| Part 26 Hera waved her arm, and transported them all back to her temple. She flashed herself, Joxer and Ares into her bedroom, putting the unconscious Ares in her bed. � Asclepius!� she yelled. Asclepius flashed into the room. He took one look at Ares and yelled for his father, before hurrying over to the bed, waving his hand to produce bandages as he tried to staunch the bleeding. � What?!� snapped Apollo, as he appeared. � Help your brother, now!� Hera shouted angrily. Apollo looked over at the bed and blanched. � Gods! What happened?� He hurried to join his son. � Joxer?� Hera spoke quietly. Joxer swung round, wild eyed. � What happened?� � Psyche. Hind�s blood dagger. She tried to kill him.� His face crumpled. Hera caught him before he hit the ground and held him close, gently stroking his hair as he cried. � Shit,� muttered Apollo. � This isn�t good, he�s lost a lot of blood. Asclepius, more pressure, we�ve got to stop the bleeding.� He turned to his mother, � I need quiet, please.� Hera nodded and gently pulled Joxer out of the room. Hera sat and watched her children and grandchildren. Joxer was lying in her lap, having finally cried himself into a fitful sleep. Cupid and Strife, clung to each other, crying silently, while at the same time, trying to comfort a confused and very upset Bliss. Aphrodite and Eris, for once united in grief, held each other, while a concerned Hephaestus hovered anxiously. Finally, a tired and bloody Apollo appeared. Hera looked up a her son, questioningly. He nodded and smiled reassuringly. � He�s stable. He�s still unconscious, the dagger hurt him as badly as a mortal. We gave him a transfusion of blood and ambrosia. He will heal, but he�ll always have scars.� � The babies?� Apollo looked shocked, � You knew?� She nodded. � They�re absolutely fine, they seem untouched by it all. I can�t explain it.� She sighed in relief, � Can we see him?� � Only one of you, I don�t want him disturbed.� Hera shook Joxer gently. He started and sat up. � What is it, is he okay? The babies?� � They�re all okay, Joxer,� she reassured him. � Do you want to see him?� Joxer nodded wordlessly. She pushed him over to Apollo, who transported him to the bedroom. Apollo gently guided him over to a chair beside the bed and sat him down. He nodded at his son, and they disappeared, leaving Joxer alone with his lover. Joxer took Ares� hand and stared in horror at the mass of bandages that bound his chest. Tears trickled down his face again, and he dropped his head onto Ares� shoulder, shuddering. His life had come so close to shattering, the one thing he�d never thought could happen, nearly had. Losing Ares was something he couldn�t bear to contemplate. He got up and crawled onto the bed, curling up into a ball, resting his head next to Ares�. Joxer woke with a start, quickly looking up to reassure himself that Ares was okay. Deep, brown eyes stared back at him and he smiled, breath hitching in relief. � Ares,� he whispered. Ares smiled weakly, � Hi,� he whispered back. Joxer choked, � Hi? If you hadn�t nearly died, I�d hit you.� Ares frowned, � Why?� Joxer swallowed hard, � I nearly lost you, all of you.� Ares reached out to grasp his hand, grimacing with pain. � I did lose you,� he whispered hoarsely. � What?� � You died, saving me,� Ares coughed harshly. � You ever do something like that again, I�ll kill you myself,� he whispered vehemently. Joxer�s brow wrinkled and his lip began to tremble, � But she was going to kill you.� Ares sighed, � And she did kill you.� He lifted his head, � Jox, do you have any idea how close I came to losing it?� Joxer looked away, and swallowed. Then he looked back at Ares, face set in determined lines, � I�m sorry Ares, but I�d do it again, I love you too much not to.� Ares closed his eyes and his head dropped back. � Ares?� Joxer whispered. Ares opened his eyes, � What, love?� Joxer smiled weakly at the endearment. � If I died, why am I here?� Ares squeezed his hand, � The children brought you back.� His eyes slid closed and his grip loosened. � I don�t understand. Ares? Ares?!� Joxer panicked momentarily, then sighed in relief when he realised Ares was alive, if unconscious. He lay back on the bed, clutching Ares� hand to his chest. Apollo flashed into the room to check on his patient. He glanced at Joxer, � Has he come round yet?� Joxer nodded, � Briefly.� � Good, he�s strong,� Apollo smiled ruefully, as he remembered being on the losing end of all his physical fights with his brother. � Very strong!� Joxer smiled slightly. � And how are you?� � Me? I. I don�t know. Apollo?� Joxer�s voice was hesitant. � Yes.� � Ares, he said I died, but, well,� he stopped. Apollo frowned and tilted his head in concentration, � Well you�re 100%, oh.� � What?� � Just a sec. Mother?� Apollo called. Hera flashed into the room, � What? What is it? Is he okay?� she glanced at her dark son anxiously. � Yes, he�s fine. It�s about Joxer.� Hera frowned. � Didn�t Father declare that he couldn�t be made immortal?� Hera nodded. � Then how come he is?� � What?!� Hera and Joxer exclaimed simultaneously. Hera stared at Joxer for a moment, then raised her eyebrows. � Well, that was unexpected. Damn, I wish I knew what happened in that cave!� � Why don�t I tell you?� � Ares!� Joxer looked down at his lover, who smiled at him. � How�re you doing, love?� Ares asked him. Apollo gaped in surprise at the endearment. � Better now,� Joxer whispered, bringing his hand to his mouth, kissing it softly. � Ares?� asked Apollo. � How could Joxer die, and now be immortal?� � Idiot-boy here,� Ares smiled fondly at Joxer, � Decided to get in the way, when Psyche tried to kill me. She would have killed me anyway, but the triplets stopped her. � As in your month old, unborn children, � Apollo snorted, � Right!� Ares stared at him for a moment, then nodded, too tired to have a go at his brother. � But how?� Ares shrugged, � I don�t know. All I know is they suddenly manifested and started talking about Psyche. Then I was free. � His face changed suddenly, darkening with anger, � I killed her,� he stopped, overwhelmed by the remembered pain of Joxer�s death. � Then they started talking about Joxer, and he, he came back to me.� He looked away, unwilling to let his brother see the tears in his eyes. � Did you see them?� Joxer whispered longingly. Ares shook his head, � Not exactly. Do you remember when you felt them?� he asked gently. Joxer nodded, � It was a little like that.� Joxer smiled happily, � I wish I could have seen it.� � You were dead, remember.� Joxer frowned, � You�re never going to let that go, are you?� he asked, almost snapping at Ares. Apollo watched in shock and Hera in fond amusement, as Ares just shook his head and pulled Joxer closer, grunting slightly with pain. Joxer carefully laid his head on Ares� shoulder and snuggled up next to him. � What I don�t understand, is how Psyche managed it all,� said Hera, frowning slightly. � It was supposed to be the last test. But Zeus gave her the dagger, so she could just kill me,� Ares explained quietly. � But why Psyche?� � He promised to restore her Godhood, but that wasn�t all. She wanted revenge on Cupid. She was going to kill everyone he cares about,� his voice dropped to a whisper, � even Bliss.� � Her own child?� Hera gasped in horror. � Zeus came very close to stopping the prophecy. If he finds out I�m pregnant with triplets, and makes the connection, we are in serious trouble.� Ares turned to his brother, � Apollo, you haven�t told anyone have you?� |