"Why won't you let me shadow travel the statue back to camp half-blood?" fumed Nico.
"Because we need you Nico; you're an incredible half-blood and we need you on the quest. Besides, Reyna will be fine taking Mrs. O'leary." Said Annabeth stubbornly glancing at the Roman girl who nodded in agreement.
"No, I am not one of the seven… trying to change that… it's just asking for one us to get killed." Muttered Nico raking agitated fingers through his hair and firmly not looking at Annabeth. He was slipping, he needed to get away from Percy before he ruined the tentative friendship that they had. Percy could easily remain clueless forever(hell he'd already missed all the signs so far) but Annabeth was a smart girl, there was no way she would miss his non-platonic feelings for her boyfriend if he stuck around which is precisely why he needed to leave… like now.
"Nico, shadow travelling across such a large distance carrying such an incredibly heavy and powerful object could kill you. Even if you stopped to take rests you'll be in no shape to fight once you get to half-blood hill and you know Gaea probably has a back up plan just incase we do exactly this." Said Hazel laying a hand on his shoulder while Nico quietly cursed the fact he couldn't lie his way out of that one. His sister was after all a child of Pluto and knew the dangers of calling on their father's power just as much as he did.
"Very well, it is decided; I will take the hell-hound." Said Reyna firmly her fingers closing around the whistle Annabeth handed her, "Please inform Jason and Percy that they had better report back to camp Jupiter alive or I will be extremely displeased."
"Oh I'll make sure of it." Laughed Annabeth. Nico didn't wait around to watch the Roman girl leave but instead headed up the stairs towards the deck. He was contemplating going up to the crows nest to sit and sulk when he crashed into an out of breath and worried Leo.
"Sorry man, have you seen Annabeth or Percy or Jason?" asked Leo quickly.
"Annabeth is down below. No idea where Percy and Jason are." Said Nico shortly, "Is something wrong?"
"Not sure," said Leo grimacing, "But there is a god on board so probably."
Percy had been leaning against the railing when he'd felt it; a slight tingling at the edges of his senses… a sort of energy change in the air. Having dealt with gods since he was 12 it didn't take long for him to realize that there was one near by. Narrowing his eyes and glancing around he saw that Jason and Piper, who had quietly talking to one another by the stern, had also noticed the change and were now gripping their weapons and looking around warily. Percy's own hands reached into his pockets and curled around his ballpoint pen.
"Be at ease Demi-gods. I am not planning on harming you." Giggled a voice near the galley. Not letting his guard down for a second Percy moved closer to his companions and looked carefully at their visitor. Sitting on a barrel was a girl with strawberry blond hair who was adjusting her perfect makeup in a compact. His first thought was that it was Aphrodite come to mess with their lives again, but then he quickly dismissed the thought; the goddess of love maybe prone to be immature and silly but she was definitely a woman, this person, no matter how provocatively she was dressed(and she was) her appearance screamed jailbait.
"Who are you?" asked Jason warily.
"Me? I am Hebe, though I suppose a Roman like you won't have heard of me." Huffed Hebe before turning flirtatious eyes on Percy, "but I bet you have."
"Erm…" said Percy quickly racking his brains knowing it was not a good idea to offend a goddess if you could help it, "You're… Zeus's … cup bearer?"
"Correct! I am also the wife of Hercules." Said Hebe sending a dirty look at Piper, "But don't worry deary, my patron is Aphrodite I would dream of harming her favorite little daughter."
"So then why are you here?" asked Jason cautiously. Percy agreed silently clutching his pen tighter; gods didn't just turn up to say hello, they usually wanted something.
"Hmm… well I said I wouldn't hurt you guys which is true, but I still want my revenge for my husband's humiliation. I can't touch Zeus's or Aphrodite's children of course so…." She said beaming and turning to Percy, "I think Gaea was right, you are the perfect choice for what she wants."
"Wha-?" Percy began his eyes narrowing but before he or the others could move she had snapped her fingers and there was flash of gold light.
"Silly hero, I told you wasn't going to hurt you. All you're battles have made you so suspicious… I am just going to make you a bit more innocent."
Nico burst through the door just in time to see Percy crumple into seemingly nothing while the strange goddess disappeared in a flash just before Piper and Jason got to her.
"Percy!" he shouted panic shooting though him. Nico dropped his sword and knelt next to the pile of cloths a gut retching agony tearing through his insides. He heard Annabeth screaming behind him demanding to know what had happened but he could barely hear it… The suddenly the pile of cloths wiggled and a small head of wild black hair poked it's way out of the collar of the orange shirt. All became still on deck as everyone stared and Nico found himself trapped in the gaze of wide ocean green eyes.
"Nico!" squealed the child in delight and Nico found his arms full of what must have been a four year old tangled in Percy's adult camp half-blood cloths.
"P-percy?" stuttered Nico in numb shock pulling the boy away from himself under his armpits to get a better look at him. All around him his fellow demi-gods gasped and muttered.
"Yep, dat's me!" little Percy cheerfully grinned back staring at Nico with wide, adoring, trusting eyes.
"Shit… this is because I didn't leave right? The gods had to make sure there was only 7 hero's right?" Said Nico glowering at Annabeth who was staring at the child in Nico's arms opening and closing her mouth in shock.
"Erm… well, this certainly changes things." Commented Jason hesitantly.
"We'll certainly have to re-strategies things." Agreed Frank who already was now sizing Nico up with Roman calculation making him feel extremely uncomfortable.
"Hate to be the one to say it but, er, Percy makes a really cute little kid." Said Leo hesitantly ruffling Percy's hair, biting his lip when Percy beamed up at him.
"Whatever, Annabeth you take him." Said Nico trying to hand the kid to her; she was Percy's girlfriend after all.
"Wha- oh no," said Annabeth looking like he had just asked her to take a nap in a bed of spiders, "I am really bad with small children."
"Well somebody take him. Call me if you need me, I am going to the crows nest to think." Grumbled Nico secretly thinking of how he could shadow travel to the underworld first chance he got.
"Nooooo!" screamed Percy throwing himself back on Nico and practically strangling him with his small arms, "Don't go!"
"I am not leaving." Said Nico guiltily wondering if Percy was somehow reading his thoughts in his new small form… gods that would be awful.
"Liar!" said Percy starting to sob and clutching him tighter, "You're always always always leaving me!"
Crap, now he really did feel guilty.
"I won't leave, I promise." Said Nico hesitantly brushing his fingers through Percy's short black hair in an way he hoped was comforting, "Until we get you back to normal I promise I'll stay."