Disclaimer: I do not own anything besides the basic plot.

Main Pairing: Nico/Percy

Summary: Set after the war with Gaea. Tartarus has taken a greater toll on Percy than he thought. The war with Gaea is what consumed his time; now that it's over he has too much time. When he realizes what the price is for being in Tartarus he isn't so sure that he was glad to survive.

PERCY

Now he was in the engine room. Percy was seated on the floor right next to it. He could see the thrum of what he could only explain as the heartbeat of the Argo II. The some iridescent gold that made up the walls of the ship was coming from the engine like pulses and within those pulses Percy could see every little detail outlined by the gold. It was fascinating and that's why he had followed the pulse to the engine room in the first place.

At one point he swear he could hear jealousy in Leo's voice and see an uneasy swirling as Percy had exclaimed how beautiful it was and how he wanted to stay there. He couldn't blame the insecure tinkerer. Before Hazel and Frank the poor firebug had thought he wasn't worth much so Percy decided to turn it down a notch. Yet when he explained to Leo why he had wanted to stay, that it was because it was like the Argo II, Leo's masterpiece, was alive and it was so stunning because the pulse the engine gave off washed the whole of the ship in that golden shimmer. That had made Leo soften.

He told Leo that he wish he could give him his eyes, if only for moment, to see what he had created. That bond with Festus, another part of the ship the glowed and thrummed so awe inspiringly. Once Leo had heard Percy praise it so highly the tinkerer softened. Leo knew that he shouldn't be so possessive but it was an old habit like his father. Machines would never betray you yet people will. A small part of Leo made him insecure. That had led to Percy counseling the Latino about how much Frank and Hazel adored him and would kill anyone who dared to harm him. Leo had left Percy in higher spirits to check their course.

Soon Percy found himself dozing off, head bobbing up and down until it finally lolled to the side. There was complete darkness next time he opened his eyes, he was sure he fell asleep and Percy knew this had to be another dream. The oppressive darkness that surrounded Percy was just like the dream previous, it was Tartarus.

"You have found Iaso and brought her there?" Another muffled voice was heard saying "yes" to Tartarus. Of course this wasn't going to go easy, never did. The only thing Percy prayed for was enough time in this dream to figure out where they took her.

Tartarus's huge aura blurred out everything else, there were noises but those couldn't be made out. Percy wanted and knew he needed to know more, a place, a direction, the name of a street, just anything more than the white noise that was ringing in his ears.

"Percy, find me and free me. Once you do I will grant you that which you want." The voice was beautiful and as soon as he heard it he could also see a pure and almost white Aura, the aura of a god.

"Where do I look?" She had to give him something.

"You have to hurry or he will swallow me whole and he will do it soon." The aura shuddered and nearly disappeared as Percy turned toward her, toward Iaso. He could see her here in his dreams. She was all too pale for her lovely Mediterranean skin. Golden chains bound her hands much like a straightjacket would. She wore a simple white sundress as her eyes bore into the son of Poseidon silently pleading with him.

"Please you have to give me a hint, anything." He couldn't stand that look on her face. How her hazel eyes seemed dull and weak.

"He knows I am speaking to you." A scream tore from her lips as her body shuddered.

"Hurry tell me please." As much as Percy wished to move to shield her from her invisible attacker he was stuck to his spot unable to move.

"In the place where there is no life and so much death. That is where you will find me in Po-." Iaso did not finish before the black aura engulfed her and she was gone.

"NO! Come on!" Percy clenched his fists at his side.

"Come to find her little demi-god." Breath caught in his chest as the overbearing, encompassing voice of Tartarus spoke to him.

Before a snarky comment could be hurled at the black wall shooting pains went up his legs. It was like a snake constricting and squeezing and biting. Gasping Percy fell to his knees hands coming out to stop him from completely falling over. In here, this dream he saw what had a hold on his legs. It was Tartarus himself. Eyes widened and panic welled Percy's throat as he screamed until his throat was raw.

The Sea Prince's heart hammered hard against his ribcage as the blackness was soon crawling up his arms like a thousand little spiders. Trying to stand proved painful with the essence of Tartarus attempting to swallow him whole. Pain shot up his legs, up his spine and right into the back of his head where it spread like fire to his eyes. It felt like it was burning and when he opened his mouth to scream nothing came out.

Eyes rolled back and then there was nothing only a dull ache in the back of his head. Then he jerked up out of the chair falling on his butt to the ground. It was just a fucked up demi-god dream, he had to calm down before his heart smashed his ribcage with its incessant pounding.

Just when Percy's heart rate was almost normal it spiked when he felt a strange tingle up his spine. It made him shudder as it stopped at the base of his skull. His hands shook with anticipation and it did not disappoint. The tingle soon grew into pain and at the moment it was bearable until it shifted then spread and started burning at the back of his eyes. Drawing in a sharp breath Percy dug his nails into the palm of his hand to keep him from bursting into a screaming fit. If Tartarus had a butt Percy would be sure to kick it hard when this was all over.

The pain spread and soon he was crying. Tears were like waterfalls steadily flowing down his cheeks. Still he kept his screams at bay, barely. Then, just when he thought it couldn't get any worse, it did. It felt like someone was taking a rusty knife and jabbing it into an infected wound, that was the last straw. He screamed.

Loud, the sound of the rusty knife jabbing pain or was it footsteps, someone running? Percy couldn't tell as he felt something lift him and his instinct was to fight. Whatever it was he got it in the face and it cursed, weird sounded like Nico.

"Percy, Percy baby it's me." Sure did sound like Nico but it had to be Tartarus playing tricks.

When he tried to speak all that came out was more screams so he kept to the thrashing. He guessed it really was in a demi-gods blood to stay alive even though he was in so much pain. The thought to live and see Nico kept him violently thrashing around.

"Hold him, quickly!" This was it they were going to do something to him.

A strange pressure was felt in his arm and there was a warm numbing feeling spread from that point until his brain was too fuzzy to stay with it. This was the end he supposed. It was a good life, an even greater one when he finally had Nico. That would be his only regret, not to see his Ghost King anymore.

NICO

Just when he thought it was ok to leave his Sea Prince alone. Fuck, he should have known that it was never safe to leave Percy Jackson by himself. It had been going well, the trip that is, until that blood curdling scream permeated the entire ship. It had given Nico goose bumps and had nearly stopped his heart at the same time because that was his beloveds scream.

Never in his life did he think that he could move so fast but Nico practically flew down to the engine room. When he passed through the door his heart clenched to see Percy on the floor writhing and screaming while clutching his face. Emmidielty he knelt down and tried to cradle the son of Poseidon but the other boy wasn't having it. Percy kept thrashing and he even got him in the face a time or two.

Luckily Will had been hot on his heels and quickly administered a sedative. Soon Percy stopped thrashing and his body fell limp with sleep, though his eyes still fluttered now and then. Lifting the other demi-god up easily he followed Will to the sick bay and carefully laid Percy in the bed that looked the most comfy and covered him with a blanket.

"Nico take a look at the veins around his eyes." Will sounded a bit strange.

Now Nico's brain had time to register what Will was pointing out. He put a hand over his mouth and gently touched his Sea Prince's cheek tracing up and rubbing a thumb softly under his eyes. Percy's skin was purple and black underneath like he hadn't slept in 100 years. The veins had turned a greenish black and it looked as though it was spreading out like a spider's web.

"What the hell is this?" Nico felt like punching a wall. He couldn't stand to see this happen to Percy. Out of everyone Percy was the one who didn't deserve this, he was too pure.

"It looks like the poison from Tartarus is getting worse. I'm not sure there is much I can do until he wakes up and hopefully he won't start thrashing or we will have to tie him down for his own safety." Now normally Nico wouldn't have listened to Will's advice but this was the safety of his Percy they were talking about and there was no way he was going to take any chances.

"I will stay with him and watch him." Will nodded.

The others had heard the outburst and were now en route to the sick bay. Leo was the first one to burst through the door quickly followed by Annabeth and Reyna. Fuck, when he saw the looks on their faces he wondered what his looked like.

Annabeth met Nico's eyes in a sympathetic manner as she crossed the room briskly. She grabbed two chairs and shoved one at Nico and brought hers to the other side. He took it gratefully and sat down while she sat opposite of him.

"Tartarus is so going to get it doing this to my little brother is unacceptable." Even though everyone knew they couldn't really give it to the pit they still liked to think they could do something to make his existence miserable.

Soon everyone else had piled into the room. Just by looking at their faces knew that most of them were thinking of how well he was doing and now this. It felt like a giant stab to the heart. If only he had taken one of Percy's IM's or returned a letter, if he had gotten there sooner maybe Nico could have done something, he felt like such a fool.

It was well into the night and Nico hadn't slept a wink. About three hours ago Annabeth had finally let sleep claim her and sat in the chair with her head lolled to the side. He on the other hand wasn't going to sleep even though he was exhausted he didn't want to look away from Percy for a second just in case something happened again. This time he would be here for his Sea Prince.

"Nico take Annabeth and get some rest I will keep watch over him." He guessed he was tired if he hadn't even heard Reyna come into the room.

"I can't leave him just take Annabeth to bed I will stay here."

"No, it would be better for you to get some rest for when Percy wakes up. Now go before I knock you out. You want to be strong for Percy but right now you're being stupid now go." Damn it why did she have to be right.

"Fine, I'll go but I won't be gone long." She sighed and took his spot as he got up.

Gently he took Annabeth by the arm and guided the sleepy daughter of Athena to her cabin. Antsy was how he felt and he wasn't sure he could get rest like this. All he wanted to do was stay beside Percy but this time Reyna was right. He would be of no use to Percy if he was tired when his beautiful boyfriend woke up.

Nico entered Percy's cabin and sat on his and Percy's shared bed and promptly fell asleep and into a dream of his own. The blackness gave way to a broken and ruined city. He could practically feel the waves of death coming from the place. Where he was standing looked like some sort of market place. As he scanned his surroundings he noticed odd human shaped figures in all kinds of lifelike poses.

"Damned girl is giving us trouble she tried to tell Percy where she was little tramp." Nico shuddered at the sound of that disembodied voice that seemed to drown out all other sound.

Quickly, as not to be seen, he ducked behind a giant jar (how ironic). Peering out like a mouse he waited and what he saw he wasn't sure what to make of. It was a human shaped thing yes but not like anything he had ever seen before. It was a giant no doubt and the sight made Nico shudder. Black iron boots that were the size of coffins and dark greaves covered his legs which were thick with purple muscle. It wore an armored skirt which looked as if it had been woven out of blackened bones what held it in place was a belt of interlocking monstrous arms.

Looking up made sweat, from fear, pour down his temples and back. On the breastplate of the being were murky faces appeared and then disappeared – giants, Cyclops, gorgons, and drakons – all of them appearing as if they were desperately trying to get out.

Further up still Nico's eyes slid. Its helmet was of twisted rock and metal with no real shape it was just jagged spikes and pulsing manga. The things entire face was that of a whirlpool that seemed to want to pull him in into it. Then Nico knew what this thing was, Percy had explained it to him once but only barely. It was Tartarus's disgusting attempt at having a physical body.

"We've got the little tramp they're looking for and when they don't get to her in time and Percy dies I can't wait to pull his soul into myself and torture him relentlessly." Cruel laughter escaped from the whirlpool of a face and it made Nico want to wretch.

Beside Tartarus stood various monsters that no doubt had come from within his pit-self. Perhaps the disgusting thing had promised them a form of freedom if they became his lackeys, he, Tartarus, was after all the place where they re-spawned.

Tartarus took a huge step and soon the picture was fading into darkness before Nico was thrust into another scene. It looked like he was in an amphitheatre and in the centre was a woman bound in celestial bronze chains and below her was a swirling pit. The only thing that kept her from falling into it was a simple alter which she was chained to. She then turned and stared at Nico.

"Pompeii, go to Pompeii demi-god. Save me." Her beautiful face contorted in pain as the chains pulled down further into the pit cutting her wrists and spilling golden blood. Again she turned her eyes on Nico. "Save me and I will save him."

"You're Iaso." He had found where they were supposed to go and they were heading the wrong way.

She nodded. "I am, now you must wake up and correct your course. The boy, Percy, will not survive two days if you do not free me. You will be too late. Hurry! AWAKEN."

Jolting up from his slumber Nico slammed heads the Jason who had come in to kindly wake him up.

"Fuck Grace why are you in here?" He rubbed the sore spot on his forehead as Jason did the same with his temple.

"Just came to tell you that we have actually made it to Greece without a hitch and so you can go back to sitting beside Percy." He smiled.

"Greece?" Jason nodded.

"Yup so we can start searching temples and such."

"No, we have to go to Italy." Jason frowned.

"Why? Iaso is a Greek goddess so why would she be in Italy?" Jason furrowed his brows.

"I had a dream, she is being held in Pompeii. Tartarus himself is pretty much guarding her."

"Fuck, I'll go tell Leo right now then… what else is it?" Did he look like he needed to say something else… yup.

"Iaso, I talked to her. She said that if we don't free her in two days' time Percy will be dead." A lump formed in his throat and he had to see his Sea Prince now.

"Shit, go to Percy I'll go to Leo and get our course straightened out." They both ran their separate ways.

Nico griped held his hand on the door knob and slowly turned it. Sitting with Percy was Hazel who was reading aloud a book to the sleeping boy. Annabeth was already back and on the other side holding Percy's hand. This scene was too depressing. Once Hazel noticed him she stopped reading and gave him an encouraging smile.

"I take it he hasn't budged since I left." They both shook their heads and Annabeth stood so Nico could take her place.

"I think it's still the sedative that Will gave him but Will isn't sure himself. He was in not ten minutes ago. He said that he should have woken up by now yet here he is, still sleeping." Annabeth chewed her lip as she watched for Nico's reaction.

"Two days."

"What?" Both Annabeth and Hazel looked at him.

"He doesn't have more than two days and we are in fucking Greece. Iaso, I had a dream, she said that we have to go to Pompeii. That's in Italy. Two days is all he has… just two days! What if we don't make it?!" He was getting hysterical, he knew they but two days wasn't enough why couldn't it have been a week.

"Nico calm down… please." Deep breaths didn't help but he took them anyway. It wasn't just hard on him it was hard for everyone to watch one of their precious friends fade away.

"Sorry it's just there is always a time limit… always." Annabeth nodded and Nico supposed she would know the best about time limits when it came to quests and barely making it.

"I know, believe me I do but we can't lose faith. Once we do we have lost and that cannot happen. Percy is like my little brother and just as he would lay down his life for me I will do the same with mine. We will save him Nico, mark my words, he will survive." Hazel buffered Annabeth's claim by nodding.

"Annabeth is right. If we lose faith then we have already lost. When we went to Alaska Percy was there to support Frank and I the entire time and without him I am afraid I would have lost faith so it's thanks to him that I have the courage to keep on living and not being afraid of my godly heritage. For his sake I will also give it my all. We're on your side Nico." Gods how did he get so lucky, even though she was no Bianca, he couldn't have asked for a better sister.

….

A/N: Yay for better chapter… I think. =)

Let me know what you think!

Bye-bye!