Title: Raising Mischief - Bowls and Baths
Fandom: Hercules The Legendary Journeys/Xena Warrior Princess
Characters: Strife
Prompt: #51 Water
Word Count:
Rating:PG13
Summary: Ares learns more about Erin's short childhood and makes a good memory to replace the bad.
Author's Notes: Eighth in the Raising Mischief series.

Erin woke slowly, noticing the Ares doll in his arms and smiled squeezing it tightly to his chest. "Unc," he whispered giggling as he made the plush wings flap. Smiling he looked about the room. Before he could even think about moving off the bed there was a flash of light.

Looking up he grinned at the appearance of Ares followed by the appearance of Apollo a moment later. He smiled as Ares approached the bed, eying his hands.
"What's that you have there?"

"Unc!" Erin replied with a giggle, shaking the doll so the wings flapped. Apollo snorted and Ares arched a brow.

"Are you trying to tell me Ace doesn't have an Apollo?" The sun god's avoidance of eye contact was all the confirmation he needed. "Though so."

"So did you have fun with your Aunt Hestia?" Erin nodded as Ares pulled him into his lap. "What did you do?"

"Had chock'late, and, soup, there were things in it, and milk, its white too but not lumpy," Erin said his doll in his lap as he wrapped his arms around the real thing. Ares and Apollo shared a look, the bother's having a common goal for the first time in a long time.

"I'm gonna grab Ace, maybe I won't have to fight the muses for him this time," Apollo said with a grin, as he vanished in a shower of gold.

"Ares dear, why don't you bring Erin in here and he can lick the bowl," Hestia called voice traveling into the bedroom.

Ares smiled remembering Cupid's bowl licking and how the boy had always managed to get streaks of cake batter on his wings. Ares was sure he had been more neat and calculating. Carrying Erin he made his way to the kitchen, smiling as the smells washed over him. He saw the blue bowl sitting there as Hestia moved through the fires, checking on the meal.

"Help yourself boys, you can have the spoon Ares dear."

Ares sat Erin is his lap and placed the bowl and spoon in front of the boy. Erin looked at Ares in confusion and Ares slid a finger through the rich thick batter and licked it off his fingers with a smile of pure bliss.

Erin mimicked this action and let out a sound of amazement. Ares smiled and pulled out the spoon as Erin slid his finger in again and licked it clean a small giggle escaping the young god as Apollo flashed in Ace on his hip. Ace's eyes narrowed on the bowl and reached for Erin and Ares.

"Cake!" He shrieked as Apollo winced at the abuse to his ears. Placing his son down he watched as he toddled over to Erin, who lowered the bowl so Ace could have a taste as well. Ace looked into the bowl and an expert in Hestia's kitchen stuck his entire hand into the bowl and then proceeded to lick it clean.

Hestia approached then with another bowl of cake mix smiling as she poured out the golden mixture into one of her many pans. Winking at the older gods she handed the mostly clean bowl to Ace who dived headfirst into his bowl. Popping up for a moment the toddler recalled Erin and offered him a taste as Hestia handed Apollo the spoon now that she was sure of an even spread.

After a few moments both children were sticky with streaks of cake batter everywhere, faces, hands, and in both cases hair.

"Well it looks like its bath time," Hestia said. "We will have to be quick to be done before the guests begin to arrive."

Erin begun to shake and tried to crawl into Ares' vest. Ares' could feel the shaking and wrapped his arms around the now distraught child, hearing him chant one word over and over.

"Clean, clean, clean," Erin whimpered letting loose a burst of energy that had him spotless and exhausted all in one turn. He collapsed against the war god.

Confused Ares carried Erin back to the bed room not noticing when he dropped 'Unc', though Ace did lifting the soft plush and placing it carefully in the chair. Not fully understanding what was happening he looked to his father.

"Ares will take care of it. Its time for someone to take a bath!" Apollo said forcing cheerfulness in his voice not even wanting to think what kind of trauma baths had been to cause such a reaction.


In Hestia's room Ares carefully searched Erin's memories much like his mother had done and was horrified at what he saw were the times Eris had bathed Erin. Nearly drowning the boy, scalding, freezing him or rubbing him raw. Ares held the tiny body close sure now that he and Apollo hadn't done nearly enough to Eris.

Hestia walked in then a small cup in one hand and Unc in the other. She placed the doll on the bed and handed the small cup to Ares.

"Its flavored ambrosia, I'm still working out some kinks, but this one tastes just like hot coco. When he wakes up he can have some. Hera told me some things, but he seemed alright, if a little shy. What other surprises do we have waiting?"

"I want to ask Uncle Hades, to look into it, he's the best at this and I don't want him to have to relive it."

"That's a good idea; maybe they will hit it off. He will be coming to the dinner as well so you can talk to him about it then.
Big Damn Table