The Dove that Softened the Skull:

Chapter 1:

It all started here. But that's not uncommon. For almost every Demigod it starts here. A place protected and preserved for those who are a little more than mortal, Camp Half-Blood. For Nico Di Angelo it started here. For Piper McLean it started here as well. What started here was adventure. What started here was friendship and eventually a little more. As Nico sat on his rock out looking a vast, cavernous expanse of nothing he thought about it. He often came to this exact spot in the Underworld. It was his sanctuary, where he could think without the interruption of others. Where he could think clearly… well not until it came along, now nothing was clear to him. He thought about it every day of his life. He thought about it until his head hurt. Ugh, Nico thought, I'm losing it, I'm wasting my life thinking about it… thinking about her. But little did he know she did it too. Every little thing she noticed she could make a connection. Oh look, She thought, it's a… But she'd have to drop out mid-thought because it reminded her too much of him. It reminded her too much of the guy she shouldn't like. She should like someone like Jason or an Apollo guy of some sort, like all of her other sisters. But no, she had to like the son of Dead Head Hades instead. Although the more she thought about it the more it made sense. She was actually proud of the fact that she wasn't just another Aphrodite girl. She was Piper and that was all she could be. Nico, however, was not proud. He was frustrated and when he wasn't thinking he was beating his head against a wall trying to make his life make sense. I can't tell Dad, Nico thought momentarily pausing from the brutal beating he was giving himself, he'd kill me. He had to get back to Camp he needed to talk to someone anyone really, to set things straight. He had to get away forget about her somehow he had to get her out of his head. No, something or someone deep inside of him said, you need her. He decided to stick with that voice no matter how crazy it was, because it was true. With that he shadow traveled to a tree on the edge of the lake. He turned and…

"Nico," Piper said from behind him, "is that you?"

Nico turned around smiling nervously, "In the flesh."

"Gods, Nico you gave me a heart attack!" Piper sighed.

"Well, you know, I have that effect on people," Nico laughed.

"Yeah right, the only thing scary about you is your breath!" She joked.

Nico breathed into his hand and sniffed it self-consciously, "Aw, come on, Piper. It's not that bad is it?"

"No I was just kidding, Nico, jeez take a joke." Piper teased.

"Hm… haven't heard one of those in a while," Nico said amusement and sorrow mixed in his voice, "not a lot of jokes in the Underworld."

"Yeah," Piper agreed, "why are you here anyways?"

To see you, Nico thought. If only it were that easy. If only he could just come out and say, "Hey Piper I like you." But no, he was a shy son of Hades who rarely left the Underworld. She was an extremely social daughter of Aphrodite whose power came from her voice. Could he just lie to her and tell her he was here to see Chiron? Or-

"Well, if it isn't my second favorite cousin, Nico Di Angelo!" Percy yelled while running towards Nico and Piper.

" 'Second favorite'? Have I been demoted dearest cousin?" Nico said while wiping away a fake tear.

"Nah, Thalia would kill me if I didn't say she was first," Percy said checking to see if she wasn't around.

"Yeah that's probably true," Nico laughed, "remember that time the Stolls put glue on the door knob to the Zeus cabin door?"

"How could I forget?" Percy smiled, "The Stolls still regret that one to this day!"

"Well, I'll see you later, Nico." Piper said with a smile.

"Yeah, later," Nico sighed.

After Piper left Percy asked, "Dude what's wrong with you? You look like somebody just shot your hellhound."

"Uh, nothing…" He said looking down at his shoes like he was embarrassed.

Percy laughed and put his hand on Nico's shoulder, "Aw, does my baby cousin have a crush?"

"No!" Nico said a little too aggressively.

"Hey, whatever man. I was just going to give you a little advice." Percy raised his hands in surrender.

Nico looked up eagerly at his cousin, "What kind of advice?"

"Love advice," Percy said with a sly grin.

"Psh, what do you know about love?" Nico teased.

"More than you do," Percy laughed slightly.

"Alright, fine," Nico gave in.

"If I were you," Percy whispered so only Nico could hear, "I'd watch out for Jason. He likes Piper too and well… there could be problems if he found out about… you know."

"Yeah okay, thanks Percy." Nico whispered back shaking his cousin's hand.

"Don't mention it," Percy smiled. "Well, I'd better get back to Annabeth before she files a missing person's report on me."

"Alright see you later." Nico waved as Percy ran back to the Sword fighting arena.

Man, Nico thought as he watched Percy disappear out of sight, Percy has it easy. But, then Nico figured out what he had to do. No, he didn't like it. He was actually quite scared. He had to go talk to Piper again. Nico gulped and his palms got sweaty. It's now or never, Nico thought while making his way to the Aphrodite cabin.