A/N: There are mentions of suicide in this chapter and there will be more as the story goes on. Just posting this as a warning.

Chapter 2

"You're joking." Nico's voice didn't hide his shock. Reyna couldn't blame him. She'd heard how difficult it was to get Percy out of his house from three different people yet she had dragged the son of Poseidon out in about five minutes.

"I'm not joking." Reyna held her hands up in defense. "I told him I'd drag him out if I have to and then he walked out himself. We went to get burgers." Reyna sat back in her chair.

"How was he?" Nico asked.

Reyna sighed. Percy had changed over the last few years. When she'd first met him the son of Poseidon had a light in his eyes that couldn't be snuffed out. No matter what was going on Percy seemed to be happy in the worst situations. Now he was different. He'd barely smiled during the day, the light in his eyes was long gone.

"He's different," Reyna said, "He just seems so lost." Reyna couldn't get Percy out of her mind since she'd seen him the previous day. Seeing him in such a depressed state. It was wrong.

"He's lost," Nico agreed, "I've been trying to help him but apparently I'm not as persuasive as you." Nico crossed his arms with a small frown.

Reyna smiled, "I don't know if persuasive is the right word. Maybe threatening."

"Yeah that's true," Nico shrugged, "You can be scary when you want to." Reyna glared at Nico as he raised his hands up as if he were surrendering.

"So," Reyna started, unsure how to phrase her question, "Do you know anywhere near him I could stay? I looked into it but there's one motel in the nearest town and it does not look like somewhere I'd want to stay."

"You want to move out to Oregon?" Nico asked, "Kind of a random place to go if you ask me."

Reyna facepalmed, "No I want to move by Percy. I think I can help him."

"Oh." Nico's mouth formed a perfect O.

"You saw what happened with Dakota. I can't sit back and do nothing with something like this. Not again." Reyna's tone was firm. Her mind was made up.

"Dakota killing himself wasn't on you, Reyna, it isn't your fault" Nico placed a hand on her shoulder. Reyna looked down. Dakota's death had hit her hard. So many demigods died during the final battle but Dakota had survived. Nobody had noticed that he'd replaced his kool aid with a stronger drink until it was too late. Nobody realized how badly watching his friends die had hurt him. Reyna had noticed a small change in the son of Bacchus but she didn't realize how much Dakota had been hiding until it was far too late.

"I could have done more."

"We all could have done more," Nico responded, "You can't blame something like that on one single person."

Reyna scowled, she knew Nico was right. She'd had similar discussions with the son of Hades before. "I just can't get that image out of my head, Nico. When I found him…" Reyna's voice trailed off. She didn't need to continue, her point was made. After a moment she continued speaking, "I can help with Percy. I don't want to see him go down a similar path."

"You and me both," Nico agreed. "If you think you can help him then I say go for it. I know better than to argue with you. Plus you got him out of the house which was a step better than I did."

Reyna smirked, "Yeah."

"You know," Nico started, a mischievous smile growing on his face, "I know a place you can stay."

"Where?" Reyna asked, silently praying it was at least a little nice.

"I have a place that's only like ten miles from Percy's house."

Reyna's eyes widened, "You do?"

"Yeah, when Percy first moved out here I bought a place thinking I'd come by and hang out with him a bunch," Nico responded before muttering, "Though I guess it's turned out to be a waste of money now."

Reyna eyed Nico, "And you can afford to just have a house out here?"

Nico waved his hand, "I mean, my dad is the god of riches and whatnot. It comes with a lot of perks."

"And you're sure I can live there?" Reyna asked, "I don't want to kick you out of your own house."

"I'm barely ever there," Nico answered, "Though me and Will might stop by every once in a while if that's ok. He loves the west coast sunsets. Probably some son of Apollo thing."

Reyna smiled at her friend. If anybody had told her that Nico Di Angelo would be one of her closest friends five years ago, she wouldn't have believed them. The son of Hades was unnerving, with an aura around him that could make anyone uncomfortable. When he'd first arrived at Camp Jupiter Reyna had no problem letting him wander, knowing that Nico wouldn't have fit in any of the cohorts.

Despite this, Nico had been a great friend after Dakota's death. He had become more involved at Camp Jupiter, helping train new campers and had even been considered to be the next Praetor when Reyna had stepped down the previous year.

"Thank you Nico," Reyna said, "This really means a lot."

"Seriously Reyna," Nico responded, "If this helps Percy, you can keep the house for all I care. My father spoils me enough."

Reyna nodded at Nico. "I can try to get Percy to come visit you if you want," Reyna said, "He probably misses you."

Nico scoffed, "Doesn't really seem like it."

Reyna knew how Nico's last trip to Percy's went. The son of Hades had told her that Percy had pretty much kicked Nico out after Nico suggested Percy come with him to Camp Half Blood. Reyna wasn't sure what words were said specifically, but Nico had assured her that it was nothing good.

"You never know," Reyna chided, "I'll bring him by later tonight. Is your place good?"

Nico raised his eyebrows, "The one you're moving into?"

Reyna rolled her eyes, "Yes Nico, unless you have another house near him."

"No, that's the only one nearby." Nico's face held a small grin.

"Perfect." Reyna stood up and began walking towards the door. "We'll see you tomorrow night then."

In all honesty, Reyna had no idea if she'd be able to get Percy to go visit Nico. She wasn't sure if the day she'd spent with Percy was luck or if she could actually get through to him.

Reyna tapped her fingers on her steering wheel. She hadn't planned on coming back to visit Percy so soon but she couldn't help herself. Her day spent with the son of Poseidon was fun and it seemed to help him. At least she hoped that it did. He'd definitely opened up as the day went on. When Reyna had first gotten to Percy's house it was like he was hiding himself away. During their time at the diner Percy had slowly opened up as he told her about his two old friends.

Reyna smiled as she thought, remembering how Percy had smiled watching the sun set. One of the only true smiles she'd seen on his face that day. For a moment, it almost seemed like he was back as his old self, the person she remembered from before the war. Of course it was gone by the time they made it back to the car but Reyna still appreciated the small moment.

Ding!

Reyna glanced down at her phone before looking back at the road. After the war Leo had convinced his father to help him create a line of phones that wouldn't attract monsters. The two had managed to create a working phone in a week, something that made many demigods wonder why this hadn't been done before.

Ignoring her phone, Reyna turned the wheel of the car left as the vehicle responded, moving off the road and onto Percy's driveway. The driveway extended for nearly the length of a football field before ending in front of Percy's home.

Leo had outdone himself with the house. Reyna hadn't been there when it was created but she knew Leo well enough to know that he'd put his all into building the best home for Percy.

Reyna took a second peek at the phone screen as she parked, noticing a notification for a text from Nico. The text read, Still good for tonight?

Reyna looked up at Percy's house before responding, Should be, just got to Percy's. Reyna looked down as she heard a second buzz from the phone.

Good Luck

Reyna rolled her eyes at Nico's lack of confidence before opening her door and leaving the car. She walked to Percy's door before taking a deep breath and knocking.

Nothing.

Reyna frowned and knocked again, getting ready to start shouting at Percy like she had two days ago. Before she had a chance, the door creaked open.

"Reyna?" Percy looked the same as he had a couple days ago. His hair ragged around his head falling into his eyes, his face still in desperate need of a shave. He looked confused to see her, as if he hadn't thought she'd ever come back.

"Hey Percy," Reyna began, slightly unsure where to start. She could her own uncertainty in her voice and forced herself to be confident. She was a daughter of Bellona and was once the Praetor of Camp Jupiter's legion. "Wanna get out of here?"

Reyna could almost sense Percy's sigh before it came out of his mouth. "Do I have a choice?"

"Not really," Reyna responded. She was glad Percy hadn't put up any argument.

"Can I at least change before you drag me out?"

Reyna eyed Percy's clothes. They were wrinkled beyond belief and Reyna thought she could see a couple stains on the shirt.

"Yeah," Reyna sighed.

Percy turned around wordlessly, leaving the door open behind him. Reyna stood outside for a moment before following the son of Poseidon inside.

Reyna noted that the inside of the house was just as nice as the outside. While it was a bit of a mess Reyna could tell that the designer had done a masterful job. She noticed Percy going up the steps to the second floor before disappearing into a room. After a moment, she heard the noise of water as the shower turned on.

Reyna took the opportunity to look around the ground floor, noticing a bottle of whiskey on the kitchen counter. Reyna frowned, noticing multiple other bottles around the kitchen. She didn't have anything against drinking but she knew that too much of it was a bad thing. Reyna turned, noting in the back of her mind that she needed to talk to the son of Poseidon about his drinking habits.

Reyna looked around the rest of the ground floor, noting the dark blue furniture in the living room. There was clearly an aesthetic in the space, although Reyna wasn't sure it had been Percy who designed it.

Hearing steps above her, Reyna looked up. Percy was standing at the top of the steps. He had a dark gray hoodie tossed over his shoulder. Reyna could see the bags under his eyes, just as she had earlier.

"So what is it this time?" Percy asked, leaning over the railing. The hallway on the second floor had a balcony that made it easy for the two demigods to communicate despite being on separate floors.

"We're going to see someone," Reyna responded, glancing at the door. She hoped Percy wasn't in the argumentative mood today, she had seen how stubborn he could be.

Percy crossed his arms. "Who are we seeing?"

"Nico." Reyna was ready for a big response on Percy's end but there wasn't one. The only thing Percy did was sigh as his hands dropped to his sides.

"I don't know if that's a good idea," Percy's tone was soft, so quiet that Reyna almost couldn't hear him.

"Too bad," Reyna's voice was decisive, leaving no room for argument. She could hear in Percy's voice that he was unsure about going to see Nico so she made sure that Percy wouldn't be able to back out. "He misses you and I know you don't have anything else to do."

For a moment, Reyna saw a mischievous glint in Percy's eye, the kind he used to have before cracking a joke. In an instant the light was snuffed out.

"What if I do have something to do," Percy grumbled.

Reyna raised her eyes at Percy, knowing full well that he was bluffing. Percy sighed and raised his hands to surrender before walking downstairs.

"So when do we leave?" Percy asked, meeting Reyna at the bottom of the stairs.

"I told him we'd see him by tonight so we don't have to leave for another couple of hours, I wasn't sure if I would have to kick your ass before we left." Reyna pushed a joking tone into her voice, hoping that she could lighten Percy's sour mood.

"Fair enough," Percy's reply was short. "I guess I can give you a tour of the place?"

Reyna smiled, "Sounds good to me."

Percy first showed her the upstairs area. It was clear that the son of Poseidon was proud of the house Leo had constructed. Reyna could tell from how Percy spoke that he was extremely thankful to be living here. Reyna completely understood. The upstairs had a bathroom and two guest bedrooms, along with a smaller room that could be converted into a storage or office space. Percy hadn't done much with the smaller room, claiming he was still thinking of ideas.

The tour continued downstairs as Percy showed off the spaces Reyna had already seen. Percy was quick to talk about them before finally reaching one door that Reyna didn't know about.

"Here's the basement," Percy gave Reyna a small smile. "This was Leo's pride and joy when he built this place."

As Reyna entered the basement and went down the steps she couldn't help but whistle with appreciation. There was a large hangout area, with a large couch and a tv. On the other side of the room was a pool table. Behind the table Reyna saw a doorway with windows leading to an extremely well equipped workout area.

"It's pretty nice," Reyna admitted. "Leo did well."

"Yeah he was super proud of the personal gym and then there's even a room for training with my sword back there," Percy shrugged. "I don't really use it that much though honestly."

"You're not keeping up with your sword skills?" Reyna asked, eyebrows raised. "That's… disappointing." From what she remembered Percy had been one of the greatest swordsmen she'd ever seen. During his short stay at Camp Jupiter Reyna had seen how Percy trained with his sword. He had shown dedication that she had seen in very few.

"Uhh not really," Percy scratched the back of his head. "I was serious when I said I was retired the other day. No more quests. No more near death experiences."

"That's ridiculous," Reyna responded curtly. "There's no reason for you to slack off now that you don't think you'll be fighting. Come on, follow me." Reyna turned around and began walking towards the gym area.

"What?" Percy asked. "Where are you going?"

Reyna sighed, "We're sparring Percy."

"What if I don't want to," Percy responded with a frown.

"Then I'll come over there and kick your ass anyway." Reyna's tone was threatening even though she had a smile on her face. "I had a feeling I'd be beating you up at some point."

With that Reyna turned and stepped into the gym. She took a moment to view the various workout equipment before seeing a door on the far side of the room. She opened the door and her jaw dropped at the view. Percy's "sword training room" was a forty square foot arena.

Reyna instantly turned around and glared at Percy, "Leo made this for you and you don't even use it?" Her voice came out at a higher pitch than she'd intended from her shock at just how nice of an arena Percy had hidden in his basement.

"I guess?" Percy's voice came out like a question and Reyna just rolled her eyes. She entered the room and walked towards the opposite wall. She tugged her golden bracelet, the only jewelry she really wore, and a golden gladius appeared in her hand. The sword was a gift from her mother, one of the few moments that Bellona had acknowledged her. The blade was beautiful, made with imperial gold and it seemed to fit perfectly in Reyna's hand.

"So we're really doing this?" Percy called from the doorway.

"In five seconds I'm going to run you through with this sword if you don't fight back," Reyna called back. Her heart pounded in excitement. She hadn't had a true spar in ages. There were many strong demigods in Camp Jupiter but none were close to her in terms of melee combat. The only time that Reyna truly could let loose against at Camp Jupiter was when she'd sparred with Nico.

Across from her Percy sighed before uncapping Riptide. The sword sprung to life in his hands and Reyna sprinted across the room. Reyna could see Percy's eyes widened as he realized how serious she was.

Reyna reached Percy and stabbed her sword forwards at Percy's midsection. Percy swung Riptide in front of him parrying the blow before setting up a counter slash towards Reyna's sword arm.

Unfortunately for Percy, Reyna had seen the move coming and simply turned her shoulders back and pulled her arm causing Riptide to harmlessly swing past her. Reyna pushed forwards as her sword began to feel like an extension of her arm. Reyna combined stabs with slashes as Percy began to take a few steps back, his defense weakening.

Reyna caught Percy's eyes and could see the son of Poseidon growing frustrated. She knew if she kept up her offense then Percy wouldn't be able to form any sort of successful counter attack. Especially with him being so rusty. With that in mind Reyna feinted a stab low before slashing upwards catching Percy's non-dominant arm with a nasty cut. To Percy's credit he didn't even seem to react to the cut. Reyna couldn't help but smile. It was in her blood to love fighting and she was having a blast.

With his frustration growing Reyna knew she could bait Percy and finish the fight. Following another clash of blades Reyna hesitated before her next attack, giving Percy the chance he needed to go on offense. Percy's sword swung at her with a series of feints and slashes.

Reyna smiled to herself as she blocked each strike. Percy couldn't touch her and she knew it. His talent was still there but after not training for so long Reyna knew that she'd surpassed him in skill. Reyna blocked one more attack before leaving her sword a little too far to her left, showing a hole in her defense. Percy leapt at the opportunity, slashing at Reyna's right side. As Percy swung, Reyna dropped her sword from her right to her left hand and stepped towards Percy. She slammed her forearm against Percy's wrist, the force of the blow knocking Riptide loose. Reyna held her blade to Percy's neck and grinned.

"I win."

"I guess you do." Percy tried to keep his face passive, but Reyna could tell he was a little disappointed in how Reyna had wiped the floor with him. Reyna knew Percy wasn't an arrogant man but getting beaten up could humble even the most modest people.

"Now you have a reason to practice more." Reyna lowered her sword and it transformed back into her bracelet. "Maybe you'll be ready for the rematch."

"Yeah," Percy's eyes met Reyna's, a small smile growing on his face. "I think you're right."

The son of Poseidon walked towards the door where Reyna spotted a large drawer labeled 'First Aid Kit'. Percy dug around the drawer for a moment before pulling out a wipe and a bottle of water. Percy wiped over the cut on his arm as Reyna winced, realizing it was a little deeper than she'd intended.

"Sorry about that cut," Reyna said, "I didn't mean to slice that deep."

"It's ok," Percy responded, dumping the bottle of water onto his arm. Reyna watched in slight awe as the cut sealed itself shut leaving a small pink line. "See. No harm done."

Reyna shook her head. Percy's healing powers were always fascinating to witness. It was a shame that the water couldn't heal whatever was going on in his head.

After the sparring match, Percy stalled for another thirty minutes before finally relenting to visit Nico. He'd been stubborn, but he had nothing on Reyna. Reyna had tried to keep her voice calm but there were moments when her frustration was revealed in her voice.

Reyna eyed Percy in her peripheral vision. The son of Poseidon was fidgeting in his seat, his eyes flickering from the front dashboard window to the passenger side. His left hand was drumming on the top of his leg aimlessly.

"You want to talk about whatever is freaking you out?" Reyna asked, with an attempt at keeping her voice light.

"Nothing's freaking me out," Percy replied, his voice hasty. The tapping on his leg grew quicker.

"Please," Reyna's voice held a level of sarcasm that even surprised her. "If you aren't freaking out then what's with the fidgeting?"

"It's just," Percy paused to think of the right words, "Last time I saw Nico I yelled at him. I said some stuff I didn't mean and it didn't end well."

"Like?" Reyna didn't mean to pry, but Nico had also shifted away from the subject when she'd asked him.

"He told me I was pathetic and that it was time to get off my ass." Percy laughed but there wasn't any humor in it. "I'd had a little to drink and he mentioned that my mom wouldn't have wanted to see me like this. After that I lost it, I told him he had no right to talk about that with some of the shit he pulled after Bianca died. It was a sore spot for both of us and I shouldn't have said it." Percy's hands were locked together on his lap.

"I'm not going to say you weren't in the wrong but I understand," Reyna said. "I take it the conversation didn't stop there?"

"Not at all. We kept arguing. I honestly don't remember half of what we said after that. One of us punched the other and suddenly we were fighting on my porch. The fight didn't last long." Percy shook his head. "Nico knocked me down and I'd created a storm that literally pushed him away from me. I told him I didn't want to see him again and that was it."

Reyna was quiet. She wasn't sure what she'd expected but that wasn't it. She knew there was some argument but she didn't realize how personal it had gotten. In the back of her mind she couldn't help but commend Nico for his maturity. Sons of Pluto, or Hades, were known for their ability to hold a grudge but Nico had clearly moved past the fight.

"I don't think Nico is still mad at you," Reyna started. "At least, not enough to never want to see you again."

"Gods," Percy sighed, "I hope so. I wanted to reach out but it just didn't feel right. I thought I fucked everything up for so long." Reyna was surprised by the emotion in his voice. She'd known the two were close, but she'd always assumed it was a bond made from strength. The two were almost unmatched in terms of raw power, with only Jason able to keep up with them. The tone of Percy's voice showed how deeply he cared about Nico, it showed that they were family.

"Don't worry, I have a feeling it will work out," Reyna glanced at Percy. "I have another question."

"Shoot."

"I noticed the alcohol bottles around your house. Plus you said you'd been drinking when you and Nico fought. What exactly is going on with that?" Reyna kept her voice smooth. She didn't want to accuse Percy of anything but she wanted to understand if he'd fallen down that specific path.

"I guess it's a habit I've picked up," Percy responded, Reyna could feel his eyes shifting towards her. "I don't drink all the time if that's what you're wondering. It's just when my mind starts focusing on all the bad it helps take off the edge."

"And you didn't think of anything else to take off the edge?" Reyna questioned, her tone harsher then she'd meant it. She wanted to make sure Percy knew there were alternatives to drinking every time he got sad.

"Like?" Percy's reply was short. So short that Reyna wasn't sure what was going through his head.

Reyna sighed. The conversation was about to take a turn towards something that was a little too personal and emotional for her liking but she couldn't stop now. "When my mind focuses on the bad I run. After the war I kept seeing people's faces who died. Being Praetor had me stressed to hell." Reyna stopped, remembering how much of a mess she was.

"What did you do to fix it?" Percy asked. Reyna could hear the genuine interest in his voice.

"I ran." Reyna answered. "At first I ran until my lungs burned and I didn't have the energy to think anymore. But eventually it became something that would clear my head. If I had a nightmare or a bad day, I'd go on a run until I cooled down. Sometimes it wouldn't help as much as I'd like but I'd be a hell of a lot worse if I just did nothing." Or drank. The words were unspoken but Reyna had a feeling Percy knew what she was getting at.

"Honestly," Percy began, "I was never really the biggest runner so I'm not sure that'll be the best help for me." Reyna felt the urge to facepalm. Gods Percy could be dense when he wanted to.

"I'm not saying to run," Reyna grumbled, slightly annoyed that Percy missed the point. "I'm saying find something to actually do. Maybe swimming since your dad is the god of the ocean. Maybe you could pick up your sword so I don't kick your ass as badly as I did earlier."

Percy scoffed, "You didn't totally kick my ass."

Reyna raised an eyebrow as she looked at the son of Poseidon, "Percy when you came to Camp Jupiter the first time you worried me. I saw you fight and I thought if it came down to it you'd have a shot at winning. The guy I fought today would've lost to most of the centurions." Despite Reyna's harsh words, she was glad the conversation had moved to talking about fights, something Reyna was far more comfortable with than her emotional distresses.

"Ouch," Percy muttered. "Didn't have to be so harsh about it."

"Don't be a baby," Reyna said as she turned the steering wheel to pull in next to Nico's apartment. "We're here."

As Reyna opened her door she could hear Percy let out a breath before following her outside the car.

"You're sure he doesn't hate me?" Percy asked as they made their way to the door. "Like absolutely positive."

Reyna rolled her eyes. Instead of responding to Percy's question she raised her hand and knocked on Nico's door. "I guess we'll find out," She said to Percy with a small smile.

The door opened before Percy could respond. Nico stood in front of the two demigods and gave Reyna a small smile. His gaze shifted towards Percy as the two sons of the big three simply looked at each other.

The son of Hades took two steps towards Percy and grinned, "I missed you man." Nico pulled Percy in for a hug.

"I missed you too." Reyna stifled a laugh at Percy's face. He'd obviously expected a much colder welcome.

Before the hug became awkward, Nico pulled back and motioned his hand at the door. "Come on in."

A/N: Chapter 2 done! This one felt kinda sloppy but I think that's just because I didn't write it in one sitting like I did with Chapter 1. I originally planned for it to be going to Nico's AND what happens at Nico's place but I got sidetracked and decided to stick with 5k words per chapter.

Dakota's death was sad to come up with and it wasn't really a fun topic to write about but it's important for the change in Reyna's character from the 'strong roman' that we've seen in Son of Neptune. We'll learn more about Dakota as time goes on.

Reyna being closer friends with Nico wasn't something I expected but I like it and it lets me give her a friend that isn't Percy or her sister.

Originally planned to do the whole story from Percy's POV but I like showing Reyna's side so I'll probably be switching back and forth at random. It makes it easier for me to show how people view Percy instead of just showing how Percy views himself.

Decided to just give Percy a mega house that would be any teenage boy's dream because Leo designed it and I feel like that's a Leo type of move. Once Percy stops being grumpy he'll get a lot more use out of it I promise. Plus I needed a way to segue into Reyna kicking Percy's ass. I didn't originally plan a fight scene here but I like how it shows how Percy hasn't been doing much and is instead just kind of marinating in his depression. The fight was kind of one-sided but that was because Percy hasn't really been training at all for the past few years and Reyna has kept up training at Camp Jupiter.

Thanks for the reviews guys I love the support and I'll be back in the next week(ish)