[A/N] Chapter 5 hot off my keyboard. Hope you enjoy. Review, or don't but you'll be like ten billion times cooler if you do. :D

[DISCLAIMER] I don't own PJO and I never will.

They stood quiet for a moment each thinking of what to do.

"I could shadow travel us to camp." he offered shrugging his shoulders slightly.

"No I'd rather not have to do that unless its necessary." she shuddered slightly, he had felt the shadows weighing her down last time but he had no idea what that was like for her.

"You scared?" he goaded a smirk tugging at his lips.

"You think I'm scared?" she said it a bit loudly and forcefully than she'd meant.

"I was just asking no need to bite my head off." he said snidely, flipping his hair out of his eyes and pointedly looking away "This isn't gonna help us get back to camp."

"Your right, I'm sorry." she said tersley and not looking at him. They were silent for a few moments.

"Do you have a compass or anything?" she asked him breaking the almost deafening silence. Wait silence, that's not right this is the forest their should be noises all around us.

"No do you?" Nico asked, she put a finger to his lips to get him to be quiet "What do you hear?" he whispered.

"Nothing." she whispered back he looked questioningly at her "This is the forest." he seemed to realize what she was implying. They studied their surroundings tall spaced trees casting shadows with the occasional light spot.

"Lets start moving before we get to paranoid." Nico joked seriously, she nodded and they began at a quick pace toward what they hoped was an end of the forest.

"So how are we gonna get back to camp if we don't know which way it it?" she questioned after a few minutes of walking in silence "What if we just end up walking in a big circle?"

"Do you want to leave a trail for something to follow us?" he pointed out, the forest was filled with many different things. They both seemed to revisit some of the better tales the older kids told them about the forest when they were young.

"Well if it's obvious we're not getting closer to camp at dusk we'll shadow travel, ok?" she asked, he was quiet for a moment. She looked at him for some outward sign of what he was thinking.

"It'd be better if we waited until it got dark but before the moon comes out." he replied, she nodded but gave him a questioning look "It's easier to do stuff like that when it's dark out or under certain moon phases but.." he trailed off. She made a mental note not to fight Nico unless it was daylight.

"Really? Like Percy and water?" she sounded curios, without waiting for him to reply she continued "Does the moon really affect your powers?" She hoped she wasn't being nosey but it was interesting.

"Well uh.." he looked uncomfortable "I shouldn't of technically even told you that." he blushed slightly. He didn't know why he had said it, it had just slipped out really, his father had made such things very clear. Something about being around her made him want to talk though, usually he was alone and liked it like that.

"Oh. Well that's ok Nico. I understand." thinking of things she had learned from her father and been forbidden to share. Nico pulled a pack of Marlboro menthol cigarettes out of his pocket, pulled one out, and replaced the pack. He patted his pockets a look of utter contempt with himself was clearly evident on his face.

"Shit!" he said automatically, she giggled 'Since when did I giggle?' she asked herself mentally but shrugged it off quickly.

"Forget your lighter?" she had started smoking after leaving the Hunters so she knew the feeling.

"Yeah.." he said his hand scratching the back of his head "You wouldn't happen to have one would you?" she shook her head, he looked at the ground dejectedly.

"Can I have one?" she asked, he looked at her like she was ran through his mind such as; Since when did she smoke? How would she light it? Since when did SHE smoke?

"Sure." he said leaving his questions unasked, he gave her the one in his hand. She put it to her lips and pointed at it. As she inhaled a spark jumped from her finger to the tip of the cigarette lighting it instantly. Inhale. .

"Can you do that one more time?" he asked holding another cigarette out to her, an incredulous look plastered across his face. She smirked at him, handed him hers, and repeated the process. They continued to walk. Inhale. .

"I'm not gonna lie, that was pretty hot." Nico said bluntly staring ahead. She blushed slightly but couldn't help laughing. He looked at her incredulously again.

"Getting in a fight won't help the situation will it?" she asked him hoping the excuse would work. He laughed to. It was probably the first time she ever heard him laugh, she smiled. Inhale. .

They walked in silence for several minutes both deep in thought. Inhale. .

"So when did you start smoking?" Thalia inquiered it seemed an innocent enough question.

"When I was sixteen, right after i left camp." he looked curious "You?"

"The week after I left the hunters." she said thinking dismally of that time in her life she didn't look at him. He winced slightly.

"I'm sorry." he said simply, not pushing the subject.

"It's ok. I wasn't banished for breaking the oath or anything." she said not knowing why she was telling him "I was 'Released' as Lady Artemis put it." She smiled at him "It's ok I'm over it." He nodded his head and smiled back. They lapsed into comfortable silence.

"If you don't mind me asking.." he began, she looked at him curiously "how old are you?" he winced as the words left his mouth not knowing what to expect, he was taught not to ask a woman's age or weight the hard way, by Demeter. She laughed at his expression.

"As far as anyone's been able to guess Imy bodies around 18 or 19. But tree years and my time with the hunters messed up my aging process." she looked annoyed talking about it. "What about you? Last time I saw you, you were running around playing with Mythomagic cards." He looked angry, really angry and for a moment she was worried, he could leave her out her.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." he said quietly, there was a hard look in his eyes. She decided to drop the subject. The sun was sinking it was quickly becoming dusk. It would be full dark in an hour or so.

Nico took his pack of cigarettes out and pulled out two offering both to her, she took one lit it and handed it to him taking the other one. She lit it and took a drag. Inhale. .

"Thanks," she said gratefully "I left mine in my cabin at camp."

"They're useless without a light though." he said turning to smile at her. He stumbled on a root sticking from the grown she surpressed a laugh and he flushed slightly from embarassment.

A howl keened in the distance. They looked at each other then around themselves. More howls sounded from a different direction. Thalia gulped.

"We could climb a tree and wait for night time." Nico offered, hoping it wouldn't offend her. She stiffened. Inhale. .

"No it's fine I'd rather face my chances on my feet than be chased up a tree." she said seriously while studying him, he wasn't scared was he?

"Couldn't agree with you more." he said lightly a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.

Neat-o? Lame? Review or I won't know. Might be an action-y part comin up I'm not sure yet.