Sons of Sparta - A Story of the Spartans, Book 3
(inspired by the story 'Spartan' parts 1 through 4)
by argouru
Note: All credit for the creation of the Spartans and Amazons, as well as the Spartan mythos belongs to the author 'CF', to whom I owe special thanks for his allowing me to write about these incredible people.
WARNING: Portions of this installment of the series includes a section regarding mental illness.
Two days later at the temple, John received an invitation from Walter and his partner Dennis to join them for afternoon tea. John couldn't understand what was so important about drinking iced tea, but accepted the invitation anyways. He arrived at Dennis' office at three to find the couple set up with cookies with an actual teapot and cups.
"Ah! John..." Dennis said in his ever-cheerful manner. "Glad you could make it. Please! Come in!"
Isn't it illegal for someone to be that cheerful all the time? John thought to himself as he entered, barely able to keep his thought from showing. He liked Dennis well enough, but for someone to be that cheerful all the time was so unnatural to him that he always felt awkward around the man. He entered and sat down in the offered chair. "Thanks for inviting me," he said graciously.
"Well you're family of sorts," Walter said congenially. "Now that we're a part of Sam and Daniel's extended family. It's only right to spend more time getting to know you... As well as to offer potential congratulations."
John scowled. "Does everyone on the whole damned planet know everything about my life?" he asked sourly, making his hosts' smiles falter. He sighed. "Sorry, that came out a lot bitchier than I meant it to. It's just that I came from a really nasty family who never shared anything unless it was to hurt someone, so all of this everyone being involved in my business is still really strange to me."
"Well, allowances must be made, of course," Walter said, pouring tea from the pot into John's cup. "Feel free to add milk and sugar to suit your taste."
John mixed in small amounts of each, slowly learning his ideal levels of them in his tea to make it enjoyable to him. "So what's this about?" he asked, gesturing at the setup.
"Tea," Dennis answered, "is a British custom. It's an afternoon respite from the stresses of the day and allows a person to unwind a bit. You just sit, relax, eat, drink and talk of simple things to take your mind off your troubles. Walter's done it all his life and I adopted the practice a few months after we met. It's actually very soothing."
"Biscuit?" Walter said to John, waving a hand at the tray of assorted sweat treats.
John frowned. "Where? I only see cookies..." he said, looking over the tray.
Walter's reaction surprised him. The Brit sighed in disgust and glared at him suspiciously. "Did Sam put you up to that?"
"What?" John responded in confusion. "Put me up to what? What are you talking about?"
"Dear," Dennis said, placing a soothing hand on Walter's shoulder. "John doesn't seem to understand British terminology, is all. I don't think he meant anything by it." He turned to his fellow human kindly. "Biscuit is the British term for cookies. They don't ever eat the things that you and I would call biscuits."
"Oh, sorry," John apologized, taking a chocolate chip cookie from the tray and wondering silently why English people used the word that way. Finally, he shrugged mentally and let the matter drop. Walter seemed to accept his apology and let it go as well.
"So," Dennis said after a few minutes of idle chatter. "Are you ready to become a father?"
"I don't know," John said slowly with uncertainty.
"Well," Walter said gently. "It can be a big decision."
"It's just..." John began, but trailed off.
"Just what?" Dennis asked kindly in a gentle manner.
John sighed. "I don't know the first thing about babies, for starters... And what the fuck do I know about healthy families, anyways?"
"Well," Walter replied slowly. "Fortunately you're bonded into the single largest Spartan family ever heard of, so you'll have father-in-laws with loads of experience. Also, Henry helped to deliver and raise all of his brothers, save the twins. There will be no lack of experience for you to draw upon."
"As for the second matter," Dennis added kindly. "I know that you'll make a wonderful father, John. Lord Apollo wouldn't have bonded you to Henry if you were unfit to be a parent. I had some doubts as to my own suitability as a parent at first, but things have worked out very nicely. Our sons Riley and Dennis Junior are very well adjusted boys and get along with us and each other wonderfully. You should have a little more faith in yourself."
"I don't know..." John replied more to himself than to them. "I grew up with some very nasty people. I don't think that after a childhood like that kind that I'm the best person to raise kids."
Dennis noted that John had placed his right hand on top of his left. "Was it really that bad?" he asked.
"Yeah," John said softly. "I don't like to dwell on it much."
Dennis noted with shock that John's right thumb had begun to stroke the scar on his left wrist absentmindedly, so he rapidly turned the conversation to lighter matters. John left some time later, still unsure as to whether or not to have children with Henry...
It was Friday evening, just at John's quitting time. He had been debating for the four days since Henry had first awoken Emergent. The Spartan had taken to meditating a few times a day to keep his emotions under control, but had still snapped at John occasionally. It was seeing the look of fear in his human partner's eyes that made Henry relax and feel guilty at causing his partner to grow afraid of him. He resolved to meditate even more often.
John, in the meantime, had frustrations of his own. Shortly after he had moved in with Henry, he had bought a workout bench and weights so as to build muscle, tone his body and increase both his strength and endurance in hopes of coming as close as he could to being more like his partner. Unfortunately, John had been unable to develop the well-defined muscles that Spartans had, as his body stubbornly refused to bend itself into the look he desired to have. There were a good number of human men who looked as well defined as any Spartan, but John, to his sorrow, seemed to be one of the men who could not.
It wasn't just Henry and John's Spartan coworkers who he envied. He'd always liked well-muscled men and now that he was free of his depression, he felt motivated to try to make himself into the man he had always longed to be. However, his efforts seemed doomed to failure. Having lost hope, the workout set had begun to gather dust as he had stopped using it.
He knelt in prayer, his mind abuzz with various thoughts. He couldn't get past his inferiority complex towards Spartans, as well as his feelings that he himself should be a better person than he was, but was unable to become what he wished. Now he was faced with the single most important decision of his life and still couldn't make up his mind.
"Lord Apollo," he said listlessly. "Hear my prayers and be with me. Watch over my new family and friends and keep them safe." He stopped then, uncertain as to whether or not to continue.
John, please ask, Apollo's voice spoke within his head. I am always here for My worshippers in their times of need, no matter the problems they face. You may always ask of Me what you will, even if it is merely advice.
"Do... Do You think I'd make a decent father?" John asked nervously.
Yes, I believe you would.
"But I don't know hardly anything about a happy family. Nine months of good times after twenty five years of horror isn't enough to teach me how to be a good parent."
Well, you never knew your father, but I'm sure that you must have imagined what he would have been like. Just ask yourself what you think makes a person a good, loving parent and try to be like that. Fatherhood is not easy, John. Take it from someone who knows.
"But what if I screw up with the boy?"
Apollo chuckled. I hate to break it to you, John, but no one is the perfect parent. We all make mistakes, but the important thing is how you handle the situation when you do make a mistake. If you can learn from your mistakes and work to make things right afterwards, you'll do just fine. As long as you love your children and balance discipline with respect for them as well as love and compassion, you'll be a wonderful father.
"You really think so?"
Yes. I honestly believe that you would make a very good father. Never having had anyone you wanted to be your father, I am certain that you must have thought about what your own father would have been like. Simply try to be to your own child what you wish your own father had been like. As I said, balance discipline with love and guidance and you will do fine.
"Thank you," John said, feeling much better than he had.
Is there... Anything else you wish to ask of Me?
John thought for the briefest of moments on what he truly wanted, but couldn't bring himself to ask it. "No, that's all of it."
John, you know you can ask Me anything... Are you sure-?
"No," John said quickly, interrupting the divine being. "No, that's it. I should get going, Henry will start to worry if I'm not home soon and what with his mood-swings from the Emergence, keeping him calm is a really good idea. Good night, Lord."
Good night, John, Apollo said in a tone heavy with disappointment.
Apollo stood there and watched invisibly as John rose, saluted with his blade, then sheathed it and left the altar chamber. He felt a deep sense of regret at John's attitude. What he wanted deep down inside was no bad thing, but the man would never bring himself to ask. Apollo felt a deep level of sadness at that. He had hoped that John would be willing to talk to him, but his path was set and unalterable.
Why does he have to be so stubborn? Apollo asked Himself. That stubbornness is exactly why he's going to die.
The god stood there, watching the mortal go and feeling sad as he watched the man leave the chamber...
The next day, John was at the laundry room of the apartment complex. As the apartments had no individual laundry facilities, there were two buildings devoted to the cleaning of clothing that were filled with coin-operated machines to wash and dry peoples' things. John started up the washer with his work robes, grateful that the temple's seamstress Nancy had possessed the foresight to make all the robes for the temple staff machine-washable. She didn't even have to vomit pea soup to be possessed with the idea, John thought to himself with humor. Sam had loaned him a few classic horror movies, one of them being 'The Exorcist'. It had been an interesting movie, if rather hokey in its premise.
He sighed as he leaned back against the wall, enjoying the peace of the moment. Henry was being incredibly grumpy today as the pain in his filaments and his hormone-driven emotions were making him rather pissy. John only hoped that the moodiness would pass soon. As much as he loved the guy, Henry was being rather frustrating. It was only offering to do Henry's clothes as well that had made the Spartan calm down some. Why does he have to be so damned moody? So he's in a little pain... That doesn't have to make him act so crabby. It couldn't possibly hurt that badly!
Sighing with disgust at the Spartan's behavior, John walked out to the vending machine and paid the two dollars for a twenty-ounce Coke and paused when he heard a child laughing. Curious, he looked over to the nearby playground where a man and boy were playing with plastic pistols and acting like they were in a shoot out with each other. The boy looked to be young, just short of entering school and was running around, giggling hysterically as he played with his father. John stood there and watched the two of them, both seeming to be having the time of their lives.
As they played, John began to wonder what it would be like to have a child of his own. He could very easily become the father playing with his own son, if he was willing to. Henry wanted a son and everyone, even Lord Apollo, thought that John was fit to be a parent. *I never knew my dad, but Apollo's right. I have wondered what he would have been like. I know he wouldn't have been the way I wish he'd been, but he didn't even care enough to stick around... If I did become a dad myself, I'm sure I would try my best to be a good dad... A loving one. The kind I never got to have... *
Once the laundry was finished, he returned to the apartment to find Henry in a calmer mood. The Spartan was laying sideways along the couch and watching an old black and white scifi movie on TV, something about an old rocket flying through space. He sat down on the floor near Henry's head and leaned back. He was surprised when his partner's hand began to stroke his short dark hair.
"Sorry I've been such an asshole lately," Henry apologized softly.
"It really hurts you that much, having your filaments out?"
"They're made entirely of raw nerve endings, so yeah. It's pretty painful."
The movie went to commercial and John turned to face the man he loved. "I wish it didn't hurt you so much to be like this," he said softly.
"Me too."
"Henry... I've made up my mind," he began, looking the Spartan in the eyes...
Henry let out his ragged breath with a sigh as the pain finally began to fade. "I... I can't believe it hurt that much!" he gasped as John wiped the sweat from his face with a wash cloth.
"I can't believe it either. That looked really awful... I've never seen anyone go through something so painful before. Are you feeling any better?" John asked with concern.
"Yeah, it doesn't hurt as much now... The pain's fading bit by bit. I'll be okay."
"So did it work?" John asked. "Are you pregnant?"
"Gestant is the correct term... Turn the light up some and let's see. Just be careful of my stomach as you move, same as before."
John rose from the bed and went to move the dimmer switch for the overhead light up gradually. Once it was up enough to see without being too bright, he moved back to the bed to lay beside his partner as they both stared at the Spartan's torso in wonder. Settled directly over the navel was what looked to be a small whitish bubble about the size of a bottle cap. "So that's him, huh?" John asked, propping his head on his hand as he gazed at it.
"Yep, that's the start of our son. If all goes well, he'll be born in about nine months. John," he added, turning to his partner with moist eyes. "Thank you for saying yes. Deep down inside I always wanted to be a dad, but I didn't want to force you into it."
"I'm sorry it took me so long to make up my mind," John apologized.
"So what did make you decide?" Henry asked.
John sighed and rolled onto his back. "Everyone seems to believe I'd make a good parent. I never knew my father and never had any decent role-models, but I did often wonder what my dad would have been like. It was an idealized image, of course, but still... That's the kind of man I'll try to be for our son. I may not ever have a dad of my own, but I can be a good one for someone else. Give our son the kind of parents I never got to have for myself. I like the idea of being a dad, but still... I'll admit that I don't know the first thing about babies."
"Don't worry, John. You'll have me and our dads to help you out. They -are- your dads too now, you know. It's okay with them if you call them that. The whole family will chip in, even Fred, Ash and Will. It'll be good for them to see what it's like to gestate and raise a baby. You won't be going through this all alone, Beloved, so don't worry, alright?"
"Okay. Are you going to call around and give everyone the good news?"
Henry winced and shook his head gently. "I'll call them later, you'll get to call some of them too. For now, though, I need some rest."
"It -is- awfully late," John said, rising to get the light before returning to bed. He got as close to Henry as he safely could and kissed him deeply on the lips. "I love you, Guy."
"I love you too," Henry sighed, then they fell asleep together...