NICO POV

I woke up to a little boy poking my cheek.

"Uncle Nico! Mommy says wake up!" That would be Alexus, or Alex, for short.

Who's he? Not mine, that's for sure. He's Percy and Annabeth's three year old son. He was born when they were 20, much to Athena's dismay. Annabeth still graduated, though, and so did Percy, but still. Athena's exact words were, "I expected more from you, my oldest daughter."

Anyways, here I was, peacefully sleeping on the couch, when I was poked awake.

"Alex, was this really necessary?" I whined playfully, grabbing him and pulling him up with me.

"Mommy said." he told me seriously. Just then, Annabeth walked in. She was wearing a flare dark Jean with a pinstriped button-up white shirt.

"Alex! I told you to wake him up, not cuddle up with him!" she scolded, smiling as she did so. I sat up and put him on the living room floor.

"Sorry. He said mommy says I have to get up." I teased her. Annabeth gave me an annoyed smile.

"Mommy says get up or I won't feed you." she said, scooping up Alex and bringing him to the kitchen. I reluctantly got up, kinda folded my sheets, and made my way to the kitchen.

The apartment was 2 bedroom 1 bathroom basic apartment in Brooklyn, across the bridge to Manhattan, where Annabeth was still redesigning Olympus. The hallways were a dusty blue, decorated (by Annabeth, obviously) with pictures of their wedding, Alex's birth, and his birthdays, trips to the beach.

I entered the kitchen, which was a pastelish yellow with stainless steel appliances and a wood table. Percy was already there pouring himself a bowl of cereal. He was wearing a black button-up and a sea green tie. He had slim dark wash jeans and black converse. Guess what his job was? A teacher of water biolife and Greek mythology (wink wink). Yeah. Who knew Mr. I fail 6th grade would become a 10th grade teacher? I have to say, though, both Athena and Posieson were impressed.

Me, I was wearing black flannel pants and a black v-neck shirt. I walked over to the coffee machine and poured myself a cup. That was my breakfast.

"Nico. Are you gonna eat anything else?" Annabeth asked, worried.

"No, not hungry." I replied, taking a sip of the hot caffeinated goodness.

"Dude, seriously," Percy said, giving me a shove, which made me stumble forward. "This isn't healthy. You look like you'r dad's minions."

That was true. My pants were only a 31x36 and I was 19.

"So?" I asked. I really wasn't in the mood. Across the room, Alex looked at me. He had curly black hair and smart grey eyes.

"You should eat more cereal." I almost spit up my coffee.

"Where did you hear that?" I asked on the verge of insanity. That was one of the reasons I left the Underworld. Demeter's incessant nagging. Percy and Annabeth watched me closely, protecting their son from whatever I'd do.

"Grammy Demeter said I should tell you." he said, big eyes not blinking.

"That little..." I muttered, and I stalked off to the bathroom, grabbing a drachama as I passed the drachama jar.

"Isis, goddess of the rainbow, show me lady Demeter. " I said and put the drachama in the shower and it got absorbed into the floor.

Demeter appeared and smiled meanly when she saw me.

"Hello. How may I help you?" she smirked.

"Lady Demeter! How could you poison Alex into believing in cereal!"

"I'm sorry, but it is true. Look how thin you are." she pointed the waistband on my pants. Even though they were an elastic band, they were sagging, and I had to pull them up every few minutes.

Percy rushed in and saw the infuriated me and Demeter through the IM.

"Lady Demeter, I am so sorry, please don't kill me... Ummm... Bye." he waved his hand through the mist.

"Nico, sit." he said, pointing to the toilet, using the tone he used to discipline Alex. Dutifully, I sat.

"You haven't been yourself lately. What's going on?" he asked. I looked away.

"Nothing." I responded.

"Nothing Kronos' ass! What do you mean?" he shoved me and I nearly fell off the toilet. "See?"

Percy sighed, and sat down on the tile across from me. "Listen, Nico. Annabeth and I were talking, and, well, we think it's time you get an apartment. Hey, and I know someone who's been looking for a roomie! You'll get along!" Percy gave me a weak smile.

I got up, and walked into Alex's room, put on some jeans, and stuffed my clothes and toothbrush into my backpack. I tied my vans and stormed out of his room.

I walked into the kitchen and saw Annabeth, who looked at me sympathetically. Percy was there too.

"Where's the address?" I growled. Alex looked scared. I gave him a quick smile, then turned back to Percy.

"Chardone Apartments, room 300." With that, I grabbed my aviator's jacket, opened the door and stormed out. I went down the elevator. As I left the building, I went in search
for a secluded shadow.

RACHEL POV

Hey. So I was in my studio, working on my new piece, when I got an IM from Annabeth. Normally, she just calls, but this seemed to be urgent. Percy was pacing in the background, and Annabeth's hair was falling out of the messy bun.

"Hey Rachel!" She said, falsely cheerful.

"Hey Annabeth, what's up?" I asked suspicious.

"So… Do you remember when you told me you were looking for a roomie?" She said, running a hand through her (now) messed up hair.

"Yeah, why? Did you already find one?" I asked, now more excited than suspicious.

"Umm… yeah, and you might already know who it is."

"Oh! Is it someone form camp?"

"Uh… you could say that"

"Cool! Who is it?"

"It's a… well… Surprise?"

"Sweet! I love surprises!"

"Good."

"When will she be getting here?"

"She? Umm… Let's say right about now." She swung her hand through the IM, cutting it off.

"What?"

As I said that, I heard a PLONK in the darkest corner on my studio. I heard a groan too. I picked up a dagger Apollo had given me for protection and started towards the corner. It was a fairly large room with huge windows, so I could make out the silhouette of whoever it was.

"Get… get back." I stuttered. "I… I have a knife."

"What… what the Hades?" A voice said. It was very familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

"Rachel, is this your apartment?" A dusty looking Nico DiAngelo tumbled out of the shadows.

"Nico?" I asked in disbelief.

"Yeah?" He replied cockily, smiling while brushing himself off.

"Why are you here?" I walked forward and poked him in the chest as I said so.

"Sorry. I must have shadowed to the wrong apartment. Percy and Annabeth kicked me out, and he said he knew a guy who needed a roomie. I'll be going now." As he made a move to step through the shadows again, I grabbed his arm.

"Wait a sec. Annabeth told me she found me a roomie. I guess you're in the right place." He looked at me like I was crazy.

"Are you kidding me? This has to be a practical joke." He laughed. "Me, living with you? It's like suicide!"

I gave him a murderous glance. "Oh really? What about it is so suicidal?"

"Well," he began, "You're a girl. That means you wear bras and panties. On laundry days, that'll be nasty. Second, you get all hormonal and moody. Third, you're the virgin Oracle of Delfi. That's no fun to me."

I walked up closer to him. "Well, if I'm that bad, I dare you to live with me for a year without visiting your father," He opened his mouth to protest but I covered it, "as a Spirit."

"Well, Miss Dare," he said after removing my hand, "It appears we have a deal."

"Fine." I stuck out my hand, then retracted it. I then spit on my hand and stuck it back out.

"Fine." He spit on his hand, then we shook on it.

"So… When do you move your stuff in?" I asked, walking over to my easel and wiping my hand on a towel.

"It's all in here." He said pointing to his backpack after wiping his hands on his jeans.

"That's it?" I asked in disbelief. All he had was a regular sized school backpack.

"Yeah. My books and stuff are all at school." Right. He was still in college, NYU, studying to be a forensic pathologist, someone who investigates causes of people's random deaths. Or, he could ask them himself.

Anyways, I showed him down the hall and to the room I had prepared for my new roomie. (Who I had assumed would be a girl.) It was painted green and had white wrought iron furniture. A vanity was on the left side and the bed was on the right, with a big window. Across from the wall with the window was a closet with lots of hangers.

Nico just about died, I think. He looked at me pleadingly, and I smiled at him. (kinda.)

"Yes, you can redecorate, but only on the inside."

"Thank you. Oh yeah. When's rent due?" He said putting his backpack on the floor and sitting on the bed.

"Let's say beginning of the month?" I said, not really sure. "300 dollars, OK?"

"Sure." Nico said, and he took off his shoes and laid down.

"What are you doing?" I asked as he closed his eyes.

"Sleeping, why?" he responded, opening one eye.

"It's a friggin Sunday morning, you should be studying or exercising or going to church or anything!" I exclaimed.

Nico's eyebrow rose slightly as I mentioned church, but waited till I was done to speak.

"Well, since it is Sunday, as you so helpfully pointed out, I will take advantage of the opportunity of having a bed instead of a couch and I will sleep." He closed his eyes and rolled so he had his back towards me.

"Demon Spawn" I muttered, and closed his door. "No 'thanks Rachel' or 'you're so nice, Rachel' or 'let's bond over coffee and donuts.'" Almost a second later, I heard a creak and turned back to see Nico in the frame of his door, head peeping out.

"I just want to say thanks, Rach." I smiled, and was about to say something when he said, "I hope at least one of us survives this."

Thanks. Way to ruin the moment.