Eternity

By, Ashley

Disclaimer: All characters in this belong to Renaissance Pictures and USA Studios. I own none of them. This story has no rating. It is the sequel to Love and Vengeance. I hope you enjoy this! THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO SUBTEXT!

"Mother! Lyceus keeps getting away from me! He’s a fast little guy!" Eve said. She was watching Lyceus while Xena and Gabrielle helped Ares out in the field.

"He is getting fast isn’t he?" Xena asked laughing. Lyceus ran over to her, and Xena picked him up. "After all, he is reaching his terrible two’s, and he’s gonna be running around a lot."

"Goody." Eve said smiling. Gabrielle walked over to them.

"Hey." Xena said.

"How you do that?" Gabrielle asked.

"Do what?" Xena asked.

"Work while you’re pregnant?" Gabrielle asked rubbing her stomach.

"It’s not easy." Xena said rubbing her own stomach. Gabrielle glared at her. Xena was only two seasons (6 months) pregnant. Gabrielle was due to have a baby any day. After Xena and Ares after Lyceus’ birth, she had decided to settle down and marry. Except for the fact that her husband had to travel all of the time because he was a bard like her.

"So when will Virgil be back?" Ares asked walking over to them. "He’s supposed to be helping me with the fields."

"He’ll be back anyday. He said that he would be back before the baby is born." Gabrielle said. Xena and Gabrielle were still warriors. They would leave often to battle for many months. But they always returned home to the farm. Xena always kept her sword, chakram, and armor ready. But on the farm, she wore a simple blue dress. Gabrielle did the same. She wore a yellow dress and kept her Sais and battle outfit handy.

"So, what are you going to name your baby?" Eve asked.

"I think that if it’s a boy I’ll name him Joxer. If it’s a girl I’m going to name her Ephiny."

"That’s nice. Joxer would like that." Xena said.

"So would Ephiny." Gabrielle said. Eve looked to the ground. She felt a pang of regret every time she heard Joxer’s name.

"Eve?" Gabrielle asked.

"I just feel so bad. As Livia, I killed Joxer. Virgil forgave me, but what will you son do, if you have a son, when he hears that I killed his grand-father?" Eve asked.

"I’ll tell him everything." Gabrielle said.

"Thank you." Eve said. She walked to the farmhouse to fix lunch. Xena and Gabrielle sat in the shade of a big oak tree and Ares went to bathe in the lake.

"Ares doesn’t like us working out there does he?" Gabrielle asked.

"No. It’s just because we’re pregnant. If he were still a god, he wouldn’t care." Xena said.

"Yeah. So, what are you going to name your baby?" Gabrielle asked.

"I’m thinking of naming it, if it’s a girl, Cyrene. If it’s a boy, probably Zander." Xena said.

"That’s nice." Gabrielle said smiling. She sighed and closed her eyes. Xena looked around, and saw someone coming up the road. It was Virgil. She smiled and looked at Gabrielle.

"Gabrielle, look who’s here." Xena said. Gabrielle opened her eyes, and saw her husband coming up the road. She stood up smiling, and ran over to him. Well, she ran as best that she could being nine months pregnant. Remember that she’s not Xena.

"Gabrielle, it so good to see you." Virgil said.

"I missed you Virgil." Gabrielle said hugging her husband tightly. She kissed him, and Xena decided to give them a little time alone. Ares was coming back up to the farm. He had a towel wrapped around his waist. He had just gotten out of the lake. Xena saw him and ran over to him. Little Lyceus followed behind.

"Let’s go inside." She said. She nodded over to Gabrielle and Virgil who were still hugging.

"Good idea." Ares said. He kissed Xena. Ares picked up Lyceus, and took Xena’s hand. They walked inside, and Ares put Lyceus down and went upstairs to get dressed.

"Where’s Gabrielle?" Eve asked.

"She’s outside with Virgil." Xena said smiling.

"Virgil’s back?" Eve asked smiling.

"Yeah. He’s back." Xena said.

"Gabrielle must be happy." Eve said.

"Yeah. She is." Xena said. "She loves him."

Ares came down the stairs and looked at Xena. She walked outside with him, and they walked up to the hill over looking his farm.

"I love you Xena." Ares said.

"I love you Ares." Xena replied. She laughed a little. "I remember when that was so hard for us to say. It took us forever to find a way to say it."

"I know. But now, I know that I want to spend eternity with you. If we were immortal, we’d be together forever."

"We will be. Don’t worry. When the time comes, we’ll be together in the afterlife." Xena said.

"I guess you’re right." Ares said sighing. He kissed Xena softly. They talked for awhile and went to bed.

That night, Xena felt a presence. She couldn’t tell what it was. All she knew was that it wasn’t exactly a good presence. She remembered back about two years ago when they were helping Ares to get the glass ball to shatter. Xena thought about that. She knew something was about to happen. Her life was never simple.

The next morning, Xena got up early and took Lyceus into the market. Xena couldn’t shake the feeling that something was going to happen. She walked with her son at her side.

"Are you mad mommy?" Lyceus asked. Xena kneeled down and looked at her son.

"No sweetheart. Why do you ask that?" she asked.

"You’re walking fast." He said.

"I’m just in a hurry to get to town. I have to ask some people some questions." Xena explained to her son.

Xena asked questions for an hour. No person seemed to know anything. She even used her pressure points on some people.

"Come on Lyceus. Let’s go home." Xena said.

"Xena returned home to find Gabrielle and Eve in the kitchen. Ares and Virgil were nowhere to be found.

"Where are the guys?" Xena asked.

"I don’t know." Gabrielle said with concern. I woke up, and Eve was in the kitchen, and you were gone and so were Ares and Virgil." Gabrielle said.

"That’s odd." Xena said. Lyceus ran around the kitchen and was paying with his toy chakram that Xena had made him.

"Maybe they went fishing." Eve said.

"No, Ares hates fishing. He says it’s too mortal." Xena said. She laughed. "Too mortal?" He’s been mortal a little over three years. Xena brushed her black hair out of her eyes. "They’ll be home soon."

Soon came and went. It was night now, and there was no sign of Virgil or Ares.

"Mother. This doesn’t feel right. I don’t think they’re coming back." They heard banging on their door. Xena opened the door, and a small village woman came in.

"Can we help you?" Xena asked.

"It’s Ares and Virgil. They’ve been killed." The woman said.

"What?!" Eve exclaimed. Gabrielle gasped and Xena felt her own heart skip a beat.

"They were killed in town this morning. It was after you left, Xena. Warlords killed them. I don’t know who they were." The woman said in a panic. Gabrielle started to cry, and Xena felt a tear roll down her cheek. The woman left and hurried down the road to spread the word some more.

"Xena. This can’t be happening." Gabrielle cried.

"It can’t be. I won’t believe it!" Xena said.

"Mother. Do you think they’re alive?" Eve asked.

"Yes. I do." Xena said. "Think about it. We know everyone in that town. I’ve never seen her before."

"Maybe she was just passing through." Eve said.

"She spoke of them as if she knew who they were." Xena said.

"Maybe she heard their names. They are well known. We all are." Gabrielle said.

"Don’t you give up. I’m not giving up on Ares. I know he’s alive. He’s alive, and so is Virgil." Xena said. "We’re going to find them."

"How?" Eve asked. Xena and Gabrielle and Eve planned.

"A little down the road, the woman stopped and threw off the cloak she had been wearing and turned into a demon. She laughed as she disappeared to where she had come from.

"Xena!" Ares called.

"Gabrielle!" Virgil called. They looked at their family but and called to them. It was no use. They had been transported into another realm by a mysterious demon. "We have to get to them."

"They said they were going to come look for us." Ares said.

"How are they going to find us?" Virgil asked. "They don’t even know where to begin looking!"

"Xena, Gabrielle and Eve are smart. They have resources you wouldn’t even believe. They’ll find us. They won’t give up on us." Ares explained.

"Don’t be too sure of that." Said a voice. Ares and Virgil turned around and saw the demon.

"What do you want?" Virgil asked.

"What do I want?" the demon asked. "I’ll tell you what I want. I want Xena and Gabrielle to give up hope on you two so I can kill you."

"What?" Ares asked.

"I cannot kill you in this realm until Xena and Gabrielle lose hope of finding you." The demon said.

"Why didn’t you just kill us in our world?" Ares asked. "You wouldn’t have had to worry about all of this."

"It’s just my way of playing games." The demon said. "You wouldn’t believe the things I’ve done."

"I can imagine." Virgil said. "You have to be a monster to take two men away from their pregnant wives." Virgil said.

"Oh. Why don’t you shut up?" Do you know how long I’ve plotted against you, Virgil?" he asked. "Since the day your father first saw you. Since the day you were born. And you Ares. Since the day you were created. Thousands of years ago."

"Why?" Ares asked.

"Because I knew you two would get the two women I loved most." The demon said.

"You’re in love with Xena and Gabrielle?" Ares asked.

"Yes." The demon said.

"Who are you?" Virgil asked.

"My name is Hectrolis." The demon said.

"I have been in love with those two since I first saw them in battle." The demon said.

"NO!" Ares yelled, plunging a stake through the demon that fell that instant.

"Are you crazy?!" Virgil yelled. "Now we’ll never get out of here!"

"We will. Xena and Gabrielle will find us." Ares said.

Xena saddled up Argo, and put on the armor and leather outfit she wore when she was pregnant with Lyceus. Gabrielle saddled up Amber, and changed into an outfit similar to the one that Xena wore when she was expecting Eve. She put her sais in her boots and was ready to go. Eve and Xena helped her get onto her horse and Xena got onto her own. Eve picked up Lyceus and gave him to Xena. Then she got on her own beautiful white horse.

"Come on. Let’s go." Xena said. They headed off in search of Virgil and Ares.

"What is this?" Virgil asked Ares. Ares turned around to see Virgil holding a vile of potion. Ares felt his heart skip a beat.

"Virgil, you’re a genius!" Ares said laughing.

"What? What is this?" he asked.

"This is nectar. It turns people into gods. Or it can just make them immortal." Ares said slipping the vile into his pocket. Virgil sighed, but didn’t say anything.

After a week of riding and searching, Xena spotted a mysterious lake she had never seen before. Gabrielle was feeling pains every once and a while, and she knew the time was near for the birth of her child.

"I’ve never seen this lake before." Eve said.

"I haven’t either." Xena said. "That’s why I think this is the answer. It may be like the Elysian Fields. You keep swimming, and you reach the other side. Maybe we’ll find Ares and Virgil. This could be the answer."

"Xena, what if it isn’t. Think about yourself, and your baby." Gabrielle said.

"I know this isn’t the time to go. We’ll know when it’s time. We have to look for a sign." Xena, Gabrielle and Eve sat up camp on the lake and Lyceus played with his toy chakram.

That evening, Gabrielle started to feel more pain.

"Xena!" she called. "Xena, it’s time!" Eve took Lyceus outside, and read him some of Gabrielle’s scrolls.

"Okay Gabrielle, push." Xena said calmly. She put some heated water in a basin, and got a blanket ready. "Come on."

"I can’t do this." Gabrielle said painfully.

"Yes you can. You can do anything Gabrielle." Xena said. Gabrielle pushed, and Xena delivered her daughter.

"It’s a girl!" Gabrielle exclaimed. Xena smiled, and cleaned off the baby and wrapped her in a blanket handing her to Gabrielle.

"Hello Ephiny." Gabrielle said.

"That’s my little girl." Virgil said watching from the other realm.

"Congratulations." Ares said. Virgil wiped the tears from his eyes.

"It’s a girl." Xena said as she walked outside. Eve stood up with Lyceus. Gabrielle miraculously walked out with her daughter. "I think that’s a good sign."

"Don’t do it mother." Eve warned.

"I love Ares, and Gabrielle loves Virgil. And Virgil will want to see baby Ephiny, and Ares wants to see the birth of our child. I think I can find them." Xena said. Xena hugged Gabrielle and Eve, and she kneeled down to her little boy.

"Mommy. Promise you’ll be back?" Lyceus asked. He reminded Xena so much of Solan.

"I promise." Xena said hugging her son. She dove into the water. She felt the cold surround her, but she pushed through the water. She began to see a tunnel of bright light. It was on the floor of the lake. Xena headed for it, and before she knew it, she was standing in another realm.

"Ares!" Xena called when she saw her husband. Ares and Virgil turned around.

"Xena!" Ares called running to her. He hugged her. "I knew you’d find us."

"We both knew the whole time." Virgil said smiling. Ares rolled his eyes at Virgil.

"Virgil, come see your daughter. Come on." Xena said leading Ares in Virgil through the light.

Eve held Lyceus who was sleeping on her shoulder. All of a sudden, three figures came out of the water and ran up to shore. It was Xena, Virgil and Ares.

"Gabrielle!" Eve exclaimed. "She was right!" Virgil ran over to Gabrielle and kissed her. He kissed his baby girl. Xena picked up Lyceus, and hugged Ares. They headed home to the farm.

"Come on Xena!" Gabrielle said. "Push!" It had been three months since the birth of baby Ephiny. Ares and Virgil were outside with Lyceus and Ephiny, and Eve and Gabrielle were with Xena.

A couple hours later, Gabrielle walked out with Eve.

"Congratulations." Gabrielle said to Ares.

"Do I have a son or a daughter?" Ares asked.

"Go see for yourself." Eve said smiling. Ares left Virgil, Gabrielle and Eve with Lyceus and Ephiny.

Ares walked into the house and saw Xena laying in the bed. She had two tiny bundles in her arms.

"Xena?" he asked.

"Ares. Come see our son and daughter. Cyrene and Zander." Xena said softly. Ares walked over to his wife and sat down on the bed.

"Two?" he asked. "Twins?"

"Yes." Xena said. She smiled as Ares kissed her. The two infants squirmed in Xena’s arms. Ares suddenly remembered something. "Ares? What is it?" she asked.

"Xena. I forgot all about something. When Virgil and I were in the other realm, he found this vile." Ares said walking over to the wall. He pulled a small vile off of the shelf.

"What is it for?" Xena asked.

"We can be immortal forever. We can be together forever, and with our children. We’ll never get old and we’ll never die." Ares said. Xena’s smile faded. "What’s wrong?" Ares asked.

"I can’t do that. I’m sorry." Xena said.

"What? Why not?" Ares asked.

"I promised Solan that I would come back to him. I promised him." Xena said.

"He’s in the Elysian Fields. He won’t even know it." Ares said.

"But I do. I can’t do this. I have to go back to my son." Xena said.

A bright flash came into the room. To Xena’s surprise she saw Solan.

"Solan?" she asked. "What are you doing out of the Elysian Fields?"

"I came to tell you that I want you to be happy. I want you to do what you want. I’ll be okay. Don’t worry mother. Hercules’ wife is there and his children. I see father sometimes, and Caliopus is there. Mother, I’ll be fine. It’ll make me happy and you if you drink from that vile." Solan explained.

"Sweetheart." Xena said crying. "I can’t do that. I want to see you again someday."

"You will. Whenever you want to talk to me, just call my name. I’ll try my best to get to you." With that, Solan was gone. Gabrielle who was carrying Ephiny, Eve who was carrying Lyceus and Virgil came into the room.

"Congratulations Xena." Virgil said.

"Thank you." Xena said. She was crying, and Ares was stunned after seeing Solan.

"Mother, I heard a boy’s voice." Eve said.

"That was your brother Solan." Xena said. Xena explained everything about the vile.

"The thing is," Ares explained, "when a child drinks it, they grow up to be a young man or woman. About Eve’s age. In their twenties. Then they just stop aging. Xena, Gabrielle, Virgil and I will stay our own ages while the children grow."

"This seems scary." Gabrielle said.

"It’s not. If you don’t want to, you don’t have to." Ares said drinking some of the vile. Enough to make sure he was immortal, but not enough to make him a god.

"Here." Virgil said. Gabrielle looked at him. Virgil took a drink, then Xena did. Gabrielle took some of it and then Eve.

"What about the children?" Xena asked.

"I want some!" Lyceus called and came running into the room. Xena handed him the vile uncertainly, and he drank some of it. Xena put it up to the baby boy in her arms. She poured some into his mouth, and he swallowed. Xena did the same with her daughter. Then she handed the vile with just a sip left, to Gabrielle, who let Ephiny drink it down.

"I feel strange." Gabrielle said.

"We all will for a few minutes." Ares said.

"I feel bad though." Xena said. "I mean. We’ll live forever, and any children we have will live forever. But what about the friends we make? What will happen when they die? Everything and everyone we love will die. Argo…" Xena said. "Not exactly." Gabrielle said. Look. There was still a few tiny drops left in the vile. They all went out to the barn and put some in Argo’s, Amber’s, Buttercup’s (Eve’s horse) and Ares’ horses troughs.

They all went back into the house and sat around in the kitchen. Xena put Lyceus, Zander, and Cyrene down to bed, and Gabrielle put Ephiny down to bed. Eve was out in the barn brushing Buttercup when she ran into the house.

"Mother!" she screamed. Xena stood up fast.

"What’s wrong Eve?" Xena asked.

"Look at this." Eve said. She pointed to a flower bed outside, and it burst into flames. She pointed again and the fire stopped.

"You’re a goddess." Gabrielle said. After a few minutes they all discovered they had powers. Even the children had powers.

"What’s going on?" Eve asked.

"It looks as if we just started a new Olympus on earth." Xena said glaring at Ares who fidgeted nervously. He was the god of war again.

"Look, I didn’t know." Ares said.

"Sure you didn’t." Xena said. "I should have known." She stormed up to the bedroom, and shut the door. Ares hurried after her. He knocked on the door.

"Xena?" he asked.

"Go away!" she yelled.

"Listen to me." Ares said walking into the room and sitting by Xena on the bed. "I didn’t think that little would have turned us into gods and goddesses."

"I shouldn’t have been so stupid to have believed you. Why Ares? Did you really think you could trick me into this? Well you did. You won." Xena said throwing a brush at him. He of course didn’t care. He just wanted to make things right.

"Listen to me Xena. Please?" Ares begged. "I am the god of war again, but look at me. Look into my eyes. Do you see deception? Do you see greed?" he asked. Xena looked into his eyes. All she saw was his love for her. "I’m so sorry Xena."

"Sorry. You aren’t the same." Xena said with a small smile. "Before as the god of war you wouldn’t have told me you were sorry." She kissed him lightly on the lips. "What are we going to do? We can’t live on earth like this. It wouldn’t be possible."

"I know another realm that is quite beautiful." Ares said.

"Why don’t we just live on Olympus?" Virgil asked. He, along with Gabrielle and Eve had gathered at the doorway.

"Olympus is no place for a child." Ares said.

"You’ve forgotten. There’s no more Zeus. No more Here. Best of all, no more Athena to try to kill Eve." Gabrielle said.

"You’re right." Ares said. "It looks like we’re moving to Olympus.

To Be Continued….