Hazel stared at Nico worriedly. 

"I'm sorry," Piper uttered, embarrassed. "We just wanted to know more about Percy."

Annabeth looked distraught, but she shrugged.

"I understand. It's fine. Percy would have forgiven you too if he were here."

Hazel looked down at her feet in remorse.

"Sorry." she said in a small voice.

Annabeth sighed.

"I agree with Nico, though, Chiron." Annabeth said. "The gods might help us this time."

Chiron looked away.

"Annabeth, it's not that I don't support you, but... The gods would prefer demigods to fight their own battles..."

"Yeah, yeah. We know." Piper butted in. "But since Percy is their prized hero, it's basically impossible to just ignore this. Just let Annabeth go find the gods." Piper put emphasis on her last sentence. The charm-speak was so powerful even Hazel had the urge to go and lead Annabeth to Mount Olympus. 

The charm-speak seemed to work.

Chiron looked a bit dreamy.

"Annabeth, you may go on a quest with two other demigods. Go to the gods and ask them if they are willing to help Percy." 

Annabeth nodded and left the big house. Piper followed. Hazel glanced back at the shadows.

"Nico?" 

No reply.

Most probably Nico had already shadow travelled away. 

She followed Annabeth out of the big house. 

Piper was talking to Annabeth. 

"-just wanted to tell you I don't want to come." 

Annabeth tilted her head.

"Why not?"

Piper laughed.

"I thought you would have guessed." she answered. "Find someone else that is as worried for Percy as you. And good luck on persuading the gods." she smiled and walked away. 

Hazel tapped Annabeth's shoulder.

"I agree with Piper," she said, "go and find someone that is worried about Percy."

Annabeth laughed. 

"Hazel, can you help me ask if Nico would like to come?" 

Hazel paused for a moment. 

"Why would you want Nico?"

Annabeth shrugged in reply. 

"He seems pretty worried about him." 

Hazel merely nodded and walked to the Hades cabin to find Nico. 

"Nico?" 

No answer again.

Where is he?

She ran to the forest and called out his name. 

No answer. 

Hazel was on edge. Where was Nico? 

She sat on a nearby rock and grieved wistfully. 

He wouldn't do anything stupid, right? Hazel thought. 

"Nobody has actually been worried for me, you know, after Bianca." a voice said. 

Hazel turned her head.

"Nico, stop scaring me. Don't always appear beside people." she laughed in relief and wiped tears that fell unknowingly.

He crouched down beside her and put his arm around her. 

"I'll always be there, for you, Bi-" he stopped. "Hazel." 

Hazel looked into Nico's eyes. She knows that she'll never take Bianca's place, but, still, come to think about it, he was still her brother. 

"Annabeth wants you to go on a quest with her."

Nico blinked.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that, Hazel." 

"She wants you to go and find the gods, with her."

"So she agreed with my idea?" 

Hazel nodded.

"Ah. I see." Nico said, not moving. 

A moment of silence. 

"Are you going, or not?" 

Nico shrugged. 

He stood up and walked towards the Athena cabin, with Hazel leading him. 

Suddenly, a voice startled them. 

"Katie, I'm not doing this again! I've told you-"

"Travis, I've had enough of your domination." Katie cut in. "I'm going." 

Katie walked away, and Travis knelt down, holding his head. 

"Why… why wouldn't she listen?" he moaned. Hazel walked towards him. 

"Travis, what's the matter?" 

Travis sighed. 

"She had a dream." he explained. "That her father was very sick and she wanted to go home and help him." 

"Oh." Hazel said. "Why are you so frustrated?" 

"Uh…Nothing, really. It's just-" Travis bit his lip. "I'm sorry, I-uh-have to go. See you later." He ran away to where Katie went. 

Nico was fixed on the spot where Hazel left him, his hands in his pockets. 

"Annabeth is in the Zeus cabin, if you wanted to know." he brought up. 

"How did you know?" Hazel asked suspiciously. 

"I saw her walking into the cabin." Nico said, like it was obvious. 

Hazel and Nico walked into the Zeus cabin. 

"-it, Annabeth, I'm not going!" Thalia shouted. Annabeth folded her arms in front of her chest. 

"Why, may I ask, Miss Lieutenant of the Hunter of Artemis?" Annabeth's voice hinted irritation.

Thalia rolled her eyes. 

"Seriously, Annabeth? I just had a row with my father." 

"Well how was I supposed to know?" Annabeth defended.

Thalia didn't respond. 

"I'm sorry." she muttered. 

Annabeth's shoulders loosened. 

"It's fine." 

Thalia looked towards the cabin door.

"Well someone had quite a show, didn't they?" 

Annabeth turned and grinned at Hazel.

"Thanks Hazel, for bringing Nico. Come in, you two."

"Annie? This is my cabin." Thalia folded her arms.  

"And they're my friends." Annabeth replied. "And don't call me Annie." 

"At least you could introduce them?"

"Oh, so you don't know Nico?" 

"Ugh, who's the other girl?" 

"Hazel." Annabeth said simply. "She's Nico's half-sister."

Thalia coughed.

"Half-sister?"

Hazel felt offended.

"Yeah." She said in a small, dangerous voice.

Nico looked impressed.

Thalia didn't notice the note of danger in Hazel's voice, but stopped asking about the relationship between Nico and Hazel. 

"We'd better not think too much about these Greek godly relationships, or I need to face the fact that I'm Annabeth's aunt." Thalia added, rolling her eyes. 

Hazel still couldn't accept the fact that Percy was actually Annabeth's uncle. Ugh. Too complicated.

 "What happened between you and your dad, Thals?" Annabeth changed topic. Thalia sighed.

"He was talking about me being a hunter. He didn't like it. I suspect he was arguing with Artemis, so I told him I would never quit the hunters. I didn't want to quit anyway. And we got into a long argument." 

Annabeth nodded sympaticly. 

Thalia shook her head.

"Anyways. You were talking about bringing two demigods along to find the gods?" 

"Yeah. I'm still wondering why Chiron said three, not five." Annabeth shrugged.

"Maybe he thought it wasn't all that hard?" Hazel suggested.

Annabeth shrugged.

"I was thinking of bringing Thalia and Nico, since they are children of the big three, like..." She hesitated. "Percy. And also, I think that they do think and care about him... So I wanted to bring them along." 

Hazel nodded, but Thalia shook her head.

"Yes, it makes sense but I'm just afraid the dispute between me and my dad would lower the efficiency  of  this task." 

Nico spoke.

"Maybe this would be a great time to settle your dispute, Thalia."

Nobody answered. Thalia shifted in her seat uncomfortably.

Hazel broke the silence. 

"Uh... Annabeth? You could tell Chiron now..."

Annabeth nodded, stood up, and left the cabin.

Hazel followed.

"Nico? Could you stay here for a moment?" Thalia said suddenly. Nico said nothing but didn't move. 

Hazel walked out of the cabin, she couldn't help but eavesdrop. 

"Nico…are you sure you want to do this? You know, your father may be there."

"That I highly doubt."

"Okay. Just, I'm just thinking, it's not so… ugh. I don't know, Nico. You're my friend, I hope you could help me. I don't want to see my dad again. Especially after that."

A moment of silence.

"Why don't you consult Annabeth? She's your closest friend."

"She really wants me to go. She thinks I could help persuade the gods. Oh Nico, Annabeth is basically broken now. She is desperate to find him."

"I assume most of the camp is desperate. He is the hero of Olympus. Unless you don't really care about him." 

"Nico! I never meant-"

"To lost a loved one, Thalia. I feel Annabeth. Maybe you should be more pitiful and just help her. Stop thinking about Zeus." 

"Yeah, maybe you're right...wait. Since when did you lose a loved one?"

Nico didn't answer for a moment.

"Bianca. Had you forgotten?" 

"Oh." 

Nico walked out of the cabin. 

Hazel scrambled up and pretended to be just walking by. 

"Oh-uh-hi! Nico! What did-er-Thalia say?" 

Nico eyed Hazel suspiciously. 

"Hazel, you're a very bad lier." 

"Nico, I'm sorry-"

Nico stopped her and pointed to Annabeth, who was walking towards them. 

"Come on. It's time to go see the gods." 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Author's Note: Ugh! It's so crappy I feel bad for posting this :( I made an extra long chapter, I'm SO SORRY if you thought this is bad. I write bad chapters *hides and cries*

Oh and, anyways, what ships do you all-uh-ship? Me, it's Percabeth, Thaluke, Jiper, Frazel and calyeo (or whatever their ship name is) 

Me: I SHIP PERCABETH <3 Percabeth 4ever! 

Percy: Uh, Miss? Are you okay? 

Me: Hello, Percy! Don't you DARE die on us! 

Annabeth: Says the author. 

Me: Smartypants.