A/N: Hey, guys! Sorry it's been a while since the last update. Hopefully this will be to your satisfaction. Good news: Since Christmas Break is coming up, I'll be able to write a lot more. I'm aiming to update at least three times between now and the end of the year at the bare minimum. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, and anything else that you celebrate.

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson. All rights go to Rick Riordan.

Warning: Description of wounds- though not that graphic. Minor character death.

Will woke up bright and early the next day, as always. He remembered what was going to happen today and smiled. Today he was going to help Lee in the infirmary.

Will was so excited. To be completely honest, he was relieved that he had this power. What Andrew had said yesterday had really affected Will. He knew he shouldn't take any of it to heart, but all of those things had already been racing through Will's mind. To have someone who practically a stranger to him voice them...Well, it severely injured what self-esteem he did have. Even the jibe about his accent wouldn't leave his head. So now that he had a real Apollo ability, Will felt like he actually deserved to be a camper at Camp Half-Blood.

Eager to start the day, he jumped out of bed, careful not to wake his siblings, and got dressed as quickly as he could. He was finishing tying his shoes when Lee woke up. When he saw Will, he blinked groggily and reluctantly rolled out of bed. "I can't believe you get up so early. Aren't kids supposed to sleep in?"

Will laughed at his brother. "C'mon, Lee, you said you'd help me out today."

That seemed to wake his brother up a bit. "I did, didn't I? Hades, I still can't believe you can do that. I've never seen anything like it. I wonder what else you can do. Well, we won't know until we find out, will-" Lee stopped and stared at one of the bunks. "Where's Alec?" he asked slowly.

Confused, Will looked around and saw that Alec was, indeed, not in his bed. Both of the doors to the bathroom were wide open, and Alec never got up before 7:00 a.m. anyway.

Lee looked very worried. "We need to wake everyone up," he murmured. Louder he said, "Will, help me wake everyone up."

"How?" Will asked. "They all sleep like the dead until about six thirty."

Lee seemed frantic. "I don't know! Shake them, whistle, pour water on them for all I care. Just help me wake everyone up!"

Shrugging, Will put two fingers to his mouth and whistled. Immediately, everyone woke up.

"I'm up!" Michael yelled, sitting bolt upright.

A couple people yelped, and everyone was looking around in confusion. Lee had jumped with surprise, and stared at Will.

"What?" Will asked.

Lee blinked, shaking his head. "Will, that's another ability you have. Ultrasonic whistling. That can come in handy. Be careful where you use it though- depending on the intensity, it can stun people."

Will's eyes were wide. "Oh. Sorry."

Lee laughed. "Don't worry about it. It was effective, wasn't it?"

Michael grumbled. "What did you wake us up for, anyway?"

Everyone turned to look at Lee, waiting expectantly.

Lee's face clouded over again. "Alec. He's missing."

Confused glances were thrown around the room. Everyone started talking to each other, recalling when they had seen their brother last and where. The last time Will had seen Alec was when they were about to shut out the lights in the Apollo Cabin. Alec had been talking to Edmund about his sword fighting lessons with Luke Castellan. Will hadn't seen him since, but where was there to go? Everyone was about to go to sleep. Alec wouldn't have wandered out of the cabin, surely. Besides, what could possibly be out there to see late at night?

"Alright; listen up!" Lee yelled over everyone. "We're going to do this in pairs. Cyrus and Camille, go down to the lake and firework beach. Edmund and Michael, go to the border. If he's not there, then check the forest. Abby, Brooke, and Fae, ask around to see if anyone in the other cabins has seen him. If they haven't check the archery range. Will and I will check the infirmary, the sword fighting arena, and the dining pavilion. No matter what happens, do not split up. If something happens, scream. Run. Get help. Do not try to fight anything or anyone. That's how Malcolm almost died. Now, go!"

The children of Apollo all ran off. They went throughout the camp, calling Alec's name. The lights inside of several cabins turned on, so Ally, Fae, and Brooke wouldn't have too much trouble.

"Lee," Will managed to say as he ran after his brother. "What do you think happened?"

Lee Fletcher's face was grim. "I don't know, Will. But I don't think that this is something insignificant. Alec wouldn't just run off in the middle of the night, not without good reason. You and I both know that."

They arrived at the infirmary. The door was locked, but, as head medic, Lee had the keys, and he opened it. As Will and Lee had both suspected, the infirmary was empty.

"Let's check the dining pavilion next," Will suggested. Lee nodded, and they left the infirmary.

Lee was just about to lock the door when a shout sounded from the direction of the camp border. Lee and Will whipped around to see a frantic Michael and terrified Edmund running toward them, dragging Alec between them, limp as a rag doll.

"Lee!" Michael screamed. "Lee!"

Will didn't need any instruction; it was like his body went into auto mode. He pushed open the door to the infirmary. Racing inside, he grabbed the nearest bed and pulled it fairly close to the door so his brothers didn't have to carry Alec too far. Will's brothers brought Alec in just as Will was grabbing ambrosia and nectar. Will shot glances at his brother, assessing his condition.

Alec was, frankly, a mess. Deep gashes ran up and down his dark skin- across his face and chest, and along his arms and legs. It looked like the hellhound claw marks on Malcolm, but longer and deeper.

There were two factors that really scared Will. Yes, he was seven, but he had never been one to get freaked out from someone's wounds, even at Camp Half-Blood. One factor was more fear for Alec, and that was this: They had no idea how long he had been lying near the border of Camp Half-Blood, which meant he could have been bleeding out for a long time now. And, sure enough, Alec's breathing was very labored. He had been unconscious and bleeding for a while. The second factor was probably the most concerning. Not just for Alec, but for what it could mean for the camp. The lacerations were made with precision. This wasn't random mauling from a hellhound. Whatever monster did this, they knew exactly where to cut Alec to ensure he would die, but that it would be slow. And painful. That meant that this monster was intelligent. Will knew that an intelligent enemy was far more dangerous than a merely violent one. An intelligent enemy made a plan- a plan that would work- and they executed it. More often than not, they succeeded. This was some monster's (in every sense of the word) plan. Someone used his brother as an expendable pawn. And to Will, that was unforgivable.

Time was of the essence. Will's mind, naturally sharp and critical, immediately saw the inflictions that needed attention first. "Michael," he ordered calmly but sternly, "Get me lots of nectar."

Michael looked surprised for a second, probably because his seven-year-old brother was acting as a doctor and ordering him around, but then he quickly ran off to do as instructed.

"Edmund, go get Chiron. Lee, gauze. Bandages. And I'm going to need surgical thread and a needle." Will's voice was grim, and his brother knew that that meant there was no room for questioning. Lee ran off, and Will turned back to his patient.

Michael returned with nectar, and Lee followed him with everything else soon after.

Michael hovered at Will's shoulder. "Is there anything I can do to help you guys?"

"Yes," Lee said. "Don't let anyone else but Chiron into the infirmary."

Michael ran outside to perform this task. Will and Lee started binding Alec's chest with bandages, doing their best to stop the blood flow. Will poured nectar into his mouth, being careful not to give him to much. All it did was ease up the bleeding, which was a good thing, but it might not be enough. Will worked furiously, stitching up the shallowest of the wounds. He would save his powers for the deepest ones.

When he didn't think he could do anything else, he placed his hands once again on Alec's chest, ready to heal him as best he could when he didn't have full control over his powers. But before he could channel his powers, a hand lightly touched his wrist. Will turned his head quickly, shocked to see a barely conscious Alec looking at him. "No," Alec gasped. "Too much...blood. Monster...smart,"

Lee quickly took advantage of Alec's consciousness. "What monster was it, Alec? What happened?"

Alec was struggling to speak. "Heard a sound. Went to- to investigate. Don't know what it was. teeth. It- it hurt. Lee, it hurts." Tears were streaming down Alec's face.

Lee put a comforting hand on his little brother's forehead. "Shhh. It'll be okay, Alec," he whispered. "Will is going to heal you. He has special healing powers; did I tell you? He'll fix you up. You'll be sword fighting again in no ti-"

"No," Alec said again. "M-my time. Fates...my string. Tell Chiron- tell Chiron… golden apples." Alec started gasping. "I… love… you guys. My- my siblings. Best thing… ever happened to me."

And before either Will or Lee could react, Alec Daltroy became limp, his eyes looked at something far away, and he released his last breath.

The days following Alec's death went by without Will noticing. He didn't understand it. Why didn't Alec let him heal him? What had attacked his brother? Why did Alec go off alone? Why did he have to die? But most of all, he wondered why he hadn't been able to save Alec. Why he hadn't been able to heal him.

The camp was in upheaval. The younger campers were terrified now that they were going to be killed by monsters in their beds. The older campers were training more vigorously, getting ready to defend their family and friends. The Apollo Cabin was mourning. Everyone had cried. Chiron had arrived at the infirmary right after Alec had died. Lee numbly updated the centaur on the events of the past evening, and then Chiron had instructed them both to return to their cabin and to get whatever rest they could. Their siblings were all there waiting for them. Will would never forget the quiver in Fae's voice as she asked:

"Where's Alec?"

Nor would he ever forget it when Lee had sadly shook his head and said, "He's gone,"

Fae and Camille had started sobbing. Abby ran over to Cyrus and hugged him tightly, both of them squeezing their eyes shut tightly. Brooke stood there in shock, tears streaming down her face silently. Edmund was also quietly crying. He punched the wall a couple times, nearly breaking his hand, before collapsing on the ground and shaking with silent sobs.

Lee and Michael didn't cry. They teared up, but they didn't cry. Neither did Will. He was still in too much shock. But that night, as he himself lay sobbing into his pillow, trying to muffle his screams of despair, he heard Lee and Michael doing the same. Michael was lying on his back, staring at the ceiling, gasping and choking on his tears. Lee was facing the wall, but Will could still see the outline of his shoulders, and they were shaking violently.

Will had had his first encounter with death that day. That was a hard experience for anyone to go through, but for it to be your own brother who departed, that was soul-shattering. Will felt partially should have just healed Alec, despite the demigod's insistence. Why would he want to die? The truth of the matter was, he didn't. Alec told Lee he was scared, but he still didn't want to be saved. It didn't make any sense. It wasn't fair. Death wasn't fair. Besides, why did some immortal hags get to decide when someone died, whether they be eighty years or three months old? And if their parents were gods, then why didn't they step in to save their children? Will thought that parents were supposed to love their children unconditionally.

Not that he had any real knowledge about what parents were supposed to be like. Back in Tennessee, Will had been able to mark his mother's apparent lack of interest and love to her being busy with work. But now that he was at Camp Half-Blood where he had people who really did love him, and who made time for him no matter what their lives were like, he knew that he simply had never been loved by Naomi like others were loved by their parents. This truth left a gaping hole in Will's chest. He wanted it to be filled so desperately, but he had no means by which to do so. Lee did his best to make up for the absence of a father in his siblings lives, but no matter how amazing a brother he was, he could never be the father they were all missing. Some of Will's siblings were able to turn to their mothers. Will couldn't even do that. Sure, he and Naomi wrote to each other occasionally, but Naomi's letters were always short and concise. Still, Will lived for every one of them.

Will was sitting on the edge of the docks, smiling at the naiads, when he heard Silena's voice from behind him.

"You know, you really shouldn't encourage them. You'll have enough people hanging over you as it is." The daughter of Aphrodite came over to sit down next to him.

Will moved over to make more room for her. "What do you mean?"

She laughed her beautiful soft laugh. "You'll see, Will. You're a handsome kid now; I can't wait to see you a few years from now."

Because she had paid him a compliment, he thought it was only right to pay her one back. "Y'know, you're pretty, Silena."

She smiled at him. "Thank you, Will." She looked out over the water and said, "It sounds very genuine when you say it. You're not trying to get anything out of me, and you're not saying it because you have some kind of ulterior motive. You say what you mean- it's quite refreshing, actually." She put a comforting arm around his shoulder. After a few minutes of silence, she asked, "How are you holding up? It's always hard, losing a sibling. And Alec's death was… well, I heard it wasn't the kindest."

Will shook his head. "It scared me," he admitted. "Whatever did that… it wanted him to feel pain. It wanted to ensure he died, but it wanted us to find him alive first." He started to hyperventilate slightly. "What if it comes back and attacks someone else? What if it kills us all off, one by one by-"

"Will." Silena interrupted. "I don't know what will happen in the future. I don't know what killed Alec. But what I do know is that we're all demigods. The odds have always been against us, and we have prevailed in the past, and we will do so again. We fight for each other here. We protect each other. If the monster managed to get inside the camp borders- and there's only a microscopic chance that that would happen- then it would have an entire army to fight before it could kill anyone."

Despite her words, Will didn't feel much better. But he shrugged and smiled at her anyway. "Yeah, I guess what you're right,"

Silena smiled right back at him, not suspecting that he still wasn't entirely at ease. "C'mon, let's go. It's almost time for lunch."

Will's birthday, June 21, had been last week. His siblings were all so great. They had worked together to put on a special concert for him in their cabin, performing his favorite songs, and some that they had written themselves. Lee made sure that his favorite campfire songs were played at the campfire that night, too. Throughout the day, his siblings all hung out together. They all went on the climbing wall, swam in the lake, attempted sword fighting (it made them all feel a little closer to Alec, so it was something they all had come to do at least once a week without really meaning to), and they had even all helped out in the infirmary, just because Will loved being there so much.

Lee and Chiron had been helping him figure out his healing powers, and Will could finally say he understood how they worked now. It was a little frightening at first, because he was immediately able to tell what was wrong with someone. That could get overwhelming, especially when the infirmary was full of patients. He had to learn to focus on one person at a time and to block everyone else out. While he didn't always know how to fix them, he usually had a pretty good idea, and therefore had become known as a very skilled healer among the rest of camp. People had started coming to him when they got hurt, and Lee was often saying how much of a relief it was to have 'competent help in the infirmary'. The best part of it was, Will loved working in the infirmary. He had never felt as complete and needed than he did when he was helping someone, and it felt great to be needed.

That was what he was doing right then. He was looking after the infirmary to give Lee a break. His brother got to do the thing he loved (archery), and Will got to do the thing he loved. Win-win situation.

He was in the supply closet at the back of the room taking stock when someone came in. He didn't hear them until they were right behind him, clearing their throat. He whipped around to see the intense grey eyes of Annabeth Chase.

Will smiled in greeting. "Hi, Annabeth."

The daughter of Athena wasted no time on introductions. "Hey. I need your help," She grit the last part out, as if it physically pained her to say the words. It didn't, Will would be able to tell if it did, so he marked it down to her pride.

"What can I do to help?" He asked.

Annabeth let out a long sigh. "You're a healer, right? And Fae in your cabin, she suffers from anxiety, right?" She didn't give him a chance to answer. "Well, Monique keeps freaking out about something, and she won't tell any of us."

"So you want me to try to help her because you think she has an anxiety disorder like Fae," he finished her request for her.

Annabeth nodded stiffly. "C'mon, I'll take you."

Will followed Annabeth out of the infirmary to the Athena Cabin. Monique, a pretty ten year-old with hazel eyes and blonde hair that gently curled around her shoulders. She had a thin, frail stature and pale, freckled skin. As he got closer, Will realized her rosy cheeks were glistening from tears previously shed. Her eyes were also rimmed with red. He immediately felt a pang in his chest. Fae got like this sometimes. She looked so defeated and terrified. It always killed her siblings to see their talented sister feel so afraid of life. It was also dangerous, too, because sometimes people would tell Fae that there was no such thing as an anxiety disorder, and that everyone got anxious. That was true- everyone did get anxious sometimes. But Fae's anxiety got in the way of her doing everyday things, ordering something at a restaurant, talking to people, and even standing up to do something like go to the bathroom or get a drink when there were other people around, especially people she wasn't close to. But when people tell her that she didn't have a disorder, like she was overreacting or something, she started to feel broken. Like she wasn't supposed to feel like she did, or she was missing a piece that everyone else around her had. It was really hard to see such a bright person think of themselves as dysfunctional. Whenever she got like that, Will and everyone else in the Apollo Cabin hurried to reassure her that she was perfect the way she was, and they wouldn't have her any other way.

It was quite possible Monique was feeling the same way, and it made Will want to help her any way he could. He and Annabeth finally reached the spot where Monique was. Annabeth spoke.

"Since you won't tell any of us what's wrong, I brought Will. He should be able to help. I'll be inside if you need me for anything." And she disappeared inside the Athena Cabin.

Will walked over and sat beside Monique on the porch steps. "So," he began. "Would you like to tell me what's been bothering you? Or, of it's too soon for that, we can talk about something else for a while first."

Monique didn't say anything, so Will started talking about camp. "Coming to Camp Half-Blood was the best thing that ever happened to me. I got a lot of brothers and sisters, there are lots of cool things to do and see, and I found a real purpose. Lee and Chiron have been helping me learn to use my powers. Sometimes it can get overwhelming, especially when there are lots of people in the room, but it's totally worth it. What do you like best about camp?"

After a brief pause, Monique responded softly, "I like the campfires,"

Will visibly brightened. "Oh, yeah! The campfires are the best. S'mores, sitting with your friends and family, the sing-alongs. Which song is your favorite?"

The daughter of Athena thought for a moment. "I like 'Down by the Aegean,'"

Will grinned, and immediately started belting out the lyrics. He knew he sounded horrible, but he thought it was fun, and it brought a small smile to Monique's face, so it was totally worth any embarrassment.

Her smile soon faded. "How do you do that?" she asked in a whisper.

He was slightly confused. "Do what?"

She gestured vaguely at him. "That. Do things without ever worrying about someone judging you."

He shrugged. "I guess it's just my personality," he said. "But, it's also okay not to be like that."

Monique shook her head. "No, it's not. It's shameful and embarrassing. I can't do anything without worrying what people will think of me, not even throwing something away in the dining pavilion. Every time I hear someone around me laugh, I immediately think it's about me. I just want to be normal!" She wailed. "Why can't I be like everyone else? Why can't I worry a normal amount? Instead, I have to live my life constantly afraid of everything."

Will pondered a moment before responding. "Monique, would you come to the infirmary with me for a minute?"

She nodded miserably. When they reached the infirmary, Will had her sit down in a chair near the back. "I'm pretty sure I know what the matter is, but just in case, I want you to fill this out. Just read the statement, then circle the number that most applies to you. One means the statement never applies to you, two means it rarely applies to you, three means it sometimes applies to you, and four if it always or almost always applies to you. It's important to answer honestly."

Glumly, Monique nodded and took the paper, clipboard, and pencil out of his hand. Will continued taking stock while she filled out the paper. He knew that some of the things on that list could cause a person anxiety just by reading and trying to answer them- like the question about suicide. It was really hard for some people- especially people with anxiety- to answer a question honestly, even if they knew it was for their own wellbeing. Sometimes, even answering it on a paper that they knew was going to be read and evaluated was difficult. On one hand, the person really wanted to stop worrying and living in fear of being judged. But on the other hand, that fear stepped in and made it hard to answer the questions honestly because they were afraid they were going to be judged for their answers. In Will's opinion, it was very important to make the environment and even the people who were going to read the results of the test seem as non-judgemental as possible. The kinder and more accepting, the better. Whatever put the person taking the anxiety test at ease.

About fifteen minutes later, Monique came up to him and handed back the clipboard. "Here," she said to him. Then she asked, "Are you going to be diagnosing me?"

Will smiled at her kindly. "I'll only look at your results if you want me to. Chiron and Lee are the people who will be looking at them for sure."

Monique seemed slightly apprehensive. "Could you look at them, too? That way all three of you can decide if I answered correctly based on what you see me do around camp."

Will had forgotten about that one. The fear of answering the questions on the test incorrectly. It was sad, because there wasn't a right or wrong way to do it. But then doubt would sink into their brains. What if I really should have put a three instead of a two? What do I put for how often I think about suicide? It's crossed my mind, but I never thought about actually doing it. Do I put a one or a two? He just smiled at Monique and nodded, telling her the last of what would be happening. "You'll have to talk to Chiron, Lee, or one of the other counselors at camp about the anxiety. After a meeting or two, they should be able to tell you what kind of anxiety disorder you have, if you have it, and what to do to reduce some of that feeling."

Monique nodded, took a slightly shaky breath and said, "Thank you. I don't think I'd have been able to do that if you hadn't let me take my time telling you everything."

Will's smile was comforting as he replied, "Sure, anytime." They said goodbye, and Monique left the infirmary to join her siblings at arts and crafts.

A/N: Thank you for reading! Any questions/comments are welcome and appreciated. Thanks to everyone who has read/reviewed/favorited/followed. It makes each chapter that much more enjoyable to write :)