Element of War

"You’ve got to be kidding me?" Strife turned around the room slowly. "Mother, Unk, will not go for this." He shook his head and turned towards his mother-in-law, pleading silently.

Aphrodite looked around the room and smiled. "It’s nice. Not too frilly, not too romantic. It’s perfect." She nodded decisively.

"It’s white." Strife threw his hands up. "Unk hates white."

"It’s a wedding dear." Aphrodite reminded him.

"He’s right." Eris looked around the room with a frown. "Ares will hate it!"

"Where is my big bro, anyway?" Aphrodite turned to Strife as if he was supposed to know the answer.

Thankfully, this time, he did. "He’s trying to convince Hera and Zeus that all of Olympus doesn’t need to be invited, and that certain relatives who do nothing but blow hot air, aren’t welcome."

Eris snorted. "He’s wasting his breath. Father won’t agree to a ceremony without at least inviting the pompous ass." She turned to Aphrodite. "You’re the closest to him. Do you think he’ll come?"

Aphrodite shrugged. "Who knows, but it might make for an interesting family reunion. Besides, it’s been awhile since I’ve seen curly."

Hercules turned to face his best friend. "You aren’t seriously thinking about going are you? To Olympus?"

Iolous shrugged. "Why not? Joxer is our friend. He’s getting married. We should go, congratulate him."

Hercules shook his head incredulously. "He’s marrying Ares. What he needs is our condolences. Besides, he lied to us, to everyone. Gabrielle told me…"

Hercules trailed off as he noticed someone walking towards them.

"… Gabrielle told you?" Iolous prompted, not seeing the newcomer.

"She said that…she said he isn’t who we thought he was." Hercules’ voice had dropped to a whisper, not wanting to be overheard.

Iolous frowned and was about to ask for an elaboration when he heard something behind him. He turned around and smiled when he saw who was headed their way.

"Autolycus!"

Autolycus smiled. "Iolous. Hercules."

"What are you doing here?" Hercules asked, feeling suddenly nervous to be almost caught talking about the thief’s brother. It brought to mind all the other times they had discussed Joxer in Autolycus’ presence, never knowing of their connection.

Autolycus winked conspiratorially. "I’ve been drafted to make sure you come to the wedding."

Xena read and reread the scroll for about the fifth time since it had been delivered.

"You’re going to go, aren’t you?" Gabrielle asked quietly from where she was packing up their stuff.

Xena looked up, startled at the sound. She had been so lost in her own thoughts that she hadn’t realized Gabrielle had come back from her trip to the lake.

"Aren’t you curious?" Xena asked, just as quietly. "He’s this whole other person we don’t know. This could be our chance to get to know the real Joxer."

"What if I don’t want to know the real Joxer?" Gabrielle countered.

Xena frowned. "You don’t mean that."

"Don’t I?" Gabrielle stood up and walked towards her friend. "The old Joxer was our friend. The other Joxer, the lie. What if I don’t want to know about this new and improved version, because it’s not."

"Its not what?" Xena asked, confused.

"It’s not new, and it’s not improved. Everything we knew before, everything we saw before was all a lie. He lied to us, deceived us. I liked him before."

Gabrielle turned away and finished packing up their stuff. "I’ll go, but don’t expect me to be happy about it."

Xena watched Gabrielle silently and wondered if going to her father’s wedding was really a smart move. Between her own history with the God of War, and Gabrielle’s feelings on not only Ares but also the recent changes in their perceptions of Joxer, it was bound to be a volatile situation. But she couldn’t *not* go.

For several reasons.

She had unfinished business with Ares. And she wanted an opportunity to get to know Joxer. The *real* Joxer. Even at the cost of upsetting her friend.

Jett peeked around the corner and into the room, his eyes widening at the sight.

"What do you think?" Eris asked, without turning to face him.

"It’s white." Jett observed.

Eris turned to face the demi-god. "Noticed that did you?" She grinned at him. "What are you doing here?"

Jett continued looking around the decorated hall. "I’m staying on until after the fireworks. I thought maybe you could show me around… to all the places *not* on the official tour." He turned to face the goddess and smirked before returning to surveying the room.

"You aren’t planning on using flowers are you?" He asked with distaste.

Eris shook her head. "Ares will have enough trouble with the color. Why, Joxer wouldn’t want flowers, would he?" She asked, suddenly unsure.

Jett shook his head, whether in answer, or from the visual of a flower decorated reception area, she wasn’t sure. "Not unless they’re still in the ground." The assassin turned away from the room and focused on the goddess. "Now, I’m sure there’s *something* we could be doing other than talking about our brothers."

Eris grinned mischievously. "I’m sure I can think of something."

"Is this entirely necessary?" Joxer looked at the robes that had been picked out by his future mother-in-law. He turned to face his lover. "Can’t we just elope?"

Ares chuckled. "That would only delay the inevitable. Besides the ceremony is just for show. So father can walk around with mother and pretend he cares that I’m getting married.

"He doesn’t?" Joxer asked curiously.

Ares sighed. His family always gave him the worst headaches. "In his own way he cares."

Joxer raised his eyebrows as he set the robes down across the table in the main living area of Ares’ temple.

Ares caught the unasked question and groaned to himself, knowing he really should explain this more. "Father cares that there’s actually going to be a wedding. That there’s actually a person willing to marry me, for reasons than their own personal gain." He smirked slightly. "He cares because mother’s happy and not harping on him about… whatever." He held his hand out to Joxer and directed him to sit with him on the couch.

"And he cares about having a reason to invite his other son to Olympus." Joxer added, nodding his head in understanding.

Ares snorted in contempt.

"It won’t be that bad." Joxer turned to Ares and squeezed the hand he still held while he leaned towards him and planted a kiss on his lips. When he pulled away he looked into the War God’s eyes. "Besides, it’s a wedding. What can happen?"

"So, who’s left?" Aphrodite looked over her list carefully, trying to remember if there was anyone she forgot.

"Hmmm." Eris crinkled her nose as she looked at her own list. "Did you speak to Nemesis? Father is insisting she be there."

Aphrodite groaned. "Do we have to? Every time she goes anywhere near Ar, a fight breaks out. And with Herc coming…" She trailed off, not sure if she was complaining or outlining the day’s entertainment.

Eris, knowing the question was rhetorical, refrained from commenting. She continued to look over her list, her eyes finally coming to a halt at the bottom. "Xena and Gabrielle are still unaccounted for."

"They’ll come." Aphrodite answered absently. "Joxie’s gone to talk to them."

Eris raised her eyebrows at that revelation. "And I thought Autolycus was being brave by going to see Porkules." She giggled slightly in memory.

Aphrodite laughed too, remembering the time her half brother spent as a pig.

Their laughter was short-lived, however, when a bellow was heard from somewhere behind them. The two goddesses turned around to find Ares glaring hatefully at the decorations.

Joxer walked quietly into the campsite, not sure whether he was disappointed or relieved to find it empty. In all honesty, it was probably a bit of both. He was disappointed because he wanted to get this conversation over and done with. But yet he was relieved because as necessary as this discussion was, he wasn’t looking forward to having to explain himself.

And no matter how many times he had told both himself, his brother and Ares that coming here wasn’t about explanations but about a request for his friends to be at the wedding, Joxer knew there was no way around the explanations which were bound to be needed.

He had cleared some of the air between himself and Xena, although he knew there was much more she wanted to know. But he hadn’t seen or spoken to Gabrielle at all since his secret came out.

Groaning to himself, the demi-god walked towards a small grouping of trees. He leaned against one and took strength from it while he waited.

Xena turned her head slightly at a sound she heard coming from the direction of camp. She dropped the fish, still floundering in her hands. The splash it made as it hit the water alerted Gabrielle who was sitting on a rock, writing in one of her scrolls as Xena caught their lunch.

"Xena? What is it?" Gabrielle turned her head to follow where Xena was looking.

"Somebody’s here." Xena whispered. "Stay here."

Xena moved away from the lake and towards their camp nearly silently. Since the noise, which had originally alerted her to a visitor, she hadn’t heard anything further. It took her a moment to recognize what it was she was seeing.

"Joxer?" She asked quietly, not entirely certain it was her friend. She had seen some of what Joxer was capable of when she had been captured by Sterope, but it was still slightly awing.

Xena stepped closer and watched in stunned silence as the form of her friend, leaning up against a large tree, seemed to flow away from the trunk, as if it had literally been connected, and began to shift.

"Sorry." Joxer looked sheepish at having been caught communing with the tree. "I… I came to see you, and Gabrielle. But, I didn’t know how I’d be received." He looked around the campsite. "Where is Gabrielle? I… I need to talk to her. I owe her that."

Xena nodded. "She’s at the lake. We were fishing."

Joxer stared at his friend for a moment longer before speaking. "I…" He began, not really sure what he wanted to ask. "Ares would like it if you’d come. To the ceremony." He stepped forward a bit. "So would I."

Xena smiled and Joxer couldn’t help but return it.

"I’d like that." Xena stepped closer and hugged Joxer for a brief second before pulling away. "He’s not who I thought he was." Xena spoke quietly but there was no misunderstanding about who she was talking about.

"None of us are." Joxer told her seriously as he started to walk back towards the lake.

Xena watched him disappear through the bushes and hoped that he and Gabrielle could settle things. She wanted to go to her father’s wedding. Wanted to get to know both her father and her friend.

"Gabrielle." Joxer spoke hesitantly as he neared the rock the bard was still sitting on.

"Joxer. What are you doing here?" Gabrielle spoke without looking up from her scroll.

"I… I wanted to talk to you. To… I don’t know, explain, apologize." He paused and when Gabrielle didn’t say anything, he continued. "I’d like you to come to the wedding."

Gabrielle looked up then. "Your wedding? To the God of War? What makes you think I would want to come to that?"

Joxer took a cautious step closer, willing his emotions to stay in check. He wanted his friend to come but he was also keenly aware that there wasn’t much he could say that would redeem him in her eyes. And he wasn’t sure he needed to be redeemed. Yes he had lied, but was that really what was upsetting her? Or was it something else.

"Gabrielle," Joxer began looking out over the calm water, trying to gather his thoughts. "We are friends. We were friends. At least I thought we were. Maybe we’re not. Maybe we never were." He turned to face Gabrielle, waiting for whatever response she would give him, and content with the choices he had already made.

"You lied to us." Gabrielle’s voice was quiet but her expression said more than tone ever could.

"Yes, I did." Joxer agreed solemnly as he stared at his old friend. "But would you have believed the truth?"

When there was no response, Joxer continued, gaining confidence in everything he had done. His voice was even and controlled and nothing like Gabrielle could remember hearing coming from his mouth before.

"Would you have believed that I was the son of a God? Would you have believed in my abilities? Would you have seen anything other than what you did? The bumbling idiot? The inept warrior? The goofy friend?"

Joxer waited patiently for a response, any response. He knew that he had been right in hiding who he was. He had some guilt about a lot of things that had happened in his life. This was not one of those things.

"No." The one word answer spoken quietly by Gabrielle was enough to tell him that he had been correct.

"I didn’t think so." Joxer answered, just as quietly. "And I think that maybe there’s a reason for that." He stepped back slowly. "Have a good life, Gabrielle." He turned around and walked away.

Autolycus watched as Hercules left in a snit, unhappy about being pretty much ordered to attend his brother’s wedding. Autolycus wasn’t any more pleased about it himself. He turned to Iolous. "Is he always so self-righteous? Wait, don’t answer that." He grinned slightly before turning more serious.

"Look, I’m glad you’re coming. Jox needs all the friends he can get. Especially marrying into that family.

Iolous chuckled. "Hey, isn’t that your family too?"

Autolycus shrugged. "Yeah but the difference is, I’m not choosing to be stuck with them until the end of time." The thief turned back to look in the direction that Hercules had stomped away in. Confident they were alone, he faced Iolous again.

"Does he know?" The thief asked quietly.

Iolous looked confused for a second. When the meaning became clear, he became serious himself. "That I knew about Joxer? No. It never really came up. It didn’t really seem important."

Autolycus snorted. That was his own opinion. What his brother was or wasn’t was his own business, and anyone he chose to tell. But he knew that certain people wouldn’t see things that way.

"Hercules won’t agree." Autolycus commented aloud. "If and when he finds out you not only knew about Joxer’s abilities but that we were brothers, he’s going to take it personal."

Iolous sighed, knowing the truth of that statement. "Well, I’ll deal with that when it happens."

Autolycus turned away, not really sure what else to say. "Well, I better go. The first ‘official’ dinner is tomorrow and Hera is still arguing over who should sit where." He groaned. "I hate weddings. I’m never settling down. Never getting married."

Iolous laughed as the thief continued to grumble as he walked away. He laughed out loud. "We’ll see, old friend, we’ll see."

"Remind me why we’re doing this again?" Joxer asked tiredly as he leaned against one wall of Ares private quarters on Mount Olympus.

"Because, it’s required." Strife offered with his own brand of excitement as he appeared in the room.

Joxer snorted. "Required by whom? Technically, we’re already married." He turned his head slightly to face his best friend. "I don’t recall you and Cupid going through all this hassle."

Strife shrugged. "That’s probably because I’m not the Big Bad God of War, and Flyboy isn’t the demi-god who saved Olympus."

"You’re exaggerating." Joxer admonished as he moved away from the wall. "And as far as I can tell, Zeus just wants an excuse for a party. I have nothing to do with it. Neither does Ares."

Strife chuckled. "You learn quickly." He looked around the room once more, noting an odd assortment of viney plants in one corner that he knew hadn’t been there before. In fact, he didn’t think he’d ever seen them anywhere before. Not even in Hera’s personal garden.

"You’re adding your personal touch, I see."

Joxer followed his friend’s gaze to the vines. "Their… personal."  He shrugged.

Strife stared at the vines a second thinking about that response. Although he was probably closer to Joxer than anyone, save Autolycus, there was still so much he didn’t even know. Things he couldn’t even begin to ask about.

"So… is Xena coming?" Strife asked instead, sensing a need for a change of subject, though he wasn’t sure why.

Joxer looked away from his vines and back to his best friend. "Yes." He smiled. "She even seemed happy about it."

Strife nodded, not too surprised at that news. "What about her friend?"

"Gabrielle?" Joxer frowned. "I don’t know. She doesn’t want to come, or have anything to do with me, or Ares, or anything else related to our wedding, but I can’t see her letting Xena come on her own either."

"That’s about how it stands for Iolous too." Autolycus added from the doorway, where he had just entered in time to hear the last comment. "Hercules seems to share Gabrielle’s feelings, if the conversation I overheard is anything to go by."

"Oh?" Jox sighed wearily for a second, not wanting to have to spend the entire time at his own wedding celebration, making explanations for himself, where none should be required.

"And is Hercules going to deign to make an appearance anyway?" Strife questioned with a snort.

"But of course. He couldn’t allow the chance to complain about our family to slip through his fingers, now could he?" Autolycus grinned slightly before sobering at the thought of the reason he had come. "But that’s not why I’m here."

Strife looked from demi-god to demi-god, neither looking terribly happy all of a sudden. "I gotta run, Jox. See you around." He disappeared in a flash before Joxer could even acknowledge his words.

Joxer instead turned to his brother. "What’s wrong?"

"Father keeps asking about you. Don’t you think its time to go and see him?"

Joxer averted his eyes for a minute, not wanting to see his brother’s true thoughts reflected from his eyes.

"Joxer…" Autolycus began, reaching out to touch his favorite brother’s shoulder.

Joxer shook his head. "No, you’re right. I do need to see him, talk to him, but…"

"It’s hard." Autolycus finished for him.

Joxer smiled at the way his brother seemed to know certain things about him, know what he was thinking sometimes. He didn’t think anyone else had ever been able to do that.

"Lets go." Joxer motioned towards the doorway that led outside.

Autolycus nodded and turned to the door he had come through earlier, only to stop when something caught his eyes. Some green plant life that seemed out of place in the darkly decorated room.

"I see you’ve brought some of your… friends." He smiled slightly, thinking about the vines and what would happen once they were truly acclimated to their new location.

Joxer grinned at the twinkle now in his brother’s eyes before turning and leaving through the doorway, waiting for Autolycus to follow so they could do something that was both necessary, and awkward.

Hermes paced around his home temple uneasily. Autolycus had promised he would try and get Joxer to come and see him. He wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. On the one hand, he was ecstatic that Joxer might come and see him, speak to him, without being dragged, or forced in any way. On the other hand, what would he say to his son? What could he say, really?

"Father." Joxer’s voice sounded from just inside the main doors.

"Joxer." Hermes spoke quietly as he turned around, only mildly surprised that they were alone.

"Autolycus went to see about some of the guests." Joxer offered, accurately guessing his father’s thoughts.

Hermes nodded. "Good. Your friends are coming?"

Joxer shrugged.

"No, they aren’t, or you don’t know yet?" Hermes offered a concerned question. After everything that happened, he didn’t want Joxer to be disappointed by friends who didn’t turn out to be friends after all.

"They’re coming, I think. But whether or not they’re actually friends is another matter." Joxer sighed as he came fully into the room.

"You want to talk about it?" Hermes offered.

Joxer was about to deny that he did, but something, although he didn’t know what, caused him to nod. "I guess."

"Come, sit." Hermes offered a chair near a stone fireplace. When Joxer sat, Hermes continued. "Tell me about it."

Joxer looked up at his father, their eyes locking, searching for something that would tell him what he needed to know. Finally, he nodded.

"Ares’ daughter and her friend, Gabrielle…"

"The amazon?" Hermes asked.

Joxer nodded. "Yeah. They’ve agreed to come, but things are…tense." Joxer stood up and made his way around the temple quickly, searching for something to ease his tension. "Xena doesn’t know what to think. Everything she’s ever believed about Ares has been thrown into confusion. She doesn’t know what to believe…what she wants to believe, or what she should believe." Joxer finally leaned against the stone mantle above the fireplace. He could feel the energy emanating from it, and it calmed him slightly.

"And Gabby…she thinks I cheated her, lied to her."

"She’s bitter." Hermes offered, relaxing slightly as he saw his estranged son do the same.

Joxer turned abruptly. "No! You don’t understand. I did lie to her. About who I was…who I am. She just needs time."

"Does she?" Hermes asked carefully, not wanting to upset his son further. "And after she has…time, will her opinion change?"

Joxer didn’t answer and after awhile, Hermes continued. "I don’t think so. You were right to keep the truth from her."

Joxer narrowed his eyes at his father. "What do you know about it?"

Hermes sighed as he stood up. "Only what your brother tells me."

"Which one?" Joxer asked curiously, knowing it didn’t really matter. Either way, the result would be the same.

"Both." Hermes answered honestly. "Jett tells me she wasted no time in trying to have him arrested or worse."

Joxer nodded. He couldn’t deny that.

Hermes continued. "And Autolycus seems under the impression, your Gabrielle doesn’t think too highly of you."

"That’s true." Joxer conceded the point.

"And Ares?"

"What about him?" Joxer asked curiously.

"The world has a very…limited view of him."

"I know, father."

"And your Amazon…does she understand this as well? Or does she see him as a monster?"

Joxer thought about his answer very carefully before responding. "Does it matter? Ares is what he is, just as I am." He locked eyes with his father once again. "Just as you are, and isn’t that what this is really about?"

Hermes didn’t have an answer to that, so he just sat down and thought about the question.

"I’m not going!" Gabrielle reiterated for what must have been the fifth or sixth time.

Xena stared at her calmly for a second then shrugged almost unnoticeably. "Fine. I’ll go alone." She turned and began to walk back towards their camp and away from the bard.

"What?" Gabrielle shrieked. "You can’t be serious. You’d go… without me?" She sounded hurt.

Xena stopped for a second, wanted to reassure her friend, but there was no denying that she had to go to the wedding. If not for Joxer, than for the chance to get to know her father. There was no way Gabrielle would understand that, and there was no use in trying to make her.

"I’m going. You can stay here, or not… it’s up to you."

Another voice sounded from the direction of camp before Gabrielle could reply."Xena? Gabrielle?"

Xena turned toward the sound with a smile on her face. "Hercules! Iolous."

Iolous returned the smile, and a hug, while Hercules scowled silently behind him.

"What’s wrong with him?" Xena asked quietly.

Iolous cast a glance towards Gabrielle. "The same thing as her, I’d wager."

Xena nodded in understanding. "But you’re going?"

"Wouldn’t miss it." Iolous smiled.

"Good." A new voice sounded from through the bushes. "I thought I was gonna have to tie you up and drag you to Olympus." Autolycus grinned as he came through the trees.

Iolous and Autolycus hugged briefly before he took a look at Hercules and Gabrielle. "Are they coming?"

Both Iolous and Xena cast questioning looks to their respective partners. Hercules grumbled while Gabrielle sighed.

"Looks that way." Xena turned back to Autolycus just as another form materialized behind him.

"Let’s get this show on the road." Strife giggled at the unpleasant expressions passing everyone’s face at his arrival.

"Well how’d you think you were gonna get there?" He cackled again before whisking them all to their destination.

Mount Olympus.

Joxer looked out across the room at the assorted guests. He was mildly surprised that a fight hadn't broken out yet.

The room was large, large enough to allow for various little groups to break off into separate corners.

Most of the gods and goddesses were separated from the few mortals who were in attendance.

Zeus and Hera hadn't made an appearance yet, but were no doubt `observing' the festivities.

Eris was in a small group near the middle of the room talking with Jett, Strife and Cupid.

Aphrodite was near one of the far doors, talking with Hephestus and Electra, one of the Pleiades. Judging from the serious looks on their faces, the conversation was no doubt about Sterope.

Xena stood off to one side and appeared to be engrossed in a conversation with Hermes. Joxer found himself smiling softly at that.

Moving his gaze around the room, he found his brother. Autolycus was leaning up against one wall, his gaze very focused to a spot along an opposite wall. Joxer let his eyes roam and found the object of his favorite brother's interest.

Hercules and Gabrielle were standing about as far away from everyone else as they could possibly get, their faces set in unpleasant scowls.

Joxer sighed and made his way over to Autolycus.

"Are they really that entertaining?" Joxer asked quietly, drawing the thief's gaze away from the judgmental hero's and onto himself.

"I don't trust them." Autolycus nodded his head towards the pair again. "They don't want to be here, in Olympus with all these Gods, and Demi-Gods."

Joxer nodded. "And that comes as a surprise to you? Hercules hates the part of himself that comes from these people and Gabrielle…she doesn't understand us, and won't take the time to try."

"So why come?" Autolycus asked pointedly. "If they were close friends, or even friends at all, I could maybe understand it. But they're not." He pierced Joxer with his dark eyes. "They weren't your friends before, and now that they know the truth?"

Joxer shrugged. "I know." His body language conveyed that he didn't care why they were there, but the look of pain in his eyes told Autolycus the truth. "They're here because Xena and Iolous are here. No other reason."

Before Autolycus could comment one way or another, their attention was drawn to the large double doors set into the east wall of the large room. The doors opened and Ares strolled in, his dark eyes searching the room.

Joxer's eyes met his and he felt a strange sort of lightheadedness. He wasn't sure if that was actually connected to seeing Ares, enter the large room, dressed in his leather's and looking as though he'd really rather be somewhere else having them taken off or if it was because the large group of their families, gathered together, supposedly peacefully. He kept waiting for the fight to start.

Before Ares had gotten more than a few feet into the room, the doors opened again, this time, the entire room became silent as the King and Queen of the gods entered the room.

Joxer watched as his in laws made a circuit around the room, thanking various people for coming, and avoiding others. Xena separated herself from Hermes and approached her father.

Hermes took the opportunity to make his way over to his two sons, cautiously.

"How did things go earlier?" Autolycus asked quietly, his full attention on his brother, almost forgetting about the two heroes he had been watching.

Joxer shrugged. "Good I think, but, it'll take time."

Autolycus chuckled. "Time seems to be something we have a lot of."

Hermes smiled as he reached his sons and looked around at the crowd. "You had a nice turn out, and no one's died." He grinned.

"Yet." Joxer grinned back, feeling more comfortable around his father than he had in a long, long time.

Autolycus' eyes swept back against the far wall, noticing Hercules and Gabrielle were gone. He wondered if he maybe shouldn't mention it. However seeing how comfortable father and son seemed to be he didn't want to break the moment.

Gabrielle backed out of the small doorway set into the side of the wall. She closed the door silently and turned to her companion, sighing in relief.

"That was getting to be a bit…"

"Much?" Hercules offered, nodding his agreement. "I can show you around, if you want."

Gabrielle looked around. They were in a darkened hallway, silent but for their breathing. Her first response was to say she wasn't interested in looking around Olympus, but the truth was she'd always been curious.

Back, when she was a child, before she'd left Potedia and found out the truth about the god's she'd always dreamed of coming here, of the scrolls that were waiting to be written in a place like this.

Even though, she now new how evil and self-centered the Gods really were, she still found herself curious, and with Hercules as her tour guide, why shouldn't she take a look around?

She reached out and linked her arm with his. "Great. Where do we start?"

Xena shifted her weight from one foot to the other, somewhat awkwardly.

"I'm glad you came." Ares spoke softly.

Xena looked up, surprised by the sentiment, as well as the tone. "Yeah, me too." She paused. "I, uh, wanted to be here. For Joxer. And…for you too."

Ares dark eyes bore into his daughter's seeking the truth of that statement. He saw a lot in her eyes, some of which he was only able to guess at.

"I…I was wrong about you." She told him, finally.

Ares wasn't exactly sure how to take that, or what to say in response, finally he settled on the truth. "Not always."

"Joxer isn't who I thought he was." Xena continued as if her father hadn't spoken. "He said no one ever is." She paused again, bracing herself for her next words. "I think he's right, and I think I made a mistake, with both of you."

Ares blinked, unsure if he had heard correctly, but somehow knowing he had. "You do?" He asked cautiously.

Xena nodded once, firmly. "Yes. I'd like the chance to get to know you. Both of you."

After a few moments of silence, Ares spoke. "I can't speak for Joxer, but I'd like that."

Xena's response was cut short as two people she had never really expected to meet in the present setting joined them.

"Mother. Father." Ares nodded to his parents. He turned to his daughter. "Xena? Have you met your grandparents?"

Zeus nodded slightly at the warrior while Hera embraced her in a hug she wasn't quite prepared for. "I'm so glad you joined us."

Xena pulled away, stunned to near speechlessness. "Me too." She smiled tightly, unsure what else to say.

Zeus turned his attention to Ares and nodded across the room. "Your sister seems quite taken with Jett."

Hera turned away from her granddaughter and towards her daughter. "Yes. They would be a good match."

Ares rolled his eyes. "Mother. Eris doesn't need any help finding a match."

Xena followed their gaze and scowled slightly at the assassin standing close to the Goddess of Discord. She wasn't fond of either of them, but was coming to realize that perhaps they weren't what she thought they were either. She excused herself and decided there was no time like the present to find out.

Once she was out of earshot, Hera turned back to Ares. "The amazon, and your…" She turned to frown slightly at her husband, "…brother were seen near your temple. You might want to keep an eye on them."

Ares turned around, his eyes sweeping the room, coming to a stop on the wall that he had seen Hercules and Gabrielle at earlier. They were gone.

"I'll take care of it." He mumbled as he left his parents in search of Joxer.

He found his husband talking to his father and brother. Joxer excused himself and the two exited out of the same door Hercules and Gabrielle had left from.

Once the door clicked shut behind them, leaving them alone in the silent hall, Joxer found himself pressed against the stone wall, his lips covered by Ares'.

The two kissed passionately for several long seconds that turned into minutes. Breathing seemed more of an afterthought than anything else.

"Are you sure we can't elope?" Joxer asked against Ares skin.

Ares chuckled. "What and miss the bloodbath?"

Joxer sighed and pulled away, leaving a few inches between he and his husband. "What's wrong?" Joxer asked recognizing that they didn't leave the party for a quick grope in the hall.

"We have a couple of strays wandering the halls." Ares growled.

"Hercules and Gabrielle?" Joxer made a guess as he began walking down the hall, out into the main walkway. He sighed heavily.

In the time it would have taken him to walk through the doorway to the outside garden, Joxer found himself instead in the small garden outside their own temple.

The demi-God turned and glared at Ares. "I hate it when you do that!" He grumbled, not used to flashing in and out of places without any warning.

"Get used to it." Ares chuckled as they popped into the main living area.

Joxer had the sudden desire to laugh out loud. It wasn't funny, not really, but…it was.

Gabrielle was pressed up against the south wall, about three centimeters off the ground, vines surrounding her body, and pinning her to the wall like the trespasser she was. A particularly thick vine was wound around her throat, keeping her from uttering a sound.

Hercules was in a similar state not too far away from her.

Ares burst out laughing.

Joxer wanted to apologize, for either Ares reaction, or the state they were in, or both, but the truth of the matter was that if they weren't in a place they didn't belong, none it would have happened.

Joxer came closer, an apology on his lips. However when he saw the look in Gabrielle's eyes, he bit his tongue.

"Release." He spoke quietly.

The plants began to unfurl, dropping the two intruders to the ground unceremoniously.

Ares continued to laugh, garnering hateful glares from both victims, which only made him laugh harder.

"What in Tartarus are those?" Gabriel shrieked, having regained her equilibrium.

"Plants." Joxer answered, stating the obvious. "What are you doing here?"

"We were...sight seeing." Gabrielle offered, suddenly nervous.

"Our quarters are off limits." Ares growled.

Hercules scowled, but didn't say anything. Ares turned to Gabrielle, waiting for a better explanation, but not really expecting one.

"It wasn't our fault." She snapped. "We were just walking around, and these...plants," She motioned to the vines near the main entrance. "They pulled us in here."

Ares raised an eyebrow in question, wondering exactly how stupid she thought they were.

"We're sorry." Hercules offered stiffly.

Joxer wasn't sure what exactly they were apologizing for, trespassing, or being caught. It didn't matter though.

"You're guests here." He started. "You don't want to be here, either of you. I get that, but you agreed to come, so now you have to follow the rules." His eyes swept past Gabrielle and fell on Hercules. "Zeus may have given you something of a free pass, but it doesn't apply here, not in our home." He nodded his head towards the vines, which now looked completely harmless along the walls. "You could have been seriously hurt, or worse. The Velepia vine is a highly dangerous plant, not to mention extremely territorial. I suggest you think twice before going where you don't belong."

Joxer stepped back and motioned towards the door. "You don't want to be at the wedding, then don't, but if you stay, it's your decision."

Hercules started to move away from the wall, but stopped just before he reached the door. "If it's so dangerous, why keep it around?" He asked, partly curious, partly just trying to figure out what made this person he thought of as only a bumbling fool tick.

Joxer smiled slightly and shook his head, not able to come up with a way to explain the connection between he and his plants to someone who couldn't possibly understand.

Hercules turned and walked out, followed by Gabrielle. Once the two were alone again, Ares shook his head, still angry. "Those two are going to be a problem."

Joxer shrugged and stepped closer to the War God. "Now that we got a reprieve from all those party guests, what do you say we make the best of it?" He grinned slightly and held on and Ares moved them into the bedchamber.

His clothes having disappeared somewhere between the main room and the bed chamber, Joxer enjoyed the feeling of Ares' skin against his own, of Ares tongue bathing him, giving him pleasure in a way that had been foreign to him until recently.

He groaned as he felt Ares' erection against him, pressing into his body. He felt his own body release it's form as Ares prepared to enter him. Ares growled as their bodies began to shift. They continued to shift, their solidity in a state of flux.

The moved together, their bodies forming into one cohesive unit briefly, as their souls mixed together, their minds too far gone to process coherent thought, not that it was needed.

When their release finally came it was more than just sexual; it seemed to encompass everything they were. Afterwards, the two men, now both completely solid, lay against each other.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to that." Ares rumbled as he ran his hand through Joxer's hair.

"Then you'll never be bored."

Ares' chuckled, and then sighed. "We should get back."

"Yeah." Joxer agreed sadly.

Cupid watched as Hercules and Gabrielle entered the room, speaking quietly and frowning at whatever they were discussing. He nudged Strife. "There's trouble waiting to happen."

Eris stopped talking and followed Cupid's gaze. When she saw the two heroes, she snorted.

"Already happened." Jett commented. When the other three turned to him he shrugged. "They were caught in Ares' temple, strung up by some of Joxer's plants."

Strife snickered. "They deserve worse. Still, I would have loved to have seen the look on their faces."

Jett laughed, imagining it himself, then turned back to Eris. "You wanna blow?"

"Blow what?" She asked with a smirk.

Strife rolled his eyes as his mother and her new playmate wandered off.

He turned back to his lover, a frown on his face. "I don't like them being here."

"I know." Cupid continued to stare across the room. "Me either. We'll keep an eye on them."

Autolycus looked up at the sky. It was weird, seeing it from Olympus, as opposed to the mortal ground, but not unpleasant.

"Hey."

Autolycus turned around, startled. Xena was standing a few feet away, a small smile on her face. "Hey." He turned back around as Xena came closer.

"I never thought we'd be running into each other here."

Autolycus laughed. "And not for my brother's wedding to your father."

Xena shook her head and sighed. "He's not who I thought he was."

"My brother, or your father?"

"Both."

"It's not too late." Autolycus said quietly.

"I know." She said. "But..."

"You're worried about Gabrielle." He guessed.

"Yeah. She and Hercules are not happy about being here."

"Then they can leave. They won't be missed."

Xena turned to face her friend. "You don't like them very much do you?"

Autolycus thought about his answer carefully before responding. "Not really." He wanted to say more but wasn't really sure if she could understand. She was beginning to realize things weren't as they appeared, but she still didn't completely grasp the magnitude of how things had changed.

"Why not?" She asked, really wanting to know. She had always liked the thief, but hadn't really had the opportunity to really get to know him, which was probably a good thing, she mused. Had she gotten to know him before now, it most likely wouldn't have been the true him, given the secrets he was keeping.

"It's been hard for him. Joxer never really fit in anywhere. He couldn't truly make his own way, like Jett, but he couldn't be allowed to be himself either. He created this persona for himself, and people were so willing to believe it, I think sometimes he believed it himself." He stopped for a second. "Iolaus and I were the only people who knew the truth. Everyone else treated him like...an idiot, an imbecile who couldn't even keep his ridiculous hat on straight.

"Hercules wasn't much better. Iolaus had told him about Hercules, what a wonderful friend he was, a great hero, but when they actually met." Autolycus shook his head. "They may both be demi-God's but they're nothing alike."

"And Gabrielle?" Xena asked, knowing that the thief spoke the truth.

"She was the worst. She treated him so badly, on so many occasions that I'm surprised he kept coming back for more."

"It was partly his fault." Xena said, in her friend's defense.

"You think?" Autolycus turned and stared into the warrior's eyes. "Sure, he made himself out to dumb, and clumsy, but even if that was who he really was, did he deserve to be treated the way she treated him? I witnessed it first hand when she ran into Jett, thinking he was Joxer." He shrugged. "It doesn't matter now. He's home."

"You don't think they'll come around?"

"Do you?" Autolycus asked with a raised eyebrow.

Xena didn't answer. She didn't need to, and for the first time since the weirdness had started, she wondered if maybe in her quest to redeem herself, she had overlooked some really important things.

Like people. True, selfless people.

"I can't believe you made me come here." Hercules griped as he lay on the bed staring at the ceiling.

Iolaus barely acknowledged him as he lay down on his own bed. They were sharing a room in Aphrodite's temple. The bedding was an obnoxious pink. But it was either that or stay with Cupid, and Hercules had no desire to stay under the same roof as Strife, so pink it was.

"Are you even listening to me?" Hercules asked in annoyance.

"Yes." Iolaus answered as he turned to face his friend. "And you didn't have to come."

"Is that all you have to say?" The demi-god asked.

"That and you should have known better."

"Excuse me?" Hercules sat up.

"Even I can tell you not to go sneaking around temples on Mount Olympus, least of all temples belonging to the God of War." He snorted. "Serves you right." He said under his breath as he rolled over and tried to get to sleep.

"There's something weird about those plants." Hercules said, ignorant of Iolaus blatant attempts to get him to shut up.

"There's nothing weird about them." Iolaus said quietly, losing patience. "Those plants have been around longer than Zeus, and were only doing what they were supposed to."

"And what's that?" Hercules asked, wondering what Iolaus knew about it and how.

"Protect Joxer."

"And why would he need protection?" Hercules leaned closer. "And how do you know so much about it?"

Iolaus rolled back onto his back and sighed. "He told me." He took a deep breath before plunging on. "He's told me a lot."

Hercules thought about that statement for a second, and when it's significance hit him he opened his mouth to speak but couldn't find any words, so he shut it. After a minute he opened it again. "Are you telling me, that you knew about Joxer?"

Iolaus didn't like the tone of his friend's voice and stood up. "Yes, that's exactly what I'm telling you." He left the room, and headed to the one place he was sure to get some sleep.

Hercules lay back in the bed, feeling betrayed and wondering what else Iolaus had lied to him about, and if he was the only one.

End Part 5