TIME-SKIP, TIME-SKIP, TIME-SKIP, TIIIIIIME SKIIIIIP!

Yas.

"Elsie, I swear to gods, we don't have time for this. Elsie!" Leo stomped his foot. Alokia ran circles around him, streaming ribbons and laughter. "Elsie Valdez, you have five seconds-"

"Or what?" Elsie's voice challenged. Leo darted past Alokia, scrambled on the sofa and grabbed his eldest by the back of her school jumper. "No!" Elsie protested as Leo hoisted her up. "This isn't fair! I don't want to go!"

"You have to." Leo tucked her under his arm and held her tight. "Look, we've had this conversation about eighty million times now, you're going to school and that's final."

"No!"

"I go?" Alokia asked, skidding to a stop in front of her father.

"You're not old enough, little hija. Elsie, stop it. You have to go, I can't keep you here, it's illegal."

"But school's boring!"

"You haven't been yet, how'd you know it's boring?"

"Nico."

"Ugh, figures. No, Kia, don't eat that." Leo scooped her up under his other arm and then the doorbell rang. Elsie squirmed and kicked her legs, expecting to get down. Alokia giggled and blew a raspberry, Leo juggled her under his arm, wiggling the door handle until it clicked open. "Oh, speak of the devil."

"Rude." Nico remarked. "I just wanted to see how it was going."

"What, your master plan?"

"Ah." Nico smiled sheepishly. "With all honesty, I told her I didn't have a very good time at school, but then again that was, what, eighty years ago? I was telling her how bad it was then to make now seem better."

"Nico." Leo said seriously. "I'll believe you when pigs fly."

"We've had a flying pig."

"Well, when you fly then. Here, take this one." Leo dumped Alokia in Nico's arms, plonking Elsie down and holding her by both shoulders. "Hija, it won't be that bad. You should know not to listen to Nico, he's stupid." Nico cleared his throat. Leo ignored him. "It'll be good! You can meet some kids of your own age, make friends."

"Don't want to."

"Why not?" Leo countered. Elsie shrugged.

"I don't know how."

"Well, smile and say hello, introduce yourself, and please, please don't punch anyone in the face."

"Why?" Elsie looked to her uncle who nodded and gave the thumbs-up, expression turning sweetly innocent when Leo frowned at him over his shoulder.

"No punching anyone in the face and remember your manners." Leo warned. Elsie nodded. "You'll be alright, hija. Now get your lunch, we're going to be late. No, you can't come too." Nico closed his mouth and fumed quietly. "You are the reason we're in this mess in the first place. Why are you even here, what do you want?" Nico reached in his jacket and retrieved two small presents wrapped rather untidily in purple tissue paper. He gave one to Alokia and then the other to Elsie. Leo watched dubiously.

"I was talking to Lou last night." Nico explained quietly. "She wanted me to get these for these two." Leo looked down. "Good luck charms." Nico told the girls. "You put them in your pocket and they keep you safe."

"I don't have any pockets." Elsie plucked at the skirts of her new school dress and looked at Nico, unimpressed.

"Put it in your bag then, you little madam."

"No, don't put it in your mouth." Leo bent and covered Alokia's hand with his. She looked at him confusedly. "It's not a sweet, Kia, it's... from the bottom of the ocean, how'd you-?" Leo raised a brow at his friend. Nico waggled his fingers and smiled. Leo turned the rock over in his hand, perfectly smooth, translucent and sea green, small enough for even Alokia's tiny hands to hold. Alokia grabbed at it. "Ah." Leo looked at her expectantly. "What do you say?"

"Have back please, Daddy?" Leo gave it back, but didn't let go until she said, "thank you."

"Elsie, why is your lunch not in your hand?"

"Present!"

"Didn't I tell you to get your lunch?"

"Yes, but Nico gave us presents!" Leo shot her a pointed look. Elsie grumbled and stomped off to retrieve her Ninja Turtle lunchbox from the kitchen. She stuck her new good luck charm in her matching backpack and looked up at her father, not amused by his decision. Leo nodded and told Nico to stay put.

"I'm coming with you whether you like it or not."

"Why?"

"So I can report back to Lou, of course. Duh."

"Oh, this is so weird." Leo rubbed wearisomely at his face. Elsie waved at him before disappearing through the door. Alokia tugged on his hand. Nico squeezed Leo's shoulder. "Nico, go and get her back, I don't like this."

"You're the one who said she had to go to school, Leo. Look, you'll see her again come three o'clock. Until then, you've got that one to take care of aaand she's trying to eat grass?"

"What is with you and eating things you know you shouldn't?" Leo swung Alokia up on his shoulders. She immediately snuggled down in his hair, she loved Leo's hair, it was always so soft and warm and smelt of woodsmoke and it was the main reason she loved sitting on his shoulders. "And I don't have this one all day either; Reyna's picking her up at twelve."

"Well then, you could spend the day with me."

"And why would I want to do that?"

"Because you have no other choice." Nico smirked. "And Kia wants me to stay as well, don't you, Kia?"

"Yes!"

"You don't know what you're agreeing to, do you?" Leo jostled her legs.

"Nope!" Alokia threw her arms around her father's head. Leo deftly adjusted them so he could see and headed out of the school playground. Nico trailed after him, humming to himself. Alokia tried to pick up the tune, watching her uncle cheekily. Nico stuck his tongue out and she copied, gasped and pulled on Leo's hair. "Daddy! Nico rude!"

"Yes, yes, he's very rude."

"I fight him."

"No, don't fight him."

"Bring it on." Nico said at the same time. Leo stopped and turned at the waist, glaring at Nico. "Oh come on, it's the Bellona in her. If she wants to fight, let her fight."

"No, she'll get hurt!"

"Won't!" Alokia protested.

"You shush." Leo told her. "Nico, don't encourage her, Elsie's bad enough."

"Why do you have children with two of the most violent women to ever walk this planet?"

"Oh ha ha, very funny."

"You know, if Percy and Annabeth don't work out, you can always have a kid with Annabeth and then you'll have a full set."

"I will strangle you."

"Ah, the violence is on both sides!" Nico beamed. "If it's a boy, call it Nico. I've heard that's a good name."

"How long is left of this day?"

"Too long."

Reyna arrived ten minutes early. Alokia sprinted to the door and squeezed between Leo's legs, beaming up at her mother.

"Oh good gods, what are you wearing?" Reyna laughed.

"I is princess ninja! Hi-ya!" Alokia mimed a karate chop at Reyna and then ran back into the apartment. Reyna raised a brow at Leo- it wasn't every day she arrived to find her daughter dressed as Batman with a tutu, fairy wings and a toy sword. Leo just shrugged and invited her in.

"Oh, hello, Nico! Wasn't expecting to see you."

"It's Tuesday, Reyna. I always plague Leo on a Tuesday." Nico smiled. Leo made a face and nodded in agreement. Alokia hopped by the sofa, taking a minute to wiggle up on the sofa and then onto Nico's knee. She smacked him in the chest with the sword and he dutifully- and dramatically- died there and then. Alokia giggled and poked him with the tip of the plastic weapon and then gaped when he didn't move.

"Daddy!" Her head whipped round, bottom lip quivering, wide brown eyes filling with tears. Reyna took charge on this one, making a downward gesture. Alokia looked back at Nico and raised her foot.

"No, wait-" Leo started, violently grimacing, a pang of sympathy pain flooding through him. Nico pushed Alokia off onto the sofa and doubled over, groaning and cursing in Italian. "Reyna!" Leo hissed reprimandingly from between his fingers.

"What?" Reyna asked innocently. She held her hands out and Alokia ran straight into her arms. "Good girl." She smiled.

"No, not good." Leo insisted. Alokia squinted at him, confused. "Kia, just because your mammy says attack someone doesn't mean you should. Unless it's life or death, then you can attack someone, but when you're older and better trained and nothing I'm saying is going through to you, is it?" Alokia smiled sweetly and Leo sighed. "Your daughter."

"Of course she is!" Reyna beamed. "She's obviously got my amazing talent." Leo pinched his arm and hissed. "What was that for?" Reyna questioned.

"You've spent too much time around me." Leo shook his head. "Her bag's by the door already. I wouldn't expect for her to want to get changed though."

"No!" Alokia sat up straighter in her mother's arms, planting her small fists on her hips. "I ninja princess and I has sword!" Leo stepped back as the toy came up and wished Reyna luck. "Bye Daddy!" Alokia waved over Reyna's shoulder. "Bye Nico!"

"Bye, you little gremlin." Nico muttered. Reyna heard, shaking her head at him. "I've just been attacked by a toddler cross-dressing Batman with delusions of grandeur, excuse me if I'm a little wounded."

"Looks like I'm not the only one who's spent too much time with Leo." Reyna swung Alokia's backpack onto her free shoulder. "What time did you want her back anyway, Valdez?"

"Um, how about we meet up for lunch tomorrow instead? I can take her from there." Leo glanced at Alokia quickly. "Under the yellow 'M', say... one? I've got errands to run tomorrow and some cleaning. Hey, Nico, you don't do much. Fancy coming over tomorrow?"

"I am not helping you clean."

"Ah, what?"

"Your mess, your problem."

"No offense," Nico said, "but you look dead on your feet."

"I feel dead on my feet." Leo slumped in his chair and sighed. Nico propped his feet up on the coffee table and reclined, wiggling into the back of the couch to get comfortable. "So, you talked to Lou?"

"Yeah. We talk most evenings. She'll leave if she can get into your dreams though, ocassionally Percy's. She's a bit of a dream-hopper, that one."

"Have much to say?"

"Oh, usual. Make sure Leo's not being an idiot, keep an eye on Elsie and Kia and, sometimes, smack so-and-so for her. Usually Octavian."

"Is that how he got that big bruise across his cheek?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Nico said, eyes gleaming mischievously. Leo shook his head. "She wants to know if you're doing OK."

"I could do with some more sleep." Leo admitted. "Other than that, I'm just peachy."

"Strange. You always looked more kiwi to me."

"Gee, Nico," Leo deadpanned, "you're hilarious. Have you ever considered being a stand-up comedian?"

"Now that you mention it-"

"Don't." Leo rubbed at his eyes. Nico grinned wickedly. Over the past two and a bit years, like Nico said, he had being coming to 'plague' Leo every Tuesday for reasons unknown to Leo, but they had both grown to enjoy their Tuesdays, so it didn't really matter. Nico had a direct line to Louisa, would pass messages on and then spend the day picking fights with Leo, teasing and picking on him. Leo didn't mind, he gave as good as he got. Piper told them to get married already, but apparently Leo wasn't Nico's type.

"Hmmph," Percy had said, "join the club."

They liked talking about Percy as well. He was such an idiot, they couldn't help but take the piss. Leo would tell Nico about Tobias and Max's latest dramas- seven and five respectfully- and then Alvie, a few months older than Alokia, that Leo and Nico both agreed that, if the opportunity arised, they would get joint custody of him. Not that Annabeth would let him go so easily- "It's alright though, I know a good Assassin."

"Ah, Lucy-Jo." Nico remembered. "She was fun."

"You only like her because she kills people for a living."

"That's not true. She's got a great sense of humour. And she kills people for a living, yes, you're right." Nico grinned impishly. Leo felt a smug sense of pride. Louisa had started pulling Nico from his shell and Leo had finished the job. And, not only was Nico happier, but better fed too. He wouldn't admit it, but he loved Leo's cooking. Then again, so did everyone else, but hey, who's counting?

And that was how it had been for the last couple of years. Nico would 'plague' Leo on a Tuesday, they would spend the day bickering and eating and bickering some more and then nattering about the others. Depending on Reyna's schedule, she would collect Alokia on a Monday at ten or a Tuesday at twelve, return her the following morning and pick her up again on Friday to have her for the weekend. Sometimes Elsie went too, but she liked having her father to herself for a while. Leo didn't mind. He took Elsie to the park to feed the ducks and get ice-cream- little trips that he took Alokia on in the week when Elsie was at nursery or, later on, at school. They would all go and annoy the Jacksons for a few hours on Thursday, Nico often tagged along, Reyna put in an appearance whenever she could and life was pretty good.

Although...

Leo did have his bad days.

Elsie's birthday, for example. That always brought back bad memories.

Louisa's birthday. Percy didn't like to celebrate it much, maybe a dinner and some cheesy jokes, nothing fancy.

Their wedding anniversary. Leo would go and sit at Louisa's grave for a while. He didn't take the girls with him, the graveyard scared them. But it was nice to talk to Louisa. Nico would pass back any messages and/or Louisa would visit Leo in his sleep and they would have a proper chat. For a while, it stopped hurting and everything felt normal again.

Then he woke up.

Oh, the others were around. Piper and Jason often bombarded Leo when they could, Piper gushing over the girls and trying to kidnap/adopt them. Frank and Hazel brought him food on the darker days; Hazel liked to fuss, a little mother hen, she was. Leo didn't mind, he found it funny. Percy and Annabeth were seldom seen without their troublesome bunch- Alvie wasn't bad, but Tobias and Max were a force to be reckoned with. Especially if they teamed up with Elsie and Alokia.

"Hey." Nico snapped his fingers and Leo came back to earth. "You alright?"

"Yeah, yeah. Sorry, I was just thinking."

"Mind thinking about the eighty-five questions I've just asked you?"

"Nico, your version of eighty-five is about three, so shut up." Leo sighed, smiling. "Go on, what questions?"

"Well, first and foremost, what's for lunch?"

"Rations."

"Ooh, have you ever thought about being a stand-up comedian?"

"I don't sound like that." Leo laughed. "Dear gods, don't you ever leave your day job."

"Hardy ha ha." Nico wrinkled his nose at him. "Secondly, what's for dinner?"

"I really should stop feeding you."

"No, you really should keep feeding me."

"You're gonna get fat."

"It's food. It's worth it."

"If you say so."

"Of course I say so. Listen to your elders."

"Would you like me to blend your food for you?"

"I'm not that old."

"You're practically a hundred."

"Am not. Shut up."

"Make me."

"Fine."

"No, no, that was rhetorical! Ehehe, run away, run away!"

Long-ish chapter to bring you all up to speed! May do a few more time-skips (for the record, Elsie's five(ish) and Alokia's three or almost three). Need to work on the Leyna side of this, I've just done Valdeangelo bromance :P Ah well, worth it.