(A/N To Mnlight M: Thanks, Thanks. Of course she will. I am updating, aren't I? Remember italics are Greek. There is a sentence of Spanish in here, if I translated it wrong online, don't kill me.)

Chapter 2: Smiles Hide a Broken Man

Percy looked sad. "No man finds Ogygia twice, Leo."

"Percy," Leo joked. "I am no man. I am a boy! Besides what do you care?"

Percy frowned. "What do you mean?"

"You left her and forgot about her!" Leo yelled suddenly angry.

Percy paled even more. "I never forgot. After the Titan war, as part of my reward I told the council to pardon her and all the other peaceful Titan kind."

"He did," Annabeth cut in. "But down there," She spoke the word there carefully. "Facing the aria I was cursed to think he had abandoned me. She cursed him."

Everyone stood in silence. Even I knew that it was rare for Percy or Annabeth to talk about their time in Tartarus. Even Leo didn't say anything.

"Redemption is not an easy road to walk upon unless you are seen." I said.

"Hot and philosophical," Leo said.

I didn't understand why he said hot, but it was obvious he was hitting on me.

"I am Daughter of Death. I've looked Death in the eyes, punched Fear in the face, and fought with Love. And if you flirt with me one more time, I will rip your throat out." I said.

"Um…" Leo said. "Okay?"

"Leo," Jason said. "You didn't get rejected that hard even with Khione or my sister."

Everyone, even Leo and me, laughed.

"Really, Jason," Piper said. "I don't think that's demigodly possible."

"Hey! Hey!" Leo said. "My word. Only I use my word."

Leo laughed and smiled along with the rest of us, but I could feel something off. I looked him in the eye and I saw a scared little boy. I saw a tortured soul. I saw a broken human being.

"Guys," Jason said. "I don't know about you, but I want to go finish lunch."

Everyone laughed. Soon it was just me and Leo in the bunker.

He sat down and started tinkering with something from his belt. I leaned against a wall.

"You should go have lunch," Leo said shyly.

"I'm not hungry," I said. "Are you alright?"

"Why?" He asked.

"Where I come from, it's custom to ask if someone's alright when they seem down." I said. "Are you alright?"

"Where do you come from?" Leo asked.

"Greece, in a sense," I said. "I died there two thousand years ago."

Leo nodded.

"Where do you come from?" I asked.

"Texas," He said.

I nodded, not really knowing where that was. "Why the act?" I asked. "Why pretend to be fine? Why not show how broken you are?"

"I don't want to seem weak," Leo said. "I'm already the useless one. So let me ask you something."

"What?" I said.

"Why do you pretend to be fine? Why not show how broken you are?" Leo said. "No somos tan diferentes."

"What?" I asked.

"We aren't that different." He said.

"What language is that?" I asked.

Leo smiled. "Spanish."

"That's amazing." I said, then noticed what language I had spoken. "Sorry, Greek automatically comes out sometimes."

"No problem." Leo smiled. "I used to do that with Spanish."

I laughed.

"There is no way you are related to Nico." Leo joked.

I smiled. "I'm not. The Daughter of Thanatos at your service." I did a bow.

Leo's mouth dropped.

I laughed.

Leo smiled like a little kid.

I stopped laughing and looked at the boy beside me. "Smiles hide a broken man," I said. "Or boy."

"So, Ari right?" Leo said.

I nodded.

"Thank you, Ari."

"So what's your big plan?" I asked.

"Festus finally tracked the island," Leo said. "Once we get there, we wing it."

"You really love this girl," I said.

"Um… well… you could say… well," Leo stuttered.

"It seems like something I would do, for Nikias." I said. "Percy doesn't mean to hurt her, or anyone, you know."

We sat in silence for a moment.

"Let's go have some lunch," Leo said. "I'll finish calibrating this later."

"Yeah," I said.

We walked out into the woods and towards the camp.

"Everyone thinks you're crazy, Leo," I said. "I don't think so."

Leo smiled. "Thanks."

I started to whistle as we walked. I realized I was whistling the nursery rhyme, my father had taught me.

I started to sing it.

"Hush hush you never know

Just when the worst of you will show

Just bring the best out they will see

The person that you call me"

You have a beautiful singing voice." Leo said.

I blinked. "What did you just say?"

You have a beautiful singing voice." Leo repeated.

Nik said those exact words the day I met him.

"I… I…"

"Déjà vu?" Leo asked.

"Bless you," I said, thinking he sneezed.

"No, no, no. I said déjà vu. It means I've seen this before."

"Heard this before," I said. "But yes."

Leo smirked a little.

We walked up to the dining commons.

I sat down alone at the Hades table. Hazel must have finished eating.

I walked to the Hades cabin. It was empty so I laid down on one of the beds.

I felt the world disappear as I fell asleep.

I see a girl, whom I have only seen once before in a dream, but I recognize her.

Aurelia. The Roman girl who ran to Vitalis after I killed him.

She stood in a Roman city by a fountain. She was crying. Or praying, maybe.

"I want that girl dead," She said. "Please, by the gods I hope she died."

A boy ran over to her.

"Aurelia," He said. "You need to eat something."

"What do you care?" She screamed at him. "Your leader, Vitalis is dead and you don't even care."

"Aurelia, you are our leader, too," The boy said. "We need you to eat something."

"Go away, Anicetus," Aurelia said. "Unless you have anything important to say."

"We have captured a Greek spy," Anicetus said. "You should meet him."

"Oh, go burn your bears." Aurelia said.

The dream shifted.

It showed a young woman on an island. Maybe this was Calypso.

"Leo," The girl said. "I know you aren't able to come back, but please try."

I snapped awake to someone standing over me.

(A/N :D. Remember that reviewers *HINT HINT* get blue cookies. (::)(::)(::).)