Annabeth's POV

     "I don't want to go to school!" Percy whined, once again throwing his backpack against the door.

     "Percy, C'mon! We'll all do something together to celebrate your first day, okay? Everyone, even Thalia. I'll call her over from her summer camp, okay?"

     He seemed to think this over. "What would we be doing?" He asked. I smiled at him.

     "Anything you want." I could say that because the gods gave us all Lotus Casino Cards, so we all had unlimited money.

     "Yay! Bye Aunty Annie!" He shouted before picking up his backpack and running out the front door. I watched him through the window as he stood at the edge of the sidewalk, waiting for the bus.

     As it approached he gave me a worried look and I gave him a thumbs up and a smile. He beamed back an overly large smile and turned away as the bus stopped. He climbed up the stairs and the bus idled for a while before moving on. "He's grown up fast, hasn't he?" Someone asked from behind me. I spun around and saw Nico.

    "Oh hey Nico. Did we wake you?" I asked. It was Percy's first day of Kindergarten and he turned five a few weeks ago.

      "Nah. I'm always up this early, just don't come out of my room." He sat down at the dining room table, leaving back in his chair. 

       I thought about Nico's question. "It has gone by fast, hasn't it?" I asked, sitting down across from him.

     "Yeah. I thought I was going to hate this. I, typical Hades kid, hate children, so I was sceptical when I found out a kid was going to be living with us for the next eighteen years." He shook his head with a slight smile, which I found surprising. He honestly didn't really smile much, and it was nice to see it. "But he's turned out pretty good. He may be a pain, but overall it's some exitement in life that isn't killing monsters."

     "That makes complete sense." I agreed, nodding. "My fear is that a monster is going to come after him during school and he's gonna get hurt again."

     "Don't worry, I got a call from Chiron, or should I call him Mr. Brunner, this morning. He told me the gods informed him of what was going on and decided to be Percy's teacher."

      I nodded thankfully. "Thanks, I needed that." He smiled lightly at me before looking out of the curtains.

       "Hey, Nico?" I asked.

       He hummed in response, still looking out the window. "Why do you, you know, keep yourself isolated all the time?"

       The pain on his face made me regret asking. "Sorry, you don't have to answer." I told him quickly, but he shook his head.

       "I guess I feel like.. Well, like Leo on the Argo II. Piper and Jason, Leo and Calypso, Frank and Hazel, you've got Percy, and I kind of don't feel like I belong with any of them, and when I do hang out it usually ends up with me being ignored. I know it isn't intentional, but it still hurts. Even back in school, in the 1940's, I didn't have any friends but my sister. I guess I feel safe in my room, locked away from everybody. My music can't harm me, neither can my bed." He responded, kind on rambling, forcing everything out really fast.

       "Slow down Nico, I'm not going to cut you off." I told him gently. He nodded slowly.

        "I mean, after Will... I didn't want to talk to anybody. I barely came out of my cabin it hurt that bad. Didn't really eat. Didn't do anything but listen to music. I guess... I guess I'm just afraid of being rejected again, so I don't even try anymore." He responded with a shrug.

        I reached over and grabbed his hand which was resting on the table. "Nico, you're always welcome with any of us. I understand couples can forget about the third person, I look back and feel really bad for Grover when Percy and I were younger. But you are always free to hang out with me and Percy, okay? I can hand off Percy to someone for the day and we can go do something, just  a bonding day I guess." I told him. He looked over at me for the first time, and I saw confusion in his eyes.

       "Why?" He asked.

       "Why? Because you're my friend Nico, and I want to make you happy. And what you need is a day of relaxtion and fun. Plus, you're a cool guy. I'd enjoy getting to know you better." I told him. He frowned, but then smiled a smile larger than almost any I'd seen him wear.

     "I'd love that, actually." He told me, nodding slightly.

     "Great! You pick the place and we'll go." I told him. He smiled and nodded. I let go of his hand and got up. "Well, unlike you, I had a very tiring morning. Percy really is a pain. So I'm going to go take a quick nap." I told him. He nodded with a small smile.

     "Told you so."

     "You don't have to tell me twice." I muttered. I could have sworn I heard him get out a small laugh as I walked out of the room and smiled to myself, heading upstairs and to my room. I opened the door and shut it behind me, crawling into bed. I can't believe I made Nico laugh. (Did you like the Nico/Annabeth bonding moment there? I did. It was so cute! [Not in a shipping way though])

     I woke up a few hours later to someone opening my door. I groaned and looked to see who it was and saw Percy. He was home from school already? I smiled at him sleepily and rolled onto my side. "How was school today?" I asked.

      He shrugged. "It was okay." He threw his backpack onto the ground and kicked off his shoes. "Can I stay with you?"

      I smiled and he crawled into my bed as I lifted the covers for him. I pulled him close and wrapped the blanket around him. He didn't close his eyes but stared at the wall. "Percy? You okay?" I whispered. He nodded and curled into my grip. He grabbed my hand and grabbed a finger like a child, holding it tightly.

     I frowned but shrugged it off. He's not used to other kids, and his best friends being twenty year olds is probably not the best for his mind. I closed my eyes and fell asleep quickly.

      When I woke again it was almost dark out and Percy was still sleeping next to me. I carefully crawled out of bed and shut the door softly behind me, quietly going down the stairs. I saw Leo at the stove, making some taco's. Some were beef, some were tofu. He turned around and saw me. "Hey! How's the little guy doing?" He asked while mixing some seasonings together.

      "I'm not sure, honestly. He came home, didn't really say anything and slept next to me, and he's still sleeping upstairs." I told him with a sigh. "Do you think school freaked him out, his only friends being twenty year old adults?"

     He shrugged and started to cut some onions. "I guess that could mess with your mind, not seeing a child then suddenly being around hundreds. I think he's just exhausted."

       "Who knew Leo could be so knowing about human emotions? I thought he only knew the minds of machines." I muttered and he laughed.

     "Just a guess. Anyway, foods almost done so could you get the others?" He asked.

     "Sure." I said with a shrug, though secretly I was like 'Seriously? I just came down the stairs.'

      I ran upstairs and knocked twice on Pipers door before opening it. Jason and Piper were sitting on the edge of her bed, Jason laughing really hard at something. "Guys, foods almost done. Leo wants you downstairs." I told them. They nodded, still smiling.

     "Be down in a few." Piper said before I shut the door.

     I moved on to Hazel's room. I knocked twice then opened it, like Pipers. Hazel was asleep and Frank was playing with her hair. He blushed when he saw me and I smiled.

     "Foods almost done, if you want me to bring you up food I will." I offered.

     "Nah, I'll wake her. Thanks." Frant told me. I smiled, shut the door and went to Nico's room. I knocked, but didn't open the door. "Nico?" I called in. The door opened slightly.

      "Hmm?" He asked.

      "Foods almost done Nico. You can come down or I can bring you your food." I offered.

      "I think I'll come down. Thanks." He shut the door and I heard some shuffling. I was about to go to Thalia's room when I remembered she wasn't here.

     I was about to talk down the stairs when a scream filled the air, coming from my room. Percy. All the doors in the hall opened and we all ran to my room. I opened the door and saw Percy crying his eyes out, his eyes wide and red. I ran over and wrapped my arms around him, holding him close and sitting on the bed and moving his so he was in my lap. "Shh Percy, it's okay." I whispered, hugging him tightly. I thought a monster had found it's way into the house and my heart was pounding. Hazel, Frank, Piper, Jason and Nico were all staring at us in concern.

     "Percy, talk to me. Are you okay? What happened?" I asked. He continued to cry, hugged me tightly.

      "I thought-" He hiccuped slightly. "I thought you left me." He cried. My heart clenched.

      "I would never leave you Percy, I promise." I whispered, closing my eyes and holding him close as he cried. Eventually Leo came up, looking confused.

      "What happened?" He asked quietly, his face laced with concern when he saw Percy crying.

      "He... He just freaked out when he woke up and I wasn't here. He thought I left him." I whispered. "Percy, do you want to eat?" I asked him gently, spinning him around so that I could see his face.

      He nodded slowly and I smiled. I picked him up his his legs wrapped around my side, his arms around my neck. I motioned for everyone to go downstairs and I followed last, Percy sniffling slightly ever so often. "Did you have a nightmare?" I whispered to him. He didn't answer.

     We got into the kitchen where Leo set up a buffet style taco booth. "Piper, your tofu's right here." He said, pointing to a pile of meat on the left. Everyone but Nico and I (And Percy) lunged for the meat and Nico and I looked at each other, raising an eyebrow and shaking out heads at them.

     "Is he okay?" Nico whispered, looking over at Percy, whos head was resting on my shoulder as he hiccuped softly.

     "I don't really know..." I whispered back. I played with some of Percy's hair and he smiled slightly.

     Nico and I got our food and I make Percy a taco. We sat down at the enormous dining table and started talking and laughing. "This is actually pretty good Leo." I admitted, gesturing to the food.

      He took a  dramatic bow. "Thank you, malady Annabeth."

      I rolled my eyes and he sat back down, smirking. I realized Percy was staring at the food in his plate, tearing a piece of lettuce apart into tiny pieces. "Percy? You not hungry?" I asked him quietly. He shook his head and jumped from his seat.

       "I'm going to bed." He muttered. He hugged my leg real quick and began walking down the hallway to the stairs, leaving us all confused.