Blood of Olympus FanFic {completed}

22: LEO

CH 22-LEO.

Leo had told himself he would tell Annabeth the truth and nothing but the truth. But as she sat herself down on his hand-made swivel chair, her laptop on her desk, the USB he had used clutched in her thin hand, and those large gray eyes fixed on him he was suddenly tongue-tied.

He couldn't. She would hate him. Annabeth hated snoops and he had defintely snooped into her private business. But... he had to tell the truth.

"Uhh..." he stammered. Always a good start. "Well maybe now is not a..."

He expected Annabeth to snap at him, to question him, to punch his arm, to give him a deathstare... anything but what she did.

Her chin started trembling and she started crying. Softly, but she was definitely crying.

Leo's heart felt like it had jumped into his throat from pure surprise. "Annabeth!" he cried. "What's wrong?"

"It's all my fault, Leo," she said between sobbing.

"What is... what are you..." Leo, for once in his life was at a loss for words. For the first time, Leo Valdez did not have a comeback.

"It's my fault you guys are keeping secrets. It's all my fault for becoming insane!" Leo flinched at the word 'insane'.

How had a machine-person like Leo gotten himself stuck in a room with a crying daughter of Athena? And more importantly, what was he supposed to DO? Pat Annabeth on the back? Hand her a tissue? Pour her a glass of water?

He decided to do the last, since it would involve turning his back to Annabeth, therefore she wouldn't see the surprise written on his face. He busied his hands with the glass and yhe sink, filling it to the brim, then handing it to Annabeth.

"Thanks," she hiccuped, taking a drink from it.

"I'll just go get Percy," Leo said, still awkwardly standing in the middle of the room.

"No," said Annabeth, splashing some water over her tear-stained face. "He's on guard duty with Jason. Don't bother him."

"Um." Leo didn't know if that had another meaning. Why were girls so complicated? "Sure."

"First Piper then you." Annabeth sniffed. "It's not like I became insane on purpose. Why can't you guys understand that?"

Leo sat down on his bed. "What are you talking about, Beth?"

Annabeth looked at him and a wisp of her old daughter-of-Athena glare flashed in her eyes. "What did you call me?"

"Beth," Leo said, grinning. "It's a really sweet name, and since you're the opposite of sweet..."

"Never call me that again," Annabeth said, with a small smile.

"Fine. But what happened with Beauty Queen? Did you guys..." Leo didn't want to say the word 'fight'.

"Had a fight, yes," Annabeth finished with a sniffle.

"About what?"

"She didn't want to tell me something. Just because I went insane!" Annabeth hiccuped.

"Beth, I don't think that's why," Leo said honestly. "I think... well, we're all keeping a secret aren't we?" Leo could practically SEE the gears in Annabeth's brain turning as he said that.

"I suppose. But why won't you tell me about your USB?"

Leo took a deep breath. There was no getting out of this one.

"Fine. So, are you ready to hear about a lot of stuff?" his hands shook. He needed to busy them. His ADHD was kicking in.

"Sure," Annabeth said, her eyes puffy but bright.