When The Raven's Feathers Fall

Chapter XV

~No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. (Steve Jobs)~

I walk into the council hall, passed the lesser gods and goddesses, before bowing at Zeus' feet. "You turned a mortal immortal, you know that is against our laws Grim."

"I did and I do know this."

"What is your reasoning for this act of unlawfulness?"

"I was meant to bring her to Hades but in the month I had to learn of her situation I fell in love and I couldn't see her in the hands of Hades before she had a chance to be happy in her life. I couldn't simply let her go, I took her place and sent myself to Hades instead but the boy we had been taking care of brought me back."

"What do you mean by that?" I can feel Zeus glaring at me and I lift my face to meet that of Zeus.

I open my mouth unsure of how to answer but I know that Zeus will not allow me time to think I must answer now. "Zeus you forget." "That you are not." "The law, we are." I turn in shock towards the Fates. "The prophecy said." "This would happen." "And it has."

Zeus glares at me and I glare right back at him, "As you know I cannot speak against the Fates but as your punishment you will train the new immortal for whatever job she has and you will take care of the boy you saved."

I have to hide the smile spreading at the fact that he is punishing me with the one thing I want. I hear gasps as my legs are stuck together in a grip as I look down to see Devin clinging to my legs. Raven runs in after the sobbing Devin, "I am so sorry Grim."

She tries to pull Devin away but he screams and grips onto me tighter, "No! They can't take dad away!"

After prying Devin's arms from around my legs I crouch in front of him and wipe his tears away, "They aren't taking me away. We are family I would go against Zeus himself if he tried to take me away from you and Raven. To me you are my son and Raven my heart." Sniffling he smiles and wraps his arms around my neck, I wrap my arms around the small boy and hold him close to me. I hear so many of the goddesses awwing and their husbands groaning, smiling I pick Devin up and hug Raven. Blushing Raven hides her face by burrying it in my chest, smiling I kiss her head before setting Devin down. "My love, I had planned on ask you this over a nice dinner but I think that it would be better to ask while surrounded by family and friends...."

She gives me a confused look, "What is it?"

"Before meeting you I thought that I would never love but then you changed that. I never really cared what would happen to me or others and once again you changed that. You have become the heart that I lost so long ago, even if your answer is not what I hope for I need you to know that I will love you forever and always." I kneel and pull out a diamond ring, "Will you become the Yin to my Yang, the peace to my chaos. Raven what I am asking is will you stand by my side for eternity and marry me?"

She covers her mouth with her hands and blushes a bright red, "Grim I....Yes!" She tackles me, I am caught off balance and we both fall to the floor.

I pull her face to mine and our lips connect in a deep kiss. We pull away as we hear cheers erupt around us and I whisper into her ear, "God I love you."

Standing I help her up before placing the ring on her finger, "I love you too, Grim."

Hera stands and walks to us placing her gentle hand on my back, "Did Aphrodite have anything to do with the joining of the two of you?"

"No, it was Raven that made me fall in love. Aphrodite and Cupid had absolutely no hand in this." I take hold of Raven's hand and I rub my thumb across the back of her hand.

"Is this the truth, Aphrodite?"

The beautiful goddess of love stands with her son, Cupid, at her side, "It is, I saw that they would make a beautiful couple and had planned to make them fall in love but they did so themselves, I never carried out my plan."

Hera smiles and looks at us, "I condone this marriage, you made a wonderful choice Grim. She is beautiful and will make a great mother, wife, and companion, I wish the best for the two of you."

"Thank you, it means a lot to me that you accept our marriage."

"You are my brother, I would accept your marriage if you married a Raven....I just realized her name is Raven." Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades all burst into laughter, Hera glares at them before continuing. "Your brothers also supports your decision and it's even better that you have had a chance to see how you two would act with a child, you already have a family now all that's left is the marriage and for you to consummate the marriage."

"I was planning on waiting to do that until we have the house to ourselves and I can make it special, for the both of us."

Raven blushed more and Hera smiles, "I wish my husband thought about me like you do about her. He didn't even properly propose to me."

Hades and Poseidon snicker to themselves as a very defensive Zeus stands up, "Hey! I think about you!"

Hera turns to him with her arms crossed over her chest, "Really? Then what should I do about that little tramp you've been running off to lately?"

Oh my, not this again. Zeus looks shocked that she knows about his woman on the side. "You know if you would just stay faithful to the woman you chose to marry instead of looking for others."

"I don't want to hear anything from you Grim, you aren't married yet."

"Hades only cheated once and has never looked another woman in a lustful way since then."

"To be fair he wanted to marry me enough that he kidnapped me, when I found out that he had cheated I sat him down and made him promise me it wouldn't happen again." Persephone smiles and rubs Hades' shoulders, "I may have been angry at first but I realized later that it was just a moment of weakness. Maybe Hera should cheat on Zeus once and show him how it feels, that will teach him."

Laughing I sneak Raven, Devin, and myself out of the council room and to the carriage that will take us back to the cabin. "So what do you think of your new family?"

"They are a little dysfunctional..."

Laughing I nod, "Yeah, that's very true." I kiss her hand, "Now we have a babysitter... or 12 for Devin." Smiling she nods and we fall silent as we make our way back home.