Got this fixed in the correct cross-over category now. A couple typo corrections but no storyline changes.

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Go For Launch

Hermes took a deep breath and tried to look as casual as possible as he walked over to the fountain where the Athena and Aphrodite were sitting once again. He leaned over, allowing his shoulder to brush up against Aphrodite's bare one as he held a golden dish before her. "Care for an olive?" She grunted thanks and blindly began popping them in her mouth. She finally registered the odd sensation on her shoulder and looked at him.

"What are you wearing?" Hermes smiled. He puffed out his chest and the stoked the lightning bolt in the center of his red Flash T-shirt.

"Oh, this? It's nothing. I just happen to be the inspiration for a superhero and I thought I'd show my support for the franchise." She stared at him. Athena laughed.

"Who doesn't have a superhero based off them? You don't see me running around with a golden lasso."

"Hermes! Go get me some more spanakopita." He stood up straight looked at Hera as she walked towards them. He dared to talk back to her.

"We're out of spanakopita."

"Well go make some. And take that off. You look ridiculous." Hermes wilted.

"Oh, it's not that bad. I think it's kind of cute." He looked unbelievingly down at Aphrodite. Not only was she not looking through him with ball-shriveling contempt, she was smiling.

"Really?"

"Really." She showed her teeth and ran her fingers over her collarbone. "Oh, as long as you're cooking, could you whip up some Baklava while you're at it? I'm in the mood for something sweet."

"No problem!" He disappeared in a… well… in a flash. Athena shook her head.

"Pathetic." She gave Glaucus a stroke as preened his feathers while he stood on the edge of the fountain. He'd started showing up to all the status checks without even being called after Athena cut his TV down to one day a week. For the most part, things had gone well. Penny's career was back on track and Athena was using all her energies now to help Aphrodite with Amy. Hera's work was as good as done. Bernadette and Mrs. Wolowitz were already bonding over the stress of the space launch and the wedding was a success. Hera was saving Bernadette's triple 'surprise' until next month at midsummer's eve. She was always a sucker for tradition. Even though she'd run out of excuses, she'd joined the others at the fountain anyway. She actually looked a little embarrassed when the other two looked up at her questioningly.

"What can I say?" she'd said, as she settled herself between them on the grass. "I am so digging the Shamy! I have to know what's next. What are you going to do about that awful soliloquy he gave on the joys of being by himself?" Athena looked at Aphrodite for permission to field that one. Athena and Aphrodite were getting along much better after working together to attack the problem from different angles. Aphrodite kept her eyes on the living room scene before them. Athena took that for permission and answered.

"It's not as bad as it looks. Many men withdraw until they find a solution to a problem." Aphrodite nodded.

"Retreating into their cave."

"What?" Athena looked at her like she was crazy. Aphrodite sighed.

"Okay, I can't keep explaining everything. Read that book I got you."

"How can I do that? The very title is insulting. 'Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus.' Neither of you were there and it completely ignores my contribution."

"It's a metaphor, Athena". Hera shushed them.

"Cut it out you two. The launch is about to begin." Athena leaned behind Hera and whispered.

"What's the metaphor for?" Aphrodite whispered back.

"Again, read the book." Glaucus spun his head back 180 degrees and hooted in annoyance. They stopped talking and watched as the group of friends prepared to watch the launch.

It had not been an easy year. Some days they marveled at how far they'd come, but most days they wondered if they were helping at all, or worse, getting in the way. There was a particularly tense month when Aphrodite worried maybe she'd amped up Amy's libido a little too much. She was a wreck. She wandered around muttering to herself. She started chewing her fingernails and let her toga drag on the ground. Anyone else would have looked adorable and vulnerable, but considering what Aphrodite usually looked like she was a train wreck. To everyone's surprise though, Amy hadn't scared him off. In fact, Amy's frankness about her intentions kept Sheldon from putting his guard at all from the emotional assault. He justifiably trusted her to play fair and he was positive he could handle anything she threw at him as long as things stayed that way. He was just like any other man in that respect. By the time he realized she was better at this game than he was it was too late. She had him hooked. Still, no one could say there wasn't still a long way to go.

"Oh, no." They looked at Hera.

"What's wrong?"

"It didn't even occur to me. I was so worried about the wedding and her mother-in-law… What if Howard doesn't make it?" Aphrodite laughed.

"Hera, I'm sure he'll be fine. We take trips to the moon all the time, and he's only going into orbit." Athena sat up straight. Now she looked worried, too.

"We don't do it in a Russian Soyuz capsule with a fuel leak." Hera looked back down.

"Oh, crap! It's starting." She looked between them frantically. "What if it was all for nothing?" She grabbed their hands. They were surprised but said nothing and squeezed back as the tinny voice of the television continued its countdown. It was perhaps unsurprising that Bernadette also took the hand of her husband's koumbaro, and that Penny reached out for her boyfriend. But when Sheldon…

Aphrodite squealed and Hera gasped. Hera let go of their hands so she could throw olives in frustration at the other couples in the room. Luckily they didn't notice.

"How can they all just sit there? Don't they know what just happened?" Aphrodite started bouncing up and down with her fists in front of her mouth as she continued to muffle her screams of excitement.

"This is so huge!" Athena looked at the sparkle in her friend's eyes. She hadn't looked this fresh and innocent since she first stepped off her seashell. She felt warmth spreading inside her too but tried not to let her voice shake as she spoke.

"Aphrodite, please, we aren't there yet." Hera grabbed Athena's shoulders and shook her a little more than could be considered polite.

"You can't be serious, Athena! This is spontaneous, unsolicited, voluntary, sustained skin-to-skin contact!" Aphrodite stood up and rescued Athena from Hera.

"Oh, it's OK Hera. I know it's just a hand." She gave Athena a hug. "But for Sheldon Cooper…" Glaucus said it all.

"Hoo!"

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