Chapter 27: Clash of Desires

Sunday. Xena felt the tingle down her spine that she enjoyed dearly. She rested her head on her pillow, wide awake. She wasn't able to sleep hardly at all after last night's events. Her mind raced all night. Ares materialized next to her, pulling her into his embrace from behind. He wrapped his hands around her belly. His heart swelled. Even though it had only been two weeks, her belly was noticeably bigger. Their baby was thriving.

"I've missed you, sweet," he nuzzled her hair and took in his favorite scent. He lazily rubbed his hands up her thighs. She turned in his embrace and captured his lips. She loved the taste of him. He opened her legs and nestled himself between her. She moved over away from him and rolled over. This action confused Ares. She's never turned him down before. However, she had a strange look on her face, one that subtly confused him.

"Are you feeling okay, princess?" He stroked her hair. She just laid there, silent. His heart sped up. Something was deeply bothering her, he could feel it, but what was it? He turned her face towards him, searching her eyes. She stared back blankly but held a sad expression. She debated if she wanted to discuss her position at the gym. She sighed. She didn't have the energy for a drawn-out debate, so she decided to let it go for now.

"I've been thinking...," she grabbed his hand and pulled him next to her, "...we need to think of a name for the baby." Ares felt the mood shift. He could tell this isn't what she was previously thinking about, however he knew he couldn't pull it out of her.

"Did you have anything in mind?" he rubbed her belly tenderly. He felt the baby's hard kick against his hand. He smiled. His baby was strong.

"No, I've been waiting for you to return, I want you to name our baby." Ares felt proud and honored. He was going to be naming their first child. He kissed her cheek.

"I'll be sure to think of a few names and run them by you."

~XA~

Hercules arrived at their cottage mid-afternoon. Gabrielle was reading on the couch, sipping a glass of wine. She opened the door for Hercules.

"Hey Herc," she casually said while taking a seat on the couch. He sat down a basket of fresh breads on the kitchen's cabinet.

"I brought some fresh bread from the bakery. Where's Xena?" Gabrielle grabbed her a roll and some honey buttered spread.

"Oh, she's back there in her room," she answered taking a bite of her warm roll. Before she could say anything else, Hercules was heading down the hallway.

"Hercules...wait...wait!" Gabrielle ran down the hallway to stop him. She grabbed his arm before he could reach for her doorknob. At that moment, they heard Xena's and Ares' moans of pleasure. His heart ached. She smiled sadly at him and pulled him back towards the front room area.

"Ares came back this morning." Hercules sat on the couch, annoyed. He'd hope Xena had considered his proposal.

"Did she tell you about yesterday?"

"She told me you asked for her hand in marriage. That's about it." He shook his head, relieved that Gabrielle didn't know of their lustful evening.

"Hercules, you've put Xena in a hard situation. She's already carrying Ares' baby and accepted his proposal. Now, she's supposed to decide between the both of you? I understand your side, wanting to step in before it's too late, but I'm just concerned about her altogether. I don't want you two adding to her stress level. Being pregnant is stressful enough as it is." She took another bite.

"I didn't mean for this to happen. After spending time with her, the feelings came flooding back. Plus, the thought of her being tied to Ares sickens me. He doesn't deserve her. She's too good for him."

"Now, that I can agree to. Just don't push her, okay? Give her time," she rubbed his arm and put on a movie.

Xena's door creaked open, catching their attention. The end credits were rolling, and Hercules was dozing off. She entered the front living area in her lounge clothes.

"What is that delicious smell?" her voice captured his attention. He rose from the couch to show her the freshly baked bread. He caught Ares' stare as he came into the room. He handed Xena a roll and spread on a dessert plate. He then kneeled on the floor and spoke to her baby as he caressed her belly. Xena softly placed her hand over his. She moved it so he could feel where the baby was kicking. Ares watched their actions attentively, as he stood only a few feet away from them. His stare burned a hole in Hercules, never taking his eyes off him. Gabrielle watched the scene as well, looking from Xena to Hercules and then to Ares. She could feel the tension in the room rising. She got up to break the tension by proposing a fun activity.

"How about we go see this new movie that just came out? It starts in about two hours." The group agreed, some more reluctantly than others.

Xena rode with Ares and Gabrielle with Hercules. Ares pulled up to the theater first and Hercules pulled up next to them, next to Xena's door. He eagerly got out his car and opened the door for her as Ares was headed to her side. A surge of frustration and rivalry coursed through him. Despite his efforts to maintain composure, he couldn't shake the feeling that Hercules was intentionally infringing on his territory. Opening the door felt like a big deal, adding to his worry that Hercules was trying to win Xena over. The parking lot became a silent battlefield, and Ares couldn't ignore the rising tension between him and Hercules.

Ares creased his brows and abruptly took the door from Hercules' hand. He couldn't help but catch Xena's soft smile directed at Hercules before he reached them. Making a mental note of it, Ares wrapped his arm around Xena and walked into the venue, shooting Hercules a glare filled with frustration. Gabrielle got out the car and asked,

"What's a girl got to do around here to get her door opened too?" Hercules looked at her and she laughed, although she was serious about her question. They were both drooling over Xena. She told Hercules to give her time, but geez, he was smothering her.

At their seats, Ares helped Xena sit down and made sure she was comfortable. He brought her a bucket of popcorn and water. He sat down on her left side. Hercules came and took a seat on her right side. As Ares observed Hercules taking the seat next to Xena, a surge of irritation rippled through him. Hercules softly squeezed Xena thigh and gave her a soft smile, as the lights went dark. The close proximity between Hercules and Xena heightened Ares' discomfort. The movie screen flickered to life, but Ares found it challenging to focus on anything other than the unwanted intrusion beside Xena.

Sitting in the middle of the escalating tension between Ares and Hercules, Xena couldn't help but feel caught in the crossfire of their unspoken rivalry. The subtle glances exchanged between the god and demigod made the growing intensity in the atmosphere leave her uneasy. She appeared calm on the outside, but underneath she felt uneasy and cautious. She laid her head on Ares' shoulder, hoping to calm him down.

Riding home, Gabrielle couldn't ignore the tension that had filled the air during the evening. She saw Hercules' attempts to outshine Ares and win Xena's favor, so she decided to address the issue.

"Hercules," Gabrielle began cautiously, "I can see you care about Xena, but pushing too hard might not end well. Give her some space and let things happen naturally. Trust me, she'll appreciate it more." Hercules, looking somewhat defensive, replied,

"Gabrielle, I just want the best for Xena. I feel like I could offer her a great life too. But, if you think I'm pushing too hard, maybe I'll take a step back. I don't want to cause her any stress." Gabrielle nodded with understanding.

~XA~

Monday. Xena took off work today. She was still feeling tired from the weekend's activities and wanted a day to just rest. Ares returned to work today, earlier than usual. He was upset that he didn't have a chance to tell Xena about her new position. He was going to ask her about it first but ultimately made the decision for her. He opened his laptop and removed her as one of the trainers, however, he added a new maternity yoga section. Feeling accomplished, he closed his laptop to clear out a side room for her to hold her classes. Before he could leave his office, there was a knock at his office door. It was Emma.

"Mr. Ares, you have a really great brother. He made sure to take care of Xena real good while you were away."

"Take care of her how?" He felt a rage building that he tried to swallow down.

"Well, for starters, he brought Xena lunch every day and he made sure to keep her company while she ate. He's a really good brother in law. He opens the door for her and all. A real gentleman." Ares seethed with growing rage as he absorbed the details about Hercules' intrusive efforts.

The idea of his rival bringing lunch daily and playing the part of a considerate brother-in-law intensified Ares' irritation. The mention of Hercules being a gentleman fueled a deep-seated anger within him. Ares felt the need to confront this invasion of his space, a surge of possessiveness taking over. The growing resentment hinted at a storm of emotions ready to break loose.

"Thank you Emma," Ares grabbed her into his embrace. Emma was taken back by his actions, as she blushed. She couldn't believe she was wrapped within Ares' strong arms. She inhaled his scent, he smelled amazing. Ares let her go and told her about Xena's new position. He wanted her help to set up the room. She became irritated at the sound of her name. She was constantly being thrown in her face.

~XA~

Xena rested in bed most of the day. She made a list of things she needed to discuss with Ares so she wouldn't forget. It was pretty late in the evening, and she heard Gabrielle's and Hercules' voices from the front room. Ares pulled up in his car and knocked on the front door, which was new for him. Gabrielle opened the door and gave him a quizzical gaze. He walked in and circled Hercules as he took a seat on the couch.

Xena walked out of the room when she heard the front door open again. As she reached the front room, her back cramped up, and she moaned holding on to her back, slightly bending over. Ares shot up like lightning, wrapping his arm around her, asking her what was wrong as Hercules held her other arm. She explained her back was cramping up. Ares slowly guided her to the stool as he prepared to work the cramp out of her back. Hercules positioned himself in front of her so she could rest her head on him, as she leaned forward. He placed both of her arms over his shoulders.

Ares boiled with fury as he witnessed Hercules tending to Xena. The knot of emotions within him tightened, and a wave of anger built up inside. He had reached the end of his patience and was no longer willing to be understanding. First, he needed to tend to Xena. Once Ares worked his magic on her back, she thanked him. Ares kissed her and spoke...

"Does anyone want to tell me what in TARTARUS is going on here!?" He threw his arms up in the air. He was fuming. Gabrielle pushed her hair behind her ear and placed her head down, not wanting to look at Ares. She knew this was going to happen, it was just a matter of time. Xena was silent. Ares continued to speak..

"I know something happened when I was gone and I tend to get to the bottom of it," he growled. Gabrielle's expression gave it all away. Xena blew out a long breath. Hercules spoke up and he stood face to face with Ares..

"I'm prepared to live with what I have to do. I've asked for Xena's hand in marriage, and I am willing to be a father to her child. We both know she deserves better than YOU."

The clash between Ares and Hercules erupted like a storm. Ares conjured fire balls that blazed through the air while Hercules ducked and dodged, taking swings at him whenever he found an opening. The sheer force of their blows sent shockwaves, shattering furniture and cracking the very foundation of the cottage.

Xena attempted to intervene, but Gabrielle pulled her out of harm's way. The two watched helplessly as the brothers clashed, wreaking havoc in the once serene space. Flames burned violently amidst the chaos as Ares and Hercules struggled for dominance.

The battle raged on, each powerful strike causing the cottage to groan under the pressure. During their heated argument, Xena had stepped in, trying to stop the chaos. But before either man could notice her, a powerful, accidental blow hit her, making her stagger and clutch her abdomen in pain.

Everything seemed to freeze as the room fell silent. Both Ares and Hercules stopped, their anger turning into pure shock. They stared at Xena, who was now on the floor, clearly hurt and distressed.

Ares' anger was replaced by panic, and it caused him to act first. He rushed to Xena, as he tried to see how badly she was hurt. The reality of knowing his actions had caused her pain was overwhelming.

Hercules was also overcome with fear as he knelt beside Xena. The situation of what happened hit him hard, filling him with deep regret.

Gabrielle refused to let the chaos keep going. Driven by anger and a fierce need to protect, she quickly went to Xena's side. She gave both Ares and Hercules an angry look, her voice slicing through the tense air.

"Stay away from her!" Gabrielle's command was filled with frustration and rage. Ignoring any attempts to explain or protest, she helped Xena out of the damaged cottage, determined to get her to safety.