A/N: Chapter 12 and 13 in the same night. Aren't you guys happy? I hope these will be sufficient enough for the time being until I update my other stories.

Disclaimer: PJO is yet to be mine…

Family Bonding

Chapter 13

NICO

I heaved a sigh as my feet kept getting ensnared by roots of trees. I was used to the cold and darkness but not to this degree. At that moment, I wished for nothing more than to be somewhere safe, somewhere warm. My thoughts traveled to Bianca and the kind smile she wore in my dream that gave me a fuzzy feeling in my chest. Then my heart sunk like lead as her smiling face contorted into something of fear and torture. The sound of Kronos' laughter buzzed through my skull and I had to brace myself against a tree to keep from falling.

"Some bonding, eh?" I muttered as I looked up at the inky swirls known as clouds.

A flash of lightning blinded me momentarily and not even a minute later a boom of thunder nearly burst my eardrum. As my ears recovered I could've sworn I heard sobs. I listened intently trying to detect where the sound had come from. Up ahead a few yards was the sound of a girl crying.

"Thalia?" I called, my voice sounding thick and quiet, but the sobs continued.

I took a few more steps before calling louder, "Thalia!"

The cries came to a slow halt as I heard the muffled reply, "Nico?"

"I'm coming!"

I ran a few feet and tried to jump over a protruding root but my foot caught it. I only had time to let out a startled yelp before I hit the floor and skid to a stop face first. I mentally cursed as I spit out some dirt and rocks. A sharp pain ran through my arm as I noticed a cut a few inches long running along my forearm.

"Nico," I heard Thalia gasp not that far off to my left. "Oh gods, are you okay?"

She emerged from under a thick bush. I was glad to find her, but to be honest, she didn't look that great. Her entire face seemed to have swollen up a bit and was a light shade of pink. Her eyes were puffy and red and they looked hollow; quite unusual since they always sparked with energy. Twigs and leaves were stuck in her hair and her clothes were soaked and covered with dirt.

"Yeah," I managed as I regained my breath.

"What are you doing here?" she sniffed as she tucked some stray hair from her face.

"Looking for you like everyone else. The others are worried about you."

She snorted. "I highly doubt the gods are worried about me."

"Well they are, actually, more or less."

She looked at me and the blue became duller as I watched. "Please don't lie to me, Nico. I've had enough of that; as much as I can take."

"I'm not!" I insisted. "Your dad especially—"

"I said stop, Nico!" Her voice turned hoarse as new tears were shed.

"H—hey," I said as I sat up abruptly, "I didn't mean—"

Before I could finish, she threw herself at me and nearly suffocated me in a hug. Her body shook as sobs racked through her. I sat there frozen for a while; I had no idea what to do. Finally, I awkwardly wrapped my arms around her and tried my best to comfort her.

"I'm sorry," I muttered.

"Don't be," came her reply as she pulled away and wiped her tears.

"Y' know, I'd never think in a million years I'd ever see Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus and lieutenant of Artemis, cry."

She gently punched me in the arm. "Well, don't get used to it."

I cleared my throat nervously. "So, as I was saying before… I really meant what I said about your dad worrying…"

She looked away. "Really?"

"Really," I said nodding.

"I don't believe you."

I sighed in frustration. "What do you need to believe me?"

"I want to hear it from him."

"Gods, you're stubborn."

"I'm a demigod. Stubbornness runs through our veins."

I hesitated a moment. "Touché."

"Thalia!" I heard the call faint in the wind.

"Is that Percy?" Thalia asked.

"Do you know anyone else with that voice?" I grumbled before shouting as loud as I could, "Percy!"

For a moment I thought he didn't hear me. Then I heard branches breaking and Percy cursing in ancient Greek and English. Within a matter of minutes the son of Poseidon sprung from the trees only to end up like George of the Jungle.

A chuckle rose from Thalia. "Well, aren't you guys just falling for me?"

Percy looked up dazed. "Thals?"

"Hey, Seaweed Brain." She waved.

He shook himself from his dizzy state and glared at her. "We've been looking for you for forever!"

"So I've heard," she muttered.

An air of awkwardness and tension slipped between us and I shuffled uncomfortably. Rain droplets seemed to stop in midair around Percy and sparks seemed to bounce around Thalia. The feeling seemed to dissipate as their features calmed. The same thing appeared to be happening with the weather as the wind slowed to a gentle breeze, the rain fell in soft showers, and the clouds ran out of ink turning them grayer by the minute letting light into the valley. Thalia's face grew weary.

"You okay, Thals?" Percy asked.

"Yeah," she breathed, "just tired."

"Well, considering what you just did, that isn't very surprising," a dark voice said from behind us, but I knew who it was.

"Hey, dad," I sighed and turned. "Nice timing."

He shrugged as the rain came to a halt. "I was searching through the shadows, but since there were so many… Even I am tired."

He gave Thalia a pointed look and she swallowed. "I'm sorry…"

"No need to apologize. I know how infuriating your father can be."

I looked at him strangely. "Dad, are you alright?"

He scowled at me a bit. "Fine. Why?"

"I think you've been spending too much time with Zeus and Poseidon."

It was his turn to look at me strangely and he shuddered. "Perish the thought. Now come. Poseidon and Zeus are waiting back at camp."