ForevaXena's FanFic . . .

Meeting Gabrielle

by My Warrior

Copyright 2002 My Warrior

The Usual Stuff: Xena and Gabrielle belong to the powers that be (lucky dogs!) and are only here with me (lucky me!) for a little while. I promise to put them back where I found them when I’m finished. No copyright infringement is intended. This is a work of fan fiction and is not making a profit … although I feel much richer having had the pleasure of enjoying six seasons of this wonderful show and meeting a great group of people in the process.

Love: Yes, they are in love with each other. If this is offensive to you in any way, please go back the way you came.

Sex:  Xena wouldn’t let me fade to black. You try saying no to six feet of drop dead gorgeous warrior.

Violence: Whenever Xena is around, there are always a few butts that may need kicking. But I’ll save that for another story.

Plot: What plot? *g*  Actually, I thought I would try writing something different for a change. Imagine if you will, that Xena and Gab had met under different circumstances.

I yawned as I made my way along the darkened trail, just south of the farthest Amazon border. I could make out a line of trees in the distance and I knew without looking skyward that they were filled with a group of armed warriors on the evening watch. There was no moon tonight, and the path was cloaked in a thick blackness that would have felt almost suffocating if it hadn’t been for the gentle breeze drifting down from the gathering clouds. Argo snorted a protest and I put a hand on the well-muscled neck to soothe her. I had dismounted half an hour ago, preferring to walk the remaining distance, knowing that my navigational skills would be put to much better use if I could see any obstacles on the overgrown trail. Not that I could see much of anything, but given the circumstances, I felt better on the ground.  My warhorse had seen enough new pairs of shoes in the last two moons to put anyone’s wardrobe to shame. We had been busy. Oh, it wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy helping people, because I honestly did. It gave me a type of satisfaction I didn’t believe in until I possessed it.  Hercules had been right, although it took me a good three years to admit it. Being on the right side of the greater good seemed to suit me. At least that’s what he told me when I gave up my warlord ways five years ago. Between fending off the dangerous and dealing with those who refused to believe the former Destroyer of Nations could be anything but, I had my hands full. I had spent the last month at King Meleaneal’s castle, working with the captain of his special forces on fighting techniques. He had been so grateful he offered me a commanding position with his army, but I politely declined, deciding instead to take Eponin up on her long standing and often repeated offer of a few months with the Amazons, getting some much needed rest and helping train some of the younger warriors. I smiled as I thought about how much “rest” she had in mind for me. Maybe all those weeks with the soldiers weren’t so strenuous after all.

A familiar birdcall echoed through the blackness, and I answered in kind, adding the intonations I knew would identify me to the warriors on patrol. When I reached the edge of the border, I stopped, and pulling my sword from its sheath, thrust it into the ground in a single, fluid motion while I waited for them to descend from the branches. I didn’t have to wait long. The first amazon to reach me landed on the ground so softly she barely made a sound, but the wide grin on her face was almost discernible in the thickness.

“Eponin,” I said, reaching out my hand for the traditional greeting. I felt a strong arm grip mine in return as she stepped closer to me.

“Xena! Glad you could make it. That is you, isn’t it? It’s so damn dark out here tonight I can hardly see my hand in front of my face.”

“It’s me,” I said with a smile. “And before you ask, yeah, I’m still as good looking as ever.” I gave the captain of the guard a playful punch as I retrieved my sword and replaced it in the worn scabbard. I was grateful for the ease I felt when I came here, and the ability to let my guard down for a while, although the images were still painfully clear in my mind of a time long ago and the anguish I had once put them through.

“I’ll have to take your word for it,” Eponin answered with a chuckle. “Because visual confirmation is going to be impossible tonight.”

We started walking along the narrow path to the village, flanked by two other Amazons who had been guarding the perimeter for most of the day. They nodded wordlessly to their replacements and didn’t make a sound for the nearly one hour that passed before they announced that we were nearly there. I looked around uneasily. I could make out the shadowy outline of the huts, the dining hall, and a few armed guards, but there wasn’t a light to be seen anywhere.

“What happened to the torches?”

Eponin explained that their latest trade for much needed supplies had depleted most of the surplus of oil used to keep them burning at night and it would be several days before they would be able to get more. We stood, surrounded by the darkness. It was an unusual feeling. Ep put a hand on my arm.

“It’s late, Xena, and you’ve been on the road all day. You really should get some rest. Can I direct you to the guest quarters?” She pointed in a northerly direction. I shook my head.

“Adia offered me the use of her spare room,” I answered. “Tell Ephiny I’ll talk to her in the morning, after I spell you on the early watch.” Ep grinned with what can only be described as relief. I watched as another warrior emerged from the darkness and took Argo’s reins from my hand and with the assurance that she would be well taken care of, led her in the general direction of the stables. I usually preferred to take care of my own horse, but I knew she was as safe here as I was, and waving to Ep, I opened the door to the elder’s hut and quietly stepped inside.

I always felt at home here. Adia and her partner, Lysha, were considered the village elders, although they were anything but old, at least to hear them tell it. My connection to them is an interesting one, because they have known me my entire life. Adia was staying at my mother’s Inn in Amphipolis the day I was born. It had been a coincidence, really, and before my delivery Mother had some minor complications. Her Amazon guest, having made it known earlier in the evening that she was also an Amazon midwife, was called upon to assist my entrance into the world. Adia had been in her twenties at the time and now, more than thirty years later, she would always be like a second mother to me.

Adia was the sort of person you liked the moment you met her, and my mother was no exception. They kept in touch for years, and Adia and Lysha visited me as often as they could as I grew. They were warriors, and I was fascinated with their stories of battle, not to mention that they always managed to teach me a thing or two whenever they stayed with us. Lysha preferred the more stoic, no-nonsense approach, but Adia never hid the fact that she adored me. All these years later, the woman still doted over me as though I wasn’t fully grown and a good head taller than her. I grinned. She wasn’t expecting me at any particular time, so I was counting on getting a little extra sleep. If I played my cards right, she wouldn’t get to fuss until at least noon.

The layout of the hut was familiar, and I walked quietly past their bedroom, hearing the soft snoring from within. The two guest rooms were at the end of the hall, across from each other, and I gently pushed open the door to the one I always stayed in. It was dark in there too, but I recognized the imposing outline of the bed as I put my backpack in the corner and quietly took off my boots. If Adia heard me now, she’d be in here so fast I’d never get any sleep. There was a small part of me that liked the attention, as much attention as a warrior can stand, anyway. We aren’t exactly cute and cuddly and most of the time, no warrior worth her weight in weapons would be caught dead being pampered. But, I always allowed a small percentage of it with her. Perhaps it was because she never gave up on me, not even during my darkest days, and there was a form of security and acceptance in that that was worth everything.

Stripping down to my shift, I felt my way over to the bed and pulled the covers toward the end of it. I was weary from the traveling and the prospect of a comfortable nest was getting more appealing all the time. I never minded sleeping in the open, actually preferring it to the confinement of the Inns, but the hard ground wasn’t as kind to my aching muscles and I sighed audibly as I crawled under the blanket.

They say a good warrior is always prepared for anything, although I have to admit it was more than a small shock to my system to discover that I was not alone in the bed. Screaming is a very undignified act, and I think I stifled mine quite well, the noise erupting from my throat sounding more like a barely audible squeak. The form in the bed, apparently sleeping quite soundly until my intrusion, did not appear to be expecting anyone either and for a moment, we both froze.

 “Adia?” we said, together. I thought we both sounded hopeful.

“Ummm, nope.” A quiet voice emerged from the form.

“I don’t look anything like her, either,” I said, recovered from my initial surprise.

The form chucked softly and I lessened my death grip on the pillow. There was something completely genuine in the sound of her voice, although I couldn’t put my finger on it.

“Did you take a wrong turn?” she asked, obviously still grinning, although I could not see it or her either for that matter.

“You mean this isn’t the King’s Formal ballroom?” I definitely needed some sleep. Now I was trying my hand at comedy, and I was pretty sure I wasn’t all that good at it.

“If it is, I’m way underdressed,” she giggled.

“Hmmm…me too.” I said. “Unless sleep shifts have become all the rage.”

She laughed openly now, a sound I found oddly refreshing. “You just never know.” There was a pause, then she added, “I’m Gabrielle, by the way.”

“I suppose an introduction would be appropriate, since we’re already sleeping together,” I quipped, and she laughed again.

“You know, it has been a while since I’ve had a...umm…..” She stifled a giggle as she added, “blind….date.”

I rolled my eyes although she couldn’t tell.

“Oh Gods.” I feigned an exaggerated sigh. She reached out a small hand and squeezed my arm gently.

“You never did tell me your name.”

 “Well I suppose that’s only fair,” I said. “I’m Xena.”

She sat up. “Xena?”

“Umm...yeah.” People always seemed to repeat my name right after I gave it, as if they hadn’t heard me correctly, and I never knew if it was from sheer terror or just simple curiosity.

“Hi!” She said, somewhat enthusiastically, and ruling out sheer terror I noticed that she had not removed her hand from my arm. I also noticed that I didn’t seem to mind, which was not at all like me, and I pondered that very thing as she went on to explain that Eponin had made the announcement of my impending arrival some time ago.

“I take it you weren’t expecting me this soon.”

“Actually, we weren’t really sure when you were coming,” Gabrielle replied. “But Adia got the guest room ready last week.” She sounded apologetic. “Then we suddenly found ourselves hosting a group from the northern tribe for a few days, so we’re a little short on space. I’ve been staying in here since the day before yesterday.”

“Is that because you can’t see to leave?”  I couldn’t help myself; silently I blamed it on lack of sleep. She laughed.

“Let’s just say we’re growing rather fond of the daylight.”

“I would imagine.”

My next thoughts fluctuated between wondering if I should go sleep in the stables with Argo to feeling rather comfortable right where I was and I barely noticed the hours slip by as we lay there in the dark, talking. I don’t remember ever being so comfortable talking to anyone. Or, talking, period. We talked about my family and hers, my past and hers, even battle strategies and how we felt about things I never knew was capable of discussing with another person. When she asked me a question, it was with a sincerity that I could not deny, she simply asked and accepted my answers; our discussions were alternatingly quiet and then animated, and at the end of four hours I found myself marveling at the fact that I had probably said more that night than I ever had in my entire life. It was hard for me to talk, especially about my past, but something about the way we related to each other made me delve into areas previously unexplored. We were lying less than a foot away from each other, occasionally changing positions but never increasing the distance between us. I couldn’t believe I was still there. Perhaps it was the fatigue. Yep, that was it, I decided, either that or I had lost my mind. But I knew that it wasn’t my mind that I lost that night, and I wasn’t entirely sure I was up to dealing with all these new emotions. Warriors don’t do emotions well.

At one point, we started laughing, and laughed until our stomachs hurt and I was sure the sleeping elders in the other room couldn’t possibly be sleeping anymore. I begged Gabrielle to stop, but the bard in her was highly entertaining and I countered her stories quite well with some tales from my own childhood and she rewarded my efforts by giggling uncontrollably. There must have been some kind of a record for the number of times we noted that if we didn’t settle down we were going to wake the older women, but one such protest from me prompted the unaware bard to pounce on and proceed to tickle me, not realizing until it was too late that warriors simply do not like to be tickled. She later pointed out to me that for not liking being tickled, I sure laughed a lot, but I insist to this day that it was a low, menacing warning growl, not a fit of hysterical laughter, that emerged from my throat. One such session of mirth was proceeded by the discussion that we had known each other for almost five hours and yet had no clue what the other one looked like. And it was true, it was quite dark in the room and with no outside light for assistance, we were left to our own imaginations.

When the laughter died down, the bard reached over in the stillness and I felt her fingers run gently through my bangs, push a few strands of hair behind my ear, and trace the contours of my face. I was lost in the sensations her touch was causing me, which is also not good, not good indeed, for a warrior. I was falling for a woman I had never even seen. Well...not really, anyway. I found myself absurdly hoping she had only one head and all her teeth and I let a chuckle escape my tired throat.

“What?” she asked, softly.

“Oh nothing, I think I’m just overtired.”

“You know,” she said, “For someone who spends as much time in the elements as you do, you’re awfully….soft.”

“Soft?” I asked, wondering if she was talking about my skin or the fact that I had let down my guard. Bracing myself for the latter, I mentally calculated the physics of launching myself out the open window. I hated these kinds of discussions.

“Yeah,” she answered, running her hand gently down my arm until it rested on top of my own. Of their own accord, my fingers slid between each of hers and refused to move. That really put a damper on the prospect of a quick exit, but it was definitely nicer than I anticipated. She paused. “Gods, Xe, your hands are so soft…but you’ve definitely got lots of calluses where you hold your sword.”

I shrugged. “I’ve never thought about it before.” What I did think about, however, was the fact that she had just called me “Xe,” a variation I had not heard and a much better nickname, I then decided, then Destroyer of Nations. I also decided that I liked it and told her so.

“Xe, huh?” I said, raising my eyebrow. Too bad she couldn’t tell. It was one of my best looks.

“Umm…yeah,” she said shyly.  “I just…well, it just sort of came out that way.”

“I kind of like it,” I said, unwilling to tell her that I really liked it and probably partially because she had said it in that soft voice of hers with her equally soft hand still snugly in mine. I noticed that we had managed to move slightly closer together, and I could make out more of her outline in the darkness as my eyes had now fully adjusted. She was definitely a lot shorter than I was, I noted, and the frame was rather small. I leaned over until our foreheads were touching. Her eyes seemed to sparkle, even in the darkness.

“How tall are you?” I asked, not bothering to disguise the mischief in my voice.

She grinned and recited a measurement at least 8 inches shorter than my own.

“I suppose being that close to the ground has its advantages.”

She punched me in the arm with her free hand. For someone that little, she was pretty strong.

“Ow,” I said.

I reached up with my free hand and ruffled the short locks. She smiled, then yawned.

“Tired?”

“mmm hmmm.”

“I suppose I should go then,” I said quietly, my emotions warring with each other.

She gave my hand a squeeze. “You don’t have to, Xe,” she said sleepily. “This bed is huge, there’s plenty of room.”

I couldn’t see the rest of the bed, and ironically we were taking up only about one fourth of it, I later discovered, but I took her word for it at the moment. Besides, she was still holding my hand and I still didn’t feel much like letting go. There was that pesky, nagging, warrior part of me suggesting that I bolt at top speed for the door. Warriors are really good at running away from their emotions and concentrating on more concrete, ass-whipping things. The good thing, I mused, was that Gabrielle would never find me because she really didn’t know what I looked like. I finally decided I wasn’t all that fond of my warrior survival instincts at the moment. I put my head back down on the pillow.

“Well, okay, if you really don’t mind,” I said, although it was obvious she didn’t mind.

“Don’t mind a bit,” she said, confirming what I already knew.

“Gab?”

“Yeah?”

“It was nice to meet you, by the way,” I said, and felt her smile. I say felt, rather than saw, because it was still too dark to see, and by this time she had moved close enough to me to rest her head on my shoulder and I could feel her smile against it. I fought the urge to pull her into my arms, keeping a respectful, warrior like affection limited to our intertwined hands. I fell asleep shortly after she did, wondering if the whole thing had been a dream, and reminding myself over and over that I didn’t like feeling this vulnerable.

I woke about two hours later, and sure enough, my hand, having a mind of its own, had disentangled itself from the bard’s and was now hanging freely on the end of my arm, which along with its mate, were firmly wrapped around said bard who was slumbering comfortably against my chest, her own arms wrapped securely around me. So much for warrior like affection, I scolded myself. I fully intended to bolt out of bed and head for the perimeter, promising Ep that I would spell her at the border after a bit of rest, but I lay there for half an hour longer, just cause it felt nice. It had been years since I had felt like holding anyone or being held myself, even my sexual conquests and one night stands had been detached, and I never allowed anyone to stay in my bed afterwards and likewise I never stayed in theirs. I had slept with many men, and equally as many women, and after awhile it had become almost routine, and left me feeling empty. It had been almost two years since I had been with anyone, deciding that I needed a break although I had definitely been tempted. I had no intentions of becoming celibate, but I had sown my wild oats long ago. I really wasn’t the touchy-feely type. I was the kick-your-butt, in-your-face, justice-on-the-end-of-my-sword type. And I certainly didn’t fall in love. Nope, not the Warrior Princess. I figured I had to have some of my sanity left so I could do warrior things without being too distracted by appealing bards.

It was still dark out, but I instinctively knew it was almost dawn and I quietly disentangled myself from the warm body next to me and got dressed. She mumbled in her sleep at the loss of contact, and I mumbled to myself about the same thing, but felt much better when I slipped my weapons into their appropriate places and adjusted my leathers. Leaning ever so gently across the bed, I placed a soft kiss on Gabrielle’s forehead and slipped out of the room.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

“You’ll be fine, Xena,” Adia said as she fussed over me the next evening. “My goodness, child, stop fidgeting.”

I reluctantly sat still as the woman finished combing through my nearly waist length raven locks. I had been on patrol most of the day, and had just returned to camp in time for the evening meal. I relayed the encounter of the night before to Adia, at her insistence, once, that is, I learned that she had ventured into the room while we were sleeping to see what all the earlier commotion had been about. Warriors, as you know, are not all that fond of volunteering sensitive information.

“How did you know I was here?” I asked, as she pulled the brush through the tangled mess. “And Oww, easy there.”

“Stop whining,” she said affectionately, and continued her assault on my hair. “I heard all this giggling, and thought for a second that I was dreaming all of it.”

“That must have been a nightmare, “ I said. “Warriors, as you know, do not giggle.” I supplied this last bit of information quite helpfully, I thought, but she wasn’t buying it. She just rolled her eyes and pulled harder on my scalp. I muffled another audible wince.

“I was in and out, and when I finally did wake up, I decided to check on Gabrielle.” She grinned like the Cheshire Cat. “And there you were, curled up next to each other, snoring to beat the band.”

“Warriors don’t snore either,” I grumbled. I got the feeling she wasn’t listening to me.

“It was rather cute,” she added, and winked as I groaned. When I asked her how she could possibly have even known who was there, let alone to be able to assess the situation as “cute,” she informed me that she had simply lit a candle and brought it into the room with her. I turned around quickly, and the hairbrush clattered to the floor.

“Honestly Xena, will you just sit still?” She scolded as she picked up the dislodged instrument of torture and began using it on me again.

“You had candles?” I was incredulous.

“Yes, dear, there were some in the drawer next to the bed. I always keep some handy, you know that.”

“I forgot,” I said, biting my bottom lip.

She gave me a triumphant look. “All finished. Now go meet that bard of yours, face to face.”

I nodded and walked out into the early evening light. I know warriors aren’t supposed to be nervous, and I don’t know why I felt that way. After all, we had talked for about five hours last night. It wasn’t like we were total strangers. So why was I so apprehensive about seeing her now? I sighed, and feeling like a teenager on a first date, I wondered if I looked alright as I approached the roaring campfire. Tyla, the cook, already had several rabbits on the spit and a virtual feast of fruits, vegetables, bread and cheese laid out on a long table nearby. Wine and ale were flowing freely, and I decided I needed a pint or two if I was going to face Gabrielle without sweaty palms. Ephiny and Solari had heard the whole thing from Adia, which made it even worse. I loved those two to death but I would never hear the end of their teasing.

All I knew for sure was that Gabrielle was little, and had short blonde hair. Several Amazons fit the description but I had a feeling in my gut that I could pick her out of a crowd.

Ephiny approached me and I gave her my best intimidating look. She saw right through me.

“Nervous?” she asked, handing me a mug. I downed the ale in one swift motion, remembering at the last minute to swallow.

“What makes you say that?” I said nonchalantly. She just grinned and pointed to a group of three short, blonde amazons standing near the crackling spit. I eyed them cautiously.

“Go ahead,” she looked at me, then back to the group. “Let’s see how good you are, warrior princess. Which one is Gabrielle?”

I tried to look casual as I studied the three women closely. I quickly ruled out the one on the left, who carried a rather large broadsword, a quiver of silvertipped arrows, and had an oversized boot knife sticking out of a pouch strapped to her upper calf. “Too lethal,” I muttered under my breath.

“What?” Ephiny leaned over. “What did you say?”

“Nothing,” I answered carefully. “Just thinking aloud.” 

The one on the right wasn’t nearly as heavily armed, but her hair was definitely much longer than I remembered Gabrielle’s to be, so I ruled her out too. That left the one in the middle.

After a few more moments in thought, I turned to the grinning queen. “Well?” she said.

“I’m not sure which amazon is Gabrielle, “ I answered. “But it isn’t any of those.”

“She’s better than I thought,” Eph said as Solari joined us.

“Tried to pull one over on her, did ya?”

Ephiny sighed. “I should have known better. Where is Gabrielle, anyway?”

At that precise moment, I was contemplating another mug of ale when I noticed a small blonde woman ordering a glass of wine from the makeshift bar they had set up near the long table. She was wearing what appeared to be a long dress of sorts, made of blue silk with a detailed but simple gold pattern on the sleeves, collar, and running down both sides of the front. When she turned, I could see that it wasn’t a dress at all but a long silky jacket, tied inside at the waist and covering equally blue silk pants bearing the same design. She looked magnificent. She looked up for a second and caught my eye and smiled politely, then accepted the glass of wine and turned again as if seeing me for the first time. I had on my black, roman-style armor, which fit me in all the right places and was rather flattering indeed. My hair was loose and hanging down, but Adia had done an excellent job with it. The woman grinned and I smiled back, and waved from my position across the campfire. I knew it.

“That’s Gabrielle, “ I said to Ephiny, and she rolled her eyes as I made my way towards the small blonde.

“How does she do that?” Eph muttered.

“She has…” Solari began, but Ephiny cut her off with a wave of her hand.

“I know, I know-many skills.”

The bard waited for my approach, but I could tell she was as antsy as I was because she made her way over to me before I could close the distance completely.

“Gabrielle?” I said, feeling a lump forming in my throat. By the Gods, she was beautiful. The green eyes sparkled and danced in the firelight and the smile just seemed to fit with the laugh I remembered from the night before. She grinned.

“Xena?”

“Hi,” I said softly. “Nice to, umm…see you.” I winked and she laughed. It just seemed like the most natural thing in the world to open my arms and a second later find them occupied by a very enthusiastic bard. We both held on much longer than was actually necessary, but neither of us seemed to mind. I finally released her from the hug but she held both of my hands gently in hers and gave a squeeze.

“You look wonderful,” she squeaked out. I relaxed a little. I wasn’t the only one nervous here.

“I was about to say the same thing,” I said. “I think I look wonderful, too.”

I managed to dodge the playful slap that was aimed at my rear end.

“But not nearly as magnificent as you look tonight,” I said in all seriousness. She blushed.

“I don’t know about that,” Gabrielle answered. “Gods, Xena, you have the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen in my life.”

Now it was my turn to blush, because warriors, as you know, stay as far away as possible from compliments about their looks. Fighting style, now that’s something we could talk about for hours.

“Would you like to dance?” I asked, taking her hands once more in mine as I led her out to an area where several couples were already swaying to the hypnotic music.

“It would be my pleasure,” she answered.

Ephiny exaggerates to this day about how long we stayed on the dance floor and that I wouldn’t let anyone cut in. I distinctly remember letting her dance with Gabrielle a second time; I can’t help it if some wayward passerby, probably a very drunk amazon, spilled wine down the back of her tunic. Good thing I happened to be standing there, or Gabrielle might not have had a dancing partner at all while Eph went to change into something drier. Sheesh. Amazons.

Solari didn’t win any Good Samaritan Amazon points by laughing at the whole predicament, either. She was too drunk herself to notice when I flashed her my best warrior scowl.

The festivities seemed to be winding down, which was nice, because I had had enough socializing for the night and I was relieved when the bard asked me if I’d like to go for a walk. We started down a narrow trail, which branched off in several directions and I noticed with delight that she chose the one leading to the river. There was an inlet there, secluded and beautiful, harboring a magnificent waterfall that appeared to be suspended from the heavens. As we approached, I could hear the rushing water and I inhaled deeply, taking in the fragrance of the forest and the water and the bard, all at the same time. We stopped at the edge of the riverbank, and she put her smaller hand in mine.

“I love this place, “ she said, as we stood before the falls. “It’s very peaceful.”

I nodded my agreement and we stood there for a long moment, until we broke apart for the sheer necessity of breathing, from a kiss I didn’t remember starting.

“Wow,” I said.

“You can say that again,” She smiled shyly. “Or, you could just do that again.”

“Speech is overrated anyway,” I observed.

And I am speechless now, too, twenty seasons later, as I lay next to her in our bed, running my fingers through her hair as she sleeps. It is something I have loved to do since the first night we met so long ago. She stirs, and a sparkling green eye looks up at me.

“Hey,” she smiles. Gods I love that smile.

“Hi sleepyhead.”

“What are you doing up? Is everything alright?”

“Everything is perfect,” I answer, and truer words have never been spoken.

She rolled over and looked out the window into the moonless night.

“It’s awfully dark tonight,” she observed, then looked at me and grinned. “Hey Xena, do you remember-“

“Yes,” I said, before she could finish. She just laughed and snuggled closer.

“How do you do that?”

“Because I have-“

“I know, I know,” she laughed, “Don’t say it.”

“Many skills,” I whispered.

“I thought I told you not to say it,” the bard said, giggling now.

“You didn’t say anything about not whispering.” I waggled my eyebrows at her.

“What am I going to do with you, Warrior Brat?”

“If you’re looking for ideas, I might have a few,” I said in my best seductive voice.

“Oh?” she said, rolling over and pinning me to the mattress. I looked up into the mischievous green orbs, mere centimeters above me. It never failed to leave me breathless, looking at her like this. She was the one person in all of my life that made me feel this way. I felt consumed by my love for this woman and fiercely protective of it and of her, all at the same time. It was a complement of sorts to the sensations of simultaneous fire and ice that I felt in my veins every time she touched me. It had not ceased in its intensity in all the years we had been together and I found my mind drifting back to that first night, that first time, so long ago.

While Gabrielle and I had been standing by the falls, still breathless from a second kiss that left me feeling like a thousand fireworks had exploded inside my chest, the sound of Eponin’s voice brought me back to reality as she came racing up on horseback, yelling something about trouble on the north ridge. I thought about going back to the hut for my chakram, but I already had my sword with me and after promising the bard I would be careful, I jumped up behind Ep and we rode off into the night. The north ridge was probably the best vantage point in all of Amazonia. As a rule, a patrol was always up there and on the lookout for visitors, friend or foe. The ridge was high enough to allow for a fairly timely preparation as it had about a five-mile view of the surrounding territory. The amazons on patrol that night had gotten into an altercation with some of the amazons from the visiting sister tribe; something that started out as a contest of sorts and ended up in a drunken brawl. Ep was none too pleased with her new recruits but for some reason when I showed up with my sword drawn, the battle died down considerably. Silently I thanked the gods that being something of a legend had its perks. The young brawlers looked genuinely frightened. Ep grinned. She loved it, I could tell.

It took the better part of an hour to clear up the situation, and round up those more inebriated recruits who had fled, and it was another hour before I got myself cleaned up again and proclaimed myself fit for bardly… viewing.

The village had settled down for the night, and only a handful of diehard amazons still sat by a dying fire, a couple of them attempting to dance even though the music had stopped hours ago. I let myself into the hut, approaching the guest room with some hesitation. I didn’t know if Gabrielle was still awake, and I was trying to decide what to do when I saw the door open a crack.

“Xena?”

I smiled. “Hey,” I said softly. “Did I wake you?”

She emerged from the room, carrying a candle and I chuckled.

“Nope, I was just reading some scrolls. Trying to keep my mind occupied instead of worrying about you.” She grinned. “Everything okay up there?”

“Yeah,” I answered. “Just a little too much youth on patrol at once.”

She nodded in understanding. At that moment, Adia emerged from the bedroom and gave me her best motherly look. She proceeded to give me the once over.

“No worse for wear,” she pronounced, after she had examined me for injuries. “I heard there was some trouble.”

“Nothing a few good whacks to the head couldn’t handle,” I replied. “Only minor casualties, but you have to expect that when you wield the sword of discipline.”

Adia narrowed her eyes at me as I winked. “You are itching for a few good whacks to the behind, young lady,” she scolded. “And don’t think I won’t do it, either.”

She reached up and kissed my cheek, muttering something about a pain in her backside.

“At any rate, you look like you could use a rest. I regret to say that I haven’t yet made up the other guest room, with all the preparations for the celebration and all, I just haven’t had the time.” She tossed a couple of pillows at me, and I swear I saw her wink. “If you two don’t mind sharing for one more night, I’ll fix up your room tomorrow.”

“Not a problem,” I answered, trying to look nonchalant. Gabrielle just grinned and took my hand in hers.

“Come on then, warrior,” she said. “It’s late and I know you have another early patrol.”

Adia smiled and kissed both of us goodnight.  I followed the bard into the guest room and quickly stripped off my boots and leathers. The shift I wore under them was fairly thin, and for a moment I felt almost self-conscious as I stood there. I climbed under the covers next to her and rolled over on my side. She ran her fingers tenderly through my hair. I decided I needed to kiss her, so I asked her if I could.

“That was sweet, Xe,” she said, as we both fought for air a few moments later. Sweet wasn’t really the word I would have associated with that kiss, but if she thought it was sweet, well, then that was fine by me. I found out that it wasn’t the actual kiss, but the fact that I had asked her, that she thought was sweet and I felt myself blush.

“Well, ummm….yes,” I said, blubbering like an idiot. I was good at the kissing part, not so talented when it came to expressing my emotions. She seemed to understand. “My turn to ask you a question.”

“Uh-oh,” I thought, the warrior in me tensing. I waited.

“Will you do that again?” Now it was her turn to blush. Now that was a question I could answer without saying a word.

I leaned over, and she met me halfway, the kiss beginning like a slowly building fire, leaving me wanting to hurry and go slow at the same time. I discovered after a few moments of gentle exploration of her lips and tongue that going slow definitely had its advantages, and that there was a lot to be said for spending half an hour doing nothing else. I was barely aware of the time passage. I noted with pleasure that Gabrielle was an excellent kisser, and I couldn’t stop a moan from escaping my throat as her soft tongue ran the length of my bottom lip, pulling it in and sucking ever so gently.  The sensations coursing through my body were like nothing I had previously felt, and soon my hands were running up the bard’s sides, sliding them under her shift when I needed to feel her skin against my fingertips. As they traveled slowly up her muscled back, the sensitive tips blazing an unseen trail upwards, I let my fingernails graze her skin ever so lightly on the way back down to the small of her back, and felt her shudder above me.

“Gods, Xena,” she said, as my hands continued their gentle assault on her back and sides.

“Like that, do you?” I murmured, moving from the perfect lips to an equally perfect earlobe, biting gently and sucking it into my mouth.

“Gods yes,” she whispered, as I moved lips and tongue down to her neck, running the length of it and back up again. I moved slowly, finding something highly arousing in the infinite gentleness of it all. She groaned again, and I found I had to call on every bit of my long practiced self-control. It was pure torture, I decided, but a torture I would happily endure. My hands slid the length of her stomach, her skin flushed and warm beneath them, and I whispered in her ear as my thumbs traced a delicate pattern around her navel.

“You feel so good, Gabrielle,” I said softly, feeling her breathing increase ever so slightly.

“I love the way your hands feel on me,” she answered, and I closed my eyes against the torrent of desire that her statement brought. “Please don’t stop touching me.”

I had no intentions of stopping, that is, unless she wanted me to, so I was more than happy to fulfill her request. An ache that had begun in my southernmost regions some time ago had begun to demand some attention, and I kissed her deeply as I felt a muscular thigh slip in between my legs. I tried to remember that I hated not being in control, but I knew without a doubt that this woman had already claimed me and I surrendered without much of a fight. Her lips and tongue on my neck elicited a deep, almost primal, growl from my throat and I sighed as she continued her ministrations. Needing something more, I gently rolled both of us over until I was on top and I grinned down at the bard. She smiled, and pushed my hair back over my shoulders.

“Come here,” she said softly, and I gently lowered my body onto hers, being careful not to crush her. Gabrielle, however, was having none of that and she pulled me down the rest of the way.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” I said, a bit breathlessly when I felt her hands slide up under my thin shift and run the length of my back.

“You’re not,” she said, trying to reassure me. “I want to feel your whole body against mine.”

I smiled, and she blushed shyly. I leaned over and kissed her. “You do, huh?”

She nodded.

“I’m not too heavy?”

“Nope.”

“Glad to hear it, because you feel pretty good yourself,” I said, raising an eyebrow and she grinned. I was delighted to note that kissing had suddenly become one of my very favorite activities. She was tender and attentive, and I found myself losing track of everything else around me.

The kissing and gentle explorations of our hands was nice, very nice, but gave way later on to a more insistent need. Her thigh was still between my legs, but my additional weight gave me the advantage of controlling the amount of pressure pushing against me and I felt my hips rock gently against her of their own accord. Her hands slid down to my waist, her fingers applying gentle pressure to my skin. I sighed, and leaned down to kiss her again, nuzzling her neck and kissing her all the way down to her breasts.

“Please,” I said, and put my hands over Gabrielle’s as she slowly removed her shift. Before I could claim her lips again, she was tugging on mine.

“Oh no you don’t,” she said playfully. “I don’t think you’re properly attired for this occasion.”

“No?” I toyed with the hem on my shift. “Perhaps we need to do something about that, then.”

“Most definitely.”

I sat up and grasped the edge of the garment, allowing my fingers to graze my torso the entire way from my waist to my throat as I pulled the shift over my head. I heard the bard swallow hard and I smiled as the shift hit the floor.

“Gods Xena, you are so beautiful,” she said.

She put both of her hands on my waist, running them up my sides until her thumbs rested against the sides of my breasts. She teased my nipples briefly before sliding her hands around to my back and pulling me back down for a searing kiss.

“Do you have any idea,” I said between kisses, “What that…oh my,” I managed to say. My hands were incredibly indecisive, touching the bard everywhere they could reach as if they couldn’t decide where to touch her next. A few more moments of extremely heated kissing and I rolled the bard over so that she was once again on top. I sat up slightly, leaning against the back of the headboard and taking the bard with me. The few brief moments it took me to push myself up felt like an eternity because I had to remove my hands from her body to do so. Reclaiming my position, I pulled her in close and let my lips and tongue taste her shoulder, then her collarbone, and finally I dipped my head between her breasts and felt her raise up on her knees as I felt the fullness of her against my mouth. She groaned softly as she ran her fingers through my hair. After a while, I decided I had no right to neglect the other breast and I kissed my way over to it, lavishing upon it equal time and attention.

Since Gabrielle was still on her knees, straddled across my lap, I found it quite easy to work my way across her flushed skin and down towards her navel, my tongue dipping briefly into it and out again, making a wider circle around it and gently nipping my way across her tight abs. I fully intended to continue southward, but the bard suddenly reclaimed my lips, kissing me passionately with what I could only describe as fierce tenderness. In the space of a heartbeat, she had gently rolled me over and proceeded to reciprocate my earlier actions. I made a feeble attempt to protest, but it felt too good. I had never made love to anyone quite like this before; as a warlord I had taken what I liked with little or no thought to giving anything back, except when it suited me. When I wasn’t in warlord mode, I took much more time, enjoying the feel of touching and being touched, although I had to admit that no touch had ever felt like this. Most of the women I had been with I had pleasured and they in turn pleasured me, the exchange itself becoming almost routine, as if it was mapped out that way. But Gabrielle was making me dizzy, allowing me to take her nearly to the edge before she gently turned the tables, taking me to the same place before we started the circle all over again. It was like a continuous, breathtaking act of foreplay, intensified beyond anything I thought possible.

Every once in a while she would ask me how something felt, or better yet, tell me how I was making her feel, and the mixture of her soft words and her soft hands were making me wonder how I had ever drawn breath without feeling like this before. We crashed over the precipice together, gentle and frenzied all at the same time, so much so that I would always be at a loss to define it. When my heart rate began to return to something close to normal, I opened my eyes and hugged the bard tightly to my chest. I kissed the top of her head. She smiled, and planted a kiss of her own on my collarbone. When she looked into my eyes, it was with an expression of complete tenderness and affection, and I knew I was looking back at her with the same emotions showing in my gaze. She put her head back down on my shoulder, her body stretched out lazily on top of mine, and I pulled the cover over both of us before falling into the most peaceful slumber I had felt in years.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

As my mind pulled me back with a gentle insistence and my eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room, I looked over at the bard, and a smile escaped my lips as I realized she had fallen asleep again. Funny how in twenty seasons time, she really didn’t look that much older than she did back then. Maybe it was because she lived life to the fullest every day, that she never took even the most routine moments for granted. Maybe loving a warrior does that to you. Or maybe she was always like that. I put my arms around her and pulled her gently into my body; the familiar feeling of her snuggling up to my chest warming me like a blanket. The door to the room creaked open and a stooped figure, carrying a single candle, peeked through the opening. The figure smiled.

“You okay?” I asked.

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