Work Text:
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Hadestown belongs to Anaïs Mitchell. Myth elements belong to their stories. This is just for fun.
Italics-inner thoughts
Regular-normal story
" "-Speech
“Oh Persphone, they are adorable!! You and Hades make good looking babies. Come to Auntie Hestia little ones. I’m going to make you so many cute clothes, and blankets, and I’ll give you all the sweets you can eat. And then..”
Smiling Persephone shakes her head. “Thank you, Hestia. I agree we make good looking babies. Now if only they would sleep at the same time. Hecate says that’s normal though. To just give it some time and things will settle down.” Persephone goes to say more but is cut off with a massive yawn.
“Hades is meeting with Hecate this morning, correct?”
“For the morning, yes. She’s been taking care of as much as she could since the twins were born, but some things require one of us. Hades wanted me to rest, so he went. The plan is for him to be done by afternoon, and then we should be free for another week or two. I think part of what they're working on is to see how often Hades needs to check-in, if he’s up visiting me, in the off-season, or if the babies stay with him.”
“The babies are staying with him?”
“We haven’t decided yet. That’s one of the decisions we need to..” Persephone is interrupted again by a yawn.
With a sly smile, Hestia looks at her. “Go lay down. I’ll watch the babies. Plenty of Auntie Hestia loves to go around. I’ll wake you up if they need to feed. I watched you, and Hermes and Orpheus. Go lay down”
------------One hour later-------------
“Who’s the best little princess of the whole underworld? Is it you? Yes, it is Macaria. You’re going to drive your daddy crazy when you get big. Look at those curls, you are definitely going to drive your daddy crazy when you get big. He’s gonna need both Zagerus and Orpheus to help keep the males away. Who’s the most brilliant princess?”
“Oh, Hestia...Hello. I didn’t know you were down here. Where’s Persephone? She said to come down…” Demeter is staying by the door. She’s hesitant to come into the room. Looking around the nursery she can tell this is the space for babies of the underworld. Look at this. All dark greys, and whites with some touches of red. No real color. I know Kore picked it, but why not some blues, or yellows? Something cherry. And where are they? I know Kore..no Persphone. I have to remember that. Looking at the two babies, Demeter smiles sadly. She’s a mother now. She’s certainly not Kore anymore. Persephone told me to come down, and now they can’t be bothered to even be here?
“Demeter, you listening to me?”
“Sorry, Hestia. What did you say?”
“Persphone is resting. The twins still aren’t on the same sleep schedule yet. Hades is with Hecate doing an overview of what she’s been doing so he could be there for Seph. I told Persephone I could watch the babies. Not like I have much work right now anyway. The winter this year is mild, so not too many prayers for me this winter.” Looking at Demeter closely, Hestia asks, “Do you want to hold one Demeter? Nothing like that baby smell. Hmmm? Come on, hold your granddaughter. I’m gonna get bottles for them both, so their mama can sleep a little longer.” Standing up Hestia puts Macaria into Demeter’s arms. Smiling she walks out the door, “I’ll be right back. I’m just going to get those bottles.”
“Hestia, get back here. Hestia, you...are gone.” Sighing Demeter looks down. Macaria is looking back at her. “Hi, little girl. So according to the announcement you're gonna have a big job one day. You and your brother.” Demeter suddenly hears fussing coming from Zagerus’s crib. After a few moments, she figures out how to hold them both. Looking around, Demeter sees the rocking chair Hestia was using. “Oh, this feels better. Tell you the truth little one grandma is getting old. Not as old as your daddy, but still. But I suppose that doesn't matter to you two. Now, can you two keep a secret? I was pretty scared for your mama and you. You see I’m not used to not being needed. And it’s scary to know that you're not needed as much. Only grandma isn’t good with being scared... Hmm, we need a better name than grandma. How about Mimi? That sounds a little better. Mimi was scared, and she doesn’t like being scared. Now you two have each other, and your mama and daddy have each other. Me? All Mimi had was your mama and she grew up and went away. Now Mimi knows she made mistakes, and I’m working on them. I was getting better and then I got scared again. We’re not very good at talking in this family. You two will have to be better ok? Now your mama tried to get me to talk, but I didn’t want to listen. It took your cousin Orpheus to make Mimi listen. I have to talk to your mama and daddy about things, but I want you to know something ok?” Here Demeter hugs the babies a little tighter and takes a closer look at them. Macaria looks so much like her mother, same curls, same hair, same eyes, the only difference is that the nose looks more like her daddy’s. Now her brother looks like their daddy. Those eyes, that chin, the thousand-yard stare the babe already has. Heck, even the hair is the color Hades was before he started going white. “I like your daddy. I do. I know your mama loves him. More than anything in any world, except the two of you. You two are so wanted by so many people. Now, Mimi might not be around much, but I want you to know Mimi loves you. Ok, no matter what, and no matter who you take after Mimi loves you.”
“Well it appears I don’t need to have that talk with you after all.” is said from the door frame.
Shocked Demeter looks up. Standing in the doorway is Hestia and with her Persphone.
“I...I…”
“It’s ok mama. I get it. We know you love them.” Carefully approaching, Persephone reaches out to Demeter. “Now why don’t you give me one of my babies so I can nurse, and Hestia, give mama the bottle for the other one. Mama and I need to talk, and I think she needs the baby cuddles more than you do.”
“Of course darling. Here you go, Demeter. One bottle for the grandbaby. Now I’m off. I have things to do above. Demeter, let me know when you want to do lunch. I’ll be waiting.” Turning around with a grace not seen even among the gods, Hestia leaves.
Smiling and shaking her head Persphone looks at Demeter. “Mama if you don’t give him that bottle, Zag is going to scream up a storm. Now you feed him, and I’ll take the princess and we’ll have a chat, and some cuddles. That sounds, ok?”
“That sounds perfect sweetheart. Thank you Persphone. Now come on, little prince. Take the bottle for Mimi.”
“Mimi? Mama...let’s start with that. When did you decide on Mimi?!”