I'd like to apologize for being so late :(

I really didn't mean to make you wait this long...and I'm also sorry that this chapter is so regrettably short.

Well, anyway, hope you enjoy and let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I am NOT secretly Rick Riordan...I don't own PJO, I just do this for fun.

"I want to make things right again, just...just tell me what's going on with him, please?"

Jason stared at me for a moment before the scowl slipped from his face and his eyes softened, "Look, sorry I freaked out a bit there...it's just frustrating. Ever since you left, he's just been getting worse and worse and none of us can seem help him."

"What d'you mean? What's worse?" I ask, trying to keep my voice steady and failing.

"Just...everything," Jason replies, shaking his head, "Like, he almost never leaves his cabin anymore. He never spars or goes to his activities, and everyone's gotten tried of trying to force him, even Chiron and Annabeth. It's gotten so bad lately that I've had to break down his door and drag him out just to get him to the dining pavilion for some food. He doesn't eat anymore unless we force him, and he barely sleeps. The nightmares weren't so bad at first. I'd hear him scream once or twice since I'm closet to his cabin, and then it would quiet down again. But lately...they've all been like what you saw last night and it's like there's nothing anyone can do to stop them, not even Annabeth. We...we're all just so worried about about him"

"But he said he was at breakfast today, that he missed me being there..." I stammered, completely confused.

"He was, and I nearly fell off the bench. I don't even remember the last time he left his cabin willingly. He...he just walked in and started eating breakfast like nothing was wrong, it was like before...you know...Tartarus," he remarked, running his fingers through his hair nervously.

It was strange, seeing Jason so nervous and distressed. He was always so calm and collected, to the point where he reminded me more of a son of Athena than a son of Jupiter. He had that stoic, militarist mind that I'd found a lot of Romans had, but it was probably just from spending his whole life at Camp Jupiter. He was nothing like Thalia, not so hot-headed or emotional. But now, it was like he actually cared about someone I never thought he really cared about.

And here I was, thinking they'd never really been friends in the first place. I mean, they'd always had this competitive thing going on, ever since they first met. Hell, even before that. For the few months that he'd been at Camp Half Blood, he must've been showered with stories of the mighty Percy Jackson, defeater of Kronos and Hero of Olympus. It would've been enough to rattle anyone, make them curious about the person supposedly better than them.

But in the end I never thought they'd really connected. Like, he'd gone on a crazy quest with Leo and Piper, more than enough to solidify their friendship outside Hera's implanted memories. And being Roman, he already has a sort of unspoken bond with Hazel and Frank even though they had never met before the adventure on the Argo II. Even I'd shared something with him, even though it was involuntary. He was the only person how knew my secret, who I really was and how I felt about Percy in particular. But Percy...they'd never had something bringing them together past the normal demigod stuff that we could all bond over.

It was weird seeing Jason so worried. It was also disheartening.

It proved that I wasn't crazy, that Percy really was in trouble. I wasn't just overly worried about someone I loved. If Jason was worried, things were serious. Gods, it was so serious that they were breaking down his door just to get him to eat enough to stay alive.

And what if he didn't want to be alive? What if...what if all this was just him running away like an animal? Isn't that what animals did when it was there time? They stop eating and leave if they can. What if he just wanted to die alone? What if he just wanted the peace he'd never really had? I know I'd thought about in the past, how dying would have to be better than the way I was living. And I know he'd thought about it too, he'd shared those thoughts with me while we were down there. He'd revealed this secret dark side that he'd always hidden behind the smile.

It occurred to me, now, that maybe he'd felt this way before. Surely he'd felt this hopeless, this lost and alone before. Maybe this whole thing was a long time coming.

I should have seen this coming. Gods, I should have seen it coming and done something to stop it before it got out of hand. I shouldn't have been so selfish. I should've thought about him, I should've helped him.

Well, perhaps it wasn't too late.

"And...and you really think it's me? You think he's been getting so much worse because I left?" I questioned nervously, not meeting Jason's eyes.

Jason let out a deep breath, "I'm sure of it. Before you left, things were bad...but not this bad. You were the only thing keeping him at least a bit sane."

"But what about Annabeth? Hasn't she been, you know, there for him?" I began, trailing off at the end. No matter what she did, I couldn't help but hate her a bit. I know it was stupid and childish of me, but I couldn't help it.

"She doesn't understand what he's going though. She wasn't in Tartarus like you two, she doesn't know how to help him. He's been pulling away from her too, just as much as the rest of us. I mean, you saw what happened last night. She was useless in stopping his nightmare...I dunno. At this rate, I don't know how much longer they'll last," Jason added.

I forced myself not to smile at that last bit. Even if he broke up with Annabeth, he could never care about me as anything more than a kid brother. It's not like he was trying to get my hopes up or anything.

I sighed and finally glanced up at Jason, "Alright, I'll go talk to him right now."

Jason simply nodded and left without another word, seemingly content with my decision to stay and talk with him.

The walk to the Poseidon cabin was a short one. I stuck to the shadows mostly, trying to avoid the sight of the other demigods. Most of them had found it in their ever so compassionate hearts to tolerate me, seeing as I'd helped unite the Greeks and Romans, but that didn't mean I wanted to stop and chat. No need to start weird rumors either, especially since someone must've seen me leave Percy's cabin this morning.

I walked up to the low, stone building and knocked once. Twice. Three times. All to no avail.

"Um, Percy?" I called out, "It's me...um, Nico. Can you let me in? I just want to talk."

I tried the doorknob. Locked.

I kept pounding on the door, hoping it wouldn't alert any other campers to my presence. I didn't need them around for this...it would be painful enough.

In fact, I was pounding the door so hard that I barely registered the hoarse voice on the other side before the door was cracked open and I stopped knocking suddenly. I could already hear footsteps retreating to the other side of the darkened room with blinds and curtains both drawn.

I gulped nervously, and stepped into the darkness.

Tell me what you think! Criticism welcome, as always.

And I hope to back around sooner than before, since I've kind of gotten back into this story and figured out what I'm doing.