Chapter 54: Web of lies

Xena POV

We met Gabrielle and Eve on the road some hours after having left the farm. I was so relieved to see them alright!

Everyone was sleeping now after a long day of explanations and planning, just in case that Athena would pop out of nowhere. The rest of the day consumed me with thoughts about Eve and didn't let me think about anything else until I realized what had really happened…I was actually mortified about the idea of having the God of War back at the job…That changed everything…A lot of consequences to deal with…

I was so furious that I had started to trust him again, to believe all his cheap talk about him changing and all…saying that he loved me…What a fool I had been! And now, I suddenly found myself in the situation in which truth collapsed on me once again, and the weight of it all was heavier than ever. That's what I feared the most and the impact of all, those transformations in my life was eating me alive.

I closed my eyes, trying to fall asleep, but, every time I did it, his face would appear before me and I needed to open them again so it could vanish…He was continuously haunting me, to the point of driving me crazy.

And of course, when the first rays of the sun made their appearance and my mind finally found that peace in order for me to get some decent sleep, that irking sensation of his presence took me by surprise. I wanted to ignore his presence but when my heart and pulse began going crazy, and the tingling on my back was almost impossible to resist, fury overcame me and taking my sword, I left the place heading for the stream where we could talk if that was what he wanted.

"Get out!" I spitted out hatefully and impatiently the moment the river came into view.

He made himself visible some paces before me and for a moment I lost myself again in those melting brown eyes of his, that till I finally remembered that I had a traitor before my eyes.

"What do you want?" I asked him on the same cold tone.

"I know…"

"You don't know anything..."

He moved a little bit towards me, but I pointed my sword to his chest.

"You won't be needing this…Just listen for a moment…I came here to explain..."

"Explain? How many times did I hear that word coming from your mouth? Hercules was right. You can't change..."

The mere mention of his brother made him as angry as a hurricane.

"Look...It isn't what you think..." he continued on a still peaceful tone though.

"I don't have time for this..."

I turned my back to him, but a second later I became literally trapped in his embrace, my sword falling to the ground soundly.

"Let me go Ares!" I warned him.

He turned me to him, his strong hands still on my arms, keeping me steady.

"Why do we need to go back to this?" he inquired on an irritated voice.

"Maybe you should ask yourself that..!" I backed out from his arms and looked furiously at him.

"Don't you dare let it all on me...You and that mongrel brother of mine…You aren't a saint either…Do you think that now you have free passage to go back to him?"

What nerve he had to even bring it in this discussion…!

"Ohh pleeaseee…This is about you, not me...And in the end what? I am free to do as I wish and if..." I started, but my words refused to come out when he pulled me savagely to him and kissed me forcefully. I rejected him at first, but when his tongue found my lips, they opened instantly by reflex and I reacted on impulse. Even if I did respond, I was still boiling mad with rage and when he finally released me, a punch went straight to his crotch.

"Ouch!"

"Don't you ever touch me again, you Bastard..." I said and wiped his kiss furiously from my mouth.

"Don't play the victim Xena cause you didn't resist me either..." he said with a smirk and suddenly, that smile that I loved so much, looked incredibly annoying.

"I hate you so much...!" I yelled at him and his smile vanished.

"Do you?"

"Yes..." I answered, but it took me some seconds to be able to look him in the eyes and say it to him just like that.

"Listen to me, and listen to me good, Ares…I want you to leave me and my children alone, once and for all...I don't want to see you, I don't want to hear from you...and I certainly don't want to know anything more about you...!"

"Is this really what you want?"

"I do..."

But when I said it, I feared that he would consent….I was even more furious because the thought crossed my mind…...I did want him to disappear but not all of me wanted that.

"Well…the children are a different story..." he added detachedly, and it hurt. "Eve sees me as her father and she is my daughter now, you can't take her away from me just like that and Adam is my son regardless of what I do, or who I am…and certainly, regardless of what you want..."

"What are you saying?"

"Nothing…just the facts…Adam is my son and will remain so..."

"You mean the son of the God of War?"

"No...I mean my son..." he said, making sure to stress the last word. "Look...you don't want me to explain anything….Fine, I get it,but they are mine."

"I don't think so…"

"You don't think so?"

He came near me, just a breath away and looked me in the eyes.

"Just forget about us and go back to your Wars...We are done!" I wanted to leave but my arm was being pulled roughly towards him.

"You don't get to go anywhere until we settle this..."

I extracted my arm from his grip and continued my way but he appeared fast before me and gripped my shoulders painfully.

"Let her go..." Hercules commanded right out of nowhere and Ares's grip loosened so that I could liberate myself and we both turned to him.

"You..."

"Yes me…" Hercules put his hands on my shoulders protectively and I saw Ares's jaw twitching…

His eye color changed to a darker shade.

"Don't touch her..."Ares raged with fury.

"Or what? Xena…didn't you tell him?...Xena and I are going to get married so just let us leave in peace…Here isn't a place for you anymore..."

He looked me in the eyes hoping that it was all a lie and truth be told it was...Hercules just said it out of nowhere and I was also surprised to hear it, but I guess that I hid my shock nicely because the very next moment, Ares vanished and it was as if he hadn't even been there just minutes ago.