Spartan

Spartan

Part 2 -- beginnings

The fight was over, the battle won. Parties had been held and celebrations had gone on for weeks. Spartan families had returned to their homes -- their real homes. The United Nations had formally ratified the changed to the Human Rights -- now People's Right's -- Declaration and all member states had signed up to the new wording that recognised spartans and amazons as having exactly the same rights as humans without exception. And on a non-descript Tuesday morning in October a group of spartans, accompanied by a couple of human lawyers and some police officers arrived at their derelict temple site.

Most of the building had been pulled down and made safe shortly after the original riots and fires but here and there were traces of the temple's original contents -- a few wet, half-rotten leather scabbards, a rusting slice of metal gong, a fire-pit full of old coals, ash and rainwater, a broken altar slab and a pair of massive feet that were once part of one of the three original statues.

The metropolitan police had finally agreed to return the swords they'd confiscated from the site and James, one of his fathers and the two remaining members of the spartan law firm had been to collect them. They were in the boot of James' and Mike's car, each wrapped carefully and on the top were the twin swords that had belonged to Paul, James' grandfather. James climbed out of the car, stretched tired muscles and looked around at the people who had joined his pilgrimage. He opened the boot and carefully took out one of his granddad's two swords along with a plain scabbard.

Mike, Greg, George and the younger boys all clambered out of various cars, Alex and Daniel and Phil and Si keeping a close eye on Andrew and Gabriel especially -- the two smallest boys loved running around and normally took every opportunity to take to their heels, giggling. Today, though, they were quiet and thoughtful and watched their daddy James with wide eyes.

James nodded to the police officers and one took a key from his pocket, unlocked the gate in the chainlink fence and gave James access to the site. James slipped through the gate and turned back to Mike. "You're doing the right thing, honey" Mike assured him. "We need our faith and for that we need our temple. Relax, Apollo will come if you trust him." James nodded, somewhat distracted, took a deep breath and began to undo his coat, pull off his jumper and undo his shoes, shirt and trousers. The autumn wind blew fiercely and Mike shivered but somehow James was unaffected by the cold, only confirming what Mike already suspected -- that this was meant to happen.

"What's he doing?" a police officer asked incredulously, watching James strip. Mike heard one of his colleagues in the law firm answer, "You can't attempt to approach Apollo's throne and ask to be ordained unless you're naked. If Mr Phillipson is going to have any chance of having these prayers answered he needs to undress." James stood, naked and alone, amidst the rubble of the desecrated temple. He fastened the scabbard around his waist and picked his way forwards until he stood in front of the remains of the fire pit. Mike noticed that James' feet had already been cut by the broken glass and shards of concrete but that he nevertheless stood tall, his face calm.

Mike watched as he drew the sword, twirled it with a flourish and stabbed it point down into the ruins. As the sword pierced the rubble, charred wood and broken glass he knelt and said something, a prayer unintelligible at the distance they stood. Then James got to his feet, bowed, twirled the sword again and for a second time stabbed it point down, knelt and prayed. He repeated the motion over and over and the same police officer muttered, "what's that supposed to be for?" The lawyer who'd answered before didn't know but Mike found himself speaking. "He's trying to light the altar fire" he said, without knowing how exactly he knew.

James carried on for a while and all the time Mike felt a stirring in his heart and his mind that seemed to be driving him to James' side. He closed his eyes, breathed deeply, then turned to Simon. "Keep an eye on the children, will you?" he asked. He picked up Paul's second sword and sheathed it in another plain scabbard. "What are you doing?" Simon asked. Mike looked at his partner's father and a peculiar calm filled him. "I'm going to join James" he said before making his way through the gate, taking his clothes off and picking his way through the broken masonry and burnt remnants to James' side, naked and unafraid. He was aware that other spartans had taken swords, undressed and followed him, holding back, standing some metres away but all of them doing the same motion, praying the same prayer, "Apollo, come to us."

They continued for hours and Mike found himself feeling not distracted precisely but rather disorientated. He tried to figure out the reason for his disorientation and then his mind, his thoughts were suddenly not his own. "Michael, my adopted son, can I possess you? I wish to ordain my priest using your hand" came a calm, deep voice. "Who?" Mike managed to make himself say. "I am your god, Michael. I am Apollo." Mike trembled in the presence of the deity who'd changed him, who'd made him spartan. "Lord, I am yours to use as you wish" he prayed and then his voice and his body were usurped and his consciousness shunted to one side. He watched as his body stood up, walked up to the very edge of the fire pit and with a sudden shout the fire blazed. He watched James clamber to his feet, stagger backwards then turn to face his body. "Mike?" he heard James ask.

"Your lover will return shortly, have no fear" Mike saw his lips move and heard Apollo's voice resonate through the whole site. "And for your faith and your courage you will be rewarded." Mike saw Apollo smile. "James, son of Phillip, my priests usually carry two swords. Please remember that next time you pray." James trembled and threw himself prostrate on the rubble. "Arise, high priest of Apollo and serve your god" he heard Apollo say, then suddenly he was back in his body and almost simultaneously a heavy white mist descended, cutting him and James off from everyone else. Mike smiled and unbuckled the second scabbard and handed James the second sword. James sheathed the first sword and buckled the second sword securely around his waist over the first belt. "You back?" he whispered to Mike. "Yeah, I'm back" Mike assured him. He embraced James, holding him tightly, then Apollo's voice sounded from the mist that surrounded them, that encircled the fire pit, the altar and the statue's feet and hid everything else from sight.

"My priest" the god said, "since the beginning my priesthood has offered sacrifice to mark their elevation. Offer, then, James son of Philip and be accepted."

James let go of Mike, walked forward and knelt in front of the broken altar. "Lord, there is nothing here I can offer" he whispered and at that point, with those words, Mike knew. He knew why he'd been made spartan, he knew why the god had granted his request for James' happiness in such a miraculous way. He knew that Apollo had foreseen their exposure, the death of the priests and the desecration of his temple. He knew that Apollo had ensured that Mike was there, at that time, in that place, for one reason and one reason only. He knew what it was that James had to offer.

"Honey" he said softly, walking forwards, reaching his hand down and pulling James to his feet, "there is something you can offer." James frowned, not understanding, dense to Mike's realisation. "James, think about it. My life was a gift from our god. Honey, he wants it back." As he spoke, serenity filled him and he met James' horrified eyes calm and unafraid.

"No!" James gasped. "I can't. I won't!"

"Yes, you can, it was always intended that my life end this way, I know that with every fibre of my being. And honey, I'm not afraid, I'm ready" Mike replied gently.

He climbed onto the broken altar stone itself, cracked and damaged, the thick black stains of the blood of hundreds of animals still marking the surface. He knelt at James' feet, knelt in front of his lover and raised his chin, exposing his throat. "Do it, James. Become the priest you were always meant to be. Lead our people bravely. Offer sacrifice to our god." Mike met James' beautiful brown eyes one last time. "Have I ever told you how much I love you?" he whispered, his voice breaking. "Have I" Mike heard James whisper through his tears but heard no more for the swords flashed and everything went black.

Time had no meaning but Mike gradually became aware -- if that was the right word -- that he could still think and he could still hear. And what he heard was a conversation. "My high priest, you are worthy of my service for you have not held back even your heart's love" Apollo said. Strangely, to Mike's ears the god's voice sounded a lot younger and stronger than it was just moments earlier.

"Lord" James voice cracked and warbled with emotion. "I shall serve you always, you give and you take away, you are my god."

"Yet you will be unable to serve" Apollo said. "As soon as I lift this mist you will be arrested for murder."

"Lord, I don't understand" James said and Mike could hear his grief and his confusion. "I gave you all I could, though it broke my heart I gave it to you. Was Mike not supposed to die?"

Apollo laughed and it was a joyful sound that made Mike's spirit soar. "Priest of mine, you have a lot, yet, to learn. Christ isn't the only deity who can raise people. Michael's life is mine and I have yet to decide what to do with it."

"Lord?" Mike heard James whisper and he could hear the confusion, the doubt and the grief that the single word contained.

"Michael can hear everything we say, my priest" Apollo explained. "He's still with us, still with you. And I want my high priest to be able to come to my temple, not be locked away in gaol" and with a sudden, agonising jolt, Mike realised he could feel his body. He gasped for air, coughed and opened his eyes.

He realised he was sprawled on the altar at a strange angle, his legs painfully bent underneath him, his neck cricked back. James was stood over him, blood splattered all over his body, twin swords unsheathed in his hands and still dripping into bloody pools near James' feet. His head was bowed, his eyes closed and his face streamed with tears.

"James" Mike managed to make himself croak.

"Mike?" James gasped, opening his eyes, swords slipping from suddenly nerveless fingers, amazement flashing over his face. "Honey" Mike said, "help me up, I'm freezing down here" and laughing uncontrollably he pulled the blood-covered Mike to his feet and held him in a tight embrace, kissing him over and over, his sorrow turned to joy, his dismay to the most sincere hope. Then Apollo spoke again. "Be well James, my high priest. Be well Michael, James' beloved consort and bravest of the brave" and the mist gradually dissipated and faded away.

Mike looked around. Surrounding the shield of mist were dozens of spartans, all knelt with swords drawn. And the space where the mist had descended was no longer a rubble-filled mess but a perfect circle with a white marble floor, a black obsidian altar stone and a blazing fire pit. And gazing down on it was Apollo in a huge statue of bronze and it may have been a trick of the light but Mike was sure the statue was smiling.

A cacophony of noise was steadily building as people took in the amazing and miraculous changes but suddenly James pulled out of Mike's arms, rose himself up to his full height and shouted, "silence!" Mike picked up James twin swords, still dripping with his own blood and handed them to his lover. He stepped to one side as James began to weave them in a complicated figure-eight movement that flashed in the autumn sunlight and sprayed both of them and their surroundings with yet more drips of Mike's blood. "Be silent, kneel and pray for this is a holy site" he said, lowering his swords. "Apollo has consecrated his temple and though I was not worthy he ordained me his priest. He willed it that I offered my lover as sacrifice and then raised Mike back to life to stand by my side once more. And by the power he has given me I say, be silent! We will not have our temple desecrated again."

Silence descended, apart from the hum of traffic and the murmuring of prayers. James kept hold of the swords, unwilling to sheath them whilst they were covered in blood. He walked slowly towards the edge of the perfect white circle and it was as if the onlookers knew what he wanted for half-a-dozen or more handkerchiefs were offered. Mike took them and helped James to clean the blades and slip them back into the scabbards. Then their children ran forwards, little Gabriel first, then Andrew, then David, then finally George and Greg. "Daddy James, daddy Mike!" Gabe squealed excitedly as he met them, "you went in the cloud!"

"Yeah, we went in the cloud, poppet" Mike said, sweeping up his youngest son into a hug, aware even as he did so that he'd covered the small boy in thick red stains. "But we're back now. You weren't scared, were you?" he asked. Gabe shook his head. "Daddy Mike, did you hurt yourself?" he asked suddenly. "No" Mike said, "why?"

"Cos you've got cuts on your neck and your middle and you've got blood all over" Gabe said seriously, little podgy fingers running themselves over the exact spots where James had slit his throat and stabbed him through the heart. Mike took a deep breath, not realising it was so obvious. "I'm fine, honey, I promise" he said, giving the little boy a hug once more.

It was at that point that Phil and Si pushed forwards carrying Mike's and James' clothes and Mike realised how cold he was. He put Gabe down again and dressed in the clothes as Phil handed them over, glad to be warm again even if they did get irreparably stained and as he began to fasten his shirt he met Phil's serious eyes. "What James said" he said and Mike nodded. Phil reached over and with a gentle finger touched a clot of blood on his neck and lifted a dripping finger up. "He really did it, didn't he?" Mike didn't know what to say so he nodded. "And all the blood is yours?" Phil pressed. Mike nodded again. "Yeah" he said. Phil shook his head. "How could you allow it?" he asked incredulously.

"Apollo is my god, Phil and when he asked I had to give. My life is his anyway, I wouldn't be alive, never mind spartan, had it not been for his intervention." Phil frowned. "But my son's a murderer" he said bluntly. Mike smiled. "The rumours of my death appear to have been somewhat exaggerated" he misquoted Mark Twain, "I'm here, as you can see."

Phil snorted but seemed to relax and a faint smile drifted over his face. "I can't believe you two" he said. "You know you're going to be famous after this? A modern-day Lazarus and all that?" Mike shook his head. "There's no proof." Phil snorted again and ran his finger across Mike's throat, splattering through the thick clotted blood. "Yes there is" he said bluntly.

James was stood nearby, dressing and Mike noticed that apart from their children and James' parents, people were giving them a wide berth, regarding them with both fear and awe. Phil turned to his son. "I'm going to ask you the same question I asked Mike, how could you allow it?" James face was calm and quite serene. "Because my god asked me to" he replied.

"You killed your life partner! I can't see how you could even contemplate such a terrible act?" Phil said, horror plain in his voice. James shook his head. "It was Mike that figured it out" he explained.

Phil looked at Mike, eyebrows raised. "James didn't want to but I persuaded him" Mike admitted. "Apollo wanted sacrifice, who am I to deny that?"

"What about your children?" Phil pressed. Mike shrugged even as he picked Gabriel up again. "Apollo would have provided, I knew that. He gives just as he takes away. And what he gave was my life back, again and he restored his temple and ordained James. And these four" he grinned at Andrew, David and George even as he kissed little Gabriel snuggled in his arms, "still have both dads. So I don't know why you're so upset."

"Don't know why? Don't know why?" Phil stuttered, suddenly angry. "Mike, you've just let James kill you! If Apollo hadn't done what he did then your sons would have been fatherless in a single stroke! After everything that's happened, after Greg's dads and everything, how could you be so selfish?"

"Phil, I'm not dead. I'm alive, look." He poked a very solid finger into Phil's chest and then into his own. "And after everything that's happened we need Apollo more than ever. If that had meant James and I had to be dead and imprisoned, so be it. Apollo is far more important than one family, Phil."

George and Greg came closer at that point and Mike saw his eldest son wince. "That looks really sore" he said, staring at Mike's neck. "I'm fine" Mike repeated again, because he was. "I've never felt fitter, honest" he continued. Greg looked at the temple, the miracle of the huge statue, the blazing fire. "Apollo's real, isn't he?" he asked. Mike looked at his son's boyfriend, feeling that it was wrong to answer the question, knowing that his dads wanted him to be a Christian. Then Winston, the black man whose Christian Pentecostal faith had always been so important to him, walked slowly forwards from the back of the crowd. Mike had half-expected that his partner, Carl, would have prayed but Winston never normally did, so it was with considerable surprise that Mike realised he was only half-dressed.

"I don't know how" he said softly, "and I don't know why and I don't know who" he continued, speaking very slowly, tears standing in his eyes as he confessed something he never thought he'd ever say, "but what happened here today, it was divine. God, or a god, was at work." He looked at Mike. "When the cloud descended I prayed for you, man. I prayed for you like I've never done before and for the first time in my life I don't know who I'm praying to. Man, it was" he stuttered to a halt, shook his head and walked back to where Carl and his sons waited.

Mike looked at Greg, who seemed to be a little confused. "Winston's a Christian like your fathers were" he explained gently. "Or at least he was, I'm not sure what he believes now and I don't know if he is." Greg nodded. "I kind of feel the same, I think" and he looked at George briefly then the pair, hand in hand, went to join Carl and Winston. Mike saw Greg say something then Winston gave the boy a hug and they both cried as Carl and George stood by, sympathy in their eyes but unable to help their lovers in their joint crises of faith.

Mike finally turned back to his partner who had slipped on his underwear, trousers, socks and shoes on but who was still bloody and bare-chested and still wore the twin swords. People had started to move towards him and he watched as James slowly walked the perimeter of the marble circle touching outstretched fingers, occasionally hugging people or wiping tears away.

When one person touched him, they moved away and their place was taken by someone else and it wasn't just spartans who came forward, humans, men and women, all came, some standing in the rubble, some kneeling, patiently waiting for James to reach them. Mike realised that every time he touched someone, James whispered to them, "blessings" and he looked at his partner and realised his facial expression was one of distraction or perhaps even disorientation. When James had finally blessed the crowds who approached him and returned to Mike, he met his eyes and Mike knew it wasn't really James but rather the god still present. "Lord" Mike said, kneeling. "You recognise me?" James/Apollo asked and Mike knew it wasn't just James. He nodded. "You touched me, lord. I can see you in my lover's eyes."

Around Mike their children clustered, nearby stood Carl, Winston, Greg and George and behind were Phil and Si. They all watched Mike as he knelt and were confused to begin with but then heard Mike's answer, "I can see you in my lover's eyes" and a whisper ran through the family first, then the crowds and people began to kneel.

Mike hugged his three younger children, still standing at his side. "Look into your daddy James' eyes" he whispered to them. "Apollo's there" he told them. "Daddy James is too but if you look closely you'll see our god." Gabe squinted upwards and then said in a ringing soprano, "Apollo, are you going to stay with my daddy James or can we have him back now?" and an unearthly laughter rang out over the whole area, making everyone gasp. "You can have your daddy back, little one but first, blessings" the god said and James touched Gabriel's forehead, then David's, Andrew's and the rest of his family in turn, stopping when he got back to Mike. "Blessings" he said, touching Mike's forehead and Mike felt the benediction run through his soul like fire, then the spell was suddenly broken, James gasped and fell backwards to the floor.

Gabe, giggling, ran onto the white marble and hugged him tightly. "Love you, daddy James!" he squealed. Mike idly noticed that apart from James and himself, Gabe was the only one who seemed willing to enter the consecrated circle.

"And I love you too" James whispered, exhausted. Mike walked onto the marble, helped him to his feet and gently unbuckled the swords. "You okay, honey?" he asked. "Just tired" James replied, "it's actually harder than I expected, letting Apollo use me like that. I could feel every blessing like fire poured through me." Mike hugged him and held him close, overwhelmed.

Then James' dads were there, passing him the remainder of his clothes, helping him dress, helping him get back to his car. The lawyers and police officers who'd accompanied them that morning, a lifetime ago now, said, "what are your instructions, your holiness?" James grinned tiredly, amused by the title, overwhelmed by the experience. "Keep the site safe. Don't let anyone walk on the marble, if they're not ordained and I'm not here to channel Apollo then I can't promise what'll happen. And if you can, erect a tent or roof or something over everything. I need to go home and sleep, I'll be back as soon as I can, I promise."

The police officers looked at each other, uncomfortably. "Sir, I'm sorry" one began, "I don't know what to do but I think we should be arresting you for attempted murder or something. I mean, you confessed to everyone that you offered Mike in sacrifice and let's face it, with those scars and all the blood" he nodded towards Mike, "it's kind of obvious anyway." James stepped forwards. "Okay, but remember the case the crown versus Stephenson and Darrenson? If you arrest me you'll have to arrest and imprison Mike too. We can't be forcibly separated."

The senior officer sighed. "Yeah, I know, talk about a mess, a murderer and his victim together in the same cell. Look, my head might be on the line but I'm going to let this go and discuss it with my superiors. I mean, no one actually saw Mike dead. Just don't leave the country or anything, please?" he asked and James nodded tiredly. "Please, officer, can we go home now?" he pleaded. The officer nodded his head so deeply that it was almost a bow. "Of course, your holiness" he replied.

James returned the following week with Mike and his children again and found worshippers there, sat or knelt on the paving stones that people had been bringing to gradually replace the rubble. The chainlink fence had been removed, here and there burned braziers and a huge canvas roof had been stretched over poles, covering the altar and fire and statue.

A police officer greeted him. "We didn't need the fence anymore, your holiness, there've been worshippers here since you left. And it's a lot tidier too" he said, indicating the site. "People just turned up with skips and took away the rubble. Anything that they thought you might want has been kept over there" he said, indicating where a small, brightly coloured tent had been pitched in the corner of the site.

"Who's done this?" James asked, overwhelmed and the police officer shrugged. "All sorts of people, not just your sort, not just spartan -- people who saw the mist and felt your blessing. I took leave from work and have been here as much as I could since you left" the officer continued, blushing slightly. "When you blessed me I knew I had to keep this place safe." James smiled. "What's your name?" he asked. "Tim Potts" the man answered. "And you're human" James continued, "but still you protect us. Why?" Tim shrugged. "Apollo's touched me, your holiness. I've been here all the time except when I had to sleep and you know, the fire hasn't gone out at all, no fuel, nothing but it's stayed burning."

"Call me James" James said softly, smiling. "And no one could put fuel on it, they wouldn't be permitted to get close enough" he continued. "No one's tried to get onto the marble have they?" Another man, one Mike recognised as Luke Peterson, one of the members of the original spartan law firm, who still owned the site, said, "no, we made it clear it was dangerous. People just come and kneel on the pavement. You've touched people, James."

James walked over to where a second tent had been pitched. "What's in here?" he asked and went inside and saw another member of the law firm, Charles Darrenson, sitting with all of the swords and a clothes rack. "We thought we'd better get prepared, ready for when you wanted to lead worship," he explained. James smiled. "You'd like me to lead a service?" he asked. Charles nodded. "Please?" he asked. "We've been waiting for you, your holiness."

James undressed, buckled on his swords and walked calmly towards the marble. The outer edge of the marble was still ringed with a few inches of rubble, mute evidence that no one had wanted to get too close to the miraculous, snowy white circle. James stepped over it onto the marble and as his feet touched the smooth surface, flames from the fire leapt perhaps ten feet into the air. Mike followed his lover with their children and Greg and as they stepped into the consecrated area it was suddenly warm and still. The winter wind, the cold air couldn't penetrate it and it felt comfortable, cosy almost. James turned back and smiled. "I felt you enter. You know Apollo has already ordained someone else, I felt it as soon as you all came in."

"Who?" Mike asked. James grinned. "Gabriel. He's going to be high priest after me. Only Apollo will to tell him himself at the right time so don't say anything" he said as the toddler in question took to his heels and ran around the marble ring, giggling madly, the short knife that he wore as his sword slapping against his chubby little legs and his white curls bouncing around his face. "Apollo loves his fearlessness and his strength of spirit." James closed his eyes briefly. "And our lord says that he can already tell that Gabriel loves him unconditionally."

"You can hear him, can't you." Mike said. It was a statement, not a question. James nodded. "Yeah, I can sort of hear him all the time but here in the temple his words are as clear as yours."

Around them, Mike saw people undressing. Some, the spartans in the crowd, made their way to the tent and took a sword. The humans didn't and they all hovered on the edge of the circle, women as well as men. James looked round. "Better get this show on the road" he muttered to Mike, then raised his voice. "Come forward. Spartan, amazon, human male, human female, come forward one and all if you wish to worship. It is Apollo's will that any who believe in him may come and worship him in his temple."

A lady came to the very edge of the rubble and met James eyes. She was the first non-spartan to try and enter the temple but it seemed to Mike that something stopped her. James looked up, smiled and spoke to her. "Apollo's worshippers are warriors. To enter the holy ground you need to be armed. Go, take a sword and join us." Muttering broke out amongst the spartan ranks who encircled the plaza but James silenced them by drawing his swords. "Do you deny the will of your god?" he roared. Silence fell like a stone.

"It is the will of Apollo that anyone who believes in him and wishes to worship be recognised as one of his holy warriors. Stepping where the army of Sparta once walked alone will be a new army comprising of all people." James took a deep breath and spoke again, this time in a quieter voice. "It is the will of Apollo that people from the north and south, east and west all recognise that the divine is just as real as the material. He wants to re-establish worship, revitalise faith, re-energise all religions. His holy warriors do not have to only worship him, do not have to come more than once but if they come he will touch them and remind them of the supernatural behind the natural. If you wish to be so blessed, come, kneel at the fire and receive his benediction."

Swords were taken by everyone, the consecrated area was full and people knelt around the fire pit. James looked at Mike from the head of the fire and Mike knew the god was with him. He bowed his head. "Lord" he whispered. James calmly stepped onto the blazing fire, unharmed by the scorching flames. Around him people gasped but Mike wasn't surprised. "Michael my son" James said in a peculiarly choral voice. "No lingering side effects?" the god asked conversationally. "You're not aching or anything, are you?" he said and Mike shook his head. "No, lord, I feel like a new man."

James/Apollo smiled. "Take the children and let them play in our presence. We love to feel them here; they will energise us whilst we bless our warriors." Mike bowed low, got to his feet and went back to where his children stood. George and Greg were still kneeling. At thirteen they both had enough patience to wait for the god's blessing but David, Andrew and Gabriel couldn't stay still long enough to wait as they were excitable and hyperactive after the long journey to London from their Pennine home. Mike played chase with them, then other games as they whiled away the long day. They spent the best part of two hours learning how to sheath and draw their swords without cutting their hands and Mike taught them all how to twirl the blade as he'd learned when he'd presented Gabriel. Then they sat by the feet of the statue of their god and Mike told the older boys stories whilst little Gabriel slept on his lap.

Finally the crowds began to thin and James, was left standing in the middle of the fire, alone. Gabriel looked up. "Have you done now?" he asked. "Yes little one" Mike heard Apollo say, "we've done" and the small boy, giggling all the while, ran forwards over the blazing coals towards his daddy James.

James swept him up into his arms, kissing him as he stepped from the fire and onto the marble again. "Are you okay, the fire didn't hurt you did it?" he asked, his voice totally human, totally his own though Mike could tell from his eyes that Apollo was still fully present. Gabriel frowned. "Apollo is inside of my head" he explained seriously, "and he says I was silly to run on the fire without first asking him if I could but he says he looked after me anyway because he didn't want me to get hurt. He's nice, isn't he?" he asked his stunned dads. James nodded, grinning incredulously at his son's easy acceptance of the divine. "Yes, sweetie, he's nice" he replied shortly.

Only a few people were left, each of them having been blessed hours ago but who remained, kneeling on the marble in prayer and they worshipped even more fervently when they saw Gabriel's faith. James, still possessed by Apollo and with Gabe still in his arms, spoke to these few believers. "I need more priests than just the two whose bodies I use now. Who among you is willing to serve?" His voice was choral again and three people stood up. One was spartan, Charles Darrenson, the lawyer who'd guarded the swords. The second was Tim Potts, the human police officer whose life had been totally changed by the experience the previous week. And the third was a human woman who Mike didn't immediately recognise but whose face was familiar. As he stared she caught his eye and smiled. "Angela Golding" she said, holding her hand out. "I was the legal rep on the day social services" Mike finished the sentence, "when the social workers wanted to see Greg and George, I remember you!" and they laughed and hugged. "Do you think I'll be welcome?" she asked. "Don't ask me, ask Apollo" Mike answered, indicating James. "If our lord wants you, you'll hear his voice yourself."

"Come to the altar" James said and his voice had the full resonance that everyone present recognised as the god. The three knelt and James put Gabe down so that the little toddler stood next to the adults. He touched their heads and whispered something and each adult bowed down to the marble. Gabe just giggled and said, "I told you that before!" Mike couldn't hear the question but he didn't need to -- despite his peculiar status he was not called to be and did not want to be a priest.

Then James drew his crossed swords and said, "except for the little one, whose love alone is sufficient until he is older, the next time you come you will wear twin swords and bring a sacrifice to mark your ordination. You are welcome to come onto the marble at any time but the first time you enter without James my beloved high priest you need to have sacrificed." And then Mike saw James/Apollo smile. "But please, not something you'll be arrested for, an animal will be more than sufficient" he said. The three to-be-ordained priests seemed to be a little surprised and Mike heard James' own voice as he said, "our lord has an interesting sense of humour. Relax, please and stand up, you've been accepted." They all got to their feet, smiling.

"All you needed was the desire, the belief and a pure heart. Everything else will come in time." He lifted Gabriel back into his arms then looked at Angela with wry amusement. "Did you hear Apollo then?" he asked. Angela frowned. "I think so but would you please tell me what you heard? I want to be sure I understood him." James nodded. "Our lord wants me to sort out some sort of over-the-shoulder scabbards so you can wear your swords on your back" he said to her. "He seems to think that certain parts of your anatomy will get in the way if you try the cross-draw like men do." Angela blushed and nodded and Mike heard her say, "that's what I thought I heard. Thank you lord" she then said, bowing her head, "I'd kind of wondered about that myself" and James laughed.

Over the following months the temple complex was rapidly rebuilt. The first thing that was put in place was a high red-brick wall and a pair of ornate gates, so that the priests James had ordained -- now fourteen adults, spartan, amazon, human male and human female -- could finally sacrifice and be accepted.

Gabriel, of course, wouldn't sacrifice anything until he was older and able to fully understand the request of his god but more than anyone he seemed the most comfortable in the temple. Mike and James both knew that if he went missing whilst they were there he'd be found, either curled up asleep or else playing a game or reading a book, nestled between the feet of the massive statue of Apollo. And when they asked what he was doing, his answer was always fascinating. "Me and Apollo were playing snap" he said once and "Apollo was reading me Jack and the Beanstalk" another time. "I was tired and Apollo said I should fall asleep where he could keep an eye on me" was the most stunning of his answers and suggested the god kept an almost parental-watch over the youngster.

A number of tall concrete pillars were built and a wood and canvas roof was erected over the whole area. A dressing area was constructed, the whole floor was paved with polished stone and gradually, as donations continued to pour in, the facility rapidly improved. It was summertime, just as little Gabriel had turned five years old, that the whole building was finished. Covered in snowy-white marble and decorated extensively, the beautiful temple was a marvel of architecture and artistry. It was similar to the previous building in design but of course it didn't have to be hidden anymore. Inside, the main alterations were facilities for both male and female worshippers to undress and prepare and of course everyone who wished to worship received swords. The kitchens, present since earliest times so that the sacrificial animals could be prepared for eating, now had a small canteen attached so that believers who struggled to feed themselves and their families could come and obtain food.

There were also offices for the legal firm, restarted with Mike, Luke Peterson, Charles Darrenson and Angela Golding as partners. The four were legal advisers to the government for spartan matters and of course Charles and Angela were also priests. Tim Pott left the metropolitan police and became the temple's senior security officer as well as being a priest. He lived in an apartment on site with his wife so that there was always someone present who could safely enter the consecrated circle. Other security officers, a secretary and a receptionist were employed by the temple, mostly taking calls for James and Mike and managing their diaries or else advising visitors of service times and protocols and stopping people from stepping into the consecrated area at times when there were no priests present. There were also two other apartments in the complex, one solely for the use of James and his family and the other for anyone else who had to travel a distance to come and serve.

It was the first day the family came to stay in their new apartment and went to worship in the finally-completed temple that Gabriel said seriously, "Apollo wants me to wear two swords today, daddy" and James, with a sharp intake of breath and pride on his face buckled a tiny double sword belt with supporting shoulder straps onto the small boy -- something that the god had asked him to have tailor-made for his son in preparation for this day. "Does that mean you're a priest if you've got two swords?" David asked him -- the whole family were aware of the special relationship he had with the god. Gabe shook his head. "Not properly yet but Apollo says I'm going to be so I need to start preparing" he explained, "I need to learn how to do" he paused and said, "what did you say it was again?" and closed his eyes for a moment. "Oh, right" he said then opened his eyes and looked at his stunned family, "Apollo says I need to learn how to do the cross draw and present my swords and that James needs to start teaching me."

From that day on it wasn't unusual to see Gabriel trying to copy James' movements whenever he served in the temple, his young face serious as he practised and perfected the cross draw and also the elaborate presentations that were normally the sole preserve of the high priest. But he didn't do everything his father did. "Apollo said I shouldn't try the movements for sacrifice or watch one too closely yet, he said it'd upset me too much and he'll tell me when I'm ready" he explained when Mike asked him one day why he sheathed his swords and closed his eyes whenever James prepared to sacrifice an animal.

Everyone was welcome in the temple and people came from far and wide to worship, often just once, to feel the power of Apollo's blessing. Everyone, that is, who came with a pure heart and good intentions -- occasionally some people tried to come in for less savoury reasons and found that something unseen tripped them up at the doorway, repeatedly, preventing them from entering the building at all.

It was this supernatural shield that enabled police to catch a notorious thief who'd attempted to enter the building -- he'd refused to leave and had become angrier and angrier at his inability to walk through the door, resulting in Tim calling his former colleagues. When they saw him he was immediately arrested and an award offered by his victims was paid into the temple's coffers. After this happened a few times the metropolitan police installed a direct telephone line and the security team were instructed that whenever someone tried and failed to enter they should be restrained and the police called straight away. Within months, crime in London had reduced by thirty per cent and the temple's reputation for goodness and honesty spread. Even the sceptics who'd been horrified at the sacrificial worship began to admit that there was something positive about the Apolline faith.

James, found himself exceedingly busy and since the day he'd been ordained he'd been called to represent the spartan people, the temple or both at various events. He'd tried to refuse but the requests kept coming so he eventually acquiesced and agreed to take part on the condition that any fees were paid to the temple. One particularly memorable event was when he went onto Question Time, when the political panel were debating among other things amendments to the race relations act, the inclusion of the Apolline faith as a full religion in the forthcoming census and whether or not belief in Apollo was a suitable topic for A-Level religious studies courses. He remarked later that crossing swords, figuratively of course, with the MP Edwina Curry was one of the more enjoyable things he'd been asked to do, though he wasn't a skilled enough politician to be under any illusions as to who had won that particular bout. Later the lady in question wrote to James thanking him for being so entertaining an opponent. James returned the thanks and offered to introduce her to Apollo but she politely declined the offer.

After the success of the lawsuit in proving that the deaths of the spartan children was murder, legal rights caught up and one by one, acts of parliament were amended so that they applied to spartans too and fully reflected the new sentiments of the United Nations Declaration for People's Rights. Spartans were protected by both the race relations and the sex discrimination act. They were recognised as citizens and permitted to hold passports. And, following on from the case of Stephenson and Darrenson, that proved that forcible separation of spartan life partners was in fact torture, a new registration scheme was implemented to enable legal recognition of couples united by a spartan partner bond.

After the registration act, James' family all began to register their partner bonds, culminating in a very special ceremony. Seventeen days previously the youngest couple in the family had delivered their consent forms. George's parents, uncles and grandparents had all registered over the last few weeks and now it was the teenagers' turn to make their lifetime commitment to each other public.

George kept adjusting his tie and straightening his already perfect jacket. "Do I look okay?" he asked Mike for the millionth time. Mike smiled at his son, already six foot tall and looking every inch an adult. "You look fine. Relax. Come on, deep breaths, you'll pass out if you keep getting yourself worked up."

"What's he doing?" he asked. "He's panicking, just like you are" James teased him. He'd just slipped in the door from the other room where Greg was equally as flustered. George looked horrified. "He's not worried about it is he, `cos we can postpone it if" James held his hand up. "Honey, he's only panicking because he wants it to be perfect. And he can't get his tie exactly right, that's all that's holding him up." He looked at Mike. "He must have tied and untied it at least ten times. Daniel's doing it for him now."

The door to the living room opened and accompanied by his guardians, George's uncles Alex and Daniel, Greg crept nervously into the room. He was a little taller than George and a little thinner, evidence that he still had some growing to do. His suit matched George's, his tie was in a complementing shade of blue and his usually wild blonde locks had been tamed and combed flat.

George gasped when he walked in. "You look perfect" he whispered. Greg smiled back. "So do you" he said. They lifted their fingertips up and touched each other's hands, staring into each other's eyes. "Right, we've established that you look perfect," Daniel interrupted their devoted gazing. "Are you going to get a move on already? We need to be at the register office in half an hour."

They went out to their car, the vehicle the whole family still had to share due to financial constraints, decked out on this special day with white ribbon over the bonnet. Tom was there in a smart black suit and cap, pretending to be their chauffeur. George and Greg both giggled when they saw it. "Come on" Tom said, "let's get a move on."

Behind them, in the vicar's car, which she had kindly leant them for the occasion, came Alex, Daniel, Mike and James. All the other members of the family had already made their way to the register office using public transport.

When they arrived the cars were parked and the family walked to the office. Greg and George were accompanied by James and Daniel when they met with the registrar, their counter-signatories due to both of them being under sixteen. She was a middle-aged woman with a warm smile and a calm demeanour. She went through the paperwork with them, though it ended up with James speaking more than the two boys since they were both quite nervous.

Then it was time to go in to the main room. George's hands shook slightly and Greg looked at him. "Final chance to back out" he whispered. "Not a chance, you're mine" George smiled, kissing him lightly on his cheek. "We'll go take our seats" James said, "see you in a minute.

They walked into the main room in silence, though it wasn't silent for the couple -- both could hear their heartbeats echoing loudly. Around them their family and friends including a couple of their teachers and their whole class from school watched and smiled.

The registrar stood up and said, "George, will you please read the first sentence on the card in front of you" and in a voice breaking with emotion he began, "I do solemnly declare that I, George Jameson am certain beyond any doubt that I am joined in a partner bond with Greg Stuartson."

The registrar nodded and smiled. "And you, Greg" and Greg read the same statement, "I do solemnly declare that I, Greg Stuartson am certain beyond any doubt that I am joined in a partner bond with George Jameson."

"And" the registrar continued, "since you are both underage we also require that one of your legal guardians makes the same declaration." James began, saying, "I do solemnly declare that I am certain beyond any doubt that my ward George Jameson is joined in a partner bond with Greg Stuartson."

And then Daniel spoke, "I do solemnly declare that I am certain beyond any doubt that my ward Greg Stuartson is joined in a partner bond with George Jameson."

The registrar smiled and tried to calm the nervous boys down. "And a question first for George, then Greg, the answer is I do" she continued in a soft voice, "do you understand that in signing the register you are entering into a permanent, life-long, unalterable contract?"

"I do" George said.

"I do" Greg replied.

"And do the counter-signatories also understand the legal ramifications of permitting your wards to enter into this contract?"

"I do" James said confidently.

"I do" Daniel echoed.

The register smiled again. "Take a deep breath, both of you" she mock-whispered. "And if you would please each read the second paragraph on the card, George first, then Greg" she said and the pair complied, "I understand that on signing the registration document that I, George Jameson, will be committing myself to a permanent, life-long, unalterable contract in law. I agree to take equal responsibility for the actions of Greg Stuartson, up to and including incarceration and surrender of rights, in order that we are not forcibly separated."

"I understand that on signing the registration document that I, Greg Stuartson, will be committing myself to a permanent, life-long, unalterable contract in law. I agree to take equal responsibility for the actions of George Jameson, up to and including incarceration and surrender of rights, in order that we are not forcibly separated."

The registrar nodded. "You're almost there" she said reassuringly. "Greg and George, please come forward and sign the register with your counter-signatories" and the couple walked to the register along with James and Daniel and duly signed where indicated, grinning all the while. Once they'd finished they went back to the centre of the room. "I understand you have rings" the registrar said, "if you would like to exchange them."

George fished the small box out of his pocket and took out the simple silver band, all his family could afford. "Greg, I give you this ring" he began and his voice began to crack with the depth of his emotion, "as a symbol of my love and of our registration today."

And Greg did the same, an identical ring, identical words, though unlike George he couldn't get through them without crying, tears dripping down his face as he said, "George, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and of our registration today," and the registrar said, "as a token of the contract into which you both have entered, these rings are given and received."

She then stood tall and looked at the audience. "By virtue of signing the schedule in my presence as a registrar" she began, "and before these witnesses, I declare that you, George and you, Greg, have now registered in accordance with the law and that no act of law will ever see you separated. I further declare that you will be supported and enabled to remain in partnership in all circumstances by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland through due legal process." She smiled to them both, warm and parental. "You may kiss" she said softly. Gazing deeply into each others' eyes, they did just that and their families, their relations, their friends from prison and from the island and from school all cheered.

They hadn't been able to afford a proper party but Stacey, the vicar of the church in their village had kindly loaned them the church hall and they met there for a buffet and drinks. Most of the spartans present managed to get lifts from the human guests, mostly the parents of their school friends who had willingly agreed to drive everyone. Their closest neighbour, Muriel, had made them a cake and everyone had bought a different dish to add to the buffet and had supplied their own drinks. James had offered to have the temple kitchens cook the entire meal but George had said no. "First of all, too many people rely on the temple handouts, we can't take all the food. And second, we're meeting in a church hall, it'd be insensitive in the extreme to bring sacrifices, dad" and James had wryly agreed. "I hadn't thought of that" he'd admitted, looking a little sheepish. Greg laughed. "We didn't think you had."

To George and Greg's surprise their school friends had agreed to do some music, even including tracks that their parents liked and someone had brought their sound system. And then, there were gifts, something neither Greg nor George had anticipated, most of their guests being either of school age or still struggling to make ends meet on state benefits. Finally, after calling for silence, James made a short speech. "A few thank you's first" he began, "to the vicar and St Mary's church for allowing us heathens to use their hall" and a scattering of applause and laughter rang around the room. "To all the car owners and especially to the parents of Greg and George's school friends for providing transportation, to Muriel for the beautiful cake and to each and every one of you for the food and the drink" the applause rang again. "And finally to Greg and George, for sticking together through thick and thin" here the applause was supplemented by cheers and whistles.

"You know money's tight" he continued. A few people laughed and James continued, "yeah, even for us, Mike and I might get a proper salary one day but not today" the laughter became louder then faded as he held his hand up and continued, "but we couldn't let today go without giving you a little something. And I know you're going back to school but we've got permission for you to have two days off next week." He pulled an envelope out of his pocket. "We thought long and hard about what to buy you" he explained, "but eventually realised the one thing you've never really had is total privacy, so we've got a booking here for a small cottage in the middle of nowhere" he said. "Your uncle Tom's going to drive you down tomorrow and pick you up on Tuesday." He handed the envelope over. "Congratulations" he said softly and then cheers and laughter rang out as hugs were exchanged and dancing began

As everyone relaxed, conversations started and Greg and George did the rounds of the people, thanking them all personally for coming. A number of the people seemed to be especially keen to talk to his dads and as well as lots of comments about the ceremony and the day, George came across an interesting conversation between James and one of his teachers. "Erm, hi, I'm sorry, I don't know what to call you" the teacher said. "How about James?" James answered. The teacher looked flustered, "of course, James" she said, "but do you have a title or anything?" James smiled. "Some people call me `your holiness' but our religion has been secret until the last few years so titles haven't really been an issue before. Why?"

"I wondered, James" the teacher said, emphasising his name slightly and looking at him to check if he was okay with her still using it, "if you'd be willing to come and speak to our students about your faith?" James frowned. "You know it's not a gentle religion, don't you? If you want me to tell your students what Apollo and Apolline worship are like I'll have to explain ritual sacrifice to them, I'm not sure how sensible it'd be."

The teacher nodded. "We'll do a letter and get permission slips beforehand. It's just some of the kids have asked us already and I know George especially gets asked a lot." James nodded. "As long as there's signed consent slips for every child, or better still, if they have a parent or guardian present, then I'll do some classes for you. Perhaps evenings or weekends might be better. I'm not sure about doing it just for a bunch of kids, I'd be more comfortable if parents could come. I've done presentations to colleges and politicians and even churches before but you'll be the first school." The teacher smiled. "Thank you, your holiness" she said, "I'll speak to your office and we'll arrange something."

George went over. "Your holiness?" he said to his dad, amused. He'd heard the title used quite frequently in the temple, of course but not outside when his dad just looked normal and Apollo wasn't present. "It wasn't my idea, Georgie" he answered, "people have an urge to tag labels onto me for some reason. But would you be okay for me to give talks at your school?"

"Yeah, that'd be good, dad" George said, then mock-bowed, "your holiness." James cuffed him around the ear good-naturedly. "Less of the cheek, you!" he growled, laughing. He then became a little more serious. "George, honey, I know I'm not holy, not unless Apollo is present. Our god is the holy one, not me but he's told me to stop complaining at the title, that people are only trying to be respectful and I need to accept that. I haven't become a complete idiot you know" he grinned and George laughed too. "I know, dad. It just sounded really funny when it was said without Apollo being here. Where is he, by the way?" He was used, as the whole family were, to his dad's ability to know what Apollo was doing.

"He's in various places. Angela, Charles, Peter and Susan are sacrificing at the temple this afternoon" James said, looking distracted as he thought about it. "But mostly it seems he's with Gabriel." George rolled his eyes and looked at his littlest brother who was having a long conversation with thin air in the corner of the room. "I figured as much, they're never really apart, them two, are they?" James shook his head. "Your brother is blessed" he said softly.

George snorted. "Touched, more like" he muttered and James gave him a black look. "For that remark you need to apologise next time you pray, George" he said sternly and suitably abashed, George nodded.

The hall was needed at six thirty that evening for a dance class so at six o'clock all the guests pitched in with the cleaning and tidying up. Two thirds of the guests, including most of Greg and George's school friends headed home and the remainder went with them back to their house.

Since money was still very tight, at least one of their meals each day included the meat from the offerings that James, as high priest, was given. They went in and made themselves comfortable, then shortly flocked to the wonderful-smelling roast beef that James had just lifted from the oven. Greg, as he'd agreed with George and James beforehand, shouted for attention. "Before you help yourself to supper" he said, "you need to know that it was a sacrificial animal and has come from the temple. And James wants to say a short prayer before we eat." Most of the people were George's relatives and were comfortable with worship but to his teachers, the four remaining school friends who were still there, their next door neighbours and of course the vicar, it was strange and a little unnerving.

George went to stand near them as James unselfconsciously knelt down on one knee and bowed his head. "Mighty Apollo, we eat of your gifts and give ourselves again into the service of your army. We ask that you bless us through this food eaten here in your name and in celebration of the partner bond between Greg and George, by your holy name we pray." As James had taught them, Greg and George repeated the last line after he had finished, "by your holy name we pray" then they looked at their friends who all appeared a little nervous. "Don't worry, there's salad and crisps too" George assured them, "you don't have to eat the sacrifice if you don't want to."

"I know, it's okay" their neighbour, Muriel, said, "it's just a little" she paused. "Freaky?" Greg supplied and the group laughed and nodded. "You two really have seen sacrifices and everything?" one of their school friends, sixteen year old Gemma, asked. George nodded. "Yeah, James and Mike don't put any pressure on us but we know they like us to attend worship whenever we're there, especially `cos we're living in the temple and everything. And after everything that's happened we can't really say no, it'd be rude."

"I'm sure your dads wouldn't really think it rude if you missed worship every so often" Stacey, the vicar said to them. Greg shook his head. "No, not Mike and James, we mean it'd be rude to Apollo. We don't mind if James and Mike get a bit upset now and again but we really don't want our god to get mad with us."

Stacey looked a bit surprised. "You're true believers aren't you?" she asked.

Greg nodded. "We were there in London when the mist came and when he re-consecrated his temple and ordained James" he explained, "and we've both heard Gabriel and James and the other priests all talk to Apollo like he's a real person and of course you know what he did for Mike. My real dads had me baptised and I kind of believe in Jesus but I can't deny that Apollo's real too." Stacey looked disapproving but said nothing as James was already bringing round slices of hot roast beef in sandwiches and Greg and George took them eagerly. Though Stacey politely refused, to George's surprise Muriel took one as did Gemma but they didn't immediately bite into them, instead they inspected them with suspicion. "It's just roast beef" George assured them. "It doesn't taste funny or anything." Muriel ate hers first and Gemma nibbled at the end of hers. "It tastes normal" she said to Pattie, another of their classmates and George and Greg laughed. "What did you expect it to taste like?"

Conversation drifted to other things and George and Greg were called upon by other guests and it wasn't long before the evening drew to a close. George's little brothers were all in bed asleep before the final guests left and Greg, George, James and Mike stood, tired, looking at each other as the front door closed for the final time. "Go on, get some sleep, you've got a big day tomorrow" James' eyes twinkled with amusement. Greg and George both blushed and Mike chortled. "I love it that you still get embarrassed!" he laughed as they went up to bed.

The cottage was a lovely little stone built house in Cumbria, miles away from anywhere. Tom had dropped them off as promised on the Sunday morning and the couple had enjoyed the precious gift of privacy that George's dads had provided. And when they got home they went back to school and after enduring some good-natured teasing from their friends, settled back into their studies and eventually finished school with a good number of GCSE's each.

After school, Greg enrolled in college and George managed to get a job at Mcdonalds. George knew that as a child he would have baulked at the idea of working in the fast food restaurant but he was pleased to have a paid job when so many spartans still struggled to find employment. It was a few weeks after they'd both started their new ventures, not long before their seventeenth birthdays and coincidentally, the day of their first anniversary that they both woke up in considerable discomfort. "Ugh" George grunted as he tried to turn over and felt a white-hot lance of pain run through his stomach. Greg groaned into his pillow and muttered something that might have been profanities but which were largely muffled since his face was buried under the duvet.

"You okay?" George muttered sleepily, running his hand over the warm skin of Greg's stomach. Then Greg suddenly jumped and fell out of bed. "Fuck!" he exclaimed loudly. "What, what?" George asked, shocked awake by Greg's exclamation. Greg, tears in his eyes, got to his feet and showed George his belly button and what were undeniably the feathery ends of filaments peeking from his warm, tanned skin. George kicked the duvet off, stood up carefully and inspected his own torso and sure enough, he, too, was emergent. Both were in tears as they hugged each other, carefully of course, tears flowing in buckets down their faces. "I love you, I love you" they whispered between crying. "It's our anniversary today" George reminded Greg and they cried some more. "I know" Greg said. "I couldn't get you a gift but this is the best gift of all" he whispered.

After long conversations and consulting both Greg's tutors and George's manager, they decided that George would gestate first. Greg's course would be two years and he couldn't really miss that much of it. George, on the other hand, would be given full parental leave as the chain was one of the first big companies to introduce parental rights for spartans. They both went about their business for a couple of days and then took time off whilst the filaments grew. Once George was fertilised he went back to work, learning how to position his shirt so that it didn't hurt too much and presently, after the filaments had fallen out, Greg went back to college. Despite the discomfort he endured when fastening his specially-shaped shirt, George was quite proud to be openly spartan, openly employed and openly gestating his first child and the company was very supportive.

"Are you okay Georgie?" Greg asked him one morning as he fastened his shirt and winced. "I'm fine" George answered. "Looking forward to work today, I just got the seam in the wrong place" he admitted. Greg laughed. "You just like the attention!" he accused. George shrugged, grinning. "I'm a celebrity, what do you expect?"

Greg laughed and gave him a kiss before George left the small house he and Greg still shared with Mike, James and George's younger brothers. George's wages helped to supplement the meagre income James made from the presentations to schools and the other talks that he fitted in around his temple duties and the few fees Mike took from clients who could afford to pay -- most of his work was done pro bono as there were very few spartans or amazons who could afford full legal fees anymore. Greg continued to study clothing and fashion design with the intention of eventually producing a range for emergent, gestating and breast-feeding spartans and he'd also recently been able to get a weekend job in a local men's clothing store.

Arriving at work, George donned the protective apron Greg had created for him the day he realised George was planning on working for as long as he could through his gestation. It was made of a traditional staff apron on the front but with soft, thick material underneath, soft enough that George could undo a couple of shirt buttons in order to relieve the pressure on his womb, thick enough that even if hot oil splashed up it wouldn't do any damage. "Hey, George" the manager greeted him that morning. "Mandy" George smiled. "You up for working through till ten pm tonight?" she asked, "only Julie's called in sick."

"I'd love to Mandy" George replied, "only I can't stay on my feet that long, sorry."

"Yeah, my bad, I forgot!" she grinned. "How can you forget this?" George asked, pointing at his bulging abdomen. Mandy laughed. "I know, I know. You've only got another fortnight before you go on leave haven't you?" she asked. "How many months are you?"

"I'm three and a half months, we have to take leave from four months onwards because of the high risk of stillbirth, remember?" he smiled softly. "George, you're my first spartan gestation, I'm used to maternity leave but this is new" his manager replied. "Humour me, please?" George grinned. "You're doing fine, Mandy, I can't even begin to explain how thrilled I was that you even agreed to keep my job open for after I give birth, never mind paying me as well, it just messes with my head that you're so nice!"

"Get to work, flatterer" she laughed back, "on till three if you would, there's a love."

Two weeks later George's last shift dawned. He arrived at the restaurant, donned his apron and began work as normal. Mid-way through the afternoon when a lot of his colleagues were involved in some heavy-duty cleaning in the upstairs lounge, he noticed that a crowd was beginning to assemble and buzzed through to the office. "Mandy, I think we need some more people on tills, can you free anyone up from the cleaning upstairs?" he asked.

"Give me a minute" she replied before coming through to the front of the restaurant herself. She greeted the newcomers and said, "the set up's the same as normal, thanks for doing this" and George realised that the crowd were all various restaurant employees and senior managers.

"He is the first, after all, it couldn't pass unnoticed" one of the men, a senior manager, smiled at Mandy. "Go on, shoo, you've got an hour" he finished.

"Come on George" Mandy said. "Where to?" George asked, surrendering his till to one of the temporary staff.

"Upstairs" she said, "we've got a surprise for you."

When he got to the top of the stairs he found, to his surprise, Greg, his dads and brothers and all his work colleagues clustered around. A long table was heaped full of presents and there was a huge cake. "We're proud to work with you" Mandy said as George suddenly felt his eyes well up with tears, "and proud to call you a friend and a colleague" she continued. "And we wanted to send you off with a little something but as you can see the presents kind of got out of hand" she waved towards the groaning table. "You're a good guy, George, you too Greg, it's nice to see you get on in life."

George looked around the room at the assembled faces, spartan and human, male and female, crying with both shock and happiness. "Thanks, thank you so much, I can't even begin to explain what this means" he stuttered. Greg came over and looped his arms around George's neck. "Sit down before you fall down" he mock-whispered and the assembled crowd laughed.

"You'll have to bring your son in for us to meet" Mandy said later on as Greg and the rest of the family carried presents out of the door. "I will, I promise!" he finished as he left.

Five and a half months later a still-wobbly George, supported by Greg, pushed a pram into the restaurant. "Oh my god it's George!" one of the girls on the tills squealed. "Quick!" she said, "get Mandy!"

Mandy came and she and the others clustered around the couple. George sat down at a free table and lifted the two-week-old baby carefully out of the blankets. "Aww, he's so cute!" Mandy gushed, "he's got your eyes, George."

"Yeah but we reckon he'll have Greg's blonde hair" George answered, smiling. "What's his name?" she continued.

"Stuart, after one of my dads" Greg said, suddenly filling up with tears. "They were both killed in the riots but we wanted to remember them."

"So remind me, it'll be Stuart Georgeson?" Mandy asked and the couple nodded. "And Greg, what about you, are you having the next one?" Greg, still tearful, nodded. "Yeah, it's my turn next" he said with a watery smile, "but it's still amazing, being a dad! Here" he turned to George, "let me take him." He picked the restless baby out of George's arms and George visibly relaxed. "I'm still in a lot of pain" he explained at Mandy's surprised expression, "I can't cradle him for too long, he starts to wriggle and press on my navel and besides which if he's in my arms too long he'll end up rooting for food and I don't care how open minded Mcdonalds is, I'm not testing anyone's patience by breastfeeding in public, not a chance" he finished quietly.

"So how's the rest of your family?" Mandy asked after a painful silence. George grinned. "David's driving our dads mad, he wants to start dating but they're having none of it, not until he turns sixteen or meets his life partner, anyway. Erm, Gabe and Andy are enjoying school, they're the only spartans there but they seem to be coping well. Gabe's mostly in a world of his own anyway, he seems to talk to Apollo all the time, he drives his teacher's mad with it. Oh yeah, James has finally been able to draw a wage from the temple, there were enough surplus donations last month that they decided that as high priest he could finally get some money. And my granddads have recently been granted state pensions. Finally things seem to be settling down."

"It's been a hell of a time for you, hasn't it?" She said. "It just seems so unfair, one minute you were just normal kids, the next there was a mob wanting to hang, draw and quarter you. And you seem so happy, how the hell have you grown up so normal, George?"

He just smiled. "Love helps you do amazing things, Mandy. Greg and I celebrated our twelfth birthdays in the community but it didn't matter, we were together. I think Apollo arranged that we'd meet so young because he knew we'd need each other. We both lost people but as long as we were together we could face anything. And then we were among the first spartans to come back to Manchester and enter mainstream school. Facing a classroom full of thirteen year olds was almost worse than being locked up. But we got through prison and we got through high school and we managed to get jobs and we have a roof over our heads and clothes to wear and food to eat and the right to call ourselves people and what more do we need, really?"

Mandy shook her head with amazement flashing across her face. "You'll be great parents" she said. "And for what it's worth I think you're some of the best people I've ever met." And with a gurgle and a contented sigh from Greg's arms, it seemed that baby Stuart agreed.

By the summer before his fifteenth birthday George's closest brother, David, was well used to being openly spartan and most of his more horrific memories had faded under more pleasant experiences. He had a long summer holiday ahead of him before both he went back to school in September. Their family were the only spartans within the catchment area of his high school but the human children were nice and David had made some good friends, mainly amongst the girls but he also had a few human male friends. David rolled out of bed and stretched, thrilled that George and Greg had finally got a flat of their own and he had a whole room to himself. Yes, it was only the box room but at least he had some privacy. He couldn't believe that both his dads had shared this tiny space for as long as they had but when Greg, George and little Stuart had finally vacated the master bedroom the whole household moved round and he drew the single room -- life was good, he grinned to himself.

He admired himself in his bedroom mirror. He wasn't really vain but he was at the tail end of puberty and from a human point of view looked like a tall, muscular young man of about seventeen or eighteen years old and he'd been changing that rapidly that he felt the need to check to see if something else had altered overnight. The fourteen year-old frowned, rubbing his hand over the dark stubble on his chin. He really hated shaving but he hated the thought of facial hair more so he made his way to the bathroom to find soap and razor.

Presently, clean shaven and dressed in shorts and shirt, he trundled sleepily down the staircase to find breakfast. "Hey, Davey, what you doing today?" Andrew greeted him. David grinned and ruffled his brother's hair -- unlike most siblings they were very close, mostly due to the difficulties they had faced as young children. "Probably going to kick around a bit down the park" David said, "wanna come?"

"You're not going anywhere until you've done some chores" Mike's voice drifted from his dads' bedroom. "You've done nothing to help out for the last week." David groaned and Mike came downstairs with a frown on his face. "You can mow the lawns and Andrew can do some weeding."

"What about Gabe, what's he gonna do?" Andrew asked with a note of protest in his voice. "Your brother is going to the temple with James" Mike informed the pair. "Dad Mike, that's not fair!" David exclaimed, "he always gets out of chores."

"You want to go clean James' swords?" Mike asked the most squeamish of his sons. "Your dad James is going to be sacrificing several times tonight. I'm sure Gabe'll swap if you're really keen, though."

David shuddered. He could just about cope with watching the sacrifices from the back of the room but the thought of having to touch the blood made his stomach churn. "No dad, it's okay, I'll mow the lawn" he rapidly agreed as he turned a peculiar shade of green that almost matched the grass he was to cut. Mike laughed. "I knew you'd say that. Come on, Davey boy, be nice. You know Gabe has more work than both of you put together."

Andrew muttered something under his breath and Mike catching the word `freak', rounded on the boy. "What did you say?" he asked in a suspiciously calm voice. "Er, nothing dad" Andrew replied, realising he'd both spoken out loud and that his dad had heard him.

"Come on, I want to know" Mike smiled. It wasn't a nice smile. Andrew gave in, knowing that with Mike in this mood it was usually better to get the punishment out of the way before he had the chance to get creative. "I said, my little brother's a freak" he told his dad and looked at him sheepishly, hoping his comment wouldn't earn him either of Mike's more usual commands, the task of polishing the all the windows with vinegar and newspaper or, horror of horrors, studying maths all day. There was, of course, a reason why Andrew was the best of the four brothers at mathematics and it had very little to do with personal choice -- Mike had some very interesting ways of getting his sometimes unruly sons to behave. "Should I just go get my maths books now?" the boy asked in a very quiet voice as the silence stretched.

Mike sighed and sat down at the breakfast table. His sons looked at him and he said, "no, no Andy, come on, I'm not mad. Sit down, please" and Andrew complied, relieved. David relaxed too, seeing that his dad really wasn't going to get angry and he joined his younger brother. "Andy, sweetheart, Gabe's not a freak, he's a priest or at least he's going to be" Mike began. "Come on, you both know that your dad James acts the same sometimes and all the other priests do too. You both spend sufficient time at the temple to know how people get when they've heard Apollo speak to them enough times. It can be hard to cope with, but they're family, you know? Please, boys, he gets enough stick at school, he doesn't need it from you too. Be gentle to him, please?"

David looked at Mike. The scars were still there and visible if you knew what you were looking at and this particular morning Mike had shaven clean and was wearing a v-neck teeshirt. "Dad Mike, does Apollo really send people funny?" he asked, genuinely wanting to know. Mike wasn't sure if his son was being sarcastic but seeing the genuine worry on the boy's face answered, "not really, son but he's a god. He sometimes asks difficult things." Almost unconsciously his hand touched his throat and the pink line that crossed it. "What was it like, dad Mike, when dad James, you know?" David asked softly, almost nervously, as if he didn't know how Mike would react.

Mike had never actually spoken about the moment he'd been killed with his sons, though he and James had discussed it many times. He'd never really known what to say to them but could see from David and Andrew's eyes that he'd been silent for far too long. "It was something that had to happen, Davey" he began. "Apollo asked me if I would give my life. I had a choice, you know" he continued, "I didn't have to do it but I wanted to. It was too important not to do it. I told your dad James I loved him. We were both crying but we knew it had to happen or else Apollo would never have been able to return and all the good things that have happened since the temple was re-consecrated would never have happened at all. Then James started to speak to me but I saw the swords flash really brightly and didn't hear what he said but later he told me that he'd said he loved me too. Then it was like everything was black but I could still hear James and Apollo talking, then I realised I could suddenly feel my body again. I coughed and spoke to James and he helped me to my feet and hugged me."

Silence descended in the small room, broken when Andrew said quietly, "did it hurt?" Mike smiled. "No, I didn't feel anything, not a thing. Your dad James was too good with his swords, even back then. He didn't want me to suffer, honey, he did it really fast."

Andrew looked as if he wanted to cry. "What is it honey?" Mike said. "Come on, talk to me. I know I've never spoken to you about this before but I think you're old enough to understand it now. I'm fine, James is fine, we're fine."

Andrew shook his head. "No, dad Mike, it's not that, I just wondered, would Apollo ever" he started to cry.

"What, Andy?" Mike asked.

"Would Apollo ask Gabe to?" the boy stalled again.

"Andy, just say it son" Mike said softly.

"Dad Mike, is Gabe going to die?" he asked, suddenly wailing, huge tears rolling down his cheeks.

"No, no" Mike said, pulling the boy into a hug. "I'm sure he's not. But even if he does it'll be Gabe's choice and it'll be for a really good reason. Apollo doesn't force anyone to do anything, he can't. He doesn't work that way. Shh" he said, kissing Andrew's forehead as the boy buried his face in the crook of Mike's arm, "it's okay, shh." All was quiet for a few moments as Andrew got his tears under control, then the peace was broken by David's stomach growling loudly, breaking the tension. "Breakfast before the monster gets loose" Mike laughed and went to get cereals, milk and juice out for the boys.

It was few minutes later when Gabe and James came down, each carrying small rucksacks containing clean underwear and their toothbrushes. The boy had yet to begin his growth spurt and size and age-wise still looked much like a nine year old human child. Unlike his brothers, who all had dark hair, Gabriel had white-blonde hair and it fell in soft curls around his face making him look positively angelic.

He and James came into the kitchen and Andrew, his face still blotchy with tears, stood up from the table and impulsively hugged his little brother. "You be good, bro, you hear?" he said. Gabriel hugged his brother back and grinned. "I'm always good. I'm looking forward to it. Daddy James says I might even be able to do some of the sword presentations by myself tonight if we get there in time for me to practise some" he explained enthusiastically. David, also tearful, said, "yeah? Well you're going to have to come back tomorrow and tell us about it, okay? We'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, course" Gabe said, surprised at David's apparent enthusiasm. "But I thought the blood made you sick, Davey?" he said. "It does" David said, "I don't want to hear about that bit" he rolled his eyes melodramatically, "not unless you want me throwing up all over your shoes. I want to hear about you presenting your swords by yourself, I hope you get the chance." James and Gabe had eaten earlier and made their way out to the car. James briefly caught Mike's eyes, having noticed the peculiar mood. "We'll speak later, call me when you get there" Mike whispered, "or else you'll get caught up in the rush hour. Go."

David and Andrew both hugged their littlest brother tightly. "Promise us you'll tell us what you did when you get home tomorrow?" David said to him. "I promise Davey" Gabe said before he and James drove away.

Mike looked at the two boys, who stood in the driveway looking tearful. "Hey, cheer up, it's a beautiful day. And your brother never breaks his promises, you'll get the whole thing in so much gory detail you'll wished you'd kicked his arse on the way out of the door" he continued, making David laugh. "Come on, finish your weetabix and get the lawn mower out, it's going to be a warm day. If you're really good I'll let you get the sprinkler out and play in the water later on, if you like?"

"Dad Mike, that's for little kids" David complained. "Yeah?" Mike asked. "So why did you end up in a massive snit when I turned the water off on you the other day? You sulked all evening." David chuckled, slightly embarrassed but feeling enough affection for his dad that it didn't really matter. "I love you dad" he said, hugging him as they went back to their breakfast. "I love you too, Davey" Mike said, "but it still doesn't mean you're getting out of chores!"

After they'd eaten David and Andrew went to the garden shed, David to drag the lawnmower out and Andrew to find a garden fork and a bucket for the weeds. Mike loved gardening and had unwittingly instilled a similar passion in the boys so they took pride in doing a good job. Once the lawns were mowed David happily joined his little brother in tidying the flowerbeds and pulling up the dandelions that seemed to spring up each night. They had lunch outside and Mike joined them, bringing a plateful of sandwiches and his famous home-made lemonade that they all loved. Presently they heard engines on the street outside and some noises from the empty house next door and David frowned to Mike. "What's that, Mike?" he asked.

"Maybe we're getting neighbours, that house has been empty for ages" Mike replied.

"Yeah, `cos no one wants to live next door to spartans, like they think we're catching or something" Andrew sniggered.

"Andy, Muriel is fine, she's a good friend to us, it's nothing to do with us being spartans. It might just have been that no one wanted that particular house until now or maybe there were some legal or technical things, like they didn't know who owned the land the house was built on, or there's a mine far underground or a tree has made a wall move or something. There's all sorts of reasons why houses sit empty" Mike explained.

They wandered to the front of their house and saw a removal van and a car had pulled up. Men were carrying boxes into the house and a family were stood in the front garden. There was a man and a woman, a girl perhaps six years old in a pink dress and a toddler in her mum's arms. "Hi, we're your neighbours, you just moving in?" Mike said jovially.

The couple smiled. "Yeah, I'm Clare and this is my husband Marcus" the woman said shaking Mike's hand, "and our kids, this is Poppy" she indicated the toddler, "and Emma" she put her hand on the little girl's head. "And this" she indicated a boy, perhaps eight or nine, sullenly climbing out of the car, "is Luke." She raised her voice. "Luke Ashton, take those things out of your ears and come and say hello." The boy scowled, pulled headphones out of his ears and walked over. "Hello" he said sullenly. "Mr Grumpy didn't want to move" Clare said, smiling, and ruffling Luke's hair "he's normally really good humoured."

"I'm Mike" Mike said, "and two of my boys, Andrew who's ten" he pointed, "and David who's fourteen. My partner and our youngest boy are out, they'll be back tomorrow" he explained.

"Your partner?" Clare asked. "What's her name?"

"Honey" Marcus said, "you're being tactless. I'm sorry" he apologised to Mike. Clare looked at her husband, confused. "They're spartan, honey" he whispered and Clare blushed. "God, I'm sorry" she said, her hand over her mouth, looking mortified. "Don't worry about it" Mike assured her, "old habits are going to die very hard, we know that." He turned to Marcus. "How did you know?" he asked.

Marcus shrugged. "You and your partner are on the TV too much to remain anonymous, I knew who you were as soon as I saw you" he said. "Besides which, with your boys both being so adult-looking at such a young age, it's kind of obvious anyway." He extended his hand and Mike shook it warmly. "Nice to meet you" he said, then shook David's and Andrew's hands too. "Hey, Luke, it won't be too bad son" he said, turning back to the boy, "we've got friends right next door. Come on, come meet them."

Luke came over to his dad and looked up. "Son, this is Andrew and David, is that right?" he finished, looking at the pair. They nodded. "And this is my boy, Luke who's nine next month. Shake hands, Luke" he instructed in a tone that brooked no opposition. He gave Andrew a very brief handshake and then reached his hand out to David and as he did so he looked up and their eyes met.

Fourteen year old David felt the bottom fall out of his world as he stared into the eyes of the little boy in front of him and it seemed that Luke felt it too. He gasped, his lips parting slightly, not really understanding what he was feeling. Then their fingers touched and it was like a spark that made them both shudder and they could do nothing except stand and stare at each other.

"Earth to David, what's got into you?" David heard his dad say eventually. It seemed he'd been calling his name for some time.

"Dad," he gasped, "Luke, he's" he couldn't say any more, couldn't move, couldn't stop staring at the little boy stood before him. Mike looked at his speechless, overwhelmed son and the equally speechless boy and then at the boy's mother and father, whose concern was written all over their faces.

"Erm, yeah" he began, "Erm, Marcus, Clare, perhaps one of you might come around to our house later on or tomorrow, when you get yourselves sorted a bit" he began, "I think probably we need to have a talk. David" he then said, getting hold of his son's arm and breaking the electrical connection between his fingers and the hand of the boy he stared at. "Come on, come inside" he said.

"But dad Mike," David stuttered, tears in his eyes, gazing at Luke. "Yeah, I can tell" Mike said, "now leave it and come with me, please?"

"But" Luke protested in his childish soprano from across the fence. He was also tearful. "Luke" Mike said gently, "we're only living next door. You'll see David tomorrow at the latest, I promise" and he firmly escorted David into their house and out of sight.

"Dad Mike, what? How?" David mumbled as soon as they got into the hallway, stunned and overwhelmed. "I'm going to go out on a limb here and say it's probably your partner bond" Mike replied succinctly.

"But dad, I don't get it, he's just a little boy" David stuttered, nearly in tears. Mike sighed, wishing that James were there. "He's what, eight, nearly nine?" he said to his son eventually, "and you're not fifteen yet so there's only a six year gap. Me and your dad James have thirteen years between us, six isn't so bad."

"But dad Mike, falling in love with a kid, it's sick" David protested. "I'm sick in my head, this isn't right" he said, now properly in tears.

"He isn't always going to be a kid but you're in a difficult position, I'll give you that much" Mike admitted. "David, honey, a partner bond is normal. Your oldest brother discovered his when he was just ten years old, remember?"

"Yeah but Greg and George are the same age. This is just sick" David repeated emphatically, continuing, "I must be a paedo or something".

"David Jameson, stop feeling so sorry for yourself and listen to me!" Mike yelled. "A partner bond is normal and you are not a paedophile, have you got that? There is nothing wrong with you! Now pull yourself together or so help me I'll" he stopped, seeing Andrew and David's stunned faces. Mike so rarely raised his voice in anger that he had clearly frightened both of them.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell" he apologised to his sons in as quiet a voice as he could manage and still make himself heard. "Come on, let's go sit in the kitchen for a bit." They went and slumped at the table.

"Dad, can I get the sprinkler out?" Andrew whined shortly, not in the mood for serious conversations when there was so much sunny weather to play in. "You go and put your swim trunks on and I'll get it out for you when you come down" Mike told him and the boy ran upstairs.

David looked at Mike, a question in his eyes. "Not a good idea, son," Mike said, heading the idea off straight away. "Stay inside, please? Luke's already badly affected, seeing you again today will most likely make him non-responsive. You're going to have to be really responsible and careful for his feelings" he continued, "he's only little and probably doesn't understand what's going on in his head. I was forty, son, when I felt my and James' partner bond and I didn't understand it either so I can only imagine how badly it must hit an eight year-old. You're going to have to be strong for him and let him figure things out in his own time."

"But dad Mike, I want" David began then blushed furiously. "So did George" Mike said after a second, knowing, with that insight that parents seem to have, exactly what David wanted. "But son, you can't, you really, really can't, you can't even say anything to him or let him do or suggest anything to you, not until he's sixteen, you know that don't you?" David grimaced, horrified that his dad had felt he even had to ask. "I could never, he's too little, it'd just be wrong in a million different ways" he whispered.

Mike started to chortle. "Dad, this really isn't funny" David said, utterly mortified. "I know and I'm sorry son, I'm not laughing at you. I'm actually trying to figure out how to suggest that you." This time Mike blushed. "That you" he tried again, making a brief, suggestive hand movement, then said, "Davey, help your old man out, I'm suffering here" he finished.

David started to laugh too. "Dad Mike, I've kind of done that since I was about ten" he admitted between his giggles, "I kind of was so hard I wasn't able to even pee some mornings unless I" he then blushed a similar scarlet to his dad and stopped talking, almost choking on his laughter. "Then we're on the same page" Mike finished, "just, you know you can't even tell Luke about that, don't you? You can't ever say anything at all about sex, not a single word, until he's an adult. Shit, you're going to have a hard time" he finished, looking at David with sympathetic eyes before pulling the distraught boy into a hug and letting him cry.

"Listen, dad Mike?" David said after a while.

"Yes, son?" Mike replied. "If his mum and dad are uncomfortable I won't even talk to him. I don't want them to hurt me, I don't want them to accuse me of anything awful. It'll be hard but I think I can do it if I need to, I will be able to ignore him" David said, his voice wavering. "It might not come to that, sweetheart, but I'll let them know" Mike assured his suffering son.

Andrew played in the water then he and his brother played on their playstation, had supper and went to bed quite late, though Mike doubted that David would get much sleep. James had telephoned at suppertime and Mike explained why Andrew and David had been upset that morning and also dropped the bombshell about David's partner bond.

"We're not sacrificing until moonrise, it's not until half past one but if you want us to come straight back after we've cleaned up we will do" James offered as soon as Mike had finished talking. "No" Mike said, "you'll be shattered, you won't be safe to drive. Get some sleep and come back when you're ready, honey. I chatted with David some earlier on, he's not going to anything stupid, not tonight anyway. How's Gabe by the way?"

"Excited" James replied. "He performed the first two presentations perfectly when he practised earlier, I'm going to let him do them himself, then he can stand by my side while I finish the others and do all the sacrifices."

"He watching the whole thing tonight or is he going to close his eyes like usual?" Mike asked. "Have you asked him?"

"I asked him, honey and you know what he said?" James replied, "he said Apollo's still thinking about it and he'll tell me as soon as he finds out." James voice also had a note of worry in it. "Honey, do you need us there?" Mike asked. "We won't get there in time for the sacrifice but we can be there by."

"No, Mike, you need to stay home. From what you said, Luke's parents will probably be around later on to speak with you. Good luck, honey, I hope it goes well. Have I ever told you how much I love you?" James signed off.

"Have I ever told you I love you too?" Mike replied. "Sleep well honey, I'll see you tomorrow afternoon" they both finished before putting the receivers down.

That evening, about half past ten there was a knock at the door and somewhat nervously, Mike admitted Marcus. "Hey, you want a drink?" he asked, shaking the man's hand again. "Scotch if you've got it" Marcus said in a low voice and Mike poured two glasses before inviting him to sit out on the patio. "Mike, what happened between Luke and David earlier on?" the human man asked as soon as they were seated, coming straight to the point.

Mike sighed. "Before I say, please let me first explain that this is totally out of my or anyone's control" he began. He took a sip of his drink and in a shaky voice said, "Marcus, have you ever heard of the spartan partner bond?" He noticed as he spoke that the ice in his glass was clinking together as he trembled so he put the glass on the table and rung his hands to try and stop the shaking.

Marcus nodded. "For Christ's sake Mike, calm down, you're acting like you expect me to thump you or something" he chuckled. "Yeah, I know about your partner bond, I work for the university, we did some diversity training and it was actually useful for a change" he grinned, then his face went still and he looked spooked, like an animal caught in the headlights, his mind churning over what Mike had said.

"God, you're telling me that David and Luke?" the human man couldn't finish his sentence and his voice was still and low.

Mike nodded and met his neighbour's eyes. "David's mortified" he began. "He can't believe he's bonded with a kid, he's dreading seeing you." Unfortunately, Mike knew, the most gruesome events that had happened since spartans had begun to integrate openly into society were mostly instigated by human fathers, reacting -- or overreacting -- to finding out that their sons had a spartan life partner. He only hoped Marcus wasn't on the verge of losing his temper and found himself silently praying to Apollo that he hadn't taken too big a risk in inviting the man into their home. A random, unhelpful thought ran through his head, hoping that whatever Marcus' reaction was, he would at least make it painless for the children. Mike continued to tremble as he waited for Marcus to speak.

After an age of deathly silence, the human man took a deep breath. "Luke is eight years old, Mike" he said solemnly, seriously. "You know I absolutely cannot let him and David be together like that under any circumstances, don't you?" His eyes searched Mike's face, looking for some comfort, some reassurance.

"I wouldn't let it either" Mike stumbled over the words in an effort to reassure him. "Shit, Marcus, kids are so precious to us, that's why David feels so awful. David's already given me his word that he won't do or even suggest a single thing until Luke's an adult. He's even okay if you don't want them to talk to each other at all, if you want him to ignore Luke. He doesn't want to be accused of being a" Mike choked on the word, "paed" he began.

"Hey, hey, that's not necessary" Marcus interrupted somewhat sternly. "Listen, on our training we were told that the partner bond is completely involuntary and that it triggers incredibly powerful emotions in spartans and sometimes in humans too" he said. "And that it's your partner bond that enables you to find the person who you can breed with and that once it's found it means an automatic lifelong commitment and that to force a couple to stay apart can cause a complete mental breakdown. Is that right? Is that what Luke and David have?" Mike nodded, not trusting himself to speak. An impossible hope began to spring to life within him.

"And David knows there can't be anything sexual, not even a single word or anything, not until Luke's an adult?" Mike nodded again, meeting Marcus' eyes.

"And would he be okay, do you think, if me or Clare were always with Luke when he and David spend time together, at least until he turns sixteen?" Mike nodded a third time.

"Then, Mike, what are you worried about?"

"Don't you remember that bloodbath down in Surrey last year?" Mike asked softly. "It was all over the news. That was almost exactly the situation that our sons are in now."

Marcus rubbed his hands over a suddenly tired face. "God, I remember" he sighed. "Look, Mike" he continued, a surprisingly earnest look on his face, "I know we just met but I wouldn't do that to another person, human or otherwise, I swear to God. I just want what's best for my boy, you know? And if everything I've heard about your partner bond is even half true then David might end up being the best thing that happens to him. You know he sobbed as soon as you and your boys disappeared inside? And he's cried all night, he doesn't understand what's happening to him. Do you think, tomorrow, you could sit down and talk with him?"

"You'd actually let me do that?" Mike asked, stunned.

"God, of course I would, if you can calm him down and explain why he feels the way he does you'd be lifting a huge weight off his shoulders. I'd be so grateful and I know Clare would too" Marcus said. He held his hand out. "Can we be friends, Mike?" he asked.

Mike shook his hand, relieved beyond all hope at how well Marcus had taken it. "I think we already are" he replied. "Listen, my partner, James, will be home tomorrow and our youngest boy too. Gabe, Gabriel, he's just nine, he and Luke will probably be in the same class at school. I know you'll have loads to do, moving in and stuff, so why don't you let us cook for you all and come over for a barbecue tomorrow evening? And then someone can distract the younger ones and we can sit down and talk with you and Luke. Would that be okay?"

"Thanks, that'd be fine" Marcus smiled.

Mike had a conversation with David the following morning. "I spoke with Marcus, Luke's dad, last night" he began. Andrew wasn't around -- he'd been dispatched, with a promise of ice cream and double pocket money, to continue weeding the garden. "What did you tell him dad?" David said, fear in his eyes.

"Davey he's really good about all of this, incredibly good, in fact. He knows you and Luke have a partner bond. He understands what it means and he's fine with it. He wants you two to be chaperoned whenever you're together and he'll probably want your oath that there won't be anything sexual until Luke's an adult but apart from that, he's actually okay with all of it. I don't think it's occurred to him that it's you who'll be giving birth to his grandsons yet but" David burst into tears, interrupting Mike's words. "Hey, come on" Mike hugged him. "What are these tears for?"

"He's really okay with it? He didn't accuse me of being a paedo or anything?" the boy sniffled.

Mike held a trembling David tightly. "David, son, he's really okay with it, I promise. And you're only fourteen and it's your partner bond, it's nothing sinister and Marcus really, honestly knows that. And he and Clare are coming around for a barbecue later on with their whole family so why don't you help Andrew getting the garden just perfect?"

"Okay dad Mike" David smiled, then smirked. "Do I get ice cream and double pocket money too?" he asked. Mike laughed. "You, Davey, are getting your old man attempting to explain all of this to an eight year old human this evening" he replied. "So be nice, hey?"

"What? You're going to explain?" David choked and burst into tears once more.

James and Gabriel arrived home mid afternoon. They were both tired but Gabriel was nevertheless excited. "I did the first two presentations all by myself!" he burst out as soon as he saw Andrew and David. They hugged him, pleased to see him so happy. "Did it all go well?" David asked. "No mistakes?"

"No" Gabriel said, "I did it perfect! And I watched the all the sacrifices the whole way through cos Apollo said I was ready and they were beautiful, on the first one the blood glittered like a red waterfall and cos I was stood close to daddy James it hit me and it felt amazing!" David turned green and started turning his stomach inside out onto the flower bed -- there was no way he would have made it to the bathroom. "Gabe, I asked you not to talk about that to your brother" James sighed, going to David. "You okay, son?" he asked softly. "I'm fine dad James" he said weakly after he'd finished heaving.

Later on, Marcus leaned over the garden fence. "You guys ready for us?" he asked Mike, who was sat on the patio talking with James. Mike was enjoying the early evening sunshine and, having cleaned the kitchen and prepared meat, veggies and salad for later, taking a well earned sit down. James was polishing some of the remaining blood out his scabbards, belt and shoulder straps with wax and a soft brush. Crouched on a blanket spread on the grass down the garden, Gabe did the same, industriously polishing the leather until it gleamed, occasionally blowing a stray curl off his face as he concentrated.

"Come over whenever you're ready" Mike said. "Oh yeah, Marcus, this is James, James, Marcus." James put the brush and leatherwork down, wiped his hands on a damp cloth and they shook hands. Marcus smiled. "You okay with just James or should I call you something else?" he asked. "James is fine" James said seriously. "The lads give me right stick if they hear too many `your holinesses'. It's great to meet you, come round when you're ready" he said.

Clare was a little star-struck by James -- though she'd not recognised Mike, she knew who James was straight away. "This is my wife, Clare" Marcus introduced her. "Your holiness" she said, awed. Andrew, stood within hearing distance, snickered. "Please, when I'm at home I'm just James" James said, throwing Andrew a look and rolling his eyes. "And our kids, Luke, Emma and Poppy" Marcus continued, indicating the children. Luke smiled briefly but his eyes were darting everywhere.

"Luke, he's upstairs, he'll come down in a bit" James said to him. "You know what I'm thinking?" Luke said, shock drifting over his face.

"Kind of" James replied. "You're desperate to see David but you don't know why. Is that it?" Luke, mortified, nodded.

"Come on, lets get some drinks and sit down" Mike invited everyone and after they all made themselves comfortable in the garden, Marcus said to Andrew and Gabe, "hey, you guys like playing football? Me, Emma and Poppy against you two, you're not allowed to tackle the baby girl and first to three wins?"

"Yeah!" Andrew said, running to get a ball. Marcus looked at Mike, James and his wife and son. "You can tell me later on" he said before running off with the children.

"Luke, we're going to tell you and your mum a couple of things first," Mike said gently. "Shh, no need to get upset, it's all good, I promise. We're going to tell you and your mum a couple of things then I'm going to get David, okay?" The boy nodded, wide eyed.

"Luke, you know we're not human?" Mike began. Luke nodded. "We're something called spartan which means we're look like boys but on our insides we're kind of like girls at the same time, does that make sense?" He nodded again. "What happens sometimes is that spartans can make really special friendships with a special person who's going to mean a lot to us our whole lives, a bit like how your mum is really special to your dad, okay?" The boy sniffled slightly. "Yeah" he said in a tiny voice.

"You know how you really want to see David really badly?" Mike then said softly, "and it's hurting you not to be with him?" A small tear dripped from the child's eye and he said, "yeah" and Mike continued, "what's happened is that when you met David yesterday, you and he made one of these special friendships. If you were two humans it might take years and years to make a special friendship but because David is spartan it happens straight away. As soon as you looked at each other it was like, bang and you had a special friendship. Does that make sense with what you're feeling right now?"

Luke took hold of his mum's hand. "Yeah" he said again.

"So all these feelings you've got that are making you want to be with David, they're really normal and good" Mike assured the small boy, "and all they mean is that you've got a special friendship, is that okay? And there's no reason to worry about it `cos whatever you're feeling is perfectly fine and you and David are going to be happy forever." The boy started to cry and hugged his mum.

"You okay?" James asked once he'd stopped wailing and dried his eyes. He nodded. "Can I see David now?" he said softly.

"Yeah, I'll go get him" Mike assured the child, standing up. His mum met Mike's eyes with a calm gaze and she, almost imperceptibly, nodded. And so, with her permission given, he went to get his suffering son.

"Did it go okay?" David asked Mike as soon as he saw him. He'd been pacing up and down the upstairs landing trying to work off excess anxiety but failing. "Yeah and he's hurting not seeing you, Davey, but you need to be gentle and not freak out if you can help it. Walk outside slowly and let him come to you, okay? His mum's with him now."

David bounded downstairs and into the kitchen before taking a few deep breaths. "Not too much, you'll hyperventilate" Mike cautioned him. And because he could see how nervous he was he held his hand out. "Hold my hand, son" he said quietly, "we'll do this together. His mum and dad won't hurt you, they understand, I promise."

David and Mike made their way out of the kitchen door, Mike leading a suddenly terrified boy by the hand. David met Marcus' eyes and started to tremble and Mike said, "shh, come on, it'll be fine, Marcus is fine with it, I promise you." They took the last couple of steps and David looked around and suddenly his and Luke's eyes met. David started to cry and squeezed Mike's hand really tightly as the small boy's face suddenly lit up like Christmas morning. "You're here!" he yelped and disentangling himself from his mum he ran over the patio and flung himself at the startled fourteen year-old, hugging him.

David, as was understandable with the boy's mum and dad staring at him, panicked. He shook his hand free of Mike's and held both hands in the air as if someone were shooting at him. His face showed that he was spooked and tears rolled down his face, tears that were both of joy and of terror. "What do I do, dad?" he whispered to Mike. Luke, meanwhile, was sobbing and clinging to David like a limpet.

Mike couldn't answer. He knew that the only people who could help were the very two who David feared so much. He turned to Clare, Luke's mum. "Please, will you help him?" he begged her. Clare got to her feet, walked over to the pair and lifted her hands up. She took David's shaking hands in her own and gently lowered them down until his arms were draped around Luke's shoulders. "He's missed you" she whispered and her voice was breaking with emotions so deep they were impossible to fathom.

After a few minutes David calmed down somewhat and said softly, "hey, Luke, you don't need to cling so tight, I'm not going anywhere."

"Promise?" the boy said, looking up with tear-filled, bloodshot eyes.

"Well I might need to go for a pee once in a while" he joked. The little boy looked terrified.

"Lukey, calm down" David then begged. "We can't cling to each other the whole time. We need to get to know each other and learn what we both like to do. And I really like football, Luke, how can we play football together if you won't let me go? But I'm not going anywhere too far, not ever, you know I feel about you the same as you do for me, don't you?"

"Really?" Luke sniffled.

"Really, really" David assured him.

Luke slowly, cautiously released his death grip from around David's torso and the older boy carefully took the younger boy's hand and went to sit down at the patio table with him and his mum. As the evening progressed the pair relaxed and laughed together as they began to talk to each other. Marcus and Clare were really good with David and had an insight and understanding that James and Mike were eternally grateful for. The small girls were excitable and hyperactive and the boys all ate far more than was good for them.

"That was painful to watch, was David really that scared of us?" Marcus asked Mike later in the evening, when Luke and David had both been persuaded to play football with the others and were running around down the garden. Mike nodded. "He was convinced his feelings were sick and he hated himself and he was almost certain you'd kill him if he showed anything of what he felt. When Luke grabbed him earlier I reckon David was that close to passing out or something."

"Poor kid" Clare said. "When I got hold of his hands before I could feel him shaking and he continued to tremble for ages afterwards when he was sat here with me. Will he be okay?"

"Yeah, give him and Luke a few months and they'll be like best friends and brothers" Mike assured her. "They'll be fine, this'll be difficult for both of them but they need to work it out themselves. David will slowly stop being scared and Luke will slowly calm down and when they're adults they'll both be pleased to have met so young and been able to enjoy part of their childhoods together."

Down the garden, James and Gabriel had both taken time out from the football and were stood together in deep discussion. Presently they came over to the patio. "Gabe wants to show you and his brothers the presentations he did last night" James started. "Would you be okay with that or is it one freaky thing too many?"

Marcus' brow furrowed. "Presentations?"

"Er, yeah, I'm gonna be a priest one day and I did the first two sword presentations of the sacrifices myself last night" Gabriel said casually as he helped himself to a cold sausage off a plate on the table. The football game stalled as they heard James' request and the children all came over to join the conversation.

"Are you gonna stay dressed, bro, or strip off?" Andrew asked casually as Marcus and Clare struggled to get over their surprise.

"Erm, Apollo says he doesn't mind either way so that's probably up to Marcus and Clare," Gabriel answered, "and if they want to see it at all. But I think I'd like Luke to see it, he's going to be part of our family after all." He looked at the adults and after a couple of swallows, Marcus said, "okay, you can show us but leave your clothes on, okay?"

"Okay" Gabe said happily, skipping inside to collect his sword case, returning before Marcus or Clare could pull together any coherent questions. "Here" he said to Luke, "will you hold the case for me while I buckle the scabbards on?"

"Okay" Luke said nervously, looking at his mum for support. "It's okay son, relax" Clare said to him, smiling, wanting him to calm down and stop being so jumpy around the spartan family he was inevitably going to end up part of.

Luke took the case and Gabe opened the top pocket and pulled out the two leather scabbards, fastening the straps over both shoulders and buckling the belt tightly. He then lifted the latches and moved the velvet-covered board that protected the swords, not quite full sized but still brightly polished and razor sharp. "Hold it still, don't let them fall out" Gabriel said to Luke. He lifted one sword and slipped it into the left scabbard, then the second and fitted it into the right. "You can put the case on the floor now, if you like" Gabriel told him. "And come and watch, but don't stand too close."

"They look sharp" Luke said. Gabriel nodded. "Dad James, can I show Luke the apple trick?" he asked, his normally serious eyes suddenly merry. James sighed. "Okay but only once" he grinned. "Andrew, run inside and get an apple."

"He's going to do the apple trick?" David asked, amused. Gabriel couldn't always manage it and his face was a picture when he failed. "Yeah, he's going to try" Mike replied. "He's showing off, I think he wants Luke to like him, you know how Gabe gets."

David nodded. "Yeah, I know."

Andrew came out with an apple. "Who's throwing it?" he asked. "Luke, if he's willing" Gabriel replied.

"What do I do?" Luke asked, his voice nervous again. "Stand about five or six steps behind me" Gabriel instructed, "I'll count down and when I say go, throw the apple into the air, not too high, throw it so it goes about as high as the garage roof, then step sideways out of the way."

"Okay" Luke said and Gabe drew one of his swords with a steely hiss, making the boy jump. He turned around with his back to the boy. "Ready?" he asked.

"Ready" Luke squeaked.

"Okay, three, two, one, go!" Gabe said. Luke flung the apple into the air and scrambled out of the way as Gabriel span around and with a barely visible flash of his sword, the apple fell onto the grass in two neat halves.

"Wow!" Marcus exclaimed, clapping his hands, "that was amazing!"

"Thanks" Gabe said, "but when daddy James does it he can cut it into quarters."

"Gabe!" James protested, laughing. "Come on, dad James, just once" the boy pleaded.

"What have these poor apples ever done to offend us?" James continued, still chuckling. Andrew ran outside with a second apple. "Can I throw it?" he asked.

"Go on then, if I must. Give me your swords, Gabe" James said, sighing, pretending it was a hardship but in actual fact enjoying messing about with the boys. Gabe drew both and carefully handed them over.

"Okay Andy, three two one, go!" James shouted and Andrew flung the apple up. He span around and with a flash of bright steel the apple was neatly quartered. He looked at their new neighbours who were half-laughing with James' family and half awe-struck.

"We sometimes mess about a bit, it makes the swords less scary if the lads can see Gabe and me playing with them" James explained to them. "The temple services aren't an easy thing to watch if you're not used to swordplay at all."

Andrew came over with the bits of apple in his hands. "Want a bit?" he asked Emma, who was sat on her mum's knee. "Thanks" she said, taking one of the quarters and beginning to nibble at it.

James saw Marcus lean over to take the apple away and said quickly, "don't worry, we sterilise the blades, there's nothing on them worse than apple juice, I swear."

Marcus saw Andrew eating some apple and Gabe and David too. "I wouldn't have let them even pick it up if I thought it might have been contaminated" James assured him and Marcus relaxed. "But you can understand why I panicked, can't you?" he asked and James nodded. "Of course, Andrew should have said something before he gave your daughter any of it."

Gabriel came over to his dad. "Can I have my swords back, dad James?" he asked. "I'm going to do the presentations now." James handed him the blades which he sheathed. "Gabe, you just put apple juice in your scabbards, you'll have to clean the whole lot again now" he said sternly. Gabe made to complain, and James continued, "before you go to bed, do you want it going stinky?"

"Sorry dad, I'll clean them" he promised contritely. "Can I do the presentations now?"

"Yeah, course" he smiled and went to join everyone else on the patio as Gabe went and stood alone in the middle of the lawn. He fell to one knee, illuminated by the dying summer sunshine and candlelight. "What's he doing?" Marcus whispered to James, aware the family had gone silent, watching.

Gabe's head bowed low to his chest, his hands on his sword hilts. "He's praying that Apollo guides his hands" James whispered to their guests.

Presently Gabe stood up, calmly, taking a step sideways so that his legs were steady. He crossed his hands, right hand going to left scabbard, left to right and bowed his head again. "He's getting ready to cross swords" James continued his commentary.

Gabriel drew both swords with a flourish and held them above his head, the blades crossed, looking up to them. "The sword cross" James explained.

Gabe let his hands fall to his sides, elbows slightly bent, then began to twirl each sword separately. "The first presentation" James explained as Gabriel began to spin the swords rapidly in each hand, faster and faster they span until they were just a silvery blur of light. His arms didn't move, the whole motion was controlled by his hands alone, working the hilts of the swords around and around.

Suddenly, with no warning, Gabriel knelt and plunged the blades downwards so that they touched, but didn't go into, the grass. "That's the end of the first presentation, he's going to begin the second one now" James whispered.

Slowly, Gabe stood, lifted the bright blades up into the sword cross again then moved back into the same position as before. He then began to spin the swords again but this time with his whole body, in front and to the side, one over the other in an arc, flashing when they crossed and uncrossed, drawing a huge figure-eight in the air. Sweat beaded on Gabriel's face with the effort and plastered his curly locks to his forehead and neck but he continued flawlessly for some minutes. He gradually slowed down then finished by falling to one knee again and plunging the blades downwards again, then slowly he crossed them on the ground at his feet and bowed his head. "He finishes by praying to Apollo and thanking him" James finished.

Presently Gabriel sheathed the swords, stood up and walked to the silent gathering. "What did you think?" he asked, still breathless and sweating from the exertion. "The first presentation is the hardest one, that's the one I've struggled most with, was it okay?" Then his brothers were whooping and Marcus and Clare were clapping. "Gabe, that was brilliant!" David said, hugging him. Luke came over and said, "I've never seen anything like that!"

"It was mainly for you, Luke" Gabe said seriously as he wiped his face on a towel Mike had given him, "you are going to be part of David's life forever now so that means you're part of mine too. I wanted to show you what I can do, I hope that's okay?"

Luke started to cry, tired and overwhelmed and without thinking David hugged him, ruffled his hair and kissed him gently on his forehead, just as he sometimes did with his little brothers. As he did so, Luke reacted like he'd been stung and his eyes went wide like saucers. He clung to the older boy, hugging him tightly and David realised what he'd done. "Shit, oh shit, I'm sorry!" he mouthed to Marcus, his face contorting in fear.

"It's fine" Marcus nodded calmly. "Relax, it's fine, honest" he finished. Reassured but clearly still nervous, David gently disentangled himself from the hug and said, "go on, your sisters are both almost asleep, I think your mum and dad need to take you home, okay?"

"Okay Davey" the boy agreed, sleepily tripping over to his dad. Marcus turned to David and said, "you're a good guy, David. Just chill out a little, I'm not going to freak out, I swear. Luke could do a lot worse. Your family's cool and so are you. If it's okay, though, we'll wait a month or two for Luke to calm down a bit before you register."

"Register?" David was confused. James laughed with wide-eyed amazement and grinned, first at Marcus and then at his son. "He's talking about legal registration, Davey, you know, so you can't be forcibly separated." He looked at his son's stunned face. "David, honey, you do want that, I assume?"

David collapsed to the floor, shaking, stunned that Marcus would even bring up such a thing, amazed at the man's easy acceptance of his love for his son. Marcus gave little Poppy to his wife and Clare ushered the girls home. He went and whispered something to Luke, who looked at his dad, wide eyed. "Well you said you wanted to, son. Go on, if you still want to then it's absolutely okay" he assured him and everyone watched as Luke walked towards David.

"Are you okay?" he asked in his trill voice. David looked up at the small boy and managed a watery smile though it was mostly masked by his shock. Luke looked back at his dad and Marcus said, "go on, he'll love it I promise." Luke grinned at his dad and bent down next to the still-seated David so that their faces were level. With a cute smile on his little face he leaned over and very gently kissed David on his lips. "Love you Davey" he whispered.

With tears in his eyes and a whimper in his voice David hugged Luke tightly. "I love you too, Lukey" he whispered back. He looked over at Marcus who was smiling calmly. "Yeah, I do want to register" he finally managed to say, "but my dads are going to have to countersign for me and you and Clare will have to countersign for Luke `cos we're both under age. You okay with that?" Marcus knelt down next to the two embracing boys and took them both into his arms. "Do you really think I'd have suggested he kiss you if I wasn't?" he smiled.

Gabriel, was thirteen when he first sacrificed a bull on Apollo's altar and was accepted as a fully ordained priest. After a long conversation with his youngest son, James also named him as the high priest in waiting. He started ordinary priestly duties in the temple whenever his school work and his fathers would permit and the first time he conducted worship alone including a full set of presentations and a sacrifice, Mike and James both felt that their hearts would burst from pride. His school teachers and also social services were somewhat concerned at his elevation but with surprising maturity Gabriel spoke to each adult who met with him and reassured them. When James asked once if he wanted someone with him in one of these meetings, Gabriel said calmly, "Apollo's with me, I don't need anyone else."

It was one night about three months after his ordination that Gabriel was lying in bed in the room he still shared with Andrew, who was snoring softly in the bed opposite. He was wide awake and worrying about something monumentally huge that had dawned on him just that morning, when he had been thinking about David and Luke's partner bond.

As Gabriel lay there a voice came and spoke to him. "Gabriel, are you awake?"

Gabriel sighed and knew he had started to be blush as he answered, "Apollo, you're inside my head, you know I've been awake for the last hour."

"I was just trying to be polite" the god replied.

"I'm sorry, I've just got a lot to think about" Gabriel apologised silently to the presence in his mind. "I'm trying to figure something out." He felt the presence brush against his consciousness, then he felt Apollo's amusement.

"Sweet, sweet Gabriel, you should know you can't keep secrets from me" Apollo said softly. "How long have you known?"

"It was this morning, when I realised what David actually felt for Luke, what their partner bond was really like. It was then I realised I already knew who my life partner was."

"Why does it worry you?" Apollo asked.

"Who said I was worried?" the thirteen-year old retorted.

"I'm in your mind, my sweet. I know you're worried."

Gabriel sighed. "You're a god, Apollo and you're like, millions of years old. I've been alive for less than a blink of an eye compared to you."

"I'm not millions of years old, I've only had a distinct identity for about twelve thousand years or so" Apollo said, his voice dripping with amusement but Gabriel wasn't amused.

"Apollo, please! This is hard enough. I'm thirteen, it's not right."

"And who are you at thirteen to determine what's right and what's wrong?" Apollo asked gently. "I knew when you were a very small boy that you already loved me. And despite what you're thinking, I don't have any control over a partner bond. You chose me yourself."

"You're lying" Gabriel accused his god.

"No, sweet, I cannot lie. You know that."

Gabriel's mind was reeling. He had always known that his relationship with Apollo was something special, known it from the day he realised that he was the only one to address the god by his name, when he realised he was the only one that actually looked forward to his company. Everyone else, even his fathers, addressed Apollo as `lord' and seemed somewhat afraid when they felt his presence. But to Gabriel he'd always been a friend and confidant. "I've never really considered why I'm so comfortable in your presence before" he admitted and he felt the god quietly listening as he continued, "people sacrifice to you, they're afraid of you but I've never been afraid."

"I am a god of war, Gabriel and the lives given to me sustain me. People are, naturally, afraid of a being that lives off death. Did you know, it's only because spartans have continually sacrificed to me throughout the centuries that I still exist? If the sacrifices stop, I will cease to be."

"That cannot happen!" Gabriel said fiercely, "I will always sacrifice to you as long as I live, I love you too much to ever see" he paused and in the silence of his mind a combination of amusement and amazement stopped his thought short. "And was it so very difficult to actually admit in words that you loved me?" Apollo whispered.

Gabriel felt himself start to shake, overwhelmed by emotions more powerful than he thought possible. "I really do love you, Apollo" he whispered quietly. "And I want to do this properly" he said in the end. "George and Greg received my dads' blessings, so did David and Luke. I'd like us to as well, I don't just to go behind their backs and" his mind stopped producing words and a series of erotic images ran uncontrolled through his thoughts. Apollo laughed and Gabe blushed furiously. "It's not fair that you know what I'm thinking" he stuttered embarrassedly.

"You really want me in every way, don't you, sweet?" Apollo asked with some surprise. Gabriel nodded, gratified that he had managed to surprise the god even if it had been embarrassing.

"And if we get your fathers blessing, then what? Will you shout from the rooftops that I love you?"

"No, Apollo, never" Gabriel said, horrified at the suggestion. "I'd be by your side when I can and silent when I must. And I would never, ever tell, not unless we both agreed that someone needs to know. You're not just my god, thousands of people, millions probably, now believe in you. It'd ruin everything for both of us if everyone found out. But, Apollo?" he continued, a question in his thoughts.

"What is it, sweet?" Apollo asked him. Though the god could have read the question, he gave his young priest, soon-to-be young lover, the time and space to reply.

"Can you ever become solid? Will I ever be able to touch you?" Gabriel asked and his mind was filled with sorrow at the thought of his love being forever spiritual and not physical.

"For you, sweet, I will materialise" Apollo said. "And I know you missed it when I told you before so I will say it again. My sweet Gabriel, I love you too and for you, I will become solid, I promise."

Five days later the family went back to London for James' fortnightly shift. It was late one evening and as was his pattern, Gabriel was sat in the temple itself, at the huge statue's feet, reading. Eventually, as he had known they would, James and Mike both came down to find him. "Come on, bedtime" they said.

"We've been waiting for you" Gabriel said as he put his book down and got to his feet and his dads noticed a note of nerves in his voice.

"We who?" James asked.

Gabriel took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "You sure about this?" he said out loud and James and Mike stayed silent, recognising the facial expression as the one their youngest son often wore when talking to his god.

He must have received an answer for he opened his eyes and looked at Mike and James. "Apollo and I, we've been waiting. We need to ask your permission for something."

"Dad Mike, dad James" he said softly, "I know who my life partner is." James made to speak and Gabriel held his hand up. "Please, dad James, let me finish. "I know who my life partner is and I've known for a long time. I've loved him since I was very small but it was only last week that I finally admitted it and spoke to him about it. My partner bond, it's with Apollo."

He bowed his head, blushed and stayed quiet but then in a silent whisper Mike, James and Gabriel heard Apollo's voice in their minds. "My sweet Gabriel wants me to ask your blessing" the god said. "He loves me and I love him but he wants his parent's blessing. Please?"

Mike looked at his son and then at the huge statue with something close to shock. "You serious?" he addressed the statue itself.

"Yes" Apollo and Gabriel answered simultaneously.

"Gabe, honey, you're thirteen. Are you sure?"

He nodded. "Never surer" he said and smiled, somewhat apologetically. "Dad Mike, Apollo and I talk all the time, we always have" he explained. "But we want it to be something more, we want to" he blushed furiously, then swallowed audibly and continued, "but I'm not going to let Apollo sleep with me unless you give us permission" he said determinedly.

"He's your god, Gabe, how can you not let him do anything?" Mike asked with considerable surprise. "Michael, I love and respect Gabriel" Apollo's voice answered. "And if he says no, then it's no. I could never hurt him. He means too much to me."

Mike met James' eyes. "What can we do?" he asked. James was just as shocked as Mike was. "We only have one option" he said and he took Mike' hand and held it tightly and Mike saw tears standing in his lover's eyes.

"Lord" James began, speaking to the god but his eyes solely for his youngest son, "If you promise never to hurt Gabriel. If you promise he'll never be left alone and lonely. If you promise to always love him as he loves you. If you promise that Gabriel's feelings for you are his partner bond, then yes, lord, you have our blessing."

"Thank you, thank you!" Gabriel squealed, grinning as he ran over and hugged his dads. "And I promise as you have requested. Thank you" they heard Apollo say softly, "but there is one more thing" the god's voice continued.

"Lord?" Mike asked.

"We are going to need some privacy now and again. We can't do this in front of Gabriel's brothers, it wouldn't be right. Would that be possible?" Mike was speechless but James managed to stutter out, "but lord, you're a god, you can't actually be physically present, can you?"

There was a noise and a rushing sensation and then, walking casually from behind the massive statue, came a luminescent figure. He looked like an average thirteen year old spartan, except that he glowed with a pearly light. His facial features were a mirror image of the huge bronze statue. And when he spoke, the three heard his voice echo in their minds as well as their ears. He walked over to a stunned, sobbing, amazed Gabriel and cradled him in solid, undeniably real arms. "Who said I can't be physically present?" they heard the god ask.

"Lord?" James gasped, falling to his knees, trembling. The figure nodded. "I will come to Gabriel when no one is there to comfort him, I will hold him when no one is there for him to hug. I will walk alongside him all the days of his life, I will grow up with him and I will grow old with him and then when he dies I will hold him in my heart for eternity. I love him" he answered.

"Dad Mike, dad James?" Gabriel then said between his tears, still clinging to Apollo's arms, "You know you can't ever say anything about this, don't you?"James and Mike nodded, still awe-struck. "Please, promise us" the god asked softly. "It would be wrong for anyone to know. It would compromise us both and ruin Gabriel's life forever if anyone knew."

"We promise, lord" Mike said, falling to his knees beside James. Apollo, hand in hand with Gabriel, walked over and touched the foreheads of Gabriel's fathers in a benediction. "Parents of my heart's love, thank you" the glowing figure said to them as he blessed them both.

He and Gabriel walked back to the open space at the foot of the statue and cradled each other in a tight hug and the god said, "now, please, may Gabriel and I have a little time together? As I have done his whole life, I'll see to it that he comes to no harm. I promise." And as his parents left the main temple plaza they heard faint notes of music and saw their thirteen-year-old son and his immortal lover begin to dance and twirl around the room.

Over the following months, Gabriel and Apollo built on their already close friendship and began to get to know each other as partners. However, they were not yet true lovers as Gabriel rarely had time to himself. The boy knew that Apollo and his dad James had talked for many hours about the privacy issue but nothing had been said to him. He'd begged Apollo to tell him what they had agreed but Apollo just smiled in that impishly cute way Gabriel loved and said, "it'll spoil the surprise, trust me, my sweet."

He'd passed his fourteenth birthday and at the start of summer holidays he, his parents and his next brother, Andrew had gone up to the temple for the full moon services. Those were the ones that James always started, the ones that a number of different priests sacrificed at and Gabriel was to take the fourth sacrifice of the night. He was sat in a quiet corner of the temple building, in a first floor window seat overlooking the main road when he felt Apollo's presence. "Welcome, my sweet, I have long anticipated your arrival this day."

"But I come every couple of weeks, why is today different?" Gabriel asked as the god gently kissed him with invisible yet solid, soft, comfortably warm lips that made him tremble with delight. "Your parents haven't told you, yet, then?" Apollo asked into his mind as he continued to kiss and Gabriel shook his head. "Told me what?" he thought back.

"I will let them explain, it would spoil the surprise if I told you now" Apollo whispered as he ghosted away leaving the boy covered in goose-bumps, sighing and smiling wistfully as he watched the sense of his partner depart. That night he took part in the sacrifices and later showered and cleaned his belt, scabbards and swords before falling into bed just before dawn. They were leaving to go back home the following afternoon so Gabriel whiled away a couple of hours polishing his leather shoulder straps with wax to get the remaining blood off them, sat on the floor of the large apartment that was given for the use of the high priest and his family.

A noise at the door made Gabriel look up and he was surprised to see Mike lifting in a huge suitcase. "What's in there, dad Mike? I thought we were going home later on?" Mike smiled and James came in from the kitchen, having heard the commotion himself.

"Honey" James said as he and Mike sat down on the settee near to him. "Mike and I and Andrew are going home this afternoon" he said, emphasising the names carefully.

"What about me?" Gabriel asked. He wasn't really a dense boy but he genuinely didn't understand what his parents were trying to tell him. "You and Apollo have wanted privacy for months" Mike said and he couldn't stop grinning. "And where better to have privacy with a god than an apartment in his temple?"

"Eh?" Gabriel said dumbly.

"Gabriel, my sweet, I am going to look after you" Apollo's voice ghosted into the room. "Your parents have given their blessing for you to stay here and having some alone time with me." Gabriel was shocked. "You serious?" he asked Mike and James. They nodded. "The case is full of your stuff. You didn't check your wardrobe this morning did you?" Gabriel shook his head.

James looked at him with solemn eyes. "This is for you to decide though, honey, if you just want to stay a couple of nights or if you want to stay the whole summer or if you don't want to stay at all. I know how anxious you've been to have some time alone, you and Apollo but if you're scared then you don't have to."

"No! It's not that" Gabriel exclaimed then squirmed, aware he'd started to blush. "It's just that I'm not sure how, that is, I don't know" he went scarlet and looked at his dads who it was clear were trying not to laugh. "Gabriel, Apollo is a god, honey. He'll know what he's doing, I'm sure" James said, grinning.

Gabriel closed his eyes, stunned, excited and more than a little nervous. He was aware that Andrew had had an argument with Mike and James that involved quite a lot of yelling but he was so overwhelmed that he couldn't focus on a single word. "Breathe, my sweet" he heard Apollo's voice. "And relax. This is supposed to be a special night, I don't want you to panic about it. I do love you very much Gabriel and I would never do anything to hurt you." Gabriel focused on his breathing, trying to control his sudden trembling but knowing it was a losing battle.

Presently his parents were ready to leave. "Now call us if you need anything at all" Mike said and for the first time Gabriel noticed his parents were both a little nervous themselves. "At any hour of the day or night, telephone and we can drive down here in five hours, tops, we promise. And we'll be here every week, or your dad James will at least, every Monday and we'll go shopping with you and get groceries and stuff. And in the drawer in our bedside cupboard you'll find two hundred pounds, to use if you want to order pizza or if you run out of milk or something like that."

"Honey" James then said, "please don't go outside the temple if it's night time and be careful during the day as well. I know you'll never be alone but people won't know you've got your god with you, they'll just see a boy by himself. And call us if you need anything, promise?"

"I promise dad James."

Mike herded an angry Andrew out of the apartment. "Bye Andy" Gabriel shouted from the front portico of the temple but his brother ignored him. He waved goodbye and watched as his dad Mike pulled out and drove away, then with nervous footsteps he walked slowly back upstairs and into the apartment. It was nearly supper time and James had left a small dish of casserole for him to heat up but suddenly the big apartment seemed incredibly lonely and empty and a small tear leaked from his eye.

He went in, closed the door and with a heavy heart made his way through to the kitchen to get a drink. He was half-considering calling his dads' mobile and asking them to turn around and come back but when he got to the kitchen he stopped in stunned amazement.

Apollo stood there in all his glory, turning the oven on and putting the casserole in to heat up. The table had been set with wine glasses, candles and a thin glass vase with a single, red, rose. As he caught his breath in amazement Apollo met his eyes. "You didn't think you'd have a chance to be lonely did you?" the god asked, smiling.

"No, yes, I don't know" Gabriel mumbled, stunned.

"Go and shower and put on something smart" Apollo asked, "and come back in here in an hour. I think I'll have everything ready by then." He walked over to an insensible Gabriel, tilted his chin with a single finger and kissed him.

The meal was wonderfully romantic and Gabriel enjoyed it but as the evening progressed and bedtime approached, a certain thing loomed very close on the horizon and he was nervous. It hadn't helped at all that Apollo had suggested he take his dads' double bed rather than his own single. He'd gotten ready for bed as Apollo cleaned and sorted the kitchen and was close to hyperventilating when the god's luminescent form ghosted into the room.

"Why are you so scared Gabriel?" he asked bluntly, coming to the point.

"Because your first time is supposed to hurt and I'm worried about it" Gabriel replied equally bluntly.

"I won't hurt you. I could never hurt you" Apollo whispered. His hands massaged Gabriel's tight shoulders and slowly worked him out of the hunched little ball he'd huddled himself in. "Relax, please" he begged, looking deep into the boy's eyes. "I don't want tonight to be anything less than wonderful."

Apollo leaned down and kissed him and with that kiss came what felt like a thousand other ghostly kisses and gentle touches over his skin that left Gabriel suddenly hot and gasping. Warm hands ran themselves over his torso, gently covering him with soft caresses. And all the time Apollo's kind face and wise eyes hovered bare centimetres above his own. "Feeling a little better?" Apollo whispered and Gabriel nodded, unable to speak.

The summer night was sultry and a warm breeze drifted in through the open window as they kissed once more. Then Gabriel felt a sensation like a warm tingling run over his body like a blanket and he looked down and realised that Apollo's lower half had had lost its coherent form and was now comprised of a warm, glowing mist. The mist enveloped his genitals and buttocks, following his contours, gently but firmly tracing every fold of skin both inside and out in a way that made him cry out in spineless pleasure. Gabriel could only roll his eyes, squirm and whimper as the experience triggered wave after wave of orgasmic delight. Eventually the multiple orgasms subsided and he lay limp, eyes closed, lost in the moment.

"Gabriel" he presently heard Apollo say. "Mm-hm?" Gabriel managed to make a noise but it was very difficult. "Did you enjoy that?" he continued and Gabriel forced his eyes open and met the god's own amused expression. "Mm-hm" the boy said again, still unable to form words, still overwhelmed by the pleasure he'd just experienced.

"I've taken you as an immortal, my sweet Gabriel" Apollo said, "and I would like to now take you as a mortal man might, if you would permit me." And for a third time all Gabriel could do was say, "Mm-hm" as he nodded and closed his eyes again, completely surrendering to his god.

He felt soft kisses on the back of his neck and very solid legs and torso under him and presently realised that Apollo had drawn himself into a perfect, solid, human form. He realised that he'd been moved and noticed that he was sat in Apollo's lap, his arms draped around the god's neck. Then it slowly dawned on him that a significant portion of Apollo's perfect, solid form had been gently inserted up his, "oh!" he gasped, eyes wide as Apollo gently lifted him up then sat him down again. "That feel good?"the god whispered.

Gabriel nodded, his young face flushing pink, sweat plastering his blonde curls to his forehead and dripping in rivulets down his smooth, tanned chest. "Mm-hm" he whispered back.

"Can't you say anything else?" Apollo asked as he continued to lift the boy in a slow rhythm. Gabriel's eyelids fluttered and a low moan escaped from his lips as his prostate received exquisite torments from his lover's gentle motions. "Okay, that's my answer, I guess" Apollo laughed as he gently lay Gabriel on his side and continued the beautiful dance.

Gabriel gradually drifted from amazement and arousal to exhaustion and sleep and the next morning, sunshine shone in through the gap in the curtain and the noise of the traffic on the busy street below woke him up gently. He found Apollo still there, drawing lazy circles with the tip of one finger over his torso. In the sunny morning the god's glow was muted and he smiled in satisfied contentment.

"Good morning my sweet, I wondered how long you'd sleep" he said.

"How long did I sleep?" Gabriel asked as he wriggled and stretched. "About seven hours" Apollo replied. "I've made breakfast for you" he continued and Gabriel thought his eyes were deceiving him as Apollo walked in carrying a breakfast tray. The second Apollo seemed somehow to merge with the first who was still sat in bed and suddenly the tray of pancakes and syrup and orange juice was balanced carefully on the bed.

"How?" Gabriel asked, not sure if it had been a trick of a sleepy mind.

"Gabe, my sweet, I can be omnipresent. That means I can be wherever I wish, all at the same time. I stayed here, cradling you and I made your breakfast. And I've received the morning prayers downstairs and I've also spoken to James, your father, assuring him that you're okay. And at the moment I'm in Greece too." His eyes looked both wise and merry and too old to sit in the youthful face that held them. "Unless you ask me to I'm never going to leave your side, Gabriel Michaelson, I love you too much."

"And I love you too" Gabriel said, leaning into a long passionate kiss, interrupted by his stomach, growling. Apollo laughed. "Mortal boys need to eat, my sweet. Come on, the pancakes will get cold. I'm not going anywhere and we have the rest of the day to pick up where we left off last night, if you're interested? But first, eat, my sweet." Gabriel whooped in excitement as he bolted his breakfast and then pounced bodily on Apollo's charming form, kissing him once more. "You're insatiable" he heard Apollo whisper through his mind as their lips locked.

Andrew was a normal, happy boy, honest and respectful of his parent's wishes, until the year of his sixteenth birthday when a number of things happened.

His oldest brother, George, now twenty-four, gave up work that year and began travelling along with their small children to support Greg, who had quickly made his name in fashion design. The Stuartson label had already become a must-have for fashion aficionados and the family went with him as he travelled to shows and fairs worldwide displaying his designs. For Andrew, always an inquisitive boy, this meant jealousy -- he wanted to be the first of his brothers to travel abroad but George, Greg and his nephews had plainly beaten to him to it.

His brother David, now nineteen, had finally been permitted to spend time alone with Luke, much to his surprise. Marcus and Clare, Luke's parents, had long since realised that the young man's paralysing fear of being accused of anything untoward had made their own son, thirteen year old Luke, the dominant person in the relationship by a long mile. And whilst Luke was keen to explore certain forbidden things, his parents were more than satisfied that David's anxiety would make him say `no' and mean it. After this significant milestone, Andrew often felt bitter that that his closest brother and best friend had virtually ditched him in favour of spending time with his boyfriend.

That summer something began which was, in Andrew's opinion, a grating betrayal of trust -- fourteen-year old Gabriel, his little brother, spent the entire six-week school holiday living at their apartment in the temple in London. This wouldn't have been so bad, Andrew decided, had either of their dads been with Gabe but most of the time he stayed there by himself. "Dad, he's fourteen and he's alone in central London, aren't you even in the least bit worried that something bad might happen to him?" Andrew would frequently complain. And his dads would always shrug and say, "you know what Gabe's like, he just wants to stay in the temple, he'll be fine." None of Andrew's arguments would have any impact at all yet he, almost two years older, wasn't even supposed to spend an evening in Manchester by himself.

His dads' fame also increased exponentially as in the same year both were awarded MBE's, one for services to the legal profession and a furtherance of spartan rights, the other for his services to faith and his tireless work to revitalise all religions. Mike was also offered a seat in the House of Lords and James consecrated a number of new Apolline temples worldwide. The New York Temple affair, as it was later called, was especially galling to the boy and the appearance of miracles beamed live on news stations around the world elevated his dad to something approaching mythical proportions, especially the moment when a crazed animal-rights protester shot at him and had the bullets simply bounce off some sort of shield in the air and fall to the ground at James' feet. Andrew felt that the whole thing had stolen his parents from him and replaced them with a pair of celebrities he barely knew.

Now if Andrew had been younger and had they lived somewhere else, these things may not have had any significant impact. However the boy was fully grown, he looked like an adult and he lived near a main road that had a bus directly into Manchester city centre. So frequently, regardless of all the punishments his parents would devise or threaten him with, his swirl of bitterness and negative emotions would drive him to abscond from home or school and head into the city centre, to the gay village and Canal Street. He'd use ID stolen from his brother David's wallet to get into a bar and get drunk and later, when he was too drunk to stand, he simply went where the wind blew him.

The gay village being what it was and Andrew being both youthful and incredibly good looking, the wind frequently blew him into people's hotel rooms and apartments. He'd wake up aching all over next to a man he didn't recognise, often far older than he was and despite his parent's desperate pleadings when he got home, as soon as he could he would head back to the city and do the same thing. Occasionally he would arrange to meet someone more than once but most of the time he didn't even know the names of the men he slept with.

Within two years, if he had been bothered to count his sexual partners he would have realised that they had reached triple figures. But he kept going, sometimes stealing in order to make his way, more often letting people buy him drinks or drugs, or pay for hotel rooms for him in return for sexual favours. In short, he'd allowed himself to drift into prostitution.

"Andrew, please" Mike would beg, in tears, when the boy managed to scrape enough money together to get home. "We love you, don't do this to yourself." But Andrew was inevitably drawn back to the hedonistic lifestyle of the city and lost himself in a cycle of drunkenness and debauchery.

One day in July, as James did at least once a week, he came to the city centre to find his wayward son. People often stopped and muttered at the sight of such a famous, allegedly-holy man wandering around in the seediest part of town but James was undeterred by the commentators and followed the same routine as he always did. He finally spotted Andrew in the middle of the afternoon, sat on the pavement on a mucky corner of Chorlton Street. His clothes were filthy and reeked of numerous days' worth of sweat, alcohol, urine and other people's semen. His hair was tattered and he had dried vomit stains on his shoes. His knees were drawn up to his chest, his head was bowed down and in front of him, between his feet, was a small paper cup into which kind-hearted passers-by occasionally dropped small coins.

James had long since given up judging Andrew, rather he just wanted to be there to pick him up when he hit the bottom. But no matter how many times James had seen the same thing, it still stabbed at his heart whenever he found his son in such a state. "Hey" he said softly, crouching down, "this seat taken?"

Andrew looked up, knowing it would be James. No one else ever had as much respect in their voice as James did. His eyes were bloodshot and he looked terrified. "Dad James" he said, his voice breaking. "What you doing here?"

"Coming to see my son, same as always" James said gently, sitting down on the pavement.

"Why do you do this?" Andrew asked.

"You're my son, Andy and I love you. Do I really need a reason other than that?"

Andrew took a deep breath and fished a bit of paper out of his pocket. It was crumpled up and torn but the writing was still visible. He handed it to his dad.

"What's this son?" James said.

"I picked it up at the clinic last week. Read it, please."

James opened the paper and read it. "Son" he began, not knowing what to say. His heart was in his mouth and he re-read the damning line again. There it was in black and white.

HIV+

"Andy" James tried again, his eyes filling with tears.

"Dad James, just say it" Andrew replied. "I've lived like a prostitute and I'm going to pay for it."

"Andrew, sweetheart, no one ever deserves this. Will you come home with me? Let me and Mike look after you for a bit?"

"You really want me now? Aren't I just soiled goods now or something?" Andrew asked bitterly, starting to cry before wiping his dirt-streaked face on his sleeve.

"Andrew!" James cried, tears of grief falling in rivers down his face. "Son, you're my little boy! I will always love you, always, no matter what. Please, will you let me take you home?" After the longest pause Andrew looked up and met his dad's eyes. "Really?" he whispered.

"Really" James replied with true sincerity. "We've missed you Andy." He opened his arms for a hug. "You got a cuddle there for your old man?" he asked softly.

"You really want to touch me?" Andrew asked, "Apollo only knows what I'm covered in, dad James, how can you" but his words were cut off as James swept him into his arms and held him tight. "You're my little boy, I don't care about anything else" he said.

Andrew cried into James' shoulder for the longest time. As the tears gradually eased, James said, "Please, will you let me take you home? I'm not going to force you sweetheart. If you want to stay here then I will walk away but it'll break my heart, Andy. What do you want to do, sweetheart? Tell me."

Andrew gulped and said, "if it's not too much trouble I'd like to come home for a bit" in a tiny voice, barely audible and gently, gingerly, James helped the sobbing, broken-hearted boy to his feet. "Let's get home, son" he said as they walked slowly to the car.

Andrew found his test results to be a wake-up of sorts, albeit a little too late. Within a month of James coming to collect him, he was back at home, on a proper course of treatment and living a healthier life. Mike and James, after getting over the terrible shock, gave up many of their commitments and did all they could to support their fragile son and help him rebuild his life and Andrew, for the first time in a long time, permitted and welcomed their assistance.

"Hey, Andy, good morning" Mike said to him when he came down one morning. "Hey, dad Mike" he smiled.

"What do you want for breakfast, son?" Mike asked. "Erm, fruit and cornflakes if you're offering" Andy smiled back. His life seemed to be getting back on track and he'd recently enrolled at college to do some GCSE's and an administration course as well as getting help for some of his other problems.

"Your little brother's coming home today ready to go back to school next week to start his A-Levels" Mike said as he sliced some apple and banana onto the top of two bowls of cereal. "James left in the early hours to go pick him up. He's looking forward to seeing you again."

Andrew looked at his dad as he put the breakfast bowls down. "Does he know?" he asked quietly. Mike shook his head. "No. Only James and I know, sweetheart. We wanted to leave it to you to decide when and how to tell them."

Andrew pursed his lips. "Dad Mike, don't make me say it" he said. Mike smiled and sat down opposite him and picked up his spoon. "You don't have to say it. They don't need to know if you don't want."

"Dad" Andrew said seriously, "what happens if I trip up or cut my finger when I'm slicing the veggies and I get blood everywhere or something stupid like that? They need to know." Mike sighed. "I know honey but how do you tell someone that their brother's" Mike choked.

"Where's David this morning?" Andrew asked, changing the subject, not wanting another bout of tears from Mike. Between his older brother's job as an engineer and the time he spent at Luke's side, Andrew very rarely saw him and they hadn't had the chance to talk much yet. He suspected that David was still stuck in full disapproval-mode and was working himself up to the daddy of all lectures.

"He stayed at Luke's last night" Mike said nonchalantly, swallowing his tears, knowing that they didn't help. Andrew had just taken a mouthful of orange juice and almost choked on it as he said, "what! Since when do Marcus and Clare let David stay the night?"

"Since Luke turned sixteen" Mike replied. "That's what he and David went out for a meal to celebrate last week" he explained. "Luke was going to have a party but" he paused. "But David didn't want me there so they changed their minds, didn't they?" Andrew replied. He didn't really blame his brother for his attitude but it still stung.

"Andy, give him time" Mike sighed. "He still doesn't know why you came home, remember? As far as he's concerned you might just be working your way up to pinching his wallet again. I know, I know" Mike said as Andrew opened his mouth to say something, "you've changed and put it behind you but Andy, sweetheart, David doesn't understand. Anyway, have you taken all your tablets this morning?"

Andrew smiled, knowing that Mike was right. "Dad Mike, I'm not likely to forget, they're the only things that are going to keep me alive, remember?" Mike turned away, his barely suppressed tears returning in buckets. "Dad" Andrew said softly, "dad, look at me" he continued and Mike turned to face his son, still crying. "I'm HIV positive, dad Mike. I know science will keep me alive but please, I won't live as long as I would have done, will I?" Mike gulped, swallowed his tears and shook his head. "Come on, I'll still probably outlive you though, you're what, fifty years older than me? Positively ancient!"

"Oi, less of the cheek!" Mike said, beginning to laugh through his grief, which was what Andrew had intended.

"Dad Mike, is George at home at the moment?" he asked after a few seconds. "Yeah, they got back from Milan last week and they're not due in New York for another fortnight. Why?"

"Do you think you could call him and when Gabe gets home tonight we could sit down, you, dad James and all my brothers?"

"You going to tell them?" Mike asked and Andrew nodded. "I think I've got to" he said. "I don't know how they'll take it and I don't know if they'll all hate me but I can't avoid it. I just want to tell them all together, if that's okay?"

Gabriel got home just before supper time. At sixteen he'd long finished puberty and was full grown but something about him made him seem almost child-like. He was six foot three inches tall, with well defined muscles and broad shoulders but there seemed to be a slenderness about him despite his physique. His skin was the colour of pale honey and almost as sweet, perfectly smooth and unblemished. His hair was white blonde, so white as to be almost platinum and though it fell in thick shoulder-length curls from his head, his facial hair was thin and fine and often invisible against his skin so that he didn't need to shave as often as his paler-skinned, dark-haired brothers. His eyes were a deep, warm brown, his lips were a pink cupid's bow and his hands were those of a pianist, perfect, thin fingers topped with white crescent-shaped fingernails. He was perfectly secure in his body and having spent so long at the temple, as comfortable nude as he was dressed. His voice was soft and hadn't settled into the deep tenor of his siblings but rather stayed in the contralto ranges and his smile was bright, dazzling and always one hundred percent genuine.

Innocent boy that he was, he was thrilled to see his brother. "Andy, you're home!" he yelled, running into his brother's arms and squeezing him tightly before Andy could get a single word out. "It's so good to see you!" he said happily, planting a big kiss on Andrew's startled face.

"Dad Mike, how can he have spent so much time alone in central London and still be so naive?" Andrew asked, genuinely curious, as the sweet sixteen year old lugged his suitcase up the stairs a few minutes after the exuberant greeting. "He rarely leaves the temple, sweetheart" Mike replied, "you know what he's like. He's not changed, you know." Andrew rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I know what he's like" he smiled. "Have you spoken to George?" Mike nodded. "Yeah" he said, "he'll be here at eight. I nipped next door and spoke to David too, he didn't want to but I made him promise to come"

Andrew found it difficult to eat his supper. He knew he couldn't really afford to miss a meal but nerves made it seem like the food was made of cardboard. Presently, George arrived then not long after David skulked in from next door and came and perched on the arm of the settee where the rest of his family waited.

"You okay to do this, sweetheart?" James asked Andrew, seeing the fear on his face and tears in his eyes. "I've got to dad James, it's not fair that they don't know."

"Don't know what?" David spat. "You've been picked up for prostitution or you're a heroin addict or you're off to prison or is it something else? What is it we need to know, brother?" he said harshly.

"David, show Andrew some respect!" Mike snapped but Andrew said, "no, dad Mike, he's right. It could be those things. And I've not done anything recently to earn any respect from any of you, if David wants to be mad with me, then that's fine."

David looked surprised. His gruff attitude towards his little brother was borne out of pain and frustration rather than any particular malice and this suddenly reasonable Andrew scared him. "What's happened Andy?" he said in a soft voice.

"I first want to apologise to you all" Andrew said after taking a deep breath. "For everything I've ever stolen, for every time I've hurt you, for every nasty thing I've said." He looked at his dads and continued, "for every time you picked me up from the gutter and for not judging me no matter how far I fell."

He sighed again. "Shit, this is hard" he explained. "I've had a shock, the reason I came home again was because I got some really bad news. I wasn't going to come, you know" he looked at James, "but dad James persuaded me. I thought none of you would ever want to see me again but" he started to cry, tears falling.

"Andy, what is it?" George asked. "Come on, little bro, tell us."

Andrew initially couldn't speak. George reached out to hold his hand but Andrew shook his head and pulled away. "Wait to hear what I've got to say before you touch me" he stuttered and then his voice vanished again under a wave of panic.

George leaned over and despite Andrew's protests he cuddled his brother tight to his chest. "There's nothing that would make me not want to touch you, Andy, not even."

George paused. "Oh, shit, Andy, you're not?" he asked softly. Andrew's head moved in a tiny nod and he tried to pull out of the embrace.

George gulped then spoke very gently, "idiot, it's not catching if it touches the air" he said, hugging Andrew even tighter and letting him cry into his jacket.

"What are you talking about?" David demanded and Gabriel said softly, "Andy's HIV positive, bro. That's what George has just figured out, that's why he wanted us together, so he could tell us all at the same time."

"No!" David gasped, horrified. "It's not true, tell me it's not true!"

Andrew lifted his head up. "Davey, I've injected drugs and had sex with so many people I've lost count, it shouldn't surprise you" he said succinctly, surprisingly calmly. He reckoned having his big brother so close, still hugging him, made him feel calmer about admitting what he'd done out loud.

"But you're my little brother, bro!" David wailed.

Andrew looked at him, sat, frozen on the arm of the sofa, pain on his face and tears streaming down his cheeks. "You okay if I offer you a hug or do you want dad James or dad Mike to?" he asked softly. At that David flew across the room towards where George still had his arm around Andrew's waist and fell on the pair, hugging them tightly. "You're my brother, bro, nothing would ever make me not want to hug you."

"So what are you going to do now?" Gabriel asked him, coming over and joining the group hug by sitting near his brother's feet and putting his arm on his knee.

"I've started treatment and a proper diet" Andrew said, "and I'm going to start college in a couple of weeks to finish my GCSE's and do an admin course and then we'll see. HIV isn't a death sentence like it was a few years back, I could live for a long time with it, as long as I take the right pills and stuff. And I'm getting help with the alcohol addiction and I've started to see a counsellor too. And when I can I'm going to pay all of you back everything I took and if I forget something just tell me."

"Andy, getting you back is all we need" Gabriel said in his serious, quiet voice. "It's all we've needed for a long time. As long as you want to be our bro' again, that's all that matters. Hey, bro" he finished, a mischievous little smile suddenly flashing across his face, "You know the apple trick, I've been practising and I can do quarters now like dad James, wanna come out to the garden and see?"

Andrew grinned, realising that somehow Gabriel always knew exactly what to say. His mysterious, innocent, child-like little brother seemed always to be able to put his finger right on the problem, say exactly the right thing. "That'd be great, bro" he nodded. "Let me go get your sword case for you, where is it?" And just as they had when they were small, the four brothers and their dads laughed and played together, happy to have finally welcomed their prodigal relative home.

It was later the same evening, as Andrew got ready for bed in the room he and Gabriel still shared that Gabriel said suddenly, "Andy, I've got a message for you from Apollo if you'll listen?"

"Course, bro, what is it?" Andrew replied, genuinely curious.

"Apollo said to tell you that when things get too difficult don't be afraid to ask your family for help. He said that if you pray properly he'll hear you and `cos you're my brother he'll also come and help you if he's able. He also said to say that your life partner is still waiting for you and when you meet him he'll understand. And he said he hopes you aren't too mad at him for letting me know you were HIV positive when it first happened" Gabriel finished, his innocent face serious and sad.

Andrew initially didn't know what to say. "How come he told you about the HIV?" he asked.

Gabriel face moved into a small smile. "I've been worried about you for the longest time, bro, so I asked Apollo if he could watch out for you and let me know what you've been doing. I even asked him to try and speak to you a couple of times but you couldn't hear his voice. And one day Apollo was so sad and he didn't want to tell me what he'd seen but I begged him and he told me that there was something in your blood that shouldn't be there and when I asked what it was he said that we called it HIV. When he said that I was going to come and find you and call James and Mike but Apollo stopped me and said that when it was the right time he'd help dad James to find you and bring you home. You're not mad with him are you?"

"Gabe, he's my god, I can't be mad with him, not if he's been watching for me like that" Andrew admitted, a little awe struck. "And he said I'll really have a life partner some day?" he asked shortly. Gabriel nodded. "We all have our life partners, bro, it just takes a bit of being in the right place at the right time."

"You're really close to Apollo aren't you Gabe?" Andrew asked a little later on, when the bedroom light had been turned off and when they were both lying in their beds. "Yeah" Gabriel replied but he didn't elaborate. "And he'll really help me?" Andrew pressed. "Yeah, if you pray properly" Gabriel said seriously. Andrew felt confused. "What does that mean?" he asked.

Gabe said, "you know, if you kneel with a sword." He flicked his bedside light on and said, "here, let me show you." He pulled his sword case out from under his bed and opened it and lifted a single blade out. "I have to teach people how to pray with swords but it always feels odd, only having one" he smiled. "Here, take it" he continued, offering it to Andrew.

"Gabe, bro, your swords are really sharp, I probably shouldn't, if I cut myself" Andrew left the thought open.

"Get hold of it by the hilt, then, silly, not the blade" Gabe smiled. "You don't need to touch the blade at all. Come on, take it and I'll get the other one and show you how to pray."

The brothers stood in their bedroom, each with a sword. Gabriel regarded his brother seriously. "You haven't really connected with Apollo properly for two years or more" he observed softly, "so you might find this easier if you take your shorts off. Come on, it'll only take a minute."

"Gabe, are you sure?" Andrew said, suddenly uncomfortable. "I'm not as comfortable naked as you are" he said, looking at his brother's body with a hint of a blush beginning to burn his face. "I don't mind stripping in the temple but getting naked in a bedroom with my little brother is just weird."

"There's nothing wrong with being naked, Andy" Gabriel said in a quiet but stern voice. "We arrive in the world like this and Apollo bids us worship like this. Why are you ashamed of your body?" Andrew bowed his head and a brief scattering of tears leaked from his eyes. He felt his brother take the sword gently out of his hand and lean over to hug him. "Shh, no tears" he whispered, "bro, I'm a temple priest, remember? There's nothing you'll have that I haven't already seen hundreds of times before. Scars, needle track marks, evidence of abuse and worse, I've seen it all. Andy, bro, what are you trying to hide?"

"Nothing like that, Gabe, honest, it's just, being naked again, it reminds me of" Andrew stuttered then halted, his voice faltering. "It reminds you when you were a slave to other people's lust doesn't it?" Gabriel whispered, lifting his brother's chin with gentle fingers. Reluctantly, Andrew nodded and a few more tears fell. "You need to free yourself, brother. The chains that bind you, you've forged them yourself and only you can break them. Andy?" he finished and his brother took a deep breath and settled his nerves. "Yeah, bro?" he answered.

"Do you want to connect with Apollo or not?" he asked softly. "Yeah, I do" he admitted. "Then come, stand before your god naked and unafraid" Gabriel finished with a small smile.

Andrew looked at Gabriel, noticing his earnest encouragement and surprisingly wise eyes. "Thanks Gabe" he said, slipping his shorts down and tossing them onto his bed. Gabriel handed him the sword back and said, "it's quite simple, bro, kneel down on one knee and hold the blade point down so that it sits on the floor. Then bow your head and touch the pommel to your forehead and just ask Apollo to touch you. Like this, watch" he continued, taking up the pose he'd just described.

Feeling a little foolish Andrew did as his brother suggested. He touched his forehead to the pommel and whispered, "Apollo, touch me" and suddenly he felt a warm glow enter his body. "See" he heard Gabriel's voice as if from afar. "If you ask in the right way Apollo will help you, bro. He can warm you up from the inside and keep you going when everything feels lonely. You don't need to be alone, bro, you never need to be alone ever again," then Gabe's hand was on his shoulder and the spell was broken as the sword was gently taken from his hands. Gabriel smiled. "You know where it is if you want to do it yourself" he said, "and I'm sure if you ask dad James he'll get you your own if you feel you really need one."

"Thanks Gabe, it means a lot, you helping me like this" Andrew said when they turned the light off again. "You're my bro, bro, what else am I supposed to do?" Andrew could hear Gabe's smile in the darkness.

"Andy" he said shortly, "Apollo wants to know if you can keep something secret" he said.

"Yeah, probably" he said sleepily.

Andrew saw Gabe's silhouette as he sat up in bed. "I'm serious Andy. He wants to tell you something. He knows that you doubt that you'll find your life partner and he wants you to know something that will assure you that every single spartan who exists has a life partner. But you really, really cannot ever tell anyone about this. Our dads know but if it gets found out by others then my life will probably be ruined."

"Why will your life be ruined, bro?" Andrew said, also sitting up in bed, surprised at Gabriel's seriousness. "I thought we were talking about something Apollo wanted to tell me?"

"I want to introduce you to my life partner, bro" Gabriel said quietly, "but Davey and George can never know and nor can anyone else."

"Eh? What are we talking about?" Andrew asked, confused. Then, before his eyes, sat on the corner of Gabriel's bed a luminescent figure started to materialise. His light lit the bedroom and illuminated Gabriel's calm face. "I thought we were going to wait until I'd told Andy before you showed yourself" he said to the figure. Andrew, stunned and more than a little afraid, stuttered, "what the?"

The figure then spoke but Andrew couldn't hear any words, though the mouth moved clearly. "As long as you're sure" Gabriel replied to the silent comment. He turned to his brother and smiled. "Bro, can I introduce you to my life partner? Apollo, this is Andrew. Andy, this is Apollo" he whispered. Andrew felt his pulse race then everything went black.

"Andrew! Hey, Andy, wake up, son." Someone rubbed his forehead gently. "Eh?" he mumbled dumbly and opened his eyes to find himself looking at Mike. Gabe was stood at his side with a mortified expression and James was hovering in the doorway. "I'm awake" he said, shaking his head to try and clear it.

"So you've met your little brother's life partner, then?" James asked, smiling wryly, as he plonked himself down on the bed. "Er, what, who?" Andrew mumbled, trying to sit up. James gave him a hand then looked over to Gabriel. "You're so lucky David is staying next door tonight. Whatever possessed you to tell your brother? I thought it was a secret."

"It is but Apollo wanted him to know, he wants Andy not to doubt so much that he'll also one day find his life partner. If he thought I was single he'd always doubt and he'd end up too depressed" Gabriel explained sincerely. "But he wasn't supposed to pass out!" he blurted and a tear leaked from his eye.

"A god shows up in your bedroom and says, oh by the way I'm sleeping with your baby brother, what did you expect Andy to do?" Mike asked, amused. Gabriel sniffled and nodded, then looked to one side of the room and said, "It's fine but I told you I wanted to explain first."

He paused then spoke again, "no don't worry, I forgive you."

Another pause. "Yeah but not tonight, okay? Give him a bit of space, please."

"Who you talking to?" Andrew asked his little brother as the one sided conversation finished.

Mike sniggered softly, having observed similar episodes many times. "Your brother has company" he said. Andrew still didn't get it and his face showed his confusion. "Andy, honey, Apollo is Gabriel's life partner."

Andrew's bafflement was obvious and so Mike continued, "Apollo, our god? Gabriel is in love with Apollo. The glowing figure who appeared in your room, well Apollo wanted you to know that he was there. And the conversation your brother has just had, well, I'm guessing that Apollo is still here, probably stood over near your wardrobe."

Andrew was stunned but it suddenly made sense. "Then all the times Gabriel stayed at the temple by himself?" he asked. James nodded. "They wanted some privacy. We were going to try and get David to swap bedrooms with Gabe but Apollo suggested he be allowed to stay in the apartment by himself some nights and promised me and Mike he'd look after him and what could we say to that, Andy, really?"

"He says he's sorry, Andy, he really didn't mean to frighten you" Gabriel said sincerely. "He just wants you to know that you really are loved. And he said if he was a healer he'd heal you and that he's always going to watch out for you, `cos you're my brother and he says he wants you to think of him as family like you do Luke and Greg."

"Shit, he's a god, bro" Andrew said, finding his voice. Gabriel just shrugged. "Yeah" he replied. "And you and he?" Andrew started to ask then shook his head, the whole concept was still unreal. Gabriel giggled, a peculiar sound coming from the normally serious young man. "I love him and he loves me and" he stopped and squirmed and hit the thin air behind where he stood and said, "hey, that tickles!" The surprising thing was that his hand met something invisible yet undeniably solid with a hearty thwack, not-so-mute evidence that the god was well and truly present in the room.

"You need some privacy Gabe? My lord?" James asked, amusement dripping from every syllable. Gabriel shook his head. "No, he's going to behave, aren't you?" he said, mock glaring at the empty air. "Yeah, love you too" he then said before sighing gently.

"Listen guys, it's nearly midnight" Mike then said. "Andy, honey, if you're brother starts giggling in his sleep you know you can kip in David's bed whenever he's at Luke's, don't you?" he asked. Andy nodded, still awe-struck. "And Gabe, keep it down to a dull roar, please?" he asked. "We're going to bed and I don't want waking up and being told you've made your brother pass out again, not tonight, please?"

"Okay" Gabriel said impishly. "Night dad Mike, night dad James."

"Night guys" they grinned as they left the room and switched the light off.

Andrew climbed back into bed. "Gabe?" he whispered shortly. "Yeah, Andy?" his brother's voice whispered back. "You and Apollo, eh? When did you figure it out?" he asked.

"When I was thirteen, not long after I'd been ordained" Gabriel explained.

"And you two, you're like, proper lovers and everything?" Andrew asked, still overwhelmed by the whole concept. "Yeah" Gabriel said and giggled again. "Wanna hear about the night I lost my virginity?" he whispered.

"No!" Andrew exclaimed. Amidst much laughter, Gabriel told him anyway.

After that night Andrew felt a lot closer to Gabriel. He realised that his seriousness was derived largely from the necessity of keeping his feelings secret. In private he was a cheerful and humorous young man who was very much in love. He had explained to Andrew why their older two brothers couldn't be told -- David's mortification at being a whole six years older than his partner meant that the age difference between Gabriel and the god would profoundly disgust him and stop him ever trusting Apollo again. And, Gabriel explained, Greg's faith was precarious at best and if George found out, Greg would too and would then be in danger of rejecting all faiths and falling into a dangerous brand of atheism.

Andrew also found he could approach his own life, both his past and his future, more easily. Gabriel's giggling description of his and Apollo's private times triggered regrets but somehow he found that he could delight in his brother's obvious joy. He confessed to Gabriel that he couldn't actually remember his first time as he'd been blind drunk and he finally allowed himself to cry about the things he'd unwittingly given away. "Andy, you do have one more first time to come, though" Gabriel said softly after his brother had unburdened his soul to him.

Andrew frowned. "But I just told you" he began and Gabriel said, "not that, silly. Your first time with your life partner. It's far more important than any physical thing."

"I'll never be able to have sex with anyone who isn't also HIV positive" Andrew said sadly. Gabriel smiled. "Course you will, you just need to be a bit more careful is all. When the time comes your partner will help you figure it out. Trust me." And surprisingly, Andrew did.

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Mike, happy birthday to you!" The crowd of people cheered as Mike blew out the candles on the cake. "Speech!" someone yelled from the back of the room.

"Please! Don't get him started," George quipped, "didn't you hear about his address to the House of lords last week? Apparently he talked non-stop for three hours!" The gathered family members laughed.

"I won't go on that long, I promise" Mike assured everyone. He looked around the function room that James had booked for his party. "First of all I can't believe that I'm eighty" he said. "And I can't believe I've got such a lovely family, four sons, ten grandsons and two great grandsons and more nephews than I can count. It was a lifetime ago when I bumped into a young stranger in a seedy pub in Manchester, a stranger who changed my world forever. James, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. And I'm not forgetting any of you" he continued, nodding in Phil and Simon's direction, "but I've got a few more names to mention and thank you's to make, to George, David, Andrew and Gabriel, my boys, thank you for always coming home. To Stuart, Peter, young Philip, young Simon," he began counting on his fingers, "Paul, Drew, Joshua, young Marcus, who've I missed? Oh yeah, Clifford and Benjamin, thanks for calling me granddad and for making me laugh and sometimes making me cry. To Greg, Luke, Henry and whoever Gabe's mystery man is" laughter rippled around the room, "thanks for making my boys so happy. And finally thank you to Tim, and to my namesake, little Michael and to little James, I never thought I'd see any great grandchildren but I have two already. So let me propose a toast!" he finished raising his glass. "To family!"

"To family!" everyone responded before clapping and cheering.

Music started and people presently began to help themselves to buffet food and dance and chatter. Mike sat with James at a central table, watching the fun. His grandson Paul, George's youngest, was seven years old and was easily the ringleader of a little gang comprising the boy's own nephew and Stuart's eldest boy, three year old Michael junior, five year old Marcus and two year old Clifford, David's older two children and Gabriel's only son, five year old Joshua. The five of them charged around yelling and laughing, occasionally sliding across the dance floor on their knees and threatening to ruin or rip their trousers and generally terrorising the whole party. "Should we get them to calm down?" James said as the five charged past, yelling and giggling madly.

"No" Mike smiled, "they're having fun. It'll do them good, especially Joshua, that boy takes life far too seriously."

"Like another little boy I remember" James reminisced, smiling and Mike nodded. "Has Gabe told him who his second dad is?" he asked in a whisper. James shook his head and said, "not yet. Apollo wants Josh to take two swords before the sacrifice next month, he's already told Gabe and Gabe has said he's not going to give them to him unless Apollo first explains everything. Apparently Apollo's in a bit of a snit about it and isn't sure a five year old can keep the secret but Gabriel's adamant. He gave Apollo an ultimatum apparently."

Mike shook his head. "I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall during that conversation" he grinned.

James grinned too. "The thunderstorm over the capital apparently lasted for two hours. Gabe timed it and then he accused him of acting childish and spoiled and said that Josh deserved the truth. Apollo's still thinking about it."

"Do you think Gabe pushes him too far sometimes? He is a god after all" Mike wondered. James shook his head. "The pair of them are head over heels for each other. They've treated each other as complete equals for so long that I don't think it'd even occur to Apollo to use his powers against Gabe. But I think he's nervous in case the boy marches into the temple and starts talking to his statue as `daddy', that'd do the rumours no good at all."

Mike sniggered as he sipped his wine. "It'd be something to see, though, wouldn't it?" he asked.

"Granddad Mike, where's little Mike?" Stuart asked, coming over as the conversation lulled. "He's running around with the others" Mike said. "He's in a bit of hero worship over Joshua, though, you'll get a tantrum if you rein them in" he told his eldest grandson.

"I just want to make sure he's eaten more than just chocolate" Stuart explained. "He's got such a sweet tooth but its not good for him, he needs a sandwich at least" the tall twenty-one year old explained earnestly before going off to find his eldest boy. "Someone else that takes life too seriously" James chuckled into his whisky as he watched the retreating back.

Henry and Andrew were sat nearby and their firstborn son, four month old Drew had started yelling. "Dad, will the bar give us some hot water so we can heat his bottle up, do you think?" Andrew wondered. "Go and ask" James said, "they should be able to."

Andrew wandered away and Mike smiled at the quiet, unassuming man who had made him so happy. "How is he?" Mike asked him. "Andy? He's fine" Henry replied. "A bit upset he can't breastfeed but it's not really bothering him that much, not since he's stopped leaking milk down his front anyway. His bloods are stable and he's doing well. And Drew was discharged last week with a clean bill of health, not a single thing wrong."

"I bet that's a relief" James smiled. "There wasn't much chance of Drew catching the virus, the womb doesn't have any circulation after all" Henry replied, "but we all needed to be certain." Andrew returned with a jug of hot water. "You guys talking about me?" he asked, leaning into Henry and giving him a kiss on his cheek.

"Always" Henry smiled and kissed him back. "I think he needs his bum changing before you give him a bottle" he continued, indicating the baby, "I can smell it from here." Andrew picked up his son. "Phew, yeah, give me the bag and I'll go and sort him." He cradled the baby and a gentle, awed expression passed over his face even with the smell. "I love you little'un" he whispered to the baby before walking off to find the changing facilities.

A new track began and Mike laughed when he saw Luke drag a protesting David onto the dance floor. "But honey," he stuttered. Luke just laughed and, with the children still running around and out of earshot, he mock-whispered, "do you want me to get the handcuffs again?" David went scarlet and all the adults joined in the laughter. The story of their first night together was something of a family legend, when an eighteen year old Luke had finally despaired of David ever making the first move. On the night of his birthday, after assuring David that he loved him, he'd simply taken him up to his room and, ignoring all his protests, handcuffed him to the bed and had his way with him.

Their littlest boy, six month old Benjamin, was asleep in his buggy but little Marcus and Clifford, on seeing their dads dancing, giggled, ran over and clung to their legs, trying to trip them up. "Are you a boy or a monkey?" Luke asked Clifford, picking him up. "Monkey, monkey, monkey!" Clifford giggled as his human dad tickled him.

Clare and Marcus, Mike and James' neighbours, had also come to the party and smiled as their son, partner and grandchildren played. Their daughters, Emma and Poppy had been invited and came to give their mum a bit of moral support seeing as she would otherwise have been the only female in a room full of males. "Boys, come here" Clare said, "let your dads dance for a bit" she suggested. "Okay grandma" little Marcus smiled and let go. Clifford just continued to cling to Luke and giggle so Emma went and pulled him off. "Come on, limpet" she smiled. "Aunty Emma!" he yelled then started giggling again as she tickled him too.

As the dance finished, Luke went to buy some drinks and David came over to his dads and sat down. "Hey dad Mike," he smiled, "enjoying your night?" Mike nodded. "You enjoying yours? It didn't look like you were that keen on dancing?"

David nodded and grinned a contented smile as he gazed across the room at his partner. "You know, I can't say no to him at all. He says jump and I'm about a metre in the air before I ask which way. I sometimes wish" he tailed off, his face wistful. "Does he make you happy, honey?" James asked him and David nodded. "So why worry about it?" he continued.

"Because it's embarrassing and the boys have picked up on it too, now. If I say no or try and tell them off then they just look at me the same as Luke does and my knees turn to jelly. It doesn't help that they all look like little Luke clones, with those strawberry blonde curls and green eyes, they just flutter their eyelashes at me and I give in every time. Luke's trying to get me to be a bit more assertive with them but I just can't do it" he finished before beginning to chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Mike asked him.

"I've been the same since he got those handcuffs" David blushed, "from that point on I've never really had a chance" he laughed. Luke came over with drinks at that moment and said, "I got you lemonade, Davey, I thought you could drive us home tonight."

"Oh, of course, hon" David replied meekly, taking the soft drink. James started to snigger into his whisky again as his son followed Luke back to their children. "Nope, no chance at all" he said to Mike, making him laugh.

Another track started and Mike saw Gabriel sat alone at his table, tapping his toes. Despite being in his twenties and the father of a five year old, he still looked exactly like he did when he was sixteen, perfect, child-like and innocent. "Gabe, you wanna dance?" he shouted over to his son. Gabriel laughed a silvery peal of giggles and wandered over to his dads. "Not with you, you've got two left feet" he smiled, sitting down on the chair that David had just vacated. "How's things going, Gabe?" James asked him.

"Good" he said nonchalantly and Mike pursed his lips. "Honest, Gabe?" he asked.

Gabriel shook his head. "Not really, Apollo's promised that he's going to speak with Josh tomorrow when we get home" he explained -- he and his son lived permanently in the family's temple apartment and were driving straight back to the capital after the party. "I just hope I've done the right thing, forcing the issue" he said, then looked at the empty chair next to him. "I wondered if you'd come" he then said quietly, so quiet that only his dads could hear. Mike turned to the empty chair, knowing that Apollo would be sat there. "Thank you, lord" he whispered, "it means a great deal you being here."

Gabriel looked at his dad. "He wants to know if you think we're doing the right thing, telling Josh?" he asked. Mike noticed his youngest son's hand was in a pose as if he was gripping something, probably Apollo's hand. Mike looked at their son, Joshua, still running around with Paul and little Mike. "He's a sensible little boy" he said. "And I know, lord, you've spent time with him before. Gabe told us. So it's not like he doesn't know who you are. Why don't you let him see you and Gabe hugging or kissing or something, then just take him onto your knee like a mortal parent might and tell him the truth? And tell him you only kept it secret to protect him and that he won't be safe if people find out."

"He says to thank you, dad Mike" Gabriel said after a moment. "He said for all his experience he's never had to deal with someone" he started to giggle, "as stubborn and headstrong as me and if I was anyone else he would have consumed me whole for yelling at him like I did last week" he finished, grinning at the empty space between him and his dad James.

"And if you want me or Mike or Andy to come and give you both a bit of moral support, lord, we will do" James then whispered. "You are family after all."

"He says thank you" Gabriel said, a little choked up. James and Mike smiled and took their son's free hand in their own. "We heard him honey" they whispered softly.

As the night wound down George said, "so is the next do going to be mine and Greg's fortieth or your seventieth, dad James?"

"That's up to you, you'll be organising them both" James replied. "Just remember to send us an invite, eh?" Everyone laughed again.

"I think we're probably going to organise something for Greg and George" Stuart said, his arm around his partner, Tim's, waist. "Kind of as a joint present." The littlest baby in the room, their four week old son, known as little James, wriggled in his dad's arms. "I want to get home before I feed him" Stuart explained, "so we'll say goodnight. Love you granddad Mike, granddad James."

"Shit it makes me feel old, my grandson talking about feeding his baby" James said to Mike as everyone began to disperse. Mike smiled. "I know what you mean but if our little namesakes are as precocious as our lads were and their dad was then we'll probably end up with great, great grandsons, you know that don't you?"

"You finally convinced you've got spartan longevity then?" James asked him, seriously, as they climbed into the waiting taxi. Mike shrugged and nodded. "I guess. I'm eighty but I don't feel or even look much past fifty. I'm just glad they're all happy, honey."

He looked at James with a soft expression, still amazed at how much he loved him after so long. "Have I ever told you how much I love you, sweetheart?" he said softly. "Have I ever told you I love you too?" James replied, leaning in for a long, passionate kiss.

"Have you had enough?" Gabriel asked Joshua as they sat at the table in the kitchen of their apartment. "Yes, thank you daddy" he said seriously. Gabriel took their breakfast plates and put them in the dishwasher before smiling at the boy and ruffling his hair, the same wavy, white-blonde as his own.

"Did you enjoy granddad Mike's party yesterday?" he continued and Joshua gave a small smile. "It was nice, playing with my cousins. And I'm glad Uncle Andrew is happy too" he said, perceptive in a way Gabriel recognised only too well.

"What would you like to do today?" Gabriel then asked, continuing, "It's your school holiday and I'm not on duty at all so I think we should take some time out. Would you like to go for a walk in Hyde Park this morning? It's lovely and sunny outside."

"Yes but it's cold, daddy" Joshua said. "I'd prefer to stay in and play some games."

Gabriel nodded. "Okay honey, why don't you go and pick a game and put it on your Xbox and I'll get the kitchen cleaned and join you in a few minutes."

Joshua ran into the other room, heading towards his bedroom and Gabriel immediately turned to the third figure in the kitchen. "Come on, you promised and this is a perfect opportunity" he whispered to the figure who, to anyone else, would have been completely silent and invisible.

"Gabe, sweet, I'm scared" Apollo answered directly into his lover's mind. "What if he hates me? What if he doesn't understand why I've hidden away from him?"

"What if he never finds out who his second dad is and runs off in a teenage temper tantrum and ends up doing what our Andy did?" Gabriel retorted. "It's not fair and it's not right that we continue to lie to him. Now" he continued, his face taking a stern expression, "we are going to walk in there, together and you are going to be visible, do you hear me? And you are going to play on the Xbox with your little boy and get to know him in a situation other than the temple. You wanted us to have sons, remember" Gabriel continued implacably, "so you've got a responsibility as a parent whether you like it or not."

"You go too far Gabriel" Apollo said with a hint of steel in his voice.

"Not far enough, you should have done this when he was tiny" Gabriel continued. "Don't look at me like that" he said as the god's face clouded over, "and don't you dare throw another fit and start a thunderstorm, that was just childish" he finished, breathing deeply.

"Apollo, honey, he loves you, you know he does" Gabriel then pointed out in a more gentle voice, his face going soft. "He's just as desperate to take two swords as you are to give them to him. And remember the last time you appeared to him, he couldn't stop himself from touching your hand, he was fascinated by the way you glow. He'll be fine with it, I promise."

Gabriel finished washing the frying pan he'd used to cook his and Joshua's breakfast pancakes and dried his hands on a tea towel. He looked back at Apollo, who was clearly nervous. "Sweetheart, I'll be there. I love you so much, you'll be fine" he smiled, walking over, taking the god's hands and leaning in to a brief but passionate kiss. "Come on" he said.

They walked hand in hand into the main living area of the apartment. The room was fairly large and had five doors leading from it, two bedrooms, a bathroom, the kitchen and the main door that led down to the temple proper. Gabriel noticed that Joshua had already turned the Xbox on and was in his bedroom, rustling amongst his game collection. His parents sat down on the settee and waited for the boy to emerge.

When he appeared he was studying the cover of the game he held and didn't immediately look up. "Josh, honey" Gabriel whispered quietly.

Joshua looked up, his eyes widened into huge saucers and he exclaimed, "Apollo!" before dropping the game on the carpet and falling to one knee as he did whenever he sensed the god's presence.

"Get up, Josh" Apollo whispered softly, "and come over here."

Josh was even more surprised, if that were possible, when he noticed that his daddy and Apollo were sat so close that their legs touched and he nearly wet himself in shock when the warm glowing hands of the god reached out, picked him up and sat him on his lap.

"Apollo?" he whispered and the fear and confusion his voice held was almost too much for a five year old to convey.

Gabriel leaned in and kissed his little boy. "Honey, relax, please?" he said, then in front of Josh he leaned over and gently kissed Apollo.

"Daddy?" Josh asked. "What are you doing?"

"You know you've always wanted to know who your other daddy is and I've always said I wasn't allowed to tell you?" Gabriel began and the boy nodded.

Then Apollo spoke to the two mortals as he hugged them. "Joshua, can you forgive me?" he said. "I never knew how to tell you and I asked your daddy Gabe to promise never to tell. Joshua" the god paused and Gabriel knew how nervous he was. "Josh honey, it's me that loves your daddy Gabriel. I'm your other daddy, little one."

Joshua started to shake and then he began to cry, huge blubbering tears rolling down his face. Gabriel hugged him tightly. "I'm sorry, sweetheart" he said, "I know it's a huge shock. But I've loved Apollo since I was little and he loves me back. And then one day I became able to have a baby and it was all because I loved Apollo. And that baby was you, honey."

"That's not why I'm crying daddy" he said, "I'm just happy that I've got two daddies now cos I always thought there was something wrong with me cos I only had one and now I know that there's not and it's good. But I don't understand why you didn't tell me before?"

Apollo smiled, "Josh, you know I'm a god, right? If people ever knew I loved your daddy Gabe or if they knew I was your other daddy then you would be picked on and the whole world would act very differently to you. Everyone would expect you to be able to do brilliant and strange things just because I'm your daddy and that would be a horrible way to grow up. So I wanted to be sure you could keep it absolutely secret first which is why I had to wait until you grew up a bit. I never meant to hurt you" he said, "you're my son, Joshua and I love you so much. I never wanted to hurt you."

"Apollo, does that mean I can call you daddy now?" Joshua asked presently after his tears slowed down.

"Only if you can see me like you do today and if I'm with your daddy Gabriel and he says you can. If you're in the temple or anywhere else and you see me or hear me then you must still call me Apollo or lord, okay? You can't even make a mistake and call me daddy by accident if there's anyone else at all who can hear you."

"Does no one else know you love my daddy?" Josh said then giggled, "I never needed to call my daddy, daddy Gabe before but I do now, don't I, `cos you're my daddy Apollo and I'm normal!"

Apollo laughed. "Your granddad Mike and granddad James and your Uncle Andrew know, little one. But you can't even talk to them about it unless absolutely no one else is around. Joshua" he said and the god's voice became soft, "can I ask you to do something really grown up and serious for me now?"

"Yes" Joshua said, picking up the more sombre mood. "I'm going to ask your daddy Gabe to get his swords and cross them and I'm going to ask you to put your hand over the middle of the cross and promise never to tell. If you promise like that then you can never, never break it. Will you do that for me?"

"Honey" Gabriel said, "that's a bit much for such a little boy. Why didn't you tell me you wanted him to swear on crossed swords?"

"Because I knew you'd react like this" Apollo said. "Gabriel, I love you both and I don't want your lives ruined because of what I am. This way I can make sure Josh keeps his promise."

"Daddy, I don't understand" Josh interrupted petulantly.

"My little one, if you promise on the swords then it becomes my promise too and I'll be able to stop you even saying it by accident so you'll be safe. But I'm not going to force you. I know I'm a god but when I'm at home with you like this then I'm just like your daddy Gabriel. And he never forces you to do anything either. It's your choice, little one."

"Can I think about it?" Josh asked after a moment. Apollo smiled. "Of course, little one" he said then stalled. As an awkward silence stretched, Gabriel elbowed his lover in the ribs and the god continued, "and, I, er, understand you wanted to play a game?" he said. "Would you like to play it with me?"

Joshua's eyes widened again and he grinned. "That'd be brilliant!" he exclaimed enthusiastically.

For all of his supposed omniscience the Xbox controller that Apollo was given by his son completely baffled him. Joshua started the game going and after a second paused it. "Don't you know how it works?" he asked, softly, finishing, "daddy Apollo?"

Apollo shook his head. "No, I" then he looked at the little boy and Joshua stared in amazement at the single sparkling tear that ran down his face. "Will you teach me, little one? Son?" he whispered through the boy's mind.

"Of course I will, daddy Apollo" he said seriously, "you press this button here to do this" he began, "and this one." Gabriel stood to one side, watching his partner and son begin to get to know each other for the first time and smiled softly, knowing with that insight available to both lovers and parents that they would get on very well. And as he watched, his hand hovered over his belly button, aware of what he'd found that morning, what was hidden carefully under his shirt, ready for that evening when he would reveal the filaments as he and Apollo lay together. And he knew that before a fortnight was out Joshua would have a little brother conceived.

Before the end of the day Joshua had agreed to swear and Apollo had witnessed it just before supper time. Gabriel put the boy to bed and then Apollo told him a story. Gabriel grinned to himself when he heard him say, "have you ever heard the story of Jack and the Beanstalk, Josh?"

Later on as they lay side by side in bed, Gabriel asked, "why Jack and the Beanstalk?" Apollo smiled. "I remember that being your favourite story at about the same age, I read it to you over and over. It just seemed appropriate, I hope that's okay?"

"Yeah, it's fine" he said, leaning into a kiss. As he did so he winced slightly and his hand went to his stomach. "And when are you planning on telling me you've become emergent again?" Apollo then asked, amusement in his voice.

Gabriel looked shocked for a moment then giggled. "I should really know better than to try and keep secrets from you, honey" he replied.

"Yes you really should" Apollo smiled then took a deep breath. "Gabriel, I'm afraid I've got a little secret too" he admitted.

"What, honey?" Gabriel asked and Apollo dropped the light level on his torso and a perfectly formed navel appeared, with what looked like, "Are they?" Gabriel gasped, looking at the small, curling filaments emerging from his lover's belly button. Apollo chuckled. "I chose a spartan body back when I first became solid for you and I've kept it all this time. Granted it's been mostly invisible but you've cum all over me enough times that it shouldn't surprise you."

"I don't know what to say" Gabriel admitted, stunned.

Apollo smiled. "I'm going to suggest that you might want to discuss which of us is going to carry next and also I want to ask you if you'd be able to cope."

"Why wouldn't I cope?" Gabriel asked. "I've got one son already, another one or two or even three would just add to the family, it wouldn't be impossible. Apollo smiled. "Are you sure? Especially if a baby suddenly turns up out of thin air?"

Gabriel kissed him long and hard. "As long as you are. Are you happy to have a second son and gestate him yourself?"

"Are you happy to go through all the speculation and snide comments again? And with Joshua at your side too?" Apollo responded.

"I will if you will" Gabriel whispered. "I love you."

"I love you too my sweet," Apollo replied and then said, "and I have an idea."

"What?"

"I can be omnipresent. Why don't we both gestate at the same time? I'll leave one form and our son in bed here and use other forms to look after you and Joshua. And I'm sure your fathers would move in too if we asked them. Then you can tell anyone who asks that you've had twins."

Gabriel laughed in delight. "Perfect! Oh, I love you" he exclaimed.

"And I love you too" Apollo said, "but something still seems to be bothering you."

Gabriel sighed. "Honey, as much as I tell myself that Joshua is just a normal spartan boy he's not, he's a demigod and our future sons will be too. But I don't really know what that means, will they be very different?"

Apollo shook his head. "Not really. A bit stronger, certainly and they'll be telepathic, with me for certain and probably with each other and with you too. They might also have photographic memories. But to look at, they won't appear any different. And they'll always respect you and love you, Gabriel, of that I am certain."

"How are you certain? Children aren't always that respectful of their parents, especially not when they turn into teenagers" Gabriel replied.

"I can feel it in Joshua already, my sweet. He worships you."

"And you too" Gabriel giggled. "Perhaps worship was a poor choice of words" Apollo admitted, smiling, "but then again perhaps not. After all, my sweet Gabriel, if you worship me then sure as the sun will rise tomorrow, I also worship you" he finished, leaning in for a kiss.

Gabriel broke from the kiss as he felt the familiar, warm, smooth hands running over his skin. "Is this really a good idea?" he whispered. "We are emergent after all."

"Don't worry, I won't hurt you" Apollo said in a zephyr-like whisper that made Gabriel shudder in pleasure both real and imagined and come out in goose-bumps all over. The god's form lost some of its coherence and covered Gabriel in a glowing mist of kisses and gentle touches that made him gasp. "You remember the first time I lay with you like this? I promised then that I wouldn't hurt you" Apollo whispered presently. Gabriel's mind ranged back to that special summer night when, at fourteen years old, his fathers had permitted him to stay at their temple apartment alone for the first time. He remembered the misty form of Apollo moulding to his body, ever so gently following his contours. Gabriel was pulled back to reality as he felt Apollo's legs and genitals slip completely out of human form and delightfully, gently, flow into him and around him, just as they had done all those years ago.

Apollo was lying next to daddy the next morning when Josh woke up, which was new. As he always did, he had skipped into his daddy's bedroom and was going to slip into the bed but froze, realising that there were two people in it already. "Morning Joshua" daddy mumbled. "Aren't you climbing in for a cuddle?"

"Well, if it's okay" the little boy answered nervously and Gabriel opened one eye and looked at him. "Why wouldn't it be?" he smiled, lifting the edge of the duvet back. "Come on" he said and Joshua climbed up and snuggled in.

"Thanks, daddy" Joshua said, then continued, "Gabe."

"What's that honey?" daddy asked. Joshua looked serious. "I need to remember to call you daddy Gabe now. I don't want to get you and daddy Apollo confused about who I'm talking to, do I?"

Daddy grinned. "No, you don't" he smiled as Apollo leaned up and looked at the little boy. "Morning Josh" he whispered. "Morning daddy Apollo" the little boy whispered back, still a little awe struck by the god.

"Why don't you climb between us then we can all cuddle together?" Apollo asked and the boy frowned. "Is that okay?"

"Of course, little one" Apollo smiled. "Come on" and Joshua climbed up over daddy Gabe ready to roll into the middle. As he did so daddy Gabe winced and looked like he'd hurt himself. "Are you okay daddy Gabe?" Joshua asked, worried.

To Joshua's surprise, daddy Gabe grinned again and looked really pleased. "I'm fine, just something's happening to me. Here, let me show you" and daddy Gabe pushed the covers down and pointed at something that looked like white feathers growing from his belly button.

"Do you know what this is Joshua?" he asked gently. Joshua shook his head, amazed at the sight of the gently wafting, curling, feathery things. "Joshua, this is how we have babies. It's growing now and in about a week's time I'll be ready to make you a new baby brother and then he'll start growing in a bubble on the front of my belly. Is that okay?"

Joshua thought for a moment. "Daddy Gabe, daddy Apollo, are you both going to be my new brother's daddies too?"

"We are, little one" Apollo said, continuing, "and look." He showed Joshua his own filaments. "And another brother is going to grow right here" he said, "so that means you're going to have two new brothers arrive at the same time and I'm going to stay right here with you while he grows. Is that okay?"

"Joshua's eyes grew wide. "Two brothers?" he gasped. Apollo and Gabriel both leaned over and kissed their little boy. "Two brothers, little one" Gabriel said, using Apollo's nickname for their son. "And because Apollo's a god he's going to be able to look after you and me as well as have a baby. But we'd like to know if you can be a big boy and help us out as well?"

"It depends what I need to do, daddy Gabe" he replied seriously. "I'm too little to reach the cooker and the vacuum cleaner is too heavy for me to move."

"I was actually thinking you could do some of my prayers for me in the temple, if you would" daddy Gabe said. "I've got a few months to teach you before your new brother grows too big for me to move and daddy Apollo can help you with them. Could you do that?"

"But daddy, you're a priest, how can I do your prayers?" Joshua asked, genuinely confused.

Daddy Gabe and daddy Apollo both sat up in bed. They looked at each other and then daddy Gabe said, "Josh, can you get out and reach under the bed? There's a black box there. It's only small so you should be able to pick it up and put it on top of the covers."

Joshua carefully climbed out from between his daddies, slid out of bed and crouched down. Sure enough there was a small black box, not too heavy, with a handle on the top. He picked it up and gave it to daddy Gabe.

"Come and sit back up here" daddy Gabe then said and Josh climbed back into the warm, cosy spot in the middle of the covers.

"Now open it" daddy Gabe said and he was grinning like he was really excited, so Joshua unlatched the two clips and lifted the lid. Inside it looked like a plain velvet box but daddy Gabe just kept grinning. "There's a velvet covered board, if you get hold of that ribbon there and pull, it'll move. Go on, honey" he said when Joshua hesitated, "it's good, I promise."

Joshua pulled the ribbon and there, in the case in front of him, sat two short silver swords. "They're a present from me" daddy Apollo said. "I want to know if you're ready to learn how to do a sword cross?"

"So I really am going to be a priest too, then?" Joshua asked and he felt himself begin to cry. Then his daddies were both hugging him, one on each side. "Joshua, you don't have to but I would be honoured if my little boy would take two swords" daddy Apollo whispered.

"No, it's not that, I'm just happy" he explained through his tears.

"So why are you crying sweetheart?" daddy Apollo asked.

"I don't know" Joshua admitted. "It just feels right to cry for a bit, I don't know why."

"Then cry, little one," daddy Apollo whispered, letting him cuddle in his glowing arms.

Presently Joshua's tears dried up. Daddy Gabe put a dressing gown on and slippers and Joshua did too and they went into the kitchen to have some breakfast. Daddy Apollo came too but he didn't need a dressing gown, or slippers, or breakfast either. Joshua was still thinking about the swords when daddy Apollo said, "Josh, do you want lead the prayers this morning?"

"Don't I have to go to school, daddy Apollo?" he asked, confused. Daddy Gabe looked at him and smiled. "Its school holidays, remember, so you have time if you want."

"But you said lead the prayers, can I really do that?" Joshua said. Daddy Apollo nodded. "I can show you everything and your daddy Gabe can stand to one side ready to take over if you get scared. And you get to wear your twin swords for the first time, if you'd like?"

"Yes!" Joshua exclaimed, excited. "That'd be brilliant!"

Daddy Gabe laughed. "We thought you'd like the idea. You finish your breakfast and I'll go and get both our sword cases. We can put them on up here and go downstairs in our dressing gowns and go straight to prayers, then we'll come and have a hot shower and warm up and decide what we're going to do with the rest of the day, does that sound okay?"

Because his mouth was full of cornflakes Joshua just nodded and daddy Gabe disappeared into the other room. He came back with two black cases, one was much bigger than the other but then daddy Gabe's swords were much bigger than his. Joshua quickly finished his cereals and daddy Gabe said, "that was quick. Well come here then and stand still and I'll get you sorted out."

Daddy Apollo coughed gently and daddy Gabe looked at him. "May I?" he asked and Gabriel nodded. The first thing that daddy Apollo did was to kneel down on the kitchen floor just in front of where Joshua stood. He pulled his dressing gown off, lifted off his pyjama top and helped him step out of his shorts. Then he took the leather straps from the top of the case and hooked them over Josh's bare shoulders. They felt cold against his skin but he didn't complain, he knew that this was a special moment. A belt was fastened around his waist and clipped to the straps and then two long thin leather scabbards were attached. "These are like the ordinary scabbards" daddy Apollo said softly, "but there are two of them and the shoulder straps are just because it can get a bit heavy when both the swords are in them."

Then daddy Apollo looked at Joshua with serious eyes. "Do you accept two sword blades, Joshua Gabrielson?" he asked solemnly. Joshua nodded and he whispered, "you need to say, yes I accept them freely. It's kind of a ritual. But you do really need to want to have them because if you take them then you'll be a priest one day. So I'm going to ask you again."

"Joshua Gabrielson, do you accept two sword blades?" daddy Apollo asked again.

Joshua smiled and said, "yes, I accept them freely."

"And do you understand that in accepting the blades you are making a promise to one day sacrifice an animal to me and become an ordained priest?"

"I understand" Joshua said seriously.

"And will you always serve me to the best of your ability?" daddy Apollo then said.

"I will" he said. Daddy Apollo picked up one sword and put it into the left scabbard, then picked up the other and slipped it into the right-hand one, he met Josh's eyes and Josh realised that his daddy Apollo was crying. "Why are you crying, daddy Apollo?" he asked.

"I don't know Josh, it just feels right" he said before smiling and hugging him.

Daddy Gabe had put his own swords on and both of them slipped their dressing gowns on over the top. They stood to leave the apartment and suddenly Joshua thought his eyes were playing tricks on him because daddy Apollo stayed sitting at the table and stood up ready to join them. And it looked like the daddy Apollo who stood up didn't have the feathery things in his belly button either. Daddy Gabe just smiled. "Daddy Apollo can be in lots of places at the same time" he explained. "So he's staying here and coming to prayers too. Okay?"

Joshua nodded and the second daddy Apollo turned invisible and the three of them began to walk through the early morning quiet of the temple. A couple of people were in the upstairs corridor and they smiled and said hello as they passed.

When they went downstairs into the main foyer they saw that quite a few people were already waiting. Daddy Gabe took off his dressing gown and hung it on the hook that was reserved for him and Joshua did the same. They went into the huge hall where the fire and altar and statue were and immediately the fire leapt high. More people were in here, stood around the side of the wall but no one had entered the white marble circle yet as there weren't any other priests present.

Quiet murmuring broke out in the crowd as they noticed that Joshua wore twin swords and stepped into the white circle first, followed by his daddy Gabe a few paces away. Daddy Gabe stood to one side and Joshua heard daddy Apollo say, "I'm going to get into your arms and legs and help you to do what you need to, is that okay?" Joshua knew he couldn't answer out loud, not with everyone there, so he carefully thought, "yes please," and daddy Apollo said, "Okay don't worry about your legs and arms because I'm going to use them for a minute."

He felt himself walking up to the altar, alone and kneeling down. Then daddy Apollo spoke to him again. "Look up at the statue and put your hands on both of your swords" he said and Joshua did so, grinning all the while that he was allowed to do something so special. He noticed that daddy Gabe was doing the same thing off to the side. Then daddy Apollo made his feet move again and Joshua stood up and turned around.

"I'm going to help you do the sword cross now, little one" daddy Apollo said. He felt his arms cross over his tummy and he took hold of the swords and then daddy Apollo helped him to pull the swords out -- Joshua remembered it was called drawing -- and lift them up into the sword cross.

"Hold them still, I'm going to let go now, little one" daddy Apollo's voice said in his head once more and Joshua felt the weight of the swords in his hands. "Okay" he said after a minute, "now lower the swords and I'll help you sheath them." He did as daddy Apollo instructed and put the swords away.

"Now, can I do something really special, Joshua? I'd like to use your voice" daddy Apollo asked and Joshua thought "yes" again and nodded his head and he felt daddy Apollo in his mouth, then he started to speak but it didn't sound like his voice, it was daddy Apollo's. "I would offer a blessing in celebration of family" he said and everyone in the temple heard him. "If you would like to receive, kneel at the fire."

Joshua could tell that people thought this was really exciting because normally Apollo didn't speak at morning prayers. The priests normally just said some words and invited people to pray with swords. "I'm going to ask your daddy Gabe to join you and stand in the fire and we'll bless people together" daddy Apollo said, "is that okay?"

Joshua nodded and daddy Gabe came over and got hold of his hand and he felt a still-invisible daddy Apollo stand behind him and put a warm hand on his shoulder. Together the three of them walked over to the fire and stood on it. It didn't feel hot or anything, it just tickled. "You mustn't ever do this by yourself, little one, you will die if you do. Only stand on the fire if I am with you" daddy Apollo whispered silently.

Then he and his daddy Gabe started touching people on their foreheads and whispering, "blessings" to everyone and daddy Apollo's voice was mingled inside theirs as they blessed each person. After what felt like forever but what Josh knew wasn't even half the morning, mainly because he wasn't hungry yet, all the people had done and they left and he and his daddies stepped off the fire.

"You were very brave and very good today little one" he heard daddy Apollo say, "Thank you." And because he was supposed to be a priest and because Apollo was his god as well as his daddy, Joshua turned to the huge statue and bowed and knelt down with his hands on his swords and whispered, "thank you."

The feathery things on daddy Gabe's and daddy Apollo's tummies grew bigger and bigger and then one morning they weren't feathery anymore, they had all curled around into little white bubbles. Joshua noticed his daddy Gabe kept holding his hands near his bubble as if he was protecting it and that daddy Apollo couldn't stop looking at his bubble. He also noticed that a lot of the other grown-ups kept talking in whispers and looking at him and his daddy Gabe with funny faces. "Why did they do that, daddy Gabe?" he asked when a loud conversation in one of the offices stopped as soon as they walked in. All the people looked at him but since he felt that they needed to understand he didn't like it, he didn't mind asking in front of them.

Daddy Gabe obviously felt the same way as Joshua did. "It's because I can't tell them who your or your new brother's other daddy is, that's all it is" he said. "They're curious because spartan people like us always have two daddies."

"Why don't you ask what it's like then, not being able to tell anyone who your other daddy is?" Joshua turned to the grown-ups and looked at them. "Do you know who your other daddy is, Joshua?" one of the men, who he remembered was called Charles or something like that, asked. He actually spoke quite nicely and Joshua could tell he was really curious. The boy thought before replying.

"I can't answer that" he said in a serious, sad voice.

"Do you mean that you can't tell us who it is or you can't tell us that you know?" the man continued.

"I don't know what to say to explain" Joshua then said, aware that the man was asking difficult questions and unsure how to answer them. Then he felt his daddy Apollo in his head and in his mouth and he spoke but it wasn't him, it was daddy Apollo. "You see, even if I did know who my other daddy was, you would have to ask daddy Gabe to tell you because if he can't then I can't." He felt daddy Apollo's smile then he left and gave him his voice back.

"But whoever it is" Joshua then said to the grown-ups, using his voice himself again, "I'm sure he's lovely and very nice and he must love daddy Gabe very much because they've made babies." And all the grown-ups laughed and daddy Gabe turned pink and laughed and in the silence of his head Joshua could hear his daddy Apollo laughing too. "Thank you, little one, thank you" daddy Apollo whispered in his mind, "I couldn't have said it better myself."

A few evenings later, granddad James and granddad Mike came to visit. Joshua was excited to see them and finally have someone else to talk to about his daddy Apollo. They arrived after supper, lifting a small case into the apartment and Josh ran over and jumped into granddad Mike's arms. "Hiya!" he yelled.

"Hiya, sweetie" granddad Mike said, hugging him. "Why are you so excited?" he asked as he let him down, shut the door and pulled his coat off.

"'Cos I can tell you about my daddy Apollo" Joshua said, "and I've been waiting for you to come so I could talk to you about him and he's really great and he reads me stories and plays on my Xbox and everything and I did prayers in the temple with him and I've got two swords now!" Joshua said excitedly, stumbling over his words in an effort to get them out.

"Whoa, calm down" granddad James laughed, "and take a breath or something! So he told you then? You weren't too upset were you?"

Joshua shook his head. "No, it was great, I've got two daddies like normal and it's all lovely" he explained. "And he explained why he kept it secret and why I've got to, I want to be normal and not looked at like I'm strange like people would if they knew daddy Apollo was my daddy."

James smiled at Gabriel who was stood just near the door. "You bearing up?" he asked, then looked closer. "You're gestating again" he said, grinning, having just noticed the white bubble and filaments grafted onto his stomach. Gabriel grinned back. "Yeah" he said, holding his hands over the bubble. Joshua was excited and said, "granddad James, daddy Apollo's got a bubble exactly the same as daddy Gabe so I'm getting two new brothers!"

Gabriel choked, coughed and giggled. "Er, yeah, not quite how I wanted to tell you" he smiled, "but yeah, we're both emergent. It helps that Apollo can be omnipresent" he finished.

Just then Apollo walked through from the kitchen. "We've saved you some supper" he said softly. Mike's and James' eyes went wide and James almost instinctively began to fall to his knees but Gabriel stopped him and held him up. "When we're at home he's the same as Luke or Greg or Henry, dad James" he said in a soft but stern voice. James swallowed and looked spooked but nevertheless managed to stay standing. Joshua smiled at him then ran over to Apollo and jumped into his arms and kissed him. "Will you tell me Jack and the Beanstalk again tonight daddy Apollo?" he asked. Apollo laughed. "Your daddy Gabe loved that story too" he said. "Do you want me to make pictures to go with it too?"

"Yeah!" Joshua said, then continued, "only don't make the giant so scary tonight."

"But he is a scary giant, he can eat people" Apollo said. Joshua frowned at him. "But daddy Apollo, just because someone can eat people it doesn't mean they're scary. I mean, you're not scary." Apollo kissed the boy's forehead. "Yeah but there's a difference, I would never do that, little one, I'd never want to scare anyone but the giant enjoys being scary." He grinned. "But if you insist I'll make him a little bit less scary, just for you. I love you Josh" he finished and Josh looked up and smiled. "I love you too daddy Apollo" he replied before yawning widely.

"Right, come on" daddy Gabe interrupted, "now you've seen your granddads it's time for bed. You can play some games with them after school tomorrow, they'll still be here" he reminded the small boy. Daddy Apollo winked at him. "And I saw that wink, no taking him off flying anywhere tonight, how you expect him to sleep with these sorts of adventures at bedtime I've no idea!" Gabriel said to Apollo.

"But I was going to take him to see" Apollo protested. Gabriel, now stood near to him, cut his words off with a kiss. "No buts. A few illusions if you must but leave it at that, please?"

"Of course, my sweet" Apollo replied, returning the kiss before carrying a sleepy Joshua into his bedroom. "Night granddad Mike, night granddad James" he called out. "Night night Joshua" they both replied with a smile. Gabriel went into the kitchen, followed by his parents. "You want a cup of tea?" he asked, putting the kettle on. "Thanks, yeah" Mike said. His voice sounded a bit strangled. "What's up, dad Mike?" Gabriel asked him. "I don't know honey" he replied, "I mean, I've known for what, fourteen years or something, that your partner bond was with Apollo but I didn't expect you two to be so, I don't know, normal together. You act like a normal family."

"That's because we are" Gabriel replied emphatically. "And before you say anything, yeah, Apollo is divine and no, his divinity doesn't affect who we are as a couple. You and dad James treat each other as equals don't you?" Mike nodded. "And you love each other as equals don't you?" he nodded again, "and you both took an equal part in raising me and my brothers didn't you?" he asked and Mike nodded a third time. "Why did you expect Apollo and me to be any different? Look, dad Mike," he continued, "I know we have to keep things a secret but Apollo and I spoke about it and we decided that we wanted you to see us as we are in private, see us as a proper family. We felt it'd help Joshua, he's so nervous about being Apollo's son and it worries him that one of his daddies has to have sacrifices rather than food, he's been having nightmares about it but he won't actually admit what's scaring him."

"Gabe, how do you know, if he won't admit it?" Mike asked. Gabe blushed. "Er, Joshua's slightly telepathic, a gift from his other daddy. It's only started developing recently, he had to learn how to use it pretty quickly to talk to Apollo in public and it's kind of snowballed and he's begun projecting his dreams. The first time it happened it took Apollo ages to calm us both down and explain but now it's getting a bit easier, I can kind of recognise what are his thoughts and what are mine. Oh, yeah, `cos you're both blood relatives you might sense him too so if you wake up feeling like a terrified five year old it's probably not your dream, okay?"

They nodded, both a little nervous themselves and tucked into the food and drink they were offered, welcome sustenance after their drive. Apollo joined them after a few minutes and Gabriel hugged him and kissed his cheek. "Another wonderful meal as always" he smiled. "You know, for someone who doesn't eat you're a remarkably good cook."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it" Apollo replied, then smiled at a still awe-struck Mike and James. "You two calming down yet or do you still have the urge to fall to your knees?" he chuckled. Gabriel mock-punched him on his shoulder and said, "I asked you not to make fun of them. Come on, play nice, please?" Apollo smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry Mike, James, I know this must be hard for you." He paused. "For you, especially, Mike. I hope you're not too disturbed that I lied to Joshua earlier?"

"Erm, what?" Mike stuttered. Apollo shrugged. "He was talking about the giant in Jack and the beanstalk and I told him I'd never eat a person. I know I didn't, not technically anyway but you did die and give me your life so that I had the strength to return." Mike's heart started pounding and his breath came in gasps as he the full truth of who he sat at dinner with hit him. "Mike, you know who and what I am" Apollo continued in a soft voice. "I live off the lives offered to me. Yes, I can return them, should I choose to but I can't do without them. I don't know whether any of you ever realised but I was only moments away from ceasing to exist that day when you came to the temple. It took all my strength to form the cloud that hid you and if you hadn't offered your life I would have died. Mike" he continued, seeing that the man was still confused and afraid, "imagine only being able to eat food if someone else lifts it to your lips. That's what my existence is like. And though the animals are perfectly sufficient to sustain me the only thing that was big enough to drag me back from oblivion was a human death. You know," he smiled faintly, "I can never thank you enough for what you did for me."

"Lord" James began but Apollo held his hand up. "James, I'm playing mortal tonight. Call me Apollo, please? And that goes for any other time when you see me solid by Gabriel's or Joshua's or my other son's sides, call me Apollo. I'm lord in the temple, I'm lord when you worship me or pray to me or sacrifice to me but here, with my family, I'm just Apollo, daddy to my sons and partner to your son. Please?"

"Apollo" James swallowed and nodded. "I can't remember what I wanted to ask" he admitted after a moment, looking up sheepishly. Everyone laughed. "You were going to ask what would have happened had you been any later coming back to the temple" Apollo said after a moment. "And I'll answer, what would have happened, simply nothing. You would have prayed for hours or days and nothing would have happened, nothing at all. And you would have ended up worshipping the creator and not me."

"The creator?" Mike asked.

"Come on Michael, you worshipped him for the first fifty years of your life. Jehovah" Apollo answered, continuing, "I would have thought you'd have been able to answer that one yourself."

"Then he's real?" Mike gasped. "Yes, Michael, the creator is real" Apollo confirmed. "How do Christians say it in churches, he is maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible?"

"But lord, I mean, Apollo," he quickly corrected himself, "you're divine, you're a god" James objected, "I don't understand how." He stalled, not knowing how to put his thoughts into words.

"James, my high priest, yes I am a god. I can be omnipresent, I'm omniscient, I'm immortal, I can control light and heat and fire and physical matter in all its forms and I require worship in order to maintain my existence. By anyone's definition I am divine but James, I'm hardly the creator. To make everything that exists out of pure thought alone? Jehovah is out of my league. Why do you think I'm content to love and be loved within an ordinary family such as yours? I know my place, James and it's by Gabriel's side, with Joshua and my younger sons. I could never stand next to Jehovah, never, it's like comparing you to an ant or a flea, comparing me with him. Anyway" he finished, "enough of this morbid talk, it's distracting you from what you're really wondering."

"What's that, sweet?" Gabriel asked him.

"They're wondering about us both being emergent" he smiled. James chuckled. "Doesn't it bother you, Gabe, him knowing what you're thinking almost before you think it?" he asked. "I've had a long time to get used to it dad James" Gabriel smiled. "I think it used to bother me but not anymore. And anyway, he only second-guesses me when I get tongue-tied." James and Mike laughed. "You're perfect together, you two, aren't you?"

"Just like you two" Apollo smiled softly. "And about us both being emergent" he continued, "we're basically going to lie and tell everyone that Gabriel is bearing twins. You both will know the truth but we'll keep people from examining Gabriel's womb too closely and I'll make sure the births are close together and we'll raise the boys as twins."

"No spartan's ever carried twins to term" Mike objected. Apollo shrugged. "You mean, no spartan on record. There have been thousands of spartan births not recorded. It'll pass as rare but not impossible and people will see the children anyway so no one will be able to deny it."

"Who's going to be your birthing coach?" James asked. Apollo smiled. "We were hoping you would" he said. "I'm going to time it so Gabriel gives birth before me and use one of my alternative forms to support him whilst I leave a form and my son in bed. Then Gabriel can deliver my son afterwards. Will you James?" he asked.

"I'd be honoured" James smiled.