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I think that actually the first inkling of love for Ares was in Ties That Bind when he couldn't kill her after she said "I'd rather die than come back to you."

Of course he didn't know it then, but there was some deeper emotion there and he looked very shaken in that scene.

As for when he consciously realized it.... one possibility is after Sacrifice II. Soul Possession never happened as far as I'm concerned but I think there was a lot of suppressed emotion in Ares' good-bye to Xena in Sacrifice II and I think at that point he knew for sure that the thought of her dying affected him very strongly.

Two other possible turning points -- Chakram when he is confronted with a non-violent Xena who obviously can't be his Warrior Queen, and is still drawn to her; and Seeds of Faith when he is first threatened with mortality, and when he and Xena come very close to killing each other.

I think he definitely knew it by the end of God Fearing Child, though I don't think he realized the depth of his own feelings until Motherhood when he was willing to sacrifice his godhood for Xena.

As for Xena, I agree with WQ -- I think she always "felt something" for him. Definitely attraction, and I think in Ten Little Warlords when she saw the human side of Ares she knew there could be more.

Sometimes I think she admitted to herself that she loved him in You Are There when she knew she was losing the mortal Ares. The wistful look she directs after him when he leaves with Aphrodite spoke volumes to me.

X&G4Eva! :hugs Are you becoming a shipper yet?

(You know, you hang out here long enough, and... )

Or a bitexter?

Re TTB: I think he seems very shaken when he can't kill her.



I think his obsession with Xena actually does start at that point. On a conscious level he may be thinking it's all about Xena the warrior, but IMO it's also about Xena the woman. That's why he tries to solve his problem in Intimate Stranger by trying to turn Callisto into his live Xena doll, so to speak -- Callisto in Xena's body who can be not only his warrior but his lover. Of course he finds out that Callisto in Xena's body is not Xena, and that he wants something more from her than fighting skills and sex. That coincides with being mortal and vulnerable in TLW.

From that point on, his feelings grew, confusing him, sending him from wanting to be with her to wanting to torture her because he blamed her for his feelings. I also think that was partly why he disliked/liked Gabrielle, she helped Xena in her changes, making her more of what he wanted (though he did not realize this) and more of a challenge.

Very interesting point! though I don't know if I see him as wanting to torture or hurt her, specifically -- driving her mad in The Furies would seem to qualify, but I think his goal is to win her over.