Chapter 7
Aphrodite was thrilled to be part of Xena's plan. "Ooh, Gabby. This is so sweet. I'm so glad that you love my brother Ares. You would be so good for him."
"Don't tell him," begged Gabrielle. "I don't want him to get mad at me if he doesn't like the blanket."
"He'll love the blanket! The rest of us love our stuff. Thank you for my nightie." Aphrodite giggles. "You should see Zeus in his robe and slippers. He's so adorable!"
"I'm glad you like your stuff. But please, just tell Ares that it's from someone who loves him. Make him guess who it is."
"Okay, sweetie. That sounds like a plan." chirped Aphrodite.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Aphrodite popped into Ares' temple, holding a package. He was sitting on his throne in his favorite position: one leg draped over the arm of the chair. He looked very sad. "Hey, bro! What's up? You look really down."
"Hi, Dite. I just feel lonely, I guess. I wish that I could have a family the way mortals do... I wish ... I wish there was someone to love me," he said quietly.
"There is."
"I know you love me, Dite. Thank you. You're a good sister. I love you, too." Ares stood up and hugged Aphrodite, and kissed her on the cheek.
"I didn't mean me, honey, though I love you too."
"What do you mean?" asked a puzzled Ares.
"Sweetie, someone besides me loves you... very much. This is a present from her. She made it for you."
"Why? Who is it? Who loves me?" Ares excitedly asked, pelting his sister with questions.
"I can't tell you," she replied, shaking her head. "You have to find out for yourself. She's worried that you will get angry at her if you know who she is."
""If only I could meet her... I could tell her that I would never be angry with someone who really loves me."
"I know, sweetie, but she's a mortal... you're a God. I think she's afraid that you would look down on her or something. Anyway, open your present, Are'. You gotta see this."
"Okay," said Ares. He tore the paper off the package just like a little boy at Solstice. "Oh, wow," he said, running his hands over the blanket. "It's so beautiful and so soft. How did she know?"
"Know what?" asked Aphrodite.
"How did she know that I needed something like this to sleep with? I can't sleep at night but I think this will help me. I'm sure of it."
"It's love, bro. Real love. That's what I'm sure of... Well, I gotta go now. Hephy is cooking dinner for me. Have a good sleep, Ares. Sweet dreams. Love ya!" she said, disappearing.
"Bye," said Ares, on his way to bed with his new blanket. He jumped into bed and pulled the blanket up to his chin. "Ooh, it feels furry. I think I'll call you my furry blanket," he laughed to himself, as he shut his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
-TBC-
Aphrodite was thrilled to be part of Xena's plan. "Ooh, Gabby. This is so sweet. I'm so glad that you love my brother Ares. You would be so good for him."
"Don't tell him," begged Gabrielle. "I don't want him to get mad at me if he doesn't like the blanket."
"He'll love the blanket! The rest of us love our stuff. Thank you for my nightie." Aphrodite giggles. "You should see Zeus in his robe and slippers. He's so adorable!"
"I'm glad you like your stuff. But please, just tell Ares that it's from someone who loves him. Make him guess who it is."
"Okay, sweetie. That sounds like a plan." chirped Aphrodite.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Aphrodite popped into Ares' temple, holding a package. He was sitting on his throne in his favorite position: one leg draped over the arm of the chair. He looked very sad. "Hey, bro! What's up? You look really down."
"Hi, Dite. I just feel lonely, I guess. I wish that I could have a family the way mortals do... I wish ... I wish there was someone to love me," he said quietly.
"There is."
"I know you love me, Dite. Thank you. You're a good sister. I love you, too." Ares stood up and hugged Aphrodite, and kissed her on the cheek.
"I didn't mean me, honey, though I love you too."
"What do you mean?" asked a puzzled Ares.
"Sweetie, someone besides me loves you... very much. This is a present from her. She made it for you."
"Why? Who is it? Who loves me?" Ares excitedly asked, pelting his sister with questions.
"I can't tell you," she replied, shaking her head. "You have to find out for yourself. She's worried that you will get angry at her if you know who she is."
""If only I could meet her... I could tell her that I would never be angry with someone who really loves me."
"I know, sweetie, but she's a mortal... you're a God. I think she's afraid that you would look down on her or something. Anyway, open your present, Are'. You gotta see this."
"Okay," said Ares. He tore the paper off the package just like a little boy at Solstice. "Oh, wow," he said, running his hands over the blanket. "It's so beautiful and so soft. How did she know?"
"Know what?" asked Aphrodite.
"How did she know that I needed something like this to sleep with? I can't sleep at night but I think this will help me. I'm sure of it."
"It's love, bro. Real love. That's what I'm sure of... Well, I gotta go now. Hephy is cooking dinner for me. Have a good sleep, Ares. Sweet dreams. Love ya!" she said, disappearing.
"Bye," said Ares, on his way to bed with his new blanket. He jumped into bed and pulled the blanket up to his chin. "Ooh, it feels furry. I think I'll call you my furry blanket," he laughed to himself, as he shut his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
-TBC-