Hi everyone! So, as some of you may have noticed, I have deleted my other two stories. I know, I know. After reading them over a few times, I just didn't like them. I don't know. I'm a very picky person. They will be coming back, I'll promise you that. They'll just be a little different.
This story will be about Leo. My favorite Lab Rats character is actually Bree, but I'm not sure, I just started writing this for some reason. I don't know how it turned out. Tell me what you think.
Flaws
He couldn't understand it, really. Why everything he touched just exploded somehow. He didn't do it on purpose. After all, he was just trying to help. He had flaws. He had them, but was willing to accept them. If only everyone else was.
Leo nudged his bedroom door open and sat down on the edge of his bed.
"They were designed to go on missions and save the world. You were designed to break stuff."
"You Leo-ed this up!"
"Is he bionic too?" "Seriously? Look at him."
It wasn't necessarily the words that hurt. Maybe it was the fact that he knew they were true. They repeated in his head constantly, mocking his failures. He didn't ignore them, instead used them to feed the determination slowly growing inside of him. The determination to prove them wrong. To be a hero for once.
Some days the determination overpowered the sadness, but most days it just wasn't strong enough. Sadness was an emotion that couldn't be ignored, though somehow Leo was able to do so. He hated feeling bad for himself. It wasn't something people would stop to admire you for.
Leo turned his head as he heard a knock on the door.
"Come in," he muttered, his voice monotone. His door opened a crack and Bree poked her head inside.
"Hey Leo," she began. "Um, Mr. Davenport's taking us all bowling in his 'Davenport Domain' if you want to come." Leo stayed silent, his back facing her. "Leo? Is everything alright?" He turned to face her, biting his lip to hold back a sob. She studied her youngest brother, wondering what the problem was. "Do you need to talk?" Bree questioned softly. Leo nodded and finally let a tear run down his cheek. Bree rushed over to the foot of the bed and plopped herself down beside him.
"I… I don't really know where to start," Leo whispered. Bree smiled faintly and took Leo's hand in her own. Her hands were soft, and she held his gently, as if they were to break at any moment.
"Well if you are the Leo that you say you are, then I'm sure you'll find a way to get yourself talking." Leo chuckled quietly.
"I am." Bree nodded in approval and gestured for him to continue. "I-I guess I just want everyone to accept me as I am." He looked to his sister, waiting for her to say something. Her eyes held a look of conflict, as if trying to understand what he was saying. Leo shook his head. "I knew this wasn't a good idea," his voice was choked with a sob that he forced himself to hold back. He tried to pull away from Bree, but couldn't. Her grip on his hand tightened.
"Leo, what do you mean?" Bree asked gingerly, the firmness usually lingering in her eyes nonexistent.
"I'm a failure!" Leo exclaimed suddenly. Bree jumped slightly at his abrupt change of tone. "Nothing I do ever goes right! You and Chase and Adam, you guys are perfect. You go on lifesaving missions for goodness sake! What do I do? Burn my toast. Flood my bathtub. Freeze my mother and my crush. I want to do something right! I'm nothing right now. I'm just the waterboy for the team of champions." He felt Bree's arms wrap around him protectively, and he melted into her embrace. As if on cue, tears poured out of his eyes, soaking his sister's shoulder. His shoulders heaved with sobs and his fingers trembled on his sister's back.
"You're not a failure." Bree's voice startled him, though he kept his arms wrapped tightly around her. "Think about it Leo. Where would we be right now if we hadn't met you?" Bree whispered into his ear. Leo squeezed his eyes shut. "We'd probably still be stuck in the lab, arguing about who's fake boyfriend or girlfriend was cooler. We would never have gotten to go on our first mission, or have gotten to experience school. Leo, you may not realize it, but you're not the waterboy for our team. If anything, you're the captain. We're lucky to have a brother like you, even if you burn your toast or freeze your mom. We love you. I love you." Leo brought his sister into an even tighter embrace.
"I love you too," he murmured into her hair.
"We all make mistakes Leo, but we have to be willing to accept them. If others don't learn to accept them, then that's their problem. They don't know what they're missing. If people like you make mistakes, then anybody could make mistakes. You're one of the bravest people I know. And even though we're 'bionic heroes' and whatnot, even we need saving sometimes. You're the one that saves us, Leo. You're a hero. You're my hero." Fresh tears formed on the brims of his eyelids.
"Thank you, Bree," Leo whispered. "T-Thank you so much."
"Hey, that's what I'm here for. If you ever need anybody to talk to, I'm always here. Plus, girls are always better with advice," she said, and he could picture the smirk on her face perfectly. They sat there for awhile, tangled in each other's embrace. The silence in the room wasn't uncomfortable, the two just didn't have anything more to say to each other.
Leo untangled himself from Bree's embrace and glanced at her. She smiled at him and looked down at her twiddling thumbs.
"I'm going to text Davenport and tell him that I'm going to stay here with-" Bree was cut off.
"No." Leo's voice was firm. "I'm going to show you three who's boss. After all, knocking stuff over is my specialty." He winked.
"There's the Leo I know and love," she said chuckling. "Now let's go show Adam and Chase who the 'Master of Messes' is!" Bree offered her hand to Leo, which he gratefully took. He found himself grinning wildly as they walked out his door and down the stairs.
"Hi Leo!" Adam exclaimed.
"Hey," Chase greeted.
"Alright little man, we were waiting for ya," Mr. Davenport said, smiling.
"You ready sweetie?" Tasha asked.
Leo nodded and a smile never left his face. He looked at every member of family. Bree: a sweet girl who sometimes did things a bit too fast. Adam: a caring boy who couldn't do basic addition. Chase: a genius who couldn't get a girl to tell him the time of day. Mr. Davenport: a loving father and husband who had an ego the size of Texas. Tasha: an amazing mother who wasn't good at being a news reporter. These people were his family. They loved him for who he was. They all had flaws, but they were willing to accept them. So was he. Others who weren't were missing out. His family was awesome.
Flaws. Flaws were what made a person. Either they ruled your life, or they made it better. Leo had once let them rule his life, but it was time to change that. His flaws made him whole. They made him who he was. Without them, he wouldn't be Leo Dooley. He wouldn't be "L-Doo" or "Mission Specialist Dooley". He was a mess. He'd admit it. Messes could be cleaned up though, with just a little help.
Leo: a brave little brother who messed everything up.
Ta-da! I hope you liked it. I feel bad for Leo sometimes, because everyone doesn't believe in him. I guess this was just a tribute to him. Thanks for reading, and see you on some other stories!