HIRAETH →jason grace

two

LINA

THE CROWD OF DEMIGODS SLOWLY parted as the four made their way through the forum. It made the blonde almost feel like a celebrity, but the stares the crowd were giving them was anything but friendly. She sudden had an image of herself like an animal out for a walk at the zoo, she hated the thought.

She could also see other people gathering, older than all of them. Some holding children, toddlers, even some who look elderly and frail. Her eyebrows furrowed as she took them in, were they allowed at this camp or was it like family or parents day around here. It wouldn't be the weirdest thing that could happen but as she took another glance around she wasn't sure if that was the right conclusion. She turned to her left to ask Jason the questions on her mind but movement in front of her surprised her.

She watched as Annabeth's blonde hair trailed behind her as she ran. It had Lina tensing for a second before her eyes moved past Annabeth to where she was running.

The girl let out what felt like a gasp and a squeak as she saw him.

Percy Jackson.

He was there, grinning slightly but a shadow of uncertainty on his face as he stared as his girlfriend.

He had been a brother figure to her, not like Will who was her actual brother but almost as if he had taken the girl under his wing. He had always been a constant in Lina's life that the months he had been missing had been one of the worst.

She watched with a fond smile as her two favorite people reunited. And a laugh broke out of her as Annabeth judo-flipped him.

His eyes sharpened as he heard the laugh from the blonde and his smile grew even wider as he and Lina made eye contact. And before Lina knew it she was also running towards him, diving at him and pulling him into a bone crushing hug.

"It's nice to see you again, Firefly. I'm guessing you missed me." He laughed as Annabeth helped the two of them up.

"Missed you? As if, I'm just making sure you're still okay before I unleash Annie's full force on you." Lina joked as her voice wavered.

A cough sounded behind the three as Jason cleared his throat. "Well, er, it's good to be back."

Lina stepped away from the couple with a grin as Jason began introductions. She watched as he introduced Piper and couldn't hide a small snicker as she say Reyna's annoyed expression, then to Leo, who grinned and flashed a peace sign. When he got to Lina, she flipped her hair and gave a charming smile.

"And this is Annabeth," she snickered as Jason introduced her. "She, uh, she doesn't usually— well other than Lina she doesn't usually judo flip people."

"Hey, it's called sparring, sometimes I do it too." She swatted at Jason's arm at his joke.

Reyna's eyes flashed but then turned to Annabeth, eyes sparkling. "You sure you're not a Roman? Or maybe an Amazon?"

Annabeth's head tilted a fraction before shaking her head. "I only attack my boyfriend like that. And since Lina can't beat me in a match."

"ANNABETH!" Lina stomped her foot mock glaring at her friend.

Reyna cracked a smile. "It seems we have a lot to discuss. Centurions!"

Lina let out a small yelp as the Roman campers started moving, some moving forward most of them moving back.

She watched curiously as two of the campers made their way to Percy's side. One of them was an Asian burly guy with a buzz cut, he looked young, younger than Percy and probably younger than her too. The other one, a girl, was most likely younger than all of them. She had amber eyes, chocolate skin, and long curly hair. Her eyes flickered over the newcomers as she adjusted her grip on her cavalry helmet.

She could tell by the way they stood next to each other and Percy, that they trusted each other and had become a team, she didn't know what they had gone through but she knew it was a lot. She wondered if Jason, Leo, Piper, and her looked the same in their eyes.

Reyna suddenly started giving orders to the officers around her. "... tell the legion to stand down. Dakota, alert the spirits in the kitchen. Tell them to prepare a welcome feast. And Octavian—"

"You're letting these intruders into this camp?" A screeching voice bursted out. A tall guy with stringy blond hair elbowed his way forward. "Reyna, the security risks—"

"We are not taking them to camp, Octavian." Reyna flashed him a stern look. "We'll eat here in the forum."

"Oh, much better." Octavian grumbled. He seemed to have a problem with Reyna's authority, despite the fact that he was scrawny and pale and for some reason had three teddy bears hanging from his belt. He felt like someone Lina could bully. "You want us to relax in the shadow of their warship?"

"We could always eat outside of camp, all of us. No protection and maybe a few monsters out there for a show as well." Lina bit out annoyed at his attitude.

Leo and Piper hid a snort and she could tell both Jason and Reyna were trying to hide a smile as Octavian sputtered at her.

"These are our guests." Reyna spoke sharply after gathering herself. "We will welcome them, and we will talk to them. As augur, you should burn an offering to thank the gods for bringing Jason back to us safely."

"Good idea," Percy cut in. "Go burn your bears, Octavian."

"You have your orders. Go." Reyna was truly stronger woman than Lina.

The officers dispersed. While Octavian shot Percy a look of absolute loathing before moving his eyes towards Lina his lip curling. Something however made him avert his eyes and his last look was towards Annabeth before he finally blessed them all by leaving.

Lina felt Jason come up to her side and she shot him a questioning look which he shook his head at.

She focused back in as Percy spoke. "Don't worry about Octavian. Most of the Romans are good people—like Frank and Hazel here, and Reyna. We'll be fine."

A moment of silence passed over the demigods as they all look at each other.

"We'll be fine." Annabeth repeated as she looked up at Percy.

"Excellent," Reyna then turned to all of them before her gaze landed on Jason and something flashed in her eyes. Something Lina couldn't quite place. "Let's talk, and we can have a proper reunion."

"So, what's for lunch exactly!" Lina's eyes gleamed brightly.

Lina found out she didn't have to ask. Once they had all moved to the forum, which wasn't too far a walk, she found all the Romans lugging furniture until it looked like a showroom. Most campers were in groups of ten or twenty talking and laughing with each other as wind spirits brought plates, cups, bowls full of food of all different varieties.

She watched with sparkling eyes as everything bustled around her and she felt, familiar, in a weird way but a wave a sadness accompanied that familiarity.

Her eyes suddenly met Jason's and she gave him a smile.

"So this is your old camp, Sparky." Lina breathed out as she looked around again.

"Yeah, this is home. What do you, er, what do you think so far?" He spoke as if nervous about her opinion.

"It's nice, it feels like a comfortable place to be in and live. It's really a beautiful place." She complimented with a grin.

An almost sigh of relief left the boy as he started to grin as well. "Well maybe if we get a chance maybe I can show you around the place, introduce you to some of the spots and people."

Lina's grin turned into another soft smile. "I would love that Sparky. Sounds like a plan."

Before anyone else could speak, Reyna raised her glass in a toast to friendship.

After everyone had introduced themselves, both camps started exchanging stories. Jason began explaining their quest and how he had arrived to Camp Half-Blood with no memory, and how the four demigods, Lina, Leo, Piper, and him had gone on a quest to find and free the queen of the Gods. Lina chimed in every so often, with jokes and small details Jason missed.

surprise!