OUTLINE OF THE APARTMENT!

h t t p : / / b a l l e t a n d b o o k s . d e v i a n t a r t . c o m / a r t / F A N F I C - H E L P - R E D - s - A p a r t m e n t - 2 3 1 3 2 4 8 4 6

NICO POV

I woke up at around 1:00 on Sunday and was kinda hungry (for some coffee). I opened the door of my overly cheerful room and walked down the hallway to try and find the kitchen. As it turns out, it was at the end of the hall. I walked in and saw that it was a big modern-looking kitchen with lime walls and stainless steel appliances. I searched the pristine white countertops for a coffee maker, and found none.

"RACHEL?" I called. She didn't hear me.

"RACHEL?" I called again. Ugh. I felt too lazy and groggy to get up, so I just sat there for a second. Suddenly, something on the wall caught my attention.

'Intercom for Apt. 300' I read after a couple minutes of figuring it out. Hmm. After some later deciphering, I read the hastily scrawled in labels Rachel had given the buttons.

I decided to press the first one, which said, 'RED's Studio.'

I pressed, and at first, I heard some static. Then, I spoke.

"Hey RED?" I said straight into the mike. I heard a clatter and a string of curse words.

"NICO?" She shrieked. "What could POSSIBLY be so important?"

"Well," I said meekly, "I can't find the coffee maker. Or the coffee."

"Oh. I don't have one." She said plainly.

"No, seriously. Where is it?" I asked, assuming she was joking.

"I am serious. I don't have one." She said and probably picked up the brush again.

"Rachel, you've GOT to be kidding me." I said, and she just laughed.

"Coffee is seriously addictive, and I don't wanna waste money buying it." She said, strangely sounding like a child of Athena.

"But Rachel!" I pleaded.

"Nico, its lunchtime. Why don't you eat a sandwich?" She asked, and I groaned. I escape one problem, and it comes back to me.

"I don't like sandwiches." I responded.

"How about some salad?" She offered.

"I don't like salad." I told her. I heard some fuzz on the intercom, and then saw Rachel, paint smear on her face, bound into the kitchen.

"Do you like any food?" she demanded, and I smiled.

"I like coffee. I've been living on it for about two years now."

When I first left the Underworld, I had about 200 dollars and nowhere to go. The first thing I did was buy a cup of coffee at McDonalds, along with a burger. I stayed in alleys because the winter chill hadn't set in yet. Not like the cold bothered me anyways. After a while, I started to run out, and I only had enough for the coffee if I didn't want to become obese. Then, I had $1 left. It was winter now. It was cold. I was hungry. I was definitely dirty.

3rd Person

A tall boy sat in an alley. His hands were chapped and paler than usual. His cheeks were red, but his skin, instead of being covered by gloves, a hat, a scarf, or even a snow jacket, was left in a slightly small aviator's jacket, collar popped. It was, though, turning slightly gray, much like a corpse, not that he hadn't been called Corpse Breath before.

Nico DiAngelo wasn't about to beg. Not when he sat here the son of Hades, the god of precious metals. He had too much pride. Being in his current situation, though, he was beginning to rethink his options. At the present, he was still too cold to think. Too cold.

He stood; thinking that it would get his blood flowing, warm him up. He passed a man in a Santa suit, ringing a bell.

"Donations! Donations to the Salvation Army!" He called. People in woolen coats passed, some men, some women, dropping coins into his big red bucket. Next to the bucket, there was a countdown.

'Two days to Christmas Eve' it read. Hmm. Three days till he celebrated with his 'Greek' cousins. Not that he had any others.

"Son, would you care to donate to the Salvation Army?" He asked as Nico walked past. Nico gave the man a weak smile.

"Sorry, sir, I would, but I think I need to be saved right now." The Santa looked at Nico sympathetically and patted his cheek..

"Young Demigod," he said, and Nico stepped away. His hand flew to his sword instinctively. "Be on watch tonight."

Quickly, Nico stepped away from the Santa's watchful eye and into the crowd.

Hades frowned. Alecto had warned his son, but from just the sight, he feared he wouldn't be strong enough to face the beast. Hades really didn't want Alecto to warn his son. He wanted to be able to scoop up his broken body and bring him to the Underworld. He would be back home. The warning, though, had been Persephone's idea. Over the years, she had secretly warmed to Hades, and knew if that the Chimera went out of control, his son would be in the Underworld as a spirit in Elysium, not the palace. It would kill Hades. Nico at least deserved an advanced warning.

Nico walked past the people, many parting for him, as if they didn't want to touch him.

He passed a McDonalds, then reached for his pocket. Only a dollar. He wasn't that hungry. He could wait another day.

Nico walked into an alley, again. The shadows soothed him, unlike the feelings of dread and darkness they gave most people. Shadows welcomed him.

The Chimera appeared, as if out of nowhere. It had been planted not to kill Nico, but to (strangely) assist Hades in his plan.

Nico's hand flew to his ring and he pulled it off. His black Stygian Iron sword appeared and he began to advance towards the beast. He searched for a weak spot on its body and decided to aim for the neck.

After shielding himself from lots of fire and spit, he finally stabbed it in the neck.

Stumbling, exhausted, and nauseous, Nico put his ring back on and limped to a dark corner. He combed his pockets for that last square of ambrosia and all he found was his dollar.

He staggered into the shadow into the first place he thought of: Percy and Annabeth's.

Percy Jackson and his wife were finally enjoying a night of sleep without interruptions. They were both sleeping soundly, on alert, though, (what would a demigod be not on alert?) when a bump awoke them both. Annabeth rushed to Alexus, or Alex, her son's room, and Percy grabbed Riptide. Annabeth and Percy rushed into the small hallway, him with a sword, her with a baby, now awake, and proceeded into the source of the noise: the kitchen.

Percy flicked on the lights and went in with Annabeth and his son right behind him.

He heard a groan and saw a body crumpled in the corner. He inched closer and emitted a gasp of recognition.

"Holy Sh" he was about to say when he was cut off by Annabeth adding "Zeus" to the end of his sentence.

"Nico?" He asked. Nico nodded and proceeded into grabbing the nearest trashcan and spewing the liquid contents of his stomach.

"Oh gods…" Annabeth whispered, and held Alex the other way.

"Nico, are you ok? You look like death." Percy said, and Nico shook his head weakly, head still in the trashcan, gagging.

"As if I haven't heard that before."

"Annabeth, can you grab the Ambrosia and Nectar?" Percy said urgently and Annabeth grabbed it.

Nico reached for it and took a small bite of the ambrosia and a tiny sip of nectar, not wanting to upset his stomach again.

After that, he promptly passed out. For three days.

When he woke up, he walked into the living room to find lots of former CHB counselors staring at him.

Thalia, still decked out in her hunter's uniform, went over to him, glass of champagne in hand.

"Merry Christmas Death Breath."