Gabrielle knelt down before a statue
of Aphrodite, placing a bouquet of wildflowers on the altar. It
wasn't much in the way of offerings, but she was in a
hurry.

"Aphrodite, I need to speak to
you." She whispered, a hint of pleading entering her voice.
The journey to her temple had taken a day and a half, and each step
had been another step away from Xena, another weight placed on her
shoulders. She didn't think she could bear the emotions running
through her. Aphrodite, despite her carefully maintained image of
shallowness, had a way of making complicated situations seem much
simpler.

"Don't tell me you're
bowing down to me now, sweetpea." Aphrodite's voice came
from behind her, teasing. "It's a little late to start
showing the proper respect, you know."

"Aphrodite." She
couldn't disguise the relief in her voice as she turned, and
the goddess' face softened into genuine sympathy.

"I heard what my brother did,
doll… I'm sorry."

"Me too." Her voice
sounded hollow to her own ears. "Do you know what's going
on?" She asked quietly, not bothering to explain any further.
Aphrodite tended to act very human, but she wasn't, and the
bard trusted that her meaning would be clear.

"Yeah, I do." She raised
her voice. "You may enter, oh beloved mortal brother… hiding
outside the temple does nothing to disguise your presence, as
I'm sure you are well aware." Ares sauntered through the
columned doorway, giving the place an appreciative
one-over.

"Nice digs, baby sister… a
little short on offerings, though. No one been by lately?" He
offered her a look of mock concern.

"Don't even go
there, Ar'!" She scowled at him. "You know perfectly
well that no one has been coming by, and it's all your fault!
Like anyone is gonna feel any love when they've got all this
hate stuff going on!" He took on a wounded air.

"My fault? I certainly
can't help it if the gods chose to take away my powers! I
wouln't be surprised if you were helping them do it!"
Aphrodite laughed.

"Oh, please… like we had
anything to do with it. You lost your powers yourself, oh wise and
mighty one." She looked very smug.

"What do you mean?" His
tone was a little sharper now, with a hidden excitement, and
Gabrielle suddenly realized that he was playing the Goddess into
delivering the information he wanted. She tried to suppress the
thought, in case Aphrodite could hear it. She shot her an amused
look.