Praetor's legacy

Chapter 25

Reyna drove in silence. The praetor was driving around the streets near Camp Jupiter's secret entrance to try to spot the returning war heroes. She knew that those who were left of the campers who went to war were on their way. No one mentioned whether Percy was coming with them or if he was headed back to Camp Half-Blood in New York. What if he didn't want to return? If he and Annabeth had decided to give it another try-

Her hands that didn't seem to be controlled by herself slammed into the steering wheel. He was coming back. He wouldn't leave Aidan like that. He wouldn't leave her. Right?

Reyna shook her head to clear her thoughts and turned the volume up to hear the radio.

I don't know, where you're going
Or when you're coming home
I left the keys under the mat to our front door
For one more chance to hold you close
I don't know, where you're going
Just get your ass back home-

Reyna turned the station. Percy was out of sight, out of mind. She wasn't going to think about this anymore.

You can have Manhattan
I know it's what you want
The bustle and the buildings
The weather in the fall
And I'll bow out of place
To save you some space
For somebody new-

No. Just no. She would not allow herself to listen to a song about broken hearts in New York of all places. Reyna turned the station again, fully prepared to shut it off at a moment's notice.

And I will wait, I will wait for you
And I will wait, I will wait for you-

She let out a shriek and shut off her radio.

Some god was messing with her, she knew it. Who had she angered in the past week that is fond of pranks?- BEEP! A car horn sounded and broke her out of her thoughts. She looked up just in time to slam on her brakes and not run over the returning war heroes. She had nearly killed the survivors of a war against Mother Earth!

Reyna let out the breath she was holding in. Reyna pointed in a direction and began driving, keeping the group in her sight in the rearview mirror. She tried to not look at the faces of the people in the group. She didn't want to get distracted if she saw Percy, or worse didn't see Percy.

She pulled onto a side street where the Romans parked the cars they used for quests and other emergencies. She shut off the car, took a deep breath, and opened the car door. If she saw him, great. If not, she knew where she stood. She addressed the gathered crowd of warriors. She squinted her eyes, not looking at certain faces.

"Hit the showers and go to sleep. You're all exhausted and dirty. We can talk after you've all recovered. The infirmary is waiting on the injured ones, so head there right away if you're injured. I shall see you all at dinner." With a nod of her head, the group as one began to make their way to the camp's entrance. No one tried to approach her. She clenched her eyes shut. He didn't come back to San Francisco.

Tears began pooling in her eyes but she refused to let them fall. She wasn't a weak, heartbroken daughter of Venus. She was the daughter of Bellona, and the praetor of Rome. She was a teenage mother. She was stronger than this.

She released the breath she was holding. If he didn't want to come back to California, then fine. It was his loss. Reyna would have to begin her search for a new co-praetor and find- "Reyna?"

Her eyes flew open at a voice. His voice. "Percy?"

His eyes seemed to glow a brilliant green. He was a few feet in front of her wearing ratty sneakers that might have once been white with what looked like a new pair of shorts and a tattered shirt that showed off all of his tan, toned body, including his abs that she had the urge to run her fingers over...

She cleared her throat and swallowed. She took a step forward and began whispering. "Y-You came back. To m- I mean to Aidan. You're here."

His eyes shone with laughter. "Yeah, I'm here. But Aidan wasn't the only reason I came back. He was the number one reason I came back of course, but he wasn't the only reason I came back."

"Oh? Why else?" Her body leaned forward, waiting to hear his answer.

He grinned. "Well, I'm praetor! I couldn't just leave them all with only one praetor, could I?"

He took a step forward, which put them nearly nose-to-nose. She found the courage to speak and opened her mouth. "Oh, of course. Is that it? Are those the only reasons you came back?"

He exhaled, and his warm breath caressed her face and blew her dark hair away from her neck. "You," he seemed to groan. He cupped her cheek in his hand and leaned forward, their lips oh so close to touching. "I needed to come be with you." His arm snaked around her back and pulled her flush against him. Her hands unclenched from her sides and began to touch Percy's abs. She ran her fingers over his muscled body and hummed.

"Then what are you waiting for?" She didn't know how she still had the ability to speak.

Percy's tongue flicked out of his mouth and licked his chapped lips. Reyna tipped her chin up, allowing her mouth to nearly brush against his. His hand tangled in her dark hair and pulled her forward. Her lips met his in a fiery embrace. She pulled herself tighter against him, wanting to be closer. Her hands were running up and down his chest while his pulled on her hair and rubbed circles on her hip.

He grabbed her butt and yanked her up, clamping her legs around his waist. He pressed her against the camp's car and continued to kiss her. Her head felt dizzy, like she had been underwater too long. She pulled her swollen lips from his and caught her breath. Their chests heaved from not breathing for so long.

Reyna shifted so her head was resting in the crook of Percy's neck. "I was worried you weren't going to come."

He began placing chaste kisses on her hairline, her eyelids, her forehead, her cheeks, her nose, her chin, and finally her mouth. "Why would you be worried about something so stupid as that? Why wouldn't I want to be here? With Aidan? With you?"

She gasped in pleasure when he pressed his lips against hers. "I didn't know if you would come here or New York. New York's your home. Your mom, your step-dad, Camp Half-Blood, Annabeth..." She closed her eyes when she said her name. "They're all in New York."

"But you're here. Why would I want to be anywhere else in the world when I can be here with you?" A tear leaked from Reyna's eyes and she quickly brushed it away. Now was not the time to cry. He cupped her cheek in his hand and used his thumb to brush away the tears that didn't seem to stop coming. "I love you. Home is wherever you and Aidan are."

A sob escaped her throat. "I love you too. So, so much." Their lips met again in a loving embrace. She broke the kiss. "I love you so much that it hurts sometimes."

"My love for you only hurts so much because my heart is filled at full capacity with all the love I have for you and Aidan."

Percy's words prompted Reyna to grab his thick, dark hair and shove his face forward so that she could kiss him again. Her legs began to cramp so she uncrossed her legs from around his waist and slithered down to the ground. She held out her hand and he interlocked their fingers.

They walked towards camp. Towards their son.

Towards home.