Rating: R

Spoilers: Sacrifice I + II

Timeline: End of Season 3

Summary: Ares convinces Xena to ally with him against Hope and Callisto...

Disclaimer: I SO don't think I own them!

Notes: This is a Xena/Ares pairing, if you don't like it, tough! hehehe

Sacrificial Love

By Alicia

"I want you to lead my army, Xena."

Ares stared hard, trying to gauge her reaction.  As usual, her face was expressionless.

"Ares, I'm not going to be one of your followers,"  Xena informed him.

Ares gently cupped her shoulders and looked her right in the eyes.   "I don't expect you to follow me, Xena.  You're too much your own person for that.  You will lead my army, but it will become yours...you will be my equal...eventually."

He stepped back and winked at her.  "Besides, it's been written..."  he shrugged, then disappeared.

*~*~*~*

Xena made her way back to Gabrielle.  For once, Ares had surprised her.  Not the fact that Ares wanted her to lead his army, but that he would readily accept her as a potential equal.

A female...a human.

She had heard the rumors, had tried to keep them from Gabrielle.  And she had done so, but she, herself, couldn't ignore them.

If Xena didn't do this, Ares would father Hope's six destroyers.  She couldn't let that happen...

*~*~*~*

"Ares!"  Xena called, trying to summon him.

"Yes, my Princess?"  came his voice from behind her.

It had been a full day since his proposal.  Xena had weighed her options, but had decided to side with Ares.

She stared hard at him.  "I'll lead your army, Ares, but on three conditions..."

He repressed a grin,  "Okay, Xena.  What are they?"

"One, we keep Gabrielle out of this; two, we keep this a purely business relationship; and three, you stay away from Hope and her fertile womb."

This time, Ares flashed her a broad grin.  "Why, Xena, you sound jealous..."

She glared at the god.  "You wish, Ares."

"Yeah, I do..." he sighed.  Then, with a flash of blue light, he was gone...

"One of these days, I'm going to kill him..."  Xena muttered to herself.

*~*~*~*

Ares sat in the Halls Of War, metaphorically patting himself on the back.

He had convinced Xena to join him.  Those rumors he had started had also helped.  She's jealous, he told himself, but it was only obvious to him, he knew her so well...

Not that he would ever get together with any daughter of Dahak, especially Hope.  She was the one that gave that bitch goddess, Callisto, the dagger that had killed Strife.  His nephew may have been a cowardly braggart, but he had been loyal...well, as loyal as a god could be...

Callisto...

 

That bitch is going down!  Ares vowed silently.  He would make sure that he and Xena dealt with Hope, then they would turn their attention to Callisto.  He had plans for the two female warriors.

 

Plans that neither Callisto nor Xena could find out about until the last moment...

 

*~*~*~*

 

"Gabrielle?"

 

Gabrielle looked up at Xena in surprise.  Xena hadn't spoken since she had met with Ares.  They were sitting  around the fire, finishing dinner.

 

The moon had long risen since Xena had conversed with her ex-lover.  It had taken her that long to decide what to tell her blond side-kick...she still hadn't really made up her mind, but she had to say something.

 

"Xena?  What's wrong?  What happened this afternoon?"  Gabrielle wore a worried look.

 

Xena looked Gabrielle in the eyes.

 

"I made a deal with Ares..."

 

*~*~*~*

 

Xena ran to the side of the well as she saw her best friend swept up by Dahak.

 

"Gabrielle!"  she called out in desperation.

 

It was then that she heard Callisto's insane laughter behind her.  "Thank you, Xena.  I finally have something to live for!  Seeing poor, dear Gabrielle sacrifice herself..."

 

Xena cut Calllisto's speech short by thrusting the dagger into the goddess' stomach.

 

Ares ran to their side.  He picked up one of Xena's hands and placed it in Callisto's as Xena sneered at the warrior goddess,  "No more living for you..."

 

He made sure he held each woman's hand in one of his and joined them together.  "Let it flow..."  he whispered low enough so that no one else heard.

 

Callisto's body slumped to the ground as all life drained from it.  Ares immediately let their hands go.  Xena had been too preoccupied in her revenge on Callisto that she hadn't even noticed what Ares had done, she was still in shock.

 

Gabrielle was gone...

 

Xena didn't notice when Ares held her so tenderly in his arms and both of them disappeared from the scene and appeared in the Halls Of War in Ares bedchamber.

 

There was still no reaction from the Warrior Princess as Ares undid the straps of her armor and removed it from her body.  But when Ares began to remove her underclothes, Xena gave a weak protest...

 

"What are you doing, Ares?"  Xena questioned in a dangerously low tone.

 

The God Of War cupped her shoulders from behind and whispered gently in her ear,  "Don't worry, Xena, I just want you to get some sleep...it's okay, just sleep..."

 

Ares voice soothed away her protests.  He helped her into bed and tucked her in, under the covers.  Ares lay on top of the covers and lay on his side, beside her, propping himself up on one arm and smoothed her hair back from her face in a comforting gesture.

 

Xena fell into a restless sleep in the comfort of Ares embrace...

 

*~*~*~*

 

Xena awoke late the next morning, the other side of the bed where Ares had slept was empty, but at the foot of the bed lay a trunk with a beautiful midnight blue silk gown laid out over it.

 

She recognized it as one of her favorites from years ago, back when she was Ares' favorite warlord.  She slowly got out of bed and put the gown on.  It still fit.  She could also still battle in it, most of her old gowns had long slits up the side.  Not that she'd need to fight anyone, unless one of the other gods decided to take her out.

 

Xena stared hard at the trunk, wondering if the rest of her clothes from her warlord days were in there.  It's big enough, she thought.  She lifted the lid and her suspicions were confirmed.  All of her clothes were folded neatly in the trunk, a jeweled dagger rested on top of them.

 

She picked up the weapon and studied it.  Yes, she thought, It's the same one I lost in battle.  Xena had been captured by a warlord shortly after her defection to the good side.  He had taken the dagger from her, the weapon being easily recognized as a precious gift from the God Of War, declaring her his Chosen.

 

Ares must have taken it from him...

 

She put the dagger into its sheath and attached it to the small hook on the waist of the dress.  She left the room, looking for Ares.

 

Xena wondered why Ares had kept her belongings.  After the last time he had brought her there to try and persuade her to come back with him and she had , yet again, rejected his offer, she figured that he would have burned her belongings...

 

*~*~*~*

 

Ares watched his love with tender eyes.  Her image shimmered in the small space in front of him, giving him a viewing of how she was coping without him actually being there.  He didn't want to intrude upon her grief.

 

He could tell by the bemused expression on her face and the way she kept her hand over the dagger at her waist, that she was confused by his actions, but she would never believe the truth...

 

So instead, he avoided her, hoping to evade her questions, not wanting to pour his heart out to her and be rejected by her, yet again...

 

*~*~*~*

 

As always, Xena found him eventually.  He was in the main hall conversing with one of his warlords.

 

"Ares,"  she called, trying to get his attention.

 

He turned in her direction, then turned back to the warlord.  "Leave us,"  he instructed the man.

 

"But, my Lord Ares..."  he argued.

 

"I said: Leave us!!!"  Ares commanded.

 

The warlord bowed respectfully, then left.

 

Ares approached Xena warily.  "How are you this morning?"

 

She watched him cautiously.  "Fine,"  she said.  Then she got right to the point.

 

"Ares, tell me some things.  One, why am I here?  Two, why do you still have all of my old clothes?  Three, how in Tartarus did you get my dagger?  And finally, what did you mean by 'it's been written'?"

 

Ares took a deep breath and looked at her with a hint of vulnerability in his eyes.  "You really want to know, Xena?  You might not like, nor believe for that matter, what I say."

 

Xena raised an eyebrow.  "Tell me,"  she said calmly.

 

"Okay.  You're here because I want you here.  I want you by my side, Xena."

 

She looked as if she was about to argue.  Ares held up a hand.

 

"Let me finish.  I took your dagger from Pryteus.  He didn't want to part with such a token,"  he smiled.

 

"So you killed him."  It wasn't a question.  Ares glared at her interruption.  "Go on,"  she instructed.

 

"Anyway, I kept your clothes because I always knew that you would come back to me one day.  As for you becoming my equal, well, an Oracle from further back than even I can remember, once prophesized that the Warrior Princess would serve as Goddess to her titled God.  That would be me."

 

Xena's head jerked up in surprise.  Goddess...me?  To Ares?

 

"She would serve as the mother of the six who displace the six who destroy.  You, Xena."  Ares' eyes lit up at the thought of her as the mother of his children.

 

Xena hadn't even heard that part.  She was still stuck on the Goddess  part.  "How could I become a Goddess?  Velasca and Callisto ate the last of the Ambrosia,"  she told him in disbelief.

 

Ares laughed.  "No, Xena.  The Gods can create more Ambrosia on a whim, but that's not how you received your Godhood."

 

Xena locked onto one word.  "Received?  You mean...?"

 

Ares smiled as realization dawned on her.  "Yes, Xena.  You are now the Goddess of War, the more reasonable and merciful of the two of us."

 

Ares missed the mischievous gleam that entered her eyes.  "So, does that mean that I can oppose you...?"

 

"Yes...I guess so,"  he answered.

 

"So, I can just do..."  A blue flame appeared in the palm of her hand.  "...this!"  She threw the fireball at his chest.

 

Her aim was true, the ball of fire hit the center of his chest and knocked him on his leather-clad ass.

 

"Xena!!!"  His thunderous roar echoed throughout the Halls Of War.

 

Several of Ares' slaves and servants looked on in amusement as Xena ran from the main hall, laughing.  Their amusement was replaced by surprise as the Warrior Princess stopped and changed her escape route.

 

"Wait a minute,"  she said to herself, placing her hands on her hips.  "I'm a Goddess!"

 

Ares found her in time to witness Xena disappear in a brilliant flash of pale blue light, similar to his own.

 

"Arrggghhhh!!!!!  When I get my hands on that woman...!"  Ares grinned when he thought of exactly what he would do to Xena when he caught her.

 

Then he took his leave in the same manner as his Warrior Goddess...

 

*~*~*~*

 

"Mmm..."  Ares moaned as he stirred from sleep.  Xena lay curled up against him, her fingers wandering his broad torso.

 

"Ares?" 

 

"Hmm?"  Xena had forgotten that he had always woken slowly.  Definitely not a morning person.

 

"I want to know exactly what's going on.  You know how I hate being in the dark about things..."  the Warrior Goddess murmured to her lover.

 

She watched as one eye popped open, staring at her, then the other.  Her lips curved in a fond smile.  Little things were reminding her all about him, how playful he used to be with her, how courteous and considerate.

 

Air escaped him in a huff.  He was acting like a small child being forced to tell his mother where his 'pet' frog was...

 

"Xena, maybe you shouldn't know, just yet.  I mean, we've only just gotten back together and you still need time to get used to all of the mechanisms of being a Goddess...and, well..."  he paused, not sure how to tell her...

 

"...I have to get used to the other gods..."  she finished for him.  She knew how she was considered.  Most of the gods respected her position as Ares chosen, but there were a few, albeit limited, that saw her as just another pathetic mortal.

 

Ares jerked his head in acknowledgement.  "Yeah.  Dear old Dad likes you and so do Aphrodite, Cupid and Psyche, but there are still some that really don't want to see you on Mt. Olympus, or even by my side..."

 

"Like me!!!"  came the furious screech.  The couple turned to see an enraged Discord, who promptly tossed a fireball in Xena's direction.  Both Ares and Xena reciprocated, the doubled energy sending the goddess flying into the stone wall behind her.

 

Within seconds, Xena and Ares stood above Discord, both fully clothed and more than a little furious.  Xena grabbed the other goddess' hair and yanked her to her feet.  She slammed her up against the wall and calmly told her, "You can tell the other gods that messing with me just isn't an option anymore.  As you can see, not only am I stronger than you, I also have Ares on my side.  You can either respect my position as one of you, or you can be on the receiving end of some Hind's blood.  Got it?"

 

Discord's eyes shot daggers at the newly formed Goddess.  "Don't think that this is over, Xena,"  she threatened as she disappeared.

 

Ares looked at his lover.  "Well, that went well..."

 

*~*~*~*

 

"Why is she here?"  came the thunderous voice.

 

"Xena..."

 

"...will give birth to..."

 

"...the cherished ones,"  answered the Fates.

 

"That's not what I wanted to hear!"

 

*~*~*~*

 

Xena was furious.  It had been bad enough being a mortal and constantly having to help people against the gods, but now she had them breathing down her neck, too.

 

She turned to Ares.  "I asked you before and now I'm asking you, again.  What in Tartarus is going on???"

 

Ares tenderly drew his Goddess into his warm embrace.  "Don't worry, my love.  They are few and worthless.  They want to stop our union, our destiny, but it's too late for that."

 

Xena snuggled into his arms, her earlier joy at becoming his partner making way for reality.  "Tell me the rest of the prophesy, Ares,"  she whispered.

 

Ares closed his eyes and held her tighter.  "Are you sure you want to know, sweet?"

 

"Yes..."  she said uncertainly.

 

He led her to the bed.  Xena sat down on the edge and Ares knelt down in front of her.  The God Of War looked up at his Warrior Goddess.  "Xena, in place of Hope's destroyers, you will give birth to my children, children to be loved and cherished, the ones that will defeat Dahak and his darkness once and for all."  Ares expression softened in sympathy as the horror and terror surfaced in her eyes.

 

"No...Ares, not another child!  I can't do that again..."  Xena shook her head in denial.

 

Ares closed his eyes and buried his face in her stomach, nuzzling the soft material of her dress.  His hand rose to her stomach and came to rest next to his cheek. 

 

"It's already done, my Goddess..."

 

*~*~*~*

 

Hours later, Xena was still sitting on the edge of the God-size bed in the same position Ares had left her in when he had informed her of her delicate condition.  The Goddess didn't know what to do or how to react.  She had sworn that she would have no more children after what Hope had done to Solon, but there was no way that she would destroy a child that was already growing in her womb, most especially, a child of hers and Ares'.

 

After her god had dropped his rather large bombshell, Xena had just sat there, staring into space.  Eventually, Ares had stood up and sighed.  He had lowered his disappointed, yet understanding, gaze to the floor and had swiftly turned on his heel and strode out of the room, his drooping shoulders belying his confidant stride.

 

But everything's different now, she told herself.  Hope was gone and she was no longer just the 'Warrior Princess', a mortal.  She was a Goddess...

 

She had made her decision...

 

"ARES!!!!!!!!!"  She bellowed, then disappeared in a brilliant flash of light.

 

*~*~*~*

 

The God Of War heard his former chosen's demand of his presence, but was still wounded from her recent rejection of his child.  Rationally, he could understand her sorrow, but to his way of thinking, she had him now.  They would both protect this child and there was no way in Tartarus that anyone would dare harm a full god, let alone a Child Of War.

 

Ares heard the tell-tale sigh of a god's entrance, followed by the flash of light.  He turned around to see his lover standing there, a bittersweet smile gracing her still-pale face.

 

"Xena..."  he whispered, as he opened his arms to her.  She slowly walked into his arms and held on to him tight, burying her face in his leather top.

 

"Ares," she moaned.  Ares thrust his fingers into her mane of raven hair and held her head against his chest.

 

"No one will ever harm our child, my princess.  I will see them in the loneliest and most torturous depths of Tartarus first," he whispered with barely controlled fury.  His goddess had been reduced to this, and there was no way that he would ever allow anyone, man or god, to cause her such grief again.

 

Xena looked up at Ares, her love and her deepest trust shining in her eyes.  Her lover smiled down at her and captured her parted lips with his own...

 

One of their priestess' happened upon them at that moment, only to witness their tender kiss and then their starlight exit.  Barely seconds later, the Halls Of War echoed with the happy giggles of its goddess and the delighted moans of its once-sinister god...

 

The End

...h.o.m.e...