Chapter 26

"Oh my, I hope I'm not interrupting anything important?" an annoyed voice could be heard from somewhere behind them. But the pair did not take note at all of the intrusion and if they did, they certainly didn't show any sign that they had heard a voice as they continued to go at it. The intruder started to grow more irritated that they didn't break apart the moment the words had left their mouth. Watching the War God run his hand down Xena's leg then slowly go back up her outer thigh and seeing it start to disappear under her leather skirt made the trespasser try to break them apart again.

"Actually I hope I am." the intruder said, louder this time to make sure that they heard the interruption and hoping to dislodge the pair from each other.

Ares had heard the voice the first time actually, but what he was doing at the moment was far more enjoyable then having to deal with the pesky person who was now trying to make their presence known. That solicitous voice had somehow managed to make him angry though, and despite the fact that he continued for a few more moments to caress the recess of Xena's mouth, bringing his hands up and cupping the sides of her face, he couldn't fully ignore the foreign presence. Consequently, he deepened the kiss more, eager to show the unwanted guest that she was his. After a few more deep passionate kisses, Ares unwillingly pulled away and growled lowly in his throat at the annoyance that he knew was now behind him. He just didn't know when to back off. Turning his head to the side, he looked over his shoulder at the God that now stood there, casting him a nasty sneer.

"What's the matter? Don't like getting interrupted when you're having a private moment with someone?" Apollo asked arrogantly. "Maybe you should have chosen a less public area then."

Ares turned around to face him and seeing that smug look on the Sun God's face just made him want to knock it right off. "What are you doing back here?" he growled out in a threatening manner.

"Last I recall you don't own the streets of Athens." Apollo said innocently. "Plus, since you felt the need to interrupt some of my more private moments with the fair Xena, I thought it only appropriate to return the favor."

He cocked his head to the side to look over Ares' shoulder at the woman in question. "Hello Xena." he gave her an impish grin.

"What do you want now, Apollo?" Xena asked him with irritation, while trying to compose herself from the War God's passionate kisses.

"Now that is a loaded question."

The Sun God moved a little to the side, so he could see her better. "There are a lot of things that I want my dear." he suggestively let her know as he looked her up and down.

"Don't call me that!" Xena exclaimed at the pet name he had chosen to call her. She was tired of his insolence, of him constantly showing up and bugging the Tartarus out of her to try and get something that he was never going to get. With the memory of what he had recently done to her still fresh in her mind, she moved to do some damage to the Olympian. Her hatred towards the God had finally won out and he was going to learn one way or the other not to put his hands on her. She didn't care that he was a God, it was about time that she eliminated this nuisance from her life.

Ares knew what Xena was going to do and he immediately stuck out his arm and halted her steps to get to the Sun God. He saw the hate that was burning in her eyes as she shrugged off his hand and she continued to head in the God's direction. He reached out and grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back, he knew she could probably do some real damage to him but Apollo was still a God and he was definitely not willing to take the chance of her getting hurt by him. The War God was also not too thrilled with the possibility of Apollo getting close enough to touch her either. When she continued to try and push pass him to get to her prey, he wrapped his right arm around her waist and pulled her back, chaining her to him.

"Let go of me Ares!" Xena fought against his hold but his grip was strong and only became tighter as she continued to struggle to get herself free.

"My, my I see that temper of yours has not changed a bit." Apollo smiled smugly at her and shifted his gaze to Ares who was staring at him with smothering hate. He moved his eyes back to Xena who continued to struggle against the War God's hold in her attempt to get to him.

"Why Ares, I do believe the girl wants to come over and have a little fun with me. Why don't you let her do it, we could have so much fun together!" He smiled wide as the War God's eyes narrowed at him.

"Fun breaking your hands!" Xena shouted as she dug her nails into Ares' arm but it had no effect. He was not going to let go of her.

"I told you that you couldn't resist me, Xena." Apollo gave her a wicked look as his lustful gaze roamed her body.

"The only thing I can't resist is wiping the floor with your face!" she breathed out on a lethal tone. She upped her attempts to get free from the War God as she squirmed against him but it only made his grip on her waist more firm and he brought his other arm up and wrapped it around her upper body, completely encasing her to him. "Ares, let me go!"

What Xena failed to realize, was that although the War God was holding her back he was really trying to keep himself from destroying his brother. But the Sun God just kept pushing his limits to the extreme. Every little snide remark that rolled off the Olympian's tongue just made him want to tear his head from his body. And the way Apollo was looking at his Princess, only made him growl out menacingly and he ended up pulling Xena closer to him, entirely immobilizing her. She was his and it was about time that Apollo finally realized that.

The Sun God took note of the protective embrace that Ares held Xena in and the aggression he was receiving from him. With the way the God of War was glaring daggers at him, he knew Ares had his hooks in her and they were in deep. He couldn't help but think that the War God had succeeded in luring Xena into his bed. The thought that the two of them had charted unknown territory together- where he had been more then unsuccessful- irked him beyond words.

"Being a tad bit possessive there aren't we Ares?" His only reply was another growl from the War God. "Though I suppose I can't blame you, if I had that luscious body beneath me I would be possessive of her too."

"Well you can keep dreaming about it because it is never going to happen." Xena spat out venomously. She felt Ares tighten his hold on her waist as he began to dig his nails brutally into her side. His grip on her upper body began to tighten also as he began to crush her in his hold. Xena felt like she was getting constricted and she whimpered out lowly from the unpleasant feeling with the way that Ares was holding her. Her faint cry finally reached Ares' ears and, as if having sensed her distress from what he was doing to her, the War God immediately loosened his grip but kept her firmly secured to him.

"I see that little knock to the head has not improved your manners any." the Sun God shook his head slightly, "Too bad we didn't get to finish what I really had planned for you. All the things I would have done to you...You would have enjoyed it immensely." he gave her a sinister smile at the thought of all the things he wanted to do to her.

Before Apollo could react to the situation, he found himself being slammed against the wall as a vice like grip now encircled his throat and lifted him off of the ground. The War God tightened his hold and pulled the Sun God back from the wall and slammed him into it again viciously ; the wall cracked from the force of the collision.

"Oh, I see I have hit a nerve, haven't I? " Apollo brought his hands up to try and loosen the hold on his neck. "What's the matter Ares, afraid she might have enjoyed it a little too much for your liking?" he smiled down at the War God.

"You just don't know when to shut up, do you?" Ares tightened his grip even more on the Sun God's throat and watched as he struggled a little more in discomfort from the pressure of it. He then took one step back from the wall with Apollo still in his grip and threw him into the wall on the other side of the alley. The wall broke on impact and Apollo laid there in the rubble for a few more seconds.

Xena took a few steps in the Sun God's direction, if anyone deserved to put him in his place, it was her. She wasn't going to let Ares have all the fun and stop her from getting her revenge on the Gods damn bastard. He had intruded on her long enough. She was soon halted though, as that strong grip came around her arm pulling her back yet again.

"I don't need you to fight my battles, Ares." she told him angrily and moved to try and continue forward.

He didn't bother giving her a response as he pulled her back once again and softly pushed her in the opposite direction. As Apollo was picking himself up from the ground, Ares towered over him and he reached down and wrapped his fingers in the God's curly hair. He pulled him back brutally so the Sun God could look him in the eye. Apollo started to struggle against the hold and Ares cupped his face with his free hand, digging his nails into the Gods cheek savagely. He leaned in close to him to make sure that he heard every word.

"If you ever think of coming near her again or causing harm to her in anyway, I swear it on the Styx itself, I will kill you." he breathed out on a deadly tone that told the Sun God that he meant every word. "Don't look at her, don't even think about her. She is mine!"

"You.. you can't... Zeus would never allow it." Apollo protested in a shaky voice. From the look in the War God's eyes he knew that he was not bluffing and he heard the clear possessiveness in his voice as he staked his claim over Xena. He had never seen such hostility from Ares before and all of this over some mortal woman that he would soon toss to the side once he was finished fucking her. Apollo still couldn't believe that Xena had opened her legs to the God of War and allowed him to fuck her.

"Try me!" Ares said in a grave tone. "I will get my point across to you brother." The War God spat out the term with distaste and tightened his grip in the Sun God's hair and brought his leg up and kneed him in his stomach.

Xena couldn't make out what Ares had said to Apollo since he had said it in a rather low tone. From the look on Apollo's face though, she knew that whatever it was the War God said had shaken him up and she had seen the hint of fear that had flashed behind his eyes. She watched as Ares savagely punched the Sun God in the face and she once again started to move in that direction but she stopped once she heard her name being called. She turned in the direction it came from and saw Flora coming towards her.

"What's wrong?" Xena asked her once she was close enough.

"Athena has asked that everyone meet in her temple. It's about an army that is heading this way." Flora replied.

She took note of what was going on behind Xena. "What is going on over there?"

Xena looked behind her and saw that Ares had thrown Apollo into another wall. She watched as he moved over to him and picked him up by the collar of his shirt to strike a few punches into the Sun God's face before he threw him to the ground violently. He had placed his foot on Apollo's neck and he squirmed under the pressure from it as he tried to push the War God's foot off of him but his attempts were futile. Ares was once again saying something to him but she couldn't make out what it was. Ares had removed his foot and Apollo unsteadily started to work his way back to his feet.

When he managed to do that, he tried to defend himself against the War God as he moved to try and strike against him. Ares simply caught his fist in his hand with no real effort and shook his head at him as he squeezed hard, crushing Apollo's hand in his own. Ares let go of his hand and threw a punch of his own that collided with the Sun God's jaw and sent him flying backwards into another wall. He slowly made his way over to his prey. Xena saw the pleasurable gleam that came across the God of War's face at the pain he was inflicting on Apollo. She might not have been able to do it herself, but she was glad that the bastard was getting what he deserved.

"It's nothing." Xena turned back to her. "Let's go see what Athena wants us to do."

"Isn't that the God of War and the Sun God?" Flora questioned. "We should tell Athena about this before they cause anymore damage to the city with this fight. She isn't going to like this, they should know better than to do this in her town."

Flora turned to start to head in the direction of Athena's temple but was suddenly stopped as Xena's hand came around her arm and turned her back to face her. She looked at Xena confused for a moment, she didn't understand why she was stopping her.

"You will say nothing about what you have seen here to Athena, understand?" Xena told her sternly.

"But Xena, we have to infor..." she was quickly silenced by her friend though.

"Not a word Flora! Whatever they are doing is none of our business and I don't think you want to get on the War God's bad side by sending Athena after him. I don't think he would appreciate that very much and you've heard the stories about his anger, right?"

Xena could see the hint of fear that flashed behind Flora's eyes and she knew that she had her. All she had to do was move to really sink in that fear within her. "Just think what could happen if that anger was directed at you. You see, Apollo, he's a God but you, you're only mortal. And I'm no oracle but I think it is safe to assume that you wouldn't last very long once Ares got a hold of you. Those stories were mainly about his own warlords, his own followers, and that's nothing compared to what he'd do to someone that followed Athena, his biggest adversary. Especially someone who made him have to deal with her just because she thought it was her duty to report it."

Flora's eye's grew wide in fear at what Xena said. She had indeed heard about the tales of the unfortunate mortals that had managed to get on the God of War's bad side. She certainly did not want that anger directed at her and she gulped nervously as she stole a glance behind Xena to see the War God continuing to do damage to the Sun God. She feared what he would do to her if that rage was focused on her, she wouldn't be fairing as well as the Sun God, that was for sure. She looked back at Xena and nodded her head in agreement.

"Yeah, I think you are right. It's best if we just pretend that we didn't see anything at all." Flora said timidly. She turned around and began to head away from them, praying that the War God had not noticed her presence there at all. And if Athena did somehow manage to find out about this, then he wouldn't come looking for her.

Xena watched her go and knew that she was not going to say anything once she reached the temple. She knew Flora well and she could see that she had scared her enough to keep her mouth shut. She looked behind her to see Ares still going at it with Apollo. The Sun God was no match as he tried vainly to defend himself against his furious brother.

Xena didn't want Ares to have Athena down his throat and keeping the Goddess off of his back for destroying a bit of her town was her way of thanking the War God for getting Apollo off of hers.

She caught a brief glimpse of the God of War's eye's before she turned away. They looked violent and she almost felt bad for Apollo... almost. The bastard deserved everything he was getting. Xena quickly headed off to see what Athena was going to do about the advancing army. But in the back of her mind, the War God's enticing offer was nestling.