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When Nico had woken up, Will was already gone. That doesn’t surprise him, life at a farm starts at dawn and Gods know Nico will not, could not, imagine being awake at such a heinous hour. His father just might disown him for that act of treason. After a few minutes of deliberating on the pros and cons of leaving the bed, Nico finally rolled off the mattress with the elegance of a slug. He had to pee and also was a little hungry. Trying to sneak into the kitchen proves itself harder than planned. On the kitchen table, Grandma Solace and Naomi Solace sat across each other muttering quietly over coffee. Maybe Nico could use his stealthy demigod training to pass through the kitchen unnoticed. How hard can it be?
“—Well he’s here now, so why don’t you ask him? Good morning Nico, sleep alright?” Naomi Solace somehow notices him.
Uh oh.
“What?Sorry! -I-I mean, Good morning. Yeah, I mean! Yes I did… ma'am..?”
Smooth.
“...Were you trying to sneak around us just now?” She glared unconvincingly, it was all for show. She was used to Nico’s rat tendencies by now.
“Whaat? Of course not.” Nico says as he realizes he’s on his tippy toes, clinging to the wall like a poster.
She smiled bright and carefree. The same way Will does. “Well good, because me and mama have a job for ya. Come sit.”
“Oh Naomi leave the kid alone, don’t mind this old hen now baby.” Grandma Solace chides the two of them.
“No, no it’s okay. What can I help you with?”
“See mama? Nico don’t mind.” Ms. Solace addresses him as he sits down. He nibbles on some homemade biscuits after Grandma Solace pushes the basket to him relentlessly.
“Last summer, my parents started the renovation of the farm and they had been running into some…problems.”
“Problems?”
“There’s been complaints…” Ms. Solace winces, “a flickering of the light, an odd noise, maybe a few objects moving on their own…” the intonation of the last words made it clear she was holding something back.
Nico just waited patiently while the two ladies eyed each other to — as they say ‘spit it out already’. After a while he seemed to figure it out.
“…You saw something? An apparition?”
“Well what we saw, we don’t know what exactly, but yes. The whole experience was, well for a lack of a better word, spooky.” Grandma Solace confessed. “It didn’t help that your dad —Grandpa Solace— ran away like that time Rex the rooster was after him. Ooh I was so mad at him for leaving me like that.”
Before Nico could reply, Ms. Solace interrupted, “Wait a minute, how did you know we saw apparition Nico?”
It wasn’t that hard for Nico to piece that together really. Everyone knows ghosts are sort of his specialty. Also, the thick distinct scent of death that had been emanating from the barn like fish in a microwave gave it away.
“Lucky guess?” he tried innocently.
“You knew!” Ms. Solace's eyes widened, “Niccolo di Angelo, you knew this place was haunted and you were going to say nothing?”
“It’s not uncommon! I promise. Most places have at least a ghost or two.” Nico reassures. It was also true.
What’s not common was the potency of the stench.
He planned on asking Will later of his family was the infamous Texas Chainsaw Killer family. No judgement. After all, everyone needs a hobby.
“Well, since you already know about them, you know where they are, right?”
Barn. Barn. Barn. Old Barn in the back. “Actually, the trail isn’t that strong. So, no I don’t know. Could you guide me there?” Nico has learned that people perceive his senses like a Geiger counter but for ghosts instead of radiation. The more precise and accurate he was about the amount and location, well it must mean that levels of haunting are through the roof. This is not true. If Nico really wanted to, he could easily pick up the scent of a single dead bird in the middle of a forest. But why would he want to? He’s not a weirdo.
“I have a question about those senses of yours,” Grandma Solace said quietly. “I…. I might’ve yelled some very impolite things to it on my way out. Could you tell…if that hot hant is, angry at me?”
‘She’s adorable’ Nico thinks. Also Nico had not heard the term hot hant in a long time. It reminds him how close in age he is to someone like Grandma Solace. “Well I’m not detecting any malignant energy if that’s what you’re worried about, but once we get to the barn I could ask them for you if you like.”
“How did you know we were going to the barn, hm?” Ms. Solace challenges.
Damn it.
Apparently Nico is incapable of lying to all the Solaces.
“Well anywho, I can’t thank ya enough Nico.” Grandma Solace squeezes Nico’s hand. For a sweet old lady, she sure is strong. He smiles weakly to hide the pain. “Come on then, why wait for tomorrow to do what can be done today.”
Nico can’t argue with that. Also why would he argue with a woman who was just about to turn his hands into a liquid. He grabs his Stygian sword from his room and follows their lead out to the barn.
Inside the disheveled barn, Nico stands in the middle, his eyes fluttering as he sends out his senses to latch onto any death auras, gauging the amount and if any are not mortal. It’s a little sad when he can sense all the baby cows and horses that died at a stillbirth.
“Are you sure you don’t need a candle or a ring of salt or the eye of a newt or something to help you Nico? I don’t know much about this stuff honey, but in the movies they usually have more stuff than just a sword.” Ms. Solace offers.
“That’s more for witchcraft.” he corrects. “It’s not really what I do, but thanks anyways.”
He wonders where she would’ve gone if he had said yes to the last one, but a gentleman never asks a lady where she gets her amphibian body parts.
“Now I don’t mean to sound ungrateful Nico..” Grandma Solace says from behind the door, refusing to move any closer. “But are you planning to slash away the ghouls with that there sword of yours? Because I could have some tarps set up beforehand if you don’t mind. I have no idea how to get ghost stains out of wood.”
Nico chuckles at that. “No, Grandma Solace, I won't be using it for fighting today.” hopefully.
Once he has a gauge on the numbers and pretends to “read the room” for a few more extra seconds, he turns back to the two ladies standing by the door.
“Okay, I got a good read now. How many do you want to vanquish?”
“How many?! How many are there?!”
The number of mortal souls are quickly racking up to the teens. “Not much, A few.”
“A few?!” Mother and daughter say in unison, now clutching each other wide-eyed and paled.
“...Let’s just vanquish them all, yeah?” He smiles attempting to ease their nerves.
He raises his sword high in front of him to use as a beacon and the other hand palm up, elbow at 90 degrees. Before he turns his back to them, he reassures. “Oh um, this next part might get a little scary, okay? Please remain calm.”
He learned a while ago that if he spoke in Ancient Greek rather than English or Italian, his Hades’ inherited powers came more naturally and stronger.
With a deep breath, he closes his eyes, focuses on the auras around him and speaks.
“φαίνου”
(show yourself)
He could feel the presence thicken with proximity. He also didn’t miss the muffled whimpers and the “sweet jesus on a cracker” comment from behind him. It was hard not to laugh.
“τί πάσχεις ἐνθάδε;”
(what ails you here?)
Several of them chattered in Nico’s head, all at once. He tries to piece as much as the story as possible without interrupting.
“ἐκείνη ἡ γυνή; ὄπισθέν μου;”
(that woman? Behind me?)
Various forms of ‘yes’ are muttered.
With his eyes still closed, Nico speaks over his shoulder to the Solaces. “These are trapped souls. For one reason or another, they couldn’t jump to the other side so they took refuge in a place that brought them comfort during their time alive.”
“This barn?” Naomi asked bewildered.
“They tell me stories of escape. Stories of… some pretty bad home lives.” Nico figured he didn’t need to go in horrendous detail like they were with him. “They all agree that this place was a sanctuary for people like them.” He smiles at the details being whispered into his ear. “Grandma Solace, they..they remember you fondly. They said you were always very kind and are happy to see you live a very long life. They said you were the hope for many of them.”
Nico, eyes still closed, can hear the smile on Grandma Solace’s voice when she speaks. “My mama would always have me restock this old barn with clean blankets and fresh fruit every day without fault. Whenever we got a visitor it was my job to bring them into the house. She would make them a hot meal and let them take a shower if they wanted to. Her and I would walk them out to the bus station once they were ready. She would send them off with a fresh change of clothes, a sandwich and a dime for the troubles.”
Nico can hear the tears in Naomi’s voice as she whispers, “oh mama.”
Grandma Solace continues. “I had no idea if those people would ever think back to their time here. Mama never really asked them to stay in touch or even pay her back in any way. She would always say ‘When you can help someone, then you must. No ifs or buts about it.’ Just like that. It was that simple for her to lend out a hand.” She made her voice a little louder to address the room. “ I did think about y’all, from time to time. I would always keep y’all in my prayers. I’m sorry you got stuck here with the pigeons, but Nico here can help ya. Right Nico?”
“Right.”
“Well then, let’s not make them wait. May God bless y’all–oh wait, is it Gods bless y’all? or just one specific God? Agh just be blessed I guess.”
With that, Nico turns his attention back to the crowd. He lowers his sword and presents it with two open palms.
“Ἐν τῇ ἐμῇ μαχαίρᾳ, τὴν μακρὰν ἀναμενόμενην ἀνάπαυσιν εὑρήσεις.”
(At the touch of my blade, you will find your long awaited rest.)
One by one, each ghost stepped up to touch the edge of his sword and portal into the Underworld. Nico noticed a presence at the back of the barn, unmoving. Seeking it out with only his senses he could tell this soul belonged to a child, no older than ten. He splits a part of himself to reach out. At closer look, the child was a small girl, with mousy brown hair and a winter coat.
“Χαῖρε, ἔχεις τινὰ ἐκεῖ ἕτερον ὑμῖν προσδεχόμενον;”
(Hey there, do you have someone waiting on the other side for you?)
She does. She’s afraid she won’t find them.
“Οὐδὲν ὅλως. Δύναμαι ἔρχεσθαι μεθ’ ὑμῶν καὶ βοηθεῖν ὑμῖν ζητοῦσι τοῦτον.”
(That’s alright. I can come with you and help you find your brother.)
This sliver of Nico takes the girl by the hand and falls deep below. Even after all the souls have been vanquished and the three have left the barn, Nico can still feel that part of him. Hand by hand in the Underworld, helping that girl find her little brother.
Nico is back at the kitchen table, watching the two women shuffle around each other, making lunch and catching him up on all the Solace family drama. Who got married, who got divorced, who is filing for bankruptcy and who’s in a pyramid scheme.
He’s enjoying the conversation but perhaps his face is saying otherwise because Ms.Solace takes one good look at him before saying.
“Um Nico, sweetie? You feelin alright? You’re lookin kinda pale?”
“Am I?” Until then Nico hadn’t noticed how tired he looked. He felt fine, but the splitting of his essence was always draining. Especially when he had just shadow traveled him and Will to Texas just yesterday. Perhaps there was a reason Will had banned all powers for the weekend.
Oops.
“I’m okay Ms. Solace, really. But you could ask me later after I get through one of Will’s I’m Concerned About Your Health Rants.”
“Oh you get those too? Yeah that boy could talk about healthy practices until the cows come home. Some of his first words were used to tell me about the importance of vocal rest.”
Nico laughs at that. He can very much imagine a tiny Will using his new found skill of talking to express medical advice.
Grandma Solace joins the conversation, handing Nico a glass with ice cubes and transparent brown drink, it’s delightful. “Did he ever tell ya about the time he started one of them rants with ‘Grandma, a woman as old as you…’ before promptly shutting his mouth and running away. Should’ve seen his face y’all! That boy was redder than a tomato.”
They are all now laughing at that. It’s nice to talk to people who love and hate Will in the exact same way he does. You could say he has found some Solac–. Okay okay he won’t do that.
After they settle down Nico finally speaks. “Well I don’t think I’ll be able to escape my rant that easily, so please Grandma Solace, keep this cold juice coming my way.”
Grandma Solace beams at that and corrects, “Iced Tea, sweetheart.”
“We’re back!” Grandpa Solace enters with Will in tow.
Nico will never get tired of the way his breath catches at the first sight of the day of his beautiful boyfriend. Will's tan is glorious, almost as golden as the locks of his hair, shimmering in incandescence. His white tank top is now sweaty and sticking to his chest showing off his tattoo and… and Nico is in a room with all of Will’s immediate family so maybe he should tone it down. Still, he can help but smile stupidly as Will makes his way across the room pressing a greeting kiss on the cheek of everyone.
“Sorry about stealing my grandson from ya Nico,” Grandpa Solace apologizes. “But we had a wild boar to hunt. That sucker has been slicker than snot on a doorknob just erking me all month now. Good thing Will here is still a pretty decent shot.”
Hm. Will out in the field, in a tank top, shooting a rifle, then carrying a wild boar with his muscular arms? Nico will just have to save that mental image for later.
“Whoo-wee y’all should’ve seen the big fella!” Grandpa Solace continues, beaming with pride. “Took me and Will most of the morning to cut him down. Oh, Nico we save ya the tusks, Will said you might like those. Anywho, what we eatin?”
“You’re getting nothing until you go get in the shower. Gosh Dad y’all smell like a wet dog that died two weeks ago!” Ms. Solace says while holding her nose dramatically. “You too Will. Shower. Now.”
“Yes mama.” Will says absentmindedly. He's been staring at Nico the entire time, observing the amusement spread across his face.
He presses a kiss on Nico’s cheek and starts walking to the bedroom before stopping in his tracks. Like a bloodhound, Will raises his nose and starts sniffing the air, turning slowly until he reaches the top of Nico’s head. He narrows his eyes and places his hand out. Begrudgingly, Nico complies and places his hand in his. Will’s eyes flutter as he reads his vitals.
“Ooooh…” Grandpa Solace hoots, like a middle schooler. Grandma Solace hits him in the arm to stop.
“Did you use your powers today?”
“…no.” Nico smiles sweetly.
Will gives him his ‘I’m a Human Lie Detector, You Can’t Lie To Me’ look.
“After I explicitly told you to not use your powers?”
Before Nico can continue to pointlessly lie again, Ms. Solace comes to the rescue.
“Actually he came out to help me and your Grandma today with a problem out in the barn. Unlike some of us…” She looks at Grandpa Solace pointedly. “he didn’t run away leaving mama behind. So really you should be buttering up your boyfriend rather than getting onto him.”
Nico had finally met Will’s match and her name was Naomi Solace. Will turns back to Nico with a tight smile.
“Thank you Nico.” He says through gritted teeth. “For helping out my mother and grandma today.”
As if he was holding his breath, Will couldn’t help the words spilling out “…but I still think that over exerting yourself after a large shadow travel can still be very dangerous.”
Before Nico could rebuttal, Ms. Solace once again, went for the kill shot. “Excuse me, are you implying that we would overwork Nico to exhaustion?” She crosses her arms and bores the most Motherly of Mother Stares. “You would dare to think so low of your own mother William?”
Nico has never seen Will so lost for words. He wishes he had a camera in hand to savor this moment forever. Still, he couldn’t have Ms. Solace, have all the fun.
“Yeah, would you, William?” Nico assumes his best shit eating grin as he crosses his arms and watches his boyfriend fall to pieces.
Will couldn’t decide who to glare at most so he just darted between Nico and Naomi. His face made a few scrunches as he grumbled bitterly.
“What was that?” Ms. Solace cupped her ear and leaned in.
Will sighs and embraces the inevitable defeat “No ma’am. I apologize.”
“Good boy, now go get in the shower, stinky.”
Nico contemplates building a shrine for his new hero. As he gets poured more iced tea and Will shoots him a dirty look from the hallway, he has no doubt in his mind that this is going to be a great weekend.