Sea Green Eyes

The Sun and the Star - Part Two

Ok, so within the span of a few days, Will and Cressida had been right about talking to Mr D. The father of Cressida Lynn actually wasn't that bad, and Nico meant that genuinely. He was a good listener and he never pushed Nico to tell him more or less about his dreams. Rather, his only request was that Nico dream of something interesting.

But interesting came in the form of Rachel Elizabeth Dare who spouted the same prophecy for the 12th time.

A prophecy that Nico could deny no longer.

One that was begging him to listen and there was only one reason for that.

Bob was calling him from Tartarus. The titan was still alive and he was crying out for help.

And he and Will (the stupidly stubborn son of Apollo) had accepted a quest to venture down into Tartarus and save him.

Though Dionysus had enjoyed the show with popcorn (popcorn that Cressida had taught him how to make using YouTube because she'd promised that it was better than the stuff he magicked up - it was) his eyes grew fiery like his daughter's at the mention of Tartarus. The god of madness knew all about the nightmares that plagued his beloved Jewel about the place. But these were nightmares about a place much older than the gods - nightmares he had no power to stop, but he'd been able to help ease them, for both her and Percy. It had been his one condition before allowing his daughter to move all the way across the country. Along with the promise that she would return at least once or twice a month to visit him. It was part of the reason why he was so bored all the time. It was the first year that he'd been back that his daughter really wasn't here. Even when she was attending Goode High School for her GED program, she made trips to camp at least three times a week. Not to mention that Pollux was in Boston, completing his education at Harvard University.

Mr D wasn't just bored...he was lonely.

Nico supposed that had been a big part of why the Wine god had helped him. Along with the fact that Cressida likely threatened him.

But the fiery look in Dionysus's eyes told Nico that he better not even think of mentioning the word Tartarus to Cressida or else he might just lose his already fragile hold on his sanity.

Which is why Nico didn't even tell Will about the last-minute detour that they were going on.

Will did not figure out where Nico was taking him until they were in front of the building. Then he stopped cold. 

"What are we doing here?" he asked. "Recruiting Percy and Cress? I thought they were in California."

Nico scowled. "Not recruiting them. Hades no. I wouldn't dream of that. They more than deserve time off."

"Then –"

"You'll see." Nico led the way inside and up the stairs.

When the apartment's front door opened, Sally Jackson smiled, her daughter, Estelle, firmly attached at the hip. "Hello, boys. Been a few months since I got a demigod visit," she said, and Estelle cooed. "Come on in."

Nico remembered when he'd been here last.

It had been the middle of November when Cressida had IM'ed him for an update on his search for Percy and he'd offered to come to her. He'd had nothing the update her with but he'd just wanted to see her, wanted to see how she was doing.

She had been doing pretty well considering the circumstances. Nico didn't even want to imagine what he'd do if he lost Will for eight months. There was no doubt in his mind that Cressida Lynn was the strongest demigod he'd ever met.

But even then, Sally's home had seemed warm and welcoming. Now the feeling was amplified and it had to do largely with all the family photos scattered everywhere, Cressida featured in a healthy amount of them with her boyfriend and his family that had really become her own.