A/N: 22 more views. Come on people. So. Flipping. Close. Also if you hate me because of the last chapter please leave a comment here. Thanks.

~*~

"ERICA!" A voice was screaming into the echoing darkness around me. "ERICA PLEASE WAKE UP PLEASE!"

I realize then that something was seriously wrong. I couldn't feel anything. I didn't know of my lungs were working, or my heart, or my muscles...or anything. I was completely numb.

"No..." The voice was whispered next to my ear. "She can't be dead. She was asleep. She just...no..."

It sounded like someone I knew, but I couldn't tell who. I felt like my awareness was just barely attached to me. I was floating away.

"Erica. Come back." Another familiar voice echoed around me. I felt drawn to it, like I was being commanded.

Suddenly the black expanse disappeared around me and I gasped and opened my eyes. Percy was kneeling beside my bed, holding my hand, a stream of tears running down his face.

Annabeth gasped as my eyes opened. "Percy..." She pointed to my face.
Percy stared at me for a moment like he couldn't believe that I was awake. Then he was on top of me, squeezing the air out of me.

"Get off of her!" Hazel yelped, pulling Percy away. I blinked my thanks and she winked at me.

I sat up groggily in my bed. "What the heck happened to me?" I asked, rubbing my head. Memories were steadily trickling in, but I couldn't form a complete thought.

"You wouldn't wake up, Erica." Annabeth explained gently. "We took your pulse and it was so low...well...it didn't even seem like your heart was beating. And as for you're chest...it wasn't moving."

I stared at her, my mind totally blank. "How could I have...it's not like...I was sleeping!"

Piper shrugged. "I don't know, Erica. It was weird."

Suddenly, the memories hit me. I remembered seeing Nico dying on the tree, I remembered seeing Arc coming at me, I remembered the pain...

"Erica, are you okay?" Percy asked, grabbing my hand again. "Arc." I whispered. "He did this. And Nico..."

"What? Nico what?" Annabeth leaned closer. "He's dying." I choked. "What?" Hazel snapped. "We have five days until he's gone. Less if Arc keeps torturing him." My voice cracked. "We need to save him. We don't have time for this! We need to go, now!"

I started to get up, but Piper laid a hand on my shoulder and pushed me back down. "I don't think so." She said. "This just proved why we need that amulet. If he can do this to us in a dream..."

"Plus, we won't be much help to Nico if we're all dying." Frank added, speaking for the first time. I scowled. "I hate it when people have a point." I muttered. Jason chuckled. "Don't we all?"

"We can be fast about it." A voice spoke from the doorway. We all looked to discover Lola, Asha, and Reagan standing in the hallway, looking highly awkward.

Lola shrugged as we all stared at her. "Just saying."

"How do you purpose we do that?" Leo asked sassily. (Yes, sassily. There's no other way to describe Leo's tone.) Lola suddenly grinned, her blue eyes glowing. "Well, fire-boy. We're Amazons. We never back down from a challenge." She said. "Fire-boy?" Leo muttered, cocking an eyebrow.

"We'll come up with a plan." Reagan interrupted before Percy, who was opening his mouth, could say anything. Asha nodded, a slight smile curling on her lips.

"Riiiiiiiight..." Leo said sarcastically. He clapped his hands together. "Anyway, who wants breakfast?" My stomach rumbled and I realized how hungry I was. I heaved myself out of bed and swayed slightly on my feet. Percy grabbed my shoulder firmly and set me upright.

"Are you sure you're okay?" He whispered. I nodded, my stomach rumbling again. Percy gave me a small smile before following everyone else out the door.

"Erica?" A voice asked behind me. I spun around and found myself face to face with Reagan. "You mind stopping by my room after breakfast?" She questioned, tilting her head. I shrugged. "Sure, whatever. But...just out of curiosity, why?"

Reagan looked at the ground and kicked at the wood. "I just want to talk, that's all." She replied. Before waiting for my response, she turned, walked out the door, and disappeared down the hallway. I stared after her for a moment, slightly baffled by her odd behavior. Then my stomach gave another angry lurch and I followed her to the mess hall, my mind still buzzing.

~*~

I followed Reagan down the hall to her temporary room. "Whoa..." I said, gazing around me. Despite the fact that this had been Leo's old room, you could barely tell. The only thing that remained was an old metal cart stacked with a million trinkets and tools. The walls were covered in posters and family photos. The bed was fluffy and ice-blue with a teddy bear that glowed different colors sitting on the pillow. There was a stuffed lion baby toy beside it.

Reagan walked into the room. "Yeah I know, childish." She said, grinning and sitting on her bed. "But totally me."

I laughed. "I see nothing wrong with it. I'm the one with a stuffed snow leopard sitting on top of my pillow." Reagan grinned even wider. "I love it when people understand me." She patted the bed next to her. "Sit."

"What am I, a dog?" I snorted, perching on the edge of the mattress. Reagan laughed. "You're funny." She told me.

Suddenly Reagan became serious. "There's just one thing I don't understand, Erica. Why are you so desperate to save Nico? Why don't you just move on to the next guy?"

I stared at her for a moment, completely speechless. "Because I love him." I whispered. A shiver went through my body as I realize it was true. I was finally admitting it. I loved Nico. He loved me.

I was in love.