Xena started to unlace the white tunic she had been wearing since they came to the village. In the intense heat, it was suicide to continue running around in the brown leather when there was a much cooler way to stay covered. Gabrielle’s small hands came out and covered the warrior’s. "Let me." She said. Xena let her arms fall down to her side, steeling herself for the delicious experience that was about to happen. Gabrielle opened the tunic and slipped it off Xena’s shoulders, exposing the warrior’s upper body to her. She had seen Xena naked before, but not usually this close unless she was covered with blood. In the candlelight, the warrior’s body shone with a beauty that Gabrielle had not seen before. Her eyes brazenly looked over Xena’s chest, noting every faded and not so faded scar. She licked her lips subconsciously as her gaze fell on the darkened nipples that rested upon the full round breasts.

"Breathe, Gabrielle." A startled bard realized that she had indeed been holding her breath, so intent was she on her study of the woman before her.

"S-Sorry. I was just…" She stammered and blushed furiously. Xena chuckled and arched her eyebrow at the sight of the blushing bard.

"I know what you were doing, Gabrielle." She teased gently. "I just didn’t want you to pass out from lack of air." Gabrielle moved forward quickly, wrapping her arms around Xena’s neck, pulling the tall woman’s mouth to hers. Her lips spoke of the passion that burned within her. The bard’s curious tongue parted the willing lips and explored Xena’s mouth. She brought her lips back to Xena’s again and again, trying to fill what seemed like an insatiable thirst for the warrior’s mouth.

She pressed her body against Xena’s, feeling the heat between them through the tunic she still wore. She marveled at the soft pressure of Xena’s breasts against her body, the warmth of her breath, the sound of the warrior’s strong heart beating within her chest. Only when she felt Xena’s legs tremble slightly did Gabrielle release her hold and stand back. She slid her hands from around the neck down to hold her forearms.

"I like kissing you, Xena." Gabrielle’s voice was slightly raspy. Unable to resist, she moved back in for one more quick kiss. "Yeah, I really do." She said softly.

"The water will get cold." Xena said as she regained the use of her voice. She reached out to help Gabrielle out of her tunic, then remembered and pulled back. The bard noticed, but did not say anything. She had another decision to make.

"Uh, let’s get in there." She backed away and waited. Xena understood the message and removed her skirt and breeches. She went to get into the tub when she saw the look in Gabrielle’s eyes. It froze her to her place. "By the gods, you are beautiful." Gabrielle said in awe of the vision before her.

"Only in your eyes, Gabrielle. Only in your eyes." She responded.

"Mine are all that matter."

Gabrielle kept her eyes on Xena as she undressed. She noted, with some relief, that there was no hunger in the blue eyes, only a soft gentleness mixed with concern.

"Do you want me to turn away?" Xena offered gently.

"No." Gabrielle lowered the tunic and watched Xena’s reaction. The warrior glanced at the soft mounds, but betrayed no emotions on her face. Gabrielle needed to know. "Say something, Xena." The raven-haired woman had to swallow before she could speak.

"You, my love, are the one who is beautiful."

"I was afraid…" Gabrielle lowered her eyes at a painful memory. "I was afraid that you wouldn’t…find me…"

"I do find you beautiful, and desirable." Xena wasn’t sure if she should say that or not, but she thought that Gabrielle needed to hear it. The look of relief on the bard’s face told her that she had said the right thing.

"And you say I have a way with words." Gabrielle chuckled, lightening the mood. She quickly removed the rest of her clothes, turning slightly as she lowered her breeches. She noticed gratefully that Xena had found a spot on the wall more interesting than her right now. It was almost as if the warrior could read her mind and sense her moods. She quickly climbed into the still warm water, sinking until her shoulders were covered. "Ahh." She sighed. "Oh, Xena. Get in here, the water’s great."

Being the Queen, Gabrielle had the luxury of a large tub. It was wide enough that they could have sat comfortably side by side. It was as long as Xena was tall, giving them plenty of room to move around. Gabrielle slid forward, indicating that Xena should climb in behind her. The warrior quickly obliged, sliding her legs alongside either of Gabrielle’s, making a nice hollow for the bard to lean into. Xena slid her body back slightly until she felt the firmness of the tub against her. Gabrielle moved her body back until she felt the softness of Xena’s breasts against her back. The bard let out a sigh as their skin met, much to the enjoyment of the warrior, who was doing all she could not to pull their bodies together herself. Gabrielle pressed herself even closer before relaxing her body against the now tense body behind her. "This is nice." She laid her head against the strong shoulder behind her, letting the honey tresses fall against the bronze skin.

"Yes it is." Xena murmured as she inhaled the scent of Gabrielle’s hair against her face. "Gabrielle, do you want me to wash your hair?"

The soft words spoken so close to her ear made Gabrielle’s heart quicken. "Yes."

The longest hair-washing in the history of Amazonia was underway in the palace. Instead of dunking the bard’s head underwater, Xena cupped the liquid in her hand and let it slowly pour down. Gabrielle murmured something about don’t-let-me-fall-asleep and Xena replied with something about not-letting-her-drown. Both women chuckled as the gentle washing continued. The rinsing took longer than it should have because again, Xena used her hand to cup the water rather than dunking the bard.

Once the hair was washed, Xena reached for the soap and started to gently wash the layers of dirt and grime from behind Gabrielle’s ears.

"How can such little ears have so much dirt?" Xena gently teased as she continued to scrub, causing a small giggle from the honey-haired beauty. Gabrielle started a nonsense conversation to fill the air while Xena’s hands continued to wash her neck and shoulders. Leaning forward to allow better access, Gabrielle silently gave permission for Xena to wash her back. The bard went into a tale that she had told Xena before. It was a fairly long one, a cheery comedy that Xena usually enjoyed.

Xena’s soapy fingers had long ago finished cleaning the bard’s back. They were now just running along the skin, gently rubbing and massaging the muscles. The story was interrupted several times by the bard’s small sighs. Xena smiled each time and made a mental note of a way to distract the bard in the future. Gabrielle finished the story, seeming to add a few parts near the end to stretch it out. Xena didn’t remember those scenes before. She took it as a positive sign and smiled.

They switched positions and Gabrielle went into another story as she performed the same cleaning rituals that she had just felt on herself. It was now Xena’s turn to sigh with the gentle ministrations of Gabrielle’s fingers on her back. They washed the rest of their own bodies off and climbed out of the now cold water. Xena handed Gabrielle a towel to throw around her body. She grabbed another one and started to dry off the honey hair. Handing the towel to Gabrielle to finish, Xena grabbed two for herself and quickly dried off. She reached for a clean shift when she felt Gabrielle’s hand on her shoulder. "No." It was said softly, almost as a question. Xena gave her a small kiss on the forehead and climbed into the bed. Gabrielle stood there for a moment and took a deep breath before climbing in next to the naked warrior.

"Mmm, you’re warm." Gabrielle cooed, snuggling her naked body up tighter against Xena’s long frame.

"Yeah I am." Xena replied as she wrapped her arm around Gabrielle’s waist, careful not to squeeze too tight. She mentally cursed herself when she realize the double meaning of her words. "Sorry, I didn’t mean it the way it sounded."

"I know you didn’t, Xena. You’ve really been very patient with me. I don’t mean to tease you, and before you say it, I know I do sometimes." She rolled over to face the warrior. "But I do love you, I really do." She leaned in for a kiss. Then another. Then more until both women were dizzy from the exchange. Gabrielle brought her hand up to frame Xena’s cheek. There was an unspoken question in the bard’s eyes.

"What is it?" Xena prodded softly.

"Can I…"

"Anything you want, Gabrielle." Xena gently urged.

Gabrielle moved her hand down, running her fingers across the strong jaw, then down the muscled throat to the collarbone. Her eyes never left Xena’s as her hand descended, gently cupping the right breast. Her thumb brushed across the rapidly hardening nipple and Xena’s eye involuntarily closed at the contact. The warrior’s eyes opened to see an ear to ear grin beaming on the bard’s face. She couldn’t help but smile back.

"I like the way you react to my touch." Gabrielle said huskily as her thumb moved again, forcing Xena to catch a groan in her throat.

"I…like your touch…very much." Xena said through gasps as the bard’s fingers became more inquisitive. The forefinger and thumb had taken the nipple captive in their grip.

"I see that." The bard teased as her fingers gripped and released the nipple. She played for a brief while before releasing the nipple from its sweet torture. She looked at Xena thoughtfully, then with desire and longing. "Xena, would you…"

"Anything, Gabrielle. Just tell me what you want." Xena’s mind was reeling with the thought that Gabrielle might actually let her touch her in an intimate way.

"I want you to…kiss me the way I kiss you…but a little more." She actually started to blush. She reached over and lightly ran her forefinger along Xena’s lower lip. "I know you’d be gentle to them." Her eyes lowered to Xena’s breasts, indicating where she wanted to feel the warrior’s mouth on her body.

"Very gentle." Xena corrected as she gently pressed Gabrielle down to the bed. Propping herself up on one elbow, she placed gentle kisses on Gabrielle’s face and neck, imitating the motions that the bard had done previously. She placed a gentle string of kisses across Gabrielle’s upper chest, then stopped and looked at her questioningly. A look of concern came over Xena when she saw the concern and twinge of fear in Gabrielle’s face. "Gabrielle, we don’t have to do this."

"Shh." She placed a finger on Xena’s lips, one of the few times that she wanted the warrior to be quiet. "I want this, I really do, but I’m nervous…and maybe a little scared." Gabrielle got a serious look to her eye. "But I do trust you, Xena. I really do."

Xena moved up and placed a gentle kiss that spoke of the deep love she had. Moving downward, she kissed until she reached the swell of Gabrielle’s left breast. Starting at the far outer edge, Xena’s lips pressed down softly as they worked their way around in a circular pattern. The circle got just slightly smaller on each pass, driving both women half mad with anticipation. Gabrielle’s eyes were open, her head lifted slightly to watch Xena make love to her breast. Every move the warrior made spoke of great adoration and love. She was in no rush, no hurry. Xena wanted to savor the sensation, the feel of the bard’s youthful breast. She brushed her cheek across the firm swell, drinking in the feel of the flesh that she had yearned for so long. Her tongue came out and lightly grazed the skin. Gabrielle reacted immediately, moaning softly and pressing her body against the warrior’s. Keeping her mouth above the tender flesh, she reached out with her tongue and tasted the storyteller’s nipple, first tentatively, then with more firm strokes when she felt the bard arch her back.

"Yesss." Gabrielle growled softly as she closed her eyes. Her fingers insinuated themselves into the dark hair, her hands pressing Xena against her breast, asking for more. Using only her lips and tongue, Xena caressed the now hard nipple, alternating between gently flicks of the tongue and firmer kisses with her lips. Gabrielle writhed under the sensations, letting her body enjoy the gentle touch, until she felt her passion rising beyond the level where she could shut it down. "Enough." She whispered.

So intent was she on bringing the storyteller pleasure, Xena almost missed the whispered word. She quickly brought her head up, studying her face for signs of pain or discomfort. The intuitive woman realized what the warrior was thinking. "You’re fine, Xena. I just need to stop." She pulled the warrior up for a deep kiss before they settled back on the bed, naked and curled up to each other.

"Gabrielle, did I do anything…"

"No, love. You were very gentle and loving. I…enjoyed it."

"So did I. It’s nice to know that you react to my touches too." Xena blushed slightly at her own admission of powerlessness over the bard’s touch. "We have all the time in the world, Gabrielle, there’s no need to rush anything."

"I know." The bard replied. "That’s why I stopped. As good as it felt, I knew if I didn’t stop that it would lead to something more. I’m not sure I’m ready for that yet." An impish grin formed on the storyteller’s face as she rolled over to look at the blue eyes she loved. "But the parts I was ready for were…" She kissed her. "very…very…nice."

Xena felt herself melting under the onslaught of kisses. Gabrielle felt it too and decided to take pity on the poor warrior’s libido. "Sorry, I guess I got carried away." Gabrielle said sheepishly. Xena growled and playfully ruffled the bard’s hair, pleased when she didn’t see a panicked look in Gabrielle’s eyes at the unexpected contact.

"Just try not to kill me, okay?" Both women chuckled and kissed again before finally settling down to rest.

Gabrielle was just tickled that she had woken up before her companion. Xena’s face was peaceful, serene, as she sleep. With more curiosity than a cat, the bard pulled the blankets down, revealing Xena’s tanned body to the morning light. She studied the naked woman in the early morning light, memorizing every inch of the warrior’s flesh. Her gaze fell to the dark patch of fur that covered Xena’s sex. Gabrielle swallowed as she thought of what lay beneath the curly hairs. Looking back up, she saw that the blue eyes had not opened. Her desire dictated her motions as she brought her hand to the sleeping woman’s body. Gabrielle let her fingers stroll lazily over the breasts. She lightly stroked the smooth skin around the nipple, smiling when it reacted to her touch. A quick look up told her that the warrior was still sleeping. Unable to resist, Gabrielle ran her fingers down the tight abdomen, stopping just before the dark curly hairs. She held her hand slightly above the patch of fur, stroking it gently before running her fingers through the thick bush. She delighted in the feel of the curly hair so much in contrast to Xena’s long straight hair on her head. Gabrielle’s eyelids were half-closed as her fingers made lazy figure eights in the mass of Xena’s pubic hair. She let her fingers slip lower, just reaching the edge where Xena’s body opened to reveal its treasure.

"I see your appetite isn’t limited to food, my little bard." Xena said softly. Gabrielle blushed furiously, but made no effort to move her hand or stop her roving fingers. She noticed pleasantly that Xena’s chest was rising and falling more rapidly as her breathing increased.

"So it would seem." She answered matter-of-factly. Gabrielle focused her gaze on Xena’s face as her finger slipped between the folds and was met with a warm wetness that made her gasp. The contact caused Xena’s eyes to close as her hips involuntary arched against the welcome touch.

"You know you drive me crazy sometimes." Xena said through slightly clenched teeth.

"Good, I like consistency." Gabrielle teased back as she let her finger slide deeper into the creamy wetness. "Oh, Xena. You’re so…wet." She brought her mouth down to claim the warrior’s willing lips. A series of dizzying kisses followed, the bard’s finger remaining motionless between the soft folds. Gabrielle lifted her head back slightly, her inexperience causing her to hesitate. "I don’t know what to do." She admitted softly.

"What do you want to do, Gabrielle?" Xena asked, her voice gentle as her body screamed and begged for release. She had been awake since the blanket was pulled back.

"I want to make love to you." The hunger in Gabrielle’s eyes was matched by the hunger in her voice. She leaned in to take another kiss from Xena, this time with more passion. Unable to resist, Xena kissed her back, revealing the depth of her desire and passion. The warrior brought her own hand down and covered the smaller hand of the bard, guiding her fingers to the right spot and showing them how to move. Xena groaned at the contact of her hand on Gabrielle’s against her sex. She had wanted this for so long. Xena spread her legs wider to provide better access. It also provided a better view, much to the bard’s enjoyment. "So wet." She murmured as her fingers started to move independently of the longer ones pressed against them.

"Gods, Gabrielle." Xena soft moan of pleasure thrilled the storyteller. She wanted to see Xena’s face, to look into the sapphire blue eyes and see the love she knew was there for her, just for her. She took her time, gazing up the taut stomach, across the still erect breasts, up the strong throat until she reached her goal. Gabrielle kept her eyes focused on Xena’s face as their hands moved in unison against her sex. She was studying her, learning what was pleasurable and what was not while her hand and fingers learned the same lesson below. Xena did her best to keep her eyes open, but the soft, inquiring fingers of her lover continued to drive all control from her mind. Small gasps and moans were making their way out of Xena’s mouth as her passion grew higher. Gabrielle’s eyes took it all in, the increased breathing, the sounds, all the signals that she had longed to see. Xena’s fingers pressed hard against hers, forcing more speed and pressure as her hips lifted and her head rolled back.

"Oh…oh Gabrielle…don’t stop…oh gods, don’t stop." Her body moved of its own accord, and Gabrielle stayed with it, using her fingers to push the rhythm even faster than Xena was. The bard noticed the increase in wetness as juices flowed freely from the excited woman. Xena’s eyes were squeezed tight as she approached the crest. Gabrielle’s name was drawn from Xena’s mouth with a roar as lights and colors danced before her eyes. A wave of enormous proportion coursed through her as she climaxed. She held her body tight, keeping Gabrielle’s fingers against her, for several heartbeats before falling limply back to the bed. Sweat rolled from her forehead and small tears leaked from her eyes.

Gabrielle held on as Xena’s orgasm hit. She felt the juice flood against her fingers, filling the air with Xena’s scent. When her love fell back limply to the bed, Gabrielle was there to kiss away the tears and brush back the hair that had stuck to the sweaty forehead. She placed gentle kisses as she murmured terms of endearment to her warrior, her lover, her soulmate. "I love you, Xena." She stroked the raven hair.

"I love you, Gabrielle." Xena returned the kiss, using up what energy she had left. "Give me a moment to catch my breath." She took several breaths, none of which seemed to have brought back her energy. Gabrielle couldn’t resist a self-satisfying giggle. Xena arched an eyebrow and looked at her. "Yes?"

"I’m sorry." She giggled again. "It’s just that I didn’t think I’d ever be able to wear you out like this. I thought you had more…" She wanted just the right word. "…stamina, yeah…I thought you had more stamina than that." She received a playful poke in the ribs for her teasing. Xena ran her fingers through her dark hair, pulling it away from her face.

"I usually do, my little bard. I’m usually not this…spent afterwards." To Xena’s dismay, a huge grin broke out over Gabrielle’s face. "What?" She asked, slightly annoyed at the look on the storyteller’s face.

"I’m going to take that as a compliment." She said smugly. The bard turned thoughtful. "I wonder if it’ll be like this all the time?" Xena groaned loudly.

"Oh gods, I hope not. I don’t think my body could stand it." She covered her eyes with her strong hands and shook her head in an exaggerated motion.

Gabrielle’s voice lowered to a seductive tone as her fingers walked across Xena’s belly, heading to claim the warrior’s dark nipple. "Well, I guess we’ll just have to work on that." Her fingers closed around the tender flesh, pressing firmly. Xena let out a gasp, then a moan as her body reacted.

"You’re…gonna…kill…me." Xena got out through clenched teeth and gasps. Gabrielle’s bold fingers were testing the limits, learning for herself just how much Xena wanted and needed. The new found power she had over Xena was an aphrodisiac, filling her with a sense of control. She leaned over until her mouth was next to Xena’s ear. In the softest, sexiest voice she could, she whispered.

"We’ll see." Gabrielle’s hand shot down to land between Xena’s legs. This was going to be a long day.

"A little stiff?" Gabrielle teased as they headed to the food hut. Ephiny had made a point of stopping by their room and reminding Gabrielle that the other people in the village would like to see her once in a while too. Even though Xena scowled at the comment when it was said, she was secretly grateful that someone had shown up to rescue her from the voracious appetite of the young woman. Xena made a mental note to drink lots of fluids at breakfast. She was sure there were none left in her, especially after Gabrielle’s wake-up call this morning.

"It’s your fault." Xena answered back. "I’m going to volunteer for sentry duty just to get a break from the demands of the queen."

"Oh no you don’t. You’re mine and you’re not going anywhere."

"You really do want to kill me, don’t you?"

"Nope, I want to feed you." Gabrielle said, smiling mischievously. "Eat hearty. You’ll need your energy." She was answered with a long groan.

Despite the constant attention Xena had been getting from her little Amazon, there had been no reversal of the pleasure. The most that Gabrielle would let Xena do was love her breasts, and then only for a short while. There was some progress, however. Gabrielle had been pressing her lower body against Xena’s leg more often while they made love. The warrior took it as a sign that Gabrielle might be getting close to moving past the pain.

"Gabrielle, we need to talk." Words that the bard rarely heard sprang from the warrior’s lips. They were both sitting on the bed, cross-legged, looking at each other. The look in the blue eyes told the young woman just what the talk was about.

"Xena, I don’t want to." She looked down at her hands.

"Gabrielle, you need to. You have to tell what happened, if not to me, then to somebody." Xena pleaded. "Gabrielle, if you can’t talk about it, can you write about it? Come on, love, you haven’t written anything in moons."

"I can’t." Gabrielle started to cry. "I want to, but I can’t. I can’t let myself think about it that closely."

"Why, Gabrielle?" Xena’s arms went around her love. "They can’t hurt you anymore. It’s all in the past."

"I’m scared…" The little bard started to cry softly. "I’m scared…if you knew…"

"Gabrielle." Xena turned the young woman’s chin to meet her gaze. "I love you. Nothing’s gonna change that, you hear me, nothing. There is nothing they could have done to you to change the way I feel about you."

There was a long pause as Xena waited for Gabrielle to speak. "I…I want you to know. I want you to know what happened to me. But…I don’t think I can tell you." The tears were flowing freely down her face. "I can’t say the words…to you." She collapsed into Xena, taking refuge in her lover’s chest. Xena held her quietly for several long moments.

"Gabrielle." She pulled the bard’s head up to look at her. "If you can’t say the words, then write them."

Gabrielle sat at the table in the library, quill in hand, looking down at the blank parchment. Xena sat quietly nearby, reading scrolls on combat tactics and methods. They had been in there for almost a full candlemark with no activity from the bard’s hand. Xena worried that Gabrielle was going to give up. Finally the quill went to the ink, then shaky hands brought the quill to the parchment. Xena stopped reading the scroll and watched her love’s face as she wrote. Every time she saw tears starting to fall, Xena moved closer to comfort her. Several times Gabrielle had to put the quill down and take comfort in Xena’s arms.

It was almost nightfall by the time Gabrielle put the quill down and rolled up the scroll. "I’m finished." She said softly. They were the first words she had spoken since they entered the library.

"Do you want me to read it?" Xena asked gently.

"I don’t know if I could bear looking at you, reading about that." Gabrielle’s voice betrayed her fear. Xena smiled and put her hand over the bard’s.

"Love, listen to me. I may have different emotions while reading this, but nothing I read on this scroll will change the way I feel about you or how much I love you. If you’re afraid of my reaction to the words, don’t be."

Gabrielle’s eyes lowered and closed as she made her decision. "Read it alone. I’ll go lay down over there." She rose and went over to a padded bench at the other end of the room. She laid there, exhausted from the emotional effort, and quickly fell asleep.

The reading was especially hard for Xena. Several times the stoic warrior was reduced to tears as she read Gabrielle’s account of the horror. With her normal bardic flair for completeness, the scroll contained more than just a physical account. It contained Gabrielle’s thoughts and feelings throughout the ordeal. The nightmares that plagued her, the triggers she knew about, all the minute aspects of her life that had changed since the attack.

As Xena read on, she realized that Gabrielle wrote about her role in everything. The scroll spoke of how Gabrielle felt when she first heard the battle cry at the campsite, how she knew then that everything was over, that she would be safe soon. Every movement that Xena made and how the bard felt about it was revealed on the parchment. It moved her to even more tears, this time for a different reason. She finished reading and rolled up the scroll. With her elbows on the table, Xena supported her head with her hands, her fingers covering her eyes as she let her mind digest everything she’d read.

"Say something." Gabrielle’s voice was right behind her. Xena had been too wrapped up in her own thoughts and feelings to notice the bard had awakened. "I need you to say something."

"I love you, Gabrielle." She lifted her head from her hands and looked up at the bard, who was now standing by her left shoulder. "I love you more now than ever. You are a brave, courageous woman. When did you learn to become so strong?" Xena’s arms shot out to catch her lover falling into her lap. She held the bard, rocking her gently as she murmured words of love into her ear.

"You still love me." Gabrielle said softly against Xena’s chest.

"I love you more than ever, Gabrielle." She answered as she kissed the honey hair before her.