A SOLSTICE SURPRISE
Xena, Gabrielle, and Joxer rode up to Ares' newly acquired farm house. There were no hooves prints in the snow ahead of them. They all dismounted and headed for the snow accented house.
"Let's surprise him!" Gabrielle offered. They agreed and slowly crept inside. There was a fire in the fire place but no former god.
They then walked silently into the bedroom where they found Ares fast asleep among many blankets. "Happy Solstice!" they all shouted. Ares nearly jumped out of his skin. Gabby giggled.
He looked amazed and confused. "What are you guys doing here?"
It was Gabrielle who answered. "Well we brought food and supplies, and we didn't want you to have to spend Solstice alone."
"Plus Gabrielle kind of missed you." Xena teased.
"We, she means." Gabrielle clarified. Ares smirked.
"Plus we brought pie!" Joxer exclaimed holding up his prize.
After Ares dressed in his usual god of war outfit, he joined everyone in the kitchen. "Joxer, why don't you take Ares outback to get a Solstice tree?" Xena instructed.
Ares grumbled and was about to leave when Gabrielle stopped him. "Ares, here, we brought you this cloak to stay warm outside."
"Thanks." He mumbled taking it and walked outside.
"Awww, Gabby do I get one too?" Joxer pleaded.
"You're wearing yours Joxer." Gabs pointed out.
He looked down. "Oh, right. Well I'll go get the tree now." Gabs shook her head watching him go out into the cold.
While the men were outside, Gabrielle and Xena started making dinner. Joxer and Ares returned an hour later. "What took so long?" Xena asked.
"Well genius here forgot the saw in the barn, so I had to freeze my ass off waiting for him to go and get it. Then we finally found a damn tree, which took Joxer forever to pick one out-- do you know how many trees are out there?! Gods!" Ares informed after they set up the tree.
He took off his cloak and shook off the snow and ice on it. Joxer coughed when he caught a piece of flying snow in his mouth. "Dinner will be ready in a minuet." Xena announced.
Ares and Joxer sat down in front of the fire; Ares started rubbing the back of his neck. "You prob'ly got chilled." Gabrielle said fro, behind him.
"Yea, it was pretty cold out." Ares said, pointing out the obvious.
"Here, let me." Gabrielle slid her hands down his vest and messaged his shoulders.
"Oh yea, that's the spot." Ares commented with his eyes closed. Xena was smirking from the kitchen.
Joxer hunched over,"Oh Gabby, my neck really hurts"
It was Ares who spoke. "Back off she's mine." Gab's eyes widened. After realizing what he said Ares tried to rephrase it, "I mean, I got her first. I mean she's doing me" Gab's face reddened. "I mean-- shut up Joxer."
Joxer sulked back in his chair, disappointed. "Dinner is ready" Xena said through her laughter. They all sat down to eat a chicken dinner with all the fixings.
"This looks great Xena and Gabrielle. I'm starved!" Joxer said excited.
"How come my cooking never tastes this good?" Ares asked when the meal was gone.
"You just need a woman's touch." Gabrielle replied. "For food, that is." She covered quickly. Ares half smiled slyly.
Joxer helped Gabrielle wash the dished while Xena and Ares left to get more firewood. "Gabrielle?"
"Hm?"
"Are you glad that I came with you guys?"
"Yes of course Joxer. You're part of our family." Gabs said putting an arm around him. Joxer smiled. Then they trimmed the tree.
Xena and Ares returned moments later and out the wood in the fire. "Well I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm tired." Xena turned to Ares. "Is there still that extra bedroom across from yours?"
"Yea"
"All right, girls in one room, guys in the other. Seems logical" Xena announced and the rest agreed.
Gabrielle and Xena set up their bed and fell asleep instantly; it'd been a long day. "What's this for?" Joxer asked when Ares threw a blanket and pillow at him.
"This is my bed. You can sleep on the floor." Ares said climbing into his own bed.
"You're so humble." Joxer replied sarcastically. He set up his bed on the hard floor and fell asleep.
Gabrielle awoke with a jerk; she heard a noise from the kitchen. Throwing on a bathrobe she looked to Xena who was still asleep. Then grabbed her sais and headed out to see what it was.
The fire now barely lit the dark room. Ares finished picking up the pieces to the mug he dropped and stood up. "H'ya!" Gabrielle used the handle of her sais to hit him on the back.
"Uh, what the hell?" Ares yelled jumping back, wearing just sweatpants.
"Ares?" Gabs asked confused.
"No it's Saint Mick." He said rubbing his shoulder.
"Oh I'm so sorry; I didn't know it was you." She giggled reaching out to him. When he looked over to her she pulled back. "What are you doing out here?" she asked.
"I thought I'd get up just to annoy you and make you ask that very question." Gabrielle smiled; it'd been a while since she'd heard his sarcasm.
Her face grew serious. "Did you hear that?"
"Yea, it sounded like it came from outside. Wait here and lock the door behind me." Ares said opening the door, a cold wind blew in.
Gabs turned the lock, and waited a couple minuets. He hadn't returned. She sat down by the fire and waited some more.
About 20 minuets later there was a knock at the door. She went to the door then hesitated. He knocked again. "Gabrielle I'm freezing out here."
She reached for the lock and tried to turn it, it was froze in place. "Hang on." She said aloud.
"It's stuck?!" Ares yelled.
"Define stuck." She blew on her hands to warm them then placed them over the lock. She was now able too unlock and open the door.
Ares rushed in and shut the door. "Nothing's out there."
"Here." Gabrielle took off her dark blue robe, revealing blue cotton pants and a pink poke-a-dotted bra. She handed it to Ares.
"Thanks." He said looking her up and down.
"We should get back to sleep." Gabs said ending the silence.
"Yea, uh, see ya tomorrow." Ares agreed.
"Happy Solstice" Gabrielle said before returning to her room. Strangely Joxer and Xena were still asleep.
"G'night Gabrielle" He whispered before going into his own room.
"Happy Solstice!!!" Ares jumped to see Joxer; awake and perky.
"Were you a rooster in another life?" Ares said slowly getting out of bed.
"It's Solstice morning! Common get-- hey what's that supposed to mean?" Joxer asked with his hands on his hips.
"Is Gabrielle....and Xena up yet?" Ares asked throwing on a shirt.
"Yup, they're by the tree waiting for you. So lets--- ohhh, I know what's going on here." He said nodding.
"You figured out I'm not a morning person?"
"No, you said Gabrielle before Xena, you've never said it that way." Joxer explained.
"What? No I--"
"Hey no need to explain, she's a hard one to resist."
"Gabrielle? Naw-- I was just saying it according to.....fishing skills."
"Oh ok....but wouldn't Xena come first?"
"Well we don't want to keep them waiting, let's go." Ares jumped in.
The four gathered around the Solstice tree. Xena and Gabrielle gifts first as well as gave one to Ares and Joxer.
"A new sword sheath!" Joxer exclaimed. "Thank you guys" HE gave them each a hug.
Ares was the next to open his gift from Gabrielle. "Nice blade." He said examining the dagger in his hands. "Gabrielle--" He paused. "This---- is the Dagger of Helios." The jewels on the silver hilt shone in the sunlight.
Gabrielle smiled. "This is the Dagger of Helios! Thank the gods for you Gabrielle." He beamed. "Well let's go!" He jumped up.
"You can wait 'till after Solstice Ares." Xena said.
He sat back down "But I didn't know you guys were coming so I didn't have a chance to get you anything." He was looking at Gabrielle.
"That's all right Ares. Restoring the balance of war and peace is a gift in itself." Gabrielle said in a sweet voice.
"No wait, hang on I'll be right back." Ares went into his room in a hassle. The other three waited in anticipation. He returned with a box and handed it to Gabrielle.
She smiled and opened it. "A flower?"
"Mistletoe" Ares leaned over and gave her a sweet, soft kiss, she blushed. Joxer and Xena were wide eyed with surprise.
"Here Gabrielle, it can't compare to Ares' gift but I hope you like it." Joxer handed her a colorful package.
She opened it and revealed a necklace with three silver beads. "The beads are pewter." Joxer said.
"It's beautiful Joxer, thank you." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Now he blushed.
"Well it seems that Gabrielle is the life of the party." Xena laughed.
"Is solstice over yet?" Ares asked when their Solstice dinner was finished.
"What's the rush?" Xena questioned cleaning off the wooden table.
"I want to get my Ambrosia. Ahh, sweet immortality" Ares sighed.
"All right, let us get our stuff together first." Xena said heading into their bedroom.
An hour later everyone was ready and on their horses. Ares took one last ok at the farm house. "I might just miss this place."
"You're not having second thoughts are you?" Gabrielle asked joking.
"Hell no, this is an outhouse compared to Olympus." Ares corrected.
Gabrielle smiled. Ares would soon be back on Mount Olympus and life would return to normal. But it wasn't entirely what she wanted, but she knew it had to be this way.
Who knows, maybe that kiss with Ares will grow into something more, maybe now. But one thing is for certain, this was definitely a Solstice to remember.
THE
END
Xena, Gabrielle, and Joxer rode up to Ares' newly acquired farm house. There were no hooves prints in the snow ahead of them. They all dismounted and headed for the snow accented house.
"Let's surprise him!" Gabrielle offered. They agreed and slowly crept inside. There was a fire in the fire place but no former god.
They then walked silently into the bedroom where they found Ares fast asleep among many blankets. "Happy Solstice!" they all shouted. Ares nearly jumped out of his skin. Gabby giggled.
He looked amazed and confused. "What are you guys doing here?"
It was Gabrielle who answered. "Well we brought food and supplies, and we didn't want you to have to spend Solstice alone."
"Plus Gabrielle kind of missed you." Xena teased.
"We, she means." Gabrielle clarified. Ares smirked.
"Plus we brought pie!" Joxer exclaimed holding up his prize.
After Ares dressed in his usual god of war outfit, he joined everyone in the kitchen. "Joxer, why don't you take Ares outback to get a Solstice tree?" Xena instructed.
Ares grumbled and was about to leave when Gabrielle stopped him. "Ares, here, we brought you this cloak to stay warm outside."
"Thanks." He mumbled taking it and walked outside.
"Awww, Gabby do I get one too?" Joxer pleaded.
"You're wearing yours Joxer." Gabs pointed out.
He looked down. "Oh, right. Well I'll go get the tree now." Gabs shook her head watching him go out into the cold.
While the men were outside, Gabrielle and Xena started making dinner. Joxer and Ares returned an hour later. "What took so long?" Xena asked.
"Well genius here forgot the saw in the barn, so I had to freeze my ass off waiting for him to go and get it. Then we finally found a damn tree, which took Joxer forever to pick one out-- do you know how many trees are out there?! Gods!" Ares informed after they set up the tree.
He took off his cloak and shook off the snow and ice on it. Joxer coughed when he caught a piece of flying snow in his mouth. "Dinner will be ready in a minuet." Xena announced.
Ares and Joxer sat down in front of the fire; Ares started rubbing the back of his neck. "You prob'ly got chilled." Gabrielle said fro, behind him.
"Yea, it was pretty cold out." Ares said, pointing out the obvious.
"Here, let me." Gabrielle slid her hands down his vest and messaged his shoulders.
"Oh yea, that's the spot." Ares commented with his eyes closed. Xena was smirking from the kitchen.
Joxer hunched over,"Oh Gabby, my neck really hurts"
It was Ares who spoke. "Back off she's mine." Gab's eyes widened. After realizing what he said Ares tried to rephrase it, "I mean, I got her first. I mean she's doing me" Gab's face reddened. "I mean-- shut up Joxer."
Joxer sulked back in his chair, disappointed. "Dinner is ready" Xena said through her laughter. They all sat down to eat a chicken dinner with all the fixings.
"This looks great Xena and Gabrielle. I'm starved!" Joxer said excited.
"How come my cooking never tastes this good?" Ares asked when the meal was gone.
"You just need a woman's touch." Gabrielle replied. "For food, that is." She covered quickly. Ares half smiled slyly.
Joxer helped Gabrielle wash the dished while Xena and Ares left to get more firewood. "Gabrielle?"
"Hm?"
"Are you glad that I came with you guys?"
"Yes of course Joxer. You're part of our family." Gabs said putting an arm around him. Joxer smiled. Then they trimmed the tree.
Xena and Ares returned moments later and out the wood in the fire. "Well I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm tired." Xena turned to Ares. "Is there still that extra bedroom across from yours?"
"Yea"
"All right, girls in one room, guys in the other. Seems logical" Xena announced and the rest agreed.
Gabrielle and Xena set up their bed and fell asleep instantly; it'd been a long day. "What's this for?" Joxer asked when Ares threw a blanket and pillow at him.
"This is my bed. You can sleep on the floor." Ares said climbing into his own bed.
"You're so humble." Joxer replied sarcastically. He set up his bed on the hard floor and fell asleep.
Gabrielle awoke with a jerk; she heard a noise from the kitchen. Throwing on a bathrobe she looked to Xena who was still asleep. Then grabbed her sais and headed out to see what it was.
The fire now barely lit the dark room. Ares finished picking up the pieces to the mug he dropped and stood up. "H'ya!" Gabrielle used the handle of her sais to hit him on the back.
"Uh, what the hell?" Ares yelled jumping back, wearing just sweatpants.
"Ares?" Gabs asked confused.
"No it's Saint Mick." He said rubbing his shoulder.
"Oh I'm so sorry; I didn't know it was you." She giggled reaching out to him. When he looked over to her she pulled back. "What are you doing out here?" she asked.
"I thought I'd get up just to annoy you and make you ask that very question." Gabrielle smiled; it'd been a while since she'd heard his sarcasm.
Her face grew serious. "Did you hear that?"
"Yea, it sounded like it came from outside. Wait here and lock the door behind me." Ares said opening the door, a cold wind blew in.
Gabs turned the lock, and waited a couple minuets. He hadn't returned. She sat down by the fire and waited some more.
About 20 minuets later there was a knock at the door. She went to the door then hesitated. He knocked again. "Gabrielle I'm freezing out here."
She reached for the lock and tried to turn it, it was froze in place. "Hang on." She said aloud.
"It's stuck?!" Ares yelled.
"Define stuck." She blew on her hands to warm them then placed them over the lock. She was now able too unlock and open the door.
Ares rushed in and shut the door. "Nothing's out there."
"Here." Gabrielle took off her dark blue robe, revealing blue cotton pants and a pink poke-a-dotted bra. She handed it to Ares.
"Thanks." He said looking her up and down.
"We should get back to sleep." Gabs said ending the silence.
"Yea, uh, see ya tomorrow." Ares agreed.
"Happy Solstice" Gabrielle said before returning to her room. Strangely Joxer and Xena were still asleep.
"G'night Gabrielle" He whispered before going into his own room.
"Happy Solstice!!!" Ares jumped to see Joxer; awake and perky.
"Were you a rooster in another life?" Ares said slowly getting out of bed.
"It's Solstice morning! Common get-- hey what's that supposed to mean?" Joxer asked with his hands on his hips.
"Is Gabrielle....and Xena up yet?" Ares asked throwing on a shirt.
"Yup, they're by the tree waiting for you. So lets--- ohhh, I know what's going on here." He said nodding.
"You figured out I'm not a morning person?"
"No, you said Gabrielle before Xena, you've never said it that way." Joxer explained.
"What? No I--"
"Hey no need to explain, she's a hard one to resist."
"Gabrielle? Naw-- I was just saying it according to.....fishing skills."
"Oh ok....but wouldn't Xena come first?"
"Well we don't want to keep them waiting, let's go." Ares jumped in.
The four gathered around the Solstice tree. Xena and Gabrielle gifts first as well as gave one to Ares and Joxer.
"A new sword sheath!" Joxer exclaimed. "Thank you guys" HE gave them each a hug.
Ares was the next to open his gift from Gabrielle. "Nice blade." He said examining the dagger in his hands. "Gabrielle--" He paused. "This---- is the Dagger of Helios." The jewels on the silver hilt shone in the sunlight.
Gabrielle smiled. "This is the Dagger of Helios! Thank the gods for you Gabrielle." He beamed. "Well let's go!" He jumped up.
"You can wait 'till after Solstice Ares." Xena said.
He sat back down "But I didn't know you guys were coming so I didn't have a chance to get you anything." He was looking at Gabrielle.
"That's all right Ares. Restoring the balance of war and peace is a gift in itself." Gabrielle said in a sweet voice.
"No wait, hang on I'll be right back." Ares went into his room in a hassle. The other three waited in anticipation. He returned with a box and handed it to Gabrielle.
She smiled and opened it. "A flower?"
"Mistletoe" Ares leaned over and gave her a sweet, soft kiss, she blushed. Joxer and Xena were wide eyed with surprise.
"Here Gabrielle, it can't compare to Ares' gift but I hope you like it." Joxer handed her a colorful package.
She opened it and revealed a necklace with three silver beads. "The beads are pewter." Joxer said.
"It's beautiful Joxer, thank you." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Now he blushed.
"Well it seems that Gabrielle is the life of the party." Xena laughed.
"Is solstice over yet?" Ares asked when their Solstice dinner was finished.
"What's the rush?" Xena questioned cleaning off the wooden table.
"I want to get my Ambrosia. Ahh, sweet immortality" Ares sighed.
"All right, let us get our stuff together first." Xena said heading into their bedroom.
An hour later everyone was ready and on their horses. Ares took one last ok at the farm house. "I might just miss this place."
"You're not having second thoughts are you?" Gabrielle asked joking.
"Hell no, this is an outhouse compared to Olympus." Ares corrected.
Gabrielle smiled. Ares would soon be back on Mount Olympus and life would return to normal. But it wasn't entirely what she wanted, but she knew it had to be this way.
Who knows, maybe that kiss with Ares will grow into something more, maybe now. But one thing is for certain, this was definitely a Solstice to remember.
THE
END