Disclaimer-None are mine, damnit. BtVS and A:TS belong to Joss. Herc and Xena belong to Robert. I only plan on borrowing them for a bit and I promise to return them. Well, most of them. Ares, Joxer, Spike, Xander and Angel may have to stick around abit.
Distribution-BBA, Willow's World, ANgel of Mine
Rating-PG-13
Category-Crossover
Key Couples-Willow/Angel Spike/Xander Joxer/Ares Faith/Iolaus
Summary-The prophecy begins.
Dedicated to Kylia who just had to get me hooked on Joxer/Ares stories, making me unable to write anything else until I got this out. *BG*
Feedback is greatly appreciated.
Author's Note-Okay, this takes place somewhere after fourth season Buffy and first season Angel. Faith is out of jail and helpin Angel and Co. Forrest never died. For Xena and Herc fans, can't really tell ya where to place it since i haven't seen it in a bit. Although I am gonna say this is after the whole Dahak fiasco. I hope you all like this since this is a combination of the two shows that I have written fan fic for. Xena was the first show that I ever wrote a story for and the first show that got me hooked on the net.
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~Part: 1~
The couple walking along in the park looked like any other normal couple taking a romantic moonlight stroll in the light of the full moon. The man had his arm around the petite blonde at his side and it appeared as if they were whispering sweet nothings to each other. At least, to those that couldn't see the intense look of anger on their faces. Anyone who witnessed that look, quickly steered themselves clear from the two people, afraid of something suddenly happening to them.
"Riley, I'm telling you, something is seriously wrong with what is going on," Buffy stated angrily, almost stomping her foot like a stubborn child in the throes of a temper tantrum. "There is no other explanation to what is going on in LA."
"Maybe there's some kind of prophecy that Giles just hasn't found yet," Riley offered, completely understanding the anger that his girlfriend was feeling. He and his friends felt the same way. The only thing that had so far prevented any of them from doing something about what was bothering them was that they were all afraid of what harm might come to the two innocents that they believed were in danger. "Something that could be dealt with allowing everything to go back to normal."
"He's looking into is with Graham," Buffy told him. "He thinks he remembers seeing something about the unexpected love of innocents towards some immortals releasing the power of the Gods or something like that. He couldn't remember all the details since he saw it in one of Wesley's books."
"Then why doesn't he just call up Wesley and ask him for the information."
Buffy just looked at him in disbelief and Riley quickly shook his head. "Forget I said anything. I forgot for a moment that he was already involved in this."
"Him and that bitch that he's married to," the Slayer sneered. "I can't believe that they actually support what the others are doing. What in hell were they thinking when they told us that everyone was fine and happy and to not do anything about it except deal with it and move on. She's known the two of them the longest out of anybody and yet she doesn't seem concerned at all that they may be in danger."
"Well, she always did seem to be a bit on the dumb side," Riley observed as he remembered the brunette girl that was now Mrs. Wyndham-Price. Although she had the beauty that made her the object of many a man's fantasies, he got the impression that looks was all that she had going for her. Certainly not the intelligence or personality that was required to sustain a successful relationship, so he had been surprised when the former Watcher had announced that the two of them were getting married and that she was expecting twins. Go figure what he saw in her since he didn't appear to be the kind of man that went for looks alone.
Riley and Buffy reached the townhouse that belongs to her own former Watcher and entered after knocking briefly. They noticed Giles and Graham sitting at the dining room table while Anya seemed to be trying to cook something for the two men. Piles of books were stacked up around the men who appeared to have spent more time researching than actually taking care of themselves.
"Where's Forrest?" Graham asked as soon as he noticed the two new arrivals. "I thought he was coming over with you guys."
"He decided to patrol," Riley answered, coming over and joining the other two. "He's hoping to run into some vampires or demons so that he could take out his aggression on something. I hope he does, too. He's been wound way to tight lately."
"Him and everybody else," Graham replied. "But yeah, it may do him some good. I know how upset he is but what happened to Willow. And Xander," he added as an afterthought.
"We all are, but until we figure out why it happened, we can't do anything about it without risk to her or Xander," Giles stated.
"I take it you've had no luck trying to find the prophecy," Buffy inquired as she went over to her tired Watcher, who just shook his head.
"Unfortunately, no. Wesley must have taken the book with him when he left last year to go back to the Council," Giles explained. "And I can't exactly call him and ask him to send it to us, now can I?"
"Do you really think he would refuse if you explained to him what you thought was going on?" Anya questioned as she came out of the kitchen and sat next to Graham. "I mean, its can't be that strange to think that something is happening to explain everything."
"But Wesley thinks it is natural," Giles reminded the heartbroken girl. "He fully supports the four of them, having even gone against the Council when they offered him his place back if he turned against them." Buffy whistled at that. She remembered how much it had meant to the bumbling fool that used to be her Watcher to be a part of the Council. To hear that he turned the offer to return to the familiar fold was something she didn't expect from him. She chalked it up to another thing that was wrong.
"How could he possible think that Xander and Spike being together is natural," Anya nearly yelled, her anger and hurt at having been betrayed by the mortal boy apparent in her voice. She couldn't accept that there wasn't another explanation other than the one they had been given. That the blonde vampire and the dark haired teen had fallen in love.
"Not to mention Angel and Willow," Buffy supplied, bristling at the mere mention of her now former best friend and ex-lover being together. "Hello, remember the happiness clause."
"According to Wesley, the last time I talked to him before everything happened, the clause is gone," Giles informed the stunned Slayer. "Angel's soul is permanent."
"What?" Buffy screamed. "And you never thought to tell me?"
"I didn't know how you would react to the news," Giles told her. "You were already involved with Riley and I didn't want to see you hurt anymore that you already had been by him." Buffy thought about what she was being told and Giles was surprised to see her accept his answer.
"I know, Giles, it's just hard ya know. To think of him with someone else."
Giles nodded his head. "Let alone with our little Willow."
"Hopefully it won't be long before we figure out what's going on and then we can put a stop to everything and get things back to normal," Graham stated trying to ease the tension in the room, without much success. He went back to the book in front of him, opening it up. His eyes looked as if they were ready to pop out of his head when he saw what was there. "I think I found something."
"What?" Buffy exclaimed as she and the others raced over to his side to see what had him so excited. Graham began to read from the pages in front of him. "Two innocents will find the love of two immortals. With the help of their friends, they will defeat those that wish to separate them and with that defeat will restore the power of those once worshipped but now are forgotten."
"Okay, all those confused please raise their hands," Buffy remarked.
"It appears that Willow and Xander were fated to fall in love with Angel and Spike," Giles reluctantly acknowledged, not comfortable with the fact that his two former students were involved with two master vampires, even if they were both neutered in a sense.
"But only because of this prophecy right. I mean, they will go back to normal once whatever happens, happens," Anya tried to reason.
"Hopefully," Giles agreed. Suddenly a bright light encased the occupants of the townhouse, blinding them all. When it disappeared, it was revealed that so had they.
***
Meanwhile in Los Angeles, the objects of the conversation and speculation in Sunnydale were busy throwing a baby shower for Cordelia, who was busy crying at the happiness that she was feeling with her friends. She was busy opening up the presents that she had been given, this one having been given to her by Willow and Angel.
"You gave me a picture?" Cordelia asked in confusion as she pulled out a page from what appeared to be a baby catalog.
"Actually, we're giving you what's in the picture," Willow laughed.
Cordelia looked at the picture closer, Wesley doing the same over her shoulder. The both took in a deep breath when they realized just exactly that it was that they were being given. In the picture was an entire set of baby furniture. Everything from a changing table to a dresser to what appeared to be an antique bassinet and crib.
"My word, Angel," Wesley said, "this is entirely too much. There's no way that we could accept this."
"We're not giving you a choice," the vampire told his associate. "We want you to have it."
"Besides, the store is going to deliver it tomorrow so it's too late to take it back," Willow added, pleased at the expression on the former May Queen's face. "So, I take it you like?"
"Like," Cordelia stuttered. "I love." Willow went over and gave Cordelia a huge hug, pleased to see the smile that was on her face.
"Well, it was the least we could do, considering everything that you and Wes have had to put up with since Xander, Spike and I have arrived."
"We are so not going there, Wills," Cordelia told her friend. "We loved helping the three of you, or should I say four considering that includes Angel?" The brunette smiled at her former boss and good friend. "I still can't believe that Buffy and the others reacted the way they did to the two of you getting together."
"Yeah, well, B was never exactly one for the whole logic thing," Faith commented as she entered the offices of Angel Investigations, carrying a brightly wrapped present. She walked over and handed it to the pregnant woman, giving Cordy a kiss at the same time. "Besides, you know that it's perfectly acceptable for her to move on with her life but not for Angel."
"What? You expect Slutty to actually make sense?" Spike added, drawing a disapproving stare from his lover.
"Spike, hush," Xander admonished the blonde. Spike had the decency to at least look apologetic, whether he meant to or not. "Buffy is just unable to accept anything that goes against what she wants to believe, and that includes Willow and Angel and me and you."
"And me," Faith reminded them. "You know she still resents the fact that you all were willing to help me when I got released from prison. It's one of the reasons that she was so angry at what had happened."
"We were willing to help you because we believed in you and knew that you wanted to make a fresh start of everything," Willow stated, bringing up the words that she had often used towards the renegade Slayer. "And you've done nothing but prove to us that we were right. You've been an asset to Angel, especially since Cordelia had to stop fighting."
"Well, I just wish that I could help you guys with your former friends," Faith said. "I hate how much they hurt you."
"Unfortunately there's nothing any of us can do about the others," Angel ended the conversation, "so why don't we just go back to having a good time in celebrating the twins soon to be born." Everyone smiled at the suggestion and Cordelia went back to opening the gifts that sat in front of her. In addition to the baby furniture, Willow and Angel also gave her a coupon good for ten free babysitting jobs for when she and Wes decided to go out. Spike and Xander's presents included a full wardrobe for both babies while Faith gave them two years worth of diaper service. All in all, the young couple were set for the birth of their first two children.
Everyone was cleaning up the mess that was left in the office when they felt an earthquake begin to shake the building. They all went for cover, and when they were suddenly blinded by a bright white light the came out of nowhere. When it disappeared and Cordelia and Wesley came from cover, they noticed that all of their friends were now missing.
"Where'd they go?"
~Part: 2~
"Nice recovery, Joxer," the blonde warrior told his sparring partner. "Keep that up and you'll be able to beat almost anybody you come across."
"Thanks, Iolaus," the dark haired man replied. "You're a good teacher."
"I still can't understand why Xena never bothered to help you learn to fight," Iolaus muttered. "What was she thinking?"
"Probably that she and Gabrielle would be able to protect me. Pretty much like they always felt they had to," Joxer spit out, disgusted at the way that the two warrior women still felt the need to keep him out of harm's way even though he had improved his battle skills to the point that he could defend himself against the warlords that they came against so often. He couldn't understand how two, three if you included Hercules, of his closest friends refused to see the changes that were apparent to Iolaus and some of the others.
"Well, you're just going to have to show them that you don't need their protection anymore." A bright light appeared off to the side of Joxer and Iolaus. When it finally diminished, in a spot that had been empty only a moment before, there were now three oddly dressed people. Two females and a male.
"Whoa, talk about a wild ride," one of the women said. A brunette who Iolaus immediately noticed was extremely good looking.
"And I thought the roller coaster at Magic Mountain was adventurous," the male said. "It had nothing on that little trip." Iolaus and Joxer noticed the third person, a petite girl with fiery red hair and vivid green eyes looking around the clearing, as if she was searching for someone. Her eyes stopped on the two warriors and they could see a look of worry in them.
"Okay, three questions. One, where the hell are we? Two, how the hell did we get here? Three, where the hell are Angel and Spike? And four, who the hell are you," she nearly yelled.
"Ummm, Wills, hate to break it to you, but that was four questions," the boy teased. Willow just turned on him and glared.
"Bite me, Xander," Willow hissed, turning back to the two strangers. "Anyone care to answer those questions?"
"Well, I'm Iolaus and this is my friend Joxer," the blonde warrior offered, approaching the strange trio. "As to where you are, I would say about a three days journey from Potedeia. How you got here, I can't really say, nor about the whereabout of your other friends."
"We're over here, Willow," came a voice from the trees that lined the clearing. Willow and Xander both turned to see their lovers standing under the protective covering of the trees and ran to both of them, glad to see them alive, or at least undead.
"Oh goddess, Angel. When I saw that you weren't around and that we weren't in the office anymore I got so scared," Willow cried as Angel enveloped her into his arms. Spike was busy doing the same to Xander, who was planting kisses all over his lover's face. Faith smiled as she watched the reunions. She walked over to the two confused warriors.
"You'll have to forgive Red and the others. When they're together, they tend to forget that there just might be others around," she informed the two. "I'm Faith by the way. Nice swords." Joxer looked down at the sword in his hand while Iolaus found his gaze drawn to the girl's eyes. There was something about her that just attracted him like no other woman ever had.
"Umm, thanks," he managed to say after a few minutes pause. "So, just who exactly are you people and why won't those guys come out of the shade?"
"Well, the red head is Willow and the hunk that she happens to be hugging is Angel. Blondie over there is Spike and his little boy toy is Xander. As to why they are staying there," Faith thought for a moment. "Let's just say that the sun is very hazardous to the guys' health."
"Curly, Joxie, are you guys okay?" A lilting voice questioned from behind Faith, who made no move indicating that she heard it. The two men looked over the brunette's shoulder to see the Goddess of Love standing behind her.
"We're fine, Dite," Joxer answered. "Thanks for asking."
"Huh?" Faith looked behind her to see who Joxer was talking to, only to see no one behind her. "Who are you talking to?"
"Aphrodite." And incredulous look crossed Faith's features.
"As in the Goddess of Love? Whatever." Faith rolled her eyes, clearly thinking that both men were not exactly all there. Aphrodite looked over the brunette, circling her to take her in.
"What's the story with the fashion victim?" The Goddess asked. "Where'd you find her?"
"She just appeared," Iolaus answered. "Her and her friends." He indicated the cluster of tress that still held the other two couples.
"That must have been the power surge I felt."
"Hey where'd you come from?" Faith jumped back when Aphrodite finally materialized directly in front of her.
"Olympus of course," Aphrodite replied simply. "What about you? Where'd you come from since sweet cheeks said you just appeared." Faith smirked at Iolaus at the use of his nickname.
"Sweet cheeks? I can see it." The blonde warrior shifted uncomfortably under Faith's admiring gaze. "As for where we came from, that would be LA. You know, Los Angeles," she clarified when it became obvious that the three people had no idea where LA was. "And considering I don't know the date here and Aphrodite is present, I would say we're from at least two thousand years in the future."
"What?" All three people screamed in unison.
"I think you and you're friends have some explaining to do, like now," Aphrodite commanded, completely put off by Faith's announcement. "Why don't you call them over for a little chat."
"No can do, Blondie." Aphrodite bristled at Faith's tone before taking matters into her own hands. She waved her arms and suddenly two very male voices screamed in pain as their two lovers tried to cover their suddenly exposed flesh from the sun. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Faith yelled as she grabbed two cloaks that were on the ground and helped cover the two writhing vampires from the harmful sun. Smoke could be seen rising from their skin from where it had been burned from the fatal rays. The two, strong men suddenly seemed smaller as both began to whimper under the cover of the sheltering cloaks.
"What the hell are you trying to do, kill them?" Willow screamed by Angel's side as she tried to comfort the injured vampire. Aphrodite actually found herself stepping back from the scathing glare that the red head was shooting her way.
"Vampires don't do sun you stupid bitch," Xander added, as he reassured the blonde vampire at his side. He had no idea who the woman was that had just made them appear in the sun, and he was sure that she was the one that had done it, and he didn't care. All that mattered was that she had almost killed his mate and Xander didn't take kindly to anyone that tried to kill Spike.
"Vampires," Iolaus hissed, remembering his last encounter with such creatures during a visit to his old friend Vlad. "If they're really vampires, they should be killed not coddled."
"Well, not these two," Faith argued, getting to her feet and standing right in Iolaus' face. "And since I'm a Vampire Slayer, the only one that gets to kill them will be me."
"What's a vampire slayer?" Joxer questioned.
"You know, the one girl in all the world given the power and strength to kill vampires and various other demons." Faith answered before remembering where and when she was. "Oh, maybe you don't know."
"If you're meant to kill vampires, what are you protecting these creatures?" Iolaus wanted to know.
"Hey just because they're the undead, doesn't necessarily mean they aren't five by five," Faith angrily shot back.
"Undead," Aphrodite exclaimed. She had no idea what was going on, but at the mention of the dead, or undead, she called for the one person who should. "Hades!" The ground shook and everyone watched as a crack began to appear, quickly followed by a black chariot carrying an armor covered man and a beautiful woman dressed in white. The horses drew to a halt in front of Aphrodite and the man removed his helmet.
"What is so important, Aphrodite, that you felt the need to interrupt my day off?" Hades questioned. "You knew that Persophone and I had plans for a quiet picnic in the Elysian Fields today."
"Sorry, Unc, but something happened that I need to talk to you about," Aphrodite apologized to the God of the Underworld and his wife. "A major power surge was felt up on Olympus and when I came down here to investigate, I met a group of people that claim to be from the future and that two of them are undead." Hades looked over the group of people, recognizing Iolaus immediately from his various trips to the Underworld. He noticed the two men that were still hidden under the cloaks and went closer to investigate them What he found, shocked the Dark God.
"What in Tartarus is going on here?" Hades shouted, causing the birds to fly from the trees around them. "Why are these men here instead of in the Underworld."
"They're vampires," Aphrodite told her uncle. "At least, according to their friends. They're undead."
"There is no such thing as being undead, vampire or not," Hades told them. "Well, I'll just have to fix this and take them back with me to be judged."
"I don't think so," Faith shouted at the same time that Willow and Xander screamed out their own objections, both rising to stand in front of their lovers.
"You're not taking them anywhere," Willow stated.
"They stay with us," Xander added. Hades looked between the lovers.
"They are dead," Hades reasoned. "Their fates belong to me."
"Well, their hearts belong to us as do their bodies, so we decide what should happen to them." Hades looked thoughtful for a moment as he probed the minds of the two vampires. What he saw there made him shudder. "They belong in Tartarus for their actions. I cannot allow them to stay above ground," he decided. Willow paled as all her lessons on Greek mythology came back to her. She refused to let Hades take away her mate, especially if it meant an eternity in Tartarus.
"Hades, isn't there something else that could be done," the woman in white asked as she joined the Dark God. "A way that you can punish the being that was responsible for whatever you saw and that they could keep their lovers."
"Persophone, you know that I have no choice," Hades patiently told his wife. Persophone looked at him, compassion filling her eyes. She had seen the devotion that the two mortals had towards their apparent lovers and knew that if Hades took the vampires to Tartarus, then it wouldn't be long until they tried to join them.
"Well, have you considered how they were still alive, and yet dead at the same time," she probed. Hades looked at the others for an explanation. One was given by Angel, who had finally healed enough to talk.
"A demon resides in us once we are turned. It is what keeps us alive," the dark haired vampire stated.
"Then maybe, it should be the demon that goes to Tartarus and not the man," Persophone reasoned. Hades again thought for a moment, coming to a decision.
"You two are lucky that I am in love with my wife," Hades informed Spike and Angel. "And that she is very observant of those in love herself. Her suggestion has merit and as such, I will do it. Your demons are sentenced to an eternity in Tartarus for the crimes that they have committed."
"What about Angel and Spike?" Faith questioned.
"Their lives will be restored to them." Hades took Persophone's hand and they walked back to the chariot. "Do better with them this time than before. You have been given a second chance. Use it wisely." Hades spurred the horses to go and he and Persophone disappeared back down into the Underworld. Willow, Faith, Angel, Spike and Xander looked on in shock.
"Alive," Willow whispered, looking from the crack that had just closed behind the two Gods to her lover. "Alive." She watched as Angel nodded his head.
"It's gone," he told her, his voice full of surprise and hope. "I can't feel it anymore."
"Spike?" Xander asked.
"It's real." Spike tentatively put his hand out into the sun and was surprised when all he felt was the warmth that he had almost forgotten from it. He threw the cloak off of him and held his face towards the sky. "I'm alive." Spike picked Xander up and twirled the laughing teenager around.
Angel did the same thing with Willow as Faith and the others looked on, smiling at the happiness that was in front of them.
"Gotta say, you Gods sure do know how to welcome somebody."
~Part: 3~
"Wow, that is like, so romantic," Aphrodite sighed as she listened to Willow talk about how she and Angel had met and fallen in love despite all the obstacles that had been put in their way. "It just hurts that all that romance and love is there and that I'm not. Talk about a downer." The Goddess of Love, along with Joxer and Iolaus, had been surprised to find out that the stories of the Gods and the Heroes that fought for them, were considered to be nothing more than stories that one might read to their child at night.
"These Powers That Be," Iolaus began to say, "you have no idea who they are or why they chose you to help them?" Angel shook his head.
"No. The only thing I was ever told was that it was my destiny to help others," the formerly souled vampire answered as he sat in the bright afternoon sun. It still amazed him that he could actually feel his heartbeat in his chest. He could see that Spike felt the same way. The blonde's smiled having yet to leave his face. As Angel looked at his childe, he was reminded of the young man that he had known so long ago.
"I just can't understand how your friends could be so angry at you for your feelings," Joxer observed.
"Well, Buffy only saw me as her shy, awkward little friend," Willow explained. "She just wasn't able to accept that I might have been changing in front of her."
"Same here," Xander added. "Buffy only saw us as friends who needed her to protect us, no matter what we did to prove that we could do okay on our own."
"Been there, wrote that scroll," Joxer muttered as he thought of his friendships with Xena and Gabrielle. Even though he had been getting better at defending himself and had actually become less of a klutz, the two women still refused to see the changes in him. Willow and Xander toll a closer look at the dark haired man and saw the look of someone else whose friends refused to understand the real him.
"Sucks don't it?" Xander asked causing Joxer to nod his head. Before anything else could be said, a bright light flashed and two more people appeared. One was a good looking blonde with a pair of white wings attached to his back. The other a dark haired man dressed in black leather. They looked like they were the complete opposite of each other, but there was something in their body language that made Willow think that these two opposites were definitely attracted to each other.
"Cupid sweetie," Aphrodite cooed as she saw her son. "What are you doing here?"
"Dad wants to see you, pronto," Cupid told his mother. "And he definitely is not of the happy mood."
"When is Arry ever in a happy mood?" The blonde Goddess giggled. "That man thrives on bad vibes."
'Well, right now those vibes are sitting in your temple threatening some serious redecorating," the other man stated.
"And just what is he so miffed about now, Strife?" Aphrodite questioned.
"Something about a war stopped because of you." Aphrodite looked thoughtful as she tried to remember what happened.
"Oh yeah, that whole thing down in Thrace," she snapped her fingers. "Like I was supposed to know that the king would actually accept the wedding. Oh well" Aphrodite shrugged her shoulders. "Better go see what Tall, Dark and Angry wants before he starts tearing apart my temple." Aphrodite disappeared in a pink flash and a shower of flower petals.
"Cool," Xander grinned as he snuggled closer to Spike. "Gotta love the way those Gods flash in and out, doncha Wills?"
"Giles would probably go all freaky or something if he could see it." Willow suddenly grew silent as she remembered that the Watcher who was like a father to her, didn't want anything more to do with her. Angel could sense the despondency that had overcome his mate and wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head.
"Don't worry, kitten," he assured her. "Giles will get over his anger at you and Xander eventually. I promise."
"Yeah, eventually he'll realize that Slutty was just being the self centered, obnoxious little twit that she usually is and decide that you and Xander belong with us," Spike mused. "Especially now that we're human again." A wide grin spread over the blonde's pale features.
"You like saying that, don't you?"
"Damn straight, luv," Spike told Xander. "Although I guess I will miss being the bad ass master vamp and all."
"Seems like mom's got herself into something interesting," Cupid noted. "So what's the deal, Curly?"
"Long story," Iolaus answered.
"Yeah, so dish." Iolaus sighed as he took a bite of the apple that he was holding. "Who are the newbies with you and Joxie and what did they mean about being human again?" Everyone updated Cupid and Strife on what had happened and the two Gods listened amazed to the stories they were being told. When they were finally caught up, Cupid sighed over the romance of the story, while Strife found himself intrigued by some of the other aspects of their lives in Sunnydale.
"So, let me get this straight. You two," pointing to Spike and Angel," were evil vampires that loved to torture people, at least until Angel got his soul back." The two former vampires nodded their heads. "Now that sounds like my kind of fun."
"You'll have to forgive Strife," Cupid smiled, laughing at the dark haired God. "He is the God of Mischief after all."
"My kind of God," Spike grinned, flirting slightly with Strife. "I like a man who causes trouble."
"Then you just gotta meet Uncle Ares. No one does trouble more than him," Strife said, seeing a possible friend with the now mortal Spike. "Then again, what would you expect from the God of War." Xander saw the matching grins that were being passed between Spike and Strife and felt a stab of jealousy go through him. He also could tell that Cupid wasn't too happy about it either.
"Would the two of you like some alone time?" Xander asked sarcastically. "You know, so you can bond." Spike felt the tenseness in Xander's body and realized that the teenager was actually taking his flirting with the God seriously. He turned Xander in his arms so that he could face him.
"Why would I want to be alone with him when I have everything I need already in my arms?" Spike leaned in and gave Xander a kiss that let him know exactly everything that he was feeling. The heat they were giving off threatened to overwhelm the other people present. "I love you, Xan-pet."
"Love you too," Xander managed to get out between gasps for air.
"Damn, if all mortal can find that kind of love on their own, no wonder they don't pray to the Gods anymore," Cupid observed. "I just don't understand why those friends of yours can't see it."
"Let's just say that B isn't exactly known for her brains," Faith commented. "Then again, not many blondes are."
"Hey," Spike, Iolaus and Cupid protested causing the others to laugh.
"Present company excluded, of course," Faith amended, unable to contain the laughter that she was trying to hold back. "Anyway, B's more upset by the fact that Red's getting it from a gorgeous male that turned his back on her, while she's stuck with some wannabe commando boy." Strife lifted his head as he heard someone call to him.
"Seems Uncle Dark and Dangerous wants me," he stated as he stood up. "Better go and see what he wants before he gets more pissed than he already is. Later." With a flash Strife disappeared.
"Well, I guess I better disappear too. Mom wants me to attend some orgy in Athens tonight," Cupid stated. "Probably be an all nighter too, knowing those Athenians." The blonde God looked over the odd assembly of people on the ground. "Do you have an idea of where you're heading?"
"Joxer and I are supposed to meet Herc, Xena and Gabrielle in Potedeia," Iolaus volunteered. "Maybe you'd like to join us," he invited Angel and the others.
"Sounds like a plan to me," Faith agreed while the others nodded their heads.
"Excellent. Talk to you all later." Cupid then disappeared.
"You know. B's never gonna believe this."
Potadeia
"Giles, where are we and how exactly did we get here?" Buffy questioned her former Watcher as she looked around the town they were in.
"I'm not really sure," Giles admitted. "Although by the wares that are being sold, I would have to say we are somewhere in Ancient Greece."
"But that's impossible," Graham argued.
"We live on the Hellmouth, Graham," Riley reminded his friend. "We learned a long time ago that nothing is impossible."
"Good point."
"Hey guys, wait up," a familiar voice called from behind them. Giles, Buffy, Riley, Anya and Graham turned to see Forrest coming up to them. They noticed how people gave him a wide berth, probably due to the scowl on his face and the gun in his hand. "What the hell happened?" He asked as soon as he reached them.
"Don't know," Buffy answered. "All I remember is one minute were reading some prophecy and then the next thing I knew we were here."
"Yeah, sounds familiar," Forrest agreed. "I was just about to destroy a couple of hostiles when out of nowhere a bright light appeared." Forrest them realizes what exactly Buffy said they were in the middle of. "A prophecy? Anything to do with Willow and Xander?" Giles nodded his head.
"It appears that they were supposed to fall in love with Angel and Spike but I didn't have enough time to properly translate everything," the Englishman explained.
"Damn, but there's a chance that Willow will go back to normal when whatever is supposed to happen does?" Despite the situation they had all found themselves in, Forrest actually smiled at the prospect of having another chance with the red headed witch.
"Most likely," Giles offered. "But first we have to figure out how we get back to Sunnydale."
"Excuse me, but we were wondering if we could talk to you," a voice asked from behind Buffy. The group turned as one and faced the three people that interrupted them. They found themselves in front of a blond male and his two female companions. One dressed in a short skirt and an ugly green top, while the other was in leather.
"What about?" Buffy questioned.
"About why there are stories going around about how a group of strangers just appeared out of nowhere," the man replied. "And since you obviously aren't Gods, I would like to know the answer to that myself."
"And just who are you?" Buffy narrowed her eyes, preparing herself for any threat towards herself or her friends.
"Hercules and these are my companions Xena and Gabrielle."
"The Hercules," Giles exclaimed. "I thought you were only a myth. A story."
"Oh he's very real," the blonde, Gabrielle, replied. "But who are you?"
"Oh, excuse me. My name is Rupert Giles and these young people are some of my charges. Buffy, Anya, Forrest, Graham and Riley." Each person nodded their head as their name was said.
"Where did you come from?" Xena inquired, suspicious. There was something surrounding these people that she didn't like.
"Its a very long story and unfortunately we don't even know all of it," Giles explained.
"Well, why not tell us what you do know and then go from there," Hercules ordered. Giles sighed and began telling the demi-god and his companions the history of Sunnydale, vampires, Slayers and the apparent time traveling that they had just encountered. Gabrielle listened with a fine ear, already deciding that it would make for a wonderful story for the bard to tell. Hercules and Xena listened in as they were told about the battles that they fought, comparing them to their own fights.
"And so, that's everything we know," Giles finished. "And now we have no idea of how we got here or how were going to get back."
"Maybe the Gods would be able to help us," Gabrielle naively mentioned. Hercules thought about it, trying to decide which one of his relatives would be the most cooperative.
"Aphrodite," he called. The Goddess of Love appeared in a shower of pink and flowers.
"Hey, little bro, what's up," the blonde Goddess said, smiling kindly at Giles, Riley, Graham and Forrest, all of whom seemed to have their tongues hanging out. "What do we have here?"
"Seems that these people came from another time," Hercules stated. "You wouldn't have anything to do with that would you?"
"What makes you think that I would have anything to do with anyone coming from another time?" Aphrodite replied sweetly. "And what exactly do you mean, coming from another time?"
"Accordingly to Giles here," Hercules indicated the older man, "they are from the year 2000 and live in someplace called Sunnydale, California. They just arrived here by some means that they aren't sure of. Sounds like the works of one of you." Aphrodite continued smiling even though she realized exactly who the people in front of her were. She recalled just exactly they had done to Willow and the other people that she had met earlier and had found an instant dislike forming towards them. And it didn't escape her notice that her little brother and his friends were the ones that found them, while Joxer and Iolaus found Willow and the others.
"Can't help ya, Herc," she told him. "And I really can't stick around either. Got a little get together going in Athens, if you know what I mean." And with that, she was gone.
"Okay, I really want to learn that disappearing thing," Buffy stated.
"It's a God thing," Hercules said in distaste. "And trust me, the less time you spend with them, the better."
~Part: 4~
"So you and Hercules go around helping people," Spike repeated Iolaus comments from a moment ago. "Sounds like the great poof."
"The great poof?" Joxer questioned, confused about the title.
"Spike," Angel growled. "Behave."
"Or what?" Spike grinned. "What are you going to do about it, Peaches? In case you've forgotten, you're not my sire anymore."
"Doesn't mean that I have forgotten all the delicious ways I know of on how to punish you," Angel stated, eerily reminiscent of Angelus. "And I'm sure that I could probably come up with a few more too." Spike blanched at the apparent threat in Angel's voice.
"Hey, there will be no torturing of any kind, thank you," Xander yelled back to the bickering ex-vampires. Xander, Faith and Willow were up ahead of the four men, having decided that they wanted to take in the countryside that was surrounding them. They were also on the lookout for anything that might explain just why they had been transported back in time to Ancient Greece.
"So, just how long have you two known each other," Iolaus asked, recognizing the bantering between the two men as something that only people that care about each other did. "You seem to know an awful lot about each other."
"Well, Peaches and I have known each other for what, over a hundred and forty years now," Spike answered. "Bastard turned me on the night of my twenty fifth birthday. Talk about a depressing present." Angel rolled his eyes at the put out expression on his childe's face.
"Don't even go there, William," he said, using Spike's given name. A fact that didn't go unnoticed by the others who knew exactly how much the blonde hated when he did that. "Considering how well you took to being a vampire, I would say my turning you was one of the best things that ever happened to you." Willow looked back at her lover in surprise at his comment. He caught her look and shrugged his shoulders. "I can't believe I actually just said that."
"Wow, so how old are you?" Joxer asked Angel, stunned that anyone other than the Gods could be so old.
"Somewhere around two hundred and fifty, but I stopped keeping track after awhile," he told them. "After the first hundred years, it doesn't seem that important."
"Tell me about it," A feminine voice giggled as Aphrodite appeared in the road ahead. "Hey Curly, Joxie."
"Hello Aphrodite," Iolaus greeted the Goddess. "How was your party?" The blonde's face lit up as she remembered the previous night's events.
"Great, of course," she offered. "You should have been there."
"Maybe next time," the blonde warrior countered. "So, is there a particular reason that you're here?"
"Cupie told me that you were heading to Potadeia to meet up with my brother and his little friends, Xena and Gabrielle." Iolaus nodded his head. "Just thought I would give a head's up that there are a few other people there that might not be too happy to meet your new friends."
"Like who?"
"A certain blonde that really needs to do something about her attitude and a group of guys that seem to hang on her every word," Aphrodite answered. Willow and the others groaned as they realized whom the blonde was that the Goddess was talking about.
"Buffy," Willow moaned as she allowed Angel to wrap her in his arms.
"What the bloody hell is the damn Slayer and her boy toys doing here?" Spike cursed.
"Whatever brought us here probably did the same thing to them," Angel offered. Spike gave him one of his patented `bite me' looks and Angel just gave him his `been there, done that,' looks in return. "It makes sense if you think about it. I mean, maybe there was a reason that we're all here."
"Then why didn't we all end up in the same place?" Xander asked. "I mean, if we were all meant to be here, wouldn't it make sense to have us all together?"
"It would, if you were all supposed to do the same thing," Joxer commented, actually using his brain instead of playing the bumbling oaf that Xena and Gabrielle always expect him to be. "Maybe that's why you met up with Iolaus and me instead of the others."
"I think it is interesting that Sweet Cheeks and Joxie ran into you guys while the others have to deal with Mr. Self Righteous," Aphrodite giggled. "Between Herc, Xena and Gabrielle, I have never met three more stubborn people in my life and that's saying a lot. They hate it when something doesn't go the way they want it to. Joxie and Curly are much more in the moment kinda guys. That's why I love 'em so much." Joxer and Iolaus blushed under the compliments that the Goddess was giving them. They knew how much the Gods hated the way that Hercules and Xena often got special treatment from Zues and resented the way that the King of the Gods often favored his two mortal children.
"How did you find out about Buffy and the others?" Willow inquired.
"Oh, little brother Hercules decided that them arriving must have had something to do with the Gods and, since I'm the only one that usually will give him the time of day, he called me to yell about it," Aphrodite answered. "You should have seen his face when I told him that I didn't know what had happened and that none of the Gods had anything to do with them landing in Potadeia."
"How did they react when you told them about us?" Faith questioned, worried that her friends would somehow get blamed for this and not wanting them hurt. Aprhodite looked at the brunette slayer and gave her a smile that made Faith grin even before she heard Aphrodite's answer.
"Well, I might have accidentally left out the part where you guys were here and that I already had met you," the blonde Goddess informed everyone.
"So that means that B had absolutely no idea that we are here or that Hades made Fang and Blondie human?" Faith chuckled at the thought of Buffy's reaction to that news. She suddenly couldn't wait to get to this Potadeia and run into her sister Slayer. "Oh man, this is gonna be classic."
"Faith," Willow admonished the other girl, but was unable to keep her own giggles under control. She knew exactly what Faith was thinking and couldn't help herself but anticipate the forthcoming confrontation. Buffy and the others had put her and Xander through an emotional ringer when they told them about their relationships with Angel and Spike. She thought it only appropriate that they have a little fun on their behalf. "Okay, so it will be a little funny. Man, what will Buffy say when she sees you out in the daylight?" Willow lifted her face to look at Angel. "She's gonna flip."
"Okay, is it me or is anyone else suddenly anxious to get to this little town?" Spike asked, smiling.
"I don't think that it would be too good of an idea if your friends see you this soon," Iolaus stated. "If they're with Herc and the others, there's a good chance that they may tell them about you also. And, although Herc is my best friend and as close to me as a brother, he can be a little on the judgmental side. So depending on what they tell him,"
"He'll probably want to hurt us, right?" Xander gulped, finishing off the blonde warrior's thoughts.
"I don't know if hurt would be the right word, but you get the picture." Iolaus and Joxer both looked at the stranded friends in front of them, sympathy at their situation.
"Aphrodite, is there anyway that you could help them get back to their time," Joxer asked but watched as the Goddess of Love only shook her head.
"Wish there was, Joxie, but I have no idea of how they got here," she answered. "But I have to agree with Sweet Cheeks. Maybe it wouldn't be such a good idea if you met up with the others just yet. Give you all to adjust to being here and maybe give me some time to find a way to get you back home."
"But where are we supposed to stay until then?" Willow asked. "Its not exactly like we have any money and I'm not seeing any convenient Super 8s around here." The two mortals and one Goddess looked confused at Willow's statement, but shrugged it off figuring it just had to be because she was from a different time.
"How do you feel about camping out?" Xander quipped, trying to ease the tension that was threatening to overwhelm them all. "Come on. Think about it. Fire. Stars. S'mores." This earned at least a half-hearted chuckle from Faith and Willow both while still confusing the others.
"One problem with that Xan-pet," Spike pointed out. "We don't have chocolate. We don't have marshmallows. And we don't have graham crackers."
"But we have a beautiful goddess who could probably make them for us if we asked her really nicely," the brunette teenager smiled, looking over at Aphrodite.
"Actually, I think I can do one better than that." With a flash, everyone found themselves in a lavishly decorated room. It had pink satin and lace hanging from its walls and there was an overpowering aroma of flowers in the air.
"Where are we?" Joxer asked.
"In my home on Olympus." At that everyone jumped. The thought of actually being on Mount Olympus more than they had ever thought about.
"Olympus?" Joxer repeated. "Why?"
"Because I figured that this way you would definitely not run into my dear brother and sister and that it would give our guests time to adjust," Aphrodite explained. "Besides, I'm willing to lay odds that Zeus and the old battle ax will be majorly stoked at having people from the future here. They're gonna want to know everything."
"Do we have to talk to them?" Willow questioned nervously.
"Not right now," the Goddess answered. "First, lets get you settled into some rooms and get you all something to eat. I don't know about you, but I'm starved." Aphrodite snapped her fingers as her face took on a grim look. "Damn, forgot that I have to meet Ares. He should be here any second."
"Why is Ares coming here?" Joxer wanted to know. He had always worshipped the God of War, even met him a few times on his travels with Xena, but he knew that he was not worthy of calling himself one of Ares' followers.
"Because `Dite and I have a little matter to discuss, don't we," a deep voice replied from behind everyone. Aphrodite rolled her eyes as she saw the new arrival.
"Hello Arry."
~Part: 5~
"Look out, its big bad and evil himself," Joxer muttered so low that only those closest to him heard it. Ares looked over the odd assembly of mortals in Aphrodite's Olympus home and growled as he spotted the source of so much of his irritation.
"What's going on, Dite?" He sneered. "Having a little get together of the poor and pathetic?" The Goddess of Love rolled her eyes at her younger brother.
"No, Ar. These people have found themselves quite a long distance from home, and I was just offering them a place to stay until I can find them a way to get home," she told him. "Especially since some friends of theirs have run into our dear brother and sister and they aren't too keen on running into them."
"So, of course, that means that you had to take Herc and Xena's little friends with you, right," the God of War sarcastically retorted. "Nothing to keep the dynamic duo away from us than having their friends over for a little tea."
"Well, they were with Joxie and Curly and I thought it would be like totally rude if I didn't include them in the invitation," Aphrodite cried. "I mean, sure, rudeness might be a virtue you favor, but I happen to be the Goddess of Love and I prefer to be nice. And since you're in my home, I expect the same of you."
"Like I would do anything you would ever expect," Ares sneered. "I don't even know why I bother with you since you always seem so intent on helping those that are completely without hope."
"Hey, remember us," Joxer shouted, his temper rising with every word coming out of Ares mouth. He couldn't explain it, but there was something about the God of War that always made Joxer lose his temper, a feat that not many could brag about doing. "We are still in the room so it would be nice if you could stop talking about us as if we weren't."
Ares turned his attention from his blonde sister to the wannabe warrior, a sneer on his face and a growl coming from low in his chest. There was something about the man in front of him that always made him want to destroy things. He didn't understand why he let Joxer bother him so much. He wasn't much of a warrior. He bragged about things that he couldn't possibly have done. He falls more times than the number of years that Ares has been alive and yet he has managed to survive everything that has been put in his path.
"Trust me, Joxer, it's impossible to not know when you're in a room," Ares growled, turning his anger onto the mortal. "With all that ridiculous metal that you call armor, anyone within a day's walk knows when you're around."
"Oh please, look who's talking. Mr. Let's just sneak up on the mortals and scare them to death," Joxer retorted.
"I would suggest you remember who you're talking too, mortal," Ares firmly ordered. He approached Joxer, who refused to give away any ground to the angry God of War.
"Like I can ever forget," Joxer threw back at him. "All you ever do is remind me that you're the big, bad God of War. Hello, like the black metal and the disappearing thing wouldn't be the first clue."
"Be careful, Joxer," Ares warned. "I don't want to have to mess up Aphrodite's little temple with your remains."
"Is that suppose to scare me?" Joxer mocked shock. "Oh no, Ares threatened me. Ares is gonna fry me where I stand. Whatever will I do?" Joxer grinned evilly at the God of War. "You know if you did anything to me, Xena would be an ever bigger sore in your butt than she already is."
"Okay, do the two of them remind you of anyone?" Willow whispered to Faith, who was standing at her side and watching the two men go at each other. It was apparent to everyone around that Ares and Joxer had completely forgotten the others were still in the room.
"Have to say, they remind me a bit of Blondie and Xander before we locked them in that room," Faith commented, wincing at a particularly nasty comment from Joxer about Ares ability with women. "Damn, they do have it bad, don't they?"
"You noticed that too, huh?" Angel said, as he put his arm around Willow. It didn't escape his notice that the two men arguing were reminiscent of his childe and Xander, either. It amazed him that people were so willing to deny their attraction to someone and argue with them, instead of trying to seduce them. Then again, to each his own.
"Kind of obvious, don't ya think?" Willow asked.
"Gods, Ares, why don't you give it up, already?" Joxer shouted. "I mean, you keep threatening and threatening and yet you never do anything. I'm beginning to wonder what I ever saw in you to worship."
"How dare you, you little insignificant piece of dirt," Ares bellowed. "You're lucky that I even listened to your prayers. The only reason I did was because your father was a good man in his day and I respected what he did in my name. Unlike his son, that is. No wonder the only time he didn't ignore you was when he decided that you needed to be disciplined."
"Ouch, that had to hurt," Xander quietly stated, remembering his own childhood at the hands of an abusive father. He sympathized with the would be warrior, understanding why he still wanted to be the hero even when it was obvious that he couldn't fight. It was why Xander was still a Slayerette, even when he knew that he wasn't exactly the strongest member of the group.
Spike saw the expression that crossed his lover's face and took Xander in his arms. Spike remembered everything that Xander told him about his family life, including the way that the mortal boy had shook with sobs until his body finally fell into an uncomfortable sleep. It took all the strength the now ex-vampire had to restrain himself from going and killing the entire Harris family for the harm they had inflicted on the boy he loved. The only reason he didn't kill them all was because he knew that Xander would be hurt and upset if they suddenly were dead.
"You bastard," Joxer hissed, his anger at Ares suddenly increasing ten fold at the mention of his family. "Don't you dare speak to me about my family. If I remember correctly, it isn't like you had the best of childhoods either."
"And yet another reminder of Spike and Xander," Willow noted. This time it was Aphrodite who asked a question. She had overheard the conversation that the youths were having and was intrigued by their observations of her younger brother and the mortal that he so loved baiting.
'Is it possible that I missed their fighting as being a sign of something else?' The blonde Goddess though. She looked over at the two men still arguing, studying the way they held themselves back from any physical harm, although it should have come to that by now, and yet were holding nothing back with their verbal abuse. 'I don't believe it. How in the world did I miss this? Ares is attracted to Joxer and its mutual. Damn. I must be losing my touch. I can't believe I didn't see it before. And if the way they're fighting is any clue, I would say this is definitely more than a physical thing. They're in love.'
"So what you're saying is that Ares and Joxer are attracted to each other?" Iolaus questioned, wondering to himself why he wasn't entirely surprised by that revelation. He remembered the conversations he had had with Joxer about the God of War and realized that, even when speaking with an angry tone, there had always been a hint of something else. Not to mention all of those times when he could have sworn that something or someone had been protecting the wannabe warrior from harm. "Damn, Herc and Xena are gonna flip."
"You said that it was the same way with Xander and Spike," Aphrodite muttered, trying to make sure that the two battling men continued to remain oblivious to the conversation surrounding them. "What happened to make them realize that they cared about each other?"
"They locked us in a room for two days," Xander answered.
"Bloody wankers figured that we would either kill each other or shag our brains out," Spike added.
"And I'm thinking that the shagging your brains out was what happened," Aphrodite grinned. She didn't exactly know what the term meant, but she had a good idea by the way Xander was blushing. "So, what you're saying is that maybe we should put Ares and Joxie in a room alone together and see what happens." There was a gleam in the Goddess' eyes that Iolaus recognized immediately.
"Aphrodite, don't you even think about it," the blonde warrior warned. She just looked at him, innocently.
"What? If it would help my brother be a little less of the kill, kill, kill mood, I'm all for it," she told him. "Now let me think for a minute. Got it." Aphrodite waved her hands towards Joxer and Ares who disappeared in a flash of light. "Now, who wants to eat?"
~Part: 6~
"Aphrodite, where are Joxer and Ares?" Iolaus asked the Goddess of Love, who only smiled back at him. He winced at the implications of what that smile could mean, especially since he has been on the receiving end of Aphrodite's generosity on several occasions. "What had you done?"
"Don't worry, Curly, "Aphrodite tried to placate the warrior. "I just took the idea that out young friends had and used it for Joxie and Arry."
"But where are they?" Willow repeated Iolaus' question, not sure how the Goddess could lock up another God, and not really sure if she wanted to know.
"I just put them in a time bubble and, before any of you ask, Ares won't be able to use his powers to get out. And I won't let him hurt Joxie either," she informed them all, correctly interpreting their questions as worry for the wannabe warrior. "That is, unless that's what he's into." The other people present shifted, suddenly uncomfortable at the thoughts the Goddess' comments brought to mind. Aphrodite giggled as some of the expressions on their faces. "Look, if it will make you feel any better, you can spy on them if you really want."
"How?" Faith questioned.
"With this," Aphrodite answered at the same time a scrying mirror appeared in her hands. In it, everyone witnessed Joxer and Ares as they continued to argue, apparently completely oblivious to the fact that they were no longer in Aphrodite's temple.
"Hey, mom, what's going on?" Cupid called, breaking the silence that had descended upon the occupants of the room as he entered with Strife by his side. The two young Gods noticed everyone's attention focused on the mirror and went closer to see what was happening. They were both shocked to see the arguing twosome. "Why are dad and Joxer in a time bubble?"
"We're trying to get them to admit that they care for each other," Aphrodite whispered, trying to continue listening to the escalating argument. She winced as Ares threw Joxer's infatuation with Gabrielle in his face. "Hey now, that was like so not fair. It was all my fault Joxer ever felt anything for that little blonde bimbo."
"Wait a minute," Strife interrupted, still stuck on the concept of Ares and Joxer involved, "are you trying to tell me that you all think that Unc and Joxer actually like each other and that you locked them together to get them to admit it?"
"You got it," Faith grinned. "How do you think we finally got Blondie and Xander together?"
"Oh this I gotta see," Strife matched Faith's grin with one of his own. He had always harbored a suspicion that his uncle had feelings for the klutzy warrior, having caught him checking up on Joxer when he thought no one was around, but never dared to admit it. Now his aunt was going to force them both to admit it and he didn't want to miss a thing. "So just how long do you plan on keeping the two of them in there?"
"Didn't really think about it," the blonde Goddess shrugged, before turning to Spike. "How long did it take for you and Xander to stop fighting and start ummm, what did you call it, shagging?"
"The shagging started about a day after we were locked in," the ex-vampire answered, grinning at the memory of taking Xander for the first time And then Xander returning the favor enthusiastically. He shifted as he felt his pants suddenly grow tight at the memories at the same time, noticing that his lover seemed to be having the same problem. "And I've been grateful to Peaches and Red ever since." He pulled Xander into a deep kiss that affected everyone present.
"Same here," Xander added as soon as they parted. He had felt Spike's need in their kiss and knew that they needed some private time soon or else he would probably take the ex-vampire in front of everyone there. "I need you," he whispered to his mate, who nodded his agreement. Aphrodite seemed to sense what was going on between the men and smiled. She was the Goddess of Love after all.
"Down that hall, second door on the right." Spike and Xander only nodded before going to the room indicated, leaving the others smiling after them.
"I swear, I have never seen two hornier people in my life," Faith commented dryly.
"Except for yourself, that is," Willow teased.
"Yeah, well, what can I say. I yam what I yam," Faith threw back.
"Thank you Popeye," Willow finished laughing with her friend. The three Gods tried to figure out what the two girls were laughing about but finally gave up; figuring it was something to do with the time they were from. Everyone's attention was once again upon the scrying mirror as they heard the Goddess' name shouted in anger.
"Aphrodite," Ares screamed. "Where in Tartarus are you and what have you done?" Ares and Joxer had finally noticed that they were no longer with the others and the God of War corrected assumed that his sister had something to do with it. He had tried to use his powers to return to his temple in Thrace and was surprised and angry when they didn't work. He yelled again when the Goddess didn't answer him. "Aphrodite, get us out of here right now, or so help me, you will not like what I do to your next little festival in Corinth."
"Gee, another threat from the great God of War," Joxer mocked. "That's sure one way of making sure she doesn't do anything to help." Ares turned his anger at his sister towards his follower.
"This is all your fault," the War God stated.
"My fault," Joxer croaked. "How do you figure that?"
"If you didn't purposely try to goad me into an argument then she wouldn't have put us here to fight now would she?"
"Oh please, like you need a reason to fight," Joxer threw back at him. "You live for it. And don't even try to blame me. You go out of your way to piss me off."
"Why would I bother you with giving you that kind of attention," Ares asked. "Why would I spend my time dealing with you?"
"I don't know," Joxer answered honestly. "Why don't you tell me since you're the one that seems to be doing it."
"Well, it can't be that you're all the great looking," (although, you aren't exactly the ugliest person I've ever seen). "And you definitely aren't a warrior," (but you have been getting better, even if Xena and that idiot brother of mine can't see it.) "You can't stand the thought of hating anyone, always wanting to see the good in people," (but that isn't a bad thing. In fact it's one of the reasons that people are willing to put up with your faults.)
"Well, thanks for pointing out everything I'm not," Joxer deadpanned. "I never would have guessed if you didn't tell me." There was something in Joxer's voice that made Ares do a double take. It was almost as if Joxer was giving up on the fight and that was something Ares wasn't able to let him do.
"Oh don't go feeling sorry for yourself," Ares ordered. "I mean, for you that's so been there, done that."
"Back off," Joxer ordered, suddenly in the mood for the fight again. "Why don't you go bother one of your priests or something."
"I'm stuck here with you, remember," Ares reminded him, glad to see the fight back in the warrior. He refused to admit it, but he did enjoy goading Joxer into a fight. "Trust me, if I could be anywhere else I would be. There's this sweet little warbride waiting for her husband to come home and I was thinking of paying her a visit." Ares leered at the mention of the woman in question, while Joxer just groaned.
"Oh please, is that the only way you can get someone," Joxer argued. "Pretend to be someone else. What, if you show up as you do you go impotent?" That one word set Ares off, causing him to do something that, later he would admit to having wanted to do for a very long time.
"Impotent," he screamed. "I'll show you impotent." Ares was across the room in three long strides, standing directly in front of Joxer. He grabbed the smaller man and pulled him until they were flush and kissed him. Hard.
~Part: 7~
At first, Joxer's mind couldn't process what was going on. One minute he was fighting with Ares, like usual, and the next, Ares was crushing his lips in what could only be described as an intense kiss. One that Joxer had never imagined being given to him, and certainly not by the God of War. Then his brain shut down completely as Joxer's hormones kicked in and he found himself returning the kiss with everything that he was, opening his mouth and allowing Ares to explore it with his tongue, causing both men to moan.
Ares was lost. He didn't know what had caused him to kiss Joxer. He had never thought of the wannabe warrior as someone to be wanted, to be desire, but damned if that wasn't what Ares was thinking now. He wrapped his arms around Joxer's slim waist, pulling their two bodies closer together. When Joxer opened his mouth, he wantonly plundered it with his tongue, tasting the man that had worshipped him his whole life.
"Ares," Joxer moaned breathlessly when they parted briefly to allow oxygen into their deprived lungs. Joxer's hands wound themselves into the God's hair as he started laying kisses down Joxer's neck. Joxer threw his head back, giving Ares better access to his flesh. The small warrior felt his insides melt as his body heated up from the kisses that he was being covered with. He felt himself hardened and pressed himself impossibly closer to Ares, feeling Ares' own erection pressed through the leather of the God's pants.
Ares returned to Joxer's mouth, suddenly not able to get enough of it. Ares had never felt anything like what he was feeling now. It was like every nerve ending in his body was sensitive and that the only thing they would respond to was Joxer. All the anger and seeming hatred that the two men had for each other had suddenly been turned into long denied lust and feelings that neither man was sure they would possibly feel towards the other.
"Joxer," this time it was Ares turn to moan as he felt Joxer run his hands along that front of his chest, slowly removing the vest that covered the War God's body. His moan grew louder as Joxer dropped his head and covered one of Ares' nipples with his mouth. Joxer laved it with his tongue causing Ares to hold the man's head as close to his chest as possible. Joxer grinned at the reaction he was causing. He had never felt so empowered before. He moved his mouth from one nipple to the other, treating it to the same bathing with his tongue. He felt his hair being pulled by the death grip that Ares had on his hair. Then he felt those hands pull him away from Ares' chest and back to his mouth.
"I want you," was all the God of War could say. And the only thing Joxer could do was nod his head in agreement. The two men fumbled their way to the bed amid a flurry of kisses followed by both men undressing. Joxer blushed at the admiring gaze that had settled on Ares face. He had never had anyone look at him with such a wanton look of desire on his or her face. Usually it was more like derision and he found himself feeling more and more self-conscious and tried to cover himself up.
"Don't," Ares ordered. Ares grabbed Joxer's arms and placed them at his side. "Don't ever hide from me." Ares leaned down and kissed Joxer again, allowing them both to fall towards the bed and land with a soft thud. Ares rolled them until he was lying on top of the mortal, both groaning as their hard cocks rubbed. The friction that was created stirred them both to more and heavier gropes of their hands.
Ares slowly licked and nibbled his way down Joxer's body, tasting the man that had come to mean so many things to him. He loved how Joxer's body moved under his and the little groans that he could elicit with just the right touch. He looked up at Joxer and saw no hesitation, no fear of what was about to come. Joxer was completely giving himself over to the God and that startled Ares. War had never had a lover respond so willingly to him and he wanted to make sure that Joxer would be satisfied with everything that happened between the two of them.
Ares finally found himself nestled in the dark curls that surrounded Joxer's cock and he inhaled the sharp, musky scent that was his soon to be lover, becoming intoxicated with it. He knew that he could never get too much of it. Joxer gasped as he felt Ares' tongue lick the moisture from the tip of his cock and practically screamed when he felt Ares' warm mouth engulf his whole length, milking him for all he was worth. He wrapped his hands in Ares's dark hair, urging his God on while thrusting his hips forcing Ares' to take in more of his length. Joxer was so close that it was all he could to do to hold his orgasm off, not wanting it to end so quickly. Ares could feel Joxer's hesitation and refused to allow his warrior to hold back. He sucked on his cock, one hand massaging his balls, while the other found its way to Joxer's ass, running a finger along the crack, before inserting it. Joxer cried out as his orgasm was ripped from his body, allowing his seed to pour into Ares' willing mouth.
Ares swallowed everything that Joxer had given him, not allowing one drop to spill, enjoying the taste of his lover. Finally, once there was nothing left to take, he kissed his way back up to Joxer's lips, which parted so that they could share a mind-shattering kiss. "You are delicious," Ares purred.
"That was incredible," Joxer managed to gasp out as he tried to regain some semblance of normal breathing. "I never imagined it could be so good. Is everything that good?" Ares grinned.
"Better," he answered, grinding his erection into Joxer's pelvis. Joxer moaned as he felt his God's obvious desire.
"Show me."
*****
"Wow," Willow sighed as she watched the two new lovers in the mirror. "I mean... wow. I've never seen anything like that before."
"Mom, I now see what you saw in Dad," Cupid stated as he watched his father prop Joxer up.
"Now I know where you got it from, Flyboy," Strife said, leering at his lover. "Like father, like son I am very happy to say." Cupid flashed his lover a lecherous grin, full of promises of things to come.
"Why do I think that you don't have to worry about Ares being upset about locking him in that bubble with Joxer," Iolaus observed, surprised at the amount of passion that was being exhibited by his friend. He never knew that Joxer had it in him and he suddenly was glad that Gabrielle had ignored him for so long. Somehow, Iolaus didn't think she would be too receptive to some of the things he would have wanted to do. "I didn't even think that was physically possible," he said as he watched Ares slam his cock into the very pliant body of Joxer who was not in one of the positions that one would normally see.
"I wonder if Blondie and Xander have ever done that?" Faith asked, shifting in her chair. Normally she didn't go into the whole peeping tom thing, but she just couldn't stop from looking.
"Trust me, if Spike can think of it, he will do it," Angel answered, pulling Willow closer to him so that his hardening cock was pushed into her backside. Willow whimpered as she felt his need, wetness pooling in her own overheated core. Angel could smell it and knew that they needed to be alone just as his childe was with Xander. "Aphrodite?"
"Fourth door on the left," she replied absently, not even looking at them. She continued to watch as her ex-lover made love to one of her favorite mortals. She wasn't surprised to see the passion that Ares was showing, having been on the receiving end of it quite a few times in the past, but she was surprised to see the tenderness that was there. She suddenly had an intense desire to see her husband and winked out without saying a word.
"Strife, you do realize what dad and Joxer being in the time bubble means, don't you?' Cupid whispered in his lover's ears, wrapping the God of Mischief in his wings. Strife grinned as he realized exactly what his lover meant.
"We have the whole temple to ourselves," he answered.
"And Bliss is with his great grandparents," Cupid elaborated.
"Then what are we waiting for?" And the two Gods winked out leaving Faith and Iolaus the only ones left in the room.
"Well, ummm, this is interesting," Iolaus muttered as sounds of powerful lovemaking filled the room from the mirror. "So what do you want to do?"
"Normally I would say screw like rabbits, but" Faith quipped.
"Same here, but," Iolaus agreed. "Maybe we could talk. You know, get to know each other better, first. Seems like we may be spending a lot of time together, if you know what I mean."
"Yup," Faith said as she looked towards the hallway where her friends had gone down. "Definitely gonna be a long couple of days."
~Part: 8~
"So tell me about yourself, Laus," Faith said, as she and the blonde hunter wandered around the gardens that surrounded Aphrodite's temple. "Exactly how long have you known Joxer?"
"I've known him for about four or five years now," Iolaus replied, taking in the sights that were around him. While he knew that Hercules had been to Olympus a few times, the only realm of the Gods that Iolaus had ever seen was Hades. "He was traveling with Xena and Gabrielle by then."
"And they are?"
"Well, Xena used to be a major warlord that worked for Ares, but now she helps people," Iolaus explained. There was something in his voice that Faith picked up on. Something that said that there was no love lost between the two people.
"You don't get along with Xena, do you?" She inquired. Iolaus shrugged his shoulders.
"I don't hate her," he answered simply, "but I can't completely trust her either. There's a past there that, unlike Hercules, I'm not too willing to look past." Faith didn't say anything, deciding that if Iolaus wanted to share he would. Iolaus, for his part, decided that he wanted to tell the brunette Slayer. "We were involved once before she turned to good. She used me in a plot to kill Hercules."
"And he forgives her for that but you have trouble seeing past that, right?" Faith answered. "Sounds like Buffy and Angel."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, see before I started working for Angel, I had tried to kill him. Twice," she elaborated. Iolaus stopped in his tracks and stared at the girl at his side.
"Why?" Faith took a deep breath at the same time she spotted a bench nearby. She went over to sit, motioning for Iolaus to join her.
"It's a long story and not a very happy one," Faith began. "You see, growing up, I didn't exactly have the best of childhoods. I wasn't exactly the friendliest person, or the most stable, when I came to Sunnydale. At first, things with everyone were five by five, but that changed. I accidentally killed a guy when me and B were out fighting vamps. Things went downhill fast. I started working for the mayor, who was a demon, and that was the first time I tried to kill Angel.
"B basically tried to kill me right after that and I was in a coma for a year. When I recovered, I went to LA and was hired to try and kill him again, but I couldn't do it. I mean, sure I tried and all, but not the way I really should have. And he knew it. He knew what I wanted and refused to give it to me."
"What did you want?" Iolaus questioned gently, taking Faith's hand in his. He could see that the young girl that had apparently had a harder life than even he could have imagined, was holding back tears.
"Death." Her answer was short and it stunned the warrior that had faced death more times than he cared to remember, especially since he had lost many of those battles.
"Why did you want to die?"
"Because I was evil and I didn't want to live like that," Faith explained. "But Angel refused to kill me. He wanted to help me. And he did. I mean, sure I went to prison for a bit, but he always made sure to come and see me. To remind me that there was someone that cared what happened to me. Then, when I was released, he was there with arms open and a job waiting for me. I've been there ever since. Both of us fighting for redemption for our pasts."
"It sounds like the two of you have a lot in common," Iolaus observed, feeling surprisingly jealous at the time the Slayer and vampire had together. "I'm surprised that the two of you aren't together." Faith laughed at that.
"No way," she told him. "He's been hooked on Red longer than I can remember. I'm willing to lay odds on him having been in love with her since the beginning, but not willing to do anything about it. Hell, he still refuses to believe that he deserves having Red love him. Do you know how much talking and convincing we had to do just to get him to admit it to himself, let alone her."
"He does seem the kind to keep things to himself," Iolaus stated. "So what did you do to finally get them together? Lock them in a room?" Faith laughed.
"Nope, that only went for Blondie and Xander," she told him. "And Joxer and Ares. For Red and Fang, we just had to make them realize what they had already. So, Delia called up Willow and had her come up to LA, telling her there was some kind of an emergency. Well, Red couldn't get to Angel's side fast enough. Then we told them that they needed to be at a certain restaurant to stop a demon from attacking.
"We had it set up perfectly. I mean, candlelight, flowers, and the whole enchilada. You couldn't have asked for a more romantic setting, or so we thought. How were we supposed to know a real demon was going to attack, so there went the perfect setting."
"But it all worked out, apparently," the hunter observed, remembering back to the couple who were now, probably, renewing their love over and over again. "They are together."
"Well, apparently Willow got hurt during the fight and that made Angel's demon come out, full force. He killed the thing that had dared hurt his chosen mate. And, much to Angel's surprise, Willow wasn't scared or disgusted or any of the things that B used to be at seeing Fang all demony. That night he made sure she was all right and the two of them talked and the next thing me, Delia and Wes knew, she was transferring to UCLA and moving in with him. They've been together ever since."
"And, from what you said earlier, their friends weren't happy about that."
"You can say that again," Faith grinned, remembering what Buffy and Giles' reactions were when they saw her and Delia arrive to pick up Willow's things from the dorm. "We told you how they decided to that something had happened to make Willow and Angel get together. Well, they figured that I had to have something to do with it, which I did but not the way they thought. It didn't help that Forrest; a friend of Buffy's and a real jerk if you ask me, had a major thing for Red and was convinced that the two of them belonged together. The bastard even followed us back to Angel's place and tried to kidnap her to bring her back to Sunnydale. And Giles and B were actually okay with that"
Iolaus shook his head as he listened to the tale of romance and angst that Faith was providing. He could understand how Buffy might have been upset because Willow had fallen in love with her ex, but that didn't excuse her for what she did. Nothing should come between friends in Iolaus' book. If they did, he and Hercules would have stopped talking years ago. Especially after the whole Xena episode.
"And why are there two mortals walking around our gardens?" An amused female voice asked, startling the said mortals out of their thoughts. Iolaus and Faith turned and the blonde hunter turned pale at who was standing before him.
"Iolaus, I am surprised to see you here," Zeus said. "Is my son with you also?"
"No sir," the hunter answered. "He's in Potadeia last I heard. I came here with Aphrodite." Iolaus then remembered who was with him. "I would like you to meet Faith. Faith, this is Zeus and Hera. The King and Queen of the Gods." Faith was speechless.
"Cool," the brunette managed to say.
"Faith, what a lovely name," Hera motioned for the couple to sit back down. She looked over the clothing of the young girl in front of her. "You aren't from around here are you? Are you one of those that came from the future?"
"How'd you know about that?" Hera smiled at the suspicious tone in the girl's voice. There was something about her that reminded the Queen of herself at that young age.
"Aphrodite told Hephaetus and he told us," she reassured the girl. "Speaking of Aphrodite, you don't happen to know where she is, do you?" Faith and Iolaus looked at each other, both grinning ear to ear.
"Last we saw of her, she was probably going to get some from Hep," Iolaus chuckled. "We were kinda watching something that caused the others to get in a rather..."
"Horny mood," Faith couldn't help but add.
"And what exactly were you watching?" Zeus inquired.
"Ares and Joxer making love," Faith answered before realizing that maybe the God of War's father wouldn't be all that happy to hear that his son was involved with the mortal.
"So they finally admitted their feelings for one another," Hera stated. "Its about time." Faith and Iolaus stated at the Goddess who smiled at them. "I'm the Goddess of Marriage. Aphrodite isn't the only one that knows when a couple is destined to be together. I'm just surprised it happened so soon. Last time I had checked on them, they were still fighting each other."
"Well, they had a little help," Iolaus told them sheepishly, before explaining what Aphrodite had done to her brother and the wannabe warrior. At the end of the tale, both Zeus and Hera were laughing at how their son had been tricked.
"Oh I wish I had seen that," Zeus chuckled, imaging his son's surprise at finding himself locked in a time bubble with Joxer. "We must make sure to be there when they get released. You will tell us, won't you?"
"Yes sir, " Iolaus promised.
"Good. Now why don't the two of you go and enjoy yourselves," the God suggested. "There are quite a few lovely sites that I'm sure you'll enjoy."
"Thank you, sir." Iolaus and Faith watched as the godly couple made their way towards Aphrodite's temple to observe their son for a few minutes.
"You know, they aren't half bad," Faith observed.
~Part: 9~
So, how do you find our little town?" Gabrielle asked as she joined Buffy and Anya outside of her family's home. It had been decided that the two girls could stay with Gabrielle and her family while the men would stay at the local inn.
"Well, its different," Buffy said slowly, trying not to offend the blonde bard that had befriended her and her friends.
"It reminds me of home," Anya stated. Buffy and Gabrielle both looked at her. "What? I meant my home before I became a demon. I mean, hello, that was before cars and CDs and TV." Gabrielle just continued staring at the former vengeance demon, while Buffy just rolled her eyes at the girl.
"So tell me some more about the Gods," Buffy asked, trying to find out more about the people that she was now involved with. "Why do they bother you guys so much?'
"Well, part of the reason is that both Xena and Hercules are Zeus' children," Gabrielle began to explain as the three women headed towards the town. "And it doesn't hurt that they both do everything they can to thwart Ares whenever he decides to hold one of his little wars."
"Ares is the God of War, right," Buffy confirmed, trying to remember what little she learned about Greek mythology in school. "I bet he doesn't take to kindly to having his plans stopped." Gabrielle laughed.
"You could say that," she giggled. "You see, Xena used to fight for Ares, before she decided to fight for good. And he is constantly trying to get her to go back to him, without any success. And now that she knows that she is actually Zeus' child and a demi-god, it makes it even harder for Ares to battle her. She's under Zeus' protection, as is Hercules, so none of the Gods can kill them. Doesn't mean they stop trying though."
"What about that Aphrodite chick that was here earlier?" Anya broke in, remembering the blonde goddess that had been summoned by Hercules earlier. "What's her deal with all of you?"
Gabrielle thought for a moment about the blonde Goddess of Love. "It's hard to describe Aphrodite. Where Ares loves causing his trouble by making war, Aphrodite prefers to do it a more subtle way. Usually involving Joxer."
"Joxer?" Buffy asked. Gabrielle nodded her head.
"Yeah, Joxer," she repeated. "He's this guy that fancies himself a warrior. He tells these tales of him beating warlords and protecting villages and of all the women he's seduced. And all of them are lies. That man can barely stand on his own two feet let alone defend a town."
"Then why do you hang around him?" Anya questioned.
"Because someone needs to look after him or else he would be dead within a week," Gabrielle stated simply. "Trust me, when you meet Joxer, you'll know what I mean. He's nothing but trouble."
"Sounds a bit like Xander," Anya wistfully said as she remembered the boy that had stolen her heart, only to break it again by falling in love with Spike.
"Well, unlike your friend," Gabrielle almost sneered, having heard about how Xander had betrayed his friends by dating one of their enemies and had been disgusted by that concept. "Joxer wouldn't even think of betraying us. Besides, its not like any of the Gods would be interested in a klutz like him."
"Talking about Joxer again," Xena teased, as she and the men joined their friends.
"How could you tell?" Gabrielle giggled.
"The nothing but trouble gave it away," Hercules joked. "There's only one person you could possibly be talking about that way. Especially when you add in the klutz comment."
"Well, you have to admit, trouble does seem to follow Joxer around wherever he goes," Gabrielle laughed.
"Remember when he decided to go fishing and ended up floating halfway to the ocean before we could get him out of the river," Xena chuckled. Gabrielle's laughter increased as she recalled the incident.
"I can still remember catching him fending off the advances of Widow Twanky," Hercules joined in. "He couldn't even fend her off."
"Oh, now that's something I wish I had seen," Xena added, before noticing the blank looks on Buffy's face, which rivaled the ones on her friends. "Sorry, like Gabrielle said. You have to wait to meet him."
"Which should actually be any time now," Hercules sobered up. "He and Iolaus said they arrive today. In fact, they should have been here already."
"You don't think something might have happened to them, do you?" Buffy asked, concerned about the people that have taken them in. "From what you were just saying, it wouldn't be too unlikely that those Gods of yours might do something to them just to get back at you."
"What are you talking about Buffy?" Giles inquired, wanting to hear more about the Gods of Olympus.
"Gabrielle was just telling us about how Ares and Aphrodite like to play headgames with them," the blonde Slayer explained. "And we all know from personal experience of the fangy variety that the best way to get someone really pissed is by attacking their friends. Hell, Spike's done it more times than I can count."
"And yet he's still alive," Forrest muttered. Buffy and Riley glared at the man, who promptly shut up.
"Anyway," Buffy stared pointedly at Forrest, "as I was saying, is it possible that something happened to them?" Xena, Gabrielle and Hercules all thought about it and came to the same conclusion.
"I wouldn't put it past them," Hercules finally answered. "When it comes to my family, there's nothing that they wouldn't do to cause trouble. Especially my brother."
"Well, how would you go finding out if they did do something to them?" Riley asked.
"We already tried getting information out of Aphrodite when you appeared and that didn't do any good," Xena replied, remembering the brief conversation with the Goddess of Love. "And I doubt that Ares would be any help since he hates us."
"Maybe Zeus would be willing to help," Gabrielle offered. "He is your father after all. The least he could say is that Joxer and Iolaus are on their way and just got detoured."
"Zeus," Hercules bellowed, calling out for his and Xena's father. A bright flash of light heralded the arrival of the king of the Gods, who looked around at the assembled group of mortals and demi-gods. He instantly put together the strangers in the group as those that came from the same time frame as those that were currently enjoying themselves on Olympus.
"What can I help you with, my son?" Zeus asked as he faced his son and daughter, neither of who looked all that happy to see him even if they had called him. "Hera and I were enjoying a nice walk in her gardens when you called, and I would really rather not have her any more upset than she already is at my being away from her."
"We're looking for Iolaus," Hercules told his father. "He was supposed to arrive in Potadeia today and there is no sign of him."
"Don't forget that other fellow," Giles reminded the Demi-God.
"Oh yeah, and he was with Joxer," Hercules added in, having forgotten about the wannabe warrior.
"And you want me to do what about it," Zeus inquired, raising his eyebrow at his children.
"We want to know if any of the gods have decided to use them for their little games." A smile crept across Zeus' face for a quick moment as he thought of exactly what type of game a God was using Joxer for, only to replace it with his normal poker face. Somehow he didn't think Hercules and Xena would be all that thrilled to know that their friend had just become the lover of the God of War. Even if he seemed to be a very willing participant.
"Answer us, Zeus," Xena demanded when the God continued to stay silent. "Where are our friends?"
"You don't have to worry about them," Zeus placated his children. "They are safe on Olympus. As honored guests," he quickly added when he noticed the group suddenly tense up.
"Whatever you have planned for them, I want it stopped," Hercules ordered. Zeus stared at his son. He couldn't believe that Hercules felt that he could order the Gods to do anything.
"Return them, now," Xena added in her own demand. Zeus stared at both of his children, wondering why it wasn't until now that he realized how spoiled both of them had become. They used the gifts they had been given as the children of the Gods, and yet they felt themselves superior to those same gods. He shook his head, as he finally understood why Ares felt such anger at the two of them.
"You have no right to demand anything of me," Zeus informed the two of them. "I am the King of the Gods and your father. Remember that."
"Lord Zeus," Giles called out in a calm voice, drawing the attention of the God. "We're sorry if we seem to be short tempered." Giles spoke in a calm voice, trying to instill reason back into the group. "It's just that they are worried about their friends. From what I've been made to understand, it has been a common practice to try and harm those close to Xena and Hercules."
"Joxer and Iolaus will not come to any harm," Zeus assured the assembly. "You have my word on that." Xena, Gabrielle, and Hercules all grunted at that, causing Zeus to face them once again. "You doubt my word?"
"Since when have you ever kept any word of yours?" Gabrielle asked.
"Very well," Zeus seemed to come to a decision. "If my word is not good enough, then I will allow you to see your friend Iolaus."
"What about Joxer?" Buffy questioned. She didn't know either person, but the Slayer in her hated the idea of any innocent being held against his will.
"Joxer is rather," Zeus seemed to search for the right word, "predisposed right now. I'm sure he'll return when he is done. That is if he wants to, which I have a feeling he won't. As for Iolaus." A crack of thunder was heard at the same time a flash of light heralded the departure of the King of the Gods and the arrival of the hunter, but Iolaus wasn't alone. He was holding hands and kissing the one person most of the members in the group had least expected to see.
"Faith," Buffy cried out as she saw the brunette Slayer that had been behind so much of her torment.
"Hey, B," Faith grinned as she saw the change of scenery. "Surprise."
~Part: 10~
"What the hell are you doing here, Faith?" Buffy yelled as she went to attack the rogue Slayer. Riley and Graham grabbed Buffy, holding her back while Faith just grinned at the blonde.
"Don't really know, B," Faith answered, her hand never leaving Iolaus'. "One minute me and Laus were in Dite's garden, kissing and all, and the next we're here." Faith looks around at the town surrounding her. "By the way, where is here anyway?"
"This is Potadeia," Gabrielle answered, taking an instant dislike to the girl that had appeared by Iolaus' side. It didn't help that she remembered what Buffy had told her about Faith.
"Iolaus, get away from her," Hercules ordered his long time friend. The blonde hunter only looked at the demi-god in confusion.
"Why?" He asked.
"You have no idea of who she is or what she's like?" Xena replied tersely, grabbing the smaller man and pulling him forcibly away from Faith. "We've heard about you, Faith, and what you've done to Buffy and her friends." Faith, for her part, only quirked her eyebrow at the warrior princess.
"And what exactly have I done to B and company?" Faith inquired, amused at the smug expression on Buffy's face, not to mention the way that Iolaus was fighting to loosen the grip on his arm. "And can you please let go of sweetcheeks over there before he hurts himself trying to get loose."
"I'm going to kill Aphrodite for calling me that in front of you," Iolaus growled half-heartedly. "It was bad enough she got Cupid saying it, but now she had you doing it too."
"But it fits you so well," Faith whined. "They're just so pinchable." Iolaus just rolled his eyes at the slayer. "And you know I love to pinch."
"I would have thought that was more Spike's job," Iolaus threw at the girl, causing Buffy, Anya, Giles, Graham and Forrest all to shout out at once.
"Spike."
"Is he here?"
"How do you know about him?"
"What does he have to do with us being here?"
"Where is that bastard?"
"Quiet," Hercules bellowed, silencing everyone. He turned to the brunette girl that he had been told was nothing but trouble and could tell that those stories were accurate. "I believe you have some explaining to do."
"No I don't," Faith argued, finally just pulling Iolaus out of Xena's grip. "Do you mind not hurting my man here? I have plans for him later."
"Oh I bet," Buffy muttered, causing Faith to grin at her again.
"Hey, why should we be the only ones not getting some," the rogue Slayer stated. "Hell, the whole gang's got their own little party going. I think we should get to have some fun too. Don't you Laus?"
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that we're entitled to a little celebration for a good deed done," Iolaus agreed. The others looked between the couple, trying to figure out what was going on. When they couldn't figure it out, Hercules decided to find out why Zeus couldn't bring Joxer to them.
"Iolaus, where's Joxer?" Hercules was surprised when he saw Iolaus actually blush at the question. He had never seen the blonde hunter do that before unless he was asked an extremely embarrassing question. "Zeus said something about him being busy and that maybe Joxer wouldn't even want to return."
"I wouldn't doubt that," Faith stage whispered.
"What have you done, Faith?" Buffy demanded to know. She didn't know why the other Slayer was there and she wasn't happy to see her. Somehow she knew that Faith being there meant that more trouble was on its way. And more unexpected surprises.
"I didn't do anything," Faith denied. "It was all Aphrodite's doing. She's the one the decided to put them in that time bubble to get them to admit they had a thing. We only gave her the idea."
"What idea?" Xena questioned. "Whose in the time bubble?"
"Joxer," Iolaus answered. Xena looked at her one time lover and instantly knew that there was more to the story and that she wasn't going to like it.
"Joxer and who?"
"Ares," Iolaus whispered, but the others heard him.
"Ares!" Hercules shouted. "What in Hades name were you thinking when you allowed my sister to put Joxer and Ares in a time bubble? That bastard will kill him. Where was your brain? Think for once, will you Iolaus."
"What did you want me to do Herc," Iolaus yelled at his friend. "I was on Olympus in Aphrodite's temple. Not like I had a choice. Besides, trust me. The last thing on Ares' mind was killing Joxer."
"That's the understatement of the year," Faith chuckled, remember just exactly had been happening the last time she saw the two men. "Then again, I can think of no better way of dying if you ask me."
"No arguments here," Iolaus agreed, joining in Faith's laughter.
"Will someone please tell us what you two are talking about?" Gabrielle screamed. "What has Ares done with Joxer?"
"I think the question is, what hasn't he done yet?" Faith drawled. When Xena shot her a glance, Faith shrugged her shoulders. "Well, the last time we saw them, they were doing the horizontal mambo rather aggressively. It was pretty hot and heavy. Got the others all bothered to the point that we probably won't be seeing them for a few days."
"Joxer and Ares?" Gabrielle squeaked. "As in together?"
"Oh yeah, they are definitely together," Faith laughed. "And from what we saw, they're going to be that way for awhile. I wouldn't go expecting to see Joxie for the time being." Gabrielle, Xena and Hercules all were stunned into silence at the news that their friend had apparently gotten himself somehow involved with the God of War. Their enemy.
"You said the others," Giles replayed the last few minutes of the conversation, all ready getting a good idea of what the answer to his question was going to be. "What others?"
"Well, Aphrodite went to see her hubby. Strife and Cupid were going to have some fun since the temple was empty," Iolaus answered. He turned to Faith, able to tell that she was dying to finish the rest.
"Xander and Blondie didn't even wait for the floorshow to begin before going off to do whatever it is they do," Faith added. "And Red and Fang were the last ones to go off on their own. I would say they are all working off a bit of their excess energy, if you know what I mean."
"Xander's here," Anya whispered.
"That bastard better not lay a hand on my Willow," Forrest shouted.
"Oh I don't think its his hand you have to worry about," Faith insinuated. Forrest roared as he went after the brunette Slayer, only to find himself frozen in place.
"Faith, my dear, are you causing trouble," Hera announced as she materialized into the crowded area. Hercules and Xena instantly became on guard at the presence of the Goddess that had tried to kill them both on numerous occasions. "Oh don't worry, I'm not here for you two. I came to check on Faith and Iolaus."
"What do you want with them?" Hercules demanded to know.
"I just wanted to make sure everything was okay," Hera replied sweetly. "Zeus told me that he sent them here and when I felt the anger emanating from this area, I decided it was best if I came to check things out for myself."
"Thanks H," Faith said. "Everything's five by five. We were just explaining what was going on and the others didn't like what was happening. Seems they don't approve."
"They never do, do they?"
"No, they never do," Iolaus finished, looking sadly at his friends. He saw now that they would be unwilling to accept that Joxer might actually be happy where he was. And he hadn't forgotten how Hercules had yelled at him. "Hera, could you possibly bring us back to Olympus to wait for the others." Hera looked at Iolaus, able to feel the sense of loss in him and smiled softly at him. Before any of the others could do anything, Hera, Faith and Iolaus disappeared in a flash of light.
"Well, I think we know why we're here now."