Rifts (6 page)

The Lab, which was capitalized now because – frankly- giving a place of power over you the respect it deserves is okay in my book. Being tortured, killed and brought back to life still heebed me out but it was important to be brave. I'd been there once since the Episode and Zeus hadn't been around. In fact, I hadn't seen him since he ported me out of that hole in the ground.

I had a few things to say to him. Namely, thank you for saving my life and fixing my house. I'd left with a house in ruins and come home to pristine tidiness. He'd even planted a bit more greenery around the house along with the wards that had kicked Hope out. Yeah, I had some thanking to do.

I was also looking forward to bitching him out. I hadn't set eyes on him in three months. You don't just fix a girl's shit, then leave her to stew with zero information. It was super that he was looking for my mother, even better that he'd taken a more active role in running Olympus, but I had some questions for him. I needed to know what caused the transformation from a raving mad lunatic – hell bent on ending my life - to the guy who'd saved my life, fixed my house and was trying to keep me from danger. This was important stuff. I needed to talk it out to make it all okay.

Well - there was also the fact that I wanted him to teach me. It was time to take up the family business. Plus, having to call someone every time I needed a ride was getting old.

As I approached the Lab a thumping bass was vibrating through the walls, trembling against my feet. I stopped, uncertain. God only knew what was going on behind that door. Hadn't I decided that I was supposed to do at least three brave things a day? I sighed. By golly, this was going to count as one.

I girded my loins, opened the door - trying not to flinch - and was assaulted with the most horrible thing my ears had ever suffered. Pumping through speakers as big as I was tall was
It's a Beautiful Life
by Ace of Base.

My jaw dropped to the floor as I witnessed the God of all Gods be-bopping around his Lab checking instruments to what could only be termed as bad 90s electronica. His hips gyrated and thumped to the beat as he made his way from instrument to instrument.

The only thing that could possibly be worse would have been walking in on your parents having sex. Certain that my psyche would be scarred for life, I screeched, "What in the Holy Hells? Have you been possessed?" My hands flew up to cover my offended ears.

The music cut off in sudden blessed silence and he had the grace to blush before regaining his composure and bellowing, "Don't you know how to knock?"

"Ace of Base?"

"I'm catching up on this Century," he groused.

"But Ace of Base?" I simply could not get past this.

"I like the beat. It makes me feel young again."

I stood there, mouth agape, staring at him as though he'd turned into a flying spaghetti monster.

"Shut your mouth before the flies get in, young lady. And shut the damned door," he thundered.

My body automatically responded to the authority in his voice and I closed both my mouth and the door. "I have much better music that you could listen to."

"I've heard your music and it's enough to drive me to suicide. Why you feel the need to listen to depressing music in your situation is beyond me." His nose rose an inch in the air as his haughty demeanor returned.

"Not all of my music is depressing. I'll bring you a mix tomorrow. If you have any care for me at all, you'll listen to it and realize that anything is better than…
that
,” I waved my hand around to indicate the aural monstrosity I’d just been subjected to. “And… and next time, leave a sign on your door. I think I'll be scarred for life from what I saw."

Suddenly I was enfolded in strong arms attached to his vibrant warm body. I don't know what happened to my composure or what even caused this unexpected display of affection but it opened the floodgates and within seconds his shirt was soaking wet as I sobbed in his arms.

I'm not a pretty crier. My eyes get puffy, lots of water leaks from my eyes and any mucus currently residing in my sinuses takes it as a sign that it's time to escape the confines of my face.  Before I could pull away, he was covered in tears and snot.

"I'm sorry," I hiccupped. "I don't know what's wrong with me."

He patted my back awkwardly.

"I generally don't cry like this," I continued.

He made murmuring noises and rubbed a few times, before his body tightened in what felt like an attempt to escape. It's unfortunate for him that it wasn't going to happen. Now that the floodgates were open, they weren't closing until I'd worked through this.

We shuffle walked over to his seating area, untangled my arms from his waist and sat me down. "Tell me what happened."

So I did.

His eyebrows rose in surprise as I told the story of Hope and Drew's betrayal. Well, they raised more with the discovery that Hope was alive. Less so when he learned that Dylan was his grandson. There may have even been a hopeful gleam in his eye. I shoved that thought down for a later time when I could examine why this would make him happy.

Finally - when I'd finished - he leaned forward and patted me on the knee. "I need to take care of a few things, dear. Will you come back and visit me later?"

"What the hell! I just got here."

"Yes yes and I'm happy to see you. But there are things to tend to."

"Zeus, you haven't seen me in three months and I have training that needs to be done and Rifts to create and damn it - you need to teach me how to port."

"We have instructors here for that dear," he answered distracted. "I'll let someone know to enroll you in some of the beginner classes."

"Beginner classes? Zeus, I'm in my thirties. I can't take classes alongside pre-pubescent snot balls. I'll…I'll be a laughingstock."

"Yes, dear. I'll take care of that right away."

I could tell that he wasn't even with me mentally anymore. I had the strangest conversations with this man. He was infuriating. I couldn't for the life of me figure out why my Mother chose him. Oh, right. He was gorgeous. Adonis didn't get his looks from his mother.

"Fine," I huffed. "I do need to speak to you though. So please summon me when you have some time."

"Of course dear. Have a lovely day." And with that, I was dismissed.

“Hey, new kid!” The voice - just past puberty if I was right - came from behind me. “You can sit with us.”

“Dude,” someone else whispered. “She’s old enough to be my mom. You can’t let her sit with us.”

I squared my shoulders and turned around to face this new challenge head on. Behind me were
literally
the cutest kids I’d ever seen, but I wouldn’t admit it out loud in front of Dylan. The leader of the two was gangly still, in a body that seemed to be growing faster than he could keep up. He was all elbows and knees. His eyes though, they were the color of the Pacific Ocean and dominated a face with a pointy elfin chin and a little button nose. A mane of golden curls framed his features. He looked like I felt - awkward and shaggy.

The one next to him reminded me of the Michelangelo cupids that graced the Sistine Chapel. His hair was a fiery red mop that topped chubby cheeks, big golden brown eyes and a Cupid’s bow mouth. His body was still small with that chub that hits kids before they truly reach puberty.

My face must have softened when I looked at him because he growled, “Watch it lady. I could kill you with my spoon.” Tall and gawky elbowed him in the ribs and gestured towards the opposite bench.

I couldn’t help but like him after that.

As I ate (the most delicious food in my life by the way), I found that Gangly and The Cherub were in fact named Scott and Alton. Alton’s mother had been a Food Network fanatic during her pregnancy. Scott was the son of Mercury, while Alton was Cupid’s get. I tried not to grin at his scowl as he dared me to make fun of him.

I still felt (and was) old enough to be their mother, but sitting with them and just sharing a meal allowed me to relax enough to enjoy the food.

“So I guess you’re some big stuff, huh?” Alton leaned back and crossed his arms.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I replied around a mouthful of shrimp and orzo.

“I dunno, like, your mom is Diana. She's the big dog. I guess that makes you something big too.”

I wiped my mouth and gave him a blank look. He was putting on the tough guy act, trying to impress me. I took a deep breath and leaned forward without breaking eye contact, propping my elbow on the table and my chin in the palm of my hand.

“So…what? Does this mean that you’re small stuff ‘cause your dad is just Cupid? You really good with a bow and arrow? Or are love potions your specialty?” I counted down from ten, waiting for the explosion. I was betting he wouldn’t make it to five.

“That’s total bullsh-!”

“Whoah there mister!” I raised my voice. I could feel heads turning to stare at us, like they hadn’t been straining to hear the conversation already. “Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?”

“-crap…” he finished, albeit more quietly. “Just because my dad can do that doesn’t mean that I can. I’ve got my own thing.”

His lip was starting protrude a little and I reached over to give him a pat on his forearm.

I leaned forward further and whispered, “How about I take you for who you are and you do the same for me? I won’t judge you by your parents and you won’t judge me by mine?”

Understanding lightened his eyes and he nodded.

“Ok then. So, what do we do after lunch?”

Scott was about to answer when a thunder boom of a voice echoed through the courtyard. “There you are Grace! I was wondering where you had gotten to when I saw that Dylan was without you.”

Great, I still hadn’t gotten used to the idea that this guy was my stepfather and now I’d have to deal with it in front of a bunch of kids. I guess that since I was the adult here, I’d have to set the example.

I pasted a smile on my face and stood, turning to greet the man. “Zeus, it’s a pleasure to see you as always. You're well?”

Small gasps and the buzzing sounds of conversations starting surrounded me.

“Good, good!” he boomed. No wonder he was the god of thunder. I got it now. “I see that you've taken to your training?”

“I am sir, thank you.”

“Sir?” he laughed and clapped me on the back. “You can call me Dad!”

All I could think to myself was – Someone kill me. Someone kill me now. I suddenly felt like I was sixteen again.

Frantic whispers got louder by the second and I rolled my eyes.

"You're a jerk. As if training with a bunch of teenagers wasn't hard enough. Let's go."

I picked up the rest of my lunch and preceded him out of the courtyard into an open hallway. "Your Lab?"

"No, let's go to my sitting room. I left your son with Athena. She's teaching him how to swear in five different languages." His voice resonated with fatherly pride.