Promises

by PanPrincessLynn

Hi loves! Its your favorite Pan Princess. You might have seen this story on my other account PanPrincess but I was having trouble with that account so I decided to upload and edit the full version here! It is a Jeyna Fic and there is a couple smutty scenes. Enjoy!-Lynn 3

Hi loves! Its your favorite Pan Princess, you might have seen this story on my other account PanPrincess but I was having trouble with that account so I edited the story and posted the full one here.

-Lynn 3

The last thing I remember is Caligula Stabbing me, the burning searing pain, whispering something in tempests ear and the rest is blank. I woke up in the woods. It was all so peaceful and secerne the birds chirping, the sun shining through the canopy.

"Ughh" I groaned as I sat up. At least I know I wasn't imagining things. I looked down and realized that I had changed. Or worse, someone changed me, I thought to myself. I was in a fresh purple Camp Jupiter shirt and Khakis. I still had my glasses on but my head was killing had applied fresh bandages to my wound. As I stood up I recognized these woods. They're the same ones I trained in with Lupa. Wait, I didn't remember that before. Did I? I asked myself. Ironically I couldn't remember.

"Hello Jason," A voice said. I turned around and Juno was standing in front of me.

"J-Juno?" I stuttered. I couldn't remember whether or not to bow. She chuckled lightly.

"Now Jason, there's no need to bow. I bet you're wondering why you're here." I shook my head yes. "You see, a long time ago I took something from you and I'm here to give it back to you."

"What did you take from me?"
"I suppose you did get hit rather hard on the head." She chuckled, "Your memories"

"My memories? But aren't I supposed to be dead? I thought that Caligula stabbed me" I asked, confused.

"You are, he did, but I'm here to give you a second chance. If you want it. Let me give you back your memories and then you can decide."

"Decide what?"

"All in good time my dear." She steps forward and puts one hand on my shoulder gripping me tight, and puts her other thumb in the middle of my forehead. Suddenly it felt like my head split in two. I was back in camp Jupiter years ago before my memories were taken. I was standing outside a shop looking at Reyna coming out of a cafe with a couple of Centurions. I caught her eye and smiled at her watching her blush and smile back. Wait, why is Reyna smiling at me? And why is she BLUSHING she's Reyna she doesn't blush. I wiggled my eyebrows at her, getting her to blush harder. I chuckled at myself when she mouthed at me "Stop" while giggling. I mouthed back at her "Never" smiling even more. She rolled her eyes, sipped her hot chocolate while making eye contact with me over the rim, she turned around and returned to her conversation, turning around and making eye contact with me every couple of minutes. Blushing more and more every time knowing that I was staring at her. Someone cleared their throat behind me. I turned around and saw Dakota standing behind me smirking and looking smug.

"What?" I asked, "I didn't hear you come out."

"Yeah that's because you've been staring at Reyna the entire time." he smirked.

"Phft, was not" I denied while taking a sip of my coffee.

"Dude you obviously like her and she obviously likes you back." He pointed out.

"Does not"

"I have known Reyna longer than you and not once in all of my years have I seen her smile let alone laugh!" he chuckled.

"Shut up!" I laughed and punched him playfully on his arm. We left the shop we were standing in front of and started to walk around New Rome.

"I'm serious though Reyna is the toughest chick I know. I've seen hundreds of guys practically throw themselves at her and she hasn't accepted a single one of them! She's always been focused on work and training. I don't think I've ever even seen her take a break before. Even that little coffee break she just took she was with centurions trying to win them over for the election coming up in a couple of years!"

"Hot chocolate" I corrected "Reyna doesn't drink coffee" I elaborated.

"See I told you! You know her better than I do! Okay maybe not that well. But still, ask her out man." He says patting my back. Me and Reyna, I thought to myself, I mean we have been kinda flirting for a while, but nothing too extreme. I mean do I like her? Yes. Absolutely yes, there was no doubt in my mind that I liked Reyna. I mean how could you not. She was absolutely breathtaking, the way she's so determined to do right by the people who got her here. Even though we both know that she was the one who got herself here. The way she carries herself. Even the way she does nothing but work I find endearing. I mean how could you not love that girl.

"Holy shit I love Reyna." I accidently said out loud.

Dakota looked over at me, smiled and said, "Good luck" and walked away. Leaving me with a lot to think about.

The scene shifted. I was standing outside Reyna's office with two mugs of hot chocolate, one in each hand. I opened up the door with my back and was greeted by Aurum and Argentum. "Hey boys!" "Where's your mom? Huh?" I asked, still trying to get into the door without spilling the drinks. Reyna whistles and the dogs go running to her. "Hey," I said, greeting her.
"Ire in domum suam," She said to the dogs before looking up to greet me, "Hey, Jace." She said sleepily. She was wearing her cape as a purple shawl wrapped around her muscular arms. I knew that she had been here for a while because her toga was draped on a chair in the corner and she was wearing sweats. Her shoes were off and were thrown across the room. The bags underneath her big onyx eyes were huge. She looked like she hadn't slept in days and yet she was still stunning. Her skin that was normally a nice caramel color was dull and lifeless like she hasn't stepped foot outside her office in days. Her hair that was normally tucked into a nicely kept braid was still in a braid but this time with fly aways galore. There was a half eaten pizza on her desk, the rest was covered in paperwork. I shudder, I always hated paperwork.

"Hey Rey Rey." I said using the annoying nickname for her that I know she hates. "Here I thought you could use this." I finish, handing her a cup of cocoa.

"Thanks Jace." She said smiling while accepting the cocoa.

"You look like crap."

"Wow thanks" She retorted.

"I'm serious Rey Rey, when was the last time you slept, went outside, brushed your teeth, showered!?"

"What day is it?"

"Rey, you need to sleep. It's called being human. I know you're a kick ass daughter of Bellona who doesn't need no man but you do need sleep."

" I can't. I have way too much work to do." She gestured to the mounds of paperwork on the desk.

"How about I help you. And for every mound we get done you have to take a fifteen minute break. Deal." I say holding out my hand for her to shake.

"Fine" She shook my hand, her thin nimble hand in mine just felt so right, it fell perfectly in place. I pulled up a chair, slid a stack of paper work towards me and got to work.

After about half an hour Reyna had finished her stack. "Alright Rey, time to honor the deal. Do you want to go outside for a walk? Take a shower?" I asked.

"Actually I think I'm gonna go sit and read my book for a bit if you don't mind," She said while yawning.

"Sure Rey rey. I'll join you when I'm done with my stack." After another 45 minutes I was finally done with my stack. I looked up for the first time since Reyna went to read, and saw her passed out on the chair snoring. Most people sleep peacefully but nothing about the way Reyna sleeps is peaceful. She snores so loudly I don't know how I didn't realize she was passed out earlier. There's drool dripping down her chin and she's spread out like a starfish with all her limbs dangling off of the chair. There was no way I was going to wake an angel like that up. I picked her up bridal style and she must have been exhausted because any demigod, especially Reyna, would have woken up and sliced my hand off on instinct. I chuckled to myself and walked her to her quarters.

The praetors' houses were always right next to each other yet I had never been inside Reyna's house. I found the key under a flower pot and unlocked the door. The Praetors' houses were a lot nicer than the Cohorts. We had our own private bedrooms and bathroom with a spare room to convert to whatever we liked, there was a small living room, and even a small kitchenette if we ever got peckish in the middle of the night. Since Reyna's always been a bit uptight at work I always thought her house would be kept nice and perfect, not a speck of dust in sight. Her house was the opposite of that. There was dust everywhere it looked like she hadn't been there in at least a week. There was a bag of cheetos on the couch and a half full mug of cocoa. There was a kettle on the stove which was thankfully off. There was a blanket and a throw pillow on the couch that looks like the only things that have been touched in the last month. I carry her down the Hallway and into her room. Her room was even more dusty than the living room. The air was stale when I entered a clear sign that this was the least used part of the house. The bed was still perfectly made, the curtains closed, not letting in even the moonlight. On the left night stand there were pictures of Reyna and her dogs, Her and a woman who looked like an older version of her, and one of her and the praetor I had replaced on her inauguration day. On the other night stand there was a picture of her and I on my inauguration day, a really old photo that must have been taken when she was a child, there was an older man, the same woman from the photo just younger, and her, then there was a photo of her and her friends, I recognized some of them like Dakota and a couple legionnaires from her cohort, Octavian was one of them so I knew it was taken back when they were friends and before he got chosen to be the next oracle. I set her down gently on her bed and pulled the covers over her. I kissed her forehead goodnight and said, "Night night Rey Rey, I love you." Little did I know that Reyna woke up when I pulled the covers over her.

The scene shifts once again. This time it was a few months before the first war (But after her encounter with Venus), we decided to throw a gala in order to raise morale, and everyone was mandated to come. Which also meant Reyna, ever since that night a few months ago where she passed out in the armchair Reyna had been a bit more distanced from me, which if I were anyone else it would have just been Reyna being Reyna but this was different. But luckily tonight the praetors were forced to dance the first dance together. So one way or another, Reyna will be forced to talk to me. It was the night of the ball and I was getting ready, I was in my nicest suite with a laurel on my head and my cape attached, normally back in ancient times everyone was forced to wear a toga at partys, but now that the times have changed we were allowed to update our wardrobe. I started to head to the Coliseum which we had converted for the party when I ran into Dakota. He was talking to a girl I recognized from the second cohort.

"Hey man you look nice!" He greeted.

"Thanks bro. Hey listen, have you seen Reyna?" I asked

"You mean your girlfriend, then no I haven't last I heard she was still getting ready."

"She's not my girlfriend." I say through gritted teeth. But boy do I want her to be, I thought to myself.

"Well man listen, tonight may be your last shot. I heard from a couple nymphs that she plans on retiring after the war is over."

"Wait what! Is that why she's been weird these last few months?"

"I don't man, I'm just telling you what I heard"

"How could she keep this from me?" I said more to myself.

"Well if you do ask her out do it tonight you'd make your buddy rich, we have a bet going on when you're finally gonna grow a pair and ask her out. My money's on tonight." I glare at him and go to wait for Reyna. When she finally does show she's absolutely stunning. She was wearing a long purple dress that hugged her every curve. It had a lace top with sleeves and her praetor's cape crossing her chest and flowing behind her. Her hair was up in a crown braid with a laurel wrapped around her head. As she got closer I realized that she was wearing makeup, I had never seen Reyna in makeup before. She had a purple smokey eye and matching lipstick. Once I was able to peel my eyes away from her lips I noticed the silver necklace she was wearing, it was the crest of bellona. She took my breath away.

Once I was able to talk I was able to stutter through a sentence, "Y-you look… I honestly don't know. I don't think there are words to describe how beautiful you look." My words caused her to blush in a way that gave me butterflies.

"Thank you, you don't look too bad yourself." She said while walking over to straighten my tie.

"Listen we need to talk," I started before I could get interrupted.

"About what?"

"Dakota told me you were going to resign once the war is over. Is that true?" She took a step back before answering me, not meeting my eyes.

"Yeah" she replies solemnly.

"Why Reyna? Why? Why didn't you tell me? Were you just going to leave without saying goodbye? I thought I meant something to you" I questioned once my greatest fears were confirmed.

"You mean a lot to me Jason, but please can we not do this here"she said looking at all the people starting to gather.

"Fine" I said through gritted teeth. Under different circumstances, like for instance if my worst fears weren't confirmed and the love of my life was moving away, I would have loved to be dancing the night away with Reyna. She was surprisingly light on her feet. But all I could think about was when this was over, she was going to leave me. Once we finished dancing, I went to talk to a couple new legionaries from the fifth cohort that I hadn't quite had the time to get to know yet. They said their names were Frank and Hazel. While Reyna went over to the snack table. After a couple hours I spotted her in the corner sipping her drink. I start heading towards her when she meets my eyes and develops a new found fascination with her cup. "Hey, we need to talk. And yes I know not here." I interrupt when she opens her mouth to talk.

"Well when do you suppose we talk, Jason. Also are you drunk?" She's been calling me Jason for the past few months and I hate it, she always used to call me Jace. And yes I was quite drunk, but luckily for me she was too, and we both had to be drunk for what happened next.

"Follow me."

I say as I grabbed her hand and ushered her around groups of people until we were finally out of the coliseum. I started leading her to my house.

"Where are we going Jace?" she asked right before we reached my house.

"To talk where no one will be able to hear us." I opened the door and let her in. My house was the same size as Reyna's, the same layout, the same gray walls with white crown moldings. But in reality Reyna's and I's spaces are very different. I have dishes drying on the drying rack by the sink, a kettle on the stove that has actually been used this month. However I do have bags of chips out on the counter. I have two throw pillows and a blanket arranged on my couch, with books on the coffee table arranged neatly in a stack. There wasn't a single speck of dust in the whole house.

"So…" She began, "You heard I was stepping down after the war."

"Yeah"

"So?"

"So? What"

"So? What else is there for you to know. I'm leaving, that's the end of it."

"Wait, you weren't even going to tell me! You were just going to leave without saying goodbye Reyna? After all we've been through. I thought I meant something to you."

"We're in the middle of a war Jason! There is no time for love in War! People are dying and I don't have time to be distracted by some boy! I need to remain focused! The people of New Rome deserve at least that" She exclaimed.

"Wait, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying I heard you all those months ago! When I passed out on the chair and you brought me back to my place and tucked me in! I heard you! I heard you say that you love me! I was hoping that if I distanced myself from you these past few months that maybe just maybe that you would snap out of it and we could go back to being the old Reyna and Jason before all of this happened but clearly not!" She yelled while sitting on the couch with her head in her hands.

"Y-you heard me." I gasped. I couldn't believe it. "Why didn't you tell me? Why-why didn't you tell me." I stuttered. "Is this why you're leaving because of me? Do you think I can't handle it? Do you think that I can't be professional since you don't feel the same way?" I can feel the anger and the sadness rising at every second.

"It's not that I don't love you! Don't you understand! It's because I do! Can't you see that! It's because I love you and I can't love you!" She said standing up with tears in her eyes. I hated seeing her cry. In fact I've never seen her cry before. I hated myself even more for making her cry.

"Why not? Why can't you love me?" I asked, lowering my voice and starting to walk closer to her.

"Why! Why not! There are a million reasons why not! How about there's a war coming! Hell we're in the middle of a war! And if I lose you! If-if either one of us…The camp needs at least one of us. And if one of us dies then the other won't be able to function. And the camp needs us to be focussed and not distracted. Or heck biased! If we're in the middle of battle and you need help, but so does someone else, I would choose you!" She yelled with tears now streaming down her face. All I wanted to do was wipe her tears away and comfort her, and hold her in my arms.

"Tell me something, would those feelings change, if we stayed the way we are?" I asked giving her a second to think about what I just said before continuing. "Are you telling me that if I dropped dead right here right now it would hurt less than if we were together?" I asked, coming to sit next to her on the couch.

"No." She replied not looking me in the eye.

"Reyna, we've wasted enough of our time not being as happy as we could be. So give me one good reason why we shouldn't do this." She opened her mouth to say something but she quickly closed it and the next thing I knew she was kissing me. It took me a second but I eventually started kissing back. It was full of passion and lust, there were years of wanting put into that kiss. I put my hand on her waist pulling her closer. She sat up and put her hand into my hair. The rest of the night was a drunken blur. I woke up with my head pounding, I didn't remember anything from the night before. I groaned and went to stand up to find myself completely naked. What the hell did I do last night? I thought to myself as I stood up. I walked to the bathroom and I remembered what happened when I saw Reyna's lipstick all over my neck, collarbone, mouth, and… other places. "Oh shit." I said out loud. I quickly put on some sweats and ran outside to Reyna's. I needed to figure out what happened last night. Before I could get there I was interrupted by that kid Frank, who I was talking to last night, blocking my way. "Get out of my way." I grumbled. Normally I would try and be nice but I really needed to talk to Reyna.

"Sorry man I'm under strict orders from the praetor to not let you, specifically, in." He said, still not letting me by.

"Well I'm your praetor too and I'm giving you strict orders to let me by."

"She told me you would say that and honestly I'm more afraid of her than I am of you." I couldn't argue with him there. I stormed off back into my house where I saw Reyna's purple heels thrown on the floor by the couch, her praetor's cape in the hallway, and her dress bunched up at the end of my bed,and my sheets were a mess. That just made me remember what I was fighting for. Then it dawned on me. I COULD FLY! I flew up to her roof, where in each predator house there is a hatch that leads down into the attic where there's another hatch that leads down into the hallway. Once I got to the hallway I could hear something coming from the spare room. It sounded like grunting. I pushed open the door just enough to see Reyna punching the shit out of a dummy. I opened the door all the way so I could get a better look. When Reyna fights she looks like an angel, her brow is scrunched with concentration, her breathing is heavy, there was sweat dripping from everywhere. My thoughts got interrupted by Reyna finally noticing that I was here, by pointing her Javalien in my face.

"What. Are. You. Doing. Here" She said, stopping at every word to breathe.

"Really no good morning? Or, last night was fun? Nothing? So you're just a sleep with him and leave him type of g'all huh? And what's with having that kid Frank block your door so that I couldn't get in?" I asked impatiently.

"Sorry, I had a lot to think about and I didn't want you interrupting. And as for last night it doesn't change anything. As far as I'm concerned last night never even happened, it was just a drunken mistake." She said resuming her punching.

"So that's what it was to you. You didn't mean all those things you said? Huh? About how you love me?" I asked getting behind the punching bag to steady it.

"Of course I meant it. I've loved you for years. Ever since you became a praetor. But I also meant what I siad about there being a fucking war and it's not the smartest fucking decision." Another thing I've noticed about Reyna, when's mad she swears, A LOT, "Besides, what would we do huh? Take it public? That way everyone knows everything. Or keep it a secret so that we're lying to the entire camp? And what if one of us gets hurt? You know we'll be biased." She said still not letting up on the punching bag.

"You make a good point, but when will there not be a war? We are always training for one, it's just a matter of time before another happens. I say we take it public, people already ship us ya know. And as for the whole if one of us gets hurt, thing. Are you telling me you wouldn't be biased if I got hurt right now?" I retorted. Watching her think as she finally relented on the dummy and went to take a water break.

"I suppose you're right."

"I am!?" I questioned, baffled that that even worked.

"You are. I know that that doesn't happen often for you." She laughed, gods I love the sound of her laugh. "But still, I don't think it's a good idea."

"The bottom line is that we could be happy. And I know for a fact that anything else that comes along the way that we can figure it out together." I said taking her hand in mine as she finally met my eye.

" How did you put it last night? Why waste even more time being less happy than we could be." As soon as she finished her sentence I quickly captured her lips with my own.

The scene shifted again. This time I was laying on a hill, on a picnic blanket with Reyna on my chest. She was just laying there talking about how ridiculous Octavian was when suddenly she stopped. I stopped braiding her hair and sat up.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"It just dawned on me. This time next week we're going to be fighting in a war. Where there is a very good chance that one of us ends up dead. And there is over a 50% chance that this will be our last date."

"Hey, don't think like that. I promise you we will get out of there okay. I promise." I said lifting her chin with my index finger so she would look me in the eye. "Okay?"

"You can't promise that. You can't promise that we'll live to see our 18 birthdays."

"Hey, where did my girlfriend go that was never afraid of anything huh? Where did my girlfriend go? Because the Rey Rey that I know would never say something like this."

"Jace, it's my job to lead everyone into battle and to lend them my strength, it's what makes me such a good leader, but I don't think that I can. I don't think I can be strong enough. Not with everything at stake." She said, putting her head on her knees. "Sorry I shouldn't be telling you this."

"Hey. I'm your boyfriend. You should be able to tell me stuff like this."

"It's just. What if I fail? What do we do then?"

I paused for a second trying to come up with a response."I don't know. But I swear to you that we will figure it out together just like we always do."

The scene shifted yet again. This time it was two days before the war and our army was trudging across the golden gate bridge on our way to Mount Othrys. Me and Reyna were leading the army hand in hand. I looked over at her and she looked as regal as ever. She had her chin held up high as we marched, her cape blowing in the wind. Her fierce Onyx eyes were a storm of rage and determination. I squeezed her hand to let her know that I was still here and that I wasn't going anywhere. "Ya know once this is all over I was thinking of taking you to the fair. What do you think?"

"I think that if we live past this I'll let you take me anywhere you want." She smirked.

"There she is." I whispered under my breath.

"Hey," She started, looking at me, "I love you, you know that right? No matter what happens promise me you will always remember that."

"I promise. As long as you promise to always remember that I love you."

"Always."

"And forever." I finished.

The scene shifted, and I found myself disembarking the Argo 2 and walking through the sea of romans hand and hand with Piper as Annabeth judo flipped Percy. I met eyes with Reyna, although I didn't know who she was. Her eyes were filled with sadness, I felt if I kept looking her beautiful onyx eyes I would start crying. I could feel the stares on me. I looked around and everyone's eyes were on me. I gulped and tightened my grip on Piper's hand. It stayed that way until Annabeth finally broke the silence. The rest was a blur until the feast. I sat next to Piper the entire time I looked up a couple times and met Reyna's eyes each time. Her big black sad eyes. Until she eventually left. I don't know why but I got the urge to follow her. I got up and excused myself.

"Hey wait up!" I called out to her hoping that she heard me. She stopped to lean on a tree. A tree I now recognize as the tree we used to have picnics under every Sunday. But then again as the idiot I am I didn't know that. "Hey, can we talk for a second?" I stopped behind her panting with my hands on my knees trying to catch my breath.

"What would you like to talk about?" She responded, her voice ice cold.

"Hey so I don't remember anything about my past life and I know that I used to be a praetor and you're praetor so I was wondering if you could tell me about myself. I mean we did use to work together so I figure we must have been close. I'm also getting this vibe that there used to be something between us?" I asked timidly.

It took her a second before she finally responded to me, "I'm sorry I can't help you, we weren't that close. I can assure you that there was absolutely nothing between us though." She said just as coldly. I felt I might get frostbite.

"Oh, well, um, thank you for your time." I said plainly.

As I was leaving I heard Reyna call out to me, "I hope you find what you're looking for Jason."

The scene shifted for the very last time and I was left standing, in the woods, with Juno, with all my memories, and with my heart broken. I can't believe I did that to Reyna, how could I be so cruel. "Well?" She asked, "Do you remember?"

"Yes" I croaked out. I honestly don't know what to feel. I'm in between yelling and crying.

"So what's your decision?" I must have looked at her confused because she quickly elaborated, "You have a choice to make Jason Grace, you can come with me and I'll deliver you straight to Elysium or, you can stay, you can stay and try to make things right with Reyna. The choice is yours." It seemed like the easiest choice in the world, either spend eternity in paradise where my every need is met and I'll never feel pain again or, I stay and fight for Reyna just like I've always done where there is no guarantee that she will take me back after all the pain I've put her through, where there is a 100% chance that I will most definitely feel pain again, and where I might have my heart broken. But I'll be able to see Reyna again. Maybe if I'm lucky, hear her laugh, see her smile, maybe just maybe be able to spend the rest of my life with her, and that is worth any amount of pain I would have to endure. Because at the end of the day Reyna is always worth it. Besides, I've spent enough of my time being less happy than I could be.

"I'll stay." To me there was no other choice.

It took a long ass time but finally I arrived at the Camp Jupiter border. It was almost painful how close Reyna was. I didn't even know what I was going to say to her. After everything that had happened between us I didn't even know if she would forgive me. I know I wouldn't forgive me but I also know that I would forgive Reyna in a heartbeat, no matter what she did. I would always love that girl. I groaned. Just thinking about Reyna made my heart hurt. I miss her so much. I can't wait to be in her loving embrace again even if it's in a chokehold. I went to set foot in New Rome, but I forgot one thing, Terminus. Just as I was about to cross the border the big block head appeared.

"Jason Grace. Son of Jupiter. Former Praetor of the 12th Legion. State your business." Terminus's deep rich baritone voice boomed out against the midnight black sky..

"I, Jason Grace, Son of Jupiter, wish to see Praetor Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano."

"You know we all thought you were dead." His words caught me by surprise. It wasn't like him to be this emotional. I never thought he cared about me.

"I am very sorry for all of the pain I caused. Truly I just want to make it right."

"I don't know if I can let you pass. I need to protect my people." At that moment I knew exactly who he was referring to. Reyna.

"I am so so so sorry I didn't mean to hurt Reyna. All I want is to make things right." I know Terminus could sense my truth.

"Hurt her again and I'll have you out on your ass so fast before you blink. You won't be able to even disappear again." I know he wasn't joking.

"Yes sir." I quickly ran past the border before he could change his mind.I knew exactly where I was heading. As I ran past all the stores me and Reyna used to go to I noticed everything seemed stuck in mourning. There were black banners hanging next to the shop doors and a cloud of sadness has seemed to descend on the once lively city. I feel so guilty not only for Reyna but for my friends here as well. I left and forgot about them too. I hurt them as well. I couldn't focus on that now, the only thing that mattered was Reyna. I had to get to Reyna. I ran faster, I ran past where we used to take our nightly walks, our tree that we used to have picnics under every Sunday, the pratoers offices, then finally the pratoers houses. I stopped before I entered her house. It was about the same as the last time I was here. Wow, that was a while ago…

It was the night before I disappeared. We had gone out to get some drinks with a couple Legionnaires and Centurions. We were both a bit drunk and tipsy as we stumbled into her house. We kicked off our shoes and I pulled her closer to me. Our body's were pressed flush together, I looked into her dark onyx eyes, only this time they weren't dark because of their color they were dark with desire. I smirked and crashed my lips onto hers. The kiss was hot and passionate, we kissed until we both had to come up for air then we kissed again. I pushed her against the wall and put my hand on her thigh, slowly inching up higher and higher. She wrapped her legs around my waist and grabbed the collar of my shirt and pressed me against her harder, like she needed me to breathe. I picked her up and started walking to her bedroom. I started to trail kisses down her neck to her collarbone taking my time, going slow, thinking that I had all the time in the world. I definitely left a couple marks. But she definitely didn't seem to mind by the way she threw her head back to give me better access and the moans she would let through her perfect lips. I smirk and start to push back her shirt exposing the SPQR tattoo on her muscular arm. I let myself leave marks up and down her collar bone. Once we got to her bed I laid her down and hovered over her, now it was her who smirked. She started to unbutton my shirt and let her hands wander down my chest, dressing the dips and curves of my abbs and making me crazy. Her hands started to travel south towards my zipper and growing bulge, and yet her eyes never left mine. She rubbed her finger over the zipper, just light enough to create fiction and drive me wild. With a groan I sat up, straddling her waist as I took off my shirt and unbuttoned my pants. She watched me with hungry eyes, I love it when she watches me. As I was taking off my boxers to put a condom on Reyna made quick work of taking off her I got back up the sight that I was met with was pure heaven. Her breasts were small but perfect with her tight nipples that I wanted to suck on all day. I swear she had even more muscles than me, she had abs for days and they tightened every time she took a deep shallow breath. I let my gaze travel down to paradise, suddenly reminding me how long it's been since I was able to eat her out. I met her gaze that was clouded with desire as I started to kiss my way down her stomach. As soon as I got down to her sensitive nub I knew she was close, the way she moaned and writhed under my touch, I couldn't get enough.

"Jason." She moaned my name

And as I entered her I moaned hers "Reyna."
I tried to go slow and make this last as long as possible but her inner muscles were squeezing me so tight I had to clench my cheeks to stop from cumming.

"Jesus, Reyna." She started to moan as I pounded into her faster and harder

"Jason." She whispered breathlessly.

"Jesus, babe you better be close."

"I am" She replied hazily, I reached down to where we were joined and started to rub her clit.

"Jason!" She cried out as her eyes rolled into her head. Her inner muscles clenched around me still riding out the high from her orgasm. After a couple more thrusts I came with her name on my lips. Afterward we just stayed in bed and cuddled the rest of the night, occasionally lazily making out. We just enjoyed being together, thinking that we had all the time in the world. Oh how wrong we were. I braided her hair and she read to me in latin. We dozed on and off the entire night, each time she fell asleep I would lie awake watching her sleep, she looked so peaceful. The way she snored and the cute little way she would mutter gibberish in her sleep. I almost didn't realize that it was morning until it started to peek through the window. "Rey, Rey Rey." I said kissing her cheek to wake her up. She just smiled, hummed in contentment, and turned over to bury her face deep into my chest. I chuckled at Reyna and traced patterns on her arm, and outlined her tattoo.

"I know Rey Rey, trust me I don't wanna get up either but… we gotta. Hey it's Sunday which means it's picnic day." I said, trying to coax her out of her sleep, "I'll get your favorite tamales."

That got her up, "Really?" She mumbled against my chest.

"Really. I promise. Look I gotta go home and shower and get some fresh clothes but after I'll meet you at our tree. Okay?" I asked while playing with one of her curls.

"Ya know we could always shower here." She said while looking me in the eye and smirking.

"Well as tempting as that sounds, Rey Rey. And trust me it does sound tempting," I said while kissing her softly, "Buuut I do have to go home, it's been a couple days since I've been back other than to change, and I'm pretty sure all my plants are dead." I chuckled.

"Fine. I guess that gives me time to train. Before our picnic." She said and kissed me lightly before getting out of bed. I already missed her warmth and the way she fit perfectly on my side. Like pieces of the same puzzle. I got up, kissed her goodbye and finally went home. I had just gotten in the door and put my keys away when I saw someone sitting on my couch.

"Hello? Can I help you?" I asked questionally as I started for the javelin that was stored in my umbrella holder.

'I'm sorry Jason Grace."

"Wait how do you-" I started before a blinding flash of light. Next thing I knew I was waking up in the back of a school bus holding hands with a girl who wasn't Reyna.

I sighed and then it suddenly dawned on me that I had no idea what the heck I was going to say to her, I also didn't know if she would even talk to me. I sighed and went to find the key, the problem was I had no idea if she had moved the key or not. All the plants had wilted and based on the shape of them they had been that way for a while. The key was still under the same pot but what was odd is that the door wasn't locked. Reyna always locked her door. I pushed it open as slowly and quietly as I could which was hard because of how squeaky it was. What I saw when I went through the hallway shocked me. The coffee table that was normally in the center of her living room had been slashed to splinters. There was broken glass everywhere and her couch looked like it went a couple rounds with a javelin. The throw pillow that was normally shoved in the corner of the couch was ripped to shreds and there were feathers everywhere. I looked into the kitchen which was just as much as a wreck where bags of opened chips, take out containers, and empty pizza boxes littered the island and her kettle had a giant dent shaped like her fist. Aurum and Argentum were whimpering on their beds in the corner but immediately perked up when they saw me. "Hey boys!" I whispered yelled, petting them before they could topple me. "Look I'll give you all the pets you want later. But now I gotta see your mom." I threw one of their toys to keep them occupied for a little while as I tried to find Reyna. I crept down the hallway, careful to keep quiet incase she was asleep. I crept into her bedroom when I noticed she wasn't there. Her bed was perfectly made, her curtains were drawn tightly shut, and her pictures had all collected dust, well all but one. There were two spaces open. There used to be a picture of me and Reyna inside a photobooth from the fair that I took her to after the war in one space and in the other there used to be a picture of her and Dakota. Her room looked exactly the same as it had the first time I had been there. I heard muffled sobs coming from her spare room. I quickly turned and opened the door, but what I saw broke my heart. Reyna was in the center of the room curled up in a ball crying so hard she was shaking with sobs. It physically hurt me to see her this way. Her Javelin was discarded across the room and her knuckles were bloody and raw which I guess explains the punching bag laying on the floor with the chain snapped and indents the size of Reyna's fists. The picture frames that were missing from her room were on the floor, the glass from the frames were busted and she was clutching the photos for dear life. Drops of blood and tears stained the pictures. I quickly drop against the wall and bring her into my lap hugging her close. I wasn't going to let her go this time.

"J-Jason?" She croaked, finally looking at me. Her eyes were bloodshot like she had been crying for quite some time and the bags under her eyes were bigger than I had ever seen them. She started to sob even harder.

"Shh Shh I'm here Rey. I'm here, I am so sorry that I left." I said pressing her closer to me and kissing her forehead.

She pulled away from me and turned away so I couldn't see her tear stained face. She tucked her knees into her chest holding them in place with her hands. "This is cruel even for you Venus." She said before putting her head back on her knees.

That's when it dawned on me. She thought that she was dreaming. "Hey Rey, I promise you I'm here, I am not a dream, I promise. But you need to sleep." I said. I pulled her back into my chest, she tried to resist but I wouldn't let her go, not again. She finally stopped struggling against me and fell asleep. I stayed up and memorized everything about her again, as if it was the first time I had seen her before falling asleep as well where even my dreams were about her. It was the best sleep I've had in a while.

Reyna's POV

There was a reason that I didn't sleep anymore. When I do sleep my dreams are plagued with memories of the past, of Jason. Venus's words were ringing in my ears. She had just told me that I was doomed in love. And now all I could picture was Jason. Jason and his perfect blonde hair, Jason and is ice blue eyes that I would gladly freeze in, Jason and the stupid scar above his mouth the twitches upward whenever he smiles his stupidly adorable smile, Jason and his even more stupid glasses that I would always tease him about. Jason and the stupid way he had to confess that he loved me. Stupid perfect Jason. Why did he have to tell me that he loved me? It was one thing when I knew that he could never love me back. But now that I know, it just makes things so much more complicated. I can never tell him that I love him just as much as he loves me, if not more. I was going to do it when we got back from our quest but now considering everything that Venus just said I can never tell him. It's better for both of us this way. Besides, he probably didn't even mean it. I know Jaosn like the back of my hand. I've been friends with him since he first joined the Legion, we were just good friends that's all. We both call each other by ridiculous nicknames that annoys the other person. (Okay it only mainly annoys me). But I could never date Jason, it's too much of a risk. It's safer for both of us this way. Speaking of Jason, here comes wonder boy now.

"Hey Rey Rey, we gotta get going. Two cyclops incoming. Rey?" I couldn't move. I could barely breathe much less hear whatever it was that Jason was trying to tell me. Next thing I know Jason is grabbing my hand and leading me through the park back to where our Pegasi were supposed to be, but instead of two there was only one. Jason's must have gotten spooked when the cyclops appeared and ran off. He pulled me up following behind. He took the reins and shot us up into the sky securing me in between his arms.

"What did she say to you, Rey?" I just buried my head deeper into Jason's warm chest. "Do you wanna talk about it?" I shook my head no and we stayed that way the rest of the ride home. In comfortable silence as I mulled over what to do.

The night we got home there was a huge feast in our honor. Everyone was having a great time, me and Jason sat at the head praetors table like always. Everything was the same, everyone was talking and having fun and Jason was deep in discussion with Dakota. Everything was the same yet to me nothing was the same. I excused myself and walked over to my tree, it was the one place in all of New Rome that I could actually think. I was deep in my thoughts when I heard the sounds of footsteps approaching and ragged breathing. I quickly spun around and unsheathed my Javelin only to be met by Jason. "Chill Rey Rey, I just wanted to make sure you're alright." I removed my Javelin from his throat and turned back around to face the moonlight.

"I'm fine Jace really I just needed some air."

"Are you sure? You haven't seemed fine since the park. I know I have no idea what I'm talking about but if you wanna fill me in some time I'm always here if you need to talk. Hell, if you need a sparring partner, as terrified as I am of you, I'll be willing to be your punching bag if you need it." He put a comforting hand on my shoulder, I would love nothing more to tell Jason everything but I know I couldn't.

I shrugged his hand off, immediately missing the warmth he brought me, "I'm fine Jason really, I just needed some air. And we both know that I would pummel you. Just go back to the party." I tried to make the last part sound as icy as I could.

"Okay Rey. I'm here if you need me." He said before jogging off. Oh how I needed him.

My dream changed, this time I was walking through the secluded paths of New Rome with my oldest friend Dakota. He was the only one I could trust not to tell anyone about what Venus and Jason told me. I didn't even trust Jason like I trusted Dakota, sure I trust Jason but I've known Dakota ever since our days as Legionnaires.

"Wow, Ramirez, just wow." Dakota said as I finished telling him everything about Jason and Venus.

"My thoughts exactly."

"What are you going to do?" This is why I loved Dakota, he never asked me any questions or anything about what I told him. He just listened and believed me fully.

"That's why I've come to you. You see I have a few different plans, well two full ones anyway and I need you to help me decide."

"Okay hit me."

"Well option number one is to pretend that I never heard Jason confess his love to me and hope he just meant it as a sisterly type of love even though we both know that that isn't true. And pray that he never gets the courage to say it to my face."

"Okay so what's option number two?"

"I step down as soon as the war is over."

"What!" Dakota exclaimed, stopping abruptly and almost spilling his Kool Aid everywhere. "You can't be serious."

"I am. Camp Jupiter will always be my home and I'm not leaving or anything I'm just stepping down as Praetor. I'll attend college in New Rome, maybe get my teaching degree, I think that would be cool. Travel the world, maybe even joining the Hunters of Diana."

"You can't just leave. You're the best Praetor New Rome has ever seen. Besides, it wouldn't be the same with you gone."

"I don't really want to leave. I love leading New Rome. I love being a Praetor but I don't know. Maybe it's time to start a new chapter in my life."

"Or, you can consider the alternative." Another thing I love about Dakota, he sees parts of plans that I haven't.

"And what's that?"

"Stay. You could stay in New Rome. You could tell Jason how you feel you two could live happily ever after and you can stay."

"You know I can't do that 'Kota"

"Why not?"

"Because you heard what Venus said. This can only end in heartbreak. It's easier this way."

"Easy as in make not only yourself miserable but Jason too?" I sighed and stopped walking. I stirred my spoon in my hot chocolate making ripples in the milk brown liquid. "Look, all I know is that you and Jason are meant to be. And no matter what happens you two can deal with it together. No matter what happens he'll protect you and you will protect him. You'll have each other's backs no matter what. Jason won't let anything happen to you I promise." He put his hand on my shoulder and gave a soft, small, smile.

"I get what you're trying to say but there are just some things you can't fix, you can't prepare for. I'm sorry 'Kota, I'm resigning after the war. I've made up my mind."

"There's no chance of me changing your mind?"

"No. I'm sorry, you have been a great friend to me all these years."

"Love you Ramirez." He said pulling me into a hug. He then put his arm around my shoulders and started to walk back to my house. "Now enough with the mushy gushy stuff. If I only have you around for a couple more months. That means I only have a couple more months to beat the great Reyna Avila Ramírez Arellano." At that he started to jog ahead of me.

"You're on." I yelled as I passed him easily.

My dream changed again, this time it was the morning after the gala. I woke up at 5am to the sun starting to peek through the window blinding me. It was strange because A. I never sleep in my bed. I always fall asleep either reading on my couch, doing paperwork on the couch, and or training. It was also strange because B. My curtains are always shut. That's when I turned around and came face to face with Jason. All the memories of last night come crashing back. What did I do? I quickly found the nearest clothes I could, I didn't even care if they were mine and rushed out of the house. I didn't stop running till I got back home and was safe in my own bathroom. That's when I realized that I had forgotten everything at Jason's house and had no way of getting them back. I couldn't risk going back to his house in case he was awake. I had even left my cape over there. So that also means that I can't go outside. I would never be caught dead walking around without my cape. It got harder and harder to breathe. My legs gave out and I slowly sank to the tile floor. The cold tile helped a bit but it wasn't enough. I couldn't think straight. I didn't know anything. I messed everything up. It's all my fault. I heard a knock at the door and shortly after Dakota came bursting in. "Rey! Hey, hey, look at me. Eyes forward and look at me." He paused and lowered himself to my level. "Breathe Ramirez breathe. Just like me. In, and out. In, and out." I could feel my breathing getting more steady and my heart rate start to normalize when I finally mustered the strength to look him in the eye.

"I probably know the answer to this already but do you wanna talk about it?"

"For the first time, yeah." My answer must have shocked because he sat there frozen for a second before sitting next to me on the wall and putting a comforting arm around my shoulder.

"Whenever you're ready." And I told him everything that had happened the night before and this morning, sparing some detail of course. "I did not expect that. I have about a million questions but first things first. Are you okay?"

"Yeah I think."

"Okay let me know if I have to kill him. I know he's a praetor and all but I'm not afraid of the law. The only thing I'm afraid of is sitting next to me."

"Hey!" I playfully punched his shoulder.

"I'm serious though if you're ever not okay or if he does something that makes you not okay, come to me. I'll handle it. "

"I know 'Kota" I rested my head on his shoulder. For a child of Bacchus he always seems to keep me at peace.

"Now this brings up another question, what are you gonna do about it? You can't just pretend that last night never happened. I know Jason, he's gonna wanna talk to you about it. But I also know that he'll respect whatever you decide."

"I know. Well actually I don't know what I'll do but I do know that he'll respect my decision. But I do know a couple of things, A. That I need your help. And B. I can't talk to Jason, at least not today."

"Hey I'm here for whatever you need me to do. But you do need to talk to him at one point."

"I know, Just not right now."

"Okay, what do you need me to do?"

"Well for one I left my cape at Jason's last night. Once he leaves I need you to sneak into his house and grab my stuff. I also need someone to make sure that Jason doesn't come by today. I'm at least 5 days ahead on all of my paperwork and I have full faith in him that he can run camp for at least a day or until I can figure out a plan to be able to look him in the eye. So I'm not leaving the house today, and maybe not tomorrow."

"Okay I'm down with all of that and I can help Jason pick up some of the slack, I've seen you do this job for gods knows how long I think I can manage. And I can get one of the legionaries to stand watch by your door no questions asked. It should be easy since they're all terrified of you and will do anything to get on your good side. But the thing is, how exactly am I supposed to break into a pratoers house?"

"Oh that's the easy part. He keeps his key under his doormat. It also helps that his house is ridiculously clean so you can spot my stuff from a mile away."

"So it's the opposite of your house?"

"Hey!" I laughed and punched his arm, "It's not that bad!"

"Reyna." He said looking me in the eye that for some reason caused me to laugh.

"Okay it's bad!" I said doubling over in laughter.

"Alright I'll get started on the other stuff, but what I think will help you is training. Why don't you go change out of what are clearly Jason's clothes," He helped me up and that's when I noticed that yes indeed I was in one of Jason's old band shirts and sweatpants that were at least 3 sizes to big for me, "Go put on some of your actual sweats and I'll take care of the rest."

"Will do." I replied while chuckling. "Hey Dakota?" I started as he was almost out of the door, "Thank you. For everything. I don't know what I would do without you."

"You'll never have to find out Ramirez." He smirked and left. Dakota was true to his word. When I got out of the shower I found Frank Zhang standing at my door. At last I could finally get some peace. I slipped on a pair of my own sweatpants and a sports bra and headed to my spare room which I had converted to my own personal gym/training room. I started punching the punching bag that was hanging in the middle of the room by a chain. For whatever reason fighting is what cleared my head. Not even sitting by my tree offered this type of clarity for me. Yet all I could think about was Jason and Dakota. Both had their points. I agree that I would be happy with Jason and it was definitely a possibility that we could grow old together and work through whatever challenges Venus has in store. But I also know that we have no idea what will happen especially since we're so close to war. It wouldn't be wise to start a relationship. But then again it wouldn't necessarily be the start of a relationship if you think about it. Jason and I have been more than friends for a while now, the only thing that would really change was that we would just put a label on it. I also know that that isn't true, that's just my heart talking, my aching lonely heart. No! Reyna snap out of it! I can't do this, the cons outweigh the pros. I started to punch my punching bag harder when a certain blonde haired blued man came in.

I started to fiddle with the necklace Jason had gotten me for our 4 month anniversary as I made my way to our tree for the picnic he had promised. When I got there he wasn't there, not even the picnic was set up, nothing. I waited 2 more hours there until I had enough and went to confront him. I couldn't believe he had forgotten our date. When I had reached the Praetors houses I noticed something was off. Jason's door was wide open. I grabbed my Javelin and crept slowly through the door looking for any signs of a break in, but there were none. Just like there was no trace of Jason in his entire house. Nothing. His house was always cleaner than mine. Even since we've been dating my place was always messier. I searched his entire house up and down. His kitchen was normal. He had the same exact kettle as I did on the stove, a bowl of fruit on the counter, and two leftover mugs of Hot cocoa from the morning before. His Living room was normal as well. There was still his stack of nice and neat latin books on the coffee table with a fresh bouquet of tulips. The throw blanket was still draped over the couch from where we had left it the morning before. One of his books was still open on the coffee table because I had fallen asleep on the couch as he read to me the other night. I went to his bedroom and made a pitstop to the bathroom. Normal, in fact the shower was dry indicating that he didn't even shower like he said he was going to. This whole situation screamed weird. When I got to the bedroom even that was normal, no sign of a struggle. His bed was perfectly made as always his curtains were open letting the sunlight in. On his left nightstand there was a picture of us at the fair after the war, I had the same picture on my nightstand as well. There was also a picture of me and Aurum and Argentum. And a picture of me reading at my desk while eating a slice of pizza. I never understood why he loved that picture so much. On his right the lamp was switched off, and there was a picture of us on his inauguration day, and a picture of him and all of his friends. The last place I checked was his spare room, he had converted that to a library. We would often come here after one of our picnics every Sunday and I let him read to me as I sharpened my knife or occasionally I would read to him and let him braid my hair. But even that was normal. There was no sign of Jason.

I was standing on the bridge that went over the little timber, basking in the moonlight. I could hear footsteps approaching which I quickly recognized as Percy. "What do you need Jackson?" I asked hoping he would go away. All I wanted was some space. Space from everything. I needed to think.

"Nothing, I just thought you looked sad and you might wanna talk about it?" Ironically he was the only person I could talk about this with. Not even Dakota would understand.

"I guess you're right I am sad."

"It's about that Jason dude isn't it," I nodded my head yes. "From what I hear he seems like a really good guy."

"He was."

"You loved him didn't you." This was the first time I turned around and looked Percy in the eye. His eyes were nothing like Jason's, his were icy blue, which felt out of character for the nicest man you would ever meet. Percy's were a sea green type color. They changed with the tide.

"I did, still do."

"You're afraid he won't remember you aren't you?" I nodded my head yes.

"What you have to understand Percy Jackson is that I'm not the type to get scared."

He chuckled, "I think I got that"

"You remember your Annabeth don't you?"

"Yeah, now though. It took some time but I always had some idea of who she was, I knew she was someone important to me."

"Do you think that Jason remembers me?"

"If from the stories I hear about you two are true, and I assume they are, I don't see how he couldn't."

"Thank you Percy."

"I'm always here for you. I know we don't know that much about each other but I hope to fix that. I really do want to be your friend, someone you can trust."

"And I you Percy Jackson." I said sticking out my hand for him to shake. Instead he pulled me into a tight bear hug.

It was the day the Greeks were supposed to arrive. I was more nervous than I could remember. I got dressed in my formal toga and went to go meet Percy.

"Nervous?" He asked with his normal grin intact.

"How could you tell?" I wasn't that surprised that Percy could see that I was nervous. Over the past few weeks we've grown quite close, bonding over missing loved ones. But what I was more worried about is that everyone else would see it.

"Don't worry, Jason will definitely remember you. And if he doesn't, maybe a couple rounds to the head will knock some sense into him." He laughed, causing me to laugh too. I appreciated the way Percy always tried to cheer me up. Even if it didn't always work it at least put a smile on my face. Just then Dakota came running up to the building with a grin that spread across his entire face.

"They're here!" He exclaimed.

Percy turned to face me, "Ready?"

"Ready."

The entire way over there I could hear my heart beating in my ears. The thumping matching each stride I took. Each stride took me closer and closer to Jason, closer and closer to my other half, closer and closer to my heart. When we finally got there we were greeted by a giant war ship floating in the sky and three demigods descending from it. My heart beat was getting louder, he was so close, I could almost feel him. I saw his crystal blue icy eyes gleaming in the sunlight. All I wanted to do was run to him, but then my heart stopped. He was holding hands with another girl. Everyone's eyes turned towards me, they knew. Everyone was dead silent. The only thing that broke the tension was the blonde haired girl who I assume to be Annabeth judo flipping Percy. As soon as that was over everyone's eyes returned to me. I could see the pity in their eyes. Percy finally realized what everyone was staring at and looked at me with so much sadness and pity I wanted to crawl into a ball. He mouthed I'm sorry and I looked at Dakota not wanting to see Percy so happy when I felt my heart breaking on the inside. I knew this would happen. I knew it, I knew it, I KNEW IT! I wanted to cry, I wanted to scream, I wanted to run and hide. But instead I looked at Dakota, for once, relying on someone else for strength. He mouthed, you got this. I collected myself and let my normal aura overtake my heartbreak. I was the picture of strength. "Welcome demigods."

All through the feast I kept on looking over at Jason, hoping to see a flicker of recollection in his eyes that once looked at me lovingly. I could still feel everyone looking at me, as if taking turns staring at their heartbroken leader, wondering if I was going to break, gonna snap. I made eye contact with Percy and his eyes were still full of pity and sympathy. That was my breaking point. I quickly excused myself and almost ran to our tree, to my tree. I let a few tears slip out. Now in the quiet I could hear my heart shattering. I knew something like this was going to happen. I knew it yet I went along with it anyway. How could I be so stupid. Was it worth it for a couple months of happiness? Was the heartbreak and pain worth it? For once I wasn't sure. I knew I wouldn't trade my months with Jason for anything. But this grief, pain was killing me. I wanted to sob, to scream, to make him remember me. But his eyes kept flickering in my head. I heard footsteps approaching and heavy breathing, I knew at once it was Jason. It could be years but I would always know that idiot's footsteps. When he asked me if I knew him, if he and I were a thing all my hope disappeared. He didn't remember me, there was maybe a 10% chance that maybe one day he would remember me, us, his friends, his old life. His old life. I had a choice to make, I could take a chance and tell the truth, hope that maybe he could remember me, but that was just a chance. There was no guarantee that he would remember. I could be causing more harm than good. I would be breaking up him and that girl Piper. And if it didn't work I would be leaving three broken hearts instead of one. But there was also a chance that he might remember and we could be happy. But that was only a chance. Or I could lie and say that there was nothing between us. That we were just colleagues even though we were so much more. I knew that I would never love someone like I loved Jason, I would be dooming myself to eternal heartbreak and loneliness. But he would be happy, and if you truly love someone doesn't that mean letting them go sometimes? So I lied. As soon as he was out of earshot I broke down. I sobbed and sobbed muffling my screams with my arm. Percy and Dakota came running with Annabeth trailing behind. Both of the boys scooped me up in a hug. "I. am. So, so, so sorry Rey." Dakota said. I could feel a few tears dampening the back of my shirt. He was his friend too.

"I know Rey." Percy tried to comfort me, but instead it only made me angry.

"No you don't! You don't know! Yours came back! You get your happily ever after! Mine doesn't even remember me! I just had to let the love of my life go!" I fell to my knees sobbing once more.

This time Annabeth stepped forward. "I don't know what it's like having the love of your life not remember you. But I do know what it was like living with the fear of him not for months. I am so sorry this happened to you." I could tell this girl was brave because she put her hand on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry." I croaked out before continuing to cry. I stood up and hugged Dakota.

"I'm sorry 'Kota, he was your friend too." He hugged me back just as fiercely, I felt as if my ribs would crack. But I hugged him right back. We were both sobbing messes. Grieving for the loss of a friend who wasn't truly dead. But gone all the same. Me and Dakota hobbled back to my house, arms around each other. Tears streaming down our faces. But everyone we passed had tears in their eyes too. The entire city was grieving the loss of their hero. Everyone bowed their heads in a sign of respect, knowing what I lost, what we all lost.

The rest of the day me and Dakota stayed at my house. We laid in bed eating ice cream and reminiscing about old stories of Jason. I tried my best to keep my distance for him the following days before the seven left. I only talked to him if I had to, but me and Annabeth became closer during the following days as well.

Fast forward about a year. The battle was over, Jason's body was returned and had been cremated. And Dakota was dead. The pain of losing Jason almost killed me the first time, but Dakota was there to help me through it. When we heard that Jason died and his body was returned to camp it almost killed me again. But two nights ago me and Dakota stayed up all night eating ice cream and reminiscing just as we did when we first lost him. But now he was gone too. I couldn't take it. I couldn't do it anymore. Not without him. He was the one who kept me going before Jason, during Jason, and after. Now he was gone and I couldn't take it. There was nothing tying me to this place anymore. It's time for a new adventure. I'm going to join the hunters of Diana and leave this place behind. I couldn't take it anymore. Everywhere I looked I was reminded of past memories. There was too much history, and in every history there was always pain. After the battle once I got back to my house I tore up everything and anything in sight. I smashed my coffee table to splinters, I punched my tea kettle, I used my javelin to slash my couch and my bare fists to tear my pillow apart. I ran to my spare room and started punching my punching bag refusing to let up. I punched and punched till my knuckles were raw with blood. Even then I didn't stop. The tears fused with my sweat until I couldn't realize which was which. During all of this I was sobbing and screaming, yelling and pleading with the gods. Hoping in vain that they would do something. The pain from my fists blended in unison with the pain from my heart. I only stopped punching when the chain from my punching bag snapped. Then it all sunk in, I hadn't slept in four days, since Apollo came and announced that Jason was dead. Even before that I didn't sleep much. I always wake up with nightmares and Jason isn't there to lure me back to sleep. I haven't eaten in gods knows when. I was a wreck. I sank down on my knees and started to sob again. I heard someone open the door. If it was an enemy I didn't have the energy to fight them off. I hoped that they would finish me off, put me out of my misery. Instead it was Jason. Just when I thought that the gods couldn't get any crueler. He already plagued my dreams making it so that I couldn't sleep but now I was hallucinating him too! I couldn't do this, not anymore. I let hallucination Jason lure me to sleep, I couldn't resist the exhaustion anymore. As soon as I started to hallucinate I knew I was defeated. I couldn't battle the grief anymore, the pain, the sadness. I let myself fall asleep in pretend Jason's arms, it was so life-like I thought he was actually here.

Jason's POV

When I woke up, Reyna was still passed out. From the bags under her eyes I figured she would stay that way for a while so as carefully as I could I moved her into her bedroom, I changed her clothes that were definitely a couple days old and put her into a pair of PJs. I tucked her in, kissed her forehead, and went into her bathroom and rummaged through the cabinets to find something to patch up her bleeding knuckles. I called the Lemures to come and clean up the living room while I attended to Reyna. As I was cleaning up her bruised knuckles I couldn't help but remember the last time I had to do this…

I sat Reyna down on the edge of her bed and ran off to the bathroom, hunting for a med kit. When I came back Reyna was in the exact place I left her in but this time she was facing the window. I sat down on my knees and started to clean the cuts on her hand.

"Wanna talk about it?" I asked, looking up at her hoping to start a conversation, to lift the heavy silence that was hanging in the air.

"No," She grumbled. I had to chuckle a bit, she was always cute when she was acting like a child. Thankfully I knew Reyna well enough that if I waited for a maximum of 5 minutes she would cave and tell me. "Look, Octavian and his little geek squad started it okay! I was just holding my ground!" I didn't say anything, I just nodded in agreement, still focused on cleaning the dried blood from her knuckles. "It was once he started to go after Dakota and you that I lost it."

"Rey, You're a praetor you can't lose it." I gave her the same lecture she gave me countless times when Octavian got to me.

"I know I know, and I never lose it but the way he talked about Dakota, Katie, Jamie, and all the others. You weren't here before he got chosen, he was one of us. I was in the same cohort as him, I trained alongside him. Then as soon as he gets chosen, it's like he totally forgot about us!" She sighed and pulled her hand away from me to put her head in her hands, wincing ever so slightly hoping that I wouldn't notice, but I knew her better than that now. I took each of her hands and kissed each one gently, finally getting her to look me in the eye. I stroked her cheek using my thumb as she leaned into my touch.

"I know, I'm sorry Rey." I said, starting to bandage her hand.

Once I was done she sighed and said, "It just sucks having to punch the shit out of a guy you used to call a friend, a brother." I went to return the first aid kit to the bathroom and when I came back I saw Reyna climbing into her side of the bed. I got the memo and slid into place right next to her. I kissed the back of her neck before I wrapped my hands around her waist and pulled her close. She turned over and nuzzled her head into the crook of my neck. I kissed the top of her head and whispered,

"Night Rey, love you forever."

Once I was finished I returned everything, I just took a second to admire her. It had been forever since I got to look at her in person. She was just as amazing as I -now- remember, there was nothing angelic about the way that Reyna slept, that just made her even more adorable. Even though I had just fixed her knuckles and tucked her in she had already thrown off the covers and was spread out like a starfish on the bed, she was snoring loudly and drool was starting to drip down her chin. I don't know if I've ever been more in love. I went out in the living room and found that the Lemures had already cleaned everything up, putting everything back to normal. I made a cup of tea, seeing how Reyna wasn't waking up anytime soon. Which unfortunately gave me time to think, think about all the things I have to do. I needed to find my friends and let them know that I'm okay. And Piper, oh gods Piper, I mean we split on good terms and all and she seemed happy. But still she saw me die. Now when she finds out that I'm alive and that I'm dating Reyna. Reyna! I was so focused on trying to take care of her that I didn't think about how she was going to react! After everything that's happened, I mean we were here for two weeks prepping the Argo 2 before we left, which meant that she had to see me everyday for two weeks with another girl and having no recollection of her or our past. It must have been torture. I know that if it was the other way around that there would be nothing, and I mean nothing that would stop me from running up and kissing her as soon as I saw her. Then I thought about Thalia and how she probably thought that I was dead and since she was off with the hunt she would be even harder to find! Then there was Dakota, we used to be best friends up until I disappeared. I mean we were never as close as he and Reyna were but he was always a close friend. Which now that I think of it is strange how he hasn't stopped in to check on Reyna and how she's doing. These thoughts and more lulled me to sleep until I heard Reyna screaming.

I rushed into her room to find her thrashing around sobbing and screaming. She was having a nightmare. I've seen her have nightmares but they were never this bad, I mean there was this one time… It was a month after the war. I was staying the night at Reyna's. Things had been different after the war, we hadn't slept in the same bed, for whatever reason Reyna didn't want to so I respected her wishes. Although without her I had been having a hard time falling asleep by myself. But one night we had both forgotten and I fell asleep at her place. I was finally getting a good night's sleep that was until I woke up to Reyna screaming. At first I didn't know what was happening one moment everything was fine and then the next I woke up to Reyna next to me drenched in sweat, whimpering and calling out. Then she started to thrash and scream. Sadly I knew exactly what to do, I've been in this sorta position before, PTSD is common in demigods. Back before I was a praetor when I was in the fifth cohort at least once a week we would get woken up by someone having a nightmare, we would all take shifts to help calm the person down. No one ever talked about it, it just wasn't something you would talk about. We're roman, we're supposed to deal with these things on our own. But then again we were still human. I jumped out of bed and ran to her side. It wasn't easy, with her twisting and turning but I managed to place my hand on her cheek and turn her sleeping face towards me. Her eyes were still squeezed shut, tears were running down her cheeks. Her face was contorted in pain, I couldn't take it anymore.

"Rey, rey, it's okay I'm here,' After that didn't work I started to shake her gently, " You need to wake up! Okay Rey, listen to me you're having a nightmare!" Her eyes finally shot open. I thought that I would never forget the look of terror in her eyes. Once she fully realized what had happened she sat up just as quickly as she opened her eyes. She was a bit disoriented at first but when her eyes met mine she broke down. She started sobbing into her knees that she had brought to her chest. I quickly got to my senses and pulled her into my lap, sitting against the headboard, I held onto as tight as I could without suffocating her.

I stroked her hair as she sobbed into my chest, "You're safe, okay? I got you." I tried to soothe while holding in my own tears. It tore my heart out seeing her in pain and knowing that there was nothing I could do to stop it. I held onto her like that until her sobs turned to sniffles.

"I-i-i'm sor-ry" She choked out. She tried to crawl away from me but I wouldn't let her go.

"Is this why you didn't want to sleep in the same bed? Were you trying to hide this from me?" At my last words she turned her head so she was facing away from me, "Reyna?" I pushed a strand of hair out of her face and tucked it behind her head. I put my head on her shoulder.

"Rey, you don't have to hide anything from me. I mean it." She turned back around to face me. Her cheeks were stained with tears that were once racing down her pristine features.

"We're Roman, it's what we're supposed to do." She said,

"No, no it's not. Yes we are Roman but that doesn't mean that we're supposed to keep all of our pain bottled up inside. If we are then I don't want to be Roman. You know that I get nightmares too, we all do. But you know what helps me, sleeping with you. You are always there when I have a bad dream. Let me be there for you Rey, tell me, talk to me. I'm supposed to be the person you lean on, I can't do that if you don't talk to me."

She nodded, "All I can think about is the blood seeing my friends, dead. Wondering if you were too. Then I think about Natalie." She gasped and started to cry again, "I held her hand as she died Jason. As she died! I-I held one of my best friends' hands as she died, as she took her last breath in this world, I was the one who she said her last words to, I was the one who closed her eyes when she died! I will never get the image out of my head as her hand went limp in mine and her eyes clouded over, the fire that used to burn in her eyes finally went out. I remember as Dakota finally found me as I stumbled out of the tent where Natalie layed dead and he hugged the life out of me. I couldn't hug him back, heck I could barely speak. I remember the look on his face as I told him our best friend was dead. How he told me that I was wrong that the love of his life couldn't possibly be dead. How he rushed passed me and sank to his knees sobbing, yelling at her to open her eyes. Trying to shake her awake, how I had to physically restrain him till he calmed down. How we botched cried into each other, how neither of us believed it. How I thought that in a couple hours that could be one of us at the other's bed side. How I had to leave my grieving friend at the bedside of the dead love of his life who also used to be one of my friends. To go help you kill a fucking Titan not knowing if either of us would live to see tomorrow. But all I knew was that as soon as this was over nothing would be the same. Then it shifts to something that feels less like a dream but more like a memory but I don't remember it. It's just five seconds but you're standing with this other girl and it's like you forgot all about me, and I wanna cry and scream but for some reason I don't it's like I knew this was going to happen all along." I mentally punched myself. How could I be be so stupid as to forget that Reyna lost her best friend in the war. I hugged her even tighter.

"I am, so, so, so, sorry I totally forgot. I-i I can't believe you're going through this all on your own. How's Dakota?"

"I visit him at least once a day to shove food down his throat. He's still grieving, doesn't believe that she's really gone, that she'll walk through the door at any moment with her same sarcastic smirk intact. He won't leave the house, he doesn't eat unless I'm there to make him. Same with sleeping. It's horrible."

"How are you doing?"

It was like no one had ever asked her that before, like she never truly considered it. "I don't know."

"Rey, it's okay to be sad. She was your friend and Dakota's girlfriend. You have every right to grieve."

"I know but I need to be strong for Dakota, he needs me."

"Have you ever considered that right now he needs to know that there's someone out there that's going through the same thing he is. And I need you to Rey, I need you to take care of yourself, everyone does. You hold this place together. Okay?"

"Okay." She agreed. She moved out of my lap and got up.

"Hey where are you going? I'm tired and I need cuddles!"

She just laughed, "I'm going to take your advice, I'm going to grab some ice cream, head over to Dakota's and if all goes well we'll stay up all night reminiscing about Natalie. Then if this works, tomorrow, you'll definitely be staying the night, but there won't be that much sleeping involved."

"Alright, I like the sound of that." I grabbed her wrist and twirled her around into me and kissed her passionately. "I'm proud of you ka know that right? Also as for the other stuff, there is absolutely no way that I could ever forget the love of my life.I promise"

"I know, and I couldn't either, but I'm also proud of myself too!" She responded, sounding happy for the first time in a while before skipping to the kitchen. The last thing I remembered thinking as I fell back into bed was that I had finally gotten my Reyna back.

I did everything the same as that night, hoping and praying that she could hear me. She finally calmed down and just as before I pulled her onto my lap and stroked her hair while I waited for her breathing to become more even. Once it did I heard her groan and shift. I looked down and her gorgeous onyx eyes looked back at me, the eyes that I fell in love with, the eyes that belonged to the woman that I love, of the woman who I hurt and betrayed. All I could say was, "Hey".

Reyna's POV

I was still dreaming, and the dream shifted yet again. Instead of being in Jason's loving embrace I was on the battlefield. I was battling three dracons back to back with Natalie. We finally defeated them and I turned around to congratulate her when I saw her on the ground lying in a growing pool of her own blood.

"Natalie!" I screamed. I dropped to my knees and pulled her into my lap. I kept on screaming her name, until I realized that it would do no good. I quickly stabbed a cyclops that came barreling towards us and picked Natalie up bridal style, heading for the med tent.

"I need help!" I screamed and set Natalie down on a bed. I held her hand as long as they would let me. I just sat there at her bedside for gods know how long until they finally told me to wait outside. That's when everything hit me like a tidal wave. I had enough time to make it to the back of the tent before I broke down. I started sobbing and screaming, my best friend was inside that tent fighting to stay alive. She was also in love with my other best friend and he had no clue that the love of his life was lying on a gurney which might become her deathbed. The thought of her dying made me puke. I threw up all of the emotions that I had bottled up for the past couple of hours, the fear, the despair, the hopelessness. I had to remain strong and brave for my people, give them my strength and in return take their fear. Now it all came back up, and I kept on hurling. All my emotions from the past few hours came up, was Jason alive? Was Dakota? What was I going to tell him? Was Natalie gonna survive? All I knew was that I had to find Dakota. I wiped my mouth on my sleeve and went to go find him. When I got to the front of the tent one of the doctors who had been working on Natalie stopped me and told me to come in. She was in rough shape, her skin was pale, the fire that used to burn bright in her eyes was flickering, her fiery red hair seemed to lack the once fearless sheen it was known for. I sat at her bedside and held her cold and clammy hand, tears streaming down my cheeks.

"I'm dying, Rey." I snuffled and wiped away my tears.

"No-no, you're-you're gonna be okay alright?"

She just laughed. It wasn't her normal hearty laugh, it was weak and distant. " You always were a terrible liar Ramierez. I won't make it off this bed. You and I both know that. Just like we both know that Dakota won't make it in time. So that means I'm stuck with you. Just like old times, huh Ramierez?"

"No-no don't say that alright. You're gonna walk out of here and have a great life. You're going to marry Dakota and give me a god baby. And be my maid of honor when I get married. And live. Alright?"

"Reyna," That was one of the first times she called me by my first name, "I won't make it off this bed. Dakota won't make it in time. I'll be dead in about fifteen minutes okay?" I knew she was right. I nodded my head through the tears that plagued my cheeks.

"I love you. Ya know that right? I love you so much. You're my best friend before Jason, before Dakota. It's always been you."

"I know Rey. You've always been mine. You need to take care of Dakota, you know he won't be the same. Make sure he's okay. And take care of yourself, let yourself grieve. Despite what you think and what I think sometimes you are human, you can't be a good leader without taking some time to be human. Just promise you'll cry and then go back to being a badass bitch. Okay?" I nodded. "And go about your life, marry Jason. Be happy. I need you to promise me that you'll be happy. You need to let yourself be happy. Live your life Reyna, for me. Do the things that I'll never be able to do, live your life because I'll never be able to live mine. And smile more you never smile!" She giggled at that last part. Or as close to a giggle that a dying person can get.

"I promise."

"And tell Dakota that I was going to say yes. He asked me, once we turned 21, if we could get married. I told him that I needed time to think. I never saw myself as the marrying type. Ya know? I didn't want anything to hold me back but then as I was getting stabbed all I could think of was Dakota and all I want is to say yes to him and tell him that I love him. Ya know how people say that if they knew it was going to be the last time they would never have stopped and ya know what they're right. If I had known that the last time I kissed Dakota was going to be the last I wouldn't have stopped. I would've told him that I loved him and wanted to spend the rest of the time we have left with him. And ya know what I got to do that, I got to spend the rest of my days with him." The next ten minutes were a blur but I would never forget any of it. We talked about Dakota and Jason, we laughed a bit, and cried-Okay I was doing most of the crying-. Towards the end her breathing became more shallow and spaced out. Her talking slowed, I kept one eye on the door the entire time still holding out hope that Dakota would make it. To say goodbye.

Her breathing became more ragged and she tried to say something, "This, is, it. I, love, you, Reyna." I started to sob.

"Shhh shh, save your strength. He'll make it."

She smiled. "No, he won't, I love, you, both. Goodbye, Ramierez." Her hand finally went limp in mine. I started to sob, I closed her eyes and stroked her cheek. I finally got up to go and find Dakota. Part of me was hoping that he was dead so he didn't have to live with this heartbreak and they could be reunited but I knew that I would never get that lucky. I had to tell him. I was walking past cots and cots filled with soldiers, some wounded, others dead, I knew some of them. I had trained with some of them, laughed with some of them. I saw their family members who had also fought crying over them or in other cases lying on the cot next to them. I saw nurses and doctors rushing from patient to patient not stopping to catch their breath. It pained me that I couldn't stop and help but I had to find Dakota. All I could do was lend them my strength, so that's exactly what I did. I focused, I concentrated, and I breathed, I could feel their fear and I took it as my own and in its place I left courage, strength, and determination. I saw a shadowy figure in full battle armor charging towards me. My hand went to my javelin when I recognized the figure. It was Dakota. He was running towards me with tears in his eyes and blood all over, which I don't think was his. He knew. He ran toward me and just stopped, 2 feet in front of me. His blue eyes full of despair, sadness, and disbelief. I knew that I had to tell him the hardest thing he was ever going to have to hear in his life, something that might break him, that will change him forever, and I had to be the one to tell him. I placed my hand on his shoulder and tears stung my eyes but I pushed them away.

"No no it can't be true. No no Rey, please, please tell me, it can't be true. Rey please, she-she can't be. She can't." He started to cry. Tears marked their path through the grime on his face.

I could barely look him in the eye, "I'm so sorry Dakota." That was all I got to say before he rushed towards the tent where the love of his life laid dead. I didn't even question how he knew which one, the heart just knows. I couldn't feel anymore, I physically couldn't feel anymore, my entire body went numb. I started to walk again with my chin up and my head held high. I started to walk towards Jason, I had to have faith that he was still out there fighting and not in one of the hundred gurneys I passed. I stepped on the battlefield and I still felt nothing. I just charged, I cleared a path, destroying hundreds of monsters on the way to the holder of my heart. Once I saw him it took everything in my body not to just run and hug him for not being dead. We were still in the middle of a war and he was currently battling Krios. I just jumped right in, for a while me and Jason were in sync the clash of our blades fading into the same melody. That was until Krios knocked me into a pillar, I heard a sickening crack -Which I couldn't tell if it came from my head or the pillar, probably both- Jason screamed, and then everything went black. I hoped that I was dead. If I died then I could be reunited with Natalie, I got to spend the rest of my life with Jason, I would be remembered a hero, I would die an honorable death, I would get to rest and I wouldn't have to go through the pain that would follow the next few weeks, I wouldn't have to watch as they set fire to my best friend, I wouldn't have to see the shell of a man Dakota would be reduced to, I wouldn't have to deal with the pain of living, but most importantly I wouldn't have to live in a world without Natalie. But that would also mean, I wouldn't see Jason, he would have to live just as I would have to, with the guilt of thinking that there was something more he could have done, I knew there was a chance that dakota could heal but I knew that if I died Jason would follow me, I knew that Dakota would disappear, I also knew that New Rome would crumble if I died right now, I knew that Jason wouldn't be able to lead by himself, he wouldn't be able to get through my funeral. Natalies words came back to me, I promised her that I would be happy and live the life that she never got to. So for her, for Jason, for Dakota, and for New Rome, I fought, and I lived.

My dream changed and I was standing outside of Dakota's house with 3 pints of icecream in my arms. Technically it wasn't even his house, it was Natalies. Her mother was a legacy of Mars and lived in New Rome until she was 18 when she decided that she wanted to go out and see the world. Her parents were furious and said that if she left then she couldn't return and she was fine with that. She packed her bags and left, they didn't hear from her for more than 15 years until their 12 year old granddaughter appeared on their porch. Her mother had been killed by a harpie while trying to get Natalie to Lupa. Her grandparents had died 3 years later and she rented it out to a couple senators and one of them was Dakota. Now it's just Dakota. I entered and found him in her old bedroom clutching a picture of her. "'Kota?" I knocked on the already opened door. He looked up at me and he was a wreck. His black hair was greasy and messy, his clothes were wrinkled and I could smell him from here, his blue eyes were bloodshot, bags were sinking under his eyes, at this point they looked heavier than he was. The only word to describe him was hopeless. I gently placed the ice cream on the floor and slowly made my way over to him. I gently put my hand on his cheek and wiped his tears away with my thumb as he leaned into my hand. As slowly and as tentatively as I could I sat down so I was essentially straddling him. Our eyes met, cold dead blue met warm hopeful loving black. I don't know who started first but we were both crying silently. I wrapped him in my arms and cried into his shoulder and him mine. We stayed that way, human. I very slowly drew back so that our foreheads were touching. I looked into his wet puffy eyes and I knew that both Jason and Natalie were right. Sometimes you have to be human. Just as gently as I got on I crawled off his lap and went and picked up the icecream that I had discarded on the floor. I plopped on the bed landing with a bounce and handed a pint of Superman to Dakota -Natalies favorite- and a spoon. "Alright so here's the plan. According to Jason I have been holding in my grief just like Natalie knew I was going to do and apparently that's not healthy. So we are going to stay up all night and share our favorite stories about Natalie, eat ice cream, cry a little, laugh a little, and we'll do this every night until we both feel better or we're too fat to get more ice cream." He nodded his head. And that was the first time since I woke up from the battle that I truly believed that everything was going to be alright. And I was true to my word, everynight for three nights me and Dakota got 3 pints of ice cream -Superman, Rocky road, and Cookies and Cream- and eventually we got through it. It wasn't easy, but piece by piece, Dakota started to heal. It still hurts now and again and he'll never be the same again, and he'll definitely never love someone the way he loved Natalie but he was able to be happy again, and so was I.

Not to sound repetitive but my dream shifted yet again. This time it was the night Jason and everyone from Camp Halfblood arrived. Percy and Annabeth came and went offering their condolences and trying to cheer me up, but Dakota never left. He stayed by my side the entire time.

I was in my bed in one of Jason's old hoodies. My hair was tangled and knotted, I hadn't eaten or gotten out of bed, I hadn't slept, my eyes hurt from the lack of sleep and all the crying. I hadn't taken a shower, I had just been in bed clutching a photo of us at the fair he took me to after the war and crying my eyes out. My throat was sore and raw. Just when I thought I couldn't cry anymore I looked at the picture of the two of us and I started to cry again. I knew I had to get up and run the camp but I couldn't, the grief that I was feeling was all consuming. I couldn't feel anything, my entire body was numb yet at the same time I felt everything. It was like I was trapped somewhere in between my body and my heart and mind. I was just frozen in time. Feeling everything and nothing at the same time. I was so consumed I didn't hear Dakota come in. "Rey." He said. As he crouched at the side of my bed so we were eye to eye. I didn't say anything, I just stared ahead blankly.

"Look, I know how much you're hurting but, and I'm so sorry for this, you gotta get up," I groaned and started to cry into my pillow. "I know, I know, I am so sorry. I know this is unfair, I know. But right now the camp needs you. Okay?" He got up and threw the blanket that I had been snuggled in for the past day on the floor. The sudden lack of warmth made me jerk up and start to sob. Dakota quickly got onto the bed and hugged me tight, letting me sob into his chest. This time I swore he shed a couple tears of his own. "I am, so, sorry Rey. Look, just get through this day one step at a time. I'll be by your side the entire time, and after we'll come back here, crawl into our PJs, eat ice cream and tell stories of the old days. Alright? All you have to do is get through today." He took my hands and pulled me onto my feet hugging me into his chest. I nodded my head and walked towards the bathroom. I stopped at the doorway and looked back into his eyes.

"Promise?" I croaked.

He nodded his head, "Promise."

For the last time my dream changed. It was my first quest with Jason, I was fighting off 2 gorgons and the chimera. I have never been more terrified, at the time I was still strong but I wasn't as nearly as strong as I am now. It took everything in me to just kill one of the gorgons. I was pushed to the ground and my javelin was flung out of my hands. I reached to grab it when I saw Jason was also on the ground. He was unconscious and blood was trickling down his head like a sick waterfall. I was tossing and turning when I heard someone run into the room. They said something that I couldn't hear. They started to shake me but I just thought that it was a gorgon trying to kill me and I tried to resist. But then they pulled me into their lap and started to stroke my hair. It felt so good that I began to wake up and my breathing started to return to normal when I looked up and saw something that almost made me think I was dreaming again. Jason. And what did that idiot say that made me know that he wasn't a dream, something so stupid that only my Jason would have the brain cells to say it.

"Hey"

Jasons POV

I tried to keep the grin off of my face when Reyna finally woke up, I really did. But I don't think I succeeded. I mean sure I was definitely beating myself up in my head. I mean really hey, of all the things I could have said to her I said hey. I'm an idiot. But at the same time I was looking at Reyna. Reyna was looking up at me with her gorgeous onyx eyes. Reyna was looking up at me from my lap. One of the things I always loved about her was that I could never quite tell what she was thinking, even after knowing her my entire time at Camp Jupiter, after working at her side for more than two years, after dating her for well over a year, there was always one thing she managed to hide from me. Her emotions. But in the next three seconds I understood just what Reyna was thinking. She quickly crawled out of my lap and stood at the end of the bed.

"Qué demonios" She cursed and threw a book at me. I was so hypnotized by the sound of her voice I didn't even duck, letting it hit me square in my face.

"Ow." I groaned. As soon as I said that the look of terror that once adorned her face was wiped blank with shock. She stumbled back into her dresser which sent her and a vase full of dead flowers crashing down. I reached down to help her up but she crawled away from me.

"Alejarse de mí. ¡No te acerques a mí! ¿Qué vas a?" She yelled

-Get away from me. Don't come near me! What are you?-I had no clue what that meant but I knew Reyna's thought process enough to get a clue.

"It's me, Rey, I'm back."

Reynas POV

"Jason?" No it couldn't be. "Qué demonios. No puede ser, estabas muerto. Te vi muerto. ¡Te enterramos!"

-What the hell. It can't be, you were dead. I saw you dead. We buried you!-

This can't be happening.

"It's me, Rey. Look I can't understand you but please trust me. I promise you it's me." No it can't be. It can't be him.

"J-just get away from me!" I shrieked

"Easy Rey, I promise you it's me." There it was again. Promise. It triggered something in me and suddenly my head was filled with Jason's voice all saying the same words. I promise. I wanted to scream to puke, it was every time he had ever told me he promised. All the times that he promised that he would never forget me, that he would always love me, that he would be there with me come hell or high water, all the times that he promised that no matter what happens we would figure it out together. All of his empty promises came ringing back in my ears. It was nauseating. It couldn't be him. It couldn't be. I had to get away. I had to think. I scrambled to my feet and made a mad dash to the bathroom. As soon as I was safely there I slammed the door and locked it shut. I slid down the door till I reached the cold tile floor. It was only then that I could finally breathe. I didn't know what the hell was happening. With everything that happened the past couple days this could very well be a hallucination. But gods I didn't want it to be a hallucination. Or did I? I honestly had no clue. On the one hand Jason might be real, he might be alive. I wished for months that he would walk into that door with his memory intact, tell me he loved me and that he was sorry and we would live happily ever after. I know it sounds cliche that's why I never said it out loud. I never let myself truly believe that he just might come back to me, that he might hold me in his arms and tell me he loved me again. But I knew that that could never happen, he was dead and I had to carry on without the love of my life, the camp needed me. I have to do what I've always done, I have to put my emotions aside. I have to squash that lingering hope that it really was Jason, and get to the bottom of this. I splashed some cold water on myself and prepared myself to open the door, and deal with whatever lay ahead.

Jason's POV

Shit. Motherfucking shit. Nice going there Jace. I scared her, I should've known that Reyna wouldn't have believed it was me, not with at least some convincing I mean given all she's been with, she was never one for trust. But she trusted me and I betrayed that trust. It took me years to get her to trust me and to open up to me, and for Reyna I'm willing to go through that all over again. I was pacing in front of the couch trying to think of something to say to get her to come out of the bathroom when I heard the door creak open. There she was, the love of my life even though her hair was a wreck and she looked like she just went 2-0 with a crocodile to me she looked as beautiful as always. But something was different: her demeanor was cold, I've seen this side of Reyna before, it's the same demeanor she has when dealing with the senate. She came out and walked slowly over to the island, all I could do was just stand there watching. She circled around me a couple times, eyes never leaving me, before standing 5ft in front of me. All I wanted to do was close the gap between us, but I knew that that was not a wise decision. The way she was looking over me made me feel like I was naked and exposed. She just stood there analyzing me. I had no idea which one of us was going to break the silent tension that had fallen into the room but I knew it wasn't going to be her.

"Rey-" I started before she quickly cut me off.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"It's me Jason."

"You're not Jason, so I'll ask you again. Who are you and why are you here?"

"Rey, it really is me."

"The real Jason is dead, I saw his dead body with my own eyes, I watched as we cremated his body. So I'll ask you one more time nicely. Who are you and why are you here?"

I knew there was almost no way in hell she would believe it was truly me. It was Reyna, "Alright look Rey, I know there is no way you'll believe it's me. But it is, it's me. And-and look I can prove it. I know that you like Hot coco over coffee."

"Everyone knows that"

"I know that you hate Octavian but you secretly wish that he would go back to being the Octavian that you used to trust and confide in. I know that you hate Senate meetings and always make me do all the talking while you do all the paperwork because I hate paperwork." This time when I paused she didn't stop me but she was still far from convinced.

"I know that you think you need to be strong and keep everything bottled inside, I know that you miss Natalie more than anyone, I know that you refuse to talk about her to anyone besides Dakota, I know that you keep everything bottled up inside until you crack, I know that you have the weight of the world on your shoulders," I took a breath "and I know more than anything that I love you Reyna." Her shoulders lost her tension but I could still tell that she wasn't convinced, but she wanted to be. I took a step closer, she didn't stop me.

"Reyna, you are the most beautiful woman I've ever met, and I love you so much, even when you don't love yourself." I took another step closer. "I remember Rey." I took another step forward. "I remember that night, the night when I first told you I love you." I took another step, "I remember the night of the ball…" I took the last step, to the point where there was an inch between us. "I remember, that you like it when I kiss you here," I slid her sleeve down exposing her collar bone and kissed it, smiling when I heard her breath hitch. "And here" I mumbled into her skin as moved up her collarbone. I felt one of her arms wrap around my waist and the other in my hair. I heard her slightly moan when my lips found her neck staying there and leaving a mark. I pulled away, even though all I wanted to do was keep kissing her. I finally got to look into those onyx eyes that had shed their icy coat and replaced it with a soft gentle loving blanket. I used my free hand that wasn't grasping her waist to lift her chin up.

"It's me Rey." I waited for a second, but to me it felt like an eternity. Then she smashed her lips onto mine. It was hot and passionate yet tender and slow at the same time. We were pouring all of our emotions, words, and thoughts into that kiss and I never wanted it to stop. But I broke it off when I felt the tears streaming down both of our faces, and when she started to sob she buried her head in the crook of my shoulder and just sobbed as I rubbed her back. "It's okay Rey, it's okay I'm here and I'm never leaving again I promise."

She looked up at me and said, "Don't make promises you can't keep." My heart broke again when she said that because I knew that I had made many promises to her, that I would never forget her, that we would be together forever, and that we would figure everything out together. And I broke each one when Juno showed up. I picked her up bridal style and kissed her on her forehead.

"I'm so sorry Rey." I carried her to her room and placed her down on the bed before joining her. She curled up into a ball and tucked her head into the crook of my neck again while I rubbed her back and made a promise to myself to never let her go again. "You have no idea how sorry I am. I have no idea what to say to you right now to make it better, but here is a promise I can keep: I promise that I will do everything in my power to make it right. Because I love you Rey."

She finally looked up at me with her soft onyx eyes, "I love you too Jace." We stayed that way all day, Reyna finally got to sleep, and I finally got Reyna. Everything was right in the world again. After hours Reyna finally woke up again.

"Hey." I smirked.

"It wasn't a dream." She muttered, taking me all in again.

"No it wasn't. I'm here Rey and I'm not going anywhere."

"You were dead. I saw your body, we cremated you." She paused before continuing again. "We mourned you, we all did."

"I know Rey."

"What happened?" I was hoping she wouldn't ask me that.

"I don't really know to be honest, when I went back to my place that day, Juno was waiting for me. She brainwashed me and when I woke up I had no recollection of who I was, and was sitting next to Piper and Leo on a school bus." She winced when I mentioned Piper's name.

"How did you end up here?" She gestured to the bed.

"Well when I died I woke up in the same forest where Lupa trained me. Juno was there and she gave me all my memories back and told me I had to make a choice. I could die a hero or I could take a chance and live out the rest of my days with you. And I chose you Rey. I always choose you." She sat up in bed with my arms still around her and stared at the wall for a while taking everything in.

"Do you love her?" It took me a minute to realize who she was talking about. Piper.

"No Rey, I love you. Only you."

"It didn't seem that way when you came to pick up Percy."

"Rey, that's not fair I didn't have my memories back I didn't know who you were."

"I know. But if you could leave her so easily for me how do I know you wouldn't do the same again."

I didn't know how she could ever think I could leave her. "Because Rey, the thing between me and Piper wasn't real, that was all Juno, she created those memories. They weren't mine, and besides we broke up a while ago. I didn't love her like I love you." That seemed to make her feel a little better.

"You always did have a way with words,"She remarked, "But Jace you have to understand where I'm coming from, when you were gone we looked everywhere for you, and after months of searching and it looked like you disappeared and left me I had to go on without you. I had people that were relying on me to protect them and I had to go on like I wasn't breaking inside. Then Percy came and gave me hope, I started to build myself back up again with the hope that you would remember me. Then you came back with your arm around another girl and didn't even recognize me and I broke again. Everyone looked at me with pity and sadness waiting for me to break, Dakota and Percy waiting to catch me. I had to be strong and do what I've always done, put my emotions aside and lead. I had to push you away because I couldn't be the person who stood in the way of your happiness. Then I started to heal again knowing you were out there safe and happy, then Apollo came with your dead body and I broke again, the hope that you would maybe one day remember me was truly extinguished. And this time I didn't have Dakota to help me through it, so not only was I mourning the loss of the love of my life I was also mourning my best friend." She was crying again and I was on the verge.

I searched for the right words to say when they finally came to me,"Rey I had no idea, I know how close you two were." It wasn't just that but me and Dakota were good friends and I was really looking forward to seeing him again. Now that day will never come.

"He was devastated when we lost you, we both were. It seemed like he was the only one who understood my pain,and we helped each other heal. But this time no one was here. I was all alone and expected to still lead, I couldn't do it. My two best friends in the whole world were gone. I was all alone, you always told me that no matter what I would never be alone again. You promised, you promised me I would never be alone again, that you would never leave me, that you would always remember me. And I was alone again, just like when my sister abandoned me, like when I first came to Camp I had no one to rely on but myself. And even then I couldn't truly rely on myself." At this point Reyna was sobbing and there were tears in my eyes as well. I pulled her closer than I ever had before, even though there was no space left between us it still felt like the grand canyon.

"I am so sorry. Rey. You shouldn't have had to go through that. No one should. I am so sorry that I wasn't here for you. You have no idea how much I wanted to be though."

"I know it's not your fault."

"Still, I am so sorry. I love you with all of my heart, Reyna. And I'll never stop. You are my past, my present and my future Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano. And I am so sorry that you had to go through all of that alone. But you don't have to anymore, I am right here, and you can lean on me. I know it'll take a while but trust me I'm not going anywhere"

"I love you too Jason."

And we stayed there, laughing, talking, doing other things, but most importantly enjoying every moment we could together because I had my Reyna back and all was right with the world. Sure we had a lot to figure out, and we were both still grieving, but this time we were going to figure out everything together. Reyna still had some trust issues but I assured her every day that I was never leaving her again. And I was true to my word.