Secret Santa

Part 4

(Me when the picture actually represents my story)

_+~+_

"My turn!" Leo said with glee, looking around the circle of demigods who had convened in the pavilion to open gifts.

So far, Piper had gotten a sweatshirt from Hazel that said, "Sarcasm is just one of the services I offer," with a handmade sheath concealed inside the pocket. Hazel was given a picture frame from Nico with the two of them in it, smiling. Frank gave Nico a black Santa hat, which Nico mumbled out a thank you for, but proceeded to wear it the rest of the day.

It was down to the last few gifts, and Leo was looking around expectantly for his secret Santa, trying to remember who had already gone.

Percy stood up and everyone said, "Ohhh," as they had for every present.

Leo looked confused when Percy wasn't holding a present and even more confused when, smiling broadly, Percy pulled out a blindfold and started wrapping it around Leo's head.

"What- stop that- wow this is really comfortable," Leo said as he turned his head from side to side, black fabric covering his eyes.

"Uh, did you get Leo a kidnapping for Christmas?" Nico asked in confusion. Percy just smiled and shook his head. He grabbed Leo's arm and pulled him to his feet.

"Sorry for the delay, but this might take a while. Annabeth, do you want to come?" She nodded eagerly and helped him lead Leo to the camp van and into the backseat. The rest of the group was left in the pavilion, confused and fairly sure their friends had just abducted Leo.

Leo was growing restless and started fiddling with some paper clips from his toolbelt in the car. Neither Percy nor Annabeth would tell him where they were going or any hint as to what was about to happen. Finally, they stopped, and Percy helped Leo out of the car and onto the sidewalk. He heard the hustle and bustle of the city on Christmas, and the freezing cold as he was hustled inside a building nearby.

It was warm, and quiet Christmas music played. It wasn't crowded and only a low murmur could be heard through the blindfold, which covered his ears. Leo heard an elevator ding, and they stepped forward onto it. He stumbled as they started shooting upwards, and slightly nervous now, his fingers flew across his paperclip contraption.

"Do we have to keep the blindfold on? It's starting to make me dizzy," Leo said, putting one hand on the side of the elevator as it continued to climb impossibly high.

"That's the elevator making you motion sick. We're almost there," Annabeth said reassuringly. Leo hoped she was right, memories of car sickness came to his head, and if he chucked in an elevator on Christmas he'd become a punchline for sure.

The elevator opened (finally) and the smell of machine grease and oil filled his nose as they carefully walked forward. He was led into another room and a door shut behind him. Suddenly the blindfold was taken off and Leo squinted through the ceiling lights that seemed blinding.

In front of him, displayed on a clean gray stand, was a suit of metal armor.

Leo's jaw dropped and he stared at the shiny armor for a long moment. He looked at the suit like... well, like a kid on Christmas. Pulling his eyes away from the display, he looked over his shoulder at Percy. "Is this real? Can I..."

"It's real, unfortunately," a voice said from his left. Leo turned his head and was met with a familiar man with an odd beard, wearing jeans and a stained white T-shirt. He held a toolbelt in one hand and a dirty rag in the other, the latter of which he had slung over his shoulder.