I'm bored, so have another chapter XD

To Riordanlover16- according to this thing I found, was worth $98,000,000 about a year and a half ago so... do with that what you will :P Also, yes, Lizzie is Jessica's kid. She had her when she was 15/16 and her mum took her away after the birth. I did go over it in Sanity is Optional but forewarning, I never finished that one :/

The others were already there when the Uber pulled into the carpark. Leo jumped out first, offering his hand to Louisa to help her out. She took it, aware of Piper's tittering somewhere in the background. Leo grinned at her and the sound of tittering fell away, replaced by an inexplicable thrumming in her chest.

She took three steps away from the car when something barged into her, wrapping around her ribs. It took her a second, hand falling away from Leo's, to recognise the dark mop of hair and the thin shoulders.

"Nico," she said, eyes watering. He nodded, chin over her shoulder. Louisa returned his hug with equal force, both competing to out-bearhug the other.

In all the years she had known him, Nico had never hugged her first. He had always been victim to her hugs, grudgingly putting up with them. Sometimes she thought he secretly liked them, though she would never get him to admit it.

Now, he had initiated it. He was patting her back, much like she usually did to him.

"You need food," he mumbled into her shoulder.

"So do you." He drew back, wiping at his eyes. Louisa smiled, brushing his hair back from his forehead. "Ya need a haircut too." Nico rolled his eyes, a trace of a smile. "Where've ya been, cuz?" He looked her in the eye, brow furrowing. Louisa squeezed his shoulder.

If anyone knew pain like she did, it was Nico.

Percy ventured over. He tucked an arm around her shoulders and pressed a kiss to her temple. Louisa whined, flailing a hand at him, and he laughed, falling into the old routine.

"I heard my nephew has a pretty cool name now," he grinned. Louisa squinted at him suspiciously. What did he know? "Bradley Perseus, huh?"

It had made sense to her. There was a sibling input on both his names. Estelle had picked 'Bradley'. Sally had picked 'Perseus' for her son in the hopes the luck of the namesake would pass down. Louisa had picked 'Perseus' for her son in the hopes of the same, though calling from a more modern source.

She looked up at her brother. He was still grinning. Did he know about the Valdez bit or had his brain just stopped on hearing his own name being used?

"It suits him," she said.

"It does," he agreed.

"You don't mind?"

"He hasn't stopped boasting about it," Annabeth said, appearing beside her husband. She crossed her arms, tapped her foot. "Apparently it's in his Top Five Proudest Moments."

"It is!" Percy beamed.

Louisa didn't get to ask what the other four were. They were getting hollered at to move, delaying the group's golfing with their chitter-chatter.

Nico hung close to her side. Louisa didn't mind, she had missed him too. Her cousin, but really he was a little brother to her. She was the one he had shadow-travelled onto the night he had found out his sister, Bianca, had died. Landed right on her head, the start to a great friendship.

She got a smile out of him as they played. For the first two holes, they played to the rules. After that, ADHD and competitiveness kicked in and Louisa was not the only one to hook her club around someone else's to throw off their shot. It got to a point where they were all desperately trying to take their shot, multi-coloured balls ricocheting about the course. Piper's orange one was the first to fly off, landing with a splosh in the creek running by.

"Oops," she said, watching it float away. "Hey, water siblings. Get my ball."

"No," Percy said, sparring with Annabeth, clubs crossed. Hazel was standing on a rock behind them, bowed over to neatly smack her ball into the hole. Louisa wondered if anyone was actually keeping score.

Leo tried to fish the ball out for Piper. It had come to a rest on a metal grate at the end of the creek, the water tinkling away. His tongue was out in concentration and he was on his tiptoes to lean over the barrier, waggling his club to try and get the orange ball back.

Nico elbowed Louisa.

"You asked him to sign the birth certificate?"

"How d'you know?"

"Your mom told Sally who told Percy who told Annabeth who told Piper who told Jason who told me and then I told Hazel and she told Frank and then Frank told Reyna and Reyna—"

"OK, I get it. Everyone knows."

"I wasn't done. And Reyna told Thalia who told Jason off for not telling her first."

"Anyone else?"

"I told Will. He told… literally everyone at Camp. He's not sorry." Louisa sighed. Nico studied her face. "Bradley Valdez, huh?" Louisa simmered. She dropped her ball and stilled it with her foot. Nico swung his club and sent it zooming past Leo and Piper.

"Oy, watch it!" Piper warned over her shoulder. Louisa held her hand out; the water surged and both the red and orange balls landed neatly on the course. "Oh, thanks!" Piper grinned. Leo straightened up, rubbing his ribs.

"I think I broke something."

"You're fine," Piper insisted.

Louisa moved to her ball, lining the shot up. Percy and Annabeth were still duelling on the course. Hazel was crouched on her rock, watching everything unfold.

Nico stood beside Louisa, wedging her ball between their clubs. Louisa raised an eyebrow at him. He stared back, expression carefully blank, eyes ablaze with thought.

Louisa knew that look. Whatever was on his mind, she would hear about it later, out of earshot of the others. She elbowed his arm and club away and smacked her ball.

"Ow!" Percy yelped as it slammed into his foot. Louisa waved her hand in protest.

"Down in front!"

"Guys," Hazel called. "There are people behind us now."

"Hurry up, Leo!"

"Me?!"

In the end, they let the group behind go ahead. And the group after them. There was too much bickering and sabotage going on for the game to be taken seriously. Somehow, Piper ended up beside Louisa, taking Nico's place. Louisa looked around, suspicious of Piper's too-innocent smile. Nico was standing beside Leo, club held across his shoulders. Leo was shaking his head, tapping his green ball into the hole.

"What?" Louisa asked warily. "What's that look for?"

"Nothing," Piper lied. "Are you OK?"

"I'm fine."

"How's Bradley?"

"He's OK. Sleepin' when we left."

"Can I ask you something?"

"You're gonna anyway."

"I am," Piper grinned. "Why did you put Valdez?" Louisa shrugged a shoulder, concentrating on her ball. Her hands were shaking, throwing off her aim.

"Felt right," she mumbled as Piper's gaze lay heavy on her head.

"Why?"

"I dunno. I…" Piper wasn't going to leave off, her curiosity trumping her common sense. Louisa could and probably would lamp her with the golf club, leaving the implement cocooned about her head, but Piper would not be deterred. She wanted information and information she would garner, even at the cost of an unbecoming crown.

Louisa sighed. "I didn't want to… I didn't know what else ta put. Leo was there. I asked him ta sign it."

"And he did." Louisa nodded. "Is that why you asked him to go with you? To sign it?" Louisa hesitated. Had she? When the idea had sprung up from… wherever, she had felt compelled to air it. There was an instance of regret as his expression slackened, but in retrospect she saw it had been in surprise, not disgust.

She did not regret asking him. It had made him very happy, especially seeing his name next to Bradley's, and it had made her… comforted. Leo Valdez had made her home safe and maybe, by extension, Valdez would make Bradley safe too.

It was a strange way of thinking. It didn't make any sense at all, a surname bringing security, but, she reasoned with herself, it was akin to naming someone Perseus. Maybe the combination of the two would keep Bradley safe.

Whatever the weather, Bradley's name sat right with her. She didn't want to change it. Bradley Perseus Valdez.

You don't match.

Piper tapped her arm. "Lou?"

"Bradley will be OK," she found herself saying. Piper stared, computing this jump in thoughts. Louisa nodded and hit her ball. It met a yellow one on route to the hole and they bounced off each other, both missing the target. Annabeth's head snapped round to glare at her. Louisa simply waved. She could see Annabeth totting this up— first, Louisa had taught Tobias to swear and now this? Revenge would be had.

Piper was still watching her as they moved on to the next hole. Louisa frowned at her. "What?"

"Leo's really happy," Piper began slowly. She was twisting her hands. "Don't think I'm… speaking out of turn or something, Lou. You can tell me to shut up if you want, but…" Piper sighed, hesitating. She regarded Louisa cautiously. "Obviously I don't know everything that happened and… and you don't have to tell me either, not if you don't want to. I'm just… I'm just glad that there's something positive for you now."

Louisa wasn't looking at her, jaw clenched. Piper continued. "However things pan out now, you're home. You've… you've got a beautiful baby boy and Leo's over the moon to be involved." Movement beside her— Nico. His dark eyes were darker still, fixed on his cousin with such intensity, Piper had a wild thought of him being able to see past the flesh and blood to the bones beneath.

"Leo fell in a bush," Nico announced. Louisa and Piper looked round. Percy and Annabeth were trying to help Leo out, though both were struggling to stifle their giggles to help properly.

Louisa eyed Nico suspiciously.

"How'd he end up in the bush, Nico?"

"He fell," Nico insisted.

"He pushed me!" Leo protested. Percy hauled him free at last and began dusting him down. Annabeth picked leaves from his hair. Leo huffed at Nico. "I thought we were friends!"

"Yes," Nico said calmly, "but I still stand by what I said." A hand clamped on his shoulder.

"Which was what?" Louisa asked tightly. Nico did not flinch under her glare; there was a flash of old fire there and he revelled in it.

"We just had a chat," he said. "Didn't we, Leo?" Leo looked ready to argue, ducking his head at the last second.

"Yeah," he murmured. Louisa pinched the bridge of her nose.

Somehow, they finished their game without any further incidents or bush pushes. Leo veered away from Nico, hovering beside Louisa when Nico was with his sister or Piper and then by Percy when Nico came towards Louisa.

They went for food afterwards, swarming into a nearby McDonalds. Louisa put her order in with her brother and sent him off to join the queue. Percy rolled his eyes, expecting his wallet to be the victim of her stomach, but he didn't mind. He hadn't treated his sister for over a year.

Louisa held the table, grabbing Leo's arm and pulling him back.

"To hold that side," she said. "Just in case."

"Oh, right." Leo sat back down, looking oddly relieved. The others went to join the queue. Hazel was still waving the scorecard about, adamant she had won and refusing to hear their dissent. How could anyone have won when no-one had been playing properly?

"Leo," Louisa leaned her elbows on the table, "what did Nico say?" He winced, smiling nervously. Louisa set her jaw stubbornly and he realised it would be safer to simply answer.

"Well, it… it was about the birth certificate, about Bradley." He rubbed his neck awkwardly. "Something about disappearing into the Underworld and my bones being Cerberus's chew toys if I… ever hurt you or Bradley." She figured it had been something like that, nodding slowly.

"So, why'd he push you in the bush?"

"I told him to fuck off."

"You did what?"

"Uh, yeah, probably not my best move. I'm sorry." He hunched his shoulders. "I know he's just looking out for you, like you do for him, but… I wouldn't." He met her gaze, brown eyes fierce in their earnestness. "I wouldn't hurt you or Bradley, I wouldn't." Louisa sat back.

"I know," she said softly. Then, head tilted, "Did you really tell him to fuck off?"

"You're laughing at me."

"I'm not." She was.

Leo pouted, pretending to sulk, but her laugh was musical. She was trying to suppress it, to maintain her concern, but the giggles were rising up and she could hardly keep them from rippling out. How he had missed her laugh.

"I think you're rubbing off on me, Lou," he nodded solemnly as she laughed into her hand. "I never would have told Nico di Angelo to fuck off if not for you, not in a million years. You're a bad influence."

"I'm sorry," she squeaked, squeezing her eyes shut. Leo squinted at her, fingers laced on the table. She cleared her throat, one final attempt at making herself contrite. "You should tell him to fuck off more often."

"No. I don't want to be a chew toy for a three-headed dog, no thank you."

"I'll tell him to fuck off for you," she decided.

"That's probably safer," Leo agreed. "He won't push you into a bush, he wouldn't dare." She hummed. Neither said anything more, the others piling back in bit by bit. Percy sat between his sister and his wife. Hazel and Piper sat either side of Leo. Nico sat opposite him, two seats down from Louisa.

A chicken nugget struck Nico in the side of the head. He whipped round to see Louisa silently challenging him, fist braced knuckles down on the table.

They stared at each other, a thousand words flurrying between them without a sound made. Percy was the only one not to notice, engrossed in his burger.

Something was clearly settled between them, Leo realised, as they both sat back at the same time and returned to their food. He was pleased to see Louisa had taken advantage of her brother paying, a double cheeseburger, ten nuggets, large fries and a large milkshake crowding her tray. It was only when Percy counted his nuggets did he twig where the missile to Nico's head had come from.

"Throw your own food!" he chided, placing his arm between their trays protectively. Louisa held her hand out, palm up.

"Why would I throw mine when I could throw yours?"

"That's a fair point," Annabeth reasoned, using the twins making faces at each other to steal some of her husband's fries.