Title: Raising Mischief - Baby
Fandom: Hercules The Legendary Journeys/Xena Warrior Princess
Characters: Strife
Prompt: #009 Months
Word Count: 553
Rating:PG13
Summary: Erin's early days.
Author's Notes: 10th in the series

Looking at the mirror it Ares saw the first memory Erin had. Even if he wasn't aware of it. Lying in his crib surrounded by his own filth screaming his lungs out for gods knows how long when his mother dropped the silence spell she had placed around the room cleaning and dressing him with a thought before presenting him to Hera.

The goddess for her part patted the suddenly startled baby and presented Eris with a nurse to help care for Erin as a gift since Eris had been saying she needed to get on with her duties. It was a high priestess from Hera's temple.

Erin's memories showed flashes in the care of the temple priestess. Eris was mostly a non entity. Ares saw Strife toddling his first steps with the nanny before Eris returned to the temple in a rage. She had blasted the mortal caregiver without much thought as she crossed Eris' path.

Erin's mind had been too young to process death and he had simply thought she had vanished like his mother did on the rare occasions he saw her.

"Momma?" Erin questioned and Eris formed another fireball and the only thing that saved him was the appearance of an enraged Hera.

"What did you do to my Priestess?"

"Who?"

"MY PREISTESS. She has been living here over a year helping you care for Erin."

"Oh, she was touching him. Just waiting for him to get older to really mess with him I blasted her to Hades for it. Watch him for a minute I have to finish this war I'm working on with Ares," Eris said spinning lie within lie.

"I should go down to Hades…"

"Mother do you really think I didn't torture her first? And you know Uncle Hades will give her just what she deserves."

"I don't understand how I missed that," Hera began and Eris plopped Strife into her arms to distract her before flashing out.

"Momma?" Erin asked.

"She will be back, let's see that walk of yours," Hera said placing the child down on his wobbly legs.

*****

Eris' return while covered in gore a few hours later was much calmer. Hera watched as her daughter flashed herself clean then smiled.

"I have to be off dear, I think I have to do a clean up of my temples."

Eris nodded as her mother flashed off and glanced at Erin playing with some blocks. Ignoring the child she made her way to the table and flashed up meat. After a good bloodbath she was always in the mood for red meat.

Smelling the food Erin stood and half crawled and half walked to Eris at the table. "Momma?"

"What do you want brat?" Erin knowing few words, pointed to his mouth and to his stomach. "I have to feed you? Fine here's some mush." She said as she flashed a bowl on to the floor for Erin.

He glanced at her meat and she glared making the bowl vanished. "Then you get nothing brat, go to your room," she snarled flashing him there and having him go to bed hungry.
Big Damn Table