ANNABETH

Annabeth didn't know what she'd been expecting from the recording, but it hadn't been that.

In the six months they'd worked on the Argo II together, she'd grown to love Leo like a little brother. He was a good friend, a loyal partner, and, despite how he acted sometimes, a genius. She had occasionally been shocked at how much pure intelligence he had, whether it was doing insane math problems in his head, or solving problems that arose with lightning speed, or creating schematics in barely a few minutes.

He had reminded her a lot of herself. Well, herself with a really annoying sense of humor.

When he spent nights working overtime, when he skipped meals, when he took every problem upon himself… it was her own reflection looking back at her. And she'd helped him through it, helped him take care of himself. He'd done the same for her. They kept track of each other, always making sure the other ate or took a nap when they needed it. When Annabeth had been missing Percy, Leo had been the one to sit with her and let her cry. Everyone else had given her words of comfort, which were nice, but Leo had been the one to provide her with a place to sob, which was even nicer.

So, she might have thought that the recording would be a reminder to keep eating and sleeping. Maybe the delivery of some plans to a machine he'd never been able to complete. Maybe an apology, as she knew Piper had gotten.

She liked the incentive she had received a lot more.

Leo had known she didn't need weepy goodbyes. He would have known how best to help her. He wasn't drowning her in tasks, he wasn't trying to distract her. He was giving her a way to continue helping him. Anyone who hadn't felt it before wouldn't understand the difference, but Leo had. And he'd given her what she needed.

She was going to do everything he'd asked. She was going to make sure his memory was preserved forever, make sure nobody ever forgot what Leo Valdez had meant to the world, what he had done for it.

What he had meant to her.

RECORDING- PERCY

LEO: Okay. First off, I want to start this by saying it wasn't your fault. Or, it won't have been? Whatever, English is hard and you know what I mean. I know you'll be blaming yourself. I know you think you would have been able to help. You couldn't have. That sounds harsh, but it's true. Nothing you have done, or will do could have saved me. So don't blame yourself, it'll just make everything so much worse.

LEO: If you're watching this, Gaea is gone and Calypso has delivered this drive to you. I know you won't make a move on her, you're more scared of Annabeth than I am. But I do want you to help her. She's dealt with a lot of crap, and she just got handed a bunch more. Please be there for her. Let her lean on you, not in a kinky way, just… you know. Let her know she always has a place at camp, even though she'll probably take off and explore the world.

LEO: But, I'm not making this just to talk about her. I want to say I'm sorry. For… so many things. I'm sorry you lost your memories. I'm sorry I fired on New Rome. I'm sorry you and Annabeth fell into Tartarus. I sound like a broken record here, but that fall actually was my fault. Ask Hazel if you don't get why. I'm double sorry about everything you went through down there. I'm sorry for being a total butt. I'm sorry… well, I could fill several books, thick ones, with everything I'm sorry for. But I don't have time for that.

LEO: I don't really have time for anything.

LEO: I think you more than anyone understands how that feels. That feeling, like you're running out of time? Like you're about to step over the finish line, but you thought you still had a whole race ahead of you. Tired, relieved, but disappointed you didn't get to run more. Shocked that the end is already here.

LEO: I mean, you've had two prophecies about your potential death. I don't know if you've ever been a hundred percent positive you were about to let yourself get blown up, but… you do get it. A little bit.

LEO: And even though this isn't a real conversation, it's nice to have somebody who understands.

Leo lets a breath out through his lips, almost a sigh, more a huff. He smiles slightly.

LEO: You're amazing, man. You deserve to live with Annabeth, deserve a super long break from everything going on. That's why I'm doing this. So nobody else who actually has something worth living for has to.

LEO: No, that's not self pity. It's just the truth. I've got nobody left. You all have your… your person, you know? The person that is your number one, the person who has you as their number one. I don't have that. I don't think I ever will. I thought I had found it in Caly, but… well, I'm dying tomorrow, so I was wrong. And that's just the way it is.

LEO: I guess what I'm trying to say here is keep living your life. Be happy, you deserve to be. Don't blame yourself. Don't do anything too stupid. And I'm sorry. Again.