“Rise and shine, Thea!”

Opening her eyes, she flew backwards in the bed until she hit the floor. Apollo was crouching beside the bed and his face had been inches from hers. He grinned and stood up. “Oh, don’t be shy, Thea. I’ve seen it all before. Well, actually I haven’t seen all of yours before and I admit I was hoping you slept all natural like myself –“

He grunted as she flung him across the room with the wind. He smashed into the dresser and it crumbled beneath his weight.

“Get out,” she snapped, pulling the sheet around herself.

Apollo mumbled as he climbed out of the dresser remains and walked out, shutting the door behind him. Thea quickly grabbed her backpack and went into the bathroom. Washing quickly for fear that Apollo would try to sneak back in, she changed into a pair of jeans and her black Ramones shirt before heading out.

Apollo was waiting just outside the door. She was relieved he was wearing normal clothes today. He had on a pair or brown shorts which clung to his thighs and a shirt that read, ‘I don't know how to put this but I'm kind of a big deal’. She couldn't help but smile at the shirt and he followed her gaze.

“Good movie.”

“No, it was a great movie,” she corrected. “Classiest news anchor that never was.”

He grinned. “Ron Burgundy certainly has style. Come on, we'll eat then go and start raising the temperature.”

She followed him downstairs to a small kitchen in the back. He motioned to the cupboards. “Help yourself, the food that gets eaten is replaced every couple of days by a nymph. Her only rule is that I'm not allowed to be in the house when she does her restock.”

Thea grabbed a pear and took a small bite. “You know, you're starting to remind me of that little goat thing in the Disney Hercules movie.”

Apollo's mouth was stuffed with bread. “Why?”

“Because, like the goat dude, you think you're a big ladies man, but then when he tries to catch the nymphs they run away and turn into trees.”

Apollo made a small noise in the back of his throat and drank some water. “Please, no nymph could ever escape me. And why would they want to?”

Not wanting to bruise his ego — he still had to train her after all — she bit into the pear again and chose not to answer him. They ate quickly — or Apollo did anyway, consuming half a loaf of bread and three apples — before they headed outside.

The sun was already high in the sky, though it felt like morning and the warmth of the rays had her body relaxing instantly.

“Is it always sunny here?” she asked him.

He stopped in the middle of the green field and looked up at the sun. “It is most of the time. There's hardly ever a bad day here unless one of the Gods is in a foul mood. Back when Lissandre was around, we had continuous lightning storms for a month when she refused to sleep with Zeus. The guy doesn't take rejection well.”

“Good to know,” Thea murmured.

Apollo slapped her shoulder and her knees buckled. “Don't worry, we'll be there if he decides to show up. I'm actually looking forward to watching you shut him down again. And when he realises you're with Hermes — man, he is going to be so pissed off!”

Apollo's joy only added to her worry and she stepped away from him. “So, let's get started.”

Apollo nodded and sat down. “Pull up some grass. We don't need to be on our feet all day.”

She sat down, crossing her legs, and waited for him to begin. Apollo seemed to be deep in thought. “I guess we'll start with something simple, like creating a flame. When you think of starting a fire, what do you think of?”

Billy Joel’s, ‘We didn’t start the fire’, popped into her head, which then lead to The Office’s funny version and she tried to smother her grin and focus. “Um, I guess striking a match?”

“All right then, let's go with that. I want you to picture your finger as a match and create a flame from the fingertip. Do you think you can do that?”

“I can try…”

“All right. One thing to remember, Thea; with fire, think of it as a strong emotion, like passion or anger. It's something that builds, is fuelled by everything that happens around you. You got it?”

She wasn't sure but nodded anyway. “Good.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a Gameboy. “You start doing that and let me know if you need a hand.”

She glanced at him wryly. “This is your method of teaching?”

“Well, you already know how to do this, Thea. It's just a matter of recalling how to do it. And, this is Pokemon Red!”

“Your point?”

“I've never caught them all before on this thing and that's the whole point, right? Catching them all? So while I focus on this, you focus on learning.”

He caught her look of annoyance and leaned over, hand brushing her knee. “It's either that or I can sit here and watch you all –“

“Shut up and play your game, Apollo.” She slapped his hand and he chuckled, moving away to play his game.

Holding her finger up, she first tried to picture a flame shooting from the tip. The same method of picturing it had worked for the other elements in a way, so she figured it was worth a shot. After feeling nothing for twenty minutes, she changed tactics.

Remembering how she had heated the water, she tried to focus on just the heat, removing water from the equation. She used the sun's heat as a source of inspiration too and after a few moments, she saw a spark flicker.

“I made a spark!”

Apollo didn't look up from game, completely engrossed in some Trainer's battle. “That's nice. Keep practicing.”

She tried again and after only five minutes, a spark flickered above her fingertip and a matchstick sized flame appeared. It connected with her skin and she grinned. This was going to be easy, she thought.

“Apollo, look! I did it.”

She noticed he had moved closer to her, and slowly inched away. He looked up from his game and nodded. “Good job. Now focus on controlling the flame and adjusting its size.”

Feeling confident, Thea turned her attention back to the flame and tried to make it bigger. After an unsuccessful hour and having to recreate a flame five more times, Thea's arm began to get tired from sitting upright and she extinguished the flame. “Why can't I make it grow bigger?”

Apollo was pressing buttons furiously. “You need passion. Your emotions need to be heightened. I told you that, remember?”

“Well I'm getting pissed off with your teaching but that's not helping me.”

“Maybe you're not angry enough?”

Creating another flame, she was about to tell him to shove it when he leaned over and kissed her cheek. She glared at him and for a brief moment the flame grew bigger, matching the size of her finger.

Apollo was smirking and she wondered if she could set his pants on fire when a fist came out of nowhere and Apollo's head smashed into the ground. In her shock, the flame vanished and she stared up at a very pissed off Hermes.

“I thought I told you not to try anything!” he growled.

Apollo was laughing, mouth full of dirt and grass. “You're so cute when you're jealous, Hermes.”

Hermes eyes darkened and Thea grabbed his arm. “Stop! It's all right. He was just trying to make me angry. Right, Apollo?”

Apollo was sitting up by now, spitting out what was in his mouth. “That was the plan. I was going to try for second base but I thought a kiss might do it. It worked too.”

Hermes shoulders were stiff and she held his arm while rubbing it reassuringly. “Probably best you keep that kind of information to yourself next time, Apollo.”

“Is it my turn to beat him?”

Apollo's face paled and he crawled backwards at his sister’s advance. “Come on! I was just trying to help! One punch is enough.”

Artemis stood next to Thea and sent her a wink. “I don't know, brother. I always find one punch isn't enough to get through to that brain of yours. Four or five usually does the trick - get back here!”

Artemis took chase as Apollo sprinted off into the fields, desperate to avoid his sister's punishment. Thea watched them go, still trying to ease the tension out of Hermes shoulders. “Artemis just winked at me,” Thea stated.

Hermes pulled her close and embraced her. “I told you she would warm to you. Did that jerk try anything else?”

She leaned up and kissed his cheek, feeling his body relax. “No. Before that he was a gentlemen - well as gentlemanly as Apollo can be, I think. Did you find Josh?”

Hermes sighed, turning her so she was pressed against his front. He touched his forehead to hers, closing his eyes. “I'm sorry, Peaches. There was no sign of him. All signs point to Cronos taking him.”

Her grip on his biceps tightened and he pressed closer, nose brushing against hers. “I really am sorry. I promise I'll do whatever it takes to save him.”

“I thought you didn't like him,” she whispered.

He chuckled lightly and pressed a soft kiss to her mouth. “I don't, but you care about him — as a friend of course — and that's all I need to know.”

She smiled, wrapping her arms around his waist. “You're being sweet again. Stop it.”

“Not a chance.” He kissed her, slow and gentle until she was breathless, her fingers pressing into his back.

“I missed you,” he murmured when he pulled away.

“You were only gone one night,” she teased.

“That was too long.”

She reached up, cupping his face and kissed him quickly. “I missed you, too.”

“Oh would you two stop it before I barf?”

Thea jumped, trying to move away, but Hermes stopped her retreat. “Better get used to it, Artemis.”

She stood with a look of disgust on her face, one had gripping Apollo's ear, which had turned purple. He was watching them, grinning stupidly, all thoughts of his ear forgotten until Artemis shuddered and he winced as her hand moved. “I'll never get used to that sight. Keep that sort of thing for the bedroom.”

“Hey, this is my home. You guys can make out wherever you want –“

Artemis kicked his legs out from under him and Apollo groaned. “Or just keep it for the bedroom like my dear sister said,” he wheezed.

“Did he tell you about your friend?” Artemis asked her.

“He just told me.”

Artemis nodded. “Sorry, if I'd been more focused I would have known the bastard would try something like this.”

“It's not your fault, Artemis.”

“Fault or no fault, Cronos pulled one over me and I don't like it. Hermes said you want to save him, so I'll do what I can to help.”

“Thank you. That's nice of you, since you don't know the man.”

“Not doing it to be nice,” she mumbled. She cleared her throat and yanked on Apollo's ear. “Come on, let's leave them to their business.”

“But I need to train Thea –“

“She can practice without you for a few hours. See you guys later.”

They headed towards Apollo's home and Hermes grinned. “So, where were we?”

“I was in the middle of practising,” she reminded him. Sitting down, she tried to focus on the flame again.

Hermes lay down next to her, resting his head on her lap. “You better not distract me,” she warned.

He re-adjusted to get more comfortable. “I didn't get much sleep last night so I won't. Wake me when it's time to eat.”

Leaning down, she pressed a kiss to his forehead. He smiled and drifted off to sleep as she tried to get the hang of making fire.

*                             *                             *                             *

After trying for three hours, Thea was ready to give up. It was damn near impossible. She could now snap her fingers and create a small flame, but she couldn't make it bigger or spread it. At one point, she thought the flame had grown in size when she looked at Hermes as he murmured in his sleep, but when she looked back it was the same.

Deciding she had practiced enough, she went to poke Hermes awake, ready to eat. Something flashed above her and she looked up. The sky was clear and her brow furrowed. Thinking it must have been a bird flying past the sun, she looked back down and froze.

A man stood in front of her. He looked to be in his late thirties or early forties. He had the look of a man who had been handsome when he was young and had improved with age. With shoulder length white-blond hair, his blue eyes pierced her and she shivered. He wore black pants and a white shirt which clung to his well-formed chest.

“So,” his voice was deep, its power seemed to resonate from within him. “You must be Thea.”

She shook Hermes awake and he sat up, confused. “What's happening?”

“We have a guest,” she said quietly.

He turned to where she was looking and she felt his body tighten. He stood up quickly and she followed suit. “To what do we owe this unexpected pleasure, Zeus?”

Her eyes widened as she realised who he was.

“Nothing unexpected about it.” His eyes never left Thea and she tried not to squirm under his gaze. “You knew I would be coming; not going to miss another opportunity. Now leave us, I wish to be alone with the girl.”

Thea moved closer to Hermes and found his hand. He gripped it tightly. “Sorry, I can't do that.”

“You will,” he growled. “I have an errand you need to run.”

“Sure you do,” Hermes muttered.

Thunder rolled in the sky and Thea jumped. “Don't leave!” she hissed.

“I'm not going anywhere.”

Zeus' eyes narrowed. “You dare disobey me?”

“My orders were to protect Thea and I am protecting her. Right now the one God she needs protecting from the most is you.”

“She doesn’t need protection from me,” he smirked. “We've got unfinished business, that's all.”

“Unless your business has to do with Cronos, then there is no unfinished business.”

Zeus took a step forward and Thea took one back, trying to drag Hermes with her. He stood his ground though, eyes defiant. “You know what I want, Hermes. Don't try and get in my way.”

“I know what you want and I know you are never going to get it.”

“Do you now?” Zeus smirked. “And how do you know that?”

Hermes turned, grabbing Thea, and kissed her, fingers pressing into her waist. Thea gasped, hands flat against his chest and they slowly curled around his neck, holding him close as the kiss deepened.

Lightning flashed and they pulled apart. Hermes smiled at her reassuringly and turned back to Zeus, Thea held firmly against him. “I know three reasons why. The most important one being that she is mine. I love her and I won't let you get anywhere near her.”

Thea jolted against him at his confession. She wasn’t sure if he had meant to say it. He continued, “Secondly, Thea knows all about you; your womanising ways, your perverted fascination with sleeping with Lissandre, the whole enchilada.”

Hermes eyes glanced behind Zeus and a grin slowly spread across his face. “And the third reason, well, she's standing behind you.”

It happened in a heartbeat. Zeus' hard demeanour changed, a flicker or fear flashing through his eyes. He turned around, muttering a small curse.

Standing together, arms crossed, were two women. Artemis stood a little behind the first woman, unable to hide her glee. The other woman was beautiful in a hard way. Her features were slightly pointed, lips thinned until they were just visible. Her brown hair was collected in a bun on the top of her head, small tendrils framing her face. She wore a green dress, the material light and slightly see through. It had been wrapped around her small frame many times and tied with a small, gold, circular broach on her left shoulder.

The one thing that stood out though, were her eyes. The bright green orbs were burning into Zeus' skull and Thea had a feeling that the saying, 'if looks could kill' had originated from this woman's cold stare.

Hermes murmured in her ear, “Say hello to Hera, wife of Zeus.”

Her eyes widened; so this was the Goddess Zeus was scared of.

Hera took a step forward and she saw Zeus tense. “What are you doing here?” he asked.

Artemis put her hands on her hips. “I told her. Saw you arrive and thought Hera deserved to know what you were up to.”

Zeus started to answer but Hera intercepted, slapping his face. The sound was enough to make Thea wince. “You just don’t know when to give up, do you? Still acting pissy over a failed conquest! Get it through that thick skull of yours, the girl is not interested!”

“She doesn’t have to be interested,” Zeus muttered which earned him another slap across the head. The sound echoed through the field and Thea was glad she wasn’t on the receiving end.

Hera glanced at her and she pressed against Hermes. “So, are you ready to send Cronos back yet?”

“Almost, ma’am.”

Her eyebrows raised. “Almost?”

“I just have fire to learn and then I should be ready.” She wanted to add ‘I think’ on the end but had a feeling Hera didn’t want to hear any doubts.

“Good. I’m tired of all this nonsense and tired of stopping this idiot from panting after you.”

Thea flushed and Hermes gave her a squeeze. “It’s not her fault, Hera.”

“I know. Doesn’t mean I have to be nice about it.”

She grabbed Zeus and yanked him away from Thea and Hermes. “Unless you’re here to discuss the upcoming battle, get back home!”

Zeus pulled his arm from her grasp. “There is something I wanted to bring up. The mortal who was taken; I’ve heard you are going to try and save him.”

Thea nodded. “That’s right.”

“Well I’m telling you right now, it’s not happening. The mortal is not important.”

“But he’s my friend,” Thea argued. “I’m not just going to let him be killed!”

“His death will be unfortunate but I can assure you, Cronos won’t let him out alive.”

She shook her head. “No, Josh will be saved. You will help me save him and if you don’t, I refuse to help you send Cronos back.”

The atmosphere seemed to darken. Hera watched her with interest as Zeus scowled. “You will do what you were made for –“

“No, I won’t.” Heart pounding, she kept going. “I have done everything you guys have asked of me. I have already lost my best friend because of this mess and I refuse to lose anyone else. I haven’t asked you for anything before this but I’m asking you – no, I’m telling you now: Josh will be saved or Cronos walks free. So choose — will you help me save him or not?”

Thunder rumbled and Thea tried not to cower under the God’s glare. His hands curled into fists and his jaw tensed. “We will save your mortal,” he ground out. “Happy?”

“Ecstatic.”

Hera grabbed his arm, smiling wryly at Thea. “Let’s go, husband.”

They vanished in an eye blink and Thea released a trembling breath. Hermes sent Artemis a look and she nodded. “I’ll see you guys later.”

She headed back to the house and Hermes wasted no time. Her stomach lurched as they disappeared, landing in Gaia’s forest. He kissed her quickly, giving her no time to speak. His mouth travelled down her neck and she laughed.

“Hermes, what has got into you?”

He pressed a kiss to her neck, hands travelling down her back. “Watching you put Zeus in his place was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen. Now stop talking and let me kiss you.”

Still running on leftover adrenaline from ordering around Zeus and Hermes confession, Thea gladly closed her mouth and let him kiss her.

______________________________________

A/N: Thanks guys for being patient with me. I really appreciate it. So what were your thoughts on Zeus and Hera?