A/n: This is another joint fic between me (nell) and Qs. However, we decided to post this under QS' name this time. *Grins* Next thing after this is me getting to Swiftly Tilting Time and mine and QS' POTC/HP crossover.

Warnings: angst. This is not a happy fic. Supernatural stuff, gods, and goddess. Child-abuse, child-murder, and a bunch of other evil things, all done to torture Duo. Probably will have both het and slash (shonen-ai). Will have telepathy and other paranormal abilities in later chapters…

Dedications: I dedicate this chapter to *ponders* QS, just cuz I can.

Disclaimer: There is no way in hell Qs and I would own GW since we both live in the United States, are under 18, and are female…

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Death is cold and silent. He stalked the earth, taking all he could to his realm, but as silently as he could. That is not to say Death is always silent, just that it is his nature to be silent, until he becomes angered. When Death becomes anger, he causes planes to crash, 20-car pile-ups on highways, or the deaths of those needed for peace.

Death loved nothing. He just delighted in the deaths that he caused. He had allowed his job to become his life, forgetting all that had been his life before. He forgot his name, and just barely remembered he had a wife. He only remembered his wife when he needed something. Only remembered her when he wanted food or sex. What use did Death have for a Wife?

But, Death was a jealous god. What was his would stay his, no matter what. And, he didn't care what he had to do to have his things stay his. He didn't care that he had to beat his wife to make her stay, that he had to take all of her instruments away to break her spirit and force her to stay. Harmonia was the goddess of music and of singing, and Death had taken that away from her.

However, Death couldn't take everything from her. He couldn't take away her love for music, or her ability to hum, and he definitely could never take away her ability to love. For she loved someone, someone who was everything Death could not be.

She had never wanted to marry Death, truth be told, but her most loyal worshipper had asked her for help. It had been the first time he had ever asked anything of her, even though he had known she would do anything she could for him.

But, what he had asked of her was beyond her abilities. His child was too far-gone in a virulent disease to save. The only way he could be able to live would be if Death would release his hold on the little boy, and Death would never relinquish his hold on one of his possessions.

However, she had tried, since she had been asked, and she had been shocked at Death's answer. If she agreed to marry Death, then he would relinquish his hold on the little boy. But for her to marry Death would mean she would never be able to marry whom she loved. She would just become another one of Death's possessions. Strangely, it wasn't a hard decision for her to make. A child's life was more important then happiness and she would willingly give up her happiness if it would allow a child to live.

She had married Death, and watched the child she had saved grow. He was a gentle, kind child and he was a compassionate, loving adult. He had several children and many grandchildren and never said a harsh word of anyone. She always held a special fondness in her heart for this family, and so she guarded them.

As the years passed, he attention to the family became less, but she still watched over them. She smiled as the last child to be born to this couple was born. She was a beautiful child, and as she grew, she showed that she held the same love of music and singing as her long ago ancestor did.

She placed her benediction on the child, and wished her well. She hoped that she met someone whom would love her and any children they would have together. She smiled as she left the child, knowing he would be waiting for her.

He had been there for her all her life, and had been one of the few to support her in her decision to marry Death. He was one of the few gods who loved their worshippers enough to do anything about them. They had been best friends through their childhood and beyond, but it was only now as adults that they had fallen in love with each other.

She smiled as she lead her best friend turned lover to bed for the first time, trying to erase the memories of last month with Death, in this same bed, moving in a strange parody of what was happening in the bed this day, but in love instead of hate.

Harmonia was sleeping curled around her lover when Death arrived home early from his duties. He wasn't supposed to be home for several days, and yet, he was standing over her, screaming he was going to kill her and Solarais. Her for sleeping with someone else, and Solarais for tainting one of his possessions.

Harmonia told Solarais to leave, and she watched with foreboding as he flashed out. She knew that Death could do anything to her, and she wouldn't be able to stop him. He had a lot more power because he had more worshippers.

Harmonia felt relief when all he did was lock her in a bedroom, not knowing that in a day or two she would show symptoms of pregnancy. She spent all the months of her pregnancy locked into the room, unable to leave or have visitors. She knew that the only reason she wasn't dead was that, after a certain number of years, a god or goddess was not allowed to kill another god or goddess on punishment of being turned into a mortal.

Nine months after she had been locked into the room, she gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, who looked like her. There were none of the characteristics of either possible father to be seen on the child. He had her laughing blue-violet eyes and slightly wavy chestnut hair.

She had spent many of the hours she had been confined in the room thinking of names for her child, and had finally decided on Thanatos. As she cradled the child, she hoped that someday he would never become the god of death. She wished he would become something like the god of childhood or laughter, because she could already see the joy he held in his heart.