A/N: The Lord of the Dead has now decided that trying to threaten me maybe isn't the smartest way to keep me away from writing mushy stuff. Muse torture. Gotta love it.


VMorticia: Hades was expecting perhaps a few rebirths here and there, but he did sort of expect to be told. And relax, the mushy scene did wind him up, but since when am I ever nice to him?

Crimson Fuchsia: Even I was a bit teary-eyed after writing that, but somehow it seemed to work. Got the enchanted ceiling idea from Harry Potter - therefore it's VMorticia's fault. And as for the image…might not scare some of the really sicko writers. Can't think of any right now, but they'd probably like it.

Silverscreen: I'm trying to stick to the original legend, but I'm twiddling stuff round a bit. But glad you like!


Hades: Indulge me. Why am I acting nice again?

Melora: Because I'm trying to go with an analysis that you have a repressive emotional complex brought about from isolation and insecurity.

Hades: And in English?

Melora: You don't like showing Seph that you love her 'cos you're alone and scared she doesn't feel the same way.

Hades: I think I preferred the egghead speak.


Disclaimer: I'm a broke graduate. I only own Seph's character (sort of), so don't sue.

/.../ denotes thoughts


I Won't Say It: Part 8


Junk.

Junk.

Toga.

More junk.

Pile of back copies of HELLE.

More junk.

Something green and unidentifiable…and more junk.

If a mortal's closet can comprise at least 16 years worth of junk; most of which has great sentimental value such as collectable cards, old shirts, notes about PTA meetings three years too late; an immortal's closet has to comprise at least eight times the volume and ten times the lethality of normal junk.

Persephone was no exception to the rule.

However, the oft-dreaded closet cleanup at this point was welcomed, mostly since she was trying to ignore the annoying little voice in her head which had taken root last night after Hades had left the throne-room.

/Gotta hand it to him hun, the stars…and that little kiss…very romantic, no?/

'Oh please. If he thinks he can win me over with the third-rate enchanted ceiling number, then he's lower than I thought possible.'

A sandal box went flying as if to punctuate her point.

/Yeah. Except it wasn't third-rate, was it? He couldn't let you go, but he gave you something you wanted more than anything at that point, and he didn't want anything in return. I think someone's going soft'n'squishy for a certain blue and grey god, hmm?/

She shook her head, trying and failing to ignore the voice. 'The day I ever feel anything except disgust for Hades is the day something drastic happens.'

/Uh-huh. Based on that, and ignoring a few other choice ponderings you've had about him…I give ya two weeks tops. C'mon, three little words…/

'Three little words I'm never gonna say, so you can just belt up.'

'Since when did you have dual personalities, babe?'

'WAAAH!!' Persephone bolted upright, whacking her head on the door and dislodging something at the back of the closet. She caught it fast before it could create another bump.

'Don't do that! And what are you doing there anyway?'

Hades shrugged and smirked, but didn't move from the doorframe. 'What can I say? I'm kinda enjoying the view.'

Persephone didn't even bother asking. She settled for rolling her eyes in disgust instead and looked down at the object she'd caught.

Ok, this was new.

Not to mention funny.

She tried not to snigger. 'And what d'you call this then?'

The goddess of rebirth effortlessly lifted the staff to its full height. Fashioned from pure silver, it was about six feet tall and encrusted with various gems; diamonds, rubies, the works. The silver skull placed on its head gave a pretty firm indication of who the owner was.

It was impressive.

'A sceptre of authority? How long have you had this thing?'

The look on Hades's face could've been sold as a Kodak moment. It was only the second time she'd ever seen him looking that embarrassed.

At least until he saw the tourniquet job someone had pulled on it.

The embarrassment had passed instantaneously. Now he was just pissed off.

/Explains why the little shlubs never gave it back after it got cleaned. Time for two demon wannabes to get a fist through the…/

His hair exploded into red and orange flares of fire.

'Oh simmer down. I can fix it.' Deciding to spare Pain and Panic for once, she placed her hands over the two halves of the staff and concentrated. With a flash of white light, the silver returned to its untarnished state and fully intact.

Her job done, she threw the staff at Hades, who caught it perfectly.

'Care to explain?'

Embarrassment made a grand reappearance. Somehow, Hades didn't think she would take the explanation too well.

Or seriously.

Oy.


This wasn't happening. It couldn't be happening. Not to her.

Zeus had managed to find Demeter searching the now-bare and wilting forests of Macedonia and reluctantly broke the news to her.

The Norse, Egyptian, Roman and Asian pantheons had finally reported back that morning. Not a trace, not even a footprint had been found that could have belonged to the missing goddess of rebirth.

If what the other deities had reported to her was true, Persephone had completely vanished from the face of the Earth.

Nowhere. Not in the deserts, or forests. Not in the seas or in the mountains. She simply disappeared without a trace.

Her little baby really had gone.

Demeter let her fear and grief course through her heart and cried.


Even Hermes's sandals were depressed. It didn't make sense, but…she really had gone.

Nope. No way. Seph was fine, and he was gonna make sure of that.

He hovered above Demeter and thought. Seas, nope. Mountains, pass. Forests, ditto…

Earth.

Underworld.

Hades.

Shouldn't Flame Boy have been out searching as well?

The chances were a million to one. But Hermes always did hit the long shots.


No way.

Absolutely no way.

Not even possible.

This was beautiful.

Hades, Lord of the Dead and God of the Underworld, one of the most vicious gods under Earth…and he had to do this as a backup gig.

Cosmic justice at its finest.

Trying not to convulse with giggles, Persephone leaned back against her throne and tried to get some air back into her body. Unfortunately, the sight of her husband glaring both at her and the sceptre as if they were some forms of godly plague kept setting her off.

'Right…um…I thought the gig of controlling precious minerals would've gone to someone a little less…y'know…'

'Charming, collected, vengeful?'

'I was gonna go with sociopathic, but you said it.' She managed to control another outburst of sniggering.

Barely.

Hades resumed glaring. 'Don't you have someone to rebirth or something?'

'One of the benefits of my job; I can take a break.'

She shot him a wicked little smile. 'How come you never mentioned this before?'

'Hey, you think I'm that stupid?'

'You really want an answer?'

'Whatever.'

She gazed at the sceptre a little longer. 'I thought the mineral deal was an on-going thing. And how come this place doesn't look ritzier?'

He disappeared in a puff of smoke and reappeared in his own throne. 'One, I got the powers, I just don't use 'em much. Two, you think I'm Zeus or some other show-off little yutz?'

She looked out of the throne-room window, staring at the darkened sky and the glittering stars overhead. 'When did you last use the power then?'

'Last night.'

Off her look, he continued. 'The real stars? Outside my control. Onyx and silver? We're cooking with gas.'

'Oh, too easy.' She looked at the 'stars', then back at her sulking partner.

'Apart from that, when was the last time?'

Hades shrugged. 'Few hundred years ago, give or take a decade.'

'So…you used a power you haven't used for years, which could've screwed up at any time…just for me?'

The nonplussed look surfaced. She knew that meant yes.


Persephone felt like banging her head against something very hard and very sharp. He had done that just for her, and still didn't expect anything in return.

The little flicker of guilt was now growing into something more akin to a forest fire around her heart.

She had acted so selfishly that she almost couldn't believe it. Hades had done so much for here in the time she had been imprisoned in the Underworld, trying to make it bearable for her, letting her do her duties as needed, treating her like a Queen, trying so hard to make her happy… and all she was doing was whinging and grousing.

Maybe imprisoned wasn't the right word anymore.

She could only think of one thing to say.

'Thank you.'

For good measure, she added a lopsided smile and leant over to give him a kiss on the cheek.

At least, it would've been a kiss on the cheek if Hades hadn't looked round at her at exactly the wrong moment.


Ok.

This was…interesting.

Hades had actually heard the 'thank you' before he had turned round. Suddenly finding Seph's lips against his wasn't exactly on the agenda for the day, but he wasn't about to complain.

He tried not to smirk, purely out of his desire not to do anything that might shorten the unexpected smoochy-time with his wife, and instead let her lead.


This was NOT planned.

Persephone was not about to let this happen, not on her immortal life.

She was determined to pull away as soon as Hades's lips met hers.

She was NOT going to linger there for a few minutes.

She was NOT going to find it remarkably pleasurable.

She was NOT going to close her eyes and deepen the kiss.

/Er, hello? What are you DOING, woman!?/

She pulled back at that thought, her entire face flushed almost maroon and her heart racing.

And was more than surprised at the disappointment she felt as soon as she had stopped.

Coherent thought had mostly departed at that point, but so had the flames of guilt. So what exactly that was telling her, she was pretty certain.

'Seph?'

She felt a warm, bony hand under her chin, and risked a glance up at Hades. He looked mildly shell-shocked, and more than a touch concerned.

For her.

She stayed still for a second, and let a small smile spread across her face.

Time to deal with that concern.

She looped her arms around his neck and pulled herself into his more-than-welcome embrace.


In the back of Persephone's mind, the little voice sniggered in triumph. /Man, forget two weeks, try two hours. And three little words Seph, three little words…/

It decided to go for a coffee break as soon as it realised the goddess of rebirth had curled up in Hades's arms and wasn't doing anything to break the embrace.

Neither of the deities would be ending this kiss for quite a while.


TBC


Hades: Ok. Try gross…

Melora: Oh, naff off.

Hades: Hadn't finished. Try gross, sickening, revolting…wait wait wait…I'm actually getting some? No strings?

Melora: Duh.

Hades: And immortality finally starts perking up.