Hello, my lovelies, thanks so much for 224 reviews. I'd say we're doing good for only having 13 chapters out. :) Thanks for all your support and I hope you guys enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson series.

Random Question: If you could, would you rather own PJO or HOO?

Me: "Why not both?" *Mexican music*

Piper carried a bundle of breads wrapped in a cloth in her arms.

She knew they'd get moldy or go bad soon, but as soon as she smelled the aroma of their fresh warmness, she couldn't resist buying four long loaves. And besides, Annabeth had given them more golden drachma coins than they knew what to do with, and it wasn't like they were looking to buy souvenirs before they went to war. Even if she hadn't, it wouldn't have mattered.

With four boys, who were constantly hungry on board, food didn't last long on the Argo II. Percy said it was because he was packing in muscle, Leo just admitted he was hungry, Nico took food without asking, and Jason claimed he was a growing boy—despite already being nearly six feet tall, in her estimation; Piper was pretty sure he was done growing. She never protested to any of them, because she had just as much an appetite.

Jason walked by her side at a respective distance, anyone who was watching them could've mistaken them for siblings. He carried a bushel of apples, also wrapped in a cloth, which would go bad sooner than the bread would, but they'd be gone in about three days. Both carried their packages with care, as if at any time someone would reach out and snatch it away from them, and in both of their experiences, it wasn't a rare occurrence.

Even though she held tightly to the bread, Piper was walking furiously, in order to get back to the Argo II as quickly as possible. There was a quick bounce in her step as she weaved her way through people, Jason tripping over everyone just to keep up with her. She was a good five or six inches shorter than him, and it was easier for her to work her way through crowds than him.

They were supposed to be on the boat, already on their way to Argos, but a quick count of their supplies proved they wouldn't make it the entire way. This was their third trip to the market, and their lightest. Once they made it back, they would ship off to Argos, and then to Sparta. It was hard to believe the war would be starting in three months. Every time Piper thought about it, she got an uneasy pit in her stomach that would only go away if she forced it.

She'd sit in her room late at night, thinking about what war would look like. Of the five of them, she knew that Percy had seen war. And that was it. She's known Jason had gone through intense battle training, as had Nico, but she didn't know if they'd ever been in real combat. Nico had battled in the arena, like she had, but war was different than an unfair fight against a diseased nine year old, suffering from malnutrition.

And it wasn't just the fighting she was scared of. It was the dying. Dying. During her time in the arena, she wondered what it would be like, and at her lowest points, she had even craved it. She didn't fear death, she feared what she would do to get it. Would she deserve it? She knew she'd be on the front lines, next to Jason and Percy, with Katropis in one hand and a shield in the other. She'd kill people. She knew she would. They'd be Roman, but that didn't make it any better. But that was okay, her honor was already gone anyways. And in a way, perhaps this was the path she had to take to regain it.

As Piper was caught up in her own thoughts, not listening to any of the conversations surrounding her, a man hurriedly rushed past her and Jason, catching Jason's shoulder roughly. The force of the impact caused Jason to fall and drop the apples, sending them scurrying out in the street. Of the two dozen apples they'd purchased, nearly half tumbled into the crowd and out of sight, lost to be squashed or forgotten forever.

"Hey! Watch it!" She yelled after the man, helping Jason to his feet. "You okay?"

"Yes." Jason nodded, recovering the apples he could.

"He blatantly ran into you." Piper scrunched her eyebrows furiously, crossing her arms. "Why would he do that?"

Jason didn't respond, he merely looked after than man with an unreadable expression in his eyes.

"Jason?"

He looked at her and blinked. "Hmm?"

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." He assured her. He handed her the apples he'd recovered. "Do you mind taking these back to the ship? There is something I have to do."

Piper raised a curious eyebrow, taking the clothed apples into her free arm. "Sure. Is there something wrong?"

Jason swallowed. "No. It's nothing. Just something I have to care of."

Piper blinked a few times, trying to read him. "Okay." She nodded, before walking off into the crowd towards the ocean.

If only she'd noticed the crumpled parchment that Jason concealed in his palm.

Jason had the cloak of his hood drawn up, as he walked through the crowd with a suspicious look in his eye.

He came upon the alleyway the parchment had indicated and took two quick glances, one over each shoulder, and ventured into the alley once he was positive no one was paying attention. The space was wide enough for three people to stand shoulder-to-shoulder, and was empty except for Jason. There was a sudden crash behind Jason as if someone had dropped a crate of clay vases and they'd broken on the spot. Whatever it was, it caused Jason to turn his head, and when he turned it back, there was a man standing a mere five feet from him. The man lowered his hood.

"My son." There was no affection in his voice.

Jason drew his sword. "You bastard."

Jupiter looked at his son's sword. "I don't think you want to be doing that."

"I know, full well, what I am doing." Jason growled. "And honestly," he added, "I am not having any form of regrets." He slowly began drawing closer, his sword pointed to Jupiter's throat.

"Then who will be left to protect your friend." Jupiter's neck craned away from the sharpened blade as it was mere centimeters from his throat.

Jason froze. "What are you talking about?"

"The girl, Jason." Jupiter allowed a small smile to creep onto his face. "The one I almost murdered?" Jason's grip tightened as his posture straightened, molding into the weak child that once stood before his father in a royal throne room like an obedient dog. "I see the way you look at her." Jupiter said into his ear, circling around him like he used to.

"Even before you ran off together." Jason swallowed, and Jupiter's confidence grew. "I see the lust in your eyes and I see it in your soul." Jupiter chuckled. "She is beautiful, is she not? Any man would be a fool not to feel the way you do." Jason stared straight ahead, neither confirming nor denying the acquisition. "Except for you, of course. You are a fool for caring for her. Yet you refuse to love her, do you not?" Jason's fists tightened, yet he didn't move to attack his father.

"You're afraid something will happen to you or her, or as I would prefer: both, and you'll loose her forever or hurt her beyond repair."

Jason's jaw clenched. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Jupiter scoffed. "You honestly think I'd believe that? You threw everything away for this girl, and when I look in your eyes, I know you'd die for her."

"If I'd let you go through with the execution, her blood would've been on my hands. That is called guilt, father, not love."

Jupiter chuckled. "Perhaps." He paused. "Or perhaps I know you better than you know yourself."

"What is the point of this?" Jason asked. "Why did you call me here? I have no use for your lies."

The point?" Jupiter raised an eyebrow. "Oh yes, the point. My point, dear son, is that you are in love—much as I was with your mother. And we both know how things ended with your mother."

Jason's eyes lit with a fire. "Stay away from Piper." He growled.

"I plan to, my boy." The wild look in Jupiter's pupils convinced Jason otherwise. "But take this as a warning." Jupiter continued. "I will stay away from your lady love until she steps onto Roman soil, and even then, none of my soldiers shall lay a hand on her. Would you care to know why?"

"Why?" Jason asked through gritted teeth.

"Because I am going to end this how it started. And this time, there shall be no executioners. There shall be no wooden clubs. There shall be me, my sword, and her blood on the floor of the throne room."

Jason's grip tightened on his sword, before he quickly turned around, fiercely thrusting his sword out where his father should've been standing, but the weapon merely sliced through open air.

His father was already gone.

Jason arrived back at the ship, late that night.

He'd spent the rest of the afternoon aimlessly wandering about the city, replaying his father's threats to kill Piper in his head. And more importantly, his assurance that Jason was in love with Piper. He wasn't. He was sure of that, or at least he thought he was, he had promised himself as much. Despite promising himself he would avoid a deeper relationship with Piper, he couldn't help but feel that kind of a connection with her after all they'd been through.

When he boarded the ship, Piper and Leo were the only ones up, playing a boring game of pinochle with just the two of them against the wood of the boat. Leo was focused on his cards until the planking creaked under Jason's sandals. Piper looked up at him and a look of relief came over her face, as though she'd been worried about him—and she probably had, he been gone for hours after promising to take care of a quick matter. Leo, on the other, threw down his cards and jumped to his feet.

"Where the hell have you been?" Leo asked with anger tracing in his voice.

Jason looked up at him blankly.

"You know we have a schedule to keep, Jason!" Leo went on, until Piper touched his shoulder, shaking her head. Leo sighed, groaning slightly as he went below deck.

Jason walked over to the side of the boat to lean on the railing, and in a few seconds, Piper was right by his side. At first, she didn't say anything, and he was thankful for that. They stood in a comfortable silence, and the stars above them didn't dare to whisper either. In the distance, the roar of the nighttime city could be slightly heard, but in that moment, Jason didn't really care.

"Are you okay?" She asked, not daring to look up at him.

"I'm fine." He said, like he always did when she was worried about him, but she knew it was a lie. The tired purple bags under his eyes and the sweat that dampened his hair gave that away. In her eyes, he looked traumatized.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?"

He didn't bother insisting that nothing happened. He merely shook his head. "No." He was surprised when she placed her hand atop his.

"You know, we're about to start a war."

"I know."

"I need you to know you can trust me. However much we hated each other in the beginning means nothing now. You can tell me anything; we're best friends—actually, Leo's already claimed that title." She chuckled. "But you're a close second." Then she chuckled again. "You can be my special friend." He had a feeling she had a different meaning of that than he did.

Nothing prepared him for the light graze on his right cheek from her lips before she wrapped him in a hug. It took him a moment before he returned the gesture, burying his face into her hair. They stayed like that for a moment before she released him with a smile on the lips that just kissed him—or his cheek at least; he found himself wishing her aim had been a little lower to the left.

"Goodnight." She whispered.

"Goodnight."

He watched her walk after Leo, moving down the steps into lower quarters, where her sleeping chambers were. He watched the way her arms swung as she moved, and the way she turned her head before descending just to make sure he was looking at her. She gave him a small smile, grazing her hand against floor of the main deck as she passed it. His father was right; he was smitten with her. Jason frowned, gritting his teeth as he leaned against the railing, suddenly stressed.

Damn his father.

So? We got some Jasper going on; it's a little one-sided, she did just kind of friendzone him. O_o LOL. I hope you guys enjoyed, we're finally getting some Jasper. READ AND REVIEW! :) Love you guys!

You guys are such Awesome Possums! :oD