The Kiss

“Shut up,” Gabrielle returned, punching Ares lightly on the arm. “Oh, we almost had her there, Ares! She nearly remembered . . .”

“She did remember. She was Xena again, just for a moment. It just didn’t last,” Ares corrected her, and frowned. “So much for your plan. Getting her to beat me up didn’t bring back happy memories.”

“Got a better idea?” Gabrielle retorted, then winced, remembered his previous plans. “No. No, you are not seducing Mel, in the hopes that she’ll remember all the fun of the past. There’s something kind of sick about that.”

She paced up and down the narrow cave where Ares had been staying while they concocted their plan. She noticed he’d managed to find enough black leather to decorate the place in the style he considered appropriate.

“Look,” Ares began reasonably. “You had your turn – at no small expense to my pride, let me add – now let me have mine. She’ll love it, trust me.”

Gabrielle squirmed. “Please don’t talk about it, Ares. It really makes me want to throw up.”

“Then?”

“Wait. I’ll think of something, I always do. Just – hold off on the seduction angle, OK? It hasn’t always been a sure-fire method.”

“Oooh, that was nasty,” Ares called after her as she headed back to camp. “Didn’t say yes,” he muttered finally.

“I heard that!”

*****

“Oh – you’re back.”

Mel – in her high-necked blouse and long skirt, Gabrielle could not think of her as anything but Mel – was waiting patiently in the tent, surrounded by a number of cases, all carefully packed. Gabrielle’s own things were still scattered about and she now grabbed a large soft bag and started hurling her things in willy-nilly.

“I guess we’d better be off, then?”

Gabrielle nodded slowly, giving Mel a speculative look. “How were you planning to get out of Greece, can I ask? The Nazis are set to invade; I doubt there’ll be a whole lot of passenger liners heading out.”

Mel frowned. “I guess I hadn’t thought about –“

“On the other hand, my old ‘bus will take us anywhere we choose.”

Mel’s eyes widened suddenly.

“You – you fly?”

She spoke with such a wistful air that Gabrielle looked up with surprise. A smile crept slowly over her face, and she straightened, packing the last of her tools in her bag and snapping it closed.

“Have you ever been up there, Mel?”

The taller woman shook her head emphatically. “Well, of course not. It’s dangerous, and it’s foolhardy, and . . . and . . .”

“Uh-huh. As dangerous and foolhardy as visiting Macedonia in the middle of a war?”

Mel blushed and looked away. Then she cleared her throat.

“I’ve always wondered about flying, you know,” she admitted in a tone near a whisper. “Being right away from the earth. It must feel –“ She allowed herself a sheepish grin at her own expense. “- well, heavenly.”

Gabrielle laughed at that.

“It can be pretty rough and noisy, too, but I think you’ll enjoy it anyhow. Come on – the scrolls are in a safe place, and I’ve hidden the plane due east. We’ll drive out there tonight, and work out where we’d like to go after that.”

“But where will we sleep?” Mel asked, a worried look on her face.

“Under the stars,” Gabrielle threw over her shoulder as she loaded her things into the back of the old car. “Here – shove your suitcase . . . er suitcases into the back, and –“

But Mel wasn’t listening.

“Under the – the stars? But what about bandits, or – or other men intent on ill-doings?”

Gabrielle bit her lips hastily, as Mel clutched tightly onto her bag, looking about nervously.

“Uh – Mel? You stood down the god of War not two hours ago. I don’t think a bandit or two is anything to worry about.”

Mel rolled her eyes. “Now, come on. That wasn’t really the god of War, was it?”

“What – what do you mean?”

“Look, it’s all very clear to me. We were stuck down there in some airless cave, reading about all those exciting adventures . . . well, no wonder we started hallucinating! Why, I nearly thought I was Xena!”

“You are Xena!” Gabrielle burst out, before clapping a hand over her mouth.

But Mel simply laughed. Then she shook her head again.

“Maybe you don’t know Xena as well as you thought you did. We might share the same colouring, but that’s all. I’m no hero. Look at me – dressed up for a walk in the park, not for a day in the diggings. I’m nothing like her, Janice, and never could be.”

Gabrielle stepped forward, and put her own hand on Mel’s, gripping the suitcase tightly.

“I loved Xena,” she began, pain reflecting in her eyes. But she sighed at the confused expression on Mel’s face. “I mean – yes, you’re as beautiful as she. But you’re as smart as she was, too – I’ve never met anyone with such a knowledge of ancient tongues as you. Not only that, you’ve got Xena’s courage – I saw how you stood up to Smythe. I can see a lot of Xena in you, Mel.” Then she grinned. “So if you hear me accidentally calling you Xena, well – you know why.”

Mel hesitated, then put her suitcase in the car.

*****

“Here it is!” Gabrielle grabbed at the canvas which covered the little two-seater and pulled hard, letting dust and cobwebs rain down. “They say this cave is haunted – I knew it’d be safe to leave it here.”

Mel shook her head. “Only you would think of leaving a plane in a haunted cave.” She looked around thoughtfully. “Strange – it must be deja vu – this place seems somehow familiar.”

Gabrielle shivered. There was a reason the locals believed there was something cursed about the place – Callisto had been shut up in it many a time.

“Let’s make camp just out here,” she suggested, changing the subject. “If we light a fire in the cave, we’ll be smoked out in no time.”

Mel hesitated, but Gabrielle looked at her steadily.

“I promise you that if any bandits or – or men intent on ill-doing come by, I’ll protect you, all right?”

Mel nodded once, then looked about. “So – we need a fire –“

“If you could look for some wood, Xe – er, Mel?”

“Oh, of course!”

Gabrielle sighed with pleasure. She had always wanted to say that. Shaking her head, she set to work clearing a place for the fire, and for their own sleeping places.

Mel came back with a large armful of wood, and looked away while Gabrielle caught and gutted a rabbit for their meal. Night fell quickly, and a sense of melancholy came over Gabrielle. How long had it been since they’d shared a starlit night and a flickering campfire together? And yet – they were not together, not really. It was Mel peering into the flames, not Xena.

“I guess I’ll turn in, now,” she said, smoothing out her bedroll. “Goodnight, Mel.”

“Uh – Janice?”

Gabrielle sighed, hearing the tremor in Mel’s voice. “What is it?”

“Maybe you could – seeing you’re an expert and all – maybe you could . . . “ Mel cleared her throat. “Tell me something more about Xena?”

A smile broke across Gabrielle’s face. “I’d be glad to, Mel.”

“And maybe . . . “ Mel’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Something about Ares, too?”

Gabrielle cursed to herself silently. It looked like Ares’ plan would be a winner, after all.

*****

“Aaahhhhh!”

Mel’s scream echoed in Gabrielle’s ear as the little plane took to the air. Gabrielle grinned to herself. She could hear that it was exhilaration, as well as abject fear, that prompted the scream. Mel was loving it, she was certain.

She took the two-seater up higher, past the low-lying clouds, right into the blue. She wanted to get out of Greece before the invasion happened – that was on the cards any day now. She was pretty sure that very soon there would be nowhere in Europe or North Africa that would be safe.

Fortunately, the place they were headed was neither in Europe nor Africa. In fact, it wasn’t anywhere at all.

“Get me dowwwnnn!”

Gabrielle nodded approvingly. Before she knew it, Mel would be onto Xena’s trademark ululation, out of pure fear.

They flew over the sparkling waters of the Aegean, and Gabrielle heard Mel’s gasp of astonishment and admiration. Islands like tiny green jewels dotted the seascape. Gabrielle circled lower, watching carefully. A light winked out at her, and she shouted over her shoulder at Mel.

“Get ready to land!”

“Where?” Mel called back. “There’s nothing . . . what are you doing?”

Funny, Mel couldn’t see it. Ares had said no one else could, either. Gabrielle supposed there were some benefits in having the god of war in love with your best friend; access to a private island during war-time had to be one of them.

Mel blinked and rubbed her eyes. For a moment there it had seemed that Gabrielle was landing them in the middle of the Aegean. But now she could see quite clearly the island beneath them. A long beach curved about, and rocky cliffs made way for low woodlands. A small stone temple stood on the headlands; and again a pang of deja vu troubled her.

Gabrielle landed the plane expertly on the firm ground between the forest and the beach. The plane shuddered and stopped, and Gabrielle turned about in her seat hopefully.

“Wasn’t that the best thing you’ve ever . . .”

Mel blinked a little and then narrowed her eyes. “Half of me is begging never to repeat such a terrifying experience ever again. The other part . . .”

The Xena part, Gabrielle thought to herself.

“ . . . is wondering when I can learn to fly for myself.”

Gabrielle let a smile of pure delight cross her face. “As soon as you like!” she promised, then scrambled out of the plane. “Well – as soon as we’ve settled here, anyway.”

Mel swung herself out more gracefully, and brushed herself down. “Where is here, anyway? I thought I knew all about the Greek Isles, but I don’t recall . . .”

Gabrielle coughed uncertainly, but then she saw Mel’s attention diverted.

“Who – who is that?”

Gabrielle looked up. There, standing on the headlands in front of the temple, was Ares.

“So much for waiting for my plan,” she muttered to herself.

“What?”

“Er – wait here, will you? I need to find out if he’s a man intent on ill-doing.” She started off in a run towards the temple. “You can start unloading the bags, if you like!”

As Mel headed to the plane obediently, Gabrielle wondered if she didn’t in fact prefer Xena this way. Then she shook her head. Nope. She couldn’t wait for the day Xena uttered her war-cry again.

“All right, I thought we decided . . .”

“Yes? What was your next step? You’ve taken her to my island, and –“

“Well – I thought I could get her back into it slowly. Find her a horse . . . a sword . . .”

Ares snorted. “Xena was more than a riding swordswoman, Gabrielle.”

“And she was more than a plaything of the gods, too!” Gabrielle flared. “Now, am I introducing you as Mr X, Ares, - or are you going to get out of here?”

Ares raised an eyebrow amusedly. “Temper, temper. Look . . .” He raked a hand through his hair distractedly. “I’m as keen as getting Xena back as you are, and I’m not about to jeopardise that for a good time.”

“Good,” Gabrielle replied stubbornly.

“So – introduce me as Mr X.” At Gabrielle’s rolled eyes, he grinned. “As the caretaker and guide of this temple, then. I’ll show her around, and I’m certain all those memories will come flooding back.” Then his eyes narrowed. “You’ll have to make yourself scarce, though.”

“No way,” Gabrielle returned stalwartly.

Ares looked worried. “No, seriously . . .”

“You think I trust her with you? Xena, perhaps. But this Mel is an innocent.”

“What do you imagine I’ll do?” Ares asked in exasperation. He shook his head at Gabrielle’s expression. “All right. What do you propose, then.”

“You swear to me – by the dagger of Helios, no less – that you won’t kiss Xena until she kisses you first.”

“You always wanted me dead, didn’t you, Gabrielle?” Ares asked solemnly.

“Promise me. Or I won’t leave you two alone – and you know how good I am at unwelcome interruptions.”

Ares sighed. “All right. But once Xena’s kissed me, then all bets are off, right?”

“Right. As long as it is Xena, of course. Not Mel.”

They shook hands gravely, and turned to watch Mel tugging valiantly at the suitcase which was caught in the plane’s hold.

“Let’s hurry.”

*****

“Oh, I see – they’ve asked you to do a further archaeological study of this temple?” Mel repeated, nodding seriously.

“That’s right,” Gabrielle agreed quickly. “And I thought – with your expertise in languages – your many skills would be of great use to me.”

“But I thought you were primarily interested in the Xena story.” Mel queried.

“Well – you know – this temple is linked very closely with the Xena legend. You see, it’s a temple belonging to . . .”

“Ares,” Mel breathed, looking at the man walking across the beach towards them. “I mean –“

“Yes, that’s right. It’s dedicated to Ares. And this man is the – er, temple guide,” Gabrielle cleared her throat. “He’ll give us an overview of the temple and the – er – carvings inside it. There are some old writings that no one has been able to translate as yet.”

“I see.” Mel’s eyes were fixed on those of the man approaching her. Somehow he made her feel both nervous and very, very, alive.

“Did you enjoy your flight?”

Mel nodded. “I don’t know that I’ve ever felt so free,” she admitted honestly, and Gabrielle threw a sharp look at her. Clothed in the tightest and most uncomfortable clothing, with her hair pinned closely to her head – well, who would expect she longed for freedom? Suddenly she felt less worried about leaving her to Ares.

“I’ll let you begin your tour . . . I need to find us a place to camp the night,” she said to Mel, pressing her hand warmly. She threw a sharp look at Ares, then headed into the woods where she thought she remembered a small cabin stood.

When she looked back, they were silhouetted in the afternoon light. She saw Ares reach out a hand; and Mel, after hesitating, take it.

*****

Ares found that he was almost trembling at the touch of Xena’s – no, it was Mel’s, he reminded himself quickly – hand on his own. Oh, the skin was softer, less calloused, and the grip less firm. But it was her hand all the same.

“Janice said that there are carvings, writings, in the temple that have yet to be translated,” Mel offered, lifting her skirts to begin climbing the steps up to the temple.

“Who the hell is Janice?” Ares replied unthinkingly, then cursed himself as Mel dropped his hand. “I mean – excuse my language, ma’am, I’ve been on this island alone a long time.”

“Apology accepted,” Mel returned coolly. “But why don’t you know Janice?”

“Well – I know her by another name, that’s all. Her Greek name,” Ares told her quickly. “Gabrielle.”

Mel snorted. “What are you talking about? That’s a Hebrew name.”

“Some Greek girls held it,” Ares argued. “I don’t know exactly why Janice chose it –“

But Mel was nodding. “I do.” Then she smiled a little. “Does that mean I have to choose a Greek name, too?”

“Yes,” Ares agreed quietly. “But wait a little. It will choose itself.”

Mel frowned a little in confusion, but followed him up the last curve of steps to the outer court of the temple. She stood on the marble and looked out at the sea.

“What a beautiful view. One could almost imagine a fleet of ships – triremes, yes? – just on the horizon.”

“That’d mean trouble,” Ares grinned. “A whole fleet, out to take this tiny island? There’d have to be something – or someone – pretty special here for them to warrant the journey.”

“Like Helen,” Mel sighed. “Or someone equally incredible.”

“Yes. Someone as lovely as Helen, or even more so,” Ares agreed, looking at her oddly. Mel managed a small smile and turned back to the temple.

“So, when does this temple date from?”

“The beginning of time,” Ares answered abstractly, and then coughed. “Er – they aren’t quite certain, as yet.”

“That will be Janice’s department, I’m sure,” Mel nodded. She followed Ares inside, and gasped. “I’ve never seen such beautiful mosaics – and the sculptures aren’t the least bit damaged by time!”

Ares noticed her eyes lingered on the large statue below the window on the left. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it – the woman warrior, sword in her hand, kneeling for the kill –“

Mel frowned a little. It was beautiful – but it also seemed familiar.

He drew her over to the large mural on the far wall. “Here – can you translate the script at the top of this? We think it refers to the battle of Troy . . .”

But Mel was shaking her head. “No – it doesn’t mention that at all. It’s talking about . . . about Corinth.” She grew quiet, tracing a hand over the pictures, whilst reading the text. “How strange. This commemorates a battle lost – what kind of people commemorate their losses?” She looked closely at the mosaics. “Is that – centaurs in the background?”

“What does the writing say?” Ares asked insistently.

“It’s about birth – and death, and . . . here, I think this says something about losing a battle, but winning a war.” Mel frowned, and took a deep breath. “Somehow, it seems very moving . . .”

Ares let her remain at the mural, then drew her to an inner room of the temple.

“Oh!” Mel exclaimed with delight. “Why, it’s as though it were all created yesterday, not thousands of years ago. It’s incredible!”

The room was filled with mosaics, painted amphorae, lifelike sculptures, and even tapestries. Mel wandered about them, murmuring exclamations to herself, reading the scripts, brushing a careful hand over their beauty.

She gazed at the enormous carving on the far wall – a chakram, with a sword through it. “Xena’s symbol,” she murmured. “Ares must have loved her very much.”

“What makes you say that?” Ares asked cautiously.

“Look – the temple entrance, with the battle of Corinth that turned Xena away from Alti’s excesses – driving her to Ares instead.”

“And amongst all the battle in which Ares had some involvement, only those in which Xena played a part are prominent,” she went on, pointing at the mosaics. “Brittania, Thermopylae - even the minor conflicts that are barely noted in the history books are represented. All because Xena was involved.”

“And –“ Then she paused.

“And?” Ares asked.

Mel looked up at him and smiled. Ares’ throat clenched. He cursed Gabrielle’s stupid vow. He would have given anything to have kissed her then.

“And, because I know Ares. I know he loved her.”

******

“You – you know –“ Ares stammered.

“Well, not personally,” Mel laughed, moving away. Ares cursed again. “But – I have a great interest in the god of War. I’ve done my reading, and – it’s pretty clear that he loved her. Oh, I know the scholars are still arguing over whether it was love or lust, etc etc – but I feel –“

Then she turned back to Ares. “I feel I know Ares, somehow,” she said shyly. “I think he really did love Xena.” Her eyes darted to his own. “Do you?”

“Yes, he did,” Ares answered honestly, and something shimmered before his eyes. He blinked angrily. “Have you seen this amphora?”

He pointed out the silhouettes of Xena fighting off the dryads. Mel drew closer, analysing the figures. Ares could feel the length of her body pressed up against his own, and grimaced. It was a fifty-fifty chance as to whether he’d die from the dagger of Helios, or from pure frustration.

“Er – what about the writings above this tapestry, here?” he asked, moving hastily over to the other side of the temple. But Mel was squinting. “My eyesight isn’t so good, and I left my spectacles in the plane. If you could –“

Ares found that he had wrapped his arms around her and was lifting her up to see the writings. He began to sweat.

“Ohhh.”

Ares put her down and stepped away hastily.

“Now, that’s very interesting. It says that despite all of Ares’ efforts, Xena never returned his love at all.”

“It does not!” Ares returned hotly. “It says . . .”

Mel raised an eyebrow. “Yes?”

A smile came over Ares face, and he stepped closer. “I’ve never seen Mel do that before.” He took her back into his arms and sighed. “How long have you been back, Xena?”

She grinned. “What does it say?”

“You realise I can’t initiate a kiss, for fear of being impaled on the dagger of Helios?” Ares interjected.

A frown came over her face. “Who thought up that one?”

“Gabrielle.”

“Oh. Well, I’m sure she was just trying to protect me. Though I will have to get her back for the firewood. Now, what does it really say?”

Ares shrugged. “Oh just that Xena and Ares’ love was true, timeless. . .”

Xena kissed him gently. “ . . .and everlasting,” she finished softly. “You know when I came back?”

“Yes,” Ares murmured, kissing the base of her throat, the curve of her face. “It was when I said I loved you.”

*****

Ares woke first, as the light of dawn entered through the long low windows of the temple, colouring the stone and resting on Xena’s face.

He watched her peaceful sleep, as he had so many times before. The way a lock of her hair fell across her face. Her cheeks flushed, her brow smooth and unworried. He had seen it all before.

A bird called out the morning, and Xena stirred. She blinked a little, and then smiled, seeing Ares’ eyes upon her. She reached up and stroked the side of his chin almost cautiously, then smiled again as he dipped in for a kiss.

“Could anything be more perfect?” Xena sighed, stretching. Then a frown crossed her face.

“What is it?”

“Can you show me – can you show me what is happening in Greece, now?”

Xena turned and watched as Ares created a window in the air. A strange city appeared, and huge explosions rocked the place.

“Where is that?” Xena asked incredulously.

“It’s Athens,” Ares told her. “There’s to be a great air-battle there, in the not-too-distant future.”

“Then we’ll have to leave this place,” Xena said sorrowfully. “ I can’t know that my country is under attack and do nothing about it.”

“I could click my fingers . . .”

“No,” Xena replied resolutely, and smiled. “We’re going to fly.”

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