A Brush With Destiny Part 4

Disclaimer: The main characters don't belong to me. They belong to RenPics and Universal. No copyright infringement was intended. This series is based on the love between Xena and Gabrielle. If this offends you, see ya some other time and place!

Sex : Definitely!

Violence: Nope.

Language: Mild/Medium.

Bard's Note : This is my first uber series so please... Be kind!

Gabrielle Whyte opened her emerald green eyes, wincing a little against the sunlight that was streaming in through the open window. She moaned softly and rolled over, snuggling into her still sleeping partner and smiling as she remembered in perfect detail why Xena was so tired. In fact it even made her blush slightly. They had made love almost all night, only stopping for a quick meal of toast and coffee. Now, as she placed a soft kiss on her lover's breast, she was the happiest woman in the world. She had found her soulmate.

"Good morning."

The soft, slightly husky voice of her lover floated down to her.

"Morning, Xe," Gabrielle replied and scooted up to thoroughly kiss the older woman. When they finally parted, Xena smirked and raised an eyebrow at her love.

"Hmmm... what a way to be woken up," she growled and pulled her soulmate even closer, settling her with her head on her shoulder. The writer draped her arm over her lover's rib cage and sighed softly.

"So, now that this 'Gabrielle Whyte... not so alone in the woods' thing has been sorted out, what are we going to do now? We still have a few weeks of our vacation left."

Xena frowned thoughtfully as she traced little circles on the writer's back with her fingertips.

"What do you want to do? Wanna go back to Durham?"

Gabrielle grinned.

"I think that's a great idea. I have to do Oprah's Book Club on Thursday so we can head back for the weekend. I'll get us flights to North Carolina."

"Cool," Xena replied and closed her eyes for another few minutes while Gabrielle got up and went to shower, however, a loud yell had her up and running toward her lover a split second later.

"What?" Xena cried as she skidded to a halt in the bathroom. Her piercing blue eyes widened. Gabrielle was standing, naked, with her forearm pinning a man to the tiled wall, right across his throat. Her face was cold and she leaned toward him, her teeth gritted in fury.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, you son-of-a-bitch?" she demanded.

Xena stepped forward and pulled back his coat. She found a camera hidden there and brandished it at him.

"Trying to get photos of the famous Gabrielle Whyte, naked in the shower, huh Pervert?" she growled.

He gurgled and gagged as Gabrielle increased the pressure on his windpipe. She had him firmly locked in place and he was standing on his toes to try to get some air into his aching lungs. Finally, she just shook her head and dropped him.

"He's not worth it," she said. "Keep an eye on him, will ya Xe, while I call the cops?"

The ex-Marine nodded and wrapped a towel around herself, keeping her blue eyes locked on the man as he rubbed his sore throat.

"So what's the deal?" she asked as the writer left the room. "Why were you here? We already made statements about our relationship."

The man looked up tentatively.

"You don�t remember me, do ya Xe? Well, I suppose it has been thirteen years," he said quietly. "My name is... was... Cobra."

There was silence for a moment and then Xena suddenly stood up and strode to the door.

"Gabrielle, hang up the phone!" she yelled.

"But why?" came the reply.

"Just trust me, Honey. Hang up."

Gabrielle frowned as she replaced the receiver. She padded back to the bathroom, stopping to pull a robe on as she passed the bedroom. She sat down beside Xena on the edge of the bath, worried when she saw the pallid look to her face.

"Why now?" the tall woman asked her old buddy.

"It's time to do what's right," he replied and Xena swallowed deeply before nodding.

"So what happens now?"

"I'll be in touch."

Gabrielle scrunched her nose in confusion as Xena let the man leave.

"What was all that about?" she asked. The ex-Marine slowly stood and gently pulled her love into her arms.

"I need your help," she whispered as she hugged her.

"Of course, anything. What do you need?" the writer replied without hesitation.

"I need a place to hide out an old friend. Can I use your cabin?"

"Yes, but who...?"

Xena tipped a finger against Gabrielle's lips and then replaced it with her own lips.

"The less you know the better," she replied. "I don't want you getting caught up in this. This is MY responsibility."

The young writer frowned and poked her soulmate in the chest.

"Hey, the moment we admitted our love and realised who we were, your responsibilities became mine. Don't shut me out, Xena. I want to help you."

She could see the torn look in the ex-Marine's eyes but she finally nodded and smiled.

"Still as stubborn as ever, Bard," she whispered. "Alright, Gabrielle. Let's get dressed and go out for breakfast. I'll explain everything on the way."

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Xena leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes as she waited for her soulmate to speak.

"Is this why you didn't want to tell me?" Gabrielle asked softly.

"No... well... a little... I mean, I didn't want to hurt you."

"You won't hurt me as long as you don't keep things from me. Xena, I can deal with your past... I've done it before... but keeping things from me is the one thing that will hurt me. Got it?"

"Gotcha," the ex-Marine replied with a grin. Gabrielle sat forward and leaned on her hands to stretch over for a kiss across the table.

"So anyway, go on. Tell me more," the writer said as she settled back.

"After I'd figured out that she was an agent, I quickly extricated myself from the relationship. I have to admit that I was really hurt but I was also really scared. I wasn't sure what to do so I went to that man you met this morning in the bathroom, Cobra. I knew I could trust him and together we decided to hide her out. The only thing was that Cobra was leaving to come back to the States and I would have been left alone with her. I was a mess back then. Charlie had just died and I was feeling so guilty about sleeping with Diana that I just lost it. I left on the pretence that I was going scouting and I brought Diana to a safe house that we had used before and left her there. I never went back. To be honest, I've tried not to think about any of that but it looks like things are coming back to haunt me. I'm sorry, Love."

Xena raised her eyes to gentle green and raised an eyebrow at the smile she received.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about something. Do you realise that it used to take me hours to drag things out of you, Xena? Now you just go into a flood of story. Guess we've come full circle, huh? I talk less, you talk more."

Xena grasped Gabrielle's hand across the table and squeezed gently.

"Well, I've learned a lot from you, Gabrielle," she husked, her voice barely above a whisper. "You taught me how to express my feelings in words and you taught me how to love again, now as well as back then. After Charlie died, I kinda closed myself off from the world. I hadn't had a lover in a long time before I met you. I've brought women home over the past year but I always ended up just curling up with them. I could never bring myself to make love to them... that is until I met you."

"I love you, Xena," Gabrielle replied as she stroked the older woman's cheek with gentle fingers. "Everything's gonna be ok. When Cobra contacts you, tell him to bring Diana to Durham and that we'll meet them there, ok? It'll be better if we're not seen travelling with them."

The ex-Marine quirked an eyebrow at her soulmate.

"Good plan, Gabrielle. You haven't lost that ingenuity, I see."

The writer grinned and ran her hand through her short, blonde hair.

"I learned from the best," she replied with a wink and then tucked into her tuna sandwich.

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"Ok, everything's set. Cobra's gonna bring Diana to the diner nearest the airport on route 63. We'll take her then and go straight to the cabin."

Gabrielle nodded as she finished folding her clothes into her case. She tried to close it and failed miserably.

"Xe, give me a hand would you please?"

The ex-Marine grinned and lifted Gabrielle by the waist to sit her on the suitcase. Then she kissed her deeply as she slowly closed the zip from one side of the case to the other. Gabrielle hands were roaming and, when the older woman moved, she felt the ripple of muscle as she ran her hands over her stomach and up her ribcage. Xena smiled seductively and pushed the writer back onto the bed leaving her hips still elevated on top of the case. Gabrielle's eyes fluttered closed as her soulmate slipped her hand under her top and caressed her breast, teasing the nipple to hardness as she opened her jeans and pulled them down.

"Xena, we don�t really have time for this," Gabrielle began, her breath coming in shallow gasps, but she gave in totally as her lover's tongue traced her most intimate folds.

"You were saying?" Xena breathed.

"Never mind," Gabrielle replied, her words turning into a throaty moan as her warrior pinched and rolled her nipples. Only minutes later, her hips lifted high off the case and she cried out her soulmate's name as she shuddered hard. She relaxed then and smiled at her lover.

"Thank you," she said softly.

"Oh, believe me, it was my pleasure," Xena replied, mirroring the smile. "Well, the case is closed and we've a plane to catch so we'd better get moving."

She held out her hand and Gabrielle took it, standing up and redressing herself. An hour later, they were checking in at the airport and then they went to the bar for a beer.

"What's going to happen once we've picked up Diana?" Gabrielle asked as she examined the contents of her glass. Xena shrugged lightly and pursed her lips.

"Dunno really. I guess we just hang out with her and try to keep her amused until Cobra can get her out of the country. He still has connections so it shouldn�t be for more than a few days... a week at most. Then we can spend some real time alone together without having to worry about any interruptions."

"Um... excuse me?" Gabrielle looked around to find a woman standing behind her. She was holding out a piece of paper and a pen. "Ms Whyte, I was wondering if I could have your autograph. I'm a huge fan of your books."

The writer smiled and took the pen and paper.

"Sure," she replied. "What's your name?"

"It's Michelle," the woman replied with a smile.

Gabrielle signed a personal greeting to the woman and then watched her walk away.

"You know, I'll never get used to that," she said as she glanced at Xena but the ex-Marine's eyes were glued to the woman's back as she walked away. "Hey, you're not supposed to look at other women," Gabrielle teased but Xena didn't smile. "Xena, what is it?" the writer went on as she realised something wasn't right.

"We need to get to Diana as soon as possible," the dark-haired woman replied. "Gabrielle, I know that woman. She's an agent for the CIA. I'd never forget those cold eyes."

"It's a good thing she didn't recognise you," Gabrielle replied.

Xena frowned and shook her head as she watched the woman leave the bar.

"I'm not sure, Gabrielle. She may know who I am. We've been in the papers quite a bit recently."

"Shit, yeah," the writer replied. "Hey, let's cross that bridge if we come to it, ok?"

"Ok," Xena replied. "Come on. Let's go catch this plane and if you're really good, I might make you a member of the 'Mile High Club'."

"Ooooohh, ya promise?" Gabrielle replied with a mischievous grin as she locked her fingers with her soulmate and went to catch a plane...

TBC in part 5.