"Yes, they are," Xena answered honestly.
A number of looks passed on Ares' face: surprise, joy, hurt, and finally anger. He looked at Hercules, "Does it cut you deeply to know you're not the father to these children?" When Hercules didn't even bat an eyelash, Ares realized the truth. "You knew all along that you weren't the father. You weren't even a possible candidate, were you?"
He looked back at Xena, "And you. I never thought you would lie to me about something as important as this."
"Can you blame me, Ares?" Xena asked. "You have always used your sons and daughters when it suited your purposes. You've never viewed your children as children. In fact, I still don't know that you won't use them as pawns in your schemes, but I'm willing to give you that chance now to prove me wrong for their sakes."
"Oh, that's so big of you," Ares sneered. "I suppose you want me to grovel at your feet for letting me be a part of my own children's lives. Well, you can forget it and you can also bet I plan on being a part of their lives from hereon out. You're all just lucky that I don't blow you off the face of the earth for keeping this from me, but as a new father I'm feeling somewhat generous."
Ares went over and took them from Eve. No one tried to stop him. He looked down at them tenderly with awe in his eyes. "Hello, guys. I'm your father."
Despite Ares' obvious anger at having been lied to about the twins' parentage, Xena felt that she had made the right decision in telling Ares. It was clear that he loved them and that he was really was going to do his best by them.
"I'm taking them back to Olympus with me," Ares announced. "Let's see how you like being left out of crucial moments in their lives, Xena." He disappeared with the twins before anyone had time to comment or respond.
"We'll go after him, Xena," Hercules said forcefully. "Ares is even crazier than I think if he believes we'll let him get away with this."
"No, I'll go after him," she responded. "Seeing you won't make him any more reasonable."
"You plan on reasoning with him?" Hercules asked, clearly not believing it was possible for Ares to be reasonable.
"We can't spend the rest of our lives snatching the children back and forth from each other. We have to settle this if for no other reason then so Joxer and Cyrene can have a normal life."
"A normal life with Ares as their father? You do realize the likelihood of that, Mother?" Eve asked with a smile.
"I do," she said with an answering smile. "Take care of yourself in Athens."
"You know I will," she said. "Let me know when everything works out."
"Why don't Hercules and I come with you, Eve?" Iolaus suggested. "I've always wanted to see what all this Elijan stuff was about and we could all hear together the outcome of Xena's mission."
"Sounds like a plan to me," Hercules said. "I've been curious about the Elijan philosophy myself."
"I'm sure the other Elijans would be happy to have you sit in on one of our mediations and I know I would be happy to have you along," Eve said.
"So when do we leave?" Gabrielle asked Xena. "Now?"
"You should go with the others, Gabrielle," Xena said.
Gabrielle was visibly upset. "This isn't that dangerous an undertaking and the twins mean as much to me as they do to you."
"I know it's not and I know you love the twins too, but this is between me and Ares. I need to handle this alone."
Gabrielle inhaled sharply, but she nodded. "I understand. Just be careful."