Shoot an Arrow Through His Heart

Piper Says: No.

CHAPTER SUMMARY

Thanksgiving dinner has consequences, both good and bad.

BEGINNING NOTES

I'm... I'm not even going to give you an excuse this time, I'm just going to admit that I'm insanely terrible at posting. And I don't know why.

I do want to reassure you guys though, this fic is 100% prewritten and will NOT go unfinished. I just have to get back into the habit of posting each week. But even if it takes a year or more, this fic will see it to the end.

I know this one's on the shorter side, but this and next week's chapter was too long to combine.

And all the characters are owned by Rick Riordan.

Credits at the end.

So, yeah, that happened.

I helped Sally hide all the sharp objects in our house after Nico's Thanksgiving outburst. I was still trying to wrap my head around it. Was Papà right to put Nico in the hospital if he'd said he had nothing left to live for? Or did Nico tell me the truth during our heart-to-heart after the party, and he was saying anything to get attention from Papà as he got more distant? I was confused, I was shocked, and I didn't know what to think. Mamma always had the answers. Why didn't I?

Will pulled me aside later that evening. "Percy's doing damage control with Thalia, Luke, and the others," he said, "I'm going to try and talk to Nico."

"Okay," I said. "I'll have the money for you on Monday." I sighed. "I'll pay you double for this, too. I'm so sorry this happened, I-- I didn't expect it at all."

Will smiled at me. "It's nothing. It happens."

"Your dad tells you your brother was suicidal?" I questioned.

Will laughed. "In this family? Yeah, it happens."

I laughed too. "I guess you're right," I said. "We aren't the most normal, are we?"

Will gestured around him, drawing attention to our expensive mansion. "No, I don't think this is normal at all."

"Go on," I said, and I playfully shoved him away. I watched him run up the stairs. I couldn't help but wonder why it was taking so long for Nico to become friends with Will. He had gotten through my defenses so easily and, while they were nowhere near as strong as Nico's, they weren't easy to avoid, either. It should've taken Will a month at the most to crack him. Something else was going on, and I needed to know what.

I decided I was going to follow Will. It wouldn't be hard to eavesdrop. It wasn't wrong to me; Will reported back to me after every conversation, anyway.

Oh you fucking bitch you did not.

Oh, I did, dolce fratello. I even recorded it on my phone. Why don't you put it in the playback...

***

NICO: Whoever you are, get off my fucking back.

WILL: Wow, you've got a potty mouth.

NICO: Blow me, sunshine.

*Rustling*

NICO: I didn't say you could sit on my bed.

WILL: Good, 'cause I didn't ask for permission. Would you turn the music down? I'm trying to have a conversation.

*Music increases in volume*