Forget Fate

Xena sighed. “Are you still watching that show?”

Gabrielle shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “No – well, sometimes. It’s funny.”

“You call it humour; I call it character assassination.” Xena emphasised the final word slightly, and Gabrielle gulped.

“All right, so they got ninety per cent of our story wrong –“

“Ninety-nine per cent,” Xena muttered.

“Even so, it’s still kind of funny.”

“You’ve got a weird sense of humour.”

Gabrielle rolled her eyes, then cleared her throat and smiled sweetly.

“Did you hear what they did to advertise the last Xena convention?”

“Are you still –“

“XENA!”

“All right, all right. What?”

“Well, they got these actors to pretend they were us, except like reincarnations of us, and then they read out this scroll, which they said Joxer wrote –“

“Joxer couldn’t write,” Xena stated categorically. “I think there were only about ten people in Greece who could at the time.”

“Xena!”

“Go on, please,” Xena said through gritted teeth. She took a last glance at the television, then sighed and switched it off. She’d have to wait for the replays.

“Anyway, this scroll said that you’d made a deal with Ares – to marry him and for him to get your soul – if he told you where I was. Because you didn’t know, I can’t remember why – oh, I think I fell down a hole – and then . . .” Gabrielle swallowed a little at Xena’s darkening face. “Um – anyway after they read the scroll one of the actors who was – um – pretending to be Ares rode up and they had like a fight and . . .”

Xena’s face was an inch from her own. Gabrielle gulped.

“Um . . . it was just for fun . . .”

“Fun,” Xena repeated quietly. “Right.”

She moved away and headed towards the kitchen bench, sorting quietly through the day’s mail.

“Xena.”

Gabrielle got up from the couch and moved over to her friend. “Come on. Why does it bother you so much?”

Xena shrugged.

“You know you laughed when they blamed me for bringing Dahak into the world; and when they made you throw me over a cliff –“

“That was different,” Xena muttered.

“Why?” Gabrielle persisted.

Xena shrugged again.

“Is it because I’m here – and you’re here – and we know what’s what – and it doesn’t make any difference? But Ares is –“

Xena stiffened.

“That ‘s it, isn’t it? It seems such an insult to his memory, when that is all you have of him.”

Xena turned around finally and looked at Gabrielle. “You know what he was like. You know those long - decades - when we were together were so wonderful, just so right; and to be going over and over those first few horrible years is just –“

“Painful,” Gabrielle finished.

“Yeah.”

There was a silence.

“Then we can’t stop looking for him, can we?”

Ares stood in front of his men and shook his head.

“It’s the same, every time. Those words of wisdom I’ve always said; when in battle keep your head. But do you listen? Sure, I used to just run out there wildly, having fun, wiping out the opponent. It isn’t enough anymore. It’s all about strategy, it’s all about KNOWING what you want, and GOING for it. I want destruction, and I want it to be total.”

He had the attention of every one of them. They looked up to him with complete loyalty; complete trust. He nearly smiled, but quashed the impulse. Instead, he roared.

“This isn’t a game. It isn’t a skirmish. This is the State Soccer FINALS. So get out there and kill ‘em all!”

The Warriors cheered and ran out onto the field, to the roars of the crowd. Ares grinned. Sure, sometimes he missed the adulation of the crowd, but the glow of power, controlling the best team in the country, was far, far greater. There was nothing like it; nothing felt so good.

The umpire’s whistle blew, and Ares made himself focus, watching his players move exactly as he’d planned, doing just what he told them. Yeah, there was nothing like it. And, he decided, if he thought it often enough, he’d believe it, too.

“That isn’t Ares.”

“It looks like him –“

“Ares wasn’t blonde. Or short. Or female.”

“That’s a girl?” Gabrielle snatched the paper out of Xena’s hand. “Xena! I meant that one!”

“And he wasn’t ugly, either,” Xena retorted, throwing the magazine on the coffee table. “Gabrielle! Do you really think you’re going to find a picture of Ares in Sports Illustrated?”

“Well, it was a long shot, I guess,” Gabrielle admitted. Then she brightened. “Hey, how about an ad in the paper?”

“Oh, I can see it now. Feel like the god of war? Got a preference for leather? Call now . . .”

Gabrielle squirmed. “All right, so we’d end up with a million phone calls from Howers. Maybe we’d better leave it up to fate.”

“Er, Gabrielle? We destroyed their loom, remember? I hate to think what they’re planning if they ever rebuild.”

Now Gabrielle shivered. “Do you think that’s why – you’ve never met? The Fates are punishing you?”

“Well, they let us meet, didn’t they?” Xena reminded her sweetly.

“Oh, you’re right,” Gabrielle sighed with relief. “They must still like us, then.”

“My thoughts exactly.”

She was late again.

Xena tapped irritably on the tablecloth in front of her. Gabrielle was invariably late, whether for lunch, movies, whatever. Sure, she always had perfect excuses; walking old ladies across the street, protecting infants from the flashers in the park, but Xena had her doubts. After all, she did that and still managed to arrive on time.

The waiter approached her for the third time, and, exasperated, Xena consented to order.

“Drink.”

“Alcoholic or non?”

“Alcoholic.”

“Wine or beer?”

“Wine.”

“Red or white?”

“White.”

Xena stabbed at the menu finally and the waiter skulked away.

“Dry or sweet?”

“I said-“ Xena began, looking up furiously, but someone quite different was standing before her.

“Well?”

“Dry,” she replied. “Long or short?”

“Oh, long. . .soft or hard?”

“Hard. Sparklers or fireworks?”

“Fireworks.”

He’d flipped a chair now and was sitting there staring intently at her.

“Dark or light?”

“Dark. Condoms or the pill?”

The man leant forward slightly, and looked at her directly. “Is that an invitation?”

Xena raised an eyebrow. “You’d have to give me a ring or two, first.”

Without breaking his gaze, he slipped off one of his rings from his right hand and passed it over. Xena casually slid it up her own third finger, then tilted her head.

“Doesn’t fit. What a pity.”

“Oh, Xena, I’m sorry I’m late, I had to chase this bag-snatcher over three bridges and a highway . . .”Gabrielle trailed off and looked at the retreating figure. “What was the coach of the state soccer team doing here?”

“That was Ares.”

"Ares is their coach? I'd have thought they'd have had Zeus at least."

"The AFL got in first."

“And since when do you need a proposal first?”

“I meant a few phone calls, but I won’t turn down diamonds.”

Gabrielle finally managed to draw up a chair, and signal the waiter. “Do you think he remembers that he’s Ares?”

“No.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because I’ve still got my clothes on.”

Who was that?

Ares realised he had just gone up to a complete stranger and engaged in the weirdest conversation of his life. He’d bantered, in fact. And he felt quite sure that he wanted to banter again with her . . .

He walked slowly back to the training ground, stepping across the main road, hardly aware of what he was doing. He didn’t do things like that.

Go up to a beautiful woman – whose eyes, oddly enough, were the exact shade of blue that he believed all eyes should be, and the exact colour and style of hair that he loved – and speak to her as though he’d known her forever. As though he knew how she spoke, moved, thought . . .

He shook his head, trying to dislodge the peculiar ideas swarming about his mind. Like even if the Warriors won the grand final, it wouldn’t really matter if he never saw her again.

Which was entirely ridiculous. What was banter compared with the State Soccer Cup?

Flicking his eyes to his watch, he began to run, remembering he had to meet with the team for some afternoon practice. Almost unconsciously he slid his thumb over the ring on his finger, still warm from her hands.

He didn’t need anything else. He didn’t.

“How did you know he was the coach for the state soccer team?” Xena asked inconsequently.

“How did I know? I haven’t been forced – bodily forced – to sit and watch the finals of the World Cricket Championships, the tennis, the football, and yes – the soccer, year after year? You think I don’t know everything about them by now?” Gabrielle protested, sipping her own drink. Then she relented. “Plus it was on the back of his shirt.”

The waiter finally brought them their meals, but Xena wasn’t interested in food any longer.

“After all that he probably was in Sports Illustrated,” she muttered.

“Huh. Well, it should be easy enough to find his address. You can call on him tonight!” Gabrielle finished, shoving half her sandwich in her mouth.

“What? You expect me just to tap on his front door and say ‘hello?’”

“More like – ‘we lived in sin on grandma’s farm for fifty years – isn’t it about time we got hitched?’”

“I can hear the slam of the door echoing in my ears,” Xena retorted. “That’ll really get him remembering!”

“Well, it’s not as though you can produce photographs –“

“Oh, I’ll just kiss him. That should bring everything back.”

“You didn’t need to kiss me to ID me!”

Xena muttered something sotto voce.

“You said it, didn’t you?” Gabrielle said accusingly. “And you promised you never would!”

“I didn’t say anything!” Xena protested.

“I heard you. Kiss of Death, it was as clear as clear. Well, there are plenty of people who survived my kisses, let me tell you!”

“Oh yeah,” Xena said sarcastically, handing the waiter her credit card. “There was . . . oh no, he died. Then again, there was – nope, he’s dead too.”

“I kissed Joxer, and he’s alive and well!”

“Gabrielle, if you’re interested in moving in with Joxer on his pig farm down south, you’d better let his wife and thirteen kids know already.”

She got up from her seat with a smirk, and headed for the door.

“I’m not –“ Gabrielle broke off. “You asked for it, Xena.” She swung her friend around and planted a kiss on her lips. “There.”

Xena wiped it off with a scowl.

“Great. I have to meet Ares and my Maker on the very same day. Thanks a lot.”

Gabrielle wrinkled her nose in a grin, and then pulled her friend over towards the park.

"Well, while we ponder your clever plan, let's just get some inspiration," she suggested. "They're training on the oval across the road . . ."

Xena needed no further invitation.

Suddenly there was a scream, and Gabrielle and Xena looked quickly over to see a hand grab at a child near the clump of trees by the park’s edge. They both broke into a run, although Xena overtook Gabrielle within moments. She raced across the centre of the park, focusing only on the scuffle of movements in the trees. She jumped over benches, picking up speed on the open grass, and finally vaulting over the stormwater drain, before heading directly for the trees.

The child screamed again, and Xena leapt, tackling the figure in front of her, and pushing him to the ground.

“Hey!”

“Ow!” Xena yelled, as three little kids jumped on top of her and began beating at her with their fists. “What the –“ She rolled off the struggling body, and realised that it was another kid. In a blindfold.

“Hide and seek, right?” she said lamely. “I – er –“

Then there was another scream.

Xena jumped up and looked back over at the park. Gabrielle had been just behind her . . . now the place seemed full of soccer players. Half of them were running towards her, obviously alerted by the children’s screams. But the others were standing around the stormwater drain . . .

The workmen had left off the grille, but she’d seen it, and jumped over it, without a problem. A few soccer players now surrounded it, staring, calling. They also stopped her as she tried to jump in after Gabrielle.

“Let me go!” she snarled, pushing the men back. “She can swim, she’ll be fine . . .” The water rushed beneath her, but she knew Gabrielle would be fine, she had to be fine -

"There's an outflow pipe, on the other side of the park -" one of the players gasped. "They'll be there . . ."

"They?" Xena repeated, grabbing the man's arm and shaking him. "Who?"

"Coach - he jumped in after her -"

She'd lost them both.

“That man. That man you just brought in. Is he all right? I need to see him, I need to –“

Xena ran into the main ward, stopping at the nurses station, gasping for breath. “Only immediate family,” the nurse informed her with a bored expression.

“But –“

“Is he your flesh and blood, hmm? If not, the room’s off-limit, all right?” the nurse repeated, her hand on a buzzer.

Xena opened her mouth to protest.

“Xena?”

She swung around. Gabrielle was lying on a bed, while her nurse filled in a form at the desk.

“Gabrielle! You’re all right – you –“

“I fell down the hole. And then he saved me . . .”

“Yeah, yeah he did, sweetie,” Xena told her softly, squeezing her hand. “And you’ll be just fine.”

“I think – I think he knows he’s Ares, Xena,” Gabrielle coughed.

“You do? Why?”

“He said – he said `what is it with you and falling down holes, Gabrielle?’”

She coughed again, and the nurse turned back to her, moving her bed into a curtained cubicle.

Xena frowned. “I don’t get it.”

"Grey or black?"

Ares stood in the doorway, watching Xena flicking channels from her position on the couch.

She didn't move. "Black. Fur or leather?"

A small smile came over Ares' face.

"Leather. Fight or flight?"

"Fight. Peace or war?"

Ares considered this for a moment. Then he grinned, moving swiftly behind Xena and touching his lips, gently, to the corner of her mouth.

"War -"

She moved just as quickly, covering his mouth with her own, kneeling up on the black, leather couch and wrapping her arms around him.

"You remember me . . ."

"I remember," he agreed, planting soft kisses over her face, her throat, then looking up at her eyes, meeting her there. "I remember when you kissed me, and it tasted of blood, and I was happy."

"I remember . . ."

"I remember when you looked at me, and you nearly cried, and I knew you loved me."

"I remember . . ."

"I remember when you kissed me again, and it tasted of everything in the whole wide world, most especially you."

Xena grinned at that. She pulled him round till he was sitting beside her. "So the fates haven't caught up with us yet."

"I've got your soul now, not they," Ares assured her, pushing aside her fall of hair with his hand. "And you've got mine."

"Oh, is that how it works . . ."

He slid down and knelt in front of her. Xena raised an eyebrow. "What else do you remember?"

Ares grinned, and grabbed her hand. “Does this one fit?” he asked, slipping a ring over her finger.

Her eyes flickered down to the diamond for a moment, and then back to his face. “Yeah.”

"And do I?" he asked, his face a little vulnerable. Xena smiled, reaching for him.

"Yeah," she told him, her lips just touching his. "We fit."

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