�Please, Xena!� Sorrow panted, �I must� I must push!�

�Not yet, Sorrow, please!� Xena begged earnestly, seeing that the goddess had not dilated nearly enough for this child to be born easily. �You will tear, and it will hurt the baby!�

�Pleeeeeease,� Sorrow wailed, holding fast to Hercules� arms as he supported her from behind.

�Hold on, Sorrow, hold on,� Iolaus pleaded, fighting his own panic in order to get her focus off of her labor pains and back onto his clear blue eyes. �Look at me, Sorrow � look in my eyes! You�re doing fine!�

�I don�t feel fine, Iolaus!� she wailed, fighting to keep from doubling over. �Hercules! I can�t bear this! How do women bear this? How can they? I would go mad!�

�Damned godhood,� Xena argued with no one. �Never felt pain, and now she�s getting a whole shipload of it in one go � I�d go mad myself.�

�Pressure points!� Gabrielle suddenly barked into the midst of the wailing. �If she�s feeling human pain, then maybe the human pressure points will work on her while the baby is still in her body?�

�Good idea, Gabrielle,� Xena nodded, then looked to Hercules, who had been called back to support the goddess. �Turn her on her side � I need to get to her spine.�

Hercules nodded, and helped the goddess to roll to her side away from the warrioress, and he watched in amazement as Xena�s expert fingers went to work, punching and pressing along the goddess�s spine until he felt the muscles under his hands go limp, and he knew the nerve block had worked.

�Thank the gods!� Sorrow panted in relief as she felt the pain disappear from her consciousness. �I thought I should die!�

�I think you�ll survive,� Xena smiled tightly, feeling somewhat unnerved by the humanity being exhibited by this goddess of Olympus. She had approached Sorrow from the start with trepidation, and finding her in such a human condition, with such human experiences affecting her, it was hard to keep up the walls of mistrust and caution. �I think it will be easier not to push now, Sorrow � I want to give it as long as we can to allow enough room for the baby to pass through the birth canal more easily. There�s no need to cause any undue tearing of you or distress to the baby if you can hold onto your breathing awhile longer?�

�I shall try,� Sorrow nodded, already relaxing from the temporary cessation of pain. A smile came to her face and Iolaus grinned down at her happily. Indeed, the whole room seemed to sigh in relief.

�I�ll stay with her and watch her breathing, Xena,� Iolaus promised, though she doubted anyone would be capable of drawing him away from his goddess now.

�Something�s wrong - what is it, Xena?� Hercules urged once they were outside.

�I don�t know,� Xena shrugged. �It might be nothing. But something about this whole situation is completely wrong. She�s feeling pain, yes, but she�s feeling more than even a goddess having a human child should have. Something�s compounding her fear and anxiety, and I can�t put my finger on it, but I feel it affecting me, too � one minute we are all happy, and the next moment we are all doubtful and worried. We�re all feeling manic, and it�s not right.�

Hercules nodded, wondering if he ought to speak up about his ideas as to what might be going on with this half-human child, but he had no proof of anything other than what he�d been told. Instead, he argued, �Perhaps Sorrow�s empathic powers are working in reverse? Instead of her feeling us, maybe we are feeling her?�

�Maybe,� Xena nodded, considering the probability. She knew so little about this minor deity; it was all a mystery to her how she should even recognize the feeling of having Sorrow in the same room with her. But she suspected it was something very similar to what usually told her that Ares was lurking in her midst unseen and unheard � it was a sixth sense that told her that she knew this goddess, and knew that the goddess knew her sorrows all too well. Xena then realized after some consideration that Sorrow was probably the only other god, other than Ares, to have visited the Warrior Princess on a regular basis, for wherever Xena and her sorrows went, Ares was sure to follow, and sooner or later, Sorrow would be needed.

�We�ll have to keep our eyes open,� Xena said sternly. �I don�t want any surprises.�

�Me, either,� Hercules nodded.

Iolaus ducked his head out of the cave, �Xena, I think she�s crowning��

A sudden rush of joy buffeted both Xena and Hercules as they took in this information and followed Iolaus back into the cave to rejoin Gabrielle at the foot of the altar.

�She�s ready to push, Xena,� Gabrielle advised as she moved out of the midwife�s way, taking up a towel to be ready.

�You�re doing very well, Sorrow,� Xena called up to the panting mother-to-be, who was appearing quite joyful about her current state of affairs. �Stay with my voice, and do as I say � I�ll tell you when it�s time to push! Til then, let nature take its course.�

Sorrow nodded roughly, unable to speak through the contraction, but she held on bravely, breathing through each pain that broke through the applied nerve block and locking her eyes with Iolaus� as he panted with her to regulate her breathing.

Xena watched closely, contemplating the rounded head of the child demigod as it pushed its way into the human world from its goddess mother�s body. Despite the joy she felt, a brief thought meandered through her mind, ~ What trouble shall I encounter because of this child? ~ and immediately she was ashamed she had thought it, because the next moment another wave of utter elation passed over her, and she felt nothing but happiness for her friend and his goddess.

Tiny ears and eyes appeared, and the Warrior Princess put out her hands to receive the baby demigod, �Sorrow, it�s time to start pushing! Hercules, help her sit up! Iolaus, keep up her breathing � that baby still needs her air!�

Everyone fell to their immediate tasks under a gentle hum of happiness and love that emanated through the entire cave, lighting up the altar on which Sorrow lay, and lighting up the unseen altar in the hidden temple nearby. Sorrow felt the pain pass away from her as the baby exited the birth canal, and a feeling of euphoria then set in.

The moment the tiny baby entered the world, a stronger essence of joyfulness seemed to waft over the small company of humans who had attended the birth, and smiles of great happiness crept up on everyone�s faces as they caught their first glimpse of Sorrow�s baby.

�It�s a girl!� Xena announced in tearful exultation as she lifted up the crying child for her parents to see. She presented the newborn to his father, indicating to Iolaus that now was the time to cut the cord, but he shook his head in panic, relinquishing that honor to the Warrior Princess. Xena grinned at his reticence, and handed the baby over to Gabrielle before completing the job herself.

�We have a beautiful baby girl!� Iolaus gushed proudly to the exhausted goddess, elated beyond all compare. He kissed her deeply before saying, �You did beautifully, Sorrow � I�m so proud of you!�

�I couldn�t have done it without you,� Sorrow replied wearily. �I love you, Iolaus.�

Xena worked quickly to wash the new child, and discovered that the beautiful baby girl was not only blessed with her mother�s pearlescent pink skin, but she already sported a wispy cropping of her father�s blonde, curly hair. Smiling happily at the unique combination of evident traits, she bundled the clean baby in one of Eve�s blankets Gabrielle had on hand, and brought her back to where Sorrow and Iolaus waited anxiously for their child.

�Here�s your daughter, Sorrow,� she announced, placing the tiny, pink bundle into Sorrow�s arms, then backed away slowly as she moved to go announce the birth to the waiting group outside.

�Oh, Iolaus!� Sorrow gasped. �She has your hair!�

�She has your face, thank the gods!� Iolaus chuckled, but then said seriously, �She is the most beautiful little girl I�ve ever seen, Sorrow. You did so well!�

�Like I said, I couldn�t have done any of this without your help,� Sorrow winked at him with a great smile. �She truly is a testament of our love, Iolaus � a love even Ares could not destroy.�

Iolaus nodded, �No, he could only postpone it.�

They were then distracted by the sound of feet, and they both looked up to see their friends piling into the doorway of the cave.

�Mind if they come in?� Hercules asked. �There are a lot of happy people here who want to see their new goddess!�

�Come on in,� Iolaus waved them all toward them, and the group formed a half-circle around the table as they gazed upon the beautiful baby girl.

As the couple showed off their new daughter, Hercules turned to the Warrior Princess and took her into a loving embrace. �You did very well, Xena,� he praised.

�Thank you, Hercules,� she replied, returning his sentiments, but she ended the hug fairly quickly, which surprised him somewhat. His surprise then increased as he watched the humans around him become more and more elated the longer they stood in the presence of the new baby.

Gabrielle succumbed first to the overwhelming joy she felt rising in her heart over the successful birth, and without thinking, she reached for Joxer, who was never far away. Seizing the collar of his brown tunic, she pulled him to her roughly, claiming his lips with a great measure of happiness.

�Oomph!� was all Joxer could emit as the Amazon Bard took possession of her loyal subject, and though he normally might have flailed his arms or even fainted dead away under any other circumstances, he was somehow able to control his normal impulses this time around. In fact, he surprised Gabrielle in her own turn as he automatically enveloped her in his arms and returned her kiss lovingly.

A moment later, the blushing Bard broke the kiss, excusing, �I � I�m so sorry, Joxer � I guess I got a little carried away!�

Joxer didn�t reply, but reacted by pulling her back into his arms and kissed her again so deeply and passionately that it quite took Gabrielle�s breath away.

On the other side of the group, Autolycus approached the Warrior Princess and put his arm around her, �You�re the best, Xena.� He meant to say more, but was immediately attacked by the erstwhile midwife.

�Oomph!� was all Autolycus could emit as the woman warrior took possession of him by his tunic, and pulled him into a deep kiss of their own.

Sorrow and Hercules exchanged knowing glances as they watched their human counterparts all succumbing to the effect of the baby�s arrival, and they could not help but laugh heartily � especially when it came to Gabrielle and Joxer! Hercules was sure that the Bard would be shaking her head later at her actions, but it would be a wonderful souvenir for the wannabe-warrior in times to come.

After some time of this human embracing, both couples separated with more than a little embarrassment, but the two men easily dismissed their discomfiture in favor of their ultimate joy in having been in the right place at the right time for once in their lives.

�Um, sorry, Auto,� Xena apologized, smiling a bit in her embarrassment, passing her hands longingly over his green tunic, pretending to smooth away any wrinkles she might have made in the fabric.

�I�m not!� Autolycus proclaimed breathlessly, still holding onto her by her leather-defined waist.

Likewise, Gabrielle also eventually pulled away, her cheeks burning with her own embarrassment, and she was surprised to look up and see not just Joxer, but the dashing Joxer who had sprung into action with every ring of Aphrodite�s bell! The �Joxer Effect� had taken over completely, and now, with his dark brown eyes focused solely on her face, and his arms wrapped solidly around her, she found herself unable to speak or even free herself from his hold. Before she knew what was happening, he dove in for yet another kiss!

�Oomph!� was all she could emit as his lips took possession of hers once again, and for a moment she thought he was going to seize her completely and carry her away to that secret chamber they had discovered � and for a moment she almost wanted him to! But a moment later he voluntarily let her go, but not before he�d left her completely breathless, and she remained standing there panting long after Joxer had moved away, a very smug and self-satisfied grin gracing his face.

�Amazing,� Iolaus marveled at the reactions of his overjoyed companions, and he turned to Sorrow, �Are you doing this?�

�Not me,� Sorrow smiled, glancing down at their baby.

�You mean, our little girl is causing this!?�

�Partially � only Aphrodite or Cupid can create such deep feelings, and this is their oldest temple. But the inclination was obviously already there, Iolaus � our baby only provided them with the impetus!�

Iolaus peered down into the tiny face of his newborn daughter, noting her wee smile, and he smiled, too. �She�s incredible, Sorrow � absolutely incredible!�

�Of course she is,� Sorrow reached up and caressed his cheek. �She is, after all, your daughter!�

Iolaus grinned more widely as he looked from Sorrow�s face down to the face of their baby girl, and Hercules realized that it was time for everyone to exit the scene and give the little family some privacy as they began their bonding. He began by tapping Autolycus on the shoulder and speaking to Xena.

�I think maybe it�s time we left them alone,� he said softly, and the Warrior Princess and the Master Thief leapt apart as though they�d been shocked with electricity.

�Right, time to get outta here,� Xena quickly agreed, sounding more like Meg than herself. �Um, yell if you need anything, Iolaus� I�ll be, um, out here, somewhere.�

Hercules chuckled, �Come on, everyone, let�s go.�

�Wait,� Gabrielle turned back, �have you thought of a name for her yet?�

�No,� Iolaus looked to his love, �we haven�t had a chance to even think of a name for this little girl!�

As if in answer, a starburst of gold sparkles and pink hearts suddenly exploded in the room and Aphrodite materialized in her full glory, looking most fetching in a new three-piece, pink gossamer bikini and baby-doll nightgown set.

�This is about where I come into this picture,� announced the Goddess of Love as she approached the altar. �Congratulations, you two! You make for one heckuva gorgeous little baby girlfriend, guys!�

�Thank you, Aphrodite,� Iolaus smiled brightly, knowing somehow deep in his heart that he was facing the very person he had to thank for being with Sorrow right there at this moment.

�Hey, sorry about the dreams, guy � I was trying to tell you what was really going on, and you just didn�t seem to get it,� she shrugged sheepishly. �If I knew how bad you were gonna take it, I wouldn�t have done it.�

Iolaus nodded knowingly but bit his tongue, finding some sort of strange irony in knowing that he�d gotten the wrong message from dreams the ditzy Goddess of Love had planted in his mind.

�But, that�s all over and now it�s time this little girl had a name,� Aphrodite grinned knowingly, �and I�ve decided that only the Amazon Bard of Poteidaia will know the right name to give this cherubic little demigoddess, so what is it gonna be, Gabby?�

�Me?� Gabrielle pointed to herself uncertainly. �Why, I � I suppose�well, I have been thinking � Sorrow, when you told me the story of how you and Iolaus came together, remember how you said that you loved being with Iolaus most because of the joy you felt emanating from him whenever he was with you? Well, perhaps she should be called Thalia, because �Thalia� means �Joy�, and she was born of the joyous love you both feel for each other?�

Sorrow and Iolaus looked to each other happily, and Iolaus nodded, �Gabby, that would be perfect.�

Aphrodite smiled triumphantly, �Sounds like a winner! Thalia it is!�

�I think it�s about time you told us all what�s going on, Aphrodite,� Hercules stepped forward, demanding her promised explanation for all that had happened leading up to this momentous birth.

�Why, it�s only the most important thing ever!� the love goddess gushed. �What you are seeing here is the first of my Graces, one of three beautiful baby girls who will be born to these two love-birds, and one day they will all three serve as my lieutenants, spreading joy and love and beauty far and wide throughout the world!�

�What?� Iolaus looked to Hercules in consternation. �Hercules, this baby isn�t even an hour old, and they�re already deciding what to do with her!?�

�Aphrodite,� Hercules rumbled sternly, �I think it�s time you told us everything.�

The Goddess of Love smiled confidently, �Look, Herc, you�re all fixing to know everything, so just cool off. Just think back to when our Sorrow here was born. What do you remember about the marriage between Poseidon and Lachesis?�

�Um, not much, other than it took them many years of trying to have Sorrow,� he shrugged.

�Exactly. Sorrow is here now because of me. Lachesis came to me with a deal, if I gave her a daughter by Poseidon, then one day her daughter would give me my Graces, and I figured, if Ares gets to have his little brood of reform temple rejects, I better be planning my own kind of army to counter his. So together Lachesis and I created this destiny for her child, and I just threw Curly into the mix because I thought he was cute and he always made me laugh. I figured he deserved a great love, so why not give him Sorrow, and let him be the joy in her life � get it? Joy � Thalia? Huh? Huh?�

When she didn�t get the laugh she was looking for, she continued, �Anyway, when Hera tried to push Ares onto the scene as a prospective groom, we didn�t worry because we thought we had her destiny covered, but we didn�t foresee this whole �Twilight of the Gods� thing, and then war boy decided to stick his nose where it�s not wanted. Here he came with his teeth gnashing, demanding Sorrow for his bride, and we had to do something quick, so Lachesis urged Sorrow to run away and hide, and it was truly the Fates that made sure you ran into each other that day. So, you see, it took an elaborate scheme to make this baby possible, Iolaus, and I think Sorrow already knows that.�

Sorrow nodded, knowing what her cousin said had to be the truth. A tug of war over the goddess had been held between lots of major players in Olympus, but in the end, things happened the way they were destined to happen. She was with Iolaus at long last, as she was meant to be, and she would never willingly leave his side again.

�Well, that�s my good news,� Aphrodite grinned widely. �I need to go tell everyone on Olympus about our first Grace, and Sorrow, I�ll be sure to tell your mother where you are now that the baby is born.�

�Thank you, Aphrodite,� Sorrow nodded, and the Goddess of Love dissipated in a shower of shimmering light.

The announcement had not lifted the mood any higher than it had already gone, and indeed had somewhat served to extinguish it, for now they knew for sure that this child was going to be a subject of complaint on Ares� part, and the poor little girl would never know a normal childhood so long as she had gods toying with her life as they had played with Hercules�. Hercules knew that, and as his best friend, Iolaus had watched it up close and personal.

�Hercules, can�t we put a stop to this?� Iolaus begged, seeing the pearly tears beginning to pour from Sorrow�s eyes.

�It�s not up to us, Iolaus.� Hercules shrugged helplessly. �Only her mother may stand in the way of Aphrodite, and I�m afraid that you wouldn�t have Thalia now if it hadn�t been for her.�

�Iolaus, please,� Sorrow begged, �try not to be so worried about her � she has been born to this destiny, the same as you were born to fight by Hercules� side, and be my one and only love. If that is her purpose, then that is what she is meant to do. Think about it � she will be the joy in every wedding, in every birth, in every celebration known to mankind! This is your daughter who will do this awesome task, Iolaus. Doesn�t that mean something to you?�

Iolaus looked to the tiny baby with longing, thinking only of nights rocking his baby girl to sleep before joining his gorgeous, pink-skinned wife in their marriage bed, where Aphrodite wanted them to make two more just like her�two more to make a trio of Graces who would represent the Goddess of Love in all her dealings, and represent all the joy, love and beauty there was to have in this world.

It somehow seemed right that it should be done this way, and he nodded, �For some reason, I should be against it, because I know how hard it�s been for Hercules, living a half-life between two worlds and feeling like he belongs in neither. I know I should guard her jealously � but I can�t help but think about this little girl bringing so much happiness to the world, and I just can�t be selfish and keep her to myself. If this is what she is destined to do, and we are destined to have more like her, then I think this is the greatest gift we could give to humanity, as well as to ourselves.�

�I thought you would see it that way,� Sorrow smiled, but then her smile faded as a deep pallor fell over her face. �Iolaus�take her,� she gasped, and Iolaus plucked the baby from her arms, passing Thalia to Gabrielle to hold as a deep rumble of thunder shook the interior of the cave and Sorrow fainted into oblivion.

�What�s happening?� Iolaus begged, seeing Sorrow�s face contorted in torturous pain. Xena ran forward and began examining Sorrow�s limp body, taking off the nerve block as well in case it had affected her beyond its use. But there was another reason entirely for the goddess to have slipped into unconsciousness, and a fear gripped the warrior�s soul as she realized what it was.

�Gabrielle!� Xena shouted to the bard. �I need your help!�

�I�ll be right there!� Gabrielle shouted back, the din of the storm outside beginning to increase by the moment. Without a second thought, she turned and put the baby firmly into Joxer�s hands. To his own surprise, Joxer didn�t fumble the handoff, and automatically had Thalia safe and sound in his arms.

�What�s going on?� Hercules called through the rumbling, and Xena called back in her unhappy surprise, �It�s twins! Sorrow�s having twins! �

�Twins!� Iolaus echoed, but he did not feel the elation he had felt just moments ago when Thalia was born � no, now a heavy fog of despair and anxiety had come to rest upon them as the storm built up in size, seeming to mimic the rise and fall of the birth pangs Sorrow did not feel this time.

�The second one is coming fast � Gabrielle, find me another blanket quick!� Xena ordered, seeing the dark crown of a second baby emerging from Sorrow�s womb. The bard obeyed, finding one of Joxer�s extra towels to be clean for once, and she ran to give it to Xena before the child was fully born. With a crack of lightning followed by the loudest crash of thunder ever heard, the baby boy slipped into the waiting hands of the warrior princess, and immediately she felt revulsion. The blue-black thatch of hair on the child�s head was enough to tell her whose child was resting in her hands, and she was taken with the momentary desire to dash its brains out before it had a chance to become what Ares had intended this bastard child to be.

�Xena, what is it!?� Gabrielle saw the disgust in Xena�s eyes, and she peered over the edge of the towel and saw what essentially amounted to a tiny, pearlescent green version of Ares. �Oh, no,� she gasped, her eyes turning piteously to the Golden Hunter, who was desperately trying to revive Sorrow and was unaware of what she had just given birth to.

�Hercules, get Iolaus out of here!� Xena ordered immediately, hoping he�d never see the boy, but his astonished eyes fell onto the son that was not his own, and the light seemed to go completely out in his eyes as he took in the obvious traits that told him that this child was not his.

�Ares!� Iolaus raged with clenched fists as he fell to his knees in complete despair. �Damn him to Tartarus!�

�Did I hear my name mentioned?� echoed the booming voice of Ares, as he seemed to materialize from out of the rumbling storm. �Well, well, well, looks like we�ve both just become brand new daddies, Iolaus! Isn�t that a hoot? And how appropriate, to have the Warrior Princess herself bring this particular son of mine into the world?�

When Joxer saw the God of War appear before him in the cave, he didn�t have to think twice to know what to do. Without a sound, Joxer quickly slipped around the corner of the cavern wall, sneaking away through to the secret Temple of Aphrodite, praying that Ares had ignored his presence as usual, and thereby missed the baby girl ensconced in his arms. Upset by the move, Thalia gurgled at him.

�Shhh!� he whispered urgently to the tiny goddess. �Hush, little Thalia, so the Big Bad won�t find us�!�

As though she understood, Thalia quieted and seemed to snuggle down into his arms comfortably. Joxer smiled with extreme happiness at the little girl, and he held onto her steadfastly.

Back in the main cave, Ares had stepped forward and boldly plucked his male child out of the hands of the despairing Xena, and now Hercules was desperately trying to hold Xena back as Ares looked down into the face of his look-alike son. �You know, when I look at this boy, I think of all the death and destruction and war he�s going to see in his lifetime, and I think what a glorious life this boy is going to have! I shall name this boy �Oblivion�, for he shall deliver this world unto destruction in his father�s name!�

�Don�t do this, Ares!� Hercules begged. �Give Oblivion to his mother.�

Ares sneered, �Yeah, right, and never see him again? Forget it! I know all his mother�s tricks now, Hercules!�

Suddenly surfacing from the darkness in which she had plunged before, Sorrow quickly assessed the situation and called out weakly, �Ares, you know I would never keep him from his father.�

�Sure you wouldn�t!� Ares� voice dripped with sarcasm. �But I�ll give you the chance you�d never give me � your opportunity to say goodbye to your son before I take him away to Thrace.�

�I won�t let you take him, Ares!� Sorrow insisted, but before she could react, the glow of transformation began to illuminate around the God of War. However, before he could disappear, Xena jerked herself free from Hercules� relaxed hold and ran for the Ares, wrapping her arms around him and the baby just as the light exploded all around them, and all three disappeared into nothingness.

�NOOOO!!! � Sorrow wailed helplessly at the loss of her son, and Hercules and Gabrielle both shouted, �Xena � don�t! � but it was too late. They were gone.

�Hercules, where�s he taking them!?� Iolaus demanded, barely able to hold Sorrow back and about to panic.

Autolycus added, �Herc, we�ve got to get to Xena before she does something crazy � like trade herself for that baby!�

Hercules felt his pulse quicken at the sudden realization that Autolycus was right � Xena would not hesitate to throw it all away and give herself to Ares if she thought he would let Sorrow have her baby back. And he knew she would do it out of her debt to Iolaus, in order to secure his happiness and cancel out the evil she had once done to him.

And what was worse, if Ares was thinking the way the demigod was sure he was, then that�s what he�d been aiming for from the very start.

No, Hercules vowed he would find a way to stop her from making a huge mistake, and prayed she would never end up regretting that embrace.

On to Chapter Thirty~Four

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