Disclaimer: Miss Author does not own PJO/HoO.

Thanks to guest (aka wapple aka vball17girl) for the one and only review

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Sweat streaked down the side of Rose's angelic face. Her angelic face. What an contradiction. Rose was anything but angelic. Her favorite subject was warfare history. She could beat up anybody at camp with her hands tied behind her back. She felt a rush whenever she sent a monster back to Tartarus.

"You call that turtle formation?!" a voice shouted. Heather, the First Cohort's councilor, was commanding her cohort to practice war formations from dawn to dusk.

Standing beside Rose, about to collapse, Lucy groaned. "We're doing the best we can!" she muttered to Rose.

"Tell me about it," Rose murmured back, wiping the beads of sweat off her forehead.

"How do you like being the second best of the camp? Second? It's a shame! If you do better, but might just be able to bring some honor to the First," shouted Heather. Then she scowled and said, "Howard! What are you doing?! Stop slouching. You look like you should be ringing bells at Notre Dame! What is wrong with you? You armor's on backwards and you keep stepping out of line. Pull yourself together, boy!"

Howard slouched even lower in shame. Most of the camp considered him a disappointment to the camp. His head was too big for the rest of his body and he had about three times the chubbiness of an average toddler. His godly parent hadn't even claimed him yet and he had been at camp for more years than he could count. But that didn't account for much, since he couldn't count very high.

Rose smirked and glanced at Lucy, but Lucy's face was a thinly veiled mask of pity. Rose wanted to roll her eyes. Her best friend was a unaggressive mushball. She believed in happy endings, and knights in shinning armor. And dreams that come true. Always dreams that come true.

"And...GO!" Heather commanded. The First Cohort marched forwards.

A bead of sweat trickled down from Rose's hairline and dripped down into her eyelash. She closed her eyes to wipe off the sweat and when she opened her eyes again, the setting sun glittered in her eyes.

"Ah!" Rose yelped at the sudden light. There were a few snickers. Rose glared in their direction.

"Well, we know we're too tired to continue when Rose begins to scream," smirked Heather. Rose narrowed her eyes at Heather. Oh she was asking for it. She could, no, she would give it to her.

"Don't, Rosie," murmured Lucy, elbowing Rose. "She's not worth it. She already knows you can beat her up. You don't have to prove it again."

"Fine," snapped Rose.

"I will see you all here again tomorrow at the crack of dawn. No later or stable duty for you." With that, Heather turned her back and sauntered away, apparently proud that Rosalie Wade was too chicken to fight her.

Grumbling, Rose followed Lucy to the baths."She's such a…such a…" Rose said angrily.

"Brat, yes, I know. But there isn't anything you can do about it, so might as well let it go now. We all have to be on the same side if we want to beat the Greeks," Lucy finished.

"But—"

"No buts," Lucy said and that was that.

~oOo~

The Jell-O quivered as Jasper poked it with his spoon. He lifted the spoon and brought the rounded side down and smacked the jiggling mound."

Jasper, what are you doing?" Jacqueline sighed and rolled her eyes at her boyfriend. "You know the nymphs don't like it when you play with you food. They worked hard to make that."

"Sorry, I just...was zoning out," Jasper said quietly.

"Dreams again?" Jacqueline asked sympathetically.

Jasper nodded."Wanna tell me about it?" Jacqueline asked.

Jasper shook his head.

"Okaaay," Jacqueline said awkwardly.

In truth, Jasper didn't want to share his dreams because they were too disturbing. Too harmful. He was afraid to go to bed tonight. For sure there'd be more dreams.

"It seems quiet. Too quiet. Where's Isabel?" Jasper asked, just realizing what was missing. There was no one terrorizing the Mess Hall. No one was yelling how other were inferior to her. No one was in tears.

"Cabin councilors are having a war meeting. They think the Romans are going to make the first move and we have to be ready for it," said Jacqueline quietly, glancing around.

"Oh. Well, I'll see you tomorrow," Jasper said uncomfortably. He stood up and walked back to the Hermes cabin. He had been stuck with the children of Hermes as an unclaimed nonentity the entire time he'd been at Camp Half-Blood. He learned the hard way to keep all possessions under lock and key at all times. He wish his godly patent would claim him more times than there were stars in the sky. He wished that—

"Look who's here! It's crybaby Jazzy. Been wanting you mommy?" a tall blonde boy cooed. Derek stood blocking the doorway to the Hermes cabin.

"What are you talking about?" Jasper said, blushing. He knew perfectly well what they were talking about; he just didn't want to admit it.

"We've all heard you crying and talking and screaming in the middle of the night."

"Hmm. Nope, doesn't ring a bell. Must not have been me. Oh look at the time, gotta go—"

"Who's Rosalie? Been cheating on Jacqueline?" Derek said coolly.

"What? No! I would never!" Jasper shouted in mild surprise.

"Uh huh. Sure." Derek rolled his eyes sarcastically and stepped aside to let Jasper pass.