June 19th, 2013

Greece was beautiful in the summer, and Porto Helio, the area where Ares made his home, was one of the most beautiful parts of Greece. Unfortunately, that beauty was lost on Becky when she arrived there, borne away from Sioux Falls out of concern for her life. Still plagued by the blood madness that seemed to fill her mind, it had taken a long time to get her into just one room of the villa, and even then, they'd had to burst in and remove everything in there that might possibly be used to hurt herself with. That rage had been turned inward; they could hear her raving about wanting to die, about how she deserved to die for killing Jo, that nothing would be right until justice was served with her death.

In the adjoining room, Ayden sighed softly, rubbing a hand over the prominence of her pregnant stomach. "Don't you have any idea what?s wrong with her?" she asked her husband worriedly.

Ares looked about as perplexed as Ayden, though he was hopeful Sam would be able to keep Becky from harming herself or anyone else. "I have a few ideas, as you put it, but I am not entirely certain what is causing her madness," he replied, with a worried frown. He had a few ideas about how they might be able to find out, but he wasn't sure Becky would agree.

"How do we find out what?s going on?" Ayden asked, glancing toward the room. "At some point, Sam's going to need a rest, and I can't control her, not without risking the baby. I could sedate her, I suppose, but if this is something controlling her, sedation wouldn't work, would it?"

"No, and I don't think it's her fault. I don't think it's simply madness. There is something else going on here. I believe it has something to do with the death of Becky's father," he said, though he was still trying to put all the pieces together. "Did you notice anything strange about Becky after she ....after Jo was killed?" he asked, though they'd been over this half a dozen times or more already.

She frowned, trying to think of something they hadn't already gone over. Ayden trusted Ares knew what he was talking about, that he had a reason for asking her so many times about the same thing over and again. She thought she might be disappointing him, though. "The only thing I can think of is something Ellen said," she shrugged. "She said Sam was worried weeks ago that something was up. Apparently Becky was talking in her sleep, something about Jo being evil and everything being her fault and the world being right again if Jo died. But after Jo ....after it happened, Becky stabbed herself. Why would she do that' She killed her boyfriend's mother, sure, but there's no reason why she would kill herself. Is there?"

Ares thought about that a moment, and something clicked in his mind, but he still wasn't sure. If he was right, though, then this was even bigger than he thought. "It's about justice. For whatever reason, Becky believes Jo was responsible for her father's death; hence, Becky was avenging her father's death, but if justice be served, then Becky herself must be punished for the very act of vengeance. It is an old way of thinking. An eye for an eye, so to speak," he explained, though admittedly, it wasn't much of an explanation.

Ayden stared at him, not entirely sure she could follow this herself. "But Becky's a bright kid," she pointed out. "She'd never believe that Jo could possibly be responsible for her father's death; she knows too much to be able to believe that. Not without someone influencing her."

"Exactly. The question is who ....or what," Ares replied. "I have an idea, but I'm not sure Becky will agree to it," he said, though he had yet to share that idea with Ayden. It seemed to him the only people who were in danger right now were Jo and Becky, but if he put his plan into action, there was no telling what might happen.

"Becky's not sane enough right now to recognize her own boyfriend," his mortal wife pointed out to him. "At this point, I don't think it matters what she would agree to. I think it's Sam who needs to make those decisions. But I think you should tell me, first."

Once again, Ares paused a moment to consider her words. He didn't want to do anything that would put Becky or anyone else at risk, but if they did not do something, she would either go mad or find a way to end her life. As the old saying went, it seemed they had nothing to lose. "Clotho," he said simply, hoping she'd understand what he was suggesting. Clotho was the last of the Fates who was still living, thanks to him and to the surge of compassion that had stopped him from killing her.

"What about her?" Ayden asked warily. She'd never met Clotho herself, but given that the woman had been made mortal pretty much the same day that Ayden had become pregnant, the last of the Fates was still very present in her mind. Without Clotho's warning, they would have lost their son, and any chance of having another child after him. "You think she knows what?s going on?"

"No, but I think she is out best hope of finding out," he said. Even though Clotho was now mortal, she had once been one of the Fates, and he thought she just might be able to confirm what he already suspected. "She owes me her life, Ayden. She will do nothing to harm us," he assured her, touching his fingers to her cheek.

Tilting her cheek into his touch, she sighed softly, stroking a hand against his chest. "She's already saved our son's life," she reminded him quietly. "I've got no reason not to trust her. If you think she can solve this, then you should go and get her. Sam and I can handle this for a little while on our own."

"I don't think she will harm you or Sam. It's her own life that's in danger right now. Give her something to make her sleep, if you must, but do not leave her alone for an instant. I will not be long," he promised her, sliding his arms around her waist, their child safe inside her belly between them, as he pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "Do nothing that will put yourself or our child in danger, until I return."

Perhaps it was a bad time, but his phrasing meant that she could tease him with a very literal response to his gentle warning, and she never let an opportunity like that pass her by. "Oh, so I have to wait until you get back to jump off a cliff onto a big spike, do I?" she asked innocently, letting him see her smile as she leaned into him. It was taking time, but Ares was slowly beginning to understand his mortal wife.

"Yes, you have to wait until I get back," he teased in return, an amused smile on his face that she'd taken him so literally. Of all the women he'd ever met, she was the only one who'd known how to make him laugh, even now.

"Hades is dead," Ares replied simply and honestly. He did not have to tell her how it had happened. Obviously, her brother had been at least in part successful. Hades was dead, but there was no way yet of knowing if he had been successful in bringing Jo's soul home. There were ways, however, to find out, and a phone call was probably the easiest. "Gabriel has been summoned to Olympus," he informed her further. It seemed the divvying up of the Underworld was about to begin.

Despite all the pain Hades' mere presence had caused her and her family, Ayden felt that loss on her husband's behalf. She took his hand gently between her own, raising it to kiss his palm tenderly. "I'm so sorry, love."

"Perhaps he will find peace," Ares said, hopefully. At the very least, he would be re-united with Persephone and would no longer have the responsibility of the Underworld weighing on his shoulders.

"Perhaps." She drew her arms around him, stroking her cheek against his, wishing there was something she could do to comfort him. But she didn't understand the way the Olympian mind worked, not really. All she could do was be present.

"Speaking of peace ..." Clotho looked toward the door, behind which the sound of ranting and raving and the occasional crash could be heard. "Shall we see what is wrong with your young friend?"

Ares took what comfort he could from Ayden's embrace. He knew Hades' death was not only a possibility but an inevitability. Perhaps it was his friendship with Clotho that had taught him that. The die had been cast long ago, and Hades' fate had been determined as soon as Aphrodite had seen fit to bring Jo and Dean to this world. He touched a kiss to Ayden's forehead and reassured her with a small smile. Whatever grief he was feeling was tempered by the joy he felt to have her by his side. He only hoped Hades would share that joy if and when he was reunited with Persephone. The moment didn't last long, however, as Clotho reminded them why she was there.

"I am afraid if we cannot help her, she will cause herself harm," he told her.

Considering the door for a moment, Clotho began to move toward it. "You say she attempted to kill herself immediately following the attack?" she asked, just to clarify the details. Becky was becoming clearer the closer they got, and those garbled insistences on justice and right sounded even more vehement than before. "Justice ....hmm."

Pulling open the door, Clotho paused on the threshold, taking in the scene. Becky was lying on her back, her feet flailing, with Sam physically sat on top of her, a cushion beneath her head, and his hands pinning hers to the floor.

"Not bad," the last Fate complimented the set-up, moving to crouch beside the couple.

A sedative might have been more effective than Sam literally sitting on top his girlfriend, but Ares was not about to point that out. "Do you think it's the Furies?" Ares asked, no longer bothering to keep his suspicions to himself now that Clotho was here. The others might not understand what that meant, but Clotho certainly would.

"Tormented by madness, an insistence on justice even to the point of taking her own life ..." Clotho laid her hand gently on Becky's forehead, ignoring the stream of invective flowing from the girl. "It is their way, but they don't act without being ordered. She suffered a loss recently, yes?" This question was directed to Sam, close beside her.

"Her father," Sam replied, looking from Clotho to Ares to Ayden in confusion. He knew they were trying to help, but he wasn't quite sure what was going on beyond this room and Becky.

"An Olympian's orders," Ares remarked, reluctant to name the suspect until Clotho confirmed his suspicions.

"Hmm ..." Lowering her eyes to Becky, Clotho took the girl's face in one hand and pried open one of her eyes, peering into the gray depths. What she saw there evidently was enough. "The Furies," she confirmed with a resigned sigh. "They're feeding off her anger and fear, turning it against her. Only one person commands the Furies." She looked up at Ares pointedly. "I thought I told you to get her to stick it where the sun doesn't shine."

Ares' expression darkened as Clotho confirmed his suspicions once and for all. "How am I to do that when she is in my father's favor?" And when he was not. "I am not sure he will believe me, but there are others who will," he added, knowing he had at least a few allies on Olympus these days, after his long absence.

"This girl is all the proof you need," Clotho pointed out. "The presence of the Furies within her, her proximity to the Winchesters, the deed she was driven to ....Not even Zeus could misconstrue such evidence. And with Hades gone, Athena should be unmasked sooner rather than later."

"Athena?" Sam echoed, looking up for a moment in confusion as the two Olympians chatted about the fate of the person he had started to care for more than any other. "What does Athena have to gain from my mother's death?"

"It pisses off Aphrodite," Ayden suggested from the doorway.

Clotho snorted with laughter. "She's right, those two have never seen eye to eye," she agreed, looking up at Ares. "And Athena has always chafed at being subservient to Hera. She believes that she should be our queen, since she was not born of Hera."

"Let's not forget how much she detests me," Ares added, though he did not think it was only her hatred of him that had caused her actions.

"So she'd destroy the mind of an innocent girl?" Sam interjected, his expression more angry than confused. Not to mention murder his mother. "What do we need to do to fix her?"

"They need to be banished from her mind and made to tell Athena's treachery to Zeus," Clotho said thoughtfully. "Artemis could do it, since Athena definitely won't. Hebe or Hestia might be able to, as well. You'll need to take her to Olympus, Ares."

It was a place where Sam could not follow, and he knew it. "Will she be all right?" he asked, hopefully, as he looked back to Becky, his heart heavy with guilt. If they'd never met, none of this would have happened. She'd be happily going to school with no knowledge of any of this. Perhaps her father might even still be alive.

"I know, baby," Jo promised him, her voice filled with the confidence that it definitely wasn't Becky's fault. "None of this is her fault. None of this is your fault. It's all Hades, and Hades is gone. If Athena was working with him, then it's good to know that now. Ares can make sure that Olympus deals with her." There was a brief pause. "I want to know how you are. And don't lie to me, I can still ground you."

He chuckled for the first time in days, and though he sounded tired, it was a happy sound. "I'm a little old for grounding, Mom," he pointed out, especially considering the fact that she wasn't all that much older than him, if time was measured in years. "I'm okay. Just tired and worried. I'll feel a lot better when Ares gets back, and I find out what?s going on with Becky." He'd feel better after a decent meal and a good night's sleep, too, but that kind of went without staying. He said nothing of fault, knowing she'd tell him that, whether it truly was his fault or not.

"Well, you can stop worrying about us," she assured him. "We're fine here. Apollo took the body away, and there's no sign of anyone else. Just you worry about Becky, okay' And make sure she feels loved when she gets back to you. I don't care what she thinks, or how she blames herself, what happened is as much my fault as it is hers."

"How's it your fault?" he asked, not really understanding how she figured that. He knew it wasn't Becky's fault, either. If anyone was to blame, it belonged to Hades and Athena and the Furies.

"I'm a hunter, Sam," his mother reminded him gently. "I've been a hunter for a very long time. I let my guard down, and I didn't react the way I should have when I saw her holding that knife. If I'd reacted properly, she never would have gotten close. Everything your father just went through, everything you went through worrying over me ....it all could have been avoided if I'd just done what I should have done and defended myself."

"But then it might have been Becky who was hurt." How did the saying go' All's well that ends well" But it wasn't all over quite yet. "So, what happens now that Hades is dead?" he asked. He knew how things had gone in his own time, but that didn't mean they'd happen the same here.

"I wouldn't hurt her, not if I could help it." His question, however, made her sigh thoughtfully. "To be honest, kiddo, I have no idea. We got a few months of peace after Persephone died, but this time around, there's a power vacuum. It all depends on what they decide to do on their little white cloud, and if they decide to screw with humanity again, we're going to be up against them again."

"Dad won't let that happen," Sam said, though he wasn't sure what leverage his father could possibly use against Olympians. Maybe if he still had Death's Scythe in his possession, but that wouldn't last long. He knew his father was tired of the powergames and conflicts with humanity stuck in the middle.

"We won't let that happen," Jo corrected him, but her smile was audible. "We're a team, all of us, even the Olympians who choose it. No one stands alone, and no one gets left out to dry."

"How's Dad doing?" Sam asked, now that they'd broached the subject of his father. He knew his father well enough to know he'd probably been frantic with worry about Jo, not to mention livid. Of all his family members, he was most worried about his father's reaction to Becky the next time he saw her.

"You know your father," she drawled, but the comedy in her tone belied her own concern about Dean. "He's confused - angry, mostly, but he pitied Hades at the end, and he's worried about the fact that Apollo called him Godslayer. We're all just waiting for the other shoe to drop, but he's on edge. He won't ever relax fully, but until we know everything is balanced out again, it's going to be tense.." She smiled faintly even as she spoke. "He knows your Becky is blameless, Sam. He's more angry that someone decided to use her than anything. You know what he's like. He hates it when innocent people get caught in the crossfire."

"Yeah, I know," Sam admitted quietly, he frown heard in his voice. "I just ....I think I love her, Mom. I want her to be part of the family, and I don't want things to be awkward. I know she's gonna blame herself, and I'm not sure what to do to make it better, you know?" he asked, sounding worried.

"Becky is a part of our family, Sam," Jo insisted to him, and he heard agreement from behind her. "All you need to do is love her, and make sure she knows it. Make sure she knows that no one blames her for what?s happened, and try not to take blame for it on yourself, either. And as soon as you get home, you bring her round to visit us. Family sticks together, and she's one of us now."

Though he knew all that already, Sam was relieved to hear his mother say it. There was something else, though - something Ayden had said. "I'm not sure we should come back just yet. Ayden said we're welcome to stay and ....It's peaceful here, Mom. I think maybe Becky should rest a while before we come home." To say nothing about himself, though he could use a bit of rest, too. And he felt safe here, though he didn't want to tell her that either.

"Good." Perhaps it was surprising to hear Jo say that, but they had shared a lot over the past year. She knew a little of his upbringing with Ayden and Ares, and how safe he'd always felt in Greece. She had a feeling he needed some of that safety right now, and Becky would heal faster somewhere away from reminders of her loss and torment. "You stay as long as you need to, we'll let her sister and her grandfather know. And Sam ....Do you want us to find you someplace else to live" If it really is the Furies that were in her head, she had a lot of nightmares in that apartment. We could move both of you into a new place before you get back here, away from those memories."

Sam was relieved to hear his mother agreed with him, though it didn't really surprise him. He'd always been close to his mother in his own time, and it came as no surprise that they'd become close in this time, as well as his own. "That's probably a good idea, but it's gonna be up to Becky what she wants to do now." He hadn't said anything about what he wanted, only what Becky wanted. He knew it was probably a little too soon to talk marriage, but he had hopes for the future.