AN: Thanks for reading/reviewing. Here's a slightly longer than average chapter. Enjoy!

They arrived at the edges of the camp they had once both thought of as home. Nico suspected Percy had returned many times, but Nico had left the day he had foolishly kissed Percy, and never looked back. He'd never intended to. He'd never intended to see any half-blood ever again. And if it weren't for Hazel, he'd have managed that.

They agreed to meet at the entrance to camp, rather than appear suddenly in the middle of a training session where unknown demigods maybe be fully armed and unhappy about the arrival of a fully grown hellhound. Percy looked at Nico suspiciously, and kept asking if it really wasn't possible for them both to shadow travel on Mrs O'Leary. It was clear that he didn't trust Nico not to run. Nico couldn't help but feel miserable at the idea.

"I won't run away," he snapped after Percy had asked for the fourth time. "What could I possibly gain from running away, Percy? How long would it take you to tell the gods what I did? And then how long would it take for me to die?"

Percy protested, said he was thinking about keeping them together for protection, claiming both the gods and Zagreus as potential dangers. Nico pretended to believe him. It was easier that way. For both of them.

Nico arrived at the camp a fraction of a second before Percy, and while he breathed heavily, trying to calm his heartbeat and get some much needed energy back, he saw Percy arrive on Mrs O'Leary's back, and look around for him wildly. In an attempt to defend himself from the pain of Percy's poor opinion, he pretended to himself that Percy was looking for him to check he was all right.

"I'm here," he said. "Ready?"

Percy nodded and slipped down from a now thoroughly exhausted Mrs O'Leary. He cooed to the hellhound, and thanked her, stroking her which Mrs O'Leary obviously appreciated, and then walked beside Nico up the big house.

He seemed to know where he was going, unlike Nico, who hadn't been inside before. He wondered if Percy remembered that, or if he even realised Nico had barely spoken to Chiron. But he suspected Percy was right. Chiron knew everyone and everything to do with the gods and titans and everything else. And as far as Nico could tell, his only true loyalty was to the kids in his care.

The porch was empty, so they went to the main door, where Percy knocked confidently, and Nico felt like a dog about to enter a cat reunion.

The centaur opened the door with an interested expression.

"Percy, my boy," he greeted, warmly, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Hey Chiron," said Percy with a grin, obviously not noticing the complete lack of greeting for Nico, "Can we come in?"

"Of course," said Chiron, walking heavily backwards, to allow them entry, "Mr di Angelo, it has been a long time."

"Chiron," said Nico, unwilling to be any more familiar with the centaur.

Chiron ushered them in, and guided them into a room with a ping pong table and other half-broken games. Percy looked like he'd walked into his own living room, and sat down without invite. Nico decided to follow suit and pretend to be comfortable. He sat down beside Percy and watched Chiron carefully for signs of god communication.

"We need to ask you some things, Chiron," said Percy, "but we're not sure if we want... others ... to hear them."

Chiron gave Nico a strange look. Nico interpreted it to mean 'how dare you stop my favourite student being completely honest and open with me?'. It could equally have been 'how dare you get my favourite soldier to think for himself?'.

Oblivious, Percy continued, "We just need to know anything you can tell us about someone called Zagreus."

Chiron's eyebrows knitted together. "Zagreus?" he repeated, "you mean the god?"

"Yeah," said Percy, giving Nico a significant look. Nico gave him the look right back. Zagreus hadn't lied.

"Yeah, we heard his name, and we were curious," said Nico.

Percy raised his eyebrows. Obviously, he didn't think much of Nico's lie, but no way was Nico betraying Zagreus now.

Chiron looked at him steadily, curiously. He knew there was more to the story. He didn't look pleased, but when he turned to Percy, Nico knew he would spill. He also knew if Nico had been alone, Chiron would have asked a million questions and even then may have kept the knowledge to himself.

"Well, it's not a secret," said Chiron, "he was a son of Zeus and Gaia."

"Zeus and Gaia?" Percy had the grace to look more surprised than smug. But Nico was fuming.

"No, that can't be right!" he insisted, "he's… was a son of Hades!"

"Who told you that?" asked Chiron with a frown.

Nico opened his mouth to answer, but closed it again.

"I must have read it wrong," Percy answered for him.

Chiron frowned some more, but he clearly trusted Percy. Nico couldn't help but feel jealous, though he wasn't sure which of them he felt jealous of.

"Well," said the centaur, "he was born in ancient times, not long after the first destruction of Kronos. He was Zeus' favourite amongst his children, treasured and loved, which caused strife amongst the gods."

"Hera," said Nico. He remembered Zagreus' words. Hera wanted him dead.

Chiron nodded, sadly, "Goddess of marriage, and yet unable to to ensure her own husbands fidelity. It has been a constant thorn in the queen's side, but at least most were with nymphs or mortal, and those that weren't lived far from the palace of Olympus. Then Zeus rubbed salt into the wound, and proclaimed Zagreus, above Ares or Hephaestus, Hera's own children, to be his successor, should his rule ever come to an end as his father and grandfather had shown possible."

"So…" Percy tried, "Zagreus tried to follow in Zeus' own footsteps by plotting to kill him?"

"Not at all," said Chiron, "Zagreus was an innocent child, quiet and unassuming. He took his father's love and loved him back for it. His mother too, loved the boy above all. Zagreus was blessed and loving."

"But…" Nico prompted. Obviously there was going to be a downfall here.

"But," said Chiron with a nod, "Prometheus, still an ally and friend of the gods, gave a prophecy. Zeus would be overthrown, as his father and grandfather before him, by his own son."

"So then Zagreus tried to kill them?" Percy asked.

"No," said Chiron, "he was still a child. And of course, the prophecy didn't name which of Zeus' many children would be his downfall. But Hera, already jealous and angry with the child, saw all the excuse she needed."

"Excuse for what?" asked Nico. He knew Zagreus was fine, but that didn't stop him worrying about the past.

"To get rid of the boy," said Chiron, sadly. "She went to the titans, the remnants of Kronos' family, those who had escaped after the battle. She told them the boy would destroy them all, that he would send all the remaining gods and titans to Tartarus in pieces and rule alone. They took her at her word, though they didn't need an excuse to take vengeance upon Zeus. They distracted the boy with toys, and tried to kill him."

"But… they didn't succeed, right?" said Nico.

Chiron looked sad, "The boy was distracted, and did trust them, but they were not clever. He soon realised what they were up to, and ran. He shifted between creatures in his rush to escape, flew, swam, sprinted to save himself, but it was useless. He was outnumbered, outmanoeuvred. They caught him while he was in the shape of a bull and devoured him. All that was left was his heart, which his mother took into the earth."

Nico realised he had tears in his eyes. It was a horrible way to die. But it also couldn't be true, "He… Hera…"

"What did Zeus do when he found out?" asked Percy. It was a good question. Nico stared at Chiron waiting for the answer.

"Zeus was furious and heartbroken," said Chiron. "He rounded up the titans responsible and executed them."

"And Hera?" asked Nico.

"Zeus did not know of her involvement. He figured it out soon enough, but by then his anger had faded, and of course he knew of her importance to the Olympians. However, they have had no more children together, and Zeus' affairs only grew more numerous. I am sure Hera is not proud of her actions"

Nico looked at Percy, wondering what he made of the story. Many of the details tied in with what Zagreus had told Nico; Hera's hatred, Hades keeping him a secret which could have been for Zagreus' protection or his own nefarious purposes. Except, of course, the Zagreus he had found in the underworld was not dead.

"Is there any chance Zagreus survived?" asked Percy. He was probably less upset than Nico, and capable of more thought and less emotion.

"Not as he was," said Chiron. "Hades, Poseidon, Hestia, Hera and Demeter survived being swallowed whole by their father, but Zagreus was torn to pieces."

"So there's no way he could be back?" asked Percy.

"Not that I know of," said Chiron, "But Percy, I feel there is more to this than academic curiosity. Have you heard something I should know?"

Percy looked at Nico's wide eyes and pleading expression. He hesitated a moment. Nico knew what to expect: Percy was going to explain everything, and then Chiron would contact the gods and Zagreus would be captured and destroyed just because of a stupid prophecy. Percy would never choose faith with Nico over honesty with Chiron.

"No," said Percy, "It was just something I was curious about, that's all."

Chiron looked at Nico with a penetrating and mistrustful gaze. Nico returned it levelly, while trying to pretend he wasn't head over heels that Percy had sided with him.

"Very well," said Chiron, calmly, "you know where to find me if you need me. Will you stay for dinner?"

Prometheus was looking at him like he was the saviour of the world.

Zagreus liked that. It was filling him with confidence. The time of the Olympians was over, the time of petty vengeance and jealousies, old scores and feuds would soon be put to bed, consigned to the past, where it should be. Zagreus was the future.

"There is one way," Prometheus was saying. "There is a beast, the bane of the gods. When it is slain, the one who burns the entrails will have the power to defeat the gods."

"Where would one find this beast?" Zagreus asked. "Why would the gods allow such a creature to exist?"

"I hear it was the plea of their favourite, the half-blood Percy Jackson," said Prometheus with a sneer. "It was a foolish decision, as it is through the will of the half-blood child of an elder god that the ophiotaurus can be summoned and killed. They had not the forethought to see that Jackson himself could one day be a threat once more."

"Percy Jackson," Zagreus repeated. The messy young man who had tried to drag him back to the underworld. He would not be easily swayed to Zagreus' cause, and as Nico loved that man so dearly, Zagreus was loathe to use force.

"Any child of the elder gods?" Zagreus asked, "The child of Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Hestia or Demeter?"

"Just Zeus, Poseidon or Hades," Prometheus corrected, as though this was something Zagreus should know already. "Neither Hera nor Hestia have any mortal children of course, and Demeter is considered too unimportant."

"And are there many half-blood children of those three?"

Prometheus shook his head, "No, they took a pact not to have children for a long time. Poseidon and Zeus broke it, of course. Poseidon fathered Percy Jackson, a meddlesome brat. Zeus broke it twice, once as himself and once as Jupiter. His daughter is now a huntress, so she may not be reachable, and his son is a slightly annoying Roman by the name of Jason Grace."

"And Hades has Nico?" Zagreus asked. He wondered how Nico would react to his request.

"Nico di Angelo," said Prometheus, thoughtfully, "Not only does he have a healthy and understandable mistrust of the gods from the constant suspicion he is under being a child of Hades, he was also taken out of time after his mother was murdered by Zeus. He also lost his sister to a quest for the gods. He is the most likely to wish to support you."

"Yes," said Zagreus. "He will support me. But he may not act beside me."

Prometheus spread his arms, a gesture of surrender, "If you do not have the support and help of one of those three boys, your cause is doomed for many years. Any other children of those gods are still too young to be of use."

"Then I will get their support," said Zagreus, simply. Nico loved him like a brother, and though he may love Percy Jackson as more than that, Percy did not love him. He would offer Nico more than Percy Jackson could in a million lifetimes.

...xxx...xxx...

They did stay for dinner, and then stayed after that. Nico, still the only person to have stayed in the Hades cabin, once more stepped into the strange obsidian building. It had made sense when he'd built it, the great dark mass like Earth surrounding him, bone motifs of his father's Kingdom lining the walls like friends. But it didn't feel like a summer camp.

He sat on the bed, a simple and typical bunk, exactly the same as the ones he remembered from the Hermes cabin, and thought about Zagreus.

"So, do you think he lied about his name?"

Percy stood in the doorway, arms folded, hair a mess and spectacularly beautiful.

For a moment Nico could only look at him, open mouthed.

Percy pushed away from the door, and walked slowly across the cabin, dragging his feet, as though forcing himself to have this conversation.

"But if he lied about his name, what do we actually know about him?" he asked, phrasing it as a rhetorical question more than anything.

"He didn't lie," said Nico, "You weren't there when he told me."

"Nico, you've got to see that something doesn't make sense, here," said Percy, "He can't be an alive son of Hades if he's a dead son of Zeus."

"Then Chiron is wrong!" Nico snapped. "They were all having affairs all the time. They still are! How do they know his father was Zeus? What if Hades was there, too?"

"You mean, if they both slept with their grandmother?" Percy asked, a slightly disgusted look on his face.

Nico gave him his best scathing look. "Hera is Zeus' sister as well as wife, Percy. And Persephone is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, two siblings of Hades. Incest is not something they worry about much. And you will soon be marrying your own second cousin, if you hadn't noticed."

Percy shrugged, "The godly DNA doesn't count for half-bloods."

"Well it's hardly relevant anyway," said Nico. "The point is, I don't believe Zagreus lied about his name. Maybe Hades just named his child after Zeus' lost baby?"

Percy shrugged, "I've never known them to do that," he said, "Can you imagine if they were like the English Kings, if they'd all been called Ouranos, but Ouranos the first, the second, the third?"

Nico could imagine how hard that would be to remember, and shivered.

"Besides," said Percy, "If Hades had done that, he wouldn't have hidden it from Zeus, would he? He'd have sucked up."

"Hey!" Nico protested. It was probably true, but then Nico didn't go around saying Poseidon was prejudiced and manipulative, even though that was also true.

Percy was unperturbed. "And he's thousands of years old? Why would Hades hide someone for thousands of years? Why do magic to keep them a baby unless they might be a danger? Zagreus certainly fits with that prophecy."

"Right," said Nico, "And as my mother found out and paid for with her life, Zeus doesn't like prophecies of his own destruction. Maybe Hades saved Zagreus before he actually died. He might have spread the story about the heart thing to protect the baby, made everyone think the boy was dead when actually he was alive and in Hades' care."

Percy fidgeted with the hem of his tee shirt. "But do you think Hades would go to all that effort just to protect a son of his brother?"

Nico shrugged, "I know he's done some awful things, Percy. But so have Poseidon and Zeus. But they can all be kind, too."

Percy didn't look convinced. "He locked me in a room with no doors or windows, and possibly no air."

"And Zeus blew up my mother because of a prophecy," said Nico.

"Well, I don't think he'd just look after one of Hades' kids out of the goodness of his heart either," said Percy. He looked at the floor, scuffing his toe. "Do you ever wonder why we do this?"

"Do what?" asked Nico.

"Protect them, fight for them" Percy clarified. "I remember Prometheus. He told me how manipulative the gods were, how they use people and didn't care. He said the titans would be better than that."

"He lied," said Nico, with certainty, "The titans were just as petty and selfish. You fought for your city."

"You fought for the man who killed your mother," said Percy.

Nico wondered if it was an accusation. He remembered finding out what Zeus had done. He'd been shocked and disgusted, but, with no real memories of his mother, he couldn't feel broken hearted or grief stricken. That had happened later, when the memories started to return. "I fought for my friends," Nico said. Though the truth would have been 'I fought for you'.

Percy sat on the bunk beside him. Nico's body vibrated with the nearness of Percy Jackson. "Nico," he said, looking at him sideways.

"Yes?" said Nico, after swallowing.

"I'm sorry about what happened."

Percy's head was bowed. He scuffed his feet across the floor again, restless and uncomfortable. Nico watched him through furrowed brows. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"You know," said Percy, "Everything."

"What?" asked Nico, unable to stop make sense of it.

"For what happened to you. Your mom, your sister, the way people used you and manipulated you, the way you've been basically homeless all your life..."

"But none of that was your fault..." Nico protested. The last thing he needed right now was a list of his grievances.

Percy shook his head, "I know, I just ... wish it hadn't happened."

So did Nico. But he found himself wanting to comfort Percy anyway.

"Yeah, well," he said, "Nothing's going to change the past, is it? You just have to get on with it."

Percy didn't reply. They sat side by side in the dingy cabin and looked at the opposite wall. Nico thought he could hear Percy's breath, deep and slow and thoughtful.

"Why did you run away?" Percy asked after Nico had thought the conversation had stopped for good.

Nico thought about it. "Which time?" he said, only half joking.

Percy thought for a moment and said, "Any of them?"

With a surge of annoyance, Nico turned to Percy, ready to give him a piece of his mind for asking stupid questions. But he found Percy's eyes attach to his instantly. He froze before he could even begin to get angry.

Percy was just there, inches away, looking at him with slightly parted lips, like he was deep in thought. Nico wanted him to lean forward, so desperately. He wanted Percy to steal his breath, to pull him in, to take Nico's life. But the idea of leaning forward, of closing that gap himself was horrid. Percy didn't love him. Percy would reject him, again, and Nico would be left wounded once more. Maybe this time he would be too far gone to fix himself.

"It wasn't... because of me?" Percy asked.

Nico blinked back angry tears. No, he did not want this conversation, no he didn't want to open his heart to someone who would stamp on it and give it back. Percy would never mean to hurt Nico, but he would. He would stamp on Nico's heart, and give it back in a way that left Nico broken but craving for more.

So Nico turned away.

"You should probably go," he said. "The cleaning harpies will be out soon, and you know what they do to people sneaking around after dark."

"Nah," said Percy, chirpily, "they've got better things to do. Besides, who says we have to sleep in our godly parent's cabin? I hate that stupid cabin."

Nico shook his head, "Nah, no way," he said. "You're all 'Go Poseidon.' You love it."

"Gods, no," Percy insisted, "I hated it. In that great big stone place all alone. I mean, it's decorated nice, much nicer than here, but I hated being alone. Whenever Tyson wasn't there, I always dreamt about going back to the Hermes cabin. Just for some company, you know?"

Nico nodded. He had a strange relationship with other people. He wanted to be alone, but he didn't want to be lonely. The truth was, that as he waited in the Hermes cabin, training with the fellow lost kids, he'd only had one dream; that he too could be a child of Poseidon and be close to the hero Percy Jackson. Then he'd realised what that would mean and had changed his mind. But maybe being brothers would still be better than this hopeful friendship.

Percy nudged him, "But you don't like company, do you?" he teased.

"I like some company," Nico protested. He accidentally made eye contact with Percy. It communicated far more than he wanted it to. He got lost in the sea. "Er… I should probably… er…" He stopped stupidly. He'd meant to say something about getting a bed ready for Percy. Maybe he was going to look for sheets, but he had none.

"I understand why you took him, you know," said Percy. "I mean, I think it was stupid, but I understand."

"Obviously," said Nico. "No, I mean... no I don't know what I mean."

"Yeah," said Percy. "Me neither."

Nico kept watching him, those sparkling eyes he really wanted to dive into, the easy, friendly smile. This was exactly why he had stayed away for five years. Percy was too nice, too wonderful, too magnificent.

Percy was watching him back in a way that kept Nico stupidly hopeful. He scratched his head. "I should probably …"

"Yeah," said Nico.

Percy didn't go. Nico needed him to. Now. If he didn't, Nico was in grave danger of making a stupid, stupid mistake. Again.

Percy shifted on the bed. "Or … I could stay?" he suggested.

"Stay?" Nico repeated. Dread and excitement warred for supremacy inside him.

"Yeah," said Percy. "I mean, we've not figured out this thing yet. We might have an idea in the night we want to share with each other."

"You mean you're still checking I don't disappear?" asked Nico, sadly.

Percy shifted again, and Nico's heart plummeted. He should have known better. It was a foolish hope that Percy could feel anything other than contempt and mistrust for Nico.

"No," said Percy, simply enough that Nico almost believed him.

"Which bunk do you want?" Nico asked. He didn't want to talk about this anymore.

"What's the matter?" Percy asked.

"Nothing, I'm just tired," Nico lied, " Which bed?"

"Nico…"

"I don't know if there are any sheets. Do you have like a sleeping bag or something?"

"It's fine," said Percy, voice friendly, face warm, "I don't mind sharing."

'I do,' thought Nico.

"It's just for one night, isn't it?" said Percy.

"One night..." Nico repeated. He blinked. A whole night in bed with Percy, having him so close, and not be able to hold him. A whole night wishing they were an inch closer, that Percy's hand would move, just a little bit.

Percy toed off his shoes and pulled off his jumper. Nico followed suit.

Zagreus interrupted them.

AN: Please take the time to review.