"Why are you still here," Nico asked when Will showed up in his doorway later than usual that morning. By now he would have gone to the mainland for school.

"School's out until after the holidays," Will explained, leaning casually against the door frame. "What are you working on?"

"I'm no where near being done with the exposè on the constellation Sagittarius. I've just started writing about the actual stars that make it up. Then there's The Archer mythology and where all of it fits into astrology and astronomy. I also have a report on the Enola Gay that I haven't even started."

"Enola Gay? I feel like I should know that name."

Nico hesitated. "Well, she was an actual person... But I'm talking about the Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber." He hesitated again. "The plane responsible for Hiroshima."

"I guess I never thought there was a pilot."

"Enola Gay wasn't the pilot. The plane was just named after her."

"I can't imagine being responsible for something that devastating."

"I can," Nico said.

"Still on that, huh?"

"It's part of my history, Will. If Zeus hadn't thrown the lightning bolt, my father wouldn't have cursed the oracle, May Castellan wouldn't have been damaged, Thalia wouldn't have almost been killed, and Luke wouldn't have become so hateful."

"You would have had a mother."

"I would have died of old age by now. I wouldn't have been around to save Bob."

"You're not responsible for other people's actions, only your own."

That was true enough. Even his own thoughts weren't so chaotic anymore. Nico wasn't even sure how that had happened but it had. Maybe they had been something he could control all along.

"I got you an early Christmas gift," Will said, suddenly very nervous. "Is it okay to give it to you now?"

"Is it another brick? You already gave me one of those."

"It wasn't a brick. It was a piece of concrete and it was very romantic."

"Sure."

"I didn't know which one to get first, so I got the collection," Will said sheepishly.

Nico untied the ribbon and the paper came open naturally. "The Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-Earth. Shouldn't I start with the Hobbit, or something?"

"I watched you read the entire trilogy in like: a single day. I think you're past the Hobbit. You want a break from school work for now? My mom's making lunch if you're hungry."

"I have a history lesson with Annabeth at three." But Nico closed his laptop and got off the bed. "I'm literally starving right now. What did she make?"

"Tomato soup and grilled cheese."

"Will, what's regular high school like?"

Will shrugged as they headed to the kitchen. "Basically what you're doing now except with alot more people. It's not the best idea for you to go."

"I'd like to. I think I can. I feel... more normal now."

"Maybe. Chiron thinks remote learning is better for you. For some one that couldn't do basic addition a few months ago and now you're on trig? That's impressive. Not everyone can set their own schedule and stick with it."

"I guess. Morning, Naomi."

"Hush. General Hospital is on."

"It is so weird for you to call her that. Mom, can I have some money? I wanted to take Nico onto the mainland so we could hang out and do some more shopping."

"And cross the Harbor Bridge on foot? William, what is wrong with you? We'll go when this is over."

"Will, I can't. I told you I have History at three."

"Be irresponsible. Skip it for once."

"Well now, I look away for all of five minutes and already you're turning into a bad influence. What's next, Will? Kicking puppies, stealing beer from the convenience store?"

"We were actually planning on going to the Serta store and ripping the tags off all the mattresses."

"William, listen to you."

"After that I was going to take him to Pizza Hut and unscrew all the lids of the cheese and pepper shakers in the dining area."

Nico gave Will a confused look. "If you do that all of its going to spill out on their food."

"Well bless your heart, that went right over your head, didn't it?"

"Mom. It's a joke, Nico. Yes that's what would happen but we're not actually going to do those things."

"I feel a migraine coming on." Naomi turned off the tv and left the room.

"What just happened," Nico asked, even though Will was thinking the same thing.

"She has a headache," he said. He took the cash from her wallet and set it back in her purse.

"What are you doing?" Nico stood up.

"Planning a life of crime," Will said, counting it quickly before shoving it in his pocket. "Let's go," he said grabbing his jacket and one for Nico.

It was sunny and cool outside, despite being so late in the year. The sky was a deep blue and dotted with gray and white clouds. The white sands seemed to go on forever, just as the water stretched to the horizon.

Nico trailed behind Will just as always, but he was less sure than he had been before. This wasn't Camp Half-blood or even Long Island. He had been living here for months and barely knew the island.

His id listed the Solace beach house as his home address but his name hadn't changed. As long as he studied, Chiron would pay him; money wired to a grocery store debit. He wanted to just stay and focus on that.

Naomi had a concert in Alberta on January 12th and Will was starting the accelerated program in a school near the Village and would be spending the year back in New York. So he could stay if he wanted to.

If Nico went back, the Hades cabin would remain empty, maybe indefinitely, depending on how good he was at his word. Unless someone went in and looked at the things that Nico had left inside.

"I don't know what to do, Will," he said, drawing his card from his wallet and hovering around the ATM by the double doors.

"No worries. I've seen my mom do this a thousand times. How much do you want?"

"I'm not sure."

"Here, watch me then."

Nico leaned over Will's arm to see what he was doing. "Not bad. You've been saving awhile." Will handed him a slip of paper. A moment later, the mechanism whirred and Will handed him the money. "That's a hundred. Five twenties.

I guess I should buy my own wallet today," he said glumly, watching Nico put the money away. "My mom keeps all my ids and stuff."

"I don't have anyone to do it for me, Will," Nico told him.

"That doesn't mean I shouldn't start. I stole money from my mom's purse because she wanted me to."

He looked at Nico again. "Do you want to go anywhere?"

Nico thought about it. "I want to see the sea turtles hatch again."

"I meant right now. That won't happen again until next summer."

"I know that Will," Nico retorted.

"I meant right now," Will tried again.

Nico just glared at Will and shook his head. A second later he left the convenience store.

"How did I mess up again," he said, following Nico outside. "We can go to the conservatory. They're open every day but Mondays," he said, thinking fast. "Or we can wait and go Tuesday because they close in two hours."

"We can go Tuesday. But Will, I don't know anything about the island."

"There's not much else to know. Unless you want to waste money." He thought better of what he said. "Actually, I do know a place."

Nico picked at the toppings of his float. Will watched him and said, "I guess I should have ordered a coke when the waiter was here."

"Probably. What is gochujang?"

"I've literally never heard of that. Where do you see it on the menu," Will said, leaning closer. They were getting looks anyway, he noticed. Nico set his menu on the table top and pointed it out.

"It's some kind of hot sauce," Will said. "Let's get one and we can split the order. I'm getting the Landshark."

Nico's stomach rolled at the mention of another cheeseburger. "I didn't know they made fish tacos."

"Yeah. That's a thing. Is that what you're ordering?"

"Probably."

"I like this," Nico said, finishing the last wing.

"Is that why you ordered a second root beer float?"

Nico kind of agreed. "I was worried they would be too spicy." He looked at the single half-eaten wing next to Will's plate. "Why did you just order water if they were too hot?"

"I'm not sure. Are we splitting the bill?"

"What? No. You invited me here."

"I kind of forgot when you ordered so much."

"Why are you being so weird, Solace? It was your idea to come here."

"You're right," Will said, sliding the money into the envelope with the bill. "Hey do you want to go out and see the dolphins?"

"We can do that? No we can't. Will, I don't have any swim trunks."

"But...we can go to the marina and book a boat for tomorrow evening. You have to do it 24 hours in advance. Besides, no one goes swimming out that far two weeks from Christmas. We're also going to have to deal with the fact that you've been here almost six months and don't have anything to go swimming in."

"Chiron gives me a lot of homework."

"Yeah but I'm off for the rest of the year and I can help you with that Sagittarius exposè."

"Should I buy one for your mom, too?"

Will shook his head. "She's going to be on the phone all day with the manager. Her tour picks up again in the beginning of January."

"Have you been to Alberta?"

"No. I still don't think it's a good place to be this time of year."

Will waited while Nico bought two tickets. "You can put them in your wallet so you don't lose them before tomorrow. Or get them wet," he said, as the wind shifted again.

"You look tired," Nico said.

The light from the laptop was the only illumination in the room. The house had gone silent now.

Annabeth gave a short humorless laugh. "Percy failed two his midterms. I don't think he's going to make it past the first semester. And these people throw a party for everything."

Nico decided not to tell her about the sea turtles or the dolphins.

"Anyway," she said, brushing her hair out the way, absently. "What do you remember about Dr. Faison and the Reconstruction Era?"