Vacation of the Seasons (Completed)

[Racoonus]

Hades was waiting for her to agree and inquire what time to be ready by when suddenly he watched that shark jaw of hers clench down. What had he done wrong? Before she even began grinding her teeth, which he could tell she was doing, he knew he was in trouble. She puffed out her chest and leaned towards him. He looked at her with a blank expression and waited. He couldn’t even imagine what had upset her, but he was ready to fight back at whatever she barked. Then, she opened her mouth.

She laid it on thick this time and his eyes narrowed at the, “didn’t your mother ever teach you” part of her argument. Well excuse him if Rhea never got to teach him anything because his father devoured him as soon as he was born and had to be saved by his stupid younger brother by being thrown up. He couldn’t believe Persephone would dare bring up such a painful memory. And no, he had no intention of asking her anything. She was his wife, and she’d do what he said.

Suddenly Hades’ eyes shot downward as he watched her poke at his chest as she continued to berate him. With every new poke came the urge to grab her little finger and pull her close so he could shout, straight into her face, just how unacceptable that behavior was. He refused to stand there for even another moment and take this kind of lip from her. Yet, somehow he managed to keep his cool and let her continue until she was done. Unfortunately that didn’t seem like it was going to be anytime soon.

Then the tides changed completely and she put her cards straight onto the table. She wanted to say yes, but she was mad because he was demanding her and not asking properly? What a trivial difference to throw such a fit over. At long last she stopped and began shooting daggers at him. Now she was standing so close that they were almost touching. After eight long months of separation and two weeks’ worth of games, he was so sick of fighting that he hardly cared anymore. She was yelling at him because he was ordering her around? That’s what husbands did. Who cared? He just wanted to pull her down to the underworld and have her snap out of this whole mortal alter ego thing. He missed touching her. He missed holding her. He missed her smile.

“So, did you want to try that again or can I supply you with the number and address of a different floral shop that would be more than happy to fill your orders from now on?”

The god of the underworld let out a very frustrated sigh as all his anger melted away. He looked down at her, returning her glare with a softer expression. She looked so beautiful. Even her pouty little lips looked soft. Tenderly, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her passionately, holding it for a moment before calmly releasing her.

“Will you accompany me to dinner tonight?” He asked, merely shifting around two little words from his original command.

[The Myst]

Oh he was mad, she could see that the moment she started jabbing her index finger into his chest and she couldn't help but feel a well of smugness roll through her even as she continued her rant. Good, he should be mad, gods knew shew as and damn if it didn't feel good to finally let it all out. Each push of her finger into his chest was a little harder than the last which was why she eventually stopped and returned hands to hips. If she kept going that finger just might because a fist if she wasn't careful. Not that she really wanted to punch him, more like reach up and wrap her fingers around that pale neck of his and shake some sense into him. Who knew men could be so damn frustrating! Even the ones that constantly hit on her didn't get to her the way this man did, it was like he had crawled under her skin and set up a cozy little nest he refused to vacate even if she dug under her own skin to try and evict him. Why was that? There was a tiny voice, and boy was it teeny tiny, in the back of her head that sounded suspiciously like a child’s voice saying (in that sing song way children had) that it was because she just might like him. She may not know his name but there was something about him that called to an unknown part of her and even though she didn't realize it, or notice it quite yet, he was different than all the other men.

It wasn't that he was tall very dark and, if she looked hard enough, handsome that wasn't unusual for her and it was for damn sure not his bossiness. There was just...something some part of her subconscious saw that drew her towards him. Plus it helped that he had an excellent taste in flowers.

So now they stood, only a breath of space between them, seemingly at an impasse. She stared up at him and he stared down at her and from the view point of all the customers watching them it seemed like neither one of them was about to budge. If the two had only been able to see themselves from the vantage point of their captured audience they might have been just as captivated as they. First you had the male: tall, dark of hair and eye, and pale of skin and frankly just a little bit lanky and then there was the female. Just a bit below average height, bright of hair and eye, and rounded in all the places a real woman should be rounded. They were complete and utter polar opposites but no one in that shop could deny the passion, that spark every soul searched for, flared between them. Not a soul moved, hardly any of them even blinked as they all seemed to collectively hold their breath and then it happened. That slight, subtle, shift as one of them gave in just the smallest bit.

The man sighed and with his gusty exhale came the quiet gasp of the people around them. They noticed his gaze soften while hers remained as stubborn as ever and her own eyes missed that slight softening around his rough edges that lent him a kinder look, made him look a tad bit less terrifying.

When his arms wrapped around her she went stiff, eyes flaring wide then narrowing again. “Just what do you think you-” she was abruptly cut off when those lips she had (not) been admiring earlier closed over her own. Oh...my....gods...he was kissing her! Ohhh the nerve of that man! Why she ought to...to...well she definitely should not be swaying towards him like she was, should not be lifting her hands to rest her palms against his chest, her fingers curling slightly in the fabric of his shirt and she sure as hell should not be parting her lips beneath his as if she were going to be kissing him back. Thankfully he saved her that embarrassment by breaking the kiss and letting her go.

The moment she got her wits about her again she pushed away from him and took a safe, oh, five steps backwards from him until she bumped into the counter behind her. Flustered and blushing so hard she felt dizzy, she licked her lips (oh, he tasted good), opened her mouth then closed it again when her voice didn't come out. Clearing her throat she peeled her eyes away from the man and looked down at her shoes before trying again. “Um...” her eyes flickered up and she caught Rosemary from the corner of them grinning like a loon and nodding frantically.

Wrinkling her nose at the other woman she pushed away from the counter, straightened her spine, then nodded once. “Yes, I will go to dinner with you, but on one condition,” here she forced herself to look back into his eyes and then said: “you have to tell me your name first.”

Cheers and applause ruptured through the room and Quinn jumped, finally realizing they hadn't been as alone as she had thought. Oh now that was truly embarrassing.

[Racoonus]

Hades quiet enjoyed her tiny nails digging into his shirt and was disappointed when she pushed away from him and went flying backwards into the counter. His brow arched upward as she blushed wildly and licked her lips. She was acting like he had never kissed her before or something. Well, since she had lost her memory, it probably felt like the first time for her. The brighter her cheeks got, the cuter she became. Still, he didn’t say anything. He was waiting for an answer and she was taking her sweet time with it. Even the old crone was nodding at her. What was keeping her from just saying yes already so they could arrange a time and place?

“Yes, I will go to dinner with you,”

Finally.

“but on one condition,”

Ugh.

“you have to tell me your name first.”

Hearing her words broke his heart a little. His little sapling didn’t remember his name. Something about that bothered him and caused his to frown. Suddenly, his moment was interrupted when the mortals shopping in the store began clapping and whistling. They had obviously been eavesdropping. Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, he casually walked over to Persephone. He leaned his long neck over and whispered close to her ear:

“I’ll tell you when you show up tonight. Eight o’clock. At Vassallo’s. It’s an upscale Greek bistro that’s just short of ten blocks from here. I’ll be waiting.”

Content, he quickly pulled away and took his leave. His souls would be missing him.

[The Myst]

She almost laughed at the expression that flickered across his face when she accepted his date and put forth a condition. She wasn't sure how she noticed it but she was sure that had been a flash of annoyance at her but heck she was still a little peeved with him. Not because of him ordering her about, although that was rather...irritating but because he had kissed her. Okay so it wasn't that he kissed her that was annoying her it was that she liked it that was annoying her; so to sum up she was peeved at herself for enjoying his kiss and, if she were honest, about wanting another one. Yeah, no, she needed to erase that thought immediately. She may had agreed to go on a date with him but that was it. She agreed to nothing else and maybe now that he had gotten what he wanted he would leave her alone and she could stop running herself ragged trying to best herself, after all there was no more annoying competition than oneself and she was very good at her job.

He stepped close to her again and if the counter hadn't already been biting into her back she would have stepped away form him again. Of course there was a small part of her that was hoping he'd try to kiss her again but she quickly squashed that thought with a stern scolding and forced herself to watch him bend down towards her and not move a single muscle as he whispered into her ear. Surprise quickly pushed any frustration she may have felt at him not giving her his name when he mentioned the place he wanted to take her. What were the odds that he would choose the very place she worked. Mentally she groaned. Earlier she had called Bobbie and asked him to take her shift that night so she could take a day to relax – two weeks of being high strung had taken it's toll on her and because of his elaborate arrangements she could actually afford to take a night off and do what she wanted. Of course he had been more than understanding as he had heard all about this still unknown man and was just as peeved with him as she was. Now...the two of them would be in the same building. Here was hoping they didn't get sat in Bobbie's section. If he hadn't left so quickly she would have suggested a different place but, alas, he was gone.

“Well, crud,” Quinn muttered as the door closed behind him and people started going about their business again – even buying everything they had been pretending to look at. Rosemary rushed out from where she had been standing, grabbed Quinn's arm, and dragged her into the back.

“Do you have anything to wear? Of course you don't, I helped you buy most of your closet...oh gosh we're going to have to go shopping, you can't wear your uniform there and you don't have anything near fancy enough for Vassallo's,” Rosemary continued speaking but Quinn got lost in the older woman's words as they didn't seem to follow any coherent thought pattern.

“Woah, hold on there Rose,” Quinn said as she dropped onto her work stool with a sigh, “I may have saved up enough money to be able to take a few days off but I could never afford something good enough for Vassallo's.” The gleam that came over Rosemary's eye when she turned to look at her employee had Quinn swallowing hard. That look was never a good thing to see. It meant Rosemary had a plan.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Hours later Quinn stood in her apartment dressed in the outfit Rosemary had helped her find and pay for. She had to admit that she did look good and Rosemary had even taken Quinn to get her hair and make up done – the later was something she had never worn before and shew as still unsure on how she felt about it. She was also unsure about the length of the dress she was wearing as well. It was a sleek little black number (Rosemary had said ever woman needed a little black dress) with a hemline that ended a little past mid thigh and left most of her pale legs bare. It was long sleeved but off the shoulder with an open back that scooped down low enough she was half afraid her butt would be exposed. The only thing that made up for the extremely low back was that the neck line was relatively high, a square cut just below her collarbones. The dress was all black and slightly plane but that was what the accessories were for. Or at least that was what Rosemary had said.

A silver chain belt was clasped around her waist with a little cupid charm dangling from the end that brushed against her leg when she walked. She thought the charm had been an odd choice but also found it cute so she hadn't argued. To go with the chain belt a simple silver necklace with a sapphire pendant was around her neck, the gem resting in the dip at the bottom of her neck. Her ears had simple diamond studs in them and with her hair curled and pulled back in a half ponytail (though it was way to elegant for that word) it showed off her neck and the jewelery and it also provided a little bit of coverage along her back. To top the outfit off Rosemary had found a pair of deep red heels (which matched the little clutch she had bought) that had taken most of the afternoon for Quinn to learn to walk in. It was that reason that she was not walking to the restaurant but taking a cab that Rosemary had given her the cash for. It would save her feet.

She glanced at the clock and just as the sigh escaped her lips she heard the tell tale honk of said cab waiting outside. She grabbed her coat, slipped it on, said goodbye to Puddles, locked up and got in the cab. Minuets later she was stepping out of the cab and staring up at the second place of work. A small laugh escaped her and she shook her head. The potential for this night to become a disaster was extremely high but as she walked in and didn't notice The Man With No Name there yet, she was twenty minuets early to be fair, she felt a little bit of relief until she heard her name called out.

“Quinn! Wow, you...you look stunning! I almost didn't recognize you!” Bobbie's voice got closer as he wound himself through tables to reach the foyer where there were comfortable couches, chairs, and a wet bar set up for people waiting for tables. “What brings you here?” Bobbie was a beautiful man, blond haired, green eyed, tall, and what fellow female co-workers called a 'beefcake' but for some reason he didn't effect her like he did other women.

Forcing a smile Quinn let him take her coat, blushing when he whistled lowly after getting a good look at her, then answered his question. “I...I got asked out on a date.” She saw the brief flash of jealousy flicker through Bobbies eyes and forced herself not to sigh. So much for making sure they weren't seated in his section. He was already taking her arm and leading her to one of the empty tables set for two.

“How, lovely. Who should I keep an eye out for?” He asked as he seated her and pushed her chair in for her. When she told him his yes narrowed a bit and he nodded tersely. “Well...I'll be sure to bring him over once I see him.” With that he smiled, poured her a glass of water from the pitcher set on the table, and went to go help one of his other tables. This...was going to be a long night.

[Racoonus]

Hades had made his way back to the Underworld and waited for the time to pass while trying to decide if he should tell Persephone his name or not. The idea of making up a fake human name nauseated him, but he didn't want his wife to get her memories back just yet and he worried that knowing his name might trigger something inside of her. It was important that he tell her who she was after she fell in love with him, otherwise the last two weeks would have been for nothing. Eros help him, he couldn't stand the idea of all this work to make his wife happier amounting to nothing.

Suddenly, he was blinded by a bright light illuminating his dark Underworld. He shielded his eyes before slowly lowering his arm. Oh gods, no. It couldn't be. It was. What was Demeter doing here?

"Hades!" The woman exclaimed throwing her arms into the air dramatically. Her thin, wispy sleeves dangling gracefully from her extended wrists that were adorned with golden bracelets.

The god of the Underworld looked back at her with his pitch black eyes and stood from his throne. "What are you doing here?" He questioned trying his best to keep his tone neutral, "You know I despise unexpected guests in my realm."

"A mother can't drop in and visit her daughter from time to time?" She challenged. Demeter dropped her arms and crossing them against her chest hugging her green robes tight in protest.

"Not for another three and a half months, she can't," he replied with a glare.

"Where is Persephone by the way?"

Hades really didn't want to deal with this right now. The last thing he needed was the woman ruining all his plans before he successfully had the chance to persuade his wife to stay with him all year round. Besides, it was almost time for him to meet his little goddess for dinner.

"I was hurt when she told me she wanted to stay here all year. Frankly, I was a little surprised, especially with how much you two fight and all."

So that's how the minx had done it. Tricked him and then lied to her mother about staying with him while she ran off to the earth for a vacation. Very clever, but obviously not clever enough. He could hear the accusation in Demeter's words. She thought this was something he had pulled and was here to call him out on it. Unfortunately for her, he had nothing to do with Persephone's little scheme and was innocent; Well, somewhat innocent.

"She went up to the surface for awhile. Wanted some alone time to grow her flowers and such," he replied. Technically, he wasn't lying.

"And you allowed that? I hardly believe it," She snarked.

"It's the truth," he stated coldly.

"Very well, I'll just pop over to the earth and-"

"I forbid it! It's still fall and, according to our agreement, she's mine until spring," he boomed.

The goddess calmly pulled a lock of red hair out of her face and fastened it behind her ear, unfazed by Hades temper. She locked her golden eyes on his, not showing any sign of backing down.

"Fine," Demeter replied, "I'll be back in three and a half months then." And with another flash of light she was gone.

"In-laws..." Hades grumbled while rubbing his temples. The woman had made him late for his dinner date.

Quickly, the god put on his disguise and transported himself to Vassallo's. He dusted off the indigo smoke and briskly walked inside. He hadn't realized how fancy the little Greek restaurant was until he got inside. It was a good thing his black shirt had a collar or else he'd most certainly be asked to leave for not fallowing the "dress code." What mortals had against a comfy robe and sandals was beyond him. Gods willing, he would make it to the table before his wife waved him off as a no-show. He made his way to the podium and was promptly greeted by some young, beefy looking guy.

"I'm looking for my date-" he began looking past the boy to the tables, "and I think I see her now."

Persephone's seat was faced away from him and she was all dolled up, but her blonde hair and perfectly rounded, slim figure was unmistakable to him. He brushed past the host and made his way to the table. Once he was within ear shot he began speaking:

"Forgive me for the wait I was-" He froze as soon as he saw her. His little sapling looked amazing. He couldn't remember the last time she had dressed up for him and, aside from that, she had never worn a modern, black mortal dress before. True, he thought she was beautiful even if she were dressed in a potato sack, but she looked fantastic. He shook his head and sat down across from her.

"I was interrupted by... by- the gods you look beautiful," he gasped while placing his napkin in his lap.

[The Myst]

Bobbie knew her all to well. He had sat her at a table that over looked her favorite painting in the place, something she had been caught many a time admiring on her shift whenever it was slow enough to do so. One would thing that in the six months she had worked there she would get tired of looking at the same painting every night seeing as how it would never change but that's where she would disagree. Every time she looked at it she would find something new, some hidden bit that she hadn't notice before, and not to mention is was simply a lovely painting all by itself. There was not artist name listed on the placard but there was a title; it was simply called 'Hades and Persephone' and depicted a scene she liked to think was the first time the two had met. After her first day at work and she had seen the painting she had gone home and researched the two of them once Bobbie had told her it was based on an old Greek Myth and she had been fascinated.

She sat staring at it now, glad she actually had the time to just sit and enjoy it and not have to watch her time or wait on customers. It really was a beautiful piece and she wished she could find a copy of it somewhere but she had never been able to, at least not one of the quality she wanted so she could hang it in her apartment. It was because she got so lost in it that she didn't even notice time passing – it also helped that the only clock was at her back, she didn't have a watch, and she refused to have one of those cell phone things people were always chatting on. So when she heard the voice come from behind her she jumped a little then twisted just enough to look behind her. Ah, he was here. A tentative smile flashed on her face as he seemed to have lost his train of thought and her head moved with his progress as he moved around the table to take his seat. She didn't miss seeing Bobbi walking up to the table as well, a frown marring his face, but he was waylaid by a table asking for something.

Once the man sat across from her and seemed to try again to explain his tardiness and was once again unable to her cheeks flared pink at his compliment. She knew she was a good looking woman but for some reason his compliment made her feel like a giddy school girl, an awkward, blushing, school girl who hadn't learned how to deal with boys yet. Shaking her head a slightly she smoothed her palms over her lap and muttered a soft: “thank you.”

“Good evening Quinn, sir,” Bobbie said as he finally reached their table, “my name is Bobbie and I'll be your waiter tonight. Can I get you two a drink while you look over our menu?” His voice was cheery but Quinn could tell it was fake, strained slightly as his eyes flickered between Quinn and the still unnamed man.

“Um, I'll just have a italian soda, vanilla please Bobbie, thank you.”

Bobbie nodded, flashed her a genuine smile, hen turned a less genuine one to the dark haired man. Once he got the other males drink order he reluctantly left to fill the order and allowed Quinn to turn her full attention to a new target. “So,” she started as she leaned forward slightly, “you promised me you'd tell me your name.”

[Racoonus]

Once Hades had sat down, he noticed Persephone’s attention shift from something behind him. He turned his head and glanced behind his shoulder. Oh perfect… A mortal’s painting of her and him first meeting. Why did he have to pick the Greek food restaurant? It wouldn’t have killed him to have choked down a hamburger and fries instead. This was exactly the reason why he never bothered with eating. Food was just a hobby for an immortal god and honestly, who had the time for it? Now his snobbish taste in foods had potentially ruined his plans. Fortunately, their attention was stolen by the beefy looking waiter.

“Good evening Quinn, sir,”

Quinn? Oh right, his wife. Why was this waiter on first name basis with her? Now that he was face to face with the kid, he realized just how “attractive” he was. The waiter reminded him of his brother Zeus with those big muscles. Hades didn’t like the way this guy was smiling at his wife. Almost as if he they were sharing an inside joke together. The god felt his eye lids narrowing.

Suddenly, the man was looking at him as if expecting something. He had completely tuned out whatever conversation had taken place. “I’ll have what she’s having,” Hades said, taking a shot in the dark that the man had asked for his order. He must have been correct, since immediately afterwards the kid walked away; good riddance.

“you promised me you'd tell me your name.”

That he did. He took another nervous glance behind him at the painting. He couldn’t possibly tell her his real name and yet he couldn’t think of any other options. He didn’t really enjoy lying to his wife unless it was for a good cause. Looking deeply into her shining eyes, he released a very long sigh. After another second of doubt he finally answered her.

“Hades, my name is Hades,” he told her honestly. After a moment he added, “My parents were Greek” as if to explain the name further.

Eager to change the subject he asked, “So this Bo-boobie person?” He hadn’t really caught the name earlier when he was zoning out the conversation. “Is he a friend of yours?”

[The Myst]

When the man looked back at her, erm, the painting she smiled and almost told him it was her favorite – until she saw the look on his face. Apparently he wasn't a fan of it and for some reason that made her want to keep the fact that she liked it to herself. She didn't exactly want him to complain about the painting and ruin it for her. She'd be fine with keeping it to herself and letting it be a personal pleasure. That and Bobbie came over and effectively distracted both of them by asking for their drink orders.

Apparently whatever had been distracting the man since he walked in was continuing to do so because she was sure he hadn't even heard what Bobbie had asked them. Why did she think this? Easy, the man across from her didn't seem the Italian Soda type; she couldn't see him ingesting anything sweet but Quinn had developed a taste for the stuff from the first sip months ago but didn't always indulge in it simply because it wasn't covered under the free drinks employees got and she had to save every penny for so long it had become a habit so she didn't often splurge on a drink that cost five dollars. Anyway, she brought his attention back to her, hopefully, by demanding his name in the nicest way possible.

She sat on pins and needles, not really though, waiting for him to give her the answer she sought. Was it just her or was it taking forever for him to tell her his name? Was it that hard for him to do? Was it an embarrassing name or was he trying to think of some fake name to give her that's when she realized what an idiot she was. He had paid for all his orders with a credit card and what was on a credit card? Names. She had the answer to her question every day for the past two weeks and never once thought to look at the stores records. Then again she had been a bit preoccupied trying to show him jut who of the two of them was the best – all her attention and focus had been on filling his ridiculous orders. That and part of her wanted him to tell her his name without underhanded means. He knew her name simply because of her Apron having her name on it and that was acceptable because it was part of her uniform and he had been a customer. Seeking out his name through credit card records just seemed...stalker-ish and it would have said she cared more than she wanted to admit.

Finally! Finally his name and...oh dear...a giggle slipped past her lips when he told her his name and now she understood why he gave that look after seeing the painting. “Your,” she paused to cough and cover a giggle, “your parents must have been fans of Greek mythology then.” She nodded towards the painting and gave him a soft smile, “that painting is my favorite,” then she reached over and rested her hand light over his and truly smiled. “Hades is a good name.” She gave his hand a light pat and then leaned back again just as he asked her about Bobbie.

This time she couldn't stop the laugh from exploding from her. Had he just called him boobie...really? Getting herself back under control she nodded. “He is. We work here together. He's actually working my shift right now,” she said with a sigh. She felt a little guilty about having asked Bobbie to take her shift and now she was there, making him wait on her when she had said all she wanted was a quiet night at home. It almost felt like she had lied but when she had said as much it had been the truth. If someone told her she would be on a date with the man, Hades, that had been driving her up a wall and over a cliff for the past two weeks she would have laughed and said they needed to be committed. But, here she was and shew as thinking maybe she was the one that needed to be locked away in a mental institution.

“So...um...” she trailed off. She had no idea how dates were supposed to work (those few times she had gone out with Bobbie only he had thought it was a date, she was clueless until he actually phrased it that way). Seeing them in movies and reading in books was nothing like going through it in real life. She had no idea what to talk about, how to act, nothing. Was she supposed to actually oder food or go for salad like all the women she saw on dates while working? Hunger was, strangely, something she never felt and always found herself just snaking whenever she was bored or food was around. Not eating didn't effect her like it did most people just like not sleeping didn't. She wondered if a lot of her quirks had to do with her accident but she was no doctor so she may never know. Not unless she suddenly gained her memories and remembered how she used to be. Oh well, no use dwelling on something that may never happen.

“I have no idea what I'm doing,” she suddenly blurted out then blushed, “I've never been on a date, well actually I guess I have but I still haven't really figured out how all this is supposed to work,” now she was rambling and she couldn't seem to make it stop, words just kept coming from her mouth until she bit her bottom lip and looked down at her lap with a sigh. “Gods I'm horrible at this,” she muttered to herself.

[Racoonus]

“your parents must have been fans of Greek mythology then.”

Mythology? Is that what mortals were calling them these days? He remembered back in the day when they prayed to them, well not him specifically, but to the other gods and goddesses. Now they brushed them off as mere myth. This was one of the reasons Hades hated mortals. They could never stick to anything for long and were always changing their minds left and right. They were always so much more consistent after death. He pushed aside the thought and focused on the glowing goddess across from him.

Well, at least Persephone believed him and she didn’t seem to be acting like her normal self, so that was good. She nodded to the painting and said it was her favorite. Hades felt a smile tug at his lips, so maybe she hadn’t forgotten him after all, at least, not entirely. He refused to believe it was just a coincidence she liked the painting. It surely must have reminded her of him. Or perhaps… it only just reminded her of herself. He frowned at the uncertainty the poisoned his mind.

Then, his wife laid her hand atop his and he looked up to see herself smiling sweetly. Even with her memory lost, she was the same woman he had fallen in love with. Her soft voice complimenting his name helped to reassure him that she hadn’t forgotten him. She was always saving him from himself when he fell into depression. She always pulled him right back out. Even now she saved him. His gaze softened and he returned her smile with a grin of his own.

Then, she explained boobie and how she worked here. His sapling worked two mortal jobs? What a little worker bee she was all of a sudden. He almost felt a little bad about overloading her with so much extra work the last few weeks with flower orders. He simply nodded in response. Then she began to trail off and he merely waited patiently for her to continue. He was about to interject when suddenly she blurted out:

“I have no idea what I'm doing,”

Hades rolled off a deep, low chuckle as his wife’s cheeks turned red.

“I've never been on a date, well actually I guess I have but-“

What? What did she just say? His wife had been on a date? With who? When? His eyelids fell so low into a glare that he could hardly see past them. She lowered her head and muttered something, but he was so furious that he hardly cared what she was doing. She was a married woman; what was she doing going on dates with other men? How dare she! He was about to foam at the mouth, when suddenly he noticed her shy expression looking down in her lap and blushing. She didn’t know she was married… It wasn’t entirely her fault, although he was ready to argue that it was, that she had lost her memory. He sighed and allowed his anger to escape him. At least, for now since she hadn’t seemed to notice his change in mood while looking downward.

“Don’t fret my little sapling,” Hades assured her, “I’ve never been on a date either.”

Since he had forced her into marriage almost immediately after seeing her for the first time, he never really had ‘dated’ her. Back then there wasn’t even such a thing as dating. The whole concept was really more of a mortal invention. Sure they had done things together as a married couple and had dinners before for the mere experience of having such a thing, but Hades hardly considered any of that dating.

He quickly realized he was up the stream without a paddle. He had intended to woo her by having her spend time with him, but he hadn’t really thought about how he would go about doing such a thing. His brain kicked over to his tricky, scheming side and he suddenly knew just what to do. He knew everything about her inside and out. He’d simply use that to his advantage. The god listened in on the current music playing in the restaurant. It was just some lousy modern music. He waved his hand in the air and suddenly it changed to a beautiful violin solo. He flashed a smug grin.

“Finally,” He gasped dramatically, “They put on some good music. I do so love the sound of the violin…” Hades wasn’t really a fan of music, but his wife loved the violin. Losing her memory wouldn’t have changed that.

He snapped his fingers and reached down into his pocket. “I had almost forgotten. I got this for you,” he explained and handed her a small bracelet with a wolf charm that he had manifested with his magic. Wolves were her favorite animals after all. To a goddess a practical gift would have been meaningless, but to a mortal, well it couldn’t hurt his odds.

[The Myst]

Oh my, did he just smile? It was a small one but yes..yes he had smiled and boy did it make him look handsome. It also made her heart skip a beat – that feeling her female coworkers had spoken of whenever they gushed about Bobbie or a good looking customer – and it threw her off a little. Clearly she needed to date more just like Rosemary had been trying to talk her into. And then he frowned and the moment was gone. Thank the gods. With how crazy this man had been driving her the past two weeks she so did not want to enjoy this date, she was going on it simple in hopes that he would leave her alone afterwards and her life could get back to normal. No more constant planning to one up herself, no more grumbling about some man who made her feel things she hadn't since she woke up that day months ago. Yeah, back to her normal, boring, life. Then he had to go and grin at her and it started all over again. He really needed to stop doing that.

It was all his fault for the ramble fest she went on, especially when he laughed and she just kept going, that sound rolling form his chest kicking her heartbeat up a few notches and the sound caressed her ears and rolled down her spine. It was the whole reason her mouth ran away with her brain and didn't allow her to think about a single word she was saying. So she just avoided looking at him until she could get her mouth to stop and wrung her hands together, crinkling the poor napkin in her lap until it was so winkled she had to force herself to smooth it out again so it would be useable when they finally got food. When her mouth finally closed she waited, the awkwardness of the whole thing pressing down on her and making her wish she could sink down into the chair and just disappear.

“Don't fret-” his voice rolled over her and her head lifted to look up at him the awkwardness dissipating as he informed her he hadn't been on a date either. To be honest that didn't surprise her but it was nice of him to try and make her feel better. Maybe, beneath that superior, demanding, high and mighty attitude of his there was a nice guy, a decent guy, beneath it all. Hearing her name called from across the room Quinn looked over to see some of her other coworkers smiling and waving and thus she missed his odd motion of waving his hand in the air and it din't register in her brain the abrupt change of music. The girls across the room flashed knowing smiles and winks before they were shooed away by their manager and Quinn forced herself not to blush now that every one she worked with knew she was on a legit date. There would be no living this down tomorrow night and she knew they would demand all the details when they saw her next.

She jumped slightly when Hades spoke again and her head tilted to the side as she took a moment to listen to the music that was playing. She was pleasantly surprised and took a moment to just listen before she replied to him. So she wasn't the only one that likes the sound of a violin? Interesting. Good taste in flowers, restaurants, and now music? This could get dangerous. “I've been trying to convince the owners for a while they needed more music like this. It just fits the air of the place better. I wonder if they finally took my advice,” she said quietly. Classical music had been her favorite music after she had gotten out of the hospital and had to relearn everything about the world, something she was still working on but was getting better at. Learning to drive had both ben the most terrifying and exhilarating thing about her recovery and nothing had topped it yet.

“I got this for you,” she heard and she opened her eyes and pulled her attention away from the music to look back at her date. She really was bad at this date thing what with her attention continuing to wander from him from time to time. Leaning towards him she took what he was handing her and then leaned back to inspect it. A small laugh escaped her as she noticed the charm dangling from the bracelet.

“How did you know I like wolves?” she asked as she clasped the beautiful piece of jewelry around her wrist and took another moment to inspect the word of the little wolf. Then she started to fret a little. Was she supposed to have brought him something as well? Bobbie had brought her flowers on their 'dates' but he stopped that once he realized she was surrounded by flowers every day and that she wasn't all that impressed by it. Speaking of the other man Bobbie finally came back with their drinks and gently set hers down before her then piratically dropped Hades before him. Oh dear. Clearly Bobbie wasn't as over her as he had told her he was.

“So, are you two ready to order?” Her asked with that plastic smile plastered to his face.

Fortunately Quinn knew the menu by heart and for once she would indulge in the one thing she always wanted to try. “I'll try the filet mignon, Bobbie. Just tell Jake to make it however he wants.” Jake was their chef, one who constantly complained that customers didn't know fine food when it was staring them in the face, and since Quinn wasn't picky about anything she was willing to let Jake work his magic.

Chuckling Bobbie scribbled her order down in his little notebook. “It's about time you finally tried that,” he said with a wink then turned his glaring smile to Hades, “and you sir?”

[Racoonus]

“How did you know I like wolves?”

Hades shrugged innocently before flashing a shark grin. She obviously liked the trinket, so that made things easier. She seemed to be enjoying all of his little ploys; everything was going to plan. The only annoying part was the atmosphere. Part of him was getting a little tired of everyone gawking at them: first the flower shoppers and now his wife’s work friends. What he wouldn’t give for some quiet time alone with her.

“Perhaps after dinner we could go for a walk in the park,” he asked. The god was extra careful to word it as a question and not a demand, not that he really saw much of a difference between the two. She would not refuse him. Besides, it would be easier for him to charm her in nature than in this cold city.

If she had intended to answer him, it was interrupted by the beefy waiter’s return. Hades was getting sick of the guy constantly interrupting them, but he supposed it was his job after all. The god tried to remain congenial with the other male, but found it increasingly difficult as his drink, a rather odd looking one at that, was plopped down in front of him aggressively. Hades was about to snap at him to be more careful, but the kid was already asking them for their order.

“I'll try the filet mignon, Bobbie. Just tell Jake to make it however he wants.”

Bobbie. So that was his name. And who was this Jake character? Just how many male friends did his wife have? He glared at her. Maybe he could expect this sort of thing from his brother Zeus, but since when was Persephone hanging around with so many people of the opposite sex? He didn’t like it one bit.

His hate for Bobbie grew ten times stronger when the guy winked at his wife. It took every ounce of self control in Hades’ body to keep from standing up and strangling the waiter to death with his bare hands. Suddenly it all made sense. Persephone had dated Bobbie. That’s why the punk had been acting so flirtatious with her. She had gone on a date with him? Mortal Mr. Testosterone in a child’s body? How could his wife ever find a man like that attractive? He was furious.

“and you sir?”

“The same,” He growled, saying whatever he could to get the other male to leave. Hades was much too busy glaring at Persephone to look the male in the eye. He gave a long sigh once Bobbie had left. He didn’t have any words to say to her at the moment. He knew it wasn’t all her fault, but that didn’t stop him from being upset.

He leaned over and took a sip of the beverage that was sitting in front of him. His nose wrinkled at the taste and he regretfully swallowed down the gulp before pushing the glass away from him. He didn’t touch it for the rest of the night.

After that, the rest of dinner went by surprisingly fast. He talked with his wife, maintaining a rather calm attitude with her and not pressing the Bobbie matter. The food was alright, but something gave Hades the impression that the waiter had spit on it, or something of that nature, because of the fake smile of his began to look more sinister as the night went on.

When Persephone had finished eating, he stood from his chair and offered her his hand to help her up. He paid for the meal and left a large tip on the table. However, as soon as his wife turned to face the door he snapped his fingers and the tip disappeared. Hades placed his hand gently in the small of her back and guided her towards the exit. Once they reached the front, he could feel the cold air from outside making its way through the door crack. He waved his hand, when his wife wasn’t looking, and manifested a large blazer on the coat rack by the door. He promptly removed it and draped it on her shoulders as they walked outside next to a heat lamp for the restaurant.

“Here, this will keep you warm,” He cooed, “Could you excuse me for a moment? I just realized that I need to use the restroom.”

After setting her down in one of the chairs outside that was facing the street, he stormed back inside to find Bobbie. Which he did fairly easily and promptly pulled the guy by his arm to the side and threatened, “Stay away from her.” Hades stared directly into the Mortal’s eyes while still holding onto his upper bicep with a steal grip. “She’s mine.”

It was foolish of him to waste his time threatening the mortal, but his anger had gotten the best of him and he couldn’t sit around another moment without letting some of it out. Bobbie had been asking for a fight all evening and now that his wife wasn’t looking, he was going to get one.

[The Myst]

So maybe the guy wasn't all bad after all. Clearly he had to have talked to Rosemary, or Rosemary talked to him which seemed much more likely, to learn about her love of wolves. Hell, for all she knew Rosemary could have called the restaurant and ordered them to play the violin music as well – she could have done so easily seeing as how the general manage had a huge thing for the older flower woman and would do anything just to get her to go on a date with him. Then again she could totally be reaching outside the box and it may have just all been a coincidence but...and here she looked at her date from the corner of her eye so she could asses him without staring at him. Was he the kind of guy who would pull out all the stops to impress a pretty woman? The night was young and there were still a couple more hours (or so she guessed) to this date so she was sure she would find out. Now if only all her friends would stop staring at her like they were watching Hell freeze over.

He must have disliked all the attention as much as she did since he asked her on a walk after dinner seemingly out of the blue. Hmmm, part of her relished the thought of spending time in nature, she was a big nature kind of girl but being alone, with a man, at night sent up all sorts of warning flags that she been drilled into her since she had woken up in the hospital. Women, especially pretty women for some reason, did not go out at night alone and certainly did not do so with a man they did not know. All that was why Quinn had secretly taken a few self defense classes, had even enjoyed the kick boxing ones she had continued on in. So she figured that even though her date was taller than her she was still certain she could take him if she had to. Okay, not take per-say but at least do enough damage to get away if she had to.

“Sure,” she said with a smile once Bobbie left with their orders, “a walk in the park sounds nice.” What she didn't say was that she would totally kick his butt if he tried anything with her she didn't appreciate.

Uh-oh. Something was wrong. She knew the moment the voice across from her growled out the same response given the last time Bobbie had asked Hades what he wanted. Clearly the dark male was not happy about something and once she looked at him and noticed it was her he was glaring at she couldn't help but arch a brow at him. What was he so testing with her about? If he didn't want the filet he didn't have to get it, jeez. Even though he was glaring at her like she had stabbed him in the back she still thought it was funny how he tried to disguise his dislike for the drink he had ordered. Well, maybe next time he would pay attention to what was being asked of him and not just copy her. She knew italian soda was so not his style. He looked like more of a whiskey or scotch kind of man.

To hide the smile she felt tugging at her lips she lifted her own soda and took a happy sip of it and even let out a satisfied little sigh after she swallowed. From that point on whatever seemed to have pissed him off either fell to the wayside or he jut let it go. Either way dinner got much nicer when he wasn't glaring at her or growling at people and once her co-workers got over the strangeness of seeing her on a date even they stopped staring and finally Quinn felt like she could relax. That seemed to help a lot as well. While they talked, pushing through some awkward silences, it was nice to just sit, enjoy a meal, and talk with someone. It helped too that he was trying to grope her or put his arm around her. Poor Bobbie had tried that yawn move on her only to have her slip out form under his arm and give him a strange stare. Yeah, Quinn had taken a while to adjust to the strange nuances of this world.

The food had been as good as it always smelled but she had never actually tasted it, again that whole never being hungry thing getting in the way of wanting to taste test. She ate every bit of food on her plate, savored it, and was almost a little sad when Hades seemed to be trying to rush he out of the place. Oh well, she could always give in and try dessert another time. With the tension seeming to build between him and Bobbie through the night as their waiter kept popping in like any good waiter was supposed to do maybe rushing out was a good idea. Who knew what would happen if Bobbie continued to provoke Hades and she was positive that was exactly what her friend was trying to do. She was also positive that it was working.

So as they moved towards the door and got their coats, hades draping his over her shoulders just as the coat check girl handed Quinn her own coat. She didn't complain since his coat was warm and the coat room tended to be cold sometimes if the room wasn't kept heated so putting her own jacket on would have been a little more startling. He was also gentlemanly enough to leave her by the heater kept by the valet entrance as he went back into the establishment. Something was not right.

After being sure he wasn't looking back at her Quinn moved to watch him head back inside and even followed him enough to realize he was so not going in the direction of the bathrooms. Oh boy. This couldn't be good.

Bobbie on the other hand had been expecting something like this to happen. Quinn was right, he had been trying to bait the dude mainly because he hadn't given up on getting Quinn – in other words he had lied to the female so he could get close to her and he was jealous of any man she got close to. Lucky for him she didn't get close to men so this guy suddenly showing up and taking Quinn on a date had gotten under his skin. Narrowing his eyes Bobbie glared at the hand closed around his arm then to the man attached to the offending hand before yanking his arm free.

“She doesn't belong to you, pal,” Bobbie growled and turned to face Hades. Hades may be tall and lean looking but Bobbie was packed with muscle and he knew it and knew how to use it. If push came to shove he was positive he could knock the taller man on his ass. “last I checked she was single and open to dating. So, I intend to continue to pursue her.” Bobbie gave Hades a self satisfied smirk and lifted his hand to jab one meaty finger into his shoulder. “So, game on buddy. Let's see who wins shall we?”

[Racoonus]

“She doesn't belong to you, pal,”

Those were not the right words; but luckily, Hades was a patient God. Yes, he had a temper and yes, he was possessive of his wife, but he was not necessarily a violent man. Normally, he had his wife to snap at when he was upset with her, but at the moment he didn’t have that luxury. Besides, he couldn’t really blame her for dating someone when she had no idea she was married or who her husband was. Of course, just because he “couldn’t really blame her” didn’t mean he wasn’t upset. Besides which, Bobbie had been getting on his nerves all evening. Hades was half tempted to give the kid a one way ticket to the underworld. Not that he even wanted Bobbie’s soul to watch over, but such was his burden to bare.

“last I checked she was single and open to dating. So, I intend to continue to pursue her.”

Hades nostrils flared with rage. She most certainly was not and he would do no such thing. The temptation to snap his fingers and take the boy’s soul was just too sweet. Fortunately for Bobbie, Hades didn’t enjoy taking souls before their time. That was not his job, but damn did he want to. Still, he did not flinch. Hades opened his mouth to tell the mortal off when suddenly he felt a finger pressed to his shoulder.

“So, game on buddy. Let's see who wins shall we?”

In a mortal’s blink of an eye, Hades grabbed Bobbie’s finger and snapped it backwards, immediately breaking the bone. That’s what he got for touching him. The loud crunch was almost satisfying but not quite enough for Hades to leave it at that. “She’s mine,” Hades repeated in an eerily low, threatening tone. “You will. Stay. Away from her.” Despite his warnings, something told him that this mortal just wasn’t getting the message. Luckily for him, Hades was merciful. Hades grasped his open palm into a tight fist and swung straight at Bobbie’s jaw and decked him hard. That’s what he got for not obeying a Greek god’s direct orders.

Feeling slightly more content, Hades took a small step backwards and turned around to face the door. That’s when he saw Persephone’s sparkling eyes glued straight on him from the window.

[The Myst]

Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no. What Bobbie didn't know was that one of the major reasons Quinn didn't want to date him was because not only did he have a bit of a temper but he didn't always think before he acted; mostly before he did something stupid. She watched the confrontation build between the two and she knew she better get inside but a wave of people exited before she could shove herself through the door. Sadly they were the milling kind and just stood in the entry way and chatted which forced her to watch through the glass as Bobbies finger poked Hades. She couldn't really see the other mans face but she didn't need to. She was pretty sure she knew how the dark male was going to react given the bits of his personality she had picked up on during the relatively short time she had known him. Still she hadn't expected the full out assault she was about to witness.

Her whole body flinched as she watched Hades break Bobbie's finger as if it were no more than a dried out twig and her stomach rolled. She almost got to taste her dinner all over again but thankfully she kept it down. Bobbie didn't even get a chance to scream in pain before Hades punched the other man hard enough to knock him out. Well, she never! Nostrils flaring in anger Quinn stomped, as best one could stop in heels, over to the door and shoved her way through the herd of people back into the restaurant where some of her coworkers were staring open mouthed at the scene that had just played out. Apparently other diners hadn't seemed to notice the little tiff but as Quinn stormed her way towards Hades and the unconscious Bobbie some were taking note and following her with their eyes.

She had never felt so angry in her whole eight months of being alive and that anger drove her more than she wished she had let it. The moment she reached Hades her own arm wound back and she slapped him with more strength than she thought she possessed. “How dare you,” she growled, her hands now balling into fists at her sides to resist the urge to repeat the slap but with a closed fist, see how he liked it. “Who gave you the right to treat people that way? You can't cold cock someone just because they were irritating you all night,” She hissed at him. Yes Bobbie had been egging Hades on pretty much from the moment he had arrived but that still didn't give the dark male the excuse, or the right, to abuse her friend like he had. Honestly, where were the real men in the world who could just brush it off, laugh at the more immature men in the world, and focus on what was more important?

Her eye started to twinge and she forced herself to turn away from Hades to move closer to Bobbie and kneel down by him just as another girl came running over with what Quinn could only guess was an ice pack. “Jess, get Greg, he's trained in first aid and he can help Bobbie, make sure he's alright,” Quinn said through clenched teeth while trying not to sound like she was scolding the girl. It wasn't her fault this had happened and at least bobbie was still breathing. When Quinn saw his finger her stomach rolled again. Bones just weren't supposed to look like that. Forcing herself to swallow she completely ignored the man at her back until her boss, Greg, came rushing over with a first aid kit. She and the older man exchanged a look and she slowly pushed herself to her feet.

Ever so slowly she removed the jacket Hades had draped over her and instead of handing it to him draped it over the back of a near by chair then pulled her own on. She made sure her clutch was still in the jacket pocket then turned and walked away. She was still livid and while her gait was smooth the tension in her body was palpable and could be felt by every person close enough to get a good look at her. The moment she was out of the restaurant the low buzz of conversation roared to life as people looked from where she had vanished to where the whole confrontation had started. Clearly it was like dinner and a show and what human could resist a good bit of gossip?

Once outside Quinn didn't even bother to have someone call a cab for her, she just started walking home. She didn't even care that her feet would be killing her by the time she got to the end of the nine blocks, she just needed the exercise to blow off some steam. The night had been going pretty well, she had thought anyway, and Hades hadn't seemed to be as bad as his first impression had made her think. Then he had to go and ruin it. One of the only dates she had been on that she had actually found herself enjoying and it was blown by testosterone and tempers. Ugh. She really should just become a lesbian, at least women were more rational. On second thought...maybe she should just continue to live alone with Puddles as her life long companion. Yeah...yeah that was perfect. Puddles didn't sass her, didn't fight her or fight for her, and all he wanted from her was unconditional love, attention, and food and maybe an occasional walk and to cuddle all the time. In return the pup gave her all of those things back but with the luxury of him not talking. Yup, it looked like it was the Puddles life for her and that suited her just fine.

[Racoonus]

As Hades watched Persephone stomp her way towards him from outside he knew he had ruined his own plan. She was completely furious. He opened his mouth to explain when suddenly: Wham! She smacked him across the face. His jaw clenched down and he growled ferociously as he cheek began to burn. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. He bit his tongue as she shouted at him. The worst part of it was that she was right. It was petty of him to pick on a feeble mortal, but perhaps his common sense was blocked with the frustration that had been building for the last ten months when their last big fight had begun. The god rubbed his sore cheek while he glared down at his angry goddess.

Her attention turned to Bobbie and Hades turned away and faced the wall in thought. His attempt to woo his wife had completely shattered in an instant and he debated if it was even worth continuing. If it meant competition with the knocked out mortal, then it certainly wasn’t. Still, he was much too angry to drag her back to the underworld now and she seemed like she had enough excitement for today anyways. He decided he’d come for her in the morning. With any luck, once she was home she’d regain her memories and everything would be back to the way it was. He regretted wasting his time playing games with her.

Persephone took off his jacket and left. He stood there for a moment, glaring at the door and continuing to ignore the mortal’s around him. After a moment, he pushed past the crowd and left the restaurant. He could still see his wife walking off in the distance on the semi-empty sidewalk. Hades let loose a long sigh and strode off down the street in the opposite direction before disappearing back home in a puff of blue smoke.

. . . . . . . .

In a blinding flash of light, Demeter appeared before Persephone as she was walking. Her mother stopped the younger goddess in her tracts and stood directly in her path. She dramatically dusted off her sleeves and winkled her nose at the sight of the city, before turning her attention to her daughter.

“Darling really,” The goddess began, “Why you bother spending any time in this dreadful place is beyond me.” She complained, referring to the earth as a whole. She was pretty up to date with the current state of the place, but her distaste for it had never changed. She much preferred Olympus to any other realm.

Her golden eyes scanned her daughter up and down. “What are you doing in mortal attire? It doesn’t fit you at all,” she scoffed. Perhaps it was the elitist in her, but anything that was fit for mortals was simply not to the same caliber as anything godly. “Well, never mind that,” She interrupted hardly letting Persephone a word in edgewise, “The ‘king of the doldrums’ forbade me from visiting you, but after so long without so much as a single word! Naturally I started to worry about you, darling. We can just keep this little visit between us, right?”

Looking at Persephone’s expression she pouted her lips and opened her arms wide for a hug. “Aren’t you going to give your mother a hug?” She whined and finally shut up for half of a second.