Cooperation

Disclaimer: These lovely specimens of godhood could never belong to a lowly mortal such as myself. But they don't mind if I lust after their naked bodies and write about them doing nasty things to each other. Really. They told me so.

In the heavy silence, a small sound broke forth. All eyes turned toward Gabrielle, whose face had taken on a bright red color. Eyes wide, she held a hand over her mouth. She looked at Joxer, then at Ares, then back at Joxer. Another strangled sound escaped her, and then she lost it.

It began as muffled snickering, progressed to loud giggling, and finally resulted in the bard bent over and clutching her stomach as she laughed hysterically. Tears streaming down her face, she pointed a shaky finger at Joxer, calming herself enough to speak. "H-h-him? You're married to...J-J-Joxer?" She dissolved into laughter once more.

Hercules too had begun to chuckle softly, and even Xena had a smile playing about her lips. Iolaus simply watched as Ares' face grew dark with anger, noticing how a simple touch from Joxer kept him from attacking those ridiculing them. For the first time, he saw how Discord and Strife stood together, ready to back Ares up, instead of bickering and squabbling. And the way Cupid hovered protectively beside Strife, his actions bespeaking a deep caring for the other.

Eyes bright with mirth, Hercules shook his head. "Much as I loathe you, Ares, I have to admit...that was funny."

Iolaus was surprised at the brief flicker of intense fury that Joxer quickly suppressed. He'd never seen the easy-going man so close to erupting. "Um, Herc? I...I don't think he was joking."

"Oh please!" Gabrielle had finally managed to get her breath back, although she still appeared as if she might again lose control at any moment. "This is Joxer we're talking about. I mean, can you picture it? Ares and Joxer, married? Even Ares isn't that stupid!"

Ares growled and took a step forward. A hand on his arm stopped him, and he turned toward his husband incredulously, mouth open to protest.

Joxer shook his head, lifting two fingers to his mouth and kissing them, then pressing them against Ares' lips. "Not now, mine," he whispered. "There are more important matters that demand our attention at the moment."

"I won't have them hurting you, love, not ever again," Ares whispered back fiercely.

"It's not important. They aren't important. I don't give a fuck what they think, not as long as I know what we have together. I've got you. I've got my family," he flicked his eyes at the four hovering nearby. "That's what's important. They can't take that from us."

After a tense moment, Ares nodded. "But I still want to rip them apart."

Joxer smiled as he caressed Ares' cheek. "Wait until after we save the world. Then knock yourself out."

Even though they were unable to hear the quiet conversation, Gabrielle and Hercules had sobered as they watched the uncharacteristic display of tenderness. The bard's mouth dropped open as she watched Ares lean forward and gently kiss Joxer. She gasped as blazing eyes pierced her.

"I won't kill you now because, insane as it seems, you're actually needed for something useful. Once this little party is over though, all bets are off." Ares continued to glare at Xena's irritating sidekick until Joxer cleared his throat, surreptitiously kicking his ankle.

"You're serious." Xena stared at them quizzically. "You're really serious. He's your husband."

Rolling his eyes, Ares sighed. "Way to state the obvious. You know, I don't understand how people can believe that someone as dense as you could ever be my daughter. It boggles the mind."

Eris snickered. "Yeah, tell me about it. And the mental image of you fucking her cow of a mother...” She shuddered dramatically.

"Yeah, Dad. You've got way better taste than that." Cupid tried desperately to the picture of Xena's mother and his father -- together -- out of his head before he got sick.

Ares looked his husband up and down, licking his lips. "I'll say."

"Ew, gross!" Gabrielle mimed retching. "That is not something I even want to think about!"

Xena's eyes narrowed and her fingers strayed down to stroke her chakram. "What are you up to, Ares? What are you doing to Joxer? Why can't you leave him out of your little games?"

"You know, Xena. Maybe I like his little 'games'."

"Hey! I resent that!" Ares pouted slightly.

"Ah, sorry about that. Not little. Never little." Joxer leered suggestively.

"Mmmm. That's what I thought." He smiled at his husband, love plain in his gaze.

"Right. You expect us to believe that you chose Joxer, of all people, to...marry? That you...what? Fell madly in love with each other and couldn't live another moment apart?" The warrior woman snorted. "Pardon me if I'm a bit skeptical."

"All right, that's it!" Ares snarled. Stalking across the clearing, he got right in Xena's face. "You are not as important as you think, girl. Not everything revolves around you. You are...a passing amusement. Nothing more."

Hercules immediately came to stand beside her. "Back off, Ares. You're not needed here."

"Ok, obviously someone needs to be the voice of reason here," Iolaus interjected, drawing attention to himself. "Come on, people. We have to work together. Or have you forgotten that there's a reason we're all here?"

Ares subsided reluctantly, nodding at Iolaus. "He's right. We may hate each other, but we have to work past that."

"We don't even know what this is all about!" Gabrielle’s face was pink with anger. "Is this all some sort of game to you?"

Ares groaned. "You really have no idea what you've gotten dragged into, do you?" He rubbed his forehead. "Remind me to thank our dear, helpful relatives when we get back home." He waved his group closer. "Looks like we need to sit down and have a nice, civil chat. Think we can do that?"

Hercules' jaw clenched, but he nodded. "Fine. Let's talk. And you can tell us what in Hades is going on."

Eyeing each other warily, they all settled in a loose circle.

"You're kidding." Hercules stared dumbfounded at Ares. "Tell me you're joking."

Ares' lip curled up. "Does this look like a joke?" He gestured around at his family. "What, you think we'd just give up our powers for a chance to get at you? Sorry, brother," he snarled derisively, "You don't rate quite that level of importance with me."

"Yes, but Dahak--"

"We don't actually know that it's Dahak," Joxer interrupted Hercules, causing the half-god to gape at him in shock. "What? Hey, I can have opinions too, you know. And I'm right, aren't I?" He elbowed Ares hard.

Ares rolled his eyes, but nodded. "Fine. But it's very likely that it is."

"Just because Zeus says so doesn't automatically make it true."

"Yeah, I gotta agree with that one," Strife added. "Gramps does kinda jump to conclusions occasionally."

"Ya think?" Eris muttered sarcastically.

"I have been right on more than one occasion, too." Joxer frowned as Hercules made a choking sound that had the distinct tone of aborted laughter.

Ares favored his half-brother with yet another glare. "Damn right you have." He smiled at Joxer, then reached out to hug him close.

Gabrielle shuddered, turning away. Xena and Hercules simply kept their eyes firmly on a spot in the air behind them, determinedly avoiding looking at the men who were snuggling together.

Strife snickered. "Bettah get used to it, guys, they grope a lot." He shook his head in amusement, freezing abruptly when the motion brought back the throbbing in his skull. He winced, cradling his aching head in his palms.

Cupid shot a dirty look over at Gabrielle, then pulled Strife down until his brother's head was situated in his lap. Tenderly, he worked his fingers through the dark, spiky hair, massaging lightly. Strife sighed happily, relaxing into a boneless sprawl.

"Ok, am I the only one who finds that weird?" Gabrielle's lip was curled in distaste as she watched the two.

Joxer, Ares, Autolycus and Eris all exchanged glances, then shrugged. "Pretty much," they answered simultaneously.

"And back to the topic at hand," Hercules interjected. "What exactly are we supposed to be doing about," he made a vague motion with his hand "whatever it is?"

"Basic plan?" Ares quirked a grin. "Find it. Fight it. Kick its ass. Go home." He stroked Joxer's hip. "Details, I'll leave up to him."

"Oh, now this is too much!" Gabrielle shot to her feet, face turning an interesting shade of purple. "Hello? This is Joxer! I'm not following any plan thought up by him! I like living, thanks."

Ares growled. "Well, maybe we should dump you early. At least then we wouldn't have to listen to you infernal screeching every two minutes." His eyes flared with fire, in a way that made both Strife and Cupid grateful that it wasn't directed at them, like a few very memorable time in the past.

"Hey, stop it!" Xena stood up, placing a hand on the bard's shoulder and gently pushing her back down. "This is what I was talking about earlier. If we're going to be working together on this, we have to try and keep these kinds of clashes to a minimum."

"Well, maybe if you could get your little pet to keep her big mouth shut, we'd have less to fight about." Eris sneered across the circle, contempt showing plainly on her face. "Ares is in charge, so if he says we follow Joxer's plan, then that's what we're gonna do!"

Now Hercules shot upright. "Wait a minute here. Ares is in charge? I don't think so."

"Oh, like it's your decision or something?" Eris scrambled to her feet, all set to go after the large man.

"Ahem." Ares cleared his throat, staring pointedly at his sister.

"Oh, come on! Can't I just hurt him a little? I promise I won't kill him." Her eyes narrowed as she withdrew one of her ever-present knives.

"No. Not now, anyway. Sit."

Snarling, Eris reluctantly obeyed, but continued to finger her weapon suggestively as she kept her eyes locked on Hercules.

The half-god dismissed her with a snort, once again turning his accusing gaze toward Ares. "Would you care to explain this little misconception about you being in charge here? If anyone is going to lead us, it'll be Xena or me...possibly both of us. But you?"

Ares half reclined on the ground, bringing Joxer with him. Amused, he danced his fingers up his husband's chest as he answered absently, "Do the math, brother. I count six of us who'll accept my leadership. And how many do you have? Hmmm...I count four." He flattened his palm over Joxer's chest. "I'd say you're outnumbered."

"He's right, you know."

Shocked, Hercules spun to gape incredulously at his long-time friend.

Iolaus just shrugged, an embarrassed tinge covering his cheeks. "What? He is. Think about it; I doubt we'll get anywhere trying to convince them to follow one of you two. No offense." His eyes flicked away from Hercules', and he examined the ground under him. "Besides, he is -- or was, at least -- the God of War. He's used to stuff like this; he's better qualified than any of us is."

Hercules continued to stare at him in pained betrayal, unable to believe that Iolaus had sided with Ares of all people.

"You know, I so hate to bring this up, but we have, like, been at this all day. It's getting dark now. Can we please call it quits?" Cupid pleaded with his father, blue eyes glistening as he widened them beseechingly.

"I think that's a good idea. We can start fresh in the morning." Xena brushed herself off, stepping away from the others. "I'll get some wood and start a fire. We can eat something, then get a little sleep."

"I'll help." Hercules followed her, pausing over Ares long enough to mutter balefully, "This isn't over yet, brother." He then stalked away, ignoring the muffled snickers coming from Strife and Cupid.

"That's what you think, you muscle-headed moron." Ares shook his head, rolling his eyes as he leaned over to give Joxer a quick kiss.

Joxer returned the kiss enthusiastically, then pulled back with a grin. "Hey, you know, no one ever said he had brains. Brawn, yes; brains, no."

"Tell me about it." Sighing, Ares gave Joxer an affectionate smack on the ass, then stood, hold out a hand to help his lover to his feet. "Come on, people, let's get dinner and go to bed."

Dinner was an...interesting affair. On one side of the fire, Ares and Joxer whispered huskily, laughingly nibbling bits of food from each other's fingers. Beside them, Cupid and Strife giggled at their antics, surreptitiously holding hands when they thought no one would notice. Eris and Autolycus endured all this good-naturedly, talking animatedly to each other as they refrained from teasing the boys.

On the other side of the fire, Xena was doing her level best to pretend nothing out of the ordinary was happening. Gabrielle was watching Ares and Joxer with obvious disgust, frequently emitting gagging sounds when the lovers got a bit close. Hercules alternated between failed attempts at conversation with Xena, and half-vocalized growls aimed at Ares. These actions were interspersed with the occasional frosty glare over at Iolaus. As for Iolaus, his overtures toward Hercules were met with steely silence. He finally gave up and sat quietly, gazing wistfully across the fire at the group of people who were apparently having the time of their lives.

Joxer pulled himself away from Ares, climbing to his feet. All eyes were drawn to him, and he cleared his throat. "I'm going to...wash up," he announced, and strolled off into the night.

Ares blinked, then scrambled up. "Yeah. Um, me too." He headed off in the same direction as Joxer.

Their family watched the hurried exits, smiling at each other knowingly. Still ignoring the other four, they set aside their food, pulling out their bedrolls and beginning to get settled down for the evening.

Xena and Gabrielle finished eating and followed suit. Hercules simply sprawled out on his back, glaring up at the stars.

Iolaus made a move toward his friend, hurt blossoming on his face as Hercules rolled over, presenting him with his back. Gulping, Iolaus rose, heading away from camp. He had no specific destination, and was slightly surprised when he came upon a moonlit stream. He followed it a short distance, caught up in his thoughts. Splashing noises came to his attention, and he paused. A short, sharp yelp prodded him forward, and he pushed a branch aside.

Ares caught up with Joxer, slipping an arm around his lover's trim waist.

"Not yet," Joxer hissed. "Up ahead." He continued walking briskly, dragging his husband along. The sound of running water grew louder, until the two were standing on the grassy bank of a mid-sized stream. Immediately, Joxer began stripping. "Come on, hurry up."

Ares grinned, peeling out of his clothes with a leer. When he was naked, he lunged for Joxer, growling when the smaller man darted away with a laugh, wading out into the cool water.

"I said I needed to wash up." He crooked a finger, beckoning. "Come on, lover."

Ares gulped at the sight of his pale husband, water lapping around his buttocks and genitals, moonlight glistening on his damp skin. He plunged in without hesitation.

Joxer watched him come, ducking under the water and swimming further out when he drew near.

Ares sighed in exasperation. "Would you get over here! I want to fuck you."

"Oooh, getting all demanding on me, are you? Tsk, tsk, can't be having that." Joxer bobbed in the water, drifting closer to Ares. He smiled alluringly, reaching out his arms.

Oh, yeah. Ares licked his lips. That's it, baby, come to-- He surfaced, sputtering.

Joxer laughed softly and swam away quickly as Ares came up for air after having been dunked. He'd almost made it to shore when a hand grabbed his ankle, flipping him over. Looking up into his husband's dark, glittering eyes, he gasped.

Ares glared down at Joxer, completely unable to stay angry once he saw how the other man gazed at him in evident hunger. He smirked, then wiggled his way down the lean body to where the water was gently caressing Joxer's fully hardened length. Without warning, he bent his head and engulfed it, drawing forth a sharp cry.

Joxer moaned when the warmth surrounding him immediately vanished. "Areees..."

Ares knelt over his lover, then grabbed him around the waist and lifted, easily swinging the other man over his shoulder. He stood, and gave a quick smack to Joxer's bare ass.

Joxer yelped as he abruptly found himself hanging upside down. Then he snickered. Those cheeks flexing before his eyes made the most perfectly delicious target...

Ares dropped Joxer with a shout, reaching around to rub at the bite mark stinging on his ass.

Joxer leapt to his feet, then jumped, tackling Ares to the ground. He straddled the man on all fours, growling softly. "My turn," he snarled, daring his husband to disagree.

Ares just nodded mutely, not about to say 'no' to that command. "Oil?" He questioned briefly.

"Stay." Joxer waited long enough to be certain that Ares would comply, then crawled over to his pile of clothes. He leafed through them, then returned, holding a small vial.

Ares frowned. "That isn't going to last us long."

"Ah, but it will." Joxer smiled. "I made this up before we left. It automatically refills itself, and it's such a minor thing, no one will ever be able to trace it."

"Oh. Well then. Good planning." He arched up, trying to lure Joxer back into contact, displaying his arousal. Then, a small rustling noise caught his attention, and he looked out the corner of his eyes. A flash of curly blonde hair alerted him to their audience. "We have company," he told Joxer in a hushed tone.

Joxer paused, cocking his head. "Who?"

"Iolaus, I believe. Damn! I don't want you to stop." He pouted in disappointment.

"Who said anything about stopping? I don't care if you don't." Narrowing his eyes, Joxer knelt next to him. "Turn over," he demanded shortly.

Ares shrugged and eagerly did as he was ordered, rolling and tucking his knees under him, raising his ass invitingly.

Joxer reached a hand out toward the tempting display, smoothing it over the reddened indentations his teeth had left. He stroked the skin for a moment, then slapped it. "Hands and knees." He oiled his fingers, sliding them between the tight mounds. "Wider," he whispered, and when Ares' thighs parted to admit him, he slid two fingers into the clenching ring of muscle.

"Yessss." Ares opened himself even more, flexing around the wiggling digits teasing inside him. He grunted, pressing back in a wordless plea.

"More?" Joxer grinned at the grunted reply, taking it as a 'yes', and removed his fingers, moving in behind Ares. He lined himself up, then thrust inside with one long stroke. "Enough?" he asked as he covered Ares' body with his own.

"Never." Ares rocked forward, then back, driving his lover's cock deeper inside him.

Joxer held Ares' hips in a fierce grip as he began to move slowly, building up speed until he was fairly pounding in and out of his husband's hot depths.

Ares shook his head, moaning. He began clenching rhythmically around the invading rod, milking his lover.

Joxer gasped, going with it for a moment, then stilled abruptly.

Ares groaned at the loss of stimulation, twisting himself backwards as he almost sobbed in frustration. "Pleeease..." he whimpered, tossing his head back and forth.

Joxer ran his hands along his lover's sweaty flanks, reaching up to grab hold of his shoulders. Bending forward, he licked up the side of Ares' neck, then growled, "Mine."

Ares shook, wrenching his hips back and forth. The blunt teeth digging into his neck stopped him, and his pupils dilated wildly. The pressure built, and he tilted his head to the side, panting. "Always and forever, love," he gasped out.

With a snarl, Joxer bit harder until he tasted the slight tang of Ares' blood in his mouth. Dragging himself away from the burning flesh, he pulled his cock out nearly all the way, then slammed back in, raking over the tender nub of flesh inside his husband.

Ares howled, convulsing as each subsequent stroke passed over the same spot, leaving him writhing under Joxer.

Joxer continued thrusting, all the while whispering into Ares' ear. "Cum for me, mine, cum for me. Feel me. In you, over you, owning you." He nibbled, gently now, then kept speaking. "You want it. You want me. Feel my cock inside you, fucking you. I want you to cum for me now, love."

Ares let out a sobbing cry, his entire body quivering with need. Then Joxer bit down again, lightly, and slammed in with all his might. Ares gave a strangled shout and came hard, his seed spurting out to coat his belly and the grass under him. His upper body sank to the ground in exhaustion, the rest of him supported only by the rigid cock he was still impaled upon.

Joxer savored the internal convulsions, waiting until they had calmed before thrusting again, softly. His gentle rocking went on for a half-dozen strokes before the still-quivering channel proved to be too much, and he came as well, emptying himself deep inside of his husband.

They remained locked in place for endless seconds, then collapsed in a breathless heap. Eventually, Ares turned so he could embrace Joxer, holding the trembling man close.

Joxer hummed happily, snuggling in. "Yours," he whispered breathlessly, nuzzling Ares' chest.

Ares wrapped his arms around his husband's sweaty form. "Mine," he replied with a tired smile.

Iolaus backed away, unable to believe what he'd just seen. Sure, the fact that Ares and Joxer claimed to be married indicated that they must occasionally have sex, but never in his wildest dreams would he have imagined it to be so...passionate. So feral. And Joxer...gods, I'd never have thought he'd act like that. So forceful; and Ares let him.

Lost in thought again, he wandered back to camp, grateful that neither of the men had noticed him while he'd been so entranced. Once there, he quietly arranged his bed, crawling in. Not too long after his own arrival, he was alerted to the return of the others. He watched through slitted eyes as Ares made up a bed, climbing under the blankets and holding them up for Joxer, who joined him. They shifted around until Ares was spooned behind Joxer, wrapping him tightly in his arms.

Closing his eyes, Iolaus tried hard to go to sleep. His mind whirled, though, as he processed the uncharacteristic behavior he'd witnessed. And not just the incident by the stream, but all day. He had a feeling the six people across the fire would prove to be more than anyone had ever supposed they were.

The night's sleep didn't seem to have done much good. Gabrielle, especially, was looking ever more annoyed and angry whenever she managed to catch sight of Ares and Joxer in yet another loving exchange. Still, a minor agreement had been reached when it was decided that, no matter where they were supposed to go, they would need more supplies. Thus, the current trek into Epidaurus.

Iolaus sighed as yet another of his approaches to Hercules was rebuffed. Giving up for the moment, he dropped back behind the rest, walking absently as his mind churned.

"What are you thinking about?"

The question surprised Iolaus, and he jumped slightly. "Joxer. Hey. You know, nothing important really."

Joxer nodded, not believing a word of it. "Uh-huh." He shrugged. "Maybe I should go back over to the others."

"No!" Iolaus grabbed the other man's arm. "I'd...I'd like to talk. If you don't mind."

Grinning, Joxer fell into step with the hunter. "You sure? Associating with me doesn't appear to be winning you any points with mister high-and-mighty over there."

Iolaus winced at the glare Hercules was aiming his way, but determined to ignore the demi-god's mood swings. "I'll deal with it...later."

"Whatever."

They walked in silence for a few minutes, then Iolaus cleared his throat. "So. You and Ares. Wow."

Joxer snorted, casting a leering gaze over his husband as Ares walked in front of him. "Yeah. Wow. Good call."

Flushing as he recalled the events that he'd witnessed the previous night, Iolaus tried to banish the remembered images from his mind. Succeeding to some extent, he gamely pressed on. "So...how long have you two been together?"

Joxer cocked his head thoughtfully. "A while," he responded with a tiny grin.

"What, since before you met up with Xena and all of us?"

"You...could say that."

"You're being evasive. Come on, give. How long have you guys been knocking boots?" Iolaus waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Joxer held up his fingers and pretended to count. After a short while of this, Iolaus punched his arm lightly. "Stop that! I'm sure you don't have to count, just tell me," he said with a grin.

Deciding to be honest with the man, since he really did like him, Joxer answered, "Well, this year will be our 234th anniversary."

Iolaus stopped dead in his tracks, gaping. Then he chuckled. "Hey, if you didn't want to tell me, fine."

Joxer just gave him a serious look. "I'm not joking, Iolaus."

Sobering, the hunter stared at him in shock. "But...how? I mean, that's a long time!"

"Well, you know, us gods tend to be immortal."

"You...gods. You?" Iolaus blinked, mouth hanging open as the implications of this struck him.

Joxer leaned close and tapped his jaw shut. "Yes, me. But do me a favor and don't spread it around. I don't think the rest could take another revelation like that."

"Yeah. Sure. Right." He nodded weakly, still somewhat dazed by the entire concept of the man they'd all seen as a bumbling -- if well-meaning -- idiot actually being a god. An Olympian. It boggled the mind.

With a shake of his head and a wry, understanding grin, Joxer nudged Iolaus back into motion. "Surprised?" he asked, well aware of the impact his news had made on the hunter.

"You...could say that." Iolaus walked mindlessly, still dazed by what he'd learned. "So you're not really...you know...a-a...um"

"Complete moron, wannabe warrior, idiotic dolt?" Joxer barked out a laugh. "No. Thank all the gods, no, I'm not."

"But...why this elaborate setup? With you following Xena and Gabrielle around all the time?"

Joxer shrugged. "Well, it actually started as a way for Ares to keep an eye on Xena after she had her little change of heart about being a warlord. For some reason, she's always been able to tell when he was around, so he couldn't, um, look in on her himself. And a pathetic fool who couldn't take care of himself was just the type of person she'd let close to her in an attempt to provide protection. " He chuckled darkly at the thought of needing Xena's protection, then went on. "Eventually, it evolved into a very elaborate, but extremely amusing, source of entertainment." He chuckled. "What can I say...we gods tend to bore easily."

"So...it was all just a game?"

"Hmmm...pretty much. Oh, it wasn't precisely scripted, and everyone's actions were their own. We never influenced anyone like that; we wanted the genuine stuff. We just...led people to believe certain things and then lived up to their expectations." Joxer shot a glance at Iolaus' disgruntled companions. "You understand if I prefer you to keep that low-key. Now would not be a good time to break the news to them; it's already hard enough trying to work together."

"Yeah. Well, doesn't look like I'm up for much conversation with them anyway. I get the feeling Herc's a bit...miffed with me." He smiled sadly, heaving a sigh.

Joxer clapped him on the shoulder. "Hey, look on the bright side...at least you won't have to endure any of his oh-so-unamusing wit for a while!"

Iolaus snorted. "There is that," he murmured softly.

The group dragged themselves into town, tense from the effort of not killing each other in a fit of anger. They stabled Argo, and split up to gather food, extra clothes, spare weapons, and any other supplies they might find themselves in need of. By unspoken agreement, they met up again a few hours later to distribute and pack their purchases.

Joxer opened his pack to see if he could somehow cram in the new pair of calf-high leather boots that Strife had brought back for him, claiming they were 'like, totally the shit!' He smiled as he chuckled softly, carefully rearranging the contents of his pack to make room for the new additions. Upset by his jostling, a small scroll fell out and rolled across the floor.

Everyone fell silent as they watched the seemingly innocent looking scroll come to a halt, the ribbon tied around it fluttering gently. However, the fact that the scroll glowed softly as it lay there gave proof to its 'unusual' origins.

"I didn't pack that," Joxer remarked quietly. He made no move to pick it up.

"You know what that is, don't you?" Eris asked no one in particular, knowing that the majority of those present knew exactly what kind of scroll it was.

Gabrielle frowned. "Well, I don't," she announced, hands planted firmly on her hips.

Cupid swallowed. "Um, see, it's like...a decree. Sort of. The, um, the Fates, they send 'em out sometimes. And whatever they say usually sucks. A lot." He took an unconscious step away from the scroll, bumping into Strife, who clutched at his arm with a worried expression on his face.

Autolycus perked up. "I say we just leave it here. Who's with me?" Eris, Strife and Cupid all raised their hands, clustering together as the continued to move away from the scroll.

Joxer shook himself, fixing the others with a stern glare. "Don't be such babies," he scolded. Steeling himself, he walked over and picked up the scroll, unfurling it. Clearing his throat, he read aloud.

"Follow the path that the Fates shall decree;
The one you must use is the one who can see.

Through death yielding life and through love born of pain,
That which you lose shall be counted as gain.

By places you journey, by tasks you complete
You all shall acquire the means to defeat.

Use all that you have, beard the foe in his den
And the world shall be rendered safe once again.

But should you not learn, should you stumble and fall,
The heavens shall shatter as dark conquers all."

When Joxer fell silent, Ares sighed heavily, his jaw clenched. "Did I ever mention how much I loathe those women?" He strode over to grab the scroll from Joxer, glaring at the parchment. "I mean, why can't they just say what they fucking well mean! Why do they have to be so...obscure!?"

Joxer patted his arm comfortingly. "Don't let it get to you, mine," he whispered.

"Can I--?" Iolaus stepped forward, holding out his hand. Joxer surrendered the scroll to him, and the hunter peered at it. "Follow the path..." he muttered, squinting. "That...the...Fa---" He looked up again, biting his lip. "Um...the words are fading."

Hercules stepped over, snatching the scroll away. He glared at the disappearing words as if he could bring them back by sheer force of will. "What did you do?" he accused Iolaus.

"What? Nothing!" Iolaus' eyes narrowed as he seriously considered doing physical harm to his friend.

"It's...it's blank." Hercules let the scroll drop, and its clean surface stared up at the group that gathered around it. "It's not going to be any good to us now."

"It's not that big a deal," Joxer remonstrated the demi-god.

"Oh, really? And what if there was something important there that we'll need to know later on? Hmm?"

Shrugging casually, Joxer looked at Hercules with a faintly superior expression. "Then I guess it's a good thing that some of us will remember what it says." He glanced around. "Who else memorized that as I was reading?"

Eris' hand shot up, and she leveled a smug look at Hercules, who glowered back. Ares raised his hand too, as did Autolycus.

"What?" the thief asked defensively as Xena and Gabrielle gave him an incredulous stare. "You never know when these things will come in handy."

Xena shook her head, rolling her eyes. She turned to Gabrielle. "Gabrielle, could you get that down on one of your scrolls, just in case?"

The bard pouted. "I don't remember all of it," she mumbled.

Strife snorted. "Oh yeah, great bard ya got there, Xena."

"Shut up!" Gabrielle started across the room, only to find herself blocked by Xena's bulk.

Cupid had also moved in front of Strife, hovering protectively. "Don't even think about it," he hissed venomously. His hand strayed toward a newly purchased dagger. "I won't even hesitate," he warned her.

"Gabrielle!" Xena waited until she had the bard's attention. "Get out a scroll."

Gabrielle spun around, stalking over to her own pack, quickly extracting a scroll, quill, and some ink. Teeth grinding, she waited for someone to recite the words to her.

Not even bothering to hide a giggle, Eris began, speaking slowly as if she were talking to someone of less than average intelligence. She even paused occasionally to spell out a word, earning a frosty glare from Gabrielle.

Finally, they had their own copy, and Iolaus pointed to the scroll that still lay on the floor. "So what do we do with that?"

Ares frowned. "They usually disappear after they've been read. I don't know why it's still here. Especially when it's blank now."

"Um, excuse me?" Autolycus walked over and picked the scroll up, holding it at arm's length. "It's not blank," he told them. "See? Right there...it says 'Nauplia', clear as day."

Everyone gaped at him blankly.

"What? Can't you see it?"

"Auto? There, uh, there ain't nothin' there, man." Strife tried to break the news gently, fearing for his cousin's sanity.

"Of course there is! See?" His finger jabbed the middle of the scroll. "Geez, am I the only one who can see it?"

"The one who can see..." Joxer whispered. He cleared his throat, speaking louder. "The one who can see," he repeated. "It said...'The one you must use is the one who can see.' Autolycus can see."

"Yeah, an' I wouldn't mind using him," Eris muttered to herself, licking her lips. Cupid overheard her comment, and gave her a wink, to which she blushed in response.

"Well then," Ares said decisively. "I guess we'll head over to Nauplia, then."

"Do you, uh...?" Autolycus held out the scroll, obviously not wanting to keep it. Joxer smiled and took it back, rolling it up and replacing it in his pack. "So, how about we get some lunch, and then get going?" he suggested. "We can probably make it there by late afternoon tomorrow."

"I think I have a blister." Gabrielle slumped down on her bedroll and yanked off her boot. She prodded the reddened, swollen area with a scowl on her face.

Eris waved a hand under her nose. "Aw, warn a girl when you're gonna do that!" She snickered at the glare Gabrielle shot her way, then turned her back on the bard. She watched raptly as Autolycus brushed the dust off his thighs and backside, all the while grumbling under his breath.

"Oh yeah, now I remember why I hate traveling like this. I think this dust is embedded in my skin! And how did it manage to get under my clothes?"

"I could tell ya, but then I'd hafta kill ya." Strife giggled at the glare the thief aimed in his direction.

"Oh, ha ha." Autolycus chuckled sarcastically. Wriggling uncomfortably, he rummaged through his pack, searching for the bar of scented soap he'd packed. "Yes!" He held it up triumphantly. He also pulled out a towel. "Well, I'm going to go rid myself of this grime." With a farewell nod, he ambled off toward the lake that was nearby.

Joxer watched him go. He shrugged. "The man has a good idea," he remarked casually. "No offense, love," he said with a significant look at Ares, "but you could do with a little cleanup yourself."

Ares growled and swatted at him playfully, but Joxer ducked the blow and jumped up, sprinting after Autolycus. With a wicked chuckle, Ares dug out their towels and soap, then followed his husband.

Cupid and Strife looked at each other and shrugged. More sedately, they got out their own bathing supplies, then strolled away from the camp.

Eris blinked. "Oh yeah, like I'm gonna hang out here with you freaks," she scoffed. With a toss of her hair, she stretched then stood, heading off toward the lake for a bath of her own.

Xena looked at her remaining companions, then down at her own dust covered body. She caught Gabrielle's eye, seeing the same look of distaste there. She cleared her throat. "Right. So." Standing, she helped Gabrielle up, and they followed in the wake of the others.

Iolaus gazed after them longingly, then glanced over at Hercules. "Did you want to, um, join them?"

"Not likely!" came the snarled reply.

"Oh." Iolaus scuffed his foot against the ground and stared morosely at the fire. He shot another glance at his brooding companion, then sighed heavily.

"Oh, don't let me spoil your fun!" Hercules barked sarcastically.

Iolaus bounced up, grinning. "Ok." He snatched up his bag of bathing supplies and raced off towards the lake.

Hercules glowered after him, then kicked a nearby stick into the fire.

Iolaus followed the sounds of splashing and laughter, emerging at the lake close by the trio of men bathing. He hurriedly skimmed out of his clothes, then leapt into the chilly water. "Hey guys," he said as he waded over to the others. "Where did Strife and Cupid go?"

Ares snickered, then winced as Joxer elbowed him sharply. Joxer just smiled at him sweetly, then answered Iolaus. "They wanted to be alone, so they've gone further down the shore."

"Oh." Then Iolaus caught on. "Oh! Oh, you mean they...oh." He blushed. "But...I mean...I never thought they'd be...close."

"It's new," Joxer explained. "Try not to make a big fuss over it, they're still a bit shy."

"Right. Sure. Um...what about...that is... Isn't Cupid married?" He flinched at the look of fury that flashed over Ares' face, grateful it wasn't directed toward him.

Joxer just shook his head sadly. "Not anymore. It...was a bad scene."

"Ok. Well, shutting up now." He gave a halfhearted chuckle, then inched his way over to Autolycus. "So," he began, hoping to strike up a less volatile conversation, "I never knew you were so well acquainted with the gods."

Autolycus ducked his head under the water to rinse out the soap suds. When he came up, he wiped the water away from his face. "Well, they're pretty much family, you know. Sure, we have our little spats, and I tend to get along with some more than others, but that's no reason to take it to the extent that a certain not-to-be named demigod tends to."

Iolaus snorted. "Tell me about it. I love the guy and all, but he seriously needs to lighten up!"

A moan caught their attention, and they turned to see Ares and Joxer practically devouring each other. Autolycus cleared his throat. "Um, perhaps we should...move a bit that way."

"Er, yeah, right." Iolaus quickly followed Autolycus until a patch of reeds was blocking them from the show the others were putting on.

As they continued with their bathing, ignoring the cries the breeze carried their way, Autolycus took the opportunity to examine Iolaus' smooth, muscular form. He cleared his throat. "So, I've always wondered. Are you and Hercules...you know?"

Iolaus frowned. "I know?"

Autolycus rolled his eyes. "Yeah, you know." he made a vague motion with his hands.

Iolaus was stumped for a minute, then blushed fiercely. "You mean--? No! He's just...I mean, we're friends!"

"Ah." Autolycus nodded in understanding. "Gotcha." Then his look turned shrewd. "But you wanted it to be more, right?"

Iolaus sighed and shrugged. "Maybe. A long time ago. Things were different when we were younger. We've both changed now, and...it would never work out. I'm happy with the way things are between us." He snorted wryly. "Well, most of the time. Lately though..." He shook his head. "He's not exactly happy with me."

"Well, if you ask me, he's a bit of a spoiled brat, and needs to learn he can't always have things his way." Then Autolycus chuckled. "Then again, I'm not much of one to go around judging others."

Iolaus laughed. "No, I imagine not. Blast!"

"What's wrong?"

Iolaus patted at the water around him. "I dropped my soap."

Autolycus smirked. "Here, let me help."

Ares and Joxer lay on the grass, damp and panting. With a groan, Joxer levered himself on top of his husband. "So," he said quietly, "Iolaus seems to be taking this whole thing rather better than the others."

Ares grunted. "Curly's not too bad, I suppose. Once he's away from my dimwitted brother's influence, anyway."

"Hmm." Joxer yawned and snuggled closer to Ares. "What do you think about Strife and Cupid?"

Ares grinned. "I think they'll be good for each other. And Strife is much better choice than Psyche ever was."

"You're just saying that because he's your son," Joxer teased.

"Well, he's your son too, love. Besides, I want my boys to be happy. Strife always seemed lonely, even when he was surrounded by people who love him. I think...maybe he's been pining after Cupid all this time, and now that he has a chance..." Ares shrugged.

Joxer kissed him. "You're a wonderful father, Ares. Don't ever let anyone tell you differently."

"So are you," Ares whispered back.

Eris slid into the cool water gratefully. She'd always loathed being dirty, and the heat of the day combined with the dusty roads had served to give her a layer of filth that she was only too happy to be rid of. With a blissful smile, she dunked her head under, completely submerging herself.

She lingered beneath the surface for as she could. It was better when she wasn't mortal; then she didn't have to worry about running out of air, and could stay under for as long as she wanted, floating in the calm, relaxing embrace of her uncle's realm.

She grinned, allowing a small stream of bubbles to escape her mouth, as a water nymph circled in front of her. The undine giggled as she played with the tiny bubbles until they reached the surface. Then, she turned back to Eris, smiling mischievously as she twirled around, letting her fingers tickle over Eris' skin.

Suddenly, the nymph halted her games, darting a frightened glance toward the shallow water. In a flurry of pale flesh and shimmering hair, she swirled away.

Lungs burning, Eris launched herself back to the surface. She gasped in a breath of air, then pushed her sodden hair away from her face. She glared at the intruders.

Gabrielle glared right back. Xena just sighed and held up her hands in a conciliatory manner. "Can we just call a truce for a while here? Long enough to get clean?"

Eris snorted softly. "Whatever." She ignored the other women as they finished undressing and entered the lake. Wading over to where she had left her supplies, she began to clean herself quickly, not wanting to remain now that her languid, pleasurable mood had been banished by the arrival of the warrior and her bard.

Xena sighed. She didn't particularly like the Goddess of Discord, but she figured she could at least try to be civil. She cleared her throat and moved a little closer to Eris. "So. That's...a very nice smelling shampoo you're using."

Eris peered back at Xena through the suds on her face. She blinked, not exactly sure how to respond. Not seeing any ridicule on Xena's face, she decided to take her words at face value. "Thanks," she answered very quietly. "The flowers and herbs are from Joxer's garden, and 'Dite did some fiddling around and came up with a bunch of different scented soaps and stuff."

"Oh." Xena was a little taken aback by this, but she tried not to show it. "I didn't realize you and Aphrodite were close."

Eris looked at her askance. "We're family," she explained with a dismissive shrug.

Gabrielle finally noticed that Xena had left her side. She glared at Eris, then hissed, "Xena!"

Xena gave Eris a tentative smile, then moved back over toward Gabrielle. "What is it?" she hissed back.

Hands on hips, the bard gave her a very stern look. "What are you doing talking to her?" she demanded.

"Gabrielle, can't you at least make an attempt to be nice? We're not going to do anyone any good if we're constantly sniping at each other!" Xena admonished softly.

"Oh really? And what happened to your 'let's just avoid each other' policy, huh? Or was I hearing things?"

She heaved a sigh. "Things have changed a little now, Gabrielle. I think that, considering the prophecy in that scroll, we're all going to need to learn to work together. We can't do that if we're divided."

"Hmph." Gabrielle turned away from Xena, making a big production out of washing her hair while she ignored her friend."

"Gabby...please? Try?" Xena set a hand on her shoulder, squeezing lightly.

Gabrielle splashed the water angrily, then she gritted her teeth and gave a jerky nod.

"Good." Xena pushed her towards Eris. "Now...go make nice, ok?"

Eris felt someone approaching, and she spun around. She groaned when she saw the very unhappy bard wading in her direction. "What do you want?" she snapped when Gabrielle was within hearing distance.

Gabrielle pasted on a rather sickly-looking smile. "Xena thinks I should get...acquainted with you," she choked out.

Eris rolled her eyes, then went back to her bathing.

"Look, can't you at least pretend to be holding a polite conversation with me?" She snuck a glance over to where Xena was watching them closely. With another forced smile, she continued, "You do realize that I'm only speaking with you to get Xena off my case, right?

Eris curled her lip in disgust. "Well, don't hurt yourself trying. As a matter of fact, don't even bother trying." She turned her back on the bard.

Gabrielle fumed about being dismissed like that. "Gee," she said sarcastically, "I can't imagine why you don't have crowds of people lining up to be your friend." She crossed her arms, sneering. "No wonder nobody likes you," she hissed scathingly. "You act like a bitch, dress like a freak, and look like a cow. Besides, who would want to be around a 'god' who's a homicidal maniac? I'm not surprised you fit in so well with Ares' little group of losers."

Eris felt her heart seize up. As much as she tried to deny it, those harsh words had struck her like a physical blow. Jaw clenched, she struggled not to show how mush she was affected. "Not like you have a lot of room to talk," she retorted in a thick voice. Then, before she lost control of herself, she ducked under the water to rinse off. Clean now, she grabbed her things and splashed to shore.

Gabrielle watched her go, a smug look of triumph on her face.

"What happened?" Xena came up behind Gabrielle, watching in confusion as Eris hurriedly struggled into her clothes and rushed away.

Gabrielle shrugged. "How should I know? Maybe she just decided she was tired. She's probably headed back to camp."

"Hmmm." Xena studied her friend dubiously for a moment. Sighing, she resumed her own bath. "Well, we should probably finish up and get back too."

Eris wiped at her eyes, panting harshly as she pushed blindly through the woods. After a few minutes, she stopped, leaning miserably against a tree. She sniffled, then scrubbed at her face angrily.

"Who gives a fuck what she thinks?" she muttered, furious with herself for being upset by what the bard had said to her. "I don't need friends," she spat out. "I have my family, and that's all that matters!" But even as she spoke, she was remembering the way Ares and Joxer had grown from passing acquaintances, to friends, to eventually lovers and mates. And even now, how the friendship and brotherly affection between Cupid and Strife had started to grow into something more, something that she almost...envied.

Eris shook herself. "No," she whispered fiercely, "I don't envy them! I'm happy for them! They deserve to have someone to love...someone to love them back!" She didn't give voice to the nagging thought that she didn't deserve the same.

She continued to stand there until her breathing had returned to normal. Brushing off, she straightened and lifted her head proudly. Glancing around, she oriented herself and turned in the direction of the camp. Cautiously, she moved through the brush.

Only by extreme force of will did she manage to keep from shrieking when she practically ran down another figure moving silently through the woods. Hand over her heart, she glared at Iolaus. "Watch it!"

Iolaus, who had automatically reached out to steady her when they'd collided, let his arms drop. He gave her a lopsided grin. "Sorry," he offered. "I didn't figure anyone else would be out here." His forehead crinkled in thought. "Why aren't you back with the others, anyway?"

"What, I'm not allowed out without an escort or something?" Eris snapped defensively. "Who died and made you my keeper?"

Iolaus stepped back a bit, hands held up in a placating gesture. "Hey, slow down!" He chuckled a bit. "Let's try this again." He made a sweeping bow. "My dear lady, can you ever forgive this poor wretch for his callous mistreatment of your person?"

Eris blinked. The corner of her mouth twitched. A rather strangled snorting sound escaped her, and she covered her mouth.

"Ah no, you can't fool me! You're smiling, aren't you?" He leaned close, coaxing Eris' hand away and inspecting the quivering lips. Nodding in a very satisfied manner, he broke into a joyous grin. "Yeah, that's a smile. Barely." He squinted for a closer look.

Eris giggled, then again slapped her hand over her mouth, her eyes growing wide.

Iolaus sighed heavily. "You shouldn't hide your smiles like that," he scolded gently. "You're beautiful when you smile."

Eris' jaw dropped in astonishment. Her breath caught in her throat when she realized that Iolaus was being perfectly serious. She blushed furiously.

Iolaus cocked his head as he studied her; he would never have imagined it, but she looked positively ethereal in the dappled moonlight. So...exquisite. Fragile, even.

Eris coughed, turning away and glancing nervously into the shadowy forest. She cleared her throat. "So, um, what are you doing out here alone? Did the great Hercules decide you weren't fit company for him anymore?"

Iolaus rolled his eyes. "Ok, I'll admit that Herc is being a little...stubborn about this situation. But he's normally an ok guy." He could see Eris wasn't buying that, so he changed the subject. "Actually, I was down at the lake with the rest of the gang. Well, sort of. Actually, it was just me and Autolycus. Cupid and Strife had gone off by themselves, and Ares and Joxer started getting a little...vocal." He turned a bit pink when he said that. "Anyway, me and Auto decided to give them some privacy."

Eris snickered. "Yeah, they do tend to forget they have an audience, don't they?"

Iolaus nodded in agreement. Hesitantly, he asked, "They seem to be happy. Don't they?"

With a wistful look on her face, Eris replied, "They love each other."

"Yeah."

They stood in silence for a while, until Iolaus shuffled his feet noisily. "So, guess we should head back, huh?"

"Yeah. Ok."

Moving awkwardly around each other, they set off back to camp.

Once the group had settled down for the night, Autolycus sat up and quietly slipped out of his bedroll, moving quickly away from the light of the fire into the shadows surrounding the small clearing where they had set up camp. He stared up at the patches of night sky that were visible from his vantage point, sighing.

Things weren't progressing quite the way he'd hoped.

In the still of the night, when no one was around and nobody would ever know, Autolycus could be honest with himself. He wasn't the heroic type like Xena or even Hercules. He wasn't a warrior like Ares or Discord, and to a lesser degree, Joxer or Strife. He wasn't even all that brave most times, preferring to keep as far from life-threatening danger as was possible.

No, at times like this Autolycus could admit, if only to himself, that he didn't quite measure up to any of his godly relatives. Sure, he was drop dead gorgeous, had more charm than he knew what to do with, and could steal just about anything that could possibly be stolen. But...

He sighed. The others might not know, but he did. He wasn't here out of any sense of duty or desire to save the world. He was here for one reason and one reason only.

Discord. Eris to her close family.

Eris, with her eyes like sparkling shard of obsidian, and soft raven hair. Eris, with her skin like pale cream, and her lips so soft and begging to be kissed. Eris, the goddess who Autolycus had somehow managed to fall head over heels for.

The goddess who generally treated him like a pesky younger brother when she deigned to notice him at all.

Autolycus heaved another sigh.

It didn't help that just a few hours ago, Eris had returned to camp just behind Iolaus, and proceeded to cast the man occasional glances that Autolycus would swear were laced with burgeoning desire.

Well, not that he could really blame her. Iolaus was rather cute, in a puppyish sort of way. That head full of luscious curly hair, those hands that looked like they could do such wicked things to a lover's body, and that ass!

But why couldn't Eris look at him that way? Why couldn't she look at him, eyes shining with...love?

Autolycus smacked his forehead and shook himself, moment of honesty over. He'd win her over eventually. After all, who could resist Autolycus, the dashing King of Thieves?

Of course, he still hadn't figured out what he was going to do about Iolaus.

Eris shrugged away the itching sensation between her shoulder blades, glancing behind her again. Her eyes narrowed when she saw Autolycus pointedly looking in another direction. Facing forward again, she thought.

Something was up with that thief. She had no real proof, but she could swear he'd been giving her the strangest looks all morning.

Eris growled softly. If he thought he was going to mess with her, she'd teach him a thing or two about being a war god! Even if he was too cute for words...and in possession of one of the nicest asses Eris had ever had the pleasure of ogling.

Iolaus' wasn't half bad, either.

Eris glared, mentally berating herself for that. Iolaus was one of them. Granted, perhaps a bit nicer and certainly more charming, but still one of them. And she absolutely, positively, without a doubt was not ogling one of them.

Her eyes flicked over to take another peek at Iolaus' leather-clad ass.

Damn it.

"Well, this is it."

Cupid wrinkled his nose as he stared down at the city. "Smells like fish. Lots of dead fish."

Ares snorted as he reached over and whapped him gently upside the head. "Most coastal cities do. What do you think they eat most of the time?"

Cupid pouted a little, rubbing his head as if it hurt. "I hate fish," he muttered.

"Must run in the family," Joxer murmured. "'Dite isn't too big on them either."

Cupid shrugged. "Whatever. Can we at least leave soon?" He tried not to sound like he was whining.

"That might be rather difficult considering we don't even know why we're here to begin with!" Gabrielle snapped.

"Watch it, girlie, or I might hafta get rough with ya," Strife snarled at her, stepping defensively in front of Cupid.

"Yeah? You and what army?" Gabrielle lifted her staff, holding it in front of her with a sure grip.

"Enough!"

Everyone flinched a little at the bellow and turned to see Ares glowering at them. He pointed at Gabrielle, "You, can it. And you," his finger moved to indicate Strife, "start any fights with them and your ass and my hand are going to be getting reacquainted, I don't care how old you are!"

Strife turned pink and stepped back, and hand reflexively moving to hover protectively over his rear end. "But Pops--"

Ares glared and let out a snarl.

Strife pouted and hunched over, stepping back and huddling against Cupid, who laid an arm over his shoulder.

Joxer cleared his throat. "If I may interrupt?" He laid his pack down and rummaged through it, withdrawing 'the scroll'. "What?" he asked as the others shuffled a bit farther away from him. "Oh, come on. It got us here, stands to reason that it'll tell us what to do." He unrolled the scroll and shook his head. "Still looks blank to me. You guys?" He turned it around.

Everyone but Autolycus shook their heads. The thief stepped forward and took the scroll. "It says 'crystal tear'." He cocked his head, looking blank. Then, comprehension dawned and he smiled. "Well. This should be interesting." He tossed the scroll back to Joxer, who caught it with a bemused look on his face.

"What? What does it mean?" Xena asked.

"I'll...um...I'll tell you over lunch. Man, I'm starved! You know, I've heard of this great inn here, serves the best roast boar. You coming?" Still grinning hugely, he sauntered away, leaving the rest staring at him in consternation.

"Sometimes," Joxer stated calmly as he rolled up the scroll and put it away, "I really start to despise that man."

"Tell me about it," Ares replied. "When he gets like this, there's no prying anything from him. Must get that from his father."

Joxer elbowed him in the ribs, then started off after Autolycus.

With varying degrees of annoyance, the rest of the group followed.

Cupid paused and held onto Strife's arm as he tried to move, and two hung back a little as the others began the short trek down into the city behind the cheerfully whistling Autolycus.

"S'up?"

"Dad means well, y'know?" Cupid told him softly.

"I know," Strife admitted reluctantly. "But why's he gotta go an' treat me like a kid? I mean, it's totally gonna ruin my rep with the freaky four."

"He a parent. Trust me on this, parents live for humiliating their kids. And you're not the only one whose butt has gotten up close and personal with Dad's hand. Let me tell you, I snuck into one of Mom's 'special' orgies once a couple of centuries ago. Well, Dad was there and when he saw me...man, my ass has never been that red since! And the chewing out I got from Mom... It didn't help that most of the major gods were attending and got a front row seat of me being dragged out by my ear, and Dad barely got me out of the room before turning me over his knee." Cupid had flushed a little at the remembered embarrassment. "I couldn't look any of 'em in the eye for years after."

Strife giggled softly. "Aww, poor baby." He hugged Cupid.

Cupid hugged back. "Feel better?"

"Yeah." Strife kissed his cheek. "I'm glad I got ya for a brothah," he admitted. "An' I guess I ain't too pissed at Pops for threatenin' ta paddle me. I guess I can be a brat sometimes, huh?"

"Sometimes?" Cupid grinned to let Strife know he was joking. He gave strife a brief peck on the lips. "Come on, we'd better catch up with the others."

TBC...

So??? Let me know what you think!

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws