What They Said About Contact

Chapter 13: Doubts

Doubts ate at Jason about his feelings for Percy. After the rescue of Hera, the goddess's revealed some unpleasant truths. Some facts he didn't really want to face.

Hera had admitted that she'd been the one that send Cupid to Jason. She'd also admitted that she had hoped Jason and Percy's feelings for one another would develop. She'd meddled with all their lives—the Prophesied Seven—to save the world. Their lives included the lives of their dear ones, their feelings and the path they took.

So was it wrong for Jason to have doubts about his feelings for the daughter of Poseidon? What if his feelings for her were merely a fluke; and that the person he had truly loved was Reyna?

It was arguable though; he didn't feel any kind of spark whenever his skin brushed Reyna's and his stomach certainly didn't do flip-flops whenever the girl smiled.

But... what if, what if it was also part of Hera's plan?

He watched as the campers all mile about busily like ants or bees, trying to finish their transportation to Camp Jupiter. The son of Jupiter can tell that they all want their heroin back and were backing their back to get to her as soon as possible.

Jason felt guilty that he wasn't there helping there, instead he'd sat down and daydream. Contemplate his thoughts, he'd say.

As it was, some younger demigods threw him dirty looks. He scowled back.

"Is something wrong?" a familiar bubbly voice interrupted his thoughts. "You've been down ever since you came back from rescuing Hera."

Jason looked up to see the little daughter of Apollo.

He smiled slightly as he ruffled her curly hair.

"Nothing you should worry about," he said.

"Are you sad because you can't see Percy for a few more months?" Alexa persisted, scrutinizing him in the way that unnerved Jason; if she ever were an enemy to be fought on the battlefield, she'd be a dangerous opponent with her excellent prediction of people.

"I think so," Jason muttered.

"What do you mean by that?" Annabeth demanded, joining their conversation and crossing her arms. Her eyes were narrowed. "If you're thinking of leaving Percy for that... that—leech—"

"No!" the blonde boy protested. "Of course not! I'd rather die!"

"Shh!" Alexa placed a finger to her lips, eyes darting around wildly at the campers that had turned to the trio because of the son of Jupiter's loud outburst. "We don't want anyone to know what we're talking about—and as much as I dislike Piper, what we're talking about will hurt."

"About not wanting to see Percy...?" Annabeth probed dangerously, eyes glowering down at her fellow blonde.

The son of Jupiter cleared his throat.

"I miss her, sure... it's just that..." he cast his gaze downwards. "I'm—I'm scared that my feelings for her was just a lie, that I don't really love her and that it was Hera's meddling."

"You mean..." Alexa trailed off but there was a knowing look in her eyes. "You're scared that Percy feels the same and that she'd call off your relationship." It wasn't a question but a firm statement; an observation.

"Are you sure you're not a child of Aphrodite?" Jason joked half-heartedly.

Annabeth's eyes softened a fraction.

"Percy may doubt herself but...I'm sure she loves you—it was so obvious on your faces."

"Was," Jason groaned.

"Why are you so negative?" Alexa huffed. "Here we are trying to cheer you up and give you hope and you crush your hopes down yourself. Are you a masochist?"

"Where did you learn that word? You sure you're not a daughter of Athena?"

Alexa rolled her sun-like eyes.

"Just—just don't feel that way near Piper; she's a daughter of Aphrodite so she can definitely feel what you're feeling and might be able to charmspeak you into forgetting Percy or something," Annabeth interjected, listing off almost everything she could think of that Piper would do. She had very little good experience with children of Aphrodite so her suggestions were plenty; sadly, the only child of Aphrodite whom were even remotely useful was dead.

What the trio did not see was Piper, back pressed against the wall as she listened in on the conversation. She contemplated the suggestions Annabeth were saying—though they weren't meant for her, she could definitely use them—and someone up there must have taken a liking to her.

Her eyes gleamed maniacally as she ran after the daughter of Hecate, Lou Ellen.

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What neither of the demigods knew was that this was entirely planned by Aphrodite.

The goddess of love had to admit that she was only feeling slightly guilty for toying with all of their feelings. Her gaze flitted to the pool where the image of the daughter of Poseidon was. Her fingers were linked and crossed across her stomach, her coffee-brown hair that had grown in the months splayed around her, her skin was paler due to the lack of sunlight and she'd gotten slightly taller.

With her sea-green eyes closed, she looked like a replica of Helen of Troy. Had Zeus seen this, he'd thought that the daughter of Poseidon was his daughter or maybe a reincarnation of her.

Aphrodite toyed that idea around her head; if Percy was Helen then wouldn't Jason be Paris? Or maybe Paris was Luke? Percy had loved Luke before he died after all...and didn't Prometheus say that she was fighting the second coming of the Trojan War?

The similarity was almost uncanny. And the suggestion wasn't entirely implausible Aphrodite shook her head; now wasn't the time for that—though she made a mental note to pay a visit to Hades to ask about this. Her gaze switched to Jason who was currently with Piper.

She was disappointed that her daughter would stoop as low as to ask a child of Hecate for a love potion. Aphrodite had thought to interfere if it wasn't for the fact Zeus had slapped a restriction order on both her and Hera—she did help the Queen of gods... just a little, maybe more; all right, quite a lot since she'd been the one that send Cupid on Hera's orders.

Piper was on Jason as soon as the love potion worked it's charm.

The son of Jupiter, dizzy and charmed, didn't made a move of protest as he was cornered and pushed onto the bed. Aphrodite wasn't able to stomach it; the glazed look in Jason's eyes, unable to protest against what he was being forced into doing—it reminded her of when Hera had cursed Hercules and forced him to kill his mortal family. Her hand curled into a fist before she knew it, lashing out at the pool, creating ripples that distorted the image.

Aphrodite couldn't see the future; but she could see the look of rage and betrayal, disgust,  confusion and disbelief etched onto Alexa's and Annabeth's face when they found out. And Jason, the poor son of Jupiter, wouldn't be able to do anything. But the daughter of Ouranos believed that somewhere, under the spell, instead of seeing Piper, he saw Percy.

Aphrodite's eyes teared up a bit when against anyone's will Morpheus—she'd chew him out later and bully her husband into inventing a device to punish him as well—showed Percy a dream of Jason and Piper; the latter replacing the former in the son of Jupiter's eyes.

The look of betrayal and hurt on the daughter of Poseidon's face was enough to create a torrent in Aphrodite's pool.

"Why...?" the daughter of Poseidon asked in a broken, betrayed, lifeless voice.