A/N: Thank you for the reviews.

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Chapter 2

First Meeting

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Piper ran through the forest. Her bare feet were sore against the hard, grassy ground. A raccoon ran out of the way from her, and a hummingbird zipped past. She ran away from the village, away from the white demons. She was barely making it, having endured her labor.

"Halt, girl!"

She skidded to a stop, nearly collapsing into the white men, their weapons pointing at her. It was there that her legs collapsed from under her. She started to cry, to plead with them not to hurt her. They were laughing with their pale, scratchy faces.

One of them stooped down to pull her up. He smelled putrid, especially his breath. Her words had no meaning to them. The man spoke. It sounded something like, "You must be Pocahontas."

"Cut! Print!" the director yelled. "That was good."

Piper sighed after ten takes. One of her costars walked off, demanding someone to fetch him a smoothie. She went back to her trailer.

A knock came on the door after she changed out of her costume. "Come," she said, tying up her robe. Her dear assistant, Mellie, entered.

Her petite, ghost-like figure floated in, her dark hair rippling like waves. Her brown eyes were glued to her white iPad-type device. "You should be happy to hear that I managed to convince the director to give you July 3rd through the 5th off for your reunion with your friends. Then he'll need you back by the 6th for the sailing scene and the wedding scene."

"Great," Piper said. She could spend the 4th of July with the Seven. Awesome. She has a few weeks to look forward to that.

"Oh, and Caroline called you while you were shooting."

Piper looked at her briefly, then grabbed her phone from the makeup table. She had left it in her trailer while they were shooting so it wouldn't interrupt the take, and her costume had no pockets. Not to mention that phones don't do much help for demigods. Her girlfriend called an hour ago and left a voicemail and a text message. Above the number was an image of a hot brunette with warm brown eyes.

The missed call said, "Hey, babe. I know you're probably working right now, but I just want to let you know that I miss you and know you'll get an Oscar. I can't wait to see you again. Okay, bye now. Call me if you get the chance. Kisses." The message made Piper smile. The text she left her was an image of her looking cute, lying on her stomach in cute pajamas in Piper's favorite rosy shade of pink and giving a peace sign.

They had only been together for a few months, and Piper still hadn't told her about her godly life. She was mortal, though, and couldn't see through the Mist. If they do stay together any longer, how would she tell her the truth? That was what Piper dreaded the most.

Mellie spoke again while she was admiring the picture. "They're about to start the next scene. You don't have to work anymore for today. Terry is already waiting for us to drive us to the hotel."

"Mellie, what would I do without you?" Piper said. "Oh, how's Chuck with his karate class? Is Coach Dad pushing him too hard?"

"That's what I worried first, but he's taking all lot after Gleeson," the aura said.

"Oh, gods! An eleven-year-old Coach Hedge? Does he walk around with a baseball bat, calling everyone cupcakes and threatening to whack them?" Piper laughed.

"Not after I told him to stop unless he wanted to keep attending class."

After getting dressed, Piper and her assistant exited the trailer, only stopping in front of the set. The cast and crew were setting up for the flashback scene of when Pocahontas met John Smith as a child. The movie definitely wasn't like the Disney movie. The ten-year-old actress—Jessica—playing the younger her was brilliant. The two of them talked for a long time, discussing notes for playing the role. She was a great kid. She grew up in Ottawa and was a talented painter and dancer. Not to mention such a philanthropist. Piper hopes Hollywood doesn't chew her up and spit her out as it has done to many child actors.

Piper also managed to get her dad, Tristan, cast to play Chief Powhatan. All it took was a little convincing of her dad to return to the screen and to play a Native American role, which he wasn't a fan of, then a persuasion to the casting director—with a sprinkling of charmspeak to get Tristan cast. He was grateful for her to help him get a role, especially after the time of the three Roman emperors.

Their financial fiasco and their time in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, helped him adjust to a new life. He was still obsessed with making as much money as possible for them to be comfortable. But sometime later, he grew to appreciate his new life, made amends with his sister, and gained a public relations job in the Cherokee Nation government for the entertainment department. He felt like he didn't need to act anymore. Until Piper suddenly became a star, Tristan forgot how fun acting was.

"God, it feels good to get in front of a camera again," he said after the first day.

"How is it when you don't have to fake-fight or flash your abs every second?" she asked.

"Not bad. I guess I'm at an age where more dramatic roles are more appropriate for me. I feel like I could still do some action and stunts. But I don't think I could take the Tom Cruise route and do the most insane stunts. I don't know about him, but I'm getting a bit too old."

She'll never forget how he reacted when she said she was considering entering the acting business. He was pleased and declared that she would shine more than he did.

The first jobs she got, thanks to Mellie, were small—as Piper wanted. Her first job was a commercial for manscaping. She may have used her charmspeak while performing that. No wonder the company raked a more considerable fortune than they were expecting. Plenty of guys were raiding the stocks in record-breaking times just because she said they should buy it for their girlfriends' sake.

She then made minor appearances on TV shows and was cast in movies. First, an independent film, then a comedy, a romantic chick flick. Her costar for that one fell for her during a few takes. The guy even kissed her involuntarily while filming. The director and producers thought it was so natural and raw that they left it in the final cut. Fans ended up loving it, and the movie grossed a hefty some. She was pleased by its pay, so the nonconsensual kiss was worth it.

After that, she played in some action movies. As a demigod, she had helped save the world once or twice, which translated well into her stage fighting. Some of those movies were good. Some weren't liked by critics because of the juvenile writing. She merely played the hero's love interest in a couple of them. But the ones where she did star in were great critically and financially. She was even offered roles in some major franchises. She was requested to play a Bond girl in a James Bond movie. At first, she thought it would be antifeminist and insulting, as were to most Bond girls. Although, the character seemed pretty well-rounded and badass. The only reason why she didn't take the role was that her dad played a Bond villain in a previous movie.

The biggest part she was favored for was to play Wonder Woman. These days, it is inevitable to play in a superhero movie. Unfortunately, Piper lost the part to Gal Gadot. Which is much more fitting, she reasoned. Piper was too young, and Gadot could play a goddess easily. And she was divinely gorgeous.

She was offered some modeling jobs, too, but she didn't take them. It wasn't out of any insecurity. It was mainly for scheduling.

Anyway, Piper's acting career was fulfilling. She was having fun discovering different parts of her personality, seeing the world, and earning a lot of money. As for money, she prefers to live a more modest lifestyle. She lives in a two-bedroom apartment in New York, saves her money, invests a ton, and donates it to various charities.

She's proud to play an essential part in Native American culture. Although Pocahontas was not Cherokee, she was honored to play the most crucial ambassador in history and bring to light the poor girl's sad story. Many of her fans were happy for her to play the role.

It's heartbreaking to think that Pocahontas—or Matoaka—died younger than Piper.

"Scene 21. Take one!"

"Ready. And action," the director yelled.

The set was of Powhatan houses, with the actors dressed in traditional war garb with painted faces. Her dad looked wise and powerful in his chief costume and club. Jessica was standing next to Tristan in her dress with their braided pigtails. The man she assumed was playing John Smith was shoved onto a tree stump. Piper couldn't see his face due to his long black hair and beard. She doesn't recall who was playing the character. His hands were tied behind his back—a prop. Tristan—playing Chief Powhatan—held up his club to try to strike him, only to have Jessica—as young Pocahontas—run up to place her head on Smith's.

"Cut!"

Everyone returned to their first marks and replayed it again. They went a third time until the director was satisfied.

"Cut! Print! That's a wrap for today, everyone. See y'all Monday. Goodnight."

The John Smith actor stood up and untied the ropes around his wrists without any assistance. Then, when he turned around, Piper was captivated by how handsome he was. Not a beauty any mortal possesses.

"Uh, Mellie," she whispered to her assistant, "who is he?" She pointed to the man.

Mellie looked at him nervously as Piper picked up. "He is Jove Caelum," she timidly said. "He's the one playing John Smith in this picture."

No…. That face belonged to a marble statue and mosaics. From that face came a booming voice that made the mountains tremble. He was a powerful man to rule the heavens above.

"Zeus?" she muttered.

Wait! Those hooded blue eyes reminded her too much of someone else. Then she imagined a small scar on his lip and blonde hair. He looked too much more like Jason than the last time she saw him. And he held a different expression. Not that mightier-than-thou look he always had in typical imagery or that one time she saw him in Athens. No. He looked gentler. Even as little Jessica protected his head with hers, he was calmer and not demanding obedience. He was kind to her as they parted. Almost fatherly.

It was in that moment that the story of Beryl Grace flashed in her memory again. How Thalia's father was different when he returned to them.

"Could it be…?"

She found herself walking up to him. The collar strings of that dirt-covered white shirt from the 1600s were undone to show some of his course dark chest hair. It was an interesting image.

He met her halfway.

"Ms. McLean," he respectfully said.

"Lord Zeus?" she asked, taking the chance.

He shook his head. "Not at the moment."

She knew it. "So you are Jupiter."

"Please, call me Jove if you wish."

That took her by surprise. She was not expecting the god of the heavens to be so informally kind. It was unsettling.

Piper turned back to an anxious Mellie. "Could you wait at the car, Mellie? And tell Terry that I might need a few minutes," she asked.

After nodding to her friend and employer, the aura quickly bowed to her lord and left.

After she was gone, Piper took a shot to break the ice. "So you're acting in the movie?" She tucked her hair behind her ear.

He nodded. "Yes."

"But why play John Smith? You could've played any role if you liked. King James might have been appropriate."

Jove shrugged. "This part just seemed fitting for me," he said.

She nervously scratched her head. "Is there a purpose as to why you're here? Do you need me to do a quest for you or…?" It didn't fit right to her. Most demigods her age don't go on many quests or have monsters coming after them. And this was the Roman variant of the sky god. What would he want with a Greek?

"I'm not here for a quest," he said.

She suddenly remembered Jason and Thalia's mother and how she was a huge starlet in her day until Zeus came in to muck up her already unstable sanity. Piper was nothing like her, but she was rising to stardom and was constantly praised for her beauty. Now Greece's and Rome's most notorious player was here.

She was suddenly feeling uneasy. "Then why are you here, Lord?" A disturbing image of him transfiguring into a random animal and abducting her started to haunt her.

Her question wasn't answered by all the hustle and bustle of the cast and crew. Things were getting chaotic. It was time for the actors to go home.

"So, I guess I'll see you when we run into one another," he said.

"Yeah," she answered.

Without anything else to say, she turned on her heel and went to her car.

Piper sighed after entering her hotel suite. Mellie was in her own room, so Piper took the chance to let loose. She kicked off her shoes and stripped to take a hot shower. Afterward, she slipped on a soft robe and slumped on the sofa to watch some TV. A part of her considered pouring herself a glass of wine. But that may not be a bright idea at the moment.

Zeus wanted her?

It was arrogant of her to think that without any hard indication. But why else would he be here? He didn't demand her for a quest or order her to do anything. He was nothing but polite and blended in with the mortals. He was following his old habits. As far as she saw, she was the only person he spoke to extensively.

What are your plans, Jupiter? Piper thought anxiously.

Eight billion people in the world, and he chose her? She got up to look at herself in the full-length mirror on the closet door. She let her robe fall onto the floor to see. Subconsciously, she nitpicked at all the flaws she saw. She had an uncomfortable relationship with her looks for most of her life. She never much cared about how beautiful she was or tried to make herself look better. Yet many guys and girls were attracted to her, especially in her adult life. Her career was followed by many fans, some of whom were perverted.

Seeing past the flaws now, she can see why. Her eye color was unique for having multiple colors swirling around. Her body was athletically fit and curvy. Her reddish tan skin was clear, except for a few beauty marks and scars. And her breasts were decent dimensions for her size and measurements. She had the largest out of the girls in the Seven. Perhaps Aphrodite wished her girls to have voluptuous figures, which may include big busts, as it were.

Still, the idea of Jupiter desiring her made her blush. She wasn't a virgin, though, but she was no slut. Her first time on second base was with Jason—by accident. They were making out once, and his hand brushed over her chest. She didn't make a huge deal out of it when he snapped his hand away, red-faced. They didn't go any farther than that as they broke up months later—for other reasons, mind you.

She went a little farther with Shel. They were kissing deeply in her bedroom in Oklahoma, and both felt some more skin. She may have been Piper's first girlfriend, but eventually, she felt more like a rebound. She had benefited from that relationship. That girl brought her out of her gloom and helped reveal more about herself. She will always have fond memories of Shel.

Her real first time was with her college boyfriend Nolan at New Rome University. While she was studying acting and humanities, he was majoring in social science. He was a legacy of a muse from New Rome. One night in her dorm, it got romantically clumsy and hot. A memorable night. They broke up the year after. Then, she dated Taylor until they graduated, as they were leading different paths. She was the first woman she'd been with. So far, she was the only woman she had actually slept with.

She didn't date much after that. She was too focused on getting her life together. And once her career took off, she was busy, busy, busy. Then she met Caroline—a mortal girl—at a humane animal shelter where they both volunteered. They got along quickly and went on a date. Then that became another, then another. They did not say they were exclusive yet. They didn't even do it yet.

Oh, Styx, Caroline, she thought, pulling her robe back on.

She grabbed her phone to look at that selfie she sent her again. Gods, she wished she was here. Maybe they should move their relationship to the next level. They were together long enough in some people's eyes. Yeah, they could…. But would they be forcing it because of Jupiter?

"I should call her," she said. Her fingers froze on the screen. "Or maybe I should call Annabeth. Yeah, she's my best friend and the smartest person I know. I can talk to her about this. Yeah. I should…."

All Piper had to do was click the name in her contacts to call her, but what was stopping her? Why does she feel anxious about disturbing her friend? She was an architect. That had to be a taxing job. And if she was done working for the night, maybe she was spending time with Percy.

"They're both busy all day, every day. They don't need any extra drama. Sure, they would argue about it not being a big deal, but—Huh!" She exasperated.

Maybe Hazel or Calypso would be good to talk to. Or any of her half-sisters.

"Screw it!" Piper held the ringing up to her face for video chat. Caroline had a habit of leaving her phone in other rooms whenever she was preoccupied with something. So it wouldn't surprise her if it went to voicemail—

"Hey, pretty," a perky, bespectacled brunette answered.

Piper smiled. Her hair looked messy, and she looked ready for bed. "Hi, babe. I got your message."

"Great. How was work?"

"Good, good. Pocahontas just got captured."

"Hey, no spoilers!"

"It's history, silly," Piper laughed.

Caroline squinted her eyes. "Are you okay, Pipe? You seem kinda worn out."

"Yeah, I'm just a bit tired." Piper started to speak, dramatically exasperated. "I spent all day in front of a camera, pretending to be someone I'm not, and I come back to a hotel all alone." She naughtily dragged the neckline of her bathrobe to slowly expose some cleavage. "I just wish I had someone here to shed my burden and to hold me."

Caroline's smiling red face filled her actions with desire seeping through. It filled Piper with feminine pride.

"I'm so sorry for your suffering," the girl on the video chat humored. Her eyes were still looking down before returning to her girlfriend's. "But seriously, sweetie. Is something bothering you?"

Rearranging her robe, Piper took a deep breath. "You could say that," she muttered. "You remember my first boyfriend, Jason?"

"The one who died?"

"Yeah, him. Well… I met his dad today."

Caroline made a face. "Really? By chance? That's weird."

"Actually, he's in the movie. He's playing John Smith."

The space in her gaped mouth was enough for a plane to fly into. "You're ex-boyfriend's dad is playing your love interest—"

"This is not the Disney movie!"

"I know, I'm sorry. It's just funny. Or creepy? Did he know you were in this movie?"

"I'm sure he heard."

"Did he get the role on purpose…?" Caroline raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not sure. Maybe. Are you suggesting that he's trying to get to me?"

"I'm not saying that—unless it's true. Do you think he's up to something?"

"I have a feeling that he may be interested in me."

Fear spread over her girlfriend's face. "Has he made any inappropriate passes or said anything? Should I call the police?"

"No, no, no! No sexual harassment. Jove's been respectful and decent. He never touched me." So far, calling wasn't making Piper feel better. Anxiety was stirring up inside her. Then she decided to have that glass of wine.

"Piper, honey, remember, just because he's acting civil doesn't mean he will be in the long run."

"Yeah, I know, I know. I'll tell someone if anything happens. But it's not like that." Piper put her phone down to open a bottle of red.

"You sure he's not stalking you?"

"Yeah, he's not—I mean, he won't—" She took a generous sip of her drink and gasped for a breath before picking her phone back up. "I'm positive he's not going to harass me. So far, he's been nothing less than a gentleman. I'm sure—I know he won't try anything without my consent." She finished as she sat back on the couch, tucking her legs under her.

She propped her phone on the coffee table so she wouldn't have to hold it. The Caroline on it gave her a critical look. "What do you mean by consent?"

That felt like a loaded question. Piper stroked the smooth skin on the top of her foot, tracing over a little white scar on the side. She didn't know how to answer that without infuriating her.

"You know what, you look exhausted. I'll let you get some sleep. Call me when you need to talk to someone."

Grateful for that, Piper said, "Okay. Night."

The video chat ended with relief. She was glad that she didn't have to answer the trap question. How could she tell her girlfriend that she was attracted to another person?

Yes. Piper was attracted to Jove. It was hard not to be. He was perhaps the most handsome man she had ever seen. He was the literal king of the heavens—king of the gods for Olympus's sake. What woman wouldn't be attracted?

It was weird to think of Lord Jupiter as Jove. He did ask her to call him that, she reasoned.

But being attracted to him made her feel ill. He was her dead ex-boyfriend's father. She and Jason never slept together before. She tried to look at this from an outside perspective. It would look like a betrayal if Piper had sex with Jason and then his father. But it would also be slimy to hook up with the dad without going far with the son.

So twisted!

The thought of Hera—or Juno, in this case—came to her mind like an arrow in the eye. If Jupiter made his move on her, the goddess would be furious.

Wait! What if she gets pregnant?

If she did allow herself to be taken by Jove, she would have a child born of one of the Big Three. The monsters will be relentless. Juno will put a target on him or her.

No! She can't fall for Zeus! She can't let him touch her. Maybe it'll turn out that he wasn't attracted to her. That's wishful thinking, nothing more.

Putting her empty glass down, Piper clasped her hands together. Something told her that she should pray to the goddess queen for strength. Or to convince her husband to remember the vows he had taken. Or maybe she should pray to Aphrodite. Counseling with the goddess of love would seem appropriate. Nothing made her wish more than for her mother to be an actual mom to her. Is it too much to ask for her to talk to her? To hold her when she was upset?

Stupid gods!

Tired, she decided to turn in for the night. Usually, Piper would sleep in the nude in her bed because she heard it was healthier and, frankly, comfier. However, she was not in her own bed, and the gods know how well hotels clean after their guests. Not only that, but she had to get her mind off anything sexual. The robe was too bulky to sleep in, but she had an extra-large t-shirt with a pair of boxers.

Tossing and turning in the king-sized bed, she reached for the nightstand drawer to pull out her knife, Katoptris. She unsheathed it to stare fruitlessly into the Celestial Bronze blade. Ten years, and it still refused to show her anything important. If it weren't for the golden glow, she'd thought it lost all its power. Right now, it was just a knife. She sheathed it again and put it away. It was useless, just like the rest of the godly world.

A/N: The movie about Pocahontas Piper is starring in would be more historically accurate than the Disney movie. Unfortunately, Pocahontas (or Matoaka was her original name, but she gave herself the nickname after her mother) had a very tragic story. The Englishmen from the time—especially John Smith and John Rolfe—were vile men. It would've been better if Disney had changed the main characters' names and the year it takes place.

When I first thought of casting Jupiter as John Smith, I thought of writing the character as a mentor to Pocahontas, as for the age gap. That was before finding out what a bastard Smith was.

To learn more about Piper's life after the Trials of Apollo that is not canon to this or the Riordanverse, check out the fanfiction Piper's Untold Story by Delayedinspirations.