Chapter 194 - Racing forward

"So, what have the two of you decided?" Poseidon asked as he walked into the kitchen of the suite, Shelly following closely behind him.

Jos still sat with her legs folded under her. Her eyes moved from Arei's to the two individuals now standing in the small, conjoined room. "I want to move forward with this. Arei suggested we wait until after my first hearing, but knowing what the most likely outcome will be, I thought it best that we start now." She bowed her head slightly to the sea god. "We will follow your advice on moving ahead."

Poseidon chuckled as his eyes moved from the slightly bowed silver strands of Jos's head to his son's troubled and irritated expression. "Well, I can definitely tell this was your idea verses my son's. He would never trust my opinion on such matters. In fact, he has always made it a point to do the complete opposite of anything I ever suggest... unless I demand it."

Arei rolled his eyes. "I agreed to hear what you have to say, I didn't say I would go along with it."

Poseidon shrugged. "Fair enough." He retrieved two drinks from the fridge. "Um... How do you drink this?" He asked Shelly.

Jos pushed up from the sofa and walked over to the kitchen. She took a straw from one of the drawers and held her hand out for the can. "All you have to do is put this in the can and set it down for her." Jos informed.

Poseidon smiled as he watched her. He handed her his drink before turning and taking another. "So, my dear, what ideas do you have... other than timing?"

She glanced back to Arei. "I'm not sure. I... I thought I'd hear what you had to say first."

He nodded. "Alright." He took the can with the straw from Jos and walked over to the armchair and sat down. Tossing a cushion onto the floor beside him, he placed the can in front of it and waited until Shelly had settled before he popped open his own drink.

Jos held the drink up to Arei. "Would you like one? I believe I'll start those teas tonight."

Arei frowned at the mention of the tea. "Sure, I'll take it... Are you sure you don't want to wait to drink the tea? What if it keeps you up all night?"

Jos shook her head. "Stop trying to talk me out of it. This is happening whether you like it or not."

Poseidon chuckled, hiding is wide smile behind the brim of the can. "It's always a great day when your most defiant son meets his match. How does it feel, Son?"

Arei narrowed his eyes, "Aren't you supposed to be working out this all-wins plan of yours?"

Poseidon's smile faded. He set his drink down and began stroking Shelly's head. As a second thought, he turned his attention to the wolf as he stilled his hand. "I'm sorry child, I keep forgetting you're a person under all that fur. Is it alright that I pet you?"

Shelly arched a wolfish brow. She'd gotten so used to everyone petting her, she hadn't even though it odd at this point. She nodded her head in approval.

His tight expression softened, and he let out a breath. "Ah, thank you child. I had worried you'd refuse. I find the act somewhat soothing is all." He turned his attention back to the other side of the room where Arei watched intensely as Jos sat down beside him with a small coffee cup full of hot water. Both men and the wolf's eyes followed the seed as it was dropped into the cup. They all watched as the seed began to blossom in silence until it had finally blossomed into a magnificent white flower. "Well, drink up dear. The sooner that is in your system the less of a worry Zeus's tricks become... and I'm rather curious how fast it works on those lost memories." He winked at Arei as he said the last part.

"Get on with it, Father." Arei growled in irritation.

He held Arei's gaze in a heated stare as he ran his fingers through Shelly's fur. "As I've said, the longer the claim takes to process the greater chance of interference. I propose the two of you announce that you are in fact together, that you've been together since Florida secretly as to not upset the kid, but that he found out the night of the fight and was angry... That will clear the kid from all this mess and with any luck keep him from this building until everything is finished including the trials." His eyes shifted to Jos. "It will also keep you from facing harsher punishments because of your involvement with the kid along with helping the claim go through ten times faster. Agreed?"

Jos sent Arei a questioning look. "What do you think?"

Arei searched her eyes before finally letting out a heavy sigh. "What the two of you are asking of me is absolute torment. What am I... we to do? Pretend we are in a relationship? Then what happens after?"

Jos shrugged. "I honestly don't know. I stand by my word that I'll not abandon Russ. If he willingly chooses his people as I've begged him to consider many times before then maybe, we could give this thing we have a second try... once my memories return..." She shook her head. "But as I said, until then... until I know how I felt and how I feel... I can't give you a straightforward answer. Russ," She turned her attention to Shelly and nodded toward her. "And Shelly both will always be part of any future I have regardless of the capacity."

Arei nodded. "I understand that. I've done more than my fair share of dealing with the boy and I would rather cut off my right arm than turn my back on Shelly." He smiled toward her. "I mean unless she's just as mouthy as her brother in human form." He sent her a wink. He couldn't help the burst of laughter at the wolf's indignant expression.

Jos giggled. "I mean, she can be a handful in her own ways, that's for sure." She patted Arei's shoulder. "Say goodbye to all your favorite tee shirts once she shifts back."

Arei pointed a finger at her. "Now listen here, take any of them you want except my punny horse one!"

Jos arched a brow. "Punny? Horse shirt?"

Arei turned toward her and nodded. "Yes, you got a problem with that?"

She laughed, "Maybe. I just can't see you wearing something with silly sayings on it."

He shrugged. "It was a gift from my sister several years back."

Poseidon smiled. "I'm not sure which gives worse gifts Cheri or Ry." He shook his head in mock disapproval. "You wouldn't believe some of the gifts I've gotten from the two of them over the years." He shook his head. "Anyway, back on task. I really don't see that what I ask of the two of you be any different than what you already seem to have. I just ask that you continue the way you do normally. I doubt there will be any question to the authenticity of your words after the other night's... events..." He focused his attention on Arei. "After what you did in front of most of the council, I doubt there will be any question of your feelings." He crossed his leg over one knee. "I will begin the paperwork first thing when I get back to the palace, in the meantime you will probably do well to inform your brothers of this plan. See if you can talk him into meeting you outside the Embassy once he and that kid leave Calypso's island. Peg and Andy can help you guys choose a location that will increase chances of some of the council seeing you. We need to show a united front right now for everyone involved."

Jos nodded. "We will call them as soon as you leave."

Poseidon shook his head. "There's no need to wait. If you'd like to go ahead and call now. Ry may have some helpful ideas he could also add to this plan."

Arei pulled out his phone and called Ry. The phone was answered on the fifth ring.

[Ry here, this better be important!] Ry barked into the phone in a huff. He seemed out of breath.

Arei's eyes widened in surprise as he switched the call over to speaker. He could hear the running of several feet in the background and a lot of other noises. "Ry? What in the world is going on?"

[Ah, you know trying to escape a cursed island filled with f.u.c.k.i.n.g monsters trying to eat our asses... the usual.] Ry bit out sarcastically in a pant. "Faster or we're both going to become monster chow!" Ry shouted away from the phone. [What do you need, man? I'm kinda in the middle of something.]

Poseidon arched his brows toward the phone. He uncrossed his legs and before his foot could touch the floor he'd disappeared. Before Arei even had time to answer the two sets of questioning eyes staring at him, Poseidon had already reappeared with Ry and Russ both in tow. Russ still looked terrified and was still fighting against the grip on his arm.

"F.u.c.k! The hell!?" He growled as he struggled away from Poseidon.

Poseidon shrugged as he sat back down in his chair. "Seemed like you boys needed help, and we needed to speak with the both of you... this way seemed more efficient."

Ry dusted off his clothes as he nodded in agreement. "Anything you all could be up to has to be better than that damnable island."

"We were discussing the best ways to go about Poseidon claiming me for his court... and I'm drinking lotus tea that should help restore my memories." Jos added as she lifted the cup in her hand.

Ry arched a brow as he glanced around the room. "On second thought I'd rather be eaten..." He said as he automatically flung out a hand to stop Russ from moving forward in any dumb move he could cook up on the fly.

Russ pushed his hand away as he turned toward the kitchen. He grabbed a bottle of water and chugged it before taking out another and doing the same. "It's fine, I have no fight left in me right now."

Ry rolled his eyes. "Good... because if this conversation is about to take the turn, I think it is..."

Arei lifted his hand to stop his brother. He quickly laid out the plan they had been working on. "So basically, all we need from you guys is one brunch tomorrow around noon, one o'clock at a local area where some of the council member like to take lunch to show we are all on the same side of this." His eyes bore into Russ. "All of us..."

Russ snarled his lip. "I don't see that I have much choice, now do I?"

Arei shook his head. "No, you don't, and you'll do well to remember that. If you have any feelings outside of your c.o.c.k for Jos, you'll do this to help her." He took Jos's hand and squeezed it. "This idea could help her with the trials, where your interference and recent acts have only hurt her."

Russ's snarl grew as he pushed away from the bar and began walking toward the living room and toward Arei. Poseidon quickly lifted his hand and pressed his middle finger and thumb together. "One snap and you'll be ruling your kingdom as a Pomeranian for the rest of your life."

Russ's attention turned to Poseidon as he froze in his steps. He narrowed his eyes on the god, but when the man didn't back down, Russ decided too instead. He flopped down into one of the bar stools. "So... what else?"

Poseidon smiled as he lowered his hand. "I will meet you all at the café with the first of the doc.u.ments tomorrow. Until then Ry, you and the boy can come spend the night at the palace with me." He pushed himself up from the chair and walked over to Jos. Taking the now empty teacup from her hand, he asked. "Has anything began to come back, dear?"

Jos shook her head. "Not yet... is it supposed to work so suddenly?" She tilted her head studying the man. A flash of the man in a white toga shot through her mind. She shook her head to dislodge the image. Was it a memory or just her mind thinking about what he could have worn in earlier years?

Poseidon studied her for a few seconds. "I'm sure they will begin to come back soon enough." He bent and kissed her forehead. "Until tomorrow, Dear." He walked over and gave Shelly a goodbye pat. "Until tomorrow, Little one." He said before turning to Ry and Russ. "Ready?"

Russ stood and began to protest, but Ry grabbed him by the front of the shirt. "Yes, we are." Poseidon reached out and touched both of them.

Jos watched as all three disappeared as quickly as they had appeared. Shelly shook her head in surprise before standing and walking over to Jos. "Are you going back to bed?" Jos asked the wolf, knowing she would have to be tired by now. When the wolf nodded, Jos bent and gave her a kiss on the head. "Alright I'll be in there in a bit." She watched as the wolf nudged Arei's leg and he gave her a good night pat. After the wolf disappeared down the hall, Jos turned her attention back to Arei. "I know you're not happy about this... but..."

Arei turned toward her, taking both her hands that were resting on her lap into his. "It's not that I'm upset about this or anything... it's just..." He sighed. "Jos I've had to stand by while you and the kid had your fun... This is going to be hard for me, is all." He moved a hand to her cheek. "You have to understand, asking me to do this will only make it harder for me to push down and mask my feelings for you. I'm not sure how many times I can let you go... even if this time it is only for pretend." He bent and placed a light kiss to her forehead before releasing her and standing. He held his hand out for her and waited until she took it. "I'll walk you to your room, if you'd like... but then I'm going to sit up and do some work."

Jos stared up at him for several long minutes as she considered his words and her options. "Or I could stay up with you for a while longer while you work..."

He ran his hand through his hair as he looked her over. She was still wearing the business casual dress she'd been wearing when they had left this morning for their adventures... before the curse had caused her so much trouble. He finally let out a heavy sigh. "No, you should get changed and rest. It's been a trying day for all of us. I need time to come up with a plan of action and possibly make some phone calls."

Jos frowned as she nodded her head and pushed herself up to standing beside him. "I see... Even in this you plan on keeping me in the dark." She moved to walk around him, but he caught her arm.

"Jos, look at me." His eyes bore down into hers as he pulled her closer. "I'm not trying to keep you in the dark, not this time nor any other time to come... but you have to understand this is going to be incredibly hard on me." He leaned forward resting his forehead against hers. "It is everything in me right now not to lift you into my arms and continue where we left off earlier... where we left off 520 years ago." He released her arm and stroked his hand across the sharp outline of her jaw before letting it fall away from her. "Trust me when I say, it would be better for you to go to your room and not stay in this room or any other alone with me tonight."

Jos swallowed hard as she continued to stare up at him in shock. "I..."

Arei shook his head. "Not tonight, Kitten." He whispered lifting his palm to her face and running his thumb over the swell of her bottom lip. He let his pointer finger trail down her narrow throat, over her collar bone, then over her shoulder and down her arm, before lifting her hand to his lips and kissing it. "Go to bed."

She forced a nod and quickly jerked away and all but ran down the hall without looking back.