Maybe Next Time

Bianca

Bianca's pencil stopped moving mid-word. Something was off. She'd been back at the palace for three days and not once had Nico come by to visit her. Usually, he's pounding at her door seconds after her bag has hit the bed. She stared blankly at her paper before setting her pencil down and heading for the door.

"Hey, Mom?" She shouted down the long hallway, "Dad?"

She jogged down the hall, passing through patches of sunlight that filtered through the glass ceiling. She found the queen in the library, searching through books to aid Bianca in her quest.

"Hey, Mom?"

The older version of Bianca glanced up from her book and smiled, "Hey sweetie. What's on your mind?"

"Have you seen Nico?" She glanced over her mom's shoulder at the book she was reading, "He usually pesters me when I come home."

"He went to his friends house about a week ago. I believe they're out camping."

Bianca leaned back, seeing nothing significant on the pages of the book, "Camping? Mom, the boy hardly ever sees the sun."

"I was just as surprised as you are, but he insisted," the queen replied, "He said he didn't know when he would be back."

"And you just let him go?" Bianca felt worry begin to form in her stomach. This was so out of character of her brother.

"I-"

"Mom. He doesn't have any friends that would take him camping." Panic was clear in her voice.

It was then that it seemed to dawn on her mom what she was implying, "Oh gods." Her hand covered her mouth. The book slid from her lap onto the floor.

"Hades!" She shouted as she ran out of the room.

An hour later, Bianca met her parents in the dining room with news of her brothers whereabouts.

"I know where he is." She stated, tossing a map she'd found in her brother's room on the table in front of the king and queen.

"How?" King Hades asked, anger lacing his features.

"I searched his room," Thalia explained, "Nobody can leave without leaving a hint as to where they're going."

"You found something," Queen Maria looked hopeful. In her hands, she clutched a small stuffed toy, a dog Nico had named Cerberus. The boy himself hadn't touched that dog in a few years, but when he was little, he wouldn't let it go.

Bianca studied her mom's face, a sad feeling washing over her. The queen blamed herself for Nico's disappearance. She did, after all, give him permission to leave the castle without escorts. But still... She shouldn't be so hard on herself.

"I did. Nico's dressed for something wet. All of his swimming trunks are gone along with the wet suit you got him."

"So we should search the coast?" King Hades asked.

"Not exactly. Atleast... Not the shore part. All of Nico's flip flops are left in his closet which means he isn't on the beach. He's out in the water," Bianca concluded.

"Sweetheart, please. I know you like playing detective, but where is my baby?" The Queen met Bianca's gaze with one of pure suffering, and she immediately hated herself for dragging the truth out for so long.

"I found the map in his room." She motioned to the paper in front of her parents, "The lines her drew there... They're tracing a boat's movements." She studied her parents gaze, "I believe he's on Percy Jackson's ship."