Chapter 41: Xena Who?
As Xena descended the stairs, the aroma of sizzling bacon and brewing coffee filled the air. Her gaze fell upon the scene in the kitchen: Ares leaning against the counter, a casual grin on his face, and Ashley busy at the stove.
Ares' hand brushed casually against Ashley's butt as he passed by. Ashley's reaction was a poor attempt at innocence. Xena's fists clenched involuntarily at her sides, her heart pounding in her chest as she struggled to process the scene before stood still for a moment, struggling to process the betrayal happening right in her own home. Once she found her voice, Xena spoke in disbelief and anger as she addressed Ares,
"What's going on here, Ares?" Ares glanced up.
"Oh, Xena," he replied with forced nonchalance, "Just making breakfast with Ashley here. You know, bonding time." Xena's eyes narrowed, her voice growing colder as she turned her attention to Ashley.
"And what about you, Ashley? Enjoying your new role in our household?" Ashley's mask slipped for a brief moment, revealing a flash of guilt on her face before she quickly covered it up with a rehearsed smile.
"Of course, Xena," she replied, her voice falsely cheerful.
"Just doing my part to help out." But Xena could see through the fakeness, the betrayal cutting deep as she struggled to contain the storm of emotions raging within her. With a tight jaw and clenched fists, she turned away from the pair.
~XA~
Ashley placed Xena's breakfast on the table with a falsely sweet smile, her movements too eager, too intimate for Xena's liking. Ares left outside the house without a word and Ashley followed him out the door. Xena stood by the window, her eyes locked on the scene outside, her heart sinking with every moment that passed.
The ache of betrayal grew stronger as Ares moved toward Ashley, his embrace feeling all too familiar and affectionate. Xena's breath caught in her throat when Ares leaned in to kiss Ashley's cheek.
Even with the anger and hurt building inside her, Xena couldn't move. She stood there, watching Ares and Ashley talk, their body language saying more than their words ever could. The way Ares left, giving Ashley that final peck on the cheek, felt like a knife twisting in her heart. As they vanished from sight, Xena's determination grew stronger.
~XA~
Ares walked into his office, expecting just another ordinary day, but was surprised by what he saw. Aphrodite stood there, her face filled with anger and disappointment. Before he could say anything, she slapped him hard across the cheek. Holding his face in shock, Ares looked at Aphrodite, confusion clear on his face.
"What was that for?" he demanded. Aphrodite's eyes blazed with intensity as she met his gaze, her disappointment clear.
"I'm disgusted with you, Ares," she spat out. Ares was taken back slightly at her words. Before he could respond, Aphrodite continued, her tone softening slightly but still filled with urgency.
"Your aura is off, Ares. Something is...missing," Aphrodite said, her voice trembling with concern.
"Love. There's no love radiating from you." A deep frown creased Ares' brow as he struggled to comprehend her words.
"What are you talking about?" he muttered, his frustration rising. Ignoring his question, Aphrodite reached out to gently touch his face, her gesture filled with tenderness and sadness.
"Sweet Gaia, what happened to you?" she whispered, her voice barely above a breath. In a sudden surge of irritation, Ares brushed her hand away from his face.
"I don't have time for this nonsense," he snapped, his voice sharp with frustration. With a heavy sigh, Aphrodite turned away from him without a word, her heart heavy with worry for the brother she once knew.
~XA~
A week had gone by since the events that had turned Xena's world upside down. In the peaceful space of her baby's room, she found some comfort in the soothing motion of the rocking chair. Her quiet words of reassurance filled the air as she spoke gently to the life growing inside her. Even with the turmoil swirling around her, this moment brought a brief sense of peace from the whirlwind of feelings inside her heart.
As she gazed around the room, memories of happier times flooded her mind, the walls echoing with the laughter and excitement that had once filled the space. . But now, the nursery felt hollow and lacking the warmth it used to have.
Xena sat deep in thought when the buzz of her phone interrupted the quiet. A message from Gabrielle lit up the screen. A flicker of happiness crossed her face, her lips curling into a small smile. The idea of spending time with her friend felt like a much-needed break from the loneliness that had weighed her down. She quickly typed a response, eager to let Gabrielle know she'd be happy to have her over.
Gabrielle's hug brought Xena brief comfort, though uncertainty about her future still loomed. Their conversation naturally drifted to Ares, and the weight of his absence hung in the air, casting a shadow over their words. Both women could feel the heaviness settling between them, unspoken but deeply felt.
"Have you seen or heard from Ares at all?" Gabrielle inquired. Xena's face fell, sadness sweeping over her as she shook her head.
"No, not since we came home from the doctor's appointment," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. Ares' absence felt like an unbearable weight on Xena, pressing down on her heart. Each day, the ache grew harder to ignore, leaving her longing for his touch and the security of his love.
Before the sadness could overwhelm her, Aphrodite showed up, her sudden appearance cutting through the gloom in the room. Without a word, she pulled Xena into a comforting hug, easing some of the emotions swirling inside. Xena leaned into her embrace, feeling the flood of emotions rise. Her tears gathered at the corners of her eyes, close to spilling over.
"I've been so worried about you, Xena," Aphrodite murmured.
"I've been talking to Ares, trying to get through to him, but it's like I'm hitting a brick wall every time I mention you or the baby." Xena's heart sank at Aphrodite's words.
"It's like he's not even the same person anymore," Xena whispered.
"I don't know what to do, Aphrodite. I feel like I'm losing him, and I don't know how to bring him back." Aphrodite's hug tightened, her silent support becoming a steady anchor as Xena's pain seemed to press down on them both. The quiet gave Xena space to reflect on what had been. She wondered if the love between her and Ares could ever be restored or if the damage was too deep. The uncertainty gnawed at her, making her question whether any hope for them still remained, or if it was gone for good.
~XA~
Aphrodite's heart sank as she spotted Ares lounging in his condo, looking distant and disconnected. His usual swagger was gone, replaced by an emptiness that tugged at her emotions. Seeing him like this only made the weight of Xena's pain heavier on her shoulders. She couldn't ignore it any longer—Xena's hurt had become her own, pushing her to finally confront Ares.
"Ares, what's going on between you and Xena?" Ares reclined lazily on his throne, a carefree smile forming at the corners of his lips.
"Xena? Who's Xena?" he replied, his tone casual and dismissive. Aphrodite's eyes widened in shock at his response.
"Your wife, Ares! Xena is your wife, and she's pregnant with your child!" Ares let out a hearty laugh, his attitude untroubled by Aphrodite's words.
"Sorry sis, you must have the wrong god. I don't have a wife," he declared, his tone still dismissive. Slowly, she approached him, her expression filled with concern and disbelief.
"Ares, please, don't do this. Xena needs you; your child needs you. You can't just abandon them like this," she pleaded, her voice full of desperation. But Ares merely waved her off, a smirk on his lips as he dismissed her concerns.
"Sorry tuts, but you've got the wrong brother. I don't do commitments."
Aphrodite left Ares' condo, her emotions all tangled up. She had come there hoping to knock some sense into him, to remind him of the love he had with Xena, but it wasn't going to be that simple. Ares remembered everything about his past except for his life with Xena, and it didn't make any sense to her. Frustrated and confused, she couldn't figure out why his memory was failing him only when it came to Xena and their family. As she stepped out into the open air, the weight of Xena's pain and the uncertain future they were all facing hit her hard, leaving her feeling more lost than ever.
~XA~
Ever since Ares's betrayal with Ashley, Xena hadn't seen him around the house. Ashley was also nowhere to be found. Xena couldn't help but assume that Ares had taken Ashley with him to wherever he had been staying lately. The house, once filled with their presence, now seemed eerily peaceful yet achingly lonely without him.
Despite his absence, the lingering scent of Ares still clung to every corner of the house, a constant reminder of the man she had loved and trusted. Whenever Xena glanced at the couch where they used to sit together, she couldn't shake the haunting images of their laughter and conversations that once filled the room. But each time those memories surfaced, she forcefully pushed them from her mind.
As Xena sat alone in the quiet of her home, she felt the ache of Ares not being there. His betrayal with Ashley had broken the peace they once had, leaving behind a deep emptiness that filled the house. The memories of their laughter and talks seemed to haunt her more with each passing moment, reminding her of what they used to share.
In an attempt to make sense of it all, Xena turned to her laptop, determined to unravel the truth behind Ashley. With trembling fingers, she typed Ashley's name into the search bar, hoping to find some trace of her online presence. But to her surprise, the search yielded no results. No social media profiles, no online presence whatsoever.
Creasing her brows in confusion, Xena searched deeper, scouring the internet for any information she could find. She tried searching for the neighbor Ashley claimed to have babysat for, but the results came up empty. As the realization sank in, Xena got angry. How could she have been so blind? How could she have trusted someone who had manipulated her so effortlessly? Slamming her laptop, she felt defeat wash over her.
She dialed Gabrielle's number. As the phone rang, she couldn't shake the feeling of urgency coursing through her veins. Finally, Gabrielle picked up.
"Hey," she said, her voice sounding uneasy.
"Xena, hey, what's up?" Gabrielle replied, her tone immediately shifting to concern upon hearing Xena's voice.
"I need to talk to you about something... about Ashley," Xena began, her words tumbling out in a rush. Gabrielle listened closely as Xena explained how she had tried to research Ashley online but found nothing, not even a trace of her existence beyond their initial meeting.
"I think... I think everything she told us was a lie," Xena confessed. Gabrielle remained silent for a moment, processing Xena's words.
"Are you sure?" she finally asked,
"Yes, I'm sure," Xena replied firmly.
As Xena hung up the phone, she felt a strong sense of determination. She wasn't going to let Ashley's lies slide, not after all the trouble they caused. With Gabrielle by her side, she felt ready to take on whatever came next to find out the truth.
~XA~
The room felt tense as soon as Ares appeared, startling Xena from her reading. It had been two long weeks since she last saw him or Ashley, and his sudden arrival sent a chill of uneasiness through her.
"You," Ares began, his voice laced with disbelief, "why are you still in my house?" Xena's brows creased withconfusion, her heart sinking at the coldness in his tone.
"This is my house too, Ares," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I'm your wife, don't you remember?" Ares's eyes darkened with anger, his words cutting through the air like a blade.
"I wouldn't marry anyone of your ilk," he spat.
"Get out of my house. Take all of your baby crap and leave." Xena's heart broke at his harsh words, tears filling her eyes as she watched him storm into the baby's room and throw their child's things at her. The bassinet was knocked over on the floor, a painful reminder of the love they had lost.
With shaking hands, Ares materialized with two large suitcases and started packing Xena's belongings roughly. His movements were frantic and disorganized. Xena tried to speak to calm him down, but his angry stare stopped her before she could say anything.
"Shut up," he growled, his voice dripping with malice as he conjured a fireball in his hand.
"Or I'll make sure you regret it."
When Xena rose to leave, Ares stopped her in her tracks. He thrusted the heavy suitcases into her arms with a forceful gesture.
"Grab these suitcases on your way out," he commanded, his eyes burning with rage. Struggling to carry the weight of her shattered dreams, Xena made her way downstairs and to her truck. Her heart was heavy with grief as she drove away from the home she had once shared with the man she loved. Xena's heart sank as she glanced back at the house one last time before pulling away. There, in the window, stood Ashley, waving with a sickeningly sweet smile plastered on her face. Anger surged through Xena as she realized the extent of the deception that had been perpetrated against her.
"Unbelievable," she muttered to herself, her grip tightening on the steering wheel as she drove further away from the place that had once been her home. With each mile that passed, the tears flowed freely.