"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.