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Strife in my Life	By : AmberDDawn Category: S through Z > Xena Views: 2142 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own "Xena: Warrior princess", or "Hercules: The Legendary Journey" They were produced by Renissance Pictures I am not making money for this fiction.

Chapter List
- 10
- 11
- 12
Sorry It's been so long. I hope people are still interested in the story. There's still more with Cupid/Strife and Auto/Joxer to be written.

Strife in my Life
Chapter 11: Engagement

Strife paced his rooms. He didn't want to tell Cupid he regretted agreeing to the plan, but he did. He cared for his cousin too much and it might be bad. He might get his filth on him and Bliss if he were around them too much.

Being married to him meant that he would have to move in with the love god. Be around him almost all the time. He wasn't giving up much...Well his temple...which he hardly ever visited anyway. It wasn't the nicest or fanciest looking, but it was his. Now he had to give it up!

It wasn't as if he was worried about what Cupid might do. He trusted his cousin. Cupid wouldn't force him into his bed. Strife hated himself for wishing he could have Cupid that way, but he was just so tainted and ugly. He knew now the only reason anyone wanted him was for the womb inside him and the promise of sons. Even in the world of the gods man was above woman. He shuddered to think of it. Technically he was the woman in the relationship. He was expectd to obey his husband and bare him children. It would almost be better for him to let one of the others rape him and force him into a marriage, rather than to take advantage of Cupid's strange infatuation.

Strife growled and punched his bedroom wall. He cracked the dark marble but also crushed his hand. He cursed and whimpered as he used his limited healing abilities to correct the broken knuckles and repair them. It left him panting and dizzy afterwards but he managed to stay upright. He looked around him and quickly fixed the cracks. This was not his temple. It was cool for Ares to break things and shatter walls in his own temple. This was his house after all. Strife didn't need his unc pissed at him when he was really his only protection against Olympus' eligible bachelors.

Strife marched over to his bed and sat. He saw a flash out of the corner of his eye and sighed turning, "Hey Unc."

"You shouldn't waste your energy healing yourself and fixing the walls. Next time you're hurt call Ace," Ares grumbled. Strife wasn't looking at his uncle so he missed the worried look in the older god's eyes, "And maybe don't punch a slab of solid marble."

Strife blushed and shrugged, "Ah couldn't punch who Ah wanted ta so Ah figured Ah'd hit tha next best thing."

Ares shurgged too and nodded, "Fair enough."

"So how we doin' this?" Strife finally turned to look at his uncle with a grim, resigned expression.

"You know its still not too late," Ares aproached Strife placing his hand on the godling's shoulder, "I don't want you or Cupid getting hurt and this whole situation is fucked beyond beleif."

"Who do yah suggest Ah marry Unc?!" Strife tried to wrench away.

"I would have taken you," Ares admitted, "I wanted to, but I...you're my son," Ares said.

"Uh," Strife's jaw dropped, "But..."

"No I didn't father you. But you've been my son since the day I first saw you. You know your mother hid you away. Some thought she had secretly killed you, others beleived she actually loved you and jealously kept you hidden. I think it was somewhere in between," Ares squeezed his nephew's shoulder, "I've kept you at arm's length. I was afraid of what the pantheon would do to you if they knew you were one of my favored. You weren't strong enough to defend yourself. You know how the rest of those bastards feel about the house of war. You were treated bad enough with nobody knowing I loved you."

Strife's confusion melted away and two things happened; he clocked Ares in the jaw, then he hugged him, "YOU ah a complete and uttah ASSHOLE! Why didn't yah just explain? Ah ain't stupid Unc! Ah needed yah ta love me so bad Ah worked so hard and yah always acted like Ah was a bafoon."

Ares rubbed his bruised jaw and awkwardly patted his nephew on the back, "It wasn't easy raising you, you know? I had to keep you alive first, and make you a strong god second. The other things were...not a priority."

"Ah'd a taken a million beatings just tah make yah love me, yah idiot," Strife buried his head in his uncle's chest and sobbed.

"Hmm," Ares petted Strife's curly hair and let the insullts roll off him. Strife's hair was like his when it wasn't all spiked up. Another pang of longing hit the war god. Strife should have been his, but he was going to be giving him away to Cupid. It was the best thing in a terrible situation. Cupid would treat Strife right.

Strife pushed off of him, "We still have a wedding tah plan." He sniffed and rubbed at his eyes. It felt good to be allowed to hug his uncle..his father, but he didn't want to get his filth on Ares either so he reluctantly let go of the only real parent he had ever known.

Cupid's wings flapped in iritation as his mother paced her main temple room. She was shaking her head and yelling, "I know you mean well Cupie, but you are going about this the wrong way! You're rushing into things. Think of your fiasco of a marriage! You should take some time...maybe a century or two before thinking of getting tied down. That bitch broke your heart and left you vulnerable."

"Psyche and I agreed that our marriage was a mistake. It wasn't her fault," Aphrodite looked pointedly at him. Cupid stood his ground, "No It was my fault. I rushed things. If she had been an immortal I could have courted her for longer before making the decision but I was...I was immature. Don't blame her for my mistakes. She was a mortal and probably scared out of her whits. I was an idiot."

The love goddess' face fell and she went to her son, cupping his chin she sighed, "I suppose I didn't help matters." Perhaps if she had let things take their course naturally...perhaps if he didn't have that damned curse on him...things could have been different, "Still the way you're going about this is all wrong. Strife is just using you as a shield. Not that I blame him for being frightened or seeking help. Oh Zeus is probably just loving this drama!" She growled.

"Probably, but Mom, I'm not just doing this for him. I think after we're married I can win him over and I have all the time in the world to show him what it means to be loved," Cupid argued, "Besides Bliss adores him and he's great with children. He's so patient and caring with little ones. Completely the opposite of how he is with most adults."

Aphrodite screamed and pulled at her hair, "You know better than anyone else that things don't work like that. You can't force him to love you...not unless..." She looked at his quiver. Cupid shook his head and stomped his foot, "Absloutly not!" He was really glad he had dropped Bliss of at his mother's temple. He hated to fight in front of his little godling.

"Well if you do the do with him he's going to be forced to love you anyway," Aphrodite flung her arms out wildly.

"Thats why I'm not going to sleep with him. We will be married in name only until he agrees to share a bed with me. Not until he feels the same about me as I do him," Cupid explained.

Aphrodite scoffed, "I know you? You are gonna go crazy in the first month. Besides what if someone else swoops in and steals him from under you. You know how that potion works. Even if someone rapes him he'll think he loves them and will do anything to stay with them!"

"That is exactly why I'm marrying him. I don't want him to get raped, to be trapped in an abusive relationship. I don't want him to love someone else. I want him. I want his love. He's already got mine!" Cupid screamed at his mother his wings flapping agitatedly lifting him in the air for a few seconds. He sighed looking at him mother. His heart ache written on his features, "I love him so much Ma."

Aphrodite nodded frowning, "I know, don't think I don't honey. I'm just worried. Strife is scared and confused, but I do feel he loves you. Something is holding him back. Some kind of wound on his heart. I've always sensed it. If he were in my house I would have looked into it further...but well his mother and Ares have always guarded their house closely. I've always been grateful I got to keep you. Even if I had to give up my other babies to war."

Cupid landed suddenly looking excited, "You mean there might be something you can do for him? I mean if I marry him then he will be under the protection of our house. You could look into his heart and mend it?"

"Don't get too excited Cupie. Healing a heart isn't all that simple. I said I would look into it but there might be mental scaring as well as emotional. If he really is as hurt as I sense then its going to take a lot more than just me to fix him." Aphrodite put her hands on her son's cheeks.

"If there's a chance of healing him I'll take it. If I'm his husband I can override Dad's..." he stopped realizing he had said too much.

"What was that son?" Aphrodite said. Her eyes sharpened. She may not be Strife's mother and may not like him some times, but he was still a child. If her idiot half brother had done anythign to the boy she would have something to say about it.

"It's...It's nothing we need to worry about. After the wedding I can tell you anything you want to know...as far as I know it. For now lets focus on getting things in order. If things go well you might be getting those grand children you wanted sooner than later." He hoped the mention of future babies would sooth his mother and keep her mind off the course it had been running.

Aphrodite patted his cheek and let him go, "Alright Cupie. I think I can live with that."

Joxer rubbed his back and grunted. It was getting hard traveling. His belly wasn't huge or anything but it was beyond hiding in a baggy tunic. His feet hurt and he felt exhausted, but he was looking forward to their next destination. Their friend Meg had settled into the life of an inkeeper. They were going to visit. He knew his friends intention to drop him off there and go on their way. That part made him sad, but at this point he agreed with them. He was slowing them down and traveling was dangerous for little Virgil.

Hercules and Iolaus had to leave them already. There was another emergency in a village further north, closer to the mountains. Harpies were raiding villages and the farms surrounding. They reluctantly went. Joxer understood what the life of a hero entailed. He was going to have to retire his title as Joxer the mighty, or at least take a vacation until Little Virgil was big enough to travel.

He rubbed his belly and smiled. The name had stuck. Auto said it was a fine name and he was so excited about seeing their son for the first time. Auto had to go off too, and earn money so they could start building a home. Joxer hated that part the most. Auto was going to leave him behind, though only until the last month of his pregnancy. He promised to be back by then.

Joxer gasped as pain shot through his belly, "Ah! S-stop! I need to stop!"

"What is it baby!" Auto grabbed him by the shoulders.

Joxer concentrated on breathing, "It...It's just a cramp," He squeezed his eyes shut as the heat of pain tore through his belly. The world was swaying, or was he? He felt hands on him as he was lowered to the ground. He rolled on to his side and groaned.

"It's ok baby, relax," Auto said as he pulled him up on his lap, but he wasn't even sure if Joxer heard him as all he responded with were moans and pain filled grunts.

"We need to move him," Xena put her hand on Auto's shoulder. He nodded with a grim face and slowly stood. He picked up his lover and carried him to the road side.

"He feels warm," The theif pressed his head against Joxer's cheek, "How far is the next village?"

"A few more hours on foot," Xena rubbed her temples. She looked at her friend's drawn expression and realized it had to be bad, Joxer had many shortcomings but pain tolerance was not one of them.

"Xena," Auto made a strained face, "Ride ahead on that horse of yours and see if they have a healer."

"What about keeping his condition quiet?" Gabrielle piped in, concerned.

"We'll make something up," Auto all but barked at her.

"I think we should call on Apollo," Xena said. Inspite of her mistrust of the gods she had to admit. That he would know better than anyone how to deal with this situation.

"Sure, fine, whatever, just get him help, PLEASE!" Auto yelled at the warrior woman. She didn't take it personally. She just climbed on Argo and galloped off.

Gabrielle wrung her hands. She wanted to be helpful, but she didn't know what to do.

"Gabrielle, could you get Joxer's bedroll I think he needs rest," Auto asked in a softer voice. Joxer had cringed when their voices were raised and Auto suspected that was as much from fear as it was from pain.

"Yes!" Gabrielle's voice was a bit shrill and both men flinched, but she didn't notice as she flew into action grabbing up Joxer's pack which had fallen by the wayside when he collapsed. she found his bedding and laid it out. Auto gently placed his husband on the mat. He got his water skin out and dampened a rag to clean the sweat off his ailing lover's face.

Xena made good time getting to the village. Unfortunatly it was small and only had shrines. She found one for Apollo though. She placed a few dinars in offering and called to him.

"Apollo," Xena cleared her throat, "Our friend Joxer needs your help. He's the one who drank that fertility potion. He's in pain and suffering." She hoped he would hear and maybe at least send them a healer or something, what she got was a Younger quieter version of him escourting a very familiar physician.

"Hello, Xena. I'm Asclepius, son of Apollo, god of healing and physicians. I believe you know this man," He indicated Phidais who waved politely.

"Yes," Xena said shortly. She didn't intend to be rude but she was in a hurry.

"I overheard your prayer to father," The god explained as he stepped forward. Phidais followed, "I was training Phidais for him while he takes care of other matters. Take us to your friend."

"Um...well...did your father explain..." The warrior woman hesitated, inspite the urgency of the situation. She had no way of knowing if this god was friendly or if he would harm Joxer in spite.

"I know about the fertility potion," The god's feature's darkened, "It was wrong of Pan to minipulate nature as well as the other gods, but I hold no ill will toward the victims of the potion. This Joxer...he is pregnant?"

"Yes," Xena was bouncing on the balls of her feet, itching to get back to her party and check on the ailing man.

Asclepius saw her imaptence and understood, "Let us go now. Explanations can wait until we have looked at Joxer." He waved his hand and he the mortals and the horse were back at the campsite in an instant.

Gabrielle was building a campfire and Auto was fretting over Joxer when Xena appeared with a god and a familiar physician. Auto moved in front of his love and Gabrielle grabbed her staff also blocking the way, until she saw that Xena was with them. She recognized the man and relaxed further. The god looked like Apollo only with a short beard and a less flashy clothing.

"Do not be afraid," The god spoke in a soft and soothing voice, "We are here to help your friend."

Auto didn't budge.

"This is Asclepius, god of healers," Xena introduced, "He is Apollo's son and he knows about Joxer's situation. Let him see Joxer, Auto."

The god and Phidais stepped forward. Auto reluctantly moved to Joxer's other side and knelt. The pregnant man had fallen into a fitful sleep while Xena was out seeking help. Asclepius knelt on Joxer's other side and Phidais followed. The god put his hands on Joxer and frowned.

"He's exhausted, he has a mild fever and cramps," The god announced, "He should be resting. How long have you been walking?"

"Only a few hours today," Gabrielle piped up.

"You have been walking how many days?" The god clarified, but didn't wait for a response, "This man is in a delicate state despite what you may know about a normal pregnancy and how much a woman could do in this state this is a different case all together! Joxer needs lots of rest and should avoid long hours of exertion. His body was not built to handle pregnancy and even modified as it is he is still fundementally a male and this child in him...It is a foriegn body. If he is put under too much stress, either physically or emotionally he could lose the child. You need to find a place for him to stay for the reaminder of this pregnancy."

"That was our plan. We have a friend who runs a tavern. We still have a week's worth of walking to get there," Xena informed them.

"How is the baby?" Auto cut in, "How are my son and my lover? That's all I care about!"

"The baby is fine, healthy and strong," The god spoke with patience, "His dam will be fine with lots of rest. I would offer to take you to this friend's tavern but I don't think Joxer and your son would handle the trip well. I suggest hiring a cart so he doesn't have to walk. Otherwise, keep him comfortable and give him plenty of water. The fever should break before tomorrow, but if he would not object Phidais could travel with you a few days to keep an eye on Joxer."

"I would be happy to," The man smiled faintly. He knew Apollo would be upset but he still cared about Joxer, if he couldn't have had him as a lover he would like to be his friend and help protect him.

"Well I suppose I should go back to the village to find a cart for hire or sell. Would you join me Gabrielle?" Xena asked.

The blonde looked at the unfinished firepit and sighed. She smiled at Xena and nodded her head, "Sure...will you be ok here?" she looked at the men. Auto nodded. She nodded back, "We will be back as soon as possible...Xena could we look at the market while we are there? We're running low on vegetables, and a few other essentials."

"I suppose there's no rush to get back," Xena said then asked, "Is there anything you need for Joxer?" It was directed at both men.

"I have healing herbs and medicines with me," Phidais patted the bag slung over his shoulder.

"Bring some fruit back for Joxer," Auto said, "Figs or dates, something sweet, he's been craving sweets lately."

Xena nodded, "We will be back as soon as possible."

She climbed on argo and helped Gabrielle up behind her. They took off leaving the men to tend camp and Joxer.
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Strife in my Life