~DEDICATED TO THE VICTIMS OF THE ST VALENTINES DAY MASSACRE~
~AND THE FAMILIES THAT WERE LEFT BEHIND~
"C'mon, Leo. This is a bad idea! You shouldn't get associated with gangs. Remember what happened back home?" Piper said, pulling Leo closer to her. "What would Calypso do if something happened to you?"
"You guys would take care of her. And our kids. It's OK, Piper. Besides, I need the money!" Leo said, stepping back. He brushed his curly hair away form his deep brown eyes, his stained shirt making a rustling sound. Piper had been trying to convince Leo for the last ten minutes – on Calypso's behalf – that working for Chicagos' North Side gang was a bad idea. Unfortunately, Leo was right. He did need the money.
Leo and Piper had been friends since they were children. They both had grown up in Mexico, in a small town near the border. Piper had gotten into America legally, marrying a young man named Jason Grace, who was the son of an important man in Chicago. They had brought Leo in illegally, where he had met a young women who had just moved from Greece. She was brought over by Jason's cousin, Percy, with some help from their dads.
Calypso and Leo had hated each other at first, but started dating after a few weeks. Eventually, they fell deeply in love. They got married and had 7 kids; Charles, Jake, Nyssa, Christopher, Harley, Zoe, and Esperanza. At this point, Leo had been trying to find a job legally as a mechanic for months. He had the odd job of fixing up a car every once in a while, but it wasn't enough to support his family. One time he had fixed up a car for Ethan Nakamura, an enforcer for the Moran organization, otherwise known as Chicagos' north side gang. Since then, he had done the mechanic work for the gang. They had given Leo enough money to support his family, and with every job he did Calypso got more worried. So did Piper. Leo had had a bad run with gangs back in Mexico, getting them pissed off at his smart mouth and then running. Now Leo was about to leave to go to the groups monthly meeting, on Valentines Day, to discuss a permanent position as the gangs mechanic. He would get enough money to get a better place for his family where he could treat his wife properly. His words, not Pipers'. Piper had pulled him out of the room at Calypso's request to try to speak some sense into him. At this point, Piper had given up. She couldn't argue with Leo's logic. Sighing, she turned towards her and Jasons' living room, where their friends were gathered. She turned and watched Leo walk out the front door, his brown curly hair bouncing with every step, and whistled to Festus, his unique German Shepherd. The dogs coat gleamed in the afternoon as the two walked away, making it look like the dogs' fur was made of gold. Everyone was watching as she entered, alone. Jason was sitting next to Calypso on the couch, talking quietly. Percy Jackson, Jason's cousin, and Annabeth, his wife, sat on the floor leaning against the wall. Frank and Hazel Zhang, some more friends of theirs, sat in a love seat to the side. Children were scattered around the room. Along with the Valdezs' children; there was Piper's daughter, Lacy; the Zhang's two children, Sammy and Emily; and the Jackson children- Sally, Luke, and Thalia. Piper shook her head sadly and closed the door. Calyspo held her youngest child, Harley, closer to her as tears glistened in her eyes. Everyone else just shook their head sadly and comforted Calypso. Piper sat down next to Jason, smoothing her skirt as Jason put an arm around her shoulders.
"He'll be OK, Pipes. He's a smart guy," Jason whispered into her ear. Piper smiled, snuggling closer to her husband. She reached out and grabbed Calypso's hand, giving her silent support.
It was later that day when they heard the news. A knock on the door had interrupted the radio show the group was listening to. Jason stood up to answer the door. A police man was standing outside with a piece of paper in his hand.
"May I come in?" The man asked, showing Jason his badge. "Will Solace, police force." Jason opened the door and motioned for the man to come in. As he entered, Piper got a better look at him. He had a standard police outfit on, decorated with badges. His blonde hair, blue eyes, and tan skin made him look like he could be distantly related to Jason. He looked grim, and his suit was covered in odd stains. He glanced around the room, seeing the group of adults and children. He glanced at Jason, whispering something in his ear. Jason nodded, and ushered all of the children into the play room. Piper was getting more and more nervous. Police man at the door, weird stains, children being asked to leave the room...it couldn't mean anything good. Will stood there uncomfortably until Jason re-entered the room. He cleared his throat.
"Is there a Miss Calypso Valdez here?" He asked. Calypso stood and straightened her dress. Her face was blank, though Piper could see the nervousness flashing through her eyes.
"Yes?" Calypso asked, her hands clenching and un-clenching. Will cleared his throat again, looking down at his paper.
"I regret to inform you that Leo Valdez, husband to Calypso Valdez, has been found dead in an old garage on North Clark Street. He was found with multiple gunshot wounds, along with six other confirmed members of the North Side Gang. We would like your permission to perform an autopsy to assess the official cause of death, along with to find other evidence on who may have murdered your husband. We hope to find more -" He kept talking, but Piper stopped listening. Her ears were ringing, and she watched with wide eyes as Calypso sat down. Her caramel eyes were filled with tears, and she clutched her heart. Calypso's sobs were the only thing that Piper could hear over the ringing in her own ears.
Calypso had found a job as a seamstress for a rich old lady named Demeter. Apparently she was Hazels' step-grandmother (questionable. Hazel's family tree was weird). Her oldest daughter, Nyssa, became Demeter's maid. Jake and Christopher got jobs to support the family more. After Leo's death, the family pulled together to stay alive. Two weeks after Leo's death, Charles married a young girl named Silena. They ran away together after the North Side gang threatened to kill both Charles and Silena if Charles didn't replace Leo. Right after Calypso found his note she ran to Pipers house, a crying mess. Calypso cried for hours. She would never see Charles or Silena again.
The funeral was one month later. Leo was buried in a local cemetery with a simple gravestone. Leo Valdez. Father, Husband, Mechanic. 38 years old. .. / .-.. - ...- . / -.- - ..-.Everyone was there. Calypso, with all of her children. Piper and Jason were there, mourning the loss of their best friend. They left Lacy at home; for she was too young to endure this sadness. Hazel and Frank came with their children, Sammy and Emily. Hazel mourned for her old friend, and Frank missed Leo's and his' teasing battles. Percy and Annabeth cried for the boy who had wormed his way into their hearts long ago. Even Will Solace, the police officer who told them the fateful news, was there to pay his respects. After the funeral director-a creepy young man named Nico di Angelo-shooed them out of the cemetery, the group crashed at the Graces' house. No one wanted to be alone that night.
Calypso never celebrated Valentines Day after that. She never loved another man, either. She remained faithful to her dead husband till the day she died, at the young age of 46. As Piper watched her friend join her late husband, she hoped that Calypso would find him somewhere. The legends her Grandpa Tom used to tell her of a place called Elysium, a beautiful place in the underworld for all the good people in the world. Piper liked to believe that both Leo and Calypso found their own Elysium, together. Celebrating a Valentines' Day for eternity.
Morse Code Translation: I LOVE YOU. Cover Art by Viria.
Hello my wonderful followers!
I apologize for my absence. You can thank SupernaturalOUAT for getting me back into writing.
This story idea came from a segment on Mysteries at the Museum that I was watching one night. I looked into it more, and the story intrigued me. Not much was written about the families that these men left behind, especially the mechanic (a young man named John May) who had seven children. I decided to write my own version of these horrific events.
To the victims - Peter Gusenberg (as represented by Ethan Nakamura), Frank Gusenberg, Albert Kachellek, Adam Heyer, Reinhardt Schwimmer, Albert Weinshank, and John May (as represented by Leo Valdez), and the families left behind.
-Queen_Atlanta (Word Count: 1521)