This is probably going to be a pretty long chapter as I have a lot of songs to get through. Seriously, there will be a lot of memories as I have so many songs. And they will also be a mixture of happy and sad so be warned. One will contain mentions of homophobia, this is not my actual opinion, I have a lot of gay friends and I genuinely believe that sexuality doesn't matter as long as a person is happy. I will give the names of the artists at the end. Thank you to everyone who faved or followed and enjoy the chapter.
Pacenya347 : I kind of forgot about Hephaestus up till now as well and I'm glad that you are excited.
Our Mismatched Socks : JK Rowling is a qenious, and I can't give you spoilers for my own story :)
QueenofLothlorien : I will add the weak wrist in and though I wont use asthma specifically, I will also include breathing difficulties so thank you.
Bearah cubecars : I'm glad that you enjoyed it and I live for Leo as well.
Bdog123 : There won't be many more abuse memories (I can't guarantee that there won't be any more as they are generally quite popular, but if I do another it will be in a couple of chapters). I'm sorry if they upset you in anyway.
Neon Wish : Thank you.
Kittehx1 : Yep, lots of happy memories.
Catsrawesome : Thanks, and I'll use both songs (I love Perfect). And the I am going to end this story on chapter thirty (I even have the last memory planned out).
Hartemis : Leo's too nice to burn people even if they deserve it :) And I'm afraid that once the feels have made their lair, you can never get rid of them.
ColorsAndWords : Ah, sorry, I just assumed that America had tea time (please forgive me).
Septimus : Thank you for the song, and you'll find that all out next chapter. And I've just finished reading both the Files and the Diaries and I loved both!
TeamLeo'sVeryOwnFlinxShipper : I'm sorry for making you cry, but thank you for the hug and for saying that my story is awesome :) And I hope that you have a good week as well.
Melancholy's Sunshine : I knew that I'd forgotten something there, but I'm glad that you enjoyed it anyway.
Awesomesauce90 : Thanks, and I hope that this is soon enough.
Cupcake Gal : I will be using two of your suggestions so thank you.
ObsessedwReading : Thanks :)
FracturedSanity419 : Teehee, I'm glad that you love it. And I'll use that idea in chapter 24 so thanks.
MakaylaCO : I love Leo as well.
69Philyra69 : *Makes the Physicians cure to revive you* I'm happy that you like it.
Bris38 : Thank you.
The Steaming Cactus : I'm going to be doing two sequels to this, a oneshot where Leo is reunited with James and another multi chapter fic which is a secret plot at the moment.
Willowleaf : Thanks.
Disclaimer : If anybody feels like giving me the rights to Percy Jackson and all these songs the go ahead.
Piper's P.O.V
Hera's voice startled them all.
"As this day is almost over, we are going to have a series of memories in which Leo reveals things through songs. As he denies all talent repeatedly, hopefully this will prove his talent in areas other then mechanics. After those memories are done, you will be provided with food and accommodation. The second day will begin once you all are rested." The demigods all shrugged, and Piper secretly prayed that these would be happy songs, the memory of Leo singing about wanting to die still hurting.
Leo looked a little embarrassed. Piper on the other hand, was excited to hear Leo's singing again, even if she was terrified that it would end badly.
A fourteen year old Leo sat in a messy bedroom, soothingly rubbing the back of another sobbing teen. The other boy's head was buried in Leo's chest and his chest heaved with sobs. Leo looked distraught.
"Andrew, don't listen to those idiots."
"They're right." Leo looked furious.
"No they're not!"
"Yes they are! I am wrong, I'm disgusting. How could I like a boy?" Andrew sounded incredibly upset.
"There is nothing wrong with being gay. So what if you like someone of the same gender. It's none of their business who you like. What matters is that you are happy with yourself." Leo ran a hand through the other boys hair.
"Love is love no matter who it's between." As the daughter of the goddess of love, Piper accepted it in all forms. She was relieved when the other demigods nodded in agreement.
"As Greeks, it would be pretty hypocritical of us to be homophobic anyway." Annabeth put in.
"How can I be happy if everyone sees me as a freak?" Leo had a sad look in his eyes, a look that came with suffering numerous hardships throughout his life. He to had been labelled a freak many times in the past.
"I don't think that you are a freak." Leo seemed to get an idea then. He untangled himself from Andrew and switched the CD player on. He skipped a few songs before he settled on one.
"Made a wrong turn once or twice. Dug my way out of blood and fire. Bad decisions, that's alright. Welcome to my silly life." Andrew watched as Leo shrugged and ,motioned along with the song.
"Mistreated, misplaced, misunderstood. There's no way it's all good, it didn't slow me down." He tugged Andrew up to dance with him.
"Mistaken, always second guessing, underestimated. Look I'm still around." Andrew was smiling a little bit now, though the signs of his tears where still evident.
"Pretty, pretty please, don't you ever, ever feel like your less than, less than perfect. Pretty, pretty please, if you ever, ever feel like you're nothing, you are perfect to me." Leo pulled Andrew into the bathroom for the next part, leaving the door open so that they could still here the music, but positioning themselves so that they could see the mirror. Andrew seemed to shy away from his reflection, but Leo's grip on his arm kept him in place.
"You're so mean, when you talk (when you talk was echoed by the CD) about yourself, you are wrong. Change the voices in your head (change the voices was also echoed by the CD) make them like you instead." Leo poked Andrew in the head in a teasing manner.
"So complicated, look happy, you'll make it. Filled with so much hatred, such a tired game. It's enough, I've done all I can think of, chased down all my demons, I'll see you do the same." Leo's reflection gave Andrew a stern look through the mirror. He broke into the chorus, but this time his look was pleading. Once the chorus was out of the way, Leo moved onto the spoken part of the song.
"The whole world's scared so I swallow the fear, the only thing I should be drinking is an ice cold beer. So cool in lying and we try, try, try but we try to hard, and it's just a waste of my time." Leo knocked some of the hair gel and body spray and things of the shelf with an exasperated look and a sweep of the arm.
"Done lookin' for the critics cuz they're everywhere. They don't like my jeans, they don't get my hair." Leo brushed of his jeans and playfully ruffled Andrew's hair.
"Estrange ourselves, and we do it all the time. Why do we do that? Why do I do that? Why do I do that?" That last line was muttered, but reflection Leo was eerily staring right out of the screen, as if questioning the seven on his motives.
They all shifted uncomfortably. Piper knew that Leo often isolated himself as he appeared more at ease with machines then with people. But with the younger Leo seemingly questioning them with his eyes, Piper wondered if they could have helped Leo with that.
The CD covered the next line whilst the two boy stared contemplatively into the mirror, asking themselves the questions that Leo had just sang. He recovered for the last verses.
"Pretty, pretty please, don't you ever, ever feel like you're less than, less than perfect. Pretty, pretty please, if you ever, ever feel like you're nothing, you are perfect to me. You're perfect, you're perfect!" Leo took a breath before plunging into the very last verse.
"Pretty, pretty please, if you ever, ever feel like you're nothing, you are perfect to me." The boys were both smiling now, and Andrew put an arm around Leo.
"You're perfect as well, even if you have ADHD and dyslexia."
"You were so kind to him." Piper noticed that pretty much everyone had proud parent looks on their faces, and that Leo was squirming like a child whose parent had embarrassed them on parent/teacher night.
"People shouldn't be bullied just for being who they are." Everyone nodded, and Leo gave Piper a significant glance. She knew that he and Jason had wanted to step in when those stupid girls had taunted her for her Cherokee heritage, but she was grateful that they had supported her decision to let her defend herself.
Leo was still scribbling away, and Piper wondered at what he could possibly be doing that had kept him entertained this long. She also noticed that Leo winced slightly, and rolled his wrist as if it was paining him.
"Is there something wrong with your wrist Leo?" Her repair boy brother jumped, as if surprised to be caught, but he still tried to blow it of as nothing.
"Nah, my wrist is just a little sore from drawing so long." Leo realised his slip up, and covered his mouth. But Piper had learnt not to underestimate Leo's acting capabilities, and she was wary that Leo had let that little bit of information slip to provide a cover up to stop her asking more questions. Especially as he was rubbing his non-dominant hand. Unfortunately, Percy fell for the act.
"What are you drawing?" They all looked curious, except for Jason (who already knew what Leo was doing) and Piper (who was more concerned about what Leo was hiding about his wrist).
"That's for me to know and you to find out." Leo replied smugly, and the other's groaned at the typical Valdez answer. The next memory started before they could pester him for more details.
Teen Leo was dancing in a loud night club with the gang that had gotten him drunk under the bridge. His clothes were the same, except that the mesh top was neon orange instead of neon green. He was clearly more then a little drunk.
There was a karaoke machine in the corner, and one of the gang members dragged a protesting Leo over to it. The inebriated teen stopped protesting as he saw the song choice.
"Ooh, let's do that one." Although the machine clearly said that only one person sang the first part, both boys sang enthusiastically.
"Mr Worldwide to infinity, you know the roof on fire. We gon' boogie oogie oggi, jiggle, wiggle and dance like the roof on fire." The boys shimmied dramatically and even threw in jazz hands.
Snickers were heard from all directions, and Piper was pretty sure that if the couch hadn't been fireproof then Leo would have burnt through it in humiliation.
"This is why we don't drink." Annabeth grumbled, and they laughed harder at how much of a mother hen she was being.
"We gon' drink drink and take shots until we fall out, like the roof on fire. Now baby give a booty naked, take off all your clothes, and light the roof on fire." Leo gave a suggestive wink.
Piper was certain that if Percy laughed any harder then he would choke and die.
"Tell her, tell her baby, baby, baby, baby, I'm on fire. I tell her baby, baby, baby, baby, I'm a fireball. Fireball." This was accentuated by some questionable drunk dancing and followed by some jerky salsa type movements which involved lots of hip swaying and shimmying.
Piper stood corrected, Percy could laugh harder without choking.
"I saw, I came, I conquered, or should I say, I saw, I conquered, I came. This little chico on fire and he no liar, while ya'll slippin' he's runnin' the game." He fanned himself when he sang "fire" and then he shook his finger in a way that could only be described as sassy as he sang "ain't no liar".
"Now big bang boogie, get that kitty little noogie, in a nice, nice little shade. I gave Suzie a little pat up on the booty, and she turned around and said, walk this way." Leo turned around and threw that last line over his shoulder.
"I can't believe how drunk you were!" Frank was wetting himself laughing. Leo looked ashamed, his head in his hands. Piper tried suppressing her own laughter and failed.
Leo took over the next part himself.
"I was born, in a flame. Mama said that everyone would know my name. I'm the best you've never had. If you think I'm burning out, I never am. I'm on fire, I'm on fire, I'm on fire, I'm on fire. Fireball."
"Luckily not literally." Jason snorted, and Piper dissolved into more giggles at her usually stoic boyfriend's comment. There Leo was not as fortunate as the one on screen, as his nose currently was topped with tiny flames.
The other boy joined in again on the next section.
"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but I don't care what ya'll say. Cause as the world turns, ya'll boys gonna learn, that chico here don't play." Leo patted himself.
"That boy's from the bottom, bottom of the map, M.I.A U.S.A. I gave Suzie a little pat up on the booty, and she turned around and said, walk this way." Leo then sang his part on his own again. Followed by the salsa-esque moves. They both came together again for the next part.
"We're taking it, we're taking it, we're taking it down." This was repeated another seven times, and the boys shook their bodies as they slid to the floor, still clutching their mics.
"Now we're bringing it, we're bringing it, we're bringing it back." This was also repeated seven times as the boys brought themselves back up (in a way that reminded Piper of the cha cha slide).
"Tell her, tell her baby, baby, baby, baby, I'm on fire. I tell her baby, baby, baby, baby, I'm a fireball." The boys ended in an incredibly cheesy position, back to back with their arms folded.
The demigods were in hysterics, and even Leo had stopped sulking and had joined in on the laughter.
"And that kids, is why Uncle Leo should not be allowed to drink."
The next song memory began as they laughed.
Thirteen year old Leo was standing with two other boys at the front of another school hall. They were all dressed in simple black t-shirts, boots and jeans, except Leo who was in the middle of the trio who was also wearing a deep red hoodie.
"You ready?" He shouted. The crowd of school children cheered.
"Lets go." He nodded at the other two who stepped forward, one yelling "Yeah" as he strutted to stand directly behind Leo.
"For those of you who want to know what we're all about, it's like this ya'll." All three joined in with the rap.
"This is ten percent luck, twenty percent skill. Fifteen percent concentrated power of will. Five percent pleasure, fifty percent pain, and a hundred percent reason to remember the name." On power of will, Leo clenched his first and then he splayed five fingers for the five percent line. On the last part he pointed at the crowd, before sliding forwards so that it was clear that he was he main singer.
"God Leo, you're such a diva." Percy laughed and dodged the mints that Leo brought out of his belt to throw at him.
"Mike- he doesn't need his name up in lights, he just wants to be heard whether it's the beat or the mic. He feels so unlike everybody else, alone, in spite of the fact that some people think that they know him. But no, he knows the code."
"Is that how you felt while on the Argo?" Hazel asked tentatively. Leo deemed to not answer the question, and Piper felt an ache of sadness that Leo had ever questioned that he belonged with them.
"Remember that you're my little brother." Leo nodded, and they had to hope that they had gotten through to him as a new memory started.
Five year old Leo was listening to his mom's CDs as she cooked. I will always love you was on, and Leo looked between the machine and his mother.
"Mami." Esperanza turned round.
"Yes mijo?" She questioned.
"And I will always love you." Leo sang, holding the note. Esperanza smiled sweetly.
"And I will always love you, mijo." She said.
"How in the name of Hades did you hold that note at the age of five?" Piper stared at Leo, who was rubbing his wrist again. He shrugged in reply, though before she could ask him about his wrist again, the next memory began, as if Hera was conspiring with Leo to keep the secret.
Wilderness school Leo sat in a room that Piper recognised as the school's music studio. He was seated in front of the piano, gazing sadly at a small picture of Layla. He laid his hands on the piano keys.
"In memory of you, Layla." He whispered before he began to play. The song was slower the it's professional counterpart, with a wistful edge.
"Ever wonder bout what she's doing... how it all turned to lies. Sometimes I think that it's better, to never ask why."His gaze turned back to the picture and then returned to his hands.
"Where there is desire there is gonna be a flame, and where there is a flame someone's bound to get burned. But just because it burns, doesn't mean your gonna die. You gotta get up and try, try, try. You gotta get up and try, try, try. You gotta get up and try, try, try. You gotta get up and try."
"That's actually a good motto." Frank whispered.
"It's funny how the heart can be deceiving, more than just a couple times. Why do we fall in love so easy? Even when it's not right." A single tear slipped down Leo's cheek.
"Mother." Piper growled, her matchmaking had hurt a lot of people. Jason, Percy and Hazel also looked sad, they all understood how much love could hurt someone.
"Cause where there is desire there is gonna be a flame, and where there is a flame someone's bound to get burned. And just because it burns doesn't mean your going to die. You gotta get up and try, try, try. You gotta get up and try, try, try. You gotta get up and try, try, try. You gotta get up and try, try, try." Another tear escaped from the shimmering pools of Leo's eyes.
"Ever worry that it might be ruined? And does it make you want to cry?"
All of the couples sent their partner a surreptitious glance that confirmed that they had all felt like that.
"When you're out there doin' what you're doing, are you just getting by? Tell me, are you just getting by?" Leo's voice intensified at this point.
"Cause where there is desire there is gonna be a flame, and where there is a flame someone's bound to get burned. But just because it burns, doesn't mean you're gonna die. You gotta get up and try, try, try. You gotta get up and try, try, try. You gotta get up and try, try, try. You gotta get up and try, try, try. You gotta get up and try, try, try." His voice got quieter here.
"Up and try, try, try. You gotta get up and try, try, try. Just because it burns, doesn't mean you're gonna die. You gotta get up and try, try, try." He wiped the tears of his cheeks, and then he hugged the picture to his chest.
"I'm sorry that you were the one to get burned, Layla."
"What did you mean by that?" Jason looked worried.
"It was not..." Piper cut in.
"So help me Leo Valdez, if you say that it was nothing I will confiscate your tool belt." They all stared at her, and she realised that maybe threatening the tool belt was a step too far, but it got the results she wanted.
"Everywhere I seem to go, someone suffers." They gaped at him in shock.
"Not everything is your fault Leo." Annabeth stated, but Leo simply looked defeated.
"Look, I know that you guys are trying to help, but it would be the world's biggest coincidence if all of the bad things that happened when I was around had nothing to do with me." Leo gave them a look of defiance.
"Seriously, you've had a lot of crap in your life, but that's not your fault." Percy seemed sympathetic, and Piper remembered Annabeth telling her that Percy had been blamed for lots of things, and blamed himself for even more.
"Most of it is."
"No it's not!" Piper refused to believe this was futile, that Leo couldn't be convinced.
"All of your life people have screwed with you, whether it be Gaia, Hera or mortals. And yet you still get up and try every time, you are still fighting to save the world. The only thing that you are responsible for is being a good person who gets messed around by others." Leo looked astounded at Piper's words of praise.
"I suppose I have been screwed with, and nice song reference Pipes!" Piper flushed as she realised that she had quoted the song that Leo had been singing. While Leo was being honest, she decided that she was finally going to bet the truth about his wrist.
"And now what's wrong with your wrist?" She demanded. Leo shifted, but he seemed to recognise that Piper's threat from earlier still stood.
"I broke it doing a stupid parkour stunt when I was younger and I sometimes get phantom pains from it, and it is a little weaker sometimes." Piper was relieved that there was no sinister motive behind Leo's actions. The next memory came up before they could discuss it any further.
The memory seemed to continue on from the memory where Gaia tried to get Leo to join her.
Leo got up, rubbing his tired eyes. He glanced at the clock hanging on his wall, and sighed.
"Three hours, that's pretty decent."
"Did you really just call three hours of sleep decent?" Annabeth sounded horrified.
"You've watched enough of my memories to know the answer to that. And I thought that you were meant to be the wise one." Annabeth visibly bristled with indignation, but the memory restarted before she could make a retort.
He made his way to the engine room, virtually silently as he slipped past his companions bedrooms.
When he reached the engine room where his friends couldn't hear him, he sighed. Buford trundled along after him, and he pulled out an Ipod from the walking table's drawer.
"I owe you Pipes." He muttered as he pulled out a speaker, and plugged hi Ipod in.
"No you don't." She replied. Leo smiled.
"This song is dedicated to the Dirt Queen herself, and anyone else who questions my loyalty to my friends and this quest." The opening bars played out as Leo tinkered with his engine.
"Fall!" He yelled out, and then he dropped all pretence of working as he stood up.
"Now the dark begins to rise, save your breath, it's far from over. Leave the lost and dead behind, now's your chance to run for cover." He clenched his fist on the first line before strutting forwards, throwing his arm outwards and unclenching his fist on the last line.
"I don't want to change the world, I just want to leave it colder. Light the fuse and burn it up. Take the path that leads to nowhere." Sparks danced over his open palm on "light the fuse".
"All is lost again. But I'm not giving in." Leo threw both his arms down by his sides.
"I will not bow, I will not break. I will shut the world away. I will not fall, I will not fade. I will take your breath away. Fall." Leo jumped up on the first line and then slammed his fist into the floor on the last word. He rose slowly during the instrumental.
"Watch the end through dying eyes. Now the dark is taking over. Show me where forever dies, take the fall and run to heaven. All is lost again. But I'm not giving in." Leo repeated the chorus after this gesturing wildly.
"And I'll survive, paranoid. I have lost the will to change. And I'm not proud, cold blooded fake. I will shut the world away." Leo paced aggressively during this instrumental, though a few dance moves where thrown in.
"I will not bow, I will not break. I will shut the world away. I will not fall, I will not fade. I will take your breath away." Leo pointed angrily after this line, as if to tell Gaia that this was aimed directly at her for underestimating him.
"And I'll survive, paranoid. I have lost the will to change. And I'm not proud, cold blooded fake. I will shut the world away. Fall!" As he yelled out "fall" he did a front flip, landed deliberately on his knees and punched both fists into the ground.
"You really are determined!" Percy whistled. Leo looked sheepish.
"I may have gone a little overboard there." Leo remarked, and Piper shook her head.
"It was a great performance considering the fact that it was staged in an engine room." Leo smiled.
"The world is my stage, Pipes." She groaned at his joke.
Nine year old Leo sat in front of a headstone, alone. The grave was decorated with candy skulls, and it didn't take a genius to figure out that Leo was celebrating El dia del muerte (the day of the dead. The boy was bravely attempting to smile.
"And Tia Callida dropped this at your... at your funeral." He stumbled over the word "funeral".
"I don't remember this, and I don't remember Hera being at my Mom's funeral!" Leo exclaimed.
"Yes, I made you forget as it could have given away who I was too soon." Hera spoke quietly. The demigods looked at the screen, eager to find out what exactly Hera had written that could have revealed such an important secret.
Leo's P.O.V
"I once knew your father well. He fought tears as he spoke of your mother's health. I guess a part of him just couldn't return. Forgiveness is a lesson he cursed you to learn." He sang.
Leo's eyes widened as he thought of the meaning behind the words. His father had watched over them, and had been saddened at the news of his mother's death. As a God, he couldn't have returned and Leo just had to forgive that and move on.
"As your guardian I was instructed well, to make sense of God's love in these fires of hell. No I don't expect you to understand, just to live what life your broken heart can."
Hera had helped to raise him, even if Leo hadn't always appreciated it. And she had tried to explain that his fire was a gift from his father, the God of fire, because he cared about him and not as a curse. And she knew that Leo wouldn't understand till he was older, and that he would have to continue living, even though a part of him had shattered when his mother passed away.
"Maybe your light is a seed, and the darkness the dirt. In spite of the uneven odds, beauty lifts from the earth, from the earth, from the earth."
Leo could be a force for good, despite all he had suffered through, or maybe because all that he suffered had nurtured his will to fight. And even if Gaia was evil, there was still good on the earth.
"As the years move on these questions take shape, are you getting stronger or is time shifting weight? No one expects you to understand, just to live what little life your mended heart can."
Leo had always questioned whether he was strong enough to quell the fire within him.
"You'll always remember the moment Gaia took her away for the weight of the world was placed on your shoulders that day."
If Gaia hadn't came to the workshop that night, maybe Leo wouldn't have even found out about the prophecy. He wouldn't have known that he was destined to fight against Mother Earth herself.
"Maybe your light is a seed, and the darkness the dirt. In spite of the uneven odds, beauty lifts from the earth, from the earth, from the earth." Leo shifted onto his heels to sing the last part of the song.
"You're much too young now, so I write these words down. Darkness exists to make light truly count."
Without the darkness in his life, Leo wouldn't be as strong as he was now. And he supposed that that counted for all of his friends as well. If they hadn't suffered then they probably wouldn't be capable of fighting today.
They all seemed to be mulling over those words, and they all were startled when the next memory began.
Leo was once again huddled on the Argo, though he was slumped on the training room floor this time. Buford was there with the Ipod dock on his top again. Leo stood up and stretched, facing off against three training dummies. He started to train, elegantly flipping and shooting flames at his targets.
"Training play list please Isaac?"
Leo heard Percy snicker at his Ipod's name.
Leo continued to train as the song started up. The he added his voice to the mix.
"I never thought, I'd die alone, I laughed the loudest, who'd have known?"
He saw the others look at each other worriedly, he did laugh the loudest and they clearly took that as a bad omen when sang with the first line.
"This is just a song I like, chill guys." Frank raised an eyebrow.
"I never thought I'd hear a fire wielder say chill." He said sarcastically.
"Well I never thought that I'd see a boy turn into a variety of household pets all in one day so..." Leo quipped back instantly. Frank shut up.
"I traced the cord back to the wall. No wonder it was never plugged in at all." Leo started using his hammers to attack the dummies as well as his fire.
"I took my time, I hurried up. The choice was mine, I didn't think enough. I'm too depressed to go on. You'll be sorry when I'm gone."
Frank's P.O.V
Frank couldn't help but see these words as a warning, whether Leo had ever intended them as such or not. He had been the most hostile towards the scrawny Latino, and if Leo had died, he would have died not knowing that Frank was his friend. All though he didn't approve of all the pain that Leo had been put through, he also couldn't deny that he felt a little grateful for this opportunity to actually become friends with the younger boy.
As if the TV sensed that the song had done it's job, it switched to a new image.
Gang Leo was back under the bridge, staring remorsefully at a picture of his child self, a basic phone next to him playing music.
"One day it's here and then it's gone. How are you still holding on? How are you still holding on?" His voice held a mournful tone as it carried around the empty space.
"You've felt this way for far too long. Waiting for a change to come. You know you're not the only one." He places the picture on the ground, staring out with dying eyes.
"And life, passes you by. Don't be wasting your time. On your own." The last line held a trace of bitter irony. Then, suddenly the video changed to Leo in his Wilderness school bedroom, singing the next line.
"You're always trying to see yourself, through the eyes of someone else. Through the eyes of someone else." The scene once again flipped to Leo slouched in Bunker Nine, crying softly.
"Too shy to say that you need help. You and everybody else. You and everybody else." The next part was sang with a strange harmony of all three of these Leo's. All three of them held the picture.
"Ohhhh. Life passes you by. Don't waste your time. On your own. Yeah, life passes you by. Don't be wasting your time. On your own." Then Leo on the Argo took over, also holding the picture.
"As your heart gets bigger. And you're trying to figure out. What's it all about. An your skin gets thicker. As you try to figure out, what's it all about." All four Leo's were now shown on the screen.
"Yeah life, passes you by. Don't waste your time. On your own." There was a short pause before they sang the last section.
"One day it's here and then it's gone. How are you still holding on? How are you still holding on?"
Gang Leo still held the picture with the look of desolation in his eyes.
Wilderness school Leo sat on the picture quickly as Jason and Piper walked in, and then the two profusely apologised for walking in without knocking, apologies that Leo waved off with a wry smile.
Bunker Nine Leo wiped his tears away, and placed the picture in his tool belt as his siblings came in, ready for another day's work on the Argo. Leo greeted them with a small grin.
And the final Leo smiled softly as he placed his picture on his night stand before bounding into the dining room to greet the other demigods, a full blown smile on his face.
"That was like an evolution of Leo!" Percy exclaimed, and Frank couldn't help rolling his eyes at the fact that Percy had seemingly missed the poignant point of the video."
"It was showing us how Leo started listening to the lyrics more and more as he got older, illustrated by the growth of Leo's smile." He pointed out, and then blushed darkly as everyone (even Annabeth!) stared at him in amazement.
"I never thought of that!" Annabeth looked dumbfounded, and Frank scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"Well maybe I was just reading into it a little too deeply." He tried to divert their attention away from him by subtly contradicting his own theory.
"I think you're right." Leo chimed in quietly. Frank felt a delighted that he had solved one mystery of Leo Valdez by himself, and that Leo had validated it for him. It made him feel closer to the pyro elf.
Leo was in Bunker Nine, rocking Harley gently.
"It was really scary." The child hiccuped, and Leo responded by holding him tighter.
"It's okay Harley, because Big Brother Leo isn't going to let any monsters get you. Okay?" The eight year old nodded and cuddled up to Leo who carried him over to one of the beds that remained in the Bunker.
"And you really shouldn't stay here to sleep." Leo chided the boy gently.
"You do all the time." Leo flushed.
"I can see the family resemblance in his smart mouth." Frank laughed, and Leo glared at him.
"Well I'm not the best role model." Leo tucked himself and his sibling in when it became obvious that Harley wasn't letting go of him.
"Could you sing me a lullaby." The boy whimpered, despite the fact that he already looked incredibly drowsy.
"Vale (okay)." Leo made himself more comfortable, before ordering the Bunker to play an instrumental for him. Harley was asleep before the intro fade out, yet Leo sang to him softly anyway.
"So long to all my friends, everyone of them met tragic ends. With every passing day, I'd be lying if I didn't say, that I miss them all tonight." Leo removed a lock of hair from Harley's forehead.
"And if they only knew what I would say if I could be with you tonight, I would sing you to sleep. Never let them take the light behind your eyes. One day I'll lose this fight, as we fade in the dark, just remember you will always burn as bright."
Frank thought back to how Leo had hugged James in their final night together, and he had to blink back tears at just how many people Leo had probably saw as a brother or sister, yet had to leave.
"Be strong and hold my hand. Time becomes for us, you'll understand." Leo took Harley's tiny fist within his own hand.
"We'll say goodbye today, and I'm sorry how it ends this way. If you promise not to cry. Then I'll tell you just what I would say if I could be with you tonight, I would sing you to sleep, never let them take the light behind your eyes. I'll fail and lose this fight, never fade in the dark. Just remember you will always burn as bright." Leo tenderly hugged his brother to his chest, enveloping the child in a warm cocoon.
"The light behind your eyes. The light behind your... sometimes we must grow stronger and you can't be stronger in the dark. When I'm here, no longer, you must be stronger and if I could be with you tonight, I would sing you to sleep, never let them take the light behind your eyes. I failed and lost this fight, never fade in the dark. Just remember you will always burn as bright." Leo kissed his brother's forehead, again mirroring his childhood motion to James.
"The light behind your eyes. The light behind your eyes. The light behind your eyes. The light behind your eyes." Leo slowly pulled himself away from his little brother and started doing some quiet work for the Argo.
"The light behind your eyes. The light behind your eyes. The light behind your eyes. The light behind your eyes. The light behind your eyes." His voice got softer with every repetition.
"The light behind your..." He trailed off.
Frank had Goosebumps due to how sweet yet haunting that performance had been.
"What fight have you failed Leo?" Annabeth gently probed.
"The fight to keep the light behind my eyes."
Well that was an incredibly long chapter, congratulations if you stuck it out. The songs are 1. Perfect by Pink 2. Fireball by Pitbull 3. Remember the name by Fort Minor 4. I will always love you by Whitney Houston 5. Try by Pink 6. I will not bow by Breaking Benjamin 7. Sleeping at last by Uneven odds 8. Adams song by Blink 182 9. One Day by Kodaline 10. The light behind your eyes by My Chemical Romance. I'm sorry if I got any lyrics wrong, and thank you to anyone who suggested a song.