OMG, is it? Could it be... an update? Why yes, yes it is! I'm so sorry. Tons of stuff to do. My heart just isn't in writing my other stories. Expect some cleaning out. Anyway, as I like this one the best, I am going to keep it. And update more often. I have big, evil, and somewhat scary plans for Hero. Which reminds me, I need you to vote on my poll, 'tis very important in shaping the end of this story :D and of course, this is now AU, because of TLO. It's set the spring of BOTL.

Trust can be defined as relying on a person's good qualities. Hero hadn't shown any of her good qualities to Nico di Angelo, she sometimes wondered if she posessed any. And if you don't pocess any, you fake it. What intrinsic worth would merit di Angelo's good graces? A respect for the dead? A sarcastic nature? Hero could probably find the latter amoung the qualities she did posess. But it wasn't exactly a 'good' one.

"If I tell you something you could use against Luke, would you unchain me?" she asked. The son of Hades stared at her, one eye brow raised and a look of sour amusement on his pale face.

"Depends. What could you tell me?" Hero thought a bit. Then she smirked, leaning as far towards Nico as possible. Three days in confinement and her wrists hurt badly, the skin red where the metal cuffs had chaffed her. The basement was bare, except a cot, the chains that kept her prisoner, the chair Nico di Angelo sat on, and a couple boxes of strawberry preserves. She saw him lean forward a bit, so she said the next words in a dramatic whisper.

"Well, he has a weakness," she said, smiling inwardly at his curious look, "his weakness is... is... toffee ice cream."

And she laughed as he let out a little groan of frustration and sat back. This whole trust thing wasn't going so well. Which is why Hero needed a change of plans. She had just gotten half way through a plot when there was a fumbling of keys on the other side of the door. A black haired head poked into the room, and Nico stood up. Percy Jackson stepped aside revealing Clara. A bandage was wrapped around her head, but she was smiling and looked relatively healthy.

"A vistor for her," the son of Poseidon said. Di Angelo nodded, stepping out of the room. Jackson followed, locking the door behind him. The first thing Hero noticed was that Clara wasn't chained as she was.

"Clara, you're alive!" Hero exclaimed with a wide smile. Clara gave her a half smile.

"Yeah, I guess I am." Clara sounded odd, guilty almost.

"What is it? Look, I have a plan, I need to IM Eth- Jesse and then get Nico di Angelo into the woods and we'll be out of here!" Hero saw her cringe when she nearly said Ethan.

"He's dead isn't he?" Clara asked softly. "And David, too."

Hero bit her lip and nodded. Her friend closed her eyes, and exhaled weakly.

"Look, Hero. I'm not going to help you," Clara's gold eyes looked remorseful.

"Great! Then I just need you to- wait. You're not going to help me?" She felt dread knot up inside her. Why not?

"I-I want to stay here Hero, I like camp. You would too! You could stay with me, and we could be useful!" The older girl looked so hopeful, it nearly broke Hero's heart.

"No! Stay here, help them? They killed Ethan and David! You traitor! You turncoat! You deserter! You, you..." Hero's cache of synonyms failed her. She was going to cry again. She was going to be sick again. She was feeling weak again, because she knew there was nothing she could do. Her last hope had died.

Clara cringed. "I'm so sorry Hero. I'm really sorry." She turned to go, honey blond hair sticking out from under the gauze. And as she stepped out of the room, Hero knew that if she ever saw Clara again it would be on a battlefield. Not as friends, as enemies. She choked back another sob as di Angelo slipped into the room. More of a shadow then a boy really. Her eyes hardened.

She wouldn't let it hurt her. She wouldn't be so inscure. Screw trust, time to run away again.

-------------

Sprinting towards the woods with an angry boy at your heels. It really gave you time to think. Especially when it was so easy to outrun him. She was confident that her plan would work. Confidence was a key component to success. Luke had told her that once. Running always cleared her head, she was able to momentarily forget the mess her life had become, and just tune in to the pounding of her feet and the beat of her heart.

Taking a wrong turn once or twice, she reached her goal in unfamiliar territory. She turned to Nico di Angelo, letting him catch up. He overestimated the distance between them and collided with her. She stumbled a bit, and when she straighted herself she saw di Angelo had a grin on his face.

"Gotcha," he said, holding up her wrist, which he was holding tightly. She grinned back.

"Do you?" she said. He looked at her face warily. She stared up at him, noticing the way her face reflected in his eyes. The pupil was almost invisible, which was a very strange effect. And his hand was incredibly cold. Nico di Angelo certainly was an interesting person.

"What did you mean when you said it was hard to leave?" she asked. He hesitated.

"I've tried to leave before, but those people are the only ones I have now," he said lightly. "It's hard to leave when if you go, you'll be alone."

"Then I'm so sorry Nico," She leaned up a pressed her lips to his for a second. She didn't like the tingle she felt when she pulled away. Then she stepped back, and signaled with her left hand. "I'm really sorry."

"I'm sorry," her ten year old self says to Ethan. He looks at her oddly.

"Never apologize," he tells her, "it's superfluous, and when we win it will be unneeded."

"I'm sorry," she says. He sighs. "...wait. What does sue-per-ful-ous mean?"

He smiles. "It means you never have to apologize to anyone for anything."

"Okay," she says, grinning.

Personally, I think this is the worst chapter. Horrible, horrible, horrible emotions. I'm not an emotional person, so they're hard to write -grrr-

I think this chapter needs an explanation. Well, there's some stuff you may have missed. I'm also sorry it's so short. If you noticed it calls him 'Nico' once or twice. Not his surname or full name, which is part of a transaction. The last line Hero repeats to Nico what Clara said to her, just before Hero 'betrayed' him. Kind of. Hero's feeling broken, because Clara was like her sister. She also has minor autophobia (fear of being alone) which is why she takes it the way she takes it. And why did she kiss Nico? Was it because I suck at emotional transitions? Yeah, slightly. But it was also because she was apologizing the way Clara had said sorry, and knowing that the other person would never accept it. So now that I've REALLY confused you, review?