Chapter 49:Fury and jealousy

Gabrielle POV

"Xena…dinner is...S...sorry..." I entered her room without knocking only to have the biggest surprise of all time...Hercules was kissing my friend and, to all appearances, she had been returning his kiss. What to make of that?...I knew my friend pretty well and I saw those looks she and Ares had been discreetly sharing since they were back, I was almost sure that something happened between them while away but she wasn't the one to talk about her personal life and we did not have the time either…It's just that right now things got even more complicated that they already were.

The moment they heard me, she pulled back fast...I could almost see a blush forming on her cheeks.

"Dinner is ready..." I added, and then I got out form the room probably all red and totally embarrassed by what I had just witnessed.

I went to Eve and Joxer to tell them too that everything was done and that they could come eat. For a couple of minutes longer, they remained behind to pack back the toys that they had used…but on my way to the kitchen yells from there reached my ears…

"If you ever dare touch Xena one more time I swear it on the head of Zeus, I will kill you! ..." Ares's raspy voice could be heard, spitting that last word out with such disgust that I could instantly imagine his expression.

Hercules wasn't the type to give up easily though.

"Don't forget that you aren't a God anymore Ares…Not that you have ever been a match for me before! Plus, I didn't do anything that Xena didn't want, ask her..."

And then I heard a glass breaking and I knew they weren't talking anymore.

When I came into the view, punches were thrown from one to another.

"Hey...Hey...Stop!" I yelled but they didn't even hear me. "I said stop guys…"

"What is all this?" Xena came rushing in and placed herself in the middle, breaking them apart.

"What are you doing?" she inquired, starring unbelievingly at them. Bruises were beginning to take shape on both of their faces.

Ares just looked furiously at them both and Hercules glared daggers back at his brother but neither of them spoke.

"I won't ask again! " Xena warned, still expecting an explanation. "I won't have this type of behavior in this house…Not with my children near by. What if Eve had been here huh?"

She stopped talking, waiting for one of them to speak but when her patience waned off she took them both by their arms and dragged them to the table, forcing them to sit...

"Sit!" she barked, and I just couldn't help chuckling. They both looked like two naughty children scolded by their mother but of course without those glares…Those coming from Ares were so mean and full of darkness that I could feel my hair raising up on my arms…and that's when it came back to me…I didn't pay much attention to it but now the words thrown to Hercules were beginning to make sense. He had seen them…kissing.

On my way to Xena's room I saw Ares leaving in the opposite direction, I even called his name to inform him that he could come to dinner but I took it that he didn't hear me but no...he did hear me but he was boiling with rage then, just like he was now and my friend didn't have a clue why he was so pissed off, apart of course from the obvious, but she didn't know the real reason.

"Ares..." she addressed him on a harsh tone but when she saw his expression and that he didn't even pay her much attention, his stare never leaving his brother, she changed her approach probably smelling that something was wrong.

"Ares...I thought that you understood..."

"He can't Xena..." Hercules emphasized, adding some more fuel to the fire. Ares's jaw clenched even tighter than seconds before.

"Look at me." she put her hands on his face but he immediately withdrew but he glared at her though.

"I won't say this one more time and that goes for both of you...Hercules is a friend, will always be so you'd better get used to it...And you...Eve thinks that Ares is her father and that's how it will be..."

Despite himself, Hercules nodded in the end.

"Of course..."Ares spit out hatefully. "Eve's father, Adam's father…A father and nothing more isn't it?...Well I am full of it...You two can go to hell...together if you like..."And then he pushed the chair violently and got out from the kitchen, never looking back...Only the sound of the door loudly being pushed was the sign that he wasn't in the house anymore.

Xena looked at the thin air in front of her for a couple of seconds more, not knowing what was the problem beside the obvious, of course….Judging by her stunned expression, she didn't have the slightest idea what could have caused such a reaction though, so I decided to tell her.

"Why don't you go put some cold water on that eye Hercules…?" I said, stepping towards Xena.

"Sure!"

"Xena...I need to talk to you..."

She nodded, and I took her aside.

"Yes...?"

"I think that Ares saw you and Hercules kissing and that's why he reacted like that. Just as I entered the room, he was leaving…"

She remained speechless but soon after, she followed Ares outside.

For a short moment, I saw it reflected in her eyes, that feeling that she feared so much, hunting her...That's when all my doubts vanished: she was in love with him.