

## Unrequited God

By J. Todd

Copyright J. Todd 2012

Published at Smashwords

This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

## Chapter One

Anteros looked around the pantheon. He just could not believe what he was hearing. Aphrodite cast her eyes down and away from him, his own mother. Ares, his father, just glared at Zeus. Eros was the only one who had come to his defense, but was soon cowed by the great king of the gods. Eros knew him better than any god or goddess. Anteros was the god of requited love, the avenger of unrequited love, not any other god who had screwed up in their long immortal lives. Even Eros had loved and had several mistresses while married to Psyche. Only the Three Virgin Goddesses were pure of these crimes. Anteros, though a male god, counted himself among them, making him an unofficial fourth virgin. For a god he was a virgin, he had never even tasted love. This concept was foreign to him.

For all his good attributes he stood here now accused of misusing his powers. A man had loved a girl and she had rejected him. Anteros had punished her. Her mother had died, an accident, the woman had somehow stepped in front of his iron tipped arrow. She had somehow taken the punishment instead of her daughter. The woman was a metallurgist and a very crafty one at that. Hephaestus sorely missed her. The Muses were also very upset at the woman's passing. Being a favorite of the old hunchback had given her some magic of her own, it happened to those blessed by the gods. Now, Anteros was on trial.

"I tell you true. I shot my arrow at a girl who spurned the unrequited love of my patron. How was I supposed to know the mother would step into the arrow's flight? I am still not sure how the arrow could hit someone it was not intended for to begin with." Anteros said into the silence.

"I cannot condone what you have done." Zeus thundered. "However, somehow your punishment of the girl went entirely wild of its mark. We have a responsibility to our people. We are not the powerful gods we once were, but we still have to care for our people. It is like this for all the different pantheons out there. We are who we are because people believed in us once. Occasionally a person will pick up a book and read about us, or a mother will tell a child a story at night about us. Through these small actions we gods have pulled strength from these small gestures of worship. But we are still weakening. You must be set an example of and perhaps help us as well. I sentence you to fix what you have wrought. However, you will not do so as a god. I hereby strip you of your powers and give unto you a mortal life. You must find and fix your error as best you can. I will be watching. You must find out why this man was rejected, there must be a reason. Maybe then you can call Eros to your side and he can cast his golden arrow. However, if you cannot fix the problem then you will spend the rest of your mortal life on earth." Zeus stood from his throne and waved a hand.

Everything vanished. Only fog enveloped him. Sleep overcame him and he let it. Filled with despair he dreamt of a time when humans still believed in the old gods. He was asked to punish those whose love had been unrequited. He had flown next to his friend and brother at Aphrodite's side making peace and love the forefront of a respectable marriage when Hera would step in to protect those married lovers.

Now it was all gone, because a woman somehow got shot by the arrow meant for her daughter. How was it done?

*****

Arista Ricci rose from bed as the alarm screamed its morning call. Stretching and yawning she got out of bed and went into the bathroom. She showered briskly and toweled off. Wrapping the worn towel around her, she began to fix her long mouse brown hair. Once she was satisfied with it she went into her room. She grabbed her uniform of plain black pants and white shirt. She grabbed her purse and apron as she left the room. She stopped at the first door and knocked on it.

"Christos, get up. Time to get ready for school." Arista called out.

"You're not my mother!" Yelled the boy from his room.

"No, but I am making breakfast soon and if you're not downstairs you'll not get any!" Arista shot back at her brother.

"Fine!" Snarled the boy as a thud came from his room.

Arista went to the next room and knocked. "Korene, wake up." Arista waited, no sound. Korene was a heavy sleeper for a ten year old. Arista opened the door and yelled, "Kory, get up!" Korene jumped up and looked at her sister. She got out of bed and began to get ready.

Arista smiled and continued downstairs. She dropped her purse and apron on the coffee table and headed for the kitchen. She flipped the switch for the coffee maker and grabbed the frying pan from the strainer. She slapped it onto the stove and went to the fridge. Opening it she frowned. "Crap, I forgot. She glared into the almost empty fridge and grabbed out the small tub of butter and the last of the eggs. There was just enough for two each for her brother and sister. She set those by the stove and grabbed out the bread. She tossed two slices into the toaster and turned on the stove. She used a wooden spatula to toss a little butter into the pan. She let it melt while she got down two plates and forks. She broke the eggs into the pan and waited until they were half cooked before she scrambled the yolk into the white parts. She dashed on some pepper and pour half the eggs onto one plate and half onto the other. The toast popped up and she smeared butter over them. She place one piece on each plate and tossed another slice of bread into the toaster. She poured herself a cup of coffee and sipped at it while her breakfast toasted. When the toast popped up she slathered butter across the bread and bit into it, wishing for jelly or honey to sweeten it.

Christos came into the kitchen dropping his backpack by the table he snatched his plate and began to shovel it down his throat. He was a growing boy and seemed to always be hungry. At fifteen, he was all arms and legs and elbow and knees. He was a good looking boy now, so Arista was sure her little brother would be very handsome when got older. He was good at sports, or at least he was before their mother died.

Korene slipped into the kitchen and grabbed her plate and retreated to the dining room where she ate. She had retreated into herself when their mother died. Now, unless she was talked to directly, she never spoke.

Everything that could have happened had in the last three months. Korene used to be a straight "A" student and Christos was very good at sports. Now they had changed. Christos became angry at everything and everyone. Korene just retreated further inside herself as each day passed and Christos got angrier. Arista sighed and shook her head. She missed her mom and wished Kalista was there to help her.

Arista had been helping out in the kitchen when her mother had collapsed that day three months ago. The doctors had said it was a heart attack. Arista swore her mother was healthy, but she had still died. The paramedics pronounced her death when they got here. Arista was left alone in this big house with her siblings.

Child Protective Services had tried to take Christos and Korene, but Arista blocked them at every turn. After all she was twenty. She had been going to college at the time, but now she just worked at a couple of part-time jobs. She had to pay the bills after all. As long as she was able to get her siblings through high school and keep food on the table as well as other things they needed in the house, she could keep her siblings. They were watching her. They did weekly check-ups and went over everything with her. She worked while Christos and Korene were in school. Korene went to an after school program, while Christos went to a friend's house after school.

It worked out that way so she could work more hours. She worked from eight until noon in a coffee shop and from one to five or six at a burger place busing tables and waitressing. She came home to cook and crash in bed so she'd be ready for the next day.

Christos was the first to finish his food and he left quickly. Korene grabbed her bag and ran after him. Arista gathered the dishes and scrapped them. She quickly washed them. Grabbing her apron she wrapped it around her waist and slung her purse over her shoulder. She locked the front door and went into the garage. She grabbed her bicycle and wheeled it outside. She locked the door behind her and climbed onto the old beat up thing. She could drive the car, after all her mother left it to her. The gas was her problem. She saved the gas for shopping. She couldn't afford gas every day or so. Instead she saved it for shopping days, so she wouldn't have to carry the groceries home on her bike. Tonight she would go shopping for food after dinner. They had enough to eat for tonight.

Arista went to her first job and worked until noon. She then rode her bike to her other job. At five she got off work and went home. She grabbed the container of rice and three cans of chunky s beef soup out of the cupboard. She put the rice on to cook and poured the cans of stew into a large bowl. She popped them into the microwave and cooked them for five minutes. While everything cooked she ran upstairs and changed out of her uniform. She tossed it into the laundry basket. Tomorrow she was off work and could do laundry and clean house.

She chucked her tips for the day into a jar and headed back downstairs. She never spent that money. She had lots of jars filled with dollars and change. She planned on using them to buy new clothes for all of them next year. She wasn't even sure how much she had, but it had to be a lot. After all she had gotten a couple of really good tips from this old pervert a few months ago when he pinched her butt and he always tried to look down her shirt. He was the old lecherous type and he gave her the shivers. Every time he had landed his hand on her he tipped her well. He had asked her to marry him several times. Arista refused.

The old fart still came into the coffee shop every day and he still tried to lay hands on her. She just barely escaped today. He actually managed to get within an inch of her breasts. She hate that old man very much and if she could quit she would, but she needed the job.

She walked into the kitchen as Korene stomped in and ran up to her room. Christos came in after her. He sniffed the air and made a bee line for the kitchen. He grabbed out some plates and silverware. He waited while Arista pulled the soup out of the microwave and mixed in the rice. She then scooped the mixture onto the plates. Christos grabbed his and grabbed one of the remaining sodas from the fridge. Arista grabbed the last one and a plate and headed upstairs to Korene's room. She knocked and waited for Korene to answer. When she did Korene swiped the food and soda and slammed the door shut in Arista's face.

Arista went back downstairs and snatched her plate up before Christos could devour it too. Arista ate her food and dumped the dishes into the sink. She grabbed her purse.

"Christos, I'm going to the store. Do you need anything?" Arista asked.

"A bag of chips." He answered. Arista nodded and grabbed the car keys.

She went into the garage and got into the car. She drove across town to the grocery store and did her shopping. When she was done she loaded everything into the car and drove home. She pulled into the garage. She got out of the car and found herself staring into the face of a man.
Chapter Two

"Excuse me, are you Arista Ricci?" Asked the man. He looked the girl with the brown hair and hazel eyes up and down. She was short and slightly stocky. She was well proportioned though. Generous hips and breasts, but not too generous, just well curved.

"Why do you ask?" Arista demanded.

"I am sorry, but we need to talk. I need to fix a problem." The man answered.

"Alright." Arista looked around looking for anyone else. The garage was empty, except for her and this man. He was good looking. Arista figured him to be about a year of two older than her. He had shoulder length black hair tied back with his bangs dripping elegantly over his brow. Arista itched to push them back. He had deep black eyes and firm chin. His lips were kissable and his nose was perfectly straight. He wore tight jeans and a t-shirt, which did nothing to cover him muscles bulging over his body. He was barefoot and looked cold. "What do you want?" Arista asked wishing, not for the first time, she were not so nice.

"I am here to rectify a grave wrong." He said. "You need to marry a certain gentleman and everything will be alright."

Arista glared at the man. "That is why you are here! To make me marry Mister Mortimer! Never! I hate that man!" Arista pushed the young man out of her way and popped the trunk. "Why don't you leave while I am in a generous mood?"  
The man laughed at her. Arista was taken aback by that and looked at the man. "What the hell?" She demanded.

"You dare yell and push a god!" Demanded the man.

"Ha! Shows what you know. There is only one god and I don't believe in him right now, he took my mother from me!" Cried Arista. Tears streamed down her face for the first time since her mother had died. "Stop mocking me and leave!"

"I... I'm sorry." The man said softly. "I apologize for your mother's death. I killed her. I was supposed to punish you, not kill her."

Arista gaped at the man for a brief moment while the words sunk in. "You bastard!" She cried and flung herself at him. Pounding her fists against his chest while he fended her off without hurting her. She soon drooped and slid onto the cement floor crying. "Why?" A soft whimper came from the girl at the man's feet.

"You rejected a suitor. He asked for you to be punished because you were teasing and tormenting him. I am Anteros, god of requited love and avenger of unrequited love."

"You are an idiot!" Snarled Arista. "I cannot love Mister Mortimer! He tries to do bad things to girls. I am not the only one. Is that what this is about? He thinks I owe him money. Fine. He can have it back. I'll go get it right now." Arista stood.

"I am sorry. Money? What are you talking about?" The man looked confused.

"Yes, money, the tips he gave me. I'm a waitress and when I bring him food he leaves me money, but sometimes he manages to grab me and I get a big tip." Arista explained. "That's what your here for, isn't it?"

"Uh, no. I am here to get you to accept his proposal of marriage." The man, no, Anteros said.

"Ok, you are a nut job then. Let me explain slowly." Sighed Arista. "I cannot marry someone I do not love, especially since he is a lecherous ass and would rather flip up any skirted female that walks by him and has. Nor would I marry him just because you said so. I want to fall in love with the right man, the one who will care for me and my family. However, right now I can't. I have two kids to raise. I don't see any good looking men beating down the door to help me, do you? Or are you applying for the job?"

"Uh, no. I was not. I have been punished for what I did, so I ain't help you with that. I was told to fix what I did." Anteros said.

"Hell, have you thought that to fix something, it may not go back together the same way again." Arista glared at the man. "My mother is dead, she died three months ago and I am here trying to raise my sister and brother alone. I am barely twenty and I work two jobs just to survive. My brother is angry at the world and my sister has stopped talking. My world has shattered around me. If you want to fix it, then bring back my mother!" Tears poured anew down Arista's face.

Anteros looked at her helplessly. He reached out slowly and touched her face. The tears were hot on his skin. He pulled his hand away and looked at it as if for the first time. He had never felt tears. Arista looked up at the man before her and cried silently. He looked bemused by her outburst and then confused by the feeling of her tears on his hand. He reached out a second time and brushed the tears away.

When her face was dry he turned away and looked up at the ceiling. "I am sorry I bothered you. I will not trouble you again. I will endure my punishment alone." He walked to the door.

"Wait." Arista said softly. He stopped, but did not turn towards her. "Where are your shoes?"

"I don't have any, never needed them before." He shrugged.

"Hell, grab a bag and come inside." Arista ordered. She scooped up four plastic bags leaving one for Anteros. She walked to the house door and opened it. She didn't see Christos in the living room and figured he'd gone up to his room. She put the bags onto the kitchen counter and began putting the food away. A fifth bag joined the others on the counter. "If you're a god, prove it. Do something magical and divine so I know you aren't a crazy idiot." Arista said.

"Alright," Anteros said. He raised his arm and extended his fingers. Nothing happened and Anteros looked up at his hands in shock. "No." He whispered. Then he looked up at the ceiling. "Why, Great Zeus? Why can I not summon my bow?" Then his eyes widened. "I truly am being punished. I forgot. He sealed my powers." He looked at Arista. "I am sorry, Zeus sealed my powers and I am a mortal for now. Until I fix this problem Zeus told me."

"Huh. I have a crazy man in my kitchen. Oh, well, in for a penny, in for a pound." Arista sighed. "You can stay here tonight. You are a guest so you can stay in my room. I'll sleep in my mother's room." Arista walked to the kitchen door. "I don't suppose you have spare clothes either." She asked. Anteros shook his head. "Thought not. Well nothing for it. I guess I'll help you out. I'll let you stay here and you can get a job. Then you can start paying rent. Tonight you stay in the house, after tomorrow you stay in the studio out back." Arista nodded. "It's decided. I'll get to cleaning it first thing in the morning."

"I guess this will have to do." Anteros sounded dejected. "A job. How will I get one of those?"

"You'll look for one." Arista said. "In here." She led him into a small, but tidy room. She grabbed some clothes out of the dresser and the closet. "Don't go through my things, ok." She turned and started to walk out of the room.

Anteros rested a hand on her shoulder and turned her to him. "I really do apologize for the pain I have caused you." He said.

"Stop, I mean it. Don't make me wish I'd sent you packing." Arista whispered. A tear trembled at the edge of her lashes.

"I must know my apology has been accepted," he said. Anteros bent down and brushed a kiss on the side on her eye, taking the tear away. Arista raised a hand to her face and stared at him.

"It has if you stop that." Arista said.

"I will not do so again unless you invite me to." Anteros was surprised by his own actions and pleased about her reaction to him. Arista turned and left, she ran across the hall to her mother's room and closed the door behind her. Anteros closed the door and went to the bed and lay down in it. He stared up at the ceiling. "What do I do now?" He asked.

"Why, do as she says, brother." Eros said, materializing. Anteros got up and embrace his brother. "Here, from Zeus. He said you'd need a few things to get by until you solved your problem." Anteros looked at the odd square thing Eros handed him. It opened to reveal and card with a picture on it. The picture looked like him. "A license and money to last you for a year if you're careful. It is in the form of this card. It's called a credit card. You might want to buy yourself some clothes with it. You will feel the cold more, now that you are human. I'd get a job, in case this lasts longer than a year though. This money won't last otherwise." Eros gave a piece of paper with the numbers 9387 and ZEUS scribbled next to it. "I am sure your little Arista knows how to use it. Before you ask, Aphrodite stepped in and helped you to get on Arista's good side. You wouldn't have gotten far without her help. We want you back, so fix this quickly."

"Don't help me." Whispered Anteros. "I need to do this myself. I really did screw up this time. I tore her family apart. I made her cry. You and the other gods must stay out of this. No meddling from any of you." Anteros said tucking the wallet into a pocket. Eros nodded and vanished. "Crap. I forgot to ask him about Mister Mortimer." Anteros frowned and stripped off his shirt and unbuttoned his pants. "I'll have to call upon Hermes later."

"Anteros?" Arista opened the door to her room and walked in. "Oh!" She turned around quickly. "Sorry, I thought I heard voices."

"Yeah, you did. Listen, I know I sound crazy." Anteros sighed. "I don't know what else to do. I was sent here to fix the problem I caused. I find out the problem is out of my hands. What should I do?"

"I am not sure I understand everything myself." Arista sighed. "I am at a loss too." Arista turned around and walked over to the bathroom door and went into the small room. When she came out she was holding a toothbrush. "Here," She handed it to Anteros. "This is a spare, never used. Promise." Arista headed for the hall door.

"Wait." Anteros grabbed her hand. Arista looked over her shoulder at him. "I wanted t say I'm sorry again. I will not trouble you after tomorrow."

"No." Arista turned towards Anteros. Seeing his chest so close with his muscles rippling under his skin made her throat go dry. "I didn't mean for you to leave. You can stay. There is plenty of room here and I don't think it is right for you to leave without a place to stay." Arista blushed, she knew she was babbling. "I mean..." She trailed off.

"I understand." Anteros said. "I am, what you mortals call a lost cause, yes."

"No, that isn't what I meant either. Dammit." Arista squeezed her eyes shut. "Will you put a shirt on, please?"

"Does my attire cause you problems?" Anteros asked, smiling in sheer male joy at her discomfort. He stepped closer to her and breathe in her soft lilac scent.

"Yes, I mean, crap, never mind." Arista turned away to leave and realized her hand was still caught in his. She tugged her hand free and left.

"She is different." Anteros commented.

"She is that." Eros said.

"Did you meddle?" Anteros asked bluntly.

"No, brother I did not. Should I have?" Eros laughed.

"No, I am afraid I did more to her than punish her. I destroyed her entire world. I really did do her wrong." Anteros sat on the bed with his head in his hands.

"Well, I was going to tell you why old hot head got mad enough to complain to Zeus about her punishment." Eros studied his nails a moment, letting the words sink into Anteros' thoughts.

"Tell me." Anteros demanded.

"Well, brother, seems the old hot head had an affair a few decades back and the love produced the mother, Kalista. He kept it a secret. After all, our mother hates to be compared to other women. With Kalista's death old hot head would be angry. I think that is how she was able to be killed by your arrow. She had gods blood running through her veins. The woman had just enough gods' blood to turn your arrow, but not enough to make her immortal. I have to wonder about the woman's children, though." Eros chuckled. "After all, it is said Kalista was an infamous metallurgist here. I wonder if any of the children are like her in talent. Oh, perhaps not like Kalista, but different talents."

Anteros looked around the room and sighed. "By the looks of everything, I have a big job ahead of me. I wonder, do I have any other talents than revenge of the unrequited?"

"I found I had other talents when I met Psyche. We became stronger for my learning and knowledge." Eros bluntly said.

"Yes, but they are not part of your virtues." Anteros commented.

"Must they be? I do not need to shout who I am to the world, nor do I need the acclamation of the people for my talents. I prefer to use them to better my family." Eros shrugged.

"I understand." Anteros said. "Then I have to find myself in all of this as well, I think." He sighed. "A god at my age, finding himself. Something for your children to laugh at, my brother and friend."

"I found myself in such a way." Eros shrugged as he vanished.

"Again you leave me with so many questions. I just do not know where to start. I suppose it is for the best. After all, if I must help her and her family, I have to find out about myself as well" Anteros shook his head and threw himself back onto the bed. He closed his eyes and found he could smell the soft scent of Arista in the sheets. Groaning he sat up and frowned at the bed. There was little in this room which did not scream hers. The bed was just a small virginal bed and not meant to share with a man. However, he closed his eyes and found him wishing she were there now. "Damn! I can't help her if I want her. I must remember I am here to help her, not seduce her." Growled Anteros. He threw himself into the bed again and closed his eyes, forcing himself to ignore the lust clawing at the edge of his mind.

## Chapter Three

Arista woke groggily the next morning. She looked at the offending alarm clock and glared. Sighing at its relentless screeching she got up and hit the off button. Looking around dazed, she wondered why she was in her mother's room. Then everything came back to her. Anteros. She stood up and stretched. Grabbing her clothes she got dressed and quickly made up the bed. She ran downstairs and made up the coffee pot.

Arista sighed and began cleaning up the dishes from the night before. She had been too stressed out to finish her chores the night before. When she was done she grabbed a bowl and mixed up pancake batter. Setting her skillet on the stove she let it warm up and tossed a capful of oil to warm. She poured some batter into the pan and began cooking a heaping stack of pancakes. Anteros came stumbling down the stairs and looked around for Arista. She smiled at him and gestured to the table. Arista piled three decent sized pancakes onto a late and put butter and syrup over them. Arista grabbed a coffee cup and filled it. She then carried the food over to Anteros. Handing him the coffee and placing the plate in front of him she head back to her skillet and flipped the pancake in the pan. Arista kept her back to him and waited for him to talk.

"Did you sleep well?" Anteros asked.

"Uh, yes. It was a little strange to wake up in mom's room, but I slept fine." She lied. "How about you?"

The truth was she cried most the night. Remembering hurt. She hated feeling useless and lonely. The day her mom died the doctor said she had had a heart attack. Arista wound up being both mom and sister all in one day. Her little brother and sister were lost and lonely. Arista did everything to keep her small family together. Now, this man walked into her life and everything was turned on its ear. She was reminded of the pain and loneliness yet again. With both her parents dead, she was the one in charge and here she was making small talk with the man who claimed to have killed her mother. On top of all that, he was crazy, he said he was a god, but one stripped of his powers by Zeus. Seriously, a god, if only it were true.

"What is wrong?" Anteros asked. He had snuck upon her and now stood behind her. "Why lie to me?"

"I'm fine. I slept better than normal." Arista said. She flipped the pancake out of the pan. She turned off the stove and fingered two pancakes onto a plate for herself. They were the smallest and slightly burnt. She always ate her own screw-ups, the good ones were for her family and friends. Although, she wasn't sure what she could classify Anteros as.

"Liar. You are lying to a god, you know." Anteros admonished.

"Yeah, well you were lying to me too." Arista snapped. "My mother was not murdered by you. She couldn't have been, she died of a heart attack." Tears again threatened to spill from her lashes.

"Hey, don't cry. I said I was sorry." Anteros wrapped his arms around her and rocked her back and forth. "I will leave today. You won't have to see me again." He turned her in his arms to face him. He pressed her face into his shoulder. "Shh! It's alright." He murmured. Arista cried into his shoulder until the tears stopped coming.

When she finally stopped crying she stepped out of his arms and he let her. "I'm sorry." She whispered. "I didn't mean to cry on you. I still don't know what to make of all this. I do know you have nowhere to go, so you can stay as long as you need to. Just help with the bills, ok." He nodded. She shook her head and grabbed the platter with the pancakes and shoved it into the microwave. Her brother and sister would look there for them. Arista grabbed the dish towel and wiped furiously at her face.

Anteros snatched it from her hands and went to the sink. There he turned on the water and ran a corner of the towel under the faucet. Turning off the faucet he wrung out the corner until it was only damp. He turned back and gently raised her face with his fingers. He gripped her chin and gently wiped away the tears and soothed her eyes. When he finished he looked down into her eyes.

"Such eyes should never be clouded by tears." he whispered. Arista gazed up at this confusing and crazy man. He claimed to be a god and yet he was willing to let her cry. No one had done that since her mother had died. Her sister and brother both had cried. She didn't, she had even overheard one of her mother's friends commenting on her seeming heartlessness. She never cried, until now. This man let her be weak for a brief moment and did not condemn her for it. Others would have, even if they now condemned her for not crying. "You can be strong and cry too." He said softly.

His eyes drooped and he watched her lips as she breathed through them for a brief moment. He lowered his head intending to kiss her once and savor her sweet flavor for a moment, then forget her as he had promised. Slowly, gently, he brushed his lips over hers. When she did not object to this he again wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to his body. He settled his lips upon hers and she parted them in a gasp. He deepened the kiss making her legs shiver and her body limp. She wrapped her arms around his neck to hold herself up. Anteros growled his approval as he thrust his tongue into her mouth, delving and dancing around her own tongue.

Arista felt like she was falling into a great abyss and did not know if she'd survive the fall. Anteros suddenly ended the kiss. Breathing hard he pressed his lips to her forehead and waited for her to catch her breath and get her body under control.

Anteros closed his eyes and wished he were a mere mortal and not a god for the first time in his life. Arista slipped out of his arms leaving Anteros feeling bereft. She crossed the kitchen and went out the garage door.

What is wrong with me? Why did I do that? Anteros asked himself. He shook his head and followed her out into the garage. Arista wasn't there. Where could she be?

*****

Arista ran from him. She ran. What the hell was that? She thought angrily to herself. Why did I let him kiss me? She grabbed the cleaning bucket, broom, and mop as she headed out the back door. Heading straight for the old guest house she dropped the bucket onto the ground next to the door. She leaned the mop and broom against the wall and pulled a set of keys out of her pocket. She opened the door and breathed in the familiar aroma of her mother's metallurgy shop. Sighing she went to each of the windows and opened them. She began clearing off the futon of the boxes, setting them by the door to be move into the garage.

After the futon was clear she turned towards the work table and sighed. She turned to move the boxes from the door to the garage. She found Anteros leaning against the door.

"Where do you want these?" He asked, pushing his toe against one of the boxes.

"In the garage, against the wall by the window. I'll sort them out later." Arista said softly. Anteros bent to the job, carrying the boxes into the garage. Arista again turned towards the table. "Mother, I wish I could use your tools, I wish I had your talent." She began putting the tools into the tool box and packed the scrap metal into a box and carried it towards the door to have it carefully lifted out of her arms.

"I'll take the heavy stuff, you get the light stuff." Anteros smiled and carried the box out of the guest house. Arista smiled after him. He was a helper, in more ways than one. Crazy or not, he was still just a man and he was willing to do what was needed.

When he returned he found three more boxes waiting for him to carry to the garage. Arista was dusting of the table and other furniture in the room. She was humming softly to herself. Once she had all the furniture cleaned she grabbed the broom from the wall just outside the door. She began sweeping up the dust and grime from the hardwood floors. The little room was starting to look like a room again and not a grey dust filled metallurgy shop. She swept up the dirt and metal pieces. Once she was done she went into the small bathroom and began dusting and wiping down the sink and back of the toilet. When she was done she went to get her bucket for the hard part. She poured a little bleach into the bucket and filled it with hot water. She then went back into the bathroom and scrubbed the shower, toilet, and floors with it.

Anteros had finished moving the boxes and waited for her to tell him what to do next. She brought the cleaning things out of the bathroom and set them outside the door. She dumped the bucket into the little kitchenette sink and rinsed it out. Pouring fresh bleach into the bucket she filled it with hot water. Grabbing the scrub brushes she handed one to Anteros. She placed the bucket in the middle of the floor and began scrubbing the grime off the wood. Anteros knelt down and plunged the brush into the bucket and scrubbed the floor, but the grime didn't come up for him as well as it did for Arista.

She looked over at him and smiled. "Like this." She demonstrated an east circular motion which pulled up the grime quickly. He copied her and found the effects the same. Soon they were finished with the floors.

Arista cleaned out the bucket and went into the house while the floor dried. She would have to do a regular mop when she was done. She noticed the pancake platter in the sink and knew her brother and sister were awake. She went into the mudroom and searched for fresh sheets and a couple of blankets for Anteros. She found what she needed and headed back to the guest house.

"Ary, who is that man out there by mom's shop?" Christos asked. "Should I chase him away?"

"No, Chris. He is a friend of mine and he will be renting that room. It'll help us out. We need a little extra income. Your sister is going to need a few things soon and you are outgrowing your clothes again. I was thinking of taking on a third job, but renting out that room will be better." Arista smiled at her brother.

"Why didn't you ask me and Korene about it first?" He demanded.

"I made the decision to help us. I am the adult, not you. Spend your days as a kid and don't worry, everything will work out." Arista said.

"I don't like it! Make him leave! Now!" Christos yelled at her.

"I'm sorry, I already made the deal." Arista said.

"Michael was right! You are an evil bitch!" Christos snarled.

"Why would you say that?" Whispered Arista.

"Because it's true. You don't care about us. You would rather have someone stay in mom's shop than care for us. You are heartless and cruel." Christos shouted.

"Don't talk to your sister like that." Demanded Anteros.

"You are not part of this discussion." Christos snapped.

"I believe I am. You are arguing about my staying in that room out there." Anteros said.

"And your point is? I was talking to my sister." Christos turned to his sister again. "You will never care about us. I wish CPS would come and get us already." He stormed off.

"Chris." Whispered Arista. Tears threatened her sanity. It seemed now that she had started to cry she just couldn't stop crying. Turning and looking at Anteros beseechingly she let the tears fall. "Anteros?"

"Arista." Anteros opened his arms and she flew into them. He held her yet again while the tears fell and gently rocked her as he stroked her hair. She soon stopped crying and Anteros held her gently. As she brushed her face against his shirt. "I think you need to get out of this house. Why don't you get ready and we'll go somewhere. I need new clothes, after all I cannot continue to wear these every day. You can bring your sister and brother along and we'll go eat out. My treat."

"How?" Arista asked.

"Well, I do not know how we will get there, but I know if you and your siblings got out of the house you would feel better." Anteros said.

"No, how can you afford to do this? You had nothing last night, now you have money." Arista asked confusedly.

"I do, but you don't believe me about me being a god, so you probably won't believe me about my brother, Eros, bringing me what I need last night." Anteros said.

"Do you really believe you are a god?" Arista asked softly.

"Yes, I do, because I am one. I wish I could show you." Anteros frowned. "If there is a way to show you, would you believe me?" He asked.

"Yes, because I think I need to believe." Arista said. She smiled wanly up at him. "I still don't believe you killed my mother though."

"I'll get the house locked up. You get your brother and sister. Deal?" He asked. Arista nodded.

Arista ran upstairs and knocked on Korene's door. "Kory, can I come in?" Arista called through the door.

"Yeah, I guess." Came the reply. Arista stepped into the room. Korene lay across her bed with a book in her hands. "What do you want?"

"Do you want to go out today?" Arista asked. Kory looked at her book thoughtfully.

"I suppose. If we can afford a new book for me I'll go." Korene answered.

"I think I can manage it." Arista smiled. "Maybe two of them, if they don't cost too much."

"Let me get ready." Korene said scooting off the bed and heading for her closet.

Arista close the door and turned towards her brother's room. Straightening her shoulders and steeling herself for his harsh words she went to his door and knocked.

"Who is it?" Christos voice sounded angry and hurt.

"We need to talk." Arista sighed.

Christos yanked open the door. "So talk. Nothing stopping you, is there?"

"Yeah, but will you listen?" Arista asked.

"I suppose." He turned away and sat on the edge of his bed.

"I thought we could use the extra money without me working another job and killing myself. This way you and your sister could have extra pocket money and you could go out with your friends again. Wouldn't you like that?" Arista said quickly before he interrupted her.

"I suppose." He said. "What ticks me off is you making all the decisions."

"Yeah, well. I was trying to help us as a family. I was thinking of another job and how it would be like if I weren't here. The CPS might come and take you and Kory from me. I'd never see you again. I may be only twenty, but you are my family. We don't have any other family members alive, so I am determined you have me at least." Arista told Christos.

"Alright. Then you do what you got to. I just wish you'd talk to us like mom did." He sighed, giving in.

"I promise I will try to from now on." Arista conceded. "Now, do you want to go shopping? Anteros is taking us to lunch. Well, actually I think I am with his rent, but it's still kind of the same thing."

"No, it's not but I would like to. Arista, can we afford Korene a couple of books." Christos grinned.

"Yeah, she already asked." Arista said. Christos grabbed his sneakers and jammed his feet into them.

"Well, let's go" He said. Arista stood up and headed for the door. "Uh, Ary, you might want to change your clothes. You have dirt on your bum."

"Chris!" Gasped Arista.

"Hey, that guy might like you in a pretty dress." Commented Christos as he squeezed by her.

"Dammit! Christos, stay out of my private life!" Arista snapped.

"Hey, you let him sleep in your room, you could have let him sleep in moms." Christos threw a cheeky grin at her over his shoulder as he ran downstairs to wait.

"Jerk!" Arista yelled. She turned to her room and went into it and grabbed her purse. She had intended to spite Christos by not changing until she caught a look at her reflection in the mirror. "Crap. I look worse than death warmed over." She dropped her purse on the bed and went to her closet and grabbed a blouse and skirt set. She stared at it a moment then shrugged. "It's all I have that's nice anymore," she muttered.

Arista took it into the bathroom and stripped. She turned on the shower and jumped in. She quickly scrubbed the grime of cleaning the guest house off her body. When she was done she toweled off and dressed. Arista loved her hair after it had been blow dried. It always fell in waves down her back. She grabbed her blow drier and began to brush out her hair. When her hair was dry she stepped out of the bathroom and into her room. She reached under her bed for her shoes. When she didn't find them she looked under the bed frowning. She spotted them on the other side. Instead of walking around the bed she climbed over it and leaned over the other side grabbing her shoes.

"Oh, sorry." Anteros familiar voice sent shivers up her spine.

Arista's hand slipped and she fell off her bed at the sound of his voice. "Ow!" Arista moaned. Anteros was there besides her helping her up.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Yes. I think so. You startled me." Arista accused.

"Sorry." Anteros looked down into her eyes. He decided then Arista was very beautiful. She had let her hair fell free and it fell in cascades he wished to press his face into. Shaking his head he looked at her face. For the first time he realized her pretty eyes were not just hazel, they were a soft grey with gold flecks and they fit in her round face like jewels shinning at the world. Her full lips beckoned to him like nothing else ever had. "Sorry." He whispered as he lowered his head to touch her lips with his.

Arista's breath caught in her throat as he claimed her mouth for another kiss. Her arms wrapped around his neck to hold her against him. His arms crushed her to his chest. She parted her lips and his tongue swept in. Arista felt warmth spread from her lips through her body and settled in her private parts. She throbbed down there. She shifted slightly and found pleasure in the movement against his loins. A groan escaped her lips to be swallowed by his kiss. Anteros knew he had to stop this and soon, before it went too far. After all, he did have pride in the fact he was the only virgin god and unofficially the fourth virgin of the virgin gods, or goddesses. He had never tasted anything so good, even the sacred ambrosia tasted nothing like this. He knew even when he returned to Olympus he would thirst for a taste of this again.

"Arista?" Christos called from the end of the hall. "Are we going, or what?" Footsteps came along the hall. Anteros jumped away from Arista and she ducked down to look for her shoes again, hiding her furiously blushing face.

"Anteros, did you see my shoe?" She asked innocently.

"Um, not yet." He answered her as Christos came in.

"What are you two doing?" Christos demanded.

"Looking for my shoes." Arista said.

"Well, hurry up. Here it is. You wanted the black ones, right?" He handed Arista the match to the shoe she had in her hand. "Honestly, Ary, you can't keep track of your shoes. Your room is always cluttered and you never could find anything. Your hopeless, you know that?" He went to the door. "Well, put them on. Kory found a pair of mom's old thongs for shoeless dude here."

Arista quickly bent to put them on. She was a little unsteady and reached a hand out to brace herself. She lay her hand on Anteros' arm and he placed a hand over it to steady her as she slipped the little Mary Jane flats on.

She stood up straight and smiled her thanks to Anteros then grabbed her purse off the bed. Anteros grabbed her hand and tucked it into the crook of his arm. He led her out of the room with Christos leading the way. They walked down the steps and found Korene about to come up and get them all. She took one look at Anteros and blushed. She had never seen him before and cast a look at Christos.

"Oh, I forgot. You guys never really met. Anteros this is my brother, Christos, and sister, Korene. You guys, this is Anteros, and he will be living in the guest house for a while." Christos narrowed his eyes thoughtfully and Korene just shuffled her feet and glared at them. "Well, let's go. Anteros needs to get a few things for himself and Korene is to get two new books and Christos something too. My treat. Anteros also offered to take us to lunch too." Arista said as she led the way to the garage.

She unlocked the car so everyone could get in and went to the garage door while they piled in. She punched the button to open the door and waited while it cranked itself slowly up. When it was done she looked out the door at someone standing in the driveway.

"Damn!" Christos whistled. "Talk about bad timing."

"What is wrong?" Anteros asked and twisted around in the seat to see.

"Not him." Shivered Korene.

"Yep. Afraid so." Christos stated in a matter of fact manner. "Michael."

"The one who you said called Arista an 'evil bitch'?" Anteros inquired.

"Yeah, that's him. Actually, that isn't all he called her. I really am sorry I called her that earlier. He claimed to have loved her and then cheated on her while we were dealing with mom's funeral and when she found out she confronted him. He said he had to have another girl to warm him up after her frosty touch. She said she wasn't stopping him from leaving her, in fact she told him not to talk to her again. He called her an evil frigid bitch and said he'd get even." Christos explained.

Arista thought for a brief second he'd apologize for everything he had once said and they could be friends again. Obviously they were not going back out together, but friends like before they got together would have been nice.

"Hey." Michael called out to her. "Listen, I just wanted to talk."

"So, talk. It's still a free country, unless we were invaded or something." Arista said.

"Can we go inside?" He asked.

"Hell no! You talk from there. I've got to go somewhere, so spill it." Arista said.

"Alright, but I don't think you brother and sister will like what I have to say." He smiled wickedly at her.

"What is it, Michael?" Arista snapped. "We are a family, we have no secrets."

"Then you should know I intend on making you pay for what you did to me." Yelled Michael.

"And what exactly did I do to you?" Arista felt the hair on the back of her head rise.

"You little bitch!" Snarled Michael. "My father disinherited me for breaking up with you."

"That is not my fault." Arista huffed. "If I remember correctly I told you never to set foot on my property again."

"Ah, I'm not. I am on the public sidewalk, and unless you invite me in, I can't step onto your property. But do not fear, someday I will be able to cross your precious yard and you will be mine." Michael said.

"Never. Leave, or I'll call the cops." Arista yelled.

Anteros had gotten out of the car during their yelling match. Anteros was very upset at what Christos had told him. "Is everything alright?" He asked Arista.

"Yes, I can deal with him." She told him in what she thought was a reassuring voice.

Anteros glared across the yard at Michael.

"Go back to the car, dude. This is an A-B conversation so C your way out of it." Snarled Michael. "Is that your new boyfriend, Arista?" Michael asked. "Tell him you're good at giving head, yet?"

"Go to hell!" Arista snarled back at Michael. "Leave. Now."

Michael laughed at her discomfort. Anteros stepped in front of her and glared at Michael. "Hey, she tell you what her favorite position is, yet?" Laughed Michael. "She likes to be treated like a bitch in heat, the only problem is she is as cold as ice, even in sex!"

"Shut your mouth." Ordered Anteros in a voice which brooked no argument. Michael looked at the god with disbelieving eyes. "I order you to leave her alone and never bother her again. I promise on all my blood and that of my entire family's you shall suffer for your insult to this fine and respectable lady."

"What? How dare you?" Snapped Michael. He ran at Anteros then.

Arista scrambled out of the way and ran for the house. She juggled the keys for a moment before getting the lock open. She pushed the door open and reached around the door for the phone. She dialed 9-1-1 and waited for the call to go through.

Anteros took the first punch and thrust the smaller man back. Anteros glared at Michael and realized he was smaller and therefore more agile. Michael's punch did have a good bite to it, but Anteros had only caught it in a glancing blow.

Arista told the operator that her ex-boyfriend whom she had a restraining order on had showed up in front of her house and was now fighting with her friend. She told them to send the cops quickly. When the operator asked for specifics she told the lady how she had told Michael to leave and he didn't. She told her about the insults and how Anteros stepped in front of her to protect her and her siblings and that was when Michael had attacked.

She watched with horror as Michael landed punch after punch on Anteros' body, but they seemed to be weaker than the first several. Michael thrust one last punch at Anteros, but it fell short. Arista heard sirens coming down the road. Anteros punched Michael just as the police showed up and got out of their cars. Three policemen tackled Anteros. He stood there a little dazed and confused that the police had tackled him and not Michael. He heard Arista shouting at the police.

"Leave him alone! He was protecting me! Michael is the one you want! Anteros helped me!" Arista shouted at the police. Finally one heard her and looked up at her. She pointed towards the unconscientious Michael. "He is the one you want!" Tears streamed down her face. The cop turned and said something to the other two and they let go and backed off. Arista threw herself onto Anteros' still form. At first he just stared at the police backing away from him. Then he realized Arista was talking to him. "Are you alright? Where are you hurt? Do you need a doctor?"

"Arista?" He said dumbly. She looked up into his face and brushed he fingers across his lip, wiping a drop of blood away. "I'm alright." He whispered.

"Okay." She said. A tear fell down her face.

"Hey, arrest him." Christos told the police, pointing at Michael. "He attacked my sister and our friend. I saw it. I will give you a statement." Christos told the police.

On officer went over to the Michael and cuffed him. After he was secured he and another officer carried him the car and put him in the back. The third took notes on what happened by everyone. Finally, he handed over a paper to each of them to fill out. They did and handed them back. He took notes on the address and who wrote what. After an hour the police left with Michael. Arista had stayed by Anteros the entire time.

"Alright, let's go." Anteros said softly.

"Are you going to be alright?" Arista asked yet again.

"I will be fine. He never landed any lasting punches. I learned to fight from my father. I hated the raining, but today I'm glad for it. As big as I am, I had to learn to avoid the hard punches." Anteros explained. He looked down at Arista. "The question is, are you alright?" Arista nodded. Anteros sighed, not believing her. "Then let us go. After that I truly am hungry." He laughed then winced. "Okay, maybe he did land a couple of good punches after all. He walked around to the passenger side of the car and got in.
Chapter Four

Arista, Christos, and Korene all climbed in after him. They headed to the mall and the stored surrounding it. The first stop they made was the little Italian eatery in the mall. Arista ordered four slices of peperoni pizza and four green salads. She also ordered four bottles of water.

"I could have aid for them." Anteros said as he picked up one of the trays of food.

"Let's just call it even. You did help me with Michael. I figured I owed you. Now we are even." Arista said. Arista balanced two trays on her arm and carried the water bottles in the other. Anteros was impressed.

"Feeding me makes us even for me fighting, huh?" Anteros asked. "Where I come from that is not the case. We can talk repayment later." Anteros said as they approached Christos and Korene sitting at a table in the food court.

"I don't understand." Arista looked at him puzzled.

"You will later." He smiled at her.

"Hey, hurry up you two!" Christos snapped. "We're hungry too."

Korene accepted her tray from Arista and dug in, never taking her eyes off her book. Christos practically inhaled his food. Anteros stared at his pizza for a moment and looked at Arista to see what she was doing. She had a fork in one hand and her pizza in another. She had folded it to make it easier to eat. She took a bite out of it and speared some salad onto the plastic fork. Anteros grabbed his pizza and took a bite out of it and immediately fell in love with it. This was another thing he would miss he decided. He finished off the pizza and started on the salad. When he was finished he opened the water bottle and drank it down. He set the bottle down next to the empty paper plates.

Arista had finished eating and watched Anteros finish his food with such relish. She looked and Christos and they started laughing together.

"Thanks." Arista said when she caught her breath. "I hadn't done that in a while."

"Yeah, me neither." Christos laughed.

"I am glad you find something amusing." Anteros looked back and forth between them. "What did you find funny?" He inquired.

"You, actually." Christos chuckled.

"We weren't laughing at you, if that was what you were worried for." Arista quickly reassured him. "Think of it this way, we had never seen someone enjoy pizza like you did. It was like when we both watched Kory eat her first pizza. You practically glowed when you ate it. We were remembering at the same time and well, we laughed. It was like that. If you had the same memory as us you'd have been laughing with us. Oh, I'm not making sense." Arista finished lamely.

"Actually, you're making perfect sense. My little brother, Eros tried something once, and the look on his face was so happy it was funny. I still laugh at it occasionally." Anteros said.

"What are you snickering about?" Korene popped her nose out of her book and back in the real world. Anteros, Christos, and Arista looked at each other and laughed. "What?" Korene could ignore anything once she was reading a good book.

"Hurry and eat. We got a lot to do." Laughed Arista. Christos' attitude seemed to have vanished. Even though Korene was still quiet, it wasn't with the ever present feeling of depression. Even Arista felt better.

Christos was the first finished with Anteros a close second. Arista continued to eat more sedately and Korene shoveled food into her mouth between paragraphs. When they were finished Korene put her book in her purse and pointedly looked across the mall at the bookstore.

"Let's go." Arista grabbed Anteros' hand and pulled him towards the bookstore. "Let's all get a book. I feel the need to splurge." Anteros followed willingly behind Arista. Christos hung back a bit and Korene skipped ahead to the store. She ran back to her favorite section, fantasy and science fiction.

Anteros looked around the store, taking all the books, he noticed he had been left alone. He began looking around for Arista and found her in the reference section staring at a few how-to books. She sighed and picked up one. She flipped through it casually. Once she got to the end she flipped it over and glanced at the cover's price and sighed again. She put it back and wandered off. Anteros had watched her and was curious about her interest in the book. He went over and took the book off the shelf. It was a book on how to make beaded jewelry. Anteros smiled. Well, her mother was a metallurgist, so it stands to reason she would be interested in some sort of handicraft. He tucked it under his arm and searched for others like it.

Arista turned back into the aisle and saw him looking at the books she had just been looking at. She smiled sadly and approached. "Interested in making jewelry?" She inquired.

"I am, a little. I was trying to think of something I could learn to do. Eros learned woodcarving when he married Psyche. I just thought maybe I could learn a craft too." He looked at the books again. "I am just not sure which ones are the best ones."

Arista looked at the books and selected three of them. "Here, these are good for beginners, but not the one under your arm, it is too hard. Might want to put it back for the time being." She told him as she took it from under his arm and put it back. "Anteros, it's time to go. I've already paid for Korene's and Christos' books. So, let's go pay for yours." She again grasped his hand and pulled him towards the cash register. He grabbed the book she put back as she pulled him to the end of the aisle.

At the register he purchased the books, with the help of Arista, of course. It was his first time using any type of money, even a credit card. She showed him what to do and tucked his receipt into his wallet for him. She handed the wallet back to him and grabbed the bag in one hand and his hand in her other one. She marched out of the store with him in tow. She led him to the shoe store next.

"I gave Christos and Kory some money to go look in their favorite stores. This way we can get you a few nice clothes here before going to the thrift store for regular everyday clothes. Kory will probably go back to the book store before too long and buy herself another book. Christos will go to the video game store and try to find something there. I don't mind. I just got paid the other day and we need a little spoiling." Arista explained as she led him down the shoe store aisles. "Uh, what size shoe are you anyways?" She asked stopping and looking at his feet.

"I don't know. I've never bought shoes before." He said. "Is that bad?"

"No, just shows your life to be a lot different than mine." Arista frowned. "Well, I guess I'll have to help figure this out." She looked around. "Stay here." She ordered and ran off towards the front of the store. He stood there staring at the shoes and waited. She came back with a guy in tow. The man held an unusual contraption.

The man set it down on the floor. "Please, place your foot here, sir." The man ordered. Anteros Frowned at the order, but did as he was told. "Alright, your size is ten. Go over to the next aisle to the right and go to the end." He waved towards the aisle and picked up the shoe sizer. He nodded to Arista and left.

Arista lead the way and looked at the shoes until she found a decent pair of tennis shoes and a nice pair of dress shoes. She pointed to the bench and had him try each pair on. He liked both, but the dress pair were a bit stiff. She put the back in the boxes and led him to the register where he paid for the shoes and a package of socks they had grabbed. Arista was looking at a pair of flats to the right of the register when Anteros returned to her side carrying the bag with his shoes.

"Want them?" He asked, looking at her scuffed and worn flats.

"Yeah, but all the extra money I had went to Christos and Kory." She smiled. "I'll get them next month." She started to leave.

"What size?" He asked.

"Huh?" She swung around and looked at him confusedly.

"What size do you wear?" He smiled and indicated the shoes.

"Oh, um, size seven." She said. "I know I have big feet." She blushed.

"Seven, huh. Your feet aren't that big. You should see Cousin Artemis' feet, they're huge." He looked for the size and found it. "Here, try these." He handed the shoes to her.

"I can't afford them right now." Arista explained. "If I try them on I'll just want them more."

"I know. I'll buy them. You have been a big help to me and I want to help you too." He smiled.

Arista bit her lip and looked longingly at the flats. They were just cute, copper colored with six little square studs lining the top of the shoe. She grabbed them, sat on the bench and tried them on. "They fit." She said.

"Alright, we'll get them." Anteros smiled.

"I can't, I love them, but I can't." Arista said, her eyes felt tight like she was going to cry yet again.

"Sure you can. It's my treat. A god can give a gift to those he chooses. I have decided you will be my favorite and are now under my protection. You and your family. No other gods will hurt you." Anteros smiled.

"Thanks." Arista said drily. "Oh, hell. I can't put them back now. Well, let's go buy them, I guess." She took the shoes off and put them back into the box.

Anteros grabbed her hand and pulled her to the register. "I'd like to get these too." He took the shoes and handed them to the man at the register. When they were paid for Arista took Anteros to a bench across from the store and had him put on one of his new pairs of shoes. He traded the old thongs for the tennis shoes. Arista traded the new shoes for her old comfy ones. She dug out two band-aides out of her purse and stuck them to the back of her heel where the new shoes were bound to rub new blisters into her feet before too long.

She never left home without some band-aides, after all she was a klutz. Anteros and Arista walked side by side and looked into the shops throughout the mall. Anteros found a couple of nice pairs of pants to buy and some shirts. Anteros kept an eye on Arista to see if she wanted something again, but she didn't even glance at the dresses and other pretty things they passed. Finally they searched out Christos and Korene. Arista was right about where they found them. Christos was in the video game store and Korene had made it back to the bookstore. They left the mall and headed over to the thrift store where Anteros would buy a few more clothes. These would be for everyday wear and work.

They walked around and picked out several t-shirts, a couple of sweat shirts and more pants. Christos found a nice pair of slack pants for Anteros and Kory found a dress shirt. They were added to the pile. Arista picked out a matching tie from the little rack they were on. Before long Anteros had a whole wardrobe. Arista was looking at long sleeve shirts when she spotted a pretty dress. She looked at it longingly and wanted to see if it would fit. It was a pretty light blue with lilac and darker blue flowers printed on it, the spaghetti style straps criss-crossed in the back giving the top part a bodice look. She knew is it did fit, it would fall down just below her knees. A dress like that would make her look a little taller. She tore her eyes off it and began pushing through the shirts for Anteros again.

Kory looked at the dress her sister had been eyeing and walked over to it. She looked at the size and smiled. "It would fit." She whispered.

"What are you doing?" Christos asked.

"I was just looking. How much money do you have on you?" Kory studied the tag and decided she needed about five dollars more.

"About three dollars. Why?" Christos asked.

"No reason really. I just thought Arista would look really pretty in this dress. It's her size. Well, we will never know." Kory sighed.

"How much are we short?" Christos asked.

"About two dollars." Kory answered.

"Hold on a moment. Didn't you notice the new shoes Arista was wearing? She didn't buy them, I know she didn't. She might spend money on us freely, but she's a penny pincher when it comes to herself. Let's ask Anteros." Christos explained. Kory nodded and grabbed the dress.

They went in search of Anteros. He smiled and took the dress, adding it to his pile of clothes. When they went to pay Christos and Korene put their money on the counter to pay for the dress and Anteros paid for the rest. The clerk smiled at the three knowingly. Anteros handed the bag with the dress to Korene. She beamed up at him. "Thanks, big brother!" she said.

"Big brother?" Anteros frowned.

"Yes, big brother. You're going to stay with us and I think Arista likes you." Kory said. She turned and walked out the door with Christos and Anteros following her.

"I'm sorry, but she has always been like that." Christos said. "At least, she used to be like that until mother died. She got quiet after that."

"It's alright. Will she be alright?" Anteros asked. "Is she going to be like she was before?"

"I don't know, but today she seems happier. I wonder if she was worried about something." Christos shook his head.

"She was." Arista said. "I have been worried about her for a while. She wasn't herself. Maybe now she will be alright." She had snuck up on them. "Sorry for vanishing. I saw a dress I liked and went to see if it would fit. Seems someone bought it when my back was turned." Arista looked longingly over her shoulder at the store. "I just have all the bad luck. Every time I find something here I miss out on getting it."

Anteros smiled. "I don't think your bad luck. You are my good luck. Without you I'd be lost."

"Arista, you aren't bad luck. You have taken care of Kory and me since we were kids and you also watch over us now. Without you we'd be in some foster home, maybe together, maybe separated. You were there when we needed you, and you'll always be there for us." Christos said.

"Thanks, both of you." Arista smiled at them.

"Arista, here." Kory handed a bag to her. "Open it. Kory ordered her sister.

"What is it?" Arista asked.

"Proof you're not bad luck." Christos answered.

Arista looked into the bag and found the dress. "Oh." She whispered. Tears spilled from her eyes. "You bought it." She accused Anteros.

"Nope. They did." He pointed at Christos and Korene. "They wanted to show you how much they love their big sister."

Arista looked at Kory and Christos. "Is that true?" They nodded.

Kory smiled. "Big Brother helped a little though. We were a couple of dollars short."

"Big Brother?" Arista asked puzzled.

"Yeah, Anteros. You guys love each other, right? That makes him Big Brother." Kory said.

"Um, Kory, it's not like that." Arista said.

"Yes it is! You guys are always holding hands and you even let him sleep in your room. He is nice and he even likes the same things as you." Kory cried.

"Yes, he is nice, but liking the same things doesn't mean we love each other." Arista explained. "We're just good friends. Friends like similar things too. Besides, I don't want to go through what Michael did again. I can't do it a second time." Arista looked at Anteros. His face was closed to her. He waited for her to finish and got into the car. Arista sighed and got into the car too. Kory and Christos both got in after looking at each other helplessly.

They drove home.

## Chapter Five

Arista unlocked the garage door and went into the house. Christos and Kory went with Anteros to help him put his things away. Kory took the thrift store items and tossed them into the washer.

Arista was left to her own devices. She sighed and headed for the kitchen. She grabbed a box of pasta, two cans of tomato sauce, and a can of olives out of the cupboard. She put a pot onto the stove, filled with water. She turned on the stove and left the kitchen long enough to put away her purse, shoes, and dress. She ran up the stairs and into her room. Everyone had been quiet on the return trip home. She felt like she had to do something, say something the entire trip home, but she was a t a loss for what. She put her things away and changed back into her everyday clothes.

Arista tugged her hair into a ponytail and left the room. She went back into the kitchen. She poured the noodles into the boiling water and waited for them to soften and cook. She prepared the spaghetti sauce while she waited and put in on to warm. She opened the can of olives and put them into a bowl. She set the table for four. She had forgotten to take Anteros shopping for food, so she figured she'd let him eat with them.

She sighed and took the sauce off the stove. She checked the noodles and strained them. Pouring the noodles in a bowl she dropped a pat of butter onto the noodles and mixed in the tomato sauce. She placed the bowl on the table and put the olives next to it. Christos and Korene liked olives on their spaghetti, but Arista didn't. She liked them on the side. She went to the fridge and pulled out the parmesan cheese and the loaf of Italian bread. She sliced two slices for everyone except herself. She decided she wasn't hungry and walked up to her room.

Arista heard Kory come into the kitchen from the garage and then leave. Soon she also heard Christos and Anteros come in and heard them sitting down to eat the food. She went into her room and decided to go to bed. She was tired and she had never felt so lonely, even after their mom had died. She stripped her clothes yet again and pulled on her favorite nightgown. It was a long one, but it was a peasant style. It was an A-line dress with puffy peasant sleeves. It tied at the waist with a dark blue ribbon. The dress itself was purple. She pulled back the covers on her bed and climbed in.

"Why?" she whispered. "First you die, then he steps into my life. Nothing is as it should be. I am lost. Mother, help me." Arista prayed softly into the setting sun. She lay down and closed her eyes. The tears came then. She cried herself out.

*****

"Where is Arista?" Anteros asked the siblings. Kory shrugged. Christos frowned and looked up towards Arista's room. "I'll go get her." Anteros offered. "She should be here to eat with us. You are a family. Families eat together. That is how it has always been." He rose and headed towards the stairs.

Christos looked at his sister. "I think he is a little old fashioned like Ary is."

Kory nodded. "I like him, he reminds me of mom."

"Yeah, I like him too. Just don't tell Ary, ok?" Christos said.

Korene smiled. "I won't if you won't." She laughed.

"Deal." Christos joined her laughter. "It's been happier here since he came. Arista has smiled more too." Korene nodded.

Anteros listened for a moment to the siblings at the end of the hall. He smiled and went up the stairs to find Arista. He went to her room and knocked softly. There was no answer.

"Arista?" He called to her. "Are you in here?" He opened the door and looked into the room. He saw a bump in the bed and knew it was Arista. He crossed the room softly. Anteros sat on the edge of the bed. He remembered with sadness the words she had said before he had headed home and frowned. She can't feel like that, not after the kisses. I feel different towards her. I know it's wrong, but I think I care for her a lot more than I should. He thought frowning. Anteros reached out a hand and pulled the blankets back from Arista's face. "Hey? Are you awake?" He whispered. She didn't answer. "Arista?" She shook her and watched as she shifted away slightly. He smiled and gently pushed her hair off her face. He leaned down and kissed her. She looked so sweet and innocent in her sleep, Anteros wanted to taste that sweetness for himself. He realized he could not ever stop kissing her while he was here in the mortal realms. He pulled away slightly and found her eyes open and she stared at him. "I tried to wake you. Are you not eating?"

"No. I was tired." Arista said.

She sat up forgetting about her nightgown. It pulled taunt against her breasts. Anteros' breath caught in his throat. He reached out his hand and brushed them across her breast. She shivered at the touch. Arista's body reacted. Her breath quickened and her nipple hardened under his touch. Anteros watched her breast react to his touch. He gently rubbed his hand across her breast again and found himself wanting more. Arista reached out and took his hand in hers.

"Anteros." She whispered. "Kiss me." She pressed her lips to his gently. He returned her kiss and found himself sinking into her arms. He had never felt stirrings like this before he met her. He was a proud god, dedicated to the emotion of love. He was the god of requited love and the avenger of unrequited love. Yet, here he was letting her touch him as no other woman, goddess or human, ever had. He felt her hands flitter across his chest and around his shoulders. She trembled against him. He felt the world spin around him. Was this right? Was this lust or love? Anteros allowed her to pull him down on the bed with her. "Hold me." She whispered. "I need to know I'm not alone." Anteros knew then, this was not love, but the need in Arista to be with someone, and anyone would do.

"No, Arista. We must stop this. You are not yourself." Anteros pulled away from her.

"What?" She looked confused. "I don't understand."

"You have a need I cannot fill. I am the god of requited love. Unless love is given I cannot give what I feel." Anteros whispered. He rose and walked to the door. "Come down for dinner."

"Anteros." Arista got out of bed and walked over to him. She raised a hand and slapped him before he could react. "I avenge my own unrequited love." She turned and went into her bathroom and slammed the door behind her.

Anteros stared at the door for a moment. He went downstairs and sat at the table with the two siblings.

"What happened?" Christos asked mid-bite. He and Korene had started eating.

"She slapped me." He said.

"Big Brother!" Korene gasped. "What did you do?"

"I kissed her. She kissed me and I kissed back. I told her no and she slapped me. She said she avenged her own unrequited love, then slapped me." Anteros said softly.

"Idiot!" Christos laughed. "Kory, could you go turn on a good movie for us to watch?" Christos asked. Kory looked at her brother and Anteros. Anteros nodded. She shrugged and left the room.

"I take it she should not hear the wisdom being imparted onto my ears." Anteros asked.

"Nope. She's only ten. You need to march back up to that room and kiss her again. She just said she liked you." Christos laughed again. "I can't believe I am telling a guy to jump my sister."

"I don't understand. I thought she liked me already. She said we were friends. I want more than that, but she is distraught. Your mother died a few months back and everything is in turmoil. She should not be acting like this." Anteros said.

"Anteros, she likes you. I know you don't know what that means right. I have never seen such a clueless man. Okay, listen when I say 'likes' I mean she really likes you. Another word for it could be love, or the beginnings of it anyway. She is my sister, and who else would know more about her than me."

"I don't think this is the time for this. She is in mourning for your mother. She is still sad. I see it in her face when she thinks no one is looking." Anteros said.

"No, it's the perfect time. I've seen it too, and so has Kory. Ary's always been tough. When father died she was the strongest one then. He died shortly after Kory was born. Mom and Arista have been both mother and father to me and Kory. They took care of us and Ary has had to work all her life for what we have. She babysat the neighbor kids until she was sixteen. Then she got a job at a burger place. When she graduated high school, she enrolled in college, but she still worked at two jobs. Mom did her best too. She earned lots of money for her pieces and since father left mom this house we never had to worry about rent or anything like that. Just the regular bills. Arista is still paying on some of the hospital bills. She doesn't know I know. She thinks she's keeping it a secret. When I'm sixteen I plan on getting a job and helping her with those bills. Then she won't have to work so hard. I want her happy. She is my sister after all." Christos looked up at the ceiling. He sighed. "Mainly, I want her to have a normal life. Something mom and her have worked hard for me and Kory. I believe you are just what the doctor ordered." Christos grinned. "Now, get upstairs and dry her tears. Be what she needs you to be."

"Why do you call her 'Ary'? Her name is Arista." Anteros was a little awed at the respect and love Christos had for his sister.

"When I was little I couldn't say her name right and it grew into a nickname for her after that. Even mom called her that." Christos shrugged.

"Do you think this is the right thing to do?" Anteros asked.

"Yes, now go before your window closes!" Christos shoved him towards the stairs.

Anteros squared his shoulders and ran up the stairs taking them two at a time. He went to Arista's door and knocked on it. No answer came again. He opened the bedroom door and found the bathroom door open as well, Arista was not in the room at all. He checked her mother's room next and found a door ajar on the other side of the room. The door lead to a balcony. He stepped onto the balcony and looked around. She was not on it. There was a set of stairs leading into the back yard. He frowned, did she go down there? He stepped onto the stairs and started down them.

He heard a scream and knew it was Arista's. He started running towards the scream.

*****

After Anteros left her room, Arista went to her mother's room and out onto the balcony. She looked out into her backyard and saw a shadow move across the lawn and into Anteros' room. She decided she needed to apologize for slapping him. She walked down the stairs and went to his door. She knocked softly and waited for him to answer the door. She realized she was still in her nightgown. I should have changed my clothes, she thought.

The door opened and she stepped into the room. "Anteros, I'm sorry for slapping you." She said.

Someone slipped up behind her and rested a hand on her shoulder. Arista thought at first it was Anteros. "I'm sorry, bitch, I'm not your lover, but I will be." A familiar voice said. "Yep, they let me out. I decided you needed to learn a lesson." He shoved Arista towards the futon.

"Leave me alone, Michael!" Arista cried. "I'll scream, everyone will hear and someone will call the police!"

"Go ahead, scream. I can still teach you your lesson before they get here. Then you can explain it was a misunderstanding and send them away." He chuckled.

"Please leave!" Arista cried.

"This will be fun." He laughed. He fumbled with his pants and pulled out his dick. Arista's eyes widened and she shuddered in fear. He approached her and she screamed. She kicked out at him as he got closer. He just laughed harder and began stroking himself. "Don't worry, you'll enjoy this. I promise." He reached out and grabbed her hair, forcing her face towards his swollen dick. She screamed again. "You bite me and I will hit you." Snarled Michael. Arista tried to pull his hand out of her hair. He just gripped it harder and thrust her face closer to his dick. "Open your mouth." He ordered. Arista did, but to scream again. He managed to shove his dick against her cheek as she turned her face away and snapped her mouth shut again. Michael grew angry and yanked her up and backhanded her with his other hand. He threw her onto the futon and grabbed her night dress and tore at it.

Arista came to as a draft of cool air hit her bared breasts. Arista opened her mouth to scream again. Before she could, Michael sailed through the air and hit the wall. Anteros stood over her glaring at Michael. Arista groped at her nightdress and tried to cover herself. Anteros was very angry. He waited until Michael stood up and threw a punch at Anteros. Anteros let him connect and then began his own punching. Arista heard sirens in the distance. Anteros manages to get Michael out of the little guesthouse and into the yard. He kept punching Michael until the cops showed up.

"Stop fighting!" Yelled a cop. "We will take care of this!"

"Who called?" Another policeman said.

"I did." Christos said. "I heard my sister scream. So, I called."

"Who started this?" Asked the first cop.

"He did!" Cried Michael.

"No!" Arista came out of the guesthouse. She had found a blanket and wrapped it around herself. "Michael did." She pointed at Michael. "He tried to rape me." She accused.

The police wrote up the report and placed Michael in custody. After the police left with Michael yet again. This time he would not be getting out of jail. Christos went back into the house and Arista sat on a lawn chair and sighed her relief yet again. Anteros held an ice pack to his face where on of Michael's punches had connected.

"I never knew it hurt this much." Anteros sounded surprised. "Is this normal?"

Arista looked up at him. "What?" He was confused and obviously tired from her long day and the fight for her freedom from Michael.

"Does is really hurt this much to be hit?" Anteros asked.

"Yeah, it does." She looked away, her face becoming red with shame.

"It's happened to you." Anteros accused.

"Yeah. I mean, no, oh leave me alone." Arista stammered.

Anteros kneelt down in front of her. "Is it yes or no?" He asked gently cupping his hand on her check and pulling her face to his. He gently placed his lips on hers. When he pulled away he searched her eyes and waited for her answer.

"It's yes. He did hit me. I broke up with him and he kept coming after me so I put a restraining order on him. He still kept coming. I pretended I was stronger than him, but I was afraid. That was why I became cold-hearted. I didn't want people to know the real me. I couldn't be hurt." Arista explained. Tears spilled down her face and she lowered her head in shame. Her hair covered her face.

Anteros couldn't believe what she had just said. "Arista." He whispered. "I won't hurt you." He promised. He wrapped his arms around her and held her while she cried yet again on his shoulder. When he had first met her he had thought her strong with the heart of ice. That was when he had come to punish her for the man who had prayed to him. When he met her again the second time, he thought her merely strong and willful. Now, he thought her sad and alone. He didn't like this. He wanted her like she was when he came to her in the garage, strong and willful. She was a woman who knew what she wanted and needed then. Now, she was different.

Arista sniffed and pulled away from him. She always did.

"Sorry." She whispered. "I think I am becoming a pain in the butt for you." She said drily.

"No, you can never be that." Anteros said still holding her in his arms. He looked into her eyes. "I think I understand now. I was sent her to fix something, but I think I was actually sent her to learn something." Anteros looked up at the sky for a moment. "I think I should tell you a story. I know you will condemn me after that." He sighed. He stood up and pulled her to her feet. "Actually, I think I should show you. You don't really believe me about me being a god." Anteros looked to the sky again. "Hermes. Can you come to me, pleas?"

"What is it cousin?" A voice asked. Arista looked at the man standing before Anteros.

"I need a favor." Anteros said.

"You have called upon me so I assume you need to go somewhere." Hermes said intuitively.

"Yes, I need to go into the past to a certain time." Anteros answered. "I need to show Arista something."

"Miss Arista, take a moment and get something warm on." Hermes said kindly. "This kind of travel is rather cold."

Arista nodded and ran into the house and up to her room. She quickly cast aside her torn nightdress and the blanket she had covering her. She grabbed a pair of black leggings and a long-sleeved tunic style shirt. She dressed and shoved her feet into a pair of boots. She pulled her hair up into a ponytail and ran back downstairs and out back to where the men waited.

"Anteros, what about my sister and brother? I can't leave them alone." Arista asked.

"They will be fine. Hermes will take us where we need to go and my brother Eros will guard them." Anteros said. She then noted a beautiful god standing aloof from Hermes and Anteros.

"Hurry brother, Zeus will be very mad at this blatant dismissal of his judgment towards you." Eros said. Hermes nodded.

"Then let us go." Anteros said as he took Arista's hand and tucked it into the crook of his arm. "I am just a man now, but you will see what I was."

Arista frowned confused. He was a man and she didn't care what he was or is, so long as he was her friend and perhaps more.

Hermes smiled and stepped up behind them and placed one of his hands on Arista's shoulder and the other on Anteros'. Suddenly Arista felt a shudder and the world greyed. All she saw was a swirling shades of grey for what seemed like eternity.

## Chapter Six

"Why is it taking so long?" Arista whispered. Her voice echoed back at her.

"We are traveling several hundred years into the past." Hermes intoned. "Where we go, no one will be able to see you."

Soon the grey colors solidified and color returned. She found herself facing a large open room on a cliff by the sea. By the architecture she knew she was in Greece. A man entered the room and began pacing back and forth. Soon another man entered after him.

"Timagoras, I am busy right now. Come back later." Said the first man. "I must decide if I will marry the general's daughter."

"Meles, I need to tell you something." The second man pleaded.

"What is it?" Snapped the first man.

"I love you. I would follow you to Hades and back if you so asked it." Timagoras said kneeling at the feet of Meles.

"You would do anything I command?" Asked Meles.

"Yes, beloved." Timagoras said solemnly.

"Then know this, I do not love you, you are nothing more than a servant. Jump from that balcony over the cliff and die for your love." Snapped Meles.

"Yes, beloved." Timagoras sighed and went to the balcony. "Anteros, god of requited love, know my heart and serve it justice for its pain." Then the man leaped over the railing and into the sea below.

"What have you done for his love?" A familiar voice asked Meles.

"He said he'd do anything." Meles said.

"Look at me, mortal!" Commanded the voice. Meles looked over by the trio and gasped, falling to his knees. Arista turned and looked behind the group and found Anteros standing there in all his godly glory. He had a glow about him and beautiful feathered wings in the shape of a butterfly's wings.

"Great god, what do you wish of me?" Meles asked.

"Look at what you have wrought." Commanded Anteros. He pointed out the balcony. Meles stood and went the balcony and leaned over it. "Look careful, mortal, and know the extent of your carelessness." The man looked for a moment then gasped. "You have killed him for his love. You must atone. I order you to follow him and ask his forgiveness." The man then jumped from the balcony himself. The god looked sadly upon the room and vanished.

"Now, to another time." Hermes said. They again traversed the grey path to another time. "This will be painful."

They were suddenly in the familiar kitchen Arista had grown up in and her mother was doing the dishes.

"Arista, is that man at work still bothering you?" Kalista asked.

"Yes, but I can handle it." The other Arista answered, getting into the fridge.

"Arista!" Gasped Kalista. She fell over. The trio watched as Kalista had turned and looked directly into Anteros' eyes as she stepped in front of his Iron Arrows. She took the arrow into her own heart. Anteros just shrugged and vanished, saying, "It is just to die for one's daughter for her crime if she live in her parent's house."

Arista of the past rushed to her mother and watched in horror as she died.

Hermes sighed. "Truly a sad day." Then the grey came again. "One last time and place."

They again entered the grey pathway to another time. This time when the grey vanished leaving a grand room filled with men and women in togas and chitins. These were the gods and goddesses of Greece. The Olympians.

They watched the punishment of Anteros as it had happened just after the death of Arista's mother.

Anteros looked around the pantheon. He just could not believe what he was hearing. Aphrodite cast her eyes down and away from him, his own mother. Ares, his father, just glared at Zeus. Eros was the only one who had come to his defense, but was soon cowed by the great king of the gods. Eros knew him better than any god or goddess. Anteros was the god of requited love, the avenger of unrequited love, not any other god who had screwed up in their long immortal lives. Even Eros had loved and had several mistresses while married to Psyche. Only the Three Virgin Goddesses were pure of these crimes. Anteros, though a male god, counted himself among them, making him an unofficial fourth virgin. For a god he was a virgin, he had never even tasted love. This concept was foreign to him.

For all his good attributes he stood here now accused of misusing his powers. A man had loved a girl and she had rejected him. Anteros had punished her. Her mother had died, an accident, the woman had somehow stepped in front of his iron tipped arrow. She had somehow taken the punishment instead of her daughter. The woman was a metallurgist and a very crafty one at that. Hephaestus sorely missed her. The Muses were also very upset at the woman's passing. Being a favorite of the old hunchback had given her some magic of her own, it happened to those blessed by the gods. Now, Anteros was on trial.

"I tell you true. I shot my arrow at a girl who spurned the unrequited love of my patron. How was I supposed to know the mother would step into the arrow's flight? I am still not sure how the arrow could hit someone it was not intended for to begin with." Anteros said into the silence.

"I cannot condone what you have done." Zeus thundered. "However, somehow your punishment of the girl went entirely wild of its mark. We have a responsibility to our people. We are not the powerful gods we once were, but we still have to care for our people. It is like this for all the different pantheons out there. We are who we are because people believed in us once. Occasionally a person will pick up a book and read about us, or a mother will tell a child a story at night about us. Through these small actions we gods have pulled strength from these small gestures of worship. But we are still weakening. You must be set an example of and perhaps help us as well. I sentence you to fix what you have wrought. However, you will not do so as a god. I hereby strip you of your powers and give unto you a mortal life. You must find and fix your error as best you can. I will be watching. You must find out why this man was rejected, there must be a reason. Maybe then you can call Eros to your side and he can cast his golden arrow. However, if you cannot fix the problem then you will spend the rest of your mortal life on earth." Zeus stood from his throne and waved a hand. Grey fog wrapped around Anteros and hid him from view. "Sleep, Anteros. You will soon awaken where you are most needed. I hope you realize what you must do before it is too late for you. If you remain in the mortal realm for one year you will never be able to return to us until the mortal life you have assumed has been expended. Be sure to ask forgiveness to the correct person." With that Zeus flicked his hand at the fog and it vanished with Anteros in it. "Help him if you dare." Zeus snapped at the other gods and goddesses. He looked directly at Aphrodite and Ares.

Again the grey path returned and they traversed it. They returned to the backyard and Eros stood leaning against the house waiting for their return. Arista looked at the three gods and let the pain of three months finally go. She did not need to cry anymore, but she was emotionally exhausted. She had been truly punished for not returning the love of the grotesque old man in the coffee shop. She could not even love the man who beat her. She truly was cold hearted. Now, she saw it for what she truly was.

"I have done a serious wrong." Whispered Arista. "I will fix the problem in the morning. Thank you." Her mother had always said there were reasons for everything. Whatever any god said must be true. She turned and went into the house.

"Hermes, you are the escort to the dead, do you think she is a danger to herself?" Anteros asked.

"I have not that power." Hermes mused. "However, if she is a danger to herself, it is not in death. Her words were not saddened but resolute. I believe she shall be fixing her mistake."

Eros looked after the girl with concern. "She has something in her heart I have not seen in her before." He mused.

"Well, then maybe I can go home. I need to do a couple of things first." Anteros said softly.

"We will see you back in Olympus soon." Hermes laughed and vanished. Eros looked after Arista for a moment more and vanished as well.

Anteros sighed and went into his small room. He stared at the ceiling making plans for the morning.

*****

Arista rose late and slowly got ready for the day. She slowly made her way down to the kitchen where she made herself a pot of coffee. When the coffee was done she poured herself a cup and sipped it. She smiled happily as she sat at the kitchen table and stared out the window. She had at first thought she had dreamed the whole trip into the past last night, but a nagging feeling made her think about her promise to make things better.

She finished her coffee and went to get her purse. She was going to the coffee shop to say yes to the old man. She knew if she made him happy then everything would be alright. It hurt her that she would be with the one person she really liked, but if she was cold-hearted then she at least owed it to the old man to try to love him. Arista still found the old man repulsive and shuddered to think of him touching her in any way. Arista did not know what to do about her icy heart. Everyone believed her to have one, therefore she had to adjust herself to care for someone.

She grabbed her purse and headed for the car. She went into the garage and ran into Christos.

"Here, this is for you." He handed n envelope to Arista and went into the house.

Frowning she opened it and found a lot of money in it. "Christos!" She called. He did not answer her. She found a note in the envelope as well. Her frown deepened as she read it.

Dear Arista,

Do not do anything you will regret. I will always watch over you. I believe I now know what it is I have to do. I also know by being with you and your family, you are not in the wrong. You don't have an icy or cold heart. It is warm enough to take in someone whom you think maybe crazy. You are the most loving person I have met in all my years as a god. Please forgive me yet again. I truly have wronged you and punished the wrong person. I know this will never bring back your mother or take away the pain you endured. Hermes also told me that you were merely visiting your mother at the time of the punishment. He said you had just gotten your own place a couple of weeks before and only moved back into the house after your mother had died. My punishment of you through your mother was completely unfounded. In my arrogance I have wronged you and your mother deeply. I cannot asked for your forgiveness enough. I do not wish to cause the family I love, Christos, Korene, and even you, more duress. Please know I will watch over my beloved family forever. I have left you as much money as I could to help you stay together. I will also help the CPS, as Christos called them, away from you. Remember, I taught you to be a loving woman and grew to love you as well.

Your dearest friend and beloved god,

Anteros

The letter was the best apology she had ever gotten. It even spoke of the love for her in it. She couldn't go to the old man and tell him yes now. She was again alone. Arista fell to her knees and cried. Not for the death of her mother or the happiness of finding out she didn't have an icy heart, but for the loss of the only one who understood her.

"Anteros, why?" She whispered.

"He loved you." Eros said. "I have something to tell you before he regains his powers. It will be your choice." Eros kneelt in front of Arista. "I knew you had the capacity to love, you do love your sister and brother, and you loved your mother very much. Even your father for the short time you knew him. You did care about the man who hit you, at least until he hit you. Anteros only had one year to solve the problem and if he did not solve it he would become human for the rest of a human span of years. He believes he must apologize to your mother. He went through the secret ways to Hades to ask forgiveness. He will succeed, it was her he wronged, not you." Eros reached out a hand and touched her shoulder. "Anteros is a little old fashioned, he believes mother and I are the only ones to bestow love unto the world. We are only the guardians of that love. It is you humans who carry it inside of you. My arrows are not to provoke love in a person but to help the person to see the love in front of them." He held out an arrow to her and smiled. It was a small arrow, meant for a crossbow. Gold and dainty with a filigree tip and soft golden feathers, it represented all she knew about love. "I give you a gift, Arista. This will help you find love again. When you are ready to love him press the tip into your flesh. Let a drop of blood flow upon it. Then take this arrow and stab the golden arrow into it." He handed a plain Iron Arrow to her. It resembled the one Anteros shot at her mother. "I must leave." Eros reached out again and lifted her chin and smiled at her. "You must know something as well about your mother. She was the product of a god's love. The Smith God's child. His power flows through you. This is why you are stronger than people think you need to be. Heroes are made of the blood of the gods." He smiled sadly again. "Little one, I wish we were siblings. But perhaps..." He let the thought stay in the air but a moment as he smiled at her and vanished.

"Thank you." She whispered and stared at the arrows Eros had bestowed upon her.

"I'm glad he left." Hermes said. "Niece of mine, listen carefully. I am the messenger god. I bring you a message. From your mother. All is forgiven. When Anteros greets her she will admit her forgiveness and begs you to find love. She understands the old ways and knows a god's love is a turmoil of emotions and it will eat at your heart." Hermes shrugged. "She speaks true, very few can withstand a god's love. You would be better to forget him and put your arrows away and never let anyone know of them." He vanished after his admonition.

Arista clutched the arrows to her breast. Then the letter and the arrows were all she had of him. She wept bitter tears and hid the arrows and the letter away in the garage. She knew then to hide them better she would have to make a special piece of art for them to hide in. She climbed into her car and drove to a craft store. She went into the bead section and bought metallic beads, wire and chains. She took them home and began the work she slowly envisioned. She carefully sketched out the design on a piece of paper and began the long process of creating the best disguise she could.

## Chapter Seven

Anteros stood at the threshold of the Elysium Fields where he awaited Hades to lead him to Kalista. Hades arrived and silently led him to a group of women in the center of the Fields. The women parte before Hades and stood aside from Kalista. She bowed to the god of death and then to Anteros.

"How is my daughter?" The woman asked. She resembled Arista, except their coloring was different. Arista had brown hair and hazel eyes, Kalista had black hair and deep blue eyes. A man stepped up from the shadow and wrapped his arms around Kalista. Anteros knew this man was Kalista's husband. His coloring was like Arista's, brown hair and hazel eyes. Christos and Korene took after their mother more.

"She is fine." Anteros said. "I came to ask your forgiveness. I know I may not deserve it, but I hope you will give it so I may watch over her and make her life full and happy."

"If I know Arista, she'd rather have you as a friend." The man spoke. "My daughter is a strong willed woman." He smiled at his wife.

"I don't think a god is the right man for Arista." Kalista looked at Anteros. "You see, I know how a god's love can destroy a person. My own mother waited every night for the rest of her life for the god who gave me to her. I am the product of that one union. Face it, she is not for you."

"Then I am not forgiven." Anteros asked, his shoulders drooped.

"Yes, under the condition you never go to her again, never actively seek her company and never let her know you even care for her." Kalista said. "The moment you show you even care for her and all your powers must be striped of you. That is my wish." Kalista smiled up at Hades. "You can tell Zeus what I have said, can't you?" She asked the Death God.

"I can." Hermes said. "I already delivered your message to Arista. She has agreed never to call upon him for anything."

Anteros felt as if someone had plunged a knife into his heart.

"Beloved, I still think you are wrong." The man said softly.

Anteros stood straight and glared at the dead mortals in front of him. "Do not worry. I will not seek her, nor will I help her either. She has turned her face from her benefactor and shown her hatred towards me. I have wronged her after all. I again beg your forgiveness so I may punish others who so need it. I however, also swear to be more careful in my judgments. This is another way I can avoid her. I can ignore certain callings of my services as a god."

Kalista nodded and turned away. "Go, I wish to see no more of you."

"Kalista, I believe you are becoming like my mother, remember she swore you were not good enough for me." Laughed the man. "Listen, as her father I can add a stipulation to the deal. If Arista calls you to her side herself, accidentally or otherwise, you must go to her and give her your heart."

"You're being stupid." Kalista snapped at the man. "She will never call him to her, I made sure of it."

Anteros bowed to the mortals and looked upward. "I have gained her forgiveness and stipulations for it. Now, grant me my powers that I may again rejoin the gods of Mount Olympus." Anteros cried out. He soon vanished, leaving behind the mortals and the two gods.

"Kalista, I think you have just sealed her love away from her. All are free to love, yet you have forbidden Arista hers." The man said. "Love will find a way through, though."

"I know what I am doing. She is young, she will love another. Haven't we heard of others who love her? There was a young man who got into a fight with that god." Kalista snapped.

"You forget, our daughter was almost raped by him." The man said.

"I forget nothing." She turned away from her husband and went to the group of women she had been surrounded by when Hades and Anteros approached.

"She will never forgive you, my love." The man again said.

"I think she will. After the course of events have transpired." Hades said hollowly looking at Hermes. Hermes just smiled and left. "That one is our own trickster, and I believe he has something up his sleeve." Hades nodded at the man and vanished as well.

"I hope it is for the good." Whispered the man.

## Chapter Eight

Arista worked on the project in her spare time until her fingers hurt. She carefully placed each and every bead into the banner she had been putting together. She carefully created a tube of beads too hold the letter rolled into it. She searched craft stores, jewelry stores and even boutiques for pieces she could use to represent the Greek Gods and Goddesses. She added each element to the banner. Finally, she added the two arrows, the iron one pointing to the center of the banner and the gold one pointed into the iron one. She finished the piece after three months of work.

When she was finished she went to see her mother's grave and kneelt on the grass.

"Mother, I am not sure of myself anymore. I am alone and I will stay that way. It is your wish. You have warned me about my love killing the ones I love. I think that is what Hermes meant by your words anyway. I am seriously going to provide for Christos and Korene until they are both eighteen and then I will vanish. Just like Anteros did for me, he vanished. I will show them the cost of love. I will not love another soul for as long as I live." Arista swore. She rose and left the grave.

Her days after that became lonelier and lonelier. Christos and Korene only saw her when she was home. She finally hung a new art piece in the living room. Korene looked at it carefully.

"What is that?" Christos asked.

"I made it to remind me. I do not need what it promises." Arista said resolutely.

"What does it promise?" Korene asked.

"A love so powerful it will kill those I love." Arista said. "I will remain a cold-hearted woman."

"That can't be true." Christos said.

Arista sighed and explained about Anteros and their mother. Ending with her thoughts of how her love for her family and her lack of love towards others killed their mother

"That is not your fault." Shouted Christos. "It isn't even Anteros'. Mom stood in the way of the arrow, not you. She took the punishment. She loved you so much she took your punishment and left us. She knew what she was doing."

"Yeah!" Cried Korene. "Anteros didn't know you were a loving person. You said he told you that in the letter. And now you have sealed it away without any chance of proving love is your strongest weapon." Korene shook her head and ran to her room.

"Ary, I believe he loves you still. We were better and happier for knowing him. When he left so did your heart. He stole it and never gave you his. You need to call him and ask for his in return." Christos railed at his sister. He turned and went out into the back yard.

Arista watched him go and went about her day as if her emotions were not important.

*****

Christos looked up at the sky and closed his eyes. "Anteros, God of Requited Love, I pray to you come to me." He whispered.

"Christos, is something wrong?" Anteros asked.

Christos looked at the man before him. "Don't you care for us anymore?" He asked.

"I do, but I must abide by the wishes of your mother." He said softly.

"What are they?" Christos demanded.

"I must avoid your sister at all costs. I can only come to her when she calls to me, either by accident or otherwise." Anteros said softly.

"Do you know what she did to the gifts Eros gave her?" Demanded the boy. Anteros nodded. "I now my sister, she did this to keep her heart from breaking. You know she can love, you've seen it. Now, she has locked away that love to become what you once punished her for being."

"You do not understand, I cannot go to her. I am under restraint. I will lose all my powers if I do." Anteros gritted.

"I do not think she even cared if you have powers of not." Christos snapped. "I am a boy and a mortal, and yet I know more about unrequited love than you."

"I cannot love her." He said again. "But I do." he turned away and looked into the house through the garage and noticed the banner. Anteros clenched his fists in frustration.

"Anteros, I believe you can be whatever you want to be." Christos said and brushed past Anteros.

Anteros looked after the boy. "I can look after you and Korene, just not Arista, and this saddens me desperately." He vanished.

Christos ran up to Korene's room. "Kory! Can I come in?" Christos called to the girl. Korene opened the door and saw a resolute look in his face and knew he had solved the problem. Christos and Korene went into the bedroom to plot and plan.

## Chapter Nine

Valentine's Day came. It had been four months since Anteros had come into Arista's life and left. Alone she had curled up in her room and read a book to ignore the day and its love filled feelings. Christos had acquired a girlfriend and was out on a date with her. He would be returning soon. She decided to go to sleep. She flipped off the lamp and curled up under the blanket and closed her eyes.

*****

Christos had already dropped off his girlfriend and waited for Arista to go to sleep. Kory slipped out of the house and they headed to the cemetery and their mother's grave. When they had reached the grave, Christos looked around. They really shouldn't be there. It was supposed to be closed.

Christos kneelt on the edge of the grave and Korene followed him.

"My sister said there were other gods in this world than our god and I am probably going to go to hell for this, but I beg the god of messengers come and take a message to our deceased mother and bring a reply back to us." Christos said to the grave. "Hermes, we call you to our sides."

"What do you want?" Said a soft voice from the shadows.

"Are you the god, Hermes?" Korene asked.

"I am." Said the voice.

"We need to talk to our mother. Is there a way you can take her a message?" Christos asked.

"I can." The voice answered.

"Ask her to lift the deal off Anteros, we need him, Arista needs him." Christos said.

"I will say as you have spoken." The voice said and the presence vanished.

"How long do we have to wait?" Korene asked after a few minutes.

"I'm not sure." Christos said shrugging. "I've never called upon a god to do anything."

"Well, you two have figure out how to talk to other gods." A familiar voice said.

Christos and Korene turned toward the voice and found their mother standing before them.

"Mom!" Korene cried and rushed into her mother's arms. "We've missed you so much!"

"I know, dearest. To answer your question. I already have, in a way. We planned it this way. Me and your dad. He put the stipulation of the accidental calling. It is up to you two now. She needs Anteros, and he needs her. He had been lost for so long. Even the gods were planning on doing something, they just did not know how. They have so much power, but even they were not able to see a simple answer. You need to help her accidentally call him. They need each other." Kalista said. She ruffled Christos' hair and hugged each one more time. "This is the only time I will be able to talk to either of you again. Your sister will always be there for you, and hopefully so will Anteros. Be good and listen to each other, love each other." Then she was gone.

Christos and Korene made their way home and sat lamenting their lives without their mother.

"I miss her so much." Kory said.

"I know, I do to." Christos said. He looked up at the metallic decoration. His eyes caught the arrows. "Hey! Remember the story Arista told us." Korene nodded. "I think the arrows she hid are actually in that decoration." He rose and pulled down the heavy bead banner and looked closely at the arrows. "Kory, look at this. This arrow points to the silver mountain. I think the mountain represents Mount Olympus and the Arrow is made of iron. Look here." He pointed to the other arrow. "It's gold!"

"And it's pointing to the iron arrow!" Gasped Kory. Then she grinned. "I have an idea!" She looked at Christos mischievously. "We just need her blood."

"But, how...?" Christos grinned back at her. "Oh." Carefully he put the banner back on the wall and they went to bed. One of them would have to get the blood in one way or another.

*****

For the next two days everything that could have happened did. Arista was beginning to think she was cursed. Knives fell out of the cupboards at her, and she knew she didn't put them there. Korene and Christos were never seen near the area where the knives were. Heavy things fell on her. She stubbed her toes on things left out for when she was barefoot.

Arista felt she was losing it. Finally, she did. She had tripped over a brick in the backyard. Somehow it had wound up on the walkway. She screamed her frustration and stomped into the house.

"Why the hell was that brick there?" She muttered to herself. She had only gone outside to take out the trash and instead of putting on her shoes she went barefoot. Teach her to do that again.

Korene popped up at that moment. "Are you alright?" She asked.

"Yeah, I just stubbed my toe and now I need a band-aide" Arista groaned and sat on a chair.

"I'll get one and stuff to clean it with!" Kory ran upstairs to get the things she needed, including the little jar for a few drops of blood. Squeamish as she was, Kory was the only one there. Christos had gone to the store for a couple of things Arista needed for dinner. Kory came back down the stairs and began cleaning the toe. She squeezed some of the blood into the jar pretending to put pressure on the toe to keep it from bleeding. She cleaned and bandaged the toe quickly.

"I think you'd be a great doctor when you get older." Arista commented, examining the toe.

"I would rather be a writer." Kory said. She carefully cleaned up the mess, hiding the jar with the blood carefully.

Arista smiled at her sister. "Alright, then you will be." She got up out of the chair and went into the kitchen. "Kory, can you get me my shoes for me? I do not want to stub anymore toes." Arista called from the kitchen.

"Alright!" She ran upstairs and grabbed the shoes.

After snatching the shoes she carefully tiptoed into the living room. Christos was standing there frowning. He had returned home to find his sister in the kitchen with a band-aide and Kory nowhere in sight. Kory put a finger to her lips and handed the jar to him. Christos carefully dipped the golden arrow in the drops of blood and thrust it into the iron arrow. Contrary to the gold arrow being a softer metal than the iron one, it slid through the iron arrow like butter.

Anteros suddenly appeared in front of the two and looked around confused. He frowned at the siblings. Kory put her finger to her lips and Christos smirked. Kory thrust the shoes into Anteros' hands and pushed him towards the kitchen. Christos and Kory slipped out the front door.

"Hermes!" Called Christos softly.

"Yes, little imps." Laughed the god.

"I have two messages to give you. One to our mother. The stipulations to the deal have been given accidentally by me, I accidently got my sister's blood on the arrow and thrust it into the iron one. Sorry. It was an accident." He said innocently. "The second message must be given to Arista and Anteros, after they talk for a while. Arista and I are going to our friend's houses. We'll call later." Christos laughed and grabbed Kory's hand and they ran off into the evening to visit their friends. Hermes laughter followed them down the street.

## Chapter Ten

Arista was pouring some milk into the macaroni and cheese when a familiar voice cleared his throat. Arista turned around, her mouth dropped open in surprise.

"What the hell?" She whispered.

"I didn't come willingly. Why did you use the arrows?" Anteros thrust her shoes at her. "Your sister gave them to me." He explained when she looked confused.

"I never used the arrows." Arista snapped. Now she was really confused. They needed blood, her blood, to work. Her blood! The accidents! "Those brats!" She threw the wooden spoon she had and stomped into the living room and glared at the banner. "Crap!" She turned towards the stairs and glared up at them. "They aren't here, are they?" She growled.

"No, they left." Hermes said. "I brought you a couple of messages. Christos said they were going to some friends' houses and would call later. Your mother said, 'good luck!'" The god smiled at Anteros. "I have a message for you as well. 'Be happy, your wish is grant thanks to my stipulation.'" Hermes bowed to Anteros and vanished.

"What the hell is he talking about?" Arista said. "I think I'm going to have a headache."

"You and me both." Muttered Anteros.

Arista looked at him and began laughing. "Gods above, that feels good." She gasped holding her sides.

"Really?" Anteros frowned.

"Yeah, I haven't laughed in a while." Arista smiled. "So, your back. I'm not giving you back your money." She shook her finger at him.

"I don't want it. I gave it to you. Is this alright, me being here." Anteros asked.

"I don't know." Arista frowned. She looked up at him with all her hurting bare for him to see. "I was lost for a moment. I decided you didn't care anymore, so I tried a way to hide Eros' gifts and to use it to remind myself not to love again." She shook her head. "You ruined it. Or rather Christos and Korene did. I truly am cursed." She covered her face with her hands and began to cry.

Anteros went to her and tentatively wrapped his arms around her. "Hush, its alright." He gently pulled her to his chest. "I'm here now. I'll take away any curse you have."

"You can't, not again!" Arista wailed.

"Why not?" Anteros asked surprised.

"You are my curse! If you leave I will be heartless and cold again!" She threw her arms around him to hold him against her.

Anteros smiled. "What are you saying?" He asked her.

"I love you." She whispered.

"Then I will curse you until we both die." He laughed and claimed her lips as his price. He swung her up into his arms and climbed the stairs. He had every intention of proving his love to her from this moment on. "You are mine, Arista. I love you more than an unrequited god should."

The End.

Note from the Author:

Thanks for reading this novella. I hoped you like it. Thanks again. If you wish to read more from me check out these titles: Brothel Chronicles, The Wish of Vesperia, Memoirs of White Owl, One Friend's Gift Is One Love's Heart, The Lonely Bear, and Carly and Her Imaginary Friends. I hope you enjoy my little twiddles.

Happy reading!

J. Todd

