Skye listened to Sebastian, as they walked along the beach: She carrying Iris - he doing his best 'Perry Mason' impression. They stopped, and he smiled. "Your call, counselor. What shall it be? Siding with the brother who you took care of because Roarke left us or a man who would give his children away like a pair of old socks?"

She raised her hand to stop him. "I seem to recall what you sold to a bunch of Dutchmen on their way to New York. You know what happened. All I've heard from you are grand gestures and over blown sarcasm. What I haven't heard are any real reasons? He's our brother. He gave up his kids for us. We owe him everything."

Seb scowled at her. "I owe him nothing. He left us, Skye. One day, we're a regular happy family, and then he's gone. This is not what someone who loves you is suppose to do."

Skye looked at him, with tears in her eyes. "He had no choice, Sebastian. Can you stop thinking about yourself for one moment and think about what he was going through."

Sebastian scoffed. "God, he fed you that line as well."

Iris glared irritated at her uncle. He had made the nice lady cry.

He looked down at her. "What, pray tell, are you gawking at?"

Her little eyebrows narrowed, and she looked at him mad. "Burple," she shouted. In an instant, Sebastian turned into a purple dinosaur with green spots.

He crossed his arms. "This is not funny."

Skye smiled, as she sat Iris on the hard packed sand, kneeled down in front of the girl and waved her finger, about to scold the child. Instead she started to laugh.

"This is not funny," he repeated belligerently.

"Have you got it working?" asked Trinia, impatiently.

Fisher glared, as he fiddled with the laptop's control pad. "It would go a lot faster if you would stop looking over my shoulder, asking me the same question every five minutes."

Clia looked at Viola as she continually typed away on another laptop. "How is it that Hades can fry one but you have a back up?"

Viola laughed, not taking her eyes off of the screen. "Someone didn't anticipate that we'd get thrown out. I, on the other hand..."

Trinia looked at her, pissed. "I didn't anticipate this? Who was the one who started this scheme in the first place?"

Viola looked up, irritated. "You wanna go to the island in the air tube, because keep it up and see what happens."

Angel, very unceremoniously and dressed in black, walked into the office. "Heard you got her knocked up again? You think you'd learn something about birth control from the first time."

Roarke lowered his paperwork. "Excuse me."

Angel hopped up on the desk and sat with her legs crossed. "You heard me. Somehow though I figure you'll get it right this time. No sacrificing them to annoying Gods. That's how you got the lousy rep on Olympus anyway, and it had nothing to do with Kronos."

He finally noticed her attire. "I see you have moved up in the system."

She looked at him, puzzled for a sec. "What? Oh, this. Yeah, got promoted to a 'death' angel. Andrew was made head of the department, and I'm 2nd in command. I tell you: this system is sexist against women."

Roarke groaned. "How could the angelic system be sexist?"

"Come-on look at the facts, here," she stated. "I mean sure progress is slow. It took Hades forever to get rid of that crew of sprites who worked here before...you know that ones who worked with the quill. Couldn't find the 'delete' button with two hands and a flash light."

Roarke hid his smile.

"At least now, things are actually pleasant around here." At that point a chair flew across the room and out the window.

Clia looked at the television screen, as Fisher tried to deal with the new arrival. "What are you watching?"

"Jerry Springer," answered Viola, as she continued to type.

Clia changed the channel, to CNN. "You don't need to be watching this."

"OK," said Angel, as the chair flew out the window. "As I was saying...Hades made the switch and promoted women. Now the island is running well. Why can't we get the same rights in the Elysian Fields? I say it's time for women to take over."

Roarke glared, annoyed that she was avoiding the subject. "Quite trying to change the subject: how'd you hear that Ariel was pregnant again?"

Angel gave up. "Tula in the infirmary."

Roarke sighed and closed his book. "Well, I'm sure everyone on Olympus has heard by now," he announced sarcastically. "Guess I can cancel the ad."

Angel shrugged and decided to change the subject. "So ya gonna marry her now? I personally think it would be defiantly cool. Preferably before Ariel finds out about Viola and Halli."

Roarke looked at her, in complete shock. "You know where my girls are?"

Angel looked at him, as if he were missing the big picture. "Yes, I know where they are...that's not the problem now. Right now, you should go tell Ariel about them...before Persphone does."

Roarke stared at Angel, almost frozen. "What?"

Ariel lay on her side, trying to sleep. For once, Iris was not taking her attention. Skye had taken her out for a walk, or at least...that's what she said. Ariel wasn't stupid. She still knew that something was going on, something that wasn't right, wasn't safe. Roarke, Skye, and even Cal seemed to be walking on eggshells, plus Harry seemed to be more jumpy then usual. She told Roarke about her trepidations. He tried to calm her worries with a forced smile and nothing more ~~ as if that would convince her.

The air around the island reeked with the aura of danger, and she had caught the scent of Hades' cigar smoke more than once. She hated the idea of him hanging around here. He threw a royal fit when she first arrived on the island, years ago. Hades wasn't going to talk to her she knew that. He barely acknowledged her presence. Besides, until this was cleared up, she wasn't going to leave the island without Iris, and the Underworld was not to the greatest place for a pregnant woman to be.

It was summer. Persephone was making Her presence felt in the world. Ariel knew she could find her in the ruins of Eleusis. Persephone would be able to tell her what it all meant, and what the specific danger was. She hoped. She was never really sure where she stood with the Queen of the Dead. Anytime she was in the woman's presence; she would always smile like a Cheshire Cat like she had some secret that Ariel was not privileged to.

Halli appeared at the top of Ariel's wardrobe closet. Two hours before, Hades had basically told her that she was now to live on the island. So she took her silvery ball, and left for the island. Ariel seemed like the natural first stop. Yet, as she looked down at the woman...she could sense that something was bothering her. Halli waited, curious.

Ariel got up, opened the wardrobe door, and walked in. Halli climbed down, and followed her into the world of graying ambers, as the ruins loomed near. Halli stopped and wondered who could have made such a desolate place. She watched as Ariel place a wreath of flowers on a stone. The wind shifted, then suddenly a tall blonde woman appeared. Halli groaned. "Persphone: figured this had to be yours."

Persephone appeared at her request; Ariel had placed a wreath of flowers on the shattered remains of an altar, an offering the goddess was ambivalent about since it reminded her both of her youth and her marriage wreath. But at Ariel's question, Persephone had simply stared.

She finally grinned, and took Ariel's arm into hers, she patted it like an old friend. "Honey, we need to talk. Erebus."

Erebus was the part of the Underworld where the castle stood. Not quite Tartarus, not quite Elysian fields; not even quite all the way in the Underworld. "I'd rather not," she admitted, uneasy.

Persephone smiled, a knowing look that lacked warmth. "Listen, Ariel. I know that we've never gotten along. I mean...look at me...and then look at you: not exactly in the same boat. But, if you want answers to your questions, we need to speak of things that do not belong to this season or place, of sacrifices and death. Of betrayal and secrets. Will you come?" She extended a hand, adding with amusement at Ariel's hesitation, "I will guarantee your safety, and that of the children."

"Children?" Ariel asked, startled. Did Persephone know she was pregnant again?

But the goddess merely smiled her knowing smile again.

With a guarantee, Ariel reluctantly accepted.

Halli watched in amazement as both women disappeared. She snapped her fingers, and disappeared as well.

They arrived in the sitting room outside the large bedchamber. It was a comfortable looking room, and Ariel noted that the windows looked into the Elysian fields. She sat down on a creamy colored sofa gingerly, paying no attention to the moving potted plant in the corner.

Halli peered from behind the pot, and looked on curiously.

Ariel was about to say something, when an unmistakable sound emerged from the inner room, drawing an expression of fury from Persephone. "Excuse me," she said stiffly, going to the door and throwing it open.

A giggle drifted out of the room. Then a startled exclamation and Ariel heard Hades' voice, "Seph! I wasn't expecting you for another month!"

"Obviously," her voice was a dry mixture of cold fury and contempt.

Ariel's eyes widened as a very disheveled Hecate emerged from the bedroom, looking nonchalant. She did not seem to be either smug or embarrassed.

Persephone gave the dark goddess an exasperated look. "He ditched you for me, why do you keep coming back, crawling to his bed like an idiot?"

"Because his bed is one of the few places where he's not completely and utterly selfish. I like it. Even if I don't like him." Her smile was bitter, but she looked backwards regretfully.

Persephone

Persephone slapped her. "Tramp. Leave now, please, I have company, and more important things to discuss than your love life."

Hecate rubbed her reddened cheek. "Yes, especially since you don't have much of one."

"At least I'm not a fashion victim in leather," shot back Persphone.

Hecate laughed. "Look who' s talking -- you look like you got your fashion sense from that brat of Ares....what's her name? Discord." Hecate looked at Ariel then, and did a double take. "Oh Persephone! You're not going to tell her! It's bad enough that Scath abandoned him on the island, but just when the guy finds happiness...you want to wreck that too." She leaned closer to Ariel, and added in a confidential tone, "Obviously, she lost some of her brains when she got that dye job."

Persephone frowned. "What do you know about this?"

With a bitter laugh, Hecate explained, "I don't have much to do these days, so I spend a lot of time by the black pool watching what's going on. And this little situation is very interesting to watch. I can't believe you're going to tell her."

Persphone glared at Hecate and yelled stridently, "I never asked to be his wife, I never asked to be his Queen. But if I don't do something, he's going to do to me what he did to you. And unlike you, I'm not going to sit idly by and let the Underworld slip through my fingers." She looked at Hades, who was hungrily leering at Hecate. Persphone huffed, disgusted, and shoved him roughly back into the bedchamber.

Hecate sniffed indignantly, but said nothing.

Ariel almost hated to interrupt this fascinating conversation, but the love lives of the gods, intriguing as the subject was, didn't concern her. "Excuse me...kinda here for some information," she reminded them with an uneasy laugh.

Hecate looked at her and smiled warmly. "Honey, you don't want her information. Better yet, you shouldn't be here." And with that she started leading Ariel away.

Halli smiled. The last thing she would ever want to see would be Persphone getting her own way. The other lady was kinda weird, but if she could get Ariel back to the island, without Persphone telling her this information that was bad....more power to her.

Ariel almost hated to interrupt this fascinating conversation, but the love lives of the gods, intriguing as the subject was, didn't concern her. "Excuse me...kinda here for some information," she reminded them with an uneasy laugh.

Hecate looked at her and smiled warmly. "Honey, you don't want her information. Better yet, you shouldn't be here." And with that she started leading Ariel away.

Halli smiled. The last thing she would ever want to see would be Persphone getting her own way. The other lady was kinda weird, but if she could get Ariel back to the island, without Persphone telling her this information that was bad....more power to her.

Hecate pushed Ariel a little closer to the door, before Persphone made it vanish. Hecate sighed. "Obviously I've been replaced by a woman who has no patience, let alone fashion sense." She looked over at Ariel. "And you were gonna take the truth from that one." Hecate laughed, fiendishly, and turned around to stare at Persphone. "I think you should let her go, and hope that Roarke doesn't come down here to get the little minion himself."

She looked over at Ariel, who had no idea what she was talking about. "No one ever told the poor guy he could." She continued: "Sweetie, this woman is what your own mother would call a slut."

Persphone interupted with a laugh. "She's calling me a slut."

Hecate ignored her. "She's lower then dirt. She doesn't care about anything...including Hades...not that it matters to me at all," she said regretfully.

With that she turned to Ariel: "Sweety, this woman is what your own mother would call 'a whore'. She's lower then dirt. She doesn't care about anything...including Hades...not that it matters to me at all," she said regretfully.

Ariel looked at Persphone, and then at Hecate. She nodded. "You might be right. I'm leaving." And she prepared to snap her fingers. But...

Persphone cleared her throat and said "But Ariel, I thought you wanted to hear about Roarke's other kids." She gritted her teeth. "And we were this close."

At that moment, the potted plant in the corner fell over and Halli fell into the middle of the floor. She looked up, and noticed that she had gained the attention of all three women. "Hi," she said pitifully.

Persphone scowled, looked over to Ariel, and pointed to Halli. "She happens to be one of them."

Halli got up, and dusted herself off. She gazed into Ariel's wonderous eyes, and could tell that the woman was about to explode.

Viola looked at the screen as she typed away. She stopped, abruptly, reading the screen. "What? I didn't write that."

Trinia walked over, and read the screen. "Shit...duck."

Both scribes ducked, as the laptop cracked. It made one final groan before finally dying. Viola and Trinia looked at the downed computer. "We're in trouble," commented Viola.

"Big trouble: we left the blotting paper back in the council building," added Trinia.

Viola nodded. "We left Barry there as well."