I'm so sorry, I forgot to wish you all a Happy Easter (or Happy Holidays if you don't celebrate Easter). And HOLY HEPHAESTUS 309 REVIEWS AND OVER 100 FAVES AND FOLLOWS! Thank you all so much, I never expected this story to do so well so I really appreciate everything. And, a warning for this chapter , AmaebLeo has given me a very sad idea that involves death during childbirth, so I will put a warning in front of that memory. Also, if you think I should reply to reviews at the end of the story instead of the beginning then tell me as they take up a lot of space.
Abigaia the Wolf : Thank you, though I hope hat I don't make you cry too much.
Neon Wish : Thanks :)
Enhisbeautiful : Thank you.
Pacenya347 : I thought it would be an interesting perspective, glad you liked it.
Epiphany Aria Grace : Thanks, I'm glad that they were cute and in character.
Kittehx1 : Yay... and now it's time for more angst.
Jacquiewilson : I already have :)
WitchoftheMountain : I'm glad that it was realistic.
Catsrawesome : You're very welcome, and that situation is about to get worse.
QueenofLothlorien : There will be more Spanish and more Jazz in later chapters :)
BlazingFlames22 : *Helps you build that shelter* you might need that now...
Guest : It's not ending yet.
FracturedSanity419 : Your wish is my command.
Sracha1713 : I might, but I still have a lot planned for Leo so...
TeamLeo'sVeryOwnFlinxShipper : Happy Easter! And I'm glad that it made your day better.
AmaebLEO : I'm doing one of your ideas now but I'm doing it slightly differently and I'll do the other next chapter, and I'm happy that my Fanfictions mean so much to you.
Septimus : Yeah well, this chapter might just change that.
Killua minamoto : Well there is, more angst this chapter :)
Random person : Here you go.
MakaylaCO : Here's more.
Bdog123 : Thank you.
Gguueesstt : Is that good or bad?
Anabella : Greetings from England, and it's spelt fine.
Our Mismatched Socks : I'm glad that it was a good choice.
Willowleaf : Thanks :)
Disclaimer : Not mine :(
Piper's P.O.V
Piper was determined to hate Layla for breaking Leo's heart, but that memory had been so adorable. Romance and love were a part of her, no matter how much she tried to break away from that stereotype. She was especially interested in the affairs of her friends as she wanted them to be happy. The screen came to life, and Piper settled in to learn a little more about her hyperactive friend.
Warning : Mentions of death during childbirth.
Leo was staring at a soaking wet Layla in absolute shock. The girl was sobbing and shaking as she stood on the doorstep of a nice looking house. They were both older now, around sixteen, Leo had clearly been put in a house close to the place he had been living in when he met Layla.
"Please Leo..." She trailed off, and Leo nodded numbly stepping aside to allow the drenched girl to enter. He got her settled on the couch and then left the room.
He returned a few seconds later with some tissues, a towel, a selection of biscuits and two cups of hot chocolate on a tray. He placed the on the coffee table and turned towards his ex-girlfriend.
"What's wrong, Layla?" The severity of the situation was evident, as Leo made no jokes.
"I'm pregnant." Leo almost choked on his hot chocolate.
"WHAT!" They all shrieked.
"It's not mine." Leo seemed sad, almost wistful, and Piper began dreading whatever this screen was going to show them.
"That idiota (idiot)!" Leo shouted, looking murderous, but he calmed down as Layla burst into another flood of tears.
"I can't tell him, it would ruin his life. And my parents would kill me. I'm so stupid." Leo hugged the girl, even though the towel hadn't done much to dry her.
"How far along?" He asked, soothingly rubbing her back.
"I don't know!" She wailed, clutching Leo tightly as she wept.
"You have to tell them." Leo's voice was imploring and kind, but Layla still jerked.
"They'll hate me." She whimpered.
"They won't Layla, it will be alright." She burrowed into his arms.
"I wish I was still with you." She hiccupped desperately. Leo just held her as she cried.
Nine months later.
Four concerned looking adults sat with Leo and the boy with whom Layla had cheated on Leo in a hospital waiting area. They all looked tense.
"Why are you even here in the first place!" The boy burst and Leo looked at him tiredly.
"Because Layla asked me to come as a friend."
"Yeah right, you want to take her back right?" Leo frowned.
"I'm here as a friend. You're here as a father. As such, you need to step up and prepare, not squabble pettily with me. Your girlfriend is in there right now having an operation so that your child can be born safely, and when that child is born you best be in there with the biggest smile on your face that you can manage instead of in here sniping at me." Leo was out of breath at the end of this admonishment.
The sound of clapping suddenly reverberated around the waiting room as all the prospective parents/grandparents clapped.
"You tell him." One person muttered, and Leo blushed as he realised that pretty much everyone - even the nurses - were smiling at him.
"You're right, I'm sorry." The boy looked weary, as if all life had been sucked out of him. "I'm just so scared for Layla, and I'm meant to be a dad and It's just so overwhelming..."
Leo smiled sympathetically.
"You will al be fine, you have a lot of people who care about you and are willing to help out." The boy shot Leo a grateful look. Then it all went to Hades.
A doctor stepped out, and walked over to the group.
"You are here for Layla Good, yes." The look on his face foretold bad news, Leo's fists clenched. One of the adult nodded, and the doctor's face melted into a mask of remorse.
"I'm sorry, but there was a problem during the operation. We lost both the mother and the child." The entire group stared in horror, before they all started sobbing. Leo and the boy, the person who had stole his girlfriend, turned and wept together. They had both lost someone cherished, and in that moment, they were united by grief.
There wasn't a dry eye of screen either.
Memory over
"You lost both her and her unborn child." Piper couldn't see straight through the tears, but she saw that Leo was crying as well. She wanted this over. Leo was being caused so much pain, and yeah they had learnt a lot about him, but was it worth this much pain? She felt Jason shift to wrap his arms around their quaking friend.
"And Jack almost killed himself only a week after that." Leo snivelled, and Piper whimpered at the amount of pain that Leo had suffered. Why did the Fates hate him?
The demigods took quite a long time to console themselves after that memory, no words were spoken as it was best to just cry this one out. When the room was somewhat calm, the next memory began.
Jazz and Leo were eating inside of a cheerful cafeteria. They were laughing and joking with a small crowd of people.
"And then Leo just sniped the man! It was awesome." Jazz was animatedly telling some sort of tale. One of the other boys smirked.
"Well what were you doing in the game if Leo was sniping all of the enemies?" The teasing note to his voice did not go unheard, and Jazz's eyes glowed in challenge. But before he could reply, Leo butted in.
"Jazz was flirting with the barmaid." Jazz burned cheery red as they all laughed.
"No I wasn't!" He protested, but Leo was really into this now.
"Oh Barmaid, our love is forbidden yet you drew me in with the elegant way you pour my mead. I should be outside helping my friend, but a moment away from you hurt's worse then a rifle shot, and as and adventurer, I've felt plenty of those." Leo made an overdramatic kissy face, and Jazz shoved him.
"Better than you who flirted with everyone who could get you a bonus." Leo winked cheerfully.
"Hey, it's not my fault that they all fell for the famous Valdez charm."
"The only charm you had on them was a love spell."
"Hey, I don't need a love spell to get a girl." The small group were now completely involved in this back and forth exchange.
"Really because that princess seemed uninterested until you used a little magic." Leo spluttered indignantly.
"The princess was greatly indebted to me for saving her life while you drank with that bar wench." Jazz seemed offended.
"My lady is not a wench." He declared. They glared at each other for a few minutes, and then they both started laughing hysterically.
"You're such a nerd." Percy said fondly.
"At least I was a successful nerd." Everyone seemed a little more cheerful after that memory, though the topic of Layla still hung heavily over them like a shroud. Piper hoped that the next memory would erase that, Leo had suffered enough.
Four year old Leo was dressed as the most adorable little werewolf ever, with a tail attached to the back of his pants and fake wolf ears nestled in his hair. He was clutching his mom's hand and a bag of sweets as he bounced in front of a decorated door.
His mom rapped on it, and after a few seconds it opened.
"Twick or treat" He shouted enthusiastically, stumbling over the words slightly but still revealing a big, toothy grin.
"Aren't you just adorable!" The lady who had opened the door poured a ton of sweets into Leo's bag.
"Gracias." He yelled merrily and his mom gave the lady a "what can you do look" as Leo tugged her down the path.
"AWW" All the girls began babbling about how cute Leo was.
"I wasn't that cute" Leo mumbled, looking awkward.
"Sorry little bro, but you were adorable." Percy ruffled Leo's hair, and Leo slapped his hand away, pouting. This only served to make their Leo look adorable, but Piper refrained from saying that.
"No entiendo vosotros (I don't understand you)" Leo grumbled. They all stared at him in confusion, though when he didn't elaborate they knew that he hadn't realised that he had spoken in Spanish and that they had no idea of what he had just said.
Piper's brow furrowed as she thought about how Leo must still be really distressed over the previous memory if he was speaking in Spanish without realising it.
"Scoot over, I want to sit next to Leo for a moment." Jason gave her an odd look, but complied with her request anyway, swapping places so that she was sitting next to Leo. She draped an arm over he friend casually. The radiant smile that Leo gave her was worth the effort of moving.
A teenage Leo was mooching along the streets, a small girls hand wrapped in his and a boy who was slightly younger than Leo himself was linking Leo on the other side. All three children were filthy, and passers by gave them a pretty wide berth. All of the children ignored this, as if this was common treatment.
Piper was saddened as she realised that that probably was common for street children. She vowed to take more notice in the future.
Eventually, they reached a small alley, and Leo shooed the younger kids into it.
"Stay in here until I get back, okay." He waited until both had nodded at him, before hugging them tightly and darting into the busier streets. He walked in a way that made him seem almost invisible, years of practice coming into play.
He drifted into a large Wal-Mart, making his way down the aisles with a calculating expression, though whenever a shopper drew near, the look changed to boredom making Leo look like a teen on an errand.
As he mad his way down the food aisles, Leo's hands swiped numerous items, storing them in his oversized hoodie.
After he had gathered a fair bit, he snuck towards the clothes aisle. A few articles of clothing disappeared up the back of his hoodie, but then he swiped an item that made no sense. He grabbed a small bottle of perfume, and, instead of stacking it away, he held it in his palm.
Stealthily,, he made his way to the exit. A trolley was just about to go through, and Leo sped up. With an impressive amount of stealth, Leo deposited the perfume in the trolley, and the alarm went of a good few seconds before Leo waltzed through. The security guard waved him along, and Leo made his way back to" his friends in the alley way.
"You probably just got those people into a lot of trouble." Jason was clearly trying to sound neutral, Leo had been stealing for a good cause after all, but Leo still didn't sound happy.
"I don't need you gracing me with your words of wisdom, Jason." She knew that Leo was annoyed as he ignored the perfectly good pun opportunity. Piper was about to wade in, when someone she didn't expect spoke up in defence of Leo.
"Yes, stealing is wrong, but Leo did need to look after himself and those two kids. Although I wouldn't normally approve of stealing, those were special circumstances, and we should be a bit more lenient." Annabeth sounded as if she had had experience with what was needed to survive on the streets. It was still shocking to hear what she had just said though. Percy was gazing at her with a mix of love and surprise.
"Look at my Wise Girl advocating theft." He whistled. Annabeth looked annoyed and Leo stepped in this time.
"Look at Annabeth's Seaweed Brain knowing a word as big as advocating." Everyone laughed at Percy. Jason reached over her.
"I wasn't accusing you of anything, it's just hard to think that you had to resort to stealing things for any reason." Leo shrugged.
"It's fine, I'm just not exactly proud of those memories." Piper embraced him.
"I'm proud that you were willing to go against your morals for those two kids. You only stole clothes in their sizes." Leo looked at her weirdly.
"How could you tell that?" Piper shrugged.
"Aphrodite perk I guess. You all get cool powers and I can accurately measure your clothes size." Leo laughed. And then he face palmed.
"I missed a perfect joke opportunity didn't I?" He groaned.
So, please tell me if I should put the replies at the bottom of the story, I want you to be able to read the story easily. I'm sorry if this was short. I'll see you all next time and once again, thank you for all your support.