And there's no where in the world I'd rather be...

Will was called back to the infirmary during the night. He carefully slid Nico off of him, who stretched and murmured sleepily, "Will." He stopped halfway to the door and looked back.

Nico was smiling at him, only half-awake. Maybe I have a minute, Will decided. By now, Nico was reaching for him. Their fingers wound together. "What's going on?"

"It's nothing. One of the younger healers accidently broke a bottle of iodine. It isn't a big deal but I still have to fill out the same paperwork for three different departments." Now Will was finding it hard to leave.

"Basilisks in the grain cellar," Hazel cried, sitting straight up. She looked at the two of them and explained, "They were hunting mice."

"Anyway, I'll let you guys deal with that. I have paperwork."

Later that morning, Hazel was with Nico at the Athena Parthenos.

"What was it like at Will's place?"

Nico shrugged unsure what to say. Finally he told her, "There's a statue of a Roman demigod by the Gulf of Mexico."

"Really?"

He nodded. "I don't remember but I think the inscription said she was a daughter of Mercury."

"She must have been from a long time ago. I don't remember any demigods from Texas. What happened? Why does she have a shrine?"

"A draconae got close to her by disguising itself as a friend. She escaped the monster and ran all the way to the lobby where she told everyone there the name of her killer. It was along time ago but the people who love her still leave things there for her."

"I haven't heard that before but I don't know...maybe Frank and I will go to the shrine one day."

"How is Frank?"

Hazel blushed. "He's great. Last week he and the rest of the cohort cleared out a nest of amphisbaena underneath the Santa Monica pier."

"That sounds wild. What have you been doing?"

"Not a lot. I'm kind of glad to be away even if I miss him."

"You know they built a cabin here for visitors?"

"Yeah. I might stay awhile. I wasn't planning on leaving tonight anyway. What about Will?"

"We haven't really seen a lot of each other since we got back. But the infirmary is so important to him."

"Is he planning on studying at New Rome?"

"I'm not sure. He's enrolled at one of the smaller colleges nearby along with his high school courses. I don't know how he manages to stay so dedicated."

"And what are you doing after graduation?"

"Chiron told me the other day that the job offer still stands if I want it." He sighed, feeling a little embarrassed. "I tried to teach them self-defense. It didn't work out."

"You took them to pick strawberries..."

"It seemed like a good idea at the time."

Hazel laughed and Nico caught himself smiling along.

That evening they sat at the Hades table together. He hadn't been here in ages but he still felt a faint sense of disconnect. Kayla joined them for the rest of the meal.

Later on...

"If you knew that was going to happen Claudia, why did you do it anyway?"

"Stefan said it would be fine."

"Yeah well, Stefan says a lot of things but you knew the candy bar had peanuts in it and that you have a peanut allergy."

Will was still scolding the little girl when Nico came up behind them. He had stolen a few drumsticks from the mess hall and had them wrapped in a napkin. He sat them down discreetly on the desk. Will glanced at them and Nico watched the different emotions cross his face.

"I guess I lost track of time," he said, sheepishly unwrapping them. "Thanks Nico."

"I went swimming with Hazel but the naiads whether to restock it with salmon or trout."

"What did they decide on?"

"Grouper."

"Did Chiron ever tell you that they had it dug after the first world war so that the camp would always have a food source?"

"I read about it in the handbook."

Will grabbed a drumstick. "I know I already said but thanks for bringing this. I mean, I had a red bull earlier but...um that's something else we're not going to tell my mom about. It's been so busy today. Wait, did you eat?"

"I went to the mess hall with Hazel and Kayla."

"That's good. That's progress. You ate with the rest of the kids."

Nico found himself not knowing what to say again. "I have an idea, Will." He put his hand on Will's should and together they moved into shadow.

Shadowtravel was always disorienting but Will recovered quickly. A monarch butterfly flitted by inches from his face.

"There must be a million of them," he heard Nico say dreamily.

He was right. The air was filled with monarchs. They settled on the trees, the grass, really on any surface they could find to land. Will was afraid to move for fear he would crush a dozen or more. He looked over at Nico who was also becoming covered in butterflies. He burst into laugher at the sight. Nico looked surly for half a second before laughing with him.

Late at night when all the world is sleeping