An Author's Note is at the bottom of the chapter. Please read if you'd like.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Rick Riordan owns everything.

Chapter 2

Nico was in his apartment drinking a cup of coffee, newspaper in the other hand. Although his eyes skimmed through the various articles, his mind was elsewhere. At the moment, he was thinking about what Jason had said about contacting Rachel.

It had been a few days since their conversation, but Nico spent most of that time struggling to make a decision.

All his brain could think about were the hints that Rachel had dropped. How was she in a similar situation as him? Did she have a crush on a girl once? Was she a lesbian on the down low? Was she in love with a demigod who didn't love her back?

And the bigger question: was his crush on Percy really that obvious, or was she just observant? Or did she even know?

Thoughts like these swirled around his head until he realized that he would never get the answer to his questions unless he talked to her himself.

And Jason was right. He did need someone to talk to.

Drinking the last of his coffee, Nico set his mug down and moved to use his "Iris" phone, which consisted of a small fountain next to a screen door in the corner of his apartment. The sunlight came in from the door and hit the mist from the fountain, creating a rainbow prism needed to contact Iris, the messenger goddess.

Due to the sensitivity of his interaction with Rachel, Nico wanted to keep it as under wraps as possible. He knew asking for her number from Jason (who could barely keep a secret from Piper as it was) or any of the other demigods would have brought more questions than he was comfortable answering.

Iris may grate on his nerves, but her client confidentiality was legendary among godly circles.

Making sure there was a strong prism in the mist, he threw in the gold drachma into the mist and said, "Oh Iris, goddess of the Rainbow, please accept my offering."

Usually a small "cha-ching" sound was heard, to alert called that their payment was accepted, but nothing happened.

"Uh, hello?" Nico said after a few moments, confused on why nothing was happening. It wasn't like Iris to have a bad connection.

He was about to speak again when he heard a noise coming from the rainbow.

He stepped back as Iris stepped out of the prism, eventually making her way into Nico's living room.

Although an immortal goddess, she currently looked like she was in her early twenties. She was wearing black jeans and a black leather jacket along with a blue shirt and blue high heels. The oddest thing was the blue phone on her head, no doubt being worn as a hat.

"Well, well. Nico di Angelo. It's been a long time since you've used my pathways. I just had to see this in person." She smirked as she saw Nico take in her appearance. "Like the new look? That Lady Gaga might not be a goddess, but she knows how to make a statement. And what kind of messenger goddess would I be if I didn't follow the times, no?"

Nico didn't have the heart to tell her that she was at least few years behind on the times, and that Lady Gaga was no longer "in". It wouldn't do well to piss of a goddess whose help he needed.

Iris took in Nico's appearance as she circled around him, a slight smirk on her face. "And here I thought you'd disappeared off the face of the Earth. But it seems the time away has been very good to you. Your fanclub will be pleased."

Nico was able to prevent a blush from showing on his features, but only just. Never really being comfortable in his own skin, it was odd that other people found him attractive.

Iris, as if she knew he was embarrassed, smiled wider.

Nico took a deep breath to calm himself, and asked as politely as he could. "Can you just connect me to Rachel Dare?"

Although her expression stayed the same, Iris' eyes widened minutely in surprise, but Nico (an expert at reading body language) immediately noticed.

"What? What is it?" Nico said.

"Can't do that." She said, acting disinterested as she averted her eyes and began to examine her fingernails.

"Why not? I know you can." Nico said, annoyance creeping into his tone. He was seriously regretting going through Iris message at this point.

"I just can't." she said again, still acting blase about the whole thing.

Nico was slowly reaching his boiling point. "Says who? This is really important. Can't you just-" Nico sassed.

Iris looked up, her expression stormy. "Look, kid." she snapped. "The boss says no, I listen. Simple as that."

Nico raised an eyebrow incredulously. "And who's the boss?"

"Someone way above your paygrade." Iris said as she walked back to re-enter the fountain. "Now, if you don't need anything else, I'm going to go." She pulls out a drachma and is about to throw it back to Nico when he grabs her hand. "Wait."

Iris stilled, but the prism around the fountain began to pulse. "You should really let go of me, boy. Son of Hades or no, I don't like it when people tell me what to do." she said, her voice full of steel.

Nico flinched and quickly let go, taking a step back in the process. He knew of her power, and definitely did not want to be on the receiving end of it.

The pulse of power died down after that, and Iris gave him a disgruntled look.

Nico quickly spoke before Iris could leave. "Is there anything you could do? I really need to talk to her." He tried not to look as desperate as he felt. "Please."

Iris sighed, running a hand through her hair to calm her nerves. He payed the fee, and it was her job to connect people. So she technically wouldn't be violating her job parameters.

She made her decision.

What she was going to do was considered a "grey" area, but could still get her in trouble if the higher ups found out about it.

"Look, I can't connect you to her directly, but I can technically tell you where she lives. And if you accidentally happen to find your way there, then everyone wins. Do you understand what I'm getting at?" she said, hoping he could read between the lines.

Nico nodded quickly as he caught on to what Iris was really saying. She took a deep breath and told him Rachel's address, which Nico quickly put in his phone. "This stays between us, got it?"

Nico nodded. "Got it."

Iris smiled, satisfied as she stepped into the fountain. "And I'm still keeping the drachma," she said as she disappeared into the rainbow prism to end to Iris message.

Now alone, Nico flopped onto his couch. He felt another headache coming on.

Everything with Rachel just seemed to bring more questions that answers about the mystery that was Rachel Dare.

What had happened to her to make her persona non grata in the godly community?

Meanwhile, Rachel was in her studio working on her newest painting. It was something she had picked up once she became the Oracle, and had become a big part of her routine growing up.

It was a way to remind herself that she was in the present, and not a slave to the past or future of others.

Although she no longer had her powers, painting was still a way for her to center herself.

The painting is question was barely a sketch at this point, with only a basic outline. Rachel was in the middle of adding some finer details when she heard a knock on the door.

Rachel smiled as she quickly wiped her hands off and moved to the front of her penthouse.

"Annabeth, I thought you couldn't make it today. Is this the surprise you told me about when you said you wanted to do it in person? I'm so glad-" Rachel said as she opened the front door. Her smiled faltered when she saw who was on the other side.

It was a young man, early twenties, with sandy blonde hair, a cocky smile, and outdoorsy good looks. He may have been wearing sunglasses, but Rachel knew exactly who it was.

It was someone she never expected (or wanted) to see again.

Rachel attempted to smile, but it came off more like a grimace. "Apollo. What brings you here?"

Apollo removed his sunglasses, and raised his eyebrow incredulously. "Excuse me?"

It took all of Rachel's willpower to stop herself from rolling her eyes as she did a clumsy curtsy. "Lord Apollo."

Both knew that she was mocking him. Apollo's eyes narrowed for a few moments, pure gold light flaring in his eyes, before he leaned against the doorway, his cocky smirk back in place.

"No need for the formalities, Rachel babe. Can I come in?" He said, as he pushed Rachel out of the way to step inside. Rachel gritted her teeth in anger as closed the door. She wanted to slam it in his stupid smug face but she knew that it would only cause more problems.

She just wanted him out as quickly as possible.

"Is there a reason you came by? Because I was planning on never seeing you again. Ever." Rachel said, crossing her arms.

Apollo ignores her glare as he inspects the penthouse. "Well, I just came by after hearing that Ms. Chase is planning on naming you Maid of Honor for her upcoming nuptials."

"How did you- Is that what she-?" Rachel stuttered, caught off guard by the news.

She waved her arms frantically, hoping to cut him off before he began reciting one of his terrible haikus. "You know what, I don't even want to know." Rachel said.

That was definitely not what she was expecting when she saw Apollo at her door. Nor was she expecting to be the news Annabeth was going to surprise her with.

But how did he know that? And why was he telling her?

She glared at him defensively. "And how is that any of your business? I don't work for you anymore. You made sure of that." Rachel said, attempting to keep her temper in check.

Apollo turned around. "Come now, Rachel. You're not still sore about the whole thing between us, are you?"

"Would you like me to lie?" Rachel said as flat as she could, unable to believe he had the gall to even ask that.

Apollo ignored her and continued talking. "Do you know how terrible it'll look? The disgraced former Oracle showing up to the biggest demigod event in recent memory, and as Maid of Honor no less? Why people would be appalled." Apollo said flamboyantly as he walked around the room, waving his hands to make his point.

He turned and looked at Rachel. "Especially since…" He stopped speaking.

Rachel mentally counted to ten before she spoke, less she lost her temper and slapped that smug smirk off his face.

"Since what?" A second later is clicked. "You don't think you're going to officiate the wedding, do you?"

Apollo smiled even wider. "Why of course. Why wouldn't they want someone known for their rhythm and rhyme with the written word?"

Rachel shook her head. "You're delusional. And even if you weren't, there's no way in hell that Annabeth and Percy would let you officiate their wedding. Annabeth owes The Queen of Olympus a favor, or have you forgotten?"

Apollo's smug expression dropped, his expression turned furious. "Now, I've looked the other way to your cheek due to extenuating circumstances, but-"

Rachel scoffed. "Extenuating, is that what you're calling it now? You're such a douche."

Apollo's eyes blazed in anger. "You forget your tongue, girl. You are in the presence of a god."

She was done dealing with Apollo and his childish behavior. "I didn't forget anything." Rachel said as she stepped toward Apollo. "What I see is a petulant immortal child who never grew up and wants everything to be about him. Newsflash, it's not."

"One more word and I'll-"

Rachel interrupted him. "Do what? You have no power over me and you know it." She walked to the door and wrenched it open. "Now get out before I throw you out."

Rachel knew she touched a nerve when she saw that he was trying to reign in his godly powers. His form flickered with light every few seconds as he took a few harsh breaths to calm himself. After a moment, he spoke, the full power of his godliness behind his words.

"You've made a grave mistake, Rachel Dare."

Apollo walked through the door and gave Rachel one final look. "We'll see each other again soon. That, I guarantee. And I hope by then, you will have turned down Ms. Chase's offer."

"Go fuck yourself." Rachel said as she slammed the door in his face, consequences be damned.

A second later, she felt the building rattle as gold light streamed through the cracks in her door. Once the light disappeared, she slowly opened the door and looked at the spot Apollo had just been.

Seeing the burn marks in the carpet, she put her hand to her head. She already felt the headache coming on.

"I need a drink." She said as she closed the door.

An Hour Later

Rachel took a final sip of her strong vodka tonic, and set the now empty glass on the table beside her.

Her "meeting" with Apollo had really shaken her up (even though she acted strong in front of him). Her nerves were still shot, and even a soothing taste of alcohol didn't help calm her.

She fumbled to grab the carton of cigarettes that lay next to her empty glass. Slowly pulling out a cigarette, she attempted get her lighter working. However, her shaking hands prevented her from properly getting her cigarette lit no matter how many times she tried. Giving up, she threw both cigarette and lighter across the room in frustration.

Slumping against the back of her chair, she rubbed her temples in an attempt to alleviate the last bit of tension in her head. Suddenly, she heard a knock on the door.

"What?!" She said as she opened the door, annoyance apparent on her face. She was definitely not in the mood to deal with any more "surprise" visitors today.

The harsh words she had in store died on her tongue as she saw who was standing on the other side. Instead of a random stranger, it was a slightly nervous Nico, his hand raised mid-knock.

"Nico." Rachel breathed out, stunned to see him at her door. When she had made her offer to him at Annabeth's birthday party, she never expected for him to actually take her up on it when she received no word after a few days.

Nico fidgeted slightly as they stared at each other. Unable to deal with the uncomfortable silence, he began to ramble. "Is this a bad time? I knew this was a bad idea. I should have called first. I can-"

Rachel cut off Nico's words with a small smile and a wave of her hand. "It's fine. Please come in."

She opened the door wider and allowed Nico to walk in.

"Please sit." She said as she grabbed the empty glass from the table. "I'm going to put this in the sink. You want anything? Water, tea, alcohol?"

"I'm fine." He mumbled as he sat on the sofa, fidgeting with his hands. A few moments later, Rachel came back in, taking a seat opposite him, two mugs of tea in hand.

"I know you said you didn't want anything, but I brought tea just in case." She said as she set the mugs on the table. "Best not to start with the alcohol so early."

Nico grabbed his mug while Rachel took a seat. They both stared at each other for a few moments, unsure where to start.

"So…" Rachel said, attempting to alleviate the tension and start the conversation. "I was worried you weren't going to take me up on my offer."

Nico sighed. "Well, I needed a few days. To think things over."

"Well, I'm glad you decided to come just the same. I meant what I said, my door's always open." She placed her hands in her lap. "So where would you like to start?"

"I don't know." Nico said, running his hands through his hair in an attempt to hide his nervousness. "I've never really done this before."

Rachel gave him a sad look. "The talking thing?"

Nico shook his head. "No, the friend thing."

Nico paused.

"Never had someone to confide in before. Not even Jason."

Nico blushed and turned away, embarrassed by the deeply personal admission he made to Rachel.

Nico mentally chided himself. If he was this embarrassed over saying something so minutely personal, he didn't even know how he'd get the courage to ask her about their romantic similarities.

"Well, I think the best thing to do is to start at the beginning." Rachel said softly, sensing his embarrassment and unease.

"Are where would that be?" Nico said, shaking his head. "When I found out I was a son of Hades?"

"How about when you figured out that you were in love with Percy?"

Nico flinched at her bluntness. So that answered one question. She knew about him and his thing for Percy.

"How-" Nico asked, wanting to know how she figured it out, and whether everyone else knew too.

"What? You think you were the only one who's fallen for Percy's...Percyness?" She said, giving him a meaningful look. "Especially knowing that he would never love you back? That Annabeth Chase was it for him? Was it for him since they were twelve?"

Well, that answered two questions.

"But don't worry, no one else knows. I'm just observant, having been in your shoes before. I recognized the signs." She said.

"So...how did you deal with your feelings for him?" Nico tensed slightly, not feeling comfortable getting this personal with someone, especially since he had never done that before.

Rachel paused to gather her thoughts, a small part of her feeling slightly nostalgic thinking back to what seemed like a lifetime ago.

"I told him." Rachel said. She rose her hand before Nico could interject. "Yes, I know your situation is slightly different, but-."

Nico couldn't even begin to see how their situations were the same. "But what? Falling in love with a boy doesn't make you different. It makes you perfectly normal."

"Times are different now, Nico." Rachel said. "Most people don't think about same-sex relationships the same way they did when you were growing up. Even being bisexual is much more accepted."

Nico stilled, his cup of tea half-way to his mouth.

"What are you talking about?" Nico said, as he placed the cup back on the table.

"What do you mean?" Rachel said giving him an old look. "I thought-They said you-"

"Rachel, what is it?" Nico said. He was beginning to worry about her, and she kept giving him a look he couldn't decipher.

"You...don't remember. Do you?" Rachel said, the expression on her face looking like she couldn't even believe what she was saying.

"Remember? Rachel, what are you talking about?" Nico said, as he leaned in close to take Rachel's shaking hand.

Rachel paused for a moment, as if unsure if she should continue to speak or not.

She took a deep breath. "I'm talking about Renzo." She said.

Nico decided to humor her. "And who's Renzo?" He said. He'd never met a Renzo in his life.

Rachel looked him straight in the eyes.

"Renzo was your first boyfriend. In 1940."

A/N: Just a few things:

Nico's Age – I'm fudging this one a bit, since Riodan never could lock down the right age for Nico. He first stated Nico's birthday as both January 28th, 1924 and May 16th, 1924 (on two separate occasions). He later contradicts this in House of Hades, where Nico states that he was about six years old when he first visited Diocletian's private residence in "[nineteen] thirty-eight or so" (making his birthday early 1930s). This new information contradicts that fact that (based on prior information) Nico would have had to be in the Lotus Hotel sometime in the early onset of WWII (as that when when his family left to the United States). For Italy, that would would have been around 1940. Thus (based on the HoH age), Nico would have been 8 when he entered the Lotus Hotel, not 10 (as he was when he exited in The Titan's Curse). So because of that, I decided to have him born in 1926 for the purposes of this story (making him 14 when he enters/leaves the Lotus Hotel). As this is a post-everything fic, upping his age shouldn't affect anything, since he wasn't the "child of prophecy" in the original series anyway.

Nico's Memory/Renzo:

Another thing that I'm fudging. Although it was mentioned in The Last Olympian that Nico had his memories wiped before being placed in the Lotus Hotel (as Nico and Percy see a vision of Hades telling Alecto to bathe Nico and Bianca in the River Lethe before placing them in the Lotus Hotel). HoH contradicts that fact by having Nico remember visiting the Diocletian's private residence in 1938, which should be impossible for him to recall. Although I guess it's plausible for him to have somehow recovered his memories, for the purposes of this story, I'm keeping in line that Nico does not remember anything before entering the Lotus Hotel. Renzo is a character purely of my creation, but ties into what I'm doing with Nico's memories. Also, how Rachel knows about Renzo will be explained in a later chapter.