The Cabin

part 1

Disclaimer 1: The characters Xena, Gabrielle, Argo, Hercules and Iolaus are owned by MCA/Universal and they own all rights to them. I only borrowed them for this story. The rest of the story is mine. Comments can be sent to me at blmillerstories@aol.com.

Disclaimer 2: This story contains explicit, graphic scenes of two women making love to each other. If this offends you, run, don’t walk, away from this story. There is also scenes of physical and emotional violence. Just so you’re warned.

Gabrielle's story, 'Poseidon and The Lovers', was used by permission and can be found in the XWP fanfic story "Breaking Bread" by L.N. James.

Please enjoy. This was my first attempt at Xena fiction.

"Well, at least the ground is dry and soft." Xena muttered as she laid out her bedroll. She shivered against the cool night air. "I hope it doesn’t get much colder. I won’t be able to sleep." She threw more logs onto the fire.

"Xena, I have an idea." Gabrielle said. "Why don’t we sleep together? Our body heat will help to keep us warm." She stood and dragged her bedroll over next to Xena’s.

"Why don’t I just make the fire larger?" Xena said. She didn’t feel comfortable being so close to Gabrielle lately.

"No need for that. Come on, let’s get some sleep." Gabrielle laid down and patted the area next to her. Knowing there was no way to avoid it, Xena removed her armor and crawled in next to her.

Gabrielle quickly curled up around her and fell asleep. Xena laid there, wide awake, feeling her body react to the warm skin next to it. Her feelings toward the bard had changed over time, from being a protector to being a friend. Now she wasn’t quite sure what her feelings were. The thought of losing Gabrielle was too much for her to bear, but she wasn’t sure if she could contain her desires for much longer.

"Mmm." The bard murmured as she draped her arm across Xena’s body. The warrior reached down and covered Gabrielle’s hand with her own, gently stroking the storyteller’s fingers. A now familiar ache began within Xena. Gabrielle squeezed tighter, pulling her body closer to her dark haired friend.

"Gabrielle, I think it’s getting too warm. I’ll go lay somewhere else." Xena said as she tried to move the bard’s arm. The arm instantly stiffened, holding Xena still.

"No." Gabrielle said, raising her head to look at the warrior. "Stay with me. Don’t be afraid." The bards fingers started to stroke Xena’s belly through the thin material of the shift.

"I don’t think this is a good idea, Gabrielle." Xena said, rolling her body out of reach of the bard. She stood up and headed for the fire, absently tossing sticks into the flame.

"Xena, did I do something wrong?" Gabrielle propped herself up on her elbows and looked at the warrior. How she longed to break down the walls that Xena had put up around herself.

"No. I have to tend to the fire. Go to sleep, Gabrielle." Xena’s eyes never left the fire. The bard sighed and rolled over, realizing that this was going to be another night of Xena holding back.

They set out the next morning for Permious, a small village nearby. Xena rode on Argo while Gabrielle walked alongside.

"Gabrielle, I’d like to get there before sunset."

"You know I don’t like to ride."

"I know, but we really don’t want to lose any more time." Xena held her hand out, reaching for the bard. Reluctantly, Gabrielle allowed herself to be pulled up onto the horse. She settled in behind the warrior, wrapping her arms around Xena’s waist for support. She noticed that Xena was sitting straight up, rigid. She wondered if the warrior was still sore from last week’s battle.

It took all of Xena’s willpower not to lean back against the bard. Her skin burned where the soft hands were wrapped around her. She was acutely aware of Gabrielle’s thighs against hers, as well as the younger woman’s stomach against her back. Thoughts that were uncommon to the warrior in the light of day surfaced. She tried to push them from her mind.

Permious was like many villages that they had passed through. The usual procedure was to wait for Xena to check out the tavern, then Gabrielle would wait there for Xena to return from stabling Argo. This time, however, Xena headed straight for the stable.

"Why aren’t we going to the tavern first?" Gabrielle asked as she slid down from Argo’s back.

"I don’t want you left there alone." Xena turned and put her hand on the bard’s shoulder. "Gabrielle, I want you to stay within my sight at all times while we’re here, do you understand?" Gabrielle looked into the depths of Xena’s blue eyes, searching for an answer. What she saw surprised the young bard. There was concern, of course, but there was also something else, something unreadable.

"Xena, you know I can take care of-"

"I mean it, Gabrielle." Xena’s voice was stern, silencing any protests from her. Xena turned around and walked over to the stable boy to make arrangements for Argo. Gabrielle set about to remove their bedrolls and saddlebags from the war-horse.

Despite the appearance on the outside, the tavern was clean and well lit inside. Xena entered first, scanning the room for signs of trouble. Seeing none, she motioned for Gabrielle to enter.

"Get us a table, I’ll make arrangements for dinner and a room."

"Okay." Gabrielle said as she made her way toward the back. She knew that Xena preferred to have her back to a wall so she could study the entire room. She settled down at a small table in the back and waited for Xena to join her.

"What’s a purdy little thing like you doing out here all alone?" A large, stinking bulk of a man said lecherously to the bard. She almost lost her appetite at the smell of his breath. Instinctively, her hands wrapped around her staff, readying it for action. He reached out to grab at her, but a blur of motion wrapped his arm up behind his back.

"Say you’re sorry for bothering her." The soft voice hissed. Gabrielle looked up, expecting Xena to be there. She was surprised to see another woman coming to her rescue. This woman was as tall as Xena, with a similar build. She had short, sandy brown hair and grey eyes.

"S-Sorry." He yelped at the woman pushed his arm up harder. With a satisfied grin, she let him go. He immediately took off toward the door. A soft hand rested on Gabrielle’s shoulder. She didn’t need to look up to know it was Xena.

"Thank you." The bard said, looking at the woman.

"You are welcome." The woman looked at Gabrielle, then at Xena. "I am Drax. I saw him lumbering over toward you and I thought you might need a hand."

"Thank you again, Drax. I am Gabrielle and this is-"

"Xena. It’s been a long time." Drax said. From Gabrielle’s vantage, she couldn’t see the cold stare that Xena was giving the other woman.

"Drax." Xena coolly answered as she increased her grip on Gabrielle’s shoulder.

"Well, if you will excuse me. It was nice meeting you, Gabrielle." Drax said as she straightened up. She nodded to Xena, then walked away.

"You know her?" Gabrielle asked as Xena sat down next to her. Xena took a large swallow of port before answering.

"I know her." Was all she said. Gabrielle knew from the tone in the warrior’s voice that part of the conversation was over.

"Were you able to get us a room?"

"Yes, upstairs, end of the hall." Xena answered. A young woman brought the trays of food to their table. Gabrielle’s eyes widened when she saw the loaf of nutbread.

"Xena!"

"I knew you’d like that." Xena said. She smiled as she watched Gabrielle break off a large piece. It never ceased to amaze the warrior how Gabrielle reacted to the slightest act of kindness from her. "Try not to eat it all at once." She added, remembering how nutbread affects the bard. They ate in silence. Gabrielle was enjoying the food too much to notice that Xena’s eyes were fixed on one person in the room, Drax.

"Xena, how do you know Drax?" Gabrielle asked as she was getting ready for bed. The room was small, just enough room for the pallet that they shared. Xena was already in bed. She propped herself up on one elbow and looked at the bard.

"I know her from before."

"You mean from when you were a warlord."

"Gabrielle, can’t we talk about something else?" Xena didn’t want this line of questioning to continue.

"Fine. Some strange woman comes to my rescue before you do and you don’t want to talk about it. You hardly said two words all through dinner. You don’t like her, do you?"

"No." Came the terse reply. "Gabrielle, come to bed. We’ll talk about this more some other time." Xena rolled over, facing away from the bard.

"Sure we will." Gabrielle said sarcastically as she climbed into bed. She was asleep within minutes. Xena slept very little during the night. Her mind was on Gabrielle, and the warrior with the grey eyes.

"Gabrielle." Xena gently shook her shoulder. "Gabrielle, come on, it’s time to get up." She shook harder.

"I’m up, I’m up." Gabrielle muttered as she rolled over.

"I have to go look in on Argo. I want you to stay here in the tavern. Do you understand? No roaming around the village."

"Why?" Gabrielle sat up, fully awake. Xena never forbid her to look around a village before.

"Gabrielle, I mean it. Stay here." Xena said in a commanding tone that had more anger to it than she meant.

"Fine, I’ll stay here like a prisoner." Gabrielle muttered.

"You’re not a prisoner. I just want you to stay here."

"Whatever you say, master."

"Gabrielle!" Xena’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"Sorry." The bard mumbled. Xena turned, then left. As soon as the door closed, Gabrielle threw a pillow at it and yelled "You big dumb warrior." Xena chuckled all the way down the hall.

Gabrielle went downstairs and ordered breakfast. She headed toward the table in the back. A strong hand on her shoulder stopped her. Gripping her staff, the bard turned and saw Drax standing there.

"Would you care to join me for breakfast?" The warrior asked. Drax had already seen Xena leave earlier. "You appear to be alone. If you sit with me, I’m sure none of these thugs will even think of bothering you."

"Thank you." Gabrielle said as she allowed Drax to lead her to a table. "So how do you know Xena?" The bard asked as she sat down. Gabrielle was always curious about the people in Xena’s past. There was so much that she didn’t know about her traveling companion, so much that Xena couldn’t or wouldn’t tell her.

"Xena and I met years ago when we were in the same army."

"Were you friends?"

"I don’t think that Xena has ever had any ‘friends’. We knew each other, that’s all. So tell me, what is a beautiful woman such as yourself doing riding around with a warlord?" Drax’s eyes were traveling around the room, keeping an eye out for Xena.

"Xena is not a warlord anymore. I am a bard. I follow her and tell stories."

"Very interesting." Drax said. Gabrielle couldn’t tell if the comment was directed at what she said. She suddenly felt uneasy.

"W-What is?"

"You are, bard." Drax said, letting her voice drop to a lower tone. "Would you like to go for a walk? I know some great sites around here."

"I’m sorry, I have to wait for Xena to return." Gabrielle said, silently grateful that Xena had instructed her to remain at the tavern.

"I thought you were an adult, capable of doing what you pleased." Drax taunted. "She saw fit to leave you here alone. She must trust you to take care of yourself."

"She trusts me to stay here until she returns." Gabrielle answered, refusing to pick up the bait that Drax had laid out for her.

"Suit yourself, little bard." Drax said as she stood. "Keep following that warlord around long enough and you’ll see the truth."

"What do you mean?" Gabrielle rose and grabbed Drax’s arm. "What truth?" The warrior turned and smiled at her. The smile was anything but friendly.

"I mean that you’ll end up paying for her mistakes if you keep hanging around her." Drax turned and walked out the door, planning her next move.

Xena returned to the inn a short time later. "I’m glad you’ve finished your breakfast. Do you want to go purchase some supplies?"

"That sounds good." Gabrielle answered. "I need more ink and parchment." She decided not to mention her meeting with Drax.

As they walked around town, the grey eyes followed their every move. Xena felt a sense of danger, but was unable to pinpoint it. Reflexively, she entered every store first, looking for signs of trouble, before letting Gabrielle in.

"What’s going on, Xena?" Gabrielle finally asked. "You’re being more overprotective than usual. Is something bothering you?"

"No. I just want to make sure that you’re safe, that’s all. Sorry if it seems like I’m being too protective." Xena lied.

"Well you are. I am an adult, I can make my own decisions. You can trust me to take care of myself, Xena." Gabrielle was letting some of her anger through. She didn’t know why the warrior felt it so necessary to protect her from the world.

"Fine, do what you want." Xena said quietly. She turned and walked away from Gabrielle, not allowing the young bard to see the hurt on her face.

"Fine, I will." Gabrielle muttered before heading back toward the tavern. The grey eyes watched the scene carefully, then headed into the tavern.

Gabrielle was sitting at the back table with a glass of cider in her hand. Drax strolled up next to her and sat down with two large mugs filled with port. "Good afternoon. Care to join me for a drink?" Drax said nicely.

"I don’t usually drink port." Gabrielle answered.

"Because you don’t like it or because Xena won’t let you?" Drax taunted.

"I can do what I want."

"Well then, if you won’t allow me the pleasure of your company for a drink, then at least take the drink as my apology for disturbing you." Drax said as she pushed the mug of port in front of the young bard. Gabrielle didn’t really want the drink, but she also didn’t want to get into an argument with this imposing woman.

"I suppose one drink won’t hurt me." She said as she abandoned her cider and reached for the mug of port. Drax smiled inwardly as the coppery haired woman drank the laced port.

Drax had managed to talk Gabrielle into another mug of port, which she made sure to spike before giving it to her. She was convinced that the young bard was thoroughly drugged and was just about to put her plan into action when she felt the presence next to her. She didn’t have to look up, she could feel the anger from the warrior’s eyes bearing down at her.

"What did you do to her?" Xena seethed.

"Nothing. I merely asked her to join me for a drink. Does she need your permission for that?" Drax asked as she stood up to face Xena. Gabrielle was too drugged up to follow any of the conversation around her. She was doing all she could not to pass out at the table. The two warriors looked at each other, sizing each other up.

"Stay away from her, Drax." Xena said, anger and hatred dripping off of each word.

"I think it’s up to the young bard to decide who she wants to be near, warlord. Unless you wish to make that decision for her?" Drax made no attempt to hide the offer of a battle.

"Gabrielle can make her own decisions, Drax. But for the sake of your health, stay away from her." Xena said, returning her own threat. She turned away from Drax and put a hand on Gabrielle’s arm. "Gabrielle, let’s go. You’ve had enough to drink for one day." She helped the bard up and headed upstairs to their room. Xena didn’t have to look behind her to know that the grey eyes of Drax followed them.

"Where are we going?" Gabrielle said as her eyes slowly opened. She realized that it was just after sunrise. Xena had all their belongings packed.

"We have to leave this village. It’s too dangerous." Xena said quietly. Gabrielle looked into Xena’s eyes and realized that Xena was most likely understating the danger. She quickly sat up and got dressed. As she tied her boots, she said "Xena, this danger, it has to do with Drax, doesn’t it?"

"Yes." was all that Xena would say. She couldn’t tell Gabrielle just how much danger there was. She was exhausted from not sleeping. She had spent the entire night holding the young bard in her arms, afraid of letting go. She couldn’t tell Gabrielle that she feared for her life.

They were in the stable. Xena was feeding Argo and Gabrielle was attaching the saddlebags. Xena sensed the danger too late. She turned around and saw Drax.

"Move and she dies, warlord." Drax said as she pointed the crossbow at Gabrielle’s ear.

"Gabrielle, don’t move." Xena warned. The bard remained still, her eyes full of fear. Xena knew that the fear was reflected in her own eyes as well. "Drax, let her go. The matter between us is none of her concern."

"Ah, but it is her concern, warlord." Drax pressed the point of the bow against Gabrielle’s ear, causing small drops of blood to run. "She chose to be with you, to follow you. Now she will see what happens to people who dare to be near you."

"Drax, let her go. It’s me you want." Xena was doing everything in her power to keep her dark side down and the fear out of her voice.

"No, I like it better this way. I believe that she means more to you than you admit. It will bring me great pleasure to watch you suffer, warlord." Her words dripped with venom. "If you try anything, I will kill her." With that, Drax wrapped a strong arm around Gabrielle’s throat and roughly pulled her out of the stable, causing Gabrielle to drop her staff. Still holding the crossbow too close to Gabrielle for Xena to do anything, she forced the bard onto a horse. "Get on your horse, Xena. Ride alongside us. I’m sure you don’t want to let your precious bard out of your sight." Drax laughed cruelly.

They arrived several hours later at a small castle. Drax continued to hold Gabrielle at bowpoint and led her inside, motioning for Xena to follow. As soon as they entered, several men surrounded Xena.

"Drop all your weapons, warlord."

"Let her go." Xena said, her hands never leaving her chakram. If only she could get Gabrielle away from Drax, but the weapon was too close. Drax moved the bow downward along the bard’s face, drawing blood.

"Drop the weapons, warlord!" Drax commanded again. Slowly, Xena lowered her weapons. "Tie her up. I have plans for the both of them." Drax said as she pulled Gabrielle out of the room. The men tied Xena up carefully, making sure that the knots were strong. They took advantage of the situation and pummeled the warrior into unconsciousness.

Drax dumped a bucket of water on the warrior, bringing her back to consciousness. Xena opened her swollen eyes and looked in horror at her surroundings. Gabrielle was manacled to the wall, facing away from her, totally defenseless. Xena tried to pull free of her bonds, but she was tied tightly to the chair. She was helpless to protect Gabrielle.

"She chose to follow you, warlord. Now you can watch as she receives her punishment." Drax uncoiled a whip.

"NO!" Xena screamed, jerking against her bonds. Drax pulled her arm back and let loose a vicious crack of the whip. It landed squarely on Gabrielle’s back, causing the young woman to scream. Gabrielle knew that Xena was behind her, but she couldn’t see her. Drax struck again. The bard’s body jerked at the impact of the whip. The pain on her back was unbearable. She struggled to not scream, but failed. She didn’t want Xena to know just how afraid she really was. Drax continued to punish Gabrielle’s back with the whip, reducing the bard to a whimpering, bloody mess. Xena’s wrists were raw and bloodied from struggling against her bonds.

"Admit that you were wrong to follow her, bard!" Drax hissed. "Admit that the warlord Xena is beyond redemption."

"N-Never." The half-conscious woman replied. Gabrielle refused to give up on Xena, no matter how bad the situation was. Drax cursed and brought her fist up, connecting solidly with Gabrielle’s face.

"Admit it!" Drax screamed. Gabrielle turned her head to look at Drax. Xena stared on, afraid that Gabrielle wouldn’t be able to hold out much longer against such torture. The bard narrowed her eyes, let the blood pool in her mouth, then spit it directly into the face of her tormentor. Drax let out a curse and slammed the bard’s head against the wall, sending the young woman into unconsciousness.

"Gabrielle!" Xena screamed. Drax turned her attention back to the warrior.

"Well, it seems as though the mighty Xena has a soft spot after all." She sneered. "Don’t worry, she’s not dead....yet." Drax pulled back the whip and struck Xena soundly across the face. "I intend to make you suffer, warlord. You and your little bard." She kicked Xena’s chest with all her strength, sending the warrior and chair toppling over. Xena was sure that several of her ribs were cracked. As she fought to regain the air that had been knocked out of her lungs, Drax roughly lifted Xena and the chair back to an upright position. "You took what I loved, now I’ll take what you love." Drax hissed before raising her arm up and striking Xena again and again until darkness fell over the warrior.

Hercules and Iolaus entered the village and headed for the stable. Both were exhausted after their last battle. As they entered the stable, Iolaus spotted the staff on the ground. "Herc, isn’t this Gabrielle’s staff?"

"It sure looks like it." Hercules said as he took it from Iolaus. He looked at the ground. "Here’s Argo’s tracks."

"Herc," He said with his voice full of concern. "She wouldn’t leave her staff behind." Iolaus remounted his steed.

"Agreed, let’s follow the tracks." Hercules said. They swiftly rode out of the village, both praying that their friends were all right.

Xena’s eyes were so swollen that she couldn’t see, but she could still hear the piercing screams from Gabrielle as Drax continued to whip her. Each time, Drax would whip Gabrielle to near unconsciousness, then order her to admit that she was wrong to follow Xena. Each time, Gabrielle refused. The bard believed in her love for Xena, and Xena’s love for her. She knew that to say that she was wrong to follow would break Xena’s heart. That’s what Drax wanted and Gabrielle would go to Hades before she’d say it. She loved Xena too much to hurt her like that, despite the tremendous pain she was in.

Hercules tapped the sentry on the shoulder. When he turned around, the sentry was greeted by the demi-god’s fist. "One down, fifty more to go." Hercules said as he worked his way into the castle. Iolaus had spotted Argo tied to a tree nearby. Hercules only hoped that he was in time.

Gabrielle had been whipped so much that her clothes had been torn away. Her body was covered with red criss cross marks where the whip had torn away her flesh. Between the blows that Xena received and the lack of food or water, the warrior was utterly defenseless. Drax had been right that torturing Gabrielle would bring Xena to her knees. After three days, Xena’s will had been broken and she started to beg for Gabrielle’s life.

"Please..." Xena’s voice was weak and raspy. "Let her go...she can’t take any more...please."

"How the mighty have fallen." Drax said with an air of victory to her voice. "I suppose you think I’m going to just let her walk out of here? That’s not my plan, warlord. My husband died because of you. Now you can watch the bard die!" Drax pulled back the whip, readying it for another attack on Gabrielle’s raw back. "Ahhh!" Drax screamed as an arrow entered her arm, forcing her to drop the whip. Iolaus was crouched at the window and smiled when he saw that his aim was true. Drax called for her guards, but realized from the noise outside that they were all too busy in a battle to come to her aid. The window was too small for Iolaus to squeeze through. Drax grabbed her whip with her good arm and readied it for another attack. Hercules broke through the door, causing her to turn around to face the new threat. At the same time, Iolaus released his arrow, piercing Drax through the heart. She was dead before she hit the floor.

Iolaus ran around the building and entered the cell. He stood there, nauseated, as he took in the scene. From his vantage at the window, he was unable to see the bloodied mess that was Gabrielle. Now he saw just how brutally she was whipped. Xena looked as though she had been in a fight with a titan and lost. Both eyes were swollen shut, blood streamed from her mouth, and several bones appeared to be broken. She appeared to be unaware of the rescue. Iolaus couldn’t control his stomach anymore and ran to a corner.

"Iolaus, give me your shirt." Hercules said as he pulled his own off and tore it into strips. Iolaus slowly regained his composure and handed over his shirt.

"Gab..." Xena mumbled. "Please...no more..." Hercules walked over to her.

"Xena, it’s me, Hercules. Don’t worry, Iolaus and I will get you and Gabrielle out of here." He reached over and removed the bonds that held Xena to the chair and grabbed her as she slumped forward toward the ground. "Easy now, I’ve got you." He helped her to the floor. "Keep an eye on her." He said to Iolaus. The young man nodded as Herc walked over to Gabrielle. He reached up and tore the chains from the wall. The semi-conscious girl cried out from the pain of both the release of the restraints and the pressure on her back when she fell into his arms. Immediately Xena tried to crawl over to where she had heard the cries.

"Got..to help...Gabrielle..." She said as she tried to move closer. Hercules took Iolaus’s shirt and wrapped it around Gabrielle, using it as both a bandage and a cover. Gabrielle cried out again before passing out from the pain.

"Well, at least she won’t feel anything for a while." Hercules said as he passed the unconscious bard into Iolaus’s arms. "Take her out and put her across my horse. I’ll bring Xena." He reached down and picked up the wounded warrior. "Well, this is one way to get you back into my arms." He said, trying to lighten the deep mood. She didn’t know whose arms she was in and started to weakly struggle. "Xena, I’m not fighting with you all the way to safety." He said before raising his fist and gently knocking her unconscious. "I’m sorry, Xena. It will be easier this way."

Outside, Hercules noticed that Iolaus had secured Gabrielle to the horse. Herc laid Xena across Argo’s back and used the strips of his shirt to secure her to the horse.

"Where are we taking them?" Iolaus asked as he mounted his horse.

"Up to my camp. They’ll be safest there." Hercules said as he grabbed the reins of both his horse and Argo. "If we travel all night, we can reach it by late tomorrow. I don’t think either of them are going to mind."

"Should we stop in a village and see a healer?"

"No, I’m sure there’s more of Drax’s men at the village. There’s medicine at the cabin. I don’t think one more day is going to hurt them anymore than they already are. We need to get there before the first snow."

"Okay." Iolaus readied his bow and took the lead. Hercules walked behind him, carrying the reins of the horses that held the fallen women.

They arrived at the cabin around midday. Xena had regained consciousness briefly and had tried to get off of Argo, but Hercules tapped her again. He knew that both women’s bodies need time to rest and heal and he didn’t feel like fighting with Xena about where they were headed. Hercules carried both women in and set them down on the large pallet. Iolaus carried in the saddlebags.

"What do we do now?" Iolaus asked as he headed for a large chair to sit down.

"Well, the first thing we need to do is find out the complete extent of their injuries. I’m nowhere near as good a healer as Xena, but I know enough. Despite the condition of Gabrielle’s back, I think Xena took a worse beating. From what I can tell, she has several cracked ribs as well as a broken leg. I can set them, but she’s going to need some time to heal. That’s why I brought them up here."

"Xe-Xena?" Gabrielle’s raspy voice interrupted them. Both men immediately went to her side.

"Gabrielle? It’s me, Hercules. Iolaus is here too. How are you feeling?"

"Um." She shook her head to clear her thoughts. Her eyes focused on the dark haired warrior lying next to her.

"It’s okay, Gabrielle, she’s just resting." Iolaus said. "You two have been through a rough time of it."

"She looks so helpless." The bard cried.

"Gabrielle, you need food and drink. Do you think you can sit up?" Hercules went over to the saddlebags and came back with a wineskin. Gabrielle winced and pulled herself into a sitting position, her eyes never leaving Xena. As she drank, Iolaus heated up some food for them. While they ate, Hercules and Iolaus filled her in on what they knew of what had happened. Xena woke up later on in the evening, but could do little more than take a few spoonfuls of soup from Gabrielle before falling back to unconsciousness again.

"There, that should do it. Not as good as Xena’s stitches, but they’ll do the job." Iolaus said as he finished sewing up the wounds on Gabrielle’s back. She pulled on the clean shift and turned around to look at him.

"Iolaus, I want to thank you and Hercules for all your help. You know we never-"

"Don’t worry about it. Just remember that you both owe us a favor."

"Gabrielle, do you think we can talk for a moment?" Hercules said as he entered the cabin.

"Sure." She said. The three of them sat around the table.

"Gabrielle, we need to get going soon. Once the snows start, you’ll be stuck up here for the next four moons. Iolaus will go down to the village and get the supplies that you need if you can make him a list. There’s enough hay and oats in the stable to keep Argo happy for at least five moons, so concentrate on what the two of you need." It didn’t take too long for Gabrielle to come up with a list of items. She handed Iolaus the last of their dinars along with the list. Iolaus nodded and went out to the stable. Hercules followed him.

"Iolaus, hang on." Herc walked over to a back wall and pulled away a board, revealing several bags of dinars. He pulled two bags out and handed them to Iolaus. "Let me see what she has on the list." Iolaus handed Herc the list and he studied it for a moment. "She made a very practical list. How many dinars did she give you?"

"Fifty."

"That’s why. Get three times whatever she has on this list, as well as a few more things." He proceeded to run off a litany of other things for Iolaus to pick up.

"Herc! With all that stuff, I’ll need two horses and I still won’t have any room to ride."

"That’s okay, you could use the exercise." Hercules said, gently swatting the younger man on the rump. "Take Argo and my horse. They’ll be able to handle all the extra weight."

"Okay, but why this other stuff? They don’t need these things to survive."

"Iolaus, they’ve both been through a very traumatic experience. They’re going to be stuck with each other for the next four moons up here. I think the other items will end up coming in rather handy." He gave the blonde man a wink.

"I hope you know what you’re doing." Iolaus said as he climbed up on Argo. "I’m not sure I want to be around when Xena realizes that she’s stuck in one place for four moons."

"Me either." Hercules mumbled as he watched his friend ride away.

"When will Iolaus be back?" Gabrielle asked as Hercules entered the cabin.

"He should be back sometime tomorrow. Let’s talk for a while." Hercules motioned for her to join him at the table. "Gabrielle, this is my hunting cabin. The stable is on the other side of the wall with the fireplace. It stays good and warm there. This cabin is in a very isolated part of Greece. There are no chances of marauders or anyone else coming here to bother you."

"That’s good. We both need some time to heal." She grimaced as she tried to straighten out her back.

"You’ll certainly have plenty of that. Have you had a chance to look at Xena’s wounds?"

"Yes, you did a good job stitching them. How long before her broken bones heal?"

"It varies from person to person, but I think she’ll be all right in about a moon or so."

"But we can’t leave here until spring?"

"Not a chance. There will be too much snow for Argo to successfully navigate the road. Think of it as a long vacation, a chance for the two of you to spend some time together and not worry about the next battle or attack. Now, let’s get some dinner going. I know I’m starving and I’m sure you are too."

"I’ll make soup. I think it will be easier for Xena to eat."

"Fine." Hercules looked at the bard for a moment. Such dedication, such loyalty. Xena needs this woman in her life. He knew how many times he had to depend on Iolaus to help him out. He was glad to see that Xena had someone to look out for her too.

Xena was strong enough on the third day to sit up in bed. Hercules and Iolaus said their good-byes and left. No one had told Xena just how long they were going to be there. Gabrielle was busy putting the supplies away when Xena spoke.

"Gabrielle?"

"What is it?" The bard asked as she walked over and sat down next to Xena on the bed. "Do you need something?"

"No. I just wanted to see how you were." Visions of the beatings that Gabrielle took flooded through Xena’s mind.

"Xena, I’m going to be fine, so are you. Drax is dead. We don’t need to talk about it any more if you don’t want to." Gabrielle was all too familiar with Xena’s stoic nature. She stood up and headed back over to the fireplace to start some water for tea.

"Gabrielle, I’m sorry."

"For what?" Gabrielle said, not bothering to turn around.

"For what Drax did to you. You were hurt only because of me. If you weren’t with me, if I had found a way to keep you safe-"

"Xena, stop it." Gabrielle turned to face her. Xena saw the anger in the blue-green eyes. "You had no way of knowing what she was up to. You did everything in your power to protect me."

"She would have stopped hurting you if you had just told her that you were wrong for staying with me."

"I couldn’t do that, Xena. I could never have hurt you like that. Drax was trying to break you by using me. Even if I had done what she wanted, she still would have tried to kill me."

"It broke my heart to see you in such pain." Xena quietly admitted. Gabrielle moved over and took Xena’s hand in hers.

"Xena, listen to me. I’m fine now. It will take some time to heal the wounds, but I’m alive and so are you. That’s all that matters. Understand this, you big dumb warrior, I’m not walking away from you, so you might as well get used to having me around." Gabrielle ruffled Xena’s dark mane and stood up. "Now, do you need anything? We have plenty of supplies. You name it, we have it."

"Why are there so many supplies?" Xena looked around and saw the boxes. "Gabrielle, what is going on?"

"Um, well, you see-"

"Gabrielle." Xena said sternly. The bard could tell from the look that Xena gave that she had better tell her the truth, and quickly.

"We’re stuck in Hercules’ cabin for the next four moons." She said quickly, stepping back out of reach of the warrior.

"Four moons?!"

"Xena, we have no choice now. The snow has already started to fall. There’s no way back until the spring." Without realizing it, Gabrielle stepped back. "Consider it a forced vacation."

"Four moons? We’re stuck here for the next FOUR MOONS?" She hated the idea of being in any one place too long.

"You can’t even walk yet, so where do you think you would go?" Gabrielle tried to appeal to Xena’s practical side.

"I don’t like the idea of being in the same place for any length of time. What about Argo?"

"What about her? She’s in the stable, she’s warm, and Hercules said there was plenty of food and hay for her." Realizing that she had just defeated Xena’s last possible argument, Gabrielle felt a surge of confidence flow through her. "Face it, Xena, you’re stuck here with me whether you like it or not. Now let’s take a quick look at your wounds and see how they’re doing."

Xena laid back and allowed Gabrielle to examine the wounds, scowling all the while. She paid great attention, making sure she understood the extent of her injuries. At one point, Gabrielle turned around to look at Xena’s legs. The warrior saw the red criss cross marks through the thin shift that the bard was wearing. "Oh Gabrielle, your back." She said sadly. Xena knew that the beatings that Gabrielle suffered through were bad, but it still startled her to see the true damage.

"I’m fine, Xena." Gabrielle said as she turned around. Her back still felt like it was on fire, but she didn’t want Xena to worry.

"Gabrielle, let me take a look at them."

"Xena, I’ll be fine. They’re not as bad as they seem."

"Gabrielle, let me see." Xena said sternly. Sighing, the bard turned around and removed her shift slowly. She heard the sharp intake of air as Xena saw the extent of the damage close up. "Gabrielle, I’m so sorry." Her voice cracked.

"Xena, it’s not your fault." Gabrielle said as she turned to look at her. She saw the flash of fear and concern in Xena’s blue eyes before the warrior changed her expression back to a stoic look.

"You need to put more salve on it." She said matter-of-factly.

"I can’t reach all the areas myself."

"I’ll do it. Bring me the salve." Xena sat up, fighting a wave of nausea. Gabrielle put her hands on Xena’s shoulders and pushed her back down gently.

"Xena, it can wait until after I take care of you. Now just lay back down and let me get everything I need." Gabrielle stood up and put her shift back on.

"Let me know if I’m hurting you, okay?" Gabrielle said as she slowly removed some of the bandages from the warrior’s body. Despite the gentleness that the bard used, Xena was still in tremendous pain. She closed her eyes and clenched her teeth to keep the sounds inside. It seemed like candlemarks before Gabrielle was done changing the dressings, when in fact it had only been a few moments. "All done." Gabrielle said as she finished applying the last bandage. It still amazed her how Xena was strong enough to survive all the attacks that she had been through.

"Now it’s your turn." Xena said as she sat up, gritting her teeth from the pain. Gabrielle handed her the salve, then sat next to her and exposed her back. "I promise to be gentle."

"I know you will." Gabrielle replied. She braced herself for the pain that she knew would be coming. Xena started by gently rubbing her shoulders while applying the ointment. She waited until she felt the bard’s muscles relax before she continued. She took her time, working her way downward until all the whip marks were covered with the salve. Gabrielle marveled at how fierce Xena could be with an enemy, yet be so soft and gentle with her. It actually hurt far less than the bard had anticipated.

"You can put your shift back on." Xena said as she wiped her hands. Every mark had fueled her anger and hatred, but had also filled her heart with a deep pride at the young woman. She withstood torture that would have brought most people to their knees. Even Xena herself had succumbed, but Gabrielle had still found the strength to survive. "When did you stop being a helpless girl and turn into this fine woman?" Xena said, not realizing that she had spoken aloud.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing." Xena’s face went stoic, angry at herself for inadvertently speaking her thoughts. "I’m proud of you, you know."

"Xena." Gabrielle turned and sat next to the warrior. She knew how hard it was for Xena to give compliments, and this was by far the largest one she had ever bestowed on the young bard. "I only did what I thought you would want me to do."

"Gabrielle, you stood up to Drax, despite the pain. You refused to take the easy way out." Xena lowered her head and looked away, trying not to let Gabrielle see the moisture forming in her eyes. "You wouldn’t let her break you. She broke me." She quietly admitted.

"Xena, look at me." Gabrielle put her hand under the warrior’s chin and turned her face. "What are you talking about?"

"I don’t want to talk about it right now." She said as she wiped her eyes. Gabrielle watched as Xena’s emotions exited her eyes. The mask is back on, the bard thought.

"Xena, it’s okay to talk about it. I don’t remember too much about what happened. I just knew that I couldn’t, wouldn’t say the things that she wanted me to. I couldn’t do that to you." She released her grip on the warrior’s chin, unsure of how far to push Xena. "Look, we can talk about this some other time. Right now, I’m going to make some nutbread." She stood up and walked back over to the fireplace, giving them both some time to sort out their thoughts.

"I’m not real thrilled with this." Xena said as Gabrielle helped her back to bed from the chamber pot.

"Well, you could use some humbling, my dear warrior." Gabrielle said. She was rewarded with a playful toss of the pillow. "Do you want me to wash you? I need to change some of your dressings anyway."

"I suppose that would be a good idea. I can still smell the odors from the cell on my body."

"Well, Hercules was a little uncomfortable with the thought of washing you and Iolaus was terrified of what you would do to him." Gabrielle giggled at the thought of Iolaus trying to wash Xena. She could still see his poor hands shaking at the mention of washing the warrior. She was still chuckling to herself when she put the two buckets of water on the fire.

"Gabrielle, I can do this myself." Xena said as she watched Gabrielle bring over the buckets of water.

"Just sit back and relax." The bard said. She started with Xena’s neck and back, taking the time to do a thorough, gentle cleaning. Xena melted into the gentle touch of the bard, letting her massage the muscles while she cleaned. It was only when Gabrielle brought the cloth around to the front and started to wash her stomach that Xena stiffened.

"I can get the rest, Gabrielle." She said, taking the cloth. She quickly washed the rest of her body before giving the cloth back to the bard. Gabrielle wondered what had panicked Xena when she moved the cloth around to the front. A brief thought passed through the young bard’s mind. She shook her head quickly.

"There, all finished. Now I am going to take a nice, long, hot bath." She said as she went to get some fresh water. "After that, we’ll have some nutbread and talk." She added before heading outside to get some more snow to melt. Xena sat back and thought about the washing. Gabrielle’s touches were gentle, caressing, far more enjoyable than she dared to admit. It was hard enough not to stare at Gabrielle when she was getting dressed or undressed. Her body had developed so much over the last couple of summers. She was no longer the young, scared girl that Xena had first met. Her Gabrielle was now an Amazon Queen and pretty good with that staff. She had grown into a beautiful young woman.

Gabrielle thought to herself while she packed the buckets with snow. She thought back to when she first met Xena and started to follow her on the road. Xena was cool, aloof, hard to live with back then. Now there were times when Gabrielle felt really close to the warrior. She seemed to have a way of bringing out Xena’s best side. The compliments from the older woman were increasing too. Gabrielle cherished every kind word, every nice gesture, and she was well aware of the increased attention that Xena was giving her recently. Xena had always been overprotective, but within the last few moons, it had increased. Gabrielle used to be able to go to the taverns alone, now Xena insisted on entering first to make sure it was safe for the bard to enter. Gabrielle knew that was closer to Xena than she was to anyone else in her young life. She didn’t know what she would ever do without her. Pushing that last thought out of her mind, Gabrielle picked up the buckets and headed inside.

Xena turned her head to look at the fireplace, but she was watching Gabrielle out of the corner of her eye. Gabrielle was humming along, oblivious to the voyeurism. Xena felt her breathing increase as she watched the soapy water slide down Gabrielle’s back. When Gabrielle turned in her direction, Xena stared at the fireplace, not looking away until she knew Gabrielle was finished with her bath and back into her shift.

"It’s time for the nutbread." Gabrielle said happily as she brought the warm loaf over to the bed. She sat cross-legged next to Xena and pulled off a large piece for herself. "So...mmm…tell me, what happened in that cell?" The bard asked as she shoved the nutbread into her mouth. It always amused Xena just how much the bard could both eat and talk.

"I’m not sure I want to." She said as she looked into the blue-green eyes of the young bard.

"Xena, please tell me. I really need to know." Gabrielle passionately pleaded. "You said she broke you. How? What could she have possibly done to you that someone else hasn’t already done?" Gabrielle was thinking of all the battles that Xena lived through during her warlord years. She knew the warrior had suffered even more severe injuries than this in previous battles.

"She hurt you." Xena said quietly as she looked down at her hands. "I would have done anything to make her stop."

"Oh, Xena." Gabrielle gasped in understanding. She knew she would have done the same if the positions had been reversed. She reached out and put her hand on the warrior’s tanned thigh. Xena covered it with her own and gently squeezed.

"I begged her, Gabrielle. I begged and pleaded with her to stop hurting you. I would have done anything to spare you that pain." The image of Gabrielle’s back passed through Xena’s mind and caused her to shudder. The tears started to roll unchecked from the deep blue eyes. "I’m glad she beat me so bad that I couldn’t see. But I could still hear. I heard you crying out and I, I couldn’t, I-."

"Shh." Gabrielle said as she reached over to hold the sobbing woman. "I know you did everything in your power to protect me and I love you for it." She ran her arms up and down Xena’s back in a comforting motion, careful of the cracked ribs. Xena buried her head into the bard’s shoulder and allowed herself to feel the pain. Gabrielle continued to stroke her hair and back while gently rocking her. "I know, I know." She said rhythmically, trying to gently calm the warrior down. In her weakened state, exhaustion came quickly to the tall warrior and it didn’t take long for Gabrielle to get her to lay down and sleep. The bard moved close and curled up around her warrior.

Xena woke up early but didn’t rise like she normally would. She found herself wrapped up in Gabrielle’s arms and legs. She thought about squirming out but decided it felt too good to leave just yet. She allowed herself to lazily run her fingers in small circles along the bard’s arm, enjoying the feel of the soft skin beneath her, for several minutes before finally working free of the appendages and getting up. She reached over for Gabrielle’s staff and used it like a crutch to head to the chamber pot, wincing at the pain in her leg and ribs.

Gabrielle poked her head out from under the covers and sniffed the aroma of breakfast for opening her eyes. Xena was sitting on the floor near the fireplace, drinking a mug of tea. "I thought you were going to sleep all day." She said as she looked at the half-awake bard.

"How long have you been up?" Gabrielle said as she sat up and stretched. She noticed that Xena’s eyes had not strayed from her, so she made a point of drawing out the stretching. Ideas were forming in the young bard’s head. Ideas that she seriously wanted to pursue.

"About one and a half candlemarks." The warrior answered as she turned to look at the cooking food. "Are you hungry? What a silly question. My bard, not hungry?" Xena laughed. There was silence for a moment as both women realized the ‘my bard’ part of Xena’s statement. Gabrielle smiled and broke the silence.

"Well, I’m famished. What did you whip up?" She said as she slipped off the bed and sat down next to the warrior. Xena silently thanked the gods that Gabrielle didn’t say anything about her slip of the tongue.

"I thought you would enjoy some fish and bread." Xena said as she scooped the cooking fish from the fire and put it on two plates.

"Look at the size of that fish! I didn’t know that they could get so large." Gabrielle beamed as she broke off a piece and ate it.

"Well, it wasn’t my doing. I found a stack of frozen fish just outside the door."

"Iolaus or Hercules must have caught them for us before they left. I never bothered to look. How did you find them?"

"I took a quick look outside while you were sleeping. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen this much snow."

"How did you get around with your broken leg?"

"I used your staff to lean against. I have to admit that my ribs are hurting a little bit now."

"They should be. You took a hades of a beating." There was silence again as neither one of the women wanted to talk about the incident with Drax. "Xena, I need to borrow your sword and dagger for a little while."

"Sure, what are you going to do?" Gabrielle never asked to borrow Xena’s weapons, which made the warrior all the more curious.

"It’s a surprise. Trust me. I’ll check on Argo while I’m out."

"Okay, but be careful. I want you to remain within earshot."

"Yes mother." Gabrielle said sarcastically.

Gabrielle looked at several trees before she found what she was looking for. Smiling, she took the sword and started to hack off a long, thick branch. She was sweating freely by the time the limb broke from the tree. She dragged it back to the stable. "Hi Argo, how are you?" She said to the war-horse as she refilled the trough. She sat down in the corner opposite the horse and pulled the limb onto her lap. Pulling out the dagger, she started to remove the bark and excess wood. Xena was right about the dagger and sword being so sharp. By the time Gabrielle had finished, she had several small cuts on her hands and one on her belly from when the dagger had slipped. Once it was the right shape, Gabrielle kept checking the length. Xena was several inches taller than her, which made guessing about the correct height difficult. Every so often, she would pop her head back into the cabin to get some water and let Xena know she was okay. It was almost six candlemarks before she finished. Satisfied with her work, she left the stable and went back into the cabin, leaving her project just outside the door.

"Where have you been?" Xena looked at her when she returned. Gabrielle looked like she had been involved in intense physical labor. Her reddish-blond hair was stuck to her face and her hands were filthy. "What did you do, cut down every tree in the forest?" Xena teased.

"No, just one limb." Gabrielle said. She opened the door and brought her project in. "I made it for you. This way you don’t have to keep using my staff. I made a curve on the top and a handle in the middle so you can use your hand to support yourself instead of putting more pressure on your ribs."

"Gabrielle." Xena said in surprise as she took the crutch from the bard. "It’s beautiful. You must have worked on this all day." Gabrielle beamed at the compliment.

"I wasn’t sure about the length. I can shorten it if it’s too long."

"No, it’s perfect." Xena said softly. She put it under her arm and tried it out. It was perfect. Gabrielle had managed to get both the length and the position of the handle correct for the tall woman. "Gabrielle, thank you so much. It’s very special." She hobbled over and hugged the bard, who quickly returned the embrace. She knew that Xena was thrilled. It took so much to get the warrior to give her a compliment or a smile that getting them both with such flourish was almost overwhelming. She knew it was well worth the effort. As they broke the embrace, Xena noticed the dark reddish brown spot on Gabrielle’s top. "Gabrielle, you’ve been hurt!"

"It’s nothing, Xena. The dagger slipped, that’s all." Gabrielle moved back a step. She hadn’t meant for the warrior to see the cut.

"The dagger slipped? You didn’t come in and have me look?" Xena slipped into her mothering voice. "Come over here and let me see."

"Xena, it’s not a big deal. It’s just a small cut."

"Gabrielle." Xena said in that ‘I’m not going to argue about this’ tone of voice. "Get over here." She pointed to the bed. Gabrielle sighed in defeat and went over to the bed. Xena put some water on to boil and reached for the saddlebags to get some herbs. She found that she was able to move around much better on the crutch that Gabrielle made as opposed to the staff. With her back to the bard, she couldn’t see the ear to ear smile that formed on Gabrielle’s face as she watched the warrior move about.

The wound was not as serious as Xena thought, but deeper than Gabrielle had realized. With gentle, soft touches, Xena cleaned the area thoroughly before placing a bandage on it. "There, all finished."

"Thanks." Gabrielle said as she sat up. She noticed the somber expression in Xena’s blue eyes. "Xena, what’s wrong?" The warrior’s facial expression changed to the warrior mask. "Hey, don’t shut me out." Gabrielle reached over and put her hand around Xena’s wrist, forcing her to look at the bard. "Talk to me, Xena." She quietly pleaded.

"You’re always getting hurt for me." Xena said quietly as she looked at the floor. "And you never complain."

"I don’t complain because it’s my choice to be with you. You act like all my injuries are your fault. They’re not. You’re not the one who hurts me, except..." Gabrielle let her voice trail off. She didn’t want to express her deepest fear.

"Except what? Gabrielle, have I done something to hurt you?" The thought of hurting Gabrielle and not knowing about it filled Xena with a profound sadness that she had never felt before, not even when Marcus died. "Gabrielle, please tell me."

"It hurts when..." Gabrielle swallowed, reaching inside herself for the strength to speak the words. "When you talk about us going our own ways. Sometimes you seem to be so mad at me that I’m afraid that this will be the time that you leave me behind." Tears started to roll down the bard’s cheeks. "Xena, I don’t want to be left behind. I want to stay with you." Her voice was gone as the tears turned into sobs. Her biggest fear had been admitted to the person who mattered most to her. Xena put her arms around the bard and pulled her into a close embrace.

"Shh, I’m not going to leave you behind, no matter what. I promise." Xena gently rubbed Gabrielle’s back, careful of the whip marks. "Gabrielle, I can’t imagine what my life would be like without you. I’m not good with words, you know that." Xena quieted herself and blinked away the tears that were forming in her own eyes. "Listen, why don’t you tell me a story and I’ll get dinner ready. I know you haven’t eaten all day, you must be starving. I’ll make a deal with you. If it’s a really good story then I’ll even break down and make a loaf of nutbread. How does that sound?" Xena straightened up and looked at her young friend. Gabrielle wiped away her tears and smiled. She always loved it when Xena asked her to tell a story.

"It’s a deal. What kind of a story do you want? Action, adventure, romance?"

"You decide. Anything is fine with me, as long as I’m not in it." She put her hand on Gabrielle’s knee and gave it a gentle squeeze before getting up and hobbling over to the fireplace to start dinner. Gabrielle thought about what kind of story she would tell. It wasn’t a hard choice. While she was working on the crutch, she had decided that the next story she told would be a steamy romance. She wanted to see what Xena’s reaction would be. Gabrielle’s suspicions about Xena’s true feelings were getting stronger with each new touch, with each smile, with each kind word. She hoped she was right about the warrior’s feelings because it was getting harder to contain her own with each passing day.

"I’ve decided that we’ve had too much action and adventure. It’s time for a little romance." Gabrielle said. Xena turned around to look at her and arched one eyebrow.

"Excuse me?"

"I mean the story, you big dumb warrior." Gabrielle teased. She smiled to herself because she had gotten just the reaction from Xena that she wanted. Xena couldn’t figure it out, but there was something in that smile from Gabrielle that made her nervous.

"Okay, tell me the story." Xena said as she turned back to work on dinner. Gabrielle sat down behind her and in a soft voice relayed one of Sappho’s better stories. Xena allowed herself to become entranced with the bard’s soft voice, letting the words caress her mind like a soft touch. She closed her eyes and let Gabrielle’s voice take her into the story. It was only the smell of burning food that brought Xena back to the present. "Hades!" Xena exclaimed as she tried valiantly to remove the burnt food from the fire.

"Don’t worry about it." Gabrielle said as she tried to stifle a giggle. She had never seen Xena so preoccupied that she lost track of the cooking. Another question in Gabrielle’s mind had been answered. Xena silently cursed herself for being so easily distracted as she prepared another piece of meat for cooking.

They ate their dinner and true to her word, they had nutbread for dessert. Gabrielle happily wolfed down the bread while Xena threw more logs on the fire. Once a comfortable fire was burning, Xena sat back, using the side of the bed as a backrest. Gabrielle sat next to her, a little closer than normal.

"Xena, can I ask you something personal?"

"You can ask, I’m not sure if I’ll answer." Xena steeled herself for the question.

"Well, I was wondering..."

"What?"

"Well, what it was like...to..." Gabrielle felt the heat rising from her neck to her ears and she was sure that Xena could see it.

"Gabrielle, out with it. I’ve never seen you at a loss for words before." Xena secretly wished that Gabrielle couldn’t get the words out. If it was this difficult to ask the question, Xena wasn’t sure if she wanted to hear it.

"Well," She tried again.

"You’ve said that already, several times." Xena said, slightly annoyed.

"What’s sex like?" Gabrielle finally blurted out. Xena looked at her in the firelight and arched her eyebrow. This was not the type of question she had been expecting.

"Gabrielle, you’ve been married. Surely you and Perdicus..." Xena let the statement hang. She didn’t want to think of Gabrielle in that position with anyone.

"Not really." Gabrielle admitted for the first time to anyone. "It was a long day and...well...he kinda got too...that is to say he couldn’t wait...."

"Gabrielle, what are you trying to say?" Fear passed through Xena’s mind as visions of Perdicus forcing himself on Gabrielle surfaced.

"I mean he never made it in me." Gabrielle’s cheeks flushed with the admission. "He was too excited. Afterwards, he fell asleep."

"Oh Gabrielle." Xena said softly. "I’m sorry. I didn’t know. You mean he never..." She tried to suppress a smirk.

"No. I’m a virgin widow." They both thought about the statement, then broke out into fits of laughter. It took several minutes for them to regain control. As Gabrielle wiped her eyes, she said "So answer my question."

"Um, what was it again?" Xena tried to remember what the question was that started them on this path.

"What’s sex like?"

"Oh. That." Xena thought about it for a moment or two before answering. "It depends on who you are with and what you’re looking for."

"I don’t understand." Gabrielle said. She really had no clue what Xena was talking about.

"Do you need specifics, Gabrielle?" Xena asked as she raised her eyebrow.

"No." She answered quickly. "Well, yes. I want to know about kissing."

"What about it?" Xena inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. At least Gabrielle wasn’t asking her about her sexual past, as vast as it was.

"Well, I kissed boys in the village when I was younger and that always seemed, well, sloppy. But I read stories that say that kissing should be pleasurable. I never found any pleasure in kissing."

"That’s because you haven’t found the right person yet." Xena said, smiling. "If the right person kisses you, then you can feel it deep into the center of your core."

"Have you ever kissed someone and felt like that?" Gabrielle asked. Xena looked at her for a moment, figuring out just how much she wanted to tell her.

"No."

"No? That’s all you’re going to say? Does that mean that it isn’t real?" Gabrielle didn’t want to believe that the magical kiss that she had read about so many times didn’t exist.

"I don’t know if it’s real or not, Gabrielle. I just know that I’ve never felt it." Xena hoped that the young bard would drop this line of questioning. She often wondered if the magic would happen if she kissed Gabrielle.

"Oh." Was all that the bard said. She put another piece of nutbread in her mouth and chewed thoughtfully, leaving Xena to her thoughts. Inwardly, Gabrielle smiled. Everything was going just the way she wanted it.

Xena was quickly becoming unnerved by the way Gabrielle was acting toward her. It wasn’t anything obvious that she could identify, it was more of a feeling. The looks were different than before, the conversations more personal. Xena was finding it harder and harder to keep the erotic thoughts about the bard under control and Gabrielle wasn’t making it any easier with her constant closeness. It was almost as if the bard could read her thoughts.

Morning found Xena trying to squirm out from under the arms and leg that were draped over her body. The sleeping bard grumbled at the movement and rolled over, freeing Xena from her delicious captivity. The warrior laid on her side and studied the sleeping form for a while before nature finally forced her to reluctantly get out of bed, grab her crutch, and head for the chamber pot.

Xena spent the day polishing her armor and sword while Gabrielle was at the table, busily writing. Xena assumed that the bard was working on another story. She watched as Gabrielle’s forehead crinkled in thought, then smoothed as she started to write again. She became so fascinated in Gabrielle’s movements that she unknowingly stopped polishing her gear. She was just sitting there, staring at the storyteller for several moments before the blue-green eyes looked up and caught her. Xena immediately turned her head down and started to polish her armor again, not noticing the ear to ear grin that had spread across Gabrielle’s face.

Gabrielle looked down at the parchment. If Xena could only see what the young woman was writing. It wasn’t a story at all. Gabrielle was planning and plotting the ultimate battle with the warrior princess, the battle for her heart. She made a few more notes before folding the parchment up and putting in inside her shirt. She didn’t want to take a chance of Xena seeing her little scheme before it had a chance to blossom.

Continued in Part Two

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