276The Devil as a father - Chapter 47
Ron really liked rooming with Ares. He didn't complain about Ron's snoring or anything. The only thing that worried him was something he discovered the next day when he asked Ares if he wanted to read some of Ron's books. "What's a book?" asked Ares. "Wait its language put into symbols that you can understand so you can share knowledge with others. I'm sorry Ron, I didn't take that information from you when you made your blood offering."
"That's OK," said Ron, "But you are going to need to learn reading and math. Otherwise you won't have as much fun." Ron wouldn't have said this before coming to live with his new family, but now he enjoyed learning many things.
He took Ares' hand in his and took him to Chloe. "Mama Chloe, Ares can't read. Can you teach him?"
She smiled at Ron and tousled his hair affectionately. "Of course, we'll write out a lesson plan and start lessons." She looked at Ares and Ron felt her love for them both. "Are you sure you want this?" she asked Ares and the boy who held the power of an entire planet nodded shyly.
Ron smiled, "Let's get the littles to teach him the alphabet as a start."
"That is an excellent idea. Everyone will want to help," said Mama Chloe and Ron raced off. He could hear Ares following him and felt some of Ares' excitement. He realized that new things were probably pretty exciting to his blood brother. He rolled that word in his brain and liked it. Ares was his blood brother, because of the blood he had shared for Lucifer, and now he would do whatever he could to help him. That included patiently teaching him what he knew and making it as fun as possible, just like Lucifer did when he taught them.
Daffodil and Rose were in their room, coloring. The boys had gone off with Harry and Neville to the garden level for some lessons.
Ron tapped at the door politely, "Girls, Ares doesn't know how to read, at least reading from Earth, so I thought it would be nice to start teaching him. Would you like to teach him his ABC's?"
Ron had to admit that watching the little girls sing the song to Ares until he could sing it with them perfectly was kind of cute.
As usual, it was a busy day, but by the time they were tucked into bed, Ares was sounding out 2 and 3 letter words.
Xxx
In the middle of the night, Lucifer was cuddling his beautiful Queen when he heard a soft gulping cry. He looked into Chloe's eyes and said, "Someone is crying," and both raced to see what child was disturbed. The littles, Neville, Draco and Harry had the most nightmares. Draco's mother always was there for him, but Lucifer and Chloe took care of the rest.
Xxx
Ares didn't understand the strange pressure he was feeling inside. It had been mild but now hurt but he wasn't sure what it was. Perhaps he was giving birth? That happened on Mars in the past. Had he eaten poison? He didn't think so but he wasn't sure.
Finally, thinking perhaps that he was dying because he wasn't set up properly for earth existence, he found hot wetness on his cheeks. Oh, yes, they were tears, Lucifer and Chloe had taught him about tears. On Mars they were holy things, because of the scarcity of water.
Then Lucifer came in the room and knelt by him. Mama Chloe came in too. "Did you have a bad dream?" both his new parents asked.
"I feel pain and I don't know what it is," said the little boy.
Lucifer gently picked him up and took him into the living area where he turned on the lights. "Show me where it hurts?" he asked.
When Ares pointed out where he hurt, Lucifer looked surprised.
"Darling, do you understand how humans remove body waste?"
"Yes, Daddy, by urinating. I know how to do that."
Both his new adoptive parents looked sad, "Oh sweetie," said Chloe, "There is bulk waste your body must remove. The pressure you feel is from that and it can hurt quite a lot if its not expelled."
"First," said Lucifer, "I want you to drink a cup of water. Then we will go to the bathroom and I think a little angel feather magic will help in this situation."
The worried look on Mama Chloe's face relaxed and Ares felt safer. "So I'm not going to die giving birth?" he asked, because there were things on Mars that evolved that way but usually in long-lived creatures.
"Certainly not," said Lucifer.
Then Ares saw his Father sprout beautiful glowing feathers. Lucifer pulled one wing over and plucked a little feather. "This should do," he said.
Ares thought earth had weird ways of expelling body waste. The word was one that Ron had taught him, "Gross". Apparently it wasn't usually painful, and his father taught him about drinking water, which he hadn't done. Water was sparse and precious and to be used only for rituals.
He found out that it was true on Mars but not on earth and he would be healthier if he obeyed his new Father's instruction. At first he felt humiliated, as though he had been shamed by the pack. But then he realized that his Father's hands on him had been kind, his words were kind. He went without sleep the rest of the night with his new Mother, and they cared for him. A new feeling went through and his body again made the ancient offering of tears. They really did love him.