Chapter 12:I might have messed up a bit

Ares POV

"What are you doing…?" I asked my ditsy sister once I made myself visible in the Halls of War.

".. and on my throne too?" She looked particularly bored and worried all together.

"Ares..for the Love of me you're finally here..." she added somewhat relieved. "I've been waitingfor you for like days ...You do remember having said that in 3 days max you'll be back in Greece right? Well…..now this is the fifth, you know….What took you so long?" She scolded.

I just threw her an amused look.

"I was busy ok? Taking care of some stuff in East….What's the rush anyway?"

"The Warrior Babe…"

"What?"

Gradually, the smile faded completely from my face, leaving behind but a visible trace of concern..

"She..uh…she said that she will only stay for a few days after all so…."I watched my Sis carefully trying to deliever the news to me.

"Spill it out…"

"I..uh…I might have messed up a bit? "

"Dite!" I yelled.

Suddenly, she began speaking so fast that I could only catch random words from her long phrase….I kinda got the idea though…

"On the third day Xena called me saying that she wanted to leave your place and asking for me to give her back the leather stuff and my permission which is technically your permission, but my permission still….Don't ask how she knew about me keeping an eye on her- she is Xena after all- Anyway, given that should have been the day you returned home, I let them leave knowing that you would have done the same don't you? But how was I supposed to know that you would actually return so late huh? It's really not my fault that you hate being on time Ares …"

"So, Xena left, that's what you're saying?"

"Yes ?" …She replied, averting her gaze.

"Well…can't say I'm thrilled about it…." I began to explain, taking my rightful place on the marble sculpted throne "..but I knew I couldn't keep her there forever, no matter how much I wanted it…"

"You don't understand..." She timidly continued, barely lifting her gaze to face me.

"You said to not tell anyone about your son…..."

My eyes instantly widened.

"It's not like that, I didn't tell anyone…"She quickly added, noticing my expression. "I kinda spoke to myself in the mirror…..you know, being so excited about my future nephew…."

"So? " I impatiently inquired, hardly containing myself to strangle her with my bare hands. I could already guess the outcome.

"So…as I was chatting to my young beautiful self, making future plans, trying to decide on his first birthday present, Discord made an appearance…."

"Discord?! Sweet Mother of Zeus! Dite! Don't tell me she…."

"She might have…..judging by her wide grin I'm almost sure she did…."

"Well what exactly were your words…."

"I dunno….something along these lines….I can't believe I'm going to have a nephew! I will be finally able to test all my love spells on him…Once he grows up, all girls will love him tremendously….Gods I hope he takes after Ar….tall, dark and handsome….And if he gets to have Xe's eyes….I wonder what his first birthday present should be….Maybe a "….and that's when I finally noticed her reflection in the mirror…."

"Great, that's just great!"

"I'm so very sorry Ar.."

"Where's Discord right now?" I asked full of anger , ready to storm out of the room , aware that Xena was out there without any kind of protection, and given her condition she was as good as dead.

"I don't know…I've spent the past hours trying to locate her through a portal…I couldn't find her…Do you think she's after the Warrior Babe? I mean she can't hurt her….being your Chosen and all, can she?"

"She couldn't care less about Xena being my Chosen or not, Dite!...Were you able to locate Xena….?"

"No…she must be still outside the Greek territory….Hey...Wait for me!"

She barely managed to add the instant she saw me dematerialize.

Within minutes I was close to the border between Macedonia and Greece…I quickly scanned the place and it took seconds before I saw them camp at about two miles from where me and Dite where standing.

I teleported myself over there. Dite soon followed.

I took a good look around. There was only Gabrielle, starting up a fire.

"Where's Xena?" I asked harshly.

"Ares! You startled me…." She exclaimed, casting a brief glance at the half asleep Eve.

"Where is she?" I insisted.

"Taking a bath…What's so…hey!" she yelled behind but I disappeared way before she got to finish her sentence.

Minutes later, I found myself standing on the banks of the river, desperately looking around but there was no sign of Xena…

Only awhile later did my eyes fall upon a red trail in the water….My heart nearly stopped when my vision caught the images of my heavily bleeding Princess, floating like a long on the surface of the wavy river.

"Xena!" I screamed from the top of my lungs, plunging into the water, trying to get to her, my mind frozen. Once I was close enough to touch her I took her in my arms and turned her so I could see her face.

"Xena!" My voice was now but above a whisper.

A tear escaped my eyes and descended on my right cheek.

I carefully took her out of the water and laid her body on the sand, doing everything human and godly possible to keep her alive…..It was useless….She was gone…My love was gone…

"Xena!" The heart tearing screams filled the air as the Bard rushed by her side, a look of utter terror written all over her face. "What happened? Xena….wake up!"

"You were supposed to watch over her…!" I broke out full of hate, blood boiling inside my veins.

'Oh Gods….." Aphrodite's hopeless whisper came out , as soon as she finally realized what had happened…."Ares? is she….?"

I turned around to look at her but I couldn't see anymore…The tears were blinding me…