Chryse walked into the newly restored sprite council room, which had lost the appearance of the United States Congress and looked more like the Newsroom for The Washington Post.

Chryse walked up to one sprite named Jennifer. "Hey, I'm looking for Viola?"

Jennifer looked the woman over, and giggled. "Hey, everyone ~~ spook alert."

Everyone looked up, said 'hi' and went back to work.

A new scribe, Snotra, ran from the elevator. "Hey, legal says that the cut off age for the deal is 15 and over. If he was any younger then that...it's void."

Everyone ran around Jennifer's screen, looked, then breathed a sigh of relief.

"...but that does not exclude Hades from claiming that the kids were his to begin with."

That comment was meet with a mournful groan.

Chryse tapped Snotra's shoulder. "Where might I find Viola?"

"She's in radar, still trying to get a link with the island. Just look for the only scribe wearing blue jeans, and leather. Follow the signs."

Chryse walked down the hall, and entered a darkened room that had a huge video monitor on the wall. A few feet away was a desk, with a laptop sitting on it.

She spotted the dark-haired scribe with the red streak, sure enough wearing a black leather body suit and tight-legged blue jeans, typing at the keys. After a few minutes, a sign appeared on the monitor saying that uplink was denied. "Shit," the girl yelled. "What is going on down there?"

"Oh, usual mayhem. Family Secrets revealed. Murders...stuff like that. We think that Jerry Springer will make an appearance....give it that real old-fashioned trailer-trash look," answered Chryse, bitterly.

Viola gave her a severe look. "This is a restricted area."

"Good...glad to know there are some new places that Hades can't get to," she said. "You Viola?"

"Yes...and you are?" She looked at Chryse, with sudden recognition. "Hey, you're the spook that got us restored!"

Chryse rolled her eyes. "I'm a sucker, that's what. What can I say? The Fates promised me a decent office, if I can keep Hades from pulling his crap again. They aren't exactly too eager to have Hecate back in charge either. I think the island's contract is going up for bid again. Oh by the way, here." She handed the scribe a scroll. "Somehow I ended up as temporary process server for the Otherworld. They want you as a witness."

"For what?" Viola was confused. "I thought I was in control here? I didn't write any of this..."

Chryse shrugged. "Has something to do with your dad. Roarke wants you back, and Hades is going for custody. Should be a good fight, but it's on Zeus's stomping ground."

Viola looked up, panicky. "You mean," she gulped. "He wants us on Olympus?"

Chryse sat down on the table, with her legs crossed. "Yeah...I think that's where he would want you. My advice is to go find your Grandfather. One thing Kronos will not let happen is Zeus picking on his only 'decent' grandchildren."

Viola nodded. "I should get my mother's rod from the attic," she mentioned, suddenly in her own little world of fear, as she slowly walked out the door.

"You do that," murmured Chryse. As soon as Viola was safely out of the room, Chryse sat down at the console, and began to type away. Another sign appeared on the monitor, lifting the ban. Chryse could see Ariel and Halli in the kitchen. "I'm gonna like this job." She looked around. "I think I'll keep this as my office." She snapped her fingers and suddenly the office changed to her liking. She smiled and typed away.

Ariel started banging in the cupboards, not finding any chocolate, and searching aimlessly for something else. She turned around; suddenly remembering that Halli was with her.

The girl had already materialized a wicker gourd of fruits and bread rolls. She shrugged. "I didn't really want any chocolate, anyway."

Ariel took an apple from the gourd, collapsed into the chair, and bite into it. The sweet juices seemed to relax her for a minute, and she savored the few seconds when it seemed that everything would be right with the world. "Where did you learn how to do that?" she inquired.

For the first time, the girl really smiled. "Gaia: Viola got her to give me this ball." She held up her prized silver possession. "With it, I can always get food, and make trees, and stuff," she answered, happily, as she tore at the skin of a tangerine.

Ariel looked over the girl.

Halli

She seemed more like her father, then anything that Persphone was. She had shoulder length curly hair, large brown eyes, and a friendly smile. If she had indeed received any traits from her mother ~~ they would have come from Kore.

And who was this Viola person? Halli mentioned her, when Ariel was thinking about Roarke having a child with Persphone. Ariel rested her head in the cup of her hand, and sighed. "So is Viola Persphone's daughter, too?"

Halli shook her head, the way little girls tend to do. "Her mother was a witch."

Halli took the green parrot off of her shoulder, and let him fly to the window. Then she turned around, and spotted her father for the first time since she'd been given over to Ariel's care. He was standing in the doorway, in the black suit that she had always seen him in, holding some baby. Halli looked at him, and tilted her head to the side to get a better look past Ariel. "I thought he'd be taller," she commented.

Ariel jumped up, startled, and whirled around to face a shocked Roarke.

Skye walked through the door onto a busy street of a seaport. The salt air seemed to breathe life into everything. The town seemed familiar, as if in some far dream. She continued down the street past a fish vendor.

"Good Morning, Antonia. You're looking well," greeted one of the vendors.

She stopped, and smiled to him. "Good morning, Verias." She could hardly believe that she remembered his name. The she stopped herself. The very next stall sold copper and glass mirrors. Her reflection looked back at her from several discs. She was 5 years old, in a purple dress with a green patch on the skirt. "Verias, have you seen...."

"Prospero went past here, with another man, about a minute ago. Now you be careful, young lady."

Skye didn't hear the next part because she took off down the street like her feet were on fire. She ran down streets until she finally reached the pier. Skye spotted him, near a boat called 'The Santa Maria'. She also spotted Hades. He spotted her too, and winked, then vanished into a puff of cigar smoke. She finally caught up with him, and grabbed him by the arm. "No, Prospero, you didn't have to do that," she said, looking up at him.

"Here's a concept you never tried: The Truth! You didn't have to do that, Roarke!" yelled Ariel, furious.

"I had no choice," said Roarke, trying in vain to defend the act that he had committed.

Ariel looked at him, through tear blurred eyes. She couldn't believe it. He was still defending his own actions. She laughed at the absurdity of it all, and then started to break down because she was sick of the entire thing, and frustrated that she seemed to be the only one working to keep this relationship going. "You're more then 600 years old, Roarke. You have a choice. It might not be to get off this island, but you have a choice in what you tell the mother of your children. And I have a choice too...." She let him read her final thought.

Roarke looked at her. Reading her thoughts and suddenly frightened that he was going to loose her: he said, protesting: "I was trying to protect you!"

Ariel looked up, tears chasing down her face, furious, as both of her hands slapped the kitchen counter: "From what? I don't need your protection, Roarke! I've never needed it. You treat me like a glass object, and you know it!" She started crying uncontrollable, as she laid her head down on the counter. "I bore your child, and I'm pregnant with your next. I've told you the story of my life, and you couldn't tell me that you have two other children."

Skye was livid. "You don't know what that man is capable of!" she screamed at the top of her lungs in the market place. A couple passing by stared. Skye glared up at them. "Do you mind? I'm trying to have a conversation here." She prepared to snap her finger and send them into the water, when Prospero stopped her.

"It's better this way. He promised that Zeus would never separate us."

Skye scowled at him. He was doing his 'brother hide the truth' bit.

"Right...Hades is not that generous." She cocked her head at her brother. "You're lying to me, Prospero. He told you that Zeus wanted me and Seb, and you had to sacrifice something to make up the difference."

She pressed harder, pulling the thoughts from his head, and slowly made a face. "Your children! You don't have any children...at least not yet."

Prospero balked. "I did nothing of the sort."

"OH, cut the bullshit," she reintegrated.

"You know, ever since you turned four and got those powers from your mother...you've become a self-righteous brat."

She laughed. "Oh, excuse me 'Mr. I just gave up my children, before I have them.' And thank you so much for thinking that I couldn't handle Hades. I'd send the creep right into Berias's forge. You could have given him Sebastian. That little termite is worth getting rid of."

Prospero smiled at his tough little sister. "You'd have no idea what he would do to you, and be nice to your brother."

"Yeah, at least he's the one with the brains in the family." Skye looked up at her brother, seriously. "And you have no idea...no inkling of how you just screwed up your life and that of your unborn children." She let out a quick laugh, as she turned and walked away.

Prospero watched his little sister walk up the street until she was out of sight. He thought about following her. A small child in Portugal was an easy target for every foul man in town, but he knew that Antonia could easily dispose of them. He turned around and sat against a mooring, pondering his recent actions. He didn't have any children, so how had he lost? He had saved his brother and sister. Hadn't he?

Today was his 15th birthday, and many considered him a man. For the past year he'd been swaggering like the other young men. But at this moment, he wished he was a child, with only a child's responsibilities. He pulled a splinter of wood from the dock and tossed it into the sea.

He didn't notice another woman walk by, and stand in front of him. He looked up. "Hi, Vi," he said absently, without thinking how he knew this woman.

Viola looked down at the kid. Dressed in an embroidered black skirt, a white apron, and a red sleeveless top, with no shoes: she crouched down to his level. "Ahh, my love. What did you do now that would cause such a long face on a handsome boy like you?"

Beyond them standing was Roarke and Ariel. After more screaming, she demanded the truth or she would take Iris, and Halli (mainly because Roarke didn't deserve her), and go...unless he told her the truth.

Slowly they became aware of the presence of two other people, slightly blurred by time disruption. Ariel looked at the boy sitting on the pier, shocked, as she listened to Roarke. "I always pictured that my oldest child might look like her."

Ariel looked back at Roarke. "A barmaid?" she asked.

Roarke frowned, wishing that Ariel would give him some kind of a break, although he didn't deserve it. "Hardly."

Ariel turned back to the young people. The woman picked up her skirts a little to reveal a silver ring on one of her toes, and a tattoo of a sword surrounded by vines of wild roses. She then sat down by him, leaning against the mooring.

Ariel concentrated harder on the woman, and could sense the sympathy that 'Vi' had for this boy. Ariel also realized something more. The sword was Scathach's symbol: the island's 'host' before Roarke.

Then she remembered Halli saying that Viola's mother was a witch. Scathach's daughter had traveled back to this day to get the truth. Roarke didn't realize that the barmaid was his long lost first born. She must be blocking him, either that or she's from an earlier time. She looked to be about 16 herself. Suddenly Ariel's curiosity was elevated.

Viola looked at him, questioning. She thought for a moment before she spoke: "This is supposed to be your birthday. It's time to celebrate, not be upset by things that you can't change. So what'd ya do? You know I'll figure it out."

Prospero continued to hug his knees, and look at his feet. "My life sucks."

Viola frowned. "Interesting coming from a demigod. Your life can't be that bad. At least you're not stuck beneath the earth like every other Titian in the cosmos.....including your father, I might add."

Viola looked around, feeling anxious. She was being watch by someone.

She looked out and saw a woman and a man with modern clothes on. Trinia never told her that she would have visitors. 'Oh well,' she sighed. 'It was either this or get rid of the tattoo.' She turned back to the boy who would become her father.

The boy huffed, disgusted. "This is all his fault. Zeus wouldn't be mad at us, if it weren't for him."

Viola sighed. She knew how he felt. "Don't be upset with your father, dear. There isn't a manuel for 'parenthood" Viola smiled coyly at the boy. "So tell me, what was that big ruckus with your sister? She discovered that the world isn't black and white yet?"

He looked off in the direction she had hearded."She'll learn. Antonia's mad at me, because I made a deal with Hades."

Viola frowned. "Well, I'd be upset too. Hopefully there was something great at sake for you to make a deal with him."

Prospero raised his head, and looked at the woman. "He was gonna take my brother and sister, and make Antonia 'Queen of the Dead'."

Viola made a face. "I'll say that would be enough to get anyone upset. What'd you give him in their places?"

"My first and second born," he said.

Viola was eerily quiet, as was Ariel. "Why'd you do that?" asked Viola, quietly.

Prospero looked at the barmaid, saddened. "Antonia doesn't need to be caught by Hades. Her mother would die, and I promised Themis that nothing would happen to her. Mother would die too if anything ever happened to Sebastian."

Ariel was waiting for the next obvious question. Viola finally answered it. "You'd miss them, too. You could have asked Theresa about it."

Prospero shook his head. "Mother doesn't need to be bothered by this. She has too much to worry about already."

Viola was getting a little frustrated. "Prospero, you just damned your kids. You don't even know them..."

Prospero looked up at Viola and smiled. "I already figured it out," he announced with the arrogance of a teenager. "I'm never gonna get married, and I'm never gonna have children. That way Hades will never hurt anyone."

Viola sighed, and squeezed his knee. "Come-on, I'll get ya something to eat."

Ariel looked over at Roarke, and bitterly proclaimed. "One out of 2 isn't bad."

17 year old Viola, wearing a short black skirt and another leather body suit, walked back into the control room, and looked at Chryse. "Shelley said that you wanted to see me?"

Chryse turned around, and giggled. "God, girl. Where do you get those clothes?"

Viola looked down at her clothes, and huffed. "San Francisco ~~ S&M district: Did you have something actually important to tell me, or you just want to critique my wardrobe?" snapped Viola, irritated.

Chryse smiled at she looked at the tattoo. "So that's the tattoo Trinia told me about."

Viola looked down at her leg. 'Yeah. The sword's my mother's. The roses were my idea. I got it for my 15th birthday. Trinia told me to either get it taken off, or go back to Portugal when Roarke made that deal with Hades."

Chryse opened a file. "You went back and decided to get your family back together, right?" she asked, coyly.

Viola bit her lower lip. "I'm a scribe. It's my job to meddle."

"No," she announced, with authority. "Your job is to control the lives of those on the island. Not to ensure your sister, Halli, is being cared for in the Underworld. Or making sure Harry and Sky Sterling know that Sprites are somehow involved with Roarke's problems by disappearing Hades' guard dog. By the way, where did you put him?"

Viola rolled her eyes, annoyed by getting a lecture. "I sent him to Ares."

"Oh," said Chryse. She looked confused. "Where was I?"

"You were firing me," answered Viola, with a smile.

"YES. That's it. You're fired," proclaimed Chryse. "You are hereby banished to Fantasy Island with your father."

Viola smiled, as she pulled out a short gold staff with a crystal on the top. "Thanks, boss."