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Title: Go Rest On The Mountain
Author: Kate
Pairing: None
Rating: PG
Summary: Ares has to go home

Jack Heart sat looking down at the boy his son had brought home with him five years ago. Until last week, Res had been fine and well. Now, now the poor boy was suffering from a serious fever. Jack sat watching the boy as he twisted in his sleep murmuring "Mountain" over and over again. Jack let his thoughts drift over Res' life, as they knew it. From the day Will had brought him home from the woods. Jack never had figured out why his son was in those woods to begin with but he'd come out with Res.

"I know your life on earth was troubled
And only you could know the pain"

Jack sighed as he bathed Res' face with a cool cloth. The poor boy looked bad now but he had looked much worse when Will brought him home. Res had said he'd fallen off a cliff and Jack could see it happening with the injuries Res had had then. Why was a ten year old climbing cliffs alone? Had been a question Jack had wanted answers to ever since Res had come to live with them and had told them he had fallen. When Res had burned himself one day helping make dinner he said it was nothing compared to what he was used to. Jack then knew the boy had obviously been running from something very bad. Just as he knew Res had no fear he would not face. Jack had seen that in watching Res through nightmares. Although he did wonder whom Herc was. He only wanted to know so he could blast the jerk. It was obvious that it was this Herc person who'd damaged this boy.

"You weren't afraid to face the devil
You were no stranger to the rain"

Res sat up suddenly still mostly delirious and fevered and spoke one sentence.
"Have to go to the Mountain, home."
Jack held the boy as he began to thrash.
"What Mountain Res? What home?" Jack pleaded with the boy to tell them. If there was even a one in 60,000,000,000 chance of saving the boy, Jack would take it. As it was Res' fever was killing him. Jack sat holding Res when Will came in from school. Jack debated on even sending him anymore as Will did pretty much nothing all day except worry about Res.
"Did he say something dad?" Will asked quietly. For once even Emily was being quiet around Res. Normally she hated Res because he took attention away from her. Will's most particularly. Emily hated anything that came between her and her twin. And Jack had to admit, Res did that just because he gave Will someone to talk to who didn't constantly berate him.
"He said he has to go home to the mountain. Do you know what he means Tiger?" Jack asked Will. Will sighed an opened Res' desk drawer where there was an elaborate drawing of Mt. Olympus.

"Go rest High on that Mountain
Son, your work on earth is done
Go to heaven a shoutin'
Love for the father and the son"

Three days later, they were on the way to Mt. Olympus in Greece. Jack was hoping this helped. He had no idea why Will said it was Mt. Olympus but he'd never had reason to doubt his son in the past and he didn't see the point of doubting him now. For some reason it had been almost too easy to get into Greece with an ill child. It was almost as if they were supposed to be there now. Jack smiled thinking of how everyone who knew Res had reacted to him having to leave.

"Oh, how we cried the day you left us
We gathered round your grave to grieve"

Jack chuckled as he remembered how everyone had come to the house the morning they'd left crying because Res was going to go away and might even die if this didn't work. Jack hoped this was right. He really did. He wondered how the people on this mountain would handle him? Jack wished he could be there the first time Res sang or did any of the things he'd done since joining Jack's own family.

"I wish I could see the angel's faces
When they hear your sweet voice sing"

Arriving at the base of Mt. Olympus, Jack nudged the two boys awake. Will woke and helped Res out of the rented SUV. Then, the three of them began to walk up one of the many paths on the mountain. With each step almost, it seemed Res got stronger.
"Home," the boy said. He began to walk on his own slowly but surely. Jack and Will continued to walk with him as Res walked steadily up the face of the mountain. Jack smiled as he mused to himself that maybe the Mountain was making Res better.

"Go rest high on that mountain
Son, your work on earth is done
Go to heaven a shoutin'
Love for the father and the son"

"Ares!" A new voice cried as they reached the summit a day and half later. Jack stared in shock at the grey haired man who wrapped Res in a hug. "Thank the fates you're alive. We'd thought Hercules had killed you!"
The man then turned to jack and Will and smiled at them as he read in Res' mind that they were the ones who'd helped him.
"Thank you so much," he said as he continued to hug Res. "My son has been missing fro almost two millennia. Thank you for helping him."
"It was no effort," Jack told him. "He's a good boy. Very easy to love."
The older man smiled and nodded as he pulled a sword from seemingly nowhere and gave it to Res. Jack watched in stunned amazement as Res changed before his eyes. Gone were the faded jeans and grey t-shirt he wore. Now Res was dressed head to toe in leather. He looked older and stronger and much healthier and jack finally realized who the older man was.
"Zeus," me said before he felt the world tip on it's axis. Will laughed quietly and suddenly Jack knew. Will had known all along who Res was. That's why he'd known the boy who did not speak for the first month's name.
"I am he," the older man said benignly. "And this is my son Ares. We've been looking for him for along time." Thank you for taking care of him for us."
Ares grinned at them from the now adult face he wore but the smile was still Res. He removed the pendant and wrist bracers he wore and tossed them to will.
"Keep these little brother. Call me if you need me and I will come," he said. Jack stared seeing Res smile at them. "I have to go home now," he said to Jack. "Thank you for showing me family. I think maybe it helped me know better my job. My blessings on you."
Res and Zeus flashed away in light leaving Jack to look at Will. "You knew didn't you?" He asked his son. Will shrugged.

"I found him. He looked a lot like he did a few minutes ago but hurt. I figured it would help him get better if he was completely accepted. He just didn't speak very good English at first so we used my Empathy. Come on dad, Ares is home now. We should be on our way too."

"Go to heaven a shoutin'
Love for the father and the son"

Jack and Will let the mountain thinking about Res. Will smiled thinking he loved his brother and that kind of made Zeus another father if he wanted it. That was the purpose of Res giving him the pendant. It made Will his brother in all but blood. Will knew that form now on the Father and son he though about with joy would be Ares and Zeus. The father and Son of Mt. Olympus.