The Plan 21-30a

Part 21

Everyone except Xena had drifted off, worn out by all the tensions, arguments and the fight. Xena just couldn�t relax properly, she kept thinking about Gabby and what Cupid had said. She really hoped he wasn�t right and that Gabby loved her enough to eventually accept everything.

She kept an eye on things, building a fire as it got darker and the temperature dropped. Slowly, people stirred. Gabrielle sat on the opposite side of the fire and was soon joined by Hercules and Iolaus, who started cooking some food. Strife and Cupid sat next to her and Cupid patted her knee sympathetically.

�You think we should wake unc?� Strife asked quietly.

�Uh, maybe�� Cupid stopped when they heard a moan. �Maybe no,� he chuckled. Strife grinned at him and then glanced across the fire where Hercules was looking pissed and Iolaus looked embarrassed and possibly a little horny. Strife leered at him and Iolaus looked away hurriedly. Strife winked at Cupid, who only took a second longer than he should have to wink back.

Cupid could not work out why this was affecting him so much, but he made an effort to enjoy his cousin�s tricks. They all sat quietly again, trying to ignore the couple under the tree.

@>*~

When Joxer woke up again, it was dark. He could see Xena sitting by a fire and watched as she was slowly joined by the others. He yawned and stretched as best he could in Ares� arms. He felt a hundred percent better, and wriggled round in his husband�s embrace. He looked up at Ares, who was blinking sleep out of his eyes, and smiled softly.

�How are you, love?� Ares whispered.

�I�m really good,� Joxer whispered back. He reached up and gently scratched Ares� beard. Ares chuckled quietly; he grabbed Joxer�s hand and kissed it.

�Are you now?� he whispered. He twisted Joxer round in his arms and bent his head to capture soft lips with his own. Joxer opened his mouth, revelling in the gentle probing of his husband�s tongue. He couldn�t quite stifle a moan and Ares smiled against his lips.

He shifted them down and pulled Joxer on top of him, rearranging the blanket so that it covered them both.

�Ares?� Joxer whispered, he could feel the heat from his husband and the need for reassurance, but he wasn�t sure he could be so intimate with the others so close.

�S�okay love, we�ll keep it quiet. I just need to touch you, feel you,� Ares said quietly.

Joxer sighed as Ares nuzzled his neck, there was no way he could say no, and he didn�t want to. �Oh yes,� he whispered.

Ares� hands wandered down his back and pulled his shirt from his pants, sliding under to stroke his skin. Joxer lifted his head and met Ares� eyes. His husband smiled and held him closer, pulling his head down for a soft kiss. Joxer moaned again quietly, slipping his hands into Ares� hair, gripping gently.

Ares� tongue traced his lips before sliding between them. Joxer�s tongue met and greeted its mate and both men sighed happily. Ares shifted them onto their sides and wriggled a hand between their bodies, firmly stroking Joxer�s crotch, revelling in the feel of his live, healthy husband next to him.

Joxer gasped into his mouth and thrust against him. He pulled away and buried his face in Ares� neck, panting heavily. Joxer started to unbutton Ares� shirt hurriedly, wanting, needing, to feel warm skin. Ares moaned as nimble fingers explored his chest, tugging gently at nipples.

�Need you, lover,� Ares murmured, urging Joxer�s hands down. Shirts were pushed aside and pants pulled open and Joxer found himself plastered against bare, hairy skin from neck to groin. Ares thrust against him again and he barely held back a groan, still slightly aware of the company only a few feet away.

Joxer squeezed his hand between them and wrapped his fingers round their cocks, pressing them together.

�Oh Gods,� Ares breathed out heavily, thrusting up within the circle of Joxer�s fingers and sliding against Joxer�s shaft. He pulled his husband�s head up for a kiss as his other hand slipped between them. Their fingers linked together and wrapped back around their cocks, pumping together.

�I love you,� Joxer whispered against his husband�s lips. Ares� breath hitched, he may have teased Joxer about being disbelieving, but sometimes even he didn�t quite believe it was real and that Joxer was finally his. He dipped his tongue into Joxer�s mouth as the pace and pressure of their pumping increased. The heat and love between them surged through Joxer and overwhelmed him. He moved against Ares frantically.

�Come, love,� Ares moaned, �Need to feel you.�

Joxer gasped. Ares� free hand slipped down the back of his pants and began to explore his ass. A finger grazing his asshole at the same time as his earlobe was nipped, was more than he could take and he stiffened, grinding his mouth against Ares� to stifle his cry as he came.

Ares felt the warmth of Joxer�s seed against his stomach and cock and he moaned, clutching tightly at his husband as his orgasm crashed through him.

�I love you, Joxer,� Ares whispered. They kissed quietly, then Ares gently cleaned them up, using the corner of the blanket. He did up their pants and held Joxer close for a little while. Joxer sighed happily and snuggled.

�You feel up to joining the others?� Ares whispered. Joxer flushed and buried his face against Ares� chest. Ares chuckled. �Come on, you need some food before I train you.�

Joxer lifted his head and stared at Ares, a small frown creasing his brow. �Train me?� He wasn�t sure he liked the sound of that.

�Yes, love. I don�t know how or why you�re able to feel what you�re feeling, but I�m going to try and help you,� Ares replied.

�Oh,� Joxer smiled delightedly, �Really?�

�Of course,� Ares stroked his cheek gently. They got up and joined the others by the fire. Strife and Cupid were nowhere to be seen. Xena was grinning at them, Gabrielle just ignored them and Hercules and Iolaus looked distinctly uncomfortable. Ares smirked at them.

�Where are the boys?� he asked.

Xena shrugged, �Strife went off somewhere, Cupid went to see if he was okay.�

Part 22

Strife sat by the fire feeling more and more uncomfortable. He could feel Cupid�s body heat next to him, smell his delicious chocolate chip cookie smell, and combined with the noises coming from Ares and Joxer, Strife was unbearably turned on. If he stayed there any longer, he�d grab Cupid and drag him into the woods, to Tartarus with the consequences. He stood abruptly, startling everyone.

�I, uh, I have a thing�� Strife flushed and hurried away. Xena and Cupid exchanged surprised glances. After a couple of minutes, when Strife didn�t return, Cupid started to worry. He excused himself and wandered in the same direction Strife had gone. He didn�t know whether to be quiet or make some noise, he didn�t want to startle his cousin, although he wasn�t likely to embarrass him, they�d seen each other naked all their lives and knew each others� bathroom habits too.

Cupid pushed aside a branch and froze, his heart missed a beat and he forgot to breathe. In the middle of the small stream that led to the river, the moonlight shining off drops of water glistening on pale skin, was Strife. He was naked, but not how Cupid had ever seen him before. Strife was kneeling in the shallow water, eyes closed, head flung back as one hand trailed over his chest, fingers tugging at his nipples.

With a hard swallow, Cupid let his gaze lower to the parted legs, where Strife�s other hand was wrapped around his long, slim cock. Cupid�s lips parted and he started to breathe again, shakily. His hand tightened on the branch as he watched those slender, strong fingers squeeze and pump. Cupid�s mouth was dry and he realised his cock was straining against the laces of his pants. He panted and licked his lips.

Strife parted his legs further and leant back, supporting himself on one hand as he continued to slide the other up and down his cock, fingers occasionally skimming over the tip to collect the leaking juices. Cupid barely managed to stop himself from running over to taste his cousin. What in Hades was happening to him? Strife moaned and Cupid felt his chest tighten. Realisation crashed through him.

�No,� Cupid whispered. He let go of the branch and backed away. But he couldn�t deny it. How could he not have realised that he was in love with his cousin? Tears sprang to his eyes; so that�s why he�d felt so jealous earlier. And there was nothing he could do, Strife liked Iolaus. Even if he was just teasing the hunter to get at Hercules, he�d as good as said he wanted the man. Cupid stifled a sob and fled.

He didn�t hear Strife gasp out his name as he came, didn�t see Strife�s own tears.

Strife sat in the cold water, letting the tears stream down his face. It wasn�t till his teeth started chattering that he realised how cold he was. They weren�t using many of their normal powers just in case it drew attention to them. He washed himself listlessly and pushed himself unsteadily to his feet. Using his undershirt to dry off, he got dressed slowly.

Strife wiped his tears away and slowly made his way back to the camp. He frowned when he noticed Cupid wasn�t there and he sat down next to Ares.

�Unc, where�s Cupe?� he asked quietly.

Ares glanced at him in surprise, �I thought he�d gone after you.�

Strife flushed. �Gods, I hope not,� he muttered.

�Hmm?� Ares frowned.

�Uh, nothing, I guess he didn�t find me,� Strife replied hurriedly. He looked away and sighed. He couldn�t help wondering if Cupid had seen him, it wasn�t as if he�d gone very far.

Ares stared at his nephew for a moment, but Strife was shielding his emotions strongly. Just out of curiosity, Ares wondered if Joxer could feel anything and turned to his husband. Then he frowned again. Joxer looked as though he was trying not to cry.

�Love, what is it?�

Joxer looked up at Ares, barely holding back tears. �Arry, I think I need that training now,� he whispered with a small sniff. Ares raised his eyebrows in concern. �Too much heartache, it hurts,� Joxer explained.

�Heartache?� Ares didn�t think that Xena and Gabrielle�s break up was enough to hurt Joxer that much.

Joxer nodded, it was bombarding him from all directions. �Everyone hurts, Arry.� Joxer crawled into Ares� lap and was quickly pulled into a strong embrace. Ares found that he could extend his own shield around Joxer without a problem and he felt his husband relax.

�Something up, Jox, you okay?� Strife asked.

Joxer looked up at the young God and nodded, �I feel better.� He could feel that Ares had done something and it had relieved the pain. �Strife!� Joxer reached out to grab Strife�s wrist suddenly. Both Ares and Strife looked startled. �You�ve *got* to tell him, somehow let him know, please, somehow.�

Strife gaped at Joxer, �What the�?� He stared at Joxer�s earnest expression and nodded, �I�ll try.� Joxer squeezed his wrist and let go.

They were starting to get looks from the others, although Hercules had already been watching Ares and Joxer with a slight frown. He still couldn�t figure out what Ares was up to; if he didn�t know better, he�d have said his brother really was in love. Hercules snorted to himself, getting a glare from Ares. He glared back. He definitely didn�t believe that they were really married, probably Ares had tricked Joxer somehow.

It wasn�t just the sheer improbability of Ares marrying someone like Joxer, he just couldn�t see his father allowing it, and, as psychotic as she might be, Hercules didn�t believe for a second that Hera would allow her son to marry a male mortal.

A gentle hand on his arm took his attention away from his brother. Hercules glanced at Iolaus, who was looking at him pleadingly, and he sighed, nodding minutely. He didn�t want to upset Iolaus.

Gabrielle watched for a while. She hadn�t said a word most of the day and she knew Xena was worried, but she couldn�t bring herself to care. She couldn�t bring herself to care about anything, although Ares� and Joxer�s little performance had disgusted her. She pulled away from the fire and laid out her bedroll, lying down with her back to Xena. Hercules and Iolaus soon followed her example.

Xena sighed, this was going to be a lonely, painful trip.

*Daughter.*

Xena�s head shot up and she stared at Ares.

*Yes, father?*

*Would you like me to talk to Cupid?*

*What?!*

*Well, I just, you know�*

*Dad, I, I appreciate you asking, but *that* she would never forgive.*

*::sighs:: I suppose. Your brother is very understanding though, if you ever need to talk to someone.*

*Yeah, thanks Dad.*

Xena smiled at Ares. �Where�s Cupid anyway?�

Strife got up, �I�ll go find him.�

Ares nodded. Joxer was staring up at him in confusion. �What is it, love?� Ares asked quietly.

Joxer shook his head, �I� were you and Xena just talking?�

Ares blinked. What in Hades was going on? There was no way, even empathically, that Joxer should have been able to know that.

�I think we need to have a talk about what�s happening to you.� Ares looked up at his daughter, �Xena, will you take first watch?�

She nodded and he drew Joxer away from the fire.

Part 23

Strife crept through the trees, he was adept at tracking, not that Cupid had exactly made it hard, although it did look as though Cupid might have seen him at the stream. Strife sighed, wondering if he�d blown it. He followed Cupid�s trail along the small stream, coming to a sudden halt when he heard a small splash.

His eyes narrowed and he peered through the trees. There was another splash, and he spotted Cupid sitting by the water, picking up a rock. He threw it into the stream. Strife started when he realised Cupid�s shoulders were shaking, as he got closer he heard sobs and he hurried over, dropping to his knees to draw his cousin into his arms.

Cupid jumped, he hadn�t realised anyone was there. He stared up at his cousin. Strife gently wiped the tears from his cheek and Cupid crumbled. He gripped Strife�s top and dropped his head on the leather clad chest, crying desperately.

Strife wrapped his arms round Cupid and held on tight. He didn�t have a clue why Cupid was so upset, all he knew was that it caused him physical pain. He made little noises and swept his hands in soothing circles over Cupid�s back. He couldn�t help but miss his cousin�s wings though. Unable to quite resist, he scratched the spot between Cupid�s shoulder blades.

Cupid tensed. It was ironic enough that he was accepting comfort from the source of his despair, but when Strife started to scratch between where his wings should have been, he actually started becoming aroused. Cupid forced himself to stop crying and pushed away from his cousin.

�Cupe?� Strife looked a cross between concerned and terrified. Cupid almost smiled.

�I�m okay.�

Strife�s mouth dropped open, �No, you�re not!�

�Strife,� Cupid stopped his cousin. �Please, I�m okay.� He had to get back to the others before he did something stupid. Strife was too close, was still touching him, smelt of leather and musk. �Oh Gods,� Cupid groaned.

�Cupe?� Strife was really worried. It wasn�t like Cupid to not tell him what was wrong, he was used to his cousin telling him everything. Well, he supposed it wasn�t as if he told Cupid everything, but he still couldn�t help feeling hurt.

�Let�s get back, okay?� Cupid said hurriedly.

�But Cupe��

�Please, Strife,� Cupid begged. Strife sighed and nodded, how could he resist those eyes? Standing up, he held out a hand to his cousin. Cupid took it automatically and stood just as Strife yanked up, and he slammed into his cousin. They grabbed each other to keep from falling.

Strife sucked in a breath, Cupid looked all startled and his lips were parted. Cupid stared at Strife and licked his lips, then coming to his senses, he cursed himself mentally and pulled away.

Strife sighed and followed Cupid as he started to walk back to the camp. As they walked quietly, Strife remembered what Joxer had said. It had seemed important, but he couldn�t bring himself to just tell Cupid.

�Hey, Cupe,� he said, trying to sound normal.

�Yeah?� Cupid hoped Strife wasn�t going to try and find out why he�d been crying.

�Been thinking about changing my fake name.�

�Yeah? What to?� Cupid felt relieved, but now he was curious as to what Strife might have come up with and he grinned at his cousin.

�Xander,� Strife said quietly.

Cupid blinked, then grinned wider, �Cool, now we�re both Buffy boys!�

Strife sighed, Cupid didn�t get it. He forced himself to grin, �Yeah.�

They got back to the camp, glancing curiously at Joxer and Ares who were sitting cross-legged in front of each other.

�What�s going on there?� Strife asked.

�Dad�s showing Joxer how to shield himself,� Cupid replied quietly, settling himself down by the fire. Strife dropped next to him and blinked.

�Huh?�

�Yeah I know, don�t ask cos I don�t know,� Cupid shrugged.

Strife bit his lip thoughtfully, maybe what Joxer had said was more important than he�d thought. �Cupe,� he began nervously.

�Yeah?� Cupid looked up, praying to no one in particular that Strife wouldn�t ask him about earlier.

Strife licked his lips and met his cousin�s gaze, slightly concerned about the touch of fear he thought he saw there. �I, uh, I want you to know�� Strife faltered, �You can talk to me about anything.� Strife cursed himself vehemently and colourfully for chickening out.

Cupid smiled, �I know.� He grabbed his cousin in a tight hug, quickly letting go before he embarrassed himself. �Come on, we should get some sleep,� he whispered.

Strife nodded mutely and curled up behind Cupid, staring at his cousin�s blond hair.

@>*~

�Sit down, love,� Ares gestured. Joxer sat down opposite his husband, licking his lips nervously. Ares smiled gently, �This isn�t going to hurt, it�s going to help, like when you sat in my lap, that helped, right?�

Joxer nodded cautiously.

�Right, I�m, hopefully, going to show you how you can do that for yourself,� Ares said, reaching out to take Joxer�s hand. He stroked the knuckles until he felt Joxer relax a little. �Trust me,� he whispered.

Joxer looked startled. �You know I do,� he whispered back, horrified that Ares might think he didn�t. �I�m ready.�

Ares squeezed his hand gently before letting go. �Before we start, love, why did you ask me if I was talking to Xena?� he asked quietly.

Joxer frowned slightly, trying to think of a way to explain, �It was like I could hear something, but as if from a great distance, I wasn�t even sure. But I could recognise the sound of your voice, and Xena�s.�

�Hmmm,� Ares bit his lips thoughtfully, �I was talking to Xena mentally. Mostly it�s a, uh, a God thing, but because she�s my daughter, we have a strong connection. Mostly that type of communication is too much for mortals to deal with.� He sighed, �What I don�t understand is how you could �overhear� us, even a God shouldn�t be able to overhear a private communication.�

Joxer�s breath hitched. �I didn�t mean to,� he said worriedly.

�I know, it�s okay,� Ares smiled reassuringly. �There�s not much I can do about that now. We�re going to town tomorrow, I want you to be able to protect yourself from that much emotion, negative or not.�

Joxer nodded, �Okay. Do you think this will really work?�

�I don�t know, love, I hope so. Let�s start,� Ares said quietly. Joxer nodded and he smiled, �I want you to close your eyes and relax, but try to keep sitting up straight, okay?�

Joxer nodded again. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, trying to get his muscles to relax.

�First, you need to feel your connection to the earth, try imagining roots growing from your spine, deep into the earth.� Ares blinked, it was almost as if he could see Joxer connecting to the earth.

�The, uh,� he shook his head, �The idea is to draw energy from outside, not from yourself, but it�s also protective.� He smiled as Joxer nodded.

�Okay, now see a circle of flames surrounding you,� Ares stopped again and blinked again. He could see a faint glow surrounding his husband. �Uh, draw the flames up around you, so they surround you in a sphere.� Okay, now he could definitely see something, almost as if Joxer was manifesting his visualisations. What in Hades was going on?

Ares shook his head and continued, �See a ball of light above your head, then draw the light around the flames to form a second sphere.� There was a sudden flash and Ares fell back. �Fuck!�

Joxer opened his eyes, �What? Arry! Are you okay?� Joxer crawled over Ares and was pulled down into his husband�s arms.

�Yeah, yeah I am,� Ares grinned, �I just got a massive energy burst from you.�

Joxer lifted his head, �How?�

Ares shrugged, �I have no idea, but damn if I don�t need you now!�

Joxer smiled and dipped his head to kiss Ares hard. He felt great, the oppressing heartache was gone. He could still feel it, but it wasn�t overwhelming and painful anymore. He was full of energy and damn if he didn�t need his husband too.

Standing abruptly, Joxer held out his hand, �Let�s go.� Ares leered at him and took his hand. He stood quickly and dragged Joxer into the trees.

Part 24

Strife lay quietly, wishing he *could* sleep. He stared at Cupid�s back, fighting the urge to touch him. A sudden exclamation from his uncle startled him and looked round to see the couple sprawled on the ground. They got up quickly and ran into the trees. Strife sighed enviously.

Sitting up, he looked round. He smiled briefly at Xena, then fixed his gaze on Hercules and Iolaus. Slowly, a grin spread over his face. Definitely too good an opportunity to pass up. He stood and crept over to the pair, who were practically snuggled up together.

Carefully, he put Hercules� hand on Iolaus� ass. Then he took Iolaus� hand and rubbed it against Hercules� crotch until he saw the Demi-God start to harden. With a small spurt of energy, he brought Iolaus to the point of waking up and let go of his hand, smirking with satisfaction as Iolaus continued to rub, murmuring quietly. Hercules groaned, pulling Iolaus closer.

Strife snickered and hurried back to the other side of the fire, smirking at Xena. She grinned and shook her head.

@>*~

Iolaus was having a wonderful dream, he was touching Hercules. Suddenly his ass was gripped tightly and he was pulled against a firm body. Iolaus opened his eyes, horrified to find it wasn�t a dream and he was stroking Hercules� hard cock. Swallowing thickly, Iolaus tried to will himself to stop, but Hercules was holding him tightly and rolling his hips against him.

�Iolaus,� Hercules moaned.

Iolaus nearly choked, but found himself pulled into a kiss. He whimpered. No longer able to control himself, he kissed back desperately.

Hercules woke slowly, trying to hold onto his amazing dream, only it didn�t fade, it got stronger. His eyes flew open. Iolaus was kissing him, touching him!

�Oh Gods,� he moaned into his friend�s mouth.

Startled, Iolaus pulled away, panting hard, �I, uh, I,� he stuttered.

�Don�t stop,� Hercules whispered.

�Oh,� Iolaus gasped. Hercules rolled on top of him and dipped his head, possessing Iolaus� lips urgently. Iolaus wrapped his legs round Hercules� and thrust up hard.

Hercules moaned, quite unable to believe what was happening. His tongue plunged into Iolaus� mouth and he rocked his hips frantically against the smaller man. Iolaus sucked and licked desperately. His hands wandered down to Hercules� ass, one sliding beneath his pants, gripping and rubbing a tight, smooth ass cheek, waves of pleasure and need shuddering through him. Hercules wanted him!

He yanked Hercules� head back suddenly, want wasn�t enough. �Herc, wait,� he gasped, somehow finding the willpower to stop. Hercules� eyes were glazed and his lips swollen and red. Iolaus moaned, but held onto his self control by a thread.

�Iolaus,� Hercules whispered. Their eyes met and Hercules saw the doubt and questions in his friend�s gaze. Hercules rocked gently. �I love you, you know,� he whispered. Iolaus sighed and smiled. He cupped Hercules� cheek and drew him down for another kiss. Hercules groaned and Iolaus thrust up against him. Quickly, their movements became urgent again, their need too great to stop, neither man even aware of their audience.

Iolaus moaned, it was too much, he�d waited so long. His balls tightened and he stiffened as he came in his pants. Hercules thrust hard against him, shuddering, groaning loudly. Iolaus flopped back and Hercules collapsed on top of him.

A sudden whoop startled them and they sat up, blushing furiously as Strife leered at them, applauding politely.

�Encore!� Strife snickered.

Cupid elbowed him, �Don�t tease them.� He resolutely didn�t look at his cousin, he was getting far too much energy, first from his father and Joxer, now from Hercules and Iolaus, added to the vision of Strife jerking off that he saw every time he closed his eyes, he was reaching his limits.

Hercules stood abruptly and stalked off. Iolaus smiled ruefully and hurried after him.

�Herc, wait. Herc!� he grabbed Hercules� hand and stopped him. Hercules sighed and his head dropped to his chest. �Herc, I love you too,� Iolaus whispered.

Hercules looked up and smiled. He pulled Iolaus into his arms and hugged his best friend tightly. Iolaus held on, rubbing Hercules� back, burying his face in the strong neck. They stood like that for a while, both still a little surprised and nervous. Finally Iolaus pulled back.

�Shall we go wash up?� he asked quietly. Hercules nodded and let himself be drawn to the stream.

@>*~

�You are evil,� Cupid commented, trying to distract himself.

Strife grinned, �Thanks.�

Cupid snorted and shook his head. He glanced round, noticing his father�s and Joxer�s absence. �Where�d they go?� he asked.

Strife leered. �Where�d you think?� he chuckled, wishing he could drag Cupid into the trees. Cupid half smiled and sighed. �What�s up, cuz?� Strife asked quietly.

Cupid shrugged one shoulder, �Nothing.� He settled back down on the bedroll. �Strife?�

�Yeah?� Strife tilted his head to look down at Cupid.

�I�m cold.� Cupid knew he was being stupid, but just for a little while, he wanted to feel Strife�s arms around him and pretend.

Strife swallowed nervously. He lay down behind Cupid and pulled his cousin into his arms, careful to keep his crotch away from Cupid�s gorgeous, firm and gah! not helping! ass.

Cupid sighed happily and snuggled closer. �Night, Strife,� he whispered.

Night, love, Strife whispered in his head. �Night,� he said aloud. How was he going to sleep now? Cupid felt so good in his arms. He sighed and rested his head on Cupid�s shoulder.

Part 25

Joxer stopped abruptly and Ares nearly fell back.

�Can�t wait,� Joxer muttered impatiently. He yanked his pants down and braced himself against a tree. Ares groaned at the sight and dropped to his knees behind his husband. He reached out and rubbed pale, firm ass cheeks, massaging and separating them. Joxer sighed under the warm hands, wriggling and pushing back, needing a more intimate touch.

Ares almost smiled at his lover�s impatience and he leaned forward, biting one tight cheek.

�Ares,� Joxer breathed. Ares licked up the crease of his ass and Joxer groaned. He was hard and aching already and desperate for his husband to fill him.

Ares pressed deeper, sliding his tongue between Joxer�s cheeks, licking up and down from the base of his balls to his lower back, only skimming over his puckered hole.

�Please, Arry,� Joxer panted. Ares flicked the tip of his tongue across the entrance to Joxer�s body and his lover jerked against him. �More,� Joxer begged, �Need you.�

Ares let his tongue circle the tight hole before he pushed the tip inside, encouraging the tight ring to relax. Joxer moaned, dropping his head onto his arms as cool wetness pressed inside him. Ares� hands wandered up to his groin and stroked his balls roughly, fingers pressing against the sensitive skin just beneath them.

�Ah, Gods, Ares!� Joxer gasped. Ares stiffened his tongue and wriggled it deeper inside the tight passage, tasting his husband�s musky essence. He groaned and gripped Joxer�s hip with one hand as the other slid across Joxer�s balls and up the silky skin of his hard shaft.

�Arry, Arry, Arry,� Joxer chanted breathlessly. His husband�s large, strong hand wrapped round his cock tightly and he thrust into the firm grip.

Ares used his strength to force Joxer into stillness and Joxer whimpered until Ares finally moved his hand, pumping his fist in time to the thrusts of his tongue. He slid his thumb over the head of Joxer�s profusely leaking cock and spread the milky fluid to ease his movements.

Joxer�s body was trembling and he ached to fuck himself stupid on his husband�s tongue and into his fist, but Ares� strong grip held him almost completely still.

The slick tongue delved even deeper into his body, just touching his sweet spot, sending jolts of delicious electricity through him. Joxer managed to jerk forwards. Ares twisted his hand, squeezing tighter and Joxer gave a strangled moan.

His ass clenched down and his body went rigid as he came. Ares milked his cock, catching the jets of his husband�s seed. Joxer panted hard, trying to catch his breath, wanting to beg for more, but Ares was already on his feet.

Ares rubbed Joxer�s come over his desperately aching cock. His eyes were fixed on his husband�s slim buttocks, barely able to wait to slide between them and bury himself in tight, velvety heat.

Joxer looked back at Ares, moaning at the dark hunger he saw in the God�s eyes. He pushed his ass back further and wiggled it, gasping at the growl he elicited.

Ares pressed himself up against Joxer�s slim body, slinging one arm around his waist as he slid his cock between those firm globes. He pulled Joxer�s collar aside and bit down on the muscle at the top of his shoulder, relishing his husband�s taste and his ass jerking against him. Nibbling Joxer�s neck, Ares placed the tip of his cock against the loosened, slick hole.

�In me, Arry, now, need you,� Joxer whimpered.

Ares groaned and pushed, sliding home smoothly. Joxer�s ass clenched around his cock and he paused to regain his self control. Joxer squeezed down again, this time deliberately.

�Move,� he whispered hoarsely. Ares pulled out and snapped his hips forward, plunging deep inside Joxer�s body. �Oh Gods,� Joxer groaned.

Ares gripped his hips, pushed him forward slightly, then slammed back into him. He was drowning in sensation, the heat and quivering of Joxer�s ass enveloped Ares and he thrust harder and faster, ecstatically aware of his husband rocking back to meet every stroke.

�Gods, fuck,� Ares panted harshly. He bit down on Joxer�s shoulder again and plunged as deep as he could into the welcoming passage, jerking as he filled it with his hot seed. Ares locked his knees and held tightly onto Joxer who sagged against the tree. Once he got his breath back, Ares gently pulled out and slid them both down to the ground, turning Joxer round so he could kiss him.

Ares licked Joxer�s skin where he�d bitten him, surprised to find no mark at all, even though he was sure he�d tasted blood. Yet another strange occurrence. Then there was the matter of their desperate need for each other after completing the shielding. Not that he minded in the slightest, but unexplained, uncontrollable need for each other was not a good thing on this mission.

�What is happening with you, love?� Ares murmured into Joxer�s hair.

Joxer sighed. �I wish I knew,� he whispered.

Ares hugged him, �Let�s go back, we have a lot to do tomorrow.�

��Kay.�

They got up and walked hand in hand back to the camp.

�You�ll need to reinforce your shield every so often, and if you need energy, remember to draw it from outside, don�t drain yourself, okay?� Ares said quietly.

Joxer nodded. At the camp, they stared at Hercules and Iolaus, who were wrapped in each others� arms, fast asleep and Strife who was holding Cupid, quiet pain reflected in his eyes as he glanced up at them. The couple sat down.

�Go to sleep, Xena, I�ll watch now,� Ares whispered. Xena nodded and curled up. �I wonder what happened,� Ares whispered to Joxer.

Joxer closed his eyes, somehow instinctively knowing how to lower his shield and probe their companions, he sighed, both happy and sad. �Hercules and Iolaus are happy now, together. Cupid is in so much pain, I guess he knows now, Strife is the same.� He turned into his husband�s embrace for comfort.

Ares frowned, �I don�t understand this, their shielding is too strong for me to feel that, how can you possibly�� Ares sighed, �Get some sleep Joxer, there�s nothing we can do about that now.�

�Okay,� Joxer leaned up for a kiss, grinning against Ares� lips at his husband�s soft moan. �Night, Arry,� he whispered, curling up in Ares� lap.

Part 26

The camp was tense and mostly silent the next morning. Ares and Joxer sat quietly together, sharing soft smiles, Hercules and Iolaus seemed slightly embarrassed, but kept close together, touching constantly. Gabrielle was quiet again, glaring at every concerned glance from Xena.

Strife�s natural exuberance was muted and Cupid was worried about his cousin. He sat down next to Strife and cautiously put a hand on his shoulder. Strife looked up in surprise, he�d been busy brooding and hadn�t noticed how quiet it was.

�What�s up, Xanpet?� Cupid asked in an appalling attempt to imitate Spike.

Strife smiled weakly, �Nothing, Fangless, just tired.� Cupid smiled and sighed. �Unc, can we go now?� Strife wanted to get going, get distracted.

�Definitely, I want to know what�s going on and we�re more likely to find out in the town,� Ares nodded.

�Oh, and how *exactly* did you figure that out, oh mighty one?!� Hercules asked tersely.

Ares growled, but didn�t reply, he wasn�t going to waste his time on his brother. He ignored Hercules and picked up his pack and took Joxer�s hand ready to go.

Strife couldn�t help snickering at Hercules� look of confusion and annoyance. He decided to explain. �Because, dumbass, strangers and disappearances are less noticeable in a town, it�s the most likely place for what we expect,� he said very slowly, giggling at Hercules� steadily darkening expression.

Hercules growled and started towards Strife menacingly, �Can someone tell me why we have to put up with this stupid, insane excuse for a God?! Whose bright idea was it to bring him back anyway?�

Strife whimpered. �M�not stupid,� he whispered.

Ares was at the point of exploding, how dare Hercules bring up Strife�s death?! Joxer put a hand on his arm.

�Wait, look,� Joxer whispered. As he spoke, Cupid snarled and leapt on Hercules, knocking him to the ground.

�How fucking dare you?!� Cupid yelled, punctuating each word with a punch to the shocked hero. �*Never* talk about his death, and never call him stupid, you bastard.�

The others watched in stunned amazement, nobody moved until Strife finally shook himself out of his daze and he ran over to pull his cousin away from Hercules.

Cupid struggled but Strife held tight. �He�s not worth it Cupe, he�s not, I�m okay,� he whispered. He rubbed Cupid�s back slowly, wondering what had come over his cousin. It had given him a small thrill though, almost as if Cupid had been defending his honour. Strife couldn�t help smirking at Hercules, who was being helped to his feet by Iolaus.

Cupid finally calmed down, but he was still glowering at the hero. He took Strife�s hand and dragged him ahead of the mortals. Finally, they set off. Gabrielle walked with Hercules and Iolaus.

�I can�t believe that,� she said quietly, �Are you okay, Hercules?�

Hercules shrugged, �Just surprised really, I mean *Cupid*?! Why�s he so worried about Strife�s feelings? I can�t imagine them having much in common.�

�I don�t know, they�ve seemed really close this trip,� Iolaus commented, �I was wondering if they were involved.�

�I doubt Strife would have been groping you, if he was with Cupid,� Hercules shuddered, �Anyway, come on, Cupid with Strife! What a thought.�

Gabrielle nodded, �Yeah, come on, Iolaus, Cupid could have anyone, why would he want someone like Strife?!�

Iolaus made a noncommittal noise. He thought the other two were wrong. It was obvious the two Gods cared for each other deeply and were very close, even if they weren�t a couple. There was nothing really wrong with Strife, he was just weird. Really, really weird.

Ares and Joxer walked behind Strife and Cupid. Ares glanced at his husband.

Joxer looked across and met Ares� gaze. �What?� he asked quietly.

�You knew Cupid would do that, didn�t you?� Ares asked.

Joxer nodded, �Well, I guessed he�d do something, anyway.�

Ares smiled and slipped an arm round Joxer�s waist for a brief hug. �I�m just going to have a word with my brother, okay?�

Joxer nodded, �No violence though, please,� he reached up to stroke Ares� lip.

Ares sighed and kissed his finger, �I wasn�t planning on any.� Joxer grinned. They dropped back and Joxer walked with Xena while Ares dropped further back to walk with Hercules, Iolaus and Gabrielle.

�You okay, Xena?� Joxer asked quietly.

Xena sighed, �Mostly, I guess. I just wish she�d talk to me. If we could talk it�d be easier. I�m a little worried though, she seems too quiet, you know?�

�Yeah,� Joxer nodded, �I had noticed that. She�s probably got a lot on her mind.�

�Hmm, I suppose so,� Xena sighed again.

Hercules glared as his brother joined them. �What do *you* want?�

�Just a warning,� Ares said with quiet menace, �You *ever* bring up Strife�s death again, and I will personally remove your tongue and shove it up your ass!� Hercules and Gabrielle looked slightly shocked at his vehemence. �Understood?�

The three nodded.

�Why, Ares, anyone would think you gave a damn,� Hercules muttered.

�Fuck you,� Ares snarled, he strode forward and rejoined his husband and daughter.

Hercules and Gabrielle shared a look of disgust when Joxer put his hand on Ares� back and rubbed gently.

Part 27

By late afternoon, they�d reached the town and made their way to the tavern to get rooms for the night.

Ares had a bad feeling as soon as they entered the town and by Joxer�s sudden death grip on his hand, he guessed his husband felt the same. He glanced over to Strife, signalling for the younger God to keep his eyes open. Strife nodded minutely and whispered to Cupid.

Xena watched the exchange and when Ares glanced back at her, she too gave him a tiny nod. She dropped back to Hercules, Iolaus and Gabrielle.

�Keep an eye out for anything weird, Ares reckons something�s wrong,� she whispered.

Hercules snorted, �Does he really? Adding paranoia to the list now, is he?�

Xena scowled at him. �Well, so far, Hercules, I�ve spotted two men disappearing as soon as they noticed us and we�re being watched by the guy on the donkey, but hey, it could be nothing.�

Hercules looked startled, and he carefully glanced round. �Shit,� he muttered.

Xena rolled her eyes, �Yeah, understatement there.�

�Don�t be so superior!� Gabrielle snapped, �Why don�t you go and report to your daddy,� she sneered.

Xena stiffened, �I won�t need to, he�ll already know,� she said quietly.

Hercules snorted, �Great, well, I�m sure you don�t need to be bothering with us anymore then.� Iolaus frowned at him and he shrugged. Xena stalked ahead of them to join Joxer and Ares.

�Well?� Ares asked quietly.

�I had to bring it to their attention, but I think they�ll be more aware now,� she replied.

Ares snorted, �Good, because I�d say we�ve only got a few minutes.�

Xena nodded, she�d noticed the rapid emptying of the small street they were on, �I�m ready.�

�Joxer, try to be careful,� Ares said quietly. Joxer patted his arm and smiled.

�You ready, Cupe?� Strife muttered to his cousin.

�Hades, yeah,� Cupid replied, �I�m still pissed at Hercules.�

Strife snickered, �Yeah, just, you know, be careful.�

�Strife, I was trained by dad you know, I *can* fight,� Cupid pointed out.

�Yeah, I know, won�t stop me from worrying though,� Strife sighed.

Cupid held back his urge to grab his cousin and kiss him senseless and smiled instead, �Thanks, I worry about you too, you know.�

They were prevented from any further conversation by several dark figures emerging from alleyways.

�Here we go,� Strife muttered. He dropped into a relaxed fighting stance, smiling when Cupid did the same, they stood back to back, ready.

Ares growled and drew his sword, watching the approaching men carefully. They were outnumbered but not for long. A cruel smile stretched across his face. He gestured to Xena and she nodded, ready to protect Joxer, as was still her job.

Gabrielle, Hercules and Iolaus formed a small circle waiting for the attack.

Eerily silent, the men attacked. Ares took two down quickly and dived at a third. Swords clashed loudly, he shoved the man back forcefully, pressing his advantage as the man stumbled back.

Hercules ducked under a sweeping sword and knocked one man back with one blow, he hit a wall with a sickening crack. Iolaus grinned briefly before joining in the fight enthusiastically, Gabrielle lashing out with her staff next to him.

Strife and Cupid moved together synchronously, taking down every attacker that came their way. Cupid felt strangely exhilarated, he could understand why Strife loved fighting so much, even if it wasn�t something he would want to do regularly.

Joxer knew that Ares and Xena were keeping the brunt of the fight away from him, and he enjoyed watching both of them fighting, with such sinewy grace and agility. But they couldn�t keep all the men away from him and without his bulky armour, he was actually doing quite well.

One man however, was pushing him hard. He was stronger and faster than Joxer and had already opened a painful wound on his arm. Joxer managed to duck under a sweeping blow, but he lost his balance and fell back. With a startled gasp, Joxer hit the ground, knocking the air out of him. He saw Ares run towards him, screaming, but the sword was already flying down at his chest.

Joxer closed his eyes and wished that he wouldn�t die, he couldn�t bear the thought of leaving Ares alone. To his surprise, he felt the blade hit his chest, and bounce off. The man stumbled back in surprise into Ares� furious grasp. His husband snapped the man�s neck and hurried over to him.

�No, Joxer,� Ares gasped, he dropped to his knees, running his hands over Joxer�s body in terror. �Love?� he couldn�t quite hold back tears of heartfelt relief, �Oh Gods, you�re not hurt!�

Joxer blinked and felt his chest, just to make sure, then he reached up to cup Ares cheek. �Arry, I�m okay, it�s okay.� He was pulled into a rib-crushing hug.

�Oh, thank the Gods,� Ares mumbled, raining kisses onto his face. Joxer held tight, rubbing Ares� back gently

�Unc, we kept one alive for you,� Strife walked over unhurriedly, dragging an unconscious body behind him.

�Good,� Ares growled, helping Joxer to his feet. He kept one arm round Joxer�s waist, �Bring him.�

He ignored Hercules� and Gabrielle�s disgusted expressions and stalked over to the inn. Cupid grinned at his cousin and helped Strife drag the captive after Ares.

Part 28

�Room, now!� Ares growled at the innkeeper. The man squeaked and showed them upstairs. �Strife, bring him in here. Xena, you come too. Joxer, will you go with Cupid? We won�t be long.� Joxer nodded and he kissed him softly. Cupid gently drew him away.

The others followed them into the room and Ares scowled. �What do you want?�

�Just making sure you don�t abuse your power,� Hercules snapped.

�Huh? Hello, brother, bad guy, just tried to kill us, working for Dahak? And you�re worried about his welfare?!� Ares blinked.

Hercules crossed his arms over his chest and nodded. Ares sighed.

�Fine, Xena, do your thing when Strife wakes him up,� he ordered.

Strife grinned maniacally and reached between the man�s legs, moving the cloth of his pants slightly. Iolaus shifted uncomfortably.

�Hey, what�s he doing?� Hercules frowned in confusion.

�You�ll see,� Ares smirked.

Strife gently stroked the man�s crotch until the unconscious man groaned and spread his legs. With a giggle, Strife slid his fingers under his balls and pinched viciously, twisting the sensitive skin. The man let out a terrible scream and jumped up, screaming again when Strife didn�t let go. Strife used his grip to pull the now whimpering man into a seat, then let go.

�I�d like you to meet Xena,� Strife chuckled, �She�s worse than me. You can either tell us what you know and we�ll kill you quickly, or Xena can question you, we find out what you know, and we kill you slowly and painfully.� He grinned evilly at the terrified man.

�I, I, d-don�t know anything,� the man stuttered. Ares snorted and the man stared at him in horror, �A-Ares?�

Ares smiled cruelly, suddenly recognising the man. �Well, well, Drohos, not only betraying your God being here, but dare to attack him too.�

�No, my Lord, I didn�t know this was your party, I swear,� Drohos was sweating profusely.

�Really? Why don�t you tell us what you were doing, hmm,� Ares said quietly, his voice deceptively friendly.

�I, uh, we were told to attack Hercules, Xena and anyone with them,� Drohos said hurriedly.

�Why?�

�To stop any interference,� Drohos stopped and blanched, �I�m sorry, my Lord, I can�t.�

Ares� nostrils flared in disgust, �Xena.�

Xena nodded and stepped forward and stabbed her fingers at Drohos� neck. �I�ve just cut off the supply of blood to your brain, you have 30 seconds to tell us what we want to know.�

Drohos grasped at his neck, �I, I, the priests will bring Dahak across tonight.�

�Where,� Ares hissed.

�The caves, outside the town, that�s all I know, I swear,� Drohos gasped. Ares nodded and Xena released the pressure on Drohos� blood vessels. The captive flopped back against the chair.

�Leave,� Ares snapped at the rest.

�I�m not leaving him here with you!� Hercules declared.

�He is mine to deal with,� Ares snarled at his brother.

�How so?� Hercules stepped forward.

�He is dedicated to me, and he has betrayed me, it is my right!� Ares met Hercules half way and the brothers glared at each other, noses almost touching.

�You have no rights over a man�s life!� Hercules snapped.

�I am a God, I am *his* God, that gives me every right!� Ares shoved Hercules back, �Now get out!�

Hercules was about to hit back when Strife and Xena stepped in front of him. Xena shook her head and stared pleadingly at Iolaus to help. Iolaus sighed and gently pulled Hercules away. Xena and Strife followed the other three out and shut the door behind them. Hercules ranted all the way to the tavern where Joxer and Cupid were waiting.

@>*~

Joxer sat down while Cupid ordered drinks. Once again he looked down and touched his chest where the sword had just bounced off him. Just how was that possible? He realised that his arm, which had been quite badly slashed, was completely healed, there wasn�t even a scar. Joxer breathed out heavily in frustration. He had no idea what was happening to him, but he was glad he wasn�t dead.

Joxer accepted his drink from Cupid with a small smile. The Love God didn�t look any the worse for wear for the fight, except for slightly ruffled hair. Joxer smiled slightly, he�d seen Strife looking longingly at Cupid.

One scream, followed by another straight after made them both wince and the tavern fell silent briefly.

�Dad�s got Strife on it then,� Cupid smiled at Joxer.

�Doesn�t that bother you?� Joxer asked quietly.

Cupid frowned in surprise, �What?�

�Well, you�re both very close, but you�re so different,� Joxer commented.

Cupid shrugged, �It�s never bothered me, it�s part of his job, you know, part of who he is, and I lo�� he stopped suddenly.

�You love him,� Joxer finished for him.

Cupid cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably, �Well, of course, he�s my cousin, my best friend.�

Joxer sighed and shook his head, �Friends talk you know, tell each other everything.�

�We do,� Cupid protested. Joxer raised an eyebrow. �Anyway, you understand, you accept dad for what he is.�

Joxer reached out and patted Cupid�s hand, �I�m in love with him.�

Cupid gaped at Joxer, since when did the wannabe warrior know more about love than he did?

Part 29

They were prevented from further conversation by the others joining them, Hercules muttering something about Gods who thought they were better than everyone else.

Joxer glanced up at Strife, who grinned and plonked himself down next to Cupid, snaffling his drink. �Unc, won�t be too long.� He took a long draught, ducking a playful slap from his cousin, who wrestled his drink back.

�Cheek!� Cupid huffed, but he was unable to suppress a small grin. �Have fun?�

�Hades, yeah!� Strife sighed in satisfaction, �Not as much as I�d have liked but, ya know, time factor and all that.� Cupid chuckled and nodded. Hercules shot the Love God a look of confusion.

�What?� Cupid asked defensively.

�You, just casually asking about torture like that,� Hercules shook his head.

�Oh please, if you thought *that* was torture, you�re more na�ve than I thought!� Strife snickered.

Hercules glared at him, but they all stopped and looked up at a sudden loud, trembling wail that was abruptly cut short. Joxer sighed feeling both the terror and pain of the captive and the deadly satisfaction of his husband. He cut it off quickly. It might be something that he accepted, but it didn�t mean he wanted to know the details.

�Drink up,� he said quietly. He looked up at the stairs and the others followed his gaze to see Ares emerge from the upper level. Ares� eyes met Joxer�s immediately and he smiled, letting his husband�s love wash away his anger and tension. He joined them and drained his mug in two swallows.

�Right, let�s go, we have no time to waste if we�re to stop them,� Ares stood again, wrapping his arm round Joxer when his husband stood to join him.

�What did he say?� Cupid asked.

�They�re bringing Dahak across tonight, The Fates only know how,� Ares growled in frustration, �They haven�t had long enough to prepare for this, unless it was something they were expecting and have been ready for it.�

�That�s probable,� Xena agreed. She frowned at Gabrielle�s pale expression, worrying suddenly about the wisdom of her being there. �Gabrielle?� she reached out to put her hand on the blonde�s shoulder.

Gabrielle flinched and twisted away. �Don�t touch me,� she hissed.

Xena pulled her hand back, unable to quite hide her expression of hurt. Cupid drew his sister gently away and Strife sighed, patting his tender hearted cousin on the shoulder.

Iolaus gently put his arm round Gabrielle as they followed the rest out. �Are you okay?� he asked quietly. She nodded but didn�t reply. Iolaus frowned worriedly at Hercules, who shrugged.

@>*~

They hurried out of the town and headed for the mountains. Iolaus knew of a cave system nearby, from previous visits to the area, and they hoped that they would find the priests before anything could happen.

After quite a long walk, Strife was starting to get impatient. �Are you sure you know where the fuck you�re going?� he muttered in Iolaus� direction. It seemed to him they were wandering in circles.

Iolaus glanced back and smirked at the frustrated looking God. �Pretty much, yeah,� he replied. He carried on walking, slipping his hand into Hercules� warm grip with a happy sigh.

Strife scowled at the show of affection. He had a lovey dovey couple in front of him, one behind him, and Cupid was walking beside him smelling all nice and looking all sexy, and it was driving him nuts!

Cupid glanced over at his cousin worriedly, it was unusual for Strife to be in such a bad mood. He reached out unconsciously and put his hand on the back of Strife�s neck, squeezing gently.

Strife flinched, but then relaxed, sighing quietly. They shared a small smile, neither realising the other was wishing for more. Strife felt a cross between intensely happy and incredibly sad.

Cupid walked quietly, not really registering that he was still rubbing Strife�s neck gently, while he thought about what Joxer had said to him. Glancing back, he saw Joxer give him an encouraging smile. Maybe he should say something.

�Strife?�

�Yeah,� Strife looked over at him, trying to maintain his concentration and not pull Cupid into his arms and kiss him senseless.

�You know that I, I,� Cupid twitched nervously. Strife raised an eyebrow at him. �I�m always here for you,� Cupid finished hurriedly.

Strife took a deep breath to stay in control and nodded. He attempted light heartedness. �I know, cuz, we�re a team, Spike and Xander,� he grinned.

Cupid�s heart sped up and he grinned back, �Yeah, a team.� Spike and Xander, Spike and Xander. Cupid frowned, what was it about those two? Something Strife had said once.

�Here it is!� Iolaus exclaimed quietly, gesturing behind him for the others to stop. �Guards.�

Silently and staying low, the group moved to flank Iolaus and Hercules. They were looking down to the entrance of a cave. A hooded figure stood on either side.

�That can�t be all,� Ares muttered quietly.

�There�s a bowman on the ridge over the entrance,� Joxer whispered. He could feel the tension of the man.

Ares grinned and kissed him hard. �Any more?� he asked quietly. Joxer shook his head. �Strife, you know what to do,� Ares glanced at his nephew.

Strife nodded and grinned, slipping away quietly. He watched Xena slipping into place and headed for the man on the ridge. Grinning, Strife snuck up behind the unknowing man and stabbed him in the back, covering his mouth to silence him. He snickered in satisfaction, and wiped his dagger clean, putting it away before he signalled the others.

He watched Xena sneak closer and when she was in position, he back flipped off the ridge and flung himself at one guard. He landed with a small gasp on the man�s chest, drew his dagger again and slashed it across the guard�s throat before he could shout for help. Strife sniffed in satisfaction, watching the blood bubble out of the gaping hole.

Xena smacked his shoulder and he looked up, rolling his eyes at her expression. He nodded and got up, carefully cleaning his dagger again before putting it away and dragging the body into the bushes. He looked up when he heard the others joining them, grinning at his uncle who nodded and grinned back.

He didn�t quite dare meet Cupid�s eyes, his cousin had never really been confronted by this aspect of Strife before, even though he knew Cupid knew what his job was like, he didn�t think he could bare any disgust or censure in Cupid�s gaze. He didn�t see Cupid�s devastatingly happy and wondering smile.

Cupid watched Strife kill the man, oddly the death didn�t affect him, he was too caught up in his cousin�s beauty as he moved. He hurried down the hill, thinking that Strife ought to be Spike, not him, they both had the same grace in motion. Spike and Xander, what a pair! What a pair?! Dear Gods, how could he have forgotten?

Strife had refused to watch Buffy after the middle of season five saying that it was a sacrilege, Spike couldn�t be in love with Buffy, because he and Xander belonged together. Oh Gods! Was that why Strife had changed to Xander? Did he, could he possibly have been trying to tell him, that he loved him?

Cupid smiled slowly at Strife, wishing they could be somewhere where he could tell his cousin that he felt the same. Maybe that night after they prevented Dahak from coming across.

Part 30a

The group moved into the caves, quietly stalking through the dark, damp tunnels, faintly lit by smoky torches. Ares sent Strife to the front as point, and he cut a swathe of death through unsuspecting guards, joined occasionally by Ares and Xena when there were too many for him to take at once. The caves too narrow to allow more than the three of them forward to fight.

Each time there was a fight, Strife withdrew more and more from his cousin, wishing sadly that Ares hadn�t asked to include Cupid after all. His situation all the more hopeless in his eyes for his cousin�s witnessing this aspect of his job.

Finally, the cave tunnels began to widen and they could hear chanting, and screaming getting louder and louder. The light up ahead of them grew and they hurried towards it. Ares shook his head when Hercules tried to rush into the main cave. Hercules scowled at his brother, but before they could get into an argument over it, there was an explosion, then abrupt silence.

Joxer grasped his head and dropped to his knees, barely stifling a moan of pain. Ares sucked in a worried breath and bent down to pull his husband back up, holding him tightly.

�We�re too late,� Joxer whispered. As he spoke, horrible, triumphant laughter began to echo through the caves.

�We have to stop him, here and now!� Hercules said vehemently. For once Ares agreed and they shared a grim smile. Ares gestured to Strife, and the Mischief God snuck forward to peer into the cave. He paled and swallowed hard, before shaking his head and making the count.

�Just about even,� Strife whispered when he reached Ares, �It�s not pretty though. They�re dressing some naked guy, I�m assuming it�s Dahak. I didn�t realise they could get him his own body.�

Ares grimaced, �Damn, neither did I.� His jaw clenched and unclenched reflexively. �Let�s go, take them all down, understood?� he glanced at Hercules, Iolaus and Gabrielle to make sure they knew death was the only option. They nodded grimly.

They all moved silently again, almost in complete synchronicity as their enemies broke the silence and hurried to meet them, swords drawn, faces mad and twisted. Strife moved quickly through the fray and, by all the Gods! How, in Tartarus, had he managed to be the one facing Dahak?

Granted a weak Dahak, who�d only just become fully corporeal, but still Dahak. Strife took a deep breath and met his menacingly grinning opponent. The fight wore Strife down surprisingly quickly, every move was blocked and countered, and he hurt.

Then suddenly, Dahak twisted and his arm was round Strife�s throat, and somehow, Strife�s dagger was in his hands. Strife struggled and Dahak chuckled into his ear. He grunted in pain, biting his lips as the dagger slowly sliced down his back, slashing his shirt, cutting through his skin like a hot knife through butter. An agonising trail burned down his spine.

Before he could even scream, the dagger was at his throat and he felt fingers at his neck, digging in through the skin. And then just pain, just sheer agonising, ripping pain. Strife screamed and then there was nothing.

@>*~

Cupid was fighting hard. He�d just managed to get the priest into a headlock, when a scream pierced his heart with deathly cold. He looked up. Dahak had Strife, Cupid could see the Demon God�s grip on Strife�s neck, too much blood flowing down his arm. Cupid struggled to finish off the priest, pulling till he heard a snap. But as he dropped the man, Strife�s scream built to a crescendo of pain that ripped at Cupid�s soul. He watched in horror as he ran, seemingly in slow motion, as Dahak wrenched bone after bone out of his cousin�s body, then dropped Strife carelessly to the ground.

It was Cupid�s turn to scream. Time ran normally again and he reached Strife, dropping to his knees as Dahak raised Strife�s spinal column aloft, dripping with blood, and laughing hideously. He was vaguely aware of his father shouting, others� moving about, even Dahak running, but he didn�t care. He gathered Strife�s shattered body in his arms and howled. There was a tremendous bang and a clap of thunder, but all Cupid could hear was his heart breaking.

@>*~

The fight was over and everyone turned to stare in dismay at the blood saturated Love God, rocking his cousin�s body, eyes wide and blank, tears coursing down his face.

Hercules grabbed Iolaus before he fell and pulled his lover tightly, unable to help his own tears of sympathy for Cupid as Iolaus shed painful tears for them both. Gabrielle dropped to her knees, allowing Xena to draw her into a tight hug as they both cried silently in shock and horror.

Ares was standing behind Cupid stiffly, staring down at the two Gods in shock, fists clenching and unclenching by his sides, his head shaking as he whispered, �No!� over and over.

There was a flash, followed by a small scream, �My baby, no!� Ares moved suddenly and pulled his sister into his arms. �No, not again, please, not again.�

�Eris, no,� he whispered as she struggled against him, before collapsing into his arms, sobbing desperately.

Joxer watched in a slight daze. Then, not really knowing what he was doing, he walked over to Cupid and Strife. His heart contracted at the sight of Cupid covering Strife�s face in kisses, begging him in quiet whispers, �Please, wake up, please, I love you, don�t leave me.�