This update was hard, and at the same time it just would not stop. I'm quickly coming to the point where I have to start reconciling everything that I've built up with canon and I really don't want to follow canon in some places. I foresee a great deal of angst in the next couple of chapters and at the moment I'm undecided about whether I kill Gabriel entirely go with the original thought and save Gabriel. I adore the little guy, seriously, but I can't decide if it serves the story better for his fate to be exactly that or if he should be given a second chance.

Also, there may be a tiny weeny hint at a season 6 spoiler in here, possible tiny hint. If you've been paying attention or doing research, which I have. Also, reference is made in here to Ladon, he was the first dragon who guarded the tree of golden apples in the Garden of the Hesperides.

Chapter Twenty: Council of Gods.

The council is a small gathering of three who speak for thousands. While they are not the oldest of the gods, they are the three selected once every hundred years to make the important decisions that would affect all. The decisions are mostly ignored and often they do little more than meet every twelve months to argue about the decline of their kind and which apocalyptic myth will be the one to bring the end to them all.

It is a position that Hecate has never held and has never been interested in holding, in spite of numerous nominations over her years, she has long suspected that this is simply a way of giving more troublesome of her kind something to do. After all, they are also the guardians of all the knowledge of the gods and if they were to fall all of that information would be open to the wrong hands.

At the moment the seats are held by Zeus, Odin and Baal and their replacements will take their positions in only a few years. There is little chance that the three will care and an even slimmer chance that they will be willing to listen to what she has to tell them. She has a duty to report this, however, the Judeo-Christian Apocalypse spells the end for all of them and they need to start planning. Hopefully the information will be enough to get her into the Library.

The Library is the sum collection of all of their knowledge. It is probably dangerous to have stored everything that they know about all things in the world in one place, but too many of them have been killed over the years for them to run the risk of losing any more. Many of the spells in that library have been contributed by Hecate herself, but there have been many others to have offered them over the years. She is hoping that the answers she will need will be among those offerings that she has never had a cause to look at before.

"You're over reacting," Zeus tells her when she finishes telling him that the vessels of Michael and Lucifer are that one step closer to being born. "The likelihood of the Judeo/Christian Apocalypse being the one to wipe us all from existence is slim."

"Just like the likelihood of Ragnorak? Or any of the dozens of other apocalyptic prophecies that we are all aware of?" She demands. "We need to be prepared for this! We can't sit back and hope that the apocalypse that comes to pass is the one of our own choice. If the Judeo/Christian apocalypse is the one that happens it will truly be a disaster for all of us."

"You're certainty is even more baffling, Hecate, as is the source of your information," Odin replies, settling back in his seat to watch her.

"My source isn't important."

"And yet you wear a vial of angel's grace about your neck. We have often wondered how you managed to bind one to you." Unlike Odin and Zeus, Baal is younger in appearance, his dark hair short and neatly trimmed and his angular face lightly dusted with stubble. At one time Hecate had considered entering into brief liaison with him, before she entered into her relationship with Gabriel, now she cannot help but see the cruelty that he is known for.

"A woman is entitled to her secrets, Baal," Hecate smirks. "Am I to assume that this council is to do nothing about this?"

"There is nothing to be done," Baal tells her. "Our time as council is nearly over, in three more years this will be the problem of the next chair and I welcome the freedom. Kali, Baldur and Mercury will all be thrilled to hear of this, however, I will mention it."

Hearing that Kali and Baldur, both, will be on the council in three years causes Hecate's heart to sink. Though she has not yet reached the root cause of Kali's dislike for her there is no denying that this will be bad for her, both her credibility and her position among her kind. As for Baldur, the relationship that they shared did not end well, and given his past with Loki her even associating with the Trickster has drawn far more than her share of censure from the Norse god.

"At least allow me entry to The Library," she says once she has taken the opportunity to regain control of her voice. The new leadership will make things very hard for her and this may now be her last chance for a century to enter the Library.

"Your contributions mean that you are always welcome," Zeus smiles at her and Hecate inclines her head. There is little in the way of actual compliment in the thunder god's words, just as there is little actual sincerity there either. Should she ever try to enter without permission of the council Hecate knows that she would be punished severely. Permission is what she wanted, however, and even though it has been mockingly given she will take full advantage of it while she can.

The Library itself is set in caverns under Olympus and the only way to reach it is if you are one of her kind. She does not know if an angel could enter, she does not particularly want to find out one way or the other. There is information in this place that could put an end to everything they know and everything that has ever existed. Part of her suspects that there is information locked in this vault that could prove their endless argument with the angels and their Father pointless and their fear of an apocalypse unfounded. She also suspects that even He has placed writings in this place that He does not want His children to know about.

Though dry, the caverns are musty from years with books and parchments as the only occupants. The wooden shelves stretch as far as the eye can see, from floor to roof and side to side. Every shelf is crammed with as much information as can be placed there in as much order as possible and it is the sections dealing with spells and the one dealing with angels that she needs to go to. This is the place where she hopes she will find her answers.

The books that contain her own contributions to the collection are quickly bypassed. Nothing that lies within her experience is going to help her with this. Nothing that she knows is going to help her save this archangel that has wormed his way under all of her defences. They have always known, she and Gabriel, that should Lucifer ever get out of the cage it would mean the end of the younger archangel's existence. In some way or another Lucifer will eventually find him, and if not Lucifer then Michael, and the price for disobedience is high. Gabriel would never join the Morning Star on his path of destruction and he will not side with Michael against the brother that taught him so much.

Whether humanity figures into his thoughts at all Hecate cannot be certain, but she does know that Gabriel wants all of this to end. The archangel wants it all to be over and his family to stop fighting and she cannot blame him for that. Nor, however, can she continue to exist without him and by denying either of his brothers he will be bringing death upon himself.

Her fingers fall upon a book bound by human flesh and written in an ink mixed with blood. Only powerful magic would hold that ink in place without it fading over the years, both human skin and blood make poor writing materials for something meant to last. There is much here, in this archaic form of Latin, and she turns the pages with increasing urgency as she searchs for her answers.

"That book was written by Ladon, Hecate, I doubt very much that you will find the solution you seek in that volume. It's presence in the world has done more than enough damage don't you think?" The voice that draws her attention from the pages is light, warm and soothing and the goddess turns with wide, dark eyes to look at the newcomer.

"Mother! You honour me!" Gaia smiles softly at her as Hecate drops into a trembling curtsey. There are few out there that all gods respect but Gaia, the Earth Mother, is one of them. She is among the first of them, born of the chaos of a developing universe.

"Put the book back, child, you will not save your lover by using the tainted words of Echidna's children." It should not surprise Hecate that Gaia is somewhat aware of what she seeks, should come as no real surprise that the ancient goddess has taken an interest in the affairs of her children, nieces and nephews after so many years. Many of the great Titans and ancient gods have been imprisoned in the pits of Hades, much as Lucifer has been, Gaia is the only one who now walks free.

"You know about Loki?" The goddess asks and watches as a youthful face with chocolate eyes softens in something like sorrow.

"I know about Gabriel, Hecate," she responds gently. "You've done an amazing job of hiding it, but his grace infuses you with brilliance that I haven't seen since our early days. You realise, of course, that it is his destiny to perish at the hands of one or other of his brothers."

"Destinies can be altered, Gaia, I just need the right spell." If there is a desperation to her tone the goddess choses to ignore it. She ignores the part of her that screams that he is as essential to her existence now as any worshippers have ever been. She ignores the part of her that believes she would gladly throw aside any number of human followers for just another century at Gabriel's side.

"Why is this one so important to you, child? You have had many lovers, seen many of them die, why is Gabriel important? Tell me why you would bond yourself to an angel so completely." The questions anger her, fill Hecate with a defiance that she has not felt the need for a in a long time. She wants to demand to know what business it is of Gaia's, wants to demand to know why the elder goddess would have an interest in her relationship when she has shown so little care about those of any of the others.

"I don't understand why you need to know the answer. Isn't it enough that I don't want to lose him?" The reply is not as diplomatic as she knows she should be in the presence of one so much older and more powerful than any of the gods that now walk the earth. Gaia has been withdrawn from them for so long, been without interest in this world for far longer than that. Her interest now is baffling.

"As long as it's for the right reasons, Hecate. If you've bound yourself to him because you think it will protect you when paradise comes you will need to reconsider that. Gabriel will no more be able to protect you than I." If she is honest, that is not something that had even occurred to her, Hecate has no more idea of Gabriel being able to protect her from the end of the world than she does of being able to save herself.

"The bond was an accident, I don't regret it and I don't expect him to protect me."

"So the rumours that you actually love him are true." There is a relief in Gaia's voice as she speaks and it makes something in Hecate recoil a little. She has barely been able to acknowledge to herself how she feels about the archangel, has barely been able to sit down and give it any real thought because love is something she never thought that the universe would think her worthy of.

It is a gift that she never believed she would be able to have.

"I don't know," she whispers, placing the book back on the shelf, "he tells me he can't live without me. I don't think he's even considered the possibility that the same might be true of me."

"I will give you the answer that you need, Hecate, but you know that it may not be enough," there is a warning there and the Mother touches Hecate's cheek fondly before brushing a stray strand of hair from her forehead. For the first time in her existence Hecate truly feels like a helpless child.

"I know, but a month, a year longer..." she hesitates and closes her eyes against an onslaught of emotion. "I think I understand why these bonds were really forbidden." She sighs. "How do I make them listen?" She asks suddenly and sees Gaia's confusion. "The council? How do I make them see the danger?"

"You listen to me closely," Gaia hisses, pulling Hecate close as the next words come out in little more than a whisper. "Stay away from the council, their fate is not yours. The coming apocalypse will open doors that should remain closed. There are three possible winners here, Hecate. Michael is a fool if he really believes that humanity and Lucifer both will allow him to take this world with ease. The hunters are your children. Teach them."

"How can you know this?" Hecate demands, terror leaching through her.

"The Moirae will occasionally give up their secrets." That Gaia has seen the Fates is nothing unusual, that they would willingly give her this information shows that they are concerned. After all, whether it is Michael or Lucifer who wins this, the coming apocalypse will still result in their death and to a god existence is everything.

"And saving Gabriel? What will you demand of me for this information?" There is always a cost and always a price. Hecate, of all of them, knows this the best of all. Gaia regards her sternly for a long moment.

"Peace," Gaia responds. "Secrecy. You will tell no one of this conversation. You will never call upon me. I am leaving this world, there is nothing for me here now and my children have long since outgrown the need for me. A summons back would be most inconvenient."

"I understand."

"Good. The answer is here," the book that Gaia hands her is ancient, blackened and faded with age. It is also one of Kali's. "She is not just death and destruction," Gaia seems to read Hecate's thoughts correctly. "Kali is also of rebirth. She may not help you, but this will tell you what you need to know."

"Thank you." Hecate watches the mother goddess fade into the shadows of the Library. After a long moment of thought she turns to the book that she has been given. Everything that she needs, she realises, is in easy reach and she needs only to persuade Gabriel to part with it. There is more than one option now open to them.

She simply hopes that it will be enough.

Artemis