ForevaXena's FanFic . . .
Heaven
On Earth
by Julia Ford
Disclaimers: The characters Xena, Gabrielle, and company are owned by MCA/Universal/Renaissance Pictures/Studios USA (have I missed anyone?). Kennedy and Dawn may seem familiar and I thank X:WP for the inspiration. The other characters are my creation and are not intended to resemble anyone else living or dead (except for one of my buddies and she knows who she is <g>). My apologies if the story and or characters resemble anyone else's! Many of the places in Toronto that are described really exist…come & visit sometime.
Subtext: Oh yes. If you object to intimate relationships between two women and/or if it is illegal where you live or for your age, do not read any further.
Violence: None worth mentioning.
Thanks: Having not written a modern day uber story before I was a little nervous about starting a series. My thanks to one of the great uber bards for having a look and giving me positive feedback. And, as always, my thanks to FX for humouring me by posting my stories <g>
Inspiration: A very special upcoming double wedding in the Xenaverse <g> and my own journey through the priesthood.
August 11, 2001
I'd love to hear your thoughts about my creative endeavors. I can be reached at fordju@attglobal.net
CHAPTER 4
"Hey Jules, what's the Bishop doing at our game?" Julie's teammate playfully nudged her. "Come to watch her beloved administrative assistant play?"
"I wish, but no luck. She's here to watch our new center fielder…tall, dark and gorgeous out there."
Emma turned and looked out at the woman who was warming up out in center field and what she saw took her breath away. Not only did Kennedy look incredibly athletic as she stretched and limbered up, she was the sexiest looking woman Emma had ever seen.
"You don't suppose she and I…." Emma never finished the sentence because of Julie's laughter.
"Not a chance. If what I saw in the Bish's office wasn't love a first sight I'll have a chew on my baseball cap."
Emma sighed and turned and watched Kennedy some more. "Did you warn her about that overly aggressive fool Kathy?"
"Yeah, I told Kennedy what Kathy did. Did you hear Jo's ACL is gone and it will be a year at least before she's back? Buggered up the MCL as well."
Emma shuddered. The thoughts of a toasted ACL invoked a sympathetic response in pretty much all athletes. It was the granddaddy of all knee injuries even before you added in a torn MCL. "Let's hope the Bishop's pal manages to stay out of her way."
Julie nodded and got ready for the start of the game.
**
Dawn was enjoying herself. It was relaxing sitting on the hill just above home plate watching the game progress. It was also an erotic experience. Some how she just couldn't keep her eyes of Kennedy and letting her mind wander to what ifs. 'What if she and Kennedy…'
CRACK. The sound of a well-hit ball interrupted Dawn's daydreaming. As the ball headed out to center field she saw Kennedy call the ball and move towards it…totally focused on the ball and oblivious of Kathy who wanted the ball and so was charging at a dead run on a collision course towards Kennedy.
"Kennedy watch out!" Julie yelled at the top of her lungs because she just couldn't cope with the notion of Kathy clobbering yet another person. But Kennedy didn't seem to hear.
For Dawn it was as if time slowed to a crawl. Everyone on the field seemed to be moving in slow motion. Step after step Kathy continued to go after the ball that wasn't hers. Step after step she was coming closer and closer to a collision with Kennedy. There was no way the two women weren't going to collide. The player from the other team who was waiting to tag up at second was grinning as she fully expecting to make it home after the ball was dropped.
Kennedy's acute senses were aware of exactly where Kathy was. Step for step she tracked the other woman's progress. No way she was going to drop the ball or let Kathy cream her. On the last step Kennedy let out a whoop, tensed her legs and….
"Oh my god…what did I just see?" Julie was so astounded it took a second to register that the baseball was flying in a direct line towards her. Focusing, Julie caught the ball and tagged the runner out at the plate to end the inning and preserve the team's one run lead.
What Julie had seen astounded everyone else on the field including the Bishop in the crowd.
Just at the point that it was certain that Kathy was going to clobber another center fielder, everyone heard the whoop from Kennedy and then watched as she launched herself forward into the air in a double somersault. At the top of her spin she caught the ball, after the second spin she was back on the ground ahead of where Kathy was running and threw to home plate the instant that her feet hit ground. If anyone had been close enough they would have seen a small smile form on her lips as Kennedy heard Kathy gasp behind her. On the way back in to bat Kennedy had made a point of warning Kathy not to try that again.
When Kennedy arrived back to the dugout she was greeted by stunned silence…until Julie asked, "Let me guess, you used to be part of a traveling circus?"
"Nope, just didn't want to get hit." Kennedy looked up towards the Bishop and flashed her a gorgeous smile. Dawn thought she would die.
The game remained a one run affair until the top of the ninth when the opposition threatened to break out. With only one out they had runners on first and third and their best hitter at the plate. A long sacrifice fly would tie the game. If a ball got past the fielders they would enter the bottom of the ninth down at least a run.
Kennedy was prowling deep in center field. There was no way anybody was going to hit one over her head unless they hit it right over the fence. She was keen not to go into extra innings. Then it happened, the sound of a long fly ball headed her way.
"I've got it," Kennedy waved her arms in the hopes that if Kathy didn't hear her call at least she might notice the movement. As Kennedy tracked towards the ball she could hear Kathy pounding towards her. "Damn it, there isn't time to do a flip and still get the player who's going to tag up out. We're too far back." Kennedy thought through her options and quickly decided that she would let the collision happen…on her terms.
The crack of Kathy's head coming into contact with Kennedy's right forearm as the center fielder caught the ball in her glove was quite sickening. And, as Kathy slithered to the ground down Kennedy's side, Kennedy fired an absolute rocket into Julie who was expecting the ball and made clean tag at the plate. Game over!
Kennedy didn't even bother to watch the play at the plate. Instead she turned to the crumpled form on the field, hauled her up and over her shoulder and started to carry Kathy back towards the dug out. They were most of the way there before Kennedy heard a whispered "put me down" come from the limp form slung over her shoulder. Kathy was conscious but dazed by the time Kennedy gently sat her down on the dugout bench and started to tend to her.
"Jules?" Bishop Dawn was standing behind the fence that separated the fans from the team.
"Yes Bishop?"
"Tell me I won't have to deal with Kennedy getting sued her first day here."
"Don't worry, Kathy's had that coming to her for years and nobody on the field will ever say it was anything but an accident." With that Julie winked at Dawn and scampered back to her team.
Dawn headed back to place on the hill and watched the dark-haired priest care for the woman she had knocked silly. As brutal as Kennedy had been when she allowed Kathy to run right into her forearm, she was infinitely gentle as she applied ice and smelling salts to the injured woman. Again the daydreams of what Kennedy might be like in bed danced in Dawn's head.
"Jules, is she always this out of it?" Kennedy and Julie had been standing in front of the Bishop for at least a minute saying nothing as they watched her sit there with a smile on her lips.
"Na, she must be thinking about you…"
"What!?"
"Nothing." Julie reached over and touched the Bishop's arm.
"Oh, sorry, I must have been day dreaming." The Bishop reached up for Kennedy's outstretched hand and allowed herself to be hauled to her feet. She lingered ever so slightly before letting go of Kennedy's hand, a fact that didn't go unnoticed by Kennedy.
"No kidding? The team's headed to The House on Parliament for some pub grub. Want to come?" asked Julie.
Dawn's eyes flickered from Julie's to Kennedy's. Seeing that they, particularly Kennedy, wanted her to come she smiled and nodded. "For a while…"
Kennedy spent the night in the pub answering the typical questions about who was she, where did she come from, what did she do for a job. There were a few gasps when the women realized she was a priest, particularly Emma who had been making a pass at her!
Dawn spent the evening watching Kennedy while trying to figure out what was happening with her emotions. She was bowled over by the strength of the bond she felt with Kennedy, which, when she thought about it was pure craziness. She'd only met the woman this afternoon! She had felt jealous when Emma made a pass at the tall, blue eyed beauty and then was relieved when Kennedy ignored Emma altogether. In all of her years she had never felt attracted to anyone. Frankly, Dawn had thought that the sexual part of her being was something God had forgotten to include. Yet she sat in the pub stared at the gorgeous Kennedy and wished they were somewhere else. She hated the fact that she was a Bishop in a church that didn't allow clergy to have sexual relationships outside of heterosexual marriage. It had never occurred before to Dawn that she had been asexual not because she hadn't met the right man, but because she hadn't met the right woman!
Kennedy had a tough time of it at the pub. She was aware of the looks Dawn was giving her and her own emotional reactions to Dawn. Women had made many passes at Kennedy over the years, all of which she had gently or otherwise rebuffed just like she had with Gina back in Texas. Yet she was so strongly drawn to Dawn that she just wanted to scoop her up in her arms and take her somewhere private. 'And just how can I do that,' thought Kennedy, 'when she is not only ordained but also my boss? How in the name of the gods am I going to live with her for six months and not make a pass at her?' Kennedy steeled herself to be more disciplined than she had ever been before in her life.
**
"You know, she's at it again."
"Yeah, but I tell you, it's because of you. I've never seen her daydream like this before you arrived today."
Dawn gradually realized that the voices were talking about her. She shook herself out of her daydream and Julie and Kennedy came into focus.
"Come on Bishop, I think its past your bedtime. Time for tall, dark and deadly here to take you home." Julie smiled at her boss as Dawn blinked her eyes.
"Tall, dark and deadly?"
"Yeah, that's Kennedy's new nickname. She earned it by taking out Kathy."
"Do you suppose I'm safe with her?" teased the Bishop as she stood up and smiled at Kennedy.
"Bishop, I'm not going there! See you in the morning." With that Julie gave Dawn a hug, elbowed Kennedy in the ribs and headed out of the pub.
Dawn and Kennedy left together shortly after.
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