The Return of Leo Valdez (After Blood of Olympus)

1- Leo

When Calypso hopped on to Festus, Leo's mind was in a fiesta.

His brain cells were doing the cha cha and candy spewed everywhere. This must be what love feels like. He just hoped that it doesn't explode like the piñata.

He just stood there, frozen in shock as he gripped the reins. Calypso is here, he though, here. Then his mind let out a internal fangirl scream.

Real smooth Leo, real smooth.

Calypso tapped his shoulder and brought him back to the present. She smelled like cinnamon and a cool Christmas Day, whatever that smelt like.

"When are we going?" She asked.

Leo could tell she was getting eager. Leo guessed Calypso wanted to get off this island badly. He couldn't blame her, as beautiful as this island is, it's just a prison, and no one wants to be in a prison.

Leo yanked the reins and Festus groaned and creaked to life.

Leo could feel the hum of machinery below him.

It was a miracle Festus was alive, but he needed to get him fixed.

Festus' wings started beating rapidly until they were airborne. His metal was rusted and his bronze outer-layer was chipping so in some places you could see the inside wires.

Leo's stomach fluttered as he soared through the air. He was re-living his memories with Jason and Piper on their quest to save Hera, except he was accompanied by a very beautiful, immortal girl.

If Leo stuck his hand out, his hand would touch the clouds. This was what flying felt like.

He looked over at Calypso in front of him. Her auburn hair trickled down his chest and her smile was from ear to ear. Light freckles on her face dotted her cheekbones and her skin glistened in the sunlight.

Calypso turned her head to face Leo. She spoke up, her voice drifting like an angels. "Where are we going?"

Leo needed to fix Festus, so that was his top priority.

"To the mountains in Italy, I need to someone to fix Festus, and I think I know who."

Calypso nodded and turned back around. So her hair was whipping in Leo's face.

Leo checked his compass, the device pointed north. They were in the mortal world now.

Leo's watched Calypso, her features were angel-like. Her skin seemed to glow in the light of the moon.

Leo suddenly felt this sensation he had never felt before. A tingle in his chest crept through his throat. He felt his chest was about to burst. He somehow knew this feeling was love. Something about him told him so.

He looked at Calypso, she seemed sad, like she wasn't happy with her placement. Maybe she was uncomfortable, maybe she was feeling the sensation too. Then, Leo's stomach suddenly twisted into a knot. He realized what was happening. He felt like he wanted to cry, or yank the reins and turn Festus around. Calypso didn't want to be separated from Ogygia. Leo felt like he was going to throw up. What if he did the wrong thing? What if Calypso didn't want Leo? What if she wanted another guy to save her?

"Leo," Calypso answered, her voice as soft as cushions.

"Yeah Calypso," he answered back.

"You seem sad, why are you sad?" She asked.

Leo took a deep breath in. He didn't feel comfortable asking Calypso this.

"Leo?" She asked. "Please answer me."

Her voice sounded like a sad puppy.

Leo inhaled one more time. "Do you miss Ogygia? Did I make the wrong decision to come and get you?"

Calypso didn't answer for a while. Leo felt he crossed the line.

"No," she finally said. "No I...maybe...I don't know. I've been thinking about whether you would come back and I realized I haven't been in the mortal world in centuries. What if it's not how I thought it would be?"

Leo felt himself shrink. He felt like Calypso wasn't happy. She didn't seem happy now, so how would she turn her feelings around?

"Well how do you think the world is today?" Leo asked.

The water below them was shielded by the clouds. He hoped they get to Italy fast so he can get Festus fixed. Festus' creaks and groans of the metal gears and wires turn Leo's insides to mush.

"I'm not sure, I've even nearly forgotten what the world looked like back in Ancient Greece," Calypso said.

All Leo could do was nod.

"Well I'm sure you'll love the world even more. Ever heard of an iPad?"

Calypso shook her head.

"Well those things are the bomb," Leo said.

Calypso bit her lip. Apparently she wasn't very fond of bombs...ok, no one really is.

The clouds cleared and Festus came over a strip of long land. We were in Italy.

"So who in Italy do you know that can fix our dragon?" Calypso asked.

Leo blushed when Calypso said "our dragon." It made him feel like he finally got his taste of Percabeth or Frazel (Leo spent all night coming up with those ship names.)

"My dad," Leo answered.

If anyone could fix anything he knew it was his father.

"You mean Hephaestus?" Calypso asked.

"Yeah. His forge is in the mountains of Italy," Leo clarified.

It never really occurred to him why is Greek dad had his forge built in a volcano on roman territory, but that was something Leo had to address another day.

Leo looked down at the land below. Small houses and open markets cluttered each other. Leo saw old ruins and it reminded him of the time he, Percy, Hazel and Frank captured Nike.

He remembered they insulted the goddess by making Adidas the Olympic shoes and Leo making a joke of all the relics being a big pile of rubble...Frank, Hazel, Percy...

Thoughts cluttered Leo's head as he thought of the seven. Leo hasn't seem the gang since he lifted the earth goddess up in the air. Where they all right?

Festus creaked and groaned and snapped Leo out of his day dream.

Leo heard a rumble in the distance, he heard it again, and then realized it was his stomach.

Leo grinned from ear to ear. "Hey Calypso, I'm starving. Have you ever had Burger King?"