"How'd you get here so fast?" he asked.
"Aphrodite," Xena answered. "She has a soft spot for love stories even ones as perverse as ours."
"Well, you can just hightail it out of here because there no way in tartarus that you're going to take them from me again."
"Who said I was going to take them from you? I need your help raising these children. I can't help them control their powers, only you can. I tried to tell you before but you were too angry to hear it. Although, I must admit it is taking great restraint on my part to keep from tearing you limb from limb after that stunt you pulled back there."
"Well, now you know how I felt to find out you'd been keeping them from me."
"I explained that already," Xena said.
"Yeah, yeah. You thought I'd use them for my evil schemes. I thought you were all about the second chances."
"I am."
"So, what? Gods don't get second chances? I hate to tell you this, babe, but we're just as human as you mortals. We can make mistakes and change for the better too."
"I'm not saying you can't, but it doesn't mean the trust is there. That has to be earned. You know what I don't get is if you didn't want a child with me to use in your plans for domination, what did you want one for?"
He stood up and got right in her face. "What did I want one for? Are you that stupid?" She raised a fist up to hit him for that comment, but he caught it and held her by the wrist. "I love you. How many times do I have to say it? How many times do I have to prove it? I love you."
"I love you too. What does it mean though? Do we really have what it takes to see this relationship through? We're at each other's throats every time we meet."
"I realize we've given no reasons to trust each other in the past, but I'm willing to do anything it takes to gain your trust now and have you give us a chance. I would become mortal for you if it meant we could be together."
She shook her head. "I don't want you to become a mortal."
"You don't? Does that mean you want to become an immortal?" he asked.
"It doesn't mean that either. I want us to be exactly the way we are. I fell in love with a god and you fell in love with a mortal. Why don't we give being ourselves a try?"
He brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. "It sounds good to me."
"You could give up your war job and Olympian home for now and travel with me and the kids. People can start wars without your interference for awhile."
Ares couldn't help but grin. "So you're actually going to give us a chance?"
"Don't get too excited. I'm not saying I want to get married in front of the Fates or anything. I'm just saying let's see how it goes."
"Speaking of Fates," he grumbled, "I'd like to wring their necks. They're always spilling a cryptic line that you can take anyway you want."
"Maybe there's a reason for that. Maybe we make our own fates."
"Maybe. I can foresee just one problem with this idea of traveling together though. I don't know if you've noticed this or not, but your little blonde sidekick and I don't exactly see eye to eye. I don't think she's going to like Daddy Ares being in the picture."
"She'll hate it, but she'll get over it," Xena said dismissively. She looked over Ares' shoulder. "The twins fell asleep."
Ares looked back. They were curled peacefully up on the rug. "So they are," he said. He moved them into their cradles without leaving his spot beside Xena. "I think before I leave Olympus for good, I should give you a tour. I don't think you got to see everything the last time you were here."
"No, I believe I was a little preoccupied with kicking Olympian butt. Yours included." She touched the spot where she shot him. "It was right about here that I shot you, wasn't it?"
"I have a more hospitable welcome in mind this time," he said, leading her to his bed.