Happy Birthday Joxie!

Title: Happy Birthday Joxie

Author: Caliadragon

Fandom: Xena/Herc

Catagory: AU Mpreg

Pairing: Ares/Joxer/Apollo

Sequel to Truth and Celebration

Warnings: Mpreg, Fluff baby

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the pretty people, others do.

Dedication: To Mpreg List. Happy Birthday and thanks for a place to post. To Johnathon
Ryan Nathaniel Brown. My nephew born on March 4th. He's gorgeous.

Summary: It's Joxer's birthday and everyone gets together to celebrate.

Thanks to Edi for the beta.


AN: Well I finally finished it; a year later!





Joxer sighed and shifted onto his side, trying to get comfortable. Now seven months pregnant, he was having more difficulty getting around and getting comfortable. The fact that he wa s extremely bored didn't help things any. He sighed again and wished for the hundredth time that day that he hadn't tried to go see Xena and Gabby earlier in the week.


A flash and sparkle of red and gold brought him out of his thoughts and he turned to see his best friend appear. Dite took one look at Joxer and growled. "Joxie, why are you chained up?" she asked, shocked.


Joxer sighed and blushed. "I tried to go see the girls a few days ago. Ares and Apollo didn't like it so they chained me up. Heph gave them the chains," Joxer told her, pouting slightly. "I'm bored Dite! I just wanted to spend some time with them before my birthday."


Dite growled. Her nephews were idiots! Possessive idiots at that. Of course Joxie was bored. No one was allowing him or Strife to do anything. Since they were the first male pregnancies in over two millennia, everyone had gone into overprotective mode. Even Zeus, now that they had broken the spell that Hec ate had placed on him in one of her bad moments. Zeus was once more the man he had been when he'd saved them all from the Titans, so long ago.


Dite sighed again. She really should have suspected this would happen. After all, Cupid had done the same thing to Strife not a month ago. And wasn't it just frightening to think that Ares was following his son's example, not the other way around.


Turning her attention back to Joxer, she shook her head over the picture he made. Ares and Apollo had a thing for leather and long hair. Joxie couldn't wear leather comfortably, so they got the long hair. It fell in a light pool around his shoulders. It was held off his face with a gold circlet that bore the emblems of both his husbands' houses. In the middle was the symbol of his godhood. His dark eyes shone with an inner light and he looked so cute with his lip stuck out in a pout. Deciding that enough was enough, she summoned Heph to her.


At that moment Heph was actually with Ares and Apollo. "Dite's calling me. I think she found Joxer." The three gods shifted nervously and looked away. "She sounds pissed," Heph told them when another call came through their link.


"We'd better go face her together. Maybe Joxer will keep her from hurting us too bad," Apollo said hopefully. Both of his brothers snorted at that. Joxer was more likely to help her inflict pain after the chains were removed.


When they appeared, both Joxer and Dite grinned evilly. While the three men were debating facing Dite, Dite had called in reinforcements. All three men gulped when they were faced with not only Dite and Joxer but Hestia, Hecate, Eris and Hera as well.


The three wondered if it would be too late to disappear. From the looks on their mates', mother and aunts' faces it seemed highly likely. "Boys, what exactly were you thinking?" Hestia asked sternly.


The three gods had to resist the urge to squirm like naughty boys. Aunt Hestia was so good at being stern. "He was going to go to Xena," Ares growled. He was War, damnit. He wasn't supposed to be scared of a pregnant god and a bunch of goddesses. On the other hand, as War, he knew when he was outnumbered and in deep shit. Like right now.


Hestia raised yebryebrow. "So you decided that your husband, the one you promised to cherish and protect, should be chained up instead of visiting your daughter?" she asked sternly.


"If I didn't cherish him I wouldn't have chained him up!" Ares bellowed suddenly. "It's too dangerous. Xena was in the middle of a war zone. Do you know what could have happened? I wasn't going to take the chance; he could have been hurt. I don't care if it does make everyone angry. He's mine and no one hurts what's mine!" Fire flickered in the volatile god's eyes.


Apollo stood beside his brother in support. "He could have been injured or taken by someone. We're not goi ng to let that happen." Apollo's voice was cold and calm. Heph decided to continue to throw his lot in with his brothers and stepped between them to indicate his support.


"I just wanted to spend some time with them before my birthday. I do know how to do a time bubble spell, you know," he told his husbands, then looked away. They were never going to treat him like an equal. He sighed and looked down at his stomach sadly. Was he only a bed warmer and a baby factory to them?


"Perhaps you did only wish to protect him, but in the end you showed him no respect. That was not only foolish, but an ongoing theme with the two of you recently. I think we should take Joxer away from you, the way we had to take Strife away from Cupid," Hera said quietly.


It was definitely the wrong thing to say. The next thing the goddesses knew they were expelled from the temple and a barrier had been erected that none of them could get through. "Mommy!" Harmony cried as sh e suddenly appeared beside them. On the other side of her were Ate and several other female goddesses.


"All the guys just disappeared and we can't get back into the temple," Ate growled. She figured that the women had found out about Joxer and had threatened to take him away. "You threatened to take Joxer away, didn't you?" Ate asked them.


When Hera nodded, Ate crossed her arms and scowled. "Great. Now how are we going to finish getting Joxie's party finished? Daddy and Uncle Apollo won't let a female within a hundred yards of that temple now." Harmony pouted.


"Party?" Eris asked, confused.


"Yeah, Daddy and Uncle Pol are planning a surprise party for Joxie to make up for him not getting to go spend time with Xena and Gabby." Harmony giggled. "Daddy said Joxie was a little upset with him cause they used the chains to keep him in the temple."


Eris groaned. "Man, did we blow it," she groused.


Joxer stared in shock as Hera said she was going to take him away from Ares and Apollo. Before he even realized it he had expelled every woman in the temple and erected a barrier. The male gods in the temple all suddenly appeared in the main room.


Phobos looked over at his dad with a raised eyebrow. "Pop, was that you?" he asked. When Ares shook his head everyone looked over at Cupid. The Love god was holding his hugely pregnant husband against his left side and his son against his right.


"It wasn't me, but it was a good idea. I felt the hags arrive," Cupid growled. He still hadn't forgiven them for taking Strife from him. He wasn't even speaking to his Mother or Eris.


The gods all winced at the anger in Cupid's voice. Strife snuggled deeper into his husband's arms and grinned up at him. If he had ever doubted Cupid's feelings for him, his doubts were quelled by Cupid's full out assault on the goddesses that got between the pair.


Apollo was watching hi s young spouse. Joxer looked extremely upset and exhausted suddenly. He stepped away from his brothers and walked to his husband. He was pleased and surprised when Joxer burrowed into his arms. "I only wanted them to get you to take the chains off. I didn't think they'd try to take me away after what Cupid did to their temples," Joxer said in a small, weak voice.


Apollo just kissed him gently and removed the chains. Joxer sighed in relief and snuggled closer to Apollo. He hated being chained up; it always made him feel helpless. Now, though, all he could think of was how nice it was to be held by his love. "Joxer?"


"Hmm?"


"Did you throw them out of the temple?" Apollo's words froze everyone. As did Joxer's response.


"Yes, not going. They canmakemake me. Sic Gabby and Auto on them," Joxer murmured before falling asleep. Ares' laughter filled the temple. A few minutes later the barrier fell. Ate and Harmony immediately came back to them.


"Ah, Joxie's all worn out. You should put him to bed, Daddy," Harmony said, laughter in her voice. The gods all grinned. The Goddess of Innocent Pleasures always managed to lighten the mood around her.


Ares agreed with his daughter. He also shared a look with his Apollo. The pair had heard Joxer's thoughts and realized just how badly they had messed up. Neither god had wanted Joxer to think he was only an incubator and a bed warmer. They hoped that the birthday party would make up for the way they had panicked.


Cupid growled and stepped in front of his husband when the elder goddesses arrived again. Hestia sighed and wondered again why she ever allowed Hera and the others to go along with the separation. She was glad that Joxer expelled them from the temple before the other women could try to act on her suggestion. Hestia did not pause; she stepped away from the others and walked over to position herself in front of Apollo and Joxer. "I al lowed you to sway me once into making a cruel separation. I won't do it again, Hera. The child doesn't want to leave his husbands."


The room went quiet with shock as Hestia's words filled the temple. Cupid looked at his great-aunt in surprise. Then Dite and Eris were in front of the pair as well. "We've lost our boys by following your orders, we won't lose Joxie too," Dite told her sis



Hera had the grace to blush and nod. "Joxer won't be going anywhere," she soothed.


Apollo and Ares smiled in response. They were startled by a sudden mental call from Xena and Gabby. "Dads! Help!" With a flex of power the two women appeared in the temple. They were laden down with gifts, and hurriedly dumped them into their cousins' arms. Phobos and Demios snorted out their amusement.


Xena saw Joxer first. She scowled when she saw the circles under his eyes and growled at the pain lines bracketing his mouth. Gabby was going to go ballistic. "What's wrong with Joxer? He looks sick. Why didn't you call us? What the hell is going on? Auto, get your ass over here!" Gabby growled as she stalked over to her father and Joxer. Auto flashed in a few seconds later and followed her over.


All around them gods and goddesses alike were shifting nervously. Gabby and Auto were going to go on a rampage. "Well?" Gabby growled at Cupid who was closest to the pair.


Cupid gulped and blurted out, "Joxie's uncomfortable 'cause of his pregnancy. He was going to go see you a few days ago, so the Dads chained him up, then Mom and the elder goddesses said they were going to take Joxie away and he spit us out of the temple, then he fell asleep and dropped the shield." It may have been pathetic to fear her, him being a senior god, but, well she was vindictive, especially when it came to Joxer.


Auto, Gabby and Xena all looked at Apollo and Ares in silence. Then Xena shook her head. "Dads, you shouldn't have chained him up. It brings up bad memories. The guys that killed him, chained him up. His Dad used to do it too, right before he beat him. If you didn't want him to go, all you had to do was ask him. He would do anything for the two of you."


Ares and Apollo groaned. "We panicked. If we lost him it would kill us. I mean, we know he's a god, but he's vulnerable right now and it scared us when he was headed down to see you in Thrace," Apollo answered for them.


"You did the right thing," Gabrielle said and turned back to her cousins. Not noticing the shocked looks on the faces of those around them. "All right you two, don't just stand there, we've got a party to finish preparing." She then goosed Demios, making him hurry down the corridor. The minute she started talking Phobos started walking. He was well acquainted with his cousin's form of motivation and really didn't want to get goosed.


Once Gabby was on her way down the hall, the others let out a sigh of reli ef. Auto grinned evilly and thought it was funny that most of the gods in the room were intimidated by a demigod. Not that he would ever admit to fearing the blonde himself.

Xena beamed at her fathers and went over to Joxer. They all watched as she brushed a gentle kiss over his brow and went towards the meeting hall that they were preparing for Joxer's birthday.

With a few hours of sleep he would be ready to enjoy his party the next day. As she passed Cupid and Strife she glared at her brother and smiled at Strife. "Make sure he rests, Cupid," was all she said. Cupid sighed and rolled his eyes.

None of the gods had been prepared for the fanatical guarding that Joxer and Strife had received from the four demigods and Auto. The only one not to incur their wrath was Hades, but that was because he gave Joxer back his life, and was himself a new father.

Pep, Joxer and Strife were the first gods to become pregnant since the w hole Psyche incident, and Apollo thought the reason she had become pregnant was because she was outside the pantheon. Now that Zeus' madness had been cured, more gods and goddesses were trying to have godly children.

It all boiled down to Joxer fascinating Hecate, and her answering his request for help. It was still stunning. Especially since he was the only one in the entire pantheon that didn't fear her. Apollo and Ares gave one last look to the others in the temple before disappearing with their husband. Joxer needed to sleep and they needed Joxer.


The next day started wonderfully for Joxer. He woke up cuddled between his husbands. Apollo was awake and smiled gently at his love. "Happy Birthday, Jox," he told him before gently kissing him.


Apollo laughed gently at the soft, happy sigh that Joxer released at the end of their kiss. "Good morning," Joxer said, his eyes soft and slumberous.


Apollo was captured once again by the ge ntle beauty that shone from Joxer's eyes. It was hard to believe that only two years earlier he was alone and didn't have the love of this wonderful man or Ares.


Ares tilted Joxer's head around so that he could kiss him as well, and his smile reflected his amusement as Joxer once again sighed happily. Leaning over Joxer, Ares kissed Apollo and then leaned back. The two elder gods shared a smile before laughing at the sound of Joxer's stomach growling.


"Let's get you and the little one fed, today's going to be busy. Xena and Gabby showed up last night and they want to spend the day with you," Apollo told him as he created breakfast for the three of them.


Joxer smiled happily and sat up so that he could enjoy his breakfast, before getting ready to spend the day with his two best friends.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Joxer was surprised to see so many people in the main hall after lunch. He had spent the afternoon in the main gardens with Gabby, Xena and Strife. All in all it had been a truly enjoyable day. They had all caught up on what the two women had been doing recently and listened to Strife tell them about some of his more interesting adventures as the God of Mischief.


By the time that Ares came to retrieve them they had all laughed until they were nearly sick. Joxer felt a smile cross his face as he remembered the plans they had made to get together once a month and spend time just catching up.


Joxer was drawn out of his musings by Apollo placing an arm around him. Joxer looked up to question him, but before he could a resounding, "Happy Birthday, Joxie!" rang around the room and Joxer was astonished to see his entire family there. A smile lit his face and he was touched by the love shining back at him from all over the room.


"Happy Birthday, sweetheart," Ares said as he kissed him.


"Happy Birthday, love," Apollo added as he, too, claimed a kiss.


Joxer smiled up at them and looked back at his family. Unknowingly, they had given Joxer the one thing he had always wanted for his birthday. They had given him love and a family.


The End For Now


Calia