Hey reviews! Yeay! Made me happy!

Random factoid: Sarah was named after Sarah from Death Cab's for Cutie song (which I listened to a lot writing this) and Walt Disney's head it frozen somewhere. Possibly at Disney World.

No; real random factoid; I've decided that Monday will be posting day for me. So I've got Monday, Tuesday and Friday all busy. But you guys don't care about my schedule so I'll get on with it.

D/A: Well, it hasn't changed since the other day, had it?

II

November 29

Nico dumped a plastic bag at Sarah's feet.

"What is it?" She asked. She had a blue scarf dotted with tiny darker flowers wrapped around her head, like she often wore to camouflage the fact she was "so bald Elmer Fudd thinks I'm family", and she was dressed today- jeans, and a t-shirt that she'd probably stolen from one of her siblings (they were nearly all the same size- it was just too easy and unresistable or something).

"Pretend it's Christmas Sarah," he said. "You don't know, you're very excited, you want to open this present that's not in a red plastic bag but in paper printed with little Santa's and rein deer." Nico said. Sarah shrugged and reached for the bag. She took out a tube of White-out, a small Ken-Ken book and a few mechanical pencils.

"Thanks Angel, you're, well, an angel. But if it's Christmas, where's the mistletoe?" Sarah asked.

"It's make-believe mistletoe. It's just above us, if you'd like to know." Nico said. Sarah smiled, something half-way between the tired, exhausted, forced smile that Nico called the Sick Sarah Smile and the crinkled smile, and they leaned in for the kiss- when Dr Squirt came in.

"Oh, sorry, am I interrupting?" He asked, turning his feet already.

"Go away, Doc, there's mistletoe." Sarah said.

"Of course there is." Docs said, "But make it quick, I'll be back in 3 minutes." He said, getting out anyways.

"Where were we?" Sarah asked.

"Well, we were at camp a year and so ago, then we were here, but you came to Central Park with me once…"

"You better shut up Hell on wheels, because I remember." Sarah said. She leaned in, wrapped an arm around his neck and kissed him. He kissed her too, and cradled her head with his hand.

Someone cleared his throat.

Sarah and Nico unlocked their lips, but kept their faces close enough for their noses to touch.

"Doctor Squirt, that was not three minutes, right there." Sarah said. "I know you love seeing me and my delightful personality, but go away."

"It was a minute and a half, close enough Sarah." He said. "We've got to run some tests."

"Are you going to kick Nico out? He just got here, and I always find that quite rude on your behalf."

"No, for today Nico can stay if he's comfortable with it."

"Sure," Nico said. Doctor Squirt sat down at the foot of Sarah's bed and did various grip tests and checked her heart amongst others, and asked her how she was doing, took notes, laughed at her jokes, etc.

"I'll leave you two now. Sarah, a nurse will come get you for radiation sometime in the next hour."

"Is it Crystal or Big Bertha?" Sarah asked.

"Sarah, don't called Irina that."

"I just really need to know because if it is Big Bertha…"

"Nico, teach her how to be polite when I'm gone."

"You forgot to say 'please'." Nico said.

Sarah was killing herself laughing as Doctor Squirt made a face and left. Sarah leaned back on her pillows and put Nico's present on her bedside table.

"I'm glad you came back today." Sarah said.

"You thought I wouldn't? Sarah, I'm putting up with my cousin to come see you, I wouldn't stop now." As he said it he realised that was why Sarah was scared he'd come. Because of 'now'.

"Look, I'm sorry if I left early last night, and if that gave you any ideas." Nico said.

"Don't worry about it, Angel; it sort of just got dumped on you and you weren't expecting it. And it's sort of a big thing."

"It is a big thing." Nico corrected. Sarah shrugged.

"Did you hear from my brothers?" She asked.

"Which one?" Nico asked.

"Any idiot, really."

"I haven't," Nico said. "But I heard that Travis and Katie are back together from Percy who heard it from Annabeth, who is best friends with Katie, who was there."

"Well even I knew that it was back, it's been 13.7 days since they last broke up." Sarah said.

"What are you, the human calendar?" Nico laughed. They talked and talked, Sarah wasn't even feeling nauseous or dizzy or anything. And for a second, if Sarah wouldn't have been connected to the IV and wouldn't have been wheezing, Nico could think that she was just lying down in the grass near the canoe lake, under the shade of that big maple tree with the moody nymph. Nico was half-tempted to lie down beside her.

"Sarah," a nurse with bright red lips at the door said. "It's time for treatment."

"Oh yippee. Angel, you can wait here or come back later." Sarah said.

"I've got homework with me, I'll wait for you." Nico said. Sarah nodded.

"Hope you've got either a lot, or you're very slow, because I get it twice daily, instead of one big mother-of-all doses."

She used to get it three times a day.

"Sure Sarah."

"Oh, before I forget because my brain has other things to remember- in tommorow it's my day off of radiation. Only 5 days a week, right?"

"Yes."

"And that'd be Saturday, right? Do you think we can talk Dr Squirt into letting us go to Central Park again? That was fun." Sarah said. Her eyes were pleading and longing like 'please let me go back to that'.

"Well I couldn't, but you yes." Nico said. "I'd take you anywhere any day, Sar." Sarah smiled.

"Sarah," the nurse called impatient. Sarah made an imitation; a sound like an angry cat.

"Alright, I'm coming, I'm coming, but can I walk?" Sarah said. "My leg's asleep. And can I sing Christmas Carols while I'm at it? Or something top 40. I like the top 40…"

Nico stepped back, nurse took the wires off and out of Sarah and they both left, the nurse keeping a good, good eye on Sarah- who was humming 'Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer'.

Nico wished he was the one keeping an eye on her, making sure she really was okay. He wished he was smart enough to know how to take care of her other than moral support or whatever it was called. Maybe if he were a son of Apollo or someone who'd graduated from a scholarship to medical school… No, then he'd just really, really hate himself for her still being sick. For having to even consider that she was terminally ill…

"Don't make me break out into puppy eyes," Sarah warned.

"Sarah…"

"Doctor Squirt- common! See, I didn't call you Doc, this shows how much I want this!" Sarah said.

"I'm just not sure if it's a…"

"I will so break out my puppy eyes."

"Central park- it's not even that far away." Nico joined in on the begging.

"It's not a question of how far…"

"Doc, Nico will be there." Sarah said. Doctor Squirt looked at Nico like 'really?' Nico nodded like a 5 year old asking for cookies.

"Please?" He asked.

"Just one afternoon. Common, give me one afternoon out of here. Doc, it's not like I've got anything better to do and there's probably not going to be any better time." Sarah told him. Dr Squirt sighed, but he understood what she was hinting at before Nico did.

"Okay, okay. Fine. I'll allow it. One afternoon. I want you back by 5:30 Sarah, and don't eat anything just in case. No running off to demigod places or I don't know or particularly want to know what it is you guys do." Dr Squirt said.

Sarah and Nico nodded quickly and totally went with the idea.

November 29

Sarah and Nico walked through central park, their hands laced together.

Sarah had been at Camp Half-Blood since she was 10, and before that she was from a house with a big property in Louisiana. Maybe her mom hadn't been great, but her main memories of that property were running through forests like a maniac and splashing around in a creek that she swore she's seen an alligator in once. New York was what she liked to call a block of cement. No sorry, a carved-out block of cement, with the little oasis of Central Park that reminded New Yorkers that not all jungles were concrete.

For her; cities were a bore and looking out her window onto another window wasn't exactly her idea of a view. Not for a girl who'd spent the last 7 years in the most natural place the world had left.

They sat at the edge of the fountain and Sarah ran her fingers across the surface. The water wrinkled and their reflections shimmered, like pictures cut into strips. She was wearing jeans, converse sneakers that her siblings had enhanced with spray paint and sharpie-graffiti with 'CONNOR RULES' on the toes of one and 'TRAVIS SUX' on the other, and a plain grey shirt with long sleeves and a denim jacket. She had a scarf stripped black and white covering her head, but people still starred. Sarah didn't care.

When she'd found out her fluffy hair would start falling out, Alena had gotten her a moving box full of scarves that she'd scavenged from the Aphrodite cabin. Most of them were ultra girlie with floral prints. It was probably a way for the Aphrodite girls to avenge themselves for every prank Sarah had pulled. But the Aphrodite kids weren't totally heartless, and bought up what Sarah called 'my very own personal sob story', so some of them were okay. Sarah had worn them all, but Nico swore there was a new one every time, except for the purple one with Celtic designs. That one she liked a lot.

Nico cared about the people staring at Sarah. But he couldn't do much about it. Couldn't tell every person who caught a glance to go packing or to take a picture, because that would pretty much be every person in the park. Whether it was curious, or pitiful, or what, Nico could feel eyes on his back.

"Ignore them," Sarah said. "It'll happen everywhere. Let's just pretend they're the children of Aphrodite. They're not starring at us because I've got no hair; they're starring at us because they're placing bets for a kiss." He bought into Sarah's game.

"How much do you think the guy over there has at stake?" Sarah took one look at him.

"Heavy better, 18 drachmas." She said after looking at him. How she knew that, if she knew, Nico had no idea.

"How happy do you think he'd be to get them?"

"Very." Sarah said. Nico put a hand on her cheek and pulled her face to his, their lips meeting. It never ceased to amaze Nico how well their lips seemed to fit together, like Nico hadn't screwed up that part of life yet.

Then he felt a splash of cold water.

"Hey!" He said. Sarah laughed and he saw that she'd cupped her hand in the fountain and splashed him.

"Oh you are paying for that, Sarah Barclay." Nico said. He splashed her back and she laughed, splashing him again.

Nico ducked and got her back, but Sarah twisted herself and avoided the spray. She ran, staying alongside the fountain. They danced around the stone basin for an undetermined amount of time, trying to get close enough to each other to splash each other without the other running away or missing so the other had a chance. They were both laughing hysterically and Nico was pretty sure those around them thought they were not quite there in the head. But finally Sarah winced and her hand flew to her chest.

Nico called a truce.

Sarah nodded thankfully, and they sat back down on the edge of the fountain. Sarah nearly slipped back into the fountain, but Nico caught her wrist.

"Sarah, you okay?" He asked. She nodded.

"Yeah. Just been a long time since I've ran and…"

"And it's not good for you?"

"Well, half the stuff I do isn't good for me." Sarah said.

"This is different, Sar."

"I'm okay," she said. She met his eyes. "Really."

She looked honest. She honestly believed she was okay. So Nico let go of her wrist and Sarah started stumbling and he caught her by the waist and brought her to her feet.

"Common Sarah, let's find a bench." He said. They crashed on the closest bench and Sarah dropped her head on Nico's shoulder. He put an arm around her.

"This is the most fun I've had in a long time." Sarah said.

Even if she'd just nearly passed out.

"Me too, Sar." Nico said.

"You know, you don't have to go into fasting-of-fun for me." She said, "You should go to camp once in a while. Train, see your buddies in Apollo, play a game of Capture-the-flag. Or even just hang out with the other kids at your school. And Ian Donatello's your friend, right?"

"Yeah, I've got school too, and between that and keeping you company, going to camp is short-timed and not worth it." Nico said.

"Yeah but Nico, that's it. You don't have enough time. You should have all the time in the world. You should be training- other than with Percy in his apartment where you probably destroy half his stuff every time. You should be doing all of it. You know, weekends at camp, weekdays at school, nights out with friends... Maybe some weeknights with me because it makes me feel special." Sarah smiled. Nico frowned.

"Are you saying that you want me to spend my weekends away from you?"

"Yes… No… Maybe… Look, Nico, I want you to have something to do in your life."

"I do. I do train, Sarah. I don't mope between school, the hospital and the apartment. I even spend some time in the Underworld. I see other people than you, I promise. "

"I meant with the living." Sarah said.

Suddenly Nico got where this was going. She'd seen his face the other day, and she wanted him to brace for it. To brace for her own death.

"Sarah, I'm doing fine. I do IM the guys at Camp, and I do hang out with Ian. I'm not a total social reject. I spend a lot of my time with you, that's true but… But don't worry about me, okay? I'm going to be fine."

"You're not fine now." Sarah said softly. And Nico couldn't deny it.

"It's 5:00, we should get back." Nico said.

"You're avoiding my question." Sarah said, taking Nico's hand, helping her up. "That's the standard thing for an amateur liar to do."

"And how would you know that?" Nico asked jokingly.

"Nico." Sarah said. "I'm serious. This once. On this one thing. When you left on Wednesday night, you looked horrible. You looked worse than Alena, Connor or Travis or anyone I told. I know I won't be around forever, and I want to know that you will and you'll be okay with it. I want to know that you'll be okay."

"I'm okay Sarah," Nico said. "I get it, it scares me, I'm mad at whoever puts disease on people, but I'm okay. If you really don't believe me you can even meet Ian. I'm managing. Son of the god of death here, I can handle these things." Sarah rolled her eyes.

"Whatever you say." She said. She leaned her head on his shoulder and he held her tightly as they made their way out of Central Park.

Back at the hospital she was really pale and Nico noticed just how much the day had drained her. How exhausted she was. Had it been that which had knocked her into thinking about dying? About how horrible she felt?

She crashed in her bed with that angry, annoyed and pained look in her eyes that she got when her headaches crashed when she needed to be doing something- so always.

She tossed her scarf into the cardboard box, tried kicked off her sneakers but couldn't seem to make her feet clash. Nico pulled them off for her.

"Do you want me to get Crystal or Dr Squirt?" He asked.

"No, they know." Sarah said rubbing her eyes. "Just tired. Wasn't expecting you to be so lively. What kind of a child of Hades are you?"

"The kind who's energized by your smile." Sarah smiled. Tired, exhausted, forced smile.

"I did smile a lot today. Thanks Angel, that was fun." Nico nodded. He had fun too, even if he was worried about her now.

"There you are!" Dr Squirt said.

He hooked Sarah back to the IV and asked questions. How did it go, no monsters, did you do anything stupid, how are you feeling, why are you wet Sarah Barclay or do I not want to know…

Watching Dr Squirt check up on Sarah, Nico found himself wishing an old wish. He wished he could take care of Sarah and make her better. He wished he could take the brain tumours away, as well as everything else plaguing her right now. He wished there was a way, some place to poke her and make it all better, a magical remedy… But he knew there wasn't, and he knew that he couldn't make one appear in thin air.

Percy showed up and took Nico back to the apartment and Nico didn't talk the whole time unless Percy asked him something which he soon gave up on because he saw that Nico was thinking.

That moment in Central Park with Sarah had been a piece of heaven that he hadn't had in a long time. And it wasn't going to be the last.