Chapter 23

Disclaimer: I don't own the Percy Jackson series or characters. Just my characters & plot

Hey guys. So I'm posting again. So soon, you ask? Well I have nothing to do. Saturday night! Yeah let's party and drink...NOT. More like Netflix party and drinking tea. Song that I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Seven Devil's by Florence and the Machine.

CASSIDY'S POV

I don't really rememer what happened after I heard that voice. I just know that I regained my senses and I wasn't sure where I was. I couldn't really open my eyes, so I just laid there. Listening. I thought about what just happened and tried to move my left hand. I didn't actally have enough energy to do it. I was exhausted. I felt myself slipping into a deep sleep.

JOSEPH'S POV

The girls had finished telling me everything that had happened. Including why Cassidy apparently hated Nico. I told them how I accepted immortality. There faces were priceless. I also told them not to tell Cassidy. And that if Nico could save her, that he would tell her in private.

After and hour of pacing, "What the hell is taking them so long?" Amber groaned in frustration.

"I say we go in" Ava said. I was really scared for Cas. What if her and Nico were dying right now? I agreed and we slowly opened the door. Crap. Nico was lying on the floor. The girls went to help him. Good news, he was breathing. I walked over to Cassidy. At first I thought that Nico had failed. Then I noticed the very subtle moving of her chest. I leaned down and could just barely hear her breathing.

"SHE'S ALIVE!" I yelled out. The girls rushed over, started crying, and we all hugged each other. That's when we heard a load groan.

NICO'S POV

I moaned. I slowly opened my eyes to find three people hovering above me. Jo held out his arm and helped me stand up. The girls hooked my arms on there shoudlers to keep me from falling again. They walked my over to the end of Cassidy's bed and sat me down. I groaned. They smirked.

"What?" I asked/grumbled.

"It worked Nico! You did it!" Amber practically screamed and hugged me so tight I couldn't breath. I voiced this thought and she go, with a playful "sorry".

I looked at Cassidy. Her breathing wasn't as strong as it should have been, but it worked. I moved so that I was sitting next to her body as opposed to in front of her feet. I checked her pulse. Weak, but there. That was a good thing. I gave her a once over to check if she was okay. Everything seemed fine except, but we wouldn't know for sure until she woke up. I reached into my back pack and took out some abrosia. I poured it inside into her mouth. She responded. I gave her a bit more and then put it away.

CASSIDY'S POV

Nightmares. One scary face after another. Those horrid monsters I had seen. Each more gruesome than the last. I wanted to throw up. I was suddenly back in hell. It was so hot. Then I drowning in the black water, freezing to death. Then I was standing in fire. I screamed.

NICO'S POV

Cassidy was moaning and groaning. She was talking but we couldn't understand what she was saying. Suddenly she kicked off the blanket, pratically kicking Jo who was standing at the end of her bed. The was in pain. But I knew that she would have to wake herself up. That was how she would get her soul back completely. I already told the others this. Then she was shivering. She curled up into a ball, but also started to choke. Like she couldn't breath. Then she was hot again. She screamed, and it was so hard knowing that I couldn't do anything. The others were having the same problem. She was tossing and turning, screaming and telling something to stop. She was kicking and her arms were flailing. She screamed out...my name?

"DON'T!" She screamed. Suddenly, she sat up, and looked around widely. Her eyes landed on me and she screamed.

"STOP! PLEASE DON'T" she yelled at me and backed into the corner where the bed met the wall. Joseph apporached her.

"Hey," he said in a soothing voice. "I'm here sis. It will be okay. I promise. We aren't going to hurt you." She looked like a scared animal. Finally her breathing evened out. She took Jospeh's hand and he sat down next to her. She met my eyes and I saw...

Fear. She quickly looked away.

"Guys, can I talk to Cas? Alone?" They agreed. Not right away, but they agreed seeing as I did save her life. When I said this, Cassidy got very scared. They didn't seem to notice though. Ava closed the door. I turned towards Cas. She looked so frightened and I didn't understand why. Her eyes were darting around, as if looking for a way out.

"Cassidy?" I asked softly.

No answer.

"Cas? Please talk to me." I reached out to touch her, an she back away even farther, if that was possible.

"Why are you scared of me? I...I saved you Cassidy." I said tentatively.

"the dreams" she whispered.

"What dreams Cassy?"

"The ones I woke up from. You were..." she stopped and burried her face into her hands.

"Baby, what did I do?" She looked at me fearfully.

"You were hurting me. You...you didn't like me."

"Well, you know that that's not true right? I love you Cassidy" Oops.

Shit. I didn't mean to say that.

Dammit.

"You...you do? Why?"

"Because...because you're funny and beautiful and strong and brave." Her features lit up.

"You really think so?"

"Yeah I do" I didn't even have to think about it.

Her smile disappeared.

"Nico"

"Yes?"

"I-I can't feel my hand"

Oh no.

"Cassidy, darling, did you touch the black water?" She nodded her head. She was acting like a small child. Scared, confused.

I sighed. "You shouldn't have done that, kid."

"I know"

"We can fix it when we get back to camp, okay? I'm gonna take us all home"

"O-okay." I guess it was just the heat of the moment. I leaned down and kissed her. It was small and quick, but she lit up the forth of July. I helped her up off the bed and down the hall to where the other were waiting. They all gave her big hugs.

"Guys, we're going home now. Hold on tight" I prepared to shadow travel. Cassidy wrapped her arms around my torso, seeing as I was a foot taller than her. The others grabbed my arms. We were in a vortex of darkness, and then we were back at camp.

-Line Break-

NICO'S POV

Long story short, we all went to the camp hospital. The four of us were let go, but Cassidy was kept. Us four decided that we all needed to shower, eat dinner because it was soon, and then sleep. I walked to my cabin.

"So good to be back" I said to myself. I grabbed my pj's. Plain gray sweats and a plain black t-shirt, and went into the bathroom. As I waited for the water to heat up, I realized...i just brought someone back to life. Holy crap! I am so cool. I stepped into the shower and let the warm water rinse all of the dirt off. I felt my muscles relaxing. I stood in the hot water for 20 minutes, just relaxing. I thought about the way Cas lit up when I kissed her. Although, I hadn't meant to tell her loved her. I wasn't even sure if I did, but I know that I really, REALLY like her. I shut the water off and put on my pj's. I dried my hair so it was sticking up in all different directions. Whatever. I walked out of the bathroom and looked at the clock. About 15 minutes until dinner. I decided I would see how Cassidy was holding up. I ran into Ava as I passed the Ares cabin. We were both going to see her.

As we passed the hermes cabin, "Hey, we should grab her some new clothes. I would want to get out of the clothes I died in too" I said to Ava. She agreed and was back in two minutes with a some clothers, a hair brush, toothbrush, etc. With that we walked to the hospital.

What did you guys think? I think this story is almost over, but I've got a few more chapter left. Love all of you. Shout out to Elizabeth (guest). You're pretty cool! Peace out and Rock On ~dark-rebellion di angelo