Language Warning: One naughty word. Warning: This story contains spoilers for the episode In Sickness And In Hell.

My story begins at the moment when I first laid eyes on her. She was a tall woman; long legs, buff body, eyes the color of the sky. It wasn't any of these things that drew me in though, it was her hair: Long, gorgeous locks, the color of your darkest fantasies. I wanted her then, with a need that took control of my very soul.

I went to her that evening. I snuck quietly into her bedroll. Soon I found mysef living out my wildest fantasies. I began with a gentle nip on her exposed skin.Her response was immediate. Her long, cool fingers began moving in a pattern that was, at first, slow and leisurely, but soon became a frenzied need for relief. I did that to her.

I looked down at the inky black tresses that were now caressing my body. I had to have her again. I needed to see those fingers in action once more. So I used my many skills upon her, forcing her to find relief in any way that she could. I was in the Elysian Fields...until....that fateful moment.

I knew then that she would only hurt me. She already had, and would continue to do so, not stopping until I was dead. That moment changed my life.

My family and I were having dinner together. We were a close knit bunch. Then...IT... happened. My brother had just taken a rather large bite of his evening meal. He was a pig about eating. He always bit off more than he could chew. On that day he paid the price for his gluttony. Our family meal, so happy at first, was about to become the scene of a tragedy.

What happened you ask? As I told you earlier, my brother had just taken a big bite of his dinner; then she came. I saw those long, cool fingers latch onto him with tremendous force! I knew in that moment that he was a goner. I had tried to warn him about pushing her too far, but he never listened. She began squeezing him with all of her strength, but he was a tough one; he didn't die easily.

I watched in horror as my love, the light of my life, my dark tressed angel...threw my brother into the raging fire! I was helpless! I couldn't save him! I could only scream in agony, "OH MY GOD!! SHE KILLED KENNY!!! YOU BITCH!!!"

She had a huge smile on her face, she was proud of what she had done. It was in that moment that I knew it was over between us. She had crushed my heart and ripped out my soul. I left her then.

My mother had tried to warn me about falling for her kind. I didn't listen, and my poor shattered heart was the price I paid. I moved on and swore to myself, "from now on, no more of her kind."

It was then that I knew that true love, for me, would happen elsewhere. And so I picked up the pieces of my poor shattered heart and set my sights....on the strawberry blonde.

"Hey Gabrielle, that's quite a bit of scratching you're doing there!"

"Xena I am telling you for the last time. I DID NOT CATCH YOUR LICE!!!"

The End

© 1999 Tympany(Dreamer)