This is another story in my song collection, which I still have to find a name for by the way. Anyway, this is based off of the song I Loved Her Fist by Heartland

Disclaimer: I don't own PJO or the song this is based off of.

They were dancing together, hands clasped with his other on her waist and her's on his shoulder. She was smiling, truly happy for the first time in a long time, and he was staring at her like even her mother couldn't top her beauty.

In the corner of the room stood a boy, watching his honorary sister and his best friend dance the night away...

MONTHS LATER

"Jason," Leo said, serious for the first time in a long time, "we need to talk."

"What about?" The blonde asked as the son of Hesphestus escorted him out onto the deck of the Argo II.

"Piper," Leo responded. "Jason, you understand that you're my best friend, right?"

"I would hope so," the child of Jupiter laughed.

"Well, Jason, Piper is practically my sister and that means it is my duty to protect her, whether she likes or accepts it or not. Got it?"

Jason nodded, puzzled.

"This means that I have to give this talk to her boyfriends, meaning you," Leo explained. "Jason, before you came to the Wilderness School, I was always there for Piper, through thick and thin..."

*FLASHBACK*

"Hey, Piper," Leo heard the drawl from around the corner and immediately recognized his tormentor, the kid that constantly bullied him, Dylan. "What's up, beautiful?"

"Leave me alone," a girl's voice snapped and Leo recognized it as Piper McLean's. She was in all of his classes, but they'd never talked. "And don't call me beautiful."

"Why? It's true," Dylan whispered and Leo peeked around the corner to see the Western devil advancing on pretty Piper McLean, who was standing defensively. "Every girl wants me. You're just playing hard to get, but don't worry. I like that."

Piper's face was so disgusted, it made Leo's stomach turn on itself. "You're disgusting," she hissed.

"Come on, babe," he laughed and touched her arm. Piper shuddered, completely and utterly grossed out, as she shoved him away, but he grabbed her wrist in a bruising grip.

"Don't scream, baby," he mumbled and Leo felt anger build inside of him, protectiveness over a girl he barely knew.

The mechanic was racing faster than ever, even faster than when he was on the run from social services, towards the duo and yanking Dylan away from Piper. Leo tossed him into a wall and Dylan grunted in pain.

"Stay away from her, and all other girls for that matter. You're sick, Dylan, and you'll never be anything but," Leo spat as he grasped Piper's upper arm and dragged her away from the sicko and into an alleyway, where they could hide until Dylan left.

The Latino released her and sighed, "You okay?"

Piper nodded, staring at him in amazement. "Why'd you save me? That's not how most kids at this school work."

"Well, I'm not like the other kids. I'm a runaway, not a hardened criminal like the rest of them," Leo smiled and held out his hand. "I'm Leo Valdez, an expert in awesomeness and repair man extraordinar."

Piper stifled a laugh. "More like Repair Boy. Piper McLean."

They shook hands and a wonderful friendship was born.

*FLASHBACK OVER*

"I would comfort her when she cried and yes, believe it or not, Piper does cry. She just never shows it..."

*FLASHBACK*

"Piper, you okay?" Leo asked, quietly, as he knocked. Sobbing could be heard on the other side. "Look, Isabelle's a jerk. Don't listen to her."

"How can I not?" Piper choked from the other side of the door. "She's always there, talking to me."

"What'd she say this time?"

"Th-That my dad raped my mom, but she couldn't prove it, so she left me as revenge," Piper cried.

"Well, you know that that's not true, so why does it matter what she says? After all, people make fun of my mechanic mom and that my dad left because I was so much of a disappointment. It took a while, but I learned to ignore it. That doesn't mean it doesn't still hurt, but it makes me stronger. Please, Pipes, open the door," Leo begged. He frowned when he realized that Piper was the first person he'd ever told that to.

It got the desired effect though. The door opened and Piper was diving into his arms, crying into his shoulder.

"I love you, Pipes. You're like my sister and I'll do anything to protect you. Just say the words and I'll get revenge on Isabelle and her clique," Leo whispered.

"No," Piper whimpered. "I-I need to fight my own battles or they'll never leave me alone."

"Okay, Pipes, if you're sure. But, nonetheless, I will always be here for you, sis."

"Thanks, Leo. I love you, too."

*FLASHBACK OVER*

"I took care of her when she was sick; I made her laugh..."

*FLASHBACK*

Cough! Cough!

Piper was hacking into her fist, the coughs sounding choked and painful.

"Here, Pipes," Leo murmured as he handed her a glass of water before pouring some cough syrup into a small medicine cup and handing it to her.

This was by far the worst cold Leo had ever seen. She was coughing so hard that when she talked, her voice came out hourse and rough. Sneezing and sniffling were making her miserable and her fever was almost as high as Leo's average body temperature, which is saying something. Piper had a stomach ache that was enough to render her bed ridden.

Leo had ditched class to stay with her, consequences be damned.

"Leo," Piper whimpered, folding in on herself once more like it was too painful to sit up right. "It hurts."

"I know, Pipes. Tell you what, I'll do what my mom used to do when I got sick. She would tell me stories," Leo laughed at the memories of some of those wacky stories his mother had told him.

Piper looked at him in disbelief.

"Come on, give it a chance!" Leo chuckled and Piper sighed.

"Why not?"

"Yay! Okay, so on a mountain that overlooked a small village, there was a huge mechanical dragon named Festus. He was a kind dragon, but paranoid and fearful at the same time, which didn't prove to be a great combination. He often got scared around people and in turn, scared them off. Except one.

His name was Leo Lion, a brave little boy that loved to build and travel the world. One day, when climbing the mountain, he came across Festus and Festus was shocked when Leo Lion didn't run off at the very sight of him.

Leo Lion and Festus became best friends, but all was not well. A big bad woman named Dirt Woman wanted to destroy Festus and kill Leo Lion. Leo wasn't about to let that happen, so he gathered his best friend, Pretty, Proud Piper, and they all flew into the sunset.

They were never seen again by the village or Dirt Woman, but they were happy traveling the world. They both got married and soon enough Festus was carrying two sets of parents and the next generation. The End."

When Leo finished his story, Piper coughed out a small giggle before she promptly feel asleep.

*FLASHBACK OVER*

"Jason, the point is... Piper is like my little sister and I love her more than I've ever loved anyone, except my mom. I loved her long before you and I'll never stop loving her. So if you hurt her, I'll hurt you, got it, Jason?"

Jason nodded, dumbly, and Leo smiled before walking off.

"What was that all about?" Piper asked as she walked up to her boyfriend.

Shaking his head to clear it, Jason smiled at the girl that didn't even know how much Leo- her honorary brother- cared about her. "Nothing, nothing at all, Pipes."

After the war, Jason grinned as he watched his best friend and his honorary sister, Reyna, dance the night away. Reyna was grinning for the first time in months and even the scratches and bruises on her face couldn't down play her beauty.

After the party, Jason took Leo aside and said, "Leo, we need to have a talk..."

This story was mostly about Leo's relationship with Piper with a little bit of Jason and some Leyna. Also, for those of you that are reading my other story, Labyrinth of Fate, I am working on the next chapter. For those of you that haven't read it, check it out. Thank you

Also, the story is based off of a dream Leo had because I thought Leo should have a reason on how he came up with Festus's name so fast and why he felt so connected to the dragon.