Chapter 13: The Truth Comes Out

Athena retreated to her own private quarters on Olympus. So many pieces of information had been presented to her today, it was a bit overwhelming. It certainly seemed that this battle would be more difficult than she had first anticipated. She could not let her resolve waiver though. Even though she had been taken by surprise, she would not let that impact what she and Zeus had planned. She knew that she would need more information before bringing this to her father. She needed to show him that she had taken some action based on her discoveries.

She paced back and forth in front of her large fourposter bed, adorned with silk sheets and a large down-comforter filled with goose feathers, all in various shades of beige. After mentally reviewing what information had been presented to her today, she concluded that she had under-estimated the situation. It appeared that Xena must have more help than Athena initially would have thought. She was not convinced that it was only Ares who was aiding her. There must be another source on their side. How else would they come to find out the truth of what Athena and Zeus had hidden from them? Her conclusion was that she needed more information herself. She needed a spy.

"Nyxis!" she called out and her beloved white owl flew to her from a perch in the corner of the room. "You will be my spy. Go to Xena in Amphipolis, stay out of the way, be inconspicuous, but find out what else is going on. Report back to me by morning."

The bird registered her orders and took flight, out the open window and down to Earth to find the Warrior Princess.

Satisfied with her course of action, Athena, materialized one glass of wine that she would allow herself. She still felt the stress from the day weighing on her, and although gods did not truly need sleep, she allowed herself the comfort of her own solitude and sat on her bed. There was nothing she could do now but wait until her feathered companion returned with more information.

Below Olympus, Nyxis descended on the village of Amphipolis quickly. The tavern was not hard to find and luckily there was a tree nearby she could perch in, that gave her an undisrupted view of the dining room. She merely had to observe as the plans were made for Gabrielle's sister and their bumbling friend to set out on their own in the morning.

Soon dinner was finished, and the warrior excused herself. Nyxis needed a new vantage point and silently flew around the building. There were no trees on the side of the tavern that the windows of the bedrooms faced. Luckily, the neighboring house was close enough that she could lurk on the roof and have view into any of the windows on this side. It didn't take her long to find Xena's room, occupied by Xena and Ares. From here she was able to continue her mission. Once she had gathered enough information, she would report back to Athena.

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Following dinner, Xena returned to her room early. She told those gathered that the impending battle was working on her mind and she needed the rest. Truthfully, she was eager to see Ares again soon. Dinner had gone well enough. She opted not to share the information about her and Ares that she now had. She needed to put more thought in how to break the news. She did feel satisfied that the plans for Lila and Joxer to leave after breakfast the following morning were solidified. One, or rather two, less things to worry about.

She felt his presence from down the hall as she retired to her room. She could barely contain the smile spreading across her face and hurried to meet him. She closed and locked her door behind her before greeting him. He wasn't visible yet, but that didn't matter, she still knew he was present.

"I missed you," she said once she was certain no one would be able to barge in on them.

He appeared lounging on the bed. There was space beside him for her to join. "I missed you, my dear," he replied. "How was your dinner?"

"Uneventful," she replied and she started to remove her armor and then leather dress, leaving just her cotton shift on.

"How did they all take the news?" Ares asked. Xena knew what he was referring to.

"I didn't tell them yet. I'm sure there will be some strong reactions and didn't want everyone to go to bed on bad terms. I'll tell them in the morning before Joxer and Lila leave."

"If you think that's best…" Ares tried unsuccessfully to hide his hurt feelings.

"It's not like that," Xena quickly consoled. "I'm not hiding you… us. I just want to make sure that when I tell them all the truth, it doesn't push anyone away. Even with you here, we still will need all the help we can get."

"That's true, I suppose." He decided not to dwell on it and to trust Xena. He had no reason not to. Before the cover-up concocted by Zeus and Athena, their relationship was public knowledge to those most important to them. There was no reason for either of them to change that now.

Xena sat at the edge of the bed as Ares got up to take off his vest. She reached behind her neck to unclasp her necklace.

"Hey, what are you doing with that?" Ares asked, surprised to see her remove it.

"I don't want it to get tangled up while I sleep. Besides, I think out of some respect, it'd be better to leave it off while I tell Hercules about us. Just for the time being. I'll put it back on after breakfast."

"Xena. I don't want to risk losing it," Ares was unsatisfied with her response.

"I won't," she assured him as she dropped to her knees next to the bed. She reached under the bed to find the loose floorboard she knew to be there. Ares's curiosity got the better of him. He peered under the bed from his own side to watch her lift the floorboard, place the necklace underneath, and then lay the floorboard back in place. He had to admit, if you didn't know the secret compartment was there, it would be hard to find.

"Looks like you have experience with that," he commented.

"I used to hide things from my mom there when I was a kid."

"Naughty, naughty," he teased her as they both climbed back into bed.

"You would know, she smiled flirtatiously as she pressed her back up against his chest and forced them into a spooning position.

"We'll get to that," Ares smiled at her and pulled the blanket up to cover them both. "I think we need to talk about the plan here first though."

"I told you that I'll tell everyone in the morning, don't worry," Xena assumed Ares was worried about the state of their relationship.

"No, it's not that," Ares decided to let go of any insecurity about Xena not telling her friends and family about their relationship yet. "I mean the plan of attack."

Xena sighed. She knew that they needed some plan, but struggled with creating one herself. She considered the situation all morning and kept coming back to the realization that they would be outnumbered by numbers and powers. Even if they could fight off the first attack of Olympus' front-line gods, there were countless minor gods and goddesses that could pose as threats and tricks after that. With the Olympians, one never knew what to expect.

Ares seemed to read her thoughts. "I'm counting on one major battle to start things off. We don't have the forces to attack first so, unfortunately, we'll have to wait for them. If we can show them in the first battle that we aren't going down easily, possibly use the Hind's Blood to take out a few, I think it will evoke enough fear in the rest of Olympus that they'll stand down, at least for a while. It could give us some time to consider what other options we can come up with, possibly talk some sense into at least some of the other Olympians. Gods don't typically respond well to the real threat of their own death."

"I agree," Xena stated, "Using the Hind's Blood is inevitable. Are you… are you okay with that?" she asked cautiously, not insensitive to the fact that this was Ares' family they were talking about killing.

"I am," Ares' response was firm. "They may be my blood, but they are threatening my family." He pulled her closer and placed a protective hand over her belly, their child.

"If we can avoid it," Xena started but Ares cut her off.

"We can't," he insisted. "We have to show them the real threat that they are going up against. We have to invoke real fear in order to convince them to leave us alone. If that doesn't work, we'll have to use the Hind's Blood to eliminate all risk to our daughter."

Xena let his words sink in. She knew he was right. They were preparing for the most important battle of their lives; at least they were doing it side-by-side again. She simply nodded that she understood him.

"Hopefully we can do this with limited casualties on our side, that will have an impact on them as well, if we can take down an immortal while maintaining our forces," Ares continued with his thoughts about the battleplan.

"No," Xena interjected. "Not limited casualties. No casualties. I doubt that any of my friends are leaving at this point, but they are risking their lives for us. It doesn't sit well with me. No causalities."

Ares didn't know if this was a promise he could keep, but he knew it was what she needed to hear. "No casualties," he agreed.

Xena closed her eyes. She knew that he couldn't promise that, but she was glad that he at least agreed to do what he could to prevent it. There were few moments in her life that she felt the need to pray. This is one in which she wanted to. She wanted to pray for her friends' safety. She wanted to pray for protection for her daughter. She didn't have any gods to pray to now though. Instead, she sunk into him further and asked, "What about help on your side? Are there any other Olympians you can think of that would be willing to help?"

Ares didn't need time to consider this. "I doubt it. Aphrodite and Cupid seem to be on our side in spirit, but they aren't exactly known for their battle skills. No, they definitely aren't fighters. We may be able to count on them if we need a quick retreat though."

Xena acknowledged that any help they could get would be useful. She thought back to her visit from Hera then and ventured to ask. "What about Hera? She doesn't seem to buy into this whole prophecy business."

"She doesn't," Ares agreed. "In fact, she knows the true prophecy and she hasn't been shy of sharing her disagreement with Zeus on this matter even on Olympus. But how can you possibly know that?" Ares was surprised that Xena referenced this.

"She paid a visit the other day. She told me as much about her opinions on the matter, told me to prepare… and to trust you."

Ares' surprise grew. "She did? That's… uncharacteristic; to visit mortals and to support me at all."

"I thought so too, that's why I'm thinking of her now."

"I don't know. She seems to be staying behind the scenes. Even if she does disagree with Zeus, I don't know that she would so openly aid his enemies. After all he's done to betray her, appearances still seem to matter to a degree with her." Despite his words, Ares did contemplate this himself. Perhaps Hera coming to Xena to speak on his behalf and offer even a small warning showed that she could be more help than they would think. He didn't want to get his or Xena's hopes up for that though.

"Well, then I guess the best course of action is to share the news with everyone in the morning and make sure that they are all armed. There's not much else we have."

Ares mentally ran through the situation himself again, but couldn't come up with any other options either. "Tell me what you need from me," he finally said.

"Let me break the news myself. It will be better that way. Just don't wander too far. I want you close by."

Ares nuzzled his face into her hair and whispered in her ear, "Whatever you need, my dear."

Xena turned to face him, touched his face softly. Then she ran her hand down his neck, his chest, his stomach, and paused on his hip. She felt his desire building. "There may be something else I need from you tonight," she whispered.

Their love making that night was gentle and quiet so as not to disturb the others in the neighboring rooms. They savored each other's touch, smell, and taste, yearning for closeness. Neither could bring themselves to acknowledge it, but they were fearful for what the days ahead could bring and needed to relish their time together as much as possible.

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Xena made sure to be at breakfast as early as possible the next morning. There was much to discuss and she wasn't sure of the reactions that she would get, so wanted to give everyone the time they needed to process her news and still prepare themselves. She kissed Ares good-bye in the morning, but asked him to stay close by for the time being. He quickly agreed and dematerialized. He decided to get out of the tavern for a bit though and ventured on a walk around the town. He thought that getting out of the small room would help to settle his nerves. Also, it would be useful to have a good lay of the land for potential battle planning.

The dining room was still empty when Xena walked in, but she smelled breakfast cooking already. Walking into the kitchen she found her mother and Gabrielle already at work over a large pot of porridge and pan of eggs. Gabrielle was in bard mode, recalling stories of their adventures for Cyrene. Xena remained quiet so as not to alert them to her presence yet. She enjoyed watching how aminated Gabrielle became while sharing her stories.

"… so that's what was needed, just the truth. I recorded everything that happened during that battle down on my scroll exactly as I saw it. I can honestly say I've never had to describe different fish so much in my life. After that everything went back to normal: Ares and Aphrodite got their powers back, the barbarians left, Xena lost her obsession with fishing – for the time anyway, that would return later – and most importantly, the three naked Gabrielles went away."

"Oh Gabrielle, you have quite the imagination," Cyrene commented as she laughed.

"Imagination? I didn't make that up Cyrene. It all really happened."

"I'm sorry Gabrielle. It's just that some of the adventures you tell me about seem so… bizarre."

"I get it. Some really are. I mean we've been stuck in a day that keeps repeating, met gods with six arms and blue skin, awakened several Titans, been crucified and resurrected, and once, Xena even ran as a contestant in a beauty pageant."

"Now that is hard to believe," Cyrene and Gabrielle laughed.

"You know, one of the most bizarre parts of the story I just told you though was how helpful Ares ended up being… after whining about losing his powers of course. I think that's the first I got a glimpse at the real Ares, not just the God of War. I don't usually trust him, but when I get those occasional glimpses of him, I can see why Xena trusts him with this now. I truly believe that he would protect Xena and the baby."

"I'm glad you feel that way," Xena said from the doorway where she stood watching them.

The other two women jumped, being caught off guard that they had an audience.

"Oh Xena, you're down early today," Cyrene commented.

"I have some news to share with everyone over breakfast, so I thought it best to get it over with as soon as possible," Xena explained. She grabbed a loaf of bread and bowl of fruit to bring out to the table, which was filling up with their friends.

"That doesn't necessarily sound like a good thing," Gabrielle commented. "Is it good news? Should I be worried – more worried than I already am?"

"Just keep those last thoughts you had in mind," Xena said cryptically as she headed out to the table, breakfast sides in hand.

Gabrielle looked back to Cyrene who just shrugged. "Are you worried?" Gabrielle asked.

"When you're a mother, all you do is worry," Cyrene replied so as not to reveal too much about her thoughts on the situation. Truthfully, Cyrene had a suspicion on what this conversation was going to be about. It surprised her how calm she already felt about it if her suspicion were true. She didn't reveal this to Gabrielle though, not sure how the younger woman would respond. Instead, she lifted the pot of porridge off the hearth it was cooking over, nodded to the dining room, and said, "Let's go hear the next piece of this saga."

In the dining room, Xena and the rest of their friends were present and waiting for breakfast. Cyrene and Gabrielle added the main courses to the center of the table and allowed everyone to start serving themselves. As plates filled and eating began, there were general side conversations around the table. Xena scooped some porridge and eggs on her plate and ate quickly. Cyrene and Gabrielle ate their breakfast quietly, glancing at Xena every few minutes, waiting for her to share her news. After what seemed like an eternity to Gabrielle, Xena pushed her empty plate back and cleared her throat.

"Hey, everyone," she started and waited for conversations to die down and all eyes to be on her.

"Oh great… this doesn't feel like good news. What now?" Autolycus asked.

"I do have some news to share," Xena confirmed. "It is good news… Hopefully everyone will see it that way," she glanced around the table at each in turn preparing for who would have the strongest reaction.

"There have been a lot of things revealed to me recently about the baby and the prophecy. To start, there is a prophecy… just not the one that has been publicized. Zeus and Athena created a false one to cover up who the father is."

"Here it comes…" Hercules said under his breathe, though wasn't exactly bitter about it.

Xena kept talking. "That doesn't mean that we are in the clear though. The prophecy is still absolutely about my child. We are still preparing for attack."

"That's all well and good…" Amarice started as Xena paused, "but I'm going to ask the obvious here… who is the father?"
"About that…." Xena replied. "I also want everyone to know that I have regained my memories. Thanks to Aphrodite. That was another scheme of Zeus and Athena. This is why many of you are missing chunks of your memory."

"Right… but who's the father?" Iolas asked.

"Well, I've recovered these memories… of my relationship with the father. This wasn't a one-time thing. There is nothing scandalous about it. We were – are very much in love. I know that some of you won't believe it at first, but almost all of you knew about us before and had accepted it. Just keep that in mind. That and that we still have a very real threat ahead of us. I want you to know exactly what you are fighting for and why but if this changes things for you, I understand that."

"Xena!" Gabrielle interjected in Xena's rambling. "Who. Is. The. Father."

Xena met Gabrielle's eyes and already knew what to expect. She thought that Hercules would have the biggest reaction by maybe she was wrong. She couldn't postpone anymore. It was time to reveal the truth to everyone.

"Ares," Xena said and let the response stand at that.

"Oh, here we go," Iolas said and looked at Hercules.

"No… no… I'm fine," he responded.

"Really? That's all?" Iolas was shocked.

"Xena knows how I feel about this. It doesn't change my standing by her now." Hercules turned to Xena. "There's nothing more we have to talk about with this. I'll still stand by you and your child as long as necessary."

Xena smiled faintly at him and nodded her acknowledgement. She glanced around the table. Most weren't sure what to say. Then, her eyes landed on Gabrielle.

"Gabrielle?" she asked gently.

"He's not good for you," Gabrielle's voice was calm but there was look in her eyes that Xena recalled seeing before, the last time that she told Gabrielle about her relationship with Ares. The look combined hurt feelings of anger, sadness, and maybe even disappointment.

"He's changed," Xena replied.

"How can the God of War change that much?" Gabrielle countered. It seemed the anger would be the prevailing emotion.

"He just has… when we died in Rome it really shook him. He came to me the night we left Eli. We talked… a lot. I saw a side to him that I have only rarely seen before. For the first time he was raw and open with me… and I was with him."

"Xena, this has to be a trick. You know how good he is at turning on the charm to get his way," Gabrielle was not going to give in easily.

"I have to agree with Gabrielle," Amarice added gently. "From what I've seen of him, I don't know how you can trust him."

"You barely know him, Amarice," Xena replied but didn't lose eye contact with her best friend.

"I know him," Gabrielle added.

"Yes, and I just heard you in the kitchen explaining how you too have seen sides to him that you wouldn't have expected. I heard you tell Mom that you understand why I trust him now."

"Why you trust him to stand against his family and protect you. Not why you trust him with your heart. I don't trust him not to turn you back to the Destroyer of Nations," Gabrielle's voice was rising.

"That says more about your thoughts on me than your thoughts on him, don't you think?" Xena was quickly offended.

"That's not what I mean and you know it…" Gabrielle defended herself. "Look, I get that having him on our side is going to be useful. I truly do believe that he will protect you and the baby. Beyond that… a relationship with him… you being in love with him… I'm skeptical."

"You were the first time I told you about it too. You'll see though, we can trust him."

"Come on, no one else has anything to say about this?" Gabrielle looked around at their friends. "Hercules… Iolas… Joxer?"

"Xena and I already aired this out and she knows where I stand. I'm not exactly thrilled about this, but she's an adult. After seeing her align with him over the past few days, I can't say that I'm surprised by this," Hercules said evenly, trying not to let his emotions show.

Iolas shook his head. "I don't know what to say…" He let his words drift away and sat back in his chair.

"Well… Gabrielle is kind of right… he has put you – us – in some pretty tough spots." Joxer attempted to reason through his thoughts aloud. "But you did almost marry him that time… or maybe you did really marry him? I'm not sure. It looked like a real wedding. It was all very confusing."

"You did what?" Hercules asked, becoming more invested again.

"Uh, that's a story for another time," Xena quickly brushed it away and threw a glare at Joxer.

Cyrene cut in to be heard over all the other responses. "Well, I can't say Ares would be my first choice for son-in-law. However, I trust Xena's judgement on this," she met her daughter's eyes. "I can see how much you really do care for him. And regardless, I'm just happy to have a granddaughter on the way. We can figure out all the other stuff about you and Ares later. Right now, I think it's best that we focus on the days ahead and preparing. It sounds like this doesn't change the agenda of the other Olympians."
Xena smiled and mouthed a silent "Thank-you," to her mom. Then she spoke up, "That's correct. There is still a prophecy, though it does specifically identify my child now as the one foretold in the prophecy. We still have to prepare." Xena looked around at her friends again and added, "That is, if everyone is still willing to help. If this changes anyone's mind, I won't force you to stay. This a real threat we are going up against and I won't ask you to risk your life for something you don't believe in."

The gathered group all glanced around at each other.

"Regardless of the situation… there is still a child in danger. And one of our friends is in danger. I'd say we're in, right Herc?" Iolas was the first to speak.

"We're not going anywhere," Hercules agreed.

"Whatever you need, I'm here," Amarice made her vow to stay as well.

"Well, I've stuck around this long… might as well see it out," Autolycus added.

Xena made eye contact with Gabrielle again. "Gabrielle?" she asked quietly.

"If you think I would leave because of this, you don't know my very well. We'll talk about Ares more later. We have a battle to prepare for now."

Xena smiled in relief that her friends were still dedicated to helping her.

"What are the chances of getting some more godly assistance with this? You know, now that we all know Ares is the father and all?" Amarice asked.

"Doubtful. The prophecy still indicates the end of Olympus. Zeus and Athena did consider that other deities may not align with them if they knew the truth, but only Ares and I were given our memories back. Besides all of us here and Aphrodite, no one else even knows that Ares is involved."

"You said Aphrodite gave you your memories back?" Gabrielle asked.

"Yes. Me and Ares," Xena repeated.

"You gotta love 'Dite," Iolas said, but was largely ignored.

"Well wouldn't it be nice of her to do the same for me, and everyone else!" Gabrielle's annoyance was evident.

"I'm sure she will once all of this is over. She's terrified of Zeus and Athena discovering her role in this right now," Xena explained.

"So… we shouldn't expect any divine intervention then?" Amarice asked.

"I wouldn't," Xena sighed. "So, we have to be prepared. I want everyone armed at all times. We never know when the first attack could come. You are by no means prisoners here, but stay within earshot."

The others nodded their understanding.

"Xena dear, about being armed," Cyrene started. "Where is your secret weapon?" She glanced to the place around Xena's neck that the Hind's Blood ruby previously occupied.

"Hidden in my room. I didn't know how everyone would take the news and wanted to be… sensitive," Xena replied.

"I appreciate the sentiment, Xena," Hercules replied, knowing she was referring to him. "But you need to arm yourself too and that's your biggest weapon. As soon as we're done here, I expect to see it around your neck."

"So go get it out from the floorboards under your bed," Cyrene stated.

"Of course, you knew," Xena laughed.