i'm so glad to see a sudden interest in this story! thanks for reviweing, i appreciate it! really i do! gives the lovely reviewers sum cookies hehe thanx heres the next chappy hope you all like it.

Chapter 4

"Go Away"

Xena stopped a few miles from the Amazon camp, feeling as if she couldn't walk anymore. So many thoughts ran through her head. The thoughts of revenge flowed at the top of her head. She needed to gain the revenge for her daughter's untimely death. Xena sat by the small fire she had built. Eve's body lay covered across from her. She stared at the still form of her daughter, hoping her chest would rise and fall to show a sign of life. With each passing moment she became more and more angry. She didn't even feel Ares' presence when he had shown up. He appeared in a flash of blue light, Xena didn't even look to him. Ares wore his usual black leather pants, along with his vest. His hair cut short and perfectly in place.

"Xena?" he barely whispered

Her head snapped up to look at him, her crystal blue eyes glowing in the firelight. "What do you want?" she snapped.

"I wanted to tell you in person how sorry I am for the death of Eve."

"No your not! Ever since Eve was born you were out to kill her, I'm not stupid Ares."
"I didn't say you are, ever wonder why I hadn't killed Eve?" he questioned, casually resting his right wrist on the hilt of his sword that sat by his side. Xena eyed him for a few seconds waiting for him to continue. "I never killed Eve because I didn't want to see you get hurt."
"Stop it, just stop it! Don't you dare stand there and tell me you didn't want Eve to get hurt. What is this about? Why did you come here? I know its not about Eve, with her gone I have lost the power to kill gods and you know it."

"Your right its not about Eve." He stated, looking down at Xena. She quickly stood to look Ares eye to eye.

"Then what is it? You want me to come back to you? I've told you over and over I'm not going to rejoin you and become your little warrior queen Ares." Xena stated, beginning to lose patience with his little games he loved to play.

"Think about it Xena, you and I would be unstoppable. The way I look at it, your seeking revenge on Gabrielle and Hope. Not only are they responsible for the death of Eve, but aren't they also responsible for the death of Solan?"

Xena sighed slightly at the thought of Solan; Ares spoke the truth. Not to long ago Hope had killed Solan. Xena forgave Gabrielle then for saving Hope's life. But, to kill another child that Xena had bore, where was the sanity in that? It was almost as if Gabrielle were planning to kill Eve all along.

"Yes, Gabrielle is responsible for Solan's death, but that doesn't make me want to run to you saying that I need your help for revenge. You know better than anyone else that I am more than capable of getting vengeance on my own."

Ares smirked at hearing that he was right, he always loved those words, 'your right.'

"Why don't you just get out of here, away from me?" Xena asked.

"I don't want to leave you in this state."

"Will you just leave me alone?!? Don't you ever give up?"

He shook his head no. "Never, you know that."

Xena narrowed her eyes at him. "If you don't get away from me at this instant I will not be held responsible for my actions." She warned

"Fine, have it your way. You know what to do if you need me." He smiled. With a wave of his hand he disappeared in a flash of blue light.

Xena sighed and rolled her eyes, she felt the tension from his presence disappear from her body. She sat back down where she was previously sitting. She picked up a stick and moved around the random sticks on the fire. She lay on her bedroll with a heavy sigh. She closed her eyes, soon falling into a dreamless sleep.

Morning

Xena woke to the sound of nothing, no birds chirping, it was silent, too silent. Xena looked to where Eve had rested for the night, feeling panicked when she wasn't there. She sprung to her feet and looked around, seeing no sign of an intruder or anything.

"Ares what the hell do you want??" Xena asked

Ares appeared in a flash of blue light.

"I'm getting tired of your sudden interest in me."

"If your looking for Eve, she's in my temple."

"What is she doing there?" Xena asked, unbelieving as to why Ares would have taken her there.

"Just taking care of her." He stated.

Xena drew her sword as she eyed Ares. "I'm not in the mood for your games, Ares."

Ares smiled slowly and drew his sword also. Xena tried to hit his midsection but he blocked. Ares countered and tried to slice her arm but she blocked. The fighting continued for a few minutes, until Xena had sliced Ares' left tricep. She eyed it, and then looked back to Ares' eyes. "That's not possible, I lost the power to kill gods." She said, her eyes wide and unbelieving to what she was witnessing.

"That's because Eve isn't dead." He smirked.

"What do you mean she isn't dead? I saw her with my own eyes."

"I called in a favor, she was brought back early this morning. Not wanting her to catch cold from the damp morning I took her to my temple."
"Why would you do that?"
"Because I don't want to see you hurting." He stated, wiping the blood from his tricep.

"Why, if i'm masked by hatred I'd be more accepting of your views."
"Because I love you okay? I love you, there I finally said it."

Xena's eyes went wide with his words, loved her? How was that possible? Gods can't love, or can they? Was Ares being truthful with her or just trying to plot to get her back? The whole world seemed to stand still as Xena stared at Ares with wide eyes. "You do?" she said, barely in a whisper.

He only nodded in response, he wasn't sure what to say. He didn't want to say something stupid and rein the whole thing.