Title: The Prodigal Son Returns 2/?
Author: Kate R.
Disclaimer: Own nothing and no one used herein.
Hades grunted softly as he looked up at the townhouse in front of him. Next to his was Gaia and in his arms was Bliss. Ethan was here according to Cronos. In this strange time and place. It had been decided Bliss would come with them, as Ethan was likely to respond better to the three gods who had not fought over him.
Hades sighed as he walked up to the door with Gaia next to him and knocked. It was opened a moment later by a man in spectacle holding a book. He looked at the three of them and motioned them inside.
Ethan's sleeping," he said in a cultured British accent. "If it can wait an hour I'd like to let him rest."
"Of course," Gaia said as she and Hades sat. Hades removed his armor with a thought so he was dressed in leather pants and a silk shirt. All in black of course. Hades sighed as he leaned back against the couch. The stress of the last few days had been wearing on him. Months actually.
"Would you like some tea?" the man Hades supposed was Ripper Giles asked. Ripper was the man Ethan loved more than anything according to Cronos. Hades looked at his grandmother taking cues from her in this.
"That would be lovely Mr. Giles," Gaia said. "Do you perhaps have some milk for Bliss?"
"Yes I do," Giles responded as he moved to the kitchen. When he came back in, he got a shock. Buffy and the others had arrived and Bliss was holding Buffy's crossbow. What he said surprised and amused Giles.
"My daddy's shoots Pwetty feewings," the little godling said to the slayer. "What does yours shoot?"
"Her's shoots wooden stakes, Bliss," said a voice from the loft. Everyone looked to the stairs where a sleep muddled Ethan Rayne was standing. His eyes lit up seeing Hades and Gaia seated on the couch.
"Grandpa Hades, Grandmother!" he called as he ran to them and hugged them both tightly. Bliss abandoned the crossbow and joined the hug going on. Hades pulled back to look at Ethan and smiled at what he saw. A true God of Chaos stood there. Chaos personified smiled at him form Ethan's human seeming eyes.
"Is something wrong grandfather?" he asked as he sat between them with Bliss on his lap. Giles sat in the armchair where he could watch Ethan with his family and smiled. However, he could see the worry in stress in the three divine beings.
"Your father Strife is pregnant again," Hades said to him. "However, Zeus, for some cruel reason has forbidden him by law to have ambrosia or nectar."
"But the children will die without that," Ethan said horrorstruck. Hades nodded sadly.
"They will," he began. "Unless someone who the laws of Olympus do not apply to says otherwise. Janus will not help him Ethan. We were hoping you would."
Ethan stared at Hades for a few minutes and Giles could tell he was weighing things in his mind.
"You wont go alone luv," Giles told him. "I just got you bloody well back. I'm not losing you to another time and place."
"Guess we're going too then," Xander said. "Angel? You and Wes in?"
"Yeah, we are," the dark haired vampire, said to Xander. He and Wes had come to Sunnydale from LA because Angel was sick of the powers and their Bullshit. Wes got hurt again, that was the last straw. It seemed the powers wanted Wes gone. Angel refused to allow that to happen.
Ethan still seemed lost in thought. Some part of him knew he would say yes. But the other parts were warring out things and memories and pains. Ethan sighed as he saw things from his childhood playing out behind his eyes.
"I will help him, grandfather," Ethan said. "I will help for the sake of those children yet unborn."
Hades nodded, not having expected anything else. He knew Ethan was very angry with both of his fathers but as he had hoped, the children had swayed him.
"Lets go then," Giles, said. He would ask Ethan about this rage he sensed in him later. Right now, Ethan needed support.
"Angel, Spike," Willow said, "Bring blankets."
"Not necessary," Hades told her and snapped his fingers. Angel and Spike looked at each other to Hades and back.
"I restored your humanity but with the vampire perks. None of the downs, all of the ups. Enjoy. Are we ready?"
"Yes," Ethan said tensely. Giles took his hand and held it as they flashed out of his living room and the present to appear in the Temple of Love in the past. They could hear and argument going on between Zeus and Ares and Ethan growled. Zeus was a bastard of the highest degree. Someone needed to knock him down a few pegs. Ethan walked to the doorway to his father's bedroom where he saw Zeus standing looking at Ares.
"No one can defy me Ares," Zeus said. "There is no one on Olympus on your side who the Law does not apply to."
Ethan felt a white hot rage burn through him then and he found his voice.
"Wanna Bet?"