Nico took the figurine out of his pocket more often after that. Looking at it was still painful, but it wasn't unbearable anymore. During his time in Tartarus it was his only companion and he would've gone insane if he hadn't had it with him. It felt as if Bianca was right next to him and protected him again. Every time just before he went to sleep, he took it out of his pocket, stared at it and whispered: "Good night, Bianca."

Sometimes he even fell asleep while he held it in his hand. And the day the giants caught him and locked him in the Jar, he'd thought it was the case too. He was devastated when he realized, after the Seven had saved him, that he would never have the figurine again. He told himself that it didn't matter, he was alive that was all that mattered but he couldn't quite convince himself. The lost feeling the figurine left was only increased when Percy and Annabeth fell into Tartarus.

"Now", he thought to himself, "everything is lost."

He stood for hours and the reeling, staring down to the ground where somewhere underneath Annabeth and Percy where probably still falling. They could make it, he knew that much, but what they might experience down there made him shiver.

"Hey", someone said behind him.

Triggered, Nico drew his sword and turned around. He immediately lowered it though, when he saw it was Piper.

"Sorry", he mumbled and put his sword away.

"It's okay. We're all a bit on edge, I guess", she smiled, despite her eyes being rimmed red from crying. "Anyway, I thought you might want some clean clothes", she held up her arms where a T-shirt and a jeans rested, "and a room."

"Yeah, sleep sounds pretty good", Nico lied. He'd slept in the Bronze Jar long enough but privacy sounded appealing.

"Great. Come with me. I'll show you", Piper said.

The room wasn't the best Nico could've imagined. He counted at least three spiders as soon as he entered, but he'd slept in worse places before. It had a bed and, indeed, that was a luxury for a demigod.

"Here", Piper said with a half-hearted smile and put the clothes on his bed. "Those are from Jason, so there probably a bit too big but the other option was Frank, so..."

"Thank you, they'll be just fine", Nico told her.

"I can take your old clothes with me, get them cleaned if you want me too", Piper offered and mentioned to his slimy and stinky jeans.

"That would be great."

"Wonderful", she smiled again. She seemed to smile a lot, Nico wondered if her face hurt from all those smiles.

He cleared his throat.

"Oh right, sorry", she said and turned around.

Nico changed his clothes. Jason's t-shirt fitted him just fine, the jeans was too wide and the legs were a bit too long, though. But they would do.

"I'm done", Nico said.

Piper turned around and he handed her his clothes. Just when she took them, something fell out from his pocket and to the ground.

"Oh, what's that?", Piper said and bend down to pick it up. "Is this yours?"

"Yes", Nico answered a bit too fast.

He snatched the figurine from her open hand and held it to his chest. If Piper was puzzled by his strange behaviour she didn't show it, she just smiled at him and took his clothes. She was already half outside the door when she turned around again and said: "Oh, I almost forgot. Welcome on board, Nico. I'm glad you're here."

Nico nearly smiled back at her and as he stood there, his fingers curled around the familiar weight of his figurine he thought to himself: "Maybe not all is lost."