Thalia already hated the trip. In her eyes it all didn't made sense. Why should they and their step-mothers bond? Just because they can have their perfect family? Thalia found it pathetic and stupid. Nothing came out of this trip. Nico was heavily hurt by his step-mother and she didn't made any process. The only one who made process was Percy. Thalia felt a pang of jealousy.
Yeah, she may not really not wanted to bond with her step-mother, but that didn't meant it sometimes hurt to see that Percy had now a pretty good relationship with her step-mother. Sometimes Thalia wondered how it was to have a real family.
Now she was sitting in a shuttle with her brother and Hera to the Grand Canyon. Hera was sitting alone in the very front whereas she and Jason took the two seats a bit behind her.
Thalia stared at the landscape. They were now in a dessert in Arizona. With nothing but some plants and animals here and there and this street with some vehicles on it. Thalia sighed. Sometimes she felt like this dessert: empty.
"Hey, you alright?" she heard her brother say to her. Thalia turned around and looked at her brother's concerned face. Thalia smiled at that. She at least had her brother back. She remembered how devastated she was when he was gone. And that had been Hera's fault too. But Thalia had to admit, grudgingly, that it had been also Hera who brought them together. Now that he was here Thalia couldn't wish for a better brother.
"Yeah, just thinking." she said looking outside.
"About the trip?" Jason asked her.
Thalia nodded. During the past few days she had thought a lot about different things. Mainly the trip, but also their family situation.
"I think this is a waste of time." she said.
Jason looked at her. She could see the doubt in his eyes which surprised her. Was he really convinced that this trip would succeed?
"I actually don't think so. I think this trip is actually a chance to redo all the mistakes that we made. Our mistakes as well as our step-mothers mistakes." he said.
Thalia looked at him suspiciously. "What mistakes? The only one who did mistakes has been stupid Cow Queen." she said.
To her surprise Jason shook his head. "Hera may have made a lot of mistakes in the past and most of them were of jealousy, but what happened in the Giant War...in the end we have to thank her that she reunited the Greeks and Romans and she even brought us together." he said.
Thalia just looked at her younger brother incredulously. "You can't think that!" she said shocked. But something inside her was telling her that he was right in a way. Sometimes it really annoyed her that her brother was more mature than herself.
Jason sighed. "I...I didn't thought of that before. I was pretty angry at Hera myself when we were at war, but this trip made me think of lot of things. Maybe...maybe we were just holding too much grudges against each other. I was thinking a lot why our step-mothers hate us and we them too and I think it has not only to do with jealousy." he said.
Thalia frowned at that. "If it not just jealousy, then what then?" she asked.
Jason shook his head. "I can't say it right now, but I think we just misunderstand each other." he said.
Thalia looked at him incredulously. "Misunderstanding her? She misunderstood me, but not me her!" she said. She looked around if anyone was listening to them, but nobody seemed to care for their conversation.
Jason raised an eyebrow. "Really Thalia? What do you know about Hera?" he asked.
Thalia huffed. "I know enough to say that she is an insufferable cow Queen." she said.
"We know that side of her yes. But have you ever wondered why she is so? I believe you are quiet familiar with the Greek Mythology and a bit with Hera's story." Jason said in a lecturing tune.
Thalia wanted to protest, but she remembered Hera's words how it hurt when her husband always cheated on her. She wondered whether Jason was right, but she shook the thought off.
"Why do you even defend her? She erased your memories and separated you from me!" she shouted whispering.
Jason sighed. "Because...it sounds stupid, but I want to have a real family. I know Hera isn't my biological mom and she probably never will be, but...it is a nice thought that this bonding trip may help to it." he said quietly.
Thalia's expression softened at his brother's words. Deep inside he just spoke out what she was hoping for. She put an arm around him. "Hey, you have a family. You have me, Piper and the others." she said.
Jason sighed. "I know. I told you it was stupid. I just sometimes wonder what it would be to have a real family. This thought has kinda made me overthink everything about Hera and doing some research and trying to understand why we haven't one." he said.
Thalia's heart broke a bit at his brother's words. All he wanted was a real family. Thalia remembered the times when she was young when she hoped that their father would come back so they could have been a real family, but over the time she suppressed the thought. But now it was slowly coming back.
"It's okay. I know how you feel. But you know that is unrealistic, right?" Thalia asked softly.
Jason nodded. "Yeah, like I said. It was a stupid thought." he said.
Thalia ruffled his hair. "No it's not. Maybe a bit naive, but it's a nice thought." she said.
Jason smiled at her and he looked glad that she understood. He wanted to say something when the shuttle suddenly stopped.
Thalia and Jason stood up and went out. She saw Jason a bit grimacing at the sight of the Grand Canyon and Thalia wondered why. She knew that he didn't had a fear of hight. She was the one with it and she only came here because she was forced to do it.
"Everything alright?" she asked him.
Jason nodded. "Yeah, just some old memories." he said.
Thalia made a mental notice to ask him later about it.
They walked to Hera who was standing a few meters in front of them looking around. Thalia couldn't help but make a cheeky remark. "So what shall we do now, your grace." she said with a hint of sarcasm.
Hera turned around and glared at Thalia. "Don't be cheeky with me Thalia Grace. I can change my mind at not hurting you." she said.
Thalia wanted to counter her words, but at the strict gaze of her brother she decided to shut her mouth.
They walked silently to the Skywalk. Thalia already panicked at the sight of the Skywalk. Whose idea was it to send them to this place. Her breaths became more heavily.
Jason seemed to noticed it and looked at her worriedly, but Thalia gave him a sign that everything was okay.
After two minutes they arrived at the Skywalk. Thalia was walking very slowly on it. Hera turned around and seemed to noticed that Thalia had some problems.
"You seem to have problems." she commented.
"I am fine!" Thalia snapped at her. She looked around for Jason, but he was taking some pictures of the landscape.
Hera raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you scared of heights?" she asked.
Thalia immediately panicked inside. Hera couldn't know her fear for heights or she would tease her forever.
"No." she said quickly. Maybe it was too quickly.
Hera just looked at her suspiciously. "You know, it's okay to be afraid of heights." she said.
Thalia looked at her in shock. She expected her to laugh at her, but instead she actually kinda comforted her.
"Um thanks?" she said.
Hera sighed. "Why don't you go down from the Skywalk? It is probably better for you." she said and Thalia could even see a hint of worry in her eyes, which shocked her even more.
"Th...thanks." she said slowly walking away. What was going on? Why wasn't she laughing at her? As she walked away she looked at Hera again. She didn't looked evil or pissed off. No, she actually looked thoughtful as if she was thinking about many things at the same time. Thalia wondered whether those things had to do with the trip. Then she realized horrified that she could heard her and Jason's conversation earlier. But why was she acting this way then? Thalia shook her head and walked down of the platform. Again she looked back. Maybe...just maybe Hera wasn't so bad as she thought. She heard Jason's words in her mind. She sighed. Why couldn't life be normal for once?
Finally, the chapter is finished! I know it is a disappointing chapter without much bonding and I am soooooo sorry guys for not updating soon. University is really stressful. I am trying my best to write my stuff. Anyway I hope you liked it. This is my first part of Hera/Thalia/Jason bonding. I will now make their one day trips a bit longer, so they can either bond or let their relationship be even more destroyed (evil laugh). So I hope you guys like it. I will update soon! I promise! Please leave a review!
