A/N I just did a quick read through of this story and realized just how short the chapters were. They were way too short to be chapters on their own so I've put them together into one and fixed some minor grammar errors. Future chapters should be at least this length.
For this fic:
A Song for this fic: My Wish by Rascal Flatts
Disclaimer: I do not own PJO

But more than anything, more than anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.
- My Wish - Rascall Flatts

Much to Nico's delight, the man who had been speaking with him for the past hour or so had no interest in hurting him. In fact the man was his father, according to him anyway. The way Nico had heard the story, he had been discovered nearly dead by one of his father's servants- a fury he thought was the word Hades had used, though he couldn't quite recall- and brought to the palace immediately. Since then, Nico had been sitting up in bed, listening to his father tell him who he was. Hades had told him his age, name, and country of origin but didn't seem to be much interested in going into detail.

From what Nico could tell, Hades was an astute, stern man though he did seem to genuinely care for both his son and his wife. He had indulged Nico's many questions but any whinging about short answers was stamped out fairly quickly. At the end of his questioning, Hades had informed Nico that it was time for him to go. That he had other things to attend to but that Nico should stay in the room he had been in for an hour already and not wander off.

After Hades' departure it hadn't taken long for Nico to slip into a deep sleep.

He was standing in an open pavilion. Several long tables partnered with two benches each filled the large space and each was crowded with people. The conversations taking place between the groups of friends were far too loud for comfort in Nico's opinion. For some inexplicable reason, he was drawn to a group of three teenagers sat together on the end of one of the long benches seemingly engrossed in a private conversation.

"It's been almost a week, Perce," one of them was saying. The boy seemed several years older than his two friends, had brown curly hair, and wore a rasta cap paired with a green T-shirt that read in large, yellow letters 'TREE HUGGER'. "Maybe he isn't coming back."

"Then we have to find him," another of the two boys affirmed. This one looked about thirteen, his black hair stuck up in all directions and he had shadows under his eyes, like he hadn't slept in days.

"Percy," said the third, a girl with blonde hair and tan skin, "Nico might not want to be found."

Nico frowned at that. Were they talking about him? He didn't remember them but then again, he didn't remember anything else either.

"We have to keep trying," the boy with the black hair insisted.

Percy Nico thought the others had called him. "Who knows what'll happen if he stays out there alone. And what if he ends up with you know... him."

"The odds of him ending up

there aren't exactly likely are they?" the girl said, eyebrows raised.

"Guys," the one with the cap said nervously. "Does anyone else get the feeling we're being... watched?"

"What do you mean, Grover?" Percy asked.

"I don't know," he said, sniffing the air like a dog tracking a scent, "just a feeling. It smells like half-bloods."

"Look around," the girl said, "we're in a demigod camp. What did you expect?"

"No, it's different. Almost like it's been tainted. Kind of like a monster but... not quite the same."

"You sure?" Percy questioned. "This isn't just a-"

"I'm sure, Percy. Something's happening and I don't think it's good for us."

It was just as gloomy as always in the throne room when Hades and his wife were hearing the day's petitioners for rebirth. It was a dreary job, hearing the reasons people who were already dead had for prepared to convince their rulers that they deserved another life. Because of that, anyone would have thought Hades' leaning his head on his right hand and sending almost all petitioners back out of the throne room with a monotonous, "No," was normal. His wife, however, knew him well, she knew just how seriously he took his responsibilities as King of the Underworld and she knew that something was definitely wrong.

"Alright, get out!" Persephone ordered, making shooing gestures with her hands. The skeleton soldiers, and petitioners slowly trickled out of the room grumbling.

"Persephone," Hades said in a low, deep voice, turning his head to look at his wife without lifting it from his hand, "what are you doing?"

"I'm being a good wife, don't ruin it." Hades rolled his eyes. "So what's on your mind this time?"

Hades had already decided, he would recreate the son he had once had. A new, disciplined, better trained, well educated son. If it took all the riches of the Underworld, he would achieve his goal. It would just be extremely difficult, after all, he had plenty of work to do if Nico was ever to be the child he had always wanted, the child all of Olympus would hail as a hero.

He sighed and sat up straight, dropping his hand to dangle over the side of the throne's arm. "I don't suppose there is a way to make you drop this, is there?" Persephone gave him a pointed look. "My son... it was going to be hard enough to train him before, when he knew who he was and what that meant. Now I will have to build a hero out of an empty shell."

"Maybe that isn't such a bad thing," Persephone said thoughtfully. "You can mold him into the son you always wanted."

Hades narrowed his eyes, "You are being awfully amiable to having my son in the palace."

"Well..." she blushed. "I can't have any children of my own, you know that. And, well... if he doesn't remember that his mother is a mortal..."

"You want to claim Nico as your own," Hades finished. "Is that truly why you have always despised my children? Out of envy?"

"Yes," she conceded. "I am your wife. I should be the mother of your children. Not those mortals."

"Then that is what we will do." Hades reached for one of Persephone's delicate hands and held it to his lips, kissing her knuckles softly. "Nico will be your son."

When Hades entered his son's bedroom he saw nothing more than he had expected. The boy slept, his raven hair was spread around his head like a dark halo, and his chest rose and fell rhythmically with each breath. The god sat down in the chair he had had set next to his son's bed and glanced to the door, waiting for his wife's arrival. He needed to stage the moment just right if he wanted to ensnare the boy's loyalty and tie it to his family permanently.

Right on cue, the door swung open and Persephone entered the room. The sound jerked Nico out of his slumber and he squirmed, blinking the sleep from his eyes. Hades seemed not to notice that his son was awake and turned in his seat to speak to his wife.

"What are you doing in here, Persephone?"

The goddess looked pained, her eyes flicking from her husband to the boy sat up in bed and back again. "I- I haven't seen him since you brought him back."

Hades waved his hand and another chair appeared beside him, waiting for Persephone to take it. He smiled, or at least lifted the corners of his lips a little, and gestured for her to join him.

"Father?" said a small voice. Both gods turned their gazes on the young boy sitting up in a sea of black fabric. He cleared his throat and said, much more clearly this time, "Who is this?"

Hades and Persephone exchanged a quick look, the time had come to put their plan into action. "This," Hades said, meeting his son's eyes again, "is your mother."

Persephone smiled softly, and reached a hand out to take Nico's in hers. "You don't remember, do you?" Nico shook his head. "Then I suppose we will have to teach you. You'll relearn what you already knew but it won't be easy."

"We will have to start soon," Hades said, "you have quite a lot to do."

Nico looked at his mother apprehensively, "How long will it take?"

Persephone let out a tinkling laugh, "You'll never be bored."

Nico tightened his grip on the knife clenched tightly in his hand. The cool, leather hilt was slick against his sweaty palm. He could feel the muscles in his shoulders tighten as he wound back his arm to throw. When he released the knife spun, blade over handle until it stuck, quivering in place, in the target. It hit barely an inch from the center but still, not perfect.

He heard a sigh from somewhere behind him. "Not quite," Hades said, stepping closer to his son. "Focus, Nico," he urged, handing Nico a second throwing knife, "plant your feet."

Nico frowned in concentration as he wound his arm back to throw for a second time. The blade hit the target just to the left of the bullseye. Nico squeezed his eyes shut, bracing himself for the inevitable lecture.

"I just need a bit of practice," he pleaded, trying to head off what he knew would be coming.

"What you need is a bit of self-discipline," Hades growled back. "I have been too lax with your training, Nico. You need to learn what you knew before and you need to do it quickly."

"Father-"

"From now on your training time is be doubled."

"I'm try-"

"And your lessons as well."

Nico glared at the ground, knowing arguing was futile. He understood the importance of his training and education but sometimes Hades expected more than he could give. It wasn't easy, being the son of a god. The honor and responsibility that came with it had been drilled into his head by his mother ever since he had woken up six months ago but the pressure wore down on Nico and made him irritable. He was more easily discouraged than he had been and his determination was quickly wavering.

"Fine," he said bitterly.

Hades waved his hand and the two knives vanished from the target and reappeared in his hand. "Do it again," he said, handing one to his son.

As Persephone watched her adopted son try again and again to become proficient in knife throwing a sick feeling settled in her stomach. Should they really be doing this? Was it wrong to expect a demigod, especially one so young, rise to Hades' expectations? She had jumped at the chance to take Nico in but now that months had passed she couldn't help but feel like what she had done was wrong. The boy didn't even know who his own mother was! Still, she knew it would destroy her to see the look of betrayal in the boy's eyes if he was ever told the truth.

She turned away from Nico's efforts in the training room and left for her chambers. True, it might have been kinder to step in and tell Hades to go easy but he had told her in no uncertain terms that his training methods would not be questioned. In return, Persephone was granted complete freedom to mother and coddle outside of the training room without any risk of being judged by either her husband or her adopted son.

Perhaps it was her inability to have children of her own that made her so set on taking that role in Nico's life. Barren, she thought savagely, what a horrid term. Persephone had run herself ragged searching for someone to blame, her father, her mother, her husband, herself, that gods-forsaken pomegranate, before she had finally accepted the simple fact that she would never have children. The knowledge that she and her husband would never have children together had constantly gnawed at her insides until, six months ago, a young boy with dark hair had appeared in the River Styx. It was the reason she had let loose her fury on whichever poor child was unlucky enough to be sired by her husband. The jealousy that a mere mortal could take her place as the mother of Hades' children. He should be my son, she thought, desperately trying to convince herself of that fact, I am his father's wife, I should have raised him from the beginning. But she hadn't. It had been that woman, Maria di Angelo, who had cared for Nico during the first nine years of his life. That woman who had died because of her children. That woman who Hades had grieved for.

Persephone peeked her head around the door to see her son hunched over his desk intently studying a large book. As he read, Nico scribbled down notes, his head whipping from book to paper every few lines. The queen smiled softly at the sight. He works too hard, she mused.

"Nico," she said and he looked up, "I need to borrow you for a moment."

He didn't seem to mind the interruption.

On the contrary, the boy's eyes seemed to light up at the sight of his mother and he threw his pen down exultantly. "Just finished," he crowed.

"That better be your lesson work," Persephone warned, stepping into the room fully, "or your father will not be pleased."

Nico stood and rose to his tiptoes as he stretched his arms out above his head. He often put Persephone in mind of a cat. Lithe, graceful, and clever as a fox. When Nico finished stretching and stood on flat feet again he rolled his eyes.

"Father's never pleased," he said.

Persephone frowned at his words. She knew, of course, that Hades was often hard on his son but Nico had always taken it in stride and turned it into motivation to do well. There had never been any sign of him resenting his father for anything.

"Your father cares for you very much," she assured him placing her hands on his shoulders.

"As long as I do as he says," Nico pointed out.

"You know that isn't true," Persephone admonished.

Nico shrugged and turned away from his mother in favor of the window that looked out over the courtyard. The view was nice, she supposed, but for a young boy living somewhere so dark and dreary must be trying.

"Anyway," she said in a slightly more cheery voice, "I came to find you because I have something to tell you."

"Aunt Demeter is going to come for dinner every week?"

That had been a flaw in Persephone's plan to adopt Nico, her own mother. Persephone loved her mother, despite the angry conversations with Hades and many arguments about her marriage, and it didn't feel right to lock Nico away every time Demeter showed her face. It would have also been very difficult, what with the unpredictable and unplanned nature of Demeter's visits. So she had been informed of the plan and, quite surprisingly, had thought the idea was splendid. 'Now you're doing something to make my daughter happy,' she had said when Hades had told her what would be happening.

Demeter had insisted that Nico refer to her as 'aunt' rather than 'grandmother', claiming that the latter made her feel old. Nico hadn't understood how a word could make a millenia old goddess feel her age but had complied nonetheless.

The goddess had no qualms about calling Hades out on how he treated his son but he seemed to ignore her efforts the minute she left the palace. Nico, on the other hand, took Demeter's attempts to heart and appreciated the pains she took to make sure he was happy, though an overdose of cereal hadn't yet improved his mood.

Persephone laughed, "No, not quite. Your father and I have been discussing your education-"

Nico groaned loudly and turned back to his mother. "Don't tell me I have more work to do. He doubled my workload this morning!"

"Do not interrupt, Nico," she retorted sharply. Yes, Persephone was certainly more gentle with Nico than her husband was but she was still a goddess and still expected respect from those around her.

"Sorry," Nico said, biting his lip.

"It's quite alright," Persephone said soothingly. "I didn't come here to be angry with you. Do you have some free time to talk if you've finished your work?" Persephone asked, eyeing the stack of papers on Nico's desk.

Nico's eyes followed his mother's gaze to the pile of work and he shook his head. "I still have to go back to the training room to practice some more," he said reluctantly.

"What?" Persephone questioned. "Why?"

Nico paused, taken aback. "Father said-"

"No," Persephone cut him off, "Nico you don't need to go back down there."

"But father said-"

"I'll be speaking to your father about this."

"He'll be so mad, though!" Nico protested. "He's going to be running out of time to take away from me if I mess something else up!"

"Nico, you are not to go back to training, do you understand me?"

Nico opened his mouth to argue but seemed to think better of it. "Yes, mother," he mumbled despondently.

"Hades, I need to speak with you. Now."

The god looked up from his paper work to see his wife storming into the room. The double doors slammed shut behind her leaving an echoing bang to make her presence known to the room. She was powerful in her anger. Her eyes blazed and she subconsciously tilted her chin up defiantly.

"Yes? What is it?" Hades said cautiously, taking in his wife's apparent fury.

"You need to stop, it's too much."

"Persephone, what are you talking about?"

"Our son, that's what. You're pushing him to hard and if you don't stop..." she let the threat hang in the air ominously.

"What will you do? He is my son, Persephone-"

"He's my son too!"

"No, Persephone, he isn't. I allowed you to take him in but you are not his mother."

Persephone looked like she had just been slapped. Her mouth hung open and her eyes were blown wide in a look of absolute shock. She balled her hands into tight fists and her nostrils flared with anger. How dare he be so calm while she raged? How dare he stay emotionless in the face of her fury?

She swallowed, fighting to keep her anger in check. She was here for Nico, her son. "Whether I am Nico's mother or not doesn't matter. He is the one thing we both care about and I plan on making sure he's being treated well."

Hades finally stood from his desk and glared at his wife. "He is," he said pointedly. "What is it that I haven't given him? He is being trained and educated properly, he lives with his godly parent- something no other demigod is permitted to do-"

"That is not what I meant," Persephone interrupted.

"Oh? Would you care to explain to me what exactly you are insinuating?"

"For the sake of Olympus, Hades!" Tears pricked behind Persephone's eyes as she screamed at her husband. "He's just a child! Give him some time do do as he pleases, don't chain him to his studies for the rest of his life!"

For a moment, Hades said nothing. He simply stared at his wife blankly until, finally, he spoke. "Alright."

"I- what? You're actually going to listen to me?"

"For some reason Nico's current situation seems to be upsetting you," Hades said matter of factly. "I will let you decide what you think is best for him this time."

The pointed words smarted but Persephone's relief at being able to lighten Nico's load weighted it out. She turned to leave, slightly timidly because of her embarrassment at what now seemed to be a gross overreaction.

"Hades?" she said, looking back at him. "I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't have..." Hades nodded in acknowledgement and returned to his work.

Persephone exited the study and slipped into the hallway outside, making for her son's room again.

"Why did you do that?" Nico asked, bewildered.

Persephone frowned. This was not at all what she'd expected. She had just finished relaying what she had thought was good news. Nico would now have some free time. Apparently, she had missed something, some silent hint that maybe he wasn't unhappy with his workload.

"I mean," he amended when he saw her confusion, "it was great of you to get him to ease up a bit but it wasn't really an issue. I was fine with all the training and even the schoolwork isn't that bad. I have a lot to catch up on and honestly I like working at a fast pace. Having a tight schedule works for me and I know father's just trying to get me caught up to where I was before as quickly as possible. The sooner I'm there the sooner I can start something new."

Nico bit his lip, looking up at his mother slightly nervously. He knew he'd just rambled and his father was always telling him that it was an appalling habit. When no reprimand came his way he relaxed a bit only to realize that his mother was still staring at him in complete astonishment.

"Um..." he said, "is everything alright?"

She shook her head. "No- yes, everything's fine."

With another puzzled look at her son, Persephone left the room.

Maybe it's for the best I never had any children, Persephone mused, I don't seem to be very good at reading them.