A/N: PLEASE READ!

Well my loves, it's been a wild ride, huh? Several months since I updated, please don't throw too many hard things at me at once, though I do deserve it. Part laziness/part family problems. It's been a rough few months, but I'm officially back. And I have more ideas than ever... but not for this story, however. This chapter is dedicated to all those who started with me back at the beginning and joined in a long the way, your reviews mean the world to me.

With no further ado, please enjoy the final installment in Amidst a War: Sequel to Taste of Curiosity.

(All reviewers who would like to, may subscribe to me or just request a notice in a review for when my next story begins -- next week most likely... or tomorrow... who knows... but I promise no more long breaks.)

I cannot remember anything for several days after passing out in the courtyard on Olympus, but in the week following the incident, my love did not leave my side, or do much of anything at all for that matter, except nurse me. He didn't speak much except to comfort me. I knew he now blamed himself. I told him it wasn't his fault and that he shouldn't be neglecting the dead, but he ignored me. Finally, I managed to stand again, granted with some heavy leaning on his shoulder, but I was up. His face remained blank, hiding whatever he was feeling.

Over the next few days, I was walking again and quite happy to be up and about. We went to the dome room with the flowers from wall to wall. We walked for a while and then I began to tell the story of everything that happened the previous week, up until I had found him and blacked out.

"You managed to trick a titan." It was a statement. I nodded. Then, when his lips twitched at the corners, I laughed and smiled brilliantly. He responded with a soft curve of his lips. It was the first smile, albeit subtle, I had seen since I had first woken after being brought back home.

We walked together for a while longer, he had his arm securely wrapped around me, a hand on my hip, and I had my right arm on his back My left hand held a daisy carelessly, at ease.

We fell asleep in the flowers, although I suspect my love stayed up long after I fell asleep on his chest and watched me, he had been doing that a lot lately. He shook me gently awake, whispering my name softly. I blinked and sat up quickly, looking around sloe eyed. I yawned loudly and stretched then turned back to him. I was sitting on his legs and felt him vibrating as he laughed at me.

"I am surprised you did not wake before, the Underworld has been calling to us for some time now. Apparently we have a visitor in the throne room." I sighed and lay back on top of him.

"Tell them to go away..." I grumbled. He chuckled and stood, pulling me up with him.

"Come, we'll get more appropriately dressed and go and see to them, then quickly retire and go back to bed."

"Mmmm, I love it when you talk like that." I stifled another yawn and shook my head awake. I noticed instantly that something was different, my hair was nearly a half a foot longer, now down to my shoulder blades. I had not even noticed it before, but it had grown so much in not even a month, I thought aloud that it really was amazing the things that just continued to happen to me. I laughed and we walked back to our rooms.

I changed out of my simple white chemise and into a magenta dress that just came to my ankles. I turned to find my husband right behind me. He smiled, now wearing fresh black robes – the only difference being the now clean musk smell, and tucked a yellow flower behind my ear, brushing his fingers against my hair with a smile. "I won't cut it again." I reassured him. He merely nodded.

"I know, there will never again be an occasion to." I kissed him lightly. Then just as I leaned back he seized the sides of my face, gently but fiercely and kissed me deeply. I melted.

Finally, we reached the throne room. The door swung open to reveal–

"SURPRISE!"

I squeaked and hid my face in my love's chest in shock, before slowly pulling away to look around the vast hall. The entire hall was decorated beautifully and there was food and suddenly music and laughing. Every god and goddess from Olympus had turned up for my party that I had forgotten I was hosting. Only a mystery mask ball would have made it better, but it was incredible as it was.

My mother rushed over to me in an instant and I was enveloped in her arms. Several tears ran down my face, while her own tears gushed over her cheeks onto mine. She finally pulled back to wipe her face, then, with a smile, my own. She kissed my cheeks repeatedly then hugged me once more. I had missed her, no matter what, she will always be my mother.

"Mama." She finally released me, while still holding my hands in hers. My love touched my back.

"Dearest," He only calls me 'flower' when we're alone, "I will greet our guests, you should be with your mother." I smiled up at him and when I looked back, my mother smiled a tight-lipped smile and nodded at him.

We sat on a bench, now covered in gold fabric and cushions for the party, and talked. I once again relayed the story, although she was not nearly as amused as my husband. "You were in a she-titan's mind?! Persephone you have to be more careful!" I didn't even care at that moment and just smiled and nodded and hugged her some more.

Zeus approached and asked my mother for a dance, a small dance floor had formed while we had been talking. She began to decline but I accepted for her and gently pushed her up. "It's been too long since you danced, Mama." She made a sour face and huffed a sigh, but I knew she was secretly pleased. As they spun away to the floor, I stood and walked along the curved circular wall watching. Eros waved, but was quickly engaged by several of the muses, all giggling and flirting. I laughed at him. I continued walking and greeted many people who had come.

Adonis and Aphrodite were smiling at each other and dancing. Hephaestus was sitting with Hestia to the side of the room talking contentedly. Hera was lecturing Hermes, although good natured about it, he seemed to be staying out of the limelight as much as possible today.

An arm twisted around from behind me and pulled me onto the dance floor and I was spun around in a smiling gasp. When I looked up into the face of the God of War, my smile quavered. "So, how goes the slaughter above?" Seeing my expression he smiled, a bit condescendingly.

"Ah, little princess," I scowled at his nickname but continued dancing, "While you recovered the war was resolved. But I won't bore you with the details, this is such a splendid dance, is it not?"

Teasingly, he indicated the other couples, who had moved closer to each other as the dance's steps required. I raised an eyebrow, "Are you quite sure you want to tread this territory again, my lord?" He faltered for a fraction of a second as I smirked.

"That smirk is just like his you know... it's uncanny. And I do believe you're being corrupted." As Aries spun me around, a long-fingered hand touched his shoulder.

"And I believe I will cut in now. I would like this dance with my wife." Aries smiled and handed me over, then just before he walked away, leaned in to kiss my cheek and wink at Hades. I laughed at his teasing but was quickly pulled close to my love's familiar body and turned away onto the dance floor.

One hand placed very low on my back sent little shivers up my spine, the other was clasped around my fingers. I bit back a gasp, and shifted my free hand up as high as I could on his arm, since I was too short to reach his neck. He leaned down to my ear as we moved and whispered, "So, my flower, do you think that you are being corrupted?"

I purred back, "I don't know, I think I might like to be though." He raised an eyebrow and pulled back.

"Do you have a specific person in mind for this task?"

"Only my wickedly handsome and evilly charming husband."

"Ah, and where would he be at this moment?"

I smiled, "I don't know, but while he's not around, perhaps you could aid in my corruption?"

He smiled wanly then softening his tone said, "Perhaps we should save corruption games for when you are feeling better, my flower." In response I beckoned him down to me. He bent and I leaned up to his ear. His robes flowed and hid me as I pressed, rather hard against him and ground my hips. In his ear I hissed one word.

"Now."

At that second, a spirit flew in through the doors and sought us out. "My lord and lady, there is an urgent problem in the Elysian Fields, please come right away." The other gods had stopped to watch. My love pulled me against his side and boomed, "We must go, business cannot wait. Please enjoy the rest of the party and feel free to get out whenever is convenient. We will see you all on Olympus in a few days for the end of the war celebration." With that, he spun me closer and we disappeared.

When we reappeared it was in our bedroom and he was hungrily kissing me. I returned his passion fervently and quickly tugged off his outer robe. He did the same to my dress, leaving me in only a thin white shift. As he pulled back to look at me I turned and ran away to the far side of the room. He growled. "Flower, you must realize that that will not get you away from me..." I smiled and continued to run, jumping over the bed as he began to pursue me on long striding legs. I danced around the table and nearly screamed as he leapt over it, picked me up and slung me over his shoulder, walking back over to the bed. "If you attempt that again, my love, we will not be in so comfortable a position when I take you. The bed is best."

I hadn't realized I had voice my insolent thought of, "Comfort is boring." But he reminded me of that thought repeatedly through the evening and on into the night.

Finally, when we had ended up back in the bed, and had established that nothing was boring when I was with him, a sudden thought struck my head and I sat up, wincing, though not from pain.

"But what about the problem in the Elysian Fields?"

When he responded with a smirk, "What problem?" Then I knew that my corruption was complete, and giggled happily as he pulled me back down to him. For what could be better than yet another taste of curiosity, so long as he was my fascination?

A/N: The War this story was Amidst of is over. And so is this story. I must say I am truly sad it is finished. I do not currently think I will be writing anymore of this one anytime soon. However, if you would like to hear another of my versions of this myth, I have a steamier retelling coming in a week or so. Titled 'Fascination'.