Hey guys...I ran out of ideas for a while. :P But my best friend, von Karma, helped me develop something AWESOME that makes a whole bunch more chapters for you guys! YAY! RIGHT? :D

DISCLAIMER: I own the rights! To this fanfic! (What, you actually thought I meant for the series?)

Piper's P.O.V.

I sat by Leo's bedside, crying. I didn't hear Chiron come in a couple hours later to check his pulse.

"He's alive," Chiron announced, astonished.

I looked at him like he was crazy. "What are you–" Then I saw Leo. His chest was gently pushing up a down. He was breathing.

I gasped. "Why isn't he awake yet?"

Chiron looked at Leo's sleeping form sadly. "Leo Valdez is in a coma at the moment. Only the fates know how long he'll be in the coma."

"W-what?" I stuttered.

"He may not be awake for weeks, Piper. The coma will probably only last a week. But he will need someone to take care of him for the time being."

I looked at Leo, not listening to Chiron.

"Would you like to take care of Leo, Piper?" Chiron asked me.

My head snapped to the side. "Of course I would, Chiron. I'd be happy to."

Chiron thanked me and wheeled himself out the door. He stopped in the doorway and told me, "There will be someone that will bring you a washcloth, meals, and other hygienic items for Leo. You will have to fix him up with all those items."

I reassured him that I would and thanked him. He fully disappeared after that.

I sat down next to Leo, and grabbed my comb. I started to comb the tangled, curly mess that was Leo's hair. Slowly, I made progress.

Soon, a kid from Apollo brought in a tray with a bowl of oatmeal and a glass of water with a lid on it. Another brought in a tray with a large bowl of hot, soapy water and a dry wash cloth. He also gave me a few other needed things, such as a tooth brush.

I took the dry cloth and dipped it in the water. I cautiously wiped his face clear of grime and dirt. I did the same with his hands, feet, and arms, but did not do so with his legs, because they were covered by his cotton pants.

I took the bowl of oatmeal in my hands and the spoon with me to his bedside. I sat on a chair next to his cot. I scooped a spoonful of oatmeal out of the bowl, and I opened his mouth gently. Then I softly spooned the oatmeal into his mouth. I made sure he swallowed before giving him more.

As I cared for him, I realized that I missed him more than I thought I did. Seeing his face without the grin almost depressed me. It was ultimately the fact that he couldn't talk to me, make me feel better about myself than I'd ever felt. His very waking presence made me shine. I looked down at him sadly, planting a kiss on his forehead.

His lip quivered a bit, and I got hopeful that he would wake up. But he did no such thing. My heart sank. I pet his newly-combed curls, muttering, "Leo, what am I gonna do with you?"

Soon, I heard the conch horn sound, meaning I had to go to breakfast. I took Leo's hand and quickly squeezed it, and then I was on my way to the dining pavilion.

I smiled at the Hephaestus cabin's table as I walked by, and sat down next to Mitchell at the Aphrodite table. Mitchell looked at me strangely. "Did Leo refuse to get up again?"

I looked at my lap, not knowing if I should reply or not. Much less what to reply with. "Um, Leo kind of died, and then came back to life again. He's in a coma right now," I replied, as if it were perfectly normal.

Mitchell furrowed his brows, but decided not to respond. I guess it wasn't too surprising. I mean, this was Leo we were talking about. He'd done some pretty strange things.

I poured some of my Frosted Flakes (flakes are always better when they're frosted!) into the bronze brazier, and went on with my usual breakfast.

I looked down sadly at my orange juice, wishing Leo was awake. I kept replaying the old scenes in my head: That time when I helped Leo conduct a prank at the Wilderness School; when Leo and I had saved the world, and we both celebrated alone with two liters of Mountain Dew while the others drank some sort of sparkling grape juice stuff (that was crazy. Giving Leo Mountain Dew is not a good idea.); when I hung out with Leo for an entire day in Bunker Nine. No matter what I did, I couldn't get Leo's goofy grin out of my head. I couldn't stop hearing his roaring laugh, or the sound of his nearly obnoxiously loud voice. I couldn't stop smelling motor oil, and then turning around just to see no one there.

When I got back to the infirmary, I saw Leo again. I made a small smile, knowing he wouldn't return favor with his.

I took in his every feature, and etched it into my brain. Those moments were still on loop. I couldn't get them out. My thoughts lead me to remember one of the best weeks of my life.

Leo grinned excitedly from the seat over me in my dad's private jet. He had stuffed a plate high with food, and was already setting up King of Sparta on the DVD player. I rolled my eyes and laughed as the movie started.

"Thanks again, Pipes," he told me graciously.

"Well, even Jason had somewhere to go. You didn't think I'd leave you alone for Christmas, did you, Valdez?" I replied, smiling.

He furrowed his brows and kept on grinning. "I've been alone on Christmas for about seven years. I always run away before winter comes around."

"Well, that was before you met me," I said.

His smiled grew wider. "You're the best friend I've ever had, Beauty Queen. You know that, right?"

"I would expect to be nothing less."

I pursed my lips as tears came rolling down again. That had been the best Christmas I'd ever had, because not only was my dad home the entire week, Leo was there, too.

So far, there was one definite thing I was sure of. And that was that I was for sure in love with Leo Valdez.

YAY. Finished! :D