38. Aftermath

"Nooo…" She yelled again, running towards her son, so much fear in her heart that she was trembling.

Because Dahak had died, along with him had vanished the energy shield that was keeping Ares prisoner just like his hold on his remaining minions…they all got back at being themselves, unlocking the cages that were holding all the gods captive.

Seeing that he was free, Ares didn't waste time and ran to his son that was now cradled in Xena's arms, at her chest.

"Noooo…no…Adam please…mommy is here now…please." she said, kissing his forehead, but the child didn't respond. The despair that she might have lost her child, prevented her to realize Ares was there next to her, checking Adam out.

"Xena…" he said softly… "Xena…" he repeated holding his hand out, touching her face and redirecting her gaze to him. "He's alive."

She breathed in relief and started crying silently.

"I can feel his pulse…that was some power there, it drained him but he will be ok."

Her tears were still streaming down her face but a small smile appeared in between them.

"He's alright. He's alright." he repeated and her smile spread even wider.

By now, all the gods were released from their cells together with Gabrielle and little Eve.

"Xena…!" Gabrielle shouted in pure relief and Ares averted his eyes first from his Princess and his son, seeing Gabrielle approaching with Eve in her arms.

"Evie…" he muttered, taking a step forward, wanting to take the girl from Gabrielle but the Bard shook her head…yes of course Eve didn't remember him, he was still a stranger to her. The thought saddened him deeply.

Xena turned towards her friend and laughed, taking Gabrielle in her arms and kissing her daughter's head.

"Oh Evie…"

But the girl didn't respond; she was still clutching Gabrielle with her hands, not daring to look around. Gabrielle looked sadly at the girl and Xena's smiled disappeared in a blink…she would need to talk with her friend about what had happened in that fortress that had her daughter still so shocked.

"Bro!" It was Aphrodite's cheery voice. She was now coming towards Ares to give him a big hug.

"I was so afraid…." she told him slowly.

He returned her hug eagerly but he was still staring at his daughter. He had lost her forever and that upset him, anger starting to burn inside his veins again.

"Ares…" she glanced at him and seeing his gaze she looked at the scene in front of them.

"Eve…" she whispered but she knew. "Ohh Stud, I'm so sorry."

"Ares…" Demeter took the word and now he was looking at them all.

"Thank you!" the Goddess said and the other gods nodded in gratitude. They were all so grateful for what Ares had done for them and now they were all alive…because of him, who would have thought?

After that, they all took their leave and vanished from the room letting them all to their reunion and going back to their rightful place in their own home, up there on Olympus. It was good to be back.

"Ahh Ar…Where is my husband?"

"Hephaestus, right…I don't know."

She gave him a fearful glance…what if the huge happiness at surviving this ordeal would be snatched away when seeing that somehow Hephie was dead somewhere on Olympus and she didn't have a clue.

"I'm sure he is fine. The last time I saw him, he was going to search the place for my son…I can…"

"I will look for him…You have some catching up to do…" She forced a smile. She wanted Ares to help her but she knew how much her brother had waited for this moment. She took a lingering gaze on the Warrior Babe and the bard that were still talking and then disappeared.

He took a deep breath before taking a step further towards them…his heart was calling for Xena but he didn't know where they stood now that she remembered them, so he was a little reluctant about taking her in his arms and kissing her senseless… that was what he wanted to do…but first he knew that Xena needed to be sure Adam was alright, to see him awake with her own eyes…and for that there was time required.

"Ares…" his Princess said his name before he had the time to say hers, and turned towards him, surprised to see that now they were all alone in the room- the other gods had disappeared by now.

"Yes…" he replied, approaching with a little hesitantly, his gaze falling on his son…Truth was, he wanted to see Adam wake up too even if he did felt the pulse but still….

"Can you transport us in our room?"

His heart did a flip when hearing her say those words: "our room". He only nodded before putting his hands on Xena's shoulders. Gabrielle took her friend's hand and they left the place.

Soon after, they materialized in Ares's room- the same place where they relationship really started, back when she told him that she was willing to try and make this work, there where she saw for the first time how beautifully he had decorated their son's room. Now, there was a bigger bed in the place where a crib had once stood and another bed where Eve usually slept when they resided on Olympus at the beginning of their relationship.

She breathed the air in…she missed this place, they were happy once, before her daughter died, before Dahak killed her.

"Eve please…sweetie let me place you on the bed…everything's fine now. You're safe."

Gabrielle started going towards the bed, but the girl didn't want any of it. She was feeling safe in Gabrielle's arms, she felt protected there- a place where nobody could hurt her.

"Please Eve…" the Bard's arms were starting to feel the pain of having the girl carried for so long. Seeing that there was no talking with his daughter, Ares put her to sleep in seconds.

"I think she needed that…and you too." Ares only said when Gabrielle looked at him, not feeling Eve' strong embrace anymore.

"Thank you!" she said before getting to put the girl in her bed.

Xena turned towards him after she too laid her son down, on the soft linens. Worry was still in her eyes.

"Are you sure he's fine?" she asked, wanting to be certain.

He hated to see her like that.

"Positive! I didn't feel the energy that was coming from his powers, but he is alright."

He looked into her eyes, she looked back at him, they both wanted to say so much to each other, but words were quite difficult to be found.

"There!" Gabrielle's voice startled them both. "She's settled." she exclaimed, turning to them and seeing their faces, the longing and want in both their eyes and feeling the tension in the room, she knew that she was pretty much the third wheal of a cart at the moment.

"So…as I said, Eve is asleep…settled…" she babbled while making her way to the door. "I'll let you two alone a bit…"

Before she left though she addressed Ares. "Ares…I need to talk to you…after…well you know."

They both nodded and then the door closed with a thud.

"I…uh" Xena started but he didn't let her time for anything, anymore…she was his and so he kissed her…finally…His lips meet hers in a deep, passionate but ever so slow kiss that took her breath away. This felt like coming home.

Tears started forming in her eyes, that he saw right when the kiss ended, when he took the time to look at her baby blues. It was Elysian Fields on earth to have her there with him, responding to his affections, recognition and not hate held in her eyes for him.

"I missed you!" he said and kissed her nose, her cheeks, her neck, taking her in his arms, embracing her like there was no tomorrow.

"Missed you too…" she said, inhaling his scent, letting it overwhelm her senses…how could she have forgotten him…and her son…? Her head turned towards the bed in which Adam rested.

"He's fine!" he whispered against her ear.

"I know…I know…but how could I forget all of this…?" she wondered, looking in his deep, chocolate eyes. "…you…my son…"

"I'm just glad that everything's over." he only said before kissing her forehead. And indeed, he was.

"You should go…see what Gabrielle wants." Xena said with a ghost of a smile on her visage.

"Yes…I should…"

"I will stay here. I don't want to separate from neither one of them." his princess added, her eyes roaming over her children.

"Ok…I will be back soon."

With that, he embraced her one more time, and not being enough to do just that after all that had happened -he nearly lost her- he kissed her again, deeply but short before vanishing.

xxx

"Now…what do you want Blondie?!"

She was startled of course, he always did that and she hated it. Gabrielle turned to him, annoyed.

"Not funny, Ares."

He didn't say anything but dropped the theater.

"Talk!" he said on a serious tone.

"Can you do something for me?" she asked even if she was a bit unsure about it but she needed to know, she needed to see too.

Seeing that she was serious, he didn't make any joke more but waited for her to tell him what exactly she wanted.

"It's…I need to go back to your Fortress."

He frowned. He did want to go there but he did not envision his trip with her tagging along.

"Can you take me?"

"I wanted to go anyway." he stated before vanishing.

"What? Ares?!" she yelled, not quite believing that he had behaved like an asshole, letting her there, behind.

"I just needed something." he appeared again, taking her arm and disappearing- with her this time.