Hi! I haven't forgotten about this story, I just didn't feel too inspired. After reading a bunch of thematic fanfics myself, and a thousand-pages book featuring a couple of pairs of siblings, I felt like writing about the Underworld siblings once more.

As always I hope you enjoy :D

PJO belongs to Uncle Rick

Hazel was aghast. When the news had come, she thought her brain would explode by the many emotions turmoiling her thoughts. Shock. Dread. Despair. Hurry. Guilt.

Guilt.

As she travelled to New York as fast as she could it was guilt that plagued her head and tinted her thoughts with the sour taste of regret.

If only she had been there with him. But he was still alive, she reminded herself. He wasn't dead yet.

I... I don't know if...' a cleared throat. 'If he'll pass the night,' Will said roughly.

Frank had immediately taken her hand and sat her on the shotgun seat of the SUVs Camp Jupiter owned. And for that she couldn't help but be eternally grateful.

After two and a half days of mad driving and barely over fifteen words spoken between them, Frank and Hazel arrived to Camp Half-Blood.

The infirmary was dreadfully quiet, the only sound was a plain groaning in one of the furthest curtain-covered beds. She paid no attention to it, as she was worried about the figure in the bed closest to her.

Her brother's pale, cold figure lied motionless. A bandage wrapped his head tightly and an IV line stood out in his left arm.

Sitting beside Nico in an uncomfortable looking chair was Will Solace, gripping the son of Hades' hand and murmuring under his breath.

Hazel put a hand on the blond's shoulder, snapping him out of his reverie. Will stood up suddenly and hugged her shakily. She put her arms around him and cried.

After drying her lacrimal gland, she sat beside Will and waited.

While she waited, the seconds ticking by slowly, the minutes taking hours, and the hours taking days. She had more than enough time to replay her awfully mistaken decisions.

Nico had asked her to come along some trip or quest, his exact words were fuzzy in her memory.

She said no, under the pretense that a cross country trip of the two mortal children of the King of the Underground was not a good plan. Too many monsters and a slim chance of success.

He was disappointed. He didn't voice it too much, albeit he did express it rather obviously in his voice tone. She knew he didn't mean to blame her for not coming, but lately Nico had been spoiled by many people -including their father who decided it was time to be a present parent-.

She hated to admit that jealousy had been part of what led her to abandon her brother in his quest. It wasn't envy towards Bianca anymore, Nico had proven over and over that he considered her just as close. It was the notion that their father might favour him over her.

She imagined it was her own twisted mind, and not reality for Pluto -or Hades, whatever the difference- wasn't allowed to see her for a real, tangible reason. And him visiting her or summoning her as often as he did to her brother could only end in disaster.

Basically, she said no to Nico and now he laid half-dead, half-dying with his cranium busted in because of her.

"Don't," said Will, making her jump. "Stop blaming yourself."

His voice was deeper than usual, and less melodious. She guessed he'd also been crying as much as her, if not more.

"How did you know?"

"That's the same look in Percy's face, and Jason's, and Nico's. I think I even saw it in Thalia, once or twice," he tried to smile. "You kids of the Big Three sure love to overwhelm yourselves with blame."

Hazel put her head on his shoulder. For once glad it wasn't Frank next to her. She loved Frank dearly, but he wouldn't quite understand right now. If anyone was feeling like her at that moment, it had to be Will.

"I didn't go with him," she spat.

"Hazel, if you had..." Will paused and breathed heavily. "It would've been two of you instead of one here."

Four more days she sat like that, idly and upset, next to Will Solace. With Nico breathing mechanically slowly before their eyes.

Once or twice people would sneak in to accompany them for a bit. Annabeth and Percy sat with them for hours. Jason hugged them both and took Nico's other hand for a bit.

It was almost as if Nico was already dead, and they came to give their condolences.

But Nico didn't agree with their plan, and woke up after a hundred and fifty nine hours of painstaking dullness.

"I thought you'd never wake up!" cried Will, with the biggest grin Hazel had seen on him yet.

"You know I hate early mornings, I always strive for ten more minutes," Nico replied weakly.

"You could've died!" Hazel told him teary-eyed.

"Percy owes me a cheeseburger, I can't die yet," Nico shook his head.

Jason came in seven minutes later, tripping in the doorway, regaining balance quickly enough.

"Stealing my MO of passing out via head injuries?" the son of Jupiter laughed with relief.

"Figured it was worth a shot, given how often you subject yourself to it," Nico answered with a smirk.

The more people came in, the stronger and quicker-witted Nico's comments became, alerting Hazel than he was indeed getting better.

Will went off to have some dinner, prompted by one of his siblings who came to warn him that he hadn't eaten in a long while. He promised to get Hazel a sandwich. And Nico demanded pork chops and chips, because 'even comatose people get hungry'.

And then it was Hazel and Nico by themselves. Until their father walked in, that is.

Hazel tried to hide her surprise, and Nico raised an eyebrow.

Hades sat elegantly on the chair Will had vacated.

"You had me worried," he deadpanned.

"Well... it would've saved you the trouble of grounding me," Nico shrugged.

"And it would've added me the trouble of Persephone and you arguing forever..." Hades rolled his eyes.

"I know for a fact that she doesn't despise me anymore," Nico said reassuringly.

Hades raised an eyebrow.

"That much," Nico admitted.

Hades looked at him.

"Very deep inside her heart," Nico added as an afterthought.

"Regardless, I would rather you visited on your own free will," Hades remarked.

Nico stared at him with a strange look on his face. Hazel guessed he still wasn't used to the Lord of the Dead being caring.

"It goes for the both of you," their father said, looking at her this time.

"I thought we couldn't meet too often," she wondered in a small voice.

"I've spoken with Thanatos," Hades explained. "He's willing to allow a small slip in the laws of revival."

He put a hand on her shoulder, nodded at Nico who smiled back confidently, and left.

"I think that's the warmest he's capable of," Nico said proudly.

Hazel smiled in spite of herself. Her previous envy gone in a puff. Pluto did care. He cared enough to let his strict laws off and to spare her.

She got up and hugged Nico for what felt like the thousandth time that afternoon.

"I love having a family," she said thickly.

Nico put his head on her shoulder, "Ditto," he mumbled, and hugged her back fiercely.