Nico's heart raced as the door to the nursing room closed behind him. Hearing Will sing those healing incantations always fascinated him. It just wasn't the best timing that Will had looked at him right that moment. He slumbered back to his bunk, glad that the other healers were too busy to give him any attention.

Lying down he closed his eyes, trying not to think of a certain blonde demigod with an irritatingly soothing voice. It didn't work very well. Soon, however, Nico drifted off into another uneasy sleep.

With sleep, of course, came the nightmares. Misery, holding on to her shield, staring at him and telling him that she couldn't possibly make his life any more miserable. Thanks.

Then, suddenly, unexpectedly, a golden light started shining overhead. Nico started feeling warm and cozy, a light like the sun, only stronger, warmer. But the sun doesn't reach into Tartarus, Nico thought.

All around him, the vision of Tartarus dissolved until nothing but the gentle golden light was left and Nico was floating in the air. An easy, comfortable smile spread on his face as he curled into a ball and just drifted in this warm atmosphere.

Will watched Nico tossing and turning in his bed, a pained look on his face. He hadn't had an opportunity to talk with Nico about what had happened to him during the time he was away from Camp Half-Blood, but Reyna had asked him to take care of Nico and Hazel had mentioned Tartarus briefly when the Romans had left for Camp Jupiter. Will could only imagine what Nico was going through and the thought saddened him.

Unconsciously he put a hand on Nico's forehead and started humming a low tune. As he sang on, he could feel Nico calming down and he watched his face relaxing.

Will only hoped he could help Nico get better physically as well as emotionally.

The next morning Nico awoke feeling more rested than he had since he left for Camp Jupiter. After Bianca's death he had never slept so well, so calmly as he had that night. The thought almost brought him to tears. He shook his head and decided to go for some breakfast as, yet again, he was feeling horribly hungry.

Only when he stepped outside the infirmary he realised that the sun was just rising over the horizon. Nico blinked. He had never been up at the first rays of sun. It wasn't a thing for the children of Hades.

He decided to take the time and stroll to the lake. He let his gaze wander over the glittering water reflecting the brilliant morning sun. He held back a smile when he realised that the scene didn't remind him of Percy, but of Will.

"Geez," he said. Nico was about to turn and leave when he saw something glimmer at the far edge of the lake. He heard rotor blades and, curiously, the voice of Coach Hedge.

"Put your clothes on, cupcakes!"

Nico narrowed his eyes and stifled a gasp when he realised the thing approaching was Buford the Wonder Table. Buford set down before his feet with a holograph of the Coach marching over its top.

"What in Hades' name?"

He put a hand on the tabletop and all of a sudden a hidden drawer sprang open. In it Nico found a neatly folded letter with the inscription.

To my friends.

Curiously, Nico opened it and Leo's face popped from the paper. He listened to what the son of Hephaestus had to say, the turned on his heels and rushed toward the cabins.

Will got ready for his next shift at the infirmary. He had taken the night off and was well and rested, ready for new adventures. What he didn't expect when he looked towards the great lake was Nico di Angelo running towards him.

Nico's eyes were fixed on the cabin.

"Nico, what-"

But Nico just rushed past him, calling:

"Sorry, no time to explain."

Curious and a bit annoyed, Will took off after him.

"Hey, Nico, what's going on?!" He demanded.

"I'll tell you later. Just – could you just wake up Piper and Annabeth? Tell them to come to the Poseidon cabin?" Nico turned his head, a pleading expression on his face. Will scowled.

"Alright, but you better tell me what's going on when I'm back," he said.

"Yeah okay," Nico agreed and rushed off toward Zeus' cabin. "Jason! Jason, wake up!"

Will felt a little sting in his chest and wondered what on earth would be so important that Nico had to personally go and wake up Jason. Nevertheless he made his way to the Athena cabin.

Knocking carefully he was greeted by a very tired-looking Annabeth who had a textbook clenched to her chest.

"…yes?" She asked sleepily.

"Um, er…" Will made, "I just met Nico and he wants you to get up and come to Poseidon's cabin. For some reason he was very excited."

"What?" Annabeth looked torn between annoyed, amused, confused and curious. Will shrugged.

"Okay, okay, I'll come," she said and glanced up at the sky. "Ugh, is it morning already?"

Will nodded sheepishly. Annabeth rubbed her eyes and smiled.

"I'll be there in a minute."

"Thanks."

Then, Will went to Aphrodite's cabin, repeating the procedure. When the door opened he looked down on a yaoung Aphrodite boy, one of Piper's brothers, who had shoved a sleeping mask off his eyes and onto his forehead. It was a curious sight.

"Uh… could you get Piper for me?" He asked when the boy just kept blinking at him sleepily. The boy nodded and trotted off. A few moments later, Piper appeared, dressed in Pyjamas and a hoodie that looked suspiciously like Jason's.

Will told her about the situation and Piper narrowed her eyes, looking worried.

"Okay, I'll come down, just let me get my shoes."

And with that she jogged back into the cabin, slipped into her sneakers and the two of them made their way to Poseidon's cabin.

"So you don't know what's going on?" She asked Will.

"No… Nico wouldn't tell me anything either," he admitted half-heartedly. He couldn't believe how much that actually hurt him.

"I sure hope everything is alright." Piper scowled and reached for her dagger, Katoptris, which she had strapped to their waist before they'd left.

"Nico didn't look scared or anything!" Will tried to calm her down. "Only very excited."

More excited, in fact, than Will had ever seen him before.

When they reached cabin three, the other demigods of the prophecy had already assembled on Percy's doorstep.

"What's going on, Nico?!" Percy demanded, looking dishevelled. Will didn't have a crush on the son of Poseidon, but he could appreciate why Nico might fall for him. Percy was ruggedly handsome.

"Just wait a few more seconds." Nico rummaged through the pockets of his bomber jacket and pulled out a letter. His face looked like a child about to open the biggest Christmas present in history. "Okay," he said solemnly. "You better get ready."

He put the letter on the ground and opened it. Immediately, a holograph of Leo Valdez, a son of Hephaestus, popped up.

"Hey guys!" holograph-Leo called.

"Leo!" Piper gasped and Jason put an arm around her shoulders protectively. Percy and Annabeth locked hands, looking concerned.

Holograph-Leo went on to talk about how he had rescued Calypso from her island and how the two of them were now flying off to explore the world. He promised that they'd come visit and grinned sheepishly when he ended the letter with:

"All the best, guys, see you soon!"

Then the holograph disappeared. Will stared at the letter, then at Nico who was studying his friends eagerly, excitement gleaming in his black eyes.

Percy smiled and a single tear trickled down Annabeth's cheek. Jason looked relieved and started grinning.

"That's Leo for you," he said.

Only Piper was still staring glumly at the piece of paper. Suddenly, she burst out, her voice resounding over the camp.

"That stupid little prat!" she scolded. "He dares to send us this now? I mean, he was gone for days, days, and not a word? And now he writes us? Telling us he's off having fun with his girlfriend?! I swear if he ever comes back, I'll-"

And then she described a variety of ways to torture 'Repair Boy', as she called him. Will suddenly had the strong urge to beat Leo Valdez into a pulp and he wasn't even a fighter. The others now looked utterly aggressive, water flowing out of Poseidon's cabin, the air around Jason electrifying, Annabeth reaching for her drakon-bone sword. When cracks opened at Nico's feet Will thought he had to intervene.

"Ah, Piper?" He said and she looked at him, furious. "I want to beat up Leo as much as everyone else here," he admitted, but, really, could you stop with your charmspeak?"

Piper's eyes widened as she looked around.

"Oh!" She gasped and added. "It's alright guys, calm down."

Immediately, Will felt nice and relaxed, a blissful smile spreading over his face. He found it scary just how powerful Piper could be. All around him, the supernatural phenomena stopped and the earth under Nico's feet pulled itself back together.

"You okay, Pipes?" Jason looked worried.

"Yeah." Piper stifled a laugh and then, suddenly, started crying. "Oh Jason!" She flung herself in his arms. "He's alive!"

"I know Pipes," Jason told her. "I've always known."

"That idiot." Nico scowled. "Father won't be happy."

"You're worried about them." Percy shot him a look that said 'What the actual Hades, dude?'

"I'm just saying." Nico shrugged. "With Hazel and – Hazel!"

"Percy!" Annabeth turned to her boyfriend energetically. "Rainbow, now!"

"What?" Percy blinked sheepishly. "I don't think he's willing to leave Tyson's sidfe,though…"

"Not the Hippocampus." Annabeth rolled her eyes. "We need an Iris message, Seaweed Brain."

"Oh – ooh!" Percy made, looking enlightened. Will wondered how the two of them ever got together.

Percy created a shower of water droplets and the morning sun created a shimmering rainbow on the surface. Nico tossed a golden Drachme into to water.

"Oh goddess, hear my prayer," he said. When the Drachme disappeared, he said: "Reyna Ramírez-Arellano, preator of Camp Jupiter."

Seconds later, Reyna's image flickered before them. When she discovered the message her eyes widened.

"Nico? Guys? Did something happen?"

"No, Reyna!" Annabeth stepped in, smiling kindly. "Quite the contrary, in fact."

"Could you get Hazel?" Nico asked.

"And Frank," Percy added hastily.

"Sure, but why?" She furrowed her eyebrows. Will snuck a look at Nico and saw him smiling slightly.

"You're in for a big surprise," Piper told her.

"Uh, okay… just hang on for a bit." She stepped out of the picture.

When she came back after a minute Percy seemed fidgety with excitement. He kept squeezing Annabeth's shoulder with his hands. She shooed him away.

"Stop that, Percy."

"Guys, hey." Frank Zhang came into view, grinning broadely. "Good to see you."

"Frank, we've seen them only a few days ago," Hazel chided, though her tone was gentle. "What's up, everyone?"

"Hey, sis." Nico waved at her and Hazel's gaze softened even more.

"Nico."

"So?" Reyna stepped in. "What's going on."

"Oh, well, you should see for yourself." Jason took up the letter, folded it and opened it again. As before, Leo sprung from the page and replayed the message. When he was finished Hazel was crying and smiling, Frank grinned and said:

"Stupid idiot."

Reyna smiled warmly, an expression Will had come to appreciate in the short time he'd known her.

"I'm glad he's okay," she said.

"When do you think he'll come visit us?" Hazel asked and Nico shrugged.

"I don't know," he said. "But I'm sure it'll be soon. He'll want to tell us all about how he cheated death, don't you think?" He rolled his eyes and Hazel chuckled.

"You're probably right."

"So, well, that was everything," Percy said and grinned. "Good to see you guys."

"And you!" Frank responded eagerly.

"I'm already missing you guys," Piper admitted.

"Yeah, me too." Hazel smiled. "But it's also good to be home."

"I guess that's true." Jason took Piper's hand.

"Well, we do have some Preator duties to attend to, so…" Reyna inclined her head.

"Yup, and Percy has to start studying." Annabeth granted her boyfriend a cheeky smirk.

"Aw, man, really?" He complained. Will could think of a thousand better things to do at CHB than studying.

"You're quite behind on your grades." Annabeth scolded him.

"No breakfast?" Percy pleaded and gave her and adorable pout.

"Of course breakfast first. You'll need the carbs for using your brain. But we're going right back to the material afterwards."

Percy sighed then turned back to their friends from Camp Jupiter.

"You heard Wise Girl, time for me to get going." He shrugged.

Hazel chuckled.

"See you guys soon?" She asked, resting her eyes on Nico who smiled.

"Sure," he agreed. "You know I can always just Shadow-"

"Don't you dare think about it!" Will intervened immediately.

Seeing as he had kept quiet the entire time, everyone started staring.

"Will, what-"

"You're not doing any Shadowtravel until I'm giving you permission." He didn't care if the others eyed him funnily. He wouldn't let Nico get hurt so badly again.

"You're not my mom," Nico complained.

"Doctor's orders," Will insisted. Nico rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Okay…" Jason said awkwardly. "Anyway, I'll be travelling between the camps anyway, so I guess I'll see you sometime soon."

"Until then." Reyna smiled, waved, and the message disappeared.

"So, Doctor Solace, may we get breakfast?" Annabeth studied him with a sparkle in her eyes and Will blushed, hoping he hadn't given himself away.

"Uh… sure…" he mumbled and the six of them wandered to the dining pavilion.