then,with a crashing sound,Joxer trips on the ground
falling,he grabs Xena's---

Autolycus roles his eyes

Part 4 by xenacat2001

"Well....I suppose we can check it out in the morning.  We'll leave at dawn
.
just make sure you wake up on time." Xena said to Autolycus.
            **********
The morning dawned bright and clear.  "Joxer. JOXER....Wake UP!" Called
Gabrielle.

"Huh? Five more minutes Mom..." Said Joxer....NOT wanting to wake up.

<I'll get him up> Thought Xena....as she poured water on his head.

Joxer was defiantly up now!

"Xena!  I just fetched that water! And you've poured it all on Joxer!"
Gabrielle shouted.

" Oh...that's OK Gabrielle...Joxer can just get us more...seeing as he IS
awake now" Xena said, smiling.
********************
Later that morning, after a meager breakfast.....they set off for the
village. Xena was sure she could find out what was happening to the
children...as long as she asked the right questions.

Riding Argo into the small village...Xena approached the tavern...knowing
all the good information could be found there. Gabrielle, Joxer and
Autolycus followed her in.

"All right now, I want some information. Who can tell me about what's been
happening to the children?" Gabrielle said, looking around the room.

The Bar Keeper looked down at the small woman standing in front of him.  "
And why is it you want to know?" He asked...not to nicely.

"If you want my help finding your little ones...You'll give her all the
information you have " Said Xena with a snarl.

"Well...In that case....I'll tell you." He said apologetically.   "Hower over
there,"he said pointing, "Hower swears he saw Aphrodite pop in and take off
with 4 of our little girls.....and then he says he saw Ares take off with 3
of the boys..."

"Oh yes", Xena groaned inwardly.   "The only Olympian
siblings yet alive.  Now what could it mean...? she
thought. 

  All the while, Joxer had been pinching his lower
lip.  He seemed to be deciding what to do, as if he
had taken on the gods themselves quite often.
Finally, he noticed eveyone staring his way, and he
realized he had started a bloody mess of his lip.
"Oops!", he muttered with his usual annoying laugh.
But then he realized everyone had forgotten him.
"Well don't worry about me...I'll be o...k...," his
voice trailing off at the look Xena was giving him.

  "Hey, guys.  I know Aphrodite", Gabrielle was
quickly on the defensive for her friend.  "What would
she ever do with a child?  Remember the disaster she
created in trying to get a little princess to 'love'
her, rather than a stepmother?", she gave a weak
chuckle.

"Let's just hope there isn't anything more to this
then that," replied Xena, not finding any humor in the
situation.

"You have anything in mind", inquired Autolycus?
"You've got that 'I think I know' look.  Spit it out.
Not litslly, of course.  That would be quite
un-warrior-like of you."

"I wonder..."'muttered Xena to herself.  And then in a
loud, commanding voice, she called, "Ares!  Show
yourself.  No use hiding from this.  Join him,
Aphrodite."

Then with a lightning fizzle, the small group and
villagers saw the two residents of Olympia some to
being before their eyes.

"I will never understand how you DO that Xena", an
exasperated Ares said, arms crossed on his chest.

"I told you she'd find out", whispered a nervous
Aphrodite behind him.

"Oh cool it sis", "what she doesn't know won't hurt
anyone", replied Ares.

"The village is complaining about you two kidnapping
their children.  Where are they"? growled Xena
nastily, drawing her sword. 

"We just needed a little entertainment up on our
hill'<  said Ares lazily.  "Gods get bored too,
y'know".

The Warrior Princess lunged forward and pressed the tip of her sword against the war god's nether region.

"I'm in no mood for games Ares, but if you insist ... how's about a little round of pin-the-sword-on-the-jack-ass?" Xena hissed through clenched teeth, but the tiny spark fear that glinted in the immortal's eyes brought a quirk to her brow.

"Tsk, tsk.  No need to be violent Xena." Ares pinched the top edge of Xena's blade and pushed it gingerly aside.  He strode with forced nonchalance to stand just behind his goddess sister.  "The children from the village are perfectly safe where they are.  I mean, who better to take care of a bunch of kids than the God of War and the Goddess of Love, right sis?"

Ares elbowed Aphrodite in the arm, nearly knocking her off balance.  The beautiful goddess, clad in her barely-there pink chiffon nighty, cast her sibling the meanest glare she could manage then turned her attention to Xena.  "Xena, you know I would never do anything to hurt a child--"

"Aphrodite, you would never do anything to intentionally hurt a child, but remember what happened with that little girl?  Your heart was in the right place but..." Gabrielle's voice trailed off when she saw the brief, but mournful look on the Goddess' face.

Aphrodite took a deep breath and held the bard's concerned gaze.  "Gabrielle, you have my word that I will do everything in my power to protect those children and return them safely to their families.  They're safe, I promise you--"

Aphrodite's heartfelt words were cut short as Ares tugged on his sister's elbow.   "Ahem ... time for us to go sis, it's almost time."

"Ares..." Xena ushered the name as a warning for she knew what was about to happen.  Aphrodite waved her hand briefly before her face and the two Olympians disappeared in a misting of glittered sparkles.

"Xena?" The bard was at the ready, next to the warrior.  "This doesn't make any sense.  Aphrodite looked ... sad."

"Yeah, and Ares looked scared."

"Pshh... Xena.  Ares is the God of War, whaddya mean he looked scared?" Joxer's voice pierced the still air and was followed by a 'kathud' when Autolocus smacked him on the back of the head.

The Warrior Princess spun around and pressed her sword to Autolocus, on precisely the same body part that she'd poked the God of War.  All he could do was gulp down his fear, which he tried to cover up with smarmy charm.  "Yup, that's the look.  Ares was scared."  She glanced at the bard.  "Now why would the God of War be scared of my sword, stand BEHIND his sister ... she's the one that made them disappear, too.  He's too fond of his own theatrics to let anyone do it for him."

"Xena, do you mean--"

"Ares somehow lost his immortality, and the children are the key.  Come on, we need to get to the bottom of this, and I think I know exactly where the 'bottom' is."

****************