#im talking about pjo but a lot of the time im talking about rings of power. 3 people will feel me on this.

[trans-elrond]

im not tagging this because this isn't a criticism of the show per se (ok maybe a little) but primarily of fans' attitudes........... but the thing that reeaaaally gets my goat (lol!) about the pj&o adaptation (and other book to show/film adaptations of popular fandom material, do NOT @ me about rings of power) is that people assume it's easy and always correct to adapt a book "just like they imagined it" or that it's easy and always correct to be ~faithful~ to the vision of the book in their head because all they have to do is "bring it to life" correctly. (ugh! there's my archnemesis Textual Fidelity again. well, what if i love infidelity! what then!) [like we can all agree there's a spectrum of close and distant adaptations but WHAT IF we also wanted distant adaptations and we valued them for being singular works of art instead of judging purely by fidelity. what then.]

like... as IF there's a Correct and Singular Version and it is, naturally, YOUR interpretation. as if there's a hierarchy of interpretation and it's Good if your interpretation is visualized and Unfathomable if someone else takes their interpretation and runs with it. (does not apply to racist casting like the shyamalan ATLA movie obviously........... this is about making interesting or subversive choices instead of being slavishly devoted to source material as a philosophy, which IS the disney/riordan/fandom philosophy regarding PJO and it's what people WISH was rings of power's philosophy.) anyway a fandom's measure of the success of an adaptation is how closely it cleaves to their memory of their interpretation of the book, which is frankly a huge loss to adaptation as an art form, and a huge win for adaptation as pure commercial entity

because really your act of interpretation and imagination is so singular, so specific to you, and everyone else's is going to be different in a myriad of small and big ways. and a massive creative team working on the economic machine that is a television show are making millions of choices to adapt it, translate it into a new medium, in a way that makes sense as visual & auditory material. and that is pretty much going to fit into thee popular interpretive framework that fans will like (of what's important or what's essential to the text,) because it's a commercial product and Disney wants it to be successful, but like... does it have to be. DOES IT HAVE TO BE. the book is right there if you want the book. why can't a show be its own show. why can't TV be TV and not The Book, But We're Reading It Out Loud Now In Settings Effectively Conjured From The Pages Of The Book. because that's how you end up with characters talking exposition to each other for 7 minutes. text-to-screen translation is supposed to make that textual stuff visual and auditory!! pjo fails in that regard in so many scenes--you just have characters talking at each other! it's fun for fans to see those scenes come to life but it's not good TV scene writing!

anyway. text-to-screen adaptations. a) they're hard work. it's invention and creativity that stands on its own (or ought to stand on its own). it's not second-rate, lower-tier artistry that's somehow worth less than fiction because it has its starting point in a novel. they're not easier than original work [they might, in fact, at least at their best, be harder because of the expectations of existing fanbases.] but if adaptations fall for the "fidelity" argument too much, you wind up with Oh I Just Typed Up The Novel's Dialog And Description Into Screenplay Format, which DOES NOT WORK onscreen

and b) there's no One Version that exists in the ether, it's all choices. it's all choices! a text has one stream of communication—the words themselves are the only stuff of a literary text. meanwhile visual & auditory media has dozens of streams of meaning—the script, yes, the words they say are obviously important, but there's casting, costumes, props, hair, makeup, sound design, editing, all the little things of production design and cinematography and focus and emphasis. that creates new meaning. or it could. maybe it should?? should it???? i want it to!

so it's like. okay guys. you like this show because it meets your threshold for a Faithful Adaptation. what does faithfulness mean to you what does it MEAN that you feel like you will only accept a show that meets YOUR interpretive standards. is it good because it's close to the book? is that the one and only standard? fidelity or bust? is it good that your interpretation is popular enough to become thee reigning fandom interpretation? should there be hierarchies of interpretation based on what the author (or wider fandom) has okayed? don't you ever want interesting, subversive interpretations. don't you ever want directors to go "hey i'm exploring new meanings embedded in this text." because the book exists already the book will always exist. why must the adaptation be a carbon copy always. what's the worth of that if the book is already there waiting for you to reread it. do u ever want to go apeshit do u ever want to shake Disney and go pls fucking make a courageous creative choice??

[i-am-a-reader-fear-me]

A Percabeth AU where they keep their relationship secret in fear of what their parents might think. (Warning: this goes over both PJO and HoO so it's very long):

The beginning of TLT goes as it should but after Percy is claimed, Annabeth is suddenly meaner and colder.

He remembers the Poseidon/Athena rivalry but doesn't see why they have to hate each other bcuz of their parents.

But Annabeth doesnt relent.

They still go on the quest together bcuz "you are so going to fail without a daughter of Athena."

But they still argue a lot and give poor Grover a satyr migraine.

When they have that bonding moment on the truck, Percy thinks maybe they're sorta friends, but Annabeth proves that wrong later by calling him a "Seaweed Brain" bcuz he's so stupid.

Percy fires back with "Wise Girl" but Annabeth seems to take that as more of a compliment than an insult.

(He doesn't stop calling her that tho)

After Luke betrays Percy, Annabeth's the one that found him after the dryads and she drags him to the infirmary but completely denies caring about him afterwards.

By SoM, Percy is so done with this and goes over to her asking if they could be friends.

Annabeth, who actually would like to be his friend, agrees with reluctancy, saying, "We have to keep it a secret though, or who knows what our parents might do."

Percy agrees.

Grover knows they're friends now cuz of the empathy link, but doesn't say anything.

In TTC, when Annabeth falls off the cliff, he blames himself more than ever, bcuz if they hadn't been fake arguing she might not have been distracted and fallen.

Thalia blames him even more too, and he has to keep his cover and can't tell her he knows it's all his fault.

Nico asks if Annabeth is Percy's girlfriend.

He says no, but he has a funny feeling in his heart.

He goes to the attic to ask the Oracle about Annabeth.

It doesn't answer.

When he thinks Artemis is about to ask Annabeth to join the Hunters, he knows he has to tell her something, even if it meant blowing their cover.

He breathes a sigh of relief when Artemis asks Thalia, and Annabeth is waiting for him to talk with narrowed eyes as if trying to figure out what he wants to say.

He chokes. (~Like doesn't say his feelings, not actually choke lol~)

In BotL, they are totally going out on a secret unofficial movie date but ofc the fiasco with Kelli at Goode happens.

Annabeth gets really jealous when Rachel appears. (Especially since Rachel has more opportunity to go out with Percy bcuz Annabeth and Percy have to pretend to hate each other.)

Percy, ofc, does not realize why in Hades she's acting like she really hates him even though they're in private.

At camp, they're playing Capture the Flag when they stumble on an entrance to the Labyrinth.

They go down to hide from monsters and end up stuck.

It's so dark Annabeth grabs his hand to keep from being separating. (~this is canon, they were holding hands I checked~)

When they find their way back out, it appears almost an hour had gone by when they were sure they were down for a couple minutes.

The campers were searching for the two of them and are immediately suspicious when they find the two alone. Together.

But they forget about that when Clarisse comes and asks about the "hole" they fell into and Annabeth suggests they continue talking in private.

It is then that Annabeth, Percy, Grover, and Tyson go on their quest.

When Annabeth and Percy reach Mount St. Helens they are quickly found out.

Percy tells Annabeth to escape saying he has a plan. (He really doesn't)

She kisses him. (~whaaaaaaaat~)

When she leaves, Percy apparently decides to cause a volcano to erupt. (~ya he doez~)

He lands on Ogygia, while Annabeth, thinking he is dead, goes back to camp, alone.

When she returns, they ask where Percy, Grover, and Tyson are but she refuses to say anything.

They realize what happened.

They have a burning of the shroud ceremony where she doesn't say anything, sitting, her face emotionless, but her heart in turmoil as she listens to Chiron.

That's when Percy crashes the funeral.

Annabeth is outraged.

She pretends it's because "THE WHOLE QUEST IS BEING HELD UP BECAUSE OF YOU! AND WHAT WERE YOU DOING, ENJOYING A VACATION AT PARADISE ISLAND?!?!"

It's really because she was head over heels with worry and grief (while he's off with sOmE imMorTal gOdDeSs) but she can't let anyone know that.

She is certainly not happy when Rachel joins their quest.

(Percy still doesn't get it.)

Before TLO, they are playing Capture the Flag, and the two are on opposite sides. (~in The Demigod Files, the story they find Festus for the first time in~)

Annabeth and Silena capture Percy and Beckendorf and the boys suffer an utter loss. (Were the myrmekes part of the plan? They'll never know.)

Beckendorf and Silena totally know they like each other no matter how much Percy and Annabeth fake it and try to get one of them to ask each other to the Independence Day firework show.

Annabeth does end up asking Percy and they watch the fireworks secretly next to the woods so no one sees them.

They hold hands or something else just as cute idk.

In TLO, when the Battle of Manhattan starts, everyone is surprised when Annabeth let's Percy take the lead.

When she takes the blade for Percy she says it was bcuz "I didn't know it was him!"

"So you would take a blade for anyone if it wasn't Percy?"

"...yes."

But by this time everyone secretly ships Percabeth so no one questions it.

After the war, Percy gives up immortality mostly for her but only those two know it. (And maybe Grover).

Annabeth asks him to meet her in the woods and when he does, she brings him a lumpy blue-colored cake which Tyson helped make. (Bcuz of course Tyson knows that they're secretly friends but Grover told him not to tell anyone).

They kiss, duh.

But then a monster comes out from the woods and they don't want to fight it after they just had a war so they run.

They end up by the lake and Percy pulls Annabeth in to get away from the monster.

Cue best underwater kiss ever.

They date in secret for two months but Percy's mom knows.

When Percy goes missing, Annabeth freaks.

She searches for him everywhere and if anyone asks why she's searching so hard for someone she doesn't even like, she just replies, "He probably just disappeared bcuz it's his turn to do the camp chores and I will not let him slack off," or "Who else am I supposed to use for target practice???"

(None of the campers who'd been in the Titan war buy it.)

In SoN, the only thing Percy remembers is Annabeth, but for some reason, he has this instinct to not tell anyone about her so he doesn't.

In MoA she still judo flips him and acts all mad (which she is) but he still laughs it off and says all sarcastic, "Oh, did the smartass daughter of Athena miss me?"

But he missed her too.

When they go to eat lunch Annabeth and Percy excuse themselves to "go to the bathroom" but they really snuck off to have their own private reunion.

"I missed you so much, Seaweed Brain. Don't ever disappear like that again."

"I'm sorry, Wise Girl. I missed you too."

*kissing*

Later, when Annabeth and Percy sneak off to the Pegasi stables on the Argo II and sleep next to each other.

Frank finds them.

They swear they didn't do anything and threaten Frank into silence.

He can never look at them the same way again though.

When Annabeth has to get the Athena Parthenos, Percy paces the deck of the Argo but says he's not worried about a daughter of Athena.

When she finally gets the statue, he goes down to meet her but she trips and falls into the Pit.

He catches her, but now he's hanging on a ledge.

"Percy, let me go. You can't pull us both up." She whispers, knowing they're too low for the others to hear.

"We're staying together. You're not getting away from me. Never again." He whispers back.

"As long as we're together."

At least in Tartarus, they don't have to pretend they don't absolutely, utterly love each other.

In Blood of Olympus, Percy, Annabeth, and Piper are walking underground to the monster's base in the Parthenon when they see a trident mark in the ground.

Annabeth says it's the place where Poseidon struck the ground.

At this point, Percy turns to Piper and asks, "Can you keep a secret?"

Piper nods.

That's when Percy kisses Annabeth.

When he pulls away, he says, "This is where the rivalry ends….for us, at least."

Piper acts surprised but on the inside she is rAGING bcuz now Leo owes her ten bucks but she can't tell him.

After the Giant war they consider telling their friends, but they're not sure…

Idk how to end this just keep going

Sort of a bonus:

The Hephaestus and Athena cabins worked together to make everyone monster-proof phones (which also correct their dyslexia) and Annabeth and Percy use them all the time to text each other and no one knows.

Jason asks Percy to come to a cafe with some of the others, and Annabeth and Percy are texting the whole time.

Their convo goes something like this:

'hey Annabeth, me, Jason, Frank and some of the others r going to that cafe on 31st street'

'*Jason, Frank, some of the others and I' 'Really? Piper, Hazel, and I are going there too. They mentioned Jason, Frank, and Leo might be there, but not you.'

'weird, they didn't say anything about u either' 'hey wait a sec, Jason's texting on some gc called Operation Get Them Together' 'the other guys' phones r ringing everytime he sends something…'

'What? Operation Get Them Together???'

'yeah'

'....'

'what'

'Oh no.'

'what??? Annabeth????'

'They're trying to set us up.'

'wdym set us up'

'I MEAN, they're TRYING to get us TO GET TOGETHER'

'huh?'

'THEY WANT US TO GO OUT PERCY! YOU KNOW, TO BE A COUPLE???'

'ok okkk u don't have to yell'

'🤦‍♀️'

'so what do we do'

'I think we should go along with it.'

'wait hold on, Jason's asking me who im texting'

'Wait, tell him it's your girlfriend. Just to screw with them.'

'haha yes ur a genius'

'I know.'

Percy tells Jason that he is texting his girlfriend, to which Jason replies by "What?!" and frantically starts typing on the group chat to tell everyone that 'YOU GUYS PERCY SAYS HE HAS A GF ABORT MISSION ABORT MISSION!!!'

To which Piper is the first to reply, saying, 'Nah, trust me, keep going with it'

At this point, they reach the cafe, and the boys and girls meet up at a table.

Annabeth, immediately going into acting mode, says, "What is he doing here?"

Percy fires back with a scowl and says, "You didn't tell me she was going to be here. I'm leaving."

Jason stops him tho

Percy and Annabeth sit down at the table, but everyone is still standing.

Piper and Hazel say they have to go to the bathroom and leave.

Jason and Leo say they're going to go order (even tho it's a sit down with a menu and order type of cafe???)

Everyone seems to have some kind of excuse to leave until Percy and Annabeth are left alone.

The two pull out their phones again.

'Seriously? This is their plan? Say we're all going out to eat and then leave the two of us alone?'

'ig' 'what do we do now'

'I don't know.' They're probably spying on us…'

'um is that Reyna, Hazel, and Calypso in the bushes with mud and green war paint on their faces?'

Reyna, Hazel, and Calypso were indeed hiding in the bushes (with binoculars) with mud and green war paint on their faces.

'Wtf?? How'd they do that so fast???' 'And is that Leo and Piper holding newspapers with eyeholes cut through???'

'lol yea...then that eagle flying above us is prolly Frank'

'Jason is hiding in the clouds to your six.'

'where r Nico and Will?'

'I think that's them making out in the bushes.'

'lmaoo im so gonna tease them for that' 'so what do we do now Wise Girl'

'...' 'Follow my lead.'

'k'

Annabeth puts away her phone and stands up.

Percy follows her lead.

She says, "We know you guys are there, just come out. It's not going to work. And we see you too, Nico and Will."

The other demigods come out of their hiding spots (the two who had been called out looking especially sheepish).

"Why not?" Piper says, knowing perfectly well why not.

Percy looks between Annabeth and Piper, and seems to come to a decision.

"Because," he says and goes over to Annabeth and kisses her, "we're already together."

The responses were very diverse.

"What?!"

"I knew it!"

"Leo! My ten bucks. Now."

"Yeah, I walked in on them sleeping together…"

"So we did all this for nothing???"

"Wait, did you say sleeping together?"

They arguing stops as two flashes of light almost blind everyone and two gods appear.

Poseidon and Athena.

For several seconds, the two gods just stare at Percy and Annabeth (who are now holding hands just bcuz)

Then, finally, after what seemed and EXCRUCIATINGLY long time, Poseidon turns to Athena and says:

"I was right, you were wrong, I was RIGHT, you were WRONG, I WAS RIGHT, YOU WERE WRONG, YOU OWE ME FIFTY DRACHMAS BIRD BRAIN"

This was not the reaction the demigods was expecting if you couldn't tell

Athena just scowls and makes a pouch filled with drachmas appear, and throws it at Poseidon.

Poseidon catches it, bringing out what appears to be a phone and starts calling someone.

Athena goes over to Percy and Annabeth.

She looks mad, and Annabeth tries to let go of Percy's hand, panicking, trying to think of a lie, but Percy doesn't let go.

"My daughter is the smartest and best of my children, and as much as I don't approve of this, if she chose you, sea-spawn, she must have a good reason. But if you step one foot out of line, I will have you punished, understood?"

Athena addresses this to Percy, who nods fearfully.

"Good."

Suddenly there are a bunch more flashes of light as more gods appear bcuz apparently, Poseidon wanted everyone to see that he was right and Athena was wrong.

Ofc chaos ensues.

But Percy and Annabeth are still holding hands and look at each other and feel overwhelmingly happy for the first time in a long time because now they don't have to keep their relationship a secret anymore.

THE END~

WTF HAVE I WRITTEN.

[diangeloyoyok]

my review on pjo movies

first up with have The Lighting Thief obviously

 Poseidon’s entrance lowkey kinda fire but high key weird

‘it’s been many years’ didn’t y’all just have that winter solstice party together ???

‘if your son if the thief i will send him to the pits of tartarus’ ouch that hurt ngl

logan lerman 🥺

he would’ve been such a good percy if they did the movies when he was younger IDC IDC IDC

i stan black grover and just grover overall

i wish we got to see my bitch nancy

sally and percy sallY AND PERCY SALLY AND PERCY SALLY AND PERCY

gabe to me is just *hmm* perfect in this movie, he’s not as mean in the movies but he’s still an asshole ehehehe

i love Chiron actor i think it’s very accurate

also wtf chiron is bros with the big three lols 😹

y’all know jenna davis?- that’s who the girl who plays ms dodd’s looks like

so they just gonna ignore him and tak ab him while he’s RIGJT. THERE.

‘This is a pen. This is a pen.’

‘Are you guys crazy? This is a pen man!’

the scene with gabe makes me uncomfy bc percy says in the book gabe never hits percy in front of sally but ok 😗✌️

leaving percy was the *mOST* difficult thing poseidon *the GOD of water* has ever done wow percy is that cool

‘You’re half donkey?!”

i am da wittlest minotaur 😳✨🙈

such a subtle entrance to the camp love it

why y’all give percy the pen before he supposed to be a badass and rip the horn off wjth his hands but ig

wait so in this dumbass movie percy doesn’t even do anything to get the horn goodbye

i’m still very pissed that they took the scene of annabeth sayjng ‘you drool when you sleep’ but it’s fine i’m NOT fine

why is no one wearing camp shirts 🤬

they may be wrong but i didnt know it was ‘brUnner’ not ‘brUNner’

it’s kinda cute how when percy first sees annabeth he’s like ‘ooouuu who’s that name now ����😏”

brown haired blue eyed looking ass BITCH

‘A real horses ass’ laughed a LITTLE

so the poseidon cabin is just *THAT* open poor percy no privacy

oh wait wth they already know his daddy poseidon 🤨

like everyone just knew ????

when did percy get new clothes the fuck

why did everyone laugh and shake their heads when chiron introduced percy what whores

omg luke 🥺

i know everyone knows this but it’s *SOOOOOOOOO* unrealistic annabeth and luke aren’t on the same team. like i’m pretty sure in the first book annabeth said they had a permanent allies type thing with the hermes cabin

‘that’s a sword! that’s a sword’ aw baby luke why’d you have to be evil 🙁🤚

where the FUCK did that bitch tryna be annabae come from

she realky said ‘i love trees🌲☺️❤️’

why does annabeth act like clarisse during capture the flag

also the fuCK WHERE MY BABY CLARISSE

why are there like actual 30 yr olds at camp

luke was so excited when he saw percy get up he said ‘omg no way✨’

so suddenly percy just knows sword play 😀

and deFEATS ANNABETH WE ALL KNOW HE CANT EVEN DO THAT NOW

y’all red heads a bunch of babies

i already know it’s coming

shit no

i hate it

i hate it so much

already ew’d out

‘i definitely have strong feelings for you, i just haven’t decided if they’re positive or negative yet.’

‘well you let me know when you figure it out’

‘you’ll be the first’

why they just drinking nectar for fun?? like bruh you tryna die or sum

after that i can’t watch anymore tonight

it’s been like 3 weeks but let’s not talk about that

i’m not even gonna comment on the campfire scene anymore my god

i like how in movies everyone is like “omg the underworld so scary percy you can’t go that’s so dangerous you will DIE”

and in the books they’re like “yeah it’s dangerous but whateva you 12 yr olds have fun down there bring me a souvenir!!”

why does luke have?? video?? games?? in?? his?? cabin??

WAIT LIKE A WHOLE ASS TECHNOLOGY SETUP WHAT

why is luke the only one in his cabin like where’s the stolls and chris 😳

you mean to tell me luke broke into hermes house just for like funzies and to steal shit?

sounds like travis and connor but ok✨

what the fuck even is the whole pearl plot

i don’t even wanna talk about the medusa scene

percy has an ipod 🤡

“i’ve only been in the outside world a few times” did you fucking practice driving those few times or WHAT

if percy could actually heal people with water wowie imagine how useful

why did percy bring swimming trunks on a quest

can this brown haired bitch shut up already

sally never took gabes last name excuse you 🤣

ofc it’s fucking fox news giving us that bullshit info on sally

they in nashville wee-doggie 🤠

‘hey it’s your mom’ obviously dumbass she has eyes

so they hid in the potty room for like 5 hours? huh

yeah let’s jus facetime lukey real quick 🥰

silly boy percy

“how flipping awesome was that”

does percy even know he can bend water in the first book

that’s gonna be an unexplainable statue for the workers tmrw

lotus hotel baby

the only reason this movie is watchable

vegas be lookin kinda fresh i wannna go

i wanna stay at the lotus hotel this place looks sick asf

lotus flower treats yummy yum

here comes gaga 😮

why they laugjing so much

wonder if nico likes gaga

imagine like 10 yr old nico just straight vibing there

grover pulling out the dance movies yessir 🤩

“no❤️ percy don’t eat the flower”

why didn’t percy just like grab the flowers and throw them

OOOO KESHA WE LOVE TO SEE IT

TIKTOK ON THE CLOCK BUT THE PARTY DONT STOP NOW WOAHWOAHWOAH

i’m bored ✨

ooo skeletons

charon my queen 👑🥳

“we drowned in a bathtub, all three of us” 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊

i wish that was in the movie

i wish a lot of things were in the movie hit that is high

we’re in the same boat in the very same boat

how do you get seasick in an elevator- BOAT?

the way to the underworld is over the styx it’s a river

i know, you show off chicks

sexist much? go make a splash

i’ll splash you

it’s like watching titian’s clash, they’ll kill each other it they’ll kiss if we’re lucky they’ll end up in an abyss

um

anyways✨

hades do be looking kinda cool tho

that’s a cool ring you got there hades

omg mommy sally 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

how did percy not notice the lightening bolt in the damn shield befORE???

“it’s luke shield he betrayed us”

damn she switched sides real fast

this phoney bitch why does she want power and a war sis go plant shit

i refuse to believe hades is abusive sorry sis you ain’t fooling me

god where’s Juniper when you need her

so no fight between percy and aries 🤡

instead we have lukey pukey

omh he’s the lightening thief i did not see that coming ong 😳

^^ me on twitter after it’s revealed on the percy jackson tv show

can this luke character chile

percy pulled a harry styles and said “i’m falling” 😔

i’m thE SON OF POSEIDON I NEVER ASKED TO BE BUT IM THE SON OF POSEIDON

“yeah, i think i am the son of poseidon”

okay 🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋

omG i goT bUtTerFliEs

how does s-dog jusy know how to get to olympus did y’all get freaky up there or

that’s actually kinda how i imagine olympus looking so

i guess

good job

maybe

what is this ant man why they so small

“i have no connection to poseidon”

p-dog looked kinda hurted 😳

as if zeus would ever compliment percy

has athena ever told annabeth *or any of her kids* i’m proud of you

“i need to speak with him” “just this once”

yet we got poseidon showing up once in awhile just to say hi

7 months? 😀

percy was 7 months old?

now i don’t remember much but i don’t think it was that long luv ❤️

“always”

i thought i was watching percy jackson not harry potter tf is up

sally and percy have my whole heart

g-man got his horns

chiron 🥺✨

missed my main hoe 😍

why are there so many fucking campers

there’s like 500

let’s take a chill pill shall we

annabeth and percy look like siblings in this

 incest 😳

they bouta fiGHTshe better have won

k well that’s it thank the gods 😘

i’ll be back in like 4 months to review sea of monsters i need a break of bullshit

OH ITS NOT OVER

it’s gabe

he pulled a demi

stone cold

stone cold

everyone will be happier without him

[nicolewrites]

on life, living, and home

Because PJO angst seems to help with writing slumps and I love Piper McLean a little too much

Rating: T Genre: Romance, Angst, Hurt/Comfort Characters: [Piper McLean and Jason Grace], Annabeth Chase, Leo Valdez Words: 6,290

Post war, things change. People grow apart and back together and Piper plants her roots. An ode to Piper McLean / post hoo, ignores toa / jasiper / angst/fluff/and a whole mess of things

AO3 | FFN

The first time Jason makes the trip across the country to New Rome, he pulls her close and kisses her fiercely. They stay tangled in each other as long as they can, until Nyssa calls for Jason because the ship is leaving and he needs to go. Still, he pulls away and kisses her forehead before sliding out of her grasp.

"See you in two weeks," he says. He's smiling as he boards the ship behind the others.

Annabeth is at her side as they watch the Argo III lift into the air. She can see Jason on the upper deck and she waves. He waves back and she smiles. He's only going to be gone two weeks anyways, and then he'll be back.

He calls her when he lands in New Rome and they talk for hours about the littlest things and Piper feels good. They're good.

It's only two weeks.

The second time is more difficult. There is some real construction starting on temples both in New Rome and in Camp Half-Blood, but the larger ones are being built in California, due to space constraints in the Greek Camp. This means that Jason, the Pontifex Maximus, will be gone for longer. He'd been working mostly out of Camp Half-Blood, but Camp Jupiter needs him for a while.

She kisses his cheek and he kisses her forehead and squeezes her hand. "See you in a month," she says and he nods.

Annabeth's in school again now, so Piper sees him off on her own, but he still waves down at her from the deck and she smiles. Piper watches the ship disappear into the clouds and pushes away the creeping sense of loneliness. A month isn't even that long if she really thinks about it.

Jason calls her when he lands, again, and they talk for about an hour before duty calls to steal him away. Piper bites her lip and lets him go.

It's only a month.

He stays in New Rome for almost two months. He keeps her updated, as he should, and they still talk almost every night. She still misses him and sometimes they IM so she can see his face. He looks good and when they disconnect she almost wishes she didn't see him. The ache becomes almost physical, but he comes back.

He steps off the ship and she leaps at him. He catches her and they kiss. Everything still feels right and she uncoils in his arms. She missed him. His hand holds hers tightly and his arms tuck around her whenever he can.

He missed her.

They're good, and they stay good for three months. Everything is still quiet and natural between them, but Piper is scared he'll leave again.

She knows she can't be like Annabeth. Annabeth and Percy don't go anywhere without each other anymore. They're each other's support system and rightfully so. Piper knows she can't cling to Jason because duty calls. She wasn't the one who went through hell, and he's not the one who followed her down.

Piper comforts Annabeth when she has nightmares and sings her to sleep using just enough Charmspeak to keep away the bad dreams. Then she goes back to her own cabin and lies awake at night because she's gotten really good at making other people's nightmares go away, but hers are here to stay.

At least this way, she thinks, her makeup skills are improving. Jason can't even pick up on the bags under her eyes as he kisses her good morning every day.

It's a win, she thinks.

Three months is nothing new, she tries to convince herself.

Jason and her hands are linked and swinging between them as they walk to the launch point. Piper's feet drag to a stop as she reaches the place where she stops. Jason looks down at her and his blue eyes are twinkling affectionately.

"I love you," she says. It's the truth and the words feel as natural as breathing.

"You too," he says softly. He kisses her and then pulls away, brushing some of her hair back as he does.

He flies straight to the top of the ship this time and salutes her. Piper laughs and blows him a kiss. It still feels good. He waves again as they take off and she shuffles her weight between her feet.

She knows exactly how long the flight should take, and she gives him thirty minutes after his supposed arrival, but he doesn't call her. She dials him first and he picks up on the second ring.

"Hey," he greets. He sounds tired, but content. "I was about to call you."

She chasing away her sinking doubt and cradles the phone to her ear. "Slow landing today?" she asks patiently.

They're okay.

It's just three months.

Piper leaves the ceramics class she was taking early and walks back to her cabin alone. There's something pressing on her chest and she doesn't know what it is. Her first instinct is to ask Annabeth, but this doesn't seem appropriate for a phone call, and with the distance between her and her best friend, it's not plausible for a face-to-face chat.

Annabeth and, subsequently, Percy aren't at Camp Half-Blood anymore. They're full timing it in Manhattan now because Annabeth's in her dream school and Percy's following her and he's figuring it out. Piper misses them both.

She sits down on her bunk and tucks her feet underneath her. The weight on her chest lifts and she feels grief hit her like a truck.

She's lonely.

It feels like someone is suffocating her and she gasps feebly as tears well in her eyes. Annabeth and Percy aren't at camp anymore. Reyna, Frank and Hazel are permanently at Camp Jupiter. Jason is currently across the country and almost too busy to talk to her. And Leo is dead.

And then she's crying because she misses him and because it hasn't even been a year and how does everyone else seem so okay with the fact that her partner in crime is dead and the fact nobody else is struggling this hard with getting their lives back together.

She breaks down almost completely, but as soon as she hears someone coming, she dries her eyes and swallows roughly.

She's fine.

Jason will be home in a month.

He's home almost two months late, as seems to be expected, but he tells her he's staying for a while.

Things get better when he's here. He works a lot, but at the end of the day, he's there for her so she doesn't feel as much of the cripplingly loneliness and grief she has been feeling. He holds her hand as they stroll along the edge of the lake and watch the new campers have canoe races. They make an alliance that actually lets Cabin 10 capture the flag for almost the first time ever.

Piper feels better. Her nightmares aren't as bad when Jason's at camp, but she still feels like there's something he's not telling her. She tries to convince herself it's nothing, but when Jason disappears to talk to Chiron for an hour and says nothing about it to her, she doubts herself. It certainly doesn't make her feel better about anything.

Two weeks before Jason's scheduled to go back to New Rome, Piper has another nightmare. She wakes up hopelessly tangled in her bedsheets and hears the gentle rattle of the window screens. Her chest is covered in a thin sheen of sweat and she can't forget the absolute terror she had been feeling.

First was Leo, disappearing in a ball of fire, and then Annabeth and Percy dropping over a dark, horrible cliff. Frank and Hazel are swallowed by the earth. Piper's drowning. She's had this nightmare many times. It's the memories of being the in the Nymphaeum. Except in her dreams, she's alone.

This is the worst one she's had. The water is sucking her downwards and she can see Jason standing on a ledge above her. He is looking down at her and he looks regal and impartial. She reaches for him, but he steps back and the water swallows Piper whole.

She knows it wasn't real, but the chilling thought of Jason leaving her to drown sends shivers down her spine. He would never. Even if he didn't know her, he would have tried to save her. That's who he is, and she knows that her dream is just a nightmare that will never come true.

Their farewell is short. Jason's lips barely brush against hers before he's dashing towards the ship. Piper rubs her hands together and watches him go. Her chest aches. It was going to be okay. In six hours, Jason will have landed in Camp Jupiter and he'll call her. They'll talk on the phone for a bit and then he'll get some work done and she'll go to bed.

Only, an unsettling feeling nestles in her stomach, he didn't say he'd call her. In fact, his only goodbye had been a simple 'bye' before he darted away. Piper exhales slowly and watches the ship lift off. She scans the upper deck for him, but she doesn't see him. She's upset. He always waves goodbye.

She waits the six hours the journey is supposed to take in some sort of a trance. She's staring at a map for the next week's Capture the Flag strategy, but she can't focus. She keeps glancing at the Monster-Proof phone that the Hephaestus cabin developed and she sighs. She leaves her siblings with the plan and steps out of the cabin, looking for privacy.

She's dialling Jason's number before she really knows what she's doing. It rings once. Then again. And again. Piper feels sick. It rings again. And then finally:

"Hey, it's Jason," his voice cuts in.

Piper lets out a shuddering sigh of relief. "Hey," she starts, but is cut off.

"Sorry I couldn't take your call," he continues. "Leave a message." The voice disappears and Piper feels pain wrench through her heart. He's never let her go to his voicemail before.

The tone chimes and she pauses. "Hey Jase," she says slowly. "Just wanted to make sure everything went okay on the trip over. Call me." She ends the call and sinks to the ground, sitting on the steps of her cabin.

It's highly likely that her siblings are spying on her from inside, but she can't bring herself to care. She's still so lost. Jason has never not answered the phone when she called him, even if it's way too early in the morning because the time change screwed her up. Something is wrong.

Piper feels her sadness slide to the back of her mind as frustration and anger spring forth. She knows he's been keeping something from her, but this is something else entirely. He's supposed to be the charming, romantic one, and that usually means answering his phone with a silly romantic joke.

Piper feels sick again.

She wakes up in the morning and checks her phone. She has a missed call. She tiredly fumbles with her phone and pulls up the call log. It's from Jason.

The time of the call is 2:03 AM. Or 11:03 PM in California.

He knew she wouldn't be up. She doesn't even know why he bothered to call her if he knew she would be asleep. Angry, Piper realises it's because he didn't want her to be awake. He didn't want to actually talk to her. She deletes his voicemail without listening to it and drops her phone onto her bed.

She'll deal with it later. She has a Capture the Flag game to strategize.

Annabeth comes by to visit later that week. She glances curiously at Piper's phone as it buzzes with a text from Jason. Piper ignores it and focuses on the slim gold band on Annabeth's finger. It isn't an engagement ring, but it's a promise and from Percy Jackson, it's the same thing.

"Okay, Piper, enough of this," Annabeth finally says. "Something is wrong. You're not talking to Jason, so he's taken to texting me," she holds up her phone as proof and Piper looks away, "and you're actually doing work for your GED, so something is wrong."

"It's probably stupid," she mumbles. "He didn't really say goodbye before he left and he's not even trying to talk to me about it. All of his texts are updates about Camp Jupiter, or about Hazel, Frank, and Reyna, but none of them are actually about us. And yeah, it's Jason, so he's a little oblivious, but he's always been romantic and caring even when he is oblivious."

"Piper," Annabeth sooths. "That's not stupid at all. Just call him. Tell him how you're feeling."

Piper shakes her head. "That's the first thing I tried."

He brings her flowers. Piper blinks at the beautiful boy holding the beautiful lilies on her cabin doorstep. He looks sorry and Piper pushes the flowers away and hugs him.

"I'm so sorry," he murmurs.

"Me too."

They're okay.

Something is wrong.

They're out of sync. They can't tell what the other is trying to say or do, and it's frustrating. They argue, for real, and Piper doesn't talk to him for two days. He apologises, but the argument had been her fault and she's frustrated he's always trying to coddle her and make himself the bad guy.

The Thursday before he leaves again ends in a screaming match. Piper throws her hands up and turns to walk away, but Jason catches her.

"Piper," he starts. His voice is much gentler than it had been. She turns. "What are we doing?" he asks.

Piper feels panic swell around her. "I thought we were having an argument, as couples do."

Jason shakes his head. "Pipes, we've been fighting a lot more than we used to. We never used to yell at each other and lately, that's all we can do."

A cold stone lodges itself in her throat. "You want to take a break, don't you?"

"I just," he starts, stepping towards her, "I feel like we need some time apart to figure this whole thing out. And we're both off to university soon and this just doesn't feel like it's supposed to, right now."

Her voice is small and she feels defeated. "Okay." She wants to scream at him that she loves him and that she doesn't want to be apart and that they just need to work this thing out, but he looks relieved she has agreed and she bites away her protests. Her heart breaks feebly in her chest. She loves him, but she'll give him space.

"Okay," he replies, calmly.

It's just a break, she tells herself as her heart cries out in opposition.

Everyone walks on eggshells around her and Piper hates it. It's a break, she repeats to herself. He just wants a break, and they'll be back together soon. She's tired of the sympathetic glances thrown her way because they don't know the whole truth and she does. She loves Jason and he loves her.

It's a break.

After two weeks, she misses him. She wakes up lonely in the middle of the night and misses the smell of rain that lingers when she's around him. She wants to kiss him and be wrapped up in his arms. She's in her car on the way back from the college she's been attending part-time when her resolve breaks.

She pulls over and dials his number.

"Hey, it's Jason. Sorry I couldn't take your call. Leave a message."

She exhales. "It's me. Call me when you get this."

She hangs up.

Percy and Annabeth are waiting for her on the crest of the hill. Their hands are joined, but as she gets out of her car, worry knots in her stomach. They should both be in school, but they're here. She strides towards them and Annabeth pulls away from Percy, stepping closer to her.

"Piper," her friend starts.

Dread sets in.

Piper looks at Percy because he's a terrible liar. "He's gone again, isn't he?" Percy evades her gaze. Everything hurts. He left her without even saying goodbye. It was supposed to be a break. He was supposed to return her call and they were supposed to agree they wanted to get back together and Jason would say that he wasn't going back to Camp Jupiter.

She feels alone.

"He's going to school in New Rome. He said he's been trying to tell you, but the time was never right," Annabeth says gently, but the words cut like knives. She and Jason have barely talked since they separated. Everything they said to each other just seemed to grate and they couldn't get along.

As if the fates are shining a cruel spotlight on her, her phone buzzes with a text. It's from Jason. He's apologising for leaving without saying goodbye, but that he needs to do this and that maybe space will be good for them and that they should probably try seeing other people too. Some cruel part of Piper says it's because of Reyna, but she knows the praetor would never dream of it, so this is all Jason.

She tries to tell herself that she would have told him, if she had been in his position. But, as hard as she wishes she could believe that, with how far apart they'd grown and how many secrets there were between them, Piper can't blame him for leaving.

She hates herself for it.

Percy and Annabeth are looking at her like she's made of glass. She passes them and heads straight to her cabin, keeping her head up and her eyes dry. She closes the door behind her and takes two steps forward before everything hits her and she just melts into a puddle on the floor.

She's alone now. Just her and the nightmares that won't leave her alone.

Annabeth leaves her the name of a demigod psychiatrist that she and Percy are going to. Apparently, she's very good with almost everything quest-related, but they're still not talking about Tartarus. Annabeth says that Piper should see her. She says it will help with the nightmares.

Piper shakes her head. She bears her nightmares like a badge of honour.

Hero of Olympus. One of the Seven. Daughter of Aphrodite.

Haunted by death.

The next month sucks. It sucks more than anything in her life has ever sucked. Everything hurts all the time and she finds she has no energy to do anything. She wallows in self-pity and loathes others when they try to pity her.

Mitchell sits down on her bunk next to her one day and looks at her. "You're going to die like this," he says simply. "You're letting this consume you and ruin your life. You beat a Primordial and this is how you're going to spend the rest of your life. This isn't living, Piper, this is existing. There's a difference."

She looks at him. She thinks she might understand, at least a little.

Piper goes to her ceramics class. She hates ceramics, she really does, but she goes. She sits with Lacey and Mitchell and they talk about frivolous things and it feels almost normal. Piper is awful at the actual creating part, but she likes to watch the others do it. Their hands are delicate as they mold the clay and Piper imagines Zeus and the other gods molding mortals in their image.

She smiles again.

Pottery is useless to her because hers always cracks and breaks, but she's talking to people again. It's not Jason, but it's better than no one.

She's working on her Bachelor's now too. Bachelor's of Arts in Psychology, because it's the study of people and human behaviour and Piper, as a daughter of Aphrodite, gets people. It makes sense and it's something that feels good in this world of hers that is so darkened by nightmares.

She writes down her dreams and, slowly, they don't petrify her as much as they used to. She offers advice to her siblings and to younger campers. She even leads a campfire one night. The best nights are the ones where she sits on her bunk with her youngest half-siblings and hums calming melodies that let the whole cabin sleep without dreams of the battle with Gaea.

She has a purpose now. She's a mother hen, and she's looking after people. In three years she'll have her psychology degree and as she treats the nightmares of her peers, she realises that Annabeth was onto something when she recommended Piper see a demigod psychiatrist. She wants to do medical school and she knows that she'll have to work her ass off, but maybe it will be worth it.

Almost a year after their break started and Jason drifted across the country, Piper still misses him. It hurts.

Piper studies. She practically disappears into her books, but she passes. With A's across the board in first year, the future seems limitless.

Except, she still wants to hold Jason's hand.

In second year, Piper decides to stay on campus. She goes back to Camp on weekends, but she's mostly on campus. She feels almost normal amongst the mortals because they haven't yet figured out who her dad is. Returning to Camp is a constant reminder of why she's doing this, and each week she buries herself in her studies.

She sees the young frightened demigods arriving on Half-Blood Hill with their satyr guides and remembers how confused and messed up she was when she was fifteen. This is worth it, she tells herself as she drives back to school.

Still, she knows she's growing up and she won't be able to keep going back to Camp forever. Some people talk about moving to New Rome, but Piper won't think of it. It took her most of her life to finally put down roots somewhere, but now she has a home in New York and she doesn't plan on leaving it so soon.

Annabeth announces plans to build New Athens when she graduates. Piper cries in relief because it's everything she's ever wanted. She wishes Jason could see it, but he's still across the country, studying hard, as always.

It's a Saturday in November when Piper's world is once again completely thrown for a loop because of a boy. Most of the Aphrodite campers are off training, so Piper has the cabin almost exclusively to herself, except for a napping Mitchell. She's writing about one of her dreams when someone knocks on the cabin door.

Piper opens the door and her brain dies.

Leo is standing there, looking older and the same all at once. His clothes are smudged with dirt and there's a streak of oil across her cheek. But he's here and he's very much alive. A tiny, mischievous smile starts to curl up his lips, but Piper's brain restarts and she slams the door in his face.

Neither of them really expects her to react as she does, so a few seconds later, Leo raps on the door again lightly. Piper bites her tongue. This is real. He's alive.

She opens the door again and this time, Leo's not alone. There's a girl standing just behind him. She has cinnamon hair and freckles and golden eyes. She's the living version of the sketches Hazel had drawn and as the image of Leo and Calypso sinks into her brain, she sees Jason too. He's standing next to Leo, hand planted on his shoulder like an older brother, and he's smiling like he used to.

She blinks and Jason is gone. Leo and Calypso are alone on the porch of Cabin Ten. Piper slams the door again.

Leo's hair catches fire during dinner and Piper watches as the flames jump between curly strands of hair. Calypso isn't even bothered and she punches Leo in the arm. The flames extinguish and he grins.

The three of them are sitting alone at a table and Piper can't remember saying a word since they sat down. Calypso has done most of the talking. She's still a bit confused by everything, but Piper likes her. She's warm and genuine and Leo's obviously in love with her.

Piper just doesn't understand how he's here.

She is so happy he's back. He is her best friend and every day he was gone hurt. She had just gotten so good at accepting the pain that the raw anger that had filled her when she realized he was alive had startled her. She had yelled at him until she ran out of breath and she was crying and he was hugging her.

Percy and Annabeth are on their way over to see Leo. They're as disbelieving as Piper was. Hazel and Frank IMed him earlier in the day and Piper had gotten to enjoy some tears on everyone's behalf.

Jason was flying back to see Leo.

Calypso touches Piper hand tentatively and Piper glances at the titaness. "I'm sorry we took so long to get home. I told him you all would miss him," she says.

Piper blinks.

Leo's lips twitch and he takes another bite of his food. "I knew you'd all be fine." He swallows nothing and looks Piper square in the eye. "But," he starts, "what the hell happened between you and Jason? You two are soulmates."

"We grew apart and agreed to take a break," Piper answers honestly. The words hurt and she realises that she has resented herself for agreeing to the break since it happened. "He moved over there to do school. I stayed here."

She takes a bite of her food and swallows it. It burns dryly down her throat. Piper says nothing for the rest of the meal.

She watches from the Big House as Jason flies down from the deck of the Argo III, unable to wait for it to land, and pulls Leo into a bearhug. Her lips twitch as she watches her best friend and whatever Jason was to her break down.

Piper turns away and goes inside. Jason leaves three days later without a word exchanged between them.

Leo fits back into her life neatly, but Piper hates the fact that Leo keeps looking at her and asking where Jason went wrong. She always changes the subject.

One night, she finishes studying much later than she intends to and doesn't have the energy to drive back to her school. She sits on the couch in the living room of the Big House and looks around at the cheap Christmas decorations that Chiron has put up.

She's dialling a number she has memorized before she really knows what she's doing.

"Tristan McLean speaking," her father answers. It's his business voice and PIper knows that's because she's never called him on this phone before.

"Hey Dad," she says quietly.

"Piper?" he asks, shock heavy in his voice.

She smiles and looks around the living room of the Big House. Percy and Annabeth have a picture on the mantle, and there are a few others of demigods she doesn't know. She feels home, and for the first time in a while, she feels safe.

"Merry Christmas, Dad."

In February, Piper is making a weekend trip to Camp because Mitchell and Lacey apparently have someone new to the Aphrodite cabin to introduce to her. She drives along the twisting road to Half-Blood Hill and sees a terrible sight before her.

A group of monsters are trying to set fire to Thalia's tree. Peleus is restrained and there are several demigods fighting a losing battle. Reinforcements have to be on the way from the camp, but there's a chance they won't get there in time. She accelerates towards the fight, pulling to a stop just before it and jumping out of her car.

"Everybody stop!" she yells. Her words have the intended meaning and everyone, monsters and campers, freeze in place. "Lower your weapons," she commands. Her charmspeak is rusty, but it does the trick as weapons clatter to the dirt around here.

Piper looks down at the circle of cabins and the strawberry fields and the lake. Anger swells in her chest and she stares down the monsters. "You will leave here. You will never come back here. You will not harm another demigod in your life. This is my home. They are my family. I will destroy you if you ever forget my words."

The message is delivered so forcefully that the eyes of the monsters glaze over and they release Peleus immediately. The dragon proceeds to eat the few nearest to him, but most turn and simply walk away. The unarmed demigods clustered around the tree are staring at her in amazement.

Piper straightens. "This is my home. It should be yours too."

She gets her degree. Annabeth creates the initial plans for New Athens. Piper gets into medical school. Percy proposes. Leo and Calypso go travelling again.

Piper becomes a legend at camp. She's the most reachable of the Seven and people approach her with everything. She becomes known as 'Camp Mom' and she embraces it. These kids are everything that she loves. This place is her home, and if her destiny is to be a pillar of support for them, she's more than willing to be.

She tells stories at campfires and gives advice and teaches makeup tips. She teaches knife fighting and tells people not to stress too much about prophecies because life is worth living without wondering where the fates are pulling you. Life is worth deciding your own path in.

Aphrodite gives her a blessing again, in front of the entire camp, but physically changes nothing and Piper has never felt more love for her mother. It's a message from the goddess of love that Piper is perfect that way she is, and she feels it.

When she watches a young son of Hermes with blonde hair and blue eyes pick up a sword for the first time, she turns away.

She's living. She's home. She feels free.

But she still misses him.

She's borrowing Chiron's office again to study. A light knock on the doorframe echoes through the otherwise silent room. She keeps typing on her report. She just needs to finish this sentence and then she'll deal with whatever this camper needs.

"One second," she says.

"Take your time," the reply comes. Piper freezes. As much as she wishes she could forget it, she'll never forget that voice and she looks up.

Jason's just like she remembers him: well groomed and beautiful and looking adorably bashful. She gapes at him.

"Sorry to drop in on you," he begins.

Piper tugs at her ponytail and waits for him to continue.

"I've heard about the work you're doing around here. You're probably the coolest adult in these kids' lives."

"They need someone," Piper admits. "If the gods won't be parents to their kids, someone needs to be."

"Piper, you don't need to mother all of them," Jason points out. He's teasing her, the light tone of voice indicates, and she smiles against her will.

"What are you doing here, Jason?" she asks finally.

He steps into the office. "I'm here to work with Annabeth on New Athens." He's not here for her. Of course not. "At least," he continues and she narrows her eyes, "that's what I want to say." Jason rubs his brow. "I'm here because I handled everything so badly between us. We fought. Everyone does and I still blew it out of proportion and asked you for a break and then moved halfway across the country without hardly any warning. I thought it was what I wanted, but every day, all I could think about was how much happier I'd be if you were there with me."

Piper is sure she's dreaming. Just as her life is finally going in the direction she wants it to, and now Jason's here, saying the things she had wished he would have said four years ago. "No," she interrupts. "You don't get to do this." She closes her eyes. "Jason, I'm building my life here! You left me five years ago, so you don't get to apologise now and say you've been thinking about me since then because you never came back."

She stands up from the desk and stares him down. "Do you know how badly I was hurting? Every day for four months after you left, I had nightmares. I thought it was going to kill me. I hated everything and I just wanted to be alone all the time even though much more alone time and I probably would have killed myself."

Jason remains quiet, but he looks pained.

"I moved on with my life," she continues. "I went to classes and I talked to people and it sucked because all I wanted was to talk to you, but I couldn't. I helped people with their nightmares and I talked to a psychiatrist and I saw how much good she could do for me and I just wanted to be that for someone else. So I worked my ass off in school so that I could go to medical school. I'm still in school now, but I'm helping people. I'm helping these kids have the childhood and teenage years that I wanted and I'm teaching them to live."

She shakes her head at Jason. "This is my home now. You don't get to come here and tell me you love me and make everything all sunshine and rainbows. Leo got a door to the face, and you're lucky you haven't received the same treatment."

Jason dips his head. "I'm sorry, Piper," he says. "I know when I'm not welcome, but I just wanted to say I'm sorry." He gives her one last heartbreaking smiling before he walks out and leaves her alone.

Piper sinks back into her chair and it takes every fibre of her being not to break into tears because she still loves him and she doesn't want him to leave again if he's finally ready to try. But, she tells herself, he has to earn it. He needs to prove that he's being serious about all of this.

A tear slips down her cheek. She loves him so much it hurts.

Piper shows up to dinner late as she usually does and heads towards the table that she's been sharing with Annabeth and Percy while they're at Camp because of New Athens. The pair is missing and Piper shakes her head. She sits down and is prepared to summon some food when someone pulls the chair out across from her.

She stares at Jason. He holds his hands up.

"I know you don't want me here, but I just want to show something to you. Annabeth and I finally finished the final drafts of New Athens and the first part is under construction right now. I think you're going to love it."

She purses her lips. He looks as excited as a little kid and Piper glances down at her empty plate before she stands. "Alright, show me," she orders.

The temple has white columns and spotless, shiny greek architecture that makes it look like it was brought in from the past. Jason invites her inside with a jerk of his head. Piper follows him warily.

The inside is unfinished, as the scaffolding around the interior indicates, but in the centre of it is a finished marble carving of a giant tree. It's a beautiful centrepiece and there's a plaque next to it that Jason stops in front of.

"Read it," he urges.

Piper reads it aloud. "New Athens: a place to call home. A place of peace and creativity and ingenuity. A haven for those who need it, and a family for those who desire it. A place to live, to learn to truly live, and to feel safe and loved." She smiles despite herself. "Jason, it's perfect."

He nods gently. "Annabeth drew up the temple, obviously, but I made this part," he says, gesturing to the plaque and the tree.

"Why now?" she asks. She wonders if he'll understand the sudden change, and to her pleasure, he does.

"Because I was so tired of feeling like the biggest idiot in the world every time you did something amazing. Because I was a stupid kid who didn't realise he was giving up the best thing he ever had. Because I knew that I needed something to prove to you that I was actually serious about all of this. Because the last five years have been a mistake and I didn't know how to say it, so I wanted to show you."

"And what makes now any different? I could have fought for you back then."

"And you didn't, because I didn't want you to. I wanted to protect you and I wanted you to have better than some son of the Big Three who would bring trouble anywhere that I went. I never gave up on you, Piper. I only ever gave up on myself."

Her chest is singing because she loves him and he loves her and she can feel it. Leo is right, and he always has been. Jason is the only one she'll ever love and maybe it's not perfect, not even good, but it could be. And home is a safe place full of possibility.

Piper turns to him.

"Welcome home."

Jason kisses her like he's never kissed her before and this time Piper knows there's no goodbye coming after.

She feels alive.