Title: Mischief's Father
Author: Kate R.
abelard950@aol.com
Disclaimer: All things Xena/Herc belong to Ren Pics, all things Buffy or Angel belong to Joss Whedon.
Rating: R
Pairings: Giles/Discord, Giles/Ethan by the end, Xander/Spike
Summary: To remake Strife, a father is needed. He's found on the Hellmouth
Mischief's Father
By Kate R.
Prologue: Making Mischief
The door to her bedroom opened and her father stood there. He was dragging a man who looked to be not all there at the moment. Her father dropped him on the bed and when she saw his face, she couldn't help the slight smile. It was the one she really wanted. The one she had sensed both passion and compassion in.
"That's the one you wanted, that's the one you get. Now get on with this. According to Gaia we need Strife so hurry up and make him."
And then he left, closing the door behind him.
She looked down at the man's face. Even as he was now she could see how strong and sensitive he was. How powerful and how much love he had in him. She had chosen him for his kindness and his strength. She'd chosen him because he was everything Zeus was not.
"Can you hear me?" she asked.
He nodded and she knew he'd already been changed. He had to be. Strife had to be born of two godly parents.
"Do you have a name? I couldn't hear it. I could only see you."
"Giles," he said softly. "Rupert Giles. Although to my surrogate children, I'm just Giles. You are Eris, Goddess of Discord, correct?"
"Yes," she told him. "I thought you were drugged?"
"In shock," Giles said. "I'm not quite as susceptible to drugs. I did enough of them when I was younger. I believe the lady from the woods told me, before the man with the beard grabbed me, that you needed me to make your son with you. If you would like, we can. I find you attractive for a woman and I have to say, you are beautiful, even by my more to male standards."
And Discord smiled. She stroked his face as he lay back on the bed. She had to warn him, she knew but he was just what she wanted in a father for Strife. He was kind and strong and protective. He had just something about him that said he would be perfect for this.
"I should warn you," Eris said. "I have this problem...this may hurt you and I don't want to but..."
"It is your nature. I am aware, Eris. Lets do this. I assure you I have had it in every imaginable way. Okay?"
Eris nodded and began. Giles found it easy to respond to her. She was excellent at lovemaking. And then, as he knew it would, the pain started. So was her nature and so he knew. Giles was not unaccustomed to pain. He endured because he knew how important this was to her. And so he gave her what she needed. He gave her son back. And when she needed him to scream so she could orgasm, he did. But whether it was pain or pleasure, no one would ever know.
"Thank you," Eris whispered as she laid her head on his chest.
He chuckled and kissed her forehead and then drifted off to sleep. He knew it had worked as he could feel the new life they'd made but he was tired now and he knew he would be needed until the baby was born. He let himself fall asleep and knew it would be a fast nine months here.
Rupert Giles, Watcher to the Slayer and her merry band, was not a stupid man and his not inconsiderable knowledge had already analyzed everything about why he was here and how long he would have to stay. And he was prepared to do so....
1: Waking and Pain
Flashing light and arguing. Pain and burning fire and he remembered yelling, denying, refusing… Falling after running and then stumbling. Screech of tires, thud as he was hit by something and then nothing. Until now.
"Giles?" a voice asked. "G-man, can you hear me? Giles?"
"Xander, please," he moaned. "Stop calling me that. I'm really not up to it right now."
"Giles, man, where have you been for the last 2 weeks? You just disappeared."
"Making something," Giles whispered. "What happened?"
"You got hit by a car. Not as bad as it could be. You're healing really fast so, what happened to you?"
"I'm fine and none of your concern. It's personal, Xander. If you ever need to know, I'll tell you. But for now? I'm tired. I'm very tired."
"Ok, Giles," Xander said. "I'm here and so is Ethan. He's watching over you. Hasn't left your side since we got the call you were here. I'll be back later. You just rest."
Giles nodded and relaxed back against the pillows. He was tired.
And since he was tired, he was having a problem repressing the memories of what had caused him to fall off the mountain. No, not fall. He'd jumped off of Mt. Olympus. He couldn't stay there. His mortal children needed him as much as anyone else. Zeus had wanted to force him to stay but he'd said no.
He'd told them he couldn't. When they tried to force him, no, not they, he. Zeus had tried to force him to stay. He'd run. He'd started running and then, when he thought Cupid was going to rat him out, all he did was take him to Ares who was speaking with Eris. They had told him they would help him get off the mountain. They had told him they understood. And he had told them that if the babies needed him, he would be there for them. That was the agreement.
Then, Eris had taken him to the edge of Mount Olympus and told him to jump. So he had. Trusting in her as he trusted in no one else. He was falling and he was pretty sure he was going to die when he hit the ground except he didn't slam into the ground that hard. Cupid caught him before impact and slowed his decent. Then he had to drop him before Zeus caught them so Giles' feet touched mortal plain and then he'd had to be allowed to choose where he would go.
He'd started running. Running hard and fast and then he realized he must have stepped in front of a car. That explained how he landed here. In Sunnydale general. He was tired though, and his thoughts chasing each other like dogs running wild were not doing anything but making him even more tired so he laid his head on the pillows and rested. He was tired and he had a feeling that he was going to end up with at least Strife soon. So he knew he'd better rest now. Rest. That's what he needed before things got hectic again. Rest.
And for someone to explain why Ethan's Aura was finally clear.
And as his eyes drifted shut, he finally realized why. They gods had asked if there was anything they could do in return for him helping them and all he could think was "Heal Ethan" And apparently, they had. "Thank you, Eris," he whispered as sleep over came him again. He knew the man he loved was now safe from harm. That was a good thing to him. He could be with Ethan now and it was safe. And Giles fell asleep.
2: A Boy And His Dog
Giles was truly beginning to loathe mornings. Gods all why did he have to put up with this shit? He was the librarian. The library did not need to be open every day.
He was running late so when he opened his front door to rush out he got a shock. Ares was standing on the other side of it, hand raised as if he were about to knock and he looked worried.
"Giles, I need your help," was all he said.
And Giles invited him in immediately. He saw Strife behind Ares with a three-headed puppy and he began to have a bad feeling. "What's happened?" he asked.
And Ares took a deep breath before he began to speak. "It's happening again," the lord of War told Giles. "Eris is becoming abusive. I can't protect Strife right now but you... You can. You are his father. You have a blood claim on him Zeus cannot beat. Please, Giles?"
"Does he have anything? I can't take him to the school with me dressed like that," Giles told the God of War.
"I know. Here, let me see your mind for a moment. Yes, that will work."
And Strife was then dressed in jeans, tennis shoes and a t-shirt with a leather jacket over it. "Those clothes will grow with him. I've put more in his room. He'll accelerated-age by mortal standards until he reaches 16 and then it will stop. You have stopped aging by the way, as has Ethan. That was a gift from Apollo when he and Ace healed him. Take care of him. Oh, and name him. Goodbye, little mischief. Your dad will take care of you now. The puppy is house broken; it needs a name too. Hades sent it because I want Strife to have Godly protection that can be here when you have to be elsewhere. Besides, the dog will protect you too. And every boy needs a dog."
"Go, Ares. We'll be okay. Oh, where am I drawing power? It doesn't feel like Olympus."
"It isn't," Ares told him. "You live on your power source. You pull Energy from the Hellmouth and you use it. Energy is neither good nor bad, Giles, it simply is. Remember that and use it well. That will help you in this upcoming fight. As will Hades if you need him. He's the God of the Underworld. I have to get back now. Strife, be good for your daddy. He'll have a friend of his make mischief for you until you get old enough to control it. Bye baby."
"By Uncle Ares," the 4-year-old said as Ares flashed out.
Giles looked down at the boy and then smiled when the boy glommed onto him giving him a tight hug.
"Mommy said you'd take care of me," Strife whispered as the puppy tugged on Giles' pants leg.
Giles nodded and lifted the boy into his arms. He whistled for the dog, which followed them. Snyder would just have to deal, that was all.
He took them to the school and they walked today because his car didn't want to start, and he took them into the library where he got a surprise. Why was Xander here this early? Really, Giles didn't need to deal with this right now. He had more than enough on his plate.
"Xander?" he called. And watched the boy jump and slam the book closed. Giles sighed and walked over. Strife was still in his arms and he really had no place to set him down but when he saw the book cover, his eyes frosted.
"Tell Willow the ritual is not complete," he told the boy coldly.
"That spell and this journal are mine personally. I keep things back from each thing I did on my own to protect my secrets. This is my son, Stri. He'll
be with me now."
"Stri?" Xander asked.
Giles shook his head "Elliott actually but he likes Stri. I don't know why. His uncle just brought him to me because his mother has been abusive. Stri, I'm going to put you and your puppy in my office and maybe see if I can find a book here you can read. I don't know what but maybe something with pictures."
"Okay, daddy," little Strife said as Giles set him down. He turned and saw Xander staring at the puppy with his jaw working but no sound coming it.
Giles sighed and whistled for the puppy and it ran over to him. He sent the puppy into the office and then looked at Xander.
"What?" he asked. AND he saw Xander's face.
"You have a demon dog, why didn't you kill it?" the teen asked.
"It's not a Demon Dog, Xander," Giles said patiently. "It's a Cerberus Hound. It's protection for my little boy and it's our dog. Deal with it. And if you try to hurt it, you wont like what I do in retaliation. Things are going to change boy. Starting with that."
And he walked into his office almost, but not quite, slamming the door. This was going to be harder than he thought.
Giles swallowed and picked up the phone, finally knowing what would have to be done. "Quentin," he said. "Yes, I know. You're going to love hearing this so pay attention because I wont be saying it again: I need your help. Yes. Yes. I need another Watcher here. No, I have responsibilities that tae precedence over Buffy. Yes, how about my son? Really? Yes I see that got your attention. Yes, I have a son. He's on a fast growing thing and I need help here to keep things balanced. No, I can't leave the Hellmouth myself. I do that and something bad will happen. Yes? Young is he? Well, that will work. Yes, I know. I'm glad you realize that. There is hope for you yet..."
Giles laughed then and smiled as he and Quentin hung up. He was sending a fresh from the academy boy to get the boy away from his father. He wanted Giles to instruct him on everything. Including how to dress and act. Giles was impressed, Quentin had changed. But then, Giles knew Quentin's role had to be played but at least his old mate could change. That gave Giles some hope.
He looked out the door and saw Buffy and Willow talking to Xander and he saw Willow's face as Xander delivered his message. Then, he ignored them, turning back to his son who was playing with some toys that ah just appeared.
"Thank you Gods," Giles said not sure who had brought the stuff but glad for it nonetheless. Then, he got ready to face the day. And what a day it would be.
END PART 2