Chapter 11: A Tip Off.

"So Leo, you up for being an actor too?"

Now, Piper wasn't always the biggest fan of her mom, and some of the revenge plans Aphrodite had come up with in the past were just plain cruel. The revenge plan Aphrodite had for Artemis, making one of her hunters fall in love with a bear- that was just evil. However, sometimes her mom could be wickedly good- and this was one such case.

Aphrodite had popped in for one of her mother daughter chats, not really allowed, but Zeus had been surprisingly slack on the ancient laws since the whole Gaia thing. He was all like "let it not be thought that even gods can't make mistakes, it was our lack of attention to our children that lead to these wars, and so, though we won't be disregarding the ancient laws, I guess we can slack them a little". Of course that whole speech Hera was standing behind him tapping her foot every time he paused, so it probably wasn't his idea, but hey.

Anyway, back to Aphrodite's plan, basically she had suggested that someone should sneakily meet up with Danno, and let loose the news and location of Piper and Franks 'date', and who better to play the 'I do really like her, but why does she get all the good luck it's totally not fair, I almost resent her' friend, than Leo?

So now, Piper was on the phone explaining the new part of the plan to Leo at eleven at night and hoping he would go along with it.

"Now Beauty Queen, I was almost feeling left out, this will be great- I love playing tricks, and this is just a giant prank. You can so count the Leo-master in."

"Great, wonderful, only never call yourself the Leo-master again repair boy, it's actually disturbing."

"Then call me Iago"

"He betrays Othello, who considers him his best friend, and winds up in prison facing the death penalty..."

"...Call me Roderigo!"

"A lovesick pretty boy who ends up stabbed to death by Iago?"

"...Call me Cassio!"

"... He's actually alright, if a bit violent when drunk; so basically Othello is the only Shakespeare play you know?"

"I know Romeo and Juliet, and Macbeth..."

"Back to the topic at hand... How are you going to find out where Danno is to speak with her?"

"Easy, just a bit of hacking of the government profiles on journalists, I've got Travis and Conner to help me out, apparently the 'gifts of Hermes' transfer to stealing internet secrets as well as smuggling soda into camp. Who knew?"

"Wait, you've got them- like there now, I just rung you, how did you get them that quickly?"

"We may have been planning a prank to turn Ares' cabin pink with love hearts..."

"Say no more, I want as much plausible deniability as possible. So what day are you meeting with Danno?"

"Thursday? That gives two days to plan and trail her before I spring my trap, Mwahahahahahahaha"

"I hear you Mwahahahahahahaha, and raise you a teeheheheh"

"I hear your teeheehehehehe, and raise you a yakyakyak..."

Thursday

Leo had been kind enough to record his meeting with Danno- He wore a snapback with a camera attached, and an earpiece, the camera was connected to a laptop he'd given Piper, and the earpiece was connected to a microphone she had. Of course with Leo being Leo he was referring to her as Q and himself as Bond- just because he could. She had pointed out the irony of her being Q when he was the one who invented all the gadgets he was wearing. She should have expected the response. "Pipes, I know I'm brilliant enough to be Q, but Bond's just more awesome, and I feel like I have more Bond vibes than you."

"Repair boy; the only way you have more Bond vibes than me is your biology."

"..."

"Anyway, has Danno arrived?"

"Not yet, but I'm sitting opposite the door, so she'll see me walking in- knowing how nosy she is, she'll recognise me immediately, and try and get dirt on you".

Piper grinned, and looked back to the laptop, where she could see the door to the cafe; she couldn't wait till Danno walked in...

"Leo, are you sure this is the right cafe? Like we've been here ages. I'm going to get some chocolate, have fun."

"Pipes, that's not fair, I don't have any chocolate- Piper you can't each chocolate in front of me, Pipeeeeeeeeeeeeer."

"Off to get Chocolate Leo- bye!"

Piper grinned at the microphone as she left the room to search the kitchen- she hadn't taken the earpiece off, so she could still hear what went on between Leo and Danno is she showed up. She had just reached the kitchen when Leo's complaining went quiet.

"Pipes can you hear me? Danno just came in, Pipes?"

"Yep", Piper almost face palmed, the microphone was still in her room. Leo's technology might be good, but it couldn't pick up her voice through two stories and a load of walls. She was about to run upstairs again, when she figured that Danno would be more likely to listen to him if he didn't constantly look like he was talking to himself. Piper kept listening to the conversation anyway- she could ask Leo about it once Danno had gone. She found a bar of Hershey's, and sat down at the table to listen. Since she had left the laptop in her room as well, all she had was audio.

"Excuse me, is anyone sitting here?" Apparently Danno had recognized Leo, and had come to talk with him- she wondered how quickly the conversation would swing round to herself."

"What's a young man like you doing in a coffee shop by himself?"

Piper could image Leo giving Danno one of him manic grins, "Ah, I was going to meet with Pipes, she's a friend, but she's a bit busy."

"She stood you up!"

"Not like that, I mean yeah, she didn't come, but it wasn't a date or anything- she's more of a sister, and she's already got a boyfriend."

"Oh I see, well perhaps she's meeting him?"

That wasn't subtle at all; thought Piper; just get the topic round onto my 'boyfriend'. Leo better make sure he spins a good story of how Frank and I met...

"Yeah maybe- they've been going out a while, ever since Frank had his accident. I've made you more curious haven't I?"

"What accident?"

"Well, he hit his head, and had some memory loss, they got together when he was still recovering, Pipes would go sit with him in hospital, and it developed from there."

Piper could almost hear Danno's brain working, spewing out headlines "Sneaky first time actor seduced injured man" or "Couldn't even wait till he was out of the hospital."

Leo continued with his story "They're actually going for a meal next Friday- Pipers quite well of, so she's booked a meal at that new Anthony Bourdain place, and she and Frank are going there next Friday, at lunch, then we're all going to a friend's party."

"Oh, that's interesting..."Piper wondered if Danno would stop there, or try and get Leo to reveal more, he was weaving the story very well, but Leo was always pretty good at lying- to himself as much as everyone else, it kind of came with the perpetual joker thing.

"Besides, she never really has time to hang out with me anymore, sometimes makes me annoyed you know- perfect Piper, rich Piper, I liked you when you were useful to me Leo- Piper. Like, don't get the wrong idea, she's great, but sometimes having a friend that great makes you feel terrible you know". Leo's voice went wistful, and she heard him getting up from his seat. "So, Mrs Danno right? See you around I guess".

"Goodbye Leo, nice to talk to you."

Piper slowly sat down, well that happened, did Leo mean that, or was he just making it up- would he have said that if he knew she was still listening? It was a good way to make Danno trust him though- making her think she could manipulate him like that, Piper hoped that was all it was.