Joxer opened his eyes, noticing the shadow over his bed, "Mmf, Ares?" he asked with a shaky voice.
"Hush, Love." Long fingers gently ran through his hair. "Everything's going to be alright now."
"Hurts!" Joxer moaned.
"I know, Love. But I have medicine for you. Do you think you can sit up?"
"Uhuh," Joxer nodded slowly. Strong, warm hands helped him sit up and pillows were moved behind his back.
"Here, Joxer," A golden goblet appeared in front of him. "Drink this. It will take the pain away."
"Promise?"
"I promise," Ares said.
Joxer drank.
When he finished, he said, "I thought all medicines were supposed to taste icky? This was kinda good."
Soft vibrant laughter seemed to come from every corner of the room. "This is a special kind of medicine."
"Oh. Why is it dark?" Joxer asked tiredly.
"No need to disturb you more than necessary." A warm hand tenderly stroked his cheek. "Go back to sleep, My Love. And tomorrow, you'll be all better."
"Kay," Joxer mumbled and yawned. "Love you."
The last thing he was aware of was a soft kiss on his temple and a beloved voice that said, "I love you too."
***************
Poseidon fumed, "And now that puny little mortal is a god!" he ranted and continued to pace across the Great Hall. "And to top it off, he's a friend of Xena's. XENA! Like we don't have enough trouble with her already."
Athena nodded, "I don't like it either. Our own young are already crowding Olympus. There is no need to bring in outsiders." She sighed, "But done is done, and it could be much worse. Joxer isn't that bad. Not very bright, but not aggressive either. And he seems to calm Ares down."
"A spoiled incompetent mortal brat with a bad choice of friends. That's what he is. He doesn't deserve to be a god!" Poseidon shouted. "Just prancing around, roaming the country sides without a trouble in the world. Causing trouble with that warrior bitch."
"So ya think Joxer's never had any hard times, huh." Strife appeared from behind a column. "Don't ya know it's unjust to judge someone ya don't know a thing about?"
"What do you mean?" Athena asked with a frown.
"Oh, nothin' at all," Strife said innocently. "Only that I would check out the Hall of Time before I made any accusations about someone's life…" He disappeared in a blue flash leaving Poseidon and Athena looking puzzled at each other.
**************
When Joxer woke up he felt a warm body on one side and a hideous smell on the other. He opened an eye and stared right into Mjau's eyes. Ew. He made a face. Mjau sure didn't have nice morning breath. He raised a hand and started to stroke the feline's fur. Mjau soon began to purr.
The warm body on the other side of Joxer moved. An arm ended up on Joxer's belly. "Morning, Love," Ares murmured in Joxer's ear.
"Morning, Ares," Joxer said and snuggled close to his husband.
"How do you feel?" The war god asked.
"Good." Joxer frowned, "Considering how I felt yesterday, suspiciously good. What happened?"
"Your body wasn't strong enough to continue to support you, and the baby. Apollo can explain it better later. But to make a long story short, to save you both, we had to feed you ambrosia." Ares said gently.
"Ambrosia? That was the medicine you gave me last night?"
Ares nodded.
"But, but doesn't ambrosia make you a… a…"
"God," Ares finished. "Yes, you are a god now. Do you mind?"
"Mind? How could I mind if it saved our baby? But, I can't be a god!" Joxer's chin quivered.
"Why not?"
"Cause I'm not good enough. I don't know anything about being a god. I'll screw up!"
Ares drew him in for a hug. "That's your father talking. Not you. And you'll make a wonderful god. We'll teach you. You'll do great."
Joxer snuggled into the embrace; "You'll help me?"
"Of course. Don't worry."
They lay like that for a while, content with each other's company, basking in the other's presence, listening to Mjau's purring.
Ares raised and cocked his head as he was listening to someone; "Cupid want's to know if you feel up to visitors. Bliss really need to see you."
Joxer paled, "Oh, dear. I was holding him when I collapsed. I didn't drop him, did I?"
"No. But it upset him. He blamed himself."
"Poor baby, please tell Cupid to bring him in." Joxer said.
Just as he finished the sentence, the door opened and Cupid and Bliss entered. Bliss was pulling a little red wagon. Psyche the thistle sat upon it.
"That mind speak seems very practical," Joxer said to Ares.
Ares smiled, "Yes it is. It will probably be one of your first lessons."
Bliss toddled up to the bed on Ares' side and raised his arms. Ares lifted him up on the bed and positioned him between himself and Joxer.
"Hi Bliss," Joxer smiled.
"You better now?" Bliss asked a bit shyly and wary.
Joxer nodded, "I'm much better."
Bliss smiled and moved closer, "Baby OK too?"
"Yes," Joxer said and patted his stomach. "Want to feel him?"
Bliss nodded and put his little hands on Joxer's belly. He giggled when he felt some movement.
"See, Bliss? They're fine," Cupid said and sat down on a chair close to the bed. "I'm so glad you're all right," he told Joxer.
Before Joxer could reply there was a knock on the door and Gaea, Hera and Zeus entered.
"Dear child, how are you? I just heard," Gaea said and walked up to Joxer, hardly noticing anyone else and put one hand on his temple and the other on his belly.
"I feel fine," Joxer reassured her.
Gaea sat down on the bedside, "I do wish someone had contacted me, but things seem to have turned out for the best anyway." She smiled and looked at Bliss, I see you and your Daddy were Joxer's first visitors."
Bliss nodded, "And Mommy too," he said.
Gaea frowned and looked around, "Psyche's here? I don't see her."
"Mommy's flower now," Bliss explained and pointed towards the thistle.
Gaea gave the thistle a stare, moved from the bed and picked it up.
"Bliss took Psyche's disappearance very hard," Hera explained.
Zeus nodded, "He believes the thistle is Psyche, and we couldn't see any harm in letting him keep it."
"Of course Bliss wanted to keep it! It's Psyche!" Gaea exclaimed. "The bound between mother and child is a special one. Bliss sensed her where others couldn't." She looked at Zeus and Hera; "I'm not surprised the younger ones didn't feel her, but you two. You should've felt her if you'd bother to take a closer look." She shook her head, "When will you learn that children can have something important to say too?"
Cupid rose and just stared at the thistle, "That's really Psyche?"
Gaea simply nodded.
"But, but how?" Not waiting for an answer he turned to Bliss, "I'm so sorry, Bliss. I should've checked closer."
"It's 'kay Daddy. Bliss luvs you and Bliss got to have Mommy all by myself for a while." Bliss said, still nestled between Ares and Joxer.
"And as for how," Gaea said. "I sense chaos energy." She turned to Joxer, "The last time the Chaos Stone was loose, you didn't happen to make a wish regarding Psyche, did you?"
Joxer thought about it for a while, "Oh, dear…" and then bit his lip; "It was before the divorce hearing, I found Bliss upset," he glanced at the little godling, "about something he'd heard Psyche say. I kinda wished that Psyche's pretty outside should show how she really was. This is all my fault." He finished miserably.
"Nonsense," Gaea comforted him, "Not even I can completely control the Chaos Stone. You can't be held responsible for what it does."
"That's right," Zeus agreed, relieved that this problem had reached a solution and that Cupid was off the hook.
"But how do we change her back?" Cupid asked.
"It's hard for us to change something the Chaos Stone has done," Gaea answered. "I think the best way is that I take Psyche with me to the Valley and ask the Chaos Stone to change her back. If it is in a good mood it shouldn't take long and if it isn't… Well, Psyche is immortal, so does it really matter?"
"Nana Ga's going to take Mommy away?" Bliss chin quivered. "But Me want Mommy to be with Bliss! Me misses Mommy when she's gone."
"Sweetheart, Mommy will only stay with me until she gets back to being herself again," Gaea explained. "And you can come and visit whenever you like. You know what? I'll make a portal from your temple to my cottage so you can get there on your own. How does that sound?" She cast a glance at Cupid, "I assure you, he'd be perfectly safe in the Valley. Nothing would harm him there and I'll make it so the portal shows if he's gone through it, so you know where he is."
Cupid nodded, "What do you think, Bliss?"
Bliss bit his lip, "Bliss'll miss Mommy, but it be nice to get real hugs from Mommy again. Mommy stings right now." He started to crawl off the bed and onto the floor. "You can take Mommy," he told Gaea, "But Bliss want to say Bye Bye first." He took the handle of his little red wagon and left the room.
"Poor child," Hera said. "I almost wish we could keep Psyche as a Thistle. Somehow I think Bliss would have a better mother that way, even if her hugs sting."
Cupid just shook his head, "I can't believe I didn't realize. Not just that Psyche was the thistle, but that it took me so long to figure out what kind of person she really was. And yet, I can't regret it, cause our marriage gave me Bliss, and he is the greatest thing that's ever happened in my life." He looked at his father; "I understand what you meant now. And you're right, those four words makes it all worth it."
"What four words?" Zeus asked curiously.
"I love you, Daddy," Ares answered softly.
Zeus gave him a gentle smile, "You're so right, my son. Those four words makes it all worth it."
**************
If the marble statues that covered the entrance to the Hall of Time could talk, they would probably discuss the increase of gods visiting the hall during the next couple of days. It seemed like everybody on Olympus was there at least once. From the big shots like Athena and Hermes; to the smaller deities like the muses or the graces. The one thing they all had in common was that no one left unaffected.
Some came out crying, others with a frown of determination, some fuming
with quiet fury, others having quite loud fits of rage. But no one was
unaffected.
**************
"Ares?" Getting no reply, Joxer glared at his sleeping husband. "Ares?" he said a bit louder.
His only answer was a soft snore.
Joxer growled, "Ares!" he said again, quite loud, and jabbed him with an elbow.
Ares bolted right up, "Wha… what? Joxer?" he asked a bit disoriented.
"I can't sleep," Joxer complained.
Ares blinked, "You can't sleep"
"Nope."
"And you decided misery loves company?"
"Yep."
Ares leaned back on his pillow and reached for Joxer who eagerly came into the embrace. "Then let's snuggle."
After a while Joxer said, "You know who I'm thinking of?"
"Me, hopefully."
"I always think about you, Ares. But right now I was talking about Falafel."
Ares raised an eyebrow, "Falafel?"
"Uh-huh," Joxer nodded. "He's a friend, sort of, to Hercules and Iolaus. He makes food, sort of. He made this thing he called a hotdog. I could kill for one of those right now," he said wistfully.
"You eat dogs?!" Ares asked incredulously.
"Of course not, silly!" Joxer slapped him playfully on the shoulder. "They're just called hotdogs. They're made of pig, I think."
"Well, that's a relief!"
Joxer sighed, "Yes, those hotdogs sure were good."
No reaction.
"Yep, you could almost say I crave them…"
Still no reaction.
Joxer pouted, "If someone would get me some, I would feel very loved…"
"You want me to go out and get them NOW?" Ares asked.
Joxer nodded, "Well, it's now I want them."
"In the middle of the night? You want me to wake this Falafel person up, in the middle of the night, to make you these hotdogs?"
"Uh-huh, I'm hungry."
Ares sighed, kissed Joxer on the cheek, got out of the bed and left.
Joxer let out a contented sigh and buried himself in the blankets. This was life, a warm comfy bed and a loving husband willing to fulfil any cravings he might have. Yep, life was good.
The last couple of months, Joxer's skills in controlling his new powers
had grown, just like his stomach. But he still had a problem making things
appear. But then again, that's what Ares was there for.
*****************
Falafel snuggled closer to his lover. He was so lucky to have him. He was kind and nice, but a real man, a warrior. And he loved Falafel, and his food. Finally someone who understood his true greatness. And he was a good cuddler too.
Falafel's musings were rudely interrupted when he was pulled out of bed by a strong hand grabbing his nightshirt. He found himself staring at the God of War.
"Ares," he managed to squeak out.
"You the one who makes hotdogs?" the war god growled.
Ares was not pleased. Finding Falafel had been harder than he thought since Falafel wasn't a follower of War and therefore hard for him to track down. So, Ares had to seek out someone who was, and who knew where Falafel was. Namely Hercules. He'd often wondered how Hercules would react if he realized that in all that matters, he was counted as a follower of War. Ares found it quite amusing since Hercules spent most of his time stopping wars. Thereby, making war with War.
Hercules had not appreciated being woken up in the middle of the night. Ares had to duck a couple of punches and get slammed into a tree once before he got Hercules to listen. And then promptly got laughed at. Hercules found it highly amusing that Ares was 'whipped'. He wasn't so amused when Ares put his bedroll on fire, *after* Hercules had told him where he'd seen Falafel last.
Which led to the present.
"Well? Answer my question!" Ares demanded.
Falafel nodded. "Yes, I do. Can you let me go now? I'm having trouble breathing," he whimpered.
Ares let him go, "I'll take one order to go, please."
"NOW?!"
"Yes, now."
"You wake me in the middle of the night, and want me to make hotdogs?" Falafel asked incredulously.
"I said please."
Falafel became teary eyed. "I'm so flattered. This is so great!" he said and caught Ares in a bear hug. "Finally, someone except my honey understands true talent!"
Meanwhile, said honey was waking up. Spotting Falafel with his arms around the god, "What's going on here? Keep your godly paws of my pookie!" he growled. "My lord," he added after a nasty look from Ares.
"Oh, it's not like that, babe!" Falafel said cheerfully. "Ares wants me to make hotdogs!"
"Now?"
"Yes, now," Ares glared.
"Why?" Falafel's lover asked suspiciously.
"Because my consort is in the last stage of pregnancy and has food cravings," Ares explained. "And why am I explaining myself to you?" he glared. "I'm a god, you guys are mortals, now get me some damned hotdogs!" he demanded.
Falafel started to leave the room, going to the kitchen to start the cooking. In the doorway he stopped, "Hey, does this mean I can put up a sign saying 'Caterer for the Gods?" he asked.
"NO!"
"Fine be that way," Falafel mumbled and left.
His honey just nodded wisely. "So you're not getting any," he stated.
"What?!" Ares howled.
"Well, you seem to be real wound up and tense, just like my pa when mother was that way. Cause he didn't get any." The man smiled, proud of his own deductions.
"Not that it's any of your business, but I *do* get some!" Ares growled. The man seemed familiar…
"Sure," Falafel's lover smiled indulgently, not believing a word.
Ares frowned, "Don't I know you?" he asked.
"Sure do!" the man nodded vigorously. "It is I! G.I Joeus! We met in your temple a while back."
Finally remembering where he'd met the man, Ares took a step back. He *so* didn't want another kiss from the man. "Now I remember. You asked if I was still crazy," he said.
G.I Joeus grinned proudly. "Yep, that was me," he said. "Say, why don't we hang out, you and me, warrior to warrior until my babe is done with your hot dogs?"
Ares moaned.
****************
When Ares finally arrived at the Hall of War, he was severely tired, and traumatized. He wouldn't wish G.I Joeus on his worst enemy. Yes, he would. He perked up at the thought of Hercules having to travel with the man for a while. Worth considering…
Well, he better not let Joxer wait any longer. His love was carrying his baby; the least he could do was hurry to bring Joxer the food he so craved. His poor darling had probably been waiting eagerly ever since Ares left.
He entered the bedroom with his treasured burden and stopped and just stared at the sight.
Joxer was still laying in the bed, but sound asleep. One hand on his large belly and the other one resting on Mjau, who'd snuggled close. Both Joxer and the cat snored lightly.
Resisting the urge to wake Joxer and shove the hotdogs down his throat, Ares just cursed, put the hotdogs on the table and went to bed. He kept chanting, 'I love him and he's pregnant with my child, I love him and he's pregnant with my child,' until he fell asleep.