Subtext: You know, I have made so many jokes over subtext that I just don’t have one to put here anymore (I’ll work on it wink)
Violence: I never write any violence too graphic so if there is… It’s nothing too bad- but hey it IS Xena if you don’t like violence WHY are you watching the show?
Author’s Notes: This is the sequel to “A Love Lost” read this and the story will make MUCH more sense.
Spoilers: Dahak episodes… Lifeblood (to extent of Amarice anyways)… That’s it
Dedications: To all of my shipper friends Rating: PG-13
Feedback: FEED ME!!! Ephiny4@aol.com
*thinks to herself* God’s I hate writing those!
She IS What I Made Her!
By Ephiny4 (Ephy)
It had been just a few days since Xena, Ares, and Amarice had returned from hell. Hercules and Iolaus were still traveling with them; Xena wanted them to get used to seeing Xena and Ares together. Xena and Ares were fishing when Xena brought something that had been bothering her for a few days.
“Ares?” She asked. “Do you remember how you died?”
“Now that you mention it, no I don’t. Why?”
“No reason!” She said quickly as she turned her back to him. Ares looked at her strangely, walked up to her, and put his arm around her.
“Xena, what’s wrong?” Xena said nothing but she faced him and held him for a while. It was obvious that something was wrong, but Ares didn’t push it.
Everyone had gone to bed after and exhausting day. Ares was sleeping next to Xena with his arm around her, Hercules and Iolaus were sleeping on the other side of the campfire, and because of a shortage of bedrolls Amarice and Gabrielle were crammed onto one. Much to Amarice’s dismay, Gabrielle proceeded to toss and turn all night. She couldn’t help it though; her grief was giving her nightmares. Nightmares about what she did, less than a week ago.
Autolycus was sitting in a tavern when Gabrielle spotted him. She walked up to him and sat across from him.
“Gabrielle!” He said rather surprised. “Where’s Xena?”
“That’s what I need to talk to you about.” Gabrielle leaned towards him. “You know Ares?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“Well, he’s tired of her rejecting him. I heard that he’s plotting her death!”
“That’s bad!”
“Do you know where they put the Dagger of Helios after Ares threw it against the wall?”
“They put it under maximum security not far from here. What are you up to?”
“I need a favor from the King of Thieves.”
Gabrielle and Autolycus met again the next night when he gave her the Dagger of Helios, the latest stolen item by the King of Thieves. Gabrielle felt bad about lying to Autolycus but she had no choice. She was not going to let Ares take Xena away from her. Of course she never meant for things to go so far out of hand. What happened next…
Gabrielle woke up in a gasp awaking no one but Amarice.
“Hey! Gabrielle are you ok?” She asked worried.
“Amarice I have to tell someone. If I tell you something will you please not tell Xena?”
“Of course!”
Early in the morning before anyone else woke up, Xena and Ares went for a walk. After being far away from camp and into the woods Ares pressed Xena up against a tree, who just smiled at him. They were leaning into a kiss when someone fell out of the tree and landed right on Ares. It was Autolycus. He jumped up and put his hands on Xena’s shoulders.
“Are you ok?” He asked worried.
“I’m fine!” Xena told him as she pushed him aside and helped Ares up.
“Wait a minute here! He wasn’t going to kill you?” Ares and Xena looked at him in disbelief.
“He’s YOUR friend Xena.” Ares whispered to Xena. “Why would you think that?” He asked Autolycus.
“Because that’s what Gabrielle told him, at least it is if what Michael told me is true.”
“Yeah, I’m sorry Xena I was…” Autolycus tried to apologize.
“I know, you trying to protect me. Thank you.” She gave him a hug. (again, remember- Ares has jealousy issues in most of my stories).
“Ok, ok, ok.” Ares said walking up to Xena and putting his arm around her. “So why would Gabrielle tell Autolycus that?”
“She wanted me to get her the Dagger of Helios.” Autolycus said.
“But that’s not all of it, something else happened. I think we should go to Michael’s temple and make him give us answers.”
“Alright, let’s go.” Ares said, and the three headed off.
Later that day Ares, Xena, and Autolycus arrived at Michael’s temple.
“Well, what now?” Autolycus asked once they got inside.
“We have to get his attention.” Xena said as she knocked some statues off their pillars. Ares shrugged.
“You heard her.” He said to Autolycus and the three of them continued to trash the temple. Michael eventually came down.
“Stop it!” He shouted. “Xena! What do you want?”
“Answers!” She said raising one eyebrow.
“You know that eyebrow thing of yours is starting to get annoying.” Xena gave him a look. “Why not just ask Gabrielle?” He asked smugly.
“Because I’m not accusing her of anything until I know the whole story!”
“Very well!” Michael told them all they needed to know.
“Gods where could they be?” Hercules asked pacing around the room. (they had returned to a tavern because it looked like bad weather)
“Chill will ya? When you were with Serena I didn’t pace around going “Oh where could they be?”” Iolaus imitated him. Gabrielle laughed. “Look you promised Xena you would at least TRY to get used to this idea. Do us all a favor and keep that promise!” Iolaus yelled at him. Gabrielle frowned.
“Excuse me.” She said as she left the room.
“She’s been acting really strange lately.” Hercules said once she was out of earshot.
“I think I know what’s wrong.” Amarice said as she got up and followed Gabrielle.
Xena, Autolycus, and Ares left the temple.
“Autolycus why don’t you run on ahead, let them know we’re coming.” Xena asked.
Autolycus knew that Xena just didn’t want him to see her so emotional.
“Sure.” He hugged her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. After getting a jealous glare from Ares he ran ahead. Ares turned his attention back to Xena who looked like she was going to cry. He put his arm around her as Xena put her head on his shoulder.
“Is she who she is; or is she what I made her?” Xena said softly, for the first time being unsure of something she told Gabrielle long ago.
It was raining now and Gabrielle was sitting by the window, holding her legs to her chest and watched the rain fall. Amarice walked in the room and stood behind her friend.
“I have to tell her.” Gabrielle said to Amarice not moving her gaze from the window.
“How can you do that?” Amarice asked, a little fed up with her by now, “You can’t even tell me and he’s not my boyfriend!”
“I told you!” Gabrielle shouted, turning her head slightly toward Amarice. “Just not everything…”
“Maybe I can help. It’s my job, remember?” Amarice said, trying as hard as she could to be supportive.
“When I left Autolycus, I had every intention of using the Dagger of Helios to kill Ares. But I did something far worse than that…”
Gabrielle thought about her plan as she approached Ares’ temple. She knew that she couldn’t beat him in a one on one fight so she would have to out smart him. Just then she heard a familiar voice come from behind her.
“Hello mother.” Gabrielle whirled around, one sais in hand. “Ooh!” Hope said. “My how we’ve changed!” She said looking hard at her mother.
“Hope!” Gabrielle said shocked. “No! I killed you!”
“Which time!?” Hope commented in a rather nasty tone. She sighed, “As much as I would enjoy it, I’m not here to fight.” Gabrielle replaced her sais.
“Well, I’M not here to talk.” She turned around and started walking away.
“I’ve been watching Xena, mother.” Gabrielle stopped dead in her tracks. “I always did wonder why she never killed Ares in Dahak’s temple! I guess now I know why.”
Gabrielle turned around and looked at her daughter coldly. “What do you want, Hope?”
“Same as you… Ares, dead.”
“How convenient for me!” Gabrielle said in a sarcastic tone.
“You don’t believe me? Do you really think that the idea of him living and loving that bitch is MY idea of a fun time? Just here me out, my proposal will mean something much worse than death!” Gabrielle listened and then excepted Hope’s plan.
A few moments later Gabrielle arrived at Ares temple she opened the doors quietly. Ares was talking to two of his Generals with his back against the door.
Gabrielle threw her sais, hitting each in the chest. Ares was taken aback just long enough for Gabrielle to take the dagger and hit him on the head with dagger’s hilt, knocking him out.
“Hope,” she said softly, “I’ve got him!” She shouted.
“Then, I guess Hope took him to hell, once he entered, he lost his Godhood. If he had died, he would have gone to tarturus, not hell…” A tear rolled down Gabrielle’s check. Amarice starred at her friend disgusted, in spite of that she walked over and held her.
“What are you doing?” Gabrielle asked now crying.
“You were there for me when I thought no one would understand, now we’re even.” She said with little emotion in her voice.
Later that night Xena and Ares arrived at the tavern where “their” friends were. Hercules quickly gave Xena a hug.
“Where were you?” He asked worried. “Autolycus got here hours ago!”
“Be glad you weren’t here,” Iolaus joked. “Herc has been impossible all day!” Xena and Ares softly laughed and Hercules gave his partner a look.
“Where’s Gabrielle?” Xena asked.
“In her room.” Iolaus said. Xena smiled at her friend and left the room. Hercules gave Ares a questionable look.
“It’s been an interesting day.” He told his half brother and proceeded to tell the two the story.
Xena lightly knocked on Gabrielle’s door.
“Come in.” Gabrielle said softly. Xena entered. “I’m glad you’re back we need to talk.”
“It wouldn’t have anything to do with Hope, Autolycus, and the Dagger of Helios now would it?”
“You know?”
“Yeah, I know.” The two friends just stood there in silence, waiting for the other to say something… Neither did.
More in the Series to come!!!
Please e-mail the author of this story with your comments. ephiny4@aol.com
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