I've returned from the treacherous, horrendous, back breaking journey of... nothing, really. I just like being dramatic.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Anything in bold belongs to NBrokenShacklesN

"Chapter five: In which Leo is not held at arrow point," LT Chiron read.

"Well, that's good," Travis said, cheerfully.

"Yes," Connor said in a good impression of Chiron. "Not being held at arrow point is a very good thing."

"That's demigod 101," Travis continued.

"Leo was cursing himself for the rest of the lesson, why the Hades did he slip like that. He knew that Chaos had chosen the wrong person.'

"Geesh, Leo, it was one slip," Percy said. "You managed to keep us alive during the entire lightning thief quest. I'd call that pretty good."

Leo smiled. "Thanks, Perce."

"If Reyna had come back instead, there was no way she would have slipped, and Conner would know how to talk himself out of this situation.'

"Hey, Leo?" Travis suddenly gulped. "Is, um, that Connor... Connor Stoll?" He stammered.

Leo nodded, staring at the councilor of the Hermes cabin with an unreadable expression.

Travis looked away. He'd have preferred if Conner died early on in the war than see the horrors to the very end. And worse... they never mentioned him. Was he not there to protect his little brother? How had Conner reacted to his death?

His younger sibling rubbed his hand up and down Travis's back, soothingly, frowning at the slight shaking of his big brother.

'Leo however was totally done for.

He wondered what Chiron would say, whether he should start brainstorming excuses, in the future Chiron had always been able to tell when he was lying, but that Chiron had known him well. This Chiron had known him for less than a day, so perhaps he could think up something. The dream approach had worked on Percy, maybe it would work on Chiron too... So he'd say he had been having weird dreams of a guy called Chiron in a wheelchair, and why was he going by the name Mr Brunner, and... Oh who was Leo kidding? He was so dead that he should probably start preparing his speech to the judges.

Finally there was only five minutes left of the lesson, and Chiron told everyone to pass their quiz to someone else to mark. Leo's went to Percy, Percy's to Grover, and Grover's to Leo. Leo looked in surprise at Grover's sheet, he had expected Grover to get full marks, he had obviously known all the answers, but he had made three mistakes. Leo supposed that it was because he wanted to keep his cover, and not seem like a know it all, but why did he pick the most obvious ones to get wrong?'

Both Grover's blushed.

"Sorry, Grover, but it's true. It's always better to blend in with the crowd by getting the hard ones wrong than vice versa and being labeled as a know it all," Leo advised.

"And you shouldn't try so hard. When you try too hard, you freak and nothing works out the way you want it too. I speak from personal experience," LT Leo added.

'Who would know that Athena lost her status as a war goddess when the Romans changed her into Minerva; but not know that Zeus's roman name was Jupiter. Really? Grover was trying too hard to be undercover. Leo glanced down the sheet, and wrote 9/12 at the bottom, followed by the statement, pretty bad for a satyr, and then rubbed the last bit out, no point digging himself in deeper. Ah what the Hades, he was screwed anyway, might as well have fun...

The look on Grover's face when he handed back the sheet was priceless. He looked just like a deer caught in the headlights of a monster truck, but the fear when he looked at Leo made Leo frown. He hadn't meant to make the satyr scared of him, but Grover looked downright terrified. Leo gave another groan; he seemed to be doing things he didn't mean to do a lot lately. He bet Grover thought he was some sort of monster.'

"Well, I knew you weren't a monster, but that didn't stop me from questioning your loyalties," Grover corrected.

"I really can't blame you. I was acting pretty suspicious," Leo admitted.

'Chiron asked Leo to collect the sheets in, so he stood up, and made his way around the class. Nancy and her friends at the back were grumbling about how hard the test was, and when he collected their sheets in, he couldn't help but feel slightly bad for them. Not one of them had gotten above four marks, where he and Percy had got full marks. When he reached Grover, the poor satyr lent slightly away from him. He didn't think anyone but he noticed though. Until he looked to the front and saw Chiron's narrowed eyes on him. Great, another reason for Chiron to shoot first and ask questions later. His chances of death were steadily rising.

He wondered if Chiron had seen the note, if he had, he would probably disqualify Leo and Percy for cheating. But he had said, passing notes, not cheating, when he had scolded him, so he probably hadn't seen the contents of the note. Leo did feel slightly bad, he shouldn't have told Percy the answers, but he bet that Percy would have won anyway, he did have 11 out of 12, before Leo sent him the note.

Leo made his way to the desk, and handed the sheets over to Chiron, whose eyebrows rose when he noticed Percy's score, and then his eyes narrowed when he saw the comment at the bottom of Grover's sheet, which was quite clearly in Leo's handwriting. His eyes flickered up to met Leo's, and the warmth that Leo had always seen in Chiron's eyes was missing. The ever present smile gone. Instead there was a cool look that said plainly to Leo. If you don't have a good explanation, then you'll be in Hades's realm before lunch. Leo gulped.

Five minutes later, the bell that signalled the end of the lesson went. Percy lent over Leo's seat, and said "I'll wait outside for you." Leo gulped again, that was a bad idea. He didn't want Percy seeing his possible death.

Leo tried to discourage him, "Nah man, I'm good, you have to go with Grover, or Nancy will start picking on him again." Leo ignored the incredulous look from Grover at this, he supposed that if Grover thought he was a monster, then the satyr would be at his apparent care. Leo understood that, no monster (except Tyson) would help a satyr.'

"Tyson?" Percy asked.

"You'll be meeting him next summer," Leo replied.

'"We can both wait." Percy added. 'You won't be long."

"Then you'll be late for your next class, and you know how much Mr Angle hates late students." Mr Angle was what Leo called the teacher who had picked on him in his first ever lesson at Yancy, it wasn't his real name, but as no-one ever remembered what that was, Leo felt he was being more respectful than the rest of the school, who just called him, that math guy. "And plus, I don't want you getting yelled at."

Percy gave him a long look, and conceded. "Fine, but only because I don't want Grover to be yelled at his first day." It didn't really surprise Leo that Percy was protective, he always was protective in Leo's future/past, it did surprise him though that he started even before he knew about the Gods. Leo sent a grin Percy's way, as he and Grover left the classroom. Then, with his apprehensive feeling growing, Leo turned to the front.

Chiron was still in his wheelchair. Leo found that rather insulting, what, he wasn't important enough to even get killed with Chiron in centaur form? Not that he would let himself get killed; he'd burn the arrow, and probably make a run for it. But it was the principle of the thing. He sat there, waiting for Chiron to draw an arrow. It didn't happen.'

"Leo, I would not kill you before I heard you out," Chiron explained before continuing.

'"Um, sir, not that I'm complaining or anything, but why aren't you trying to kill me?"

"Should I be, Mr Valdez?"

Ok, this was not what Leo was expecting. He was waiting for an arrow in the face, not a friendly chat. Or a not so friendly chat, but a chat all the same. He thought of how to respond, but before he could come up with an answer Chiron was speaking again.

"I take, from your silence, that you're not sure whether you are a threat or not."

Well, thought Leo, two can play at this confusing game, "It depends, sir, on whom you are counting me a threat to. If you mean Olympus, then I am most certainly not a threat."

Leo saw Chiron relax slightly. "And what of Perseus Jackson? Are you a threat to him?"

Leo grinned, "Only in challenging his title of most difficult student. Percy's my friend, I'm not gonna hurt him." Leo paused, "You might want to reassure Grover though, since the comment I wrote on his sheet, he seems to think I'm the worst monster that Tartarus could ever spawn."

"Grover is not as cowardly as he may appear Mr Valdez.'

"I didn't think that," Leo pointed out to Chiron. "I was just stating the obvious."

'But I must ask you how you know my true identity, for I am certain that you have never been to Camp Half-Blood. "

Leo gave a mental laugh, true identity? Chiron was making himself sound like a super agent. "Um, do I have to answer that? Can't I just swear on the Styx that I mean no-one any harm but monsters, Titans and general evil people and let it go at that?" Leo risked a glance at Chiron, he could use the dream thing again, but he'd already used that on Percy, and even though Leo was highly thankful that Chaos had already sent Percy a dream about him; it would seem slightly strange if that was Leo's answer to everything.

Leo took another look at Chiron, who still wasn't speaking, and decided to go for it. "Well, you'll think I'm mad, but... I kind of saw you in a dream."

Chiron looked accepting, but then asked, "And how did you know what Grover and Percy are, did you see them in a dream as well?"

"Yep, I dream a lot."

"I do not quite believe you Mr Valdez, but I will accept that you have a valid reason to withhold information, and if you do make the oath on the Styx, then I will accept you mean no-one harm, and will not bring this matter up again."

Leo let out a breath of air he hadn't realized he'd been holding as Chiron accepted his excuse, well besides the requesting of the oath on the Styx. Normally Leo would think more before suggesting that, but he had the feeling that doing so had resulting in Chiron trusting him more, a trust he has no intention of losing.'

Chiron frowned; he hadn't realized how much the child looked up to him. He wondered how much he'd meant to Leo in the future for him to think like this.

'"I, Leo Valdez, swear on the river Styx that I mean no harm to Olympus, or any of its loyal demigods, and have no murderous intentions toward anyone at Yancy academy, other than the so called Mrs Dodds."

And as the thunder rumbled in the sky sealing the oath, Chiron finally smiled at Leo Valdez.'

"Who would like to read next?"

"I will." Percy took the book and opened it.

"Since when does Seaweed Brain read?"

"It's in Ancient Greek, so shush."

"Chapter seven: In which Leo DID NOT steal steal a lightning Bolt, but gets crushed by a wall anyway."

Well, that's that. REVIEW!