To strawberryfreckless- You are most welcome! I'm enjoying your reviews and it makes me very happy I came back! ^_^ Aphrodite did say she would be broken down to a shell of herself and I realised I'd never really delved into that. Reading your reactions is making it all worthwhile, so thank you! I'm determined to go more in depth with this story. I've done a few versions and, looking back on them, I could do better. I've got a chapter with Nico coming up I'm quite looking forward to writing :3 Yes, yes! Percy did say that to Annabeth, just before they fell into Tartarus. The deepest pits of hell and what's Lou going through right now? Hell. I love her dearly, but that doesn't mean I'll let her off easy, nope nope! Yes, I was going over my new notes and thought I'd throw a spanner in and keep Bradley. I've not used him before other than for grief and what if's, so this will be fun and, spoilers, very Leoisa. There is still much trauma to deal with on top of the newborn though, so... O:) Rant away, I'm loving these! And thank you thank you THANK YOU. If you read my book, I really hope you like it :D I'm asking for honest opinions/constructive criticism; don't be nice to me about it, tell me the truth! XD Thank you for being my inspiration to keep posting, you are a gold mine!

"Hey, hey! What is the meaning of— alright, I'm coming!" Jessica huffed. She cracked the door open, glaring at the visitor set on throwing it off its hinges. "What?" she demanded. A cake box was proffered, the tantalising smell of sugar and pastry wafting up her nose.

"Peace offering?" Leo smiled sheepishly. Jessica pursed her lips, lifting the lid.

"I said no visitors."

"But I bring cake."

"No visitors."

"I'm not just any visitor though. I'm Leo!" She opened her mouth to argue. Leo squirmed, scrunching his nose. "I'll keep coming back," he warned, no malice or threat in it. Concern drove his promises. "My best friend is in there and I'll keep coming back 'til I see her." Jessica didn't doubt it. She had scared the others off within the first month, but not Leo. Leo was persistent. Stupid, but persistent.

And loud.

Only Sally knew about the baby, promising to tell no-one, not even Percy. A week old now. Jessica was just thinking how lucky it was the tot had not woken up by the thunderous knocking when the squalling started.

Leo's smile dimmed, slowly, confusion taking over. He lowered the cake box, the lid falling from Jessica's hand and shutting lopsidedly.

Jessica stared at him. Leo stared at her.

"Don't," she said.

"Where's Lou?"

"Not now, Leo."

"That's a baby." The cries were spluttering. Jessica could hear Louisa shushing and murmuring and, by the look on his face, Leo could too. "That's a baby."

Jessica despaired. He definitely wasn't going away now.

She grabbed him by the shirt and yanked him in, shutting the door quickly. Leo took full advantage of this development, tossing the cake box at Jessica. She recoiled, acting on a reflex to catch it, letting him go in the process. He scarpered instantly, following the baby sounds.

He stopped in the bedroom doorway. "Lou?"

"Leo? What—?"

"Oh my gods, I've missed you so much." He was hopping from foot to foot, fists clenched at chest height. Jessica ventured over just as he darted into the bedroom. He collided with Louisa, the baby safely back in the crib. He patted and rubbed her back, moving away to check it was definitely her and then hugging her again. He was shaking, Jessica saw, voice contorted with upset. "What happened, what happened, are you OK, where were you, what— how— I— oh my gods."

He rested his forehead to hers, tears coursing down his cheeks. He clutched her hands, rubbing his thumbs on her fingers, holding them over his heart.

Louisa stared at him, thoughts whirling. He let go her hand when she started to move, touching his face, wiping at his tears.

Jessica stood in the doorway, silent and unmoving. She knew then what they would only know later, seeing how perfectly they fit together. Both small in height, hardly an inch between them. How Louisa did not flinch from him, staring raptly at his face as if intaking every detail. How he held her, gently yet endearingly, as if it was what his arms had been made for.

The baby stirred, started to wail. They sprang apart and Louisa hurried to scoop the noisy thing up.

Leo dashed his face on his sleeve. "Yours?" She nodded. "Who—?"

"No." Flat, sharp. Enough for him to know. He nodded once, keeping his expression carefully arranged. He dipped his head to examine the small face bunched in its noisemaking.

"Get some lungs on…"

"Him."

"Does he have a name?"

"No. I can't think of one."

"Leo's always good. Don't give me that look. I don't know what else you expected." He shrugged a shoulder. Louisa sighed, turning away.

"Leo," Jessica called, beckoning when he jumped— he had forgotten she was there. "Leo, come on. Let her feed him in peace."

"Huh? Oh. Oh! Course. I brought cake when you're ready, Lou." She nodded her thanks, sitting on the bed. Jessica motioned again. Leo hesitated, taking one last look at his best friend. Disbelief and relief. Jessica snapped her fingers and Leo let her lead him away.

They sat in the kitchen. Jessica made them coffee. Leo stared into his, miserable and conflicted.

He looked up as she sat down. "Do you know?"

"Some," she sighed. "Sugar?"

"Please." He heaped in four spoonfuls. "She looks ill."

"That's why I kept you all away."

"I had to see her."

"I know."

"Can I help?" He asked so earnestly, so imploringly, sitting up straighter and leaning forward, Jessica's heart went out to him. "I can… I can take messages to the others or— or shopping or whatever. I can help. Please let me help. I'll even muck Storm out."

"She bites."

"I know. I have been victim once or twice. Oh, please, Jessica. I can help, really help." Jessica sipped her drink.

"Do you know where her watch is?" He brightened at this.

"Percy's got it. I can get it."

"He'll want to see her."

"We'll work that out. Does she need her watch?"

"She's not slept since the baby was born. She's… she's up all night on watch."

"Why?" Jessica gave him a dark look. Leo's fingers twitched on his mug. "I'll try and get the watch," he said, mind firing away, "but I can also set up security defences. I've been working on some stuff; I can get it installed over the next few days."

"What sort of stuff?" Jessica asked carefully, knowing she was opening a can of worms. His technobabble could last for hours.

Leo gulped his coffee, answering with a surprising constraint. Alarms on doors and windows to detect any intruders, magical, monstrous or mortal. Super-strength locks, near impossible to pick or break. High-tech cameras that could pick up artifacts of their world as well as the mortal world. Hidden weapon caches, fully stocked, all about the apartment. A Mist-generator he had been developing with Hazel, for demigods who had less control over the Mist but still needed its protection. An upgraded crib so that it could turn into a safe box at the push of a button, oxygenated and secure until Louisa opened it. "I can code it to her and her alone."

"And me," Jessica insisted. Leo nodded, drumming his fingers on the island. "Do it," she ordered, "as quickly as possible."

"Yes, ma'am. I'll go now, start getting supplies together."

"Tell Lou. She should be done feeding him by now."

Leo knocked first anyway, rocking on the soles of his feet.

Louisa answered, wrapped in a thick blanket. Leo smiled warmly. It was good to see her again.

"I've got a plan," he started.

"Uh oh."

"Your mom approved it."

"Oh, OK." She motioned with her head and he followed, sitting gingerly on the bed beside her. The baby was in the centre of the bed, sound asleep and boxed in with pillows.

"How is he?"

"Squishy."

"How are you with him?"

"Mm. Squishy 'n' sore."

"Can I get you anything?" She made no reaction to having heard him, staring into space. "Lou?"

"Hm? I'm fine."

"Sure." He smiled uncertainly. "Listen, I've got a plan, a good plan. It'll help." He rattled off his defence system to her. Blank confusion at first, until he slowed down and started detailing each upgrade more carefully. As he went on, some of the weight lifted from her shoulders and her expression eased slightly. "I can start installing tomorrow. Everyone's safe then. I'll be alerted if anything happens too; I'll come charging in with Festus. Like a knight on a noble steed." He puffed out his chest, fist over heart. She only nodded to this, studying him. "What? I could be a knight."

"Sure," she said, echoing him from only minutes ago. Leo pouted. She looked away. The baby snuffled in his sleep and she leaned over, brow creasing with concern.

"He'll be fine, Lou."

"How d'you know?"

"I know his mama pretty well. She's scary."

"I don't feel scary. Not anymore."

"Not at the moment," Leo corrected. "I don't know what's happened and you don't have to tell me. But Mother Earth could not keep you down, so why should this?"

"This is different." Leo reached over, taking her hand in both of his.

"I might not be a knight, but I will try. For you and for him. I'm here, Lou. We all are. Just say the word. Your family and friends are all right here for you."

"Did you look for me?" Her tone was not accusatory. Sad and questioning, but not accusatory.

"We all did. I had every scanner I could have going and Festus searching. Percy searched the seas and asked all these fish and sharks and whatever else he could. Annabeth has been keeping an ear out on Olympus and the camps." He listed them all off. Nico searched the Underworld and enlisted the help of the troglodytes. Frank and Hazel organised and lead Roman search parties across the country, chasing every lead no matter how futile. Piper charmspoke every monster and magical being for any titbit of information. Reyna and the Amazons searched the cities while the Hunters searched the wild places, Grover and his nature spirits not far behind. Jason searched the skies and hassled his father and the other gods to help as pontifex, to do something, to help look. Even her mortal friends, whose names Leo couldn't quite recall at that moment, had done what they could, walking around with missing posters and driving everyone they spoke to mad until they got some semblance of answers. "Everyone was looking," Leo promised. "You never gave up on us, so why would we give up on you?"

She welled up, shoulders shaking with suppressed sobs. Leo held his arms out. "We'd never abandon you. Not in a million years."

She broke then, falling into his hug and crying into his chest. Leo wrapped his arms around her, nuzzling his nose into her hair. "I've got you," he murmured, "I've got you."

And whoever hurt you, he thought angrily, is going to pay.

And there were a lot of people who would make them pay.