This chapter will actually see the start of Leo's memories and I'm starting with an angsty one so be prepared for some sadness, though some of the memories should be cute/funny. Also, a bit of this chapter is still setting the scene as I think the demigods wouldn't accept this as easily as they appeared to last chapter.

Thanks to everyone who faved or followed and to my lovely reviewers:

SilverSapphire999 : Thank you for being my first reviewer and I hope that this chapter meets your expectations.

SeventhWheel : I love to read stories like this to, that's why I decided to try writing one myself. I hope you like this chapter (cool reference in your nickname by the way).

Halfbloodglader : I'm glad you like it and I'm sorry about any errors but the program I am using doesn't do any grammar or spelling checks. I will double check this chapter but please forgive me if there are any mistakes I miss.

Awesometacos : Is this soon enough for you? :) And I was shocked that no one had done a story like this yet for Leo so I couldn't let the opportunity go.

Our Mismatched Socks : Yay, thank you for liking my story and I will definitely be continuing this story so don't worry.

Disclaimer : Unfortunately my attempts to buy the rights to Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus have been unsuccessful so I do not own any of the characters that Rick Riordan has created.

Jason's P.O.V

As the screen turned on, Jason felt himself leaning away from his best friend who was currently radiating steam like a just-boiled kettle. At the same time, he couldn't help glancing worriedly at the smaller boy who was staring at the screen with a mix of desperation and anger. His attention was dragged back to the television when he heard childish sobbing emitting from it. The sight displayed for the seven would have melted even Khione's heart.

On the screen, a smaller version of their friend sat sobbing in a hospital waiting room. He looked around seven or eight, but as Leo was naturally short, the age was uncertain. His head was nestled between his pulled up knees and his tiny hands were clenched in his messy mop of curly, black hair. The tanned fingers were turning white with the force of his grasp, and he was gently rocking as he cried hopelessly.

Jason felt the modern day version of his best friend stiffen and drop whatever he had been making within his toolbelt as the child version shuddered and moaned on screen. Leo's brown eyes looked horrified, and Jason realised that Leo definitely knew what was happening on the screen. Just as he was about to ask what was wrong, Leo sprang up and attacked the screen with a mix of his trademark fire and hammers that were pulled out of his ever present toolbelt. All of his friends stared in disbelief as Leo viciously attacked the screen, yet his attacks did no visible damage. The image on screen did, however, freeze though it remained to mock the enraged teen.

Hera's voice suddenly boomed around the group, "LEO VALDEZ, STOP ATTACKING MY TELEVISION!" Leo, panting from his mindless assault on the television, froze with his head down and shoulders shaking in a way that eerily resembled the child version of himself.

"You can't show them this. Please," His voice was quiet and Jason was shocked that his usually loud and boisterous friend sounded so ... broken. The desperate plea behind the end of his sentence was evident and Jason felt a wave of anger that Hera was showing them something that was obviously incredibly painful for his friend. Yet, at the same time, a small, guilty part of himself whispered that didn't he deserve to know more about Leo? After all, he had trusted Leo with everything, from his feelings for Piper to the reappearance of Thalia in his life. He shook his head, he couldn't think like that. Leo had told him what he felt able to share and Jason should feel honoured that Leo had chose to tell him anything about his past. Hera's voice (though at a much more reasonable volume than before) snapped him out of his musings.

"Leo, I am doing this for your sake whether any of you choose to believe me or not. Anyway, you cannot damage the television and any time spent trying to stop this is wasting time in your world to complete your quest. I can turn days into minutes, but even half an hour spent dallying could end with disaster so you might as well watch the videos so you can return as quickly as possible. Some will be painful but if you are to fight together than you need to see that even the brightest smile can tell a painful story."

Jason watched as Leo took a shaky breath before returning to the couch, making a visible effort to calm the flames dancing across his tanned skin.

"Just get this one over with" he muttered and Jason was quick to notice the exhausted tone hidden under the bitter remark. He placed his hand on Leo's shoulder and smiled slightly when he realised that Percy was doing the same thing on Leo's other side.

"Leo, were here for you okay? No matter what happens in these videos, your still our annoying, elven fire-bug." Although he had spoke quietly, Jason was happy to here the chorus of other voices as his friends agreed that they were there for Leo. The Latino smiled ever so slightly and then tilted his head up. The smile quickly turned devious.

"If I'm an elf, then does that make Frank an orc?" The question caused everyone to laugh, apart from Frank who stuttered indignantly for a few minutes before he turned away to hide the slight fondness in his eyes. The screen suddenly resumed playing.

Child Leo was still crying in the same hospital chair, but he was now mumbling under his breath. "Quiero mi madre, quiero mi madre!"

As little Leo spoke, subtitles popped up translating the agonised words.

"I want my mother. I want my mother!"

Jason felt his heart clench as he finally caught on to why the small Leo was so upset, and why his Leo had protested so vehemently to this video being played. Piper on his other side also caught on to just when this memory was from and his hand was now being clenched by a distraught daughter of Aphrodite.

"Oh Leo." Her words held such compassion that Leo (who had resumed his tinkering) looked up and gave her a weak smile.

"I'm fine beauty queen, the past is the past, right?" This was a valiant effort by Leo, but his efforts were undermined by the sad tone. Hazel already looked tearful, and the first video hadn't even finished yet. Jason was sincerely doubting Hera's motives at that moment.

Two women walked on screen, heading towards Leo who curled into an even tighter ball as they approached. One of the women is wearing a smart shirt and pants combo with her blonde hair twisted into a fashionable yet professional bun. Her green eyes look quite harsh at this moment, but also held a look of compassion. It was evident that the woman was naturally kind and empathic yet the conversation that she was currently holding clearly displeased her. The other lady had similar colouring to Leo, and it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to realise that the two were related. A mole resided on her broad nose, and any resemblance to Leo ended when one observed her sour, twisted mouth and the harsh, cold look in her eyes.

Hazel gasped and Jason was about to ask why, when on screen the second lady's eyes fell upon the sobbing boy.

An already unpleasant face turned even crueller as the woman rushed towards the cowering child. Leo had looked up and whimpered when he saw the lady but as she rushed towards him his tear stained face was filled with fear, and his chocolate orbs widened. The woman fell upon him and drew back her hand before slapping the child roughly on the face, her large nails leaving bloody streaks on his wet face. The blonde lady shouted for security and rushed to pull the other woman off of the small child. Guards rushed over as the attacking lady started screeching like a banshee. "That child is a diablo and I will not allow him to poison my family any longer." She proceeded to spit on the shaken child as the guards started dragging her away. "That demon murdered my sister. Diablo!Demon! You shall never enter the homes of my family again. You should have been the one to die." The hysterical woman (who Jason had now discerned to be Leo's aunt) was dragged away, yet her words echoed along the halls and tainted the air. The blonde lady walked up to Leo, who shied away looking terrified. She hastily slapped a smile on her face and said "Hello there Leo, My names Mrs Sparrow and I'm your social worker."

General P.O.V

The screen abruptly went blank, leaving behind seven shell-shocked demigods.

"That was ... horrible." Hazel's voice shook as she remembered the way her own mother had talked to her. Frank was grasping his girlfriend's hand as he shook his head. He couldn't believe that anyone could be so cruel to such a young child. Annabeth thought back to her step mother but even she hadn't been as brutal as that. Nasty and rude yes, but never outright abusive. Piper was feeling a strong mixture of grief and anger that her adorable little brother figure had been treated in such a way, especially as it must have been just after the death of his mother. Jason and Percy, who were the closest to the uncharacteristically quiet son of Hephaestus (though no one could blame him for being quiet after watching something like that), wrapped the boy in a three way hug. It spoke volumes to all of them that Leo didn't try to pull away or crack a joke. The memory had obviously been very painful and many of the young demigods found themselves cursing Hera for the umpteenth time. She couldn't have shown them a nice memory to help them understand Leo better, no, she had to show them something that had clearly left a scar on Leo's heart. Though, somewhere deep within themselves, they did acknowledge the fact that they were meant to be learning more about Leo, and that meant seeing parts of his life that he had found too painful to share. Just because they realised it, didn't mean they had to be happy about it.

Leo's P.O.V

Leo shuddered slightly as the words echoed from the memory. He had been trying to pretend that he was ready to relive his memories but to start of with something like that was just unfair on so many levels. He knew that his friends were watching him with concern and compassion (and thankfully without pity, because if they started showing pity he wouldn't be able to handle it) but he couldn't look up, couldn't show them the tears rolling down his cheeks as he silently cried. It was bad enough that they had seen his pitiful display on screen, they didn't need a repeat. Didn't need to see that behind his jokes and humour, there was a crying child. They didn't need another reminder that he was the weakest on this quest.

As he contemplated the best way to dry his eyes without it looking obvious, he felt to pairs of arms wrap around him. A comforting smell of salty sea water and the distinctive scent that came with a lightning strike hovered around him as Jason leaned in and whispered in his ear.

"She's wrong. It wasn't your fault, Leo. You're not a demon and it wasn't your fault". Leo slowly relaxed into the elder boys, Jason had inherited his father's stubborn nature, and Percy wasn't much better so Leo decided that it was probably hopeless to try and struggle.

After a few minutes Leo decided that the chick flick moment had lasted long enough.

"Jeez guys, if you hug me any longer than the girls are going to get jealous". In response to Leo's words, the other boys pulled back sheepishly, though Percy couldn't resist ruffling his hair a little bit. As Leo pretended to be annoyed at him and squashed down the feeling that this was what having older brothers must be like, Frank's voice piped up from the other end of the couch.

"Demons having nothing on Leo's ability to annoy people, in fact they probably take lessons from him." Hazel hit his arm while looking horrified, but Leo started laughing.

"Zhang, I hope you realise that I have only shown you a fraction of my true ability". Leo almost died laughing at the traumatised look on Frank's face and then the screen flicked on again.

General P.O.V

All of the group glared at the screen, silently daring Hera to show another sad memory.

An image of a dark back alley was splayed across the telly. And then Leo appeared. In this scene, he looked around 11 and mouth was twisted into a scowl. He was wearing a worn, black t-shirt with the words"I'd get down on your level but I don't have eternity" Scrawled across it in red. The black jeans that encased his skinny legs were tattered and sported two large holes in the knee areas. He was also wearing black converse knock-offs and a backpack attached to his back tightly.

Piper turned to Leo with a confused expression, to which Leo simply shrugged.

"I didn't really have a lot of clothing options and black doesn't show stains much". Percy, who had been admiring the slogan on Leo's t-shirt, turned to him then with glimmers of worry in his sea green eyes. Frank looked even more confused than Piper had previously.

"Why didn't you have much clothing?" Frank's question seemed innocent enough but Leo froze slightly and chose to continue his toolbelt project instead of answering. The others took this as a sign to continue watching the video, which was now showing Leo at the end of the alley.

His eyes seemed to be dissecting the wall in front of him, though it wasn't apparent what exactly he was looking for. Then, with fluid motions that suggested practice, Leo started scaling the wall. He never faltered, his hands and feet finding small holds in seemingly smooth bricks. After ascending the wall, Leo proceeded to sprint across rooftops. Throughout the journey numerous freerunning techniques were displayed and Leo appeared pretty confident as he raced along the rooftops. The memory ended with a particularly daring move as Leo leapt to a fire escape before shimmying down the metal bars and dropping lithely to the ground.

Leo looked at his friends startled faces and sighed as he waited the barrage of questions. He was not disappointed. The other demigods all started shouting out questions, only stopping when Leo held up his hands.

"I learnt to freerun when I was 10. I'd ran away a few times and picked up a few tricks, but then I met some other street kids who helped me out. It's a good trick when trying to run from child services. You learn a lot on the streets." Leo gave them all a brief glance and was happy to notice that they didn't seem ready to ram any more questions down his throat. They all looked back to the screen, mulling over what they had just learned and waiting for a never video.

I apologise if any of the Spanish is wrong but I am not fluent in Spanish so feel free to tell me if I got it wrong. Also, I know that Leo can't freerun in the books but I think that as Leo spent a large majority of his life running he would have picked up a few tricks. As a little side note, Mrs Sparrow will probably make another appearance later on, so prepare for that.

I hope you liked it and feel free to leave a review though once again, don't bother flaming because Leo wont be too happy if you steal his ability.