If Only (Nico di Angelo) {Complete} {#Wattys2015 #Feels}

Chapter 6

A/N: Oh my gods. 110 views. To most people that's not that exciting, but hey, I'm new. Read, share, comment, and enjoy!

~*~

The first thing I did that morning was explain my dream to Percy. The second thing I did was regret it.

Seriously, I have never hear the kid laugh harder. "I KNEW YOU LIKED HIM!" He roared. "Yeah, congratulations for not being as stupid as you look." I snapped.

"Thank you." Percy replied. "Wait..." I laughed evilly and danced out of the way as Percy took a swat at me. "You little-" I didn't hear the rest of the sentence, I was already running out the door. I'd probably get it at breakfast, but that wasn't where I was going. I was looking for Piper McLean.

~*~

I found Piper sitting by the lake with her boyfriend, Jason. I didn't want to intrude, or anything...but I really needed her help. "Piper?" I asked cautiously. Piper looked over her shoulder and smiled at me. "Hey Erica. You need something?" She questioned. I nodded. Piper turned to Jason and whispered something really fast. Jason nodded, got up, and walked away, shooting me a smile as he went.

Piper patted the ground next to her, and I took a seat. "What's bugging you?" She asked. I quickly launched into the explanation of the over-heard conversation outside the infirmary, Aphrodite, and my dream.

When I had finished, Piper didn't make fun of me, or laugh, or rub it in my face. What she did do was squeal. She squealed like a normal, everyday, teenage girl that had just been asked out by her dream boy.

"I told Jason!" She yelped. "I told him that you guys would become a couple!" "Hey, Piper-" I tried to interrupt.
"What should your ship name be?"
"Piper-"
"Nierica?"
"Piper-"
"Erico?"
"No, Piper-"
"Nierciao?"
"PIPER!"

Piper looked at me like she had just realized I was there. "Yeah?" She asked. "We're not a couple. I don't even know if he likes me. By the sound of the conversation him and Reyna had..." My voice shook a little and trailed off. Piper put a hand on my back.

"Erica, what do you trust more; half a conversation, or an immortal goddess? Aphrodite, as ignorant of the human world as she is, knows her stuff. She likes to twist love stories, make the roads rocky, make the heartwarming moments worth more than anything...it's usually completely unpredictable. But, I know one thing for sure. Once she ships you with someone, there's no escaping it. So don't worry. You two have been shipped together, so my guess is that you'll end up together...though you may not go as far as to get married."

I laughed. "Princess of the Underworld." I said, putting my hand in the air like a queen. Piper grinned. "Wife of Sir Skull Shirt." She snorted. We laughed for a while before I hugged her. "Thanks Piper." I whispered. Piper patted my back. "Anytime Erica." She pulled me away from her. "Wanna go to breakfast? I'm starving." I grinned. "Percy's going to kill me."
"Why?"
"Well...he said some things...I said some things..."
"I'll tell him to go easy on you."
"You really think he'll listen?"

Piper's grin suddenly became evil. "I have a way with words." She said simply, getting to her feet and helping me up.

My heart considerably lighter than it had been the past few days, I walked alongside Piper to the dining pavilion, where almost everyone was already seated.

I got my food as fast as I could and shoveled some of it into the fire. Thanks for the ship, was all I thought as I watched the food burn away. I offered some to my father too, of course, just because that's the polite thing to do.

I sat next to Percy as usual. Frank and Hazel were sitting across from us again. Though Percy shot me a glare like ice daggers, he didn't say a word. I was so glad I had Piper as a friend.

The dining pavilion was loud today. Everyone was talking to everyone. After a few minutes of me poking and prodding and urging, Percy spoke to me again. Honestly though, he was such a drama queen.

Annabeth swept by our table and planted a quick kiss on Percy's cheek. "How's it going, Chase?" I asked her, grinning. "Wonderful, Ms. Chase." Annabeth replied, giving me a high-five as she went past.

No one left their tables, even after they finished eating. It was one of those days where all you wanted to do was sit there and talk, feeling the warm sunshine and enjoying one another's company. Everyone was happy, calm, and...well, normal. As normal as demigods could be, anyway.

Suddenly, the happy chatter stopped. Percy and I were the only ones still talking, though it didn't last long.

Stuttering footsteps echoed around the pavilion. Travis Stoll was walking down the middle asiel, dragging an un-moving figure behind him. I gasped along with countless other people around me. Travis's face was terrified. He droped the figure and knelt beside it.

"Connor?" Percy whispered, his voice trembling. I stared at Travis as he knelt over his brother's identical face. "I just got away." He said. "Connor wasn't fast enough."

Chiron trotted up to them, his tail swishing fearfully. Travis looked up, his hair covering one eye. Katie Gardner, daughter of Demeter and Travis's girlfriend, ran up to him and hugged him. "I don't know who they were." Travis said quietly. "They were people, all right. They had to have been demigods. But there was something wrong with them. They attacked us in the forest. We were ambushed."

Chiron stared at Travis for a moment before kneeling. "Put him on my back." He ordered. Katie and Travis dragged Connor onto Chiron's back, and followed him out of the dining pavilion to the infirmary. I shivered. "There's something in the forest?" I asked Percy. He didn't reply, so I continued. "Has this ever happened before?"

Percy shook his head. "Never...I mean the monsters, of course. But...people? Demigods?"

Chiron thundered back under the pavilion, his eyes wild. "Everyone, go to your cabins, now! No one is to be outside!" "Why?" Someone yelled. Chiron scanned us before replying.

"Do you want to die today?"