Nico

Sitting by the lake as the sun set, Nico thought about Jason. Thought about how he had left him all alone back at camp. He hadn't even warned him that he would be leaving. Gods, Jason was going to be pissed.

"Hey," said a voice behind Nico. He turned to see Hazel coming towards him. He smiled. "Hi, Hazel. What's up?"

She sat down next to him and skipped a rock out over the lake. "I've just been a little lonely," she said, bumping his shoulder. "Frank is teaching an archery class to some little kids, and I got bored. This camp is pretty amazing."

She stared out towards the horizon. Nico nodded. "Yeah, it is nice," he said. All he could think of were the bad memories that came with this place.

"And Percy lived here," she said softly. "For a long time, right?"

Nico didn't say anything. He didn't trust himself to speak.

"I miss him so much," Hazel said, her voice choked. "I can't believe what he did for us-for all of us." She turned to Nico. "Do you think he's still alive?" Nico took a deep breath. He had to answer. "I don't know," he said. "It doesn't feel like he's gone, but I don't… I just don't know." He didn't mention the hundreds of times he had tried to summon Percy's spirit or ask other spirits if they knew anything. He had failed every time.

"Me neither," Hazel said. "I want to have hope, but at the same time… I'm afraid to hope." Nico reached out and squeezed her hand. "You'll always find the bright side, Hazel. You always do."

She gave him a hug and stood up. "You should go back to your cabin, Nico. Come on." She offered a hand, but he waved it away. "I think I'll stay here a little longer."

"Okay," she said, giving him a warm smile. She walked back towards the cabins.

The night was still and the air cool. The sun finally dipped below the horizon, and the stars emerged.

Nico stared up at them, thinking about Jason. Thinking about Percy. Trying to tell himself that Percy was gone, it was done, and he wasn't coming back, but he couldn't. He just couldn't believe that he was dead-he never spoke to his spirit, or heard others talk about him from the dead, or saw him in the Underworld. What if he was still alive?

Nico knew he could never be completely happy with Jason as long as he kept thinking about Percy, and "what if".

He sighed and stood up, ready to head back to his cabin. "I'm sorry, Percy," he said to the night sky. Then he turned and headed back.

Jason

"Hey, have you seen Nico anywhere?" Jason asked one of the campers. He shook his head. "Haven't seen him since yesterday. Saw him with Hazel and Frank though, and they were about to head off on vacation or something, weren't they?"

Jason cursed under his breath. Not again.

Just when Nico had gotten back and Jason had him again, he had to up and leave, just like that. Trying to keep calm, he clenched his fists and took deep breaths. Everything that he had just told Piper, and all of the shit going on, and he just up and left without a warning?

Jason got that Nico was unpredictable, and moody, and that made him difficult. Jason put up with it 99% of the time. But honestly, Nico just got back from his world travels, and he just took off with Hazel?

Jason sighed and returned to his cabin, flopping down on the bed. It was hard enough being in a secret relationship with Nico, let alone having him back for one day before he left again. Sometimes Jason wondered if Nico really did want to be with him. What did Jason have to offer anyway?

He rolled over and closed his eyes. Maybe a little rest would help-it was only 7 at night, but Jason was exhausted from the day and his training. Sleep couldn't hurt.

His dreams were extremely vivid and awful.

It started out with him and Piper back on the bus when Jason first woke up after losing his memory. She was sitting next to him, telling him all of these stories from when they were dating, but when Jason tried to stop her, she pulled out Katropis and tried to show him it was true. All he could see in the knife was her tearstained face as he broke up with her, and her angry, glaring, disbelieving expression when he told her the truth.

She shoved him and he fell off the bus through the back door, landing hard on the dirt road, watching it go away. He saw Nico leaning out the window, shaking his head. He somehow heard him say, "I never wanted to be with you, anyways."

They were gone in a cloud of dust.

Jason heard the rumbling of thunder in the distance, a storm approaching. He stood and saw a bolt of lightning flash in the distance, and suddenly his father was standing there. "Jason, you failed me," he said. "You failed all of us. How could my son be such a poor leader?"

"I tried to save him!" Jason screamed. "I couldn't do anything! Please!" Jupiter just glared at him. "You were always a disappointment," he said. "I never want to see you again."

"NO!" Jason screamed, but the god was gone. He was alone.

"Jason," a weak voice called from behind him. He whirled around. Percy was struggling towards him. "Oh my gods!" Jason gasped, running towards him and trying to grab his friend. Percy was beaten up horribly, burns all over his skin, scrapes, cuts, and bruises covering him. He was limping and holding his arm gingerly. "You have to help me," he rasped out in a broken voice. "Jason, please. You have to help me." Jason tried to put an arm under his to help him, but he couldn't grab him.

"I'm trying, I'm trying," Jason said, reaching for him. He couldn't reach him, though. Why couldn't he reach him?

"Percy!" he yelled. "Come on!" But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't hold him, support him. He was failing. Like his dad said.

"It's okay," Percy said, his eyes sad. "No one can help me." There was a sudden gust of wind, incredibly strong, that threw Jason sideways, kicking up dust and blinding him. When he looked up again, Percy was gone.

Jason woke with a start, static electricity building in his hands. He calmed himself down and tried to breathe.

"I have to find him," he muttered. "I have to save him."

He was going to Camp Half-Blood.