Untitled
By Yuliy A Gaft
Ares sat in his chambers; brooding and watching Xena sleep out of his portal. Occasionally he would blast some piece of furniture to pieces. He was thinking about what had happened with the furries. Why did he have to screw up like that! Why couldn't he stop torturing Xena? He cared about her more that anything…for the first time in his existence he loved someone other that himself. And he couldn't stop making her hate him. He ached to have her back with him, loving him like he loved her. Suddenly he couldn't stand it any longer with a resolved look on his face he disappeared.
The warrior princess was roused from a deep sleep as a familiar tingle ran down her neck. In her mind, a sensual, husky, voice whispered, "meet me in the forest" Startled she sat up, and with a last look at her mother and the sleeping bard she silently walked into the forest. Once she was deep enough inside, for the thick trees to completely block the sun she stopped. "What is it you want, Ares?"
A magnificent blue light lit up the forest for a second, blinding Xena. When she opened her eyes she found herself staring at the god of war. Xena let her eyes take in the leather clad, black-haired, god, from whom a light seemed to radiate. With his hand on the hilt of his sword and his eyes fixed on hers, Xena had to admit he looked stunningly handsome. Realizing she'd been staring for too long she diverted her eyes and fixed her face into a questioning glare.
"I just came to talk," said Ares
The warrior princess smirked and looked around the forest, in the process never allowing her eyes to leave his. "Talk? Oh that's just dandy. When have you ever been interested in talking? Oh, and did you bring some furies to drive me insane, just as an added bonus?" she drawled out sarcastically.
"To answer your questions, yes I just came to talk, no I didn't bring any furies or anything else for that matter, and yes, when we were together I always loved talking to you and you enjoyed talking to me too."
A brief flicker of pain crossed Xena's face before she replaced it with a hateful glare. "Yes, when I could still trust you, I always enjoyed talking with you. However I don't now so either explain what you're doing here or leave, daddy" she spit out the last word as if it burned her tongue.
"Xena I am NOT your father"
Xena's face softened as she walked up closer to him. "Can you swear that to me Ares? Can you swear on the life of the dearest thing to you, that you are not my father?"
'the dearest thing to me? Yeah right, like I'm going to actually tell you that YOU, Xena, are the dearest thing to me? Okay, I guess I will' Ares lifted a hand to caress her cheek but she flinched away. Shrugging, he said "Xena, I swear on your life that I am not your father"
"Ah, ah, ah, she tisked, I want you to swear on the dearest thing to you, the thing that you care most for, like Aphrodite or something."
"Xena, whether you believe it or not YOU are the dearest thing to me. That is why I swore on your life. Why were you so worried that I was your father anyway?"
"Wow, if I'm the dearest thing to you and you treat me like this then I don't wanna know what you do the people who aren't. And the reason I was worried about the fact that you could be my father is simple. I mean, how nasty would it be if my father was the man who I slept with, and who I lived with, and who I was with for 11 years? Having a child with your dad, is not exactly usual, is it?" As soon as the words came out Xena clamped her mouth shut, trying to take them back. Ares didn't know about Armia, and she wanted to keep it that way. Ares looked at her in wonderment. "We have a child?"
In a desperate attempt to keep the truth hidden, Xena lied, "No, but I mean, it could have happened, right?" Despite herself, tears started to well up in her eyes. Ares however wasn't convinced. He noticed the quaver in her voice and the tears that shone in her eyes and stepped closer putting his arm around her shoulder. "Xena, do you mind if we go someplace else to continue this conversation? I don't want the bard waking up and yelling at me." Seeing as the day she dreaded was indeed coming to pass and she was going to have to tell him everything, Xena nodded her head. Ares tightened his hold on her shoulders and they disappeared.
They reappeared in the same position in what Xena recognized to be Ares' chambers on Mount Olympus. Removing his hand, Ares sat down on the bed and motioned for Xena to sit next to him, which she did. "Tell me" he whispered. Xena looked into his face and found it soft and understanding. She was afraid to tell him, afraid he would hate her, and that he would use their daughter. She needed his support, and her eyes pleaded with him to hold her. Obeying her unspoken plea, Ares put his arms around her and pulled her into his lap. It felt so good to have his princess back in his arms. Against her better judgment, she leaned her head on his chest just like she had done so many times in the past. With a little sigh she began her story. "It was a couple months before I left you for the sea. You were returning from some foreign land and you brought me a present…My chackram."
"I remember…Ares cut in, I'd been gone for 7 weeks and I was so happy to see you"
After glaring at him for his interruption she continued" anyway, you came back, and I had missed you a lot in the time you were gone. You gave me my chackram, and kissed me and, well, things just went on from there….Then the next morning I woke up, and you were still there, and we had a sword fight. I noticed a funny feeling in my stomach but I ignored it. That feeling kept getting worse all month. You noticed that something was wrong and made me go to a healer which I did. The healer told me I was pregnant, and since it was your baby, I couldn't destroy it. I didn't want you to know so I told you I wanted to go out to sea. You got angry, and I could hardly blame you. I left. I then traveled to the northern amazons, and there I gave birth to a baby girl. I knew I couldn't take care of her so I left her with the Amazons. She's there now." Finishing her story she looked up into his eyes to find tears glistening in them. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, so quietly that Xena could hardly hear him.
"I was afraid you'd use it for some power hungry scheme. Ares, I didn't want my child to have her childhood taken away by war, which would have happened had I told you."
Shaking his head wildly and removing his arms from her waist he almost yelled "What had I done to you then, Xena? I thought you cared for me back then, you don't know how much I wanted to have a child with you. I love you, Xena! I would never have hurt our baby." With that he stood up and stormed out the door, leaving Xena sitting on his bed feeling cold and empty with his arms not around her. 'He loves me? She thought. Xena knew that if he said that he did he really did. He wouldn't lie to her. She had love him back in her warlord days…but when she became good she baried her feelings for him deep inside her, and mostly succeeded in keeping them there. But hearing his speech, the unwelcome feelings just swam to the surface leaving her to deal with them. She knew that she had hurt him with this just as much as he had hurt her with his various schemes to get her back. Xena got up and also walked out the door. She had an idea where he might be. When she had followed him he had revealed to her that the place he went when he was upset was a large willow, on Olympus. They had been there together several times and had a feeling he might be there. She walked out of his castle and stopped at a large fence. Reaching into her bosom, she took out a small golden key, and opened the gate. She silently walked to the willow and found him sitting shirtless, leaning against the trunk. She came over and sat next to him. "How did you get here?" he asked surprised. Looking up into his face she noticed that he had been crying. She felt a pang of sorrow for making him cry and softly said "I kept the key. I had a feeling that you'd come here." He nodded and continued staring out into space. Finally he said"what was her name?" "I named her Arnia, after you. Gabrielle and I were just going to see her when your furies interrupted." Ares looked up at the mention of the furies. " I guess I have no right to be angry with you. Not after all I've done."
Also looking up Xena said, "I guess we're even then."
"No, Xena. You kept our child a secret for the right reasons, it wasn't' your fault."
"And you tried to get me back for the right reasons, if you truly love me. Do you?"
"With all my heart. Xena, I am so sorry for the things I've done. I just couldn't' imagine living without you. If I had left you alone you might have just been with me and stayed good. Not only did I take away that chance but I made you hate me."
"You still love me even though I'm not evil?"
"Xena, I don't care what you are. Frankly, I like this you better. I respect you. This is what you were meant to be."
"That's very sweet. Ares, I don't hate me, and if you really did what you did because you love me then I forgive you. I hope you'll forgive me for not telling you about Arnia."
'I never could stay mad at you."
Xena smiled. 'I wonder if I should tell him I love him? No I wont yet. But-'
Xena stood up and Ares did also.
"Ares, Gabs -who doesn't know about Arnia, and I are going to visit her now. Would you like to come with us?"
Ares smiled " I would love to. But why?"
"Well, since I've decided to give you another chance you might as well see your daughter."
Ares pulled her into his arms and said "Xena, I promise you wont regret this. I will try, and I will stop torturing you. You don't have to come back to me or anything . And does giving me another chance mean that we have a chance to be together?" he carefully asked
Xena just grinned. "Yes, so don't blow it." Smiling Ares took her hand and they disappeared and reappeared in his chambers. "Do you want to go back to bardy?" he asked
"Nah, too late, you're stuck with me."
Ares laughed and then watched as Xena removed her armor and leather leaving only her shift. She then climbed into his bed and covered herself up with the covers.
"Xena this is MY bed"
"Mine too"
"How is that'
Every time I came to Olympus I slept here, making it mine too"
"But where am I supposed to sleep?" he asked
Xena just shrugged and Ares flashed her a grin, made his clothing disappear and put on a pair of black silk pants.
"Fine" he said as he laid down next to her. Xena rolled over facing him and Ares pulled her towards himself wrapping her in his arms. She laid her head on his chest and put a delicate hand on the bare skin of his chest. She was completely happy being with the person who loved her and whom, although he didn't know it, she loved. She allowed herself to forget the past, and put it behind her forever. Her future was with Ares. Ares was happier than he'd ever been in his life. He had his love in his arms, and he had another chance, which he would use wisely. He would devote his life to making up for what he had done to her. Leaning down, he softly kissed her lips, happily noticing that she kissed him back. When they parted he said "Goodnight, my love"
Xena kissed him one more time and said "goodnight"
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