So Much For A Relaxing Bath...

Disclaimer: Nope, contrary to popular belief, they don't belong to Gabs. They belong to Universal Studios or whoever else owns the rights to Xena. Short fic, one of my first forays into fic writing. Set sometime after S5 ep, Succession.

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Gabrielle's head broke the surface of the water. She pushed her hair back out of her eyes and leaned against the side of the tub, resting her head against her right hand thoughtfully. She studied the sais on the ground a few feet away. With a deep sigh, Gabrielle thought back over the past few weeks. What had changed? More importantly, why had it changed? It made no sense.

Shaking her head, Gabrielle decided to put that train of thought on hold until later. She just wanted to relax. A few moments later, that thought was also put on hold as she opened her eyes to see Ares giving her an appreciative look.

"What do you want?" she asked tiredly.

"Haven't I made that clear yet? Besides, it's not a bad view from my standpoint," he added seductively.

"What is it with you and hot tubs? Xena a few weeks ago, me now." Ares smiled, and Gabrielle couldn't deny that he was very easy on the eyes.

"Difference is, that was a half hearted last ditch effort to get her back. This is just the beginning for us." The God of War sat on the rim of the tub, making himself comfortable. Gabrielle rolled her eyes.

"There is no us," she replied

"But there can be," Ares added quickly. "You kick serious ass, Gabrielle. Imagine what it would be like… if you had my army. You and I could be the ones to lead the world into an era of peace and prosperity, the likes of which it has never known before." After a quick pause, he continued, sensing that he was wearing down her defenses.

"It could be perfect, Gabrielle. All the world... happy, you and I keeping the peace. With my help, you can change the world. You can make even more of a difference than you do now. You would be a positive influence on… well, everything. Tell me you can't envision that?" Ares had been leaning progressively closer during his speech. It was obvious that Gabrielle was now thinking about it.

"Hundreds of innocents could be saved. You would have the power to stop people; people like Caesar, Callisto, Alti, anyone you name." He reached out and gently turned her face until they were making eye contact. After a few silent heartbeats, he closed the small distance between them, leaning into a brief but passionate kiss. When Ares finally pulled back, he could see a maze of emotions running across Gabrielle's face.

"Think about it," he whispered as he disappeared. Long after he left, Gabrielle continued to stare at the spot he had vacated. Finally, she leaned back once again.

"So much for a relaxing bath," she mumbled, Ares' kiss still fresh in her mind.

The End…?