Disclaimer: Xena and Gabrielle belong to Rob Tapert and Co. This story is based on the love between two consenting adults of the same gender. You know the drill…

Dedication: For everyone who knows me!

Bard’s Note: This story is set after ‘Altared States’. You may think that Gabrielle was drugged when she told Xena she was beautiful but it’s a little known fact that the whole thing was a ploy so Gabrielle could get to wrap herself around Xena getting out of that well! ;-) (nah, just kidding!)

"Well if you didn’t do it, then who…"

Xena trailed off and they both looked up at the sky in amazement. They looked at each other, shrugged and then walked on.

"Gabrielle, do you really think that… uh… I’m beautiful?"

"What?"

The blonde bard stared at her friend with a shocked look on her face. Xena smiled and shook her head.

"I’m sorry. It’s just that when you were drugged with henbane, you told me I was beautiful."

Gabrielle blushed and looked down.

"Xena, what exactly did I say?" she asked, wincing against the pounding in her head.

"It was along the lines of ‘by the gods. You are beeeeaaaauuutiful’," Xena replied with a grin.

Gabrielle scratched lightly at an itch on her stomach and said nothing for a moment but she finally looked up at her tall friend.

"Yes, I do think you’re beautiful," she said softly. "It’s your eyes, I think. They’re so… so…" She waved her hands as she tried to come up with the word. "Vibrant… no… piercing… no…" She shrugged. "Beautiful."

"So it’s just my eyes?"

"Well, no. Not… It’s your cheekbones, your lips, your dark hair against your tanned skin, your height, your figure… I could go on all day talking about your figure. I’d love to have a bigger chest." She sighed heavily. Xena grinned.

"You have plenty, Gabrielle."

"I shudder to think how big your bodice would be on me," Gabrielle replied with a frown.

"It’s a little tight on me at the moment," Xena said thoughtfully. "I think I need to drop a few pounds."

"No you don’t" the bard replied, her eyes resting on her friend’s chest. "You look… perfect."

Xena noticed the appreciative look on her younger friend’s face and cleared her throat self-consciously.

"You make a good Amazon," she muttered.

"What?" Gabrielle asked.

"Nothing, forget it. How about we stop at a hot spring near here. I could do with a bath."

"Yeah, me too," Gabrielle agreed and followed her friend into the woods. They found the hot spring a few minutes later and Gabrielle began to strip. Xena stood there for a minute with a smile on her face but she didn’t undress.

"What’s wrong?" Gabrielle asked and then a teasing grin lit her face. "Don’t tell me you’re shy after all this time, Xena."

"No, I… uh… I just… forgot the soap!"

Xena headed back toward Argo but Gabrielle shook her head. The soap was in their wash bag, which was sitting on the bank beside her. The warrior stopped at her horse and sighed.

"I think I’m in trouble, Girl," she said softly as she patted Argo’s neck. The horse looked at her and whinnied gently.

"Yeah, Gabrielle’s getting more open with me. I think she’s on the verge of saying something. I don’t know what to do if she does. I certainly don’t mind that she seems to have focussed her attentions on me but does she know what she’s doing? I mean, I really do love her but sex complicates things. She’s so young and I don’t want to hurt her."

Argo lipped her shoulder and snorted.

"Thanks for listening, Argo," Xena said with a sheepish smile and walked back to the hot spring. Gabrielle was floating on her back and Xena couldn’t help noticing that her body had changed. She was thinner and more muscular than when they had first met and her thighs were powerful from the long days of walking. Xena shuddered as she suddenly had a vision of those powerful thighs wrapped around her. She looked away quickly and took a deep, calming breath.

"Xena, this is Elysia! Come on in!" Gabrielle yelled as she spotted her friend.

"Alright!" Xena replied and stripped off her clothes. She jumped into the pool and sighed as the water covered her up to her shoulders.

"Gabrielle, are you standing on a rock?" she asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Well, yes, actually. It’s a little deep for me," the bard replied with a frown. "I hate being short."

"Gabrielle, you’re not short. You’re the right height," Xena said in her best soothing voice. She was about to go on when Gabrielle suddenly slipped from her rock.

"Whoa!" she cried and plunged under the water. Xena dove and grabbed her, pulling her to the surface.

"Are you alright?" she asked, holding her tightly around the waist to keep her head above water. Gabrielle’s face was pained.

"It’s my back. I hit it off the rock when I went under."

"Let me see," Xena replied and began to feel her spine with practised fingers. "Yeah, you’ve got a small injury here. Put your arms around my neck."

Gabrielle complied and she dangled as Xena massaged the area, making sure that the muscle was stretched back into place.

"There you go," she said and held her friend around the waist again but Gabrielle didn’t move her arms from around her neck. They looked at each other for a long moment and Xena suddenly became very aware of the fact that their naked bodies were touching in numerous places. She started to tremble so she carefully deposited Gabrielle on her rock before backing away.

"Xena?"

"Yes?"

"Come back here for a minute."

The warrior swallowed the lump in her throat.

"I just have to…"

"No you don’t. Xena, please, it’s important."

Xena swam back to her friend and nervously stood beside her.

"What is it, Gabrielle?"

"Would you wash my back for me?"

The Warrior Princess almost laughed with relief and nodded quickly.

"Sure. I’ll just go get a sponge."

She retrieved the soap and a sponge from their wash bag and returned to her friend. She lathered the soap and ran the sponge across her friend’s back. She was so intent on her task that she didn’t notice that the bard had tipped her head back a little and that her lips were parted slightly in pleasure. She didn’t notice, that is, until a soft moan escaped Gabrielle’s throat. Xena froze and Gabrielle turned quickly, her face flushed with embarrassment.

"I’m sorry," she whispered as Xena began to back away. "I was just enjoying the feel of the sponge."

"I’m sure you were," the warrior replied gruffly and swam back to the bank. She washed quickly and then jumped out of the hot spring. Gabrielle closed her eyes as her friend dressed and strode back to Argo to set up camp. The tears came and she sobbed softly, knowing she had just made a big mistake. Xena could never love her like that. She felt like a foolish child. A short time later, Xena returned to the bank of the hot spring. She saw Gabrielle standing with her back to her and called softly to her.

"Gabrielle, come on out. I don’t want you to get sick. It’s starting to get cold."

The bard turned slowly and swam back to the bank where Xena offered her a hand out. Gabrielle took the hand and allowed herself to be pulled out of the water. Xena tenderly wrapped a blanket around her and stroked her wet hair back from her eyes.

"Gabrielle, I’m sorry for what I said. I shouldn’t have reacted like that."

"I’m the one who should be apologising," the bard replied. "Xena, I’m not sure what’s happening to me."

There was a moment of silence between them but then Xena spoke softly.

"Gabrielle, do you think about being with me? Do you think about us making love?"

Gabrielle was unable to meet her friend’s eyes but she nodded slowly.

"Yes," she whispered almost inaudibly and the tears came again.

"Don’t cry, Gabrielle. It’s ok. You have nothing to be ashamed of."

"I’m not ashamed, Xena. I just know that you can never return my love and it hurts."

"Love?" Xena repeated, a shocked look on her face. "Gabrielle, you’re in love with me?"

"I’ve never felt this way before. I know I’m in love with you. Maybe it would be best if I went home. We both need time to think."

"No, Gabrielle," Xena replied a huge grin spreading across her face. "I want you here… with me. I want us to be together."

"I don’t understand," Gabrielle replied, frowning in confusion.

"I’ve been trying to deny my feelings for you for a while now because I didn’t think you loved me. I knew you were attracted to me but I thought it was just physical. I mean that speech about my beauty…"

"You didn’t give me a chance to mention that I love your personality as much as your body. You didn’t give me time to say that I think you’re kind, loving, smart and funny, that your smile is like sunlight breaking through on a cloudy day and that your voice is a low, sensual melody that calls to my heart every time you speak. Xena, I love everything about you."

"I think that’s the most beautiful thing anyone has ever said to me," the warrior replied, her voice husky with emotion.

"It’s true, Xena. I love you."

"And I love you, Gabrielle." She tilted the bard’s face upwards and placed the lightest of kisses on her lips. "Let me show you how much?"

"Xena, I want…" Gabrielle trailed off as she realised she didn’t have the words to explain what she needed.

"I know," Xena replied and took her hand, kissing it softly before leading her back to their bedrolls. "I know what you need. Let me show you," she went on as she lowered her lover onto her bedroll. Gabrielle sighed with pleasure and surrendered her entire being to the Warrior Princess, the love of her life.

The End

No bards or warriors were harmed during the writing of this story. However Gabrielle’s rock got a little bit chipped and is recovering nicely.