Chapter Nine

"Damn it!" Xena said cutting her finger. It bled for a second as she sucked on it before it healed itself. However the pain was still there to her annoyance, God's little joke on the immortals and the people that served him.

"Mom are you are okay?" Michelle asked. She was twenty-three years old with two Olympics under her belt. The next Olympics would be next year in 1980.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I just cut myself, but it's gone now. See?" Michelle nodded. "Where's Eve and Kiyoshi?"

"They're coming."

"Did you guys have fun in Paris?"

"Yep, it was very relaxing I'm glad you made me take the trip, you were right I needed a break, its not like I haven't fulfilled my dream twice now already." Xena nodded.

"Good, I'm glad you had a good time."

"What's for dinner?" Michelle asked, as Kiyoshi and Eve walked in. They both gave her a kiss before joining Michelle at the table.

"Zaru Soba, and I'm baking some fish since some of you need either fish or chicken to like it." Michelle and Kiyoshi grinned at her and she grinned back.

"Did Ares try anything today?" Eve asked.

"No, there's something going on in Cambodia though he's really interested in, so Hercules went to check it out. I told him it was just the war going on between Cambodia and Vietnam, but he thinks there's something else going on."

"So whatever it is, is keeping him busy."

"On and off, but its interesting enough to him, I'm surprised a full blown war hasn't broken out actually. But while he was there I told him to look out for any and all historical things we could buy for the new Museum."

"Yeah, may as well get something out of the trip. I should probably go offer some relief."

"I've already sent Médecins Sans Frontières, as if all those men would come up with that on their own," Xena told her. "You can join them at anytime, but you've still got your residency." Eve nodded. She had gone to Medical school after five years at a London University and a break of a few years in between that.

"Aunt Xena is Mother coming to dinner?" Kiyoshi asked.

"No, she's got her Autumn and winter collections to finish for Fashion week in Milan. So she's already there, so she doesn't have to transport anything."

"Oh."

"She says she'll call at nine tonight." Kiyoshi smiled at that. He was nearly fourteen and missed Aphrodite very much.

"Can't wait." Xena put the cut up noodles in the pot to boil before checking the fish in the oven it wasn't done yet. She got them all some tea.

"Hercules is right, you are a regular Mrs. Clever," Eve told her. They all laughed except Xena.

"Eve?"

"Yes mommy?" Eve asked as they all tried to control themselves.

"Shut up," Xena told her. "I didn't like it when he said it and your not exempt."

"Am I mommy?" Michelle asked.

"No, you're not exempt and neither are you Kiyoshi before you even ask. Now wash your hands before you start drinking. They washed their hands in the kitchen sink.

"Honestly I don't know how you ever handled Kiyoshi and I as children mom, everything is so neat and delicate it seems. It doesn't look like an atmosphere for children or give them impression you like them."

"Oh that's because your things aren't all over the house anymore," Xena told her. "Children are always welcome here, I stay sane because I have maids."

"And money to buy everything if it gets broken," Eve added.

"That too." Soon they had their noodles on square plates topped with Nori, Negi, and wasabi. She also included a soba based dipping sauce. Lastly she cut the fish up to be shared by all in the middle of the table.

"So Michelle how's Ronald, you haven't talked about him in awhile."

"Oh Ron and I aren't speaking anymore." Xena looked up, Michelle never called her brother Ron, and she preferred Ronald because no one else called him that, except her immediate family.

"Why not?" Kiyoshi asked, because Xena was still chewing she looked at him in thanks.

"Because he says that I've betrayed my own race by acting white and calling myself white. I don't understand him, he was once happy that I was adopted from that place, he liked you all." Xena sighed and patted her back.

"Michelle your brother is just being an asshole towards you," Eve told her. "But we also have to remember that American white people have pretty much treated him unfairly all his life."

"Yes, Ronald is very happy and proud of you for being an Olympic champion and going to college, but what upsets him is that you don't identify yourself as African-American like he does. To him your black because you have the same mother and he would have liked to see you represent yourself as such."

"He says he won't come see me swim this year even if you flew him out. He'll be out of jail next year."

"Michelle, Ronald will be in the stands cheering you on in Moscow even if I have to drag him there myself."

"Mother means even if we," Eve told her.

"Yeah and if that doesn't work you always have me, and I love you whether your white or black," Kiyoshi told her. Xena smiled at them, they were just like brother and sister.

"Thanks you guys, but I do hope, he changes and comes on his own." They nodded. They had a happier dinner after that and played monopoly, only stopping when Kiyoshi took the call from Aphrodite, though they cheated a bit while he was gone as part of the fun.

"Oh you guys cheated!" Kiyoshi exclaimed.

"We did no such thing," Michelle told him clearly lying and Kiyoshi knew it, he wasn't upset that was how they had always played on purpose.

"We'll see about that." They played until they need to get to bed. They all had to awake early for school, work, as well as swimming in Michelle's case.

"Mother did you see it?" Eve asked coming into her office.

"See what?" Xena asked as she catalogued yet another item for the new Museum.

"What happen in Cambodia?"

"I already told you what's going on."

"No, you didn't know this." Eve went to the television and turned it on to the news. Xena was horrified by the state of the children and the adults even. She dialed the number to the person she had put in charge of Doctors with Borders without looking. He told her he was already on the other line with the group in Laos.

"All right, I want reports," Xena told him in French. She hung up. She stood up as Eve turned the television off.

"God they're as thin as the people in the concentration camps in Germany."

"I know," Xena said shaking her head in disgust. Hercules appeared looking a bit roughed up but healing nicely.

"What happen?" Xena asked. "How did they get like that?"

"You saw?" Hercules asked. Xena nodded.

"Its all over the news, there are no actual photos yet, but they're comparing them to the jews in concentration camps so it must be really bad."

"Oh the political party there was trying to do something different than all the other communist nations, but they ended up killing much of their population. Ares influenced the leader to actually act on his thoughts. And the war was just getting started. Vietnam has already invaded and taken over the capitol, it's really the only reason you know about what's going on." Xena shook her head. "We fought and he won this time, the dirty bastard." Xena chose not to comment on his injuries as he straightened up as he healed.

"Bastard all those innocent people."

"I'm going to go over there and help." Hercules shook his head.

"That's what he wants, he knew we'd come running to help out. It's a trap." Eve frowned.

"Don't fret, Doctors without borders has a new use, to also go where we can't," Xena told her. Eve nodded.

"I've warned everyone else. I helped Aphrodite seal her fashion house against him."

"Good, so we know she's safe." Xena nodded.

"Come on let's get home, and figure out what else we can do."

"Okay so I will be in charge of the collection clothing, Kiyoshi you will be in charge of rice, and Eve of medical supplies. Hercules you'll keep an eye on Ares, correct?"

"Yes."

"Good."

"What can I do?" Michelle asked walking in and taking off her jacket.

"You can help me." Michelle nodded. They worked tirelessly for months to help all refugee camps and villages.

"Guess what I did." Xena looked up from her desk.

"What?" Xena asked.

"We've sponsored some children to come here and learn, but most importantly we've adopted some orphans. It's a miracle they haven't died yet."

"You can't adopt," Xena told her. "You're living off us and you're a student."

"Oh I know, I didn't, you and Daddy did."

"Michelle you can't adopt someone for us."

"Oh I didn't, I had Daddy do it."

"Michelle, you know how I feel about you going to your father and convincing him to do things without consulting me," Xena told her.

"I'm sorry mommy, but I saw a chance to help more and I jumped at it." Xena sighed. Hercules walked in.

"I'm sorry, besides its only one kid and like five sponsor children we'll see like once every once in a while." Xena groaned.

"One kid means one more target for Ares," Xena told them. "And you, we've been married for centuries would it kill you to make it a habit to consult me on things. But apparently our marriage means nothing to you." She waved her hand and Hercules was out of her sight.

"Mommy don't be mad at Daddy."

"No, I will be mad at him, he should have consulted me whether he wanted to give into you or not. And don't worry I'm mad at you too for going behind my back just because you think I'll say no. I would have agreed with you to sponsor, it's the adoption that's the problem." Michelle hung her head knowing her mother was right.

"I'm sorry mommy." Xena sighed.

"Its okay, I'm very proud of you for wanting to do the right thing." They hugged. Xena sent her home while she calmed down before taking the children on an exhibit tour personally.

"Are you still angry?" Hercules asked.

"A little," Xena replied cleaning an already spotless kitchen.

"I am sorry, your right I should consult you more often on important decisions. Especially when Michelle goes behind your back."

"I accept your apology."

"Yes, but do you forgive me?"

"For now," Xena told him.

"For now?"

"Yes, I'll completely forgive you when Ares is locked away and that child is still alive." Hercules nodded she was being reasonable with him.

"Oh um…we adopted twins." Xena who was rearranging the fruit on the table squished an apple in anger before she controlled herself and cleaned up the mess as if she hadn't done that.

"Twins, as if one child wasn't bad enough." She washed her hands and dried them before walking out of the kitchen after taking off her apron. Hercules followed her.

"Xena, I'm sorry please don't be angry with me." Xena ignored him as she entered their room and went into the bathroom to run her bath water. Hercules knew that was a definite sign she was mad, he always drew her bath when he was there.

"I'm not angry," Xena lied.

"Look we will get Ares soon, we have a plan for when he turns his full attention to the war that's brewing in Libya. You said it yourself he's going to have a hand in it."

"Oh he already does, because the United States has a hand in it. They've even established contacts in Moscow."

"This is good we're going to get him and the twins will be fine. Now you just go relax on the bed while I finish running your bath and I'll give you a nice massage." Xena nodded and let him finish preparing her bath with candles and her favorite calming scent. She took off her shoes and threw them in the closet, which let Hercules know she was still mad as he watched her turn back to her closet and put them in the proper place. Xena took off her jewelry and clothes and put her robe on. "Would you like a massage before or after your bath?"

"After." He nodded as he turned the water off.

"I'll get your pajamas out." He left out and Xena closed the bathroom door. She spent an hour in the tub contemplating the addition of two more children to their household. They were barely done raising Kiyoshi, and Xena didn't want to think about children again until Ares was locked away in his coffin. She sighed and slid under the water with her eyes closed for a few minutes. When Hercules knocked on the door she came back up.

"Xe, are you all right your offly quiet."

"I'm fine," Xena replied as she began to wash the days grime from her body. Finally she came out of the bathroom after carefully drying her body and braiding her long hair and putting it up in a bun. Hercules took in her body generously as she lay across the bed. He used massaging oil that smelled like bananas and honey.

"You should have done this for a living, you would have been a massage guru," Xena told him as he worked the knots out of her back.

"No, this is just for you," Hercules told her. "Your really tense."

"I know, that's why I agreed to this will bending massage." Hercules worked his way pass her butt and down each leg rubbing the oil into her perfectly tan skin.

"It amazes me that after all these years you still have a perfect tan every where and not just the areas you have exposed to the sun.

"Yeah, I spent a lot of time outside naked before I became immortal," Xena told him as she turned over so he could get her stomach.

"Too bad I wasn't there."

"Shut up." Hercules grinned as he moved her chest. "You think there's a chance you could stop being mad at me long enough to have sex."

"No, because than I won't be mad and you need to suffer. That's how you always get me, the massage, and than you convince me to have sex, but not this time." Xena opened her eyes as he finished, but he was now caressing her body, and her body being the traitor that it was responded.

"All right we don't have too, I just hoped that we could put everything aside for a little while," Hercules told her as one hand dipped below her belly button.

"Damn it no, your just doing this so I won't be mad," Xena told him pushing his hand away and standing up. "You're a sneaky bastard, and I'm onto your tricks." He grinned.

"All right, all right no more, I promise, I'm getting in the shower. While she slipped into her undergarments and nightgown he got a shower. Xena was already asleep when he got out having taken an extra long shower. Hercules slipped into bed completely naked and lay next to Xena unmoving for a few moments. Really he was listening to make sure everyone was asleep before he kissed her gently on the lips. Naturally she kissed him back. He pulled back as she yawned.

"Sneaky bastard," She whispered sleepily. He chuckled.

"Come on you know you want too." He kissed her on the lips before he moved down her neck.

"No, not tonight I'm sleepy." She yawned as she pushed him off with ease and lay on his chest.

"So there's hope for tomorrow." Xena chuckled already half asleep.

"Not a chance." He kissed the top of her forehead and stroked her back as she fell asleep again. Soon he dropped off to sleep not waking up again until five in the morning.

"Why are we getting up?" Hercules asked as he came downstairs dressed and into the kitchen.

"We always get up this early," Xena told him putting breakfast in front of him. She went back over to the counter and finished packing everyone's lunch.

"You think after centuries of life, I'd be able to sleep an entire day without missing anything."

"Soon the day will come," Hercules told Eve. Everyone was out of the house by six. Xena drove Kiyoshi to school, as they got there by seven.

"Have a good day at school," Xena told Kiyoshi.

"Thanks Aunt Xena, have a good day at work." He ran off to play football with his friends. Xena was glad he fit in very well. She went to work and Hercules came for lunch.

"So, when do they get here?" Xena asked taking a sip of her lemonade.

"Two weeks, they're names are Sovanara and her brother is Sovann."

"How old are they?" Xena asked.

"Two."

"That's a fun age." Hercules nodded.

"It is." They enjoyed the rest of their lunch together.

"Finally," Michelle said as they waited at the airport. The children would be arriving via Thailand.

"You'd think she was their mother," Xena told Eve, who chuckled as Michelle paced nervously.

"Oh haha," Michelle said annoyed with them. "I'm just nervous because its their first plane ride."

"Sure." Kiyoshi came over eating some candy.

"How can you all be so calm?" They all shrugged.

"There's the plane," Kiyoshi pointed out of the window. They only had to wait another twenty minutes before the five sponsored children between the ages of thirteen and fifteen arrived. They were introduced before they were led off by family members real or fake. After that Sovanara and Sovann were brought out. They were so small and thin, their bellies and their heads were the biggest thing on them as they hung out of their clothes. They took them home immediately after a doctor's visit. They were washed properly and ticks picked off them if the doctor missed any. Hercules made sure to get the head. Before they were fed, which is what they enjoyed.

"I think they're younger than two," Eve commented. She couldn't heal them, none of them could and that made them sad.

"They are, they've got only a few teeth, you can see they're still growing in. They're probably just under a year."

"Even worse when I see their condition," Kiyoshi commented as Xena made them a bottle. Hercules had to go see about the museum, because they had a large school group coming in and he dropped a reluctant Michelle off at the pool.

"I know." Eve held her new brother and took the bottle from her mother as Kiyoshi took his new cousin and the bottle from Xena. Xena sat down resting. Their condition and fear mentally exhausted her. Sovanara threw up on Kiyoshi.

"Oh my God there are worms on me!" He cried. Eve chuckled, as did Xena. She cleaned up her daughter and took over her feeding while Kiyoshi cleaned up.

"You should be grateful, its good she threw up those worms." Kiyoshi made a face. Eve was graced with worms on her shirt as well, but didn't make a big deal out of it. As the day wore on there was no more throwing up and Xena fed them every four hours like clock work alternating between formula and real food, but it was just broth. At night she made Hercules get up most of the time, or Michelle would take over. Around two in the morning, they wouldn't go to sleep and threw up twice getting parasites out of their body.

"Where's mother?" Michelle asked seeing Hercules making breakfast.

"She's asleep, she just got them to sleep, so don't go waking her up." Michelle nodded as a sleepy Eve came downstairs.

"Don't worry about me, I've got today off, I'm just thirsty." Hercules nodded. Kiyoshi came downstairs yawning.

"Some night," Kiyoshi commented. The all looked at him. "I could barely sleep with all the crying." Xena walked into the kitchen yawning.

"We thought you were sleeping," Eve told her.

"I was until I smelled burnt waffles." Hercules turned in alarm to the waffle iron. They all laughed at him.

"So since your up," Michelle said.

"No," Xena told her going straight for the coffee.

"Don't you dare touch the coffee you'll be up for hours."

"That's the idea," Xena told him.

"Yeah, but your up for an unusually long time. Besides consider yourself on maternity leave."

"Maternity leave?" Xena asked. "What the hell is that?"

"When you take time off from work with pay and just rest and do household stuff you know. Or when its after the baby is born take care of the baby," Eve supplied.

"I have never in my life taken maternity leave even after Aphrodite had Kiyoshi or when I was pregnant with Eve. No, I refuse to start now."

"Well technically you're already on maternity leave since you've decided to let me run things."

"No, I'm not, your running things because you've never ran it on your own. I've always put someone else in charge while you oversaw. So now I'm overseeing while you learn. Big difference." They laughed at her.

"Just agree with her she's tired, she'll see different once she's had sleep," Eve told him. Hercules nodded. Xena made an agitated noise and left the kitchen annoyed with them.

"Why aren't you two out shopping to pass the time?" Hercules asked. Aphrodite and Xena sat on the couch highly bored. The children were sleeping and the older ones were out taking care of business or at school. Even worse Ares was even relaxing for the day. There was absolutely nothing to do.

"Ugh as if," Aphrodite told him.

"Yeah have you seen the shit they're peddling these days, this decade is so not as fun. Thank God Kiyoshi hasn't started wearing that crap." Aphrodite nodded her agreement.

"I'm telling you there will be millions of people around the world regretting those hairstyles and most definitely those clothes. Who wants broad showers, and those animal prints. Animal print went out in like 30 B.C., I know I was responsible."

"You two are unbelievable, in any case don't you two have other things to do?" Hercules asked.

"No, the museum closes early today, the children are napping so they're no fun, and the movies suck these days."

"There aren't any concerts until tonight." Hercules rolled his eyes and left them to their boredom.

"This is going nowhere," Xena said on the phone in her office. Sovanara and Sovann were playing happily on the floor where she could see them on the side of her.

"I know," Hercules commented on the other line, he was in Libya. "Cupid's been waiting forever now, he's just like call him when he's coming, but I'm thinking how am I suppose to call him in the middle of a fight."

"Just tell him to keep an eye on things like I am."

"That's a good idea."

"How's the war there?"

"Just getting into full swing actually, unfortunately I had to do a little instigating of my own."

"I'm sorry I know you hate to do that."

"Yeah, but its for the great good, how are Sovanara and Sovann?"

"They're good, they have a doctor's appointment after my next meeting. I might hire this woman, she wants to work in the Xena and Gabrielle Museum. I'm just curious as to how much I'll have to teach her."

"Keep me posted on their condition and you should be use to it by now," Hercules replied. Sovann stood up and teetered over to Xena on unsteady legs he was getting use to walking on again. He hit Xena's leg and reached for the phone.

"Sovann wants to talk to you."

"Put him on." Xena watched Sovann's face break into a huge smile at the sound of Hercules's voice just like Kiyoshi use to do. She knew Hercules was grateful to have more testosterone around the house, but the women still outnumbered him and his credit cards were never safe even from Kiyoshi who splurged on sports goods." There was a knock on the door after Sovanara had a turn and Xena hung up.

"Come in." Marlene, Michelle's long time best friend entered.

"I just wanted to let you know that Michelle is running late again, your appointment is here, and Kiyoshi called. He's sick and needs to be picked up." Xena sighed.

"All right, make copies of this for me while I'm out and watch the twins will you Marlene. Tell my appointment, that I'll be back in ten minutes." Marlene nodded as Xena put her suit jacket on and hurried out after putting the children in their playpen. She didn't even give her appointment a glance.

"Come on Kiyoshi," Xena told him. He had called and said he was sick, but really he had been in a fight and now had a bloody nose. She had spent twenty minutes with his principal.

"I'm sorry Aunt Xena, I let my temper get the best of me," Kiyoshi told her as she drove.

"Kiyoshi, I gotta say I'm disappointed in you, I didn't teach you self-defense so that you could go around getting into fights, its not what your mother wants and its not want I want."

"I'm sorry."

"You can't reverse your actions, there's no use being sorry." Kiyoshi hung his head. "Did you apologize to the boy?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Did he apologize?"

"No ma'am." Xena shook her head.

"Guess what you get to do until you go back to school."

"What?"

"You will polish everything in the museum, you will clean the glass displays and every window you can reach inside and out. And than you will go home and you will wash every window you can reach, polish the silverware, and the brass, what ever can be polished you will polish it everyday repeatedly. There will be no loud music, no television, no friends, no phones, no grudge wear, no reading because I know how much you like to do that. No games or dessert after dinner. You will go straight to bed."

"Yes ma'am." Kiyoshi's eyes went wide as he spotted a fireball hurdling towards them. Xena grabbed him and disappeared just before the car was blown to pieces.

"That son of a bitch," Xena growled in anger from the top of a building. Kiyoshi was breathing hard as he tried to calm down and relax. It was just one small fireball. Xena took his hand and disappeared again reappearing outside of the Museum. She set him to cleaning before she hurried into her office. "Marlene tell my appointment to give me a few minutes and than she can come in." Marlene nodded as she stood up from the twins. Xena let them back out of their playpen as she dialed Hercules's number before they made a fuss.

"Hello?"

"Hercules where is Ares?"

"He just disappeared out of Libya, I was just looking for him."

"He's here than, the bastard just nearly blew Kiyoshi and I up in the car."

"I'll ask about Kiyoshi later, but that son of a bitch, I'll be right there."

"No, we're at the museum now so we're safe you just find him." Xena let her appointment in. To her surprise it was the one and only Gabrielle."

"Gabrielle."

"No, my name is Pebbles."

"Oh sorry, you looked like someone I use to know."

"Its okay." They shook hands. Xena interviewed her and naturally they were laughing about other things except work within five minutes.

"My daughter Michelle is usually in charge of Story time part time where younger children come in and rather than explore all twelve floors going through every exhibit in a day basically they have story time on the third floor. Her schedule is hectic, she's an Olympic swimmer, so than you'll find yourself in charge of that."

"Oh great I love to tell Stories."

"Great." She nodded. "However your job will be to teach all the children that walk in about the different exhibits. There are thirty-two in all, so you'll need this, you need to know it like the back of your hand. All questions you can't answer that aren't in the book come to me or even Michelle. Or my eldest daughter Eve, she's a doctor, but you can find her around as well as my nephew Kiyoshi. They're all nearly as knowledgeable as me." Pebbles nodded. "How much do you already know?"

"Not much I'm afraid, but I learn fast." Xena nodded.

"That's what I like to hear."

"What that I know nothing?" Pebbles asked surprise.

"No, that you learn fast. You'll have training for the next two weeks there's a lot to get through before you can be officially put to work. Don't be surprised if you have different people teaching you every day." Xena handed her more things. Sovann and Sovanara climbed over her desk messing with papers. She moved them after she sent Pebbles on her way. Kiyoshi came in just as the windows shattered. Xena was pissed as she checked for damages. Ever window had been shattered, but there was no more damage even as the ground shook.

"This means war," Xena said seeing her beautiful windows in pieces. "Kiyoshi take your cousins." Xena flipped a switch and easily enough all employees were knocked out. Only Eve, Michelle, Hercules, and Aphrodite could get in now.