Thanks to everyone who faved or followed the last chapter and if any one thinks I should or shouldn't use scenes from the books please feel free to comment.
Techyy : You're welcome :)
Fantasiedreamar : I'm glad you likey (if it isn't a word then it should be)
Our Mismatched Socks : You're welcome for the suggestions (I've got to spread the Leo love) and Leo has a very sad past so a lot of these memories will probably be sad though there will also be a lot of Leo-style comedy.
Awesometacos : I'm glad that you think I'm doing a good job and I hope that this story can help you in anyway to get through everything you need to.
Matt : Thanks for enjoying my story and I'm relieved that the joke was okay (hopefully it was up to Leo's standards).
Disclaimer : Sadly I still don't own the rights to Leo or the others nor do I own the rights to The Pied Piper.
Jason's P.O.V
Jason liked to think that he was pretty tough considering everything that he had gone through. He had been given up by his own mother to serve Hera who hated him for being the illegitimate son of her husband, losing his sister in the process (even though he did find her again later, the thought still stung), defeated the titan Krious and lost all of his memories due to his aforementioned servitude but when Leo said that he was trying to run away from everything in a voice that was a mixture of exhaustion, hurt, anger and sadness, Jason felt like he needed to rethink the word pain. His chest felt tight and he was torn between the desire to hug his elven looking friend and the desire to track down anyone who had ever hurt his friend and making them pay. Apparently, he wasn't the only one who felt this way as he observed his the expressions of his friends. Percy looked beyond murderous, Annabeth had the stony look of someone who knew how to kill you in many painful ways and how to hide the bodies (well it was Annabeth, that was probably all true), Piper's beautiful face was a mixture of rage and sympathy, Hazel was crying softly and Frank looked both bewildered and fuming (which coming from a son of Mars was suitably intimidating).
Leo was sitting slightly hunched over, as if he could escape all the attention by focusing on his feet. He took a deep, wavering breath before standing in front of the television.
"I suppose you want an explana..." Leo's words were cut of by the television turning on, though the screen just turned white with a few words written on it. They said "It is the job of the television to provide you with insights to Leo's past, thus rendering his explanations useless as the scenes that you will be witnessing should give you all the information that you need when you are ready for it." At this, Leo huffed and plopped himself down on the couch again. His hands sought out another distraction and he was soon working on some form of mechanical creature. Although none of Jason's questions had been answered, he assumed that Hera was telling them that they would find everything out if they were patient. Jason hated being patient when it came to his friend's happiness, but he dutifully turned to the screen to hopefully receive another piece of the mysterious puzzle named Leo Valdez.
The memory started on an image of an eleven year old Leo sitting on a brick wall with another, taller boy resting beside him. The other boy looked to be about sixteen years old, with dark, brown hair and cat-green eyes. Both boys seemed to radiate tranquillity, even though little Leo was tapping his fingers steadily on the side of the wall. Then Leo's warm, chocolate eyes were turned upon the other boy with an innocent puppy dog look (Jason reckoned that Leo's puppy dog look should be turned into a weapon because all the girls in the room seemed to turn into mush at that look, and Percy looked a little mushy too if he was honest) and the other boy turned to him with a raised eyebrow."Can I stay here with you forever James?" The question was asked in a pleading voice and the older boy - now identified as James - looked down at Leo with a soft smile before rustling the younger boys hair. When Leo had dodged away from the hand attempting to defile his hair, he looked up at the boy with his hopeful puppy dog face back in place. James sighed, and tugged Leo into a tight hug. His eyes flicked up to the sky before he whispered " I hope that you will be my little bro forever Leo but it's not my decision to make." Leo's arms snaked around his neck and his eyes were suddenly filled with excitement. The little boy was practically vibrating with happiness and James gave him a quizzical glance. "Are we really brothers?" his voice was tinged with hope and happiness and James laughed lightly. "Of course we are Leo, no matter what my mom and dad choose, you'll always be my awesome little brother" Leo's grin was blinding and the video faded out.
Off screen Leo was also smiling, though his smile was softer and had a slightly wistful quality.
"James was a great older brother even though I didn't get to stay with him too long." At this remark, Piper reached past Jason to wrap Leo up in a one-armed hug. Jason was relieved that this memory had been an obviously fond one as everyone in the room seemed to relax a little. The tension that had been left over from Leo's confession was dissolving, though the curiosity in Jason was burning almost as hot as Leo's flames. He wanted to know exactly what Leo had meant by that chilling statement, but he didn't think that anyone would appreciate the matter being brought up again after such a calming memory. Another video began.
Twelve year old Leo was in another classroom, though this time it looked to be a music room with numerous instruments strewn around. Motivational pictures hung on the colourful walls with typical inspiring phrases and different music notes had been painted around each frame. A clock on the wall revealed the time to be twenty to three (which Jason would assume meant that it was nearly home time).The teacher was a young woman with her red hair tied in a sloppy bun and her blue eyes looked like they peering were into another world, though this was belied by the fact that the whole class appeared riveted (Jason knew that if she had been as scatterbrained as she looked then she wouldn't have commanded such respect). Her eyes fell upon Leo and she smiled kindly. "Leo, it is your turn to perform for us now". The younger version of Leo bounced up to the front of the class and sat in front of a stunning grand piano. His small stature provided a great contrast to the large piano, but the confidence shining on his face removed any comedy from the situation. Small, tanned fingers reverently brushed over the ivory keys and, at a nod from the teacher, Leo began to play. No one could claim that the piece was perfect, some notes were stumbled over and at times the key was wrong, yet the song was so heartfelt and filled with melancholy that everyone in the classroom seemed to be stunned into silence as the last haunting echoes danced around the room.
"That was beautiful despite the mistakes." Annabeth's comment would have appeared pretty heartless if you didn't know her, but thankfully the others understood her personality, and Leo gave her a gentle smile while still toying with his small invention which looked some what familiar to Jason even if he couldn't place it at the moment. Leo (feeling Jason's eyes on him) turned and winked at the other boy, and Jason realised what Leo was making despite the fact that his memory was sort of hazy around that time due to his wounds. He snorted in disbelief.
"Please tell me that you aren't making a miniature cyclops figurine." Piper also looked at Leo's creation and started laughing.
"Are you seriously making Ma Gasket?" Leo snickered while Hazel and Frank glanced at him and Annabeth sighed as Percy looked perplexed.
"Who's Ma Gasket? Percy finally decided to ask finally.
"Oh, just a cyclops who I defeated on the quest to save Hera." Jason could see the questions brimming in the eyes of his fellow demigods but a video once again cut of all chances of a proper discussion.
This time Leo looked to be the same age as now. He was perched on top of a school desk which Piper was sitting behind.
Next to Jason, Piper stiffened before she turned to the resident fire starter.
"Is that the Wilderness school the week before Jason joined?" Leo simply nodded and Jason sat up straighter to watch his best friend and his girlfriend in the week before the mist had said he arrived.
From the top of the desk, Leo was able to look down at Piper and he was wearing his best troll smile. The Piper on screen was making a valiant effort to ignore her impish friend, but her patience could only last so long before she whipped her head up and snapped "What are you hovering over me for?" If it was possible, Leo's smirk turned even more devious and he replies with faux innocence "I only want to ask you a question Piper."The lack of a nickname made Piper even more wary as she looked up at Leo. "Will you stop staring at me if I answer?" Leo nodded so fast he almost fell of the desk (Jason heard Frank snicker) and Piper sighed. "Go on then."
Percy gave her a pitying look before shaking his head.
"You have just given him permission to be a royal troll haven't you?" Piper glared at Leo who stared humming an off key version of Happy while putting the finishing touches on his Ma Gasket figurine. Which then proceeded to start screaming to imaginary versions of Sump and Torque about the best ways to barbecue shrimpy demigods. Leo sheepishly pressed a hidden button which shut of the screeching. The video which had paused itself when it became obvious that no one was paying attention to it, started playing the again.
"Where did you take the rats and the children?" Piper blinked at him in confusion before Leo barrelled on with his questions. "Where did you get your magic pipe? Do you speak German? Did you use your magic pipe to take that BMW?" Piper clearly hadn't caught on yet, though it was slowly dawning on on her what Leo was getting at. Leo switched tactics. "Do you work at a bakery?" "Leo what are you even on about?" "Do you handle the piping?" Piper looked beyond baffled at this point. "Do you wear a kilt when you play your bagpipes?" The expression on Piper's face changed as she caught on to where the line of jokes where coming from (Jason didn't envy Leo at that point, Piper looked murderous) but before Piper could retaliate, a bell rang and Leo sailed out of the classroom, yelling over his shoulder, "next time you should pipe up before the bell rings or I wont get to listen to you." The screen faded on an image of Piper burying her head into her hands and groaning.
Everyone was laughing except for Piper who was attempting to drill two holes in Leo's head with her eyes, Leo who was giving Piper a relatively apologetic look and Jason himself who couldn't help the upwards twitch of his mouth (he knew that laughing would be like signing his own death warrant considering the fact that his girl friend was sitting right next to him.)
"If it's any consolation, I trolled Jason as well though that was through pranks not name jokes." Percy's eyes lit up at this and Jason knew he was doomed when another clip started up.
Jason was sitting up in bed and stretching (he blushed as he realised that he was on screen in his pyjamas with a serious case of bed head. He then remembered what happens next and it was his turn to face palm) and he had obviously just woke up when he looked at his alarm clock and promptly fell out of bed.
It was his turn to glare at the sniggering Latino beside him as everyone snickered around him.
The alarm clock clearly stated that it was ten in the afternoon. Jason's eyes darted over to the other side of the room where the twin of his bed stood surrounded by a pile of random creations and not currently occupied by Leo Valdez. Suddenly, a familiar voice blared out from behind the door of the bedroom. "Cupcake, I don't care what dreams of Miss Piper are filling your head right now, if you aren't out of that room in three seconds you will be running ten laps around the school while carrying me on your back!" Jason's eyes widened comically and he lunged for the doorknob and plunged himself into the hallway. There was an almost blinding flash of light, and as it died down one devilishly smiling Leo Valdez was revealed, holding on to a battered, old camera. Clarity dawned on Jason as Leo started sprinting away. He was about to follow when Leo called over his shoulder "It's a Sunday Jay, and if I were you I'd get dressed before running anywhere." As the boy sped away, Jason looked down and realised that he was now standing in a corridor that could be filled with his classmates at any minute in just his pyjamas. "Valdez!" He growled under his breath as he stormed back into the bedroom, only to be drenched by a previously hidden water pistol that Leo had somehow timed to go off after Jason had re-entered the room. This time, his shout of "VALDEZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ" was probably heard by the entire building. The real Coach hedge was not going to be impressed. The last image was of Leo and Jason sitting side by side in detention writing "I shall not prank my room-mate on a Sunday at five in the morning" and "I shall not be stupid enough to fall for pranks by my room-mate at five in the morning on a Sunday and proceed to wake everyone up" respectively while being watched over by a very irate Coach Hedge.
Everyone, even Jason, descended into giggling heaps though Jason, Piper and Leo all felt a slight pang as they realised these events had been fabricated by the mist. Leo, sensing this vibe between them, grinned at Jason.
"Those memories may have been created by the mist but damn are we in character!" Jason felt the weariness leave him as he realised that maybe it didn't matter to much if some of his memories with Leo were fake. They felt real and the trio could all remember them. These memories were just as precious because they were still shared between them which mad them real enough for Jason.
"Just remember that I still have to pay you back for that one Valdez" He smirked as Leo laughed at him. He may still have a lot to learn about Leo and he was sure that the videos would teach him more, but he knew Leo was his friend and he was determined to never fail him again. The same resolve shone in the eyes of his other friends as they turned towards the screen.
I kept this chapter in Jason's point of view because I wanted to focus on their dynamic and also to show that in this story, Jason, Piper and Leo accept their fabricated memories as they strengthen their friendship so even though they may not appreciate having their memories tampered with, they are willing to accept that these memories keep to their characters enough to be real. Also, about the piano, Leo isn't some musical genius who can play the piano flawlessly, he simply managed to pick a piece that portrayed his emotions and this meant that it was a beautiful song despite it not being technically accurate.