part 1- The Meddling Gods

"Um, Percy?" Said the curly, black-headed boy as he tugged at Percy's blue polo shirt.

"Whats up?" Percy said, ruffling the little boys hair as he crouched down on his knees."

"When we will daddies be back?" He asked, fumbling with fingers, his ADHD already showing to the pleasure of his parents and godparents.

A look of worry crossed Percy's face for a second, but he quickly hid it for the sake of the little boy, "Don't worry. They'll be back soon. They just took a quick trip to the underworld."

"But Percy," he said, widening his dark brown eyes up at his godfather, "I heard daddies fighting."

Percy shook his head and hugged the little boy, "No, they weren't fighting. You see..." Percy closed his eyes for a few seconds and took a deep breath, "Your grandfather is being...is asking something of your daddies that your daddies don't want to give. They've gone to sort it out, alright? Now go play with your cousin."

The little boy lowered his eyes and waddled over to a little girl with messy blonde curls who was playing with little legos, building a 3-D model of the coliseum far too advanced for one so young to be building.

Percy walked over to Annabeth, who was watching her daughter with a grin on her face. She couldn't wait to take her to Olympus...She frowned. Olympus...

Percy put a hand around her back and she turned to him worried and whispered, "Any news from Leo or Nico?"

Percy shook his head sadly, "Charlie started asking about them."

"Percy..." Annabeth exclaimed frightened, "When do we intervene!?"

"We can't intervene! He's a god, Annabeth!"

"But what if he has them!? What if he's doing something to them? We have to help them."

Percy nodded, "They're smart. We'll give it one more week, and if we still haven't heard from them we'll help. But we know them...they're smart. I'm sure they'll think of something...just one more week."

Annabeth lowered her voice even more, "What if they don't have one more week?"

-4 days earlier-

"Nico!" Leo said in a hushed tone as he hid behind a shiny, black rock. His eyebrows were arched and worry shone on his face, "Nico!" He cried again as he watched the black-clad figure wander closer and closer to the shiny black palace.

"What?" Nico snapped back, turning towards him and marching back.

"This isn't smart!"

"Well, what is?" He snapped. He looked unhappy, and angry but Leo knew deep down their was more than that. Deep down Nico was scared. More scared than he had ever been.

"Leo..." Nico said, choking back tears, "He can't do this. He can't. And the only way to make him stop is to confront him. Or else he will take him Leo. I can't let that happen."

Leo grasped Nico's wrists before he went anywhere, "I'm sure Hephaestus would help? Let me ask him, Nico."

Nico shook his head, "No. You can't. No one will answer our prays. You go back up and take care of him. Whatever happens, you can't come back, alright?"

"I can't let you do this! Why do you think no one care's for you? I care for you, Nico, okay?"

"That's not it." He said shakily.

"What aren't you telling me?" Leo asked, emotions filling him to the brim.

Nico whispered, "Just let me talk to Hades."

"Fine. But I'm coming with you."

Nico opened his mouth to argue but he knew it was no use. He reached out for Leo's hand. Nico's skin was colder than normal and his skin had grown even whiter. Leo squeezed his hand and together than trudged through the withering grass.

"Time passes differently in the underworld. Maybe it's being especially iffy now?"

"It could be that..." Annabeth said, placing the palm of her hand on the table. Surrounding it sitting glumly was Piper and Jason, Frank and Hazel and Percy and Annabeth. Annabeth sat at the head of the table and small doses of little children laughing and playing drifted in through the hallway.

"But no matter what's going on with the time, you have to admit Nico and Leo are in trouble."

Piper opened her mouth to respond but a dirty-blonde child came ran in through the archway, sniffing back tears.

"Mommy, I tripped and felled." He said, small tears dripping from his soft green eyes. Piper turned and kissed his head, wiping the tears off his cheek, "All better?" She asked softly, like only a mother could.

He sniffed and nodded, and tromped back to playing with the other children.

She rubbed her temples, "The longer Nico and Leo are away the worse Charlie is. Tristan's getting worse and so is Mary. I know she's only one but she doesn't even smile anymore and whenever Charlie is around Tristan never smiles. I'm worried for all of them." Piper's voice cracked, "What are we going to do?"

Jason held her in his arms while she breathed heavily, trying not to cry. leo was like family, and so was Nico. The thought of them being gone...

Jason spoke first after Piper calmed down, "I don't think we can wait any longer Perc. You with me Frank?"

Frank nodded, squeezing Hazel's hand underneath the table even harder than already. Hazel massaged her thumb against his hand as she frowned and grimaced, hiding her need to cry as well. She wasn't Piper, she wasn't pregnant. She needed to suck it up. She closed her eyes and counted to ten.

"Okay." Percy bit his lip, "I guess that's decided. We'll leave tomorrow. Jason, Frank and I will go. His eyes landed on Hazel who had just opened her eyes. He knew that was her way of not freaking out. Weren't they all freaking out inside?

Hazel focused on a scratch in the middle of the table and rolled a gold nugget around in her other palm, "I-I guess I could come. I know the underworld the best. And..." Her voice caught, "Nico is my brother. And Leo is as close as one. I...I have to go for the sake of them."

Percy nodded, "Thanks Hazel." He turned to Annabeth and then looked at Piper, "You'll have to watch the kids."

He pushed away from the table and stood up, "We'll start getting ready."

Annabeth nodded silently and got up too to go check on the kids. She leaned against the arch of the hallway and looked at the mess in front of her, making her want to laugh a little.

Charlie sat in a corner, fiddling with a baby toy, pulling the pieces apart and reassembling them. He looked so much like Leo, except his hair was darker, a pitch black like Nico's. She looked at the sleeping baby in her cradle. She had Nico's pale skin but the fire in her eyes that Leo had. Their was a 78 percent chance of neither of them returning to see their children again. Nico and Leo had both lost a parent, and the other wasn't always there for them. She knew they wanted the best life for their kids.

She went over and scooped up her little blonde girl, who was falling faster asleep by the second. She wanted the best life for her kids. No, they would return. They would. Forget 78 percent...they would. They will, she thought to herself, each second filling her with more doubt, doubt that shouldn't be there at all...