A/N: Xena Meets Ares

Between Takes

"Marisa! You came!" Monica said giving me a hug. I took off my lab coat and handed it to her.

"Sorry I'm late." I said then rubbed her belly, "Hi there." I said to it and stepped into my sister's cocktail party.

"That's okay," Monica, said, "It's just a bunch of people from Stan's coworkers. I needed company."

"Okay," I said heading towards her kitchen for a drink.

"Marisa!" Ron Peck, who plays my brother in law Stan said as I passed by the living room.

I smile and turned to face him. "H- Hey," My face faltered then I turned away and ran up the stairs.

"Cut! Good," Vic said and the crew let out a chuckle. They shifted the cameras a bit "I want you to keep going."

I hid myself at the top of the stairs. "Okay," I said trying to remember the lines. I closed my eyes trying to recall the page and quickly re-read my lines.

"And, action," Vic shouted.

"Marisa," Monica shouted.

I ran back down the stairs and faced off with her, "Shhh," I said, "Oh my god I'm so fucking embarrassed." I said heading back up the stairs.

"What?" Monica shouted after me again, "Why?"

"I lied." I shouted back.

"What? About what?"

I ran back down the stairs and whispered loudly, "About Daniel."

"Your Daniel?" Monica asked.

"Yes, No... That Daniel from Stan's office, that's my Daniel." I tried to explain

"What?"

"Come upstairs," I said Just as Daniel came to the stairs.

"Hey Marisa." He said with a smile. It was the first scene that we did together. I made the mistake of looking him in the eye. I mean really looking at him.

"Busted," Monica said

I forgot my line. It was the stupidest line and I couldn't remember it. Our eyes locked for the first time since we met and I nearly kicked myself for not seeing it sooner. "Cut!" Vic shouted, "Damn it Marcel you're wasting film."

I snapped out of my trance, "Sorry Vic." I mumbled.

"Again from Hey Marisa," Vic said re setting the camera. The scene went smoother after that, the only difference was now I could feel my soul move.


I kissed Maddy on the forehead and set her down on my bed. It was one of those long brakes between scenes. We had played a round of hide and seek after lunch. She was tired.

After I set my sweet girl down for a nap there was a knock on the door. I looked around and Lilly opened the door for me. "Hey," Jayden said.

I looked over my shoulder as Lilly said, "Hello Mr. Kross"

"Is Miss Marcel in?" He asked charming the hell out of Lilly with his smile.

"I'm right here." I said, "Am I needed on set?"

"Not yet," He said, "Can I come in?"

"Oh sure," I said getting a bit nervous.

"Lilly, is it?" He asks my Nanny.

"Yes." She said

"I need to talk to Miss Marcel alone, would you mind?"

"Oh of course," Lilly said looking back at me. I smile at her from where I stand my knees beginning to water the way they always did when Ares came around me for the first time.

Lilly stepped out of the trailer closing the door behind her. I stepped forward and we came face to face. We didn't talk we just stood there our eyes locked in recognition. Moments later, he reached out and cupped my face in his hand and drew me to him. Our kiss was long and tender, as if we had been long time lover in this life. We were so familiar with each other.

I touched his chest and groaned into the kiss running my hand around to his back and I was angry, because he was married and happily so with someone so unlike me. I pushed him away and smacked his arm. "Ow!" He said rubbing at it, "What was that for?"

"Ares, You're Married." I said turning my back and heading back to the mirror to re apply my lipstick. "And she's really cool."

I handed him a tissue so that he could wipe off the lipstick from his lips. "Xena, Did you seriously think that was going to last?"

I slapped him again, "Don't make me look like a home wrecker." I sighed sitting down; "You've been married forever in Hollywood standards."

"No one has to know about this kiss. That stays in this trailer." He said raising his arms in surrender. "Just had to know it was you is all."

I smirked and nodded, "I know." Then I punched him in the arm again.

"What?"

"I've been divorced twice looking for you." I said, "and you were under my nose this whole time."

"We can at least be friends." He said as if he couldn't believe what he was saying. I cringed.

"I guess we've done that before." I answered just as Lilly knocked on the door. "Come in."

"Mr. Kross, Miss Marcel you're needed on the set." She said.

We nodded and headed out to the set. They had the rooftop set up, and everyone else was off the set. The first kiss. "I hope you don't mind, but you kind of had Abby tongue tied and I wanted to use that nervous energy you generated for this scene before we left." Vic said

"I'm Cool with it," Jayden said

"Yeah," I answered shrugging on the lab coat that the wardrobe person had shoved at me.

I took my mark leaning on the edge of the roof top they re-adjusted the lighting a bit. My stand-in was a little shorter than I was but it didn't take long.

"Ready, and... Action" Vic said

"Hey," Daniel said coming up behind me.

I turned to see who was behind me. I frowned and spoke to the heavens, " Why do you mock me."

"Marisa, listen..." Daniel said standing next to me. I looked up into his blue eyes and swallowed, "I like you, a lot, In fact since college."

"Really?" I said, "Me too... I mean I like you a lot. I feel like such an idiot that I even used your name for someone that was supposed to be pretend. I never thought I'd see you again, and there you were."

"What are you talking about?" Daniel asked.

"You know how I said you were my boyfriend... and they didn't tell you did they?" I stared at his smirking face.

"No..." He said laughing.

"Oh sure... laugh... How pathetic." I said covering my face.

"No... Look I'm sorry." Daniel said placing his hands on either side of my face; "I'm flattered." he finished looking into my eyes.

There was my Ares. I could kiss him now; I had permission to do so. He brought his face down closer to mine. My eyes closed and he kissed me. I let myself react. The heat was palpable, and the kiss was long. When we finally did break the kiss I struggled to find Marisa again. "Wow," I said.

"Yeah," He said with a smile.

"Cut! That's a print." Vic said, "we'll do a couple of more angles and we will be done for the day."

"Aye aye Vic." Jayden said, and so it went.