Gabrielle stood looking out over the lake. She and Xena had been making a return trip to Amphipolis to visit Cyrene and took a short rest to restock some of their some of their supplies and take a break from the long travel they'd endured trying to get away Demeter's temple. Even though they cleared the air about Xena's over protectiveness, Gabrielle still heard the voice of Ares in her head making her the offer to be his champion and Xena's replacement. She was so deep in thought that she didn't hear Xena come up behind her.

"Are you Ok?" Xena asked as quietly as she could because she didn't want to scare Gabrielle. She'd noticed Gabrielle withdrawing from her and figured it was because of the events of the temple. But she knew that Gabrielle was much more forgiving than that. Gabrielle turned to face Xena slowly and gave her a tired smile.

"I'm fine Xena. I just haven't been able to rest as well since we left Demeter's temple. I guess I'm just preoccupied." Gabrielle turned back to face the lake as Xena moved around her to take a seat on a fallen log.

"It's Ares isn't it?" Xena asked calmly. She knew what Ares was capable of without a doubt. However she never thought that Gabrielle would actually think twice about it. Now she could plainly see that that was not the case.

"Yes Xena, it is. I don't understand how I can let him get to me like this. I know full well what he's capable of but I can still hear his voice my head and, for reasons I can't explain, I just can't shake it."

Gabrielle put her head down and placed her hands over her face. She'd been trying for two days to fight back the tears. She felt shame at the fact that she would be susceptible to any part of Ares' manipulations. However, she felt, somewhere in the back of her mind, that all that happened had been a long time in coming.

Xena stood and slowly walked over to Gabrielle placing her arms around her tenderly. Gabrielle turned into the embrace and placed her head against Xena's shoulder and cried softly. Xena held her for a long while then spoke gently into her ear.

"Gabrielle, please don't be hard on yourself. Ares played us one against the other. That's the way he is. His goal has not changed one bit. It's either to have me or make me suffer. But what he doesn't understand is that I have you." At this Xena pulled her head back and lifted her finger to Gabrielle's chin. Pulling her head up so that she could look into those beautiful emerald green eyes. It broke her heart to see Gabrielle beating herself up like this and it made her curse Ares silently. But Xena knew that right now her only concern was Gabrielle. "Gabrielle, I know, in my heart, that no matter what Ares tries to do, that you will never betray who you are. You will never betray me. Ares' offer is a good one and to someone weak and petty it would bring a superficial glory. However, you are neither of those things."

Gabrielle saw the sincerity in Xena's eyes and could see the tears Xena was fighting back. She wanted desperately to say something, anything but Xena placed a finger over Gabrielle's lips and she waited for Xena to go on.

"I know that I have not always been fair to you. I know that I have not always seen you for the woman that you are when it comes to battle. I guess I don't want to ever take the chance of loosing you. It would kill me. But I do know this. I love you. And I'll do whatever it takes to be less overbearing in my protectiveness. It doesn't mean that I won't want to jump in. It just means that I will respect you more in that aspect. Ares' has done a number of things to us over the years. But one thing I realize is that he can't bring out what's not already in us. I, for one, am committed to not giving him anything else that he can use to try and separate us."

Gabrielle looked into Xena's deep blue eyes and was taken aback by how close she'd come to falling for Ares' tricks. Xena was right. This was no different that what Ares had always done from the beginning.

"Xena, thank you. And thanks for helping me through all of this. I guess, I was just being childish. I know that you love me and that you respect me. I was just blinded to the fact that you only want me to be ok, I should have known because that's all I want for you. Do you forgive me?"

"Of course I do. You never have to ask that." Xena then lowered her head and kissed Gabrielle's lips lightly, reveling in the soft feel of them. She didn't realize much she missed them until just that moment as it had been a few days since they last made time for each other.

Gabrielle responded by running her hands through Xena's hair and pulling her lips in closer. Wanting to taste more of her. Her hands slipped down Xena's waist and around to just above her buttocks, sliding her fingers across the small of her back. Xena gave a long throaty moan at the contact and thrust her tongue deeper inside of Gabrielle's mouth and brought her hands down over her backside. She gripped Gabrielle's butt firmly and began to pick the petite bard up and place her legs around her waist.

Gabrielle took the cue and wrapped her legs around Xena's waist as they kissed more fervently. Xena backed up and brought them down on the log that she was sitting on earlier and began to undo the ties that held Gabrielle's top in place. Once done, she broke the kiss with Gabrielle and pulled it off slowly. Xena took a moment to gaze into Gabrielle's eyes and could see the overwhelming passion in them and could hardly contain herself. But, for Gabrielle, she took her time kissing her way down the hollow of Gabrielle's throat and licking a hot wet trail between her breasts.

Gabrielle grew wetter by the second. She let out a long groan as she felt Xena's tongue weave it's way down the cleft of her breast. She grabbed Xena's hair and pulled her closer. This only inflamed Xena's passion more and she moved to run her tongue slowly over Gabrielle's breast before pulling it deeply into her mouth and sucking hard. Gabrielle arched her back, giving herself to Xena completely. Even now, Xena made her hotter and wetter than she could ever imagine and the Warrior Princess was setting her body on fire.

Xena began to tease and nip at Gabrielle's nipples while at the same time she moved her hand to cup Gabrielle's throbbing, wet center. She could smell Gabrielle's desire, even through her britches and she could feel it through her leathers. Xena decided she's had enough of teasing Gabrielle and wanted more. She broke away from the attention that she was giving Gabrielle's breast and moved to lay Gabrielle in the grass. Taking the time to grab the mat from their sack.

Once Gabrielle was settled, Xena knelt down between her legs and wrapped her hand around Gabrielle's britches. A mixture of lust, desire and love flashed through Xena's eyes before she proceeded to rip the undergarment off with one smooth pull. Gabrielle gasped sharply and then thrust her hips toward in the air towards Xena. Xena groaned inwardly and began to delve into the pure sweetness that was Gabrielle. She wrapped her lips around Gabrielle's clit and began to pull and suck the hard nub into her mouth; simultaneously licking it back and forth at a maddening speed against Gabrielle's clit.

Gabrielle began to move her head wildly from side to side as she writhed in ecstasy. She then grabbed Xena's hair and began to push Xena's face harder against her pussy. Xena, not ready for Gabrielle to finish held back. She stood and removed her leathers and then knelt back down and moved up and slid her body over Gabrielle's. Xena held her face over Gabrielle's for just a second then she lowered her center to meet Gabrielle's. Gabrielle held Xena's gaze and in that moment they exchanged more than could ever be spoken between them.

Xena met Gabrielle's clit with her own and began to grind against her slowly. Gabrielle was mesmerized by the look in Xena's eyes as she felt her body responding more and more. She opened her legs to allow Xena better access as Xena began to pick up her rhythm. Gabrielle threw her head back as she felt her orgasm approaching faster and faster. Xena could feel it to and again lowered her head to suck Gabrielle's tits as she drove her clit against the bard's. Xena's breath began to quicken and just before Gabrielle's release she shifted again and swiftly placed two fingers inside Gabrielle's dripping wet center and started to stroke Gabrielle's hot spot hard and fast.

"Oh my goooooood!! XENAAAAAAAA!!!!" was all the last thing that Xena heard before getting lost in her own release. Hearing Gabrielle lose herself like that always did it for her and this time was no exception. Xena felt Gabrielle's muscles start to relax and pulled her fingers out slowly. Then she kissed the bard's center before crawling back up to claim her lips again in a searing kiss.

Gabrielle reached out her hand and traced lightly over Xena's cheek and then her lips. " I love you Xena. Gods I wish I could tell you just how much."

Xena kissed Gabrielle softly and leaned and spoke softly into her ear. "I know baby. I've always known. And I love you just as much."

With that the two lover's fell asleep in each other's arms.

However, somewhere on Mt. Olympus.


"There will be another time Gabrielle, count on it."


The End

A. Hawk Copyright 2004

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