Title: Repairs
Fandom: Hercules The Legendary Journeys/Xena Warrior Princess
Characters: Strife
Prompt: #072 Fixed
Word Count: 1,466
Rating:PG13
Summary: The way things should be?
Author's Notes: Fourth in the series follows Beginnings, Hero, and A Painful Truth.

"Is that him?" She whispered looking in on the sleeping form.

"Yes."

"And you couldn't tell big brother? Shame on you, he should be bouncing balls around and chasing butterflies, not sword training."

"Hebe if I had even guessed I would have done things much differently."

"Is that a feather he's holding?"

"Yes, one of Cupid's if he was really that age…I guess he just likes it. Can you help him?" Ares asked getting to the point of why he had asked his sister over. This whole thing seemed as if it fell into her domain.

"Not in the way you mean," she whispered and moved to the bed and began to stroke the soft black hair. "Eris did this?"

"And worse he had fading bruises…and he doesn't talk. I remember Cupid at four you couldn't shut him up, bouncing off the walls. Him you have to fight to get a reaction out of."

"Who knows what else she did," Hebe stated, "Maybe you should have Hestia come over and work her magic he looks like he could use a good meal.

Blinking Strife woke and looked at the woman sitting at his bedside and back at Ares.

"This is my sister Hebe, one of your aunts," Ares said and Strife nodded not sure what else to say.

Hebe smiled gently and touched Strife's arm frowning when he shrunk back away from the touch. Horse and feather held close to his chest, sliding to the other end of the massive bed. She watched as he placed the horse behind his back and slipped the feather in a zippered pocket before she so much as felt the twinge of an approaching god.

Apollo appeared then deep into a shouting match with Eris.

"…what does it matter?! You grew up pretty quick! That bitch Athena didn't grow up at all!"

"That was natural! Nothing was forced on the body like you did you have to fix it!"

"And if I don't feel like it?" Eris snapped.

"Then I make you feel like it," Ares growled.

"Fine whatever it was just a joke," she muttered waving her hand at Strife.

"Wait! You can't just..." Apollo exclaimed but was drowned out by Strife's screams, as his body painfully and quickly returned to its natural state of four years. The leather outfit replaced by a ratty looking blue tunic that was drenched in sweat as Strife panted heavily.

"Come on brat," Eris snapped and Strife weakly got to his feet skinny knees wobbling before his eyes rolled back into his head. Apollo materialized a pillow before his head reached the marble floor.

"He's not going with you," Ares growled glaring daggers at his sister.

"Good, keep the brat he was way past annoying anyway."

"Oh and Eris, Mother wants to have a little chat with you."

Discord paled and quickly vanished in a burst of dark blue light muttering under her breath. She had barely vanished when the three remaining deities swarmed on Strife; Ares carefully lifting him and placing the frail body on the bed and changing his clothes back to the warm sleepwear he had placed him in earlier.

"Is he going to be a lright?" Both gods asked deferring to the god of healing.

"That was …remember the bruising?" Ares nodded while Hebe frowned but waited for Apollo to continue. "Bruises would be hoping for the best right now. I just hope his development isn't too distorted.

"What do we do now?"

"He will be weak for a few days," Apollo said even as he healed the bruises and strains on his muscles and skin. "After that he's four, I know you were only a part time parent with Cupid but he was a toddler a LONG time, I doubt that will be the case with Mischief here. He will most likely a ge slightly slower than a mortal and given his godhood will most likely settle in his teens."

"Like Cupid?"

"Probably, Strife… seriously can we do something about that name?"

"Its good for the house of war," Ares growled.

"Yeah well he's mischief, puddles, dropping your trousers in front of a suitor, drool, bad hair day, flatulence, not really strife material."

"Miscommunication, in the cases of, cheating, war, business, lies, deception, trickery, mockery, insults, teasing, mom catching dad…" Ares ticked off his fingers and Apollo waved his hands in defeat especially at the last one.

"But is that his real name?" Hebe asked crossing her arms at the two men. "Half the time Eris prefers to go by Discord, and most of the mortals think that is her name, same with some others.

Apollo nodded as he completed the last of the healing needed to make Strife well again and have less adverse effects. "Let's hope his healing factor kicks in soon, I have a feeling he will need it," he muttered glaring at Ares, who returned a much more dangerous glare.

"Boys please," Hebe muttered shaking her head. Bestowing her own blessing on Strife she kissed his cheek. "Take good care of him brother." She added before flashing out.

"Oh, he can come back to class in three days, I want him resting until then, you don't do pampering well and I know you have that skirmish you were working on. I think Hebe's idea was a good one get Hestia or Hera to look after him."

Ares simply crossed his arms and glared at Apollo. The sun good took the hint and quickly flashed out.

Ares waited a few minutes to be sure that no one was listening then called, "Mom!"

Hera appeared with a frown, looking at her son. "Can you tell me why your sister is suddenly hiding from me?"

"You know Strife?"

"Who?"

"Her son."

"You mean Erin?" Hera asked with an arched brow.

"So that's what his name is. I think I like Strife."

"You would dear, but that does not answer my question, she is currently hiding in a cave no less."

"You know where she is?"

"I'm your mother, not that twit Zeus. A mother always knows."

Ares materialized a lavish chair and a goblet of wine, which Hera immediately turned to juice, for him as well he learned when he took a sip. And no amount of willing could change it.

"You will not be drunk halfway through this story, besides its unbecoming," Hera said.

Ares began the tale where Eris had dropped Strife off at his temple and his subsequent discoveries. And finally Apollo's visit and the attempt to repair the damage. Hera's expressions had ranged from shocked, to disturbed to downright outraged.

"Where is he now?" She asked fire dancing in her eyes.

Ares pointed to his large bed, where Strife was lost in a sea of blankets and pillows. Horse and feather beside him.

"Cupid was here?"

"Days ago, that feather just keeps popping up."

Hera simply smiled and sat on the bed, taking Strife's skinny body into her arms. "Oh sweetie I'm so sorry, don't worry one bit, your mother will be paying dearly for all she put you through." Hera stroke Strife's hair at the same time tapping into his memories of his first four years. "Very dearly." She added in a tone that put Ares to shame.

"Mother," Ares said pointing to Strife who had his wide blue eyes on her.

"Do you know who I am?" Strife shook his head weakly.

"I am your grandmother and I'm going to be taking good care of you. Would you like some juice?" Strife nodded and Hera handed the weak boy a half filled goblet. Refilling it when he finished it and glanced into the cup. "Hungry?" Strife shook his head leaning against the warm form cradling him and falling asleep yet again.

"Make sure he gets plenty of Ambrosia, Eris barely gave him any, and his power center has barely manifested itself."

"Yes mother. But where are you going?"

"To deal with your sister, I will be back I want to spend some time with my grandson. And when are you going to give me grandchildren?"

"What about Cupid and…"

"With a real wife, not some fling little better than an affair," Hera said spitting out the last word in disgust before flashing out.

"My mother just had to be the goddess of childbirth and marriage." Ares muttered as he climbed into the bed to keep an eye on Strife, flashing out of his leather and into some soft black cotton sleep pants. Strife curled up against him and he slipped an arm around the tiny form.



Big Damn Table