“Ares, I don’t understand. Why you are making such a big deal about this? I’m just going down to visit Xena, Gabrielle and Eve.” Joxer the Mighty, former warrior extraordinaire…(Yeah, yeah…I know. Okay.)…former warrior wanna-be, now immortal ...frowned at his godly lover.

Ares, God of War, sighed and rubbed his forehead tellingly. This had been an extremely *bad* week. Ares had been trying to start a war in Thesaly and things weren’t going according to plan.

‘They are actually trying to thwart my plans. Stupid mortals.’ Ares shook his head bemusedly.

Ares was tired and didn’t want to have a fight tonight. All he wanted to do was curl up in bed with his sexy young consort and make love all night long.

Ares certainly didn’t want Joxer going down to Athens for a week. He didn’t like for them to be separated even for a day, let alone a whole, long, lonely, empty week. Besides which, Ares always worried himself sick when he and his lover were apart for very long. With good reason. Joxer always somehow managed to get into trouble when he was on his own. Ares didn’t like it when he couldn’t be around to keep an eye on his young lover.

Ares shuddered as his imagination came up with different ways Joxer could get into trouble; each more horrific than the last.

“Joxer, it’s different now.” Ares ran his hand through his curly black hair in frustration. How could he say this delicately. “A lot of things have changed since you came up to live on Mt. Olympus with me.”

Joxer frowned in consideration. It was a cute frown, one that furrowed his brow and wrinkled his nose oh-so slightly. It was one of the looks that brought Ares to his knees. Actually, Joxer could have crossed his eyes and stuck out his tongue and still accomplished that. If Ares had looked up in time and seen that…things might have turned out differently.

Joxer thought for a minute. ‘Well, no kidding. I know things have changed.”

‘For one thing I have gone from being a clumsy nobody to being the…well, yes, still clumsy…but now I am the consort to the God of War.’ Joxer’s inner dialogue only increased his curiosity.

“What do you mean changed?”

Ares arched his eyebrow in a way that was guaranteed to knock Joxer over in a lustful frenzy. Again, not much effort needed here. “Xena has other responsibilities; she has Eve to take care of now. She can’t look out for you the way she used to.”

Distracted by a scroll brought in by one of his priests, Ares had replied to Joxer without thinking. As soon as he realized what he had said, Ares looked up in horror. The hurt look in his lover’s expressive brown eyes made Ares want to bite his tongue.

“That’s not what I meant to say…”

Joxer overrode what Ares was trying to say, something he had never, ever done before, with anybody; let alone the man he loved. “So…in other words, I need to be looked after, huh. I’m so pathetic, such an “idiot loser” that I can’t even take care of myself and Xena already has one baby to look after, is that it.” Joxer stepped back out of reach when Ares tried to touch him. “I see. I guess I know what you really think of me.”

Joxer turned his back on Ares and hugged himself. He ignored his lover’s attempts at apologizing as he took several shuddering breaths. ‘I am not going to cry, I *am not* going to cry!’

Joxer’s mind kept talking to him, bringing up old insecurities and fears. He kept hearing all the times Gabrielle had called him either an “idiot” or a “loser.” Joxer kept seeing the looks of utter contempt she and Xena always used to send his way. And they were his friends.

‘Now I know exactly why you have never wanted to marry me. As your consort you could just leave or kick me out when you got bored with me. If I were your husband it would be a lot harder to get rid of me. God’s if that’s the way you feel about me, then why did you go to the trouble of petitioning Hera to make me immortal?’

Ares might not have been able to hear what Joxer was thinking, but the expressions on his face were easy to decipher. “Joxer that’s not what I meant, not at all.” He winced as Joxer jerked his shoulder away from Ares’ hand.

‘Backsteppinging seems like a good idea. I can do backsteppinging.’

“It’s just that you’ve been living on Olympus for 5 years now. I think you have forgotten what it’s really like down there. It’s too dangerous and I don’t want you to get hurt.”

‘I’m good at backsteppinging…or maybe not.’ Ares could recognize how possessive his tone sounded and stopped talking when he realized he was only making matters worse.

Too late!

“You’re wrong and I’ll prove it.” Joxer squared his thin shoulders resolutely and turned to face his large lover and god. He would show Ares that he wasn’t just a piece of property. An inept one at that.

“I’m going to go down to Athens for a week without you or your protection. I bet you…” Joxer paused and it was obvious that he was thinking as fast as he could. “I bet you that I can take care of myself for that time, *without* any outside help. None from you, none from Xena or Gabrielle…or even Eve.” Joxer’s jaw was clenched so tightly that Ares was afraid it was going to break under the strain.

With that Eve comment, Ares got an inkling of just how badly his comments had hurt his lover. Ares winced, things were going to Tartarus fast. The worst possible thing would be for Joxer to be on earth alone. Without Xena’s protection Ares was *really* afraid what would happen to his lover.

“Joxer, please Angel, you don’t need to prove anything…” Ares didn’t quite know what to say. Tact had never been his strong suit…or words either for that matter. He was more of an action type of god. Ares was used to letting his sword and his fists doing the talking for him.

Joxer interrupted his godly lover yet again. Pride was rearing its ugly head…and no, Apollo wasn’t coming up from behind the chair. Things were about to get really bad.

Joxer had never really had anything but his pride, no matter how misguided it might have been, for most of his young life. To realize that his lover didn’t think any more of him than his family or Xena or Gabrielle ever had, really hurt. He hadn’t felt like that pathetic, unwanted loser in a long time.

“In other words, you don’t think I can do it.” Joxer ducked his head and muttered quietly to himself, “of course you don’t.” The young immortal tightened his arms around his waist, so his shaking wouldn’t be noticeable. He blinked back the tears and forced himself to look back up.

“Fine. Here’s the bet. If I win, I get to go traveling any time I want to.” Joxer paused and looked Ares straight in the eye. “By myself.” He spoke emphatically. “If I lose…if I lose I won’t leave Olympus without you again. Ever.”

Three days later

Three very long and depressing days later.

Joxer was getting ready to leave. He had a small knapsack packed with a couple of changes of clothing. The young immortal was taking a sword and his knife, but no armor.

The young man had given up his ratty, mismatched armor several years ago. The old armor was in a closet in his and Ares’ bedroom. He kept it as a reminder of better times…uh, no, old times…oh well, just as a reminder.

The sword was one of the best in the world. Second only to Ares’; it was similar in style and decoration. Size-wise it was a much smaller blade, because Joxer was a much smaller man than Ares. The craftsmanship was superb and Ares had had it made just for Joxer. The knife was just as spectacular and had also a present from Ares.

Ares had tried to talk his surprisingly stubborn lover out of going through with the silly and unnecessary bet. Sadly, yes, those *were* the exact words he used in his argument. Unsurprisingly he couldn’t sway Joxer.

Strife had silently watched his uncle and best friend from the sidelines for the last several days. It was clear to anybody who was *paying attention* that Joxer was still very hurt by the things Ares had said. In fact, Joxer had even refused to share a bed with Ares since the fight.

And hadn’t *that* made life fun around the old temple.

For the first time since Strife had moved out of Ares’ temple, he was almost glad to be on his own. At least in his own little temple, Strife was out of the line of fire.

‘Tha tension’s sa thick around heah, ya could cut it with a sword.’ Strife shook his head ruefully. ‘Literally. Unc’s threatened ta cut off mah people’s heads in tha last coupla days than he has in tha previous decade.’

It was true. Since Joxer came to live on Mt. Olympus, Ares was calmer and more rational. A gentler god. (Uhm, does anybody really believe that? I didn’t think so.) Okay, so he didn’t lose his temper nearly as often as he used to. Only three or four times a day, as opposed to his previous nine or ten.

However, events had been set in motion that wouldn’t or couldn’t be stopped. Smarter heads could have prevailed, but…nobody was listening to Strife. By the end of the first day following the fight, all of Mt. Olympus had gotten word about the bet. Perhaps if word hadn’t gotten out so quickly, Joxer might have let Ares persuade him into calling off the bet. However, news travels fast, especially when Mr. Nosybody Hermes was spreading the word; via winged feet and a really big mouth.

The reactions around Olympus were varied, but not by much. A *very few* of the pantheon thought that Joxer had overreacted and was being downright silly. However, surprisingly enough, the majority of them ended up siding with Joxer. They decided Ares was an overgrown idiot with a runaway mouth, who was about to lose the best thing that had ever happened to him. Not that anyone was stupid enough to tell him that to his face.

However in one dark temple at the bottom of Mt. Olympus, there was one god who was happy. Very happy.

‘Now, after all these years, I will finally have my revenge on Ares. Hurting Ares himself never accomplishes anything. No, the best way to punish Ares is to hurt someone he cares about.’ The god cackled insanely.

‘Joxer is perfect. He’s such a little nobody. No one will *really* care what happens to him.’ With a flick of his wrist, the mysterious god sent his minions off to wait for the young immortal.

‘Of course, Ares will be upset. That’s the whole idea. But he won’t be *too* upset. Not killing vengeance upset. After all, if Ares really loved Joxer that much, he would have married him long before now.’

The leave taking was awful. Ares again tried desperately to stop Joxer from going; pleading with him. He did everything but physically restrain Joxer and Ares knew that such a move would surely destroy any possible chance at reconciliation they had.

Strife paced nervously in the main room of Ares and Joxer’s temple. He was hoping that Joxer would back down or Ares would say the right thing. Like ‘I love you’. Strife sighed at his uncle’s obtuseness and Joxer’s doggedness.

Joxer stood tall and proud…and thoroughly miserable. He had none of his usual enthusiasm and anticipation for the upcoming journey. Joxer didn’t really want to go, but all of the gods and goddesses knew about the bet. If he backed out now, Ares really wouldn’t have any respect for him.

Lacking godly powers, Joxer couldn’t leave Mt. Olympus on his own. So, with great reluctance Ares flashed Joxer away. Joxer gave one last sad look behind him and then he was gone.

Thunder rumbled through Mt. Olympus, startling most of the beings that lived there. It rained only rarely and thunder was practically unheard of.

Various deities trembled in fright.

Across Olympus Zeus and Hera ducked their heads in shame. They hadn’t meant to throw firebolts at the same time.

Who knew they’d make *that* much noise.

Joxer arrived in Athens, unobserved. Now, normally the consort to such an important and powerful god would be heralded and pampered. Flowers and presents would have been laid at his feet in the hopes of gaining favor with the consort’s godly lover. Joxer, however, wasn’t even recognized.

Since achieving immortality Joxer had been kept in the background. Not out of shame, although in his heart that’s what Joxer secretly believed, but because the other gods didn’t want a queue of favored mortals begging them for immortality.

Truthfully, it bothered Ares that no one knew the sweetness and innocent wonder that was his lover. If Ares had his way Joxer would be revered not ignored.

For the young immortal it was no big deal either way. Being unnoticed wasn’t a problem for Joxer. Before Ares *no one* ever noticed him anyway. Unless they wanted to hurt or belittle him. Or both.

Actually, that wasn’t strictly true. Joxer knew his brothers, Jett and Jayce loved him and his good friend Strife had always been nice to him. (But that’s another story.)

Joxer did plan on going to see Xena…eventually. But after the nasty crack Ares had made about Xena taking care of him, there was no way in Tartarus he was going to stay with her. Joxer didn’t care if he had to spend the whole week sleeping in an abandoned temple; he was not going to be a burden to his old…traveling companions.

As Joxer walked down the street he was happily unaware that he was being followed. The men trailed behind Joxer as he walked around the town for awhile. They enjoyed watching the young immortal.

The uncoordinated Joxer of old was gone. In his place was a graceful man who was so light on his feet that he seemed to float about an inch off the ground. His smiling face was a delight to watch and even his pursuers were not immune to the young man’s charms.

Joxer was not having a good time. Yes, he was happy to have a little freedom, but he missed Ares too much to enjoy the outing. A depressed Joxer left the marketplace and decided to stroll around the town some more.

The men slid around Joxer, going down back passages and were able to get ahead of him. They circled around like predators separating a smaller animal from the herd. Joxer had no idea what evil was closing in on him.

As he passed a large and imposing black temple, the 4 large priests who had been following him jumped out from their hiding places and grabbed the unsuspecting immortal. Despite being outnumbered, Joxer fought back and fought well.

Ares would have been surprised at his lover’s newly acquired fighting skills. Joxer slashed at the men with his sword and cut several of them severely before they knocked it away. He kicked and punched and hit until two of the men were lying on the ground bleeding. But in the end Joxer was subdued. That last man was able to overpower and hold him until they rest of his gang could help. Even Ares would have been hard pressed to win with 4-1 odds against him.

The priests drug a still struggling Joxer into the temple and led him over to a cloaked figure. “Excellent.” The figure took Joxer’s chin in his hand and tilted the young immortal’s face from side to side. He looked at Joxer’s pale skin and slender body and made an appreciative sound in his throat. The god took Joxer’s sword from one of his priests and sensuously slid it into its sheath, sliding his hand across Joxer’s hip at the same time.

“You are delicious.” All Joxer could see of the god were his frighteningly flat black eyes. “It will be a pleasure seeing you broken.”

Before Joxer could figure out what he meant by that statement, the god waved his hand and a portal opened on one of the temple’s walls. The cloaked god then shot a magical flame from his hand. The unearthly blaze enveloped Joxer who was then propelled backwards through the portal. Joxer disappeared into the swirling hole with a pained shriek.