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I Need You
By: Illyandria
~*~*_*~*~
Disclaimer: Characters belong to MCA, Universal, and Renaissance Pictures. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction story.
Author's Note: Takes place right after "Amphipolis Under Seige". This is yet another SHORT story that I wrote when I was EXTREMELY bored, okay? But go ahead and criticize!
Dedication: This story is dedicated to Sarah, Sara, Kat, and Jo.
Her hands dived around his neck as his carressed her body. Their tongues entwined, they never broke their kiss as they fell down onto the forest floor...
~*~*_*~*~
Xena woke up, a hand going to her mouth. Why was she being tortured with these dreams? What did Morpheus have against her?
She thought about it, and then laughed bitterly. He had *everything* against her now. Even he wanted to kill her child. Eve meant the end of the gods' reign, or so they said.
Xena thought back to the dream. Oh, it felt so real. So real. She wanted him, and they both knew it. And they knew she wouldn't be able to stand it very much longer.
She stood up. She *couldn't* stand it any longer. No more. No more games, no more lying, no more covering up how she felt. She needed him. *Now*.
Walking into the woods a little ways, she called for him. "Ares?"
She waited a couple minutes...and nothing happened.
"Ares?" she asked again, tentively. He always heard her the first time she called...and he always came.
Still nothing happened.
"Ares?!"
Nothing.
She sighed, a confused look on her face as she glanced around. What was wrong? Where was he?
Finally, she realized the awful truth. He was angry at her for that stunt she pulled with Athena. That was the only thing she could think of. That was the only reason he wouldn't come to her.
She let out a frustrated breath, feeling guilty. Guilty that she had done that to him.
Walking over to the saddle-bags, she got out a piece of parchment and a quill. She thought for a moment, and then started to write on the scroll, explaining to Gabrielle that she needed to go somewhere, and was going to leave Eve with her, knowing she could trust her to take care of her. She also told Gabrielle she was leaving to have some time to herself.
She smirked a little. She hated to lie to her friend, but Gabrielle would surely think she was insane if she told her she was going to see Ares.
Satisfied with what she'd written, she laid the parchment where Gabrielle was sure to see it. She mounted Argo, and they rode off into the dark night.
~*~*_*~*~
Having taken Argo to the stables around back, Xena entered the temple. About to walk into the throne room, a priestess stopped her.
"Have you come to offer something to Lord Ares?" the young girl asked.
Xena nodded.
"And what would that be?"
"None of your business," Xena said, as she pushed past the priestess.
The girl followed her. "Tell me what you are offering!"
"I need to talk to Ares. Privately," Xena said, irritated.
"And what makes you think that Lord Ares will just show up on command?"
"Because he always does!" Xena said angrily, and then bit her lip slightly. He hadn't shown up when she called him earlier...
"Let's see you call him then," the priestess said cockily.
Xena rose her chin and stepped over to the throne. "Ares?" When nothing happened, she called more loudly, "ARES?!"
Again, nothing happened. The priestess walked over to her and smirked. "Alright, get out of here. I told you Lord Ares does not bother with common people like you."
"I'M HIS CHOSEN!" Xena screamed, frustrated. She pushed the priestess into the wall roughly, dazing her.
When the priestess recovered, she drew the sword that was by her side.
Xena drew hers also, and without much effort she knocked the priestess unconscious. Putting her sword back in its scabbard, she walked back over to the throne.
"Ares? Ares, please... I need to talk to you..."
Getting no reply, she continued, "Ares, I'm your chosen. It's your responsibility to come to me when I call. ARES?!"
Nothing. "Ares, as your chosen I *order* you to appear!"
Still nothing. She looked around tiredly, and then sat in the throne. "Ares...I rode all night...please...I need you right now..."
Getting no response, she put her head in her hands. What was going on? Why wasn't he appearing? Had she truly hurt him with that whole Amphipolis thing? What could have drove him to ignore her like this? He was always there for her...
"Ares...please...I'm your chosen...and I need you now..."
There was a flash of blue light, and Ares appeared in a shadowy corner of the room.
She jumped to her feet. "Ares! I -"
"You're no longer my chosen, Xena," he said, cutting her off.
She looked at him, confused. "What?"
"You're no longer my chosen. You've forfeited the right time and time again. I've had enough. I've decreed that you, Xena, are no longer in my service. And I have no need to appear at your call either. Nor do I need to help you, or even be in your life *ever* again."
She stared at him in disbelieving agony. "No...Ares...how could you...you wouldn't..." she whispered.
"Well, you have crossed a line I never thought that *you* would, so why shouldn't *I* do something that you don't believe I would?"
She walked over to him. "Ares, I - I'm sorry. What have I done that's crossed the line? I know that I...used you last time...but I've done that before...I think..."
"It's not that, Xena!" he said to her. "You're killing me! Your daughter is bringing about my end, yet I still helped you, therefore condemming myself to being chased by all of the other Olympians. Xena, you found my weakness, and you *used* me! How could you do that?! Why? In the end you know I would have *had* to help you...no strings..."
Xena stood silent for a moment, all of this running through her mind. "Why is it you would have helped me without any strings?"
Ares shook his head. "You know why. I can't watch you die."
"Then why in Tartarus are you releasing me from my pledge? I pledged my *soul* to you, Ares! If you love me that much, then why are you just going to forget about me? Just ignore me? I just can't seem to grasp that!"
Ares looked at her. Ah, his warrior princess. His beautiful warrior princess. Looking into those piercing blue eyes, he wondered what had gotten into him. What was he doing?
He ran a hand down her face.
She closed her eyes, savoring the feelings that ran through her at his touch. "Have I talked some sense into you."
"As usual, my Sweet, as usual."
"Finally! You've called me something besides 'Xena'!" she said, opening her eyes.
He laughed a little. "I'm sorry. I don't know...I don't know what got into me. I don't know why I didn't come when you called, I don't know why I let you hurt like that. It's just...I've been so...confused...lately... Lost." He shook his head. "I mean, all of this is ridiculous. All of the gods are after your child. I'm the only one that can protect you, but if I do, I'm going to die." He looked down at the floor. "I think I've finally learned something whilst being a god...I've learned what it is to be confused. To be scared. I've experienced...fear. I've always thought I'd live for an eternity...I was so sure that it would never end...but now that it is, I haven't realized what I've had, until now. Now that I'm about to lose it. I have my life...sure, it's an awful one...but it's mine... I have the people who care about me, the few that they are. Aphrodite, Eileithyia, Illyandria...you..."
Xena interrupted him. "Add one more person to that list, Ares. Eve."
Ares looked at her questioningly.
Smiling, Xena explained. "I could sense it. When you held her... She likes you. She'll grow up understanding you, perhaps even to love you...like I do..."
Ares grinned at her, running his fingers through her hair. "What was that, Xena?"
Xena flushed. "You know what I said."
"Mmm," Ares nodded. He thought back to what he'd just told her...he'd revealed so much...
He chuckled quietly.
"What is it?" Xena asked.
Ares shook his head, still laughing quietly. "I'm so at ease with you, it's pathetic. I can't believe I just told you all of that..."
Xena rose a brow. "You were always like that. Remember when you had a bad day, you use to come to my tent at night. You'd tell me everything..."
Ares nodded. "Yeah. No matter how late it was, you always listened... You use to be my confidant..."
"Why not have things the way the use to be?" Xena asked. "Minus the warlord thing of course."
Ares smiled.
"Am I still your chosen?" Xena inquired.
"Am I still your god?"
Xena grinned at him and leant up and kissed him softly.
When they pulled back, Ares looked at her, staring into her blue eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Xena. For everything."
"I know you are, Ares," Xena said. She looked around. "How about we...go get Eve...disappear to an island...away from Gabrielle...and have a little vacation, hmm?"
"Sounds good to me, my faithful follower." He grinned devilishly.
"Well, then let's go, My Lord."
THE END
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