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

Chapter 14

Percy and I got released the next day. "Why is your nose all red?" Will asked Percy as he walked us out of the infirmary. I opened my book and casually started reading it. So, Dumbledore's favorite jam is raspberry... I thought as I read.

"Well, I insulted Harry Potter in front of Erica and..." Percy began. "Say no more." Will interrupted, putting his hand up. I grinned into my book. "That's all the information I need. Anyway, you're free to go back to your cabin." He added, stopping. "Do me a favor and don't get stung again."

And with that, the child of Apollo turned and jogged back to the infirmary. "Goodbye to you, too!" Percy yelled after him.

"Hey, I'll catch up with you." I said, as Percy started to walk towards the cabin. "Where are you going?" Percy questioned me suspiciously. "Well, I was planning on reading by the lake-"
"Bye!"

I grinned evilly. I knew if I said I was going to read he would run away. What was I really doing? Well, I was going to visit Nico.

~*~

Whenever Nico visited my in the infirmary, I had noticed one thing; Percy's attitude. Every time Nico and I got "too close" Percy would loudly clear his throat and change the subject. It was annoying, embarrassing, and overly protective.

Now, since I was out of the infirmary, I figured that I could spend some time with Nico in peace. No over protective brothers, no children of Apollo saying that we'd had enough time, just me and Nico.

I checked the Hades cabin first, but neither Nico nor Hazel was there. Then I went to look down by the beach.

"Erica?" A voice asked behind me. I turned and found myself face to face with a grinning Latino face. "Hey, Leo." I said stiffly. I didn't really need an interruption at the time. "'Hey Leo'?" Leo yelled happily. "You're alive! I thought you were going to die!"
"Leo You visited me like fifty times."
"No need to over-exaggerate."
"Whatever. Why are you so happy anyway?"
"Because you're not dead."
"Leo!"
"So, where's Percy?"
"Not sure. Probably in the cabin."
"Okay. Cool. See you later!"

Leo dashed off towards the cabins. I sighed a little and continued my search for Nico.

I couldn't find him anywhere. I ran into Hazel and asked her if she knew where he was, but she said she hadn't seen him since this morning. No one seemed to know where the son of Hades was, and it unnerved me.

Percy had told me stories about how Nico tended to disappear for long periods of time. Sometimes, he would get himself in trouble on some dangerous quest. Other times he would just leave to get away. For a while he went from the Roman camp to the Greek camp, pretending to be one or the other. (Well, he was a Greek. He was no Roman. I guess that sentence didn't really make that much sense.)

I hadn't realized how long I had been searching. Before I knew it, the dinner horn sounded loud and clear in the distance. "Shoot," I muttered under my breath. I made a quick run to my cabin and dropped off The Half Blood Prince and then headed down to dinner.

"Where have you been?" Percy asked as I sat down. "Well...you see, I was reading on the beach and-" "Stop it Erica, you sound like Annabeth." Percy interrupted.

"What's so bad about that, Seaweed Brain?" Annabeth asked, appearing behind Percy and I. "Erm...uh...er..." Percy stuttered. I giggled. Annabeth whacked Percy on the back of the head. "Oh, come on! I just got out of the infirmary!" Percy whinned as he rubbed his neck. "So? That doesn't give you an excuse to be an idiot." Annabeth countered.

"Good one, Ms. Chase!" I chocked through a laugh. Annabeth grinned at me. "Thank you, Ms. Chase."

"Why do you guys keep doing that?" Percy snapped at us. Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Because we can, Seaweed brain. Anymore stupid questions?"

Annabeth turned and walked away. I looked around the dining pavilion and realized that Nico wasn't sitting at the Hades table. Why would he disappear from camp at a time like this? I was better, I was ready, and I wanted to see him. He wouldn't just abandon me, would he?

~*~

That night, I laid in bed reading The Half Blood Prince while Percy snored above me. I tended to stay up late reading. Sure, it was a pain getting up in the morning, but whatever. Plus, I couldn't sleep anyway. I was too busy worrying about Nico.

I feel asleep around midnight, and I was woken up again by some sort of humming noise. I opened one eye, peered at the fountain in the corner on instinct, and sat up so fast in my bed I whacked my head on Percy's bunk.

"What?" Percy asked, looking at me from over the bed spring. I pointed at the fountain with one had while I rubbed my head with the other.

Percy, still hanging upside-down from his bunk, looked at the fountain and fell out of bed. "Ouch." He muttered, pulling himself to his feet. "What is this thing doing?" He whispered, hitting the side of the fountain with his hand. I got out of bed and stood behind him.

Suddenly, an image appeared in the water. There was a figure hanging by his arms from a tree. People with blond hair walked around the tree, spears in their hands. "What the...?" Percy's voice trailed off as he stared at the image in the water.

The moon broke through the trees and hit the figure on the tree. Disheveled black hair, a pained face, and pale scratched skin... I let out a low moan. Percy gasped. "Oh, Nico." I whispered.

Suddenly, Arc's face appeared in the image. "We have him." He said quietly, gesturing to the unmoving son of Hades. "And you have to come get him."

The image disappeared.

~*~

A/N: Yay, I got the chapter in! Sorry it's short. I'm working on a tight schedule.