Gift Fic for Abby-Jade-Love. Merry Christmas!

Chestnuts

"Will there be chestnuts?" asks Nico when Percy first invites him.

Percy gives him an odd look. "What?"

"Like in the song," explains Nico.

Percy's brow furrows for a moment, then he lets out a laugh as he realizes what his cousin is talking about. "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. No. There won't be."

"Should I bring some?" Nico wants to know.

"You can if you want," Percy tells him, "but chestnuts aren't an integral part of Christmas or anything."

"They're not?"

Percy would laugh, but the situation is decidedly not funny. If Nico has ever celebrated Christmas before, he's clearly lost those memories.

"No, they're not. I think it used to be an old tradition or something, but I've never heard of anyone that I actually know roasting chestnuts . . . on an open fire no less," says Percy.

"Yes, most heating is electric now," agrees Nico. "But maybe I can find some that are already cooked and bring them."

"You don't have to bring anything. We've got it all taken care of," Percy tries to assure his cousin.

"But . . . but it's rude to come empty handed. Someone told me that once . . ." Nico's brow wrinkles as he tries to remember who. Percy has the feeling that was probably one of Nico's lost memories. He's noticed that his friend has a tendency to remember phrases and snatches, quotes, dates and history (but only from before the 1940s), the English language, and even some Italian (mainly curses), but everything personal, everything he experienced or lived through, everything that made him the son of Maria di Angelo is gone. He's like an amnesia victim in some ways, but chances of him ever recovering are absolutely zero. When the River Lethe takes memories, it takes them forever, which Percy doesn't think is fair.

Fortunately, the River Lethe doesn't have any ability to stop someone from making new memories, and Percy firmly believes everyone needs memories of at least one warm Christmas with their family. And if you do the math, Nico is his cousin.

"So, you're coming right?" asks Percy.

"Is it really alright?" Nico wants to know.

"Of course it's alright."

"Alright then. I'll come."

And when Nico shows up the day before Christmas Eve, he has a big bag of roasted chestnuts, which actually turn out to be extremely delicious. Percy and Nico end up eating half the bag by themselves while playing videogames, before Sally and Paul even get home.

Cookies

"Have you ever baked before, Nico?" asks Sally.

Nico shakes his head and looks ready to bolt.

"That's no problem, then. You can help me decorate."

"Decorate?"

"Yes. It's not hard. When I finish frosting them, all you have to do is shake sugar on top of them. Like this." Sally demonstrates.

"Like this?" Nico tries.

"Yep. Just like that."

"So . . . green on the Christmas trees, blue on the bells and stars, and red on the Santa hats?" asks Nico to make sure.

"Exactly."

"Cool." Nico begins decorating his first batch of Christmas cookies ever. Sally smiles at his enthusiasm.

They don't speak as they work, but Christmas carols are playing on the radio, and so they're not exactly working in silence. Nico is a fast, efficient worker, and after he's confident in his ability to use the sugar shakers he starts helping Sally frost the cookies too.

"Miss Sally?"

"Just Sally, Nico. No miss," Sally tells him. "Did you need something?"

"Do we get to eat these?" asks Nico hopefully.

"Yes. They're for tonight, and tomorrow, but you may have one now if you like."

Nico's eyes light up and he chooses a Christmas tree to munch on.

"Cool, cookies!" Percy has come into the kitchen, in pajama pants and a t-shirt, his hair still messed up from sleep. He reaches for a star but Sally slaps his hand away.

"Not for breakfast," she tells him sternly.

"You're letting Nico have one."

"That's because Nico's been helping me. And because he's already eaten lunch."

Lights

Nico has clearly never done this before, as evidenced by how he manages to tangle himself up so badly in the lights.

"I have Riptide as a last resort, but let's try to avoid that," says Percy as he finally takes pity on and helps his cousin.

"Christmas lights are evil," says Nico, a baleful look on his face.

"They're really not," Percy tells him. "I have no idea how you managed to get this tangled."

"They're cutting off my circulation!"

"They're not. Stop struggling, you're just making it worse," says Percy.

"These things should come with warnings! They could kill a person!" gripes Nico.

"Not as long as the person doesn't try to burrow through them."

"That's not what I was doing! I was just trying to pull them out of the box!"

"Then how did you end up with them behind your back?"

"Hades if I know," mutters Nico.

Percy shakes his head. "Will you stop wriggling?"

"I'm trying to keep them from strangling me!" cries Nico.

"They're not going to strangle you!"

Nico falls silent and lets Percy work. It's not easy. The lights are a tangled mess, and it takes a long time, but finally Percy manages to untangle all the knots and free his cousin.

"I'm going to use these next time I have to set a trap," says Nico upon his escape. He hops nimbly over the mass that had been entangling him, and gives another box of lights a wide berth as he makes his way to the safety of the other side of the room.

"What?" asks Percy, not quite following.

"It'll be perfect. I'll set up a trip wire and when a monster springs it, boom! A huge pile of these lights will fall from the ceiling right on top of them, trapping the monster! Then it'll never get free! It'll be trapped there for all eternity."

Percy laughs. "I look forward to seeing that make it into the myths."

Stockings

Nico is shocked when he sees one with his name on it.

"But that's me," he says, looking bewildered.

"It sure is," agrees Paul.

"But . . . but . . ."

"No buts," says Sally. "You're Percy's cousin. You're family. You get a stocking. And tonight Santa will come fill it if you've been a good boy this year."

An uncertain look crosses Nico's face. He's not sure what to think of this Santa person who so many people like to sing about. The man's never shown any interest in Nico, at least that Nico can remember, so he'd always assumed that this jolly old man with his bowl full of jelly steered clear of demigods, which is probably the smartest thing for him to do. In fact, Nico would prefer for him to continue to do that. He doesn't trust most immortals, particularly not ones he's never even met, doubly so if they're trying to give him things. Gifts from immortals always come with strings attached. I mean, look what happened to poor Pandora!

"Nico? Where are you going?" asks Percy.

"To do something bad," Nico tells him.

"Uh, what?"

"To make sure Santa doesn't try to foist any gifts off on me that could have repercussions. I'll not fall into his trap!" declares Nico, throwing on his jacket and strapping on his sword belt.

Percy puts a hand on his shoulder and pulls him away from the door. "Nico? Let's have a talk."

Sweaters

"It's a tradition," says Percy pleadingly, hoping that Nico will understand. "She makes them every year, and they're horrible, but she's so always so proud of them, and . . . and it would mean a lot to her if you'd actually wear it. I swear on the Styx, no one here will make fun of you for it, and no pictures with you wearing it will be distributed."

Nico stares at Percy with huge eyes that seem to be all pupil. By his expression you'd think someone just kicked his cat, but Percy can understand why he might feel this way.

"I know I should have given you more warning, I just didn't think about it until now and . . . and . . ."

"She made this for me?" asks Nico, looking down at the sweater, a hideous thing really, made of black yarn, with white pompoms sewn on to look like rough approximations of snowflakes, and a big white blob that might be a polar bear, but can just as easily be seen as a snowman, or even an arctic fox on its front. "She really made this . . . for me?"

And then Percy understands that it's not horror on Nico's face. It's something else. A blend of emotions; shock, and awe, and wonder.

"Yeah," says Percy. "She made it for you."

Nico immediately strips off his aviator jacket and skull t-shirt and pulls the sweater on. Percy realizes, even before he pulls it on over his head, that his mother has miscalculated. Half of Nico's bulk seems to come from the military cut of his jacket, and when he takes off his shirt, Percy can see every rib. The sweater is horribly baggy on him, and somehow looks even worse being worn than it did just being held. Percy doesn't even know how that is possible.

But Nico has the biggest grin on his face. "Quick! Put on yours!" he commands.

So Percy obeys. He puts on the Bludolph the Blue Nosed Reindeer sweater that his mom made for him. And he does it quickly, just because Nico ordered it.

Present

On Christmas morning, Nico gives and receives Christmas presents for the first time that he can remember.

Percy was easy to get something for. Nico gives him a celestial bronze dagger with a sheath that he can strap to his arm or ankle. Because having a backup weapon can save your life. Paul gets a bottle of wine. Because they don't card in Italy. Sally is the one who Nico has fretted the most over. He has no idea what women like. Somehow he doesn't think Sally will appreciate a bow or any other weapon. He ends up giving her pearls. A necklace of them. They seem like a good gift, though he isn't sure what makes him think that, and he's nervous right up until she opens them and assures him that she loves them.

He very much appreciates the little gifts in his stocking now that he knows there is no chance they will make him indebted to or otherwise beholden to an immortal old man who enslaves elves and reindeer. He gets a flashlight, some batteries, a pocket knife, some candy (all of it blue candy, like what Percy gets too), and a package of dried fruit and nuts. Percy gives him a Grateful Dead t-shirt (more for the band's name than for their music). Sally and Paul give him a camera.

"We figure you go lots of interesting places and see lots of interesting things. We thought you might like taking pictures of some of them," says Sally.

And there is suddenly something very appealing about the very idea of it. About taking a moment and freezing it into an image. About making it into a memory that he can keep for the rest of his life. Nico hugs her, shakes Paul's hand, and grins as he sits back down and learns how to work the camera. Minutes later, he has it figured out and sets the camera on a shelf, pulling Percy, Sally, and Paul in front of the Christmas tree for a group picture before the timer goes off.

The camera is a great gift, but being able to spend Christmas with them is an even better gift. He knows he can't freeze the moment literally, and make it so that this Christmas never ends, but capturing it in a picture is the next best thing. That at least will give him a window to look through when times are harder, a way to see that somewhere this moment is still happening. And always will be.

The end

AN: I'm working on Children of the Underworld now and will finish it as quickly as possible. I was sick for 3 weeks straight, and just managed to get this fic done in time for Christmas, so that's why CotU is running late. Sorry if there's more typos than usual. My head's still a bit hazy from my medicine, and I don't usually write in present tense. (I was trying to mimic the style of a short story I drew inspiration from for this fic, and present tense fits the theme) I hope everyone is having a safe, happy holiday season. Merry Christmas!