Authoress' Note: This story begins the second week of February, 2002, eight months after the events of 'Soul Possession'.

P.S. - While you have to be familiar with Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess to read this story, you don't need as much background on 'Being Erica' to follow along. In that series, Erica Strange, a 31-year-old woman living in Toronto in 2009, undergoes the same time travel therapy featured in this story, in order to learn from her regrets over her past choices. While Erica's doctor is Dr. Tom, the therapist featured in 'Being Ares', Dr. Naadiah, appeared in a handful of 'Being Erica' episodes and was once Dr. Tom's therapist and his mentor during the series. In short, 'Being Erica' lends its premise and a few of its characters, but this is first and foremost a Hercules: The Legendary Journeys / Xena: Warrior Princess fanfic.

Being Ares: Everything Starts Somewhere

Part 1

A Xena: Warrior Princess / Being Erica Crossover

By Arianwen P. F. Everett

Ares finished up his email requesting numbers on deployment ratios over the next month, and hit send before taking a bite of his chocolate biscotti and a gulp of black coffee. The chain coffee shop fare wasn't all that bad, but the truth was that he wasn't interested in eating at the moment. He needed the booth, so every hour he ordered a large coffee and a biscotti and watched the innocuous-looking residential home across the street.

Ares cursed the Fates and wished for all the world that they'd not survived Gabrielle's attempt to murder them in the disastrous universe Caesar had created after escaping Tartarus, else he wouldn't be in this mess. Their direct interference was the only explanation for why the Los Angeles District Attorney chose the one domestic violence shelter that Annie Day now headed security at to stash Jessica Santiago and her two brats the night before the woman was due to testify against her drug lord ex husband. Seriously, only they could weave such a cruel outcome for him. He knew Xena would eventually spot him, or sense him as only she could, and then she'd assume he was here to get the woman killed.

As if on cue, his beloved Warrior Princess stormed into the shop and slipped into the booth across from him. His heart rejoiced at her mere presence, and even more so as she groused. "Alright Ares, why are you here? What do you want now?"

"I have associates in North Africa, Eastern Europe, and of course South and Central America, who have a vested in whether or not Mrs. Santiago makes it to the witness stand tomorrow morning. I'm only here to observe, to see what goes down. I've made no promises and have no stake in the outcome, but I need to know where her ex-husband is likely to spend the next two decades so that I can plan for the future. This is work. If your District Attorney hadn't chosen this shelter to hold her, I wouldn't even be here. I swear, this isn't personal, just business," Ares explained, hoping his Warrior Princess wouldn't make more out of this than it was, yet even as he thought it, he could only mock himself. Of course she'd make this personal. She always did.

"Oh come off it, Ares! You're the God of War, not a drug dealer," Xena snorted, before stealing the second biscotti off his plate.

"I hate to break it to you, Xena, but in today's world the God of War has to be neck deep in the international drug trade. How do you think wars in this day and age get funded? Do you really believe tax dollars are the primary source of investment in my line of work? It's a mixed bag, and Santiago and his colleagues, or their replacements if his former wife has her day in court, have a role to play. I'm just hanging around to keep track of the score," Ares explained as he finished his coffee and stared into the still-gorgeous blue of her eyes. Annie Day having his Xena's eyes was definitely a plus, and for a moment he could almost forgive the Fates for setting them at odds once more.

"This isn't a game. A good woman's life is at stake," Xena growled, pulling back to break eye contact. Ares enjoyed it, and she wasn't here to please him. She had lives to protect.

"Good woman? Good woman?! Jessica Santiago is many things, but a pillar of virtue ain't one of them. Have no doubt, she was well aware of her husband's dealings; heck she only married him for his drug money and the fancy lifestyle it could provide. You do her a great disservice if you take her for some simple housewife who left her husband the moment she found out he was running close to a third of the South American heroine market. She's been a cartel member in good standing for over a decade," Ares informed the Warrior Princess, a part of him reveling in her disappointment in the women she'd believed a victim, but an equally proportioned part hated upsetting her, as he knew all too well that she'd blame the messenger. He'd never understand how he could both want to beat this woman like a dog at their game of hero vs war god, and hold her and love her for the rest of eternity, all in the same heartbeat. He knew it was completely twisted, but it there it was.

"You sleep with her?" Xena asked inquisitively, not used to hearing Ares praise a woman who wasn't both armed and warming his bed on a regular basis.

"Now, now; no need to be jealous. My relationship with Jessica Santiago has always been completely professional. After what happened with Livia, I made it a policy not to mix business with pleasure. Definitely not worth it," Ares admitted sheepishly.

"You do realize that your telling me this won't prevent me from informing the D.A. or protecting her and her sons?" Xena countered after the sobering mention of the warlord her daughter had once been. By the Gods she missed Eve.

If Annie were honest with herself, her anger at Ares for the contract and his antics at the press conference had their origin in his teaching Gabrielle the hypnotic technique that had restored her memories of her previous life. Xena's time as Harry hadn't been all that bad, but remembering the life that she'd once lived and then lost multiple times over, had been heartbreaking. Yes it had returned Gabrielle to her, and prevented her from nearly marrying Joxer of all people, but it had also reminded her of all those she'd killed before Hercules had shown her a different way, as well as the loss of both of her children, her mother, brothers, and too many loyal friends to count. There was a reason each new life came with a blank slate, and Ares had tricked Gabrielle into filling hers up with things that hurt, just so he could be near his Xena once more. The press conference had just been the icing on a mostly rancid cake she could never permit herself to chuck into the trash. Ares had always been bad for her and giving him an inch of forgiveness would just encourage him.

"Again, I have no interest in what faction comes out on top, only in keeping up with the situation. However, I wouldn't be surprised if the D.A. already knows. Being the guy who took down Manuel Santiago Jr. would look damn fine on any potential mayoral candidate's resume. Granting immunity to his wife would be a small price to pay, regardless of her own guilt or innocence," Ares detailed, letting Xena see his assessment of the prosecution's whole case. After all, He'd been honest with her; whatever happened tonight and tomorrow morning, somebody would fill the power void Santiago retained or left behind. Figuring out who that would be was Ares' mission for the time being.

Watching Xena process the information he was handing out, Ares missed the young barista approaching his table. "Would you like to try a free sample of our new Cherry Cordial Latte? It's a Valentine's Day treat and available only for the month of February."

Smirking, Ares took one of the tiny cups off the proffered tray, knocked it back, and then raised an eyebrow in challenge to the love of his life. Never one to be out done, Xena did the same and winced at the syrupy beverage.

"I like it. Get me a large. Xe.. Annie, you want one? My treat," Ares offered, after dumping a twenty on the barista's tray. The expression on her face had made it clear that Xena had found it foul. Then again, so had he, but as a god he could turn off his taste buds and drink as many cups of the nasty concoction as he liked.

Xena rolled her eyes at his juvenile game. "No thanks. So just to recap, you come near Mrs. Santiago or her boys, and…"

"And you'll make me regret it. Yeah, I know the drill," Ares completed, sighing at the hard tone in Xena's voice. She meant it and she still believed he was up to no good in regards to her charges. Well, when noon came tomorrow, and she hadn't seen hide nor hair of him since tonight, she'd know he'd been speaking the truth. Not that she'd care, but she'd know.

Now the God of War was truly miserable and had no drive to continue working. Truth was he needed a break, so he waited till his Cherry Cordial Latte arrived, told the pretty barista to keep the change as a tip, and after shipping his laptop to his rooms on Olympus and creating a phantom image of himself to hold the booth, Ares stepped out into the L.A. night and settled himself astride his chopper, lighting up a cigarette to appear casual. He could watch the building just as well from his bike, and the fresh air, even if it carried the persistent scent of car fumes, helped to ease some of his new found tension.

After a few more moments of deep breathing, Ares closed his eyes and stretched, only to find himself seated in this therapist's office rather than curbside of a coffee shop. Before he even saw Dr. Naadiah, he had a greeting on his lips. "Hey Doc, how's life treating ya?"

"Very well at the moment, thank you. And you?" Naadiah rejoined as an opening to get the War God talking.

"As you undoubtedly witnessed, still running in circles with Xena. I used to think the problem was that I didn't understand her, and that by not understanding her, I couldn't make her happy. But since starting therapy, I now believe.. I now know.. it goes deeper. I mean, I've spent thousands of years trying to please that woman and all my efforts only give her a leg up on messing with my head. And yes, I know I have a lot to make up for. I take full responsibility for all the terrible things I did to her before I realized I was desperately in love with her. But no matter what I do or how many sacrifices I make, it's just never enough! She says I'm forgiven and that she owes me for saving Gabrielle and her kid, but then she turns around and starts blaming me for all the ugliness in the world! Talk about mixed signals! And the most galling part is that she gave me back my godhood! If it wasn't for her fighting Odin for those golden apples, I would have spent the rest of my shortened life a lonely, pathetic mortal farmer, cohabitating with my equally mortal and equally lonely and pathetic sister! Xena went through a heck of a lot of trouble to make me the God of War again, and she made it clear that my reclaiming my mantle on Olympus was what she wanted. And still she throws it back in my face every chance she gets! And I just let her. I take it back; that's truly the worst of it. I love her, Dr. Naadiah. I love her with every part of my being, so.. so I just let her," Ares roared in frustration until his final four words suddenly dropped in volume as he was compelled to acknowledge his role in the entire messed up dance he seemed condemned to perform with his Warrior Princess in every lifetime.

"Wow," Dr. Naadiah returned, not used to such lengthy and emotionally fraught outbursts from this patient. Sure, she'd heard him stumble slowly towards a crucial realization a few times, and she'd witnessed his grief over the loss of his sister, Athena, and his nephew, Strife. She'd even listened to him rant in frustration over Gabrielle's uninvited intrusiveness in his life, but this was on a whole other level. This next regret was the first truly giant step in his therapy, a test of how far he'd come and how much emotional pain he was willing to accept in order to change his life. In short, this was huge, and 'wow' was the really the only word for it.

"Wow," Ares mimicked, feeling spent after such a massive diatribe. The catharsis was such that having just spoken those words had left him feeling unburdened and yet he hadn't gone anywhere.. or more accurately, any-when, so what was coming next was likely to be intense. Maybe out of instinct, or perhaps out of his own experience with testing mortals, Ares could sense he was on the cusp of something, and that these quiet seconds between that one word, 'wow', were the calm before the storm.

Girding himself, Ares took a deep breath and quietly waited for whatever the Doc had to the throw at him.

"So, tell me about regret number seventeen 'Siding with Mom in her Coup'," Dr. Naadiah began now that she and her patient were fully committed to see through what was ahead.

For a moment, Ares was taken aback as Hera's coup appeared to have nothing to do with his frustrations regarding Xena, but by now he knew better than that. Dr. Naadiah didn't pick from his list of regrets at random. Each chosen regret connected to something he was going through in his life at the moment, even when the two appeared to be completely unrelated. So Ares took another breath and put his faith in the process before starting his story. "Well, shortly after Jerkules' mother, Alcmene, died, Zeus brought my annoying half brother to Olympus and made him a full god, which not only pissed mom off but piqued her curiosity as to why Dad had waited so long if that had always been his plan. She correctly deduced that Zeus hadn't merely banged Alcmene and walked away, as he'd done with so many other women over the millennia, but that he'd genuinely fallen in love with her. Finally seeing a weak point at which to strike, Mom kidnapped Alcmene from the Elysian Fields and blackmailed Dad into giving up both his throne and his godhood to see Alcmene's soul safely returned. Dad accepted the deal and became mortal, Hercules sided with him, I sided with Mom, and she eventually ended up in the Abyss of Tartarus for her treason."

"And when you go back, what do you plan to do differently this time?" Dr. Naadiah queried, needing more information before she could send Ares on his journey.

After considering the question for a moment, Ares began to explain. "As much as I detest my father, Mom ordered me to kill him once he was mortal, and had I succeeded or had she succeeded on her own, I would have been at the mercy, or more accurately lack thereof, of the Furies. I didn't see it at the time, but I should have. It was a page from my own playbook. When Xena was seven years old, her mother killed her father to prevent him from sacrificing their daughter at my temple, and less than a year before Hera's attempted coup went down, I kind of ratted Xena and her mom out to the Furies. Anyway, had Xena not found a clever little loophole and knocked me on my ass, she would have faced a lifetime of madness and persecution unless I'd intervened on her behalf. In time I came to realize that Mom's had used my own failed scheme against me. Had I carried out her orders, she would have held my own sanity over my head, forcing me to do her bidding without question for all eternity. It was brilliant; she'd never have to worry about me overthrowing her one day because if I tried, all she'd have to do is withdraw her protection and sic the Furies on me. This time around, I'm going to side with Dad, with my price being that Mom won't be killed but end up in the Abyss of Tartarus like she eventually did anyway. So long as neither of my parents actually kills the other, the Furies got nothing on me, and I get to be on the winning team for once."

"You do realize that if you side with Zeus this time, you'll also be siding with Hercules?" Dr. Naadiah reminded her patient, wanting to see where he was in regards to his still very much alive half brother.

"Don't remind me. But seriously, John Boy and I have teamed up before.. twice if you count our saving you.. so as unpleasant as that part will be I don't see it coming to much. Dad gets his godhood back. Mom ends up at the bottom of the deepest whole on Earth, and we can all go back to hating each other as the Fates intended," Ares quipped, not at all concerned about his half brother at the moment. Hercules was just softhearted enough to accept his deal in regards to Hera, especially when reminded that the Furies could just as easily turn their eyes towards one of the siblings he actually liked and respected if Zeus or Hera killed the other.

"Well, alright then. Good luck," Dr. Naadiah responded, not at all surprised that Ares still held a grudge against his brother. However, this wasn't the time or regret to deal with that, so she wished her immortal patient the best and sent him on his way.

When Ares next opened his eyes, he found he was sitting in the Halls of War, watching Xena struggle in her sleep, calling out Gabrielle's name as she fought her way through the nightmare in progress. At first he was curious as to what terrible thing was happening to Blondie inside his beloved's head, but then he remembered. At this point in the timeline, Xena had recently watched Gabrielle throw herself at her demon daughter, in order to send them both careening down into a giant plume of Dahok's fire, right in this very temple, mere days ago.

Or at least that was what Xena believed she had witnessed. In actuality. he currently had Blondie stashed away, a document granting her soul to him safe and sound in his rooms on Mount Olympus. Hope was out there birthing their deformed monstrosity that Dahok had called 'The Destroyer', and he'd spent many a day and night, just watching the Warrior Princess, trying to understand why he felt so guilty when all he'd done was what he always did, save his own skin at all costs.

In the fullness of time he would come to realize that his guilt hadn't been about siding with Dahok and his demented offspring, or saving that blonde golem and her irritating mother from a incendiary demise. No, his personal anguish had come when he'd seen the agony on Xena's face, as she looked up from the pit and realized that the person she loved most was gone. In that moment, he'd felt shame, an emotion he hadn't experienced in thousands of years, totally consume him for the role he'd played in breaking Xena's heart.

However, the Ares of this time hadn't understood that, and though he was now painfully aware of it, he knew there was nothing he could do to change things there. Dr. Arthur had already sent him back to that regret in order to collect Hope's blood to use against Micheal in the 21st century, and outside of a few offhand comments to Callisto, he hadn't done anything different.

Briefly he considered just giving Blondie back to Xena, along with her soul, right this minute but decided against it. If he took that path, Xena would never sign their marriage contract, the very same contract whose destruction had not only brought him into therapy but had given him purpose and persistence during the long, lonely centuries that he'd waited for Xena's return. No, that particular aspect of this timeline needed to remain just as it had been, and he wouldn't meddle with it. Dr. Naadiah had sent him to alter his choices in his parents' upcoming civil war, and that would remain his priority.

Waving a hand over his mirror, Ares changed the view to his mongrel half brother and watched as he said goodbye to his two best friends before Zeus stepped onto the frame and placed a hand on the half breed's shoulder, beginning the transition to godhood and disappearing with Hercules in tow, no doubt on their way home.

Ares sagged on his throne and looked down at the pit Dahok had recently occupied. For centuries his followers had used it to dispose of the bodies of freshly sacrificed virgins, as if killing such girls would please him. He'd never truly cared for that aspect of his worship. If his followers wanted to spill blood the best place to do it was on a battlefield, not an alter, but somehow the idea had stuck and century after century the bodies had been cut open and tossed down the whole at the center of his temple. Graegus had taken care of the freshly slaughtered meat so it didn't stink up the temple, and life had gone on one human generation after another.

His heart caught in his throat as he suddenly realized that had Atreus had his way, Xena would have ended up tossed like so much garbage into a pit just like this one, destined only to be lunch for his former dog and not the greatest warrior of all time. Silently he promised himself that the next time he ran into Cyrene on a regret he was going to do something nice for her, a little thank you for what she'd done with her axe. He owed her that at least.

Shaking off the gruesome images of a fatally perforate seven-year-old Xena being wrapped in a sheet, dumped, and fed on by his ghastly old hound, Ares considered his next move on this regret. He needed to get ahead of the eight ball, which meant spending some time on Olympus. He hated going home as most of his family knew of his recent association with Dahok's daughter, so there would likely be push back on that front, but if he were to start laying the groundwork for his switching sides in the days to come, Olympus was where he needed to be.

Sighing in resignation, Ares transported himself to his father's throne room and spotted his half brother moving towards the Balcony of the Abyss where his family had set up several dozen screens in a semi-circle to watch the mortal world. Straightening his posture for a confrontation, Ares followed them, coming to stand several feet away, as Zeus explained the function of the view screens and his half brother expressed moral outrage at the gods 'spying'. Typical Jerkules.

Deciding to make himself known, Ares strut up to his male kin and examined the way Hercules' new godhood had altered his wardrobe, gilding his leathers with a hint of gold and turning the homespun fabric of his sleeveless shirt into pure, snowy silk. Allowing his distaste at his half brother's presence show on his face, Ares addressed his father. "What's he doing here? And when did he become a full god?"

"Now Ares, Hercules has come to live with us here on Olympus, and I expect you to control yourself from now on. No more of those schemes to get your brother killed or destroy his friends or whatnot. We're going to be a family now, and you two need to bury the hatchet," Zeus insisted, holding his older, darker sons eyes to ensure he understood that this wasn't a request.

"I'd rather bury it in the back of his skull, but seeing as that's not an option, I guess I'll head back to my rooms. Stay out if you know what's good for you," Ares growled at Hercules, who merely shrugged to demonstrate he didn't care about Ares warning and would go wherever he pleased just as he'd always done as a half god.

As he walked away, Ares heard his father comment to his unwanted half sibling. "That went better than expected."

His brother paused for a moment before responding. "Too well. He's up to something. I can feel it."

Ares sniffed as he finally used his powers to cut down on the distance to his suite. He'd taken a stand to demonstrate he wouldn't be cowed by his brother's arrival on Olympus, but had rejected confrontation as to leave the two of them guessing. That was all he could do for now, so he'd return to his bedroom to think a moment.

The next part of his plan was tricky. He had to get the civilians that he cared about out of harms way without alerting either of his parents or the annoying, newly arrived half breed to the fact that he was doing so. Many on Olympus weren't warriors, but they could be turned into cannon fodder or shields if things got ugly this time around, and Ares couldn't let that happen.

The God of War's main obstacle was that he couldn't let on that he knew how things would pan out. However, everyone on Olympus knew something big was brewing, and had their own plans in place. They'd always known that if Zeus ever fully enfranchised another of his bastards on Olympus the way he'd done with Bacchus, Hera would loose her shit and chaos would ensue. But more than that, they'd all seen that she was deep into planning something and it didn't take a genius to put together than Zeus' elevation of Hercules to godhood was meant as a countermeasure. For most of Ares adult life there had been an undercurrent of full on rebellion running through the very marble of Olympus. When it would come had been the only real question, and thanks to the fact that he was just visiting from 2002, Ares knew the answer: tomorrow, right before noon.

Unfortunately, many of his siblings and other relatives had assumed things would take decades to develop, that neither the king nor queen of the gods would be reckless enough to rock the boat with that ancient demon, Dahok, making open plays for power all over the known world. But of course they'd been wrong. By tomorrow, when Hera and Apollo made their move, several of the most powerful gods would be held inside cages made of Hephaestus' metal to keep them from siding with Zeus.

Ares knew this because one of the duties Hera would assign to him later this afternoon would be to capture Athena, Hestia, and Artemis before sunrise and put them in those chains and cages without drawing any undue attention. Back then he'd been happy, and shortsighted, enough to help. Now he had to appear to do her bidding and be on her side, while undermining her and Apollo's efforts without alerting anyone who might tell Zeus or Jerkules what was about to go down.

Ares quickly decided that his first stop needed to be Aphrodite. Since he'd started therapy, he'd grown closer to several of his relatives on his regrets, but nearly all were part of Aphrodite's circle. Hephaestus was her husband, Cupid her son, Minthe, her oldest and dearest friend, even if Minthe was technically under Hestia's protection. He also knew that Apollo was the one Hera would task with rounding up Aphrodite, Cupid, and Hephaestus, so all he had to do was tip them off that something was on the way and convince them that going to Zeus would put themselves in danger. Then they'd leave and take Minthe with them.

Hestia, Artemis, and Athena, were the real challenge, and Ares was certain he couldn't let them in on anything. They were all too powerful and all too loyal to Zeus. So somehow Ares needed to capture the three women, while also freeing them when the time was right. He had a few ideas about how to accomplish this already, but realized he was getting too far ahead of himself. He'd have to take this one step at a time and the Goddess of Love and her immediate family were where he'd begin.

After looking in on all her favorite temples and shrines, Ares finally located his sister at her husband's forge, examining an intricate sapphire and diamond necklace that the smith god had crafted. He couldn't help but think how Xena would look in it, the sapphires doing amazing things with her eyes, and he grunted in frustration. He needed to focus. The work he had to do here was as precise and delicate as the detail in the silver that fastened the gemstones, and thoughts of Xena's beauty could only distract him and cause mistakes he couldn't afford. After taking a moment to review his arguments and ensure they were honest and forthcoming, rather than the blatant manipulation he would have instinctively employed before entering therapy, Ares teleported himself to Hephaestus' forge and cleared his throat to gain both his siblings' attention.

Though they'd looked up in unison, their reactions to his presence couldn't have been different.

"Hey Ar! How's it hanging?" Aphrodite called to him, pleased to see her brother up and around. As Goddess of Love she knew what Ares was going through, even if he didn't, and his guilt trip over hurting Xena during the whole Hope fiasco had left him even more grumpy and listless these past few days. Love sometimes meant self sacrifice for the other person's happiness, and Ares didn't yet understand that. Admittedly it was one of the hardest lessons to learn, and Ares was a god. Zero sum scenarios where self sacrifice might be required were few and far between for the gods, so they rarely had cause to practice it. Why sacrifice when everyone that mattered could have everything they might possibly desire with a snap of the fingers?

"What are you doing here, Traitor?!" the deformed God of the Forge accused, disgusted by his half brother. He'd sided with Dahok and nearly sired a god killing monster in the process. If Gabrielle hadn't made the ultimate sacrifice and pushed the One Great Evil's spawn over the edge of that well, they'd all be in serious trouble and it would all be the War God's fault for not keeping his breeches on.

"Heph, don't be that way! He didn't have a choice! Dahok is way more powerful than any of us. Had Ar-Bear refused, Old Spikey would have snuffed him out, then made the same threat to another male god until he found one who'd knock up his vile daughter. Would you rather Ar be gone forever and Apollo be standing in his place.. or Deimos for that matter? Eww gross! Now I got an image in my head! Thank you very much, the both of you!" Aphrodite scolded, before grimacing at the thought of the nitwit Deimos siring anything, much less a freak that could kill their entire family.

Ares ruthlessly fought the humiliation his next words and actions would surely bring, but he needed to be honest here. Hephaestus had cared about him, maybe even had loved him the way mortal brothers usually loved one another. He wouldn't rejoice at what he was about to see, and he wouldn't run off to Olympus to gossip about it either. Despite the fact that it still felt alien, Ares had to take the the leap of faith.

"If it makes you feel any better, Brother, you're no longer the only god with scars," Ares announced, before turning his back to his siblings. Then he made his vest disappear, allowing both of his siblings to view the damage Hope had done to his previously flawless back.

"Oh that Bitch!" Aphrodite growled out in rage, as Ares replaced his vest, covering the source of his shame.

"I'm sorry, Brother, I didn't know," Hephaestus whispered, stunned by the vicious scabs on the God of War's back.

"There's nothing to know. I did what I had to do to survive, and I paid.. well, more than I dreamed I ever would, but.. It doesn't matter; it's in the past. What does matter is what's happening now. Dad brought Jerkules to Olympus, and Hera has finally had enough. She's in coup mode and you know she hates you both, along with Cupid and his wife and kid. You guys need to get out of here and hide, preferably somewhere outside of Greece, until the situation dies down. And take Minthe with you; I don't want her with Hestia when things get real. You know our aunt hates Mom, and Minthe.. well she's too loyal and too brave for her own good. I don't want to see her get hurt," Ares explained, hoping his siblings got the seriousness of the situation and fled while they still had the chance.

"Why don't we just go to Zeus and tell him what's going on?" Hephaestus questioned, not understanding why they should have to flee when the whole coup could be avoided.

"If Dad knows what's coming, he'll kill Mom, and then the Furies will use my head for a chamber pot, or Artemis' head, or Discord's, or maybe even yours, at least until you get yourself killed trying to avenge Mom, or murder the woman you love in your madness, and.. well you get the point. Dad has always had the power to kill Hera. If she tries to take his throne, he just might do it, and then we're all screwed," Ares explained, desperately trying to shake the memory of Xena cold and dead in his arms before Gabrielle brought her back. He'd killed her in his madness, and then the three bitches that had taken him to that dark place had returned his sanity so that he could be driven mad again, this time by his own guilt. The Furies had known their craft as well as he'd known his, and if Gabrielle had not given Xena the breath of life, their work would have been complete. But Ares couldn't afford to think of that now. Aphrodite knew him too well and she'd sense there was something he wasn't saying. This would make her doubt him and she'd refuse to go on the run until he told her everything, which he couldn't do as those events wouldn't happen for another twenty-six years.

While Aphrodite could concede her brother's logic, she still didn't get the whole picture and she wasn't going to uproot her family and leave her father to Cow Face without it. "And you're staying behind because…"

"Because I need to keep my parents from killing one another. Look, with me and our annoying half brother on Dad's side, we can take Mom down, throw her into the Abyss of Tartarus, and the Furies can focus on improving their dance routines. Trust me, they need the practice," Ares quipped, remembering all those times Alecto and her bat-shit sisters came to dance for him. He'd been polite, usually because he wanted something from them at the time, but their gyrations had done nothing for him. He preferred to admire the female form as it shoved a sword into the male form's guts.

"So, you're siding with Dad? Next thing you're gonna tell me Hades is throwing a skating party in Tartarus," Aphrodite shot back, totally not believing Ares would side against his mother. For millennia he'd been at Hera's beck and call. Now he was switching sides? That made no sense.

"Truth is I despise them both, but Dad will negotiate in good faith. He wouldn't want to risk Artemis' sanity, or your life, if he kills Hera. Mom, on the other hand, doesn't care who gets hurt so long as she keeps her husband in line or is freed from him all together. I've spent too many centuries being her faithful slave, and how does she repay me? She puts me in a position to spend all of eternity as a drooling idiot! Well that's not going to happen. I'm done! Let her rot in Tartarus, literally!" Ares replied, letting the sorrow and betrayal he always felt when he remembered Hera shooting him in the back with a fireball to save Hercules wash over him. He truly was over trying to appease Hera, but knowing he'd wasted so many centuries at the task still galled him to no end.

The thought occurred to him that maybe that was what Dr. Naadiah intended him to learn, that his attempts to please Xena were just an extension of his previous desire to please Hera. He knew mortals did that all the time. They even had that saying 'A boy always seeks to marry a girl just like his mother.'

The problem with that idea was that Xena was nothing like Hera. Oh she was impossible to please, but where Hera was above everyone else, Xena surrounded herself with friends. Where Hera was jealous, possessive, and spiteful, Xena was more concerned with the happiness and well being of others, even at her own expense. Before she'd changed, back when she was just one of his many warlords, she was all the things Hera was, but he hadn't been interested in her beyond the physical. She was merely a stunningly beautiful plaything to him back then, maybe a bit more gifted that most, but still mortal and disposable like so many before her. In short, when she'd been most like Hera, Ares had taken minimal interest in Xena. Gabrielle had been right, the woman he loved, the one that fascinated him and won his heart was the one the irritating blonde had dubbed 'the good Xena'. So, there went that theory. Why his Doc had sent him back here was still a mystery, but he had faith it would all fall into place in time.

"Alright, so when did Mom say this take over was going to go down? Cause I mean, I'm gonna need to a few days to finish up what I'm working on and cool down the forge," Hephaestus asked as he began making a list of everything he'd need to finish up before leaving.

"No, no, no. See, Mom plans to have Apollo grab you guys, along with Cupid and his family, tonight. Your work can wait. Dite, Minthe, Cupid, Psyche, and that winged kid those two have, you need to get them out of here before sunset or you're all likely to end up down in the dungeons for the next few millennia.. if you're lucky," Ares warned, making it clear that time wasn't on their side.

"Tonight?! Why'd you wait to tell us, Bro?!" Aphrodite squawked, completely floored that things were moving so fast.

"Because I didn't know myself until an hour ago, and I couldn't just pop off to tell you the minute I'd found our or Hera and Apollo might have gotten suspicious. The way I see it, if you go somewhere Apollo's powers can't track, he either has to report to Mom that he failed or just tell her that he has the three of you locked up. He knows she'll be too focused on Zeus and our mongrel brother to check, and that admitting failure would leave him vulnerable to her wrath. Knowing him, he'll just lie. After all, Hephaestus is a cripple who makes pretty statues and jewelry and you and your son are love gods. What danger to their takeover could the three of you possibly pose?" Ares explained, hating to be untruthful with them after all he'd learned in therapy, but needing a coherent story to get them to move.

For a moment Ares' two siblings considered his words, and he knew they were worried he was leading them down the garden path. Until he'd started therapy with Dr. Naadiah, lying and manipulation with foes and friends alike had been his default tactic, so the Ares they knew was certainly more untrustworthy.

However, there was little practical downside for them to doing as he asked if he had been lying. They knew they weren't warriors, even if Hephaestus and Cupid sometimes fancied themselves as such, so any positive contribution they could make to Zeus' cause would be minimal. What's more, Dad felt protective of Aphrodite, so her presence could actually weaken his chances of coming out on top, a fact his daughter was well aware of. And Ares had been completely truthful in his reminder to his sister that the goddess she routinely referred to as 'Cow Face' had grown to hate her guts over the centuries, so if Hera won, exile would be the best outcome any member of her family could hope for. In short, getting the hell out of Dodge was the best move for them. Strategically it just made sense, and Ares was one of the few to recognize that Aphrodite, the true head of her family, was a natural born strategist.

Placing a pink bubble around the two of them, Aphrodite conversed softly with her husband, and Ares looked away to demonstrate that he respected their need to discuss this privately between themselves. He was confident that they'd see things his way and if they didn't, well he'd tried and would move on to Minthe separately. He genuinely loved them both and had mourned the loss of Hephaestus as he had Athena, but he couldn't make them do as wished. Well, technically he could, but doing so could have consequences that might ultimately jeopardize his chances at getting Hera into the Abyss alive, which was the whole point of his being here.

As Ares began to consider how he'd go about convincing Minthe to leave if Aphrodite and Hephaestus rejected his warning, he was suddenly brought out his thoughts by his sister tapping him on the shoulder. "Earth to Studmuffin of War. Hello! We've discussed it, and have decided that right now might be justthe time to take a vacation after all."

"Provided you swear on the Styx to bring us back once things are settled, assuming Mom doesn't win, that is. If she does we may never get back,"

"I swear on the River Styx I'll bring you and your clan back if Dad comes out the victor," Ares promised, knowing that they had good reason not to trust his word alone.

"Great! Well, I know you have a lot to plan, so we'll let you go. And who knows, maybe this will be good for us, like a real vacation! We could go someplace warm and sunny with vast stretches of beach and bitchin' waves, while you warrior types do your whole coup thing. Yeah, this could really work out," Aphrodite optimistically predicted, planning ahead as if she were merely leaving for an island holiday and not potentially becoming a refugee.

"Honey Bunny, we're leaving our HOME, maybe never to return! We might even have to live among mortals for a while. This isn't the time to worry about waves or sunny beaches; we need to be practical here, go somewhere that a humble blacksmith and his amazingly gorgeous wife could fit in and not draw so much attention that Mom or one of her minions tracked us down." Hephaestus coaxed, adding the compliment in order to appeal to his love's considerable vanity. He was certainly the more pragmatic partner in their marriage and since he'd not only have her but her son, daughter-in-law, grandson, and oldest friend in tow, he needed to take charge of this expedition. She might make the big decisions in their family, but he was the one in charge of the details. Still, Hephaestus couldn't help but feel a smile in his heart, the dreamer and the pragmatist, they really were well suited for each other.

"And Minthe? You'll take her with you?" Ares asked, needing to confirm that they'd work on Minthe and get her to come along. Otherwise he'd have to make other arrangements for her and he needed to know one way or another.

"Yes, we'll take Minthe. Don't worry, Ar. We'd never leave her behind. She's MY friend after all," Aphrodite returned, rolling her eyes at her big brother's need to micromanage the situation.

"She's my friend too," Ares shot back. He and Minthe might not be as tight as she and Aphrodite had always been, but she was important to him none-the-less.

"Alright! Get going! We have a lot of packing to do!" Aphrodite insisted, turning her back on her older brother as she directed her attention to the job at hand.

"Fine.. and good luck," Ares added before taking a long, last look at them, a tiny part of him worried that if Hera did succeed, this might be the last time he saw either of these siblings again. Yes, Dr. Naadiah had insisted that she wouldn't allow him to perish in any of his regrets, but he'd learned as a child that the Abyss of Tartarus wasn't normal. There were forces at work in it that were even beyond Zeus' control. That's why it made such a magnificent prison for all flavors of monsters, titans, and gods.

While he wanted to have faith that his therapist really could protect him, he knew there was a small, but real, chance that if Hera won this time and he ended up down there, that Dr. Naadiah might be unable to bring him back to 2002. Oh she and Dr. Arthur would try their damnedest. He was completely confident that they wouldn't leave a single stone unturned in any rescue mission mounted, but the Abyss was something unpredictable, and Ares wasn't entirely convinced they'd succeed if worse came to worst.

Still, he couldn't allow himself to dwell on what-ifs. There was far too much work to do before his mother made her move tomorrow, so Ares closed his eyes, took a cleansing breath, and disappeared in a flash of blue light.