I was so unbelievably glad that i didn't have shift today. My half sister Katie has her day today and I can finally take a day off. After Nico left i cleaned up his bed and cleaned and put away the equipment before happily handing over the infirmary and long looooong line of patients to Katie and her group. Opening the door at her knock and theatrically and maybe a little to happily bowing her in to her rolling but amused eyes. High fiving a few people on the way out and letting a few others know Katie was on duty today I finally got to my cabin and collapsed on the bed. Taking a deep breath in the empty cabin and relaxing for what felt like the first time in a week oh wait...it has. I finally had a few days though where I could lay back, relax, and not think about anyone or anything...so why did Nico always come surfacing to the top of my thoughts?

I remembered when I first met him, when he first came here when we were both 10. I was pretty new to camp too, but already got sorted into my cabin and spent a lot of time outside. Knowing the place really well even after only a week or so at camp. I wasnt that talkative back then, but I still liked to think I wasn't a complete loner, I had a few friends and I was already getting close to the others in my cabin. Katie was my closest friend by far.

When i saw Nico coming in i was walking down to an archery lesson with Katie, holding our bows in one hand and laughing and talking, probably about some dumb joke we thought was funny at that age. When Nico came barreling down the hill behind us, rolling down like a laughing barrel, and ran into us, quickly transforming us into a heaping mass of arms and legs. We were all silent for a second, then i caught Katies eye and it was all over, we were laughing and cracking up for almost a solid 5 minutes. Eventually we pulled ourselves up and i looked at the boy who knocked us over, still laughing slightly. And caught sight of his shirt...holy crap...I gaped at it and the boy looked at me a little weird. Looking from me to his shirt. Then said awkwardly.

"Are...are you ok?" I nodded blankly, and Katie snapped her fingers in front of me, slapping me out of it.

"Is that...Mythomagic?!" I said, quickly starting to get whipped up again. "Oh my GODS i love that game!"

Nico laughed. "ME TOO! I have most of the cards...my sister wont let me get some of them back in Italy though...apparently we didn't have enough money"

Katie looked down at the shirt now too, me geeking out hard, and pointed out.

"How come that Wine Dude isn't on there...like Mr. D?" Nico pulled the shirt straight and looked at it upside-down.

"They just have the first maine gods and goddesses, from the original card deck. A few of the monsters are on there too but most demons and stuff are on the later editions when they were put into the game." Katie shrugged, seemingly satisfied. I piped in, still smiling wide.

"Still...that's literally my dreeeeam shirt. Maybe we can play some time! Do you have-" suddenly our instructor, the camp counselor at the time, a girl named Mia, came up.

"Will! Katie! We're starting class talk later!" me and Katie groaned, and Katie waved bye before running down. I turned to the boy and smiled, and he smiled back. Then I ran down after Katie, saying to myself id just track him down during lunch and we could talk after.

...he wasn't at lunch

...or after

...not at dinner

...or the next day

...week

...month

A few years passed and i almost forgot about the Mythomagic boy. When i asked Katie about it she shrugged and kept working. But no matter how much time passed by i could never fully put him out of my mind. Almost 4 years had passed when I was walking down from the rock wall, new holes peppering my orange shirt, that i passed someone walking out of the forest. Black hair and black jeans riddled with holes. And a black iron sword on his belt. I swore it looked like he just appeared there.

Knock Knock

I jumped so high i almost hit the bottom of the bunk above me. Practically falling out of my bed I groaned and pulled my hair out of my face as I opened the door to...Jason.

"Dude!" I said. Jumping up and hugging him, (hey i can't help if i'm a hugger) he laughed and patted me on the back, backing up i looked up at him (him a solid 3 inches taller) and smiled. "I thought you weren't going to be here for another week!"

Jason smiled and chuckled. "Change of plans, Reyna's covering Camp Jupiter for me while I was gone, Percy called yesterday talking about Nicos supposed infirmary sentence so im using it as an excuse to visit"

"So why are you here? I think Nicos down by the dock or something, Percy was needing to talk to him about something, wouldn't tell me ''I shrugged, trying to cover up the fact i was a little peeved. Then I noticed Jason favoring his left leg, leaning against his right and covering up a small wince. I stopped mid-track, looking at his leg then his face. "You ok? What happened?"

Jason shrugged. "I got caught in the middle of some wild centaurs brawl, arrow hit my leg. Im fi-"

"No...no no no" I cut him off, pulling him in and grabbing a first aid kit. Snapping to a bunk and saying flatly, "sit". I turned around and heard Jason slightly limp over and sit down, and I walked over and sat on the floor in front of him, carefully examining his leg as Jason asked.

"Are you ok? You seem a little...on edge."

I stopped for a second, then tried to keep going, hoping he didn't notice the split second of confirmation he just got out of me. Me and Jason had become suprisingly good friends, and he knows im gay. So he remains one of the only people besides Katie and Percy i can actually talk about stuff too. He knows me better than even i'd like to admit sometimes.

"Will"

"What!" I snapped, looking up and glaring at him. Jason didn't even flinch, give any sign it fazed him at all. I blinked and took a deep breath, trying to stay positive...this was my day off. My one of few days I don't have to worry about things-. I looked back down, mumbling.

"Not too deep...any deeper it would've needed stitches, not much blood lost either...ill wrap it up and just try not to run or anything to active for a day or two." I pulled out the bandages and wrapped them around his leg, stapling it down and walking to the other side of the cabin to put the stuff away. Hearing Jason behind me

"What's wrong?" he asked, completely monotone but caring and a bit worried. My throat clogged up and I put my hands on the table to steady myself, tears started to well in my eyes. I took a broken breath and a sob escaped instead. A few seconds later I felt Jason put a hand on my shoulder and I finally broke. Covering my face with my hands i cried, then let Jason pull me into a hug. And I sobbed helplessly.

I was only 14, almost 15. But I was a head counselor, head of Apollo's cabin. The cabin of life and healing, music and happiness. As a counselor, as a doctor. Throughout the war people came to me to help them. Throughout the past few weeks I barely slept at all between fighting and healing and ordering the other Apollo kids around, making sure no matter what time someone would be awake to help a camper. Even when i got hurt it was just a quick patch up and back to the field or infirmary. I took next to all the night shifts and only slept throughout the few hours during the calm before the next wave. Even with all the work, all the sleepless nights...i've watched more people die before me than i should be able to count. People in movies say after a while it all seems to blur together...it doesn't...i remember every single face. Every single last breath. The broken faces of the people around them... I found out my mom died in one of the explosions...and no one ever found so much as her body. Then Nico...Nico...comes back and the first thing he does is almost kill himself and spend all his energy. Waving it all off saying he was fine and just move on.

"I CANT!" I yelled, sobbing broken into Jason's shirt. Shaking violently and shaking my head. Jason didn't ask what I think he already knew. He knew enough to just hold me tight and not move, putting his hand on the back of my head and resting his head on mine.

"I CANT SAVE EVERYONE! TH-THEY DIE AND I CAN'T STOP IT! I CAN'T STOP IT ''I sobbed for what felt like hours, yelling and screaming. After a long time I seemed to run out of breath and i took a shaky intake, and broke down in silent tears.

Jason finally spoke, barely audible.

"You do everything you can...every time. You know that. And everyone else does too. No ones blaming you for anyone, you shouldnt be either"

After another 15 minutes I finally calmed down enough to sit on the bed, leaning over and staring at a point on the ground, eyes red. Jason sat next to me, taking a soft breath before saying carefully.

"I know what you mean...i've seen friends die and I haven't been able to stop it...I haven't gone through to your magnitude...but i know the feeling of thinking you could've done more. That if you just pushed a little harder they would still be alive...you know you did all you possibly could for everyone. Don't ever doubt that. You have to focus on the people around you now...that are still alive. And focus on them. Hold onto them. Love them"

I sat there for a minute. "Nico...i love him...but he...doesn't need help...he thinks he can do everything on his own that...he doesnt matter to anyone..."

"He matters to you...doesn't he?"

I nodded...of course he did.

"Then make him see that"

"I do he just...keeps pushing me away...i can tell he-...he's hurting but...no matter what I do it's like he pushes me further and farther away i...what am i doing wrong-" my voice almost broke again, and i took another shaky breath as Jason said.

"Nothing, absolutely nothing...you just have to think of a way to let him see, feel, like there's still people who care about him...a way to let him know its ok to-" he stopped, and I looked up at him questionably. Jason was looking out the window, seemingly like he was looking back on a memory. He chuckled slightly and finished...

"love"

Hey guys hope you like this next chapter. I love writing and giving Will a full side to the story since there's a big lack of him in the books. I do have a small timeline for this story and a full one, no holes. But it wont be that long of a book. So please if you like this story leave comments on any ideas you might have, doesn't matter what, to make this story a bit more full and lengthy. Any ideas i like i can put into the chapters and make this story better and ill give full shout outs to anyone giving me inspiration.