Sorry for the delay. Life gets in the way. Jobs and job requirements get a lot of attention sometimes. That, and the X-Men fic I've been posting took some of the attention as well. :3

Yeah, I know the last one wasn't too good—nowhere close to my best. BUT! I hope to make up for it with this one!

Also, sorry for the wait. As you can see, I've been preoccupied with my X-Men story. Don't worry, I'm still writing HoO things! But my job has been shoving dumb things down my throat lately, and somehow Nightcrawler fanfiction was my solution to that :/ Weird, right?

Congrats to Sally Stevens for being my 400th reviewer on this story! She got to have a hint for this prompt!

Maybe if I pay attention to the count more closely, I'll allow the 500th reviewer—who ISN'T a guest—get an OC in my stories? Who knows!

I own nothing you recognize as canon.

38: Sanctuary

Everything May Happen for a Reason

Leo normally loved storms. In the Houston humidity and heat, the rain was Heaven-sent, cool and refreshing. The thunder and lightning was an awesome distraction for his ADHD mind. And the mud after storms? Well, what nine-year-old doesn't love mud?

But this wasn't a normal thunderstorm. This was the remnant of a hurricane—Hurricane Katrina, as he'd heard on the news reels playing on the display TVs in the window of some shop he passed. Apparently it'd hit New Orleans really hard, and it was currently ravaging Houston, too.

Twice Leo thought he'd actually be blown away. It was a scary feeling, lifting off the ground a few feet. He'd managed to grab onto a sign and a truck both times he'd nearly flown away.

The rain was blinding, slapping him harder than his Aunt Rosa ever could. It stung his eyes every time he tried to open them, and it soaked his bones, chilling him.

He stood still on some street, lost and freezing—freezing, of all things! He couldn't open his eyes, in fear of crap flying into them or the rain blinding him permanently. He hoped the rain would let up a little so he could find a nice, safe alley to curl up in.

Something wrapped around his shoulders. Leo heard a voice shout over the din of the storm, "Come inside, child! You shouldn't be out in this mess!"

Leo felt himself being led up some stairs and through a large entryway. He heard big doors close. Where am I? He dared to peek out.

He was in a church! The stained glass was boarded up on the outside. Candles were lit everywhere, giving the holy place a solemn feel. A few people were curled around the pews, either sleeping or praying.

Leo wasn't religious. He didn't really understand the point. What God would allow such suffering in a young boy's life? Why would He allow Leo to lose his mother and get kicked out of the family for doing nothing but existing? Everything happened because God wanted it to happen? Sounded dumb.

A towel was wrapped around his shoulders. Leo turned to look an old pastor in the eye. The man was smiling, holding another towel as he stood there, just as wet as Leo.

"Here, child," the man offered, giving Leo the other towel. "You are soaked to the bone. Welcome to the St. Joseph's church."

Leo ran the towel over his head and face. "Thanks," he mumbled.

"My name is Brother Dave," the man.

"Leo."

The pastor gave him a warm smile. "It is nice to meet you, Leo. But why were you out in such a storm? Surely your parents must be worried sick."

Leo kept the towel over his head, shielding his darkened face.

Brother Dave gave him a thoughtful look. "Well, the storm is still going to be raging for a while. The church is on high ground, so there's no risk of flooding. There is a table with blankets and water over there. Stay until the storm subsides, at least, Leo."

He placed a hand on Leo's shoulder. "Whether you're running away from your parents, or from your problems, I hope you find peace in reflecting here."

"I'm not religious," Leo muttered.

"God loves all his children, even those who choose not to see Him. Even the most non-religious person finds comfort in a tiny prayer at least once in their life."

He left Leo alone, the towel still draped over the child's head.

Leo wandered down the aisle, heading towards the table in front of the pews with blankets and water bottles. A few people turned their heads to glance at him, but didn't say anything. That was fine with him. He didn't want the attention, for once in his short life.

When he reached the front, Leo looked up at the cross. He frowned. "Comfort? What comfort is there in a God who lets this happen to me?" His eyes filled with tears, and he wiped them away furiously. "What God allows a kid to be kicked out of his family? What God gives him a curse at birth?"

"Who says it's a curse?"

Leo spun around. An old, homeless guy leaning heavily on a crutch limped up to Leo. He stayed a good distance away, to show the boy he meant no harm. His beard was grey and scorched, as if he'd been struck by lightning. His voice was scratchy as he said, "I ain't that religious, either, but I hear some people sayin' that God has a reason for why he does what he does."

"And I guess the reason for my curse was so I could—" Leo stopped himself. He wouldn't say it. He wouldn't. "If He's so nice and forgiving, why would He do this in the first place?"

The old man shrugged. "Maybe the bigger reason hasn't come up yet. Sometimes, a gift is disguised as a curse."

Leo scoffed. "I don't see how mine could be anything but a curse…" He lowered his voice. "My family's right…I am a demon…"

"Now, don't go sayin' that, boy." A large hand began to pat Leo's shoulder. "I've seen my fair share o' demon-like men. You ain't one o' them. Yer just a kid."

Leo shivered under his towel. The man got a blanket from the table under the cross and wrapped Leo up. "C'mon, kid. Cheer up. Everything happens for a reason, whether there's a higher power pulling the strings or not."

"Why would you care?" Leo spat quietly.

The man hesitated, then sighed. "Maybe I just think a kid shouldn't be sad. You want to talk about bad families? My mom threw me off a mountain because I was uglier than she wanted me to be."

Leo felt a little better about his family issues. The man continued, "If it hadn't been fer that, though, I wouldn't have grown up the way I did. I did pretty well fer myself, even if I don't like my family too much. Fate may choose yer family, but that don't mean you have to sit there and take it if they're a bad one."

"Well, I didn't," Leo said quietly. "I ran away."

"And if that's the way you deal with it, then fine." The man patted Leo on the shoulder. "But don't be angry about this all the time. I let vengeance and anger fuel my life fer a while. It doesn't help in the long run." He gestured to himself, making sure Leo saw the homeless clothes. "Trust me."

Leo took a while before sighing. "Thanks. I think that helped."

"Anytime, kid." The man limped away, but not before muttering, "You should smile, more, boy. I bet you'd look just like Esperanza and light up the world with it…"

Leo blinked and spun to ask the man how he'd known Leo's mom's name. But the man was gone. Leo looked at the cross, then up in general. Was that You? Or am I just hallucinating?

Leo went over to a corner of the church and hunkered down, curling up inside his blanket. He listened to the whistling wind of the hurricane outside the church.

"Maybe I just think a kid shouldn't be sad."

"Everything happens for a reason."

"Don't be angry about this all the time."

"You should smile more."

Leo glanced at the pews and Brother Dave walking around the church. His words joined the old man's circling in his head.

"I hope you find peace in reflecting here."

"Even the most non-religious person finds comfort in a tiny prayer at least once in their life."

Leo looked to the ceiling and, for the first time in his short life, prayed. "God? Um…if that old man was Your way of telling me to stop complaining, then…I guess I will. I mean, my life still stinks, but I guess I could do what Mom did and smile through it, right? Is that what You want?"

He paused, half-expecting an answer. He didn't really know if he was doing this right, but continued anyway. "Um, also, speaking of my stink-tastic life…do You think maybe—just maybe—You could tone it down with the stink? I know I just ran away, but…maybe give me a better reason to stay in the next place, yeah? Just a suggestion. And, um, if You won't take away my cur—gift, can You at least let me control it better? Or lessen it?"

He sighed. "Also…thanks for sending the old man. If that was an angel or something, cool. If not, well, thanks anyway, I guess. He helped."

Leo yawned and snuggled deeper into his blanket. Right before he fell asleep, he muttered, "Oh yeah…Amen, I guess?"

Far away, on Mount Olympus, Hephaestus viewed his son through a machine. He smiled. "Good enough, boy." He waved his hand. Leo's fire power lessened. The god knew his son wouldn't need it for years, so it was okay for the boy to not worry about it until then. Leo shivered and curled tighter into his blanket again, unknowing that his powers had gone to sleep for a bit. "You're doing well, Leo," Hephaestus whispered. "You ain't alone. I'm sorry I can't be there for you. Dad's orders. One day, we'll talk properly."

He sighed, running his fingers through his smoking beard. "Maybe by then you'll have learned how to smile like yer mother," he muttered with a smile.

The god watched his son a few minutes more, before turning off the machine and leaving Leo in his temporary sanctuary.

A/N: Sorry that took forever. I didn't want it to drag out or kinda stink like the last one.

To clarify, the year is 2004, and Katrina is raging through down South. I honestly don't know how it affected Houston, so I took some liberty there. My headcanon is that Anza died in '03, so Leo would be nine when Katrina hit. I realize he's a little serious for a nine-year-old, but considering what he's been through, I feel like he has a right to be grumpy.

Also, I was trying to be neutral with the religious stuff. Since Leo IS nine, and I believe Anza wouldn't be very religious after meeting Hephaestus and pass that belief onto Leo, he wouldn't really know what to do and be awkward in his prayers.

I know Hephaestus isn't good with people, and that he said he'd wanted to talk to Leo, but I just...I needed some sort of thing to happen like this. Just to cheer Leo up a little. :)