Lots of questions about whether I'm continuing this fic, to which I want to say- This fic is my priority, but even so, updating it might be slow seeing that this silly writers' block seems to last forever.

Nico's never really been to Washington before, but he doesn't really get to look around. Not when a good part of his shoulder's been bitten into and his ribs are quite possibly broken. Somewhere at the back of his mind he figures he's hurt his head, too, because blood is dripping down his hair and onto his face.

He's either hyper-aware of- or absolutely cannot feel- his body. The hammer of his heart against his chest is slowing alarmingly fast until it's so slow, he's pretty sure he should've died two beats ago. He's hunched over but just about makes out the number on the mailbox- Number 23. Wish a groan, he drags his feet up the little path to the door.

Maybe if he didn't feel like actual death, he'd have appreciated the pretty garden and the fairy lights hung on the trees. But he's on his fourth knock when the door swings open, and he's so relieved to see her, he gives up, falling promptly onto Annabeth, his eyes closing.

A nap sounds great, right now.

He dreams of Camp Half Blood. Clarisse and Will are standing on the hill by Thalia's pine tree, both of them in full battle gear.

"-do, if it does happen?" Will is asking. He looks worried, wringing his hands. Clarisse glares at the horizon, like she has an answer, but it makes her too angry.

"We have to put a stop to this madness." She growls, looking over at Will. "No matter what the cost."

"You aren't saying we actually kill them?" Will asks with a frown. "Clarisse, they're demigods- Just like us."

"They're trying to break down everything we stand for." Clarisse says gruffly, and even in the dream, Nico can tell she's trying to hide her own emotions.

"The prophecy." Will says quietly. "Wisdom's greatest child- You know who that is, don't you?"

"Prophecies are always more complicated than they seem, Solace, you of all people should know that. Your father is the god of this garbage, isn't he?" But Nico doesn't miss the way she flinches at his words. Her voice wavers slightly.

Will opens his mouth to say something, but the scene shifts.

Nico is in what looks like a really nice apartment with sleek, modern furniture. A girl with bright green hair is sat on the couch, three other demigods around her, but on their feet. She's listening to them, looking bored.

"Recruitment in this side of the country is slow." One of her lackeys is saying. "We have to leave, if the Romans caught wind of our presence-"

The green headed girl raises her hand, silencing him. "Shut up, Logan. We're staying here. It's a cozy apartment, make yourselves comfortable."

Logan looks like he's going to argue, but sits down, anyway. "Chloe, there's no Roman demigod willing to betray the legion, or whatever. We could be recruiting demigods elsewhere- You know Texas has-"

"Relax." Chloe drawls. "I've got this sorted."

But Nico never gets to hear her plan, because the image fades away, instead forming another familiar face.

Percy Jackson is standing at the edge of a beach that Nico can't recognize. He's got his hands in his pockets, wearing his camp t shirt despite how the wind is blowing hard enough to knock him over. He doesn't seem particularly bothered, and his eyes blaze as he looks out onto the horizon.

In his hand, he clutches something Nico can't see, his fist closing over it. Percy mutters under his breath, but his voice is carried away by the howling wind. He tosses whatever it is that he's holding out into the waves.

Nothing happens for a while. Percy looks defeated, but not surprised.

Then, there's a flash of light- Nico looks away instinctively. He doesn't know if you can combust in a dream, but he doesn't really want to risk it, either. When he looks up, a woman is standing in front of Percy, her arms crossed over her chest. She's beautiful, something powerful about her, and she looks exactly the way Annabeth does, sometimes.

"Do not waste your time praying to me, Percy Jackson." The goddess Athena says coldly. She holds her hand out, and Nico sees the moonlight glistening off a ring- A class ring that he'd seen before on Annabeth's Camp necklace. Athena drops it into Percy's hand. "For as long as she's my daughter, she will never forgive you." Her words are ominous, but there's no thunder booming, which probably means she isn't cursing Percy.

"Lady Athena, please-" Percy's voice breaks. Nico hasn't seen him look so torn in years. "You have to trust me. Ann- She's in trouble. They're going after her."

Athena's glare is so cold, it could freeze hell over. "You may have broken her heart, but she's got a brain." She says. "Letting that ship sail was the wisest decision you've made, Jackson. You've earned my respect. Don't make me regret that."

Another blinding flash of light, but this time, when Nico opens his eyes, he's staring up at a white ceiling. He tries to move, and lets out a groan in pain. His body still hurts, but it's not as bad.

"Nico?" A voice calls from somewhere around him. "Give me one second, I'll be there!"

Nico realizes now that he's on a red couch. He figures Annabeth could only move him so far in his previous state. Her face pops into view. She smiles a little at him, but it doesn't reach her eyes.

He wonders what she sees when she looks at him. He sees worry around her eyes and loneliness in the way her mouth turns downward. Looking at her now reminds him how much he's actually missed having her around.

Before things turned sour for her, the two of them had been on good terms. She was smart- even for a daughter of Athena- and conversation between them had always flown relatively easily. She was kind, and helpful, and she'd been there to balance out Percy. Nico had looked up to her for as long as he could remember.

At twelve, if he had to put his life in someone else's hands, he'd have left it with her. There wasn't many others quite like Annabeth Chase.

"How are you doing?" She asks, reaching out and pressing her hand against his forehead. Her touch is cool against his skin. "Yeah, you'll need another square." She says, reaching over his head and getting him some ambrosia.

"I don't know how to thank you." Nico croaks. Annabeth doesn't smile, or even respond. She looks at the ground. "I'm sorry, about barging into your house. I-"

"You tracked me down." Annabeth says. She doesn't sound angry, or upset- Just tired. "You came out here to find me, but you ran into monsters."

"That's- Exactly it." Nico agrees. He sits up, ignoring how it makes him dizzy. Annabeth let out a sigh and shakes her head.

"I'm not coming back to Camp with you." She tells him and purses her lips, like she's convincing herself more than him. "I'm sorry. You can stay for as long as you'd like, but I've got to get to work early tomorrow, so I'm gonna crash."

She doesn't wait for a response, which is as well, because he doesn't have one. She gets to her feet and points to an oak door.

"That room's empty and I've done it up if you'd like to stay there. Or stay on the couch, up to you. That's the kitchen," She gestures. "And this is my room. I'll uh, catch you later."

She leaves without so much as a glance at him. His first reaction is to be annoyed by her behavior, of course, but he realizes almost instantly what she's going through- She's in shock. He'd had days to prepare to see her again, he'd gone out looking for her. She had no idea, that now, six years after she left Camp Half Blood mysteriously one night, her past would actually catch up to her.

He lets out a sigh, getting to his feet and making his way to the kitchen. He turns on the tap and fetches the last of his drachmas.

"O Iris, goddess of the rainbow, show me Will Solace at Camp Half Blood!" He says, tossing the gold coin.

The air around him shimmers until he's standing in the strawberry field. Will is in armor, like in his dream, but his posture is significantly more relaxed as he chats easily with Katie Gardner.

"Will, hey!" He calls. Will looks up at him, smile widening and eyes shining. Nico hasn't actually seen him in eight days, and his heart twists a little at the sight.

"Nico, what are you doing? Where are you? Thank gods you're alright!" He cries. Nico nods.

"I'm okay, yeah. I'm in Washington right now."

"D.C?"

"No, the state." Nico says. "Listen, point is, I've found-" He stops when he realizes Katie's also listening to them, although she looks really awkward. He looks around Annabeth's kitchen. "Uh, I've found. Um, maple syrup." He has no idea what to say or how to recover from this.

Will blinks at him and cocks his head to the side. "Like in a bottle, or did just on-?"

Nico glares at him, hoping he'd understand. Couples who have been together for a long time tend to develop telepathic relations, but Will is still thick and completely unreceptive to any of Nico's thoughts.

"Uh, yeah. Your favorite brand of maple syrup. You know, the one I had to look for through the entire country." He emphasizes. Thankfully, Will's eyes widen in understanding.

"Oh! You mean- Oh you've found the maple syrup!" He cries. He looks frantically over his shoulder. "I need to find Percy- He had a dream, -"

"No!" Nico cries. "Don't- don't tell anyone about it, okay? Just not yet. I still uh- I still may not be able to bring back enough, you know, for everyone- I mean I may not be able to bring back maple syrup." He repeats, hoping Will gets it.

Will seems to understand, but doesn't seem surprised. He nods. "I've been, associating," He says after a pause. "With that particular brand for years now. I wouldn't expect it would be easy to- transport."

Nico studies his boyfriend's face. There's clearly a lot of pressure on him right now, but when he'd figured out Nico had found Annabeth, he swears he sees a part of him somehow relax. Even before Nico set out, Will had insisted that Annabeth played a big role in the prophecy- Which is why they'd decided to keep it as much a secret as possible. The only people who knew they were out looking for her were the two of them and Percy.

Katie seems to get the hint, and leaves, looking confused and a little dazed. Will watches her over his shoulder and turns back to Nico.

"You have to try harder." He says, frowning at the strawberries on the ground.

"She seems really shaken, I may actually not be able to-"

"You know why neither Percy nor I could come with you, Nico?" Will asks, crossing his arms over his chest. Nico cocks his head. He'd volunteered to look for Annabeth, and it only now occurs to him that it's weird that he had to do it on his own.

"Why?"

"Because Percy would drive her further off," Will says. "And I would, at best, be able to get her to smile at the sight of me. We are, in a way, her worst memories of Camp. You and Annabeth have always had a different kind of relationship."

"Yeah," Nico scoffs. "Strained."

"She convinced you to come back once." Will says quietly. "I think I was hoping, when the time came, you'd be able to do the same for her."

Nico doesn't get to reply to that because Will's image fades away, and he realizes he's completely out of drachmas, so he's left standing alone in a beautiful island kitchen. He takes a moment to look around Annabeth's house. The furniture is modern, and the way it's been fashioned seems painfully familiar, even though he can't place it.

He wanders for a little, mulling over his boyfriend's words, and finds himself standing in front of a closed door. He doesn't know how, he he's sure Annabeth is behind it, and he's willing to bet she isn't asleep.

Nico takes the chance, reaching out and opening the door.

She's sitting on her bed, knees drawn to her chest and arms holding them there. She doesn't react to him at all, staring intensely at where the wall meets the floor in front of her. The sight almost makes him want to leave, but he forces his feet forward.

"Had a feeling you'd come." Annabeth says finally, when he reaches the side of her bed. He takes this as an invitation to sit down opposite her.

"Had a feeling you'd be awake."

Annabeth looks up at him, eyes rimmed red.

"Why did you come here?" She asks him, voice so soft and vulnerable, Nico almost caves and tells her everything that's happening. Everyone told Annabeth all the information they had- She used to be their voice of reason, the one who remained calm at all times. The last time he'd seen her look so miserable and confused was when Percy went missing. He'd tried to avoid her because seeing her in so much pain while he'd known exactly what was going on- it felt like a knife to the chest.

"You said it yourself. I tracked you down so I could take you back to Camp Half Blood." Nico says. He reaches his hand out, but she doesn't take it, which somehow makes him more comfortable. "And I have a feeling you may know something I don't about all the confusion."

Annabeth looks away from him.

"I'm not coming back." She says, pressing her lips together. "I'm sorry, Nico, but I can't. It's too much for me."

"What did you dream?" Nico pushes. Annabeth shakes her head. Nico thinks of Will's words. "How've you been?" He asks instead. Annabeth looks up at him with a frown.

"What?"

"How are you? Your house is beautiful. Did you go to college? Tell me about your life." Nico says. "The mortal one- the one you chose." He even forces a smile.

Annabeth looks at him doubtfully, like she's trying to figure out his plan, and finally gives up.

"Thanks. I- Um. I haven't been here long- Just a couple of months. I went away to college in Austria, actually. I've only been back in the states for a year- Worked in Los Angeles up until September, before I moved out here. It's only been two months, so I don't know many people." She says. Her voice is monotonous, like she's rehearsed this. She doesn't stutter or pause, and she definitely doesn't make any eye contact with him.

"So you're an architect?" He asks. To his surprise, Annabeth shakes her head. She has the smallest smile on her lips. It somehow makes Nico feel a little closer to home.

"I went to the University of Music and Performing Arts," She says slowly. "In Vienna. I'm a dancer, now."

Nico gapes at her. He knew she spent a good deal of her time at Camp in the studio, but he'd never actually gone in there before. Not many had, really- Not even Will, or even Percy. He'd asked her what she did in there for so long, once, and she'd only shrugged her shoulders and said it helped her relax and focus. He'd assumed she was doing yoga, or pilates.

"You dance?" He asks incredulously. How much of Annabeth Chase did he actually even know?

She lets out a laugh, then. It's small but light and feels like a breath of fresh, cool air. Nico can't help the smile growing on his face. Since he'd started dating Will, smiling came almost too easily to him- And he wasn't sure how he felt about that.

"I do- And now I do it professionally." Annabeth nods with a sniff.

"What happened to architecture? Building something permanent? What did you do with the Annabeth I know?" He asks with a slight laugh.

"Nothing in life is permanent." Annabeth is still smiling, but her words are so sad. Nico sees a girl who's really, truly lost herself somewhere along the way. His mouth tastes sour. She shrugs. "Dancing makes me happy, so I figured, why not?"

"Are you dating someone?" Nico asks. He can't stand to hear her words, it's too unlike anything she'd have ever said six years ago. It's like he's looking at a familiar face and talking to a whole new person. He wonders if this is what Annabeth went through when Luke became Kronos. It's a dirty, guilty feeling.

Annabeth shakes her head, and Nico isn't sure why it makes him slightly relieved. He doesn't actually care who she's seeing.

"No, not as of now. Are you-?"

"Yeah. Still with Will. We're good. He sends his love, by the way."

Annabeth's lips tug up in a smile at the mention of his boyfriend. The guy tended to have an effect on everyone he touched- Which is one of the reasons Nico loves him, if he's being honest. There's a silence until Nico decides to break it.

"Do you like living here?" He asks. Annabeth shrugs, but doesn't answer, so he tries to push. "Met your dad lately?"

"No…" Her voice trails off.

"Annabeth," Nico takes a breath. She looks up and meets his gaze, her eyes the size of plates. "Does this feel like home?" He asks. She frowns, so he rewords himself. "Are you happy here?"

"Wha- Sure I am." She says miserably.

Nico starts talking, his words surprising himself.

"I ran away from Camp once. I don't know if you remember." She smiles like she does. "I felt like I didn't belong. I still do, sometimes- But then I went away and realized how I was even more of an outsider, you know?" He pauses. He can see Annabeth shutting off, so he tries desperately to get as many words through before she's completely drifted off.

"Suppose it's in the name, isn't it? Demigod. Half god, half human- Never fit in either world, really. But there's more people like you and me. We've made our own safe haven. Invented a world of misfits, for the in-between. Like New Rome." He suggests. "Like Camp. It's home, isn't it?"

Annabeth doesn't say anything. She stares at the wall behind him again, and he figures he's lost her. He gets to his feet, pausing for a moment.

"I understand that you were hurting, Annabeth, but- Fuck, you've done some damage back at home. I was hoping you'd be brave enough to own up to that."

"Like what?" She asks, but her voice is hard. "What damage?"

"Thalia blamed Percy for you leaving. They argued and nearly ruined the whole Camp." He tells her quietly. "The Stolls absolutely don't associate with the Athena kids- Travis told Will he's never felt more betrayed. It's driven a rift between most campers. Malcolm- Oh. Malcolm, he was under so much pressure when you pulled your stunt."

"Nobody cared about me when I left." Annabeth laughs humorlessly.

"I know one person who did." He tells her. She rolls her eyes, and in the dull yellow light, it strikes Nico how beautiful she is.

"Clarisse? She knew I'd be fine."

"Me."

Annabeth looks up at him, brows pulled together. A small part of him is proud for taking her by surprise. That can't be something that happens often.

"You were my hero." He shakes his head. "Percy was around, sure." He ignores the way she flinches at the sound of his name every time. He needs her to pull herself together and do what's best for their kind. "But you- You were so… Human. I've looked up to you for as long as I can remember, and of all the people you hurt when you vanished, I think you damn near crushed my heart."

She cocks her head, tears welling in her eyes.

"You were my friend, Annabeth. I trusted you. I leave tomorrow- Camp Half Blood needs me. Us, really, but whether you come along is up to you."

He leaves her in her room then, closing the door softly behind him.