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Home Unknown	By : katecooley Category: S through Z > Xena Views: 15191 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Xena, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 27
- 28
- 29
See part one for all the semi-legal song and dance. Again, anything in // is mental discussion.

Chapter 28 � Keeping Secrets

Joxer held his breath, as if that would help him any. Wandering around invisible was a weird feeling all by itself, but doing it where you knew you weren�t supposed to added a little terror to the mix.
The lunch-party had broken up not too long ago, with Aphrodite showing up, shooing her fighting sons back on their way, and collecting Bliss. That seminar of hers had apparently ended early when a genial mob of Grecian gentlemen had wandered in and gotten treated to some quality hands-on workshopping. Which was fine. Joxer had an itch he needed to scratch anyway.
Ever since Hercules and Iolaus had left, a nagging bug had been buzzing in his ear. He wondered if it were more of his godhood trying to manifest or maybe just some leftover mortal nosiness. He�d been accused of being a busybody a few times, though he�d only really been trying to help. Much like now. He knew something was up. He wasn�t sure HOW he knew, but he knew. He�d sneaked back to Olympus and peered into the Hall of War long enough to make sure Ares wasn�t there waiting for him (and frankly, he�d kind of been hoping) and then back down to Athens. The bustle of the midday crowd would provide a good enough cover for what he was up to.
And it did. The noon rush of worshippers into the Temple of Wisdom provided enough distraction and noise around one invisible undedicated god for him to casually stroll up the stairs.
He wasn�t much of a fan of architecture, but there was something unwelcoming about this structure. Probably because there was something unwelcoming about its mistress. Ares� temples were always constructed to look dark and foreboding, but he�d never felt that way in any of them. They�d always been soothing and familiar, probably due to his dedication to his god more than any ecumenical engineering.
Not this temple, though. Constructed in very smooth, delicate lines with beautifully carved archways and columns, to Joxer it was cold and austere. Unforgiving. Uninviting. Unpleasant. He shivered a little as he passed with the crowd through the doorway. This was Athena�s patron city and the people turned out in droves to pay their respects. Though he was loathe to be rude, Joxer had other plans in mind.
Slipping unseen through the throng, the former mortal wound his way around to the altar area of the temple and the milling priestesses making ready for the coming service. Service, Joxer mused. Ares never has a formal service in his temples. At least, not one without giant casks of ale and a few warrior-minstrels around. Seems a little� self-absorbed?

Joxer�s self-conversation was interrupted by another, wafting from the rear door behind the altar. He crept over as silently as he could manage and was able to catch the last bits of it.
"� preparations for the coming festival at Delphi. Though Elysium preserve me, I don�t know why. Those things are always so *sniff* plebian."
"I know, Sister. But this is what our goddess has commanded and that is what we must do. There must be an important reason for her to want to mingle with the rabble � such is not always revealed to humble servants as we. We shall have to be strong in our convictions and obedience�"

//Joxer? Where in Tartarus are you?// Ares� dead-sexy rumble of a voice blocked out the rest of the rhetoric Athena�s priestesses were now regurgitating to each other. He took a deep breath and scrunched his forehead as he thought the answer back to the War God.
//Just checking something out.// Not that it had helped him any. He�d come wondering why Athena, who didn�t seem like much of a Party Girl, was going to make an appearance at a pretty raucous festival. And apparently, her own priestesses were wondering that, too. Hm. Something didn�t feel right about it. And that was without the poking and prodding his godhood was no doubt applying. This was going to take more looking into, he judged. But if her priestesses didn�t know� then who would? The answer didn�t make him happy. The voice that jumped back in his head, however�

//Ah, a mystery. Sounds like fun. Well, when you�re done, I�ve got something else for you to check out�//

A barking laugh startled the next gaggle of worshippers approaching, though who would be that uncouth outside of Athena�s temple was a question none of them could answer.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Hermes pondered how long it had been since he�d learned to whistle. Probably a good handful of centuries. Sometime before he�d taken up the mantle of Messenger to the Gods, when he�d had the leisure time to really practice at it.
He made good use of it now, crossing the quad area between the Houses of Aggression. There was a bounce in his step, too, and why shouldn�t there be? Today was a light workday � light enough to afford him some time to himself. The sun was out, though it would�ve been odd for it to be otherwise up on Olympus anyway. And� he�d hung out just out of sight until he saw Joxer try to be inconspicuous as he left the House of War on some mission of great import. Great enough to keep his attention off of any notice of other gods in the immediate area. Hermes sighed and grinned broadly. He liked Joxer fine and all, but� well, half the fun of a chaperone was finding a way to outsmart them. At least, that�s how he looked at it. It wasn�t as much fun when they were already distracted.

Annnnywayyyy�

A little strut invaded Hermes� step as he sauntered up the path to the dark-marbled hall.
"Hellooooo�" he called out with confidence, knowing that the Lord of the Manor wouldn�t be flashing in behind him to pound him into paste. If Ares were anywhere today, it�d be hunting out Joxer for a little mid-afternoon game of Who�s Your Big Grumbly Daddy. Which was just fine by him. The better to occupy the secretly new god. And with Strife still zipping around a few steps in front of Cupid� "Anyone home?"
"Please be kidding me." Hermes� heels pricked up at the sound of the voice he�d been searching for. "Do you have a death wish or something?" Eris materialized in front of him and caught that smile� one her son would be proud of� and then a veritable hedge of flowers that emerged from some little pocket of space he was toting around with him. Purple and deep maroon and black roses.
"How�s THAT for �or something�?" A waggle of golden eyebrows punctuated it. He watched her face as the war between haughty pretense and adoring awe played out. It wasn�t enough to break that porcelain mask of Discord she wore, but watching it flicker was enough. "Pretty flowers for a pretty lady. An� hey, I even made sure you don�t need to water �em a lot. I know how nutso it gets over here."
"You better have our chaperone stuck in that little hidey-hole, too, or you�re gonna find out how nusto it gets over here first-hand," Discord scolded him half-heartedly as she looked over the garden in her hands.
"Jox looked a little busy. Besides, what he don�t know�" the wickedness that played on the Messenger God�s features almost startled Eris. No wonder Strife approves of him. Though if he knew about this, Herm would be a golden smear on the ground. "So, you gonna invite me in."
"You ARE in, Herm."
His smile broadened and Eris couldn�t keep from growing a matching one. "Well, lookit that. So I am."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Strife�s back thumped hard into something, knocking some of the wind out of him. His head spun from a fast, forced transport � he hated those. Getting yanked somewhere always left him disoriented and dizzy. And it usually meant he was in big trouble.
Judging from the look on the face in front of him, this time wasn�t any different.
"Care to explain?"
Ohhh, he�d heard that voice before. Granted, it was usually coming out of his uncle after a major fuck-up. But considering how much Cupid looked like Ares right now, it really wasn�t a surprise.
"Which part?" Strife croaked, trying to catch his breath and not squirm at the same time.
The corner of Cupid�s frown ticked up a little. "Oh, I dunno. Maybe let�s start with the whole �laps around Olympus and Greece� part and then work backward."
Strife looked dramatically down at the fist still balling his shirtfront with white knuckles and then back up at his cousin. "You tell me."
Cupid�s glower softened a little into sheepishness. That wasn�t like him. At least, not normally. Something about talking to his father brought out the rough edges sometimes. Not that it was a bad thing � he�d actually gotten Strife pinned down. But now that he had him� his grip loosened. "Sorry. I just� you wouldn�t stand still for five seconds."
A quick sweep of Strife�s hand smoothed out the leather again. "I know. Sorry �bout that." The urge to run was quickly ebbing, now that he could actually see his cousin actively not being mad at him, his eyes their usual pistachio-color instead of that dangerous, flashing green that meant all kinds of unpleasantness.
"I don�t get it, cuz. You�re the one who left the scroll. If you didn�t want me to help you out, why leave it?"
Cupid was treated to the novel occurrence of his cousin blushing bright red. He�d seen pink, but this was aflame. "Look, ya don�t haveta. I was just�"
"Dude, helping with this is what I do! If I can�t help YOU out, what good am I anyway?" Cupid flopped down into a nest of pillows in the middle of the floor. A good look around told Strife that they were in the Hall of Love, but a room that he didn�t go into much. Cupid�s room. Not good. Cupid patted the pile next to him. Definitely not good.
"You sayin� I�m a mess?"
"I�m saying�" Cupid reached up and yanked his cousin down next to him "that if I can�t set up my own best friend properly, I�M a mess. Now c�mon, give. What�s the deal? And before you say anything, props on the poetry. I didn�t know you went for that kinda stuff."
"I don�t� not usually, anyway." Strife�s head started to hurt a little. Best friend? Set him up? He supposed that it was good in a way that Cupid had missed the point � all that hiding had been for nothing. Of course, once the truth came out� A throbbing started setting up shop behind Strife�s eyes. "Look, Cupe, you don�t gotta�"
Cupid�s minty eyes rolled widely. "You�re gonna be like Pops, huh? No interference? Ugh. I don�t get it. It�s not like I�d MAKE someone fall for you. But what�s the harm in a little help? Everyone and their dog saw Joxer an� Pops heading for each other. A little nudge wasn�t gonna kill �em, right?"
Strife nodded, letting his cousin gab. It seemed the easier route, letting him veer off on a tangent. "I guess not."
"It woulda been easier with a little assistance is all I�m saying." It wasn�t a wide veer, as Cupid steered right back on target. "You aren�t as pig-headed as Ares. You�ll let me help, right? Nothing bad, just a little encouragement."
As if he could say no. "I guess."
"I promise, no arrows or potions or charms unless you ask me for �em. So, spill. Who is it?"

Oooh, that�s my stomach in my shoes, ain�t it. Strife had to swallow hard. He mentally skimmed through names, seeing if there were any he could come up with that wouldn�t start a pile of trouble. There really weren�t. Most would get him an odd look, the rest would get him hollered at or lectured about stealing someone�s wife or husband. "I� uh� You really need to know that?"
Cupid snorted out a laugh. "Yeah, it�d kinda help if I knew who I was going to prod."
"Can�t ya just give me some generic advise an� I can apply it later?"
"Aw, c�mon. It can�t be THAT bad," his cousin chuckled, giving his shoulder a shove. "Who we talkin� about? Hecate? Artie? Aunt Ironbritches?"
"Cupe�"
"It can�t be anyone as bad as that. And anyway, like I�m gonna judge who someone loves. It�s my job, right? Takes all kinds. As long as it�s not someone who�s got someone already. I hate busting up couples. It�s always an energy drain, even if it�s fated. It�s not is it?"
"No, it�s�"
And Cupid kept on about it for at least a good ten minutes more until Strife�s head started hurting, prodding and cajoling his cousin to spill the beans in question. On and on and on until Strife could actually see himself going crazy from frustration and agony. And there was no end in sight�
So he made one himself.
Cupid was mid-chatter about all the eligible people on Olympus (having duly cautioned Strife about the perils of getting involved with mortals) and all their pros and cons when his lengthy monologue was interrupted by the universe-halting press of his cousin�s mouth on his.

//Get it now, Smart Guy?//

tbc
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