What Now?
80 - Lies
Joxer was fidgeting with the hem of his old shirt waiting for Hephaestus to come pick him up. The Forge god was taking him to the Mortal Realm for Gabby’s birthday. A thread came unraveled and Joxer wrinkled his nose in disgust. After wearing the clothes Apollo had made for them for the past weeks it felt odd to be wearing his worn and patched clothes again.
It felt like a lie.
But as much as Joxer would have like to come clean to the girls Xena and Gabby wouldn’t take the news that he was not only immortal but living on Olympus with Ares. The women had been his friends at times but they didn’t really trust him. He knew that, they left him to behind enough to make it apparent. But it had been hard for him to see before.
He had lied to himself.
Hephaestus arrived and Joxer put his ruminations aside. He picked up his pack with Gabby’s gift in it and they flashed away.
81 - Earth Bound
He was ready. He could do this. Joxer took a deep breath and slowly let it out. He hitched his pack higher and gamely knocked on the door of Gabby’s childhood home. Joxer plastered on a smile when a dark haired girl answered the door.“Who’re you?” She asked eyes narrowed in suspicion.
“I’m Joxer, a friend of Gabby’s. I’m here for her birthday - she said she was celebrating here.” Joxer looked puzzled when the girl only snorted and started to shut the door. “Wait, please!” Joxer pushed on the door to keep it from closing. “I’m sorry to have bothered you, I must have misunderstood the directions. Could you please point me in the right direction?”
The girl sighed, “You have the right place but Gabby hasn’t celebrated her birthday here in years. She had a party by the river yesterday.” A little boy ran up behind her and clutched at her legs. “Try, the inn just north of the village well. She and her companion didn’t want to stay here with the kids and all.”
“Thank you!” Joxer said to the closing door. He turned around and headed toward the center of the tiny village.
He sighed and kicked a rock from his path. Joxer couldn’t believe he’d gotten the days mixed up. He counted twice to make sure. Joxer shook his head. No, today was Gabby’s birthday. But that meant that she’d had her party early. She knew he was coming just for that reason, so why would she have it early? It didn’t make a lot of sense. And that girl (her sister?) hadn’t sounded like she’d attended either. Wasn’t that the whole reason for coming here - so Gabby could celebrate with her family?
Sheesh. Joxer left the Mortal Realm for a few weeks and everything went pair shaped. He was just going to have to find the girls and see what the heck was going on. Even if he had to cheat and have Hephaestus track them down and take him there.
82 - At Work
Apollo finished giving the newest litter of zephyrs their check-up and shooed them and their mother out the door as fast as he could without seeming nasty, a strained smile on his face. He had come to a conclusion and wanted to talk to Jayce right now if not sooner but he unfortunately had things to do. The tension was starting to frazzle him.Apollo pinched the bridge of his nose willing himself to calm down. He only had one more patient to see and then the rest of the day was his. By his chariot he’d be glad when Ace got back from his trip to Chin. His son had better come back with crates of scrolls full of notes on healing. Who’d ever heard of a ’healers gathering’ anyway? Sounded like an excuse for a party to him.
Apollo packed up his bag and flashed away to deal with his most bothersome patient.
“Finally! What took you so long?” Hermes drug Apollo through his temple to the shaded sitting room.
“I’m early!” Apollo huffed and shook his arm trying to dislodge the god’s hold.
Hermes rolled his eyes. “Whatever.” They made it to the dim room and Apollo was almost knocked over by a pacing Demos.
“Finally!” Demos grabbed Apollo’s other arm and started herding him toward the reclining Phobos. Apollo pushed down his urge to smack the blond god.
“If you two would release me and go sit OVER THERE,” Apollo stressed, pushing Demos bodily from the chase-lounge and pointed at a pair of chairs across the room. “I can get to my examination.” Hermes and Demos grumbled but didn’t want to aggravate the usually sunny god more then he already was.
Phobos just shook his head at the pair’s antics and untied the robe he was wearing. They weren’t his usual style, and in fact this one belonged to Hermes, but it and a pair of sleep pants were much easier to deal with during his check-ups.
Apollo placed his hands over Phobos’ slightly rounded tummy and opened his ’healer’s sight’. He was pleased to see that the baby within was doing wonderful. “Everything’s fine. Growing as it should and looks perfectly formed so far and healthy. I think I should even be able to tell you the gender next time.” Apollo smiled at Phobos ignoring the whoops of joy from across the room.
“Now it’s time to check ’mommy’.” He teased, earning a slight glare from the pregnant god. But the look just wouldn’t stick, Phobos was too pleased. “Hmmm. You’re looking a little run down. Nothing major yet but I want you to be cautious.” Apollo blinked his eyes a few times, his regular sight returning and stepped back from Phobos. He gestured for the other two, knowing that they were barely containing their need to be in contact with their lover.
Apollo waved up a chair and pulled his bag in to his lap. He pulled out a jar of glowing coral colored pills. He handed them to Hermes, who’d perched himself on the chase behind Phobos. “These are supplements. Basically concentrated ambrosia, take them with a full glass of juice or milk. One each morning and one each night before bed. I know you don’t really like ambrosia so this is the alternative to eating four cups a day.”
Phobos grimaced at the thought and nodded his assent. “I also want you to lighten up your work load, cut back to half days for now. And there is nothing wrong with taking naps in the afternoon. Your body is using up a lot of energy right now and you need the added rest. Even if you don’t sleep try to get off your feet for a few hours and relax. Aright?”
All three nodded. “Now, have you been having any problems? Swelling, soreness or the like?”
“No, I feel fine” Phobos replied hands curled over his growing belly.
“He has been eating pickles and peanut butter for breakfast though.” said Demos.
Apollo shrugged. “Cravings are usual. As long as he doesn’t start eating dirt he should be fine.”
“Dirt! Does that really happen?” Hermes looked worried.
“Mortal women sometimes do. We thought Aphrodite was once. Hephaestus found her scrabbling around a forest floor shoving clumps in her pockets. It turned out she was after truffles though. And they ‘had to be‘ straight from the ground. She said they tasted funny otherwise.”
Demos giggled and Phobos smacked him. Apollo smiled and stood up. “If there is nothing else, I have somewhere to be.” The said their goodbyes and Hermes walked him to the door.
Apollo shook his head those three had to be the weirdest lovers triangle he’d ever seen. But somehow the triad worked. The twins forced Hermes to slow down and live a little and the older god tamed a bit of Demos and Phobos’ wilder inclinations.
Apollo was just glad it was Phobos who was pregnant and not one of the other two. Both were horrible patients and would undoubtedly have him tearing out his hair by now.
83 - Inn and Gone
Joxer made it to the Inn after a not too long walk. The place wasn’t stunning but for a village this size it didn’t have to be. The hanging sign over the door proclaimed the place ’Diamond in the Rough‘. Joxer snorted, someone had a sense of humor. Rough was a good description of the building, the door itself was made of course hewn planks, jagged and splintery except around the handle where it was worn smooth from use.He stepped in side moving just out of the door way and waited for his eyes to adjust the dimmer light. There were a few travelers eating a midday meal and a pair drunks recovering at the end of the bar. The room would have felt empty except for it’s rather small size. Not seeing either Xena or Gabby Joxer made his way to where an older woman was cleaning up a table. He hoped that someone who worked there would know if his friends were there or not.
“Excuse ma’am,” The woman raised an eyebrow but kept washing down the table top. “I’m looking for some friends of mine, Xena and Gabriel. One’s taller with dark hair, the other shorter and blond.”
“They were here, you just missed them. They were heading for the stables, behind the blacksmith’s place.” She gathered the few dishes off a near by table into a crate as she talked.
“Um, wher-” Joxer began.
“Just a bit up the road, on the right.” She gestured her head in the opposite the way he’d come. Which would explain why he hadn’t seen them on the walk there.
“Thank you.” He got a grunt in reply and Joxer hurried out again hoping to catch the women before they left the stables.
84 - Actions and Words
Joxer had missed the girls but only by a couple of minutes at the stables. Leaving at a run Joxer soon caught sight of them. “Xena! Gabby! Wait up!” He called to his friends. The women turned to see who was shouting, they waited for Joxer to catch up. “Hi guys!” Joxer slowed to a jog as he got close. “I have been looking all over for you this afternoon.” He took in the packed saddlebags eyes narrowing a little. “Leaving town already?”Gabby glanced at Xena before answering. “Yes, Joxer. Had the party, visited my family... besides we wanted to meet up with Hercules and Iolaus before they leave Corinth.”
“Oh. Is that why you had your party early? I’m sure I asked you when you were celebrating and you never mentioned changing the date.”
Gabby huffed, hand tightening around her staff. “Why else.”
Xena shifted in her saddle and added, “We didn’t think you’d make it anyway Joxer. You have a knack for getting... sidetracked.”
“Lost you mean.” Gabby muttered.
Joxer wanted to say something to her but resisted. Instead he slid his bag around to reach the opening. “I guess it doesn’t really matter. Only, your sister acted kind of upset, did she not get to go?” Joxer was busy digging for his gift and missed the exasperated look Gabby gave him.
“No. She had to watch her heathen kids.”
“Gabriel.” Xena chided.
“Well they are. I swear the baby hates me. It threw-up all over my best top! Anyway, the party was in the evening the kids couldn’t have come.”
Joxer raised an eyebrow at the excuse. He shook his head; it wasn’t really his business. “Ok. Um, I made you something. Happy Birthday, Gabby.” He handed her a red cloth satchel with a bright grin.
Gabby looked tense but she untied the top and tipped the contents into her hand. A sturdy leather cord fell out attached to it by a bronze cap was a square-ish sliver of red veined white marble the width and length of her pinky, edges blunted by delicate looking chisel marks.
“It’s pretty Joxer.” Xena commented from where she was looking over Gabby’s shoulder from her perch on Argo.
“Expensive. I can’t believe you! This is not the kind of gift you get a FRIEND, Joxer. It implies things, things that are never going to happen. I don’t like you that way Joxer, I’ve told you that. And you can’t change my mind by buying me expensive gifts!”
“It wasn’t! I made it, it cost me nothing.” Joxer protested. Where was this coming from? He knew Gabby didn’t like him like that, he wasn’t stupid. Why did she keep harping on about it?
“You’re lying! You- Aurrrg!” Gabby threw up her hands. “There is no way you made this Joxer, you can’t sharpen your own sword let alone make something this delicate.”
“I’m not lying!”
Gabby shook her head a disappointed look on her face. “You lie all the time, Joxer. And I am sick of it. Just go, away from us. Take your stupid necklace with you.” She slapped the hand holding the jewelry against his chest and shoved.
The blonde turned around and marched off down the road at a brisk pace. Xena turned her horse back around; she looked at Joxer a moment before speaking. “Just give her some time to cool off before you try to apologize, Joxer.” She squeezed his shoulder before signaling Argo into a walk.
Joxer watched them for a couple of minutes. That had gone all wrong and he wasn’t sure why. He hadn’t done anything.
Apologize? Why in Ares name would HE apologize when Gabby was the one that went off and yelled at him?
Joxer shook his head. Something had changed with them, or maybe with him. It made him sad to think that a short time ago he would have done just that and apologized the next time he saw them. Joxer took a shuddery breath, his heart ached.
He needed to go home, to think. Joxer closed his eyes and said a prayer to Aphrodite asking her to take him away. The goddess of love flashed in her usual sparkling display muted. Dite gathered him close in a hug and murmured soothingly in his ear as they flashed away back to Olympus.
85 - The Big Talk
Apollo tracked Jayce down in Ares garden. The young immortal was curled up on a wide lounge sleeping. He had taken his shirt off and one leg of his loose pants was rucked up over his knee. The sight stilled Apollo in his tracks. How could anyone be so adorable and sexy at the same time? He wanted to kick off his sandals and wrap himself around Jayce. Not as a prelude to sex, just to sleep.To hold him, to feel how the sun had warmed his skin, breath in that scent that was uniquely Jayce. A scant few weeks they had been together and a bare few days apart. But they had fit so well and Apollo had missed Jayce so much. He had no doubts he’d made the right choice.
As much as Apollo would have liked to let lay down and nap with Jayce they needed to talk first. He sat beside the slumbering immortal and gently shook his shoulder.
“Mnnn.” Jayce curled into himself a little more but didn’t wake. Apollo tried again, this time pulling on Jayce’s shoulder to roll him on his back. “Sleepin’. G’way.” Jayce batted at Apollo eyes still closed. The Sun god laughed at the response.
The sound must have woke Jayce because the immortal slit open one eye. “Apollo?” Jayce asked just to be sure. The god had been absent from the Halls of War since Jayce had made his ultimatum.
“Yes. Wake up a little, I want to talk to you.” Apollo smiled down at him.
Jayce pushed himself up and rubbed at his eyes with the heals of his hands. Looking more aware Jayce smiled shyly in return. “Hi.”
“Hi. Awake?”
“Mmmhmm”
“Good.” Apollo cleared his throat, he was suddenly nervous. “I - I’ve been thinking, bout what you said - asked. And... I want to be with you. You’re all I think about; when I can see you again, if you‘ve had a good day, things I‘d like to show you or do with you, or share with you from my day. I’ve never wanted to that before with anyone.”
During this Jayce picked up Apollo’s hand and twined their fingers together. He wanted to throw himself at the other man but the Sun god was still talking and Jayce could wait to glomp him.
“Ace aside there has never been anyone in my life that I could see there always until I met you. I’ve found myself making plans for the future, our future, not just for like a weekend getaway but for a couple of years from now when Ace fully takes over the Healing gig and Helios settles down enough that we can slip away for a few months - just the two of us.
And I lie awake thinking about whether you might want to change the bedroom wall color, or if you want to remodel one of the temple’s rooms for your own studio space, if you’d want to turn our attached sitting room into a nursery. I think about what are kids would look like. I never thought I’d want more kids but I can see us as Daddies.
Just please, please tell me you haven’t changed your mind about - about me, us, about wanting more.”
Jayce tackled Apollo back leaving them hanging awkwardly partway off the lounger but he didn’t care. He was too busy ravaging Apollo’s mouth. He had been worried that the Sun god wouldn’t be able to commit to him.
Worries that were totally unfounded it seemed. Gods! Apollo wanted kids! Babies with him. Wanted to live together and, and... Jayce was so happy he could kiss him - so he did, again. He started tugging at Apollo’s toga trying to get it off while grinding his hips into the god’s.
He wanted, needed to have Apollo right then. They’d been apart too long and Jayce couldn’t wait to reclaim his lover.
86 - Imp in the Garden
Hera looked up from where she was cutting blooms to make fresh arrangements for the bedrooms. Blue was diligently plucking weeds from a newly planted garden bed. The nine by seven area was Blue’s first attempt at gardening.Her little poppet showed such enthusiasm when helping her that she helped him clear the patch of grass and let the imp choose everything that was planted there. The area he’d picked was in the cooler section of her gardens and the plants reflected that, all being suited for such a climate.
A neatly spaced row of vibrant pink and red sweet peas lined the back length already starting their climb up the swirling trellis. Tiny yellow prim roses filled the center, flanked by white turtlehead plants. The near length was dotted with creeping phlox leaving lots of room for blue-violet flowers spill over into.
The out come would surely be more patchwork quilt then careful design but Blue was happy with it so it didn’t matter. His garden lay right on the edge of Hera’s yard between two cherry trees. The trees provided a nice shade for the goddess to relax in while Blue drank in the sunlight.
The imp spent all day outside lounging about, swimming, and puttering around the gardens. Sometimes Hera was there sometimes she was off working. The Queen of the Gods was surprised at how much she enjoyed having someone to share her home with.
Zeus and she had only lived in the same temple for a short time. Hera had loathed the experience. But life with Blue was much better. He let her fuss after him - something Zeus hadn’t let her do with their own children, they ate meals together and he listened to her talk about everything. Blue was intelligent but there was so much he didn’t know that every topic was fresh and exciting.
Hera sighed to herself. There were things that Blue needed to learn and she had never had patients for teaching. The imp needed to learn to read, and perhaps cooking - he’d shown an interest in it, and probably other things that she was forgetting. Hera would have to see about finding him tutors. She let the problem turn over in her mind as she went back to her cuttings.
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