Ares God of War or Should We Say Diapers!

by Xena






Disclaimer: This is the sequel to Daughter of Xena. The characters in this story belong to the producers of Xena: Warrior Princess and Renaissance Pictures as well as USA Studios. There is no subtext in this story. Enjoy! Any thing that starts with a * and ends with a * is a thought by a character.





Xena leaned against the tree. She drew her sword hoping that the man wouldn't hear her. She crept around and watched as the man crept toward a sleeping Gabrielle.

"Come on Gabrielle." Xena said. Xena was testing Gabrielle to see if she could wake up at a moment's notice. Of course Xena had all the faith in the world in Gabrielle. Xena stepped on a twig, and Gabrielle woke up and sprang on the man. She pulverized him.

"Nice work!" Xena called over. Gabrielle looked over at her best friend.

"Thanks!" she called. Gabrielle ran over to Xena.

"Gabrielle, let's go find Eve. She said she'd be back in a few minutes. She's been gone for about a half-hour." Xena said.

"She's probably picking flowers. Little girls love flowers. I remember when I was little." Gabrielle started.

"Gabrielle." Xena started.

"Sorry." Gabrielle said laughing. Then she sobered. "Let's find her." Xena and Gabrielle walked through the woods looking for the five-year old. No sign of her.

"Eve!" Xena called. "Eve!" No answer. "Eve! Come on sweetie! It's time to go!"

"Mommy! Come see what I found!" Eve called over. Xena and Gabrielle followed the sound of Eve's voice until they found her in a small clearing.

"What is it Eve?" Xena asked as she walked closer.

"It's a puppy!" Eve said. "Oh mommy! Can I keep him?" Gabrielle looked at Xena who looked back at her for help.

"Hey. Don't look at me. She's your daughter." Gabrielle whispered. Xena looked back at her daughter who was playing with the black puppy, and saw how happy she was.

"Okay Evie. We can keep him." Xena said. Gabrielle coughed.

"Softie." She whispered.

"Hey!" Xena whispered back.

"Oh! Thank you mommy! Thank you so much!" Eve exclaimed running over to hug Xena. Xena smiled. She was happy when her little girl was happy. The puppy started barking and gave Gabrielle a headache really fast.

"This is what we have to look forward to every night." Gabrielle whispered.

"Hey. Eve's happy. So, let's just try this for awhile." Xena said.

"Yeah." Gabrielle said. "Hey, we need to find Ares. He said that when it's time for the baby, we should tell him because he wants to be here."

"Yeah. I'm gonna let him change all the diapers." Xena said smiling playfully.

"You're in a very good mood." Gabrielle said.

"Well, considering I have my little girl back, and the child I'm carrying isn't immortal, I couldn't be happier!" Xena exclaimed. Eve ran back to Xena and Gabrielle with the puppy.

"I named him Joxer!" Eve exclaimed happily.

"Oh. Joxer'll love that!" Gabrielle exclaimed. She laughed to herself. *Maybe this won't be so bad afterall.*

"Come on. Let's go make a leash for Joxer." Xena said to Eve who ran ahead with the puppy. Xena looked at Gabrielle. "You know, I've always wanted to say that." She and Gabrielle started laughing. All of a sudden, Xena felt pain and knew it was time for the baby to come. "Gabrielle. Go catch up to Eve. Bring her back because I don't want her wandering off. It's time for the baby."

"Okay." Gabrielle said nervously. "I'll be right back." She hurried off to catch up to Eve. Xena sat down against a tree.

"Ares!" she called. Ares appeared.

"Xena. What is it?" he asked.

"It's time." She said.

"Time?" Ares asked. Suddenly it occurred to him that he was about to be a father. "Oh. Time!" he said. "All right. What do I do?"

"Nothing. You wait. Gabrielle went to get Eve and Joxer." Xena said.

"Joxer is with you?" Ares asked.

"Oh. We have a new puppy." Xena said.

"Oh. Great." Ares said sarcastically. Gabrielle ran with Eve and the puppy by her sides.

"Where are the blankets?" Gabrielle asked.

"They're at the campsite." Xena said.

"That's like a mile away." Gabrielle said. They both looked at Ares.

"Okay." Ares said. "I need to do something. I'll go get the blankets."

"Thank you." Gabrielle said. Eve went over to Xena.

"Mommy. You're having the baby now?" she asked.

"Yeah sweetheart." Xena said painfully.

"Yay! I'm gonna be a big sister!"

"Yeah." Xena said smiling weakly. Ares appeared with the blankets and gave them to Gabrielle.

"Ares." Gabrielle said. "Take Eve and the puppy. Just go for a walk. I call for you when it's time to come back."

"Okay. Come on Eve." Ares said. "And Joxer." The puppy barked and followed behind. Ares sighed and took them for a walk in the woods.

"Ares? Do you think I'm gonna get a baby brother or sister?" Eve asked holding Ares' hand.

"I don't know. But it doesn't matter." Ares said.

"Mommy said you would probably want a son." Eve revealed.

"Well, a son would be nice, but a little girl like you would be just as good." Ares said as he tickled Eve. She giggled.

"I'm really going to hurt Ares!" Xena yelled. "He did this to me!"

"I know Xena. He did. But it won't do any good to hurt him." Gabrielle said calmly.

"Shut up!" Xena yelled. "You're not the one pushing something the size of a melon out something the size of a dinar!" Gabrielle couldn't help but laugh at her friend's sense of humor.

"It's okay Xena. Just push." Gabrielle said as Xena pushed.

"What was that?" Eve asked.

"You're mother is just having the baby." Ares said.

"She's making a lot of noise!" Eve exclaimed.

"Yeah. It's probably not that much fun." Ares said.

"I can't wait till I have a baby!" Eve exclaimed.

"Oh yes you can!" Ares exclaimed laughing. He picked up the little girl and carried her.


"Ahhhhh!" Xena screamed. "This hurts much more than it ever did with Solan and with Eve!"

"Come on Xena. The baby's coming. Keep pushing!" Gabrielle urged. Xena pushed again, and Gabrielle delivered a baby boy.

"Congratulations Xena!" Gabrielle exclaimed. "You have a little boy." She smiled and handed him to a smiling Xena.

Ares heard the shrill cry of a baby and nearly jumped out of his skin.

"The baby's here!" Eve exclaimed. Ares swallowed hard.

"Yeah." He said. "Come on. Let's go back."

"You heard Aunt Gabby. She said she'd call for you." Eve said. "Don't worry. Mommy and the baby are okay."


"Uh-oh." Xena panted. She groaned painfully. Gabrielle's eyes widened.

"Another one?" she asked.

"Yeah." Xena said. Gabrielle took the baby boy, and lay him down beside Xena, and prepared to deliver another child.

"Something's not right." Ares said.

"What is it?" Eve asked.

"You think they would've called me back by now." Ares said.

"Well, maybe mommy is having another baby." Eve said hopefully.

"Kids." Ares said. Then he laughed. But he then thought about the serious reasoning of the five-year-old.


"How could I have not known?" Xena asked tiredly, as she held not one, not two, but three tiny infants in her arms.

"Well, I don't know. But you're happy aren't you, Xena?" Gabrielle asked.

"Of course I am." Xena said smiling at her two daughters and her son. She had named her son Xavier and her daughters Gabriella and Solari.


"It's getting late." Ares said as he sat on a tree stump. Eve was playing with Joxer who was barking and chasing her around.

"I told you Ares. She'll be okay." Eve said smiling. Ares was very shocked at how a five-year-old child could be so calm. But he reasoned. She was Xena's daughter. Ares heard Gabrielle call him.

"Come on Eve. Let's go." Ares said.

"Did Aunt Gabby call?" Eve asked.

"Yeah." Ares said. "Get Joxer." Eve grabbed the puppy, and stayed close to Ares as he held her hand. The three disappeared and Ares went to where Gabrielle called him.

"Gabrielle." He said when he appeared with Eve and the puppy. "Where's Xena?"

"Where's mommy?" Eve asked.

"Well, I need to talk to you about something. You too Eve." Gabrielle said.

"Okay." Eve said.

"Is she okay?" Ares asked.

"Yes. She's fine. So are the babies." Gabrielle said smiling.

"Good. Can I see…Did you say 'babies'" Ares asked.

"Yeah." Gabrielle said.

"I told you!" Eve exclaimed smiling.

"Two?" Ares asked feeling nervous. He never knew he could be nervous until now.

"Nope." Gabrielle said shaking her head. Ares felt even more nervous.

"Three?" he asked. Gabrielle nodded.

"Three!" Eve exclaimed. She started jumping up and down.

"You have a son and two daughters." Gabrielle said.

"Yay!" Eve exclaimed. "A brother and two sisters!" The dog barked.

"Well, what do you think Ares?" Gabrielle asked.

"Wow." He said. "I'll be around more often."

"Good answer." Gabrielle said. She led him and Eve around to Xena. He saw her with the three tiny infants.

"Ares." She said.

"How are you?" Ares asked.

"I'm good now." Xena said smiling.

"Mommy!" Eve said happily.

"Hey sweetie. Come see your brother and sisters." Xena said.

"Okay!" Eve said. She hurried over to her mother's side and peered down at the three. "Do they look like me?"

"Yeah. Solari does especially." Xena said.

"Wow. We have three babies." Ares said. He kissed Xena softly and looked at the three babies.

"Mommy. What are the other two named?" Eve asked.

"Well, of course this is Solari." Xena said pointing to one baby girl. "This one in the middle is Gabriella, and the boy is Xavier." Xena said.

"Wow!" Eve exclaimed. I get three babies in one day!"

"Yeah sweetheart." Xena said. She looked at Ares who was smiling down at his children.

A week later, Xena was up to her neck in babies crying at all hours, so was Gabrielle and Ares. Eve had fun playing with them and with the puppy. But mostly, Xena and Gabrielle let Ares change the diapers. It was making him responsible. Well, more responsible that he was.

"Mommy. Can we go for a walk?" Eve asked.

"Sure." Xena said. "Gabrielle will go get something for dinner. Ares, you don't mind watching the babies do you? They just ate, so they should be okay."

"I'll watch them." Ares said. "Go on." Xena smiled at them and walked with her daughter. Joxer followed along side of them and chased after butterflies and little bugs.

"Mommy." Eve said. "Is Ares mad?"

"Why would he be mad?" Xena asked.

"Well, he's always changing the babies diapers when you and Aunt Gabby are out chasing the bad guys." Eve said.

"He's helping." Xena said.

"He is grouchy sometimes." Eve said.

"Oh sweetheart. You wouldn't have liked him much a few years before you were born. He wasn't a very good guy." Xena said.

"Okay mommy." Eve said. She smiled. Gabrielle caught up to them, and she had dinner fixing as they walked back.

Xena could hear baby Xavier crying, and then the other two start.

"Oh. We better get back to help him." Xena said. They hurried back to the campsite.

"Shh." Ares said. "I've got everything under control." Xena and Gabrielle saw that he was holding the three babies in his arms and he was rocking them to sleep. They looked on and smiled.

"You were right mommy." Eve said. "He's not mad."

"Yeah." Xena said smiling. She picked up her little girl and twirled her around. She walked over to Ares and kissed him. "I love you." She whispered.

"I love you." Ares replied.

The End