A/N: Question time! Do you enjoy smut and plot chapters separate? Would you like more smut or more plot or is the system I've got going working? I worry that the cliffhangers take away from the rest of the chapter. :p
Plotty plot chapter
"Hade-" Hera took a step back as Hades stepped over the threshold and into her entryway uninvited. "Why doesn't everyone just come into my home in the middle of the night. This is fine." She mumbled grumily, closing the door behind her.
The golden goddess turned back to the obviously intoxicated King.
"You look like shit. I'll grab you some water."
"Have you checked your email?" He followed her through the expansive foyer, down the hall, and into the beautifully decorated kitchen.
"No, we've had a situa-" She rolled her eyes as the azure God cut her off.
"Apollo sent out a mass email to everyone in Olympus. I needed to see you before Persepho-" Hades stopped in his tracks, the words drying up on his lips as his eyes locked with the tear-strained and swollen gaze of Demeter.
"Kore? You know where she is?" Demeter perked up. Her usual stern demeanor had fallen away. He hadn't seen her looking so soft since after the Titanomachy.
Hades stammered. He wished for nothing more than the ground to open up and swallow him whole.
"Demeter… There is a lot you don't know and we need to take care of this first. I promise there will be time for explanation after." Hades held up the broken remains of his phone, setting them down on the table before sinking in the chair opposite of the Barley Mother.
"Oh no." Zeus muttered, flipping through his phone, angling it away from the two women at his side. "Is there a way to remove this?"
Hera snatched the phone up from her husband and let out an audible gasp, accidentally dropping it flat onto the table.
"What are you-?" Demeter grabbed for the phone but Hades sprung across the surface, seizing the device protectively.
"Deme… You don't need to see that." Hera ushered her back into her chair, giving her shoulders an affectionate squeeze.
"Where is my daughter?"
Zeus searched his brother's face before turning to the emerald goddess. "She's safe. Don't worry." He gave her hand a gentle pulse. The Goddess of harvest made to jerk her hand away from him, but let her arms relax tentatively. She gave him a solemn nod.
"Where is Apollo? Did you come straight here?"
"Yea. I came straight here. I couldn't-" Hades let his gaze fall to his lap here he vaguely studied the lines of his palm, easing back his emotions.
"I'll go get him." Zeus stood, his face unreadable. He pointed to Demeter and Hades. "Neither of you are to leave this kitchen. I'll be back." Without another word the God of Thunder was gone with a shock of light.
"Bunny… Can you get Hecate? She might know a way to remove that, or… manage the coming shitstorm at least." Hades motioned weakly at the useless hunk of plastic before him and the invisible order from his brother.
"Yea. I'll be right back."
He nodded, letting out an apprehensive exhale. He couldn't let Demeter see how furious he was. He needed to stay logical. Rational. Calm."
'You can still intercept Apollo and take care of this yourself.' Whispered the voice that sounded suspiciously like Cronus.
'Zeus said we have to stay…' The child-like voice retorted responsibly.
'Fuck Zeus. You should have killed that shit sun god when you had the chance.'
"Uncle?"
Hades snapped out of his interpersonal meeting, and turned to see a sleepy Hebe standing in the archway.
"Hebe-bean!" He called, with a large and tired grin.
"What's going on? Where's momma?" She ventured into the kitchen, giving Demter a curious expression like she was trying to recall if they'd met.
"They had to leave, but Auntie Demeter and I are here to make sure you get back to bed!" He turned back to Demeter and gave her a small, apologetic smile.
Demeter met him with a softened brow. The corner of her lips quirked in what almost could be considered a smile.
"Is Auntie Demeter your wife?" Hebe asked, disregarding her instruction to go back upstairs.
"No. No… Just... friends. Do you remember Persephone? Demeter is her Mom." Hades shushed his drunk pervert lizard brain that showed him a memory of the Pink Goddess beneath him, murmuring things that Demeter would absolutely behead him for.
"Persephone is really nice. She made a heart in the garden! I'll show you!" Hebe tugged on his hand in an attempt to pull him up from the chair.
"Come here bug." He pulled her into the chair next to him. "You can show me in the morning. I'll make us some pancakes." He gave her a little wink, and she giggled.
"I never thought you would be so good with kids." Demeter said in a muted tone.
"You don't think much of me, Deme."
"Uncle, are you drunk?"
"You'd know all about that you little booze machine! Say, can you make me one of those legendary martini's your mom keeps telling me about?"
"Yes!" She shot to her feet and set to the task on the other side of the kitchen.
"Hebe, can you make me one too?" Demeter asked, her voice still wavering a little.
"Mhm!" Hebe hummed affirmatively, her tongue between her teeth.
"What happened with you and Hera? I always thought you two were going to…" Demeter trailed off, tossing a glance over her shoulder at the newly energized child.
Hades recalled the first time he met Hera. Her and Hestia tended to his wounds, after the war. He had been alone for years, and at the time her sparkling aqua eyes were the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
His memory shot him forward, years before Hera and Zeus got married. They would drink into the late evening and allow their primal urges to carry them into the early morning.
He looked down, hoping the heat lighting his cheeks wasn't as noticeable as it felt.
"No one would trust the goddess of marriage if she chose to marry the King of the Underworld. Why have that life when you can have this one…" He motioned to the beautiful gold and white adorned mansion they sat in.
"I was set to Marry Zeus." Demeter said with a nervous clear of her throat. Hebe was humming noisily behind them, oblivious to their conversation.
"W-what? You hate Zeus?" His most vivid memories of Demter and Zeus were of her chasing him around the fields threatening to stab him.
"I-I don't -hate- Zeus. I just... not anymore. I caught him cheating with-" Demeter cleared her throat, accepting the martini from the small golden haired goddess, who then happily skipped out of the room.
"-and I stepped aside. I didn't want a husband like that."
"You deserve better than that, for sure. You and Hera both." Hades said guiltily, thinking about all the times Hera climbed into his bed after a disastrous fight with her husband.
He shook away the intrusive thoughts of golden legs straddling his lap, hips rolling with his every thrust up.
"Say's you! You're just as much of a womanizing pervert!" Demeter snapped before frowning apologetically and taking a long drink.
"I've never cheated!" Hades said with moderate conviction, before adding, "But I might as well have. I was with Minthe while in love with someone else."
"You? Love?"
"I asked her to marry me." He said capriciously, knowing this comment was going to come back soon to bite him. No more plausible deniability. He brought his own glass to his lips, drinking deeply.
"Finally, a Queen of the Underworld. Huh. Anything is possible. Who is the unfortunate lady?"
"I didn't think we'd have this conversation… like this."
"Hm?" She asked, setting her glass back down after another generous serving.
"She ate the damn fruit of the underworld so she would be bound to me." Hades realized more to himself, ignoring the Goddesses' question.
"You forced her." Demeter corrected haughtily.
"No. She did it all on her own, unfortunately."
"She sounds like an idiot."
Hades busied himself with draining his drink to prevent from snapping back.
"So. Anyone I know?" Hades winced with each pressing question.
"Y-yes."
"Who is she, Hades?" Demeter asked, desperately seeking distraction.
"Your daughter."
Persephone awoke, rolling into the cold empty side of the bed. Her vision caught the small note leaning against the glass of water Hades must have left out for her.
'Sorry Sweetness. I didn't want to wake you.
Meeting with Zeus, my phone is broken.
If you need me, call Hera.
Love you.'
Persephone sighed and scooped up Pomelia, looking around at the lumps of fluff curled up around her.
"You boys' hungry?"
A metallic echo rang through the kitchen as the pink Goddess filled each of their bowls with kibble. As they all dove into their extra early breakfast, she ventured out into the garden.
"Shoot…" She whispered, taking in the havoc being away and unable to tend to the light starved plants had reaped.
"Oh. I guess you're used to the underworld." She remarked aloud to the undisturbed Mint plant.
"If Ares hadn't stopped Hades he would have ripped your spine out from your-" Zeus gave a knock with his fist before a small thud with his forehead. "You fucking idiot!" Zeus yelled, hammering again on the outside of Apollo's front door.
"What am I doing?" Zeus mumbled before he shocked the door with a pulse of lightning he channeled through his palm. He pulled open the door and let himself in. .
"From your yelling I assume you're looking for Apollo?" Hermes called, poking his head out from behind the open bathroom doorway.
Hera and Hecate had just crossed the threshold when they heard a commotion from the kitchen.
Demeter had lunged across the table, summoning her golden scythe and holding it to Hades' throat. Her knee barely missed his lap upon landing.
"She is only Twenty! She is basically a child!" Demeter quarreled.
"Yea, and how old were we when we went off TO WAR!?" Hades snarled back.
"Really? I've been gone for 20 minutes!" Hera said shrilly. Hecate stifled a chuckle from behind the goddess' golden shoulder.
"Are you both drunk? HEBE?!" Hera called over her shoulder, noticing the broken martini glasses on her kitchen tile.
"He is raping my daughter!" The emerald Goddess screamed, her scythe a paper thin slice away from Hades' vocal cords.
"Demeter, -he- didn't rape Persephone."
"B-but… someone has?" Demeter sagged, abruptly. Hades caught her before she hit the floor.
"A-Apollo? That's why she had to leave the- Oh no. No- no… Where is my BABY?" Demeter collapsed against Hades chest, her already bloodshot eyes were welling with tears.
"Deme, hon… She is at my house. Very well protected. Cerberus won't let him anywhere near her."
"You kidnapped her." Demeter accused, staggering away from the Gods' helping embrace.
"No. She summoned me, and asked to go home."
"H-home? Her house… was destroyed when I got back. I thought something-" Her hands cupped her stressed face, shielding it from view.
Hades placed a comforting hand gingerly on her shoulder. She looked up, her face twisted in fury. "You forced her to eat those seeds."
"Wait, what?" Hecate called from the doorway where her and Hera appeared to be silently watching the scene unfold.
"I told you…" He said coldly. "She did this all on her own. I wasn't even there."
"I-I don't understand. What have you people done to her? Why didn't anyone come get me?"
"I can't find Apollo." Zeus entered the kitchen, his words seethed behind his teeth. "Artemis and Hermes haven't heard from him since yesterday morning. Helios and Nyx are on the lookout. I couldn't get ahold of Persephone but I sent Eros on his way to check."
Demeter rose from the floor, staring at Zeus murderously.
"I need all of you to tell me everything. Now."
Persephone was laying in the newly revived garden when JP and Cerberus made a b-line for the front door, barking excitedly.
"Oh! Daddy's home!" She popped up and headed into the house, herding the rest of the lazy dogs along the way.
"Eros? What are you doing here so early?" She pulled the door open and saw the smiling face of her best friend.
"Hey Honey! Just wanted to come by and check on you. You didn't answer when I called."
"Oh sorry! I had left my phone upstairs. Come in!"
Hecate hung up the phone and walked back into the room looking only mildly grim. "Okay, we sent out a notice alerting the list not to open it. I said Virus, He said curse. We'll see what he comes up with. There is nothing we can do about the people who have already seen it, though." She shook her head, glancing over at Zeus. "You're going to have to do some damage control with the press."
Zeus shrugged his shoulders with an inconvenient sigh before pulling out his phone and walked back out the door leading into a dining room.
"Can I see them?" Demeter asked flatly.
"I don't think that's wise…" Hecate hesitated.
"Show me." She snapped. For a moment the Witch looked like she was complementing smashing her own phone before she handed it over reluctantly.
"Oh. Kore…" She sniffed. Hades watched her still. He knew exactly what picture she saw that made her take pause. She set the phone down on the table next to her before calmly getting to her feet and turning to Hera. "I'm going to go find Apollo." Her tone was clipped now, detached. She turned again to Hades, her face smooth and expressionless, like she was cut from emerald stone she resembled.
"I'll deal with you when I get back."