In the first chapter Ares said to Dite that he tried to make amends to Xena for something and from than on everything went wrong because he was clearly upset. So you guys want to find out what happened between Xena and Ares when he tried to apologies to her? This chapter will reveal it in a backflash. Hope you like it. And thanks once again for the kind words in the reviews.

Chapter 4: Goodbye

Everything burned and her body was on fire, waiting for it to turn to ash. She knew that will happen, she was dead now, right? Her eyes were so but so hard to open and to move her limbs was unimaginable difficult. She felt trapped into her own body and she had no idea what to do, how to come back, how to be a ghost. Gabrielle will freak, she once again asked for her forgiveness in her mind. She knew the only chance for those souls was to let her friend in the dark about this final journey. Gabrielle would have never agreed.

After what appeared an infinite, undetermined time in which she just rotted in pain she finally felt the she was liberated, a huge stone lifting from her body, from her soul and letting her swim back to reality…breathing.

"Xena…darling…" Seeing her fingers move slightly in his palm Ares's full attention was on her.

Voices were swirling into her mind. She felt guilty because there was one voice that outstood them all and it was painful for her to think back at him. She should have told him, saying goodbye to him different from the last time she saw him. She hurt him, she knew that but she thought it was for the best. He just left afterward and he never came back after that last talk and then everything happened too fast- the message and the trip to Jappa where she knew it will be her end. There was never a time for them. Never will be.

It was a very warm day, almost twilight. Gabrielle just got up ahead of her to go find an inn in the near town while she remained behind with Argo II near a river giving her some fresh cold water to drink since the horse was thirsty and letting her rest a little while she refreshed herself.

She was filling her waterskin when she suddenly felt the unique tingles all over her skin, up and down her spine. If she could yell at her body every time she felt him and her treacherous reactions at him she would surely do it, but it didn't worked like that, unfortunately for her. She didn't see him for a couple of months now, not after what happened with Eve and the amazons.

"What do you want Ares?" A small smile appeared on her treacherous face. She turned to face him, taking a huge gulp of water from the water skin in her hand and finally looking nonchalantly at him. That's what she tried at least.

He had a shadow of a small smile on his perfect face and he was resting near a tree and looking at her with admiring eyes, just like so many times before. It was an old picture but something was different now. Something shifted between them since the ordeal with the gods and the little Eve. And even if they were on different sides in their last encounter, there was some understanding now between them, like a line that they won't cross, not anymore.

"What are you doing here all alone?" He causally asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" She inquired with amusement in her voice.

"Yep…but it's pretty hard to find you all alone since the bard is always around. How does she manage to do that by the way…always in the way?!"

"And why would you want to find me all alone?" The moment the question left her lips she stopped, her eyes making contact with his for those tiny split seconds. As fast as she could she broke eye contact and started packing her things in the saddle, knowing that this was a very but very wrong question. She knew why though and she didn't want to hear it from him. She didn't need this.

"Do you really not know why?" He asked serious now, amusement gone.

"Never mind Ares." She took Argo' reigns in her hand being prepared to go up on her and let the subject drop.

"Xena…don't. I'm not here to fight with you."

"Yeah because the last time we saw each other my daughter almost got killed because of you." She retorted back with anger but at the same time she was very conscious of the fact that by saying this things even if they were true- she was still pissed about that particular thing- but she was on the defensive here, trying to protect herself from him and from that part of her that was craving for him. Now that she knew the mortal version of him, it didn't helped her at all.

"I thought it was clear between us why I did that…"

"Yeah, it's what you do, like you said." She scoffed, giving his words back.

"Unfortunately it is." He pushed down his anger, trying to remain calm but it was hard to do that when the fire was burning in his veins. So here he was trying to say something that it was new to him and she couldn't even let him talk not to mention the fact that he remained with the impression that she understood why he did what he did, that they've come to terms about that episode with the amazons. That it's past them, or not?

"Ares I need to leave now. Gabrielle is waiting…"

"Wait…" From instinct he gripped her arm and turned her to him.

"What?" She asked, looking from the arm that was held in his grip to his face, right into his eyes. He was close…too close.

"I'm sorry!" Ares said with true remorse.

Her eyebrows widened. Was she really hearing it good? Did he just apologize?

"I mean, about the thing with Caesar…" He swiftly added. "I should have kept a better eye on the Underworld. I didn't mean for you to go through that ever again."

Her face saddened and all the same a consuming hatred towards Caesar swirled inside her heart. She will always hate Caesar…but as she was looking into Ares's eyes she felt how her walls started to break bit by bit.

"I made it back…" She said gently.

"Like you always do." He tenderly let go of her arm.

"I think I should be grateful to Gabrielle for destroying the loom of the Fates huh?" He wanted to change the mood of this conversation into a cheerier one cause he felt she was slipping through his fingers again. He couldn't bear another no from her.

"You should."

A small laugh escaped both of them.

She climbed her horse and looked down at him with a small smile.

"Thanks!"

Seeing his brow furrowed she added…

"For saying this…" she clarified.

He only nodded embarrassed but with a lighter heart. He felt good.

"Bye!" Xena said.

"Yeah…" he sadly added for himself, watching her leave.

She gave an impulse to Argo to ride ahead but right after she made some steps she changed her mind, turning the horse back to face him.

"Ares!"

He raised his eyes from the ground to see her coming back towards him. His face lit up like a child seeing a toy…oh gods what was she doing to him?

"Hum!"

She stopped her horse in front of him and dismounted.

"Did you forget something?" His heart swelled in his chest. Was he seeing things?

"Not really. I…I…just want to be truthful with you."

His heart started to beat faster in his chest. Where was she driving at?

She just couldn't leave like that, without a proper goodbye. After what they've been through she thought he deserved to know after all.

"I think you should know that I'm planning to leave…soon."

He just frowned. Yes she just said she was going into town because Gabrielle was there waiting at an inn.

"…leave Greece." She added clearing the fact for him, containing her breath for a short moment.

"Greece? Why would you?" He was confused.

"I…me and Gabrielle, we've done many good things here and maybe it's time for us to…"

"Leave?" He rudely interrupted her. His anger rising by the minute. Everything that this implied was overwhelming for him.

"Yeah…My mother is gone, Eve is in Chin and India preaching…It's time for us to move on."

"Move on from what…Where?"

"I didn't ask Gabrielle yet but her birthday is over a few days…"

"Where?" He asked again, snapping.

His mind refused to let this sink in. She couldn't leave him.

"Egypt maybe."

"Egypt? But this is another gods pantheon…I have no place there." His heart dropped in his chest.

"I know."

"You know?" Was she doing this purposefully to hurt him? To get away from him?

"Do you want me to say what I think? I think you're running away." He furiously stated.

"I'm not running…"

"…again I might add."

"Why would I?" Now she was contra attacking him.

"You yourself said it with your pretty mouth. I can't move Olympus there now can I? So you choose a place where I can't be with you."

"You selfish bastard, you think everything revolves around you? It's not…I'm not running."

"You can tell yourself that but you can't fool me."

"I was just trying to say my goodbyes to you, you idiot." She indignantly said.

"Goodbyes?"

"I shouldn't have even bothered myself with this." She mounted Argo II again.

"Yes…maybe when you would have been in Egypt you could have sent me a note, like Hey you stupid bastard I'm finally free from you. Enjoy your miserable immortal life!"

"Fuck you!" Those were her last words to him before he vanished with a broken heart and she galloped away.

xxx

"Xe…"

Her hand cupped his with strength. He brought her hand to his lips kissing it endlessly.

"Come back Xena…come back…"

She thought that that day would be the last time she would see him and she felt sad about it. But when she find out she must travel to Jappa to right her wrongs, she almost called him that night before embarking but in the end she didn't, knowing things will just get too complicated. After all he will think she's just out of his reach in Egypt and not dead. Maybe it was for the best.

Now sitting on his bed, her senses coming back to life she felt comfortable in the soft sheets, warmth surrounding her, and a voice calling her…a very warm and all too familiar voice.

"Wake up darling! Open your eyes!"

Her eyelids fluttered open finally. Her head was resting on a pillow and the first thing she saw was the white ceiling of a room and hearing the soft and warm, soothing call of her name coming from his mouth:

"Xena!"