Author's NOTE: after a huge leave of absence...I'm baaaccckkk! Don't kill me people as I am finally back to writing after a huge amount of time of being tied down to work I now have some time to actually WRITE! But as always let me know what you think so I know after all this time I still got it!

Joxer tried to hustle his way out of town with out all out running, but Elaine had managed to catch up with him and grab his hand.

She didn't stop him, just forced him to slow down some.

"You didn't do anything wrong Joxer. You shouldn't be afraid for doing something that will make you happy."

Joxer didn't even have a chance to respond as Ares' voice came from out of nowhere.

"I wouldn't tell him not to be afraid."

Both Elaine and Joxer stopped in their tracks as the god of war himself flashed into the road before them.

"As a matter of a fact, I'd tell him to get his coins ready for when he crosses over." Ares said as an evil smile played across his face.

Joxer's heart stopped for a second before Elaine's little laugh penetrated his mind.

"I don't think Joxer would be going to the Elysian fields Ares…and I think you know that too."

Both men stared at Elaine in confusion.

Elaine kind of blushed when she raised her hand like she was in a classroom.

"Born Pentecostal Christian. Have a one way ticket to heaven."

Ares started to cackle his mad laugh as he tilted his head back in mirth. Finally calming down but still chuckling he looked at Elaine with her one raised eyebrow looking at him.

"Don't tell me your another follower of Eli…"

"No." Elaine quickly cut Ares off, making his smiling face vanish almost as fast.

"Not a follower of Eli. But my God is the God of David. The one true God."

Joxer tensed as the words left Elaine's mouth. Suddenly the anger in Ares was almost visible in the air around him.

"You will pay for your insolence." Ares all but snarled the words.

It was then that Elaine looked at him in puzzlement.

"Ares…even your father bows to his name. Why else would he fear the twilight?"

Ares processed the words slowly. And the truth in them hit him suddenly.

Elaine smiled sadly at him.

"The Greek Gods…you're just higher beings then humans. God is omnipotent, knowing all things before they happen. And you don't Ares. You're just like us! Every day is a surprise. Every moment a blessing and a curse…difference being….we find peace…and you don't."

Both Elaine and Joxer watched as Ares' adam's apple bobbed, swallowing down the truth in her words, but the fight remained in his eyes.

It had to remain. Because it was what he had become. He became the fight. He became the resistance. But for a few seconds both Elaine and Joxer saw the fear in his eyes. That's when it hit Elaine. The full truth…the answer to a question that she had never asked when she had watched this play across her screen at home.

Ares had to survive, had to live, had to remain behind from all those that would fall in the twilight. Not because he kept a balance…but because he was what all his kind would have to do to try and survive.

They would have to fight.

Staring into Ares' eyes Elaine felt her heart sink as she finally understood what he had to do because he was born to be war.

"You want the twilight…don't you?" Elaine whispered the words as she stared into the haunted brown eyes.

Ares' spine straightened at the question. He would have answered her if she hadn't have quickly answered for him.

"Of course you do. And not because you want power or destruction…but because you don't want to be what you are anymore."

As Elaine said the words Joxer stared at the 'god' before him, watching as his eyes showed that Elaine had struck a nerve. Joxer knew pain all to well, and he saw it in Ares' eyes.

And for the first time, Joxer felt pity for Ares. Because Elaine had been right, Ares didn't want to be what he was anymore.

"You don't know what you're talking about. I am the God of War. And I do want power and destruction."

The words were useless. No real feeling behind them.

Elaine slowly walked up to him and cupped his cheek.

"It's ok. You don't have to be that in front of me. You can just be Ares."

Joxer couldn't believe he saw Ares begin to tear up. Human emotions that God's never displayed being seen right before his eyes.

Ares looked into Elaine's loving eyes and felt the bravado and act leave him. It was as though Elaine could really see him. Not the God of War…but Ares.

"I'll be your friend Ares, if you want to be mine."

Ares stared at her with a little shock and hurt at the words.

Slowly Elaine pulled away from Ares and walked backwards and took Joxer's hand without needing to look down.

"We'll both be your friends."

Ares raised one eyebrow at the two.

"You think I want to be friends?" He asked with a look that spoke of being offended.

Elaine laughed as Joxer became uneasy.

"You don't want to be more than friends with me Ares. You want that with one Warrior Princess."

Ares looked at the hilt of his sword for a second before he acknowledged that Elaine was right with a slight nod.

"I just think we could be your friends that you can be yourself with. You can tell us things and we won't go blabbing about it. Because we care about you."

Ares again arched a brow and directed his eyes at Joxer.

"I'm not being friends with the pipsqueak."

Joxer's mouth dropped and he was about to protest against the title when Elaine quickly spoke.

"Pah-lease! You both have more in common than any two people I know."

At this Joxer even looked at her funny.

"What?" Elaine exclaimed at the looks both men were giving her.

"Am I the only one that sees that both of you have lived in the shadows of your siblings? Become warriors to please your parents. Feel that your parents loved your siblings more than they loved you? Not to mention the fact that you both just want to be you and have to continual pretend to be someone else!"

Ares looked at Joxer out of the corner of his eye and Joxer did the same.

Elaine rolled her eyes at the two.

"I think you two are gonna become best friends if you actually hang out with each other, mark my words."

It was then that the other four flashed in behind Elaine and Joxer.

Turning around Elaine saw the dark green eyes of one pissed off bard glaring at her and couldn't help but think.

Well, at least she won't try to hit me again.

The thought was short lived as before anyone blinked Gabrielle had punched her in the face.

Why did I have to jinx myself! Elaine asked herself.

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