Chapter 48:Getting better

Xena POV

After Gabrielle too left the room, saying that she would go prepare dinner, I remained alone with my son that was now sleeping in my arms. I took a seat on the bed near his crib after I opened wide the windows to let the cold night air in and I fell asleep by his side, but I never took my hands off him so I could feel his every movement.

At some point in my sleep I heard footsteps and my defense system immediately kicked in…

"You will break it Xena..."

My eyes opened instantly at his voice and I finally let go of his hand.

"Sorry…You should have known better than to sneak on me like that..."

"I just wanted to put that covert over you. How is he?" I followed his eyes and looked at my son worriedly.

"A little bit better but not as good as it should be." I said, getting out of bed and heading near the window looking blankly outside, my thoughts swirling as fast as a storm of concern in my head.

"I can't lose another child." my voice, barely a whisper, broke with fear after some minutes.

"Xena…" his hands were on my arms instantly, trying to comfort me…I didn't even think he heard me.

"Solan…" I started, my mind wondering at that time, tears in my eyes now. His hands descended on my waist and encircled my body, his head resting on my shoulder for awhile.

"You won't…We won't lose him...He is strong Xena..."

His warm breath on my neck and the reassuring words made me think and feel more positively.

"You are right." I briefly replied, turning around to face him and nested my head on his chest after I gave him a sweet kiss on the lips.

"Sure I am."

He kissed my forehead slowly. I felt so secured and protected in his arms that I didn't want to move from there…not ever.

We remained there in that tight embrace till the door opened and Eve popped in.

"Mommy...daddy..."

"Shh sweetie...You'll wake up your brother."

She ran to me and I took her in my arms.

"Now that you're here, Adam will be alright." she said with a smile.

"Daddy I missed you..." she added, throwing her little arms to her Daddy and he hugged her back.

"Me too, little princess." He kissed both her cheeks and that sight alone warmed my heart as if I would have lit a fire there.

"Gab..." Joxer burst in the room.

"Keep your voice down." I warned Joxer. Seeing him again was good but I wasn't surprised anymore because Gabrielle had told me all about how he landed there…him and Hercules too.

"My little brother is asleep..." Eve added in a whisper, her little finger at her lips to shush him up.

"Xena…good to see you are here..." he said in a low voice and looked unknowing to Ares…"I was looking for that little lady...We were playing hide and seek and she disappeared on me...Not nice Eve…We agreed that we would only use one room not the entire house…Cheater..."

"I'm not a cheater…" Eve defended herself. "You are slow to learn Joxy…"

"Did you hear that?...She calls me Joxy..." I smiled at him.

"Go on Eve..." Her father placed her down. "Go play some more…" Joxer took her extended hand and left happily...I could still hear her voice and Joxer's too coming from the hall on how they were supposed to play the game. Joxer was a good friend but sometimes he was such a child.

Adam stirred in his sleep and immediately I was by his side but he didn't wake up and continued sleeping so I let him further to do so. Ares took a place in the bed next to our son too and lied down so that Adam was between us now. He placed his hand over mine and he soon drifted to sleep too.

I couldn't sleep anymore but I looked at them for a long time: father and son...They looked so much alike...Most babies have blue eyes when they are born but not Adam...From the moment I saw him it was as if I looked into his father's deep brown orbs...And his hair had also the same color accent as Ares had, even his lips were his father's lips...The nose was mine and the ears too but I think that is where our resemblance stopped...I had never had time to ask Ares if this is how he looked like when he was a small child...I wondered too if Adam would grow to take even more after his father.

Having Hercules here and knowing that he was a demigod did make me think about the possibility of my child to maybe have powers too like Athena feared but I guess and surely hoped for him not to have them. He didn't show any signs of it and Athena would have surely sensed them in advance…I wanted him to be safe, not a target for some sick, demented gods.

As if awoken from my thoughts, Adam's feet and arms began moving and kicking and he slowly started to open his eyes…

"Hello baby..." I searched his body for any sign of fever but it was gone...I smiled unconsciously and my heart began to regain its peace. He tossed on his side and remained for a moment looking at his sleeping father but then, he started to whine.

"Ok…ok...Let's eat..." I took him from the bed and placed a chair in front of the window and I began feeding him. He was famished, I noticed as soon as he started suckling at my breast with such fervor. My face was all a wide grin...

I closed my eyes and relaxed for a bit knowing that everything would be alright with my child.

"You startled me." I said when I felt his hands on my shoulders.

"How's my boy?" Ares asked with pride in his voice.

"Good...The fever's gone. He is hungry though..."

"I am too..." He kissed my cheek.

"Well…Gabrielle must be almost done."

"You can relax now...The fever passed, no more danger…"

He began massaging my shoulders with smooth strokes.

"So good..." I replied as if in a dream, smiling wider when he kissed my cheek, my neck and shoulder.

A knock on the door made us stop though.

"Xena..." It was Hercules. "Can we talk?" I stopped feeding Adam who was full now and turned to see my friend. He was staying in the door.

"Yeah…sure." I got up from the chair and gently placed Adam in his crib..."Ares could you…?"

He gave me an irritated gaze but he left in the end without making me a scene. I was somewhat taken aback by it because that was not his standard reaction when it came to Hercules.

"How is Adam?" Hercules asked once Ares closed the door shut behind him.

"Good now...The fever's gone...I was so worried that I didn't even have time to thank you for taking care of him…so thank you."

"No problem...He is yours…I would have done anything for a child that is yours…"

"But not his..." I added some tense seconds later…I knew his history with Ares and I was more than aware of the fact that it mustn't have been easy on him but of course he was Hercules so his answer was to be expected.

"The child is not to blamed for his father's vicious nature…Gabrielle told me how it happened…You were very brave to go through it all..."

My mind drifted back to all those months ago, his words unwillingly reminding me for a moment there just how much I hated Ares back then for it, but when I looked at our son all that disappeared.

"Yeah, well..."

"Look…I have a proposition for you..."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know how to start..." He said in a nervous tone.

"Just say it...I'm your friend...You can tell me anyt..." I didn't even got to finish my sentence that his fierce kiss took me absolutely by surprise.