A/N: Thank you to "Guest" for the review regarding the kiss with Ares and how I was going to address it. To be honest, the scene in episode 113 did not even phase me as a big deal because of the strength of the relationship between X & G and other things that this post episode is now about. I want to thank Strange1, Marijke Bush, and lazytown2000 for the reviews.

KISS!

Post-Episode 114

By Jinxie

Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine. Though I would like them to be.

Content Warning: Always female/female relationships. Sometimes naughty scenes.

xxxx

End of Episode 114 (S6, E2):

Eve is following behind Gabrielle as they walk into the backyard of the inn. "Gabrielle, what's wrong?" Eve asks, her concern growing as she spots Xena standing over the crevice that is the open gateway to hell.

The bard responds, "The legend. Xena, you killed the king of Hell. What happens now?" Bard and daughter stand next to Xena as they all stare at the glowing crevice, smoke rising constantly from it's fiery depths.

"I don't know. I've got a feeling it's not over yet." Xena has her sword in hand, ready for the next battle.

xxxx

That night the three women sleep in the creepy inn. The wood creaked and moaned for no reason at all. All three women were huddled in the same bed together. Xena was in the middle, her arm around both of the younger women. At each noise they heard, they silently scooted closer together. Xena smiled, finding it funny that they are so frightened. It had taken them a solid hour just to be able to lie in the bed. The mattress, sheets, and blankets were covered in dirt. After several beatings with the flat of Xena's sword, they were cleaned out enough to use.

The cobwebs were still hanging everywhere, spiders nowhere to be seen. It was as if everything that had been full of life at the inn had vanished. Only death seemed to be prevalent. The open crack to hell did not help them rest. Eve was new to this spirituality gig and she was quite scared as to what could happen to them. The most shocking thing had been that she could cast Mephistopheles out of Gabrielle. The power had come as a surprise to all of them, especially the King of Hell. The whole debacle shed light to the trio on the importance of Eve's destiny. She is to be the Messenger of God.

"So." Xena spoke up, trying to create conversation to distract her girls. "Think Ares will get use to being fully mortal? Wonder how long it will be before he freaks out again trying to become a god." She chuckled at the thought of his desperation to get the Ambrosia from the Amazons.

"He'll figure it out. I'm sure we'll have to help him eventually though. He will probably get himself into a ton of trouble." The bard smiled at the thought of him dealing with very human mistakes and issues. "Oh boy, he is going to hate not having perfect sex."

All three women began to laugh very hard at that joke. Eve snorted as she added to the conversation; "I don't even think he'll be able to walk a mile without hurting himself. He is so use to just snapping his fingers!"

"I'm sure he'll be fine. I'm just grateful that he brought you both back for me. I wouldn't have been able to go on without you both." She kissed the top of Gabrielle's head, then Eve's.

"Did anyone thank him for what he did?" Gabrielle asked, suddenly worried that no one took the time to thank him. "Maybe we should throw him a party and get him a couple of girls or something." She giggled again, thinking about Ares trying to have real sex without godly powers.

"Mother thanked him on Olympus, right?" She looked up at Xena, eyes hopeful that she was correct.

"Yeah, I did. We also saved his butt a couple weeks ago. I think that should count as a thank you. Plus he got a kiss out of me, I mean isn't that enough?" She shook her head and made a grossed out noise with her mouth.

"KISS?!" both Eve and Gabrielle yelled at the same time.

Gabrielle sat up on her elbow and looked down at her lover. Her eyes showed a mixture of anger, worry, and sadness. "What do you mean?" her voice was very quiet, the words hard to get out.

Xena propped herself up on both elbows, "Calm down. It wasn't like I liked it. We were talking and he was hoping he could have another chance with me now that he is mortal. I told him no way."

Eve now sat up in bed and crossed her legs. She looked back and forth between the two women that were her heroes. "That doesn't explain the kiss." She said quietly, trying to help Gabrielle out because it appeared she was near speechless.

"I just kissed him as a way to say goodbye. No big deal."

"So it was on the cheek or something?" her daughter asked, hoping against hope that was the answer.

"No, on the mouth." The warrior was very casual about the whole thing; she looked at Gabrielle and could see that she looked very upset.

"Like a quick peck?" she needed to know the answer for Gabrielle's sake. The bard was seething with anger and her face showed nothing but betrayal. Please Mother, tell me you are not this dumb!

Xena looked at Gabrielle again then back at Eve. "I don't understand what the big deal is? I didn't like it!" She reached out to touch Gabrielle and the bard shot up out of bed, running out of the room. "Gabby!" She jumped up to go after her only to be held back by her daughter.

"Mom! Hold on… do you even understand what's going on? You kissed an ex lover like it was nothing and brought it up to us like it was nothing. Explain this to me, because right now it sounds like you kissed him without putting Gabrielle first and respecting the relationship you two have."

Xena stared at Eve, speechless. She looked down at the floor then back into her daughters green eyes. "It was a harmless kiss. I was saying goodbye and telling him that there is no chance of us being together. I didn't mean anything by it other than that. Afterwards I told him that there was no chance we could ever be together."

"Ok. But you didn't tell her that just now. She is out there thinking that you nearly cheated on her. Couldn't you say goodbye with a kiss on the cheek, instead of something so personal?" Eve stood up and walked towards the door, "Maybe I should talk to her first."

"No, this is my mess. I'll take care of it." Xena bolted out the door to find her bard. "Gabrielle?" she called out as she wandered around the inn. She found Gabrielle sitting by the fireplace, trying to stoke it again. Xena expected to find tears running down her cheeks, but she didn't. "Gab?"

"You can sit." She said softly after seeing her warrior hesitate.

Xena sat next to her in silence, not sure what to say that could make the situation sound ok. Eve had opened her eyes to the fact that she probably should not of handled it like that. Gods this is hard. My heart was in the right place! I can't believe I didn't even think of it like they did. "I'm sorry Gabrielle. I didn't realize that what I did was a problem. And I-"

"It wasn't a problem to kiss Ares on the mouth? How could you not see that as a problem?" Despite the situation and her words, her voice was quite calm.

"I was saying goodbye to him in a way he could understand. As I walked away he asked if there was ever any chance and I said no. My heart was in the right place, Gabrielle. I promise. There was no ill intent there. I was not trying to betray you or hurt you. I realize now that I didn't see the situation in the same way you do. I'm truly sorry." She reached out and cupped the blonde's cheek, turning her face so she could look her in the eyes. "I love you Gabrielle. He can't have me because you have me. All of me."

"Promise?" Gabrielle blinked, trying to hold back tears from forming.

"I promise." Xena leaned over and kissed her gently on the lips. "Now lets get back into the scary bed, ok?" She stood up and pulled Gabrielle into her arms, scooping her up off the ground. The smiled at each other as they went back to their room to try and get some rest.

xxxx

Beginning of Episode 115:

Michael and Raphael are talking once again about the happenings in Amphipolis, " Xena will never go down to Hell voluntarily."

The dark haired Raphael replied, "When she opened up that portal and killed Mephistopheles, she became him. You know the rules. She belongs on that throne."

"The last time Xena was in Hell…she almost captured Heaven."

"Well, we've gotta do something. We can't just leave her on Earth with… pure evil streaming out of that portal."

Another Arc angel, Lucifer, flew in. "Aren't you two inspiring? Michael and Raphael, chief warrior angels of the chief himself, quaking like a couple of frightened children."