chapter one!
001. in her dreams

claire.

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    SIX MONTHS.

    He had been missing for six months.

    From December to June. She had counted each moment▬each second, each hour, each day, each week and each month. She had counted each breath she took ... worrying, begging, praying to every god she knew to give her a sign, to help her find him, to get him back home. She begged to hear his voice, to remember his laughter, to remember to feel of his arms around her and the smell of the ocean air▬a sweet, salty scent that calmed her and helped her drift off to sleep at late night campfire singalongs, snuggled close up to him with her marshmallow stolen and stuck onto the end of his stick instead. To hear him whisper her name, coaxing her awake when it was time to head back to their cabins. To chuckle as he swung her arm back and forth, walking ridiculously back up to the hill and she would have to rush after him to keep up▬before he'd tackle her around into a bear hug right in front of her cabin, and he'd kiss her goodnight, and Claire would kiss him again because he was just so ridiculous ... and she'd walk to her door, blushing and beaming▬for once never happier in her life than to have him with her, alive and at her side ... to then wave back and already find him making a face as he walked away ...

    And Claire would forget which moments were real, and which moments she had started to dream.

    Without him, she felt lost. After everything they had been through, he was had become something solid▬something so real in this life that she was so sure she would never lose. Which had been a naive fantasy. But she had believed it so thoroughly, because he made it seem so easy. He survived everything. He made it through every fight and each remarkable victory. He made it back with that stupid grin on his face and she'd run into his arms, or she'd punch his shoulder, or kiss the grin right off his lips. Percy Jackson was Claire Moore's rock, her stability▬her link to life when she forgot she was still apart of it. He was her best friend, and he was her partner in battle. He had been her hope and her motivation for survival. He brought her back out of the depths of the deep end and taught her how to swim to keep herself afloat. When everyone left Claire Moore, he promised her he never would.

    And then he was taken from her. Ripped from her, and it left her breathless▬it left her aching and in pain; lost and alone and in desperation. She was still fighting to keep herself afloat; to keep her head above the surface, but no matter what she did, no matter how hard she tried▬how hard she battled, and argued, and cursed the entire heavens, no one would allow her to swim deeper to pull him back up, as well.

    Six months she had to wait ... knowing he was out there. Knowing that if she left, she could find him. Knowing that if she found her way, she could see him again. But she had to wait. She had to be patient. She had to count her breaths, count the nights she slept in his sweaters and cried underneath the covers of her bed, count the days she sat at the lake's edge, desperate to know whether he heard her whispers of his name ... terrified that when the day finally came that she'd see him again, he would not remember her at all.

    And Claire knew that would shatter her.

    She would not stop staring over the edge of the boat. The entire trip to Camp Jupiter, she had not moved. Her heart was pounding outside of her chest; not quite close enough for her to reach out for it and force it back into its place. 

    No one had been courageous enough to talk to her, either. They had left her alone, terrified and pale for the moment they arrived. She knew some had glanced over, just to check if she hadn't leapt off to make the journey quicker▬she knew Annabeth was worried about her. She knew Cain could sense exactly what she was feeling, and told Annabeth everything he felt. She knew Jason was eyeing her cautiously. She knew Savreen was trying very hard not to walk up to her. She knew Piper had told the daughter of Harmonia to let her be and she knew Leo Valdez was trying to be as quick as he could to get them where they needed to go. 

    If someone uttered a word to Claire Moore right now, she wanted to say she would grab them by the arm and twist it painfully behind their back before throwing them overboard, but she knew the truth was ... if someone even breathed a word close to her, Claire might just break down into tears. 

    She was so close to seeing him again. So, so close. He was down there, right below her. She'd stare outwards, but she'd never once glance down▬she was too scared to. What if he doesn't remember her? What if he found someone else? What if she runs into his arms, and he looks at her and asks: Do I know you? She could not deal with that possibility. It has been too long. She missed him. She wanted him back. She wanted to have his arms pull her in close. She wanted him to say something stupid. She missed him. And yet, there was that annoying Devil on her left shoulder whispering in her ear: but what if?

    But what if he's not there?

    But what if he doesn't remember her?

    But what if he doesn't love her anymore?

    (Not that he loves her ... they never got the chance to say the 'L' word before Hera decided to drag him off to nowhere and wipe his memories). 

    Claire wondered whether she had been petrified▬frozen to where she stood at the Argo II's edge. Absolutely petrified of who she will meet down below. Would she even know him anymore? Would she run to him, look up at him and ask: Do I still know you?

    She could hear Annabeth pacing the deck behind her, checking and double-checking▬triple-checking, even▬everything. Claire trusted she would make sure everything was ready when she was too distracted to even think about any of that. She was grateful that she was making sure everything was right purely to try and keep Claire calm▬but also herself. Percy wasn't Annabeth's boyfriend, but he was one of her closest friends. He was family. She had lost her brother for six months, and now, she had to make sure everything will work in order to get him back. She had checked the ballistas were locked down. She confirmed that the white peace flag was flying from the mast. She reviewed the plan with the rest of the crew▬and the backup plan; and the backup plan for the backup plan. She even made sure that their most violent crew member had taken the morning off in his cabin to watch reruns of mixed martial arts championships. The last thing any of them needed was Coach Hedge running out as they flew their Greek trireme into hostile territory, waving his baseball bat and yelling, "DIE▬!"

    The daughter of Apollo grasped her bead necklace, her thumb brushing along the shell Percy gave her over six months ago now. She leaned down and pressed her lips against it, closing her eyes and breathing in the smell of the ocean▬of him. 

    Claire's eyes opened; her shoulders went stiff as she felt an unwelcome chill crawl down her spine. Her breath hitched and she spun around, wondering who was there. She found no-one, but her heart skipped a beat with terror ... she recognised that chilling feeling. It brought her back to a time in her life she'd rather forget. All alone in a dark, mysterious horror where no one was alive, and no one was dead. 

    She knew she must be imagining it. Her nerves and thoughts making all of her fears plague at her. She took a deep breath and stood straighter, fixing her hair out of her face. The warship descended through the clouds, but Claire couldn't stop thinking of everything that could go wrong. What if this was a bad idea? What if the Romans were waiting to shoot them out of the sky? What if Percy wasn't even there to meet her? What if he didn't achieve his end of the exchange? What if▬?

    The Argo II was not a friendly-looking vessel. It was two hundred feet long, with a bronze-plated hull, mounted repeating crossbows fore and aft, a flaming metal dragon for a figurehead and two rotating ballistae amidships that could fire explosive bolts powerful enough to blast through concrete ... Claire wouldn't blame them if they tried to shoot them out of the sky. 

    They tried to let the Roman's know they were coming. She asked Leo to send one of his special inventions: a holographic scroll that would make even Daedalus jealous▬to alert their friends inside the camp. Hopefully the message had got through. Claire had been desperate to be in it, but when she had the chance to give Percy a message ... she got too scared and had ran away▬like the scared little girl she used to be. She had hoped that he would send something back: a sign to tell her that he was waiting ... but they never heard anything, and it made her fear the worst. 

    But it was too late to turn back now. 

    The clouds broke around their hull, revealing the gold-and-green pastures of the Oakland Hills. Claire went back to gripping the side of the ship, hoping that would stop her knees from collapsing out from underneath her. Around her, the others took their places. 

    On the stern quarterdeck, Leo rushed around like a madman, checking his gauges and wrestling levers. He had gone crazy with anything he could imagine▬he hadn't just installed a pilot's wheel or a tiller: there as a keyboard, a monitor, aviation controls from a Learjet, a dubstep soundboard and motion-control sensors from a Nintendo Wii. He could turn the ship by pulling on the throttle, fire weapons by putting on a Taylor Swift album or even raise the sails by shaking his Wii controllers really fast. 

    Piper paced back and forth between the mainmast and the ballistae, practising her lines: "Lower your weapons," she murmured. "We just want to talk..." she was working hand-in-hand with Savreen who tried to accomodate her ability to calm any hostiles down with just a few words into Piper's monologue, the two best friends nodding at each other and giving the other reassuring tips and trying to hype away their nerves. 

    Annabeth was still doing extra checks on everything. She counted the number of shields and made sure her dagger was sheathed at her hip. She pulled her hair off her face, tying it back in a loose pony as the summer heat started to make her hot at the neck. But it gave her something to do▬she always needed something to do when she was as nervous as this. It was either that or she needed to boss someone around, but Cain was there to continuously ask her what she wanted him to do. He was anxious, too, Claire knew. She knew he was scared of how him being around will affect the Romans below▬most people were always uncomfortable and on edge near him; and it was no one's fault. The son of Phobos could sense and hear everyone's deepest and darkest fears▬he hated it, and they hated him for it. She knew he was considering not even heading down, thinking it would be safer for him to stay below the deck until they returned. He fiddled with the sleeves of his Camp Half-Blood jumper. Despite it being really hot, he did not take it off▬it hid the metal limb that had been gifted to him by the gods after he lost his arm during the Battle of Manhattan. 

    Jason Grace▬the final (non-crazy-violent-middle-aged-goat) member of their crew stood at the bow on the raised crossbow platform, where the Romans could easily spot him. His knuckles were white on the hilt of his golden sword. Otherwise, he looked quite calm▬Claire knew it was an act; mainly because she had gotten used to hiding how she felt in order to be a leader. She knew he must be terrified. While they were anxious about finding one of their own amongst the Roman crowd below, he was anxious about finally returning to a home he hasn't seen in six months▬like Claire was terrified Percy wouldn't remember her, Jason was terrified his home wouldn't remember him. 

    She glanced back and forced herself to look down as they grew closer. She pursed her lips and quietly prayed to her father, hoping that Apollo might bless them with something▬maybe a haiku to break the ice. She'd do anything for his advice right now ... but just like every other Olympian, when the gates of the heavens closed, his connection to her had been shut off, as well.

    Claire felt it again▬that terrible cold breath; she thought she heard a faint voice in the wind, laughing. Every muscle in her body tensed. Something was about to go terribly wrong▬

    She almost ordered Leo to reverse▬until, in the valley below, horns sounded. 

    The Romans had spotted them. 

    Claire didn't quite know what she had expected. Jason had described Camp Jupiter many times. He had talked about the buildings, the sleeping quarters, the temples and the training grounds. He had talked about New Rome▬a safe haven for demigods once they had completed their years of service where they could attend college, they could buy a home ... they could live their lives; get married, have children, grow old and never worry about surviving in a world where monsters hunted them constantly. He had explained to her in great detail the process Percy would have to undertake, hoping that it would give her some relief. He tried to prepare them all, but now that Claire saw it, she still couldn't believe her eyes. 

    Ringed by the Oakland Hills, Camp Jupiter was at least twice the size of her camp back home. A small river snaked around one side and curled towards the centre where it emptied into a giant, sparkling blue lake. Directly below the ship, nestled at the edge of the lake was the city of New Rome. It gleamed under the sunlight's stare▬Claire was enamoured by the sight of it. She was enamoured to see grounds that looked like they belonged to Elementary Schools, playgrounds with slippery dips and swings▬coffee houses and book stores. She saw banks and she saw a museum. She saw a Middle School, a High School and even a college▬she saw small football stadiums that mimicked the Coliseum and neighbourhoods. Actual neighbourhoods with homes, and fences around backyards with dog kennels and trampolines. She saw cars, and she saw doctor practices▬an entire city where demigods could live; where they could feel safe. She saw an atheneum where a sign stood out the front advertising children music and drama classes, and Claire felt a strange ache in her heart. Never once in her life so far she thought about being able to have a life outside of Camp Half-Blood. Not with her powers▬she was a beacon for monsters. She never thought she'd survive long if she ever left to try and live▬to experience the dreams she knew were just that ... dreams ...

    But here, in New Rome, these demigods were doing exactly that.

    And she felt envious that she couldn't do the same. 

    She forced herself to stop thinking about it. Instead, she focused on everything else. She saw evidence of the Romans' recent battle with an army of monsters. The dome was cracked open on a building she guessed was the Senate House. The forum's broad plaza was pitted with craters. Some fountains and statues were in ruins. 

    Dozen of kids in togas were streaming out of the Senate House to get a better view of the Argo II. More Romans emerged from the shops and cafés, gawking and pointing as the ship descended. She saw a child, holding her father's hand jump with a little bit of excitement, tugging him down to talk in his ear about them▬Claire couldn't stop staring at them. 

    About half a mile to the west, where the horns were blaring, a Roman fort stood on a hill. It looked as if they had just flown onto the set of Gladiator▬the fortress held a defensive trench lined with spikes, high walls and watchtowers armed with scorpion ballistae. Inside, perfect rows of white barracks lined the main road▬the Via Principalis. 

    A column of demigods emerged from the gates, their armour and spears glinting as they hurried towards the city. In the midst of their ranks was ... an actual war elephant?!

    Claire knew she wanted to land the Argo II before those troops arrived, but the ground was still several hundred feet below. So, she just clenched her grip tight and scanned the crowd, forcing herself to break through her terror in order to find him▬to see whether she could catch a glimpse of dark black hair▬

    That was when something behind her exploded. 

    It almost knocked her overboard. She gasped, spinning around to find herself face-to-face with an angry statue.

    "Unacceptable!" he shrieked. 

    Claire blinked, taken aback. He seemed to have burst right into existence on that spot in a cloud of sulphurous yellow smoke. She coughed, waving the smoke away. Cinders popped around his curly hair. From the waist down, he was nothing but a square marble pedestal. From the waist up, he was a muscular human figure in a carved toga. 

    "I will not have weapons inside the Pomerian Line!" he fussed in a high-pitched cry. "I certainly will not have Greeks!"

    Claire stared at him. She made a face, not at all intimidated but instead, completely incredulous. "Who in Hades are you?" She could see Annabeth throw her hands up, exasperated at her response. She soon sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

    She thought the statue would burst into shards of marble then and there he was so furious. "What?!" he screeched. "How dare you?!" His face scrunched up. "You insolent, arrogant Greek▬"

    "Terminus!" Jason rushed in before Claire had the chance to fire back with her own set of insults. He held a hand out to her, meeting her gaze to say, I've got this. Then, he grinned at the statue. "It's me! Jason Grace."

    The statue turned his head to face him. There was no change in his livid expression. "Oh, I remember you, Jason!" grumbled Terminus. "I thought you had better sense than to consort with the enemies of Rome!"

    Jason looked a little surprised he hadn't won the statue right over. "Uh▬but they're not enemies▬"

    "That's right!" Piper jumped in. "We just want to talk. If we could▬"

    "Ha!" snapped the statue. "Don't try that charmspeak on me, young lady! And put down that dagger before I slap it out of your hands!"

    Piper glanced down at her bronze dagger, which she had forgotten she had been holding. Her brows furrowed, "Um ... okay," she began slowly. "But ... how would you slap it? You don't have any arms."

    "Impertinence!" There was a sharp pop! and a flash of yellow. Piper yelped and dropped her dagger, which was now smoking and sparking on the ship deck. "Lucky for you I've just been through a battle," Terminus then announced. "If I were at full strength, I would've blasted this flying monstrosity out of the sky already!"

    "Hold up," Leo stepped forward, his wild curls covered in grease. He waggled his Wii controller at the statue's nose furiously. "Did you just call my ship a monstrosity? I know you didn't just do that▬"

    Before Leo could possibly attack the statue with his gaming device (and Claire would help him), Savreen quickly intervened, her brown doe eyes shining with a kindness none of the rest of them had. Immediately, Claire felt much more relaxed. You know? Maybe she won't kick the statue anymore. You know? Maybe she'll give him a peace offering, like some of Sally's blue cookies, or something...

    "Hey," she held her soft hands out to show she had no weapons. She took off her ring to be extra cautious, showing it to Terminus before passing it back to Leo. He took it in his hands, suddenly very interesting in finding out how it worked rather than the statue who just insulted his ship. "Let's all calm down, okay? I take it you're Terminus, the god of boundaries. Jason told me you protect the city of New Rome, right? That's really impressive. It must be such hard work, though. It's really admirable."

    (Claire loves Savreen, did she say?). 

    Terminus puffed out his stone-work chest, looking suddenly very proud and flattered. "Well, yes, if you'd say so. It is a lot of hard work, and I rarely ever get recognition▬oh, hang on a second! Don't you dare think you can trick me, daughter of Harmonia!"

    Savreen gave them all a look to say, I tried. 

    In the end, Annabeth decided to finally step forward. "We mean no harm, Lord Terminus. I'm Annabeth Chase, daughter of▬"

    "Oh, I know who you are!" the statue glared at her with white marble eyes. "A child of Athena, Minerva's Greek form. Scandalous! You Greeks have no sense of decency. We Romans know the proper place for that goddess."

    Annabeth's chin jutted in, shocked for a second until she clenched her jaw and her grey eyes flared. Claire was about to have another go at him, muttering, "Yeah? How about I show you your place in a second▬" but Cain was right there to stop her. But he couldn't stop Annabeth, who gaped at the god and let out, "What exactly do you mean, that goddess? And what's so scandalous about▬?"

    "Right!" exclaimed Jason, stepping between the two of them. "Anyway, Terminus, we're here on a mission of peace. We'd love permission to land so we can▬"

    "Impossible!" squeaked the god. "Lay down your weapons and surrender! Leave my city immediately!"

    He reminded Claire of Umbridge from Harry Potter and she hated it. She wish she had a clan of centaurs to throw him off to▬she was sure a day with the Party Centaurs would loosen him up a bit.

    "Which is it?" asked Leo. "Surrender or leave?"

    "Both!" said Terminus. "Surrender, then leave. I am slapping your face for asking such a stupid question, you ridiculous boy! Do you feel that?"

    "Wow ..." Leo studied Terminus with professional interest. "You're wound up pretty tight. You got any gears in there that need loosening? I could take a look..." he swapped his Wii controller for a screwdriver from his magic tool belt and tapped the statue's pedestal. 

    "Stop that!" screeched the god of boundaries. Another small explosion made Leo drop his screwdriver. "Weapons are not allowed on Roman soil inside the Pomerian Line."

    "The what?" asked Piper.

    "City limits," Jason quickly answered.

    "And this entire ship is a weapon!" said Terminus. "You cannot land!"

    Claire glanced over her shoulder and back down into the valley. The legion reinforcements were halfway to the city. The crowd in the forum was over a hundred strong now. Claire examined them for weapons and any threats▬she jetted forward and stumbled to the edge of the deck. Oh, gods, there he was ... there he was ... Her mind had become a complete blank; everything she had thought about▬everything she worried about ... all of the Romans and all of the shrieks of Terminus behind her▬none of that mattered anymore. None of it reached her ears. Everything narrowed straight down; her vision tunnelled and there he was. There he was. 

    She recognised his black hair. She thought she heard him laugh. She even recognised the way he walked▬like something was pulling her towards him, as if she was a tide drawing back into the sea ... she saw only him; she was the tide drawing back straight to him. 

    "Percy▬" Claire croaked in a desperate whisper, her voice dry and stuck in the back of her aching throat where her heart had leapt upwards into. She watched him throw his arms around two other kids, grinning like they were his best friends▬a stout boy who held a shy, sheepish smile and a girl donning a Roman cavalry helmet over dark, curly hair. He looked so at ease ... so happy. So ... at home in a purple cape just like the one Jason wore▬the mark of a praetor. 

    Despite this, she felt her heart flutter. She felt her legs burn with the urge to just leap over the side and run to him▬she didn't care she was still a good fair away in the air. She just needed to reach him. She didn't even realise Annabeth had ordered for Leo to stop the ship in realisation of the look on her best friend's face. 

    "What?" he frowned.

    "You heard me. Keep us right where we are."

    Leo pulled out his controller and yanked it upwards. All ninety oars froze in place. The ship stopped sinking and came to a standstill in the sky. 

    "Terminus," then said Annabeth, "there's no rule against hovering over New Rome, is there?"

    The statue pursed his lips. He made a very unhappy frown as he admitted, "Well, no..."

    "We can keep the ship aloft," offered the daughter of Athena. "We'll use a rope ladder to reach the forum. That way, the ship won't be on Roman soil. Not technically."

    The statue pondered this. Claire hoped he'd make his mind up quickly▬Percy was right there.

    "I like technicalities," he muttered. "Still..."

    "All our weapons will stay aboard the ship," then added Cain, stepping forward. Annabeth nodded, agreeing with him. "I assume the Romans▬even those reinforcements marching towards us▬will also have to honour your rules inside the Pomerian Line if you tell them to?"

    "Of course!" said Terminus. "Do I look like I tolerate rule breakers?"

    "Uh, Annabeth ..." Leo was unsure. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

    Claire had already made up her mind. She flung off her key necklace and grabbed the knife from its sheath. She chucked them at Terminus's pedestal. Then, she closed her fists to stop them from shaking. That cold feeling was still there. It floated just behind her and, now that Terminus was no longer shouting and causing explosions, she thought she could hear something laugh.

    But Percy was down there ... He was so close ... she was so close to seeing him again. 

    "It'll be fine," said Annabeth, meeting Claire's gaze. "No one will be armed. We can talk in peace. Terminus will make sure each side obeys the rules."

    Terminus sniffed. "I suppose," he relented. "For now. You may climb down your ladder to New Rome, daughter of Athena. Please try not to destroy my town."

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    CLAIRE WAS the first one off the ladder. She leapt onto the grounds, her heart beginning to race faster than she's ever felt it race before. She felt bare without her necklace and her dagger, but she refused to let it bother her. She stood there for a moment, staring back at a sea of hesitant eyes before she tilted up her chin and started at a march forwards. They all scrambled to part for her as she walked through the forum. She clenched and unclenched her hands, breathing heavily through her nose as she examined each and every one of them with a steely eye. Some looked tense, others nervous. Some were bandaged from their recent battle with the giants, but no one was armed. No one attacked. Instead, all she could find was that they seemed to be exactly like the kids back home at Camp Half-Blood whenever someone new arrived through the barrier. 

    Entire families had gathered to see them. Claire's fierce march faltered to see couples with babies, toddlers clinging to their parents' legs and even some elderly folks in combinations of Roman robes and modern clothes. She saw a brave little boy wave at her until her mother quickly stopped him, giving him a quick hushed▬and frantic▬warning. Claire found herself shyly waving back, slightly intimidated at the sight; slightly pained. A simple life ... deep down, all she wanted was a simple life, and these demigods had it. 

    At the far end of the crowd, she spotted Tyson, Percy's Cyclops brother and his hellhound, Mrs. O'Leary▬who had been the first scouting party from Camp Half-Blood to reach Camp Jupiter. Claire had begged to go with them, but Jason had been right ... Percy needed to do this alone. She was scared of what that meant, having seen him with his new friends and donning a praetor's robe. But at least they looked to be in good spirits. Tyson waved and grinned, wearing a SPQR banner like a giant bib. Claire felt some of her own grief lift, and she couldn't help but wave a greeting back. 

    He was trying to point someone out to her, and she tried to see who when someone else caught her attention. In front of her, demigods made way for a girl in full Roman armour and a purple cape. Dark hair tumbled across her shoulders. Her eyes were dark; black like obsidian. 

    Reyna, Claire recognised her immediately.

    The smiled dropped from her cheeks and she squared her shoulders, immediately trying to make herself look as strong and battle-ready as possible. She didn't want to look weak in front of a leader such as her▬with medals decorating her armour and a walk with such confidence the other demigods backed away and averted her gaze.

    She had a hard set to her mouth▬she raised her chin in the exact same way Claire had before, ready to accept any challenge. The two of them considered each other. Claire narrowed her eyes briefly, not sure why she felt the need to intimidate Reyna of all people▬but she felt tense; on edge ... she had to fight the urge to hold up her fists, expecting someone to lurch out and attack her. She felt like a cornered animal who had to show that she was stronger than the rest of them. 

    Claire arched a brow, looking Reyna up and down. She found that the praetor was doing exactly the same thing. Around her, her friends were fanning out on either side. The Romans murmured Jason's name, staring at him in awe.

    Then someone had finally managed to urge his way to the front of the crowd. He had gently pushed and gently shoved, using his height to look over everyone's shoulders▬he slipped out from the crowd and into her line of view▬and every intimidation act Claire tried to do fell away as soon as she saw him. 

    When their gazes met, Percy smiled at her▬a bright, beaming smile; that sarcastic, troublemaker smile that made her heart melt then and there. She hitched back a sudden sob▬he was just as she remembered. After months, her dreams were standing right in front of her▬they were real; they were solid. This wasn't a figment of her imagination. He was right there, in front of her. With his sea-green eyes, his messy black hair▬looking as if he had just taken a walk along the beach. He was taller. He was leaner and more muscular. He had matured in six months, but he was still him. He was still her Percy. 

    During their separation, something had happened to Claire▬she didn't know how to explain it. But she had thought of him constantly. She had dreamt of him. She had done everything to remember every little piece of him she had adored. What she felt for him, that had grown painfully intense▬aching, even; to the point where she found it hard to breathe without something to remind her of him. And now that he was there, and she was here, and her dreams and her reality had seemed to just mix into one ... Claire was terrified. She didn't know what hurt her more: living with that horrible absence, or being with him again. 

    Reyna had straightened▬Claire paid no attention. There should be greetings and proper discussions ... she should be holding out her hand in all respect to the praetor ... but all she could do was just stare at him. "Jason Grace," the praetor said with apparent reluctance, "my former colleague ... I welcome you home. And these, your friends▬"

    Percy took a step forward. The movement sent a momentum through Claire▬she stumbled towards him. He broke out into a run. The crowd tensed. Some reached for swords that weren't there. Claire started to cry as she held out her arms and leapt into his own. 

    He held her tight▬excruciatingly tight▬as if he was trying to envelop every part of her. Claire's feet lifted off the ground and she hid her face into his shoulder as he spun her around; she was crying. She was hysterical. She clung onto his robes and shook in his hold▬unable to stop herself as all of her pent up emotions from six long months overflowed and exploded out like a broken dam. Percy was no different. He shed a tear as he cradled her, breathing her in like he found enough oxygen to finally exhale. And he was real. He was real. She could feel the warmth of his embrace and smelt the ocean air that made her relax. 

    Percy pulled away and cupped her cheek so he could kiss her▬a little rushed and a little rough; starved of her for too long and she felt it all. She felt his desperation and she felt his happiness▬she felt so much emotion in just a single kiss, and she wondered whether he felt all of hers, too. 

    He broke away and set his forehead against hers, letting out a long breath that tickled her nose. She heard him chuckle and she saw him smile, and she cupped his cheeks, too, sniffling back so many tears.

    All of her fears became just distant idle thoughts as she took a breath and whispered to him, "You remembered me."

    Percy Jackson chuckled again▬though it was heavy and pained. He stared into her gaze, gentle and sweet. He continued to smile at her, brushing her hair behind her ears so he could see every feature▬memorise it all over again. "Come on," he teased her and she grinned, "did you really think I'd ever forget you? I could never forget you, Sunshine."

    Her cries mixed in with her laughter, leaning in to brush her nose against his. She could not care about anyone else around them. They did not matter. None of them mattered when she had him. "You're impossible," Claire Moore told him. Then, she added with a slight giddy tone, "Seaweed Brain. Kelp Face. Water Boy▬"

    "Okay!" he pulled his head away and she laughed. It was such a joyful sound in the forum that all vicious intent from anyone dissipated into the air. "Wow▬!"

    "▬Aquaman. Drool Boy. Barnacle Breath▬"

    "▬Barnacle Breath? Okay, that one hurts▬I made sure to have some mints▬!"

    "▬Coral Head."

    His brows shot upwards and her heart leapt. "Well, that's a new one."

    Claire just settled her head on his chest, hugging him again. She closed her eyes and smiled to herself, never wanting this moment to end. "I missed you," she told him and only him. 

    He sighed and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, hiding her head. She also missed the days when she was taller, too. "I missed you, too," he whispered. 

    No one wanted to interrupt them. It was only Jason who had the guts to awkwardly clear his throat. Percy glanced up. He did not let go of her. "Oh," he let out sarcastically, "were we interrupting something? Yeah, sorry."

    Annabeth shook her head back with the others, but there was a smile on her lips as she face-palmed.  

    Claire awkwardly let go and cleared her throat, trying to hide how she was blushing and fighting the urge to keep grinning. Percy wouldn't step away; he threw an arm over her shoulder, not wanting to leave her side not once now that he got her back▬and she was grateful, because she didn't want to leave his side, either. 

    As they returned to the others, Percy nodded and smiled at Annabeth. "Hey, Wise Girl▬keeping everything on track without me?"

    Annabeth narrowed her eyes. But she just stepped forward and the two of them shared the handshake they had created. It included a few difficult hand manoeuvres before they fist-bumped. "I always kept things on track even with you around. In fact, it was you that threw a bunch of things off the rails."

    Percy chuckled. Then, he turned to Cain, "Hey, Man. It's good to see you."

    "It's good to see you, too," said Cain and it was a little awkward until Percy reached out to try and ruffle Cain's hair, to which the son of Phobos ducked out of the way, managing a sheepish chuckle. 

    Now that they've all had their reunions, Jason cleared his throat again and nodded, "So, yeah ... it's good to be back."

    He introduced Reyna to Piper, who looked a little miffed that she hadn't got to say the lines she had been rehearsing, then Leo, who grinned and flashed a peace sign. After that, he introduced Savreen who gave an awkward smile and wave, before then gesturing to Annabeth and Cain who shook hands politely. 

    "And this is Claire," said Jason. "Uh▬she knows Percy."

    Savreen turned to Jason and smacked him lightly. He held his arm, turning to her with an incredulous▬and quiet▬, "What?"

    "I wish I didn't know him," muttered Claire and Percy shoved her lightly to the side. She broke out into more laughter▬and it caused Leo to stare, shocked, having never heard her laugh let alone seen her smile until now. 

    But she was just so happy▬she was so happy Claire wondered whether she had grown wings. But she soon composed herself and held out her hand, "Sorry▬uh▬it's cool to put a name to a face."

    Reyna clasped her hand firmly. "It seems we have a lot to discuss. Centurions!"

    A few of the Roman campers hustled forward▬Claire had a feeling they were the senior officers. Two kids appeared at Percy's side, the same ones she had seen him chumming around earlier. She hunched up, not expecting them to get so close, eyeing her with an air of suspicion. Now that they were closer, she could see them more clearly. The stout guy looked a little awkward on his own feet▬he was still growing into his features and body. He had a gentle, Chinese complexion and a short Roman military haircut. He looked to be about fifteen, and he had a modesty about him; like he knew he held a senior title, but wasn't about to boast about it like others were. The girl beside him could be thirteen, but her amber eyes held an age that was far older. Like she has seen many things, but still had the same youthful mirth any thirteen-year-old girl would have. Her long black curls had been braided back into a protective hairstyle that then dangled down her back. Her cavalry helmet was tucked under her arm. 

    Claire could easily tell that they felt close to Percy. They stood by him protectively, and she suddenly felt a little out of place. She felt her jealousy begin to crawl up her throat. No, stop it, she told herself. She noticed the thirteen-year-old was staring at something, and when she followed her gaze, her brows furrowed to see it fixed in Piper, Sav and Leo's direction. She looked as if she recognised them▬but in such a way it was painful; dreadfully painful. 

    Meanwhile, Reyna was giving orders to her officers, "... 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 the camp?" a tall, gangly kid with stringy blonde hair elbowed his way forehead. He had this look about him, like he was constantly smelling dung up his nose. "Reyna, the security risk▬"

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

    "Oh, much better," grumbled the stranger. He seemed to be the only one who did not care about Reyna's superiority, despite the fact that he was scrawny and pale and for some reason and three teddy bears hanging from his belt. "You want us to relax in the shadow of their warship!"

    Another figure appeared next to Octavian. Claire's eyes widened. The boy was thin as well, smaller with messy blond hair that hung over his face, but she knew those scars on his cheek anywhere. And the raven that settled on his shoulder. They met gazes, and his eyes widened as well▬he held a flicker of recognition within them; hazel eyes stared at her own, and Claire felt her gut twist. She met him back at Hoover Dam. He was the one Chiron spoke to her about ... that damned chill returned.

    "These are our guests," Reyna clipped off every word and Claire was broken from her thoughts. "We still welcome them, and we will talk to them. As augur, you should burn an offering to thank the gods for binging Jason back to us safely."

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

    Reyna looked as if she was trying hard not to smile. "You have my orders. Go."

    The officers dispersed. Octavian shot Percy a glower of absolute loathing. Then, he turned it onto Claire, narrowing his eyes with a breath of suspicion before stalking away. She didn't care about that. All she cared about was the boy with him who was yet to say a word. He flashed her a final glance before following after Octavian. 

    Percy moved his arm down to take her hand and link their fingers. "Hey," he said to her gently, "don't worry about Octavian. Most of the Romans are good people▬like Frank and Hazel here, and Reyna. We'll be fine."

    But Claire just looked up at him, the feeling in her stomach not going away. "Who was that boy?" she whispered. "I saw him, at Hoover Dam. He ... Who is he?"

    Percy pursed his lips. He held her hand tighter. "I'l tell you later," he whispered back, and at the tone of his voice, Claire knew it was something serious. "When ... when we're alone."

    She didn't like that. She looked up at the Argo II, feeling that same cold wash over her. There were whispers at the back of her neck, making her shiver. Its massive bronze hull glittered in the sunlight. Part of her wanted to run▬to take Percy with her, climb on board and get out of here while they still could. Something was going to go wrong▬she could feel it. And there was no way in Hades she would ever risk losing Percy again. 

    "We'll be fine ..." she murmured what he had said before, trying her very best to believe it. 

    "Excellent," said Reyna. She turned to Jason, and there was a look in her eye she couldn't exactly pinpoint. "Let's talk, and we can have a proper reunion."

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

    a/n: yes, i cried writing this ITS BEEN TOO LONG SINCE I'VE WRITTEN THEM OMG-

    percy's already being a little shit and claire's all like heart eyes for it lol how far they've come. 

    posting this today because we all deserved to have this reunion straight away. lol I've been writing nothing but pjo today I miss those days where all I wrote was percy and claire. 

    they are that couple that are rly comfortable with pda which is actually cute because claire's so shut off but with perc's she's just always smiling and laughing - he makes her happy and she fukin deserves that. 

    I can't wait for the chaos that will ensue with the two of them back together again on the same quest. sav, leo, jason, frank, hazel and piper have nooooooo idea what they're about to walk into. 

    (when you remember percy's supposed to be like 6'3" (because annabeth is like 5'10/11" and its written that percy can kiss the top of her head and she has to incline her head upwards in the books so-) and dove cameron, who's claire's face claim is only 5'2" holy what have I done-OMG SHE WAS A MIDGET IN THE LAST OLYMPIAN GOING UP AGAINST TYPHON SHE'S A LITERAL MIDGET SHE'S SMALLER THAN LEO OMG WAIT THE LITTLE PERSON AGGRESSION SHE HAS--!!! HOW HAVE I NOT EVEN CONSIDERED THIS UNTIL NOW?!?!)

    the fact you realise some things just become right for a character without you realising you've done it. 

    I repeat. Claire friken Moore is shorter than Leo Valdez.

    she's also smaller than hazel OH NO-

    *regrets life decisions but also doesn't at the same time*

    omg that means when sav hugged her in the previous book claire had to go up onto her toes to set her chin on her shoulder wait-

    imma be talking about this revelation for the rest of the book just you wait.

   also cain is shorter than annabeth which >>>>

   anyway percy and claire reunion >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

   fuk percy, jason and frank are suppperrrrr tall it's those godly genes I tell yah-

   like percy's the shortest out of the three of them ...

   I mean, they're literally the heights of my three brothers but still--

    I understand claire's pain I srsly do-

    (I'm still TALKING ABOUT THE HEIGHTS OMG-)