Lissia's Xena/Ares Fan Fiction
That night, after
a dinner of fish, Xena lies on her bedroll wide awake. A tingle crawls over her skin, giving her a
chill. She silently walks into the
forest a ways, “Ares, I know you’re here, show yourself.” There’s a flash of light, leaving Ares in its
wake, “That’s amazing. You’re the only
mortal I know who can do that,” he says, leaning against a nearby tree. Xena smiles a little, “I’m the only mortal
that has spent an excess amount of time with you.” He smiles at her, playfully, “The blond isn’t
so bad. She’s smart. I’m actually starting to like her.” She raises an eyebrow, “What do you want,
Ares? You’re not here for chit-chat,”
she says, leaning against a tree opposite of him. “I just wanted to tell you what a wonderful
time you missed out on. I mean,
honestly, mortality wasn’t so bad this time around. It was a little dull without you around, more
lonely than dull, really. But, I did
have a few laughs. And like I said
before, the blond isn’t that bad, especially when she’s dancing naked,” he says
with a laugh. From the bushes, they head
a loud sound and turn to see Gabrielle picking up a mostly used scroll. She scribbles something down and watches with
a look of pleasure as Ares stumbles forward a little. Her look of pleasure turns to one of dismay
as a girl falls from the sky, hitting the ground hard. Xena runs over to the girl and scoops her up,
giving Ares a questioning look, “Come on,” she says to him. Ares shoots Gabrielle a threatening look,
“Get a damp rag...Now! And what in
Tarturus did you write?” She smiles
smugly, “The same thing as before: War lost all its power,” she says tossing
him a rag. He gives her a warning look,
then rushes to the fire, where Xena is gently slapping the girls face. He starts to wipe her face with the rag,
letting the water splash on her face a little.
Xena looks up at him, then down at the girl, who’s head is resting in
her lap, “Why’d she fall, Ares? She’s
not the actual Goddess of War, she turned that down a long time ago.” Ares continues patting the girl’s face and
says, “When I was mortal, Zeus made her accept the position.” He turns and glares at Gabrielle, “If
anything happens to her, I swear-.” A
weak voice cuts him off, “I’m fine, Ar.
Just a little shocked. What happened?” He looks down at the girl and smiles as he
pulls her into a tight embrace, “Don’t you ever do anything like that again,”
he orders. The girls pulls away and
glances around the camp until her eyes fall on the Warrior Princess,
“Xena!” She shouts, reaching out to hug
her. Xena returns the embrace, “Hello,
Lissia. You gave us quite a scare
there. For your cousin’s sake, don’t do
it again,” she says with a wink.
Gabrielle comes over and asks, “Who’s she?” Ares glares at her, “This is Lissia, the
newly appointed Goddess of War and my baby cousin.” “Ar! I
could have answered that myself,” Lissia says, standing up and brushing herself
off. She looks over at the bard, “What
Fury drove you to do this to us?” She
asks, sarcasm dripping from every word.
Gabrielle looks from Lissia, to Ares, to Xena, and then back to Lissia,
“I’m sorry. It was aimed at him, not
you. I would fix it, but the scroll is
full,” she says sheepishly. Joxer
stumbles into the camp, “Everything’s back to normal in the town. No more scroll problems. Hey!
What’s he doing here and who’s the hot chick?” Xena rushes in front of Joxer, as Ares eyes
fill with rage. Staring him down, she
says, “Hey, take it easy. Joxer didn’t
mean anything by it.” She turns around
the face Joxer, “Gabrielle didn’t like a comment Ares made and she turned him
mortal, only this time, Lissia got drug down with him.” Lissia steps over and extends her hand,
“That’s me. Lissia the newly appointed
Goddess of War. Ar here is my cousin, my
older, over protective cousin,” she says meaningfully. Joxer shakes her hand gently as Ares glares
at him, “So, are we going to fix this?”
Xena shakes her head, “No, Ares, Lissia, and I are going to fix
this. You and Gabrielle are going back
to town to keep the peace. With both War
Gods out of commission, those people are going to start getting cranky. But, for now, we’re going to sleep.” Gabrielle grabs Xena’s arm and rushes her to
the other side of the camp, “You can’t expect me to stay in that town. I caused this, I’m going to fix it.” Xena grabs her shoulders gently, “No
Gabrielle. I’m going with Ares and
Lissia. You are going to take Joxer and
Argo and keep the peace in that town.
End of discussion.” Gabrielle’s
eyes flare in anger, “Fine, if you don’t want me to come with, I won’t. But I’m not staying here either. I’m going to the town now,” she says, stalking
out of camp. Xena rolls her eyes and
goes over to Argo, “Be good girl. I’ll
see you in a few days,” she says, removing her weapons from the horses saddle. She hands the reigns to Joxer, “Take care of
Argo. And Joxer, keep an eye on
Gabrielle,” she says softly. He nods and
rushes to catch up with Gabrielle, who can barley be seen through the forest.
A silence falls over the camp as Xena returns to the fire. She sits down and begins to sharpen her sword absently. Ares stares blankly into the fire. Lissia looks from one to the other, then back at Xena, “Is your little friend going to be alright?” Xena nods, “She’ll be fine, Lis.” Looking at the sky, she asks, “Do either of you have a temple near here?” Ares laughs, “Little prissy pants have a temple? Come on Xena, I shouldn’t have to tell you that one.” Lissia gives him a dirty look, “I have a temple, not near here, but I do have one.” Xena stares at Ares expectantly, “Well, do you?” He shakes his head, “No, that’s what that campaign was originally for. Of course, the morons in charge couldn’t wait for a real sign and that all went to the fishes now, didn’t it?” Xena sighs, “It’s going to be a long night then.” Ares looks at her, confused, “Why? What’s wrong?” “It’s going to rain. Put the fire out and grab your stuff,” she orders. Lissia dumps water on the fire and Ares collects his sword, then they follow Xena out of the camp. They stop under a large tree with thick, full branches, “This should help a little. Ares, you and I are going to be very uncomfortable. Lissia, you’re going to go stay in town,” she says, handing the girl a purse of coins. Lissia stares from one to the other, “Why just me? We should all go,” she says. Ares shakes his head, “Xena and I have a history there. We can’t show up together. Anyway, I don’t think Xena wants to face the bard again,” he explains. Xena nods, “Lis, bring us a large blanket, a thick bag, and some non leather clothes. I don’t care what they are, just make sure they’re cheap. Hurry, alright?” Lissia nods and runs towards the village.
Ares and Xena stand under the tree, Xena watching the sky, Ares watching the path Lissia had taken. She rushes toward them and tosses a bag at Ares, “It’s all in there. How long do we have before the storm hits?” Xena smiles, “Ares change, Lissia undo the back of my armor,” she orders while unfastening her breastplate. They change quickly, Ares glancing at Xena every few seconds, then they put their leather, armor, and most of their extra weapons in the bag. Xena ties it tightly and hangs it from a thick branch. “Alright Lis, it’s time for you to go back to the village. Ares, help me with the blanket. Drape it over that branch, we’re making a shelter.” Lissia runs under the sagging blanket and grabs the bag, “I’ll make sure your stuff doesn’t get wet,” she says. Xena and Ares nod, and usher her to go. She smiles and rushes toward the village. She makes it to her room, just as the rain begins to come down, “Good luck, “she whispers, wrapping a blanket from the bed around her.
Xena pulls the blanket over the edge of the branch until it almost touches the ground. She looks at the sides and sees that they’re covered. She grabs a few sticks and builds a small fire to see by. Creating small talk, to end the uncomfortable silence, she asks, “How has Lissia been?” Ares glances from the fire to her, “She’s fine now. She was mad for a long time. You now, you really hurt her. You didn’t even say good-bye.” A look of guilt spreads over Xena’s face, “She wouldn’t have let me leave. And I didn’t want to see her hurt.” “Xena, you were like a mother to her. You were there when I found her as a mortal. You helped me train her. She looked up to you. And then you just left. I thought it was going to destroy her,” he says, anger and pain mixing in his voice. Changing the subject, she asks, “How are the other Gods treating her?” He shakes his head, “They’ve accepted her as an Olympian Goddess. But they fear her. She’s powerful, more so than she knows. But, it’s not her God Hood they fear, it’s her heart. She holds so many ideals that the family just doesn’t understand. You know how they are, they fear what they can’t understand.” Xena laughs a little, “You say that like you’re not one of them.” He smiles softly, “When it comes to Lissia, I’m not.” An odd silence falls over them. Breaking the stiff silence, Ares asks, “What’s the plan? Are we going to talk to Mom or to Dad?” Xena shakes her head, “Neither.” He stares at her, startled, “Then who? None of the others have the power to return our God Hood.” Xena nods, “That’s right.” Ares stares at her, completely bewildered, “What? You’re just going to leave us like this?” She smiles at him and stands up, “I’m going outside for a few minutes.” He stares after her as she leaves, “Xena, this isn’t funny.” She comes back in, “Yes, it is.” He looks her over, then smiles as his eyes fall on her chest, “I love that kid,” he says with a little laugh. Xena looks down at her soaked, white shirt, then pushes the still laughing Ares against the tree. She turns away from him, with a fierce blush spreading across her face. Ares straightens up and sits down beside her. She turns to stare at him, “Why are you so obsessed with me? You know I’ll never come back.” He shrugs, “I don’t don’t want the Destroyer of Nations anymore,” he answers quietly. Xena stares at him, confused, “Why not?” I lo-like who you’ve become. There’s more intensity and it’s actually easier to talk to you now. And if you became the Destroyer of Nations or my Warrior Queen, you would have eventually sunk into a hole and died. I couldn’t let that happen to my Chosen, now could I?” he answers, moving closer to her. She looks away from him and quickly wipes the tears from her face, “Thank you,” she says quietly. He turns her face toward him, “You’re welcome,” he says, his lips close to hers. The fire goes out as more droplets of water leak through the blanket. Their lips meet gently just as the blanket, full of water, falls on them. They fall back from the weight of it. They remain locked in a deep kiss as Ares moves his hands over her body. Xena puts her hands on his chest, under his shirt, moving it up slightly. As their bare stomachs meet, Xena jerks away, a look of surprise on her face. She shoves the blanket off of her and moves to the far end of the tree. She stand there, in the rain, and wraps her arms around herself, shaking slightly. Ares watches from a distance, cursing himself, then walks away towards a nearby lake. He sits down, and tosses a rock into the water, watching as it skips a few times. Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he turns to see Xena sitting down next to him. She lets her hand rest on his arm, then says, a little uncomfortably, “Ares, I’m,” she stops, then continues, “I’m sorry.” His head shoots up and he looks at her surprised, “For that?” He asks, nodding his head in the direction of the tree and the blanket. She nods silently. She shivers as he runs a hand over her cheek. “Don’t be, “ he says gently.
The wind picks up and the rain starts to come down in sheets. Xena’s hair, whips across her face as she stands up. “Come on,” she says, offering Ares her hand, “The tree should give us a little protection. Maybe we can use the blanket to stay a bit warmer or to block the wind at least. Quietly, Ares says, “I can think of other ways to stay warm.” She shoots him an angry look, then playfully nudges him, “Me too,” she says, grabbing her sword. Ares smiles and picks his sword up from under the tree,” Not what I had in mind, but it’ll do.” As she rushes at him, he pauses briefly, then deflects her blow with one of his own. They spar for several minutes, then she flips over his head, letting her sword come to rest across his neck. He glances at the blade that is resting on his shoulder, then brushes it away, only to have her put it right back in place. “Turn around, Ares,” she orders. He smiles evilly, and turns, grabbing her wrist and spinning her around. She comes to rest, with her back against his chest and his sword across her chest and throat. “I win,” he whispers in her ear. Turning her head and keeping it close to him, she asks, “Really?” With a slight grin, he nods, “Oh yeah.” As their lips briefly meet, Xena flips him over her shoulder with a wide smile. He lands hard on the ground and she flips to land on top of him, pinning him in place. Using his weight against her, Ares rolls over and pins her in place, making sure her legs can’t move. She squirms and pushes against him, then lies still. He smiles down at her, “Just like old times, huh?” He asks, releasing her arms, but remaining firmly planted on her lower body. She props herself up a little, “Yeah, old times,” she says, with a wistful smile. She reaches up and moves his hair aside, then starts laughing lightly. “What?” He asks, confused. Still laughing, she replies, “You’re covered in mud.” He looks at his arms and see that they’re laced in mud, then looks down at Xena, “So are you,” he says, wiping some mud off her cheek. She smiles and pushes against him, “Come on, let me up. I’m starting to sink.” He smiles down at her and stretches, but doesn’t move. She grabs his shirt and pulls him down until their lips meet. Then, she flips him over and pins him down. She sits on top of him, using her full body weight to pin him down. He raises an eyebrow at her, “Not bad,” he says as she releases his hands. He sits up fully, but she still remains firmly planted on his lap. Wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close, he whispers in her ear, “I still win.” She playfully pushes him and starts to stand up, but he pulls her back down, “It’s a good thing your little friend isn’t here, I don’t think she would approve.” Xena moves away slightly, “Alright Ares, we both need our rest.” He nods, but doesn’t allow her to get up. She raises an eyebrow at him, a threat playing in her gaze. “Alright, fine,” he says, releasing her waist. As she stands, he smiles up at her, then takes her extended hand.
Xena and Ares return to the tree and redrape the blanket over several branches. They go into the small shelter and sit down close to one another. Xena leans against the tree and closes her eyes, “Good night,” she says lightly. She hears Ares rustle around a little, then she feels his head land in her lap. “Good night,” he says happily. Her eyes shoot open, a look of anger crossing her face. Her expression softens as she looks down to see him already asleep. She shakes her head with a small laugh, then runs her hand through his hair. As she continues to run her fingers through his hair, she frowns, then smiles evilly.
Ares awakes to see Xena smiling down at him. He sits up, stretching, and runs a hand trough his hair, only to find most of it gone. He shoots Xena a startled look. She smiles broadly, “You’re a heavy sleeper,” she says, running a finger down his face, where the side burns used to be. Still running his hands over his hair, he steps outside of the shelter. Xena smiles and comes out a few minutes later, heading in the direction of the lake. Ares followers her and wades into the lake after she dives in. He swims over to her and rinses some mud from her hair. “You know, Xena, if you didn’t like the hair, all you had to do was say something.” She nods, “I know, but I enjoyed the look on your face,” she says, running her hand over his hair with a smile. “I bet you did,” says a voice from shore. Xena smiles widely, “Lis! What do you think?” She asks motioning to Ares. Lissia smiles and splashes him with water, “Of course! You let her cut your hair, but not me.” Lissia looks them over and notes the mud plastered on them, “Looks like you two had a fun night.” Xena splashes her with water, then shrugs, “We did,” she says, swimming off. Ares smiles and swims after her, leaving Lissia gaping behind them. Following them with her eyes, she returns to shore to dry.
Ares and Xena return to land, their legs a little shaky from being in the water so long, and lounge on some large rocks by Lissia. “Ares, go change. Lissia and I need to talk,” Xena says gently. He nods, grabs his stuff, and walks away from the two. Both women watch him go, smiling. “What’s up, Xe?” Lissia asks in a serious voice. Xena turns to look at her, “When I left, I didn’t mean to hurt you. You know that, right?” Lissia nods, “I know and I knew then too. But, Xe, it did hurt. You had been such a large part of my life and then, snap, you were gone. I stayed in seclusion for a few months. I wouldn’t talk to anyone, not even Ar. I thought about visiting you, but I didn’t think you would want to see me. Then, when you almost lost Gabrielle, I knew I had been replaced. There was no reason for me to pester you,” she says, tears flowing down her cheeks. Xena puts an arm around her and holds her close, “Lissia, no one can replace you. Gabrielle and I are close, but you will always be special to me. You are in my blood, just as Ares is. Don’t you forget that. And if Ares hadn’t caused me so many problems, I would have gone to his temples to talk to you. After he pretended to be my father, I just couldn’t do it.” The girl stares up into the warriors eyes, “He was really desperate when he did that. He was even more desperate when he put you in Callisto’s body. He would have done anything to get you back. He went about it the wrong way and he knows that know. He just really misses you, Xe.” “Lissia, you don’t have to explain his motives to me. I understand them just fine,” Xena says forcefully. Lissia shakes her head, “No, I really don’t think you do. He doesn’t want the Destroyer of Nations or a Warrior Queen. He wants-.” Xena cuts her off, “Me, I know. It hit me last night.” Lissia smiles at her, “What did you guys do last night?” Xena looks thoughtful, “Lis, it was just like old times.” The girl raises an eyebrow, “How much like old times?” She asks with a secretive smile. Xena shoves her a little, “You are a dirty little girl. It was just a fight.” “I beat her,” Ares says, coming up behind them, “I’m glad to know you enjoyed yourself, Xena.” Xena smiles as he sits down next to Lissia. She quickly changes, having Lissia lace the back of her leathers up.
After a breakfast of fish, left over from the night before, they start walking down the road, away from the village. Ares and Lissia are walking a ways behind Xena, talking softly. Ares asks, “Lis, what were you and Xena talking about?” The girl shrugs, “Stuff.” At his irritated glance, she continues, “We talked about when she left. We talked about me, we talked about her, we talked about you, we talked about motives. That’s all really,” she says nonchalantly. “What did you tell her?” He asks, rage in his voice. She shrugs, “Nothing she didn’t already know. She really does know you well, you know that, don’t you?” Ares shakes his head and rushes to catch up with Xena, leaving Lissia trailing behind them. As he comes up beside Xena, he reaches an arm around her waist and pulls her close for a few seconds. She jerks slightly, then smiles and moves away a little, “You want something?” She asks lightly. He smiles evilly, “What I want I can’t get, at least not with Lis around,” he says. Xena shakes her head, smiling, “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.” He shrugs, “Suit yourself. So where are we going?” He asks, changing the subject so as not to push her anymore than he already had. “Aphrodite’s temple,” she answers simply. He stares blankly at her, then asks, “What for?” She looks at him pointedly, “She can enchant another scroll.” Ares looks surprised, “Great, then we can have more problems. No offence Xena, but this isn’t your brightest plan ever. I say we go talk to Zeus or Hera, one of them will put me back and then I can put Lissia back.” Xena laughs, “Your father has no desire to help you and Hera, well, sense I’m involved, she won’t touch the matter. Any other ideas?” He shakes his head, then asks, “Wait, what does Mom have against you? Her problems has always been with Hercules, not you.” “Ares, I’m a mortal woman who’s turning you into your father,” she says. He gives her an offended look, then gives in, “Alright, so our relationship, or lack-there-of might bother her, but I still think it’s better than another enchanted scroll.” Lissia comes up behind them, throwing an arm around their shoulders, “I think it’s a great idea. But, look Xena, you have to let me write a few things in it before you destroy it,” she says. Xena shoots her a dirty look, “I don’t think so,” she says. Ares and Lissia exchange disappointed looks, then continue following Xena.
Making camp that night, Lissia collapses beside the fire, “I forgot how hard the mortal thing is. Xe, why don’t we have Aphrodite come to us? I don’t want to walk for another day,” she whines. Xena asks, “And how are we supposed to get her to come to us?” Xena and Ares turn to see Lissia smiling, “Duh! Well, I’m going over to that stream over there, I’m sure with me gone, you two can think of a way to get the attention of the Goddess of Love,” she says with a wink. “That’s not funny,” Xena says. “Yeah, but she’s right,” Ares chimes in. As Xena shoots him a hostile glare, he continues, “Well, Sis does like to pop up at the worst possible moment and we do need to talk.” Lissia huffs, “Chat? That’s not what I had in mind.” Xena smiles, “Lis, go for a walk, us grownups need to have a little chat,” she says, giving Ares a questioning look. Lissia whines, “Oh fine! I’ll be by the stream!” She says, walking out of the camp. Ares watches her leave, a look of concern on his face. Xena puts a hand on his shoulder, “She’ll be fine. Come on you wanted to talk,” she says, leading him to sit by the fire.
Sitting beside each other, in silence, Ares and Xena stare into the fire. Ares looks up from the fire to Xena, “Things have changed,” he says quietly. Xena nods, then sadly says, “They’ll change back.” He shakes his head and takes her hand, “Not this time,” he says looking into her eyes, “Things are going to be different from now on, I promise.” She smiles, “We both know that’s not true. Things will return to normal once you get your God Hood back.” He strokes her cheek lightly, “Things are already back to normal.” She smiles again, sadly and lightly kisses him, “Not anymore, Ares. This isn’t normal for us anymore,” she says. “It can be, “ he replies. Xena laughs, “You never give up, do you?” She asks, resting her hand over his. “Of course he doesn’t,” a bright voice says from behind them. Xena stares at the woman behind her, “Hello Aphrodite.” Aphrodite looks from Xena to Ares, “Hey Bro, I thought you were tired of this mortal thing. What happened? Did you get the Bard mad?” Ares shrugs, “She didn’t like a comment I made. Anyway, when the companies right, this mortal thing isn’t too bad,” he says smiling at Xena. Xena smiles, then tosses a blank scroll at the Goddess, “Enchant it,” she orders. Aphrodite laughs and sets it down, “No. Look, I know why you want it enchanted and that’s fine. But, if you think I’m going to take orders like that, then you’ve got another thing coming.” Ares laughs loudly, “Come on Dite. I can handle the mortal thing, but Lis can’t.” Aphrodite wrinkles her nose, “Oh, alright, I’ll ignore the way she asked to do it and just enchant it. But I’m doing this for the kid,” she says, waving her hand over the scroll. She hands it to Xena, “Now look, once you’re done, you have to destroy this thing. I don’t want anymore problems sprouting from enchanted scrolls.” Xena takes the scroll and the quill Aphrodite is offering her, “Let’s keep this simple,” she says, scribbling in the scroll. A light shines over Ares and Lissia appears beside him, a bright smile on her face. Lissia runs and hugs both Xena and Aphrodite, “Thanks,” she says, backing away a little. She throws a wink and a smile in Ares direction, then disappears in a flash of bright light. “Well, my work here is done. Later,” Aphrodite says disappearing into the ether. Ares extends his hand to Xena, “I’ll take you to Gabrielle,” he says. She moves away from him and holds the scroll out to her side, “Destroy it,” she orders. He raises an eyebrow, “Xena, I am the God of War, do you really think you can order me around?” He asks playfully. She looks thoughtful, “Yes,” she says, smiling. He shrugs, “Alright, I give up,” he says, shooting a lightening bolt at the scroll. They smile as it disintegrate in front of their eyes. He grabs her hand as she drops the scroll, “Ready to find your friend?” Xena shake her head, “Take me to the lake, outside of the village,” she says. He nods with a curious expression, then they both disappear.
As they appear next to the lake, Xena stumbles a little. Ares reaches out to steady her. She brushes his hands away, “I’m fine. I’m just not used to traveling like that anymore,” she says, facing him. “You don’t want me to leave yet, do you?” He asks, sitting on a rock. She shrugs, “Not really,” she says, sitting beside him. They sit in silence for a few moments before Ares asks, “Why not?” She looks at him, a bit of confusion in her gaze, “Things have changed.” He nods, “We established that earlier. Don’t worry Xena, I won’t hold you to anything. For that matter, we don’t even have to talk about this. It’s alright, I understand,” he says getting up. She grabs his arm and pulls him back down, “Do you love me?” She asks bluntly. A look of shock spreads across his face, then realization dawns, “Lissia,” he says quietly. Xena shakes her head, “No, not Lissia. She has nothing to do with this. Now, do you love me?” She asks forcefully. He takes her hand and standing up, gently kisses it, “Until next time, Xena,” he says, moving away from her. Anger flashes across her face and she grabs him roughly, “No, not until next time. Now answer me Ares, do you love me?” He sighs, “Yes, I do. Are you happy now? You’re probably not. Let me guess, you’re going to slap me and call me a liar. Then I’ll leave and things will go back to how they were before we had this little adventure.” She looks at him pointedly, “Are you done yet?” She asks sarcastically. He nods slightly. She takes his hands and they sit back down, “I’m not going to slap you and I’m not going to call you a liar. And I don’t think things are going to go back to how they were. I don’t think they can.” He runs a finger down her cheek, “So what are you saying?” She shrugs, “I don’t know exactly, but maybe we can figure something out together, given enough time that is. Look, I’m not coming back and I don’t expect you to change, but maybe we can find a reason to work together a little more often.” He nods, “That would be nice. I’m sure Lissia will find a reason for us to work together. She’s good at that,” he says, laughing. Xena laughs along with him. They stand up and Ares pulls her into his arms, holding her tightly against him, “I’ll see you soon,” he says quietly. She looks up at him and nods, wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulls him into a fierce kiss. Breaking apart, she says, “Yeah, soon,” and walks toward the village, leaving Ares staring after her.
-End
A silence falls over the camp as Xena returns to the fire. She sits down and begins to sharpen her sword absently. Ares stares blankly into the fire. Lissia looks from one to the other, then back at Xena, “Is your little friend going to be alright?” Xena nods, “She’ll be fine, Lis.” Looking at the sky, she asks, “Do either of you have a temple near here?” Ares laughs, “Little prissy pants have a temple? Come on Xena, I shouldn’t have to tell you that one.” Lissia gives him a dirty look, “I have a temple, not near here, but I do have one.” Xena stares at Ares expectantly, “Well, do you?” He shakes his head, “No, that’s what that campaign was originally for. Of course, the morons in charge couldn’t wait for a real sign and that all went to the fishes now, didn’t it?” Xena sighs, “It’s going to be a long night then.” Ares looks at her, confused, “Why? What’s wrong?” “It’s going to rain. Put the fire out and grab your stuff,” she orders. Lissia dumps water on the fire and Ares collects his sword, then they follow Xena out of the camp. They stop under a large tree with thick, full branches, “This should help a little. Ares, you and I are going to be very uncomfortable. Lissia, you’re going to go stay in town,” she says, handing the girl a purse of coins. Lissia stares from one to the other, “Why just me? We should all go,” she says. Ares shakes his head, “Xena and I have a history there. We can’t show up together. Anyway, I don’t think Xena wants to face the bard again,” he explains. Xena nods, “Lis, bring us a large blanket, a thick bag, and some non leather clothes. I don’t care what they are, just make sure they’re cheap. Hurry, alright?” Lissia nods and runs towards the village.
Ares and Xena stand under the tree, Xena watching the sky, Ares watching the path Lissia had taken. She rushes toward them and tosses a bag at Ares, “It’s all in there. How long do we have before the storm hits?” Xena smiles, “Ares change, Lissia undo the back of my armor,” she orders while unfastening her breastplate. They change quickly, Ares glancing at Xena every few seconds, then they put their leather, armor, and most of their extra weapons in the bag. Xena ties it tightly and hangs it from a thick branch. “Alright Lis, it’s time for you to go back to the village. Ares, help me with the blanket. Drape it over that branch, we’re making a shelter.” Lissia runs under the sagging blanket and grabs the bag, “I’ll make sure your stuff doesn’t get wet,” she says. Xena and Ares nod, and usher her to go. She smiles and rushes toward the village. She makes it to her room, just as the rain begins to come down, “Good luck, “she whispers, wrapping a blanket from the bed around her.
Xena pulls the blanket over the edge of the branch until it almost touches the ground. She looks at the sides and sees that they’re covered. She grabs a few sticks and builds a small fire to see by. Creating small talk, to end the uncomfortable silence, she asks, “How has Lissia been?” Ares glances from the fire to her, “She’s fine now. She was mad for a long time. You now, you really hurt her. You didn’t even say good-bye.” A look of guilt spreads over Xena’s face, “She wouldn’t have let me leave. And I didn’t want to see her hurt.” “Xena, you were like a mother to her. You were there when I found her as a mortal. You helped me train her. She looked up to you. And then you just left. I thought it was going to destroy her,” he says, anger and pain mixing in his voice. Changing the subject, she asks, “How are the other Gods treating her?” He shakes his head, “They’ve accepted her as an Olympian Goddess. But they fear her. She’s powerful, more so than she knows. But, it’s not her God Hood they fear, it’s her heart. She holds so many ideals that the family just doesn’t understand. You know how they are, they fear what they can’t understand.” Xena laughs a little, “You say that like you’re not one of them.” He smiles softly, “When it comes to Lissia, I’m not.” An odd silence falls over them. Breaking the stiff silence, Ares asks, “What’s the plan? Are we going to talk to Mom or to Dad?” Xena shakes her head, “Neither.” He stares at her, startled, “Then who? None of the others have the power to return our God Hood.” Xena nods, “That’s right.” Ares stares at her, completely bewildered, “What? You’re just going to leave us like this?” She smiles at him and stands up, “I’m going outside for a few minutes.” He stares after her as she leaves, “Xena, this isn’t funny.” She comes back in, “Yes, it is.” He looks her over, then smiles as his eyes fall on her chest, “I love that kid,” he says with a little laugh. Xena looks down at her soaked, white shirt, then pushes the still laughing Ares against the tree. She turns away from him, with a fierce blush spreading across her face. Ares straightens up and sits down beside her. She turns to stare at him, “Why are you so obsessed with me? You know I’ll never come back.” He shrugs, “I don’t don’t want the Destroyer of Nations anymore,” he answers quietly. Xena stares at him, confused, “Why not?” I lo-like who you’ve become. There’s more intensity and it’s actually easier to talk to you now. And if you became the Destroyer of Nations or my Warrior Queen, you would have eventually sunk into a hole and died. I couldn’t let that happen to my Chosen, now could I?” he answers, moving closer to her. She looks away from him and quickly wipes the tears from her face, “Thank you,” she says quietly. He turns her face toward him, “You’re welcome,” he says, his lips close to hers. The fire goes out as more droplets of water leak through the blanket. Their lips meet gently just as the blanket, full of water, falls on them. They fall back from the weight of it. They remain locked in a deep kiss as Ares moves his hands over her body. Xena puts her hands on his chest, under his shirt, moving it up slightly. As their bare stomachs meet, Xena jerks away, a look of surprise on her face. She shoves the blanket off of her and moves to the far end of the tree. She stand there, in the rain, and wraps her arms around herself, shaking slightly. Ares watches from a distance, cursing himself, then walks away towards a nearby lake. He sits down, and tosses a rock into the water, watching as it skips a few times. Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he turns to see Xena sitting down next to him. She lets her hand rest on his arm, then says, a little uncomfortably, “Ares, I’m,” she stops, then continues, “I’m sorry.” His head shoots up and he looks at her surprised, “For that?” He asks, nodding his head in the direction of the tree and the blanket. She nods silently. She shivers as he runs a hand over her cheek. “Don’t be, “ he says gently.
The wind picks up and the rain starts to come down in sheets. Xena’s hair, whips across her face as she stands up. “Come on,” she says, offering Ares her hand, “The tree should give us a little protection. Maybe we can use the blanket to stay a bit warmer or to block the wind at least. Quietly, Ares says, “I can think of other ways to stay warm.” She shoots him an angry look, then playfully nudges him, “Me too,” she says, grabbing her sword. Ares smiles and picks his sword up from under the tree,” Not what I had in mind, but it’ll do.” As she rushes at him, he pauses briefly, then deflects her blow with one of his own. They spar for several minutes, then she flips over his head, letting her sword come to rest across his neck. He glances at the blade that is resting on his shoulder, then brushes it away, only to have her put it right back in place. “Turn around, Ares,” she orders. He smiles evilly, and turns, grabbing her wrist and spinning her around. She comes to rest, with her back against his chest and his sword across her chest and throat. “I win,” he whispers in her ear. Turning her head and keeping it close to him, she asks, “Really?” With a slight grin, he nods, “Oh yeah.” As their lips briefly meet, Xena flips him over her shoulder with a wide smile. He lands hard on the ground and she flips to land on top of him, pinning him in place. Using his weight against her, Ares rolls over and pins her in place, making sure her legs can’t move. She squirms and pushes against him, then lies still. He smiles down at her, “Just like old times, huh?” He asks, releasing her arms, but remaining firmly planted on her lower body. She props herself up a little, “Yeah, old times,” she says, with a wistful smile. She reaches up and moves his hair aside, then starts laughing lightly. “What?” He asks, confused. Still laughing, she replies, “You’re covered in mud.” He looks at his arms and see that they’re laced in mud, then looks down at Xena, “So are you,” he says, wiping some mud off her cheek. She smiles and pushes against him, “Come on, let me up. I’m starting to sink.” He smiles down at her and stretches, but doesn’t move. She grabs his shirt and pulls him down until their lips meet. Then, she flips him over and pins him down. She sits on top of him, using her full body weight to pin him down. He raises an eyebrow at her, “Not bad,” he says as she releases his hands. He sits up fully, but she still remains firmly planted on his lap. Wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close, he whispers in her ear, “I still win.” She playfully pushes him and starts to stand up, but he pulls her back down, “It’s a good thing your little friend isn’t here, I don’t think she would approve.” Xena moves away slightly, “Alright Ares, we both need our rest.” He nods, but doesn’t allow her to get up. She raises an eyebrow at him, a threat playing in her gaze. “Alright, fine,” he says, releasing her waist. As she stands, he smiles up at her, then takes her extended hand.
Xena and Ares return to the tree and redrape the blanket over several branches. They go into the small shelter and sit down close to one another. Xena leans against the tree and closes her eyes, “Good night,” she says lightly. She hears Ares rustle around a little, then she feels his head land in her lap. “Good night,” he says happily. Her eyes shoot open, a look of anger crossing her face. Her expression softens as she looks down to see him already asleep. She shakes her head with a small laugh, then runs her hand through his hair. As she continues to run her fingers through his hair, she frowns, then smiles evilly.
Ares awakes to see Xena smiling down at him. He sits up, stretching, and runs a hand trough his hair, only to find most of it gone. He shoots Xena a startled look. She smiles broadly, “You’re a heavy sleeper,” she says, running a finger down his face, where the side burns used to be. Still running his hands over his hair, he steps outside of the shelter. Xena smiles and comes out a few minutes later, heading in the direction of the lake. Ares followers her and wades into the lake after she dives in. He swims over to her and rinses some mud from her hair. “You know, Xena, if you didn’t like the hair, all you had to do was say something.” She nods, “I know, but I enjoyed the look on your face,” she says, running her hand over his hair with a smile. “I bet you did,” says a voice from shore. Xena smiles widely, “Lis! What do you think?” She asks motioning to Ares. Lissia smiles and splashes him with water, “Of course! You let her cut your hair, but not me.” Lissia looks them over and notes the mud plastered on them, “Looks like you two had a fun night.” Xena splashes her with water, then shrugs, “We did,” she says, swimming off. Ares smiles and swims after her, leaving Lissia gaping behind them. Following them with her eyes, she returns to shore to dry.
Ares and Xena return to land, their legs a little shaky from being in the water so long, and lounge on some large rocks by Lissia. “Ares, go change. Lissia and I need to talk,” Xena says gently. He nods, grabs his stuff, and walks away from the two. Both women watch him go, smiling. “What’s up, Xe?” Lissia asks in a serious voice. Xena turns to look at her, “When I left, I didn’t mean to hurt you. You know that, right?” Lissia nods, “I know and I knew then too. But, Xe, it did hurt. You had been such a large part of my life and then, snap, you were gone. I stayed in seclusion for a few months. I wouldn’t talk to anyone, not even Ar. I thought about visiting you, but I didn’t think you would want to see me. Then, when you almost lost Gabrielle, I knew I had been replaced. There was no reason for me to pester you,” she says, tears flowing down her cheeks. Xena puts an arm around her and holds her close, “Lissia, no one can replace you. Gabrielle and I are close, but you will always be special to me. You are in my blood, just as Ares is. Don’t you forget that. And if Ares hadn’t caused me so many problems, I would have gone to his temples to talk to you. After he pretended to be my father, I just couldn’t do it.” The girl stares up into the warriors eyes, “He was really desperate when he did that. He was even more desperate when he put you in Callisto’s body. He would have done anything to get you back. He went about it the wrong way and he knows that know. He just really misses you, Xe.” “Lissia, you don’t have to explain his motives to me. I understand them just fine,” Xena says forcefully. Lissia shakes her head, “No, I really don’t think you do. He doesn’t want the Destroyer of Nations or a Warrior Queen. He wants-.” Xena cuts her off, “Me, I know. It hit me last night.” Lissia smiles at her, “What did you guys do last night?” Xena looks thoughtful, “Lis, it was just like old times.” The girl raises an eyebrow, “How much like old times?” She asks with a secretive smile. Xena shoves her a little, “You are a dirty little girl. It was just a fight.” “I beat her,” Ares says, coming up behind them, “I’m glad to know you enjoyed yourself, Xena.” Xena smiles as he sits down next to Lissia. She quickly changes, having Lissia lace the back of her leathers up.
After a breakfast of fish, left over from the night before, they start walking down the road, away from the village. Ares and Lissia are walking a ways behind Xena, talking softly. Ares asks, “Lis, what were you and Xena talking about?” The girl shrugs, “Stuff.” At his irritated glance, she continues, “We talked about when she left. We talked about me, we talked about her, we talked about you, we talked about motives. That’s all really,” she says nonchalantly. “What did you tell her?” He asks, rage in his voice. She shrugs, “Nothing she didn’t already know. She really does know you well, you know that, don’t you?” Ares shakes his head and rushes to catch up with Xena, leaving Lissia trailing behind them. As he comes up beside Xena, he reaches an arm around her waist and pulls her close for a few seconds. She jerks slightly, then smiles and moves away a little, “You want something?” She asks lightly. He smiles evilly, “What I want I can’t get, at least not with Lis around,” he says. Xena shakes her head, smiling, “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.” He shrugs, “Suit yourself. So where are we going?” He asks, changing the subject so as not to push her anymore than he already had. “Aphrodite’s temple,” she answers simply. He stares blankly at her, then asks, “What for?” She looks at him pointedly, “She can enchant another scroll.” Ares looks surprised, “Great, then we can have more problems. No offence Xena, but this isn’t your brightest plan ever. I say we go talk to Zeus or Hera, one of them will put me back and then I can put Lissia back.” Xena laughs, “Your father has no desire to help you and Hera, well, sense I’m involved, she won’t touch the matter. Any other ideas?” He shakes his head, then asks, “Wait, what does Mom have against you? Her problems has always been with Hercules, not you.” “Ares, I’m a mortal woman who’s turning you into your father,” she says. He gives her an offended look, then gives in, “Alright, so our relationship, or lack-there-of might bother her, but I still think it’s better than another enchanted scroll.” Lissia comes up behind them, throwing an arm around their shoulders, “I think it’s a great idea. But, look Xena, you have to let me write a few things in it before you destroy it,” she says. Xena shoots her a dirty look, “I don’t think so,” she says. Ares and Lissia exchange disappointed looks, then continue following Xena.
Making camp that night, Lissia collapses beside the fire, “I forgot how hard the mortal thing is. Xe, why don’t we have Aphrodite come to us? I don’t want to walk for another day,” she whines. Xena asks, “And how are we supposed to get her to come to us?” Xena and Ares turn to see Lissia smiling, “Duh! Well, I’m going over to that stream over there, I’m sure with me gone, you two can think of a way to get the attention of the Goddess of Love,” she says with a wink. “That’s not funny,” Xena says. “Yeah, but she’s right,” Ares chimes in. As Xena shoots him a hostile glare, he continues, “Well, Sis does like to pop up at the worst possible moment and we do need to talk.” Lissia huffs, “Chat? That’s not what I had in mind.” Xena smiles, “Lis, go for a walk, us grownups need to have a little chat,” she says, giving Ares a questioning look. Lissia whines, “Oh fine! I’ll be by the stream!” She says, walking out of the camp. Ares watches her leave, a look of concern on his face. Xena puts a hand on his shoulder, “She’ll be fine. Come on you wanted to talk,” she says, leading him to sit by the fire.
Sitting beside each other, in silence, Ares and Xena stare into the fire. Ares looks up from the fire to Xena, “Things have changed,” he says quietly. Xena nods, then sadly says, “They’ll change back.” He shakes his head and takes her hand, “Not this time,” he says looking into her eyes, “Things are going to be different from now on, I promise.” She smiles, “We both know that’s not true. Things will return to normal once you get your God Hood back.” He strokes her cheek lightly, “Things are already back to normal.” She smiles again, sadly and lightly kisses him, “Not anymore, Ares. This isn’t normal for us anymore,” she says. “It can be, “ he replies. Xena laughs, “You never give up, do you?” She asks, resting her hand over his. “Of course he doesn’t,” a bright voice says from behind them. Xena stares at the woman behind her, “Hello Aphrodite.” Aphrodite looks from Xena to Ares, “Hey Bro, I thought you were tired of this mortal thing. What happened? Did you get the Bard mad?” Ares shrugs, “She didn’t like a comment I made. Anyway, when the companies right, this mortal thing isn’t too bad,” he says smiling at Xena. Xena smiles, then tosses a blank scroll at the Goddess, “Enchant it,” she orders. Aphrodite laughs and sets it down, “No. Look, I know why you want it enchanted and that’s fine. But, if you think I’m going to take orders like that, then you’ve got another thing coming.” Ares laughs loudly, “Come on Dite. I can handle the mortal thing, but Lis can’t.” Aphrodite wrinkles her nose, “Oh, alright, I’ll ignore the way she asked to do it and just enchant it. But I’m doing this for the kid,” she says, waving her hand over the scroll. She hands it to Xena, “Now look, once you’re done, you have to destroy this thing. I don’t want anymore problems sprouting from enchanted scrolls.” Xena takes the scroll and the quill Aphrodite is offering her, “Let’s keep this simple,” she says, scribbling in the scroll. A light shines over Ares and Lissia appears beside him, a bright smile on her face. Lissia runs and hugs both Xena and Aphrodite, “Thanks,” she says, backing away a little. She throws a wink and a smile in Ares direction, then disappears in a flash of bright light. “Well, my work here is done. Later,” Aphrodite says disappearing into the ether. Ares extends his hand to Xena, “I’ll take you to Gabrielle,” he says. She moves away from him and holds the scroll out to her side, “Destroy it,” she orders. He raises an eyebrow, “Xena, I am the God of War, do you really think you can order me around?” He asks playfully. She looks thoughtful, “Yes,” she says, smiling. He shrugs, “Alright, I give up,” he says, shooting a lightening bolt at the scroll. They smile as it disintegrate in front of their eyes. He grabs her hand as she drops the scroll, “Ready to find your friend?” Xena shake her head, “Take me to the lake, outside of the village,” she says. He nods with a curious expression, then they both disappear.
As they appear next to the lake, Xena stumbles a little. Ares reaches out to steady her. She brushes his hands away, “I’m fine. I’m just not used to traveling like that anymore,” she says, facing him. “You don’t want me to leave yet, do you?” He asks, sitting on a rock. She shrugs, “Not really,” she says, sitting beside him. They sit in silence for a few moments before Ares asks, “Why not?” She looks at him, a bit of confusion in her gaze, “Things have changed.” He nods, “We established that earlier. Don’t worry Xena, I won’t hold you to anything. For that matter, we don’t even have to talk about this. It’s alright, I understand,” he says getting up. She grabs his arm and pulls him back down, “Do you love me?” She asks bluntly. A look of shock spreads across his face, then realization dawns, “Lissia,” he says quietly. Xena shakes her head, “No, not Lissia. She has nothing to do with this. Now, do you love me?” She asks forcefully. He takes her hand and standing up, gently kisses it, “Until next time, Xena,” he says, moving away from her. Anger flashes across her face and she grabs him roughly, “No, not until next time. Now answer me Ares, do you love me?” He sighs, “Yes, I do. Are you happy now? You’re probably not. Let me guess, you’re going to slap me and call me a liar. Then I’ll leave and things will go back to how they were before we had this little adventure.” She looks at him pointedly, “Are you done yet?” She asks sarcastically. He nods slightly. She takes his hands and they sit back down, “I’m not going to slap you and I’m not going to call you a liar. And I don’t think things are going to go back to how they were. I don’t think they can.” He runs a finger down her cheek, “So what are you saying?” She shrugs, “I don’t know exactly, but maybe we can figure something out together, given enough time that is. Look, I’m not coming back and I don’t expect you to change, but maybe we can find a reason to work together a little more often.” He nods, “That would be nice. I’m sure Lissia will find a reason for us to work together. She’s good at that,” he says, laughing. Xena laughs along with him. They stand up and Ares pulls her into his arms, holding her tightly against him, “I’ll see you soon,” he says quietly. She looks up at him and nods, wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulls him into a fierce kiss. Breaking apart, she says, “Yeah, soon,” and walks toward the village, leaving Ares staring after her.
-End