S'Agapo

Aphrodite took my hand and led me out of the room into the hallway. We passed a few rooms- the doors were actually long pieces of cloth covering the doorways- and stopped in the middle of the hallway. I stood behind her nervously for a moment. Apollo was talking to Eros and Artemis. He looked a little tired. I was surprised. Aphrodite led me up to them and I found myself extremely interested in my feet. They went silent, and then I felt Apollo embrace me. The other three went into the main room.

I looked up and saw only his big blond curls. "I'm glad you're here." I heard him mutter. I buried my head in his neck and hugged him back.

"I missed you." It was true- my heart was throbbing.

We pulled away and I laughed a little. "I thought gods didn't get tired." I traced the lines around his eyes and he leaned forwards to kiss me.

"Well, it's your fault." He whispered in my ear. His breath was sweet against my jaw line.

"Oh, well then I guess I came here to apologize for that."

"That's a pathetic apology."

I laughed."Who said I was apologizing there? I mean really, does that sound like an apology I'd give?"

"Well you are pretty cheap- I mean seriously, you barely ever bought food!"

"I did so! Enough so that we could eat every night! It isn't like we needed to get fat on processed foods!"

"I'm a god, I don't get fat!"

"Well I was human, you idiot! I have to worry about my weight! I live in the states! Come on! How many brain cells do you even have?"

We were off- a full out fight, but soon our insults stopped making sense and we just start cursing at each other.

Finally I just asked, "Where's your room?"

"Why?" Apollo straightened up again, slightly bewildered.

I crossed my arms. "Well, I need somewhere to storm off to, don't I?"

He continued to stare, then burst out laughing. "You're the same as always. I'm glad."
He grabbed my waist and lifted me into the air.

"Whoa!" He wrapped his arms around my waist and held me tight. My feet were hovering a few feet off the floor. He was taller than he was in his human form.

I blushed and looked away. "Damn it, why's everyone always so strong?" He kissed my neck and I turned to look down at him, "I really missed you." I said again.

He nodded. "I know. But, at least you're not leaving now." I nodded. He put me down and I thought for a moment. "What about everyone else? I mean, I just vanished."

"Right. Well, we have it all fixed, so there's nothing to worry about."

"What do you mean?"

He took my hand. "Come on, I'll show you." We walked into a big room full of smoke. There was what looked like a pool in the center of the room. He pointed over the rim and said, "Look there, it'll show you whatever you want to see in the human world." There was another pool beside it.

"Whats that one for?" I asked. He grinned.

"We don't really look there that much- its the mirror to Hades world."

"Oh, how lovely." I turned back to the pool.

- - -

Angie stared blankly for a moment at the statue of Laurel and Apollo- Olivia and Apollo, she corrected mentally. It was a beautiful statue. Marco came up to her from behind and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "They must really have been in love, huh?"

Angie nodded, her voice gone. Marco smiled. "It's a good thing we were last on line- no one saw it happen except us and the caretaker." He nodded towards the young man.

Angie gripped Marco's arms and asked the caretaker, "You're not going to tell anyone, are you?"

The caretaker shook his head. "Why would I do that? For one, no one would believe me, and for another, I'm going home."

"What does that have to do with-" Angie stopped and gasped as Eros changed back into himself and vanished.

Angie blinked. "I knew I was right about Apollo and Laurel. I don't know how, but I was the only one who remembered him." Marco nuzzled her neck.

"I'm sure it was meant to be that way."

Angie stayed quiet for a moment, then turned slightly in his arms and asked, "Why aren't you surprised about this?"

"The story's been passed down in my family for generations. We've all known that someone from our family would be the one to complete the statue- we just didn't know who. When Uncle Joey called us about Apollo and Laurel, we knew that we had to get her here as fast as possible. My uncle owns the college she was going to, which is why she was accepted in the first place."

"So, she wouldn't have had a chance without your uncle's help?"

"Oh please, the college would have been begging for her- she's actually a genius, you know. But they already knew she would be coming, so they didn't have to."

"Oh."

"Come on, the temple's about to close. Let's go get some Italian ices and then I'll walk you back to your suite." Angie nodded and they started walking down the stairs.

"By the way, Marco, just how old are you?"

"Sixteen. You?"

"Nineteen." They both stopped and stared at each other.

Then, simultaneously, said, "Huh."