Hey people, wow 4 chapters in like 24 hours. Enjoy. Review Please!

Thalia POV

Ugghhh. My head was throbbing. The cut on my side was on fire. I couldn't open my eyes in fear of what I would see. I was afraid. Would I end up in Elysium or the Fields of Punishment because I was Zeus' daughter? Or maybe I would drift aimlessly in Asphodel. On the bright side maybe Nico would visit me.

Slowly I began to hear a voice. It was man. And he sounded very familiar. I was standing. Someone lifted me up and I realized it was Nico. Nico di Angelo was holding me in his arms! Not that I care about stuff like that. I heard Zoe's voice getting farther away yelling for the others. Nico called for her to wait and started ranting loudly.

"Stupid Hunters and stupid agility and stanima. Nobody needs to be agile or have good stanima, besides demigods that is. Stupid demigods, stupid olympian gods and godesse-, nevermind not going to finish that one, stupid stone, stupid flower! Stupid manticore, stupid monsters, stupid lo-" Nico stopped.

My lips twitched ever so slightly in a suppresed laugh. He sounded like a five year old boy! Gods I missed him.

Suddenly I heard him whisper in my ear. "Enjoying the ride?" He asked. I could hear him smirking. I felt my face heat up.

"Nico?" I asked.

"Yup, pretty sure you're enjoying the ride." He laughed.

"I spent 7 years as a tree, I'm lazy." I said defensively. "And I got mauled by a stupid-freaking-test addicted-random-questioning sphinx."

"So whatcha doing here Pinecone Face? Came for the tourism? Or just couldn't stay away from me?" He asked cockily. But that didn't stop me from blushing.

I refused to open my eyes because if I saw him I would forget everything. I would be weak. Besides heights, looking weak was my second worst fear.

"Shut up death breath! You know why we're here."

"Thalia, you know I can't interfere with the will of the fates."

"Yeah, yeah." I frowned slightly. Some of my stregnth was returning but I couldn't walk yet. You know...safety precautions.

"So you feeling up to walking?" He snickered. How did he read my mind?

"Shut up." I responded blushing again weakly hitting his arm. Jeez! He is ripped!

"Seriously, that was pathetic!" He was full on laughing by now. Then he became serious, "You want some more ambrosia or nector?"

I shook my head and immediately felt dizzy but said nevertheless. "You can put me down now, Pheobe will kill you if she sees you carrying me."

I felt him tighten his grip. "I think you're still to weak to walk without my manly assistance."

I smilled, he just set himself up. "Manly?"

"You're bruising my ego!" He said in what I assumed to be mock hurt. I could just see that cute pout forming on his lips and those brooding, mysterious eyes that were full of...FOCUS THALIA! YOU ARE A HUNTER FOR GODS SAKE!

"What ego? You're a spineless chicken!" I responded wittily.

"Yeah, it's dead."

"Thanks for saving me earlier." I smiled softly. "I had no clue where you were."

"Seriously! 'Thank you for saving me'! You don't think I'd leave you there to die did you?" He asked surprised.

"No!" I blushed. Immediately thinking of Annabeth taking the knife for Percy "But still, thanks."

"I will always be there to save you from demi-god eating monsters." He replied with what I hoped was sincerety. I listened to the sound reverbrating off his chest.

"Open your eyes, there's nothing here to scare you away. With the exception of my hideous face." He said in mock disgust with himself. I shook my head in amusement. The last thing he was was hideous if not amazingly hot.

Weakly I opened my eyes and stared up into his eyes. They were dark. A dark obsidion. Actually not quite. There was emotion there. Worry, amusement, danger, and something I couldn't quite place. I studied his alabaster face and angular jaw. His upturned eyebrows and his lips were...lets stop there shall we?

"Hey." He said quietly a small smile on his face.

"Hi." I answered just as quietly. Surprising him and myself I buried my face in his shirt. "I missed you...Death Breath." I whispered.

His arms tightened his skin a cool releif from the summer air. "I missed you too Pinecone Face."

"Thalia!" Called two voices who I recognized as Celeste and Alexis.

"Nico Di Angelo? Put Thalia down now!" I heard Pheobe say loudly and rudely. Nico's arms gripped me tighter.

"Pheobe, it is okay. She is hurt. Bad." Zoe said quietly but firmly.

"Let me see." Said Alexis. She was a daughter of Apollo. She gently examined my stomach. She gently pressed different areas and I groaned and winced in pain. Nico drew comforting circles on the small of my back.

"I'll have to heal it later when we have time. It doesn't look that bad but..." Alexis trailed off.

"What?" Nico asked, tension visible on his face.

"She shouldn't walk. So Nico should keep carrying Hothead Airhead." Alexis stated smirking.

"Huh, hot head and airhead. I'll have to remember those." Nico said thoughtfully while I glared at him.

"That...thing...can't carry her." Pheobe spat.

"He will do. For we must find our friends." Celeste said hurridely taking off the street. The others followed and Nico called after them, "Where are we going?"

"Lombard Street!" Zoe called over her shoulder. "Get moving Di Angelo!"

Nico merely grinned and sauntered off in the other direction.

"Nico! We have to get to Lombard Street. Unless you can like, teleport I really think we should- oh nevermind." I had forgotten about his shadow travel powers.

He ducked into an alley way and shadow traveled. It was horrifying. The world turned black and I felt like I was falling. Falling and not stopping. I didn't know how high I was. I clutched Nico's shirt as he was the only thing I could feel. Suddenly it stopped all at once without any warning.

Panting, I tried to control my breathing and relax.

"Thals, you ok?" Nico looked at me concern etched all over his face.

I turned red and looked away, "I'm a little afraid of heights, and falling, and dying.."

He smiled slightly. "Sorry, I should have warned you."

I smiled and looked around. We were at Lombard Street. The most popular zig-zaging street in San Fran. The Hunters were clustered in a corner glaring at the guys wolf whistling at them. Once we were less then 20 feet away about 30 arrows were notched and aimed at Nico's heart. "What are you doing here boy?" snarled one of the Hunters. "And what have you done to luitenuent Thalia?"

"Relaxe Anne. I got injured in battle and Nico saved my life as far as I know. Unless he like stabbed me and erased my memory and then- I was joking! Just a joke!" I yelled as Anne tensed her grip, ready to release the arrow.

Nico snickered and I pinched his stomach. My hand was met with solid muscle. Turning mildly pink I aslked Nico to put me down. He frowned but set me gently to my feet. The world began to spin and reached for something as I pitched forward. Nico grabbed my shoulders steadying me. Suddenly Celeste grabbed me while 6 Hunters surrounded Nico, swords by his throat and all holding some part of his shirt incase he shadow traveled. Nico's dark, mysterious...I mean...black eyes burned.

"Let go...Please." He said voice hard. I shook off Celeste's restraining hand and stumbled up to Nico.

"Please just-just tell us where the camp is. We need to tell camp where to sail the Argo ll." I pleaded looking him in the eye.

"He doesn't have a choice, lets go, or we kill!" Shouted Beatrice, digging her sword into his neck drawing blood. Nico didn't even blink but any deeper and her sword would cut something.

"Beatrice! Stop it!" I commanded sharply, "Nico...please...?" His eyes softened fractionally and he gave a curt nod and began walking.

"I'm really sorry about Beatrice, she's a little..." I trailed off uncertainly.

"Daughter of Ares?" He asked smiling a little.

"Almost as bad as Clarisse right?" I grinned.

"Worse." He laughed rubbing his neck.

We stopped at a building we were by earlier and he looked up.

"It's up there. Come on." He announced grabbing my arm. Suddenly the world turned dark again but this time it was accompanied with a grunt of pain.

When I could see again I noticed we were beside the Caldacott Tunnel on the roof of a building. Two people came running, weapons drawn. One was a pretty, feminine, dark skinned figure and one was someone I knew all to well.

"Percy!" I exclaimed.

He looked at me confused. Recognition dawned on his face and he grinned and ran at me. Suddenly stopping he ran to Nico drawing grabbing a vial of something out of his pocket.

"Nico! What the hell happened to you? Shit! We are going to need more necter! Hazel! Get Frank!" Percy called to the other person. She nodded and took off.

Confused I turned to Nico. Blood covered the back of his shirt and he lay face down, his face paler than usual. Percy pulled out a bloody knife than looked at me in shock.

The knife belonged to a Hunter of Artemis. Beatrice to be exact.