Recollection

As soon as the car stopped moving Will was shouting orders. They laid the two unconscious demigods across the dining room table. Ms. Solace retrieved their emergency medical supplies varying from mortal medicine to godly items such as Ambrosia and Nectar. Isaac pours the Nectar into two small glasses. He props Nico up carefully pouring the liquid into his mouth. The son of Hades swallows his chocolate brown eyes fluttering halfway open. The wispy smoke surrounding his body vanishes. Ms. Solace cleans the small cut on his neck wrapping a bandage around it. Isaac lays Nico back down gently to go assist Will. The blonde was moving swiftly in silence eyes darting all over the materials at his disposal.

Munching on a square of Ambrosia, Will cuts open part of Skylar's shirt to begin cleaning the wound on her shoulder. Dousing a cloth in water he wipes away most of the dried blood. Blue eyes narrow at the claw mark made from a hellhound. It wasn't too deep but it would need stitches. Preparing the equipment he instructs Isaac and his mother to hold Skylar down. She could wake up in the middle of this and moving around would only make it hurt more. Washing his hands and slipping on rubber gloves he takes a deep breath. Threading the proper needle he cleanses the area with alcohol. A faint hiss escapes his sister but she doesn't wake up.

"Three...two...one..." The son of Apollo inserts the needle into the skin pulling it through the other end. Skylar jolts awake with a strangled scream. Her blue eyes look around frightened. Isaac and Naomi hold her firmly against the table as she fights against Will. Nico, now awake grips her hand in his running his thumb gently across the back. She squeezes back with enough force to almost break his hand.

"Skylar it's alright sweetheart! You must stay still!" Ms. Solace tells her daughter. Will bites his lip trying to go as fast as he can without messing up the stitching. Trying to silence her screams Skylar bites down on a piece of torn fabric from her shirt. Tears pour from her eyes. About three quarters of the way Skylar passes out partially from the pain but mostly due to exhaustion. She used up all her power in that last attack to vanquish the monsters.

Will's blue eyes stay focused on the task until he ties off the end, severing the remaining thread with a pair of scissors. Examining his work he asks his helpers to prop Skylar up so he can wrap her in bandages. Once she's fully taken care of they put her to rest on the couch in the living room. Nico remains by her side sitting on the floor clutching her hand. His head leans against the piece of furniture closing his eyes but not sleeping.

Sky blue eyes shift from his sibling to the brunet now slumping against the wall. "Isaac?!" Worried he helps the boy to sit in a chair setting to work on his injuries. A blood soaked through his pale blue shirt. Lifting the fabric carefully over Isaac's head he frowns at all the gashes littering his torso. They weren't deep enough for stitches but still needed to be disinfected and covered with bandages.

"Dustin really got me huh..? Sorry man." Green eyes look at Will slightly unfocused. The son of Apollo has him eat a square of Ambrosia while he works on disinfecting all the small wounds. Isaac winces slightly at the burning sensation.

"If it weren't for you we all would of been goners. You're a hero Isaac don't apologize for that. Just be more careful." Will mutters wrapping the boy's torso in white gauze. He was relieved to see the son of Aphrodite in one piece. Before getting knocked out by a cyclops he lost sight of Isaac in the turmoil and feared for his safety. Whatever transpired while he was unconscious seemed to be a major ordeal given the state he found Skylar and Nico in.

"You're incredible Will." The words catch the son of Apollo off guard. Sky blue eyes lock onto hunter green orbs. He studies the brunet's eyes noticing how one is a shade lighter than the other from his injury acquired at the Battle of the Labyrinth. Will unknowingly reaches out and gingerly caresses Isaac's right cheek. His blue eyes focus on the boy's right eye.

"Part of your sight is gone." Will whispers. He pulls away, cheeks blazing after he realizes what he did. "I-I'm so sorry!" Sputtering an apology he waves his hands in front of his face. Ms. Solace who was sitting not too far from them watched the boys with a knowing smile. She leaves the room to check on Skylar and Nico giving the boys some privacy.

Isaac coughs covering half his face with his hand and turns away. A warm feeling tugged at his heart, his cheeks a crimson red. "I-it's cool. I can still see out of it, things are just a little fuzzy." He leans back in the chair fanning his face and closing his eyes.

"Can you tell me what happened at the mall?" Will questions, busying his hands with putting away the medical supplies.

"We found your mom but we walked right into an ambush. A cyclops...attacked you. You did what you could to fend it off but he hit you in the head. When you didn't get back up I....gods Will I thought you were dead." Isaac pauses taking a shaky breath. "I-I didn't know what to do so I went into hiding. Skylar and Nico showed up shortly after trying to fight the ring leader. Dustin." Will's eyebrows shoot up at this.

"He was basically holding you and your mom hostage. Skylar got furious and took out one of his hellhounds before being detained by the other. That's how she got the gash on her shoulder. It was like she was seeing red. I've never seen her so...ruthless." Isaac fiddles with the locket around his neck. "Nico was forced to surrender or have the hound rip out her throat. I had a plan to get to Dustin but there were monsters in the way. Your sister managed to convince him to let her go pretending to say goodbye to Nico when she was really drawing everyone's attention to her like she wanted. I snuck around to get into position and all hell broke loose from there. She used what was left of her energy to disintegrate the monsters. Nico sent the demigods to I'm assuming the Underworld and I had a duel with Dustin." He finishes not looking up at Will.

"Did you...kill him?" The blond questions sitting in a chair across from Isaac. It falls silent in the room for a while as Isaac contemplates his choice of words. His companion waits patiently no judgement showing on his face whatsoever. Whatever Isaac decided to do he would support. Dustin was the one trying to end his life. It was only right.

"I wanted to. I wanted nothing more than to end his life with a swing of my blade after all he put us through." He mutters looking down at his hands. "But I couldn't. So I knocked him out and handcuffed him to a trashcan. At the most he'll be blamed for whatever the news comes up with on what transpired in the mall." Will wordlessly pulls the brunet into a hug. Isaac sniffles burying his face into Will's neck. Finally he could breathe a sigh of relief. Nobody was threatening to kill him and he was powering through his own demons that plagued his mind. All thanks to his friends.

Naomi draped a throw blanket across Nico's shoulders placing another over her daughter who lay fast asleep. Chocolate brown eyes focus on the kind woman giving her a polite nod. A sudden thought comes to his mind and he sits up to address it.

"I-I just realized I never asked for your permission t-to date your daughter." He stutters nervously. In the time he was born it was custom to ask the parents of a girl for permission. That's what his sister had taught him. Ms. Solace let out a pleasant laugh kneeling down to Nico's level.

"Sweetheart I appreciate you asking. You've already proven yourself worthy of dating my little girl. Just as long as you don't hurt her or you'll have the wrath of Apollo to deal with as well as mama Solace." She warns but kisses his hair nonetheless.

He nods slightly turning back to face the sleeping blonde. Her curly hair framed her face falling out of the ponytail she placed it in just this morning. Quiet noises escaped her lips every once and awhile. Resting the back of his hand against her forehead he frowns at how warm it is. Naomi notices this as well and leaves the room to fetch a cold towel and some medicine.

"Sky...I don't know if you can hear me but I'll be leaving soon. There's something I still need to do and I hope you'll understand." His fingers squeeze hers gently. "How am I supposed to keep up with your crazy ideas?" He lets out a hollow laugh gently pressing a kiss to her fingers. Part of him was glad she wasn't awake of he'd be as red as a tomato. Reaper hops onto the couch beside Skylar snuggling up to her under the blanket.

"You're an idiot Skylar Solace." Nico sighs turning to look out the window. The wind picked up outside rustling the green leaves of the oak trees. Storm clouds were beginning to roll in painting the sky in a murky gray.

"I thought we established that...I'm your idiot." A hoarse voice chuckles from behind. Nico snaps his attention back to the sofa where Skylar laid a small smile dancing on her lips. Her ocean blue eyes looked tired but relieved. The corners of his mouth turned up at the sight. Leaning up he places a shy kiss to her temple. She made some questionable decisions sometimes that will one day get her killed. For now he'd relish the time he's able to spend with her. After all, they were demigods, they needed to live each day like it was their last.

Three days passed since the brawl at the mall. Skylar was bedridden per 'doctor's orders' as Will liked to put it. In that time she barely used her left arm much to her annoyance. Being as she did almost everything with her left hand it was torture. Nico was also under bed rest after Will caught him trying to shadow travel and sentenced him to three days stuck in bed. Finally the duo were allowed to move around just in time to head back to school. But first, there was somebody's birthday they wanted to celebrate.

Setting up the prism atop the kitchen table Skylar maneuvers it in the sunlight. Positioning it just so a rainbow spreads through the air. Reciting the incantation she throws a Drachma into the stream requesting the address of her friend. Slowly the messy bedhead and sea foam green eyes of Percy Jackson come into view. He was sitting at the breakfast table munching some cereal. Not too far away his mother stood talking to him as she washed dishes. Skylar counts down from three pulling Isaac and her brother into view. Nico refused opting to sit in the living room until they were done.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY PERCY!" The trio cheers loudly startling the older boy into falling off his chair. Mrs. Jackson lets out a startled sound dropping the dish she was holding back into the sink. They both look around for the source of the noise eyes falling onto the Iris Message.

"You guys almost gave me a heart attack." Percy chuckles getting back into his chair. "Thanks for remembering. Wish you all could be here to celebrate."

"Well we can have a late party back at camp if ya want." Isaac grins.

"Sky and I could provide the music." Will offers. "But mostly Sky."

Skylar gathered a bit of sunlight into her fingers pressing it into a concentrated ball. Once she has enough she tosses it into the air letting it explode like a firework. Percy's eyes widen at the sight.

"Whoa Skylar I didn't know you could control light!" He says awestruck.

"Oh yeah, I found out a while ago. Oops?" She shrugs with a smile. "Pretty soon we'll be calling you grandpa around camp waterboy. You're getting old."

"I'm not that old!"

"Alright you two we need to wrap it up or we'll miss our bus. Have a great birthday Percy." Will gives him a heart warming smile and leaves the room.

"Yeah and say hi to Annabeth for us." Isaac winks bounding after Will. Laughter spilling from his lips.

Percy flushes a faint pink muttering to himself. "How did he know...?"

Giggling Skylar sets off another small firework. "Stay safe and we'll see you next summer. Happy Birthday waterboy."

"Thanks Sky, I'll look forward to it. Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

"Seeing as you almost erupted a volcano that's not great advice. See ya."

"Don't be sassy that's my job. Bye Skylar." Waving her hand through the message she dismisses it. Walking into the next room she joins the awaiting group.

"We all chipped in and packed a bag for you. It's got a fresh change of clothes, a bit of money, a few drachmas and some snacks. There's also some reading material if you find yourself with a bit of down time. Don't be a stranger alright di Angelo?" Skylar smiles handing the son of Hades a backpack. He accepted it slipping the straps over his shoulders. Dressed in the clothes he first arrived in he was ready to depart. Naomi even washed everything and patched the holes for him.

"If you're ever in need of a warm meal or a bed stop by anytime." Ms. Solace smiles patting the boy's fluffy bedhead.

"Keep out of trouble. Don't shadow travel too much." Will tells him earning an eye roll from the dark haired boy.

"Come visit when you can. I can only take so much whining from Skylar about how she misses her Ghost King." Isaac jokes nudging him in the side. This earns a flick to the forehead by Skylar.

"Oh hush you." She pouts turning back to Nico. He wanted to hug her but held back being as three other people were watching. Skylar shoots her brother a look which he returns with a smirk. Pulling Isaac by his arm the boys head out the front door to wait for the bus. Naomi heads into the kitchen to clean up the remaining dishes from breakfast.

"Sk-" Nico's cut short as a warm body pulls him into a tight hug. Wrapping his arms around her waist he rests his face in her not injured shoulder. They stands there in silence just drinking in the other's presence. A loud horn sounds from outside indicating the bus had arrived. Pulling away Skylar pecks his lips and retrieves her bag from the floor. She's halfway out the door when Nico pulls her back inside.

"I-If you want you can send me messages using Reaper. He can shadow travel. I-I might not reply much but...I just thought you'd want to know. Goodbye Skylar." Nico waves slightly allowing the shadows to swallow up his body. Once he's gone Skylar wipes the tears from her eyes running out the door to catch the bus.