Lost

"Where the hell is my sister?" Torres demanded to know.

"Calm down, Ares has taken her to one of Hera's sanctuaries." They all gasped.

"Hera is protecting Ares?" Gabrielle asked. "How are we suppose to save Xena, he's probably poisoned her with Hein's blood again."

"No, the fates say her life force is growing stronger, he's nursing her back to health." Torres growled.

"What is that bastard playing at, first he tried to kill her, and then he mutilates our mother now he's curing her!" Torres paced back and forth as he continued to glance towards the bedroom door. Behind that door his sister had laid weak. Behind those doors he had failed to protect her. Now behind those doors lay his mother weak and broken from Ares attack. No one expected her to live, but he knew she would if only to see her grandchildren alive once more.

"We think maybe he's trying to use Xena's body again, we all know what he wants. Now that he has Hera's protection he can make more than enough children for an army, torture her till she tells him where the others are, and then discard her in days if she breaks easily.

"Xena won't break easily especially not for him," Gabrielle declared. "No matter what he does, she'll be happy knowing at least they got away." They all nodded.

"If he does that I will give my life to free them than, it's what she would have done, and what I shall do," Torres declared. Gabrielle nodded her agreement.

"The amazon nation is behind you there," Gabrielle informed him. He nodded.

"Solan you think mommy is all right?" Daniel asked as Solan bathed the girls. Cleopatra had set them up with a house as he had steadfastly refused to live in the palace graciously saying that it would not have been his mother's way.

"Yes, I know she is, it's just going to take her a little while to defeat Ares, that's all." Daniel nodded.

"I'm sorry I'm a handful."

"Not at all, you know the language better than I and that helps a lot. And you do all the fishing and selling so I can take care of the farm and girls."

"Yes, but I should farm, you could work on being a blacksmith." Solan shook his head.

"Later, right now the girls need care I can only give them if I'm farming." Daniel nodded. He missed their mother terribly and he hated fishing by himself. He remembered it being much more fun with his mother around. He wondered if she was ever stressed trying to provide for him when he was a child.

"Than I will catch more fish to help you provide for us." Solan smiled at him.

"Thank you."

"Where are they!" Ares raged. Xena didn't say a word from her spot on a bed, she was chained to it so she couldn't escape, not that she would have tried in her state. It had taken weeks to recover from his heins blood attack.

"What the hell is it you want from me now?" Xena asked him. Xena's breathing was slow and labored, she was getting stronger, but it was painful every step of the way.

"You know what I want, I want my children, we had a deal."

"Even if I were to make good on that deal, you could only claim a girl." Ares walked over and glared at her.

"Are you telling me you had a boy?" Ares asked her. Xena didn't say anything except lay back against the pillows. He growled frustrated. He bent down closer to her looking into her eyes, the look was terrifying, but Xena stood her ground.

"Now you listen to me, if I don't get one of them that's already here, I am going to make one, and this time you won't get away from me." Xena shuddered, but didn't say anything. "AAh!" He shot a bolt of lightening at a cave wall.

"Calm yourself!" Hera exclaimed. She walked in.

"I'm sorry mother, but she is just infuriating!" She just watched him.

"Control yourself you are a God not a mortal." He nodded. Xena didn't look at Hera, but she listened intently to them. She always listened intently to anyone including Ares and especially Hera.

"What am I going to do, I can't find them and she won't tell me."

"My son, you should have started on an army by now. Forget the two that got away create thousands now, you are shrouded in my protection no one can stop you." Ares smiled.

"But she's still weak from the Heinz Blood." Hera shrugged.

"A goddess can give birth to many at once, you don't need her for more than that." Ares nodded. Hera walked over to Xena and used her hand to force her to look at her.

"You're a pitiful excuse for a Goddess Xena, but don't worry you won't be here much longer. They can't hide forever and when we find them they will be part of the army too."

"Fuck you," Xena told her defiantly. Hera glared at her before squeezing her face a little before releasing her.

"Why Ares like you is beyond me, you're nothing but a once mortal whore that's all." Hera picked up a vile and forced Xena to drink it. Xena hated the stuff, but it often made her much better. "Remember this when you die Xena, mortals were created to do as the Gods' bid, and when you die you'll know your place.