Updating a day earlier because I've got work all week for stocktake D:

To Riordanlover16- Aaah, I took her sword away because I didn't want it to be a crutch for her. It's about the trust! XD Trust in herself, trust in the people around her, TRUST *insert magic sparkles here*

To valdeznation- We've all been there, don't panic! You're doing great :D Now, if I'm deciphering your review correctly, something tells me that you're rather excited and apparently rather nauseous O.o I may take you up on the Spanish offer, I've mostly been digging through various articles and blogs for advice (Google Translate is a last last LAST resort). Quite a few of the ones I've found are for Spanish swears, but I found 'chiquito' on a nickname one and I do love it so ^_^ No killing yourself and no balcony jumping, you'll want to see the chapter after this, I can assure you O:) I'm trying to respond to your review without spoilers, so don't think I'm ignoring everything else. I've taken it all in, but I can only say so much. You'll just have to wait and see!

To LooneyPeach- DO YOU MEAN THE KEEPERS? THE BRITISH PEOPLE? They're not magic, that's why I was getting confused XD They're part of an old story of mine that I may rehash after my current series, but they're essentially assassins (name subject to change), they fight monsters and there was a lake, Lou made it! They were in that one where Leo went back to get Calypso and found Amnesia!Lou there, Trouble is not restricted to Paradise. They're in that one somewhere!

Shorter chapter today :P

Leo ordered for them, stacks of fresh pancakes each with an array of toppings and tea. Louisa heard grizzling from the pram and stood to carefully lift Bradley out. He blinked in the sun, gaping as if offended and then he was against her chest, legs scrunched. She tucked her hand under his diapered bottom, the other on the back of his head as he wobbled, realising it just about filled her palm. It hadn't felt that small coming out, she was sure, though decided to keep that comment until after breakfast.

Leo grinned at her, fanning himself with the menu.

"He has a smell," he commented. "I noticed it yesterday, after bathtime."

"You gave him a bath?"

"Yes." His grin brightened with pride and he sat up straighter, drumming his fingers on the table. "Jessica was supervising, don't worry, but I did it. Shampoo and everything." There was a slight uplift to her eyebrows and he took that to mean she was impressed. "He does have a smell though, have you noticed?"

"New baby smell," she said, tipping her nose to Bradley's silky hair. Wisps of black hair, her hair. She could smell the baby shampoo and, beneath that, the new baby smell. Sally had told her about that one, admitted to snuggling her babies and her grandbabies closer just to breathe it in.

"Better than the diaper smell."

Bradley moved his head, Louisa's hand ready to stop him going too far. Babies couldn't support their heads until they were roughly three months old, according to her baby book. They needed to build up their neck muscles first.

Leo leaned forward, lacing his fingers. "Are you OK?"

"Mm? Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." He pursed his lips, but thankfully didn't press. Bradley began to cry, making her jump. "What? What d'you want?"

"Don't tell me he's hungry again already," Leo laughed. Louisa lifted Bradley to check for diaper smells, relieved to find they were safe for the moment. She rested him in her arm, his head in the crook of her elbow. He mewled, his left hand clenching clumsily. She leaned over carefully, tugging his blanket from the pram.

She managed to one-handedly drape it over herself and the baby. He was hungry, quieting the moment he could feed.

"Greedy piggy," she remarked lightly. Leo hummed in agreement. He was looking down at his hands. Louisa felt her heart sink. "I'm sorry." He startled, shooting her a quizzical look.

"What for?" She hesitated and he smiled. "Lou, you can feed him. I'm not uncomfortable."

"But…"

"I didn't want to make you uncomfortable."

"Oh." She looked down at the blanket, the weight of her baby beneath it warm in her arms. "Thank you. I'm… I'm OK, though."

"You can tell me to fuck off if you want." He nodded seriously, gaining a half-smile for his efforts.

"Nah, you're alright."

"Rude."

"What?"

"Alright? I'm alright? I am Bad Boy Supreme. Super-sized McShizzle. I am not alright. I am superb."

"Fat-headed," she corrected. He pretended not to hear, stroking his chin.

"Can I ask a stupid question?"

"Better than anyone I know." He pretended not to hear that too, though there was a slight scrunch to his nose. "What?"

"Does it hurt?" He nodded at the blanket.

"Uh… it did a bit, at first. Not now though, got used to it."

"Cool." And he seemed to mean it. Louisa studied him, trying to see where the joke was, the cheekiness or the mischief, but there was none. Genuine interest, that's what she saw. Not just now either, but each time he interacted with Bradley. Genuine interest and genuine care. For Bradley and… and for her.

The food arrived by the time she finished feeding Bradley. Leo took the plates and set them on his side of the table as hers was occupied with the baby. He sat with his head supported by her hand, dribbling milk and drool onto her fingers. His eyes were half-closed sleepily, nose wrinkling as she rubbed and patted his back. The blanket had ruffled what little hair he had, making it even tuftier, sticking up on top. He sat almost cross-legged, his feet pressed wonkily together, and while it didn't look it, he seemed very comfortable indeed.

Leo reached over once he had made room for the plates and tea, unable to stop himself from gently pinching Bradley's foot. "So widdle," he said. Louisa pressed her lips together and Bradley burped. "Better out than in," Leo lilted in a Scottish accent.

"Shrek?"

"Obviously."

"Good choice."

"Best choice." Bradley burped again. Once winded, he dozed off completely, cheek squished on his mama's hand. Louisa wrapped him in the blanket loosely and held him in her right arm. Leo pushed her plate over and she found he had already cut it up for her. "You couldn't do it holding him," he said when she caught his eye, "thought I'd help."

"Why?" He stared at her, brow drawn. It was a single word, but loaded and heavy.

"Why what?" He asked warily. She had spent all evening with Mikey. Had he relayed anything to her? Had Connor spoken to them? Leo had spent all night and all morning trying not to dwell on Connor's interrogation, though with little success. It was there, a lightbulb of an idea switched on and refusing to switch off no matter how much he pulled at the wires.

Louisa was thinking too, he could tell, her next words carefully chosen.

"Why are you helpin' me?"

"Why wouldn't I help you?" He shrugged a shoulder. She frowned, thoughts blazing in those sea green eyes. Leo wondered if Bradley would get her eyes, like Mikey had said, and then wondered where that thought had come from.

"I don't get it," she said after a moment. "Why?"

Leo bit his lip. A vortex had kicked off in his head. Her face, tired, pale and framed with those brilliant dark curls, but set with an old stubbornness he was more than familiar with. Connor's words flashed over his own thoughts and Leo blinked.

This was his best friend. The one person who saw him as Leo for Leo rather than as Leo for what Leo can do or what Leo had messed up now. This, he knew, was who he loved, heart jackhammering to remind him so. He had loved her from the first moment, when she had marched into Camp Half-Blood after fruitless searches for her brother only to see Jason. Jason, who she knew. Jason, from the Roman camp. Jason, who was not supposed to be there. Jason, who she punched in the face for disappearing and knocked flat on his ass.

Poor Jason, but Leo's heart had never been the same again.

"I don't get it either," he admitted, "but I don't need to." Confusion flitted through her eyes and he smiled, shrugging with feigned nonchalance. Surely she could hear his heart; it beat hard and loud enough to bruise his ribs. "I'm right where I need to be."

"Which is where?"

"At your side."

Cheesy, cheesy! That tiny voice in his head screamed at him. That's so cheesy!

Colour rose in her cheeks and she turned to her food.

Dios bueno, Leo thought, attention dropping to his plate. Cheesy works. Had he made her blush before? He picked his cutlery up with shaking hands, remembering her hand had occupied his not even an hour ago. He definitely hadn't held her hand before. He would like to do that again.

Piper had called him, some time before sun-up. He had been awake anyway, his turn to watch. He had changed Bradley's diaper, cradling the tot in one arm while the other extended to keep the offending article as far from him as possible. Connor was with him again, engrossed in a book. Leo hadn't heard a page turn for a while though, suspicious of what was being read more, him or the novel.

After girls' night, Piper had suggested that Louisa needed a day out. Suggested being a generous term. "You're taking her out, Leo," she had said in that firm, don't-mess-with-me voice. "Breakfast. And shopping. And bring Bradley with you."

"Is this part of girls' night?" he had asked.

"No. She needs to feel normal again. I'll get her ready. Get yourself ready. Look nice."

She had hung up before he could protest. Look nice? Look nice? He was Leo Valdez! He was the epitome of Look Nice!

Still, the pressure was on. Aware of Connor and Dylan, aware of Piper's wrath, aware of Mikey's Mikey-isms, he approached Jessica, head ducked, and meekly asking for help.

"What's wrong?" She had inspected the baby snoozing, though she had left Leo alone with him after bathtime and did not seem concerned with what she saw.

"I'm apparently taking Lou out today and—"

"Say no more." Leo's anxiety sky-rocketed at her devilish grin. "Harvey!"

"Yes?"

"I need your magic!" Jessica rubbed her hands together, looking Leo up and down. Harvey ventured from the kitchen, passing a steaming mug of coffee to her.

Leo didn't have any nice clothes with him, being there only to work. Harvey donated some of his own instead, magically tailoring them to Leo's size. Jessica had attempted to do something with his hair, huffing when his curls defied all sense of logic. Instead, she scrutinised his prepping of the baby bag, nodding approvingly as the Mars bars fell in.

Their plates were empty. Louisa had used most of the syrup, leaving Leo with chocolate spread and banana slices. He had even gone as far to make himself a smiley face on his pancake before eating.

"So," he said, stacking their plates, "what do you want to do today?"

"What?"

"We're going out today."

"Goin' out?"

"Yes," Leo tried to ignore the connotations of that phrase, resting his chin on his hand. The waitress came and took their plates away, both of them thanking her without looking round. Some sort of staring competition they had fallen into, neither wishing to back down. "Shopping?" Leo suggested.

"What for?"

"Whatever takes our fancy."

The waitress returned with the bill. Leo passed her two twenties and told her to keep the change.

"Leo," Louisa said once the waitress had gone again, her sentence dying. Leo smiled, more to himself than anything, and stood.

"Come on," he said. "I think I owe you some birthday presents."