Thicker then Styx

Fusedtwilight: A birthday fic for Mediate89 hope you all enjoy it, this is for you Mediate. This had no beta so forgive the extreme bad grammer.

Vicki P.O.V

I knew he was going to cause me a lot of trouble the moment I saw him.

It was three years after the freak storm that hit Manhattan. No one could exactly recall what happened, some people claim they remember hearing sounds of thunder like great monsters roaring, there were even a few who claim they saw what happened, they claimed they saw monsters and gods.

The damage was devastating, but three years later it was just a bad dream. We cleaned up, we rebuilt, and now here we are letting loose. They were having a big bash down at the docks, everyone was there. Even a reject like me.

Sure I was an Italian American girl living in Manhattan with my mom, I was not vain but I am not stupid. I have long dark hair, nice tan skin, curvy hips, decent sized boobs. Lots of guys would go for a girl like me. If I didn't have the personality of a wild cat and dressed goth.

There was a big celebration going on down at the docks, to celebrate the damage finally being fixed to the city. It took so long because (A. we are in a recession. (B. A lot of shit had been broken. It wasn't as bad as Katrina had been for New Orleans but still pretty bad.

A few friends had dragged me to come with them, I left after an hour. I did not want to watch them smooching with their boyfriends while I just stood there. Thanks but no thanks.

So I decided to walk along the beach, get away from the loud noises, bright lights and obnoxiously happy people. Not many people were on the beach. The party was up on the docks after all. I did catch a couple here and there enjoying some alone time.

By the time I noticed him the party was a far away light in the distance and there was no one in sight except him. I can not tell you what drew me to him. Maybe it was his hair which was shaggy and black as the night, maybe it was his skin which was like alabaster, hell maybe it was the Aviator jacket he was wearing that drew me in.

He sat in the sand, watching the waves. Part of me screamed to run, to turn around and go back to the docks. "He is trouble!" my mind screamed at me. Like an idiot I ignored my thoughts and continued forward.

Something about this boy both attracted and repelled me. He looked like he was about my age, sixteen. His shoulders were broad and he had long legs. He turned to look at me as I got closer and I froze. His eyes were black as his hair, but I thought they were his best trait. I thought they were beautiful.

"Hello," I said.

"Hey," he said and went back to staring at the water.

"What are you doing so far from the party?" I asked.

"My friends dragged me there, I got board and left."

"Let me guess, their going out and you got tired of watching them smooch each other," I said with a smile.

He grinned at me. "How'd you guess?"

"Same thing with me. I'm Vicki, short for Victoria."

"I'm Nico, short for Nico Di Angelo," he said.

"Thats an Italian name," I said.

"You sound surprised."

"Well no offense, you have very light skin."

"I get it from my dad, he is deathly white." he smirked, as if he knew some private joke I was not privy too.

We spent the next few hours talking. Me telling him about my lousy mom, my dad who died, my miserable life at school. He told me his mom and sister died leaving him alone, he said his dad was still alive but they don't speak much.

"So where do you live?" I asked.

"A special...school I guess you would call it. I have a lot of family from my dads side who go there," he said.

I looked at my watch. "I better get going, my friends might be worried." I got up to go.

He grabbed my hand. "Vicki, please stay," he said.

I looked into his black eyes. They were so...lonely. So full of need. I recognized the look all to clearly, the same look I had when I looked in the mirror every day. I sat back down next to him. His fingers grazed my cheek, I shivered at how cold he felt. He pushed me down until I was lying in the sand, my heart was hammering like crazy.

I had never made out with a boy, hell I had never kissed one either. But he leaned down and planted his lips against mine and I no longer felt scared, or nervous, just safe and happy.

Now just to clarify we did not have sex. But we did become boyfriend and girlfriend. I don't know how but I fell asleep, only remembering the feel of him holding me in his arms. I woke up in my room, confused how I got there. I found a note with neat hand writing.

See you later- Nico.

True to his word, later that night he did show up again. I don't know how he did it, one minute I was watching T.V in my room and he was just there, it was almost like he stepped out of the shadows. He brought a six pack of beer with him and a white rose. He said white looked good on me, brought out the color of my hair nice.

We drank some beer, talked, made some jokes, made out some more and I fell asleep and he was gone, leaving another note promising to see me again.

Three years later I wish I could say all was blissful for us, that we had that fairy tale happily ever after. But that was not it. For a while it was perfect. But There were problems. Nico was a drinker, he never hit me but he drank a lot of beer. Got into a lot of fights (Which he always won. I swear that kid could kick Chuck Norrises ass) sometimes he would show up blood and bruised, and when I asked what happened he would just say he got into a fight.

I sometimes think he was in a gang, they way he fought, the times he showed up cut up and bleeding, how secretive he was about this school he went to during the summer. Every time I asked him if I could go there one day he said no. Every time I asked if I could meet his friends he said no, when I asked him if I could meet his father he got really angry.

He was never mean to me, he never hit me, never called me ugly or fat to put me down. He was always so gentle, so loving. He made me feel...alive, needed. Like his life depended on me. When we made love he was so sweet and tender.

I loved Nico, I wanted to help him, but he kept me at a distance, never giving any hint to his life beyond me. It was like he was afraid. Afraid if I learned the truth something bad would happen.

But something bad did happen. I missed my period. Nico was in my room drinking, I hadn't drank a can. He was plastered now, laying on my bed as I played with his hair. His wonderful, shaggy raven black hair. He was stretched out on my bed, he had his shirt off, showing off his wonderful physique.

"Nico, we need to talk," I said.

"Do we have to?" he asked.

"Nico please, this is serious, I am scared," I said.

He got up and looked at me. "What is it? Is someone bothering you? Is it your mom? Is she starting her shit again?"

"No...Nico...I'm pregnant," I said.

His eyes went wide with shock. "What?"

"I'm pregnant, I missed my period, and I took a bunch of those home tests, they all came back positive. Nico?" I asked.

He got up off the bed and went to my window, he leaned against it. Looking out. His shoulders were tense.

"Nico I am sorry, we used protection, I was using the pill and you had condoms but these things happen. Nico what are we going to do?" I asked.

"We? What we? I am gone," he said. He grabbed his Aviator Jacket and put it on, he looked for his shoes and began to put them on.

"Nico, what do you mean?" I asked horrified.

"What does it sound like? You think I am going to be stuck raising a kid? Don't think so. Your on your own," he said.

"Nico please don't I'm sorry!" I got up and grabbed his hand. "Please I can't do this alone, I'm nineteen I can't raise a baby by myself." tears were running down my face. My heart was hurting.

He looked at me, those black eyes which once showed me warmth and love were now as cold and barren as the Antarctic. "Good by Vicki, good luck." he tore my hand away and walked out the door, and out of my life.

I stood there, unmoving, crying my eyes out. Then it hit me. The weight of the situation fell on me like a ton of bricks. I was nineteen, still so young, barely out of high school and now I am alone and pregnant.

What was my mother going to say? God I know what she would say. What was I going to do? This was going to ruin my life, I can't have this baby, I can't, I won't be my mother. What am I going to do? The answer is clear. But I fear I may not be able to forgive myself. What if Nico finds out?

What if he does? He won't care.

Hades P.O.V

I cursed my idiot son. He had such a good thing going for himself and he had to go and ruin it. Fool.

I blame myself. Had I been more of a father to the boy this may have been avoided. I won't take full responsibility. Nico should have known better. I always told him to tell her his true nature.

But he refused. He had an odd paranoia about her learning the truth. He feared if she found out he was a half-blood she would leave him or worse get drawn into his world and wind up like his mother and sister. Life for him hadn't improved much for him and the damned camp.

After the war things were going good for him, after he helped fight the battle he was a bit of a celebrity for the other bastards. But I warned him. I remember the same thing happened for me after the first war with the Titans. I had used my helm to steal their weapons which helped us win the battle and every one looked at me with awe and respect.

Then I became lord of the dead and the awe and respect turned to fear and hate. I tried to warn Nico but he was to lost in the glory and acceptance he was receiving from the others. Then as he got older his powers began to grow and he developed more abilities that his blood allowed. As a child of one of the big three he would have more power then the others. Powers of death are not the kind of thing others take lightly.

As his powers of death grew the fear of the campers returned and soon they began to reject him. Only Percy and his group staid with him. Which I was grateful for, but the sting of the others sudden rejection hurt my son. Reminded him that no matter what he is a child of death and the living will always fear him for it.

He began to get into fights, got a real attitude problem too, started drinking heavily and shirking his responsibilities. Then he met the girl Vicki and I was pleased he inherited my taste in women. I was even more pleased when instead of being another fling (He had been sleeping around a lot) she became something truly special to him.

She filled his hurt heart with love. He still drank a lot and got into fights, but she kept him from going any further into self destruction. She was slowly pulling him up. I tried to tell him to tell her who he is and where he comes from, but he refused. Now when she is with pregnant with his child the little prick goes and breaks her heart! What is he thinking.

Hellfire danced around my form as my anger grew. The spirits and hell hounds drew away from me in fear. I saw the human girl making plans to go to a clinic, to abort the baby. Nico's baby! My grand baby!

There was a special place for the spirits of babies and children in me realm. Contrary to the Catholics belief that unbaptized babies go to hell, babies, baptized or not when they die got straight to Elysium fields. But I refused to allow this to happen. I would not allow my son to ruin everything. I would not let this girl take the blood of my grandchild.

"ALECTO!" I roared.

She flew down with her sisters. They were timid as they approached. They knew I was not in a mood to be trifled with. "Master?" they bowed.

"I have a very important task for you," I said.

Five years later

Nico's P.O.V

I thrust my sword into the Dracanae and she screeched as her life force was drained.

She had been one of the remaints of Luke's army. "Nico look out!" Percey called.

I turned in time to see another of the foul things rushing me. I smiled and pointed a finger at her, a jet of fire shot from my finger. The Dracanae screeched in pain as the hell fire burned her. I admit there were times when I cursed being a son of Hades, other times roasting a monster made it worth while.

Within minutes both of the Dracanae were dust. I put my sword in its sheath and cracked my neck. "Not bad," Percy said nudging the smoldering pile of ashes with the toe of his shoe. "Sorry I called you at the last moment, I didn't think there would be such a bad infestation."

"No problem, I needed to vent."

"You really have developed your powers pretty well."

"Hellfire sure does beat ocean water any day," I smirk.

"Hey I'll have you know I could have taken down the entire nest myself if we had been in a more secluded area," Percy said with a frown. "But unleashing a mini hurricane in a city would cause a bit of collateral damage."

"What ever." I shrug.

"So how have you been? It's been eight months since last I saw you and it was for a mission then too," he said.

"Same old same old, fighting monsters, getting wasted, getting laid."

Percy looked at me funny. "Listen Nico, me and Anna are going to have dinner with some friends, we want you to come."

"Why?" I asked him bluntly, "Who would want a child of Hades there?"

"Me and Annabeth do," Percy said. "Seriously Nico, I am worried about you. You drink a lot and disappear for months and I'm just worried about you."

I snorted. "Thanks dad. Now if you excuse me I have a better place to be."

I headed for the shadows. I heard Percy move behind me. "Nico wait!"

To late, the shadows caressed me like a lover and in a few steps I was miles away from Percy. Walking into the bar I sat at the usual table I sat at and ordered a beer, and a shot of whiskey. There was a mirror on the wall opposite of me. I need to shave, I was starting to grow a beard.

I was in a foul mood now. Well now days I was always in a foul mood. I have been for five years now. That night when Vickie told me she was pregnant was the best and worst day of my life. The best because I was going to be a daddy and the worst because I was not going to watch him or her grow up.

"It was a real shitty thing to do, but I had to. I wanted my kid to have a normal life. I wanted her/him to fight school yard bullies, not age old monster. I wanted him/her to have a real family, ironic seeing how I won't be there.

Why did I do this? Because I want him/her to be happy. But if I was in his/her life she would be drawn into a world I lived in. A world where she had to always fight monsters, a world where your own kin reject you because they fear you. No, this was for the best.

God how I missed Vickie. I missed her voice, her scent, the feel of her hands playing with my shaggy hair. It had been five years since I last saw her, crying and broken. Maybe I should visit her, make sure her and the baby are okay. I may not be a part of their lives, shouldn't mean I can't check up once in a while.

Vickie P.O.V

Five years.

Five years since I last saw that bastard who stole my heart, five years since I killed my baby. Our baby. My baby. Nico's baby. I regretted it ever since. I got real depressed, I even considered suicide. If my dad could do it I could do it right? Like father like daughter right? Well I came real close, had the blade pressed to my wrist. But I chickened out and continued on with my miserable life.

It hadn't been easy to do the abortion, had to spend a lot of the money I saved up. Had to bust my ass at work to make up for it. Most girls work hard to spend their money to buy make up or cloths, me I had to work hard to make up for the money I paid for an abortion.

That was five years ago. Now I am in college. Still busting my ass to make enough money to keep going here. It was easy, I simply put all that depression into my studies. I graduated with honers. The best thing about going to College was I got a dorm and moved out from mom's. She never knew about the abortion. Never would.

My life was....okay. College was going good, I had a good job with good hours and great pay and amazing benefits. I had more friends and hanged out with them a lot. I was still a goth but no one cared. I wasn't the only one, its nice to have goth friends.

Yeah life was great, so why do I want to end it? I have nothing to complain about. Life was great. But even though I had a smile on my face, why did I want to end it? Every day I struggled to get up out of bed and exist. I felt so disconnected from the world. I feel like I am underwater and I can't get air.

The last several days have been odd. I keep getting the feeling I am being...watched. Every time I walk campus at night (Which I make sure I am accompanied by at least one friend.) I feel like someone is there, hiding in the shadows. I keep these thoughts to myself, not wanting to freak out my friends.

It was weird, I haven't had these feelings since....since Nico was still with me. All those times he just seemed to walk out of the shadows, I seemed to gain a sense of when he was coming. It couldn't have been Nico. It had been five years since I last saw him. Why would he come back after five years.

I feared what would happen if he came back and learned what I did. If Nico found out I aborted the baby I would just die.

I figured it was simple some paranoia mixed with a nice helping of fear. So I put that feeling away and continued going through life, as hard as that was.

Nico P.O.V

I found her at her college. It was easy enough, the wonders of Google truly never cease.

For the past week I have been following her. It was creepy and stalkerish I know but I couldn't just go up to her after five years and be all 'Hey was in the neighborhood that I'd see how you and the kid were doing.'

So I watched her from a distance, using my powers over darkness and mist to follow her and cover my tracks doing it. For all the other mortals it was simple. But not for Vickie. It wasn't easy to pull the wool over her eyes. She saw through mist, like Percy's friend Elizabeth. So I had to rely on my powers as a child of Hades. We can do more then control the dead, shadow travel, shoot hell fire and such. We can hide our presence naturally from mortals or weak minded creatures. Dad could do it, how ever it didn't work on other gods or people who could see through mist so he used his helmet which made him completely undetectable.

I watched her during the night, using the darkness to hide as I followed her. Sometimes she would look right at me and I swear she was about to see me. But then she would look away. Just like the old days when I would use my powers to sneak into her room. Chiron said some humans ability to pierce the mist can actually grow. The more they are exposed to it the more they become immune.

During the day I had spirits follow her. The bitched and moaned about the day light. Spirits are nocturnal, they prefer the cover of night to move around. They followed her and told me what she did, her schedule, her movements, her schedule.

I was a bit surprised she was not with our child. All her time was spent either in class, in her dorm studying, or with her friends. She seemed to be happy, on the outside. But I knew she was suffering. I was real good a sensing misery on a person, it clung to them like a scent. And her eyes, there was something...dead in her eyes.

I figured she must of given the baby up for adoption. That would explain why she never made no call, or e-mails to anyone about a baby. It would also explain this dark aura about her.

Finally after a week I decided to make my move. I Shaved my face, making sure not a single hair was on my cheek or chin, I got some new cloths that weren't covered in tears, singes, or blood. Got a new Aviator jacket. I didn't bother with my hair, I washed it to get the oil and grease out but I left it shaggy. She loved my hair when it was uncombed.

I waited for a night to come when she would be alone. A night when she thought she would be alone to think and study her books. Not knowing she was going to have an old friend show up.

Vickie P.O.V

I was in my room alone. My room mate was out with her boyfriend and I had a test next week I had to study for. I had a funny feeling in the pit of my stomach. Like something was going to happen.

So I wasn't surprised when a knock came from the door. Sighing, thinking it was my room mate having forgotten something for her date. Imagine my surprise when instead of my room mate it was Nico standing there.

"Hello Vickie," he said with a small smile.

"Nico?" I breathed. He had gotten taller since I last saw him. He had to be five foot eleven now. His hair had gotten a little longer and was still shaggy and black, he still had the most lovely yellow eyes, he still had skin like alabaster, he was still everything I had loved, only know he was a man.

He walked in with out an invitation and instead of running out the door screaming like every instinct in my body was telling me to do. Instead I closed it and turned to face him. His back was turned to me and what a back it was. He had more muscles now, I could see it in his neck.

He was looking around my room, inspecting everything from my bed, to my computer to the picture I had of my bed of me and him. "How have you been Vickie?" he asked.

"Okay," I said.

I was so nervous right now. I wanted to smack the shit out of him for coming here all non chalat like a walk in the park. I wanted to scream and yell and beat at him, to blame him for making me kill our baby. If he had just staid with me everything would have been okay. We could be together with our now five year old baby. So many emotions were swelling around in me.

But as much as I wanted to hurt him I also wanted to go to him, to have him wrap his arms around me and kiss me and love me and all that. I wanted it to be like the last five years had never happened. Like I hadn't made the dumbest mistake of my whole life.

"You look good Vickie," he said.

"You too, I guess." You look fan-fricken-tastic.

"So how have you been?" he asked.

"I'm surviving," I said.

He sighed. "Look Vickie, I am sorry to have just sprung up on you like this, but I wanted to see how you were doing."

"So a simple phone call couldn't have sufficed?" I asked.

"I didn't want you to hang up on me," he said.

"Yeah so instead you just pop back into my life after five years. Real smooth Nico, I applaud your sensibilities," I said.

"Look Vickie, I am sorry I just left. But I had to. I wasn't ready to be a dad and I had, still have a lot of shit in my life that I just didn't want you involved in."

"So you just left me alone? You left me alone to raise a baby all by myself when I could barely take care of myself and I was still trying to work out my life and I had no one to turn to?" any feeling of happiness I felt to see him again was quickly repressed by rage so hot I swear I saw red.

Walking right up to him I brought my hand up and slapped him right across the face. His white skin was stained red in the shape of my hand.

"Do you think I was ready to be a mom? Do you know what I went through? The pain? The loneliness? The fucking guilt! I needed you! I had no one! I couldn't go to my mother, I couldn't go to my friends, they couldn't understand what I was going through. I suffered because of you Nico, and all because you were trying to be noble. Fuck you Nico Di Angelo, fuck you and the horse you rode in on!"

He rubbed his cheek. "I am sorry, I was trying to protect you...both of you. My life...its a mess, always has been and always will be. There are things I can not even begin to tell you about. If I did...if I staid with you, you would have been in so much danger, you have no idea."

"Thats the problem, you didn't trust me Nico. I told you every thing about me, I told you things I kept bottled up, what could you have that topped that?"

His eyes flashed with hidden knowledge. "You'd be surprised."

I shivered at the dark look. "Well maybe if you told me then maybe I might understand. But it doesn't matter, whats done is done. Now leave."

"Alright, but first can I know something?"

"What?"

"Whose looking after our kid?"

My blood went cold. "What?"

"I have been following you the past week. You have not left campus except to go to work, you have made no phone calls, written no notes, nor received any mail of any kind. I can only assume you gave the kid up for adoption."

I bit my lower lip and looked away. My heart was hammering in my chest.

"Loom I don't blame you. Like you said you were young and alone. I would like to know if it was a boy or a girl and who the family that took it in was."

"Why so you can show up and and ruin their lives?"

He frowned at me. "No, I would like to maybe catch a glimpse, maybe keep an eye on him or her in case they need help."

"Help? What you going to lend them money?" I asked sarcasticly.

"Well my father is kind of loaded. He went through a bit of a pinch a while ago but he found someone that was able to make his business run more smoothly. All he has to worry about is a bunch of over expensive employes."

"I thought you and your dad weren't talking?"

"Were not, but I have ways."

"See thats another thing, more secrets even now. I don't know anything about you Nico, all I know is your mom was Italian, her and your sister are dead, you went to a private school during summer, your dad is Greek and loaded but you and him haven't talked in years, thats all I know, tell me something Nico for gods sake! I gave you everything I had, my heart, my body, my soul! I gave up our child because of you! And you can't even tell me who you really are!"

Sorrow graced his face. "Just tell me where it is."

"No."

"Vickie please," he begged.

"No, you can't come in to my life after all these years then expect me to tell you shit." because if I tell you the truth then its all over.

"I am surprised you don't have no photos. I figured you would have had one photo....Vickie, how did you have the baby?" he asked.

"Well when a woman has a baby it comes out her-"

"Thats not what I mean!" he snapped and I flinched. "You said you couldn't go to your mother then who did you go to? You could not have had a baby all by yourself."

"I found a couple who could not have a kid themselves."

"How did you hide it from your mom?" he asked. His eyes had narrowed suspiciously.

"I moved out, I was old enough, I moved in with the couple an-"

"Bullshit!" he hissed. He took a big threatening step forward and I backed up until I hit the door. "I know when someone is lying. Where is our baby?"

"Nico please just go," I sobbed.

His hands slammed against the wall on either side of me, he brought his face really close to mine and for the first time I felt fear of him. I have felt anger, love, exasperation, annoyance, joy, affection, need, but never fear. But now it radiated off him in waves.

"Where is the baby?" he asked again.

"I...I...Got rid of it."

An icey silence filled the room. "Got rid of it?" he asked his eyes going wide.

"I couldn't do it Nico, I was to young and I couldn't have it and just give it up so I had an abortion."

"You had an abortion? You killed our baby?" he asked, pain filled his eyes.

"Nico I'm sorry, I couldn't do it. You left me and I was broken an-"

He grabbed my arms in a bone crushing grip that was sure to leave a bruise. "You fucking killed our baby!"

"You fucking left me you bastard!" tears were running down my face. "I was broken and helpless, I had no one to turn to. What was I supposed to do?"

He bared his teeth at me and I flinched away. "Do you know what you have done?"

"I did what I had to," I said weakly.

He let me go and backed away. He looked at me with such anger and pain. "I thought you were better than that. I thought, of all the people on the world you would be the last to kill your own child."

The shadows and darkness bent and shifted, wrapping around him, engulfing him. "I was wrong."

He disappeared and the shadows went back to normal. I fell to the ground, not caring my arms hurt, not caring about the test next week, nor that Nico had been swallowed by living shadow. In fact I don't care about nothing now.

Something in me broke, Nico was gone once again taking with him a piece of my life, only this time, I won't live it through.

Fusedtwilight: Not bad for a fic with no beta....who am i kidding. Part two will be up soon.