September 1939

It was one of those days. One of those days where Jason was bored out of his mind and had things to do but no motivation.

He could hear Thalia talking back to Franklin Delano Roosevelt on the radio during one of the fireside chats in the living room, but he didn't pay much attention. He'd hear all about what the president had to say at dinner, including Thalia's opinion on what he should do.

He was sitting at his desk, attempting to write another letter to Piper but mostly staring off into space. Jason really liked Piper and all, but he felt like they had come to a halt, stuck in their time barrier between each other.

Her last letter had been simple but heartbreaking and sweet at the same time.

Dearest Jason,

I have much to tell you, but not enough information to make it clear. I'm sure when the time comes I'll be able to explain, but that will have to wait until my appointment at the courthouse tomorrow.

I'm sure this is all confusing, and its past time I confess. You see, I've been investigating your life and all that you did in it. But it's been hard since I decided to go to the library first and they are currently under reconstruction. They didn't have much, just a few articles with your name in it, but I was directed to the courthouse to get more information on you. I hope this doesn't come across as me being a stalker!

Speaking of the library, the librarian who helped me was quite something. He was nice, I'll admit, and intelligent, but I couldn't be what he wanted me to be. See, he asked me out. And I just couldn't bring myself to accept without thinking of betraying you. So I told him that I was currently kind of with another guy, but I'd love to go as friends.

And then, my friend Nat, who I told you before who was running for Student Body President, decided to sign me up so I could be her sponsor or something. And guess what that particular event is? Homecoming Queen!

I was pretty upset, but Annabeth told me that we're going dress shopping tomorrow after my appointment with the courthouse whether I like it or not. I can't believe that my own mother didn't take my side!

Anyways, I wish you were in my time. It would make it a lot easier if you could be my date to the Homecoming Dance that I have to attend, though the winning Queen will be announced after the football game. I'd love to dance with you...

Love,

Piper

Jason smiled at the thought of dancing with Piper. He imagined how beautiful she'd look in a nice dress with a crown atop her head. She would definitely win. Who would vote for anyone else? Piper was kind and sweet and beautiful. No one else could compare.

He also felt a little jealousy for that nitwit librarian who helped Piper. It was so unfair that he could be there for her and ask her out on dates but Jason couldn't. If it wasn't for Jason, Piper would've probably taken his offer. And then she would take him to the Homecoming Dance and they'd dance the perfect night away...

Enough, Jason, he thought to himself as he laid his head on the desktop. He vaguely thought about putting the drawer he'd taken out and put on his bed back into its place in the desk since he was obviously not going to be putting a letter into the crack anytime soon.

Head still on the desk, Jason started to fidget with a broken blade out of his old pocketknife he'd broken last week. Only half awake, he pressed the blade into the mahogany wood, making the letter P. He added an I, then another P, then an E, and lastly an R.

Piper.

Satisfied, Jason closed his eyes with a smile, only vaguely aware that the desk seemed to be carving the name Jason right over top.

But as soon as Jason tried to come to his senses and figure out the reason behind it, he felt himself being pulled into darkness with no escape. Jason flailed his arms, but he was spinning faster than ever. He couldn't see straight and his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

He felt delusional as it all stopped, but he wasn't certain that where he'd landed was any better. He was in his room, but everything was waving around and changing into some unfamiliar place with red paint on the walls and weird objects in it. The only thing constant was was his desk, which wasn't moving or changing form at all.

Jason ran to it's safety, thinking that it would be a great help to his spinning head. The rest of the room was making him dizzy.

But just as he touched the smooth wood, another hand landed on top of his. It was darker in skin tone, but delicate and feminine with chipped green fingernails.

Jason pulled back with a gasp, as did the owner of the other pair of hands. He looked to the source, but was immediately struck with another dizzy streak in his mind as he tried to focus on the blurry human body beside him.

"Are you...Jason?" the other asked in a hesitant voice, stepping a little closer to him.

Jason rubbed his eyes and tried to pinch himself halfheartedly. It did nothing to clear the figure in front of him. "I am. Who are you?" he asked, though he was starting to connect the dots. This couldn't be her. It wasn't possible.

She gasped, and then tightly grasped his hands. "Jason, I'm Piper. How is this happening?"

Piper. It couldn't be real. She couldn't be actually here, it was impossible. Time separated them by strict manners, and even the people of 2013 couldn't time travel. A dream, that's what this was. It had to be, there wasn't any other way.

But then again, Jason didn't think that he could ever dream up the odd objects flashing between the red room and his. What was that weird screen with letters attached on a different piece? Was that the time on that weird box?

"It's not possible. This is just a dream," Jason told her, but he felt like he was more convincing himself. He didn't want to believe it was actually happening just to get his hopes crushed. But her hands were just so soft and they fit right into his...

She pulled her hands away from his, and they faded into the blurriness of her body. "If this was a dream, I'd wake up as soon as I did this," she said. And barely before Jason could process her words, Piper's hands grasped his face and she kissed him.

It was a kiss full of longing. Jason felt her need for something true, for something to be right, so he poured her passion back. She felt solid and clear when he kissed her, like nothing was missing at all. Her lips were soft, he noticed.

After a few blissful moments they pulled away. Jason almost immediately felt empty as her presence left.

Her figure was blurry again, but Jason could tell she was smiling. "Tell me if I have this right, okay? You have blonde hair, blue eyes, and fair skin. You're really tall, actually. Like six two or three? And you have this tiny little scar on your lip."

Jason's hand flew up to his scar as she said it. "Straight on, but how can I not see you? I want to see you," he told her in a pleading voice, taking her hands back in his.

Piper looked away. "Jason, I'm not sure that it's a good idea. You know how I told you that I was still trying to figure things out? If something goes wrong...I don't want to find out what will happen. I want you to understand," she calmly answered, but Jason could sense the pain in her voice.

"Please," Jason begged. He didn't understand and quite frankly, he didn't care to understand. All he wanted was to see Piper without the mugginess.

She sighed. "Okay. You got me," she said in a resigned voice. "I suppose I've already told you that I'm half Cherokee, so there's my skin tone. I've got, uh, black hair. I don't really know what color- they're brown. My eyes are brown," she finished.

As she talked, her facial features cleared up and she wasn't a blurry figure anymore. Jason thought she was beautiful, but it didn't feel right. Something was wrong and missing. "You're not telling me the truth," Jason accused.

"I c-can't," Piper stumbled, apparently surprised that Jason figured it out. "Can we just enjoy each other while we're here? This might not ever happen again."

Jason wasn't satisfied, but agreed that Piper had a point. "Is the red room yours?" he asked, looking around to the ever changing room between his and the red.

Piper smiled. "Yes. Does it seem foreign?" she asked, pulling her hands away from Jason's and gesturing to the odd object on the bed with the alphabet board. "This is a computer. Well, actually it's a laptop, but we won't get into the specifics. That over there by my bed is a digital alarm clock," she said, pointing to the box Jason had spotted earlier.

"What's that?" Jason asked, looking over to an even tinier box that kept occasionally popping up on his desk. His mind was beginning to feel dizzy again, but this time it was from all the new information he was trying to take in and understand at the same time.

Piper blushed and tried to pick it up, but it just evaporated through her fingers. "I guess we're the only things solid in dream land. But it's a cell phone. Kind of like a telephone, but it's portable and I can take it anywhere with me," she explained.

Jason wished he could examine everything in depth, but he supposed he was just lucky enough to have this time with Piper. And he'd take that over anything.

"Were you taking a sleeping on your desk too?" Piper asked, smirking as she leaned on the desk. "Because in my time, it's like midnight. I fell asleep. And I figure that your time is exactly a day behind mine?"

Jason shook his head. "No, we must be only twelve hours behind you. It's about noon there," he told her. "Which would make sense because when one of us sends a letter at night, the next receives it in the morning."

Piper nodded her head in comprehension and started to examine the wood on the top of the desk. "I didn't think of that, I guess. Too much on my mind...How's Perry?" she asked with sudden interest.

"Uh, she's doing well, I suppose. She asked me to go over to her house for dinner today, but that's all I've heard. Why?" Jason asked, sitting next to her on top of the mahogany desk. He found that if he focused only on Piper and the desk, the rest of the room didn't seem so dizzy.

She shrugged. "I thought that as long as I was going to the courthouse, I might as well get her life story too. Except, I don't know her last name..."

"Falling Dove," Jason finished for her. "I asked Perry a few days ago in school. Though I don't know if her records will have that or Stoll, which is the last name of her caretakers as of now. But that's assuming she doesn't, you know-"

"Get married?" Piper suggested, her eyes holding some type of emotion that Jason couldn't quite understand. "In that case, should I look for a Percilla Grace?" she said with a forced tone.

It took a few seconds, but then Jason comprehended her attitude. Piper was jealous. "Oh, Piper! Don't you worry your pretty face, I won't be marrying Perry. It's ridiculous that you'd even suggest that!" Jason reassured her.

"Then who, Jason?" Piper snapped, but then covered her mouth in surprise. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to come out like that. But you marry someone! Malcolm gave me a paper announcing the grand opening of your...I can't tell you that, I don't think. I just want to know who you marry!"

"Have you ever thought it might be you?" Jason asked, smiling at her.

But then, unexpectedly, Piper backed away. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, Jase. I'd, like, love to marry you and all, but dude! I'm only seventeen. Maybe give it a few years...you know, assuming that was actually possible to marry a guy from like seventy years ago."

Jason tilted his head in confusion. "What's so odd about your age? Why would you have to wait a few years?"

Piper laughed and hit her head for some reason. "Oh, I forgot it was normal to get married young! Let me explain. In my time, not a lot of people get married until they're in their twenties or so. We go to college and get jobs, ya know? Some people never do get married, they say they're happier just being together as boyfriend and girlfriend."

"That seems a little off, but I'll buy it," Jason said, his head swarming from the new bit of information. "But we could get married. Wait, let me explain this time!" Jason said in response to Piper's downward look.

Jason grabbed her hand. "You didn't see the name, right? What if you somehow came to my time and stayed there? Your future isn't defined yet because it hasn't already happen. Mine is, but we just don't know how yet. You could find the way to come to 1939! If I had to bet on it, it'd be through this desk since it's the only thing that connects our two times," he told her with a hopeful smile.

Piper laughed. "You're so optimistic. You'll be a wonderful soldier for the United States, I just know it. Speaking of, how are things there?"

"According to Thalia, who is dedicated to her politics and world news, the U.S. is more focused on staying neutral now. Not much has happened that will affect our country, though Thalia says there are rumors of us supplying other countries as long as they pay in cash and get the supplies themselves. When will I have to leave? Can I ask when we actually do enter the war?" Jason asked.

Piper focused on her green fingernails and didn't look up at him. "I don't think I'm supposed to tell you, but the United States enters after the attack on Pearl Harbor-"

"There's going to be an attack on Pearl Harbor?" Jason interrupted, but saw the look on Piper's face. "Oh, sorry. I won't tell anyone, I promise."

She relaxed her shoulders a little. "Please don't warn anyone, I don't know how drastically things could change. I know people die and things get really bad, but I'm just afraid that any interference would make it worse. Maybe it could be better too, but I just don't want to take the chance. We could really mess things up," Piper said in a worried voice.

Jason squeezed her hand, thinking that he'd be about twenty when that happened. "You have my word. Now, tell me about this Homecoming Queen business you're doing," he said in a joking tone.

"Oh, don't remind me! It's going to be so awful!" Piper wailed. "Can you just imagine it? I'll be all dressed up in a fancy sparkling dress in front of the entire school! You realize that I'll have to walk on the football field after the game's done in heels? And I know Nat and Annabeth won't let me out of it!"

"And everyone will see how beautiful you are when they put the crown on your head," Jason said with a smile, pushing her hair aside for the pretend crown.

Piper blushed and pushed his hand away. "Anyone knows that someone more popular will win like Drew or Kayla. And what about you, anyways? Doesn't your old New Rome High have a running like that?"

"Well, not in the way yours does. We have the game, of course, but who wins King and Queen depends on who dances the most at the dance afterward. The most vibrant dancers get the crowns," Jason said, thinking of the previous year's dance. It had been such a spirited one that the judges could barely narrow it down.

"I wish ours was determined that way," Piper grumbled, then looked up in surprise. "N-not like I want to win it! It doesn't matter to me whether I lose or win, I'd rather not compete at all!"

Jason took the both of her hands and jumped off the desk. "Suppose you do win, and you have to dance with the Homecoming King, but you don't know how," he suggested.

Piper stepped off and stood in front of Jason, pulling away her hands and wrapping them around his neck. "Supposing I'd win, I'd hopelessly wait for the right guy to come and show me how," she answered.

"But, supposing you won, what if the right guy had already taught you how to dance?" Jason asked again, reversing on what he said earlier.

Piper leaned in closer. "Then I don't suppose I'd have a problem, would I?" she whispered as they started to sway to the nonexistent music in the ever-changing room.

And at that moment, nothing else mattered to Jason. Not the war, not the fast ending Depression, not school, not even Perry. Because here, wrapped in his arms was the most wonderful girl that would ever be born on Earth. The one that listened to his fears and understood that he was different. The one that would always be there for him.

Their lips connected again like puzzle pieces that had finally found each other, and Jason knew that there was no way this could be a dream or be replicated by any other woman. He would find a way to stay with Piper, she had to be his. Anything else would be wrong.

"Piper! Wake up! God, you sleep like a dead person!" someone yelled through the void. They both jumped at the distraction. Jason felt anger rise in his chest at his sister. Why did Thalia have to ruin everything? Why couldn't she just save her ranting until he woke up?

But then he calmed a little and realized that she had called to Piper. Why in the world would Thalia be calling to Piper? She didn't even know of her existence!

Piper blushed and quickly kissed Jason again. "I'm sorry, I forgot about Nathalia sleeping over at my house. I told her I'd be right back to watch the rest of the movie but I fell asleep!" she ranted. "But it was worth it," Piper added.

"Wait, that sounded like my sister. Nathalia? Who's Nathalia? It sounds like a weirder version of Thalia!" Jason exclaimed in confusion. "What's going on? I don't understand," he said in exasperation, running a empty hand through his blonde hair.

"Hello? Earth to Piper!" the voice urged, echoing through the room.

Piper gave him a look of pity and longing, but she just hugged him again. "I'm so sorry, Jason. It's just not the right time. I have to go, I'll explain everything later!"

"What if this never happens again?" Jason pressed, desperate not to lose her. This couldn't be happening. Not just after all this.

She gave him a sad smile and kissed him sweetly again. "I love you, Jason," she whispered, pulling away and fading into the mist.

"Piper! No! I love you, please stay! I'm begging you!" Jason screamed, falling into the swirling mass and feeling the dizziness take over again. He struggled with all his might to hold onto something, but everything just fell through his fingers. He was being pulled back into 1939 whether he like it or not, time had given its limit.

He woke with a gasp on the desk, still begging her to stay through mumbles. "Please. I love you," he breathed out for one last time, finding the old knife blade in his hand.

He desperately pulled his head up and studied the carving he'd made out of Piper's name. Just as he'd expected, his name was written over top of Piper's so that they evenly intertwined on each other.

Jason hadn't been dreaming after all.

"Jason, are you okay?" an identical voice to the one that took Piper away said from the door. He didn't understand all that at the moment, but quite frankly, he was still stressed out over the thought of losing Piper.

He looked over to his sister, the ache in his heart still fresh. "Fine. I'm fine," he lied. And lying didn't help take away the pain of losing her.

Thalia gave him a look that said she didn't quite believe him, but she left for her spot by the radio anyway. Jason clenched his fist and looked back to his desk. The paper was still blank, just as Jason had left it. He quickly reached for his pen and started to write.

Maybe the Nathalia girl could steal Piper away from his presence, but she couldn't stop him from writing her letters.

Hello, my wonderful people! How are you? I hope you're good, because I'm in a amazing mood today! I just love writing this story so much, so I hope you love reading it! As for this chapter...isn't it so sweet? I was so excited to write this chapter for you, just because it seems so nice and innocent now when really...Eh, I'll save my secrets for later.

I guess it's high time I've done one of these lovely things; Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, but I do take ownership of the plot!

Thank you so so much for all your reviews, follows, and favorites! Continue to be awesome during your life span!