Time in the Divine realm seemed to pass by so quickly. Before long, Alyson was nine months pregnant, and her acclimation into being a Divine was complete. Usually it took a year, but for her, it took half that time. Everyone was impressed, even Kane and Kale. She was the Divine of Imagination, her candles were now in every home, and her statue was added to the temples. Her own temples were almost complete around the world.

Because of the story that Ivan, Gavin, Maxy, and Jameson told, Alekzandor went from being hated, or being respected, and slightly more feared over night. People were praying. Some offering thanks for finding Alyson so those who needed her now had someone to pray to, the rest were to ask for forgiveness. Others made similar requests like Alyson, and asked for help to get out of terrible situations.

Having been told what his realm was like, people wanted to avoid going to it if they could, or at least, lesson their punishment. They asked for tasks, ways to repent their sins while still on earth.

Alekzandor was overwhelmed by all of the happiness inside of him. He had a beautiful wife who loved him as much as he loved her, a baby on the way. A baby girl at that. Knowing the gender before hand, allowed Alyson a lot of time to prepare the room, and many many things for the baby. His family visited a lot more often than they did before, his parents and grandparents being the most popular. Olivia and Thalia were very fond of Alyson, and also the clothes and quilts she had taken to making for them. They also enjoyed the stories that she also found the time to keep creating.

Alekzandor had even reconciled with his mother. Alyson had fallen asleep in the chair one morning, so Alekzandor had laid her down in the bedroom and saw his company out.

"Mom." He said stopping her.

She looked back at him concerned. "What is it darling?"

He pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly. "I love you too. I'm sorry I never realized how much you suffered having me as your son."

Thalia broke down into tears and hugged her son back. "Oh my boy. I never suffered because of you, I suffered for you. You accept everything far too easily, and I suffered the pain so you didn't have to. I just wanted to see you happy, to see you smile like you did before you got your powers and they went out of control."

He pulled back and wiped away his own tears. "I can only hope I have more grace and tact than you did if I have the same problem with my little girl."

Thalia smacked his shoulder, but left with Graeson grinning.

The second most popular to visit was Balor. Having a lot more in common with Alekzandor than he had initially realized, the two had lengthy conversations, and Balor loved to battle the creatures that were in constant creation in that realm. He often hunted, battled, or offered advice on punishments when he visited.

Alekzandor's work load also quadrupled overnight. He didn't mind, he worked just as easily, and efficiently as he did before. Because of the mass number of followers now, several more temples were being built in his honor. For those were sincere in their desire for redemption, he gave them missions, tasks, or instructions on what to do so they could. Depending on their level of corruption, the more difficult it was. Some were told that they had to drop their lives and commit themselves to his temples for the remainder of their lives. Some, did that anyway, despite not having sinned at all.

There were some requests, and if Alekzandor could, he granted them. There was one, that he did without question. A man prayed to him in tears. For years, his wife had been insane after a car accident that gave her brain damage, and she was never the same again, and it was getting worse. Now, she was completely comatose, and there was no way to save her. He begged and pleased with Alekzandor to save his wife.

He did. Alekzandor knew the pain the man was feeling all too well, and he wouldn't wish that pain on anyone who didn't deserve it. So the next morning when the husband woke in the hospital, his wife woke as well. Completely cure.

It was this act that had him being labeled a miracle worker, and the love from the mortals for him got stronger.

He had never been so happy in all of his life. Never before had it surrounded him in such a way. He couldn't imagine things going back to the way they were before, and he didn't want them to. He wanted things to stay the way they were now, forever.

- - - - -

Alyson was doing fantastic. Serenity, Olivia, and Graeson were all a bit concerned on how she would adapt to the mortals praying, but they're concern proved to be foolish. Alyson was able to do it with such ease they were jealous of her quick transition. She was able to live her life in the Divine realm, and answer prayers with ease just like they did.

The first thing she did was make Alekzandor's home more of a home. Instead of a single temple like space, it became smaller, with kitchen enclosed to the left, and an office so Alekzandor could do some work in peace if wanted to. She kept the columns, she liked the way the looked for the main room and the bedrooms, but the kitchen and bathrooms were closed off for the most part. There were very large windows. Alekzandor did alter the master bathroom so it had the columns he liked so much. He had the view over looking the ocean and Alyson didn't complain.

All of her projects were brought over from the mortal realm, gifts from Alekzandor's parents. A room was created with endless supplies for anything she might need. A gift from Olivia and Hektor. Saying, soon, it would just be for her, it would be for her children as well.

Alekzandor had thought being pregnant and acclimating would slow her down, he'd been wrong. If anything, she was lighting up the whole realm with her constant working. Even when she was asleep, there seemed to be a constant pale glow coming from her. She created clothes for her new family members, quilts for their beds, and was constantly working on something for the baby's room. Every time family visited, they had to check on the progress of the room.

When he was done slaying the beasts, Balor would sit and either chat for awhile with the couple, or just watch with keen interest as his newest niece would work. Sometimes he watched Alekzandor work, but most of the time, he watched Alyson. The baby was growing, and doing well according to Olivia and Hektor. The baby though, was now referred to as Alyss. Alyss was healthy, and the Divines were eager for the second girl born a Divine. Most of the ones currently inhabiting the Divine realm were made Divines.

"Aren't you annoyed?" Balor couldn't help but ask one afternoon.

"About what?" Alekzandor asked confused.

"That you're having a girl." Balor said thinking about how he would have reacted if he had been told his children were girls. Not that he didn't like girls, at the time, he was still of the battle mind, and sons were the preferred choice for a warrior.

Alekzandor looked at him absolutely baffled. "Why wouldn't I be anything but happy?"

They both looked back out the window. Instead of the house being up in the air now, it was beside the beach, and Alyson walked along the waters edge in a white skirt and shirt, her hair billowing back in the wind. Even without the sunlight on her she was glowing brightly. Her growing belly was exposed as she walked. Trotting along beside her were the small blue elephants and Bass. Bass never seemed to leave her side anymore. With the due date drawing closer and closer, he refused to leave his charge.

"I have a beautiful wife, one I love very very much. It would be an insult to her beauty to not have at least one daughter to carry that beauty on. I can already picture that baby girl. I love her so much my heart aches, and I can't wait to hold her in my arms."

Balor left that day thinking about what Alekzandor had said. He went home and watched his own wife, who was fast asleep in the hammock under a patch of shade. Her long pale red hair flowing out from the hammock and nearly trailing the ground. She was a beauty his wife, and no other would ever take her place, or even come close to it in his heart. No other woman stirred him the way she did. He knew that was the way Hektor intended marriage to be in the Divine realm.

Alekzandor had been dark, reclusive, and very anti social before Alyson. After discovering her, he started to smile. They were small, but they were there. Now, they were full and heart felt. There was a light in his eyes that was never there before. He knew it wasn't all Alyson, part of that look in his nephew's eyes was because of his unborn daughter.

Serenity woke while he stood back thinking and looked at him concerned. "What's the matter my warrior?"

"You know I love you right?"

She stood and went over to him, taking his hand one of hers and using the other to caress his cheek. "Of course I do my love."

He fell silent, thinking about what a daughter with Serenity might look like, be like. For days he thought about that little girl, and then he started to see her. A little thing, like her mother. Their boys had been burly like him, and rough looking when they got older. She had his brown eyes, but her mother pale red hair. She had a musical laugh, and was always smiling, dressed in bright colors, and had flowers woven around the crown of her head just like her mother. He saw her in his dreams every night, always shadowing Serenity. One night, she turned and looked at him smiling brightly. She couldn't have been more than two or three. She held her arms up laughing.

"Daddy!"

Her voice was so clear, like a bell. He stood frozen in shock for a moment. Clearly not the response she had been expecting, she broke down crying. It broke his heart. In that moment, he realized he already loved his daughter, before she was even born. He ran to console her, waking up once the little being was in his arms. Teary eyes closed, sucking on her thumb as he murmured words of comfort. He woke shortly after she had fallen asleep in his arms. His daughter wasn't even conceived yet, and she already had her big burly father wrapped around her little finger.

Balor started to bring Serenity with him whenever he went to Alekzandor's realm. She didn't complain. She loved to visit Alyson, and sometimes the two would end up going back to their realm for flowers. He wanted her around Alyson more, because he wanted her to start wanting another baby. Because he already knew he did. He wanted his baby girl.

- - - - -

Alyson sat at the edge of the surf, staring out over the black water with the neon life glowing beneath the waves. Alyss was stirring within her, so sleep wasn't possible at the moment. The waves came in and cooled her scorching feet. Didn't matter what she did with them, they were still burning hot at all times. Had to be the pregnancy. While the sickness had stopped sometime back, she still got dizzy, and the heavier she got with her baby, the dizzier she got, and the hotter and heavier her feet became.

"You need some sleep." Alekzandor yawned as he came out of the bedroom to join her. Another chair materializing so he could sit beside her. "Alyss will be here any day now, and from what I hear, we won't be sleeping much."

Alyson chuckled a bit as she stroked the huge mound that was now her belly. "I'll be alright. I'm just catching up on some of the prayers."

"How are things in the mortal realm?" He asked resting his own hand on her belly, grinning when his baby girl kicked his hand. "Ethan and Angel alright with the kids?"

Alyson nodded. "Yes, I had Hektor grant their request that the knowledge they are my parents fall out of peoples minds. There won't be another afternoon like that. At least my niece and baby sister are alright."

"The temples?"

"Are finished, and people are flowing in with requests, or just to say congrats." She said with a smile.

"Well you should have answered the man instead of thinking about how best to paint a room she's probably not even going to use for a couple of years." Alekzandor scolded her in a teasing tone.

"I couldn't help it!" She insisted. "I needed to decide on what kind of theme I wanted for the babies room. What one would fit this little miss."

"And you decided on the theme you have, why?"

She looked back toward the house, seeing the baby's room in her minds eyes. Pale lavender walls with pink swirls to represent a breeze blowing. Willows trees painted black on every wall with lime green leaves. The walls dotted with stars at the top and fairies on the bottom. "It just fit Alyss."

"I almost expected a wonderland theme." He chuckled sitting back.

"Well, I had planed that originally, and while I have a feeling that may be one in the future, that's the not the case now." She said sighing and looking up at the sky.

Alekzandor materialized a bed beneath them. "Seeing's as we're not going to get back to our bed tonight, we might as well sleep comfortably here."

She chuckled, "You mean, you will sleep comfortably."

Before Alekzandor could make a remark, Alyson was bent forward, her head in her hands screaming till she was out of breath and passed out. Alekzandor was blinded by the pain that seemed to put cracks in his skull. When his sight returned he quickly scooped Alyson up in his arms and brought them before his grandparents. He'd worry about the fact that he just saw them both naked later.

"Please!" He sobbed. "Something's wrong!"

Olivia was instantly covered by the silk robe Alyson had made for her and kneeling in front of him, looking him over as Hektor laid Alyson down on the bed.

"Please!" He broke. "Are they . . . are they . . ."

He couldn't even bring himself to finish the thought let alone the question. Hektor looked back at him visibly relieved. "She's alright, and so's Alyss."

Alekzandor calmed a great deal and crawled over to the bed. "What happened? One minute we fine, the next, my skulls falling apart and she's screaming like someone's stabbing her, and then unconscious."

Hektor had a grim look on his face. "It's Rick."

Alekzandor looked up at his grandfather. "What?"

"The mortal who thinks that she was his." He explained. "He's blown up a couple of her temples, set off grenades in yours, and written slander in the temple of the Divine couples."

"To what end?" Olivia asked furiously. "He's not going to get anything out of this."

"But he thinks he will." Hektor said shaking his head. "The boy thinks he will win a battle against the gods."

"Then let's show him, just how wrong he is." Balor's voice filled the air.

Alekzandor looked up toward the doorway. His uncle was standing there looking furious. "I know you feel about interfering with mortals father, but again, I say this time can't be helped. The last time a severe crime was committed, and it's been committed again. Look at what's happened to our newest family member? She's already so precious to us, and that baby she's carrying as well. This cannot go unpunished."

"I agree with you." Hektor said firmly. His forest green eyes glowed bright then returned to normal. "The temples have returned to normal, you and Alyson should start feeling better any moment now."

Alyson shot up off the bed gasping for air, and the pain in Alekzandor's skull had subsided. He scooped her into his arms and hugged her tightly. "Oh my love, I was so worried."

She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him as tightly as her weak arms would allow. "I'm sorry."

He pulled back and took her face in his hands. "Never apologize for that again! You did nothing wrong!"

"Then what happened? Why was I in so much pain?"

He sighed and rested his forehead against her own. "Rick apparently has a few more tricks up his sleeves than we had anticipated."

She looked up at him, her arms wrapping around her belly and the baby within it. "Then deal with it. Once and for all."

Olivia sat beside Alyson, and rested a hand on her shoulder. "You need to rest precious. It's not good for you and the baby to be so stressed. Get some sleep, I'll be with you, so will Serenity."

The two women laid down on either side of Alyson, encased in patience and peace, the exhausted Alyson immediately fell asleep. Serenity and Olivia following suit soon after. The men stayed until they knew that the women weren't going to wake up before leaving the house.

"What's the state in the mortal realm?" Alekzandor asked his grandfather.

"Frozen at the moment."

Alekzandor looked at his grandfather shocked. "You froze time!?"

"I don't like doing, but it can be done, and it needed done in this case." Hektor explained. "I can't hold still for more than a day."

"Still, that's pretty powerful." Alekzandor said impressed.

Hektor smiled. "Just wait till your son gets a hold of the power."

"Son- !?" Alekzandor chocked.

"This is all very touching and all, but what's the plan?" Balor asked drawing them back to the matter at hand.

Hektor nodded to Alekzandor. "He has point on this one."

Alekzandor looked at his grandfather and uncle. "I have an idea, but it will take some time, and I don't feel comfortable leaving the woman while we're doing this."

Balor whistled, and his sons appeared before them. "You two, stand guard."

"What for!?" Kale whined. "We're Divines, nothing can hurt us."

"Now you listen here boy!" Balor thundered at his son. "Just because we're Divines, doesn't mean there isn't something more out there that can't hurt us. Hektor, Alekzandor, and I are the strongest ones here for now, and we have a job we need to see to."

"He's just one pathetic mortal." Kane said in the same defiant tone Kale had used. "What harm can he do?"

"A great deal, if he causes the just right amount of trouble." Hektor said.

The two of them were silent for a moment before Kane nodded. "What do you need us to do?"

"I need you stand guard over your mother, and your cousin."

"I'm going home." Kale said and turned to leave. "I will not protect a former mortal."

"Kale!" Kane said firmly. "You bear in mind our mother, and grandmother used to be mortal as well. I know you care about them at the very least. For whatever reason, we are needed to add an extra layer of protection. So we will. However you feel about the newest member of our family, her baby is a born Divine like us. I believe what they mean by standing guard, is to help the women and go warn them should the baby come early due to all of the stress on the first time mother."

Kale looked at Kane. "Fine, then you guard them."

With that he vanished in a swirl of air that was his power. Kane shook his head and looked back toward his family. "I'll stay."

"Are there any threats close by we need to be concerned about?" Hektor asked.

Kane shook his head. "I haven't felt anything that could be threatening, so you're good to go." He looked to his cousin. "I suggest you bring in your father and mother. One can guard Alyson's mortal family while the other can assist me."

"Do you think it's necessary?" Alekzandor asked.

Kane shrugged. "Considering that this mortal took down several temples, and trashed a dozen more single handedly, I wouldn't doubt that he as other threats where we can't see them. Something's not right here brethren. I would feel more comfortable with reinforcements."

Alekzandor threw his head back, "Mom! I need you! Bring dad!"

Immediately his mother appeared. "What do you need and how I can help?"

Alekzandor gestured with his head. "Kane will explained, he's up to speed. He'll give you each a task. Take it seriously please. I need to go deal with a problem."

He turned and went to the mortal realm where time stood still. There was Rick, but, it wasn't the Rick he remembered from nine months ago. Kane had been right, something more was going on here, and this one was a threat to them. He had never seen this manner of creature before, he wasn't even sure what it was, but he could feel it's power from where he stood, and he knew it was threat to even the Divines.

"What is that!?"

"I don't know." Balor said, if Alekzandor didn't know any better, he could have sworn he heard fear in his uncles voice. "I've never seen anything like that before."

"It's a demon." Hektor said in a dark tone neither Balor or Alekzandor had ever heard before. They turned to look at him, and Hektor sighed, realizing he would have to explain. "The universe if far complicated than you think. Parallel dimensions, vast universes in each one. The one similar to this one, the one I came from, had creatures like this. We called them demons, but we weren't quiet sure what they were, but they also didn't come from that world, but bled out from another."

"You come from another universe?" Alekzandor asked.

Hektor shook his head. "No a parallel dimension. My parents, and several others, were turned into Gods when the last of one died. They had me some years later, and when I was grown, helped with the war to get rid of this vermin. It wasn't easy, we lost a couple of Gods along the way. My own brother was one of them. When I found this realm, and saw that the demons were coming here to infect it, I decided to take action. I came through from another dimension, and closed all the barrier to and from other worlds. I knew I would never see my family again, but in return, I kept this world safe from the evil that sought it. It would appear, that one got through before I managed to close them all, and has been biding it's time for years."

"Can we kill it?" Balor asked looking at it.

"Yes, but this won't be an easy task."

Alekzandor looked back at the demon surrounding Rick, "Yeah, like any of us thought it would be."

"What do we do?" Balor asked, not bother to hide his nervous tone. "I know you said Alekzandor got point on this one father, but do we still want to do that."

"If Alekzandor feels like he's not up for the task, then I will step in in his place, but his family is the one being threatened. We owe it to him to let him try to take care of the threat and merely help him before we try to take over the task."

Alekzandor looked to his uncle. "What's the plan nephew?"

Alekzandor looked at the scene in front of him. Rick was clearly possessed by the demon. How or what ever had Rick accepting that kind of union was beyond him, but Alekzandor could tell from where he stood that the magic required for such a union needed permission on both parties first. Rick appeared to be normal. Almost a years worth of living as the scum of the earth had the obvious effects, but those were the only physical changes. Now, the demon surrounded him as well as resided within him. His pulsing black and red hued aura wrapped around him and came off his edges like a mist. His eyes had a red ring around them, further indication of the possession. Where he had no hands before, he now had black charred flesh topped with elongated nails filed down into claws. Rick also radiated the demons power. He gave the demon a host, and the demon was loaning Rick his power.

Despite that, he could still see the tendrils of both beings mind. Both were laced with insanity. This, he could use to his advantage. He inspected the insanity of both of them, and saw the memories they carried. He was now armed with knowledge, and he had a feeling it prove useful.

He looked back at his family with a grin. "I think I might actually have a plan."

- - - - - - -

Kane sat in one of the wicker lawn chairs, tapping at the material with his knuckles, not looking at anything in particular. Thalia was leaning against the door frame of the cottage, her eyes also off in the distance, but he had a feeling she was actually looking at something he wasn't. They both stayed where they were, waiting for some kind of news.

Graeson had elected to go down and stand guard over Alyson's mortal family, while Kane didn't particularly care for mortals, he knew everyone here had a soft spot for them. And since Alyson came from them, he knew they would die to protect them if need be. Though he highly doubted that was going to happen.

They both looked up at each other when the update came. He jumped to his feet, calling out to his brother while Thalia rushed inside. He noticed the glint of a weapon in her hands that hadn't been there before. He could hear the voices from inside, and knew the rest of the women had been told what was happening.

"What is it this time!?" Kale demanded.

"We need you here."

Kale rolled his eyes. "I already said, I'll say it again, there's nothing that can hurt us, and I'm going to stand here and defend a goddamn mortal!"

"Things have changed!" Kane yelled at him. "Like it or not there are things that can hurt us! This thing our brethren are going up against is one of them! It's a demon! You need to stay here where you can be safe! Where you can help me protect our family!"

Kale rolled his eyes again. "I'm leaving, they're just a bunch of former mortals."

"They're after the baby!" Kane shouted at him. "A born divine! Does that change your mind!?"

Kale looked back at him with cold and serious eyes. "It's currently residing in the body of a former mortal, it can die with her if it's meant to."

- - - - -

Alyson, having heard everything that was said, broke down crying, holding her belly, trying to protect the baby inside.

- - - - -

A/N

Well this not how the original outline intended the story to go, but I've already made so many changes, and I didn't want there to be an anticlimactic ending. In the original idea there was something like a court battle. I like the way this is going to end things a lot more.

Hope you guys like it too. More to come! Promise Promise!

WD