Title: Raising Mischief - Sleep over
Fandom: Hercules The Legendary Journeys/Xena Warrior Princess
Characters: Strife
Prompt: #097 Writers Choice - Sleep
Word Count: 428
Rating: PG13
Summary: Sleepover!
Author's Notes: 16th in the series.
Big Damn Table

"Unc?" Erin whispered approaching Ares. He had been in Ares' room drawing and the war god had taken the time to view some petitions from his various temples and shrines. Smiling the war god sat back from the table and his stack of scrolls and patted his knee.

Erin climbed on nervously glancing at Ares' vest and the God mentally cursed Eris. The bruise was fading but it was still there. Whatever Ace had done it was still working just slower or he wouldn't have a fading yellow bruise right now but something that was deep purple and painful to the touch. Running his fingers through Erin's hair which caused it to stick up in a variety of directions had the desired effect and Erin curled up against him.

"Ares!" A very haggard Apollo began appearing with Ace in his arms. "Can you watch Ace for the night?"

"What? Why?" Ares asked even as Erin shyly waved at his friend who beamed and waved wildly back.

"I have to make it up to the muses, poetry, music, its going to take nearly everything I'm in charge of."

"What did you do?" Ares asked as Apollo placed Ace down on the ground and the child wandered over to Ares and climbed into his lap as well.

"Nothing I can mention now," Apollo said, "I mean, I think turning into a tree to turn me down is a little extreme."

"So your pursuit wasn't?" Ares asked with an arch of his brow. "You know what with Zeus' antics I don't even want to know."

Apollo had the decency to look slightly ashamed at being compared to their father. "If you had seen her…"

"Ace can stay, I would rather not hear the rest of that story," Ares said with a sigh. "I don't know how you even find the time to do that on top of everything else."

"I leave a lot of things that fall under the muse's domain under their full control. Makes them more powerful and give me time to have fun and hang out with my little sun here." Apollo added grinning at a beaming Ace.

"There's probably not going to be class tomorrow. So I'll just come grab Ace in the afternoon. That okay kid?"

"Yes daddy, yous go says sorry now."

"Will do captain."