Ghosts, ghosts, ghosts... Percy was scared of ghosts. As the days passed, he knew this to be true. Every time Nico showed up, every time he was mentioned, every time Percy heard him. He jumped out of his skin and had goosebumps running up and down his arms. Annabeth was comfortable with Nico, the kids were comfortable with Nico. Only Percy wasn't.

"Percy, cheer up." Annabeth kissed his cheek as they made dinner. "You're always so jumpy."

"Sorry..." Percy continued cutting the onion. "It's just...I don't like...I'm scared of..."

"Ghosts?"

Percy nodded. "Yeah... Don't make fun of me."

"I'm not going to make fun of you." Annabeth turned the stove on. "I'm just going to try and help you through it. Because whether you like it or not, we're stuck with Nico."

Percy glanced around them. "What if he's eavesdropping?"

Annabeth shrugged. "So what?"

Percy continued to look around. While he did, the knife slipped. He cut into his finger, soon hearing the knife hit the wooden cutting board beneath his hand. "I...ow..."

"Percy!" Annabeth grabbed a towel and wrapped it around the stump of a finger. "I thought I could trust you to cut an onion!"

"Ow..." Percy winced at the dull sting. "Ow..."

"You idiot, you're in shock." Annabeth got it wrapped up before leading him to the table. "Just relax. I'll sew it up."

"You'll sew it up?!" Percy questioned. "Annabeth!"

"I know what I'm doing." she left to get her sewing kit before coming back. "The hospital is too far away. Just let me do it."

"Annie..."

"Oh, relax, Percy." she gently unwrapped it before starting to disinfect it. "Just take deep breaths. It'll be over soon."

Percy closed his eyes, trying to block out the pain. "Why me...?"

"You should have been looking." Annabeth's eyes didn't leave his hand. "Remember this next time."

"If only he had hit something more dangerous..." Nico drawled out, appearing on the chandelier above them. "He would have been stuck here with me forever."

Percy glared up at Nico. "What are you-"

"Percy, stay still." Annabeth interrupted. "Do you want me to mess up?"

"No..." Percy closed his eyes again. "How much longer?"

"Not too long." she glanced up at Nico. "What are you doing? You're going to break that thing."

"I'm weightless, remember?" he fell onto the table beside them. "See? Weightless."

"See? Annoying." Percy mocked.

"See? An asshole." Nico countered.

"See? Someone dead-...sorry..." Percy paled. "Sorry."

Nico chuckled softly. "I know I'm dead. It's not a shock anymore."

"Yeah..." Percy used his free hand to move some hair out of his face. "Can I...can I ask...how you died?"

Nico scowled. "Annabeth told you. Hanged."

Annabeth gave Percy a look. "Told you."

Percy opened his eyes with a hiss of pain. "I mean...how? Why? Where?"

"Percy..."

"It's okay, Annabeth." Nico looked up at the ceiling. "I'll tell him." He rubbed his neck, his pale fingers more transparent than before. "In the attic. I hung myself up there."

Percy's face fell. "Oh..."

Annabeth looked over at Nico. "I'm sorry...I didn't know..."

"It's okay." Nico's form started to flicker. "It's in the past."

The past... If his death was in the past, then why was he still there? As Percy glanced over to look at him again, he realized that Nico had disappeared without a sound.

"Do you think I made him feel bad?" Percy asked. "I'm sorry if I did."

"He'll be fine." Annabeth started to wrap his hand up again. "Just don't worry about it. It's not like he can kill himself again."

"That seems...I don't know..." Percy looked around them. "I feel bad for him, now. I didn't know his life had been that bad."

"So you aren't scared of him anymore?" Annabeth asked, starting to put her supplies away.

Percy shook his head. "No, not really. I think I misjudged him for awhile there."

"Yeah, you did." she smiled at him. "Now I'm going to go finish making dinner. You stay here and try not to hurt yourself."

Percy laughed softly. "I'll try."