A/N: First of all, I'm really sorry I haven't updated in forever, I've had HUGE writer's block lately.

Second, this chapter's sad. Just warning you. I wrote most of it a while ago, out of context and then integrated it into this chapter, so hopefully it doesn't seem too out of place. We'll get back to plot (hypothetically) in the next chapter.

I hope you like it, please review!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OCs.

Chapter Sixteen

Unfortunately, Frank was right. Things were going too well, and that only meant his lucky streak was very soon going to end. Nico dreaded it, but he prepared- he practiced swordfighting with his dad's soldiers in the Underworld, kept a close lookout for monsters, and spent as much time with Adrianne as possible, hoping her mortal scent would keep him hidden.

And yet, even among his fear of monsters and prophecies, sometimes Nico couldn't believe how far he'd come.

Less than a month ago, he'd been new to the future, unsure of his importance, confident that his existence would always be unnecessary in the universe. Now, he knew how much people needed him. He knew that he actually made a difference in the world.

But every time that was proved to him, he still freaked out a little.

The Music Man was not an easy show to learn for someone with absolutely zero musical experience. Nico sometimes couldn't even believe he'd gotten the lead, except he was Italian and all Italians could sing for some reason, so really he wasn't that surprised. But still, he occasionally regretted even auditioning. Harold Hill just said a lot of words.

He'd almost given up for the day when Percy's phone rang, snapping him out of his 'capital T and that rhymes with P'-induced reverie.

"I got it!" he called for Percy's sake and grabbed the phone sitting next to him, grinning when he saw the caller ID. "Hey, A! I was just about to call you. These Trouble lyrics are kicking my-"

Nico cut himself off when he realized he could hear soft crying from the other end. "Adrianne?" he asked worriedly. "What's wrong?"

Her sobs got louder and for a moment, she said nothing as Nico started thinking up worst case scenarios. "Can you come over?" Adrianne finally managed through her tears. She was whispering so Nico could barely hear her, and only when she continued did he realize that she was more scared than upset.

"Nico, my dad just had a heart attack."

Nico's heart pounded and, without hesitation, he put his script away and started pulling on his boots. He'd met Adrianne's dad maybe twice, but suddenly he felt like he was losing another family member. "Gimme two seconds," he told his sister. "I'll be right there."

He hung up the phone and slipped through the shadows two feet to the kitchen, where Percy and Annabeth were still having dinner.

"Was that Bianca?" Percy asked him, looking up from his blue pancakes.

"I have to go," Nico told them both quickly. "I'll be back later."

Percy frowned. "What? Why? Where are you going?"

"Adrianne needs my help," Nico hastily explained. "I'll tell you more later, but I gotta go. I'll see ya later."

"Wait. Nico-" Percy started to call, but his cousin had already disappeared.

Nico didn't even bother trying the door; he just shadow-travelled straight into the apartment and ran into the living room, where he found Adrianne on the couch, hugging her dog Duchess to her chest.

Nico stopped in his tracks when he saw her, and the sight of him sent her bursting into a fresh batch of tears, which Nico was unfairly uncomfortable with. Adrianne held out her arms; without hesitation, Nico sat next to her and pulled her into a hug.

He let her cry for a good five minutes, until finally she calmed down and she was just holding him tight. Nico hadn't been in physical contact with someone like this since his sister died, and yet it was somehow the most natural thing in the world.

"Where is everybody?" he asked after another minute or so.

Adrianne sniffed and pulled back from him to wipe her eyes on her sleeve. "Gigi went with Mom and Dad in the ambulance."

Nico nodded. "And… do the others know?"

"Some of them," she confirmed. "Jeannine and Helena are on their way over now."

He nodded again. "Good."

They sat in silence for awhile, save for Adrianne's occasional sniffles, and Duchess whining on the floor. Then suddenly Adrianne choked out a sob. "Oh my god, what if he dies?"

"Hey," Nico snapped, coaxing a startled look out of her. "You can't think like that, ever."

"But-" she began.

"No," Nico interrupted. "Listen to me, you can't think like that. Trust me, please, it'll only make things worse."

Adrianne stared at him in shock and he belatedly realized that his own voice was shaking. Nico took a deep breath. He had to be the calm one here.

"Did I ever tell you about my sister?" he asked.

Surprised by the change of topic, Adrianne shook her head.

Without thinking about it, Nico pulled his legs up so he was sitting cross-legged on the couch and pushed Adrianne down so her head was in his lap. He expected her to object, but as he started telling the story, she took his hand and shakily traced it with her own.

"When I was ten," he began, speaking slowly so he could rewrite the story in his mind before telling it, "my… my uncle, Percy, took my older sister on vacation, to California. It was supposed to be the two of them and a couple of Percy's friends, and they decided I was too young to go, so I stayed home with some family. I'd never been away from Bianca before, and the thought of being without her scared the heck out of me, but all I could worry about was her safety. So… I made Percy promise to protect her. But then… while they were away, I kept having these nightmares that she was hurt, and, uh… Percy's phone didn't work out where they were, so I had no way of contacting them. When Percy got back… Bianca wasn't with him."

Adrianne looked up at him in hurt and surprise, tears brimming in her eyes.

"She was fine, though," Nico hastily assured her. "I mean, I… I expected the worst, and… for a long, long time, I thought she was… But I found her again. She's safe now… Did that help at all?"

Adrianne managed a small smile. "Yeah. Thanks, Nico, that helped a lot."

She sat up, and he unfolded his legs, and they curled up on the couch next to each other so that she could lay down comfortably and he could hug her from the side. She didn't talk, and he didn't try to. They just lay there in comfortable silence for what felt like a lifetime.

Eventually, the doorbell rang and Nico jumped up to get it. Jeannine and Helena rushed in, followed by their respective boyfriends Bill and Ray. Nico suddenly felt awkward with so many people there, and wondered if he should leave, but Adrianne gestured for him to rejoin her on the couch, and as soon as he was sitting, she wrapped her arms around his torso.

No one talked unless Adrianne did first. She cried a little more, mostly silently, but Nico could feel every sob as he held her. Jeannine sat on the other side of her, rubbing her back, and Helena held one hand while Nico kept tight the other. Bill and Ray took turns promising to help her with anything she needed, and Nico could tell it was helping but he also kind of wished they'd shut up.

After a long time, when Nico thought that everything was back to normal and they'd all be okay again, the phone rang. Adrianne wasted no time answering it and saying, "Hello?!" into the receiver.

Nico's hearing was usually pretty good, but even he couldn't understand what was being said on the other end. Adrianne went from looking anxious, to scared, to shocked, and then an utter look of depression crossed her face.

She dropped the phone.

"My dad is dead."

"Can I see him?" Nico asked as soon as he touched ground in the Underworld.

"Nico, I couldn't save him," Hades hurried to apologize. "I tried, but I couldn't-"

"I know," Nico cut him off, sounding exhausted. "Can I see him?"

His father nodded, and led him through the Fields of Asphodel, to a gray ghost of a man in slacks and a button-down shirt, circular glasses framing his deep brown eyes- the same color as Adrianne's.

Nico bowed to the ghost. "I'll take care of her," he promised.

The man raised a ghostly cigarette to his lips, and smiled.

A/N: I hope you liked it. Please review!