Plight of Persephone

Ok people, you know the score, I do not own Hercules, Disney does and even though they have not issued plans for a live action redo, give it time. Everything else seems to be getting the treatment so I wouldn't be shocked if it happened. And since Disney aren't entertaining the idea of a remake, I decided I would. Don't worry, you do not need to have read any of my other stories to read this one and the original is NOT going anywhere, it stays here where it belongs.. I do own this version of Persephone and all other original characters and places that come up, permission and advice is always given to those who want to use them but do tell me if you use my characters so I may view and comment on your work.. Just like the original I will be basing this story around Greek myths and twisting them around just like Disney did, I will also be reworking some of the original plot lines.. Please review and let me know your thoughts.. Thank you for your time. Enjoy!

Reviews:

Sharkeygirl: Haha, yeh.. Hades has never had a real relationship before he's just been interested in his own gratification, that's why it's so difficult for him to get close to Persephone. He's never let anyone get close to him.. X

Angel of Hunky-Doryness: How far they get us really up to Hades. He's the one with the intimacy issues but we can all still root for him. X

Chapter Eighteen: How Did It End Up Like This?

"Then... Then... They were KISSING!" Hecate's home grotto was filled with the angry whining from Minthe who was huffing and puffing, waving her fists and stamping her foot like a small child throwing a volcanic sized temper tantrum. "She's such a a liar! She told me she was just an intern! Grrrr.. Why is nobody trying to stop her.. He's supposed to be miiine!" Suddenly she stopped moving, huge tears coming to her eyes and she trembled like her heart had been shattered into a million pieces and stomped on by Persephone herself.

"Urh! Why do you care!" Hecate drawled rubbing her temples with the slim almost white violety skinned fingers of one small hand. This blubbering naiad was giving her a migraine, all this fuss just for some inside scoop on Persephone was so not worth this. Why had she bothered to entertain this nymph?

"Because, the night we had was so perfect, so magical... I felt things I never thought I could feel before." Minthe's hazel eyes widened into a soft, doe-eyed look of rapture, completely besotted with whatever vision was playing in her head.

"Ooh.. There's an image I didn't need.." The large grey winged wolf on the left side of Hecate's throne shuddered causing his twin brother to repeat the gesture then throw the first wolf a scowl.

"Urh.. Did you have to share it with me?" Neither the nymph or their mistress noticed them and continued on as if they had never spoken.

"Oh, for Fates sake!" The demi-goddess demi-titan witch finally smashed a small bony fist off the arm of her wolf skin throne, flashing a silvery-green narrow-eyed look of disgust at the small pale green-skinned naiad. "Can we stop talking about your obsession with Hades.." She didn't even notice that her two wolf minions had ducked their heads with momentary worried when she hit her throne only to straighten afterwards.

"But you promised—"

"I promised to help you get his attention, not listen to you moon over him!" Hecate squawked out in annoyance resisting the urge to shiver at the thought of the blue flamed god's manipulative seductive side, it still made her skin crawl. She had fallen victim to that too back when he was new to the Underworld throne, they had worked together in the beginning, flirted a bit. Of course she had looked much younger then and so had he. She brought him souls and he sorted them out into the afterlives. She naively fell hook, line and sinker for his charms but of course, once he had bedded her that was it. No more. He turned cold, dismissive and laughed outrageously when she suggested they rule together, sending her away with a burnt chiton. He wasn't going to share his throne with anybody especially not with some witch. That was, apparently, beneath him. After that she was hurt and as time went on she became vengeful, wanting to take the Underworld away from him and rule it herself as payback for her humiliation. She learnt one lesson after him. Never to trust Olympian gods again.

"How am I supposed to get his attention if he is sucking face with her!" Minthe exclaimed looking irritated, her small fingers curled into fists that shook with her badly repressed annoyance. Hecate rolled her eyes in some boredom at the nymph's whining even though she made a fair point. Then an idea came to her making those silvery green eyes widen and a smirk twist her thin purple painted lips.

"Maybe it's time I had a chat with Persephone myself. It has been a long time since we had a real heart to heart.." She drawled standing up and taking a few steps towards the altar nearby. She casually picked up her scrying bowl then swept up some unknown powder and dropped it in and watched an image form that was unseen to the small nymph and her minions.

"Well, you did say to Demeter you would watch over her daughter." Canis spoke up grinning widely.

"And it would be improper not to at least talk to her once." His brother added with an identical smirk while Minthe looked confused.

"And how will that help?" She quirked a neat brow.

"If I can convince Persephone not to trust him then she won't want to 'suck face' with him anymore." Hecate said lightly.

"Uh. Hello? Aren't you forgetting something? Seph doesn't like you. What makes you think she'll listen?" The small nymph said looking disbelieving towards the tall blue haired witch. Satisfied by whatever it was she had seen in the image she set the bowl back down and the resulting splash caused the image to ebb away in the rippling waters.

"I think I know how to get through to her.." Hecate's smile widened as her eyes narrowed deviously, she had practically watched the goddess grow up and knew her well enough to know what to say. "We're almost at the winter equinox. Hades' workload will soon be at his highest point. Neither he nor his pathetic minions will be able to stop me from seeing her."

"What about all our hard work in spreading the tales of kidnap?" Lupus spoke up, pricking his shaggy ears and looking curious.

"Seems a shame to waste our efforts.." His brother added.

"Don't worry about that. Even if both Demeter and Zeus have gone soft you can be sure that Hera and the rest of the Council haven't. Have patience my pets.. You'll see.. Hades has burnt that bridge.." Her high arched eyebrows then added with a playful edge to her nasty smirk. "No pun intended." She then took hold of her long spindaly blue torch that she used to navigate her way through the dark of the Nether Regions, one of the darkest places in the Underworld next to the Void itself.

"What if that's not enough?" Lupus asked and at this Hecate turned around with a wild, almost manic twist to her already depraved smirk.

"Then we'll just have to appeal to Demeter's deepest fear.." She paused for effect and was rewarded as both her minions and Minthe gasped out in horror. "Hmh.. Won't be hard to get them to believe that Hades could sink to such lows. His attempt with the Titans this summer will secure Council belief."

"You think it will really come to that?" The small green haired nymph spoke in a hushed voice, uncomfortable with what the immortal witch was suggesting. She wanted Persephone repelled from Hades but she knew in her heart this was a low blow, even for Hecate.

"If it gets you your man why do you care?" The witch rolled her silvery green eyes unable to see the problem, in her eyes the ends justified the means. If it meant that Persephone was wrenched away and locked back up on Sicily while Hades was imprisoned for a crimes he didn't commit then so be it. She honestly didn't care one way or another as long as she got what she wanted.. The Underworld throne..

A heavy sigh escaped the Lord of the Dead who was still sitting behind his desk sifting through the paperwork. He could have easily enough left it for Persephone in the morning, this was what he had her interning for but even he thought that leaving a massive mountain of paperwork was cruel. It was getting late and he hadn't got as far through the pile as he would have liked, mostly because the goddess kept seeping back into his thoughts along with that kiss..

Why am I so worked up over a girl.. When did I become another schmeil suckered in by a pretty face? He frowned at the thought of himself succumbing to Persephone. It wasn't as if he had never kissed a girl before and the kiss itself had been a pretty standard kiss. Hadn't it? Subconsciously he bit his own bottom lip, his usually stoic heart quivering with an unfulfilled longing at the mere memory of his lips against hers. He shook his head roughly trying to rid himself of that enticing mental image before he woke up the lustful beast inside.

"Ok, I'm cool, I'm fine.. Deep breaths, deep breaths. Don't go losin' it now." He muttered to himself dumping the current curl of scrolls down and running his fingers through his flames that had brightened a little, the very tips whitening. He shut his eyes and inhaled sharply then exhaled slowly a few times until his flames dimmed back to normal. He was the Lord of the Dead, nobody loved the underworld, nobody loved the dead.. Nobody loved him.

"Evenin' boy!" The sudden interruption of this loud voice made Hades give a start, his hands slamming down on the heavy stone desk before he swivelled around to find himself face to face with a hulking great black shadowy figure. This deity only had the top half of his torso solidified, the rest was just an indiscriminate mass of shadows. The Lord of the Dead's shock wore off slightly as he found himself looking into the huge round pale yellow eyes of this deity who shared his angular features, pointed sharp teeth between full grey lips and long angular chin. He was completely black so not even his black toga was visible against his silhouetted form, nor was his hairline that just flicked atop his head in a similar way to Hades' flames.

"Sheesh dad, Whatta ya tryin' t'do, gimmie a heart attack or somethin'?" The blue flamed god's expression turned into slight annoyance at the interruption.

"As if I would be that lucky." Erebus responded, a nasty grin playing about his mouth as he casually leant a huge arm on the side of the window sill, making no effort to swoop inside the office. "Not a crime to stop in on you now, is it?" He kinked a grey brow gazing at his youngest adopted son.

"Not yet.." Hades grumbled under his breath with a narrow-eyed look.

"Been a while since ya stopped by, thought I would check in with you after your little defeat.." There it was, that horrible hinted note that told Hades his father had gotten all the gory details of his scheme from the Fates.

"Look, if your here to reprimand me for that—" Hades started to try and appease his father but it was Erebus' turn to throw his son a dead-pan look.

"I'm not." Erebus' casual words ran over his and caught the blue flamed god off guard making him blink a few times in confusion.

"Wait, what? Your not?" He then frowned deeply adding, "Then whatta ya want? In case ya forgot I'mma busy god this time'a year.."

"I just thought I'd warn you about your mother introducing herself to your little lady friend.." The God of Shadows grinned in twisted amusement at the look of disbelief that stuck for a few moments on his son's face before it very quickly twisted into a look of wide-eyed horror.

"NOHHHHHHHH!~!" The next second Hades launched himself out of his office window and shot like a smoking bullet to the Grove of Lethe leaving Erebus chuckling darkly, melting into the shadows and following at a more languid pace..

Checking the time on the shadow dial that Hades had put in the grove for her a couple of weeks perviously Persephone exhaled. Her shoulders sagged a little in disappointment at how late it was and realising that the Lord of the Dead may not be able to come out for dinner. She flopped down on the stone bench by the dial debating whether she should just cook something for them both and take a plate to him. It wouldn't be the first time she had dropped in on him with food while he was working. While he seemed somewhat appreciative it did make her feel like she had become a part-time housewife without the bonus of actually being married. Persephone had never been closed off to the idea of being married despite her mother being so insistent that she didn't need to find a man to define her as a goddess. There was no way she could commit herself to the Vestal Virgin programme like Athena and Artemis, she felt in her heart that would be a mistake and she couldn't honour the promise to stay pure and untouched. Especially now when her feelings for Hades were confusing her more the longer she stayed here. Her brow furrowed as her mind turned to their shared kiss earlier. She was the one who had instigated that. Her, not him. Why had she done that? Maybe she was just so grateful to see him in that moment and her feelings just imploded..

"Ah! There she is!" A high female voice trilled with delight making Persephone blink then turn around in confusion, only to find herself grabbed around her heart shaped face and yanked into a bone crunching hug that could almost rival her mother's. It was only when she was pulled back out and could see the face of the deity that was now examining her. "Oh, now let me have a look at you.."

However the youthful looking daughter of Demeter expected the Lady of the Night to look she couldn't help but stare at primordial goddess holding her. Despite her millenniums of age she still looked like a golden age ethereal beauty. Her deep dark blue hair was pinned up in large bun with a few loose bangs framing her soft oval shaped face. She was wearing large celestial silver earrings that complimented her pale blue skin that looked like it had been kissed by the moon itself due to her silvery aura. Her large almond shaped eyes were a silvery grey and dusted with a deep blue shade that matched her modest floor-length dress. It was similar in cut to her own mother's but twinkled similar to Morpheus' blanket and had a long cape draping around the back of her.

"So young, so thin and nice of face.. No wonder my son likes you.." Nyx murmured, her deep indigo lips tweaked upwards in a warm motherly smile as she squished Persephone's cheeks making the much younger goddess pout unintentionally.

"Excuse me?" Persephone pulled herself out of her grip looking somewhat confused before a loud yell caught her attention making her blonde head turn.

"Ma!-!" Hades appeared looking irritated by the Goddess of Night and flaring orange. "Will ya quit it? She don't need you botherin' her.."

"Don't have a kanipshin bube. I just wanted to see the little shiksa that has been keeping you from visiting me.." Nyx waved him off unconcerned by his flame change still smiling warmly. It was obvious that she had raised him as the fiery god merely rolled his eyes like some put upon teenager.

"Wonderful. Great. Fine. Whatever. You seen her so you can go.." Hades' flames returned blue as he gestured to the Grove of Lethe exit with both long index fingers.

"What?" Persephone interjected looking shocked, not wanting his adoptive mother to leave as this was the first time meeting his parents.

"Feh! What kind of son are you? You don't call, you don't write, you just leave your poor mother to worry. I hear from Zeus more than I hear from you and he's not even my kid! I thought somethin' bad had happened to you bube.." Nyx took hold of Hades' face looking adoringly at him for a moment before lancing him with a stern gaze of concern once more. "You look thin and your aura's waning. Have you eaten?" Hades immediately wrenched himself out of her grip looking annoyed by her mollycoddling.

"Sheesh! Ma! Enough with the fuss!" He exclaimed sharply getting irritated by her nagging and he'd only been in her presence a few minutes.

"We haven't actually eaten yet. I've been waiting for him to—" Persephone began only for the Goddess of Night to start laughing with mirth in a light friendly manner.

"Oh! So sweet but a real Underworld baleboste waits for no god, I can see I have a lot to teach you." Immediately her silvery eyes turned to her dark shadowy husband who had been skulking around the edge of the Grove of Lethe. "Erebus, we're noshing here.." She called out in an authoritative tone making Persephone realise that she wasn't the kind of goddess you messed around with.

"Figured as much. Just gonna get my evening edition.." The God of Shadows looked unphased by his wife then he disappeared into a mass of shadows nearby.

"Oy vey.. Smite me now..." Hades muttered facepalming in disbelief. It was just like his mother to suddenly encroach in on his time and just dictate what was happening, it didn't matter that he was the ruler she was his mother, as she often reminded him.. The moment he pulled his hand away he skilfully masked his annoyance behind a wide wolfish smile. Humouring her had always been the best way of dealing with her, although this meant that his mother would hover around Persephone so he was going to have to duck out before the embarrassing stories started.

"Looks like our plans have changed Seph. Just as well, I may be pulling a late nighter as things stand. Sohh.. rain-check?" The blue flamed god flashed a hopeful gaze as he addressed Persephone and she smiled nodding agreeably. She wasn't disappointed because she wouldn't have to spend the evening completely alone.

"Ok, sure. Do you need me to help you tonight?" She added looking fully prepared to give up her free time and get stuck in with him but Hades shook his head making the flames atop his head flicker and fan around before stabilising and settling.

"No, no.. My parents came to meet you, just keep them entertained. Why don'tcha let'em try some'a that new tea blend you've been workin' on? They'll love that." He drawled giving her a sly wink and a slight nudge as the Goddess of Night suddenly looked very interested in this suggestion. "Now, if you'll excuse me ladies I have a mass load of paperwork waiting for me in my office with, hey, my name on it.." He vanished out in a curl of smoke to resume his work leaving the two goddess alone in the Grove of Lethe.

"I tell you what. You steep this new tea and I will teach you some down to Ais home cooking with none of that schlocky stuff.." Nyx smiled brightly wrapping an arm around the lithe younger goddess' shoulders intending to manifest them both to the kitchen.

"You know about the worms then?" Persephone wrinkled her nose at the thought of some the things she had caught Hades snacking on.

"Oy. It's enough to make a mother plotz. I've told him over an' over, those things might be good for an imp but not for a god." Nyx exhaled heavily with a slight frown before it melted away. "But he never listens.. Now, I hope you have some hemlock growing in this charming little garden of yours we're going to need that."

"Yes, of course. It's over here, near the mugwort and witch hazel." Persephone's eyes lit up at the compliment to her growing skills and happily began showing the Goddess of Night to the plant she wanted. After letting the subterranean goddess marvel at her gloomy garden they collected the necessary bits Nyx wanted for whatever recipe she wanted to show the younger goddess and the two materialised to the kitchen to get started..

The gods on Olympus had gathered in the Great Coliseum dressed in their nightwear, some of them looking bemused and sleepy while others looked concerned. The sound of muttering filled the coliseum as a bemused looking Hermes swept through the throng in his long white bed robe and flopping cap to match, his fluttering blue sandals helping him weave in and out of the sea of multi-coloured beings.

"Whoa! Ho! Watch out, comin' through... Don't mind me lovebirds.." He said as he slipped easily between Aphrodite and Hephaestus making both blink in bemusement at his neon blur, momentarily distracted from their own conversation. The small blue god then turned his gaze to the yellow-clad God of War as he sped passed. "Nice bunny slippers Ares." This made Athena, who was the only one who was still in her daytime armour and chiton with Ibid resting on one finger, to chuckle in amusement at the white fuzzy slippers sticking out the bottom of his night robe that she hadn't noticed until they were pointed out.

"Hey! I'm only wearing them cause they were a present from my mom!" The God or War exclaimed hotly to the disappearing Messenger God then glared at his sister for laughing at him.

"Yeh, sure, keep tellin' yourself that." Hermes snickered before finding himself face to face with Hera who was waiting by the podium. "Hera! Where's the big man? Kinda late for him to be callin' a meeting, ain't it?" The small god fluttered unsurely, hovering level with her as he craned his neck looking for the Lord of the Universe.

"He didn't call this meeting. I did." The blonde haired Queen of the Gods replied. "We are just waiting for him and Demeter to arrive so the Council can air their concerns about some rather disturbing rumours circulating the mortal realm these days." Her words made Hermes give a start and drop slightly in altitude before his sandals fluttered faster raising him again.

"But my lady, the rumours aren't—" The small blue god began desperately only to find himself shushed as everyone's attention turned to the entrance of the coliseum as the gods they had been waiting for arrived.

"I don't understand why Hera couldn't wait until morning. What is important that you had to come and—" Demeter's voice broke off as the green-skinned Goddess of Nature with her newly frosted long leaf crown gazed in shock, not expecting a room full of gods to be waiting for them. Her cornflower blue eyes widening. "Oh good Gaia.."

"What is this?" Zeus frowned around the room befor his gaze settled on his wife as Hermes sunk to the cloudy ground level to fall below his boss' line of sight. "Hera, why have you called this meeting?"

"Some of us in the council, including myself, have some concerns regarding Persephone being in the Underworld with Hades." The pink-skinned goddess who's blonde hair tinged with the rosy glow of her aura. "Especially after what happened with the Titans and Hercules this summer." Her words made a ripple of murmurs from the gathering of gods.

"With all due respect honey Persephone is Demeter's daughter, not yours." Zeus responded in an unconcerned manner. "She and my brother have an agreement that her daughter will return at the beginning of spring after a six month internship. I admit that I, personally wouldn't have sent her there but she is Demeter's ward until she finds her purpose in the pantheon which means if she trusts his word, I will hold him to it."

"But Persephone is a sheltered untouched maiden and he's the bloomin' Lord of the Underworld!" Athena suddenly spoke up looking irate. "What's to stop him pressing his advance upon her!" Next to her Ares suddenly started howling with laughter at her words. "And what, dear brother, do you find so funny?"

"I'm sorry 'Thena but this is Hades we're talking about.." The red skinned God of War stifled his laughter badly. "He couldn't seduce a blind gorgon!" His words caused several of the males in the coliseum to chuckle including Cupid, Apollo, Hephaestus who got elbowed by Aphrodite and the King of the Gods who stopped after a dark look from his wife.

"Zeus, Hades tried to kill our son, our mortal son—" She began but Demeter, who was starting to get annoyed which only cause the frost on her corn leaf crown to thicken.

"Did it ever dawn on you that perhaps the Fates wanted him to be mortal? Maybe he was always meant to be the most famous mortal on Gaia's surface and they used Hades to make it happen.." The green skinned goddess cut over her sister's words kinking her neat red brow upwards in disbelief and a fresh wave of whispers of went around the group. Some confused and others seemed to understand and agree. "They are known for doing things for reasons we don't fully understand."

"W-well.. I suppose it's not outside the realm of possibility..." Hera turned her lavender-eyed gaze away from her green skinned sister for a moment, unable to argue with her logic. "But still, are you sure you want Persephone down there?"

"The Fates are the ones who sent her there, not me." Demeter replied folding her arms and this made most of the gods gasp out in surprise with Zeus, Hermes and Narcissus the only ones not shocked, the latter was actually gazing into his red mirror while listening. "Apparently Hades was missing but has since been located and my daughter offered to stay and help him catch up on his workload."

"Hades was missing?" The Lord of Olympus blinked several times in shock.

"Uh, yeh.. Apparently Persephone found him at the bottom of the Pool of Lethe, musta been where he ended up after our boy Herc socked him into the Vortex of Phlegethon." Hermes chipped in at this point then flashed a guilty grin sucking air through his teeth. "My bad sir, totally forgot to mention that sooner.." His words made Zeus groan heavily.

"Yes, well.. As long as my little brother is back doing his job that's the main thing and as long as he returns Persephone by Spring I see no reason to intervene at this point. I suggest that you all ignore the stories that have been flying around the mortal realm as I believe they have been debunked. Does anyone else have anything to add?" The white haired god looked sternly around the gathering of gods, many of whom shared a glance with their fellows standing next to them. Nobody dared voice a further opinion on the matter as their golden-skinned ruler seemed to be silently daring any of them to challenge his authority. "Good. Then the matter is closed and this meeting is adjourned." He then stretched out yawning loudly as the open air coliseum began to empty, the gathering of gods filing out and seemingly quelled for now.

"Dear." Hera sounded in a somewhat firm voice, not quite as satisfied as her fellow gods. "I still don't think it's wise—"

"Hera, will you relax. I just finished telling Demeter that I have asked Nyx to check in on her on my behalf and apparently Hecate too is watching out for her, Persephone is perfectly safe. Now why don't you go to bed and stop worrying. I will be up shortly." The King of the Gods spoke easily having no difficulty in hiding his meeting with Hades and what had transpired. Hopefully his brother was smart enough to take him up on his offer before Spring or he would have to find another way to make sure they got together. He was banking on the Goddess of Night to help reinforce the fact that the two were well matched for each other. After all, nobody knew Hades as well as she did..

"Oh. Alright.." The Goddess of Marriage sighed, finally submitting to the will of her husband then turning to her sister. "Forgive me, I was only speaking out of concern for our niece."

"I understand Hera, it's alright. Have a good sleep." The Goddess of Nature smiled warmly at her younger sister and the two women embraced before the Queen of the Gods departed being the last one to leave the coliseum.

"I'm terribly sorry about all this Demeter, heh, everyone's been somewhat on edge on account of what happened during the summer. You can't blame them for being worried." Zeus apologised to his green-skinned sister-in-law with a gentle smile. "You will be staying here tonight, won't you? Winter is upon us now and the surface gets a little cold, doesn't it?"

"I suppose it does." The green skinned goddess replied agreeably, happy to have room and board here and it would make sense while her daughter was away from the surface to stay. "And I would be lying if I said I didn't have some concerns about my daughter. I just hope she's alright down there.."

"Come now Demeter, Persephone is headstrong and wilful. I imagine my brother has his hands full just trying to rein her in. But if something did happen Hades will be answering to me. I can assure you of that." There was a momentary ominous look in those far off looking sky blue eyes before it lifted and he continued. "Try not to worry so much.." Zeus smiled warmly back at the Goddess of Nature, bidding her a goodnight. With a heavy sigh Demeter looked up at the stars before she too retreated to her Olympus home.

Completely oblivious to the fact that he had been the subject of an emergency meeting of the gods high on Olympus the blue flamed god was back behind the heavy grey stone desk in his office. He had left it breifly to share dinner with his parents, purely because he knew the Goddess of Night would have just marched into his office and hauled him out by his pointed ear if he hadn't and he didn't want that kind of embarrassment around Persephone. But his attention was quickly drawn back to the grindstone of his busy workload and he had been more than happy to abandon his parents who both seemed to be enraptured by his pretty young house guest with a fondness for dark spaces and poisonous plants. When he'd left the table they were all drinking her 'belladonna blend' and she was sharing her thoughts on some new 'hybrid' she had apparently found time to work on. His large yellow eyes were scanning over the latest purchase request that had been sent his way, he had been going over these with a fine-toothed comb since finding some discrepancies on his statement that suggested the imps had been buying junk from catalogues in his absence. He had been meaning to interrogate them about it but had found himself snowed under in work, not unusual for this time of year.

"Knockie, knockie.." A dangerously familiar light girly voice sounded along with soft knocking to the thick door before it pushed open to reveal Persephone holding his usual white mug with the large black 'H' on the side. She smiled sweetly at him as she entered the room revealing the contents to be a steaming cup of nectar.

"So, are my parents gone?" Hades queried making the youthful blonde goddess roll those pretty olive green eyes, as she shook her head in some rueful amusement.

"Yes Hades, they're gone. Your free to come out your hidey-hole." Her voice too sounded somewhat mocking in it's jaded tone but the blue-flamed god didn't care as his blue flames brightened in delight at this news and his fist curled as his pumped his arm in a 'get in' gesture.

"Perfecto!" He declared brightly dumping his paperwork down and pushing himself out the black bony swivel seat. He took the two strides round his desk to where the much shorter white-skinned goddess stood and took the mug she was still holding adding gleefully, "Knew it was only a matter of time before they left for their nightly stroll.." His pupils then studied the nectar in his cup before they turned back to her. "This better not be decaf, gotta have my wits about me for court t'night. Last thing I need is to be fallin' asleep before sentencing."

"Sentencing?" Persephone quirked both brows upwards intrigued as the blue flamed god took a large drought of nectar.

"Yep, riff on the stiff is this guy was a real bad dude. I'll spare you the gory details but apparently he was causin' a real scene, the imps had to detain him in the holdin' cells and their just waitin' for me to come deal with him. That's where I'm headin' now.." Hades spoke before finishing off the nectar nectar before passing her and handing over the now empty mug.

"Let me come with you." The blonde goddess said as she followed, the mug in her fingers vanishing in a swirl of orbs that's fell behind her as she passed through it in her haste to keep pace. Hades didn't get far as the moment those words escaped her mouth he stopped dead in his tracks making Persephone bump into him.

"I'm sorry. What? I must still have a chunk'a brimstone in my ear from doin' the rounds earlier." The fiery god dug a finger casually in his ears and flicked away a tiny glowing ember. "Wanna run that by me again?" He grinned widely but this made Persephone ball her fists as her arms straightened down the sides of her round hips.

"Really! Your still not going to let me see inside your court?" She huffed, the end of her hair flared up in flames as annoyance filled her being. "Are you kidding me? Even after I put my own would-be abductor in that stupid chair!" Her green eyes glared at him, hinting at the true extent of her rage.

"Urh.. Persephone, don't start with this. This is not the time, ok?" The blue flamed god exhaled heavily, not wanting to argue about this but unable to understand why she couldn't see that he was just trying to protect her. If anything happened to her down here he was bound to incur the wrath of the entire god squad and he didn't want that.

"No! This is the perfect time. You think I can't handle it?" She snapped, the illusion of fire that was her hair seemed to climb higher and the blue god felt himself sweat, not out of fear but because the temperature of the his home rose with her anger.

"I never said that."

"You don't have to! It's clear you just think I'm some stupid little girl!" Her wide green eyes glared up at this last word and with it her hair dropped back down as she trembled, suddenly looking more upset than mad now. When she spoke again her voice seemed void of any emotion and was almost a whisper, deadly quiet compared to the screeching before. "I can't believe I thought you were different from the others.." She turned away clasping a small dainty hand in front of her mouth as if she couldn't believe she had just said that out loud. Tears flowing free and streaking her black kohl liner now that she wasn't facing him anymore. "I have to go.." The youthful looking goddess then disappeared out into a swirl of orbs.

"Seph.." Hades had pushed a large hand out to stop her then exhaled heavily when the orbs faded out leaving him alone before he could. "Well, I wouldn't know what to say anyway.." He grumbled to himself with an exaggerated shrug of annoyance, making a mental note to try figure out what to say to her when she showed up for her office shift tomorrow. Usually when he got yelled at by other gods it didn't bother him. He was used to ruffling feathers in the pantheon but when it was her fury that was aimed in his direction it actually hurt. It made him feel terrible about himself but he would mask it until he saw her again. He took a brief moment to pull himself together then stalked off towards the the long stairwell that would take him down to the docks where the imps would no doubt be waiting for him..

Little Notes:

Hey guys, told you I would be back on Tues.. Really trying hard to keep the regular updates once again. Also, don't forget about my poll, if I make it to 100 reviews I will write another little ficlet of your choosing and I have some great options for you.

Ok, back to this chapter. I had forgotten how much fun Erebus and Nyx were to write. The God of Shadows hasn't really changed in design, he was always kinda based off Tim Curry and his character of Hexxus in Ferngully. This god isn't evil he just naturally dark in personality. His humour is somewhat cruel and he can come off as very foreboding without trying but underneath it he's a pretty reasonable god who cares for his family deeply. Nyx's design has changed a small amount but her personality is the same. She loves her family, maybe a bit too much. I've always based her off Barbara Streisand and how she portrayed the mum in Meet the Fockers. She embodies the whole stereotype of the over attentive mother that just wants the best for her adopted son and maybe mothers him a bit too much out of her worry for his wellbeing..

We also finally gave the Olympus gang getting in here because it's about time they showed up. The rumours floating around were bound to cause a stir up there and I've tried to keep there reactions consistent with the fact that the end of the Hercules movie was obviously six months previously so it will be affecting how many of the gods see Hades right now..

The chapter title is from the Killers song Mr Brightside lyrics "It started with a kiss, how did it end up like this, it was only a kiss, it was only a kiss" and is my poke at how you will all be reacting by the time you reach the end of the chapter. Don't be too upset but for the next part of the story it's necessary for the two to be apart.. S.Y. N. T

Stay tuned...

A~Teal