This was supposed to be updated last week, but the holidays got me distracted (teehee). I really apologize for that! So anyway, here's the new chapter and I'm sooo sorry it took a while. X3

ENJOY!

Chapter 5

Will really wanted to kick himself. Then he wanted to heal himself and kick himself again. He ran past the bath house and ignored the ghosts that kept giving him weird looks. Normally, this would have freaked him out, or probably think it was amazing, but right now he was too worried to even care.

After Nico's disappearing act in the infirmary, he panicked really bad. It didn't help that the Praetor chick practically pushed him against the wall and started threatening him painful deaths if he didn't find Nico and heal him up. Usually, that would've shaken him up, but the only fear he felt was for Nico.

He remembered how he managed to grab the boy, and was about to pull him back— when his hand suddenly disappeared like smoke. He was so shocked and stunned that this gave the boy the opportunity to shadow travel away from him. Again.

How did he not notice the darkness that had again taken residence within the boy? Was he so angry at him that he practically blinded himself from the real issue at that moment?

He groaned and rubbed a frustrated hand over his face. He was supposed to be a healer! He was supposed to be a professional at this! How could he have let himself be affected by his emotions? It was basic protocol! Health first—emotions later. Seriously, they always show it on TV how the nurses would never let the family members in the wards, because one; they were nothing but a distraction, and two; their emotional breakdown may stress the patient into getting worse instead.

Stupid… stupid… stupid!

He tried to look over the people that walked back and forth in the busy streets, trying to find the son of Hades, when he heard someone call him from behind. He turned around in expectation, hoping to see the person he was looking for, only to be disappointed as he saw the daughter of Athena instead.

She was now wearing a different outfit from the last time he saw her— a plain blue shirt with a gray owl printed on the front, a pair of jeans, and a pair of white sneakers—her curly blonde hair was tied to a ponytail, and her stormy gray eyes stared at him in a calculating manner. She approached him and crossed her arms. Her eyebrow shot up as she spoke, "I heard that you let your patient escape you."

Will never talked to her, so it was a little weird for him, "Uhh… yeah. I'm trying to look for him actually."

Annabeth stared at him a little longer, and Will couldn't help but think that he was nothing but a specimen ready to be cut open for further examination in her eyes. Her lips twitched into a smirk almost as if she had read his mind before tilting her head to another direction, "Come with me. I want to show you something."

Nico glared across the valley, his eyes not really meeting the field of Mars, but rather at the sun (not directly of course) that shone brightly on the beautiful blue sky. He didn't know how long he was exactly out and he didn't really care. All he really wanted right now was for the week to be over and to have a certain son of Apollo back in Camp Half-blood. He decided that maybe staying in Camp Jupiter would be better for him. He could check on Frank once in a while to make sure he was okay (and probably apologize) and once he's fully recovered—he will go to the underworld and hang out with the dead instead.

At least they wouldn't be chastising him over stupid mistakes.

He kicked a stray bone near him before pulling his knees close against his chest. He buried his face in his arms and let the air around him turn cold.

"I think that's better than watching you practically rush into battle without even thinking ahead and almost got your sister's boyfriend killed!"

His fists clenched tightly as he felt the anger bubble up inside him once more. The bones around him started rattling as if about to reattach itself with its other parts, but Nico tried to hold it in.

I tried to save him and this is the thanks I get. He scowled deeper.

"I sometimes forget that you really are still a kid, Nico di Angelo." Nico almost jumped in surprise and automatically tried to grab his sword, only to realize that it wasn't on his chain belt.

The annoying son of Apollo still had it.

Reyna suddenly sat next to him and gave him a pointing glare, "Don't you dare try shadow travelling again, or I'm going to have to knock you out."

Nico didn't reply, instead, he just looked straight ahead at the fields and pulled his legs against his chest.

Reyna raised an eyebrow, "Are you actually giving me the silent treatment?"

Nico scowled and clenched his sleeves, "No. I'm just…" He looked at her with an annoyed and guilty look, "I'm sorry… for everything."

The older teen huffed and crossed her arms. Her dark eyes were filled with rage making Nico shrink further, "You should be. You gave us a lot of trouble, not to mention you made everyone worried after sneaking out last night— and you didn't even tell anyone!"

"Hazel and Frank knew…"

"And you brought them with you."

"Hey—if we hadn't arrived, Solace and Argus would be dead by now." He argued.

"If I hadn't arrived, all of you would be dead by now." They were now stuck in a glaring contest and Nico knew he was in the losing side. And just as he was about to look away, he was surprised when he was suddenly engulfed in a hug.

"I'm not saying what you did was a mistake." Reyna sighed as the son of Hades stiffened, "If it weren't for you, those two really would've been toast. But what you did was wrong."

"You're not making any sense." He tried to act nonchalant as she finally let go, but a hand remained on his shoulder. Her grip was firm and reassuring and Nico knew that she was still shaken up at what happened in the infirmary. She would probably talk to him about that later.

"I heard that you knew it was a Cyclops." She looked at him sternly, "And its basic knowledge that those monsters are able to imitate voices to lure demigods into traps. So how come you, of all people, fell for it?"

Nico could feel his face heat up. And at that moment he couldn't help but think— maybe fading into a ghost wouldn't be so bad rather than admitting that he got scared.

Seriously…

The son of Hades—who hung out with the ghosts and summoned the undead and practically had an adventure down at Tartarus all on his own—afraid?

The grip on his shoulder tightened, almost as if Reyna had read her mind and he sighed as he admitted, "I panicked. In my dream… I was too late to save him. So I thought… when I heard him scream like that…" The son of Hades shuddered at the memory. His screams would haunt him in his nightmares forever, "I just had to save that idiot..."

The hand left his shoulder and Reyna leaned back, trying to avoid the gems around her as much as possible.

He could feel the stare of the praetor but didn't say anything. Then she spoke,

"So… this Will…" Something didn't sound right in her voice. And why wasn't she giving him a lecture about selfless heroes being overrated? "You seem to… look at him differently."

Nico snorted, "Maybe because his idiocy amazes me a lot."

"And you seem to call him an idiot a lot." He could somehow imagine her smiling the way she said those words, "Like how Annabeth does with Percy."

For some reason one of those popular Disney songs echoed at the back of his mind. Conceal. Don't feel. Don't let her know. Holy Hera, of all the idiotic-

"Maybe because Percy is an idiot?"

"I think there's more to that." Reyna innocently said, and that itself was dangerous, because she was never the innocent type, "And the way you argued. Usually you don't make a big deal about it… sure you brood a lot— but he's different."

"He said things that weren't supposed to be said!" Nico scowled and glared at Reyna, but the next words she said made the angry mask crumble in mere seconds.

"You like him don't you?"

Then his brain helpfully supplied— Well now she knoooooows.

Outside the main gates, Annabeth and Will stood by the fort that was located on the highest point of a valley. The son of Apollo gawked at the scene before him with wide eyes. He could see the chaotic city from afar and saw how people walked around, living their normal lives.

And it was amazing that these people were demigods.

"This is just… wow."

"Yeah." Annabeth smirked but her eyes softened as she looked back at the city, "That's where Percy and I would be attending college. It's a beautiful place."

Suddenly Will finds himself daydreaming of himself walking around those streets. Also studying college and to have to grow old like how a normal person would, and to never have to worry about monsters attacking him every time he decided to walk go have a walk or something.

From afar, he sees a park and suddenly imagined himself taking a walk in there, with a certain son of Hades beside him. He was a little startled at the sudden imagination.

"Something wrong?"

"H-huh? Oh uhh… no. I just… I was just thinking how cool it would actually be if I get tolive here." Will tried not to sag in relief as he watched the blonde nodded her head in understanding. But his relief immediately disappeared when she added, "You know, when Percy saw this place, not that I'm boasting or anything, he immediately started thinking about… us. The two of us living a normal life here… together."

Her gray eyes flashed as she looked at the healer who remained still, "Don't you have that someone, Will Solace?"

"Why would you ask that all of a sudden?" He quickly countered as he pocketed his hands.

"When you saw that city, you couldn't help but imagine yourself living there, right?" She crossed her arms, "Who was the first person you imagined to be with there? Your family? Your siblings? Friends?"

"Something like that." Will shrugged a little too casually, "He's no one important."

He couldn't help but wince at what he said. Both at what he meant and at what he revealed.

"I think you're wrong." Annabeth said firmly, "And that's saying something from a daughter of Athena."

She then added much to his embarrassment, "And I doubt you see Nico that way."

Will remained silent as his face started heating up. He was starting to feel like an idiot. Do all people start feeling stupid when they talk to the sons and daughters of Athena?

The older teen suddenly started laughing, "I'm sorry if I'm not like Piper. I'm not really an expert at stuff like this. But I'm good at planning and thinking critically. I'm more of the mind rather than the heart."

"Connection?" Will felt the tense feeling from earlier seeped away as she finally stopped sounding like a teacher lecturing him.

She shrugged, "I just thought you might need some advice." Then she looked over him, "You know, there are times you seem to care and not care."

"I don't really understand." Will really couldn't understand anything, not with Annabeth jumping from topic to topic.

"I'm just saying, there's nothing to be embarrassed about. Back in the SUV you hardly looked at Piper and I when you kept hitting on Nico. And now, you look like I'm trying to ask you to walk around naked."

"Thanks. Now I feel more humiliated than I should be."

"And why do you even have to?"

Pale blue eyes looked down sadly and the son of Apollo let out a shuddering breath, "You know why."

There was a small silence— which was surprising since he always thought that Annabeth would be able to reply to him over everything and anything.

"I'm pretty sure… you know how Nico acts around everyone right?" She finally said. She sounded careful the way she spoke.

"You mean the way he always acts like he doesn't want anyone around him?" He huffed as he couldn't help but feel the familiar annoyance when he remembered this.

The other looked at him, looking mildly amused as if he had just said a horrible joke.

"It's actually the other way around." She continued, "And I'm pretty sure you know what I mean."

As soon as those gray eyes landed on his pale blue ones, words echoed in his mind as if on cue.

When this war is over, I'm leaving both camps.

I don't belong.

No one wants me.

Then he felt this hollow feeling of loneliness in his chest as though the words' emotions decided to slap him in the face.

And understanding dawned in him like how it was meant to. He always knew the kids of the Athena cabin never had these weird magic things that most campers can do, but he couldn't help but think that maybe that moment of clarity that Annabeth had provided him could actually be one of those special gifts an Athena kid could have.

"He actually thought no one wanted him." Annabeth supplied as she looked away, "He was afraid that he would always be rejected… and that no one would be able to accept him. Percy and I tried to prove him wrong… but I guess… we just weren't the right people."

Will clenched his fists and looked down. He felt the shame once more, but it was now over a different reason.

"Although, he's slowly opening up, I can still see the wall."

"It's hard to make him speak up." Will blurted as he remembered what happened back in the infirmary, "When he's given an opportunity to… he would run away!"

"Because in his eyes, he sees that opportunity as a possibility of rejection instead." The way Annabeth said it was like she was reading it out of a textbook, sounding rational and informative, but there was a hint of sadness in her tone, "Don't you see? He's just a kid. A kid who was plucked out of his timeline only to end up losing his sister, before suddenly finding out he was a child of the underworld whom all the campers feared and had to go through Tartarus alone and then—"

He immediately noticed how Annabeth suddenly held one of the beads in her necklace and saw how she fingered the one with the drawing of a trident.

She need not say more. Nico's crush over Percy spread around camp like wild fire, and Will was apparently one of those people who took the news by surprise.

"Yeah…" He said before swallowing thickly, "I… yeah."

"Who is Nico di Angelo to you, Will Solace?" Annabeth suddenly sounded stern. He made the mistake of looking at her and almost yelped at the intensity in her stormy gray eyes, "As I have said, I'm not Piper who can easily read through people's emotions. I only base everything in logic and in proof. So unless you tell me that he is at least someone special to you, I'm going to tell you to back away from him to save him from getting hurt."

She uncrossed her arms and actually fingered the dagger strapped on her hip, "He's still our friend, no matter what."

Will was lost for words. He had no idea of what to exactly say or do. He looked at her then suddenly, back to the city (which was a little dangerous, because the way Annabeth had touched her dagger, she might actually decapitate him once he let his guard down.)

And suddenly he blurted, "What do I do?"

The daughter of Athena looked startled. Apparently, not expecting the question as her answer.

So he took a deep breath and decided to rephrase his question with a smile, albeit nervous but filled with determination, "What do I do to make it up with Death boy?"

Much to his surprise she chuckled and finally dropped her hand to her side, away from her weapon.

She smirked and answered, "Athena always has a plan."

"He's—he's… I… he—I don't!" Nico scowled deeply. It would've been impressively scary if not for the blush that crept up his face.

He was expecting an amused look or probably a chuckle like how most people would do when he would get flustered, but instead Reyna gave him a stern look. The innocent look from earlier may have been a trap for a confirmation. Which she obviously got.

She frowned deeply, "Nico. I want you to know something."

His heart suddenly dropped, though he had no idea why.

Reyna put a hand over his, and gripped it, "I've been through what you have. And… call it a crush or love—"

"I don't—"

"Don't expect too much." Nico looked at her in surprise and confusion. She sighed and looked at him sadly, "Let's say… there was just this one or… two times I thought I actually had a chance, only to be turned down." She suddenly shook her head, chuckling darkly, "I never thought I'd actually share this to anyone… but I just had to let you know."

It was like those instances when Reyna would usually lend him her strength and courage for battle, but instead of either one of the two, he just felt both pain and sadness that seemed to resonate within her.

"I don't like him." He insisted, but this time it was half-hearted.

"That's what I used to say too." Reyna muttered.

The son of Hades tried not to let it get to him as he sucked in a breath.

"Not that I'm saying he's not interested on you or anything." He must've looked really miserable that Reyna suddenly decided to take back most of her words, "I just want to warn you that…" She hesitated, "Sometimes things are not what you hoped them to be."

Nico nodded, though it felt a little stiff. Reyna's words seemed to wash over him like a cold bucket of water, and no sooner did he find himself sinking into his thoughts. She did have a fair point. For a moment, Nico may have thought that Will actually liked him… but, how would he know? Who was he to assume something as crazy as that?

He had heard that guys were naturally friendly and nice to the people they like as friends and their intentions were easily mistaken as infatuation. Of course, Will was just being friendly with him. And he was only acting nice to him because of all that stupid "Doctor's orders" stuff.

And yeah, maybe the son of Hades did like him more than just a friend but… he just had to suck it up.

He couldn't risk losing their friendship, which was probably the next best thing he could ever have from the son of Apollo.

"I'm just telling you this because I don't want to see you get hurt." Reyna sighed, "I don't want you to feel the same disappointments I've felt."

"You just want me to be careful, right?" He tried to smile, but it was a little hard at that moment.

Reyna nodded and suddenly she looked guilty, "Nico… I—look. I'm not trying to discourage you or anything—"

"I know you're not." Nico interrupted as he stood up and dusted his pants, wincing a bit as he leaned on his bad ankle, "You're only trying to help me. And… prepare me for the worse. And it's okay, really. For once… I think I probably need this, you know?"

Reyna hesitated and Nico tried to assure her with a smile. It must've been so believable that the praetor nodded her head and returned the smile as well.

"Come on. I probably owe Solace an apology." He said holding out a hand to her, which the other had accepted.

The two then got down from the roof of Pluto's shrine and headed out.

"You better not shadow travel this time. Or I swear on the river of Styx I'm going to chain you up in iron."

"Seems like someone had been researching about ghosts." Nico's cheeks hurt as he attempted to grin.

Reyna looked relieved as she saw this and immediately tried to hide it with a scowl and a rude retort. The two continued on their way back to the Praetoria, totally unaware of the blonde that hid behind one of the pillars of the shrine.

Jason sighed and leaned against the pillar. He crossed his arms before looking back to Nico, who still had the obvious fake smile on his face.

Will was surprised to see Nico in the infirmary, actually sleeping on one of the beds. Reyna was leaning against the wall, next to the bed, and looked up just in time as she saw the blond walked in. Before he could open his mouth to ask, Reyna held up a hand, successfully silencing him. Then she suddenly gestured to him to follow her, and without waiting for a reply, she walked out.

The son of Apollo could only gulp as he knew nothing good was going to come out of this. He looked back at Nico before deciding to follow the praetor before she actually tries to kill him.

"Look Solace. First things first…" How she found out he was there when her back was still turned, he'll never know, "I don't want you near him anymore."

He froze, "Uhm… what?"

She turned around and glared, "You heard me."

Will looked at her in confusion, "I don't—I mean… what are you trying to accomplish here?"

She stepped forward to him, and the healer tried to hold his ground, but he couldn't hold back the gulp, "I don't want Nico to get hurt anymore." More confusion settled in those pale blue eyes and anger started boiling within the praetor.

"I know his pain—and I just don't say that because I'm a close friend or anything. But because I literally felt his pain." She thrust a finger to his chest, "And it's something that's not supposed to be carried around by any demigod for the rest of their lives."

"Wha—you think I'm going to hurt him?"

"I know you'regoing to hurt him."

"And what makes you think that?" Will retorted, feeling a little insulted, "I mean—what makes you think I'm even capable of hurting someone like Nico? I know we just fought but I'm going to apologize—"

Reyna shook her head, "It will be more than that Solace. I know."

The way she looked at him—angry… displeased… cautious—those were definitely signs of loathing right there. And instead of feeling defensive and furious for being judged so quickly, he remained quiet. He perfectly understood her purpose… and her worry. She was only doing this out of care for Nico and was merely being protective. He had heard stories about their adventures trying to bring the huge statue of Athena to camp. Everything they had been through… all the sufferings, fears and fights… it brought them closer.

It was hard not to notice, with the way Nico had buried his face in Reyna's shoulders as she engulfed him in an embrace—right then and there, as Will himself saw that moment, he felt his heart melt and ache at the scene.

"I will never hurt him." Will finally said, trying to sound firm and less angry, "There may be moments that I would say stupid things without thinking. And I know I can never avoid the moments when we might start yelling hurtful things to each other—but I'll never hurt him. At least not the way you think I will."

Reyna was silent, she was trying to look impassive, but the surprise in her eyes where apparently hard to hide. Then she spoke, "You can never be too sure about that, Solace. Most of our words are not easily controlled, like the little dispute you had earlier."

He looked at her with wide eyes, "You heard that?"

"Apparently."

He then shook his head, "It doesn't even matter. I'm going to apologize to him and make it up to him." Will insisted, "I'm going to prove you wrong."

"I would like to see you try." She glared, but the corner of her mouth twitched.

The son of Apollo merely straightened himself up and walked away. His face was set into a determined look as he headed back to the bed of the son of Hades. He didn't notice the way Reyna's eyes softened as she looked at him.

Please do prove me wrong, Will Solace.

End of Chapter

Now, don't get it wrong… Reyna isn't being a villain here. She's just being the caring friend she's supposed to be, and seriously—after everything she had been through with her love life, I think it would only be natural that she may discourage the son of Hades for perfectly good reasons.

It is true that friends usually encourage you with that one guy or girl you have a crush on, but there would always be that one friend who would try to warn you about false expectations and the lot (being the experienced one and all). Trying to keep you grounded in case you get the messages wrong and embarrass yourself, you know? And I really thought Reyna would be that perfect kind of character! Don't you?

PS: Really appreciated those reviews. Keep them coming, ey?