“Indeed, I’m proud to say that
she’s taken after me in that department,” Cyrene said
and Xena grinned at her mother as she picked up her glass and took
a small gulp. When they were finished dinner, they continued to sit
there and talk and it just came naturally to Xena as she leaned
against Ulysses’ chest and he wrapped his arm around her
running his fingers up and down her bare arm as he placed a kiss on
her forehead while they both joined in on the conversation. Cyrene
left the table many times to do things in the Inn but most of the
time her waitresses were able to handle it. It had gotten late and
most of the patrons in the Inn were gone but Xena, Ulysses and
their families were still sitting at the table talking and
laughing, getting to know each other and having a good time.

 

 

There were a few people left in the Inn but other
than that it was empty. After a while Ulysses stood with his glass
in his hand and began to speak, “I’d like to make a
toast,” he said and everyone went silent as they looked at
him. “To old friends and family,” Ulysses said as he
looked at Cyrene, Toris, Lyceus and Xena. “And to the
beginning of new and great things,” he said with a grin then
raised his glass as did the others. “Here, here,” Toris
said and Ulysses grinned as he sat his glass down on the table but
continued to stand. “I also want to say that I’m
happy to be here, for a while I was afraid I would never see this
place again, or the woman I love,” Ulysses said as he looked
down at Xena and she grinned at him causing him to smile. “We
recently had a short war on Ithaca and at the end I was hurt pretty
badly,” Ulysses said then went into his pocket and took out
something but no one noticed because they were engrossed in his
story.

 

 

“It was strange, I had been in many battles
and wars and I had been afraid in all of them, it was what fueled
me and helped me stay alive and fight for what I thought was right.
This time, I was afraid but not for my life, my family or my
kingdom, all of which means a lot to me.” Ulysses said then
turned his attention directly to Xena, and looked into her eyes as
he spoke to her. “But what I was most afraid of, was that I
would never see you again,” Ulysses said and Xena looked into
his eyes as he continued to speak to her. “Every time I
fought, it was your face in my mind’s eye that I saw, that
made me fight as hard as I did. I wanted to be able to look into
your eyes again and see the love you have for me. I wanted to feel
your touch again, be able to hold you, here your laughter and see
that beautiful smile.” Ulysses said making Xena smile and he
smiled back, “it was then that my heart really confirmed what
I already knew, I can’t and don’t want to live without
you.”