Enter The Goddess

By Nancy Lorenz

PART ONE

PROLOGUE

All was quiet.

The cosmos waited with bated breath for her so patiently.

Throughout the lands there was a tense, undue calm.

There were no wars.  No peace.  Just a thick humidity, the precursor of change, like the calm before a terrifying storm.

'She is almost here', Zeus could hear the universe tell him, 'The new dominion will be born.'

'We shall rejoice,' he said, 'It will be the biggest celebration since I defeated the Titans!'

Hera, for once, smiled down on her husband.  She knew what was coming, she knew that the time of the weak Gods of Olympus was over.  They would reign ever powerful again, and her son, The God of War, would be this Kingdom's right hand.

First she knew, that if Olympus was to have any new strength, those sons and daughters of Zeus not of the womb of Hera had to be destroyed.  It would happen, she would plan it slowly, carefully.  Not like her other plans.

For now, she waited.  Like Zeus waited.  Like the whole cosmos waited.  It wouldn't be long now, before the birth of the bright new star.

Xena let her eyelids droop down over her eyes.  The journey from the Amazon Nation to Corinth was an arduous one, but one she knew she had to make.  A very important being was about to come into the world - she certainly needed the support of her family.   Cyrene was in Corinth for a Festival of Trades, and she was there to push her Tavern in Amphipolis.  It was a lucky thing, Gabrielle and Joxer were set to head for his home-town, so Gabrielle could meet his family, which she was looking forward to doing.  Argo slunked down the road with an easy gait, Xena leaning her aching pelvis back and forth, rocking it in motion.   Nausea had passed months ago, it was no longer the time for morning sickness.  Now it was swollen ankles, aching joints and back spasms and spinal strain.  She wasn't sure which she preferred.

There was a hand at her thigh, and looking down she saw Gabrielle gaze up at her gently.

"Are you okay?"

Xena nodded, "Just a little sore."

"Not long now..."

Xena smiled, "We'll get there in time, Gabrielle, relax."

The bard frowned with uncertainty.

"Why didn't we just stay with the Amazons - we would have looked after you..."

"Because the best doctors are in the towns and Corinth is the closest and the best."

"You really care about the baby, don't you?"

"Of course I do," she said, taking Argo's reigns in her hands, "Besides - Mother is in Corinth.  I really want her there for me this time."

Gabrielle nodded, "I understand."

Xena looked down to her a moment, a softness in her gaze, and she rested a hand on her friend's.

"I know you do, Gabrielle."

With a sigh the bard let go, taking the hand of the man next to her gruffly.

As Xena rocked to the rhythm of the golden mare's gait almost instinctively, she closed her eyes in a brief catnap.  She was so tired these days.  Carrying around the extra weight was one thing, sharing all that she consumed with the being inside of her was another.  She was constantly hungry and it meant plenty of stops in their travels, rejuvenating their supplies.  She glanced about.  Gabrielle was looking back whilst still holding onto Argo's reigns, her eyes following a lagging Joxer.  He was at a bushel, and Xena figured he was relieving himself till he turned around, his hands full of berries and a grin on his face.

"Look Xena! Blackberries!"

Xena smiled, "Make sure that bushel doesn't belong to anyone Joxer."

"We're in the middle of a forest Xena, I doubt it does."

Gabrielle moved at the satchel, pulling out a stretch of material, and she walked to Joxer, helping him out.  After a few minutes they came back with a fair collection of fat plump berries.  Gabrielle tied the corners of the fabric, making it a make-shift bowl.  Joxer took it and walked to Xena, holding it up to her.

"Oh Joxer," she said with a wry smile, grabbing a few and popping them in her mouth, "I do believe you're spoiling me."

He grinned, taking a few himself and offering a couple to Gabrielle with an open hand.  She giggled, taking them from his hand with her lips.  Joxer gave a thin-lipped smile, narrowing his eyes with a little giggle.

"Ooh, you tickle..."

With a lurch Xena pushed Argo forward, and looking down at Joxer next to her, she pulled off his helmet, sitting it on her head with a wide smile, and she ruffled his pressed flat hair.  Gabrielle smiled, slipping an arm around Joxer and gazing to Xena with a content glow.   Day after day it was like this for Xena.  It was the most content she had been in years, yet guilt plagued her.  She couldn't fight, she hadn't been able to in months, and they had been for the most part, hiding with the Amazons.  Though Xena knew, even when her child was still a baby, it would probably be far stronger than her, and one day it could look after itself better than Xena could ever do.   Xena felt a yawn in her stomach.  She imagined this child of a War God and a Warrior - once warlord, 'looking after itself'.   Would it ravage the world around it, tearing the happy villages to kingdom come, taking it's pleasures and leaving only death and decay?  Would it be - she stopped.  It tore at her to think it - would it be another Hope?

Xena glanced to Gabrielle.  The bard was gazing ahead down the track, Joxer leading Argo, occasionally stroking his Gabrielle's cheek or gently pushing a stray lock from her face.  Gabrielle would smile, clasping the hand momentarily or returning the caress.  It amazed Xena how they did not grow tired of preening and fiddling around with eachother on the road even after all these months.  They were nearly as bad as a pair of young teenagers, nearly.   They kept the more intimate part of their affair in privacy, and they were always caring and supportive of Xena.  It had been a gentle, loving time for her.  Every sore bone, every ache and every weary muscle was allayed by the smiles of her friends, their caring actions, and their beautiful company.  Their company was beautiful, in every meaning of the word.

The forest was thick, and the day was already half gone.  Xena frowned.  They were taking a long time getting to Corinth, Xena's condition becoming critical.  She could feel it in her skin, in her pelvis - she was ready to let it drop.  It was a moment of hours now.  She could also feel something else in her skin - it was an odd sensation.  Her skin was crawling and tingling all at the same time.  She shook herself, looking down to Joxer next to her.

"Hey Joxer - pass me some more a' them berries."

"Okay," he smiled, loafing over to her.

Gabrielle watched him a moment, and as they had their fill of the fruit, Joxer placed the rest with Xena, who nibbled at them contentedly.  Joxer returned to Gabrielle's side, wiping the berry juice off on his tunic.

"Sing that song again," Gabrielle said, smiling softly, "You know, the one you wrote."

"Which one?"

Xena rolled her eyes.  Joxer's songs!

Since acquiring the lute from Ares, Joxer had been playing much more often than he used to.  And seeing as it was a good money maker, much like Gabrielle's story-telling, he didn't think to get rid of it to 'protect' his macho image.  He had become the accomplished minstrel in recent months, and after that time even his voice had become stronger and purer.  There was a definite timbre to it, and Gabrielle practically turned to a pile of goo every time he started with it.

Xena had to admit, Joxer had quite a talent for music.  In a way it was a relief; he had forgotten about being a 'great warrior', though still learning things about self-defence and tactics from Xena, she knew he had found something to place his heart in.

The sunset had been a glowing tangerine affair, the purple of dusk now upon them.  Joxer and Gabrielle wandered for kindling and wood after they had made camp, leaving Xena to rest, which Xena greatly appreciated.  The two had set up the bedrolls and pelts and made a comfortable enough place to stretch out and watch the foliage of the trees above her rustle in the soft dusk breeze.  Xena pulled the furry pelt that was covering her tighter, staving off the breeze.  Resting her head at a bedroll, she closed her eyes, breathing in the sweet night air.

The crawling sensation that seemed to run over her skin was still there, a tingling warmth to it still nagging at her. She sighed, it was keeping her from resting.

"Come out will you," she said, her eyes still closed and her head still resting at the cushioning under her.

"So, how's the expectant mother of my child?" said the smooth voice, it's owner's form rolling light bringing it to reality.

"Tired, and not in the mood for any games tonight."

Ares sat down next to her as she curled her legs up to her.  He let his hand reach out and roam at her belly, feeling the firm form of the child within her.  He felt the baby inside, it rolled about, pushing at the flesh surrounding it, and Xena sucked in a breath through her teeth.

"Stop riling it up, Ares, it's kicking me in the ribs!"

Ares took his bottom lip in his teeth, taking his hand away with some amusement.

"Sorry," he muttered, bringing his knees up and crossing his legs, sitting close to her on the pelt.  His arms rested at his knees, his dark eyes seeming to be gazing off into the forest.

"A moment alone is a rare thing, Xena."

"No it isn't," Xena said, eyes still closed, "Gabrielle and Joxer give me all the time alone I need."

He sighed, "I didn't mean that we-"

Xena sighed back at him, grabbing his arm and caressing it shortly with a gruff roll of her eyes.

"I know, I know.  I'm just worried we won't get to Corinth in time.  I wanted Mum to see the baby when it's born and-"

Ares frowned a little.

"I'm a bit disappointed you haven't come to me yet."

Xena looked to him, and she blinked.  The Gods damn her to Tartarus, he actually looked hurt.  The God, big and burly, resplendent in black leather and little orbs and trinkets of silver metals, gazed at her with his brown eyes large and soft.  She doubted she'd ever get used to being intimate with this killer.  She didn't know why she even was - many times she could remember the hatred she had felt in the past, and she grabbed onto it, to remember who she thought she was.  Who she thought she was.  It killed her inside to feel that hate.  It made her situation unbearable.  There were times, on the road, where she would just want to rip out this thing inside of her because of it, but it was then she could feel Solan by her side, with eyes wide asking her - 'Mother, why would you want to kill my sister?'.   She frowned.  It was always sister.  But Ares often called the baby boyish names, playfully encouraging warlike ways to it through the wall of Xena's abdomen.  It was then she would clout him on the ear, glaring at him angrily.  He knew it pissed her off, he didn't care of course.

He's fading, she thought, That Ares I loved, that human, he's fading away, slowly.

She was in love with the locked away man, not this cold arrogant God.  Yet - there were moments when he would shine through, and it made it worth-while.  Those moments were getting rare.  She looked to Ares, adjusting her head a moment, watching him look at the tree-tops.

"Ares..."

"Xena," he glanced to her, pursing his lips shortly.

"Do you ever have the desire to be human again - even if it is for a day?"

Ares let out a long sigh, leaning back, uncrossing his legs.  His raven ringletted locks hung handsomely at his shoulders, his sculptural features only just noticeable in the fading dusky light.  She didn't like the way he looked, she could feel how he felt stronger and stronger every day, every time she had to deal with him.  Why must I always have to 'deal' with him?  Why can't I just exist with him? Be with him?  Why is everything with him a confrontation?

"Xena, you know what nearly happened the last time."

"I nearly fell in love with you right there and then," she said, "Scary for you too?"

"No," he replied, "That was possibly the only good thing about being human for that amount of time.  I was referring to my closeness to death, and my vulnerability."

"You wouldn't risk that for me again - now you have me? And now that I'm having your child?"

He met her needy gaze, resting a hand on her thigh.

"I'm a God of Olympus, Xena.  I can't keep on risking my Godhood unnecessarily.  We already have a problem with more and more of these new Gods having mixed blood and not being of the Golden Generation."

Xena curled her lip a little, "Like our kid huh? A problem, a little half-breed mongrel in the eyes of your family?"

Ares tilted his head at her, "That's not what I meant."

"Whatever."

He took his hand from her thigh, his brown orbs gentle.

"I can't just risk an important part of the Olympian Realm as the Godhood of War.  If you think you hate me, just imagine how much you'd hate the murderous letch that would take over if I were destroyed."

Xena's dark brows tilted to a frown.

"I don't hate you Ares."

He looked to her once more.  Her features were soft now, delving deep into him were her glassy light orbs that enchanted him so.  He let his hand reach out, touch her face, her cheekbone.  Pulling himself up he lifted his body, his knee holding him up over her, and cradling her jaw he let his lips brush hers, soft tentative caresses easing into tender roaming.  Lifting himself up once more, he gazed deep into her eyes, hand still cradling her.  Xena took his chin between her thumb and forefinger, squeezing it briefly and playfully and she sighed, tracing the pattern of his beard.  And in his eyes, that were warm and gentle - he was there.  It was so rare, so special.  She could protest, insisting he spend time as a human, but - oh, how inviting he looked, how good his rough features felt in her hands.  She ran her hands over his cheekbone, running the backs of her fingers up to his forehead, and bringing them down again over the side of his face.   His eyes closed in delight, leaning into the touches, almost purring in satisfaction.   His dark ringletted tresses hung down, and as he grew closer, the soft curls tickled her face.

Pulling away from a final kiss he sighed.

"Will you let me help you get to Corinth?" he asked her.  She gazed at him for a long moment, and with a final stroke of his cheek she sighed.

"Only if you will be human for a day."

She expected him to have a tizz and storm off angrily - she had pushed him to that with her smart mouth before but - he just sighed back at her sadly.

"The offer is there."

"And so is my request," she said.

He sat up, running a hand over the curve of her thigh that was under the pelt.

"Are you unhappy with me as I am right now?"

She shook her head, "Sometimes I just feel like I'm losing you to hate and killing and bloodlust - now - I know that's what your Godhood is about but-"

"It isn't entirely," he said, "Continue."

"But - wouldn't it be nice for you?  Just so you can remember what it is to be human?  Don't you think it's important to stay in touch with the people you affect every day?"

"It's actually quite painful for me to be human - and risky,"  He looked to her, she wore a pout, and he clasped the round of her hip and shook it gently, "You are the only reason why I'd actually consider it."

"Soon you will have two reasons, Ares."

Looking to her stomach, he let his hand slip onto it, feeling it's firmness, the life force that seemed to glow from within it.  He had seen pregnant woman after pregnant woman before - Xena seemed to make him feel like she was the first one he had ever seen.  Running his hands in large circles over her belly he took a deep breath in, blinking slow with satisfaction.  He bent to the round belly, hand still holding it.

"You'll be a strong baby wont you?" he said, "Just like your Mommy."

Xena couldn't help but smile.  He refused to talk to it at first, feeling foolish to talk to a lump, and it wasn't till she convinced him to feel it move inside of her that he changed his mind.  She could see his eyes glow as it was made real to him that a being was inside of her.  It was almost addictive, interacting with this being.  He had a strange almost innocent curiosity about her pregnancy.  Life, it's growing, it's forming existence, was a relatively unexplored concept to him, and he behaved like a boy who for all his life stomped on the beetle, till he took the time to watch it live, watch it eat and fly.   He asked her questions, like why did mortals feel sick during pregnancy, and why she was tired all the time.  She was certainly surprised to realise he knew practically nothing of human pregnancy, though thinking about his past it wasn't so hard to fathom that he never took the time to think about or observe human pregnancy before.

Standing up, Ares looked off into the forest.

"Your friends are returning," he said, "If you need me, just call."

Xena nodded.

With that he slipped away with raining slivers of glittering orbs, his light creating a soft glow in the glade only a moment, the quickening darkness pulling in around her.

A clanking became louder, along with chattering, and Xena felt comfort in their company.

"What took you?" asked Xena, "It's dark already!"

"Joxer lost his boot-knife freeing a rabbit from a trap!" growled Gabrielle, "Sometimes you really astound me, Joxer!"

"Did you get it back?" Xena inquired calmly.

"Yeah," replied Joxer, "Luckily it's a shiny thing so It was easy to spot - kinda. It still took us an hour to find."

"Yeah - a whole hour we coulda been catching dinner! Now we only have one quail, some nutbread and cheese to eat!  For the love of Zeus, Joxer! How are we gonna feed three people with that?"

Xena frowned, watching her friend rant with a dead quail in one hand and some rope in the other.  Joxer nodded, rolling his eyes a little.

"You two!!" Xena cried, Joxer and Gabrielle shutting up immediately, "It's okay - really.  I'll just have some nutbread, I'm not that hungry."

Gabrielle nodded, throwing the quail down, sitting gruffly and beginning to yank out it's feathers, collecting some of them in a pile. "You were okay on your own?" asked Gabrielle, Joxer dropping the kindling to the ground next to her and beginning to lay it in a pile.

"I was fine," Xena said, gazing to the window of the night sky that glowed through the pitch black of the tree canopy, a long sigh falling from her.   With a dim glow, sparks flew from the kindling the lovers had set up, and a raging fire ensued.  Gabrielle and Joxer exchanged a bewildered look, their flints laying on the ground untouched.  The corners of Xena's mouth twitched in a small smile, and she said softly, "Thanks Ares."
 
 

Yesterday's argument between her two friends hung in Xena's mind as they grew close to Corinth.  They had made good time for a change, Gabrielle and Joxer not dawdling and picking flowers like usual.   Xena's stomach had been lurching oddly all morning, and she felt her joints ready to fall apart.  Corinth was close, she could smell the spices and rich perfumes and oils in the wind.  She glanced at her companions.  Gabrielle stuck close to Argo, retaining her unimpressed scowl that had started the day before.  Joxer hung back, wearing a dark pout, looking anywhere but ahead of him.  He even clanked less.

"Okay," Xena brought the horse around, Gabrielle and Joxer both stopping.  It was amazing how well Xena could handle Argo despite the huge round swell of her belly, "I've had about enough of this!"

Gabrielle looked deadpan, Joxer only smouldering away quietly.

"Had enough of what?" Gabrielle asked finally, knowing full well that the question was needless.

"This! You two! Sulking like a pair of children!  What the hell is going on? You two were pawing eachother like love-sick teenagers for months!  And now - now you're barely talkin' to eachother!"

Gabrielle glanced back at Joxer, who looked away with a scuff of his foot on the dirt road.

"S'nothin'," Joxer mumbled.

"Like Tartarus it is!" Xena growled, "Now I have neither the time nor the patience to deal with this!  I gotta get to Corinth, I have to get there fast!  So that's what I'm gonna do - you two can meet me there tomorrow, and hopefully you'll have sorted things out by then!"

Gabrielle blinked, Argo's reigns yanked from her hands suddenly.

"Xena - what are you doing? What if you have the baby?"

Xena rolled her eyes, "I wont, we still got time yet!"

At that Xena let out a cry, squeezing the horse with her thighs suddenly, and with a bowing nod of the head, Argo sprang off at a canter, speeding up to a good run.

Gabrielle watched the golden mare grow small by distance, the dust on the road stirred by her hooves.  Glancing to Joxer she sighed.

"I wish we hadn't had to have sold Nippy - he was a good horse."

"Old horse," Joxer corrected, gazing off into the forest darkly.

Gabrielle watched him plod along, his features like that of a sad puppy-dog.  She sighed, her hand rubbing her forehead, wishing that this moment alone with Joxer wasn't so - so - strained.  She stopped, waiting for Joxer to catch up, and upon catching up she stood, expecting him to stop with her, but he just kept on walking.  Her jaw dropping a moment she growled, yanking his arm back.

"By the Gods, Joxer!" she gasped, "I don't know why you're being like this!  It's no big deal, you're making a too big a thing out of it!"

Joxer examined her features a long moment and sighed.

"I wanna get married, you don't.  To me that's a big deal!"

"It doesn't mean I don't love you!"

Joxer cocked his head a moment with an unimpressed wince, "Coulda fooled me Gabby!"

She sighed, catching up to him again, Joxer speeding ahead at an angry gait.

"Joxer, I'm sorry I was angry with you last night - it - it just took me by surprise!"

He glanced back at her, then scowled, looking down the road.

"How do you think I felt when you said no?!"

She shrugged, cocking her head a little, like a guilty child.  "Heartbroken..."

Joxer didn't reply, he just kept on down the road.

"Joxer - I don't understand why you're so upset by this..."

He whirled around, looking at her incredulously.

"Don't understand?!?" he almost gasped, "Gabrielle, we've been together now for almost a year, known eachother for three, we've shared so much.  You almost had my child!  All I want to do is to make our union final and - you don't," he shrugged, "Tell me what there is to not understand."

At that he started down the road again, Gabrielle trudging after.

Xena pulled at Argo's reigns, ploughing through the crowds of Corinth.  The beautiful smells and gowns, the silks and sweetmeats that hung in various stalls, the laughter, the music and street theatre, and most of all the smiles of the inhabitants, all washed past her, as if they weren't there at all.  Her pelvis felt as if it would break in two, and her back in half.  She gripped the thick leather of the reigns, stopping for a moment in the hubbub of the town square.  She looked down to the edge of a fountain, the wide rim looking ideal for a spot to sit down a moment.  The pastel blue kaftan she wore, decorated around the edges with dark blue batik and greek geometric beading, a gift from a travelling Persian merchant who she saved from some bandits, floated in the breeze elegantly.  Xena gracefully pulled the water gourd from the saddlebag, and taking a swig she let Argo bend her neck, sipping at the fountain's pool.

She watched children run past, giggling, throwing a ball between them.  She sighed, how would she look after one of those?  More importantly, how would she look after a half mortal one?   Lifting the gourd up she wrapped it's straps around it, stuffing it into the saddlebag.  As she concentrated on the bag, she a large, strong hand wrapped around her upper arm.   She whipped around, knocking it back and crouching into a defensive stance.  She instantly regretted it, her back aching precariously.

"Xena?" an incredulous Hercules gasped, helping her upright, "Is - by the Gods! What happened to you?"

Next to Hercules, Iolaus stood, his face was ashen, disbelief stealing the colour from his usually vibrant features.

Cradling Argo's head in her arms, she seemed a little evasive, and worse - troubled.  She smiled thinly and pursed her lips.

"I got pregnant, that's what happened," she said.

Hercules looked her up and down, a wary smile on his face.  She looked like a new woman entirely, something soft, sensual and gentle had been brought to the surface in her, as if the shedding of her armour had shed much of her harsh countenance.

"You - You wanna tell me what this is all about?" Hercules asked, perching his hands on his hips.

Iolaus glared at him.

"Alone?" he added, looking to his friend. Iolaus threw his hands up in the air, and with a quick adjustment of his quiver he
strolled off into the crowd, mumbling to himself.  Hercules glanced about him, and with a frown of decision he plunged into the crowd.

"Let's go somewhere a - little quieter..."
 
 

Entering the quiet glade, Hercules helped Xena down to a log nearby.   Oh Gods, she looked breathtaking, a peace in her
one he knew he had never seen in her before.  Argo nickered as she was set free to graze, and she wandered nearby, snorting and sniffing to herself.

"Where's Gabrielle?" Hercules asked her, sitting next to her, wrapping her hands in his.

"Still on the way here, she's got some things to sort out with Joxer... they had a tiff last night."

Hercules blinked.

"A - a lover's tiff?  With - with Joxer?"

Xena smiled wryly.

"He has a good heart, and has been more help than you could even begin to imagine."

Herc nodded, clasping her hands.

"I trust your judgement Xena, you know that."

Xena's ice-blue eyes rang.

"So..." Herc pursed his lips a moment, gesturing to her stomach with a lax hand, "What happened?"

Xena rose a brow.  "I think it's pretty obvious."

Hercules frowned.  "Who's the father?"

Xena swallowed, moving her lips awkwardly as her brows tilted to a frown.

"Ares."

Hercules felt his throat catch, his guts felt as if a thousand Titans stomped on his belly at once.  He grabbed her by the
shoulders, pulling her to him suddenly in a comforting embrace.  Xena only smiled awkwardly, his distress overwhelming
her.  Gripping her by the shoulders he glared at her, worry in his expression.

"What did he do to you? Did he force you to do anything or-"

Xena shook her head. "He didn't rape me," she ran a hand up to his shoulder gripping it tenderly, "We - a lot has
happened since we last met..."

Hercules nodded, his face ashen.

"I noticed."

"Hercules," she gripped his shoulder once more, her eyes pleading for understanding, "Ares has changed a little, not
entirely, but enough that I loved him... Perhaps I still do..."

Hercules shot out a disbelieving snort.

"How can you love war?" he asked her, utter shock constricting his voice to a quiet croak, "You know what he's like."

Xena nodded, "For so long he had been just war till... Till he took a risk.  He took a risk for love - for me.  I didn't think
he had it in him, but any God of a people like us would have to have the capacity to grow and learn..."

Hercules only shook his head, his blonde locks falling over his clenched cheeks.

"Do you even realise what he's done to me?"

Xena's brow furrowed.  "Have you ever thought about what you have done to him?"

"I can't believe you've taken his side!"

Xena sighed, "I haven't taken anybody's side.  I just saw a different side to a man - a God - I thought I knew everything
about."

Xena seemed so certain.  She talked softly, her icy eyes glowing with a quiet forlorn.  She was sad - but he wasn't so sure they were for the reasons he hoped - why did he feel so angry?  So torn?   A hatred burned inside him, he tried to extinguish it, but upon imagining the dark bronzed form of Ares wrapped around Xena's curvaceous body, bringing her passion, her silent moans of delight, it erupted and he clenched his teeth, trying to keep it under control.

"So what changed?" he asked.

"A lot did," she said, "Beginning with me."

"You?"

Xena nodded, "I had been hating myself for so long.  Finding the 'bad' people to beat up and set straight, it was the only
thing that fed my self loathing.  I had so much hatred for Ares-"

"That's why I'm so shocked by this..."

"I know but - it was wrong."

"Wrong?  Xena, he's evil!" Herc spat, "He's selfish, malicious..."

"And wild, regal, proud, gentle, passionate..." Her features grew softened, "He was ready to face the whole of Olympus
to defend our child..."

Hercules' jaw dropped.  "Yeah I heard - that was your child?!?"

Xena nodded.

The hero sighed, loss deep in his features...

"He's really got you now hasn't he, Xena?"

Xena shook her head. "He hasn't 'got' me Hercules.  He's never had me.  He never will... as the God of War, he has his
duty.  I - I can't be with him."

He examined her features as these words left her mouth.  She seemed infinitely sad at this.

"You want to be with him?" he asked her.

She nodded, her fingers fiddling at the fabric of her dress, .  "I remember when I stood in the battle, guards coming at me from everywhere and in a nearby bushel cowered the Ares you and I knew and loathed, except he was mortal.   I'll never forget the look on his face when he bolted into the battle, shouting at me to get down.   He saved me, regardless of his life."

Hercules shook his head with disbelief.

"I'm telling the truth!" she frowned, "All I knew was these bodies fell over me, dead ones, dismembered ones.  Suddenly
someone pulled me to their feet - it was Ares, and it was that moment..."

She stopped, swallowing, fiddling fingers laying still in her full lap.

"He looked so vulnerable yet, he didn't care, as long as I was fine.  The human Ares lives inside of him, balancing out his
evil tide.  Every time that dark part of him, the part that is War, suggests burning a village for the hell of it, I can see the
mortal fire in his eyes and it rages like a brush-fire in the hot season.  It tempers his judgement - as if it were always
supposed to be there."

"Xena - I don't think you realise who you're talking about here..." Herc shook his head, "Ares isn't just a God of War...
He is-"

"War?  Yeah, I've heard it been said before...  and I don't believe it," she said, "What made love to me wasn't war, was
not hate and fear and violence.  It was passion, fire, need.  So many things I can't find the words for."

"The word I think you are looking for is lust."

Xena's expression grew firm.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm sorry Xena - but look at you - you're in a long blue dress, you're pregnant..."

Xena's brow furrowed,  "I didn't plan this, but I have to deal with it nonetheless..."

Hercules frowned, regarding her with pain stricken eyes.  She braced his shoulders gently.

"I know you're worried about me, but I'm not the same woman I was all those years ago...  No matter what my feelings
for Ares, I'll never return to my old ways...  That's not who I am anymore..."

Hercules sighed, clasping her hands.

"You're happy..."

"I'm happy I have this child within me," she said, "That's all I need."

"Then that's all I need to know," Hercules said finally, pulling her to him in a hug.
 

Gabrielle stopped, leaning on her staff as she kicked at the ground.

"Joxer!" she called, "Stop!"

Joxer slowed, turning around and folding his arms.

"I - oww!" she hopped on one foot, "I got a pebble in my boot somehow - aaagh! It's digging into my foot!"

"Musta been from that passing merchant carriage, you know with all the dirt and stuff flying up..." Joxer said, his brow creasing in a frown as he strode over to her, bending down at her foot.  He undid the laces, pulling the boot off carefully, and tipping it up the small sharp stone topped out.   The furrow in his brow deepened as he saw the stone, and dropping the boot he took her foot in his hands carefully.

"Did it hurt you much?" he asked, massaging the soft of her sole, looking up to her, large dark eyes filled with concern.

She gazed down at him, feeling his strong hands knead at her heel and toes, it felt so nice.

Her hand inched forward from her side, tentatively, her green eyes never leaving his.  The tips of her fingers touched some of his soft tousled locks, and slowly she ran them over his scalp, down to his ear, then leaving the hair she ran them over his cheekbone.

"You're so good to me," she said softly, kneeling down at the road with him, "How did I get so lucky to have a sweetheart like you?"

He said nothing, just gazed at her sadly, gulping.   She cradled his face in her hand, gazing at him.

"I don't know what I'd do if I lost you," she whispered, "You're the world to me Joxer..."

He watched her features, and with a silent blink he asked her;

"What's Xena?"

She smiled, "She's my sun..."

He nodded.  He knew what Xena meant to Gabrielle, he also knew he would never do anything to separate them.  Her touch was so gentle, he felt the skin under hers turn to fire.  He remembered just how much he wanted her all that time...  all he wanted was to shout it to the Gods, and make it official that this woman was the very person he wanted to be with for the rest of his days.  A long sigh lifted from his chest.

"Please Gabrielle, marry me...."

Her brows tilted to a frown, her eyes ringing with.... all Joxer could think of was fear!  She shook her head quickly, tears welling.

"Joxer - please understand," she said as she pulled her hand away from his face, striding down the road, "I can't marry you!"

"Why?" he asked, "I love you - you love me.  I want to spend the rest of my life with you... don't you want that?"

Gabrielle turned around slowly, letting her eyes fall upon him as he was crouched on the road.

"More than anything..."

He looked exasperated.

"Then what's the problem?!?"

She gave a hot sigh, lifting a tense hand. "Joxer - just - just drop it okay?  I don't wanna talk about this just now!"

"When are we gonna talk about it then, huh?" he shook his head, "You can't run away from your problems Gabrielle."

She glanced back at him.  He tried to read her features - what was she scared of?  He didn't get it.

"We will - we will talk, just - I need time to think..."

Joxer tried to force down a smile, "Is that a maybe?"

Gabrielle rolled her eyes, a smile too creeping to her lips, "It's a - possible maybe..."

Joxer leapt up like a crazy puppy, running to her and sweeping her up in an embrace.

"Oh Gabrielle!" he chuckled, "you've made me so happy!"

Gabrielle frowned, "I haven't said yes yet!"

He looked to her with a sheepish grin, his dark eyes glinting with mischief, "Yeah, but you said maybe - it's better than no!"

"You're such a dork," she chuckled, letting herself sink into a hug.

"Ooh, "he giggled, "I love it when you call me names..."

She rolled her eyes, stepping out onto the road.  Joxer saw a dark shape not far off, and the ground shuddered with the beating of hooves.  Alarm flew across his face and he leapt out, pushing Gabrielle back.  She looked furious till a flash of hay and horse thundered past - and slowed down.  Joxer ran to Gabrielle's side, taking her in his arms, trembling as much as she was.

"That was close!" she said, fear in her voice.  Glancing to the huge hay-filled cart the bard saw the horseman jump from it, then glancing around he ran to them.

"By the Gods!" he exclaimed, his handsome young face a ghastly pale, "Are you both okay?"

Gabrielle nodded, Joxer lifting a calming hand.

"Sure bud, we're fine," he said.

The horseman looked to his cart then to the two lovers cowering on the road.

"Which way are you headed?" he asked.

"Corinth," Joxer said, and the horseman's face lit up.

"Then hop on!" he cried, "It's the least I could do for you!"

Gabrielle felt herself being lifted, and she frowned at Joxer with an incredulous smile.

"What are you doing?" she asked, curled up in Joxer's arms.

"I'm carrying you to the cart," he said with some determination in his eyes.

"But I'm not hurt," she giggled as he strolled towards the back end of the cart, his steps pounding through her, his body cushioning her.

"Oh - oh well."

The horseman grinned, running to the front of the cart.

"I hope you don't mind my cargo - an inn-keeper needs it for his stables."

"That's fine," Gabrielle called, "This is really nice of you - you know my friend is pregnant - she's due any day now and I was really scared I'd miss her having the baby..."

The Horseman rose a brow, "Well then," he said, "We'll have to make sure you don't - HYAAAA!"

With an almighty lurch the horses and cart barrelled down the road, towards the great city of Corinth.
 
 

Hercules sat in the tavern, waiting the arrival of his pal Iolaus from his errand to the inn they would be staying in that night.

He sighed, looking into the ale.   He quite simply could not believe it!  Of all the people he thought Xena could have possibly have fallen in love with instead of himself, Ares was the last guy he'd have picked.   The very thought of it brought that bubbling anger back to him, that bubbling anger that was becoming more and more a steaming pool of misery.

Why had he let Xena go?

She was beautiful, smart, talented, strong.  He had always felt she was a kindred.   It was rare he could sit down with a woman and talk fight techniques with her.

Maybe he let Xena go cause she wasn't just the right one.

But these feelings dredged up by the recent discovery brought his heart thudding to the bottom of his stomach.  He had a myriad of painful emotions broiling inside of him.  What about the Gods?  What if Hera decided to do some kind of mischief with this baby?  Well - when he thought about it, and the tales he had heard from his little sister Aphrodite, apparently Hera liked the idea of the kid because it annoyed Zeus.  Well, that was a good sign.  And Ares wouldn't touch it either.  He wasn't used to this - he wasn't used to Ares and Hera NOT causing trouble.  There had to be a reason... there was a stink about the baby in Olympus, that he knew.  Why?  He had to find out the full story, whatever the cost.  Xena wouldn't tell him the dirt he knew that much - it was her kid, she wouldn't say a word wrong of it, especially after Solan.

"Hey Herc!"

He felt a slap on his back, and turning his head he saw the bright but drawn features of his dear friend Iolaus.

"Hi Iolaus," he said, "Got us a room?"

"No not yet, the Inn-keeper wanted 20 dinars for the night - what a gyp!"

"That's okay," Hercules said, a serious look on his face, "We mightn't be needing it anyway."

Iolaus let his face fall drawn, "You're not seriously thinking of travelling on another night are you - I'm exhausted!"

"You can stay here," he said, "But I'll be visiting the 'folks' at home!"

"What?"

Hercules looked Iolaus in the eyes, "The father of Xena's baby is Ares."

"Wh- Ares?" Iolaus winced, "You're kidding me!  But Xena hates Ares!"

"That's what I thought," said Hercules, "But it seems that's not entirely true..."

"Well - what happened?"

"He became human for a time - during that time he endeared himself to her - the old 'vulnerability' trick."

Iolaus shook his head, "I don't believe it!"

"Believe it," he said, "Xena is carrying a demi-god."

"Is she in love with him?"

Hercules lifted his mug of ale, tipping it slightly, watching the foam float about inside it, "I think she is."

Iolaus sighed, putting a supportive hand on his back, squeezing quickly.  A young woman behind the bar approached him and he nodded, pointing at Herc's mug of ale.  He sighed.

"Oh hey - I didn't see Gabrielle with her - where is she?"

"She's still on her way here," Herc said, looking glumly at Iolaus, "With Joxer."

Iolaus nodded, smiling a little, feeling somewhat better that Gabrielle was on her way.  He received a full mug of beer from  the wench and he handed her a dinar.  The idiot Joxer would be here too, but it was okay - they could get him to sleep with the horses.  He took a sip of his ale.

"They had a tiff last night, you see," Herc continued, figuring Iolaus had to find out some time, "A lover's tiff."

"PFFFHHT!" beer sprayed from Iolaus' mouth, "Did you just say 'lover's'?"

"That I did."

"Gabrielle is in - love with JOXER?"

"Seems so," Hercules sighed.

"Something's way wrong with this picture," Iolaus said despairingly, "Xena with Ares, Gabrielle with Joxer - do you think some weird spell is going on?"

"I don't know," Hercules said, "But I know who I'm going to talk to to find out."

Xena hauled herself onto the bed in her room in the inn, the polished wood floor covered with a pelt of elk, the bed a soft mattress thick with duck feathers, and the shorn hair of various livestock, particularly sheep.  There was a woven wool blanket thrown over a thick pelt, a couple of soft pillows looking terrible inviting.  They turned out indeed to be very comfortable.  She laid back, releasing a tired breath.

"Hahahaha!"

A chuckle, low and taunting, filled the room, and Xena turned her head and sighed.

"Did you see his face when you told him who's the Daddy?" Ares grinned, swaggering over to Xena proudly, "You know, being good all that time has most certainly paid off!"

"You're not suggesting this was a part of some plan..."

"Oh, no no," Ares smiled, lowering himself on the bed next to Xena, stroking her cheek tenderly, "I do adore you completely," he said, "This is just a bonus!"

He did that grin again, that impish grin that made his dark eyes sparkle.  Damn it all to Tartarus, Xena felt her heart tingle at his smile, his jovial mood so inviting for a change.  It was hard to stay angry at him sometimes.  She was damned and determined to hate him still, or at least not love him like she did, but it was so hard.  He always let loose the playful and tender human she knew, and it always worked - she would relent, and find herself in his rippling arms.

"I'd wish you could keep me out of this childish sibling rivalry!" she sighed.

"Well, Herc did try to take you from under my nose..."

Xena smirked, "He did take me from under your nose!"

"True," Ares sighed, then a bright smile smacked across his face, "But I got ya back!"

"I guess you did," she said, letting herself smile a little.  "It's nice having you here."

She meant it.  She couldn't believe she actually meant it.  But of late his presence made her feel lighter, it brought her ease, it made her feel so feminine and beautiful - something she hadn't felt for seeming aeons.

Ares shrugged, "War times are tight at the moment.  A lot of tension between nations but no real outbreaks.  It's strange."

Xena frowned thoughtfully, "I guess it's just one of those quiet periods.  There were a lot of wars recently..."

Ares grinned, "I know."

Guilt wracked her, but she knew, as long as Ares was occupied with having her, and tending the coming child, he would spend less time on his war-time pursuits.  Maybe this wasn't such a bad arrangement after all...

"You're such a child sometimes," Xena said, rolling her eyes.

"I know you love it," he said, noticing the fruit at the bedside table.  "You splashing out here?"

Xena shook her head, "The innkeeper's wife was especially nice to me cause I'm so pregnant."

"Oh."

Ares looked about him, and he got that impatient sparkle in his eyes.

"I don't know how you can stand being mortal, having to stay in one place for so long..."

"It has it's advantages," Xena smirked again, bringing an arm up and resting it behind her head invitingly.  Ares smiled at her, then looked at the swell at her belly again.

"Hey there little guy," he said into her womb, "That's right, it's your Daddy here!"

Xena watched him and smiled.

"I'm gonna tell you a little story, it's called 'Ares the God of War, and the time your old Uncle Hermes got himself trapped in an amphora during the Trojan War'..."

"That's not the way it goes," Xena started, but Ares raised a finger.

"Shhh," he said, "Don't burst the kid's bubble!"

The pinkish mists of the Realm of Love spiralled and moved sensuously, happily, warmly.  The brisk summery conditions pampered the buxom, heavenly Goddess of Love.  How life had treated her well of late.   Word of her bravery during the whole "Ares and Xena's Baby" debacle had spread through Olympus, and though Ares was well disliked, the killing of a baby was not widely supported, especially the child of Xena, who had dealt with the whole 'Dahok' deal so neatly for them.    Her popularity amongst the mortals had increased - usual for the festive seasons in the summer months, and she actually got some semi-interesting stuff from them.  Not only that - she actually almost very almost got along with Athena.  It was a scary experience but - Athena wasn't so bad sometimes.  Sure, she was way stuffy and the snake-aegis was definitely ten centuries ago, but she had been a stayer throughout the recent troubles, and helped keep Zeus under control.  It was times like that she could almost stand her.

"Aphrodite..."

Aphrodite lazed on a plush pink divan, nibbling some tasty grapes grown in her very own vineyards.  She groaned, pursing her lips, a little crease in her perfect brow.  Some dude at one of her temples wanted her again - to whine about how his wife didn't understand him anymore most likely.

"Sister!"

"Woah," she mumbled to herself, "That's no mortal bum!"

With a curl of her hand, the figure of a man congealed in a rain of golden sparkles.

"Herc?"

Hercules looked about him a moment, then with a sigh he looked to Aphrodite, trouble in his features, planting his tanned hands on his slightly soiled shirt.

"Man, take a seat - wait a minute," Aphrodite screwed up her nose.

She wove her hand in the air, then pointed at him - a shot of gold energy enveloped him, and when it subsided his clothes were clean - brand spanking new.

"There - sorry, but this is Olympus!"

Hercules let loose an uneasy laugh, "That's - okay Aphrodite..."

"So - wassup bro?"

Aphrodite lifted a hand and created another pink divan for him to sit on, complete with his own grapes.

"You know what's up," he said, sitting on the edge of the divan.

"Ex-squeeze me?"

"First I find out - Gabrielle is with Joxer!" Hercules gestured with his hands helplessly, "And then I find out Xena is with ARES of all people!"

Aphrodite grinned, rolling her eyes, "Oh that!!" she chuckled, "Man, I thought something serious had happened!"

"This is serious!" Hercules said, "I mean - are you playing some sort of joke on reality here or..."

"No joke," Aphrodite said, "Cupie and I had talked about this extensively, and even Psyche agreed that these matches are set!"

"No they are not set!" he said, "They are most certainly all wrong!"

Aphrodite threw down her grape into the bowel prissily, sitting up with a bust-jiggle.

"Says who?" she said, glaring at him with a serious look she rarely wore, "Says you?  Who are you?  You're Hercules.  I'm the Goddess of Love and I say they're cookin'!"

Hercules felt like the whole world was going insane.

"Whadda you care about Xena anyways?   Every time you see her you just ride off again, leaving her on her lonesome..."

"I didn't want to crowd her," Herc said with an uneasy wince.

"Duh!" Aphrodite rolled her eyes, "It isn't overcrowding when it's a hunky guy doing the crowding!"

"We're getting off the subject here," Herc shook his head, "What makes you so sure Xena and Ares are right for eachother?  And Joxer and Gabrielle?"

"Easy," Aphrodite said, squeezing at a plump grape idly, then sucking it's juices off her thumb, "They're cookin!   Joxer is all sweet and sensitive, yet he's a total dufus.  Gabrielle's nurturing side just goes off with that!  And Ares and Xena?  Well that was a hard one, cause you know - everyone was telling me - Put Gabrielle with Xena!  Put Gabrielle with Xena!  But that just lacked the fireworks I'd seen all along with Ares.  Besides - getting him all in love has saved the world a whole heap of trouble, haven't you noticed?"

Hercules had gone quiet.

Aphrodite narrowed her eyes, then smiled a little.

"I see..."

"You see what?" Hercules frowned.

"You don't really love Xena."

Hercules blinked, "How can you say that?"

"You're asking the Love Goddess how she can say what she knows better than you?"

Hercules gritted his teeth a little.

"Listen - you just want her cause Ares has got her - it's dead simple!"

"It's not dead simple," he said, "I really love her!"

"Do you?"

Aphrodite gave him that serious look again.

"Hercules - choosing a life partner for someone is not an easy process - you know?"

Hercules nodded.

"And the people we choose - they aren't always the most perfect choice - like Xena and Gabrielle would be perfect..."

He looked up to her.

"They are, however, always the ones that make them the most happy."

Hercules took in his top lip, his head dropping down, looking at his clasped hands.   All he wanted was to make her happy, and his childish, evil brother somehow managed to do that, even though he was the antithesis everything Xena stood for.

"Aphrodite - they're total opposites...."

Aphrodite shrugged, popping in a grape and smiling softly, "That's why they get a long so well."

Hercules sighed.  Everyone he had talked to about this had been on Ares' side.  Was the world going mad?  He tried to press the issue with the baby now.

"What about this kid - why was there such a fuss about it?"

"Oh that," Aphrodite rolled her eyes, "The Furies - those total butt wipes - tried to get back at Ares and Xena for making them look bad.  They gleaned info from the Fates and totally twisted it.   It's so predictable coming from them - I never trusted them!"

Hercules frowned, "I don't get it..."

"Well - they tried to have the kid killed right?  Dad was like so furious!  He was ready to strike it down, with the thunder thing, and like I thought that was so way harsh.  Athena came around eventually, decided to help me out, and then Dad realised something was fishy when Athena started questioning the Furies and they couldn't answer his questions too well - you know the process."

"Ah," Hercules nodded, "So this kid is okay?"

"Oh yeah!" Aphrodite nodded, nibbling on a grape, "This kid should be fine!"

"But what if it's a total monster - like Hope?"

The Goddess of Love grinned, "I don't think so, Herc.  I got a good feeling about this you know?  You should relax a little..."

Hercules stood up, running a hand through his straggled dirty blonde locks, "I can't!  Not while Ares is hanging around!  He's bad, Aphrodite - real bad!"

Aphrodite's eyes softened, the grin on here face disappearing.  She had rarely seen Hercules get this angry before.  She sighed.

"He's not bad, Herc.  He's just the God of War.  He's supposed to be a jerk."

Hercules rolled his eyes with pessimism.

"Once I lost my Godhood, and I hung out with Ares a while - and you know - he's not that bad once you get past the whole 'War' thing."

Herc winced, shaking his head, "You can't get past the 'War' thing.  'War' is what he's all about, and it's what I'm dead against!"

Aphrodite laughed, "You're against war?  Conflict?  Where in Tartarus would you be without it?  You'd be as lost as if I were to stop existing!"

Hercules now gave a smile, "I don't think so Aph."

"I do!" she said, "You're always battling your foes - without Ares you wouldn't stop there.  You'd be battling everybody who came your way!  Grisly to the max!"

He remembered the time when the word was that Ares had lost his powers from the Gods.  He learnt it quickly to be true as everyone around him, including Iolaus, grew irritable, argumentative and then slowly murderous. That was life without Ares, he thought.  But there had to be a way - to be without Ares, and not have the havoc without his dominion of cosmic rule.

He quickly dismissed the thought, realizing not only was it bloodthirsty, but it was down-right wrong.  He sighed.

"Thanks Aphrodite - for-"

A colourful sweep of shining orbs and plasma burst up from the marble floor of the floating Realm of Love, and Aphrodite's eyes lit up like a Solstice Night.

"Hey Apollo!" she cooed, and whispered to Hercules, "You know, it really isn't fair that he's my brother... he's so hot!"

The intrusion congealed into the form of a tall young man, evenly muscled, slender, a soft silken waistcoat and togs set off by a golden belt and light brown boots.  His hair was the deepest coal, his skin an olive toned hue of tan, and his eyes the rich brown of mahogany.   It was obvious he was related to the likes of Ares, as apart from sharing colouring, he also devastatingly handsome.   Unlike Ares, he had a slight figure in comparison, his face was also longer.  His appearance was overall much more slender than Ares, but they both had a passion in their eyes.

"What can you do me for?" Aphrodite grinned, posing on her divan deliciously.

Apollo knelt before Aphrodite, taking her hand reverently and leaving a soft kiss on it's ivory surface.

"Dear sister," he said, "It's a pleasure to be in your presence once again."

"Hi Apollo," Hercules said, trying to ward off the coldness in his heart for his half brother.

"Hey Herc," Apollo said, seating himself next to Aphrodite on the divan without looking at him, "Kill any bad guys lately?  Oh hang on, I forgot - you're too busy turning against your family!"

Aphrodite lifted tense flat hands.

"Okay quit it!" she said firmly, "Before it starts!  I will not have fighting in my Realm!"

Hercules stood up, "Well I'll go - save anything from happening.  Nice seeing you Aphrodite."

"Okay bro!" she smiled, leaning back on her divan, "Ciao!"

"See ya!"

Aphrodite let Herc disappear in a rain of her magic, Apollo shaking his head.

"Jerk," Apollo said quietly, moving to the vacated divan.

Aphrodite rolled her eyes, "He's okay really!  Geez, why can't you guys get along? First Herc and Ares and now you!  I just had Herc here bitching about my newest pairings..."

Aphrodite had a disappointed pout on her lips and Apollo frowned gently.

"What, Demitrinos and Carla?  What-"

"No," Aphrodite said, "Ares and Xena, along with our boy Joxer."

"What's he got against Joxer?"

"I don't think he likes him much.  I mean, Joxer can be a bit of an idiot at times but-"

"Oh hey, I'm an artist," Apollo grinned, "You think I'd encase a jewel like Joxer in a spectacular exterior?  That's more Zeus' style..."

Aphrodite took that as a compliment, knowing her creation from Zeus was an odd one, but a highly celebrated one, much like the coming birth of the newest addition to Olympus.

"So," Aphrodite smiled, her lips gaining a mischievous curl, "You talked to Artemis?"

"Yeah," Apollo nodded, "She doesn't mind my - taking of the bard under the wing of my Realm..."

"Great," the Goddess smiled, "Oh I love making nice plans!"

Apollo grinned, "Oh these will be very nice," he said, "Gabrielle and Joxer and destined for great things, I tell ya.  Corinth will not know what hit 'em."

Aphrodite giggled, laying back on her plush pink divan.  A thought seemed to occur to her and she slapped her brother God on the arm.

"Hey how's Artemis?  She was pretty bummed the last time I saw her..."

Apollo shook his head darkly, "Depressed, unhappy.  Her lands are still being mistreated, and Hera's constant abuse of her is taking it's toll."

"Is old cowface still hassling her out?"

"Yes," he said, "It seems she never gives up."

Aphrodite shook her head with a wry leer, "The words 'give up' and 'Hera' do not go in the same sentence - Herc is still copping it from her."

A guilty look crossed Apollo's face and Aphrodite chuckled.  Apollo knew what she was laughing at, and she didn't have to speak a word.

"I just don't like him, he's smelly, he's oafish, and he does not act cool to my boy Joxer..."

"Our boy Joxer," Aphrodite corrected, "He's still my little studmuffin, you remember that!"

Apollo smirked, "Okay, our boy Joxer."

"Listen, Herc's not so bad once you get past the smell and the goody-two-shoes act, I mean - I kinda like him.  He's a good brother..."

Apollo just snorted with doubt, and threw her a half-hearted look.

"The moment he stops acting like a self-righteous jerk, I'll believe it!  Like he's never farted in a temple before!"

"Eeew, gross!"

"Sorry," he smiled sheepishly and Aphrodite rolled her eyes.

"It's okay.  So, what're you gonna do about Artemis?"

"Nothing much I can do," sighed Apollo, "Hera is the Queen of the Gods - what can you do against her?"

"Not a lot," Aphrodite mused in a pout, "Apart win a beauty contest but that's the sorta thing you can only win once."

Apollo nodded.

"Why doesn't Dad do something about her?"

"Are you kidding?" Apollo exclaimed, "He's off doing the do, if you catch my drift."

A disgusted look crossed Aphrodite's face, "I catch it, with this grody mental picture I really wish I hadn't!"

Apollo cocked his head with a upward twitch of a brow.

"Well sis, I better bail - I might check up on Artemis - make sure all's hunky dory with her."

"Good idea," Aphrodite sighed leisurely, laying back on the divan, "It'll annoy old Cow Face."

Apollo shook his head with a grin, slipping from the Realm of Love with a soft shimmer.

Hercules strode from the Realm of Love, trouble in his stride.  He wasn't convinced, something had to be going on.  He found himself back on Earth in a rain of sparkles.  Day had almost died, and he knew that the gang would be back at the Northern Star Inn.  Gabrielle and Joxer, Xena, Iolaus.   Would Ares be there?  Why would Ares be there, he laughed to himself, He has wars to tend to. But the baby is almost due, a voice told him.  A dark feeling settled inside him - it would be a very long night.

"Thankyou!" cried Gabrielle, Joxer helping her down from the back of the hay-cart.

"Your welcome!" the young horseman cried, "Glad to be of service!"

"Now - we were going to stay at the Northern Star Inn," Gabrielle mumbled, clasping Joxer's hand as they dove into the crowds of Corinth's Festival of Trades.  She felt the strong hand in hers, she always marvelled how strong his hands actually were.  He couldn't do much with them as far as self defense or warfare was concerned - but oh - the sweet music that would float from a lyre or lute in his arms made her sigh with delight.  The crowds were as bad as Athens during the Olympics, but they pushed through with their belongings and eachother.   Gabrielle felt the odd squeeze of her rear and it was often followed by a 'Watch it buddy!' or a stiff kick from Joxer to the offendee.  It was a miracle no one tried to deck him.

"The Inn is that way!" Gabrielle cried, and they eased to a less crowded place near the centre fountain momument, where Gabrielle stopped a moment to re-adjust her load.  She felt a hand at her side, this time she smiled.

"Watch it buddy," she grinned, and Joxer blushed.

"Do I get hit now?"

"You wish," she giggled.

Orbs of fire from torches lit the way through the town, lamps and giant bonfires decorated the streets with streamers and flowing cottons of bright colours.  There were stalls everywhere that sampled the wares and delights of every Inn, Tavern and Workshop from Macedonia to Minoa.  Gabrielle grinned, the festival spirit filling her.

"Look Joxer!" Gabrielle giggled, pointing to a man that danced about, his every move followed by trails of fire, "A flame-dancer!"

"He's good!" Joxer smiled, "If I tried that I'd just set myself on fire!"

"That goes without saying," Gabrielle said with a wry smile and Joxer gave a goofy grin.  "Come on - we'll dump this stuff in our room, check on Xena and then we can look around a bit!"

Gabrielle stood up, taking her swag over her shoulder, and took Joxer's hand.  They strolled through the festival area, smiling at strangers, and savouring the care-free and spirited air about them.  A dancer came up, veils whipping and floating behind her, and she slipped a flower behind Joxer's ear, then produced another one and slipped it behind Gabrielle's.

"Happy Festival!" she cried, and Gabrielle smiled and waved at her.

"Happy Festival," she said, returning the greeting.

"Wow, I've never seen Corinth quite this done up before..."Joxer sighed happily.

"The Festival of Trades was always done in Athens, that's why," Gabrielle said, "It never quite had the wild and spirited feel there that it does here.... I'm glad they decided to move it."

"Me too," Joxer smiled, "Corinth is a merchant town, it was a pity for it to be ignored for such an event for all those years."

"-aravan is full of pots like tha-"

Gabrielle frowned.

"What was that?"

Joxer looked to her with a pout, "I said Corinth is a merchant town, it's-"

"No no no, after that!"

Joxer looked to the left of him, then to the right, and smiled with some confusion.

"That's all I said."

"Oh," Gabrielle frowned, "I swore I thought you say something about a caravan or - pots or something..."

"It was probably a trader," Joxer said, pulling her through the crush of a part of the crowd waiting for free samples of some smoked fish marinated in olive oil and lemon, with a hint of mint.  The smell caused Joxer's belly to growl, and he wanted to get to the inn fast.  "Say, I'm hungry."

"I hear you Joxer," said the bard, "Lets get to the Inn!"

She winced, feeling the muscles of her abdomen crush her in a slow steady cramp that took hold of her like a python.  She breathed carefully through it, using her skills of relaxation and meditation to ease through it.  Slowly, the pain subsided, and she rested back on the bed.  They were coming a little more frequently now - it wouldn't be long before her baby would tear it's way through her bowels like a ramming rod.  She wanted it to be all over, and to have the baby in her arms.  This pregnancy was not enjoyable in the slightest - it was painful, long, arduous.  There was an odd whoosh of air, and Xena sighed.

"I wish you'd stop doing that," Xena growled, "You're either here or you're not!"

Ares rose a brow, strolling over to her. "Can't I keep track of how the mother of my newest child is faring?"

"Not when you whoosh in and out like you've been doing all day!" she sighed, "Either stay, or leave."

He brought his lips to a full mischevious pout.

"I think I'll keep doing it just to annoy you."

Xena rolled her eyes with a frustrated growl.  "ARES!  I don't have the PATIENCE for you right now!"

He blinked at her outburst, a slow smile spreading across his face, an arm over her he leant to the nape of her neck, planting his lips on her smooth olive skin.

"I love it when you're angry."

There was a procession of heavy footsteps, and wooden-planked door burst open.  Ares groaned, leaning back and perching a leg up on the bed.

"Don't you ever leave her alone?"

"Hilarious, coming from you," Ares smiled thinly.  Gabrielle rolled her eyes, strolling to the bed, Joxer loping in behind her.

"How're you feeling?"

Xena smirked, "I'm feeling fine."

Glancing at Ares she nodded, "That's... good." Clearing her throat she cocked her head, "Any cramps?"

"Yeah," Xena said darkly, "They're closer and closer all the time."

"How close?"

Xena looked up at her with a guilty pout, "Twenty minutes..."

Gabrielle sighed through her teeth, "You are so damn lucky Joxer and I got a lift from the hay merchant or by the Gods, Xena..."

Xena squeezed her eyes shut, sitting up suddenly.

"Xena?"

Xena said nothing, she just breathed hard.

"Joxer!" Gabrielle called, "Go, get some woven wool scraps and hot boiling water from the innkeeper, tell them what's going on.  Ares -"

Her expression stiffened as his brow rose.  Xena needed her mother.

"Please, can you go get Cyrene?"

Ares opened his mouth, ready to tell exactly where the mortal upstart could go with her commands, but Xena howled suddenly, a particularly strong contraction gripping her.  Gabrielle whipped her head back, her eyes filled with panic.  He looked to Xena, huffing, her skin had a fine layer of sweat that was growing to beads.  He gave a long sigh, rolling his eyes, and in a quick turn he disappeared.  Gabrielle glanced around the empty room and then back to Xena.

"It seems like forever since we've had a moment alone," said the bard, pulling the sweat-laden raven tresses from the warrior's face.  Xena found a moment through the cramps to turn her eyes to her and nod.

The door burst open, Joxer's arms clad with shreds of material and supplies.  A plump-faced woman, face red and covered in a film of sweat from hours at the bar and in the kitchen, barrelled in after him, a wide bowl in her arms that spewed forth the slight of water vapour.  She clucked and tutted, laying down the bowl on the floor next to Xena, plunging her arm into the water with a bit of heavy woolen material, and upon wringing it out with a quick twist of her deft work-worn hands she laid the warm slice of cloth on the Warrior Princess' brow.

"Now you breath dear," the woman said softly, and with a humoured smile she added, "These are going to be the longest hours of your life, you know that?"

"All to wee-ah!" Xena began to say huskily before another cramp seized her.

Gabrielle looked to the plump woman and gave a warm smile.

"This is her second child..."

"Oh..." cooed the woman, looking over Xena with a glance, "Shouldn't be too hard on her then, not with her good child-bearing hips."

Gabrielle couldn't help but smile, looking down at her panting friend.

"Don't worry Xena, Ares is getting Cyrene now."
 

The land of the mortals was a smelly, dirty unkempt place.  But the Queen of the Gods, under a veil of fraility, of time-weathered features and old bent and stiff bones, moved with undue speed and care.  In her eye glinted the reflection of a building, scorched from years of heat and smoke, the front a stall decked out with fine metal wares, the back a larger house-made-workshop, with black smoke billowing from it's stack.  In the surrounding darkness cut the large glowing spheres of amber light, casting shadows in the building in front of her.  In that light the silhuoette of a strong, fine man pommelled a red-hot peice of iron on the anvil, a little in from the stall, showing his skill and the process of what he was doing. The dark shapes of people milled around with curiosity, men asked him how long he beat the metal for, how many folds of the metal he made, such questions the man chuckled and gave impressive answers for. The Festival of Trades had been kind to his pocket, and he wore his 'Finest Black-Smith in Corinth' reputation with pride. When the Old Woman she was approached him, a mixed look of puzzlement and interest crossed the middle-aged man's face.

"Here to buy kitchen-wares are you woman?"

Hera smiled with her worn, age-lined features and shook her head silently.

"That's good, because I ship them all off to the kitchenry stall over closer to the town centre so you lovely ladies don't strain yourselves with the walk."

She bowed her head shyly, batting her old eyelids.

"So how can I help you?"

Hera looked to town, and with that look, a great clutter and smash was heard.  Cries of anger and bewilderment ensued as men chased chickens left right and centre, even the people at the stalls raced to the square to see what had occured.  A horse ran down the main parade - it could be seen though gaps between the buildings that blocked the scene from the Smith.  Hera brought her eyes - that were young and icy - back to the blacksmith.

"My question is, how can I help you?"

The smith's brow furrowed a second in confusion.

"Ex-"

"Shhh," Hera smiled with old gums, her voice a mere rasp, "Look...."

From under her plentiful shalls that seemed endless in layers, grey from years of wear, all the dye they once wore long since washed out, she produced a gelatinous lump, it seemed to writhe and move in her hands, expand and contract, glow and grow dull in a scarlet splendour.  He could smell it - it was like every beautiful fruit he had ever smelt - even the fruit stalls didn't even smell this good. Confusion still played in his brow, and he felt a yearning to reach for it as it's pulsing mesmerized him.

"Ah ah ah," she said suddenly, "Do you know what this is?"

He shook his head in wonder.

"Of course not, because you're a stupid mortal," she chuckled, and the smith frowned at her.  Before he could open his mouth she hissed, "Tsst!"  She laid it on the wooden bench in front of her."Tell me your name, Mortal."

"Damocles," the smith said.

"Damocles, do you know how a mortal can become a God?"

Damocles looked down in thought, his brow pressing down, and he nodded.

"You eat the fruit of the Gods!"

Hera rolled her eyes, shaking her head.  "As I said, you are merely a stupid mortal.  For a human to become a God, ambrosia must pass through their lips..."

The smith frowned again, looking to the ceiling of his hut in thought, shaking his head and tapping his lip.

"No, my mother definitely said that-"

A hand grabbed his throat, and before he knew it his head was pressed down on the wooden bench-top.

"A human needs the vital ambrosia..."

Damocles nodded, "Okay lady, I believe you, now do you want something for your fire-place or..."

"You will be quiet till I say you can talk!" she hissed, spit spraying out on him, "Am I clear?"

Damocles nodded once more, "Okay okay."

"Tell me - what happens to a human that tries to forge with the strongest metal in the known world?"

"Iron-"

"Not iron," Hera chuckled with a wheeze, "Hephaestos' alloy - what happens?"

"Ha," Damocles chuckled, "Every black-smith knows of that tale - they burn up from the very heat of the forges!!"

"But Hephaestos does not?"

"No! He's a God!"

"How very perceptive of you," smiled Hera once more.  "What would you say if I told you that you, the greatest blacksmith in Corinth, could use the greatest forge in the known world, to create the most beautiful weapons this world has yet to see?"

The smith gave a strangled laugh.

"I dare not challenge Hephaestos!!" he exclaimed, "My wife and I give him offerings every week, he is a kind and generous God!  He has gifted me with my abilities and treated me well - if I challenge him he would take it all away as easily!"

Hera smiled softly, shaking her head slowly, "He is old - he needs some rest for a while..."

"He does?"

"Oh yes," she nodded, "He needs a special giant room, lined with tiles of his great alloy, and sealed with a lock and seal of the same metal so that he may be protected deep within the mountain he forges in."

"He does?"

"Though good help is hard to find, good smith," she said with a line-riddled pout, "That is why I, Hera, come to you in disguise to help you..."

The smith stood fully upright, took a good look at the woman and burst into laughter.

"You?  HERA?  HAhahaha!"  he chortled, "Hera would be beautiful!  You are but an old crone! HA hahahaha!"

The 'crone' lifted her hand, and orb of light forming in it's grasp and with a flick of a seemingly stiff wrist she sent it pummeling into the man, forcing him to fall backwards onto the floor, landing on the round of his buttocks.  Hera wheezed an old-womans laughter and shook her head.

"A true God will not parade down the street in a fanfare of beauty..." she said, then pouted a little in disgust, "Except maybe Aphrodite but she's a different case entirely.... the whore!"

The smith glared at her, "You dare call the beautiful Aphrodite a - wh - a whh"

"A whore? Yes because that is what she is..." Hera smiled, working at the ambrosia on the table.  She tore of a portion, concealing the rest, and lifted the smaller part to the man's face.  "Eat..."

"What is it?" he asked her.

"Ambrosia," she replied, "Eat."

"You're offering me Godhood old crone?" he laughed, "What if it be poison?"

"Have you ever seen anything on earth glow like this?  Or smell so good?"

Slowly he shook his head, fascinated by the shuddering substance.

"Eat - and live forever..."

He broke his gaze from the fruity lump and glared at the woman, "But what of my wife?"

"Once you have completed your task, she can join you in eternity, a blissful Godly eternity..."

From the corner of her eye, she saw the light shapes of two figures approach the stall.  Damn, she thought, an exploding horse wasn't enough?!?  She examined them from the corner of her eyes - one was merely the light of the face, a dark outfit obviously covering him, and his companion - green?  She looked as if she were Artemis herself.  She chuckled, and send a shot towards them.  Behind them, a section of the wall of the house they had just passed collapsed, clouds of smoke and debris flying around them.  Hera chuckled, the smith seeing the whole thing.

"So - will you eat it?"

He felt his legs buckle underneath him in reverie, and he nodded franticly, consuming the food.

"Good," she grinned. "Well, Damocles," she smiled, taking his hand, her beauty restoring itself, "Welcome to the realms of Olympus."

She wove a pattern of glowing orbs around her with the sweep of an arm, immersing the smith in it, and slowly the glow receded, leaving the forge of the greatest black-smith in Corinth very very empty.

Ares saw the middle-aged woman work at the stall, giving an old man a mug of beer.  Rather nice head she pulled, he thought, smirking.  Her hair was shorter than his love's, it had waves that straggled through it, a blue headband holding it back from her fine-boned features.  Blue eyes stood out against the olive skin, her face a kindess of smiles.  He approached her carefully, making sure not to surprise her.   After dealing with mortals for a time, he knew not to do that more than once!

He decided to take a place in line for a beer, and being tall and well built of stature, he took his place in front of some teenage boys who would probably just pour theirs in a nearby shrubbery after taking a sip.  They looked like they wanted to complain, but seeing the size of his arms just swore and mumbled amongst themselves.

He came to the front of the line, smiling genially up at the woman behind the bar.

"A nice warm bitter please."

The door to the stall slammed down in his face.

He let out a sigh, looking back on the line with a shrug, "Must be out to dinner already!"

Walking around the side he caught the woman as she bound from the back door.

"What do you you want you - " she seethed, "Monster?"

"I've come to tell you that Xena needs you..."

"She needs me?" she gasped, panic fleeting across her features, "Has she made it to Corinth?  I was supposed to meet her after this shift..."

"She was going to meet you but unforunately she has the unforeseen inconvenience of a baby trying to stick it's head out of her rear end..."

Cyrene glared at him, throwing a shawl she was carrying around her, "Where is she?"

"Old Fort Inn," he began as she stormed towards the building.  "So, how have you been?"

"I don't want to talk to you," she growled, "Isn't that clear?"

"Course, but since I've never catered to the whim of a mortal I see no reason to start now."

Cyrene glared at the God of War.  This puzzled her.  When Xena had first met up with her, telling her of the pregnancy, she had been sad but overjoyed.  She would be a grandmother finally, but at what cost?  What had Xena gone through to be with child in the first place?  Xena had muttered some such about a mild fling... nothing more was said.  Cyrene rarely pressed her daughter in such matters as it never brought her anything but frustration.  Time usually provided the answer.

"What are you doing here?"

Ares shot a sidewards glance down at the woman, amusement lifting his features, "You mean she didn't tell you?"

A peal of laughter fell from the God's handsome form and he slapped an arm around the older looking woman.

"My dear Cyrene, that gorgeous lump formed in the belly of your daughter was generously provided by me - though rather unwittingly I must admit."  He smirked with some feigned modesty.  Cyrene's jaw hung lax, terror and anger in her eyes.

"You - WHAT did you do to her?"

He pursed his full lips in a nostril flaring pout, "Aaah nothing,"  He glanced at her and chuckled, "Nothing bad anyway!"

Cyrene threw daggers with her glare, and without a word she stormed on to the Inn.  Ares watched her a moment, then pleased he had caused a little bit of trouble, he broke into another roar of laughter, letting himself disappear in the street, to reappear at his lover's side.

"AAAAUGH!"

"Breath Xena," Gabrielle said, wiping the woman's brow, "In a rhythm now..."

"Aauh!  Phwooh phwooh pwhooh phwooh..."

"That's it, keep going..."

Gabrielle moved with Xena as she rocked gently, the raven-tressed woman panting her way through the agony.  There were the heavy thumps of footsteps down the hall, and the door burst open suddenly.  The woman in it's frame - silver hair billowing about her shoulders, the blue she wore and the cut the dress of an innkeeper.

"Momma!" Xena panted, reaching out a hand, "Mhuh-phwooh pwoooh AAGH"

Cyrene dove down next to Xena, letting her daughter clutch her hand desperately.

"I'm here for you Xena," she said, taking a damp cloth from Gabrielle, and beginning to pat at her brow, "It'll be okay..."

"I know it will," Xena said, the contractions subsiding for the moment, "This isn't my first child."

Cyrene stood.

"What?!" Suddenly, her eyes drained of anger, and she sat down again sheepishly, "Oh Solan - of course, I forgot, I'm sorry dear."

"Listen, talk about it after!" cried Gabrielle, "She's in pain right now!"

"PAIN!" Xena cried, struggling with the cramp, "Doesn't even BEGIN to describe what I'm feeling!"

"Breath Xena!"

Cyrene took a seat next to Xena, clutching her hand, "I'm here for you, love."

Xena gave a quick nod, before feeling her lower half give way a little, the fire of pain spreading through every inch of her body.

The rubble came tumbling down, a cacophony of cluttering wood and stones the avalanche from the wall that was there only seconds ago.  She grabbed her companions' hand, yanking him to her and diving into a roll, her companion following suit.  Dust and grit filled every orifice of her face, and she coughed, feeling the sand in her teeth, and the sharp pain of crud in her eyes.  She coughed, trying to clear herself of the dust.  A hand was at her arm.

"Are you okay?"

Shaking the settled dust from her hair, she glanced up to the pale concerned face gazing down at her.

"Yeah," she nodded, "How in Tartarus did that happen?"

The fellow gazed over at the collapsed wall some metres away.  He shrugged.

"I don't know," he replied in his low naturally sultry tone, "But it happened when that old biddy looked at us!"

The woman looked to the blacksmith's stall across the dirt road.

"Weird," she said, a pout of deep thought in her features.  The man stood upright, helping the green-clad woman to her feet.

"We better get back to Mother's," he said, "She doesn't like being without us for long..."

"Did your brother get your message?"

The man nodded, "He should have."

The both of them smacked themselves clean of dust and grit before reaching the town square where they were headed.  The fellow's jaw dropped.

"By the Gods!"

People ran to and fro, screaming and panicking as animals burst like wine-skins.  Not much could be seen in the round orbs of lamplight, but fires that leapt from stall to stall illuminated the situation beautifully.    The Baker's store-front was a mess of blood as wandering chickens popped one by one.  The vendor selling rodents and birds as small meals ran from his stall in terror as the place was spattered with the blood of rabbits and hares.  The woman's companion grabbed a running fellow by the sleeve, glaring at him with dark eyes.

"What on earth is happening?!"

"The Gods must have cursed us!" he bellowed, "The town's best Stallion just exploded!"

"Exploded?" the woman gasped.

The fellow nodded, "Like nothing I've ever seen!  The Gods must be angry!"

"Or insane!" the woman growled.  She looked to her companion, who seemed to now be ignoring the tempest around them, rather his obsidian eyes were locked on the lanky figure of a man standing outside the door of the Old Northern Inn, bathed in lamplight,  with worry in his stance.  A woman, silvery streaks billowing behind her approached him, and he led her inside.  He spotted the silvery, pointed helmet.

"Joxer's here!" he exclaimed, "Come on, somethings up!"

Ares paced, her cries filling his ears.  The prissy bard's commanding words called over the yells, and quick pants, hissing breaths shot from pink blood-filled lips.   Her raven locks hung plastered to her skull with sweat, her shoal eyes to the brim with urgency.

"I can see it Xena!" the bard cried, "Keep going! Push! It's time to push!"

"That's what I'm TRYING to do!" she screamed over the pain, being dragged by a speeding chariot or slowly dipped into hot oil nothing compared to this pain she felt.  She felt as if there was no more of herself to give, she wanted it to stop - to end, it was too much.

Ares wanted to stop her pain, help her somehow.  He knew, however, she had to push through it on her own, it was a part of the process of living, and he had been told again and again that without it, the experience would be a lesser one.   But this did not allay her pain, or dim her screams.

Her pants grew rapid, her eyes bulging...

"Don't panic, Xena!" cried Gabrielle, "You're nearly done!"

He wanted to step forward from invisibility, though he knew this moment was for Xena.  Still, her eyes flicked around the room and he knew she could feel his presence.  Should I come forward anyway? he thought, but the idea of his family taunting and hackling him for taking part in a primarily female happening made him shudder.

"Come out ya bastard!" Xena cried, "Let your child come into the world seeing you! Aaaaugh!"

Oh, to Tartarus with it, he sighed, since when did I care what the family thought?

Nothingness fading from him he slipped into being.

"All right I'm here-"

"AAAAAAAUGH!"

Xena's cries drowned him out, his entrance quite inconsiquential at that moment.

"Breath Xena, breath!" Gabrielle cried.

Ares pulled his lips taught, bending next to Xena, "Is there anything I can-"

Before he could finish, a clammy tense hand grabbed his, it's knuckles white, and Xena pulled her eyes to him.  She said nothing, hissing and clenching her teeth, her face shuddering with beads of sweat clinging to her features.  Her eyes, a sea of blue and pain, held his, and as the pain ripped through her she screamed, her head snapping back in agony.  He looked down to her hand, pushing against it for leverage.  Were he mortal her grip would have brought him pain - yet it didn't hurt in the slightest.  She may as well have been trying to crush stone.  Cyrene stood back, sending resentful glares in the God's direction.  He knew by her the hate in her eyes that she felt she had the right to be where he was now.

A cry - small, almost like that of an animal, filled the air.  Gabrielle moved at the end of the bed, the linen she had put on the hearth now a gentle vibrant warm.  She stood, the tiny bundle in her arms wriggling and complaining, no unhappy cries bursting from it, only little noises of curiosity and discomfort.  Ares let go of Xena, stepping to Gabrielle.  The little being was so obviously feminine, her petit nature so much like her mother, and yet so much like her Olympian heritage.  He took the cord that hung from her in his fingers, and with a glow of blue, it disintegrated, the dust sizzling to nothing as it floated in the air.  Pushing past him Gabrielle sat at the bed next to Xena.

"Can I see my baby?" Xena breathed, her eyes glowing with need.

Gabrielle nodded, nestling the baby in Xena's arms.

"Oh Xena - she's - she's beautiful!"

Ares stood at the end of the bed, pursing his lips.  He felt - different.  Different that he ever had before.  What was it about this mortal that made him question everything he had been so comfortable with for millenia?  He gazed at this child - this new addition to the Olympian family.  She certainly was worthy this child, but - why...

"Gabrielle," Xena said softly, placing a hand on the bard's arm, "The place you are now - I love you dearly - but I think the baby needs to know it's Father."

Gabrielle frowned.

"It's important to him to be with me and the child."

"How do you know?" Gabrielle whispered, "What does a mindless killer care of-"

Xena's grip stopped her.

"More than you think," she said. "Thankyou for helping my girl into this world.  I'll never forget it, and I'm so glad it was you that did."

Gabrielle nodded, and leaning forward she gave Xena a gentle kiss on the round of her cheek.  Standing, she looked to Ares who pouted at the end of the bed, and she notioned to where she was sitting.

"Go on Ares," she said, "Meet your daughter."

He tentatively moved to Xena, sitting at the end of the bed carefully.  The baby gaze up at her mother with fascination.  Her eyes were dark, a dark dark blue.  That dark - it was so familiar to Ares, he had seen it in himself many times.

"She is a handsome child."

Xena nodded, "Yeah, yeah she is."

The baby turned her head suddenly, the dark eyes flicking to her Father.  They examined him, boring so deeply into him. He gulped, the child - she would know him well. A little hand, covered in the thin film of birth, reached out at him, little fingers exploring the air between them.  He lifted his hand to her, and she grabbed it, a wide gummy grin gracing the newborns' face. The girl cooed.  Xena looked up to him, a soft, sad smile on her lips.

"She likes you, Ares."

He nodded.

"Her name ..."

Ares glanced up to Xena, his full lips pouted slightly in amused thought.

"She's no Goddess of War," he said, "I can see it in people, the hunger for the kill.  It is absent in her... naming her for the glory of War mightn't be appropriate..."

Xena frowned, "She's only a baby, Ares."

"I know," he said, "But if she is to live in your realm, my dear Xena, you should name her accordingly."

Lowering her eyes down the the little girl, she brushed the child's cheek with the back of her finger, wet with her blood.

"An," she said softly, "When I was in Brittania, they told me some of their language and - An is the name of peace. It's the name she wants, Ares.  I can feel it."

"Ares' daughter, An.  Contradictory, but I like it," he said, wiggling his finger as the girl gripped it, tiny tentative smiles playing on her newborn face.  Xena smiled, looking to Ares.

"Do you want to hold her?"

Ares gave a satisfied smile, bringing his arms up to recieve the little child.  The girl cooed as she was placed in her father's arms.   She reached up to his face, feeling the smooth and tickle of his short cut beard, fascinated by the new sensation.  She gurgled, and he rose a brow.

"Talkative, isn't she?"

Xena nodded, her eyes narrowed, mirroring Ares' satisfaction.  It was times like this she felt love inside her, at this God's so human side.  She wanted that part of him to be human, and to be with her always. But that dark fire that always threatened to burn excited her, she knew it.  Gazing down at the eyes of the child, she didn't see that fire burn in the deep lapislazuli orbs that gazed up with such love at the bearded man that held her.  The red tender lips of the child suckled the air, and with an unhappy whimper she looked to Xena.

"She wants her mother," Ares said, bringing her forward for Xena to take.

Taking the child, Xena looked up in almost alarm, "Are you leaving?"

Ares cocked his head with a lopsided smirk of amusement.  "You wish me to stay?"

Letting her eyes fall to the child she nodded, "For the baby..."

Ares smiled softly, pulling up a pew next to the bed, "Very well."

Cyrene smiled, walking over to the bed.

"I'll let you get some rest," she said, looking at the baby with a loving smile, "She looks like you, you know."

Xena nodded, "Yeah Momma."

Kissing Xena's forehead softly,  Cyrene stroked her daughters sweat-lined face, and quietly stepped from the room.
 

Joxer stood at the doorway of the inn, glancing up to the second floor as the cries seemed to cease, and an odd quiet filled the room above.   He turned, ready to move inside the room and check on Xena.  He felt a hand tug at his arm, and he turned his head.

"Brother!"

"Jett!" Joxer exclaimed, pulling Jett into an embrace.  Looking over the shoulder he patted in a brotherly roughness he spotted the elegant beauty waiting next to him.  "Lethaia!"

He pulled her into the hug, hugging the life out of the two.

"Okay, you can let go of me Joxer," Jett croaked, "I mean I like a hug as much as the next fella but I have this strange habit of breathing!"

"Whaddaya MEAN ya like a hug?" chuckled Joxer, "You hate em!"

"Joxer, what are you doing?"

Joxer stumbled back, letting go of the newcomers, and spinning around he saw Gabrielle looking on in the doorway with amusement.  "Jett!  Lethaia!" he cried pointing with a wild gesture.

"Hey!" she smiled, stepping forward, taking the two in a hug, one by one. "What brings you here?"

"Mother," said Jett, "She wont let up..."

"She's gotten worse?!" Gabrielle said.

Jett nodded, "I thought that might be why you're here..."

Gabrielle blinked, rememberance striking her expression.

"Joxer!" she said softly, "It's a girl - Xena's had a little girl!"

Joxer felt his brow battle itself... he didn't know whether to grin or burst into tears.  His mother, though a slave to fashion and the high-standing of being a warlord's wife, was always so dear to him.  She was the only one in the world who did a thing to protect him.  How he loved her, loved her nurturing.  She was one of the only people he knew that loved him so unconditionally, apart from Xena and Gabrielle.  He put his hands at the bard's shoulders.

"Gabby, I gotta see Mama..."

Gabrielle nodded, "I'm coming with you!"

With that she spun around, running up the steps.   Joxer turned, his brother and Lethaia looking suitably impatient.

"So," he clapped his hands, trying to ward of the silence, "Have you two hit it off yet?"

Lethaia's eyes widened and she glared at Jett, her face growing beetroot red.

"Oh - Gods! No no no," she laughed uneasily, "We're travelling together - partners, like -"

"Xena and Gabrielle," laughed Jett, the same uneasiness taking him.

Joxer nodded, with a thin knowing smile. "Suuuure," he then cocked his head back, "Ha ha ha!"

Jett and Lethaia exchanged sideward glances, their dark eyes boiling over in embarrassment.

"Okay," burst the voice of Gabrielle in the flurry of steps as she approached the group, "We can start off now... What's going on?"

She looked back and forth between Jett and Lethaia, the both of them an interesting shade of crimson.

"Nothing!" said Jett with some adamance, and Joxer leered, slipping an arm around Gabrielle as they set off.

"Oh, okay..." said Gabrielle, "Hey - how have you two been?"

Hercules arrived to a dark chaos of dimembered limbs and blood-streaked terrified town-folk.  He leapt into a sprint, barreling down the town centre.  As he arrived, little moans of hope began to lift in the air.  He saw one man sobbing at his cart of sweetmeats and fineries.

"What happened?"

The man let out a shout, jumping back, nearly falling off his stool.

"Hello?"

The man appeared from behind the counter, shivering wildly.

"Oh, I thought you might be a God - you-"  The man double took, "You *are* a God! Mercy!!!"

Hercules frowned, a smile working at his weather-worn mouth, "Uh- Demi-God actually.  I rather think of myself as a man... what happened?"

The man's eyes darted about, surveying the scene in an instant, "Animals!  All of them - blowing up!"

Herc winced, "The animals 'blew up'?!"

The man nodded, "Yes! Yes!  All of them!  Even the town's best Stallion!"

Looking over the blood soaked stables and saddlery, Hercules bore his teeth in a sickened grimace.

"That's... that's..."

"Terrifying!" the man shrieked.

"I was going to say bizarre," Hercules said, "I wonder..."

"It must be the Gods!" the merchant shuddered again, "Some how this celebration has evoked their wrath!!"

"No!" Hercules smiled, moving his weight from foot to foot with a breezy movement, "I think someone is having a bit of fun watching people get scared out of their wits!"

"HERC!"

The hero spun on his heel, seeing the blonde well-built young man running towards him.

"Iolaus," he said, "Did you see this happening?"

"No," he shook his head bewilderment crossing his features as the carnage made itself known to him, "What in Tartarus happened?"

"Tartarus is right!" the merchant shook his head darkly.

"Herc!" Iolaus jumped a foot in the air as rememberance struck him, "It's Xena!"

"Xena?" the merchant asked, "The Warrior Princess!?"

Herc nodded, without really thinking, more focused on Iolaus' panic, "What-"

"She's had the baby!"

The merchant let loose an almighty bellow.

"DEMON!!!" he cried, stumbling away from Hercules and Iolaus in fear, "The Destroyer of Nations - she's here!  And she has brought forth her evil babes!  Her spawn must be destroyed!  This!"  He notioned to the destruction surrounding him, "Is the evidence of the carnage!"

Iolaus frowned deeply, placing a hand on Hercules' arm.  He pulled him away some.

"Hey Herc, maybe this guy is right!  What if the kid's e-"

"No," Herc shook his head adamantly, "I gotta see this kid first!"

As Iolaus bound along with him, the hysterical cries of the merchant filled the streets, one by one people joining in.

"Spawn!!  Demon child of War!"

Hercules turned, Iolaus stopping and glaring at the man.  "How do you know this kid's the child of the God of War?"

The man obviously didn't know, as he truly screamed when he heard this revelation.

"Oh we all shall perish!!"

Hercules grabbed Iolaus, storming to the Inn.  Iolaus winced, shaking his head.

"Sorry Herc!"
 
 

The inn room was a dead silent, Xena tucked into the bed so carefully, her baby sleeping soundly at her breast. Ares watched over them, his eye falling down the curve of her breast, the round nipple sitting precariously close to the cherry red lips of the newborn child.  Pride and satisfaction ran through him like a joyous torrent.  This woman had brought him his newest child, one much better looking than some of the numerous others.  His daughter was perfect in every way, her lips dark against her ivory skin, dark tufts of hair in soft downy spirals on her round scalp.  He took his lip between his teeth.  He wanted to search her mind, know his girl, but fear played in him.  It was such a delicate thing, meeting a new powerful soul for the first time.   She was a powerful soul, he could feel it, but there was a strange feeling of security becoming him, that no matter what conflicts lay ahead for Father and child, she would never overthrow him, never destroy him.  He readied himself, carefully reaching out to touch the new soul.  The mind, though new, was sharp but unformed.  He reached out, delving deeper...

An, can you hear me?

A voice, fresh, unsure, not in any tongue but in emotion, wondered who he was.

I am your father An.  I am the God of War.

The mind almost recoiled, the little face of the baby frowned in her sleep.  She didn't like war.

You know what War is?

A furrow grew in the soft velvet brow of An.  She knew it was death.

You are right, An.  It is also triumph, victory.  Conflict.

An understanding seemed to spread through the child's soul. She felt that war was death. Conflict was growth.

Ares smiled.  You understand, my daughter.

A soft smile played on the sleeping child's face.  She knew she loved him dearly.

Ares rose a brow.  Love...  nobody really 'loved' him.  Probably not even Xena.  What do you know about me An?

She knew he was lost, yearning for something.  She knew he was her Father, and that she loved him.

"You love me," he breathed softly, "Little An."

The heavy clobber of rushed steps interupted his thoughts, and glancing up he knew who was bursting through the door before he even saw him.    Hercules pounced into the room, Iolaus bumping into his backside.  He looked confused, as if something wasn't right.  Everything was so quiet, so peaceful.  He dared another step.

"Ares..." he growled, "What are you doing?"

Ares blinked, then smiled down at the mother and baby.

"I'm watching my family," he said, "Is that a problem?"

Hercules felt like he was living a bizarre dream.

"Did we hit a vortex into another universe and miss it?" exclaimed Iolaus.

Ares frowned as Xena stirred, the baby letting out a whimper.  "Shhh," he said, "You'll wake up An."

"Since-"

"Shhh!" Ares scolded.

Hercules frowned, continuing in a strained hoarse whisper. "Since when did you care about waking babies up?!?"

"My children were all cared for," he said, "I wanted them all to grow up strong and loved."

"Ha!" Iolaus whispered back harshly, "What does the God of War know of LOVE?"

"More than you realise," he said calmly in reply.

"What's going on?"

The three men seemed to jump as the silk voice cut through their hoarse whipsers.

"Nothing," Ares said, leaning back in his chair, letting a lax hand brush her cheek tenderly.  Xena flinched away.

"Wrong!" Hercules said, "Something is going on - something very strange."

Xena frowned, holding her babe close, "What happened?"

"All the animals in the vicinity of the town square exploded!" Iolaus cried.

Xena blinked down hard, trying to believe her ears.  She glared at a rather amused looking Ares.

"Don't look at me!" he lifted his palms up towards her, "I'm as surprised as you are!"

Iolaus doubled back, "Are you serious?"

"He wouldn't lie to me," Xena said darkly, "If he knew what was good for him."

Ares smirked. "I'm serious, I really had nothing to do with this."

"Then who-" began Herc.

"It sounds to me," Ares proclaimed, standing and resting a hand at the hilt of his sword, "Like the work of Hera..."

Hercules rolled his eyes a little, "I've - never - heard of Hera blowing up animals before!"

"She used to do it when I was a little tyke," Ares said, indicating with his hands, "She was a lot more hormonal then."

"More?" Iolaus went pale.

"You've no idea," Ares said with a leer.

Hercules frowned, running a hand along a dark jaw, "Hera... what would Hera be up to?"

His eyes fell upon the baby, and he stepped forward, crouching next to Xena.

"Xena, may I?"

Xena examined his eyes with a narrowed gaze, and he felt her protectiveness of the child.  She looked to Ares, and following her gaze Hercules saw him nod with an amused smile.  What was he hiding?   He felt the soft limber warmth of the child in his arms, and the little one stirred, murmuring a little noise of wonder.   Holding the tiny baby so carefully, he looked over her as she snuggled at his muscle-bound forearm.  She held not even a look of disregard for him as a stranger, rather a fascination and a look of ... peace?  Yes, as he held her, she almost sent him to sleep, a feeling of contentment overwhelming him more than any other baby he'd ever held.  Even as he entered the room, he'd felt it, much to his disbelief.   He hadn't realised that this child had been the core of it all.  He glared at Ares, confusion all over his features.

"Aren't you disappointed?" asked Hercules.

Ares' eyes fell down to the sleeping form with glowing pride, a knowing smirk on his features.

"To the contrary," he said, "I find the fact that she's a good little girl rather refreshing..."

Xena closed her eyes a moment, looking away.  Ares leant to her, talking in her ear.

"Believe me, the bad ones are a handful."

She sent a flat look to him from the corners of her eyes.

Hercules felt his blood boil.   She was obviously not very happy.  Why didn't she see that?  Why did she insist on subjecting herself to that when she could be happy?  Happy with - him?  Looking down to the baby he felt an overwhelming urge to hand her back.  Even though in her calm countenance rang the warmth of Xena, in her movements and eyes was the power of the Gods.  It was an unearthly, untouchable power, one beyond humanity.   It made his blood cold, even though he was part God himself.  He had tempered his strength through is years... this child, so young and new, had her life ahead of her, and with a father like Ares...  Perhaps even that peaceful power she held could be used for wrong.  He with held a shudder as he handed back the baby.

"She's lovely," he said, almost automatically.  He stood, gazing at Xena, Ares and child numbly.  "Come on, Iolaus, we got a mystery to solve..."

Hercules gave Xena one last glance, then turned on his heel, Iolaus following him out the door.
 
 

Xena looked to Ares, frowning a little.

"He thought your child might be evil," said Ares, smiling in amusement.

"She might be..."

Ares sighed, looking down at the infant.  "Oh, as useful as that would be, I am afraid to say that she's as evil as one of Apollo's nymphs or..."  He frowned, "Gabrielle!"

Xena rolled her eyes, settling the baby down with soft jostling.  "What do you think happened in the town square then?"

"I told you," he said, "I think it might be Hera."

Xena glared at him pointedly and he burst into a silky laughter.

"Hello, I'm telling the truth!"

Xena now sighed, a little crinkle of concern in her brow.  "I thought she liked An..."

"She does," he said, "And she just loves me."

"Because you're the child of Zeus and Hera..."

"Yeah."

"Not because," Xena pursed her lips, "You're a worthwhile person?"

Ares gazed at her a long moment after hearing this.

"I'm a sign of her domination over the world," he said, a slight smirk of amusement on his face, "As is any child born of Hera and Zeus.  I think that's why she spends half her time trying to kill Zeus' bastard children..."

Xena gazed down at An, letting the baby hold onto her finger.  The child didn't seem any different to any another mortal baby.  Even her hold was soft and pliant, not clenching and strong like she'd thought it'd be.  Maybe she hasn't that much Godhood in her somehow...

"Oh, she does," said Ares, making Xena jump a little, "It's rather subtle, but oh, so powerful."

Xena expected him to purr at that point, but it wasn't satisfaction of a gain to his realm that glowed in his eyes.

"Don't you go getting any bright ideas!" Xena said with clenched teeth.

"Even if I did, I don't think it'd matter," said Ares, taking one foot of the baby between his large thumb and forefinger, "She has her own ideas about things.  She'll be a character, this one."

"Do you look into her mind, like you look into mine?" she asked him, her brow a mixture of uncertainty.

"Sure," he said, taking his bottom lip between his teeth as he slid his hand down his arm and around Xena's, "And she looks into mine."

Xena's blue eyes flashed at Ares' face, anger boiling in her features, but also sadness, "Well... does she look into mine?"

Ares nodded, caressing her hand, "She looks into everything - she's a baby..."

Xena brought her eyes disjointedly down to the face of her child, pain enveloping her, "W- so I can't hear her, because I'm a mortal..."

"Oh, you can," Ares said, leaning to Xena tenderly, "You're just not listening for her..."

Xena gave him a sidewards glare of disbelief.
 

"I said, that you're the only mortal that knows when I'm around..."

"Yeah," Xena curled her lip, "You're like a bad smell."

Ares rolled his tongue in his mouth, then continued, "That's because for so long, you were listening out for a fight, you were geared to the ways of war.  An is not war."

She narrowed her eyes like a child, nutting out what Ares was saying.  She gazed down at the baby, trying to sense her.  Something blocked her, she battled, but she couldn't...

"Ares - stop that!"

A peal of laughter fell from Ares' face, and he shook his head slowly, "That's not me Xena.  It's you."

She glared at him.

"Let go.  You're guarding yourself.  You've gaurded yourself your whole life.  For once, for something to work, you have to let go of your anxieties and distrust and believe."

"Believe in what?" Xena growled, "Believe in you?  In the ways of Olympians?  All I've ever had from you lot is a whole bunch of trouble!"

Ares looked at her levelly, "No, you have to believe in yourself.  And if I may make a point - we gave you a perfectly healthy baby girl."

He was right.  The son of a bitch was right.  That was happening a whole lot more lately.

"I know," she breathed, leaning back on the backboard of the bed, gazing out the window, "I'm so tired."

"You should sleep some more," Ares said, "It's been a big day."

"A painful one," Xena moaned slightly.

Ares nodded, "Sleep then," he stood, tucking quickly at his vest, "Will you be okay on your own?"

"Mom's downstairs," Xena smiled, "I'm sure she'll come in if she sees you leave."

Sucking in a lip quickly he nodded, "True."

"Ares, thanks for staying with me..."

Reaching a hand down to her face, he let the back of his finger cascade down the plain of her face.  It was covered in a fine film of cool sweat, her skin was like the ripest sweetest peach.

"Think nothing of it," he said shortly, almost as if he was embarrassed, "It was the least I could do for the mother of my child."

"Yeah," Xena nodded, sadness in her features. "For the mother of your child."

With that, she saw him slip out of the room, on foot for a change.  He still disappeared so fast, that her heart jumped at the sight of the room without him.  She sighed, closing her eyes slowly.  The child suckled at her breast, with Solan it hurt so badly,  but An was as gentle as the nudge of a dove.  She let sleep sweep over her gradually, one by one her senses dying into the numbness of sleep.  Finally she sat there, her mind running off the trodden dirt roads of routine thought into the wild of her subconscious.  She was so close to sleep, she barely felt it.  It was so absurd a possibility she thought it just the beginning of a wild and fanciful dream.

Mother...

"Yo, Artemis!"

Green swam past him as he soared through the ethereal tree-tops, down through age-old knotted oaks and cedar saplings.  A great ravine to the brim with spirit life plunged up around him as he dove down into the heart of the Realm of the Goddess of the Hunt.  The knicker and sprint of a frighten doe was a brown flash to him as he slowed to the sparkling diamond pool that was the Goddess' domain.  Crystal shards of a waterfal created the most pleasant tune, one that the nature of the cosmos grew and lived to.   Even the best song composed by one of his chosen could not emulate its beauty.

Beside the pool the beautiful Goddess sat, gazing mournfully into the gently running water.

Indeed Artemis was so beautiful to him, if there was another in the whole of Olympus - nay - the cosmos, that could compare to his own beauty, it was his twin.  It hurt him to see her pout so.

"Artemis," he said more softly, "I've been looking for you everywhere - what are you doing here?  You're usually in Macedonia this time of year..."

She glanced up at him darkly, "My nymphs are preparing the coming of Autumn for me this year..."

He sat next to her at a rock, gazing at her intently.

"Geez - Arty - what's wrong?"

She blinked slowing, a long breath leaving her.

"I am tired," she said, "So tired of running."

"Hera," Apollo whispered.

She nodded, "I hide, but she finds me.  She sends one to attack me but - I kill it, and more cut to the chase..."

"Can she get you here?"

His twin's midnight orbs met his, tears brimming them, her lips trembling.

"Of course she can!" she gasped, "She can get me everywhere I go!  There is no use!  I sit here and I wait to die!"

"Yeh- Yeh think she'd really kill you?"

"You know her!" Artemis cried, "You were on her side once!  You know what she is, you know when she chooses her enemies they remain enemies until they are dead and obliterated so that even Hades cannot find the components of their souls!"

Apollo ran sympathetic hands over her shoulders, bringing his sister to him in an embrace.

"Arty - I'm not going to let that happen to you, okay?"

"Whether you want to let it happen or not," she said roughly, leaning away from his hold, "It will happen."

In the embrace Apollo frowned, true fear in his eyes.  He knew she waited to die.  It was as if half of his life was ready to be destroyed - nay - all his life.  Though he had many misadventures and he had done much wrong - the love of his sister - his polar being - survived all passions.  He was the sun, she was the moon.  He would not be without her calming soul.

Light poured in suddenly with a deafening blast of light.  Artemis cowered in Apollo's arms, Apollo squinting into the light that brought a billowy wind.  He felt the light, sharp, with a heat like a million needles, dive into him, around him, through him.  As it claimed him he clutched his sister to him, tears streaming down his chiselled features.  With a last utter he said...

"I love you my sister..."
 

Joxer led the way as they ambled down the backroad of Corinth, towards the large spacious townhouse ahead.  In the dim moonlight one could see the shadow of a propped veranda of thatch bound to a wooden frame.  From it hung shapes that were assumedly planters.  They approached it, and  Joxer helped Gabrielle up the dark walkway, stopping suddenly as there was a bump.

"Ow!"

"Lethaia," hissed Jett, "Are you okay?"

"What are steps doing here?"

"They're so you can reach the door."

There was a irate silence, and Joxer could just see Lethaia take his hand as they climbed up the steps.  Both brothers in the doorway, with lovely lass in hand, they exchanged a glance, Joxer grinning madly.

"Don't look at me like that Jox."

"Like what?"

"Mama!"

Joxer was cut off by his brother calling out.  The interior of the house was cluttered, the dining and living area full to the brim with old war trophies and exotic tokens.  The stone floor was laden with a fine Persian rug, taken when Joxer's father plundered a persian trading vessel.   His mother wasn't in the area, and his heart seized in his throat.

"Mama!" he called now, stepping forward.

A scuffling was heard from the wash-room, and on the doorframe a hand sat, a little wrinkled with age, but seemingly not that of a decrepit old woman.  The hand let go and in the frame a woman stood up, barely any older than Cyrene.  Jet black hair was in a high-roll, very neatly done, adorned with jewels, slivers of silver hair showing her age.  Spotting Joxer she grinned, letting out an ear-peircing cry.

"Joxie hunnyyyy!" she cooed, running over and pulling the young man into a hug, "Oh my little one!  I've missed you so much!  And - is this the day I've been waiting for your whole life?!"

The woman grabbed Gabrielle's chin, squeezing it a little and shaking the girl's head.

"Oh - you're pretty!  Stand back, let me look at cha!"

"Uh - Ma, this is Gabrielle," said Joxer, stepping back from the two, "Gabby, this is Eurepaeda, my mother."

"Hi," Gabrielle managed to smile and mutter before Eurepaeda pushed her backwards to arms length.

"Ohh, those are good child-bearing hips!" the woman grinned, "Joxer, I'm so proud of you!  When are you getting married?"

Joxer let loose a strained laugh, looking at Gabrielle with genuine exasperation, "Not for a while yet, we only just started courting..."

"They've been 'courting' for 9 months now," smirked Lethaia, and Jett snickered.  Eurepaeda blinked, total astonishment drawing her mouth to an 'o'.

"But you - you could of had a child in that time!  Goodness boy what's stopping you?"

Joxer opened his mouth, but Gabrielle filled the void with a laugh.

"Ha!" she said, strained smile, "My mother!  My mother wanted to see me get married, but she wont let meeee tillll,"  She glared at Joxer and licking his lip quickly he jumped in.

"Adequate means....."

"Adequate means, yes!!" Gabrielle cried, "Till we have adequate means to have a wedding!!"

"So you're poor?" chuckled the woman, "Aah, that's no problem!  I'll have you married here in Corinth!"

"No really," Gabrielle shook her head, "It's okay... we can wait!"

"Wait for what?" the woman threw her arms up, then held Gabrielle by the shoulder, "Wait for grey hairs to sprout from your pretty little head dear?  I don't think so!  You should marry while you're young!  Have lots of babies to my,"  she looked to Joxer, "My strapping young boy!"

"I would love to marry Joxer, Ma'am-"

"Please!" Eurepaeda lifted a finger to her mouth, "Call me Mama..."

Gabrielle pressed her eyelids down in a long sigh, "Mama, but I'm really not ready commit myself jus-"

"Okay," the woman just smiled, her grin bright and bubbly, "That's fine."  She pressed her hands together, looking about the room.  "You know, it's so rare I get any female company these days... I was wondering if perhaps you would like to have a girls' day in with me tomorrow.  No pressures, just me and you and-"

Her eyes sparkled brightly as they fell upon...

"Lethaia!"

"Oh - no really," Lethaia smiled with crimson cheeks, "You don't have to Eurepaeda!"

"Uh! I insist I absolutely insist my dear!" she chuckled, rouged lips moist and supple pulling to a vibrant smile, "I wouldn't have it any other way!"

"Oh, uhmm,"  She glanced to a smirking Jett, then an equally as put upon Gabrielle and let loose a strangled laugh, "Oh haha... okay."

"Woooonderful!" Eurepaeda threw her hands up again, I'll just go get us some nice fat juicy wine for us to share!"

The woman strolled off with the grace and stead of a dancer, but elocution and learning in her mannerisms.

Gabrielle frowned, Joxer shaking his head and pointing a thumb at the door.

"I thought you said she's getting worse!"

"She is," Jett nodded, "She wont shut up about it now, and I'm afraid if we don't help her she'll-"

"Heeeere we go!" Eurepaeda placed down the amphora of wine in a stand on the table, placing down some kantharos' on the table next to it.  "Now, I was talking to your brother about this, and I really think we're beginning to formulate a plan now!"

"About what Ma?"

Joxer hoped it wasn't about what he though it was about.

"Well - how to get your father out of the clink, of course!"

Jett eyed Joxer, who gulped.

He floated through the void, a peaceful void where even he knew he belonged, to the one place where he felt small.  A flash enveloped him, and green surrounded him, alabaster stone and towering structures flying past him as he appeared in the Great Hall of Olympus.  He sighed, knowing what lay in store for him there.

"ARES!!!!!"

"IT'S THE BIG DADDY!!!!"

A cheer, loud and deafening, burst throughout the already noisy chattering area, a practical orgy taking place around them.  Zeus was half laid on his throne, one of Apollo's nymphs passed out in his lap.

"SON!!!" he hollered, "Come give yer proud Daddy a big kisssh!"

Rolling his lip, Ares lifted a hand, "Uh, I'd rather not."

"Come HERE!" he growled, "Befoh I zap ya wizz my thundrrrr!"

Ares did so, not wanting to evoke his father's wrath.  Zeus grabbed Ares by the ears, planting a big kiss on each cheek.  He reeked of the strong heady wine of the Gods, stuff that would make an elephant pass out at a league.   A diluted amount had brought many a mortal couple together, including a few he knew..  He staggered back, and nearly tripped over a mound at the foot of the pedistal of Zeus.  At a second glance, Ares saw it to be Hermes, quite convincingly smashed beyond coherency.

"I saw the baby!" Athena grinned, skipping over to Ares. "She's lovely!"

"She's Peace," Ares said matter of factly, "I thought you'd dig that."

"Oh absolutely!" Athena nodded, nowhere near as inebriated as any of the other Gods.  That was something for Athena - a God that barely ever strayed into delirium of any sort. "She'll make a wonderful addition to Olympus as soon as she takes the ambrosia and rids herself of her human half!"

Ares snapped his glare to his half-sister.  He felt a pang in his chest.  Before he could even make sense of it he was spun about by another set of hands.

"Heya Ar!" Aphrodite grinned, also rather sloshed, "Big Daddy huh?  That's beef!  I tell you what though - you really feel old when yer kids have kids!"  The Love Goddess smacked the chest of the War God in a silent, wine-scented laugh.

"That's great," Ares frowned, glancing about the room.

"No it's not it's totally bummed!" Aphrodite shook her head shakily, "Like - d'you realise how old it makes me feel?"

Ares felt alarm strike him.  He spun about, then spun back.

"Hello!"

Ares glanced back to Aphrodite, his lips set firmly in a troubled scowl.

"Where's Artemis?"

"Oh!  Prolly still running from ol' cow face!" Aph said with a wave of a hand.

With another glance about Ares felt his teeth clenching.

"Where's Hera?"

"Who cares!" Aphrodite laughed.  Pushing the Goddess away, Ares ran back up the steps of the main Podium.  Grabbing his father's toga-front, Ares shook him.

"Father - where's Hera?"

Zeus blinked slowly, painfully, then released a sigh through pursed lips.

"Aaah I dunno - who cares!  You know wah she's like!  Get yer hands off thah girl Sseuzz se ZZ!  No moh wine fer you Zeuh!  You'll get a grumpy head innemornin!  Bah!"  Zeus waved a hand, and clutched the buttock of the girl on his lap. "Get an amphora and get drinkin' son!"

Ares turned about, ignoring the festivities about him.  His skin crawled like something terrible was wrong, more terrible than any evil outside enemy.  It was dissent in the heart of Olympus - the one thing that could easily bring the Gods down to their knees.  He shook his head - what did he care?  He was supposed to be that scoundrel with a taste for power.  If he knew what was good for him, he'd meet up with Hera, find out what was going on and try to get himself in on her fun.

An?

Father...

Ares pressed his eyelids together, clutching his head a moment.  Those eyes, the most stony lapas-lazuli, yet so warm and loving.  He felt that warmth glow inside of him, and for a moment, he let it glow and he revelled in it.   How he loved his daughter, he hadn't felt this ever before.  He frowned, grabbing Athena and pulling her from Olympus.

With an odd woosh they appeared in Ares' lair, Ares pacing without looking about.  Athena sighed, pursing her lips in a sulk.

"Why did you bring me here?  What's wrong with you anyway?"

Ares glared at her, "Something is very wrong!  Artemis and Apollo weren't at that party!"

Athena shrugged, "So, maybe they don't like you..."

Ares cocked his head, widening his glare, "Have you ever known Apollo to miss a party?"

Athena nodded with a pout askew, "You got a point..."

"Down in Corinth, all the animals in the town square exploded, and from what I could tell from the tavern gossip, the town's best Blacksmith disappeared - all in the 6 hours that Xena was having An!"

Athena now frowned with him, seriousness filtering into her features, "Did you say Blacksmith?"

Ares nodded.

"I don't know if you heard, but Hephaestos has gone missing."

Ares narrowed his eyes, "Hephaestos?!"

It was like a punch to the gut - Hephaestos had practically been a life-long friend, forging him the ultimate weapons for centuries.

"Hera is up to something... I felt her at the village - I thought it was to see An into the world but now..."

Athena stepped to Ares, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Calm down, Ares," she said softly, "We'll nut this out.  Look..."

Ares lifted his gaze to her placid green eyes.

"I know we haven't always gotten along, and most of the time I've hated your guts, but lately, you've really impressed me.  I think finding Xena and An has been good to you.  Whatever happens I'm with you now."

His brain couldn't register what he had just heard.  Was Athena ... being *nice* to him?  Never in all his years had she ever been nice to him!  He'd been the outcast of Olympus for so long he can't remember the time his sister had even given him a favourable glance!  His mouth opened, a cracked 'Thanks' leaving it.

"S'no problem.  I really gotta sober up.  You go wander about Corinth some more in the meantime, see if you can find out anything else weird that's been going on."

Ares nodded, and stepped from his realm, light flashing about him.

Pain ripped through him, but glancing about in the swirling mass, he saw he was still alive.  He couldn't tell where he was falling to, all he could feel was a rushing, a swirling, a chaos around him, and a slow waning.  Weariness claimed him, oh he was so tired.  A town drew up to him, swallowing him, and seeing it's splendours it looked so inviting....

Gabrielle stepped with trouble down the limestone steps to the dirt front space, waiting for Joxer to join her.   The stars twinkled delightfully and strong, heralding the beautiful night.  She sniffed.  She could smell smoke on the air.  Strange things had been happening in this town of late...  Exploding animals, burning stalls, the missing blacksmith she'd heard about.  A dark dread filled her.... An....

There was the sudden clump of a heavy wooden door, and turning around she saw Joxer plod down the steps to her.  He took her hand, smiling softly.

"Let's go," he said.

They set off down the street, bypassing the main square.  They headed for some forest, wanting to find a silent, intimate clearing to talk a while.  The back-streets of Corinth were dark and ominous, tall apartment houses rising up either side of them.  Joxer knew the backstreets well, and Gabrielle watched with wonder as he wove them through to the edge of the town.   There, after passing sentries and guardhouses, they stole into the forest, trudging through the thick leafy folage.  Finally, they found the clearing Joxer had had in mind, and from his satchel he pulled a luxurious pelt from his mother's house, laying it on the ground, next to an old log that had been set down ages ago, before Joxer was a twinkle in his murderous father's eye.  Gabrielle crouched down at the lovely fur, a soft frown denting her brow.

"Wassup," Joxer asked, and she glanced up to him, sighing slightly.

"Something's really wrong," Gabrielle replied, laying down next to him, as he was sprawled out leisurely.

Joxer just frowned at her, and she could barely make it out in the half-moon light.

"All those weird things happening in town, at the same time An was born...."

"You're not thinking that An...."  Joxer wound a hand in circles to press his point.  Gabrielle gulped burying herself into his chest.

"I'm really not sure," she sighed, "I wish I knew.  This is all so spooky..."

Joxer nodded, "I know," he said, "It really reminds me of-"

Gabrielle looked to Joxer as he stopped himself, and he just winced regrettedly.

"Yeah," he continued, "It is spooky."

Joxer laid back, the soft pelt cushioning him on the hard floor, the tree canopies reaching out for eachother, framing the sky in their lacy sillouhettes.   As he gazed up at the glithering orbs, he felt Gabrielle settle down next to him, her hand laying on his chest as it rose and fell with his breath, her sweet hair so close to his lips as she nestled into the nape of his neck.

"You know, the eyes can be the key to finding out about a person's spirit," Gabrielle said softly, "Yours are soft and brown, all warm.  So cosy.  That's you, the real you."

Joxer squeezed her slightly as she spoke.

"And Xena's, are strong and noble and friendly deep down."

"Well, whaddaya see in An's?"

She shrugged a little, "It's hard to tell at first, when you first meet someone there's a lot of guesswork involved.  It's not like you can soothesay with eyes or anything..."

Joxer laughed a little, "Yeah that's stupid."

"One thing I could tell is that she isn't bad.  When I looked into Hope's eyes..."  Gabrielle narrowed her eyes in a sigh, "There was love, but it was like looking into the eyes of an imp, not a baby.  She was wild, and uncontrollable.  An, is like... looking at the eyes of a painting of the Gods... or the great statue of Athene the Great Temple of Athens."

"Whaddya mean?"

"You have to see her for yourself," Gabrielle said, smiling up at him, "I mean apart from being your run of the mill cute newborn baby, it's like she knows things, and you know she can't, cause she's too young to."

Joxer nodded, "So it's like, she knows what you're saying?"

"No, it's more like, she knows what you're feeling, and she responds to that."

"Gnoh," the lanky young man pouted, "Yeah she definitely sounds spooky."

"She is beautiful though."

Joxer nodded.   The sky was crystal clear that night.  From one corner of the deep blue sky, a small sliver of flame sailed in towards the centre.  Joxer smiled.

"Oh hey, Gabby, look!  A falling star!"

Gabrielle cooed, spotting it with him.  Her expression grew to one of concern as she noticed the way the star was moving.  It was flailing, tumbling, but still moving slowly towards the centre of the sky, growing bigger and bigger with each passing second.

"Joxer, you don't think...."

There was no time to finish the sentence.  The flame grew in the sky, and with a yelp, Joxer grabbed Gabrielle's arm, pulling him with her as he dove into the lush undergrowth surrounding the clearing.  A deafening crack and rumble filled the air, the two lovers cupping their ears.  The flame roared, and ploughed into the ground.  As the ball of fire touched the ground, the earth splashed about it, creating a round bowl of earth which the scorching centre lay in.  Joxer sprang up, a bellow leaving him.

"Gabby!  Is that...."

"A star?" she offered, "Must be."

She crawled out from the undergrowth, dusting leaves and bark bits from her legs, and she frowned as she looked to the centre.  Like a nut in it's shell, the curled up form of a person lay in the centre, the clothes a little scorched, the skin dirty and a bit bruised.  Gabrielle kept quiet as Joxer crept to climb over the edge of the mound.

"Careful, Joxer, it looks hot."

Joxer threw a wave, "It's fine!" he grinned, "Can you believe it?  People live in the stars!"

"Yeah," Gabrielle smiled uneasily, mainly humouring Joxer, "Amazing."

She crept with him, and placing her hands above the sand, she felt it was still very warm, like the coals after a fire.  She climbed up the hill of sand with only her feet, outstretching her arms for balance.  She teetered on the top, watching Joxer tumble into the crater with little decorum.  He sprung to his feet, making sure as little of his armour touched the ground as possible.  He gave an odd yelp.

"Are you okay?"

Joxer nodded, "I just got a bit warm-"

"Ooughh..."

Joxer's eyes boggled as the low long groan interrupted him.  He glared down at the person that was the star.  Clearing his throat, Joxer patted the person on the shoulder.

"Welcome to Greece, Mr. Star," Joxer smiled weakly, "I'm Joxer, the Mighty, and this is Gabrielle...."

He slowed down as the person, that was apparently a man, uncurled himself, letting a limb stretch out.

"the... also... Mighty?"

The fellow stood up shakily, holding onto Joxer.  Joxer expected him to be hot, but he wasn't.  The man looked about him, then back to Joxer.  With a weak smile, he pulled Joxer into a tight embrace.

"My child!" he sighed happily.

"Um, I think you've made a mistake..."

"No!" the man said, leaning on Joxer, "No, the Fates must have guided me here!"

Gabrielle squinted at the man, and she put a hand on Joxer's shoulder.

"Joxer... does he look kinda familiar to you?"

Joxer curled a lip at the man, and then at Gabrielle.

"Not really."

Gabrielle gazed at the dirty contours, the high cheekbones, the devistatingly handsome face.  She milled over it, turned it over and over in her head.  It must have...

"So, Mr. Star, what do you think of our humble city?"

'Mr. Star' frowned a little, dusting himself off weakly.

"Joxer, will you stop calling me that?  Just call me by my name!"

Joxer narrowed his lips in an embarrassed blush, "I don't know your name."

The fellow chuckled, "Dear child, I am Apollo!"

"Oh riiiight!" Joxer chuckled with him, "Apollo!"

His mouth hung open in a grin till the penny dropped.  He choked.

"Gnnnggnngg!!!  Apollo!"  He fell to his knees, kissing Apollo all over his sooty boots, "Oh Great father of the Muses, oh!"

Apollo rolled his eyes, pushing at Joxer's shoulder as he hadn't the strength to pull the fool to his feet.  He gave Gabrielle a weary look, and with a quick nod, she pulled Joxer to his feet.

"Stop that!" she hissed, and Joxer regained his standing, pressing his hair back on his head, neatening it, all around his mouth a doughnut of soot.

"It's okay," Apollo said, "I get that a lot."

Gabrielle nodded with a wide smile.  She looked to Joxer, who seemed lost in deep thought.

"Say, you called me your 'child'?  What's that supposed to mean?"

Apollo staggered up the side of the crater, Gabrielle and Joxer helping him.

"There are mortals who were created for a special purpose.  Each God has the right to have their 'Chosen Ones', their 'Children'.   They can have as many as they choose, as many as they think will have a good effect on mankind.   Artemis slaps them about willy nilly."  He gestured at Gabrielle, then looked towards his prodigy, "I don't.  Joxer here is a special case."

Joxer frowned incredulously, "I am?"

Finding the scorched pelt, Apollo spread it out some, collapsing on it.

"Yes," he said, his voice sounding sleepy, "You're a chosen of mine, one I spent a particularly long time on.  Aphrodite helped with you.  She's always kept a bit of an eye on you."

Gabrielle glanced to Joxer, dreading that he'd explode into song about being mighty, as he was sometimes wont to do in times of duress, but he rather let his jaw hang open in utter shock.  Gabrielle looked at the God of Music slowly nodding off on a burnt sheet of dried skin, and realised this couldn't do at all.  She bent down next to Apollo, shaking his shoulder.

"You should come back with us - we'll find you a place to stay.  You can't stay here..."

His eyes flicking open, Apollo rolled on his back, his arms curling in defence.

"No," he said, "I can't, you're right.   I need to find Hercules..."

"Why Hercules?" asked Gabrielle, "I thought you hated him..."

"I do," breathed Apollo, calming down slightly, "But he's the enemy of Hera, and any enemy of Hera is an ally of mine."

Gabrielle nodded, helping Apollo to his feet, "We know where to find him.  We'll help you Apollo."

Apollo nodded in thanks as Joxer was shoved under his arm, Gabrielle wedged under the other.  They started to stagger towards town, and after a totally dumbfounded silence from Joxer had persisted...

"I'm a CHOSEN?"

Hercules leant on the shop's doorframe.

"Ten arms it had!"

"Ten arms?" Iolaus repeated incredulously.

"Aye!" the plump-faced woman said, "It was horrific!  And it belched fire worse than Hades himself!"

Herc pressed his lips together, surpressing amusement, and looked to Iolaus with tiny cresents of a hidden smile at the corners of his lips, "Yeah, Hades has always had trouble dealing with that ... gas thing."

Iolaus let out a short chuckle, the woman glaring at him.  Herc cleared his throat, patting the woman on the shoulder gently.

"Well, thanks for telling us what you know," he said, "See you."

He turned away, pulling Iolaus along with him, who was clearing himself from the last of the chuckles.

"Honestly Herc, ten arms?"

Hercules sighed, "Well, it's obvious people were scared."

"How'd you figure that one out?"  Iolaus cocked his head in an unimpressed glare.

Hercules ignored it.  "We better go back and see if Xena's okay... I got a feeling..."

His voice drifted off.  He sensed it, again.  What was it about this night that brought the Gods out in force?  Iolaus had noticed the change in his best friend's expression, an expression he always seemed to see before trouble started.

"What is it Herc?"

"Aah," he sighed, "Maybe I'm imagining things but... Naaah..."

"What?" Iolaus persisted, "I know you, something's up."

Hercules let a sigh through his nose as his lips drew thin in a tense grimace, "I've got this feeling... Apollo..."

Iolaus' frame drooped significantly, "Great, just what we need!  First we've got Ares breathing down our necks, now Apollo!  Who next, Hera?"

Hercules didn't hear him.  It wasn't often he felt the mental effects of his Godly half, he mostly tried to supress them, as if they didn't exist.  As a demi-god, he had them to a certain degree.  All the Gods of Olympus were bound to eachother, indominably, down to their very fibres, to hurt another was to hurt the Great Family, and Hercules wasn't completely excluded from this great bond because of his mortal heritage.  As the son of Zeus, the most powerful of Gods, he was bestowed the powers to feel the proximity of his siblings.  It was a diluted sensory perception at best, but he knew that for this certain desperate situation, he would try to use his gift, that even Iolaus hadn't a knowledge of.  So carefully, timidly, his mind reached out, trying to push away his human half for just a moment, just to touch that Godly power...  Pain ripped through him as he did, and he buckled to the ground.

"Herc!"

"No," he shook his head, "Stop..."

Iolaus nodded, his hands still reaching out in case.

He examined the pain as it extended through his body, each muscle tearing itself from the bone, fire shrivelling his form, his eyes drying out, energies in and out pummeling him, and he curled on the ground helplessly.   With every ounce he had, he closed his mind, filling it with images of earth, of his home, of his mother.  The pain continued to throb in him.  Pushing himself up off the floor, he clutched his head, swallowing determinately.  Glaring towards the residential blocks of Corinth, he knew the Godly power he'd sensed was there.

"Come on," Hercules said darkly, "Apollo's in trouble."

"Ah-" Iolaus' jaw hung open, "I don't believe it!  Unless you were aware, and I doubt that, Apollo hates your guts!"

Hercules sighed, "Iolaus, he needs our help.  He's in pain, terrible pain!"

"So?" his blonde-topped sidekick began, but seeing that gaze of his best friend, that look that made him realise the right thing to do in every situation, he sighed, flapping an arm helplessly, "Yeah I see, you wanna help him anyway!"

Herc didn't take the time to nod.  He bound down the dusty road, straight for the section of town he knew was lined with expensive townhouses, Iolaus jogging to catch up behind him.

The deafening clang of the heavy hammer split the ears of the man, his curiosity pulling him along.  Even though the sound was loud, much louder than a human should be able to withstand, it didn't hurt him, nor did his ears feel numb from it.  He followed the woman before him, now a tall and elegant blonde, who looked barely in her 40's.  She stopped at the edge of the cavern that looked over the proceedings of the great Smith of Olympus.

"All this will be yours," she said, a thin smile on her lips.

"Until Hephaestos returns, right?" the man corrected her.  The icy blue eyes glared at him pointedly with a bemused smile.

"All this is yours," she said again, slight alteration to her words, "Now work. I need you to create for me six-thousand tiles of the alloy of Hephaestos - his assistants will help you."

"Www-" the smith stopped, "How big do they need to be?"

"A cubit in width and height," she said, turning to leave.

"A cubit!" he exclaimed, "B-b-but that'll take forever!"

The woman stopped, and turning slowly, her eyes found his and they drilled into his very soul.

"It will take you three days," she said.

"Three DAYS?"

"Is there a problem?" she asked him, "I thought you said you were the best Smith in Corinth."

"I-I-I am but - not even Hephaestos could make-"

"Hephaestos could forge 2000 swords in an evening, for a battle the next day if need be."

"But he's a God!" Damocles finally exclaimed.

"So are you," Hera sighed, rolling her eyes.

Damocles let out a panicked breath, looking totally lost.

"Dear Damocles - as you work you will find you have a strength and stamina you never had before!"  Hera said tenderly, motioning him towards the anvil before them.

With a tentative smile, Damocles lifted the huge hammer resting at the work-bench.  He expected it to be heavy, but it was as light as a bit of tin.  He grinned widely at Hera, and knelt at her feet.

"Oh, Great Hera!  Thank you!  I will serve my Lord Hephaestos and you!"

"Good, Damocles," Hera smiled, placing a delicate hand on his crown, "I know you will."

Gabrielle opened the door, Joxer leading the staggering Apollo inside the well-adorned living area. The God of Music had been silent since he landed in the clearing, and trying to get him into Corinth without drawing much attention to them was damn near impossible with all the goings on of the past night.  Now that they were back at Joxer's house, she would find Apollo a cot, then collect Xena from the inn.  Eurepaeda had heard Joxer talking of little An, and she absolutely insisted that Xena stay with her rather than suffer the insane charges of the Corinthian innkeepers.  The luxury of Eurepaeda's house was breathtaking, she didn't realise Joxer's father had been such a successful warlord.   Apollo found a divan, but Gabrielle shook her head, trying to pull him up after closing the door behind them.

"No, Apollo," she said, "We have a bed for you..."

Apollo smiled wearily, patting Gabrielle's hand.  Letting her help him to his feet, Joxer winding himself under the God's arm to support him, they began to move towards the sleeping quarters.  Gabrielle could not ignore how beautiful he was, his features a work of art made real.

"If you don't mind me asking," she said, "How did you get in this state?"

Apollo gave her a sidewards glance, then brought his eyes forward in a dark scowl.

"Hera... that harpie!"

"Hera did this to you?" Joxer exclaimed.

Apollo nodded, "She blew into Artemis' realm like a whirlwind - she did something to us - I know not what, but I felt so weak.  She tried to take me too, but she was focused on Artemis, and us the twin Gods withstood her well.  I almost had Artemis free, but..."

Apollo stopped, swallowing down hard, his eyes rimmed with the red of tears.

"Is she...."

The handsome God shook his head, "No, no, she is alive.  I can feel it.  But Hera has her, and I don't know what she wants of her.  It is against our rules to kill another God.  These rules we obey since they were laid down by Zeus himself, when he overthrew the last of the tyrannous forefathers."

"I've heard the stories," Gabrielle nodded, sympathy in her features, "What are you going to do?"

Apollo opened his mouth, but a soft breeze blew against his face and stopped him short.  His eyes blinked slowly, and he turned his head behind them.   There the stalwart frame of Ares stood, his eyes a deep distress.

"Apollo!"

"Ares," Apollo barely managed to say, "What - come to wallow in my defeat?"

"What happened to you?" Ares breathed, storming forward, taking his brother in his arms.  Gabrielle and Joxer staggered back as they were ripped from the God.

Apollo blinked slowly, frowning at Ares with much effort.

"Whadda you care?" he replied.

Ares looked to Gabrielle, "Where's the nearest bed?"

"Through there..."

Ares picked up the God, taking him into a small room with a cot neatly set in the corner.  Laying the man down, he sighed.

"Apollo - what happened?"

Apollo rolled over onto his side, curling himself up, "Hera came," he said, pulling the blanket over him, and his eyes flicked up with fear, "She took Artemis!"

"Artemis?" Ares said, "What did she want with Artemis?"

"I don't know - how would I?  And what in Tartarus has happened with you?"

Ares sat at the edge of the bed, his strong brow pressed down in throught.

"Taking Artemis.... "

"Ares!" Apollo hissed, too weak to bellow, clutching his head in pain.

Ares blinked, looking at Apollo for a long moment.  "I'm a father, Apollo."

"Ares, you've been a father many times..." Apollo began, not bothering to even look at his brother.

"This is the first time I've been a father to her, to my most prized protege."

The God of Music frowned at Ares, a smile cracking across his face, one of utter incredulity.

"You're-"  Apollo laughed, cradling his head, "Oh I can't believe this!  You're in love aren't you?  I mean for real this time!"

Ares gave a flat look to the jovial God, "Doesn't mean I'm Mr. Nice God now, you realise that..."

"With a mortal at that!" he chuckled further, "Why this is priceless!"

Ares now only scowled.

"Man," Apollo sighed, "So, how's the kid?"

"She's perfectly healthy," Ares replied, "In fact she's..."

Apollo waited with risen brows.

"It seems she's the Goddess of Peace."

Ares expected a barrage of more laughter from Apollo, but instead he got a frozen grin, which softened into what could only be deciphered as awe.

"Are you for real?" he asked him.  Ares nodded.  Apollo shook his head slowly, "We have a Goddess of Peace, after all this time..."

"You think I could make something like this up," Ares said, shooting his brother a half smile, "Yes.  A Goddess for peace is ours."

A slow roll of laughter poured from the grin of the God of Music, "A Goddess of Peace borne of the God of War!"

"It doesn't get any funnier the more you say it," Ares sighed.

"So what is this Goddess' name then?  Pax? Hmm?"

"An," Ares said suddenly, "Her name is An."

Apollo nodded, his grin calming slowly, "That's a good name.  An.  I like it."

"Xena thought of it," Ares said, battling to keep a smile off his face, "She heard of it in Brittannia."

"Yes, Xena," Apollo brought in a breath through his teeth, "The mortal woman who has taken the heart of my brother."

"I hate to cut in on this brother to brother chat," came a voice from the door, "But I just don't trust you two in the same room together."

Ares threw a glance over his shoulder and rolled his eyes, Apollo glancing out the window with a knowing smirk.

"An entrance like a one dinar bard's tale and the look of a beggar!" said Apollo drolly, "When are you going to get a new set of clothes Hercules?  That look isn't becoming for the son of Zeus himself."

Hercules, bronzed arm propped up in the doorway, his sturdy frame leaning against it, smiled at the God.

"I had feeling you weren't well," he said, "You usually can do much better than that."

Apollo smiled weakly, "Don't tell me you're using what little Godly intuition you were given, finally?"

Herc nodded, springing from the doorway and strolling into the small square room, "For once, it came in handy."   He glanced down to Ares, who was silent, scowling darkly in the direction other that the hero's.  "What's the matter, Ares, not happy to see me?"

"On the contrary," he said, "I was just coming to terms with the fact that I may have to ask you for your help, as terrible as the idea may sound."

"My help?"

"What, is there an echo in here?"

Hercules grinned slowly, shaking his head a little.  "So, what is it that the great God of War can't handle?"

"My mother," Ares said, glaring at Hercules with all seriousness, "I think something is definitely going on now, she has some plan."

"Hera?"  the blonde son of Zeus rose a brow, "You? Against Hera?"

"That surprises you?" asked Ares.

Hercules shrugged, "It's just that - you've always been, you know, her favourite."

"It means nothing," Ares said darkly, "And I doubt it ever did.  I am the son of Zeus and Hera, strong and handsome - "

"Not to mention modest," cut in Apollo with a leer.

"That is all I am to her," Ares continued, "A successful continuation of her legacy.  Happy to learn that brother?"

Hercules shook his head slowly.  Gazing at the God of War, it was an strange picture he saw before him.  This swaggering slimeball he'd known for as long as he was alive seemed to stare off into nowhere, his entire being sunken at his own words.  He'd never seen Ares anything but smug and contemptuous...  He clenched his teeth.  He wouldn't feel sorry for the braggart.  Were he not such a scoundrel perhaps he'd have more to feel good about.  His sympathy wasn't owed to the likes of Ares.

"So," Herc piped up, "What do you need me for?  Aren't you a full fledged God?"

"Defeating Hera is more than a matter of power," Apollo said, laughing huskily, "I don't know why Ares thinks you can help."

"He's foiled her before," Ares said, "He could probably do it again."

"Even if I could," said Hercules, "Why should I help you?  After all you've done?"

"Because," Ares said, perking up a little, a leer beginning to grow on his face, "This is a matter that is more than me, more that Apollo - it's a matter that even you, brother, can't ignore."

Hercules nodded slowly, pulling a chair over and sinking down into it.  He glanced to Apollo, looking him over as if he had noticed him for the first time, a nonchalant air taking him.

"So what happened to you?"

Gabrielle sank into the chair in the kitchen, Iolaus sitting across from her with a stunned and rather urgent pallor.  Joxer stood in the doorway, a hardness to his features.  His eyes watched every move Iolaus made, his ears listened and examined every word.  He watched his beloved Gabrielle too, till she glanced up at him and tilted her head.

"Joxer - why don't you see if Xena's okay?"

"She'll be asleep Gabrielle," he said, "I'm helping her move here tomorrow, remember?"

Gabrielle smiled uneasily, "Oh yeah."

She obviously wanted some time alone with the sidekick of the great Hercules, his muscle-bound arms resting on the table, handsome blonde locks and kind blue eyes displayed in front of her.  Joxer shook his head suddenly - why was he jealous?  Gabrielle loved him!  They'd been together for months now...  they'd almost had a child together.  But there sat a real hero, so very handsome and yet this guy exuded an air of vulnerability Joxer could spot a mile away.  It was that same vulnerability that drew Gabrielle to him those months back, and though their love was so much more than the roles they played he couldn't help but feel a great stirring inside of him.

Perhaps for the first time since he'd felt Gabrielle's lips on his in a true reciprocated love, he was frightened out of his mind.

Stepping forward, he placed a hand on Gabrielle's shoulder, smiling softly.

"I'll go see how the village square is faring after the ah - mishaps..."

Gabrielle glanced up to Joxer, smiling softly, "Yeah," she said, "Thanks."

Joxer leant down, taking her lips in a breif caress, her hand slipping over his neck a moment before he moved away, swinging his step and striding out the door.  Gabrielle watched him go a moment.
 

She turned her gaze back to Iolaus.

"So," he said.

"So..."

He lifted his eyes up to her, taking her hands with a warm smile, "Tell me Gabrielle, how have you been?"

Gabrielle smiled, "For the first time in months... blissfully happy!"

"Yeah?"

She nodded.

"Really?"

She nodded again.

"With uh,"  He laughed uneasily, "With Joxer?"

Gabrielle smiled through a shrug, nodding a little, "With Joxer."

"Oh," he nodded back at her, pausing a moment, "Look, I know you love the guy and all but - Joxer's an idiot!"

A peal of laughter fell from the bard, her face lighting up like the night sky, "I know," she beamed, "I think that's his charm!"

"So that's where I've been going wrong all these years," he said, smiling, sadness behind his face.  Gabrielle could see it so well.

"But seriously," she added, looking down at her hands as they ran over themselves, "He's been good to me, and I couldn't imagine being without him.   He can be a bit of an idiot sometimes... He's changed though, or maybe I have.  When I see him I don't see a fool anymore.  I see a sensitive soul, who sees the beauty in everything.  He hears music, you know.  In his head - and makes it real with his lute."

"Yeah??"  Iolaus' brows rose, "I never knew he played..."

"He does," she nodded, "He's a brilliant lutist.  You know - Apollo said that Joxer is his chosen - I wonder if he just said that so we'd get him to safety..."

Iolaus shrugged, a darkness in his eyes, "I wouldn't put it past him."

"What's Apollo like?"

Iolaus looked back to Gabrielle, "He's an irresponsible child stuck in a grown God's body.   All he cares about is music and parties and his lovemaking conquests..."

"And his sister..."

Gabrielle glanced behind them.  Apollo stood haggard in the doorway, the thumping footsteps of Ares and Hercules following him.

"I know I've been cruel to you and Hercules, but I would have done anything to win the favour of Hera, just so she would finally give my darling Artemis a days rest from running!"

Gabrielle looked back to Iolaus, who's kind features were now hard, pain ringing in them.

"We're supposed to believe that?" Iolaus almost growled, "After all you did..."

"Iolaus," said Hercules quietly.

"No, Herc!" Iolaus pointed a finger at Apollo, "You know you've got a lot of nerve, coming here and -"

"Iolaus!" Hercules voice scolded him but his eyes were calm, "Artemis has been kidnapped by Hera.   As has Hephaestos.  Apollo was supposed to hear from Hermes yesterday and he hasn't been seen either."

"Are you serious?"

Hercules cocked his head and Iolaus nodded quickly.

"Sure yeah of course you are," he sighed, "So, you really want our help?"

Apollo smiled wearily, "It would be nice."

Iolaus glared at Ares.  "What are you gonna do?"

Jaw set hard, his features obscured by darkness, he let a waterfall of light fall over him and dissolve him to nothingness.

"I take that as a 'Go to Tartarus'?"

Hercules shook his head, "No, he's helping us."

"Ares?!" he nearly stuttered, "Helping?  Since when?!"

Gabrielle looked up from her hands and smiled. "I think you mean 'since who'."

A look of realisation glazed over Iolaus' eyes and he nodded. "I see."

Herc nodded with him, "Yeah.  Come on, Iolaus.  We better let everyone settle to sleep here."  He glanced to Gabrielle, placing a gentle hand at her arm, "We'll be by tomorrow, to make sure Xena settles in okay."

"I'm sure she'll be fine," Gabrielle grinned, "If you see Joxer out there, send him home."

Hercules nodded, a look of bewilderment crossing his face, "Yeah - I uh - will do that."

The hero turned with a caring swagger, bending over a little to fit through the doorway of the kitchen which was obviously only made for the passage of women.  The front door was huge, making for the entry of a hefty warlord.  The clank of the latch of the ominous front doors echoed through the house, as if to emphasize it's emptiness.  Gabrielle turned, surveying the very empty room.   Jett had stolen off to the town's Tavern for some reason he mumbled, and Lethaia-  Gabrielle blinked, a little startled.  Lethaia stood in the doorway of the kitchen, the light from the lamps spilling into the dark living area, her gauzy night linen hanging from her nymph-like frame.  The wraith figure stepped forward with a groggy step, her quiet voice rough.

"The hero brigade wake you up too eh?"

"I actually haven't been to bed yet."

Lethaia shook her head, tutting softly as she sank into the dreamy divan that squatted not two cubits from the dying hearth.  The red coals flushed the face of the assassin, "You know a girl needs her beauty sleep Gabrielle."

Sarcasm was so faint in her tones, and Gabrielle, finding a companion divan, snuggled with a pillow, "Yeah, yeah."

Gabrielle watched the dark-haired woman for a moment.  Curled loose locks of night hung down and framed the high-boned face, the dark orbs glinting in the coal-light.

"Why did Jett go out tonight?"

"Probably to seek some work," Lethaia said softly, as the still house seemed to invoke a whisper, even though Eurepaeda's quarters were upstairs.

"You mean he's-"

"No," Lethaia shook her head, "Jett isn't an assassin anymore, not in that sense of the word.  You know there are times when I think he's not even sure of what he does anymore.  I mean, he and I travel together," A laugh left her, "You know I don't even now why.  Ever since - you know, when we broke him out, we just wandered about together.  I did my thing and he just tagged along like a Oracles' familiar."

Gabrielle smiled, "Seems like you've forged a friendship."

Lethaia threw a cautious smile on her thin lips, "I wouldn't say that.  I mean - sure we're friends.  We're all we've got.  I think about going back to the way I was, travelling alone.  It seems impossible to me."

"That's how I felt after I found Xena," said the bard, "Like I'd found the other half to myself."

Lethaia narrowed her eyes a little in knowing, "Not how you felt when you found Joxer?"

It was now Gabrielle's turn to laugh, "No, with Joxer it felt like I'd found my old play-mate from childhood."

Lethaia grinned, "Sometimes Jett shows that playfullness that Joxer seems so comfortable with."

As Gabrielle watched, the woman's smile faded.

"It's almost as if he feels guilty about enjoying anything."

Gabrielle looked into the coals, their glows fading silently.

"Has that got anything to do with his father?"

Lethaia's gaze snapped to Gabrielle and she grimaced, "You're perceptive."

"I'm a bard," she replied, "It's a job requirement."

Lethaia let an amused curl grace her lips.  "Mam- I mean - Eurepaeda - wont let up about this jail-break talk.  By the Gods, Gabrielle, even Jace is afraid of his father.  The man is a lunatic.  He belongs in jail!"

Gabrielle nodded, the fear evident in Lethaia's eyes.  "Why does Eurepaeda want him out of jail then?"

"I've no idea," replied the woman, "I guess she's lonely but - a woman of her high standing and beauty would surely have plenty of suitors."

"Well, she is still married," countered Gabrielle.

"So?"

Gabrielle took a sidewards glance at Lethaia.  "I guess she just cares about her husband."

"The guy was a murderous tyrant!" exclaimed Lethaia, "He abused Joxer and Jace, warped Jett beyond recognition and 'Mama' just acted like it wasn't happening."

"I guess she didn't have a lot of choice in the matter," said the bard.

Lethaia shook her head, "This family is so screwed up Gabrielle.  It's a wonder Joxer came out to be so wonderful."

"I've seen the goodness in Jett too.  And Jace for that matter but - he's another story."

"Totally," laughed Lethaia with Gabrielle.

The door latch complained with a creak as someone on the other side of the door manipulated it, and with a resigning clunk the door opened.  In the doorway two identical figures ambled in, one singing softly and merrily, stinking of mead, and the other pulling off his comical helm.

"With a ro ho ho and an amphora of mead!" sang one baritone, identical to the other which came back with.

"... And Apollo himself swore he never seen, such a gorgeous babe that I got betweeeeeen my-"

"Joxer!" Gabrielle hissed, "Have you been drinking?"

"Tartarus no," Joxer said quietly, "I was just singing with Jett and..."

Jett staggered to Lethaia, bending over shakily, and clasping her shoulders, he planted his lips at her ear.

"How is my little homicidal rosebud?"

Lethaia rolled her eyes, "Don't call me that Jett.  You know I don't kill that much anymore."

Gabrielle rose her brows, watching the pair snap at eachother.

"Ihh sorry," he said, "My missaake.  Miss me?"

"Terribly," she replied flatly, and Jett gave a quick growl.

"I love it when you talk like you hate me."

"I don't hate you," Lethaia said, "I just hate you drunk."

Jett chuckled again, standing upright suddenly and nearly keeling over as a result, "You know where my cot is sweetpea.  If I wake up in the morninnn alone I'll be sorely diszzzepooinned."

The assassin's footsteps clobbered the floor with much disregard to the sleeping woman upstairs.  Even the hissing pleads of quiet from his peers did little to quieten his steps.  Joxer shook his head.

"Aah, Mama is used to loud-mouthed braggarts coming home at all hours," he said, tucking an arm around Gabrielle's waist,
"OOoaaargh," he yawned, "Let's go to bed, we gotta help Xena tomorrow."

Gabrielle nodded.  As Joxer guided her forward through the dark, the bard placed a hand on Lethaia's shoulder.

"You going to get some sleep?"

Lethaia smiled up at the bard, "I think I'll just sit up for a little bit."

Gabrielle returned the soft smile, and turned back into the embrace of her beloved as she was taken upstairs to a rapturous sleep.  Lethaia turned her gaze back to the fire, giving a long forlorn sigh.

The morning broke gently as a soft breeze filtered through the gauzy curtains of the small room's window.  Had she been alone it would have been the first thing she saw.  She wasn't alone.  The sharp little cries of the being at her breast had punctuated her time to sleep, and for the effort of feeding her she felt worse than she had in years.  She would never complain to Gabrielle about her tendency to kick in her sleep again.  Not that she had that option.  Joxer was Gabrielle's pelt partner now, and Xena really didn't want to intrude on that.  She shuddered at the thought.

"Come on now little one," Xena said flatly, wanting to sound motherly but being far too weary to try it, "Drink up."

An's dark blue orbs moved up to meet her mother's, looking deep into her.  Xena found it in all her weariness to smile.

"Hey," she whispered, "Are you looking at your Mommy?"

An gooed in the suckle.

"Yes!" Xena grinned, "You can talk! You're a clever bubby aren't you hmm?"  Xena blinked, realising what she was doing, and she gave a thin smile at the baby, "You're makin' Mommy talk like a lunatic, do you know that?"

The corners of the baby's mouth creased up in a smile, and Xena's heart soared.  Such a pretty face, she thought, my little precious one...

"What are you thinking, An?  I want to hear you so badly, like your Daddy hears you," Xena felt a pang in her chest.  Did An miss him?  The Gods knew she herself missed him.  Glancing back to the baby's face, she tried to let down the barriers she held, the defences...

An, I love you, so much!  A mother should say that to her baby.  I want to say it to you...

An's eyes looked back, examining her, and the sheer look of age behind the little one's eyes sent a shudder through her body.  An knew what she was thinking, she knew.  What Xena would have given just to listen to her thoughts in return.  Perhaps help her understand things that bewildered the young mind.  For that moment, Xena felt lonely, so very lonely.

"Ares," she whispered, a frown creasing her brow, "Gods I hate this," she cursed to herself, "Ares, if you can hear me... I can't do this alone.  I need you - to help me.  I've been up all night," her whisper cracked, a tear cascading down her cheek, "I just - I want a minutes rest..."

She glanced around the room, the air staying dead, and very very empty.  Xena gazed down at An, sighing softly.

"The one time I wanted him here."

An giggled and kicked a leg, a slicing shift in the air, and Xena felt a relief sweep through her despite herself.  As Ares stepped into the room, Xena leant her head back, her arms falling slack.

"As soon as this leech is finished, take her off me!" Xena cried with a weary smile.  Ares rose a brow, pulling up a chair next to the bed.

"Had to finish off a little family dispute in Sparta.  No deaths - Hades will be thankful,"  Ares said, taking Xena's hand and kissing it briefly. "I'm sorry I wasn't here the moment you said my name."

Xena let out a soft laugh, "I - I didn't think you'd turn up."

Ares gazed at her a long moment, a seriousness in his gaze, "I will be here, always."

A coo from the child broke their gaze, a hand reaching up for Ares' face.  Ares looked down, smiling at the child.

"Come on, I think it's time for you to come to your Daddy..."

Xena let out a sigh of relief as Ares scooped the child from her arms, pulling up the blanket around her and snuggling into the pillow.

"Are you ready to be moved today?" asked Ares.  Xena nodded sleepily.

"Gabrielle tell you did she?"

"I overheard," he said, jiggling the child up and down.  "An says you've been trying to talk to her today."

Xena's eyes moved to the baby slowly, and she snorted in disgust.  "I can't do it, she just looks at me and I don't know what in Tartarus she's thinking."

The corners of the War God's mouth curled a little as he looked to the baby in his arms, "Well, it's just a matter of practice.  I can help you..."

A groan lifted from the warrior princess, "I want to be able to do it on my own."

"Xena," he said, "So independent.  Very well.  I'm here, remember."

Xena gazed at him a moment, "I don't think I could forget if I tried."

Ares looked back down to the child, watching the baby play with his fingers, gargantuan in comparison to An's.  "She's a quiet child."

Xena nodded, "Except at night, when she wants to be fed.  I wish she'd realise it's self serve..."

"You just have to tell her," Ares said, "Communicate with her, not just with words, with your feelings."

Xena let loose another snort, "You make it sound so easy."

"It is," he said, "That's what you have to learn."

He felt how sleepy she was, it was probably half the reason she was so unreceptive to his advice.  Tucking the blanket around her, he kissed Xena softly on the brow.   She released a quiet moan despite herself, her brow tingling at the heavenly but brief caress.  Ares smiled, hugging the baby to him a little more.

"I'm travelling with Apollo and Hercules today..."

Xena rose a brow whilst her eyes were closed in a cat nap. "You?  Travel?  What's wrong with zapping wherever you're off to?"

"I have to protect them," he replied, and upon opening her eyes Xena realised the uneasy tone in his voice was reflected with a slight look of disgust.  He felt her eyes open, and met them with a quick purse of his lips.  "For the good of Olympus..."

"Sure," Xena nodded, smiling and closing her eyes again, "For the good of Olympus, your powers and your place as the God of War."

Ares grinned, "You've always understood me Xena!"

Shifting her head on the pillow, her delving blue eyes shone at him, "Maybe not always, but I do now."

Ares nodded, "I better get going, the men are on the road, and approaching trouble."

Xena nodded, "Okay, you better give me An."

Ares chuckled at the comment, "Well I doubt she's ready for battle just yet."

Rolling her eyes, Xena took the baby in her arms, and snuggled back down into the bed.  As she settled the baby, she glanced to Ares once more.  "You know, I've never really seen you so concerned about anything like this before..."

"You have..." he said.  Xena knew what he meant, remembering the dank castle on a ruddy little island off the mainland, the both of them cooped up in a ridiculous room and her hands on Ares' bronzed skin... her hands... Callisto's hands, with her essence inside of them.

Xena nodded, caressing the soft scalp of her child, "I guess, he he," she gave a rolling smile, "I'm not used to you caring about anyone except your self..."

Glancing down at the child in Xena's arms, he smiled, "You're wise to be cautious... Everyone knows I'm a God that only cares about my own gratification, maybe that's why I'm going to stop Hera, so I can live.  Continue to be the tyrant that I am-"

"No," she shook her head, "You know why you're doing it."

Ares cracked a smile which almost twisted to a wince, that was hung with such a confusion, Xena herself felt the effects of the flux she sensed within the God before her.

"I'm not that kind of God Xena," he said suddenly, "You've told me that a thousand times in doubt of my intentions and I see no reason why it should change now."  He stood, stroking the face of An briefly, "I better go."

"Hey..."

Ares turned, meeting the risen affection brows of Xena.

"Thank you... for turning up..."

He smiled, genuinely, his eyes narrowing, "I will always be here."

Xena nodded, holding her child. "I know."

A glistening in the air soaked the form of Ares into it, Xena sighing resignedly as he disappeared.  She glanced at her child, which gazed at her with deeply blue eyes, her features a reflection of her handsome father.

"Well, little one," she said, "It's only a matter of time before Aunty Gabrielle and Uncle Joxer get here hmm?"

"Gabrielle darling, could you pour some more water on those hot coals please?  Thank you!"

Turning, Gabrielle took the half gourd, pouring it's contents onto the small plate of hot coals near the hot tub in which she sat.  A cloth held up her hair, which had been washed and bathed in scented herbs.  Eurepaeda smiled across at her from the other end of the tub, Lethaia between them looking thoroughly uncomfortable.

"So we just sit here?" she asked, and received a playful slap on the shoulder from Eurepaeda.

"You sit and relax!" she insisted, "This is a real bath - not like those awful things they have in Rome darling."

Lethaia's brows peaked together, "Huh?"

"Well they're disgusting - big baths where everyone goes - it's unhygienic!"

"I prefer streams myself," Gabrielle said airily, "Beautiful dappled rivers, breakfast waiting to be caught, that's the life."

She glanced to Eurepaeda, smiling suddenly.

"Though I will never say no to a hot bath!"

Eurepaeda chuckled, "What woman would?"

Lethaia bit her tongue.

"So," Eurepaeda took the soap, lathering her shoulders, "Who's first?"

"First what?"

Eurepaeda looked to Lethaia, "To spill the beans dear!  Tell their tales!  I want to hear all about how you've been with Jett lately..."

"With all respect, Eur-"

"Ah ah!"

Lethaia rolled her eyes, "Mama, you really know all there is to tell."

Eurepaeda laughed, "Oh come now, Lethie, we're all women!  You can tell us we won't laugh!  We've both been there, done that..."

"But I haven't done anything!"

"A young woman like you and a strapping lad like my Jett?" she waved a hand, "Ridiculous!  You can tell me sweety, that's what a mother in law is here for!"

Lethaia sighed, "Jett and I aren't married..."

"Matter of time dear, I can tell these things..."

"We're not even a couple!"

Eurepaeda sighed, "Well how do you expect to have babies if you're not even having sex?"

"I don't want to have sex with him!" Lethaia hissed, "He's my friend!"

"That's what we all say," replied the older woman, "It's only ever a matter of time before reality sinks in."

"What reality?" Gabrielle found her voice.

"That the quiet dependable man you'd been eyeing all those years is the man you truly love, and the ones who sweep you off your feet in a flash and a wave of bravado are sure to break your heart..."

"That's not always true," Gabrielle said.

"No, maybe not, but it's true with me dear."

Gabrielle studied the older woman for a moment.  Her eyes, dark and soulful, were so much like Joxer's that moment, years of pain betraying her jolly countenance.

"It must be awful, having your husband in jail."

Eurepaeda smiled sadly, her lips pursing with a hidden pain.  "To be honest?  It's a Gods-send..."

Lethaia's jaw dropped.

"Yes, my little nymph," the older woman nodded, cupping the young woman's chin in her fingertips and shaking it maternally a moment, "I thanked the Gods above me the day they caught Janus and threw him in jail.  I hoped he'd learn a lesson.  -At times, he was - he was a despicable, ugly man."

"Ugly?" Gabrielle said.

Eurepaeda chuckled, "Oh, physically, he was handsome, like Joxer and his brothers, so nice to look at.  But his soul - this was a man who didn't care where he got his wealth and cares.  I don't know how many peoples lives he's ruined because of his selfishness.  I never asked, I never questioned.  I just - stayed quiet, and looked after my boys."

Lethaia blinked. "Why did you marry him?"

"I didn't have the choice," she said, "It's not like these days, where you girls seem to run off when you don't want marriage.  No, I had to marry him because he had conquered our village, and my father begged Janus that he may be able to keep the farm and his family.  It was then Janus saw me, young and nubile.  I was barely 16.  I could tell even then as he undressed me with his eyes that I would never be able to be free of him.  I knew with a terrible dread that this man was to be my life."

Gabrielle listened with a deep sadness, understanding the plight, knowing how easily her fate could have been similar.  Slavery, unwanted marriage - it was one and the same.  She frowned.

"If he was so terrible to you why do you want him out of jail?"

The older woman's eyes moved to her slowly.

"I'm lonely," she said, "I'm - I need company.  The kind of company only a man could give and, well, after all these years I guess I was just used to Janus.  I guess, I miss him.  Besides that," she added, waving a hand and acquiring an air of idleness, "The money is running out now."

Gabrielle blinked, "You just want the money!  You'd let out a convicted murderer for more money!"

The bard jumped out of the bath, grabbing a robe.

"Gabrielle darling wait!  Please listen for a moment!" the woman called.  There was a pleading in the woman's voice that caused Gabrielle to stop.  She turned and met the eyes of Eurepaeda.  The mother spoke so softly, so rough, that Gabby couldn't help but shiver.  "It's only part of the reason.   I - I see how much Jett has changed.  That shroud of hate that glazed his eyes for so long... it's lifted.  I don't know why or how, but it has!  If being in jail for that age did it, maybe..."

"No," Gabrielle shook her head, gathering the robe tightly around her,  "That's not the way it works.  Jett was changing before he ever set foot in jail - he wouldn't have stayed there if he didn't think he deserved it."

"She's right," Lethaia piped in, "The change in Jett - it's something inspired from within, rather that an outside force."

Gabrielle sighed, kneeling next to Eurepaeda, "Through my travels with Xena, I've met a lot of warriors... most of them had done some very bad things in their lives, some even repeated them like Xena did.  But all of them, every single one, changed because they wanted to, not because others did."

"It's been so long," the older woman whispered, her dark eyes a reflection of sadness that Gabrielle had seen so many times in that of her son, "Since he's come home to me, bringing me gifts.  He always brought me things... such beautiful things.  At first, I was guilty of receiving that which was not lawfully taken, but..." She sighed, "There was nothing I could do.  I'm not strong, I cannot fight, all I knew how to do was obey.  After a while, I began to enjoy life with him.  He had his moments, and I think he really did love me."

"But-"

"No, Gabrielle," Eurepaeda caught the young woman's gaze with a soft severity in her own, "He did, even though he took me from my family, and all that I loved.  He gave me life, he looked after me, and made me a veritable queen here in this lovely house."

"At what cost?" Gabrielle said regardless.

Eurepaeda let loose a laugh of knowing, "A little freedom, a little choice, and some independence...  I never really had these things to start off with, so losing them was not painful.  Though I would not have them back, if it meant losing my sons."  Her eyes lifted to Gabrielle, "That man gave me the three most precious things in my life I could ever have asked for."

"You're right," Gabrielle nodded, "What happened has happened, and you've got some wonderful things in your life from a bad situation.  But you finally have your freedom and independence after all these years - don't you realise you'd become a slave again if you set him free?"

Eurepaeda now laughed freely, "I was never a slave Gabrielle!"

Lethaia smirked, taking a kantharos of wine from the edge of the tub and sipping it idly, watching the discussion unfold.  She knew the spoils of a warlord's life.

"Oh, Janus was very successful.  He never did anything stupid such as invading Athens - that was for other idiots our for fame.  No, Janus was clever.  He did over small towns, upturned Phoenician trading vessels and convoys.  He went for taking over villages rather that destroying them, but oh!  He loved the kill!!  He was a vicious mindless killer when he had that bloodlust in his eyes.  His handsome face would turn so - seriously ugly."

Gabrielle nodded.  She'd seen the same lust twist Xena's elegant features before, she understood too well.

"Nevertheless, he would return home with such riches that would make Queen Cleopatra herself feel envious.  I was dressed in silks and satins, I smelt always of the finest oils, jasmine and lotus, exotic and much sought after.  He loved to make me beautiful, dress me in fine clothes and make ups, it was almost a hobby of his.  Then when the children came..." A frown wrinkled her once soft brow, "He became angry.  I was still his queen, but it killed me how he beat Joxer and - well he didn't even acknowledge Jace..."

Lethaia choked on her wine, waving a hand as Eurepaeda glared at her, "Sorry," she breathed, doing her damnedest not to laugh, "Go on."

"But that's not even the point," the woman shook her head finally, "I just want to make sure, that maybe, he might be caught inside a cell a changed man... we have to be sure, Gabrielle!  I know it's hard to believe, but, sometimes I thought that under all that bad upbringing there was a really lovely man..."

Gabrielle pursed her lips, ready to disappoint 'Mama' with the news that she wasn't going to try to get Janus out, when-

"You know who reminds me of Janus the most?"

Lethaia looked up from her wine, "Jett?"

"No," laughed Eurepaeda, "Joxer."

Gabrielle rose a brow incredulously, "Joxer?"

Eurepaeda nodded, "Yes.  Janus was a man who didn't know how to handle things.  Like his mother, Joxer takes it out on himself, whereas Janus took it out on the world." A sigh fell from her as she gazed out the curtained window, high on the third floor of the city townhouse, "He was a mixed treasure.  Sharp, cold, but beautiful and dazzling like a jewel."

A silence fell upon the three, all of them contemplating the paradox that was Janus while the water of the tub grew steadily colder.  Lethaia sniffed brusquely, scratching her nose with a boyish flinch.

"So, you still want me to get the guy?"

Eurepaeda nodded, patting Lethaia's hand that leant on the edge of the tub, "Yes, Lethaia, I would like that very much."

"Even though he was a murderer?" the bard said, knowing she was fighting a battle already lost.

"Gabrielle, you don't live with someone for 25 years without beginning to care for them a great deal," said Eurepaeda, "I may not have always been happy with Janus, but I would like to know if he is all right, and if he indeed has changed.  When you love somebody, despite their ills, you tend to want to give them the benefit of the doubt."

Staring at Gabrielle, Lethaia pouted absently.  Gabrielle hunched her shoulders a little, the parallel between the marriage of Eurepaeda and Janus a little to reminiscent of her bond between herself and Xena, or indeed Xena and Ares.  Either way, she sighed a final sigh.

"You're right," Gabrielle said, "After I'm dressed I'll go get Jo-"

"No," Eurepaeda said suddenly, "Jett and Lethaia are getting him, it's been discussed."

Lethaia nodded whilst drinking the dregs of the wine.  It had been her third cup, she felt like it was taking it's toll.

"But why?"

"You're staying here," Eurepaeda insisted, "And you're arranging a wedding!"

It was early when Joxer began to seek out Hercules, Apollo and Iolaus.  He had wandered through the smoky smelling ruins of the stalls in the town centre, only half still standing. Miraculously, like worker ants, people worked hard and many were being hastily fixed.  A couple were almost ready to begin selling goods again.  The Festival of Trades was a lengthy affair of a week, and the vendors needed to cover their costs - the remaining days would help them do so.

He sighed to himself.  He had to help Xena, she was his family.  If whatever was a threat to An, he had to help stop it.  He couldn't get Jett up out of bed that morning, as usual after a night of drunken affairs the fellow had a heavy head and was in no mood to be doing anything, less going on a mission.  But Joxer was determined.  He remembered everything Xena had done for him, trusting him in important tasks, trusting him in friendship, lifting his spirits when he felt as if no one in the world cared what he said or did.  She was one of the few people who made him feel worthwhile.  In his darkest hour she was a silent shoulder, sturdy and gruff but invaluable and tender.  He brought his attention back to the task at hand.

Asking at every inn, tavern and stall was a task, and Joxer finally got an answer from a vagrant of all people.

"Have you seen three guys - one is tall, called Hercules, the other is sorta short - blonde and strong looking, and another guy he's kinda tall and muscly but like - really handsome.  Ya seen em?"

The vagrant sniffed, scratching his haystack of a moustache and growling a "Might have."

Rolling his eyes, Joxer pulled out a couple of dinars and handed them to the man.

"Yeah, I saw them headin' outta here early this morning.  Probably to Aphrodite's temple on the hill."

Joxer nodded.  They were probably moving fast.  He ran to the stall nearby, nearly tripping on a stone half-set in the road.  Reaching a worn wooden door he pounded on it mercilessly.

"OORight oright!" cried a husky voice, "Sheesh!"

The door swung open, a middle aged man narrowing his eyes at Joxer in its frame.

"Don't tell me," he said, "You're in a hurry, right?"

Joxer blinked, swallowing a gasp, "How could you tell?"

The guy rolled his eyes, throwing a wave at Joxer, assuming he was being sarcastic.  "So - do you wanna horse or not?"

Joxer nodded at the stableman, "Sure - I know there've been problems with the animals in town lately so are your prices high?"

The man shrugged, "Sure they are, but I could be accommodating if need be."

Joxer grinned, "Wow - that's great of ya!"  He looked inside his purse, counting his dinars quickly.  He had now 50 dinars, 30 of which he had acquired when selling Nippy.  He grinned, he knew he could afford a better horse this time!

"What do you have for 40 dinars?"

The stableman pointed a finger up at him in a signal to wait, turning around and disappearing in a large archway that seem to enter into a passage way.  Out the front of the stable, a set of doors opened, the stableman leading out a large, barrel-chested beast, brown, fluffy, very much like a bear on horses' legs.  Joxer blinked.

"Nippy?!"

The horse seemed to recognize him, and it whinnied and stamped a foot.  He looked to the stableman.

"But - I spent 30 dinars on him - he's not worth 40!"

The stableman shrugged, "Supply and demand buddy! You heard the news about the Festival!"

Sighing, Joxer pulled out the dinars, "I'll give you 35!  Reigns, bit and saddle inclusive."

They were as impressive as Nippy was.

"40, 35 for the horse, 5 for the gear, no less."

"Okay fine, I'd like to see you get more than that for your hay-bag!"

The horse snorted, stamping on the floor at Joxer.  The stableman glanced at the horse a moment.  He opened his mouth to accept the bid, but a hasty "Okay okay I'll buy it!" filled the void.  The stableman grinned.

"Very wise of you," he said, taking the dinars from Joxer.  Joxer rolled his eyes, taking the horse by the reigns he led it away.

He reached the centre of the town square, beginning to attempt to mount Nippy.

"How'd I get stuck with you again?" he said, shoving his foot in the awkward stirrup. "You make my legs hurt you're so fat!"

As his foot was in the stirrup, he pulled himself up.  The stirrup twisted just as Joxer had a weak hold of the saddle, and he promptly tumbled to the cobblestone ground.  He felt his head thump the hard road.

"Ooow," he moaned.  Great start! he though.  A wet smooth muscular something glided over the length of his face and he let out a yelp.  Opening his eyes, he saw the large muzzle of Nippy in his face.  Lifting his hand he stroked the velvet nose, smiling crumudgingly, "Thanks Nip.  I'm - I am glad you're back."

The horse nodded and stomped a hoof once more.

"Joxer!"

Pulling himself up by the stirrups he spotted Gabrielle jogging towards him, rosy gold locks fluttering.

"Hey," he smiled, catching Gabrielle in a kiss as she stopped.  Or would have, bumping noses instead.  Gabrielle rubbed her nose.

"Ow," she said with a patient smile, "Wanna try that again?"

Joxer nodded sheepishly, her lips claiming his suddenly, and this time he returned the caress with far more finesse.  Gabrielle gave a small moan, a content smile at her lips, when a large brown head pushed at her side.  She took a step to balance herself.

"Nippy!!" she grinned, "Oh!  How did you get him back?!"

"I was uh," Joxer grimaced, "Real lucky!"

"Ohhohoho!" the bard laughed at the affectionate horse, "Well, where are you off to then?"

Joxer cleared his throat, "I'm finding Herc and Iolaus, I'm going to help them stop Hera."

Gabrielle frowned a little, "But - you don't need to do that..."

He nodded, "I know, but I feel like I owe it to Xena.  She's done so much for me and - this is the least I could do."

Gabrielle gazed at the horse a moment, a smile of uncertainty at her lips, "Joxer, the best you can do is stay here and look after us while there are animals blowing up all around us!"

Joxer smiled softly, "You know Gabby - you don't need my help."

"W-well, you never know," she said, voice faltering, "Joxer - you might get yourself killed!  And I wont be there to s-"

She stopped herself and Joxer nodded, patting his steed.

"Save me, I know," he said, seeing the regret in Gabrielle's eyes. She didn't want to offend him, he knew, but he also knew his own inadequacies.   "Well I have to learn how to save myself for once.  You know that.  And if helping Xena is the way to do that, then that's the way it is."

Gabrielle nodded slowly, "I know it's just that - going against the Gods - you'll die."

Joxer smiled, stroking her cheek, "I'll have Herc there, and Iolaus.  And Apollo.  See?  That's one and a half Gods already!"

Gabrielle laughed softly, "Yeah I guess so.  You know, your mother wants us to stay here a while, to get married..."

Joxer tightened his grip on the saddle, "That wont be happening till you're ready."

Gabrielle smiled, stepping forward, a seeming thankfulness in her features.  And love, such love.

"I love you," he whispered, pulling her into an embrace.  He heard her soft breath at his ear, a deep sadness ringing in it's husky tone.

"I love you Joxer, please be safe."

He nodded, pulling himself up onto Nippy.   Gabrielle blew him a kiss, watching him kick Nippy into a burst of a gallop, that, once outside the town's perimeter, quickly collapsed into a tired canter.  Gabrielle sighed as the sight of him diminished into an incomprehensible dot of colour down the road.  She blinked softly, Eurepaeda's words ringing in her mind.  With a determined pout she strode to the inn to help Xena.

Hera moved through the realms, slipping and curling, moving like liquid.  The tiny orb that she hounded eluded her, he was faster and younger but she was older and wiser.  She knew where he'd go, and it was an empty realm with no protection.

"Run, little boy," she giggled, zipping through the ether, "Just where I want you to..."

Slowing finally, she reached the cloud-clad world of the God of Music and Medicine, long columns and podiums for performance encasing an atrium-like crop of lush greenery and a sitting area spotted with settees.  The young god panted, turning about, finally realising how he'd been tricked.  He spun about, the golden flecks of metal at his heels fashioned as wings flashing in the blinding light of the goddess Hera.

"Here!" she cried, pulling him up, absorbing him into the small chest she held, "You will know a torturous eternity, mongrel son of Zeus!"

Hercules sighed, the walk rather arduous on the dry Athens bound road.  Iolaus plodded, quiet and determined, however Apollo screwed up his face in disgust.

"This is ridiculous - where is Ares?  He should be here helping us!"

Hercules looked up in the air with some drollness, "Come on - Ares help someone?"

Apollo frowned, "He's not that bad you know."

"I'll make up my own mind on that," the blonde hero began but a snickering laugh stopped him.

"You already have!" the Music God said wryly.

"You're rather jovial for a half-beaten God," Iolaus said, instinctively coming to Hercules' defence, but Herc raised a hand to calm him.  Apollo rose his brows with a sad smile.

"Right now I need all I can to keep my spirits high," Apollo said, "Our sadness, depression and bickering is her strength."

"He's right," Hercules said to Iolaus, "Dare I say it."

Apollo stretched his head, peering down the road, a proud smile on his face, "Aaah, I knew he wouldn't be long..."

"Who?" Iolaus said, squinting at the veering road.  He saw no one.

"My chosen," Apollo said, pulling a wayward raven lock from his long sculptural face.

"Your - chosen?"

"Yes, brother Hercules," the God said, "My chosen, Joxer."

Iolaus burst into laughter, gripping his chest, "You're - ha ha - you're kidding right?"

"No," Apollo said, frowning at the leg-less sidekick, "I am being quite serious."

"But - he's an idiot!"

Apollo sighed, hands on slender hips, narrowing his eyes at the veer in the road, "Yes, many say that.  Many small minds who only seem to gauge strength on how many people one can kill, and how much damage they can do to a life."  Apollo turned, gazing hard at Hercules, "Tell me, brother, when is the last time you listened to the wind, and thought about it's origins?"

Hercules opened his mouth a moment but Apollo stopped him.

"No, don't even try.  I know that sort of thing rarely even crosses your mind,"  the God said, turning back to the already travelled road, "But Joxer...  he ponders, he delves.   Every stumble, every gawky move... such art in him is a living paradox!  Like his father, like his mother, but so much more!"

"What are you going on about?" Iolaus sighed.

"Joxer..." began Apollo, smiling suddenly, "Is so complex a person, I cannot even believe my own brilliance in his conception.  From the moment he was born, I knew... he would be my finest prodigy!"

"Prodigy of what?" Hercules asked.

"Creation!" sighed Apollo, "He has the silent talent that stuns thousands!!  Tell me brother - have you ever heard him play the lute?"

Hercules shook his head, Iolaus looking a little wrought with disbelief.

"I didn't know he played the lute!" the sidekick said.

"Oh, he does," nodded the God, "He plays beautifully.  Just recently he's began to write music.  Great music.  Music that croons of the deepest loves and the saddest heartbreaks."

"He never said-"

"No," Apollo shook his head at Hercules, cutting the hero off before he could even finish his sentence, "He'd never say that he played the lute.  Not to a hero he admires such as you.  For fear he would be laughed at perhaps?  He holds his manhood in high esteem, sadly."

"Unlike you..."

Apollo sneered as the dark stalwart figure slipped through from the ether, silver reams spilling from a falling shining orb.  With a puff of plasma Ares finally congealed.

"Yes, Ares," Apollo laughed, "Say that to your brother that still beats you at the discus every time!"

Ares shrugged, rolling his tongue about in his mouth, "You're a good cheater.  Let's go to this temple huh?"

"No," Apollo said, "We wait for Joxer."

"You don't actually want him to come with us do you?" Iolaus said.

"Of course not," Apollo said, "He'll be killed.  I would not dare risk my favourite prodigy on a family dispute."

Ares glared at him, "Is that all you see this as?  A family dispute?"

"Yes, a deadly one," Apollo said, "I fear for the lives of all those Gods missing.  Who knows what Hera could unleash in her anger."

As he spoke the whinny of hooven beast neared them, and before he even looked to see who the traveller was, Apollo smiled.

"Hello, dear child," he said, "You look well."

Joxer, rolling off his steed, clambered over to Apollo, bowing before him.  Apollo grinned.

"You don't have to bow before me, sweet chosen.  I know respect lies in your soul for me."

"Oh, okay," he nodded.  Finding some courage to speak he shuffled his feet, "Listen, Apollo, er - guys?  I know I'm not much of a warrior or nothin' but I came to help you fight this thing that's threatening Xena.  Xena's like my sister and I'd do anything for her.  Plus, I want to help you too Apollo...."

Apollo smiled, a slender bronzed hand stroking Joxer's face tenderly.  "You are a faithful one, Joxer.  But this is not your battle."

Joxer opened his mouth but Apollo lifted his hand.

"A battle of the Gods is no place for a mortal.  Hera would ruthlessly destroy you in the blink of an eye."

Ares gulped, watching Apollo talk to the idiot.  He wasn't really sure why Xena liked him around, or why Gabrielle loved him so much.  He remembered tagging along with Xena, travelling alongside Joxer.  He talked of irrelevant things, idle thoughts consumed him, and he would often prattle about things that would cross his mind.  The little annoying blonde loved it.   They'd prattle at eachother like a pair of senseless birds in a cage, it drove Ares half crazy.  But despite all that, Ares still found himself piping up.

"I'd appreciate it Joxer," he said, "If you looked after Xena for me."

Joxer was taken aback, that Ares was even talking to him.

"Y-y-y-you would?"

Ares nodded slowly, "She is weak from the birth.  It worries me that only women are there to guard her."

Well, one Amazon Queen who was mean with that little stick of hers, and a whole town of men, nevertheless...

"Yeah," Joxer nodded, "I hadn't thought of that."

"Maybe you should go too," said Hercules to Iolaus, "Where we're going might be pretty dangerous."

Iolaus glared darkly at Joxer, then sighed.

"No," Iolaus shook his head, "With the Gods against you, you'll need my help - besides... It'll just be you and them - " he motioned to Ares and Apollo.

"He'll be fine," Ares drolled, "He is half-God."

Joxer gulped, adjusting his helmet then, puffing himself up with some confidence "Well - I'll be off then.   To protect the women!"

Hercules eyed Iolaus, who kept his hands at his hips adamantly.

"I'm not leaving."

"Okay," Hercules sighed knowingly, grinning darkly at Iolaus.  He glanced to Joxer and threw him a wave, "Take care Joxer, look after Xena."

The fool pulled himself up on the round horse, getting comfortable in the saddle and slowly, the saddle slid sideways taking Joxer with it.  After tumbling off the horse in a small cloud of dust, the young man tightened the saddle gingerly, climbing back up on Nippy.   Together, would-be hero and steed soon became shapes in the distance.

Ares turned to Hercules, Iolaus and Apollo.

"So, are we ready?"

"Why did you convince him to leave?" Hercules asked Ares, "I figure you wouldn't care less if he was here or not."

"Yes I was just wondering the same thing," Apollo said.

"Xena would never let me hear the end of it if anything happened to that surrogate brother of hers."

Nice cover, Apollo thought, you're beginning to get good at that now you're going all soft like Aphrodite.

Ares eyed Apollo in the odd silence, Shut up.

Xena turned on the bed, feeling the prickle of the furs underneath her form.  The soft shift she wore did not hide the sensation of pelt against skin, and as she turned, it felt as if it weren't there at all.  Languid eyes opening, she saw translucent drapes hang from the ceiling like a net around the bed, a dark shape hovering behind its flimsy shielding.  With a breath so light, the figure blew at the gauzy wall between them, and with the long silence of the fabric's lifting in the air, the figure slipped in the small alcove of intimacy created by the bed.  She felt her breath seize in her throat, the figure now not so dark...  Her lover, the father of her child - her nemesis, knelt before her on the bed, his head cocked sweetly with some wry questioning... his eyes said 'Why have you not touched me my love?'.  Xena said nothing, she could not.  He wore only a shirt that was a white billowy affair, brown leather togs, and boots.  His hair was not immaculate as when he was a God... oh how it reminded her of when he fell to the earth those months ago, vulnerable and completely human.

"Why are you dressed like that?"

Ares looked down, "Dressed like what?  Isn't this what you wanted?"

"Huh?" Xena narrowed her eyes incredulously. "Don't be ridiculous... you said..."

Ares now smiled broadly, "Remember?  You asked me... and I could see it in your thoughts... The vulnerable nice Ares you'd seen."

"But I," Xena shook her head, "No - what about your domain?"

Ares leant forward, pulling her into his arms, "Why think of that?  Look at the sacrifice I've made for you..."

"What about An?"

"She'll be fine," he said, "I can be a better father now!"

"How?!" Xena frowned, gripping his shirt, "How can you when you're as vulnerable and soft and transient as I am?"

"This isn't about what An needs," he said, tilting her head up to his, "This is about what YOU want..."

"NO!"

"Xena...."
 

"NO!!!!"

Sharp cries dug at her ears, and her eyes slammed open.  She gulped for air, rolling over and coddling the wailing bundle next to her in her arms.  It was only then she realised she wasn't alone.  The tender hand rubbed her arm, and looking at the face clearly she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh Gabrielle," she huffed.

"Xena are you okay?  You were thrashing about..."

"Bad dream," Xena said, more concentrated on getting her child latched onto her teat.

"Oh," the bard nodded, setting herself on the edge of the bed.  With her fingertips, she gently stroked the ebony silk locks that adorned the crown of the baby.  She smiled.  "She's so beautiful..."

Xena nodded, "Yeah, she is..."

Gabrielle frowned suddenly, "You wanna tell me what the dream was about?"

Xena's eyes flicked up to hers, "Yeah, that might be good..."

Gabrielle blinked.  Xena actually wanted to talk to her?!

"Yeah I do want to talk to you Gab-"

Gabrielle laughed, "Xena! How did you know what I was thinking-"

Xena glared at Gabrielle, "I don't know..."

A muffled giggle suddenly burst from the child in Xena's arms, and the mother narrowed her eyes with wonder at the baby.

"Did you help me with that?  Huh?"

Another giggle erupted from the baby, and Xena sighed with a worn smile at the child, "Naaah, I can just read Auntie Gabrielle's body language hey sweetie?"

"Yeah," Gabrielle nodded warily, "That's it.  The dream?"

"Oh!" Xena nodded, jiggling the baby, feeding it the nipple as it tried to spit it out, "It was strange... I was in this luxurious bed - kinda like you'd expect in Ares' lair..."

"Not that I've ever been there," Gabrielle smirked.  Xena mirrored her friend's expression.

"I hope not..."

Gabrielle rose a brow and Xena smiled wryly.

"Anyway - there's this gauze all around it - and he is standing behind it.  When he steps through it - he looks all mortal."

Gabrielle rose both brows this time, and nodded slowly.

"Well - he says it's what I wanted.  And all I could think of through the dream is how I really didn't..."

Gabrielle smiled finally, stroking the child's hair idly, "Well it's obvious you're dealing with your feelings for Ares on a subconscious level..."

"Gabrielle - I can't love him!"

The bard's jade pools met Xena's firmly, "But you do love him.  Don't deny your feelings Xena, they make you who you are..."

"But - he's a monster! You hate him, Mom hates him-"

"I don't hate him," Gabrielle smiled slightly, "I uh - tolerate him."

Xena smirked, "You can't stand him."

"True but it's not like I hold that against you," the bard said, grinning with some humour, "Xena, I - when I see you've been with him or catch you talking about him you - you look so happy.  I don't want to get in the way of that.  Sure, I worry about you, but I see in your eyes that there is no way you'll turn to evil again, and I know, when I see Ares with you, that you bring out something good in him."

"Don't let him hear you say that," Xena grinned, letting her fingers play through the downy whorls of her baby's crown, "He might try to prove you wrong."

Gabrielle smiled, "Yeah.  Xena, I can see you want to be a family.  I think you need Ares this time..."

Xena eyed Gabrielle.

"He knows about Godhood, and your child - halfling she might be - she is a God."

"I know Gabrielle," Xena said, gazing at her child, "She's so perfect... so beautiful.  And I know - it's not just a Mother's bias.  I've seen new-born babies and - they look like they've been through an ordeal - and they have!  An - she's just like an flower in a temple.  And her soul is so pure... can you sense it Gabrielle?"

Gabrielle watched Xena speak of her child, running tentative fingertips over the baby's features, the child, in a half asleep reverie, stroking her mother's face in return.  The bard felt a yank in her heart, sighing sadly.

"Thank the Gods Xena, that you've been given the chance to have such a beautiful child," she found herself saying.  Xena glanced up.

"Oh - oh Gabrielle..."

Gabrielle shook her head with a reassuring smile, "It's okay Xena really... An is a gift.  Treasure her.  Is she all fed?"

Looking down to the baby, who was more content playing with Xena's features, the mother nodded. "Yeah, we can pack now."

The Pink Realm that hummed with Love was now a faded puce.  Slipping into it, the Goddess searched through it for energies besides herself.  To her horror she found none.

"Aphrodite!!" she called, "Aphrodiiiiteeeee!  Erooooooos!!  Cupid?  Psyche!!!  BLISS!!!"

Her voice echoed of empty walls and stark palisades, all decoration and fanciness gone from the realm.  Athena shuddered.  Her head ached from the excessive wine she'd consumed from before... she wished with some doggedness that she hadn't have been so keen to celebrate the new arrival.  She wondered what this child was like... she would only have time to visit it after this was over.  Closing her eyes, she felt around the cosmos, and moving through the ether freely she slipped to a place where she knew her brother lay.

Gabrielle held the now unhefted saddlebags, lugging them to Eurepaeda's townhouse. Her stomach was unsettled, and she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep till Joxer was back home.  From the corner of her eyes she saw a lanky figure on a fat looking horse, and chuckled, thinking she was possibly delusional.  But on second glance, a grin cracked her face, and she forgot herself, dropping the saddlebags and running towards the now real figure.

"Joxer!" she laughed, watching her love slip off the horse and run towards her.  "I thought you were going to help Hercules!!"

"Ares sent me back here," Joxer said, receiving Gabrielle into his arms, "To look after Xena!"

Gabrielle grinned, planting kisses all over Joxer's face, "Mmm, oh it's so good to have you back!"

Joxer grinned back through the kisses, planting a few of his own, "It's good to be back!!"

Finally he caught her mouth in a passionate caress, his hands cradling her jaw and neck sensually. Gabrielle stilled, hanging delightfully in his hold, Joxer bringing her up to him in a close embrace.  As his lips left hers he whispered, so as his breath brushed against her lips.

"Where's Xena?"

"Back at your house," Gabrielle replied huskily, "Joxer, Jett and Lethaia are leaving this afternoon..."

Joxer's face fell, "Whaddaya mean?"

Her eyes grew red, "They're going to try to find Janus..."

Joxer's throat constricted, his knees growing weak. "Are they crazy?  He was put away - years ago.  His cell is so deep within the structures of Merimas' main fort that I don't know if they'll even find him!"

"It won't be like getting Jett out," she said in agreement, "But there's no stopping your mother."

Joxer nodded, "Yeah she's pretty stubborn when she gets an idea in her head."

Gabrielle smiled, rising her brows.  Joxer blushed.

"Hey I didn't mean - I love that about you really."

"Yeah yeah yeah," she rolled her eyes, "Come on."

Lethaia pulled the dripping clothes from the tub, squeezing them, and then plunging them back into the sud-filled water.  From the corner of her eye stumbled the dark figure, finally coming to rest on the back step next to Lethaia.  She would have usually smirked at the man next to her, but this morning, she had no wish to smirk.  She sat there, shirtless, only a undersinglet giving her any modesty.  A borrowed petticoat covered her lower half, the rest of her travel-wear in the iron-ribbed tub.

"Morning," he said huskily.

"Barely," she replied, her body shaking as she vigourously scrubbed the clothes, "Half the day is gone already."

"Uugh," the fellow replied, burying his face in his hands, "My head is killing me!"

Lethaia sighed, "I'm not surprised."

"What's wrong?" Jett asked her, wrapping an arm around her waist.  She slapped it off, lifting the pants from the wash, rinsing the water from it.

"You know," she said.  Jett looked bewildered.

"When are you going to stop it?"

"Stop what?"

"Drinking yourself into a stupor night after night!"

Jett sighed, rolling his eyes, "It's not night after night!"

"YES it is, Jett!" she said, glaring at him, "Every night!  Now I don't know what you're running away from, but every night when were within a walk of some sort of civilization you're off at a tavern filling yourself up with ale, staggering home at all hours then sleeping the daylight hours away!"

He glanced away guiltily.

"Now I DON'T know about you, but I want to do some good for a change.  I've had enough of the guilt, I've had enough of dreaming of the innocent I've killed being an assassin-"

"Hired killer," leered Jett, but Lethaia squeezed shut her eyes.

"Assassin!!" she cried, and after a moment, she got back to working at her washing.

"Lethaia..."

She continued to wash, watching the bubbles play between her fingers, feeling the sand of the ground move between her toes.

"I'm scared."

She looked to him, his dark brown orbs shining with fear.  She sighed, her hand lifting and running smooth against his cheek, despite herself.  "I'm scared too, Jett.  Believe me, the road we've chosen - it's not easy..."

He nodded, leaning against her hand.

"But we're on it together okay?  I've told you that before... please remember it."

"Okay..."

Her hand dropped to her lap, and she began scrubbing at the pants, "You know, it - it hurts me."

"What does?"

He gazed at her as she worked at the clothes, and after a moments silence, perhaps choosing her words, she gazed ahead at the scrub of the back courtyard.

"When you turn to a bottle of ale for comfort instead of me.  I can't remember when you stopped talking to me about how you were feeling..."

Jett looked down to his hands, his stomach sinking.  He looked back to her.  Her brown eyes, soulful and endless, met his.  How tired she was.  He could see that.  He smiled.

"Can I tell you how I'm feeling now?"

She pursed her lips a moment, "All right."

"I think you're beautiful-"

"I know you think I'm beautiful," she said, rolling her eyes.

"You didn't let me finish!" Jett said, turning her face towards his again, "Your beauty is only a small part of - of what I admire I mean - the words..."

Jett frowned, sighing with some frustration.  Lethaia frowned, trying to understand his words.  Glancing back up to her he continued.

"You're - you're so patient with me.  I hurt you, I drink too much, I hate myself for what I've done to people, but I still find you at my side day after day.  With all honesty, Lethaia, I don't know of another woman who would *want* to know how I'm feeling, especially after the past I've had.  I've been a mindless killer - I still am a mindless killer.  A thin line stops me.  I've never had the strength to stop being a bad person before... and when I tried, it was so hard!"

Lethaia nodded.

"But Lethie," He took her chin in his fingertips, turning her porcelain features to his, "You stay with me for some reason, I don't understand it..."

The dark orbs of the girl at his touch glistened, she sighed through rogue tears, a shaking hand caressing his cheek briefly,  "Jett - I - I just-"

"Shhh," Jett sniffled a moment, squeezing his eyes shut, "Don't be sad.  I guess I'm just trying to say - I'm sorry...  I'm sorry I've been so awful to you... I don't deserve you..."

"Jett," Lethaia breathed, "Please don't say things like that about yourself..."

"It's the truth," he said, "When you killed, you did it with some sense of justice!  I did it with a sense of greed at - it was wrong.  I don't know how to be any other way.  I've come to feel that you sort of - help light the way for me... you show me how to be a better person..."

"How can I be a light for you?" she said, her brows tilted up sadly, "I don't even know what I'm doing!"

Jett smiled, "I guess that's the way life is, hmmm? That's life."

Lethaia smiled brightly, her eyes finally shining with some sense of peace.   She felt a giddiness take her as his hands came in contact with her skin, and a fire erupted within her as his lips pressed against hers with a warm paradisical pleasure she'd only dreamed of for so long.   He held her there for a sweet time, his lips touching hers a moment, brief kisses in their playing lips.  Lethaia pulled her head away, her cheeks a rosy red.

"I - I have to finish cleaning..."

An arm wound around her shoulders, as she kept her head looking down at her work, she felt the skilled lips of Jett roam at her ears and cheek, soft kisses touching her sensitive but weathered olive skin almost in tandem with the scrubbing motion she was performing to clean her clothes.

"Jett..." she whispered, her head tilting up, her eyes closed, too full of passion to be open, "I..."

She let herself be pulled up in strong arms, her fingers played at jet-black locks.  His kisses became more intense, more concentrated, and she felt timidness stop her from returning them with full ardour.   She gasped for breaths, realising Jett was walking - where?

"Where are you taking me?" she asked huskily, her mouth being closed over all of a sudden with Jett's empassioned lips.  There was the slam of a door, and glancing around she realised he had taken her to the hot-tub.  She gasped, stepping back.

"Oh, Jett, I don't know, we've been friends for-"

He pulled her towards him running fingers over her jaw and neck, "I've always loved you," he whispered, "From the moment -" he grinned, "You got me in the nads..."

Lethaia grinned, letting Jett take her in his arms.  "Jett," she said between passionate caresses, "What if someone walks in?"

With his foot he kicked down the lock, grinning at her, "That won't be a problem."

Lethaia nodded finally, her strength surrendering to his hold.  His hands deftly worked at the flimsy clothes on her brown toned skin, the years of travel blessing her body.  She reached into him with her embrace, and pulling her head away from him once more, his eyes glazed with frustration, she smiled.

"Jett..."

"What?"

She suckled on his bottom lip a moment, and letting to go she took her own bottom lip in her teeth playfully.

"I've always loved you too..."

Hercules unrolled the pelt in front of the now raging fire that Iolaus tended, ignoring a pacing Ares.  His brother had been most irritating, disagreeing with his plans of action.  Apollo just remained silent, sulking over his twin sister lost.  The darkness surrounded them, and for some reason, even the stars looked restless that night.  Hercules glanced up to Ares finally.

"Will you *please* just - sit down?"

Ares flashed a glare at him, "I don't know how you can sit still when at every moment, Hera grows stronger."

Apollo nodded, "He's right you know.  Perhaps - after my strength is fully renewed, Ares and I can snoop around Olympus."

Hercules gritted his teeth, "You two?  How do I know Hera won't convince you to join her?"

Ares glared at Hercules directly, "You don't get it do you?  Things are the way they are for a reason.  Hera is breaking the order of the Universe, and she must pay!  She is using the unrestful period of the birth of a new Goddess to make her move!"

Hercules shook his head, looking away.

"I don't get it," Iolaus muttered, "Whaddaya mean unrestful period?"

Iolaus looked a little confused and Apollo smiled, "It's quite simple, young Iolaus.  When a new God or Goddess comes into the world, the order of the universe is unsettled - things need to readjust themselves..."

Hercules looked to Iolaus, nodding darkly, "Kind of like when a new child comes in to a family, and the siblings have to get used to the new pecking order."

Iolaus nodded vaguely. "I see."

Uncomfortable quiet fell upon the group again, and the sound of Ares' pacing filled their ears.

"Why are you worried, brother?" Apollo asked Ares.  Ares sighed.

"Why do you think I'm worried?" he spat, "My child is unprotected - a sitting duck in Corinth!"

"Not necessarily," Apollo leered, "Joxer's there to look after Xena..."

Ares rolled his eyes, "Gee that's really comforting!"

"We just have to get to the next temple, Brother," Apollo said, "Once I can regain my strength from the cosmos, then we can rally in force against Hera and find our lost siblings."

Ares sent a dark look to Apollo, and he shook his head.

"And how do you expect to regain that power, Apollo?"

Apollo jumped to his feet at the sound of the voice, relief flickering across his features...

"Athena!  Oh sweet Goddess!!" he said, thrusting his hands up with a grin, "Thank the cosmos you are healthy!"

Athena's face was wrought with panic, and upon seeing Apollo she let out a sharp cry of horror.

"Apollo!" she gasped, pulling him down to the ground, "By the Cosmos!  Look at you you're a mess!"

Athena glared at Ares, "Ambrosia!  Get him ambrosia!  And nectar!"

"I've tried," Ares said, "The ether is all messed up right now.  But I'll try again - don't glare at me like that!"

The Goddess of Wisdom nodded, looking back to Apollo.

"I'm fine sis, really," insisted Apollo, but a flat glare from Athena silenced him.

"You are not - you look as terrible as a mortal!"

"Thanks," Iolaus grinned with no true intent.

Athena ignored him, waiting for Ares to return.  "Why did you not tell me of Artemis' victimization?"
Ares returned, a delicate crystal amphora to the brim with thick sweet liquid in one hand, and a bundle in his other.  He lifted them up with a leer.

"You're *so* very lucky I'm Hebe's favourite brother!"

"She gave you Godly food?" said Athena softly, "Is she with Hera?"

"She isn't happy with what Hera is doing, but if she does or says anything about it she'll end up the same way as Apollo here.  Well, she said Hera's not around in Olympus," Ares replied, kneeling next to Athena, handing her the nourishing food, "Says she's out on 'errands'."

"Hhuh," Athena muttered, raising a brow as she lifted the brim of the amphora to Apollo's lips, "Sounds dubious."

Apollo snatched the amphora finally, rolling his eyes, "I can eat and drink myself!"

Athena sighed, sitting back on one of the logs, her fingers intertwining as her brow descended in thought.  She rose a brow to Hercules.

"Brother Hercules - I trust you are well?"

"As well as can be expected," Hercules muttered with a wry smile, indicating the unwanted Godly company.  Athena smirked, and turned to Ares.

"I've been searching the realms," she said softly, gazing past the fire, "... and it seems many Gods are now missing..."

"Who?" Ares asked, fear constricting his throat.

"Hermes," she replied, "Artemis - no moon out tonight..."

Glancing up, Ares nodded.

"Aphrodite is missing too..."

Hercules frowned, "Is Helios safe?  If Hera gets him..."

Athena sighed, "I believe it is only a matter of time before he is captured."

"We need to move now," Ares said, standing. "If we combine our powers, we can take Hercules and Iolaus to the Temple of Aphrodite outside Megara."

Athena nodded, "Good.  Let's move."

"Wait -" Hercules stood, "Iolaus and I are tired - we need rest!"

Athena glanced at the cup of nectar, and then to the two mortals.  "Open your mouths..."

"Now don't get any funny ideas," started Iolaus, but Athena shook her head.

"No," she said, "This will not make you immortal - it will renew your strength.  You will be not needing sleep for three days after taking a sip of this fluid.  In Godly bodies it invigorates much longer."

Raising a brow, Hercules sighed as Athena held the cup to his lips.  She tilted the cup, and the sudden sweetness of nectar hit his body.  He clenched his fists, feeling power surged through him.  Swallowing down the strange sensations, he nodded to Athena as Iolaus packed their things.

"We're ready."

Ares looked to Apollo, slapping him on the thigh, "Get up off the floor, ya bum!"

"Get bent!" he replied with a leer, getting up, almost glowing with renewal.

The burning rush of air blasted Damocles' face, but he worked on, pouring the molten metal into the cubit square molds.  At removal he pounded the imperfections away, slid the tile into it's place in the stock, and turned to start another.  This was the routine he had lived by for three days, and all he yearned for was to sit by a raging fire with his little daughter and son, listen to his wife prattle about Corinth gossip, and savour a long frothing ale.  But all he had was the clanging of metal, the roar of the burning fires, and the angry eye of the Goddess Hera.

At a whoosh, he knew she had returned.

"Foiled again," she growled, "I don't give that Aphrodite enough credit!"

Damocles nodded.  She had brought in God after God, and with a heaviness he had realised that Hera was not giving Hephaestos a rest.  Hephaestos must have been tricked just as he was.  She would disappear into the deep recesses of the mountain he could only assume as Olympus, and she would reappear with no one.

He turned to see her holding a golden box, intricate and large.  She hefted it and smiled.

"Aaaah, my dear Helios... the sun shall not rise again, till a child of mine sits on your throne!"

Damocles could not believe it - Hera had the gall to seize the sun itself!!  He swallowed, fear coursing through him, and unabating regret.  Clamping his eyes shut, he laid down his hammer at the anvil.

"Queen," he said, bowing his head.  Hera's crystal eyes flashed at him.

"Yes dear Damocles..."

"I ask - why do you do this to the Gods?"

Hera cocked her head, a brow descending, "Are you questioning me?"

Damocles closed his eyes, fear striking him, "I question your motives."

"Well," she sighed, taking a sword from the racks, clasping it, "Question me no longer..."

As her grip tightened, light burst from the shaft, the metal ringing with the energy shining from it.   Her hands let go, and the sword, floating of its own will, glided over to Damocles, assuming a position over his head.  Hera smiled thinly, no kindness in her eyes.

"There now," she said, her hands resting in eachother, "Work, Damocles, and you will be safe.  The moment you stop working, stop moving, stop pounding that alloy - the sword will strike you dead."

"But - I'm a God!" Damocles protested, "I cannot be killed!"

Hera tilted her head with a sardonic smile, "You can now."

The night was dark, very dark.  Lethaia felt a stirring within her, a sickening worrying one.  She knew night, she knew the sounds it made.  This night - it had no sound.  The animals that would crow and chirrup in the black of night were silent tonight... perhaps in the same fear that gripped Lethaia.  She gazed at the fire Jett had struck up.  It raged on, Lethaia mused how it continued despite something obviously being cosmically wrong with the scheme of things.  Deftly slicing through the skin of the rabbit they had caught, she couldn't stay silent any longer, and met the eyes of her companion.

"No moon," Lethaia said, pulling the skin from the rabbit, "Tonight was meant to be the half-faced vision of Artemis."

"A half moon ya mean," Jett nodded, "Yeah I know.  It is weird."

Lethaia sighed, digging the sharpened stick through the rabbit, and setting it on the makeshift spit she had built.  They had covered a good distance from Corinth, Lethaia sharing the saddle with Jett on Daphne, her horse.  Daphne, the leggy white mare, now grazed at the grass fringing the edges of the clearing.  Jett frowned.

"That sunset..."

Lethaia rose a brow.

"It was odd," finished Jett, "I don't like how quick it was."

Lethaia nodded, "I know.  I've never seen a sunset like that before."

"Do you think it has anything to do with this problem with the Gods?"

Lethaia met Jett's obsidian orbs and pouted in musing, "I don't know.  I wasn't really paying attention to what was going on with them.  I did get wind of Hera causing trouble.  If the Queen of the Gods herself is unhappy then I suppose anything could happen."

Jett pulled up the pelt that sagged about his leather-clad frame, getting comfortable in his place to wait out the cooking of the meal.

"It'll be hard to execute our plan if Helios has come to harm," muttered Jett, and looking up from the turning rabbit, Lethaia smiled.

"Perhaps not..."

Jett frowned.

"Get out some of the nutbread and cheese for me will you?" Lethaia asked, and Jett did so as she continued to speak, "Why would the sun disappear so suddenly?"

Looking up from the unhefted saddlebag, Jett pouted with thought, "Uh - I dunno..."

Lethaia rolled her eyes, "Apollo - he had been struck down by Hera, and he said Artemis had been as well..."

"Yeah..." Jett nodded along with her.

"Well...."  She met Jett's eyes and only received blankness, "Apollo, Artemis, Hermes... What do they all have in common?"

Looking down to his feet a moment, his eyes grew wide.  He glared at her with some excitement, "They're all illegitimate!"

"Yeah," Lethaia nodded, "You got it!  And Helios..."

Jett frowned, "He has nothing to do with Zeus or Hera..."

"Exactly," Lethaia said with a grimace, "I think - I think she's trying to get rid of the Gods that aren't - that aren't from her or something..."

Jett pouted a moment, "Why though?"

"I- hmmm," Lethaia started suddenly as she saw the rabbit sitting still, and continued to rotate it, "Probably to replace them with her own - from her apparent ego it seems that'd be it..."

The dark haired man shook his head suddenly, "What does this have to do with Merimas?"

Lethaia smiled a tiny smile, "Well, this whole God kidnapping thing could work in our favour, because if Helios has been taken..."

"Then, it'll be dark till he's returned!" Jett glared.

Lethaia nodded, "People will freak out - chaos will ensue..."

"And it'll be a wonderful distraction from you and I as we try to break into Merimas Prison!"

Lethaia smiled as she turned the rabbit, her brows rising, "I'm glad I haven't lost my edge..."

Jett leered at her, a lustfulness in his dark orbs, "Never..."

The fire crackled contentedly at the hearth, and Xena lay coddled on an empirical style sofa close to its warmth.  Xena felt the soft and frequent breathing of the sleeping baby, and smiled down at the little elfin face.  Finally, the child had gotten to sleep after a restless early evening, and it bothered the mother no end.  It wasn't like An at all.  She usually settled much easier, seemingly loving sleep as much as a hibernating bear.

"Gods, Xena," came a tender male voice, "She's - she's so beautiful..."

Xena glanced up to Joxer.  He sat at the sofa's matching companion, Gabrielle curled about his lazing form.  She smiled.

"Yeah," agreed the bard, "I don't think I've ever seen a baby so at peace before... apart from this evening," she smiled at Xena.

Xena nodded, "Well it certainly wasn't like her," she said, "I'm glad she finally nodded off."

"She seems pretty quiet," added Joxer.

Xena rolled her eyes with a smirk, "Try sharing a bed with her and being her main food supply!  You'll know quiet then!"

Joxer winced suddenly and lifted a palm, "Aaah, I think I'll leave that to you."

With a bump, the kitchen door swung open, Eurepaeda's buxom form filling it's frame.  Her hands were taken with a round cauldron, steaming with a rich smelling broth.

"Here we go!" she announced, "Lamb stew!"

"Great!" Joxer grinned, his eyes gleaming with a childish sparkle.

Xena's eyes lit up.  Real lamb!  It had been an age! She let her finger dive out and into the strew, a sudden playful smack from an older hand startling her.  Eurepaeda grinned.

"Wait till I get the bowls, dear!"

Xena grinned in return, sucking the rich flavoursome broth from her finger tip.  Eurepaeda turned on her heel, Xena meeting Joxer's hailing eyes.

"Say," he said, taking a taste of the stew himself after his mother strolled from the room, "The sun set kinda fast, didn't it?"

Xena's eyes dropped to a seriousness after she pulled them from the gaze of her baby.

"Yeah, yeah it did," she said, "It worries me.  Particularly after Apollo's falling from grace."

"You think - you think Hera has Helios?" piped up Gabrielle suddenly, finger daring to dip in the stew.

Xena saw the fear in Gabrielle's eyes.

"The way she's going... I think she has the gall to do just about anything..."

The swift footsteps of Eurepaeda startled the young bard, and her finger, just dipped, whipped out of the cauldron, a slick of broth following her momentum and splatting against Joxer's arm.  He glared at her jovially and she blushed as Eurepaeda admonished her with a dour glare.

"Couldn't wait could you?  Tsk tsk!"

Gabrielle blushed as the older woman set to work dealing out the stew into the small clay bowls she had retrieved.  Joxer saw the bread she had brought with her, as well as some butter.  He grinned, tearing the bread apart and doling it out, excitedly waiting the sumptuous meal.

Xena received her bowl with glee, taking the bread Joxer had given her and dipping it in roughly.  She devoured the juice-clad bread, tasting the myriad of vegetables and spices as well as the unmistakable savour of meat.  She purred contentedly, stretching her legs and throwing a thankful look to Eurepaeda.

"Ohh, Eur-"

A stern glare from the older woman silenced her.

"Mama!" she corrected, Eurepaeda grinning, "This stew is - fabulous!!"

"Thank you," the mother smiled, giving Gabrielle her bowl, "It's been perfected after many years... it's just the way Janus liked it."

Joxer swallowed hard on his bread, averting his eyes.

"Well," Xena said suddenly, "Obviously it's just the way your sons liked it too?"

Joxer's look softened, and he glanced back to his mother.

"Yes," the woman smiled, "It is."

After a silence of Eurepaeda setting out her own serve, they all began to work at their meals, several moans of delight coming from the hardened travellers.  Xena gazed out the window as she ate, feeling the soft suckling of her daughter at her breast as the darkness of the sky loomed large.  It did bother her terribly.  She felt like she wanted to hide.  Panic.  No moon, no sun.  Her heart beat with an anxious rhythm.  Joxer's profile pouted as he also looked out the window.  A breeze seemed to whip the dark trees, and Joxer, setting down his meal, closed the shutters fully.  He looked to Xena.

"Seems like a storm's coming on."

As he spoke, a low rumble rolled through the skies, and Xena rose a brow at him.

"Yeah, I'd say so."

The temple was a lavish affair, gold and pink decorating it's every surface, every plain.  Murals awash with images of decadent love-making surrounded the altar in the temple alcove, and the Gods that stood there waited with some concern in their brows.
They felt something wrong, they knew it as they knew where they stood.  Athene strode about, shaking her head with worry.

"This is not right," she said, examining the drapes, the offerings, even the pedestals topped with Thracian vases.

"What's up?" asked Hercules.  Ares eyed him darkly.

"The energy of this temple - it's low."

"Oh," Iolaus muttered, "Like we could tell."

Apollo smirked, stepping to the meagre offering of the mortals, picking out a panflute.

"A temple is more than just a place of worship," he said between pouts and blows over the holes of the flute, "It's a conduit, a merging, between the realm of Olympus, and your world."

Hercules nodded, "And it's here we can get to Olympus and stop Hera."

"I don't think she's in the main of Olympus," interrupted Ares, "I think she's somewhere else.  If we consider that she had kidnapped Hephaestos first, I think his forges on Olympus should be the first place we look."

"We'll be lucky to get there considering the pitiful state of the ether," Athena added, glancing about the beautiful but somewhat faded temple, "The energies of the cosmos are still flowing, but very slowly - as if someone has dammed them up.  The world will function for some time yet - but precariously."

A scuffle of sandal on ground resonated through the temple, and the visitors eyed eachother.

"Was that you?" asked Iolaus, looking to Hercules.  Hercules shook his head.

He glanced around.  The cloth of the offerings table at the main altar fluttered.  Stepping forward, he lifted it, searching underneath.

"Hmm, nothing," he said, "That's odd."

"Not really," said Ares, rolling his eyes and stepping to an adjoining table.  Thrusting his arm underneath it, he looked to the ceiling, rummaging around underneath, and after a moment's struggle, yanked out a body.

"Leggoaameee!" the woman screamed, "EEaaagh!"

"Aphrodite!"

Hercules dove down next to the pink-clad Goddess who cowered from Ares.  She glared at him, then at Ares.

"Oh - Oh I thought - you were with the bitch..."

Ares sighed, "No, what do you take me for?"

"I'm not going to answer that," the Love Goddess replied.  Her hair was somewhat straggled, her face dirty, soft creamy skin littered with bruises.  Apollo winced, snuggling next to her and wrapping an arm around his sister.  Aphrodite smiled at him, "Thanks Apollo..."

"What happened?" breathed Iolaus, and Aphrodite sighed.

"As if you can't tell - Old Cowface had a shot at me didn't she?"

"Hera tried to capture you?" asked Athena.  Aphrodite nodded, shuddering a little.

"Cupie and little Bliss are hiding.  She took Psyche though.  Poor kid wasn't fast enough - comes from starting out as a mortal."

"We'll get her back," Hercules knelt before her, looking her in the eyes, "I promise."

A sad laugh cracked the air.

"Oh please," Aphrodite rolled her eyes, "I don't know what Hera has got on her side this time, but we're in trouble."

"A box," Apollo said suddenly, "She had a box with her."

Athena pouted, her brows knitting in deep thought, "The box did what?"

"It was like - a vacuum, sucking me up into it."

"Herc, that sounds awful familiar," Iolaus said.  The hero nodded.

"That stupid box Pandora had - now her kid's lookin' after it," Ares said suddenly, "Where is it?"

"Naah, that did nothin'," Aphrodite said through a disappointed sneer, "Xena found that one out."

Hercules slapped his hands together, looking about himself.

"Whatever she's done, whatever she's got, we'll find out," the hero said, standing.  He eyed Ares and Apollo, who stood with him.  Athena pursed her lips.

"We should plan some, discern a course of action."

"I say we go in and kick some Queenly behind," Ares said, propping his hands on his narrow hips.  Athena rolled her eyes.

"Without a little thought we could all be defeated!"

"You said once," Hercules smiled, "That surprise is the most valuable element in confrontation.  The way she's going the last thing she'd expect is for a group of us to go up against her.  Especially Ares and Apollo..."

"You guys are nuts!" Aphrodite exclaimed, "Look at me!  Look what she did to Apollo!"

"I was alone," Apollo said, "Were you?"

Aphrodite nodded warily, "Cupid and his fam were at Knossos why?"

"She hasn't had the gall to try it on more than one God at a time - this could be our advantage."

Hercules nodded, "Then let's do it!"

"Oh man," Aphrodite's blue eyes glanced about her in fear, "It's been keen knowin' ya guys!"

A crackle filled the room, the flash of lightening bursting in from the glass-domed ceiling and the shutter windows.  Iolaus staggered back from the wind, the Gods just stood there, resilient to it's forces.  Apollo sighed, shaking his head to Ares and Athena.

"I don't like how this is going..."

"Hmmm, so, you're planning a little assault, are we children?"

The voice, crisp and cold, was unmistakable.  Ares could barely believe it.  This was the same woman that had been a protector for him not so long ago.  He sighed as her vision appeared before them.  She was not fully there, he could see in her wispy avatar the weakness in the ether.  They would have to rally strong to burst through to the other side, in Olympus.  It would also be a challenge having the mortals with them.  Ares felt a trickle of fear as his mother's eyes settled on him, a judicial glint in them.

"So, son of mine," she said, "I see you are turning against me?"

Ares swallowed, glancing to Hercules.  The blue eyes of his brother glowed as he nodded, urging him on.  Ares coughed, not believing the gesture had come his way from that certain individual.

"I turn - against your plans..."

"You don't know my plans," Hera said, her thin red lips smiling, "I could have been planning a wonderful reign for you.  For you to be my prince, at my hand, of all the world, all the cosmos..."

Ares licked his lips.  Oh - control of all the cosmos, with Xena at his si-

No, he thought.  No Xena.  No An.  Only me.  Not even Discord or Strife.  No Aphrodite, no Apollo.  Just Hera - and her inbred brats.  If they were anything like him - he wouldn't like them at all.  Grinding his teeth, he blew a hard breath through his nostrils.

"No, Hera," he said, voice sharp and forceful, "No more of this.  This is not how things are supposed to be."

In a wave of angry green, the avatar of Hera fluttered her peacock feather adornments, her eyes glaring with rage.

"You shall call me MOTHER!  For that is who I am!"

"A mother doesn't destroy."

Hera growled, colour bursting from her, ugly and offending.

"Betray me shall you?" A laughter fell from the avatar, one that filled Ares with dread, "Well, you shall too know what it is to turn against Hera..."  She turned her gaze to Hercules, motioning a hand towards him, "See Ares, I took that halfling's wife, his children... I rid the earth of them all."

"Mother... don't you dare!"

Hera grinned, falling away in nothingness, a harsh chuckle crashing away from her, wracking Ares' body.

"NO!"

Stepping forward, he tried to burst through the ether, to slip into Xena's room, to take her in his arms. The air bounced him back, it was as tough as old leather.  It pulled at every pore, not letting him step through as he always could.

"No let me through!" he growled, pushing at the reality over and over.

"Ares," Athena said, "Seeing as Hera herself had not the energy herself to appear to us in her full form, I'm afraid we may only have enough power to get us through to Olympus."

Ares glared at her darkly, his arms shuddering, "No - we have to get Xena!  We have to save her!"

"We will," the Goddess of Wisdom said, placing her arms on the War God's shoulders, "By saving our world."

Aphrodite stepped forward, grabbing Hercules as she stormed to Apollo.  Iolaus was yanked also by her ivory hand, and after a moment the found themselves in a small circle.  Ares glared at her.  His breaths were panicked, and he tried with everything to calm himself.

"I'm not letting that bitch ruin the most happening family I've stitched together since Herc's!" the blonde nymph cried, "Let's lynch Cow-features once and for all!"

Athena gave a decided nod.  Grasping Ares by the hand, with the other she took Apollo's, glancing to her siblings to follow suit.  Holding onto each other she breathed deeply.

"Feel the cosmos in our breaths, focus it in our space, our energy.  Push forward, through the skin that divides us, and let us be whole..."

    The rumbles resonated through the humid, stormy sky.  Out the bay window, Xena could only see darkness, the deep blackness of the sky suffocating the shadows of the world about her.  She sensed the clouds so low that perhaps, she could reach out - touch them.  Snuggling under the pillow she bundled An to her, tilting her brows.  She wondered, as she watched the demonic weather, where Ares was.  What was he doing?  Was he as worried as she was?  For some reason, she felt pride within her.  Pride he was standing up against the most powerful of Goddesses.

She shuddered as a cold breeze somehow managed to filter through the warmth of the room, her pelt, her blankets, and surround her body, her skin springing up in goose-bumps. She hugged the baby closer, but the heat from the room seemed to be leaking away somehow.  Her back was all that faced the shuttered windows a mere pace away from the bed, but the hearth where a small fire crackled quietly was easily a few paces farther.  She wondered why they had put the bed so far from the fire.  Maybe so that any visitor could gaze out the window easily, and not strain their neck or eyes.  She crawled carefully from the bed, turning to face it, and close the window firmly, perhaps drape a sheet over the space so that the heat was insulated.  As she turned and glanced to the window, a quavering green flash erupted in her face, An wailing suddenly. She wanted to leap, flip, grab her chakram and hold onto her child for dear life, but her strength allowed her only a stagger.  Her loins still hurt, she had not stopped bleeding from the afterbirth.  Rolling over the bed she grabbed An, pulling the sobbing baby close to her.  The energy shuddered further, drawing close to her.

"Hmmm, you cower... good..." came a voice.

"Go away!" Xena cried into the whipping cold rush of air that came from the being before her.  She knew who it was.  This once benevolent being turned so fast in its intentions, anger in every pore of its being where kindness and protection was before.

Only a laugh came from the form, as tendrils of energy licked out towards the cowering mother, curling and writhing around her body.  She shook her head, pulling away.

"No,  don't!"

The cackling filled Xena's ears as she felt fiery warmths take her arms and legs, An screaming in her arms.  A burst of energy struck her suddenly, and with a cry she bolted to the door.  She yanked it open, staggering into a frantic but speedy run down the hallway.

"GABRIELLE!" she cried, "JOXER!!  Oh Gods oh - GABRIELLE!"

A door from behind her, the steps behind her familiar.   Glancing back she saw the bard race after her, fear in her features.

"What - what's going on?"

"No time to explain-"

Before she could finish, her bedroom door burst open in a rush of gale force wind.  Gabrielle spun about with a shriek, Joxer stumbling out after her.  They ran down the hall, Joxer enclosing Xena in his arms and his lover toting her staff.  The three dashed down the stairs, the furious hissing and whipping of the wind reminding them of Hera's rage beating down after them.  Xena clutched her screaming child to her chest, tumbling out the front door into the night, moving her legs as fast as she could to get to the stables.  She untethered Argo, leaping up onto the unsaddled beast.  Her loins ached, she could feel the slick of fresh blood trickle down her legs, but she knew now was not the time to be worried about such things.  Her bare feet kicked the golden flanks, her only thought in the blind fear within her was to retreat to the caves at the base of the Mountains that rimmed Corinth.  The sound of hoof-beats behind her called her to turn her head a moment.  Gabrielle and Joxer shared a brown bay, the horse unsaddled but strung up with old black reigns.  She whipped her head forward, her eyes narrowing in the bluster of the speed.

Gabrielle glanced back, seeing the fading green vortex of Hera slowly lag behind and grow weak.

In the wind, the whispered promise of revenge filled all their ears... I will get you Xena...

    A distant scream ripped through Lethaia's unconscious mind.   Stirring herself from sleep, she realised with much concern that the screams were continuing, and growing louder.  She rolled over, grabbing her crossbow from her pile of things sitting dimly by the dying fire.  She kicked Jett in the side, fumbling with her weapon, listening intently.

"Zeus, what's ughh..."

The ex-assassin rubbed his features groggily, laying back on his pelt until another scream filtered through the air.  He glanced at Lethaia, grabbing his sword and jumping to his feet abruptly.

"It's coming from that way," Lethaia pointed, pulling on her short leather gauntlets.  Jett nodded, and pulling Lethaia along with him he dove into the forest brush, heading towards the noise.

Lethaia felt the bristle of branches and twigs rip at her as they blundered through the undergrowth.  Any track there may have been was ignored as Jett hacked away with his sword. The screams were no more, only louder whimpers.  The night's darkness was not abated, and fear rose in the dark warrioress.  With a stagger they reached a clearing, two dark shapes at its centre.  One lay flat, lifeless, another curled over it.

"All right buddy!" Jett growled, yanking back the attacker.  The stranger gurgled weakly.  Lethaia watched Jett pull the man to his feet, and through the darkness she couldn't comprehend why the man wouldn't stand.  Jett growled again.

"Stand up damn you!!"

Only another gurgle.  The stranger grew limp, and Jett fumbled around with the man's neck.  With a sigh, he let the man down gently.

"Dead," Jett said, and reaching down he checked the other person - a woman, "Her too."

"We gotta find out what happened, we can't in this dark."

Turning to the scrub, Lethaia hunted out a reasonably thick dead branch, to fashion a makeshift torch.  After finding an appropriate stick, and wrapping dead grass around it, she applied the flint sparks to it.  After a few minutes blindly snapping her flints, as well as accidentally pounding the sharp rocks into her own fingers and knuckles accidentally, a glowing red took the torch.  Carefully, she blew life into the embers, bringing it to flame.  Lifting the raging torch, she brought it's aura of light to the centre of the clearing.  As she did, Jett's face grew pale.

"Gods," he breathed, "Look."

The woman, the supposed victim, lay dead, her ivory skin smudged with blood.  Her dress was ripped open, exposing her breasts and torso.  Red hair covered her face.  Down the length of her front were tiny little cuts, slits and stab marks.  Finally, just next to the centre of her chest, was a dagger, planted to the hilt, her blood spilling over from the wound in a trickle.  Lethaia looked away a moment, moving the torch to the murderer.  His eyes were frozen with post-mortis fear.  And total surprise, for in his side, from under his arm up into his heart, was a stab wound, that had bled openly into the dirt.  Looking to Jett, Lethaia saw the blood that ran over his outfit.   The scent of stiff smoke filled Lethaia's nose, and glancing up she saw the torch was ready to retire.

"I need to fashion a proper torch," she said, "Meanwhile, we must take care of these bodies..."

"What do you think happened?" asked Jett.

"Lover's quarrel gone wrong perhaps?" Lethaia said, "Either way, there is a madness in their eyes that I have never seen in anyone before.  I suggest we get to Merimas as quickly as possible, and find Janus."

"How can we in this pitch blackness?"

Lethaia shrugged, "We'll figure something out.  We haven't time for a proper pyre.  Lay them aside, put dinars on their eyes and cover them with the woollen sheet in my satchel."

Jett nodded, trudging off toward their camp.  She set off after him, glancing up to the sky.  The stars still twinkled, their powers beyond Hera, their presence immemorial.  Once at the camp, she set about making a number of torches, ripping up a spare shirt in her supplies, and wrapping the ends of the stubs of branch with the long strips.   Taking out saddle oil she doused the heads of the torches in it.  She put four torches away into the satchel, and lit two more.  Turning to Daphne, she saddled the horse up, and finished dressing herself properly.  Jett soon returned, a sadness in his eyes.

"I uh - did as you said."

Lethaia smiled.  When he spoke, the softness was almost identical to that of his brother.  But she knew, there was a warmth and need inside that soul that Joxer didn't have.  On the outside, Jett was fierce and adept.  Inside, he was a crying boy lost, such a contrast to his brother, who in contrast was a pillar of strength and conviction.  She held forward her hand.

"Come," she said, "We have to get to Merimas and fast."

Jett nodded, stepping forward and taking her hand.  As he did so, his face screwed up into a grimace.

"Eeew," he complained, "What IS that your hand is covered in?"

Lethaia chuckled, swinging herself up onto Daphne's saddle, "Saddle oil, you big baby.  Get up!"

Jett jumped up behind her, and with a swift nudge to the horse's side, Lethaia urged the animal onwards into a bursting gallop, heading in urgency to the city of Merimas.

The well of energy in the temple surged about the bodies, most of them a mirage of mortality, their real natures showing in a whorl of frenzied energy.  Hercules felt himself get pulled into it, and at first he feared.   But something in him knew that this was the only way to help Xena, help Iolaus, help all mortals.  He did as Athena's commanding voice said, and soon, a rippling crisp skin seemed to pull over him as he stepped forward into what must have been the ether.

Glimmering energies rained over and up and around Hercules' soul.  He wasn't sure what was going on, he didn't dare move.  Around him, his siblings sped forward in unrecognizable states.  Mere balls of energy.  He wondered - did Xena know what her lover really looked like without the mortal guise?  Before he could study his surroundings much longer, the wayward world of Olympus seized them, it's bizarre and ever changing gravity pulling them down, and a little sideways.  And then back again.

"Oh by the Gods," Iolaus muttered, taking a shaky step forward, "What is this?"

"Olympus," replied Athena, "You cannot stay here long.  You will die if you do."

"Oh no wonder I feel so crap," the sidekick muttered.

"You'll get used to it," Ares said, stepping forward casually, eyeing over the facade of the Great Hall. "Xena did..."

"Good for Xena," the blonde shorter man said through a balk.

"You took Xena here?  More than once?" exclaimed Hercules.

Ares turned to the hero.

"Yes, of course," he replied, "Hera wished to see her.  I had Xena's permission of course..."

Hercules clenched his teeth, but the calming touch of his sister Athena stopped him from smacking Ares silly.

"Be still, Hercules," she said, "An needed to know her Grandmother."

"Oh she'll know her all right," Aphrodite piped up, running an idle finger over a column, inspecting the dust it picked up on it's journey with a crinkled nose, "... 'Hey An,'" Aphrodite said in a heightened tone, "' This is Cowface, your old Granny.  She tried to kill all your relatives!  Isn't she peachy?!'  Yeah plenty to learn about her!"

Athena frowned at the Love Goddess, "Sshh, we have much to do."

Ares growled, striding forward, "We don't have time for this - we have to get to the forgeries now!"

"Haste brings error, brother," Athena said suddenly, grasping his shoulder, "But strategy brings victory."

Ares sighed.  He knew how many times this woman had kicked his butt in battle.  He cleared his throat, eyes on the wandering Gods about him, but voice thrown directly to Athena's ear.

"I just - feel so helpless..."

Athena nodded, "I know you would never admit such a thing lest you were in real fear, Ares.  Let's go - we'll save Olympus - and your love."

Ares couldn't help but give a small smile, gratitude bolstering his spirits.

"Here," Apollo said suddenly, pointing towards a narrow marble-lined passageway. "This is the way to the Forges of Olympus.  Follow close.  Many traps line this passage, to ward off mortals lest they somehow break in."

"Thought of everything haven't ya?" said Iolaus, stooping to enter the narrow space.

"You mortals are an ingenious race," the God of Music said, lighting a torch.

"Yeah," agreed Ares, "Like rats."

"Thanks," Iolaus narrowed his eyes a moment, realising that it was soon dark around him.  Hercules patted his shoulder.

Apollo sent a leer to his brother God, "We Gods don't risk a thing."

The footsteps of the Gods echoed in the passage, Iolaus' mortal steps a mite louder than his supernatural companions.

"What-"  Fear choked the sidekick's words, "Uh - what *kind* of traps might we trip?"

He felt a hand yank him back suddenly, slicing filling the air as a wall of razor sharp blades flashed past Iolaus not a hair's breadth from his front.  He rasped, as if the blades severed the words that had just left his mouth.

"I believe," said Ares, pulling the young man aside, "That we Gods should go first, in case your feeble mortal bodies are damaged in the descent to the Forges."

"You say the nicest things," said Hercules, wryness dripping in his words.

Athena pulled the war god forward, rolling her eyes, "Come.  We haven't time to waste."

The cold stale air of the cave bit at Xena's skin, her body craving warmth.  At her breast her child cried, determined not to rest. The cave's cold blue rock interior stretched up around them like the inside of a temple, the baked interior the colour of rock formed from the earth rather than sediment deposited by water.  The jagged ground was sharp, their flickering torch a pitiful light source.  Xena did her best not to slip - she could hear Joxer tumble ever few steps or so.  Gabrielle stuck to his side like glue, and by the dim torch light Xena could see rips in Joxer's pants and tunic, blood trickling down his leg, bruises speckling his arms.  Grinding her teeth, she pushed forward into the deepness of the caves.

"Are you okay Xena?"

The sound of her best friend's voice comforted her and ripped at her heart all at the same time.  She had brought her to this.  If it weren't for her own weakness, Gabrielle would never have been tied up in this battle of the Gods.

"I'm fine," she said, "Really."

Gabrielle nodded, "Do you need help with An?"

Xena shook her head, "No, it's okay.  I think maybe you and Joxer should leave me..."

Joxer seemed to spring up from the ground, shock in his large coal eyes.

"Are you crazy?" he exclaimed, "We're not leaving you here!"

"Yeah," Gabrielle agreed, "We're in this together."

"You don't understand," Xena said darkly, clutching the child to her, "Hera has no quarrel with you, just get out of here while you can!!"

"No," the lovers said together.  Gabrielle glanced to Joxer, who spared a weary smile.

"I'm staying," said Joxer, "No matter what you say.  My life would be nothing without ya."

"You know how I feel," Gabrielle said to her friend, "I love you Xena, I can't live without you."

Xena felt a tremble run through her, "You DON'T understand!" she cried, "This isn't pretend!  Hera is going to try to kill me!!  If you stay here you'll be hurt!!"

"If I leave," the bard said, "I'll hurt for the rest of my days, and I could never forgive myself."

The cry of An ripped through the air, rattling the nerves of her mother.  Xena felt her tears spill down her face in a warm heat, their number unchecked, "I don't want you to die..."

She felt her legs grow limp, and she slipped down to the ground, coddling the wailing infant to the nape of her neck.

"You're not going to," said Joxer, "Apollo and the rest are on our side, remember?"

Xena tightened her lips with contempt, "If they don't kill eachother in the mean time..."

Xena felt no hope.  Just a dark crashing realisation that Ares had finally won, after all that time, that pain, those tears.  The dirty rotten son of a bitch had won.   She sat there with his mongrel child, in a fit of hysterics waiting to die at the hand of his mother.  And her friends were STUPID enough to go down with her.  Hate bubbled up inside of her, deep hatred and scathing contempt for the childish entities that governed fate.  They were chaotic, with no sense of responsibility, right or wrong.  They just were.    How could she have thought she had feelings for one?  Especially the God of War?!   She wanted to kick herself for making such a fatal mistake, her anger brought about by the senseless loss of her friends when Hera found them.  And she would find them.  She would hunt them down slowly, and destroy them.

When she looked up from her child, she realised through her numbness that Gabrielle and Joxer flanked her, their arms around her and holding her tightly.   Gabrielle softly wiped a tear from Xena's face.

"You're crazy," Xena whispered, "You're going to die..."

"No she's not," came a voice, "And neither are you..."

Glancing up, Xena's heart thumped hard in her chest.

"What do you want?!"  Xena growled at the dark figure, who rose a brow.

"I thought you and I were on better terms now," Ares smiled, stepping forward and kneeling before the child, "How's An?"

An shook uncontrollably, wailing and shuddering.

"She's - unhappy," Xena frowned, "Scared... Why are you here?  I thought you were-"

Ares grinned suddenly, dangling a finger at the crying baby's hands, "Going after Hera?  Yes well, I just had to come back here and make sure you and An were all right."

"We're fine," Xena said, wiping away her tears, her eyes piercing, "Get out of here, now."

Ares seemed to still with fear, then relax a little, patting Xena's cheek, "Oh don't worry babe, I'm here for you now..."

"Hera will kill you," Xena said.

Ares laughed, "I don't think so..."

An hadn't quietened, and now the baby refused to even touch her father.  Xena glared at the man, staggering to her feet.

"Get BACK!!" she cried to her companions, Joxer diving for Gabrielle.

Ares eyes suddenly bellowed with green fire.  He threw a bolt to the couple, their forms blasting into the rock wall, their half buried bodies bonded with the stone.

The warrior shook her head her throat on fire, "No!"

A low, triumphant chuckle spread throughout the cavern.

Xena glared at the figure that emitted it, stepping back.  "You're not Ares..."

'Ares' laughed long, a taunting wisp like the guile of a concubine under his speech, and the visage of the God of War melted away.  Xena fought back tears, willing to run but feeling stuck to the ground.  An was screaming herself hoarse, the child shaking wildly.  Hera, resplendent in an angry green dress, adorned with tendrils and peacock feathers, stepped towards Xena.

"Dear warrior princess," she said, reaching out a hand to stroke the dark sweaty locks of the exhausted woman before her, "Such a shame.  I thought that you would be a part of my new empire..."

"Get away from me," rasped Xena, "Now!"

Hera tilted her head, "Well that's not way to talk to the woman that would be your Mother in Law..."

Xena hissed, "I'm never marrying Ares!  I never will!"

Hera rose her brows, "Oh really?  I was to understand you were rather in love with my son.  Maybe I don't need to kill you after all.  Perhaps destroying your spirit and presenting your broken being to my Son may be enough to put him out of action... maybe even Zeus' mongrel son Hercules too."

Xena bit her tongue, the feeling of hate bursting inside of her.  She felt her soul blacken with it, tainting and twisting slowly.

"Well," the Goddess said, "I shall waste no more time.  I need you to capture the last of the stray Gods.  You shall be a most suitable lure."

Xena growled, staggering back.  "Get AWAY from me!"

Hera ignored her demands, outstretching long arms, misty glowing light spewing from her and floating towards the cowering Warrior Princess.

The cackling filled Xena's ears as she felt fiery warmths take her arms and legs, An still screaming in her arms.  She felt herself being drawn away, her being seeping through something intangible she'd known and become used to before... Where was Ares? she wondered.  She then tried to figure out why she even cared where he was.  He wasn't here, and he was responsible for every agonizing moment of this torture.   Maybe he wanted her to be taken - he'd never LET her get taken - would he?  Her mind spiralled into despair as the final visages of the Earth dissolved around her, the ether buzzing dolefully around her.

Fire spread about them like a rabid disease, licking and pouncing upon new fuel such as houses, shops, inns, barns, and devouring them hungrily.  The air held rancid stench of death, the light of the infernos surrounding them giving the whole town a terrible orange glow.  They kept low, huddling in their cloaks, their eyes always moving, wary of every stranger.  People wandered the streets with glazed, panicked eyes.  Chaos had settled upon the town, and it's most dangerous souls were ready to step from their bonds should one crazy enough let them free.

"This is madness," Jett breathed, cowering in the shadow of a stairwell.

"You're tellin' me!" Lethaia agreed, "It's armageddon!"

Jett pulled Lethaia to him as a burly man raged past them, sword flailing, expletives pouring from his mouth.  Lethaia shook her head.

"We should hurry, I don't like the way things are going..."

"I know," Jett said, "Those guys better hurry if they're gonna save the day..."

Lethaia nodded, and crept from the wall of the stairs, hiding in the shadows that flickered from the light of the fires about her.  She slowly drew her sword, a medium length but light weapon, ideal for close combat.  Jett was behind her, a longer but equally as lethal weapon in his hands.  For the most part they were ignored, people much to busy panicking and attacking people they knew rather than out of towners.  The odd villager ran up to them, screaming that the world was going to end.  Lethaia only flashed her sword to deter them.

As they crawled up the hill that the jail was mounted on, the havoc grew dimmer.  But a howling, a strange bizarre howling seemed to mount.   Lethaia skipped through the rivulet that separated the jail from the town, and approached the guard-box she had ambushed not so long ago.  Upon arriving, she tapped on the walls and door.

"Empty," she said, and crept around to the front of the box.  The small hut was deserted.

"The guard must have known what was coming," said Jett gravely, "Let's get that key and get this over with."

Lethaia pursed her lips, gazing up to the castle, "Do you think your father's alive in that hell hole?"

Jett ground his teeth, his own lips thinning a moment, and met her gaze, "I don't know.  I doubt it."

She took his hand, squeezing it a moment, and pulled him towards the drawbridge entrance.

It was closed, the towering wooden structure dark and cold in the torch light.  Digging into her bag, Lethaia pulled out a hook and rope.  Jett stepped back as she swung it, watching it whistle to its peak, and clang to a grip.  Upon pulling it deftly, the woman nodded, pulling the brown elbow-length leather gloves on her hands tighter.  She jumped up, taking a hold of the rope, swinging and bouncing up the wall with great pulls of her arm.  As she got a fair way up, Jett followed suit, eyes still aware of what was about them.

Lethaia crawled over the edge of the roof's wall, Jett's hand on her behind pushing her up and over.  He spared a grin at her as he joined her.

"So, where is he?" she asked him.

"Deep underground," Jett replied, "We're gonna have to ask around."

"If anyone's still here," Lethaia frowned, "I think most of the officials have panicked and ran."

"There might be one or two vigilant souls," he said, "But we're not gonna find out if we stand here yakkin'."

Lethaia nodded, "True."

She retrieved her hook and rope, watching Jett scope out the courtyard below them.  It was empty, the dim torches lining its square expanse setting a flickering eerie light on the place.  The wails and cries filled their ears, the sound growing deafening.

"I guess they're freaking out like the rest of us," muttered Jett, Lethaia nodding in return.

"We'll head to the administration desk," the woman said.  She skipped down the worn steps, leaping to the ground nimbly, her eyes always moving.  Ahead were the heavy doors they had entered through nearly a year ago, their appearance now dark and ominous in the everlasting night.  One of the doors were slightly ajar.  She approached it, and touching it the slab of wood creaked on it's hinges.  She exchanged a quick reassuring glance from Jett, and pulled it open.  He pulled the other, and the doors opened smoothly, with little noise.

The slight creak to finish their arc echoed in the empty foyer.  Tall columns lined the walk to the administration desk up ahead, it's small nook of space in the wall lined with wooden shelves with compartments that were fit to burst with scrolls.   On the desk was an abandoned scroll, ink bottle lying discarded and open.  Lethaia got closer, her boots grinding the stone floor of the foyer, echoing off sparse undecorated walls.  She turned about the desk, eyeing every little piece of broken furniture, abandoned belongings, and finally, her fingers touched the scrolls they were after.

"Look," said Jett.

She glanced to where he was pointing.  On the ground, a quill was trampled and split, it's fine feathered lengths splayed and broken.  She frowned.

"No, Lethie, not that..."

It was then she saw him.  Cowering under the desk, hiding in the hole it created, was a familiar face.  She held out her hand.

"No!" the man cried, "Not you!  Leave me!  Let me hide!"

Jett rolled his eyes, "Relax buddy, we're not going to kill you..."

"You!!" he hissed, "You're a maniac! So you're not going to kill me?  You expect me to believe you huh?"

Jett pressed his lips together and sighed through his nose, "If I really wanted you dead, you wouldn't have had a moment to think about whether you believe my good intentions or not."

Lethaia nodded, "You can trust us..."

"Oh I saw the neat work you made of our guards three seasons ago!  We lost 16 recruits to you and your queer friend!" he growled, "What kind of barbarians *are* you?"

"Fine you can stay there," Lethaia sighed, turning around and facing the wall of scrolls, "We'll just have to find Janus ourselves."

"Janus?" the man exclaimed, "The Janus?"

"Warlord, killer - family man..." Jett muttered.

The little man under the desk began to laugh, slapping his toga-clad thigh with a chuckle.

"Good luck!" he said, "I'm sure he's rotted into the stone foundations by now - and serves him right, the brute!"

Jett lunged towards the man, but two lithe hands held him back, with a calming voice.

"Jett - leave him!" Lethaia looked to the old fellow, "What's his cell number?"

The small blue eyes of the man sparkled, "You really think I'm going to tell you?"

Rolling his eyes, Jett raised his hand, balling it into a fist and promising it in a shake.

"Oh I've been threatened before!" the little man howled, "Never shall I, Dorian, betray my country and village!"

Jett grabbed Dorian's collar, lifting him a clear two foot into the air.  Glancing down Dorian gulped.

"Underground - he's underground!"

"WHERE?" hissed Jett with menace.

"He's in room MXXVI!!"

"THANK you," Jett dropped the man, "Your co-operation is most appreciated!"

Dorian nodded, rubbing his bottom gingerly, "Much good it'll do you - he was thrown into a cell and the key was thrown away!  Serves the old coot right!"

"Shut up before I slit your throat," Jett growled, grabbing Lethaia's hand.   Lethaia frowned at him, then followed, shaking her head at the old records keeper.

As the ether slipped away, a darkness engulfed her.  An was still at her chest, and she clutched her carefully.  The ground - a rocky dark ground, became solid as the last traces of ethereal existence left her, and her body cried out as it crashed into it.  She rubbed her head, calming An with a soft jiggle.

"It's okay sweety," she whispered, "Shh, shh, shh..."

She lifted her shoulder, pulling her breast from the loose bed-shift she wore, offering the teat to the panicked child.  An's screaming calmed a little as the silken nub was placed against the baby's lips.  The child felt it, still sobbing, but some relief in her tones.  She squeezed her mother with a tiny hand.  Xena smiled despite her utter despair, encouraging An to take hold of the nipple.  The baby wrapped her lips around it hesitantly, and though she couldn't see the eyes of her child, soft concerned moans and the strong feeling of worry that flooded her told her of her daughter's state of mind.

"I know, An," Xena said, "Things aren't the best right now, but I'll find a way out of here, I promise you that."

An emitted a low disbelieving moan, squeezing her mother again, and finishing off the gesture with a higher noise of askance.  Xena closed her eyes, trying to calm herself, imagining that maybe her surroundings weren't pitch black and baleful.  The echoes of wails and the clashing of metal could be heard from the hole she was stuck in.  She wondered - where was she?  Her skin was buzzing like a bee on honey so she knew the Gods - Ares included - were close by.  The silky dark tresses of her daughter's scalp soothed her through touch, the baby making worried noises into the breast.

"Hera!!" Xena called out, "What have you done?"

Her voice echoed to silence, the measured clanging seeming to count the slipping minutes in the endless darkness about her.  As she shuffled on the floor, a wall seemed to make itself known behind her.  Tentatively, she ran her hand over the surface behind her.  It was relatively flat, haphazard tiling covering what seemed to be a haggard rock wall.  Shoddy work, she thought, but the tiles - apparently of a metal construction - were pounded to cover the contours of the wall.  It was an odd set up, she thought, and something about it terrified her, made her hair stand a little stiff in her scalp.

Voices could be heard, muffled through the door.  They were panicked, loud, familiar.   She kissed An on her velvety scalp, and stretching her neck, widening her lungs and throat, she took a breath and let loose.

"IN HEEEEERE!"

The sound bounced off the walls, An niggling in complaint.  Xena coddled her a moment, planting another soft kiss on her brow.

Pulling herself to her feet, Xena slid her bare feet across the sharp warm floor, ragged and full of vibration.  Hmmm, she thought, indicates volcanic activity.  She sidled across the floor, careful not to bump into anything, and after a while of this, met another shoddily tiled wall.

"Aha," she smiled to An, "Not so big this space we're stuck in, huh?"

An agreed with a muffled moan.

Feeling across the wall, she began to trace the contours of the room, know her surroundings at least by feel if not sight.  Suddenly, a dip occurred in the wall.  A rim of some sort led to a - a door!!  Running her fingers around it, she felt it was covered with metal too, totally smooth with no handles, locks or hinges.

"Your grandmother is thorough, isn't she?" Xena mumbled.

After tracing the rest of the room, which seemed to be roughly square, Xena slid to a warm nook of rock, settling down with An, who snoozed restlessly through the dim clanging.  The room was a dark Xena had never seen before.  A dark that had no relief, no end.  She shuddered, a soft scolding taking her soon afterwards as she berated herself for being so weak.  What kind of warrior was afraid of the dark?

"Are you sure you don't want to go first?"

Apollo glared at Ares flatly.

"What in Tartarus is your problem?  It's just a passageway!"

Ares nodded, "Yes that's true.  A passageway to my DOOM!"

Iolaus eyed the dark rocky tunnel, rough stairs gouged into the floor underneath them.  Obviously not used too often - Gods weren't ones to indulge in extraneous physical activities such as walking.

"I don't see the difference between walking down here and zapping to the Forges - you've been there before..."

Ares gulped, glaring at the black gaping void of light, "It's - it's just..."

Hercules, huddled with Iolaus and Aphrodite, Athene and Apollo planted firmly in front of him almost shimmering with anger, couldn't help but chuckle, a long syrupy knowing chuckle.

Ares clenched his teeth, glaring at Hercules guardedly.

"Don't you dare..." he growled.

"He's afraid of the dark," laughed Hercules.

"Not afraid as such," Ares said, "Wary of it.  I don't like being in compromising situations where my safety is in danger..."

"So you want us to go ahead and make sure the coast is clear," Athena said with a thin smile.

"W- Aaah, I wouldn't put it like that exactly..."

"Risking *our* safety for you..." Apollo added.

Ares felt his cheeks grow red, a fiery embarrassment claiming him in it's humiliating grips.  Perhaps they didn't understand his incomprehensible fear of harm, and whilst he was practically indestructible ordinarily, there was something extremely disturbing to him about complete and utter pitch black darkness.

Athena sighed, "We haven't got time for this," She grabbed Apollo's gold sleeveless shirtfront and pulled him along, "Come on brother..."

Ares shrank back with a glower, Hercules and Iolaus strutting by with mile-wide smirks on their faces.

"Ha ha ha, laugh it up," he grumbled to himself.

He stopped.  Something called ... was it calling him?  No... but it was so close, so familiar.  His heart wrenched.  He gripped the walls, closing his eyes, straining his mind to read the faint yearning for attention, help.  Such darkness he could feel, and warmth...  It was hazy, too hazy.  He wanted just to reach over and take a look, but something blocked him, bounced his every attempt back in his face.  He clamped his eyes shut, fear taking him...

How could I love you Ares?

He started, his heart raging.

"We - we have to hurry!"

Hercules frowned, "Why?"

Ares clenched his teeth, determination in his brow, "Xena's in there."

"How do you know?" piped up Iolaus.

"I just do," Ares said, impatience drawling his words, "Love someone and you may understand."

Iolaus frowned, gazing at him a long moment.  Hercules' expression darkened.

"You?" Hercules said, "Love?  That's a laugh..."

"Come on, Herc," Aphrodite frowned suddenly, "Everyone's capable of love, even Ar!"

"It'd be nice if everyone were capable of non-selfish motivation too," Hercules muttered.

"Well, we're all not perfect like you, brother," Ares said dryly, "What a shame."

Athena struck her foot on the ground sharply, rolling her eyes, "Enough bickering - we haven't any time to frit away on such trivial matters!"

Ares nodded, strolling forward with a slow angry gait, eying Herc coldly as he began his descent in the downwards sloping tunnel.  Their steps echoed off the dry walls, the crunch of boot against stone creating a mismatched rhythm. They reached a turn in the tunnel, and as they turned it, the darkness was pierced by a spot of light that glowed the hungry red of fire.

"We're nearly there," Athena said to Hercules, the hero nodding.

Ares did all he could not to race down the passageway, his chest accidentally bumping into Iolaus ahead of him.  The sidekick glanced behind him, an amused frown on his round friendly features.  Ares shrugged.

"Sounds like there's a lot of work going on in there," said Hercules to Athena.  Athena nodded.

"Yes, as if someone were preparing for a battle."

Iolaus stepped forward, alarm in his voice, "You mean - the Gods are going to go to war?"

"Not necessarily," Ares said, "The only thing it means is that someone's forging a lot of metal."

"Ouch," Aphrodite leered, "He's too sharp for me!"

Ares narrowed his eyes at her, glowering ,"This from Blondie?"

"Quiet!" sighed Athena, "We are nearly there..."

Iolaus gulped, "Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"

"You have a bad feeling because you're an insignificant mortal who's life can be snuffed out like a candle-flame," Apollo said simply, a sapient grin across his features.

"Thanks," glowered the blonde handsome fellow.  Apollo nodded cheerily.

"If it's any difference to you you're a particularly brave one - facing certain death and all..."

"Apollo, stop shaking up the poor young man!" Athena sighed.

Apollo smiled sheepishly, "Sorry."

Iolaus wiped his bronzed brow, beads of sweat forming upon it.

Hercules frowned, "I think you should stop here now.  Any further and you'll burn up."

Athena nodded.

"He's right," Aphrodite agreed.

Iolaus sighed, "Sure..."

Athena could sense the young man's disappointment.  She placed a hand on his shoulder, smiling broadly, "Your name shall be written down in history as a friend of Athena.  Your bravery shall not be forgotten by me."

The sidekick smiled a little at this, the Goddess brilliant green eyes meeting his own light blue ones in approval.

"Come!" she said "We have a little way to go."

They continued down the passageway, and finally, after another hundred or so paces, the fiery doorway was reached.  Athena peered around the corner of the unceremonious doorway to the mountain-set Forges of Hephaestos.  "Hmmm - I can only see one man - working furiously!"

"Who is it?" asked Ares, "I don't reco- wait a minute!"

Athena frowned, "You know him?"

Ares nodded, "One of the best smiths in Corinth!  Hephaestos' favourite worshipper.  Many of my warrior's have raved about his handiwork.  He has this great folding tech-"

"We get the idea," Athena nodded, "So - what's he doing here?  Shouldn't he be dead if he's a mortal?"

"I dunno," Ares shrugged, "Let's find out..."

The group crept into the scorched room, the cavernous space lined with numerous forges, the hiss and roar of fire consuming the silence.  The usual numbers of hard working sweaty assistants to Hephaestos had dwindled, only half of the bodies there from before.  Ares approached Damocles, eying the sword hovering over the man's head.  He frowned at it, and glancing about he noticed the wary eyes of the smiths about him, all filled with fear.  He tugged the leather apron of the head smith.

"You there," he hissed.

Damocles started, noticing the band of Gods and Goddesses behind him.

"Oh!  Thank Gaia!  I thought she had all of you!" the smith sighed with relief.

"She wishes," Aphrodite smirked.

"You're Damocles, aren't you," said Ares.

"How, how do you know, Lord Ares?"

"Word gets around," said the War God, "What I want to know is why you repay Hephaestos' hard work as your patron God with betrayal!"

"No! You misunderstand," Damocles shuddered, still pounding at metal as he spoke, "Hera came to me - she lied to me!  She said Hephaestos needed my help to make these stupid tiles - when all along she planned to use me to trap you all!"

Aphrodite curled a lip in puzzlement, pointing over the hapless smith's head, "What's with the sword?"

"Oh that," the fellow sighed, "Hera placed it there.  It's enchanted."

"That'd be why it's floating," Apollo muttered.

"If I dare stop working," said Damocles, "It will strike me down.  It is the only weapon that can, because Hera has made me a God."

"Now that's what I call work incentive," Aphrodite smirked.

"You must leave here!" Damocles cried, "She will return any moment - and when she does she'll capture you all!"

"We're not leaving," Hercules said, stepping forward.  Athena nodded, crossing her arms.

"We're here to stop her."

"She is chasing more Gods," said the tired looking smith, his eyes showing fatigue even if his body did not, "She said she would get the last she needed.  She'll be back soon, locking up another God in one of the rooms she's changed."

"Changed?" Athena frowned, "How?"

"These," Damocles motioned his head towards the flat square of molten metal he was pounding, "She has lined all the store rooms with them, and made me fashion doors sealed with such alloy.  She has then taken every God she captured and placed them in this room..."

"We can't pass through Hephaestos' alloy," Athena said darkly, "Such a room would be impossible to break out of."

"Then we'll have to break into them," said Hercules.

Ares sighed.  This was all well and good, but he felt the rising anxiety within him that he never really felt before falling for the mortal woman that now jangled his nerves with her absence.  Though he knew she wasn't far, he could feel her close by.  Though his siblings were more interested in capturing Hera.  Logically, it made sense to control the danger before retrieving the victims but his raging panic was not co-operating with logic at that moment.

"We'll hide," Athena said, " Hercules, Apollo - Ares..."

Ares looked to her, his brothers following suit.

"You hide amongst the weapons, there, there and there..."

She pointed along the wall, huge racks bristling with weaponry providing plenty of shelter from the view of Hera.

"Aphrodite, come with me."

"Athena," Ares called, tugging on the woman's arm.  Athena rolled her eyes and narrowed them at her half-brother.

"What is it Ares?"

"We can't forget Xena!  We have to find her!"

"We will," Athena said, "Stopping Hera is our first priority!"

"She has my daughter!" he growled.

"The greater good is more important right now!" Athena replied with a vicious snarl.

With a prissy stamp of her spear, Athena pulled the blonde next to her along, taking her towards the other direction from the racks she directed Ares to.  Hercules and Apollo had started for the racks of weaponry, regardless of Ares.  Ares felt the panic within him rise, and he felt hesitant in hiding, taking to inaction in such a way.

"Excuse me - Mr. God of War?"

Ares turned, spotting Damocles' eyes meeting his, that quickly looked back to the pounding of metal.

"What is it smith?"

"I know Hera brought in a new prisoner today - she had me prepare a room just for her."

Ares glared at the man "Her?"

Damocles nodded, "She called her Xena."

"Do you know where she is?"

"The room at the very end of the main corridor," Damocles said.

"Ares!" Hercules scolded from behind the rack, "Athena gave you an order."

Ares spun about, narrowing his eyes fiercely. "Well that order will have to be changed!"

The burly black leather clad God stormed towards the stores, his hair fluttering back in his angry gait.  Athena jumped forward.

"ARES!" she shouted, "GET BACK HERE!"

"Let him go," Hercules said darkly, "We need to capture Hera first and foremost."

"The selfish child!"  She growled.  She spun about, walking to Damocles.  "Smith - I need you to make something for me out of Hephaestos' alloy."

"What is that O' Divine one?"

Athena smiled, "A jar, with a very small hole at the top, and a stopper of the same material."

"I see," Damocles nodded, "It will be done."

Lethaia crouched, frowning at the crevice in the stone floor.  It was decrepit, the catacomb-like passageways they'd been travelling down looked as if it had been years since they were cleaned out.  Lethaia wrinkled her nose, the stench of death making her stomach jump, Jett's face one of simmering anger.

"Criminals get treated worse that animals!"

"Did you know it was like this before you were locked away?"

Jett eyed her, "You think I'd let them take me if I did?"

Smiling, Lethaia shook her head, "I guess not."

"Damn straight."

Lethaia watched him as they went deeper into the underground maze.

"What made you let yourself get caught?"

Jett growled, an affectionate sparkle in his eyes.  "Joxer, and Gabrielle.  They just had such a good thing going.  I was hoping that maybe, someday I could have that.  For some reason I thought going to jail would help."

"Instead it nearly killed you," said Lethaia.  Jett nodded.

They passed a cell, overrun with fungus and putrid hay, the door half opened and jammed.  Many cells were abandoned, and the corridor was deathly silent.  It was a rare moment that a moan lifted from a room or doorway.

"I can barely see the numbers," Jett growled, "Most of them have rubbed off."

"Or have mould growing over it," Lethaia said, "Oh God - this place stinks..."

Jett swallowed, nodding.   "There!"

"XXVIII..." Lethaia read, "Damn - we still have a ways to go."

Jett trudged forward, ploughing through the grunge on the corridor floor.  Lethaia held aloft her torch.

"This is madness," she said, "How could they let people live like this?"

"They don't intend them to live," Jett said, "That's the point.  I would have ended up here eventually..."

"The Gods forbid," Lethaia shuddered.  Glancing up she saw the soft smile on Jett's lips.

They continued on in silence, the drip of condensation in the passageway echoing past their ears, showing them how vast the rat-hole expanse of tunnels were.  Lethaia held the torch before every doorway, and finally, after going around a corner, a crushed chair blocking their way, a door, partly ajar, bore the number MXXVI.

Lethaia looked to Jett, and placing a hand on his shoulder, she squeezed it briefly.

"Are you ready?" she asked softly.

Jett nodded, shuddering all over.  His hand moved forward, and slowly he placed it against the door.  It was slimy, the wood half rotted.  His hand slipped, and frowning he looked to Lethaia.  He felt his heart pounding in his chest.  He didn't know what he'd find inside, and tears reddened his dark orbs.  All that raged in his mind was the image of his father, large grin on his face, spoils in his arms, and a kind word of approval being the reward at the warlord's arrival home.  How proud Janus had been of him.  Lethaia stood next to him, and together they pushed at the door, giving a few sharp kicks to help the decaying wood along.  The acrid smell of death bombarded them.

"Auugh!"

Lethaia staggered back, holding the back of her hand to her nose.

"Those - bastards," growled Jett.

Stepping forward, Jett saw the long large frame of bone on the bed, green, blue and pale cream-coloured strips of eaten flesh hanging from the slightly yellowed bones.  Worms crawled and dripped off the remains, a black crop of hair cascading from the skull.

"Are you sure that's him?" rasped Lethaia.

Jett nodded darkly, the dank smell somehow beyond him in his grief.  He knelt next to the cot the body lay on, and pointed to the finger of the skeleton.  Upon it was wedged a chunk of gold... a ring.

"That's his wedding ring," Jett said.

"They didn't take it off him when they brought him here?"

"Naah," Jett shook his head, "He would have had plenty of other bits and pieces on him to steal."

"Oh Jett," Lethaia sighed, "I'm - I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Jett said softly, "I expected this."

"Well," the woman turned away, "What now?"

Jett glanced back to her, then to the rotten remains.

"We do what we came here for - we'll take him home."

Lethaia met his eyes, and upon seeing the determination in the dark orbs, nodded finally.

"All right.  I'll see if they have anything we can contain him in on the way to Corinth."

Lethaia turned, and trudged out into the passageway.  Jett looked back to the grinning pale face staring back at him, black pits filled with brown sludgy gunk where sparkling obsidian orbs - very much like his own - had once shone with such a love of life Jett had never seen.  Except perhaps in the young fellow who shadowed his youth, who though identical to him in every respect, held a purity of soul Jett thought that maybe he never himself possessed.  Joxer...

He sighed, turning and trudging on after Lethaia.

"Let me help you," he said.  Lethaia stopped, and waited for him to catch up, slipping a slender arm about him.

Damocles pounded at the metal, his heart beating rapidly in fear.  He knew where the Gods and Goddesses about him lay, and his task as Smith had been done here.  He felt sick within his stomach.  He knew he had done the worst thing any man could do, but if he declined, another most likely would have been chosen, so it was no use wishing for something that had already been determined.  He was the man Hera had chosen to make her awful plans possible, and now he was the man to unravel it all.

He pounded the red hot shape at the end of the tongs he gripped, fashioning the mass to the best of his ability.   On the table lay the little round nub of the stopper he had been told to build, to go with the vase he was molding.  He hoped that the same skill that aided this great disaster was enough to finally solve it.

A piercing hiss filled the air as the Goddess of the Earth stormed into the Forgery from nothing, clutching the heavy box she used to contain the Gods and Goddesses she caught under her arm.  She narrowed her eyes at Damocles.

"Nike was more trouble than she was worth - the little imp!"

Damocles dipped the vase in a cauldron of water, pulling out a flat bit of metal and pounding it.

"I think we have enough plating for the last of the store rooms," she said, eying his work, "When you have completed your work, you will be free to go home to your family."

"As a mortal?" he asked her.

"If you wish," she said with an even unfaltering smoulder.

She tilted her head suddenly, as if sensing something.  The blazing crystalline eyes of the Goddess focused on Damocles, lips curling back in rage.

"They're HERE!" she cried.  She spun about, her emerald gown swirling about her as she bound down the hallway towards the newly refurbished store-rooms-come-cells.  She saw the burly leather-clad figure up ahead, and her hand thrust forward, shooting a green pulse of energy from her fingers.

"KEEP WORKING!" she howled to Damocles as she powered down the corridor.

Ares ran.  Only once before had he ever experienced such a blind desperation.  He had been cowering under a bushel as a a mortal and she had been fighting with ease, unaware of her silent unknown attacker.  As his legs had bolted then, he ran like a soul from Tartarus now.  His heart was in a knot, all that mattered to him was seeing her alive and well - the two women that meant the most to him in the entire world.

He sprinted through the endless dank torch-lit passageways, all effortlessly forged through the rock by the entities that had bore him aeons ago.  A heavy door lined with locks loomed up ahead.

IN THERE his mind screamed.

Suddenly a crisp voice filtered down the excavated corridor, and his heart seized.

She was here.  And from the roar that ensued from her, she knew where he was.

He didn't spare a glance at his mother as he bolted down the passageway, reaching for the door he knew his love was behind.  He yanked at it roughly, pulling the door open.

There, on the opposite wall, Xena was curled sedately, nursing An in her arms.  She glanced up, shock in her features, her pupils large from utter darkness.

"YAAAAARGH!"

The scream of Hera filled the air, and the green bolt barrelling down the passageway blasted Ares from behind.  He toppled forward, skidding into a crop of rock in a messy heap.

"You INGRATE!" the Goddess screamed, "After ALL I've DONE for you!  Some SON YOU ARE!!"

Ares pulled himself up, narrowing his eyes at his mother.  He balled his fists, energy swelling in the knots of flesh, and with a thrust of his arms a sizzling fork of lightning burst from his hands, pummelling the front of Hera.  She staggered back, glaring at him with wild rage in her features.  She looked about her, eying the door frame, and a wicked grin splashed upon her structured angry face.   A long, indulgent laugh spilled from the Goddess, and raising her arms she slammed shut the doors of the store room with a pull of energy, all the locks fixing at once with her invisible hand.

"NOOOO!!" Ares cried, racing to the door, staggering over a rock he didn't see and landing against the door.  He buckled over in pain, rolling onto his side on the floor.

"Are you all right?"

Ares sat up against the door, his head throbbing.  Her voice wasn't awash with concern.  Great, he thought.  It was then he knew he was in deep deep poodoo.  A low growl filtered from him, the blackness about him muting too much for him.  He lifted a tired hand, and pointing to where he had just tripped over, he blasted the rock with a bolt of energy.  The rock grew red, then a rich orange, heat permeating from the molten rock.

Light filled the once-black surroundings, and as Ares looked over to Xena, he noticed her ragged appearance.  He got to his feet, and staggered over to her, his steps shaken.

"You don't look so good," Xena said.

"That was one walloping punch Hera pulled there," he said in almost a rasp, and with a stumble he fell to the ground next to her, sidling up to the back wall that Xena sat against.  Ares looked to the bundle in her lap, and leaning over he pulled some of the swath away.  The sweet large eyes of An lit up as she saw him, her voice gurgling around the nipple in her mouth.

"Yeah," Ares nodded, "I'm happy to see you too..."

The gurgle became a concerned one, and her hand reached out for Ares' finger.  He let her take it.  He lifted his gaze to Xena.  Her blue eyes were filled with an uncertainty he hadn't seen in some months, one he had hoped he'd never see again in her eyes.

"You didn't save me..."

"I what?"

"In the cave," she said, "You just let me get taken.  You knew this would happen..."

Ares opened his mouth, only silence filling the space.

"I tried," Ares breathed, "By the Cosmos Xena - I did everything I could to find you as soon as possible."

She met his glare a moment longer, and after searching his eyes, sighed finally.  "I'm - I'm sorry."

Ares sank down, relief taking him.

"It's okay," he mumbled.  He looked up, about then, his jaw clenched tight.  "We have to get out of here.  My idiot half-brothers are going to face Hera.   They need all the help the can get."

Xena shifted in her spot, rolling her tongue about in her mouth.  "I sincerely doubt you'll be able to help them in the state you're in."

"I'd kill for a sprig of ambrosia," Ares sighed, cradling his forehead as a headache rolled through it painfully.

"Just rest a little," Xena said, "You'll need to pool your energy."

"We haven't the time," Ares said, pulling himself up to his feet.  He placed his hands on the metal-plated walls, tracing the creases where the tiles met.  He pulled, shifted, glowed.  He let himself drift into a cloud of energy, slipping over the walls, examining every crack.  On the far wall from Xena, the glowing blue mass collapsed into a heap on the floor, Ares breathing hard.  She said nothing, only watched the God pull himself up to his feet once more, running his hands over the metal as he walked the perimeter of the room.  He looked up, over, he kept a keen eye for any cracks or fissures.  After a moment more of searching, the God erupted.

"Damn you Hera!" he growled, his hands beating the wall with a burst of pale energy, "The stupid bitch thinks she's going to rule Olympus..."

Xena sighed, leaning her head back laxly.

 "Calm down," she said, "We'll find a way out of here."

 Ares shook his head, a smile of sheer panic flashing across his masculine features.

 "Yeah, sure, you can say that, you're the one that always wins out these sorta situations!"

 "That's because I stay calm and I focus!!" Xena snapped, shoving her breast in An's mouth as the little one squeaked in complaint.  "It's obvious I'm not the most mobile of us right now.  I need you to stay calm and watch your surroundings - keenly!"

 The God of War did neither of those things, opting for pacing about with a staggered gait like a lunatic and ranting.

 "You know - this is it Xena," he said, "It's not like when I used to have you in a sticky spot - that was always like a game.  I loved seeing what you'd do and - oh - you did so well."  He shook his head thoroughly, "No no no, Hera means business.  She's going to kill us.  Maybe not right away, but she will!!"

 Xena sighed.  She'd never seen the guy so frightened in all her life.

 "I'm not going to let that happen."

 He glared at her tender words.

 "You're going to stop her huh?  Like that?"

 "I'm gonna take a fair crack at it!" Xena said sharply, "Instead of behaving like a child!"

 "Behaving like a child!?" Ares exclaimed.  He took some shaky steps up to her, eyes flaming with anger.  "You know I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for you!!"

 "ME?"

 "Yeah!" he clenched his jaw, whirling about, throwing an arm in rage, "I'd be with Hera, I'd be plotting your demise, Olympus to Tartarus - I'd be the Prince of the whole damned universe!!"

 "That'd really satisfy your blood-lust wouldn't it?" Xena said through taught lips, her throat catching, "Having the power to kill who you will - do what you will.  The favoured son of Hera-"

 "THAT's the thing Xena," he turned and gazed at her, "I don't WANT it anymore!   Ever since you turned to me and - let me see you..."

 He grew soft, stepping to her.  "Any power I have - had... "

 He stopped, running a hand along Xena's cheekbone, "It's nothing.  It used to be everything...  now all I want is to watch An grow into a Goddess...  to hold you and take care of you and I can't have it!  It's not who I was supposed to be!"

 "And who were you supposed to be?" Xena asked, knowing the answer.

 "The God you hate," he said, "The *man* I am now, wouldn't be here had you never showed me a little piece of humanity.... and it's all - your  - fault!"

 Xena turned her face away, but the finger-tips of Ares turned her face back to his.

 "And Xena, I thank you," he said softly, "You've given my much hated existence meaning."

 She brought her hand up softly, letting it dive into the raven curls of the God so close to her, and leaning forward she took his lips in hers in a brief silken caress.   She let her hand run down his face, her fingertips wiping at his tears of frustration.  Clutching the baby to her breast, Xena sniffled.

 "We'll find a way out," she said, "And you can go back to being the bastard the world knows and loves."

 The God's gaze fell to his hands, "I never want to be the bastard with you again."

 Xena laughed, "You always get so nice when you think you're gonna die..."

 Had the light been better, Xena could have sworn that Ares blushed as his jaw clenched with aggravation.  Ares turn his head, glancing about the place.  He pulled out a dagger from his belt, pursing his lips in an exaggerated fashion.

"Well, let's see what these tiles are made of..."

He turned back to the wall he had strode from, and with a good thrust of the blade, he struck the seam of the tiles.  A metallic 'chink' noise resonated throughout the room.  He turned his head to Xena, sighing.

"This is going to take a while."

He struck again, the mark in the metal deepening.  He thanked the Cosmos his blade was sharp, and that the alloy used to line the walls was not the best mix.  In fact it was a little brittle, cracking at the phenomenal strength of the War God's attack.  Xena pulled herself up, sitting An on her cocked hip, treading over to where Ares worked at the wall.

"Is it going to work?"

Ares flared a nostril in disgust, "It might be a half hour till I can get through.  This is shoddy work though..."

"Have you got another weapon?"

Ares looked to her, his brow descending.  He pulled out a dagger from his boot, handing it to her.

"Don't over exert yourself," he said.  Xena smiled.

"I could say the same to you."

Ares nodded, turning back to the wall.  As he pounded the wall, a second blade began to strike the crack of metal forming.  With forceful digs the blades began to strike in a sequential rhythm, one then the other, each taking their turn in striking and in doing so, combining their forces.

Hera paced the length of the Forges, her eyes glinting in ferocity.

"I know you're here..." she said, "I can smell your fear..."

Apollo glanced to Hercules, wincing.

"I'd hate to think what my fear smells like."

"You don't want to know," Hercules replied darkly.  "As much as I hate to say it, we could really have used Ares' help..."

Apollo growled, "All he ever thinks about is his own gains.  This time it was Xena.  I'd hate to be in her shoes when his own gains don't make room for her."

Hercules glared at Apollo, a shudder running through him.  He was considerably more concerned than that.  He was terrified for her.  But that was another matter, that needed to be dealt with in its own time.  He looked back to Hera, gritting his teeth.

"Any time now Athena," he whispered to himself.

Damocles worked hard at the anvil, ignoring the Goddess pacing down the aisle formed by the vats of alloy.  He watched her like a hawk, waiting for the moment he was fearing.  His heart beat hard in his chest.  Though it wasn't planned, he knew what course of action he would take.  It was the only one he could take, for the good of mankind.  He had to pay for the damage he'd caused through his own greed.

Hera turned, gazing to the wall adjacent to the chiselled doorway.  It was then the silver contours of a woman slipped from behind a vat, black midnight tendrils of curled hair billowing in the movement.

"Athena!" the woman growled, "You little rat!  Decided to show your face have you?"

She reached into the air, a box materializing in her hands, "Well - meet my new ally!"

"What is that?"

"Hmmm," she grinned, "A little box a friend of mine made..."

Damocles shrunk with a wince of regret.

"What does it do?"

Hera smiled, "It was made to the specifications of a box we all know and love... one the mortals know very very well..."

"No," breathed Athena.

"Yes, I'm afraid," Hera said, "Pandora's box was rather a useful trinket.  Of course this one is different.  When opened it absorbs the energy of the God or being it is pointed at."

"That's why Apollo was so weak," Athena said.

"Yes," she nodded.  And it shall be your demise."

Her hands gripped the box, and yanked it open.

"AUGH!"

Athena doubled over, her eyes large in agony, tendrils of her energy slowly spiralling towards the box.

The smith watched a moment.  If he stood there, working at the metal, the Queen Hera would grant him his freedom.  He clenched his eyes shut.  What she had done so far, and what she would do... no!  Now, now he could do something good.  Looking down to his working hands, he closed his eyes, a tear spilling down his face.

He spun about, dropping the large hammer in his hands.

Hercules jumped from the weapons.

"DAMOCLES!  NO!""

The smith ignored the cry.  He raced towards the Queen of the Gods and rammed into her, wrapping his arms around her waist and dragging her to the floor.  The box flew from her hands at the impact, skidding across the floor and smacking into the wall, forcing the object shut.  The smith pulled himself to his feet, turning to Athena.

"Are you all right?" he said.  Athena glared behind him, her face wrought with loss.

"Behind you!" she shouted.

He turned about. Above Damocles, the sword glowed and shuddered.  It jerked about, pointing to Damocles, and with a slice of air it hurtled towards the once-mortal. There was a crash, Apollo springing out from the weapons rack, Hercules bounding up merely paces away, sword out and ready to deflect the sword.  Damocles sighed with resign, knowing nothing could stop his fate.  With a sickening thud and crack the enchanted sword buried itself in Damocles' chest.

"NO!"

Hercules pounced to Damocles, the fellow's mouth open in blinding pain.

"Don't be sad, Hercules," he said, "I brought this upon myself."

Athena pulled herself next to the felled body of the man.  "You will be remembered..."

Damocles smiled, "I know.  Watch over my wife - she needs someone to look after her..."

Hercules gripped the shoulders of the man, "We won't let you die!"

Damocles coughed, a spittle of blood splashing his bottom lip.  The man shook his head slowly.

"It's not your place to choose my fate," he said, "I wish it were."

Hercules looked to Apollo.

"Heal him!!"

Apollo sighed, gripping Hercules' shoulder.  "If I do, I will not have enough strength to contain Hera.  Damocles is a God now, and Gods need more energy to heal that mortals."

Hercules looked back to Damocles, a feeling of utter helplessness washing over him.

The hero held the man as he grew heavy, his eyes lolling slowly before his lids shut with a flutter, like the dance of a flame before the rush of air from the mouth of mortals douses its life.  He placed his hand on the neck of Damocles, the stillness there bringing him the truth with a dark warmth within him.  Looking up to Athena, he shook his head.

A long, syrupy laugh filled the air, and turning about Hercules saw the terrifying source.

"Hmm ha ha ha!" Hera grinned, "To look at your faces you think someone important died!"

"He was important," Hercules growled, "He was a human being!  Who's life *you* destroyed!"

"We Gods destroy their lives all the time, young Hercules," Hera said, strolling forward, deadly box in hand, "It's a part of their existence.  How could their spirits learn and grow if we don't throw them a challenge here and there?"

"Is it your place to destroy our lives too?" Athena growled.

Hera's eyes flashed at Athena, "You were a mistake," she hissed, "A illegitimate bastard child that should have been drowned!"

"No," Athena shook her head, "The Fates made us, they made us all.  It is not your place to choose who does and doesn't belong in our existence."

"I'm the Queen of the Skies," Hera leered, "I can do what I will."

Athena curled a lip in disgust, "The new child will never join you, and war will always follow you..."

"The new child is not a part of my plans," Hera chuckled, "I will have my own Goddess of Peace.  You will all be replaced by my own beautiful children.  Olympus will never have known the likes of these glorious Gods and Goddesses, and you mongrels will all be destroyed!"

She spun about, racing over to the box that lay discarded against the chiselled stone wall.  Athena sprinted after her, but Hera turned, thrusting a bolt of energy towards her.  The Goddess of Wisdom was blasted front on by the bolt, the force of the impact hurtling her backwards into a heap on the floor.  Apollo growled, jumping up from the floor and lunging at Hera with clawed hands.   A blast from Hera came sizzling towards him, but flipping in the air it sailed past, burying itself in a vat.  On landing, Apollo thrust his hands forward, two golden bolts of light shooting from his palms straight towards Hera.   Hera, pulling herself to her feet, turned just in time to see the bolts speeding towards her.  Before she could steady her balance the energies knocked her sideways, snaking and writhing all over her before disappearing.  The Goddess tripped, falling to the floor.  Next to her lay the box, and grabbing it she grinned, her movements slow and weak.

"Nice try," Hera breathed, "But I'm afraid it's too late for you all..."

She opened the box steadily, it's direction pointed at Apollo.  Apollo buckled suddenly, his mouth open in silent agony.   As with Athena, golden slivers of his energies seemed to seep from him slowly, travelling to the box with a silent surging.  His pain-ridden grunts and cries echoed off the walls, Athena pulling herself up groggily behind him.   She crawled before Hera, reaching out for her feet to drag her to the ground.  Eying the struggling Goddess of Wisdom, Hera let loose a sharp kick to the Goddess' jaw, and Athena tumbled away.

Apollo grit his teeth, tears streaming down his face... "Aphrodite..."

Hera chuckled, "She's gone little runt, run away like a squealing pig!"

"Aphrodite," the God continued rasping, "NOW!!"

Hera glanced up.  The pink-clad buxom vision of Aphrodite bolted from her place of hiding behind a rack of spears, and she grabbed a round object from behind the anvil Damocles had been working at.

"Take this Cowface!" she grinned.  She pointed the vase of metal towards Hera, whispering softly words etched into the vase itself.

"NO!" the woman howled.  She bucked, nearly dropping the box.  Her form curled and stricken, she pulled the box from Apollo, ever so slowly edging it in the Love Goddess' direction.  Aphrodite ran about, still pointing the vase at the Goddess, breathing ancient words almost forgotten by the world, except for the wisest of all beings, the patron Goddess of Athens.

Hera clenched her jaw, and with a jerk the box was directed at Aphrodite.

"Auh!" the beautiful Goddess crouched a little, pain spilling through her body.  With a quiet determination she kept speaking the potent words, her form slowly wilting at the drain.  Hera's body had bent some, but her green eyes flashed with power.  Aphrodite felt ready to fall, but strong arms supported her suddenly.

"Keep going!" Hercules cried, "You can do it Aphrodite!!"

She leant against her brother, crying out the words, clenching the vase with her life.

"The stopper," Hercules sighed, "It's over on the anvil..."

Athena crawled on the ground, her strength slowly suckled by Hera's magical box.  Apollo lay unconscious his body giving out at Aphrodite's onslaught.

"By the Cosmos," Aphrodite sighed, "I can't do this Herc!"

"KEEP CHANTING!" he shouted, "CHANT!"

Aphrodite began to mumble the blessed words again, her hold on the vase slowly weakening as the sunset pink slices of her essence slowly swirled into the box in Hera's arms.  Hera was haggard, her strength taxed, but there was a strength in her shaken stature that filled Aphrodite with dread.

A cracking blast suddenly erupted from the corridors.

Hera glanced in the direction of the rocking shudder.

A slicing noise filled the air, and a silver frame of a body slipped into existence next to Hera.  The large muscled body of the God of War suddenly wrapped an arm around his Mother, a soft smile on his face.

"Hi Mom," he said, "What up?"

"No!!!" she hissed, "I had you nailed!"

"Not quite," Ares grinned, and gripped her shoulders, pushing her forward to Aphrodite.  A foot kicked the box from Hera's hands, and Ares glanced down to the owner, winking at her.

Xena smiled softly back up at him, hugging An to her.

"No!"  Hera shook her head, her form becoming translucent, "I WON'T!!!"

Aphrodite muttered the mantra that brought the vase alive, the large rivulets of energy spewing from Hera into it's tiny neck.  Hera, stronger than her children, bucked and pushed back.  Ares grunted.

"I need more energy!!"

Athena crawled up next to him, clasping her hands to him, Apollo rolling up from the ground, following suit.

The deafening whoosh of siphoning energy filled their ears, a wild gail whipping up about them.  Hera glowed like a star, her form now but a ghostly outline of what she was.  With a final roar from Ares, he shoved her forward, the body of Hera bursting from it's confines of human shape and collapsing into a rushing cloud of energy that curled and whirled into the neck of the vase.  Xena ran back from the anvil, thrusting the stopper in Ares' hand.  He pushed hard against Hera's last resistance, and the brothers and sisters all let out a collective cry as the stopper was forced into the lid, a blast from Ares' hands securing it.

A burst of light sprang from the vase, and faded away.

Aphrodite fell limp in Hercules' arms, her eyelids drooping low.

Silence filled the room as it sat deathly still.  The siblings all met each other's weary gazes, the odd nod and wink of approval being exchanged.

"Well," Apollo rasped, sitting up, wavering slightly, "I'm shagged."

A laugh fell from Aphrodite, a grin splitting her soft round weary expression.

"Totally," she agreed.

Hercules smiled, gripping his sister's shoulder.  A cry suddenly filled the air, and all eyes fell on Xena.

"Hey," Aphrodite frowned, "Why aren't you burning up?  It's really hot down here!"

Xena looked to Ares, who smiled knowingly.

"An," he said. "She has protected you."

The little hand of An gripped her mother's thumb, a relaxed joviality in the child's eyes.

"Come on," said Apollo, rising slowly, "Let's unleash the folks..."

Jett gripped Lethaia as she urged on Daphne, the rhythmic beats of the hooves creating an urgent music that filled the warrior's ears.  Corinth's smoky collection of thatched roofs and tiled palisades and columns loomed up ahead, here and there a lick of fire illuminating it brightly.  The black night around them still choked their surroundings, and the screams and shouts of men and women seemed to encroach on them in their travels.

Behind them the wheels of the cart they'd collected rattled and spun wildly, the make-shift casket tied to the cart's tray securely.  Jett glanced to it sombrely, a heaviness filling him at the final confirmation that his father was truly gone.

The assassin glanced up from the embrace of his woman.  Something bright seemed to catch his eye...

It can't be...

"Lethaia!"  he gasped, "LOOK!"

Her dark eyes peered up at the sky, her face suddenly illuminated by a soft blue glow.

"The moon!" she breathed with a brilliant smile, "Oh thank the GODS!  It's the moon!"

The arms of Jett held her tightly, his lips planting excited kisses on her cheek.

"Come on," he said, "I'm worried about Mom..."

Daphne's silver legs beat the earth hard, Corinth now looming large.  The brilliant white steed barrelled through the main street of the city, the streets mostly deserted, the walls scorched and kissed by fire.  The city lay in waste, many of the shop fronts destroyed by fire and the axes of fear-stricken looters.   The odd person stood in the middle of the street or on the roofs of their townhouses, gazing up at the moon that hung in the sky, a glowing silver orb of hope.

The white plaster front of Eurepaeda's townhouse was barely touched by flame, but the windows and doors were locked and barred.

"Mom!"

Jett slipped off Daphne, Lethaia pulling the horse along behind her.

"Mama!" called Lethaia.

There was a bump inside, and the front door burst open.

"Oh thanks the Gods!"

Eurepaeda staggered down the front porch, collapsing into her son's arms.  She let out choked weeps, hugging her son tightly.

"Oh my boy," she sobbed, "I was so frightened!"

Jett pulled his mother to her feet, looking into her panicked brown eyes.  "What happened Mama?"

"Well, looters!" she said in a babbling tone, "That's what happened!  They tried to take our things!  Our keepsakes!"

Lethaia's eyes grew alarmed, "Where's Joxer and Gabrielle?!"

"Hera came after them!" she cried, "They ran to the caves with Xena!"

Jett and Lethaia exchanged worried glances.

"We can't go after them," Jett said, "We have to look after Mama!"

Lethaia pulled Daphne next to her, jumping up into the saddle.

"You look after Mama," she said, leaning down to Jett and planting a quick kiss on his lips, "I'm going after them!  HYAAAH!"

With that she kicked Daphne into action, the white mare galloping back down the road, clouds of stirred dust glowing in the bright full moonlight.  Jett looked to his mother, tears streaking her kind face.  He put an arm around her, holding her close.

"She'll get Joxer," he said, "And we'll be okay."

Eurepaeda looked up to her son's face, examining his features a moment, before stepping away from him, and walking to the abandoned cart.  The small wooden casket in the back gleamed in the dewy blue light.  She placed a hand on it, looking to her son.

"This is him?" she said, her eyes to the brim with fear.

Jett nodded stiffly, "He's gone Mama."

Eurepaeda let out a long sigh, her hands spread out on the lid of the casket.  They slid over the lid, she leant her arms and head on the box, a slow long sob shaking her body.  In the new hopeful silence of the night, her mournful moans could be heard resonating in the cool crisp air.

"Oh," she whispered, "Oh my love... my love!"

Her cry became louder, no restraint in her now, tears flowing freely over the wooden box.  Jett stepped over, the unleashed grief of his mother rocking him, tears forming in his own features.   He slid his arms around her, gathering her up as she shook and trembled.

"They took him away!" she cried, "Took him away from me!  He loved me, you know..."

"I know, Mama," he said softly, "I know..."

"Oh my love," she breathed again, pulling away from her son and curling over the box, "Oh-oh-ouuh!"

Jett stood a vigil watch over his mother, holding onto the casket like a lifeline.  He pouted darkly, pulling the trinket he had secured from his pocket.

"Mama..."

She turned her head, wiping tears from her eyes.  Jett lifted his hands, between his thumb and forefinger a chunk of gold moulded grandly in a ring.  The woman gasped lightly, taking the token from her son.

"Oh, Janus," she sighed.

"He wore it till the end, Mama," he said.

Eurepaeda nodded, sobs still falling from her, her frame hanging from the cart as she huddled over the casket once more.

The frantic tracks led to the gaping caverns in the base of the mountains, a few bushels hacked carelessly with a sword.   Lethaia would have liked to look closer, but the warm breeze of the coming dawn whipped about her, reminding her that her all too dark surroundings didn't do much for visibility.  Thrusting a hand in the saddlebag behind her, she swore as she felt that all the makeshift torches were gone.  Used up when we were making that casket, she thought.

Slipping down off Daphne, she tied the mare's reigns to a nearby gnarled tree, it's branches low and strong.

"JOXER!"  she called, "GABRIELLE!!!"

Now she knew she needed a torch.  Pulling out her sword, she picked out a bit of kindling nearby, chopping the ends deftly.  Pulling rags from her saddle-bag that she usually reserved for bandages, she wrapped the end, dousing it in saddle oil.  Smacking her flints the end sprung up in flame.

Standing, she approached the cave, noticing the scorches about the mouth.  They were no ordinary scorches from fire.  They were a deep green, and moved in lines along the walls of the cave similar to that of lightening.  The cave was silent, except for the echoed distant chirrup of morning birds.

"JOXER!"

Her voice bounced off the walls.

"GABRIELLE!"

Up ahead the cave seemed to swell and become cavernous.  Something in the wall further on caught her eye, and she raced ahead, her heart beating hard in her chest.  On the floor lay Gabrielle's staff, the wood a little burnt.  As she examined it, the rock it lay by seemed to puzzle her.  It was in the shape of a boot.

How odd, she thought.  Looking up, she noticed that the boot shape seemed to be connected to a leg shape... then a hip... waist... breast... face!

"Gabrielle!" she gasped, "Oh Gods!  Oh GODS!"

The figure of Gabrielle cowered with that of Joxer's, their stone eyes alarmed somehow, even though they had no pupils, and were blank shapes of rock.  She smacked at the stone, but it seemed that the bodies were nothing now but a part of the cave wall.  She shook her head, tears welling in her eyes.

"Oh Joxer!  Gabby!"

A pink glow seemed to fill the cave, followed swiftly by a golden one.  Lethaia spun about, brandishing her sword with a grimace.

"Get back you- Oh!"

"Chill," Aphrodite smiled, slinking forward past her, eying the shapes in the wall.  "That bitch..."

"Who?" sniffled Lethaia over a weep.

"Hera of course!" she said, and looked over to the third presence in the cave, "Hey 'Pollo - come gimme a hand here... What a mess."

Apollo stepped next to her, shaking his head with a tisk.

"Turned to stone - that's harsh!"

"Tell me about it!" Aphrodite rolled her eyes, "You'd think she'd do something with a *little* originality!"

"You can save them?" Lethaia said softly.

"Oh sure!" Apollo waved a hand, "This is a breeze.  Ready Aph?"

"As I'll ever be!  Time to get our favourite mortals out of there!"

Both of them closed their eyes, and stretched their arms out in front of them.  Their hands slowly glowed, energy swelling about their delicate beautiful Godly digits.  The balls of energy grew so large that they began to shift into a cloud of energy, gold and pink blending together.  Stepping forward, they let the energy settle on the now-sculptural rock wall, the energy setting to work with a sizzle of air and frenzied swishing patterns.  Like Chinese Firecrackers, the sparks and clouds of luminous gas sped over the rock, weaving in and out, bursting about and over.  The rock shifted, slid, and two young bodies burst from the wall of the cave with an almighty clap of noise.

The two mortals coughed and spluttered on the cave floor, holding eachother for dear life.

"Xena!" came Gabrielle's cry.

Aphrodite grinned at Apollo, holding her hand out.  He slapped his against hers with a self-appreciating smile.

"Man, have we still got it or what!"

Lethaia bent down next to Gabrielle, putting a hand to her shoulder.

"Where is Xena?" Lethaia asked her.

"I don't know," Gabrielle said, her eyes growing red, "I - Hera!  Hera has her!!"

"No she's fine man!" Aphrodite said suddenly, "She's with Ar I think.  Man she helped save our butts!"

The bard nodded.  Her eyes were filled with confusion.  She glanced about her once more, and finally they settled onto Joxer.

"Oh - Gods!"

She sank into his arms, feeling him hold her close.

"It's okay Gabby," he said softly, "Everything's all right now..."

"I know," she said, nodding, "Thank the Gods!"

"It was nothin'," Apollo shrugged, nudging Aphrodite with a grin. "Let's get out of here, eh?"

Aphrodite looked to Gabrielle a long moment, pursing her lips together.  "Hang on..."

Apollo sighed impatiently, "I'll see you later then!"

With that he slipped away in a burst of light.

Lethaia helped Joxer and Gabrielle to their feet, leading them out to Daphne.

"Hey Wonderbard," Aph said suddenly, "Come here..."

She turned from the mouth of the cave, walking to the Goddess of Love.  Joxer turned and ambled after her.

"Uh-uh-uh, Joxie," she said suddenly, "You go home.  Gabster here will be right along in her own time."

Joxer looked worried, but Aphrodite's calming gaze seemed to relax him a little.  Nodding warily, he waved to Gabby.  Gabrielle blew him a small kiss, a soft smile on her face.  The cave was suddenly very quiet, a haunting silence falling upon it.

"Well - how was it being a part of the geography?" asked Aphrodite.

Gabrielle's disturbed green eyes met that of Aphrodite's, and she tried to subdue a shudder that ripped through her.

"Terrifying," she said, "Though I don't remember much of it."

Aphrodite nodded, "Yeah.  You would have been a goner if we hadn't of come along..."

"I know," Gabrielle said, narrowing her eyes with a smile, "Thank you Aphrodite."

"As I said, it's nothing.  My point was," began the Love Goddess again, guiding the bard out into the brooding dawn, "You'd ah been gone from here and you'd never have known what it was like being Studmuffin's little wifey."

Gabrielle opened her mouth, but Aphrodite lifted a finger.

"Aah-" She smiled, "Go catch up with Joxer.  I'm done here."

With that pink and golden sparkles littered down over the buxom form of the Goddess.

Gabrielle glanced about her.  She was alone in the clearing, the hoofbeats of Daphne not so far off.  Gripping her staff, she hefted it and began to run down through the hacked up path Joxer had made not so long ago.   As she reached the dirt road to Corinth she could see Joxer and the others not far off ahead.   She let rip a shrill whistle, that seemed to make Daphne shake her large head with discomfort.  The lanky form of her lover turned, spotted her, and his grin could be seen from even the distance she was.  She ran, smiling, and Joxer loped towards her, arms out wide.

The dawn grew into a morning that Greece had never known the like.  The air, sweet and warm, seemed to move in a breeze gentle and tender, loving the world it ran through.  The trees seemed a little greener, the sky a deep vibrant blue that men only saw in fanciful dreams.  The people, weary and grief-stricken for the chaos of the past days, wandered about the town, awe and disbelief in their tired features.  One such person ran through the town, sporting a grin a mile wide, pointing wildly at the city gates.  On looking, the rest of the town seemed to bolt upright, their statures rising.  The overwhelming sound of livestock mingled with the cheering roars of the people of the town.

The person ran through the town, proclaiming with joy the return of their stock, in one piece and healthy.

Lethaia watched him bolt past Eurepaeda's townhouse, his voice calling out and echoing off the alley walls that he ran down.

"THE ANIMALS ARE BACK!!"

The ex-assassin smiled, stepping inside.

Eurepaeda sat next to her fire, her eyes soft in the darkness of the room.

"You really should go outside," Lethaia said, walking up to Eurepaeda and settling on the settee next to her, putting an arm around her.

The mother sighed, looking down to her hands.  In the digits that were once smooth and young but now a little worse for wear, were two gold rings.  One was a large wedge of smooth gold, the inscription of the date of their nuptial union lining the edge with ornate curves.  Another was slightly smaller, with the same inscription.  Eurepaeda clutched them, her thumb occasionally running over them tenderly.

"I - I don't know," she said, "I don't know if I really feel like it dear..."

Lethaia nodded.  "Well, I'll stay with you until you do... how's that?"

Eurepaeda smiled, "That's nice of you... thank you."

"It's okay," the younger woman smiled.

After another moment gazing at the rings, Eurepaeda looked up, "Where's Jett?"

"He's out with Joxer... getting the wood for the pyre ready I assume."

At the word 'pyre', Eurepaeda's eyes closed heavy, and she leant into Lethaia's hold, a long sigh leaving her.  Lethaia's brows tilted, the pain in the mother's heart so very evident.  She patted Eurepaeda's arm, leaning back against her.

Jett stood at the temple door, letting Joxer walk inside.  Joxer was silent, his steps echoing through the cavernous interior of the temple of Hades.  The large room, decked out in obsidian and black marble, had a single altar, where the body was laid before on a plinth.  Though due to Janus' decayed state, the ornate casket was closed.  A statue of the swarthy man he was protruded from the heavy dark wooden lid of the casket in a weathered dark silver.   The light from an opening in the ceiling fell down on the casket, setting it a-glow in the moody darkness.

He reached out a hand, touching the casket.

"Father..."

He looked back to Jett, then to the casket again.  He mulled through his feelings, trying to dredge up some morsel of affection for the large brute of a man that had made his childhood a living hell.  He grit his teeth at the realisation that he had none.

"I would," he felt a sob choke him, "I wish I could have known you in a different way, because all I have in my heart for you is - regret and bitterness."

Clamping his eyes shut, a tear rolled down his cheek.

"You never said you approved of me.  You only ever had a disappointed glare to give me!  By the Gods, Dad, all I wanted you to do was tell me you loved me!  Was that so damned hard?!"

Suddenly, a hand touched his shoulder.  He turned his head only slightly, seeing the delicate tanned skin that he knew so well.

"Gabby," he breathed.

He looked to her.  She stood behind him, a tender expression on her face.  She glanced back to the door of the temple, nodding to Jett, who took his leave of the situation.

Joxer glanced to his love, tears rimming his eyes.

"He was a terrible father to me."

She nodded sadly.

"But he was the only one I had.  He did try, I gotta give him that."

Gabrielle smiled through the condoling frown.

"He did give me that scabbard...  pity I lost it."

The bard now smiled brightly, "Well, it's funny you mention that..."

He glanced to her, his eyes wide. "Huh?"

"Well, I was waiting for a time to give this to you..."

From behind her, she pulled out the brown leather, intricately embossed and decorated scabbard.  A gasp fell from Joxer's mouth.

"Gods!  Gabrielle!"

His mouth was open, no words able to escaped.  She placed it in his trembling hands, her fingers closing over his.

"Oh Gods," he breathed, "I don't - I don't know what to say!"

"You don't have to say anything," she said, "It's kinda my fault you lost it in the first place."

He met her eyes, gratitude abound in his warm brown orbs.  He placed his hand on her cheek tenderly, and pulled her forward into a tight embrace, burying his face in her long lavender-scented golden locks.  He stood there for a long moment, feeling her against him, tears spilling down his face.

"Thank you," he said softly, "Thank you so much!!"

"It's okay," she said, wrapping her arms around Joxer, rubbing his back tenderly, "It's okay Joxer."

He leant back from the hold, casting a look at the casket.  He placed a hand on the chest of the sculpted figure of his father, the tears that choked his voice still wet on his face.

"Goodbye Father," Joxer said, "I'm sorry we couldn't have been closer.  I would have liked that."

Gabrielle stroked a tear from Joxer's face with the back of her knuckle, "He can hear you you know..."

Joxer nodded. "I know."

She wove her arm around his, leading him away from the casket, out to the bright beautiful day outside.  They walked sedately down the steps of the dark temple, their feet meeting bright soft grass, the grassy knoll sloping down in front of them awash with the bright colours of early summer.   Daisies littered the meadow of rich green grass that stretched between the temple and Corinth.    In the middle of the meadow, Nippy munched at some wild oats, swishing his tail occasionally against his barrel belly.  Gabrielle sighed, looking to Joxer.

"You know, this whole thing with your Dad and - and the cave - it's got me thinking..."

He looked to her.

"I didn't know why I couldn't let you marry me," she said, gazing out into the field, "All sorts of reasons filled my mind.  All of them - didn't make sense.  When I saw how sad Mama was it made me realise that for so long, I'd still held that pain."

Joxer knew, without her even saying, what pain she talked of.

"But then I thought of the bath Lethaia and I had with her," she continued, "She was talking about her time with your Dad.   I mean, she really loved him, despite all the things he did wrong."

"I know," Joxer nodded, "I don't understand it."

"I do," she said, "She told me he reminded her a lot of you."

"Huh? Me?" Joxer shook his head, "Now Dad was *nothing* like me!  In fact, if there was an opposite in this world to me - Dad was it!!"

Gabrielle smiled, "Janus was a man who didn't know how to handle things.  Like your mother, you take your frustration out on yourself, where-as your father took it out on the world."

Joxer clenched his jaw, the sudden sting in his heart springing fresh tears to himself.

"He always made me feel so useless," Joxer said darkly, "He always - yelled at me!  Blamed me for things!  Every time he used to try and get me to kill someone he'd get angry when I refused!  How can I be like that?"

"You yell at yourself," Gabrielle said, "You blame yourself for so many things... You do to yourself what he did to others."

Joxer pressed his lips together in a sigh, "I know..."

"It's okay Joxer," she said softly, "You know your errors, and you have a life to go to make it right.  Janus doesn't have this luxury."

He nodded, smiling softly, taking Gabrielle's hand in his and gripping it.

"You're so smart," he said, "I don't know what I'd do without you, really."

Gabrielle blushed, "I don't know what I'd do without you either."

They trudged through the thick grass, Joxer humming to yourself.

"I decided," Gabrielle said suddenly, "That uh - I'm not going to be afraid of death anymore."

Joxer's lips hung in a confused pout, "Huh?"

"I can't escape it," she said, "Nobody can.  And I'm wasting right now, being afraid to take you into my life."

All at once, Joxer knew what she meant, and his heart started pounding wildly in his chest.

"You mean?"

"Go on Joxer," she breathed, the sun striking her long tresses, setting them on fire, her eyes shining green and her rosy lips pulled to a grin, "Ask me."

He collapsed to a knee, gripping her hand nervously.

"Ga-Gab-Gabrielle... Will you- Will you marry me?"

A laugh fell from her, her heart rising delightfully in her chest.

"Yes!"

Joxer felt a warmth at his eyes, and he breathed short breaths of shock as his beloved pounced upon him, wrapping him up in her arms.

"Oh Gabby!" he breathed, "You - you really wanna - I mean - ME?"

She grinned, pulling him into the tall grass and to the ground, settling on top of him.

"I want to be your wife," she said, "Joxer, the Mighty."

He let a trembling hand sit on her round silken cheek, searching her eyes, wondering if this were all some crazy dream.  Oh it had to be... she was his - forever!!  HE was HERS!  He laughed, pulling her into a hug, the woman in his arms yanking him over and smacking his thigh playfully.  He rolled over, pinning her to the ground, and began kissing her ear and blowing over the lobe.  Their playful tussle fell to a lingering kiss, the bright day about them framing their happiness with a frivolity not known for an age, and perhaps would never know the like again, so great was the celebration of life around them.  In every bird song, in every blade of grass, the message of a new bright era seemed to be calling.

Xena sighed with relief as Eurepaeda helped her settle into the newly made bed.  She looked to the older woman, smiling softly.

"I've been aching for a bed for hours," Xena sighed, "Not long for anyone who hasn't has a watermelon ripped through their undercarriage..."

"I know what you mean," smiled Eurepaeda, "Imagine how I felt with triplets!"

"I'd rather not," Xena winced.

"I don't blame you," she said, "It was Tartarus on Earth!!"

Xena nodded, receiving An from Eurepaeda.

"She is lovely," she said, "You must be proud."

There was a knock at the door frame, and Eurepaeda turned.  The maid at the door smiled contritely.

"A - Cyrene is here to see Xena?"

The older woman stepped into the room, her blue eyes soft with relief.

"Mother!" Xena exclaimed, "You're all right!  I couldn't get out there to check - I sent Jett!"

"Yes, he found me," Cyrene said with a calm smile, walking over to Xena and perching on the end of the bed.

"I was worried - I mean with all the looting and-"

"Shh," Cyrene said softly, stroking Xena's forehead gently, "I've been running a bar for as long as you've been alive, I know a few things about avoiding a brawl."

"What did you do?" the daughter breathed.

"I packed up the caravan and got out of here, with a few of the other staff.  We hid some ways away.  Having the bouncers along sure helped."

Xena smiled, "I'm sure it did."

Cyrene sighed, a relief in her features, "I was so scared for you!"

"I know..."

"And An..."

Xena met the eyes of her mother, equally as blue as her own.  She gulped, looking down to the child.

"I know, I was angry about - the father," she continued, "I don't understand it, but-"

"He changed, Mama," Xena said huskily, "There's somethin' about him, I just can't-"

"It's okay, Xena," she smiled, "I understand love, I was in it once too."

Xena nodded, he eyes filled with confusion.

"I guess what I'm trying to say," she said, "Is that I'm here for you, no matter what happens.  I'm your mother, never feel like you can't come to me."

"Of course," Xena said, repositioning An on her chest.

"Even if the God of War turns out to be a scum-bag after all, I'll be here."

"Mother!" Xena sighed.

"It was a joke," Cyrene grinned, and Xena let herself smile, sinking into Cyrene's outstretched arms.

Hercules walked down the road, his friend's footsteps kicking up dust along with his.  He glanced to his companion, noticing the worn expression he wore.

"I swear Hercules, I'm sick of dealing with the Gods!" he sighed, "Why do they have to be so childish?"

"I guess that's - just the way things are..."

Iolaus nodded thoroughly, "Yeah well, it sucks!"

"I don't know," Hercules said, "For once, they actually came through for us."

Iolaus cocked his head, thought flickering across his sun-kissed features, and he nodded tightly.

"Yeaah okay maybe they did."

Hercules smiled, hefting the knapsack over his shoulder.

"You think Ares and Xena - you think they'll last?"

"Who knows," Herc said, "All I know is that we'll be there for her no matter what."

Iolaus glanced sideways at the hero, "In other words - they're doomed."

"I didn't say that," the tall hero frowned, "Besides, we're not in the place to judge-"

"Who's judging?" the smaller one exclaimed, "It's just pure conjecture - whether they will last as a couple or not!"

"I'd rather not think about it-"

"Hi boys!"

Iolaus started for a moment, not noticing the buxom blonde shift into form in front of them.

"Aphrodite!" he croaked, "Hi - what are you doing here?"

"Yeah," smiled Hercules.

"Well, a few of the folks are back at my pad celebrating our great triumph," she said with sparkling light blue eyes, one foot toeing at the ground playfully, occasionally meeting Iolaus', "Aaaand I figured, what's a party celebrating that if we don't have you guys along - I mean you helped us and all."

Aphrodite stared long at Iolaus before shifting her gaze to Hercules.  Iolaus looked to Herc with wide eyes, his teeth clenched a little in pleading.  Herc rolled his eyes, sighing.

"Okay," he grinned, "Come on then..."

"Awesome!" grinned Aphrodite, hopping on the spot, "This party is going to ROCK!"

The three of them slipped away in a shower of gold and sizzling pink sparkles, the display of light soaking up their solidity till they were gone.  A leaf skittered by on the now abandoned road.

Her eyes opened softly to see the brightness of late day filter into the room.  Taking a deep breath in, a heady musky scent caught her.  She turned her head, smiling softly.

"Hello," she said.

"Hi," Ares said, his tone soft also, "You've been sleeping, that's good."

"I need it," Xena said, running her hands over the head of her child, "We're setting off to Ephiny's tribe soon."

"The Amazons," Ares nodded, "Excellent."

Xena smiled, "I thought you'd approve."

"I do," he nodded, settling on the bed next to her, slipping a muscled arm around her.

Xena cast a gaze out the window, the sky growing pale from the sun's low position.

"I've been thinking about the incident in the cave."

Ares rose a brow, "What - Hera tricking you?"

"Yes," she said, "I thought - for one awful moment - you'd joined her."

Ares shook his head, "I could have, at any moment..."

She met his dark mahogany orbs.

"I was tempted, too," he nodded, but pulled her close in his embrace, "But nothing Hera would offer me could ever compare with what I have now."

Xena did her damnedest not to sigh right there and then.  She blushed, looking down to An.

"That's a relief," she said.  Ares winked at her, pointing his hand and bending his thumb in a "you gotcha" fashion.  Xena rolled her eyes, snuggling down on the bed.

"I know I seem - cold - sometimes," Xena turned her face, meeting Ares' gaze, "And I know I've been scathing in the past..."

"I don't blame you," Ares said, "I wouldn't trust me!"

"I've come to," she said, "You did good, Ares."

Ares glanced to her, fighting the blush that filled his high-boned cheeks.

"Yeah, don't rub it in," he said, Xena grinning brightly.  At her smile he couldn't help but join in - just a little - just a touch.  He pursed his lips, letting the corners of his mouth rise in a small smile.

"That's mah boy!" Xena laughed, squeezing his cheek between her fingers.  An giggled in her arms, gaahing at the spectacle of her father - the God of War - being babied by the jovial woman next to him.  Xena calmed, lazing in Ares' arms, gazing back out the window at the blissfully warm day.

"Oh are you sure you want to move on?"

"We have to Ma," Joxer sighed, securing the saddle-bag to Nippy, "The Amazons are the only ones that can take care of us.  Corinth is too risky - warlords after Xena passing through every day!"

Eurepaeda sighed, "Oh, I will miss you!"

Joxer turned.  His mother stood at the front of her house, clasping her hands together, a dark green dress hugging her buxom figure, the black shall she wore indicating her state of mourning.  Jett and Lethaia stood next to her, soft smiles on their handsome features.  With them was Cyrene, a proud expression blessing her beautiful face.  Gabrielle stepped to Eurepaeda, slipping into a hug.

"Oh Gabrielle darling!" Eurepaeda planted loud kisses on her cheeks, "You're such a nymph!  Look after my son!"

"I will," she grinned.

The mother let loose another sigh.   "Of all the places to get yourselves married though!"

"I'm an amazon," Gabrielle said, "My tribe is the right place for me to perform the rites."

"But they don't like men there!" Eurepaeda exclaimed.

"Some reason, they don't have a problem with me," Joxer mumbled.  Gabrielle rolled her eyes, Xena stifling a chuckle.

"Just - send me the odd messenger eh?  Tell your old Mama how you're doing?  I want to see your first baby!"

"Me too," Cyrene smiled.  Gabrielle stepped to Cyrene, hugging her tight.

"I'll be back to visit," she said, "I'll drag Xena along with me - you'll see!"

"Good!" Xena's mother smiled cheekily.

Gabrielle turned, Joxer lifting her up onto Nippy.  Xena sat like a Queen on Argo's back, a thick blanket wrapped around her, the soft head of An barely poking out of the affair.

"Bye Mama," Joxer said, stepping forward and catching a kiss on his mother's cheek.

"Joxer," she said, taking his hand, "I want you to have these - wear them when you get married..."

His mother's hand uncurled in his, and two heavy somethings fell on his palm.  When his mother took her hand away, two gold chunky rings sat in the wake.  He gasped.

"Oh Mom!" he gulped, "No!  Not the rings!! Your ring!"

"Take them," she said, "I'm a widow - a wedding ring is no use to me."

"But-"

"Joxer," she said, a serious in her tone that silenced him, "I would very much like you both to use them."

He met his mother's brown eyes a moment, large and deep as his own, and he fell into another hug, tears rimming his eyes.

"Thanks Mama - this is - this is great!"

"It's the least I could do for you and Gabrielle," she said with a proud smile.

"I love you," he said.  His mother nodded.

"I know, son."

Taking a deep breath in, Joxer moved away from his mother, casting a glance to Xena's.

 "Cyrene,"  He clasped the woman's hand a moment.  He looked to Jett, a pensive smile on his sculpted lips.

"Hey," he patted his brother's arm roughly, "Look after Lethie eh?"

"I can look after myself, thanks," she grinned with some indignance.

"I know," Joxer said, "You know what I mean.  Don't wear him out eh?"

She grinned wider, "Haha, I'll try not to..."

After a silent moment, Joxer stepped forward, hugging Jett tight.

"Bye brother...."

"Bye Joxer," Jett said, "Congratulations with Gabrielle."

"Thanks."

Joxer hugged Lethaia, "I'll send word when I've written some new songs..."

"Do that," she said, "I'd love to hear them one day."

With that, Joxer turned, leaping up onto Nippy.  He smiled over to Xena, who tugging stiffly on Argo's reign, led the golden mare away down the dirt road that wound through Corinth's resident areas.

Xena looked back, waving at the group.

"Bye Ma!!  Bye!"

"Bye!" called Jett, Lethaia waving and calling a farewell of her won.

She looked ahead, listening to her friends shout out their happy good-byes.  After a few of the newly repaired white plaster houses had gone by, she heard the frantic hoof-clops of Nippy making an attempt to catch up to Argo.  The horse met up with hers, snorting at Argo as if complaining to her for being so fast.  Argo snorted an indignant reply, and lifted her nose in the air.  Xena looked to Gabrielle, who smiled to her best friend.  There was a happiness in her eyes Xena understood, also a gratitude that surpassed words.  This glorious day they lived now, was only possible through their building of their life together.  Somehow, it had all fallen into place.  Xena glanced up to the sky, knowing the Godly domain that was beyond her sight, though a part of it was in her heart.  She smiled and whispered "Thank you."
 

The hut stood a little dishevelled, the woman inside weary looking.  Her hair, brown and deep with a few silver slivers, kept falling in her round, sad face.  A son played at her side, watching his mother pack up the equipment that once belonged to her husband.  A fellow walked up to the stall at the side of the house.

"Where's Damocles?"

"He's gone," she said sadly, "We are closing shop."

"Damned shame!" the fellow said, "He was a fine smith!"

"Thank you," she said darkly.

Hades stood at the edge of the clearing between a row of townhouses and the front of the smith shop, invisible.  He looked to the God next to him, a puzzled frown on his face.

"You know - I can't help but find this request a little surprising.  I mean, really - it isn't your style."

The God sighed, "His demise was Hera's doing.  She tricked him with promises for him and his family."

Hades sighed, "He was tempted - he was greedy and taken and now he has to pay the price."

"Just imagine how angry Hera would be, sitting in that jar - all her work undone..."

Hades tilted his head, pouting, wincing when the temptation of annoying the most irritating Goddess he had ever known overwhelmed him.

"Oh, you got me with that one," he shook his head, "Damn it.  Okay!  I'll bring him back!"

"Good," he smiled, "Well - no time like the present."

Hades sighed, waving an arm up through the air.  In the wake of the swish of air, the form of a man faded into existence.  He blinked, looking over himself, looking at his hands in front of him.   He took a step forward, peering with disbelief at the woman at the stall.  She stopped in the middle of lifting a basket of shoes, and dropped them in the sand suddenly.

"Damocles!!  Oh thank the GODS!!"

She nearly tripped over the basket, staggering out into her husbands arms.  The little boy's neck stretched as he blinked, a large grin splashing across his features.

"DADDY!!"

The smith knelt to his family, receiving them in the rough embrace, the three of them falling over into a laughing heap.  Tears streamed down the woman's face, Damocles' eyes joyous beyond belief.

Hades looked to the God.

"Happy?"

The God nodded, "Yes, thank you Hades."

"Well, I'd love to stick around, but I have the Underworld to manage.  Don't fill it up too quickly will you?"

"I don't think so," he replied, "Take care."

"Goodbye, Ares," Hades said.

...h.o.m.e...
...bleeding-heart[dot]net...