It took them a couple hours to get back home, though mostly just because Drew needed a bit of a pep talk before Percy called Jason because she was nervous. Finally they walked out of the forest into the clearing that surrounded Slenderman's mansion.

"Nice." Drew commented appreciatively looking the well kept antique building over.

"Slenderman has good taste." Percy agreed. Drew bit her lip and Percy hesitantly reached for her hand. She twined their fingers together and he lead her towards the house.

"It's about time you two got here. What took you so long I've been waiting." Percy turned back to the forest and Nico stepped out of a shadow. His arms were crossed and he was scowling.

"Nico." Percy yelped too shocked to act right away. "What are you doing here!? How?.." Nico had held up his hand and then started counting down on his fingers silently. Before he reached one there was a hum, crackle of electricity, and then a happy screech. Percy saw a flash of green and then Ben had half tackled Nico.

Nico didn't fall over, he had been ready for the impact and wrapped his arms around Ben's waist.

"It's about time you came to visit again. I've been waiting for you. I nearly saved over your pokemon cause you were gone so long you asshole." Ben chattered and Nico laughed.

"I came to see you like two weeks ago. That is not too long, I've been busy." Nico said smiling at Ben in a way Percy hadn't seen Nico smile since he was, like nine. Nico ran one hand through the hair at the back of Ben's head and Ben grinned at him, tilting his head back slightly.

"Too busy for me? You shouldn't have done that." Ben teased then seemed to notice Percy. "Oh hey Percy how did that… thing you were doing go? Who's the pretty girl?" Ben asked smirking at Drew. Nico gave the back of Ben's hair a gentle tug. "Ya, ya I know I'm taken." Ben said waving Nico away with an affectionate smile.

"How long has this been going on?" Drew asked. Percy's mouth wouldn't close. He hadn't known anyone else knew about the creeps let alone… this. Whatever this was.

"Oh I've know Neeks since he was... what? seven?" Ben asked Nico laughing. Nico chuckled and nodded. "The Lotus Casino has the best games! I hang out there like all the time and me and Nico used to play together."

"Bianca thought he was my imaginary friend." Nico chuckled, pulling Ben back so he was leaning against Nico's chest, Ben didn't seem to mind. "I only found him again while I was looking for you last time you went missing." Nico rolled his eyes at Percy.

"I'd been looking for him before that." Ben said scowling then grinned at Percy. "Guess I should have just asked you huh?"

"So you're… one of us too?" Percy asked Nico once he was finally able to get his mouth working again.

"No." Nico said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "The way my powers manifest mean that I am literally allergic to death. I get sick if I'm near someone when they die. That would make me a really poor killer, I just like him."

"Oh." Was all Percy could say. Ben glowered at him, red eyes glowing.

"If you try to make him leave I will fight you Kyrios." Ben threatened and Percy held up his hands.

"I'm not going to try to make him leave. I just… I don't even know." Percy said completely unsure of what to do.

"Honestly." Drew sighed rolling her eyes at Percy. "I think it's great that you to found each other again. You make a cute couple." She said smiling at Nico and Ben.

"Thanks." Ben said grinning at her widely. Nico blushed and looked away. "Seriously though Kyrios, how did that thing you were doing go? I don't know what it was but from the way L.J. and Ace were freaking out I guess it was important."

"It didn't go well." Nico said scowling at Percy like it was his fault. "That's part of the reason I came. I think you guys need to prepare for war now. That was the talk when I slipped away anyway."

"There's no way to avoid it now?" Percy asked feeling like he had been punched in the stomach.

"That comment about asking Jason to turn Annabeth into a doll wasn't very diplomatic, Percy." Nico said scowling even deeper. Okay so maybe it was his fault. "Now they're angry that you managed to remain amongst them for so long. I'll try to talk them out of it but I doubt they'll listen to me. They already suspect me of being one of you because of my nature. If I argue too hard they'll chase me out for sure and I'm assuming you all could use a spy."

"You should talk about this inside." Ben pointed out. "I'll round up Slender, the proxies, Skin Taker and whoever else I can." There was another electric crackle and Ben was gone, rushing back into the wiring of the house to seek out whoever he could.

"He's right. It's time to talk strategy now." Nico sighed. Percy nodded then turned to Drew.

"Do you want to be involved in this? They were your people as of like two hours ago. I could introduce you to Sally and Jane. You'd like them and they could give you a full tour while the meetings going on."

"No." Drew said shaking her head. Her lips were pressed together tightly, Percy suspected to keep them from trembling. "What better way to be accepted than to be useful?"

"Alright." Percy said softly taking her hand and kissing her forehead gently. "Let me know if you want to leave at any point." Nico watched the interaction and raised his eyebrows at Percy. Percy could see the accusation in them 'really?'. Nico seemed to be asking 'you and Annabeth broke up officially all of three hours ago, and you're on to someone else?'. Percy glared back and lead Drew past Nico into the house, Nico fell into step behind them.

"There you are!" L.J. greeted Percy once they got inside. Apparently he had been waiting. "It's about time you got back, I was worried."

"You always worry." Percy commented. "It's what you do. Drew this is L.J., L.J. this is Drew, she's a daughter of Aphrodite but she thought she would fit in with us better. I've already tested her and I think she will too."

"It's nice to meet you Drew." L.J. giggled, taking in the fact that she was holding Percy's hand. "Annabeth's gone I take it."

"Gone and replaced." Drew agreed with a smirk. L.J. Laughed.

"Well then it's nice to meet you and since Percy sometimes calls me his mom I think it's my job to start telling embarrassing stories now." L.J. said rubbing his hands together gleefully and Percy groaned.

"No L.J. it is not embarrassing story time!" Percy objected but Drew was edging closer to L.J..

"Do tell." She urged laughing along with L.J.. Percy let go of Drew's hand and covered his face, why had he ever started calling L.J. mom?

"No time right now, remember?" Nico cut in and Percy gave him a grateful look. "It looks like a war is inevitable now. BEN's already gathering up who he can so we can talk about how this should be played."

"Can't we just kill them all?" L.J. asked sounding a little grumpy.

"No." Drew and Nico said at the same time.

"They're right. The demigods have saved the world a couple of times from problems we wouldn't even know were there. They fulfill a necessary role." Percy explained to L.J.. Though from the way both Nico and Drew were glowering, he suspected their answers had more to do with emotional attachment to family.

"Okay." L.J. said sounding even grouchier. "That's no fun."

"Don't worry L.J. I don't think this war will last long." Percy assured.

The creeps and Nico gathered in the dining room of Slenderman's mansion. Even a few who didn't live there on a regular basis had been scrounged up which meant that Jane, Skin Taker, and Mr. Widemouth were there as well as the usual crew of L.J., E.J., Sally, Jeff, Slenderman, BEN and the Proxies. There was no alarm when Nico took a seat next to BEN. Nico introduced himself 'again' for anyone who didn't know him and Percy introduced Drew.

There was some grumbling about her being there, but it settled down quickly when Slenderman called for order. Percy explained what had happened with some help from Nico. Nico picked up parts that Percy hadn't been there for, when they were finished a few people looked grim.

"Why is that a problem?" Jeff asked sounding bored. "I know some of them are strong but we can just kill them all."

"No we can't you dip shit." Jane snapped back. Jeff and Jane had been put as far away as possible but that didn't seem to affect their fighting. "Heamo Kyrios, Nico, and Drew all care about those demigods. Besides they've saved the world twice in the past few years and probably will again. We can't die so do you want to spend forever drifting in space?"

"What does it matter that those three care about the demigods?" Jeff growled. "Two of them aren't even part of the group."

"Drew completed the initiation." Percy snapped back for her. "She's one of us."

"Fight me you asshole!" Jane yelled and she and Jeff left the room. To actually fight or to have hate sex, no one cared to know.

"Alright now that they're gone we can actually get down to business." BEN joked.

"Thank you for standing up for me." Drew whispered to Percy. "But I'll have to stand up for myself sooner than later. That's the only way I'll get them to respect me isn't it?"

"That's one way." Percy agreed, the other way was to make friends with everyone like Sally had.

"Well it's my way." She said and he smiled at her, nodding encouragingly.

"They'll have noticed I was gone by now." Nico pointed out leaning his elbows on the table. BEN's hand was on Nico's lower back. They hadn't left contact for the entire time Nico had been here. "When I go back I'll tell them I was spying, trying to find where Drew and Percy went. The question is whether or not I tell them I found you. If I do, they'll bring the fight to you, but I could easily lie and tell them I lost Percy while he was under the ocean, spent some time looking and couldn't find him again. Do you want them to bring the fight to you?"

"We've known where they are for years." E.J. pointed out, he was making a small stack of the scalpels he found in his pocket. "I think it would be best if we bring the fight to them. Knowing that we could have destroyed them if we wanted to this entire time may prompt a quicker surrender."

"If you do that I would recommend offering to help repair damages once they surrender." Nico said leaning back in his chair and shifting a little closer to BEN. "That would help foster good relations in the long term and smooth over some of the hard feeling caused by attacking first."

"That is a wise idea Nico." Slenderman said, tilting his head slightly.

"So I'll lie and say I didn't find you." Nico sighed. "Okay."

"Will you fight with us?" Mr. Widemouth asked grinning at Nico toothily.

"No I won't." Nico said shaking his head and looking upset. BEN wrapped one arm protectively around Nico's shoulders. "I have one true and one adopted sister amongst the demigods. I won't fight against them. But I won't fight against BEN either. I have already lead troops into two wars. This one I will run from."

"There's nothing wrong with that babe." BEN said glaring around the table as if daring anyone to argue. "We won't ask you to choose between the people you care about." Skin Taker looked like he wanted to argue but when BEN glared at him he seemed to think better of it. Nico wouldn't meet anyone's eyes.

Percy wasn't sure if he could think of Nico as a coward for making this choice. But then again a coward couldn't exist in this world. Nico just had less control of his emotion, more trouble keeping from caring. Was that weakness? Maybe or maybe not, it didn't matter.

The decision was made. They would take the demigods the war they wanted and then accept a surrender or cease fire as soon as it was offered. With that, Nico left to make an appearance back in camp. BEN left too, there were cameras in the big house at Camp Half Blood and he wanted to watch as much as the events that came up just in case Nico needed help.

"Sorry about what Jeff said." Jane said to Drew. She had come back about ten minutes before the end of the meeting without Jeff. When she had been asked where he was she had said 'dead, he'll be better in a few hours.'. Drew had looked a little confused but she hadn't asked.

"It's no problem." Drew said tossing her hair over her shoulder. "I've learned not to let douchey boys get under my skin."

"You'd have to looking like that." Jane agreed with a small smirk. "Listen, me and some of the other female creeps were planning to have a girls night out tonight. Dinner, maybe a few drinks, and then some bloody games. Do you want to tag along? There aren't that many girls here, we need to stick together."

"Sure." Drew agreed. "Who's going to be there?"

"Me, Judging Angel, Clockwork, Luna, Kate and Alice I think. Sally looks too young to drink. She and Scarecrow might join as later in the night though, for the games." Jane said smirking a little more.

"Sounds good." Drew agreed.

"Great. Can't wait to have you." Jane said with a wink.

"Jane." Percy complained. "Me and Drew just got together no trying to steal!" He joked and Jane laughed, Drew chuckled too.

"Don't you worry, He-man." Jane said punching Percy on the shoulder lightly., he rolled his eyes at the nickname. "Me and Angel are still going strong so your relationship is safe from me for now." She smiled at them both one more time and then jogged off, maybe to find Angel.

"Was agreeing to go the right thing there?" Drew asked Percy. "I need to learn how things work here. I assume the rules are different."

"Sure that was the right thing." Percy said shrugging. "The creeps are a really close-nit group. They'll want to get to know you now." He put his hands on her waist from behind. She tilted her head to the side slightly and he nuzzled her neck.

"Is everyone friendly?' She asked then added. "Jeff and Jane really seem to get along well." Percy laughed.

"Of course not. But almost all of us still want to have connections with people, friends, family, lovers. Those aren't things we can find with humans in the outside world so, we find the bonds we need among our kind. The same reason that Demigods are all mixed together and close."

"Not really that different huh?" Drew said looking at Percy out of the corner of her eye and Percy shrugged.

"I think we're pretty similar. We just live by different rules. Demigods kill monsters, we kill humans. There are other differences though, you'll find them I'm sure."

"I hope I do better here." Drew grumbled, hugging herself and covering Percy's hands with her own.

"Me too." Percy agreed, kissing her jaw tenderly. "I basically just found you, I wouldn't want to see you leave."

"If I left and I asked you too, would you come with me?" Drew asked. Percy could feel a bit of charm speak in her voice but he shook it off. He knew the charm speak was telling him to say yes but he wanted to tell the truth.

"It's too soon to say." He said with a shrug. He had thought she would be disappointed, but far from it . She looked very pleased. Maybe she was sick of everyone fawning over her and giving her what she wanted, maybe she was a bit more like Piper than she let on.

"I won't fight this war." Drew said suddenly changing the subject. "I'm with Nico on this one. I didn't belong with the demigods but that doesn't mean I don't still care about my siblings. I won't take a side."

"That's fine." Percy assured her. "It's the demigods that are forcing this war. The creeps never agree on anything. We've stopped even trying to act as a whole, people fight the battles they believe in or want too."

"Good." Drew said forcefully. "That black or white, all or nothing attitude of the Demigods always annoyed me."

"Me too." Percy sighed. "They can't seem to admit that the world is more complicated than that."


A/N this story will be summed up in two more chapters I think. If you want it to be longer let me know and I can include the 'girls night out' and a few other relationship details with Drew and Percy.