Gabrielle smiled as she stared outside the window. The sun was setting, and it cast a soft glow into the room. She relaxed her head and snuggled into her lover's strong arms. He kissed the back of her head. She was blissfully happy when she was with Ares. He brought out sides in her she never knew she had. With Perdicus it was very spur-of-the-moment, and with Iolaus it was pure lust. But Ares was different. Once she had learned to love him for who he was, not who he used to be, she found herself enjoying every breath she took.

But Gabrielle found that she could not be with him like this. As a god he was a totally different person. She loved him, not his job. She told him she was going to leave, too, and he didn't try to stop her. He only got angry with her and yelled. So she went away on her horse, riding for what seemed like years, just to find the nearest inn. But before she left she wrote him a long letter, to try and explain why she left. It went something like this.

Once she found that inn, Ares was sitting at a table inside. She ignored him, but he was being so sweet and spoke in such a soft tone that she couldn't help but smile at him when he said, "I love you, baby. I'm sorry for being such an ass. I know we're not usually like this. I guess I was getting full of myself, being a god and everything. Well you've made me realize that I can't be like that. I love you." He said, wrapping his arms around her waist. She coughed, speechless. "Tell me you love me, Gabrielle." The exciting rush of her name gracing his lips gave her chills. "I love you, too, Ares. I'm sorry." She closed her eyes and snuggled into him. "Me too, baby, me too."

They're little innuendo landed them upstairs, with Gabrielle in his strong, muscular arms watching the sun go down. And Gabrielle began to think. Why was she in this situation? Because Ares was a good lover? Because he was amazingly hot and cute when he spoke in that baby voice? Because he could make her do anything with that pout of his? Because she enjoyed the rush and the excitement of being with him behind the world's back? All answers she came to never had anything to do with love. But she did love him. Except this relationship was wrong. Gabrielle and mortal Ares were good together - a match made in Heaven. But the god Ares was too much for her to handle. They could only be together under mortal circumstances, and she didn't expect him to give up his godhood again. So she was right the first time. She had to leave. She had to return to Xena and confess everything. She needed Ares as either a friend or out of her life completely. She did love him, but this relationship was wrong. So she got out of bed, after Ares fell back asleep. She took a piece of parchment out of her bag and began to write.