Chapter 36: Maybe there is hope for us after all

Ares POV

I wanted to strangle her so much.

"Athena!" I yelled at her. She flinched at the sound of my voice, but she didn't turn to look at me. Instead, she kept her gaze on Xena, who had safely encased Adam in her arms. Judging by her tone I could bet my life she had a very cattish smile spread on her face.

"Well…well...little brother, how nice of you to finally join us, It's almost a family reunion, isn't it Xena?"

"What do you want?" I asked her angrily approaching her.

"What do I want?...What I've always wanted of course….to preserve my life…Don't look so confused. Xena says that he doesn't have any powers, but who knows…when he grows up he might as well..."

"Are you talking about my son?"

"Your son...yeah. By the way I didn't get the chance to congratulate you, but I do now …What you did to her...", she continued, carefully scanning Xena's face for a reaction.

She tried to hide it, but I could clearly read the pain in my Princess's eyes because of what I did…

"…I don't know how you could forgive him...but hey birds of feather flock together. ...That was low, even for you Brother…Anyway...I want to make sure that you two are under control now that you are together and have your little offspring too."

Ohh, if I had hind's blood I would have choked her with it till she would gave her last breath.

"So are you convinced now?" Xena asked her with disgust.

"For now..."

"Fuck your 'for now', I will kill you with my bare hands before you touch one single hair of my son's head! ..." I screamed at her filled with rage.

And then I felt the thud…she used her powers on me and made me fly through the air and then fell on a tree. For a moment there I actually thought that my spine broke.

"You never knew when to shut up brother...This is not over."

And with that, the bitch vanished from sight. I got up with a moan.

"Are you alright?" Xena came and grabbed my arm, helping me up.

"Yeah...that...I guess…Are you ok?

"Yes...we only talked for awhile till you came. I will put Adam to sleep and then check your back."

She helped me sit on my fur and then took Adam and began singing to him the same song I sang the other night.

I don't know when I fell asleep but when she came to fix my back I was definitely off.

"Ares...wake up!" Her hands were warm and soft on my shoulder. "Wake..."

"I'm awake."

"Ok...get your vest off and turn around..."

I looked at her, my mind filled with dirty thoughts.

"Don't think…just do as I say."

The next second I was on my belly and she began to check my spine...I know she was doing it in a very professional way, but still, I couldn't help myself not to feel and think otherwise.

"You are alright...Nothing broken." she added after some more minutes.

"Nothing..? I would have really liked for you to fix me…" I said while turning myself around. She was so close that just another move was needed to make those few inches between us magically disappear…..I could have kissed her…

"Well…sorry but you are already fixed. Now let me check your other wound."

She was obviously referring to the one in my abdomen.

While she took the bandages away to look at the wound, I never turned my gaze from her.

"You know that staring like that isn't polite. How's your leg?"

"Fine…" I looked at it. "I can walk normally so..."

"Good…your wound is healing very well. Now you can put your vest back on."

I did as I was told, without making any smart comments.

"What did really happen?" she asked after good minutes standing in her bedroll next to mine…The fire lit illuminating her features.

"What are you talking about?"

"The wounds...Who needed help? Or what was it all about?"

"Well…you weren't there so I took your place for a moment and look what happened…" I said amusingly but wanting to change the subject.

"You were worried about me being pregnant and…" she uttered the words so calmly but I broke out.

"Yes…yes I was. Is that what you wanted to hear? I didn't even think…I would have been dead by now."

I got up from my bedroll and she got up too.

"Why are you mad Ares?" she asked on the same tone, putting a comforting hand on my arm.

"I don't want to talk about it." I said, calming myself too.

"Thank you!" I heard her say and then she kissed my cheek and embraced me. For a moment I stayed there stunned by her gesture but then I wrapped my arms around her body tight and I began caressing her hair in slow movements.

"Xena…" I whispered.

She looked at me, our eyes locked in a sincere stare.

I moved towards her anticipating a kiss, or so I hoped, but as if waking up from a dream, I landed in a nightmare…a dart found it's place right in my princess's neck.

"Xena?"

She took it out automatically and looked around for hidden enemies...That son of a bitch will pay for this. I wanted to leave but she caught my hand.

"No, it's too late. He's already gone."

"What's this?" I said while inspecting the dart that I took from her hands.

"It's poison."