Hey peeps. Sorry for updating really late. I have exams and so it's hard for me to update every now and then. People have been asking me for Jasper which is kinda funny since this chapter will have some. I'd already planned for it. Anyway.., there's not much to say except PLEASE REVIEW. The more reviews, the more enthusiastic ill be about updating, the faster ill update. And btw, i made this chapter extra long as an apology for updating late. Enjoy!

DISCLAIMER : I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS WHATSOEVER!

- Bellinda Cross

Chapter 14 Piper

"The king used to beat her for her disobedience. He used to...whip her."

"When she ran away when she was 13, she came back to him whipping her with his bewitched whips. And thats not all. He beat her friends in front of her. He killed innocent people in front of her. He...He even killed Piper's mother. He killed a 13 year old girl's mother in front of her!"

"And because Piper wasn't a boy, he hated her. He hates everything about her. He might as well kill her for being kidnapped."

Oh Percy, why did you have to tell him that? Why didn't you just lie? Now he's going to look at me with pity in his soft blue eyes. That's mostly what he's been doing nowadays. And Percy made it worse by telling him about the beatings. Jason's already being too nice to me. He gave me Percy. He gave me actual food. He gave me a smile. Gosh, why can't he be like Reyna? Why can't any of them be like her? Cold and heartless, emotionless and robotic. It's easy for one person who's is trying to hide her emotions to deal with another who is doing the same. These people...They just bring a smile out of me. They draw out my tears. Blossom my joy. Pull out my laughs. They've uraveled me. They've taken a peek into my soul and they know who I am. How? How can Hazel's kindness pull out the smiles I've hidden for so long? How can Frank's shyness pull out my dead laughs? How can Dakota's jokes bring out my tears, reminding me of when I could joke and laugh efortlessly. How can Jason blossom my joy? Their just Romans. Cold heartless Romans. Or...is that what they think of us Greeks? Cold heartless Greeks we are to them. I'm sure that's the impression I've given them. But what do I care? I won't be seeing them ever again.

But a part of me will miss these people. Even Reyna, gods forbid. I don't want them to leave me in my father's clutches because it feels like they've just rescued me from Ethan and life at the castle.

I sigh and lie down on my bed. I wonder what Jason thinks of me now. I mean, it's not like I care...but I want to know. I'm curious. My whole cold act was to show them I'm not weak and fragile but now...they'll think of me as weak by trying to hide my pain. But what do I care?! I'll never see them anyway. Why am I so confused over something stupid? Why do I care how Romans think of me?

I rub my throat. It's really dry. I should get some water before I fall asleep and then wake up to a parched throat. Wouldn't want that happening. I get up and off my uncomfortable bed and make my way to my cell door. It creaks slightly as it opens and i cringe, not wanting to wake anyone. I tip toe to the living room, where the bottles of water are stored, ready and packed for our departure. It won't hurt to have a little bit, would it? I shrug to myself and uncap the lid. As I bring the bottle to my mouth to drink-

"Caught you!"

-Jason's voice rings. I jerk up and whip around, forgetting that the bottle was uncapped. Water splashes all over him, drenching his clothes and hair with liquid. He looks surprised. He looks down at himself with wide eyes and raised eyebrows. He wasn't suspecting that, I guess. I chuckle, which turns into a full on laugh. I try to suppress my laughter but i fail. I bend over and howl with laughter. Jason glares at me. I laugh until I can't breath and then try to compose myself. I clear my throat and straighten my back, looking at Jason with a straight face. He's looking at me with his arms crossed and a raised eyebrow. I can't help but let out another chuckle looking at him.

"Done?" He asks which reminds me of what I said to Percy only a few days ago when he scared me outside my bed chambers.

I clear my throat again. "What are you doing late at night out here?" I ask, trying to keep my voice normal.

He doesn't seem surprised with my sudden change of emotion. "Guarding, obviously." He says.

"Oh...did Percy leave?" I ask.

He nods then gestures to the bottle in my hand. "Sneaking in water, I see." He says.

"Yeah," I say, dragging the word. "Didn't turn out as I thought." I gesture to his wet clothes.

He scoffs. "It certainly didn't turn out as I thought."

I give him a faint smile. "So," I say. "Are you the one who always guards? Because I mostly see you. Do you not sleep or what?"

"I..sleep very less. But from the sound of you always shifting and fidgeting in your cell, you don't sleep well either."

I raise an eyebrow. "You listen to me sleep?"

Jason blushes slightly but covers it up with a grin. "No, you make so much noise that i can hear it even if I were outside."

"That's what happens when you give me an uncomfortable bed to sleep on." I say.

"hey, ours aren't any better." He says.

"You wouldn't know, you 'sleep very less.'" I say.

He rolls his eyes. "You're just used to the soft beds back at the castle. I've taken this for 2 years."

I stay quiet. I feel somehow guilty for them being exiled. They were exiled at 15. They've been on the run for 2 years. I want to help them. I want to somehow pay them back for all the sins my father has done.

"Look, I didn't mean to whine or anything." Jason says.

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."

"Hey, you didn't do anything."

"I'm still sorry. I feel like I should pay you back somehow."

"Pay me back?"

A slow smile spreads on his face, as if he thought of something I would not like. Then he changes his stance, I notice, to one as if he would run away. I frown. His hand suddenly comes under the bottle and splashes the water on me. I jump. The water is slightly cold and so is the weather. I'm freezing. I blink, taking in what happened and then chase after Jason, who ran away right after the act.

"Hey, I said pay you back. Where did this come from?" I say.

Jason laughs. "This is an amazing way to pay me back, Pipes!"

Pipes? Whats wrong with him? I pump my legs to get to him. He runs through the tiny hallway to another door, leading to the outside. I frown, wondering why he would risk exposing himself just to run away from me. I run after him outside where it leads to a small cliff. The area is empty. I can't even see Jason. I stop running and blink up at the starry sky. It's been so long since I've been outside. I never thought the night would look so beautiful. But now I know what I've missed. I walk to the edge of the cliff and look across to the castle. I've never seen it from here before and it looks magnificent. Do I really live there? At a grand palace where most little girls dream to live in? At a place where reality doesn't matter? And everything is given to you? I smile a little. Life out here in the village-though I dont know much of it- is better. No duties. No formality. No uncomfortable dresses. Ever since I came here, I wore tunics and pants. Hazel had offered me an old dress but I'd refused, wanting to enjoy this little vacation to the fullest. I sigh. I'll have to go back to my reality and live there again. I'll have to-

Arms come up behind me and almost push me off the cliff. I yelp and grab on to them. When I turn around, I see Jason. I smack him on the arm and back away from the cliff.

"Idiot! I almost died! You can't have a dead hostage to give back! You'll never get your freedom! And never get out of me life, then!" I shout, mostly because I just recovered from fear.

Jason's smile falters. Maybe he forgot that I was still his hostage and he had to give me back soon. I sigh. He doesnt want to return to reality either, it seems. I reach out and pat his shoulder awkwardly. "The moment was bound to come anyway."

He shakes his head. "You are horrible at consoling."

I shrug. "I don't see any point in lying."

"Yet you do it all the time." He says.

I just stare at him. "What do you mean?" I ask.

"You lie when you show us you're emotionless. You lie when you say you're fine. You lie when you say you want to go back because you don't." he says.

"Where did this come from?" I ask, back to my automaton self.

"Percy told me all about your past. You are in pain. You haven't healed yet. I...don't want to toss you back into horrors of your life."

"Look, what percy told you must be mixed up to sound bad...wait. Why do you care?"

He falters. His face changing into different emotions. "Because you're not a bad person, Piper. You don't deserve to be treated like that."

"Neither do you." I say quietly, almost inaudible. "Or your friends. That's why you should all just toss me back and live your life. Just forget you ever met me."

He chuckles softly. "I don't think I can."

"Too bad then."

And then I start to walk away but Jason grabs my wrist. I stop and close my eyes. "Jason. What are you-"

"Why do you not care about yourself?" Jason asks. "Why are you...so selfless?"

I laugh humourlessly. " Selfless? Jason, im being selfish letting you capture me easily. I'm being selfish to my friends and the Oracle back at home. My father will punish them somehow. "

Jason pulls me by the wrist to him, my back still facing him. "I thought me life was hell. I didn't know what hell was until I learned about your life." he murmurs.

I snort. "Gee, thanks."

He turns me around so we're face to face. "No. I mean you're strong to have stayed sane with all of this. Normal people would've killed themselves or run away."

"Already tried that. Not really an option anymore." I say.

He stares at me for a while with his soft blue eyes before pulling me to him, wrapping his arms around my lower-back. I freeze. I didn't expect that. My skin is burning where his arms encircle me. My heart is fluttering. What is this feeling? What is he doing to me? I slowly put my arms around his neck, awkwardly returning the gesture. I can imagine him smiling right now.

"I'm really sorry." He murmurs in my hair, his arms around me tightening.

"Funny. Didn't I just say that a few minutes ago?" I say quietly.

He chuckles. "You always have something to say, don't you?"

I grin. "Can't help myself."

He slowly pulls away. His cheeks are red and so are his ears. I must look the same. Because I can feel my ears and face burning. "Jason." Im about to tell him he's being hopeless if he thinks he can ease my pain but think better of it. "I..have to go to bed. Percy was right. I will be a tired early riser If I don't go to bed soon."

Jason nods. "Then goodnight..." He looks flustered. I smile inwardly. I somehow like the effect I give him. "And thank you for making my guard duty all the much fun."

"Anytime." I say winking. He chuckles and then waves goodbye.

I turn around and head back to my cell. My heart is thumping so loud. I rub my arms. I have goosebumps prickling them. I don't know why a simple hug effected me this much. And that too a hug of pity? But it didn't feel like pity. He seemed to actually care. He wanted to share the pain with me. I sigh. Not long later, he'll return me to my father and ill never see him again. I'm sure he knows that. But he's still trying to get close and crack my mask. Why? Why does he care about a Greek? That too the daughter of the man who exiled him.

And the bigger question: Why have I started caring about him?

Jasper! Yayy. I wrote this chapter out of pure love for our couple, Jasper. Sorry if this was either too cheesy or just bland but I have exams and when you have exams, your brain will start working weirdly because of all the information stuffed in. Hope you enjoyed! If you have any questions, just ask me and ill either PM you the answer or reply in the next chapter. The next chapter might also come very late because of the fact that I have my exams.