Hi guys, so much time has passed since the last time I have written something about our dear couple. Here I am again. Hopefully everyone that wasn't satisfied with the ending of Xena, will take a little comfort from this story.

Enjoy it!

MY SAVIOR

Chapter 1: Realizing the black truth

"Why would you teach me this right now? I don't understand!" My words played and replayed inside my mind, even now as my feet were dragging me away from my friend, my heart heavy with worry and with the thought that something may go dead wrong that day.

"There's nothing to understand. I just wanted you to know everything I know. Let's go. We got a battle to win." Xena's answer may have calmed me down for the moment, but deep down I could just feel it. She was planning something, something that I did not know about and her secrecy was the first thing that set one big alarm inside my head.

With every step that I took, walking through that dense forest to the part of it where Yodoshi's archers were gathering as Xena has told our group party, my brain refused to let it go…I was more and more focused on those words that she said to me last time when we spoke and what she had learned me "Listen not just to the sounds, but to what's behind the sounds." I just stopped dead in my tracks.

"Gabrielle…" Kenji murmured with his calm voice. I just silenced him with my fingers.

Listen I said to myself and I did just that. My ears open as never before, my eyes closed, every thought and worry vanishing for those tiny seconds and a smile appeared on my face when I realized that I succeeded…but only the wind, the birds and the leaves of the trees were alive in that forest, no human soul…no army, no archers…My heart stopped, my hands started to shake cause then and there I knew…She was going on a suicide mission.

"Xena?" I yelled…and without thinking anymore I just started to run, run as fast as I could, I needed to reach her…reach her before the end.

"Xena…please…Xeenaaaaa!?" I screamed with all my force, but I was all alone in the forest…only echoes of my voice returning back to me.

How much I would try to run, it will be too late, I could never reach her in time, never…I couldn't do it, saving her was beyond my physical capabilities…and then it struck me as one of Zeus thunderbolts… He could. Ares could and he would. He was my chance, my only chance and her chance. My mind just forgot everything about what he represented, who he was, what he's done. After all that transpired between him, me and Xena I liked to think of him as someone more close to us than in the past…so with throwing everything out of the window, I simply uttered his name: ARES…first inside my head than with my mouth louder and louder until the point of screaming his name like a lunatic.

My eyes fell on the smoke and fire in the air that I could see on the other side of the forest, so far away from me, there where my friend was, all alone against one army...For one moment I recalled past memories when once again my friend was one against an army, the Persians. She fought like never before. I thought that I would die that day but here I was and there she was, fighting the same battle but with another cunning enemy, all alone. My voice kept calling him again and again, desperate that he won't answer to me, why would he?...and why doesn't he? Isn't he the obsessive one, the one that kept tabs on her always? Why doesn't he just know?

"ARES!" I started to run again, frustrated by his luck of care. Though his name never faltered of my lips, my hopes still in the game… "Come on…answer me!" The sounds of war become more intense by the minute. All doubts started to rush into my mind, never ceasing, driving me mad with fear, paralyzing me.

"ARES!PLEASE!" I screamed with all my strength, my feet going like jelly, my knees weak, falling down, my body didn't respond to my pleas to continue the path before my eyes, hands coming to my face, sobs ripping through my body, tears streaming like a waterfall on my cheeks. This couldn't be the end. It just couldn't.

xxx

One hour ago

"So Ar…" A very enthusiast Aphrodite started talking just after she appeared in the Halls of War.

"Since we didn't celebrate ourselves coming back…well into ourselves…" She giggled at her words. She was so happy that she was back on her job…being a mortal sucked, not to mention leaving like one.

"I thought we could throw a party, don't you think? It would be so fun, we can even ask Gab and Xena to come…I know that would make you very very happy." Her eyes finally focused on her brother.

He was rested on his throne, a portal in front of him…you would have thought he was relaxed in that pose in which Dite saw him so many times before but…this was not his usual self, his muscles were about to snap, his eyes traveling desperate in that portal, wanting to find something that didn't want to be found.

"Ar…did you even hear what I said?" The Goddess asked incredulous that she is left speaking all by herself. How rude he would be sometimes.

"Could you just shut up? I want you to shut up and get the fuck out of here!" He yelled, his gaze never leaving the portal.

His sister was dumbstruck about his reaction, why was he so aggressive with her? Did she do something wrong? She only wanted them to have some fun by holding a party. Her saddened face though changed in seconds, sketching an all knowing smile…

"Ohh, I know…" In a cherry voice she pointed. "Xena is still upset on you after what you did with Gabby's amazons and with Evie, isn't it Stud?" She victoriously ended.

"I asked you…" He started again, his eyes finally looking at her, piercing her with his black orbs as if he wanting to annihilate her…she shivered.

"…to get out, if you don't…" He got up from his position and with an angry fist he threw the first thing he put his hands on towards her.

"Hey!" She yelled back, ducking the wineskin just in time as to not hit her.

"I'm not going to respond of myself…please get out." His pain in the voice was the thing that made her finally see her brother was not alright at all. Forgetting about partying and other silly things she tried to find out what it was all about.

"Ares…I've come in peaceful terms here. I'm not your enemy." She simply voiced trying to suppress her fear in his presence when he was like that.

"Right now I don't want to see you or anybody for that matter so just leave me the hell in peace…I don't want your stupid love advices or your pity, I want you to leave…leave…just leave…" He screamed the words especially the little one that was probably why he was feeling like that –love-, a lair of moisture gathering in his eyes. But unfortunately for her, his sister did see that and felt his tremendous pain…it only made her push him further.

"I'm not…" Those two words were the only one that she said before he collided her fragile body frame with a wall.

"Ar…" Tears started to gather in her eyes.

He approached her with a blank gaze…all around him, his whole aura was charged with his pain.

How could she be so oblivious about this she asked herself, and since when was he like that? She didn't see him for a whole week and now she found him like that.

"You better vanish in this instant." He threateningly added but she refused once again, helping herself up and looking him in the eyes.

She didn't say anything but she just threw her arms around his neck, bringing her body close to his and embracing him with all her strength.

"You are the only family I have Ares…I'm never going to leave." She said after a while and she finally felt him relax for a little…but the agony was still so present…so strongly.

"It's Xena isn't it?" She asked, knowing before he nodded. It was always her.

She exhaled deeply, letting go of him.

"Ares…" She looked sad at him, she could see the ghost of his tears but now there weren't present, he was really trying to control himself, she saw that.

"I'm sorry Dite but I just have such a desire to reap heads from bodies right now."

"What did you do this time?" The complete, give up sound of his sister made him defend himself.

"Me? I was just trying to be nice for once, like really nice."

"I'm sure you thought you were nice when you said that her daughter wasn't –what was it?- oh yah, invited to the party…a "party" that almost killed Eve."

"Well it's true…I did not want to involve Eve in that but as always, she got in trouble, it's what she does…but it's not about that. You know when we had some difficulties with the loom of the Fates."

"Ohh yeah…" She shuddered, thinking at the time when Caesar changed destiny.

"I guess I knew all this time that he still wanted Xena." The Goddess answered in her typical way.

Ares's jaw clenched.

"What? I'm the Goddess of Love, I recognize love, even when it's just a sick obsessive thing like what he felt about your princess."

"I should have been more careful with Hades's realm…the son of a Bacchae…" Ares added in fury, it still innerved him to no end…That mortal trash had the pleasure to call Xena his wife even just for some days and he gets nothing. "…but all in all, Blondie did save our asses." And now that he mentioned her he couldn't restrain himself and grunted in utter disdain.

"In short words I went to Xena that night, to…to be nice, offer her my sincere apology for what happened with Caesar…"

"That's like really nice indeed! Bravo!" She beamed with happiness clapping her hands but then she saddened again feeling that that night somehow was the cause about the state in which her brother was.

"How in the hell does she do that?" He asked himself when not seconds ago she brought the bard in his conversation and now she was yelling in his mind like a madwoman. He ignored her, after all because of her Xena left…she took his princess away and worst she didn't even probably have one single idea about what he did…Xena probably never mentions him.

"And…?" Dite asked wanting to know all the details about the so called apology moment and what she could do to mend his heart a bit.

"She left Dite, just like that." Ares added submitted.

The goddess of love narrowed her eyes and frowned at those bitter words, not quite understanding though.

"You mean Xena?"

"Do you think I will be interested in the sour Blond…what the fuck does she wants?"

"Bro…?"

He tried to obstruct his ears but the problem was his mind of course…Gabrielle was calling, no, more like yelling like hell his name.

"Me…Do I want something?" Aphrodite asked perplexed, not understanding one bit what he's talking about.

"Not you…her!"

Seeing that it was no way in hell to shut the blond up or then maybe gag her, but to do that, it was needed a more physical access so he vanished from the room letting his ditsy sister behind with a big question mark on her face. He will tend to the irritating blonde and wipe the floor with her.

xxx

"I beg you Ares…" Gabrielle whispered with her last strength.

A slightly wind moved around her and hope swelled inside her heart, her eyes rising just when his blue light just faded. He came.

"You came!" She jumped up incredulous, as if he was going to resolve everything. She regained her force and collected herself of the ground.

"Obviously! Now…" cocky like he was, he took in his surroundings, looked at her – a real mess- and he tilted his head in confusion, cockiness all disappearing in one instant.

"Why are you wearing that…"- he said with disgust as if a warrior's cloths weren't meant for the bard "… and why in Tartarus are you calling me? Don't you know that my powers here have limits…as if making a trip here is so simple and for the sole reason to see you what? Popping your eyes out?" He ended on a very angry and disturbing tone.

Maybe he was occupied with something, his wars probably, but the hell with that, he was right there before her and he better do what she would ask of him.

"Xena." That one name made all his features change, and Gabrielle could see a small shred of fear crossing his amber eyes. He turned and saw the fire that was burning with strength now and he just understood, she saw it in his eyes just when he did.

"Where?" He only asked and the bard pointed the way, her voice barely audible.

Next thing Gabrielle knew she was alone in the forest again, sinking down to do ground again but now she knew that he will save her…he must.

So what did you think? Worth reading the next chapters? :))) Can't wait to hear from you !