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DoT -- maybe it's because I haven't read and watched as much sci-fi/fantasy and such plot devices don't have as much of a "been there, done that" quality for me, but I have no issue with "magical" solutions to the baby problem. My thinking is, if your show is set in a magical universe, why not take take advantage of the opportunities that presents? If anything the miracle conception was more of a problem for me. But generally the only time I have a problem with magic on X:WP is if it's used to create magical explanations for the characters' behavior (like the notion that Xena gave up Solan because Alti's curse weakened her maternal instincts), since that messes with their psychology and make them less "real" -- a big part of the appeal of X:WP to me is that it combines a fantastic/magical universe with very realistic, plausible human psychology and motivation. YMMV, of course.

To be honest though, Xena and Gabrielle settling permanently with the Amazons and helping them rebuild is something that I'm afraid would have killed my interest in the show. One of my favorite things about Xena is that she's such an individualist, and so not a team player. It's actually easier for me to see her living on a farm with Gabby (and Ares, hopefully ) than fitting into the Amazons' communal culture, even in a leadership role. Xena and Gab in an all-female world isn't quite my cup of tea, either. (I've never been able to finish a single "Xena and Gabrielle settled down with the Amazons" fanfic -- no offense to those who like them.)

Xena giving Eve away to be raised by Cyrene is better -- but unfortunately I can't see it happening without the show turning far too bleak and joyless for my liking, with Xena slogging along in a permanent state of low-level depression and taking no real pleasure in anything she does. I'd had quite enough of Depressed!Xena in Season 4. One thing I liked about S5, in spite of all its problems, is that the show had regained its sense of fun which (IMO) was largely missing from the fourth season. Of course, Xena waking up from a 25-year nap to discover that her daughter has become a Roman general and gone down her own path of slaughter and mayhem wasn't exactly a cheery storyline either, and if Xena herself was presented with a choice of the 25-year sleep or the foster-care option, I'm sure she'd have chosen the latter. For me as a viewer, however, a quick explosion of dramatic angst and tragedy works far better than drawn-out depression.

There's a happier solution -- instead of relinquishing custody of Eve, Xena could establish a home base with Cyrene in Amphipolis and be a part-time warrior, going away on missions with Gabrielle when and where she's needed, and spending time with Eve in between adventures (and mostly, I hope, between episodes as well). You could also have Xena and Gabrielle taking turns staying home with Eve and have a few more Gab-lite and Xena-lite episodes. (I wouldn't have minded a couple of episodes in which Xena teams up with Ares if Ares is mortal at this point; they could have still ended S5 with Ares sacrificing his godhood to heal Gabrielle and Eve, only it would have been Baby Eve, and then the "partial settling down" could have happened in S6.) It could have worked... (and, on the bright side for me as a FIN critic, I don't think they would have dared to kill off Xena if she was the mother of a young child). But to be honest something about this scenario just strikes me as too, I don't know -- too neat a solution? Too down-to-earth?

Again, obviously these are personal preferences; it would be a boring world if we all agreed, and I totally respect the fact that the 25-year gap was a huge turnoff for many viewers. (I still think it would have been less of a turnoff if the post-25-year-gap storylines and characters had been handled better.) For me -- plot devicey though the 25-year-old sleep may be, I like the fact that we got to see Xena's daughter as an adult and to see what became of her, and I like that we got to see Joxer live out his full life and to meet his son. So I actually still prefer it to the bubble universe scenario (and I think the latter is also more overused in Sci-Fi/fantasy).

athenasword, I really like the way your scenario plays out, with Elektra/Eve eventually and regretfully killing Athena. I still would have kept her campaign against the Elijans, though, but probably without Livia-esque excesses. I think Athena disapproved of Ares killing Eli because Ares basically made a martyr out of him and drove more people to turn against the gods; but once the rebellion against the gods began, I think Athena had no problem using violence to squelch it. If she became convinced that the Elijans had something to do with the Twilight, then I think she would have had no qualms against using any means necessary to suppress them.

(Actually it's interesting that Ares seemed to lean toward the view that the Twilight would be brought about by people abandoning the gods under the influence of Eli's teachings, and Athena toward the view that the Twilight was linked to Eve's continued survival.)

Anyway... someone ought to write this fanfic!

ETA: Oh, I'd missed your post before, wingstwospirit. I had actually considered the "Five years later" card as an option -- for one thing, a five-year-old is a lot more fun as a screen presence than a baby. For some reason that just doesn't work for me. I'll have to think about it some more.