I woke up from my nightmare with a gasp, and kept gasping and trying to catch my breath for another moment or two before I even realized that Nico was standing rigidly by my bed, looking worried.

"Food's here," He said when he realized I was looking at him.

I nodded and rubbed my face, trying to relax and calm my racing heart.

"Allison is here too, with someone that doesn't look too happy about being here. Some kid named Alabaster. You thought I had a chip on my shoulder?"

I scrunched up my nose. "Aaron?"

"Had a bit of an accident with a wax apple, so he's still sort of freaking out. He couldn't tell it was fake." Nico looked a little amused.

"Eithne?"

"Tormenting Travis, then helping Aaron. Those two are quite the team."

"Her and Travis, or her and Aaron?"

"Her and Aaron. Rachel and Allison were sizing each other up when I left. Bets on who would win?"

"Allison. There's no question. She's mysterious, to be sure, but she's fierce."

"Rachel is protected by Apollo," Nico pointed out.

"True," I responded, shrugging. But Allison was a meddler now. Damn that was a scary thought.

"Why'd you just blush?"

I had caught myself mentally swearing and just shook my head. "Nothing. I just remembered something and…yeah. Let's go eat." I got up stretched, then shook my head again. "My hair a mess?"

He shook his head, but there was still some worry in his eyes. "Cass…did you actually—"

"Come on, before Johnny gets caught in the crossfire." I ignored the question that I predicted was coming out of his mouth and walked out of the room with him a couple feet behind me. I could see that Aaron's small duffel bag was already sitting just inside the room I had prepared for him, my old room. He had about as many belongings as Nico did when he came here.

Nico nudged me. "What?" Then he followed my gaze. "Is that everything he brought? He goes to a private school, but thats…"

I remembered when Aaron was over last time the way he had acted, the things he wouldn't say. "That's all he dared sneak out of his house before he went to stay with Eithne and Faolan."

Nico looked up at me. "What?"

It made sense, the way he looked so different. "I thought so last time, but I'm pretty sure his home life was nothing short of abusive. I bet that's what he snuck out before going to stay with Eithne and Faolan. That's why he looks so much better. Not only is he around them a lot more, and taking brief trips into Tir na Nog, but being away from the people that were abusing him and being around people who understand him…"

Nico looked at the bag again. "Abused…you put all that together from a short night over two months ago and a small duffel bag?"

"No, there was a lot more. I recognize pain in others, I suppose camp sort of trained me to notice it." I grabbed a strand of hair and twisted it around my finger. "I guess I was looking to see if I was the only one in pain, and I wasn't short on sympathizers, not because I was to be pitied, but because they knew what it was like to be in pain. Then…before I knew it they were trusting me with their pain."

Nico was silent.

"Maybe Travis was right. Maybe I am the right choice to help at camp," I whispered. "I mean, from what I understand, the Titan war really came about because of pain. Pain and feelings of neglect. Feeling like the world is against you and nothing will change unless you do something drastic. If I recognize it, maybe I can help before things escalate."

"Cassandra Lynn Dellaro," Nico said in an oddly cold voice. "Don't you dare…don't you dare put that pressure on yourself."

I blinked and looked at him. "What?" That wasn't the sentence I was expecting. Nor was the murderous look on his face the expression I was expecting.

"You heard me." His glare made me feel like if he really wanted to, he could kill someone with a blink. "Just because it's what's expected of you doesn't make it right for you. And until you take better care of yourself, you can't handle taking care of that many other people. I've been too relaxed, letting you take care of me because…it doesn't matter why! Cass, you don't need to hold the weight of the world. It doesn't do any good in the first place. I know you're worried about the War and School, and Travis, and Me, and everybody you care about because that's who you are. You're a caretaker. But you have to start looking at what you want and need, because I need you at your best if there's going to be a war. I will not lose another sister."

I slowly nodded, realizing where he was at. I waited a few moments. "Come on. Our food is getting cold."

He nodded sharply and took my hand as we went downstairs together, his grip tight as if he expected me to disappear at any second. "After you eat you're going back to bed."

"No, there's a conversation that still needs to happen and I need to be there for it."

"Why?"

"Because otherwise sleeping will do me no good, as you already noticed."

"Demigod nightmares, or regular?" His voice softened, if only slightly.

I blinked, trying to remember. It all came back, though and I froze on the stairs. "Demigod. Definitely."

"What happened in it?" Nico's voice lowered slightly with the importance of it.

"I saw a group of people. Two guys, three girls. They were somewhere dark, and wet. Creepy as heck. They were lucky to be alive, but something was coming for them."

Nico nodded slowly as he walked briskly forward. "So what was terrifying about it, aside from the location?"

I glanced at him, glad he wasn't looking at me. "Not sure. Can't quite place it. Might have just been their fear leaking over to me." I knew it wasn't. I knew why I was afraid. I knew I would have to go to that place, and face whatever it was that had kept them trapped there. I had to free them. That was what was so terrifying. I still had time to prepare. They had been talking about it being the twenty-seventh. Maybe it was more than just a demigod dream. Maybe…maybe it was a meddler dream too.

"There you guys are, I was about to send a search party," Travis joked lightly. But seeing the bandages on his arm from his battles with monsters this morning kind of made that joke hurt me on the inside.

"Nah, I just had some trouble waking Cassie up." Nico grabbed a bowl and started filling it with his order.

Travis knew that that was code for nightmares and just nodded once. "It was a long night. I wouldn't have woken you up, but I figured you were probably starving."

I nodded and started filling my own plate. Ha. As if my life's plate wasn't full enough, now I was having stupid demigod dreams about quests.

Allison gave me a strained smile. "You look half-dead."

"Nico? Consensus?"

"No comment," He muttered grumpily, giving me a scolding glare still.

Johnny snorted and kept chowing down.

Rachel had some paint splattered on her now, but she ate quietly as she watched Allison somewhat warily.

Eithne was reading the notebook page that Rachel had copied everything down on. "A full moon…I'm afraid it does make sense. Fortunately, time runs differently there than it does here. Our forces will be ready by nightfall tomorrow—in Tir na Nog."

"You told Allison that a day in Tir na Nog is equivalent to a hundred and twenty days here." I recalled suddenly.

"More or less. That's the average, especially in summer. But days there are shorter in winter as they are also here…" Eithne pursed her lips, looking troubled.

"How much time?" Nico asked sharply.

She looked out the window, pensively. "New years eve, at the earliest…" She trailed off, her eyes widening slightly. "Or the new moon. My father is particular about the phases of the moon, my mother would have chosen either the new moon due to the timing, or new moon for the greatest advantage. Our people see easily in the dark. It would be a slaughter."

"Next new moon is the 18th of December," Johnny offered, reading his phone.

I pushed my plate away.

Nico pushed it back. "Eithne, can they be ready by that time?"

"It is unlikely, they were still gathering everyone when I left." She looked distressed.

"The next is the sixteenth of January," Johnny set his phone aside and kept eating like we weren't discussing a war in front of him.

Rachel sighed. "January it is, then. It feels right anyway. I mean, the coincidences are too high, two full moons, a super moon, a blue moon…it's just too much of a coincidence to be a coincidence."

"The notebook says full moon must be in sight." Travis was picking at his food. "But it also says the shining sun."

Rachel frowned. "So the morning after a full moon, maybe?"

"Or an eclipse," Aaron said quietly, fidgeting in his seat. "Or all of the above. I mean, the thirty-first of January is supposed to be a full moon, and an eclipse, so the sun is shining brightly and making the moon shine brightly as well, but then there's an eclipse. Perhaps the battle will start that night, using the light before the eclipse to arrange troops and the darkness during the eclipse. Or maybe it will start the morning after, but…" He trailed off when he realized everyone was actually listening.

Allison had gone rigid. "But we're talking mortal science…" Her voice was weak, like she wanted to convince herself.

Rachel shifted, her eyes narrowed at her half-empty plate. "Times like this make me wish I could access the oracle."

"You can, someone would just have to ask a question. Nobody ask her a question." Travis' voice sounded firm, but also a touch desperate.

My phone rang, filling the silence that had followed Travis' statement.

I answered. "Hello?"

"Cassie? It's Sam Winchester."

I blinked, hearing something loud in the background. "Hey, Travis said you called this morning. It's just been busy."

"Yeah, about that,"Sam got cut off by a roar of some sort. "We might be making a house call. Gareth just sent us your address."

I froze for a moment, panic rising up even as I calmly answered. "Sure, no problem." No problem? No problem!?

"Cassie, whatever you do, don't—" The line got cut off.

"Hello?" I waited a moment. "Hello?"

Eithne looked slightly alarmed. She probably heard the whole conversation.

"Well that was unfortunate timing," I said in a small voice.

"What's no problem? Who was that?" Travis asked, looking slightly stressed.

"Uh, Sam Winchester. Apparently, they're making a house call." I stared at the chinese food. "I'm gonna put this away."

"You barely ate," Nico objected.

"Not hungry," I muttered, but I sat down when I realized he wasn't going to let me have my way.

Nico pointed at my plate. "Eat."

I slowly put a bite in my mouth and started chewing. It didn't even register with my tastebuds.

Allison cracked her knuckles, looking distracted. "Nothing else to be done but prepare for war. I should get back to my kids."

"Are they somewhere safe now?"

She nodded. "They're at the manor. It's safer there than at Northpoint." She looked sort of upset saying that. I understood her frustration. She had built that camp to be a safe place, different from Camp Halfblood or Camp Jupiter. She had wanted to protect her kids, and the place she had built to do that was now one of the most dangerous places for all of them. "I was thinking some of them might need to go to Camp Halfblood. Help with the war preparations. Only some of them are capable or willing to go, but it might…" She just looked more troubled the more she spoke.

Travis nodded. "Just let me know what you decide. I'll be going back as soon as exams are over. They can ride with me." He shoved a forkful of food into his mouth, but looked about as equally thrilled with it as I was with mine.

Which sucks since I had ordered my favorite things from my favorite chinese restuarant.

I resigned myself to eating the sweet and sour chicken, and leaving the mongolian beef since that would reheat much better. I put my rangoons on Johnny's plate with a small shrug.

He gave me a sympathetic look and then downed one.

Aaron was watching Eithne, unusually still from what I was used to seeing him as.

She finally seemed to notice and gave him a small smile. "You sure you're okay with missing school?"

He shrugged. "I'm only there for extra-curriculars anyway, and I'm top of my class. Mr. Bryant said he'd email me assignments and that I could turn in a couple extra musical compositions to make up for my absence. I still think it's a stupid idea for you to go back alone."

"I won't be alone. Faolan will be with me. I just have to…" She shivered. "I just have to try and convince my parents to listen to me instead of throwing me in my room or worse."

"Or worse?"

She gave a nervous smile. "It wouldn't be the first time I'd run away from my wedding."

"Oh you poor thing," Rachel said, looking like she completely understood.

"Yeah, you'd think he would get tired of me ditching him, or at least wise-up and trap me better," She said with a little amusement.

Aaron looked upset. "I don't like it."

"Don't get jealous of someone I don't care about," she said casually. Too casually.

Hmm, I could taste again.

Aaron just looked more upset. "I'm not jealous, I'm worried."

"About what? Me getting married off?"

"No, about you getting hurt."

"No one's going to hurt me, I'm the next in line for the throne."

"That actually usually makes people a target for getting hurt," Johnny pointed out.

"Who's going to hurt me my parents?" Eithne rolled her eyes.

"Mine did!" Aaron stood up and met her startled gaze. "You think there aren't similarities?"

The rest of us looked at each other awkwardly, recognizing that we all felt like we should be somewhere far away from here.

Eithne seemed frozen, her mouth opening but shutting without saying words. It was as if she was suddenly considering his words and finding merit in them.

It was alarming to say the least.

But finally, she tucked her hair behind her ear and calmly said. "While there are some similarities, there are also differences. My parents would not hurt me, not physically."

"Not physically," Aaron repeated, turning a glare to the floor.

"They think they are doing what's best for our people, it blinds them to what's best for me," She continued, but she sounded unsure.

Nico caught my eye and mouthed, "Should we leave?"

I shook my head slightly. It might make things more awkward.

Allison was taking an intense interest in her glass of water.

Travis was chewing a bite in super slow motion.

Rachel was looking at the notebook page like it was the best book in the world.

Johnny was the only one who acted truly oblivious to what was going on, eating as if we weren't talking about war, death, parental abuse, and the like.

It was silent in the room aside from the sound of silverware against plates.

"Oh, for pete's sake! You're worried about her, fine. But I don't think that's going to change what she's doing. She's escaped before, she can do it again, right?" Johnny asked, getting up. He didn't wait for an answer. "And it's not like she doesn't have that Faolan person to help her as well. We already know that she's just as worried about you since she's having you stay here, out of harm's way, which means it's too dangerous for you to go with her. And so we don't know when the war will actually come, I know you guys got lucky before in having pretty exact dates of when wars would start and end, but you have a general idea already and it's not like you're completely unprepared for war either. You guys spend all of your time sparring and making weapons, and the like. Cassie, eat your damn food. Nico, sit down and sit still. Travis, try to relax. Rachel, you're weird. Allison, you should get back to them, but more so because you're worried than anything else. Eithne, you should get a move on. Aaron, suck it up cupcake. Now would someone make the dog stop staring at me!"

It was probably the lack of sleep and emotional fatigue that made me start laughing, and everything else that just made me continue.

"I think…you just broke Cassie…" Travis said, sounding concerned.

"You know, I'm pretty sure it was probably her damn boyfriend."

Whoa…

I still couldn't stop laughing.

Johnny was standing there like he couldn't believe that it came out of his mouth. "That…that came out of my mouth."

Travis cleared his throat, patting my back in concern as I continued to laugh so hard I was practically hyperventilating. "Well…you're not wrong…"

Nico snorted. "He means the boyfriend part, not the it came out of your mouth part." He eyed me then shook his head. "She needs sleep."

Eithne came closer. "That, I can definitely help with." She touched my forehead.

I was calm instantly, and then my eyes shut.

AN: The story should slow down a bit after this, also, I don't know if you guys know about the One-Shots connection, but you might want to check it out. A lot of them are probably going to connect to this in the future. Actually, I'm probably going to rename it because they really aren't one-shots. I'm not sure what they are, but they're not really one-shots. They all connect in some way or other, especially to this story. I've been trying to post this part for four days now.