Wings of Love
By JoeyRZ and Shamenka
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Disclaimer: We don’t Joxer, Ares and the rest of the gang, they belong to TPTB at RenPic and to Greek Mythology, but we *do* own Atera. Not making any money/cash/dinero/little green presidents out of this, only the extreme satisfaction of feedback <bg>.
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Olympus, Temple of Love and Mischief....

“Unc! Ares help!”

“Dad!”

The fervent cries of his son and nephew brought the god of war instantly to their temple, Joxer appearing right beside him less than a second later.

“What’s wrong?” Ares asked as he moved towards the two gods.

A sweaty, pale, god of mischief looked up from where he laid on the bed and spat, “I’m in labor, that’s what’s fucking wrong!”

“And you called me? Where’s Asclepius?” Ares’ normally cool and calm façade started crumbling underneath a wave of panic.

Cupid answered this time, since Strife started having a contraction. “We’ve been calling him for like, forever and he hasn’t come yet.”

“Unc, you either get someone to get this baby out of me or I will make everyone in Olympus’ lives a living Tartarus for all eternity!”

Joxer came over and laid a hand on Strife’s forehead, calming him immediately. Muttering his thanks and shaking out the hand that had been crushed, Ares bellowed for his older brother.

In a shimmer of blinding light, Apollo came to being in Cupid and Strife’s chamber. Seeing the scene unfolding before him, the sun god wasted no time in asking the details of the contractions.

“Where’s Asc’? Isn’t he supposed to be over seeing your pregnancy?”

“He isn’t responding to us,” Cupid answered.

Apollo got a glazed over look in his eyes all the gods present understood as him talking to his son. Shaking himself out of the conversation, Apollo informed them that the god of medicine was treating a pregnant, mortal woman who’d been critically injured.

“It’s okay,” the mischief god whispered, Joxer keeping him calm. “Tell him to keep on treating her, I just want this baby out of me. You can do it, can’t you ‘Pol?”

“Hey, I taught Asc’ how to. But I need mom here too, and all of you out here.”

Right then, Hera appeared in all her queen of the gods glory.

“Oh, my! Everyone out, now!” she said, as she made a tray appear with various necessities for the delivery.

As Joxer moved so to leave, Strife started cursing at everyone and everything.

“Joxer, dear, you stay. Keep him calm.”

“Can’t I stay Grandma?”

“No, child. We have to cut the baby out and we can’t risk an infection.”

“Cut her out?! No! Why?”

Ares took hold of his son’s arms and led him out of the room. “Cupe, son, how else is she going to come out?”

“Oh.... but why can’t I--" the god of love, soon to be father, got cut off as he tried to enter the bedroom and a force field kept him out.

“Soon, Cupid, you’ll be able to see them both. Calm down a bit, will ya’?” The god of war said, holding his son close.

As he nodded, a few other gods started gathering in the hall outside the secured chambers. Both grandmothers-to-be rushed over to Ares and Cupid, bouncing in excitement, which made some of the younger gods present very bouncy themselves.

Twenty minutes and 23 seconds later, by Cupid’s count, a very strong baby cry carried out to the hall from inside the room. Everyone present started to cheer and congratulate Cupid, with everything from hugs to high-fives.

As Zeus hugged his grandson, Joxer’s head popped out of the door.

“Hera said it’s okay for Zeus, ‘Dite, Eris, Ares and of course, Cupid to come in now. Oh, and to tell everyone else to leave the beautiful, healthy, bouncing baby goddess alone and go home!” Joxer said in a mock stern voice, while holding the door open for those he mentioned.

Once inside, Apollo held out the little baby girl out for her dad to pick up. Holding her gingerly, he crossed over to where Strife lay, exhausted and barely awake.

“Hey love. Look, isn’t she beautiful?” Cupid asked, sitting down on the side of the bed, and laying the baby in Strife’s open arms.

Uncovering her, they discovered a mop of jet-black hair covering her head, and when she slowly opened her eyes, they were blue with a green tinge around them.

“She’s perfect.... umm.... ‘Pol? Come here.”

“What’s up?”

“Her back, what’s wrong with her back?” Strife asked, fear coloring his face as he turned the baby goddess over on his chest to expose her back, where two little bumps were moving.

“Oh, nothing. She’s just growing her wings. Thank Cupid here for that.”

“Wings...” Strife said in astonishment. “She’s growing her wings, Cupe!”

Three newly made grandparents and one grandfather-in-law were watching the whole tender exchange in an once-in-a-lifetime group hug.

The goddess of love broke out first to hug her son from behind, while Eris, reached for Strife’s free hand.

“So, sweetie. Whatcha’ gonna name her?”

Strife and Cupid looked at each other, then at the baby, then back at each other.

“I, we don’t know yet, mom.”

“How about Atera?” The young god of peace asked hesitantly.

Strife considered it a moment, before bursting out in a face splitting grin. “Atera.... I like it.”

“Me too.”

“Hi there Atera, meet your grandpa Ares,” Strife said as he handed the goddess to Ares.

While he held her, Joxer came around behind him and gathered Ares in a shared hug.

“Hi beautiful. Happy Birthday, Atera. She’s perfect.... gorgeous, guys. Congratulations,” Joxer said for both Ares and himself, his husband far beyond words.

“The assembly will be in three days, high noon. Enough time to get it all set for Atera’s formal presentation,” Zeus finally spoke. “And.... thank you sons, for giving me such a beautiful granddaughter.”

“Hey people! How’s about we split and give these three a chance to rest up?” Eris asked, being, for once, the voice of reason.

She was met with a chorus of agreements and one by one they all said their goodbyes, and left Cupid, Strife and the newest baby goddess on Olympus to sleep.

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Olympus, Temple of War and Peace, Later that day....

“So grandpa, how do you feel?”

“She is not my first grandchild. Remember Bliss? Stop trying to make me feel old.”

“You already are. Well, compared to me and every other mortal and half of Olympus.”

“Funny. Didn’t your mother ever teach you to respect your elders?”

Joxer’s laughter died on his lips. “No, my mother never taught me much of anything.... except how to feel bad when I didn’t do something right.”

Ares immediately regretted even mentioning Joxer’s family. The only one he’d shared that he was with Ares and a god was his brother Jace, who appeared to be as much despised by the rest of his family as Joxer.

The bond between the two brothers was amazing. They stuck together against their father and his abuse....

Damn! He didn’t want to think about that now. 

Ares decided a change in subject was very needed right about now.

“Atera is a very nice name. How you came up with it?”

“Actually, Jace thought of it. The last time I talked with him, I told him about her and how she managed Cupid’s jealousy, from the womb. Anyway, we go to talking about names, and he mentioned that she was like Ate, who dealt with all those angry emotions, but like it was for a different purpose the ‘ra’ in Atera, kinda made her the same but opposite. I don’t know. You know how Jace gets when he’s on a roll.”

“Well, next time you see him, tell him he had the unique honor of naming a goddess. No mortal has ever named a god before.”

“Really? He’ll be so happy and honored. He may even compose a song and dance for her,” Joxer said, laughing again.

Laying his head on Ares’ chest, Joxer asked a question that had been bothering ever since before they left Cupid and Strife’s temple.

“Ares, love?”

“Hum?”

“Both Atera and Bliss have wings, so that makes it hereditary. From whom does Cupid get his wings?”

“Me.”

“You?!”

“Yeah. They’re optional. It’s been centuries since I last grew them. They’re optional for all my line. Cupid prefers to wear his and Bliss is too young to avoid them just now.”

“Wow.... so if, let’s say, we have a kid, he or she will have wings too?”

“Probably,” Ares answered off-hand, and then registered exactly what Joxer had said.

“You want to have a kid with me?” Shock, surprise and a dash of hope were all very evident on the war god’s face.

“Do you?”

“I asked first.”

“Yeah,” Joxer admitted sheepishly. “I mean, you’ve already had a lot of kids, godly and mortal. I’ve never had one. I’ve always wanted to have one with the person I loved. When we got together I didn’t think there was the possibility, but obviously there is.”

“You want to have my kid, or want me to have your kid?”

“Same difference. Either, both. And you?”

“Both.”

“Really!?”

“Yeah, really, love.”

******************************

Olympus, Council Hall, Three days later, High Noon....

Two very exhausted, but very happy gods sat on the front row of the extra chairs brought into the Council Hall, in front of the thrones of The Twelve. 

Between them, finally resting, laid Atera, in the gold and silver crib Hephaestus had hand crafted as his and Aphrodite’s gift.

Baby Atera had been very fussy in her short lifetime, seemingly missing the warm safety of Strife’s womb. Sleeping in, or even sleeping the whole night, seemed a thing of the past. The honeymoon they had postponed until after her birth seemed even more distant now. ‘Dite and Eris had both refused to play babysitter for more than 12 consecutive hours. And with Psyche’s trial looming over them, they couldn’t afford to leave now, even with Atera on tow.

Zeus and Hera finally made their way towards their thrones, the other ten quickly following and settling into their own. As those present in the Great Hall quieted down, Zeus stood to speak.

“Three days ago the newest member of our family was born. The little goddess that already had won our hearts when, by her calling, she helped save her fathers. Will Cupid, god of love, and Strife, god of mischief, step forward and present their daughter?”

Both gods got up simultaneously, and Strife bent down to pick Atera up. Settling the sleeping goddess in his arms, Strife felt Cupid wind his arm around his waist and lead them towards the center of the hall.

“We stand here today to present our daughter, born out of the love and devotion we share, to you. To be accepted as Olympian by blood.”

The King and Queen of the gods stood and crossed to their grandsons’ side, and opened their joined hands to reveal the baby’s symbol of godhood. A delicate pendant depicting a heart rendered in two equal halves that were held together by the sword separating each of the two parts.

Hera took the pendant and placed it on the sleeping baby.

“Olympus, we give you Atera, goddess of jealousy!”

A round of cheering and applause signaled the end of the ceremony and the beginning of the reception party.

“Ceremonies just aren’t what they used to be,” Zeus grumbled as he and his wife made their way into the courtyard.

“We are dealing the attention span of the Olympians here, Dear.”

Ares made his way towards his son and nephew, grabbing Joxer on the way.

“Where’s my granddaughter? Give her here.... gimme.” Ares held his arms out, reaching eagerly for Atera, making grabbing motions with is hands.

“Go on, take her!”

“Tired already Strife?” Joxer laughed.

“Yeah, ya try sleeping with her bawling all night.”

“You try raising the god of mischief,” Eris said as she joined the group. “I’m sure Atera is a piece of Elysia compared to you!”

“Don’t whine Strife, I have been the one getting up to get her.”

“Yeah, to bring her to me to be fed!”

“You’re the one lactating!”

“Guys, guys come on. You can’t let a bit of sleep depravation start making you argue,” Joxer said, laying a hand on them both, calming them a bit.

“Hey, look!” Aphrodite interrupted, pointing their attention to Ares.

He had sat down in the shade of a big oak tree, and was singing softly to Atera, whose big blue-green eyes where locked on Ares’ mellow face. When he finished the song he started making faces at her and tickling her, making her coo and laugh.

While the other gods ohh’ed, ahh’ed, laughed and snickered at the picture Ares painted, Joxer’s heart melted.

This seeming vengeful, volatile, hateful god of war was really just Ares, a warm and caring husband and father. Any doubts he had of having a child with the god of war evaporated right there and then.

******************************
Wings of Change

Ares sat bare chested, in the cool interior of his main Thracian Temple. Before him stood Hercules and his husband Iolaus, Xena and her companion Gabrielle, and Cupid and his husband Strife, as well as his own husband, Joxer. All looking at him, waiting for him to tell them why they had been called together like this. Ares wriggled in his seat. The bumps on his back were driving him almost insane with their incessant itching. But before he could have the luxury of going insane he had important business to get through.

“Okay, listen up. The trial date is set for four days hence. Okay?” He looked at the sea of nodding heads before him. “Right, so this means that you two can get away for two nights, three if you go now and come back the night before the trial. Leave the kids with me and Joxer, and go, have some time to yourselves, huh?” He watched the growing looks of joy spreading over his son, and son in law’s faces. Then his own face contorted once more and the skin over his wing buds finally ruptured, letting his own feathery appendages spread, grow, and form. 

Before their startled faces, the reputedly evil God of War sat half naked sporting a brand new pair of white wings. Bigger than Cupid’s wings, fluffier, newer, and flapping as he tried to ease the pain associated with growing his wings for the first time in many hundreds of years.

“Pops!” Cupid dived for his father, recalling the comfort he had received as a child, snuggling into those same wings. Cupid buried his face in one snowy wing. “Oh, my God!” He exclaimed, somewhat shame faced when he realised just what it was he had said. “Oops?” He offered as an apology to both his husband and his father’s husband.

“Okay, enough of that. Since the trial is of a Goddess, and what happened happend on Olympus, then that is where the trial will be held. Under Olympian laws, but as the out come of the crime affected both our world and the mortal world, you four will be called on to give evidence of the fall out here on Earth. So you four have to come to Olympus with Jox and me.” Ares twitched his wings, bringing the one Cupid had hugged forward so he could stroke the feathers flat again.

“Why the wings?” Hercules finally asked, totally unable to take his eyes away from them.

“I’m baby sitting Bliss.” Ares informed him. He realised his daughter understood when he heard her in drawn breath. “Exactly!” He said, meeting her eyes with a grin.

“Can you fly?” Iolaus asked, reaching out till he was almost touching the nearest wing to him. “May I?” He asked, politely.

“Yes, and go ahead.” Ares reached out with that same wing till Iolaus stroked a single finger down the top ridge of the now twitching wing. “Argh!” Ares yelped and drew the wing away. “ Shit, I forgot about that!” he said, wings still twitching.

“Forgot about what?” Joxer asked.

“Dad’s wings are more sensitive to touch than mine. Older God, greater experience with them, more human in his responses.. blah, blah, yakkity, yak.. you know the drill.” Cupid muttered to the Peace God.

“Oh.” Joxer replied, knowing only that time was getting on and the boys were still there. “Where are the kids? And shouldn’t you two be packing or something?”

“Mom’s got them.. both moms!” Strife giggled and drew his husband close, whispering in his ear. Whatever he said had a dramatic effect on the Love God.. he blushed to his waist and they both disappeared, only to reappear with the children a minute later. “Here ya’ go Unc!” Strife handed Atera over, Cupid handed Bliss’ hand to Joxer.

As the War God took his granddaughter in his arms he looked at his favourite nephew, his son’s husband.

“Don’t you think it’s about time you stopped calling me Unc and started calling me dad.. just like Cupid does?” Ares took in the unshed tears, the trembling bottom lip, the fixed, shocked stare, and took pity on his son in law. “Off you two go, we’ll manage just fine.” He kissed Strife’s right cheek, and Cupid’s left cheek. “See you three days from now, okay?”

Both junior Gods nodded and vanished, hand in hand. Leaving the four heroes waiting to be moved to Olympus, watching the bewinged God of War make ‘coochy coo’ noises at his giggling granddaughter.

“Eh, Ar?” Joxer nudged his husband.

“Hmm?” Ares asked, distractedly.

“The Guys, Olympus, open the portal, ring any bells?” The amused Peace God asked.

“Oh, right!” Ares looked up at the five remaining faces and blushed... a just as all consuming a blush as Cupid had displayed earlier. He opened the portal to Olympus, to his own home temple there, and led them through that doorway. Once the last foot crossed that magical threshold, the portal closed.

Once on Olympus, Ares and his troop of guests were met by Discord and Aphrodite, the Goddesses greeted all the guests warmly, which confused the life out of Hercules and Iolaus as Discord snuggled in between them, hugging them.

“What gives?” Iolaus finally asked, feeling more confident in questioning the Goddess of Discord now that he was her brother in law.

“If I got you two staying with me, then I can’t have Bliss and Atera.. now Atera is a sweetheart, but Bliss?” The way she refrained from saying anything told Iolaus all he needed to know.

“And conversely, if we are resident with you in your home, then we are also excused Bliss duty?” He asked.

“Over night Bliss duty, we’ll all have to take a turn during the day.. but no, no night Bliss duty for you two either.” On hearing this the hunter shared a look of release with his husband, then hugged Discord right back.

“Sister!” He squealed, delighted to accept her welcome.

Dite had refrained from talking while Discord was explaining things to Iolaus, and by extension, to Hercules.

“Same goes for us girls too!” She smiled, took her nieces hand and pointed Gabrielle towards the door. “I think we should let the guys settle into their new roles in life. Lunch anyone?” She led the way and headed home, Discord and her guests following on behind.

“Sounds like a plan.” Strife’s mother said as she walked. “We’ll settle the boys in and come right over, okay? We got things to discuss.” She looked at Dite whose face closed up, loosing her smile.

“Damn right we do.” She nodded to Discord, for once the two diametrically opposed Goddesses were in total accord.

Hercules and Iolaus followed Discord to her temple, were shown the room she had assigned to them, the separate sitting room she had created for them, if they chose to use it, and all the usual offices one looked at in a new place. They said polite thank you’s and looked around them in wonder at Discord’s home temple. It was bright, roomy, decorated in rich warm colours, furnished with deeply piled cushions, comfort and warmth exuded from it.

“I had to redecorate recently.. Bliss is learning colour management, and he loves black, hard surfaces to work on. I don’t think there’s a black thing left on Olympus, other than people’s clothing.” She giggled, poured them each a goblet of wine and created a mirror for them to watch.

Bliss flew through a door into a temple neither Hercules nor Iolaus recognised. Hercules looked to his half sister for an explanation.

“Strife’s home temple. He and Cupid live there.. SHE still has Cupe’s place.” There was no doubting who ‘SHE’ was, none what so ever. 

Bliss squealed, pointed his chubby little arm at the nearest wall and it became lime green. The floor came under close scrutiny next, it became pink, with a moving purple river on it. The ceiling became blue with cows flying on it...

Then Cupid ran in, saw what his son had done and groaned. He was closely followed by Strife himself, the Mischief God looked at his walls, floor and ceiling and laughed. He didn’t get angry, he didn’t shout, he just looked around himself, giggled and recoloured everything white.

Not to be out done, Bliss made all Strife’s furniture turn into some jelly like substance. Yet again, Strife laughed, changed the jelly for piles of cushions and laid down.

“You seem remarkably all right with Bliss messing things up.” 

“Well, he is your son, my stepson, and he’s got more Mischief in him than I did at his age. Hey, I love him Cupe. I’d just better warn everyone about his latest habit...” Strife’s voice was cut off as Ares appeared out the ether, angry, shouting for his grandson.

“Bliss! Come here.” He stared at the little Godling. “Clean up that mess you just made.” He snarled, ominously... and the scene in the mirror changed to Ares’ place... which was now dark green with big turquoise daisies on the walls, the floor and the ceiling. 

Unable to control her laughter a minute longer, Discord lost control of the mirror’s image and giggling hysterically, she let the images blank.

“Come on, we got ta’ get movin’ over ta’ Dite’s place.” Discord cleared away their goblets and walked out of her temple, leading her guests over to the Love Goddess’ home.

In his now light and airy temple, Ares clasped a bracelet around Bliss’ left wrist. 

“Here you go!” Ares murmured, smiling as he closed the decorative clasp. “A nice bracelet for my wonderful grandson. Uncle Hephaestus made it specially for you.” Ares smiled, tweaked one wing over Bliss’ wings and watched as Bliss examined his new adornment.

“Is that the limiter you and Heph were discussing?” Joxer whispered as Bliss sat riveted by the designs on his new shiny.

“Shiny!” He exclaimed. “I like shinies.” He announced.

“Well, of course you do.” Ares told him, turning to his husband. “Yup, sure is.” He whispered. “With that on he can’t leave Olympus with out an adult taking him.” Joxer finally realised just why that would be a good idea.

“Ok, how do we decide who feeds small one here?” Joxer asked as he lifted Atera from her crib.

“Flip a coin for it?” Ares offered.

“Okay.” Joxer produced a coin, flipped it in the air, crying heads as he did so. As he watched it rise and fall he saw a small Godly hand reach out and snatch it from the air.

“Shiny!” Bliss squealed.

“Look, I’ll do it, but you better be ready to take over if I can’t okay?” Joxer offered.

“No problem.” Ares took Bliss into the play room, leaving him there with all his new toys and games. “Stay here, or else! Understand?” Ares held the child’s eyes, until Bliss nodded.

“Yes g’ndad.” Bliss ran into the room, ready to investigate every thing in there.

When Ares returned to the main room, he found Joxer successfully feeding the baby, he folded his wings and sat down to watch. It was a beautiful sight.

Peace reigned in War’s temple for half an hour, then hurricane Bliss escaped the play room and ran around demanding to be fed. Ares created a meal for his grandson. Bliss ate it, then, instead of returning to the play room, he ran out of the temple looking for something to play with. Ares flapped idly and flew along beside him.

“Where we going?” He asked the running little God. Bliss looked up at Ares and he flew too. He had never flown with another God, other than his daddy. 

“Fly to mamma.” Bliss said.

Ares took him into his arms and flew them even higher.

“Sorry babe, but mamma is out of bounds just now.” He held the little God tight against himself and headed back to their home temple.

Ares flew after Bliss a dozen times more before Bliss decided he needed a nap. What Ares was not aware of, was the audience that followed his flights, each and every time. Hercules and the others watched from the vantage point of Dite’s temple as Ares flew, chased, caught and returned his grandson. Never getting cross, at least, never showing his annoyance.

It was two days later that Hercules admitted that he had never given his brother credit for being that good with children. He was sitting with Dite as they watched the aerial acrobatics Ares performed with Bliss held safe in his arms.

“He’s so good with them, did someone replace our Ares with this replica?” He thought he was being funny. He looked at his sister and knew that she didn’t find his comments so amusing. “What’s wrong?”

“I got a confession bro.” She shrugged, looking at Ares, not Hercules. “See, it was Ar that raised most of our generation’s kids, not us. It didn’t even matter if they weren’t his, he just got on with it.”

“Why?” Hercules asked, gently.

“Well, speaking for myself, I couldn’t be bothered to raise the kids. Too much bother, too little return. Ar enjoys kids, loves them, so I left them to it, him an’ the kids.” She looked from her brother in the sky to her brother by her side. She blushed, shrugged, aware that she had disappointed Hercules. “You’re annoyed with me, aren’t you?”

“A bit!” The hero whispered. Not sure whether he was annoyed that Ares had been left to the child rearing tasks, whether he wanted them or not, or that he had been left to think his brother was evil and heartless. Then he realised that his brother was heartless, in his own way, with his wars. Hadn’t he made war with child soldiers that time? “But hasn’t he waged war with child soldiers?”

“What, Ar? Fight using kids? What planet are you on? Bi maybe, but not Ar.” Dite was clearly outraged at Hercules’ accusation.

“Bi?!” Hercules asked, curious.

“Bia. God of Violence, hates kids, hates adults, hates everybody in fact. Except for daddy dearest, oh he likes him enough. Really hates Ar, has spent Ar’s life getting him in trouble, the shit that he is!” Dite was getting crosser than Hercules had ever seen her. “I’ll give you a clue, if ya’ see Ar... then it’s his war, if ya’ don’t see Ar, then Bi’s stirring the shit again.” Dite stood, clearly angered with the hero. “I’m going in, see ya’ later okay?” She left the group sitting there, still watching Ares flying around the Olympian skies with his grandson.

As Ares played with Bliss, Joxer dropped by, asking Hercules to keep an eye on Atera for him.

“Going to play with Ares and Bliss?” Iolaus asked, laughing at the War God’s aerial antics.

“No, got a meeting with Apollo and Hera.” Joxer grinned, blushed and walked away, heading for Apollo’s temple.

“Apollo? Hera? What’s Joxer up to?” Iolaus wondered out loud. 

“Wait and see!” Discord told him, giggling hysterically. “Ares! Get down here, now!” she cried out, into the air.

Ares and Bliss appeared out of the thin air before her.

“You screamed?” Ares asked, his voice dripping sarcasm.

“Leave Bliss here, follow Jox, he’s gone ta’ see Pol and mom!” She said, telling him all she saw and heard.

“Oh!” Ares looked startled, somewhat shocked. With out another word, he about turned, and ran like Cerberus itself was chasing him.

“Dite!” Discord called out. “Guess what?”

“What?” A disembodied voice asked.

“Jox has an appointment with Pol an’ Hera..” She counted off the seconds with her fingers. When she got to the second one Dite was before her.

“Bitchin’!” She squealed.

“What’s going on?” Xena asked, a suspicion niggling at the back of her mind.

“Can’t say for sure, so we have ta’ wait an’ see!” Dite told him as she and Discord danced around the temple steps, obviously overjoyed.

******************************

The previous two days had seen Strife and Cupid alone, on a beautiful island, making love, frequently, once Cupid had been reassured that Strife was fit enough to make love... and that he’d not end up pregnant again.

It was the afternoon of their second full day, when both young Gods discovered that they could take the estrangement no longer. They had to get home to their children.

“You think dad’ll have coped with Bliss then? We won’t be going home to find him pealed and nailed to the temple door as some sort of warning?” Strife asked for the twentieth time.

“Yes, he’ll have coped fine.” Cupid answered, for the twentieth time.

“Wonder which of them’s feeding Atera?” Strife mused, a whole new tack, and that question was just too much for Cupid.

“I don’t want to see either of them feeding her. The only nipples that should feed our daughter are these ones!” He stroked down Strife’s chest and felt the build up of milk in his husbands chest. “Oh Gods, Strife, I wanna’ go home...” He looked shame faced at his sudden declaration.

“Me too.” Strife admitted. Then he groaned as the build up of milk became actually painful.

“Right, that’s it, home, now!” Cupid stood and helped his husband to his feet, holding him close and willing them back to Olympus, and their children.

They found the kids with Hercules and the others, while their mothers danced around the steps. Neither Ares nor Joxer were to be seen however.

“Hi guys, what’s happenin’?” Strife asked, still shy around the heroes.

“We don’t know, but, judging by them, something amazing. It involves Joxer, Pol and Hera and had Ares running off like a scalded rabbit.” Hercules told the new comers. “Say, aren’t you two not due back till tomorrow night?” He smiled at them both as Strife shot forward to reclaim his daughter, lifting her to his painfully full chest.

Breast feeding forced the nervous young God to sit still, it was then he noticed the bracelet around Bliss’ wrist. It caught the light as Cupid swung him around and around in big circles. Both of them giggling wildly.

“Wha’s that?” Strife queried, nodding his head in the direction of his husband and stepson.

“What’s what?” Gabrielle asked, almost mesmerised by the sight of the tiny Goddess drinking from the Mischief God’s nipples.

“The bracelet on Bliss’ wrist is what. What you’re looking at is my right nipple.” Strife informed her, enjoying the look of shock and embarrassment on her face. 

“The bracelet? I don’t know, he’s had it since we got here, I think!” She told him.

“Bliss hon. C’m’ere, show me your new bracelet.” Stife attracted his stepson’s attention. The bubbly blond child giggled as he ran to show.

“I got it from g’ndad!” He laughed and ran to show Strife his new pretty. It was then that Cupid finally saw it, recognised it, groaned very loudly and laughed too.

“Don’t panic, it’s a limiter. Probably designed to keep him here on Olympus. Damn, you’d think I would remember, shit, I wore one of them for years before dad could trust me not to screw up with the mortals.” Cupid joined Bliss by Strife’s side as the Mischief God examined the device.

“It is pretty isn’t it.” He said to Bliss.

“Yeah, an’ it’s mine.” Was his reply.

“You keep it safe then.” Strife removed Atera from his right nipple and put her to his left one. As she drank she relieved the build up pressure, the Mischief God couldn’t help but sigh with relief. “That feels so good, you’d think Zeus’d make a law keeping it to himself.” He smiled at his family, his immediate family, his husband, his mother, his mother in law, Bliss, even Hercules and the others. “Ya’ know, I never want to be parted from you again.” He drew Bliss to him, letting the child God touch his sister as she fed. “I missed you, little mischief.”

“Can I feed too?” Bliss whispered his question. “See, mamma never let me feed, I always got it in a thing.” He tried to tell his step father about the hard bottles she fed him from, but didn’t quite have the words yet.

As Atera finished her feed, Strife, quite without thinking about it, drew Bliss into a close embrace, and let his son feed too. No more step anything, they were family, that was all that mattered.

Their audience moved indoors to await the latest developments from Ares and Joxer. To await the trial starting. To await the closure of their current troubles.

Ares arrived first, in a state of profound shock. Then Joxer arrived, in a state verging on catatonia. Finally Apollo arrived, in a state of euphoria.

“Hi guys, where’s Strife and Bliss then? Run away from too much mischief already?” The Sun God teased his nephew.

“He’s outside, feeding Bliss actually.” Cupid told him, feeling somewhat smug about his husbands loving nature.

“Oh, well, so long as they’re fine. Better take good care of your dad and Jox. I think they kinda’ need it.” Pol helped Joxer to sit down, he then threatened Ares with a limiter if he didn’t land and sit next to Joxer. Ares floated slowly to the ground, and sat. At Joxer’s feet, gazing up in wonderment.

“He’s gonna have my baby. He volunteered and went ahead and arranged it all.” Ares whispered, shell shocked. “Isn’t he wonderful?” He turned and asked Xena directly, then he turned to Gabrielle, jumped back to his feet and swung her around. As they spun, Gabrielle never noticed that they had left the floor behind and she was flying with the emotional God. “And I owe it all to you and Xena!” Finally he spoke again about how it all started, so long before, with his one careless act that almost cost him everything.

“Ares, you changed yourself, you offered him a way out every step of the way. You won Joxer’s heart fair and square. If we helped any, then you are welcome, now will you please bring Gabrielle back down here?” Xena replied to the War God’s declaration. It was then that Gabrielle realised that they were indeed airborne.

“Ares!” She screamed. “Put me back down there, instantly!”

Ares threatened to drop her. She held on tighter to him and screamed right in his ear. 

Ares landed, before he could go deaf.

“Where’s Strife?” He asked. He got the same reply Pol had received, only from everyone in the room. “Oh.” He thought about it a little. “Cupid?” He asked.

“Yeah dad?” Cupid prompted him.

“You ever ask Joxer to do that for you, I’ll pluck your wings myself, got that?”

“Clear as day dad, clear as day.” The Love God filed the idea under the heading, shelve till Ares is not around.

“Good, now go get the rest of your family and get yourselves home, the trial starts day after tomorrow and I want you two refreshed. Oh, did you have a good time?” 

“Sure did dad, but, we just missed the kids.” The Love God blushed, shrugged and muttered a little more. “You know what I mean.”

“Yes, exactly what you mean. Go home okay?” Ares pushed him towards the door, then followed him, taking Joxer’s arm to guide him on their way. He bid everyone a fond farewell... well a sweet good night at the least. His whole being focused on one fact. He was going to be a father, again. Eventually.

After an entire day spent in bed, making babies, or at least trying to make babies, Ares got ready for the trial. Joxer fussed around, trying to decide if he should attend or not. His husband told him he had to, Joxer would have rather spent the day with the kids, but they were to be material witnesses... at least their memories were to be witnessed in the trial, if need be.

They all assembled in the great hall. Hera, Zeus, Hades, Poseidon and Hestia sat in judgement. Everyone else was seated in ranks before them. Ares found his seat, in the front row, right beside Cupid and his new family. He looked around and saw a single chair off to one side, away from all doors and windows. Bereft of sunlight, it looked so cold.

Finally Psyche was brought in. She was dragged to the chair and forced to sit down. She tried to turn her head to see Bliss, but the guards with her slapped her face to the front of the court.

“Who accuses Psyche?” Zeus asked the assembly.

“I do!” Ares stood and faced the panel of judges.

“On what charges is she brought before us?” Hera asked.

“That she did poison my son, to the reckless endangerment of mortal, immortal and Godly life. That by her actions she would have driven Cupid insane, and loosed him on the world had he caused the deaths of his husband, Strife, and their as yet unborn daughter.” Ares looked not at Psyche but at the judges.

One member of the family group did look at Psyche.

“Do you have witnesses to back up your claims?” Hades asked.

“I do, and they are here before you ready, willing and able to answer all you should ask of them.” Ares turned, away from any chance of noticing Psyche, and indicated his witnesses.

“And who speaks in defence of the accused?” Hestia asked.

Not a single soul stood up to say anything. The one pair of eyes that had turned her way finally turned away to search the room for a willing defender for the Goddess. They saw no one.

A voice was heard sighing, deeply. A chair was heard scraping the floor as it was pushed back slightly. A figure from the front row was seen to stand up, facing the judges.

“I will not see her undefended. If no one else is willing, I will speak for her.” And Strife’s voice was heard, clearly, by everyone.

“But...” Ares began to protest, but was hushed by Strife raising a hand to his lips.

The God of Mischief crossed to stand before Psyche, he touched her face, reading her memories, her thoughts, her guilt.

“You are guilty of poisoning Cupid aren’t you?” He asked.

“Yes.” She whispered.

The court gasped, they had been expecting her to protest, but that the God who claimed to speak for her to openly say she did it, it was unheard of.

“Why did you do it?” Strife asked. “Did you love Cupid?”

“It seemed to be expected of me. I had thought I loved him. But...” She paused, looked up at Strife, seeing understanding in his eyes, she continued.

“See, I hardly knew him. He’d been this big monster Hera had made him become. Then I learn he was Cupid, God of Love, and he loved me. Well, so he said, he’d shot himself in the foot. I think I was swayed by the drama of it all. I was made immortal, made a Goddess, and all these other Gods and Goddesses wanted me. Desired me. I had been desired all my life, desire I knew, desire I understood. Love, I didn’t, you can’t really love someone unless you know them. Cupid and I didn’t know each other. We couldn’t, not with him being a God and me a mortal that lived in the shadow of mortal desire.” She paused, took a deep breath to steady herself and looked at Strife once more.

“And what happened to you, once you became confident in your new roll as Cupid’s wife?” Strife asked her, his voice gentle.

“I’ve been told all my life how beautiful I am. I had no cause to think my beauty wouldn’t get me what I wanted up here, as it was going to down there. After all, I had been about to marry Hercules, convinced that he and I loved each other. Then Cupid and so on. I looked around myself and saw all the marked infidelity going on around me. I thought, felt, that I needed to grab some of that adventure. I had been locked away from men because my father wanted to keep my beauty to himself. I became the prise in the sleaziest competition mortal man ever invented. Namely, who can bribe daddy the most. I thought it was my right to live it up! I thought it was damn near expected of me to have affairs. So I did.” She shrugged her shoulders, dropping her eyes to look at her tightly clasped hands in her lap.

“I slept with any God that asked me. Then I fell pregnant. Cupid was over joyed, I was sick to my stomach. I didn’t know who the father of my child was. I had to tell Cupid, confess my guilty not so secret.” She looked at Strife, briefly. “Then you died, right after he had finally forgiven me and we were going to try for another child. I had been failing to get pregnant, over and over and over. He began to worry again that Bliss wasn’t his. You weren’t there, and I finally realised that he didn’t love me enough. Simply didn’t trust me enough to give me a second child.” Finally, Psyche looked over at Cupid. Briefly. Then looked once more up into Strife’s face.

“His grief at your death almost drove him to the rages that my poison did. I watched him fall apart, he stopped eating, stopped caring, stopped wanting to live. Then Zeus and Hades brought you back, and the light went on in his soul once more. A light that never burned there for me. And I admit it, freely, I was jealous of you. As long as I had been wed to Cupid you stayed away from him, and me and Bliss. When we had to meet, I saw the pain, the hurt, the love in your eyes.” She wept quietly, ignoring the tears streaming down her cheeks.

“When you came back, and when Joxer became a God and your friend, and you became pregnant with his child. It seemed so simple for you to give him what I had failed to do. I had given him Bliss, a child born out of his love for me. You gave him a child conceived at your risk, out of your love for him.” 

“I hated you, Strife. Truly I did.” She looked away, unable to look her defender in the eye.

“So what did you do?” Strife asked her, his voice remarkably steady.

“I recreated the brain poison for his great jealous rages. And poured it onto his food. If I couldn’t have him, then you couldn’t have him either.” Her voice was barely above a whisper, yet it carried.

“Did you want him?” Strife asked, so very softly, yet again, everyone heard the question, and held their breath till they heard the answer.

“No, I just didn’t want you to have him.” She told the truth, the absolute truth. Every God in the room could feel that much from her.

“Why?” Her inquisitor pressed the point.

“Because I felt spiteful. Even as I poisoned him, I was having yet another affair, with Hermes, amongst others.” 

“Why didn’t you feed Bliss yourself?” It was such an unexpected question that she looked up, sharply, surprising an almost angry look in Strife’s eyes.

“Feeding babies makes your breast sag. I didn’t want to face eternity with saggy breasts that looked older than the rest of me.”

“You really are selfish, aren’t you?” Strife shook his head, sadly.

“Yes, I suppose I am. But, I am what I am, and that is what my father and all those other men made me.” She never looked away from Strife’s face, not this time.

“Do you love Bliss?”

“I’m very proud of him. He’s a beautiful child. But I don’t think you can love a child, not like you can love adults.” She realised she had said entirely the wrong thing, yet it was the truth. That she couldn’t deny.

“Psyche, I offer this claim on your behalf. That you be given the same accords that all other mortal parents of Godly children are accorded. That you can keep your immortality, but only that, until you beg forgiveness and release from your life. Does this meet with your approval?” He asked her.

“Yes, more than fair, Strife. After all I almost cost you. You have been much more fairer than I ever would or could.”

Strife turned away, facing the judges and then his family, finally he met and held Ares’ eyes. Showing him in mind speak exactly what he wanted for Psyche. 

Ares almost laughed.

“I second the defender’s request for strict immortality. It might lend her time to think on her crimes.” He mind spoke Strife’s idea to Zeus, he in turn discussed it with the other judges.

Finally Zeus stood before the accused and the assembly of all the Gods and witnesses.

“Young Strife has spoken well on the accused’s behalf. It is rather unorthodox, having a defence but no prosecution, but there you have it. Ares concurs with Strife, who am I to stand before their accord. So we have sat in judgement of Psyche and found her guilty.” He looked at the Goddess in question and indicated her to step forward.

“Psyche, we have wrong you, almost as much as you have wronged us. You will be lead away from here, to the mortal realm, where you will live out an immortal life. A strict immortal life. Do you understand what this means?”

“I live forever?” She asked, feeling a little more confident, she would not grow old and die, she would live forever. Maybe even longer than the Gods themselves. 

Her victory was short lived however.

“Oh you live for ever, you age forever. Strict immortality means just that, no death, nothing more. Until you beg forgiveness and release. If you want to end it, it’ll be entirely up to you. Furthermore, you will never again lift your hand against another Olympian, or part Olympian. Your Godhood will be reversed. You are henceforth banished from this place, never more to be counted amongst us.” Zeus looked at her, raised a hand towards her and altered her make up. Her immortality was changed, her Godhood removed. Finally it was done. 

“Take her away, return her to her father, if he should want her. Her crimes will be known throughout the world.” Zeus waved her away.

Psyche was too shocked to react. She left silently, not even crying.

“Any more business while we’re all here?” Zeus asked. Looking at his wife and their son. He wondered if they’d finally let him know what’s going on around there. He was only the King of the Gods, and always the last to know anything.

“Only that I’m pregnant, with Ares’ child.” Joxer said. News that evidently shocked even Ares. It had happened so quickly, but such was the power of their love.

So powerful it caused Ares to faint.