Disclaimers: Face it, if I owned these characters, I wouldn't be a Nursing
Student. Characters belong to MCA/Renaissance; story belongs to me. Enjoy!
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The Aftermath
By Janys

   Unlike most days of fighting off warlord scum and branding thieves,
this had been a calm one. Just peace and quiet. 'But that was it wasn't
it?' Xena thought. It was too quiet. Usually Gabrielle would be telling
one of her numerous stories, and Xena, though only half paying attention
to the words, would nod her head and occasionally smile. It had become so
routine that now in the quietness, she found that she missed the bard's
melodic voice filling the air.

   Gabrielle had been subdued for almost two days since their departure
from Amphipolis. And now Xena was really worried. She was certain that she
had done something wrong to make the bard lose her gift of gab.

   It was already late in the afternoon, the sun was lowering significantly
to the west, and it was still very warm, Xena suggested they should make
camp for the night. Gabrielle simply nodded her head and followed Xena to
a clearing. There was a river nearby, so they could get their supper, and
perhaps a swim.

   Once Xena had removed her saddle bags from Argo, she set the mare loose
in the field. She only had to whistle if she wanted her. Gabrielle had
chosen to go into the forest nearby to get some firewood. Xena sighed
loudly. She had tried prodding Gabrielle for information that afternoon,
but the bard seemed wrapped up in her own thoughts. Perhaps she was
forming a story of their last adventure. That had be it. At any rate, Xena
sat down and leaned back against a fallen tree. Gabrielle would talk soon
enough. And then she probably won't stop. Xena smiled.

   Gabrielle was making her way back to camp when she saw Xena resting
there. 'Gods she is beautiful,' the bard thought, and this time it wasn't
the henbane that made her think such. She drank in the image in front of
her before nearing close to the campfire. She took a deep breath and
sighed as she placed the firewood down. Gabrielle turned towards Argo's
saddlebags to remove her bedroll, then laid it down not too close to the
fire. She sat down and purposefully removed her scrolls, examining them.

   Through the edges of the flames, Xena saw her looking at the scrolls,
and wondered not for the first time what exactly she wrote. But Xena would
not break the bard's trust by intruding. She smiled at the sight before
her. The young woman's red-gold hair hung along side her face, and the
shadows of light and dark from the fire played on the bard's beautiful
face. Gabrielle's lips puckered and her brows furrowed as she tried to
find a word for something to put into her latest entry. Xena's eyes
settled on the bard's lips, remembering what it was like to kiss her.

   The last time had been on a dream plane, when she was almost dead.
She'd occupied Autolycus' body, but she was in control. It had felt so
good to hold Gabrielle, to feel the young woman's body against her own.
Then she occupied the bard's body as she fought Velasca. When she finally
spoke to the Gabrielle when her body and soul were reunited, Gabrielle's
words simply stated, "I know." Xena had felt at peace for that moment.

   In the brief time that they had been linked, Gabrielle felt Xena's
presence, her protection, and she also felt her love. Now that they were
each aware of the other's feelings they needed only to move forward. But
it still seemed an insurmountable gap. When Velaska returned as a goddess
out to kill Gabrielle, Xena thought her heart would burst with fear. She
would go to the ends of the world to fight for the woman that she'd grown
to love, indeed that is what she had done - she'd gone to the underworld
to enlist the aid of her worst foe - Callisto. If that's what it took to
save Gabrielle and herself, then so be it.

   Without word, Xena approached Gabrielle and sat beside her, facing her.
She waited. Gabrielle looked up at her in wonder, then smiled.

   "Xena, are you all right?"

   "Just thinking, really." Xena bowed her head, her thoughts warring in
her mind. "Gabrielle, you know that I love you. I have for a long time."

   "Yes, I know. I love you, too. When you were inside me as I fought
Velaska, I felt your love stronger than any emotion I've ever known. It
was beautiful. Then when we made love, I thought my heart would burst with
joy." Gabrielle looked up at Xena and stopped her words. She felt, rather
than saw, that Xena needed to talk to her. "I'm sorry, Xena. You wanted to
tell me something and I go off rambling."

   "That's okay, Gabrielle."

   "No, it's not." She began to feel Xena pulling away emotionally, so she
put a reassuring hand over Xena's right arm. "Tell me what you wanted to
say."

   "You know I'm not that big on lots of words..." The warrior looked down
at Gabrielle's lap, then sighed. "I'm afraid I'm losing you."

   "Losing me? What do you mean, Xena? I'm right here."

   "You've been so quiet lately. I thought you've been pulling away
because you thought we'd made a mistake by going too far."

   "Oh, Gods, no. What we have and what we've shared has never been a
mistake."

   "But why have you been so quiet?" She smiled for a second before she
spoke again. "Usually I can't get you to shut up long enough, except for
when you're eating."

   Gabrielle smiled. Her eyes flickered with light from the fire. She
looked skyward. The sun had just set, and the colours that lit the
remainder of the day's light were varied hues of yellows, reds, oranges,
purples. When she looked back at Xena her face was peaceful. "Our feelings
for each other aren't new. I've felt your love for a long time now. Just
in the little things you do. Or a particular way you'll look at me when
you think I don't notice." Gabrielle saw the small flush over Xena's face,
then turned her head and allowed the warrior a moment of privacy. She knew
Xena's fears, and in her love she sought to release those fears and bring
her best friend and love, peace. Something which had eluded the warrior
for a long time.

  "When we left Potedeia, from relaying the news of Perdicas' death to his
family, I wasn't sure what to do. I'd just become a widow, and then I
nearly lost you. I was terrified. I felt my world was coming apart. Yes,
my family was there to help and you were there, but I was scared. I
thought I loved Perdicas. We'd grown up together, and when he said he
needed me, I thought our childhood closeness would be enough. My heart
was ripping through me. I loved you, but I was afraid to say anything. 
When Callisto killed him, I felt so guilty. Maybe if I could have 
protected him from her." Silent tears fell down her fair cheeks, 
unchecked.

   "Gabrielle, I was there. You couldn't have done anything more. Callisto
was mad with hate. Neither you nor I could have stopped her at that
moment." She looked at the Amazon bard, and let her continue, as she felt
her own fears starting to melt. She brushed the tips of her fingers
against Gabrielle's cheeks, drying the wet tears away.

   "Then we went to Amphipolis to let your mother know that you were
indeed alive. I didn't know if she would accept me as your love. But she
welcomed me with open arms." She smiled up at Xena. "I don't know who
cried more, you, your mother or me. I've never felt so loved as when I'm
with you. I never want that to change." She stopped and looked at Xena
then chuckled. "Have I talked too much again?"

   "No, Gabrielle. You could never talk too much."

   "Never?" she teased. "You know, I could start telling the story of the
Bacchi the next time we make love."

   "Just so long as you keep it short, and focus on the part where you bit
me. That was good." Xena knelt closer to the bard and began to kiss the
length of Gabrielle's neck.

   "Gods, Xena. If you keep doing that I won't be able to concentrate."

   "That was my point. Now shut up and kiss me."