Title: A Kite in the Iliad

Author: TigerTiger02

Where Can I Find a Young Impressionable Stable Boy?

Disclaimer: Joss and Homer are hording the characters of these wonderful shows/books. However I own Briar and Puck, and for the fee of one Captain Jack Sparrow action figure or a chained up Orlando Bloom, you can borrow them.

Briar couldn't sleep, she just kept thinking, about the Scoobies, about poor Dawn, about Hector's impending doom, and… she sighed, no she wouldn't think about that. Let sleeping dogs lie, or something like that. Giving Hector a yearning glance she slipped out of bed and grabbed his heavy robe. She couldn't just sit around, her body needed to purge some of that pent up energy, and she wasn't going to purge it that way Puck was so fond of doing. Unbeknownst to her the prince that was supposed to be sleeping was not. He felt the gentle shift of the bed and heard the closing of the door; he smiled silently to himself and stood stretching.
Briar stared at the many weapons. Her palms itched as if anxious to feel the rough wood of a staff in their tight grip or the smooth steel of a sword. She sighed and glanced about at the various weapons. It was hard to decide; staff, bow, sword… her mind wandered to her first session with Hector… his shirt had been off and he was- she stopped that train of thought immediately. Damn, where was a hot and certainly impressionable stable boy when you needed him? Briar shifted slightly and glanced around as if frightened by the fact that someone could be watching. With a sneaky glance she picked up Hector's prized sword. The sound of giggling caught her off guard and she dropped the sword which in turn landed on her toe.

"Ow! Shit!" she cursed and ducked into a row of conveniently placed bushes. There was more giggling and a soft murmur of voices. The couple finally appeared and Briar's jaw dropped. Hector and some girl…

Dawn stretched and gave a lazy grin as Achilles was searching for his clothing. She admired the nice view of his ass and smirked. Achilles turned and found her looking.

"Good evening…" she whispered as he got red in the face.

"Uh… good evening…" he said nervously. "I'm sorry that I'm unclothed in front of-."

"Don't worry about it." Dawn said, taking it in stride. "I have seen naked guys before. Your cousin enjoys walking around butt naked." Dawn said, commenting on Patroclus' lack of clothing half the time. Achilles gave his patented laugh and ended up still laughing as he covered himself.

"What do you wish to do for the remainder of the day?" Achilles playfully said, "Your wish is my command…" he said as he bowed low. Dawn giggled and stood from her mat.

"I don't know, how about we go for a swim?" Achilles smiled.

"Let me get a picnic together and we shall go with Patroclus and Briseis." Achilles said as he pulled on some clothing and went off to find the cook.

Puck stretched lethargically and flashed a grin at Paris who was wide awake and watching her intently. "Where did you learn to do that?" he asked and then added, "And here I thought I knew every trick in the book."

"Apparently you've never been to India…" she purred as she stood and went to the window. She started when she saw Briar making her way though to the training area. What was she doing outside at this hour? And where was Hector? Surely they would have… but no, Briar wouldn't start something with someone that would make her or him fall head over heels. She just wasn't like that. And the girl was positively adamantly against relationships, repeating to younger slayers her mantra, 'We are slayers. We live in the fight and for the fight only. We die as young and broken bodies. We have no time for love or lust or friendships. Only companionship of our comrades, our sisters in arms. Slayer's don't walk in this world, get used to it'.

Puck remembered the first time she had heard her cold voice issue this truth. Puck had nearly cried with the knowledge that it was true. What had happened was something so normal for slayers that it was laughable that anyone was shocked. A fellow girl in their group, a young blonde that went by the name of Claudia had been struck down by a vampire. Her prone body lay bleeding on the ground and Puck remembered her angry scream as she charged at the vampire recklessly. Briar had effortlessly grabbed her arm and shot the vampire with a bolt from her crossbow all in the same swift motion. Puck had turned on her screaming angrily, 'Why didn't you let me kill him! He murdered my friend!' Briar raised one slender eyebrow and spat out the line, before releasing Puck and flipping out her cell phone, reporting the situation to Giles. Puck saw the same woman from that night as Briar contemplated the weapons. Her pretty face emotionless, that is until there's a high-pitched giggle.

She watches Briar's expression turned to one of almost comical panic as she drops the sword on her foot and curses while melting into the shadowed bush. It's Hector and some woman. Puck's heart sinks for Briar and she turns away from the window, curtaining it before sliding back into the warm bed. "What's wrong?" Paris asks his breath regained.

"Nothing." She murmurs because it's true.

Briar clenched her teeth together and tried desperately not to jump the woman who was giggling profusely at anything remotely funny Hector said. She nearly growled when the wench had the audacity to ask him to show her a few passes on the sword. Anger bubbled up into her and she found herself walking around the bushes to the bend in the path and coming up on them. Making sure Hector saw her first.

"Oh, well I never knew a training ground could have other purposes. Good luck to you." She says while tipping her head to the fair haired woman, "I must be going. I have an appointment with the stable boy to keep." Leaning toward the stunned pair she smiles wickedly, and with a theatrical whisper she finishes her sentence, "Mmm, the things I'll teach that boy." The words are flying out of her mouth before she can stop them, she gives a wink. Horrified by what she has just done, she turns swiftly and leaves; intent on fulfilling her promise.

Hector blinks in surprise. His mind reels. The one stable boy that he has left is the nineteen year old Bastian. The boy is strong but slightly dim-witted. And Briar was to seduce him? What had changed for her to make that decision? Perhaps she wanted someone to warm her bed at night? Someone to whisper sweet nothings in her ear as he made love to her? Hector cringed, desperately trying to get the imagery out of his mind. Turning to the beautiful woman at his side he spoke.

"Cousin, I must leave you now to find my… way-ward servant." His cousin smiled.

"You love her." She stated simply. Hector looked taken aback.

"I do not." He replied. His cousin merely grinned, a mischievous smile on her bronzed face.

"Keep telling yourself that, it might actually come true." Off his shocked look she giggled. "You men, always making up lies, and trying to be stone. Trying to show no emotion. And then when you finally decide to show some it's either the wrong kind or its too late. Are you going to let her get away Hector? Such a formidable woman as she? She is your match Hector. It's a pity that such a great woman is going to be wasted on a boy. Well, are you going to go after her?" Lifting a slender brow she gave Hector a challenging look.

"Later, I have important business to take care of with Paris." Hector said before turning swiftly in the direction of the palace, leaving his cousin alone. The woman smirked and suddenly her countenance melted off of her revealing a woman of considerable beauty. Her eyes were the color of the bluest blue. Her hair was spun gold. Her skin exuded more then confidence, but a golden light. Her robes were the color of dawn with edges of gold, on her breasts laid a pendant of a heart. Her long hair was done in curls with roses and lilies threaded in as well. The small smirk was still prominent on her face. Behind her a man melted away from the darkness to wrap his armored arms around her and to nuzzle her neck.

"My sweet…" he murmured in to her neck. His dark eyes glittered like the black armor her wore in the weak torch-light. His black hair was a mass of near shoulder length curls. He was tall and strong looking, a warrior.

"Ares… how good of you to join me, lover." The goddess murmured.

"I see you are up to no good, Aphrodite." He replied, chuckling at his lover's bad habit of meddling into mortals love lives. She made an agitated noise and stepped away from him.

"I am up to perfectly good… good!" she declared with a pout, "Hector needs to find someone to love again; she'll be good for him." She whined.

"Yes, my lovely. What ever you want. But for the moment let's say you and I go for a roll in the hay, literally." Aphrodite giggled like a school girl and they both faded into a fine mist that dissipated.

Dawn lazily watched Achilles and Patroclus race in the night sea. Beside her Briseis' eyes follow the slender form of Patroclus.

"Someone's got a crush… oooh… Briseis and Patroclus sitting in a tree… K-I-S-S-I-N-G-." Briseis' hand is slapped over Dawn's mouth before the other woman can even finish.

"Oh Dawn, please be quiet."

"Why? You know he likes you to. Why don't you congratulate him for losing the race and give him a big ole kiss." Briseis starred at her, half horrified and half amused. "Or maybe you should comfort him… I dunno." Dawn stood, brushing off her skirt and raced out into the sea where Achilles waited, a smile in place and his arms swept open to receive her. She jumped into his arms and he swung her around before setting her down in the surf and kissing her.

Oh Briseis envied her. Dawn was so free and uninhibited while Briseis was so… trapped. The brunette sighed and stood, brushing her long dress off she walked to the surf to greet Patroclus. He scowled; obviously agitated by the fact he had lost. "Patroclus…" she started but stopped when he turned to her. He raised an eyebrow as a question. Briseis bit her lip anxiously. "I… uh… I…" the girl fumbled for words but none came to her. Oh why couldn't she be like Dawn? All brave and jumping into things without thinking about the consequences, that was how Briseis wanted to be. She bit her lip and launched herself at the surprised eighteen year old. Their lips locked, and in an almost dream-like quality she could hear Dawn give hoot at the scene. Yes, being like Dawn was definitely better.
Unbeknownst to the Achaeans or the Trojans a strange glow was being emitted from a nearby forest. For a moment there was a rushing screaming sound and then the dark night enveloped both light and noise. It was as if a vacuum had been created. It was like this for a few long moments, and then all sound came rushing back. Deep in the forest a disgruntled vampire stood up and turned to a female redhead, "Well that was a fun ride." He said sarcastically, his blue eyes rolling in their sockets. Nearby another two figures struggled to stand. One was a one-eyed brunette and the other was a female brunette.

"Well Spike, seems that your insistence hasn't really paid off." The male said angrily.

"Shut it, Whelp." The English vampire growled out.

"Oooh, Big Bad vampire getting all defensive, I'd watch your step Xan-Man." The female brunette said.

"Now really do we have to fight? We're here to uh… help people. Faith? Xander? Spike? Apologizing would be nice now."

"Can't Red, I'm a bad, rude man," Spike retorted.

"Yeah whatever, sorry." Faith said looking not that sorry.

"I echo that sentiment." Xander said. Willow sighed.

"So uh, anyone know where we are?" she asked.

A/N: wow ummm I haven't updated in ages… I meant to for the longest time but then the computer is a piece of shit. Yeah I know I should use my upstairs one but I really can't considering the fact that it doesn't have a floppy disc drive, or internet connection. Gah! But yeah I've updated, unfortunately no matter how much I want to update Detour in the Roadway I can't because, 1) I don't have time today to finish the chapter and 2) for the next two weeks I am out of town with no hope of having a computer. Yeah I'm bound to Arizona, lucky me. Well expect the next chapter in the next month or so, considering its summer and I have a sort of job, I have more free time. Or maybe the same amount if you factor in hanging out with friends and just dicking around. Meh.

Sweetypie15: wow! Thanks for your review; you kind of helped me get back on track with this fic.