ANTI-HERO, j.grace

TWENTY FOUR

     She was happy for Jason, really. And that wasn't something Klein had imagined herself saying at any point on this quest. She was happy for him - he found his sister, he found Thalia, they were reunited, it was amazing. But there was a darkness in her, in the back of her mind. A jealousy that twisted in her gut. A sadness that rotted in her heart.

Klein Maddox was happy for Jason. He was getting a piece of his life back. He was getting part of his family back. But there was part of her that wanted to throw herself off the side of the mountain because Klein would never get that same part of her life back. She was never getting Kieran back because Kieran was dead - Thalia only thought that Jason was.

It was wrong that-that was the thought at the forefront of her mind as she watched Thalia Grace fuss over Jason, Klein knew that. For some reason that Klein still couldn't make sense of, Jason had been nothing but nice to her this entire time. She should be standing there with him, a supportive smile on her face because that's what he deserved, she should be laughing as Thalia made mention of the fact that Jason tried to eat a stapler when he was two years old and that was why he had that scar on his lip.

Pull your shit together, Maddox.

She felt like she'd been punched in the stomach.

Pull it together.

One of the white wolves barked from the cave entrance, capturing everyone attention. Thalia looked back and nodded, but she didn't remove her hands from Jason's face, "My wolf is telling me I don't have much time, and she's right. But we have to talk. Let's sit."

Piper did her one better. She collapsed.

"What the-"

Thalia rushed over, crouching down beside the unconscious girl. "What's wrong with her - ah, never mind, I see. Hypothermia. Ankle." She looked up, frowning at the satyr, "Don't you know nature healing?"

The satyr scoffed in offense, "Why do you think she looks this good? Can't you smell the Gatorade?"

Thalia looked to Leo, an accusatory look on her face as if she was asking him why Gleeson Hedge was left in charge of the girl's healing process, "You and the satyr, take this girl to my friend at the entrance. Phoebe's an excellent healer."

"It's cold out there! I'll freeze my horns off."

The daughter of Zeus didn't care about Coach Hedge's horns.

"Come on, Hedge, these two need time to talk." Leo gestured for the satyr to follow after him

"Actually, Leo, man, could you stick around?"

Leo just nodded with a grin, "Sticking around is my specialty."

Thalia looked at the Hephaestus boy with pure distaste written across her immortal features, but nonetheless sat in front of the fire.

Klein awkwardly turned on her heel, watching Hedge disappear from the cave with Piper. She spared a glance at Jason, and really she was sure that she had never seen him look so unsure. It was almost like he didn't want to look at Thalia, like he was so overwhelmed that he was shutting down on the inside - Klein definitely couldn't blame him.

"Well, I'll head out with Hedge." She spoke, "Good luck with your talk, Abercrombie."

She'd barely taken two steps when there was a rushed 'wait' and a hand caught her by the bicep. Klein turned - mind a mantra of 'please don't ask' - and met Jason's worried eyes. And for a second, she felt like a shitty person for hoping he would send her away.

"Will you stay?" Please stay, I don't know how to do this.

"No, Jason... I shouldn't." Please don't make me stay, I don't think I can do this.