I hated feeling the way I did. Generally I'm a very cheerful person, a trait I get from my father I guess. Not that my mother is gloomy. Or rather she was. I cannot bring myself to believe that she won't be there anymore when I come for summer. I just don't know how to deal with my misery. I simply can't. How Nico faced the goddess of misery and how he still smiles seem a mystery to me.

Oh! Nico.

I didn't have time to talk to him before I left and especially I didn't want to wake him up at the crack of the dawn. My little vampire needed his sleep. A new wave of grief washed over me when I realized that my mother will never get to meet the love of my life. Wait, what? Did I just call the bluest kid in the whole freaking universe the love of my life?

Oh! Well he sort of is now, isn't he?

That day we were sitting at the Sevens' Table, simply chatting and relaxing after breakfast. I was heartily welcomed at the table though since the Seven considered me a very dear friend. Trust me, I know full well that they are humoring Nico, and I don't care because I am here for Nico. My Nico.

I was sort of getting ahead of myself. But hey, he talks to me and opens up to me and even smiles at my lame jokes. So, a guy can dream, right?

"Damn it. I almost forgot," exclaimed Percy, out of blue too. "Mom's throwing us a welcome home party and she asked me to invite you guys. She already cleared with Chiron. It's just for the Seven. A quiet get together you see. Will you guys come?" he looked around the table with those adorable sea green eyes, to which even Zeus would have given in.

"Sure thing bro." Jason said happily and the two girls nodded in agreement.

Percy turned towards Nico and watched him, obviously waiting for an answer.

"What? Come on! I'm not one of the Seven." Nico spluttered.

"No. You are not Nico." The girls gasped as Percy stated gravely. I was dumbstruck. Then he continued, "You are not one of the Seven from that dumb prophecy. But you did save the world yet when you didn't have to. And you are the only person, besides Annabeth, who loved me enough to take up a journey through Tartarus and told Bob that I'm a friend worth saving. Without you we could have died down there. I know I have been a jerk, not noticing your fondness and treating you the way I had. But all in all, you are my baby brother and I do care for you. So you are always invited at my home, you idiot, weather you are one of the Seven or not."

Girls were almost in tears and Jason, I and Nico just stared at Percy as if he grew a third head. I mean its general knowledge that Percy had seaweeds for brains when it comes non-battle issues; so it was really surprising that he even acknowledged Nico's feelings. I felt a rush of warmth towards the silly son of Poseidon. See Nico, people do care for you. Nico opened and closed his mouth like a gold fish out of water, at a loss for words.

"You see, I'm not even holding a grudge about 'me not being your type thing' either cause you are my little bro."

Annabeth and Nico face palmed as rest of us burst out laughing.

Of course, expect Percy to ruin the perfect moment.

I smiled at the thought of Nico's frustration. It chased the pain away a little. I wish he was here, yet I didn't want him to see me like this.

"Will?"

I lifted my head to see Nico standing at the doorway. Speak of the devil. He walked over to me and sat next to me on the futon, his face grim. Seeing him upset like that brought it all up and before I knew tears were rolling down my cheeks.

"Hey." Nico put his arms around me and pull me into a hug. I fell onto his chest as sobs escaped me for the first time since I heard of my mother's death. Nico pulled me even closer and I could feel his hands rubbing my back.

"You are not alone Sunshine. You have got us all. I will never leave you. Not even when I'm dead. I'm here to stay and make all kinds of trouble. And do you really think we will leave you alone?" He whispered in my ear which made me sob harder.

Once I could get my emotions under control I pulled away from Nico, not wanting to make him uncomfortable, and took in my surroundings. That's when I noticed Annabeth, Piper, Percy and Jason around us.

"When- h- how did you get here so fast?" I spluttered.

"We flew, duh." Percy rolled his eyes, earning a punch from Annabeth. This was probably the best thing about Percy. He would never pity you when you are down and would treat you the same he always did, which makes you feel needed and stronger.

"Sorry about him." Annabeth apologized. "But we did fly. We wanted to be with you, you see. After all we are family." She gave me a tight smile.

I looked from Nico to Percy and then at Jason. "But Nico and Percy can't fly."

"I asked my father to allow them. I mean it's unfair of him since Poseidon never tries to kill me when I go swimming." Jason smiled at me kindly.

"Besides its embarrassing. I've been to Europe but never been on a plane." Percy scoffed pouting like a five year old who was denied a lollipop.

Despite of myself I cracked a smile.

We attended my mother's funeral that evening and I had all my friends and family around me. And it was when I realized that I had forgotten about my half-sister the whole morning while I was wallowing in my self-pity. Phoebe was just ten years old and it shattered me in a whole new level to consider what was to happen to her. I stood next to the little girl with sapphire blue eyes and golden hair, who was sobbing into Nico's jacket while the Ghost King held the little girl close. It was heartwarming to see the two dearest people of mine getting close to each other. Nico held onto my hand with his free hand and skimmed his thumb over my knuckles in soothing circles. It was very difficult to go through it all yet I felt less lonely than I did in the morning.

After we returned from the funeral my uncle and rest of my maternal family; my grandfather, his wife [my grandfather's second wife], my uncle, his wife and my aunt, asked to talk to me in the living area, minus my friends and Phoebe. They took turns in clapping me on the shoulder or back, rubbing my soothingly, kissing me on the cheek and telling me 'it's alright' [yep, it was Piper] and squeezing my hand before excusing themselves in to the hall upstairs, Percy carrying a sleeping Phoebe. Then my family sat me down on the futon I spent my morning and settled themselves around me.

"Will' there is no point in beating around the bush. It seems that Naomi was broke long before the accident happened. This house is on mortgage and her account has practically no money in it. We cannot afford to pay it either. And there is the issue of your sister too. Were you aware she broke up with Phoebe's father a couple of months back?"

I nodded trying to process all that.

"Now, when we learnt of Naomi's death we called him to arrange something about Phoebe. But the asshole said that Phoebe wasn't even his child." My uncle shook his head in disgust.

That snapped me out of my haze. Wait what?

"I know this is too much for any seventeen year old. But I think it's time you came back home. You two can stay with us or Norm. But since Phoebe hardly know us you should come and be with her." My aunt chirped in.

That's when I zoned out. I, a seventeen year old, was left to care for my kid sister. Thanks Fates. You guys are awesome. I thought bitterly. Nico is only now opening up and I'm having a little progress with the crush I had on him since I was fourteen. He was warming up to me and I should leave him now. As much as I cared for my sister I didn't know how Nico would deal with the separation and I definitely am not ready to leave him. I excused myself from my family and went upstairs where my friends were waiting for me. Nico immediately came up to me and took my hand, searching my face. Then he pulled me to the couch, sat me down and sat next to me.

"Dude, you look like you saw a ghost." Percy exclaimed. Annabeth and Nico glowered at him but he was staring at me intensely so he didn't notice.

"Will, what did happen?" Jason asked and Nico was looking at me imploringly, beseeching, asking for answers. It was odd seeing him so caring and compassionate, openly admitting that he cared for me. Don't get me wrong. Nico did care, but was so concerned about keeping up his mysterious and brooding façade, so he rarely showed any emotion. That's what unlocked the floodgates and I told him everything.

Nico swallowed hard.

Will had to stay home to look after his sister. AND LEAVE THE CAMP. Nico could feel thousands of needles sinking into his heart. Will stayed back at the camp along with few other demigods to attend high school in New York and keep the camp in order. Nico knew that Will only stayed back for him. Nico didn't want to go to school so Will promised to go to the same school he did and to help Nico with homework every single day. Only then Nico stopped throwing tantrums. Now they all attended Goode together, even Percy, staying at the camp. Annabeth tutored Percy and Nico daily and Will, like a parent, helped Nico through his homework every night. Whenever they went to Sally's she and Paul helped them too. It was all going really smooth and yes, the fates had to destroy it all NOW.

Nico swallowed again.

"You should do as your family tells you, you know. After all you are all Phoebe has." He knew he had to be brave for Will's sake. But damn, that hurt like the water from Phlegethon. But he is all we have too idiot. How are WE gonna survive without HIM? His subconscious snarled at him.

Will merely shook his head. "No, we were never close. Most of my life they ignored my Mom and me. They only recently started talking to us and started getting all warm and close. But YOU are my family. And I need YOUR opinion, ideas and help to find a solution for this." He looked around everybody and closed the circle, setting his eyes on Nico.

"I have an idea!" Percy was grinning like a mad man and the rest of the demigods stared at him, worried. Usually Percy's ideas were… well, disastrous.

Oh dear!