WARNING: This IS going to contain slash. Don't like, don't read. Rated M for now, but might lower the rating depending on if I feel up to writing the rated M things when the time comes…

A/N: So this is a story that I've wanted to write for quite a while. It's special to me, I'm going to try keeping the story in-universe and try to add action and comedy to I, but that also means there WILL be spoilers, for a majority of the books if not the entire series.. I don't really mind if I get any reviews or anything, heck I'd be happy if someone READS it, it's just something I've felt like writing about. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing, those rights are reserved for Rick Riordan.

Keeping Hope

Chapter 1 – I Contemplate the Past, Sanity, Bacon, and Death

My name is Nico, Nico di Angelo, not really sure why I was named that though because 'Nico' stems from the Greek goddess of Victory, Nike, and I don't feel like I've ever really had a "victory". But I have been rewarded with a beyond stressful life. Wait, that sounded kind of ... I don't know rude? Selfish? Sorry, let me explain. I don't live the kind of life that you are probably used to. I live in a world where danger is everywhere and death is imminent; where mythical creatures are real and gods rule over all. That isn't something most mortals are used to. I say 'mortals' because I'm not a mortal, at least not exactly. I can still die, but I'm not all human.

I'm a demigod. Half god and half human, but that makes me all the more vulnerable. You see, not knowing about this "world" where math teachers turn into freaky vampire people, where that nice lady down the street could end up being some snake person bent on crushing the very life out of you, and where the mailman could end up being a god, makes life a lot easier. You don't have to deal with constant threats on your life, or the loneliness that comes with it all. The only real escape I get from it all is… well… I'll explain that later.

It all started after World War II. My mom, sister, and I were staying at a hotel at the time, but we were completely oblivious to the true reason behind the war, at least my sister and I had been. Our mom, Maria di Angelo, had told us we had to be on the run; from what I had no idea, but she gave off the feeling that something was wrong. Unbeknownst to my sister or me, a law had been passed, a law that was pretty much a call for the extermination of my family… A call that would have been successful, had my father not intervened. The only problem? My mother.

My mom died that night. It was a night I never thought I would ever forget, and I developed a grudge towards a certain "King" I also thought I'd never get over, but my father apparently had other plans for my sister and me. After a quick bath in the River Lethe and a hop, skip, and a jump from the Underworld to Las Vegas, we were ushered to the Lotus Casino; where we lived the next sixty or so years in isolation and sleepy, sleepy, ecstasy. Completely unaware and unprepared for the war ahead of us.

My sister was… lost soon after we returned, and I have to admit, my life was never the same after the accident. I held a huge grudge against a certain sea prince after he broke his promise to me. I was weak and childish. I was only interested in a stupid card game and a want to become part of the new and interesting world that had just been introduced to me, but those wants and interests were all at once crushed, along with the hope of a child who viewed the world with such innocence it was disgusting. So I did all a child with nothing to hold on to could do. I blamed Percy for my sister's death, I blamed whatever father out there that I had for the death of my mother and for bringing this life upon me, and worst of all, I blamed myself. It was my fault that I couldn't protect them, and it was my fault for ever trusting anyone besides my family.

I went into solitude after that.

After learning how to use my new "powers", being reprimanded for holding my grudge towards the sea prince by my sister, and proclaiming myself "The Ghost King", I decided to help Percy, but not because I wanted to or I had started to enjoy his company, Hades no, I helped because the world would have ended had I not helped… and that's the only reason… Well, not really… I was in deep, but I would not allow myself to have such feelings, I promised not only myself but Bianca and my mother, that I would never trust someone that much. EVER again.

So anyways, after we saved the world for the umpteenth time, this time for good, or that's what we at least all hoped, until little Miss Oracle had to go all green-eyed and declare a new, probably world destroying, prophecy. We all decided to take a break for a while… And despite my earlier promise, I kind of enjoyed it. I would have left right after Miss Green-eyes finished speaking to find some clue as to what the new prophecy meant before things started getting bad, but… well, things never go exactly as I plan. Ever.

Everyone was kind of dumbstruck as soon as Rachel finished the "next Great Prophecy", but I knew what I had to do. I had to get back to the Underworld to do some investigating. I knew we would need some help with this next prophecy, because I mean, seven demigods? Yeah, there's no way that somehow a child of Hades wasn't going to be in that prophecy, they would need some major "Big Three" firepower if they were going to handle an enemy that required seven demigods, and I knew exactly who I would need to get to help me. If she is still down there…

I slowly started slipping away from the crowd of demigods, something that was easy for me, if not natural. But as I was just about to round a corner where I could shadow travel, I felt a hand grab my arm.

"Nico? Where are you heading off to?" A voice that I instantly recognized as none other than the savior of Olympus' voice. I turned and put on my best, 'I'm not up to anything' smile.

"Umm, nowhere? Just heading back to my cabin before dinner." I said nonchalantly, while gesturing towards my cabin.

"Oh," Percy said looking at me a bit to make sure I was telling the truth, I just stared back at him, slightly annoyed. "Okay!" He replied rather happily, "Just so long as you weren't planning on running away before saying goodbye." I stared at him for a bit as he let go of me and walked off towards the rest of camp, my cabin was pretty away from the rest of camp, but that's how I liked it.

The Hades' cabin was one of my proudest accomplishments to be honest. I'd built the entire thing by myself, if you don't count using the undead as builders. The dark obsidian stone kind of glistened as the sun began its decent towards the ocean. The Greek fire that was placed on the walls around the entrance and the skull above the door might seem menacing, but that's what I preferred. I wanted people to be afraid of the place, maybe then I wouldn't have anyone from the Hermes cabin pulling pranks on me, or I wouldn't have to deal with unexpected visitors.

I walked into my cabin and decided I might as well stay a few days at camp. Percy would probably throw a fit about me leaving after I told him I was staying anyways, and as much as I keep telling myself not to worry about it and that I shouldn't care what he thought, I didn't have it in me to break my word to the guy. He was kind of like a puppy in that sense, and I didn't want to be the one to kick him, well figuratively. I would have no problem with actually kicking him for being so stinking oblivious and well, innocent. He had no idea that Annabeth was completely head over heels for him or that our newest Oracle had been in the same boat not too long ago.

No, he was too busy 'saving the world' to notice most things. Especially the effect he had on me. I thought I hid it well, but there were times where I just couldn't hide my blush, or there was that one time where I thought I killed him by making him bathe in the River Styx and I panicked so bad that I couldn't even configure a full sentence when he came out. No, the boy had no idea the effect he was getting out of me by just say, grabbing my arm. I shook my head of these thoughts. Stupid ADHD. I couldn't get attached. Not again. Especially when he is a 'big hero' who is probably going to go out and get himself killed. My heart panged at the thought slightly.

"Oh shut up!" I said, then thought about how insane I would look had someone besides just I lived in this cabin. Here I was just standing in the middle of the room thinking about how much I felt for a boy and then having an inner battle about whether I should hate him, but to anyone looking it'd look like I'd been doing absolutely nothing for ten minutes, and then I start shaking my head and tell myself to shut up. I shook my head again.

I walk over to my bed and look under it, noticing the handle of my briefcase reflecting the little light coming through the window on the other side of the cabin. I grab the briefcase and quickly open it, pulling out the clothes I had in my dresser and putting them inside the briefcase neatly. I may not be leaving now, but I was going to be prepared when I did leave. I walk into bathroom, wash my hands, and leave the cabin.

The mess hall was packed when I entered the pavilion. The smell was invigorating. The aroma surrounding the pavilion held the thick smell of campfire cooked bacon. My mouth watered. I walk over to my table and sit down as I wait for the Nymphs to deliver a plate to me. A plate is brought to me and I look it over. Half the plate is covered in bacon, whereas the other half is covered by eggs and sausage. Hmm, breakfast for dinner… Chiron must be feeding us all this protein to keep our strength up after we protected Olympus from the titan army. I looked over my food again when all of a sudden, a thought popped into my brain.

Wait, if I control the dead that means I control dead animals too… I pick up a piece of bacon. And if I can control dead animals then that means that I could call whoever this piece of bacon belonged to. I put the bacon back down and sigh. If not just control the meat itself… I look back at the bacon and shudder. Not even going to try to do that.

"Yeah, not eating that anymore" I pick up my plate and throw all of the bacon and sausage into the hearth. Let it be dad's problem. I sit back down, noticing almost every cabin close to my table is looking at me. Realizing I said that out loud, I slump down into my seat a little. Yeah, maybe I'm already insane… Oh well, no going back to sanity now.

I start eating my eggs when a hand pounds onto my back. I jump, almost falling out of my seat.

"Nice job little Neeks!" A voice that I instantly recognize and grit my teeth at says, "You were pretty competent out there on the battlefield. Much to my disbelief actually." I look behind me to see Clarisse, along with the rest of the Ares cabin and a few members of the other cabins behind me.

"It was nothing really… Just a legion of the undead." I shrug, "It's not like I opened a giant hole in the ground and sucked every member of Kronos' army into it by myself. It was a group effort."

"Well, you got Hades' support on our side, and that isn't a small feat, so let's celebrate!" Will Solace from the Apollo cabin said.

Before I could protest I was hefted up onto the shoulders of two members of the Ares cabin and paraded outside the pavilion… Why hadn't I left earlier? I looked over to the direction of the Poseidon table and noticed Percy staring at me. He waved and gave a thumbs up. My face felt like it was full of tomato juice. It probably looked like it too with my pale skin. Before I could wave back I was brought out of his line of view and towards the campfire. The campers parading me across camp began chanting. Damn my luck…

Camp ended rather quickly after that, but not without a few things happening beforehand. Apparently Annabeth had finally gotten tired of Percy's obliviousness, and had decided to kiss him. Which resulted in a round of everyone saying "Finally!" They were then thrown into the lake and we all went back to our campfire.

The next day all of the campers said their fair wells and headed off towards home, or back to their cabins in some instances. I only had one person I really wanted to say goodbye to before I went to the Underworld to begin my search, but he was currently preoccupied with his soon to be girlfriend. So I decided to go to the beach to think for a bit. I looked out at the horizon. Damn, Percy's domain was truly beautiful, in every sense of the word. Much like the boy himself, but I'd never tell him or anyone that. Percy was well… he was everything I pictured in a Hero. He was brave, courageous, caring, loyal, honest (Well, mostly), and beautiful. The boy was a true Adonis in every sense. From his deep and mesmerizing eyes, to his gut-wrenchingly breathtaking smile. I shook my head. I shouldn't be thinking these things, especially when Percy is standing right in front of me giving me that same smile with those same gorgeous eyes… Wait, what?! I stumbled out of my thoughts, quite literally actually. Percy caught me.

"You okay Nicky?" Percy laughed. Oh gods that laugh… Wait? Did he just call me 'Nicky'? I quickly stood back up, breaking his hold on my arms.

"Umm… yeah. Just thinking." I said, while trying to hide my blush. Percy just laughed some more.

"You think too much." He said, sitting back into the sand to stare at the sunset, "Do you know what you are doing the rest of the year?" He asked, turning his head to look at me.

"Umm… yeah actually, I was planning on helping my father with things down in the Underworld." I said looking at the horizon again.

"Oh." Percy said, looking down at the sand. He looked kind of… sad?

"What are your plans?" I ask, he looked back at me with a sad smile.

"I was planning on staying at camp for a while. I could use the break from school, and my mom said she'd try to get Paul to excuse it for me," He said, "but pretty much everyone is heading back home, so I guess I won't have much to do." I looked at him, a pang of guilt hit me looking at his face. The savior of Olympus deserved some time off, some time for fun, and here he would be by himself while I went off on my own agenda.

"Oh, well… I guess I could always ask my dad if I can just… visit every now and then… He might not like it, but hey someone has to make sure the 'savior of Olympus' isn't destroying everything in camp. He is dangerous you know?" I say playfully. He decided to punch my shoulder for the 'dangerous' bit, but then he did something I never would have ever expected or been ready for. He hugged me.

"Thanks Nico." He said while still embracing me, I had started to get very uncomfortable, so I squirmed out of his hold. "You're a great friend, you know that right?" Of course, that was it, he just thought of me as a good friend. I let out a breath I had been holding in.

"Sure." I said, more to myself than to him. I looked out at the horizon as the last sliver of sun was engulfed by the ocean I stood up, "Well, it's time for me to head out." I started walking away. Percy looked sort of sad, but he stood up as well.

"I'll see you around Neeks." He put his hand out for me to shake it. I took it and he pulled me into one armed hug.

"I'll see ya Perce." I decided to hug back a little, then I quickly broke the hold and walked into the forest.

"Just don't come back smelling like death, Dead boy!" Percy laughed. I smirked.

I shadow traveled to my cabin as soon as I came across the first bit of shade I could find. I grabbed my bag quickly and shadow traveled to my room in the House of Hades, quickly falling onto my bed with a sigh. Gods… Percy was so oblivious it was sort of adorable. No! Dammit, I can't be thinking that! Ugh… sometimes I sort of envied the dead. They honestly don't suffer much when those of us alive have to deal with feelings and stupid teenage hormones.

Why couldn't I be dead...? Well, of course there were multiple answers to that, the most important was that a certain sea prince would be devastated, and then there's the fact that Death is missing… at least that's what I'm guessing. I thought back to the prophecy Rachel had given us. I'd need to start my investigation soon. Especially since I actually have to help father with a few things, and I have to go back to camp to see Percy… I'd have to hurry this investigation along, which wouldn't be an easy task, but then again neither would helping my dad or being with Percy.

"Damn this next year is going to be the death of me…"

If only I had known how true those words were…