Hades III

smug

Hades

Stella froze beneath me. I pulled back and looked at her face. She was looking at nothing in particular, yet her face was frowning.

"Stella?" I asked.

She pushed me away and quickly wrapped the comforter around her. Her eyes were wide, when she looked at me.

"You knew," she said.

"Knew?" I asked. What was she talking about?

She was standing, the comforter still wrapped around her. "You knew, I was here for a few weeks when I went into that car crash on Earth. You were there, when we lived our lives on Earth. And no one bothered telling me!"

"You remember?" I breathed. That wasn't possible. Well, I actually didn't know, it had never happened before.

She dropped the comforter and put on her underwear.

I quickly donned my boxers.

"Remember?" she asked me. "That I was here? Yes. That you followed me on Earth, yes! That Persephone tried to poison me, to kill someone? Yes!"

"That's... how is that possible?" I whispered. While I'd slept superb, I was still a bit short on sleep, and I could feel the tiredness seeping in.

Stella glared at me. Oh, my girl was back with me. After a few years on Earth, she was fearless around me, letting me know what she thought. I had missed that. I had missed her.

She put on a shirt and gathered her hair in her hands. It was filthy from out shower-turning-into-sex thing last night. With a hair tie, it was mine, she made a messy bun and put on socks and pants.

Something in the back of my mind reached me, overpowering everything. "Stella, you need to help me," I said and quickly got dressed and put my hair in a bun.

"Help you?!" she asked incredulously. "After this? No thank you! I need to think."

I looked at her. "Macaria is in labor, and Eileithyia isn't here."

"Who's that?" she asked.

"The goddess of childbirth," I said. I grabbed Stella's hand and dragged her along.

"Hades! Let me go!" she said.

I spun around to face her. "Stella, my daughter is in labor, and Matthew has no clue what he's doing or should do. I need you to help me ensure Macaria is okay! You hear?" I didn't wait for her reply, I dragged her along until we reached Macaria's room.

I grabbed the globe from my pocket and gave it to Stella. "Globe Melinoë and Eileithyia in whatever order you want to." I said and grabbed Macaria's hand.

Stella

I stared at the globe in my hand and then at Hades. He was leaning over Macaria, talking to her. She was panting, her face flustered, her hair sticking to her forehead. I was pretty sure labor should take longer? Mine had.

I globed Melinoë.

"Stella, this is Hades' globe." She informed me.

"Macaria's in labor," I said.

"I'm coming," she said and hung up.

I globed Eileithyia. She had dark brown eyes, soft light brown hair in waves, and she wore toga like dress in light blue.

"Hi," I squeaked.

"I was expecting a globing from Hades," she said. Her voice was soft and not judging at all.

"I'm globing from his globe," I said. "Macaria's in labor."

"I'm coming!" she promised and smiled before the connection went dead.

"Stella, please," Hades said.

I handed him the globe, he had me hold Macaria's hand.

"Hades," Macaria whispered. Her breathing was even again. No contractions just now.

"Persephone is on her way," he said.

As if on cue, Persephone opened the door. "My baby!" she whispered.

"Get. Out," Macaria said through clenched teeth.

"Eileithyia isn't here!" Persephone said.

"Get out!" Macaria yelled. "Now!"

Persephone didn't even flinch.

Macaria gripped my hand so tight it hurt. I knew, when I'd given birth on Earth, I'd crushed Hades' hand in mine, and he hadn't voiced an ouch once.

"Move," Melinoë said and moved past Persephone.

I gladly had Melinoë take over my space.

That's when Persephone noticed me. "So you don't want me, but you want Hades' whore in here?"

"Will you quit it?!" I yelled.

Hades, wisely, moved out of the way, when I thundered towards Persephone.

She didn't think much of me.

I shoved her away from the door. "Stop calling me a whore!" I spluttered.

Persephone still didn't flinch, she only smiled a smug, knowing smile. "Oh, someone remembers."

"Oh yes," I said. "And someone is thoroughly pissed with your childish way of behaving."

That got to her. "Who are you to call childish?" she asked.

"Oh, let me see, you!" I said. "You can't seem to get over the fact that Hades left this place for me. You can't get over the fact he might not be in love with you anymore. Or the fact that you push your children away by your misguided motherly love. Trust me, no one wants to be told how to feel and think and look and behave!"

Eileithyia walked past. She felt like she was flowing, her light blue robe swirling around her.

"Please keep this out of the birthing room," she said.

I looked back and caught Hades' glance. Did he want me there?

He reached for me, a pained expression on his face.

"No way!" Persephone said. She shoved me and I fell to the floor.

I wasn't sure what happened, or why I fell, but I landed on my tailbone.

Hades' voice rang with authority when he banned Persephone to enter Macaria's bedroom. He picked me up and carried me into the bedroom. He shut the door and put me down.

I moved to the corner and rubbed my sore tailbone.

Eileithyia was talking to Macaria, telling her whatever, and making her breathe or pant.

Matthew looked to be in an even worse condition than Macaria, and I focused on his face only. He was looking strangely white, Macaria's grip on his hand deadly.

I put a chair behind him, and he sat down relieved.

Macaria looked up at me and smiled. "Thanks."

I had to do something, other than hide in the corner.