A Brush With Destiny Part 9

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 : None... well a little bit of touchy feely stuff... that's all.

Violence: Nope

Language: Harsh

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

Xena tugged unconsciously at the thin strap of her red, silk dress and took another sip of champagne.

"I hate these things," she muttered as she saw Gabrielle approach but put on her best smile for her love's sake. "Great party, Bard."

The writer chuckled as she grasped Xena's arm to steady herself while she fixed the strap on her shoe.

"You're lying... but thanks. I hate them too, Xena, but it�s the launch of 'A Brush With Destiny'. I have to be here for the launch of my own book." She looked at her partner, smiling as she saw the faraway look in her eyes. "What is it?" she asked softly.

"It's kinda funny to think that we met because you dropped the damn thing six months ago," Xena replied as she brushed the writer's hair back from her eyes. Gabrielle stood on her toes to kiss her lover but they both winced as a camera flashed nearby.

"Hey, you two! Get a room!" Morgan was swaying slightly as she focussed for another shot. Xena repositioned herself so that she was holding Gabrielle from behind and the agent took another photo of them. "You look soooo cute together," she slurred. "I think I'll become a lesbian."

Xena raised an eyebrow at her and grinned.

"Oh yeah, you should. It�s a really great thing to be. You get a membership card and everything!" Gabrielle laughed helplessly and elbowed her partner lightly on the stomach.

"Stop it!" she scolded, trying to hold a stern face but only succeeding in grinning happily.

"Or what?" the older woman shot back, her head slightly tilted in question. The writer moved closer to her, slowly running her hands up her ribcage through that stunning dress. She smiled as she saw her lover's nipples harden through the silk.

"Or else I'm gonna have to take you back to the hotel and punish you," she whispered as she sucked lightly on her earlobe. Xena shuddered slightly and gasped as Gabrielle bit down on her shoulder, not caring about leaving a mark. Morgan had long since disappeared... in fact, the entire world had disappeared, leaving them alone in their own time and place.

"Gabrielle?"

"Hmmm?"

"You're the best thing in my life."

The writer suddenly pulled back, a stricken look on her face as images of a crucifixion flooded into her mind. The images flashed faster and faster until she grabbed her head, staggering backward to try to get away. Finally it became too much for her and she sank to the ground, her world suddenly cold and dark.

"Gabrielle? Come on, Honey." The voice got clearer in Gabrielle's mind as she struggled toward consciousness. "That's right, Love. Open your eyes and show me that gorgeous green."

"Xena?"

"Yeah, it's me. How are you doing?"

"I'm tired," the writer replied. "And thirsty. Can I have some water please?"

Xena poured a glassful from a jug sitting on the table and helped her love sit forward to sip from it.

"Gabrielle, what happened back there? One minute, you were practically making love to me standing up and the next, you're mumbling something about killing Romans and passing out on me."

Gabrielle rolled onto her side on the sofa, drawing her legs up into a foetal position. Tears streamed down her face and she couldn�t stop the shuddering sobs that wracked her slender frame. Xena sat down beside her and wrapped her arms around her, leaning in close. "Talk to me, Gabrielle," she said softly as she tried to wipe her tears away.

"I can�t... I... I just can't, Xena. I've done a terrible thing," she sobbed. "The Romans. The soldiers. I killed them."

The ex-Marine closed her eyes as her past life alter ego surfaced. Her voice lowered in tone and her hand stroked her love's short, blonde hair with infinite gentleness.

"You did what you had to do, Gabrielle," she said softly. "It wasn't your fault. You were protecting me. You died for me, Gabrielle."

The bard looked up, the pain on her face easing slightly.

"Xena, why did we never tell each other of our love?" she asked.

"We did, Gabrielle," the Warrior Princess replied with a soft sigh. "We said 'I love you' but we just never said 'I'm in love with you'. That was easier this time."

"Xena, I think we..."

Gabrielle trailed off and suddenly clutched at her head as more images flooded her mind.

A tall, thin woman with a gravel voice, dressed in black leather, standing in sweet smelling grass with her hands perched on her hips and an evil smile on her face.

"Xena's Little Bitch. Welcome to the doghouse."

A tall, thin woman with a gravel voice, dressed in the garb of an Amazon shamaness, kneeling in front of a campfire with a very young Warrior Princess.

"This is your destiny, Xena. I will make you the Destroyer of Nations..."

A tall, thin woman with a gravel voice, dressed in black leather, holding Gabrielle by the throat and hair as she growled into her face.

"What's she told you about me, Little Girl? Has she told you about my powers? Has she told you about this?"

Gabrielle's face twisted with pain as she saw visions of herself and Xena being crucified side by side on a snowy mountain top.

"My gift to you," the woman continued, a smile of glee on her face at the pain she was causing. "That's your future!" She pointed at Xena. "She's responsible for your death!"

"No," Gabrielle whispered as she saw herself look at her best friend. Xena's face was a mask of pain, anger and hatred.

"YOU BITCH!" the Warrior Princess yelled as she charged the shamaness with something akin to recklessness.

Gabrielle opened her eyes, shaking violently as she tried to figure out where she was. Xena was holding her tightly and whispering to her.

"I'm not going to let her hurt you anymore," she said hoarsely. "I promise you, Gabrielle. I'm not going to let her near you."

The writer looked up at her partner and Xena could see the fear in her eyes.

"It's Alti, isn�t it?" Gabrielle asked. "She's back and she's found us."

Xena nodded slowly.

"Yes. It's Alti," she confirmed. "And she has to be close by. Judging by what I've just seen her do to you, she must be powerful."

Gabrielle shuddered hard.

"What are you going to do?" she asked, her voice sounding almost panicked but Xena took her gently by the shoulders and ducked her head to look into her eyes.

"Listen to me, Gabrielle," she said. "Naima told us in India that Alti would return many times, in many lives, right?"

"Right," the writer confirmed.

"She also said that you and I would always be there to stop her."

"I know, Xena, but this time, we're not the Xena and Gabrielle from Ancient Greece, we're Xena and Gabrielle from the 21st century."

The ex-Marine grinned evilly.

"Yes and we have technology on our side!" she replied. "Gabrielle, I want you to go back to the hotel and get some sleep, ok? I'm gonna hang around here and..."

"No! No, Xena, please. Don�t leave me alone tonight. We'll face this together tomorrow, ok?"

The older woman relented and helped her love to stand.

"Alright, Gabrielle. Let's go."

Warrior and bard both climbed wearily into a cab and made their way back to their hotel. Xena held Gabrielle all the way feeling the trembling of the younger woman's body. She knew the younger woman was scared... hell, I'm scared shitless too, she admitted to herself but she knew that they had to stop Alti before she became even more powerful and she knew she was going to need Gabrielle's strength to do it. As the cab pulled up to the path, Xena looked down to find that the writer had dozed off against her shoulder. The dark-haired woman was pleased. She had been afraid that Gabrielle wouldn�t be able to sleep, but, once again, her resilience and strength amazed Xena.

"And I'm supposed to be the warrior here," she muttered as she looked down at her shaking hands. She clenched and released her fists, trying to get the trembling under control before she had to hand money over to the cab driver. Xena smiled as her soulmate stirred slightly and, even though she didn't want to wake her, she thought it was the best time to do so. "Gabrielle?" she said as she gently shook the younger woman. "We're almost there, Honey."

It was at that moment that the cab driver slammed on the brakes, sending both Xena and Gabrielle into the seats in front of them.

"What the fuck!" Xena yelled but then her eyes widened as she saw why the cab driver had jammed on. A tall, thin woman, dressed in black leather was standing in the middle of the street. Her hands were perched on her hips as her face twisted into a grin that was almost a sneer. Xena's eyes were glued on the woman but she glanced at Gabrielle as the writer sat forward even more.

"Oh shit," the younger woman said. "Xena, we're in trouble."

"I know," the ex-Marine growled as she looked out the windows for a place to run to. She wasn't quite ready to face Alti yet. She spotted a dark alley and swallowed as the ancient Shamaness began to slowly walk toward the car. The cab driver looked at Alti, looked back at Xena and Gabrielle and then jumped out of the cab, running as fast as he could down the street.

"Xena, I get the distinct feeling that we should be hot on his heels," Gabrielle whispered as she pushed her hair back from her eyes. Alti was now only thirty feet from the car.

"Come on, Gabrielle," Xena said and threw open the door of the car before hopping out and pulled the writer out behind her. She quickly pulled off her shoes and tossed them into the back seat of the cab along with Gabrielle's. "I half don't want to do this," she went on but then shrugged and ripped her dress up both sides, giving her legs room to manoeuvre.

"XENA!" Alti yelled as she approached but the warrior turned, smiled sweetly and then stuck her middle finger up at the woman. Gabrielle laughed, despite her fear and grabbed Xena by the arm.

"C'mon," she said and pulled Xena toward the alley. They ran flat out, crossing two streets but keeping to the shadows as they went. "Xena, where can we hide?" Gabrielle asked.

"We can�t," the warrior replied with a shrug. "We have to keep moving. She's just proven that she knows where we are. I'd say it's the confines of that mortal body that's giving her trouble. She'd already be here otherwise."

"We should go back to the hotel, grab some gear and head off somewhere," Gabrielle replied thoughtfully. "Hey Xena, how about a trip home?"

"What?" Xena asked, her eyebrows almost meeting her hairline.

"Greece... she'll have to follow us there."

Gabrielle received her soulmate's best smile.

"Yeah, Greece... maybe it's time to find out more about who we used to be," the ex-Marine grinned.

"Maybe," the young writer replied. "One thing's for sure. I want Alti off our backs and I'm not stopping until we've stopped her."

"Agreed," Xena nodded and then took Gabrielle by the hand. "C'mon. We don�t have much time. We should catch the next flight to Greece if we can."

"I'll book tickets in the hotel. We can be out of here in twelve hours."

"Good," the ex-Marine replied. "This is it, Gabrielle. Alti's made a big mistake coming back here... it's a mistake she's going to pay dearly for."

The soulmates hailed another cab and made their way back to their hotel. They knew that this was just the beginning of a fight to the death... but whose death would it be?

TBC in part 10