The road lay open for them as they began their journey. Xena was atop Argo with Gabrielle snuggled up behind her just like the very first time they had rode together many years before. To their right upon the horse that Varia had left behind was Araphat. That was the only difference between the years was this strange man that gave them the greatest gift ever.

They had been traveling for the better part of a day and soon they would have to find a campsite. For the most part Xena had been like her old self. Araphat had said it was because the warrior and the bard were in constant physical contact. That heightened their connection. That had got both eyebrows raised when he said that. There was so much that he had left unsaid. Now was the time to tell them everything.

Another hour or so of riding and Xena picked out a campsite. It was close to a small pond that would avail them of fish for dinner. There was a small ringlet of trees surrounding them to provide a little bit of cover as there was moisture in the air and the warrior was afraid that by morning rain would have invaded there little spot. It would bring a coldness as autumn temperatures were quickly turning to winter.

The fire chased a little bit of the cold and dampness away but still left a slight chill. The warrior had insisted that they both where their cloaks and for the bard the thicker clothing that she would wear this time of year. Even the warrior princess was donning some leggings as the temperatures were starting to get to her. She hated wearing them as they would interfere slightly if she had to fight. But the last thing they needed was a sick warrior on their hands bad enough to have an emotional one.

Everywhere that Xena went Gabrielle went which made setting up camp a little more time consuming. Years of training and the bard still could not fish the way that the warrior could. But the blond knew to stand still and let her lover do what came so naturally to her. As always when the temperatures turned this cold she hated watching the warrior do her thing as she had to stand for a prolonged time in the cold pond but long ago had learned not to argue with her.

Finally they were around the campfire having eaten the wonderful fish that Xena had caught. The pair was snuggled up on their fury bedrolls with another set wrapped around them. Araphat sat across from them wrapped up in his own blankets. Once again he seemed to be mediating. It reminded the bard a little of their time in India when she had used meditation as well.

The pair was overall content just to be snuggled up with one another. However there were also words echoing in their head from their short conversation with the older man sitting across the fire from them. They looked at each other and just as Gabrielle was about to speak there was this flash of light. A familiar bearded God stood in the middle of the campfire.

"If it isn't my favorite warrior." Ares noticed where he was standing and took a couple steps out. "And her little tart." That got daggers from the warrior princess. "Easy now! I'm just here to look out for you. You left your little village unprotected at the wrong time. You might just want to ride back and make sure it's all right. Seems someone has been spreading around just where to find a certain supposedly retired princess warrior."

Xena in the past would have stood so that she could face the God of War but wasn't even inclined to give him the time of day in the least. So she looked up from her very comfortable spot and glared at him. "First off call my soul mate that again and I'll find something like the dagger of Helios." The God's eyes widen just a tad. "Secondly every time that you tell me or Gabrielle to do something it ends up costing us. I'm not going to play your games anymore." She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the bard's.

"You know, I just don't get you." Ares began pacing in front of the pair still snuggled up. He glanced at the older man who seemed not to even notice that he was there. A look of disgust was on his face as he eyed the man for moment. "What is that?" There was no response from the warrior princess and he sent out a lightning bolt that landed several feet from anyone. That fazed no one in the campsite. "You can sit there all relaxed like that when someone is coming to destroy your precious village? And all the people there?"

The warrior princess sighed heavily. Reluctantly she opened her eyes but left herself snuggled up against her soul mate. "Ares be nice to the man over there. He's the reason that I'm alive at the moment." The God's eyes widened a touch. "As for the village if you do something that causes any harm to the people there I will find a way to make your life, such that it is, a living hell. Now get the hell out of my campsite and let me enjoy the time with my soul mate." Her eyes closed once again.

Ares crouched down in front of his former chosen one. Even though he knew she could feel him within inches of her she just sat there ignoring him. "You know, Xena, you used to be fun." That got him one eyeball open and looking at him. "You used to take me seriously. Ever since you've gotten…" Both eyes opened and there was a fire in her eyes. "Your precious soul mate you've turned your back on me. Am I really that bad?"

In unison both the bard and the warrior answered. "Yes!" Xena wanted to laugh as Ares had a mock expression of hurt on his face. She sighed heavily not really wanting to deal with him anymore. "Look, if there is an issue it'll have to wait until we get back." Underneath the furs she squeezed her soul mate's hand. "There are more important things in life. So just go away and find another chosen person to annoy will ya?"

The God of War let another lightning bold fly this time it came within inches of Gabrielle's head. The warrior princess was out of the covers and had both hands wrapped around the loose collar of the God. Xena held her grip tight but that was it. She never went for her sword or her chakrum. She just stood there glaring into his eyes. The God smiled in what he thought was a victory.

When he glanced at the dark haired women there was her girlfriend right next to her. "Son of a bacchae! How the hell did you move so damn fast?" He had never seen the blond even flinch let alone move. Ares looked into blue eyes that had fire in them. "Look you can't blame a guy for trying to get his lover back now can you?" Now green eyes had fire in them and he was honestly more afraid of the bard than he was the warrior princess.

"This is all a distraction you piece of scum God." Xena let go of her grip on him. "You are lucky that there needs to be the balance between love and hate or I would have only given godhood back to Aphrodite and left you suffering on that farm I hid you on. Go back and play with Cupid. I hear he still is around. Better yet go…"

"Xena." Gabrielle knew when a round of cursing was about to be unleashed and not that the God of War hadn't asked for it but still. She put her hand out and placed it on her soul mate's lower back and felt a great deal of tension. This is the last thing that she needs. I wish Ares would just go find some idiot to mess with. "You've given us the warning. Thanks. We'll take it under advisement. Now if you don't mind it's been a long day and we could use some sleep."

Ares looked like he wanted to say something to Gabrielle but thought better of it. Though he was sure that he could handle his own against Xena and the fact that she was no longer capable of killing gods there was still something he feared about his former protégé. "Find, Blondie. I'll go. For now. But I'm telling you the truth. It's not me but someone is letting everyone know where you are settling down. You best watch your back."

With that there was a flash of light and the God was gone. Gabrielle put her arms around her soul mate and felt a shudder go through the taller woman. Ares had gotten to her that much was clear. Of course what he said about people finding out where to find the warrior princess was something they had considered before they had decided to settle in one place. They would definitely have to start a militia as soon as they had enough people.

"Are you all right?" Gabrielle felt a little bit of relaxation at the sound of her voice. She also was continuing to knead the lower back of her soul mate. "It's nothing we didn't expect. Besides this is Ares. You know he's just out for himself." The bard had hoped that there would be more relaxation on the part of her soul mate but was getting nowhere.

Finally Xena turned to look down into the green eyes that always caused her breath to pause ever so slightly. A smile was upon both their faces as words seemed pointless at this point. Without a word she pulled the bard into a tight embrace glad that the normal unpleasantness they always felt whenever Ares was involved was gone. "Shall we?"

The bard led the way back to their shared bedroll and snuggled up close together. The warmth was intense between them as it always was. They had a connection all right. The connection went beyond so many levels that it sometimes scared them both. And yet it felt as natural as breathing. They were half asleep when they heard the voice of their friend.

Araphat's voice echoed into the darkness and caused both the woman to look over at him. "I know we have another day of travel ahead of us but I want to tell you something that you need to know." His voice was louder and clearer than either had ever heard it before. "I have all the supplies we need. It will entail something similar to what was performed in Egypt. There is one thing that you should know." Both of them eyed him waiting for him to go on. "It involves a potential side effect down the road."

Gabrielle could feel the tension in her soul mate's body come flooding back. She cursed under her breath having hoped that she could take most of this upon herself at least until everything was righted once again. It took several moments for her to find any kind of coherent words. "We are used to things being complicated and never being easy so please just tell us what we need to know."

A deep breath steadying himself before Araphat finally told them what they needed to know. "The first side effect I believe you've already been experiencing. I'm not talking of the mood swings. That does not always happen. What does happen every time when two people love one another as much as you two do is a connection that forms between you. And I know as soul mates you already have one. But this goes beyond that. You will be linked in a way so that when one hurts the other will know it."

Gabrielle's eyes widened slightly. That had happened just the other day when Xena had hit her hand. She had also sensed the mood change in her soul mate before it happened. It was a bit overwhelming thinking that they were indeed this connected. But at the same time it just felt natural as breathing. There was a squeeze of her hand. "That's something that we've already experienced. It'll be something to get used to but we will. Now, what other side effects are there?"

Araphat knew that the next bit of information was going to be nearly impossible to digest. No human being would even consider what he was about to say with the exception possibly of these two. "There will be a way, if you so choose, down the road to uh…" Even the normally sure man was a bit at loss for words. "You will be able to have a child together."

Both blue eyes and green eyes practically fell out of their respective heads. They both stared for the longest time trying to wrap their minds around what their friend had just told them. Of course they knew that anything was possible or Eve never would have been born. Of course the fact that the child they conceived would be part of both of them was different. Their eyes met and there were no words. They spoke to one another through years of understanding and this connection.

Xena was the one to finally find her voice. "Is there anything else you want to shock us with right before we try and sleep?" Her voice was calm and playful. It was like what he had told them was something they heard every day. They had seen just about anything in their travels together so nothing really fazed them at all anymore. The only thing was it gave them an option that neither of them had ever dreamed possible.

Araphat was surprised by their reaction. He had only had to tell one other couple this and they had been full of questions and wonder. He looked from the bard and then to the warrior and it was confirmed what he had already knew but had forgotten somehow. These two were no ordinary people in any sense of the word. They had lived several lifetimes in the past together and would continue to find one another in the future. "I guess not. I have some scrolls that I could leave with you explaining the process."

Gabrielle, normally the one that was a bit more reserved when it came to their sex life, said, "We do know how it works." Xena could not help but snort in laughter especially seeing the usually stoic Araphat's jaw literally drop to his chin. "Oh, you mean that there is a ritual to bring a new life into the world. Right. Sorry. I should have guessed that." It was all done for effect after the man had surprised them right before they were trying to sleep so she just could not help herself. When her words sunk in she realized something. I think some of that connection just reared its head. That is something Xena would have said not me. Her face was bright red.

The older man looked not at Gabrielle who had spoken but to her soul mate who was stifling further laughs. He smiled as he understood exactly what happened. "You, princess warrior, have a very interesting sense of humor. You should show it more often." Both the bard and warrior looked at each other knowing exactly that they had been busted.

"I will. Goodnight my friend." Xena pulled Gabrielle gently back with her as she laid them both down. She made sure that they were both wrapped tightly in their furs and kissed her partner on the top of the head. "Goodnight my love." A hand placed over her heart was her answer and it was all that she needed. One last time she let her senses drift over the surrounding area making sure that they were safe as they could be out in the open. Of course she would only be half asleep keeping a vigil over her soul mate and the man who had gifted them with so much.

()()()()()()()()()()

The sound of hoof beats echoed throughout the large cavern. The opening to it had been just large enough for Xenon to squeeze through. He had with him his wife and his son. Nicha is huddled by the fire alongside her young son named Borias. She is watching as her husband paces back and forth. They were all exhausted having just barely escaped the current of the river. This was supposed to be a place for all of them to relax at least a little bit.

"Xenon, please." Sad eyes make it hard for him to resist and he makes his way over to his wife and child. "I know you have to keep watch in case those men somehow made it past the river but you also need to rest." Nicha looked up as he neared her and his son. "We're going to need something to eat as well. Perhaps I can scrounge for something. I'll be easier to move around and keep hidden."

The centaur looks upset at the thought but knows his young wife is right. "I know." Suddenly he senses something familiar. He cannot see what he is sensing but he can feel it. "Mother?" Sure enough Ephiny is standing only a few feet away from her son. "I don't know if it's really you or not but if it is you can you please get help? We're trying to get to Amphipolis where supposedly Xena and Gabrielle are. Please will you find them and tell them."

His wife stands up and comes to stand next to her husband. Arms embrace her and there is a newfound hope that flows between them. If his mother really was here than she can get to Gabrielle. I know that they will help us. I just hope we survive this. "Do you really think that your mother is here?" She peers through the dimly lit cavern looking right through Ephiny.

"She was once before when we needed her badly." Xenon pulled her into a tighter hug and just sighed hoping that he was not wrong about this. A noise at the entrance made all three figures stiffen. "You better go see what it is. Not that I want you in danger but…" He was silenced by a hand to his lips. Those lips eventually found hers. Borias came and stood behind his father and the pair watched the woman move toward the entranceway.

Nicha was hoping beyond hope that it was nothing but an animal of some sort. Ephiny had made her way to the entrance not that she could do anything. Slowly she crept to the entrance when another sound caught her ear. The sound of thunder followed by quick sensations of lightning. There was a badger outside the cave trying to find shelter.

The rain had not yet started to fall so the young woman continued out of the cavern and out into the dark woods that were only lit when the lightning flashed around her. She found some berries. It would hardly be enough for the three of them but it was better than nothing. Another flash of lightning and there was a strange menacing figure standing before her.

The heavens opened up at that very moment and the rain began pouring down. The dark hooded man smiled as she screamed. He took a hold of her and back handed her to shut her up. The berries spilled to the ground as did the continuing rain. The man threw the woman over his shoulder and disappeared into thin air.