Hello there, dear readers. Yes, I'm back and better than ever with a brand new story. Before you go on and read it, however, I want you to remember this; updates are updates and reviews are reviews. If you don't review, an update will still come, just much, much more slowly than if I get reviews. Reviews compel me to write more, but I will still write if I get none, just it will probably be one or two updates every few months with no reviews. I'm not saying reviews are unwelcome, but nor are they demanded, it's your choice, loves. Oh yes, and if you ever think that I may be Rick Riordan, think about this; is Nico the main character? If not, then I am not Rick Riordan. Now please, loves, go and read this story and I hope you enjoy it.

Now I'm falling even more in love with you
Letting go of all I've held onto
I'm standing here until you make me move
I'm hanging by a moment here with you
I'm living for the only thing I know
I'm running and not quite sure where to go
And I don't know what I'm diving into
Just hanging by a moment here with you

-Falling Even More In Love With You - Lifehouse

Honestly it's my confinement to the Underworld more than anything that makes me want to rip my hair out in frustration.

I can stand the never ending cold, the darkness that never seemed to go away; I can even stand the fact that there's always a feel of certain impending doom in the air, but what bothers me more than anything, however, is knowing that I'm in the Underworld by force not choice. I hate being forced to do anything. I lash out when Demeter tries to get me to eat more, so when my father had ordered me not to leave the Underworld it was the last straw. It took all of my will to spit out yes father through gritted teeth instead of attacking. Now, my father has left me with only one choice; running away.

So here I am, pacing my bedroom with only one dilemma in mind; How the Hades do I get out of here without my father noticing my absence? It's not as if I just disappear into my room every moment of the day. No, instead I go to Elysium and see Bianca and mother, and I knew undoubtedly that since Persephone was not here mother would talk to Hades about me not coming. I know it's only because she's worried, as I had been so ecstatic to meet her at first, she must have thought I'd never leave her side, but after the first few months it got annoying to not be able to have one day of privacy, one day where I didn't visit them, without her motherly instincts kicking in. Apparently because she'd died when I was so young she got used to worrying quickly, but Gods it was annoying. I guess I should go visit them now...maybe Bianca would know what to do. She knew this place inside and out...okay maybe not out seeing as she couldn't leave, but she knew every square inch of this place like the back of her hand, even Tartarus. If she didn't know a way out, there wasn't one.

I walked out of my room, grateful that I wasn't confined to any particular area of the Underworld, like my fathers palace for instance. It usually took me about twenty minutes to get to Elysium, when I was dragging my feet and kicking rocks on the way, but now when I was practically sprinting there it took me about two minutes and thirty five seconds. What? My ADHD brain needed something to do while I was running. I opened the gates to Elysium and waved to everyone who, well, waved at me. Most of the people in Elysium were nice, but they were also a lot of old people. The grandfatherly/grandmotherly types, you know? I mean, there were a few pretty cool guys, like the original Perseus and Theseus, and they seemed content with death, completely unlike Achilles who agonized on and on about being dead. He seemed to accept that it was his own arrogance that got him here, though, so he didn't complain about that. But that didn't really make me want to hang around him, seeing as it was just about the one and only thing he didn't complain about. I liked Perseus especially, however, seeing as he reminded me of a certain green-eyed boy from camp. That, and he helped me train when I wasn't at Camp.

I passed by where this old lady lived who kept insisting that she was my great-great-great grandmother, and i'll admit at first I thought she was loony. Then Bianca informed me that she really was our great-great-great grandmother, and I felt bad for thinking that. But hey, generally when some old lady rambles about being your great-great-great grandmother, you're not just going to believe her right off the bat. Now I tend to avoid her, because i'd made it pretty clear to her that I thought she was loony and I didn't want to have to apologize. So I just quickly moved on and arrived at my mother and sisters house. I'll admit, I envy them. They get to stay together, and Bianca can come and go as she pleases because mother knows she can't leave the Underworld unless summoned, so no matter how long she's gone mother never worries. Ever. Plus, their house was huge like, mansion huge. And it was pretty wicked at that.

"Hello, Nico." I heard someone say behind me, just as I was about to open the door. I turned around to see Bianca, for a lack of a better word, standing behind me. "How's Percy?"

I am extremely sad to report that my face went more than a little red at the thought of the Son of Poseidon, with his vibrant green eyes and shaggy black hair that always seemed to fall into his face, no matter how many times he flicked it out of his face like a hyperactive demigod rabbit that's jacked up on coke and caffeine. But it looked good when Percy repeatedly did it, hot even...okay, shut up brain. I hate it when my mind wanders like his, as if I have no control. If things went my way i'd lock somethings up in my brain and never think of them, because when my mind wanders i often don't like what I find. "Hey Bianca, how should I know? But i'm fine, thanks for asking."

She rolled her eyes, a knowing smile flickering across her face. "You think I haven't noticed the way you turn a thousand shades of red when he's mentioned or near? I'm not an ignorant moron, Nico."

I sighed. "Bianca, I don't..."

"Shut up, Nico. You don't honestly think I mind do you? Because I don't, and neither does mother."

I rolled my eyes as I sighed. Again. It didn't matter if Bianca and mother approved, what matters is if Percy cared...no! Stop thinking like that! I'm the Son of Hades for crying out loud! I was not...attracted to the same gender, I thought, unable to say the 'G' word but feeling like a child again for not being able to. "Bianca...I don't care if you or mother would mind if I'm...gay. Because I'm not. So it doesn't really matter, and that's not what I'm here for anyway."

"No, it's not." Bianca agreed breathlessly. "And it's not to visit us either. Yeah, I can see how you don't like visit us every single day. I would get annoyed by it too. But nonetheless, i've informed mother and she's really trying. She promised not to go to Hades if you don't visit anymore. And no matter, you can leave right now if you want, you don't have to visit. Because I'm not helping you escape your confinement. Not again. And before you start whining to me like a baby Nico, think of me for a second; do you really think I like being yelled at for helping you leave? Because I don't really want to deal with it, and you'll just be dragged back kicking and screaming, anyway," she said, in reference to the last time she'd helped me escape. She'd only distracted Cerberus for a moment...it's not that hard.

"But if you just showed me an exit...Hades couldn't know it was you." I insisted.

Bianca rolled her eyes. "Nico, there are only two exits in the Underworld. You know both of them, the one Charon uses and the one Melinoe guards. Both have been ordered to not let you across. Why do you not just shadow travel out?"

"Gee, thanks sis, didn't think of that one," I said sarcastically.

"Well if you can't shadow travel out, then I don't know and I'm not distracting Cerberus again, I don't like being yelled at.'' She snapped.

I glared at her slightly, though I knew it wasn't her fault. I knew I took in a shaky breath and said, "At least all he can do is yell at you."

My eyes were wide, pleading with her to understand. But she didn't, as i'd known she wouldn't all along. Her eyebrows scrunched together in confusion, her lips slightly parted the way they did when she thought really hard. Before she could come to the obvious conclusion, however, the ground started dipping and shaking like an underground earthquake, as if all of the Underworld was about to fall into Tartarus. "All right all right i'm sorry okay!"

I glared at the ground, mad that I had to apologize for something that I didn't even technically do. It was his fault, anyway. I could feel the ground start to shake beneath me slightly again and I pursed my lips before turning to Bianca's concerned face. "Nico, what's going on...?"

"He's just mad I'm trying to escape, is all." I lied, knowing she'd believe me. Because I knew Bianca still saw me as that little naive noy she'd left to join the hunters. But, if I'm correct about Hades being mad, then I'm fucking screwed. He'll be doubly mad for almost spilling the secret. "I should probably go...tell mother I said hi and sorry for not visiting, okay?" She nodded, so I turned and left without another word.

So, time for Plan B; Avoid my father at all costs until I can think of an actual Plan B to get out of here.