Chapter Six

When Percy woke on the couch he found that he was wishing he was back in the Underworld fighting monsters. Percy could deal with the harpies tearing apart his skin; it was who was kneeling in front of him like a radiant Goddess that was more terrifying. He didn't move out of shock, but his visitor didn't have such qualms.

"Oh Gods, are you okay?" Annabeth smoothed Percy's tresses back from his face, the slight creases in her face showing concern.

"I'm fine." He was stunned by his ex-girlfriend's appearance in his apartment, beside him where Nico should have been. Had it all been a dream?

"What happened?"

"Long story. Where's Nico?" He tried to get up and search, but Annabeth gently pushed him down.

"He's in the shower. There was so much blood... Percy, you tell me now what happened."

"Everyone is fine."

"I wish I could believe that." She held his arm like a vice.

He didn't know the right response. It was a familiar query with Annabeth, the best answer to not get him killed.

She giggled at whatever expression was plastered on his face. "Percy, I'm glad he found you."

"I thought you were staying with your parents," he said.

"Oh, I have to go to Camp Half-Blood to elect another counselor."

"You're not going to be a counselor anymore?"

"I'm going to go to Camp Jupiter. I'll work in the Legion for a few years before attending the college there. I want to be an architect and that's what I'll be. I have to take this opportunity. I never thought I'd have it." She lit up in the only way that she could when it came to buildings. He never saw the attraction, but he always enjoyed the excitement that came from her. Right then, though, it felt like she was pummeling him.

In Tartarus Annabeth had agreed to go back to Camp Jupiter with Percy. They talked of what courses they would take, what they would do. He had envisioned a whole life with Annabeth, attending shops and classes, having lunch and doing every day things as a normal couple would do. Perhaps one day they would have gotten married, had kids. Percy never thought much of it, but when they broke up, he missed those things they never got to do. A life he never lived, kisses that never happened, children never born, days gone before the sunrise.

He didn't know it before, but he missed her. The sight of her made him giddy with happiness. He wanted to touch her, to relive the times they had before things became so messed up.

"Where will you and Nico go," she asked curiously.

He shook out the thoughts of her. "Um, I don't know." He hadn't given it any thought, to be honest. Nico lived out in the world, bouncing from one country to another. Nico didn't belong anywhere. It made Percy wonder where he, himself belonged. Was it still at Camp Jupiter? Was it at Camp Half-Blood? He could travel with Nico, never settling, but it wasn't what Percy really wanted.

"I'm sorry to drop by like this, Percy. I wanted to say hi, to see how you were. I hope I haven't overstepped my bounds."

Percy tried to smile, but it felt fake. "You don't have any bounds, Annabeth. But I have to ask: How long have you been here?"

"Since before Nico arrived with you."

"How did you get in?"

"I'm a demigod, Percy, and that's a door."

He laughed heartily.

"You haven't wrote me, or sent me any Iris messages" Annabeth said with that edge, as if she was thinking of flipping him over her shoulder again. "I've missed you, Seaweed Brain."

"Didn't know if I could..." Percy only had one break-up before her. He didn't know what the protocol was, he had no idea how to handle it when Annabeth left. After all they had gone through, holding up the skies, going through Tartarus together, he didn't know if he could have breathed without her. Yet there he was, whole and safe.

How could that be? How could someone take a vital part of his heart - his being, and still live?

"Did you break your arm," she asked sarcastically, her brows raised.

"I've got no excuses then, huh?"

Without warning, she bounded to her feet and hugged him with such ferocity that he was rendered immobile with shock. Her arms were tight around his neck as if trying to strangle him, his head safe, buried in the pillows - the only thing that kept him safe.

Gradually, his arms snaked around her, pulling her down against him. He buried his nose into her blond ponytail, the scent the same: Heady and sharp bringing back a torrent of memories. He thought of every kiss they shared, every tender moment. The first time he told her that he loved her... It was a lifetime ago.

"You better keep in touch," she whispered.

"I will."

Percy opened his eyes and over her shoulder was Nico, his wet hair dripping splotches on his old black t-shirt.

Annabeth dropped out of his embrace, and spun toward Nico. Instead of Percy's horrified gaze, she was luminous. "He seems fine to me. You worried over nothing, Nico."

Nico didn't answer, not looking away from Percy. There was angry or sadness - maybe a mix of both. Percy was frozen, and he wanted to say something to make it better, but his brain wouldn't work, his mind fumbling for the right sentence to melt that look off his face.

"I'm sorry, Nico," Annabeth apologized earnestly. "It wasn't what it looked like. I'm passing by, I have details to settle at Camp Half-Blood."

"It's fine. I'm leaving."

Percy shook his head, trying to get to his feet, but he was still weak and fumbled. Nico lunged forward, catching him and returned him to the couch. Instantly, Nico let him go, stepping back. Percy thought of reaching for him but thought better of it.

"You should stay. I'm going, I'm already late. I have an appointment with Chiron. Hey, I'm glad you're alright, Percy," she said, the pain clear in her eyes, but she started to the door.

"Annabeth," Nico called out.

She turned, her face unreadable. Percy wished she wouldn't be so brave right then, not when he felt sickeningly vulnerable.

"I'm sorry if this hurts you," Nico told her sincerely. "What happened in Greece... I didn't meant for you to see that."

There was a broken smile. "You make him happy and I want him happy. But Nico, not even the undead can save you if you hurt him."

Nico nodded, the corners of his mouth twitching. "Deal."

Annabeth left, her chin to chest. Percy thought he saw wet streaks on her cheeks but he couldn't have been sure.

Silence was heavy as stones when the door clicked shut. It was a good sign when Nico sat at his feet, the edge of his pinky touching the tip of Percy's toes.

"I'm sorry -"

"Don't," Nico interrupted. "She's been there with you for years. I can't expect you two not to be friends. I was just surprised she was here."

He touched his head. "You're great."

Nico shrugged. "What did my step-mother want?"

Percy closed his eyes, steeling himself for the anger that was inevitable, his hand dropping to his side. "She wanted you to leave the Underworld."

"She can't do that. My father wouldn't allow it."

"He's letting her." He wanted it over, like a band-aid he wanted to rip it off fast to spare him more pain. "You can spend your Fall's and Winter's there." To be frank, he was shocked that she was given Nico that. Perhaps that was Hades' doing.

Nico's face became grave, the darkness waving off of him in droves. Percy could practically see the walls building themselves up around him, undoing the work they put in to lower them. "Right. Guess I'll have to speak with him myself. But this doesn't make sense. Why get you down there? Why not tell me herself?"

Percy flinched. "Nico... You can't go down there, it's almost Fall."

"I'm his son," he hissed through his teeth. "She can't keep me from him."

He squeezed his knee as if that would make what he was about to say any better. "Persephone made me promise on the River of Styx."

Nico's visage fell, his lips parted open in surprise. "You promised?"

"I didn't know what else to do. The alternative was being dinner for the harpies – which I almost was. It's not forever, only a few months."

He shoved Percy off of him, moving to the other side of the coffee table for safe distance. He didn't know which act hurt him most.

"Now it makes sense why she wanted you. The best way to hurt me by making me choose my home or you."

"I'm sorry -"

"You had no right to make that promise. It was the only place I belonged!"

That struck a cord in Percy, his knuckles paling with constriction. "Hey, here's a thought: Maybe you have a home here with me. For Hera's sake, Nico, you're not alone. It's never been that way. You prefer it so you never get hurt."

"Maybe I was right not to let anyone get close. You're as bad as the gods, Percy, you hurt people every day, you only think of what you want, and you never think for a second what damage you could do by ignoring those around you."

Percy shot to his feet, a little unbalanced, but the fury gave him energy, his face red, a different kind of roaring in his ears than when they first kissed. "I was trying to help. You have months to be down there without her. That's not so bad."

"That's not the freaking point, Percy. You didn't consult me." Nico was screaming, shaking and on the edge of summoning all the soldiers of WW1.

"I didn't have time for that!"

"You would have if I went down there with you - like we agreed. But you left me again."

"Again?"

"I wanted to go with you on that quest," he reminded him. The quest right after Percy had found Nico and Bianca in that school.

"You weren't prepared," Percy said.

"What's the excuse now, keeping me on the surface?"

"I was trying to protect you."

"You don't get to make that decision. If you haven't noticed, I'm not a little kid anymore. I'm not helpless. You almost died down there, but I could have protected you. That is my domain. It's my world and you can't survive in it."

Percy's head pounded, like the beat of waves. "What do you want me to do?"

"You've already taken my sister and home."

His fingers itched to take out his sword. He had never been so mad at Nico and while he had every right to be mad at Percy over her death, but to bring it up, to use it against him... He thought Nico had finally forgiven him.

"That's not fair," Percy said quietly.

"Neither is what you did. You've given me an ultimatum: My home or you."

"I didn't think there was a choice."

"There's always a choice," he seethed, no longer screaming, the corners of his eyes sparkling.

"I did this for you."

"You did this out of convenience." Nico headed to the door, and all Percy could do was watch, the scene before him blood red with rage. He wanted to take out Riptide, fight with him, spar until they were too exhausted to hate each other.

"You can't run from everything," he yelled at him.

Nico didn't look back, and the slamming of the door killed the tempest inside of Percy. Suddenly, he was alone and drained. Slumping on the couch he held the sides of his skull to keep it from exploding. It was a moment later that he realized that Nico may never come back.