Attraction ------------ by Jane Eighthouse@aol.com ------------------- "Gabrielle." "GABRIELLE!" "Huh, what Xena?" "I said that the Inn is over there," pointing to the left. "OK." With one last look over her shoulder, Gabrielle follows Xena towards the Inn. Taking the saddle bags from Xena, Gabrielle enters the Inn. "I'll get a room, you go take care of Argo." Before she can answer, Gabrielle is inside. `I wonder what is wrong,' she thinks as she leads Argo towards the stables. About an hour later Xena enters the Inn. She spots Gabrielle at a table in the back. She is sitting with her back against the wall so that she can watch the whole room. `Good, she is learning,' Xena thinks with a smile. Gabrielle is drinking some cider and there is a mug of port for Xena in front of her. As Xena approaches, Gabrielle stands. "Here take my seat; I got you something to drink, and our room is the last one on the left. I'm going to have a look around, I'll meet you here later." Again, Xena is left standing speechless as Gabrielle makes her way out of the Inn with her staff in hand. Sitting down by the well in the center of town, Gabrielle rests, after searching the entire town. `Well that was pointless,' she thinks. "Excuse me." "Oh, I'm..." Turning in the direction of the voice, Gabrielle is once again captured by bright green eyes. Before Gabrielle stands a young woman. She is as tall as Gabrielle, with a slender build amd light brown hair. "Hi, again." Gabrielle manages to speak after a couple of trys. "Hello." "Can I help you? By the way, I'm Gabrielle." "Yes, I would like that. I'm Calla." Drawing two buckets of water, the two women steal glances at the other, looking away every time their eyes meet. "Can I help you carry these home?" asks Gabrielle. "Yes," replys Calla, finally meeting Gabrielle's frank stare. As she leads Gabrielle away from the well, Calla asks the questions that have been fighting to get out. "Your not from around here, are you?" "No, my friend and I are just passing through." "How long will you be in town?" "I don't know... we usually only stay in a town or village for one night." "Oh." Gabrielle looks at Calla, but she won't return the look. Calla comes to a stop in front of a store front. "This is where I live with my Aunt and her business partner." Gabrielle looks around the store as they enter. She sees that they sell parchment, oils, herbs, and other small items. Calla takes the water into the back as Gabrielle walks over to look at the parchment samples. One of the women joins Gabrielle. "Looking for some fancy writing?" she asks. "No, but I might be interested in some of the blank stuff." "OH?" "Yes, I'm a Bard and my supply is running a little low." "You're a Bard?" says Calla from the doorway. "Yes, I was even accepted into the Academy in Athens." "OH, your that *Gabrielle*." "What do you mean, that *Gabrielle*?" "The one that travels with the Warrior Princess." "How do you know that?" Gabrielle asks, suddenly worried about Xena being in this town. "We had a Bard from the Academy come through here a few months ago. Some of the stories he told were of the Warrior Princess. He too came here for parchment and I asked where the stories came from. He said that a fellow Bard named *Gabrielle* was travelling with the Warrior Princess and writing of their adventures." "OH," says Gabrielle with a big sigh. "What's wrong, Gabrielle?" Calla asks as she steps closer to Gabrielle to place a hand on her forearm. The shock that goes through them causes them to look at each other in surprise. They stare at each other for a few minutes before Calla's Aunt coughs to get their attention. The whole time her partner stands by the couple, smiling. Never taking her eyes off Calla, Gabrielle answers. "Sometimes the welcome that Xena receives when we stop in a town or village is not very warm. I was concerned that that might happen here." "No," answers Calla, "She is welcome here and I would like to meet her." "She is waiting for me at the Inn, please come have dinner with us, with me." "I would like that." After promising to come back and purchase some parchment, the two women head towards the Inn. Very little is said with words between the two but the body language is shouting. Walking close enough that their arms touch, at times Gabrielle has to step behind Calla placing a hand on her waist as they move through the crowd. They reach the Inn and just like Xena, Gabrielle enters first then motions for Calla to join her. Gabrielle has spotted Xena in the same corner and steers Calla in that direction. Once a man approached but stopped when he saw the look in Gabrielle's eyes. Xena has seen the look, too and is stunned. Unsure of what is going on, she watchs Gabrielle and the young girl walk toward her. "Hi, Xena. I would like you to meet Calla. Calla this is my friend, Xena." "Hello." Xena just nods her head, but Calla never noticed and neither did Gabrielle. Motioning for Calla to sit, Gabrielle sits down accross from her, by Xena. Now that the two women were seated, Xena could feel the energy passing between them. Reaching for her port, Xena trys to sort out her emotions. Jealousy and disbelief were warring for dominance inside of her. `Gabrielle doesn't like women. Does she? She never looked at me like that. Do I what her to look at me like that?' The barmaid arrives. "Have you eaten Xena? No, three dinners, please. Some more port? Another port. I would like some cider. Calla? Make that 2 ciders." After the barmaid leaves, Calla and Gabrielle start talking about their lives. Sliding away from the couple to give them some privacy, Xena watches them and the room for the shadows. Their dinner and drinks arrive. Xena ate hers without ever tasting it. Gabrielle ate hers and had seconds, the whole time talking and occasionaly touching Calla's hand. The barmaid having overheard that Gabrielle was a Bard while serving them, had told the Inn owner, who approached Gabrielle to tell some stories. With quick words of encourgament from Calla, Gabrielle was soon standing on a small stage by the fireplace, telling stories. As always, Gabrielle soon had the attention of everyone in the Inn, except Xena, who had gone to their room to get a bedroll. Returning to the table to leave a note with Calla, Xena was surprised that Gabrielle was done. "I thought you where telling stories?" "I did, but I told them that I was going to be in town for a few days and that I would tell more tomorrow." Noticing the bedroll, "Where are you going Xena?" "I, I, thought I would sleep outside, it is such a nice night." "Xena, we sleep outside almost every night..." The real reason dawns on her. Smiling, "I'm going to walk Calla home. So, go to back to the room, Xena. OH, and I might be late so don't worry or wait up." She winks at Xena as she turns to Calla. "Ready?" "Yes," she says, blushing. Xena watches the two women walk out the door and into the night. Calla leads the way through the town, but the way she is going is the long way. Soon they are on the edge of town by a meadow near the river. Little has been said during the walk. Gabrielle has been walking just a little behind Calla watching the moonlight reflect off her hair and the way she moves. Gabrielle is surprised by her thought but not her feelings. These are the feelings she thought she had for Perdicus. These are also the same feelings she has for Xena, but Xena has never shown any of the these feeling for her. Gabrielle is not concerned with the comparisions between Calla and Xena because there are none. Gabrielle's feeling for Xena run deep, they're friends, she loves her, and she feels a strong physical attraction for Xena, too. Since her marriage and even before, Gabrielle often wondered what making love to Xena would be like. As for her attraction to Calla, this is something new for Gabrielle; never before has she felt such intense phsyical desire. All Gabrielle can think about is Calla; she wants her so bad her skin itches. Unable to control herself, Gabrielle pulls Calla into the shadows and pins her to a tree. Bodies barely touching, they look at each other, both waiting for the other to move. "Do you want this Calla?" "Yes, Gabrielle." "Calla, I'm not in *love* with you." "Does it matter, Gabrielle?" "I don't want you to think I'm using you." "We're using each other Gabrielle." "Gods, how I want you. I have thought of nothing but your eyes since this morning when I ran into you." "Me, too. For me, it was the sound of your voice." As their bodies come together, Gabrielle groans deep in her throat. Droping her staff, she reaches for Calla with both hands, one goes around her waist, the other grabs a handfull of hair. Pulling her head back, Gabrielle covers Calla's mouth with hers. Forcing her tongue into her mouth, the kiss is deep and lustful. Nipping at her bottom lip, Gabrielle begins the assault on Calla's neck. With each movement of her lips and tongue, Gabrielle is able to draw a different sound out of the woman in her arms. Not willing to let Gabrielle have all the fun, Calla unties and slips her hands under Gabrielle's top. Playing her hands up and down Gabrielle's back before moving up her ribcage to cup her breasts. Gabrielle's arousal is evident, both nipples are hard and sensitive to the touch. Grasping them gentle with her fingers, Calla slowly begins to apply pressure. She soon receives the response she is looking for. Gabrielle stops her assault on Calla's earlobe to gasp before pressing her body into Calla's. At the same time, both lift a knee to push it firmly against the others' core. Breathing hard, Gabrielle looks into Calla's eyes. "This would be so much easier and we would be so much more comfortable if we found a place to lay down." "Your right." Picking up her staff, Gabrielle follows Calla further into the woods. Stoping in a clearing, Calla turns to face Gabrielle and starts to undress. "No, stop. Let me," says Gabrielle in a low voice. Placing her staff nearby, Gabrielle begins to loosen the ties of Calla's dress. Gabrielle's top is already open so Calla slips it off her shoulders. As Calla's dress slips to her waist, Gabrielle sucks in a sharp breath. "Gods, your are beautiful," as she runs her fingers down her chest. Moving her hands up pale slopes to tease the hard pink buds. Closing her eyes, Calla arches into her hands. Pleased at the response she is getting, Gabrielle covers one with her mouth. The response is instantaneous... grabbing a handful of hair, Calla presses her closer. Slowly sinking to the ground, Gabrielle pulls her dress from her body tossing it over by her staff. Running a hand up a smooth thigh and across her stomach, Gabrielle molds the other breast to her hand. Pulling away suddenly, Calla wimps then gasps as she applies the same treatment to the other breast. "Stop, Gabrielle please I can't breath," Calla pants. Lifting her head as she moves her body on to Calla, Gabrielle smiles. "Are you sure you want me to stop?" Nudging her legs apart with her knee, Gabrielle closes her eyes and moans at the wetness she finds at the apex of her thighs. Playing her hands across Gabrielle's stomach, she removes her skirt. Now, with nothing between them, Calla moves her leg between Gabrielle's thighs. Eyes lock as both women begin to move. The friction is delicious but Gabrielle wants more. Slowing she begins to move down, stoping to tease her nipples hard. Trailing kisses across her stomach and hips, her hand slowly moves up the inside of Calla's thighs, as her mouth reachs the top of silky brown hair. The musky scent threathens to drive away all of herself control. Speading her legs, Gabrielle presses her lips gently against her. Calla's hips jump, as she claws at the ground. Drunk with the power she holds, Gabrielle slowly slides her tongue into the wet folds, using her fingers to part the labia as the tip of her tongue flickers across her clit. Calla's hips rock against Gabrielle as she continues to tease. Slowly, Gabrielle enters Calla with her tongue as her thumb rubs circles over the sensitive button. "Stop, Gabrielle. Stop!" she says as she pulls Gabrielle up to her. Tasting herself on Gabrielle's lips flames her desire to try what she is about to ask. "Why did you want me to stop?" Gabrielle asks slowly moving her hips against Calla. "My Aunt..." taking a deep breath. "My Aunt and her partner are lovers." "Yes?" starting to increase the speed and pressure. "I saw them making love once," she says with a groan. "And?" moving a hand between them. "They were using a position I had never see before," gasping. "So?" sliding two fingers inside. "Ooooooh... I, I want to try it with you." "OK, what do we do?" Rolling them over so that she is now on top, Calla looks around for something to tie her hair back with. Leaning down she whispers into Gabrielle's ear. "Really?!" with a big smile, "Lets try!" Standing over Gabrielle, Calla kneels with a leg on either side of her head. Lifting her head, Gabrielle is able to taste the woman above her. With a groan Calla leans forward placing light kisses on her hips, stomach and inner thighs. Gabrielle parts her legs in invitation. Determined to tease Gabrielle like she had been teased, Calla soon discovers that a more direct approach is needed. Gabrielle slowly inserts one finger then a second and combines that with the actions of her tongue. Determined to send the other over first, both are surprised that they peak together. They lie intwined in arms and legs as their breathing returns to normal. "Gabrielle?" "Humm?" "Are you aware that Xena is in love with you?" "What?!" "I saw it in her eyes when we were at the Inn." "I know she cares but *love*?" "Yes. It was a good thing you were alone when we met again at the well, otherwise I never would have approached you." "Well, it's too late to do anything about it now." "I know, but I thought you should know and I'll understand if you leave tomorrow." "Today." Laughing, "Yeah, today. Lets go for a swim." As the sun peaked over the horizon Gabrielle and Calla returned to the Inn. A little damp and tired, but in a good way. They meet Xena walking up from the stable. "Good morning, Xena" "Gabrielle." "Are we leaving?" "WE?" "Yes, we." "I thought..." "I changed my mind. Do you mind if I get something to eat before we go?" "NO. I don't understand." "I'll get that order of parchment you wanted Gabrielle, and bring it back here before you go." "Thank you, Calla." "Your welcome, Gabrielle." Stepping into each others arms, the kiss is long and speaks of good-bye. Ending the kiss and stepping back, Calla turns to Xena. "It was nice to have met you. Please take care of Gabrielle." Xena nods her head. As the young woman walks away, Xena turns to Gabrielle. "I don't understand?" Moving closer to Xena, Gabrielle places her hands on her arms. "Sometimes, a woman has needs. When the person they love and want more then anything is afraid to admit it, they go to someone who will." Brushing her lips against the warrior, Gabrielle yurns and walks into the Inn, leaving Xena to stare at the door with a crooked smile on her face and a twinkle in her eyes. **************** The END?