A Proposed Solution

Jos wrung her hands under the table she'd been seated at. It was far from what she'd expected. In a way some of her anxiety had lifted seeing only five people present… but once she realized who those five were, her anxiety came back tenfold. The eyes of the main three Olympian gods stared down at her along with Themis. Without any greeting, Prometheus made his way over to Jos's box and took a seat at the outer edge beside Arei. Jos swallowed hard as the silence seemed to stretch out longer. Arei's large hand covered hers. Her eyes moved up to meet his. His warm smile didn't quite mask his own concern. He slid her his phone and nodded toward his father. The text on the screen had instructed him to give her his phone for a minute. Jos held the phone as another message came through. Her wide, questioning eyes lifted to Poseidon and she gave him a nod. Her eyes moved back down to the message he'd sent her, and a tiny bit of hope returned.

[Don't look so down and defeated. I promised you didn't I? That if you took that job for me, I would see that Arei is happy? Does he look happy to you right now? Do you think he will be happy if something bad happens to you here today? I think not. 😉]

A hand clasped her shoulder from behind bringing her attention away from the text.

"We're here for you as well." Though his face was sullen, Peg's voice held a gentle conviction.

Jos watched as Andy and Charybdis joined Peg in the seats behind her and Arei. She sent them a relieved smile and lipped the words 'thank you' to them.

After everyone had been seated and the courts were full, Themis stood and hit her gavel down to call order. "We seem to be meeting more regularly of late, Miss Decker."

Her stern expression caused Jos to swallow hard. "I'm sorry… I…"

Themis held her hand up. "Allow us to address the matter in which brings you here today, first." Her eyes moved to the other box. "You claim that human rights are being trampled by the current measures of supernatural law enforcement once they are involved."

Theseus nodded. "That is correct." He held his hand out toward Jos and Arei's box. "I do not mean to imply, however, that this matter is strictly the doing of young Miss Decker, but rather, the institution as a whole."

Poseidon spoke up. "But you also agreed, did you not, that human criminal activities of the past millennia have become exponentially greater and harder for self-regulation and governing?"

"Well yes, but supernatural enforcers pursue and punish with no prejudges handling human lives as if they were of equal durability as supernatural lives. And in doing so, as shown in the recent involvement of Miss Decker in the Florida incident, additional innocent humans are otherwise harmed." Theseus replied.

"Then what be your suggestion? If you have a better way of dealing with the scourges of the human world without supernatural involvement or risking additional casualties, please tell us now."

Theseus blew out a heavy sigh. "Admittedly, the human populous does need supernatural involvement… often… But what good is it when we are sending equally unqualified and or violent creatures to help?" He bowed his head toward Jos. "No offense, Miss Decker."

A smug smile spread across Zeus's lips as he spoke up. "Ah, and here we have it. I agree with Theseus. The problem is not with the use of supernatural forces." His eyes burned into Jos. "It is with the leadership and training of thus mentioned forces. Time and time again Poseidon's children and subordinates have shown the same ill regard for the laws and regulations set down by the founding council only ensuring that more incidents like the Florida mission will continue to happen. I see no reason to pull Miss Decker from the field, but instead, but her under new guidance… my guidance."

Poseidon slammed his fists on the counter in front of him as he shot to his feet. "This is simply another manipulation tactic you are using to gain control of Joslyn Decker. But you are sorely mistaken if you believe the calm of the sea is as simple as me claiming her for my kingdom. She is a direct descendant of Oceanus." He lifted his hand toward Jos in emphasis. "Her shifted form is that of the sea!"

"SHE is a direct descendant of my Odysseus!"

"And how did he feel about that lineage? He sure as hell didn't seem to care when he gathered her siblings and left on the day she was born!"

Jos's head lowered and tears burned her eyes as the two gods continued fighting over her as if she were no more than a possession.

Feeling tears trickly onto his hand, Arei bent to study her face. He gave her hand a tight squeeze bringing her attention to him. "All the bullshit aside, all the things we still need to work out aside… Do you still love me?" He whispered.

Caught off guard by his question, she was nodding before she'd even realized she'd moved her body. The truth was evident in the thud of her heart, the gravitation of her body to his, and in the lifting of weight from her chest as his eyes held hers. "Yes… I do…"

"And once our differences are worked through, you're still willing to marry me?"

She bit into her bottom lip as she nodded again. "I do…"

With a grunt he released her hand and pulled the chain from her neck, breaking the delicate chain. He slid the ring from the band and placed it in her palm. "Then put this back on." He whispered as he raised to his feet. "Your current line of debate is pointless. There is no claim either of you can argue over, no right either of you can hold greater than my own." His focus moved down to Jos, a smile curving his lips when he saw the ring back in its rightful place. He held his hand out to her and lifted the ringed hand into the air toward the council bench. "No greater claim than what we have to each other."

The room fell quiet save the low, silent clap of one set of hands. As everyone else sat staring at the proud couple, Hades stood, a pleased smile spread across his lips. "It's about time nephew. I was wondering how long it would take for you to reclaim that in which you had lost all those years ago." His pale, silver eyes moved to Zeus. "My brothers seem to forget there is no power, man or god, stronger than the power of love." His eyes returned to Arei and Jos. "Have the two of you set a date?"

Arei shook his head. "We have not. With her punishments from before and the current attempts to work off those punishments… and attacks against her… we have barely had time to discuss what we each want from a relationship now… let alone set a date…"

Hades stroked his chin. "You know, if there's one thing my long life has taught me it's this. There is never a convenient time for love. Nor shall you ever find complete agreement among those around you. There will always be those who oppose your relationship and set out to end what you have found. If you continue waiting for a 'good time' you may find yourselves alone yet again." His long fingers continued to stroke the smooth, sharp curve of his jaw. "If these 'punishments' were not in the way, do you believe things would have been settled and the two of you wed by now?"

Arei sent Jos a questioning look. Jos searched his eyes for an answer but only found a silent plea… his eyes were begging for her answer, reflecting only his own doubt in her love for him. Jos nodded slowly as she turned to fully face him. Their hands interlaced. The certainty in her eyes relieved some of the doubt reflected in his. "I have no doubt, had it not been for Zeus's interference the first time we announced our engagement, we would have already been wed and celebrating our 500th anniversary." Her eyes sparkled with the mist of her tears as they held his. "Had it not been for the constant interruption of others, I'm sure we would have found our way back to one another sooner than we had. Even with all that pushed into the past where it belongs and all the attacks, punishments, and uncertainty about our personal futures aside… I know without a doubt we will be together." She shook her head. "Neither of us ever wishes to be parted from the other again…"

Arei smiled warmly down at her as he took a step forward closing the distance between them. He bent and whispered so that only she could hear. "I love you, kitten." He rested his cheek against the top of her head for a short moment before standing back up and facing his uncles. "There you have it. The only true claim anyone has to her is me as her husband and lover." His eyes twinkled with joy as his gaze moved to her once again. "And she to me as my wife and love."

Hades' brow arched at his brother who sat in irritation beside him. "Well, you heard the boy. Do you truly believe you can come between them? Or is it you who has forgotten how unfavorably meddling in matters of the heart has gone for you in the past?"

Themis pounded the gavel. "I believe we have all gotten off topic of the reason we are here. The matter is not over claim. It is over whether Joslyn Decker may continue working off her punishment as a member of the supernatural enforcement division or if there should be a reassignment of duties."

Hades arched his brow at her. "Is that not what we just established?" He held his hand out to Jos and Arei. "You've heard it yourselves. Their lives have been thrown off course due to the upheaval of all those around them. Had we, the ruling gods of Olympus, stopped meddling in others' affairs as we'd agreed to after the first coup then none of this would be up for discussion now. Dear Miss Decker, would have been a perfectly reformed sea monster and living as a happily married part of our family." His eyes moved between his two other brothers. "Or have we also gotten so carried away in this 'claiming for courts' nonsense that we've forgotten that we are in fact of one family?" When neither of his brothers responded, he nodded and pushed himself up from his seat. "As I thought. Now if you don't mind, I have a lovely wife of my own I'd like to return to." He sent Arei and Jos a nod. "Percy and I shall be looking forward to your invitations and shall be sure to save the dates." He was already pressing his phone to his ear and greeting Persephone as he gave the rest of the court a dismissive wave.

Themis blew out an exasperated sigh. "We shall dismiss this matter for today. After deliberations, we shall gather again either tomorrow or the next day depending on how long it takes to reach a unanimous decision… if one shall be reached…" She muttered the last bit as she slammed the gavel down a final time.

Jos blew out a sigh of relief as she stepped closer to Arei and pressed her face against the soft material of his suit vest. He patted her back as he spoke quietly to the others who had taken seats behind them. She was so lost in thought that all she'd caught of their conversation was him asking them to join him in their room. Jos pressed away and sent him a questioning look.

Arei cupped her cheek. "We have been given little choice on the matter. I'm sorry… I'd expected my words to win uncle's favor… but not quite that well."

Jos only stared back at him in confusion. "But…"

He pressed his finger against her lips, his eyes darting around the room cautiously before locking back on hers. "Not now, kitten. We'll discuss everything once we're back in the room."

Jos nodded and let him lead her from the courtroom. She was caught off guard again in the elevator when someone took her free hand. She glanced over her shoulder to see Andy smiling back at her.

"Don't be so nervous. It will be spectacular, I promise!" Andy said with a giddy smile.

"Spectacular?" Jos repeated in a whisper.

Arei sent Andy a dismissive glare. "Not now." His eyes softened as they moved down to Jos. "I think she's in a bit of shock over it all… After all, she'd expected to be adjusting her life for more punishment, not a rushed wedding… though to her it may be one and the same…"

Sadness weighed heavy in his words and eyes causing Jos to swallow hard. She tried not to let her reaction to his words show, but inside, her mind was in complete and utter turmoil. She'd not comprehended the full implications of Hades' words from court… but now… they were hitting her with full force causing her chest to hurt and her breath to catch. {Marriage… now?!}