A/N: I'm back on fanfiction! I don't really know how to feel about that, since I've discontinued so many of my other stories, but on the upside, I'm starting this new one. To prevent myself from getting writer's block, I planned each chapter in detail, from beginning to end, rather than going with the flow like I usually do. I've grown fond of this story in the process. Perhaps it would've been better if I'd started doing that earlier...well anyways, point is, I'm back, and I intend to stay.

This new story will involve people speaking in different languages. Foreign words will be italicized, as will any dialogue that has been translated to English. (Just to be sure, I will still use italicization to emphasize some English words, and to represent thoughts, so please don't think that those are all randomly spoken in foreign tongues.) I hope that doesn't get too confusing for anyone.

I'd like to add that this story will also be rather lengthy, compared to my other fanfictions; it's split into two parts and has more than twenty-seven chapters for sure. It still has go through some editing so chapter counts may fluctuate.

It is an AU fic. There are no gods and no great prophecy and no evil Gaea bent on destroying all civilization. There will be hints of other numerous romances blossoming between secondary characters as the plot moves along. I have reasons for that, one being that I love shipping characters together, but I promise none of it will take away from the main romance.

Okay, I apologize for this author's note for being so long, so I'll cut it here. I hope you enjoy this first chapter!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything affiliated with Rick Riordan's works.

"Leo, what are you doing?" Angela asked in Spanish. A lot of the kids at the daycare spoke to Leo in Spanish.

Leo was outside in the fenced yard behind the daycare. There was a basketball court on the concrete, where a few kids were playing, and there was the grassy area, with the huge, shady tree and a small sandbox. Leo was sitting at the picnic table under the tree, and when Angela came up to him, his pen stopped moving along the surface of his sketchpad.

What Leo was doing actually wasn't complicated—he was making blueprints for another household contraption—but he figured eleven-year-old Angela wouldn't find it very interesting, so he simply said, "Oh, just doodling something for another invention."

Angela tried to peek at the sketchbook. "It looks like a tree..." she mumbled.

Leo held his sketchpad closer to his chest to keep it out of her sight. "Angela, why don't you go play with Lexi?"

"You're weird," Angela told him bluntly, frowning. Then she smiled and said, "But that's okay." She walked away to Lexi, who was busying herself with a pail in the sandbox.

Leo sighed. Angela was only a little girl, but she had her own opinions about everyone. She thought that Francisco was a video game addict, Beth was a bookworm, and Ricky was a "bad kid." But for Leo, she figured he had too many peculiarities to be labeled specifically. For the most part, though, Angela was a sweet kid.

"Leo!" Mrs. Jaramillo called from inside. "It's five o'clock!"

Checking his watch, Leo stood up and closed his sketchbook. He stuck his pencil behind his ear. Time went by faster than he'd thought; his mom would expect him home soon. Leo headed inside.

The daycare building wasn't too fancy: it had four secondary rooms excluding the back room (the nap room, the game room with a console and TV set donated by one of the parents, a movie room, and the library/study room where you could find a collection of books for the kids) with a play area in the main room by the front door. There was a small kitchen too.

Mrs. Jaramillo was cooking something. She was a good-natured lady, in her early forties, who had come to LA as a little girl. She easily picked up on English, so language barriers were no problem for her growing up. Her son had died of cancer seven years ago, and her husband was busy with work most of the time. Mrs. Jaramillo opened the daycare on a whim because she was evidently lonely. Luckily, it turned out to be a successful business, and she was able to keep it open rather than having it shut down.

Leo stepped into the kitchen and took a whiff. Empanadas.

"Wow, Tia, those smell amazing," Leo complimented.

Mrs. Jaramillo's eyes twinkled as she smiled. "Gracias, mijo." She took some on a plate and dumped them into a big paper bag. When she handed Leo the food, she said, "Here, share those with your mother, yes? Now, hurry home while they're still hot!" Mrs. Jaramillo ushered him out of the kitchen.

"Thanks Mrs. Jaramillo!" Leo grabbed his backpack, rushed out the door, and said goodbye to a few kids that saw him leaving. He grabbed his bike and walked down the short pathway from the door to the gate. When he opened the gate, Leo hopped on his bike and headed to his house, taking in a deep breath to smell the empanadas.

A few minutes later he arrived home. Leo checked the bag. Still warm, he thought. He left his bike on the porch and came inside the house, announcing loudly that he brought home food, although the only other person in the small house was his mom.

"From where?" his mother, Esperanza, asked. "Mrs. Jaramillo?"

"Mhmm," Leo responded, having already taken a bite from one of them. "And they are delicioso."

The two of them sat at the table and ate quietly for a moment. Looking at his mom, Leo knew that she was trying to think of a way to properly thank Mrs. Jaramillo for the food.

Leo made small talk with his mom, asking how her day was and how things were going in the mechanics shop. Normally he would have been there with her, but he spent some of his afternoons at Mrs. Jaramillo's daycare as sort of a part-time job. He got paid, which helped him and his mom, although he really just went because of the homey atmosphere. Plus, the kids were fun to be around.

After eating, Leo went on the computer for a while. When he noticed it was getting late he decided to go take a shower. Once he finished, he slipped on a comfy cotton t-shirt and pajama pants and headed into the living room. His mom was already there on the couch reading a book. When she saw him, she patted the spot next to her. Leo sat by his mom and looked at what she was reading. It was another novel, one that he wasn't too concerned with, so he just leaned against her like a little child and waited for her to finish.

Leo's mom sighed when she put the book down. He looked at her expression.

"What's wrong mom?" he asked.

"Oh nothing," she responded in Spanish. Then she held him close and added in English, "I just realized that you're growing up so quickly, and I'm getting older too." She chuckled, switching to Spanish again. "Life is a funny thing."

Leo had gotten used to his mother speaking like that, constantly switching between Spanish and English. It got to the point that by the time he was in school, he started talking to other people the same way, much to the confusion of his teachers and classmates.

"Come on, mom." Leo playfully nudged her. "You're not old. In fact, I think you're getting younger. I mean, look at you!"

Esperanza chuckled. "Don't be ridiculous."

"It's true!"

They both laughed. Leo's mom muttered in Spanish, something along the lines of "silly boy," and picked up her novel again. She rumpled Leo's curly hair affectionately and told him that he should probably get to bed. Leo got up off the couch and started to his room as Esperanza opened her book and began reading again. He looked back at her, trying to decipher her thoughts.

To be honest, Leo wondered how much his mom was working to get her machine design patented. It was a big deal to the both of them, since getting the patent could be the key to a better life, but Leo often thought his mom worked too hard for her own good. Sometimes he was worried for her health, especially when she came home late, exhausted and worn down. Every time he saw her tired expression, it made him think whether or not it would all be worth it in the end. However, Leo didn't have much time to dwell on the subject before he lay in his bed and fell asleep.

The next morning, Leo woke up to the smell of eggs and bacon wafting through the house. Sure enough, his mom had set the food on the table, along with some waffles. Leo sat down and piled food onto his plate. Esperanza watched her son with amusement as he devoured it all.

Leo ended his breakfast with an obnoxious belch, and Esperanza scolded him for his lack of table manners. She was smiling though, which caused Leo to crack a joke and make them both laugh.

"So mom," Leo began as he got up to wash the dishes, "are you going back to the shop again?" He noticed that she was already dressed to leave.

Esperanza was still at the table, holding her cup of coffee. She took a sip quietly. When she didn't answer, Leo looked back at her over his shoulder. His mom smiled warmly at him and replied, "I'll be home early, mijo. One o'clock, I promise."

"Aw, come on mom." Leo dropped what he was doing, turned to face his mother, and crossed him arms. He looked at her with slight frustration and said, "It's Sunday. The shop isn't even open today! Take a break once in a while; it's healthy."

Leo's mom got up and walked over to the sink. She rinsed out her cup, then kissed him on the temple and smoothed a hand over his hair. Leo gave her a defiant pout, so she moved her head to look at him.

"There's no need to worry about me," she said surely.

"Mom, you're the best mechanic in the world, but you should really rest up," Leo huffed. "You keep coming home tired."

Esperanza patted Leo's cheek affectionately, a wistful expression crossing her face. "You are so much like your father," she sighed in Spanish.

That stopped Leo short. That was a sensitive topic; he'd never known his father. When Leo was born, his dad had been forced to leave Esperanza and him because for whatever reason they were not allowed to be together. Leo didn't resent his father for it (well, okay, maybe a little…or a lot) but it pained him every time he went to the park as a kid and saw all the boys and their dads playing ball or eating together. He loved his mom though, and that was enough for him.

Seeing his stunned face, Esperanza gave Leo's shoulders a squeeze and headed out of the kitchen. He heard his mom open and close the door as she left. Leo turned back to the sink and began scrubbing intently, hoping to take his mind away from depressing thoughts and memories.

Since his mom would be at the shop until one in the afternoon, Leo decided he would go to the daycare again. He had never been there in the morning, or on weekends for that matter, but he knew it was open after ten on Sundays because Francisco was the only Sunday kid at the daycare. Leo checked the door to see if it was unlocked. When it opened easily, Leo called out, "Hola, Mrs. Jaramillo! It's me, Leo!"

"Oh!" Mrs. Jaramillo's voice came from the back room. She came to greet him. "What do we have here? I don't recall you ever coming this early. Especially Sunday. And you were here yesterday already."

Leo smiled. "Yeah, mom's at the shop today. I thought I'd stop by for a few hours." He stepped in and looked around. "Is Francisco here yet?"

"Actually, Francisco is not here," Mrs. Jaramillo explained. "I took the opportunity to come and tidy up. Francisco's father was off today, so they're going to spend the day together."

There was that word again. Father. Leo felt his face tighten, but it didn't betray any emotion. Mrs. Jaramillo knew the situation about Leo's father, and she seemed to realize her mistake because she quickly changed the subject. She clasped her hands together and said, "Since you're here, would you like to help me clean up?" When Leo didn't answer, she coaxed, "I'll pay you extra."

Leo finally realized that Mrs. Jaramillo was asking him something and snapped out of his trance. Mrs. Jaramillo's eyebrows were raised, as if asking, So, do you accept my offer? He grinned, and then bowed to Mrs. Jaramillo dramatically. "I insist that this service be free of charge, madam," he jested.

Mrs. Jaramillo laughed lightly. She patted Leo's shoulder and went to the back room to bring out some extra supplies. Leo knew what to do. He spotted the broom leaning in the far corner of the room, so he picked it up and began sweeping. It took some time, but Leo managed to sweep out all the debris from the other rooms out into the main room. Mrs. Jaramillo was reorganizing the tables and chairs by the kitchen. She motioned for Leo to come help her.

"I'm sorry, Leo," she said. "I just have to clean up out in the yard, too."

"It's not a problem," Leo assured her, chuckling. "They're not even heavy to move around."

"Oh, when you're done with that—" Mrs. Jaramillo pointed to the small pile of dust and trash that Leo cumulated in the main room.

"Use the dustpan and dump in the trash bin out in the front," Leo finished for her, smiling. "I know the drill, Tia."

Mrs. Jaramillo rolled her eyes and laughed. "Just in case you forgot." She exited through the back door and closed it behind her.

Leo carefully spaced out the tables and pushed in the tiny chairs. He stepped back and admired his work. It almost looked like a mini dining hall. Less extravagant, with the short wooden tables and plastic chairs, but it was neat. Leo chuckled as he noticed that the tables' height only reached a little above his knees. He had been helping out at the daycare for a few years now, but the little things still got him every now and then. Like how someone carved a happy face on the tree outside, or when he saw that the kitchen looked much newer than the rest of the interior.

Satisfied, Leo went to the back room to grab the dustpan. He piled on as much of the debris as he could while using the broom so he could take it out to the trash bin. Leo had swept up very thoroughly and as a result, there was quite a big pile of dust and dirt and whatnot. He ended up having to take several trips back and forth from the trash bin because the dustpan was too small.

On his last trip outside, Leo noticed someone standing beyond the gate. It took him a minute to realize it was a girl about his age. She had her black hair tied back in a ponytail and she was staring at the daycare with her hand on the gate. When she and Leo made brief eye contact, she quickly pulled her hand back from the gate and hurried away.

Well, that was weird, Leo thought before being distracted by the odor coming from the trash bin. He scrunched up his face and closed the lid. When he came back inside, Mrs. Jaramillo was getting the mop ready. Leo was about to ask if she knew about the girl that was just outside, but Mrs. Jaramillo asked him to go fix the books in the study room before he could say anything

"I'll mop up everything here," Mrs. Jaramillo told him. "Make sure you get all the books lying around in that room and put them in alphabetical order, okay?"

"Aye aye, Tia," Leo replied, giving Mrs. Jaramillo a salute. They both laughed, and Leo added, "This is a lot of work for one woman to handle, don't you think?"

Mrs. Jaramillo waved away Leo's comment. "Oh, I still have plenty of life in me, don't you mind."

Three hours of scrubbing, dusting, and organizing had gone by. The daycare was a small place, but boy was there so much to clean up. Leo plopped himself on the couch in the main room, and he was about to lie down until Mrs. Jaramillo came in and told him to take his shoes off before putting his feet on the couch. Leo obliged. It was hard to believe that Mrs. Jaramillo was still up and about, since she hadn't taken any breaks at all. She really did have plenty of life after all, or at least, enough left over to nag him about his shoes.

Leo checked the time. It just passed noon; his mom would be home in an hour.

"Tia, I have to go now!" he called, getting up off of the couch. He heard Mrs. Jaramillo's voice from the nap room.

"You left your jacket in here, mijo." She emerged from the room with his army jacket in one hand. Leo thanked her and headed to the door. "Say hello to Esperanza for me. Thank you for your free labor," Mrs. Jaramillo joked.

"Anytime, Tia," Leo said, putting on his jacket. "I'll see you soon."

Leo left, and instead of riding home, he walked his bike down the sidewalk for a little bit. He contemplated Mrs. Jaramillo's tone. "Free labor," she'd said, almost like she was making an inside joke. Abruptly, Leo stopped walking and felt his jacket pockets. He produced thirty dollars from his left pocket.

Mrs. Jaramillo usually only paid him five dollars an hour for helping out.

Shaking his head and chuckling to himself, Leo pocketed the money and decided to get on his bike. He should've seen it coming, even after he said he didn't want the money. Knowing Mrs. Jaramillo, Leo figured there was no way she'd accept the money if he tried to give it back.

"Ah, well," Leo sighed to himself. Then he chuckled. "Guess I better go tell mom that I worked overtime today."

A/N: Yeah, so I put them in LA because of all the Spanish-speakers and people of Hispanic descent, (I hope I'm not offending anyone right now...) but I'm also more familiar with that area than I am with Texas, which is where Leo Valdez really lived, and where I was originally planning on setting this story.

Leo's not exactly poor, but you know, just not rich. And Mrs. Jaramillo's kind of his second mother figure. Don't worry, more details on how Leo found the daycare will be revealed in due time.

Any constructive criticism is welcome, and I greatly appreciate anyone who points out my technical mistakes, but please don't be rude. It's like kicking puppies.

I have many hopes for this story, so I pray that you'll like it as much as I do.

~Abi-Jewel