Xena opened her eyes in the darkness, unsure of what had disturbed a well-deserved and much needed night of rest. She listened carefully to the night sounds. Wind rustling through the trees, small, nocturnal creatures moving through the woods. An owl called softly near by, echoed by another in the distance. Nothing unusual. She took a deep breath, savoring the sweet, rich smell of the dew-drenched earth around her. Beside her, Gabrielle moaned softly and turned restlessly in her sleep. Xena sat up and bent over her. There was a light sheen of perspiration on her face and though the night was chilly, she had pushed the blankets away from her. Xena felt a dull ache deep within her heart. Gabrielle used to sleep so peacefully, the result of a clear conscience and untroubled soul. That innocent little girl from Poteidaia was no more, thanks, in most part, to her. She wondered for the thousandth time if she did the right thing, allowing Gabrielle to follow her, to become her friend. She pondered the mystery, and the irony, of how we always seem to end up hurting those that we love most, the most deeply.

An image of Gabrielle's earnest face appeared in her mind, first at Poteidaia...

You've got to take me with you, teach me everything you know.

Then at Amphipolis,

You're not gonna just leave me here, are you?

And, once more, at her brother's grave,

It's hard to be alone...

You're not alone.

She pulled the blanket up under Gabrielle's chin and rested her hand on the side of her face. Gabrielle seemed drawn by the warmth and leaned into it, sighing softly in the still night air. Xena stared at her for a moment, surprised to feel a tear slide from her eye. Gliding smoothly downward it fell and dropped softly onto Gabrielle's face, gleaming like a diamond in the moonlight. Wiping it away with her thumb, Xena leaned back and gazed into a raven sky alight with a dazzling array of stars. It filled her with wonder and made her feel small and insignificant. She smiled to herself, now she was thinking like Gabrielle. She never used to notice such things until Gabrielle came into her life. There was so much that was so good between them. Was it enough to allow them to forget past hurts and betrayals? A shooting star flashed past, leaving a luminous trail in its wake. "Yes," Xena whispered emphatically to the night. "Yes, it is." She so wanted it to be true.

>>>>>>>

Gabrielle woke near dawn to a sky turning indigo along the horizon. Everything was still, as if the earth was holding its breath before setting the day in motion. Looking out into the woods, she saw a dark shape at the edge of the tree line and shivered as a chill ran through her. Propping herself up on her elbows, she glanced over at Xena. She was sleeping soundly. She felt the presence before she saw it, and closed her eyes against it.

"Hello, Mother," the voice was flat and cold.

Gabrielle opened her eyes and looked up at the figure shrouded in black standing before her.

"You're not real..." she whispered.

"Oh, I'm real enough, no thanks to you."

Gabrielle shut her eyes. "No. No, you're not. Leave me alone, Hope."

"I could have changed for you, if you had given me the chance. I wanted to, I really did."

Gabrielle opened her eyes and sat up. "You had every chance I could give you!"

"No, you failed me, Mother, just as you failed her," a nod toward Xena.

"No, I..."

"Yes! You lied to her, betrayed her, because of your own jealousy and selfish desires! She'll never really trust you again, you know, never!"

Gabrielle shook her head in denial. "Please," she whispered, "please, leave me alone."

"Leave you alone? But, why? You are my mother, after all. I just want to hold you, be close to you."

Gabrielle looked into the burning eyes beneath the hood. A pale hand reached out to her. She tried to move back, but felt frozen in place.

Hope touched her shoulder; her touch was chilling, icy, evil. The grip tightened, pulling her forward. "Hold me, Mother."

Gabrielle tried desperately to pull away. "Let go, let me go!"

With a gasp and a cry, Gabrielle found herself in Xena's strong grip.

"Gabrielle..., Gabrielle it's all right."

"By the gods," Gabrielle whispered hoarsely, trying to calm herself.

"It's all right, Gabrielle, it was just a bad dream."

Gabrielle shivered and Xena released her, pulling the blanket up around her shoulders. She laid a hand on Gabrielle's shoulder, who started a bit at the contact. Surprised, and a little unsettled at her reaction, Xena removed her hand.

"Do you want to talk about it, your dream?"

Gabrielle shook her head no and Xena stared at her, not knowing what else to do.

"I'll build up the fire then, you're freezing." As she began to stand up, Gabrielle grabbed her wrist. Xena looked into her eyes, shocked at the look of distress she saw there.

"Xena..."Gabrielle met her gaze for a moment, then looked away, tears blurring her vision.

"Gabrielle, why don't you tell me what's wrong? Please."

"Do you trust me, Xena?"

The question so surprised her, she was speechless for a moment.

Xena placed her hands on Gabrielle's shoulders and squeezed gently. "Gabrielle, look at me."

Gabrielle lifted her eyes to Xena's penetrating blue gaze. Those eyes could say so much, and yet, at times, she got lost in them, trying to find the soul within.

"Of course I trust you, I'd trust you with my life."

And you have, Gabrielle thought to herself, and you almost lost it, because of me.

Xena gazed at her, sensing the pain within, knowing that feeling all too well herself. She wished there were something she could say, or do, to reassure her. But words were never easy for her, and she was at a loss as to how to help her. She pulled her close for a moment, then leaned back, looking again into Gabrielle's troubled eyes.

"I wish... Gabrielle, I don't know how..."

Xena's eyes narrowed and she shook her head a little, frustrated now, at her inability to communicate her feelings. "Why don't you lie back down, and try to get a little more sleep?"

Gabrielle stared into her eyes for a moment longer, searching, not really knowing what she was looking for. As she lay back down, Xena tucked the blanket snugly under her chin. Gabrielle closed her eyes and in a surprisingly short time, slipped into a deep sleep. Xena remained by her side for a while longer, smiling slightly as another memory surfaced.

I'm sending you home in the morning, you know.

I won't stay home. I don't belong there, Xena.

As Xena continued to study Gabrielle's face, her heart filled with something close to despair. She longed for the power to somehow return them both to a time of relative peace and innocence, a time that seemed forever lost to them now. A frustrating sense of helplessness brought a burning flood of tears to her eyes. Lying back down herself, closing her eyes, she hoped in vain for escape into dreamless oblivion. Sleep eluded her for a long time. Finally, peace and sleep descended once more, as Gabrielle reached out and laid a hand against her back, as she had done every night from the very first time they lay down to rest together. That small contact seemed to be the talisman that kept the demons from them both.

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



Gabrielle woke to the smell of something slightly noxious in the air. Never an early riser, she sat up slowly, blinking like an owl in the bright sunlight. The smell assailed her again. Scrunching up her nose in distaste, she tried to get her wits about her. The sun was higher in the sky than it normally would be to start their day. Xena had allowed her the luxury of sleeping late for a change. Sometimes she wondered if Xena ever truly slept, or just underwent some sort of total regeneration when she closed her eyes. She always rose extremely early and disgustingly wide-awake.

The air was crisp, the day beautiful, ruined only by the permeating, and slightly foul, odor wafting around her. Determining quickly and to her great relief that it was not she, herself, creating this peculiar scent, she rubbed her face vigorously with both hands and looked around.

Xena was bending over the campfire, stirring something simmering in a cooking pot. Since Xena professed no interest and therefore absolutely no talent, in cooking, Gabrielle's first thought was of a witch stirring a caldron. She smiled at the image. The smile turned into a giggle as she took in the look of supreme concentration etched on Xena's face.

"What are you doing?" she asked softly.

Xena looked up at her. The look on her face changed instantly to that of a small child caught doing something she probably should not be. "I'm making breakfast."

This announcement both shocked and amused Gabrielle mightily. Stifling a snort of laughter, lest she offend her friend, she swallowed and tried to speak normally. "Really?" was all she could safely manage.

Xena's eyes narrowed as she studied her. Xena knew her too well and Gabrielle struggled to keep a straight face. Just when she thought she could no longer keep up the facade, a big bubble of something burst forth over the side of the pot. Xena jumped back with a short "ehk!" of surprise. Cursing softly, she jammed her scalded fingers into her mouth and reached for her chakram. Had the offending pot been alive, it would not have been long for this world.

Gabrielle covered another outbreak of laughter by clearing her throat and getting to her feet. She walked over to Xena, who was now busily attacking the pot's innards with a long spoon, fortunately, and not her chakram. Breathing carefully through her mouth, thus sparing her nose another assault, Gabrielle set her face in a mask of seriousness and bent down beside her.

"What... Um, what is it...exactly?" she queried.

Xena turned her watery blue eyes toward Gabrielle's bemused greenish-blue ones. "Fish stew..." she replied.

Her reply sounded more like a question than a statement of fact, and Gabrielle bit down hard on the inside of her lip in order to maintain her serious look. "Ah," was all that she could trust herself to say.

"Are you hungry?" Xena asked hopefully.

"Well, I was," Gabrielle thought. "Uhm," she answered aloud.

Xena turned that penetrating gaze on her again. Gabrielle felt an eruption of riotous giggles rising from within and it took every ounce of her willpower to suppress them. "What's the occasion?" she asked.

Xena returned her gaze to the cooking pot. "Well, I just thought... You always do all the cooking...and, well, I don't want you to think..." she looked back up at Gabrielle, whose face remained innocently questioning, one eyebrow quirked up. Xena cleared her throat. "Um, I know you didn't sleep well last night, and I.. Well..."

Looking into the fathomless depths of Xena's piercing blue eyes, Gabrielle saw a flicker of something that spoke distinctly and quite directly to her heart. Casting about in her mind for words to define this unusual phenomenon, she felt the laughter within her almost dissolve into tears. She was, at once, oddly touched, yet vastly amused by the breakfast gesture. She smiled slightly, and reached out to touch Xena's shoulder. The contact sent a vivid burst of energy racing through her fingertips. Startled, she looked down at her hand. Xena jumped slightly at the same time and turned her attention back to the pot, which had begun to boil over again. Muttering a few phrases of which Gabrielle could decipher only a few unsavory words, Xena stood up and removed the pot from the fire. Unconsciously waving her now twice scorched fingers in the cool morning air, she looked happily at Gabrielle.

"It's done," she announced, again in a tone suggesting a hint more question than fact. Not quite knowing how to respond, Gabrielle wisely just nodded her head. Xena spooned a healthy portion of 'stew' onto a plate and handed it to her. Gabrielle took it, keeping a wary eye on it, and sat down. As Xena turned back to the pot, Gabrielle scrutinized her plate and then wished she hadn't. She stared in awe at some vaguely discernible fish parts swimming valiantly against a tide of steaming, brackish looking water. For some reason, an image of a moat around a castle popped into her mind. She didn't know whether to laugh, or run screaming from the campsite. Come on, Gabrielle, she thought to herself. How bad could it be? Unfortunately, she found out moments later when she forgot to breathe through her mouth and inhaled an odor that would, most assuredly, rival any within the deepest bowels of Tartarus. Gruesomely fascinated, she surveyed the "moat" once more. Something that she swore had eyes popped to the surface and solemnly regarded its surroundings then slowly sank from view. A strong survival instinct overcame her initial shock and urged her to throw the concoction as far away from her she possibly could. She overcame that particular urge by gripping the plate tightly with both hands.

Xena sat down beside her with a sigh and cast a somewhat malevolent glare at her own meal. She had met the enemy and it lay cowering before her in a plateful of lumpy defeat. Xena turned and smiled at her. Well, maybe more of a manic grin than a smile. Gabrielle matched it with a wavering one of her own. They stared at one another for a moment. Gabrielle felt the laughter begin to build again in her chest, or was it hysteria?

"So..." Xena ventured.

"Mmm-hmm," Gabrielle hedged in return.

Xena was clearly waiting for her to take the first bite. Gabrielle's eyes widened in shock at this realization and lets face it, she conceded to herself, unabated fear. She hid the look by casting her eyes quickly down to her plate. Big mistake, that, because whatever was floating around in there wasn't aging well. She picked up her fork and looked up at Xena, who was staring at her own plate in silent wonder. Taking a deep breath, then rubbing at her nose with the back of her hand, Xena looked back over at Gabrielle. Gabrielle smiled sweetly, carefully foraging around in her plate, looking for the smallest and least offensive morsel - not an easy task. Finally, she stabbed at something, which immediately slithered away from the offending fork and took refuge under a mass of protective greenery at the far side of her plate. Startled, Gabrielle thought that, surely, nothing could still be alive after all that boiling. She glanced quickly up at Xena, and thought, prayed actually, that she detected just a hint of a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. But, the look was quickly gone, if it was ever there, and she looked guilelessly into Gabrielle's eyes. Gabrielle took a deep breath, through her mouth this time, a quick learner she, and tried again. This time, she managed to spear what she hoped was just a very overcooked piece of fish. She stuck it into her mouth quickly, before her mind could grasp what she was doing and rebelled. She looked over at Xena, who looked somewhat surprised, and maybe a little in awe of her friend. Gabrielle smiled serenely and began to chew. The taste fell somewhere between fish and damp earth, which conjured up ghastly images of earthworms in her mind. In one of the most intense battles of her entire young life, she emerged victorious over the urge to spit and run. She did stop chewing, however, and swallowed quickly. Her throat tightened for an instant, as her stomach made a threatening gesture. After a brief, but impassioned, general uprising, everything finally settled into an uneasy calm.

Xena continued to stare at her with newfound respect. When Gabrielle turned her eyes back toward her, Xena quickly dropped her eyes back down to her own plate. As the "stew" began to cool, it also began a strange metamorphosis. Parts of it began to congeal and break open, exposing little oddities in their depths. Xena became oddly fascinated at the transformation. With Xena's attention focused on her plate, Gabrielle managed to tip her own plate, silently apologizing to Mother Earth, and spilled the majority of her meal out on the ground. As Xena looked back up, Gabrielle covered her transgression nicely with a reach for the water bottle.

"Opps!" she said apologetically.

Xena's already growing respect for Gabrielle's ingenuity elevated to a new level. Gabrielle threw a meaningful glance at Xena's untouched plate. The challenge had been issued. Xena's turn to accept, or turn tail like a coward and flee. Xena decided on a delaying tactic and gave Gabrielle a dazzling smile. This particular smile was so seldom seen, it immediately threw Gabrielle off balance. Recovering quickly, she tore her eyes away from Xena's gleaming teeth and stared directly into her eyes. Xena's smile held for a moment longer, then wavered. Her lower lip jutted out into a slight pout, and then was sucked in beneath her top teeth. Gabrielle fought off the demon giggles once more and maintained her passive demeanor. Xena gathered her courage, like the true warrior she was, and stabbed at a piece of ....something on her plate. Immediately taking on a life of its own, it popped out from under her fork. Taking flight like a startled bird, it hit Gabrielle squarely on the chin with a soft "splat," and landed in her lap with a squishy "plop."

Screeching like a banshee, Gabrielle jumped to her feet, beating furiously at her lap. "Augh! By the gods, Xena!" she shouted, doing a little dance about the campfire. She stopped abruptly as a strange strangling sound reached her ears. With visions of slimy sea serpents still firmly entrenched in her mind, she looked swiftly over at Xena. Hand over her mouth, her shoulders shaking and heaving, tears streaming from her eyes, face red, Xena doubled over. Gabrielle dropped her plate and rushed to her side. Thinking for sure that she was choking to death on a mutant piece of breakfast, Gabrielle began pounding her on the back.

"Xena!"

Xena raised a hand. Half in a panic now, Gabrielle resumed her pounding. Xena grabbed blindly for her wrist and finally captured it.

"Stop," she gasped, sitting up. "Stop, please..."

Gabrielle looked into her face. Xena's eyes were wide open, teeth clamped shut, a look like a startled deer on her face.

"Xena! Are you all right?"

The shoulders began to shake once more. She snorted and closed her eyes. Gabrielle stared hard at her for a moment until she finally realized that Xena was choking all right, not on breakfast, but on laughter.

Indignant now, and angry with her for scaring her so badly, she yanked her wrist free from Xena's grasp and stood up. Xena opened her eyes and looked up at her, eyes swimming with tears.

"It's not funny, Xena!"

Xena clamped her teeth over her lower lip, and tried to compose herself. "I know, I'm sorry," she said contritely. But, unable to keep a lingering chuckle from her apology, it lost most of its intended seriousness.

Unrelenting, Gabrielle scowled down at her. "You scared me."

Xena nodded. "Sorry," she added sheepishly.

"Well, you should be. First you try and poison me, then you nearly scare me to death. I thought you were dying!"

Xena nodded again. After a moment of head hanging, she looked back up at Gabrielle and then at something just past her. Smile dropping from her face, she suddenly stood up, chakram in hand. Gabrielle swung around and took a step back toward Xena.

"What...?" she said, instantly on guard.

Xena pushed Gabrielle behind her, and began searching the ground in front of her.

"What is it?" Gabrielle whispered, stepping up close behind her.

"Sssh," Xena shushed her, putting an arm out in front of her to keep her back. "I'm not sure, but I think I just saw that piece of stew that attacked you," she said gruffly.

Gabrielle stood motionless for a moment, bending around Xena, her eyes intent on the ground in front of them. Ever so slowly, Xena's words began to register. Straightening up, she shifted her gaze to the back of Xena's head.

"It's got to be around here somewhere," Xena told her, turning to look at her.

Gabrielle began to get a familiar 'Gabrielle-ish' look on her face; equal parts anger, amusement and awareness that she's been had. She looked into Xena's azure gaze for a moment, then smacked her hard on the shoulder. Xena looked surprised; Gabrielle winced as her fingers tingled uncomfortably after connecting with part of Xena's body armor. They locked eyes for a few moments, and then both dissolved into a fit of giggles that escalated quickly into gales of laughter. Collapsing onto the ground, they leaned against one another until the laughing fit finally ebbed away, leaving them exhausted. They sat in contented silence for a while before Xena rose to her feet and looked out toward the horizon.

"Someone's coming. "

Gabrielle looked at her warily. "Really?"

Xena turned, smiling, and extended a hand out to her, pulling her to her feet. "Honest," she promised. "Horses, four or five, not far off."

Gabrielle nodded and they began to break camp. They both reached for the water bags at the same time. Gabrielle looked into her eyes. "I'll get it."

"Okay," Xena said.

Before she turned away, Gabrielle placed a hand on her arm. "Thanks, Xena," she added softly.

Xena's eyebrow rose slightly. "For breakfast?"

Gabrielle smiled a little. "No, for...." she stopped speaking, at a rare loss for words.

Xena reached out and flicked a tiny residue of "breakfast" from Gabrielle's chin. "Laughter is good for the soul, Gabrielle, or so they say."

"Well, I think they were right. Who said that?"

"I think it was you."

Gabrielle laughed, picked up the water bags, and headed toward the stream. When she returned, Xena was kicking dirt over a hole in the ground.

"What are you doing?" Gabrielle asked walking up beside her.

"Burying breakfast, so we don't poison the wildlife," Xena answered straight-faced.

"Good thinking, "Gabrielle replied. "And may the gods have mercy on the worms."

They looked at each other, but before they could succumb to another attack of the giggles, they were both distracted by the sound of horses fast approaching.

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

Xena moved slightly in front of Gabrielle, placing her hand on her chakram as the four horsemen drew nearer. The lead horseman turned and shouted something to the others; they in turn dropped off and headed in three different directions. Xena lowered her hand to her side as she recognized the lone rider, who was still advancing on them at a fast gallop. Gabrielle took a step back as horse and rider slid to an abrupt halt in front of them, ducking her head slightly as a cloud of dust settled over them. She looked up to find a pair of oddly colored silver-gray eyes staring down at her. The rider smiled widely, teeth startlingly white against a dust-shrouded face. The eyes, shining and mischievous, shifted to Xena.

"Xena! You old horse thief, I've been looking everywhere for you."

Gabrielle studied him. The voice was pleasant, with a slight, lilting dialect that she did not recognize. He was not large in stature, layers of clothing giving him a deceivingly bulky appearance, but he was a commanding presence. Rather nice looking, in a rough sort of way. Thick, longish dark hair, olive skin contrasting sharply with the steel gray of his eyes. A small scar running across his upper lip gave the impression of a slight snarl to his smile. Funny, she thought to herself, that most of Xena's acquaintances, friend and foe alike seemed to have a scar somewhere on their person, herself included. She realized that she was staring and felt herself blush when she realized that he was staring at her also, unabashedly looking her up and down, smile widening as her eyes met his once more. Xena quirked an eyebrow up, a half smile forming on her lips.

"I never stole a horse in my life, Xander."

Eyes still locked onto Gabrielle's, he snorted out a short burst of laughter. "Yeah, well, then that would be about the only thing."

Xena gave him a look, shooting a quick glance at Gabrielle who covered up an amused smile by coughing into her hand. "Dusty," she explained, looking into Xena's eyes.

"Mmmm..." Xena replied.

Xander watched this exchange with interest. Pulling his foot from the stirrup, turning sideways in the saddle, he slid off the horse, raising another cloud of dust when he hit the ground. Gabrielle's coughing was for real this time.

"Sorry. Been on the road awhile. So, who's your friend, Xena?"

Xena gave him another look, but his eyes were again on Gabrielle. "Gabrielle, this is Xander, an old friend. Xander, Gabrielle, a very dear friend."

His smile widened as he took her hand in a firm grip and held onto it a little longer than necessary. As she began to pull her hand away, he massaged the inside of her wrist with his thumb, sending a flash of warmth flooding through her. Her mouth dropped open slightly as she met his innocent gaze. Xena's face took on a familiar sardonic look as she pointedly cleared her throat. "You said you were looking for me?"

Gabrielle started a bit at the sound of Xena's voice. Pulling her hand away from Xander's, she stepped back, feeling a little disoriented.

The smile left his face as he turned his attention back to Xena. "Rachel sent me."

Xena's face drained of color. A swift intake of breath, as though she had been struck. Her body grew rigid, eyes growing distant, unseeing.

Gabrielle reached out to touch her and Xena flinched a bit at the contact. "Where..."Xena's voice sounded old, unused, she cleared her throat and tried again. "Where is she?"

Xander threw a quick glance at Gabrielle.

"It's all right," Xena whispered.

"In the caves, outside Corinth..."

"Why? Where's Tomias?"

Xander's eyes dropped to the ground. "Dead," he swallowed, raising his eyes to hers once more.

"No..." she grabbed his wrist. "Bethshea?"

"Her, too. I'm sorry, Xena."

Xena looked stunned. Gabrielle understood none of it. These names, so strange sounding, she had never heard them before. She moved closer to Xena, lightly squeezing her arm. "Xena?" she whispered.

Xena grasped Xander's wrist tighter, pulling him closer, eyes locked onto his. "What happened? Where were you?" voice as cold as ice.

Gabrielle winced at the look of hurt that stole into the gray eyes. Overwhelming sadness and pain, she probably would not have noticed had she not been so familiar with it herself. Xena must have noticed it, too, for a brief moment her eyes lost some of their coldness as she stared at him. It returned all too quickly.

"Zagnan!" she spit out the name in a cold fury.

"Yes," Xander confirmed quietly. "Zagnan."

Xena's eyes grew hard, jaw clenching shut. The darkness that dwelled within her rose quickly to the surface. Gabrielle recognized the look and took an involuntary step away from her.

"How did he find her? How?! What does he want, after all this time?"

Her voice was a carefully controlled whisper as she squeezed harder on Xander's wrist. Gabrielle winced again; Xander didn't seem to notice.

"I don't know, Xena, I don't know how he found her, but..."

Her piercing blue glare grew even colder, frightening in its intensity. "Tell me."

"He tried to kill her, too. She's hurt, badly, I think. I got her away but..." he shook his head. "He's searching for her, has a small army searching for her."

Studying him more closely now, Gabrielle noticed that, beneath the layers of dirt and grime, his face was badly bruised. There was a cut on his forehead running along the hairline and there was stiffness to his movements as he moved closer to Xena.

"Xena," he whispered. "She may be ..."

"Don't!" she hissed. "Don't say it, she is not dead. I would know it if she was." She looked over at Gabrielle, as if for confirmation. Gabrielle, wanting desperately to help, nodded and moved closer to her.

"Why, Xan?" Xena asked, shifting her gaze back to him. "Why would he want to kill Rachel?"

He glanced at Gabrielle, trying to tell her something, though she had no idea what. Gabrielle took another step closer to Xena.

"She... She's with child, Xena, I think he was trying to kill the child."

Xena just stared at him. "That's not possible."

"That's what I thought, too," Xander replied. "But she is, nonetheless."

Xena turned to Gabrielle. "I have some things to take care of, stay here, I'll be back. "I'll come with you," Xander offered.

"No," Xena countered, a little more harshly than she intended. "No, stay with Gabrielle." She turned abruptly, walked swiftly to Argo, made an agile leap into the saddle and rode off, leaving them to stare after her.

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

Gabrielle turned to look questioningly at Xander and was surprised to see a lone tear track a clear path through the dust on his face. Feeling her eyes on him he angrily brushed it away. "Damn dust," he grumped softly.

Gabrielle smiled a little at that and he sighed heavily, shifting his gaze to the ground. "I feel I've let her down," he said softly, raising his eyes to hers, "and I owe her so much."

Gabrielle felt an instant common bond between them and tried to think of something to say to reassure him. She could think of nothing that did not sound hollow and patronizing, finally settling on simply; "I understand."

He stared at her for a moment, nodding his head slightly. "By the gods, I'm tired, Gabrielle."

She had so many questions to ask of him, but one look in his eyes told her that this was not the time. "Why don't you sit down? I'll make a fire, maybe scrounge up something to eat."

"Wonderful idea, just let me tend my horse.."

"I'll do it, sit down, please."

"You don't have to..."

"I know. Just sit, we might as well be comfortable while we wait."

"How do you know she'll come back?"

Gabrielle glanced out toward the horizon, then fixed her eyes on his.

"Because she said she would" she replied, her voice matter of fact.

"You seem to know her very well."

"Sometimes. And sometimes I think I don't know her at all." And with that, she moved away to tend the horse. As she unsaddled it, it watched her with a wary eye, reminding her of Argo. Whispering soft nonsense to it, she tied a long lead to a log close to the stream and left it to graze. She found Xander leaning against a tree, fast asleep, a fire burning beside him. Filling a pot with water and a few herbs, she let it warm for a while over the fire. She soaked a cloth in the mixture, then reached over to clean the cut on his forehead. He reached out suddenly and grabbed her wrist in a bone-crunching grip. Startled, Gabrielle jumped, sucking in air between clenched teeth. Xander released her immediately, sitting up with a grunt, began apologizing profusely. "I'm really sorry, Gabrielle, did I hurt you?"

"No no, "she replied, rubbing her wrist. "I'm all right, it was my own fault, I know better. I wasn't thinking."

"Still..." reaching over, he took her wrist and examined it closely with a surprisingly gentle touch. "Well," he offered with a half smile, "at least I didn't break it."

She returned the smile as she removed her hand from his grasp. "I was going to clean that cut."

"Don't bother, it's nothing."

Gabrielle lifted a shock of hair and examined it. A nasty looking gash, caked with dried blood and dirt. "Trust me, Xander, it's something."

Retrieving the cloth, she dipped it in the herb-laden water and began to clean the wound.

Xander sighed and leaned back. "You have a nice touch, Gabrielle."

She looked down into slate gray eyes, expecting them to look as cold and hard as their color suggested. Instead, she found them exceptionally warm and gentle. "Thank you," she replied softly. "This cut is deep, I'm afraid it may leave a scar."

"Really, " Xander laughed. "Well then, I guess I'll just consider it an addition to my collection."

Gabrielle touched the scarred lip. "How did you get that?"

His eyes seemed to light up and grow hard simultaneously. "Ah, that one, that one was from a mutual friend."

"Xena?!" Gabrielle's voice held a faint note of disbelief.

"It was a long time ago. It could've been much worse, she could've just as easily killed me."

Gabrielle leaned back. Xander gave her a knowing look. "There is a lot you don't know about Xena, Gabrielle."

"It's not that, exactly...it's just that I...she never mentioned Rachel, or Zagnar, or you for that matter. Not that she has to tell me everything, it's just a little frustrating at times.

"Nan," Xander interrupted.

"What?"

"It's Zagnan not nar."

"Nan, nar, what's the difference?" she stated, voice rising slightly.

"You're angry."

"I'm not angry.

"You seem angry."

"No... yes, a little, maybe." Frustrated, she stood up and began to pace.

"Gabrielle, I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's not you. And I'm not upset, exactly..." she stopped pacing, exasperated, and threw her hands in the air. "How can I explain this to you? I worry about her. Not that she needs me to worry about her. But, that's what friends do, right? And I want so much to help her, but sometimes I just feel so helpless, and for some reason, I want to blame her for that. And that makes me feel - " she looked over at him once more. "You wouldn't understand. I don't even understand it myself."

"Oh, I think I do understand. Why don't you sit down, Gabrielle, you're scaring my horse."

She gave him a bewildered look.

"She's a bit skittish, and frustrated women scare her. I try to shelter her from them as best I can."

Gabrielle looked out toward the clearing where Xander's horse was indeed staring at her, muscles tense, ears pointed forward. Gabrielle emitted a short burst of laughter, breaking the tension, and sat down heavily beside him. They sat in silence for a while, watching the light begin to fade from the sky. A perfect formation of geese appeared in the distance, honking noisily as they approached. Their wings made a strange squeaking noise in the still evening air as they flew overhead. When she was a child, she always thought it sounded as though their wings were rusted, like an old wagon wheel on an ungreased axle.

"You're very close, aren't you, you and Xena?"

She watched the geese until they were out of sight, then turned her eyes to his. "Yes."

"Yes, but..?"

She smiled a little. "What makes you think there's a 'but' ?"

He returned her smile. "I can feel it, something...not quite right between you."

The smile slid from her face.

"I don't mean to pry. I'm enjoying the silence with you, we can keep it that way if you like."

Her eyes shifted to the lowering sun in the western sky and for a moment he thought she had decided to do just that.

"I...we, had some issues, in the past. We resolved them, but, sometimes...I've been having these dreams lately, I don't know why." Her voice faded.

"Sometimes the past can haunt you," he offered knowingly.

"I wish... wish I could go back somehow, you know? Go back and make things right. She trusted me and I betrayed that trust, sometimes I still feel as though I need to do something to regain it. Most of the things I try just seem to end up making it worse."

"Maybe you're trying too hard."

She shook her head slightly.

"It's a funny thing, trust," he continued. "It is more precious than the purest gold. You think you can earn it, and to some degree I suppose that's true. And then, in one unthinking act, one irreversible moment in time, you lose it. Can you regain it? I'm not really sure. I think either it's there, or it isn't and there is not much you can do about it. But, I'll tell you what I am sure of, Gabrielle." Gabrielle looked into his eyes again. "If Xena did not trust you, she would not be here with you now. And, if you did indeed betray her...well, if she did not truly love you, you would not be here at all." Gabrielle remained silent and looked away.

"Do you trust her?" he asked softly.

The question seemed to startle her. After another few moments of silence, she looked over at him. "Yes, I do. I don't always understand her, but I do trust her."

"I don't think anyone will ever understand Xena." He had, in fact, heard stories of one woman in a far off land who probably did, but wisely did not mention her name. "I do know, now, that Xena does what she thinks she has to do to protect those that she cares about. Her decisions are not always the right ones and they are not always easy to accept..." his eyes grew distant for a moment. "And sometimes, the wrong people get hurt. But, most of the time, I think, what she does is right."

"I know. But it's still hard at times," Gabrielle agreed softly. "Sometimes, I find myself wondering where we are going and why, and what we hope to find at the end, if there is an end."

"Ah, but it is the hard times that make us strong," he stated, meeting her eyes once more. "It is the tears that cleanse our souls, the forgiving that binds us closer to one another. Why we go is not as important as who we go with. It is what life and love are all about, Gabrielle. It is not the destination; it is instead, the journey. Occasionally, you even discover that what you have been searching for has been right in front of you all along. "

She stared at him, amazed. Such simple words and yet, for the first time in a long time, she felt the wisdom and the warmth of them begin to melt the icy grip around her heart. And this somehow made her vulnerable. The past, the demons that still haunted her dreams, the hurt, the anger, the doubt, all rose in a flood of tears and emotion that threatened to overwhelm her. She began to stand and a subtle hand stayed her. His eyes, so light gray they looked almost transparent, pulled her gently down. "It is all right to cry, Gabrielle. Here, just close your eyes."

She did so, relieved to be released from his silvery gaze. A soft touch brushed away the tears from her face. She found herself embarrassed by her loss of control in front of this stranger. "I'm sorry, I..."

"Nothing to be sorry for, Gabrielle," the voice was soft, innocent, yet somehow sensuous, having a somewhat unnerving effect on her. "Personally, I think Xena is extremely fortunate to have found someone...someone like you." The words faded away as he drew nearer. She pulled back slightly, startled, as his lips met hers. Her first thought was to open her eyes and stand up, and she would have, had there been the slightest hint of resistance to her doing so. Instead, leaning forward once more, she found herself surprisingly needful of what she considered a simple gesture of kindness and compassion.

The contact was, at first, merely comforting. But then, it began to evolve into something much more. Slowly, she began to respond to an urgent desire to fill some nameless, aching need within her.

She resisted it for a time, trying to regain her hold on a rather frightening loss of control. But the need was proving itself more powerful than her desire for self-control and she began to surrender herself to it. An uncomfortable sense of betrayal slowly insinuated itself upon her. Betrayal? she wondered. To whom? Myself? Or....someone... the answer eluded her, the question lost, swept clean away for the moment, though she would find no peace from it for quite some time. An erratic and utterly confusing battle of thought and emotion warred within her, creating even greater mysteries, leaving her the impossible task of seeking answers to questions that she had yet to recognize, or acknowledge, even to herself. Then suddenly, in a heart-stopping moment of clarity, she saw it, felt it, within her. The answer to the one question that would forever change her. At once unbelievingly simple, yet extraordinarily complex. She need only open her eyes, her heart, and grasp it. But, in a simple twist of fate, or perhaps a cruel trick of the gods, she opened her eyes to find, not the blue fire she expected, but gray smoke instead.

They both blinked, equally startled, and pulled back. There was a moment of absolute silence between them, coupled with something else that neither of them could put a name to. Gabrielle shook her head slightly, stood up slowly, and turned toward the setting sun. "She's coming." Gabrielle's voice was a little breathless and nearly inaudible to Xander over the sudden pounding of his heart. Xander stood also, squinting into the light, seeing nothing except a line of purple clouds sailing majestically across a horizon drenched in the fiery aftermath of the setting sun.

"How do you know?" he wondered aloud.

Gabrielle said nothing, but in a few moments, the sound of a horse approaching gradually filled the silence around them.

"Huh," Xander whispered. An odd little thrill ran through him. A strange mixture of awe, just bordering on fear. The exact same feeling that he had always experienced when Xena performed this identical, eerie little feat of magic in his presence. "Gabrielle?"

"Hmmmm?" she replied absently, her eyes intent on the darkness closing around them.

"How do you know?"

"Know what?"

"How do you know that it's Xena?"

Shrugging slightly, her eyes touched his briefly. "I just...I can just feel her, you know?"

He nodded understandingly, not understanding at all. Her eyes and her attention deserted him once more, watching, waiting, for Xena to light the darkness with her presence. She bent down and threw more wood on the fire. Xander searched the darkness when he heard the jingle of harness, but did not see her until Gabrielle took a step forward. Gabrielle searched Xena's face as her dark silhouette gained both substance and color in the light of the fire. Xena's own encompassing gaze took in the look of concern in the sea blue eyes, and also the rise of color beginning at her neck and rising high onto her cheeks. With a slight lift of her head, she quirked an eyebrow up and shot a knowing look at Xander. Xander's eyes met hers for a moment, then, with an almost imperceptible sideways headshake, they slipped off toward Gabrielle. Gabrielle either didn't notice, or chose to ignore, this exchange. Xena's eyes remained fixed on Xander.

"Is everything all right, Xena?"

"Yeah, Gabrielle, I... I, uhm, have some explaining to do. We can talk while we travel."

"When are we leaving?"

"Tonight. As soon as possible."

Gabrielle nodded. Xena looked over at her, she was busily gathering up blankets. Walking over to her, she laid a hand on Gabrielle's shoulder. Gabrielle stopped what she was doing and looked up at her.

"Gabrielle, I-

"Yes?"

"Thank you for...I owe you an explanation, but- "

"First things first?" Gabrielle interrupted, smiling slightly.

Xena returned the smile. "I... we need to get moving. I have to talk to Xan, would you- "

"Mind packing up? No problem, go ahead."

Xena suddenly felt that she needed to say, or do more. She thought of all the things that she, that they both, at times, took so much for granted. The loyalty, the friendship, so much more. Someday, when she had the time...

Gabrielle gave her another brief smile. "It's all right, Xena, really. Time is not something we have right now."

Xena's eyes widened a bit, sometimes she wondered if Gabrielle actually could read her mind. Xena nodded and walked out to the clearing where Xander was saddling his horse. The silvery eyes met hers over the horse's back. "You don't deserve her, you know that, don't you?

"Yeah, well, Xan, I didn't deserve you either."

That provoked a short bark of laughter. "Yes, Xena, but we, we are two of a kind."

She made no reply to this.

"I didn't tell her anything." Xander assured her after a moment of silence between them.

"I knew you wouldn't, but thank you, just the same."

Gabrielle watched them from a distance, walking toward the moonlit clearing only after they finished their conversation and shared a somewhat awkward embrace. Xander mounted the horse and raised a hand toward her in farewell. Gabrielle gave him a small half smile and felt an odd pulling at her heart. By the time she raised her own hand in farewell, he was lost in the darkness.

Xena walked over to Gabrielle. "Ready?" she asked softly.

Gabrielle shifted her eyes to Xena's. "Ready." she affirmed. Then, again sensing Xena's urgency, she placed her hand on Xena's shoulder. "Xena, if you want to ride on ahead, I can catch up with you later."

"No. No, I want to rest Argo, we'll walk for a bit, then we'll double up."

Nodding, Gabrielle began to turn away, Xena took her hand. "Besides," she continued, "I need you...want you with me, I need to talk to you." Xena gave her hand a gentle squeeze before she turned to pick up Argo's reins.

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

"So, how long have you known Xander?"

Xena cast a sideways glance at her. "A long time."

"Were you... are you close?"

"We were, at one time. It was a long time ago, we haven't been in touch for many years."

"Why is that?"

Xena hesitated for a moment before answering. "It was necessary. Knowing me is not always... Not very..."

"Safe?" Gabrielle supplied.

Xena stopped walking and looked closely at her in the moonlight, relieved to see there was an amused grin on her face. Flashing a quick smile of her own, they resumed walking, continuing on in silence for a while.

"Xena?"

"Mmmmm?"

"Xander is very, uhm, different, isn't he?"

"Different?"

"Well, yeah, I mean, he's not much like other men I've met."

Xena glanced at her again, but a cloud had passed in front of the moon, hiding her face in shadow. "How so?"

Gabrielle took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts. The moon slipped out from behind the clouds, illuminating the road ahead with cool, blue light. "Well, he's very rough looking, yet he is... Uh, seems to be, very gentle, sensitive, caring. Actually, he reminds me a great deal of you. He isn't another relative that you've neglected to mention is he?

Another look revealed that Gabrielle's smile was still in place. "No, we're not related." They walked on a bit further before Xena added, "But, the name isn't actually Xander."

There was a slight hesitation to Gabrielle's step. "It's not?"

"Mm-mm," Xena replied.

"Well, are you going to explain? He uses an alias because? What? He's a warlord, thief, scoundrel, murderer?"

"Actually, yes."

"Actually yes, what?" Gabrielle asked, growing exasperated.

Xena faced her with a distinctly Xena-like quirky smile on her lips.

"Actually, yes. All of those, at one time or another."

"He has many skills?" Gabrielle borrowed one of Xena's own frequently used lines.

"She," Xena replied absently.

Weary from pulling bits of information out by the roots like teeth, Gabrielle lost the thread of conversation for a moment, and shook her head in confusion. "No, I meant him, not you. He also has many sk- "

"I did, too."

"I beg your pardon?"

"I said, "she", Xander's name is really Xandra, he's a she, actually."

Gabrielle's eyes widened, she reached over and grabbed Xena's arm. "Wait...what? He is a she, a real woman she?"

"Last time I looked," Xena replied calmly, removing her arm from Gabrielle's grasp. Xena walked on for a short distance before she realized that Gabrielle was no longer with her. She stopped and Argo bumped into her, whickering softly. Placing her hand on Argo's soft nose, she dropped the reins and looked back. Gabrielle was standing like a statue, mouth agape, frozen in place in a pool of pale moonlight. "Stay here," she whispered to Argo, and walked back to Gabrielle, who seemed unaware of her presence. "Gabrielle?" No response. Becoming a bit concerned now, Xena laid a hand on her arm, she jumped slightly at the contact. "Gabrielle, are you all right?"

Blushing furiously in the telltale light of the full moon, she looked into Xena's eyes for a moment, then quickly away. She moved forward hastily and a bit awkwardly, stumbling slightly over an uneven patch of ground. Xena steadied her. Gabrielle glanced down at Xena's hand on her arm and pulled away. "I'm fine," she said shortly and somewhat hoarsely.

Xena's eyebrows rose slightly and an all too familiar impish grin spread across her face. Gabrielle made a sound somewhere between a snort and a grunt and moved on. Xena caught up a moment later and fell in step beside her, Argo keeping pace behind them. After an indeterminate time of deep silence, Gabrielle looked over at her. "Why do you do that?"

"Do what?" Xena asked, all innocence.

"You know what. I know you are not one for small talk, Xena, but don't you think you could have mentioned this a little earlier?"

"I thought you knew."

"How in Zeus' name was I supposed to know?!"

"Well, you usually have a way of knowing these things...anyway, now you know, so what's the big deal?"

"What's the....the big deal is that I... that we..." at a rare loss for words, she dropped her gaze to the ground and bit her lower lip.

"You what?" Xena probed delicately.

Gabrielle raised her eyes to search Xena's face, it remained impassive. Gabrielle sniffed and rubbed her nose with the back of her hand. Taking a deep breath and releasing it in a long sigh, she returned her eyes to the road and resumed walking. "Nothing. Let's just move on, shall we?"

Smiling to herself, Xena followed close behind. A while later, Gabrielle turned slightly to look at her. "You know, Xena, it occurs to me that you sometimes drop these little tidbits of enlightenment on me when you want to sidetrack me from the issues at hand."

"Oh?"

"And you also do that a lot."

"Do what?"

"Answer a question with another question."

"Do I?"

"Xena..." Gabrielle said warningly.

"Sorry, what was the question?"

Gabrielle hesitated for a moment, realizing that she had forgotten the question, if there even was one. "You know, sometimes talking to you is just like spitting into the wind."

A smile spread across Xena's face. "Why, Gabrielle, I didn't know you ever spit, into the wind or otherwise."

"Oh, yes, I do. As a matter of fact, I often spit nails after trying to have a conversation with you, I'm surprised you haven't noticed."

Xena chuckled, a sound so rare and so dear to Gabrielle's heart that she felt her anger and frustration begin to dissolve, even as she tried to hold onto it. In a night filled with the unexpected, Xena surprised her once again by stepping in front of her and pulling her forward into a quick, but fierce, embrace. "Love ya, Gabrielle, you know that, don't you?" She whispered. And, with hardly a break in stride, continued on. Shocked into silence, Gabrielle followed.

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

They traveled on through the night, sometimes riding, sometimes walking. They stopped only once to drink from a rushing river, water so sweet and cold it made Gabrielle's teeth ache. Walking again, Gabrielle gradually became mesmerized by the rhythmic beat of Argo's hooves on the dusty road. As the moon began a slow descent toward the coming dawn, Xena stopped and laid a hand on Gabrielle's shoulder. Startled out of a sleepwalker's trance, Gabrielle let out a small squeak of surprise. Xena gave her a half smile. "Sorry."

"Mmph," Gabrielle mumbled, struggling to collect her thoughts.

"We'll stop here for awhile."

"I'm all right, if you want to keep going."

"No. There are some things I need to tell you, before we get to where we are going. It's not far now."

They sat down on a lightning scarred log. Tried by fire, cleansed by the passage of time, it was now worn smooth, pure and white as new fallen snow. The waning moon reflected from an oval pond, a bright seeing eye in a pool of absolute darkness. Gabrielle leaned back and looked up into the sky, an immense blackness interrupted only by tiny pinpoints of starlight. "It's really beautiful, isn't it?" she said quietly.

"Yes, you..." Xena's voice sounded odd, Gabrielle turned to find her staring right at her. "You're right, it is beautiful." Xena shifted her eyes to the sky, a sad half smile on her lips, the one that always did something strange to Gabrielle's heart.

The wind rose, rushing through the trees, showering them with pungent fragrance and pine needles. Xena reached over and brushed a clump of dried needles from Gabrielle's hair. It was a rare, sweet moment of perfect peace between them, they both recognized it as such and remained silent for some time, unwilling to spoil it. Finally, reluctantly, Xena took a deep breath and broke the silence. " I know you think I am a strong person, Gabrielle." Xena averted her eyes, as she often did, on the rare occasions she decided to share her innermost thoughts and feelings.

"But sometimes our greatest strength is also our greatest weakness."

Xena looked into Gabrielle's puzzled eyes. "I don't ever want to lose you, Gabrielle." Before she could say anything, Xena reached over and placed a fingertip against Gabrielle's lips. "I have a lot to tell you, Gabrielle, and not much time in which to do it."

"Xena, before you begin, I want you to know that you don't have to explain anything to me, I..."

"Yes, I do. I should have told you this before, especially after.. I just never knew how to.... I'm not very good at...." Annoyed with herself, Xena shook her head and began again. "I don't have time to explain it all, most of it will have to wait. I'm going to ask that you not ask a lot of questions. Being you, I know that will be difficult." Pausing for a moment, she gave Gabrielle a quick smile. "And I promise, I'll answer all of your questions later."

"All of them?"

"Well, maybe not all of them, I don't think we will ever have that much time."

"Mmm, funny." Gabrielle replied, returning the smile.

Xena stared at her for a moment, then fixed her gaze to a point off in the distance. Just about the time Gabrielle decided she had changed her mind, Xena took a deep breath and cleared her throat. "Rachel is my daughter."

Gabrielle thought that nothing Xena could say would ever surprise her anymore, but she was wrong. Xena needn't have worried about her asking questions, she was speechless. Xena's eyes met hers once more.

"No one knows this, Gabrielle. No one still living."

Gabrielle shifted her gaze to the dark pond, fixing her eyes on the moon's reflection riding its surface. She was silent for a time, wrestling with this newfound knowledge, and what it meant to her, to them. Xena waited, watching, wanting to reach out, thinking better of it.

"Does she know?" Gabrielle asked, finding her voice once more.

"I...I'm not sure. Rachel is...she sees things, the way that you sometimes see things, do you know what I mean?"

"She has the gift of prophecy?"

"Something like that, I guess, but she seems to read the past more so than the future. It's hard to explain."

"I understand."

"Good, I hoped that you would."

"Can I ask who the father is?"

"I can't tell you that, Gabrielle, it is a confidence that I cannot break, do you understand?"

Gabrielle nodded, as much as she would like to know, she did understand. Silence surrounded them once more. Xena turned her head a little, listening intently, thinking that things were just a little too quiet.

"Does Xan know?" Gabrielle asked, looking around, picking up on Xena's unease.

"I don't know. I would guess that if Rachel does, then Xan probably does, too. They are very close."

"And Solan, did he know?" she asked, her voice very quiet.

And there it was, the inevitable first step on a path that Xena was reluctant to go down again. Xena looked into her eyes, hoping against hope that Gabrielle would not return there. And she probably would not have, had she not been so recently plagued by dreams of Hope. Dreams that left her feeling that there was something unfinished, unresolved. Gabrielle's eyes grew distant, lost..

She was lost in a memory. Xena's heartwrenching scream of despair as she cradled her dead son, the look of absolute hatred in her eyes as she screamed at Gabrielle to leave them. And Hope. Her horror at finding that Xena had been right about her all along. That Gabrielle's "hope" was truly and irrevocably evil. Her continued unacceptance of that fact costing Solan his life, Xena her son, and almost destroying everything they had; their friendship, their trust, their faith in one another.

Her Hope. Lying pale, cold and still, dead by her mother's hand. It was the right thing to do, but too late, far too late. Then, lifting the poison to her own lips, hesitating, feeling Xena's presence, seeing the blind fury in her eyes. And always that remaining question, would Xena have let her die?

Xena's hand on her arm jarred her back to the present. Lifting her eyes once more, she saw her own pain reflected in Xena's shimmering, sapphire gaze.

"I'm sorry, Gabrielle. I didn't mean to stir up painful memories. Besides, we are past that now.

Gabrielle nodded. Then turned her head, listening.... for a moment, swearing that she heard the sound of Hope's mocking laughter carried on the wind.

"What is it?" Xena asked, looking around.

"I thought I..."she looked into Xena's eyes once more. "It's nothing. Xena, why...?" she hesitated.

"What?"

"Why didn't you ever mention her?"

Xena lowered her eyes.

"You don't have to explain, if you don't want to."

"I don't really think I can. How can I make you understand that as far as I was concerned, Rachel was not my daughter. I could never think of her as such, never."

"But, Solan....

"Was different."

"I don't understand."

"I know you don't, Gabrielle, but I'm asking you to anyway. "

Gabrielle stared into her eyes, trying to understand. Xena tried again to explain the unexplainable. "I never expected to see Rachel again, ever. In my mind, she was...."

She stopped speaking.

"Dead," Gabrielle finished quietly.

Xena nodded.

"But, how do you do that, Xena? Just because you tell yourself someone is dead, how do you just..."

"Because I had to," she answered sharply, eyes growing hard. "I believed what I had to believe. And because it hurt too much not to." Xena stood up and closed her eyes, running a hand through her hair, biting back tears and regrets and explanations that she had no time for. "There is only one reason that Rachel would send for me."

Gabrielle looked up at her, waiting. And then the answer became very clear. She stood up and took Xena's hand. "You think she's dying, don't you?"

Xena looked down at Gabrielle's hand. "I don't know why else she...she may already be..."

She shook her head and began to turn away. Gabrielle held onto her hand. "Maybe you're wrong, Xena, but, if you're not, you'll get through this, we'll get through it. Somehow, we always do."

Xena turned to face her.

"I'll be here for you," Gabrielle said softly.

"Still always lookin' out for me, right?" she answered with an unsuccessful attempt at a smile.

"Always."

They looked into each other's eyes for a moment and shared a brief moment of complete understanding. An insight of what the Fates and the gods had known about them all along. That they had the power to understand the incomprehensible, accept the unbelievable, have faith in the face of overwhelming doubt. It was, for them, just a simple matter of trust.

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

Xena shifted her eyes to the surrounding woods as she placed a hand on her chakram. "There's..."

"Someone out there." Gabrielle finished for her.

"I'm impressed." Xena gave her a wry smile.

"Well, I've learned from the best." Gabrielle told her, returning the smile as she slowly leaned down to pick up her staff.

"Wait," Xena whispered hurriedly, glancing over Gabrielle's shoulder. "There is someone I want you to stay away from, if he is out there. Xan said he is leading the search for Rachel. His name is Baltar. Don't get anywhere near him, promise me."

"But.." The look in Xena's eyes quelled any further discussion. "All right, I promise. How will I know..."

"Oh, you'll know him, trust me," And with that, she let loose one of her piercing yells and unleashed her chakram. It ricocheted off of two trees and then brought down two swordsmen hiding in the shadows. Gabrielle ducked as the chakram returned and picked up her staff in time to duck again as another man made a wild dive for her. Passing harmlessly over her head, he landed flat on his back in front of Xena, who dispatched of him quickly by stomping on his chest. Gabrielle met the next attacker by simply letting him plow into the end of her staff, then ducked again as another swung a sword at her head. Bringing the staff quickly around, before he could recover from the momentum of his swing, she swept his legs out from under him and smacked him smartly on the head. Glancing over at Xena, she saw that she had things well in hand. Eyes alight with anticipation, slight grin on her face; Xena blocked a two-handed overhead sword stroke and kicked her attacker where it had an immediate disabling effect on him. She then executed one of her gravity-defying-high-leaping-backward flips over two more men standing behind her. She sidekicked one in the butt, sending him headfirst into a tree. The other, she engaged in a bit of swordplay for a few moments before finally ramming the blunt end of her sword into his nose, kicking him in the chest as he dropped his own sword in order to clutch his ruined nose.

Xena looked over at Gabrielle, who had just administered another whack on the head to one of their foes who was foolishly attempting to get to his feet again. Gabrielle had to smile as Xena gave her a grin and a quick thumbs up for a job well done. Xena's smile disappeared as she lifted her head to look at something behind Gabrielle. As she turned around, Gabrielle was blinded momentarily by the sun rising through the trees. Bringing a hand to her eyes to shield them, she let out a gasp of disbelief and took a quick step back, almost tripping over the man lying at her feet. The man advancing on her, who was now effectively blocking the sun from her eyes, was huge. She had to tilt her head back to take in his full height. Xena stepped in front of her and reached back, giving her a slight shove. "Get out of here, " she ordered, never taking her eyes from the man in front of them.

Gabrielle was spellbound. The man was not a giant, not like Goliath, but he towered over Xena, who was no slouch in the height department herself. And he was not pretty. One eye was almost completely closed by scar tissue. His face so crisscrossed with scars it was impossible to tell where one left off and another began. He smiled, revealing a surprising number of large teeth, even more surprising was that they were extraordinarily white and even.

"Go... Now!" Xena said emphatically through clenched teeth, breaking Gabrielle's reverie, and she did.

"Hello, Xena," he said, enunciating each syllable of her name, "It's been such a long time."

"Not nearly long enough, Baltar." Xena replied with a smile of her own.

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

Looking around, Gabrielle saw that they were at the edge of some sort of old cemetery. She took refuge in the overgrown ruins of an old temple that littered the clearing, keeping a wary eye on this new problem, as well as the ones with whom they had already dealt.

Baltar took a step toward Xena and she backed up. He touched the end of his sword to his useless eye. "I was hoping to run into you again, I owe you, for this."

"At least you still have the other one."

He threw his head back and laughed. Gabrielle sucked in a sharp breath as Xena deftly leaned away from him. His sword swept the air, passing just inches from her face. He was incredibly quick for someone so large.

"Missed me," Xena taunted.

The smile left his face as he advanced on her. He thrust the sword at her again. She neatly sidestepped it and landed a hard kick to the inside of his thigh. He just managed to grab part of her foot before she pulled back, his enormous strength enabling him to upset her balance and send her hard to the ground. Gabrielle took a step forward as he swung the sword again and heaved a sigh of relief as it sliced harmlessly into a piece of ground that Xena no longer occupied. Xena was on her feet in an instant, still smiling. "You're getting slow in your old age, Baltar."

"And you, Xena, are not going to get any older," taking a firm, two-handed grip on his sword, he moved toward her again.

Xena backed away, unwilling to engage in a battle of merely fending off his sword, aware that his sheer size and strength would eventually just wear her down. Her plan was to urge him on and evade him until he lost his temper and made a mistake, giving her an opportunity to take him down. Unfortunately, what she didn't plan on was backing herself into trouble. As she moved steadily back, keeping her eyes on Baltar, she sensed too late that the ground was giving way beneath her. She had stepped onto an old grave that had been undermined by time and weather. The ground fell away, dumping her unceremoniously into a gaping hole behind her. She managed to turn herself in order to break her fall with her hands, but, in keeping with her current streak of ill-fated luck, she struck her head on the grave marker that lay at the bottom. Cursing softly, as blood poured from an open gash above her eye, she struggled both to rise and to fight off a wave of darkness threatening to engulf her.

Gabrielle and Baltar both stared at the spot where Xena had disappeared, both suspecting some sort of trick. Baltar eventually gathered his courage and slowly approached the hole. After cautiously peering over the side for a few moments, a smile spread across his face. His smile sent a chill racing down Gabrielle's spine. She took a few steps forward, then remembered her promise to Xena, and stopped. Baltar, however, did not hesitate. Looking around, he found the biggest rock he could lift and hauled it over to the open grave. "How thoughtful of you, Xena, now your friends won't even have to dig a grave for you."

Laughing, he got a better grip on the rock and with a grunt, lifted it high above his head. "Good-bye, Xena, I'll see you in Tartarus some day."

"No!" Gabrielle screamed as she swung her staff as hard as she could at his knee. It connected with an adrenaline charged crack that made him bellow in pain. Forgetting about the rock, he let it fall and sat down, grabbing his throbbing knee. The rock landed on the side of the pit and began a slow slide downward. Not exactly what Gabrielle had hoped for, but the best she could do. Realizing too late that she should not have let herself be distracted by the whereabouts of the rock, she turned to find Baltar's enraged eyes locked onto hers. She managed to get her staff up in front of her as he sent a backhanded blow her way. It connected with the staff, which then connected with her, the force of it hurling her through the air like a rag doll. Landing hard on her back, she was stunned, breathless for a moment, until fear quickly motivated her to move. She sat up, gasping at a stab of pain in her ribs. Baltar got to his feet and hobbled toward her with murder in his eyes. Looking around, she located her staff and made a lunge for it.

"Oh no you don't, you little bitch!" He lifted his foot and brought it down hard on her hand. Disbelief, a sickening crunch and a colossal amount of pain shocked her into a dumbfounded, open-mouthed silence.

Fortunately, the pain in Baltar's shattered knee intensified with the extra weight on it and he staggered backward with another roar of pain. Gabrielle cradled her injured hand against her chest and forced herself to her feet. She took only a few steps when the shock began to wear off and an onslaught of dizziness and nausea halted her retreat.

Baltar was right behind her. Turning to face him, she ducked as he made another grab for her and aimed a frantic kick at his knee.

"Damn you, little girl!" he hissed, reaching down for her.

Turning once more, she stumbled away from him, but another bout of lightheadedness brought her quickly to her knees. Baltar wrapped an arm around her neck and lifted her to her feet. "Gottcha. You little insect, and I'm going to squeeze the life right out of you, what do you think of that?" He sneered down at her and as he tightened his grip against her windpipe, things began to grow ominously dark.

"No you're not."

"Huh?"

As Baltar turned around, Xandra brought her sword down on his arm so hard it shattered bone. He gazed at it stupidly for a moment, before the pain finally registered. Releasing his hold on Gabrielle, he grabbed his arm and tried to staunch the flow of gushing blood. Xandra heard Gabrielle coughing and thanked whatever gods might be listening that Baltar didn't break her neck. With a shriek of agony and rage, Baltar turned his attention to Xandra, who did the most prudent thing she could think of, she turned and ran. Baltar gave chase, his wounds forgotten momentarily, in his intense desire to punish this puny little nothing who had dared defy him. But this new burr in his side was fast, and the continuous loss of blood from his arm began to take its toll. Looking around, he picked up a rock, and hurled it at Xan's retreating back. Instinct made her duck, but the rock clipped her shoulder and brought her down. She cursed soundly, struggling to regain her feet. "Damn lucky shot," she groused. Baltar crossed the distance between them in a few long strides and just managed to grab Xandra's coat before she could get away from him. Yanking her back, he threw her down hard to the ground. She bounced back up, surprising him and almost got away. Almost. Pushing her back down, placing his foot on her chest to hold her there, he picked up another rock.

"I'm going to crack your head open like an egg, little man!"

"Woman! You ignorant, half-blind, butt-ugly sonofabitch!" she yelled back, trying hard to land a kick on his injured knee.

Slapping her foot away, he squinted down at her for a long moment.

"Whatever," he said gruffly, raising the rock once more. "You sure got a mouth on you, girl."

"Didn't your Mother ever tell you it's not nice to throw rocks?"

Baltar froze at the sound of her voice. "Uh-oh..." he mumbled. He spun around quickly, swinging the rock, thinking to catch Xena off guard. But, like so many before him, he had seriously underestimated her. And, like so many others, he spent his final moments, staring into the icy blueness of her eyes, utterly amazed that something so incredibly beautiful could be so devastatingly deadly.

Xan scrambled out of the way as Baltar toppled to the ground like a felled tree. Getting to her feet, she brushed herself off and took a quick inventory. Immensely relieved to find that everything seemed to be in working order, she walked over to Xena, who was calmly wiping blood off of her sword on Baltar's pants. Xan gave her a tentative smile as she looked up. "The bigger they are..." Xan quipped, absently massaging her shoulder.

Xena's eyes met hers and the look in them said that she was not amused. "I'll deal with you later," she said stiffly, moving off toward Gabrielle.

"Uh-oh indeed..." Xan sighed, with a nod toward Baltar.

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

Gabrielle was on her feet, with a little help from her staff, still trying to clear her head.

"Are you all right?" Xena asked tightly, a muscle in her jaw jumping as she clenched her teeth.

"I think..." Gabrielle's voice was more frog croak than human. She coughed, then winced, then thought seriously about throwing up.

"What did you think you were doing!?"

Gabrielle was startled by the anger in Xena's voice. "You..."

"I told you to stay away from him!"

"Xena..." Xan began.

"Shut up, Xan," Xena snapped at her.

Gabrielle's eyes narrowed, temper beginning to rise. "I thought you were in trouble," she said hoarsely.

"I would have handled it. You gave me your word, Gabrielle. And you.."

she turned on Xan, "I told you to- "

"Gabrielle was in trouble," Xan jumped in.

"I would have- "

"Handled it. Right. Look, Xena..."

"No. You look, I don't have time to be worrying about you two."

Xan's eyes hardened into a flinty glare as she took a step toward Xena. "I don't recall ever asking you to worry about me," her voice deceptively quiet.

Realizing that tempers were beginning to get dangerously out of hand, Gabrielle reached out toward Xena, forgetting about her injured hand, until Xena brushed it aside. Gabrielle clamped her teeth together in an attempt to swallow the hot rush of bile that raced up the back of her throat. She didn't know what kind of sound she made, but both Xena and Xan turned to look at her.

"Gabrielle?"

Gabrielle heard a familiar rushing sound in her head and saw warning flash of bright light. "Oh, son of a b..."

"What happened?!" Xan asked, voice rising in alarm.

"She fainted," Xena stated, kneeling down beside her.

"Why? What's wrong with her?"

"I don't know," Xena huffed irritably. Lifting an eyelid, she peered into Gabrielle's eye, relieved to see the pupil dilate in the sunlight. "She's all right, I think."

"We should get her out of here," Xan said looking around. "I think we are going to have more company soon."

"No. That's what they will expect us to do. They'll come back looking for signs of where we went. So that's what we'll give them. Get some blankets and some supplies and see if you can find somewhere out of sight inside those ruins. I'll take your horse and give them something to follow.

"Rachel..."

"I'll find her as soon as I lose them. I can travel faster alone. I'll meet you where we planned, two days, no longer."

"What if Rachel or Gabrielle can't make it?"

"Then I'll meet you and we'll decide what to do from there. Now hurry."

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

Gabrielle opened her eyes to find Xena examining her hand. "Ouch," she said softly.

Xena raised her eyes to meet Gabrielle's. "It's broken and a couple of your fingers are dislocated."

"Wonderful. Any more good news? Where are we?" she asked, trying to look around and sit up at the same time.

"Lie still," Xena placed a firm hand on her shoulder. "We're inside the ruins, or rather, under them."

"Oh. Well, at least it's not a cave, I hate caves," using her good hand, she lightly touched the gash above Xena's eye. "That looks bad."

"It looks worse than it is," Xena assured her, pulling back slightly. "I'm going to have to set this. What else hurts?"

"What doesn't."

Xena raised an eyebrow. "You were lucky."

"You must have a different definition of the word 'luck'."

"Mmmm." Xena replied, stifling an urge to laugh. Taking Gabrielle's wrist in a firm grasp, she pushed down on a pressure point with her thumb. Gabrielle's hand went numb. "That should help, but it's still going to hurt. Ready?"

"As I'll ever be," Gabrielle turned her head away, knowing what was coming.

It did still hurt. A lot. And the sound of small bones being realigned didn't help much either. Gabrielle grit her teeth, held her breath and tried not to scream. Xena glanced into Gabrielle's glistening eyes for a moment and her heart performed that odd skip-hop that it always did whenever Gabrielle had been hurt in any way. "Hey," Xena whispered.

Gabrielle faced her again as Xena finished wrapping her hand in a makeshift bandage. "I'm going to release the pressure point, it's- "

"Going to hurt, I know."

Xena nodded and pressed her wrist, wincing at the gasp of pain it caused. "I'm sorry, Gabrielle."

"I know. Anyway, it's not your fault."

"I don't think anything else is broken, but you need to take it easy for awhile."

"I'm not going to be of much help to you, am I?"

"You'll be fine. I was planning on going the rest of the way alone anyway. I think it's safer that way, for everyone. Xan will fill you in.

"Are you hungry?" Xena asked, changing the subject.

"Thirsty," Gabrielle answered.

"I didn't cook anything, it's safe."

Gabrielle laughed, bringing a smile to Xena's face also. "Just water, thanks."

"Be right back," she promised, giving Gabrielle's shoulder a quick squeeze.

Gabrielle shut her eyes as Xena moved away, trying to cope with the throbbing pain in her hand. As she tried to shift herself into a more comfortable position, she bumped it, sending a searing bolt of pain from her fingertips to her shoulder. "Ow. By the gods!" she mumbled, clutching her damaged hand, cursing her clumsiness. Turning on her side, she pulled her hand up under her chin, covering it with the other one, and rocked slightly back and forth like a child. Closing her eyes, she slipped quickly into a cocoon of velvety darkness.

"Here you go, Gabrielle," Xena said, bending over her with a cup of water. "And I wanted to tell you that I'm... Gabrielle?" Setting the water aside, she knelt down beside her for a closer look. She seemed to be sleeping comfortably enough, considering what she had been through. Pulling the blanket up around her, Xena lifted a few strands hair away from Gabrielle's eyes, touching her fingertips to the side of her face for a moment. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, releasing it slowly as she leaned down and rested her forehead against Gabrielle's shoulder.

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

Feeling Xan's presence behind her, Xena lifted her head.

"How's she doing?"

"Sleeping," Xena answered quietly. "She had a rough day."

"I'll say. I guess we all did."

Xena gave her a worn half smile.

"She means a great deal to you, doesn't she?" Xan asked.

Xena gazed down at Gabrielle for a moment then lifted her eyes to Xan's.

"Yes," she replied simply, getting to her feet. "I need to get going, are you set here?"

"Yeah. I think we'll be fine. You can't see the entrance to where we are unless you really look closely. I think you are right, they won't be looking for us here, they'll be looking for tracks to follow."

Xena nodded in agreement. "Are you all right? Your shoulder?"

"It's fine, thanks for asking though."

Xena hesitated; anxious to find Rachel, yet reluctant to leave them.

"We'll be okay. Xena, tell Rachel...tell her I..." Xan averted her eyes.

"She knows," Xena comforted softly, laying a hand on Xan's shoulder.

"I suppose she does, but it still needs to be said. I didn't have time...I should have taken the time..." Xan turned her eyes back to Xena's, making no effort whatsoever to conceal the tears flowing down her face.

"God, Xena, please don't let her die. What would I do ...I can't imagine my life without her."

Xena took a step closer and enfolded her in a tight embrace. Looking over Xan's shoulder at Gabrielle, she could offer no words of comfort.

"I know," she whispered.

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

"I don't like leaving you without a horse," Xena said from atop Argo. "But I can't think of any other way."

"I'm not real crazy about it myself, but I can't either. I'll take care of Gabrielle, don't worry...you take care of my horse, okay?"

Xena held out her hand and Xan handed her the reins, giving her horse a quick smooch on the nose. "What?" Xan demanded, catching Xena's look of amusement.

"I didn't say anything," she had, in fact, done the same thing many times herself. Taking the reins, Xena took hold of Xan's hand as she began to turn away. "Xan, I..."

Xan looked up into her eyes, still amazed at how utterly beautiful they were. She never tired of looking at them. Xena was silent.

"I don't know why it's so hard for you to say, Xena," Xan gave her a mischievous smile. "I love you. See how simple?"

Xena snorted, dropping Xan's hand and sitting up in the saddle. "I was just going to tell you to try and remember the plan, and try to stick to it for a change."

Xan's smile widened. "Liar," she admonished softly.

"Pffff!" a hearty exhale of air was Xena's only reply as she gave Argo a gentle kick. Highly amused at having embarrassed the warrior princess, Xan watched them until they were out of sight.

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

Anxious now, about the amount of time lost, Xena urged Argo quickly on. After leaving a 'not too obvious' trail from the ruins, she left Xan's horse, in the midst of dozen others, at one of the small settlements scattered throughout the countryside. Thankful for her luck, she found a lot of rocky ground and a small stream in which to obliterate her own trail. Pushing hard, she reached the caves on the outskirts of Corinth late that evening. There was a labyrinth of caves and tunnels in this area, but Xan had given her explicit directions; besides, she had been here before. Striking flint, she lit a torch. Rain had begun to fall and a chill ran through her as she experienced a strange sense of deja vu and something else...

Closing her eyes, she could hear the sound of crying, wailing, a glimpse of several crosses against a black, storm-laden sky. Roman soldiers, a river of blood pouring down a hillside, and then, in a hushed silence, the words "forgive them.." the voice a reflection of despair and loss so deep it was almost beyond comprehension.

"My God..." she whispered, unaware that she had spoken, what many would come to believe, a great truth. Unaware that a slightly different version of this particular vision would return to haunt her in the not too distant future. Unaware even, that she had spoken at all. Shivering, she shook her head slightly as the vision faded as quickly as it had appeared.

As she moved inside the cave, she heard the distant wailing once more. The wind, she thought, and thought also that she was beginning to hate caves almost as much as Gabrielle.

Moving deeper, she heard scuttling noises, dripping water. Her torch flickered and almost died, then suddenly flared up in a rush of air that showered her with dirt and icy cold. She lowered her head, blinking dirt from her eyes. When she lifted her head once more, she was no longer alone.

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

"Any luck with the fire?" Xan asked, dropping a pile of sticks beside her.

Gabrielle jumped, startled. Xan moved as quietly as a cat, seeming just to appear out of nowhere. "Not much," she replied. "It's all pretty wet, I need something dry to get it started."

"Here, try this."

Xan dropped a small burlap bag beside her. Gabrielle picked it up and looked inside. A bunch of dried weeds, with a strong, sweet, pleasant odor. "What is it?"

"I don't know exactly. It grows wild in the fields outside Thessaly. When it dries out, it burns nicely and it smells good."

Gabrielle added it to the meager flame underneath the wood where it immediately flared up, then continued to burn slowly and steadily.

She sniffed. "Mmm, it does smell good." Leaning over the fire, she took a long, deep breath of the sweet-smelling smoke. As she sat back, everything in her line of sight seemed to tilt sideways. She must have followed suit, because Xan reached out a hand to steady her.

"You all right?"

She looked down, with exaggerated slowness, at the hand on her arm, then shifted her eyes up to Xan's, it seemed to take forever to get there.

"Other than feeling like I've been run over by a chariot, I feel fine."

Xan gave her a sympathetic look. "I'm not surprised, Baltar knocked you around pretty good. I'm sorry about your hand."

Gabrielle looked down at her bandaged left hand and frowned.

"Still hurt?" Xan queried.

She shook her head a little. "Not as bad as my throat."

Xan could see four distinct bruises on Gabrielle's throat and realized just how lucky she was to be alive. The sudden thought of Gabrielle dying caused her stomach to take a dive toward her feet. She sat down heavily beside Gabrielle, who looked over at her with rather glazed eyes.

"In fact," Gabrielle said slowly, "if there is a part on my body that doesn't hurt, I haven't found it yet."

Xan looked at her strangely for a moment, then they both laughed uneasily and looked away.

"It's my own fault," Gabrielle added a few moments later.

"What?"

"I said, it's my own fault. If I had done what Xena told me to do, I wouldn't have gotten hurt."

"Yeah..." Xan offered, "but, then she would've been bug pulp."

For some reason, the sound of that struck Gabrielle as funny and she had to bite down hard on her lip to control a burst of laughter. "Bug pulp...bug pulp?"

Xan looked over at her. "Yeah, you know, squashed, like a bug, squish...bug pulp... like that."

This time a short giggle did escape Gabrielle and she wondered if she hadn't suffered some sort of serious brain injury. Xan looked at her oddly, but she, too, let loose a small snort of laughter. Gabrielle stared hard at her and she blushed. Gabrielle shook her head slightly, trying to clear it. "She'd have been okay. She probably knew what she was doing."

"I don't think so, Gabrielle, she didn't plan for that piece of ground to give way beneath her. I think she was in trouble. I wouldn't have gotten to her in time, besides, she told me to stay out of sight, no matter what."

"But you didn't."

"No, well, if I had, then you would've been bug pulp."

They both laughed uproariously over this, then abruptly stopped. Gabrielle cleared her throat and looked away, wondering what in Zeus' name had gotten into them. "She was angry with me, really angry." Gabrielle told her, adding a bit more of the sweet smelling weeds to the fire.

Xan rubbed her eyes. "She gets like that when she's had a really good scare."

"She's never scared," Gabrielle huffed.

"Of course she is, Gabber- Gabarri...," Xan shook her head a little, "Gabby, that's what keeps her alive."

"The thing is, I gave her my word and I- "

Xan reached over and took her hand. "No. The important thing is that you thought she was in trouble, and you risked your life to help her. And she knows that."

She gazed into Xan's eyes.

"Trust me on this one," Xan insisted quietly.

Gabrielle nodded slightly and leaned back. They were silent for a while, contemplating the fire, the smoke, the rocks and everything else within their range of vision.

"Bugpulp," Gabrielle blurted.

"Huh?"

Gabrielle giggled again, drawing the same response from Xandra. "Nothing. I'm hungry, Xan. Are you?"

"I don't know, I suppose I could be."

Gabrielle laughed again.

"What's so funny?"

Gabrielle took Xan's hand in her own and looked deeply into her eyes. She began to say something, then lost her train of thought, captivated by the silvery brilliance of Xan's eyes. "Wow," she breathed softly, then started laughing again.

"What is so funny?" Xan demanded.

"You know, Xan, I have absolutely no idea, but you have really beautiful eyes."

Xan blushed deeply, then snorted and that sent them both into peals of laughter.

"By the gods," Gabrielle thought to herself. "We have totally lost our minds."

They settled back into a lazy, comfortable silence. A while later, Xan looked over at Gabrielle, who was staring intently at the fire. Xan cleared her throat. "So, Gabrielle, is there someone special in your life?"

Gabrielle looked over at her.

"Boyfriend, I mean, like that..."

"I was married once," she answered quietly, eyes returning to the fire.

"Didn't work out?"

She returned her eyes to Xan's. "He died...was killed."

"In battle?"

"No..." She shook her head, trying to dislodge a sudden bloody image of Callisto running an unarmed Perdicus through with her sword. "No, he was murdered."

"I'm sorry," Xan's voice grew softer. "Do you know who did it?"

"Yes. She's dead, too, Xena..." she shifted her eyes back to the fire.

"Xena killed her?"

"Yes, several times."

"Wow..."

She met Xan's puzzled eyes again, aware of how that must have sounded.

"It's complicated."

"I guess," Xan was quiet for a moment. "Serious food for thought, though, for any would be suitors, eh?"

"What?"

"Well, I mean, one would have to think twice about getting involved with you and screwing up... with Xena around to kill you several times over. Like once wouldn't be sufficient...Zeus."

Gabrielle's jaw dropped. Unable to stop herself, she released a short burst of laughter at the irreverence and absurdity of Xan's words. Then, she burst into tears.

"Oh, hey, I'm sorry, Gabrielle.. damn," Xan sat up quickly and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"By the gods, Xandra," Gabrielle muttered as she tried to stem the flow of tears and a multitude of mixed emotions pouring through her, foremost being total confusion.

"I know. I am sorry."

Xan looked so contrite, it almost started Gabrielle crying again. "It's all right."

"No, no it isn't," Xan looked away. "I never learned how to handle the really serious stuff in life, so I always...uhm...lighten it up, kind of.."

She turned her eyes back to Gabrielle's. "I'm trying to outgrow it." She said sincerely.

Gabrielle tried to keep an appropriately serious look on her face, but a sudden image of Xena turning any unsuitable suitors into "bugpulp" made her giggle.

"What?" Xan asked.

Gabrielle shook her head. "Nothing. Do you feel...strange, Xan?"

"Strange like how?"

Gabrielle took a deep breath and started coughing. Xan absently patted her on the back. It was really smoky inside their little hideout and Gabrielle felt a sudden need for fresh air. She stood up, pulling Xan up with her. Xan lost her balance and stumbled into her.

"I think we need some air," Gabrielle suggested.

Xan looked into her eyes as Gabrielle struggled to keep both of them upright. "We need something. I feel positively giddy. What do you suppose caused that?"

"The smoke, I think," Gabrielle replied, looking into Xan's glazed eyes.

"And fire... you..I think," Xan added.

"What?"

This time, Xan shook her head, trying to get control of it, and her mouth, both of which seemed to be running amuck.

"Come on," Gabrielle said softly.

Once outside, the brisk air began to clear their heads. Gabrielle shivered as a gust of wind and a light drizzle of rain washed over them. Xan took off her coat and threw it over Gabrielle's shoulders.

"Thanks. Aren't you cold?"

"Uh-uh. Feels good."

Gabrielle nodded. They stood in silence for a while then both began to speak at once.

"Gabrielle, I'm..

"Xan, I.."

They smiled at each other.

"You first."

Xan nodded. "I was just going to say that I'm sorry if I said anything out of line. I didn't mean to make light of ...well, you know."

"I know. Anyway, it's not always such a bad thing. Maybe you shouldn't try too hard to outgrow it."

Xan smiled, the smile setting her eyes alight. Suddenly, Gabrielle didn't feel quite so cold any more.

"Still friends, then?" Xan asked, holding out her hand.

"Still friends." Gabrielle answered, taking her hand and giving it a firm shake.

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

Rachel's simple beauty took Xena's breath away. Auburn hair, lustrous, even in the dim light of the torch. Slight and pale, vulnerable looking, yet somehow exuding a sense of great power. Xena looked into her striking, if somewhat disconcerting, familiar emerald eyes. Rachel took a step forward, holding onto her midsection, which looked enormous compared to the rest of her. Xena realized that her child must be due at any moment.

"I knew you would come." Her voice, like everything else about her, an odd mix of tenderness and strength.

Xena's eyes filled with tears and she clamped her jaw shut on them until they drained away. Though she ached to touch her, to hold this wondrous child of hers, she was unsure if she should do so. "I have missed you, Rachel."

Rachel gave her a small, half smile. One that touched her lips but did not quite reach her eyes. Xena wedged the torch between two rocks. They both took a hesitant step forward. Closing her eyes, Rachel continued forward until there was but a small space between them. Sighing softly, she turned her head slightly and with infinite care, rested it against Xena's heart.

"I need you, Xena, help me."

Closing her eyes, taking a deep breath, Xena leaned down and pressed her lips to the top of Rachel's head. Her heart felt as though it was being squeezed from within by an unseen hand, stealing the breath from her. Raising her head slightly, she lifted her hands and buried them within the softness of Rachel's hair, pulling her closer still. The touch of Rachel's tears against her skin released the floodgates on her own. Never one much given to tears, the depth of them astounded her. Neither of them spoke, the profoundness of their silence speaking volumes in itself. Time passed, and that, too, went unnoticed until a sharp contraction caused Rachel to cry out softly and grab onto Xena for support.

"The baby," Rachel whispered.

Alarmed, Xena grasped her elbow and sat her down on a bed of furs and blankets. "Now?"

Rachel shook her head. "No. Soon though."

Xena covered her with a blanket as she leaned back. "Maybe you should lie down."

"No. This is fine, lying down is not very comfortable any more...remember?"

The question caught Xena off guard and she looked up sharply into Rachel's serene green eyes. "I thought it was impossible for you to have children, Rachel." She stated, changing the subject.

Rachel held her gaze steadily for a moment, then looked over Xena's shoulder, a question in her eyes, deftly changing the subject once more.

"Xan's not here, if that's who you're looking for." Xena informed her, looking back over her shoulder. "I thought it best for her to stay with- "

"Gabrielle," Rachel finished.

Xena's eyes returned swiftly to Rachel's. She knew she should not be surprised at the things that Rachel knew, but she was, just the same.

"You know of Gabrielle?"

"Oh, yes. For a very long time. We are connected to one another, you see, by you. Sometimes I see her and I as two halves of a circle, together at first, then moving apart, with you moving through our center, then connecting again...at the end."

"I'm not sure I understand," Xena's voice was soft.

Rachel smiled. "I'm not sure you really want to."

They stared at one another for a moment, until another contraction brought a grunt of pain from Rachel.

"I need to get some water heated," Xena told her. "And some clean- "

"It's taken care of," Rachel assured her, nodding toward a small fire behind the rocks.

"What would you have done if I hadn't come Rachel, delivered it yourself?"

"I knew- "

"I would come. So you said."

"Yes. You or Xandra. She's all right, isn't she?"

"Don't you know?" Xena replied, a bit more sharply than she intended. "I'm ...yes, she's a little worse for wear, but she's fine," Xena gentled her tone.

"This has been hard for Xan." Rachel leaned her head back, looking up at the flickering shadows from the fire playing across the rock ceiling.

"She didn't understand, the baby...the.."

Xena looked over at her. Rachel sighed wearily and lowered her head, massaging the back of her neck.

"Do you know how much she loves you?" Xena asked, her voice very soft.

"Yes," Rachel lifted her head once more. "Xan listens to her heart. Right or wrong. Sometimes I think that maybe we would all be better off if we followed her example."

"And if you listened to your heart, Rachel, what would it tell you?"

Rachel looked into Xena's eyes and what she saw there brought tears to her own, for it was like looking into a mirror. "It would tell me," voice solemnly hushed, "that after all is said and done, nothing will ever change the way I feel about her. She is my heart, and my soul. I love her. I will always love her. The same thing that your heart whispers to you about Gab- "

"Rachel," Xena interrupted. " Xan and I?"

"Oh, I didn't mean.."

"I know," Xena said gently. "I know who you mean. But, I want you to know that I never meant to hurt you, or Xan."

"You hurt no one as badly as you hurt yourself, Xena. When you left us, you had nothing, no one."

"Yes, but I found...I found-"

"Your heart, your soul?"

"Yes. Yes, I believe I did."

"As did we, or so say our hearts. Unfortunately, only the very wise learn to truly obey their hearts."

Xena smiled a little and looked away. Rachel leaned back once more. They sat quietly for a time, both lost in their own thoughts.

"I watched you that morning, after the fighting," Rachel said softly.

Xena looked into her eyes again, surprised, as she realized that their thoughts had led them to the same destination.

"I saw you standing there, in the fog, hand in hand with Death, looking out over the killing fields. And I knew you were done with it, the killing. I saw it in your eyes. There was an instant, a fleeting moment when Xan could have killed you, and you would have let her. I often wondered if you sensed that I was there, and, if so, if you knew who I was."

Xena didn't answer. She raised a hand and rubbed her eyes, as if trying to erase the images of the past. She began to get up, Rachel took her hand.

"Xan thought you left us because you did not care about us."

Xena looked at Rachel's hand and sat back down, keeping her eyes downcast.

"Nothing could have been further from the truth," Rachel continued. "You walked away from us, straight into your destiny, yours and Gabrielle's."

Xena looked into her eyes once more. "Are our destinies predetermined then, do we follow a set path?"

Rachel shook her head. "Of course not, we are all free to make choices. Or not. Our lives touch other lives, changing their destinies, sometimes for good.." her voice trailed off.

"And sometimes not. How did I change yours, Rachel, yours and Xan's?"

Rachel stared intently into Xena's eyes. "There is no simple answer to that, Xena, surely you know that. You had to leave, you and Gabrielle were... " Rachel's eyes grew wide. "Xan," she cried on a tiny exhale of air. She grabbed onto Xena's hand once more, pushing back against the pile of bedding behind her.

"What is it?" Xena asked, keeping her voice calm.

"It's Xan, she...and the baby...now, she's coming.."

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

"So, Xan, how did you meet Xena?" Gabrielle wondered aloud, sitting down on a not-too-comfortable slab of rock.

Laughing, Xan looked down at her. "I think 'collided with,' may be a more apt description.

"Why am I not surprised?"

Xan leaned her head back, looking into the sky and took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts. "It was a day much like this one," she began, looking down at her hands. "Foggy, damp, kind of mystical, you know what I mean?" glancing at Gabrielle.

She nodded.

"I was traveling with a rag-tag bunch of mercenaries. We got into a skirmish with Xena and her little band of merry men. The fighting was fierce. I got cut, somewhere, shoulder, I think. I passed out for a while. When I woke up, it was deathly quiet. Not a sound, not a bird singing, no wind, no voices. For a moment, I actually thought I was dead, but I wasn't, not physically anyway. I got up, I was sticky with blood, some of it mine, some not. Disgusting," shaking her head slightly at the memory.

"I picked up my sword and made my way through the woods. The fog made it eerie, surreal. I was moving quietly, partly from habit, partly because I was afraid to disturb the silence. It seemed...alive somehow, ominous." Shivering slightly, she looked over at Gabrielle who was staring at her with rapt attention. "Anyway," Xan continued, looking away once more, "when I got to the edge of the woods, there she was. The Warrior Princess herself. She was alone, staring out over the fields, over the dead and dying. Everything was red with blood, even the mist floating above them, I'd never seen anything like that before, God..."

she stopped for a moment and Gabrielle thought about taking her hand, then thought better of it.

"She stood there for a very long time. Not moving, just staring. I made my way around behind her. Finally, she moved. She raised a hand to her eyes and lowered her head and I made my move. I was very young, very fast and quiet back then and I had her. I could feel it; I was going to kill her. And I wanted to, God, how I wanted to," she paused for a moment. "And she was going to let me."

Gabrielle shivered slightly, unnerved by the passion in Xan's voice. Xan seemed to sense it. She looked into Gabrielle's eyes and Gabrielle was surprised to see that Xan's eyes were filled, not with excitement as she had imagined, but with tears.

"She was such an evil person, Gabrielle. She was not the Xena that you know. You cannot begin to conceive of how truly dark she was back then," shaking her head once more, brushing her sleeve across her eyes, she laughed edgily, blowing out a short gust of air. "And then," she continued, "for just the tinniest moment, I hesitated. I don't know why, I have never been able to answer that question. The next thing I knew, I was lying flat on my back at her feet. Her sword was at my throat, my mouth a bloody mess..." unconsciously, she touched her scarred lip. "I don't know how she did so much damage in so short a time. I looked up at her...by the gods, she was beautiful," she glanced at Gabrielle, blushing deeply, and cleared her throat. "She stood there, staring down at me, this incredible strength and fire in the coldest blue eyes I had ever seen. I was terrified, yet fascinated at the same time," she took another deep breath, meeting Gabrielle's eyes again. "And I knew I was going to die. She was going to kill me. And the funny thing was, I was so sick to death of my life at that point, I didn't care, and somehow, she knew it. She got this kind of feral, half smile on her face, and her eyes, her eyes were just...empty. I saw the muscles of her arm tighten as she gripped her sword tighter and I closed my eyes. Nothing happened. And that made me angry..." Xan laughed a little. "I thought she was toying with me, you see? So I opened my eyes. There was someone else there. Xena looked as though she had seen a ghost, maybe she had. I looked up; it was a young girl. Rachel. She was breathtaking. Not just her beauty, though she certainly had that. She had this aura of power about her. This same strength and fire only more subdued... controlled, do you know what I mean?"

Gabrielle nodded slightly.

"I mean, Xena was always like an overflowing dam, ready to burst at any given moment. But Rachel...Rachel is more like the sea, calm, deceiving on the surface, but underneath..." Xan reached over and gave Gabrielle's shoulder a quick squeeze. "Kind of like you," she concluded smiling a bit. "Rachel bent down beside me and touched her fingers to my mouth. I remember trying to turn away, not because it hurt, but because I didn't want to get blood on her. Isn't that odd? I looked up into her eyes..." Xan's voice grew very soft, "and they reminded me so much of Xena's that, for a moment, I swear my heart stopped right in mid-beat. But, Rachel... she was crying and my heart, it kind of...leapt forward again, but it...hurt. It hurt for her. I can't explain- "

"I know what you mean," Gabrielle said softly.

Xan nodded. "When I looked around, Xena was gone, for the time being at least. It was almost as though one had replaced the other. The good and the evil, the yin and the yang. So different and yet...not. It was very strange." Xan met Gabrielle's eyes once more. "And that's how I met Xena."

They stared at one another for a moment, a thousand questions forming in both their minds, yet neither one spoke. Xan looked up. The rain had changed from a light, pervading mist into increasingly heavy drops.

"We'd better get back inside," Gabrielle suggested, shivering slightly as a pool of cold moisture dripped from Xan's coat and slid down the back of her neck.

Xan nodded then shook her head, as Gabrielle began to remove the coat to give it back to her. "You keep it on. I'm fine."

"Thanks. I'm growing rather fond of it, even though it does smell a bit like horses."

"Could be worse," Xan grinned.

"Much," Gabrielle agreed.

They made their way up the steep incline to the mossy, vine covered rocks that hid the entrance to their little sanctuary. Xan gave Gabrielle a slight boost up the face of the fallen debris.

"Be careful," Xan warned. "That moss is- "

"Whoa!" Gabrielle yelped, sliding back down the face of the rock, landing smack on top of Xan in the process. Xan tried to hold them both up, but the ground was slick with mud. Her feet slid out from under her, sending them on a quick ride most of the way back down the incline. When they came to rest, finally, they both lay still for a moment, Xan flat on her back, Gabrielle right on top of her.

" -probably slippery." Xan completed her sentence with a giggle.

Gabrielle smiled a little and struggled to get up, Xan gave her another push from behind. Once on her feet, she turned to give Xan a hand, still trying to find purchase on the mud slick ground. Grabbing her hand, Xan attempted to pull herself to her feet and succeeded only in pulling Gabrielle off of hers once more.

"Umph," Xan grunted, as Gabrielle landed on top of her again.

"Sorry," Gabrielle apologized, looking straight into Xan's sparkling gray eyes.

"It's okay, I've been in much worse positions. Actually, this isn't half bad except for the rain, the mud and the fact that I can barely breath. No offense."

Gabrielle smiled. Their eyes locked for a moment. Every sound seemed remarkably defined. Thunder rumbled, long and low, causing the ground to shudder slightly beneath them. The wind moaned forlornly through the fallen ruins above them, accompanied by raindrops dripping musically from the rocks and trees. They broke eye contact as another sound intruded upon them.

"Horse," Xan said softly.

"Yes," Gabrielle agreed, awkwardly disengaging herself from Xan, trying to keep her bandaged hand from getting any more sodden than it already was. Regaining her feet once more, she held out her good hand to Xan.

"Oh, no you don't, I'm on to that one."

Gabrielle blushed as Xan maneuvered herself to her feet. Grimacing slightly, Xan grabbed hold of the seat of her pants and shook them.

"Eeewwh. Next time, you're on bottom."

Gabrielle grinned, in spite of her slight discomfort at Xan's teasing. "No way. I like being on top." The words escaped her before she even realized they were there and she blushed again as Xan hooted laughter.

They grew quickly serious once more as the sound of a horse approaching drew nearer.

"Someone's definitely..."

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

"Coming!" Rachel hissed through clenched teeth. "She's definitely coming now."

"All right," Xena said calmly. "Try to relax. Don't hold your breath, Rachel."

Rachel squeezed Xena's hand as another contraction hit her. "Xena, there's something..." letting out a small yelp of pain, "something..."

"Sssh, Rachel, don't try and talk now."

"Something's wrong," Rachel persisted, biting down on her lip.

"What?" Xena queried, knowing better than to doubt her.

Rachel shook her head, squeezing hard on Xena's hand again. "I...it hurts, God, it hurts."

Xena looked down, startled, as a rush of blood covered her hand. Too much blood," she thought to herself. Way too much.

Rachel cried out again and Xena winced. "I want you to push now, Rachel," she instructed, trying to keep her voice calm. "Come on, push!"

"I am pushing! Dammit!"

Their eyes met, Xena looked shocked for a moment and then they both laughed.

"B-bad habit I ...p-picked up.. from Xan," Rachel informed her between gulps of air.

"Mmmm," was Xena's somewhat distracted reply.

"I don't...know why it...helps, but... does."

Xena was silent.

"What is it?" Rachel asked, reading the distress in her eyes.

Xena looked up at her. "The baby is breech, Rachel," she said softly.

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

"He's coming in fast, Xan remarked, let's get out of sight."

Stepping cautiously, they moved behind a fallen piece of wall and ducked down. The horse thundered into the clearing and across the cemetery.

"Fool," Xan muttered, peeking up over the wall, sensing disaster.

Sure enough, the horse stumbled over a heaved up piece of ground, forelegs sliding forward in the mud. The rider, who had been looking back over his shoulder, pitched headfirst out of the saddle. His horse, already spooked by the mud and the fall, regained its feet and bolted as thunder growled menacingly overhead.

"Dammit-all-hell-and-fire!" Xan swore softly, looking down at Gabrielle. "We could have used that horse. Sorry," she added sheepishly at Gabrielle's raised eyebrow.

That was a curse she certainly hadn't heard before and Gabrielle wasn't sure if Xan was apologizing for her language, or the fact that she was more concerned with losing the horse than the rider.

"Well, let's go see," Xan said disgustedly. "Before whatever he is running from catches up with him." She turned to find Gabrielle already on her way. "Hey, wait up," Xan called after her. "Slow down, will ya?" Xan huffed, reaching her side.

"What if he's hurt?"

"What if he's armed?"

Gabrielle looked over at her. "I can take care of myself."

"Yeah? And what are you gonna do, throw mud pies at him?"

Gabrielle gave her a look.

"Your hand..."

"I know," She said shortly, exasperated more with herself than with Xan, but she did slow down.

They reached him just as he extricated himself from the oozing mud. He was, indeed, armed and reached immediately for his sword.

"You don't want to do that."

He stopped, something in Xan's voice giving him pause. He stared at them for a moment, then took a step forward. Xan moved slightly in front of Gabrielle.

"Xander?"

Xan looked at him more closely as he wiped the grime from his face.

"Nathan?" Xan said in surprise as he recognized him, minus the mud.

"Yeah," the man answered, spitting a glob of mud off to the side. "Yuck." "What are you doing out here?"

"We've got to get out of here," Nathan stated flatly, ignoring the question and looking nervously toward the woods. "Zagnan's men are not far behind me."

"How many?" Gabrielle followed his gaze.

Nathan glanced at her. Having not paid much attention to her previously, he now did a double take. His mouth opened, but nothing came out. Xan gave him a swift whack in the chest.

"Answer her. You suddenly gone mute or something?"

"Huh? Oh, uh...two for sure, maybe three," he stammered, rubbing his chest and giving Xan a dirty look.

"Let's get out of sight," Gabrielle suggested. "With luck, maybe they will just pass us by, following your horse."

As they made their way back into the ruins, Xan introduced Nathan to Gabrielle. Nathan gave Gabrielle's hand a quick shake and gave Xan a big grin and a suggestive wink. Xan scowled at him, effectively eliminating the grin.

"Where are Michael and David?" Xan asked.

Gabrielle, again, was drawn by the unusual names; they sounded vaguely familiar. She had read about them somewhere...

"They're dead."

Nathan's blunt words put an end to her musing.

"Zagnan's men found us at the springs. I managed to fight my way out. They...did not."

Xan studied him more closely and he seemed uncomfortable under her scrutiny.

He turned his eyes to the woods once more, then shifted his gaze to Gabrielle. "Are you a friend of Xena's? Did you find Xena? he asked, glancing at Xan for a moment.

"I..." Gabrielle hesitated, there was something odd about this man, something that she did not quite trust.

"She's a friend of mine," Xan advised him shortly, giving Gabrielle the impression that she felt the same way about him.

"Look," Gabrielle whispered. "They're coming."

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

"What do you see?" Rachel asked calmly.

"Shoulder." Xena answered, matching her tone.

Rachel sighed. "Well, it could be a lot worse. You're going to have to take her though. You know that, don't you?"

Xena looked up at her. "You're losing a lot of blood, I can't cut you, it would kill you."

"You have to..."

"Maybe I could turn- "

"Xena. You can't. You are just wasting time and you need to hurry."

Xena shook her head. "I'm not going to- "

Rachel grabbed her wrist in a surprisingly strong grip. "Xena, this child must survive, she must."

"At what cost?"

"At any cost!"

"Why? Whose child is this? Who is the father?"

Rachel drew a deep breath and released it slowly. "Do you believe in miracles, Xena?"

"From the gods?" Xena sneered in distaste.

Rachel shook her head slightly. "There is a greater power. The gods of Rome and Greece will pass, this one will not. Not ever." She looked into Xena's eyes, ignoring the look of disbelief so clearly evident in them. "You've seen it, felt it, I know you have."

"I've seen a great evil power, if that's what you are talking about." Xena looked away from her.

Rachel frowned. "The Fallen," she whispered. "It caused you great pain. I'm sorry, Xena."

Xena met her eyes once more, enchanted by their beauty, saddened by their ageless wisdom, old beyond their years. What have you seen," Xena wondered to herself. Where have you been, and why... "Yeah, well," she spoke aloud, "it's gone now, so..."

"It will never be gone, Xena," Rachel told her. Xena looked startled.

"You're afraid," Rachel whispered.

"I've beaten it before." Xena replied harshly. "I can- "

"You are afraid it dwells within you, this darkness, that it has always been there, and you will never truly defeat it."

Xena was growing confused, and angry. "I don't know what you are talking about, Rachel. Whose child is this? Why is Zagnan looking for you? Who sent him?" she insisted, turning the subject back to the matter at hand.

Rachel gasped as another spasm took her. She locked her eyes onto Xena's. "You must...must take this child...now, Xena, or you will lose us both!

"Tell me!" Xena demanded, her voice hard, unrelenting.

"Rome," Rachel stated finally, turning Xena's blood to ice.

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