Hey guys,

Shout out to WiseGirlGreek, thanks for reviewing! I would love for more of you to review. I appreciate the feedback.

Disclaimer-I do not own Percy Jackson or any of the characters.

I just realized I posted the wrong chapter. So this is the right one.

Percy's Pov

"Have you guys seen Leo today?"

"No. Now that you ask, I haven't seen him since yesterday morning." Annabeth tells me.

"Okay, I'm going to go find him. Maybe something's wrong."

"Mmhmm, okay." Annabeth replies her face already buried in her book.

Leo's Pov

I spent the whole rest of yesterday avoiding my friends after the nightmare incident. Now I'm curled up in the engine room. Cleaning off the different gears and machines.

My usually sturdy hands are shaking and I realize how tired I am. The only sleep I'd gotten these past two weeks was the 2 hours yesterday and that had resulted in a nightmare. My body is telling me I need sleep but my head is keeping me awake. I curl up on the floor in the engine room and close my eyes. Urging my body to sleep.

"Leo?" A knock on the door jolts me back to reality and I rub my eyes trying to look a little less tired. Then put on a big grin and open the door.

"Hey, you okay?" Percy asks.

"Yeah, why?"

"We haven't seen you since yesterday and...I didn't know if you maybe...needed someone to talk to." I can tell he's concerned but I don't need his concern. I don't deserve it. If it weren't for me the Romans wouldn't hate us. Eidolon or not I'm the weak link.

"Yeah I'm fine, just had a lot of work to do." Percy hesitates. Biting his lip and messing with his hair in this very childish way, but somehow it works for him.

"Okay...well please come to dinner okay. I'm sure the others will be happy to see you." Why would anyone in their right mind be happy to see me?

"Okay, sure I guess I'll come." Percy takes one last long look at me then turns and walks down the hall. I sigh and close the door. Sliding down against the door to sit down, Percy's words echoing in my head.

I'm sure the others will be happy to see you.

A part of my head is trying to convince me that they would be happy to see me but the bigger half of my head says I'm worthless. No one would want to see someone like me. Not a person who killed their own mother. Who burned her alive. Yes, I am worthless and I don't know why I'm trying to convince myself otherwise. They've all told me this before.

He raised the whip to hit me again. "Nobody cares about you Valdez. You are worthless."

"I AM worthless I repeat to myself as he hits me.

"I am worthless," I mutter to myself running my hands through my hair. Pushing back the tears that threaten to spill over.

Annabeth's Pov

Leo walks into the room. A grin on his face that doesn't seem to reach his eyes. He looks tired and I wonder how much sleep he has had in the past few days and I haven't seen him come get anything to eat. He starts talking and laughing like he hadn't been hiding from us for almost two days. He notices me watching and sends me a look that says I-know-you-can't-help-but-look-at-me-but-please-help-it. I avert my eyes and he turns back and starts laughing and joking but not before I see his grin falter for a second, his eyes darken, then his grin come back all in the space of a second.