning away from his co-praetor. ''You don't even know her.''

''Neither do you! And I'm advising you to not get too attached. We have to keep our minds sober Jason, our home was destroyed and we have to rebuild everything. You heard Junona, a war is starting. The legion needs you. We can't afford to have you following a stupid daughter of love like a love-sick puppy for gods' sake!'' she shouted and Piper hid in the darkness next to the door. Her mind was telling her to get the hell out of there but her body refused to move.

''If you think that I'm going to betray our home, you're so wrong! I'm not in love with her so you can relax; I'm going to be in the best shape for the battle.'' Jason's voice rang loud through the room followed by silence.

Piper felt her body going numb. She slid down the wall until she was sitting on the wooden floor. Her eyes were wide with shock as she stood there, trying to comprehend what just happened. She repeated his words in her mind over and over again, trying to detect some trace of a lie behind it but she couldn't. The only thing she detected was a cold determination. A person she never knew. A kind of person she never wanted to know. The praetor Jason Grace, the leader, the son of the sky god…Piper didn't know that guy. With her heart twisting she realized that the kind, smart and funny guy she met a year ago at San Francisco was just a façade. He wasn't real, this was the real him.

The Roman that thought she was silly and useless because she was a daughter of the Love goddess.

She knew him just as much as he knew her.

Footsteps and laughs broke her reverie and she quickly stood up and brushed her face to try and erase the look she had on it. It was just in time because Leo, Travis and Connor Stoll and Katie Gardner emerged from the front door.

''Oh, hey Beauty queen, what are you doing here?'' Leo asked her with cocked eyebrows and Piper quickly rummaged through her mind to find an acceptable explanation. They mustn't know that she overheard the conversation of the two praetors.

''Um, I was just playing with my ring and I dropped it so I stopped to find it, that's all. It's not a big deal.'' Maybe she was overreacting but she put a little charmspeak in her last sentence. She had a strong policy against charmspeaking but this was an exception.

''Okay then. You need some help?'' he asked back and Piper sighed in relief before managing a faint smile.

''Nope, I found it!'' and she raised her right hand to show the bronze ring securely sitting on her middle finger. ''Let's get inside.''

And with that she waited for the others to walk in first before she joined them, entering last.

Her friends were surprised to find the two Roman leaders already there, standing at one corner of the room. Piper tried to not look their way as she took her regular seat with Leo on one side and Connor, Travis and Katie opposite them.

''Oh, come on Kitty Kat, you can't stay made at me forever!'' Travis whined while his brother and Leo chuckled.

''Why not? I can stay mad as long as I want. Is it bothering you? Well, suck it up, you're bothering me most of the time!'' Katie almost shouted glaring at him before returning her attention to a notebook in her arms.

''What did I miss?'' Piper asked Leo while the two were bickering.

''Oh, the usual. Travis took I don't know what from her and now she's furious. Same old, same old.'' The son of Hephaestus laughed before turning to her. ''What happened with you?''

Piper's eyes scrunched in confusion and she tried to smile.

''What do you mean, nothing happened.'' She answered but Leo didn't seem convinced. He turned his whole body towards her and when he spoke, his voice was lower.

''Yeah, right. You know that I know you enough, right. Something's troubling you.'' He persisted and Piper wondered since when Leo was so good at reading people. Or maybe he was just good with reading her, because they were so close. Like siblings. She sighed.

''Nothing's wrong Repair boy.'' She smiled half-heartedly at him while he looked at her suspiciously.

''I know I'm not that good with organic life forms but I'm here for you. If only just to listen and repeat that things are going to be fine, you know that right?'' he sounded more serious than usual and Piper just nodded.

''Thanks.'' She looked up at him and they both smiled. His grin turned lighter and her threw his hands up in the air.

''Come here Beauty queen.'' He suggested wiggling his eyebrows even and she laughed a little before hugging him.

''Leo?'' she said before pulling away.

''Yep?''

''Don't call me that!''


The room filled slowly and after around fifteen minutes the meeting began. Piper couldn't help but tune out at some point while Chiron was talking about what the Romans will need to build their camp and how long it will take. Actually, from the Greeks only Annabeth and Leo were actually involved in this conversation except for the Romans of course (they were more now, not only the two praetors, teenagers called senators. These people were seriously taking this too serious.)

Piper found herself glancing towards Jason from time to time when she registered his voice. He was seated next to Chiron and across from Percy. Next to him was Reyna with Annabeth across from her. The girls eyed each other a few times with stern looks and Piper could clearly see the resemblance. Both were daughters of warrior goddesses, both strategists and leaders (though Annabeth wouldn't want from anybody to ask her for permission to speak.). Piper was afraid that soon, conflicts will start.

But that wasn't her current problem. She guessed she would find a way to deal with this when the problem emerges. Her biggest problem now was the fact that she couldn't concentrate while Jason was speaking and glancing towards her.

It was strange, really. She tried to find some similarities in the characteristic of this guy, some resemblances between this one and the one she left in San Francisco. But it was difficult. This guy, Jason the praetor…ever since they arrived she hadn't seen him smile. His posture was always straight. His face didn't show his emotions. He addressed the other Romans formally (as they addressed him too) like they weren't friends, like they were some…army, created only to defeat the enemy. How was it possible, they were kids after all?! Not hardened soldiers. But remembering how the Romans, the legionaries acted she thought that maybe that's what they actually were. Hardened, forced to grow up early.

She was so glad that she was in camp Half-blood.

She averted her eyes towards the table in front of her while Annabeth talked about some architectural stuff. The augur was suspiciously quiet but Piper was sure he had a lot to tell. He was just smart enough to wait for the right time.

She started picking at the end of her ripped jean shorts. Her mind was recalling a memory of their last day at school, they way he was holding her hand like it was the most natural thing in the world, the way he kissed her sweetly and smiled at her widely. She missed that guy. And the worst thing was that she didn't know if he ever was coming back. She didn't know if he was true in the first place.

''Piper? Are you listening?'' Annabeth's voice reached her and she abruptly turned towards the blond girl.

''Uhm, sorry. Can you repeat that please?'' Piper asked again, trying to banish away the thoughts for Jason.

Some snickers came from the other side of the room where the Romans were and Piper saw Reyna rolling her eyes and watching Jason in a I-told-you-so manner. The guy himself had his eyes narrowed and the daughter of Aphrodite thought she saw worry in them but she quickly brushed it away. She couldn't get distracted by his eyes now.

When she turned towards Annabeth again she saw the daughter of Athena glaring at the Romans. She talked without removing her gaze from them.

''We were just discussing if it was a good idea to settle a guard watch on the border lines until the army comes for security measures. Everyone has to agree in order to settle a time table.'' The blond girl finally looked at her and Piper shrugged.

''Yeah, sure. It sounds like a good plan. I'm in.'' she nodded and Annabeth smiled at her before turning towards Travis and Connor.

'' Yeah right, like we need help from a Venus girl.'' A guy from the Roman group snickered a little too loudly and Piper turned to glare at him.

''No one gave you permission to speak Marcus.'' Jason's angry voice filled the room as the Roman praetor turned to the guy with blazing electric-blue eyes.

Piper knew that look and knew that it was going to cause trouble. Reyna nudged her co-praetor after a while and he turned towards Annabeth again but his look didn't cease. The daughter of Aphrodite felt the urge to grasp his hand in hers, to tell him that it wasn't a big deal and that it wasn't worth it. When they picked on her at school about not having a mother and such it was the same. But she couldn't.

She didn't know how will he react if she was to stand up and go over to him. Was he going to push her away, claim that he never knew her? Probably. That's why she clenched her hands in fists under the table and sat still. She wasn't going to make a fool of herself. Someday, she was going to prove the Romans exactly what an Aphrodite kid could do.

She felt someone's gaze on her and immediately looked up. Her eyes met electric blue. He was staring at her with yet again another familiar look. A look that made her feels all warm inside. She gave him a small, barely visible smile and nodded. He relaxed a little, nodding in response before looking at Chiron to continue their conversation. A small spark started in her. Maybe, just maybe not everything was lost for them.

But then again his previous words hit her again and the smile immediately vanished.

I'm not in love with her…

Gods, why did her life have to be so complicated!?

A\N: Okay, I'm ending this chapter here for now. I think that the next should be Jason's POV. We need to see what he's thinking, right. And I promise you, he's not such a jerk (because he appears to be like that in the beginning of this chapter). Don't worry, I swear on the Styx that things will get better.

Stay tuned for the next chapter! Coming out next Sunday! LOVE YOU ALL!