A/N- So, lo and behold! Chapter 4 is here less than 2 days after chapter 3. I wish I could tell you my muse has just struck and this will be my new writing speed but sadly, that's not it.

Today I start the new college semester, which means I could get beaten to a pulp by my muse, and I still won't get to write until the weekend. The good news is my weekend starts Thursday night, so the next chapter should be done in less than a week.

Also, this chapter is from Nico's pov, which means I can't use the books for reference. Hopefully he's not too ooc. Let me know!

On a happier note: We've reached ten reviews! Yay!

And last: AM83220: without giving spoilers, it's not Mrs, O' Leary. Hedley is Amazing: I did that before starting the story, though I chose to stick to wikipedia's version (er, versions) of myths because it had more or less what I needed. Still, thanks for the tip! Also, I'm still not sure about a Grover pov (if I tell you more, I'd be definetly giving you spoilers :)).

Disclaimer – I don't own anything, except an OC or two.

Chapter 4: Nico.

Nico was having a bad day. No, scratch that. He was having a bad few months.

After his cabin was built, NIco's life at camp had been pretty good. Not only was he safe from monsters, but he also got to practice with his sword as much as he wanted.

Then, on the last day of the summer, Chiron had offered him the chance to go school. Apparently, he had talked with Percy and Annabeth, and if Nico chose to go to school, he might even get to spend the weekends at Percy's. Because Nico had spent almost two years without a proper education, he'd have until the winter session to catch up on his studies and give his final choice.

Back then, Nico would have bitten his own tong before admitting it, but he really liked the idea of spending some time with relatives who not only were normal –Percy barely fitted the definition, but still – but actually showed they cared whether a monster ate him or not. Besides, as far as Nico was concerned, Sally Jackson would always be the coolest mortal ever; learning to use a gun at her first attempt was proof enough.

Plus, it meant less time spent in the Underworld being forced to eat oatmeal. Honestly, whoever first talked about his stepmom's kidnap got it all wrong. The consequence about that whole episode wasn't Persephone being stuck in the Underworld, but the Underworld being invaded by vegetables and noisy goddesses of the green.

So, all in all, Nico's life after the Titan War had been pretty okay, until a certain whinny queen decided to exchange his cousins like they were collectible cards or something, and all plans of normalcy – not that demigods had much of that – vanished. School isn't exactly number one priority when the west civilization is in danger. Again.

And let's not forget about Thalia never even mentioning she had a brother she thought dead, even though after last summer there had been a sort of unspoken agreement between Nico, Percy, Thalia and Annabeth to not keep secrets (mostly anyway), since a) being a child of the Big Three could suck so much only demigods in the same position could understand and b) the more Annabeth knew, the easier it'd be for her to save them from trouble.

Then, as if the situation hadn't been bad enough, it was somehow decided he had to go on a quest with a total stranger to the place where his own sister had died. Just great.

In other words, everything wrong in Nico's life since December was Hera's fault. Figures. Not that any of that mattered right then.

At the moment, Nico was feeling as if he were floating surrounded by darkness. He tried to remember what had happened, but he had problems focusing. His last memory was of saving Leo from the empousai and then shadow travelling (which Annabeth had forbidden him to) to Grover's. Or trying anyway. Had he succeeded?

He tried to focus again. He couldn't hear the screeches of tortured souls, so he wasn't in the Underworld, and the darkness wasn't as, err, dark as it should've been. He could also hear soft noises, as if someone was having a conversation, and then there was a bleat.

Wait, a bleat? Grover!

Maybe he had yelled that last part, because in a second Nico was sited in a bed –or something close to it, anyways – with a satyr and a demigod on each side of it.

'Nico, you're okay, thank the gods. I was sure you were just tired from shadow travelling, but you wouldn't wake up, so I got really worried' Grover said.

Apparently that wasn't what he'd told Leo, because the guy was giving him a disbelieving look.

'Excuse me? You told me there was nothing to worry about –'

'And there wasn't.'

'- that he was just tired –'

'Which he was.'

This is getting annoying.

'- that he'd be perfectly fine in a few-'

The conversation kept going, as if they'd forgotten the person they were talking about was right there. And Nico hated being ignored.

'Excuse me' he suddenly said and the other two guys jumped surprised. Ha! Serves them right.

'I'm not so tired anymore, but I'm hungry' he went on, 'Grover, do you have something to eat besides tin cans?'

Grover and Leo looked at each other guiltily, and Nico knew he wouldn't like the answer.

'Well' the satyr started, 'you were out for a couple of hours so Leo and I decided to use the time to, you know, trade information…'

'Information?'

'Yeah' this time it was Leo, 'like, I told Grover about how things are at camp and he told me stuff.'

'Stuff?' Maybe Nico was naturally suspicious of everything, but he was sure the guy was lying through his teeth, having already noticed Grover couldn't do that to save his life.

'You know, like how camp was before Jason and Percy Jackson were switched, that kind of stuff.'

Right. If it were just that, you wouldn't be giving me the 'I pity you look'.

Nico was pretty sure he knew what they had been talking about, but if they weren't telling, then he wasn't asking. For now. Especially since he was really hungry which was how the conversation had started.

'So?'

'So?' Grover repeated. He probably had forgotten too.

'Food, Grover! Food!'

'Oh! As I was saying, Leo and I were talking, we started eating and … well, we ate everything.'

'What!' First they talk behind his back and then they eat everything? He was so getting even, mortal flaw or not.

Maybe Grover was thinking the same thing, because for a second there, he looked panicked. 'Don't worry, there's a bending machine a few doors from here. I'll bring you something right now.'

As he left, Leo pulled his chair closer to the bed. He looked a little nervous, like he was trying to say something, but didn't know how.

Can't be worse than last time. Wait, if Grover told him everything, maybe it could.

'Thanks for saving me from the cheerleaders from Hell.'

Oh. That was it.

'You're welcome. It wasn't that much, just a couple of empousai.' He'd tried to sound cool and mostly awesome, but he was still a little tired, so he sounded like he was half asleep. Not cool at all.

Still, it looked like Leo hadn't noticed. 'Are you kidding? That was awesome! Like the rebellion against the high school social ladder, or something!'

High school social ladder? Who thought those sort of things? Gods, it was like Percy Jackson, version two. So, just like with Percy, he had to make some sort of dry remark.

'Are you calling me a geek?'

Leo blushed all the way to the ears. 'Er, no, I mean not that being a geek is bad, but I hadn't meant you were and … you know.'

'Would you like a shovel?'

Leo just gave him a dry smile. 'Nah, I've already pretty much buried myself without one.'

Okay, maybe the guy wasn't quite like Percy – he always had a comeback ready and you could banter with him for hours – but he was … acceptable for the time being. While he was wondering about all that, Grover came back with all sorts of snacks.

'Here you go. I brought enough for now and breakfast.'

'Breakfast? You want us to stay? I mean, you're probably busy' Nico said. I was nice of Grover if he was offering, but the faster they were done with the quest, the better.

'Well, the thing is, Leo told me your prophecy, and I … well, I'm not sure but, I think I might know something about it.' Normally, Nico would have considered that good news, but Grover's expression told him right away that was not the case.

Dangers in a quest? Why, what a surprise Nico! Yeah, right.

A/N- So, too ooc? What do you think? Next: Our heroes find out all about Grover's own problems.

Remember, reviews are useful and welcome!