fostering Love

Arei's mouth hung open in stunned disbelief as he stared down at the form Hecate set on the low coffee table. "Wait… you couldn't mean…" Jos sniffled happily beside him as she took the pen and began filling out the form.

Hecate didn't try to hide her amusement. "Yes, temporary foster parents. Seeing as Joslyn and the child is already so close and the fact that there couldn't possibly be two more qualified individuals for the job."

Arei's brows furrowed in perplexity. "And you honestly believe the council will agree to this?"

Her smile widened. "I know they will agree, though you will have a bit of an argument out of them."

"Then why have us fill out these papers now? Why not after going in front of them? What if something changes? You can't let Jos get her hopes up like this only to run the risk of it not playing out the way you have seen it."

Hecate's amusement quickly slipped away. As she stood, the room began to grow dark. Her eyes rolled back in their sockets and two other faces emerged from either side of her head. "Acquired by force, kept through love, three moons hence and the child will be yours for better or worse. As you stand at the crossroads of fate and life choose the path that seems worse for wear. It is through this path you'll meet the least resistance and face the greatest happiness. Choose the path that seems serene now and face your greatest obstacles yet. A warning to all paths though, all paths will lead to pain for this little one once the inseverable bond is made between the displaced Shinto god and the reluctant half-blood prince." The dark haze filling the room vanished just as quickly as it had appeared, and Hecate's features returned to normal. She straightened her designer suit as she set back down. "Hopefully that was enough of an enlightenment."

Arei's mouth only dropped more. "You're kidding right? That only brings up more questions! What Shinto god? What half-blood prince?! How does any of that relate to us fostering this child?!"

Hecate blew out an exasperated breath. "Think of fate as a spider's web. Regardless of how large the web and how many different places the threads overlap, there is still only one thread with only one beginning and one ending. You can refuse to take the child now, but she will become part of your family regardless… Just as you may consider trying to somehow stop her fated encounter, but it will happen… and the results will be the same." She studied Jos and Arei for several long moments before she spoke up once again. "There is another matter I must advise you on. Once the papers are finalized with this little one, they will press you to do the same for the young Psoglav and the Asakku. Do not accept it no matter what. Their fates are tragic but not nearly as hellish as the alternative of turning them loose in the world. In the end, they are and will always be demonic creatures and will always crave the flesh of humans and gods alike."

"If you can see all this, why not be present at the hearings yourself?" Arei asked in equal parts irritation and curiosity.

Hecate chuckled as she shot Poseidon a halfhearted glare. "The council agreed upon its creation not to leave the judgments to those of us who could see the future because by doing so the future we saw would in fact change. Besides, my skills do Hades better than they ever could the council."

Arei ran his hand through his hair. "I see… but under that same principle wouldn't telling us all this now do the exact same thing?"

She shrugged. "Yes and no… I see no future where you deny Joslyn the child she most craves, though the route in which the child is acquired does vary. In the case of the Psoglav and the Asakku, I will be putting in a request of my own to take them back to the underworld with me… A place where they can be safe from the world… and the world safe from them."

"I see…" Arei's eyes moved over the paper Jos slid across the table to him. All the information had been filled out and was now only missing his signature. He lifted the pen and hesitated shortly before reluctantly signing his name.

"You shall stay with us until your parents are found… maybe even longer if they cannot be found. What do you think about that, Shiori?" The baby goo-ed happily in Jos's arms.

"Shiori… Quite a lovely name, but I must ask why you chose it." Hecate asked as she scanned over the document.

Jos smiled down at the child as she bounced her on her knee. "It was the name of one of the characters from a Japanese webcomic I once read. The character was beautiful and loving with a tragic backstory, but the author hid this from the readers for the longest time. If this little one really is a Kitsune then I fear she will go through similar prejudice in life… the name just seems to fit her in so many ways…"

Hecate nodded in understanding. "Very well. I will submit this to the council office along with my own paperwork regarding the two demonic children. As for the others, do not worry too much about their well-being. All will work itself out in the end."

Once Hecate had seen herself out, Poseidon finally broke his silence with a hearty chuckle. "I go from no grandchildren in over two centuries to having four all within a year." He shook his head happily as he stood and walked over to where Jos sat. He settled on the sofa beside her and reached out for the child. "Come here, Shiori. Say hello to Grandpa."

Shiori hesitated, her gaze moving up to Jos first. When Jos nodded her approval, Shiori turned her attention back to Poseidon and held her tiny arms out. "Pa." Her sweet voice filled the room causing everyone to gasp at once.

Jos clapped happily as everyone else stared at the child. "Yay! Shiori, you said your first words!"

Arei furrowed his brows. "Is she even old enough to speak?"

Peg stroked his smooth chin as he moved his gaze from the computer screen to the child. "I'd guess that she's between eight and twelve months old. Simple speech is fairly common by that age. Cam has already gained quite the vocabulary, has he not?"

Jos giggled as she thought back to some of the funnier words Cam had begun to copy. "He has! The other day Russ and Rin were arguing with Naru and weren't paying attention to what they were saying until Cam repeated the word 'a-s-s-h-o-l-e'." She spelled out the last word before covering her own mouth and laughing harder.

Peg set his laptop on the table in front of Arei before sitting back and crossing his arms and legs, his gaze glued to the baby. "I looked up all the creatures from the trafficking rescue including this one. Not only are they all rare in this day and age, but they are all incredibly powerful even the more benevolent among them… though I have to admit even the typically benevolent creatures could be trained for ill will given their ages and skills. The Embassy will have their hands full with them for sure. I'd not be surprised if they don't ask you all to stay and help out."

"What creatures were found?" Poseidon asked distractedly as he played with the child.

Peg blew out a long sigh. "Where to begin…"

"Start with the most powerful of them and work your way down." Arei suggested as he tugged the laptop closer for his own inspection.

Peg frowned. "Even that list will vary depending on what you're wanting to classify as powerful." He nodded to Shiori. Take her for instance. She is only one of the seven Yoki that was on board. The Kirian would be the least aggressive… but put under the proper circumstances even the sacred horse can cause damage with its flaming mane. The same could be said for the Komainu twins. Though they are usually guardian beings, they can also be trained to be gruesome guard dogs as well. The Tango has been used as warriors for generations and has some pretty impressive mind manipulation abilities… not too unlike the Kitsune, though I'd say she would be considered much more of a danger risk than the three of them combined." He paused to let that information sink in before blowing out another long sigh. "As for the rest… They're all known primarily for their killer nature with the least threatening being the Fossegrimen and Teju Jagua."

"What are they?" Jos asked.

"Fossegrimen is a Scandinavian water spirit with water manipulation tricks much like us… Teju Jagua can shift into a doglike hydra usually known as a protector… but I can see how it could be trained otherwise. The Vodyanoy is a kind of Slavic swamp mermaid known for drowning children… damn… and the list only gets worse…" Arei commented as he continued reading through the list Peg had compiled.

Peg nodded. "As Hecate said the Psoglav and Asakku are demonic creatures who kill indiscriminately, typically feeding off the flesh of those killed… Not too different from the Yukiona who simply kill to be killing." He nodded to his laptop. "I suggest you both read over the materials I have pulled up about the Kitsune. You may want to change your mind after…"

Jos frowned as she shook her head. "I'll not change my mind about her. I'm the Kraken. Do you know what is printed about me? Would you as easily toss me to the side if the situation was reversed?"

Pain reflected in Peg's eyes even before he answered. "Yes… wouldn't you?"

When tears began to stream down Jos's cheeks, Arei growled back at his brother. "I believe you've made your point. You can go now. I'm sure there are plenty of others you still have to make cry before the end of the night."

Peg nodded and quickly stood up. He paused at the door. "Think it over is all I'm saying…" He muttered before he excused himself.

Poseidon shook his head as he handed the troubled child back to Jos. "Here, she must realize you're upset." He turned to Arei as he stood. "Walk me out, son." Once they were outside the door Poseidon spoke again. "He means well… you know…"

Arei clenched his jaw. "I'm sure he does, but that was a bit too far."

"It's nothing you yourself haven't thought, I'm sure…"

Arei frowned. "I am a bit skeptical about all this, I'll admit… but I'd never say something like that to Jos. I know where she's coming from, and it's that reason I can't say no to this. The child means more to her than just being a child… it's a large combination of things, I'm sure…"

Poseidon nodded. "She sees herself in the child and its situation. Add to it that you have decided you do not what to father children… I'm sure that hasn't changed."

Arei shook his head. "It has not… but it's more than just fear of what would be expected of the child… it's in consideration of Jos's wellbeing as well."

"Understandable… So, what is holding you back so much on this?"

Arei blew out a worried breath. "What if they are able to locate the child's home, and she has to be taken away from us? It will kill Jos to let go of her. She's already too attached… Plus you heard what Hecate said. The child is somehow feeding on Jos. That can't be good, right?"

Poseidon shrugged. "Jos seemed aware of it already and not bothered by it. Perhaps it's nothing to be concerned with."

Arei's frown deepened. "What if it could be life-threatening."

"Jos is not so weak, son… and neither are you." He patted Arei's shoulder. "Take care of them… enjoy the time you guys can spend together and don't think too much about the future. Hecate said she will continue being a part of your lives, so returning to her homeland mustn't be a possibility."

Arei nodded. "You're right… Thanks… Dad…"

Poseidon smiled. "It's nice to hear you call me that so easily now… I once wondered if you'd ever forgive me enough to drop the formalities."

Arei forced a half grin. "I'm working on it… Jos makes it easier."