Title: This is not happening

Author: Michele Grahn

Sex: Not really

Violence: Nope

Sub-text: Haha! Yeah, right. HELL NO!

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: Xena, Gabrielle, Eve and Ares do not by any means belong to me. (Although I do with that Ares did) :)

Dedication: To my best friend, Kim. I thank you for you are my motivation, my greatest supporter and my giver of titles :) Love ya lots! GO TEAM!

Okay, enjoy the story but remember this is my first story so it might not be too good.

Authors note The whole 25 years into the future thing never happened. This is a fairly old fic. I just thought of posting it because I am beginning to post my X-Files fics and thought what the hell.

Xena and Gabrielle were riding with 1-year-old Eve toward Corinth. It was raining so they were riding quickly. They were almost there when Xena saw a figure run across their path. She tried to stop Argo in time but Gabrielle went flying off the back when she reared and the figure got slightly trampled. Gabrielle landed on a huge fallen tree. Xena was horrified. She did not know what to do.

She jumped off Argo and ran to Gabrielle. Blood was rushing forth from her head and her back along her spine. "Gabrielle, by the Gods, are you okay can you move?" Xena questioned frantically. Gabrielle tried to move but when she did she just screamed in agony. " Xena! She cried, I can't move my back" Her sobs became faint and soon She went unconscious from loss of blood. Xena tried to awaken her but to no avail. Gabrielle was out cold. She tied bandages around Gabrielle's head and back to staunch the flow of blood. Then she secured her into Argo's saddle. After Gabrielle was in place, Xena went over to the figure she had hit, who was now stirring.

"Are you all right?" Xena asked? The figure, a girl, said nothing and just wept and clutched her arm. "Kim, is that you?" Xena said the girl looked at her questioningly. "Xena?" "Yes, it's me. What are you doing here?" Xena asked. "It's a long story." Kim stated between whimpers. Xena helped her up onto Argo behind Gabrielle and instructed her to hold on to Gabrielle with her good arm. Xena slowly led the group to the city.

The soggy quartet reached Corinth by mid-day. Xena brought Kim and Gabrielle to the nearest hospice. The healer, a young woman named Alyssa, gave them some blanket and checked out Gabrielle and said that Kim's left elbow was severely broken in two places. But in time they would heal. She also added that while she was examining Kim, she found several bloody cuts and bruises on her back and face.

"Okay, what about Gabrielle?" Xena asked eagerly. "Gabrielle, I'm afraid, we are unable to help at this point. We can only pray that the Gods will help her now." Alyssa said sadly. An option that was not too promising since the Gods were not exactly on their side nowadays. Yeah they'll help her all right, help her right off a cliff, that's how they'd help her. Xena thought. Alyssa had recommended going to a nearby Inn.

They settled in and Xena laid Gabrielle on a bed and replaced the bandages on her head and spine. The bleeding had stopped but Gabrielle was still unconscious. Eve kept going over to Gabrielle and touching Gabrielle's head and beckoning for xena to come. Xena told her several times not to go near Gabrielle because she was not feeling well. Xena wondered briefly why Eve wanted so much to be near Gabrielle. It was but a fleeting thought.

"So are you going to tell me?" Xena asked later that night. "Tell you what?" asked Kim. "Why you ran away," said Xena "What makes you think I ran away? Maybe I wanted to take a trip and explore." Remarked Kim. "Kim, come on, Xena prompted, I've known you since you were a baby. I also know that it took something big to make you leave your mother. So, I will ask again, why did you run away?" Xena punctuated her little speech with a slight pat on the back. Kim flinched. She decided it would be best if Xena knew what happened.

"Okay," she stated, "here goes. As you already know, my father died during Cortese's raid on Amphipolis. Well, a couple of years later my mom married this really great guy named Cole. He was amazing. He taught me how to fish and fight and he got me into a school. The headmaster wasn't to pleased because they only accepted boys into the school. He and Cole fought for a week and we finally won. We had the best time together. Everything was great and then our village had a surprise visit from one of Hera's pets. Mother and Cole were killed. I wasn't killed because Cole had sent me to the river to fetch some water for dinner. From then on, I just wandered around from village to village. I got to one city just as some warriors attacked it. So I got beaten a little. Then their leader came, some guy named Draco. He said something about "it was not the way to win love and had Gab forever painted on his horse. It was weird. I was on my way to Corinth when I, uh, met up with you.

"Oh" Xena said. Kim just nodded then left the room. After Kim went to bed, Xena settled her daughter in and checked on Gabrielle. She stayed with her and remembered all that they had been through together. Dahak, Alti, Caesar, Ming Tien, and the births of each of their children. Granted, Hope was evil, and she killed Solan, but Eve was anything but evil. Ever since she was born, Eve had a certain aura. If Xena or Gabrielle were hurting or sad, all they had to do was hold Eve and they would feel better. It was odd but they figured it was from love.

All of a sudden Xena felt her spine tingle. "Go away Ares, I'm not in the mood" she remarked venomously. "Okay," Ares said, "one, I still don't know how you do that, two, chill out, I'm just here to see you guys and three, What the heck is wrong with you now?" Xena snickered. "Don't play dumb, Ares, Its not your style.

"Sorry, so how is she?" Ares asked sincerely. "What?" Xena asked in utter disbelief. "I said, how is Gabrielle?" Ares repeated slowly, as if he were talking to a small child.

"I heard what you said, dummy, but I don't believe it. Since when do you care about Gabrielle?" Xena snapped. "Whoa" Ares said "warrior princess PMS or something? Besides, I happen to care a lot." "And why would that be?" Xena retorted.

"Well it's really very simple, if my lovely princess I not happy then I'm not happy." You must be one very pissed off guy most of the time. Xena thought. Then she said, "Cut the crap Ares, What's going on?"

"Jeez woman, you have some serious issues, can't a guy care about someone when their hurt?"

"Not you."

"Thanks a bunch babe"

"Yeah, No problem, and if you call me babe ever again, I'll make it so you'll have to adopt if you want more children"

"... Ow."

"Y' know, I don't know why I let you abuse me like this. I don't have to take anything from anyone. I am the GOD OF WAR! I really can't understand why. "Xena looked up with those big, blue eyes of hers and gazed right into his (positively gorgeous) brown ones.

Oh, that's why. Ares thought.

"I'm sorry" Xena apologized. "I'm just really worried about Gabrielle" "I understand" Ares said, "Do you want to be alone?" he asked "Yeah, for now at least, but if you promise to be good, maybe I'll let you come back later." Xena said. Ares nodded.

Then, not able to let the moment pass, he said "Does this mean you like me?" "Don't go there Ares" Before Ares left he said, "Take good care of Eve" Xena replied, "I will, she's special."

More than you know. Ares thought and disappeared.