HAPPY BLOOD OF OLYMPUS DAY! *blows kazoo* unfortunately, my signed copy won't be arriving in the mail until the end of this month. :( SO NO SPOILERS! Please and thank you!

Disclaimer: I own two puppies, a laptop and a phone, but not PJO or HOO. Sorry!

Piper – Smoke

The moon shone brightly from the sky. Piper ripped another sheet of paper out of the notebook, crumpling it up and placing it in the center of the fire pit. With each sheet of paper tearing away from the spiral bound notebook, Piper felt her tense muscles loosening. But only a little bit. What would really help is if Jason was home, her baby wasn't sick and her father was back in Oklahoma. Ripping and crumpling paper into small balls would have to do for now.

Thanks to her father, Piper felt like a walking, talking time bomb.

On the lined pages were all of her frustrations and worries. She documented what it was like daily to take care of someone dying of cancer and the other wives. Piper never had a mother, so she felt a deep need to be a mother figure to the other women, even if she was one of the youngest ones there. While the other wives shared their burdens – or the main parts of them – Piper stayed silent. Yes, she was just as stressed as the other wives, but she knew the minute she opened her mouth and told them about her Dad, the time bomb would explode and the maternal front she put on would crumble.

Piper wore a lot of masks. Her father taught her how.

All of the pieces of paper were titled, "Dear Jason" even though she knew she would never send them. She didn't want her sweet, gentle husband to see how petty she could be. Besides, Jason had enough to worry about over there; he didn't need her anxiety and worries on top of his. Today's consisted of just mental garbage she needed to clear out – like how, according to her dad, the house was too hot. Then too cold. Then too hot again. Piper couldn't see why her Dad couldn't just put on a sweater or something.

Piper felt like she had a "Good Piper" side and a "Bad Piper" side. Mainly, she was "Good Piper": loving, willing to help out, and sweet. "Bad Piper" was the one that prowled around whenever she was near her father.

Bad Piper grumbled about how her dad would just leave her alone.

Good Piper pointed out that he was dying and had no family left.

Bad Piper shot back that maybe if her sorry excuse of a mother hadn't left, she would be doing this. Not her.

Good Piper mentioned that it was sad that her mother didn't even know that the man she bore a child with was dying.

Bad Piper said a few choice words.

The real Piper wanted to scream.

After tearing out all the paper, Piper laid some kindling across the crumpled pages and then set down the logs. She picked up the baby monitor and listened closely: little Felix was breathing steadily, and Piper sighed with relief. Her poor baby had been coughing all day with a runny nose. At least now he was asleep.

Piper lit the fire and sat in her camping chair, watching the flames lick up the paper. It brought her a strange sense of relief. Now no one would ever read them, not even her father. Piper broke a graham cracker, grabbed a piece of chocolate and put a marshmallow on a roasting stick. When it was golden brown, Piper laid it between the chocolate and graham crackers and munched. Chocolate makes everything better. S'mores are the next best thing.

She was on her second s'more when "Superman" by Taylor Swift blared from her back pocket. Jason! She immediately dropped the s'more and clicked ANSWER. "Hello?"

"Hey, Pipes."

Hearing Jason's voice after a very hard day sent tears running down Piper's cheeks. "Hey, Superman…" she said thickly.

"I thought you wouldn't answer, it must be around one in the morning over there." He paused, and then asked "Are you crying?"

"….No." the very word sent her voice cracking.

"Pipes," Jason began. "what's the matter? Is it Felix? Your dad?"

Piper wiped her eyes. "It's just been a really rough day. I'm sitting outside making s'mores and pigging out."

"I'm sorry it was so rough today," Jason's voice held that tone of gentleness she loved so much. "What happened?"

"Felix is sick and my dad is kind of unbearable at the moment." Piper nearly smacked herself; why on earth was she telling him about her bad day when he had so many other things to worry about? Oh, well; Jason would've gotten it out of her sooner or later.

"Poor little man," Jason said softly. "I miss him so much, almost as much as I miss you." That brought a smile to Piper's face. "And I'm sorry your dad isn't much better. He must be in a lot of pain. The few times I saw him he was always really friendly."

Piper almost snorted into the phone, but she hushed herself. "Yeah. But enough about me. How are things going over there?"

Her husband sighed. "They're…going. I'm really glad to have these guys in my squad. They're all so dedicated and hard-working." He paused. "Every day I tell myself that I might lose one of them, and it might be my fault if one of them dies. I don't think I could ever forgive myself if that happened; these guys are the brothers I've never had." Jason sounded about ten times older than usual. Piper was at a loss for words. She had never heard her husband get so down on himself before. But then again, he had four lives upon his shoulders.

And Piper thought caring for someone with cancer and a sick baby was bad.

"You still there?" Jason asked quietly.

"Yeah, I just…don't know what to say." Piper replied honestly. "Their wives have kind of become my lifeline. Besides Felix, they're the only ones keeping me sane and the only ones who know what I'm going through. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I kinda feel the same way. But not really."

Jason chuckled, sending shivers down Piper's spine from over a thousand miles away. "I get what you're saying. But you should get to bed, love."

Piper pulled her knees up to her chest. "I know, but…" she paused as another wave of tears glazed her eyes. "I'm just glad you called. I miss you so much."

"I know, love. I miss you too. I've got to go now, I just had enough time to call and say hello. Give Felix a big hug from me, okay?"

"Okay."

"Alright. Love you, Pipes."

"Love you too, Superman."

"Good night."

"Good morning. Be safe."

Piper pressed the END button reluctantly, longing for at least a few more minutes to talk to her husband. She got up from her chair and put out the fire, sending billows of smoke carrying the ashes of her feelings up into the sky.

Geez, talk about an angsty chapter XD Eh, I've been in kind of an angsty mood lately. Please tell me what you think! I didn't think this one was my best chapter, but I did my best. Read and review! I'll make blue smoothies!