Thanks for reviewing!

To Southernprincess - I had Zeus and Leto doing it the normal way, I think it's easier to connect to the gods if they are more human-like.

To Zoe - The statement that Hera should be a slut is one of Leto's mother Phoebe, and it's her opinion only ;-). I agree that Hera is no slut, wich she will show later.

To moonlitcrystal - The "Golden Stranger" story is finished. But there might be a sequel, but that one will probably focus on Danae's son Perseus. And will happen when inspiration comes.

The runaway

" I can't believe you're running away from problems instead of dealing with them", Asteria said. She was standing in the middle of the large room, hands on hips; green eyes, a nuance darker than Leto's, blazing with anger as she watched her sister pack.
" This is not like you! This is not the Leto I know."

" Perhaps not, but I have never been pregnant before. I have to come to terms with it. And I can not do that if every god and nymph and centaur and satyr will know, which they soon will. Not to mention the mortals!"
" Of course there'll be gossip. But it'll die down as soon as they get something else, juicier to blab about. Have you talked to Zeus?"
" I have written him a letter. I gave it to Iris, and since she owes me, she will not deliver it to her Lord before I'm away. "

Asteria sighed and sat down on the couch, brushing away invisible dust from her pistachio-coloured gown. She wasn't pleased with Leto's decision, yet she respected it. She tried to put herself in her little sisters situation. What would she had done if she hadn't turned Zeus down that night three years ago? What if she had been the one being pregnant? After all she had fled too, so she should really be the last one to lecture Leto.

Swearing Leto fought a loosing battle with her last suitcase which refused to close. Then she opened it up again, and browsed through it.
" There goes the pink dress. I guess I won't fit in it soon anyway." She threw the silk dress on the floor and let a similar, but light-purple one follow it.
" Leto, can I borrow that pink one while you're away?" Asteria asked.
" Sure you can! But don't spill anything on it, will you?"
" What do you take me for?"
" The one who spilled red wine on my short, yellow one."
" That was Eurynome pushing me. And besides it was going out of fashion anyway."

Leto shrugged. She really couldn't care less about clothes. She was already feeling bigger, finding her skirts straining around her normally slender waist and the decolletages starting to look like she was going cheap. But at Delos, Asteria's island, she wouldn't have to worry about such things. No one would know her there, and besides there were only some naiads living by the shore - always naked of course.

The sisters hugged and Leto reminded Asteria one last time of the things needed to be taken care of when she was away.

Asteria stood in the garden watching her sister disappear among the clouds in the overcast sky. A light, chilly rain was falling, the summer had been bad so far. Earlier Zeus had been bothering with the weather in the area around Olympos; now he was probably too busy: with ruling the all Gods of the world, creating the Iron"Age man, preparing his wedding and so on.

¤-¤-¤

The house smelled like all unused houses tend to do. Like stale air, dampness, old dust and something more Leto couldn't name. Loneliness perhaps.

She put down her bags at the marble floor and went through the building, opening up the windows, letting in fresh air and removing the protection clothes from the furniture. The house felt anonymous, it was hard to believe that Asteria had been living there for more than a year. Nothing really reminded Leto of her vibrant sister.

Leto chose a bedroom facing the sea and a pretty, but unkempt garden. Then she started to clean the house, sending dust and cob-webs out through the windows and enchanting up a more pleasant smell. She also started a fire in the large hearth in the common room, a divine fire of the kind that would heat up the cold, damp building fast. Halfway through she took a break and ate some cheese, bread and olives in the small kitchen. Usually she had wine to go with these kind of suppers, but she had started to resent that beverage lately. No doubt the pregnancy.

It was way past midnight when she finally went to bed, but Leto had wanted to finish the cleaning and unpacking first. And with sleep came a strange dream: she was walking through the great throne room of Olympos, carrying the sun and the moon in her arms, bare feet touching golden floor. Zeus was in his throne, alone, no Hera or anyone else around.

Leto held out the celestial bodies for him and he reached for them, but then he became transformed into a hideous snake that slid down from the throne and towards her. Screaming, Leto turned and fled, dropping the sun and the moon in the run, and they cried out to her in despair.
" Mommy, mommy please, please don't leave us here! "

Mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy...
The voices were still calling at her! Leto had waken up stiff with fear and with sweat travelling down her spine. It was the child again, but in the dream the voices had been stressful. Now they were only puzzled, filled with enquiries.

Voices by the way? They? Twins?
Mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy...
Mommy's here darlings. No worry, mommy's here.
We are who? You are who?
Mommy is Leto, garden goddess. And you are my little darlings, my sun and my moon. I can't wait to see you. There's a father too. Zeus. You'll meet him one day.
What's a father?
What's a garden, a sun, a moon, what does a goddess do?

Leto had talked almost an hour with her children, then their thoughts had faded as they fell asleep again. She had gone back to sleep too, assured that this was a safe asylum, that she would be left alone here, unbothered. Only Asteria knew where Leto was, and her sister had promised to keep silent.

¤-¤-¤

" What can I do for you, Coios?" Zeus sat in his throne facing the older god standing in front of him, familiar green eyes looking up at him. Leto's eyes.
" I have come to the understanding that you have given my daughter Leto a child. Apparently you are refusing to accept the responsibility for that child", Coios said.
Zeus changed position and crossed his strong legs. A defensive body language.

" I have never refused such a thing. Leto and I had a short affair before I met my fiancé, Hera. Nothing more than a few weeks of passion. At that time I knew nothing about a child. Leto told me much later, when I was already engaged to Hera. Coios, I assure you: the day Leto turn up with her child I will accept it as mine. If it is mine of course, I have no idea if Leto has been seeing anyone else beside me. I don't snoop."
" Zeus, the child is yours. Leto don't lie."
" Then I will accept it as my child."

" That is not enough! I demand that you marry my daughter."
" I can not do that. I'm engaged to Hera of Argos. I can not break that engagement. Zeus do not break his promises."
" Cut the crap", Coios spat. "Is Hera perhaps pregnant?"
" No, she's not."
" Then my daughter's case must have priority."

" Coios, Zeus tried to reason. As I said, if Leto had told me earlier everything would have been different, and I would never had started a relation with Hera, not to mention proposing. There must be a reason for Leto giving me the news so late. I can only think of one reason. Your daughter don't want a marriage."
" But..."
" What would you have done in my situation, Coios?"

Coios took a deep breath when realising Zeus was right. He would probably had done the same, married the woman who showed real interest. And Leto was shy. Shy in a way that some people interpreted as coldness. Still - there was a child involved, his grandchild. On the other hand - Zeus had promised to take care of it, that was probably the best the King could do at the moment. Coios would have to settle for that.

¤¤¤

When Zeus was alone he buried his face in his hands and sighed deeply. He felt miserable, there was no way to do this right. He had already betrayed one ex-wife, Metis, and lost a daughter, Athena. Now he was on the brink of betraying his second child, the still unborn little one of Leto. Yet if he broke up with Hera to try to get Leto back, he would betray this wonderful woman he had fallen in love with.

It was true he had started the flirt with Hera as a last resort at getting Leto back. But Leto's reaction had been quite the opposite. She had stopped being around, refused to even talk to him. Later on Zeus had found himself falling in love with Hera instead. The irony of it!

Zeus' old nanny Amalthea had once told him to follow his heart in things when his mind was uncertain. Now his heart told him to stick to Hera but to do everything he possibly could for Leto's child. So be it!