The car ride was long from Tennessee to Montana, and sometime along the way I fell asleep. When I woke up, I found myself snuggled into Nico side. He had one arm wrapped around me lightly, making me tense up. Nico must've felt it and looked down at me and I started to shake a little from fear. Seeing that I was afraid of him, he pulled his arm back and I intently retreated to the other side of the truck.

"Grover, pull over and I'll drive. You can get some sleep." I said seeing Grover was about to pass out. Grover pulled over and we switched seats. Then I noticed Annabeth and Nico were doing the same. 'Oh great. This is just what I wanted.' I thought sarcastically as Nico sat next to me. We drove the rest of the way in silence. When we finally made it to Hell Creek, everyone was well rested and ready to go.

"Okay, seeing as there was a monster in the first two places we looked, so we'll go with partners. I'm going with Annabeth," Grover said sternly, "And Perci you go with Nico."

"Fine. Lets go."

Nico and I walked in silence for awhile, not saying anything as we hiked through the mountain's forest. Nico seemed like he wanted to sat something but kept he's mouth shut. Then I had a strange feeling someone was watching us and took out my sword just in case. Then I heard a twig snap next to me and I spun around to the source of the noise only to see it was Nico. I turned around to continue walking when I felt a hand on my upper arm hold me back.

"Perci, could we, please, just talk?" Nico begged.

"There's nothing to talk about." I said as I wrenched my arm out of his grasp and continue walking. Without looking I knew Nico was at my side.

"Yes there is."

"Like what?"

"Why you hate me?" Nico said making me stop in my tracks.

"I don't hate you." I said and started to walk again when I noticed a clearing up ahead.

"Then why do you act like it? And why are you afraid of me?"

"I think you know the answer to both of those."

"Oh. But I didn't mean to scare you like that. I was just getting really into the game. I'm sorry for scaring you."

"Apology excepted."

"So, why do you hate me?"

"Remember the night before I left to get the second pearl?"

"Yes." Nico said sounding chocked.

"Then, I think you know the answer." I said as we entered the clearing. It was a big meadow with tall grass.

"Perci, I..." Nico was cut off by a loud roar from the other side of the meadow. There in front of us was a monster with three heads, a goat, a snake for a tail, and the head and body of a lion. It then charged at us and I barley got us out of the of it's claws. then it started ruining towards me, grabbed me by me shirt then threw me into a tree and landed on the ground hard.

it started to stalk towards me when Nico shouted, "No!" really load. The monster turned and looked Nico in the eye then all of a sudden, Nico froze up and wasn't moving, he eyes were unseeing but looking at something in horror. Then to my horror the monster started to stalk towards Nico and with every step in took Nico seemed to get more and more shaky and on the verge of breaking down.

Silently I grabbed my sword sneaked up on it and plunged my sword into it's back and through it heart and out it's chest. It fell down dead, then Nico in healed sharply, blinked a few times before wrapping his arms around me tightly, and he was shaking a little bit.

"Perci, I'm so so sorry!" Nico said sounding heart broken.

"For what?"

"For everything! For everything I have done to you mentally and physically! I'm so so sorry!" Nico said still shaking and sounding even more heart broken.

"Nico it's okay."

"No! It's not okay! I should've never done those things to you! I'm supper sorry!" Nico said his grip getting tighter.

"Nico. It's okay I forgive you." I said as I wrapped my arms around him. His shaking started to stop and his grip loosened. Then the others came.

"What happened?" Annabeth said.

"A monster."

"Found the pearl." Grover said pointing to the snake. He bent down and got in out of the snakes head.

"Lets go." Nico said holding my hand. With that we were off.