Summary- Xena and Ares face off, again, a week before Gabrielle’s being crowned Amazon Queen.
Standard disclaimer: I don’t own Xena, Ares (I wish) or any of the other characters associated with her. The WB 11 owns them, I think. So don’t sue me, ok?
“_" Denotes someone speaking
*_* Denotes a thought
Full Circle
By ~Serenity Sea~
Chapter 1
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Gabrielle sighed deeply. It seemed that wherever she went with Xena, trouble ensued. At the present, she was fighting with Hercules about breakfast… or so they said.
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(Over by Xena and Hercules…)
“Hercules, I can’t stop him from appearing when and where ever he wants to. He’s a GOD, you moron, and no one can tell a god what to do."
Hercules groaned and looked at his dark brown-haired, blue-eyed friend straight in the eye. “He should NOT come to Gabs’ Inaugaration. You know, as well as I do, that if you told HIM to behave, he would. Or at least try to." He amended quickly.
Xena threw her hands up in the air disgustedly and practically yelled at Hercules: “What he does is NONE of my business. Or YOURS. We cannot stop him from doing what he wants to do. If he wants to be a little hellion, then that’s what he’ll be. I am NOT going to try to change a GOD. Not for you, and not for Gabrielle." *besides. I like him the way he is. Oh, Zeus. Did I really just think that? *
Hercules cocked he ear to the side, and then, hearing Gabrielle approaching, “Xena. We’re having EGGS for breakfast, or we can just go to the tavern in town."
Xena rolled her eyes and added, “Fine. You and Gabrielle go into town, I’ll stay here and pack up for later, ok?" she half-asked, half-demanded.
“Is everything ok, you guys?" Gabrielle asked, walking up to stand between the Warrior Princess and the Demi-God.
Hercules gave Xena one hard, long look over Gabrielle’s head, and nodded curtly. “We’ll see you in about an hour then."
Her back was facing them as she bent over to pick up the copper pot they’d used for dinner last night, but she waved anyway. “Ugh. Remind me to tell Gabrielle that I never want to do dishes again." Looking at the pot in revulsion, she tossed it into Argo’s water trough so it could soak, and leaned against her stallion. Stroking Argo’s mane softly, she whispered to the horse, “You think I’m right, right? I mean, I can’t make Ares change, can I?" Argo whinnied in response, and Xena didn’t know if that was a yes or no, so she moaned. “Why am I the woman that the God of War likes?"
A shimmer of gold and rose petals, and Aphrodite materialized before Xena. “Well, I would assume that it’s because you guys are so much alike. Am I wrong?"
Xena exhaled loudly. “But are we really, Aph? In all honesty, are we really that much alike?" she blew up her bangs up to the sky and looked at Aphrodite in defeat.
Aphrodite walked over to Xena quietly. While slinging an arm around her, she asked her softly, “Is Ares really that bad Xe? He does have some heart, after all, if he likes you. It takes guts to like a mortal, even you. Most mortals would have already fallen at the chance to be a God’s partner. What if he really just likes the way you play hard to get? Hmmm?" she questioned, seeing the wheels turning in Xena’s head.
“So let me get this straight. You’re saying that if I told Ares that I liked him back, he wouldn’t like me anymore?" Xena asked.
“It’s worth a shot." Aphrodite said mischievously. * If I get Xena to admit she likes Ares, all I gotta do is get Cupid to shoot her with an arrow, and then bang! The rest will be history. *
Xena looked suspiciously at Aphrodite’s scheming face before choosing her answer carefully. “But Aph, I don’t like him. * I’m just uncomfortable around him, that’s all* So why hurt him and get his hopes up like that?"
The goddess quickly re-played Xena’s answer in her head, * But Aph, I don’t like him. So why hurt him and get his hopes up? Ahhh. So she’s afraid to hurt him? Wonder what that’s all about? * “Riiight, Xena, you don’t like him at ALL."
Xena’s steely-blue eyes glared at Aphrodite’s innocent cornflower blues, before she answered. “I. Do. Not. Like. Ares," Drawing it out as if she was speaking to a small child.
The Goddess of Love shrugged and wiggled her fingers goodbye before starting to de-materialize.
“And don’t—“ Xena said coldly, causing the goddess to stop and listen, “—Don’t tell Cupid to shoot me with an arrow. If you do, I will see to it personally that you’re not invited to Gabrielle’s inauguration."
“Fine." The goddess added flippantly, before disappearing in another flash of gold and rose petals.
“Why rose petals?" The warrior princess moaned, while kicking some of the petals aside, unaware that she was being watched. “Why me?" she asked no one in particular. “Why me?" she whispered softly.
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A powerful looking man clad in black leathers stared sulkily at the silver mirror in front of him. Inside the mirror was a woman, more precisely, a Warrior Princess. Xena. She was kicking rose petals around, and hugging her horse, Argo. “What I’d give to be that horse." The man uttered quietly, which by looking at him, you could tell was not his nature. Then he shot up from the throne he was sitting in and ran a hand half-heartedly through his hair. “Xena, love, its time to pay you a visit." With a flash of silver, he was gone.
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“It’s been over and hour and they’re STILL not back. Where the HELL ARE THEY?!" Xena yelled in frustration. She quieted, and got chills and goose bumps. *Ares. Only he can manage to make me feel like this. * Then with a Warrior shout, “Aiiiiiiieeee!" she attacked the person behind her—who caught her easily and held her 3 feet above the ground.
“Really Xena, I can’t believe it took you this long to realize that it was me. Your skills are growing dull, my dear. Although I will say, I was very pleased with the way you dealt with my half-brother." he said, referring to Hercules and the incident about changing him. “And as far as Gabrielle and that loveable half brother of mine, well, lets just say they’re being detained."
“Ares." She said, acknowledging his presence in a voice that could freeze fire, and ignoring his question, “If so much as one hair upon Gabrielle’s head is harmed. You. Will. Pay."
“Oh Xena, I’m hurt." He said mockingly, placing his free hand over his heart. “But really, it’s just a distraction, nothing more. That much I promise." He told her solemnly.
“What kind of distraction?" she asked him coldly.
“Oh well, that’s for me to know and you to never, ever find out. I hear that our little Gabrielle is being inaugurated as Amazon Queen, next week. Artemis is quite pleased with her progress, as well as the fact that you and my half-wit brother are being her bodyguards."
“Put me down." She commanded. He dropped her lightly to her feet. “Are you going to the inauguration, Ares?" she asked.
“Do you want me to?" he asked her back, quite seriously.
“That depends. I can’t STOP you from going, but it would be nice to see a familiar face in that cats nest." She said, letting her guard down.
Ares mock-gasped. “Are you saying that you want me to be your date, Xena?"
“Oh dream on, War- God."
“Then exactly what are you saying?" he asked her, all traces of mockery gone from his tone of voice.
“Oh I don’t know. Why are you asking so many questions today? Does this have something to do with the visit your sister paid me earlier?" she demanded of him.
“Sister? Which one? Aphrodite? Hmmm. I didn’t ask her to visit you. Wonder why she came…" he trailed off, his eyes pinning her down. Seeing her avoid his eyes after about 2 seconds, which was unusually strange, he grabbed her wrist before she could move away. “You didn’t answer my question, Xena." He said, eyes glittering dangerously.
“Oh?" she said acidly. “I wasn’t aware you asked one."
He sighed deeply and pulled her unwilling face up to meet his. “Don’t you ever get tired of this, Xena? The constant fighting, yelling and false defense you have to put up? Don’t you ever get sick of it?"
“Ares…" *If only you knew…* “I don’t have a choice. I’m fighting for the greater good now, and you are not good."
“But I am…great?" He questioned, leaving the sentence dangling in the air.
“Well, you’re a God. I can’t exactly say that the God of War is a weakling, because that would be a lie, and you know it."
“Look at me." He instructed her. She looked up at him, and looked back down, her eyes not being able to hide what her heart was feeling. “Let me in, Xena. Just once. If you hate me after this, I’ll never touch you again, I swear on my Godhood. Let me in." he commanded.
Her eyes swung up to meet his and for once she was lost. She’d vowed, many times, never to let herself be taken in by a God, least of all, Ares. But here she was, her eyes giving away what words wouldn’t. Her steely blue eyes went soft under Ares’ cold glare, and although she didn’t tear her eyes off his, she let him in. And then, he bent his head down and kissed her.
His lips touched hers softly, slowly, very unlike the God of War, really. It was an understated kiss, quite frankly, coming from the God of War. He bit her lip gently, and touched her lips with his one last time before breaking the kiss.
“Now," he said, his voice somewhat husky, “Look me in the eye and tell me that meant nothing. Tell me you felt nothing in that kiss, Xena. Look me in the eye and tell me."
She looked up at him, and stared for what felt like an eternity, and said, “I felt—“ but was cut off by a shout from Gabrielle.
“XENA! Are you ok?" she asked, gasping for breath.
Xena turned around and looked distractedly at her blonde friend. “Um, yeah. I’m fine. Where’s Hercules?"
Gabrielle stared warily at Ares. “Who wants to know?" she asked.
“Dammit, Gabrielle, I do! Where is he?"
“I don’t know." She said fiercely. And turning on Ares, “What did you do to her? If you hurt her, I swear, I will—“
Xena put her hand up for silence. “Don’t, Gabrielle. It’s not worth it."
Ares sighed loudly and mouthed goodbye to Xena when Gabrielle wasn’t looking. Then he disappeared in a flash of blue.
“What happened Xena? Did he hurt you?"
*Oh yes, Gabrielle. He hurt me. He hurt me more than any wound in battle. He kissed me, and I felt it. ALL of it. (AN- GET you minds outta the gutter people, it’s a figure of speech!) I couldn’t look him in the eye and tell him I felt nothing because I would be lying and he’d know it. And he swore on his Godhood not to come back to see me again if I didn’t feel anything. He was honest, for the first time in his life, and he knew I would have to be too. Damn him. Damn Ares to Hell. *
“Xena…Xena? Hello, anybody home?" Gabrielle asked, waving her hand in front of Xena’s face.
“What? Oh yes, Gabrielle, everything’s fine. We should pack up and get going. Come on. We’ve got a long trip ahead of us." And she walked away, very deep in thought.
*Whatever happened, I’m going to find out. Something is up, and I want to know what it is. * Gabrielle stared at Xena’s fading form, as she walked off towards the camp. * I will find out, so help me, Zeus. *
Please e-mail the author of this story with your comments. serenity_sea@yahoo.com