So I'm back :)

And 15 followers already! That's pretty insane!

I've really been enjoying this story so far, and I hope you guys enjoy this next chapter too (which ended up way longer than I meant it)

I stayed away longer than I probably should have, splitting my time between the Underworld (where I suffered with ghosts and my dad and Persephone) and Camp Jupiter, where at least I had Hazel to keep me company. I just couldn't bear seeing Percy again, not after what he'd said to me.

I was running again because some small part of me just thought things were going to be different this time around. I thought things were finally going to be different with Percy.

I thought that our shared time in Tartarus would make things different. I thought it would bring us closer. We'd been though hell together, after all.

We'd spent so long together down there, in that place where time had no meaning and the gravity weighed down with crushing force and the clouds of poison choked the thin air.

In the real world, we'd only been gone about about two weeks. But down there, it felt like any eternity.

An eternity of acid and blood and misery and fire and wave after wave of monsters. Just constant monster attacks and constant physical pain from our new wounds and from Tartarus itself, from the fires of the Phlegethon and the glass shard shores of the Cocytus. I'd never really expected to make it out alive a second time, I don't think the rest of the seven did either. Not even Percy, the eternal optimist, expected to get out. He'd shared that with me, while we were down there. He'd talked about how death must be better. I agreed.

But we made it though, somehow, and I just thought this would be different. Maybe not better, but different.

We'd never be the same again, but that was alright. I wasn't quite myself and neither was Percy, but that was okay.

We could heal together.

I just thought things were going to change. I thought our time spent down there would be enough to get Percy to understand that I do care, even if I never really showed it.

I thought we could bond over our pain. I thought that maybe I could be there for him, I thought he might need me.

But he didn't, nobody did. He still thought I was the same, that I didn't care, that maybe I even hated him.

And I thought making "friends" while on the Argo II would change things. I thought helping the two camps make peace would make people like me more. Maybe they wouldn't be so afraid of me. Maybe I would have a home. Maybe I could have friends if I couldn't have Percy.

But nothing, absolutely nothing, was different.

I was still the damned son of Hades. I was still a friendless loner. I was still the creepy one, the quiet one, the freak who made skeletons rise from the ground. I still made people uncomfortable. Everyone still hated me.

But nobody thought that way of Hazel though. She was sweet and bright and warm and affectionate. She had so many friends and she was so loyal and so loving, she even had Frank, and he loved her back just as much as she loved him. I didn't think anybody would, or even could, love me like that. It was impossible.

Nobody would ever imagine her being a daughter of Pluto, not by a long shot. Sometimes it was like you could almost forget it. She was wonderful, and I loved her like I'd loved Bianca so long ago, but it hurt seeing her.

Because I was alone. I was always alone and I would always be alone. I'd never have friends like her, nobody would ever love me like Frank loved her, especially not Percy. I was too broken and unlovable and the only person that I thought might be able to understand me still thought I was a freak. Nobody else cared enough to come find me. I bet nobody even realized I was missing. No iris messages, no search parties, not a single word from the people that were supposed to be my friend. Nobody cared.

But I did have to go back eventually, if only to replenish my stocks of clothes and gather anything I'd left behind.

I knew I wasn't going to stay though.

I was done at Camp Half Blood. I'd only been staying for Percy, but he obviously didn't need me. He had Annabeth and his friends and his family to keep him sane.

I wasn't worth the heart ache, seeing Percy broken and seeing Annabeth fix him.

And maybe I'd be better at Camp Jupiter anyway, with Hazel keeping me relatively sane.

At least the Romans respected me, if only for my power. They usually hated Greeks, but some had gained their respect after the war.

I didn't mind though, since they didn't seem so visibly disgusted by me. They usually kept it to themselves. But small victories were victories nonetheless, and those small victories were all I had.

Maybe I'd spend some time in the Underworld too, doing my dad's bidding and going on quests for him or Persephone (the only time she managed to acknowledged my existence, apart from shouting at me).

It would take some getting used to, with the whole cohort system and the harsh attitudes, but I'd be fine. Hopefully more than fine. Maybe I'd find a new place at camp.

So, weeks after my fallout with Percy, I decided to just shadow-travel directly into my cabin in the middle of the night, rather than outside during the day. Better not to be seen, better nobody know where I am.

The world spun around me, and finally, my feet hit the solid stone floor. I looked around, glad that nothing seemed to have changed since the last time I'd been here.

The same slate-tiled floors and black stone walls devoid of windows. The same Greek Fire torches and heavy stone furniture, the single bed recently replaced by a bunk after Hazel's arrival in case she ever wanted to visit Camp Half Blood.

The place had never felt like home even though I'd designed it myself. Nowhere did, now that I'm being honest.

I went to take a few steps forward, but my knees buckled under me and I almost fell, only keeping myself upright by grabbing the edge my dresser.

Gods, I was more tired than I thought. Frequent shadow-travel wasn't helping my recovery from the two trips "down there" and neither was the strict environment of Camp Jupiter. I was being pushed further and further, but I just had to deal with it.

Maybe I'd even be able to get some nightmare-free sleep tonight.

I had to take several deep breaths before pushing myself up again on unstable knees and crossing the room to my bed, collapsing on the bottom bunk fully clothed. Packing could come later.

I felt my eyes flutter shut as I hit the plush mattress (much nicer than the one's at Camp Jupiter) and fell asleep quickly, but only because of how utterly exhausted I was.

Raw screaming woke me up that night, and it definitely wasn't mine.

I shot up, almost banging my head on the top bunk. My eyes scanned the room, which was bathed in eerie green light, and my ears strained to listen for more over the din of the crickets and cicadas.

A few moments later, another earth-shattering scream split the peaceful air of the camp.

Oh gods, it was Percy. It had to be, I knew that scream. I'd heard it enough in Tartarus.

I practically jumped out of bed, grabbing my Stygian sword just in case and fumbling with tired fingers to attach it to my belt, already dashing out the room.

I jogged down the dirt paths towards Percy's cabin, ignoring the campers sticking their heads out, trying to figure out where the screams were coming from.

Every so often another scream would pierce the silence, and I could feel myself panicking more and more as I got closer. It occurred to me that he probably wasn't being attacked, but he was having a nightmare at the least.

I neared the end of the U-shape, and realized there were people gathered around the low-built Poseidon cabin, illuminated by the crackling hearth in the middle of the u.

Jason was there already, probably having heard the screams first, quickly and quietly addressing the growing crowd of head consolers that had gathered, obviously worried and more than a bit scared. Even Clarisse was there, and she looked just as freaked out as the rest.

I pushed through the crowd quickly, muttering under my breath. The other camper's moved out of my way, surprised by my sudden appearance. Jason's eyes widened when he saw me.

I gave him a knowing look, and he fixed one back on me, reluctantly letting me pass through the door. Screams and moans echoed through the camp when the door opened again.

What I saw in front of me was horrible, something I wished I would never have to see again.

Percy was sprawled on his bed, chest heaving and body jerking wildly, twisted hopelessly in the white sheets. His usually handsome face contorted in a mask of pain and drenched in sweat. Every so often, his mouth would open in a raw-throated scream or moan or sob.

Annabeth was kneeling at his bedside, her hair a rat's nest, holding his wrists down tightly. She was whispering softly to him in a trembling but urgent voice, stormy-eyes already swimming with tears. It didn't look like she was helping at all. For once in her life, she had no idea what to do.

I stalked across the room quietly, and Annabeth jumped as I settled down next to her.

"N-Nico, I don't know...I don't know what to do! He won't stop, I-I can't get it to stop," she moaned, letting the tears flow down her cheeks. But Annabeth never cried, especially not in front of anyone. She was usually so strong, but now...she was broken.

I simply nodded, unsure of what to say to comfort her, nudging her hand out of the way to grab Percy's exposed wrist. She scooted over, placing her hands in her lap and watching helplessly from the sidelines.

I took a deep breath, and leaned in, shaking Percy's shoulder softly.

"C'mon Perce. It's only a dream. You're fine, I'm fine, everyone is fine. The war's over and you're back at camp and there's nothing to worry about. It's only a dream...it's only a dream," I murmured softly in his ear, brushing sweat-soaked raven hair out of the way.

I kept at that for several minutes, trying to get some reaction, any reaction. Nothing. Percy kept thrashing in bed and screaming and sobbing and moaning and I couldn't do anything about it.

I leaned back from him, dropping my hands to my side and was about to give up when I hazily remembered something, something I'd learned in the pit with him.

Cautiously, and aware of Annabeth's piercing eyes on me, I leaned in once more and started speaking softly in Italian this time.

I said the same things, and he had no idea what the words meant. It shouldn't have worked, but for some reason, it did. It'd always calmed him down without fail down there, whenever he was panicking or in pain, I would just speak Italian for him and it would calm him down. I couldn't tell you why.

The change was immediate. The son of Poseidon's face softened, returning back to almost normal. His movements got weaker and the thrashing stopped. His breathing returned to normal, no longer heaving sobs deep in his chest. He wasn't in pain anymore.

And slowly, his eyes cracked open, still shining wetly.

"N-Nico?" he croaked, face already starting to crumple.

"Shhh, it's okay Perce. It's okay," I whispered, moving over to let Annabeth through.

"Oh, Seaweed Brain," she sobbed, surging forward a wrapping him in a tight hug, burying her face in his soiled shoulder.

"M'sorry," he mumbled shakily, "M'sorry if I scared you Annie. I'm okay...I-I'm fine."

She nodded, pulling away and giving him a kiss on the cheek, "You need some rest. Go back to sleep and I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

Percy nodded slowly, trying to keep his emotions under control by burying his face in the pillow.

Annabeth got up, wiping her tears away and glaring in Nico's direction before leaving the room and shutting the door behind her.

It was significantly more awkward after Annabeth left. Percy was lying in bed, trying to control himself and I was still kneeling there, hand rested on Percy's side as I tried to forget what had just happened.

Eventually, I tried to get up, but was surprised when I felt his calloused hand shoot out and grab my thin wrist.

"N-no. P-Please, Nico...just, just s-stay a lit-little longer. Just...just in case I-I start..."

"Of course Perce. I'll stay as long as you need me," I assured him, gripping his hand tighter in mine and settling down again.

A tiny hint of a smile played across my lips despite everything that'd happened.

Maybe Percy did need me after all.

I would like to thank the Percy Jackson wiki page because it basically saved the life of this fic :) easy to access knowledge on all the stuff I don't yet understand and it's totally perfect!

Well, I hope you all enjoyed the new installment.

And I promise, it won't be this depressing forever :) It'll have a happy ending!

If you enjoyed, or if you have anything comments or criticisms, drop a review or a PM!