Title: Cupid's Day
Author: Xandria
Rating: 15+
Fandom: Hercules / Xena Crossover
Spoilers: None
Summary: Cupid's Day. Romance is in the air.
Feedback: Yeah baby!
E-mail: xandria1969@yahoo.com
Archive: Yes. Let me know where though so I can go look
Notes: Sequel to Solstice. 'Cause you asked for it.
Disclaimers: Other people own them all (Sob!) Renaissance Pictures and all that have them.

OLYMPUS: APHRODITE'S TEMPLE

Aphrodite sighed and turned away from her scrying mirror, pouting as she did so then jumped on seeing Discord and Ares standing there.

"What do you want?!" She demanded, eyes narrowed.

"What does anyone want, 'Dite? A nice little war, a bit of bloodshed before supper, and a companion to share it with." The Goddess of Love stared at him then smiled suddenly before flinging her hands around him.

"Oh Ares. You want mer to fix you up with someone? I know just the right..."

"'Dite! I'm fine, okay? It's not for me, it for..." 'Dite looked over at Discord in dismay.

"Her?!"

"Hey it's not as if I wanted to be here! But Ares is right. I need your help. Advice. Look what happened last time I got involved with someone."

"you get involved with people all the time, Eris."

"Involved. As in a relationship? I just don't have any luck that way. Ares...persuaded me to ask you."

"More like forced 'Dite. Thirty years of whining about how Jorus suddenly died like that."

"Well you were the one who sent him to that battle!"

"I didn't kill him, it was his time to go!"

"I was going to make him my consort, Ares. Both our parents actually agreed to it, and mother had an apple for him. After this last battle."

"Eris, I'm sorry. I didn't know." Aphrodite came up to her and held her arms out. Discord stared at her and then moved forward and hugged her.

"Well only four other gods knew. Now five. You know what they would have done to him."

"Four?"

"Well, our parents, Ares and Strife."

"I thought you two hated each other."

"Of course we don't! He's my little dagger and I love him. We just..get on each other's nerves a little, that's all. And he helped when..." Discord stopped and stiffened. Ares came over and held her from behind, so all three stood on a three way hug.

"Tell her Eris. 'Dite can't help without knowing it all."

"I was pregnant. They were going to be made gods. But father said that since Jorus died it was not meant to be. Give them up or he would make sure I never bore them to term. Jorus had a brother whose wife was barren, so I went away and stayed with them. They never knew who I really was, just that I was pregnant with Jorus' child. It's not as if the Pantheon would know I was not there. And when I had my children, I gave them to Ylena and left."

"Wait a minute. Ylena? That's funny, it sounds familiar. And children? You had to give up twins?"

"Triplets. I used to come back every now and then and tell them stories though. Jett loved to hear what Strife did best. Jace about me. And Joxer? He didn't care, he just loved to hear me talk. I think he knew who I really was, somehow. Anyway, Strife used to visit, too. I think he gave Joxer the idea for the song and the armour. I know he helped Jett and Jace when they both started out." Eris smiled at the Goddess of Love's face.

"Joxie? Studmuffin? My favourite mortal is your son? Actually, that explains a heck of a lot." She giggled suddenly.

"What?!"

"Well, now I know why Ares never blasted him out of existence when he and Xena got together. And they make a really hot couple. He..." looking up at him, she stopped talking.

"Joxer. And Xena!? My daughter and Joxer?!" Ares let go and tottered back in surprise.

"Duh. Since Solstice, bro. What have you been doing to not notice?"

"I've been...busy." He protested, still thinking of Xena and Joxer together.

"You got a problem with them being together?!" Discord demanded, turning around to look at him, hands on hips.

"No. I'm just surprised."

"Well if you could be bothered to pay attention to anything apart from Iphicles and the latest campaign then maybe you would have listened when I told you about it!"

"Iphy?! You and Iphy?! He was my last hope!"

"Your last hope? Iphicles is mine!" Ares said, narrowing his eyes at the two Goddesses in front of him.

"Well duh. Like I didnt' try years ago to get you two together. I thought you had no interest so I was hoping to set him up with Sweetcheeks."

"Iolaus?!"

"Well, the sexual tension between them was pretty high for a while there. But neither did anything because of Herc. So now he and Jace are together Iolaus is alone. I need to fix him up with someone."

"Hercules and Jace!?" Ares sat down on the floor suddenly.

"Well yeah. And Jett and Gabrielle."

"Hercules and Jace!?" Ares said again. "Does this mean the Widow Twanky stories were true?!" Both Goddess giggled, united for once in laughing at their brother.

"Apparently. And Jace has...persuaded Herc to appear in his latest show." At the look on Ares face they laughed even harder, holding on to each other as they sank down to the floor.

"Jett and Gabrielle?!" Ares finally said. Both Goddesses laughed even harder.

EARTH: MELODIA

Iolaus sighed as he watched his best friend and Jace move together in rehearsal on the stage. It was going to be a great show. He sighed again. He was glad Herc finally found someone, he just wished he had someone too. Solstice Day had been great, but lonely. Everyone was in couples and he was the odd man out. Damn it.

Cupid suddenly appeared in a flash of silver sparkles and hearts.

"Why are you so sad? It's my day, a day for love!" He said with a big smile.

"Yeah well I don't have anyone to love with! Admit it, Cupid, if Strife wasn't around how would you feel right now?"

"Lonely. Sad. Well this can't happen! I gotta fix you up with someone!" The God of Love flung his arms around him and they disappeared.

"What did you think of that?" Hercules said as he turned around to look at the chairs. No Iolaus. "Where did he go?"

"Per'aps 'e was...hungry." Jace said. Hercules narrowed his eyes. That tone of voice caused all his blood to retreat to a lower area. He smiled and took a step towards Jace who widened his eyes at the demigod. "Per'aps...you are hungry too?" Hercules growled and flung Jace over his shoulder before rushing to his dressing room. It was time to go over their lines.

OLYMPUS: APHRODITE'S TEMPLE

Iolaus and Cupid appeared suddenly in front of three startled gods. Discord and Aphrodite were kneeling together and holding on to each other, while Ares sat on the floor in front of them both and glared.

"Uh, if you guys are busy, I could come back" Cupid said. Iolaus just stared.

"No! It's okay Cupie, we were just having a laugh together. Seems Ares been a little...preoccupied and didn't know about the triplets." Cupid grinned suddenly.

"Okay. I think I get the picture. So..."

"When are you going to make an honest man of my son?!" Discord suddenly said, staring at Cupid. Ares smirked. Good. Someone else had her attention for a while.

"Wh..what?"

"Strife. My son. Are you going to marry him? It would be nice if someone from my line was actually married before having kids, you know?"

"Kids?"

"Of course kids! Now that Strife is pregnant are you going to make an honest God out of him? I don't want him to go through what I did." Cupid mirrored his father and sat down on the floor with a thump.

"Pregnant? Strife!" In a flash of purple sparks the God of Mischief appeared.

"What ya doing here Cupie? I thought you were gonna have a quick word to Curly and come back? Hi Mom, Unc, Aunt 'Dite. Wait a minute, you fixed up Curly with my Mom?! Wow!"

"Wow? Curly...I mean Iolaus and Discord? No wait a minute, how come you never said you were pregnant!" Cupid demanded, standing up to loom over his lover. Strife whirled around and glared at his mother. Then he turned around to look back at his lover

"Mom! How could ya! Cupie, I only found out yesterday and I had things set up to tell ya when ya got back!"

"I see. And you expect me to marry you!?" Cupid frowned.

"What?! Marriage?!" Strife took a step back in alarm.

"So you don't wanna marry me?" Cupids' eyes widened and seemed to suddenly fill with tears. Strife stared at his lover and did the only thing he could think of. He grabbed him and kissed him, hard.

"Yes!" Aphrodite yelled. Ares smirked. Discord and Iolaus wandered off to speak quietly to each other in another part of the room.

"So, both Cupid and Strife think wow at the idea of us together. What do you think?" Iolaus said quietly. Discord looked at him.

"I don't know. We don't exactly have a good history."

"Well, maybe we could change that. Why don't we get to know each other. Not as sidekicks but as people. Discord and Iolaus."

"Eris."

"What?"

"If we're going to get to know each other you should call me Eris. It's my name."

"I never knew that. It's lovely." Still talking, they wandered off. Aphrodite watched them, watched her son kissing Strife and then blew her nose on a pink lace handkerchief.

"Isn't it beautiful?"

"Fine. Can I go now?" Ares said impatiently.

"Well I never asked you to be here anyway!" Aphrodite said and threw the handkerchief at him before disappearing in a flash of pink sparkles and roses. Peeling the sodden piece of cloth off his chest with a look of disgust, Ares dropped it to the ground and disappeared as well.

END for now

Xandria