Bitter Sweet

Joxer scratched moodily at the thin gold bracelet around his wrist. It didn't do much good, the bracelet had no visible clasp and only Hephaestus or Ares could remove it. He sighed, the fire god whom he'd come to know, as friend had been very apologetic but firm when he snapped it around Joxers wrist. Joxer was just glad he wasn't the only one who had to wear one, Strife also wore the same bracelet around his wrist and was also sitting moodily picking at it across from him.

The two sat in comfortable silence both working their mind through things. Joxer could tell just by looking at Strife that he was still trying to come to terms with things that had happened in his past and things that happened leading up to his death. He was glad in a way that Strife enjoyed spending time with him, especially as he was still a bit wary of some of the other Gods and Goddesses, especially his Aphrodite and Ares.

Joxer was glad Strife seemed to be doing better, he'd worried about the young God on several occasions when certain things would set him off, a certain phrase, a heated argument, his morning sickness. He smiled slightly, he seemed to be the only pregnant person unaffected by sickness, or sore breasts, or an extreme need to urinate?.or so the others told him. All Joxer got was extremely tired and an extremely short temper that he thoroughly enjoyed taking out on Ares.

Feeling a slight tugging on his trouser leg Joxer reached down to scoop up the blonde headed cherub who'd been playing at his feet and settled his on his lap. Bliss leant back against Joxers chest silently checking him over before giving him a hug and taking to the air to repeat the procedure on Strife. Joxer guessed the little god was picking up on the varying happy/unhappy emotions emanating from the two and he smiled.

"Think your baby will have wings?" he asked Strife who looked momentarily startled and then smiled settling Bliss on his lap.

"Maybe, maybe not." Strife grinned "I reckon so," he ran his hand over his slightly protuding belly "Apollo thinks me and Cupes bun is growing faster then normal, he says all of them are and now he can find the sex out?" he shuddered "At first I told him not to tell me nothing and I wanted the surprise, considering Dites rounding everyone up who's havin a girl and talking pink I thought it might buy me some time," he grinned "Though we now know for a fact bliss is ?" he glanced quickly down "Havin a brother. Cupe was thrilled." He ran a hand over his stomach and pulled Bliss in closer so he was almost sprawled over his bump "Reckon the kids got wings though, almost certain but you didn't hear me say that." He smiled the happiness showing in his eyes "Baby kinda tickles and itches when it moves a certain way an Psyche told me how it was for her."

Joxer nodded "A boy? That's great Strife." The smile on his face was one hundred percent thrilled. He ran his hand over his own still flat belly "Hera looked me over, both Apollo and Acelepious were busy with their own babies at the time, she told me what the baby was but she seems to be a little slower then all of yours in waking up. " He shrugged "It's nothing to worry about, her god hoods activated though Hera can't pinpoint it yet and she seems to enjoy dreaming a lot according to Morpheous." He smirked slightly "Guess she wants me to sleep when she does and that's why I'm so tired."

Strife grinned "A girl? I'm getting a new cousin and Cupids getting a new sis and Bliss?" he grinned "You told him yet?" he asked as the thought crossed his mind.

Joxer shook his head "He's not interested Strife, at first I thought it was just me, you know when?" he blushed deeply.

"Ya nearly destroyed his temple, and half the other's when you finally saw him." Strife grinned "You were on a rip Jox"

Joxer blushed deeper "I think only the fact I was pregnant, severely pissed and trying to take it out on Ares stopped everyone getting too mad, especially when I stampeded his hide out at Demeters, dragged him back and started screaming at him."

Strife grinned "You got a temper Joxer, never thought I'd see it proper but being that the baby's got you upside down all over, and Ares had done ya wrong." He laughed "Everyone stayed outta your way for a while and even mom was a bit scared to go near you."

His smile faded slightly at the thought of Eris but his smile reappeared slight as Joxer leant forward "We're gettin on better now, she told me she always blamed herself for my dad and it made her angry having a great son?" he grinned at the memory "She was proud of me when she told me that, she had a great son he wasn't interested in. Turned out it wasn't that he wasn't interested just didn't want ta upset the family balance and cause more problems, didn't occur to him it could help disputes on both sides of the family. She speaks to him now and we meet up all civil like, but he ain't my dad and I can't forgive him for what he did, but she's happier now, more stable." He laughed slightly "She never was a hundred percent there and she never will be but with Ace helping her along she's calmer, he has that effect on her and I know he likes her even when she's in bitch mode. She might scare him but I've seen him go to her when she's on a rip and calm her down. He walks a bit funny for a few days but he still has that `just been done' grin on his face."

He lowered his voice slightly "It's strange the way things have worked out for us. Both of them found out the baby's godhood a while back an that set her off. Turns out the kids gonna be the goddess of guilt, that really set her off made her think she was being punished for everthin, but Ace pointed out Guilt can be good for people and not just a punishment. It can make ya think about things and change them and change is always good, sides a few days later she found out the kid had a dual godhood, of both side of the Dinah, with guilt and forgiveness."

Strife stood up and moved Bliss over to the bundle of pillows and blankets on the floor setting the sleeping toddler gently down. "This whole things got everyone thinking differently, when I came back and me and Cupe picked up where we should have been if Psyche hadn't come along, I was glad I was gonna be knocked up cos one way or another I'd always have him." He sat back down smiling "Turns out he was feelin guilty cos he wanted to do the same thing to keep us together." He smiled at the memory.

Joxer nodded "I didn't know much about Psyche except what Hercules had said but I always figured it sounded a little strange. Not bad but strange, you two go together a lot better."

Strife nodded "Psyches not bad or nothing and she's been helping me with the mind trips I've been having since being back, which is kind nice considering how much I hated her before and I'm raising Bliss with Cupe. I always hated her, she got what I wanted before I got the chance, an when she left him I hated her more for hurting him. I forgot you guys, mortals rather, they don't have as long to think things through so they make too quick decisions, I forgot she was just a baby in God terms. She loves Bliss but she needs to be by herself, now she's got eternity she wants to enjoy her time rather then get shackled as soon as possible. Besides she and Cupe still get on well and Bliss knows she loves him, so it's not hard. Some of the others gave her a hard time but they gotta remember in our terms she's not much older then Bliss. Ares is probably worried you will do the same. Since Cupe and me's generation they decided to stop us kids going out of Olympus till we were old enough to understand what we were doing, after everything that happened ?. they slapped these on us to stop us leaving." He held up his wrist "Cupe forgot to put one on Bliss once and that's when he first got out and hit you guys with tha arrows."

Joxer blushed "I try not to remember that, I guess a bunch of toddler gods and goddesses throwing tantrums would cause problems, but the mischief would give you a nice boost." He smiled

Strife smirked "It's a shame but I can see why, when I was born me and Cupe hung out all the time, he'd been stuck as a kid for a century and he was glad of the company. When Dite had Anteros he was so jealous he didn't want to grow up, he wanted to stay tha baby." He laughed "He tried everything from selling Anteros to Zeus to sending him down to Earth to stay that way." He paused "Only Anteros learned how to move himself when he got to Bliss's size an went off on his own," he looked down at his hand "Me an Cupe were glad at first cos Cupe was happy bein the baby again and I was happy when he was. Only problem was me an Cupe didn't realise Anteros couldn't move back cos he was too little. Cupe taught me but no one taught Ter. When everyone got upset we realised we had to go get him, cos no one else could find him, and when we found him this thing was trying to?.it was hurting him bad Joxer. He was screaming and crying and nothin me and Cupe did could stop it so we called for Ares an he came an I swear to all us gods Jox I don't know how he did it but he got that thing off Ter and Zeus came and took the thing away. Then Ares took us all back up. He didn't even shout at us or nothing he was so scared an Apollo and everyone were trying to help Ter and they managed to get him back but Cupe and me were so scared for him. It took a year for him to get back ta normal."

He looked at Joxers wide eyes "I'm not tryin to scare you that doesn't happen now cos of the bracelets, that's why tha babies wear them and why we wear them cos tha babies can sometimes affect us." He rubbed his bracelet "Still feels binding I know but its for tha best. Anyway Ter ya haven't met yet, he's always out an about an he stays with Nemesis a lot, that way he can spend time with Evander, since he's the only one she'll let him see, he's working on it but so far no luck. Side's their paths cross a lot." He smirked "Anyway when ya see him you'll know him. He's the reason Cupe grew up, we know the mortals think its cos cupe was lonely but me and Cupe had each other it was when Anteros got hurt an we couldn't help he grew up, double fast so he could protect him, I had ta struggle too catch up."

Joxer nodded "I get the bracelets, Hephaestus tried to explain but Ares pulled me away before I understood." He looked at Strife "I don't understand what it has to do with Psyche though.

Strife grinned "That's cos ya still in mortal mode Jox, ya gotta slow down, we're off out duties for now cos of the creep that attacked you so take it easy wait for the story and don't skip to the end."

Joxer flushed, from anyone else it would have sounded condescending but he had an understanding with Strife. He often wondered why no one had taken time to speak to Strife before his death, with the exception of Cupid and Anteros. He found while Strife could be completely crazy and one of the few people he knew that could have a giggling fit for no reason, he knew he could be strangely insightful. He found it strange that Gods he would have thought to shy from he bonded with, Strife, Hephaestus, and Athena he had a real connection with. He got on well with the gods he'd met so far.

Ares he was starting to fall for now he'd let him back into his bed despite the heartache he knew he was in for considering his lack of interest in the baby. Aphrodite was flighty and fun and was the kind of person you loved or hated but she had a really compassionate side to her too, and a slightly scary vengeful side which Joxer strangely enough felt soothed by. Zeus he'd barely seen but he seemed all right, Hera seemed to have a few manic moments reminiscent of Strife and Ares but on the whole she was very understanding and firm. The others he either liked or didn't know well enough not to yet and was still wary of.

He looked at Strife and blushed at the Gods amused smile "You was thinking about Ares again wasn't ya?" Strife grinned "I can tell." He sat back in his chair. "He's complicated, more than some of them think. He ain't the drunken, whorin bloodthirsty image the mortals have but he's got defences all around him. Some from his Godhood and others he's made. The thing with Dite, its not a big issue with us, hasn't been for a while but it'll take time fa you to adjust but letting him back in was good, means ya knocked down some of the defences."

Joxer sighed "I thought it might look like I was being I don't know, an idiot for forgiving him and I hate beating him up over it, it just hurts." He sighed "I know why and how but my?something just stops me from believing it. Ares won't talk about it ever, he just brushes it aside, and it's like we started anew as lovers again. But when I see the way he cares for Cupid, you, Demios and Phobos?" he blushed deeply, unhappily "I just get angry and Jealous. I know it's stupid and immature and I hate myself for it but he sees our baby as nothing. He isn't interested, not when Hera comes of when I sensed the baby or anything, he doesn't even know she's a girl." He murmured unhappily.

With a thought Strife changed Joxers chair to a sofa and moved next to him "I know Ares an I know he is, he just needs time. Having a kid foisted on him was not how he wanted to do this, Unc believes you should only have kids if you want them, especially after all of his mistakes and seeing Zeus's in his face."

Joxer nodded "It's just odd the way he ignores it but then when I trained with Athena?" he shook his head at Strifes displeased look "Not serious, Acelepious allowed us to do some stuff, exercises and that, he said it was good for preparing our bodies, but Ares gave me the strangest look, it was like he cared for me but not the baby from his disinterest but his look said he was unhappy and disappointed in me for putting her at risk."

Strife grinned "That's Ares, he might not say it but ya can see it. He does care Jox an when you tell him the baby's a girl he'll show it." He grinned again "When she decides to show her godhood that'll be the clincher. I mean he's war and your innocents, what combination could you two make."

Joxer smiled "She had her godhood before me remember." He reminded him softly "She gave me mine. Ares was pleased, it ties my work with his and yours and Aphrodite's. I've just got to get over this worry about him and her. I've seen how much she and Hephaestus love each other, I just?" he paused and Strife sighed.

"Okay I'm only gonna tell ya this cos it'll help, we all know but no one talks about it so ya gotta promise not to either kay?" At Joxers nod he continued "Dite had kids with other Gods before she got with Hephaestus and she an Ares always had a thing. They thought it was love but realised a bit late it was just the other kind of love. Dite had been promised to Hephaestus by Zeus an she was scared, Hephaestus was always a shy kid who kept to himself an Dite was mainly with Ares. So one night after tha promise thing they got drunk on Dionysus's wine an ended up in bed, an Hephaestus caught them and froze them in this thing he made. Not too sure what happened but Zeus ended up coming and they all split. Then Dite realised she was havin Cupe but she knew she wasn't in love with Ares so she was gonna have him alone. Hephaestus was in love with Dite so he still wanted to marry her. They got married an had Cupe and Hephaestus helped raise him and Dite fell in love with him. By the time I came along the three were thick in it together and Ares was helping them have the kids they wanted cos Hephaestus couldn't. I know he offered to give Hephaestus one cos he could still carry but they decided they had enough."

He looked at Joxer who was looking slightly stunned "He got burned bad in that cos Dite was just as close to him as mom was an when she had Cupe he was all alone, he didn't think bad of Hephaestus but it was hard not ta want what he and Dite had. Mom gave him ta me after a while but kids grow up?" he shrugged "Now he's got you and ya gotta convince him your for keeps."

Joxer nodded "I didn't really think about that" he murmured, he turned to look at Strife and jumped as his friend gave a sharp cry clutching at his belly. Joxer called for Ares, Cupid, and Apollo, everyone he could think of as he watched his friend writhe in agony, his eyes going blank until he finally collapsed.

Several bright flashes entered his vision and he found himself being roughly pulled off Strife by a worried love god who held him in his arms, to top it all off Bliss woke up and seeing his daddy cradling his other daddy looking very worried and angry, he began to cry. Cupid glared at Joxer as if he had something to do with it and Apollo knelt down next to them. He paused for a moment and in a flash Acelepious appeared rushing to Strifes side.

Joxer couldn't see what was going on but they seemed very worried and Cupid was shooting him angry glares as he picked up the sobbing Godling who was trying to get in and see his daddies. He looked up feeling a reassuring touch to his shoulder and saw Ares looking a mixture of emotions, angry, worried and reassuring. He leaned into the touch as Ares knelt down next to them shoot his son a glare of his own and wrapped his arm around Joxer and Bliss.

After a few minutes Joxer heard Strife complaining to be allowed back up and he breathed a sigh of relief. Cupid's glares had abated now but he still shot Apollo one as he tried to pick Strife up. He picked Strife up himself and laid him on the sofa, making it clear to everyone that Strife was his. Apollo sighed "Don't give me those looks Cupid, Ares was using them long before you and they didn't effect me then He nodded to Acelepious who flashed out. Joxer gaped as he looked at Strife almost missing Ares own indrawn breath. Surprisingly enough he looked much healthier, almost glowing with life and power, the thing that shocked them was his once slightly protruding abdomen had grown to well over double the size. He looked like he was nearing the end of his pregnancy rather then just entering the second trimester.

Cupid ran a hand possessively over Strife stomach worriedly murmuring to him, it looked like Strife was having to reassure him it was all right. Bliss had stopped crying and was staring open mouthed at Strifes bump he wriggled and Joxer let him go. In a quick burst he flew over to his daddies and settled between them hugging the bump and being comforted by Strife and Cupid.

Apollo turned to Ares looking tense "Power bursts, one of the larger pantheons must be under attack. Strife got an extremely large burst of energy from their departed God of mischief and it overloaded him, we had to split it between him and the baby, you can see the effect it had on the baby."

Joxer glanced at the happy family behind him, Bliss was engrossed in the bump but Strife gave a wave and Cupid shot him an apologetic look before going back to his lover and son. Joxer smiled slightly but the smile faded at Apollo's grim look "You'd better get back to Ares temple Joxer I'm going to have to warn all the other expectant Goddesses, the power burst could only have come from a large pantheon which means most if not all of us will be affected. Acelepious and myself will go to Hera and set up a system so if it occurs to anyone else who's pregnant we can channel the energy for them. Those that aren't should be alright in a day or two and we'll have to keep an eye on the children." He looked at Ares "This means it's getting closer."

Ares nodded his face set, his body tense "Eris is off active duty but I'll pull everyone else on this side back to be ready, I'll speak to Zeus first." He wrapped his arms around Joxer and sent a message across. Apollo nodded and flashed out. Joxer felt the familiar pull surround him as he appeared in Ares home. Ares sighed looking extremely worried "Eris is coming here in a minute but if you scream for me I'll come. " He seemed torn between leaving of not but as he sensed his twin coming he nodded to Joxer and flashed out a thousand things trying to panic his mind. He hated leaving his extremely vulnerable partner but he knew that the massive power bursts were a sign of what was to come. He knew Eris and Joxer would be safe together and he and Acelepious would look in on them but for now he had to focus on doing his job, the job of his godhood and job of fatherhood- he had to protect his children.

Joxer stared at the empty spot where Ares had stood, he had never felt lonelier in his life, and despite knowing Ares had to do what he was doing he couldn't help picturing the happy family in Cupids temple and wishing that could have been Ares and himself.