Hecate found the jump to Mount Olympus to be incredibly easy, even carrying three mortals along with her. They stepped out of the ether into the main courtyard of Ares' temple. Hecate knew mortals, and wanted to give them some time to adjust to their new environment before they headed inside. Ares wouldn't appreciate people throwing up all over his marble floors.

Wesley's dark eyes went wide and he stared with a particular avaricious appetite at the various temples and statuary. He wanted desperately to explore, but knew they didn't have time at the moment. He could only hope that if things went well, he'd be given the opportunity to return to this wondrous place. Wesley straightened his shoulders and pushed his glasses up on his nose, it was time to get to work.

Hecate led the way up the wide, shallow steps and into the main doors of Ares' temple. It had been so incredibly long since she'd been here, and even if she wasn't always fond of the Olympians, they were the only family she had left and it would be good to see them again.

Millenia of self control and dignity went out the door as soon as Hecate saw who else was in the temple. Squealing like a child, the Goddess of Witchcraft and Night Terrors ran across the room and grabbed Hera. "You're here! It worked!"

Hera hugged her spoken sister tightly and felt tears of joy running down her cheeks. "Hecate, it is so good to see you again. I had thought you lost."

Hecate released Hera and wiped the tears from her face, "I wasn't sure what would happen to me, so I dispersed." Turning, she held her hand out to the mortals standing just inside the doors, inviting them to come forward. As they approached she said, "These wonderful children called out to me with such force and power that I had to appear." Hecate put one hand on Willow's shoulder and the other on Tara's, "These two young ones are followers of mine, and I'm thinking that I should make them more than that."

Hera smiled at the witches, thankful that some mortals still followed the old ways. Nodding at the young man standing behind them Hera said, "And who is this? Is he one of yours?"

Hecate grabbed Wesley's hand and pulled him forward, "This is Wesley. He isn't one of mine, but I'm hoping to change that. I'd like to speak to you about that latter. Wesley, this is Hera, Queen of the Gods and my spoken sister."

Wesley bowed slightly, "Madam, I must say, this is an honor I had never hoped to receive."

Hera smiled, "He is charming, isn't he?" Running a quick scan of the young man's mind, Hera smirked, impressed by what she had found. "Yes, I can see what you mean."

Willow finally broke out of her shock and ran over to where Giles and Xander were standing, Tara right on her tail. Grinning widely she said, "Hi! You can run, but you can't hide. We'll find you no matter what."

Giles smiled, "Yes, I can see that. Why are you here anyway?"

The smile slid off of Willow's face, "Anya and Buffy did something really bad, Giles."

"Really, really bad, Mr. Giles." Tara said quietly.

"Oh dear lord, what have they done now?" Giles asked, the tone of his voice making his annoyance felt.

Everyone else in the room moved closer, wanting to know what had happened. Wesley gulped, he wasn't sure what had happened, but Giles had changed and for some reason Wesley decided that he didn't really want to anger the former Watcher. "Anya did a spell, one with far reaching consequences I'm afraid." Turning to Xander he said, "Xander, I'm afraid you'll have to stay here until this is resolved."

"Huh? Why? I have to go to work tomorrow or I'll lose my job."

"I'm sorry, Xander, but that won't be possible." Turning to Giles he said, "Anya called on the someone I can't name to bring Xander back to her. It's a trap. If he leaves Olympus, he'll be caught in the spell and his life will be forfeit. I tried to stop her, but it was too late."

Everyone looked confused until Hecate said, "The little twit called on Dahak."

Ares started cursing in every language he knew while Cupid grabbed Xander and hugged him tightly. Joxer turned pale and sat down heavily. Giles groaned when he saw the other God's reactions, "I'm guessing that this Dahak character is something I should be worried about?"

Hecate finally noticed that there was something different about this mortal, in fact, he wasn't a mortal at all, he was a God. Looking deeper, she saw the emblem of the King of the Gods hovering above him. Wide eyed, she turned to Hera, her question plain in her dark eyes. Hera turned red and giggled. Hecate gaped in amazement and said, "I think we need to talk, obviously some things have changed here."

Xander grinned and Joxer chuckled, "You could say that." They said in unison.

Hecate looked closer at the two men who looked enough alike to be brothers and was stunned by what she found. "You're, you're..." She stuttered.

Hera wrapped her arm around Hecate's shoulders, "Hecate, what's wrong?"

"Can't you see it?"

"See what?" Ares asked angrily.

Hecate started laughing joyously, then grabbed Xander and Joxer, hugging them tightly and kissing their cheeks.

"Hecate, please, what's going on?"

"I don't believe you can't see it. They're from my line, both of them."

The room erupted in shouted questions, Giles finally took charge. "Everyone, please, let's sit down and discuss this." After everyone had settled down, Giles turned to Hecate, who still hadn't released her hold on Xander and Joxer. "Now, Hecate, could you tell us what you're talking about please."

Hecate couldn't keep the smile off her face, "I don't know what everyone knows about the Gods of Olympus and the War with the Titans so I'll start at the beginning."

"The Titans were the children of Uranus and Gaia, there were twelve in all. Six boys and six girls. Gaia convinced her son Cronos to kill his father Uranus, just as Uranus had killed his father Chaos. Then Cronos and Rhea wed and had children, including Zeus and Hera. Zeus declared war on his father and the other Titans. Most sided with Cronos, but Hades and Poseidon sided with Zeus. It was a horrible war and lasted for ten years. Zeus finally won and the Titans were sent to Tartarus."

"I know everyone believes me to be one of the Olympian Goddesses, but I'm not, I'm not really a Titan either, but my Grandfather was." Ares and Cupid both looked stunned, while everyone else except for Hera just looked confused.

"When I was born, Hera claimed me as her sister which prevented Zeus from killing me, but since I'm not of the Olympian line, he had no control over me and my power. I've never had children of my own, but both of my uncles did." Smiling at Xander and Joxer she said, "And these two are descended from those lines."

"Hecate, if you don't mind my asking, who was your grandfather?" Ares asked.

"The Titan of Violent Change, Crius Stormwind, and our best hope of defeating Dahak once and for all."

*****

Ares' mouth gaped open. "Crius?" he stammered. "Crius Stormwind? Are you insane?"

Hecate huffed. "I hardly think that's the way to get on my good side, Ares. Besides, you never met Crius, you know nothing about him."

"No, I never met him. I don't want to meet him! I've been through the Halls of Time, I saw what happened. It was blind luck that Zeus managed to defeat him. And what about the others? What will they say? I don't really think that the other Titans will be willing to stay in Tartarus while we let Crius run around loose. And then we'll be stuck with them, we aren't strong enough to send them back."

Hecate shook her head, "Crius is perfectly happy where he is. The family is there and I visit whenever I can. As far as we knew, I was the last child of Storm and Night." Looking at Joxer and Xander she grinned, "He's going to be terribly pleased to learn about these two. Grandfather has always been very concerned about his family. I dare say when he finds out that the upstart Dahak is a danger to one of his children...well, he won't be happy, I can tell you that."

The conversation went around and around, but Joxer wasn't really listening. He grabbed Xander and pulled him out onto the balcony. "Well, cousin..."

Xander grinned, "Yes, cousin?"

Both men started laughing and settled into talk, each wanting to know everything about the other.

***

They soon discovered that they both loved water, liked to talk and while both of them were fighters, neither was exactly good at it. They talked about their families and decided that they were better off being orphans. Despite the fact that they were separated by two thousand years, they felt like brothers. Wanting to know more about their new family, Joxer snuck Xander into the Halls of Time and called up the image of Crius Stormwind.

"Impressive." Xander said nonchalantly, staring at the man who was his ultimate grandfather. "What would you say...fifty, sixty feet tall?"

Joxer nodded, "At least, maybe bigger. Wow, I wish I could do that." Joxer said as they watched Crius stalk across the landscape while terrible storms followed his path. Rivers raged, giant trees were uprooted and mountain ranges rang like a bell.

Xander nodded, "Yeah, it would have come in handy a time or two. No wonder Ares is so freaked out by him."

Joxer moved the images forward until the war between the Titans and the Olympians started. Xander jumped when he saw one dark haired woman, "Who's that, Joxer? That woman with the sword," Xander winced when said woman cut a guy in half with one stroke, "and bad attitude?"

"That's Bia, she's one of the forces of War, in fact her name means Force."

Xander nodded, "Uh, Joxer? I think we have another cousin."

"What do you mean, Xander?"

Xander pointed at Bia, "I know her, or someone who looks just like her, and acts like her too. Her name is Faith."

They watched the rest of the war, wanting to know just how Zeus, who looked really puny compared to the Titans, managed to beat them. It wasn't luck, like Ares had said, but it was sneaky.

Zeus managed to trap two of the youngest Titans, Crius' grandchildren, Boreas, and Notos, the north and south winds. Every time someone tried to rescue the young Titans, the trap would close a little more, slowly squeezing them to death. Crius, rather than watch his grandchildren die permanently, gathered his family and willingly entered the realm of Tartarus that Hades had set aside for them.

"Okay, explain this to me, Joxer. How are the Titans and the Olympians related? I mean, this was a big family feud, right?"

Joxer nodded, "Basically. Come on, I remember seeing the family line written on a scroll Ares keeps in his study."

"That'd be good." Xander said, "Because I'd really like to know how we could be related to the Titans when they were all sent to Tartarus. I mean, I didn't see any other kids, so where did we come from?"

Joxer grinned, "Gods and Titans alike had a habit of taking human lovers. The children wouldn't be full blooded Titans, so they probably didn't have enough power to be a threat to Zeus. He probably didn't even notice them."

Joxer found the scroll and rolled it out on the table. "Okay, here it is. Let's see...Cronos and Rhea were Titans, their children, Zeus and his brothers and sisters, became the Olympians after they defeated the Titans. Cronos' brothers and sisters sided with him, but Gaia, Cronos' mother, decided to help Zeus defeat her own children. She had him release the hundred armed, fifty headed monsters, Briareus, Cottus and Gyes, they were her children too, and they helped Zeus beat Cronos."

"Real nice family we've got here, Joxer." Xander said snidely.

Joxer nodded, "Yeah, well, according to this, Cronos wasn't exactly up for father of the year, or son for that matter. He, uh, castrated his father, Uranus, with a sickle. Then when he had children of his own, he swallowed them whole, except for Zeus. Gaia and Rhea tricked him into swallowing a rock instead. Then they got Cronos to throw up the other children."

Xander groaned, "TMI! TMI!"

"Uh? What's TMI, Xander?" Joxer asked curiously.

"Too Much Information. That is just gross! Man, and I thought my parents were bad."

***

Joxer and Xander joined the others back in the main room, the others were still arguing about Crius and Dahak. Xander was a little annoyed that no one was bothering to ask him about what he wanted. He finally had enough.

"Excuse me! I think you're all forgetting something here, maybe I don't want to be used as bait. Did you ever think of that? Of course not, no one ever does."

"Xander, this is our one chance to finally get rid of Dahak forever. We can't afford to miss this opportunity." Hera said.

Xander flopped down in the chair next to Cupid. "So? Why should I care?"

Hera actually looked shocked, "But Xander, you're part of our family, distant, true, but still family."

Joxer groaned and buried his face in his hands, "Mistake. Big mistake." He whispered.

Xander straightened up in the chair, "Family? You really shouldn't talk about family. We went to the Hall of Time and watched the war. I don't know why anyone would want to be related to the Gods. You're all sick!"

"Xander, really!" Giles sputtered.

"Uh, uh, G-Man, you can't tell me that you don't know what they've done. They kill their own parents and they eat their children." Xander grinned suddenly, "Joxer and I found another cousin while we were in the Halls of Time. I can't wait for you to meet her."

"Who?" Giles asked curiously.

Xander smirked at the new King of the Gods, "You know her Giles. From what we can tell, she's descended from Bia."

"Bia? Force? She's a psycho! She'd rather kill you than look at you! I'm surprised she ever had children, she had a bad habit of killing men during sex." Cupid said.

Xander turned pale, "Nice to know that some traits breed true."

Giles was really starting to get nervous now, "Who is it, Xander?"

"Faith."

*****

"Faith? Oh good God." Giles muttered.

Xander just smirked and propped his feet up on the table. "Bragging, Giles?"

The King of the Gods frowned at Xander, his confusion evident. "What are you..." Giles sighed and rubbed his forehead, being a God obviously didn't preclude tension induced headaches. "Xander, I...you...oh bother. When did you become so incredibly annoying?"

Xander swung his legs down and pushed away from the table. "Gee, Giles, I was born this way. What's your excuse?" Standing, Xander said snidely, "I'm taking a walk. You Godly people stay here and argue some more."

Cupid followed Xander out of the room and onto the balcony. "Xander? I know today has been stressful, but I hope you don't think I'm like that. I mean, I'd never try to kill Ares and I love Bliss more than anything." The God of Love said earnestly.

Xander smiled at him. "Nah. I know you're not. It's just that," Xander threw his hands up in frustration, "they act like I should be happy that they're making my decisions for me. I know that this Dahak dude is bad news, and I'll do anything I can to help, but they could have asked."

Cupid brushed the tips of his fingers down Xander's cheek. "It was different before, Xander. When a God told a mortal to do something, they did it. No questions asked. So much has changed, and none of us are really sure how to act anymore. Your friend Giles will help them adjust, just give them a little time."

"Yeah, but who's going to help Giles adjust? He's not really into the twenty-first century yet." Xander said with a big grin.

Cupid shrugged, saying, "They'll figure it out," as he let his fingers drift from Xander's cheek to the back of Xander's neck and pulled him a little closer.

Xander went willingly, even eagerly. Every time he and Cupid tried to get a little better acquainted, someone, or something, interrupted them, but since everyone else was busy arguing...Cupid's incredibly soft lips brushed across Xander's face, warm tingles following in their wake.

"Stop teasing," Xander muttered before grabbing Cupid's smiling face in his hands and latching onto those torturous lips. Cupid groaned deep in his throat and wrapped both arms around Xander's waist, pulling him up tight against his body.

Xander vaguely noticed they were moving, and somewhere in the back of his mind he registered the feeling of cool marble against his back, but the only real thing in his world was the mobile tongue currently mapping the inside of his mouth.

"Oi! What do we have here? I'm impressed, whelp, didn't know you had it in you."

Xander pulled back just far enough to say, "Bite me, Spike. Oops, forgot, you can't bite anymore. Gee, that's too bad. Why don't you go away?"

Faster than he could blink, Xander found himself on the ground with a seriously pissed off vampire perched on his chest. Spike's eyes flashed gold and the characteristic ridges took over the smooth planes of his face. "I belong to Strife, God of Mischief, would you can to place a wager on whether or not I can bite, Harris?"

Xander looked over his shoulder and found Cupid pinned to the wall by a laughing Strife. Realizing there wouldn't be any help from that quarter, Xander turned back to Spike. "He took your chip out? Really? So, Spike, why haven't you bitten me yet?" Xander asked curiously.

Spike stood up and hauled Xander to his feet. "Simple, mate, fed already. Besides, human blood, your blood, would be like drinking beer after living on whiskey."

Xander's eyes darted between Spike and Strife, from the looks the two were throwing at each, it was obvious what Spike was talking about. "You and Strife?" Xander asked incredulously, then burst into laughter.

Strife let go of Cupid and cuddled up against Spike's chest. "Ya think somethin's funny, mortal?"

Xander shook his head and wiped the tears from his eyes. "Deadboy," he managed to get out between giggles.

Spike's eyes grew wide and then he started laughing as hard as Xander. "Oi, can't wait to see the poof's face when he finds out."

The two Gods looked at each other and shrugged. "Do you know what they're laughing about?" Cupid asked his cousin.

Strife grinned, "Nope. They ain't tryin' to kill each other, who cares?"

*****

Giles finally slammed both hands down on the table, "That's enough. Arguing amongst ourselves isn't getting us anywhere. We will not, under any circumstances, force Xander to be used as bait against Dahak." Giles said forcibly, glaring at the other Gods and mortals sitting around the table. "As long as he stays here, Dahak stays trapped in Tartarus. Is that correct, Wesley?"

The former Watcher nodded, "Yes, Rupert, that is correct. For the spell to take effect, Xander must return to the mortal world."

Giles steepled his hands in front of his face and looked at the Goddess of Witchcraft. "Hecate, Faith may well be a descendent of Bia, but that isn't really germane at the moment. She's in prison and won't be set free any time in the foreseeable future. Faith is more than capable of taking care of herself, we'll discuss retrieving her at a later date."

"In prison? Why is she in prison?" Hecate asked, shocked to the core.

Wesley cleared his throat and nudged his glasses up on his nose. "Yes, well, Faith had problems adjusting to society."

Willow crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Wesley. "Adjusting? She's a thief and a murderer, Wesley! She helped the Mayor and she kidnapped me!"

Hecate brushed her hand through Willow's red hair, calming the young witch instantly. "Willow, if Faith is one of Bia's, she wouldn't be able to control her anger, not without help. Some of the mortal descendants of Titan's hold more power than others. Bia is Force, an aspect of War, as long as she is trapped in Tartarus, Faith has no ground, no center. Unless..." Hecate looked at her nephew, "Ares, would you be in need of a new Champion? If you were to take Faith as your warrior, you could act as her ground and all that energy could be put to a good use."

Ares absently smoothed his mustache, looking at Giles and Wesley he asked, "Is she any good?"

"Oh yes." Wesley said. "She's a very skilled fighter, a little too skilled, that was part of the problem. Buffy was the only real challenge that she ever faced, and neither one could defeat the other."

Ares grinned and looked at Joxer. Joxer returned the smile, "It's been a long time since you had a Champion, Ares, and if the God of War is going to make a come back, you're going to need one."

Ares settled back into his chair, "All right, I'll take care of Faith. What are you going to be doing, Step-Father?"

Giles' mouth dropped open and he stared at Ares in shock. "My word, I never...well, yes." Giles cleared his throat, trying to maintain his dignity. "I suggest that we have dinner and get some sleep before deciding on our next course of action."

There were nods of agreement all around. "Good, I'm starving." Willow said cheerfully. "Um, does anyone know where Xander went? He's got to be ready to eat dirt by now."

Joxer stood up and headed for the balcony, "I'll go find him. Go ahead and start without me."

Hera and Hecate began materializing dinner, each one taking the time to walk Giles through the process, while Wesley and Ares discussed Faith's future as Ares' Champion. Neither man thought she would have any problems with accepting the position.

*****

Joxer stepped out onto the balcony, following the faint voices he heard. When he came around the corner he saw Xander and Cupid sitting in a huddle with Strife and Spike. The four of them plotting together was enough to strike fear in the most fearless of Gods. Joxer crept closer, trying to hear what they were talking about.

"Are you sure about this, Strife? I'm not taking any chances with Xander's life." Cupid said, earning himself a quick grin from Xander.

Strife rolled his eyes at his cousin. "Of course I'm sure. Crius is pretty cool, we got along great when I was in Tartarus. Why don't you just go with us? They're all busy, it'll be hours before any one notices we're gone. And by the time they do figure it out, it'll be all over." Strife said with a shrug.

Joxer had heard enough to figure out just what they were planning to do. Stepping out from the column he'd been hiding behind he said, "So, Xander, when do we leave?"

Four pairs of shocked eyes looked up at him and he grinned, "You didn't really think I was going to let you go visit the family without me, did you?"

*****

Xander kept a tight grip on Cupid's hand, not caring in the least if he looked like a sissy boy for doing it. This place was straight out of some of his worst nightmares. Bare trees with spidery branches reached down to tangle in his hair, while wispy clouds skittered across an overly full moon.

Xander refused to raise his eyes from Cupid's back, the last time he'd looked around he saw glowing red eyes staring back at him. Joxer stayed close enough that Xander could hear him muttering under his breath, 'I'm immortal, nothing can kill me. I'm immortal, nothing can kill me.'

Even Spike was twitchy. Out of the corner of his eye, Xander saw the vampire jump when another ghastly howl split the chilly night air. Only the two Gods seemed unconcerned with their surroundings.

Cupid strolled along casually, acting like he was walking in a park rather than this Hell hole, but he made sure to smile reassuringly at Xander frequently.

Strife totally ignored their surroundings. The God of Mischief rattled on and on about his plans for the future. Most of them involving the massive amounts of havoc he and Spike could cause, and each more elaborate than the last.

The group finally broke free of the menacing trees and walked into a gloom shrouded clearing. Xander took one look at the house in the center of that clearing and whimpered. It was the house from the Amityville Horror in all it's glory.

Xander hung his head and started praying to anyone who might be listening, "I've been good, well, mostly good, please let me be having another nightmare."

Cupid turned and looked at him, "Xander, are you all right? Who are you praying to?"

Xander groaned, "Never mind."

Strife nuzzled his vampire's throat and giggled, "Cool, huh? Love what Crius has done with the place."

Spike was ever paler than normal, "Cool? That's the Amityville Horror house! Not cool! Bad! Very bad!"

Strife started laughing and walked up the rickety steps and kicked the door several times. "Crius! Hey ya old blow hard! Open up! Ya got visitors!"

Xander heard a squeal that sounded like someone raking their fingernails down a chalkboard and quickly squeezed his eyes shut, believing in the childhood myth that if you couldn't see them, they couldn't see you. But the sound of Spike yelling, "Oh fuck me to tears!" made Xander's eyes snap open involuntarily. The 'man' standing on the porch was nothing more than a decaying corpse.

Strife actually looked happy to see him, "Crius ya dog! Love what you've done to the place. Wait here, got a surprise for ya!"

In the next instant Xander and Joxer were being dragged unwilling towards the house. A faint whiff of putrid flesh assaulted Xander's nose causing his stomach to roll over. He hoped his 'grandfather' would be so happy to meet him that the fact that he was going to vomit on his shoes wouldn't make a difference.

He dared a quick glance out of the corner of his eye and was sure that the expression on Joxer's face would have been funny any other time. His cousin looked like he'd been hit on the back of the head with a board. Hard.

A warm hand cupped Xander's chin and forced his head to rise. He kept his eyes screwed shut and heard a chuckling voice say, "It's all right now, child, you can open your eyes. I've removed the illusions."

Xander opened one of his eyes a mere slit and stared straight into friendly grey eyes. He opened both eyes wide, his grandfather had changed from a disgusting, slimy zombie to a cheerful grey-haired man with a bushy beard and the friendliest face Xander had ever seen.

Crius laughed at the expression on his face, "I'm guessing you like this face better? The other is only an illusion, I use it to keep the riff-raff off the property. Come in, come in. The others will want to meet you." Crius threw his beefy arms around the cousins' shoulders and urged them into the house. Looking over his shoulder, Crius said, "Don't just stand there, Strife. Come in. And bring your friends."

Xander gawked at his surroundings. The house rippled like heat coming off the road, then he found himself standing in a large marble temple. It looked just like the ones he'd seen on Mount Olympus, right down to the huge arching windows looking out onto a profusion of blooming flowers.

"Eurybia! Eurybia!" Crius shouted. "Confound it, woman, where are you? We have guests!"

"Calm yourself, Crius, or are you hoping to blow half of Tartarus into the Elysian Fields again?" The owner of the voice came around the corner and smiled. "Well, well, who do we have here?" Eurybia stepped closer and suddenly started laughing joyfully. Hugging Xander and Joxer tightly, she kissed each man on the cheek. "How wonderful! Crius, which line are they from? We must call the others, they'll want to meet them. Oh, we can have a party, we haven't had a party in centuries."

Turning back to Xander and Joxer she said, "Now, tell me about yourselves, I want to know everything!"

Crius gently pulled his wife over to one of the couches and made her sit down. "Gently, dear. We don't want to scare them away. And as for which line they descend from, give me a moment and I'll look."

Crius puffed his cheeks and gently blew a warm gust of air into the center of the room. The air spun around and around, quickly forming a whirlwind.

Xander and Joxer moved as one towards the whirlwind, each man watching in fascination. "Wow," Xander whispered, "I can see it. Can you see it, Jox?"

"Yeah. I've never actually seen the wind before." Crius and the others in the room exchanged glances, only people from Crius' line could see the wind. Crius stepped up behind them and laid a hand on each man's back and touched them with his mind. Images formed in the center of the whirlwind and Eurybia gasped, "Astraois, it's Astraois and Eos."

Eurybia joined her husband and helped him push through the barriers of mortality. More images formed, one upon the other. Astraois and Eos were joined by their sons, Boreas and Notos, the North and South winds. The same Titans that Zeus had trapped to force Crius to surrender.

Crius' face grew angry and black storm clouds gathered outside the temple. Thunder rolled and lightning walked across the sky. Eurybia laid her head on Crius shoulder, instantly calming the angry Titan. He gave her a small smile and let the whirlwind and the storm subside.

"Sorry," Crius muttered, "Zeus' treachery can still make me lose control." Smiling at Xander and Joxer he said, "It's wonderful to have you here, but I get the impression that a family reunion isn't the only reason that you've come looking for us."

Xander scratched his head and shrugged bashfully, "Yeah, well, you see...Cupid, you tell him."

Cupid looked startled for a moment, but quickly regained his composure. "Crius, do you know who Dahak is?"

Crius frowned at the God of Love, "That little upstart? Yes, I know him. Annoying little shit. Why do you ask?"

Cupid quickly explained about Anya and what she had done. Storm clouds gathered again, and Crius started to grow. In seconds he had outgrown the room, his head and shoulders pushing against the ceiling.

Eurybia grew to match him and reached out to her husband, "Calm yourself, before you destroy the house again, Crius." The Titan glared down at Cupid, "What are you doing about this, Olympian?"

Cupid gulped and stammered, "Hecate, she sealed her in a crystal, but we can't stand against Dahak, he's too strong."

Xander looked up at his grandfather and grinned, "I was kinda hoping that you'd give me a hand. If I go into the circle and Dahak comes, well...you could follow him and maybe teach him the error of his ways?"

Joxer clapped Xander on the shoulder and said, "I'm going in with him." Xander stared at his cousin and Joxer frowned at him, "I just found you, I'm not letting you go in there alone."

Crius started laughing and shrank back down to human size. "That is the way a family is supposed to act. I would be honored to teach Dahak a thing or two about messing with Crius Stormwind and his family."

*****

Ares absently ate his dinner, wondering where Joxer had gotten off to. He hadn't been too worried at first, he knew how much Joxer liked to talk, and from what he had seen, Xander was very much like his cousin. But when the two men had failed to return...Ares began to worry. Especially since Strife, Spike and Cupid were also missing. Not even the Gods knew what that lot could get into.

Ares reached out with his mind and touched Joxer's, surprised when the link led to Tartarus. He looked up and found his step-father gazing at him seriously. Ares raised one brow and Giles nodded once in acknowledgment. The King of the Gods knew where they were, and what they were up to.

Ares pushed away from the table, "I'm going to go see what Joxer is up to."

Giles stood quietly, "I'll join you. I need to stretch my legs." Bending down, he kissed Hera on the cheek. "We'll be back shortly."

The King of the Gods and the God of War calmly walked out onto the balcony, away from the others. "Do you know what they're doing?"

Giles nodded, "Yes. I know Xander very well. And knowing Xander, I had no doubt that he would do the right thing. It's just the way he is. And who better to ask Crius for his aid? Don't worry, Ares. I'm keeping a very close eye on them. If there is the slightest hint of danger, I'll pull them out. Forcibly if necessary."

Ares nodded, there was something about the other man that made Ares trust him. A very unusual feeling for the God of War. "What if Crius doesn't want to return to Tartarus, Giles? What will you do then?"

Giles shrugged, "I'm not going to worry about that now. I'll deal with it when and if it happens. We'd better get back inside, I don't want the others to know yet."

"Mother will be completely pissed when she finds out." Ares told his mother's new husband.

"Hera knows, Ares. I wouldn't keep something like this from her. Lying is no way to begin a relationship."

Ares looked at Giles with new respect in his eyes and then grinned. "Prudent of you, Giles. Mother is not a woman you'd want pissed off at you. Trust me. I have to admit, I didn't think you two would hit it off. Nothing against you, but Hera isn't exactly what I'd call reasonable."

"Why should she have been, Ares? She was forced into a marriage with a man she despised. She was raped, abused and treated horribly. After all that, Zeus just couldn't leave it alone. He took mortal lovers, sired children and lavished them with attention while ignoring the children Hera had bore him. I plan on treating your mother with the respect she deserves." Giles smiled widely, "And let's not forget, Hera is an incredibly lovely woman. Being with her isn't exactly a hardship."

Ares slapped his step-father on the back, "You're a good man, Rupert Giles."

"Let's hope that Crius Stormwind agrees with you." Giles said quietly.

*****

Xander stared out at the garden outside his bedroom window. They had talked, discussed and argued before finally deciding to wait until morning before setting off Anya's spell and taking care of Dahak once and for all.

Crius wasn't worried about Dahak, he was sure that he could take care of the dark god with little trouble. Xander wasn't so sure. Things just didn't go that easily in his life. He'd been convinced more than once that his last name should have been Murphy instead of Harris. And that one random thought was what was driving him crazy. He wanted Cupid, he wanted him like he'd never wanted anyone or anything before. And that was the problem. If he didn't take a chance now, right this minute, he might never get another one, but he didn't know what to do. He couldn't just walk up to Cupid and drag him off to bed, could he?

A knock on the door interrupted his musings. Xander opened the door and found the object of his turmoil standing in the hall. "Xander, I, uh, that is, I..."

Xander's instincts beat his brain into submission and he reached out with both hands, pulled Cupid into his room and into his arms. Cupid opened his mouth to say something and Xander took advantage of that, kissing Cupid desperately, trying to convey what he was feeling but unable to put into words. Luckily, Cupid understood body language, very, very, well.

*****

Strife pushed Spike out their bedroom window and quickly followed his lover over the sill. Grabbing Spike by the hand, the God of Mischief led him out of Crius' realm and into the darker reaches of Tartarus.

"Oi, mate. Where we goin'?" Spike asked as he struggled to keep up with the swiftly moving God.

Strife shrugged and let loose his characteristic insane giggle. "Gonna get somethin' for ya. Trust me."

There were a million comments Spike could have made, but even he knew when to keep his mouth shut. The path became darker and more twisted with every step they took. Strife finally led the way to a ominous stone temple surrounded by dead trees and Spike had a quick glimpse of something moving in the distance, something that made the hair on the back of his neck stand straight up.

Strife didn't even slow down, he walked into the temple like he owned the place, totally ignoring the red eyes staring at them from the darkness. The God finally came to a stop in front of a black throne occupied by a demon the likes of which Spike had never seen.

The light from a few guttering torches highlighted gleaming black skin, and the huge horns curving back from a broad forehead. Glowing red eyes with slit pupils focused closely on the pair standing in the center of the room. "Strife. It has been a very long time since we were last graced with your presence." The demon said with a grin, showing off an impressive set of fangs.

Strife grinned back at the demon and pulled Spike forward, "This here's Spike. He's one of mine now, but he's one of yours too."

The demon burst from his throne and clutched Spike's face between his massive claws. "Yes, he is one of mine, but why does he wear your mark, Strife?"

Strife gently pulled Spike away from the demon's grasp and spoke in a voice that belonged to someone else, someone reasonable. "You're dead and your power is gone. Your children have been left defenseless. Spike had been taken by humans and they changed him. He couldn't hunt and he couldn't feed. As soon as he became mine, I repaired the damage they did and fed him, allowed him to heal. But there are others, many others. They have no God to protect and guide them. They are hunted and despised all over the world. We can't bring you back, but you can still save your children. Give Spike your Godhood, teach him, let him lead the others in your name and you will never be forgotten."

"What are you on about, mate? Who is this bloke?" Spike hissed in Strife's ear.

The demon groaned, "Do my own children no longer even know my name?"

Strife leaned on Spike's shoulder and nodded at the dark demon, "Spike, this here's your God, Bacchus, the God of Debauchery and the father of vampires. Bacc, this is Spike, William the Bloody."

Spike's eyes went wide and he dropped to his knees, keeping his head bowed. A huge hand cupped his chin and raised his head. "Will you do this, Spike? Will you lead my children in my name? Will you honor my laws and see that my other children learn the way of the Bacchae?"

Spike nodded, too awe struck to speak. Bacchus lunged forward and buried his fangs in Spike's throat, quickly draining the vampire. Just as Spike felt himself begin to fade, Bacchus ripped open his wrist and held it to Spike's mouth. "Drink, my son. Drink and live."

Spike guzzled the thick, black blood pouring into his mouth, relishing the power and knowledge he absorbed with the blood. Bacchus' voice echoed through the temple, "I name you Cruentus, Son of Bacchus, Lord of Demons, King of Vampires and Consort to Strife, God of Mischief."

As the words rang through his mind, for the first time in over a century, Spike felt his heart beat.

*****

Cupid finally managed to maneuver Xander over to the bed, not an easy thing to do when the younger man was trying to crawl inside Cupid's skin. But Cupid wasn't complaining, far from it.

He had planned on slowly seducing Xander, driving him so wild with need that he would eagerly welcome Cupid's touch. But the God of Love found himself the one being seduced by every whimper and moan that tumbled from Xander's soft lips. And the shivers racing down Xander's spine made Cupid that much more desperate to bury himself inside Xander's warm body.

Cupid struggled to retain a little sanity, but it wasn't easy. Especially when Xander wrapped his legs around his hips and rubbed his erection against Cupid's. "Please, Cupid, I want you." Xander whispered raggedly.

Cupid used what little control he had left to try to slow things down. "Xander, wait..."

"No! I could die tomorrow, this might be our only chance. Cupid, please, don't you want me?" Xander asked brokenly.

Cupid removed their clothes with a thought and they both groaned when skin met skin. As the God of Love, Cupid knew everything there was to know about sex, but this was different. Cupid had thought he was in love with Psyche, that being with her would make him complete and they would be in love forever. But his feelings for his former wife paled when compared to what he felt for Xander. The two emotions were so different, it was like comparing a fire to a flood. One swept a man off his feet with no warning and destroyed him in the process. The other brought warmth, held back the darkness and made a man feel safe, but the danger of being burned was always there, always visible.

Cupid wanted to taste Xander's entire body, one lick at a time. He wanted to drink him down, drive him insane, and follow him over the edge, but slow and sweet was going to have to wait for another time. Cupid stretched and oiled Xander in a split second, one of the benefits of being a God, but one he'd never really appreciated until now.

Pulling Xander's legs up onto his shoulders, Cupid stared into deep, brown eyes and slid into Xander's body with one smooth thrust. Xander arched up and screamed, his cum bursting out of his body in powerful spurts. Cupid held back his own orgasm by the skin of his teeth, staying completely still inside Xander's body, waiting for the clenching muscles to loosen their grip so he could move freely.

As Xander practically melted into the silk sheets, Cupid finally began to move, slow, deep thrusts designed to arouse Xander to even greater heights. In only moments, Xander was rampantly erect and begging for release, writhing on the greedy cock that impaled him.

Cupid smiled and kissed Xander deeply, swallowing the young man's pleas. The God increased the speed of his thrusts, giving Xander what he was asking for, and what he, himself, so desperately needed.

Xander was convinced that he was going insane. Jagged bolts of pleasure raced down his spine, the feeling so intense he wasn't sure he could take it any longer. Cupid must have been reading his mind, "Xander, let go." The God whispered in Xander's ear, the hot breath raising goose bumps on Xander's flesh. "I've got you, I won't let you fall. I love you, I'll love you forever. Til the end of time and beyond."

Xander actually felt tears well up in his eyes, no one had ever said that to him and meant it, but it was obvious that Cupid was serious. Xander pulled Cupid down for a kiss, keeping his eyes locked on the God's, seeing nothing but love looking back at him. "Love you too." He whispered just before his second orgasm slammed into him and he passed out.

Cupid completely lost control at that moment, hearing the love in Xander's voice, and he came so hard his eyes rolled back in his head.

Once he'd regained some semblance of control, Cupid carefully lowered Xander's legs onto the bed and rolled onto his side, cuddling Xander close to his chest. He brushed the damp hair from Xander's brow and pressing a kiss to Xander's cheek he said, "You're mine now, and I'm yours. No one will ever hurt you again, not Dahak, not your friends, your family or mine. And if anyone tries, I'll remind them that the God of Love is the son of War." With that promise on his lips, Cupid softly slid into sleep, truly content for the first time since the day he'd gazed upon Bliss the day his son had been born.

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