A/N – Hey... I'm back... sorry for the cliff hanger... I put it there as a test for Astyanax because his life was too good to be true and Ares had to give him a Test seeing as he helped Hector come back to life and be with his family and it can't that perfect so there had to be something bad in order for something good to be achieved... get my drift? Haha... well thank you to all those who reviewed... here's my review to you all:

Trojans – yeah, she's pregnant... haha... well I tried to update ASAP... well here's chapter 8... I hope you enjoy...

o Bubbles o – Well I kind of explained your question in my Author's note... I know that it was harsh of Ares... but at least he gave Astyanax one more chance right? Haha... well enjoy chapter 8 ok?

Topherismygrace – Yeah... What's up with him... haha... at least he's nice enough to let Astyanax fix things right? Haha... well I hope you enjoy chapter 8... (

GoldenEcho7287 – I know... that was cruel... I hate myself for it!!! But don't worry... everything will be alright ok... I'll fix everything... well here's chapter 8... I hope you enjoy!!!

Chibi Tatiana – hey, I'm going to reply to all your reviews in this chapter... Well the cousin thing... I wanted it to be like Achilles' child with Hector's child... so there'll be tension... so I didn't really intend on them being cousins... oops... but thanks for bringing that up... ( I will do a sequel, that is if everyone is cool with that... haha... you can help me think up a name for it so long... ;) and last one... She's not dead... YAY!!! Haha... you'll see in this chapter... I'll explain it better... ( well here's chapter 8... I hope you enjoy!!!

Again... Thank you to all you people that read my story!!! I hope you enjoy this chapter... And once again... THANK YOU!!! Anyways... without further ado... I give to you...

Chapter 8: The big loss

Astyanax and Hector were completely exhausted after riding for what seemed to be an eternity. They trotted the horses slowly back to the stables. Hector and Astyanax had the most enjoyable day. It was near lunch now. The sun was still bright and the rays that shone above them was warm and the wind that blew ever so slightly was cool and refreshing.

When the horses were in their stables Hector muttered how hungry he was.

"Alright dad... You go inside... I'm just going to stay out just a while longer!" Astyanax said lovingly to his father.

"Alright!" Hector replied and walked back to the palace entrance. Astyanax watched as his father walked up the marbled stairs and in through the Gigantic wooden doors.

There was a wind that kept blowing at his face. It refreshed him. There was a voice that came with it.

Wrong choice!

Astyanax all of a sudden shuddered as he recognized that voice. 'Wrong choice' Astyanax thought to himself. When reality hit him...

Gabrielle

Astyanax broke into a run as he ran up the stairs and barged through the doors. He ran to every corner and every room. 'Where could she be?' Astyanax thought to himself when he noticed a little sparkle and then he saw a little girl.

"Follow me!" the little girl giggled and ran down the hall way till she was out of sight.

Astyanax, who thought that this was a sign from the Gods ran after the little girl but when he turned the corner she was gone. The little girl disappeared. "Gabrielle!" Astyanax screamed frantically, then he heard the little girl's giggles again. It was in the room right across him. Without even thinking he ran to the door... Locked... Astyanax looked around, it must be the wrong door. Then he heard yelling from inside. 'Gabrielle' But something was wrong, why was there smoke inside? 'What room was that?' Astyanax thought to himself... The cellar! Fire... it's going to blow... Gabrielle's inside... All the thought seemed to paralyze him, the thing that broke his thought was when he heard Gabrielle scream again...

"Someone, anyone, please help me!?"

"Someone, anyone, please help me!?" had to do something. He was the only one there, he was the one person that could help her. Ares had said so. He ran into the door. Bang It remained stuck and pain shot through his left shoulder. While he tried to hold onto his left shoulder he tried to come up with another plan. He had to try again, for Gabrielle this time. And forgetting about the pain in his shoulder he rammed into the door again and it broke.

He frantically looked about. Left, right and forward. The smoke was making him choke and tears started forming in his eyes but he continued searching. 'Where the hell is she?' Astyanax asked himself while staying as far away from the smoke as he could. "JUST GIVE ME A SIGN!!" Astyanax muttered to no one in particular but his words were half choked by the smoke.

Then he heard the voice again. It was Gabrielle. She was in the corner, he saw her and started towards her. Smoke choking him slowing him down but it didn't matter, he had to save Gabrielle. He started running to her. Gabrielle said her words and she fell into Astyanax's arms. He didn't have the time to hear what she had to say though he did hear the words he tried to get both of them out. He pulled her on top of his shoulder and jumped out the room. Just as he and Gabrielle got out the room and into safety there was a huge explosion.

Astyanax covered Gabrielle so she wouldn't get hurt. Astyanax was on top of Gabrielle but when the explosion hit, he got knocked unconscious.

When Astyanax woke up he had a throbbing head ache. There were people all around him and he couldn't move. He felt like he had been beaten to death or something. He tried to move but everything just seemed to hurt.

"Ssshh... Don't try to move son... You've been burnt quite badly and the healers are trying there best to heal your wounds... now just lay still alright?" The voice was the voice of Hector. He could hear crying from a woman. Probably his mother. He tried to get up but again it hurt too much. So instead he tried to talk. But the only words that came out were... "Gabrielle..." his voice was rough and hoarse and full of agony as he said her name.

"She's in the other room... She's with Briseis and Achilles... She's alright... You saved her!" Hector said to Astyanax and smiled slightly. He looked at his son, Astyanax wasn't that badly burnt... He would maybe have a few scabs and maybe some scars, and he'll just be burnt for about a week, otherwise he'll be alright. "You're a hero Astyanax!" Hector said to Astyanax proudly.

Astyanax tried to retain all the information somewhere in his brain... and he remembered what had happened just before the explosion. Gabrielle had muttered something that was being addressed to him... The words repeated themselves in his head...

"I'm pregnant!"

When he finally started to realize what Gabrielle had just said he had fallen asleep... Into a very much needed sleep.

Up in the heavens

Celebration was heard everywhere and from everyone.

"He passed the Test!!!" Aphrodite screamed at the top of her lungs and she started singing happily and kissing every God and Goddess that she passed.

"You never fail to amaze us Ares!" Zeus said happily to his fellow God and patted him on the back!

Ares smiled slightly at all of them but then he broke his smile silently.

Everyone continued to laugh and celebrate until Aphrodite asked Ares what was the matter, he just saved Gabrielle. It was time to celebrate.

"I know...!" He muttered but then walked back to his realm and away from the party...

"Leave him... He'll come round later!" Aphrodite said silently to herself and continued partying the night away with her fellow Gods.

1 week later

Astyanax woke up. Beads of sweat surrounded his face as he tried to remember what had just happened to make him feel such pain. He stared around then the words came back.

"I'm pregnant!"

Astyanax remembered the fire, the explosion, the healers... finally he tried to get out of bed, but he failed miserably. He could move but it hurt him terribly. Finally a jolt of pain went through his whole body and screamed out in pain.

Someone came... though there was a magnificent bright golden light blinding his sight. Astyanax quickly turned his gaze to the other direction and when the light seemed to dim a bit he turned back and he saw the God again.

Ares

Ares looked at the boy that was obviously in pain. Ares touched Astyanax's arm and then there was another brilliant light, though not that bright this time. Astyanax could feel all his strength returning to him and the pain in his body just seemed to disappear.

When Ares removed his hand from Astyanax's he gazed into Astyanax's brown orbs.

"So you passed my Test. Congratulations!" Ares said approvingly at Astyanax. "I didn't expect you to pass..."

"I had some help!" Astyanax said getting up and stretching his muscles.

"Yes, I know! It was the same help that got Gabrielle into that very room!" Ares said looking for the boy's reaction. Though the reaction was not quite what he was looking for.

"So what do you want of me now? I passed your test!" Astyanax said with a hard voice.

"I wanted to help you!" Ares said pointing at Astyanax's wounds.

"Well now you're done so you can leave!" Astyanax retorted angrily, obviously sick of the games played be the Gods.

Ares smiled at him slightly... "If you really do love her than you'll pass this last test!" Ares said seriously this time. There was a tint of sadness that was portrayed in his eyes and with that he left with one wave of his hand.

"NO!!! NO MORE TESTS!!!!" Astyanax screamed back at the God but he knew that it was useless... He wouldn't listen to a mortal.

Someone, hearing the screams came into the room to see what all the commotion was about. It was Achilles.

"Are you alright Astyanax?" Achilles asked the furious boy. Astyanax glared at him in the eyes, his eyes full of fire. Then he realized that there was no point in taking it out in Achilles, his eyes softened.

"Sorry... There... I mean... um..." Astyanax tried to think of something clever because he knew that Achilles would never believe him if he said that he just spoke to a God.

"It's ok... I see that you're alright then!" Achilles said, though there was something in his voice that seemed to hold a secret.

"Yeah... I'm fully healed!" Astyanax said, trying to portray a smile but none came.

"Good..." Achilles said then he retreated out of the room.

'I wonder what's troubling him!?' Astyanax thought silently to himself. Though Astyanax wasn't very curious. He wanted to see Gabrielle... He exited the room and started searching for someone who would know where she was.

While up in the heavens

"What have you done now Ares?!" Zeus yelled! There was thunder roaring everywhere, Zeus was obviously extremely angry with Ares.

"It wasn't my fault! I hadn't intended on it! I promise you!" Ares said very sorrowfully.

Aphrodite was wailing but then tried pulling herself together. "He... He loves her!!!" she started but took a deep breath as she tried to pull herself together. Both Zeus and Ares stared at her with deep curiosity in what Aphrodite had to predict. "He'll let it pass!!!" Aphrodite ended her sentence. Both Zeus and Ares stared at her in total and complete amazement...

"I hope your right!" Zeus said... taking a deep breath, "I hope your right!"

Back on earth

Everywhere Astyanax passed there were either people passing him and looking at him strangely or else there were people who started to sob when they saw him.

'What's wrong with everyone?' Astyanax asked himself when he saw his mother.

"Mother! Wait up! Where's Gabrielle... I need to talk to her about something!" Astyanax said cheerfully at the sight of his mother. But his cheerfulness was broken when he saw her full of tears. "What's wrong mom?" Astyanax asked, holding his mother in a tight embrace.

"I think... Gabrielle and you... need to talk..." Andromache said, her voice full of sadness and grief as she led her son to Gabrielle's chamber.

Astyanax stared at the empty chamber when he saw Gabrielle in a black dress with a black veil covering her face. Astyanax walked over to her and embraced her tiny body slightly.

"What's the matter love?" Astyanax asked tenderly while he kissed the top of the head. With that Andromache left the room so that they could have their privacy.

"O Astyanax!!!" She began with her head on his chest and she held him tight and very lovingly.

Astyanax, not knowing why she was crying held her just as tight but lifted her chin up so that he could see her face and so that he could wipe her tears away.

"What's wrong?" Astyanax asked gently and lovingly while caressing her cheek tenderly.

"Astyanax... You'll never forgive me!!!" Gabrielle started but her tears interrupted her as she started crying on his chest again.

"Ssshh... It's ok... whatever it is... It can't be that bad!!! Tell me!!" Astyanax said wiping her tears away and pulling her close to him and his lips met hers and he gave her a long and passionate kiss.

When they finally pulled apart Gabrielle looked into his brown eyes and muttered very softly... "Our child is dead"

Astyanax tried to gather all the information but it just all seemed to collide with everything. He tried to breathe but the oxygen started getting to hard to take in.

"Say something!" Gabrielle said to him. But he couldn't say anything... He just stared at her and he started to feel faint. His knees started giving way and he fell. Astyanax fainted.

When Astyanax woke Gabrielle was there by his side holding his hand tightly that his hand was starting to turn blue.

"Gabrielle..." Astyanax whispered.

"Yes...!" She got up and was by his side immediately.

"It... It wasn't your fault!" tears started forming in his eyes. Gabrielle embraced him and he embraced her too... tightly... He stared into her sea blue eyes and started caressing her cheek gently. "I should have been there!" Astyanax said, tears dropping from his eyes and splashing onto his cheeks. Gabrielle wiped away his tears and said,

"It's ok... I don't blame you! The Gods will give us another chance!" she said lovingly.

He looked at her and kissed her on the forehead.

"I love you Gabrielle!" Astyanax said lovingly and Gabrielle fell asleep in his warm embrace. Astyanax stared at her. 'Yes, the Gods will give us another chance! They owe us that much!' Astyanax thought to himself and gently drifted into a troubled sleep.

A/N – I know... I am SO cruel for that! I'm so sorry! But it would seem really wrong if her baby survived an explosion don't you think... Well... Don't worry... They'll have children!!! Trust me!!! Just, right now is too soon ok! Well the last test is just a test of Trust... And then I think that'll be the end... then I'm thinking of a sequel... -Thanks go to Chibi Tatiana (gives a big hug)... - ya... so I hope you guys enjoyed this one ok... Well anyways... I'll update soon... and son't forget to leave me a review ok!!! Haha... well bye for now than... (