Chapter One, Part One

Zeus, called Jupiter by some, stood high over his mortal land, his bright figure muffled by clouds.
"I don't like this, Hera," he said worriedly. "She's going to be mortal. She's not going to have any advantages. I think I'll send Athena down. Just to help out a little."
Hera was jealous. Zeus never worried about her as much as he was worrying about this mortal. He was probably falling in love with her already. It's not like he had never done that before.
"She'll be fine. She's not even related to you," she snapped. "You're going to put your daughter in danger for a little mortal brat? It isn't as if you have any choice over the matter."
"She's going to do battle with Hades! Am I supposed to feel all right about that?" Lightning flickered. "She isn't mine, but she's important. She's just a baby."
"Hades won't kill her- I mean, try to kill her, until she's older. She'll be fine."
"She'd be fine if there were no other baby like her. But there is. There's-"
"Drop it. Check up on her later. Come on, we have more important things to do right now." She stalked off. Zeus rubbed his forehead, and looked down into a hospital in New England where something very important was being born.
"She just doesn't understand, does she," he muttered. "Well, she soon will see this is very important. To everything." He straightened. "Athena! Come here."
A tall, willowy form sidled up next to him.
"Yes, Father? Mother bothering you again?"
"Yes. But it's my fault. I can't explain it to her."
"Explain what? Maybe I can."
"It has something to do with a favor I need you to do. You need to watch over someone. Her name is-will be- Alexandria." Athena raised an elegant eyebrow.
"Another conquest, father? No wonder Hera isn't pleased."
"Not a conquest, a baby." Comprehension dawned on Athena's face.
"Oh, that baby."
"Yes, that baby."
"I'll be off right now, then."
"Good. And remember, nowadays, people don't believe in us. Keep a low profile."
Athena snorted. For anyone else, this would be impossible. But Athena was used to pretending she was a human.
In that hospital, no one knew that the newborn was the center of attention in the heavens.
"Alexandria Athena Dulcinea. A good, Greek name for my good, Greek child," the new mom crooned.
"Darling," her husband protested, "We aren't even Greek!"
"I'm sure somewere in our family history there is a Greek! Don't even think about arguing." When Cybele Dulcinia made up her mind, there was no arguing. Her husband made one last effort.
"The kids in school might make fun of her name."
"Let'em try," she answered ferociously. She was a dangerous woman to mess with anyway, but no one was going to mess with her daughter.
A woman entered into the hospital room. She was small and unassuming at first glance, but if you cared to look again, you'd see there was a sparkle buried in her dark brown eyes, and a thickness to her chesnut hair that no shampoo could account for. Her face looked made up, almost, but there wasn't a spot of it on her.
"Excuse me," she said, in a quiet voice. "Is this the room with the baby?" Galen Dulcinia stood up. He was young, somewhere in his mid-20s, and peaceful looking. His nose was slighty rounded, giving his face a pleasant look.
"Yes," he said. "She's asleep." He ran his fingers through his dark hair. Did he know her? He had an awful memory, and he hated when people knew him, but he didn't know them. He tried to be tactful about it.
"Where do I know you from?"
"Oh," she laughed. "You don't actually know me. At least, you've never met me. I'm your biological sister."
"You're kidding." His voice was flat. He'd heard stories about his "real" family, and was altogether glad he'd been adopted.
"No, I'm not. I'm your twin. I was taken to a diferent family as well."
"My what?" Now he just thought she was crazy. He didn't have a twin. Did he?
"I have the birth certificate, if you want to see." He took it from her, scanned it, then looked up.
"You do know I'm training to be a lawyer, don't you?" The papers weren't forged, he could tell that much. Genuine surprise registered on her face.
"Really? How wonderful!" He looked at the paper again.
"So, I guess you're my sister, Kaya. Welcome. Would you like to see the baby?"
And that was all it took for Athena, now Kaya, to be a part of the Dulcinia family. That and all of the convincing powers she could use.
Kaya was pleased with the child's name. Of course Zeus had engineered it, but it was still nice. A touch of home. Home that she wasn't in, so far away from ancient Greece and her family. Only wackos believed in greek gods anymore. She felt lonely. She wished just one person from her family was here, but that was out of the question. One god meddling directly was enough. Heaven only knew how many times a mistake like that had been made. Too many cooks spoil the porrige. Funny mortals, coming up with such trite sayings. Applying everyday work to life. Typical.
Kaya ended up living with her new "brother." She rather liked him and his wife, even though she wasn't there for them, obviously. She was there for Lexie, as she was known. She was there to make sure Hades played fair.
This really is Hades game, she thought. His prophets, his advantage. I have no idea where his baby is, but he couldn't miss Lexie. She's an angel. Hades will be more subtle. If only Zeus wasn't so obsessed with looks. He could have made her normal. More normal, at any rate. She'll attract everyone's attention. She's so good, and lovely- Wait a minute, good! That might be my hope. No god or goddess where I come from is good at all! Hades is such a pessimist, if she's good, he'll discount her entirely! I might just have a chance, especially with these people. They're better than any other people. Thank you Zeus! She wondered for a moment if he'd planned the goodness factor, but she doubted it.
Lexie lay in her crib, thinking. She liked her parents, but they didn't seem to know she knew what they were saying. How could she not? She had stopped herself from speaking yet, afraid she would scare them. Maybe I'm not like other babies. Maybe I'm not supposed to know, she wondered. The only one who seemed to think she could understand was her Aunt. Her Aunt Kaya talked to her like she was fully grown. In fact, as she thought those things, Aunt Kaya walked into her room.
"Hello, Lexie. I know you can talk. Don't be scared." Lexie sighed. She said what she'd been wanting to say all day.
"I love you, Aunt Kaya. I love Mom and Dad, too." Aunt Kaya smiled, and a shimmering tear slipped from her eye.
"I love you, too, dear, but don't talk around your parents. They might worry that you're not quite normal." Lexie looked worried.
"Am I quite normal?" Her tiny voice cracked with earnestness.
"Not quite. But normal isn't always the best way, darling. And you're much better than normal."
"Oh." She felt better, but still bad.
"All babies can talk, though. You're perfectly normal in that way."
"They can? Why don't they?"
"They aren't meant to. They can only talk until they get their future."
"Future? Get it?"
"Get it told to them. Or part of it, anyway. And I'm going to tell you. You must grow strong and good, little Lexie. You have a battle ahead of you, but don't be afraid. The battle is up to you, not fate." Lexie looked at her Aunt Kaya, awed. Aunt Kaya was glowing faintly, and her hair shimmered, and the twinkle in her eye wasn't hidden at all. She grew taller, greater, almost to much for the room. Then all at once, she shrunk back into herself again.
"I'm afraid you won't remember this conciously when you're older, but you'll still know it. Go, and grow like other children." She left.
Lexie yawned. She didn't know what any of that meant. But she was to be like other children, so she set to work at forgetting. She didn't know if she was still supposed to know how to talk, so she forgot that, too, to relearn it from her parents and Aunt Kaya. Such is the way with all babies.
Lexie was a wonderful child. She seemed to know right away what was right and what was wrong. She only ever had to be told once. She was the joy of her father, adn the pride of her mother. Her Aunt Kaya made sure she did right. She used no magic on the child, however. No good would ever come of that. Kaya walked and talked much faster than other children, but she was more affectionate, too. Her first day of preschool, she walked around the room with a dazed look on her face, as if she'd been betrayed. Her mother's heart bled for her child, and she decided then and there that Lexie would be homeschooled.
Kaya didn't like that idea at all. How was Lexie to meet her adversary at home? How was she to get a tough skin? Calm down, Athena. I mean, Kaya. She'll be fine. Don't be so violent. She grinned, and said to herself "What do you expect from the goddess of war?" Aphrodite always said that to her. Well, no one could say she wasn't Zeus' daughter. She was more level headed than he, but that wasn't saying much. Zeus was a bolt of lightning where temper was concerned. Kaya was more of a gust of wind. More like a tornado! Aphrodite's voice echoed in her head.