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Part Two: Chapter Four: Return

=Percy=

Katie didn't like the idea of leaving me alone with Nico, or her staying alone with Annabeth and Jake. "I don't trust them," she had hissed at me.

"Well then trust me." I responded quietly, to which she crossed her arms and glared at me. And now I found myself in our usual sitting arrangement, him sitting on the bed while I took the chair at the desk. I looked out the window, passed him, looking out at the cloudy sky. Magically the rain had settled and slowed to a stop during our dinner. I wonder how that happened. The waves were calm and it didn't look like a storm had just struck the sea. Nico had pulled the necklace from his shirt and off of his neck and was now inspecting it. Something I'm sure he did often.

"Why didn't you come back sooner?" He asked quietly. I kept my attention through the colored glass. I had thought about our meeting time and time again and each time I could never answer this exact question. Why did I stay away for so long. There was the easy answers: I didn't know where to look. I was repaying a debt. I was recovering.

"I was scared." I answered him, my eyes slowly moving to rest on him. He didn't look up at me, keeping his gaze fixed on the pendent. "I don't know what had happened, I was keeping the ship away from the Kraken, and being pulled under the water then nothing. I came too laying on a bed with Katie looking over me and Will treating my wounds." I explained, he looked up at me and I swallowed nervously, trying not to pull my attention away. "At first it was because I was recovering. Even with ambrosia I was still injured, weak and sore. I helped them take care of the apothecary. Sense I didn't have any money to pay them with I worked off my debt."

"That's only normal," Nico shrugged a bit, I nodded.

"After a while I got used to staying with them." I continued. "A normal life, with the occasional monster attack, treating the ill and wounded. I put off searching, it would be useful information to know and… well I enjoyed living in such a way." I sighed a bit. "I thought about returning, the sailors that ported in town would tell stories of the Huntress, it started a few months after I washed up. They weren't all friendly roomers, but they were interesting. Shipwrecks, traveling to forbidden seas, taking treasures from the gods and their new, fearsome captain The Ghost King." He smiled a little. "I heard strange rumours of their former captain as well. None of interest though."

"Oh sure, leave me in the dark." He made a face and I laughed. "So you enjoyed living a calm life?"

"I haven't had one in years, it was a nice change for a while. But your past always catches up with you." I commented. "Zoe found me."

"Really?" He raised his eyebrow.

"She told me everything she experienced while traveling with you, before she left. Told me where I could find her should the need arise. And threatened to kill me if I let her little secret slip." I told him, "I was gonna grab her first then come here, but I had to make sure that you were docked. Or that you were staying docked for a while."

"Because your friend was kidnapped,"

"It was my fault they found him, I tend to attract good weather and rumors spread. Luke knows the signs of my presence." I commented. "Originally he came to port to well, kill me." I explained. "But he found Will first. Will politely refused Luke's invitation and after grew violent. He made sure I was out of the way first, then destroyed the apothecary took Will and…" I cut myself off. "Well, I'll be sure to kick his ass for all he's done to them." Nico watched me, trying to read my expression and I tried my best not to show too much.

"What's with Jake?" He wondered, deciding not to push it.

"I asked a favor." I shrugged.

"And the hole Beckendorf comment?" I smiled.

"He's been through a lot. Kinda a legend to his siblings." I shrugged and got up. He watched as I moved to sit next to him on the bed. "Though I'm sure it has something to do with a metal dragon."

"The one Leo's always on about?" He laughed. "What's it's name Festus?"

"You've been spending too much time with the firebug if he's told you about Festus." I smirked. "But yeah, Beckendorf is the one that found it, he repaired him and got him working again. Leo fixed him up after, making him run properly until a snow goddess got mad at him and blew them out of the sky." I shrugged.

"Does this snow goddess happen to be the same one that sent him to Ogygia?"

"Yes." There was silence after for a while, then finally he reached out and pressed his hand to my cheek.

"Two years." He said quietly. "You kidnap me, steal my heart and disappear with it all in the course of half a month. Then you're gone for two years."

"Didn't your mom ever tell you that it's bad to fall for your kidnapper?" I wondered reaching up and taking hold of his hand.

"Didn't yours ever tell you it's wrong to kidnap people?" He mused, "met her by the way. She's such a wonderful woman."

"I know." I responded. "She's one of the best people in the world."

"How did she tolerate you growing up?"

"I am an extremely tolerable person." I huffed, he laughed. "I'm sure I was a difficult child growing up. With that and knowing that I'm a demigod… she had to let me go." There was silence between us for a while again, and then we were kissing. I missed this. But when we parted I looked away. "I can't." I said quietly, slowly standing. "I'm sorry…"

"Percy," he sounded hurt. Well, that'd be because this is a hurtful conversation. "Is there someone else?" I turned to him.

"What? No." I shook my head, "never. I just can't right now. There's just too much going on and I don't want you getting hurt through this."

"Right, and you pushing yourself away isn't going to hurt me?" He questioned. I looked away again.

"Luke uses the relationships between people to harm them," I commented. "He could use one of us to get to the other, just like he's done with Katie and Will."

"Are they together?"

"No, Will's interested in Jake." I pushed off the question.

"So you're bringing him into it…?" He questioned. "You won't give us a chance… but you're bringing Will his love interest? Isn't that a bit ironic?"

"I'm not bringing Will his love interest, Jake is a good mechanic and I'm going to need his help. And he won't be fighting, he's terrified of Pirates." I commented.

"Umm… You're one?"

"Just trust me on this, I know what I'm doing and when it's all over we'll talk." I told him.

"The last time I trusted you I watched as you were dragged into the ocean by the Kraken." He stood. "My faith in your judgement isn't very high."

"You stayed with the ship." I commented, "surrounded by a bunch of strangers you knew nothing about and all of them only staying with the ship because of the fact that they owed me something."

"And you were their friend."

"I'd say that you trust me more then you give on." He sighed in irritation.

"We are going to talk about this, us." He stated.

"We will," I agreed. "When the mess I'm currently in is cleared up."

"No," he shook his head. "We'll talk about it when I say we're talking about it." He stood, crossing his arms over his chest. "And if you're traveling with us I expect you to be here for dinner each night." He told me.

"Fine," I agreed. "But I'm deciding who's traveling with us."

"You need more than just Katie, Jake and Zoe?" He questioned. "And the usual group isn't enough for you?"

"The usual group is fine, I just need some extra hands." I commented. "Their easy enough to find, brothers, enjoy pulling pranks on everyone."

"The Stolls?" He looked at me skeptically. "You sure about that one?" I smirked and crossed my arms over my chest.

"Don't tell me you've never traveled with them."

"I haven't, and I didn't really plan on it before."