"Hey," Will was shaking my shoulder, "Nico, we gotta pack, remember?"

I rolled over in bed. It was the next morning. We'd gotten home at like 2am and I'd barely slept. I was exhausted, and really not looking forward to today.

"Get up, Deathboy."

How the hell had he gotten in my room? I usually locked the door (after the homemade waffles incident I wasn't taking any chances). Then again, I'd probably forgotten. I'd been so tired, Will had practically carried me back to the apartment. After my dad had melted back into the shadows, my energy had crashed completely. Most likely because I hadn't really slept the day before.

I groaned into my pillow, "Go away, Solace."

"Nope," I could pretty much hear him smiling, "We gotta go. So get up."

How was he so cheery? It was like 6 in the morning.

"Five more minutes."

Will grabbed onto my feet and pulled. I started to slide out of bed. Seizing the bedpost, I held on desperately.

Will grunted, "Come on! We gotta pack!"

"Five more minutes!"

My fingers slipped and I fell onto the floor will a loud plop, tangled in sheets. I glared up at Will who grinned, already dressed and ready to go. He'd fixed his hair and was wearing a shirt that said Cali skies. Annoyingly, he looked hot. I felt my cheeks warm at the sight of him.

"I made you breakfast, Sunshine."

"Screw you."

. . .

Annabeth had told us to meet up at her apartment at seven to discuss the matter of transportation.

Reyna had apologized over and over again for the fact that she couldn't go with us. She'd been helping out with running camp Jupiter all year, and she couldn't suspend her duties.

Will and I caught a taxi and rode down to Annabeth and Percy's apartment where we met the other eight all dressed in thick winter coats. We were all packed and ready to go. Leo by far had the biggest and heaviest suitcase, roughly the same size as him, which Frank reluctantly agreed to carry (after a few prods from Hazel). If I had to guess what was in there I'd go with tools and gadgets and whatever the hell building stuff required. I'd packed pretty light, just a few clothes and my skull ring. Annabeth had told us we were going straight to find Dax after California, and weren't coming back home, but I still didn't think it was necessary to pack anything but the essentials

Annabeth had contacted Camp Half-Blood after we'd spoken with my dad. (I don't know how. She must have done it at like 2am. That girl had some determination.) She'd found out Rachel's address from some of her friends back at camp. Turns out the girl had moved to Palo Alto.

Then came the problem of transportation.

Frank suggested we take a plane, which was a good idea, until we realized we didn't have that kind of money.

Hazel suggested a train, but Annabeth worried that if we were attacked we wouldn't be able to save ourselves and all our fellow passengers.

Calypso proposed we take Festus, but Leo reminded us we wouldn't all fit on his back, and besides the dragon was out of commission for a while.

Building another Argo would take too long, Jason couldn't fly us all, and when I proposed to shadow travel all ten of us Will and Percy shouted, "OH HELL NO!" In unison.

So we were left with one option.

Driving.

Two cars.

Ten people.

44 hours.

My. Personal. Nightmare.

Piper, Annabeth, Hazel, Frank, and a reluctant Calypso all piled into one car. While the rest of us stuffed ourselves into another. Jason took the wheel. Leo called shotgun. While I was stuck in the back squished between Will and, to my horror, Percy, who was looking ridiculously hot. I prayed to gods I didn't do anything embarrassing in front if him.

And then we were off.

After about ten minutes of driving Leo struck up an obnoxious song.

"We are going on a road trip,
Us five demigods,
We're flying down the streets,
In our Nissan SUV"

"Leo," I scowled, "Can you not."

"We are going on a road trip,
Me and my man-squad,
We're on an adventure
Oh yeah Hepatitis b"

"What the heck, Leo?"

"What?" Leo shrugged, "I had to make it rhyme," then he raised his arms in the air, "Everybody now!"

To my dismay Percy, Jason and Will all joined in, smiling and swaying back and forth the rhythm.

"We are going on a road trip,
Us five demigods,
We're flying down the streets,
In our Nissan SUV"

Will grabbed a ukulele from the trunk (he'd probably packed it) and played along. Strumming a tune that went well with the lyrics. I hadn't even known he played the ukulele. Well, his father was the god of music, I shouldn't have been surprised. I slumped further in my seat, crossing my arms, and glaring at the back of Leo's head.

"We are going on a road trip
Me and my man-squad,
Were on an adventure
Oh yeah Hepatitis b"

Just as I was starting to think that this was going to be a long-ass two days, Percy leaned into me, throwing his arm around my shoulders. My breath caught. He was looking down at me, his sea-green eyes sparking. He smelled faintly of that damn perfect sea-salt taffy cologne. He was grinning.

"Why don't you smile, Mr. Grumpy-pants?"

"Yeah," Jason called from the driver seat, "Why don't you?"

I glowered. I was hyper aware of how close he was to me, and trying really hard not to think about what his lips would feel like on mine, "Because I have to deal with you people. And don't call me that."

"What, Grumpy-pants?" Percy asked, exchanging smiles with Jason.

"You know I could literally turn you into a mindless wandering spirit, or call a bunch of zombies to tear your limbs off, or just open up the ground and kick you into the underworld."

"But you won't," Will said still strumming, "cause you love us."

I couldn't really argue with that so I just scowled and said, "Shut up, Solace."

I pushed Percy's arm off of my shoulders and then immediately regretted it. It had felt right somehow, like his hands were meant to be on me. My body yearned for his embrace.

But, for the sake of appearances, I kept the scowl on my face.

. . .

I didn't remember falling asleep. Maybe it was the pleasant feeling of the car around me sliding lazily over smooth road, or the sky that darkened slowly overhead, or the tiredness that eventually enveloped me. But for one reason or another, after some time, I nodded off.

I awoke sometime around 10pm to soft whispers.

"...time for...gotta switch." Jason's voice. I could hardly register what he was saying. My head was swimming. I was barely conscious, most of my mind still in the arms of slumber. Though my eyes were closed I could sense the car wasn't moving, pulled over to the side of the road.

"We can't though... Nico...not ready." Was that Will's voice? Yes, coming from behind the wheel. I remembered, we'd decided to drive in 4 and half hour shifts. And the end of each shift the driver would switch. I went after Will. Which meant if Will had just pulled over, it was my turn.

I tried to force my tired eyes open but I could only get one lid to lift, and then only slightly, a slit that I couldn't really see out of.

All of a sudden I was aware that my head was resting on something comfortable. Something that smelled suspiciously of sea-salt taffy...

Oh gods.

My heart started to race. My head was on Percy's shoulder and could feel his arm around my shoulders again. My body was pressed against his. We were so close, I could feel his steady heartbeat.

Was this how I had slept the whole night so far?

Oh dear gods.

I told myself over and over that this was merely a platonic thing, a big brother thing, but it really didn't feel like it.

Or maybe this was all a dream.

Probably was. Percy wouldn't ever really hold onto me like this. I calmed down slightly at the thought. Yes, this was all just a dream. Just a dream.

And in that case, I was going to take advantage of it.

I closed my eyes tighter and reached my arm across to Percy's chest hugging him close to me. Percy chuckled quietly, and laid his hand on my hair, smoothing it. I felt my heart flutter. I was already liking this dream.

"Will's right," Percy murmured. I could hear him more clearly than I'd heard the others before, even though his voice was soft, "We can't wake him up. He's probably having a good dream or something."

"I'll say," Leo laughed quietly, "his hands are all over you, man."

Jason spoke up, "who's gonna take Nico's shift, then?"

"I can," Will said tentatively.

"Nah, man, you just went." Jason replied.

"Um... I-I'll go," Percy muttered, though I could hear the reluctance in his voice, "I just don't know if I should move, I mean, I'm like Nico's pillow right now."

"I can do that," Will said quickly, like he was worried someone else would volunteer and he'd miss his chance, "I can be his pillow, a-and stuff."

This was a weird dream. It was starting to seem more real than the work of my imagination. I held on more tightly to Percy, not wanting him to go.

I heard a car door open. Will getting out of the car, probably. Then Percy hesitantly lifted my arm off of him and his arm from around my shoulders. And then Will was beside me, in the same place Percy had been. And my head now rested on his shoulder. He slipped his arm around my shoulders and leaned into me. I felt his shoulders relax slightly as if he'd been tense. Probably from the stress of driving at night. But for some reason it didn't feel that way. For some reason I thought it might have been from jealousy.

I leaned into Will, eyes still closed, he was soft and comfortable. And eventually I fell back asleep again.

That is, if you can fall asleep in a dream.