Note: The usual disclaimers apply. The characters of Xena, Gabrielle, Argo, Cyrene, etc. are the sole property of Universal and no copyright infringement is intended. The story itself is mine, and may not be used in any way without permission.

This is a sequel of sorts to "I Had Forgotten." While it is not necessary to read it first, it might have more meaning if you do.

Comments and feedback are always welcomed and appreciated at: warriorsbard@hotmail.com

I pause in the room, torn between running over to the pallet and waking my daughter and leaving things as they are. In a decision that takes me only moments, I decide to let the bard do it. There will be time to talk to them both later. But I cannot help but watch, a silent observer who feels a need to somehow be part of this moment, as though it might nourish my soul. They do, you know. There is something almost sacred about watching them interact, an emotion I cannot define with words yet I know it touches me deeply. In a world where so many things are expendable and disposable, I am in awe of this bond that exists between them. And so I watch as the bard stirs, muscles stiff from her days of not moving them, and the hand that Xena has been holding onto all night squeezes back gently. Still the warrior sleeps. So the bard speaks, softly, for that is about all her weary voice can manage at this moment.

"Xe-"

? Xe. She loves it when you call her that, you know. She always has. She has because you came up with it on your own, out of the blue, out of an affection that just seems to come naturally to you. She loves it because it comes from you, the only person who has had the courage to believe in her without wavering. I wavered, you know. I, her own mother, who raised her and loved her and nourished her for 17 years?I gave up on her. I sent her away. I didn't have the faith in the goodness that's so obviously in her soul. But you did. And sometimes, that's the only thing that keeps her from believing that there is no redemption in her future. When the darkness threatens to pull her back in, your faith, your belief, your love?sends it packing for perhaps the thousanth time. Oh, it's always there, waiting for her. Trying to coax her into believing there is no other destiny for her. But you know better, don't you? You know, you've always known.

"Xe?"

The warrior stirs, the hand grips a little tighter, as if to gain reassurance that the bard is still there.

Again, still softly, "Xe.."

The bard knows what a mistake it would be to startle the warrior awake, even in, and perhaps especially in her current emotional state. So she waits, patiently. The bard is always patient. I am sometimes amazed by this, for I know how frustrating my daughter can be at times.

"Xe.."

At this the dark head snaps up, and the eyes, still bleary with exhausted sleep, blink open. The bard smiles, a radiant, sweet smile.

"Hi, you.."

For a moment the warrior seems to be in disbelief, but just as quickly, relief and happiness flood her features. Both hands come up to grasp the bard's smaller ones, and she leans in until they are forehead to forehead.

"Gabrielle?."

Tears hang on the precipice, threatening to fall, but she holds them in gallantly. Why, I don't know. The warrior must always think she needs some measure of control. I know it won't last long, though, for she is defenseless against this bard. Only against the bard, and no one else. No heros, no kings, no royalty or powers. Only the bard.

"Gods?." The warrior can manage no other words.

So the bard speaks, in her usual fashion, eyes twinkling with what I know to be mischief. She is one of few who can get away with teasing the W.P.

"Your snoring woke me. At first I thought there were a thousand horse-drawn chariots blasting through town,,,,"

The warrior is unable to keep from grinning, and she impulsively reaches forward and pulls the bard to her in a fierce hug.

"Gabrielle.."

The bard smiles. The warrior manages to speak again.

"Welcome back," she says, unwilling for the moment to release the smaller one from the hug.

"It's good to be back."

The warrior grins, meeting the bard's radiant gaze with an equally bright smile of her own. Then the smile disappears as if it's never been. In her eyes I see sadness, regret, perhaps a touch of shame. She looks away.

"I'm so, so sorry?" she begins, but the bard puts a silencing finger to my daughter's lips.

"It's not your fault. You didn't do this to me. Krykus?"

"Krykus did this to you because of me."

"It doesn't matter, Xe.."

"How can you say that? Of course it matters!"

"Why?"

"Why?" Xena looks up in disbelief. I know there will be words between them, but as sure as I know this I know it will not last long. For these two argue not because they don't care enough, but because they care too much. This argument will end just as all the others do, because the bard will not give up her belief in the warrior, or in the good they can do together. I watch as the smaller hands come up and gently cup the warrior's face.

"You know how I feel," she begins, before she is cut short by an agitated warrior.

"I know, Gabrielle, but-"

"There are no "Buts" in this, Xena. Only certainty."

"Gabrielle.."

"I don't want to hear it, Xena." Small hands are still cradling the warrior's face. The bard has a look of firm resolve in her own features, but her hands are tender. A small caress, a disarming smile, and the warrior's eyes soften.

"This conversation isn't over, my stubborn, pig-headed little bard.."

"It never is, warrior." She sighs.

The bard looks tired, and she lays back on the pallet, as if exhausted from the verbal effort of trying to convince. Xena looks down at her, and reaches for her hand again.

"You okay?"

"Yeah." Gabrielle grins. "Actually, I'm kind of hungry."

"Yup. You're okay." Silly grin from Xena. "If you promise to stay put, I'll see what I can rustle up in the kitchen."

"I promise."

The warrior turns to go, glancing back at the bard no less than 3 times befrore she reaches the door.

"Gods, Xe, I'm fine. You're such a mother hen!"

The warrior ignores the remark, but her slightly amused look tells me that she knows it's true. She has been called many things, but how many would add "mother hen" to a list that started with "Destroyer of Nations?" I chuckle at the irony. I know she would be anything for Gabrielle. Her hand is on the door handle, yet I can tell she's not finished.

"There's a waterskin hanging off the pallet there. You could probably manage a swallow or two. I'm sure you're dehydrated after all that-"

"Xena?"

"Oh and I put an extra blanket at the end there.."

"Xena, would you cut it out? I told you, I'm fine. You're just going to the kitchen, for Gaia's sake.."

"I know, but you just woke up."

The bard rolls her eyes, and eases herself off the pallet slowly. After a moment to regain her sense of balance, she ambles towards the warrior.

"GABRIELLE!!"

Before I can draw another breath, she is at the bard's side. Gabrielle slips an arm around her waist, and feeling confident in the warrior's protective embrace, she grins.

"Come on, I'm starving."

"I was on my way to the kitchen. You shouldn't be up."

"By the time you got to the kitchen, I would've aged another 10 years. Let's go."

"Gabrielle!"

"What? Come on, Times' a wastin. Did I mention I'd like to eat sometime before next Solstice?"

The tall,dark one sighs, content for the moment to give in to the bard's wishes.

I watch them as they sit in the kitchen, both on the same side of a low wooden bench that runs the length of a large table. Once she is certain that Gabrielle will be alright for the few minutes that she will be gone, the warrior gets up and draws a cup of steaming broth from a large kettle simmering on the stove and brings it to her.

The smaller one looks up gratefully and accepts the mug with the same bright smile that is such a permanent part of her features.

She eats slowly, savoring the simple act of enjoying a hot meal, and I shake my head again as a smile creeps up onto my own face. Xena speaks.

"Are you cold?"

"A little. But the soup helps. " She grins. "Guess it'll take a few days to catch up on all those missed meals, huh?"

"A few days? " Warrior grins back. "I give you a less than a day, tops. I certainly hope they've stocked the market well, because mother's going to have to-"

The bard gives her a playful poke. "Hey, at least your mother can cook. I guess charring everything to a barely recognizable entity came from the other side of the family."

"Oh?you are in some trouble now, bard."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Didn't I tell you? Mother asked me to do all the cooking while we're here."

"Oh gods. I just remembered an old Amazon fasting ritual I promised Ephiny I'd try."

The playful banter continues for a moment longer, then the bard begins to show signs of weariness. She inches over just a bit and leans wearily against the warrior.

"I could probably use a nap," she says, softly.

Without a word, the warrior rises,helps the bard to her feet and goes back the way they came. The pallet is comfortable, and the bard climbs back up on it and pulls the covers up to her chin. Xena looks at her for a long moment, then seats herself back into the chair.

"Xe?"

Softly, her voice barely a whisper, the darker one answers. "Yes?"

"I bet you could get up here with me?there's plenty of room, and I think I could really use the company right now.."

The warrior is at her side in an instant,crawling under the blanket and pulling the bard to her chest.

"How's that?"

"Nice. Don't go, okay?"

"I'm right here."

In moments, they are both asleep. I know I must head back out to the tavern where I can already hear the beginnings of a brawl from the evening crowd. I reflect that sometimes, as we go about our daily lives, we get caught up in the hustle and bustle, in the desire to succeed, to get ahead, to focus more on the goal than the journey. Sometimes we forget to slow down and reflect on what's really important. I take one last glance into the room before closing the door quietly behind me.

Now I remember.