Title: Raising Mischief - Care
Fandom: Hercules The Legendary Journeys/Xena Warrior Princess
Characters: Strife
Prompt: #59 Food
Word Count: 1,660
Rating:PG13
Summary: Erin gets some TLC.
Author's Notes: Sixth in the Raising Mischief series.
Big Damn Table

Hera flashed into Ares' temple and smiled at the sight that greeted her. Ares was lying in his bed curled protectively around Erin stroking the sleeping boy's hair. He eyed his mother but made no move to get out of the bed.

Hera smiled and approached the bed. It was then Ares noticed the extra energy she had with her and the distinct signature of Eris.

"What did you do?" Ares asked intrigued.

"A little punishment, a little gift for Erin," she said extending her arm and feeding Erin the excess energy before sealing Discord's power symbol in her temple and sealing the entire structure off for the next few decades. Knowing her daughter Erin would claim it long before she ever did again.

After the energy boost Erin woke peering around the room. Looking at Ares who smiled at the young boy, Hera gave him a small smile and stood back to watch the interaction. Ares watched the wary child and stood up.

"There's something I want to show you," he said as he rotated his shoulders. Smiling he unfurled his own wings. Black as pitch, he rarely used them. Fanning them out on either side of him he smiled at Erin's gasp of delight.

"Would you like to touch them?" Ares asked and Erin nodded so rapidly Ares feared he would hurt himself. Sitting down on the bed he waited as he finally felt tentative touches to his wings. Glancing at Erin over his shoulder he smiled at the look of wonder on his face. Ares fluttered his wings and Erin giggled. Liking the sound Ares fluttered faster brushing his wings against Erin who let out another burst of giggles.

Hera smiling to herself softly called her sister, who appeared moments later a tray of cookies in hand, her brown hair wrapped up in a bright red scarf that matched her simple dress.

"Who's that little darling?" Hestia asked as Erin climbed onto Ares' back and the war god took off flying around his temple.

"That is Erin, Eris' son."

"He looks a little thin," Hestia said shaking her head. Though she said the same to most of the other gods, except Zeus, she usually told her brother he was looking portly.

"He is, Eris was not the best mother," Hera said before regaling the story to her and her current punishment.

"Hmm, I may have to visit that cave," Hestia said a cold glint her usually welcoming hazel eyes. "Ares dear come down here and say hello to your aunt."

Ares who had moved Erin to his arms, dived quickly to the ground pulling up at the last moment and landing softly on his feet. Smiling down at Erin he was worried when he noticed that he was all eyes wide and unblinking.

"Strife you okay?"

"Do it 'gain," he said as a huge grin spread across his face and Ares let out a booming laugh. Hestia and Hera exchanged a glance and smirked at each other as Hestia offered her sister a cookie.

"Hello Aunt Hestia," Ares said smiling as he shifted his hold on Erin so he was held by a single arm but did not place the child on his feet. Despite the energy boost he was not going to take any chances with the weak child. Reaching for a cookie he handed it to Erin.

Erin took it and turned it in his hands then sniffed it. He gave it a small lick and then looked at Ares to confirm. "Food?" Ares' flabbergasted expression only vanished when the hearth flared to angry life. He glanced at his aunt and was sure if the tray wasn't a gift from Hephaestus it would have shattered in her grip.

"It's a cookie, give it a taste sweetie," Hera said and Erin took a small bite, quickly followed by a much larger one enjoying the cookie immensely if his expression of delight was anything to go by.

"You never had one of these before?" Hesitia exclaimed exchanging her cookie platter for Erin so quickly that Ares never knew what hit him. Blinking he decided to take a cookie watching as Erin finished his cookie.

"Have you ever had cake?" Erin shook his head. "Cupcake?" Head Shake. "Ice Cream?"

"Ice? Cream?"

"I'm taking you home with me right now. You are going to try everything, what did your mother feed you?"

"Lumpy, whites."

"Lumpy whites? What are lumpy whites? Picture it for me sweetie," Hestia said taking another cookie and handing it to Erin. "Oh, porridge. Very bland porridge, that..that…Ares dear let me know when you are done with her."

"Alright, do you want to spend the rest of the day with Strife?"

"Erin dear, call him Erin, if you like Strife so much you can use it for his official duties, once he is of age to take them all."

"Yes Mother, so Erin, do you want to spend the day with your Aunt Hestia and Grandmother? She's going to show you what else there is to eat besides porridge."

"Oh much more, I'll find your favorite food yet."

"I'll send you to E-R-I-S now dear, call me when you are done."

"Alright mother," Ares said lowering his head for the required kiss to his cheek.

"Now remember Ares she is only immortal, no reason to be too savage. We wouldn't want her unconscious too soon now would we?" Hera said coldly as Hestia distracted Erin by describing different foods the boy had never heard of or experienced.

Ares was about to retract his wings when he thought of something a plucked a black feather from his left wing and handed it to Erin. "I'll come have dinner with you all, be good for your Aunt Hestia." Erin nodded and was flashed to Hestia's home temple on Olympus where he was instantly greeted by many different smells.

The place had a completely different feel from Ares' marble temple instead, made of wood and lots of open spaces. The most dominating part of the temple short of the enormous dining hall had to be the kitchen. Large even for Olympic standards, the rectangular room was filled with tables and supplies. She had an entire wall devoted to cooking utensils, pots, pans and trays. Arranged neatly on shelves or on pegs that hung off the wall. The opposite wall was a long oven that could be lit in sections or in one long row of cooking food. Enchanted so that it was safe for children and so that no flavors ever blended no matter what was cooking side to side.

The other wall was a series of shelves open to Olympus and its constant steady breeze used as cooling center for cakes and pies. Lastly on one of the longer walls opposite of the fire she had it divided in sections. One section had cold air rising from it, a gift from a visiting god from India Himvatt who loved her chilled deserts so much he refused to make it necessary to flash in ice from the tip of Mt. Olympus. Next came most of her baking supplies from visiting deity's and even mortal traders who had passed outside of Greece. Finally were the supplies she always had on hand if someone else wanted to prepare something.

"Well my dear, we have some work to do," Hestia said as she settled Erin on her hip and lifted a tray. Filling it with samples from around her kitchen, she decided that just this once Erin could have a meal that was leaning strongly towards sweets though she did add fruits and some stew she had been making for Apollo and Asclepius who she realized were also dropping by for dinner.

Smiling she sent out Invitations to nearly all the gods of Olympus and beyond not one to forget her brothers and began planning Erin's impromptu coming out. She was sure to add that the gods should bring their children.

Sitting down at one of her smaller tables she sat Erin in her lap and held out the tray before her. She would break odd a small piece of her already small samples and gauge Erin's reactions. Complete with a large goblet of chilled milk to wash it down. For cakes, other cookies and even a bit of frosting he seemed to have the same reaction, he clearly enjoyed it but it was not 'it' yet. Hestia smiled and broke off a piece of chocolate cake and held it out to Erin. He tasted the moist cake and was frozen in his spot for a moment.

For the first time since the taste test had begun, Erin ignored the next sample that Hestia was holding for him and instead went for the rest of the bit of cake finishing it off and liking his fingers.

"Of course, it's always the chocolate. Would you like a little soup now?" Erin nodded touching the still warm bowl as he took the spoon and took a taste. Once he had finished the stew, Hestia rewarded him with another small piece of cake and now warm milk. She smiled as he yawned and carried him to the bath to wash his hands and face, before tucking him in her bed.

"Take a little nap; if you wake up without me I'll be in the kitchen, making dinner, you can come join me." Erin nodded sleepily already drifting off and Hestia materialized a small stuffed Ares doll complete with wings, sure it was just what Erin needed after seeing how he looked at his uncle. She had made a similar one for Cupid ages ago.

Erin clutched the plush war god with a smile and drifted into the realm of dreams.
Big Damn Table