AresJoxerCupidStrife - Lady Q

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20 Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part 25 Part 26 Part 27 Part 28 Part 29 Part 30 Part 31 Part 32 Part 33 Part 34 Part 35 Part 36 Part 37 Part 38 Part 39 part 41 Part 42 Part 43 Part 44

1) DISCLAIMER: Still poor, Still don't them and I still wish I could own them :)
2) ARCHIVE: Yes please,JLA and ACJS and anywhere else just send me the URL so I can read more yummy fic :)
3) WARNINGS: Zeus bashing, Gabby bashing, Psyche bashing and do I really need to warn you folks about the steamy sex scenes between A/J and C/S ;) and oh yeah there is Mpreg in here somewhere I just don't know when it will show up :)
4) TYPE: Slash Baby
5) RATING: NC 17
6) PAIRING: Ares and Joxer and Cupid and Strife
7)What the Challenge is.: Okay this challenge was issued on the JLA list by I think Christine, but don't count me on it I am awful at remembering peoples names :) Anyway the challenge was: Joxer was walking in a field, but then he fell into a hole.
When he fell, there was a trap and he realized that it felt like an animal trap. As he struggled, he saw that his foot had gotten caught in it. He called out to Xena and Gabby, but they didn't hear him. Joxer knew that something was very wrong when Xena stepped on the hole and didn't fall in. It was like she was standing on air. To Xena's eyes, she was standing in a field of grass. Joxer wondered why this had happened to him. Was this the trick of a god or something else.
Well couple of weeks back while going through the archive I reread the challenge and got this story idea and so now I hope you like it. I would like to Thank Joey R once again for answering my title question and to my ever beloved Beta, Carrie who is the best beta ever . :) *HUGS* and Happy Reading, Lady Q


The Sacrifice

By Lady Q

Part 1/?

*Rod Serling once said in an episode of "The Twilight Zone," '...that for every wish there is a sacrifice, whether the wish be good or bad, there will always be a sacrifice.'*

~~~~~~~~~

Joxer lay sleeping on the cold, hard ground when the dream came to him. He dreamt that he was walking in a field, but then he fell into a hole. When he fell, there was a trap and he realized that it felt like an animal trap. As he struggled, he saw that his foot had gotten caught in it. He called out to Xena and Gabby, but they didn't hear him. Joxer knew that something was very wrong when Xena stepped on the hole and didn't fall in. It was like she was standing on air. To Xena's eyes, she was standing in a field of grass. Joxer wondered why this had happened to him. Was this the trick of a god or something else. Then, a bright flash appeared. It was so intense that it caused him to wake up.

Joxer sat up and sleepily looked around their camp site. He noticed that Xena was still up, keeping watch over them while she cleaned her sword. Gabby was asleep nearby her. Xena had noticed how Joxer had suddenly sat up and looked over at him.

"Joxer," she softly asked. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, Xena," he said as he gave her a shy smile. "Just a strange dream that I had was all."

She nodded her head and went back to working on her sword. Joxer watched her for a moment before he finally laid back down to go back to sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~

It was later on in the afternoon when Joxer realized he was seeing the beginning of last night's dream come true.

Unfortunately, he realized it just before he fell down the hole.

He looked down at the trap and it did indeed feel like an animal trap. Four long, pointed rocks surrounded his ankle. As he struggled, he knew that his foot was caught in it, just like in his dream. He started to call out to Xena and Gabby, but they couldn't hear him. Joxer knew that something was very wrong when he saw Xena once again step on the hole and not fall in. It was like she was standing on air. However, to Xena's eyes she was standing in a field of grass as solders suddenly swarmed from everywhere to attack. Joxer lowered his head as he began to wonder why this stuff always happened to him.

Suddenly there came a bright light that flashed in front of him. The light was so bright that he had to close his eyes for fear that he would be blinded.

When he thought the light had faded, Joxer slowly opened his eyes and saw three women standing before him.

They wore beautiful, flowing white robes as they made their way towards him and then formed a small circle around him.

"Who are you?" they asked in unison.

Joxer bravely stood up straight as he proudly exclaimed, "I am Joxer the Mighty."

The three women looked at each other and then back at him as they again asked, "Who are you?"

Joxer paused as he realized that these women were probably goddesses and already knew who he was.

He let out a soft sigh as he answered, "I am Joxer of Athens."

The three ladies solemnly nodded their heads as they looked at him and asked, "What do you seek, young Joxer of Athens?"

Joxer then realized that they thought he was down here looking for something. He quickly shook his head as he began to explain to them that he had fallen down the hole and that his foot was trapped.

They looked at each other, then turned back to him as they asked again, "What do you seek, young Joxer of Athens?"

"Do you seek love?" asked the first woman.

"Do you seek wealth?" asked the second woman.

"Or, do you seek happiness?" asked the last woman.

Joxer shook his head at the women as he answered their questions. "No, I don't seek love." He said as he blushed at the thought of Gabby. "You see, there's this Amazon Warrior who is also a bard, and I am in love with her. I hope that one day she will feel the same about me."

"As for wealth," he said as he continued. "Why do I need wealth when I already have everything that I could ever want. I have some great friends, I can travel wherever I want to, and I am able to help people out whenever I can.

"And as for happiness, I am happy traveling with Xena and helping people who need it."

They looked at him, then back to each other, and then turned to him once more as they spoke.

"We have found you worthy young Joxer, and in turn, grant you one wish and one wish only."

Joxer instantly thought of wishing for Xena to find her redemption or wishing for Gabby to become famous, which would make her happy, and then she might return his feelings.

"This wish, Joxer of Athens, cannot be used for your friends. This wish is meant for you and you only," spoke the first woman.

"What do you wish for, Joxer?" They asked in unison.

Joxer closed his eyes as he thought of the one thing he would like to have. "I wish to have my feelings of love returned to me," he said softly as he thought of Gabby.

The three women looked at each other and the man standing before them.

"Your wish then," one woman spoke, "is to find true love."

"You wish for that someone will love you for who you are and not for what people think you are," came one cryptic reply.

"Most of all, though, you wish to feel your love returned to you." came another response spoken softly into his ear.

Joxer surprisingly looked up at the women, for they had turned his one simple wish into three.

"Very well, young Joxer. We will grant you your one wish, but remember this, Joxer of Athens: for every wish that is granted, whether the wish be good or bad, there is a sacrifice to be made. What will you sacrifice?" They again asked in unison as a sudden bright light flashed before them and Joxer found himself standing once more in the battlefield and looking at a very angry Gabby.

She began yelling at him for not listening and not staying put when he was supposed to.

~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, back in a room, sat a beautiful woman watching the ongoing weaving move back and forth, making up the fabric of life.

She didn't turn when her three daughters appeared before her. She just continued to watch the tapestry as she asked. "Is it done?"

"Yes Mother," came their reply.

The woman smiled sweetly as she spoke, "Good. Now for the next stage. Let's just hope he is ready to face his greatest test."

The three women nodded their heads as they flashed off to complete the next step of their mother's plan.

'For Peace will come to Olympus,' thought Moira as she watched the moving threads of life. 'The greatest sacrifice will be made to bring Peace to Olympus, and War will find Peace and bring forth Faith, Hope and Destiny. They will save us from the coming of the twilight.'



Part 2

Ares sat in the darkened throne room of his temple on Olympus, brooding, when a bright light flashed before his eyes.

There standing in front of him were the three fates.

Lachesis tried to hide her smile as she witnessed the surprised look from the God of War and she began to speak.

"Ares."

"God of War," Clotho said as she moved closer to her sister.

"Son of Zeus," Atropos followed close behind.

"We have come here to tell you that it is time for you to face your true destiny. What will it be?" Lachesis asked.

"Ares, God of War and Son of Zeus," they spoke in unison.

"Will it be happiness?" Clotho asked as she moved closer to the confused god.

"Will it be love?" Atropos asked as she moved to the other side of his throne.

"Or will it be power?" Lachesis asked as she stood in front of him.

"Choose wisely, Ares, God of War, Son of Zeus. For the choice you make will change the future of Olympus," they said in unison.



Part 3

Ares sat back on his black throne in shock.

For years, the other gods and goddesses had ostracized him because he was War. War that had never known peace because of his father's hatred for his son and the lack of love from his mother.

'Hades,' he thought with a rueful smile. Even his own daughter, Xena, hated him for what he represented and that was being war.

Even his own son, Cupid, didn't like what his job represented.

'The Son of Zeus, heir to the throne of Olympus,' he snidely thought, 'had known no love from his father for it was all given to my half brother Hercules. The favorite son of Zeus.'

Rumors had spread far and wide over Olympus, all saying the same thing. Zeus was going to practically ignore his first born and give the throne to the favored son. So there went his birth right, right out the temple, and Ares could care less.

Someone might ask why Ares, The God of War and the first born son of Zeus, did not care about the loss of being the new King of the Gods?

Well, for two reasons, really. One being that he was a survivor, and in case Zeus did give the throne to his idiot half-brother, then he had a nice and comfy back up plan ready to go when it happened.

The other reason was that if and when it happened, Ares knew it would be the down fall of Olympus and the end of the Greek gods. So, with his back up plan in working order, he, his sister Eris, and their nephew Strife, had set up a nice little cottage in a country called Italy. The cottage came with a large mirror on the wall so they all could have front row seats to watch the downfall of Olympus and laugh to their hearts' content.

So what more could an unloved and unwelcomed God of War ask for? He paused in thought. 'Someone to love him and welcome him with open arms.'

"Love," he roughly whispered.

Atropos smiled as she gave a knowing wink in her sisters' direction. Lachesis ignored her as she looked at Ares.

"You wish for someone to love you," Lachesis replied as she looked at her sister Clotho.

"You wish for some one to understand you," Clotho said as she looked back at Atropos.

Atropos looked up at him and stated softly, "And most of all you wish for someone to love you for who you are."

"Very well, Ares, God of War and the true Son of Zeus, we will grant you your one wish," they said in unison, and in a blinding flash, they all disappeared and then reappeared standing on a dirt road.

Lachesis pointed down the dirt road as she spoke, "For your wish, Ares, we have taken your godhood away from you for one week's time. Don't worry, we will keep your sword safe from harm. We give you this one week to find your heart's desire. At the end of the appointed time, if you have not found your true love, then we will restore your powers and you can continue on as you were. Remember this, Ares, that for every wish that is granted, no matter if it be good or bad, there will be a sacrifice. What will you sacrifice, Ares, God of War and the true Son of Zeus?" With out waiting for his answer, they flashed back to Olympus.

Ares let out a sigh and wondered what the Fates had gotten him into. He ran a hand through his black hair and looked down at the plain clothes that he was currently wearing. He let out another sigh as he started walking down the dusty road. As he walked, he began to idly wonder who the fates had put in his place while he was looking for his heart's desire.



Part 4

Suddenly there was a bright flash as The Fates reappeared in the Temple of War.

Lachesis snapped her fingers as a dark blue flash appeared before their eyes. She snapped them again as a pink flash appeared in the Halls of War.

"Hey!" Strife angrily exclaimed as he looked around. "What's tha deal, Aunt Lachesis? I was in tha middle of tha most wonderful mischief when-poof-I am back here."

"Yes Dudes,I totally would like to know the reason for pulling me away from a very important love match," the angry God of Love stated as he tapped his foot impatiently on the black marble floor.

"Love match," Strife snorted as he tried to ignore how turned on he became when Cupid was angry. "I'll have ya know that tha mischief I was causing down there was way more important than your stupid love match."

"I'll have you know that," Cupid started as he angrily strode over to his cousin, "that love match was very important."

"BOYS!" Lachesis yelled as she pinched the side of her nose and tried to ignore the giggles coming from her younger sisters standing behind her. 'Sometimes,' she thought, 'being the oldest by three minutes has its drawbacks.'

Cupid let out an angry sigh as he stopped in mid-stride, while Strife's insane laughter slowly began to quiet down.

"Cupid, your father will be gone for a week and while he is gone we entrust you and Strife to take over his role as the God of War."

"What?" they asked in unison.

"Why me?" Cupid asked.

"Even though Ares has made Strife his second-in-command, being the God of War can be a difficult position for a young god to fill, so we have decided that with the combined powers of Love and Mischief that you two will be able to handle the power shift quite nicely."

"But what about our duties?" Cupid asked his aunt as he looked at the man standing beside him; the man he had hidden his true feelings from for so long now.

"You will be able to carry out your duties, along with Ares's, just fine, Cupid." Lachesis tiredly said as she kept thinking that their mother owed them a nice vacation after this.

Strife softly spoke the most important question in his mind, "What kind of an assignment is Unc on that he needs to be gone for a week?"

Lachesis turned piercing blue eyes on her cousin as she and her sisters spoke as one, "Ares, God of War and Son of Zeus, is seeking Peace. You are forbidden to tell anyone where the God of War has gone. No one must know that he is seeking Peace. Not even the King of the Gods."

"All right already. Gee, ya ask a simple question and ya get forbidden to talk about it," Strife said with a shake of his head.

Lachesis softly smiled down at her cousin as she once more snapped her fingers. A small black flash filled the room and then disappeared in place of the Sword of War floating above their heads.

"Sword of War, come forward," The Fates called out in unison.

"Do you know what is going on?" Lachesis calmly asked the floating sword.

A deep humming came forth as its reply.

"Good. Will you then willingly come with us for protection while your Master is gone?"

Silence rang for a long moment while the sword hung in mid-air.

Lachesis let out a sigh of relief when the sword finally gave its affirmative reply, because they all knew they would not survive if they took the sword against its will.

She raised her hand and waited for the sword to go to it. However, the Sword of War had other ideas and remained floating in the air.

Mumbling under her breath about stubborn swords and their owners, Lachesis let out a frustrated sigh, "Very well, Sword of War. Come with us to meet your Master's destiny." As she spoke, a bright flash appeared and then it was gone, leaving the God of Love and the God of Mischief alone in the Halls of War.

Cupid looked over at his handsome cousin as he ran a nervous hand through his blond hair. "So...Dude,What do we do now?"

Strife shrugged his shoulders as spoke, "Unc usually keeps a list for me ta go over in case he is away at a long war. He usually keeps it in his study." Cupid nodded and motioned for Strife to lead the way.

As they headed towards the study, a dark shadow hidden behind the throne silently moved forward.

She evilly smiled as she thought, 'What to do, what to do. Why, I guess I better be the one to tell Zeus that his God of War is missing." With that thought in her warped mind, a purple flash appeared behind the throne and then was gone.

~~~~~~~~

Moira was quietly watching the fast moving weave of the fabric when a bright light suddenly flashed into the room.

"Well?" She asked as she continued to watch the moving thread.

"It is done, Mother," they answered in unison.

"Good," she calmly replied. "Was she there?"

"Yes, Mother."

"Good," she softly spoke as she turned to look at her beautiful daughters. "As we all know, there are two possible futures going on at this moment. Your job is to make sure that the right one comes to pass."

"Yes Mother," they answered in unison. Suddenly behind them came an impatient humming.

Moira looked up at the Sword of War and smiled. 'Just like it's owner,' she thought as she pointed to another room behind her.

The sword hummed its reply as it floated over to the room where its destiny was held.

There, floating in mid-air, was the golden Sword of Peace.



Part 5

An angry, dark purple flash appeared in the chambers of Zeus.

She frowned at the passionate sounds coming from Zeus's bedroom and his latest conquest.

She rolled her eyes as she wondered if the old fart ever ran out of justice. No wonder Hera was so grumpy all of the time.

'Hades,' she thought, 'he would do a goat if it showed him any interest...Wait a minute, he's done the goat thing already.'

"Zeus," she called out.

When no reply came back, except an increase in the volume of the moaning, she called out once more.

"Zeus, you damn bloody, horny old dog! Get your ugly cock out here. You've got work to do."

Suddenly, a bright and angry flash appeared before her eyes as a barely dressed Zeus now stood before her.

"Psyche!" he angrily bellowed. "This had better be important. I was in the midst of some important negotiations."

Psyche rolled her eyes at the lying bastard and angrily pointed her finger at him.

"You stupid fool, while you are seducing one of your wife's pretty priestesses, The Fates have started the Prophecy."

Zeus gasped, "No, they couldn't. I would know about it if they did."

Psyche rolled her eyes once more as she showed Zeus a scene in his mirror.

"Look you blithering fool."

The mirror showed the Halls of War. The image then changed to the study where they looked in and watched as Strife explained to Cupid the different kinds of battles that were currently going on. The image changed again to a man with black wavy hair who wore no beard and was dressed in peasant clothes, but it was the eyes that gave his true being away. They were the eyes of War, desperately seeking his destiny, his other half...his peace.

Zeus angrily growled and threw the mirror against the wall, shattering it.

"Years of planning gone," Psyche angrily screeched at him.

"Years of planting suggestions into your stupid son's head so he can take your place. Years of planning the death of your wife. And most of all, years of planning the death of War and the destruction of the House of War and Love, are all gone now because of you." She angrily pointed her finger at Zeus. "Just had to turn your back on The Fates. The keepers of the Sword of Peace. Just so you could have a one night stand with one of your wife's priestesses."

"Silence!!" Zeus bellowed as he raised his hand, ready to strike.

"Silence, you sniveling and whiny woman," he paused as he waited for Psyche to hold her tongue. "We still have time. Ares is still looking for Peace and if you are good, he may never find it."

Zeus snapped his fingers as a black box appeared before Psyche's eyes. "In this box lies the last of the hind's blood daggers. Use it wisely, Psyche, and we will never hear of Peace again. We will control the universe, and I will be more powerful then Gaea and Uranus combined. For I will control the universe, and you my dark beauty, will be the new Queen of Olympus and will control all of the gods through the throne of my favored son, Hercules."

Psyche evilly smiled as she flashed out of the room in search of War.

A moment later, Zeus flashed out to keep an eye on Mischief and Love, and make sure that their destiny was in his hands.



Zeus silently flashed into the study of War's temple and carefully watched as Strife and Cupid made plans on which battles were important and which ones they could put off until Ares came back.

'Yes,' he thought as he gleefully, rubbing his white beard with his hand. 'I need more power, I crave it.The only way to become more powerful then Gaea and Uranus is to destroy the houses of War and Love, leave the throne to my idiot son, Hercules, and let that sniveling bitch think that she can control Olympus, when it is really I, Zeus,who not only controls Olympus, but the entire universe. It all hinges on the death of Cupid, and to then lay the blame in Strife's hands, leaving the way open for Hercules to take over the throne. Oh, it doesn't matter that Hercules doesn't know he is going to take over the throne, just that he will. And all I have to do is place the suggestion in his head, which I have been doing since he was born.'

Suddenly, dark and pink flashes caught Zeus's eye as Strife and Cupid disappeared from the temple. Zeus growled dangerously low and zapped out after them.

~~~~~

Meanwhile, down on what was thought of as a deserted road, walked a tall man dressed in peasant clothes, with his dark head bent down and his hands behind his back.

Ares let out a soft sigh as he began to think. How was he supposed to know his hearts desire? Hades, he and his heart have never been on good speaking terms since he didn't know when. Sure, he loved Aphrodite, but more as a brother would love a sister than the true love of his life. When it came time for them to marry, it was more of an expected thing than for the feeling of true love. When her eyes fell on Hephaestus and she fell maddeningly in love with him, Ares was very happy for her. Their marriage ended well and he could honestly say that he and his ex-wife got along wonderfully. Unlike his father and mother.

"OOF!" Ares exclaimed as he felt something hit him square in the chest.

"Ouch!" came a soft reply from below, followed by the sound of a pile of metal hitting the ground.

Ares unknowingly rubbed his chest as he looked down at the man sprawled on the dirt road. His eyes slowly crept up a strong pair of legs to a rusty, metal covered chest, then to an odd, sort of metal pointed hat covering the face.

The strange man let out a groan as he pulled off his ugly pointed hat and looked up into the most beautiful dark eyes he had ever seen. Eyes that were filled with pain and loneliness. He looked as if he was seeking something that was very important to him. Joxer felt his heart go out to this handsome and lonely man. He felt compelled to help him.

Ares stared down into the most beautiful brown eyes he had ever seen. Eyes that were filled with a past pain, but happiness, joy and peace overflowed the hidden pain and made him shine with serenity.

When he smiled up at him, Ares felt his heart tighten and it was hard to breathe.

He watched as Joxer slowly stood up and automatically took his arm as he began pulling him along the road.

"Hi, I'm Joxer. And if you don't mind me saying so, you look like you're lost. Listen, my friends and I have a camp just up the road from here. Why don't you come along with me and we will see if we can help you find what you're looking for?"

Joxer paused as he looked at the confused expression on the stranger's face and realized that he must have hit him harder than he had previously thought.

Ares took a deep breath and slowly let it out. He was going to do the one thing he had never done before...put his trust in a man he didn't know. In a man he had ignored most of his life because he was clumsy; in a man that held his destiny. So Ares did the only thing he could do, and that was nod his head and let Joxer take care of him. It was something that he had let no one ever do before.

Joxer returned his smile as he took Ares's hand in his smaller one and led him towards camp.



Xena looked up from the fire that she was starting when she heard the sound of Joxer's voice coming from behind the trees.

"Our camp is this way," there was a slight pause,. "At least, I think it's this way. I get lost easily."

There was another slight pause as if Joxer was waiting for a reply, but there was none that Xena could hear.

"I think you will like them," another pause, "Xena and I are great warriors and Gabby is an Amazon and a bard. Gabby is writing up our adventures," Joxer happily finished as he came through the trees into their camp.

Xena cautiously watched the man Joxer was leading behind him come into view. He was taller than Joxer, with dark wavy hair to the shoulder, and he wore clothes that had seen better days. However, it was his eyes that held her attention most. They made her feel as if she should know this man who was looking at Joxer as if he held all the answers in the world.

Joxer smiled at Xena as he noticed Gabby coming back from the stream, carrying fish.

Before he could even greet and introduce his new friend, Gabby angrily stalked over to him and began to yell, totally ignoring the fact that they had a guest.

"Joxer, where were you? You were supposed to do the fishing for our supper, and now because you weren't here, I had to do the fishing myself. Now supper is late all because of your stupidity!"

Joxer could feel the anger slowly rising from the stranger standing next to him and quickly stepped between the two before the situation got worse.

"You're right, Gabby, I'm sorry. I got lost, and while trying to find my way back, I accidentally bumped into him," he finished with a soft blush on his face as he looked at the handsome man standing behind him.

It was then that Gabby noticed the handsome stranger.

'She had the gall to yell at him,' Ares angrily thought as she shoved the fish into Joxer's arms and tried to pull Ares away from his mate... 'Wait a minute, I am already thinking of Joxer as my mate?'

Ares growled low in his throat as he angrily pushed her away from him, causing Xena to rise in her defense. Suddenly, Joxer dropped the fish in his hands as he placed a gentle hand on Ares's chest while he looked at Xena, "It's all right, Xena. He meant no harm to her, did you?" Joxer turned his pleading eyes to look at Ares, and without knowing why, Ares let out a soft sigh, "Sorry Princess, I meant no harm to her... She just took me by surprise."

Xena nodded her head as she slowly lowered her sword back down to her side. "Who are you?" she asked as she bent to pick up a slightly bruised Gabrielle.

"Res," he quickly answered. "I got lost from my unit. We were heading to Sparta."

Xena nodded her head, "Yes, we are headed that way, too."

Ares raised his head up sharply to look at his daughter, "Why are you headed that way?"

"Xena wants to stop the coming battle," his future love said as he looked up at Ares with a smile.

Ares let out a tired sigh, 'I should have known. Well, at least I planned for some extra surprises for her just in case she showed up. Why, it wouldn't be a battle without her,' he thought with a rueful smile.

Xena nodded her head in agreement with Joxer as she looked the bruised Gabby over. "Joxer, why don't you go and clean those fish for us while I make sure that Gabrielle is okay?" she said as she tried to ignore the dirty look Gabrielle was giving Res.

Joxer gave Xena a relieved smile and gladly picked up the fish and headed back to the stream to clean them off, giving Res a slight smile as he left. Ares returned his smile and without knowing why, silently followed Joxer to the stream.

Joxer sat down and began to clean the fish while Ares nonchalantly leaned against a tree to watch him. As he watched the gentle hands of the man who unknowingly held his heart and the future of Olympus,perform the task. He idly wondered how he was going to tell the gentle soul of the man he was so quickly falling in love with, that his life was going to change, drastically? It was then, that out of the corner of Ares's eye, he saw a glint of silver flash right before the blade flew through the air.

"JOXER!" Ares screamed.



Cupid and Strife appeared on an empty battlefield outside of Sparta.

Strife unrolled the list while Cupid looked across the field.

"So, Dude, what do we do now?" Cupid said as he watched the sun shine on Strife's pale, white skin and shining, black hair, causing Cupid to hold his breath at the sheer beauty of his cousin.

Strife frowned in thought as he looked over the items that were listed on the scroll.

"Unc says," Cupid turned and watched in concern as Strife paused. He watched as Strife slowly began to close his eyes and his body began to shake.

"Strife?" Cupid called out as he ran back to his cousin. He started to lay a hand on him when the shaking suddenly stopped and Strife opened his eyes. His once beautiful blue eyes were now violet as a wicked smile crossed his pale features.

Strife wrapped his arms tightly around his body and let out an insane cackle.

"Melody, just now, dropped," he paused as he fell back down on the ground laughing harder, "manure all over Jason's clean white togas."

Strife paused in his laughter to see a look of confusion come over Cupid's face.

"Don't ya remember?" Cupid shook his head as he watched in fascination,a warm amethyst glow of mischief spark to life in Strife's eyes.

Strife let out a sigh as he sat up and explained. "Melody is the only sister of Harmony. Ya know, the sister whose mother went through a music phase when they where born." Strife paused and watched the recollection come to Cupid and smiled when he nodded his head.

"Yeah,Dude, now I remember them. Mom had me set her sister, Harmony, up with this dick of a guy to teach her a lesson, that looks are not everything and it was what was on the inside that counted."

"Well, apparently it worked, because Jason just dumped Harmony for one of the popular girls in town. Anyway, Harmony was all upset about it, right," he paused, watching Cupid nod in agreement. "Well, Melody is Harmony's only sister, and her brother is away, so Melody decided that she should at least avenge her sister in her brother's place. I mean after all, what else is a little sister supposed to do?" Strife said as Cupid reached down to pick him up.

Cupid gently smiled down at him as he watched Strife explain excitedly how he helped her find the really smelly manure in town, because you really need the smelliest manure in order to pull something like this off. Strife again paused as his eyes that had been slowly turning back to normal once again changed. This time they were a deep, angry shade of purple.

Strife suddenly began looking around, and then he violently pushed Cupid to the ground as he fell on top of him. Strife looked up in time to see a whizzing dagger fly past their heads and then disappeared with a purple flash which was soon followed by a golden flash.

Cupid let out a painful cry as his wings and body fell down on the hard ground. He slowly opened his eyes and looked up into a face that would have almost scared him if it wasn't for the fact that he had been slowly falling in love with his cousin.

For the face he looked up into was full of bloodlust as Strife's now angry red eyes looked around their surroundings, searching for something.

Strife could feel the hatred and deadly mischief filling the air around them and knew in a instant that someone was trying to kill Cupid. His Cupid. Sure, he knew he had deep feelings for the guy currently lying underneath him. If he had the guts, he would admit to himself at least that he was hopelessly falling for the God of Love. But,now, someone was trying to kill the man he was secretly in love with, and as Strife looked down into Cupid's worried green eyes, he knew in an instant that he loved Cupid above all else and that he would die to protect him.

Joxer looked up into angry black eyes as they scanned their
surroundings, looking for whatever had frightened Res enough to push
Joxer down on the hard ground.

It was then that Joxer noticed that Res's arm was bleeding.

Worried at seeing Res bleeding, he quickly began pushing hard against Ares's
chest to get him off so he could take a look at it.

Feeling something pushing hard against his chest brought Ares back from
scanning the area around them for their assassin. It was then that the
copper scent of blood filled his nose and caused him to quickly check his
beloved who was lying underneath him.

"Joxer, are you all right?" Ares asked as he concernedly ran his hands
up and down Joxer's body.

Seeing Ares's concern caused Joxer to smile as he placed a gentle hand on
his arm. "I'm fine, Res. It's you that I am worried about," he
said as he pointedly looked at Ares's bleeding arm.

Ares looked down at his arm and grimly smiled at the nasty cut as he,
without thought, tried to make the cut disappear. It was then that he
remembered that the Fates had taken his godhood away from him, and in so
doing, had also made him mortal.

Joxer gently pushed against Ares's chest once more to get his
attention. "Come on, Res. Let's go back to camp so Xena can look at
your arm. Okay?"

Res smiled down at the man, feeling happy for the first time since he could
remember because he was now cared for, and that made him feel special and
loved for the very first time in his life. So, with a great reluctance,
because laying on top of Joxer was starting to feel very good, Ares moved
off of him and helped him up.

Still holding Joxer's hand, Ares made a mental note to find out who
would want to kill Joxer and why. Once he found the who and the why, then he
will decide which way he would like to watch them die. The slow and painful
way, which is always enjoyable, or the quick way with less the joy but the
satisfation that you killed them off? Decisions, decisions, decisions, Ares
thought with a smile as he held his lover's
hand as they made their way back to the camp.



Cupid felt Strife place a gentle finger on his lips while Strife's
blood red eyes sought out where the deadly mischief had gone.

Cupid could feel the gently(gentle) ridges of Strife's fingerprint
against his soft lips and could not help but let out a soft moan as he felt
a slight pain emanating from his back because of his crushed wings.

His soft moan caused Strife's finger to slip into his warm wet
mouth, and as he closed his lips around it, a glint of mischief entered
Cupid's green eyes, but quickly disappeared before Strife could pick up on
it. Slowly, Cupid began to suck on Strife's pale finger and watched as the
blood red eyes turned to a passionate sapphire blue.

Strife let out a low moan as he watched Cupid's soft lucious lips begin a
gentle sucking motion, causing a certain part of his body to become very
hard.

Strife removed his finger, and without thinking, lowered his head and kissed
Cupid with all of the love that he had been hiding and let it
flow into the man underneath him.

Cupid slowly wrapped his arms around his body and turned them over as he
returned the kiss with equal passion, causing Strife to moan in pleasure.

Strife moved his hands teasingly over the soft feathers of Cupid's
wings, causing Cupid to break their passionate kiss and shiver in
pleasure at the feel of Strife's fingers moving gently over one of
his most erogenous zones.

As Cupid looked down at his lover, he said the first words that came
to his mind. "I love you, Strife."

Shocked, Strife looked up at the handsome man lying above him and
asked, "What about Psyche?"

Cupid let out a soft sigh as he reluctantly got up off of Strife and
sat down next to him. He wrapped his arms around his knees as he sat,
curled into a ball. He unconsciously stretched out his creamy white wings as
he sat with his head leaning on top of his knees.

"Mistake," he replied quietly without looking at Strife, who was now
sitting even closer to him. "Big Mistake, Dude! I did love her, Strife. Or
at least I thought I did, but the two years that I thought we were happy
were all a lie. You know, she told me that she hated being pregnant, and
that Bliss wasn't mine but was the son of some unknown god that she had
slept with. That was the last straw for me, and Bliss and I got out of there
as fast as we could, and moved into Mom's place.

"Two weeks ago I went to Hera and asked her to annul the marriage. Hera
wouldn't listen, though. She said that I needed proof for her to even
consider the marriage over, and Psyche is very good at looking innocent when
she is not. So, I am still looking for proof while she torments our son by
telling him everyday how much she hated giving birth to him and that I am
not his real father." Cupid paused as he swallowed the lump in his throat
to continue. "She has gone as far as telling him that I don't love him. Mom
is protecting him as best as she can, and she even has Deimos and Phobos
guarding him, but somehow Psyche manages to always get to him."

Strife couldn't help but put his arms around Cupid and hold him
tight. Cupid then wrapped his arms around Strife and let go of his
pent up tears. "The biggest mistake she could make is to hurt Bliss, but I
am unable to protect him because I lack the proof that I need to end this
sham of a marriage."

Strife held him close while he mentally plotted different ways to find the
proof that Cupid needed to get rid of that bitch so he could have some fun
with her himself. How dare she hurt Bliss. Why, Bliss was one of his
favorite mischief makers on Olympus. Yep, he thought, this definitely
called for revenge in all of its sweetest forms, and who to do it but the
God of Mischief himself.

He looked down at the man he held in his arms, placed a finger under his
chin and lifted his face up. Strife looked into the tear streaked face and
bent down to kiss each one away as he spoke softly, "You are a great father,
Cupid. Never doubt that. Bliss is your child and he knows the truth. He
believes in ya and will love ya no matter what. I have and always will love
ya 'til the end of time." He then placed a gentle kiss on Cupid's lips, one
filled with both love and promise.

Slowly, he pulled away from the man and smiled at the relenting groan
coming from his lover's yummy lips. Strife rose up and pulled Cupid
with him and as he wrapped a protective arm around him. "I think it
would be a good idea for us to pop in on Unc and see what's happening.
Besides, I want to see if he is having the same problem that we are."

"You mean, besides someone trying to kill me?" Cupid softly asked as
he ran a finger across Strife's surprised face. "I saw the dagger
pass over us when you knocked me down," he said in answer to Strife's
questioning glance.

Strife nodded his head as he grabbed Cupid's hand and placed a
gentle kiss in the middle of his palm. "I think the same thing is
happening to Unc and that is why he is not here. We need to find him and
see what's going on. Any idea on how to find him?" Strife asked as he
stroked a hand down one of Cupid's wings.

Cupid let out a soft moan as he tried to think. "When Bliss was first
learning his powers, sometimes he would go missing for hours and I would be
frantic at trying to find him." Strife nodded his head as he remembered
those early mischievous moments during that first year. "Dad came up with
the idea for me to take one of my feathers and pin it to Bliss, and he would
also take a feather to wear around his neck so he could help with finding
him. I think it would work the same way in trying to find Ares." Strife
nodded as he watched Cupid lift one of his beautiful wings and pluck a
feather from it. Cupid then raised the feather in the air and said, "I
Cupid, God Of Love, command you to find Ares, God of War."

Silence rang around them as they waited for something to happen, but
nothing did. Cupid looked at Strife who shrugged his shoulders. "Try saying
Dad instead of God of War," he suggested.

Cupid nodded his head as he raised the feather once more. "I Cupid, God of
Love, command you to find my dad."

Silence again ruled for a few minutes, then suddenly, the feather flew
out of Cupid's hand as a pink flash surrounded it. Soon, a pink and
blue flash appeared and disappeared just as quickly, as Cupid and Strife
followed the feather of love.



Part 11

Zeus and Psyche flashed back into his temple. Zeus angrily wrapped his
strong hands around Psyche's throat and slowly began to squeeze the life out
of her.

"You idiot! You stupid, greedy, sniveling bitch!" Zeus yelled as he shook
her body like a broken rag doll.

"How dare you try to kill Cupid when he is with Strife!" he shouted
once more at her as he threw her body hard against a stone wall.

"Did you, in your haste to kill your husband, forget that Strife
is the God of Mischief? That he can feel both good and evil mischief in the
air? Dammit, you inept bitch!" He cursed at her again as he threw a
lightning bolt at the cowering woman.

"Because of your blasted stupidity, they now know that something is
up. They will know that we are after Cupid, and this will put
Strife on guard, and he will in turn, warn Ares. Thus, ruining my plan
to have the ultimate power; to be able to control the universe and
be the supreme being."

"But Ares is dead," came Psyche's soft, whimpering response.

"What?" Zeus asked with deadly calm as he came near her.

"I...I killed him, " she said with smug pride. "He was standing at
a river guarding some sniveling human when I took up the dagger and
slashed his arm. Even as we speak," she continued with an insane
smile crossing her pale features and her dark eyes shining with madness,
"the poison of the Hind's blood is running through his veins and he is
taking his last breath."

An unholy gleam entered Zeus's blue eyes when he waved his hand and
he viewing mirror appeared before him. "Show me Ares, God of War,"
he commanded the mirror. The mirror was silent and showed him
nothing. Zeus smiled down at Psyche as she returned a smile of
victory. Zeus turned to the mirror once more and commanded, "Show
me the dead body of my son, Ares."

The viewing mirror shimmered and glowed as a picture came into view,
but instead of triumphing over the sight of his dead son, he became
furious, and with a snap of his fingers, ended the immortal life of
Psyche and turned her into a horse fly.

Ares, the thorn that had been in his side since his birth, still
lived because someone had taken his godhood away and made him mortal.

With a deadly glare, Zeus turned his eyes to the only one who could
do this. The only woman who was charged with the protection of the
Sword of Peace when he lay dying.

"MOIRA!" Zeus angrily called for the Goddess of Prophecy and the
mother of the Fates.



Part 12

A fine mist filled Zeus's room as a red haired goddess with dazzling
blue eyes appeared before Zeus.

"You bellowed?" she said with a sneer of disgust as she looked him
up and down.

Zeus narrowed his blue eyes as he looked at his sister, "You've gone
too far, Moira. In your protection of the Sword of Peace, you have
made War vulnerable. You have made him mortal." He paused in
thought as an evil smile crossed his face. "It is far too easy for me to
kill my son now."

Zeus felt a shiver run up his spine as he watched her blue eyes turn
a deadly black and her voice grew cold with emotion as she
prophesied, "Try to kill him if you must, Zeus, but Peace has found War and
will give the greater sacrifice in order to protect him and bring forth
Faith, Hope and Destiny. Then, Peace and War will unite and
dethrone the sky king, and they will bring forth a new age that will survive
the Twilight and outlast even the age of One God."

She smiled coolly at Zeus, her eyes still deadly black as she spoke
once more, "Farewell, dear brother, for I fear this will be the last
time that I will ever see you again. Say hello to Hades for me."
With a wave of her hand she was gone from the room, leaving behind
only a trail of mist behind her.

Zeus frowned at his disappearing sister and then glared at his viewing
mirror, "Show me Peace," he commanded. When nothing happened He
angrily growled at it as he threw a thunder bolt at it, causing it to break
once more

With an angry growl he flashed out in search of his son, knowing
Peace would be near by.



Part 13
~~~~~

Xena let out a tired sigh as she began to wipe the blood from Res's
arm.

As she looked up, she gave a worried Joxer a comforting smile and
told him to help Gabrielle look for the healing herbs she needed.

She paused in cleaning Res's wound as she watched Joxer head back
out to the woods.

Then she turned her cool blue eyes to the man that was sitting in
front of her. "So, Ares, what are you doing here?" She calmly
asked in an ice cold voice as she ignored his surprised look.

"How did you know?" He winced as she touched his wound.

She smiled slightly as she continued to clean it. "A daughter always
knows when her father is around, and a former warrior always knows
when her former war god is around, too. So, what's going on, Ares?" She
asked again.

Ares let out a tired sigh as he ran his fingers through his curly hair, "To
be honest, Xena, I don't know." He laughed softly at the
look of surprise that crossed his daughter's face.

"Xena, all I know is that yesterday the Fates appeared in my temple
and gave me a choice between power, happiness and love," he paused
as he wondered if he should tell his daughter how vulnerable he
really was.

"What did you choose, Ares?" She asked as her cool blue glaze held his dark
one.

He sighed and he looked away from her as he roughly whispered, "Love."

"What did you say?" She asked as she tied the bandage tighter on his
arm, making him wince again at the pain.

"Love," he angrily barked at her. "The Great God of War wants to be
loved. Does that surprise you?" He asked as he glared at her.

"No, Ares," came her soft reply, "It doesn't. Everyone wants,
needs or deserves to be loved. I'm just surprised that it took you this
long," she replied with a teasing look in her blue eyes, "to find
that out for yourself."

Ares shook his head at his daughter. She watched as his once hardened
features softened, and he smiled as he watched Joxer come back
from the forest.

She frowned at the way Ares was looking at Joxer, like he was his
only lifeline to this world. Xena squeezed Ares's sore arm to get
his attention.

"Is Joxer the one you love?" she asked

Ares looked away from his daughter, back towards the happy man headed their
way, and without thinking he said, "With all my heart. I love
him as I have never loved before."

Suddenly, a dagger appeared under his throat as Xena leaned in
close, and with a deadly whisper in his ear, she hissed, "Love him if you
must, Ares. But if I find out that you have hurt him in any way,
then whether or not you are a mortal, or God, or my father, I
will not think twice about slowly cutting your heart out and watching you
bleed to death. Joxer's been hurt enough. He deserves
to be happy for once."

Ares smiled at his daughter, feeling proud of her, "Now that's a
threat that I can understand, and agree with."

"Threat?" She quietly asked as she swiftly put her dagger back.

Ares frowned and then quickly informed Xena on what had happened at
the river.

Xena grew serious in thought, "So, you think that someone is
trying to kill Joxer. But why?"

Ares shrugged his shoulders as he watched Joxer and Gabrielle enter
the camp. "The only thing I can think of is that either whoever is
after him thinks that he is his brother Jett, or," he paused as he
swallowed the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat, "it's
because he was with me, and I'm the one that the dagger was meant
for. Then, he is still in danger, because like a fool, I have fallen in
love and have put him in harm's way. And for that reason, I must
stay away from him. Find a way for him to hate me so he will be
protected from my enemies."



Part 14

"Ares, are you sure that's the right choice?" Xena softly asked,
"Don't you think that Joxer should be included in your decision?"

Ares looked thoughtfully at his daughter, but before he could speak,
a pink and blue flash appeared near the campsite.

The sudden flash caused Xena and Ares to be on the defensive,
standing protectively in front of Joxer and Gabrielle.

Ares let out a sigh of relief when he saw Strife and Cupid standing
before them.

"Hey Unc," Strife called out as he and Cupid walked forward.

Ares smiled at seeing his son and nephew together and lowered his
sword.

"What are you doing here?" Xena asked with her sword still raised.

Cupid looked toward Strife and shrugged his shoulders while Strife
just raised his eyebrow up and gave her a 'duh' look. "Unc was
missing, so we thought we would go find him."

"What's going on,Strife?" Ares asked as he bent down and picked
up Cupid's glowing feather. As he handed the glowing feather back to his
son, he noticed the sudden closeness between Cupid and Strife, while Xena
finally lowered her sword. He ignored the anger he could see growing in
Gabrielle.

"That's what we would like to know, Unc. One moment, Cupie and I
were minding our business and the next, the Fates bring us to your temple
and tell us that we are to take over until you're back. Then they leave
with the Sword of War following behind them."

"The Sword of War willingly left with the Fates!" He exclaimed.

Cupid and Strife nodded their heads. "What's going on, Dad?" Cupid
asked as he elbowed Strife and nodded his head towards Ares's
bandaged arm. He also noticed the look of surprise and shock that came
across Joxer's face.

"To be honest, Cupid, I don't rightly know. All I do know, is
that the Fates also appeared to me, and gave me an offer that I couldn't
refuse." He wasn't about to tell them what that offer was;
admitting his so human-like feelings in front of his daughter was enough for
him to deal with in one day.

"It sounds like the Fates are behind what is going on," Xena thoughtfully
spoke as she turned back towards the camp.

"Aren't they always, Xena," Gaberille stated bitterly as she glared at the
three Gods standing before her.

It was then that Gaberille noticed Joxer was missing.

"I hope you know that this is all your fault, Ares," Gaberille angerly
hissed at him as she stomped back into the camp.



'Res was Ares,' was the only thing the stunned man could think
when he saw Cupid and Strife appear in their camp.

His Res. The man he found himself falling in love with was none
other than the God he had worshipped all his life. The God he had
loved since he had first met him. The God who was so high above him,
he had no hope of returned affection. That was the man he had found.
The man who called himself Res.

'WHY!' Joxer screamed inside his head as he, without thought,
turned and did the only thing he knew to do -- run and hide. Lick his
wounds and come back stronger than ever, but once more he would have
to hide his true self, so no one would know how much he was hurting
inside.

'It was a joke,' he finally realized as he leaned against a tree to
catch his breath.

He sighed and sat down. It had to be all one, big blasted joke. As
far as he could remember, no one had ever really loved him. His
father hated him because he was clumsy. His father had always loved
Jett more than he did the rest of his sons. That was the one thing
he and Jace had in common, the hatred of their father. He hated Jace for
never wanting to be a warrior, and Joxer for wanting to be something that he
never could be. A warrior. A man under Ares's favor, and leader of one of
his vast armies. But that was a lie, just like everything else.

Joxer knew he was the most unwanted warrior in Ares's service. It
only proved that the reason why Res, Ares, would even think about visiting
him. To play a joke.

'A joke on his most unwanted warrior. To make him laugh. That was
all,' Joxer thought as he watched a leaf fall from the tree he was
sitting under. 'Why, being the butt of people's jokes is the
only thing I'm really good at. That, and making really good honey cakes, but
that's beside the point.'

'The point is that the only reason why my God would even think about
seeing me was that he wanted a good joke,' Joxer thought as he wiped
his nose along his sleeve and tried to dry his wet eyes.

'Who would want to love such a clumsy oaf? No one,' he thought as
watched a bird fly across the darkening sky. 'Not even the great
Joxer the Mighty would love a man that couldn't set one foot in
front of the other without falling,' Joxer ridiculed himself as he
thought of his made up persona.

He let out another tired sigh as he banged the back of his head against the
base of the hard tree.

'No one will ever love me,' he sleepily thought as he closed his
tired eyes and cried himself to sleep.


Fear gripped Ares's heart as he realized that the bimbo was right.
It was his fault for not telling Joxer the truth about himself,
and when he noticed that Joxer was missing, without thinking, he stormed
around their camp and began tearing everything apart in hopes of finding
Joxer safe and sound. So he could tell him how sorry he was for his blunder.

It was then that he heard a painful groan coming from Cupid.

"Awww!" Cupid exclaimed as he felt the sharp stab of pain from a
broken heart. He clutched his chest at the force of the pain and
fell into the comforting arms of his love.

With painful green eyes, he pleadingly looked up at his beloved Strife.
"Hurts, Gods! Strife, I've never felt a broken heart so
much," he said through gritted teeth as he continued to feel the
person's agonizing suffering.

"A broken heart," Ares softly spoke as if he already knew whose
heart had been broken. "Where is it coming from?"

Cupid clung to the comforting embrace of Strife as he felt his love
hold him tight. He closed his eyes and concentrated on where it was
coming from, and with a shaking finger, pointed towards the woods.

Ares silently nodded his head, and without saying a word, headed
towards the woods and the only person he knew that could have a
broken heart because of him.


Cupid turned his head against Strife's chest as he fought the pain.

"What do you want me to do, Cupie?" Strife asked, feeling helpless
for the first time since he had told Cupid how much he loved him.

Cupid clung tightly against Strife's lean body as he tried to ignore
the pain and concentrate on Strife's soft voice. "Remind," he
paused as he fought against another blast of pain. "Remind me how much you
love me. It's the only thing that will end the pain of a broken
heart."

Strife smiled at his love and held him tight as bent down to nibble
on Cupid's neck. "Do you know when the first time was that I fell
in love with you?" He softly asked as he worked his way up Cupid's
neck and began kissing his face. Cupid softly moaned as he felt Strife's
warm, loving kisses.

"It was a day like any other, so long ago. I had just gotten back
from doing some excellent mischief, when suddenly, I saw this huge
bird-like shadow flowing across one of Olympus's hills. It was
slowly gliding closer toward where I stood. I looked up, seeing what was
causing the shadow, and there you were. The sun was glinting across
your beautiful blond curly hair," he paused as he ran his pale
fingers through the soft wavy hair, causing Cupid to moan at
the feel of them. He gently moved his fingers over one of Cupid's
pearl white wings.

"When the sunlight," he continued, "hit upon your wings, it took my
breath away at the gorgeous sight flying above me. As you flew
over me, I knew in that moment that you had taken my heart away."

"Oh, Strife," Cupid moaned and pulled his lover down and proceeded
to show him how much he loved him with a kiss filled with passion.

Strife was slightly surprised by his passionate lover, but
returned the kiss with fervor. He was overwhelmed with the sweet taste of
his lover. He found himself wanting to taste more, so he plunged his
tongue deeper into Cupid's warm mouth.

"EWWWWW!" Came a piercing, whining cry from what seemed far away,
yet it brought them both out of their passionate embrace only to
look into Gabrielle's disgusted blue eyes.

"That's so gross," she said as she pointed toward them like a little
child. She ran to Xena, telling her that they should stop what they were
doing.

Strife chuckled softly as he looked down at the still passionate,
burning green gaze of his love, and softly asked, "So, do you want
to stop what we were doing?"

"Nope," Cupid laughed softly and shook his head. "You?" He shyly
asked as he ran his fingers through Strife's black hair.

Concern entered Strife's worried eyes as he looked down at
his love. "Are you okay now?" he softly asked.

Cupid smiled cockily up at his love and roughly asked, "Why don't
you come closer and find out," he said with a thrust of his hips,
causing Strife to groan.

Strife smiled as he asked, "Well, before we were so rudely
interrupted, where were we? Ah, yes," he teasingly said as he
bent down to finish tasting his love.


"Xena!" Gabrielle yelled as she stomped into the camp.

"What?" Xena asked as she worriedly looked towards the woods where
she had seen Ares enter.

"They're... They're," Gabrielle stuttered as she pointed her finger
towards the passionate lovers. "Kissing!" she exclaimed.

Xena followed Gabby's finger towards the two Gods in question and
smiled at her friend's discomfort.

When Xena had first met Cupid's wife, Psyche, she knew then that
there was something wrong with her brother's relationship with her.
But Xena lived on the theory of live and let live. Her brother
was in a relationship that she didn't like, so she didn't say
anything other than, 'If you need someone to talk to, all you have to do is
drop by and I will listen.' Two years later, that was exactly what he did:
he dropped by and she listened. She didn't pass judgment,
didn't say 'I told you so.' She simply gave him her support when he
needed it. In return for her kindness, he left her out of his love
matches, which she was eternally grateful for.

So, when he and Strife appeared together, and she noticed how much
they both loved each other, she was happy for him. When they
finally got a chance to be alone together, she would tell him how happy she
was for him and would once more offer her ear in case he needed to
talk, but as she looked at the two new lovers, she knew that he
wouldn't be dropping by much.

Which then left her with her father and his new love interest,
Joxer. Xena tuned out Gabby's caterwauling about her brother's new love
interest and concentrated once more on the darkening night sky and
the woods where her father had disappeared into to search for the broken
heart of her friend, Joxer.

She hoped that her father would find the right words to tell Joxer
the truth.

She let out a tired sigh as Gabby's voice finally pierced her
thoughts. Why was it that she let Gabby travel with her again?
She asked herself as she noticed her brother and Strife starting to
get a little more physical with each other.

With a teasing smile, she spoke up, "Cupid, as much as I am pleased
with your new love, I have to agree with Gabby that some of us don't
want to have a front row seat to it."

She laughed softly as she watched her brother reluctantly pull away
from Strife. "Sorry, Xena," he softly said with a blushed
tint to his face.

She nodded and once more turned her worried gaze towards the woods,
looking for any signs of her missing father and Joxer.


Ares followed Joxer's hasty trail easily enough and he soon came
upon the sleeping man.

Without thought Ares sat down next to the man he had fallen in love
with. He gently picked up the slumbering form and placed him on his lap as
he wrapped his arms around his dozing lover.

'Warm,' was Joxer first thought as he began to slowly wake up. He
suddenly felt so warm and safe and ... loved?'

He stiffened as he slowly looked up into the face of the man who had
caused his heart to break. He tried to struggle out of Ares hold
but Ares held him tight against this chest and waited for Joxer
to still.

"Why?" Joxer softly asked the only word he was able to get out once
he stilled in Ares's lap.

'Why?' Ares thought as he realized that this was his chance, his
chance to make Joxer hate him in order to protect him.

This was his chance to lie and make Joxer learn to hate
him. He paused as he remembered Xena's words. 'Don't you think that
Joxer should be included in this decision?'

He remembered and as he looked down into those deep brown eyes of
his love, he new at that moment he could never lie to Joxer.

So, Ares did the one thing he had never done before. He told Joxer
the truth and readied himself for Joxer to hate him more, "When I
was a boy I must have been no older then 5 or 6 when I learned my
very first and only lesson from my own father. It was a hard lesson
and one that stuck with me since I accepted the sword of War. He
told me that I was never wanted, never loved and that as the God of
War I will have to learn to live with the fact that no one will ever
love me and welcome me in their arms."

"It is a lesson that I have always remembered. Since that lesson I
have never felt wanted in my family. Yes, I did love Aphrodite,
but more as a brother would love a sister then the true love of my
life. When it came time for us to marry it was more of an expected
thing then for the feeling of true love. When her eyes fell on
Hephaestus and she fell maddeningly in love with him I was very
happy for her. Our marriage ended well and I can honestly say that
my ex-wife and I get a long wonderfully. Years passed and I
had become used to the idea of no one ever wanting me or welcoming
me with open arms. Soon, though, rumors began to spread far and
wide over Olympus, all saying the same thing. Zeus was going to
practically ignore me, his first born son and give the throne to his
favored son. But I could care less about my birth right. I had a
back up plan for when my 'beloved' brother," he said snidely, "took over the
throne. There was one thing missing from my perfect backup plan . The Fates
came to me and offered me the one chance to get what was missing from my
life."

He paused as he looked down into the now drying eyes of his love and
offered Joxer the one thing he had never given to anyone... his
heart. "You, Joxer. Are that one thing that was missing from my
life. My chance at finding true love. When I first laid eyes on you on that
deserted road I knew in that moment that you were the one meant for me. "

Joxer sat there stunned as he looked into Ares' dark eyes filled
with hope and love.

He took a deep breath and wrapped his arms around Ares's neck as he
looked deep into Ares's eyes as he tried to swallow the lump that
suddenly formed in his throat, "When Xena asked who you were, why did you
lie?"

Ares swallowed as he looked at the only person he knew he would
never lie to, "Because I was afraid of losing you."

Joxer sat up straight at hearing this," Losing me, why?"

"Because, Joxer, your the only person that I have ever felt the
need to risk my heart with. The only person that I have ever truly
loved and wanted to share my life with, to be my consort," Ares
paused to swallow the lump that suddenly formed in his throat as he
roughly asked, "Will you, Joxer of Athens, be my heart, my soul, my peace,
my every lasting love, my Consort?"





Joxer felt his eyes start to get wet and with a weak smile as he
nervously swallowed, "I, Joxer of Athens, will accept your heart, for you
have become my soul, my peace, my every lasting love. I will accept being
your consort because I love you," With that he leaned down for their first
of many kisses.

Ares moaned at the sensations that went through him at the feel of
Joxer warm mouth touching his, and like a starving man he pulled
Joxer closer to deepen the kiss.

Without thought, Joxer let out a soft moan as he plunged his
tongue into Ares' warm mouth. He felt Ares' tongue exploring and
tasting. He let out a disappointed moan when Ares suddenly pulled
back.

"Are you sure, Joxer?" He asked his panting lover. "That you love
me, because if I remember right you were in love with Gabrielle."

Joxer rolled his eyes as he let out a frustrated sigh as he leaned
up and pulled Ares back down near his waiting lips as he
threateningly whispered, "I love you, Ares. I may have thought I was in love
with Gabby, but I never really knew what true love was ... until I meant
you. I love you, Ares," With that he pulled Ares down for a kiss that was
filled with love.

Ares let out a passionate groan as he felt the love of Joxer coming
through their kiss. Their kisses where filled with passion.

Ares let out a soft moan as he slid an arm around Joxer's waist and
pushed him to the ground.

"Clothes," Joxer roughly whispered as his hands started working pulling Ares
shirt out of his paints.

In his haste to get them out of their clothes, Ares forgot
that he didn't have any powers. He remembered this when he tried to
think their clothes away, "Hades, I forgot I don't have any powers,"
he said as he started to take off Joxer's shirt.

"What do you mean you don't have any power's," Joxer exclaimed as he
stopped his frantic lover.

Ares let out a frustrated sigh as looked down at his concerned lover, "The
Fates took my Godhood away when they offered me my chance at finding my true
love," He said as he lovingly brushed some of Joxer's hair away from his
lover's eyes.

"Oh," Joxer softly exclaimed as he brushed his finger across Ares
face. "Are you all right with this?"

Ares thought over Joxer's question and then he smiled down at his
lover, "Yes, because I have found you. I love you, Joxer."

Joxer smiled up at his lover as he roughly whispered, "Then make
love to me."

Ares let out a passionate groan as they finished getting out of
their clothes.

Then Ares slipped his hands under Joxer, pulling him close to his
now naked body. While his other hand slowly moved down Joxer soft
naked body.

Joxer groaned at the feel of Ares strong hands moving across his
body. The feel of Ares' fingers moving slowly down to his butt.

Ares let out a frustrated groan as he remembered that he didn't have
any oil with him, "Oil, Joxer. Do you have any oil with you?"

Joxer thought for a minute as he wondered what Ares needed the oil
for, "In my pouch. When I left camp I still had it with me. "

Ares smiled down at his love as he quickly looked around for Joxer's
pouch. He let out a triumphant yell when he finally spotted it. He
quickly grabbed it and found the oil.

He quickly slicked his fingers and then bent down to resume kissing
his now panting lover.

Joxer let out a surprised moan as he realized what Ares wanted the
oil for. He moaned louder as he felt the slick fingers of love run
down his butt. They began to gently cares his opening, causing
Joxer to groan and shift slightly as he unconsciously gave better access to
his lover.

Ares gently pushed two fingers slowly inside him, causing Joxer to
suck his breath in as they grazed the small nub inside him. Ares
separated his fingers making scissoring motions inside Joxer, stretching
him.

The motions cause Joxer to pull back and passionately demand, "Need
you inside of me now!"

Ares grunted as he pulled his fingers out of his love and grasped
Joxer's hips as he slowly pushed his aching erection inside his warm
and tight lover. He let out a groan as he was enveloped into Joxer's
tight heat, causing him to bury his face into Joxer's neck. He
almost cried out at the pleasure he felt as Joxer's hands clasped
his back and held him tightly.

They stilled for a moment simply feeling the love of each other
before Joxer rolled his head back and whispered roughly, "Move, Ares, I need
to feel you."

Ares looked down at his love and kissed him with all of his love as
he started to move, slowly pulling out and then slowly pushed back
in, causing Joxer to groan in pleasure as he wrapped his arms and legs
tightly around Ares. Pulling his lover closer to him as they kissed again.

Ares let out a groan as he began to lose himself in the feel of his
lover as they moved together, rocking slowly back and forth 'til neither of
them knew where the first one began or ended.

Soon their rocking turned from a slow burning passion quickly turned
to a roaring flame as Joxer's contractions of his passage became too
much for Ares and he started to speed up his movements Thrusting
harder and faster as he continually hit Joxer's nub. Causing
Joxer to scream Ares' name in pleasure. Ares let out a groan as
his quickening movement became rougher as he began losing control. Then
Joxer froze as he screamed out Ares' name once more. Ares felt the hot
liquid between their bodies causing him to lose his control.

"JOXER!" He screamed as began to filled his lover with his seed.
Ares let out a tired groan as he kissed his tired love's face and
wrapped his arms around Joxer as he, for the first time in his
life, had a peaceful nights sleep because he felt loved for the first time.

A white flash appeared near by as they slept peacefully. Quietly,
the Fates stepped closer to the sleeping lover's.




Cupid was standing next to Xena as he, along with her, tried not
to worry about their father when he suddenly got a sudden surge of
love, causing him to become very horny.

Without thought he turned and looked for his lover. He smiled as he watched
Strife slowly creep up behind Gabby. Cupid noticed that Strife was holding a
large spider in his hand. Cupid quickly covered his mouth as he, in a vain
attempt to cover his laughter as he watched Strife silently place the spider
on Gabby's shoulder.

Cupid shook his head at his teasing love as walked over near his
love, as he grabbed Strife's hand he called out to Xena, "We're going to go
look for some wood for the fire."

He watched as Xena raised a curious eyebrow before it slowly dawned
on her and then he laughed softly as her eyes became huge and she made a
surprised "Oh! Yeah, wood, definitely need some more wood." Cupid nodded his
head as he dragged his reluctant lover behind him.

"Wood!" Strife exclaimed as he tugged in Cupid's hand. "Why do I
want to look for wood when the entertainment's about to start," He
said as they entered the dense woods.

Cupid pulled his love closer to him and with out speaking pulled his
lover to him for a kiss filled with promise and love.

Strife groaned as Cupid deepened the kiss. He wrapped his arms
around Cupid to pull him closer to taste more of his love.

Cupid reluctantly pulled back and grinned at the dazed look he saw
on Strife's face. He lifted a finger and gently caressed the firm
jaw-line of his love and placed another kiss on Strife's cheek.

Strife unconsciously licked his lips, causing Cupid
to groan, "So, what kind of wood are we looking for?"

"Oh, I don't know," Cupid paused as brushed his very hard cock
against Strife's, "Maybe this kind of wood."

Strife nervously gulped as he looked up into Cupid's passionate gaze, "Have
ya ever done this before?" He asked

Cupid shook his head, "Not since I've been married to Psyche, have
I been with a man," He paused as he looked at Strife, "You?"

Strife swallowed nervously, "Never. I've been in love with ya for so long
that even the thought of me sleeping with someone other then ya felt wrong.
I had kind of given up falling in love and I would have been just happy with
us being friends."

Just hearing those sweet words come from his lover, "Oh, Strife, How could
I've been so blind to not notice how you really felt about me? I love you,
Strife," Cupid said as he wrapped his strong arms around Strife and pulled
him in for another deep passionate kiss.

Strife moaned at the feel of Cupid's love for him.

Without a thought Cupid created a blanket to appear under them as he
picked up his lover and gently placed him on it.

Strife stared up as his beautiful cousin and watched as Cupid thought away
their clothes. Strife's gaze slowly wondered over the sculptured body of his
cousin, and then slowed down as he came to the dark patch of hair between
Cupid's legs. His breath caught in his throat as he watch Cupid erection
slowly go from limp to a hard throbbing cock rising proudly. He gulped again
as he felt his own cock growing in
response.

"Oh, babe," Cupid said as he bent down on his knees, looked at his beautiful
pale cousin for the first time. He reached out a hand and gently touched one
of Strife's pale shoulder's, "You're beautiful."

Strife lowered his head to hide his now tinting face, "No, I'm not
beautiful. Ya are," He said as he sat up and touched the strong
chest of Cupid.

Cupid softly chuckled at his lover as he bent down and pulled Strife
closer to him. He leaned down and gentle placed a kiss on Strife's
warm and moist lips. The kiss soon ignited into a burning passion as
they both lost themselves in the moment.

Cupid gently pushed Strife down to the ground and began moving his lips down
Strife's neck.

Strife moaned at the feel of Cupid's lips moving across his body teasing his
nipples and making them ache in pleasure.

Cupid smiled at the reaction that he was getting from Strife as he
slowly moved his lips down Strifes hard stomach down to his dripping, aching
cock.

Cupid bent down and began mapping his way with his kissing and hands
down Strife's wreathing body.

Without thought, Strife grabbed Cupid's head as he moved closer to
Strife's leaking cock.

Cupid quickly swallowed the tip with his mouth, his tongue delving
out to taste. Sucking fiercely, he licked his way up and down
Strife's sweet cock, only pulling back when Strife began clutching his hands
on the back of his head.

He slowly pulled back and looked at his trembling love. He lifted up and
urged Strife onto his side and quickly slid behind him.

Cupid was pleased, that when he aligned his body to the curve of his lover,
that they fit so well together. Like they were always meant to be together.
Moving his hands back down Strife's body he began to massage Strife's ass.
His thumbs teasing the crevice in between. He began to gently circle the
hidden pucker causing Strife to inhale sharply when he quickly thrust back,
forcing his thumb into the tight heat.

"Cupid," Strife groaned as he tried to thrust further back.

Cupid rotated his thumb around, before he remembered the oil, he
quickly thought it up and then slicked his fingers. He tried to
ignore Strife's please for more as he pushed them back in searching
for the hidden nub. Gently he began stroking it causing Strife to
cry out in pleasure.

"CUPID!!!!" Strife yelled out as he forcefully thrusted himself back
onto Cupid's fingers.

Cupid quickly withdrew his fingers, and shifted his cock to the small
opening. Gently, he pushed inside, past the tight ring of muscle, making
small thrusts to ease his way further inside.

Strife tired to clench his hands in the blanket but as Cupid wrapped
his arms around him, he entwined their fingers together as he started to
slowly thrust.

Strife couldn't think. The wonderful feeling of Cupid's cock was
driving him wild. Cupid moved their hands slowly down their
moving bodies and wrapped them around Strife's aching cock. He
began slowly stroking it in the same rhythm as his thrusting cock.

Cupid found the hidden nub once more and he began to drive
repeatedly into the same spot, loving the screams that erupted form
Strifes throat as he erupted in their hands.

Cupid buried himself one more time in Strife's warm heat, letting
his climax sweep over them 'til he filled Strife's body with his seed.

Cupid let out a blissful sigh as he wrapped his arms tighter around
Strife's sleeping form.

He leaned down and placed a kiss on Strife's shoulder as he whispered, "I
love you. Gods, how I love you, Strife," He said as
he joined his lover in their peaceful slumber.



Gabrielle was furious as she watched Cupid drag Strife towards the woods.

How dare they ignore me. I'm the one that's right. It's gross seeing
two men together, and then there's Ares.

She paused in her anger of the other's and focused it on her main
problem. 'Ares'

'Ares,' she thought was behind all of her problems. 'Xena was
ignoring her because of Ares. Joxer had stopped worshipping her and
turned his affections to that blasted evil God of War.' It was
Ares' fault that Joxer was missing. Ares' fault that Cupid was
ignoring her obvious beauty for his male cousin.'

'Yes,' She thought as she stomped her foot on the ground. 'It was
all Ares' fault.'

While Gabrielle was fuming, she didn't see a gold flash appear behind her.

Zeus stood silently behind the blond harpy as he listened in on her
angry thoughts of his son.

An evil glint appeared into Zeus' old blue eyes as he quickly
changed his form to that of the arch angel, Michael.

A shadow fell across Gabrielle, causing her to look up, she smiled
as she ran to the only person who ever listened to her.

"Michael!" She exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around the man she
thought was Michael.

Zeus hugged her back as he thought that his Michael disguise was the
best idea he ever came up with.

He gently pushed Gabrielle back as he looked into her face, "Why,
Gabrielle, you look upset. What is wrong?" He gently asked as Zeus
thought of what was the best way he could lead the bimbo in his
plans to kill Ares.

Gabrielle quickly explained to Zeus/Michael what was going on and
how it was all Ares' fault.

Zeus smiled as he quickly agreed with Gabrielle, "You are right,
Gabrielle. Ares is evil and it's all his fault that you are being
ignored by your friends. You should do something about it."

Gabrielle) nodded her head while Zeus placed a thought in her head.

She smiled as she said, "I know, you can go and get Hercules and bring him
here and so he can kill Ares and then everything will be as it should be.
With everyone listening to me and Joxer will be back worshipping me and
doing things for me. "

Zeus/Michael smiled down at her, "Why, Gabrielle, what a brilliant idea. I
will do just that," with that he flashed out letting go a crazed laugh.

'Yes,' he thought. 'Its all coming together. I will bring Hercules
here and he will fight Ares and kill him before Peace comes forth to
protect him and then there will be nothing standing in my way of ultimate



"WOW!" Clotho said as she waved a hand in front of her face to cool
herself down. "That was HOT!!!" she stated as looked down at the
sleeping couple.

"I never knew Ares had it in him," Stated Atropos as she looked at
the shocked faces of her sister's. "Well, I knew, knew but I
didn't know, know," explained the blond hair Goddess, the youngest
of the triplets.

Lachesis sighed as their middle sister spoke up once more, "I think
they're cute, " Clotho said as she brushed a black hair out of her eyes.

"I have to agree," Atropos spoke again. "I've never seen Ares look
so happy."

Lachesis let out tired sigh as the older sister brushed a lock of blood red
hair back from her pale shoulder. As the oldest of the triplets by three
minutes, Lachesis took more after her mother. While Clotho took after their
Grandmother Gaia and Atropos took after their Aunt Demeter in looks. Of the
three, Lachesis being the oldest took on the more serious roles of the Fates
making sure the prophies where fulfilled and measuring the lives of mortals.
Clotho, who held the shear's of life, felt responsible for the ending of
life and so she took a more active roll in the Underworld. While the
youngest of the triplets, Atropos was the spinner of the thread of life. She
felt more responsible for the beginning of life and so she when could she
took a more active role with their Aunts Demeter, Hera, Hebe and Eilethya in
the beginning of life.

Lachesis cleared her throat to get her sister's attention.

"Come,sisters, we have a prophecy to fulfill and babies to bring in to the
world."

Clotho and Atropos both nodded their heads as they took their spot
on either side of Ares and Joxer. Lachesis stood at the head of the
sleeping lover's.

"Sleep, Ares, " she softly whispered near his ear. "There's nothing to worry
about, everything is going to be all right. Joxer is safe and sound asleep
in your arms. That's it, Ares, go into a deep sleep," She smiled
triumphantly as Ares went into a deeper sleep.

"He's out! Now we can do what we planned to do with out any interruptions
from Ares."

Lachesis said as she moved her hand over the sleeping forms. Clotho
and Atropos nodded their heads as their hands joined their sister's hand.
In a circle they began to move and spoke in one voice.

"We, the sister's of Fate, call upon the threads of life. We call upon the
beginning of life, the middle of life and the end of life," above their
heads appeared three glowing threads.

"We, the sister's of Fate call upon the threads of life to grant
us the lives of Faith, Hope and Destiny," They cried out as they
suddenly stopped and pointed to the glowing threads of life. Suddenly, the
sky grew dark around them as thunder and lightning appeared in the sky. The
winds picked up around them as they stood and faced the glowing threads of
life. Suddenly, a bolt of lighting struck the ground and from the smoke
appeared three glowing balls of light.

The balls of light floated towards the sisters of Fate. Each ball
landed in one of their hands. The three sister's raised the balls in
the air and spoke as one, "We, the Sister's of Fate, call upon Faith, Hope
and Destiny to bring forth a new age of Olympus. I, Lachesis, the oldest of
the Fates call upon Faith," She cried out as she raised a glowing ball of
light. "Faith to see us through the coming of the twilight. Faith that will
lead us to the coming of the Roman age and beyond," She said as she bent
down and placed her hand on Joxer's naked stomach with a thought she opened
his stomach and placed the glowing ball of Faith.

"I, Clotho, the middle sister of the Fates call upon Hope," She
called out raising her glowing ball in the air. "Hope to give us strength
when the twilight will become too much for us. Hope to give
us the strength to survive and Hope for to give us a better future
to look forward to," She said as she also bent down and placed the
glowing ball of Hope.

"I, Atropos, the youngest of the Fates call upon Destiny," She
called out raising her glowing ball to the sky. "Destiny who will
shape our future. Destiny who will lead us into a new age and
Destiny to lead us through it," She said as she also place the glowing ball
of Destiny inside Joxer's stomach.

"We, the Fates, call upon Faith, Hope and Destiny to bring us forth into a
new age of War and Peace, " They cried out as one as they pointed towards
Joxer's stomach and closed the wound.

"We, The Fates, now call upon the God of Time and the God of Years to come
forward."

They stood in silence as they waited for the God of Time and the God of
Years to appear.




A yellow and dusty flash appeared then in it place stood two Gods
with their arms wrapped around each other lost in a deep kiss.

Lachesis let out a frustrated sigh as she spoke, "Don't those two ever
stop?"

"Oh,hush, Lac. Just because you haven't seen Hermes in the past few days
doesn't mean you have to be such a prude," Clotho stated as she ignored
Lachesis' look of shock. "Besides I think their cute together."

"You think every couple is cute together, " Stated Atropos as she
watched the very pregnant God of Years reluctantly pull away from
his love, the God of Time. "Besides I think Ares and Joxer will
win the cute couple of the year award when Cousin Persephone holds
the winter ball this year. "

A far away look entered Lachesis eyes as she spoke, "I don't know
Cupid and Strife might give them a run for the prize this year."
Clotho and Atropos followed her far away look and both silently
nodded in agreement and the turn back to the God of Time and God of
Years only to find that they went back to kissing again.

Kronos, the God of Time, held his love and was working his way down that
delectable neck when the clearing of throats interrupted him. He let out a
reluctant sigh as he finally looked up to see the Fates standing in front of
them. With a confused expression, he looked around him only to find that
they weren't in their bedroom where he wanted to be, but standing in some
woods.

"Timenous, why are we standing in some woods when we can be in our nice
comfy and welcoming bed?" He asked his beautiful curly, blond haired lover.

Timenous softly chuckled at his passionate lover as he explained,
"Because, Kronos, they called us.

"Do you think that if we ignore them they will go away," He
hopefully asked the older man that had always held his heart.

Timenous softly laughed at the hopeful expression on his lover's
face. He shook his head as he looked up at his big and strong lover, " I
don't think so. I think it's very important."

Kronos let out a reluctant sigh as asked, "Do we have to? "

Timenous looked up at the love of his life as he reached up to brush
a hand through Kronos' brown wavy hair as he said, "I'll tell
you what we'll do. If you do this for me then I will... " He paused
as he realized that they had an audience. So, as a blush quickly
spread over his face he motioned for Kronos to bend down. Kronos
bent down and his face suddenly burn with passion has he listened to
his love's passionate voice describing, in detail, what he will do to him
once they were back in their bedroom.

"Well, in that case, lets get this over with," He said as he turned to face
the Fates. "Well, what do you want? " He asked as he wrapped his arm around
his pregnant love and rubbed his hand over Timenous' bulging stomach of the
next year's child.

Lachesis smiled, glad to finally have their attention, "We have come to ask
you to speed up time for a bit for a mortal that we are watching over."

Kronos stood in shock at hearing their request. It was then that he
noticed the sleeping forms in front of him. He sighed as he realized
that the mortals sleeping in front of him just finished having sex.
'Lucky guys,' he thought.

Timenous' soft voice broke through his thoughts when his wise love
asked what he thought was a very good question, "Why, Lachesis, should we
speed up time for one mortal?"

"Because he is your lost brother," Came Moira's voice from behind them.

Timenous turned to look at his sister in confusion, "What are you
talking about? We haven't lost any brother."

"That's because I made you forget," came Mnemosyne's soft spoken
voice as a gray light flashed and then disappeared into Timenous's
sister, the Goddess of Memory.

"Forget, why?" Timenous asked, as he ran a hand through his hair, while his
other hand gently patted the comforting arms that were wrapped securely
around him.

"Because, like all of your brother's and sister's, you were devastated at
the loss of Peace and because of Moira's prophecy, I made sure that all but
four of the Titans forget our beloved brother, Janous, God of Peace,"
Mnemosyne explained as she touched the forehead of her brother Timenous
making him recall his memories of Janous.

"Kronos is a young Olympian and therefore doesn't know about our lost
brother. Because we never told any of the new Olympians of him in order to
protect him from Zeus's rage," Moira exclaimed as she neared the sleeping
lover's and gently touched Joxer's hair. "As for the other's, it was easy to
make them forget in their grief."

"Yes, now I remember," Timenous softly explained. "It was the dawn of the
Battle of the Titans and Olympians. Zeus, in order to claim Cronus's throne,
needed to start a war between the Titans and the Olympians, who at that time
were getting along fine. In order for him to start his war and his quest for
power he needed to kill Janous, the God of Peace, Consort of War and loved
by all. All but Zeus,who, in his haste for power, forgot that War needed
Peace, for with out Peace, War would go mad with blood lust. Which is what
happened, War found his beloved Peace lying dead on their bed and was easily
persuade by his 'trusted' brother, Zeus that it was the Titans who were
behind the death of Janous. In our grief we didn't know that it wasn't the
Titans. We believed Zeus, who rescued us from Cronus's stomach. No one knew
the truth except for you... Moira. Sister of Peace, Goddess of Prophecy."

"You fore saw it all in a dream and tried to warn Janous, but you were too
late. For Zeus had already killed the one person who understood your gift of
second sight. As Janous took his last breath in your arms he charged you
with the protection of the Sword of Peace, which you hid in the Temple of
Prophecy. Once Zeus had killed Peace, and in turn, War went mad with blood
lust. With out Peace and War gone mad, the battle between the Titians and
the Olympians lasted for 10 years with neither side gaining an upper hand
and causing the lose of many Gods and Goddess'."

"In his desperate attempt at ending the long battle, Zeus
conspired with the Hecatoncheires, the three giants with a 100
hands each and the most terrifying children of Gaia and Uranus. It
was they that finally led the charge across the plains of Thessaly
to the Titan stronghold and it was because of them that Zeus now has
throne of Olympus. Once the war was over, Zeus took the Sword of
War in his hands and beheaded the mad God of War. He then handed the
bloodied sword to a very young Ares, who, at that time, had no understanding
of what was going on."

Timenous and Kronos moved over to where his sister Moira was
standing over the sleeping forms of Ares and Joxer. With the help of
his love, Timenous bent his down and touched the forehead of Joxer,
"Janous!" he whispered softly, " How, Moira, is this possible?. That our
brother can be reborn," he asked of his sister.

"When Zeus took over the throne of Olympus he made the mistake of
calling me in front of him on the day of his coronation. He asked me
to prophesize for him and prophesize I did. In my anger, I did the one thing
that I have sworn to never do again. Use the gift of second sight in anger.
Because of my anger at our brother, I gave prophecy that he would always
remember the one that caused his actions towards his son, Ares. 'Peace will
give the greater sacrifice for War and will bring forth Faith, Hope and
Destiny. The three who will save us from the coming twilight. Peace will
reunite with War and they will dethrone the sky king and bring in a new age
on Olympus.' Ever since then, Zeus has
hated your cousin Ares and has succeeded in turning almost everyone
on Olympus against him. Only four people were in attentendce when I
gave him that prophecy. They were Hades, Mnemosyne, Zeus and I. Zeus
became so angry that he blasted us and told us never to enter his
temple again unless he called for us."

"When came time for Janous to be reborn, Hades brought me his
string of life. We were both surprised that Janous chose to be
reborn as a mortal. But a mortal he was and we did our best at
protecting him. I didn't know how the prophecy would be filled until
the mortal known as Joxer fell into the hole then it all became clear. I
knew then what I had to do."

Timenous nodded his head and then said, "Very well, Moira, we will do this
for you. We will speed up time to protect the children he is caring and to
bring forth the prophecy," he lifted up his hand to his lover Kronos who
helped him stand up.

"We need you to separate him from Ares or Ares will be caught in the
aging process." She nodded her head and hurried to move and separate
Ares from his lover. Once it was done Timenous and Kronos placed
their hands on Joxer's body.


"We,the God of Time and the God of Years, Call upon the House of Time, the
Halls of Time and Time eternal to hear our cry. Come forth and hear our
call." Suddenly, before them, the woods were surrounded by their 365
children, The children of hours, minutes and seconds appeared with their
Father, Time Eternal. The children of Past, Present and Future appeared
hearing the call of their parents,the God of Time and the God of Years. Soon
followed by their sister's of the seasons along with their brother's days,
weeks and months.

"Raise your hands to the sky," Kronos called out as the winds of
Time swept through the woods and surrounded them and starting a
storm of Time.

He looked towards his husband and clasped his hand and, with
joined hands, raised them toward the sky as the House of
Time, Halls of Time and Time eternal spoke as one. "We the keepers
of Time call upon time itself. We call forth the speeding of time
for one mortal, Joxer of Athens. For every hour that he is awake his
body will move forward in time for one month 'til he has reached nine
months. His children will continue to grow after their birth for 24 hours
until they have reached maturity and then they will stop growing. This we
command," They spoke as a bolt of Time's lighting hit the ground with such a
force that it shook the ground.

Silence rang around them as the storm of Time ended. The winds of
time quickly left as they had come. The Children of the House of Time also
disappeared and the Halls of Time where blacked for only a
few minutes before they started ticking again. While Time eternal
disappeared along with his children.

Kronos bent down and picked up his pregnant husband off the ground
where he had been knocked down by the power of Time, "Are you all
right, beloved?"

Timenous wearily nodded his head as he let forth a slight yawn,
"Don't worry, love, it just took a lot out of me," He smiled as he felt
their child kick his stomach. "Apparently, the baby is doing fine also."
Kronos smiled down at his love and bent down to place a kiss on his head. He
looked up at the Fates, and his Aunts Moria and Mnemosyne.

"The spell should start as soon as Joxer, or Janous, wakes up. I
suggest you fill in Cousin Ares, on what is happening, so he will
be prepared to help his lover through the pregnancy and also to
protect his lover. For the spell we did was so powerful it might
awaken Janous who is still sleeping inside of Joxer's mind."

Moria nodded her head, "Thank you, Timenous and Kronos, for your
help. For without you, Janous might never have had a chance to live. Even as
we speak, Zeus is taking things into his own hands and is planing the death
of his son, Ares, so he can have more power," She moved closer to Kronos and
placed a kiss on Timenous' forehead while Kronos still held his lover.
"Take care of that baby, too., What will this one be the God or Goddess of,
once his or her year is over?"

Timenous smiled up at his sister as he rubbed his stomach, "It's a
he and once his year is over he will be the God of Numbers," He said
proudly as he smiled down at his stomach.

Moria smiled and Timenous held her hand once more as he spoke softly, " When
Janous comes back tell him that I would like to talk to him alone so I can
thank him for the advice that he had given me."

Moria nodded her head and watched as her brother and his lover disappeared
in a yellow and dust flash.

She turned to find Ares awake and staring at her.



She let out a weary sigh as she realized that her brother-in-law was
right. She had to explain to Ares what was going on so he could
protect Joxer better.

With another sigh, she walked towards her sister, Mnemosyne.
"Thanks Mnem, I greatly appreciate your help." Mnemosyne smiled down at her
younger sister and returned her hug.

"No problem, Mo," she said as she looked from Moira to Ares.

"Don't worry, Mnem, everything's going to be all right. He's just
confused and angry."

Mnem nodded her head and after another hug, she flashed out of
sight.

Moira turned and smiled as she walked over to her favorite nephew.
She tried to hold back her laughter as Ares looked for something to
cover himself and his lover. With a thought, she created a quilt
designed with the symbols of Peace and War on it. She held it out
towards him while she watched him pick up his sleeping lover and sit
him on his lap. He finally took the quilt and wrapped it around
their bodies as he watched his aunt Moira sit down next to them.

She looked at her sleeping brother and softly smiled. "He's cute when he's
asleep," she said as she touched his head,which was nestled on Ares's
shoulder.

Ares nodded his head as he smiled down at his new love, "Yes, he is.
What is going on, Moira?" he asked as his piercing black eyes
narrowed at the Goddess of Prophesy, demanding an answer.

Moira let out a sigh as she looked away from Ares and towards the
woods, her pale face and celestial blue eyes held an expression of
great sadness as she began to speak.

"Long ago, when the Titans ruled the Earth, but before the birth of
our youngest Titan, Zeus, there existed our favorite Titan, Janous,
the God of Peace. He was at that time the youngest of the Titans
and he was a very happy boy, well loved by all. He understood us
and loved us with all of our faults. When he and War married, they
were one in everything. However, darkness came to unsettle our
happiness. Cronos had taken to eating his children. He ate Hestia,
Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon. Janous was my brother, so
he was not one of Cronos's children, however, being the God of
Peace, he also felt the pain of Cronos's children as he ate them. The pain
was so powerful that Janous did the one thing that many of his
brothers and sisters regret to this day. He helped Rhea with the
birth of the last of the Titans, Zeus, God of the Sky. As soon as
the birth pains began, Janous helped Rhea find a hidden cave at
Lyktos on Crete. There, they left the baby in the arms of their
grandmother, Gaia, where she and the nymphs took care of him. He
grew into a strong man, and in order to free his family, he met with
Metis, and together they saved their family from Cronos's stomach."

Moira paused for a moment as she let out a deep sigh before she
proceeded to tell him the same story she and Timenous had recalled
only moments ago.

Ares sat in shock and then anger as he listend to the story of how Zeus had
killed Janous and blamed his death on the Titan's in order to make War go
mad so Zeus could gain the throne.

She paused again as she watched the morning stars slowly disappear
as her sister Eos, Goddess of Dawn, brought forth dawn while her sister Nyx,
Goddess of Night, went home to greet her daughter,Hemera, Goddess of Day.

"I hid Janous among a pair of twins to be born in a warlord's
house," She continued, looking at the changing sky. "When his wife gave
birth to triplets, he thought he was blessed by the gods, but I
needed to be sure that Janous remained hidden from Zeus's eye. So, I made
him clumsy and changed his name to Joxer. I knew then that Joxer's
father was a bastard, but I couldn't control the abuse he put Joxer
through. I had to concentrate on making sure the prophecy would come true.
So, I protected him through Jett. I couldn't protect Joxer most of the time,
but when I took the form of Jett, I put fear into the eyes of Joxer's
father. I placed a compulsion spell on him that he, no matter what happened
in his life, would always follow the path of War, knowing that once he was
under your protection that you would take further steps to protect him from
the other gods. You, Ares, are a very jealous god when it comes to your
followers. So, I made sure that when your daughter, Xena, left your fold,she
would take with her a compulsion to protect Joxer when she met him,which she
has done well since the day they met. I have watched Joxer grow up to be a
kind and gentle soul. A brother that I am very proud of and I would gladly
tell the world that, but I cannot. I had to keep my secret and bury it away
from Zeus's probing mind. I had no clue how the prophecy was to play out
until Joxer fell into that hole, and then I knew what to do."

She looked down at her sleeping brother and softly smiled, "I did
what I had to do, Ares, to protect him from Zeus's rage, and in
return for that protection, Mnemosyne wiped his memory of his past life,
Hades protected him from death and I protected him from Fate."

She smiled again. "Take good care of him, Ares."

With that, she disappeared. It was immediately afterwards that she as she
wiped her eyes from crying that she remembered, she hadn't told Ares that he
was going to be a father.



Zeus appeared on a dusty road with a flash.He smiled as he
realized that Hercules and Iolaus hadn't yet noticed him as they
had just continued walking. He quickly changed his appearance
to that of the arch angel Michael and appeared before them.

"Michael!" Hercules exclaimed as they saw the angel appear.

"Hercules, I've come bearing an important message from Gabrielle.
Ares is at their camp, under the disguise of a mortal. He has kidnapped
Joxer and has made Strife turn Cupid against them. She fears for Xena's
life and asks you to come with me to kill Ares and end his evil ways once
and for all."

There was something about what Michael said that made Hercules pause.
"Why would Ares kidnap Joxer?" Hercules finally asked as his piercing
blue eyes held those of the arch angel.

The question caught Zeus off guard. Never before had Hercules
questioned him, and without a thought, Zeus probed his mind
and found all of Psyche's holds. He frowned when he realized that
when he had changed Psyche into a fly, he had lost control over
Hercules's mind, too, leaving his son free to now question his words.

What was he to do? He smiled as an evil thought crossed his
mind. "Oh, Hercules, it's just awful. Ares has come up with an evil
plan to bring Xena back into his fold of hate and war. His plan is to
kidnap Joxer and hold him hostage 'til Xena caves in and will trade
her life for that of Joxer. Why, even as we speak, Ares has tied
Joxer up and is slowly turning the innocent mortal over to his side."

Zeus smiled in triumph as he hit his son's vulnerable spot. Hercules
hated the thought of innocent people being hurt.

Hercules grimly smiled as he looked to the man who secretly held his
heart, Iolaus.

Every time they went into battle, he privately held the fear that he may
never retrieve Iolaus from the clutches of Hades's realm in time to tell him
how he felt about him. Every time he rescued Iolaus, he became
even more frightened to tell him how much he really loved him.

"Come on, Herc," Iolaus called out to him as he stood near the angel.

Hercules let out a soft sigh as he walked to the angel and nodded
that they were ready.

In an instant they flashed out and headed towards Xena's camp.




The soft snoring and the gentle brushing of feathers across his
naked back woke Strife, not only to the morning sunlight, but to a dream he
never thought he would see come true. For below him, with
his beautiful pearl white wings wrapped securely around their bodies,
and his wavy blond hair mussed from their lovemaking, was his dream come
true. He was actually waking up in Cupid's arms.

'How did I get so lucky?' Strife mused silently as he gently moved a
pale finger over Cupid's bronze chest and unconsciously began to toy
with a brown nipple.

Ever since he could remember, he had been in love with Cupid. When
Cupid had married Psyche, he had felt his heart break. It was so
bad that 'Dite had taken the time to be nice to him and give him
comfort when he needed it the most.

Strife paused in thought as he realized that Cupid must have still
been under the spell of his arrow of love since he had not felt his heart
break.

Strife let out a thoughtful sigh, but then he felt the watchful gaze
of the man below him. He turned his blue eyes to look down into
Cupid's green ones and shyly smiled, "Morning."

Cupid returned his shy smile as he wrapped his arms tighter around
Strife's lean body. "Morning," he replied as he moved one of his
hands up and down Strife's smooth back, causing Strife to groan.

"What were you thinking about?" Cupid softly asked as he began to
rub Strife's back.

Strife bit his lower lip as he looked away from the man he loved.
He didn't want to ask one of the the toughest questions in the beginning of
their relationship. "Cupie, how long did that love arrow last when you were
shot?"

Cupid closed his eyes in thought and then quickly opened them, "Oh, Strife,
it only lasted a month after we were married and then it was gone. Since
then, I haven't been shot once. I love you, Strife. None of my love arrows
could ever change that again."

"Really?" Strife self-consciously asked as he looked back at the man
he loved.

"Really," Cupid said with a smile as he moved his hand through Strife's
black hair and pulled him down for a kiss filled with love and passion.

Strife moaned in pleasure at the feel of Cupid's lips on his. Cupid
softly chuckled at the glazed look in Strife's eyes as he pulled
back from their passionate kiss.

"We should start back before Xena gets worried about us," Cupid said
as he placed more loving kisses along Strife's face and gently nibbled
his lips, causing Strife to moan in pleasure again.

Cupid then turned them over and began working his way down Strife's
neck.

Strife let out a disappointed sigh as Cupid slowly pulled away from
him and helped him to get up.

Cupid softly chuckled at the look on Strife's face, "I tell you
what, why don't we go back to Xena's camp," he paused as he pulled
his lover closer to his chest and began placing kisses up and down
Strife's neck once more. "Tell her there's some business we need to
take care of back on Olympus, and then once we are there, we can
take care of our business," he said with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

Strife's eyes colored with passionate mischief as Cupid got them cleaned
up and dressed within the blink of an eye.

As they headed out of the woods and entered Xena's camp, a bright flash
appeared.



Joxer mumbled softly in his sleep as he unconsciously rubbed his head
against Ares' bare shoulder.

Ares let out a soft sigh as he felt the boiling anger aimed at his
father slowly dissipate as he looked down at his sleeping love.

'Joxer,' he thought, 'what am I to do now?'

Oh, he knew he loved Joxer when he first met him on that deserted
road, but now Joxer was someone else entirely. A god reborn into a
mortal. The lost brother of the Titans. The former God of Peace.

He held his lover closer in his arms. "Does knowing Joxer is a
god reborn change anything?" He asked himself as he looked down at his
sleeping mate.

"No," he angrily answered himself. "It doesn't change anything. I
still love Joxer more than anything in the world, and nothing will
ever change that."

Without a thought, he turned his dark angry eyes towards the sky and
called out in a loud voice, knowing Zeus would hear his call. "I,
Ares, God of War, claim Joxer of Athens as my consort. Therefore, he
is under my protection. I will let no one hurt him again."

Joxer mumbled again, causing Ares to look down and watch as
his lover slowly wake up.

"Ares," he spoke as his brown eyes looked up into Ares' now calm ones,
filled with love for Joxer.

Ares softly smiled down at his waking lover and roughly spoke, "I
love you, Joxer."

Joxer smiled as well and started to reply when he suddenly frowned.
"Ares, I don't feel so good. I think I'm going to be sick." With that,
he quickly scrambled off of Ares' lap and ran to the bushes to throw
up.

Ares followed his very ill lover and held him in his arms as he emptied
his stomach.

Joxer moaned softly as he finished and turned into Ares' comforting
arms.

"What's wrong?" Ares worriedly asked as he began to rub Joxer's
naked back.

"I don't know, Ares. One minute I'm waking up to the best thing in
the world, and the next, I feel like I'm at Death's door."

Ares frowned in thought and then quickly lifted up his ill lover.
"Do you think you are able enough to make it back to camp?"

Joxer started to shake his head yes when another sudden wave on
nausea swept over him.

He quickly doubled over and started to throw up behind the bushes
again.

Ares waited silently until Joxer finished and then he quickly wrapped
the blanket that Moira had given him around Joxer's body and placed
him back onto his lap.

"We will wait 'til you start to feel a little bit better before we
start to head back to camp."

"But Xena will start to worry if we aren't back before breakfast," Joxer
said as he leaned his head weakly on Ares' shoulder.

"That's alright. It will be a nice change of pace for her to worry about me
for once," he said with a teasing smile as he placed a soft kiss on Joxer's
head and waited for the sickness to pass.

Unconsciously, he began to rub Joxer's slowly swelling tummy in hopes
of soothing his ill lover.

Ares softly asked him a little later, "Feel better now?" Joxer sleepily
nodded his head as Ares lifted up his naked lover and helped him to get
dressed. Once Joxer was finished, Ares got did the same, and they headed
back to camp.

As they neared it, Joxer turned to his lover. "I'm feeling much
better now, Ares, but I can't figure out why my pants are suddenly
becoming so tight," he said as they turned to see a bright flash appear
outside of the camp.



Hercules blinked a couple of times as the white flash disappeared
around them to reveal Xena's campsite.

As he looked around, he noticed Joxer and Ares coming out of the
woods. He automatically assumed that the arm around Joxer's waist
was not one of protection but was Ares in the act of threatening Joxer.

So, being the hero that he was, Hercules dashed across the clearing and
tackled a very surprised Ares who had just enough time to push Joxer
to the safety of Strife's arms.

"How dare you use Joxer as a way to get to Xena!" Hercules yelled as he
and Ares began to fight.

Ares angrily pushed Hercules off of him and began to fight back.

As the two brothers fought, Zeus, still disguised as Michael, stood
back and ate a bowl of popcorn as he cheered on his son, Hercules.
Unknowingly, he handed the bowl of popcorn to Gabrielle who
snidely stood by him. Xena wisely remained on the sidelines as she gave a
look of dissaproval at Michael and Gabrielle as they cheered on the fight.
Cupid and Strife had their own hands full as they held on tight to keep an
angry Joxer from joining the fight.

"Enough!" Moira cried out as she and Asclepius, God of Medicine,
appeared.

"Drat her interfering hide!" Zeus angrily grumbled as he disappeared,
knowing Moira could detect his power signature if he stayed any longer.

Moira's angry cry caused Ares and Hercules to freeze in fear.

"Okay, who started this?" She asked as her piercing blue eyes held
those of her nephews.

Silently, they both pointed at each other.

Moira let out a tired sigh as she held the bridge of her nose with her
fingers.

"Ares, take care of Joxer while Asclepius checks him over." Ares quickly
answered the order given to him by the only aunt who could still take him
over her knee and spank him.

She then turned her angry glare to her other nephew. She sighed again
as Hercules looked everywhere but at her. She knew without asking
that somehow her brother, Zeus, was behind Hercules' sudden appearance
and the fight between he and Ares.

"Come, Hercules and Iolaus." She motioned them to sit near her as she
took her place on the grass and watched Asclepius check over Joxer. She
softly smiled as Joxer made Asclepius check out Ares before him. "I have a
very old story to tell you. It's about a lost god who was reborn into a
mortal, and a prophecy that has yet to be finished."



Hercules and Iolaus listened in both shock and anger as Moira filled
them in on the story of Janous and Zeus.

"Wow, Herc, Joxer's a God!"

Moira shook her head as she lifted a finger to her lips for Iolaus
to keep quiet.

"Not really. You see, Mnemosyne erased Janous' memories, so Joxer
has only memories of his own, therefore, doesn't know how to
use his powers or anything else dealing with his godhood. According
to Kronos, the God of Time," she began to clarify at Iolaus' look of
confusion, "Janous' memories are sleeping, but with the spell that
was put on Joxer they may awaken much quicker than we thought. Once his
memories return, we are not sure what will happen."

"Oh," Iolaus nodded, then he paused. "Why are we whispering?"

"Because Joxer doesn't know any of this, and we don't want his
memories to return until it is time for the prophecy to come true,"
Moira softly explained.

"It's your last protection, isn't it?" Hercules softly asked as he
watched his half-brother hold Joxer's hand while Asclepius started
checking Joxer over.

"Joxer's memory is indeed our last and final protection against
Zeus. When it starts to return, Zeus will know that Janous has returned
as well, which will bring forth Zeus' downfall.

"Once his memories return," she continued as she watched
Asclepius check Joxer's progress, "Zeus will come to find him and
kill him. We must protect Joxer 'til the babies are ready to be
born."

"Babies!" Hercules and Iolaus exclaimed at the same time.

"Yep," she softly smiled as she turned to look at her nephew.
"Hercules, you're going to be an uncle."

With that, everything went black for poor Hercules as he fainted.

It was at that same moment that Asclepius also gave the good news to
Ares and Joxer. "Well, instead of having these babies in the nine
hours that we thought, you are going to have them in about 45
minutes," he said with a proud smile on his face as he became the only god
to witness Ares, the hard ass God of War, eyes roll up in the back of his
head and faint, along with his consort.



"What!" Moira exclaimed as she ran towards her nephew, Ares,
and his consort, Joxer, leaving Iolaus to take care of his secret love.

"How can this be?" Moira asked as she neared Asclepius.

He shrugged his shoulders as he ran his hand through his brown curly
hair and his blue eyes worriedly took in the fainted couple. "My best
medical opinion would be that the time spell that was put on Joxer
is now awakening his memories of Janous, thus reactivating his
godhood, which is causing the spell that controlled his pregnancy to
speed up even more, since it was meant for a mortal and not a God."

"How far along is he right now?" She softly asked as she bent over
Joxer and started shaking his shoulder to wake him.

"About four months," he said as he slowly approached the God of War.
He knew from Moira that Ares was a mortal now, but even as such, Ares
was still scary to mess with, for unlike Joxer, Ares had memories of his
powers and knew without a doubt how to get to them if the need arose.

"Is there any way we can slow the process down?" Moira asked as Joxer
finally started to come around.

"I don't know. Timenous and Kronos may know since they cast the
time spell," he suggested as he quickly jumped away from Ares' fist.

Moira nodded her head and smiled softly at Joxer's confusion. A
small look of recognition then quickly passed over his face.

Moira stood up and pointed to the sky as she demanded the Gods of both
Time and Years to appear before her, knowing if she didn't actually
command it, they would simply ignore her call and go back to making love
again.

A dusty yellow flash appeared then, revealing the two gods who were not
only kissing each other very passionately, but were in the act of
undressing.

The loud clearing of Moira's throat was the only thing that stopped
them from going any further.

Kronos reluctantly pulled back from his lover's warm lips and looked around
to find himself once more in the woods.

"You know, Timenous, in the future they're going to invent this great
new thing called caller ID. That way if certain relatives call up, you can
see who it is and you don't have to answer; you can just
ignore them and go back to what you're doing." He said with a pointed
look toward his aunt.

"Moira, this had better be important. Timenous is eight months along,
and after that time spell we pulled this morning, he is very weak. He
needs his rest," Kronos said as he put a protective arm around
Timenous' bulging belly and gently rubbed his hand over it.

Timenous gently smiled at his sister's concern as he patted his
lover's hand. "It's all right, Moira. Kronos always gets a little
overprotective as my time get closer. Now please, tell us what is
going on?"




Moira quickly explained to her brother what was going on with Joxer
and how both spells were now counteracting each other.

"And you want to know if we can slow it down?" Timenous asked as he
rubbed his stomach, feeling a kick from their baby. "Hey, Asc, how
far along is Joxer, now?"

Asclepius looked up from checking over a now waking Joxer. "Oh, about six
month now."

Timenous shook his head. "Sorry, Sis, but we can't slow the spell down
now because Joxer is too far along in his pregnancy. If we even tried
to slow it down, we wouldn't know how it would affect the babies
or him," Timenous said as he motioned to his lover to help him sit
down next to Joxer.

Moira frowned and then motioned for Asclepius to help her explain
what was going on to Ares.

"Hey, Jan--Joxer," Timenous said as he quickly fixed his slip of
the tongue. He gave Kronos a thankful squeeze of his hand as his lover
helped him sit down. "So, Joxer, how are you doing?"

Joxer absent mindedly began to rub his growing belly. He softly smiled
in wonderment as he felt the babies move around. "Fine, I guess, for a
man who is about to give birth. Do I know you?" he asked.
"You and the woman," he paused as he motioned to the beautiful red
haired woman who was now, along with the God of Medicine, talking to a
very worried God of War. "You both look very familiar to me, and I
feel as if I should know you, but it all seems kind of fuzzy."

Timenous gently smiled down at the man he had known his whole life
as his baby brother; the one who had stopped him from committing the
worst decision he ever would have made. "Well," he said, pointing
towards his sister, "The redhead with the cool looking eyes is my sister,
Moira, the Goddess of Prophecy. I'm Timenous, God of Years, and this
studmuffin," he said with a teasing smile up at his lover who softly growled
at the nickname even as he returned the smile of his love. "This is my
husband, Kronos, God of Time," he stated with pride in his voice, bringing
his husband's hand to his lips and placing a soft kiss there, which caused
Kronos to blush. "And finally, this," he said with even more pride in his
voice as he pointed towards his stomach, "Is our four hundredth child. When
he is born he will
be called Numerous, the God of Numbers, once he is done bringing forth the
new year. "

"400!" Joxer softly exclaimed with more than a little awe. Timenous
nodded his head as he tugged his lover down next to him. Kronos happily
obliged and put an arm around his lover's shoulders.

Joxer let out a worried sigh as he touched Timenous' arm and asked, "Would
please tell me what's going on?" Joxer knew something important was going on
and he felt like he was missing a very important piece of information in
order to understand it. Somehow he knew that Timenous held that missing
piece of the puzzle.

Timenous froze at Joxer's question, and for the first time in his immortal
life, he felt torn between telling Joxer the truth or letting the pieces
fall where they may. Either way, he wasn't sure if it would be enough to
protect him from Zeus.



Gabrielle folded her arms across her chest as she glared angrily at
everyone in the camp.

Oh, she had heard every word that they had whispered, and it just
wasn't right.

'Joxer cannot be the lost God of Peace,' she snidely thought. 'He's
too clumsy to be a god. His job is to take care of me and to get
things for me and only me. That is the only thing he's good for.'

She pouted and angrily stomped her foot on the hard ground as she
watched Cupid and Strife form a small protective ring around the
pregnant Joxer as he talked to the converging group of gods.

'Cupid should be in love with me and not his crazed cousin. I'm the
pretty one here; they all should be in love with me. It's not fair,'
she angrily thought as she stomped her foot again on the ground.

'How can Joxer be pregnant anyway? He's a guy, and men don't get
pregnant, not even Gods.

'This is all Ares' fault.

'Ares is the source of all that is going wrong around here and he needs
to pay,' she angrily thought as a golden flash appeared behind her.

Zeus evilly smiled down at the blonde harpy, then frowned at his
sister and the man who had come back to haunt him. With his malicious
intent, he placed the most vile of thoughts into Gabrielle's head and
then quickly disappeared to watch the action back at the comfort of his
own temple.

'Yes,' she thought. 'Ares is evil and all of his vile spawn should
be killed.' With that thought in her mind, she silently crept up
on Xena and stole her chakram from her belt, and then headed
towards Joxer.



'I should have known that Janous would come back someday,' Zeus
angrily thought as he watched his latest plan to gain ultimate power
begin.

'Janous, God of Peace,' he snidely thought. 'Loved by all except by
me. I've always hated him, even when I was a child, I hated Janous.

'He and his beloved God of War. One in everything, and very deeply in
love with each other,' he continued as he made a gagging noise.

'It was Janous' own fault that I had to kill him, after all. Why,
after I offered him a place at my side and to be my lover, he still
turned me down for his beloved Tanous, God of War. Said it wouldn't be
right, that he loved Tanous more than anything, and that they were one
in all things. That even as we spoke, I took my life in my own hands
because Tanous could link to him at any time and hear and see what was going
on.

'Well, I showed him. How dare he turn down the God of the Sky, the
next King of the Gods.

'I snuck into their bedroom and poisoned Janous' drink with the Hind's
blood. When he died, I knew then that my destiny was coming to pass.
I lied to Tanous and told him that the Titans were to blame for his
death. I happily watched as Tanous went mad with bloodlust, and when
it came time to behead him, I was most happy to do so,' he finished,
letting out a gleeful laugh.

Then he sobered as he remembered Moira's prophecy. 'I never figured
on her anger and grief. She was the quiet one in the family. It's
those quiet ones that you have to watch out for. They who hold
their anger inside and keep their feelings in check, 'til in their
grief, they finally let loose all of their emotions. I had not figured
on that, but Moira had. She knew that she couldn't hold it in any
longer and what did she do? She assured my downfall.

'Well, Moira, there's more than one way to keep a prophecy from
coming true. You may have protected Janous by disguising him as a
mortal, but now I know where he is and I know how to kill him
and the children he carries. Your prophecy will not come true,
Moira. I will see to that.'

He turned his attention back to the mirror. 'Yes, Gabrielle, get
closer to Joxer and kill him for me so I can watch another God of War go mad
with bloodlust,' he said as he once again let out a laugh dripping with
evil.



Cupid put his arms around Strife as they watched over a very
pregnant Joxer and Timenous.

He held his lover close to him as they listened in awe to Timenous
tell them about a lost Titan god, how he came to be reborn as a
mortal, and how it was his destiny to bring forth Faith, Hope and
Destiny and to dethrone Zeus, the God of the Sky.

It was then that Strife suddenly froze in his lover's arms.

"What's wrong, Strife?" Cupid softly asked. He leaned over to look
at his lover, only to be met with blood red eyes as Strife moved
out of his arms and looked for the threat of deadly mischief.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Gabrielle appeared with Xena's chakram
held high in the air as she neared Joxer.

Strife growled low in this throat as he leapt up in the air
and pushed Gabrielle down and away from one very shocked Joxer.

"NO!" she screamed angrily. "Must kill Joxer and his evil spawn so
everything can go back to normal," she yelled as she pushed
Strife off of her and started to head towards Joxer once more.

"I don't think so, Blondie," Strife said with fury as he moved his leg
in front of her and watched as she tripped and fell, letting go of
Xena's chakram.

Everyone froze in fear as the weapon flew in mid-air and came
close to striking Joxer, when suddenly, Xena appeared and quickly grabbed
her weapon as it came frighteningly close to Joxer's rounded stomach.

"NO!" came an angry yell as Cupid and Strife held Gabrielle back.
Then, a bright golden flash appeared as a rage-filled Zeus made his
presence known.



"No!" Zeus angrily exclaimed. "I will not lose my throne to my sniveling
son, Ares. I will not give up my quest to have the ultimate power to
this...this lost God."

With an angry glare, he aimed his sight on Hercules and forced him
to pick up his sword to fight Ares.

Unwillingly, Hercules raised his sword against Ares, and they both
moved into a fighting stance.

Slowly, they went around in a circle. Ares, without any weapons to
defend himself, could only watch as his half brother was controlled by
their power hungry father.

Iolaus stood aside as he helplessly watched Zeus move Hercules like a
puppet.

Slash went the sword through the air as causing Ares to jump out of the way.

As Zeus raised his hand, causing Hercules to raise his sword.

"Now, Hercules, kill your brother," Zeus ordered.

"No!" Iolaus cried, as he without thought, quickly moved and knocked
Zeus down to the ground, breaking his powerful hold over his son, Hercules.

Zeus angrily growled at the man who had disrupted him.

"You have gone too far, human," he angrily hissed. He wrapped his hands
around Iolaus' throat and began to drain him of his mortality.

"No!" Hercules screamed as he ran to the dying form of his friend,
the man who had always held his heart.

"Why Iolaus?" he softly asked as he held his friend in his arms.

Iolaus raised his hand up to Hercules' cheek and smiled as Hercules leaned
into the touch. "Because I love you, Herc," he said
as he closed his eyes and waited for Hades to claim him.



Zeus grinned evilly as he raised his hand and produced the
Sword of War in his hands.

He noticed the surprised look on Moira's face as she saw the sword.
"Thought you could protect it, didn't you(,) Moira?" he snidely asked as
he raised the sword in the air.

"Sword of War, I command you to kill your master," Zeus said as he
let go of the powerful weapon and watched as it flew towards Ares.

However, the sword stopped mid-point to Ares' throat, and slowly, a
menacing, dangerous grin came across Ares' face as he raised his hand
in the air and let the Sword of War take its rightful place in his
hand.

With his hand still raised in the air, holding the powerful weapon,
Ares proclaimed, "I, Ares, God of War do here and now retake my
godhood and reclaim my power over War itself." Lightning flashed
across the darkening sky as a bolt then hit his sword and made him glow
with all of War's power.

Ares smiled triumphantly at his father. "You must have forgotten,
Zeus. The Sword of War is a master unto its own self and
will never let anyone control it unwillingly. The Sword of War will
only follow the person who knows and understands the power of War.
I was born into War. I understand the power of War. And I will always
be WAR!" he angrily exclaimed as he pointed the weapon to a now
cowering Zeus.

"I, Ares, God of War declare War on Zeus, God of the Sky. Prepare to
die, Zeus," he stated as he assumed his fighting stance and pointed
the Sword of War at his father.



Zeus produced a flaming sword of lightning in his hand, and he and
his son, Ares, started to clash their weapons.

"You will never be King of Olympus," he angerly yelled as he pushed Ares
back.

"I never said I wanted to be King, Father," he snidly said as he pushed back
and knocked Zeus off of his feet, making him fall to the hard ground.

Zeus quickly got up as their sounds of the fighting pierced the morning air
as they fought against each other.

As the fight progressed, it was soon apparent that Ares was winning,
but a sudden, startled cry from Joxer had him looking away at the wrong
moment.

Joxer screamed in shock as he felt his water break and the searing pain of
the first contraction began to set in.

Zeus took advantage of Ares' distraction and gleefully stabbed his son
through the heart with his sword of lightning.

Joxer screamed out again as he watched his lover fall to the ground,
clutching his chest.

At that moment another flash appeared on the field of battle.

Moira turned quickly to Kronos and yelled out, "Kronos, you must
freeze time!"

Kronos, with a look of confusion on his face, was about to ask why
when he saw Moira's beautiful blue eyes turn deadly black.

"Don't ask questions, Kronos. Just do it! The prophecy is about to be
fulfilled."

Kronos snapped his fingers as he held Timenous' hand and froze time.
Everything from Olympus to Hades' realm stood still, except for Kronos
and Timenous.



You know, if she wanted you to be more specific, she could have said
so," Timenous stated as he looked around the field and smiled as he
looked up and saw the birds frozen in mid-air.

"Do you think she just wanted the field frozen in time or was it
something else entirely?" Kronos asked softly as he put his arm around his
lover.

Timenous shrugged his shoulder. "Maybe you should unfreeze her and
you can find out what it is she wanted," he said as he looked up at his
husband.

Kronos let out a reluctant sigh as he pulled his love close to him
and started kissing his neck. "I don't know, Timenous, I kind of
like the silence," he said with a teasing grin as he playfully
wiggled his eyebrows up and down.

"You know, we've been trying to make love ever since the Fates
called, and each time we have been interrupted. Now that we have
frozen time everywhere," Kronos said as he motioned to the frozen
scene before them, "We can go and make love, and then come
back. No one would be the wiser," he finished with a hopeful smile.

"True, my love, but you know I kind of want to see how this thing
ends."

Kronos once more let out a heavy sigh and then smiled as he felt their baby
move. "Very well, my love," he said, "but only because you asked. After
this, I am going to take you to Bermuda where we can make love on the sand
and ignore all calls from Olympus."

Timenous raised his hand to his lover's cheek and rubbed his palm
against it. "Thank you, Kronos, and in case I forgot to tell you, I
love you very much."

Kronos gently smiled down at the man who would always hold his heart.
"I love you too, Timenous," he said as he bent down and kissed him.

As their kiss slowly began to turn to passion, Kronos raised his
finger in the air and began to move it counter clockwise. "I, Kronos,"
he whispered between passionate kisses, "God of Time, allow Moira,
Goddess of Prophecy, to move freely." He stopped and then snapped his
fingers.

Slowly, Moira began to move, and as she turned and took in the frozen
scene before her, she saw Kronos and Timenous kissing once again.

She cleared her throat to get their attention. "Everything!" she
softly exclaimed.

"Well, you weren't specific, Moira," Timenous said in defense of his
lover. "If you wanted just the field to be frozen, then you should
have said so."

She nodded her head. "Could you unfreeze Joxer, Ares and the
Fates?" she asked as she motioned to her daughters that had
appeared on the scene.

With a raised eyebrow, Kronos once again raised a finger in the air and
slowly began to turn it counter clockwise as he spoke, "I, Kronos, God
of Time, allow Joxer of Athens, Ares, God of War, and the Fates to move
freely." He again stopped and snapped his fingers.

Joxer and Ares slugishly began to move around. Joxer, regaining his
senses, quickly moved to his wounded love.

Crying, Joxer held Ares' head in his lap as he then closed his eyes and
pulled out the sword of lightning from Ares' bleeding chest.

"Oh, Res," he tearfully whispered as he held his lover close to his body.

"Shh, Joxer," Ares roughly whispered as he gently caressed Joxer's
wet cheeks. "It will be all right."

Joxer sniffed as he tried to hold back his sobs. "You're dying,
Ares." He could barely get the words out as he brushed his hand
through his lover's soft black hair.

"I know," Ares softly said as he stroked Joxer's cheek, "but that's
okay. For I have finally found love, and that is something I am so
utterly grateful for." He gasped then as another slice of pain
went through his body.

Joxer looked up when he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder.

There, standing before him, were the three women that had granted his
wish, at a time that seemed so far away now.

Joxer took his arm and harshly swiped it against his wet face as he
looked up at them.

Lachesis smiled down at Joxer's tear-stained face. "It's time, Joxer."

"Time for your sacrifice," Clotho explained to him.

"We have granted your wish of feeling love being returned to you,
Joxer of Athens," Atropos stated. "It is now time for you to make the
sacrifice for that wish."

"What will you sacrifice, Joxer of Athens?" they asked as one.

Joxer looked down at his beloved and placed a soft kiss on Ares'
forehead. "No matter what happens next Ares, remember that I will
always love you."

With that, Joxer stood up, faced the three mysterious women and
loudly proclaimed, "I, Joxer of Athens, Consort of War, willingly
sacrifice my life so that War may live."

The three sisters smiled at each other and then nodded towards
Joxer.

"Very well, Joxer of Athens, we accept this sacrifice." With a
snap of their fingers, Joxer disappeared in a bright flash.

Ares dropped his head to the ground and screamed in anguish.



Ares grasped his wounded chest as he tried to get up and stop Joxer,
but he realized that he was too late as he helplessly watched Joxer
disappear in a flash.

"Why?" he angrily asked Lachesis as he stumbled towards her.

"Because it is time for the prophecy to be fulfilled," Clotho gently
stated as she moved towards Ares, placed her hand on his oozing
wound and healed him.

"It is not your time to die, Ares," Clotho said as she removed her
Shears of Life from her belt and motioned towards her sisters.

They gathered around him and spoke as one, "We have granted
your wish to find love, Ares, God of War, Son of Zeus and the
next King of Olympus."

"What will you sacrifice for your true love?" they asked.

"Everything," he roughly whispered as he stood and faced the Fates.

He didn't care if he was the next King of Olympus or not. It wasn't
worth it. Nothing was worth it without Joxer in his life.

"Everything," he repeated loudly to the Fates.

They looked at each other and smiled, and with a snap of their
fingers, a bright flash again appeared before them as Moira yelled
for Kronos to start time once more.

Kronos happily obliged her.



Xena, Gabrielle, Strife and Cupid stood in shock as they watched a god
they had never seen before appear.

"NO!" came Zeus' angry cry as the most haunting ghost from his past
finally made his presence known.

There, standing before all of them, with golden wings and the Sword of
Peace blazing in his hand, was no longer the mortal, Joxer the Mighty,
but Janous, the God of Peace.

Janous slowly raised his gaze and silently took in the scene before him.

"Joxer!" Ares whispered softly as he moved closer to the man he loved
above all else.

Janous smiled at his love and then looked towards Kronos and telepathically
sent a message to him.

Kronos raised an eyebrow at Janous and then snapped his fingers once again,
only freezing the field this time.

"Kronos, what is going on?" Timenous asked

"To be honest, I don't know, beloved. I am sure we will find out shortly,"
he responded, then spoke, "I, Kronos, God of Time, command that Janous, God
of Peace, and Ares, God of War, move freely."

Slowly, Ares began to move closer to the one man he would always love.

"Joxer?" he softly inquired as he raised a hand to touch his face.

Janous softly smiled at his love and leaned into the touch. "Yes, Ares. "

Ares smiled, too, as he leaned down to kiss him. "Joxer," he roughly
whispered at the feel and taste of Joxer on his lips.

"What's going on?" Ares asked as he reluctantly let go of his love and
truly took in Joxer's new look for the first time.

Joxer slightly shrugged one of his shoulders as he shyly looked up at
his lover. "I've kind of changed, Ares."

Ares chuckled at his love and placed a kiss on his forehead. "I can
see that, Joxer," he paused as he looked down at him again.
"Or should I call you Janous?"

"Joxer,please," he responded with a loving smile as he kissed a worried
frown from Ares' lips. "I am still the same, except that now I have all of
Janous' memories. I remember everything, Ares, from the time
Janous died to my rebirth as the God of Peace."

Ares smiled again as he fingered Joxer's golden, feathered wings and
then frowned in concern as he noticed Joxer's slim belly. "What
about the babies?"

"Oh, they're coming. I just wanted them to be safe 'til we have
dealt with Zeus."

"Oh, and how are we going to deal with Zeus?" Ares asked as he leaned
down and began to nibble on Joxer's neck, causing a moan in response.

"Do you trust me, Ares?" Joxer inquired, causing Ares to pull back
and look at his love.

"Joxer," Ares said as he cupped his hands around his lover's face.
"You are the only person I have ever trusted my heart to. I
trust you more than anyone I have ever met, because I love you, Joxer,
God of Peace," he finished with a proud smile.

Joxer smiled up at his love and pulled Ares down for a kiss filled
with promise.

"Good," he said as he slowly pulled back from their kiss. "Because
what I am going to ask you to do may be the toughest decision that
you have ever made. I asked Kronos to freeze time only in the field
so I can explain what is about to happen.

"Ares, when Janous and Tanous were alive, they were one in everything
and this was caused by a link that they had created with each other.
This link between them was so powerful that Tanous could see, hear
and feel everything that was going on around Janous, and Janous could
feel the same. However, because of this, the link had a huge drawback: if
one of them died before the other, then the other would go mad with
blood lust. In order to form this link, we must become joined in body,
mind and soul; we must become one in everything. We will be one;
War and Peace. And this joining will bring forth the Justice of Olympus.
Only the Justice of Olympus can call forth the Sacred Oath and accuse Zeus
of his crimes against Olympus.

"Will you join with me, Ares?" Joxer softly asked.



Ares smiled down at Joxer and roughly whispered, "Yes, Joxer. I will
join with you so we can be one in everything."

Joxer smiled as he then nodded to Kronos to unfreeze time.

Kronos smiled in return and nodded his head, and with a snap of his
fingers, time once more moved upon the field.

"No!" Zeus cried out once again as he watched Ares and Janous begin to
join with each other to form the Justice of Olympus. "I will not
let this happen again. I will not lose my hold over Olympus, nor its
power," he raged as he started to move forward.

Joxer wrapped his arms tightly around Ares' waist as he felt Ares
do the same. Joxer lowered his head to Ares' shoulder and they
slowly began to meld their essences and their bodies into one. Soon,
Ares began to hear their two heartbeats become one; he felt the
overwhelming love of his mate. He knew then that the link was
beginning to form between them. They were becoming one.

As this new entity reopened his eyes, he saw Zeus raise his Sword of
Lightning in the air as he made his way towards them. Without a
thought, he raised the Sword of War in his right hand and then the
Sword of Peace in his left, and in a powerful blast, he brought them
together and the Swords of Peace and War became the Olympian Sword of
Justice.

He lowered the sword and pointed it towards Zeus causing him to freeze as he
saw the Olympian Sword of Justice.

"No more of this," they spoke. "No more of this, Zeus, God of the Sky.
The time has come to end your reign of terror, to end your control
over Olympus, and to end your life."

With that, he raised the Olympian) Sword of Justice and pointed it
towards the sky. "We, Ares, God of War, and Joxer, God of Peace,
have become one in everything to form the Justice of Olympus and as
the Justice of Olympus we call forth Iris, the Goddess of the Rainbow, to go
down to the depths of the Underworld and bring the Great Oath of the Gods
back from the river Styx, the oath that we all swear by."

Suddenly, the sky brightened as a beautiful Goddess appeared before
them, wearing a robe of many colors. In her hand was a golden jug
that held the waters of the river Styx.

"The Justice of Olympus accuses Zeus, God of the Sky, and former King of
Olympus, of breaking the Oath of the Gods. He has taken the life of another
god and used his death as a cause for war in order to gain more power."

Iris pushed back a piece of her pure white hair as her crystal blue
eyes held those of the Ares and Joxer entity. She then turned towards Zeus.

"Zeus, God of the Sky, you stand accused of breaking the Oath of the
Gods, of taking the life a god so that you could have more power, and
to use that gained power to destroy other gods. How do you plead?"

Silence filled the field as they awaited Zeus' plea.



"I am innocent!" Zeus cried out. "Everything that I have done, I have
done for my love of Olympus and its people."

"We will see, Zeus, for if you are lying, the Oath of the Gods will know and
it will not show mercy," Iris said as she lifted up the golden jug that held
the sacred water.

"Hear me, sacred Oath of the Gods," Iris called out. "Is Zeus innocent
or guilty of the crime that the Justice of Olympus accuses him of?"

Silence filled the field for a few tense moments, then suddenly, the
jug began to emit a bright and blinding glow. It was so bright that
many had to hide their eyes from the light. Just as suddenly, the light
vanished and there, laying on the ground, was Zeus, the former God of the
Sky, in a coma.

"So ends the mad reign of Zeus, God of the Sky," spoke the Fates as
one. They then turned to look at Ares who was now holding a very weak
God of Peace. Their swords, like themselves, were again separated and
lying beside each other on the ground.

In one voice the Fates announced, "And so begins the great reign of War and
Peace."

"How did we get separated?" Ares asked as he ignored the Fates and
looked around, only to find Zeus lying still on the ground.

Iris softly smiled, "When the Oath was passing judgment on Zeus, it had
to probe your minds, and in order to do this, it separated you. The link
between War and Peace is very strong and when you are one, the
sacred Oath finds it hard to read your minds, so it must separate
you in order to find the truth."

Ares nodded as Joxer softly moaned and slowly began to come around.
"What happened to Zeus?" Ares asked as he lifted his lover in his
arms and helped them both to stand.

Iris grimly smiled down at the former King of the Gods. "He lied
to the sacred Oath. He committed the vilest of crimes against
Olympus and other gods. He was punished accordingly. The Oath
has taken away his godhood, his memories and his name, and placed
him in a coma. He is to stay like this for one year. He is not to
be given any food or ambrosia, and if he survives, then the rest
of his pushiment will be to walk the earth with no memory of who he was
and to be treated as the most insipid of creatures for nine years. If he
survives that, then he will be turned over to Tartarus and placed in
the hands of the Titans that he used his power against. I'm sure
Cronos would love to see him again," she finished with an mischievous
glint in her eyes.

"Thank you, Iris," Ares spoke as he wrapped his arms around Joxer.
"We appreciate you for bringing the Oath to us."

Iris smiled. "You're welcome, Ares, and welcome back, Janous," she
said as she placed a kiss on Joxer's cheek.

"Joxer, please. My name is Joxer," he corrected her with a shy smile.

She smiled again and then bowed low to the new king and his consort
before she flashed away.

It was then that another flash appeared on the field.



Joxer softly smiled as the bright flash cleared and his eyes met with
those of his grown up daughters.

Faith, Hope and Destiny had arrived.

"Welcome Faith, Hope and Destiny, the three who will save us from
the coming of the twilight," spoke the Fates.

"Ares, I would like for you to meet our daughters," Joxer said as
he took Ares' hand in his and walked towards the three women.

The first one had Ares' hair and eyes. "This is Fidelity, Goddess of
Faith," Joxer said as he watched Ares bend forward and hug the first
of their triplets.

The second daughter had Joxer's hair and eyes, "This," Joxer said
with pride as he continued to introduce the children to their
father. "This is Promise, Goddess of Hope." Ares hugged her
and kissed her cheek.

The youngest daughter was last and she was a mixture of both Ares
and Joxer. She had Joxer's eyes and Ares' black hair. "This is
Vision, Goddess of Destiny."

Ares hugged her too,and then looked toward his husband. "Oh(,) Joxer,
they are so beautiful," he said as he wrapped his arms around his love.

"Thank you, Ares." Joxer softly replied as he tried to hide his blush.

"I love you," he roughly whispered into Joxer's ear.

"I love you too, Ares," Joxer responded as he turned around in Ares'
strong arms and kissed him.

"Let me go!" Came Gabrielle's anguished cry as she once more tried to
escape Strife's clutches.

Her exclaimation made the Fate's look at her and their surroundings.

"There's been too much blood spilled here today," spoke Clotho as she
looked towards her sisters.

Lachesis and Atropos nodded their heads in agreement as they moved
towards Iolaus, who was still lying in Hercules' arms.

Clotho stepped forward and looked at Iolaus, then bent down and touched
his throat. She closed her eyes as she softly spoke, "Time to wake up,
Iolaus. You have slept for too long and there is much left for you to do.
It is not your time to leave us."

Iolaus softly moaned, and then as he opened up his eyes, he was met
with such joy and love coming from Hercules that it made him sigh in
pleasure.

Without even asking, Hercules brought Iolaus closer to his chest
and he leaned down to give his love the first of many passionate
kisses.

"That is so gross!" Gabrielle cried out as she watched Hercules
kissing Iolaus and Joxer kissing Ares. Cupid had wanted to kiss
Strife so badly that Strife handed Gabrielle over to Xena to hold
and proceeded to kiss Cupid.

Xena was more then happy to hold the woman who would have killed
not only Joxer that day, but his innocent children as well.

"Gabrielle," the Fates spoke as one as they looked at her. "The time
has come for you to face your destiny. "

"Your string has always been tainted with evil," Lachesis spoke.

"Since I have spun your thread, I knew that you would always be
a mean creature," Atropos stated as she moved closer to the blonde harpy.

"For the attempted murder of Joxer, the God of Peace, and his
children," Clotho continued, "you shall not die yet."

"You shall live out the rest of your thread," the Fates spoke in
one voice, "With out any memories of who you were except the
only memory you will have is the attempted murder of Joxer and
his children. This memory will allways replay in you head. We will
erase everyone's memory of you and only one person will remember
who you are and what you did. This person will be your punisher. While
you wander the earth knowing only guilt and never peace. He will punish
you while you are alive and when the time comes for your thread to end.
You will be placed in Tartarus, in a room far away from everyone where
he will punish you day and night. Your punisher is Strife and
your punishment begins now. " With a snap of their fingers
Gaberille was flashed out of the field and landed in a deserted road.

She had no memories of how she had gotten there or of who she was all
she could remember was that she had tired to kill someone and the feeling of
guilt and dread at what was waiting for her at the end of her life.

Then the Fates turned their eyes to Xena. "Xena, Warrior Princess,
Daughter of Ares, the new King Of Olympus, you have served your
father well and yet you still want to make your way in the world of
mortals. When you are ready to return to Olympus, there will be a
godhood waiting for you, when you are ready to accept your true
calling as Xena, Goddess of Warriors."

Xena nodded her head and smiled at her cousins as they then turned
to her brother, Cupid, and his new lover, Strife.

Lachesis cleared her throat to get their attention. Strife blushed and
buried his head in Cupid's chest as the Fates began to speak.

"Cupid, God of Love, and Strife, God of Mischief, you have served your
purpose well in the protection of Joxer, God of Peace. In return for
your protection, we will give you a blessing." The Fates pointed their
fingers, and above the heads of Cupid and Strife, appeared three strings.

"These strings represent your lives. The pink string is yours, Cupid. The
black string is yours, Strife, and the silver string is our blessing. Once
these three strings are combined, they will produce a ball of glowing light.
This ball of light will hold a baby that is made up of you both. Do you
willingly accept this blessing?" They asked.

Cupid looked towards Strife. "Ever since I saw you with Bliss,"
Strife softly spoke, "I've wanted to have a child. I wanted to be the
one who was carrying our child. I would like to have this blessing,
Cupie."

Cupid swallowed hard as he felt his heart grow even more with the love
he felt for this man.

He nodded his head for the Fates to create this life. Lachesis
softly smiled at the new lovers and waved the three strings together
to form the glowing ball of life.

"We, the Fates, call upon a new goddess, the Goddess of Marriage and
Childbirth, to come forth and be born. Her name shall be Juno."

A small silver ball appeared in their hands and Lachesis then placed
her hand on Strife's now naked stomach as Clotho placed little Juno
inside of it.

Atropos giggled softly at the surprised looks on Cupid and Strife's
faces, but before they could ask, Atropos quickly filled them in. "Oh,
you mean you didn't know?" Strife and Cupid shook their heads.
"Why, Grandma Hera's been behind all of these miracle births. We
have two more to do, and once we are done and little Juno is born,
Hera will gladly hand over the Sword of Marriage and Childbirth and
become the new Goddess of Grandparents. She is going to get herself
this really cool, red hot chariot and start dating men that are younger
than her," Atropos said with a smile. "Personally speaking, I think she has
a major crush on Neptune," she whispered conspiratorially.

Cupid and Strife slowly nodded their heads. Strife looked down at his
stomach and then he looked at his lover as he suddenly became very horny.

"Cupie," Strife softly spoke as he looked up at his love. "I feel the
sudden need to go look for some wood."

"Wood?" Cupid asked as the look of confusion on his face quickly change
to understanding and passion. "Oh, yeah, wood."

He then looked at Ares who was still kissing a very happy Joxer.
"Congradulations, Dad. Strife and I have some things to attend to,
we will see you guys soon." With that Strife and Cupid flashed out to
their temple to attend to business.

"Oh,dear, we forgot to tell them that the spell makes them kind
of horny," Clotho softly said as she looked at her sister. "Oh,
well, I guess they won't mind that small detail," she said with a teasing
grin as Atropos giggled behind her hand. Lachesis just
rolled her eyes as she moved towards the next couple. "We've still
got two more to do, ladies." The Fates then moved back to the still
kissing Hercules and Iolaus.

The clearing of throats brought Hercules out of tasting more of his
lover. "Yes, Lachesis," he asked as he held his blushing lover close
to him.

"Hera asked us to give you a message once this was all over and
to offer up a peace offering. She says that she couldn't help or
forgive what she did to your wife, your children and to you. She
was under Zeus' control and he was the one that made her do those
things, so she knows and will understand that you may never trust her
for what she did, but she has asked us to give you this as her peace
offering."

Above their heads were once again three strings. Lachesis again
explained the three strings and why they were there. "However,
with your strings there is a difference. The middle one is part of
Hera's string of life. It is her pledge to you that she will never
harm anyone in your line again because they will all carry a little
bit of her in them. She will understand though if you don't want to
except her gift or her peace offering, but she promised us that even
if you do refuse it, she will still not harm anyone in your family
again. What do you say, Hercules?"

Hercules thought for a moment and then looked at the man who had
always held his heart and protected him. "What do you think, Iolaus?"

The curly blond hunter thought for a moment as he basked in Hercules'
love. "I kind of like the idea of having your baby, Herc," he said with a
sexy smile as he wiggled his eyebrows, causing Hercules to suddenly feel
very hard.

Hercules cleared his throat as he tried to hide his situation
behind Iolaus. "With part of Hera's string, will our child be a god
or a demigod?"

"When she is born, she will be the Goddess of Heroines," Atropos answered.

"When you and Iolaus are ready, and think that she is ready, we
have set aside a temple and a godhood for you and Iolaus both. Iolaus
will become the new God of Hunters and will work along side Artemis.
Hercules, your godhood will be as the God of Heroes so you can work
with your daughter," explained Clotho.

Hercules and Iolaus both nodded their acceptance of this gift and
watched in wonder as the Fates waved the threads that would
form their daughter and give birth to the Goddess of Heroines.

Atropos gently placed the glowing ball of life inside Iolaus' stomach
and smiled at the look of wonderment that passed through his
features as he felt the life within him.

He turned a passionate look at Hercules who softly moaned at
the love he saw in Iolaus eyes.

"You know, Herc, I think Strife and Cupid had the right idea. Why
don't we go in the forest and see if we can find some wood," he said
with a sexy smile.

Hercules happily nodded and then paused as he looked toward Ares and Joxer.

"Ares, I would like to apologize to you for the way I treated you
over the years and get to know my brother."

"Agreed, Hercules, " Ares said with smile as he wrapped his arms tighter
around Joxer's slim waist. "I know now that it wasn't your fault because you
were being controlled by Zeus."

Hercules nodded and happily let Iolaus lead him towards the woods
for some love making.

The Fates then moved towards Ares and Joxer who were now surrounded
by their daughters.

Already, the now grown up women were showing their different
personalities and calling each other by nicknames.

Lachesis quietly approached the new king. "Ares, the time has come
for us to fulfill the last part of the prophecy."

"What do you need me to do, Lachesis?" He asked softly.

She smiled, raised her hand and produced three strings above Ares' and
Joxer's heads. She quickly explained what the strings were and how each
one represented Joxer's and Ares' life.

Ares nodded quickly as the Fates went on to explain that since Joxer
was still getting used to his newfound godhood, and also had just
given birth, that he was unable to carry a child right now.

Ares swallowed the lump that had suddenly filled his throat as he
spoke. "I will carry the child then."

Lachesis smiled as she raised her fingers and began to weave another
ball of life. When she was finished, the ball was placed inside
Ares' stomach, and when that was done, the Fates again spoke as one.

"Hail Ares, God of War. Hail his consort Joxer, God of Peace. And
hail the next king Of Olympus, Jupiter, God of the Sky. Welcome the
new age of War and Peace and the coming of the Romans."

Ares gently rubbed his stomach as he softly spoke with a smile,
"Welcome, Jupiter. I am looking forward to handing you the throne of
Olympus so I can take your father on our promised honeymoon."

Xena softly walked up to her father and gave him an hug as she
softly smiled up at him and her new step father.

"Congradualations, Ares and Joxer. I am so very happy for you both."

She then turned and looked at her father as she took his hand
in her's. "Father," she paused as she tried to work out what she
wanted to say. "Please understand that it was not you that I
hated or your godhood. It was the fact that I felt like I was in
your shadow all the time. I felt useless and that I wasn't
making a difference. I broke away from you because of that. I
wanted and still need to make my place on this mortal earth. So
that when I am ready to take my godhood I will know that I have
made a difference and will understand the heart of the warrior more
than I did when I left your loving arms. Do you understand?" She softly
asked as she looked at their entwined hands.

Ares softly smiled down at his daughter as he placed a finger under
her chin and raised her to look at him. "Xena, in my anger at your
leaving me and my anger at my father. I have forgotten to tell you, how
very proud I am to have you as a daughter, a warrior and an enemy to be
reckoned with." He said as he softly chuckled causing his daughter to blush.

"But the most important thing that I never did allow myself to forget
was," he continued as he looked at his daughter, "how much I love you
and how much I am very proud of what you have become."

Xena felt a tear run down her cheek at hearing her father's words. She
roughful rubbed her hand across her face and for the first time since she
was a little girl stood up and kissed her father on his cheek as she hugged
him. "Thank you, Daddy," she roughly whispared near his ear.

She then let go of him and then turned to Joxer, "I know I won't have to ask
you to take care of him because I've always known how much
you loved him," she said as she once more whiped her eyes. "Just keep him
safe for me, Joxer."

Joxer smiled as he saw the little girl that Xena once was as she was looking
for reassurance in her changing life. "Always, Xena. I will always keep his
heart safe. Simply because I love him."

Xena tearfully smiled up at her once companion and now step
father as she hugged him. "I know I can't believe that I am going to say
this... but I will miss hearing you sing while on the road. When you are all
settled in up there. Please feel free to flash in any time just so we can
catch up on all the news. "

"I will and I know if I need any advice on raising three women in War's
house I know who to call on."

"Thanks, Joxer," she tearfully smiled as she hugged both of the men
once more before she left on the road towards Sparta.

"Worried, my love?" Joxer softly asked as he watched his husband
watch his warrior daughter leave.

"Always,my love," Ares softly replied as he waved goodbye to his daughter.
"But at least I know that she can take care of herself and that she knows
how proud I am of her."

Joxer smiled up at his love and kissed Ares' worried frown away. The kiss,
as always, did turn to passion as Joxer sexily whispered to his love.

"Why don't we go home and take care of all those worries," he said with a
sexy smile.

"Oh, yeah!" Ares roughly whispared as they flashed out leaving the field
with Kronos and Timenous and the Fates and their daughter's.

Kronos looked down at his love as he softly asked, "Bermuda, love?"

Timenous looked up at his love as he wrapped his arms around Kronos'
waist. "Bermuda," he softly whispered as he placed a kiss on
Kronos' neck as he let out a small yawn.

Kronos softly smiled down at his sleepy lover and then looked up at
Moira and her daughter's and Ares and Joxer's children.

"Welcome Faith, Hope and Destiny. We are glad that you are hear and
if you ever need anything please call on us. As for you, Moira, to use a
saying from the future: 'don't call us, we'll call you'

With that Timenous laid his head on Kronos' chest and cheerilly
waved to his sister as he promised that he would call once they
were back. He smiled at his new nieces as he and Kronos flashed
off to their pivated hideaway somewhere in the Bermuda Triangle.

The Fates softly smiled and then looked at the girls. Moira came up to
her daughter's and then motioned for Ares and Joxer's children to follow
her.

"Come, girls, we have receptions and corenations to prepare, people to
introduce your cousins to, and baby showers to plan."

Moira said as she with a snap of her finger's transported the Fates and
the Children of War and Peace back towards Olympus.

Epilogue

Five months later, Joxer appeared in the House of Time and silently
stood by a table as he waited for Timenous to appear.

"I'm in the nursery, Joxer," Timenous called out.

Joxer enjoyed the sound of Timenous' laughter as he entered the
nursery. There, standing before him, holding a very dry four year old
God of Numbers, was a very wet God of Years.

"I've been trying to give Numerous his bath for the past two hours
now, but he seems to think that I look better wet than he does."
Timenous said as he softly chuckled and put down the very energetic toddler.

Joxer laughed with him as he watched Numerous go and play with his
toys.

"So, how is Ares doing?" The once again pregnant God of Years asked
as he sat down in the rocking chair.

Not forgetting his manners, with a snap of his fingers, he produced a
table prepared for tea and an extra chair for Joxer to sit in.

Joxer sat down and looked around at the nursery. "Oh, he's fine now,
but he's glad the morning sickness has passed. It was starting to get to
him. It wasn't easy for him when he was four months pregnant and still
start a war without throwing up behind a tree. It was even harder with
Strife going through the same thing. It was making it hard for him to get
any of the upcoming battles even started. Xena's been of a lot of help,
though. She has taken a lot of the major battles and wars over for him, but
still, he wants to oversee them and watch how they are progressing," Joxer
said with a smile, glowing with pride
at the thought of his husband.

"Right now, he and Hercules are starting over by talking, while Asc is
checking over Iolaus."

Timenous smiled at the man he would always think of as his little brother.
"Do you know why I called you here?" Timenous asked with a note of
seriousness in his voice.

Joxer became silent as he looked at the man he was starting to enjoy
calling brother. "Yes," he responded.

Timenous gently smiled as he took his brother's hand in his. "I
wanted to thank you for stopping me. I didn't have the chance to
thank you that day because," he paused as he once more tried to fight
back his grief at the thought of Janous dying. "Well, you know."
Joxer nodded because he could see how much the thought of his death
was hurting his brother. He squeezed his brother's hand to prevent him
from saying the words.

"It's alright, Timenous. I know and understand. Cronos had no
business doing what he did to you. "

Timenous tearfully smiled up at his brother. "I know, Joxer, and it
took my meeting Kronos to realize that. That's why I wanted to
thank you for stopping me. If you hadn't, I would have missed out
on seeing all of my children and being loved by Kronos."

Joxer gently squeezed Timenous' hand once more and smiled. "I'm glad
that I was there to stop you. Does Kronos know?"

Timenous nodded his head. "It was his love for me that finally won me
over, and I'm very glad that Kronos is both a patient and stubborn man.
When he found out, though, he took my wrists and kissed the scars that
were hidden by my sleeves, and then he kissed me and told me how very
much he loved me."

Joxer smiled at his brother and said, "Kronos is a very good man and I
am very happy to hear that you are once more pregnant with next
year's baby."

Timenous rubbed his small rounded tummy. "Yeah, this one is going to
be a girl and we would like to call her Jan, after Janous. Would that be
okay with you?" Timenous asked as he looked at his brother.

Joxer smiled as he said, "Oh, I would be honored, and what will she
be the goddess of?"

"She will be the Goddess of the Months," Timenous answered as Joxer began to
fill him in on the progress of his daughters. Vision, was currently helping
out Moira on a prophecy . While Promise and Fidelity where helping out with
a wedding with their Grandma Hera.

~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, somewhere on Olympus, stood a very silent Strife.

A loud "BUZZ" came from the huge horsefly that was slowly creeping into
Strife's flytrap.

Strife chuckled softly as he crept up on the unknowing fly with a
jar in one hand and a lid riddled with holes in the other.

"Gotcha!" he happily cried out as he quickly put the lid on the jar
and turned it tightly.

"Hiya, Psych! Long time no see. Do you know how much I had to bribe
the Fates with in order to find out what Zeus did with you? A lot, I
tell you, but helping them with fulfilling the prophecies, spinning
thread and cutting it, was worth it just to find you," he said as an evil
grin slowly began to cross his face.

"Do you know, that not even Ares, the new King of the Gods, knew where
you were or what Zeus had done to you? Only the Fates knew."

"Strife," Cupid called out to his love as he appeared in the field
next to his beloved.

"What are you doing with a horsefly?" Cupid asked as he pulled
his lover into his arms for a very hot kiss.

Strife moaned at the feel of Cupid's warm lips touching his.

"Experiments, Cupie," he said between passionate kisses.

"Experiments?" Cupid softly asked as he pulled away from his beautiful
lover and looked at the ugly green insect.

"Uh huh! Mischief experiments need subjects, and flies are the best
kind of insects to experiment on." Strife then excitedly explained to
his lover the different types of mischievous plans that he had tested on
flies.

"Strife," Cupid chuckled as he placed a finger gently on Strife's lips in
order to stop him from talking. "I love you."

Strife smiled up at his love and his hand went to his small rounded
tummy, "I love you too, Cupie." He leaned up to place a kiss on his
lover's mouth as they flashed back to their temple. As Strife told
him about his mischievous experiments with a certain person
named Gabrielle.

The End

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