Chapter 27: Goodbyes

                                    

                                          
   Nico and Will were standing next to a camp van, saying goodbye to Brooke.
                          
   "Goodbye, big brother." She said, hugging Will tightly. "I love you. When I come back next summer, I want to hear everything with you and Nico."
                          
   "And I'll try to remember everything. Can't you stay, though?"


                          
   "I want to, but I also really want to see my family. I actually haven't seen them in years. There's my mom and my step-dad, and my step-brother Ryan who was 6 the last time I saw him. Now he's 9! And then there's Caden who was 3 and is now 6! Also there's Roxy who wasn't even 1 yet! Now she's three! Oh, and because of everything going on, I wasn't able to tell you; my mom sent me an Iris-Message back at the end of July right before the battle with Gaea to tell me she's pregnant! And she should be almost due by now! It's another girl."

                          
   "That's great! Well, you deserve to go home. I wish we could keep in touch, but you know, the technology problems. Tell your whole family I said hi!"
                          
   "Sure thing! I know I've already said this like a million times, but I'm really happy for you guys. It was nice getting to know you, Nico. I've wanted to get to know you ever since Will told me that he liked you all the way back when he was 11. It got a little annoying sometimes."
                          
   Will blushed. "Hey!"
                          
   Brooke just laughed. "I'll be so excited when I become your sister-in-law, Nico! I want to be in the wedding!"
                          
   "Slow down, Brooke! We just started dating, and we aren't even 18 yet!" Will said, flustered.
                          
   "But I will be in the wedding, right?"


                          
   "Brooke-"


                          
   "When the time comes, will I be in the wedding? It's okay if you say no, I won't be offended."
                          
   "I don't even know if I'd be able to have maids of honor because I'm a guy."
                          
   "Do you want me in the wedding? It's up to you."


                          
   Will sighed. "Yes, of course you'll be in our wedding." 
                          
   Brooke smiled. "I gotta go now, but I'll see you in the summer! I love you!"
                          
   "Love you, too!" 
                          
   "Goodbye Nico!"
                          
   "Bye." Nico said, flustered. Nico felt that his face was extremely red.
                          
    After Will waved the van off, he turned to look at Nico. As soon as he noticed the blush, he started laughing.
                          
   A little later Nico and Will stood on Half-Blood Hill next to Jason and Piper. They were off to go start school for the year.
                          
   "I know we already said goodbye to you before, but we didn't know when we would see you again. So now I'm saying goodbye until the summer." Jason told Nico. Jason motioned for Nico to follow him. 
                          
   "I thought maybe I would save the sappy stuff for when we were alone. I don't want to embarrass you."
                          
   Nico scoffed. "Why do you need to say the sappy stuff in the first place?"
                          
   "Because you're like a little brother to me and I want to make sure you know how appreciated you are."
                          
   That comment surprised Nico. Little brother? He hadn't been a little brother since...
                          
   "Whatever, Grace."
                          
   "Anyways, I know you've been through a lot this year. A lot in the last 4 years, actually. But you've gotten past all of that. Most people wouldn't be able to endure half the stuff you've gone through. Heck, I wouldn't. And you didn't deserve to have to go through all of that. The fates are cruel. Love is cruel. You're living proof of that. And you got the worst of it all. You probably have gone through more terrible things than any person, and demigod ever."
                          
   "I highly doubt that."
                          
   "Well, if that's not true, then you've gone through the most things than any person or demigod currently alive. And you are so very brave, Nico. And so very strong. Strength isn't just how many pounds you can lift or how hard you can punch. It's also how many things you can handle, or doing things that are scary, or getting past the pits of despair, literally and figuratively. And you Nico, are the toughest person I've ever met."
                          
   Nico didn't know what to say to that. "Thanks, Jason."
                          
   Jason smiled, and Nico could see the little scar on his upper lip. Apparently he had tried to eat a stapler when he was 2. 
                          
   "I'm so proud of you. And so happy for you! Look at that. All that about being hated as a son of Hades and being hated for being gay was all talk, huh? Look at that! You've got a boyfriend! That's great, because I'm not going to be here until summer, so it's good someone's here to look out for you."
                          
   "I'm not a small child. I don't need anyone to take care of me. I was taking care of myself from when Bianca died when I was 10 up until now. And I don't need you to take care of me, either."
                          
   "Well, you're technically still a child because you aren't 18 yet, and you're small as in short, so technically you are a small child. And stop bragging about how you took care of yourself for years. It's not like you did a fantastic job. You probably barely got any food and you were constantly surrounded by bad influences."
                          
   Nico rolled his eyes. "Whatever."
                          
   The 2 of them arrived back to where Will and Piper were at. Will looked uncomfortable, but Piper was smiling innocently.
                          
   "Goodbye, Nico. I'll see you next summer. I'm proud of you, you've been through hell, literally, but you made it out the other end." Piper told him.
                          
   "Thanks, Mclean."
                          
   "Of course. I'm also really happy for you and Will. You've landed a great guy."
                          
   Jason nodded. "Indeed." He turned to look at Will and shook his hand. "I trust you'll be good to him?"
                          
   "I would never hurt death boy." Will agreed.
                          
   "Oh, shut up." Nico told Will. 
                          
   Piper gave Nico and Will a hug. "I'm going to miss you guys!" She said.
                          
   Jason wrapped Nico in a huge hug. "Never forget, I'm always here for you."
                          
   Then Jason wrapped his arms around Piper's waist and lifted off the ground using his control over the winds. Giving Nico one last smile, Jason zoomed off into the distance, readying for school. 
                          
   As the two watched them disappear across the skyline, Nico couldn't help but have the feeling he wouldn't be seeing Jason that summer.