x

Will of God

It had been nine days since they had left the Amazons and only two since they'd returned to Greece. Xena glanced over her shoulder at the wagon that was carrying Gabrielle. The bard was sleeping in the back, taking advantage of a quiet moment as Joxer drove. She knew that Gabrielle was close now, as the bard's belly had recently dropped, but the warrior figured it was going to be a few days yet.

Xena was surprised that they weren't immediately assaulted when they landed. She expected a fireball at least, or something, however, so far Hera hadn't made her move. Xena wondered why the Queen of the Gods was being so quiet, but she knew enough to realize that Hera had some greater plan that she was leading them toward. Perhaps she was waiting for the child to be born, or for Xena to be distracted by something else so that she could get to Gabrielle and the baby. After all, if Hera waited for the child to be born, her death would only be all the more tragic because she could let Gabrielle live to suffer with the pain of the loss. Xena couldn't help but think that maybe she wanted to personally kill the child, just like she'd killed the other children of Hercules. Grinding her teeth, she couldn't help but curse them. She hated the gods, every last one of them.

"Surely you don't hate all of us," a familiar voice whispered her in ear.

Feeling that familiar, yet repulsive sensation, she pulled her sword, hissing, "Ares!"

"Oh, how did I know? Call it a God thing," the God of War continued, appearing just inches from the end of her sword.

"Stay back!"

Ares shot her look of disdain as he flicked his finger, casting the warrior's sword out of her hands. "I'm not here to play with you Xena. Maybe later, when you're not so…" He eyed Gabriele. "Busy."

"What do you want, Ares?"

"That's more like it. Now, I know what mother has done. I even know where Gabrielle's family is. I've been there."

Xena narrowed her eyes. "Sure you didn't have a hand in it?"

"I don't cross that line! You know of all people know that," Ares challenged.

"You've allowed your men to cross that line. You've been known to look away or ignore even your rules, when it suites you."

Ares growled, "That's different. I gave them the power, and the choice. If it didn't get in my way, I wouldn't interfere."

Xena shot a cold reply, "I'm sure that's very different. So long as it isn't your hand, you can say you're innocent. You disgust me."

Ares scoffed, turning his back to the Warrior Princess, "I didn't come here to fight."

"Oh, then why did you come?"

Ares turned back towards the Xena. "Hera's temple, the one north of Argos, that is where you'll find Gabrielle's family. Her guards will try to kill you, of course, but you can handle them. Gabrielle's family is alive and well."

"Why?" asked Xena.

"I told you…"

Xena shook her head, replying sarcastically, "I forgot, you don't cross that line,"

Ares gave the Warrior Princess a cold stare, and then disappeared.

Xena started to mutter to herself, pacing back and forth for a moment before her thoughts were interrupted by another familiar voice. "Xena? What's going on? You ok?" Gabrielle asked.

Xena paused, picking up her blade, sheathing it. She shook her head, clearing her thoughts before approaching the wagon. The bard must have woken up when Joxer stopped the wagon, as she'd stopped when Ares appeared.

"Yeah, what's going on Xena? Who were you talking too?" Joxer added.

"You didn't see?" Getting a blank look from the warrior-wanna-be, she sighed. "It was Ares. He gave me some information about your family, Gabrielle."

"What did he say?" Gabrielle asked, afraid of the answer.

"He told me they are ok, and what temple they are being held."

Gabrielle bit her lip, glad of the news, but at the same time wary of it. "Can we trust him, Xena?"

"I don't trust any of them. He could be telling the truth, or he could be pulling us into a trap. He seemed sincere, and if what he said to true, then some of the Olympians aren't backing Hera. They might intervene, but I wouldn't count on the gods for anything."

The bard frowned, but nodded her head in understanding.

Xena took a step closer to the wagon, reaching out and stroking the back of hand cross the bard's cheek in support.

"Hey, how ya feeing," she asked, hoping to change the subject.

"Tired, and scared, honestly." Gabrielle replied.

Xena frowned. "It won't be long now. I don't think we'll make it to Argos. We need to find you a safe place. Somewhere out of the elements, and defensible, if possible."

"What, you don't have a hidden cache of weapons in a secret cave around here?" Gabrielle half joked.

"My army never made it south of Argos," she replied in all seriousness.

Gabrielle grimaced, realizing Xena was in no mood to joke. "Alright, let's see what we can find then," she encouraged.

Xena nodded, kissing the bard's cheek before returning to Argo. Once mounted, they again continued their trek toward Argos.

8

Ares appeared in the Halls of War, next to Strife. "Mother is going to wait for the moment, and then she is going to swoop in and kill them both. She'll probably send a large group of men, maybe several dozen, maybe more. Gabrielle will be going into labor probably within in the day, and Xena won't be able to do anything to help her."

Perplexed by Ares's sudden concern, Strife asked, "Why do you care?"

"You stupid insignificant worm, you're the reason why this is happening. All to get Hercules to do something dumb. You created this… problem."

Strife back away in fear thinking that Ares might hit him as Ares added, "Oh, I care. I don't like my brother, in fact, I wish he was dead and I'm not opposed to doing that right in front of the new little girl if necessary, but this child has nothing to do with our problem, it's not necessary."

"Why?"

Ares groaned, "You've never buried a child, have you?"

Strife couldn't answer that question, so he approached the next one instead, "What are you going to do? Fight beside them?"

Ares replied, "Not exactly, though I might even up the odds."

8

Hera watched from above with a smile as she said, "That's right vermin, run. Find some shelter and deliver a beautiful baby girl. Trust me, I can wait a day or so.

Zeus suddenly appeared behind her. "Hera, why are you doing this?"

Hera turned around and replied with a harsh chill, "Zeus, your little bastard is about to have a little bastard. This is what's going to happen every time Hercules has a child. I'll never let him feel the love of a family again."

Zeus bowed his head. He'd hoped to reason with his wife, as the guilt was deepening inside of him. "Haven't you punished him enough on account of me?"

"Well, I could kill him, Alcmene, and his brother Iphicles, then I might let the child live."

Zeus raised his head, a sliver of power running through his veins, "You know I can't allow that."

Hera's voice took a cold chill. "Then the child will die."

Zeus tried to be strong before her, "I can't allow that either."

"Just you try to stop me, no one here on Olympus with stand up for you."

Zeus relented. He could just only hope that one day his wife would stop punishing mortals for his misdeed. Zeus walked away defeated as Hera resumed her hawk eyed view on Xena and Gabrielle.

The time of birth was coming fast.