I dedicate this to Charlee56 (you know why; thank you!)

Jason just looks at Percy for a long time. Percy tries not to fidget, but he can imagine much of the censure that Jason is silently communicating with his muscled arms crossed over his muscled chest and his blue, blue eyes. Finally, after what seems like an eternity, Jason uncrosses his arms and gestures Percy toward Cabin #3. At a glance from Jason, Piper ducks out the door, holding a happier, well-rested version of Jonah. Jonah asks, "Da?" and Piper replies something that Percy cannot hear but sounds cheerful and sweet. They are headed up the hill towards the Big House. Percy lets them go. Jonah's in good hands, and Jason wants to talk. Percy steels himself and turns to his cousin, who is frowning and nudging a broken piece of fountain across the floor with a look of utmost concentration. Sensing Percy's attention as soon as it shifts, Jason looks up and smiles? Percy wants to cry. Jason's silent scolding had been rough, but he could still smile like that at Percy? The smile lit up the whole place like the sun and warmed some of the cold hard knots Percy had learned to live with since- after- That Day. Apparently, some mourning just has to be done with others. Percy stumbles into a hug and sobs. Jason runs his hand over Percy's hair and mumbles soothing nonsense.

When the tide of tears finally ebbs, Percy and Jason back away from each other sheepishly. Percy sees that there are tear tracks on Jason's face too and he heals just that little bit more. Jason had been Nico's friend too, and a better one than Percy had ever been until the last. If anyone understood, it would be him.

"What are your plans?" Jason asks, no-nonsense and straight to the heart of the issue as usual. Percy starts to grin at the business-like tone before he abruptly realizes he doesn't actually have a real answer. But that should be okay; most of his best plans were made on the fly in the middle of battlefields anyway. He casts about for inspiration, and answers the first aspect of the planning process, which is "Where?" He doesn't want to live with his mother (he loves her and she would love to have him, but he is too old to stay in the nest – has been for years), and now that he is here, he knows bone-deep that Camp Half-Blood can never feel like home for him again. He remembers a place that he wanted to live and speaks it as soon as it crosses his mind.

"New Rome," he says and as the words are uttered he knows that it's right. He continues extrapolating that idea, "Take Jonah, find an apartment, maybe take some classes at the college there, maybe hang out at the docks or the bridge to find work, get a babysitter maybe? Or maybe not." He glances at Jason. Jason is watching him attentively, no opinion to be seen on his face. "I know where I'm going and once we get there, we'll take it as it comes." He blows out a deep breath and rocks on his feet. Jason has just helped lift a huge burden off Percy's shoulders that he hadn't even realized was weighing him down.

Jason purses his lips thoughtfully and nods in agreement; Percy is reminded of agreeing on a strategy in the midst of battle as they had so often done. He smiles, and gripped Jason's shoulder in a comradely fashion.

Percy picks up the baby harness and the duckie bag and is halfway out the door before Jason calls after him, "Are you going to talk to Annabeth before you go?"

Percy stops but doesn't turn. His tone is bitter and regretful, "Think she'd let me?" The question is rhetorical. He trudges up the hill to rescue his little guy from a well-meaning Auntie Piper.