The Wants of a Young Demigod Heart (Nico di Angelo, Leo Valdez x OC)

Olympus

*There are two chapters in one this time*

Nico POV

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I feel sick. Why hadn't I been there to protect Merrily? There was no way I was letting her out of my sight. I won't let what happened to Bianca happen to her or anybody else.

There's only one problem with that plan. She'll only let Abigail and Chey touch her and won't let me, Leo, or Ryan near her. She'll hold Taylor though. I don't exactly see how I'm supposed to take care of her if I can't even touch her.

I think I'm annoying Chey now, because when I asked how Merrily was doing just now (for the tenth time) her hand brushed her sword.

"Ask me again, and you'll be a kebab before you can say Hades," she scowled. She smelled like a mix of hair oils. It's hard to explain. At any rate, she didn't look very terrifying. But that sword of hers sure did, so I stepped back.

The sun is setting and our time is almost up. We're going to have to move Merrily. She looks a lot better now that's she's had some ambrosia and nectar, but she's still in some pain. I can tell.

Chey and Abigail gingerly put Merrily in between the two of them and Leo, Ryan, Taylor and I sit up front.

When we get back to camp, Annabeth immediately rushes to help Merrily.

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We're being summoned to Half-Blood Hill, The Big House. It's been a full week since we've gotten back from the quest. The second we'd stepped foot into the borders, the items had dissapeared in a flash of light. Thanks for nothing. Merrily had been rushed to the infirmary by Annabeth and Piper. None of us had been let in to see her. We had been admitted after the first three days; the day before Merrily was released.

It had hurt. She wouldn't let any of us come near her, except Chey and Abigail. She kept Leo, Ryan and I at an arm's length and wouldn't look any of us in the eye. Since then, I'd made a few visits to the Underworld, to work on something. It'll be a surprise for everyone. Along with that, all of us were pretty ticked at the gods. We went through all that trouble to get them their stupid items, and we've heard nothing from them.

When I arrive at the Big House, Merrily, Abigail, Leo, Ryan (with Taylor) are all there. Ryan looks completely and utterly depressed, Chey looks equally upset and she's not speaking to Abigail. From what I've heard, Josh had cheated on Chey with Abigail and then had broken up with Abigail upon the two returning to camp. Brianna from the Nike cabin broke up with Ryan once she found out he had a baby.

"There are two things to discuss," Chiron begins, looking solemnly around at all of us. "Firstly, Athena apologizes about David--" Audible intakes of breath could be heard all around the room. I held my breath. "--and an outside source, who Hades says wishes to remain anonymous have all worked together to... bend the rules a little-- on one condition that our dear Athena came up with."

"What do you mean, 'bend the rules'?" Chey demands. She's since gone back to her usual style of dressing (well it's usually CHB shirts, but still), which meant her hair was pulled up into a messy ponytail, no makeup, ratty sneakers etc. But I can't help remembering what she looked like with Aphrodite's blessing.

"David might come back," Chiron explains. "But, he has to agree to Athena's terms."

"Which are...?" Leo frowns.

"He'll have to give up any chance he had at finding love," Chiron says, after a pause. "After what happened with Merrily... well, the spear would have injured any of you, but killed only David. She was angry. But this is the only way Hades can think of that she'll appease to. But he must make the descision himself."