Who: Persephone & Zale, then Hades What: Reunion Where: Persephone's Home When: Friday Warnings: None
Persephone had seen somewhere that yoga was good for a healthy delivery, so there she was with a light green, extra-thick mat rolled out on the living room floor, holding a standing palm. The stereo system was playing ocean noises. She could feel her troubled soul finally beginning to relax.
It was afternoon. Most children were coming home from summer school or camp. Zale was quickly learning to accept he had not been most children anymore. It had been a hectic few weeks and the even though his sandy hair was neatly brushed, exhaustion clung to his young frame. He shouldered a duffel bag and shuffled his feet nervously before ringing the bell.... He had been here so many times, but now it seemed different. It was different. The envelope in his hand said so...
Persephone let out a slow exhale, moving to a more normal stance before padding slowly to the front door. She opened it up, surprised to see who was at the door. "Zale?" What was he doing here?
“Hi,” he sheepishly replied before his eyes widening unintentionally. She had gotten so big... He knew she was going to be pregnant but...
Her smile widened, and she reached out to pull him into a tight hug. "Come in. How've you been?"
“Tired. We've been moving around a lot...” Zale hugged her tightly, the envelope pressed to her back, “How have you been? Is everything okay here?”
"Everything is great," she murmured, smoothing a hand over his sandy hair. "Come on in. Have a seat. I'll make you some chocolate milk..."
He rubbed his eyes with a hand, and then his arm and finally his inner elbow as he nodded and entered the house. Zale looked around, a little surprised that the house didn't look all that different since the last time he was in it, but then he grabbed her hand. “You don't have to. I'll do it.”
"It's okay," Dahlia replied, smiling down at him. "Just go have a seat on the couch...I'd almost forgotten how conscientious you are."
“Alright...” Zale yawned and went to the couch. He sat down and his eyes instantly closed, loosening his grip on the envelope in his hand.
Dahlia returned with a glass of chocolate milk and some cookies. When she saw that he was asleep, she set these aside and reached for the throw draped over the couch. She tucked him in and moved to put the milk in the fridge, but as she turned around something made of paper crunched under her feet. "What..." It had her name on it.
My dearest Persephone,
Recent events have brought me to the conclusion that I must take drastic measures in order to protect the child growing inside of me. Though it breaks my heart, I have to leave, and no one can know where I'm going. I know it is cruel to tell you this through a letter after all the years we've spent apart, but there was no other choice. When you have a child of your own, you will understand.
I only wish that I could have stayed long enough to see my granddaughter born...
Please take care of Zale in my absence. It wouldn't be fair of me to deprive him of a chance to know his family now that we've all been brought together by the Fates. I don't wish to act as his father has and tear his family apart further. He will always have my love, but I know that with you he will have the family's support.
Don't worry for me. I will return when things are safer.
All my love, [Momma]
Persephone had to hold back the gasp. She looked down at Zale. The poor thing... She didn't understand how things could have happened this way. She set the letter down, padding softly out into the hall to retrieve her phone. She dialed the number of the one person she thought might be able to help her make sense of the situation.
Elsewhere, in a little yellow house, Hades sat slightly stretched out on the couch. He had just returned home less than ten minutes ago and handed his baby boys over to their doting mother for their mother-sons reunion from their weekday trip to his office. It was still odd to be able to watch the reunion, to be there as she swept them away. He closed his eyes to relax, only to hear his phone playing “White Wedding”.... It took him a moment to understand why Billy Idol was singing to him before he understood to answer it, “Hello, Dahlia.”
"Hi...I need to talk to you," Dahlia headed upstairs, extra careful to be away from earshot of Zale. "My brother showed up on my porch with a note from my mother....:
His eyes widened. “Hold on.” He put his hand over the microphone receiver as he drew to his feet and looked around. She probably took them to the nursery... “Tessie, be outside for the phone...” Then he moved himself out to the backyard and leaned up against the wall. Only then did he take a breath and return the phone to his ear. Brother and calling him... “Zale is there?”
"Yeah. On the couch downstairs." She sat down on the little bench at the end of her bed. "It's a situation. This is bad."
It was bad. He could hear it in his precious once wife's tone. Hades closed his eyes. “Is he okay? Is this the kind of bad where I should be getting into my car?”
"I'd like that...but he's okay. Just tired." Persephone's voice was strained. "She left him with me. I'm worried."
Left him with her? Demeter? Left a child? Hades was going to be doing some global research later, but for now, “[I'll be right there. Sit tight, love.]” Damnit, didn't catch the term. Oh well. He hung up the phone and opened the back door to the home only to call out that he would be right back. Locking it behind him, he got into his car and took the familiar drive to the house that used to be his home to speak to the woman who used to be his wife.
Dahlia sat on the porch, wringing her hands nervously. Her zen mood was completely busted.
It didn't take long for him to reach the house. He knew all the short cuts and back roads. Pulling up to the drive way on the side of the house, he walked around and saw her. “Here.”
"Hey..." She rose to her feet. "Thanks for coming..."
Hades drew closer to and touched the outside of her hand softly in greeting, before stopping from doing anything more. Old habits needed breaking... besides... “So, Zale is here and what happened?”
Dahlia rummaged in her pocket, fishing out the letter and handing it to him. "Here..."
Looking over the letter, he looked to Persephone and then back to letter. Hades read it twice, before stopping the third pass in the middle. The letter said so much... Demeter being pregnant... Allowing Zale to be in Miami without her... Granddaughter... The Dark One focused on what was most pressing, “Poor kid... Meeting this family has turned his life upside down.”
"I know..." Dahlia was visibly upset, but she held back from seeking comfort in his arms.
“Shhh,” He could see that she was upset like he could see the sky was blue and reached again to touch her hand, holding it at the wrist for more subtle comfort. But his eyes shifted to look through the windows. He could just see the sandy hair of the sleeping child above the sill. “What did he say?”
"Just that he'd been moving around a lot lately," she murmured. "Poor thing didn't even get to this letter before he fell asleep."
“He probably wanted to stay up and send as much as time as he could with his mother while he could...” Hades concern for the boy as he moved closer to the window allowed him to say the word 'mother' without any silent jab at Demeter. He didn't let go of her wrist as he moved, only switched hands to get closer to peek passed the curtains. Sound asleep...
"What should we do?" Persephone murmured, moving closer to Hades. Somehow this felt like a problem for them both.
Hades could feel her move closer, just behind him. Her stomach lightly grazed the edge of his suit jacket, but force once his attention was on the problem and not the spring goddess. He glanced at her, “We need to make him happy and comfortable. He's lost everything else... Mother, Father...” Somehow, he was able to keep his scorn off 'mother' but not off 'father'. Perhaps because he was accustomed to holding his tongue about Demeter now... “Even his twin sister. If someone stole Gemini it would all be complete...”
"Yes...it must have been bad," she frowned, her fingers running against the window. "She loves us so much..."
At the words, he released his tender hold on her wrist and turned his back to her to roll his eyes. Hades then returned to focus his attention to the window, now to stand behind her... for the moment united in the same cause. “We'll just have to love him more to make up for it...”
"Yes..." She frowned. "This is very sudden. I don't know how to take care of a grown child like this....but I guess I'll do my best."
“So much pressure on you already...” Was the boy stirring? It was hard to tell passed the curtains, but Hades figured he wasn't as Zale's form stilled again.
"I have money. Time, too. But..." Would she be good at taking care of him? She frowned.
Hades heard what she hadn't said. Her frown confirmed it. He murmured softly to her, “[You raised Adonis and he was a brat compared to Zale...]” The fact that he had half raised him was left out as he moved passed her now and tried to get a better look through the curtains...
Persephone leaned in as well, her mind thinking back to those times. Oh Adonis...had she really done anything to be considered a good job with him?
Suddenly, Zale awoke from his slumber and popped his head up right next to the glass. Voices outside?
Which made Hades take a healthy step back by instinct, before exclaiming, “Damnit. The boy's like a jack in the box.”
Dahlia screamed in fright, hiding her face against Hades's shoulder. Gods....Her heart was thudding as she looked back up. "He's awake I guess."
The dread lord glanced at the queen of the underworld and softly whispered, “Let's not tell people we both got spooked...”
Zale was more than awake. He had a second wind and leapt from the couch and raced out the door to throw his arms around his uncle. “Uncle Hades!” It felt like forever since he had seen him. It felt like forever since he did a lot of things, but he hugged his uncle tight before stepping back. Sheepishly, he got very interested in his shoes, “I'm sorry I didn't respond if you tried to call me. I don't really have my phone anymore...”
It took a second for Hades to actually understand what just happened. But his mind caught up and he then comprehended that Zale was hugging him. His heart warmed at the gesture and he ruffled the boy's hair when he stepped away. It had hurt when Zale had ignored his messages and refused time with him... But it made sense now. “It's okay, Kiddo. Just glad to see you.”
"We're both glad you're here," Persephone chimed in, not wanting to be the third wheel.
Zale grinned a little, but then his expression turned serious again. Uncle Hades was here with Persephone... But didn't they...? “What's going on?”
“Came as soon as I heard you were here,” Hades quickly chimed in, trying to catch the young horse whisperer off at the pass. Innocent care... not concern and pity. No. That was not why he was called and came for.
"I knew that he had wanted to see you, and I knew he's not terribly busy at this time of day so.." Yes. Play off of what Hades had already established. She turned to her former husband. "Do you want to join us for milk and cookies?"
Hades shrugged. He wasn't really a cookies man but, “Why not?”
Zale grinned again, putting away his earlier suspicions. He had spent too long the last few weeks being an adult. It felt good to be a kid again.
"Yours is in the living room," Dahlia smiled, grasping Zale's chin in her hand and kissing his hair affectionately. She started back to the kitchen to get something for Hades.
When Persephone turned for the kitchen, Hades swooped and picked Zale up to bring him inside. The horse whisperer life had been so hard the last few weeks... Even in his hatred of Demeter, even Hades couldn't help but feel bad for the loss. But showing sadness would only beget sadness. The mess of his own life had taught him one thing... to take someone's mind of something, don't focus on it. Hence the carrying. He enjoyed carrying the boy around.
And just like the other times, he had been carried Zale did enjoy it. He draped his arms around his uncle's shoulders as he balanced himself in the almost awkward hold and relaxed in the moment until he reached the couch again and shimmied down.
Persephone returned with some coffee for Hades and digestives that she knew he liked, setting these down for him. "You two having fun out here?" She smiled, sitting herself down in a nearby armchair.
“Just carrying him around until I'm replaced by cookies...” Hades replied almost matter-of-factly if not for the smirk that unconsciously spread across his features as he teased the boy beside him.
Zale looked up and smiled. At least his uncle seemed happy. He had been worried. “You're not having any?”
"I might sneak a cookie in a bit," Dahlia replied, an impish grin on her face.
Hades took a deep breath as he broke one of the oat meal raisin cookies he had been handed in two. It was a breath to brace himself. Even with children, he was uncomfortable with small talk, but he could do. He was actually good at it, unlike with adults. Probably because he actually cared about the answers when it was a child. “Did they saddle you with summer reading? They always seem to do that to kids on the telly...”
“Yeah. I have to read 'Johnny Tremain'.” Zale replied as he eat a couple of the chocolate chips cookies and took a sip of milk. It was probably good that Hades had mentioned it. He hadn't thought about school in weeks and thought about it even less recently. He wouldn't want to just forget. “I have to find a copy...”
"That's what amazon dot com is for," Dahlia replied, smiling brightly. "Give me a list of everything you might need, and I'll have it overnighted to us." She stood from the armchair, padding her way over to Zale's dufflebag. "Now let's get this upstairs..."
“um...” Zale looked at Hades and then at Persephone, “Sis...”
"Yes?" Dahlia replied, glancing over her shoulder. "Do you need something?"
The boy got up and trotted to her side.
Hades remained back. Obviously the boy was going to offer to carry his own bag and not let his pregnant eldest sister do it... So he went back to eating... playing with his oatmeal cookies, crumbling them in his hands and then mixing them into his milk.
Zale moved in front of her, “um... I was wondering...”
"Yeah?" Dahlia quirked her head to the side, looking down at Zale. "What's up, kiddo?"
“I was um... wondering... maybe I could stay with Uncle Hades...” Zale whispered just loud enough for Persephone to hear him. He didn't want to speak too loudly... just in case she said no...
Don't react. Persephone chided herself. Don't give yourself away. She smiled, placing the bag down and ruffling his hair. "Did you hear that?" She asked over her shoulder. "Can he stay with you?"
Zale's eyes widened. He didn't think she would do that but now he peeked around her to his uncle.
Who had almost the same surprised expression as he stopped crushing cookies to make a terrible to all non-Plutonians. “What? Stay with me?” He repeated only so he could understand then question himself. “[You want to stay with me?]”
"[He just asked me,]" Persephone said, as if to clarify.
Hades nodded. There was no doubt in him in this moment. “[Of course. I would never turn you away, Kiddo, if you want to stay with me...]”
Zale looked up to Persephone.
Dahlia picked up the duffle bag and started for the front door. It wasn't staying here afterall.
The sirens were going off in Hades' head. Loud and blaring. Flashing lights, too. He stood up.
Maybe Zale caught on to this, or maybe it was his own intuition but he hugged his sister.
Persephone stopped in front of the door, wrapping an arm around her brother. She kept her face a trained mask of deception.
The mask did not seem to be working. At least not completely. Zale gave her a light squeeze, “[I love you. I don't want to be a burden to you...]” And as much as he loved his eldest sister, he felt closer to Hades. He had just lost his mother for an undefined amount of time... was it wrong to want to be with the man who had more right to the title father than his own?
Hades didn't like where this was heading as he bridged the gap and slipped his fingers between hers to get the duffel bag from her and toss it to the couch. Hopefully nothing was fragile in it... His other hand grazed the boy's hair. “[How about you go run yourself a bath while we talk about you behind your back, Kiddo? You could probably use a relaxing bath and there is a tub with jets upstairs...]” He felt no reason to lie.
Zale stepped back and looked to his sister again. The look said it all: You okay?
"Go on," Dahlia murmured, nodding her head towards the stairs.
Just a little hesitantly, Zale nodded and went up the stairs.
Hades did not speak until he was sure the boy was out of earshot and hushed his voice, “[Persephone...]”
"[What?]" She asked softly. Persephone was bound to not lose it until the two of them were well out of the house.
Who was she trying to trick? Hades knew his once wife better than he knew himself. He touched her wrist again softly, wrapping his hand around. “[I know you wanted him to stay here. How about we share?]”
"[I'm not his mother. Or his father. I'm his sister,]" Dahlia murmured, pushing his hand away. "[That's my share.]"
“[I'm just his uncle.]” Not his father either. Just because he was a better one than Poseidon didn't mena he was... But he let his hand be pushed away. Hades knew this. Proud strength around a crumbling core... The only difference was he wouldn't find her in their bedroom, or roof terrace garden when she finally did break... His heart clenched at the idea of her breaking alone, but he pushed it aside. The present. The present. “[And your mother gave you authority to care for him....]”
Persephone laughed. "[You don't care what she says. And we both know it.]"
“[But I care about how you feel...]”
"[I'll live...]" She rolled her eyes. "[Please let it drop.]"
“[Let him stay with you on the weekends at least. He wants to stay with me yes, but he loves you, too.]” He lowered his eyes in response to her rolled ones. It was better to be passive when she got in ths mood... And now she was pregnant. “[Besides, he already lost a sister this year. He needs his big one close.]” Replace his lost family members as best they could.
"[I'm not about to abandon him. He can stay over whenever he wants,]" she muttered, rolling her eyes at him.
Hades really did hate when she did that, but he made no mention, instead, he moved behind her, unconsciously brushing her shoulder with his to keep contact so both of them could look up at the steps, "[A schedule will be better for him. Remember how much better it was when he knew exactly where we were and where he should be when he first came to us.]"
"[Weekends then,]" Dahlia replied, shrugging her shoulders.
Of course, the schedule wasn't all for Zale's sake. It was also so Hades could actually prepare to have Zale with him. If this had happened a week ago, there would have been no problems. "[Then I'll take him Monday. I'll be more ready… This is a bit of a surprise. As always you are prepared when I am not…]" Like having a house to accommodate him. A room already prepared because they had seen no reason to move stuff with all the extra space they had… Unless she did so after he left.
Dahlia always liked having room for her friends and assistants. "[Fair enough...but you're staying to explain to him.]"
Even though he was behind her, he felt no reason not to nod. "[I had no intention not to.]"
"[Thanks...]" She smiled over her shoulder at him. Her hands went to rest on her growing belly.
Without thinking, he placed a hand over hers and over his daughter. She hadn't told him but Demeter had that he was having the daughter he always imagined… He wondered if they would have to make deals like this with her, too… "[No reason to thank me.]"
"[You came...I needed someone to help me manage the situation,]" she smiled, rubbing her thumb over the top of his hand.
Any ill or anxious feelings disappeared at her touch. He smiled softly, "[I will always come when you need me. Always.]"
"[Thanks.]" Dahlia let out a little sigh.
"[Again, there's no reason to thank me.]" He lowered his eyes but she couldn't see that much. But he couldn't keep the bittersweetness from his tone, "[What a friend's for, right?]"
"[You're not just a friend...we're a family. In spite of everything,]" Dahlia reminded him, leaning back to rest against him lightly.
"[I have less friends than family. Half of Greece at one point might have been my family.]" Her reminded only brought his attention to how he must have said it and so tried to not only ease any sadness way, but any tension from this whole situation with a joke. His hand slipped down from her belly and he wrapped his arms around her waist. "[Friends are the family I choose, and choose me.]"
"[Then we're friends...]" Dahlia smiled, reaching up to touch his cheek.
"[We should really talk more…]" He murmured back, easing into her touch by instinct and it calming his soul as it always did. "[Not let emergencies be the reason we reach out.]"
"[You're probably right...]" Dahlia murmured, enjoying having him close. "[I should take some birthing classes...did you want to join me?]"
He had with Hestia, though he was not going to hope that his daughter spoke to him from the womb like his sons had. It would probably set him up for disappointment. Resting his head against the back of hers, he murmured in reply, "[Yes. Have you set up a nursery yet?]"
"[Hypnos has been helping me start...but it still needs some work.]" She glanced up the stairs.
"[I want to do it. She's my daughter, not his.]" It took all his effort to repress the irrational anger that her words caused.
"[Then you can help,]" she muttered, rolling her eyes again.
Can help…. Something inside of his bristled but he swallowed that down along with his pride. His precious daughter demanded it. His tone remained soft, "[You'll have to tell me what you want and I'll do it. Seems you already have ideas…]"
"[Come on....]" She took his hand, taking him up to the room. She and Hypnos had cleaned it out, swept it up and fixed the floor. There were different squares of paint of the wall. "[I haven't decided much....]"
Hades followed her without question and looked around. They really hadn't gotten much done at all. "[Alright. Let's figure this out while Zale finishes up his bath and settles into the house a bit.]" One hand trapped in hers, he pulled his phone out and easily sent a message with his free one. It did not look like he would be right back after all.
Summary: Persephone has to learn, trying to relax only asks for drama. Trying to do yoga, her little brother emerges from the ether and then she has to deal with it. And eventually so does Hades.