Disclaimers:
This story is categorized as fan fiction. The characters of Xena,
Gabrielle, et al, which have appeared in the series Xena: Warrior
Princess, belong to the producers, writers and executives of
Renaissance Pictures and MCA/Universal Television. I claim only to have
borrowed them, without intent to profit or infringe these rights, for
the purpose of creating this story for enjoyment of
the series' fans, of which I count myself one of many.
Additionally, the story below contains references, explicit and
implied, of a sexual relationship between two consenting adults of the
same sex. If you are not of legal age to read this story,
or such material is illegal where you live, or you do not feel
comfortable with such content, please refrain from reading this story.
Timeline Notes: After the episode "A Comedy of Eros"
CHAPTER TWO
What was that all about?" Xena asked when the two women settled
by the fire that night.
"What?" Gabrielle picked at her food.
"I haven't seen you shoot down anyone so effectively since you
laughed in Joxer's face outside Hestia." Xena tied off stitching
in her wrist guard and carefully bit off the extra length of
sinew.
Gabrielle couldn't concentrate on eating while watching Xena
work. It was at night, times like this, when the warrior slowly
faded into the sunset to be replaced by the woman draped in
moonlight. As Xena shrugged out of each piece of armor and
leather, her appearance softened. First, as always, the brass-
tooled bustiere was carefully inspected and set aside. And Xena's
shoulders would release the constant stiffness.
Then, the thigh-guards and boots would come off, along with the
cloths she wrapped around her feet. And Xena wiggled her toes.
Gabrielle liked that moment a lot. It made her see the child Xena
had been. The bard would imagine a barefoot child running through
the fields outside Amphipolis so long ago. While her toes
wriggled, Xena always checked every inch of the leather and
lacing for wear.
Gabrielle liked to tell her stories while Xena was shedding her
warrior self. Tonight was no different. As Xena removed her other
wrist guard, Gabrielle spoke. "Would you care for a story
tonight, Xena?"
Xena looked at Gabrielle. "Is it going to be a thinly veiled
lecture?"
Gabrielle was affronted. "No. You haven't done anything today to
be lectured about." She grinned broadly then softened to a warm
smile. "The moonlight is beautiful. I was reminded of a love
story."
Xena smiled. "A love story, hmm? All right, I'm listening." She
set aside the rest of her armor, sitting on the log bathed in
golden moonlight. She reclined as Gabrielle began her tale.
The bard's voice slipped an octave lower. And in this narrator's
voice she began:
"I shall tell you of the love of Zeus and Danae, mother of famed
Perseus.
"Zeus spied a young woman walking along the shoreline of the
kingdom of Thebes. He was entranced. She was golden. Smooth, sun-
kissed skin, hair in riotous silky curls. He had a craving to see
her eyes." Gabrielle opened her eyes having closed them to
envision Danae in her head. Across the fire, she saw Xena
watching her and for a moment was lost in firelit blue eyes.
Danae had brown eyes, Zeus had found when he swept down to see.
But Gabrielle continued aloud, "Zeus transformed himself into a
goose and flew down from Olympus. Danae offered the goose some
crumbs and the god looked up into eyes as soft as the clouds and
bluer than a clear sky."
Gabrielle's gaze remained on Xena as she spoke. Now her voice
changed to that of Zeus, a throaty rumble. "'I am the god Zeus,'
he said, transforming himself into his familiarly carved human
form before Danae's gaze.
"Danae jumped in surprise," Gabrielle continued, resuming the
narrative voice. "She offered a hand when Zeus held out his, and
dropped a curtsey to the King of the gods. 'Who are you?' Zeus
asked.
"'I am Danae, daughter of the King of Thebes,' Danae answered
simply." Gabrielle's voice was delicate, unpretentious femininity
defined, about a half octave higher than her own voice and with a
silkier edge to the consonants. Gabrielle continued to switch
between the voices of Zeus and Danae as the two conversed in her
story on that beach an age ago:
"I would like to walk with you," Zeus said, offering an arm to
Danae.
Danae placed her hand just below his crooked elbow. "I'd like
that," she acknowledged.
The two walked down to the surf, stepping in and out of the
rushing waves crashing the shore. There was laughter on the beach
that day. Danae found Zeus quite talkative, not that she was all
that sure exactly what she should have expected.
Zeus found a woman unafraid of her opinions and who talked not of
fanciful things, but of practical things. Quite a change from his
wife, Hera. Danae told him of her father's kingdom and how she
wanted to correct the poverty she saw.
Zeus offered to fix it all for her, unwilling to see the
frustration on Danae's face. But Danae declined. "What good will
it do in the future? I must teach the people how to care for
themselves."
Zeus nodded, impressed by her wisdom.
Gabrielle stopped speaking as her gaze fell on Xena. The warrior
was resting her arms across her kness, gazing into the campfire.
She was very still. "Xena?"
"I'm not asleep, Gabrielle. Just thinking. Go ahead with your
story." Xena's eyes lifted from the flames, meeting Gabrielle's.
The warrior dropped her eyes after another moment though.
"What is it?" Gabrielle asked.
Xena wrinkled her nose, then relaxed her face. Then she briefly
frowned before removing evidence of that as well and returning
her blue eyes to Gabrielle's face. "You tell stories like no one
I've ever met, Gabrielle. I know most of the heroic tales. Who
doesn't? We've all heard them since we were children. But somehow
when you tell a story it's different. It's new. It's like I've
never heard it before.
"Zeus and Danae in love? Who but you would have thought it? I
never did. Zeus had always taken advantage of her. At least
that's how I understood it."
Gabrielle smiled. "Gods love too, Xena."
"Gods feel passion in my experience, Gabrielle. Not that softer
emotion." Xena sat up straighter and turned her shoulders so she
was not looking at Gabrielle.
Gabrielle sobered. She touched Xena's shoulder. "Ares?"
"He wants me, Gabrielle." Xena's shoulders sagged with that
admission. Gabrielle read, as always, that Xena was uncertain she
could defend against the dark God of War.
The bard moved closer and said fiercely, "Well he can't have you,
Xena. I won't let him."
Xena looked at Gabrielle's hand on her shoulder and then up into
the bard's green gaze lit with the fire's glow. Gods above, she
believed the younger woman. She shook her head. "No," Xena said,
though she wasn't sure what she meant by it.
"Xena, I love you," the bard continued with intensity. Xena
realized that Gabrielle wanted her to believe. The warrior
couldn't take her eyes from the bard's as Gabrielle grasped her
chin. "He can't have you. I love you." Gabrielle's voice became
rough, silky and she bent her head, capturing Xena's mouth
beneath her own.
The kiss was brief, but made Xena shiver. Gabrielle pulled away
abruptly, moving back to the other side of the campfire. She kept
her eyes averted and gazed only at the flickering flames of the
fire.
Neither woman spoke, uncertain what exactly had just happened.
Xena was not quite sure what to make of Gabrielle's actions. The
bard was passionate in an argument, always determined that Xena
see her point. But a kiss? What was the point there?
She remembered leaning to kiss Gabrielle when they had connected
in the brief moment when Autolycus gave Xena's spirit control of
his body. That gesture had been for solace. Gabrielle had looked
so lost, so alone. Xena had felt the compelling need to do
something to restore her hope, to wipe away the tears.
"Thanks, Gabrielle," said Xena finally. "I feel better now."
Gabrielle blinked, a bit surprised that Xena had nothing more to
say. "Umm, you're welcome." She bit her lip, still tasting Xena
on her mouth. Could Xena not know? "Why don't you get some sleep?
I'll take first watch."
Xena looked around assessing their surroundings. "I don't think
we'll have any disturbances."
"Good. Then you should sleep." Gabrielle grabbed up her staff and
walked around to the other side of her log.
Xena frowned. "Gabrielle?"
"Yes?"
"Are you mad about something?"
Gabrielle realized then as she turned around she was stiff as a
tree. She consciously worked the tension out of her muscles and
turned to face Xena. "No, I'm not. Well, maybe. But not at you.
At Ares. I'm sorry he bothers you. I'd stop him if I could."
Xena nodded. "I've dealt with Ares. I can handle him." She looked
up at Gabrielle. "He won't get me. I won't let him." She smiled.
Gabrielle smiled back and returned to her blanket by the fire,
setting the staff on the ground beside her.
She rolled onto her side and pillowed her head on her arm,
watching Xena roll over getting comfortable. Finally the warrior
rolled toward Gabrielle to find the bard watching her.
"Something bothering you?" Xena asked.
"No," responded Gabrielle. "But something is bothering you. What
is it?"
"Draco. I'm worried he's going to get hurt."
Gabrielle stifled her rough tone as she replied, "Draco's a big
boy. He can take care of himself. I thought you said Cupid
removed the arrows' spells."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"I watched you today. You still like Draco." Gabrielle bit her
lip, hearing a distinct note of jealousy creeping into her voice.
"Of course I like him, but I don't have the hots for him. I'm
just concerned."
Gabrielle recanted, hoping to cover her slip. "Okay, you're
right. I'm a bit concerned about him too."
"Besides," Xena commented, "Why would you care who I liked or
didn't like?" Xena paused, thinking. "You weren't too crazy about
Ulysses."
Gabrielle propped herself on her elbow and poked Xena in the
chest. "He was married, Xena. I'm a bit old fashioned, okay? You
don't go around with married men."
"Well, I don't either. I didn't think Penelope would want him.
He'd been gone TEN years." Xena closed her eyes, her face
softening as she dreamed. "I didn't want to think it."
Gabrielle closed her eyes against that softened look. Xena is
going to be the death of me, she thought.
"Gabrielle?"
"Yes, Xena?" She responded keeping her eyes closed against seeing
the warrior's face.
'Do you think it will ever happen?"
"What?" Gabrielle opened her eyes. Xena didn't sound right.
"That we'll each find someone who makes us happy? Settle down?"
Gabrielle groaned. Xena mistook that for disbelief. "Don't think
I'll find a man who'll see me as anything but an ex-warlord?"
Gabrielle sighed. "I don't know, Xena. Truth to tell, except for
Marcus, I don't know any man you've met who wasn't as much in
love with you, as afraid of you."
Xena ducked her head. "Palemon was nice, once I got him to stop
being so admiring all the time," she recalled the young warrior
who'd helped her rescue the bard from a fiery death.
Gabrielle blurted, "He wanted to kill you, Xena. That's not
love." She tried to redirect the conversation. "What do you think
my chances are?"
"Of finding someone to love you?" Xena chuckled. "Ditch me so I
don't scare any away and you'll have suitors in no time."
"I'd never ditch you, Xena."
"Then be prepared to grow into an old maid."
"Hey, that's not a very flattering image."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. A man would have to be pretty incredible to make me
stop traveling with you, anyway." Gabrielle smiled at Xena. "So
you're stuck with me until this demi-god makes an appearance."
Xena smiled, warmed inexplicably by the thought. "Thanks,
Gabrielle."
"Anytime." She rolled away from Xena and smiled into her arm. It
had been an interesting pillow talk session. Maybe she could make
a breakthrough soon.
The next morning Gabrielle's nose twitched and she opened her
eyes to the sight of a de-scaled fish swinging in the air over
her face. She screamed. Xena, holding the slimy thing by the
gills, fell backwards, laughing as Gabrielle sat up.
The bard slapped at the fish. "I don't like meeting breakfast
before it's cooked, Xena," Gabrielle growled.
"I just wanted to see how long before the smell woke you up."
"How long?"
"Faster than it would have taken me to roll you off the damned
blankets."
"Can I help it if the sun's barest rays on the horizon aren't
enough to rouse me from sleep?" Gabrielle stood, presented their
frying pan and wrinkled her nose when Xena dropped the fish into
it.
"It may surprise you," Xena said, wiping her hands on a cloth.
"But I don't like waking up at dawn as much as you think I do."
"But -- "
"I do it because I have to, Gabrielle. To keep us safe -- and
keep up my skills."
"I'm sorry I cause you so much concern." Gabrielle now noticed
the slight sheen of perspiration glistening on Xena's skin. Wisps
of bangs were wet against her face. Gabrielle felt a deep guilt
for a moment. Xena must have noticed.
"Don't be. I'd be a lot more concerned if you stopped being
around." The warrior touched the bard's shoulder and walked over
to Argo, cleaning up the mare for the journey ahead.
Gabrielle filleted the fish and set about frying the pieces over
their campfire. "Where are we off to today?"
Xena thought about that a moment and decided she'd had enough of
western Greece. "Let's cross the mountains and check out the
towns to the southeast."
Gabrielle nodded as she turned over a filet with her fingers.
"Can I ride with you today? I'm not up for mountains."
Xena nodded.
Chapter 3