This has the second highest number of hits (of the three), so it is my second update.
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The housekeeper began to get exasperated. "I have told you, my lord. She isn't home."
"What do you mean, she isn't home? She's always home." He frowned. "Is she hiding from me?"
"My lord, quite frankly I don't care if you are the god of war. If you refuse to listen to reason I am not going to continue to stand here and argue with you. I can't make her materialize. She. Isn't. Here," said the woman quite firmly.
Ares merely peered at her closely. "You aren't her, are you? Athena, are you disguising yourself as your housekeeper?"
"I. Am. Not. Lady. Athena," bit out the housekeeper, gritting her teeth at the stupidity of the man in front of her.
He continued to stare at her, but in a few moments had evidently convinced himself of the veracity of her statements. He changed tactics. "Where is she?"
"I am not at liberty to say, my lord."
"Why not?" he challenged.
"Those were my orders from Lady Athena."
His voice became icily cold. "What exactly were Lady Athena's orders?"
The housekeeper didn't flinch. "If my brothers or sisters come by tell them where I've gone. If it's anyone else just say I've gone out. If Ares happens to show up you can tell him to go visit our esteemed uncle."
Ares clenched his fist to maintain control. "Kindly tell Lady Athena that I'll be back tomorrow."
"As you wish, my lord," quickly taking the order as an opportunity to close the door and put an end to their chat.
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"Tartarus!" Apollo held up a hand in surrender. "Alright, you win. Can we stop now?" He offered his sword to her in a grand gesture of submission.
She looked down at the smiling, handsome god kneeling at her feet. If only she could have fallen for the blond poet-singer instead of her dark-haired, hot-tempered war god. Her war god? It was thoughts like that which had gotten her in this mess.
"I'm sorry. I guess I took out my aggression on you," she said in her normal quiet tones. In fact, when she wasn't yelling at Ares, her voice had a pleasant, musical quality to it.
"Thank you, my dear. You have rendered me exhausted. I vow, I shall not even be able to make it to the house," he said with another easy smile as he rose to his feet and swept her up into his arms.
"You are too tired from swordplay to make it the few steps to the house but you can carry me there?" she asked playfully.
"You exhaust me and energize me all at once, Athena. I suppose it is just another one of your powers," he leaned down to kiss her cheek softly.
"Apollo...we've talked about this," she trailed off.
"I know, darling. A man can hope, though. And perhaps steal a kiss or two."
She smiled at him. "I do wish things were different..."
He returned her smile a little sadly. "Our lives are in the hands of the Fates just as the lives of the mortals are. What is meant to happen will happen."
She shifted in his arms and gently kissed his lips. In her mind though, she saw not her blond blue-eyed friend but a dark-haired, dark-eyed devil.
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Hope you like it. I like it. Well, except for the Apollo bit. I may need to work on that. Too many stories. I'll fix it if I ever finish them all. Much love, Cat.