Aphrodite and the father of Piper McLean (from the viewpoint of Ares)

"Where have you been?" Came the questioning voice of his son Eros (also known as Cupid).

His son was in child form wearing a toga and a sly grin on his face. Although Ares had been bothered at first that his first son ended up rather "feminine" and a lot like his mother, he realized quickly the true power Eros possessed and knew not to offend him too much, but Ares was also in a bad mood.

"None of your business," Ares said gruffly as he continued to make his way towards Aphrodite's private chambers.

"She doesn't want to see you right now," Eros fluttered to his side, the grin still etched on his face. "She never wants to see you after one of your rendezvous – you know that."

And Ares did know that, but he was in such a bad mood that he didn't care. He cursed Zeus's stupid laws making him unable to be in his newborn son's life. He'd left Emily Zhang and their son Frank on the day of Frank's birth because he had too. He'd already spent an insurmountable time with Emily, a fact that probably would make Aphrodite even more ticked. But he still continued his long strides past statues, paintings and her followers. His bad mood could only be calmed by war and her. And since war reminded him too much of Emily he had to make do with Aphrodite.

"Go bug your brothers Eros, I'll handle your mother." Ares grabbed the door handle to Aphrodite's bedroom and pushed it open.

"Whatever you say papa," Eros chuckled before flying away.

Ares entered the chamber and was immediately overcome with her scent. Her scent was different for everyone, that's what made her the most beautiful woman in the world. To Ares she smelled of freshly shed blood – however revolting that sounded.

His eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness and he made out her sleeping form sprawled out lovingly on her bed. He felt enticed to join her warmth and make love to her – well he always felt that way looking at her. He quickly made his way to the side of her bed and as gentle as the war god could, he stroked her face – running his coarse fingertips across her cheeks and over her warm soft lips. He felt himself drowning in her beauty when he heard her breath hitch.

"Ares," she said in an airy voice that grabbed at his body.

"Hmm?"

"Piss off!" A pillow flew at his face breaking Ares out of the trance. Aphrodite's face was now contorted in anger, beautiful yet dangerous anger that Ares had the luxury of experiencing a few times in his life.

"How dare you think you can just waltz in her after you spend over a year with your lover and then come to me like I'm seconds!" Aphrodite stood up from her bed and Ares could only stare in awe at her raw anger. An angry Aphrodite was just a sensual lover if not more than her usual self. Of course he couldn't use that angst if she was too ticked off at him to do anything.

"You're not seconds, you know that. But you know, jealousy is a good look for you. It makes me want you even more.

Aphrodite rolled her eyes, "I'm not jealous of you. I've had just as many lovers as you." Aprodite smirked at that last statement.

"Then you are fine with my newborn son?"

Aphrodite's smirk disappeared and her lips pursed tightly, her eyes that changed shades with each change in emotion were now a maroon color and were glaring at him. "Of course." Ares failed to hide his smirk at her obvious lie.

Of course he knew she didn't like it, he didn't like it when she'd fall for a mortal man and become entranced. But they were gods who naturally grew bored after too long, and they were already lovers of an adulterous affair. Neither of them had the right to be upset.

"Stay with me tonight," Ares reached for her arm only to have her jerk away.

"I can't. I was just leaving."

Ares's eyes narrowed, she never resisted his desire when he was the one to initiate. "You were just sleeping."

Aphrodite grinned the same sly smirk as their son Eros, "I've been planning on visiting the mortals for a while Ares. I can't stick around Olympus all the time, I grow bored of all it has to offer so easily." Still grinning, she snapped her fingers and a suit case with her belongings appeared at her side.

"Later Ares."

"Wait where do you think you're go-" Ares was cut off by her teleporting away.

"Shit," he muttered. He'd have to find her himself. But at least he'd have something to distract his mind from Emily.

Tracking Aphrodite turned out to be harder than expected. For the next few weeks he went from New York City to Paris, to London, to Italy, to Sydney and a small town in Indonesia all the way to Hollywood when he noticed a tabloid with her face on it while hugging a man named Tristan McLean.

Growling he made his way to Sunset Boulevard where he knew she'd be and sure enough he spied her at a restaurant being embraced by a dark haired, tan skinned man who looked to be enjoying himself as he felt her up.

Ares could feel jealousy flush through his body. He saw Aphrodite look up from the man's kisses and at him. She smirked and returned to the man's petting. Before he made a huge mistake like strangling the man to death in front of her, he teleported away back to his temple.

"Find Eros!" he yelled in a dangerous tone to his sons Phobos and Deimos who scrambled away to avoid his notorious bad temper.

A few minutes passed before the twins returned holding a struggling Eros.

"What do you want papa! I didn't do anything this time!" Eros grinned as he managed to knee Deimos in the groin.

"Ah, shuddup Eros. You're always doing something," Phobos smacked his older brother down before he could fly away.

"Eros, who is the man your mother is with?" Ares asked ignoring his children's fighting.

Eros quit struggling and his sly grin only became wider on his face – if Ares hadn't been told by Aphrodite herself he would've sworn Eros could've been a child of Hermes.

"Oh him," Eros smoothed his toga flat on his body and laughed, "He's mother's new boy toy. His name is Tristan McLean, he's an actor who just landed his big role in some movie about Spartan soldiers."

Ares growled, he knew Aphrodite had probably picked him just to tick him off. Why else would she find a man similar to him? Ares no longer cared too much of the fact that Aphrodite wouldn't sleep with him, but was instead enraged at the idea that she would dare insult his pride. And for that reason Tristan McLean would pay up.

"Where is she staying?"

Eros told him the address and Ares began scheming ways to get rid of the man who was taking all of Aphrodite's attention.

"I think she loves him," Eros said breaking Ares away from his thoughts.

Ares felt his stomach turn and without another word to Eros he teleported away. Adonis came to his mind as he stood in front of the gates to the mansion of Tristan McLean. Adonis had become one of Aphrodite's love interests after Eros accidentally pricked her with one of his arrows. Adonis had been the only mortal man to truly capture Aphrodite's heart – Adonis was the only other man besides himself that Aphrodite truly loved. And because of that Ares had killed him. It was his only act of conniving rage where he hadn't taken his rival face-on, instead he'd disguised himself as a boar and struck him down from behind. It hadn't been one of Ares's finer moments, but in the end Aphrodite came running back to his arms – even if he'd destroyed a piece of her.

"Why are you standing out here Ares?" her soothing voice spoke to him and in a blink of an eye Aphrodite stood in front of him. Her hair was now a rustic auburn color and her eyes were swirls of every shade of gold – his favorite.

"Thinking of how to kill him," he replied honestly.

Aphrodite's face darkened, "Don't you dare Ares – not again." She crossed her arms over her chest and he knew she was serious which only made him angrier.

"I won't if you come back with me."

"I'm pregnant."

Ares frowned, "Doesn't matter, come back with me now. Send it to him by mail like Athena does."

"She's not an 'it' Ares. She's my daughter and I'm not leaving him now – not yet anyways." Her frown disappeared as she ran her hand through her hair and she sighed tiredly, "It's not like I could stay anyways, with Zeus's rules."

Ares also sighed but in frustration. He took her hand in his and studied its perfectness, "You'd want to stay if you could." It wasn't a question because Ares already knew the answer. He knew the answer because if someone had asked him the same question about him and Emily he'd also stay.

"Sometimes it's best to just get away from Olympus and all its problems," Ares knew she was also referring to him, "Sometimes I just want to run away Ares. I can't help it, just like I know you can't either."

Ares pulled her closer to him and kissed her warm soft perfect lips.

"We're so screwed up aren't we?" she asked him before placing her lips again on his.

"Nothing wrong with that," Ares grinned and they broke away. He'd just have to get over his own bad mood without Aphrodite this time, besides he trusted she'd come back. In the end the Fates always led them back to each other.

"Later," he said gruffly. He looked away from her warm eyes, "I won't kill him."

Aphrodite's laugh filled the air, "I know." Then she teleported away – back to him. And Ares, now as Mars teleported back to Emily, spying on her as she tucked their son into his crib.

I hope you all liked this chapter, the problem with this story formula is that the stories can get formulaic. So I tried something different this time. Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out, that's the reason it's a series of one-shots so you won't be stuck on a cliffhanger forever.

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Thanks for reading!