Copyright ~ Well Universal and company own Xena, Gabrielle, Cyrene Ephiny, Solari, Eponin, Velasca, and the rest of the Amazon idea. But I own Joan and Teresa all to myself along with the story line.

Subtext and Mature Stuff ~ Oh yes definitely that women being in-love with each ruckus. ;-) Sex stuff… it may happen it may not, it’s casual.

Violence ~ Will have violence at some point, but nothing to bloody.

Special Dedication ~ The character, Joan, I have created just for Deb. Deb wanted to bring life to Joan in a fashion so I decided to help her out. Deb, I hope you like this version of Joan. ;-) Thank you for giving me a chance to create a new and special character. This story is dedicated to you Deb! And Joan will become a regular character too, hope y’all like her.

Questions? Comments? or Advice? Send it away to me at redhope@redhope.net

Started: Started: October 13th 2000 Friday

Started: July 20^th 2000 on Thursday

Series Three: Putting the Puzzle Together Story: Eight

Xena’s eyes lifted to the woods then lowered back down to Gabrielle in the furs. She bent down to one knee and brought her right hand to caress her friend’s cheek. "Gabrielle," she whispered.

"Xena?" Gabrielle’s eyes opened.

"Velasca is coming."

The bard’s eyes widen with fear.

"Ssssh, it’s okay." Xena smiled a little. "Listen to me. Joan went to the cave to pour the wine all over." She paused. "Now we’re going to pretend that you just woke up when Velasca gets closer. I’ll tell you to go to the cave, do that, leave your staff, and I’ll stay here and slow Velasca. Got me?"

The Amazon Queen nodded and was serious at seeing Xena shift into warrior mode. "What else?"

The warrior’s hand went to Gabrielle’s shoulder. "I’ll try tie Velasca up to hold her for a minute or two. I’ll meet you in the cave and climb up on one of the ropes out of site from Velasca and with a torch." She took a deep breath. "You get near that edge and get Velasca to charge you and you jump up to me."

"Okay." Gabrielle furrowed her eyebrows. "What about Joan?"

"As soon as we get to the ground from the ropes she’ll be there to toss the ambrosia into the pit with Velasca."

"After that, just run like bats out of Hades."

"Yes and don’t stop running until that explosion settles. Gods only know how big it will be." Xena smiled confidently. "You ready?"

"Never have been, I just go." Gabrielle chuckled but went serious as she felt her skin crawl. "She’s here."

"Yess." The warrior lifted her eyes and narrowed them. "Get up." She stood up. "Now."

"Morning Xena and Gabrielle." The god came stomping in. "Pleasant morning isn’t it?" Velasca smirked with white eyes.

Gabrielle stood up and glared at the god.

Xena stepped between her partner and the god while drawing her sword. "Get out of here Gabrielle."

"Xena?"

"Gabrielle," growled the warrior. "I’ll slow her down."

Velasca turned her head a little and laughed. "Right."

The bard took a deep breath and broke out into a run.

The god narrowed her eyes then her right hand shot up to shoot a bolt at Gabrielle. She clearly missed.

Gabrielle ducked, disappeared into the woods and she heard Xena’s warrior cry echo. She ushered while running, "Be careful Xena." She came up to the cave.

"Ready lass?" Joan stood by the mouth with three wineskins and the ambrosia in the other hand.

"No." Gabrielle chuckled. "Go hide Joan till its time."

"Right lass." The Celt smiled confidently. "Be careful Gabrielle, this is the scary part of the caper."

"Tell me about it." The bard grinned however went stern. "Go Joan, she’ll be here."

"Right." Joan winked and turned to hide in the woods.

The bard sighed but jogged into the already lit cave. She jogged down to the edge and looked down to see the floor soaked with wine. "Artemis, please let this work," she quietly prayed.

"Ahhh!" Velasca charged the Warrior Princess.

Xena laughed as she jumped to disappear into the trees.

The god now found a lasso around her that went taut. "This won’t hold me Xena." She began to break the rope.

The warrior dropped two more of the thick lasso ropes to slow Velasca down. She grabbed all three ropes and dropped to the ground to lift Velasca up. Xena laughed evilly and ran over to a tree branch to tie the three ropes. "See you Velasca." She broke off running towards the cave.

The god closed her eyes to begin to work against the ropes.

Xena came running into the cave, down the steps, and she grabbed a lit torch. "She’s coming Gabrielle." The warrior came up to her best friend. "You got this?"

The Amazon Queen nodded. "Yeah, now or never." She smiled. "Just catch me."

"Don’t worry, I will." The Warrior Princess put the torch’s end between her teeth and leapt to grab onto the close rope. She climbed it a ways knowing the god wouldn’t see her from here and grabbed the torch with her left hand while wrapping her feet around the rope.

Gabrielle spun around at hearing footsteps. She narrowed her eyes and lifted her arms. "Xena?"

"Afraid not." Velasca came down the steps quickly. "How fitting, you’ll die where I did." She walked up near Gabrielle. "Are you prepared to die Gabrielle?"

"Didn’t we do this last time Velasca?" The Amazon Queen smirked. "I just keep noticing how stupid you are." She laughed lowly. "At least I’ll die knowing that truth."

Velasca narrowed her eyes. "You bitch."

"Takes one to know one Velasca."

The god screamed and charged towards the Amazon Queen. As she charged her eyes had widen at seeing Gabrielle turn and jump up. "No!"

"Xena!" The bard screamed and reached for her warrior.

Xena reached out while swing forward and her right arm came around Gabrielle’s waist pulling her in. Simultaneously, Xena dropped the torch in her left hand to let her hand freely grasp the rope tightly. It was all timing.

Gabrielle wrapped her legs around Xena then dug her head between Xena’s breast as she heard a large surge and the heat of the fire rise.

Velasca’s scream echoed through the cave and out the entrance.

"Hold on to me." The Warrior Princess swung, balled up to soar through the air, and land in the corridor.

"Move, move!" Joan yelled.

Xena and Gabrielle moved out of each other’s arms as they started running down the corridor.

Joan threw the ambrosia at the fire pit and turned to run.

The three women bursted from the cave’s mouth as a loud wave of fire came flying up behind.

"Run Gabrielle!" the warrior yelled.

The bard was ahead and she ran forward breathing heavy and she felt the eruption to sped her pulse up.

Joan was right behind Xena and she felt herself being lifted off the ground tofly through the air form the eruption. She hit the ground hard then went unconscious.

Xena came right up behind Gabrielle and scooped her partner up into her arms. The adrenaline pumped through her veins causing her head to buzz.

"Xena!" The bard could hear the eruption coming closer to them as her heart pounded.

The Warrior Princess took a few more running steps, jumped up, tucked, and hit the ground to roll. She came to a stop and she kept her body over top of Gabrielle’s small form. She dug her head down as she felt bits of stone hit her body.

Gabrielle had her eyes closed tightly as she felt the air heat up and then suddenly go cool. A little dust filtered by and everything went dead quiet other then her and Xena’s breathing. "By the gods."

Xena slowly opened her eyes put kept her head buried down. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." The small woman took a deep breath. "Are you?"

"Oh yeah." The warrior grinned. "Loved every moment of it."

Gabrielle chuckled but stopped as she remembered her friend. "Joan."

"Hades." The warrior lifted her head to gaze around. She saw the dust settling and she looked around to see Joan unconscious behind a large rock. "She’s okay."

The bard lifted her head up and looked over to see her Celtic friend peacefully asleep. Her shoulders slumped and she saw Xena sit up so she did the same. "That… was an explosion."

Xena chuckled. "Just a small one."

The younger woman sighed and shook her head. "Thanks Xena."

"Hey anytime." Xena leaned towards Gabrielle and kissed her lovingly. She pulled back with a smile. "Let’s go check on Joan."

Gabrielle nodded in agreement while standing up with her partner. She walked over to Joan and bent down. "Joan?" She shook the Celt’s shoulders gently.

Xena gazed over at the rubble to see nothing left but a huge heap of rocks in a small pile. The mouth of the cave gone along with the small mountain the cave was held in.

Joan coughed and opened her eyes. She rolled onto her back and peered up into sparkling green eyes. "Did we get her?"

The bard smiled warmly. "Yup."

Xena lowered her eyes plus grinned to Joan. "Consider the dragon buried for eternity Joan."

The Celtic warrior groaned, rolled onto her side, and mumbled something in her dialect.

~*~*~*~

"So Joan, what you think of our Queen and her partner?" Ephiny stood with her hands on her hips and a smug look.

The Celtic warrior’s eyes widen. "For Teufates’s sake, this two women know how to have a guid adventure." She shook her head. "Never again."

Gabrielle chuckled at her friend and patted Joan’s back. "Wasn’t all that bad of a caper Joan."

"Lass…" The Celt turned her head to the Amazon Queen in the middle of the village. "I’ve never been that close to death in a long time." She grinned a little. "Nor have I ever seen so many dragons."

"Don’t forget about being hunted by an obsessed god."

Joan laughed at Gabrielle’s words. "That too." She shook her head and gazed back to the regent. "I’ve never learned so much about two peoples’ lifestyles either."

Ephiny corked an eyebrow. "What you mean?"

Xena leaned towards her partner and whispered, "This is going to be bad."

Gabrielle groaned.

"Well…" Joan chuckled and continued. "I learned that Greek warriors sleep in each other’s arms." She shrugged her shoulders. "In me lands we sleep back to back."

The regent slowly lifted her eyes up to the two partners. "Sleep in each other’s arms huh?" She smiled back to Joan. "Yup… we do that here, especially Amazons." She winked.

The Celtic warrior laughed and glanced at Gabrielle. "Is that true?"

The bard lifted her right hand to her neck. "Um… yeah." She nodded and lowered her hand. "Ancient Amazon tradition."

Joan nodded. "I know how those traditions are, very serious."

"Exactly." Gabrielle smiled with innocences but went serious. "Why don’t you go get some sleep Joan."

"I was thinking the same thing lass." Joan dropped her shoulders and ran her right hand through her red curly locks. "I’m going to sleep the hael day." She started walking towards her guest hut. "See you Xena and Gabrielle." She smiled.

The warrior and bard smiled back and gave a quick wave.

"Sleep in each other’s arms?" Ephiny raised an eyebrow while crossing her arms against her chest. "I gotta hear the explanation for this one."

"Later Eph." Gabrielle grinned.

"Later then." The Amazon gave a grin back but went serious. "So are you both staying till these treaties are done?"

The bard groaned. "Oh no, I completely forgot."

The warrior shifted the reins in her hand and gazed at the regent. "How long will it take to do them?"

Ephiny shrugged her shoulders. "How ever long the Queen wants it to take."

Xena nodded and gazed down at her partner. "Tomorrow?"

"Definitely." Gabrielle looked up to her best friend. "I wanna catch up on sleep."

The warrior nodded in agreement.

"Eph?"

"Yeah?" The regent smiled to her Queen.

"Thank you." The Queen stepped forward and pulled her friend in for a tight hug. "You were a huge help."

"No problem." Ephiny pulled back with a warm smile. "It was great fun." She then creased her eyebrows together. "What happened to Velasca anyway?"

"We basically blew up the ambrosia cave with her in it."

The regent nodded at Gabrielle. "Naturally." She chuckled. "Tell me more later too." She took a deep breath. "Well there should be a hot bath ready for you both. Figured you wanted time to relax."

"Yeah, thanks Eph." The Queen smiled warmly and shifted her weight to her other foot while leaning against her staff. "One last thing, did you tell Solari anything about Xena and I?"

The Amazon had a confused look and gazed between Xena and Gabrielle. "No… why?"

"She constantly asked me who Gabrielle… hooked up with."

Ephiny looked up to Xena and chuckled. "That’s Solari for you. I didn’t say a word other then to Ep." She shrugged her shoulders. "Just when Ep was hitting on Gabrielle, said she was taken."

Gabrielle chuckled at the memory yet sighed sadly. "Good, make sure you don’t say anything."

The regent evilly grinned. "I’ll try not too."

"Eph." The bard’s eyes narrowed. "I don’t mind putting my regent on patrol duty."

Ephiny laughed with a sigh. "Alright… alright, you got me." She smiled warmly. "Go get some rest."

Gabrielle straightened up. "Talk to you later Eph and thanks again."

"Anytime." Ephiny watched the pair walk off in mid afternoon.

~*~*~*~

Gabrielle shifted around the tub as Xena slipped in next. The bard moved next to her partner in the warm water. "Smart regent."

"Yeah." The warrior shifted her shoulders a little against the back of the tub and dropped her head back. That’s when she noticed her back. "Hades."

"Mmm?" The small woman glanced up. "You alright?"

"My back." Xena lifted her head up. "Aches from those rocks."

"Damn," whispered Gabrielle. "Why don’t you lean forward against the tub and I’ll massage your back."

The older woman arched an eyebrow. "You sure?"

The Queen raised an eyebrow back. "Yesss, come on."

The warrior grinned and shifted across the tub and lifted her arms up onto the top of the tub. She crossed her arms there then rested her chin down on her arms.

Gabrielle slowly came up behind and brought her small hands to the warrior’s back. She slowly began the massage at the top of Xena’s back. "How’s that?"

"Perfect." Xena’s eyes gradually closed. "Thanks."

"No thanks." The bard smiled. "You saved me, the least I can do."

"Mmm it’s worth the aches."

"Thanks." Gabrielle smirked behind her partner’s back.

The warrior went a bit serious. "You know I’d do it again."

"I know." The bard sadly smiled in addition to whispering again, "I know."

The older woman’s eyes opened. "Gabrielle?"

"Sorry." The small woman’s hands went farther down Xena’s back. "It’s just… sometimes I don’t like how much you put on stake for me."

"And I don’t like that you put your life on the line so you can just be with me."

"Just?" Gabrielle shook her head. "That’s… that’s all I want to do. Is be with you." She paused feeling her bard side come to life. "Life is a road that I want to walk down only with you and love is a river I want to flow on with you."

Xena’s lips slowly formed into a warm smile. "Thank you." She paused trying to collect her thoughts. "Never had anybody so determined to stay beside me."

Gabrielle had a confident smile while her hands were on Xena’s lower back. "That’s because I’m madly in-love with you for eternity."

The warrior’s eyes slowly drifted shut. "I know the feeling."

"Oh?"

Xena chuckled lightly. "Since the grove." She grinned. "I did a double-take when I saw you."

"Really?" Gabrielle furrowed her eyebrows as she brought her hands up to work Xena’s shoulders.

"You didn’t see me get knocked over?"

The bard was silent for a moment while she tried to think back to that day. Her face took on realization. "I do remember. I thought you were just unfocused."

"I was, by you."

Gabrielle chuckled quietly. "I can’t believe that."

"It’s true." Xena smiled to herself and felt warm hands leave her shoulders. Now she sensed Gabrielle’s arms wrapping around her waist. Then the bard’s warm hands were gliding up her stomach and Xena let out a moan. "Gabrielle."

The younger woman kissed her partner’s shoulder plus continued to bring her hands up Xena’s smooth stomach. She went increasingly warm as her fingertips glided right under Xena’s breasts. Her heart pounded knowing she’d never gone this far with Xena.

The warrior moaned lightly and whispered, "Oh gods."

Gabrielle evilly smiled to herself at the reaction and her fingertips glided over the warrior’s nipples feeling them hard.

"Gabrielle."

The Amazon Queen brought her lips close to Xena’s lips. "Turn around."

Slowly Xena turned with her back against the tub.

The bard shifted to straddle Xena at the hips. Her hands came back up out of the water to take Xena’s breasts again.

Xena’s arms were up on the tub with a death grip. Her head dropped back while her eyes closed as her breathing became heavy.

Gabrielle slid her hands back down her warrior’s sides and she leaned into bring her lips over Xena’s right breast.

The taller woman moaned lightly and brought her right arm down to encircle Gabrielle’s waist. Her body wanted to press everything on but she knew that would be crossing the line. So she let herself fall into Gabrielle’s touch.

The bard’s tongue came out to swirl around her partner’s nipple then her mouth began to suck. Slowly she brought up her right hand to take Xena’s left breast.

The warrior’s back arched into Gabrielle’s body.

Gabrielle could feel the fire roaring in her body yet she knew she never felt something so powerful. Shifting her lips across, she brought her mouth to take her warrior’s left breast.

Xena whimpered faintly and spoke with plea. "Gabrielle." She knew if this kept going she would be built up. So she averted her right hand to her bard’s chin to lift her head up. She claimed Gabrielle’s lips in a passionate kiss.

The Amazon Queen quickly understood and pulled back from the kiss to wrap her arms around Xena. She leaned into the taller woman and dropped her head against Xena’s chest. She could hear the warrior’s heart pounding while her head rose high.

The older woman drew Gabrielle more in with her arms however she kept her eyes closed.

The small woman closed her eyes and tried to steady her breathing. "That was different."

Xena quietly laughed, opened her eyes, and lowered her head to kiss the top of her partner’s head. "Felt…"

"Erotic?" Gabrielle suggested.

The warrior grinned to herself and rested her head on top of Gabrielle’s. "Not even that, more."

"I guess you’ll just have to try it on the bard." The small woman lifted her head up with a grin.

The dark warrior’s eyes twinkled to her partner. "Maybe." She leaned into lightly kiss Gabrielle. "Let’s get cleaned up."

Gabrielle shifted back in the tub and felt an internal shiver at knowing Xena would do the same to her at some point. The waiting part would get to her.

Within the next few minutes the two women were bathing and learning more parts of each other’s bodies. Both finding each other’s bodies a perfection of muscles and smooth skin. By the end Gabrielle hopped out of the tub quickly to grab some towels.

The warrior’s eyes were twinkling and she whispered to herself, "Bard on the loose." She slowly rose up in the water to her full height when Gabrielle came back in.

The Amazon Queen came in and stopped walking at seeing Xena.

Xena corked an eyebrow while slowly climbing out of the tub. "Nice scenery?"

Gabrielle lifted her eyes to lock with Xena. "Nice isn’t even the word for it."

The warrior chuckled and came up to her partner. "Gabrielle?"

The bard shook the dreamy look on her face. "Yeah?"

"I’m all yours."

The Amazon Queen’s lips shifted into an evil grin. "I know." She lifted one of the towels and lightly slammed into the warrior’s chest. "Your towel." She turned around with her own and put some space between them. Slowly she dried herself off.

Xena’s tongue ran across the back of her molars. "She’s good." Unfolding her towel she began to dry herself off. After she was done in a minute, she ran her right hand through her wet bangs and tossed the towel to a chair.

Gabrielle lowered her towel then lifted her head up while running her hand through her bangs to brush them back. She turned her head to see Xena coming towards her and she arched an eyebrow.

The warrior came right up while putting one arm around Gabrielle’s shoulders. "How are you?"

"Dry." The bard peeked up with suspicious eyes. She started to move. "I’m going-"

"No, not yet." Xena shifted her arm around Gabrielle’s waist to pull her back. She grasped Gabrielle’s towel as well as tossed it onto her towel. "Come here." She lowered her lips to seal with Gabrielle’s.

The small woman moaned in the warrior’s mouth then pulled back with dark eyes. "Maybe not yet."

"Well what comes around goes around." Xena’s lips trailed down Gabrielle’s neck and shoulders. "Tell me if you want me to stop," Xena whispered.

"I doubt if I will." The bard’s head dropped back. She felt the warrior’s hands come to her shoulders which caused her eyes to close. She sensed Xena bending down some and along with those large hands traveling down her chest, over her breasts, over her stomach, and to finally hold her sides. "Xena."

"You’ll like this."

The bard chuckled for a second but quickly stopped as a hot mouth took her right breast. She brought her hands over to grasp Xena’s shoulders tightly in control.

The older woman worked the breast showing her partner what she had done earlier to her. After she’d teased the right breasts her intoxicating lips traced across between Gabrielle’s breasts to take the left one strongly.

"Like isn’t the word… for it." The bard was just able to say that as she felt Xena’s teeth nip at her. "Xena," she quietly hissed.

Xena grinned and slowly stood back up to take Gabrielle’s lips while her hands shifted up to massage the full breasts.

Gabrielle was fiercely kissing the warrior.

The dark warrior lowered her hands from Gabrielle’s breasts to capture her hips again and she kissed Gabrielle lightly this time. "Sssh."

The bard sucked in a deep breath then dropped her head down on Xena’s chest. "Elysian fields?"

"Not even that." Xena grinned yet circled Gabrielle with her arms.

"That’s the closes I can come." Gabrielle chuckled. "Still isn’t the best description."

"You won’t find one."

"I know." The Amazon Queen’s eyes gradually closed.

~*~*~*~

The bard sighed and rolled to her left, which caused a shot to go through her body. "Hades."

"Got you." Xena tightened her arms around her friend. "Don’t roll off."

"Explain to me why I chose to roll near the edge?"

"Bad dream?"

Gabrielle closed her eyes. "Yeah." Her eyes opened again. "Dreamed about falling down the pit… again."

"That would explain the edge of the bed."

The small woman quietly laughed. "You’re probably right." Her eyes studied the wood floor. "This is really uncomfortable."

"Let’s try this." The warrior’s arms tightened, next she rolled to her left onto her back. "Turn over Gabrielle."

Gabrielle slowly turned over to face Xena. "That’s better." She snuggled into the warrior’s body.

"Comfortable?"

"Incredible." The Amazon Queen contently sighed but lifted her head off Xena’s chest. "What time is it?"

Xena turned her head to the right to gaze out the window. "About two candlemarks before sunset." Her head came back towards Gabrielle. "Go back to sleep."

Gabrielle nodded in agreement then dropped her head back down with a content sigh. Her arms shifted to tighten around Xena. "Xena?"

The warrior’s eyes were closed but she responded, "Yeah?"

"I love you."

The older woman lifted her head up to kiss Gabrielle’s head. When her head came back down she answered with a deep tone. "I love Gabrielle."

~*~*~*~

"Who’s she hooked up with?" Solari put her hands on her hips.

The warrior’s eyes suddenly narrowed at the second in command. "Solari-"

"Solari."

The second in command felt to small but strong hands grasp her shoulders. She slowly turned around to see her Queen. "Hi Gabrielle."

They were in the middle of the food hut at the first ray of darkness.

"I’ve heard you been bugging Xena about whom I am going out with." Gabrielle dropped her hands from Solari’s shoulders. "Go to the source. Why don’t you try asking me?" She gave a frustrated smile.

Solari smiled sheepishly. "Well…"

Gabrielle arched an eyebrow and crossed her arms against her chest.

"Gabrielle," The Amazon whined to her Queen.

The Queen narrowed her eyes while leaning towards the Amazon. "Ask me or don’t ask anybody."

"But… but… Eph said you’re ‘taken’ and I thought Xena would know."

"Look Solari." Gabrielle dropped her arms. "I don’t know what Ephiny is talking about but I’m not going out with anybody."

"Nnno." Solari shook her head. "Xena said she knew." She narrowed her eyes. "Somebody around here is lying."

"Are you calling me a liar?" The Queen pointed to herself.

"No, no." The second in command smiled. "It’s just somebody is talking shmack around here. But you’re really not going out with anybody?"

"No." Gabrielle smiled with fakeness. "Not going out with somebody." She then went serious. "Maybe somebody is talking… shmack around here to get you geared up. We both know Xena has that evil spot."

"Gabrielle." The warrior arched an eyebrow behind Solari.

The bard lifted her eyes up. "Well you do." She grinned.

Xena’s lips slowly spread into an evil smile. "Never."

The second in command spun around to catch the remains of Xena’s evil smile. "Uh huh." She shook her head. "I will figure this conspiracy out." She looked between Gabrielle and the warrior. "Check you guys later." She stomped off.

Gabrielle watched her Amazon go then started to chuckle. "Poor Solari."

"Poor nothing." Xena faced her partner. "She deserves it after annoying me."

"Thanks for not making her smaller then she already is." The Queen peered up.

"She’s lucky." The Warrior Princess huffed but smiled to her best friend. "Let’s get something to eat."

"Sounds good to me." Gabrielle started walking through the hut to the food area.

Xena followed behind.

Soon the pair had plates of food and mugs of drinks so they sat down. Joan soon was joining them with Ephiny.

Gabrielle munched on her pile of mixed vegetables. Her eyes shifted to her partner, which made her evilly grin. With her right hand she reached up to push the warrior’s plate away.

Xena turned her head to Gabrielle with a puzzled look.

The bard looked away with a low snicker. Her eyes lifted to Joan across the bench table. "Rested?"

The Celtic warrior smiled. "Yes, well rested. How about you both?"

Gabrielle nodded. "Oh yeah." She let in a deep breath and slowly let it out. "Have you thought more about my… offer?"

Joan chuckled and shook her head. "Not yet."

"Offer?" Ephiny glanced between her Queen and Joan. "What? We hired Joan to do the Velasca Chaos?"

The Queen laughed. "No Eph." She sighed and explained quietly. "I offered Joan to become an Amazon."

The regent now smiled warmly and turned her head to the left towards Joan. "You’ll fit right in."

"So I’ve been told Ephiny." Joan grinned at the Amazon. "I’m not sure though yet." Her grin dropped.

"You will." Xena grinned.

The Celtic warrior turned her head to the Greek warrior. "How you know?"

"Let’s put it this way Joan." Xena’s face was masked with smugness. "Not even I can say no to Gabrielle."

"What?" The bard narrowed her eyes at her warrior. "You’ve said no to me before."

The older woman turned her head in Gabrielle’s direction. "Name one time, just one."

The small woman opened her mouth to respond but… well nothing had came. "Hades… I’ll come up with a time."

"No you won’t ‘cause I’ve always said yes." Xena grinned evilly.

The Amazon Queen narrowed her sparkling eyes but turned her head quickly to Joan with a smile. "It’s up to you."

The Celt nodded seriously. "We’ll all see."

"I heard somebody is talking shmack around here."

Gabrielle raised an eyebrow at her regent. "Solari tell you?"

The regent chuckled and gave a nod. "Yeah, before I sat down here she came up to me all in a huff." She shook her head. "What you doing to my woman?"

"Me?" Gabrielle corked an eyebrow. "You got this whole thing started."

"What’s that?" Joan glanced between the Queen and regent.

"Long story Joan." The warrior grinned to the Celt.

The Celtic sighed. "I keep getting that ‘long story’ explanation all the time. I know I’m missing out on some guid balderdash here."

A laugh came from the Queen but she sighed at the end. "We’ll tell you sometime Joan… but not now."

The Celtic frowned. "Well… later is better then never."

"Very true." Gabrielle gazed back at Ephiny. "Shmack?"

"I agree." The Celtic warrior turned her attention at Ephiny. "What’s that mean? I know I have a dialect but my god."

Ephiny sighed very long. "I know." She shook her head. "Solari and Ep keep making up these words and phrases." She creased her eyebrows together. "Last week’s was… break out a can of whoopass."

Xena started laughed quietly, which made her stop eating. She calmed down and gazed at Gabrielle. "I should try that on somebody I fight next time."

"Oh I can see this now." Gabrielle faced her best friend. "You standing there with your sword and some thugs on the road." She switched her voice to sound deeper. "Look boys if you don’t run along, I’m gonna break out a can of whoopass on you." She started to laugh with friends. "Xena, you’re liable to kill them from laughing."

"True." The warrior turned her head back and forth. "Or make them think I’m insane."

"Really." Gabrielle glanced back to Ephiny. "So what does shmack mean? Like crap?"

"Basically yeah." The regent nodded. "You’re talking a lot of shmack… you’re talking shit." She shrugged her shoulders. "I can’t figure out where they find the time to come up with this stuff."

The Amazon Queen leaned towards her regent. "You’re telling me that I have my second in command and weapons master finding time to make up words and phrases like this?" Her eyes narrowed a little. "Do my Amazons need some education here?"

Ephiny snickered. "Oh they changed the word education to… edchamacatiom or something like that."

Gabrielle groaned and mumbled out, "Hooked on phonics didn’t work for Solari and Ep."

"Is that an Amazon tradition?" Joan questioned the Queen and Ephiny.

"No." Gabrielle looked up with an annoyed look. "Sounds like its becoming one."

"Ah, just make fun of their talking Gabrielle." Ephiny evilly grinned. "That’ll get them to stop. Trust me I did it to Solari for a week and she stopped for a few."

"I hope you’re right." The bard sighed and went back to eating.

Within a half a candlemark Xena, Gabrielle, and Ephiny headed out of the food hut together. Gabrielle deciding to go to Ephiny’s hut to talk to her about some plans and the treaties. The group came to the hut, Ephiny went in first, but the partners stayed outside for a moment in the dark village.

"Hey you sure?" Gabrielle peered up to her friend.

"Only if you don’t take to long." Xena grinned.

"I shouldn’t be." The bard shrugged her shoulders. "I’ll talk to Eph about that kiss."

The warrior sighed. "Alright."

"Hey." The small woman smiled warmly. "I won’t do it if you don’t want me to."

"No." Xena smiled reassuringly. "It’ll be fun just be careful for my sake."

A small grin tugged at Gabrielle’s lips. "Don’t worry." She reached up to bring her friend’s head down and kiss her lightly. "See you in the hut."

"Yeah." The warrior smiled. "I’ll have some tea ready." She smiled and started walking off but called back. "Spicy or honey?"

"Spicy." Gabrielle evilly grinned. "I’m hurting for some spiciness." Xena’s laugh echoed back to her as she went into the hut.

"What took you?" Ephiny arched an eyebrow with her arms going against her chest.

"I was talking to Xena." Gabrielle walked over to her regent’s desk and sat down.

Ephiny came over and sat. "Talking huh?"

"Yeah… we talk." The Queen had a hidden annoyed look.

"Sorry." The regent’s expression was apologetic.

"It’s alright." The bard sighed and sat back into her seat. "It’s just I’m getting sick of everybody."

"What you mean?"

"Come on Eph." Gabrielle shook her head. "Since I got here, everybody has been wanting to know what’s going on with Xena and I. It’s getting a little personal."

"Yeah." The regent nodded with a sad face. "I’m sorry, I had a hand in it." She brushed back her curly hair. "I shouldn’t have said anything to Ep the other night."

Gabrielle shrugged her shoulders. "You were drinking then… I’d done the same."

"Still." The Amazon sighed. "I’ll be more careful."

"Maybe you could help me out." The Queen went serious.

"Sure, what you need?"

A small grin slipped over the bard’s face. "I want to play a trick on Solari to teach her a lesson."

"As long as it doesn’t get me into to much trouble." Ephiny crossed her arms in her lap. "I do love her."

"I know." Gabrielle’s head moved in understanding. "Otherwise I wouldn’t ask you."

"Lay it on me."

Gabrielle chuckled and began to explain her idea.

~*~*~*~

Xena lifted her eyes at seeing her best friend come in. "How’d it go?"

"She went for it." Gabrielle faced Xena, whom was only in her leathers.

"Good." The warrior stood up from the lit fireplace. "How you feel?"

"Still a bit tired," Gabrielle answered truthfully. "How’s the tea coming?" Her arms rested against her midriff now as she leaned against the door.

"Almost done." The older woman moved to stand in front of Gabrielle. "What’s going on with the treaties?"

"Eph seems to think I can get them ready tomorrow." The bard closed her eyes. "Then the next day they should be rewritten and ready for me to sign."

"Good."

"Yeah." Gabrielle opened her eyes again and straightened up then moved to enfold Xena with her arms.

Xena’s lips corked with a smile while she was pulling Gabrielle more in. "Think you can get your boots off?"

"Yeah sure." The small woman lifted her head. "What’s the plan?"

"To relax… in each other’s arms."

"Oooh." Gabrielle grinned. "Amazon tradition."

The tall woman quietly laughed and lowered her head down to Gabrielle’s. "No, our new tradition."

"Mmm… more like lifestyle." The bard suddenly tightened her arms giving Xena a tight squeeze.

The dark warrior coughed. "I need to breathe."

Gabrielle chuckled and released her warrior. "Come on, you’re tough." She walked over to the bed to sit down and untied her boots by bending forward.

"Yeah… but I’m getting old."

The bard’s hooded eyes came up. "Right." She pulled off one boot next soon came the other.

"Well… older then you at least." Xena said that a matter a factly.

"Now that’s true." The small Queen stood up with her boots. "But you’re still tough." She ambled over to the saddlebags to put the boots there.

Xena chuckled. "Maybe." She padded over to the fireplace. She bent down and pulled the kettle out to pour to hot water into two mugs.

Gabrielle sighed and came up to her warrior when she stood up with mugs. She was offered a mug and her small hands took it. "What… spice?"

"Ginger."

The bard at that point could smell the fine scent of ginger. "Oh yeah."

The warrior smiled to herself and walked over to the bed and sat down on the floor then leaned against the bed. Her mug settled down on the floor as she looked up. "Come here."

Carefully Gabrielle sat down with a smile. Her back molded into her warrior’s warm body. "This is nice."

"Definitely." Xena lifted her legs on either side of Gabrielle.

The bard lifted her mug up with both hands, she swallowed some of the hot ginger tea. She felt it travel down through her throat and into her stomach. "That’s really good."

"Yeah?" The warrior grasped her mug trying it herself. "Not bad."

Gabrielle’s right currently held the mug by the handle. Her left hand came down to Xena’s calf and rested there. "Gods, since when did we start drinking tea?"

"Now." The warrior had a grin and slid her left arm around her bard’s warm stomach.

"Gods, I’m not in the mood to do those stupid treaties tomorrow."

"I know." Xena drank a little more of her tea but put the mug back down on the floor. "They need to be done."

"Yeah I know." Gabrielle sighed. "Where we going after here?"

"To mother’s, I know she’s worried about us both."

"I love your mother." The bard started to giggle lightly while drinking her tea.

"That’s because you both love to trade stories about me." Xena was drinking her own tea.

"Come on." The bard sighed contently. "You know you love us talking about you."

Xena grunted quietly while drinking more tea. "Especially when I don’t know about what."

Gabrielle laughed then settled her mug onto the floor. "I love hearing stories about you." Her left hand started to idly run up and down Xena’s calf. "Then there’s my family." The bard groaned.

"Ah, your parents just don’t… take a liking to me."

"Xena?" Gabrielle shook her head. "You get more daggers thrown to you by my parents then you do by your enemies."

The older woman chuckled and responded, "Nah." She sighed. "I can understand their perspective. They think I stole their daughter."

"Hardly." The bard huffed. "More like I forced myself on you."

"Gabrielle, ever hear of the expression it takes two to tango?"

Gabrielle chuckled, lifted her mug, answered "Yes," and drank a little tea.

"You may have forced your friendship on me but I had to agree to it."

"Yeah I guess." The bard’s mug came down again while she kept idly running her fingertips up and down her partner’s calf.

"You know I’m right." Xena grinned and drank her tea to the bottom.

The small woman chuckled to only shake Xena’s frame. "Yeah." She finished her tea now and placed it beside Xena’s. Gabrielle leaned completely back into Xena.

Xena smiled plus snaked her other arm around Gabrielle’s stomach. "Say if you had a eighteen year old daughter and Joxer came along. Your daughter found something great about Joxer and snuck off to travel with him."

"Xena?"

"Yeah?"

"That’s not even funny."

The warrior started to laugh and dropped her head against her partner’s head. "Now you understand."

Gabrielle groaned. "You make us sound bad. Like you’re a bad warrior and… and I have no sense of self respect."

The tall woman sighed and raised her head back up. "Just a means of comparison."

"That was wwway off comparison Xena." The small woman sighed and said, "My parents just don’t take the time to understand my side. That’s all there is to it."

"They were better last time."

"Oh yeah, my father only threatened you to leave."

"Gabrielle, he was protecting what he thought was you."

"Exactly." Gabrielle groaned. "It doesn’t matter anyway."

Xena sighed a little. "It does."

"Yeah it does." The bard frowned. "Maybe they’ll understand later on… time mellows people out."

"Oh?"

Gabrielle quietly laughed. "Most people anyway."

The warrior grinned to herself.

"Xena?" The bard’s voice was coming out low.

"Yeah?"

"Does it…" Gabrielle sighed as she continued with her leisured hand movement on her warrior’s leg. "Does it bother you at all about the age difference between us?"

"No," was Xena’s quick response. "Why?"

"I don’t know." The small woman was quiet for a moment. "I mean I’m twenty-seven years and you’re thirty years…"

The warrior leaned her head forward. "And you’re making it sound like ten years difference."

The younger woman chuckled lightly. "True." She paused while a grin slipped across her lips. "Besides, it’s always me trying to keep up with you."

Xena laughed and leaned back again. "You keep up fine."

Gabrielle sighed contently. "Gee, thanks."

A knock came at the door. "Hey lass, its Joan."

The Queen sighed. "I’m coming Joan, give me a sec."

The warrior released her partner. "Hey Joan, you can’t come in with any dragons." She got a laugh from behind the door.

Gabrielle chuckled then got up to go to the door and open it. She leaned against the doorway with a smile. "What’s up Joan?"

Joan smiled warmly and took a deep breath. "Is it to late to become an Amazon lass?"

The Amazon Queen’s face brightened up. "No." She jumped and pulled the Celtic in for a huge hug. "This is great."

The Celtic warrior laughed and hugged back. She pulled back saying, "Thanks lass."

"What made you decide?"

"Um well lass…" Joan’s face was covered with shyness. "Two things."

Gabrielle perked up an eyebrow in question.

The Celtic laughed with uncertainty. "Well one ‘cause I want to start a new life here. The other…" She sighed with a smile. "I met one of your Amazons here… Aster."

"Oooh." Gabrielle nodded. "I see." A grin spread across her lips. "She’s real nice."

"Uh huh." Joan smiled warmly. "So what do I have to do to become a guid Amazon?"

"Well, you have to go through a ritual." The Queen shrugged her shoulders. "Nothing scary and Eph will get your prepared." She leaned back against the doorway. "How about doing it in two days?"

"Really lass?" Joan’s smile held glee. "That would be guid lass."

"Alright, I’ll tell Eph and we’ll do it in two days. Eph is going to need a little time to prepare everything."

"This is extraordinary." The Celt chuckled. "Okay, I better leave. Thank you Gabrielle."

"Thank you Joan." The bard smiled pleasantly. "Go tell Aster."

"I will." The Celtic was grinning. "Oh, does this mean I get to do that Amazon tradition with her?"

Gabrielle’s face was in bewilderment then she realized with a laugh. "Oh yeah, you can as long as Aster agrees. I had to get Xena to agree."

"I thought you and Xena only did it when you’re being hunted."

"Oh we do." Gabrielle was turning a bit red. "Well you see, we do this every night because… because I’m a big baby."

"Right lass." Joan arched an eyebrow. "There’s something you’re neglecting to tell me." She put her hands on her hips. "But I’m sure I’ll catch soon."

The Queen dropped her head and looked up with a grin. "Maybe Joan. It’s just a long story."

"So I’ve been enlightened." Joan evilly grinned. "Well… I’ll let you two carry on with your Amazon tradition."

"Night Joan."

The Celtic smiled and started walking off. "Guidnight lass." She disappeared in the dark village.

Gabrielle groaned while leaning against the closed door. "I do it to us."

Xena had an amused expression.

"Don’t say a word." The bard chuckled and slowly strolled over to Xena.

"Not a word."

"Good." The small woman laid down into her partner’s body on her side. She rested her head against her warrior’s chest. "She’s a sweetie…. Joan."

"Yeah she is." Xena lifted Gabrielle more up into her arms. "Tired?"

"Mmm, yeah." The younger woman’s eyes slowly closed. "Going to fall asleep on you." She quietly laughed.

"In both ways." Xena grinned while lowering her head down closer to Gabrielle’s.

"Xena, remember when you fought Draco in Amphipolis… with the staffs?"

"Yeah, why?"

Gabrielle shrugged her shoulders. "Was just reminiscing… seemed like a long time ago."

"It was." The warrior could feel her partner’s breathing easing. "What else you thinking about?"

The bard shifted her head a little. "The time with the Titans." She chuckled. "I got us in a real mess."

"Could have been worse… we made it through."

"Yeah." Gabrielle lips tugged with a smile. "How about when we had to deal with Garith?"

"Oh gods." The Warrior Princess sighed. "That was a day."

"Just an average one." The bard tightened her arms around Xena’s body. "I don’t think we teased each other more then on that day."

Xena laughed and kissed the top of her bard’s head. "True."

"Howard."

The older woman groaned quietly. "Bad memory."

Gabrielle chuckled faintly. "Xena?"

"Yeah?"

"You wouldn’t let me take the wooden horse."

The warrior tried to remember what she said after Troy. "Nnno… I said you could take it… you just had to pull it."

"Hades." Gabrielle went silent after that followed by her breathing lightening.

Xena pressed her lips against Gabrielle’s head for a moment and slowly stood up lifting Gabrielle in her arms.

The bard’s eyes slowly opened with tiredness. She curled her body closer against the warrior’s as she felt herself lifted in the air.

"Go to sleep," the warrior whispered.

The Queen faintly nodded then closed her eyes again.

The tall woman carried her bard over to the bed with warm eyes. She bent forward and gently lowered Gabrielle into the bed. Xena next pulled the covers over the small woman carefully. She walked over to the foot of the bed again to get the mugs and put them in the washroom. After that she found herself leaning against a windowsill thinking.

Slowly green eyes opened to stare at the warrior’s back. Gabrielle studied her partner in the faint moonlight. Silently she slipped out of bed and came up behind Xena with arms going around Xena’s waist. She leaned against the warrior’s warm back.

"I thought you went to sleep."

"I did for two seconds until my body realized you weren’t there." The bard kissed the warrior’s back. "What you thinking about?"

"About us." Xena’s eyes stayed pinned on the outside world.

"Yeah?" Gabrielle’s arms tightened.

"Just worried something will go wrong." The warrior sighed. "Getting paranoid."

The bard sighed for a second. "It won’t be perfect, something is bound to happen bad." She paused for a moment. "But we’ll get through that stuff… we always do even when we were friends."

"Yeah." Xena slowly turned in Gabrielle’s arms. She placed her hands on her bard’s upper arms.

"Besides." Gabrielle looked up with a smile. "As we keep going we’ll… understand each other more and more." Her face was a little serious. "Our friendship is strong… so will our love relationship."

Xena smiled warmly and lowered her head to rub her cheek against Gabrielle’s. "Thank you," she whispered.

"No problem." The bard sighed happily. "We’re perfect for each other."

The warrior quietly chuckled. "That’s what mother said."

"Your mom knows?"

"She figured it out." Xena kissed Gabrielle’s cheek.

The small woman was now giggling. "You’re mom is good."

"Uh huh." Xena lifted her head back up with a grin. Her hands came down to Gabrielle’s waist. "Let’s get some sleep."

"Yeah." That tired look came over the younger woman again. "I love you Xena."

The warrior smiled with such warmth that it lit her face. "I love you with my soul Gabrielle."

Gabrielle fell into the words as her heart pounded. Without warning, she jumped to wrap her legs around Xena’s waist while her hands came behind Xena’s head to force a kiss on.

Xena’s natural instinct was holding Gabrielle with one arm around the back and the other under Gabrielle supporting her. The warrior was kissing back just as strongly.

The bard pulled back with dark eyes. "Say those sort of words and you’ll drive me crazy."

The tall woman grinned and lightly kissed Gabrielle. "Not yet."

"I know." Gabrielle suddenly felt the warrior shift her body to carry her again. "You like doing that."

The older female laughed and carried her partner to the bed. She lay Gabrielle down with her cat grin. "So it takes the right words?"

The bard arched an eyebrow. "Words… or looks."

"Touch?" Xena began to crawl onto the bed towards her partner.

Gabrielle was sitting on her knees with her hands resting in her lap. "Depends." Now her face was covered with an evil grin.

"Oh?" The warrior’s eyes narrowed as they began to twinkle. She came right up to Gabrielle then placed her right hand to the bard’s sides. Her lips brushed along Gabrielle’s collarbone. "Does it really depend?"

The small woman shivered and frantically grasped Xena’s hands on her waist. "What happened to the not yet?"

Xena held her best friend’s hands tightly. "Its still not yet… just playtime." Her lips were grazing along Gabrielle’s neck.

Gabrielle whined and whispered, "Xena, I want you."

"I know." The warrior lifted her head and desperately kissed her partner. When she pulled back she had a grin but her eyes were serious. "And I want you." Her arms went behind Gabrielle’s back with the small hands. "But it’s not the right time."

The bard whimpered "Gods… when?"

Xena chuckled and placed a feather kiss on her bard’s neck. "We’ll know." She brought her arms forward again and lowered Gabrielle onto her back. "Let me show you something."

Gabrielle nodded while her eyes shut. Her heart was pounding while her chest rose heavily.

The warrior shifted to straddle her partner’s hips. She leaned forward to capture Gabrielle’s lips again as she kissed the bard her large hands came down to untie Gabrielle’s top. When she pulled back she had an evil grin on her lips. "Trust me?" She knew Gabrielle had never been in a relationship with another woman. So there were things the bard lacked experience in.

"Yes." The bard’s eyes open gradually and she sat up to take Xena’s lips.

The older woman smiled into the kiss while pulling the top off Gabrielle’s body. It was soon on the floor.

Gabrielle lay back down and felt herself turning faintly red because she was still getting use to exposing her body to the warrior.

Xena grinned and leaned back down. "You’re beautiful."

The bard didn’t know what to say she simple nodded but did whisper, "But nothing like you."

The warrior quickly kissed her friend from the words. Her hands came down to the skirt and she began to slip them off. Xena pulled back from the kiss and sat back to completely take the skirt off.

Gabrielle’s body was extremely hot and only enflamed wherever Xena’s skin went. "Xena, I want to feel all of your body."

The tall woman nodded. She shifted out of her leathers and threw them on top of Gabrielle’s clothes. She brought her body back down with her bare skin pressing against Gabrielle’s.

The bard groaned as Xena’s breasts pressed into her own. "Xena."

"Ssh." Xena grinned and brought her hands to her bard’s sides. "You’ll love this."

The Amazon Queen chuckled. "I can only imagine."

"Then stop and feel it now." Xena kissed Gabrielle quickly then moved her body down. Her lips soon came to Gabrielle’s center.

The small woman lifted her head up to see Xena’s mouth come over her center. "Oh gods." Her eyes rammed shut and her breathing kicked in higher.

The warrior carefully began to suck her bard’s center while holding her.

The younger woman’s head dropped down and she moaned deeply.

Xena continued sucking for a few seconds but eventually slipped her tongue out. Her tongue went directly between Gabrielle’s folds.

Gabrielle was breathing rapidly. With natural instinct she arched her back. "Xena." Her voice was loud.

Xena grinned while she kept working Gabrielle to a small release.

The small woman felt her body built up and she didn’t know how to stop it. So she went with it.

The warrior carefully slipped her tongue inside of Gabrielle knowing that would take Gabrielle.

The bard’s body exploded with warmth and she arched her back high and screamed, "Xena!"

The older woman slowly slipped her tongue out and listened to Gabrielle’s heaving breathing. She brought her body up to Gabrielle’s and rested on her side to study the bard.

Gabrielle’s eyes drifted open and they were unfocused. "What… was that?"

Xena chuckled and brought her right hand over to rest on the bard’s stomach. "A small release."

"That was small?" The younger woman glanced up to her partner. "Small?"

"Yeah." The warrior grinned.

"Gods… how am I going to make it through the whole thing when I almost died from this?"

The tall warrior chuckled and idly moved her hand up and down Gabrielle’s stomach. "Trust me, your body can handle a lot."

"Good." Gabrielle paused to breathe. "This is different then with a guy."

"It real is." Xena moved her head in agreement. "Good difference?"

The small woman didn’t respond right away and really did a comparison. "Yes." Her eyes lifted to Xena. "So much more depth to everything. The touches, emotions and… looks. It’s amazing."

"Good." The older woman leaned forward to kiss Gabrielle.

The bard moaned at tasting herself. It only made her deepen the kiss to slip her tongue into the warrior’s mouth.

When Xena pulled back she chuckled and grinned. "Like that huh?"

"Yeah." Gabrielle grinned. "Really like that."

"So do I." Again the warrior came down to kiss Gabrielle lovingly. She slowly pulled back with warm eyes. "Let’s get some sleep."

The bard nodded. "Sort of forgot about that." Gabrielle chuckled and felt her partner grab her and lift her on top. Gabrielle sighed contently at settling on Xena’s body. "I love sleeping here… why didn’t I do it sooner?"

Xena laughed and encircled her partner. "I don’t know."

"To scared," The bard said. She slipped her hand between her body and Xena’s. Slowly her touch moved down the warrior’s smooth stomach.

"Gabrielle." Warning from the warrior.

"Sorry… it’s just I love feeling you."

"I know," the warrior ushered. She felt her pulse picking up. "You’re causing trouble."

The bard lifted her head up while pulling her hand back out. "Difference between trouble and play?"

"Oh yeah." Xena chuckled and lifted her head to kiss Gabrielle. "Get some sleep huh?"

"Yeah." The Queen dropped her head back down and closed her eyes. "Thanks Xena."

The warrior grinned and responded, "Thank you."

Gabrielle lifted her head with confused eyes.

A warm smile was covering Xena’s lips. Her eyes spoke everything.

The smaller woman easily understood and scouted up her partner’s body some so that now her head rested under Xena’s head. "I love you."

"I love you too Gabrielle."

~*Part 9*~

Gabrielle slipped out of her warrior’s arms in the early dawn. She held back her yawn that wanted to come. She wanted to be up early and get the treaties done faster. Then that would allow her to spend more time with Xena since she figured her best friend didn’t want to sit through the treaty work.

She walked over to her clothes that had Xena’s leathers on top. She lifted the warrior’s leather and it made her chuckle quietly. Her senses filled with the leather’s scent that reminded her of Xena. She loved the way Xena’s scent was a mix of leather and spice. She gingerly placed the warrior’s leathers on the bed and took her own clothes. Turning away from the bed, Gabrielle slipped on her skirt then adjusted it. Without hearing or seeing, she felt warm arms come around her breasts. Gabrielle moaned silently and leaned back into a warm body.

"You’re up early."

"I know." Gabrielle’s eyes gradually shut. She felt Xena’s warm stomach and breasts press into her back. "Oh gods."

Xena lowered her head close to Gabrielle’s. "Depends on the touch still?"

"No." The bard sighed deeply. "I wish I could disappear into you."

"Only if I could into you." The warrior grazed her lips over the back of her partner’s neck.

The Amazon Queen shuddered. "I can’t do this, gotta get those stupid treaties done." She turned in her warrior’s arms. "I’d rather stay right here."

"I know." Xena’s chin lowered down on top of her bard’s head. "I’ll come with you."

Gabrielle peered up to her partner. "Xena, no. It’s going to be really boring. Two of us don’t have to go through the insanity."

The warrior chuckled and smiled. "I’ll be fine. Besides maybe I’ll be able to help with the boredom and… make the time go by faster."

The Queen grinned. "Or really distract me."

"That too." Xena now had an evil smile. "Good time to learn how to put space between each other."

The small woman corked an eyebrow. "Yeah right."

"I can at least help with the treaties."

"That’s true." The small woman kissed her friend’s chest. "You sure?"

"Definitely." Xena released Gabrielle.

The bard still had her green top and she reached over to get Xena’s leathers. She tossed them to her warrior and grinned. Walking off she slipped into her green top and into the washroom.

Xena slowly raised an eyebrow as her eyes stayed pinned on her bard. She sighed contently and began to put her leathers on.

Gabrielle soon came out of the washroom with her bangs faintly wet from water. She strolled over to her boots to put them on.

The warrior was finishing with her armor after that came her weapons since she already had her boots on. She walked over to the wall and grabbed Gabrielle’s staff, turned towards her partner, and leaned against the staff. "Do I look like you?"

Gabrielle lifted her eyes as she sat on the edge of the bed. "No, you’re to tall."

"Just to tall?" Xena bent her knees to look shorter.

The bard chuckled lightly. "To dark."

"Hades." The warrior grinned. "Can’t fix that." The stood up fully and still leaned against the staff. "This is how I know you’re pressing patiences."

"Because I lean against my staff?" Gabrielle stood up.

"Normally, yes." Xena grinned. "Or you’re bored."

The bard chuckled. "Definitely when I’m bored or even tired."

"No no." The warrior dropped her head against the staff. "Now this is tired."

Gabrielle laughed and strolled up to her partner. She put her hands on her hips. "What I look like in my fighting stance?"

"First you…" Xena twirled the staff once. "Twirl it." She brought her right foot forward with her left back. "Footing." She then lifted the staff so that the right side was a little higher then the left. "Staff." She slightly bent her knees. "Bend the knees." She grinned a little. "Then you get this lopsided grin I can’t do."

"I don’t have a lopsided grin."

"Yes you do." Xena evilly grinned. "Not at first but after you got use to your staff you did."

"You’re kidding me?"

"Nope." The warrior then shifted her stance to bring her left foot forward and her right back. Now the staff was just in Xena’s right hand and moved her arm back with the staff going up and down the length of her arm. Her left arm however came forward and she bent her knees a little more. "This is the stance you use when you’ve taken your enemies down. Then you have a huge satisfied smile on your face." She was stiff in her stance

"Xena, do you always watch me?"

Xena grinned and rapidly brought the staff forward to spin it. She slammed the butt end in front of Gabrielle and locked eyes with her best friend. "Always, like you do with me." She winked.

Gabrielle raised an eyebrow, with a blush she reached forward to take her staff. "Right, you caught me."

"How couldn’t I notice hot green eyes on me?" The warrior’s eyes twinkled then she spun around on her heels to open the door and go out.

The bard mumbled to herself, "Hot green eyes?" She shook her head with a chuckle. "I like that." She headed out of the hut closing the door behind.

~*~*~*~

Gabrielle dropped her head back over the chair at listening to the non-stop yammering of Ephiny.

"Gabrielle, I knew you could talk but Ephiny gods."

Ephiny stopped in mid-sentence and glared at the Warrior Princess. "Well what’s your idea Xena?"

Xena evilly grinned and leaned towards the regent. "How about you let Gabrielle and I take care of the treaties on our own?"

The Amazon glanced over at her Queen whom was intently looking at Xena. "You two would never get them done."

Gabrielle quickly turned her head to her regent. "Are you trying to say something?"

"I’m saying you two will distract each other like crazy." Ephiny sat back in her seat with a smirk and crossed her arms against her chest.

"Really?" The bard narrowed her eyes. "Alright, we’ll make a deal."

Ephiny laughed and brightened up. "What’s the bet?"

Xena inwardly groaned. Not good.

Gabrielle evilly grinned. "If Xena and I get these treaties done by sunset… you and Solari have to stay away from each other for… two days."

"And if you and Xena don’t, the next two days you and Xena have to stay away from each other. And I mean sleep in separate huts."

"Alright, deal." Gabrielle held her hand out.

"Wait, Xena you agree?" The regent glanced over to the warrior.

The Warrior Princess’s lips spread into a devilish grin. "Definitely." She knew that these treaties would be a breeze knowing they were something she’d done in her past.

"Great." Ephiny took her Queen’s hand and shook. "Well, this will give me time to prepare Joan’s ritual. Later ladies." The Amazon stood and sauntered out the door.

Gabrielle turned her head to her warrior. "Two days without you… a candlemark is getting hard enough."

Xena chuckled then shifted her gazed to the table with the treaties. "Don’t worry. Treaties are easy."

"One of your many skills?"

The older woman chuckled. "Sort of." She stood up plus stepped towards the desk. She opened up one treaty.

Gabrielle stood up next to her partner. "Let’s get these done. Think we can focus?"

"Sure." Xena lifted her eyes up. "Let’s just be serious." Her eyes were already stoic.

The Queen nodded and lowered her eyes to the scrolls. She placed her right hand on the table. "We better skim over these."

"Yeah." The tall woman’s eyes averted to the scroll again. She felt herself begin to focus on the project at hand.

~*~*~*~

"No, Neapolis is cheating the Amazons out of food." Xena straightened up. "Just make the amount double."

"Xena, that’s a lot." Gabrielle glanced up. "You’re serious?"

"Yes." The warrior nodded with her attention on the treaty between the Amazons and city of Neapolis. "They won’t refuse the treaty, I promise." Her eyes went to Gabrielle. "They get loads of food from trade… victories and their local villages. They’re suckering the Amazons." She huffed while looking at the treaty. "I can’t believe Melosa didn’t know."

Gabrielle glanced at the scroll. "What about the expiration date on the treaty?"

"Knock it up five years." Xena shrugged.

"They won’t notice huh?" The bard leaned forward to start scratching in the new numbers for the treaty to be written with.

"They will for a second but just sign anyway. They have two many treaties coming in from around the world. They won’t make a huge hassle."

"I know Neapolis is a huge port." The Queen stood back up with scroll rolling it up.

"Yeah." The warrior bent forward filtering through the scrolls noticing there were ten left. "Not bad."

Gabrielle moved her head in agreement. "We’re doing good." She placed the scroll down on the desk and grabbed another one.

Xena kept staring at the scrolls but shifted her right hand to graze over her best friend’s left arm.

The small woman quickly turned her head to Xena.

A grin crept along Xena’s lips and she turned her head to Gabrielle. "Distraction?"

The Queen chuckled. "Nothing I can’t handle."

"Oh… okay." The Warrior Princess was evilly smiling for a second then it disappeared without a trace.

Gabrielle felt her stomach turn knowing her warrior was up to something. She turned her head away and she began to read the next treaty. Her arms crossed against her chest.

The older woman read a little ways but shifted behind Gabrielle and snaked her arms around Gabrielle’s waist.

"Xena?"

"Try to read the rest of it," the warrior urged.

Gabrielle took a shaky breath however continued skimming along the treaty. When she was done she leaned back into her partner.

"Done?" Xena lowered her chin on her bard’s head.

"Yeah."

"Let’s take a break huh? Go for a walk or something."

Gabrielle quietly laughed. "I did that last time and look what happened."

The Warrior Princess grinned. "Don’t worry, you’ll have your warrior with you."

"Now that’s true." The bard smiled and brought her hand up to lower Xena’s head.

The tall woman sealed her lips with Gabrielle’s.

After the sensual kiss the pair left the hut to head out of the village. Gabrielle leaving her staff behind figuring she didn’t need it.

Xena walked close to her partner as they went deep into the woods.

The smaller woman reached over with her right hand to grab her warrior’s hand.

The older woman quickly looked over with surprise.

Gabrielle smiled warmly up and squeezed Xena’s hand.

A loving smile eased across the warrior’s lips.

The pair both looked ahead again while silently walking together.

The warrior slowed down. "Let’s sit down for a second."

"Sure." The bard followed her partner to a huge rock.

Xena sat down with a sigh.

Gabrielle sat beside Xena while holding the larger hand.

The warrior brought her free hand to Gabrielle’s chin and tilted her head back to lower her lips.

The bard moan into her friend’s mouth. When the kiss ended her eyes went to a forest green. "Xena?"

"Yeah?" Xena’s fingertips were brushing over the smaller woman’s lips.

"I want to do to you what you did to me last night."

The warrior grinned a little. "Your patrol Amazons will hear me."

"Then you’ll just have to be quiet."

Xena evilly grinned. "I guess so." Her head came lower and she whispered, "I’m all yours."

"Good." Gabrielle passionately kissed Xena then stood up. She released Xena’s hand carefully.

The older woman’s hands moved to go to her knees.

The bard kneeled down and placed her hands to the sides of Xena’s knees. She pushed them open.

Xena easily followed through by widening her legs open.

Gabrielle leaned forward then brought her right hand up to the warrior’s lower stomach. She gave another small push for her to lean back.

The warrior compiled by leaning back and thankfully her back hit a tree. Now the anticipation kicked in strongly for her.

The Amazon Queen had moved the leather skirt part out of the way. She leaned in more and brought her mouth directly to Xena’s center. Her hands lay resting on Xena’s leather clad stomach.

Xena sucked in her breath. Her eyes closed.

Gabrielle carefully sucked on the warrior’s center still trying to plot out a mental plan. Yet she gave up on a plan and went with pure instinct. Trying to do what she knew would feel good to her. So that led to her tongue coming out and slipping between Xena’s folds to find the incredible moisture.

The warrior’s head dropped back against the tree. "Gabrielle," she whispered in a plea.

The small woman grinned at the effect. This led her tongue to sliding up and down between her warrior’s folds. She brought her tongue back in and started sucking on Xena’s center again.

Xena’s hands fisted up feeling her body about to release from the small climax but she knew the end result would leave her dying for air. For her breathing was already picking up heavily including her leathers sticking to her skin.

Gabrielle slightly nipped her partner’s center and thrusted her tongue between the folds and into Xena. She felt the warrior’s body convulsed and she knew.

Xena’s eyes were tightly closed, her teeth clamped shut to hold back the scream that want freedom.

Gabrielle quickly moved to help her partner. She slipped her tongue out, stood up and straddled Xena at the hips. She leaned in to take her warrior’s lips. And she felt the warrior’s scream fill her mouth.

The taller woman pulled back and struggled to breathe. She opened her hazy blue eyes.

"Breather huh?" Gabrielle had a grin.

The warrior nodded and kept her eyes closed with her heavy breathing. Slowly she brought her arms around Gabrielle.

The bard rested her head down on the warrior’s chest. "You’re okay?"

"Oh yeah." Xena smiled and opened her eyes. "That was perfect."

"Good." That same smile was caught on the bard’s lips. She pressed her body against her warrior’s.

"Come here." The older woman brought her right hand under Gabrielle’s chin to lift her head. Xena claimed the smaller woman’s lips and tasted her essence in the bard’s mouth.

Gabrielle pulled back with warm eyes.

Xena’s hand caressed her partner’s cheek. "Like that?"

"Loved it." The younger woman’s expression was evilly crossed by a grin. She went serious though. "Why is this so different?"

"In what aspect?" Xena’s hand moved to brush back Gabrielle’s hair.

"I don’t know really." Gabrielle shook her head with confusion. "Everything is so intense. Has it every been like this for you?"

"No." The Warrior Princess was smiling with love. "I don’t recall ever wanting somebody so strongly. Let alone needing them."

"Yeah, I agree on that one." Gabrielle chuckled and leaned forward to kiss her warrior.

Xena’s right hand came up behind the bard’s head to deepen the kiss.

The Amazon Queen whined quietly as she felt her tongue pass over Xena’s. She just loved this. Soon she her hands resting against Xena’s breastplates. When the kiss ended, she began another with her head moving a little to try take Xena.

The warrior’s left hand was moving to her bard’s side to hold her. She finished the kiss to breathe and she grinned up to Gabrielle. "Enjoying this?"

"Nah, loved it." Gabrielle’s eyes sparkled. "We should get back huh?"

"Should." The tall woman watched as Gabrielle sat back up. So she did the same but still had the smaller woman in her lap. "One more."

"Definitely." Gabrielle’s right hand was going through the back of Xena’s hair while she leaned into kiss the warrior. Her left hand came down to search out Xena’s right hand and lace their hands together.

~*~*~*~

The bard leaned forward to scratch something down on the scroll with her quill. She leaned back into warm leathers and brass armor.

"What you think about this part here?" Xena leaned forward to pull her right hand away from her partner’s stomach to point at a spot on the scroll. However her left arm stayed around the bard.

Gabrielle glanced down and read the small section of the treaty. "You mean the agreement on protection?"

"Yess." Xena shook her head and brought her arm back around Gabrielle’s waist. "That ridiculous that more Amazons are demanded for help and not the same amount of Athenians."

"Xena, this is the Athenian League here."

Xena huffed. "Exactly, they can send more soldiers if the Amazons are ever in need."

"You’re serious." Gabrielle gazed up to her partner.

"Very." Stoic blue eyes lowered to Gabrielle. "I’ve met the general of the League. He’s a good man and will understand the increase."

The Amazon Queen turned her head back to the treaty. "Is it just me or did Melosa do a bad job with these treaties?"

"Probably wasn’t her area." The warrior sighed. "Besides, the Amazons were to busy fighting with the centaurs."

Gabrielle nodded and leaned forward to write the new amount. "I think everything else looks fine."

Xena moved her head in agreement. "Yeah, that covers it."

The door to Ephiny’s hut swung open and the regent came in. She glanced over to the pair and her eyes bugged out. "You two are done?"

"Yup." Gabrielle smirked and rolled up the Athenian League treaty while standing in Xena’s arms. She didn’t look to the regent until she finished rolling the scroll up. "Amazing huh?" She leaned back into her warrior.

Ephiny narrowed her eyes. "I can’t believe it." Her hands went to her hips.

The Queen dropped the scroll to the desk. "Check the scrolls yourself Eph." A smug looked went over her expression.

The Amazon huffed. "I believe you. I just can’t believe you could get it done." She paused. "And even when you’re both… both like that." She held her hand out and shook her head. "Great, Solari is going to kill me." Ephiny came over to her desk and opened a drawer to pull out a scroll. She glanced up to the pair. "I’ll get the treaties rewritten by tomorrow." Straightening up she walked out of the hut in a huff.

"Think we should really make them do it?" Gabrielle peered up to her best friend. "The bet?"

"Nah." Xena grinned. "I’m satisfied just winning." She chuckled. "We’ll just rub it into her face once more."

Gabrielle snickered. "You’re bad." She dropped her head back into Xena’s chest. "Thank you." She smiled up to her warrior.

The tall woman smiled right back. "No problem."

"You know, you help me to much."

Xena grinned and brought her head down lower. "That’s because I love to."

The bard’s hand came up to brush against the warrior’s arm. "I know… it’s just after everything."

Xena knew what the ‘everything’ meant, which only made her tighten her arms. "Gabrielle, it’s all over with."

"Yeah but not the memory… the pain." The young woman shook her head. "I look back on it all and feel like such an idiot. I ruined our friendship, our dreams, got people killed, and hurt you."

Xena slowly turned around Gabrielle. "I told you Gabrielle, it takes two." Her eyes held her worry and desperation to help Gabrielle. "I didn’t have to go fight Caesar."

Gabrielle shook her head. "I wanted you to stop him." She ran her right hand through her hair. "I let Hope live."

"Only because I pressured you instead of talking to you."

"Yeah but I trusted Kraftstar instead of you."

"Because I let you trust him."

"But I got Solan killed."

"No Hope did and I never supported you Gabrielle."

Gabrielle dropped her head against Xena’s chest. "I betrayed you."

"And I betrayed you Gabrielle." Xena lifted her partner’s head up. "I would have killed myself if you drank that poison."

The bard’s eyes furrowed together. "You saw?"

"I was there, yes."

Gabrielle’s eyes lowered as she tried to think. "I don’t know why I didn’t drink the poison. I wanted to end everything." She sighed. "I think what kept me going was I thought I should be tortured for what I did. By staying alive I’d feel that pain." Her eyes lifted up. "Didn’t let myself even dare hope for our friendship to come back."

Xena studied her partner’s eyes before saying anything. "It took me awhile before I realized it wasn’t your fault for Solan’s death." She paused. "At first I was angry at you for that but what I was truly angry about was losing you."

"What?" The bard shook her head.

"I know, it sounds weird." The warrior paused. "I was angry I lost you plus it felt like you took our friendship away when it was me. I was angry at you, myself, and Hope but I piled it all on you."

Gabrielle nodded slowly and closed her eyes again as she dropped her head on Xena’s chest. "I thank Solan each living second for Illusia." Her eyes opened again as she gazed up to Xena. "And apologize for getting him killed. He had his whole life ahead and you as his mother."

"Gabrielle." Xena knelt down now with her hands holding Gabrielle’s arms. "Listen to me, Hope robbed him, not you."

"She was my child." The bard started to cry and she looked away. "Hades, she looked exactly like me."

"That was Dahak’s child." Xena grasped her partner’s hands. "Dahak used you and used us." She started to feel her past angry bubbling up. But not anger at Gabrielle but at Dahak for doing this to them.

Gabrielle still didn’t look to her partner while her tears came down. All she could do was remember when Dahak raped her in the temple. It came back strongly and caused her to shut her eyes tightly.

"Gabrielle, I’d give anything, anything to be able to go back and save you from it all." Xena squeezed Gabrielle’s hands. "I wouldn’t care if it cost my life, my soul, or our relationship, I’d just want to see you happy and never hurt."

"I wouldn’t want you to." Gabrielle turned her head back to reveal her red eyes. "I want to be happy yes but I’ll go through the pain if it meant having you in any fashion." She paused. "You are what makes me happy." Suddenly her grip on Xena’s hands was powerful making her hands white as Xena’s. "Please Xena, I only want you. I can’t lose you… never."

"I know, I know." Xena smiled sadly. "I’m not going anywhere, inside of you is home for me."

Gabrielle released her warrior’s hands and moved in for a powerful hug.

The warrior stayed kneeling as she held the smaller woman.

Both women had their heads buried into each other’s necks with emotions rolling out in forms of tears. The past can hurt at times and sometimes the past can loose its power over people.

~*~*~*~

Xena slowly walked out of the stable after feeding her mare a few apples. As soon as she came out she spotted her partner talking to the regent. Turning her head to the right she saw Solari come walking and it made a grin spread across her lips. The warrior walked out into the open more and closer to Gabrielle with Ephiny.

Ephiny lowered her eyes to Gabrielle. "She’s coming."

"Xena is here?"

The regent nodded. "She’s right behind you."

Gabrielle grinned. "Ready?"

"Yeah, I’m going to get beaten for this." Ephiny chuckled while placing her right hand on Gabrielle’s side.

Solari smiled to Xena. "Hey Xena."

"Hey Solari." The warrior’s eyes flickered to Gabrielle then back to Solari. "Wanna find out who Gabrielle is going out with?" She nodded her head towards the regent and Queen.

The second in command turned her head to the right and saw her lover holding Gabrielle. She narrowed her eyes. "I don’t think so."

"She’s looking at us." Ephiny sighed and leaned in towards Gabrielle.

The bard closed her eyes slowly at feeling her Amazon’s lips take hers.

Xena narrowed her eyes and sucked in a breath. Her mouth clamped shut tight while she watched Ephiny kiss her bard.

"She’s dead," Solari growled. She went stomping towards her regent. "Ephiny?" she yelled.

"Later Eph." Gabrielle winked then quickly strolled off to catch up to her partner. She came up to Xena with a chuckle at hearing Solari talk to Ephiny.

Xena grinned while turning to walk off with her partner. "You’ll hear about it later."

"I know." Gabrielle sighed. "Getting out of here while I can."

The warrior nodded and lifted her left hand to Gabrielle’s back.

"Xena?"

"Mmm?"

"I’ll tell you one thing." The bard glanced up with an evil grin. "Eph does not know how to kiss."

The tall woman quickly looked down with a partially shocked expression. But slowly a grin crossed her lips. "She’s only bad because you have the best."

"Now that’s true." Gabrielle winked up to her best friend.

~*~*~*~

"What?!" Solari’s arms crossed against her chest. "Hold on, explain to me why you and I have to be separated for two days?"

Ephiny scratched the back of her neck. "It’s… complicated Solari."

The second in command stepped towards her regent. "Okay first I caught you kissing Gabrielle and now you’re telling me you made a bet with somebody and you lost so we have to be separated for two days." She narrowed her eyes. "What’s going on?"

"Solari."

Solari felt two strong hands grab her shoulders. She mumbled, "Not again." She whirled around saying, "Gabrielle-Gab…" A sheepish smile came over her lips when she noticed it wasn’t the bard. "Hi Xena." Her eyes wavered to the right to see her Queen with a smirk.

Xena’s hands dropped. "We have some good news."

Ephiny arched an eyebrow. "This will be good." She stepped closer to Solari.

Gabrielle took a step closer to Xena. "The bet is off."

The second in command turned her head towards Ephiny. "You made a bet with them?"

The regent gave a shy smile. "Yeah."

Solari sighed and stomped off.

Ephiny sighed in the middle of the food hut. "This isn’t good."

"She’ll stay mad at you for awhile?" Gabrielle was worried now.

"Nah." The Amazon shrugged her shoulders. "I told her you and I weren’t really going out."

"Good." Gabrielle nodded.

Xena glanced at Gabrielle.

The bard looked up and read her friend’s eyes to only nodded in understanding.

The warrior smiled and ambled off in the food hut.

"What just happened there?" Ephiny had a confused look.

The Queen gazed back to her regent. "What?"

Ephiny opened her mouth for a second, closed it, opened again, closed it again and shook her head. "Never mind." She chuckled.

"How’s it going with getting Joan ready for the ritual?"

"Perfect." Ephiny smiled and crossed her arms against her chest. "Her sword is ready and we’re getting a mask prepared now."

"What about leathers and feathers?" Gabrielle grinned.

The regent chuckled and answered, "She wants to keep her leathers so we’re going to give her some feathers."

Gabrielle nodded seriously. "Good. So the ritual is tomorrow night?"

"Yes." Ephiny went serious herself. "And you’re going to do the ritual. I’ll brief you and make sure to wear your Amazon leathers."

"Sure, I know." The Queen chuckled and sighed. "Have you seen Ep? I haven’t and I need to make sure she doesn’t jump Xena."

"I did earlier." Ephiny turned her head to scan the food hut. A grin spread across her lips. "I’d say that’s Ep there."

Gabrielle looked to her right to see Eponin dangle by her left ankle by Xena’s hand. "Right." She ran her tongue along her molars. "Is there any sort of penalty I can give Ep for harassing a guest?"

"Definitely." Ephiny grinned. "Teach her a lesson too."

"I think I might." Gabrielle slowly strolled up towards her partner holding Eponin. Her hard green eyes lifted to Xena. "Drop her please."

Xena simply nodded and just let go of Eponin. Her hands crossed against her chest with a smirk forming. She knew her partner was about to inflict something on the weapons master.

The Queen took a step closer to the weapons master whom was on her butt glaring. "Eponin, try to jump the Nation’s guest?"

Eponin’s eyes widen. "I… it was a bet. You know that Gabrielle."

Gabrielle crossed her arms against her chest. "I don’t care. Next time you make a bet make sure it does not include any guests of the Nation." She bent down to one knee to lean towards Eponin. "Nor my… best friend. Two weeks of patrol duty Ep." Gabrielle stood back up.

Eponin grumbled and slowly stood up. "Servers me right." She faced the poised Warrior Princess. "Sorry Xena." She held out her right arm.

A fine smile creased the warrior’s lips and she took the offered arm. "It’s alright. Amazons make to many bets."

"Tell me about it." Eponin chuckled still had her smile. "Check you later." She strolled off in the hut.

Gabrielle came up to her partner. "Sorry."

The older woman smiled down at Gabrielle. "Not your fault." Her left hand came up to the bard’s shoulder. "Let’s get something to eat, I’m starved."

"Amen to that." The bard laughed.

~*~*~*~

Gabrielle’s eyes flew open while her heart pounded. She found herself extremely warm, practically on the brink of sweating. Carefully she slipped out of Xena’s arms then she was off the bed. With a deep breath, she made her way to the saddlebag. Her mouth was increasingly dry. So reaching down she extracted a water skin and had a few sips. After the re-corked skin was in the saddlebag, she was making her way to the window.

The bard’s arms crossed against her chest as she shaky breath escaped her lips. She stared out into the night of village. It was over three candlemarks since her and Xena had gone to bed. Her head was still a bit fuzzy from the effects the dream had on her body and mind.

Xena silently moved through the room to stand beside her partner. She just reappeared out of the darkness in only her leathers. "Dream?"

Gabrielle nodded. "Yeah." She ran her hand through her hair. "Hate dreams anymore."

"What was it about?" The warrior kept her gaze to the outside world.

"About me, being perfect enough for my family." The bard sighed and dropped her head. "I don’t remember much." She lifted her eyes up again. "But I remember at the end of the dream I had to prove my beauty to father and Lila." She paused while still trying to recall the dream. "I had on this navy silk dress with white flowers all over, really pretty. And I came walking out over this green grass in front of father and Lila trying to look beautiful. That’s when I woke up." She shook her head again. "I hate how mom and dad would always make me feel like I had to prove myself to them. By the way I dress, act, look, what I do… did you ever have that?" Gabrielle peered up to Xena.

"Yeah." Xena gave her attention to her partner. "Especially when I was younger. Toris every now and again would get angry with me. He’d try to hurt me back by saying I was to masculine. Girls shouldn’t have so much strength, ride, know how to use a sword, or fight." She laughed low in sadness. "Toris would get so angry he’d just by the end call me a freak of nature." She shrugged her shoulders. "Fortunately Lyceus was always there to comfort me but eventually I wouldn’t even go to Lyceus for help." Her eyes went back to the scene outside. "Mother, she never had time for any of us, so none of us got attention. I’d get so desperate for her attention at times that I tried proving myself to her. Yet she’d never notice."

The younger woman shifted closer to her warrior. She placed her right arm around Xena’s waist. "I like you with the masculine side… it’s not even that."

Xena’s left arm came over Gabrielle’s shoulders. She gazed down with confusion in her eyes.

Gabrielle smiled with her explanation coming out. "Toris was talking… shmack."

The warrior chuckled with her partner.

The bard went serious again. "You’re not masculine. You’re just powerful." Gabrielle shrugged her shoulders. "Powerful… strong which isn’t typical of women." She grinned a little with a roll of her eyes. "Typical being washing clothes and cooking." Her grinned disappeared. "You’re a warrior." She smiled warmly. "And to me you’re perfect. A perfect contrast physically with muscles and smooth skin. And perfect mental contrast of being powerful but passionate inside." Gabrielle chuckled a little. "Wish I could have been there when Toris said those things to you. Would have loved to yell at him for it. But who wouldn’t be jealous over perfection."

Xena quietly laughed. "You’re bad." Then a warm smile eased its way across Xena’s lips. "Thank you." She paused while collecting her thoughts knowing she was never good at this thing. "Only you Gabrielle, will I have accept everything about me."

"Like I said." Gabrielle smiled confidently. "Because I’m madly in-love with you, everything about you. Dark, light, and in between alike."

The warrior leaned over to kiss her best friend very gently. "Thank you." Her smile went a little sad. "What about your family?"

The small woman shrugged her shoulders. "I’ll never win them over." Gabrielle sighed sadly. "I think it’s gone from bad to worse since I left with you." Her eyes blurred out while she talked. "Now I travel with my midriff bare, a weapon, a Queen, a bard, all along with a dangerous ex-warlord." Her eyes raised up to Xena. "I’ve got a lot to prove." She sighed.

"Or none at all." Xena locked eyes with Gabrielle. "Who said you had to prove anything to your family? Your guilty conscious is about it." She grinned faintly. "You’re to worried about proving yourself to people instead to yourself huh?"

The younger woman gazed away but back to Xena. "Yeah." She chuckled a little. "I thought I do the sensitive chats?"

"Yeah well, you’re rubbing off on me." The tall woman was grinning but went serious. "And will you stop trying to prove yourself to me? You never had too."

A bashful smile was in Gabrielle’s lips. "I’ll try."

"Hey, if I wanted you to prove yourself to me you think I’d be in-love with you?" Xena arched an eyebrow as well.

"True." The bard corked her own eyebrow. "But I’ll only stop if you do. I know you, you think you have to prove yourself to me too." She grinned. "At first I knew you weren’t but after the first year I picked up on it."

"Yeah well, I can’t help but prove myself to the best." Xena grinned. "I love a good challenge."

The Amazon Queen huffed while rolling her eyes. "We could be at this forever." She turned her body to Xena. Her right hand came up to Xena’s chest. "Stop proving yourself to me because I want you to be yourself." She grinned. "You’ve got my attention and love."

"Good." The warrior’s eyes were extremely warm. Her hands came up to grasp Gabrielle’s shoulders. "Gabrielle it comes down to, I own you so you have nothing to prove to me. Got me?"

"Yeah, I got you." Gabrielle grinned with her partner. "Gods, I’m loving this." She shook her head with a smile now. "Loving you more and more."

"I know the feeling." Xena leaned into to capture Gabrielle’s lips in a loving kiss. She slowly pulled back. "Let’s get some sleep huh?"

"Great idea." The bard walked over to the bed with her best friend.

Xena was in first on her back.

The younger woman crawled into the bed and on top of Xena. She settled there after placing a kiss to Xena’s chest. Her eyes eased shut.

The warrior contently sighed and closed her eyes.

The dreams after that were peaceful to no extent.