Disclaimer: The characters you recognize from 'Xena: Warrior Princess' and/or 'Hercules: the Legendary Journeys' don't belong to me, they belong to whoever owns/wrote/created them. No copyright infringement intended, okay? I'm just borrowing them! The story belongs to me and so do any original characters.

Author's Note: Well, jeeze, lookie at all the people. looks up innocently at the readers Takes place in an AU "Animal Attraction," glossing over or completely ignoring "Succession," and goes farther off from there. I also feel the need to inform you that pretty much all my views of A/X with kids have already been represented through Skkye Blue's "Dark Revelations," Lady Kate's "Second Chances" and Nancy Lorenz's "Children of the Gods" series. While I regard those stories fondly, any resemblances are extremely unintentional. Incidentally, the title is roughly taken from several of similar vein by Illyandria, in a completely different spin. Okay, finish the boring disclaimers and stuff and READ!

Dedications: Still the same people it's always been dedicated to. Especially to Illy, LK, Tali, Tango, Rissy, Kat, and everyone who I still see online, as that's not many anymore.

Summary: An AU look at season 5 of X:WP and beyond, starting with a fairly accurate "Animal Attraction." Instead of the Eve plotline, a different take ensues. A/X

Warnings: Sexual content, cursing, mild violence

Rated: R

Date Started/Finished: October 24, 2005/December 17, 2006

Illusion in War's Arms By Delenn

"… Ares?"

Despite the glare, the silence spoke volumes.

In the ensuing chaos, it took Gabrielle a good amount of time before she could catch Xena alone again to continue their discussion. But she hadn't forgotten the words, or the silence.

"Xena?"

A pause, a quick look, and then another question, "Gabrielle?"

Shifting uncomfortably, still thrown completely off guard and into the realm of do-not-go-there, Gabrielle took a moment to launch into her reasons, her questions, and her demands. "About before..."

This time the look was long, and the sigh was tired, "What's to say?" Neither had forgotten.

The silence was so busy whispering possibilities that it took Gabrielle time to regroup in the face of certainty and questioning. Xena had caught her off guard before, but... "When?"

Xena's look was quick and sharp, as though Gabrielle's acceptance had made it more real to her. As though the question didn't make her blush. A smirk without the usual strength behind it, "About a month ago."

After the crash back to reality, this crash had been more literal. So much had been said, so much done, and then there had been that moment.

That moment where the only part of the world she knew was happy and right and peaceful. Of course, it hadn't lasted. Not that she would have wanted to live out the rest of her life an ignorant, defenseless, dress-wearing fool.

But, she'd give anything to get that feeling back.

Maybe that was what had spawned it. That need for a moment of peace. She'd lost herself three times over. Lost to death. Lost to hell. Lost to peace. She hadn't known what was left.

She'd remembered though, that he'd been there. And that her no-war self had definitely had some insights on the him issue. Nothing had happened then. Nothing like this crash, anyway.

Everything had just been so intense as of late. Coming back from crucifixion and death tended to give life a bit of an edge.

Still, she has no idea how all that has led her here, crashing to the hard ground, hands too busy to catch her, and then rolling. Taking him with her, his hands moving quickly towards the realm of no return. There have been so many of those realms lately. And she has come back from every one.

Gasping, she pulls away for breath and, not bothered by such concerns, his lips only pause a moment before moving lower, tracing recently bared skin. She pushes him back, down to the ground, hands following to rip his vest open - and she has to admit that she's not exactly a bystander in all this.

Then he pulls her down against him, wrapping his arms around her as their naked bodies crush together and her lips reclaim his. And she gives in. Gives up analyzing and reasoning and wondering if this is 'wrong.' Slips her hands between them and pushes away the last remnants of armor and cloth, tossing it to be scattered to the side, as his hands possessively trace her back and their bodies press together.

Her mouth opens a little, tearing away from his, "Ares," gasping. Crashing.

"What are you going to do?" The question was innocent enough, but Xena was in no mood for innocence.

Still a cross between shocked and angry, Xena's response was harsh, "About what?" And she had a fleeting hope that her tone would be enough to stop all the questions that she still had no answers for.

Gabrielle, however, was always able to see through her friend's bluffs; this occasion proved no different. "Well, for one, are you going to tell him?"

"I don't know, Gabrielle…" head dipped as she stared at lined and hardened hands. "I just, I don't know."

Voice saddened, Gabrielle took in the discomfort that this whole process was causing her friend. "Oh, Xena." The sympathy was palpable, but Gabrielle knew better than to keep up that voice. Instead, turned away, went back to cooking, "Well, I think you should tell him."

Back turned, she missed the sharp and surprised look that Xena shot at her.

It wasn't until much later that Xena found herself alone, waiting, contemplating, but also knowing that she'd already decided. Just this once, she would have given anything for one his "unexpected" visits. Save her the trouble of calling for him. To him. "Damnit Ares, get down here!"

When there was no immediate response, she had a moment of doubt. She had no idea what to do if he didn't come... was that it, then? He'd gotten what he wanted from her and nothing was left? "Ares!"

The flash of blue light that met her statement was both angry and harried. "All right, all right... As shocking as it might be, Princess, I do have duties other than waiting on your every beck and call. There's a war in Thrace and all Tartarus is breaking loose between Athena and Apollo-"

His tone was sharp, befitting to his rush, but it did nothing to soothe Xena's already irritated self. "I'm pregnant."

Caught in the middle of what looked to be quite a rant, Ares stood stunned. Gaping. Regrettably silent.

And, whatever she had been expecting, this wasn't it. Fists clenched, "That's right. You got my body and you got me pregnant." A vicious sneer, "Got exactly what you wanted."

In the face of her anger, he was frustrated - in the face of her announcement, he was astounded. "What do you want me to say?" After the first burst of anger, the astonishment was winning, "I didn't expect this... but this is..."

Before he could finish the thought, she'd turned and stalked away from him. Too angry to hear any possible upsides, especially from him, and too frightened at what this all meant for them. Too many questions still left unanswered and the God of War standing, dazed, at her back.

"Ares, what are you doing?" She sounded incredulous and grouchy.

Shrugging sheepishly, Ares hazarded a response, "Keeping an eye out on you?"

With a quick step over the thug between them, Xena advanced on her new prey. "I was perfectly capable of handling one warlord." She was still in peak shape, Ares could tell, as she reached for her sword, "I've handled many more than him," as a matter of fact, nobody could even tell that the Warrior Princess was changed. "I don't need your protection."

Ares let her sword come to rest against his chest, let her rampage finish. Then, he pushed it away, firmly, and regarded her irritably, "Maybe you don't get to make that decision anymore!"

For a moment, he thought that she was going to take off his head, for all the good it would do. But the anger faded out of her eyes, and Xena slumped down heavily, avoiding his gaze. "Damnit, you can't just follow me around all the time."

"Why not?" Inwardly he added that somebody had to watch her back.

Spinning away from him, hands thrown up in the air, Xena exclaimed, "That's not how it works!"

He was one step ahead of her. When she spun around, he was there, reaching out to grab her flailing arms and hold her still. "How does it work then, Xena? You tell me."

The tension in her gave way at his touch and she allowed herself to be pulled into his arms. "I don't know." And she didn't. Didn't know how they worked. How custody would work. Visiting her mother one week, his sisters the next? None of it made any sense.

Looking up from her latest scroll, Gabrielle found Xena staring pensively at her. It had been occurring more and more often lately, and Gabrielle was concerned. When Xena was quiet, even for Xena, Gabrielle knew that they needed to talk. "Xena, are you all right?"

"How can you be okay with this?"

The words were spit out quickly; Xena's gaze focused intensely on her friend, but Gabrielle didn't need more than a second to realize where this conversation was headed. "You mean," Gabrielle swallowed quietly and put her scroll off to the side, "you being pregnant?"

It was only now, when Gabrielle's gaze became so pointed, that Xena averted her own. "After all that's happened," the Warrior Princess paused, choked on the words, "with Hope and Solan..."

"That's precisely why I'm okay with this," Gabrielle caught her friend's astonished look and continued without pause. "I'd be lying if I said it didn't - it hurts, of course it does, to remember Hope and wonder what if... but we both have our specters, Xena." She was silent for a moment, always having to face that moment of reflection that her daughter had killed Xena's son. Gabrielle shook her head, willing old guilts away, "This is a second chance - for both of us. Just because you get the joys of morning sickness, don't think for a moment that I won't love your child and watch her grow up."

Both women offered a half-smile at the joke, and Xena moved to pull her friend into a hug. It wouldn't be easy, but it was a relief to know that they would be okay, after all.

After they had pulled away, and silence had been allowed to smooth the rougher edges of emotion, Xena smirked. "Ares thinks it's a girl, too."

Startled, Gabrielle regarded her friend and her feelings on the matter. Whatever her personal issues with Ares, Gabrielle couldn't deny that she was slightly relieved to hear that Xena had talked with him. Obviously there were more feelings on both sides than either would admit to, Gabrielle had seen more than enough evidence to support that, even discounting Xena's current condition.

Keeping quiet, Gabrielle decided that, at this point, it would probably be better for all concerned if she left Xena and Ares to themselves. If there were problems, she'd just make sure that the God of War heard about it.

It had been inevitable to everyone but Xena. As a point of fact, it was miraculous that things had lasted as long as they did, unchanged. But practical necessities could only be denied for so long, and Xena had pushed the limit to its utmost extreme.

"Uh, Xena..." Gabrielle kept her gaze pointedly away from the warrior. They were friends, of course, but touchy subjects were best tread on cautiously.

From where she was getting out of her bedroll, the day suspiciously quiet and Xena's sleep understandably long, Xena demanded, "What? Gabrielle, can't it wait until after I get dressed?"

"Actually," Gabrielle could feel the sharp glare on her back without being able to see it. "It can't. That's the point, Xena."

"What do you mean?"

Gabrielle had come to the recent realization that there was nothing with the fury of a pregnant Warrior Princess. She could only imagine how Ares was faring on his end of things. Not well, was the conclusion of such thoughts. "Don't you think," she hazarded a glance towards her friend, "that it's time for a bit of a change?"

"A change of what, Gabrielle." This time, the pronunciation of 'Gabrielle' had a definite edge to it.

And, if Gabrielle had learned anything about Xena over the years, it was that bluntness was the only route in the face of Xena's stubbornness. "Xena, if you have any illusions of being able to wear your leathers after the baby, it's time to give them up."

For a good minute or two, the Warrior Princess was stunned into silence. Her eyes took in her rounding stomach and her face, set in stone, was furious.

She stood, back rigid and straight and, for a second, Gabrielle thought that Xena was going to attempt the leathers against all odds. But Xena just hissed out one word, low and threatening, "Ares."

To his credit, the God of War appeared almost instantaneously and, if he was surprised at Xena's lack of formal dress, it wasn't apparent. "You called?"

Whatever she had been planning to say died on the tip of her tongue. Xena glared at Ares, apparently beyond all words, and then turned viciously, stalking into the forest.

Ares blinked. "What did I do?" Looked at Gabrielle, who shrugged and turned away, refusing to be a party to the increasingly strange interactions between the God of War and Warrior Princess.

Not having really expected any answers from Gabrielle, Ares sighed, resigned, and strode off after Xena.

When he caught up to Xena, who was leaning against a large tree and ignoring his presence, Ares did his best to keep his voice neutral. "Oh no you don't. Damnit, Xena, you wanted me here - you don't get to just run away because you changed your mind!"

His failed attempt at control amused her. Made her spit out things she was trying to keep unsaid. "I need new leathers."

Deflated in his anger, Ares took a moment to wonder if that warranted such a production. His eyes took in Xena's slightly enlarged form. "Is that all?"

Seeing that he was about to wave his hand and call it good, Xena interrupted, "All! Is that all? It's all your fault!" She took a deep breath, and then shot a sharp glance at the God of War, "And if you dare make some comment about it taking two of us, then so help me..."

Biting back just such a comment, he instead took a moment to regard the raging Warrior Princess. "Xena," he began calmly, "they're just leathers. In a few months you'll be back in them, good as new." A pause, and then exactly what everyone else had been wondering, "You had to have known this was coming."

"That doesn't mean I like it."

Well aware that this was more about the baby, his baby, their baby, than any clothing issues, Ares decided to work one point at a time. "Well, you came to the right god anyway," his tone was humorous, "I might not know much about fashion, but I know leather, I know armor, and I know you," he'd stepped closer and his voice had dropped with each soft, deliberate statement.

Waited until he was right in front of her, her own voice low, "You've never known me." A smirk.

Matching her smirk, Ares shrugged, up to the challenge. "Yeah?"

A wave of his hand and she was re-clothed in a higher-waisted, shorter version of her leathers, complete with minimized armor and comfortable, cream-colored pants.

Xena regarded her new attire and couldn't find any faults with his sense - it would serve well enough for the duration of her pregnancy. One eyebrow rose, "What did you do with my leathers?"

"Oh, I've got them in a safe place," Ares appraised her new look and decided that it would do, especially with the vicious and amused look she was shooting him. "Until later then, my dear."

Xena laughed, shaking her head, as he took her hand and kissed the knuckles, a motion that hadn't been used in some time, before disappearing with a last mime of 'just call.'

As she'd gotten heavier, the Warrior Princess had simultaneously become more irritated by Ares' continued presence and less able to resist.

At the first hint of trouble, Ares was there, glowering over them and, most of the time, frightening away whatever would-be thugs had appeared without any bloodshed. He'd then grumble something about the poor caliber of recent warfare and lament said lack of carnage.

Xena had given up on her cracks at how much time he was spending watching them.

And it wasn't as though Xena didn't get any action. More days than not, after Ares had used his 'I am the God of War' voice and scared away Xena's entertainment, she would drag him off for their own sparring session. If he was going easier on her than normal, he wasn't stupid enough to make it apparent.

Gabrielle was glad for these moments because they kept Xena occupied, even if they usually resulted in raised voices and one warrior or the other storming away.

It seemed, if possible, that Ares and Xena had actually managed to develop even more issues to contend with.

A clash of swords brought them face-to-face, inches apart, pressing forward for that long-sought advantage. Simultaneously, the swords dropped, clattering in a muffled crash to the ground.

Hands reached up, tangling a mix of limbs as the gap closed and mouths fused together, perhaps still battling. It was hard to tell anymore.

Gasping, from both the fight and the kiss, they broke apart, foreheads resting together. Ares, bent slightly, loosened his hands from Xena's hair and began to trail them softly down her body. It always started like this: random, gasping, a moment of indecision or a moment of decision, hands roaming.

The next step, however, was always a surprise. To both of them. This time, she pulled away, body still heaving, and gently placed a hand against his chest. "Ares..." Xena brushed away his wandering hands, "We can't."

A snort was her response but Ares did remove his hands, crossing his arms over his chest and awaiting her excuse.

"We have to stop this... falling together... it just makes things worse." Xena had turned her back on Ares, as though she was afraid to look him in the eyes, lest she betray her own statement.

With a long-suffering sigh, Ares came around in front of Xena, tilting her chin up so that she could look at him. "Xena, you're pregnant. How much more complicated can it get?" His tone was half frustration and half veiled amusement.

She batted his hand away, her own going to cradle her swollen abdomen.

When no admonishment was forthcoming, Ares moved in for a soft kiss, pulling a passive Xena into his arms. If she didn't want to fuck or fight, fine, but he wasn't going away that easily.

Xena allowed a few more kisses before elaborating, "You're just going to be up to the same old schemes, and I'm too hormonal..." To what?

Her excuses were weak and they both knew it. But Ares couldn't get over the initial insult of the first statement. He was tempted to ask 'why?' and see if she had any reasonable response. It was him who pushed away. "Godsdamnit, Xena, you think that's what this," he gestured wildly with his arms, indicating that 'this' was more than the current, "is about?"

Noting the raised voice and sharp, affronted look in his eye, Xena countered, "I don't know what this is about!" She took a step closer, glaring sharply between him and her stomach, "This was supposed to be a one time thing, not this back and forth. Not this."

Despite a malice-filled start, her tirade petered out toward the end. The supposed was irrelevant in point, rendering all the accusations and speculation useless. She was pregnant, her second chance that shouldn't be, and it was spinning her life out of all normalcy.

With a clenched jaw, Ares disappeared in shards of crystalline blue and white light.

It had actually taken a near-miraculous rainstorm to get Aphrodite to make an appearance. Xena had been expecting the ditzy love goddess to appear, so the only surprise was how long it took.

The torrential rainstorm and Gabrielle's incessant concerns of Xena catching a cold had forced the two traveling companions into the nearest shelter. Even through the pouring rain, Xena could spy statues of the scantily clad goddess adorning the courtyard.

While Gabrielle was occupied with getting warm in the apparently abandoned old temple, Xena took the opportunity to dry off. She was just shaking out her hair when a cheerful voice announced, "You know, it's so much quicker this way," and Xena found herself perfectly dry.

A glance upwards confirmed the presence of the Goddess of Love. "Aphrodite. What a surprise." Her voice was as dry as the rest of her.

Lounging on a newly present divan, Aphrodite offered a little wave, "Hey, a goddess of love gets busy from time to time. But when I saw you come into one of my temples, I just had to drop by."

Xena braced herself, glancing futilely to the side room - but Gabrielle was nowhere in sight.

Aphrodite regarded the Warrior Princess for a moment, then a huge grin lit up her face. "Ooh, look at you! How's my little niece or nephew treating you, Warrior Babe?"

Frightened by the prospect of Aphrodite breaking out into baby voices, all directed at her stomach, Xena quickly crossed the room and came to sit next to the goddess. "Keeping me on my toes."

"Oh, I know! When I was pregnant with Cupie, I just had the most awful mood-swings. Hephie and Ar wouldn't talk to me for months because the crying freaked them out."

Xena offered an indulgent smile, even if she was convinced that pregnancy would be a lot easier if one could just zap anything they wanted. She raised an eyebrow; "I might be able to pull off some tears if it would get Ares to leave me alone."

Giving a deep sigh, Aphrodite shook her head at the other woman, "No luck, Warrior Babe, I don't think Bro's gonna leave for anything... You should see--" Awkwardly, Aphrodite cut herself off, with a little 'oops' face.

"See what, Aphrodite?" Xena suddenly was glad that Gabrielle was out of the room if it allowed Aphrodite's penchant for gossip to come forward.

Rising gracefully, Aphrodite surveyed the room with some suspicion, "Bro's gonna be real pissed that I talked to you," she rolled her eyes at Xena's disbelieving look.

Xena waited. Sure enough, the silence got to Aphrodite and she came back to sit down, whispering conspiratorially, "Ar tells me things he wouldn't tell... I mean... he's totally gaga over the baby." Suddenly serious, Aphrodite regarded Xena, "Look, I know you two have lots of issues, Babe, but I've never seen Ar this happy..."

"I think I've got this place figured out."

Xena turned at the sound of Gabrielle's voice and, when she looked back, the Goddess of Love was gone. Shaking her head, the warrior wondered what to make of the seemingly honest confession. How happy could Ares really be? But she couldn't deny the special relationship between the God of War and his blonde sister. If anybody would know, it would be Aphrodite...

"Xena?" Gabrielle reentered the room and regarded her friend nervously, "Where'd that couch come from?"

Stomping out of the forest, Xena's eyes flashed as she sat down next to the fire and began viciously slashing her sword across stone. "Sometimes, I just hate him!"

"You're having his baby, surely there must be more to it than that." Gabrielle glanced up from her bedroll at the quieting of metal-on-stone, to see her friend staring pensively into the campfire. She'd kept her peace for months now, but enough was enough - Xena's mood-swings, especially concerning the nearly ever-present God of War, were bordering on ridiculous.

After a long sigh, pained eyes looked back at her, "Gabrielle. It's - it's complicated."

Xena resumed staring into the fire, her mouth closing firmly, even if she had planned on elaborating. Of course it was complicated - everything with the God of War was. And of course she didn't completely hate him, but that didn't really mean anything.

Whether she loved him or hated him, what did it matter now? She'd had a moment of weakness, of lo- of weakness, and now everything was different. They were different and yet, still the same stubborn people.

It was becoming harder to remember that moment where the only self she was still sure of involved him. Where she'd given up worrying and analyzing and given in to the sureness of them.

But, after her impromptu conversation with Aphrodite, Xena was beginning to doubt Ares' feelings, to doubt her own... The more she thought about it, the less sure she was - about anything.

The fire held no easy answers.

Sitting tersely on Argo, who seemed content with the slow paced trot, Xena glowered into the never-ending expanse of scenery that she'd never been able to 'properly appreciate,' as Gabrielle put it.

Gabrielle sighed, deciding that she'd kept her peace for long enough. "Xena, this trip is supposed to be so that you can relax. So why do you look increasingly depressed?"

Silence met both the statement and question, as though Xena were too lost in her own world to have even noticed Gabrielle's speech. Her hands absently caressed her heavy belly, the source of her increasing girth and stress.

Casting a worried glance at her friend, Gabrielle chewed on her bottom lip.

All she knew was that a few days ago, Ares had manifested himself, demanding that him and Xena talk and shooing Gabrielle away. From her position, sitting by the river, Gabrielle had heard the customary raised voices and angry exclamations. When she'd finally dared to venture back into the war-zone, Ares had been gone, and Xena was packing up her bedroll with the singular announcement that they were going to visit her mother.

Later, when Xena was asleep and Gabrielle was scratching out her newest poem - a new venture she was attempting in light of the boggling circumstances her life was taking - Ares had made a second appearance, informing Gabrielle that Xena needed rest. She, Gabrielle, was supposed to get Xena to Cyrene's at all costs because, as Ares had irritably pointed out, it was quite probably the only place Xena would consider relaxing in.

Gabrielle was not excited to find out how Ares had won that particular argument, and so it remained a mystery. Xena's silences - they were easier to understand.

The Warrior Princess was not looking forward to seeing her mother - well, at least, not in light of the circumstances that demanded her visit - that much was obvious. Gabrielle couldn't imagine that Xena was looking forward to sharing the details of her pregnancy, and the father, with Cyrene, who would undoubtedly want to know. But, as the birth drew nearer, the best place for Xena seemed to be her mother's - even if some awkward silences would ensue.

Whatever measure of peace that Ares and Xena had obtained during Xena's pregnancy seemed to be over. Now that their child's presence in the world was imminent, the two seemed to have developed a barrage of new, practical issues to bicker and fight over. The topmost, which seemed to have reached an uneasy consensus from what Gabrielle could gather, had been where Xena was to have the baby.

Given the rows she'd been able to hear, despite a considerable distance between her and the combatants, Gabrielle could only hope that Cyrene's presence would have a calming effect on Xena - something had to.

The door to the tavern creaked open, and Cyrene looked up to see Gabrielle come in, her hands fidgeting despite her smile.

Cyrene finished up with her customer and made her way toward the bard. "Gabrielle, it's so good to see you... is--?"

"She's just getting the horses settled in," Gabrielle responded before the older woman could finish her sentence. Gabrielle liked Cyrene, and she hoped that Xena's condition wouldn't be too much of a shock.

With the knowing gaze of a mother, Cyrene nodded, convinced that all was typical, and went to hurry out the few remaining customers so that she could have some time to visit with her daughter. It was almost closing time anyway and surely nobody would begrudge her a few extra moments with her child.

Soon enough, Xena entered, looking as collected and stoic as ever when she caught sight of Gabrielle and her mother's backs. In no rush, Xena waited until she'd reached Gabrielle's side before announcing her presence, "Hello, mother."

"Oh, Xena, I'm so glad you came-" Cyrene turned mid-sentence and was stopped short by the sight of her expanded daughter. There were a few seconds of awkward silence as Cyrene orientated herself, "I see we have quite a lot to discuss. I'll finish closing up."

Without another glance at Xena's pregnant belly, Cyrene turned and hurried to finish her business dealings and get noisy neighbors out of earshot.

Gabrielle bit her lip, nervously trying to gauge the reactions between mother and daughter. "Xena," she waited until the warrior focused on her, "why don't you go sit down? I'll help Cyrene get rid of the stragglers."

It looked like Xena was about to protest, but Gabrielle's glance let her know that any argument was futile. Xena snorted and motioned Gabrielle on her way. It had turned out that her best friend was just as much a mother hen about Xena's pregnancy as the God of War. The Warrior Princess was tempted to tell them this resemblance, but it struck her as slightly cruel.

All too quickly, Cyrene was pulling up a chair next to her daughter, and Gabrielle was nowhere to be found. "I suppose I should be happy that I'll get to welcome my grandchild into the world, instead of just hearing about it after the fact."

Xena didn't deny the statement, simply sagging under her mother's gaze and awaiting the inevitable questioning. Not to disappoint, Cyrene began gently, "How are you doing?"

"I'm pregnant, Mom. I feel the size of a small army, and I can't see my boots." Xena raised an eyebrow and waited, knowing that her mother could come up with something better.

"And I suppose there's no nice young man helping you into those boots?" Cyrene didn't have to examine her daughter that closely to discern that Xena hadn't settled down and gotten married. It wasn't her style.

Despite her best efforts to the contrary, Xena blushed. "No," not exactly.

"Mmm, but there was a young man?"

Xena smirked, looking down at her stomach, "Well, obviously." Ares was, most assuredly, a man.

Reaching across the table, Cyrene took Xena's hands in her own, and waited a long time before speaking. "Are you going to make me guess, or tell me who the father is?"

The Warrior Princes almost pulled her hands away, tensing, but then made a forced effort to relax. "You're not going to be happy,"

Offering a comforting squeeze and bracing herself for the worst, Cyrene began, "Xena, you're my daughter. I want to see you happy," she took in the frown of worry on her daughter's face, "are you happy?"

Ducking her hands out of her mother's and floundering for an adequate explanation, Xena settled instead for, "It's not that simple."

Now Cyrene's eyes narrowed in suspicion, "Did he leave? If he left you, I'll hunt him down and show him my new axe... I'll-"

"It's Ares."

Stopped full fault in the middle of a tirade, Cyrene stared at the younger woman, trying to discern if she'd just heard what she thought she'd heard. "What?"

Her head turned away from Cyrene's probing stare, Xena continued, "Actually, he was the one who suggested I come," her tone was still irritated over that particular conversation, "to get some rest."

Thrown horribly off guard by Xena's statements and the implications of her relationship with the God of War, Cyrene could only ask, "So, then, are you two...?"

"No." Xena shifted uncomfortably,

Cyrene was incredulous, "No? What do you mean 'no'? Xena, you're having his child!" She searched her daughter's averted face and shook her head, knowing that Xena had probably shared similar thoughts. But a mother worried for her child - it was Cyrene's job to remind Xena of necessary facts.

"He doesn't - we don't-" more issues of her past, especially with Ares, that she didn't want to discuss, "he's the God of War, Mom, it's not that simple." Xena settled for repetition, knowing that a fuller explanation would take years.

"I'm well aware of what he is, in case you've forgotten our last meeting," Cyrene snapped out, and then instantly regretted her tone at the hurt look in Xena's eyes. "So, is he going to be showing up around here?"

Xena could see this conversation going to so many unpleasant places, and she had a great desire to avoid that. It was too tiring, sorting all this out. "If he does, I'm a grown woman, Mother, I'll handle Ares."

Cyrene looked about to protest, but Xena rose heavily from the table and cut her off, "Now, I'm sure you're anxious to get more details out of Gabrielle. I'm going to take a nap, I think."

Sighing at the stubborn 'end of conversation' look in her daughter's eyes, Cyrene stood and pulled Xena into a hug before shooing her off to bed. If Xena were going to stay for a while, there would be plenty of time to work out those missing years. Too many missing years.

She made it up to her old room before that telltale tingle skittered up her spine. Xena sighed and closed the heavy wooden door, twisting the lock resolutely. "Eavesdropping again?"

Strong hands moved to her shoulders and massaged the tension out of them in firm but gentle caresses. "Why?" He let the question drop as Xena leaned back against him, seemingly admitting that it had been an unnecessary welcome. "Just seeing how you're settling in."

It was nice, every once in a while, to just stay like this. It couldn't last, the calmness between them - it never did - but Xena wasn't about to rush its inevitable devolution. "Mom took it pretty well."

"Does that mean I don't get to whisk you off to one of my dark fortresses?" One hand paused its massage to brush her hair aside, and his words traced her ear.

"Which one were you thinking of?" She was enjoying the easy banter as the knots were eased from her body.

Ares' arms slowly moved around Xena, supporting her relaxed weight and taking the opportunity to encircle her stomach. "Iulis - our presence would go fairly unnoticed and the view is wonderful right now."

Xena smirked, tilting her head to the side to regard Ares. "What happened to Abdera?"

"Athena's decided that she couldn't leave well enough alone," he sighed, knowing that it was useless anyway, Xena had no more illusions of running off to one of his temples than the last few months they'd been debating the issue.

They stayed silent for a long while. After a time, Ares asked, "So, Cyrene's okay with this, then?" As always, the this was vague but pointed.

"She's okay with me being here." Xena wiggled out of his arms and turned to face the God of War, "But I wouldn't be dropping by for dinner, if I were you."

Her response was rolled eyes, "Xena, I don't even drop by for dinner with my parents, let alone Gabrielle and Cyrene."

Moving to sit on her bed, Xena sighed, "I mean it, Ares. You probably shouldn't be dropping by at all." As soon as it was out, Xena knew it was a useless statement.

He ignored the insinuation that it wasn't just Cyrene who didn't want him there. "Your mother doesn't scare me that much," a raised eyebrow, "Be seeing you, Princess." And she was alone again.

Lying down, Xena fought away the conflicting feelings welling up in her.

The first time Xena walked down for breakfast, followed only minutes later by Ares' form, Gabrielle glanced anxiously between the two and Cyrene.

Xena had her head down, determinedly beginning her meal, while Ares walked stiffly toward an extra chair (that had appeared when, exactly?) and sat down awkwardly.

Cyrene took it about as well as could be expected. She paused for a moment, frozen in the midst of setting down a bowl of fruit. Then she straightened, looking for a moment like she might walk away, and sat down instead. Glanced at Gabrielle, Xena, Ares. "I was wondering if you were planning on a proper introduction. Or was that where you tried to have me killed?"

Looking up sharply, Xena admonished, "Mom," but it lacked conviction, considering she'd had more than enough fights with Ares over similar topics.

Sitting at the table, out of place, not eating since he was a god and it hardly mattered, Ares promptly replied, "I don't know. Gabrielle, did I try to kill you when we first met?" His eyes didn't leave Cyrene's.

Flustered at the actual use of her name, Gabrielle floundered as she tried to swallow her food and make an adequate reply. It didn't seem to matter though, as Cyrene spoke before the bard had a chance, her comment directed at Xena, "Well, dear, now I completely understand what you see in him." Her lips were pinched tight.

Not missing a beat, Ares smirked, "That's nice of you, Cyrene. And here I thought this might be uncomfortable. Xena said dinner was out of the question, so I opted for breakfast. Should we have tried lunch instead?"

Apparently, sarcasm was the wrong choice, as Cyrene very quietly and calmly responded, "While I have resigned myself to your presence in my daughter's life, that does not mean your presence is welcome in my home."

Finally, Xena looked up, glaring at Ares as if to say 'I told you so' and making no move to demand he stay.

Ares sighed as he glanced at Xena. This was a test, he was completely convinced by the look in her eyes, and if he didn't find a way to make peace with Cyrene, it would definitely stop any morning visits. Xena was stubborn like that. Repressing the urge roll his eyes, Ares began, "While I had every confidence in Xena's abilities to foil my plan, I do... regret... it. I promise it was nothing personal, and that I have no intentions of repeating the instance or any similar ones."

It was quite the speech for Ares, and he did his best to sound as contrite and charming as possible.

Cyrene blinked. She had limited experience with gods, especially this one, but she was pretty sure that they didn't have regrets. And she was old enough to realize that this was a form of apology, if staged more for Xena's benefit than her own.

The room was silent - even Xena had stopped eating to look up, her stare firmly on her mother. It was Gabrielle who broke the silence, "Honestly, I think you were too busy ignoring me."

Having had enough time to contemplate, Cyrene began to eat, perhaps a little grateful for the change in subject.

Ares laughed, not unkindly, and turned to Xena, "She's just now figuring this out?"

Shaking her head to dissuade a slight smile, Xena returned to her meal. Unsure what all this meant, Ares remained cautiously in his seat, half expecting another invitation to leave.

"So, Ares, do you have any hobbies?" Cyrene didn't glance up from her food as she spoke.

Wide-eyed, Ares tried to figure out where the question had come from, while Xena recovered enough from choking on her food to offer, "Mom, he's the God of War."

Ares was inclined to agree, but apparently Cyrene was not. "I'm well aware of that fact, thank you, Xena. That doesn't mean he can't have hobbies," she turned to Ares, "Well?"

Frantically, Ares cast around for a suitable topic. He didn't think anyone would take kindly to his war-related hobbies. "Uh... sometimes I go hunting with my sister..." It seemed reasonable enough.

Xena looked up, surprised. "Artemis?"

Smirking, Ares replied, "Do you really think Aphrodite would use a bow? It might chip her nails."

Raising an eyebrow, Xena fought back her own smirk, "You better hope she didn't hear that."

Joining in the conversation, Gabrielle added, "Yeah, she might make you fall in love with a toad."

"Don't give her ideas," Ares mock-cringed.

Seemingly satisfied, Cyrene returned to her meal.

Breathing heavily, they ended up face-to-face, swords at each other's necks. Ares smirked. "Well, my dear, it seems we're at an impasse."

"Oh, really?" With a wicked twist, exceptionally impressive given her state of pregnancy, Xena pulled back and swung around; her sword came to rest at Ares' chest before he could mount a counter-attack.

With a sigh, Ares sheathed his sword as Xena lowered hers. A blink, and he was behind her, arms coming around her waist as her sword slipped from her grasp. "I stand corrected."

Resting her hands over his, Xena took a moment to review the fight. "Careful, I might think you're going easy on me."

A snort was her reply, but Ares didn't deny it.

Content, Xena tilted her head back and caught Ares' lips for a brief kiss. Noted his raised eyebrow and rested her head on his chest, letting him support her. "Mmm... this is becoming a habit."

"It almost makes me doubt your hatred." His head lifted to regard her in mock-seriousness.

Loosening herself from his arms enough to turn around, Xena shook her head. "My mother's warming to you."

"Xena." Ares cringed, "You really had to bring your mother into it?"

Her eyes focused on his, questioning and serious. "It almost has me convinced that this isn't a huge mistake."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Catching one of her hands again, Ares couldn't help but be fascinated by their entwined fingers and relaxed grip.

It only lasted a second before Xena pulled her hand away. "I'm serious, Ares. What happens when the baby comes?" She moved to break away, but Ares brought his hands up to her arms, holding her fast.

"You could stay with me."

Glancing down, Xena sighed. "That's not going to happen. You know that."

Refusing to be daunted, especially given the pace her moods altered at, and pulling Xena close again, Ares rested his forehead against hers. "Later. We'll worry about it later."

They shared another kiss, longer than the first, which seemed to signal a sort of acceptance.

"Ares, I've been wondering how long it would take you to show." Athena's snide voice filtered through even before Ares had become fully corporeal.

He smirked, "Been a little distracted, Sis."

Athena snorted disdainfully, "Playing lapdog to your little champion... I had noticed." She crossed the room absently, before turning back to her brother, "Really, Ares, I wouldn't think knocking up one mortal would be such an accomplishment." She waited for the inevitable outburst.

But Ares was holding on to his temper admirably, choosing to ignore Athena's last comments. "What's your problem with Apollo? He testing the purity of too many of your champions?"

Serene as always, Athena calmly replied, "No, that's really more Artemis' problem."

Grabbing a few breakable objects off of Athena's shelves and absently tossing them into the air in an impromptu juggle, Ares sighed, "Well, then you'll have no problem calling it off."

"Deigning to attend to the affairs of gods? What a stretch for you, Ares!" Athena's hand shot out, snatching the objects mid-air that Ares had been tossing and setting them down. "I think this is really none of your concern. Go back to your precious Xena."

There was only so much that Ares was willing to take before he forwent civility in favor of his more favored methods of persuasion. He surged forward, catching Athena off guard and pushing her back against one of her bookshelves hard enough to hear it crack, "My personal life really is none of your concern, Sis, but you and Apollo are playing in my realm and I can put a stop to this little war of yours. Think about it."

He released her and flashed out of the airy palace, leaving an irritated Goddess of Wisdom to her contemptuous comments and broken bookshelf.

Reluctantly, Xena pushed aside the large blanket comfortably wrapped around her and swung herself into a sitting position. She surveyed the room, her eyes quickly coming to rest on Ares' figure bent over a far table. With a huff, Xena searched for her shift, found and donned it, and padded across the heavy marble floors, her footsteps barely making a sound.

"Morning," she leaned over Ares' shoulder, observing the toy soldiers prancing around with a raised eyebrow.

Distracted, Ares turned to the side and caught a quick kiss, "Sleep well?" before turning his attention back to the battle playing out before him, one hand absently moving to caress Xena's lower back.

"So," Xena began conversationally, "should I be concerned that you find little wooden soldiers more exciting than the real thing?"

Brow furrowed, Ares barely seemed to hear her, "Huh?" After a minute though, it settled in, and Ares sighed, turning to Xena apologetically. "This battle between Athena and Apollo is raging out of control. I can't find any way to stop it from spilling into Amphipolis."

Immediately, Xena's attention was focused, "Start from the beginning."

Ares waved an arm and the soldiers trotted back to their starting positions. Noting that Xena appeared to be staying, he also took the liberty of making two chairs appear, shrinking the height of the table.

Xena smirked, "All right, War God, let's see how we can fix this..."

As she moved gratefully to the proffered seat, Ares took the opportunity to kiss her neck, whispering, "I love you like this."

"Don't get too used to it." Still, she was smiling slightly as he made the battle plans appear and a roaring fire sprung up in the hearth.

"Wouldn't dream of it, my dear."

When Xena began down the stairs, neither Cyrene nor Gabrielle looked up from their tasks. They were slowly becoming used to Xena's odd comings and goings, thanks to the God of War.

Without looking up from setting the tables, Cyrene began, "Oh, Xena, do you remember Clamenthia? I just got an invitation to her wedding - should I write back that you and Gabrielle will be joining me? It's cutting it a little close, but the baby should be along in plenty of time for us to leave..."

The thump of a saddlebag hitting a tabletop caused Cyrene's silence, while Gabrielle and herself turned to face Xena. Both looked slightly alarmed.

Gabrielle spoke up first, "Are you planning a trip, Xena?"

"No," Xena cut out smoothly, adjusting her armor and slipping a dagger under one of her gauntlets. "Gabrielle, I need you to go scout around the far side of town, see if anything looks out of place. I'm going to see what information I can gather around here."

Cyrene looked slightly relieved that Xena wasn't planning on going far, but Gabrielle was far from reassured. She rolled up a scroll and lamented leaving her weapons in her room. "What's going on?"

"Seems that Athena and Apollo are about to drag their war right through here." Seeing the shocked and concerned looks she was being given, Xena hastened to continue, "Ares thinks he has a couple of days to fix whatever squabble is going on, but I'm not holding my breath."

Hastily, Gabrielle shoved her scroll back into its bag, slinging it over her shoulder and moving in the direction of her room. "I'll be ready in a minute."

Cyrene opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again with a heavy sigh. She knew by now that there wasn't much to be said to discourage Xena, once she had a plan. Besides, Gabrielle was agreeing.

As Gabrielle passed by, Xena's wrist shot out to catch hers, and the two women shared a meaningful look. Finally, Xena spoke, "I'll meet you back here."

"Be careful." Gabrielle bit her lower lip slightly, worried but trying not to make a big deal of it.

And Xena had her own reservations about sending Gabrielle to the forefront of this battle. She'd rather be leading it herself, pregnancy be damned - she'd done it before. "You too."

"I will be."

Xena let some of her worries evaporate - she trusted the woman that Gabrielle had become. "I know."

Gabrielle's wrist slipped from her loosened grasp, and Xena gathered up her saddlebag as Gabrielle went to gather her own weapons.

As Xena slipped out the door, Cyrene sighed, throwing down the cloth she'd been wiping down tables with, and headed to make her own preparations. If a war was planning on breezing through her town, she was damn well going to do something about it.

When Cyrene returned from running errands, Xena and Gabrielle were hunched over one of the tables, engaged in a heated and serious discussion.

They looked up when the elder woman entered, and neither of their faces proved reassuring. Cyrene shook her head, setting down groceries, and went to join them. "That bad, then?"

Gabrielle glanced pointedly at Xena; "We can stop it from running through the middle of town - keep it confined to the edges and try to minimize the damage."

The 'but' was palpable.

Shaking her head, Xena heaved herself out of the chair in order to pace, agitated and frustrated, "I'm not letting you go out there alone!"

"Xena, I can take care of myself." Gabrielle's voice was quiet but firm.

Interrupting the two before another war broke out in her home, Cyrene questioned, "I thought Ares was supposed to take care of all this?"

Wincing, Xena bit out, "He's run into some unexpected difficulties. Family squabbles and all," and came to sit back down.

Gabrielle sighed, reaching across the table to place her hands over Xena's. "There's no other way for this to work."

"What, exactly, is the plan?" Cyrene glanced between her daughter and the bard.

Pulling her hands back, Xena glared, "It involves me sitting at home, while Gabrielle wanders into the middle of Apollo and Athena's battle."

"I'm going to try to talk to them," Gabrielle interrupted smoothly.

Shaking her head at Xena's stubbornness, Cyrene shrugged, "It sounds reasonable."

Grinning in a way that suggested she'd spent too much of her life around the warrior opposite her, Gabrielle announced, "Good, then. It's settled."

Xena rose, stalking back to her room with a dark look.

Xena took two steps forward, only to find her immediate path blocked by the hulking figure of the extremely irritated God of War. "You're not going out there."

"What do you mean?" Xena sidestepped him and continued; only to find her path again blocked. She glared.

Ares sighed, exasperated beyond all measure. "It's insane, Xena!"

Shoving him out of her way, Xena continued on, "I am not going to sit by while there is a war raging in my backyard!"

Rubbing at his temples, Ares tried several calming breaths. It didn't help. He whirled Xena around and exploded, "I'm taking care of it!"

"If you were taking care of it, Gabrielle wouldn't be out there."

Her sharp retort brought him to his senses, and he wisely let go of her arm. Grit his teeth, "And that is... regrettable. But I can only work so fast, Xena. The war will be over by morning - Athena's wearing down."

At this, Xena didn't even deign to comment - Ares knew well enough how she felt about his rivalries with his sister.

A few more deep breaths and Ares was ready to try another tactic, again appearing in Xena's path, but making no move to grab her. "Xena, I understand that you're worried about Gabrielle, and I've said that I'll watch her. This war wasn't supposed to spill over into civilian areas, whether you believe me or not." He could see that she didn't believe him, or was being too stubborn to admit it, so he hurriedly finished. "But, Xena, be that as it may, you're well over eight moons pregnant - you absolutely cannot go out there."

Almost to the door, Xena sighed, "Look, Ares, your concern is touching, but I'm not stupid. I'm not going into the battle - I just want to keep an eye out for Gabrielle. Myself."

"No."

Already well past him, Xena spun around - the effect slightly slowed due to her pregnancy - and demanded, "What do you mean, 'no', Ares? You gonna stop me?"

Throwing his hands up in exasperation, as if she hadn't noticed that stopping her from going out there was exactly what he was in the middle of doing, Ares replied, "Yes I'm going to stop you. Tartarus, Xena-"

But, after all, it appeared that there would be no need for the God of War to figure out non-violent ways of keeping Xena in her mother's house. The Warrior Princess let out a startled gasp, clutched her abdomen and leaned against the doorframe. Ares was instantly at her side, supporting her, worried. "Xena?"

After the pain had subsided, Xena allowed Ares to lead her away from the door; it looked as though the baby shared Ares' view on the matter. "This doesn't mean you win."

Ares restrained his chuckle as her hand clenched his, glad that he was a god. "Of course not, Princess," he hoped that he didn't seem too nervous. "Let's go find Cyrene, yeah?"

After the first contraction, it hadn't taken long for the rest. Xena had vague memories of being in labor for a long time with Solan, but this baby seemed absolutely determined to come into the world. That didn't make it hurt any less.

Xena was pretty sure she was going to kill Ares for this - she'd been through worse, sure, but that didn't make the present any easier - she hoped her grip on his hand was painful. "Ares," she ground out.

"Yes?" He looked like he was in slight pain, or at least, incredibly nervous. A half hour ago, he'd launched in on some ode to his mother and aunts, suggesting that he get the whole lot of them to come and help.

Cyrene and the same, now quite old, priestess of Hera who had assisted in Xena's own birth, had simply shook their heads and done their best to ignore Ares' presence.

Now, Xena had more important things on her mind, "Get Gabrielle."

Relieved for a chance to breathe, Ares bent down to kiss Xena's forehead, hoping that she was too distracted to be irritated, and disappeared with only minimal lighting effects.

Gabrielle, Aphrodite, and Ares sat in a bench, made just for the occasion, facing Xena's door. Gabrielle was determinedly watching the door, and Ares was clutching his sister for dear life.

Aphrodite gently extracted her arm from her brother's death grip, giving his arm a little pat, "Bro, it'll be fine. Women have babies all the time - you should know."

Ares still had enough of his dignity to roll his eyes at his sister, glad that her flighty presence was there because he figured he'd die if it were just him and the sidekick out here, "I know that, 'Dite." But they're not Xena.

"Cyrene won't forget us," the truth was, Gabrielle was less than confident.

They'd been kicked out for being distracting, once even Xena had decided that crushing Ares' hand was doing her little good. All, with the exception of Aphrodite, who was there strictly for moral support, were anxious not to miss the birth, even if they were skipping the in-between details.

"ARES!" Xena's scream sounded more demanding than pained, though it was a fair mixture of both.

All three occupants of the bench rose, holding their breath. Cyrene's head poked out of the door, "You're wanted," acknowledging the others with a glance, she motioned Ares inside, "Don't worry, nothing's happened yet."

Ares disappeared through the door with Cyrene, and the others sat back down. Aphrodite glanced at Gabrielle and offered the bard a little pat on the knee, "Hey, it'll be fine, remember?"

Gabrielle looked about as cheered as Ares had - still unreasonably nervous, despite having seen enough births to be assured that everything was proceeding smoothly.

Sighing, Aphrodite offered another small pat and, now that her brother no longer needed her, disappeared.

One look at the shining little girl, and Ares would remain convinced that a miracle had occurred. There were no lightening strikes to announce her birth, Ares had checked, but still, the tiny babe was a miracle as far as he was concerned. Xena seemed to feel the same way.

Gabrielle, Cyrene and the priestess all quietly bowed out of the room, huge grins on their faces at the sight of the small, dark haired baby, which Gabrielle had handed over to her friend.

Cradling her newborn daughter, Xena smiled softly, not sure what to do with herself. For all the initial rush, the little girl in her arms had changed her mind and had taken her sweet time to make her first appearance. Enough time for an entire war to be grudgingly called off.

Ares, who had meanwhile cleaned the room with a flick of his wrist, kneeled beside the bed, struck for words.

Finally, Xena glanced at him and moved one hand back to his, in a much less punishing grip than earlier, "What do you think of Maya?"

Giving Xena's hand a gentle squeeze, Ares leaned over and ran one finger along the baby's hairline, "Maya? I think it suits our girl."

What he'd meant to say was, 'Told you she was a girl,' and they both knew it. When Ares sat on the bed, Xena carefully handed over the babe, sinking back into the pillows herself, exhausted.

But, there was more that needed to be said; she knew that - she wouldn't have doubts hanging over that precious baby. "Ares," he didn't look up, but Xena knew he was listening by the tilt of his head. "I don't... I don't regret what happened, what's happened between us."

He glanced up, surprised, and she hurried to amend, "This doesn't mean that everything is suddenly all right between us," the ever ambiguous this.

"I know that Xena," he swallowed, looking down at Maya and back over at Xena, "but I want to try to... I want to try. I..." Ares looked down again, enthralled by the tiny face beneath him, and struggled to continue.

Xena squeezed his hand, letting him know that it was okay. Because, in a sudden flash of insight, it was. Ares didn't need to say it - Xena could tell. They'd always been able to read each other and, looking at his face, Xena knew precisely what she'd known for months.

He loved them.

When Ares looked up, Xena's eyes had closed, and she was resting peacefully, her hand still in his.

Babies were born with blue eyes - everyone knew that. However, somehow, Xena hadn't really expected these eyes to change, or more specifically, to change to the color they had. Even Gabrielle seemed a little shocked, but extremely pleased.

Gabrielle, busily at work on her latest scroll, didn't look up when Ares appeared. The God of War wrapped his arms around Xena and rested his chin on her shoulder, looking into the crib, "And how're my girls today?"

Stepping out of his grasp with a pointed look at Gabrielle's corner, to which Ares rolled his eyes, Xena admonished, "Shh, she's sleeping."

Sheepish, Ares peered silently into the crib, hoping that he hadn't woken his daughter. The baby scrunched up her face and yawned, but didn't open her eyes. Ares, confident again, raised an eyebrow at Xena in a 'told you so' gesture.

The door creaked open, and Xena and Ares turned as one to see Gabrielle tiptoeing out as she shook her head at them. When the two turned back to the crib, Maya's eyes were open.

Ares looked about as shocked as Xena remembered feeling, when the change had first started occurring. Somehow, whenever Xena had allowed herself to picture their child, she'd seen a little girl - because, after all, Ares' insistent belief in a girl had rubbed off on her, and it had been too hard to picture a little boy and not see Solan's face - with bright blue eyes like her own, or deep brown eyes like Ares'. It hadn't really occurred to her that other colors even entered the picture.

Unaware of Xena's expectant gaze, Ares finally laughed, reaching down and picking up the squirming babe. He held her up to eye level. The God of War and infant stared at each other, and then Ares settled the baby comfortably into his arms, while Xena marveled at how natural they looked together. "Well, if she didn't look so much like me, I'd almost be questioning who her father was! Where'd she get green eyes from!?"

Xena laughed lightly, somehow aware that she'd expected Ares to take Maya's eye color badly. Now, she couldn't think of why - Ares loved his daughter, Xena had known it from the moment he had first set eyes on Maya. "Mmm... Doesn't anyone in your family have green eyes?"

"Xena, I have a lot of family - I don't keep track of their eye color." Ares sighed as a tormenting idea came to him, "Oh, Gabrielle must be just thrilled."

"I think she's writing ode's to green eyes as we speak," Xena smirked.

Shifting Maya to one arm, Ares pulled Xena into the other, which she was content to allow - for the moment. His voice was mockingly dramatic, "We'll never live it down, you know. Now there's no getting rid of the blonde."

For the last comment, Xena smacked him on the arm, "Ares," and he shrugged, not particularly apologetic.

Ares had come to the recent realization that, as much fun as bantering with Xena was, silence was their friend, in efforts of peace. So, he simply raised an eyebrow and turned back to their daughter, who was staring up at her parents with bright, slightly sleepy, green eyes.