He hadn't come here to scare her off or annoy her. It was best to go along with waht she wanted. Easily, he knew what list this would have fallen on, even though he didn't hate it enough to not be willingly pressured into it. He wasn't sure if it was bad, but he was mildly impressed by her. Many times he had been told that he was impassive and hard to read, yet Persephone didn't seem to be having any real trouble, especially, since they didn't know each other well. However, Hades himself was oblivious. He didn't realize how badly she was feeling. He didn't spend a lot of time with his equals, and he had a hard time reading the variety of emotions that he encountered. He sort of cocked his head, when she began to talk, however, something distracted him.

It was easy to guess what the bear was desiring to accomplish, and Hades didn't see a way to stop it. He couldn’t find anything to say. He doubted trying to warn the horse would help at this point, and would probably only make them more of a primary target. He hoped she wasn't foolish enough to attract the bear's attention. Their only possibility of surviving was to get out of the bear's reach. The bear pulled the equine over. If it weren’t so savage and frightening, it might have been amazing to watch. He heard Persephone’s loud shriek and he closed his eyes briefly. It was tempting to try to plug his ears, but the worst was probably over. He may want to be able to hear well in the near future. He was sure that would attract the bear, as it looked up from its kill. You would imagine that a bear wouldn’t want to go around hunting more creatures, once it got its main prey.

However, Hades was afraid this bear felt threatened. For all Hades knew it could have interpreted the shriek as a challenge. They were done for, and he had no place to hide them, which would be safe. He felt absolutely clueless and helpless. The only way he knew to become helpful was to let them do their job. He could hear the bear tearing into the innocent equine. There was no possibility of her surviving or being saved. He flinched backwards an inch, when she flew to her feet. He was nervous and startled, when she grabbed his hand. He wasn't sure if they were trying to escape or what? He only knew that he could not leave her to face the bear and her horselessness by herself. He hoped that his own stallion was smart enough to run and not wait around to be hunted. Should he call his stallion over to help?

Persephone managed to cut such a pace, that sometimes, she tugged on his hand to go faster. It was awkward trying to speed through the undergrowth. Many unknown plants and other creatures touched on the skin, and he had no idea if any of them were potent. He hoped that there wasn't a rash growing. It would be awkward walking around among those who were dead, trying to scratch a horrible rash. He would never live it down. He didn't know many people who could teach the bear a lesson. He was beginning to feel fond of Persephone. Perhaps if he managed to remain on her goodside, he would look around for Artemis the goddess of the hunt. She would be able to take care of the bear with relative ease.

Now that he felt a little safer, he prayed that Demeter didn't come running and catch them standing here. He was glancing around guiltily for the bear or Demeter. His head did a 180, when Persephone began to talk. He could tell she was beginning to get upset. He raised his hand that was still enclosed in hers slightly, and realized how tightly she was holding on. She seemed to be about to say something, when she burst into tears. He flinched a little, when she buried her face in his chest. While he would have felt awkward with the acceptable layer of clothes or without, he felt like he was somehow taking advantage of her feelings with her pressed this close to him. He gently patted her back, but he didn't know what to say. He wasn't sure how much comforting he should do, how to do it, or how much was appropriate. His eyes widened, when he realized that his older sister Demeter was staring down at him.

She would hardly be pleased that her younger brother had decided to hang out with her daughter. "Hey Demeter," he sort of timidly acknowledged her presence. He didn't have the sense to back away from Persephone. Would Persephone be better at managing her mother? "I...This isn't what it looks like. A bear chased us," he desperately garbled for words. "Please don't hurt me," he meekly finished wondering when the god of the underworld had become so pitiful. He cast a glance towards Persephone. She seemed to be bolder and more eloquent with words.

Hades was relieved, when her crying abated. There would be a forseeable end to her tears, which couldn't be too soon. The nice thing about being king of the underworld meant that no normal person dared cry in front of him. When he was seen, apparently, he was frightening enough for them to become completely silent. His grim face discouraged any unnecessary chatter, which was often a relief. After a moment, he began to think about entwining his fingers in her bedraggled hair instead of merely patting her on the back. His eyes widened a little as he realized that he was beginning to enjoy holding her against him. How unusual!

Close contact normally made him feel uncomfortable. He did have to add in his head that dead spirits were hardly fair to measure by. It was a new experience holding someone protectively against him, and she was willing to boot. This wasn't something he had to manipulate her into like some of the other gods might have attempted. Her sobs had ebbed to sniffs, and he was beginning to be a little reluctant about letting her go. She had pulled away from him slightly, but he hadn't noticed. His attention was elsewhere.

He couldn't let go of Persephone soon enough under his sister's gaze. Even though he had been raised in his grandfather's stomach, Demeter still held power over him as his older sister. It was becoming apparent that this was even worse than if he had flirted with some other young goddess. Perhaps he should have left goddesses alone and be content with a nymph. While the goddesses might be numerous, if he hung out with one of them, he was sure to start some sort of war with their companion. She spun around, and he paid no attention to her moving further from his grasp.

All previous thoughts that had been entertained vanished with the flood of adrenaline and fear. While some foolish mortals might consider the bear worst, as an immortal, Hades had different ideas on the subject. Even bold Persephone was cowering also. He was a little embarrassed that she was cringing less. He supposed that Demeter would be more loving and understanding toward her, even if she did think she deserved a punishment. He on the other hand was considered a conniving fiend that must be taken care of. Even though they were related, he would get no mercy.

Demeter certainly wasn't larger than Hades, so it must have been comical watching him nearly groveling at his sister's feet. Hades darted a guilty startled look at Persephone. She was glad that Demeter was here? Unusual. He lost some of his cowering stance, so that he could look at Persephone and see where she was going with this. It was totally unexpected, and he wondered if she would be trying to give him any hints. He was even more confused by the tears in her eyes. He had been sure that she had been wrapping up her crying.

He watched the following scene unfold, and was astonished, that she so boldly put herself in her mother's embrace. He was even more confused when she mentioned a snake. He had a feeling this tale was a falsehood, so he needed to pay attention just in case he had to back her up. He felt guilty that he hadn't been able to save her horse. After all a mere bear couldn't kill them, right?

He almost closed his eyes and winced, when Demeter bit into the heart of the matter. At this point, he knew that Persephone was gifted with ehr manipulative tongue. However, she was going to have a hard time talking her out of this part. Demeter was sure to know this was unsual behavior for Hades, so she would be even more suspicious. It took something special for Hades to do this, while any of the other gods wouldn't have thought twice. He could tell that his end was drawing near. He doubted anything would satisfy. Demeter at this point.

Why was Persephone so cheerful and bold? Didn't everyone always like that type of personality? Why couldn't he be more like that? It reminded him of his brother Zeus who had gotten the king of the gods even though he was the youngest. Sometimes Hades considered that Zeus might have messed with the way they had drawn for positions. His kingdom fit his personality, so he didn't find it worth arguing. At least he would be away from the other annoying gods and there drama. No one wanted to get Hades involved. Normally, he was the big scary man on campus, however, his sister was scarier.

If he were safely alone, he might have laughed, however, being half naked in front of one's sister, when he felt sort of guilty, never did anything for anyone's self confidence. He had a hard time hiding his surprise. With that Demeter believed her? He hide a frown with his normally grim face. Uh oh. He was in trouble now.

His mind was furiously racing for a good story. A little feebly, he managed to speak, "Could we...could we go back and get my stallion and clothes?" He really didn't have a good explanation. The truth was he had a crush on Persephone, and he didn't want to say no to her. He doubted that would reassure Demeter, and he might not get to see Persephone again. Besides, what would Persephone think. He hadn't said anything to her.

He was allowed to pick up his clothing, but Demeter kept a firm hand on his horse. He noticed how carefully she kept herself in between them. After worrying, he realized tha the had no idea where their home was or where they were going. He tried to catch Persephone's eye, but Demeter was very skilled at keeping them a part. Was Persephone mad at him also?

Would he never be able to see her again? For a moment he remembered what it had been like holding her. He realized a little embarassedly that he had not gotten that close to a female like that before. No wonder he was curious to see why she made him feel the way he did. As a god he was always in good health. He had felt protective of her like he could kill a bear single handedly. Admittedly, he did have powers, so it was probably possible. His head darted up realizing they weere nearly there. He tried to cast one last look towards Persephone before he gave up.

Hades wasn't sure if Demeter meant to give him a choice, and she appeared to be very stern. Unless he got his butt pulled before the council, he had no idea what she would say or do. While he had been keeping his eyes open for an easy escape route, from her tone, he wouldn't be slithering off anytime soon. He liked to be able to say that he had done well at his job. And it was true, there hadn't been any zombie apocalypse, so it appeared that he did an acceptable job keeping them in the Underworld. It would be curious watching everyone panic with ghosts in the above world. Sometimes, when he became bored, it was a tempting decision.

However, being brought before all of the other gods wasn't a comforting thought. Most of them were moody and unpredictable. It was hard to tell what they considered a fitting punishment. Now that he was on Demeter’s bad side, he was even more determined to stay away from the Council. If he stayed away too long, would one of the souls manage to escape? How would one retrieve someone who shouldn’t be able to come back to the realm of the living.

He felt a little better once Persephone was clothed. It had been awkward for him to begin with, because he was more chaste than most gods. Her mother would be more reasonable, if she could pretend or think that he hadn't seen anything or at the very least that he wasn’t continuing to see anything. Because he couldn't see Persephone, he was ignorant. Did she try to look at him, as much as he did? Was she acting like a child in trouble or someone who agreed with her mother? Had he overstepped? There was no way he would be able to ask her that question. He supposed that Demeter still didn't know what they had done, and he wasn’t sure what she hoped to accomplish by keeping them separated. Perhaps he had acted too guilty for their minor deed, and now he was paying for it.

Hades kept near the stallion, because he didn't want to lose him. If he got an opportunity to leave, his stallion might be the best way to escape. Would Persephone be mad at him, if he tried to leave? Thanks to Demeter, he never noticed that she had her hand on the stallion. Even if he had noticed, he wouldn't have reacted. They weren't together, and they might not even be friends. They had only spent a few days together. He had to give her her space for his own sake and because it was the polite thing to do.

Hades jumped with Persephone, when she was scolded. He thought it odd that her mother would criticize her about furrowing her brow. They were gods, immortal, they did not have to worry about such mortal things. Her mother had some high standards, and Hades had never tried to live up to them. They were too stiff and unyielding. It was quite stressful living under her eye. Hades' eyes widened, when Demeter finally moved, and he could see Persephone again.

He responded with a small hesitant smile, but he wasn’t convinced that everything would be okay. His stomach was churning in circles, and he was afraid that something serious like gagging or throwing up would occur. He was afraid of the hot water he was in, and he wasn't a big smiler. He hoped his polite smile was adequate for the situation. Since he was the god of the Underworld, he was sure she understood that he had a reptuation to keep up.

Keeping a respectful distance from them, he supposed he had to follow them into the house. Hades plopped down with a thump that was louder than it was supposed to be. It sounded petulant and rude, which he was not intending. "Sorry," he meekly whispered his apology. He wanted to melt into a puddle and hide under that chair, but it didn't want to seem like a coward. Besides, Demeter might be able to change him back, and it would simply annoy her. He cast a nervous glance towards Perephone. She really wanted him to speak in front of her? This might make it more awkward. He tried to be goofy for once, stalling for thought space. "Can't an uncle visit his niece?" he drew out knowing that it wouldn't work for long.

Demeter crossed her arms and leaned back unsatisfied. They all knew better than that. Nobody really paid attention to those kinds of relations.The glare made him want to stop, and he desperately searched for something to say. It really was too much. He didn’t think it was a good idea to say that essentially he had a crush on Persephone.

He had only seen her twice, and Demeter was right there. He shrugged trying to keep to the truth. "She's the goddess of spring. It was a relief to see something alive and thriving instead of the world I was given. She appears to be cheerful and happy. I needed that break. She turned out to be a decent person, so I hung out with her," he shrugged hoping that would content the nosy mother.

"Not many people want to socialize or be seen with me. They are afraid of me. She tolerated my presence and like many people who don't get to be with people, I hung around." Demeter started inquiring into the state of their undress. Was it dumb to say that he had undressed, because she had? Would that make Demeter furious? He hadn't wanted to stick out even though it was only two of them. It was much easier to swim without clothes.

He froze a little knowing this could set her off again, "Clothes hold you back in the water, and severely slow you down. They drain energy. While I may be immortal, I still get tired. It worked better with minimal clothing. I don't get the chance to swim, and I didn't feel like fighting some of the currents in the water." His mind was swirling with doubt, because he didn't think she could be appeased. He hoped that Persephone would be able to help him, but he wasn't sure how much he could rely on her.