Who: Persephone, Hades and their children What: Aftermath Where: Hades's Office When: Directly after this scene Warnings: Looooong
Work kept Hades sane.
Whisky mixed with Red Bull kept Hades working. He had figured out how many he could have in an hour not to get drunk and he had figured out when to stop so he could drive. It was all a very careful balancing act as he worked on a report the networks wanted, his children asleep at his side. His pen scratched along the paper as his media center endlessly played the last week's worth of programming at ten times speed. Its drone was tuned out by him. It was all part of the careful balancing act of being sane, rational, calm and...
[Hades, Great ruler of the Underworld, provider of all my providence...I need you to know how much I love you, loved you, still love you. I am sorry for this last selfish, naive mistake of mine. There will never be enough apologies for it, but this complete ruination will serve as my punishment. I love you, and as much as I can be with you, I want to be with you from now until eternity. No matter how this ends, you need to know how I feel...]
And that had certainly destroyed the balance. It had been so very light but... The pen snapped in his hand as his head snapped up, and he looked around. But in his heart, he knew where it was coming from. Not from the room... It was a prayer. Persephone was praying, and his hands clenched shut. Gods don't pray unless... He closed his eyes and prayed as hard as he could, "[Persephone, my bringer of destruction, light in the dark world of death, where are you? Please tell me where you are? Please be able to respond...]"
At the time, Persephone had been a bit too stunned to recognize the prayer, much less respond to her former husband. It was two minutes into her brisk walk to his office that her mind finally caught up with her mission, and she pulled out her phone. "You better not have jumped to the wrong conclusions..." she muttered as she dialed his number. "The last thing we need is to be chasing each others tails the rest of the day." She waited as it rang.
The two minutes had been painfully long and terribly silent. Hades had secured his three children in the time; they would be fine. He had to find out what happened. But when he reached to grab his phone to tell Hestia to come, that he had to go... they would be watched by his assistant until she did... It was began playing Billy Idol and he quickly pressed talk. "Don't you ever do that again."
"I won't," Persephone rasped back at him. Her throat was feeling better but not by much. "Are you at the office? I was walking there." Now that she said that, she felt a little dumb. "Actually I might get a cab for the rest of the way...."
"Yeah, I'm at my office..." Hades crossed the office and collapsed onto one of his couches in relief and in a flash of anger. What the hell had the dramatic prayer been for? His children... at least his two sighted one looked out of the playpen in confusion about what was happening. Delaney clawed at the mesh walls like he had just put her in a dog kennel for no reason. But in his relief he couldn't help but ask the question in his mind, "What was that about? And what happened to your voice?"
"I thought he was going to splatter me, but...he's gone. I got help, and he's gone." Relief washed over her as she hailed a cab and gave the address in as strong of a voice as she could muster. "I'll explain the rest when I get there, but...talk to me until I do? It's been a strange day."
He? Hades' eyes widened as he pulled himself up from laying down. "You'll have to explain that whole sentence but okay..." He was happy to humor her as he trapped the phone against his shoulder to take the enclosure top off the playpen, tossed it to the side and lifted Delaney out to place her in her basket. She stopped making a sound that resembled a baby growl of annoyance immediately and returned to playing with a rattle as she liked to do. The twins simply continued to be very confused, but Daddy seemed less frantic so that was good... Returning to his own chair, he took a breath and tried to think of a conversation, "Um, do you know Delaney can talk?"
Dahlia gasped, letting her eyes slide shut. She had prepared for most things in this crazy get free from the Devil plan, but missing a milestone in her daughter's life was something she had not accounted for. She took a deep breath before croaking into the phone. "No...what did she say?"
Well, that was the answer to Hades' 'I wonder if Persephone knows she can talk?' question. The answer was definitely no. He leaned back in his chair, kicking his feet up on his desk and trying, desperately, not to just demand details of whatever she was coming to tell him. He would just enjoy the sound of her voice... albeit, raspy, and the calm it brought to him. If he over-thought... If he thought at all about her betrayal of him, or the danger surrounding her, the calm would instantly disappear and he could really use calm right now. He could be irrationally emotional when she got here. "She's actually said four things. The first word she said was 'Mine.' Then she followed with 'No.' Eventually she broke out with 'Mama,' which was heartbreaking, and then 'Aides', which though adorable, I would prefer 'Papa' or 'Daddy' or something."
Dahlia sniffled into the phone. "Oh..." She wasn't going to cry. Not even if she'd missed her daughter's first words. She was sure she'd cry enough later. She could see the building that was her destination about a block away, and she started to pull money out of her purse. "I'll be there soon," she murmured, stepping out of the cab and breezing into the office building. Just get to his office. Just get to his office, and then you can have your amazing breakdown.
Hades could clearly hear her sniffling. "...If it helps, I have the second time she said 'mine' on my cellphone. It's only like three seconds away from the first time."
"Not helping," she muttered, rolling her eyes as she got off the elevator and rushed through to his office.
"Suppose not." Hades hung up his phone as he got up and stood in the doorway of his office, making sure she would not be accosted or questioned by any of his employees, especially his inquisitive red-headed assistant. There would be none of that. Not today. He wanted to hear what Persephone had to say and catching sight of her, he grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her into his office. To actually see and touch her after that prayer... It was good to know she was alive and in one non-splatted piece.
Persephone closed her phone, wrapping her arms around his waist. He felt firm, real, steady. That was what she needed right now. She took a deep breath, slowly letting it out. After a moment, she glanced over his shoulder. There was her daughter, safe and sound. She sniffled, shoulders trembling. A dam inside of her was just about ready to break.
Hades knew that sensation. Like a second instinct he knew the feel of her shoulders trembling and what it meant. He kept her close to him for now, even though he knew he shouldn't and touched her hair softly as he always had when she was upset. "[It's okay.]" Right? He had no idea, but people didn't really care about the truth when they were upset anyway. It was all pleasant, reassuring lies they wanted. "[Shhh.]"
"[He's gone,]" she murmured, tears of relief spilling over her face. "[He's really gone...we're safe.]" She let out a strangled laugh against his shoulder, her knees giving out a bit as she slumped against him.
Hades wouldn't let her fall, she was quite secured against him at the moment. "[What do you mean he's gone? He's never gone.]"
"[A Christian cast him from my side,]" Persephone murmured, sounding tired but infinitely less raspy. "[Fought him with the only weapon I could think of that would work against him.]" She sniffled again, finding her feet. She tiptoed and placed a quick kiss on his lips. "[We're gonna be okay.]"
That made sense to him. The silver cigarette box with the syringe in it felt heavy in his slacks' pocket at the words. So, a Christian could drive him back... Hades pushed the thought aside for now... Actually, no. The thought was erased as he felt her lips against his. Thought did not exist when she kissed him. His body was too conditioned for anything less. But it was brief. Brief enough for him not to think about how it shouldn't have been. Thoughts and words came back into existence... "[We won't be, but this is still good news.]"
"Hmmm? What do you mean?" she asked, pulling away from him to sit herself beside Delaney's basket. She was beaming now, reaching out to brush back her daughter's dark hair. "[Hello my lovely~]"
Delaney lit up, throwing her rattle aside as hard and as far as her baby limbs could do so and reached out. "Mama! Mama!"
Hades shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched. She looked so happy and Delaney looked so happy. It made him hold his tongue as he sat down on one of his couches. "Nevermind. It's not important right now. She missed you. I had to give her Oreos to make her stop crying for you."
Dahlia smiled, lifting her daughter out of the basket and holding her close to her chest. She placed little kisses all over her head and face, covering every little bit of baby that she could find. Mama...hearing Delaney say that word aloud for the first time made her stomach do somersaults. Maybe she had gotten one thing right in all of this. "I love you."
"Mama!" Little Delaney laughed and squealed, wrapping her arms around her mother's head in a crazy hug.
Hades smiled faintly. "She loves Oreos more than both of us combined. Don't let her fool you."
"Of course," Dahlia laughed, nuzzling at her daughter. "Oreos are so very delicious."
"Probably not good for a little girl like her though." Here was Persephone free of her horrible decision, coming to take her daughter back. It dawned on Hades he wouldn't get to take the little girl home tonight. She wouldn't use her crib or call for him in the baby monitor that he was certain she believed was some sort of baby-cell phone so she could be rocked. But young children needed their mothers and Persephone had been without for a long time.... He still sighed. "She's very smart."
"I know. She's a little extortionist, and she knows just how special she is to us..." Dahlia smiled, glancing over to Hades. Everything felt so surreal. "I really thought I wouldn't see either of you again."
Hades nodded. Her smile cut right down into his soul. A light in the darkness... But he took a deep breath. It felt surreal but his life was only ever a nightmare or surreal, no real middle ground. "[I know. I have never felt more scared and helpless than when I heard your prayer... I almost didn't hear it at all. But that somehow made it worse.]"
"[I'm glad I got to tell you the things I did, but I'm sorry about the way they were delivered,]" Persephone murmured, patting the piece of floor next to her. "Come here..."
For a moment Hades debated her request, but it was a day to try to celebrate. She had managed to beat the Devil somehow. Slowly, he rose from the couch only to settle beside her on the floor.
Persephone smiled, leaning her head on his shoulder. "[I am so tired....you have no idea.]"
"[You look tired. And...]" Carefully, he traced the very edges of the sleeves of her blouse. They were singed black. There was a lingering, faint scent of sulfur on her that most would miss but not Hades. He knew that scent well. "[And you look like you have every reason to be tired.]"
Dahlia smiled, enjoying the feeling of his fingers on her arm. She nestled Delaney close, letting her eyes slip shut. "[How've you held up?]"
"[You know better than to ask that.]" Hades couldn't even begin to answer it and if he did begin, he feared the viscous rant that would come out passed his lips. Not now. Not while this image flooded his senses. Carefully, beyond carefully, he scooped mother and child up into his arms and stood.
Dahlia smiled, nestled against his chest. She opened her eyes a peek, savoring the moment. "[I feel like this weight has been lifted off of me...like I can just relax.]"
"[Good, because I wasn't letting you leave this office until I do. So just relax.]" Gently he laid her down on the couch and kissed the little girl on her head as he pulled the black quilt from over the back and draped it over mother and child. Today wasn't the day for anger and bitterness. He could hold his tongue in lieu of having a moment's peace. At least she was alive...
With her daughter safely in her arms and Hades watching over both of them, Dahlia was finally able to get an hour or two of quality sleep. Delaney, however, would only give her that much rest, and soon she was back up and back to motherhood. "[I know, sweetheart. I know sleepy mommy isn't fun...]"
In her sleeping, Hades had actually been able to finish his work. The only real difficulty had been trying to figure out the professional way of saying, "No, no. The public tunes in to see how drunk Paula acts." As soon as that had been done, he turned off his media center and only needed half a drink of his whisky-red bull horror, an improvement, before sitting down on the floor to play with his sons. He dared not disturb mother and daughter. He didn't look up as he made his sons' stuffed animals wrestle with them, "[Awake or are you talking in your sleep again?]"
Dahlia turned her face to him, smiling softly. "[I talked in my sleep? That's kind of embarrassing....]" Carefully, with baby in tow, she pushed herself upright again. She let out a little yawn. "[How long was I out?]"
"[Couple of hours.]" Hades hadn't especially paid attention but he knew it wasn't near enough to 4:45 for him to begin to cut out of this place to fetch Zale from his afterschool club and the amount of times he had cycled through American Idol, it had to have been a couple of hours. His sons squealed with delight when they were finally able to subdue their plush adversaries and hug/gnaw on them instead. "[And you always talk in your sleep when you're exhausted.]"
Dahlia smiled, hefting Delaney up and placing her in her basket with her toys, which were infinitely more interesting than her poor tired mother. She yawned again, stretching her back luxuriously. "[Thank you for staying with me and covering me up.]" She reached out, brushing her fingers through his hair. "[I probably don't deserve your consideration, but...I appreciate it.]"
No, you don't. Don't say that. Hades thought as he felt her warm fingers brush through his hair and unconsciously he shifted to be closer to that touch. "[No, you don't.]" Dammit.... He sighed softly and hefted his sons up to place them back in their playpen. They didn't whine about the change. There was much too much victory gnawing to do now. "[But what was I really supposed to do? Pick you up and put you outside my door?]"
Dahlia crouched down lower, so that they could be level. Her face betrayed the seriousness of this conversation. "[You could have. You would have had every right...I know I betrayed you so deeply, but our lives are full of horrible contradictions. I am your betrayer, but I still love you so deeply. I'll never stop loving you.]" Her face felt warm.
Hades closed his eyes. Looking at her was a trick. It would distract his mind and give license to his heart to forget how she stabbed it with a pitchfork. "[I waited so long for you to say that... and to say what you prayed. You could only give it to me when you thought you were going to be destroyed. That's not a contradiction but its pretty damn sad...]" And again he took a breath to calm the anger that raged inside of him. He didn't want that to make him forget his senses... He sorely wished he could actually find a balance within himself, "[I don't really want to argue. Any time someone escapes him it should be a happy occasion.]"
"[I don't want to argue either...]" Persephone murmured softly, leaning in closer to him. She touched his cheek with her fingers and then with her lips. "[I didn't just think it in my final moments, but...it wasn't safe for me to keep my heart open. Not when he could read my mind. I have a journal where I locked away all my thoughts, and so many of them are of you, my love.]"
A contradiction was that he flinched at her fingers against his cheek, but not her lips. He was perfectly still for an eternally short moment and then scooted away, opening his black eyes once more to stare at and through her. "[Not less terrible that you figured it out after you threw me away. I gave everything for you. Two lifetimes of everything and you threw me away for the man who ruined our home, tortures out subjects and is Evil. And then told me you had never been happy.]"
"[For the man who preyed upon my emotional wounds and told me what I wanted to hear,]" Persephone argued, throwing up her hands in supplication. "[I know what I did was wrong, but don't act as though it was a clear cut situation for me. I was confused, hurt, and I selfishly took a chance on someone who promised me no more confusion or pain. I'm sorry I told you I'd never been happy, but that was what I'd been told would make things right again...and that was the only way I could possibly have dragged myself away from you. I loved you too much. A clean break had been the only way. I used to have nightmares that one day you'd see the woman you'd been with, the woman who came right to your arms who didn't need to be dragged into things or taught everything about being an adult...you'd look at your two beautiful children, and then you'd look at me. And you'd be the one wanting a simpler life...and I'd be alone. Childless and alone.]"
Two very distinct thoughts appeared in Hades' mind all at once. The first was, "Hmmm, it appears that when I take the virginity of a woman with the word 'maiden' in their name and/or title they develop the same belittling, unattractive self-esteem issue. This must be noted for future reference. Just in case." And the second was a much angrier, "Not a clear cut situation. You married the Devil. 'Devil' from the Middle English devel, from Old English deofol, from Late Latin diabolus, from Greek diabolos, literally, slanderer. It can't be any clearer than that."
He let both thoughts pass from him, however, as he continued to stare, fighting the urge to begin to glare. "[Don't try to justify your actions and continue to blame them on me.]"
"[I don't blame you,]" Persephone murmured. "[My reaction to your situation was completely selfish and unfounded. I blame him for driving a stake into my neuroses and claiming them in the name of Hell. I blame myself for falling for it, but I don't blame you for what I did with him.]" She let her shoulders slump, face falling. He probably would never understand. "[I just...it wasn't my intention to hurt you. I was trying to give myself help that I obviously was not deserving of.]"
His soul groaned as he watched himself reach out and caress her cheek as her face fell. "[This does not mean I am not very angry at you.]"
"[I know,]" her voice hitched, tears spilling down her face. "[And you'll always hate me for what I've done. I know I've done the unforgivable...]"
Part of Hades wanted to tell her off and say a terribly hurtful thing and his lips moved to say as much but, "[Don't cry, Persephone.]"
Persephone sucked down her tears. She could see how much they displeased and hurt Hades. "[I'm sorry. I should...I should just leave you alone, huh?]"
Her tears always displeased and hurt him. Always. About time she realized it. That had only take a few millenia. Hades let his body just collapse to the floor, allowing him to stare at the ceiling while being as close to the ground as his fourth floor office would actually allow him. "[I am so angry at you. A bubbling terrible rage full of bitterness and pain and resentment. But it doesn't stop me from loving you and that only makes the pain and anger worse. And yet, I am pleased beyond belief that you are safe and free. It's the best news I've heard since Delaney's cries announced her birth.]"
Persephone frowned, more confused than ever. He hadn't told her to leave, and what's more he'd told her that he still loved her in spite of everything. That he was happy that she was alive and free. She scooted closer, stretching out on the ground next to him, watching his face in profile. "[I am happy that you still love me.]"
"[I can't stop loving you.]" It was as much a warm feeling as it was a curse in the moment. Aphrodite or her ilk had seen to that very effectively. Hades closed his eyes once more. "[Even in my anger, I still cherish the words of your prayer. I'm just not ready to even begin to think about forgiving you.]"
"[I'll keep up my apologies then,]" Persephone murmured, reaching out to take his hand in hers. "[And I will learn equal parts patience for love.]"
Hades completely ignored her words and how his hand was now in hers. And partially ignored how soft her skin felt against his. "[Me yelling and screaming at you gets us no where. We share a child. You best hope I am ready to begin to forgive you when it is her time to leave the mortal coil or go to college or something.]"
"[Just wait until I get kiddie warfare on my side,]" Persephone joked, a smile hinting at the corners of her lips. "[There'll be cupcakes and all manner of adorable crafts to bombard you with...]" She studied his face for a moment. "[We're free. It will get better....]"
"[We're free? It'll get better?]" Maybe he should have had a whole whisky-redbull horror, or maybe he should have kept working. The desperate balance between sanity and insanity, crazed and stable, broke down with her words and he just started to laugh. But it wasn't a pleasant sound. It wasn't laughter of happiness. It was a mad exhalation of desperation and hopelessness. It was a terrible sound. Her words had reminded him quite clearly that his life sucked even more than he had been remembering and his black eyes locked on to her as the laughter finally stilled, "[First of all, there is no 'we'. There is a 'me' and there is a 'you', no 'we'. I may have dissolved our marriage but you dissolved 'we' in spectular fashion. But let's says there was a 'we'. Just for fun...]" Never taking his eyes off her, he let his glamour drop, an act he very rarely done. No longer was the image of Dante Lot before her. This was the man that had kidnapped her and loved her so many years ago... The true Hades, his chiseled features and groomed bearded framed by a bane of black curls, the curls' edges glimmering like diamonds in any bit of light... but that was not what he was showing her. She knew the face of her once-husband. Deep black centered flames seeped right through his shirt and he opened his button down to let her get a better view of the ice that had replaced much of the skin of his torso, his shoulders and his back and the hellish, heatless black pitted flames danced across it. "[Does this look free to you?]"
Persephone gasped, tears instantly welling up in her eyes. "[What did he do to you?]" she cried, reaching out to run her hands along him. "[I...I didn't know. Oh...]" She burst into sobs, hugging herself close to the painful looking deformities as if that could somehow make them better.
Hades shoved her away, partially because he didn't especially know if the hellfire flames would harm her and partially because he didn't care for her pitying hug at the moment. He straightened up in his sitting and reclaimed his glamour. "[Few know and I keep it that way to keep the pity to a minimum. He's absorbing me into Hell... mortal belief making the whole realm 'Hades' really screwed me on that one.]" That silver cigarette case felt heavy in his pocket again, and the secret thought made another laugh escape him. A dark chuckle at his own various FU to the Devil escape plan. But watching her, he did believe she didn't know. At least he could console himself that they didn't snicker at his plight as pillow talk. "[Not that it matters as there isn't a 'we'. You're safe.]"
Persephone continued to cry, now deeply worried for him. "[Let me help you. We'll figure something out. You can't keep carrying that burden around.]" She absolutely could not lose him like this. "[Let me help...]"
"[All I do is carry around burdens and I don't especially trust your]" judgement was what he wanted to say but instead softened it to the nicer, "[plans. Your track record isn't that great.]" But her tears again, cut through him and his anger. Her tears had a magically terrible ability to shut down all thought and actions except those that would get them to stop, for better or for worse in his history. He lowered his eyes from her, "[You're crying again...]"
"[I'm sorry,]" she sobbed, rubbing at her eyes. "[But I love you and I'm worried about you!]" Her shoulders shook violently as the full weight of what she had done fell upon. "[Oh...] shit shit shit..." She got up to her feet. "I'm so sorry..."
He merely looked up at her, his emotions coming down to neutral and reflecting that much on his face. "[I know you are. I heard you. A person's final moments says a whole lot about a person. I know that better than most... better than everyone.]"
Persephone shook her head, wiping her eyes. He didn't know how sorry she was because she hadn't known how sorry to be before. She turned away from him. "[I'm a terrible person...]"
Don't say 'Yes.' was his thought as he watched her turn away. But the very thought itself renewed at least some of his mercy toward her. After all, she wasn't the only one to have committed the unforgivable against the other in this room. He sighed and touched one of her slender ankles to get her attention. "[Shhh. Stop that. You told me a long time ago saying things like that doesn't make anything better. Yourself or the situation better.]"
Persephone turned, glancing down at him with a pathetic face. "[I wish I knew of some way to make things better...or at least to make you feel better. But now I feel like the best thing would be for me to unburden you of my presence.]" Since there was no we anymore, what was stopping her from giving him that much peace.
"[Sit down. You aren't going anywhere until I leave this office or kick you out for some emergency happening reason.]" Hades laid back down on the floor, turning to his side to wave and motion to the child audience at his side. When Edward and Delaney waved back, he whistled and Eric followed suit. He then simply laid there on his side. "[So relax. I'll be angry at you tomorrow. I told you I didn't want to argue.]"
Duly chastised, Dahlia sat down at his side, pulling her knees up to her chest. She had been elated--tired, but elated--when she'd entered the office. Now, she just wanted to curl up in a hole somewhere.
Somehow he could feel that and that wasn't what he had wanted. Persephone should have known better talking to him when there was a chance he could ruin the mood. Sitting up again, he gently put his arm around her shoulder and motioned to the little girl. "[We have a beautiful daughter.]"
That subject especially could not take Persephone's mind off of how terribly she had betrayed Hades. She kept her face buried against her knees. If she looked at Delaney now... She could not look at Delaney at this moment.
Delaney frowned a little when she realized her mother was not looking at her. That was very much unacceptable. And so, she chucked her rattle at her mother and called, "Mama!"
Persephone took a deep breath in. She couldn't afford these thoughts. It wasn't fair to her daughter. She turned her head, waving to her daughter...the daughter she'd ruined Hades's life for. Her smile didn't make it all the way to her eyes.
Hades was about to correct and scold the little girl, but the words lingered on his lips as he glanced at his once-wife. She had ruined his life, and he had ruined her day. Not quite even... especially since he hadn't wanted to. "[I won't keep you here if you're that unhappy. I've done that quite enough. Today should be your day to be happy. Freedom and reunions.]"
"[I don't deserve to be happy. At most relieved,]" Dahlia replied, grabbing her daughter's rattle off the floor. "[You don't get to be happy when you created the mess you just got out of.]"
"[This isn't you being relieved either.]"
"[I've moved past relieved.]"
"[That was quick.]" Not that Hades didn't know why. He was why.
In reality, she was why, but this was not the time for 'it's not you, it's me.' "[I work quickly...]" she murmured, tilting her head to the side. Her ear touched his shoulder. His arm was still wrapped around her.
Hades had actually forgotten it was wrapped around her. It felt so natural to do. Even in his anger. She had betrayed and hurt him horribly but he did still love her and they shared a beautiful daughter. "[I don't know if that's from your parents or me rubbing off on you.]"
"[Hard to say,]" she murmured in reply, glancing sideways at his face which was so close now. "[My theory is that I get all my bad qualities from my father and all my good qualities from you.]"
"[Maybe, but I did teach you all kinds of dark and less than innocent things.]" He kept his eyes forward watching the children playing, or at least trying to play. His sons were doing everything in their power to get Delaney's attention, but she seemed to be purposely ignoring them.
"[I put those solidly under the good qualities list,]" Dahlia said with a little laugh, this time daring to tap a kiss on his jaw. "[Unless you're talking about the torture stuff...oh, you probably were.] Whoops."
He didn't resist the kiss and he didn't move away. It almost seemed like he was trying to smile. "[I was referring to the torture stuff. And the necromancy stuff.]"
"[Necromancy isn't so bad,]" Persephone retorted, reaching up a hand to hold onto his. "It just got a bad rap."
"[It's bad in this family.]" He gave her hand a squeeze. Tomorrow he would be fuming at her, but today? She had escaped the Devil. Someone had beaten him... It gave him ideas and hope. That was enough to not give in to all his anger demanded.
"[The only family I ever cared about was you and Momma,]" Persephone murmured, the blue feeling welling up inside her again. "[And that family didn't care....]"
"[That b.... mother certainly looked down on it. Don't even start.]" Hades sighed a little and then watched her from the corner of his eyes. She still looked so tired. "[Go on. Go back to sleep. You'll never keep up with Delaney like you are now when you take her home.]"
"[You should keep her for another day or two,]" Persephone muttered. It was hard to say those words, but it was the truth. She was tired and going home would still be very scary for at least tonight.
"[Give me five bucks then.]" Hades opened his hand to her in the universal gesture of "gimme". It wasn't about the money; it was about partial responsibility. "[I'll have you buy the Oreos.]"
Dahlia nodded, groping for her purse and producing the cash. "[I never thought I'd be the provider and you'd be the nurturer in a parenting situation...what a depressing thought.]"
"[More or less depressing than she would replace us both for an unlimited supply?]" Hades pondered aloud as he pocketed the cash.
"[Well you're worth more than unlimited oreos to be sure,]" Persephone sighed, leaving her own worth to question.
Hades shook his head. He was master of hearing what was unsaid. After all, that's how he often spoke and even though she had sorely betrayed him, her worth to her daughter was not to be questioned. "[She loves you more than me. She even calls you 'Mama'. Don't project our issues onto her. She's too small be to burdened by them.]"
"[You're right. I'm sorry,]" Dahlia sighed, shaking her head. Removing herself from Hades's side, she crawled over to her daughter, replacing the rattle in the basket with her. "No more throwing things to get your way, darling."
"No," Little Delaney replied as she stared up at her mother.
Hades pulled his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms to watch both in silent vigil. For once something didn't hurt as much as he had thought. Persephone admitting Delaney loved her more than him wasn't a terrible stabbing wound. But maybe his emotions didn't have anywhere left to be stabbed by her.
"No throwing," Dahlia replied, leaning over to kiss her daughter's forehead. She glanced back at Hades, seeing something she didn't like in his eyes. It was a good thing she spoke Hadese. "[I meant you're right about me not burdening her with my issues. She adores you.]"
"[I'll believe that when she calls me something other than 'Aides', L... Persephone.]" Hades shrugged a little, "[Besides children always love their mothers more anyway.]"
"[Tell that to Elektra,]" Persephone retorted. "[She might just like the sound of your first name better. Don't presume to know the inner workings of a baby.]"
"[Hmm, I suppose you're right about that. Babies do probably think differently than the rest of us.]" It brought the faintest of smiles to him; his daughter was his crown jewel in life and though he would always treat his children with equal love, he would never deny that much. "[It is adorable when she says it.]"
Persephone watched Hades. His small smile might as well have been a grin just then. "[It's funny. I know you're beyond angry with me, and that so much has happened today, but right now...I just want to kiss you. We have a beautiful daughter, and you are the father I always knew you'd be, and I just want to kiss you.]"
"[Forbidden fruit is always tempting.]" Hades' passive-aggressiveness slipped out with the comment, but the praise of being a good father allowed it to remain only unconsciously passive.
"[I think I'd want to kiss you, even if you weren't angry,]" Dahlia retorted, arguing her point. She was ever the faithful litigator. "[Probably moreso.]"
It had been a trait he had adored when it first appeared and blossomed within her. A proof that she had moved on from being a scared maiden so long ago. But Hades shook his head, "[It doesn't really matter.]"
Dahlia nodded, definitely disappointed, but she had expected as much. She took her attention off of Hades and turned it instead to her daughter as she began to sing to her.
"[Are you sure you don't want to take her tonight?]" He couldn't help but ask it softly, a whisper that he ensured she heard by scooting closer to her. He didn't want to disturb her song to the little girl... If only to prevent the temper tantrum from annoying the little spoiled princess. He glanced over at the daughter they shared and how delighted she seemed at the sound of her mother's voice. "[She adores you.]"
Dahlia kept singing for a moment longer before turning her head and planting a small peck at the corner of Hades's lips. It was gratitude for him being so thoughtful. "[I'd feel better if I could stay in my house just one night without her. It would let my nerves know she is safe.]"
"[I'm not going to chase her away from me. She's my precious daughter.]" Delaney was the only thing that made any of this current pain worth it now, the only reason his mind could abide his once-wife's presence. Their daughter had been the final blessing of the dying light of their marriage. And he would always be grateful for that much to her and unconsciously his body returned her gesture of gratitude with his own small kiss to the corner of her lips.
Dahlia inhaled, the breath almost sharp until she reminded herself to be calm. She turned her lips a fraction of an inch, so that the soft skin there was against Hades's lips. She didn't push much beyond that simple contact, letting her eyes slip shut for a moment.
Her lips against his, his body instantly recognized the sensation and before he could think or notice, his hands were on either of her shoulders pulling her closer. But his mind did catch up after a moment, after thought returned to him after being temporarily banished. She would not get forgiveness or absolution this day from him. Not this month or this year either and her kiss seemed very much like a plea for it. For hope. He wasn't a god of hope. His hands slipped higher and held her face gently as he deepened the kiss, letting her know what she threw away for the Devil's lies. And then after a very long moment, he broke the kiss and stared at her with his dark eyes brimming with anger in sharp contrast to the tenderness just before. Turning away, he stood up to check on all his children.
Persephone understood the message all too well. She got up to her feet, gathering her things. "I'll call you to check up on her..." She could see herself out.
Looming over the playpen to separate his sons from slapping each other for some reason, he looked over his shoulder at her departing. "[Hmmm, I did say I would let you go if you wanted...]" With a deeper sigh than previously, he considered his next words before speaking them carefully, "[It is a good day still for you. Try to enjoy it. Then you'll be happier when you do take Delaney home.]"
"[I'll be happiest when I can safely take her home,]" Dahlia murmured, glancing once more at Hades and the children before gliding out of the room.
Summary: Persephone goes to Hades's office after she is freed from the Devil's clutches. She sees her daughter and takes a much needed nap. When she wakes up, Hades and her hash it out. It's not all pretty.