The Love of War

DISCLAIMER: I’m writing for the love of smut. I do not profit from my blood sweat and tears. I do not own any of the Hercules/Xena characters or licensing. They belong to Renaissance Pictures. If I did, I wouldn't let Cupid out of bed and certainly not out of that leather outfit for long. (Snigger.)

Warning: This is the alternate universe where Ares is the God of love, Hercules is a bad guy, and Xena is a sado-masochistic wimp.

The Love of War

The warm weight against her was familiar. So was the tongue idly stroking her ear. She turned her head to face the loving brown eyes that were shining with adoration. Simple and uncomplicated loved gleamed. She sighed, rolled over and ran a soothing stroke along his spine. He sighed and rested his head on her chest.

"Bed hog." She accused softly. He shifted closer.” I distinctly remember banishing you from the bedroom last night." He cuddled closer until he was flush against her. He wanted some more luvin'.

"You are one spoiled dog, Alexi."

The thumping tail seemed to say that he agreed with her. He usually did. His adoring brown eyes stared out of a face that was far too friendly. The neck ruff and dense, soft hair was the legacy of his half Chow, half Akita mother. She had also passed on the curling tail and the blue tongue lolling out of his mouth. His black Labrador father had blessed him with a friendly, placid disposition and the black tones of his hair. As a guard dog, he was pretty much useless so far, but he made an excellent running partner and would-be muggers didn't know that the big dog was harmless.

The merciless clock on the stand next to the bed taunted her with time. The furry alarm next to her was shaking the bed with his wagging tail. Sigh. She was up. Her metabolism demanded that now that she was awake, she needed to be up and about her routine. No rolling over and going back to sleep, oh no. She needed to get moving.

She growled and threw off her blankets. She sat up and stared out the bedroom window. Morning had definitely arrived.

"Come on, Jessie. No sleeping late for you." She told herself firmly. She pushed herself up and turned it into a stretch. Alexi hit the floor as soon as his mistress did. He headed to the door and looked back as if to say, 'Come on Mom. We need to go out'.

"Alright, baby. Let's go." She followed the dog past her roommate's bedroom, through the small kitchen to the back door. "You know, you do have a doggie door," she informed her dog. Alexi wagged his tail and seemed to say, 'Yeah, but that's not as much fun.'

She opened the sliding glass door and they both stepped onto the porch. Alexi ran for the birds gathering around the feeder. They took off with frightened cheeps and Jessie giggled. She lifted her face to the morning sun and smiled her greeting to the day. The redwood boards of the porch felt good against her bare feet and the cool morning air woke her faster than a double shot of espresso. Mmmmn, coffee. No, not yet. While her dog did his morning 'business', she put herself through some stretches and turned them into her morning kata. As she flowed through the form, her sluggish blood quickened and her muscles loosened and warmed. As the moving meditation came to an end, her skin seemed to get more sensitive as she felt the loose cotton of her drawstring pants brush against her legs and the stretchy cotton of her tank top abraded her nipples.

Damn. She'd been celibate too long. Donuts were in order.

She slipped back inside and threw her favorite pair of stretchy jeans and a bra. The tank would do for a shirt until later. She slid her feet into sandals and was treated to a 'good morning' kiss from her dog when she bent over to fasten the buckles. She went into the bathroom to brush her teeth and loosen her long chestnut hair from the now sloppy braid. She pulled it back into a ponytail and watched irritably as it almost immediately started to frizz up. Oh, well. Such was the curse of having curly hair in the desert.

"Well baby, do you want to go for a walk?" Alexi started to dance around the room at the coveted 'w' word. He trotted down the hall and waited by the door for his mistress to grab her wallet and his leash. He started to vibrate when Jessie paused to leave Kate a note telling her where they had gone in the unlikely event she woke before their return. Katie wasn't a morning person by any stretch of the imagination and she viewed getting up before ten on the weekends as sacrilege. Kate had told her on many occasions that there was medication to help Jessie with her 'rising with the dawn' problem. She often greeted her usually showered and fully dressed roommate with a scowl when she stumbled out of her room. However, a powdered lemon jelly would definitely sweeten her disposition.

Alexi started to whimper softly when she paused to be sure there was enough milk. "I know, sweetheart. You want to leave now." Jessie snapped on the spiked leather collar that Kate had gotten as a joke and the braided leather leash that looked like it came from one of the sex shops downtown. Talk about false advertising. Anyone looking at them would be convinced that Alexi would rip out their throat rather than give them a tongue bath.

The steady tug on the leash was a little annoying as she paused outside the door to lock it. The small multitool attached to the keychain gave it some weight as she jammed her keys into her pocket. She plopped sunglasses on her nose against the southern Nevada sunshine and they were off.

Jessie set her usual brisk pace out of the housing development with her dog trotting happily next to her. There was a wonderful bakery and coffee shop a quarter mile from the house. And, unlike supermarkets, she could see where she tied up her dog through the window. In fact, the owner, Toula, a cheerful former resident of Greece, frequently came outside to scratch Alexi's ears and slip him one of her homemade dog biscuits. Then Alexi would reward her generosity with enthusiastic kisses to her chin.

When they paused at a corner, waiting for the light to change, Jessie inhaled the cool morning air with a sigh. This weather was so rare. Autumn in Las Vegas was brief, barely a few weeks, but it was wonderful while it lasted. Pretty soon, she'd need a sweater, then a coat.

The wind storm that had blown through yesterday had blown most of the pollution out of the valley. So the air was clear and the sky was thick with clouds that teased residents with the hope of rain. The light changed and they were off again.

Jesse loved days like this and was so happy that she didn't have to work today. Spending a gorgeous day like this in the shop would have been such a waste. She allowed a smirk to twist her lips. It was so cliché. A practicing pagan priestess working in an occult bookstore, but it was close to the house and she got a discount. She could also see all the new books as they came out and sneak peeks through them on her breaks. And scheduling the tarot readings never took long, even if two of the readers were phonies. But it was just a job. The pay was lousy at the All Seeing Eye, so she was looking for something better.

She could smell it almost a block before they got there; the cinnamon scent of fresh baklava and bread. Jessie knew an array of sugar-filled delicacies would be spread out before her as she went through the door. Alexi knew it too. He knew that his own treat would be coming and so he pulled a little harder, urging his mistress to hurry. Toula would be there with scratches and a warm dog-type cookie.

Jessie fastened Alexi to the bike rack outside the store and pushed open the door with its cheerful bell to warn Toula of her arrival. A short, plump woman came from the back room and greeted her guest with a broad grin.

"Jessica, you haven't been in to see me in a week!" She scolded with a smile.

"Please, Toula," she protested. "I've already had to add an extra half an hour to my workouts as it is because of this place. I want to keep losing weight, not gaining it back."

"Nonsense." She said briskly. "There is nothing wrong with your figure."

"There is nothing wrong with it because I work out and go to the dojo and fighter practice." She said dryly, referring to her martial arts training and broadsword fighting with one of the local renaissance groups.

"You need some meat on your bones."

"I had plenty of 'meat' before. I prefer lean, thanks. And that hasn't been easy since you opened your doors and began my fall from grace."

The older woman preened behind her shining glass cases. Donuts of every description lay in orderly rows, tempting the unwary into sugary bliss. Baklava, breads and fresh pies also added to the seduction. Add the scent of strong Greek coffee and Toula became the Baking Succubus, luring you away from sensible salads and low carb wraps and into her den of food iniquity.

"And what can I seduce you into today?" Toula tucked an iron gray curl behind her ear.

"A powdered lemon jelly for Kate and hmmm..." Jesse peered into the gleaming dance of the sugar plum fairies behind the glass and tried to make a decision that didn't involve more than one creamy, decadent, extra-twenty-minutes-on-the-weight-benches pastry. Ooooo, Custard Bismarck’s. Ooooh, triple fudge and cream cheese brownies. Arrgghh! Cherry cheese Danishes!

"Bless and save it, Toula! How am I supposed to choose just one?" Jessie put a martyred hand on her forehead.

"You're not." She answered. Mephistopheles himself would have been proud of the crafty yet innocent smile gracing the Greek woman's face. Toula poured the younger woman a cup of coffee, added the cinnamon cream she liked and handed it to her. "I'll just go outside and say hello to Alexi while you decide." She grabbed a dog bone shaped cookie and headed out to the wriggling canine she could see through her window.

Jessie slanted a glare after her personal Bakery Bad Angel. She sighed and sipped her coffee. There was nothing for it. There was no way that she was getting out of here without taking two for herself. In the pastry nirvana that was Toula's domain, she had no willpower. A cherry cheese Danish and brownie would be going home with her. Since she was being so bad herself, why not let Katie join in her dietary debauchery? A Bavarian cream and a lemon jelly for the willowy redhead she shared a house with. While Jessie pounded out her extra calories at a gym, Kate's exercise took the form of afternoon and evening shifts at a livery stable. The pounds refused to stay on her form, caring for those horses. Jessie could barely get her through the doors of her health club.

"What do I need to lift weights for?" She'd said scornfully. "I lift feed bags and hay bales. Not to mention tack and saddles. And I don't pay for some sadist to design a personal torture session for me."

And as far as Katie was concerned, that was that. She'd pick her up for dinner sometimes at the gym, but the only reason she went inside was to use the showers or the restrooms. Jessie had an understanding with the manager; Kate could use the showers sometimes in exchange for two free tarot readings a month. New members of the club would sigh at Kate's lithe form, and wonder out loud what she did to keep it, as they never saw her actually do anything.

Kate taught her to care for the horses and ride. Jessie frequently went out to the stables on her days off, and the two roommates would exercise some of the boarded horses. Jessie had to admit, the weight had started coming off faster after she started joining Kate at the stables. And after her training was finished, the two women had a lot of fun critiquing the riding in movies and TV shows.

Toula returned from her pooch pampering and washed her hands. Sensing weakness in her prey, she got out a pastry box instead of a small bag. She slipped on a pair of plastic gloves and smiled cheerfully at the young woman trying so hard to be good and failing so miserably.

"Cherry cheese Danish, the triple fudge brownie, and a Bavarian cream to add to the powdered lemon jelly." She mock glared at the Greek elf behind the counter. Toula laughed and daintily picked up each plump pastry and deposited it with care into the box.

"I never get out of here with just one for each of us." Jessie grumbled as she handed over the money for their breakfast.

"And yet you keep trying." Toula grinned and handed her change. Jessie then noticed a pretty pendant that gleamed gold around Toula's neck.

"I don't think that I've ever seen you wearing that necklace before." She commented curiously. Jessie tended to notice jewelry in her line of work. She could better direct her customers to the sections they needed by what they wore around their necks. Catholic medals and crosses, though rarely seen, sent their wearers to the Bible studies section with its generally dry monographs. Thor's Hammers went into the Norse magic sections. And pentagrams were pretty self explanatory. Witchcraft practioners made up the bulk of her sales.

"May I see it?" She asked and Toula obligingly took it off and handed it to her.

Toula's necklace was beautiful. It was an intaglio, sort of reverse cameo carved into amber so the picture shown through the golden brown resin. The carving was exquisite. It had a length of string weaving through a spindle to loop around to a set of scissors. The oval of amber was mounted on an oval of gold to reflect the light through the picture. It bordered the amber with the traditional Greek key design. Jessie could also almost feel the age of the piece.

"Is this to symbolize the Fates?" She asked. The other woman grinned again, this time with pride.

"Most modern people don't pick up on that." She smiled.

"Most modern people aren't pagan priestesses." Jessie returned wryly. "If I remember right, Clotho was the spinner of life, Lachesis was the measurer, and Atropos cut the thread." Jessie took another sip of her coffee. She loved Toula's coffee. She handed the necklace back to the other woman.

"Yes, you remember right. This piece has been in my family for many years." Toula refastened the chain around her neck. "It was said that one of my ancestors was one of the Fates priests. They passed it on to their children."

"I am surprised that the piece survived the family's conversion to Christianity. Amber burns pretty easily from what I hear and a lot of people would have destroyed the necklace as a sign of their new faith." Jessie remarked.

"And they might have if there wasn't a family legend attached to the piece. My grandmother said as long as the piece remained in the family, the family would never die out. Ya-ya was the one who gave it to me on the eve of my wedding."

"And if I remember right, you and Spiro have seven children. That seems to support your theory." Jessie loved a good family legend.

"Yes, we Kiriakis tend to be a fertile bunch," Toula laughed. "Speaking of which-"

Jessie lifted a halting hand. "You are not fixing me up again." She stated firmly.

"But my nephew Nico is a very good boy." Toula protested.

"Yes," Jessie agreed, "so good that he is thinking of joining the priesthood."

"My son Dimitri-"

"Nice enough, but was very firm that if we were to get married, I would have to be baptized in the Greek Orthodox Church. Now I am a pretty easy going person, but demanding that I stop being a pagan was a little much on the third date-even for me."

"Stefan? My cousin's boy?" Toula offered weakly.

"I don't think that he likes girls." She said with a wry twist of her lips and a raised eyebrow.

"You can't be sure of that after only one date." Toula objected.

"He was ogling the waiter's butt." Jessie said bluntly.

"Was it a nice butt?" Toula asked with a sigh.

"He had a truly 'World class ass'."

Toula sighed in defeat. Jessie tried to hide a smile of triumph. It would take her at least a week to come up with another candidate. Maybe two.

"Thanks, Toula. I'll see you in a couple of days." She came around the counter and bestowed a kiss to the well meaning baker's cheek. Jessie tucked the cardboard box under one arm and went out to her dog. Neither woman noticed that the pendant was glowing softly.



Meanwhile, a couple of universes away on Mount Olympus.....


Aphrodite, Queen of Olympus, Goddess of Marriage and Childbirth, appeared on the steps of her brother, Ares God of Love, father of most of her children. The white marble had swirls of pink and red, and the golden doors bore intricate designs of love and sex. She was no stranger to this place, but she hadn't been here since her marriage to Zeus.

She sighed and squared her shoulders. Ares had to be told about the part their eldest son was going to play, and she was fairly certain her brother wasn't going to take it well. He never took anything concerning Cupid well. Ares loved all of his children, but he and their eldest hadn't really gotten along since Cupid hit puberty and his godhood started to manifest. Nobody had expected the union of Love and Marriage to spawn War. Although, when a marriage broke up, it certainly could start a personal war. The problem was that except for the fact that Ares was a wuss; the two gods were too much alike. Both of them were sneaky, both ruthless in their own way about doing their duty and both couldn't be told that they were wrong. No one however, suggested this to either of them. Ares would throw a temper tantrum and Cupid would most likely maim the offender.

Aphrodite smoothed the front of her cream and gold gown and adjusted the high neck before approaching the doors. She really hoped that 'Res and Eris weren't hosting another orgy just now. It was hard to get either of their attention when they were tangled up in the limbs of gods, mortals and demigods. The last orgy had even included some of the gods of Egypt, which was a little too close to bestiality with some of them for Aphrodite's taste. Besides, Demos had sported a love bite from lion headed Sekhmet that had even with their godly powers taken a week for the younger god to heal. Demos had just smiled at his mother's concern, saying that it had been more than worth it. He'd even been disappointed that the wound hadn't lasted longer. Hickies didn't last on godly lovers.

The hall was blessedly empty as she pushed open the doors. There was a new fresco on the north wall depicting a few positions that you would have to be a god or very flexible to attempt. Aphrodite tore her eyes from the new painting and sighed. 'Res had a passion for redecorating and Eris wasn't much better. The two of them were the reason that gods seldom materialized inside the temple anymore. You never knew from day to day where the furniture would be. She glanced back at the painting and knew Eris had done it. Ares was more for rugs and divans rather than the wall and ceiling art.

"Ares," she called softly. It still echoed in the hall.

"'Dite!" Her brother arrived in a shower of sparks and rose petals. He caught her hands and kissed her cheeks. "What brings you back to our humble abode? How do you like the new look? We've changed it a bit since the last time you were here."

"The new painting is....interesting." She said diplomatically.

"Isn't it? One of my artisans in Thebes designed it. The woman is a genius! I wasn't certain some of those were possible, but they all stood up to 'field testing'." He grinned salaciously.

"I thought that it smacked more of Eris' line of thought." She remarked.

"She was the one who brought it to my attention." He grinned happily. "Now, you haven't told me why you're here. Not that I'm not happy to see you, but you haven't stopped by since your marriage to Father."

"Can't I just stop by?" She asked.

"You could. You don't. Now give."

Aphrodite sighed again. Ares could be so single minded sometimes and you just didn't expect it with his air-headed demeanor. Cupid had definitely gotten that trait from his father, not her.

"I just had a meeting with the Fates."

"Oh." His happy grin faded.

"Things are going to get interesting around here."

Jessie let the two of them back into the house. In the juggling of keys, dog, coffee and doughnuts, she lost the grip she had on Alexi and the dog slipped past her through the open back door, leather leash dangling from his collar. Open back door, hmmmmn. She could have sworn that she had closed it. She put the bakery box on the kitchen table and looked at the clock. A quarter to nine, no way was Katie up yet. She slipped the keys back into her pocket and started toward the open door. She could just see her dog coming toward her when the world went gray and she felt like she was falling. Alexi's barking was the last thing she heard.