Way before I open my eyes, I can feel the coolness of the morning air. I lazily stretch out my arms, adamantly refusing to look around, my mind still half trapped in the intriguing illusion of a dream that my reason is fighting great battles to decipher, instinctively reaching out a hand to find the warmness of his body, just to discover that there's nothing there.

Perceiving his absence, my eyes flutter open almost instantly, all the previous numbness and stiffness of my body vanishing as if they had never even been there...Seconds later, as I wake up completely I almost start laughing at my utter stupidity...I'm back in the clearing where me and Hercules made love yesterday, carefully covered up with two thick blankets that I don't actually recognize as being my own, just a few feet from a still burning camp fire...

As I hesitantly shake my head, still unsure about what's wrong with the picture, as if I'm missing some well hidden, but vitally important detail here, a wave of realization washes over me like only a cold shower could, as an endless chain of flashing images begins wrapping around my brain squeezing real hard until it all comes back to me: Ares, the temple, the screams, those cutting words that we've been shouting at each other the entire night, the sex, the pain, his permanently disappointed gaze whenever he looked at me...him leaving...the tears rolling down my cheeks long after...

I wish this weren't real ...I wish it were all but a figment of my imagination...a dream from which I'm lilkely to wake up any minute now...

That theory falls apart in less than a heartbeat nonetheless as I suddenly feel the irrepressible need to breathe, as if I haven't done it for awhile now, but it's like there's not enough air for me to inhale... The oxygen doesn't seem to reach my lungs, remaining trapped at some level inside my throat...

He didn't want me there anymore...that's why he sent me back here...That's why he left last night in the first place, refusing to at least hold me until I fell asleep –I didn't ask him too, that's true, but I usually didn't even have too...He obviously hates me...

The mere thought makes me feel a huge, uncomfortable knot in my stomach, and I can't help frowning at the sensation.

As I tilt my head a bit to the right, my blood instantly freezes the moment I notice a splendid black rose just inches from my face, and my hearts starts drumming loudly inside my chest while every grey cell of my tormented brain is looking for a valid explanation for this...It was him...it must have been him...who else would know about it?

With the most gentle gesture imaginable, I pick it up...Despite myself, a bright smile breaks free on my visage, stretching sheepishly the corners of my lips...I can still feel his energy lingering on the roses' petals...It was him...

Inhaling deeply, I part my lips to call him...I want to see him...I guess I need to know where we stand...but I know I can't. Not right now. Maybe we both need a little time for ourselves after all...It will certainly offer us both the chance to meditate some more on those damn perspectives on life...

As I lay the flower back on the grass, I pull the blankets back over me, expertly masking the tears that have began dropping again, just in case that he's watching from some empty throne room, somewhere...I guess I'll just bask back in the luxury of blissful sleep for another hour or too...At least today, I won't be a morning person...

XXX

A week has passed since the morning I transported her back to her camp, desperately trying to keep her away from me, to partially disconnect my mind and soul from that horrible torture of having to learn to live with the awareness of her betrayal and of that almost surreal night in which only the Fates can tell where and how did I find the strength to hold back that amazingly powerful urge to carve and mutilate her in the worst possible ways before sending her to Hades with my own hands...

She hasn't called me yet...I can't help wondering if she will ever do it again...Is this just a phase or there's way to much baggage in order to have things the way they were...?

I can't stand this... I open up a portal, wanting to check on her. It's nightfall, and she's all alone, trying to stir up a camp fire...Considering those goosebumps covering her skin, she's cold ...The wind is blowing too...it must be chilly out there...

As I bite my lower lip trying to make a decision, I extend my hand, adamant about closing the portal and materializing on a battlefield in Lesbos, from where I can hear the voices of the wounded crying out my name before they die...I should be there...

The next second I'm gone...not in Lesbos of course, those people will loose their lives anyway regardless of my presence there- they knew they were in over their heads before they started that foolish attack in the first place-they deserve to die-...but, in the middle of nowhere, in some Gods forgotten forest, where I can already hear some wild beats howling like crazy...they're probably hungry...

I'm still invisible but she can definitely sense my presence...She doesn't say anything, but I can see it in her eyes- that very familiar shade of affection glistening like silver in the moonlight...

With a wave of my hand, I light up the fire for her. She's still quiet, but this time, a slight arch of her eyebrow , is subtily letting me know that she appreciates my "efforts" .

As if in slow motion, I can see her sit down next to the fire , and , with the most gracious of movements, she begins sharpening her sword...I can't help smiling- she always does that when she's nervous. I don't know if she has ever realized it, but she does...

Slowly, very slowly, I close in the distance between us, and call it prudence if you will, but my eyes are open wide for any sign of abrupt kick that could knock me of my feet harder and faster than Zeus ' lightening bolts...And if If I'm not mistaken, she has every intention of doing that pretty soon.

...Too my immeasurable surprise, she refuses to react in any way though, not even when I sit down behind her. I can visibly see her muscles tense, but she still acts as if I/m not even here...Everything changes though when I wrap my arms tight around her waist and I place a feather like kiss on her shoulder...

She chuckles softly, and noticing her reaction finally allows me to breathe normally again...She's not angry anymore...I hope that's a good thing though- with Xena, the unexpected is most of the time followed by a cortège of pain and misery...

"Hi" I whisper seductively against her ear, and I can hear her gasp at the sound of my voice...Sweet Olympus, I'm telling you, what this woman is capable of doing to me it's...incredible...

"Hi there" she murmurs back, letting her sword down and leaning irresistibly into my embrace, her eyes fixed on the playful flames of the fire before us...

"I've missed you..." I add while tenderly brushing my lips against her neck, that unique, sweet smell of her pearly skin making me instinctively tighten my hold on her as if fearing that she could somehow dematerialize from my arms...

I don't even know at what point I gave up on that invisibility shield I was using but I do know that at the speed with which the blood began racing through my veins the minute she started kissing the back of my wrist , any mortal would have been killed on spot...I guess that's one of the advantages of being immortal...ultra shock resistance carcass.

"Did you?" she promptly inquires, challenging me to add some spicy details to my almost audible previous statement.

"You have no idea..." I murmur, giving her exactly what she needed to hear "I've been thinking about you"

Before I know it, she starts chuckling again, turning around to look me in this eyes this time, and my lips refuse to move the instant her mesmerizingly cerulean moons fix me with their piercing gaze...

"Have I told you that you're a Lying Bastard?"

Gods, I want this woman so much!

"Not recently..." I answer, barely touching her lips with the tip of my fingers...

"You're such Lying Bastard!" she exclaims, on such a sexy tone that would push any straight man to rip her cloths off her within a blink.

"Are you kidding me? I have never told one lie in my life...I'm not even familiarised with the procedure..." I keep on playing the game, still entranced by that bright sparkle of happiness I can see in her eyes...

"You're such a hatable person!" she retorts, slapping my chest playfully.

There's no answer coming from my mouth now, I'm just looking at her...contemplating her unmatchable beauty, wondering if it would be wise to kiss her or not...

Never mind...she does it for me, and before I know it, we're trapped into each other's arms, our lips crushing hungrily, tongues, hearts and minds entwining into such a fiery kiss that I can literally feel my entire being melting into hers, as we gradually get rid of our clothes, hands gliding right about everywhere, and for many, many hours I can't focus on anything else than her vibrant moans and those sweet notes escaping from her throat as we both come, over and over again, each explosion adding more fireworks to the overall scenery...

XXX

There's still an hour or two till dawn, and she doesn't seem too tired. As she snuggles her head in the crock of my neck, her eyes are closed, but I know she has no intention of sleeping-her body is way to tense for that...

"What's on your mind, Princess?" I inquire on a mild voice, kissing her forehead lovingly.

She waits a bit before offering me an answer, obviously pondering the effects of her decision.

I caress her hair encouragingly.

"This doesn't change anything, Ares. I'm not coming back to..."

I refuse to let her finish that phrase though. It still hurts like shit.

"I know, ok? You wanna play Hero. I got that..."

She's just eying me suspiciously right now, waiting for me to start my usual "I'd rather kill you than let you leave my side" speech.

"What? "

"Nothing..." she replies, avoiding my inquiring gaze.

"You thought that I was going to try and stop you didn't you? "

"Well...it does fit your peacock pride perfectly, so...yeah, that was my initial guess, I suppose..."

"Listen Xena...Don't expect me to take back everything I told you that night regarding your destiny cause I wont. I'm right and you know it, and if hypothetically speaking you don't know it yet, you'll get the chance to see it too, in no time...I won't force you to do something that you don't wanna do, ok? I've never done that, when it came to you and I'm not about to start now...But don't expect me to sit around doing nothing while you waste you talents with some pitiful maggots living in some cave at the outskirts of some worthless town. I'll always be one step behind you, making things interesting, constantly reminding you that there's a different life waiting for you just a whisper away..."

"I'd expect nothing less...Still..." she trailed off gazing at me expectantly, as if trying to get my undivided attention.

"Yes?"

"Don't forget your promise..."

"I won't. I'll always be there for you. No matter what..."

"Even now that we' re on different sides?"

Her voice sounds a bit broken and insecure now.

"Yes" I answer firmly, kissing her lips lightly.

As her eyes close back again, Morpheus finally calling her into that colored, enchanted land of his, I murmur gravely against her ear:

"Sweet...when you wake up tomorrow...you should go to Potidea...you can start your heroic stuff there...I've heard they're in desperate need for a girl with a chackram..."

She smiles devilishly, squeezing my hand lightly, already half asleep:

"Setting traps already?"

"Neah...till morning comes, we're still on the same side, right?"

"What's in Potidea?"

"Your irritating sidekick"

"Are you talking in your sleep right now, Ares? What sidekick? I don't want a sidekick! I work alone!"

"Well suite yourself but look around! Every Hero has one! It's...fashionable...I guess. "

"Shut up and go to sleep War God! You're going bananas!"

"Just do as I tell you...You'll thank me later!"...

"Fine, fine!" she finally mumbles, yawning deeply and drapping an arm around my waist...

"You'll definitely thank me later, Luv" the words echo inside my head as I let my eyes close for awhile...I still can't believe I told her about Blondie...Maybe she won't go there after all...Maybe it won't last an eternity to have her back...

THE END