Warning: The following story may describe a physical relationship with two consenting adult women. If this offends you, or is illegal where you are, stop reading and move.

Legal Disclaimer: MCA owns all rights and privileges, to the characters of Xena and Gabrielle. The new parts of the story are mine, so read, enjoy, but please do not steal. Story copyright © 1997 by JS Stephens All Rights Reserved.

Xena noticed that even though Gabrielle had regained her sense of humor and appetite, she was now reluctant to go to sleep at night. She kept laughing it off, saying that the world around them was so interesting that she dared not miss a minute of it. Xena suspected that was something else, but wasn't sure how to draw her friend out about it.

Gabrielle had finally started sleeping soundly again when Xena had to let Callisto out of her stone prison to defeat Velasca. When Gabrielle talked to Callisto one night by the fire, Callisto had showed a moment of doubt, of regret, but then reaffirmed her hatred for Xena. After that, Gabrielle would not sleep unless she could reach out and touch Xena during the night. Xena decided that Gabrielle was having nightmares, but that she must be shaking them off, for she never woke Xena up with them.

About a week after Callisto and Velasca. died in the lava pit, Xena found a well-protected cave for them to camp in. She decided that they needed a short break and knew that this was an easily defensible place, almost impossible to find unless you knew where to look. She had stumbled across it when first leaving her army and old ways. It had a natural smoke hole, a small clear stream and even a natural hot pool. She and Gabrielle quickly set up camp, then took a relaxing soak in the hot pool. Xena noted that Gabrielle was finally seeming to relax more than she had since before she had married Perdicas. "Pass the sponge, Gabrielle." Xena gently scrubbed Gabrielle's back, noting how smooth it was, so free from scars unlike her own back. Sometimes, she just wanted to stroke Gabrielle's back, just to feel the silky skin, but felt embarrassed by the longing. She handed the sponge to Gabrielle so she could reciprocate.

After supper, Xena leaned her blankets against the cave wall so she could watch Gabrielle writing by the lamplight. Gabrielle fiddled with her pen for a few moments, then put her writing stuff away and came over to sit by Xena. Xena raised an eyebrow, asking, "What? no stories tonight?" Gabrielle shook her head slowly, then laid her head against Xena's shoulder and pulled Xena's arm around her. Xena was puzzled, but decided that Gabrielle would explain shortly. She tightened her hold on Gabrielle, then hesitantly reached up with her free hand to stroke the redhead's hair.

Her patience was soon rewarded. Gabrielle pulled back to look up at Xena, but keeping Xena's arm around her. "Xena, why couldn't Callisto stop hating you? You gave her another chance at life, apologized in front of many people and did not hate her in return. Why?"

"I don't know, Gabrielle, but I can guess. Callisto is partially right in her claims--I created the circumstances that made her into a hateful, vengeful person. She did have a choice, as I did, but she was much younger. I was grown when Cortese attacked my village. I could have beaten him back and then kept fighting for good, but I made the choice to be a warlord. Callisto was so young that it probably seemed that the only way to live was to be as terrible as my army and I were then. She never had the security of growing into adulthood--she was thrust into it by my army."

"But you did choose to be good."

Xena looked into the serious green eyes, thinking about her reply. She pulled Gabrielle closer, hugging her gently, laying her cheek on top of Gabrielle's head before answering. "Hercules helped me see the error of my ways. Then, you burst into my life, believed in my goodness and have helped me balance myself ever since. I barely could believe that I could stay good, but you kept faith in me, even when I could not keep faith in myself." She stopped for a moment, letting Gabrielle sit back up, then looked directly into her eyes. "It was your love that saved me, your friendship, given willingly and without fail. I could not bear death without you, dear friend, so I had to come back for you."

Gabrielle took it all in. "So you really could hear what I was saying after you died? And you really came back for me?"

Xena's face relaxed into a rare smile as she touched Gabrielle's cheek. "Yes, I could hear you and I did come back for you. M'Lila pointed out how brave you were, trying to get my body back for a proper Amazon ceremony, even though you were injured seriously yourself. She insisted that I had to find a way back, that it was not really my time to die yet. And I was afraid that you could not handle Velasca yourself, I could see that she wanted the power of the Amazon nation under her thumb, not under your rule." Xena stopped a moment, lost in thought. "When I heard you say how much you loved me, I was determined to get back, even if I had to steal Callisto's body to do it. No, that was a joke--I would not steal Callisto's body. But, I knew that my time on earth was not complete, and I would have fought Lord Hades himself for the chance."

Gabrielle listened, amazed. She knew that Xena had come back for her, but did not know the depth of Xena's feelings for her. She felt Xena suddenly pulling her into a tight embrace and could hear the other woman's heart pumping. She was stunned at Xena's eloquence, but more than happy to enjoy the security of her arms around her. Before she married Perdicas, Xena would tolerate Gabrielle's fits of affection, hugging her spontaneously or kissing her goodnight. After that, Xena withdrew. It was only after she had died and come back that she tolerated Gabrielle touching her again, but she never initiated it. Gabrielle could only thank the gods and goddesses for this tender moment, a time to treasure. She even started feeling sleepy, but warm and safe. The last thing she remembered was Xena's quiet laughter and rumbling voice saying something about letting sleeping bards lie.

"XENA! WHERE ARE YOU?" Gabrielle screamed. She looked around at the ghostly woods, trying to find their campsite. She could hear the rustle of animals in the underbrush and the maniacal giggle of Callisto.

"Looking for your best friend?" Callisto simpered. "Well, she ain't here. I killed her. It's only fair since she killed me--twice." She threw back her head and laughed at the moon as Gabrielle ran away, legs furiously pumping down the road. "You'll never find her!" floated on the wind behind her.

"Gabrielle! Wake up! You're having a dream."

Gabrielle sat up, sweat pouring from her face, staring into Xena's face. "Thank the gods! Callisto said she had killed you." Gabrielle managed to gasp. Xena nodded, then pulled the bard into her arms, swaying as she tried to calm her friend down.

"She can't get you, Gabrielle. I have you, you are safe with me. Do you understand this?" Gabrielle did not reply, she just squeezed the warrior harder, still trembling from the aftershock of the dream. "Hey, she is gone. I am here. Look up at me, Gabrielle" Xena commanded. Gabrielle slowly raised her face, tears starting to fall. "I won't let anyone take you away, do you understand?" The bard barely nodded, then tried to hide her face again. Xena tipped Gabrielle's face up, then asked quietly, "Would you like to sleep with me the rest of the night? Would that make you feel safer?" Gabrielle nodded once, then burst into hysterical tears. Xena rocked the bard like a baby until the storm passed, then got up and rearranged the sleeping gear. She laid down beside Gabrielle, pulling her into her arms. After a bit, they both fell back asleep.

Xena was still worried about Gabrielle, so she proposed that they stay in the cave for a little while longer. "After all, we don't have any pressing plans," Xena said, "so why not take advantage of this site? Besides, I need to make sure that I am in top form before we venture down the road."

Gabrielle was somewhat suspicious since Xena never wanted to stay anywhere for more than a night or two, but she did have a good idea. The cave made a very nice camp, the woods surrounding were off the beaten path and she had found a patch of wild grain and berries. There was even a place where the stream came out of the cave that was perfect for fishing. "Okay, Xena, we'll stay for a bit. Besides, it will give me time to write up all of our latest adventures." She was rewarded by a smile from the warrior.

They fell into a routine by the third day. Early morning found Xena teasing Gabrielle awake, then going off to practice with her weapons for several hours. Gabrielle spent the time writing and polishing her stories. They got back together around mid-morning for a large meal, then went exploring the surrounding woods. By mid-afternoon, they came back and Gabrielle watched Xena work with Argo, reinforcing old training and teaching her new tricks. Sometimes Xena would ride by and grab Gabrielle, sweeping her up into the saddle. "This trick could save your life, you know." "Yeah, it has already, but could you do it without pulling my arm out of socket?" Xena just laughed, saying, "I should teach you how to fall out of the saddle at full gallop--never know when that trick could save your life."

Gabrielle still had nightmares, but only if she was not sleeping with Xena. Xena finally admitted to herself that she enjoyed sleeping with the bard. She felt more relaxed, knowing that if Gabrielle was in her arms, she would not be awaken with screams in the night. Plus, there was something so nice about drifting off to sleep, smelling the scented soap that Gabrielle used. Gabrielle was becoming accustomed to sleeping without nightmares again, knowing that the warrior's strong arms were wrapped around her. She felt protected and loved. Sometimes Xena would even let Gabrielle kiss her cheek goodnight without protesting "the mushy stuff."

After a couple of weeks, Gabrielle had all of her current stories written and polished like she wanted them. She asked Xena, "Can I watch you practice today?"

"Sure, why not? We really should practice together since I haven't seen you pick up your staff lately," was the reply. "Go get your staff and meet me in the meadow." Gabrielle rooted through her belongings to find the pieces of her staff, assembling it quickly before following Xena out of the cave.

First, Xena warmed up by going through some simple exercises to loosen her muscles. Gabrielle watched with a bard's eye for detail, noting how Xena went through all of the major muscle groups. She never realized how close to dancing that Xena's warm-up was, how sensual it was in slow motion. Muscles rippling in the sun, sword swinging slowly, then faster and faster until she just saw a silver blur whistling through the air. Her heart swelled with pride and love as she watched her friend. For a brief moment, she wondered what it would feel like to put her hands on Xena's body as it worked, to feel the muscles rippling. She shook her head, where did that thought come from?

Before she could think of anything else, Xena called out, "Aren't you going to warm up? It wouldn't do to have stiff muscles." Gabrielle snapped out of her reverie and started slowly stretching as she had seen Xena do. She picked up her staff and started executing slow moves with it, then started whirling it faster until it was a brown blur, much like Xena's silver blur. Xena watched with a critical eye, noting that Gabrielle had not lost any speed or moves. The Amazons had taught her well, she decided. Xena sat down on a rock just to enjoy watching for a moment, noting how the sun danced on Gabrielle's hair, turning it into spun gold.

After Gabrielle finished warming up, Xena snuck up behind her. Gabrielle sensed the movement, bringing her staff up as Xena started swinging a makeshift staff she had found days earlier. They thrust and parried, challenging each other, testing their defenses, seeking weaknesses. They moved as if in a tightly choreographed ballet, never managing to land a blow. Xena approved and started to say so when Gabrielle swept her staff suddenly, knocking Xena to her feet. Xena grabbed the staff, pulling Gabrielle down on top of her. They wrestled and rolled, each trying to pin the other down until they broke into a fit of laughter. Gabrielle wound up on top of Xena, proclaiming, "I won! I won! I defeated the great Xena." She dropped her head, letting her breath whoosh out. Xena smiled, wrapping the bard in her arms, enjoying the weight on her. Without thinking, she kissed Gabrielle's neck and cheek.

Gabrielle was startled at the feeling of Xena's lips on her skin, but shivered with delight. She tentatively kissed Xena back, half on the cheek and half on her lips. When Xena did not throw her off, Gabrielle boldly kissed Xena full on the lips, enjoying the contact and the sudden wave of passion. The kiss deepened. Xena finally broke it off, looking anxiously into Gabrielle's eyes with questions in her own. In answer, Gabrielle kissed her again and gave in to her fantasy of running her hands along the warrior's body. They had lived together, bathed together, slept together for two years, but this was suddenly different. Gabrielle suddenly understood why Xena fought to hard to come back to life; it was love, more than love of friends. She carefully raised up, looking at Xena in a different light.

Xena said softly, "Well, do I meet with your approval?" Gabrielle nodded, not trusting her voice. "I didn't know it would lead to this--" Xena started, but Gabrielle smiled and said, "shut up and kiss me, you big fool." Xena complied with the command, rolling them over so she was on top.

They slowly explored each other's bodies, savoring skin and feather light kisses. They could both feel the volcano of passion rising until Gabrielle gasped, "Please Xena, please." Xena quickly went down from the breast she was savoring to the bard's legs, nuzzling between them. She could taste the juices, making her own flow faster. She fastened her mouth over the bard's bud, letting her tongue seek the rhythm of lust. She could feel Gabrielle tensing, then bucking as she hung on for dear life. Finally, Gabrielle screamed as she clamped her legs together, nearly crushing Xena's head. They both rolled over, exhausted. Finally, Gabrielle asked, "Did you ever do that before?"

Xena propped up on one elbow, using her free hand to stroke Gabrielle's hair. "Once. My best friend and I once experimented with kissing when I was, oh, fourteen I think. Lis was destined to marry early, I think she was sixteen when she married. Our kissing got out of hand once and she, um, licked me down there until I climaxed. I never reciprocated, I think she climaxed at the same time. I never thought about doing this with another woman until now."

Gabrielle nodded, kissing Xena's hand. "I never kissed a woman before, but I have heard these sounds before when I was living with the Amazons." She suddenly grinned, shoving the warrior on her back, saying, "let's see if you are a screamer or not."

They packed up to leave the next morning. Xena had decided it was time to be on the road again, that Gabrielle's nightmares had probably ended. They had made love three more times that afternoon and night, each time better than the last. They had fallen asleep in each other's arms and found it hard to get up the next morning. Just before they picked up their last load, Gabrielle asked, "Xena, why did you insist that we stay so long? Not that I'm complaining about the outcome, I'm just curious."

Xena stopped and put the saddlebags down. She pulled the bard into an embrace, then replied, "You were having so many nightmares that I decided you needed some place safe to stay for a while. I had no idea where this would lead, I just knew that I loved you so much that I didn't want to see you twisting your hurt into hate like Callisto." She gently kissed Gabrielle, then playfully swatted her rump. "Come on, let's get out of here. I'm starting to get restless."

"Oh sure, we find a terrific place and you gotta leave. Wonder what adventures lie ahead?" Gabrielle asked. Xena just shrugged as she headed out for the last time. Gabrielle sighed, then followed her, saying, "Hey, did you hear the story about..."