A/N - Before you start, I again need to say sorry for the late upload. I'm trying to do once a weekend if possible. Also, I've decided that I'm changed the rating from T to M because I think some of the later chapters will include more language and adult themes (you'll see *wink*). Thank you to everyone who has followed/reviewed. If you have any suggestions/questions feel free to send them through, I love hearing from you. Now! Onto the story.

Chapter Ten – The Rescue

*Nico POV*

Well fuck my head hurt. I groaned and slowly peeled my eyes open, blinking sluggishly at the soft sunlight streaming into the – wait, where were we? I attempted to sit up, only to find my efforts stunted by the long body lying against my side. I glanced over and saw Will curled up like a cat on his side with his head resting on my stomach. I stilled, not wanting to disrupt his peaceful sleep. He looked so calm while asleep with all the worry lines etched from years of struggle smoothed out and leaving him looking younger, more carefree. I gently ran my hands through his bright waves, savouring the quiet time I got to appreciate his company…

"Nico you're awake!" And of course, my quiet was ruined by none other than Perseus Jackson. He loped towards me like an overgrown puppy and threw himself on the ground beside me, jostling Will awake.

"Oh Nico, thank the gods!" Will embraced me tightly then pulled back as I failed to contain a flinch. He gingerly lifted the front of my shirt to expose my still raw chest. I shivered as his hands hovered over the slowly healing scabs, expelling his soothing magic. Considering that I looked like I had been rubbed against a cheese grater, it was amazing that my head was the only part of me that made me want to rip it off. Will winced at the bleeding cuts and starting muttering under his breath. I turned my attention to Percy and groaned as my head spun. Fighting back nausea, I noticed that he was watching me with a weird expression on his face.

"What? Is there some part of me missing?" He ducked his head and chuckled nervously, tilting his head to expose a sheepish and apologetic look. "Jackson what did you do?"

"You see," he mumbled, "I may have accidently bumped your head pretty impressively on a boulder outside while you were unconscious…" Will snapped his head up and glared profusely at Percy.

"You didn't mention that to me! You said you hit a rock!"

"Well, technically I did hit a rock…with Nico's head…"

"Jackson!"

"I'm sorry ok!"

I laughed croakily. "So that's why my head feels like Festus has sat on it." I continued to observe our surroundings: damp cavern, sharp, looming stalagmites and stalactites, dripping water, the usual location for an escape. "Ok, someone tell me what happened since I passed out." Thus, began the lively recount of the journey from our cell to our current cubbyhouse. All the while, my chest and throat itched, begging me to save them from their misery and to actually give my body some sort of revitalisation. Will interpreted my meagre hand waving and told Percy to bring me some water. Afterwards, we all sat around each other in silence, not daring to voice to question hanging in the air. What now?

*Hazel POV*

"I'm telling you! I heard Nico! He said: 'find us'." My protests continued to fall on deaf ears.

"Hazel, I know how much you want it to be true but the protections around the school don't allow communications like that." Hermione looked at me sadly, "I'm sorry but it can't have been Nico. We will keep looking until we find them, they can't have gotten far."

I glared up at the older girl. "Ugh!" Stomping off, I scattered first years in every direction as I made my way towards the Great Hall to meet the other demigods. Once there, I located Frank's burly form and beelined towards him. Plonking myself down in the seat next to him, I grabbed a piece of toast and furiously smeared it with butter and marmite.

"Hazel are you ok?" Frank looked over in concern, his big puppy dog eyes burning into mine.

"Hermione still insists that it can't have been Nico talking to me because of the protections around the school." I nibbled miserably at my toast while the others exchanged heavy glances. "What?" I looked around at them, "what aren't you telling me?... Leo?"

Leo scratched behind his ear and avoided my gaze. He finally broke under the daggers my eyes sent him. "Well Haze, we were talking and…well…" He glanced up and hurriedly said, "we believe you! We do, seriously! We were just thinking that perhaps it was time to take matters into our own hands." He looked around to see if anyone else was eavesdropping's, leaning forward he continued, "we want to try to get out of the school and find them. We don't think they're on school property. Harry has a really handy map and their names aren't on it. Harry and Ron have offered to help us. We haven't mentioned it to Hermione and Annabeth though, we didn't want to get their hopes up in case we were wrong."

"So, what? All of you were going to suddenly disappear and expect us to not freak out? You need to tell them! For gods, sake Percy's their brother and boyfriend! If I were missing I would be ok knowing that Nico and Frank were coming to find me! And on that note, were you going to tell me? Nico is my brother and I will not let him get hurt!" I glowered at Leo and the others as they hung their heads in shame. "We need to go talk to Hermione and Annabeth. Now." With that, I gathered the rest of my toast and marched out of the Hall with the others following on my heels. The trip to the fat lady seemed shorter than usual, thanks to the adrenaline coursing through my body. I practically shouted the password at her (gedwëy ignasia) before leaping through the portrait hole. Sprinting towards where Annabeth, Hermione, Ron and Harry sat, I took steadying breaths as the others caught up. Finally, Leo staggered up to us, wheezing heavily, and I burst into the explanation of our plan. They all watched with wide eyes, Harry and Ron out of surprise and Hermione and Annabeth out of hope. The girls shot daggers at the boys at the mention of their names in the plan, with the boys offering sheepish smiles in return.

I concluded and we all waited with bated breath for their reaction. Hermione and Annabeth looked at each other and seemed to be having a silent conversation through looks alone. At last, they turned towards us and said in unison: "We're in."

*Will POV*

"I'm hungry! My insides are eating each other! I shall never survive this eternal torture!" Percy continued to moan his misgivings for the world to hear until finally, I snapped.

"Percy you ate twenty minutes ago!" Silence. Nico and Percy both looked at me in surprise before Percy grinned and said,

"Well, as a doctor you of all people should know that someone such as myself – a growing boy participating in physically exerting activities – requires more food than a handful of mushrooms to properly replenish my lost energy." Nico sniggered quietly at the look of astonishment on my face.

"Wow Percy," Nico sniggered again, "I didn't think you could form sentences as eloquent as that." I burst out laughing at the look of overexaggerated hurt Percy threw to Nico.

"For your knowledge Nico, I am particularly skilled in the area of eloquence and speech, as I have had to talk my way out of more than one tricky situation." He looked proud of himself until I muttered under my breath:

"More likely he spends too much time with Annabeth." Nico barked a laugh at that and after a moment Percy and I joined in, adding our mirth until we all descended into hysteria. We sat gasping for breath for minutes after we managed to contain ourselves and again were faced with our dilemma. How were we going to get out of here?

Percy jerked up suddenly, eyes enlightened like a madman. "I have an idea." Nico and I quieted, looking expectantly at Percy. "Will, do you remember seeing any openings in the mountains when you looked out the window?" I thought back to the image of the scenery.

"Actually yes! There was one towards the right of the forest. But it was behind the other watchtower, the only way to get there would end up with us in plain sight of anyone there."

"Well was there anything else we could use for cover?" I continued to strain my memory. Suddenly it hit me and a wide grin spread over my face.

"I think I know how we can pass unseen." Both Nico and Percy looked at me. "There was a lake next to the forest that led directly to the opening. All we need to do it cross it."

"How?" Percy continued to look confused.

I smiled again. "We're going to walk through it."

*Hazel POV*

Convincing Professor McGonagall to allow us to leave Hogwarts to look for Percy, Will and Nico was surprisingly easy. Apparently, because the demigods weren't technically students, she didn't have authority over us and Harry, Ron and Hermione were all of legal age and therefore could make decisions for themselves. No matter the case, two hours after I announced the plan we were walking out the front gates, heading towards the boundary of the school's protection. None of us had any idea of how we were going to locate the boys, but for the time being, we were only worried about getting away cleanly.

Hermione stopped at a tree ten metres outside the boundary and turned towards me.

"Hazel, do you think you could try to reach Nico with your mind? Can you try to remember what it felt like when you heard his voice? Maybe you can contact him back and get a location?"

I closed my eyes in concentration. I concentrated on what it had felt like when his mind brushed mine. I thought of everything that reminded me of Nico: aviator jackets, his thin hands dancing over ivory piano keys, our mutual habitual motion to twist our rings around our fingers. Unknown minutes passed until I suddenly felt a warm presence at the corner of my consciousness. "I…I think I feel something. Give me a minute." I probed towards that warmth, projecting with all my might images and memories of Nico. I felt a tentative tendril reach out towards me. Hazel? I lunged out blindly towards the tendril and grasped it with my mind.

Nico, it's me.

Oh, thank the gods, finally someone sane to talk to. How are you doing this?

I don't know, you contacted me last night this way and I tried copying it.

That's weird, I was unconscious, I don't remember anything from last night.

That's not important, where are you?

I don't know. Will has a plan for us to cross a lake to get to some openings in a nearby mountain range, but I don't know where we will go from there.

Send me through an image if you can. We've got the wizards with us, maybe they can lead us to you.

One second. Hazel could feel his concentration until an image blazed brightly behind her eyes. She saw the scene through Nico's eyes. He was looking directly at a wide expanse of water. To his left, there were the tell-tale signs of a forest and behind the lake was a domineering mountain range. On the far side of the lake, at the limit of his eyesight, there was a tiny slit in the mountains. It seemed like a jagged wound compared to the perfect symmetry surrounding it.

We're heading towards that entrance. Do you think you could meet us there?

How are you getting there?

Percy is going to lead us through the water. Hazel nearly laughed at his obvious discomfort at the idea. She quickly revised the image and settled on the tiny spot near the entrance. Enough detail was available that she could easily identify it if they happened upon it, but she still had no idea how they were going to get there.

Ok, Nico, I'm going to tell the others now. See if you can get there and find somewhere safe to settle. We'll find you as soon as we can. I'll contact you again if something goes wrong.

Ok. And Hazel?

Yes?

I love you.

I love you too Nico. I left my mind wander back to reality and swayed as exhaustion hit me like a truck. Frank quickly caught me and set me upright, resting a hand on my back to steady me.

"Did you manage to contact Nico?" Annabeth looked at me, hope evident in her eyes.

"Yes, I did, they're all ok." Everyone sighed in relief. "Nico told me that they were planning to walk through a lake to get to an opening in some surrounding mountains. If we can somehow meet them there, we should be able to get everyone out and back to Hogwarts."

"But how do we get there? Where even is there?" Piper's question made us all pause. The wizards made eye contact and nodded, a secret understanding passing between them.

"Wizards have a way of transporting over large distances that we could try." Harry glanced at the group, "It's called apparition. There's eight of us right now so if Hermione takes Piper and Annabeth, Ron takes Leo and I take Frank and Hazel, it means we can still take the others on the way back. The only issue is figuring out how to visualise the place, seeing as Hazel was the only one to actually see it." I frowned, my eyebrows furrowing together.

"Perhaps I could try and plant the image in your mind the same way Nico did?" Harry and Hermione glanced at each other.

"It's worth a shot." Hermione shrugged. I reached out with my mind, again trying to disconnect my consciousness from reality. Harry was closest so I directed my thoughts towards him. I hit a barrier of sorts and without meaning to I pushed through it, entering quickly into Harry's mind. More barriers attempted to form, meaning that Harry was aware of my presence. However, the action soon calmed and I projected the image of the mountain pass into his mind. I withdrew and repeated the process with Hermione and Ron, albeit with fewer defences. I opened my eyes to see them looking slightly queasy.

"Are you all ok?" I nervously looked around, hoping I hadn't injured my friends by accident.

Harry spoke up first, shaking his head slightly like a dog trying to rid itself of water. "Yeah, I'm good. It was a really weird feeling. I automatically tried to remember what I was taught during my occlumency lessons. I think you might have a talent for legilimency."

Hermione gasped. "Of course, it makes sense now! That explains how you were able to talk to Nico, you are connected and both must have that skill." Leo twiddled his thumbs and announced:

"So, do you all know where we have to go?" The wizards nodded and grasped hands with their corresponding passengers. I took Harry's hand and focused on the image of the pass, in hopes that I could assist in directing him. A horrible squeezing sensation overtook me and I had difficulty breathing, black dots floating around my vision, head spinning. Just when I thought I would pass out from lack of air, the sensation passed and I inhaled a large breath. Panting, I bended over and put my hands on my knees. It took me less time to recover than the other demigods, I think because of all the times I had shadow-travelled with Nico, this wasn't that different. I squinted around at our surroundings and noticed that we were standing in the shadow of a towering wall of stone. We made it.

*Nico POV*

"I fucking hate this idea. I fucking hate water. I fucking hate you Percy." I continued to mumble profanities under my breath as we continued to trudge forward at the bottom of the filthy lake. Percy controlled the water to ensure we could breathe and weren't wet, but the logic of that still failed me. We were underwater, of course we were still wet! Will held my hand tighter and muttered in my ear:

"I quite prefer land too, for reasons other than the obvious." I grinned as I looked towards our guide. Percy was chatting happily with a fish that had swum up to him a good ten minutes ago. Will was unnerved by the talking fish and favoured to hang back with me where all the animals avoided. We had been walking under the lake for nearly twenty minutes and far shore looked no further than it had at the start. All we could see was a hazy swirl of plants and grime. Ugh, I am so going to need a long shower after this.

Finally, Percy jumped back towards us. "Arnold says that shore is only 200 metres away or so."

"Arnold?" I shared an incredulous glance with Will, both of us struggling to contain our giggles. We all quickened our pace, eager to be rid of our murky surroundings. Even Percy was uncomfortable in the muck. "Honestly, don't these people know anything about environmentally safe recycling?"

At long last, the ground started sweeping upright and the water started clearing up. With a final hurdle, our heads broke above the surface of the water and we were embraced by cool, fresh air. The three of us scrambled out of the lake and jogged towards a group of trees, hoping to get out of sight before we were spotted.

Sitting on a rock, Percy pumped his fist in the air. "Yes! We made it!"

"My, my if only that were so." We all turned around in horror slowly, coming face to face with the one and only Odysseus. Percy groaned and hit his head with his palm, muttering about how of course we couldn't get a break. Odysseus watched on in amusement. From what I could see and sense, he was alone. It was three against one, but for some reason, I still wasn't convinced it was in our favour. "Honestly boys, did you seriously expect me not to notice you when you crawled out of the forest and into the lake? I have two giant towers situated on either side of the lake for that exact reason." He leapt closer suddenly, grabbing my arm and twisting me around, holding a celestial bronze knife to my neck. All this happened within a few heartbeats and neither Will nor Percy could react. Well fuck.

Odysseus laughed maniacally at that dumbfounded expressions on their faces and tightened his hold on me. "Now, I expect you three to sensibly follow me back to the tower, we never got to finish our talk." He took a step forward, pushing my shoulder so I stumbled. Out of nowhere came a shrill scream:

"NOT MY BROTHER YOU DICK!" Hazel vaulted out of the canopy above us and landed directly upon Odysseus, immediately smashing him into the ground into unconsciousness. She straightened, took a deep breath, saw me, squealed and ran to me, pulling me into an impressive bone-crushing hug from someone her size.

"Oh, thank the gods you're ok!" She released me and promptly smothered Will and Percy in equally rib-breaking hugs. Thundering footsteps echoed through the trees surrounding us as the others ran into view.

"PERCY!" Annabeth flew at him and tackled him, holding him tightly and sobbing. Hermione followed closely behind, causing the three of them to fall to the ground in heap. Leo and Piper ran over to Will and I and embraced us as well ( I even let them). Meanwhile, Frank went to Hazel to check on her.

"We were so worried when you suddenly ran off, it took ages for us to find you." He grabbed her in a rough bear hug, then set her carefully back on the floor. "Don't do that again." Frank could never stay angry though and gave Hazel a quick peck on the lips. Annabeth, Percy and Hermione had recovered now and were making their way to intersperse with the others. Annabeth pulled me in tight and whispered: "I'm so glad you're all ok." Harry and Ron had spent the time gagging and restraining Odysseus.

"Oi," Ron caught all our attention, "why is our bloody DADA teacher knocked out on the ground like Neville at Christmas?" Hazel explained how she had jumped on him and Ron, in disgust, kicked him slightly harder than necessary to turn him over. Harry meanwhile, did a headcount.

"Hermione?" He glanced over at the witch, "I gather we're going to bring him," he pointed vaguely at the unconscious man, "but how are we each going to carry four people? Can we even do that." Hermione thought about it for a moment before replying logically:

"As long as everyone keeps a strong grip, we should be fine."

I looked around at them, confused. "I can shadow-travel myself and Will, that was you have fewer people to take."

"Absolutely not." Will jumped in before the wizards could reply. "We don't know how far away Hogwarts is, you'll kill yourself, and not to mention me if you try."

I glowered at him darkly. "I shadow-travelled across the Pacific with Reyna, Coach Hedge and a forty-foot Athena."

Will glared right back. "And it nearly killed you. So, the answer is no. Do you want to hear it in Spanish? Noh!" We continued our staring match until Harry roughly grabbed our arms. Hazel and Frank grabbed his arms in turn and I looked around the see the others had positioned themselves accordingly, with Ron and Leo holding Odysseus.

With a sickening twisting and lurching feeling, the mountains and forest disappeared. Seconds passed where it felt as if I were being pulled through a tube until I was shot out of the end with Harry and Will landing on me. My groan of pain was muffled by the grass and the cold hit me in the face like a brick. Sitting up I shivered and saw in the distance the glowing lights of Hogwarts. I heard the others release sighs of relief and wrap themselves tighter in their coats. Will and Hazel grabbed my hands and we all began the long walk up towards the castle.

A/N - And that's the end of this chapter! It's long to make up for the lack of uploading! Love you all xx