Another chapter today! Yay!
This is to make up for the long wait while I slapped all my followers with the Imp Within (which is now finished :3)
I originally had it where Percy's group wasn't back yet, but then I realized Frank was a part of that group xD D'oh! So, just know Percy, Lacy, and the rest of the gang you don't see are downstairs...
I own nothing you recognize as canon.
XXVI
SAMMY LEO
Sammy Leo shifted awkwardly from foot to foot. His father was currently talking to Mark about something, and he had a feeling it was about Espie.
"Something on your mind, kid?"
Sammy jumped a little. He looked down at Leo, who was sitting Indian-style trying to fix some sort of doodad in his hands.
The son of Hephaestus looked up at him with questioning eyes. "Don't normally see you up here," he noted. "Except maybe when Tulio's here."
"Sorry," Sammy said. "I'll leave if I'm bothering you."
"Nah." Leo put down the thing and patted the ground next to him. "Why don't you sit? It's pretty comfy down here."
Sammy shrugged and sat down.
"So," Leo drawled. He twirled a few pipe cleaners in his hands absentmindedly. "What's going on with you and Mark? You guys havin' some sort of fight?"
Sammy lowered his head. "Something like that, yeah."
Leo studied him with an intense gaze. "So, what is it you're fighting over? A girl?"
The Roman gulped and shrank. "Yes…"
Leo gave a crocodile grin. "Details, man! Who's the lady that's getting fought over? I wanna make bets!"
"Um…" Oh, boy. How to say this without Leo killing me? "We're kinda fighting over…Espie…?"
Leo's grin disappeared. "Pardon?"
Sammy shivered. "We both like your daughter, sir. But…neither of us has confessed and we've gotten pretty…hostile towards each other about it."
Leo straightened up. He glanced over at Mark and Frank, who were also huddled together now.
He sighed and scratched his head. "Fantastic," he mumbled. "I knew the day would come…"
The day he kills me for liking Espie in that way? "What…day?" Sammy asked nervously.
Leo had a faraway look in his eyes. "It's not today," he said. "But it's gotten closer…"
He looked right at the Roman with sad eyes. "The day my little girl has to leave me…it's coming soon…"
Sammy blinked at the adult. "Um…You mean…you're not mad at me or Mark for liking her?"
Leo's eyes hardened. "Oh, I'm mad," he said. "And just know that whichever one of you actually settles down with her is gonna get a serious 'over-protective-dad-cleaning-his-rifle' talk."
Sammy shivered. "I'll, uh, keep that in mind…sir."
Leo smiled. He leaned forward and gripped Sammy on the shoulder. "Don't let me stop you from going after her, though. Espie deserves a nice guy who can take care of himself—and also her, though she'll never admit it. Just don't elope. I'll hunt you down and kill you myself if you do that."
"Duly noted," Sammy said, nodded. "But right now…" He glanced over at Mark, unpleasant loathing boiling in his stomach. "Right now Mark and I are silently fighting over Espie, and she doesn't even know."
"So tell her you like her," Leo said, his attention back on the pipe cleaner thing in his hand.
"It's just," Sammy muttered. "I really like her…and every time I think about her, I get butterflies in my stomach."
"Sounds like me when I think of a nacho and taco combo with hot sauce and a cherry on top."
Sammy smiled. Then it dropped again. "But every time I go up to her to tell her how I feel…I choke…"
He buried his face in his hands. "I can face down giant monsters, rogue legionnaires, and angry gods; but when I go near Espie I feel like the world goes upside down and I can't get a good grip on reality!"
He had no idea why he was telling Mr. Valdez this. It technically wasn't his business…
A warm hand gripped Sammy's shoulder again. He looked up at Leo's smiling face.
"It's hard being a guy, isn't it?" he asked.
Sammy nodded.
"Love is hard," Leo said. "Aphrodite never likes making it easy. If it was easy, I probably would have stayed with Calypso on that island when I first landed and the world would have sorted itself out without me."
The Roman smiled. "I guess so…but what do I do? Me and Mark…we both want Espie and eventually she's gonna need to make a choice, right?"
Leo nodded. "Of course. But that's her decision in the end. You want my advice? Don't go up to her with Mark in tow and demand for her to choose right then and there. She's not good with that kind of confrontation."
Sammy agreed. "I know…but when should I do it?"
"How about now?"
Leo motioned to where a group of people were coming up the stairs from below deck: Hazel, Percy, Annabeth, Bobby, Lacy, and…Espie!
Sammy shot to his feet, as did Mark. Frank and Leo got up more slowly. Sammy heard Leo complain, "Argh, my knees…I'm not even 40 yet and already they're startin' to give…"
Sammy ran down from the control center to try and get to Espie. Apparently Mark had the same idea.
"I need to talk to you," they both said at the same time.
Esperanza looked taken aback. "Okay…but can't it wait? We all tried the key Percy had, but it didn't work. It's gotta be one of you."
Percy held out a beautiful white key topped with a ruby heart. Obviously it was Piper's key.
Mark's hand shot for it. "Mom's key!"
At the same moment, Sammy was thinking, Piper's key! Daughter of love! Please let it be me that activates it!
They both grabbed one end of the key at the exact same second. The white key shot into the air and hovered over Espie. Words began to appear:
The fierce and brave Daughter of Doves,
Can be found and saved by Flame's true love.
The key floated down and hit the deck with a ka-chink. It glowed white hot and began spinning like an out of control compass, never slowing or stopping.
All eyes locked onto Espie, who looked like she was about to pee her pants.
Mark stepped forward. "Espie…I know this is awkward, but now's the time: which one of us do you like more—me or Sammy Leo?"
She looked absolutely horrified. Sammy didn't blame her. He felt a tightness in his gut and lowered his gaze.
Espie ran away from the group and went below deck again, sniffling.
Leo walked up behind Sammy and slapped him upside the head.
"That," he said, "was exactly what I told you not to do."
A/N: You didn't think I'd make it that easy, did you?
And look, Leo actually is pretty good at this love business!
