The next day at the Karras residence

Zeus and Hera lived on an upper class estate out in the country. Their nearest neighbors were miles away and gave them more than ample privacy in the event that less-than-mortal behavior occurred, such as a flash thunderstorm, or if some divine guest lashed out, it could all be contained without issue. Currently only Zeus and a handful of his home staff, all of whom knew who he was and were intensely loyal to the family, were at the residence. Hera had taken a trip to Washington, DC to speak to Athena regarding any findings the latter might have regarding his attempted **** in Bolivia, along with any other matters that the younger goddess felt they should know about. He was in his study perusing a copy of reports regarding the company's growth in Europe. The numbers were good so far. Some of his subordinates were pressing to expand into Scandinavia and the United Kingdom and Ireland, but Zeus had held off as so far he had yet to establish any official working relationship with either the Celts or the Norse pantheons.

The situation in Ireland was sketchy as several members of the Celtic pantheon had directly aided the IRA in forcing British soldiers out of Northern Ireland. So far the Irish government hesitated to openly support the Celtic gods' desire for a reunified Ireland due to the concerns of its strongly Catholic population and how the rest of the world might react if it did so. The Brits were particularly on edge as there were rumors that **** independence movements in Scotland supported the Celtic Gods' actions and may wish to seek their support to break away from the UK as well. Things in Scandinavia were far more stable, as the influence of the Norse gods was very strong and they acted as something of a unifying **** between the nations. So far the Norse had made no overt moves to power, though rumors held that they were seeking to create a Scandinavian union of nations under their sway. Regardless of what was true or not, Zeus had yet to establish a proper dialog with Odin, who in this life was a prominent ex-general and now leading political figure in Norway, that many considered a shoe-in to become the nation's next prime minister.

His thoughts on business halted as he heard a car pull into the driveway. He looked out the window of his study to see it was a white limousine, one of Aphrodite's favorites. He quickly put aside business, eager for the hopefully more pleasant duty of speaking with his daughter. He left his study and quickly made his way downstairs just as his butler, a forty year old man named Gregory, opened the door. Standing there was Aphrodite, looking absolutely stunning in a white skirt and blouse that hugged every curve, the color contrasting heavily with her vibrant red hair. At her side was his first mortal-born child, Alena. As lovely a young woman as there ever was, Alena was pointedly dressed more conservatively in a plain t-shirt and shorts, which really wasn't like her as she tended to be much more flamboyant in her attire choices. Judging from the look of trepidation on her face, she obviously expected to hear an earful from her parents regarding her party antics.

"Hello, sweetheart," Zeus said warmly when he saw Alena.

Whatever fear she may have felt dissolved as a bright smile lit up her face. "Daddy!" She ran up to him, giving him a tight hug.

"Easy there, Alena. You're stronger than you look," he said gently, though it really didn't bother him.

Aphrodite walked in, her confidence and poise in such casual movements alone were so regal.

"Told you I'd bring her back in one piece," she teased.

Alena looked around. "Where's Mom?"

"She had to go out of town for a bit, but she should be back tomorrow," Zeus assured. When he noted the frown on Alena's face he quickly spoke up. "She didn't leave because she's mad at you. She had something important to do."

"But she is mad," Alena figured.

Zeus kissed her forehead. "She's upset, but not so much as to stay angry with you. Trust me."

She gave a small smile. "Okay. I want to talk to you more, Dad, but I didn't use the bathroom on the flight over so I really got to go."

"Heh, go ahead, hon," Zeus said with a chuckle.

Alena hurriedly made her way to the first floor restroom. As Zeus watched her go, Aphrodite walked up beside him and said something.

"What was that?" Zeus asked, not hearing her.