Nine

Psyche sat on the motorboat with her eyes caste down and glaring at the gold colored water from the setting sun. She was seething, of course. "Your mother is horrible. If I didn't know the God of the underworld, I would have thought she was it."

Eros chuckled. "Hades wouldn't take her, I am sure. Besides, she likes you, really."

But Pysche knew better. "Her kindness and loving nature must be hidden under all that hair. " It was true.. Aphrodite had gobs of hair.

She gave her husband a withering glare before rolling her eyes. "Her words and face and actions and words- say otherwise."

"I'm being honest. You wouldn't want know what she's like if she didn't like you, you would know."

"I am sure she put them through Hell, like she did me." Psyche smirked.

"Touche." Eros chuckled happily. The water splashed up over the boat a bit feeling good on his warm skin. He also liked the speed the boat granted. It reminded him of being out with Hermes.

"Does that mean I can chuck this jar?"

"Oh, love… she needs a bit of water, we'll give her the water."

"What are you not saying?"

Eros smirked. "She has to drink the water to curb the effects of the arrow."

"You didn't!"

"Not my idea-" Eros roared playfully and birds scattered from the trees around the lake.

"Ares?"

"No. Ares has been missing, haven't you noticed?" Eros cleverly changed the subject.

Psyche's eyes glittered in the setting Sun, as she shook her head in shock. "What did you do, Eros?"

Eros tilting his head back and laughed much to Psyche's amusement.

"You cannot blame my mother for being jealous, being the second coming of her, after all. Who shall worship her if they take the time worshiping you?" He caressed her face and enjoyed the soft blush that the gesture granted.

"She wanted me to marry someone hideous."

"That I am," he grinned spiritedly. "It's all perspective and personality, is it not?"

Psyche sighed. He was right and she knew it. Her husband always seemed to have a way to ease her, but she didn't know if she would ever forgive her mother in law… time would tell and they had an abundance of time.

"Ready for the other arrow?" Eros asked seriously, suddenly.

Gasping, Psyche's eyes widened. "I thought we weren't supposed to?"

Eros shrugged before grabbing his arrow. It was aquamarine, a beautiful clear blue gemstone arrow like the waters of Atlantis.

They were her favorite.

"Who's going tell on me?" He scoffed and launched them into the air and they were quick to disappear.

Psyche nodded and looked around the shore but didn't see anything, "Where's the other arrows?"

"The Aquamarine one we will see soon enough, but the another one is just over there." Eros lifted his arm and Psyche gasped.

There, on the shore, was a man.

But not just any man, it was Ares, and he had a gold arrow sticking out of his heart, which he was trying to take out himself but to no avail.

"How?"

"Apparently someone was spending a bit of time on the lamb?" Eros laughed. "I wonder if Zeus knows."

"He knows everything- or at least he pretends to but I think you're right. He may not know Ares is here."

The man on the shore turned and looked at them and instantly glared as his lips curled. "I should have known it was you, you bastard!" The man roared, lurched forward but didn't get very far. He was already stuck in the mud and his gesture made his position worse.

"Looking very human, Ares. What're you doing here?"

"I've been down here for a while!" The God snapped, pulling at the arrow again. Eros flicked the button on his small device and the gold arrow came out of Ares easily and cleanly before moving to the quiver. The other arrow moved through the crowd and over the lake before landing quickly into his hand.

"You have? Why?" Psyche gasped.

"That should ease the discomfort a bit... for now." Eros put them safely in his quiver, making a mental note to check on the person who had the other arrow before placing his attention back on Ares.

"If Zeus finds out-" Psyche made a quick look around for Zeus but they were by themselves.

"Then he finds out," Ares finished flippantly. "What's he going to do?"

Eros was quiet but shared a concerned look with Psyche.

"Please tell us what's going on? Maybe we can help." She asked gently as Eros carefully steered the boat toward Ares.

Ares sighed, running his hand over his face. "Well, I met this muse... and we had a moment, or so I thought. Maybe a few moments."

Barking out a laugh, Eros lent a hand to Ares to get out of the thick mud which he took. One swift pull and he was out.

"I loathe this plane," Ares muttered, glaring at the mud.

"Why is the God of war a stick in the mud?"

"Weren't you listening? Because my boy lost his ball and I was trying to get it," he huffed.

"Why didn't you just make it come to you?" Psyche scoffed.

"Because then we would be found out," he sneered with a dark glare at her as if his answer was obvious with the crowds and music.

She glared back. "Well, you're found out. Where's this boy? Where's his mother?"

"My boy-"

"Poor soul! Where's the mother? You said a muse? Which muse?" She gripped at her blonde hair as she gasped.

"I have no idea… I got a note to come for him and I've had him ever since. She's long gone."

"Weird," Psyche hummed. Something didn't feel right, but she didn't want to upset the God of War with her contemplation.

"Agreed."

"So where's he now?" Eros said, as he rowed closer to Ares.

"On the shore at the playground. I told him to wait for me there. He should be there."

"There was no boy at the playground. We walked right by it." Eros said.

When he was close enough, he pulled him out of the mud, no easy feat, and into the boat.

"That's impossible." He huffed but worry instantly laced his features as Eros sped the boat back to the shore by the playground.

Horrifying thoughts moved through his mind.

What if he was in the water or if he was stuck in the mud?

What if someone took him?

Each one worse and worse as he felt sick.

He felt rage.

He was going to war on whoever made the mistake of taking his precious boy.

But this was all his fault and he knew it.

He should have just left the ball.

"I saw a boy with a woman on the playground."

Ares eyes grew bigger.

"What kind of woman?"

Psyche shrugged. "I didn't pay them any mind; I thought they were there together."

When the boat moved to shore Ares was off in an instant, mud splattered with every step as he called out for his son.

"Liam!" He yelled gaining curious and annoyed looks from the people nearby.

The three of them looked for the boy, but he wasn't anywhere in sight.

Panic began to filter in as the crowds swelled. People were toppling over each other as the edges ebbed and flowed with the beat of the music. In the heart of the crowd, people ran and crashed into those who teetered on the edges.

Ares moved into the crowd looking for his little one, but he wasn't there either, thankfully.

"Chaos has to be here somewhere." Psyche mused quietly and Eros agreed as they moved closer to the crowds, searching, but didn't see him.

Ares moved back to Psyche and Eros, running his hand down his face. "I didn't see him in the crowds. Let's split. He can't be hard to find… he looks just like me." Ares sighed. "Can you go left and I'll go right? Psyche can check to see if someone has him in the booths." He gestured his hands around to which area's that each would search.

They went running in their respective sections hopeful yet worried.

A/N: Long but you have some answers! Eight has been a bit revised but you aren't missing anything by re-reading other that added security looking. I just want to say thanks to all the reader who have liked, commented, and followed the story! It's great seeing your names pop up especially those that I've seen from other stories. I am blessed. Have a good night!