~ Convergence ~
by Kandis Glasgow


*This is the, "Oh for heavens sake! Haven't you learned by now NOT to read this stuff at work," warning!*

Disclaimers: NO. NO. NO. Can't. Don't. Haven't. Won't. Am. Am not. Am so. Am not. Am too! Not! So! Nu hu. Yessir. No way. Yes way! You can't either! Can too! Then I'm tellin'! Sissy! No Sir! Yep, Big ol sissy tattle tale! Now I am so Tellin'! Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! BRAT!

Sex Disclaimers: Welcome to my world. Sick, depraved and full of sex. OK It's only my writing life that is…..wait a minute. I have a girlfriend now. Yes, it is my life after all! Ain't it grand! I am going to put her pic up so you all can see the 5'10" dark haired beauty I found at the gym! Hoo ya! Anyway, yes there will be lots more sex, but we're almost finished with that part of our story. Sorry. Hey, we have to move onto the 'story' part! (I have been told that this is a sex story with a plot wrapped around it. Wait till you read this. Story? What story?) If you are offended by "Wonderwand"™ type of sex, stay away from this installment. IF this (this lesbian this is what this is) is illegal where you live I am surprised you even have computers there. Seems to me you should be doing the clay and stylus thing, but I digress. If this is illegal where you live stop where you are and turn back. "Captain! There be lesbians ahead." "Go to warp six and stay on their ion trail." "Aye! Warp six." "Engage!"

***Magical Phallus alert!***

if it's not your cup 'o tea…..skip it!

Language: Yes, they swear and so do I on occasion. I am better than I used to be, but I slip. Imagine that.

Spoilers: This is where we start to run into season five. However this story line is so far off the well beaten Xena path that it's not really Xena anymore. It's more like Xena and Gabrielle meet the Time Bandits and Austin Powers (Yeeeah Baby!). IF you don't want to know….go away.

Wife Swapping: Again I say, "Oh for heaven's sake!" If it is bad for your health, I recommend plenty of fluids, lots of rest, a balanced diet and regular exercise. There you go.

Have a great read!

©10-23-00 KG

 


Convergence 26

 

Candace tried to hide a smirk as Taylor pulled the curtain apart and entered their hut. She didn't succeed.

"What?" Taylor gave her intended a firm look daring the small blonde to try and tease her.

Candace almost leapt from the chair she had been reclining in. Her hands grasped Taylor's forearms in marked enthusiasm. "TELL ME!"

"Tell you what?" She knew very well what but wanted to draw her lover's curiosity out.

"GaaaaawD Tell me everything!" She pulled her firefighter across the room to the bed. She spun the large woman around and pushed her down.

Taylor sat back hard on the soft mattress. She couldn't help but laugh. "Does the word 'spank' mean anything to you?" She surrendered as Candace pushed her by the shoulders to her back. Taylor smiled at the royal as she gave into her.

"Ooooooh! Yyyyyess!" The blonde knelt over her lover. Vicarious tingles shot through her body! She leaned over the tall woman, laying a soft whisper at her ear. "Tell me more."

"Nope. That's all you get." Taylor teased Candace with hidden information. She tried her best to sit up with a Regent on her chest. She didn’t get far.

The co-Regent pinched the strong warrior on her side. Taylor jumped. "OW! That's not fair!"

"You tell me or else." She pulled her hand back into the claw position.

"Well since you said 'or else'" Taylor gave her intended a sly look. "How do you know she did anything?" Taylor knew Candace had some idea of what she had gone through due to the connection they shared. All the blonde did was raise one brow over an incredibly green eye. Taylor sighed. She would never learn. "Let's put it this way, she would win the calf roping contest with time to spare. She had me tied up so fast I had no time to react."

Candace's excited voice sang with pleasure. "She tied YOU up?" Wow! Way to go Gab. Then what?"

"Then she blind folded me. I couldn't see but oh could I feel! Hoo ya!"

Taylor frowned as she heard a faint rustling sound. She tried her restrains again to no avail. She listened as the bard moved about the small space. Her nose caught the scent of perfumed wax and knew that Gabrielle had lit candles to light the deepening room. The aroma of the lilac scented candles allowed her to breathe deeply, releasing some of the apprehension within her. A single drop of a thick warm liquid spread silently across her forehead. She caught the scent of cinnamon mixed with other spices. Small hands rubbed the dollop in. Gabrielle's hand remained on her forehead and the bard was silent.

"Gabrielle…"

"Shh."

Taylor stayed silent as she waited for Gabrielle to finish whatever it was she was doing.

"Now Taylor, what did you want?" The bard got up from the bed to explore the many nooks and crannies that Taylor and Candace's hut held. If the two women only knew what had been secreted away in their hut the fun would have begun long before this night.

"What were you doing?" The tall warrior tried to discern the movements of the Regent. It was obvious that she was opening and closing cupboards. What she was after was anyone's guess.

"It's hard to explain." Gabrielle picked up an interesting item to contemplate its use.

Taylor had a good idea. "Try me."

"I was blessing you." The bard discarded the item in place of another fun toy. This one made her smile.

"Blessing me? Like with anointing oil?" Taylor squinted in her blindfold trying to understand the implication of what Gabrielle was sharing with her.

"Just like that, yes." Gabrielle's voice became far away. She was weighing the possibilities of the toys she had.

"But why?" The deeply spiritual woman was shocked that a supposed pagan from 500 BC would be knowledgeable about a very Judeo/Christian ritual.

"It's a custom of sorts with my people." Taylor's question brought her back to reality.

"Your people? I didn’t know you had any people except the Amazons." Taylor tugged at her bonds just for fun.

"My mother is an Israelite." Gabrielle shrugged even though Taylor couldn’t see her.

"She's Jewish? Wow, that explains a lot." Taylor thought of the ancestry of her partner. She appreciated the connection.

"We are not of the tribe of Judah. We are Levites." The defensiveness came out in her tone.


Taylor whispered quietly. "Temple Priests. I never knew." The more she learned about the small woman, the more she was astounded.

Gabrielle smiled to think that the firefighter understood. "Protector's of the Law. Anyway, my mother was of the line of Aaron, but being a woman put out without a writ of divorce would be considered an adulteress if she remarried. She snuck away one night and never returned. It was a good thing, too. They were taken into Babylon shortly after."

"Interesting, but that doesn't explain why you are praying over me." A sweet smile crossed the firefighter's expression. She was appreciated the idea that anyone would care enough to pray for or about her.

"We pray over those who are preparing to embark on a life changing journey." The tone of Gabrielle's voice changed. "Be aware, Taylor, that this is a journey. It will change everything that you are, in every way that you think, even the way you see the sun will change." Taylor tried to speak but Gabrielle stopped her. "You are going to sacrifice parts of your being you never dreamed existed. When you submit all that you are into the hands of another being, when you trust that deeply, it alters the very spirit within you. The only thing required of you is that you surrender willingly. Give me your will and let me transform you." Gabrielle's lips pressed tightly to Taylor's. She pressed her naked skin against the tall heated form of the warrior.

The firefighter felt as though the very air in the room had escaped through her lungs. She could no longer resist Gabrielle's request than she could have resisted gravity itself. She whispered the only coherent thought that came to her mind, "Yes."

Gabrielle pulled her lithe body along Taylor's skin, being sure that the firefighter felt her own excitement.

"She was running her body up and down along my skin." Taylor knew what Candace wanted to hear. Her voice lowered to little more than a whisper. "Her nipples were so hard. They were like bullets carving a trail up my thighs. And her pussy was so wet."

"Her What?" Candace wanted to be disgusted but the vulgarity of the word excited her.

"You heard me. She was so wet it dripped in my mouth when she knelt over my face." Taylor pushed her hips against Candace's leg.

"Oh My Goodness. What next."

"She bent her knees to where her hair tickled my lips. I put my tongue out to taste that sweet wetness, but she pulled it away. Taylor thought back to the moments.

"Ah, ah, ah, my sexy warrior. Not just yet. All you are allowed to do is take in my scent. Taste me through your sense of smell." Gabrielle's voice floated on the heated Amazon air.

Taylor almost groaned with disappointment then thought better of it. Instead the firefighter took a deep breath into her lungs through her nostrils. The uniquely wondrous fragrance of the bard crossed her olfactory senses, tip-toed across her taste buds and filled her entire being. Fresh apricots and wild honey were as close as she could come to describing the magnificent aroma of Gabrielle. The scent was excruciatingly enticing. Her mouth was watering in anticipation of what she could only dream of tasting. She felt Gabrielle's body scrape down her own. She would never survive.

Without warning, her nipples were under what she thought was a lobster attack. Tight pinching assaulted the tender flesh causing her to whimper. She would never dream to cry out. Heat filled her breasts, shock waves followed in close proximity. Tears formed in her eyes as she tried to breathe into the pain. She would not cry out.

"So brave Taylor." Gabrielle brushed the tip of her ostrich feather across the captured, swollen nub of the firefighter's breast. The tall woman hissed at the touch. The talented bard smiled and flickered a second feather across the other simultaneously.

A small cry escaped Taylor's throat. "Haa. God! Whhaaat…..ho!"

"I'll stop if you want me to Taylor, but only if you say the safe word." She watched her handy-work as she spoke to the firefighter. Taylor's breasts practically jumped with each feather light touch. She loved watching.

"Sssafe word?" The tickling touch on her throbbing nipples, though agonizing, was causing a deep need to settle in her very center. Nagging, prodding,

"Uh huh. You see you could say no or don't or stop and not really mean it. It can even make the……'gaaaame' more exciting. If you really want me to stop say Gilligan."

Taylor let out a laugh then lurched at the sting it brought to her chest. "Gilligan? Why Gilligan?"

"It was one of my favorite shows." Gabrielle's voice was almost distracted.

"I see." Taylor could feel the small bundle of dynamite move away from her and she listened as the bard moved about the room. What she was doing the warrior couldn't fathom. Adrenaline was rushing through her body and the pounding of her heart was making the matters in her breasts intensify. She took a deep breath. She shifted slowly attempting to stretch. It was a bad idea.

"AAAH."

Gabrielle smirked. "Also, you will address my as 'your Majesty' at all times. I will address you however I please. Do you understand?"

"Your Majesty? But, your not..." Taylor felt a wicked flick pass over her excruciatingly inflamed flesh. The pain shot colors behind her blinded eyes. It also sent electric tendrils slithering to her sex. Wetness was slipping out, dampening the outer hairs of her center. She felt a single slender finger wipe the wetness away.

Gabrielle intentionally smacked her lips as she lapped the liquid from her digit. Taylor shivered at the sound. Gabrielle dipped her head and let her tongue skitter across the firefighter's lips just so she could have a taste of her own wetness. She knew what she was doing. "You have no right to question me, slave! DO as you are told!" Her voice had taken on a tone of deep authority and threat.

Coming to the very real understanding that the Regent wasn't kidding Taylor gasped out her answer. "Yessss, your Majesty."

"Very good." A wicked grin passed over the Regent's lips. It was a good thing Taylor couldn't see it.

"Taylor! What next?" Candace was losing her cool. The story was killing her and Taylor was obviously lost in thought.

Taylor shook her head to clear the images from her mind. Gabrielle had been right about one thing. She would never be the same. A smile gently crossed her lips. She kissed the nose of her anxious lover. "Relax, Cand. I'll get to it."

"She really made you call her 'your Majesty'?" This was getting better by the minute.

"The whole time. She was insistent. If I forgot I was quickly reminded of the proper address of my captor." Blue eyes twinkled in memory.

Candace knew that look. Her body automatically moved closer to her lover. "Did she make you bend over?" Whispering seduction was dripping from her voice. She wanted to have this warrior up one side and down the other.

"Not exactly." Taylor tipped her head.

A simmering growl floated from Candace's lips. "Reaaallly. Then what exactly?"

"After she was done torturing my front with the clips, feathers, fingernails, teeth, lips and whatever she could find, she uh…she turned me over." Taylor's teeth clenched as the muscles of her buttocks tightened of their own accord.

Candace felt the reaction of her lover's body. "I take it that it was an interesting experience."

The firefighter blew a heavy breath through her pursed lips. "Interesting. You could say that."

"I just did. Now tell me why you tremble at the mention of it." She was grinning so hard it was hurting her face.

"I'm not absolutely sure how she did this, but my guess is that she crossed the thongs and 'persuaded' me to turn over." A slight cold sweat broke out on Taylor's forehead. Fear mixed with desire was an odd emotion.

"You didn't know what she was doing?" Candace was trying to fathom Taylor not knowing what was happening to her at any given moment. The firefighter turned warrior was always one to be in total control of her surroundings. With her profession it was an absolute necessity. The thought of her wife to be in that situation was beginning to cause a deep itch to invade her belly.

"It was hard to tell. I was too busy just experiencing everything." She closed her eyes again and recalled the excitement.

"I said turn OVER, slave!" Gabrielle raised her voice as she quickly removed the clips from Taylor's nipples.

The building pressure in her breasts was released with a vengeance. Taylor cried out as the heated burning wave passed down from her nipples across her stomach, finally exploding between her legs. Her breath was stolen from her very lungs and sweat began to drip down her temples. She heard her tormentor, but was unable to comply. A rushing fever was blazing a path through the marrow of her bones making it impossible for her to move, let alone turn over. The stinging sound of a firm slap rang through the hut and the firefighters ears. She couldn't place where the noise had originated until a stinging began in her thigh. She tried to stutter out an explanation. "Yyyyour Majesty, forgive me."

"You have not earned forgiveness." Gabrielle, true to her role, snarled through her teeth. Seeming anger seething at the very surface.

"Ppplease. I, I, I can't."

"You can't or you won't, Taylor? If you want out say it." Gabrielle leaned close to the tall warrior's ear, her body just close enough to remind Taylor of the warmth of the Regent's flesh.

She shivered. "Yes. I want out." She didn’t really, but the game was afoot and she was bound to play. The thought of Gabrielle stopping was as frightening as the thought that she might continue.

"Yes is not going to work with me. I think you know that. Don't you?" The former Queen squeezed an already tortured nipple for emphasis. "And I think you forgot something." She took the small crop and gave Taylor a stinging reminder.

"AH! Your Highness. Your highness! Forgive me." The throbbing over all of her body was resounding between her thighs.

"Not only have you not earned forgiveness, I don't think you want forgiveness, Taylor. As a matter of fact I think you want quite the opposite." The bard stood from the bed, planning her next strategy. She grinned again and walked to the cabinet.

Gabrielle's body moved once again and Taylor listened as cabinets were opened and closed. A breeze tickled along the hairs on her body. Suddenly the blonde was at her ear. A snarl made her breath catch in her chest.

"I recall that I told you to turn over!" Fire raged in green eyes. Gabrielle smelled the power at her command. It was invigorating her to interesting heights.

"Of course, your Highness." Taylor turned to her left was and caught in her ties. With a frown she turned to her right and was successful.

"Very nice." Gabrielle ran her hands over the soft virgin flesh of Taylor's rear end. With one swift move she gave the muscled bottom a smack with her open hand. It stung her palm, causing another wicked grin to cross her delicate features. She was having more fun than she felt she had a right to.

Taylor had not ever expected to find pleasure in anything resembling pain. Her expectations were soon to change. When Gabrielle struck her, there was a slight sting followed by a warm throbbing in her sex. She was already so excited it was almost painful. She had heard that there was a very close correlation between pleasure and pain. She was now finding the rumors to be true. She wanted to question her pleasure. She wanted to understand the reasons behind why she was soaking wet and throbbing with heated desire. Her breasts ached from being in what she swore were clamps. Her arms and shoulders suffered from the taut leather that held her in place. Gabrielle had touched her and teased her to the point of release and then had stopped at the very apex of climax. Now she wasn't sure what to expect. She only knew she wanted it all no matter what logic was trying to dictate to her.

Gabrielle circled her victim planning how to begin her assault upon the sexy derrière of the very strong firefighter. She loved the way the cheeks indented with muscled power. They tantalized her, teased her. They begged for her attention. They would have all they could handle. She pulled her weapon up off the bed. It was a silk nine tails, corded with small knots scattered throughout. She flicked it out and back listening to the whisper as it pierced the air around her. The Amazon heart in her chest skipped a beat at the sound as she shivered in anticipation. This was going to be fun.

Taylor pulled the toy out of the pouch. There was a scroll with it that she tossed aside. If Candace wanted to play the story voyeur, she was more than happy to oblige. She was still reeling from the things that Gabrielle had done to her. Thinking about them while telling her lover of the tale was achieving a goal she was sure Candace had set for them both. Taylor was as wet as her lover. She had listen attentively to Xena's warning about the 'Magical Phallus' that Aphrodite had given to each of the couples. She thought she was prepared for the sensation the Warrior Princess had forewarned her of. She placed the instrument next to her skin. As it attached itself to her she realized there were no words of warning that could ever have prepared her for this. Her knees buckled under her and she came close to losing her footing. Every hint of breeze in the air wafted across her

"Good God!" Taylor got her legs beneath her as she struggled to the bed.

Candace had never been with, or even close to a man or a toy of any sort. This was a new experience for her. She reached out to Taylor in rapt amazement. Her hand touched the soft warmth that was now her lover. Her delicate touch sent powerful messages through Taylor. The mighty firefighter shuddered in her hand. An interesting grin snuck across the singer's face. The phallus wasn't as threatening as some she had seen pictures of. Nor was it as large as all the others she had ever seen in her travels. She had a feeling it was made just for her. She felt a slight trepidation, but the thrills of a new experience ran through her.

Taylor got control over the rush of feeling that sped through her as the small blonde stroked her so slowly with a very deliberate action. She watched the small hand as it ran the length of her erection. The sensation was unbelievable.

"Keep talking, Tay. What did she do next?" Green eyes flamed crystal clear with desire.

"Ahhhhhh. Mmmm. I'll tell you, but first get on your knees." Taylor's hips pushed and flexed with each soft stroke of her lover's hand.

"Oh my!" Candace grinned with pleasure. She loosed the appendage in her hand to oblige her partner. Her strong legs carried her back further on the bed. She turned over and around, presenting her most private region to her lover. She felt vulnerable and wanton all at once.

Taylor knelt behind her, running the head of the phallus along the soaking lips of her intended's sex. The moaning emanating from her lover's throat was enough to encourage her to move ahead. Slowly and very gently she pushed the head into the warm canal. The slick wetness engulfed the very tip of her. The sensation ran to her toes. Once she was fully in she would never last. Candace pushed back but she withdrew. Taylor was determined to make this last until the very end of her story.

"On your knees, slave." Gabrielle gently tagged Taylor's buttocks with her silk toy. The firefighter arched her back to follow the touch. The bard smiled. *Exquisite!*

Taylor felt the slight itch the instrument left in its wake. The sensation magnetized her will toward the tool. She felt her back arch of its own accord and she pulled her knees up under her in response. She was surprised to find the bands attached to her ankles give enough length for her new position. It seemed that Gabrielle had intended this all along.

A warm liquid spread down from the apex of the cleft that separated her cheeks, across the tight bud in the center to her very wet and swollen lips. The heat of the oil aroused her even more. Small hands trapped her cheeks, spreading them further apart. The exposure tripped her sense of propriety into extreme over drive. She tried to pull her knees together. Her action was met with swift and stern disapproval. Whatever hit her backside was loud and painful. Her body jerked under the weight of the blow.

"Gaah!" Taylor's voice conveyed all the surprise her body felt. The sting of the strike heated her skin. That very heat permeated the folds of her sex as her wetness dripped to the sheets below her. Confusion was running fast and furious through Taylor's head. Her strong sense of inner self refused to believe the reality of the arousal between her legs. This was not who she was. She was a decorated firefighter who was always in control. She had fought bravely beside the greatest warrior the world had ever known and won. Now here she was tied up with her ass in the air, her body begging to be subjected to things unimaginable to her.

"I see the war, Taylor. You want me to stop. You want the humiliation to end so that you can be comfortable with your life again. So you can pretend to all the world that you are in charge of every situation." Gabrielle swung the tails in a gentle swinging arch, tapping the back of Taylor's thighs. "Your mind wants the confusion to end so you can put to rest any notion that you may enjoy being punished for sins you may or may not have committed. But it's your body, Taylor. Your body betrays you. And you hate it for that betrayal. Don't you." She swung the tails again a little harder.

Taylor nodded her head in affirmation ever so slightly. Tears welled up in her blinded eyes. Excruciating awareness pounded in her head. She now understood what Gabrielle had told her in the beginning. She would never be the same. Could she ever look at herself the same again was a question she would only be able to answer if she came through this as bravely as she has come through any battle she had ever survived. She gasped through her tears. "Please, your Majesty. Don't stop."

Gabrielle smiled. Taylor finally understood. Total submission to another human was the most fearless thing you could ever do. "Excellent, my slave. I want you to relax and realize that I will never harm you beyond that which you can bear. Do you understand?" Gabrielle watched Taylor's dark head dip in comprehension then she placed one hand on the strong muscled cheek of the firefighter's back side. With the other, she picked up what looked to be a string of large pearls. In actuality they were six polished beads of pine strung about an inch apart. She dipped the entire strand in the warm oil that sat on the stand beside the large pallet.

Taylor felt a pushing sensation at the entrance to her most private orifice. Her sphincter winced in reply to the insistent request.

"Taylor, relax. Good. Now push out." Gabrielle watched as the small ringed muscle pushed out. As it did she pushed one of the beads in. Taylor relaxed and the bead disappeared within the depths of the firefighter.

A tingling fullness troubled Taylor, but she did not resist what was happening to her. She pushed again at Gabrielle's request and felt another small object enter her body. She wasn't sure how she felt about what her tormentor was placing in her nether region, but it was making the throbbing between her legs unendurable. She needed release soon.

Gabrielle recognized the signs of Taylor's suffering. Certain symptoms exhibited clearly that the firefighter was on the brink of climax. It was up to her as the master of the situation to ensure her subject the most prolonged experience they could endure. She didn't have much time. She placed the last of the beads within the darkness of the warrior's body. Her silk nine tails danced in her hand, aching for the flesh of the strong woman. Gabrielle swung the instrument back slowly and brought it forth just as slowly as to tickle the swollen skin of Taylor's sex.

Taylor felt the strands barely touch her enlarged furrows causing her to flex her legs at the same time her pounding nerve endings spasmed. IF Gabrielle would only allow the strands to touch her just a few more times she would receive relief.

The bard was an expert at her craft. She slithered the silk across Taylor's lips one more time. The sound that emanated from the strong woman's throat resonated like the perfect mix between pain and delight. The former queen of the Amazons had achieved her goal. Her arm swung back quickly and she delivered a stroke filled with the commanding power she knew she alone possessed. Taylor cried out again and again as Gabrielle swung her tails. Red welts built up on the back of Taylor's thighs and buttocks. Wetness drizzled a silky path between the firefighter's thighs from the soft down of her sex to the knees that held her in place. Gabrielle stopped her assault slowly. She set down her tool and allowed one finger to run the full path of that dampness up to the soft swollen lips that begged for her touch. She deliberately slid her middle finger into the depths of the heat that she had created.

Taylor was so lost in her passion that she was hard pressed to feel the gentle invasion. When she did she begged for more. More width. More depth. Faster motion. Gabrielle obliged her need with a long leather phallus.

Candace cried out in eager desire as Taylor full entered her. The touch within her depths promised to send her over the edge very quickly. She backed her body into the strong firefighter behind her.

Taylor could no longer with hold her need. She recalled vividly in her mind the intense thrusts Gabrielle had gifted her with. She wanted to allow her lover to feel her own being buried deep within. She wanted to plunge so far inside as to touch her very soul. She blindly quickened her pace and sweat began to pour freely down her face.

The friction Candace felt inside her womb increased the power of her desire. She met each thrust with savage abandon. The connection between them was like nothing she had ever dreamt in even her most idyllic thoughts. Her heart and soul were being poured out through their connection into her soulmate. She could feel Taylor's very essence being poured into her as well. There was no other way to describe what she was feeling other than to say they were becoming one in body, soul and spirit. The four of them were, in an abstract fashion one, but in a supernatural sense only. In stark contrast to that, she could feel everything Taylor felt. Their breathing, their heartbeats, their movements were as one. Candace had no need to hear the descriptive words of Taylor's experience. She felt all the pent up energy that had flowed through Taylor's body. She tasted the wild honey mixed with the firefighter's essence on her lips. She knew the thoughts that had passed through Taylor's mind from the very moment her journey had begun. She felt the trembling fire rush through her lover's limbs as Taylor reached the peak of her release.

In Taylor's mind and in reality she was climaxing with a force that would forever brand herself and the smaller woman in her grasp. As they both partook of her lasting memories, a wave of love and desire so intense over took them. She gave into the wave and released all that she had to give. The souls of two women destined to love, live and survive as one became a raging fire of what would forever remain a glowing ember within them.

Taylor thrust slowly into her one last time causing a ripple to rush through them both. Candace shuddered in the final throws of her climax. A glowing warmth settled on her heart as she gathered her breath. Something about her had changed, but she couldn't put her finger on what it might be. She had been through so very many changes in the past few weeks that she wasn't at all surprised. She had just shared all that Taylor was and vise-versa. What they had shared in those few precious moments was a glorious reminder of who and what they were to one another. The connection with the rest of the group, no matter how powerful, paled in comparison. The small blonde laid her head against Taylor's strong shoulder. She breathed out the deep contentment she felt within the marrow of her soul. She was happy. The grin on her face told the strong firefighter the emotions that ran through her.

Taylor put her arm around her lover. "What are you grinning about?" As if she really needed to ask.

"Wow." Candace's voice was wispy in its quality. She was in her own little world to be sure.

"Wow? That's it? Wow?" Taylor understood in a total way the lack of words to describe what they had just experienced.

"Wowee?" The small blonde turned in Taylor's arms to face her. The sweet smile she passed to Taylor conveyed the love she had for the great warrior.

"That's better. I knew you could express yourself if you really tried." Taylor bent to kiss the button nose.

Green eyes stared into nowhere. "Taylor, that was unreal. I mean totally unreal."

The firefighter shrugged. "Isn't everything we have been through here?"

"Well yeah, but THAT! Hoo Yah!" Candace giggled.

"Giggles again? You do know that only girls giggle." She knew she was in for a great many repercussions.

Candace raised one eyebrow of intolerance. There were no words she needed to say. Her eyes said everything.

Taylor knew she had gone further over the line than she had intended from one sharp gaze from an emerald evil eye. "Sorry."

"You better be." Candace elbowed her lover gently in the ribs. The two lovers were silent for long moments as they enjoyed the warmth of each other. Candace finally broke the silence. "Tay, why do you figure that happened?"

Being the totally clueless warrior that she was answered the only way she knew how, "Why what happened?"

"Are all warriors dense, or is it just the tall ones with blue eyes?"

"Nah, we're all that way." She and Candace laughed together gently.

The blonde snuggled closer to the strong woman at her side. "Really, babe."

Taylor pulled Candace closer, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I don't know. Maybe the….you know…that thing had something to do with it."

"Don't you know?"

"Well, no."

"Jan didn't tell you?" Candace frowned.

"She just gave it to me. Xena told me how to use it. She didn't mention any mind altering qualities." Taylor's broad shoulders gave a shrug.

"Huh. Well, it was awesome whatever it was." Candace opened her mouth in a wide, heartfelt yawn.

"It was indeed my love. It was indeed." Taylor yawned deeply in response to her lover's then turned silent.

Steady breathing told Candace that her partner had fallen into a deep and restful sleep. She smiled to herself. Taylor had been through a great deal that day. They had both changed in ways that were still unknown. She closed her eyes to a dreamless and peaceful sleep.

=/~~~~~~~~~~>

"I wonder what's keepin' 'em."

"It's not foah us to know deah. I am suah they had a……late night."

"Late night. HA!" The other Amazons in the dining hall turned in the doctor's direction.

"Jan, will you please keep youah voice down. It was a long journey heah from the battle field and I am positive you can keep that in mahnd." Melinda gave Jan a squint that almost hurt the archeologist.

"Belle. Please. They were screaming like fuckin' banshees. I don't think the lateness of the hour is what wore them out." Jan huffed and sipped on her tea.

"Wore who out, Jan?"

Taylor's strong voice spoke volumes behind Janice Covington's head. The look on Melinda's face verified that she had been caught again. "Well, will you look at what the cat dragged in. How's it hangin' sleeping beauty?"

"I don't know what your lazy self was doing this morning Janice, but Taylor and I were on dawn patrol." The deep tone of Xena's voice was unmistakable.

The doctor's face turned a light shade of red. "Oh."

"How does crow taste for breakfast, sweetheaht?" Melinda laughed.

"Whatever."

"Nice comeback." Taylor sat beside them.

"Where are the gir…" Jan caught Mel's eyes and re-thought her statement. "Candace and Gabrielle?"

"They will be along shortly. Ephiny wanted to meet with them for whatever reason this morning. All that 'royal' stuff." Taylor flitted her hands in the air in a way that received an odd look from Xena. Warrior's never flitted.

Terran and Spencer strode into the dining hall hand in hand, much to the chagrin of several Amazons. The handsome men ignored the stares and comments as they made their way to the table. Xena stood to address a few choice words to the women, but was stopped by a soft touch from Terran. He shook his head gently. "Let it go, Xena. They don't understand, nor are the apt to in the future. Great words are wasted on deaf ears."

The tall warrior looked into Terran's gentle green eyes. The eyes so very familiar to her. The conviction eased in her chest. "If you say so." Her stern gaze still perused the room. Silence and down cast eyes followed in her wake.

Spencer grinned at the command the warrior held over the group. They should know better than to get on her bad side. "Nice job, Grandma."

The deafening silence that fell over their small group was thick. Melinda's eyes grew wide as she turned her gaze to Xena. She expected a reaction of some sort. Who in their right mind would ever think to call a young vibrant Warrior Princess 'grandma'?

Xena's eyes became mere slits on her face. "What did you call me?"

Spencer was a large man, but he was no match for the warrior. "Uh…Grandma?"

She shook her head in mock confusion. "Is that a question or an answer?"

The man who was once Time wasn't sure how to respond. "Both?"

Xena frowned in thought. She wasn't sure how she felt about this. Technically she was his Grandmother several times removed. Xena approached the tall buff man. A finger poked him gently in the chest. "Don't you EVER call me that again!"

Spencer's hands went up in defense. "OK! OK! Sorry!"

"Good. You can call me…..Nana." The grin on her face was priceless. She had gotten them good.

Spencer grinned at her again. "As you wish, Nana."

"Who would have ever guessed?" Jan was quiet in her comment.

"Well, looky theah. Candace is simply glowin' this mornin'. She must be eatin' right." You could hear the smile on the lips of the southern professor. She was practically gushing. Jan frowned at her lover. Then turned her gaze toward the doorway of the hall. She shook her head. Much to her chagrin, she had to agree the was a certain glow about the Regent.

The group turned to see the two blondes approaching the table. Terran gasped as his eyes caught that of the signer. Spencer frowned at the sound until he saw the look on his lover's face was one of shear joy. Terran's green eyes filled with tears as he pulled Spencer closer.

"Oh! How wonderful." Terran released Spencer and grabbed Candace by the arms as soon as she reached the table. "How very wonderful!"

The co-regent smiled absently at him as the rest of the table was as confused as she. "It's nice to see you, too." She tried to extricate herself from his grip. Instead she was engulfed in an almost crushing embrace.

"I am so happy for you." Terran pushed the delicate woman out to arms length.

"Ter, am I missing something?" Candace was very confused at the normally timid man's behavior.

"Don't you know?" As usual he thought everyone should know everything he knew.

Candace frowned.

"Well, Ah'll be. He's right." Melinda crossed her arms in satisfaction.

"Right. He's right about what, Belle?" Jan was frustrated when Mel shushed her.

"Someone want to tell me what's going on?" Candace wasn't sure she liked this.

"Why, you're pregnant." Terran shrugged.

Xena spewed her tea across the table soaking Janice in her spray. If the doctor had not been in such a state of utter surprised herself she would have retaliated in some way. Instead she stared at Candace then at Taylor and back again.

Taylor sat down hard instead of falling. Her head dropped into her hand. How could such a thing have happened? "You're pregnant? How can you be pregnant? How did you……WHO did you….?" The firefighter wasn't sure which questions to ask first.

The co-Regent reassured her lover. "I'm not pregnant. It's impossible." Candace knew enough about the birds and the bees to know she was in no way pregnant.

Jan burst out in a laugh that again caught the attention of the hall.

Xena shook her head and peeked over at Taylor. "Junior, did you guys use the… uh gift that Aphrodite gave us?"

Taylor blushed. "Yeah."

"Did ya read the scroll that came with it?" Jan was in hog heaven.

The sarcasm in Taylor's voice was palpable. "I was a little busy at the time, Jan."

"Hoooo man! I am lovin' this!" Jan whooped again.

"By the Gods, Junior. You're gonna be a daddy." Xena grinned.

"WAIT!" Candace was almost in a panic. "Let me sit." Melinda elbowed Jan and the doctor stood without question. One always gave a seat to a mother to be.

Candace eased her body very slowly to the bench. "Will someone please explain this to me?"

Gabrielle spoke up. "Candace, have you and Taylor recently discussed having children?"

Candace thought back to the conversation that she and her intended had shared just the evening before. "Yes."

"And you both desire them?" Gabrielle looked at Taylor.

The firefighter nodded.

"Ah. That explains it." Gabrielle smiled gently.

"It explains what?" Taylor's mind was trying to put together a puzzle with many missing pieces.

Gabrielle nodded to one of the guards. The guard rapidly made her way to the table. The former queen whispered to the guard who took off in a hurried run.

"She'll be right back." Gabrielle stated calmly.

"Back with what?" Candace furrowed her brows.

"Youah explanation." Mel raised an eyebrow and gave a tilted nod.

"Why can't you tell us?" Taylor was still in a complete state of shock. Xena placed a solid hand on her shoulder. Taylor looked into understanding eyes that matched her own. She felt a slight calm come over her.

"I have a feeling Aphrodite has a much better way of elucidating it." Terran was quite proud of himself.

"Elucidate? Who uses that?" Spencer looked at his lover with a

With a quick shrug he explained himself. "I've been working on my vocabulary."

"Ah." Spencer nodded his approval.

"Ya'll realize this will call for a celebration." Melinda loved to plan a party.

"I am NOT pregnant!" Candace pounded her fist on the table. Silence ensued. Tears welled in her eyes as she looked at Taylor.

The tall firefighter stood bravely to her feet. She straightened her vest with determination. Her long legs carried her quickly to Candace's side. Melinda vacated her seat for her. She placed a soft hand on Candace's shoulder. "Would it be so bad?"

Candace looked at her soulmate for a long moment. Taylor was serious. "You mean it would be okay with you?"

"It would be an honor to have children with you, your Highness." A loving smile crossed Taylor's lips.

"But, I'm not pregnant." Candace whispered her insistent statement.

Taylor's soft words brought a grin to everyone's face. "I mean, if you were."

"That's good to know." Candace turned her head as a very out-of-breath guard hurried to the table with a bow. She handed a small velvet pouch to Gabrielle and excused herself after she was dismissed.

Gabrielle handed the pouch to Taylor. "Here. Read the scroll."

Taylor accepted the pouch as she looked around at the others. She set the strings to the side as she pulled the cloth aside to open the satchel. She took a deep breath and pulled the sheepskin out. Her eyes grew wide as she read the first line. She dropped her hand with the scroll still in it. Her eyes glazed over as her face was void of intelligence.

"Tay! Give me that!" Candace swiped it from her grasp. She began to read it out loud.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Way to go, Junior!

You did the deed!

Your sweet soon to be wife is also

A sweet soon to be Mama!

 

"Ohmygod." Candace had the same reaction as Taylor. If she had been standing, it would have been a good reason to sit.

"But, HOW did this happen?" Taylor believed now, but she didn't understand.

"Keep reading." Jan took the letter from Candace, who surrendered it freely, and handed the Scroll back to Taylor.

Taylor accepted it with as much grace as she had remaining. Her voice cracked as she read.

My true gift to you all was the ability to have children.

Taylor and Candace, because of the depth of love you have for each other

And your shared desire to create life, you have done so.

"She knew all along." Gabrielle smiled at the thought of her mothers and their gift. Terran smiled back at her as their eyes met.

Taylor continued:

 

You will be wonderful parents.

I promise.

Candace, my dear sweet grand-daughter,

You will give birth to a beautiful daughter.

This is also my gift to you.

Our gift to you.

Oh, and Taylor?

Next time read the directions.

Luv ya, babe!

~Aph & Erianna~

 

"Read the directions. That's a good one!" Jan guffawed.

"Jaaaan." Mel's tone was threatening.

Taylor began to grin broadly. They were going to have a baby. Her arm draped around her beloved fiancée. Her lips pressed softly against her temple. With a sweet whisper she reassured the soon to be mother of her child. "I love you, Miss Candace. This is the most wonderful thing that could ever have happened to us."

"What will we tell your mother?" Candace giggled. It would seem that it was customary for future mothers to do that.

The group around the table began to grin uncontrollably from the joy that was filling their hearts. What began with a snicker soon graduated into full-blown belly laughs. The merry making gave way to tears as well. This was wonderful news.

Gabrielle was the first to speak an actual sentence. "Taylor, you know this means you have to marry her."

"I'm already marrying her." The inflection in her voice was resolute.

The former queen and current Regent knew the complete content of Amazon law. "For your daughter to be born an Amazon royal, the mother must be joined by the rising of the next full moon."

"When is that?" Spencer hadn't been out of the confines of Ares' jail long enough to see a full moon.

Xena knew the answer. "Day after tomorrow."

Taylor choked again. "What?'

"The full moon rises every morning at my house." Janice snickered at her own joke. Xena, Taylor and Spencer weren't far behind. Two sets of green eyes had one brow raised.

Mel could hardly believe she was going to wed this person. "Mah Deah Gahd, Jan. Will you eveah grow up?"

"I hope not. I may grow old, but I refuse to grow up." She gave her head one firm shake.

"She should have appeared in Never Never Land instead of Amazon Land." Gabrielle recalled one of her favorite fairy tales from the future.

"Where?" Xena had never heard of the place. She had traveled the known world many times over and the name didn't ring a bell.

Taylor tried to explain the Land of Never Never to a Warrior Princess. "It's not a real place, Xe. It's an old children's story about a boy named Peter Pan who lives in a land where the Lost Boys reside. They never grow up there. If you want to find it you have to fly second star to the right and straight on 'til morning. I vote we send Jan." The firefighter turned a open palm to Jan.

"I second." Candace finally found her voice.

Gabrielle took over the proceedings with great enthusiasm. "Motion carried. Off you go, Jan. Straight on 'til morning and all that." She flicked her hands in a shooing motion.

"Straight is not a place I plan to go in this lifetime or any other for that matter, so ya'll can bite me." The doctor grabbed a short bench and carried it to the table. She sat in a feigned huff. Mel ran a protective hand over her blonde hair. They shared a quick smile.

"Back to the matter at hand, Ladies. I think we have a wedding to plan. And in a hurry." Spencer was excited by the thought. He had never planned so much as a simple dinner party and here was the chance to plan a wedding. This was heaven and he knew it!

"Leave it to the gay boys to want to plan a wedding." Xena smirked as she spoke under her breath.

"They do it the best, Xe. Might as well let them do what their best at." Jan shrugged and Xena shrugged back in agreement.

"I think I need a drink." All voices stopped to look back at the pregnant co-Regent. Five sets of eyes turned in her direction. She suddenly realized she had spoken aloud. Her eyes returned the gazes that met her. "Well, think about it. I'm pregnant. I wasn't planning it. Now I have to get married and I wasn't planning on that either. At least not tomorrow. I'm a little stressed."

Taylor looked deeply hurt by her intended's reaction. "Don't you want to marry me?"

Candace put her hand to Taylor's cheek. "You know I do. It's just all so sudden. I have to get used to the thought of having a wife and a child all at the same time. A wife is a good thing right?"

"Uh huh."

"And we both agree children are a good thing, right?"

"Uh huh."

"So this will be doubly good, right?" She whispered the last part with a pleading in her soft eyes.

"Uh huh." Taylor touched her forehead to Candace's. The smile was a threat to the noon day sun.

"Junior, remind me to tell you how articulate I think you are." Xena laughed at her.

Taylor looked over at the Warrior Princess. "Uh huh."

"Nice come back."

"Uh huh."

Terran gasped again and the entire table tensed. The total assemblage of the hall was silent as well. Xena frowned as the silence turned suffocating. She looked up and noted that all eyes had turned to the entrance. She slowly forced her eyes to follow the group. What she saw gladdened and saddened her at the same time.

A shining aura surrounded the two beautiful women who stood before them. The taller had flowing hair of raven black. Her ice blue eyes shone with a fire of pure confidence. She was in total control of herself and her emotions.

The shorter had long golden hair that glimmered as polished brass. The green of her eyes was as calming as the still ocean water of a paradise bay. She was as confident as the other, but it was the overwhelming power of her kindness that permeated her very being. Terra and Skye had indeed grown up.

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Continued...

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