Camp Half Blood: Magic and Vice

Chapter 15

Will's POV:

I've been working for what seems like forever to figure out a reverse for the serum Olthen had given Rose but I just couldn't. My hands were shaking, my head was throbbing, my vision was getting blurry, and sweat was dripping down my forehead. I decided to bring Rose into my room and lay her down on my bed. I hadn't fully given up, as I was still trying to clear my head and work on something. But the reason I brought her to my room was so that when she did wake up, she didn't have to be on a lab table. She deserved to be in a calm environment when she woke up. I didn't even know if she would wake up to be fully honest. The serum was more than unstable. When I made the serum, I had just wanted to trick Olthen into thinking I was on his side still so he'd trust me and leave Rose and the others alone. But he ended up being the one to trick me. I didn't notice it when the door opened. "Will. Stop working." It was Olthen.

"N-No... I'll never stop. I-I have to save her, Olthen. I h-have no idea what the seru-" Olthen cut me off, putting a hand on my shoulder and pulling me up to stand.

"Will, I'm going to help. Vex has... helped me see that this is not an ideal state for Rose to be in. Not only for you, but for me as well. So... I'll grant you a... compromise, if you will." I looked at him, surprised and not completely convinced.

"What do you mean?" I asked shakily stepping in front of my bed protectively.

"May I?" He asked motioning to Rose. I stayed put.

"O-Olthen, I swear if you-"

"Will, now. Trust me just this once." He asked. Reluctantly, I stepped aside slowly. He waltzed up to her and kneeled down next to her. I bit my lip, watching him closely. He looked at her for a moment and then rested a hand softly on her forehead. I saw a purple light radiate from his hand, making not only his hand glow, but Rose's face. Once he got up and stepped away, Rose's eyes began to flutter open. I quickly rushed to her side.

"R-Rose?! Hey, are you alright?" I said grabbing her hand and kneeling next to her. Olthen was standing now, crossing his arms. She looked at me, expressionless and then after a moment a small smile appeared on her face. I smiled too.

"I brought out her true feelings for you, taking away her memory of her friends at camp and her feelings for them. Still keeping her on my side, of course. I need her, Will. But... I also need for you to be happy. And I need you to be helping me as well. I thought this would be the best outcome for the two of us." I looked up to him.

"You... you did that? What made you change your mind?" I asked, very confused. I thought he wanted her for himself for his plans. I thought he wanted me never to get close to his prisoners.

"Sometimes in life, we need to meet in the middle. To do things that benefit others as well as ourselves. I chose now to do so. Don't make me regret it." He said simply. I looked back to Rose who was just looking at our hands intertwined.

"Thank you, Olthen. Really..." I said looking up to him the same way I used to as a kid. He began to smirk but hid it well. He nodded and then left the room.

"Will?" I heard Rose's voice. My head snapped to her. I met her gaze. As loving a gaze as it was when we were together what seems like so long ago.

"How are you?" I asked softly. She smiled.

"I'm... I'm ok. I missed you, though. I missed us..." She said, a blush rising to her face.

"Really? Like... really really?" I asked. I knew I sounded dumb. Like a kid. But I didn't care. I had to know.

"Yeah, actually... I came back here to find you. To see if... there was still a chance. I know we never got to do the clue following thing... but I figured this off chance might be a close second?" She giggled. I smiled widely. I thought to myself, Olthen said he brought out her true feelings for me. Erasing Ben completely from her memory. He basically removed Ben from the picture entirely... so that means that what she told me was true. Right? Thinking it over and over again, I was positive I was right. This could be a new beginning for us. I know it's not great for Ben and Myra and the others but... this is all I really wanted. Was us. Together. Maybe I should take a little risk...

"Can I... Can I kiss you?" I asked shyly. She bit her lip and smiled. Nodding. It was like the first time all over again. I felt like fireworks were going off all around me as our lips collided. I felt her smile into the kiss which made me smile too. She tugged at my hair, slithering her arms around my neck. I sat on the bed and pulled her into my lap. When the kiss finished, we rested out foreheads together."You don't know how much I've missed this."

"Baby, this is only the beginning." She whispered. I looked her in the eye and smiled. She was the one... I just hope to the gods nobody comes to mess this up. This is too perfect for me...