To Ravimar- (Chapter 21) Ahaha, they're chaotic dumbasses, it goes splendidly! ^_^

To HoO Fan- (Chapter 19) There is a Leoisa child I have that is Charlie Michael Valdez, named for both Charlie Beckendorf and Michael Yew! As for the Jackson kids, I am sayyyyying nothing! D: And some Twins shenanigans? I can do that! (Chapter 20) And thank you! I do not like a pairing if there is absolutely no heartless banter between them! And a magician never reveals their secrets! ^_^

To RandomFanAuthor- (Chapter 21) I can't even manage three minutes with a small baby, they just don't like me! :P It's alright though, I personally never plan on having children, hell no, do you know where they come from? Big ouch!

To zantarak- oooooooooooooooohhhhhhhh, you mean this chapter? 3:)

Piper hadn't seen Nico call on ghosts before, watching with a morbid sense of fascination. He had arrived on her doorstep within the hour, as promised. They walked a little way out view, after reassuring her father, before he took her arm and slipped into the shadows.

They emerged in a clearing, almost as dark as night beneath the tree canopy. A cold wind blew, seemed to groan, as if it could sense the spirits due. She shivered, tucking her hands under her arms. Nico said nothing, stepping forward and crouching beside a hole he had dug. Rectangle, several feet deep. She watched quietly as he scooped up a handful of dirt, letting it fall between his fingers.

"You sure?"

"Yes." Piper nodded fiercely. His dark eyes regarded her for a moment, a tick working in his jaw. Time seemed to slow down, but only seconds had passed when he decided to stand.

It was all she could do, to force herself to focus on him as he chanted. Her mind twinged with doubt- what if he didn't show? She couldn't bear to give the notion credit of existence. If this didn't work, she was in half a mind to just fall into that hole and have done with it all.

White misty figures began to gather. Nico spread his hands, falling quiet for a moment. When he next spoke, his voice was gravelly, croaking with a grief he did not want to show in front of her; "Jason Grace, I call on you." He paused, clenching his fists nervously. "Come forward and speak, if you wish." For a long, chilling moment, nothing happened. Piper felt something crumble in her chest- he wasn't coming.

But then a figure stepped forward, crouching as if to observe the pool of Happy Meals and milkshakes in the hole. More of a grave, really, but she didn't want to call it that.

The figure stood, its features sharpening. He took a moment to consider them, smiling that bewildered, sweet smile, his glasses crooked, blonde hair silvery under his own spirit energy. A sob caught in her chest and she would have surged forward had Nico not held his arm out.

"I have one thing to say to you, Jason Grace." He said, doing his best to look angry. "You're a fucking idiot."

"I missed you too." Jason said, biting back a laugh.

"He's right though." Piper croaked. "You really are the biggest fucking idiot." And then she couldn't help herself, bursting into tears. Her hands trembled as she ranted about him to him, about how stupid and careless and brave and selfless and idiotic he was. She admitted she still had his hoodie and refused to apologise that she had never given it back. She was sorry their relationship had been built on deception of a goddess that had taken away his childhood and she was sorry he had suffered so. She didn't care that Nico was there, listening, but having the decency to pretend he wasn't.

"You're an asshole, Jason Grace, and I miss you, but you had no r-right to do that, n-no right!" She heaved a shuddering breath, drying her face on her sleeve, only to start crying all over again. "I'm sorry we ended on bad terms, but I didn't want to avoid you! You're still my friend, I-"

"I'm sorry too." He cut across, smiling sadly. "I wanted to talk to you, more than anything. But I thought you needed space." She scoffed, throwing up her hands and drawing out his confusion once more.

"Dying gives me too much space, you dumbass! Gods, I wish I could slap you!"

"I feel like I deserve that."

"You do! Bastard! Nico, can you summon someone to slap him for me?" Nico glanced at her, taking the idea under consideration. Jason watched him expectantly, but there was no further input. She swiped her arm over her face again, sniffing loudly. She was undoubtedly a red-eyed, puffy-faced snot monster, but she didn't care. She gave herself a moment to look Jason over, a sense of odd relief coursing through the pain of seeing him in her chest. She had been so worried he wouldn't appear, she had hardly noticed her other worry- would he still have the wounds that brought him here now?

"I heard you reached Elysium." Nico said. "How is it?" Jason grinned, clenching his fists excitedly.

"It's fantastic! I made some new friends!"

"That's… good?" Nico puzzled. "Odd place for it, the afterlife, but… well done." He nodded, clearing his throat. Jason turned to Piper, his expression softening.

"If it could have been avoided," he said, "I would have given you the biggest hug and- and I would not have given you so much space. I'm sorry, Pipes, I am." He smiled again. "But don't worry about me. I'm happy, honest. Beckendorf, he's- he's a son of Hephaestus, so different to Leo." He shook his head, wiping at his eyes. "Tell that dork I'm sorry. Give him a hug from me, OK? And a slap, he's undoubtedly done something stupid."

"OK." Piper nodded, laughing with shortened breath.

"I met your sister too- Silena. She's great, Piper, you'd love her. Please don't feel guilty. It was my choice."

"But nothing else was." Piper mumbled, tears welling once more. Jason sighed.

"I know. But I'm free now."

"Hefty price to pay!" She protested, voice wobbling. Nico nodded in agreement, bowing his head to wipe at his eyes. Piper stepped towards Jason, towards his spirit, gesturing wildly as if that could get her whole emphasis across. "I'm sorry, I just wanted you to know that I'm sorry! I can't change what happened, but gods I wish I could. You deserved better, you deserve better, even now. I… once upon a time, I thought we could… we could be happy, you know? I know things didn't work out, but… I never wanted… this." She motioned at him, sobbing, biting her lip to keep her composure just a little longer. She stood just the other side of the hole to him now, reaching for his hand without even thinking. His form began to fade near her living flesh and her shoulders slumped, defeated. "You shouldn't have had to… to die for freedom, for happiness. You had earned it over and over, and I-"

"Piper."

"-no, don't interrupt me, you asshole, I'm still mad at you."

"I noticed." He gave another of his sad smiles, mixed with his usual bewilderment. She did a double-take at his eyes, as blue as they ever had been, her own upset mirrored there. When she didn't cuss him out some more, he continued under gentle tones. "I never did thank you."

"For what?"

"For being my only normalcy. I didn't truly realise until we broke up. I'm grateful, Beauty Queen. You were a godsend and I can't… I can't thank you enough." He turned to Nico, who was looking paler by the second. "I'd best go before Nico passes out. Thank you for calling me here today, but aren't you under doctor's orders?" He tipped his head, smiling crookedly when Nico glowered. "I also heard you're not as much of a shut-in now?"

"Fuck you, Grace." Nico defied. Jason laughed, breaking Piper's heart all over again.

"Jason?" She said, pulling him back to her. "I love you." He smiled wistfully, already beginning to fade.

"I love you too."