Chapter 15: You cannot always wait for the perfect time. Sometimes you must dare to jump.

This chapter almost *literally* would not have seen the light of day as is if it weren't for some constant back and forth with ViscountessAberowen who is THE BEST beta HANDS DOWN I have ever had the pleasure of working with. 3 3 3

11 Days Until Halloween (Monday):

Nico watched as Leo helped Miles pin material to the thin paper of a ninja costume pattern. Everyone was busy sorting through the donated patterns and fabric, digging through the options like they were treasure. The pair of demigods arrived late in the afternoon before any of the kids had come back from school. Once they had, none of the kids bothered to go inside first. Backpacks and bookbags littered the blacktop along with haphazardly discarded jackets: October had been hot for a Fall month.

Brittany held two costumes, asking the new girl what she thought. "I mean, an angel is a classic, but I feel, like, a cheerleader is more fun? What are you choosing, Grace?"

The new addition, a pale girl with hair so blonde it looked white, glanced at the two options and gave a disdainful sniff. "Halloween is for kids."

Nico frowned and opened his mouth to comment, but Leo beat him to it.

"What was that, Grace? You said you really super-duper enjoy Halloween?" Leo raised an eyebrow and stared at the girl.

Startled at being called out, Grace tried to reply, "No, I said Halloween is for babies and-"

"And kids and teens and adults and old people, right?" Eyes widening, Leo continued. "Even people as old as Victor!"

Grace scowled. "That's not-"

"Not all?" Leo rolled his eyes and threw his hands up in the air. "I know! I forgot about dogs and cats. One of my neighbors used to dress up their Chiweenie every single Halloween! That dog had better costumes than I did!"

Grace crossed her arms and looked away, talking under her breath.

Leo grinned widely. "If you got time to mutter, you got time to putter."

Nico's anger quickly dissipated into confusion, and he turned his attention from Grace to Leo. "What does that even mean?"

Leo shrugged and smiled sheepishly. "Uh, no idea. It just kind of rhymed, so I went with it. Kind of like, 'if you have time to lean, you have time to clean!'" Leo groaned and rubbed a hand over his face. "I sound like an old man, dude."

Leo shook his head and clapped his hands. "Alright, everyone! If you haven't chosen a costume yet, you gotta decide! If we wanna get these costumes done in time for Halloween, we need to get a move on!"

Brittany threw her head back dramatically and whined, "But I can't decide!"

Sonny, who held the pattern for a cowboy, grinned maliciously at the older girl. "Be the cheerleader. You're loud enough for it!"

Brittany threw him a dirty look, her lips twisting as she snarled, "No one asked you!"

"One, two, three, four, Brittany is a giant bore." Sonny pitched his voice high, mimicking the pep of a cheerleader. "Five, six, seven, eight, that's why she can't find a date!" He stuck his tongue out and pulled a face.

The girl lunged toward Sonny, her cheeks flushing with anger. "You rotten little-"

Leo put himself between the two kids, throwing an arm out to stop Brittany's forward trajectory. "Guys, guys, guys! Chill! ¡Sereno moreno!"

"No! He can't say that kind of stuff to me! I'm not boring!"

Nico quickly approached the girl holding a pattern in his left hand while trying to placate the twelve-year-old with his right. "No, Brittany. You're not boring. So, why settle for something like an angel or a cheerleader when you could be a…." Nico held up the pattern in his hand and glanced at it, face falling as he read out loud, "Flying Squirrel?"

The disgust dripped from Brittany's words. "A Flying...Squirrel? Oh my god! Just forget it! I'll be the angel!' She dropped the cheerleader pattern back onto the pile and walked back toward Grace, scowling.

"Five more minutes to pick your costumes! I'm timing you, so you better hurry!" Leo watched the kids scramble, finalizing their choices. Leo made his way back over to Nico, smirking. "Nice pick for Brittany. Personally, I thought it was perfect."

Shaking his head ruefully, Nico said, "I just grabbed one without looking. I didn't mean to upset her."

"So," Leo slyly glanced sideways at the other demigod. "Does that mean you're going to be a Flying Squirrel for Halloween?"

Coolly raising an eyebrow, Nico glanced at Leo with a haughty expression. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Leo stuck out his tongue, to which Nico laughed. "Aren't you older than Sonny? Quit acting like him."

"Tell me."

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"But, Nico." Leo's voice took on a pleading tone, and he clasped his hands together. "Please?"

"Not unless you want to tell me what you're going to do."

Leo threw his hands up in surrender. "Fine! If you wanna be that way and play it close to your chest, be my guest." Leo looked away with his nose in the air and sniffed indignantly before haughtily saying, "I have work to do."

Nico shook his head, grinning, as Leo walked away. He looked down at the pattern in his hand and chuckled before dropping it back into the pile.

"Hey, Nico?"

The son of Hades turned to find Celia looking up at him, a pout resting heavily on her lips. He smiled warmly at her.

"What is it, Celia?"

The girl wrung her hands before clasping them behind her back. Then, twisting back and forth and refusing to make eye contact, the little girl answered, a slight sulk to her words. "I wanna be a knight."

Cocking an eyebrow, Nico said, "Alright. Is there not a knight pattern?"

Celia shrugged. "There is. But Sonny said it's for boys."

"Well," Nico started. "I don't see why it matters. I know plenty of girls who could be knights."

Celia shrugged again, and Nico kneeled down until he was her height and asked, "That's not all, is it?"

The little girl stopped swaying back and forth, and her hands dropped down to her sides. She looked up indignantly at Nico and said huffily, "There's no one for me to rescue! Miles is going to be a ninja, and Sonny is going to be a cowboy. I can't even rescue Brittany because she's going to be an angel and everyone knows they don't need saving because they can just fly away from the bad stuff!"

Celia's voice dropped an octave, and her expression became cloudy. "A knight isn't a knight without someone to protect."

Nico looked up at the sky and sighed, realizing that he was putty in the little girl's hands. "What if there was a prince you could protect?"

Celia's lower lip jutted out. "I told you, Miles and Sonny won't change their costumes. And they don't need protecting."

"Well," Nico stated matter of factly. "They won't have to. I'll dress up as a prince, and you," Nico poked the girl's shoulder, "can protect me." Then, half-smiling, Nico asked, "How does that sound?"

Eyes lighting up, Celia smiled and jumped up and down, excited squeals ringing through the air. Nico looked around and found Leo staring at the pair of them. The son of Hades smiled and raised an eyebrow. Leo stuck his tongue out again before turning back to help Sonny begin to pin his cowboy pattern.

Nico turned back to Celia. "I have one condition, though, okay?"

Celia quieted down, but her cheeks were still red with excitement. Finally, she nodded and asked breathlessly, "What is it?"

"We have to keep it a secret from Leo."

10 Day Until Halloween (Tuesday):

Tuesday night found Leo sitting at one of the workshop tables in the Grand Hall, grappling with an old sewing machine Emmie had produced from a dusty closet. Black cloth pooled around the device, the paper pattern beneath bunched up and torn. Sighing for what he felt was the millionth time since he started an hour earlier, Leo moved the needle up and away from the cloth. He snipped the tangled thread before looking at the machine in disgust.

Sssssarah hissed in laughter from the sink, watching Stan and Deacon shout at each other.

"I said you need to rewash it!" Deacon pushed the plate back into Stan's hands, who refused to grasp it, forcing it back to his brother.

"It's clean enough."

"And I said it's not." When Stan again pushed the plate back to Deacon, the older boy scowled furiously and dropped it into the dirty wash water, splashing Stan in the process.

Stan sputtered, and Sssssarah hissed louder.

Calypso poked her head over the railings from the side of the building that contained her room. "What's going on down there? I'm trying to study- I have a Calc exam tomorrow!"

Stan and Deacon glared at each other as they muttered their apologies and got back to doing dishes elbowing each other as they did. Cal observed the scene a few moments longer before nodding. She surveyed the rest of the Grand Hall until her eyes lit upon Leo. She frowned deeply and moved toward the stairs.

Leo sat trying to pick the tangled thread apart, jumping with a small curse when Cal tapped him on the shoulder.

She raised her eyebrow with a smirk. "You better not let Emmie and Jo ever hear you talking like that."

Leo rolled his eyes. "They're on patrol."

Cal held her hands up in surrender. "Alright, alright. Just saying."

With a frustrated growl at the thread, Leo bunched the fabric in each of his hands, ready to pull the material apart and start over. Calypso's eyes widened in alarm. "Stop, stop, stop! What are you doing!?"

Puzzled, Leo froze. "I'm ripping the seams and starting over. I did it wrong."

But the ex-goddess was already shaking her head and reaching for the cloth. "Not like that, Leo. You need to use a seam-ripper; otherwise, you're going to hurt the material."

"What's a seam-ripper?"

Cal stared at the son of Hephaestus for a moment. Then, "Please tell me you're joking."

Leo shrugged, and Cal sighed wearily. "Alright. Give me a minute. I'll be back."

Leo sat back in his chair and glanced at the pile of costumes he had to put together. The kids would be responsible for sewing on embellishments, but it was up to him to get the costumes ready for that step.

Cal re-entered the Grand Hall and crossed over to Leo, her arms full of books. A bag rested by the strap in the crook of her elbow, and one hand clutched a tiny plastic box, a small cloth tomato with pins sticking out of it wrapped around her wrist.

Leo stared at her in confusion. "What're you doing?"

Calypso looked at him as if he had grown another head. "Helping." She set her things down on the table and let her bag drop to the floor before grabbing a chair from a nearby table and pulling it closer. She pulled a book toward her and opened it up to a bookmarked page before pushing it over to Leo.

Opening the plastic box, she selected a small tool that Leo assumed was a seam-ripper and gathered the black cloth into her lap. "Alright. I'll start ripping and resetting. You start quizzing me on the terms."

Leo did nothing for so long that Cal paused in her work and looked up at the son of Hephaestus. "What's up?"

Frowning, Leo shook his head. "Why are you helping me? You broke up with me, remember?"

Cal lowered her hands, and a sorrowful expression flitted across her face. "I still care about you, Leo. You're still my friend, and friends help friends. At least," she looked down at the black material in her lap and said softly, "I hope you are. I can't expect you to be, though. If it's too hard on you for me to be here, I'll understand. I just-"

Leo leaned sideways and threw his arms around the girl. "Thanks, Cal."

The pair sat in silence for a moment before Cal chuckled, the laugh catching in her throat. She shrugged her shoulder in a nudge for Leo to let go. She reached one hand up to wipe at her wet eyes. "Now, if you don't start quizzing me, I'm going to blame you when I don't get an A tomorrow."

"Because 89% isn't good enough, right?" Leo teasingly asked. But, nevertheless, he pulled the book toward him, watching for a moment as Cal began to methodically rip the tangled black thread and remove it from the material. "Thanks, Cal."

She waved her hand toward the book but smiled.

"Alright, alright, alright." Leo grinned and looked down at the book. The words swam on the page. He haltingly followed along as Cal gave the definition for derivative verbatim from the book.

"The derivative of a function f is a (typically different) function f' that measures the rate of change of the y-values off with respect to change in the x-value. Another notation for the derivative is dy/dx. The derivative value f '(a) also measures the slope of the tangent line to the curve at the point (a, f(a))."

Leo whistled. "Spot on, lady. You got some serious brainpower there."

Smiling in embarrassment but please with herself, Cal responded, "You know what a derivative is. You'd pass the class no problem."

Leo felt his cheeks warm at the compliment and continued. It wasn't until the last seam had been ripped from the cloth and the pins restuck that Cal set the project aside and stretched her back. She looked around the Grand Hall and asked, "So, where's Nico?"

Shrugging, Leo gestured to the staircase that led to his and the son of Hades' rooms. "Session with Mr. D."

Cal nodded. "He's been working really hard since he's been here. He seems a lot happier than when I met him at camp."

"Yeah," Leo agreed. "He does. Mr. D should open up shop."

Glancing slyly at Leo, Cal continued, "Oh, I don't think it's just Mr. D who's had a positive influence on Nico."

Leo flushed and looked away. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Cal grinned. "I think you do. I've seen you two together. I think Nico's a bit oblivious. Or cautious. Or both."

Frowning, Leo shook his head again. "It's only been a few…." But he trailed off. It hadn't been just a few days since Cal had broken up with him. Nico had lived at the Waystation for a little over a month now, and, Leo realized, it was easy to believe Nico had been there all along. The son of Hades fit in with the Waystation in a way he had never blended in either camp. Not that Nico got lost in the small family at the House of Nets. He just belonged.

Cal's gaze softened. "Leo, you know I want you to be happy, right?"

His eyes met hers, and he asked, "But...what about you?"

Calypso's gentle laughter soothed the worry Leo held in his gut. "What about me?" She shook her head, and her smile held a touch of melancholy. "You know I love you, Leo. Or did. Do? I don't know. Either way, the raft showed up. And...well, we both know what happened from there."

Leo hunched his shoulders, a pang of unexplainable guilt settling into his stomach. "I don't want to hurt you. And it sucks, okay? Thinking about you being alone. And I just...I worry about you. Don't you get lonely?"

Her smile widened to a grin. "Leonidas Valdez. I have lived far too long to let another lost relationship decide my self-worth and value. I know you might not understand, but... I'm happy. Going to school and having friends- being able to walk under the trees as they prepare for winter and feeling the cold in the air... it's beautiful, Leo."

The son of Hephaestus looked into Cal's shining eyes. "There is so much to experience here, and it's mine for the taking. I get to call the shots. For so long, I was so damn dependent on whatever demigod fell on my shores. Do you know what it's like to feel that way? I used to think that my life tapestry must be boring. The Fates had their work cut out for them: a weary line of the same thread trailing its way across the loom. And the only excitement was when a hero came for a short while and left."

Her strong voice continued, "And now? I'm the weaver again. I get to decide if my tapestry is boring or not. But it's my choice. I don't need a-a lover," she blushed fiercely but kept going, "to be happy. I create my own tomorrow. Not the gods. Not a hero. Me."

After several beats, Cal's gaze became more gentle again, and she laughed, picking the material back up. "Now, switch me spots so I can show you how to properly use a sewing machine."

8 Days Until Halloween (Thursday):

"I need flowers." Nico looked up from where he was helping Celia sew on gold lining onto the edge of her knight costume.

"Flowers?"

The young girl nodded solemnly. "I need flowers. Not real ones. Like the ones on graves and stuff. I wanna make something."

"I... don't think we have any, Celia. But, maybe I can bring some on Monday? Would that be okay?"

She nodded and went back to using a marker to work on the patches that would make up the coat of arms for the front and back of her tunic. Nico had just placed another piece of gold rope against an edge when the sound of footsteps caused him to look up again. Leo stood over them, surveying their work.

"Everything good with you guys?"

Celia smiled brightly and gave a big thumbs up. Nico nodded. "Just trying to finish this up before we leave today."

Leo nodded approvingly. "You guys are doing a good job. Actually," Leo turned and glanced over the small groups helping each other out. "Everyone is doing a great job."

Turning his attention back to Nico, Leo asked, "Will you help me figure out the route we wanna take for trick-or-treating? Tonight, maybe?"

"Sure."

"And maybe we can play a game of Magic with Stan and Deacon after dinner?"

"Yeah."

"And you'll tell me what you're going as?"

"Ye-no way!" Nico glared up at him. "Stop trying to trick me into telling you what I'm wearing! Not unless you tell me what you're dressing up as."

Celia looked up and grinned at Leo. "It's a really nice costume. Do you have any flowers?"

Leo stared at the girl for a moment before sputtering to Nico, "You'll tell Celia, but you won't tell me!?"

"Yep."

Leo scowled at the son of Hades. "Not cool, Ghost Boy. Not cool." Then, turning to Celia, he added, "Hey, Celia. Wanna earn a dollar?"

Nico scrambled to his feet, abandoning the project. "Not fair! You can't bribe her- she's five years old, Valdez!"

Leo grinned. "Oh yeah? What're you going to do about it? Huh?"

Nico reached to push Leo away from his and Celia's area. Leo skirted around the other demigod and raced toward Celia. He offered the small girl his hand. "Come on, Celita! Run!"

Celia thrust her hand into Leo's, and the pair began running around the perimeter of the groups, laughing. Nico turned and chased after them, yelling after Celia that she had promised. Before long, the other children joined in, and Leo and Celia began to play a keep-away game from everyone.

Finally, Nico gained enough ground on them. He reached out and tugged on Leo's shoulder, not expecting Leo to push all of his weight backward. Letting go of Celia's hand, Leo fell back, crashing into Nico. As Nico lost his footing, he wrapped his arms around Leo to lessen the blow of the blacktop for the other boy. He winced as his own hip hit sharply against the hard surface but laughed at the startled expression on Leo's face.

"I told you. I'm not telling you." He opened his arms, and Leo rolled to the side. The son of Hephaestus leaned on his elbows to look down at Nico, who lay flat on his back, smiling up at Leo.

"Well," Leo grinned impishly. "One can always hope."

5 Days Until Halloween (Sunday):

Nico and Cal stood at the sinks, washing and drying dishes as Leo, Olujime, and Sssssarah left for patrol, Leo calling out over his shoulder, "Just tell me already!"

Nico shook his head and yelled back, "See you when you get back!"

Cal and Nico completed the dishes in companionable silence until all of them were completed.

Hesitantly, Nico asked, "Cal? Can you…" the demigod cleared his throat and tried again. "Will you help me finish my costume? I have everything pinned, and the easy stitching is done, but I can really only work on it when Leo's gone and...well, it's taking forever."

"Of course! Why don't you go get it and bring it down here? We'll get it done before they get back, I'm sure of it."

Beaming, Nico jogged for the stairs, Cal watching him as he went.

4 Days Until Halloween (Monday):

"Right, guys! Today is the day for final touches! We won't be here on Thursday, so make sure that you have everything you need! We've planned out the route we'll take on Friday, so wear good walking shoes!" Leo continued to talk to the group about rules and safety. Nico hung at the back of the group, watching as Leo spoke to the children with an ease he envied.

He looked down at a slight tug on his sleeve. Celia stood on her tiptoes and whispered, "Did you bring the flowers?"

With a smile, Nico handed her a bag containing white and pink flowers. He motioned for her to listen to Leo and turned his attention back to the other demigod himself, a feeling of contentment settling over him.

Halloween (Friday):

Leo stood looking into the mirror in the Dayspring Center before the kids arrived back from school. His costume fit perfectly. A black long-sleeved shirt with billowing sleeves and a lace-up front was cinched at the waist by a black leather belt knotted to the right and held a scabbard for his silver rapier. His black boots (courtesy of Emmie) came to a rest right below his knees. He had used a pair of his own black metal working gloves for the ensemble. A simple black mask that went about his eyes and a black piece of cloth tied over his hair completed the costume.

Pretty cool, Leo. Pretty darn cool.

He heard a knock on the door and called out, "Come in!"

The door clicked open, and Nico poked his head around the edge, the rest of his body hidden behind the door. His eyes lit up at the sight of Leo, and he grinned. "A pirate? You're a pirate?"

Leo turned and slashed his rapier through the air. "Not just any pirate! The Dread Pirate Valdez!" Leo bowed low. "At your service."

Nico laughed. "Still Valdez the Vexing to me."

Leo looked up from his bow. "As you wish."

The other boy laughed and shook his head. "What?"

"As you wish." Leo looked at Nico, who remained confused. "The Princess Bride? Come on! Dread Pirate Roberts?"

At Nico's continued blank gaze, Leo straightened and grumbled. "One day, I am going to sit you down, and we are going to watch movies until you lose all the muscles in your legs and beg me to let you go."

Nico blushed and cleared his throat before saying, "Is that a real sword?"

Chuckling, Leo shook his head. "It's just a prop. Victor used to be in set design and kept a few of the props from past shows."

"Oh. Be cool if it was."

Leo arched an eyebrow and stared expectantly at Nico. "Well?"

"Well, what?"

Leo motioned impatiently. "You going to show me your costume?"

"Oh, uh, yeah." Taking a deep breath, Nico emerged from behind the door. He wore a dark blue lace-up jacket over a cream-colored shirt. The color peeked out from jacket slits on the outside elbow to allow freedom of movement. The material at the top, while matching in color, was made of brocade fabric heavily embellished with rich embroidery. Gold stripes of satin ran vertically down each sleeve and from the brocade to the end of the jacket.

A brown leather belt pulled the fabric against Nico's waist and rested gently above light gray trousers. Brown boots with a wide cuff went well with the blue, and a black cloak was secured against his throat. He had tied his black hair gently behind his head with a length of blue satin.

Well….wow.

Nico twisted the skull ring on his finger anxiously, waiting for Leo to say something.

"Is it too much? It's too much, isn't it?" Nico's mouth pulled down at the corners, and Leo scrambled to answer.

"No!" Leo's voice cracked and he coughed, trying to cover it up. "No, you look great. I mean, did you...when did you get it all complete? I honestly was expecting you to show up wearing a sheet over your head or something."

Nico frowned. "A sheet?"

Nodding, Leo said, "Yeah. A sheet. Because you're the Ghost Boy-"

"Ghost King."

"-and I thought you might just be a ghost to spite me and not put a ton of work into it and cutting out holes in a white sheet would definitely be a petty way to dress up and-"

"But that's not what ghosts look like."

"-It wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing, but I like this much better because we actually get to see you, and you look terrific and-"

"Thanks, Leo."

The soft words finally halted Leo's ramblings. He felt a blush working its way up over his neck, and he cleared his throat again, tugging his gloves more securely onto his hands. "Uh, right. Sure thing. Um, I think the kids will be here soon. We should probably- yeah. We should head out."

Smooth, Valdez. Real, real smooth.

Nico nodded and turned. Leo's eyes fixed on a coat of arms affixed to the back of the black cloak. The heater shield shape sewn onto the back of the garment had three diagonal alternating stripes of blue, white, blue coloring the background. Two white nine-pointed stars emblazoned the blue stripes while a royal-looking lion took up the majority of the center of the shield. The whole thing was wreathed in laurel leaves, coming to a point at the top center where a crown topped everything.

Leo whistled. "That's a pretty impressive coat of arms."

Nico looked back over his shoulder and smiled with pride. "Celia designed it. I took her drawing, and Cal helped me." Nico met Leo's eyes and grinned sheepishly. "I have to confess I'm not very handy with a needle either. Seems like painting might be my craft calling."

Leo waggled his eyebrows. "We can always try some welding. You might be good at that."

Laughing, Nico walked through the doorway and out to the parking lot to wait for the kids.

Leo clapped his hands for everyone's attention. "Okay, guys! Remember, we're going to work our way down a few blocks in a zig-zag pattern. We'll go down 14th until we get to Park. Then, we'll go up and down Park, down Mondrian and up, and then cross back over to Central from 15th."

He looked over the eager boys and girls dressed up in their costumes. Sonny and Miles stood shoulder to shoulder, empty pillowcases hanging at their sides. Brittany had stuck copious amounts of white glitter and plastic jewels around her eyes. Even Grace had deigned to dress up: she wore her gym uniform from school and informed Leo she was an "athlete."

"Alright, so, who can tell me one of the rules we went over on Monday?"

Sonny thrust his hand into the air and started talking before Leo picked him. "Stay with the group!"

"Excellent. Miles? You got another one?"

Miles nodded and said, "Walk on the sidewalks. No walking in the street unless we're crossing at the corner."

"And?"

"And you or Nico or Brittany go first."

Leo nodded in approval. "Good. Anyone else? Celia?"

"Never ever ever ever go inside someone's home for a treat. Or for puppies. Or for video games. Or for-"

How many scenarios is this kid gonna come up with? And why?!

"Really, really good, Celita." He cast his eyes over the whole group. "Never go into any stranger's house for anything. Even if they're hurt. If they say they're hurt and need help, you come get me or Nico if we're not right at the door with you."

"All you littles," he continued, "have one of the older kids inspect your candy before you start eating it. Right? Make sure there are no torn corners or weird packaging or anything, got it?"

All of the kids nodded, and Leo smiled. "Alright then. Let's go! Brittany? You and Grace want to take the lead for the first bit?"

Brittany nodded emphatically and, in a bossy tone, ordered the children to "Follow me!"

Leo hung back until the kids moved and then joined Nico, who had Celia by his side.

Seems like someone has a permanent shadow.

The little girl and the two demigods trailed after the group, Celia hesitating in her tunic and black pants. A short foam sword hung at her side, and a plastic helmet sat on her head. The patches on her tunic matched the coat of arms on the back of Nico's cloak.

"Nico?"

The son of Hades looked down at the little girl and paused. "What's up, Celia?"

"I made you this." Shyly, she reached into her bag and produced a simple flower crown. "Mrs. Gugaitis helped me make it. I thought you needed a crown, but you didn't have one when you drew out your costume. You're a prince. You need one. So I made you one." She held it out to him. "I hope you like it."

Nico looked at the crown in question, his lips slightly parted. White and pink flowers twined about a piece of wire. He didn't speak for a moment but reached out for the accessory. He held it gently for a moment before placing it on his head, the pink and white flowers nestling against his hair. Then, kneeling down, Nico hugged the girl tightly. "I love it, Celia."

Celia threw her arms around Nico's neck and hugged him back. The pair let go, and Nico stood, offering his hand to the young girl, who took it without hesitation.

He is really great with kids.

Leo caught Nico's eye and grinned, unexplainable happiness spreading through his chest.

Nico growled, "Not a word, Valdez. Not one word."

Grinning even wider, Leo answered back, "I think you look dashing." Leo cocked his head to the side. "That is a word, right? Dashing? I mean, not just like 'dashing through the snow' but like, good? Like, you look good? Superb? Fantastic?"

"I know what it means, Leo."

"Stylish? Dapper? Dazzling?"

"Leo, you can stop."

"Fashionable? Chic? Debonair?"

Nico was laughing now. "Stop, Leo! I get it!"

"Handsome?" Leo raised an eyebrow, realizing his heart was beating relatively fast and hoping that Nico was choosing to ignore it.

Nico's cheeks reddened and he ducked his head, biting his lip before saying, "Thanks."

Leo nodded, aware of his own blush. "Yep." He cleared his throat and suggested that the three of them catch up to the others. The trio quickened their pace and rejoined the group.

The group passed other gaggles of children and made their way from house to house. They skipped the ones with no porch lights on. When houses had a bowl of candy out, Leo instructed them to "just take one."

Eventually, between the streets and houses, the kids picked up a game of Truth or Dare. The truths asked were typical of children and ranged from "Who do you like?" to "Do you pick your nose?" The dares were mild. "I dare you to give Miles a piggyback for the next three houses" or "Speak only in pig Latin for the next five minutes!"

Leo was digging through his bag of candy, searching for a peanut butter cup without much success as he kept an eye on the kids. Finally, it was Brittany's turn in the game. She glanced back at the pair of demigods for a moment as if considering something before shaking her head. Grace had followed her gaze back to the two boys and smirked but turned around when Brittany addressed her. "Grace. Truth or Dare?"

Grace sighed as if bored. "Truth."

Brittany smiled. "Who is your best friend?"

Leo groaned internally.

Why would she ask that? Grace isn't gonna give her the answer she wants.

Grace's laugh was ugly. "No one here, that's for sure."

Leo felt a tug of anger in his gut. Even though Brittany got on his nerves a lot, Grace couldn't just treat the other girl like that.

"Keep it nice, Grace. There's no need to be like that."

The blonde girl made a face but didn't make further comments.

Brittany's face fell a little, and her shoulders slumped. "Ah. Okay. Well, your turn, I guess."

Leo's hand closed against a piece of candy, and he withdrew his hand. Disappointed, he saw that he held a small bag of Hershey kisses instead of the Reeses Leo thought he had.

Grace once again looked back at Leo and Nico, and her face took on a forced expression of nonchalance as the group neared a corner to cross. They stopped as one, and she turned completely to look at the two demigods.

"Leo. Truth or Dare?" There was a challenge in Grace's voice that the son of Hephaestus picked up on immediately. Leo had come to recognize that tone in the bullies' voices in the group homes and schools he had lived in and attended when he was younger. The best way to combat it was to play along and, somehow, make it a laughable experience.

He shrugged and twitched his eyebrows. "Dare. I ain't afraid of nothing."

Grace's eyes narrowed and darted between him and Nico. "I dare you to give Nico a kiss."

Brittany frowned. "That's… .that's not really nice, Grace. You're not supposed to do that kind of stuff in Truth or Dare. It's not fair."

Grace glowered at the angel. "What are you, a baby? It's just a kiss." She turned to Leo. "So? Are you going to do it, or what?"

Leo shrugged and grinned. "Sure. Here, Nico. Catch."

Startled, Nico looked over to Leo with wide eyes just in time to see Leo toss the bag of Hershey kisses at him. He caught it and stared at the bag before smiling and holding it up to the others for inspection. "Leo gave me a lot of kisses."

Grace scowled at Leo. "That's not what I meant."

Leo smiled at her and shook his head. "Nah, girl. I know what you think you meant, but you said give Nico a kiss. Not kiss Nico. Besides," Leo threw a glance in Nico's direction before nodding to Brittany. "Brittany over there is right. It's not fair to do that in Truth or Dare unless you get people's permission. And this group is a little young for that. Don'tcha think?"

Grace grumbled, and Leo cut off the game. "It's time to start heading back, guys. So, turn left here and head down Central. Wait for me before crossing any streets." Leo glanced down at Celia. "You too, Celita. Go grab your brother's hand. We'll catch up in a minute."

Celia nodded and did as she was told, and Leo watched as Celia caught up with Miles and said something to him. The young boy smiled and held his hand out to his little sister.

Leo turned his attention to Nico, grimacing and apologizing. "I'm sorry for that. I think Grace likes stirring up a bit of trouble here and there."

Nico glanced over at Leo uncertainly as the two continued to walk ten feet behind the children. "Trouble?"

Leo searched for the right words. "Like, I'm sorry if what she said caused you any anxiety or anything, man. I know you're going through a lot and I didn't want to make a big deal out of it or anything and I wouldn't want to do anything to hurt our friendship and I mean-"

"It's okay, Valdez." Nico's voice had fallen slightly. "I get it."

By the tone of his voice, Nico had gotten something that Leo wasn't quite sure he had meant to say. "No, Nico. I don't-"

"Can we please drop it? I'm just really tired."

Leo nodded and didn't say another word to Nico. Not when they made it back to Dayspring. Not when all the kids were sorting through their candy and trading with Nico and Leo. Not when the kids eventually had to go to bed, and the pair of demigods said their goodbyes.

It wasn't until the two were flying home that Leo spoke to Nico again, trying his hardest to be cautious.

"What's up, Ghost Boy? You've been really quiet since trick-or-treating."

Nico shrugged but didn't say anything. His fingers rested against the back of Festus. The son of Hephaestus leaned back to nudge him with his shoulder. "Come on, dude. What's up?"

Nico sighed angrily. "Nothing. Just drop it."

Leo let the other boy sit in silence for a few minutes more, focusing on the space below them. Finally, he saw the Waystation come into view, and Festus began his descent. "Nico? Can I ask you a question?"

"Gods, Leo. What?"

"Truth or Truth?"

He could hear the confusion in Nico's voice. "I thought the game was Truth or Dare?"

"It is." Leo shrugged and asked again, "Truth or Truth?"

"If I answer, will you leave me alone?"

Leo nodded. "If you want me to."

"Truth then."

Leo waited until Festus had touched entirely down. He slid off the bronze dragon and reached up to help Nico off. The boy had a look of darkness on his face as he accepted Leo's help.

"What's your question, Leo?"

The son of Hephaestus could feel his heart working to beat its way out of his chest. He licked his lips and almost didn't ask. Taking a deep breath and refusing to look at Nico in case…

In case what? He laughs at me? Tells me to go away? I ruin a friendship?

Leo shook his head and pushed forward with his question before he could lose his nerve. "Did you want me to kiss you?"

Leo could feel his heart sinking and his stomach dropping in the silence that stretched after his question.

He isn't answering. Oh gods. Oh gods. I shouldn't have asked. I should not have asked. Why did I ask!? Why would he ever want me to kiss him? Oh schist. Oh gods. Oh gods, oh schist, oh fuck.

"Yeah. I did."

See? I ruined a perfectly good friendship. Things were fine! Things were great! I could have just-

"What?" Leo looked up at the son of Hades, noting how pale the other boy was. He was biting his lip and staring worriedly at Leo.

"I said yeah. I'm sorry. I don't want it to be weird between us either. I just didn't want to lie, and you asked me. I wasn't going to tell you." Nico stared at him, his dark eyes accusing as if wondering, Why did you have to ask me this, Leo? "But you asked." Nico looked down at his feet and said softly, "I couldn't lie. Not again."

For a single moment, Leo didn't feel a thing. But then, as Nico's words sunk in, a grin slowly spread across his face, and the thudding of his heart calmed to a pleasant beat.

"Really?"

Nico still hadn't looked up, but he nodded miserably. "I'm sorry."

"Nico? Why won't you look at me?" A tiny sliver of worry was back.

Just because he wants you to kiss him doesn't mean he wants anything else.

Leo studiously ignored the voice in his head. He cleared his throat. "Nico. Truth or truth?"

Nico groaned and turned to him, his eyes pleading. "You said you'd leave me alone, Leo."

Leo stubbornly pressed on. "If that's what you want, then I will. Truth. Or. Truth."

Clenching his eyes shut with fire burning in his cheeks, Nico answered, "Truth, Leo. Okay? Truth."

Leo's words were soft as they fell from his lips. "Do you want me to leave you alone? Do you still want me to kiss you?"

Nico groaned in frustration, and he shook his head no while answering, "Yes."

Because that's...clarifying.

"Won't you look at me, Ghost Boy? Please?"

Nico looked up, a series of expressions flitting across his face: disgust, fear, resignation, longing. It was the last look that pushed Leo to move.

Leo stepped closer to Nico, noting how the son of Hades looked like a deer about to bolt. Then, hesitantly, he brought his hand up to touch the back of Nico's neck, leaning forward until he felt Nico's breath ghosting across the skin of his lips. Nico's eyes were wide and dark as they met his. Leo closed his eyes and leaned forward.

Jaime's deep voice called quietly from the entrance to the Waystation, and the pair sprang apart like startled rabbits, Leo bumping against the bronze side of Festus. Jaime's dark eyes studied the two demigods.

"I do not mean to interrupt. However," dark eyes flicked to Nico. "You have a visitor."

A dark figure with black furs wrapped around his shoulders emerged next to the Yoruban demigod, cocking an eyebrow before greeting Nico.

"Brother."

His red eyes traveled over Leo as the two approached the entrance to the Waystation. "And Leonidas Valdez. So nice to meet the one my brother swore on the Styx for." He arched an eyebrow. "Not quite what I was expecting, but you're handsome enough, I suppose."

All anxiety left Nico's face as his expression settled into an angry scowl. "What do you want, Zagreus?"

"I told you I'd be in touch. Don't you remember?"

Nico brought two fingers to rub his temple, the beginnings of a headache forming.

"Yes. Of course, you did. Well, let's get inside. Unless you plan on having a conversation at the front door?"

Zagreus swept grandly through the front door, Olujime following. Nico looked back at Leo, his gaze searching and unsure. "Are you coming? I'm sorry- I wasn't expecting-"

Leo raised an eyebrow and half-smiled. "No worries, Ghost Boy. We can talk later. I'm not going anywhere, bueno?"

Nico breathed in quickly and nodded before following his brother into the Waystation.

Leo walked through the door and halted, looking up in confusion when they stepped out, not into the Grand Hall, but in the hallway that led to Nico and Leo's bedrooms. "What the- why did it let us out here?"

Olujime told the group, "Perhaps the house knew that Zagreus needed to speak to Nico alone. I will leave you." Jaime turned sharply on his heel without another word and proceeded down the hallway to descend the staircase.

"He's right, brother." Nico turned startled eyes onto the young god. "We must talk."

Nico nodded curtly and crossed to his room, opening the door and walking in. Zagreus moved to join the son of Hades at the same time Leo did. Noticing Zagreus' expression, Leo hung back and craned his neck to look at Nico. "On second thought, I'll be in my room. Talk later, Nico?"

The other demigod nodded, and Leo heard the door latch as he entered his own room.

"What's so urgent that father sent you here? Why didn't he just message me?"

Zagreus held a finger to his lips and carefully listened until he heard Leo's door close. His dark red eyes found Nico's, and all humor dropped from them.

"Father does not want the other gods to know I am here. Or why I am here." Without asking, Zagreus moved to take a seat at Nico's desk. He slumped into the chair, resting his forehead in the palm of one of his hands.

Nico hesitantly sat on his bed. "Zagreus? What is it? What's wrong?"

A sigh escaped the young god, and he looked up. "Thanatos is missing."

Eyes narrowing, Nico asked, "Missing? Like, when he was chained missing? Or…?"

Zagreus shook his head. "No. The doors are not anchored if that's what you mean. So people will die and stay dead. But Thanatos? Father has Alecto and Tisiphone searching for him as we speak. But, if Thanatos doesn't want to be found…."

Nico closed his eyes, the beginning of the headache moving into migraine territory. "Wait. Why would Thanatos not want to be found?"

Zagreus raised a weary eyebrow. "That is the question, isn't it? Perhaps his brothers and sisters could help us answer it? But, oh, wait," the god's tone changed to one of derisiveness. "They're missing too."

Nico opened his eyes and stared at his godly brother. "What?"

Zagreus nodded. "Nemesis. Hypnos, Eris. Even Charon is gone. Which is why if you were to die right this second, Megaera would be your lovely guide across the river."

Nico stood and paced to the door and back. "Have all of Nyx's children disappeared?"

Shrugging, Hades' other son stood. "Not all. The Fates are still set up in their shop in Olympus. However, from what mother tells me, they've been closed to business for the past few weeks. Aether hasn't been seen for centuries- we think she's slipped to fading, but...well, you know how it is with us gods. Hemera? She's still going about all her duties like normal."

Nico shook his head. "So, what does this have to do with me?"

Frowning, Zagreus asked, "I thought it was obvious?" When Nico didn't respond, the young god continued. "I've helped father discover weaknesses in his defenses before. And you've proved yourself capable of traversing the Underworld undetected and finding things which have been lost."

Zagreus walked back to the desk and trailed his finger along the edge, bringing it up to his eyes as if inspecting for dust. "Father obviously cannot search for Thanatos and Charon himself- it would draw too much attention, and you know how Zeus is. So, father wants us to find out what happened."

Zagreus turned to his half-brother. "I'm afraid we must leave immediately."

Nico's eyes widened in disbelief. "Seriously? Right now? I can't just go. There are things- I have to-"

Shaking his head, Zagreus frowned. "Whatever it is, it can wait, Nico. I don't think I need to impress upon you the seriousness of the situation." Zagreus fixed the demigod in his sights for a moment longer before crossing to the door, calling over his shoulder, "You have five minutes to pack and say goodbye. And I would advise changing out of those clothes into something more practical."

He hesitated at the door and looked back at Maria di Angelo's son, and said softly, "I'm sorry." Zagreus turned and left, leaving Nico very much alone.

Nico sank onto his bed, the events of the evening finally overwhelming him. He thought about how welcome Emmie and Jo had made him feel. The bickering of Stan and Deacon and their earnestness in teaching Nico how to play Magic. Even though Lit had been gone for almost a month, the son of Hades felt a pang of regret that he wouldn't get to say goodbye. And his burgeoning friendship with Cal? Their quiet companionship under the moon and stars, cultivating the beauty only found in the shadows?

Nico's thoughts turned to Leo. What about the son of Hephaestus? Nico's stomach sank, and his chest tightened at the thought of leaving the other demigod behind. He would miss the friendship, the camaraderie. The jokes, the smiles... he'd miss everything about Leo.

Of course, this would happen now. I shouldn't have ever come here. I should have worked on the prophecy and just not-

A knock on the open door startled Nico out of his thoughts. He looked up to see Leo standing in the doorway. He had changed into a pair of sweatpants and a red t-shirt. Nico had to tear his eyes away from where the shirt clung to Leo's body.

"You good, Ghost Boy? You don't look so hot."

It's not fair. I only just got here and now? I have to go away...just like always. How long will it be before they forget me?

Nico looked away from Leo, quashing the feeling of disappointment and shoving it to a corner of his mind. He couldn't help but wonder what Dionysus would say: "Don't shut down, Nico. Acknowledge and accept your feelings and work from there. If they're too much to handle, you can set them aside for later, but shutting down is going to be counterproductive to your therapy."

Well, that's all good and well for the god of wine. He hasn't had to deal with endless letdowns over and over and over.

The rational part of Nico protested that that wasn't, in fact, true. What about Semele? He lost his mother too. And Ariadne? What happened to their son? Killed by Perseus, wasn't he? And Castor and Dakota? What about them? Dionysus has had his fair share of letdowns in life.

Nico stood, crossing to his closet to pull out the small black bag he carried when traveling. He tossed it onto the bed and began pulling clothing from his dresser drawers.

Leo's eyes widened. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow your roll! Are you leaving or something, Nico?"

The son of Hades didn't answer. He didn't think he could control his disappointment if he spoke. So instead, he tucked the clothes into his bag, leaving one set out to change into.

"Nico. Can you stop for a second? Please?"

Nico didn't stop packing, but his hands shook as he put the last shirt into the bag. "I'm sorry, Leo. My dad needs me for something."

"And you have to leave now?"

Nico nodded and zipped the top of the bag closed. He grabbed the spare outfit and walked out into the hall. Crossing to the bathroom, Nico muttered an 'excuse me' to Leo and brushed past the other demigod. He closed the door and quickly changed out of his costume, setting the flower crown gently to the side. Nico grabbed his toothbrush and toothpaste from where they sat next to the sink and moved back to his room. Leo sat on the edge of Nico's bed.

"What's so important that you can't get a good night's rest first?"

Nico shrugged but gave no defining answer. He shoved the toiletries into a side pocket and zipped that up too before going to retrieve the costume to set in his closet.

"I don't want you to go." Leo's tone was quiet and soft, making Nico look up as his heart jolted and his stomach dropped. A look of worry and disappointment to match what Nico felt filled Leo's face. It took everything in Nico to not tell Leo how much he didn't want to go.

"I'll... I'll be back, Leo." Nico tried to smile but knew it didn't reach his eyes. "I promise."

Leo picked at a thread coming loose from Nico's cover. "How long will you be gone?"

Shrugging, Nico answered, "I don't know. I'm going with Zagreus to the Underworld to-" Nico cut himself off and cursed silently. No one's supposed to know, remember?

Leo eyed him suspiciously. "To what? Does it have anything to do with the prophecy?"

Nico hesitated but then nodded. "I think so. It matches one of the lines."

"What do you have to do?"

"I can't tell you, Leo. Even my father won't know exactly what we're doing. If Zeus finds out…I just don't think it would bode very well for my father."

Leo stared at him hard for a few seconds before speaking. "So what about downstairs? Before we were interrupted?"

"What about it?" Nico avoided looking at Leo, who raised an eyebrow. The son of Hades felt as though his heart were about to beat out of his chest. Again, he was struck by the thought that it wasn't fair.

"Is that how you really want to play it, Ghost Boy?"

Nico sighed heavily and sat down in his chair opposite Leo, who still sat on the bed. "It's not about what I want, Leo. It never really has been." He scoffed at himself as he added, "Besides, I don't really want you to do that just because you feel sorry for me."

Leo scowled and asked, "Sorry for you? Is that what you think that was?"

Nico shrugged. "I don't know, Leo. I just-" Nico threw a glance at the door. "I have to go. Zagreus only gave me five minutes to pack, and I've already taken longer than that." The son of Hades stood and shouldered his bag, making for the door.

Leo stood and reached out, stopping the other boy with a gentle touch on his arm. "Nico, I thought you wanted me to-"

Nico looked up to the ceiling as he felt hot tears prick at the corners of his eyes. "Forget it, Valdez. Okay? Just forget it. I have to go."

"Just wait for a second, will you? Don't run away from this."

Nico jerked his arm away from the son of Hephaestus as if he had been burned. "Running away? Is that what you think I'm doing? So you think that I finally found a place where I feel like I actually belong, and my first thought is to just run away? To give all of this up?"

"I didn't mean-"

"What did you mean, Leo? Maybe this all would be easier if I just left for good." Nico turned and grabbed the handle of the door.

Leo's eyes were wide, and his voice no longer sounded like his own when he asked, "Is that what you want? To leave?"

Nico whirled back to the other demigod and yelled, "No! That's not what I want." All of the fight left Nico. He slumped against the wall next to the door, and his shoulders slumped. His voice, when he spoke again, was quiet with misery. "I want to stay, Leo. I don't want to go. This feels like-I don't want to go."

Leo hesitantly took a step toward Nico until he stood less than the width of a hand away from the boy. Then, he reached out again and softly touched Nico's arm, waiting until he had Nico's attention.

"Listen," Leo dropped his hand back to his side and looked earnestly up into Nico's eyes. "I don't know what's going on with you, okay? I'm not even going to pretend that I know or understand. But," Leo swallowed heavily but continued. "I'll be here when you get back, okay? I'm not going anywhere. That's my promise. And I'm going to hold you to yours about coming back. So don't even think about running away. Okay? Otherwise, I'll find you. I don't think you can run completely away from the Real McShizzle."

Nico half smiled, and Leo asked, a slight whine in his voice, "Please, Ghost Boy?"

Nico ducked his head shyly and nodded. "Yeah. Okay." The son of Hades pushed off the wall and opened the door, heading into the hallway. He waited for Leo to follow before closing his door. "I don't know how long I'll be gone. Zagreus didn't really….but I'll try to keep in touch." Nico looked over his shoulder and then back to the other demigod. "I have to go."

Leo smiled at him briefly. "Try not to make me wait too long, Ghost Boy. And be safe."

Without waiting for an answer, Leo turned and entered his room, leaving both boys hopeful that the other would keep their promise.

"You cannot always wait for the perfect time. Sometimes you must dare to jump." ~ Yasmine Bleeth