GUESS WHO'S BACK?! AW YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT! I'd like to thank you all for being so patient with me as I took off some much-needed time; It really gave me the best possible atmosphere to write without duress, and now that it's summer... BACK TO THE STORY AHAHAHA!

I shan't keep you much longer, but I do encourage you to read the Author's Note at the end.

And now... Enjoy my dears, and it's good to be back.

Chapter 34

Only after the ship was in the sky and flying out of Russia did Reyna finally allow them to relax. While he had prepared the flight gears, she had only stood near the stairwell with a rigid, vigilant posture. Her dogs stood beside her, unsure of what they were guarding, but nonetheless ready to spring into action. When Leo attempted to get her to sit down, she only turned to him with churning dark eyes, clouded with unshed tears and fear. With a jolt, Leo realized she was allowing him to see her in her vulnerable state, something that he would never have imagined a powerful woman like Reyna to have. As he hit this realisation, she turned her head once more to stand on guard, her back tense and coiled, ready to fight. The shard sat on the table, mocking them with its innocently opaque sheen. Leo scowled at the thing before scooping it up and slipping it in his belt, where he heard a slight *clink* against the others.

When they had gotten a good distance away, she finally turned around, shuffling over to the couch and dropping into it, her head buried in a pillow. Leo walked over toward her and sat down on the edge of the couch. He gently placed a hand on her back, running his thumb over her bare skin. "So," he began softly, not wanting to alarm her, "What exactly happened back there?"

Reyna took a deep breath with her face still in the pillow, the sat up shakily. "It's a long story." she said with a tiny smile, her eyes showing relief at Leo's safety; she still could feel her fear should she have failed, that Leo would've died. She leaned into his embrace, revelling in the steady warmth that surrounded her and the smoky musk that made her heart both relax and race at the same time. It was a delightfully contradictory feeling.

Leo chuckled and tightened his arm. "I've got time. We don't really have anywhere to go now, we're just getting out of Russia."

She nodded and straightened her posture, then began her story, starting with the moment they left the ship. Reyna really hated talking about the part where Leo bit her, she could feel the guilt radiating off of him. But she quickly assured him it wasn't his fault, which was better explained with Veronika's appearance and her siren-magic, which had lulled them into a state of relaxation that made it easier for her to gain control of their minds. Leo sat in awe as she described how she had made the bet, slipped the wax into his ears, knocked him unconscious, and then got a makeover from a bunch of beautiful dead girls. He felt his skin crawl as she described the way the Rusalki had torn themselves apart, then hunted for her in the reeds. But the worst part to hear her talk about was Alisa's death; her voice shook with emotion through the entire cremation.

"I-I can't help but feel like I betrayed her." Reyna stuttered, "She trusted me, and- and I killed her." She fought against the tears that threatened to spill, taking deep breaths to calm herself and close her emotions up once more. But with Leo there, that was nearly impossible, since he brought out a side of Reyna she didn't even knew she had.

"Reyna, it's not like that," Leo soothed, tracing his calloused thumb over her shoulder. "You set her free: Without you, she would've continued to be a murdering zombie-thing. And if you had just left her… well, you know what they would've done." Reyna bit her lip hard, demanding herself not to cry. "Rey," Leo's gentle voice penetrated her restraint, "It's okay to cry, ya know: You're human, not a robot."

"I-" was all Reyna was able to say before a couple of tears slid down her face. She breathed hard, fighting against the others that threatened to fall; Leo or no Leo, she had never cried in front of anyone, save her sister and (once) Jason, and she was really uncomfortable with it. "I'll be fine." she said, hating the way she could barely whisper it; another tear raced down her cheek.

"Being fine isn't the question, it's being able to let the emotions happen." Leo stated calmly. He pulled her into his lap, resting his chin on top of her head. He closed his eyes and breathed in her lavender scent, instantly feeling more at ease himself. "Sometimes, we just need to cry."

Reyna gave a watery chuckle. "You've obviously never been the praetor of a Roman camp then, have you?" Leo grinned and gave a deep laugh.

"Nope, can't say I have. Although I'm sure I could've been a contender." She laughed and relaxed into him, laying her head on his firm shoulder; Hearing his steady heartbeat reassured and comforted her, and she lay there for the longest time, surrounded in his warmth and revelling in the sense of security his strong arms brought. Leo, meanwhile, loved the way her smaller body pressed against his; Reyna was by no means a petite woman, nor a weak one for that. But right now, Leo was devoutly thankful that the puberty-god had given him the gift of height, because he couldn't think of any other way he'd rather hold Reyna: Enveloping her body with his just seemed so… right.

"You should get some sleep." he murmured into her hair, pressing his lips to the top of her head. Reyna closed her eyes and smiled at his gesture.

"Have you seen yourself lately?" she joked, hoping he wouldn't insist on it again. She hated feeling weak, even if she was the one that had just saved them.

"I believe I got a decent night's sleep, courtesy of our Russian friends. I feel and look fine."

Reyna smirked. "And I don't?"

Leo blushed lightly. "N-no. You look really… amazing in that dress. It's just… you seem tired" he finished quickly, hoping he didn't make a complete idiot of himself. As usual, he was wrong.

Reyna smiled and pinched Leo's reddish cheek. "You're kinda cute when you blush, you know that?"

This, of course, caused only further blushing, and then Reyna's hysterical laughter while Leo glared at her. Finally, she stopped laughing long enough to stand up and stumble to the hallway. "See you in the morning, Leo."

"It is morning, Rey-darling."

"Cállate."

Leo snorted. " I think I'm rubbing off on you, Corazón."

She rolled her eyes. "Gods, then we're really doomed. See you tonight then-" she paused as a devious smirk spread over her face "-babe."

And thus Leo Valdez had been completely silenced, watching her retreating figure and its path longer after her door had closed. He could only sit in a blank stupor until Aurum and Argentum began to whine for their breakfast. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he fed the dogs and wandered over toward Festus. They were currently flying over Bulgaria, and since there had been no godly advice on where to head next, Leo just set the course for Hawaii once again. They had started in the west, and the east was bound to be nearby. Only when Leo was satisfied with his choices did the impact of what he had just thought hit him: They were nearly done! They had retrieved three of the shards and were on course to the fourth. They were almost home! He smiled widely at thought of this quest behind them; soon, he would be able to roam the streets with the most beautiful woman in the world on his arm, showing her around and painting the town red. But on the other hand, Leo was a bit sad. This quest, no matter the danger, had brought him the most wonderful thing he had ever known: Reyna. Everything and anything about her made his heart leap and his insides dance the Conga, and he never would have known what a joy she was to his life had it not been for this quest. This also led Leo to a rather scary thought: What if, when this quest was over, they went back to being friends? He felt physically sick at the mental image of her telling him that they would have to remain friends, strictly professional. After all, the last Greco-Roman couple (Jason and Piper) was not met with the most enthusiastic applause. But Jason had already renounced his Roman leadership, and Reyna would never just abandon her camp. His brain told him that he was being silly, that they would stay together even when they got back to camp. An irritating bell went off in his head, and he nearly slapped himself: He had never asked her to be his girlfriend! Idiot! Leo swore softly in several different languages (primarily Greek) and slumped onto the couch in defeat. How on earth could he do this? Why didn't he ask her before? Did she not expect it of him?

Another mental-Reyna appeared: "Sorry Leo," she said with a dainty smile as Leo felt his heart shatter. "It was nice while it was there, but business is business. I'm sure you'll find someone." Leo gasped and grabbed his chest from the physical pain that the scenario had caused, and in that instant, made the decision. He leapt from the couch and sprinted towards Reyna's room as fast as his long legs would carry him. He skidded to a halt in front of her door and knocked loudly. He heard her grunt a response and some shuffling, his heart hammering madly. Suddenly, he felt weak at the knees and like he was about to throw up all at once, and as the door opened, he lost all ability to speak. There stood Reyna in an overlarge shirt, messy hair, and eyes still half-closed from sleep; to Leo, she had never looked more beautiful than when she yawned widely and scratched her ear.

"Leo?" she said dazedly, her voice still thick from sleep. The man before her opened and closed his mouth several times, then swore in what she assumed was greek. She stood there, growing more awake and concerned as he ran a hand through his hair, which seemed to be slightly smoking. She sighed.

"Leo-"

"REYNAWILLYOUBEMAGIRLFRIEND?"

Reyna's eyes snapped open, and she stared incredulously at the tall man in front of her, who seemed to be completely shocked by what he had just said. "Como?" she squeaked. His hair sparked and flared upwards..

"I said-" Leo took a shaky breath. "Reyna, will you be my girlfriend?" She continued to stare at him, mouth opened wide. "L-look, I know I should've asked with flowers and lights and dinner and romantic crap, but I h-had this thought that you wouldn't want to keep t-this-" he motioned between them "-going after we got home, and I had to k-know if you would still w-want me when we got back." Reyna was still silent. "I understand if y-you don't want to, I mean, it's totally okay if-"

"Leo." Reyna said firmly, cutting him off. Said Leo promptly shut his mouth and looked down at her with his large brown eyes. Reyna gave a small huff, How in the hell does he look so adorable at a time like this? "First of all, why in the world do you think I'd leave you?" Leo stared at the ground. "I thought we'd already established… this."

"Well, I never officially asked." Leo muttered, his eyes still on the ground, cheeks and hair burning in shame. He heard Reyna sigh and was surprised to feel her small hand caress his cheek.

"Leo," she murmured, "You don't need to go out of your way for me. Whether you had asked me or not, I would have stayed. You don't need to set up a table and bring lights and flowers because you think I'll leave without it: Simple is nice, and it's more you." Leo raised an eyebrow at her. "Well, I like simple anyway." she huffed, color spreading up her face. Leo reached on his arms and pulled her close to him, Reyna happily rested her head where his heart would be, hearing the gentle rhythm of his life.

"Sorry." Leo whispered into her sweet-smelling hair and kissing the top of her head. "I guess I was being kind of an moron."

"Yeah, a bit."

"Rude."

"Idiot."

"But I'm your idiot." Reyna smiled.

"Indeed you are." she said, tipping her head up towards his. Leo lowered his own head and gently kissed her, his heart fluttering as she reciprocated. Reyna reached up and tangled her hands in his curly black hair, pulling his head down to more firmly kiss her; he responded by sliding his tongue across her lower lip, his teeth gently nibbling what he so desperately craved. Reyna whimpered slightly, and the sound nearly drove Leo insane; Indeed, he did growl slightly as he pulled her closer to his body, his chest pressing against hers. Her hands made their way down to his shoulders, feeling the muscles rippling beneath them as he wrapped his arms around her body. Reyna gently continued to trace her hands along his arms until they made contact with skin, her nails grazing his forearms. Leo gasped slightly, his gasp turning into a moan as the kiss deepened. Her tongue tasted cool and sweet, his own eagerly exploring her mouth. Reyna felt like she would faint, the world spinning out of control as Leo's spicy flavor danced in her senses as he leaned her back gently against her door, bracing her as his hands came to a rest on the small of her back. Leo dipped his head down from her lips to her neck, butterfly kisses pressed along her jaw and down to her collarbone; Reyna bit back a moan as he gently bit down, her heart racing. Heat flooded her cheeks when she felt his hands explore her figure, the rough texture sending her hormones racing. She raised her own soft hands and ran them on the back of his neck and into his hair once more. Leo's kisses became more fevered, and she could only hold on to a bit of reality as she slipped further into a haze.

Then, a phone rang.

They broke apart, gasping for breath as the ringing continued. Leo swore under his breath as he reached into his toolbelt, bringing out his pocket watch and flipping up the screen.

"Hello?"

"Leo," Nico's face appeared in the mist, his eyes dark and dangerous. Leo immediately felt concerned.

"What's going on?" he asked, bringing the watch down so Reyna could see.

"Remember Victor Sage? That bastard left you a message."

I know, I know... LP009 HOW COULD YOU DO THIS WITH ANOTHER F*CKING CLIFFHANGER! Heh, guess it's not all out of me yet. But I may be willing to post the next chapter earlier than planned if I get enough reviews... and I mean more than just "UPDATE" (Love you guys!) I was planning on coming back much later, but then I was like: Hey, today's my birthday, and the least I can do is give them a present back for what they've given me. In the words of my favorite Fanfic author (FantomPhan33), reading the reviews make all the blood, sweat, and tears worth it. So thanks for stopping by, and I'll see you next time!

P.S. The next chapter is ridiculously long, so be warned: If I post it early, then the one after that takes a bit more time. Sorry :)