Fated Lovers

Author: Kaitelynn

E-Mail: [email protected]

Disclaimer: None are mine, damnit. BtVS and A:TS belong to Joss. Herc and Xena belong to Robert. I only plan on borrowing them for a bit and I promise to return them. Well, most of them. Ares, Joxer, Spike, Xander and Angel may have to stick around abit.

Distribution: BBA, Willow's World, Angel of Mine

Rating: NC-17

Category: Crossover

Key Couples: Willow/Angel Spike/Xander Joxer/Ares Faith/Iolaus

Summary: The prophecy begins.

Dedicated to Kylia who just had to get me hooked on Joxer/Ares stories, making me unable to write anything else until I got this out. *BG*

Feedback is greatly appreciated.

Author's Note: Okay, this takes place somewhere after fourth season Buffy and first season Angel. Faith is out of jail and helpin Angel and Co. Forrest never died. For Xena and Herc fans, can't really tell ya where to place it since I haven't seen it in a bit. Although I am gonna say this is after the whole Dahak fiasco. I hope you all like this since this is a combination of the two shows that I have written fan fic for. Xena was the first show that I ever wrote a story for and the first show that got me hooked on the net.

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Part 1

The couple walking along in the park looked like any other normal couple taking a romantic moonlight stroll in the light of the full moon. The man had his arm around the petite blonde at his side and it appeared as if they were whispering sweet nothings to each other. At least, to those that couldn't see the intense look of anger on their faces. Anyone who witnessed that look, quickly steered themselves clear from the two people, afraid of something suddenly happening to them.

"Riley, I'm telling you, something is seriously wrong with what is going on," Buffy stated angrily, almost stomping her foot like a stubborn child in the throes of a temper tantrum. "There is no other explanation to what is going on in LA."

"Maybe there's some kind of prophecy that Giles just hasn't found yet," Riley offered, completely understanding the anger that his girlfriend was feeling. He and his friends felt the same way. The only thing that had so far prevented any of them from doing something about what was bothering them was that they were all afraid of what harm might come to the two innocents that they believed were in danger. "Something that could be dealt with allowing everything to go back to normal."

"He's looking into is with Graham," Buffy told him. "He thinks he remembers seeing something about the unexpected love of innocents towards some immortals releasing the power of the Gods or something like that. He couldn't remember all the details since he saw it in one of Wesley's books."

"Then why doesn't he just call up Wesley and ask him for the information." Buffy just looked at him in disbelief and Riley quickly shook his head.

"Forget I said anything. I forgot for a moment that he was already involved in this."

"Him and that bitch that he's married to," the Slayer sneered. "I can't believe that they actually support what the others are doing. What in hell were they thinking when they told us that everyone was fine and happy and to not do anything about it except deal with it and move on. She's known the two of them the longest out of anybody and yet she doesn't seem concerned at all that they may be in danger."

"Well, she always did seem to be a bit on the dumb side," Riley observed as he remembered the brunette girl that was now Mrs. Wyndham-Price. Although she had the beauty that made her the object of many a man's fantasies, he got the impression that looks was all that she had going for her. Certainly not the intelligence or personality that was required to sustain a successful relationship, so he had been surprised when the former Watcher had announced that the two of them were getting married and that she was expecting twins. Go figure what he saw in her since he didn't appear to be the kind of man that went for looks alone.

Riley and Buffy reached the townhouse that belongs to her own former Watcher and entered after knocking briefly. They noticed Giles and Graham sitting at the dining room table while Anya seemed to be trying to cook something for the two men. Piles of books were stacked up around the men who appeared to have spent more time researching than actually taking care of themselves.

"Where's Forrest?" Graham asked as soon as he noticed the two new arrivals.

"I thought he was coming over with you guys."

"He decided to patrol," Riley answered, coming over and joining the other two. "He's hoping to run into some vampires or demons so that he could take out his aggression on something. I hope he does, too. He's been wound way to tight lately."

"Him and everybody else," Graham replied. "But yeah, it may do him some good. I know how upset he is but what happened to Willow. And Xander," he added as an afterthought.

"We all are, but until we figure out why it happened, we can't do anything about it without risk to her or Xander," Giles stated.

"I take it you've had no luck trying to find the prophecy," Buffy inquired as she went over to her tired Watcher, who just shook his head.

"Unfortunately, no. Wesley must have taken the book with him when he left last year to go back to the Council," Giles explained. "And I can't exactly call him and ask him to send it to us, now can I?"

"Do you really think he would refuse if you explained to him what you thought was going on?" Anya questioned as she came out of the kitchen and sat next to Graham. "I mean, its can't be that strange to think that something is happening to explain everything."

"But Wesley thinks it is natural," Giles reminded the heartbroken girl. "He fully supports the four of them, having even gone against the Council when they offered him his place back if he turned against them." Buffy whistled at that. She remembered how much it had meant to the bumbling fool that used to be her Watcher to be a part of the Council. To hear that he turned the offer to return to the familiar fold was something she didn't expect from him. She chalked it up to another thing that was wrong.

"How could he possible think that Xander and Spike being together is natural," Anya nearly yelled, her anger and hurt at having been betrayed by the mortal boy apparent in her voice. She couldn't accept that there wasn't another explanation other than the one they had been given. That the blonde vampire and the dark haired teen had fallen in love.

"Not to mention Angel and Willow," Buffy supplied, bristling at the mere mention of her now former best friend and ex-lover being together. "Hello, remember the happiness clause."

"According to Wesley, the last time I talked to him before everything happened, the clause is gone," Giles informed the stunned Slayer. "Angel's soul is permanent."

"What?" Buffy screamed. "And you never thought to tell me?"

"I didn't know how you would react to the news," Giles told her. :"You were already involved with Riley and I didn't want to see you hurt anymore that you already had been by him." Buffy thought about what she was being told and Giles was surprised to see her accept his answer.

"I know, Giles, it's just hard ya know. To think of him with someone else." Giles nodded his head. "Let alone with our little Willow."

"Hopefully it won't be long before we figure out what's going on and then we can put a stop to everything and get things back to normal," Graham stated trying to ease the tension in the room, without much success. He went back to the book in front of him, opening it up. His eyes looked as if they were ready to pop out of his head when he saw what was there. "I think I found something."

"What?" Buffy exclaimed as she and the others raced over to his side to see what had him so excited. Graham began to read from the pages in front of him.

"Two innocents will find the love of two immortals. With the help of their friends, they will defeat those that wish to separate them and with that defeat will restore the power of those once worshipped but now are forgotten."

"Okay, all those confused please raise their hands," Buffy remarked.

"It appears that Willow and Xander were fated to fall in love with Angel and Spike," Giles reluctantly acknowledged, not comfortable with the fact that his two former students were involved with two master vampires, even if they were both neutered in a sense.

"But only because of this prophecy right. I mean, they will go back to normal once whatever happens, happens," Anya tried to reason.

"Hopefully," Giles agreed. Suddenly a bright light encased the occupants of the townhouse, blinding them all. When it disappeared, it was revealed that so had they.

Meanwhile in Los Angeles, the objects of the conversation and speculation in Sunnydale were busy throwing a baby shower for Cordelia, who was busy crying at the happiness that she was feeling with her friends. She was busy opening up the presents that she had been given, this one having been given to her by Willow and Angel.

"You gave me a picture?" Cordelia asked in confusion as she pulled out a page from what appeared to be a baby catalog.

"Actually, we're giving you what's in the picture," Willow laughed.

Cordelia looked at the picture closer, Wesley doing the same over her shoulder. The both took in a deep breath when they realized just exactly that it was that they were being given. In the picture was an entire set of baby furniture. Everything from a changing table to a dresser to what appeared to be an antique bassinet and crib.

"My word, Angel," Wesley said, "this is entirely too much. There's no way that we could accept this."

"We're not giving you a choice," the vampire told his associate. "We want you to have it."

"Besides, the store is going to deliver it tomorrow so it's too late to take it back," Willow added, pleased at the expression on the former May Queen's face. "So, I take it you like?"

"Like," Cordelia stuttered. "I love." Willow went over and gave Cordelia a huge hug, pleased to see the smile that was on her face.

"Well, it was the least we could do, considering everything that you and Wes have had to put up with since Xander, Spike and I have arrived."

"We are so not going there, Wills," Cordelia told her friend. "We loved helping the three of you, or should I say four considering that includes Angel?" The brunette smiled at her former boss and good friend. "I still can't believe that Buffy and the others reacted the way they did to the two of you getting together."

"Yeah, well, B was never exactly one for the whole logic thing," Faith commented as she entered the offices of Angel Investigations, carrying a brightly wrapped present. She walked over and handed it to the pregnant woman, giving Cordy a kiss at the same time. "Besides, you know that it's perfectly acceptable for her to move on with her life but not for Angel."

"What? You expect Slutty to actually make sense?" Spike added, drawing a disapproving stare from his lover.

"Spike, hush," Xander admonished the blonde. Spike had the decency to at least look apologetic, whether he meant to or not. "Buffy is just unable to accept anything that goes against what she wants to believe, and that includes Willow and Angel and me and you."

"And me," Faith reminded them. "You know she still resents the fact that you all were willing to help me when I got released from prison. It's one of the reasons that she was so angry at what had happened."

"We were willing to help you because we believed in you and knew that you wanted to make a fresh start of everything," Willow stated, bringing up the words that she had often used towards the renegade Slayer. "And you've done nothing but prove to us that we were right. You've been an asset to Angel, especially since Cordelia had to stop fighting."

"Well, I just wish that I could help you guys with your former friends,"

Faith said. "I hate how much they hurt you."

"Unfortunately there's nothing any of us can do about the others," Angel ended the conversation, "so why don't we just go back to having a good time in celebrating the twins so to be birth." Everyone smiled at the suggestion and Cordelia went back to opening the gifts that sat in front of her. In addition to the baby furniture, Willow and Angel also gave her a coupon good for ten free babysitting jobs for when she and Wes decided to go out. Spike and Xander's presents included a full wardrobe for both babies while Faith gave them two years worth of diaper service. All in all, the young couple were set for the birth of their first two children.

Everyone was cleaning up the mess that was left in the office when they felt an earthquake begin to shake the building. They all went for cover, and when they were suddenly blinded by a bright white light the came out of nowhere. When it disappeared and Cordelia and Wesley came from cover, they noticed that all of their friends were now missing.

"Where'd they go?"

Part 2

"Nice recovery, Joxer," the blonde warrior told his sparring partner. "Keep that up and you'll be able to beat almost anybody you come across."

"Thanks, Iolaus," the dark haired man replied. "You're a good teacher."

"I still can't understand why Xena never bothered to help you learn to fight," Iolaus muttered. "What was she thinking?"

"Probably that she and Gabrielle would be able to protect me. Pretty much like they always felt they had to," Joxer spit out, disgusted at the way that the two warrior women still felt the need to keep him out of harm's way even though he had improved his battle skills to the point that he could defend himself against the warlords that they came against so often. He couldn't understand how two, three if you included Hercules, of his closest friends refused to see the changes that were apparent to Iolaus and some of the others.

"Well, you're just going to have to show them that you don't need their protection anymore." A bright light appeared off to the side of Joxer and Iolaus. When it finally diminished, in a spot that had been empty only a moment before, there were now three oddly dressed people. Two females and a male.

"Whoa, talk about a wild ride," one of the women said. A brunette who Iolaus immediately noticed was extremely good looking.

"And I thought the roller coaster at Magic Mountain was adventurous," the male said. "It had nothing on that little trip." Iolaus and Joxer noticed the third person, a petite girl with fiery red hair and vivid green eyes looking around the clearing, as if she was searching for someone. Her eyes stopped on the two warriors and they could see a look of worry in them.

"Okay, three questions. One, where the hell are we? Two, how the hell did we get here? Three, where the hell are Angel and Spike? And four, who the hell are you," she nearly yelled.

"Ummm, Wills, hate to break it to you, but that was four questions," the boy teased. Willow just turned on him and glared.

"Bite me, Xander," Willow hissed, turning back to the two strangers.

"Anyone care to answer those questions?"

"Well, I'm Iolaus and this is my friend Joxer," the blonde warrior offered, approaching the strange trio. "As to where you are, I would say about a three days journey from Potedeia. How you got here, I can't really say, nor about the whereabout of you're other friends."

"We're over here, Willow," came a voice from the trees that lined the clearing. Willow and Xander both turned to see their lovers standing under the protective covering of the trees and ran to both of them, glad to see them alive, or at least undead.

"Oh goddess, Angel. When I saw that you weren't around and that we weren't in the office anymore I got so scared," Willow cried as Angel enveloped her into his arms. Spike was busy doing the same to Xander, who was planting kisses all over his lover's face. Faith smiled as she watched the reunions. She walked over to the two confused warriors.

"You'll have to forgive Red and the others. When they're together, they tend to forget that there just might be others around," she informed the two. "I'm Faith by the way. Nice swords." Joxer looked down at the sword in his hand while Iolaus found his gaze drawn to the girl's eyes. There was something about her that just attracted him like no other woman ever had.

"Umm, thanks," he managed to say after a few minutes pause. "So, just who exactly are you people and why won't those guys come out of the shade?"

"Well, the red head is Willow and the hunk that she happens to be hugging is Angel. Blondie over there is Spike and his little boy toy is Xander. As to why they are staying there," Faith thought for a moment. "Let's just say that the sun is very hazardous to the guys' health."

"Curly, Joxie, are you guys okay?" A lilting voice questioned from behind Faith, who made no move indicating that she heard it. The two men looked over the brunette's shoulder to see the Goddess of Love standing behind her.

"We're fine, Dite," Joxer answered. "Thanks for asking."

"Huh." Faith looked behind her to see who Joxer was talking to, only to see no one behind her. "Who are you talking to?"

"Aphrodite." And incredulous look crossed Faith's features.

"As in the Goddess of Love? Whatever." Faith rolled her eyes, clearly thinking that both men were not exactly all there. Aphrodite looked over the brunette, circling her to take her in.

"What's the story with the fashion victim?" The Goddess asked. "Where'd you find her?"

"She just appeared," Iolaus answered. "Her and her friends." He indicated the cluster of tress that still held the other two couples.

"That must have been the power surge I felt."

"Hey where'd you come from?" Faith jumped back when Aphrodite finally materialized directly in front of her.

"Olympus of course," Aphrodite replied simply. "What about you? Where'd you come from since sweet cheeks said you just appeared." Faith smirked at Iolaus at the use of his nickname.

"Sweet cheeks? I can see it." The blonde warrior shifted uncomfortably under Faith's admiring gaze. "As for where we came from, that would be LA. You know, Lost Angeles," she clarified when it became obvious that the three people had no idea where LA was. "And considering I don't know the date here and Aphrodite is present, I would say we're from at least two thousand years in the future."

"What?" All three people screamed in unison.

"I think you and you're friends have some explaining to do, like now," Aphrodite commanded, completely put off by Faith's announcement. "Why don't you call them over for a little chat."

"No can do, Blondie." Aphrodite bristled at Faith's tone before taking matters into her own hands. She waved her arms and suddenly two very male voices screamed in pain as their two lovers tried to cover their suddenly exposed flesh from the sun. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Faith yelled as she grabbed two cloaks that were on the ground and helped cover the two writhing vampires from the harmful sun. Smoke could be seen rising from their skin from where it had been burned from the fatal rays. The two, strong men suddenly seemed smaller as both began to whimper under the cover of the sheltering cloaks.

"What the hell are you trying to do, kill them?" Willow screamed by Angel's side as she tried to comfort the injured vampire. Aphrodite actually found herself stepping back from the scathing glare that the red head was shooting her way.

"Vampires don't do sun you stupid bitch," Xander added, as he reassured the blonde vampire at his side. He had no idea who the woman was that had just made them appear in the sun, and he was sure that she was the one that had done it, and he didn't care. All that mattered was that she had almost killed his mate and Xander didn't take kindly to anyone that tried to kill Spike.

"Vampires," Iolaus hissed, remembering his last encounter with such creatures during a visit to his old friend Vlad. "If they're really vampires, they should be killed not coddled."

"Well, not these two," Faith argued, getting to her feet and standing right in Iolaus' face. "And since I'm a Vampire Slayer, the only one that gets to kill them will be me."

"What's a vampire slayer?" Joxer questioned.

"You know, the one girl in all the world given the power and strength to kill vampires and various other demons." Faith answered before remembering where and when she was. "Oh, maybe you don't know."

"If you're meant to kill vampires, what are you protecting these creatures?" Iolaus wanted to know.

"Hey just because they're the undead, doesn't necessarily mean they aren't five by five," Faith angrily shot back.

"Undead," Aphrodite exclaimed. She had no idea what was going on, but at the mention of the dead, or undead, she called for the one person who should. "Hades!" The ground shook and everyone watched as a crack began to appear, quickly followed by a black chariot carrying an armor covered man and a beautiful woman dressed in white. The horses drew to a halt in front of Aphrodite and the man removed his helmet.

"What is so important, Aphrodite, that you felt the need to interrupt my day off?" Hades questioned. "You knew that Persophone and I had plans for a quiet picnic in the Elysian Fields today."

"Sorry, Unc, but something happened that I need to talk to you about,"

Aphrodite apologized to the God of the Underworld and his wife. "A major power surge was felt up on Olympus and when I came down here to investigate, I met a group of people that claim to be from the future and that two of them are undead." Hades looked over the group of people, recognizing Iolaus immediately from his various trips to the Underworld. He noticed the two men that were still hidden under the cloaks and went closer to investigate them What he found, shocked the Dark God.

"What in Tartarus is going on here?" Hades shouted, causing the birds to fly from the trees around them. "Why are these men here instead of in the Underworld."

"They're vampires," Aphrodite told her uncle. "At least, according to their friends. They're undead."

"There is no such thing as being undead, vampire or not," Hades told them. "Well, I'll just have to fix this and take them back with me to be judged."

"I don't think so," Faith shouted at the same time that Willow and Xander screamed out their own objections, both rising to stand in front of their lovers.

"You're not taking them anywhere," Willow stated.

"They stay with us," Xander added. Hades looked between the lovers.

"They are dead," Hades reasoned. "Their fates belong to me."

"Well, their hearts belong to us as do their bodies, so we decide what should happen to them." Hades looked thoughtful for a moment as he probed the minds of the two vampires. What he saw there made him shudder.

"They belong in Tartarus for their actions. I cannot allow them to stay above ground," he decided. Willow paled as all her lessons on Greek mythology came back to her. She refused to let Hades take away her mate, especially if it meant an eternity in Tartarus.

"Hades, isn't there something else that could be done," the woman in white asked as she joined the Dark God. "A way that you can punish the being that was responsible for whatever you saw and that they could keep their lovers."

"Persophone, you know that I have no choice," Hades patiently told his wife. Persophone looked at him, compassion filling her eyes. She had seen the devotion that the two mortals had towards their apparent lovers and knew that if Hades took the vampires to Tartarus, then it wouldn't be long until they tried to join them.

"Well, have you considered how they were still alive, and yet dead at the same time," she probed. Hades looked at the others for an explanation. One was given by Angel, who had finally healed enough to talk.

"A demon resides in us once we are turned. It is what keeps us alive," the dark haired vampire stated.

"Then maybe, it should be the demon that goes to Tartarus and not the man," Persophone reasoned. Hades again thought for a moment, coming to a decision.

"You two are lucky that I am in love with my wife," Hades informed Spike and Angel. "And that she is very observant of those in love herself. Her suggestion has merit and as such, I will do it. Your demons are sentenced to an eternity in Tartarus for the crimes that they have committed."

"What about Angel and Spike?" Faith questioned.

<"Their lives will be restored to them." Hades took Persophone's hand and they walked back to the chariot. "Do better with them this time than before. You have been given a second chance. Use it wisely." Hades spurred the horses to go and he and Persophone disappeared back down into the Underworld. Willow, Faith, Angel, Spike and Xander looked on in shock.

"Alive," Willow whispered, looking from the crack that had just closed behind the two Gods to her lover. "Alive." She watched as Angel nodded his head.

"It's gone," he told her, his voice full of surprise and hope. "I can't feel it anymore."

"Spike?" Xander asked.

"It's real." Spike tentatively put his hand out into the sun and was surprised when all he felt was the warmth that he had almost forgotten from it. He threw the cloak off of him and held his face towards the sky. "I'm alive." Spike picked Xander up and twirled the laughing teenager around. Angel did the same thing with Willow as Faith and the others looked on, smiling at the happiness that was in front of them.

"Gotta say, you Gods sure do know how to welcome somebody."

Part 3

"Wow, that is like, so romantic," Aphrodite sighed as she listened to Willow talk about how she and Angel had met and fallen in love despite all the obstacles that had been put in their way. "It just hurts that all that romance and love is there and that I'm not. Talk about a downer." The Goddess of Love, along with Joxer and Iolaus, had been surprised to find out that the stories of the Gods and the Heros that fought for them, were considered to be nothing more than stories that one might read to their child at night.

"These Powers That Be," Iolaus began to say, "you have no idea who they are or why they chose you to help them?" Angel shook his head.

"No. The only thing I was ever told was that it was my destiny to help others," the formerly souled vampire answered as he sat in the bright afternoon sun. It still amazed him that he could actually feel his heartbeat in his chest. He could see that Spike felt the same way. The blonde's smiled having yet to leave his face. As Angel looked at his childe, he was reminded of the young man that he had known so long ago.

"I just can't understand how you're friends could be so angry at you for your feelings,"Joxer observed.

?Well, Buffy only saw me as her shy, awkward little friend," Willow explained. "She just wasn't able to accept that I might have been changing in front of her.:"

"Same here," Xander added. "Buffy only saw us as friends who needed her to protect us, no matter what we did to prove that we could do okay on our own."

"Been there, wrote that scroll," Joxer muttered as he thought of his friendships with Xena and Gabrielle. Even though he had been getting better at defending himself and had actually become less of a klutz, the two women still refused to see the changes in him. Willow and Xander toll a closer look at the dark haired man and saw the look of someone else whose friends refused to understand the real him.

"Sucks don't it?" Xander asked causing Joxer to nod his head. Before anything else could be said, a bright light flashed and two more people appeared. One was a good looking blonde with a pair of white wings attached to his back. The other a dark haired man dressed in black leather. They looked like they were the complete opposite of each other, but there was something in their body language that made Willow think that these two opposites were definitely attracted to each other.

"Cupid sweetie," Aphrodite cooed as she saw her son. "What are you doing here?"

"Dad wants to see you, pronto," Cupid told his mother. "And he definitely is not of the happy mood."

"When is Arry ever in a happy mood?" The blonde Goddess giggled. "That man thrives on bad vibes."

?Well, right now those vibes are sitting in your temple threatening some serious redecorating," the other man stated.

"And just what is he so miffed about now, Strife?" Aphrodite questioned.

"Something about a war stopped because of you." Aphrodite looked thoughtful as she tried to remember what happened.

"Oh yeah, that whole thing down in Thrace," she snapped her fingers. "Like I was supposed to know that the kind would actually accept the wedding. Oh well" Aphrodite shrugged her shoulders. "Better go see what Tall, Dark and Angry wants before he starts tearing apart my temple." Aphrodite disappeared in a pink flash and a shower of flower petals.

?Cool," Xander grinned as he snuggled closer to Spike. "Gotta love the way those Gods flash in and out, doncha Wills?"

"Giles would probably go all freaky or something if he could see it."

Willow suddenly grew silent as she remembered that the Watcher who was like a father to her, didn't want anything more to do with her. Angel could sense the despondency that had overcome his mate and wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head.

"Don't worry, kitten," he assured her. "Giles will get over his anger at you and Xander eventually. I promise."

"Yeah, eventually he'll realize that Slutty was just being the self centered, obnoxious little twit that she usually is and decide that you and Xander belong with us," Spike mused. "Especially now that we're human again." A wide grin spread over the blonde's pale features.

"You like saying that, don't you?"

"Damn straight, luv," Spike told Xander. "Although I guess I will miss being the bad ass master vamp and all."

"Seems like mom's got herself into something interesting," Cupid noted. "So what's the deal, Curly?"

"Long story," Iolaus answered.

"Yeah, so dish." Iolaus sighed as he took a bite of the apple that he was holding. "Who are the newbies with you and Joxie and what did they mean about being human again?" Everyone updated Cupid and Strife on what had happened and the two Gods listened amazed to the stories they were being told. When they were finally caught up, Cupid sighed over the romance of the story, while Strife found himself intrigued by some of the other aspects of their lives in Sunnydale.

"So, let me get this straight. You two," pointing to Spike and Angel," were evil vampires that loved to torture people, at least until Angel got is soul back." The two former vampires nodded their heads. "Now that sounds like my kind of fun."

"You'll have to forgive Strife," Cupid smiled, laughing at the dark haired God. "He is the God of Mischief after all."

"My kind of God," Spike grinned, flirting slightly with Strife. "I like a man who causes trouble."

"Then you just gotta meet Uncle Ares. No one does trouble more than him," Strife said, seeing a possible friend with the now mortal Spike. "Then again, what would you expect from the God of War." Xander saw the matching grins that were being passed between Spike and Strife and felt a stab of jealousy go through him. He also could tell that Cupid wasn't too happy about it either.

"Would the two of you like some alone time?" Xander asked sarcastically. "You know, so you can bond." Spike felt the tenseness in Xander's body and realized that the teenager was actually taking his flirting with the God seriously. He turned Xander in his arms so that he could face him.

"Why would I want to be alone with him when I have everything I need already in my arms?" Spike leaned in and gave Xander a kiss that let him know exactly everything that he was feeling. The heat they were giving off threatened to overwhelm the other people present. "I love you, Xan-pet."

"Love you too," Xander managed to get out between gasps for air.

"Damn, if all mortal can find that kind of love on their own, no wonder they don't pray to the Gods anymore," Cupid observed. "I just don't understand why those friends of yours can't see it."

"Let's just say that B isn't exactly known for her brains," Faith commented. "Then again, not many blondes are."

"Hey," Spike, Iolaus and Cupid protested causing the others to laugh.

"Present company excluded, of course," Faith amended, unable to contain the laughter that she was trying to hold back. "Anyway, B's more upset by the fact that Red's getting it from a gorgeous male that turned his back on her, while she's stuck with some wannabe commando boy." Strife lifted his head as he heard someone call to him.

"Seems Uncle Dark and Dangerous wants me," he stated as he stood up. "Better go and see what he wants before he gets more pissed than he already is. Later." With a flash Strife disappears.

"Well, I guess I better disappear too. Mom wants me to attend some orgy in Athens tonight," Cupid stated. "Probably be an all nighter too, knowing those Athenians." The blonde God looked over the odd assembly of people on the ground. "Do you have an idea of where you're heading.

?Joxer and I are supposed to meet Herc, Xena and Gabrielle in Potedeia," lolaus volunteered. "Maybe you'd like to join us," he invited Angel and the others.

"Sounds like a plan to me," Faith agreed while the others nodded their heads.

?Excellent. Talk to you all later." Cupid then disappeared.

"You know. B's never gonna believe this."

Potadeia

"Giles, where are we and how exactly did we get here?" Buffy questioned her former Watcher as she looked around the town they were in.

?I'm not really sure," Giles admitted. "Although by the wares that are being sold, I would have to say we are somewhere in Ancient Greece."

"But that's impossible," Graham argued.

"We live on the Hellmouth, Graham," Riley reminded his friend. "We learned a long time ago that nothing is impossible."

"Good point."

"Hey guys, wait up," a familiar voice called from behind them. Giles, Buffy, Riley, Anya and Graham turned to see Forrest coming up to them. They noticed how people gave him a wide berth, probably due to the scowl on his face and the gun in his hand. "What the hell happened?" He asked as soon as he reached them.

"Don't know," Buffy answered. "All I remember is one minute were reading some prophecy and then the next thing I knew we were here."

"Yeah, sounds familiar," Forrest agreed. "I was just about to destroy a couple of hostiles when out of nowhere a bright light appeared." Forrest them realizes what exactly Buffy said they were in the middle of. "A prophecy? Anything to do with Willow and Xander?" Giles nodded his head."It appears that they were supposed to fall in love with Angel and Spike but I didn't have enough time to properly translate everything," the Englishman explained.

"Damn, but there's a chance that Willow will go back to normal when whatever is supposed to happen does?" Despite the situation they had all found themselves in, Forrest actually smiled at the prospect of having another chance with the red headed witch.

"Most likely," Giles offered. "But first we have to figure out how we get back to Sunnydale."

"Excuse me, but we were wondering if we could talk to you," a voice asked from behind Buffy. The group turned as one and faced the three people that interrupted them. The found themselves in front of a blond male and his two female companions. One dressed in a short skirt and an ugly green top , while the other was in leather.

"What about?" Buffy questioned.

"About why there are stories going around about how a group of strangers just appeared out of nowhere," the man replied. "And since you obviously aren't Gods, I would like to know the answer to that myself."

"And just who are you?" Buffy narrowed her eyes, preparing herself for any threat towards herself or her friends.

"Hercules and these are my companions Xena and Gabrielle."

"The Hercules," Giles exclaimed. "I thought you were only a myth. A story."

"Oh he's very real," the blonde, Gabrielle, replied. "But who are you?"

"Oh, excuse me. My name is Rupert Giles and these young people are some of my charges. Buffy, Anya, Forrest, Graham and Riley." Each person nodded their head as their name was said.

"Where did you come from?" Xena inquired, suspicious. There was something surrounding these people that she didn't like.

"Its a very long story and unfortunately we don't even know all of it.," Giles explained.

"Well, why not tell us what you do know and then go from there," Hercules ordered. Giles sighed and began telling the demi-god and his companions the history of Sunnydale, vampires, Slayers and the apparent time traveling that they had just encountered. Gabrielle listened with a fine ear, already deciding that it would make for a wonderful story for the bard to tell. Hercules and Xena listened in as they were told about the battles that they fought, comparing them to their own fights.

"And so, that's everything we know," Giles finished. "And now we have no idea of how we got here or how were going to get back."

"Maybe the Gods would be able to help us," Gabrielle naively mentioned.

Hercules thought about it, trying to decide which one of his relatives would be the most cooperative. "Aphrodite," he called. The Goddess of Love appeared in a shower of pink and flowers.

"Hey, little bro, what's up," the blonde Goddess said, smiling kindly at Giles, Riley, Graham and Forrest, all of whom seemed to have their tongues hanging out. "What do we have here?"

"Seems that these people came from another time," Hercules stated. "You wouldn't have anything to do with that would you?"

"What makes you think that I would have anything to do with anyone coming from another time?" Aphrodite replied sweetly. "And what exactly do you mean, coming from another time?"

"Accordingly to Giles here," Hercules indicated the older man, "they are from the year 2000 and live in someplace called Sunnydale, California. They just arrived here by some means that they aren't sure of. Sounds like the works of one of you." Aphrodite continued smiling even though she realized exactly who the people in front of her were. She recalled just exactly they had done to Willow and the other people that she had met earlier and had found an instant dislike forming towards them. And it didn't escape her notice that her little brother and his friends were the ones that found them, while Joxer and Iolaus found Willow and the others.

"Can't help ya, Herc," she told him. "And I really can't stick around either. Got a little get together going in Athens, if you know what I mean." And with that, she was gone.

"Okay, I really want to learn that disappearing thing," Buffy stated.

"It's a God thing," Hercules said in distastes. "And trust me, the less time you spend with them, the better."

Part 4

?So you and Hercules go around helping people,? Spike repeated Iolaus comments from a moment ago. ?Sounds like the great poof.?

?The great poof?? Joxer questioned, confused about the title.

?Spike,? Angel growled. ?Behave.?

?Or what?? Spike grinned. ?What are you going to do about it, Peaches? In case you?ve forgotten, you?re not my sire anymore.?

?Doesn?t mean that I have forgotten all the delicious ways I know of on how to punish you,? Angel stated, eerily reminiscent of Angelus. ?And I?m sure that I could probably come up with a few more too.? Spike blanched at the apparent threat in Angel?s voice.

?Hey, there will be no torturing of any kind, thank you,? Xander yelled back to the bickering ex-vampires. Xander, Faith and Willow were up ahead of the four men, having decided that they wanted to take in the countryside that was surrounding them. They were also on the lookout for anything that might explain just why they had been transported back in time to Ancient Greece.

?So, just how long have you two known each other,? Iolaus asked, recognizing the bantering between the two men as something that only people that cares about each other did. ?You seem to know an awful lot about each other.?

?Well, Peaches and I have known each other for what, over a hundred and forty years now,? Spike answered. ?Bastard turned me on the night of my twenty fifth birthday. Talk about a depressing present.? Angel rolled his eyes at the put out expression on his childe?s face.

?Don?t even go there, William,? he said, using Spike?s given name. A fact that didn?t go unnoticed by the others who knew exactly how much the blonde hated when he did that. ?Considering how well you took to being a vampire, I would say my turning you was one of the best things that ever happened to you.? Willow looked back at her lover in surprise at his comment. He caught her look and shrugged his shoulders. ?I can?t believe I actually just said that.?

?Wow, so how old are you?? Joxer asked Angel, stunned that anyone other than the Gods could be so old.

?Somewhere around two hundred and fifty, but I stopped keeping track after awhile,? he told them. ?After the first hundred years, it doesn?t seem that important.?

?Tell me about it,? A feminine voice giggled as Aphrodite appeared in the road ahead. ?Hey Curly, Joxie.?

?Hello Aphrodite,? Iolaus greeted the Goddess. ?How was your party?? The blonde?s face lit up as she remembered the previous night?s events.

?Great, of course,? she offered. ?You should have been there.?

?Maybe next time,? the blonde warrior countered. ?So, is there a particular reason that you?re here??

?Cupie told me that you were heading to Potadeia to meet up with my brother and his little friends, Xena and Gabrielle.? Iolaus nodded his head. ?Just thought I would give a head?s up that there are a few other people there that might not be too happy to meet your new friends.?

?Like who??

?A certain blonde that really needs to do something about her attitude and a group of guys that seem to hang on her every word,? Aphrodite answered.

Willow and the others groaned as they realized whom the blonde was that the Goddess was talking about. ?Buffy,? Willow moaned as she allowed Angel to wrap her in his arms.

?What the bloody hell is the damn Slayer and her boy toys doing here?? Spike cursed.

?Whatever brought us here probably did the same thing to them,? Angel offered. Spike gave him one of his patented ?bite me? looks and Angel just gave him his ?been there, done that,? looks in return. ?It makes sense if you think about it. I mean, maybe there was a reason that we?re all here.?

?Then why didn?t we all end up in the same place?? Xander asked. ?I mean, if we were all meant to be here, wouldn?t it make sense to have us all together.?

?It would, if you were all supposed to do the same thing,? Joxer commented, actually using his brain instead of playing the bumbling oaf that Xena and Gabrielle always expect him to be. ?Maybe that?s why you met up with Iolaus and me instead of the others.?

?I think it is interesting that Sweet Cheeks and Joxie ran into you guys while the others have to deal with Mr. Self Righteous,? Aphrodite giggled.

?Between Herc, Xena and Gabrielle, I have never met three more stubborn people in my life and that?s saying a lot. They hate it when something doesn?t go the way they want it to. Joxie and Curly are much more in the moment kinda guys. That?s why I love em so much.? Joxer and Iolaus blushed under the compliments that the Goddess was giving them. They knew how much the Gods hated the way that Hercules and Xena often got special treatment from Zues and resented the way that the King of the Gods often favored his two mortal children.

?How did you find out about Buffy and the others?? Willow inquired.

?Oh, little brother Hercules decided that them arriving must have had something to do with the Gods and, since I?m the only one that usually will give him the time of day, he called me to yell about it,? Aphrodite answered. ?You should have seen his face when I told him that I didn?t know what had happened and that none of the Gods had anything to do with them landing in Potadeia.?

?How did they react when you told them about us?? Faith questioned, worried that her friends would somehow get blamed for this and not wanting them hurt. Aprhodite looked at the brunette slayer and gave her a smile that made Faith grin even before she heard Aphrodite?s answer.

?Well, I might have accidentally left out the part where you guys were here and that I already had met you,? the blonde Goddess informed everyone.

?So that means that B had absolutely no idea that we are here or that Hades made Fang and Blondie human?? Faith chuckled at the thought of Buffy?s reaction to that news. She suddenly couldn?t wait to get to this Potadeia and run into her sister Slayer. ?Oh man, this is gonna be classic.?

?Faith,? Willow admonished the other girl, but was unable to keep her own giggles under control. She knew exactly what Faith was thinking and couldn?t help herself but anticipate the forthcoming confrontation. Buffy and the others had put her and Xander through an emotional ringer when they told them about their relationships with Angel and Spike. She thought it only appropriate that they have a little fun on their behalf. ?Okay, so it will be a little funny. Man, what will Buffy say when she sees you out in the daylight?? Willow lifted her face to look at Angel. ?She?s gonna flip.?

?Okay, is it me or is anyone else suddenly anxious to get to this little town?? Spike asked, smiling.

?I don?t think that it would be too good of an idea if your friends see you this soon,? Iolaus stated. ?If they?re with Herc and the others, there?s a good chance that they may tell them about you also. And, although Herc is my best friend and as close to me as a brother, he can be a little on the judgmental side. So depending on what they tell him,?

?He?ll probably want to hurt us, right?? Xander gulped, finishing off the blonde warrior?s thoughts.

?I don?t know if hurt would be the right word, but you get the picture.? Iolaus and Joxer both looked at the stranded friends in front of them, sympathy at their situation ?Aphrodite, is there anyway that you could help them get back to their time,? Joxer asked but watched as the Goddess of Love only shook her head.

?Wish there was, Joxie, but I have no idea of how they got here,? she answered. ?But I have to agree with Sweet Cheeks. Maybe it wouldn?t be such a good idea if you met up with the others just yet. Give you all to adjust to being here and maybe give me some time to find a way to get you back home.?

?But where are we supposed to stay until then?? Willow asked. ?Its not exactly like we have any money and I?m not seeing any convenient Super 8s around here.? The two mortals and one Goddess looked confused at Willow?s statement, but shrugged it off figuring it just had to be because she was from a different time.

?How do you feel about camping out?? Xander quipped, trying to ease the tension that was threatening to overwhelm them all. ?Come on. Think about it. Fire. Stars. S?mores.? This earned at least a half-hearted chuckle from Faith and Willow both while still confusing the others.

?One problem with that Xan-pet,? Spike pointed out. ?We don?t have chocolate. We don?t have marshmallows. And we don?t have graham crackers.?

?But we have a beautiful goddess who could probably make them for us if we asked her really nicely,? the brunette teenagers smiled, looking over at Aphrodite.

?Actually, I think I can do one better than that.? With a flash, everyone found themselves in a lavishly decorated room. It had pink satin and lace hanging from its walls and there was an over powering aroma of flowers in the air.

?Where are we?? Joxer asked.

?In my home on Olympus.? At that everyone jumped. The thought of actually being on Mount Olympus more than they had ever thought about.

?Olympus?? Joxer repeated. ?Why??

?Because I figured that this way you would definitely not run into my dead brother and sister and that it would give our guests time to adjust,? Aphrodite explained. ?Besides, I?m willing to lay odds that Zues and the old battle ax will be majorly stoked at having people from the future here. They?re gonna want to know everything.?

?Do we have to talk to them?? Willow questioned nervously.

?Not right now,? the Goddess answered. ?First, lets get you settled into some rooms and get you all something to eat. I don?t know about you, but I?m starved.? Aphrodite snapped her fingers as her face took on a grim look. ?Damn, forgot that I have to met Ares. He should be here any second.?

?Why is Ares coming here?? Joxer wanted to know. He had always worshipped the God of War, even met him a few times on his travels with Xena, but he knew that he was not worthy of calling himself one of Ares? followers.

?Because ?Dite and I have a little matter to discuss, don?t we,? a deep voice replied from behind everyone. Aphrodite rolled her eyes as she saw the new arrival.

?Hello Arry.?

Part 5

"Look out, its big bad and evil himself," Joxer muttered so low that only those closest to him heard it. Ares looked over the odd assembly of mortals in Aphrodite's Olympus home and growled as he spotted the source of so much of his irritation.

"What's going on, Dite?" He sneered. "Having a little get together of the poor and pathetic?" The Goddess of Love rolled her eyes at her younger brother.

"No, Ar. These people have found themselves quite a long distance from home, and I was just offering them a place to stay until I can find them a way to get home," she told him. "Especially since some friends of theirs have run into our dear brother and sister and they aren't too keen on running into them."

"So, of course, that means that you had to take Herc and Xena's little friends with you, right," the God of War sarcastically retorted. "Nothing to keep the dynamic duo away from us than having their friends over for a little tea."

"Well, they were with Joxie and Curly and I thought it would be like totally rude if I didn't include them in the invitation," Aphrodite cried.

"I mean, sure, rudeness might be a virtue you favor, but I happen to be the Goddess of Love and I prefer to be nice. And since you're in my home, I expect the same of you."

"Like I would do anything you would ever expect," Ares sneered. "I don't even know why I bother with you since you always seem so intent on helping those that are completely without hope."

"Hey, remember us," Joxer shouted, his temper rising with every word coming out of Ares mouth. He couldn't explain it, but there was something about the God of War that always made Joxer lose his temper, a feat that not many could brag about doing. "We are still in the room so it would be nice if you could stop talking about us as if we weren't."

Ares turned his attention from his blonde sister to the wannabe warrior, a sneer on his face and a growl coming from low in his chest. There was something about the man in front of him that always made him want to destroy things. He didn't understand why he let Joxer bother him so much. He wasn't much of a warrior. He bragged about things that he couldn't possibly have done. He falls more times than the number of years that Ares has been alive and yet he has managed to survive everything that has been put in his path.

"Trust me, Joxer, it's impossible to not know when you're in a room," Ares growled, turning his anger onto the mortal. "With all that ridiculous metal that you call armor, anyone within a day's walk knows when you're around."

"Oh please, look who's talking. Mr. Let's just sneak up on the mortals and scare them to death," Joxer retorted.

"I would suggest you remember who you're talking too, mortal," Ares firmly ordered. He approached Joxer, who refused to give away any ground to the angry God of War.

"Like I can ever forget," Joxer threw back at him. "All you ever do is remind me that you're the big, bad God of War. Hello, like the black metal and the disappearing thing wouldn't be the first clue."

"Be careful, Joxer," Ares warned. "I don't want to have to mess up Aphrodite's little temple with your remains."

"Is that suppose to scare me?" Joxer mocked shock. "Oh no, Ares threatened me. Ares is gonna fry me where I stand. Whatever will I do?" Joxer grinned evilly at the God of War. "You know if you did anything to me, Xena would be an ever bigger sore in your butt than she already is."

"Okay, do the two of them remind you of anyone?" Willow whispered to Faith, who was standing at her side and watching the two men go at each other. It was apparent to everyone around that Ares and Joxer had completely forgotten the others were still in the room.

"Have to say, they remind me a bit of Blondie and Xander before we locked them in that room," Faith commented, wincing at a particularly nasty comment from Joxer about Ares ability with women. "Damn, they do have it bad, don't they?"

"You noticed that too, huh?" Angel said, as he put his arm around Willow.

It didn't escape his notice that the two men arguing were reminiscent of his childe and Xander, either. It amazed him that people were so willing to deny their attraction to someone and argue with them, instead of trying to seduce them. Then again, to each his own.

"Kind of obvious, don't ya think?" Willow asked.

"Gods, Ares, why don't you give it up, already?" Joxer shouted. "I mean, you keep threatening and threatening and yet you never do anything. I'm beginning to wonder what I ever saw in you to worship."

"How dare you, you little insignificant piece of dirt," Ares bellowed. "You're lucky that I even listened to your prayers. The only reason I did was because your father was a good man in his day and I respected what he did in my name. Unlike his son, that is. No wonder the only time he didn't ignore you was when he decided that you needed to be disciplined."

"Ouch, that had to hurt," Xander quietly stated, remembering his own childhood at the hands of an abusive father. He sympathized with the would be warrior, understanding why he still wanted to be the hero even when it was obvious that he couldn't fight. It was why Xander was still a Slayerette, even when he knew that he wasn't exactly the strongest member of the group.

Spike saw the expression that crossed his lover's face and took Xander in his arms. Spike remembered everything that Xander told him about his family life, including the way that the mortal boy had shook with sobs until his body finally fell into an uncomfortable sleep. It took all the strength the now ex-vampire had to restrain himself from going and killing the entire Harris family for the harm they had inflicted on the boy he loved. The only reason he didn't kill them all was because he knew that Xander would be hurt and upset if they suddenly were dead.

"You bastard," Joxer hissed, his anger at Ares suddenly increasing ten fold at the mention of his family. "Don't you dare speak to me about my family. If I remember correctly, it isn't like you had the best of childhoods either."

"And yet another reminder of Spike and Xander," Willow noted. This time it was Aphrodite who asked a question. She had overheard the conversation that the youths were having and was intrigued by their observations of her younger brother and the mortal that he so loved baiting.

'Is it possible that I missed their fighting as being a sign of something else?' The blonde Goddess though. She looked over at the two men still arguing, studying the way they held themselves back from any physical harm, although it should have come to that by now, and yet were holding nothing back with their verbal abuse. 'I don't believe it. How in the world did I miss this. Ares is attracted to Joxer and its mutual. Damn. I must be losing my touch. I can't believe I didn't see it before. And if the way they're fighting is any clue, I would say this is definitely more than a physical thing. They're in love.'

"So what you're saying is that Ares and Joxer are attracted to each other?" Iolaus questioned, wondering to himself why he wasn't entirely surprised by that revelation. He remembered the conversations he had had with Joxer about the God of War and realized that, even when speaking with an angry tone, there had always been a hint of something else. Not to mention all of those times when he could have sworn that something or someone had been protecting the wannabe warrior from harm. "Damn, Herc and Xena are gonna flip."

"You said that it was the same way with Xander and Spike," Aphrodite muttered, trying to make sure that the two battling men continued t remain oblivious to the conversation surrounding them. "What happened to make them realize that they cared about each other?"

"They locked us in a room for two days," Xander answered.

"Bloody wankers figured that we would either kill each other or shag our brains out," Spike added.

"And I'm thinking that the shagging your brains out was what happened," Aphrodite grinned. She didn't exactly know what the term meant, but she had a good idea by the way Xander was blushing. "So, what you're saying is that maybe we should put Ares and Joxie in a room alone together and see what happens." There was a gleam in the Goddess' eyes that Iolaus recognized immediately.

"Aphrodite, don't you even think about it," the blonde warrior warned. She just looked at him, innocently.

"What? If it would help my brother be a little less of the kill, kill, kill mood, I'm all for it," she told him. "Now let me think for a minute. Got it." Aphrodite waved her hands towards Joxer and Ares who disappeared in a flash of light. "Now, who wants to eat?"

Part 6

"Aphrodite, where are Joxer and Ares?" Iolaus asked the Goddess of Love, who only smiled back at him. He winced at the implications of what that smile could mean, especially since he has been on the receiving end of Aphrodite's generosity on several occasions. "What had you done?"

"Don't worry, Curly, "Aphrodite tried to placate the warrior. "I just took the idea that out young friends had and used it for Joxie and Arry."

"But where are they?" Willow repeated Iolaus' question, not sure how the Goddess could lock up another God, and not really sure if she wanted to know.

"I just put them in a time bubble and, before any of you ask, Ares won't be able to use his powers to get out. And I won't let him hurt Joxie either," she informed them all, correctly interpreting their questions as worry for the wannabe warrior. "That is, unless that's what he's into." The other people present shifted, suddenly uncomfortable at the thoughts the Goddess' comments brought to mind. Aphrodite giggled as some of the expressions on their faces. "Look, if it will make you feel any better, you can spy on them if you really want."

"How?" Faith questioned.

"With this," Aphrodite answered at the same time a scrying mirror appeared in her hands. In it, everyone witnessed Joxer and Ares as they continued to argue, apparently completely oblivious to the fact that they were no longer in Aphrodite's temple.

"Hey, mom, what's going on?" Cupid called, breaking the silence that had descended upon the occupants of the room as he entered with Strife by his side. The two young Gods noticed everyone's attention focused on the mirror and went closer to see what was happening. They were both shocked to see the arguing twosome. "Why are dad and Joxer in a time bubble?"

"We're trying to get them to admit that they care for each other," Aphrodite whispered, trying to continue listening to the escalating argument. She winced as Ares threw Joxer's infatuation with Gabrielle in his face. "Hey now, that was like so not fair. It was all my fault Joxer ever felt anything for that little blonde bimbo."

"Wait a minute," Strife interrupted, still stuck on the concept of Ares and Joxer involved, "are you trying to tell me that you all think that Unc and Joxer actually like each other and that you locked them together to get them to admit it?"

"You got it," Faith grinned. "How do you think we finally got Blondie and Xander together?"

"Oh this I gotta see," Strife matched Faith's grin with one of his own. He had always harbored a suspicion that his uncle had feelings for the klutzy warrior, having caught him checking up on Joxer when he thought no one was around, but never dared to admit it. Now his aunt was going to force them both to admit it and he didn't want to miss a thing. "So just how long do you plan on keeping the two of them in there?"

"Didn't really think about it," the blonde Goddess shrugged, before turning to Spike. "How long did it take for you and Xander to stop fighting and ummm, what did you call it, shagging?"

"The shagging started about a day after we were locked in," the ex-vampire answered, grinning at the memory of taking Xander for the first time And then Xander returning the favor enthusiastically. He shifted as he felt his pants suddenly grow tight at the memories at the same time, noticing that his lover seemed to be having the same problem. "And I've been grateful to Peaches and Red ever since." He pulled Xander into a deep kiss that affected everyone present.

"Same here," Xander added as soon as they parted. He had felt Spike's need in their kiss and knew that they needed some private time soon or else he would probably take the ex-vampire in front of everyone there. "I need you," he whispered to his mate, who nodded his agreement. Aphrodite seemed to sense what was going on between the men and smiled. She was the Goddess of Love after all.

"Down that hall, second door on the right." Spike and Xander only nodded before going to the room indicated, leaving the others smiling after them.

"I swear, I have never seen two hornier people in my life," Faith commented dryly.

"Except for yourself, that is," Willow teased.

"Yeah, well, what can I say. I yam what I yam," Faith threw back.

"Thank you Popeye," Willow finished laughing with her friend. The three Gods tried to figure out what the two girls were laughing about but finally gave up; figuring it was something to do with the time they were from.

Everyone's attention was once again upon the scrying mirror as they heard the Goddess' name shouted in anger.

"Aphrodite," Ares screamed. "Where in Tartarus are you and what have you done?" Ares and Joxer had finally noticed that they were no longer with the others and the God of War corrected assumed that his sister had something to do with it. He had tried to use his powers to return to his temple in Thrace and was surprised and angry when they didn't work. He yelled again when the Goddess didn't answer him. "Aphrodite, get us out of here right now, or so help me, you will not like what I do to your next little festival in Corinth."

"Gee, another threat from the great God of War," Joxer mocked. "That's sure one way of making sure she doesn't do anything to help." Ares turned his anger at his sister towards his follower.

"This is all your fault," the War God stated.

"My fault," Joxer croaked. "How do you figure that?"

"If you didn't purposely try to goad me into an argument then she wouldn't have put us here to fight now would she?"

"Oh please, like you need a reason to fight," Joxer threw back at him.

"You live for it. And don't even try to blame me. You go out of your way to piss me off."

"Why would I bother you with giving you that kind of attention," Ares asked. "Why would I spend my time dealing with you?"

"I don't know," Joxer answered honestly. "Why don't you tell me since you're the one that seems to be doing it."

"Well, it can't be that you're all the great looking," (although, you aren't exactly the ugliest person I've ever seen). "And you definitely aren't a warrior," (but you have been getting better, even if Xena and that idiot brother of mine can't see it.) "You can't stand the thought of hating anyone, always wanting to see the good in people," (but that isn't a bad thing. In fact it's one of the reasons that people are willing to put up with your faults.)

"Well, thanks for pointing out everything I'm not," Joxer deadpanned. "I never would have guessed if you didn't tell me." There was something in Joxer's voice that made Ares do a double take. It was almost as if Joxer was giving up on the fight and that was something Ares wasn't able to let him do.

"Oh don't go feeling sorry for yourself," Ares ordered. "I mean, for you that's so been there, done that."

"Back off," Joxer ordered, suddenly in the mood for the fight again. "Why don't you go bother one of your priests or something."

"I'm stuck here with you, remember," Ares reminded him, glad to see the fight back in the warrior. He refused to admit it, but he did enjoy goading Joxer into a fight. "Trust me, if I could be anywhere else I would be. There's this sweet little warbride waiting for her husband to come home and I was thinking of paying her a visit." Ares leered at the mention of the woman in question, while Joxer just groaned.

"Oh please, is that the only way you can get someone," Joxer argued.

"Pretend to be someone else. What, if you show up as you do you go impotent." That one word set Ares off, causing him to do something that, later he would admit to having wanted to do for a very long time.

"Impotent," he screamed. "I'll show you impotent." Ares was across the room in three long strides, standing directly in front of Joxer. He grabbed the smaller man and pulled him until they were flush and kissed him. Hard.

Part 7

At first, Joxer's mind couldn't process what was going on. One minute he was fighting with Ares, like usual, and the next, Ares was crushing his lips in what could only be described as an intense kiss. One that Joxer had never imagined being given to him, and certainly not by the God of War. Then his brain shut down completely as Joxer's hormones kicked in and he found himself returning the kiss with everything that he was, opening his mouth and allowing Ares to explore it with his tongue, causing both men to moan.

Ares was lost. He didn't know what had caused him to kiss Joxer. He had never thought of the wannabe warrior as someone to be wanted, to be desire, but damned if that wasn't what Ares was thinking now. He wrapped his arms around Joxer's slim waist, pulling their two bodies closer together. When Joxer opened his mouth, he wantonly plundered it with his tongue, tasting the man that had worshipped him his whole life.

"Ares," Joxer moaned breathlessly when they parted briefly to allow oxygen into their deprived lungs. Joxer's hands wound themselves into the God's hair as he started laying kisses down Joxer's neck. Joxer threw his head back, giving Ares better access to his flesh. The small warrior felt his insides melt as his body heated up from the kisses that he was being covered with. He felt himself hardened and pressed himself impossibly closer to Ares, feeling Ares' own erection pressed through the leather of the God's pants.

Ares returned to Joxer's mouth, suddenly not able to get enough of it. Ares had never felt anything like what he was feeling now. It was like every nerve ending in his body was sensitive and that the only thing they would respond to was Joxer. All the anger and seeming hatred that the two men had for each other had suddenly been turned into long denied lust and feelings that neither man was sure they would possibly feel towards the other.

"Joxer," this time it was Ares turn to moan as he felt Joxer run his hands along that front of his chest, slowly removing the vest that covered the War God's body. His moan grew louder as Joxer dropped his head and covered one of Ares' nipples with his mouth. Joxer laved it with his tongue causing Ares to hold the man's head as close to his chest as possible. Joxer grinned at the reaction he was causing. He had never felt so empowered before. He moved his mouth from one nipple to the other, treating it to the same bathing with his tongue. He felt his hair being pulled by the death grip that Ares had on his hair. Then he felt those hands pull him away from Ares' chest and back to his mouth.

"I want you," was all the God of War could say. And the only thing Joxer could do was nod his head in agreement. The two men fumbled their way to the bed amid a flurry of kisses followed by both men undressing. Joxer blushed at the admiring gaze that had settled on Ares face. He had never had anyone look at him with such a wanton look of desire on his or her face. Usually it was more like derision and he found himself feeling more and more self-conscious and tried to cover himself up.

"Don't," Ares ordered. Ares grabbed Joxer's arms and placed them at his side. "Don't ever hide from me." Ares leaned down and kissed Joxer again, allowing them both to fall towards the bed and land with a soft thud. Ares rolled them until he was lying on top of the mortal, both groaning as their hard cocks rubbed. The friction that was created stirred them both to more and heavier gropes of their hands.

Ares slowly licked and nibbled his way down Joxer's body, tasting the man that had come to mean so many things to him. He loved how Joxer's body moved under his and the little groans that he could elicit with just the right touch. He looked up at Joxer and saw no hesitation, no fear of what was about to come. Joxer was completely giving himself over to the God and that startled Ares. War had never had a lover respond so willingly to him and he wanted to make sure that Joxer would be satisfied with everything that happened between the two of them.

Ares finally found himself nestled in the dark curls that surrounded Joxer's cock and he inhaled the sharp, musky scent that was his soon to be lover, becoming intoxicated with it. He knew that he could never get too much of it. Joxer gasped as he felt Ares' tongue lick the moisture from the tip of his cock and practically screamed when he felt Ares' warm mouth engulf his whole length, milking him for all he was worth. He wrapped his hands in Ares's dark hair, urging his God on while thrusting his hips forcing Ares' to take in more of his length. Joxer was so close that it was all he could to do to hold his orgasm off, not wanting it to end so quickly. Ares could feel Joxer's hesitation and refused to allow his warrior to hold back. He sucked on his cock, one hand massaging his balls, while the other found its way to Joxer's ass, running a finger along the crack, before inserting it. Joxer cried out as his orgasm was ripped from his body, allowing his seed to pour into Ares' willing mouth.

Ares swallowed everything that Joxer had given him, not allowing one drop to spill, enjoying the taste of his lover. Finally, once there was nothing left to take, he kissed his way back up to Joxer's lips, which parted so that they could share a mind-shattering kiss. "You are delicious," Ares purred.

"That was incredible," Joxer managed to gasp out as he tried to regain some semblance of normal breathing. "I never imagined it could be so good. Is everything that good?" Ares grinned.

"Better," he answered, grinding his erection into Joxer's pelvis. Joxer moaned as he felt his God's obvious desire.

"Show me."

"Wow," Willow sighed as she watched the two new lovers in the mirror. "I mean,?.wow. I've never seen anything like that before."

"Mom, I now see what you saw in Dad," Cupid stated as he watched his father prop Joxer up.

"Now I know where you got it from, Flyboy," Strife said, leering at his lover. "Like father, like son I am very happy to say." Cupid flashed his lover a lecherous grin, full of promises of things to come.

"Why do I think that you don't have to worry about Ares being upset about locking him in that bubble with Joxer," Iolaus observed, surprised at the amount of passion that was being exhibited by his friend. He never knew that Joxer had it in him and he suddenly was glad that Gabrielle had ignored him for so long. Somehow, Iolaus didn't think she would be too receptive to some of the things he would have wanted to do. "I didn't even think that was physically possible," he said as he watched Ares slam his cock into the very pliant body of Joxer who was not in one of the positions that one would normally see.

"I wonder if Blondie and Xander have ever done that?" Faith asked, shifting in her chair. Normally she didn't go into the whole peeping tom thing, but she just couldn't stop from looking.

"Trust me, if Spike can think of it, he will do it," Angel answered, pulling Willow closer to him so that his hardening cock was pushed into her backside. Willow whimpered as she felt his need, wetness pooling in her own overheated core. Angel could smell it and knew that they needed to be alone just as his childe was with Xander. "Aphrodite?"

"Fourth door on the left," she replied absently, not even looking at them. She continued to watch as her ex-lover made love to one of her favorite mortals. She wasn't surprised to see the passion that Ares was showing, having been on the receiving end of it quite a few times in the past, but she was surprised to see the tenderness that was there. She suddenly had an intense desire to see her husband and winked out without saying a word. "Strife, you do realize what dad and Joxer being in the time bubble means, don't you?' Cupid whispered in his lover's ears, wrapping the God of Mischief in his wings. Strife grinned as he realized exactly what his lover meant.

"We have the whole temple to ourselves," he answered.

"And Bliss is with his great grandparents," Cupid elaborated.

"Then what are we waiting for?" And the two Gods winked out leaving Faith and Iolaus the only ones left in the room.

"Well, ummm, this is interesting," Iolaus muttered as sounds of powerful lovemaking filled the room from the mirror. "So what do you want to do?"

"Normally I would say screw like rabbits, but" Faith quipped.

"Same here, but," Iolaus agreed. "Maybe we could talk. You know, get to know each other better, first. Seems like we may be spending a lot of time together, if you know what I mean."

"Yup," Faith said as she looked towards the hallway where her friends had gone down. "Definitely gonna be a long couple of days."

Part 8

"So tell me about yourself, Laus," Faith said, as she and the blonde hunter wandered around the gardens that surrounded Aphrodite's temple. "Exactly how long have you known Joxer?"

"I've known him for about four or five years now," Iolaus replied, taking in the sights that were around him. While he knew that Hercules had been to Olympus a few times, the only realm of the Gods that Iolaus had ever seen was Hades. "He was traveling with Xena and Gabrielle by then."

"And they are?"

"Well, Xena used to be a major warlord that worked for Ares, but now she helps people," Iolaus explained. There was something in his voice that Faith picked up on. Something that said that there was no love lost between the two people.

"You don't get along with Xena, do you?" She inquired. Iolaus shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't hate her," he answered simply, "but I can't completely trust her either. There's a past there that, unlike Hercules, I'm not too willing to look past." Faith didn't say anything, deciding that if Iolaus wanted to share he would. Iolaus, for his part, decided that he wanted to tell the brunette Slayer. "We were involved once before she turned to good. She used me in a plot to kill Hercules."

"And he forgives her for that but you have trouble seeing past that, right?" Faith answered. "Sounds like Buffy and Angel."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, see before I started working for Angel, I had tried to kill him. Twice," she elaborated. Iolaus stopped in his tracks and stared at the girl at his side.

"Why?" Faith took a deep breath at the same time she spotted a bench nearby. She went over to sit, motioning for Iolaus to join her.

"It's a long story and not a very happy one," Faith began. "You see, growing up, I didn't exactly have the best of childhoods. I wasn't exactly the friendliest person, or the most stable, when I came to Sunnydale. At first, things with everyone were five by five, but that changed. I accidentally killed a guy when me and B were out fighting vamps. Things went downhill fast. I started working for the mayor, who was a demon, and that was the first time I tried to kill Angel. B basically tried to kill me right after that and I was in a coma for a year. When I recovered, I went to LA and was hired to try and kill him again, but I couldn't do it. I mean, sure I tried and all, but not the way I really should have. And he knew it. He knew what I wanted and refused to give it to me."

"What did you want?" Iolaus questioned gently, taking Faith's hand in his. He could see that the young girl that had apparently had a harder life than even he could have imagined, was holding back tears.

"Death." Her answer was short and it stunned the warrior that had faced death more times than he cared to remember, especially since he had lost many of those battles.

"Why did you want to die?"

"Because I was evil and I didn't want to live like that," Faith explained. "But Angel refused to kill me. He wanted to help me. And he did. I mean, sure I went to prison for a bit, but he always made sure to come and see me. To remind me that there was someone that cared what happened to me. Then, when I was released, he was there with arms open and a job waiting for me. I've been there ever since. Both of us fighting for redemption for our pasts."

"It sounds like the two of you have a lot in common," Iolaus observed, feeling surprisingly jealous at the time the Slayer and vampire had together. "I'm surprised that the two of you aren't together." Faith laughed at that.

"No way," she told him. "He's been hooked on Red longer than I can remember. I'm willing to lay odds on him having been in love with her since the beginning, but not willing to do anything about it. Hell, he still refuses to believe that he deserves having Red love him. Do you know how much talking and convincing we had to do just to get him to admit it to himself, let alone her."

"He does seem the kind to keep things to himself," Iolaus stated. "So what did you do to finally get them together? Lock them in a room?" Faith laughed.

"Nope, that only went for Blondie and Xander," she told him. "And Joxer and Ares. For Red and Fang, we just had to make them realize what they had already. So, Delia called up Willow and had her come up to LA, telling her there was some kind of an emergence. Well, Red couldn't get to Angel's side fast enough. Then we told them that they needed to be at a certain restaurant to stop a demon from attacking.

"We had it set up perfectly. I mean, candlelight, flowers, and the whole enchilada. You couldn't have asked for a more romantic setting, or so we thought. How were we supposed to know a real demon was going to attack, so there went the perfect setting."

"But it all worked out, apparently," the hunter observed, remembering back to the couple who were now, probably, renewing their love over and over again. "They are together."

"Well, apparently Willow got hurt during the fight and that made Angel's demon come out, full force. He killed the thing that had dared hurt his chosen mate. And, much to Angel's surprise, Willow wasn't scared or disgusted or any of the things that B used to be at seeing Fang all demony. That night he made sure she was all right and the two of them talked and the next thing me, Delia and Wes knew, she was transferring to UCLA and moving in with him. They've been together ever since."

"And, from what you said earlier, their friends weren't happy about that."

"You can say that again," Faith grinned, remembering what Buffy and Giles' reactions were when they saw her and Delia arrive to pick up Willow's things from the dorm. "We told you how they decided to that something had happened to make Willow and Angel get together. Well, they figured that I had to have something to do with it, which I did but not the way they thought. It didn't help that Forrest; a friend of Buffy's and a real jerk if you ask me, had a major thing for Red and was convinced that the two of them belonged together. The bastard even followed us back to Angel's place and tried to kidnap her to bring her back to Sunnydale. And Giles and B were actually okay with that"

Iolaus shook his head as he listened to the tale of romance and angst that Faith was providing. He could understand how Buffy might have been upset because Willow had fallen in love with her ex, but that didn't excuse her for what she did. Nothing should come between friends in Iolaus' book. If they did, he and Hercules would have stopped talking years ago. Especially after the whole Xena episode.

"And why are there two mortals walking around our gardens?" An amused female voice asked, startling the said mortals out of their thoughts. Iolaus and Faith turned and the blonde hunter turned pale at who was standing before him.

"Iolaus, I am surprised to see you here," Zues said. "Is my son with you also?"

"No sir," the hunter answered. "He's in Potadeia last I heard. I came here with Aphrodite." Iolaus then remembered who was with him. "I would like you to meet Faith. Faith, this is Zues and Hera. The King and Queen of the Gods." Faith was speechless.

"Cool," the brunette managed to say.

"Faith, what a lovely name," Hera motioned for the couple to sit back down. She looked over the clothing of the young girl in front of her. "You aren't from around here are you? Are you one of those that came from the future?"

"How'd you know about that?" Hera smiled at the suspicious tone in the girl's voice. There was something about her that reminded the Queen of herself at that young age.

"Aphrodite told Hephaetus and he told us," she reassured the girl.

"Speaking of Aphrodite, you don't happen to know where she is, do you." Faith and Iolaus looked at each other, both grinning ear to ear.

"Last we saw of her, she was probably going to get some from Hep," Iolaus chuckled. "We were kinda watching something that caused the others to get in a rather?"

"Horny mood," Faith couldn't help but add.

"And what exactly were you watching?" Zues inquired.

"Ares and Joxer making love," Faith answered before realizing that maybe the God of War's father wouldn't be all that happy to hear that his son was involved with the mortal.

"So they finally admitted their feelings for one another," Hera stated. "Its about time." Faith and Iolaus stated at the Goddess who smiled at them. "I'm the Goddess of Marriage. Aphrodite isn't the only one that knows when a couple is destined to be together. I'm just surprised it happened so soon. Last time I had checked on them, they were still fighting each other."

"Well, they had a little help," Iolaus told them sheepishly, before explaining what Aphrodite had done to her brother and the wannabe warrior.

At the end of the tale, both Zues and Hera were laughing at how their son had been tricked.

"Oh I wish I had seen that," Zues chuckled, imaging his son's surprise at finding himself locked in a time bubble with Joxer. "We must make sure to be there when they get released. You will tell us, won't you?"

"Yes sir, " Iolaus promised.

"Good. Now why don't the two of you go and enjoy yourselves," the God suggested. "There are quite a few lovely sites that I'm sure you'll enjoy."

"Thank you, sir." Iolaus and Faith watched as the godly couple made their way towards Aphrodite's temple to observe their son for a few minutes.

"You know, they aren't half bad," Faith observed.

So, how do you find our little town?" Gabrielle asked as she joined Buffy and Anya outside of her family's home. It had been decided that the two girls could stay with Gabrielle and her family while the men would stay at the local inn.

"Well, its different," Buffy said slowly, trying not to offend the blonde bard that had befriended her and her friends.

"It reminds me of home," Anya stated. Buffy and Gabrielle both looked at her. "What? I meant my home before I became a demon. I mean, hello, that was before cars and CDs and TV." Gabrielle just continued staring at the former vengeance demon, while Buffy just rolled her eyes at the girl.

"So tell me some more about the Gods," Buffy asked, trying to find out more about the people that she was now involved with. "Why do they bother you guys so much?'

"Well, part of the reason is that both Xena and Hercules are Zues' children," Gabrielle began to explain as the three women headed towards the town. "And it doesn't hurt that they both do everything they can to thwart Ares whenever he decides to hold one of his little wars."

"Ares is the God of War, right," Buffy confirmed, trying to remember what little she learned about Greek mythology in school. "I bet he doesn't take to kindly to having his plans stopped." Gabrielle laughed.

"You could say that," she giggled. "You see, Xena used to fight for Ares, before she decided to fight for good. And he is constantly trying to get her to go back to him, without any success. And now that she knows that she is actually Zues' child and a demi-god, it makes it even harder for Ares to battle her. She's under Zues' protection, as is Hercules, so none of the Gods can kill them. Doesn't mean they stop trying though."

"What about that Aphrodite chick that was here earlier?" Anya broke in, remembering the blonde goddess that had been summoned by Hercules earlier.

"What's her deal with all of you?"

Gabrielle thought for a moment about the blonde Goddess of Love. "It's hard to describe Aphrodite. Where Ares loves causing his trouble by making war, Aphrodite prefers to do it a more subtle way. Usually involving Joxer."

"Joxer?" Buffy asked. Gabrielle nodded her head.

"Yeah, Joxer," she repeated. "He's this guy that fancies himself a warrior. He tells these tales of him beating warlords and protecting villages and of all the women he's seduced. And all of them are lies. That man can barely stand on his own two feet let alone defend a town."

"Then why do you hang around him?" Anya questioned.

"Because someone needs to look after him or else he would be dead within a week," Gabrielle stated simply. "Trust me, when you meet Joxer, you'll know what I mean. He's nothing but trouble."

"Sounds a bit like Xander," Anya wistfully said as she remembered the boy that had stolen her heart, only to break it again by falling in love with Spike.

"Well, unlike your friend," Gabrielle almost sneered, having heard about how Xander had betrayed his friends by dating one of their enemies and had been disgusted by that concept. "Joxer wouldn't even think of betraying us. Besides, its not like any of the Gods would be interested in a klutz like him.

"Talking about Joxer again," Xena teased, as she and the men joined their friends.

"How could you tell?" Gabrielle giggled.

"The nothing but trouble gave it away," Hercules joked. "There's only one person you could possibly be talking about that way. Especially when you add in the klutz comment."

"Well, you have to admit, trouble does seem to follow Joxer around wherever he goes," Gabrielle laughed.

"Remember when he decided to go fishing and ended up floating halfway to the ocean before we could get him out of the river," Xena chuckled.

Gabrielle's laughter increased as she recalled the incident.

"I can still remember catching him fending off the advances of Widow Twanky," Hercules joined in. "He couldn't even fend her off."

"Oh, now that's something I wish I had seen," Xena added, before noticing the blank looks on Buffy's face, which rivaled the ones on her friends. "Sorry, like Gabrielle said. You have to wait to meet him."

"Which should actually be any time now," Hercules sobered up. "He and Iolaus said they arrive today. In fact, they should have been here already."

"You don't think something might have happened to them, do you?" Buffy asked, concerned about the people that have taken them in. "From what you were just saying, it wouldn't be too unlikely that those Gods of yours might do something to them just to get back at you."

"What are you talking about Buffy?" Giles inquired, wanting to hear more about the Gods of Olympus.

"Gabrielle was just telling us about how Ares and Aphrodite like to play headgames with them," the blonde Slayer explained. "And we all know from personal experience of the fangy variety that the best way to get someone really pissed is by attacking their friends. Hell, Spike's done it more times than I can count."

"And yet he's still alive," Forrest muttered. Buffy and Riley glared at the man, who promptly shut up.

"Anyway," Buffy stared pointedly at Forrest, "as I was saying, is it possible that something happened to them?" Xena, Gabrielle and Hercules all thought about it and came to the same conclusion.

"I wouldn't put it past them," Hercules finally answered. "When it comes to my family, there's nothing that they wouldn't do to cause trouble. Especially my brother."

"Well, how would you go finding out if they did do something to them?" Riley asked.

"We already tried getting information out of Aphrodite when you appeared and that didn't do any good," Xena replied, remembering the brief conversation with the Goddess of Love. "And I doubt that Ares would be any help since he hates us."

"Maybe Zeus would be willing to help," Gabrielle offered. "He is your father after all. The least he could say is that Joxer and Iolaus are on their way and just got detoured."

"Zeus," Hercules bellowed, calling out for his and Xena's father. A bright flash of light heralded the arrival of the king of the Gods, who looked around at the assembled group of mortals and demi-gods. He instantly put together the strangers in the group as those that came from the same time frame as those that were currently enjoying themselves on Olympus.

"What can I help you with, my son?" Zeus asked as he faced his son and daughter, neither of who looked all that happy to see him even if they had called him. "Hera and I were enjoying a nice walk in her gardens when you called, and I would really rather not have her any more upset than she already is at my being away from her.

"We're looking for Iolaus," Hercules told his father. "He was supposed to arrive in Potadeia today and there is no sign of him."

"Don't forget that other fellow," Giles reminded the Demi-God.

"Oh yeah, and he was with Joxer," Hercules added in, having forgotten about the wannabe warrior.

"And you want me to do what about it," Zeus inquired, raising his eyebrow at his children.

"We want to know if any of the gods have decided to use them for their little games." A smile crept across Zeus' face for a quick moment as he thought of exactly what type of game a God was using Joxer for, only to replace it with his normal poker face. Somehow he didn't think Hercules and Xena would be all that thrilled to know that their friend had just become the lover of the God of War. Even if he seemed to be a very willing participant.

"Answer us, Zeus," Xena demanded when the God continued to stay silent. "Where are our friends?"

"You don't have to worry about them," Zeus placated his children. "They are safe on Olympus. As honored guests," he quickly added when he noticed the group suddenly tense up.

"Whatever you have planned for them, I want it stop," Hercules ordered.

Zeus stared at his son. He couldn't believe that Hercules felt that he could order the Gods to do anything.

"Return them, now," Xena added in her own demand. Zeus stared at both of his children, wondering why it wasn't until now that he realized how spoiled both of them had become. They used the gifts they had been given as the children of the Gods, and yet they felt themselves superior to those same gods. He shook his head, as he finally understood why Ares felt such anger at the two of them.

"You have no right to demand anything of me," Zeus informed the two of them. "I am the King of the Gods and your father. Remember that."

"Lord Zeus," Giles called out in a calm voice, drawing the attention of the God. "We're sorry if we seem to be short tempered." Giles spoke in a calm voice, trying to instill reason back into the group. "It's just that they are worried about their friends. From what I've been made to understand, it has been a common practice to try and harm those close to Xena and Hercules."

"Joxer and Iolaus will not come to any harm," Zeus assured the assembly. "You have my word on that." Xena, Gabrielle, and Hercules both grunted at that, causing Zeus to face them once again. "You doubt my word?"

"Since when have you ever kept any word of yours?" Gabrielle asked."Very well," Zeus seemed to come to a decision. "If my word is not good enough, then I will allow you to see your friend Iolaus."

"What about Joxer?" Buffy questioned. She didn't know either person, but the Slayer in her hated the idea of any innocent being held against his will.

"Joxer is rather," Zeus seemed to search for the right word, "predisposed right now. I'm sure he'll return when he is done. That is if he wants to, which I have a feeling he won't. As for Iolaus." A crack of thunder was heard at the same time a flash of light heralded the departure of the King of the Gods and the arrival of the hunter, but Iolaus wasn't alone. He was holding hands and kissing the one person most of the members in the group had least expected to see.

"Faith," Buffy cried out as she saw the brunette Slayer that had been behind so much of her torment.

"Hey, B," Faith grinned as she saw the change of scenery. "Surprise."

Part 10

"What the hell are you doing here, Faith?" Buffy yelled as she went to attack the rogue Slayer. Riley and Graham grabbed Buffy, holding her back while Faith just grinned at the blonde.

"Don't really know, B," Faith answered, her hand never leaving Iolaus'.

"One minute me and Laus were in Dite's garden, kissing and all, and the next we're here." Faith looks around at the town surrounding her. "By the way, where is here anyway?"

"This is Potadeia," Gabrielle answered, taking an instant dislike to the girl that had appeared by Iolaus' side. It didn't help that she remembered what Buffy had told her about Faith.

"Iolaus, get away from her," Hercules ordered his long time friend. The blonde hunter only looked at the demi-god in confusion.

"Why?" He asked.

"You have no idea of who she is or what she's like?" Xena replied tersely, grabbing the smaller man and pulling him forcibly away from Faith. "We've heard about you, Faith, and what you've done to Buffy and her friends."

Faith, for her part, only quirked her eyebrow at the warrior princess. "And what exactly have I don't to B and company?" Faith inquired, amused at the smug expression on Buffy's face, not to mention the way that Iolaus was fighting to loosen the grip on his arm. "And can you please let go of sweetcheeks over there before he hurts himself trying to get loose."

"I'm going to kill Aphrodite for calling me that in front of you," Iolaus growled half-heartedly. "It was bad enough she got Cupid saying it, but now she had you doing it too."

"But it fits you so well," Faith whined. "They're just so pinchable." Iolaus just rolled his eyes at the slayer. "And you know I love to pinch."

"I would have thought that was more Spike's job," Iolaus threw at the girl, causing Buffy, Anya, Giles, Graham and Forrest all to shout out at once.

"Spike."

"Is he here?"

"How do you know about him?"

"What does he have to do with us being here?"

"Where is that bastard?"

"Quiet," Hercules bellowed, silencing everyone. He turned to the brunette girl that he had been told was nothing but trouble and could tell that those stories were accurate. "I believe you have some explaining to do."

"No I don't," Faith argued, finally just pulling Iolaus out of Xena's grip. "Do you mind not hurting my man here. I have plans for him later."

"Oh I bet," Buffy muttered, causing Faith to grin at her again.

"Hey, why should we be the only ones not getting some," the rogue Slayer stated. "Hell, the whole gang's got their own little party going. I think we should get to have some fun too. Don't you Laus?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that we're entitled to a little celebration for a good deed done," Iolaus agreed. The others looked between the couple, trying to figure out what was going on. When they couldn't figure it out, Hercules decided to find out why Zeus couldn't bring Joxer to them.

"Iolaus, where's Joxer?" Hercules was surprised when he saw Iolaus actually blush at the question. He had never seen the blonde hunter do that before unless he was asked an extremely embarrassing question. "Zeus said something about him being busy and that maybe Joxer wouldn't even want to return."

"I wouldn't doubt that," Faith stage whispered.

"What have you done, Faith?" Buffy demanded to know. She didn't know why the other Slayer was there and she wasn't happy to see her. Somehow she knew that Faith being there meant that more trouble was on its way. And more unexpected surprises.

"I didn't do anything," Faith denied. "It was all Aphrodite's doing. She's the one the decided to put them in that time bubble to get them to admit they had a thing. We only gave her the idea."

"What idea?" Xena questioned. "Whose in the time bubble?"

"Joxer," Iolaus answered. Xena looked at her one time lover and instantly knew that there was more to the story and that she wasn't going to like it.

"Joxer and who?"

"Ares," Iolaus whispered, but the others heard him.

"Ares!" Hercules shouted. "What in Hades name were you thinking when you allowed my sister to put Joxer and Ares in a time bubble? That bastard will kill him. Where was your brain? Think for once, will you Iolaus."

"What did you want me to do Herc," Iolaus yelled at his friend. "I was on Olympus in Aphrodite's temple. Not like I had a choice. Besides, trust me. The last thing on Ares' mind was killing Joxer."

"That's the understatement of the year," Faith chuckled, remember just exactly had been happening the last time she saw the two men. "Then again, I can think of no better way of dying if you ask me."

"No arguments here," Iolaus agreed, joining in Faith's laughter.

"Will someone please tell us what you two are talking about?" Gabrielle screamed. "What has Ares done with Joxer?"

"I think the question is, what hasn't he done yet?" Faith drawled. When Xena shot her a glance, Faith shrugged her shoulders. "Well, the last time we saw them, they were doing the horizontal mambo rather aggressively. It was pretty hot and heavy. Got the others all bothered to the point that we probably won't be seeing them for a few days."

"Joxer and Ares?" Gabrielle squeaked. "As in together?"

"Oh yeah, they are definitely together?" Faith laughed. "And from what we saw, they're going to be that way for awhile. I wouldn't go expecting to see Joxie for the time being." Gabrielle, Xena and Hercules all were stunned into silence at the news that their friend had apparently gotten himself somehow involved with the God of War. Their enemy.

"You said the others," Giles replayed the last few minutes of the conversation, all ready getting a good idea of what the answer to his question was going to be. "What others?"

"Well, Aphrodite went to see her hubby. Strife and Cupid were going to have some fun since the temple was empty," Iolaus answered. He turned to Faith, able to tell that she was dying to finish the rest.

"Xander and Blondie didn't even wait for the floorshow to begin before going off to do whatever it is they do," Faith added. "And Red and Fang were the last ones to go off on their own. I would say they are all working off a bit of their excess energy, if you know what I mean."

"Xander's here," Anya whispered.

"That bastard better not lay a hand on my Willow," Forrest shouted.

"Oh I don't think its his hand you have to worry about," Faith insinuated.

Forrest roared as he went after the brunette Slayer, only to find himself frozen in place.

"Faith, my dear, are you causing trouble," Hera announced as she materialized into the crowded area. Hercules and Xena instantly became on guard at the presence of the Goddess that had tried to kill them both on numerous occasions. "Oh don't worry, I'm not here for you two. I came to check on Faith and Iolaus."

"What do you want with them?" Hercules demanded to know.

"I just wanted to make sure everything was okay," Hera replied sweetly. "Zeus told me that he sent them here and when I felt the anger emanating from this area, I decided it was best if I came to check things out for myself."

"Thanks H," Faith said. "Everything's five by five. We were just explaining what was going on and the others didn't like what was happening. Seems they don't approve."

"They never do, do they?"

"No, they never do," Iolaus finished, looking sadly at his friends. He saw now that they would be unwilling to accept that Joxer might actually be happy where he was. And he hadn't forgotten how Hercules had yelled at him. "Hera, could you possibly bring us back to Olympus to wait for the others." Hera looked at Iolaus, able to feel the sense of loss in him and smiled softly at him. Before any of the others could do anything, Hera, Faith and Iolaus disappeared in a flash of light.

"Well, I think we know why we're here now."

Part 11

"What do you mean, you know why you're here now?" Xena asked Buffy, still shocked over what had just happened. 'Joxer and Ares,' Xena thought. 'Impossible. What would Ares want with Joxer? It has to be a trick. Some plan of his to get to me and Hercules.'

Hercules seemed to be thinking the same thing, but added to his concern over what Ares had planned, was his amazement over the fact that Iolaus, his best friend, seemed to approve of it. And that the blonde hunter was now a welcome guest on Olympus by none other than Hera herself. The Goddess that had killed Hercules' family and had even was the cause of Iolaus' death once or twice.

"The prophecy that Giles found," Buffy reminded everyone about their earlier conversation. "The one about how the love of two innocents to two immortals brings back the ancient Gods. Willow and Xander must be those innocents while Angel and Spike would be the immortals. I mean, they are vampires and all."

"And maybe them being together here somehow makes so that the Gods of Olympus somehow survive the coming of Christ and remain powerful," Riley concluded, pleased with himself over his deductions.

"Well, its apparent that the Gods have already taken them under their protection," Forrest angrily stated, upset that Willow and Angel were so wrapped up with each other that not even the fact that they are in a different time with no explanation didn't quench the lust they felt.

"That may be only because they ran into them first," Giles replied. "Just as Hercules, Xena and Gabrielle came to our defense. The Gods only know one side of the story."

"So we need to get them to hear your side somehow," Gabrielle supplied. "But how? The Gods have never been known to willingly listen to something they didn't want to hear."

"We'll just have to make them listen, but first things are first," Hercules told everyone. "Now we know that Iolaus and Joxer are with those bastards that call themselves my family. As are your friends. We're going to have to think of a way of rescuing them. There is no way that I trust the Gods with anything that they say." Hercules bristled at the thought of what exactly Zeus and the other Gods had in store for the unwitting mortals.

"Well, we know that Aphrodite is out, since it appears she lied to us in the first place when she said that she didn't know anything about what had brought you here," Xena observed, remembering how the Goddess of Love had denied knowledge of the time travelers. "And Zeus has also apparently befriended them. And we all know how Hera feels."

"And somehow I have a feeling that there isn't really another God that we can turn too," Anya complained, worried about what was happening to her Xander. True, she had been the one to leave the teenager, but that didn't mean she didn't love him. And knowing that he was involved with Spike left her feeling cold and wishing again that she had her powers once more.

"No, unfortunately I think you're right," Hercules agreed, conceding that it might not be as easy as he had hoped to retrieve those he saw as innocents in some game. With Zeus apparently against him and Xena, for the first time since Hercules was able to remember, his avenue to Olympus had been effectively cut off. "We're going to have to think of some way of making them come to us, since we can't go to them."

"And how do you propose we do that?" Buffy demanded, worried about Xander and Angel, while not really caring what happened to Faith, Willow or Spike.

"Aphrodite has a temple not to far from here," Hercules suggested. "What say we go pay it a little visit." There was something about the way that the hero said that that caused Buffy to smile evilly at the thought of what might be about to happen.

Meanwhile, up on Olympus, Iolaus and Faith were making their way back to the main room of Aphrodite's temple. Luckily for them, Zeus and Hera had taken it upon themselves to remove the scrying mirror, so the two mortals didn't have to listen, or watched, the lovemaking of the couple in the time bubble. They couple had been quiet since Hera had brought them back to the temple, neither sure of what to say after the confrontation with the people that had meant so much to them at one time.

"Are you going to be okay?" Iolaus finally asked. "I mean, it must not have been easy having Buffy and the others yelling at you for something you couldn't have any control over." Faith looked over at the blonde hunter, surprised at how caring he was. No one had ever considered how she felt about something before.

"I'll be fine," she told him truthfully. "I mean, it's been a long time since I've needed B's approval for anything. I'm more concerned about you. They are your friends and all and it was apparent, at least to me, that they were not of the happy over the fact that you didn't do anything to stop Aphrodite." Iolaus shrugged as he remembered his friends' reactions.

"I guess I'll be okay about it," the blonde hunter told her. "Hopefully. Herc and I grew up together. We've been best friends for as long as I can remember and I think this is the first time that I've ever really done something that he didn't agree with. It's just going to take some time getting used to. Hopefully he'll calm down and won't do anything too rash."

"Not with B around," Faith chuckled. "Trust me. Common sense and that girl are definitely not together."

"I kinda noticed that." Iolaus joined in with Faith's laughter. "Did you see their faces when I told them about Joxer and Ares?"

"Did I? I thought they were going to faint dead away,' Faith's laughter got louder. "And then when I told them about Red and the others, damn I thought they were going to go through the roof."

"That one guy almost did," Iolaus reminded her, as he pictured Forrest's angry face coming at Faith. "He looked like he was ready to kill you when you said that Angel and Willow were together."

"That would be Forrest. The only muscle he doesn't use is the one in his head," Faith said. She then remembered something that had happened, and she hadn't mentioned to the others. "Oh damn, this will be priceless."

"What?"

"I just forgot something that will not make B and the rest happy," Faith answered.

"And that would be what?"

"That Angel and Spike are human. Boy are they going to be pissed."

Part 12

It had taken Xena, Buffy and the rest of the weary travelers two days to reach Aphrodite's main temple in Corinth. They had decided to go there to try and speak to the Goddess, figuring that their chances were better that she would answer. The conversations along the journey had been brief and stilted, neither group quite sure what to say to the other. The only thing they could agree on was that they needed to rescue their friends and stop whatever was supposed to happen according to the prophecy.

"Wow," Buffy exclaimed as they entered the main area of Aphrodite's temple. Pink silk and chiffon were hanging from the walls, while statues and busts of the Goddess' likeness adorned the temple. "I've never seen anything like this."

"Are all of the Gods' temples like this?" Riley questioned, going over and examining the ornate altar in the middle of the room.

"No, only their main ones," Hercules answered. "This is Aphrodite's home away from Olympus and it's where she hears most of the prayers to her." The group from Sunnydale could hear the disdain in the blonde hero's voice at the mention of people praying to his sister.

"Well, I can see why she would come here so much," Anya muttered, picking up some jewels that had been left as an offering to the Goddess. "Look at some of this stuff."

"I've seen it all before," Xena mentioned, looking around the temple to see if there was some way to gain the owner's attention. "So, Hercules, any ideas on how to get her attention?"

"One," the blonde strongman replied, at the same time he smashed his fist through one of the columns that held the temple up. Luckily, it wasn't a major necessity so the structure didn't collapse. "She hates it when people mess up her place."

"Oh, well then, I guess I should put this down," Gabrielle commented, dropping the marble bust she had been holding. It smashed as it hit the ground.

"So, you're telling me, if I do something like this," Buffy pushed one of the giant statues of Aphrodite until it too had smashed into the ground, "she wouldn't like it."

"Exactly," Hercules grinned. "So I would suggest you not do that again."

"Ummm, okay," Buffy agreed, all the while looking for the next thing that she could smash. Before any more destruction could be brought against the sacred temple, a bright pink flash appeared.

"What do you think you're doing?" An irate Goddess of Love yelled as she took in the destruction of her temple.

"We wanted to get your attention," Hercules said innocently.

"A simple, can we talk, would have worked, bro," Aphrodite fumed. She couldn't believe that Hercules and his bumbling friends had taken it upon themselves to destroy her temple; hence ruining the wonderful time she had been having with Hephaestus. The two Gods had been getting to know each other again when she felt the disturbance and had gone to check it out. "So what is so important that you needed to desecrate my temple anyway."

"Joxer and Iolaus," Xena answered simply.

"What about them?"

"We want them back," Gabrielle stated.

"And we want Angel and Xander," Buffy added. Aphrodite didn't miss the fact that the blonde Slayer had only mentioned two of the five people that were currently enjoying themselves in her home.

"And what if they don't want to be given back?"

"Then we'll take them back," Hercules growled, grabbing his sister's arms. "Now. Where. Are. They?" Aphrodite disappeared out of Hercules' hands and reappeared behind her altar.

"Relax Herc. Last I saw, Ioluas was having a grand ole time with that girl Faith. The two of them are really sweet together," Aphrodite loved the look of disbelief that crossed the demi-God's face and the mention of Iolaus and the brunette Slayer involved. "As for Angel and Xander, I believe they are busy with Willow and Spike respectively, if you know what I mean. After all they are staying in my temple."

"And what about Joxer? Faith said something about him and Ares being together," Gabrielle dared to say, hoping that the Goddess would deny the coupling. The bard didn't even want to think that the man that had devoted his life to serving her because he loved her was in the arms of the God that had tried to kill them all. 'He's mine. Even if I don't want him, that doesn't mean he can go to someone else.'

"Damn, I almost forgot," Aphrodite, swore. "Its time I let those two out of that time bubble. Thanks for reminding me, blondie."

You mean its true?" Xena demanded to know. "Joxer and Ares?" 'It can't be. That's ridiculous.'

"Oh yeah, its true." A dreamy smile crossed Aphrodite's face as she thought of the power the love between the two men had been giving her. "And let me tell you, they are a great couple together. I've never seen anything like it. Joxer just brings out this something in Ares that I didn't even know existed. I'm glad your friends pointed it out to me that they had the hots for each other."

"Our friends?" Giles questioned. "You mean, Willow and the others?"

"You know it," the Goddess smirked. "They're a great group of kids. Can't wait to get to know them better. In fact, I think I'll go check up on them now. If ya want, I can see if they are willing to see you all." 'But I wouldn't be surprised if they said they would rather meet a Hydra.'"Yes please," Giles said.

"Tell Willow I love her and that I'm here whenever she decides to come back to me." Aphrodite smirked at Forrest, already knowing that whatever relationship the man wanted with Willow was only going to happen in his head.

"Whatever." With a flash of pink and a shower of flower petals, the Goddess disappeared.

"Okay, was it me, or did we just miss something?" Buffy asked. As she looked around the temple, she realized it wasn't just her.

"I'm telling you, if Zeus doesn't do something about Hercules, I may just have to kill him myself, rules be damned," Aphrodite swore as she reappeared in the dining hall of her home on Olympus. Even though she hadn't let it show when she was in her temple, her anger at the audacity her brother had shown in destroying her temple was very real.

"What did he do?" Willow asked from her seat on Angel's lap.

"He and his friends decided they would tear apart one of my temples to get my attention, all because Joxer and Iolaus were here," Aprhodite answered, already calming down as she felt the love that flowed from the three couples in the room. "And they weren't alone."

"Let me guess, slutty and family were there," Faith smirked. Aphrodite nodded at the brunette. "And did they have anything to say?"

"They wanted to know about Angel and Xander," Aphrodite told them. "Wanted to make sure they were okay." The Goddess didn't bother passing along Forrest's message to Willow, figuring it didn't matter anyway. "They weren't happy when I told them what they were doing."

"I bet they weren't," Spike smirked, imaging the images that might have been going around the Slayerettes heads. "Bloody wankers never did know when to give up."

"But that's why you love us," Xander pointed out. Spike grinned before taking the boy into his arms and placing a deep kiss on his lips. Xander ground his hips into Spike's, both feeling the other's erections. Even though they had just spent most of the past two days in bed together, making love, they never could get enough of the other.

"Aphrodite, could you please pour some cold water on them," Iolaus teased, causing the couple to reluctantly pull apart. "So, what did you tell Hercules about me and Joxer?"

"The truth," the blonde admitted. "That you and Faith were falling for each other and that Joxie and Ares were extremely happy together. Which reminds me." With a wave of her hand, Aphrodite removed Ares and Joxer from the time bubble. Luckily, it was during one of the brief moments when the two were not making love, so they were both fully dressed.

Joxer grabbed onto Ares as he felt himself teleported from their previous locations. Both men looked around at the assemblage of people that now surrounded them. Ares saw his sister and marched over to her.

"Aphrodite, I should kill you for what you just did," he swore. "How dare you put me in a time bubble. What were you thinking?"

"That you and Joxer belonged together," Aphrodite replied. "And the two of you more than proved I was right."

"Wait a minute," Joxer said meekly. "You wanted us to do what we did? Why?"

"Because it was obvious to everyone that you two were in love with each other but too obstinate to admit it," Aphrodite explained. "All I did was push you two along a bit. Don't be mad." Aphrodite truly did care for the mortal and hoped that he wouldn't be angry at what she did.

"I'm not," Joxer told her. "I just don't think it was right for you to force something upon Ares that he didn't want." Ares looked back at the mortal that he had just spent the better part of two days getting to know, both physically and mentally, and was surprised at how Joxer just assumed that Ares hadn't wanted what had happened. He went over to Joxer and took him in his arms.

"Who said that it wasn't what I wanted?" He gently asked his lover. "As much as I hate to admit it, I have fallen in love with you." Ares leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on Joxer's lips. "And I want to spend the rest of eternity proving it to you, if you'll let me."

"No arguments here," Joxer sighed, allowing his God to engulf his body in his huge arms. "Nope, definitely no arguments here."

"Are you sure you want to do this, Kitten," Angel asked again. "Its okay to say no considering how they've been acting the past few months. No one would hold it against you."

"No," Willow shook her head, "I think we need to see them. I mean, there has to be a reason why we all were brought here and I think it would be better if we tried to figure it out together."

"Bloody hell, pet," Spike swore. "There is no way that slutty and her boy toys will be able to help us figure out anything. They don't have a brain between them." Everyone assembled in Aphrodite's dining hall laughed at the truth behind Spike's statement.

Aphrodite had informed everyone about her conversation with Hercules and his group after finally releasing Joxer and Ares from the time bubble. That is, after they were able to part the two new lovers from each other because Ares was determined to make Joxer realize that he didn't regret anything that had happened. After that was done, Aphrodite mentioned that Giles asked if they could possibly see the Sunnydale group. Willow and Xander quickly agreed, over the objections of their mates. Finally, when it became clear that the teenagers would not allow themselves to be persuaded to not go, the two former vampires decided to go with them.

"Be that as it may. Spike," Willow stated, "we still need to figure out why we came here. There has to be a reason."

"Maybe we came just so Ares and Joxer could get it on," Faith grinned, causing the wannabe warrior to blush. Ares chuckled at his lover's shyness."You know, we need to make you blush more," Ares told him. "I like it on you." Aphrodite couldn't help herself and smiled at the new pair.

"Man, just wait until Cupie sees his dad like this," the blonde goddess said. "Then he'll finally understand why I fell in love with you all those years ago."

"I already knew why you did mom, I just didn't understand it," Cupid teased as he and Strife appeared in the great hall. The winged god and his consort smiled at seeing Joxer in Ares' arms. "Way to go, Dad. About time you had someone in your life. I was beginning to think you would be all alone and that just would not do for the God of Love's image to have his dad alone."

"Don't make me clip your wings boy," Ares threatened, but Cupid could hear the laughter in his voice.

"Try it and see why they call me the God of Mischief," Strife joined. "No one lays a hand on Cupid except for me."

"Why is it, I don't think a hand if what he actually lies on," Faith muttered to Iolaus, causing the blonde hunter to laugh.

"Look, can we please get back to what we were talking about before," Willow begged, wanting to get the upcoming meeting over with since she had a good idea that it wasn't going to be pleasant.

"So, what were you talking about before?" Strife asked, walking over to the table and grabbing a handful of grapes.

"We were talking about Hercules and the others," Aphrodite growled out her brother's name. "He and those bothersome women he likes to hang out with have run into Willow's friends. Seems they came from the future too. And they aren't exactly happy knowing about Joxie and Arry hooking up. Or sweet cheeks and Faith." Cupid looked over at Iolaus and noticed the closeness between him and the brunette Slayer.

"Way to go, Blondie," Cupid grinned. "Damn, and I had to miss all the fun. "Not like you weren't having fun of your own," Faith pointed out.

"You know it, babe," Strife agreed.

"Hello, remember us. The ones that have to go down there and deal with Buffy and the others," Willow yelled, suddenly tired of dealing with everything. Everything that had happened in the past couple of days had finally taken its toll on the red headed hacker and Angel took her in his arms trying to calm her.

"Willow, I don't think its such a good idea going down there, yet," the dark haired man told his mate. "Its obvious you aren't ready for this and we all know its not going to be easy."

"It will never be easy, Angel," Willow pointed out. "It never has been and never will be. Buffy hates us together and she had done everything in her power to break us apart. I'm not so na�ve to think that anything's changed. But I also know that we were brought here for a reason and I want to find out why." Angel looked down at the girl that he had fallen in love with and saw that she would not be persuaded away from her chosen course. The only he could do was give her the support that she needed.

"Then let's get it over with, shall we?" Angel nodded over at Aphrodite and then felt himself being teleported somewhere else. He looked around and saw Willow, Xander, and Spike all there. Faith had decided to stay behind, partially because she had already dealt with Buffy and the others and partially because she wanted to get to know Iolaus better. "Everyone okay?"

"Fine, Deadboy," Xander joked. "Nothing like some interstellar transportation to get the blood pumping."

"Now I know how Captain Kirk feels when he beams out somewhere," Spike commented, causing his mate to laugh.

"Beam me up, Scotty."

"Aphrodite said that the others were just outside of her temple," Willow reminded everyone, wanting to get the meeting over with. Angel could see her apprehension and grabbed her hand.

"Just remember that I love you," he whispered to her, giving her a kiss to show her just how much. "No matter what, its you and me together." Willow nodded and the two couples made their way into the harsh sunlight. They looked around the surrounding area and quickly spotted the others from their time, who had yet to notice their appearance.

"Looky what we have here. It's the Slayer and her commando boys," Spike taunted upon seeing those that had captured him. "What, were you just in the neighborhood and just decide to stop by."

"Can it Spike," Buffy growled. "Hello Angel."

"Buffy. Dite told us that you wanted to see us so here we are," Angel's voice was polite, nothing more.

"We wanted to make sure that you were all right," Giles volunteered, trying to make sure that tempers didn't flare up. He had just spent the past hour trying to calm down everyone in his group and he didn't want any fights to break out. He went over and gave Willow a brief hug, glad to see the hacker was okay. He then did the same with Xander, before just nodding to Angel and Spike. Despite everything that had happened, Giles was grateful that they seemed to be all right. "You are okay, aren't you?"

"We're fine, Giles," Willow assured the librarian. "Aphrodite and the others have been wonderful hosts. They've given us more that we could ever hope for." Xena and Hercules both snorted at that. "You don't believe me, Hercules?"

"How did you know who I was?"

"Duh," Willow rolled her eyes. "Let's see, since I know all of the other men here and Iolaus described you to a tee, I would say the answer to that one was easy. Even for you."

"Willow," Giles reprimanded his former charge.

"What? You want me to be civil?" Willow asked. "Ain't gonna happen. I heard what they said about Iolaus and Faith being together. Not to mention Joxer and Ares. They're just like you guys. Just because someone doesn't do what you want, you all think you have the right to judge them. And the last time I checked you're name wasn't Judge Judy."

"That's it Willow," Buffy sneered. "Show your true colors. Let the all see what a conniving little bitch you are." Willow stormed over to Buffy and hit her. Buffy's hand flew to her cheek in surprise.

"I'm not the bitch, Buffy. You've got me mistaken for a certain blonde Slayer that thinks she's the center of the universe and every man's fantasy," Willow told her angrily. "You just can't stand the fact that Angel chose me over you."

"You tricked him," Buffy shouted. "There's no way that Angel would willingly leave me for you."

"But he did and it's killing you."

"Willow, I think I've found out why you and Angel are together. Along with Xander and Spike," Giles tried to intervene before things got even more out of control. "There's a prophecy that says two innocents will fall in love with two immortals. And we have reason to believe that would be you and Xander."

"Not anymore mate," Spike muttered and that's when it hit the others. Well, at least one of them.

"How are you out in the daylight," Graham questioned, causing the others to look at Spike and Angel, noticing that they were actually in the path of the sun. "You're vampires. You should be dust by now."

"Not anymore," Angel grinned. "With a little godly intervention, we're back to being human."

"What?" Buffy shrieked, unable to believe what she was seeing. 'Angel human. We can truly be together.'

"Hades took out demons to the Underworld. Seems he didn't like the idea of having the undead wandering about up here," Angel explained.

"Fascinating," Giles, the consummate Watcher exclaimed. "Congratulations."

"Thank you," Angel answered. "So, as you can see, we can't possibly be the ones the prophecy talks about. We're no longer immortal."

"Then who else could it be?" Suddenly Willow had an idea and smiled.

"Aphrodite, we're ready to leave now," she called to the Goddess, wanting to discuss her idea with her friends, away from the condescending looks of the others. And before anyone could protest, the two couples disappeared in a flash of light.

Part 14

"Angel?s human," Buffy whispered, although all of those present knew exactly what was going through her mind. They were all stunned by the revelation that the two men that they had all known only as vampires were now fully alive and breathing human beings made them rethink how they felt about them. Giles found that he could no longer truly justify his dislike of Spike, or even Angel, since they were no longer the demons that he had always know. Graham was fascinated by the concept of someone actually being made human again after being a vampire for so long. Forrest still had his hatred for Angel, since he felt that the older man had done something to make Willow fall in love with him. The same went for Anya. Riley was scared of what Buffy would do, knowing that the blonde Slayer was still in love with Angel. And Buffy was stunned and ecstatic over the news that the man she loved was now a human and that they could share all of the things that had been denied to them for so long. She was now convinced that she and Angel belonged together, no matter what and that it would only be a matter of time before Angel realized it too.

"Is it truly possible that what they said was true?" Giles inquired, looking at Xena, Hercules and Gabrielle. He figured that they would be the best source of information as to what the Gods would do, since they had experience with dealing with them firsthand. "Would Hades do something like taking the demon away while leaving Spike and Angel human?"

"It?s possible," Hercules answered. "Hades had been known to actually perform acts of compassion. Especially since he fell in love with Persophone. But, as to whether he would do something like this, I don?t know."

"If he did do it, I wouldn?t put it past him to have had a good reason for it," Xena sneered. "The Gods have never exactly been known to be selfless beings. They only do things to please themselves."

"No one else matters to them," Gabrielle finished. "And the fact that Ares has somehow convinced Joxer to become involved with him can only mean trouble. Not to mention Iolaus."

"Isn?t it possible that Joxer and Ares could really care for each other?? Giles asked. Everything he had believed had just been turned upside down and all he could do was try and accept that everything that had happened had done so for a specific reason. Including Joxer and Ares being together, no matter what his friends were saying.

"No way," Xena shook her head. "Ares could never care for anyone other than himself, and especially not someone like Joxer. Joxer is everything that Ares hates in a person. He?s clumsy. Not exactly intelligent. And he can?t fight to save his life, which is saying a lot."

"So then why do you hang out with him?" Anya questioned. She might not have been human for that long but she knew enough to know that true friends didn?t diss each other like the way Xena was to Joxer. ?But that?s exactly how everyone was treating Willow and Xander,? she reminded herself. ?Why are you surprised that others would treat their friends the same??

"Because Joxer needs someone to look out for him," Gabrielle explained, as if it made perfect sense.

"And Iolaus?" Anya wanted to know. If they felt this way towards one friend, why not another. The similarities between the two groups were becoming more and more apparent to her and it made her understand why they ended up with the people they had. "How do you all feel towards him?"

"Iolaus is my best friend," Hercules stated. "He and I have been through a lot. He knows what the Gods are capable of and that they can?t be trusted. There?s no way he would willingly align himself with them. If he did, he must be under some kind of spell."

"It didn?t look like he was under anything," Forrest muttered. He was sick and tired of all of this whining about who had done what and who is capable of something. All he knew was that Willow was still involved with Angel and he wanted that man dead. It didn?t matter to Forrest whether Angel was a vampire or not. All he cared about was that the dark haired man stood between him and what he perceived as his. Willow.

"Trust me, he had to be," Hercules reiterated. "Iolaus might not be the brightest of people, but he is not someone who would become involved with someone like Faith. No matter what the circumstances."

"All I know is that your Gods have taken it upon themselves to interfere in our lives and the lives of the people that we love," Forrest retorted angrily. "And I, for one, am sick of it."

"Forrest, man, calm down," Graham tried to calm his friend. "We?re doing everything we can to try and find out what?s going on but?," Forrest batted away Graham?s hand.

"We haven?t done anything," he yelled. "All we?ve done is manage to piss off a couple of Gods and find out that a couple of vampires have someone managed to become human again. But is Willow here yet? No. She?s somewhere with that monster and all we can do is sit here on our asses and mope about what has happened. And I?m sick of it."

"What do you plan to do?" Gabrielle questioned. "Take on the Gods?"

"If that?s what it takes to get Willow back, damn right," he answered.

"Willow is mine and I don?t let anyone mess with what is mine."

"His," Willow barked. "What the hell gives him the right to think I?m his?" Willow, Angel and the others were sitting in Ares assembly room, watching what was going on among their former friends. They were not happy to hear what was going on. "Arrogant son of a bitch."

"Here, here, Red," Spike cheered. "That?s telling him."

"Screw off, Blondie," Willow growled. Angel went over to his mate to try and calm her. He had never seen her so angry as she was now as she listened to the way her former friends had reacted to everything that had happened. It made her finally realize that there truly was no hope to salvage her friendship with them.

"Sweetling, its going to be fine," he murmured in her ear, taking her into his arms. "They can?t do anything about what?s happened and its making them say things that they normally wouldn?t."

"Don?t you dare go making excuses for them, Angel," Willow told her mate. "All they are doing is finally saying the things that they?ve been feeling out loud."

"Well, let them bitch Red," Faith told her friend. "Hell if anyone has a right to be pissed about what?s being said, I would say it would be Joxer and Iolaus. You at least had an idea of how the egotistical group felt about us."

"Oh Gods, I?m so sorry, I totally forgot," Willow apologized, completely aghast at how her new friends must be feeling. Faith was right, she had at least some clue that Buffy and the others only saw her as someone to be looked out for, but Joxer and Iolaus thought their friends had truly cared for them. "Are you guys okay about all of this?"

"I never imagined that they could be that way," Iolaus muttered. "I mean, Herc and I have been through so much and this is how he really feels. Like he?s one to talk. He killed his damn family. That hypocritical bastard."

"I?m sorry Curly," Aphrodite said from her seat. She always knew her little brother was a selfish man but she never imagined that he could treat people he supposedly cared about as carelessly as he had. Her heart went out to both Joxer and Iolaus. She just hoped that they would be able to get over the hurt of knowing how little your friends truly thought of you. "I can?t believe my little brother said what he did. You have more brains in your little finger than that blonde idiot has in his entire body."

"Thanks, Dite," Iolaus smiled at the blonde Goddess. "I guess it is better that I know about his feelings now. Saves me from having to deal with him later."

"Well, if you want, I?ll kick his ass for you," Faith volunteered, causing the blonde hunter to laugh and place a kiss on her lips.

"Thanks, but that?s okay."

"Well, the offer?s out there if you ever want to take me up on it. And that goes for those two bitches too. Xena and Gabrielle," Faith added. "I don?t let anyone talk about my friends the way they were talking about Joxer."

"No, Faith, they?re mine," Ares told everyone. "If anyone is going to hurt them for their callous attitude, it will be me." Faith smiled at the God of War. She knew how hearing Hercules? words had hurt Iolaus and could only imagine what Joxer had to be going through. He had never had anyone care about him before Xena and her friends had come along and now, hearing how they really felt, it only had reinforced his low opinion of himself. The wannabe warrior was now sitting next to Ares in a near catatonic state.

"How?s he doing?" Willow asked gently, moving her head to indicate Joxer. Ares shook his head.

"Not good," he answered sadly. He pulled his lover closer to him, trying to get Joxer to respond in some manner. "And I don?t know what to do."

"Let him know you love him, bro," Aphrodite replied. "That?s the best thing to do."

"Take him back to you room," Angel volunteered. "Show him how much he means to you."

"Shag him senseless," Spike grinned. "That should work."

"It always does for him," Xander added. "Then again, he was a bad ass master vampire so go figure." Ares thought about their suggestions and decided that they were right. He and Joxer needed some quality time alone together. Time that wasn?t forced upon them by meddling siblings. With a blue flash, the two new lovers disappeared.

"I hope Joxie?s going to be okay," Aphrodite sighed.

"He should be," Xander informed her. "In fact, I have a feeling he?s about to find out exactly what he means to Ares." Xander than remembered something that had happened right before they had disappeared from the other group. "Hey Wills, you said you had figured something out. What did you mean?" It took the red head a minute to remember what she had been talking about.

"Oh yeah, I figured out part of that prophecy that Giles and the others were talking about. The one about innocents falling for immortals."

"And what did you figure out, sweetling," Angel inquired.

"That one of those couples had to be Joxer and Ares."

Part 15

"Joxer, are you going to be okay?" A concerned Ares asked his new lover. He knew how much it must have hurt the wannabe warrior to hear the way his friends truly felt about him and Ares wished there was some way that he could take away the pain. "Jox, say something. Anything, please." Joxer remained quiet, which only caused the God of War to become more and more concerned. It wasn?t like the mortal to not talk.

"Why?" Joxer whispered, so low that Ares had barely heard him.

"Why what?"

"Why did they let me think that they cared about me when all this time they thought I was nothing more than a fool?" Ares watched helplessly as Joxer continued to try and hold together whatever composure that he had left. "I thought they were my friends. Friends don?t treat other friends that way." And with that simple declaration, Joxer finally broke down. Ares wrapped his arms around his lover, supporting his weight as Joxer?s legs gave out under him.

"I wish I could tell you why they act the way they do, but I can?t," War tried to console the man in his arms. "The only thing I can tell you is that they don?t deserve your tears. They?re nothing but a bunch of spoiled brats who need someone to kick their respective asses since Father never saw fit to punish them for any wrongs they might have committed." Ares felt more than saw the smile that had taken over Joxer?s face at the mentioning of the others getting their asses kicked. He felt it as Joxer got himself back under control.

"Don?t let me stop you," he told his lover. Ares looked at him in confusion. "Kicking their asses. Just make sure I?m around when you do it."

"Considering I would be doing it because of the way they?ve hurt you, you will have front row seats to it," Ares promised, relieved to see the smile on Joxer?s face. "Are you feeling better?" Joxer nodded his head.

"Can I ask you a question?" Joxer requested. Ares nodded his approval. "Why do you care? I mean, not that I don?t appreciate it and all, but why me?" Ares thought a moment as he searched for the right way to tell Joxer why he felt the way he did. Ares realized that for once, he couldn?t easily explain something, so he did the best that he could.

"I care because, with you, I feel that I can truly be myself," he started to explain. "You?ve prayed to me your whole life and then, when you finally met me, you stuck up for yourself and your friends, even if they didn?t deserve it. You were scared but you refused to let it get to you. And now, you see me more as a man than as a God and that?s what I need. Hell, I didn?t even know I needed it until you gave it to me and for that I will be eternally grateful."

"Then is that what this is, gratitude?"

"If it was, I wouldn?t feel this overwhelming desire to go out and kill my little brother and sister for hurting you the way they have," Ares stated.

"I wouldn?t want to take you into my arms when you hurt and help ease the pain any way that I could. I wouldn?t find myself losing myself in your eyes whenever you look at me. I wouldn?t feel this overwhelming need to take you in my arms and kiss away any doubts you might still have about my feelings for you until you were so breathless you couldn?t do anything but agree with whatever I said."

Joxer?s heart began to beat faster at the things that Ares was saying. No one had ever said anything even remotely similar to him and he couldn?t believe that Ares, the God of War, was the one that was actually saying them. Joxer knew deep inside that Ares wasn?t acting the way he was because he felt he owed Joxer something, but Joxer had opened his heart up to be hurt so many times that he was afraid of doing it once more with someone that he never thought he had a chance of getting.

"I believe you," Joxer finally said, "but I?m afraid." ?And there it is," Ares thought. The reason that Joxer was in so much doubt about him. He thought Ares would be like everyone else. Ares took Joxer into his arms and placed a gentle, but loving, kiss on his lips.

"I know you are, but you don?t have to be," Ares assured him. "I love you, Joxer and that will never change, no matter how many centuries go by. It might have taken us a long time to get to this point, and our relationship might not make sense to a lot of people, but you are who I want to be with. I?ve searched my whole life for someone who can give me what you do and I won?t give you up for anything."

"Really?"

"Yes, really." Ares placed another kiss on Joxer?s lips, this one more demanding and insistent than the last. The God of War felt Joxer melt into him as his arms wrapped around the taller man. With a thought, both men were naked. Joxer broke the kiss as he felt a cool breeze run over his body.

"That?s an interesting trick you have there," he teased Ares.

"One of the perks of being a God."

"Any others I might find interesting?"

"How about this." Joxer suddenly found himself lying on top of a huge bed that he instantly recognized as Ares?. His lover was by his side, staring down at him. "Do you have any idea of how truly magnificent you look in my bed?" Joxer blushed at the look of lust and desire that had clouded Ares? gaze. "And from now on, this is the only bed you?re going to be sleeping in." Ares lowered his head and crushed Joxer?s lips with his in a bruising kiss.

Joxer felt as if he was losing himself in Ares and he welcomed that feeling completely. He wanted to be owned by the God of War, and to own him. With a strength he didn?t know he possessed, he forced Ares to his back and knelt over the God of War. Joxer alternated between kissing, licking and nibbling Ares? skin. He listened as Ares seemed to purr under his ministrations. He made his way from the God;s mouth, down his throat, to his chest where Joxer took in one of Ares? nipples, suckling it until it hardened under his talented mouth. He felt Ares squirm under him, desperately trying to get some much needed friction against his cock.

"Let me do this," Joxer requested of his lover, who merely nodded his acquiescence. Never had Ares allowed himself to be the complacent one. He was always the aggressor, but with Joxer he was willing to give away the power. He trusted him that much. Once Joxer knew that Ares was going to allow him to continue, his mouth moved from the one nipple to the other, while his hand made its way down the flat stomach of his lover and reached the curls that held such wonderful things. Joxer followed his hand with his mouth, pausing as he took in the wonderful sight before him.

Joxer dropped his head, darting his tongue out tasting the moisture that had leaked from Ares? hard cock. Ares groaned as his hips thrust towards Joxer?s mouth. Joxer grinned as he flicked his tongue against the straining cock.

"Joxer, please,".

"Please what?"

"Suck me," Ares begged for the first time in his life. Never had a lover, mortal or God, made him feel like this and all he wanted was for Joxer to take him into his mouth and suck him.

"Never let it be said that I didn?t obey my God." Ares bucked his hips as Joxer took in his cock. Ares had never felt anything so good as the warmth that surrounded him and he knew that, no matter what happened, there was no way he would be able to give Joxer up. The God of War moaned as he felt Joxer scrape his teeth along the underside of his cock. He glanced down at the dark head bobbing up and down between his legs, only to see Joxer looking up at him, pleasure clearly evident in his eyes.

Joxer continued sucking on Ares? cock, relaxing his throat muscles to enable him to take in more of the length of his God, until his nose brushed against coarse hair. Joxer reached one hand behind Ares, running it over Ares? ass, before placing one finger between the crack. He felt Ares stiffen at the intrusion. The God had never allowed anyone to take him before, but his tension quickly subsided as Joxer gently began to pump one digit deep inside of him. Ares allowed himself to give in to the sensations that Joxer was giving him and barely flinched when Joxer added a second finger and then a third. Ares screamed when Joxer hit his prostrate, causing him to spill his seed into Joxer?s waiting mouth. The mortal swallowed everything offered to him before moving up and kissing Ares, allowing the God to taste himself on Joxer?s lips.

"I want to make love to you," Joxer whispered. "Let me." Ares looked up at Joxer. While he had to admit the feeling of Joxer?s fingers in his ass had made him feel quite good, he wasn?t sure that he would be able to allow another man to take him. Then he saw Joxer?s expectant face and realized that he couldn?t let another man take him, only Joxer. That, for Joxer, he could and would do anything.

"Make me yours," Ares acquiesced. The smile that lit up Joxer?s face indicated just how much it meant to the mortal to have Ares? love. Joxer kissed Ares once more as his fingers found their way to his ass. With his other hand, Joxer smeared some lube onto his cock. He helped Ares put his legs over his shoulders and Joxer couldn?t help but moan at the sight of his God in such a state. He lowered Ares down until his cock was at the untouched entrance. He looked at Ares once more and War nodded for him to go ahead.

Ares moaned as he felt himself being filled by Joxer. He had never imagined that it could feel this way and was glad that Joxer was the one who had finally given him this intimacy. Ares couldn?t imagine allowing any other man to do this. Joxer began a soft, easy rhythm, allowing Ares time to adjust to having himself filled . Those thrusts became harder and stronger once Joxer felt Ares begin to meet them. Ares screamed as Joxer maneuvered to hit his prostate with each pounding thrust. Joxer wrapped his hand around Ares? erect jock and pumped it in time with his thrusts.

"Ares, Ares Ares Ares," Joxer repeated, feeling the tightness of the God?s muscles around his cock.

"Gods, Joxer, yes," Ares screamed as he came for a second time. The muscles of the God?s ass clenched around Joxer?s cock, causing the mortal to cum, spilling his seed deep into the body of the man he loved. Completely drained and sated, Joxer collapsed on top of Ares, who took him into his arms, placing light kissed over Joxer?s sweat soaked face. "I love you, Joxer."

"And I love you, Ares."

Part 16

"Okay, Wills, what?s the plan?" Xander asked. The five people from Sunnydale, along with Iolaus, were sitting in one of Hera?s gardens, snacking on some food that the Goddess had left them. The other Gods had left them alone, having to take care of their petitions and, in that case of Ares, monitoring a war. The mortals had been left on their own, told that they had full access to anything on Olympus. Iolaus couldn?t believe that these were the same Gods that Hercules always ranted about.

"Plan for what?" Willow questioned back, between bites of the apple that she had picked from one of the trees in the garden. A bit of juice dribbled down her chin which Angel was more than happy to clean up for her, tasting the sweetness of the apple along with his love.

"For getting us home," the boy answered. "You do have a plan don?t you?" Willow shook her head.

"I have no idea how we got here, let alone how we get back," the red head told him. "It must have something to do with that prophecy that Giles and the others were talking about."

"But if that?s the case, what are we supposed to do?" Iolaus brought up. "You?ve already figured out who the first couple was and they are together." Everyone grinned as they thought of just how together Ares and Joxer were. "But whose the second couple?"

"And that?s the sixty four thousand dollar question," Faith quipped.

"Maybe its up to B and her crew to discover the other couple. I mean, there has to have been a reason for them to show up here too."

"You mean other than the usual being pains in the arses," Spike commented.

"Well, yeah, other than that," Faith grinned. "Because if that was the case, just the thought of them is enough to give me an ulcer."

"Guys, come on," Willow admonished the duo, all the while smiling at the pair. The friendship between the brunette rogue Slayer and the blonde formerly bad ass vampire was just one more thing that showed how unusual their group was. "We need to start trying to figure out what we?re here to do, and that includes Buffy and the others. There has to be a reason and as much as I like it here, I would like to get back to LA. If anything, just to see Delia?s twins being born." At the mentioning of the former cheerleader?s name the group fell silent. No one had been able to explain why the Wyndham-Prices had not been brought back to the past with them, although they did assume that it might have been due to the fact that Cordelia was quite pregnant at the time.

"She must be worried," Angel mentioned, thinking of the young girl who had weaseled her way into his heart, despite everything, and the formerly inept Watcher. I wonder what they?re doing."

"Probably trying to figure out what the hell happened," Xander answered. "Cordelia hates when something interrupts her party. Especially when she?s in the middle of getting presents." Everyone chuckled at Xander?s description of his ex?s reactions to their disappearance.

"And the bloody Watcher is probably getting all flustered about his boss disappearing," Spike added.

"Spike, Wes isn?t all that bad anymore and you know it," Willow said, defending the friends that had been there for her when her other friends had turned their backs on her for her relationship with Angel. "Hell, whose idea do you think it was to lock you and Xander up together in the first place." Spike and Xander looked at Willow in disbelief.

"Are you telling me that it was the nancy boy?s idea to put me and Xander in a room together," Spike growled. "I thought it was your idea, Red."

Willow smiled widely as she saw how flustered the blonde became at the thought that it was Wesley that had come up with the plan that had brought Spike and his mate together. Especially since Spike loved to do nothing but torment the former Watcher whenever he could.

"Sorry, Spike. It was all Wes," Angel grinned, also loving the discomfort in his childe?s face. It was nice to know that, even after so long, he could still get to his childe.

"I don?t believe I was bested by that whipped wuss," Spike continued to groan.

"Are you sorry?" Xander questioned. Spike looked at his mate and saw the fear on the teenager?s face and berated himself for putting it there. He, above anyone, knew what Xander had gone through as a child and the thought that Xander might think that he was upset at the thought of the two of them together bothered him. He thought he had proven to him that he loved him. Spike went over and took his lover into his arms.

"I will never be sorry for being with you," Spike told Xander. "You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. Even my becoming human doesn?t compare to the feeling I had when you first told me that you loved me."

Spike watched as Xander?s eyes went from fearful to loving and kissed the boy?s lips. "I love you, Xan-pet and if it was the Watcher?s idea to get us together, than I owe him one huge thank you present."

"Thanks, Spike," Xander said, glad to once again be sure of his mate?s feelings towards him. It wasn?t that he doubted Spike, but there were times that he doubted himself. Spike telling him how much6 he cared went a long way to healing there pain that his parents had inflicted on him growing up."Okay, its official. Blondie and Xander are the most nauseatingly sweet couple there is," Faith quipped. "Even my sugar tooth can?t handle all the sugar the two of you throw off." Laughter broke up the room as everyone took seats near their respective partners.

"What?s this, a party and we weren?t invited," Cupid joked as he and Strife materialized into the garden. Cupid quickly noticed what Willow was eating and smiled. "Is that apple any good, Willow?"

"Best I?ve ever had," she told him between bites. "Wish I could take some home with me. That is, if we ever get home." Angel put his arm around Willow?s shoulder.

"Don?t worry, sweetling, we?ll get home," he reassured her. He then turned back to the two Gods. "So, has anyone figured out what?s going on?"

"Nope,": Strife answered. "Every God that we?ve talked to have never heard of any mortals just suddenly traveling through time. Unc even had Hades ask the Titans but they were no help either."

"Are you really in that much of a rush to get back home?" Iolaus asked everyone, although it was apparent that he was really talking to Faith. The brunette Slayer smiled at him.

"Not like we don?t like it here," she told him. "I mean, you guys have been way cooler than I would have figured you for, but the idea of being stuck someplace that has never heard Eminem just really freaks me out."

"Not to mention Ben and Jerry?s," Willow added. "Who can live in a world without Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough?"

"Personally I?m missing my Saturday morning cartoons," Xander put him. "Need my weekly fix of the X-Men."

Hey, I need to catch up on my Passions," Spike informed everyone. "Who knows what delicious trouble Tabitha and Timmy have been causing since we?ve been here."

"I just want some good coffee," Angel said. Strife, Cupid and Iolaus just looked at the five people that were discussing what they missed most about their world, complete confused about their conversation and wondering exactly how much had the world changed between the present and the future.

"And I guess there would be no way to try and convince you to stay?" Cupid asked. "I mean, you guys are like a total breath of fresh air and I know we would all hate to see you go and that includes Grandmother and father. For some reason they?ve actually taken a shine to you all."

"I?d really like it if you would stay," Iolaus whispered to Faith. She cupped his cheek and looked at him, her features soft.

"I?d like that too, Iolaus, but I don?t belong here," she gently told him.

"This isn?t my time. I?d be out of place here, just like you would be out of place if you went back with me," she quickly added as she saw him about to interrupt. She hadn?t known him that long, but she had a good idea of who he was. "You?re time is here and now and mine is in LA."

"That doesn?t mean that I?m going to stop asking you to stay," he informed her. "I just found you and I?ll be damned if I?m going to give you up." Faith smiled as she kissed the blonde hunter.

"Giles, can Anya and I talk to you," Graham asked. Giles looked up at the two teenagers that stood before him.

"What is it?"

"We were wondering something about this prophecy," Anya started the conversation. "About the innocents falling in love with Immortals."

"Yes?"

"Well, we?ve been assuming that Angel and Spike were the immortals and that Willow and Xander were the innocents," Graham explained. "What if they were the friends that were supposed to push together the couples."

"That is possible," Giles thought about it. "But who would the two couples be?"

"According to everything Xena and the others have been saying about that Joxer guy," Anya said,"I would definitely consider him an innocent and, as a God, Ares is definitely immortal. And, with the help of Willow and the rest, they are now together."

"So you?re saying that they were brought back in time to unite Joxer and Ares," Giles reaffirmed. Graham and Anya nodded. "It would make sense, but why were we then brought back also? We have yet to do anything."

"We haven?t figured that part out, but I think it may have to do with Xena and the others," Graham told him. "It would make sense since there seems to be a division between their friendship the same way that there is one between ours and the others."

"Yes, it hasn?t escaped my notice that the two members of their group that they constantly criticize are the ones with those that we did the same," Giles agreed. "Not that they are willing to push aside that friendship because they feel that Joxer and Iolaus have betrayed them by not doing what they wanted them to."

"Sounds a bit like what we did when Buffy declared Willow persona non gratis," Graham finished. The trio thought back to the circumstances that had finally divided the original Slayerettes and their respective parts in it.

"If that?s the case, then we must accept that Xander and Willow belong with Spike and Angel," Giles gently said, knowing how much Anya had wanted Xander back.

"I know," Anya told him. "And I think I?m coming to terms with it. Seeing how that chick Gabrielle went all ballistic at the thought of Joxer and Ares together kind of helped me realize that you can?t fight love. Xander?s with Spike, who is now human, and they are happy together. And, I can?t believe I?m about to say this, they actually make a good couple. It?s time for me to move on with my life and find someone for myself. It?ll take awhile but I think it?s something I need to do." Giles smiled as he took the former demon into his arms and gave her a hug.

"I?m proud of you, Anya," he said. "And I have no doubt that you will find someone that will make you very happy."

"Thanks," she smiled. "But there?s still a problem. If Joxer and Ares are the first couple, whose the second and how do we get home?"

The Fates looked at the two groups of people contemplating what had to be done. They smiled as they all realized that the first couple had already been united and were trying to figure out who the second was.

"They have done well."

"Everything is going as it was foretold. The immortals and innocents are together."

"But there is still a chance that they could be separated. We must make sure that does not happen or all will be lost."

"That is why the others have been brought. They will insure that the second couple is strong enough to withstand their enforced separation."

"And the children?"

"They will discover their history and with that, give birth to the next generation of Gods."

Part 17

"I don?t know why you want to go down there and deal with those annoying little friends of yours," Aphrodite said, looking over the odd assembly of mortals that stood in front of her and Ares. "I mean, you?ve like already seen what their reaction to everything is. Why would you want to deal with them again?"

"Dite, we don?t have a choice," Willow explained. "Its just a feeling. Something that tells me that if we ever want to find our way home, we have to deal with Buffy and the others. And Xena and Hercules need to see that Joxer and Iolaus are okay. That you haven?t done anything to them." Ares smirked and Joxer blushed at those words. "Well, that they didn?t ask you to."

"So you think that the reason you have been brought here also has to do with them?" Ares asked, drawing Joxer closer to him. The God of War didn?t like the idea of Joxer facing the same people that would rather see him dead than in the arms of the God. Ares knew first hand what the wrath of Hercules and Xena could bring, having been on the receiving end of it many times. It was something that he had hoped he could protect Joxer from having to deal with.

"As much as we hate it, it makes sense," Angel answered. The former vampire could see how worried Ares was for Joxer?s safety and felt sorry for the God. He knew what it was like having to deal with emotions like love for the first time in centuries and he wished there was something he could do or say that would make it easier for the God to deal with everything.

"Look, Ares, I know you?re worried about Joxer ?s safety but you have my word that he will be safe. We won?t let anything happen to him."

"Ares, I think I have to go," the wannabe warrior said from his lover?s side. "I think they?re right. We have to deal with the others before we can actually move on. Look at how much trouble they?ve been causing because they?ve been thinking that you?ve been holding me against my will. They won?t believe that I?m okay until they actually see me for themselves."

Ares pulled Joxer to one side, wanting some privacy. The God of War was still getting used to caring for someone and he didn?t yet feel comfortable with doing it in public. Even though this particular group had seen him and Joxer do some things that shouldn?t have been seen.

"I just don?t want them hurting you any more than they already have," Ares told Joxer. "They?re going to try and make you stay with them. To try and convince you that what?s happening between us is wrong. That I?m using you for some plan against them."

"You aren?t though, are you," Joxer stated, not questioning the feelings that the God had for him. "I know that and I want them to know that." Joxer cupped Ares? cheek with his hand, offering his lover the assurance that he was looking for, even if Ares couldn?t say it. "I am coming back, you know. I love you."

Ares smiled as he heard that. Until Joxer, no one had ever told the War God that they loved him. Well, other than Cupid and Harmonia when they were younger, but he didn?t count his children.

"I love you too," Ares confirmed. "That?s why I don?t want you to go. I don?t want them to do anything to you." Joxer could see the worry in his lover?s eyes. While Joxer could tell Ares that no matter what Xena and the others wouldn?t be able to stop him from returning to Olympus and his God, Joxer knew that there was a very good chance that the mortals would try to do just that. Joxer knew how much Hercules and Xena loathed their older brother, never having been able to understand why his job was so necessary.

All they saw was that Ares caused the death of men that they felt could have been prevented. Joxer held no such illusions. As na�ve as he was, he had seen the harm that an overpopulated country could cause. The starvation and death, and not just of grown men who had chosen to fight. Most often it was the women and children that suffered from a winter where there hadn?t been enough food.

Joxer leaned over and gave Ares a deep, passionate kiss that left no doubt as to the feelings he had for his God. Ares wrapped his arms around Joxer, pulling him closer, unwilling to think of what might happen when Joxer left.

All Ares knew was that he didn?t like having to risk losing the one person that had finally provided the volatile God with some sort of stability. The one person that accepted Ares for who and what he was. Suddenly the God could understand why Angel and Spike had been so concerned about their mates, and he felt a sudden kinship with the former vampires that had to fight for their right to be with the ones that they loved.

"You?re coming back," Ares said firmly once they broke apart. They held their heads together, reveling in the other?s presence. "If you don?t, I?m coming to get you."

"I?m going to hold you to that," Joxer replied. Finally, after another minute, the two walked back to the others, hand in hand.

"Is everything okay," Faith asked.

"Fine," Ares replied. "Let?s just get this over so Joxer can get back here sooner."

"Second that motion," Xander quipped. The teenager didn?t like what they were about to do and was afraid of what the reaction?s to their appearance might be, but he agreed with Willow. This was something that had to be done.

He just hoped that this didn?t turn out to be as extremely a bad idea as he thought it might be.

"Don?t worry luv," Spike told his mate. "Nothing will happen." Xander smiled at Spike, glad that he was by his side. Spike wrapped his arm around Xander?s waist and placed a kiss on his nose. "Love ya Xan pet."

"Love you too, Spike."

"Okay, let?s get this over with," Willow stated, seeing that everyone was as ready as they were going to be. As soon as everyone was prepared, Ares and Aphrodite transported them to where they knew the others were. "You know, no matter how many times we do that, I don?t think I?ll ever get used to it."

"Willow," Forrest yelled as the others noticed their arrival. The commando ran over, intending to separate Willow from her friends, but he was stopped by Angel and Spike both standing in his way. "Let me by, you bastards. Just because you?re human, it doesn?t mean I won?t hurt you if I have to."

"Try it boy," Angel sneered, sounding remarkably like Angelus. "See how successful you are."

"Forrest, leave Willow alone," Giles ordered from behind the trio of men. He approached the group, making sure his movements were not misinterpreted. "Its good to see you all again. I didn?t think I would considering the way the last meeting ended."

"Giles, we?ve decided that we all have to work together if we want to get home," Willow answered, going over to the man, who surprised her by giving her a hug. When she pulled back from him, she noticed his eyes were wet with unshed tears. "Giles?"

"Can you ever forgive a stupid old man?" He inquired. Willow smiled as she realized that Giles was finally accepting her relationship with Angel.

"I?ve been a complete and utter ass to both you and Xander just because you fell in love with two vampires."

"Nothing to forgive, Giles," Xander stated, coming up to join Willow and Giles. "I mean, I wasn?t any better to Willow before Spike came along. Let?s just say its in the past and be done with it."

"Umm, does that include me too," Anya asked quietly. Xander looked over at his ex-girlfriend. He smiled at her, realizing that if it hadn?t been for her watching him sleep and telling him to follow his dreams, even if it meant away from her, that he wouldn?t be with Spike today.

"Anya, you had every right to be angry with me. I took your love and threw it away," Xander said.

"Not without a little help," Anya argued. "I mean, I am the one who said that you needed to go and figure out what you wanted. I just didn?t think it would take you so far away from me."

"There?s nothing that says we have to stay that way," Xander informed the former demon. "I mean, sure we can?t go back to what we were before, but what?s to stop us from just becoming friends?"

"Friend." Anya rolled the word around. "I think I can handle that."

Xander smiled at Anya, hugging the girl to him, until a growl from Spike separated them.

"Don?t worry, Spike, I know he?s yours," Anya teased as Xander went over to stand by his mate. Anya joined Giles, who was standing by Graham. The commando didn?t say anything, but his positioning with the other two made it clear how he felt.

"What the hell is going on here?" Buffy yelled. She couldn?t understand what she was seeing. Giles and Anya were apparently accepting Willow and the others presence. Not only their presence, though, it was the relationship they were in. "Giles, why were you hugging Willow?"

"I was apologizing to her for the way I acted," Giles informed Buffy, patiently. He knew that the blonde Slayer would be upset over his change of feelings towards the other group. He just hoped she would see past it so that they could all work together to get home. Buffy?s look told him otherwise.

"Thank the Gods, Joxer," Gabrielle screamed, stopping Buffy from saying whatever she was about to. The blonde bard ran over to the dark haired warrior, jumping on him. "Thank the Gods you?re all right. We?ve been so worried about you. How did you get away from Ares? Don?t worry we won?t let him hurt you again. We?ll make sure he stays away."

"Hey Red, she babbles just like you," Faith teased her friend as Joxer tried to extricate himself from Gabrielle?s grasp, without much success. It wasn?t until Xena made her way over to check for herself that he was okay that Joxer was finally able to manage to break free.

"Is it true," Xena asked, once she was sure that Joxer was okay. She pulled Gabby to one side. "Is it true what Iolaus and the others said."

Joxer didn?t even pretend to not understand what Xena was asking. He nodded his head. "It?s true."

"It can?t be," Gabrielle cried, not able to believe that Joxer had truly given himself to Ares. "You?re lying. He?s done something to you to make you say that He?s using you to get to Xena. Come on, Joxer, even you should be smart enough to know that."

"What the Tartarus is that suppose to mean?" Joxer snapped. "Even I should be smart enough to see that."

"Nothing, Joxer," Gabrielle back tracked, not used to seeing Joxer? s anger. She didn?t like it. It made him look a lot less like the naive fool that she knew and more like the brother that she had helped put in jail.

"I was just saying that you shouldn?t trust anything that Ares tells you. He?ll only hurt you."

"You mean, as opposed to my friends," Joxer?s voice stated, his voice dripping with sarcasm, which the bard completely missed.

"Exactly."

"Why, Joxer,? Hercules asked, joining the others finally. "Why did you feel as if you had to become Ares? consort. What did he promise you?" The contempt the strongman felt for his brother was obvious in his voice.

"Back off, Herc," Iolaus ordered his long timed friend from his place by Faith?s side. The blonde hero looked over at Iolaus, noticing his proximity to the brunette Slayer.

"You too, Iolaus," Hercules sneered. "You fell under their spell too."

"No spell, Herc," the hunter answered. "Nothing to fall under. What happened between Ares and Joxer was natural. They make a good couple. *You would see that too if you were willing to open your eyes to it."

"All I can see is Joxer falling for whatever line it was that Ares fed him," Hercules shot.

"And you thinking with your second brain." Iolaus bristled at his, nor former, friend?s comments. "She?s a killer, Iolaus. And here you are, snuggling up to her like she?s your one true love."

"I do love her," Iolaus stated, not even noticing what he was saying, just replying naturally. "As for her being a killer. Faith?s killed one person and she regrets that and it was by accident. But who are you to be such a hypocrite. You?ve slept with Xena, knowing her past. That she?s been responsible for hundreds of deaths."

"She?s changed," Hercules argued.

"So, Xena?s the only one who can change," Iolaus threw back at the blonde. "Doesn?t exactly seem fair does it? Or is that your rules? Why is it that everyone has to react to things the way you want them to? Not everyone lives by your rules. Your moral standards are way too high."

"What are you saying Iolaus," Xena inquired. "That you would rather stay with Faith and her friends than with us? That you approve of Joxer and Ares being together?"

"So what if he did?" Willow demanded at the same time Faith asked a question of her own.

"You love me," she whispered, barely being heard by Iolaus. The blonde hunter turned to her, taking her face in his hands.

"Yes. With everything I am," he answered sincerely. "I know that there?s a good chance that I?m going to lose you and probably sooner than I would like. I just want you to know that, even in this short amount of time, that I have fallen for you in a way that I have never loved a woman. And that, no matter what, I will find a way to get back to you. That, you and I will see each other again." Faith smiled at the man she had just met a few days before, but whom she had already felt closer to than any other person she had ever met.

"I love you too," she answered. Iolaus grinned as he kissed Faith, the two completely forgetting about the fight that was going on around them. When they finally broke apart, their hands found their way to the others. "And I?m gonna hold you to that promise of coming to find me." The broke apart as they heard someone scream. They watched as Buffy went to attack Willow.

Faith rushed to her friend?s defense, pulling the irate blonde from the witch. "Back off, B," Faith ordered, throwing Faith towards the area where Forrest and Riley were attacking Spike and Angel, knocking the two men off their feet.

"Thanks, pet," Spike said, rushing over to look over a dizzy Xander. Faith had no idea what had just happened, but she wasn?t happy.

"What happened?" she questioned.

"Damn chit got it in her head to attack Red. She must have been planning it with the commando. They caught us off guard. Knocked down Xander and went after us," Spike explained as he checked on a recovering Xander. Anya joined him as did Graham.

"He?ll be fine," the former commando stated, using his training from the military to examine the boy?s injuries. "He?s already healing. How you feeling Xander?"

"Like a truck hit me," the mortal replied. Spike helped Xander sit up.

The boy saw where Buffy was being held back by Faith and stared at the girl that had been his friend. The girl that he had a crush on once and tried to remember what he had ever seen in her.

Joxer looked around the clearing that had been turned into a battlefield between former friends. He knew that whatever happened here was going to affect the future. He wasn?t sure how he knew it, he just did. He watched as Xander stood up on shaky legs with the help of Spike. He looked on as Angel took Willow into his arms, whispering words of comfort and love into her ear. He saw Iolaus and Faith force Hercules, Buffy, Forrest and the others away from those that he had grown so close to and he realized that he didn?t belong here anymore. Not with those that he had once considered his family. He had a new family now, and even though he was sure he was about to lose quite a few of them, he knew he would see them again someday. And he could wait for that because they would all be happy.

"It is time then."

"Yes, they have done their job. They have passed the test."

"The two couple are together. The strength they need to succeed has been proven."

"Then all shall return."

A flash of light engulfed the clearing, blinding everyone that was there. In a minute it was gone. Joxer and Iolaus blinked their eyes, clearing the spots that had formed, only to see that the others were gone. Those that had traveled back have returned. Iolaus felt sorrow at the fact that he had lost Faith so quickly, but knew that he would see her again someday. Joxer just wanted to return to Ares. Xena, Hercules and Gabrielle just wanted things to go back to the way they were.

"They?re gone," the bard stuttered. "Where did they go?"

"They went home," Joxer answered. "They?ve done their job, so they left,"

"Then that means that things can back to normal," Hercules stated, glad to see the strangers gone. He blamed them for what had happened. Iolaus shook his head.

"Nothing can go back to normal, Herc," the hunter said. "Things can?t go back to being the same."

"Ares," Joxer shouted. The God of War quickly appeared next to his mate. "They?ve gone."

"I know. We felt it on Olympus." Ares turned to Iolaus. "Are you going to be okay?" Iolaus nodded his head.

"Yeah, for some reason I have a feeling that won?t be the last we see of them."

"I have a feeling you?re right, at least according to the prophecy. "Ares, I was kinda wondering something," Iolaus began to say. "I mean, I pretty much know that Joxer is going to be living on Olympus with you from now on and I was kinda hoping that maybe,"

"You were thinking that maybe you would like to live up there too?" Ares finished. Iolaus blushed at how Ares knew what he wanted. He nodded his head. "Yeah, I think that can be arranged. Besides, seems that my son and nephew have a soft spot for you. According to Strife you are one of his best worshippers." In a blink, all three men left, leaving behind a confused trio of heroes wondering just when it was that they had lost control of those around them.

Part 18

One minute Willow was standing in a clearing, Angel at her side, glaring at Buffy who was being restrained by Faith. The next, a flash of bright light appeared. Now, as she looked around, the red headed hacker noticed that she was standing in the middle of the lobby to the Hyperion Hotel, home of Angel Investigations and where they had all just left. Decorations were still hung up from the baby shower that they had been in the middle of. Even the food and drinks were still set out on the counter. It literally appeared as if they had just left.

"What the hell happened to you guys," Cordelia screamed as she entered the lobby from the upstairs. Everyone turned around to see a worried rogue demon hunter and an extremely agitated pregnant ex cheerleader practically running towards them. "Damn it, you just disappeared, in the middle of my party no less. We couldn?t find you. What happened?"

"Delia, its so good to see you," Willow exclaimed, throwing her arms around her friend. Cordelia?s face showed her surprise at Willow?s reaction to her, although she couldn?t help but return the hug. She and Wesley had been so worried when the others had disappeared. They looked all over the hotel, hoping for some clue as to what had happened.

"What happened?" Wesley repeated his wife?s question. The former Watcher noticed where Angel and Spike were standing. "Angel, you?re standing in the sun and you?re not turning to dust.. Where in the world did you disappear to?"

"You?ll never believe us," Angel said, making a motion indicating that everyone should sit down. Once everyone was seated, Angel began his story.

Cordelia and Wesley listened with rapt attention to their tale of finding themselves transported to Ancient Greece and their association with the Gods of Olympus. They listened as Angel and Willow told them about the way they had gotten Joxer and Ares together. This also brought on a begrudging thank you to Wesley from Xander and Spike for the idea in the first place. The pair that had been left behind couldn?t believe everything that their friends had been through. They seemed kind of envious that they had missed out on such an adventure.

"So you and Spike are human now," Cordelia sighed. "That?s so great. I mean, I know that prophecy of Aberjian said you would be, but wow, I didn?t really think I would see it happen. Not this soon at least."

"Nor did I," Wesley agreed. "So, you?re sure that somehow the prophecy got fulfilled, but you aren?t positive as to the details. Correct?"

"We don?t even know who the second couple is," Willow stated. "All we could figure out was that Joxer and Ares were the first one. We thought that Buffy and the others were responsible for getting the second one together."

"Maybe the second couple is supposed to be from this time line," Cordelia theorized. "That they?re supposed to get together now?"

"Maybe," Willow admitted. "I just wish I knew what happened after we left." Suddenly Faith stood up and headed towards the staircase.

"If you?ll excuse me guys, I think I?m gonna head up to take a shower and get some shut eye," the brunette Slayer told everyone. "This whole thing has been rather exhausting, especially dealing with B and those other Grecians hero wannabes. Kinda takes a lot out of a girl."

Willow looked over at the girl that had gone through so much, realizing that, out of anyone, the time shift had affected Faith the most. Willow, Angel, Spike and Xander still had the ones that they loved. They were together with their chosen mates. But Faith had finally found someone that she cared about, and that had cared about her, and now he was gone. The witch knew how much Faith must have been hurting over the fact that she had to leave Iolaus behind just as the two were discovering their feelings for each other. She went over to her friend.

"Are you going to be okay, Faith?"

"Five by five, Red," Faith quipped, but Willow could tell that she didn?t truly believe that.

"I know that you cared for Iolaus," Willow said. "He loved you, you know." Faith nodded her head. "It was obvious by the way that he looked at you."

"Yeah, I know. Kicker is, he had just told me that too." Faith smiled as she thought of the blonde hunter that was long dead. "For someone that had to hang around that idiot Hercules, Iolaus was pretty cool. I?m gonna miss him."

"Oh, I don?t think you?ll have time to do that," a male voice called from the entrance to the hotel. Everyone turned, gasping at the sight before them. Three men, two brunette and one blonde, and one gorgeous woman stood before them. Faith actually squealed when she saw them.

"Iolaus," she cried as she ran over to the blond hunter. She launched herself at him and he caught her easily. "What? How?" Iolaus laughed at Faith?s reaction, his happiness at finally seeing her again apparent on his face.

"The what and the how are kind of the same," Iolaus said. "I?m Immortal."

"Immortal? How?" Willow squeaked as she greeted the new arrivals. Faith couldn?t stop herself from smiling and had yet to let go of the man that had accepted her for who she was. Even having gone so far as to choose her over his friends.

"Mother," the other three people said at the same time. They looked at each other.?

"Hello, remember us?" Cordelia piped in. "The two that didn?t get to go on the time travel adventure of a lifetime."

"Oh my Goddess, I?m sorry Delia," Willow blushed. "Cordelia, Wesley, I would like to introduce you to Aphrodite, Goddess of Love. Ares, God of War, Joxer and Iolaus." Each of the Immortals nodded their heads at the introduction.

"Cool," Cordelia sighed. "Goddess of Love, I could go for that. Especially the look. Oh to have that figure again." The brunette smiled wistfully at the slim blonde woman in front of her, who matched her smile with on of her own.

"Don?t worry, sweetie," Aphrodite said. "You?ll be back to yourself in no time. And, trust me, when I say that after you?re twins are born, it will more than make up for the look."

"Thanks."

"Ummm, guys, Iolaus, Joxer, still here," Xander interrupted. "You were going to explain to us as to how that was possible.

"Well, it seems that Mother and Father took a liking to the two of them so they made them Gods," Dite replied absently as she felt something in the air.

"You?re a God?" Faith exclaimed. "Cool." Iolaus smiled. He wasn?t sure how the brunette Slayer would take it, knowing that he wasn?t exactly the same. "Of what?"

"Absent Lovers," came the reply.

"Seemed to make the most sense," Ares explained. He looked over at his sister, trying to see what she was up to. He tried to communicate via their link but she refused to answer him. "Considering the fact that he had to wait a couple millennia to see his love, it was only natural to make him in charge of all the lovers that had to be separated for one reason or another."

"And Joxer," Willow wanted to know.

"Peace," the younger God answered.

"The perfect consort for the God of War," Ares added, putting his arm around Joxer?s waist, giving the younger man an affectionate squeeze.

"So what ever happened with the bloody prophecy?" Spike wanted to know. As much as he enjoyed his new human status again, knowing that it meant that he and Xander would grow together, he didn?t like the idea that his life had been turned upside down yet again for something that he didn?t know about.

"Yeah, did you guys ever figure out who the second couple is?" Xander asked. Iolaus looked over at Faith, smiling at the girl in his arms.

"It?s us," was all he said. Faith looked at him confused. "We?re the second couple," the blonde elaborated.

"Us?" Faith whispered. "But, you weren?t immortal when we met. And I certainly wasn?t an innocent." Spike snorted, earning himself a elbow in the ribs from his mate.

"The prophecy wasn?t specific," Iolaus explained. "The Fates finally told us about it, after some major cajoling from Ares and Dite. Seems they meant innocent as in innocent in love. Which, I guess they figures you were. And the immortal part, well, here I am."

"Yup, here you are." Faith kissed Iolaus, deeply, telling him in that single moment everything that she felt for the new God. They completely lost themselves in the moment, forgetting that there were others in the room until a few coughs brought them both up for air. "Upstairs, now."

Iolaus only nodded his head. Neither person looked back as they went upstairs to make up for any lost time, whether it be years or minutes. Everyone watched, smiling at the happiness that was apparent on their friend?s faces.

"Okay, there is so something I never thought I?d see," Cordelia muttered.

"Faith actually happy, as in not the let?s kill something kind either."

Aphrodite stared at the brunette seer, finally putting her finger on what had been bothering her. ?Damn, I don?t believe it. How did this happen??

?Ares,? Aphrodite called to her brother, mentally.

"What Dite? What?s been bothering you??

?I think we need to call Hades and Persophone.?

?Why??

"Feel the air.? Ares did as the blonde Goddess instructed and was unnerved by what he felt.

?What is it? Whose it coming from??

?Cordelia and Wesley.?

?But they were never supposed to..?

?I know. And I have a feeling that their children are the ones that the Fates were talking about, but I?d have to double check with Hera about that.?

?No, you?re usually right on. Damn, I never thought??

"I know. Better call the others.?

"Ares, what is it?" Joxer asked his husband. It hadn?t escaped his notice that something was going on between him and Aphrodite. Ares saw the concern on Joxer?s face and gave his lover a kiss.

"You?ll see in a minute." Ares sent out a mental request to his uncle, asking him to come to Los Angeles with his wife. The ground shook as Hades and Persophone appeared. Hades noticed that the same group that had faced him so long ago was once again assembled.

"What is it Ares," Hades growled at his nephew. By his side, Persophone stood quietly, looking at the two strangers. she walked over to Wesley, who stood nervously, not knowing what was going on, but knowing that it must be important if the God of War called in the God of the Underworld. Hades noticed where his wife?s attention was focused and tried to see into her thoughts. What he saw shocked him.

"Is it him?" Persophone nodded.

"Its both of them," Aphrodite answered. Finally Joxer understood what was going on between the other gods.

"They?re together. That wasn?t supposed to happen," the former warrior said.

"But it did," Ares replied. Finally, Persophone reached Wesley and Cordelia. Her hand went to touch Wesley?s cheek and the Watcher found that he couldn?t seem to move. The couple didn?t know what was going on anymore than their friends who stood entranced by the sight of the Gods interest in the friends that they didn?t know.

"What wasn?t supposed to happen?" Angel demanded. "Who do you think they are?"

"Our son," Hades and Persophone replied.

"Our daughter," came the answer from Aphrodite and Ares.

"Together." Added Joxer.

Part 19

"What?" Came from a chorus of voices.

"Cordelia is our daughter," Aphrodite repeated, going over to Cordelia and putting her hand on the pregnant girl?s stomach, checking on the twins.

"And she?s going to be the mother to two very strong Gods, if what I?m feeling is any indication.

"But how," Wesley stuttered, trying to grasp what he was being told. He wanted to go to his wife, who looked over at him. He could feel her confusion and fear and wished that he could calm her. Unfortunately, Hades had joined Persophone at his side and he couldn?t get away from them.

"It?s a long story," Joxer replied, seeing that the other Gods were too involved with examining their long lost children.

"We?ve got time, so tell," Angel demanded. Joxer made a motion that indicated that everyone should take a seat. The assembled mortals and Gods went over to the area that was still decorated for the party, taking seats near their respected mates, although Hades, Persophone, Ares and Aphrodite didn?t move far from their children.

"Okay, I guess I?ll be the one to explain this, since I?m not one of the parents," Joxer began. "Do any of you remember reading about the twilight of the Gods?"

"I remember reading something in regards to that," Wesley said, feeling increasingly uncomfortable under the constant stares of his "parents."

"Supposedly the Gods had lost their powers, those that weren?t killed that is. Didn?t it have something to do with Xena?"

"Yes," Joxer nodded his head. "Xena had thought she had found a way to get rid of the Gods. And, because of what we had learned from your visit, we knew that they modern world believed us to be myths. Legends. So we understood that it was important that she believed that she had succeeded in destroying us. To that extent, Zeus allowed Hercules to kill him." At the gasps that had escaped those that had met the King of the Gods, Joxer explained. "Zeus isn?t really dead. In fact, he and Hera are currently enjoying their, gods know whatever number, honeymoon in Majorca. Xena also believed that Ares was now mortal. It was necessary because we knew that we were meant to become nothing more than stories."

"So you allowed yourselves to fade into the background?" Angel questioned.

"We had to. We couldn?t risk destroying the fabric of time," Ares answered, finally drawing his attention away from Cordelia. He took up the tale from his mate. "Xena, Gabrielle and Hercules were obsessed with destroying us after you left. The fact that not only Joxer, but Ioluas, had chosen us over them seemed to have pushed them over the edge. Nothing was too far for them in their efforts to kill us. Even some innocents were lost to their quest for destruction, including one of Joxer?s best worshippers. Eventually we decided that it would be better for the world if we allowed them to believe that we had been destroyed, so we allowed them to "kill" us."

"But, in doing so, we ended up doing more harm to ourselves than we thought we would," Joxer went on. "Without worshippers, we lost a major source of our power. Granted, we were still powerful, there have always been those that prayed to us no matter what name they gave us, but we weren?t nearly as strong as we used to be. And our children that were born after the twilight had taken place were even weaker than us. They had never had a power base to begin with so there was nothing for them to draw back on."

"So, it was decided that any children that were born to the Gods were to be raised as mortals. To live and die like those that had once worshipped us," Aphrodite took up the tale. "It was a difficult decision. To know that any child of ours would be taken from us, their immortality stripped and then replaced with a mortal child that had died. Speaking as a mother, it was the worst thing imaginable. I was so glad that both Harmonia and Cupid were already strong enough that they would be able to withstand the lose of believers. As it was, it was touch and go for Bliss. We almost lost him a few times."

"Is he??" Willow couldn?t finish the question, afraid of what might have happened to the child that had stolen her heart with his antics. The young winged god had reminded her a lot of Xander when he was a child.

"He?s fine, now," Aphrodite assured her. "But, as you can imagine, the Goddess were afraid to have other children. They didn?t want to go through the pain of losing them just as they were being born. But, that didn?t mean that children weren?t born."

"A few of us did give birth," Persophone began. "We could have stopped the pregnancy when we first discovered we were going to have children, but we chose not to. Instead, as soon as they were born, Hera took out children and replaced them for mortal children that had died in childbirth, thus giving them a mortal life. Because we never drank ambrosia while we were pregnant, our children never were granted their godhoods. And Hera never told us where she placed them, so we never saw our children again."

"I can?t even imagine what that must have been like," Cordelia said, wrapping her hands protectively around her stomach. Just the thought of never seeing her children after they were born was enough to frighten the young girl.

"It was difficult," Persophone agreed.

"But you said that Cordy and Wes were your kids," Xander asked. "How?"

"Like we said, just because we weren?t going to be able to raise our children, it didn?t prevent us from having any," Aphrodite continued. "In fact, I had five children after it was decreed that we weren?t going to be able to keep them. The last, a daughter, was a little over nineteen years ago."

"And I had three. My youngest son was born approximately twenty five years ago," Persophone added.

"But that doesn?t mean that it?s us," Wesley protested, not sure how he felt about the possibility of being the son of the God of the Underworld.

"You said that you never saw your children and that they never received their god hoods so how do you know that we are your missing son and daughter?"

"Even without their god hoods, each of the children will emit a small amount of power," Ares explained, taking it away from an overcharged Aphrodite. Ares drew upon Joxer?s love and strength as he was faced with the daughter he had never thought he would see again. "Each of them would be slightly different than regular mortals." Cordelia and Wesley looked at each other as they thought of the things that had separated them from their friends. Wesley?s was his innate sense of being able to translate most languages with only a small amount of studying, while Cordelia had taken over the vision thing from Doyle. They began to wonder if maybe this was because of them being the children of Gods.

"That?s only one reason," Ares continued. "None of the other children have ever met, their lives having bee n very far apart. In some case, it was centuries between the births of a full God. You are the only two that have ever lived in the same time frame as another child. And the fact that, not only have you met, but married and are now pregnant have increased your powers. Have you ever noticed that things just appear now when you think of them."

Cordelia nodded her head. "Yeah, that happened the other day. I was thinking that I really wanted some mocha chip ice cream but knew we didn?t have any. Then I found some in the freezer."

"And have you ever noticed how the two of you seem to know what they other is thinking?" Ares questioned.

"Of course, but we always assumed that it was because we knew each other so well," Wesley answered.

"That?s part of it," the God of War told them. "Gods have the ability of communicating mentally. It allows us to be in constant contact if we need any assistance."

"So, you?re saying that I?m your daughter," Cordelia commented, pointing to Ares and Aphrodite. "And that Wes is your son." This time she pointed to Hades and Persophone, all of whom nodded. "And that we are gods that never got our god hoods." The former cheerleader thought about everything that she had been told. "But, if Wes and I were born to Gods, what does that make our children?" She looked fearfully at her husband. There was no way on earth that she was going to give up her children. Not if she had anything to say about it. Aphrodite and Persophone recognized that look, having been where Cordelia was now.

"They will be Gods, just as you are," Persophone answered.

"I won?t let anyone take them away from us," Wesley stated flatly.

"I?ll kill whoever goes near them," Cordelia threatened, reminding everyone who her father was by the hard look on her face.

"Count me in," chimed Willow.

"And me," added Angel.

"Don?t forget us," Xander contributed, speaking for himself and Spike. The two couples formed a protective ring around Wes and Cordelia, showing their solidarity.

"I think its time we called Hera," Joxer offered, trying to diffuse the tense situation. "She should know about what we?ve discovered."

"That?s a good idea," Ares quickly agreed. "Mother." Everyone waited for the tell tale signs that of a God appearing. They didn?t have to wait long.

Hera appeared in a flash.

"What is it, Ares?" She asked her son. She looked around and saw everyone that was gathered. She had known that Ares, Joxer, Aphrodite and Iolaus were going to see their friends that had time traveled, but she hadn?t expected to see her brother or sister-in-law. "What?s going on?"

"Mother, we would like you to meet your granddaughter and grandson," Ares said. "Cordelia and Wesley Wyndham Price." Ares pointed towards the couple. Hera looked at the two strangers, feeling the energy that was coming from them.

She gasped when she realized who they were."This isn?t possible," she muttered. "I put them on two separate continents, with two completely different families. How did they meet?"

"We met when Wesley came to Sunnydale, where I lived, to be a Watcher to the Slayer," Cordelia answered.

"We met again when I came to town and began working for Angel," Wesley added. Hera nodded her head as she thought about what she was feeling.

"Then everything is in place," she finally said.

"What do you mean, in place," Hades demanded.

"The prophecy is fulfilled. The time of the Gods has returned," the Queen of the Gods stated. "The world will once again know of us."

"Mother, what are you talking about?" Ares questioned. Hera walked over to Cordelia and Wesley, placing her hand over the girl?s protruding stomach.

"What I am saying, my son, is that we are witnessing the birth of the next generation of Gods," she replied. She looked at Cordelia, kindness on her face. "You fear that we will take your children away from you, just as we did with your parents?" The couple nodded their heads. "You have no fear there. Your children will be raised as Gods, on Olympus. And I have a feeling they will only be the first of many. Once word spreads that there will be no more need to separate the children from their parents, I?m quite certain that a few Gods will be ready to have children again."

"What about Cordelia and Wesley," Willow asked.

"They will come to Olympus too," Hera announced. "They are Gods and it is time that they take their rightful place among us. It has been long overdue."

"Wait a minute," Cordelia interrupted. "Are you telling me that Wes and I are going to be Gods? Wow."

"I can just picture it. Cordelia, Goddess of Shopping," Xander quipped, drawing a chuckle from those assembled.

"Hey, that?s a title I can live with," Delia replied back.

"Wow, Delia, we just get back from an adventure, and now you?re going on one," Willow said, going over to her friend. "You will come back to visit, right?"

"Oh, there won?t be any need for that," Hera told them. "We?ve a place for all of you. Zeus and I have agreed that if you wanted, you can all come to Olympus. The next generation of Gods will need teachers, as will the old generation. We believe you will be invaluable in that."

"You mean, you?re making us Gods," Spike said in awe.

"You?re already immortal, thanks to the apples that you ate while in my garden," Hera smiled. "Its only a small step from their to God hood. So what do you say?"

"Where do we sign up?"

Part 20

"Today, we are going to continue our study of the ancient Greek Gods and what, according to myth, led to their downfall," the professor droned on. It had been two weeks since their return to the present, and Buffy, Riley, Graham, Forrest, and Anya were all sitting in the one class they all had in common. Greek myths and legends. It was a class that had since become pass� to the five students who had so recently met the Gods they were now learning about. They didn?t know if the others had returned also. When Giles had tried to call the numbers that he had been given in case of emergency to reach any of them, all he had received was a recorded message saying that they were no longer in service and not giving a new number.

"Now, the assignment on the syllabus had you reading the chapter of the so-called twilight of the Gods," the professor continued. "Who can tell me about what they read? Michael?" "The twilight of the Gods refers to the fall of the Gods, beginning with Zeus, who was killed by his son Hercules, who was protecting Xena and her daughter Eve. Many of the Gods were killed. One exception being Ares. It was rumored that he was made mortal and lived the rest of his life among those that had once worshipped him," the brunette junior answered. The teacher nodded his head.

"Very good. Glad to see at least one person did the reading." The teacher dimmed the lights at the same time a picture flashed onto the board behind him. "Ares, was supposedly in love with Xena, and she with him. That was why she didn?t have the heart to kill him. It was even said that he was the father of her child." "Please, as if I would ever allow that woman to carry my child," Ares muttered from his seat at the teacher?s desk. He looked around at the assembled students that were there supposedly to study his family. He saw the people that had caused his friends so much pain, and right behind them, Angel and Willow who were sitting in the supposedly empty seats behind them, invisible to those around them. Next to Ares was Joxer.

"I know, but this is only myths. They?re bound to get things wrong," Joxer tried to explain.

"Still, doesn?t it mean they should have some truth to them," Ares sneered. "Gods, just the thought of me and Xena having a child together. Damn, it was bad enough when people thought that she was my daughter instead of Zeus."

"Umm, Professor Scott," a young woman had her hand up. "I read somewhere that Ares was supposed to have taken a mortal consort. Is this true?" "Ahh, yes, you must be thinking of legendary Joxer," the teacher smiled. Said Joxer looked over at his husband and mouthed the word legendary. "For those of you who didn?t do the reading, which I?ll assume is most of you, Joxer was a friend of Xena and Gabrielle. He was considered a hapless warrior by many, although it was said that he came from a long line of warlords and assassins. In fact, his brother Jett had attempted to kill Cleopatra but was stopped by Xena." "Yeah, like I had nothing to do with that," Joxer grumbled.

"Don?t worry, Joxie, " Aphrodite chimed in, appearing near her ex and his consort. "We all know who really stopped Jett, even if the history books get it all wrong." Joxer smiled at the blonde Goddess.

"Hey, if you guys don?t mind, we want to learn all about you," Angel said smiling over at his new family, who quickly shut up.

"Ares is said to have taken Joxer as a consort as a way to hurt Xena and Hercules, although other stories have the God of War actually caring for the mortal they are considered very unreliable," the professor continued. "Although there are those of us who believe that the God of War would not be willing to make immortal someone just to piss off his half brother and sister, others believe that he would go to any lengths to annoy them." "You know, you would figure after two thousand years, people would be willing to admit that maybe I actually did love Joxer and that I choose him to be my consort because of those feelings," Ares nearly bellowed as he appeared in front of the mortals, causing many to gasp and/or scream.

"Ares," Buffy sneered as she stood along with Riley and Forrest. Anya and Graham continued to stay in their seats, wondering what was about to happen. "What are you doing here?" "Ummm, going to school," War smirked, unable to resist teasing the blonde Slayer that had once been his daughter?s friend. "I wanted to learn about myself and I figured I would pop in.

"And why aren?t you dead," Riley asked, as the trio approached the Gods, as Joxer and Aphrodite had both materialized by Ares? side, wanting to calm him before he did anything to rash. It had been over two thousand years since he had any true contact with mortals and they weren?t sure what he would do. "Didn?t Xena kill you? Not to mention Eve killing Joxer." "Oh please, like that little girl would have been able to hurt me," Joxer sneered. "She didn?t have it in her. She was nothing like her mother, who would be more than willing to kill without a second thought if it so pleased her, despite everything that she might have said." "No, Xena only killed those that deserved it," Buffy denied. "She was nothing like the murdering bastard that you say you love." "Whatever blondie," Aphrodite waved off the Slayer. She noticed as Professor Scott broke from his trance at the entrance of the Gods and approached the new arrival.

"You?re real," he muttered, unable to form any other sentence. "You?re really Ares." "I am and might I present my consort, by choice," Ares added, "Joxer. And my sister Aphrodite." "It is an honor Lord Ares," the teacher said, humbled by the presence of the Gods that he had been fascinated with since his childhood. "Might I inquire as to why you have chosen my humble classroom to make an appearance in or as to how you know some of my students." "Its a long story," Joxer replied for his husband. "We just came to see what they wanted with our children." "We don?t want anything to do with them," Forrest spat, seeing the Gods before him as another reason why Willow wasn?t with them. He still remembered that it was one of them that had made Angel human and finally able to give Willow anything that she might have wanted. The commando despised them for keeping the woman he loved away from him.

"Really, then you haven?t been trying to contact Wesley or Cordelia?" Angel suggested, appearing directly behind Forrest, causing the other man to actually jump. When Forrest turned to face Angel, the ex-vampire only smiled at him as Willow joined him.

"Giles has been trying to contact you guys," Anya said, breaking the staring contest between the two men. SHe could smell the testosterone coming from both of them. she also noticed that something was different about Willow and Angel, her memories of her demon days coming to her, although she couldn?t quite put her finger on it. "He hasn?t been able to get through. It said the line was disconnected. We were getting worried." "Some of us were that is," Forrest muttered.

"We?ve been busy getting settled into our new home," Willow told the former demon. "Not to mention our new jobs." Anya looked confused at Willow?s statement, then replayed what Ares had just said about contacting their children. "Wait a minute, Cordelia and Wesley are the children that you were talking about, aren?t they?" Willow nodded as understanding crossed both Anya?s and Graham?s features at the same time.

"Cordelia is the daughter of Ares and Aphrodite," Joxer explained. "She is now resting comfortably at her new home on Olympus, with quite a few Gods around her making sure that everything is going okay with her pregnancy. " "And what?s Wesley doing?" Buffy questioned. "Just doing nothing as usual."

"Actually, Wesley is learning his new job," Ares stated. "He is working with his father, honing his skills and learning to control his powers." "And what exactly is his new job?" "He is the God of Demons and the Undead," Ares said proudly. "And, before you ask, Cordelia is the Goddess of Shopping, as suggested by Xander. It seemed appropriate." "Hey, now the Goddess of Shopping is someone I can worship," Anya awed. "If she needs any priestesses or anything, tell her to call me." Ares scanned Anya?s mind, trying to detect any sign that she was not sincere in her offer. When he couldn?t find one, he smiled at her.

"I?ll pass it along." "Gee, Wesley in charge of Demons and the Undead," Buffy sneered, going back to the previous conversation. "Whatever will the Watcher?s Council think about that?" "Probably that it?s extremely appropriate considering the fact that his dad is Hades and his mom is Persophone," Willow answered.

"Why is it I can actually see that from what little I know of the man," Graham muttered. "I?d say he?s had plenty of training already on how to deal with his followers." "Lord Ares," Professor Scott questioned, "I have a question." When Ares indicated that the teacher could say what was on his mind, he continued. "If there are two new Gods now, and you are making your presence known to all of us here, does this mean that the Gods are going to announce to the rest of the world that you are back." "That is our intention, sweet stuff," Aphrodite answered for her brother. "But it isn?t only two new Gods. There are quite a few new members of our family. All of whom are going to take their rightful place on Olympus and help integrate us all into the twenty first century." "Who else is a God?" Buffy asked, almost afraid of the answer. There was a gleam in the blonde Goddess? eyes that frightened the Slayer just a bit.

"Well, two would be Xander and Spike, who are helping Discord and Strife, and let me tell you. They are loving it. Those two are perfect for their line of work as mischief makers," the Goddess of Love explained. "They?ve come up with some stuff in just the past week that even Strife would never have thought of in his heyday." "And the others," Riley questioned, looking over at Angel and Willow who smiled serenely at the commando. "You?re Gods now." "Yup," Willow grinned. "Isn?t that great. I mean, talk about some really powerful stuff." "What are you the God of," Buffy sneered. "Sluts and whores." "Be quiet," Angel roared at his ex, who backed away from him a bit. "I will not have you talking to my wife like that. You will show her respect, just as she has tried to do to you. Its time for you to get over this little fascinating game you have going about how Willow took something that was yours. I haven?t been yours in a few years Buffy. You?ve moved on but you refused to allow me to do the same. Well, no more. Willow and I are together and will be for eternity. Learn to live with it." Angel and Willow disappeared in a flash of light, leaving behind their former friends who just stared at the spot where they had once been standing.

"Okay, I so want to learn to do that," Anya muttered. Joxer, Ares and Aphrodite turned their attention to the three people that had tried their hardest to separate their friends from their loved ones.

"Okay, here?s the deal, Slayer," Aphrodite began. "We?re back and we?re here to stay. Deal with it. No more trying to go after Angel because now you?ll have the whole of Olympus on your cute little ass faster than you can say bottled blonde. They didn?t name me the Goddess of Love for nothing. I refuse to let anyone mess with what I put together. Understand?" Buffy nodded her head and Aphrodite vanished in a flash of pink light and flowers.

"Umm, well, now that that?s over, I just wanted to say that I?m sorry we interrupted your class," Joxer apologized to the students who were grateful that nothing had been done to them by the powerful beings that had appeared before them. "Hope we didn?t ruin your class too much but after all, this was a class where you learned about us. Now you know more than anyone else and you can spread the word. The Gods of Olympus are back." Joxer and Ares disappeared in War?s customary deep blue flash leaving behind a bewildered group of students and a trio of friends who had finally realized that you couldn?t fight the Gods. They would always win.

The End