"He is not above the sap ;) Deep down, doesn't he just want to be loved?" That's all any of us want, isn't it? And I can speak from experience that men who you wouldn't think of as romantic types can be so thoughtful and so, well, romantic, it makes you feel like swooning.

So sorry to hear about the plagiarism issue you had. Hopefully that was resolved. I would agree with you that it is not flattering. Thank you for such a great story. The care and research you put into it shows in every scene. It was a joy to read.

Oh my, Hecate! I'd almost forgotten about her since most everything was resolved in the previous chapter. What a villainess! She ranks right up there with Ursula. And Hades saved Pain and Panic? Adorable! They're like his and Persephone's little chihuahuas! Annoying, but you just can't help but want to protect them.

How they get rid of Hecate is so good. They work quite well together, don't they? Fun that she could still come back, though. I'll just have to favorite you and see what else you conjure up. Also, ADORED the fact Panic has been reassured that his life is normal by the fact that Hades lashed out at him.

No, Hades, now is NOT the time to get aroused! This chapter is so much fun. It's the essence of Greek mythology, which is really just a large, dysfunctional family and all the drama that goes along with it.

Rhea! Rhea to save the day! Her description is so beautiful!

"Who, me?" Cupid asked with an innocent face. Aphrodite elbowed him hard in the ribs." Have you introduced Cupid to Pain and Panic? That would be a hysterical comedic trio! Aphrodite has rose-colored glasses? You amaze me with the detail you put into this! It is so well thought out. It's so well crafted and touching.

Woo hoo! Pomegranate trumps overbearing mom!

For some reason, the uncle/niece thing never bothered me when it came to this story. Like Persephone says, "they're all related anyway." The idea that Demeter actually can't make it summer without Persephone is so intriguing and yet it makes so much sense. She has such a unique role in mythology that she is both the Queen of the Living and the Dead. I've read the ancient Greeks feared her so much they didn't call her by name and yet she is also the one responsible for spring itself, making the earth renew itself. It's so complex and beautiful and you've done such a good job with it.

Ah, good. Cupid and Aphrodite don't buy into Hecate's story. When love is on your side, good things are bound to come your way.

Demeter's tirade at Zeus was long overdue and it was her crowning moment of awesome, if you ask me. Yes, she's doing some pretty psychotic things herself, but she is a mama bear whose cub is missing. Don't ** her off, and that means you too, Zeus! It gives me some optimism that she and Hades will eventually get along, ha ha. Her realization of what she's been doing truly stuns her. I never thought about the guilt she would feel that she had completely corrupted her purpose while Persephone was missing.

The great irony is now I bet Persephone is grateful Hermes did walk in on them so he can vouch for her!

Quick save indeed. Now that Hades is there, what next?...

Hermes the trickster! I love trickster characters so Hermes stories (few and far between) were always high-ranking in my book. I don't know if I like how he's portrayed in the movie, but he's full of energy and a million thoughts a minute, so he's so cool. You're doing a great job with his dialogue. I can hear him. And walking in on...that? Wow. I've fortunately never walked in on anyone but I would be fearing for my eyes, too!

Ooh, a half-eaten pomegranate tree. This is good, but I like Hermes' "oh crap" reaction. He's just the messenger and his task has become that much harder now. So of course he has to sing! Love the addition of a keyboard.

Oh, their goodbye is so...devastating. It was hard to read. But thank goodness for that pomegranate. Persephone's just-in-case plan...wow. I should have expected as much from such a headstrong girl.

The extent of your research blows me away. In some ways, this is more spot-on than a lot of myth-based stories. Impressive. That Hecate...she will get what's coming to her, right? As a mom, I do empathize with Demeter not knowing where her daughter is. They have a complex relationship and it wasn't that long ago where my own mom and I butted heads a bit, unable to agree that I was an adult woman and there are certain aspects and implications that go along with that. The reunion between her and Persephone will most definitely be dramatic, tear-jerking, and most of all well written because it's in your capable hands.

"Panic returned to endless sulking. And Pain considered just killing him." LOL! This had me rolling. So glad they have been included in this.

I love the flaming hair is an erogenous zone. Who would have thought? No wonder he's so concerned in the movie when Pegasus snuffs out his hair. Ah, "delectably explosive love." You are such a wordsmith. The proposal is so sweet. You ought to dress this up and send it to James Woods personally. There's a wide range in emotion and rumor has it he absolutely loves voicing Hades.

The nymph is a nympho. Nice. But Hades really should listen to her. Such a pretty song too. I wish I could hear the melody.

Sorry for the short review, but I get a bit caught up in your writing (smiles sinfully). It's so passionate and yet so tender. Just gorgeous.

Thud. Wow. Um, must try to be coherent...

Very nice mentioning Zeus hadn't held a grudge against Hades. It almost makes Zeus seem the more unstable, though. But it's a good detail for Hades to know.

Is it weird that your pomegranate moment made ME want her? That was hot. Oh, this girl is definitely trying to be seductive and it's working. Hoo boy is it working.

Persephone's way of showing him he can now enter the Elysian Fields is so cute but he's not taking it so well, is he? I know he's not really mad at her, but it all must be a little overwhelming to him. He still doesn't know what exactly the Fates meant, so for her to have so much power over him and his kingdom must be hard to adapt to. You've captured the conflict of wanting her and being a little afraid of her so well.

"But it was just a harmless kiss... a harmless, delicious, soul-stirring, mind-erasing, potentially-body-coalescing, passionate-beyond-coherent-words kiss... He could stop anytime he wanted to. Eventually. Maybe." I really liked this!

Persephone's absorption of the Elysian Fields is so well written. What a beautiful section. It's so mystical and you can tell it affects her deeply. Nice touch having the heroes steer clear of her.

Condos in the Underworld would be a lot of fun...

"Damn, she was distracting. But in such a good way." My husband once said this to me, about me. That I was the best temptation around. So this was a special sentence for me. The little details in this story are amazing...the conversation about the date, hell's kitchen, and you gave Pain and Panic a song! They are so deserving of a song!

Something about the great sun god Apollo pouting just makes an adorable image! Very funny. He reminds me a bit of Gaston from Beauty and the Beast, just too full of himself. Not even sure a Council meeting is necessary when the evidence keeps piling up that something happened to her? Of course, she's fine and nothing bad did happen, but what's a mom supposed to think when she steps into her kid's favorite spot and finds some of it destroyed and her clothes laying around?

Hoisting up a whale with dental floss is such an original image! Loved it. The Playboy Channel! Is it going to be as big as indoor plumbing? Lol

I don't think I mentioned this before, but your Cupid is so cute and his Er-O-Meter (TM) is so great. What a device.

Yes, Hades, some rules were meant to be broken. Now stop agonizing over this and be a man! I'm ready for the smut! You're so good at retelling all these myths, making them personal as well as personable...and the whipping talk was icing on the cake.

Loved Pain and Panic's reactions to Persephone. They have a complex relationship with Hades, don't they? Lol.

"Make my millennium!" Shout-out to Beetlejuice! Love it! Your writing is so clever. The history and context of the myths and the modern references are woven together seamlessly.

I acutally would have preferred it had Hades never been in love before Persephone came along, but your telling of that story was so beautiful.

Oh, unfortunate Hades, thinking she's jailbait. He's probably thinking he can never catch a break.

"And then the memories returned forcefully. Screams inside his head, weeping pleas of mercy, the incoherent howls of the damned." Oh my, no wonder he wasn't himself. That would be traumatizing to endure. Your description of it is so haunting. This whole story is just so well-written. Disney could take notes from you. It has so much humor but so much heart and just the right amount of darkness.

I looked at your author's note in the last chapter about when modern authors call it a "rape." Rape, a long time ago, used to also mean a kidnapping. I don't know a lot of versions where our definition of what rape is happens. But I'm with you that I do think somewhere they had gotten to know each other and it was pretty much a consentual kidnapping, sorry for the word choice.

Ooh, what a great description of Charon. Scary, but fun. The retelling of Kronos, though, is just plain scary. You've managed to make it terrifying in just recapping it. It is certainly one of the darker myths, and gives Hades (and the rest of the siblings minus Zeus) a dark past. I always felt, though, that maybe the five that were in there together had a tighter bond and Zeus was always the odd man out. He had all the power, but wasn't a part of that closeness.

Oh my! You upped the intensity even more! What a dick. In whose book is he a hero?

Lovely bit of Hades complimenting the "scenery." So in-character. "Be cool, man." Loved it!

Oh man, it is a credit to you that you made this version of Hades seem, dare I say it, sexy. All girls love bad boys and I just know all that pent up rage Persephone has is pure passion just wanting a way to release.

"Ahem. Hades, Lord of the Dead, hi howya doin'?" Then he promptly gave himself a swift mental kick in the ** for being such a pathetic social retard." So endearing. I love when the usually confident guy is brought down a peg because he's so tongue tied by the object of his affection. Figured out that prophesy yet, Hades?

They seem so at ease with each other, make each other smile...all good signs.


"He just stared at her then, and suddenly was filled with an almost overwhelming wish to become everything that could possibly please her, to convert his entire life into whatever would make her happy. To have her judge him, as the perfect man for her. His voice peculiarly soft, he responded to her query, "Yes, I do..." Aw, if I could make a ton of hearts explode in this review, I would do it. This is a great story.