The Proposal by Cheeya

Comments/Constructive Criticism to [email protected]

"How's the back?"

Gabrielle stretched a little and winced in pain.

"I think I pulled something," she said with a frown.

"Well, Callisto slammed you pretty hard into that wall," Xena pointed out. "C'mere, let me take a look at it."

The warrior led her soulmate deeper into the trees and helped her remove her armour and leathers.

"Xena, gently, ok? It really hurts," the bard said quietly and took a deep breath as Xena ran her hands down her back.

"Oooh, ouch. That's nasty, Gabrielle but I think I can fix it," the warrior said with a slight smile. "Lie down."

Gabrielle stretched out carefully on her stomach, resting her cheek on her forearm. Xena knelt over her, straddling her hips and began to gently massage her back, feeling the injury under her fingers.

"Breathe in," she said and as the bard took a deep breath, Xena leaned on her back, popping her vertebra back into place. Gabrielle gritted her teeth against the sudden pain and then exhaled quickly.

"Ow," she stated flatly and the warrior chuckled.

"Sorry, but you'll feel better for it. Stand up." Xena helped the bard to stand and held her around the waist until the pain subsided. "How does that feel?" she asked.

"Wooonderful," the bard purred in reply and Xena grinned.

"I meant your back," she stated, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, that's great too. Thanks, Honey."

"You're welcome. Think you can ride?"

Gabrielle shook her head, her eyes far away.

"Xena? Do you think I did the right thing?"

"Riding?"

"No, killing Callisto."

Xena's forehead furrowed as she thought about her reply.

"Gabrielle, it's…"

"No, forget I said anything," the bard replied. "I made the decision. Now I have to live with it."

She turned and picked up her leathers, slipping them back on. Then she retrieved her armour, carried it to where her horse was standing and tied it to her saddlebag. Xena watched as she leaned against the horse and ran her hand through her short, blonde hair, tossing it back from her eyes. The warrior walked to her and smiled.

"Ready to go?" she asked.

"Yeah, just about. Give me a boost up would you please?"

Xena did as she was asked and then mounted Argo, urging her into a walk. Gabrielle was quiet all the way back to the village and Xena was beginning to get worried when she suddenly spoke.

"Xena, we've known each other a long time now, right?"

"Yeah, a long time. Why?"

"I was just wondering if… uh… if I've changed so much that I'm not the person you met six years ago."

Xena turned in her saddle to face her partner.

"Gabrielle, six years I met a young woman who was eager to see the world and experience life to the full. She was full of kindness and wonder and, most of all, love. She revered life and always said that the only way to break the cycle of hate was through love." She smiled tenderly at her soulmate and reached over to stroke her cheek. "There's only one difference between you and that young woman and that is that you have seen the world and lived life to the full. That young woman is still inside you, Gabrielle. You're older and more experienced but in essence, you're the same."

"That girl would never have considered taking a life but I do it every day," Gabrielle went on.

"That girl would never have considered going up against a god to save her best friend's life."

Gabrielle looked down and shook her head slowly.

"Yes she would," she whispered.

"What? What did you say, Gabrielle?" Xena asked, her eyes wide with shock.

"I would have defied the gods for you, Xena, even back then. I've loved you since the beginning… maybe not in the way I love you now, but I would have done almost anything to save you, maybe even kill. Thank the gods I never had to."

"Now you're saving my life," Xena stated. "Listen, let's pick up the pace a little. I'm worried about Mom."

"Ok," Gabrielle replied and they galloped back to the village.

Cyrene sat down at the wooden table and shook her head.

"By the gods, Xena. That's an incredible story. How did Gabrielle ever get through all that?"

"You know, Mom. Sometimes I ask myself the same question. I wasn't much of a help to her back then."

Gabrielle came up behind her seated partner and placed her hands on her shoulders, kissing her on the top of the head.

"That's not true," she said softly. "You were the one who kept me going after all that."

Xena smiled and lifted her soulmate's hand, kissing her fingers gently.

"I wish that were true," she said sadly. She glanced at her mother and saw the smile on her face. "What?"

Cyrene pulled out a chair, silently indicating for the bard to sit down. Gabrielle lowered herself slowly into it and blew out a pained breath.

"You ok?" Xena asked worriedly.

"I'm fine," the bard replied, shooting her partner a 'not in front of your mother' look. Cyrene took a deep breath and began.

"I just wanted to say how pleased and happy I am that you two have finally realised how much you love each other. I saw it so many times over the years… how you wanted to tell each other but never had to courage to do so and I couldn’t be happier that Gabrielle is part of my family now," said the older woman.

Xena chuckled softly.

"Mom, if you saw it that many times, why didn’t you say something?"

"It's not my place to interfere with your lives, Little One. You had to face this yourselves and you did."

"Yeah, we did," the warrior confirmed and grinned at her partner. "It took us a while…"

Gabrielle laughed.

"Too long. Xena, listen, about what you said about not being a help to me… I meant what I said. I wouldn’t have survived Dahok or Hope's birth or any of that stuff without you. We came out of it stronger than ever. I'm thankful for that."

"It was hard," the warrior replied. "I'm just glad we faced it together."

"Me too. Now what say we turn in for the night? I'm feeling a little bit… um… tired."

Xena noticed the stiff set of her partner's shoulders and winced inwardly, wondering just how much she was hurting after her fight against Callisto.

"Ok. Goodnight, Mom."

"Goodnight, Cyrene."

"'Night, Daughters."

The warrior kissed her mother on the cheek and then led her partner up to their room, locking the door once they were inside. She looked around and saw Gabrielle leaning on her hands at the small table and went to her.

"Where does it hurt the worst?" she asked, knowing from the bard's face that she was in a lot of pain.

"Think I bruised a few ribs too when I hit that wall," the bard replied through gritted teeth. "And my back hurts like Tartarus on a bad day."

"Gabrielle," Xena scolded gently. "Why didn't you tell me you were in this much pain?"

"Seeing your mother was more important. I'll live. Besides what you did back in the woods eased the pain a lot."

Xena pointed across the room.

"Lie down again and I'll see what I can do."

Gabrielle walked slowly to the bed and, once again, lowered herself carefully onto her stomach. Xena knelt over her on the bed and began to massage her back.

"That feels great," the bard moaned softly and Xena smiled. She dropped little kisses on her shoulders as she kneaded gently.

"Ok, stand up," she said but the bard didn't move. "Gabrielle?"

Xena leaned forward to check and saw that her soulmate was asleep. She stroked her short blonde hair gently and then kissed her on the cheek.

"Sleep well, Love," she whispered and covered her with a blanket before she went back downstairs to get a mug of port.

Gabrielle awoke to weak moonlight and she ran her hand over the pillow beside her, surprised when she didn’t find Xena there. She stood up, wincing slightly at the pain in her back but noting that it felt better than before.

"Thanks, Xena," she whispered with a smile and walked to the window, looking out over the area. She saw a lone figure strolling slowly along the edge of the woods and watched as they sat down on a fallen tree. The bard pulled a heavy shirt on over her Amazon clothes and went outside.

Xena sat down on a fallen tree and closed her eyes, listening to the quiet sounds of the forest. Her senses were nearly fully alert and she tilted her head as her sharp ears detected a rabbit nearby. Then another sound caught her attention and she smiled to herself.

"Hey," she said softly as the sounds drew closer.

"Hi. You ok?"

"I'm great."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, life is good, Gabrielle."

The bard sat down beside her soulmate and leaned her head against her shoulder.

"You're right, it is and…" She paused as she noticed the quirky grin on the warrior's face. "Xena, are you drunk?"

"Yep," the warrior replied, her piercing blue eyes shining in the moonlight. "Got talking to an old friend and one mug of port turned into five. You know how it is."

"Yeah, I do. Do you feel ok?"

Xena stood up, wobbling slightly and pulled the bard to her feet.

"I feel like I could dance all night," she replied, lifting her soulmate and spinning her around.

"You're very drunk!" Gabrielle laughed. "Xena, put me down!"

Uh oh. "Sorry. How's the back?"

"Much better, thanks. Listen, sorry I fell asleep on you. I must have been more tired than I realised."

The warrior frowned and shook her head, waving a drunken finger in the bard's general direction.

"Of course you were exhausted. You fought Callisto for ages." Gabrielle ducked widely gesturing arms. "I was tired and I was only watching from the sideline."

"Whoa! Take it easy there, Warrior Princess. C'mon. Let's get you into bed," the bard said with a chuckle and took Xena's hand, leading her back to the tavern.

"Gabrielle, do you know that I love you?" the warrior said, stopping to gaze into her lover's eyes.

"You're not getting what you think you're getting tonight," Gabrielle stated. "You're going to sleep. But yes, I know you love me and I love you too."

"So, sex is definitely out of the question?" Xena asked with a raised eyebrow, still hopeful as the bard dragged her along the road. She received an irritated look from Gabrielle and grinned. "Forget I said that."

"I will."

"Awww rats!" Xena joked. "Alright Argo, looks like it's just you and me!"

"XENA!"

The cock crowed at dawn and Xena opened bloodshot blue eyes to bright sunshine streaming in the window.

"Oh gods," she whispered and gingerly held her head in her hands.

"Here, drink this."

Xena peeked through her fingers and nodded, taking the cup from her partner and knocking it back in three swallows.

"Up long?" she asked, grimacing at the bitter taste of the herbs.

"Not really. Just long enough get dressed and mix a hangover cure."

"Ha ha," Xena replied flatly and swung her legs over the side of the bed. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"A bit stiff but not too bad. My back is much better. Do me a favour though and take a look at this for me?"

Xena looked where her partner indicated and jumped out of bed.

"Gabrielle, what are… why didn’t…" she paused and blew out a breath. "That's a nasty burn."

"Yeah, Callisto got me through my armour. I didn’t realise it was this bad until this morning. I went to wash my legs and it hurt like Hell. Must have happened when I dove out of the way."

"A herbal salve should work on it. Sit down and I'll clean it for you," Xena replied. She was annoyed with the bard for not telling her about the burn but in a way she couldn’t blame her. Xena herself rarely told her soulmate when she was injured. She didn’t want to worry her. The warrior cleaned and bandaged the burn and then walked to the window, watching the bustling villagers as they walked among the market stalls.

"Gabrielle, why don’t we do some shopping?" she said suddenly.

"Shopping? You did say shopping, right?" the bard replied.

"I did, but if you don’t want to we could…"

Gabrielle stopped her with a raised hand.

"I didn’t say that. I love shopping but do we have any money?"

Xena grinned and walked to her saddlebag. She pulled out a pouch and tossed it to the bard. Gabrielle opened it and her eyes grew wide.

"Xena, there must be five hundred dinars in here. Where did you get that much money?"

"I've been saving for something," the warrior replied with a smile.

"Saving? For what?"

"For this moment, Gabrielle." She sat down on the bed and patted the space beside her. Gabrielle walked to her and sat down. "You know I'm not much one for words so let me get through this, ok?" The bard nodded and clamped her mouth shut. "I love you, Gabrielle. I have for a long time and I know you love me. Things have been pretty… weird… over the past year and I know we've been through a lot but you've kept me going through it all. We're going to be together for eternity, Gabrielle. We know that to be the truth and I would be honoured if you'd spend eternity with me as my lifebond… as my wife."

Xena almost laughed at the shocked look on her partner's face and Gabrielle's mouth opened and then closed again. She was speechless, a rare occurrence. The warrior waited for her to gather her thoughts and finally the bard spoke.

"Xena, I… um… I didn’t expect… I mean… I… yes."

"What?"

"Yes. Yes with all my heart. Xena, I want to marry you."

The Warrior Princess pulled the bard into her arms and held her tightly.

"You've just made me the happiest woman in the known world, Gabrielle," she whispered.

"That makes two of us," Gabrielle replied and kissed her passionately. She gently pushed her warrior back onto the bed and smiled tenderly. "Make love to me, Xena."

The Warrior Princess raised an amused eyebrow and chuckled.

"I thought you wanted to go shopping," she said.

"After," Gabrielle replied huskily and stretched her body over the warrior's. "We have an eternity to go shopping."

"Why can't we do this together?"

Gabrielle shook her head and grinned.

"It's bad luck for the groom… uh… the… um… lifebond?… lifebond to see the… other lifebond's dress before the wedding. Whoa, gotta rewrite my sayings for this one. Xena, get something fitted. You have a great figure. You should accentuate it."

"Accentuate it? Gabrielle, I'm six feet tall. How am I going to get a dress that will fit me everywhere? If they're long enough, they're too big in the waist and if they fit in the waist, they're too short."

She sighed in frustration and the bard placed a calming hand on her cheek.

"It's ok. You'll find the perfect dress. Besides, a short dress isn’t a bad thing. You have great legs. I, on the other hand…"

"Are perfect," Xena jumped in.

"I'm short."

"No you're not. Don't judge yourself against me. There aren't many women who are six feet tall around here. You're just the right height."

"Well, thanks but…"

"No buts. Gabrielle, you're beautiful. Don’t you know that?"

The bard blushed slightly and looked down, avoiding Xena's gaze but knowing that she was looking at her appreciatively.

"Well, let's go," she said. "I'll see you at lunch."

"Where?"

"Back at the tavern?"

"Alright. Seeya later."

They returned to the tavern at lunchtime and found Cyrene already eating.

"Hello, you two. Where have you been?" she asked between chews.

"We went shopping," said Gabrielle.

"I should have known," the older woman replied.

"Well actually, we went shopping for something in particular," said Xena.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, we went shopping for dresses… wedding dresses."

Cyrene dropped her fork with a loud clank.

"Wedding… wedding dresses?"

Xena took Gabrielle's hand and grinned happily.

"Yeah. We’re getting married, Mom. Gabrielle consented to be my lifebond this morning."

The older woman jumped up and hugged her daughter and soon to be daughter-in-law.

"That's wonderful! I'm so happy for you! But… lifebond? What does that mean exactly?"

Gabrielle glanced at Xena and the warrior nodded.

"We can’t be married in the traditional sense of the word because we're both women but we can be married under Amazon law. All we have to do is find an Amazon Queen who's willing to join us," she explained.

"Where are you going to find an Amazon Queen?"

"I have connections," Gabrielle replied. "I'll get my Regent to do it."

"Your Regent? I'm confused."

The bard laughed.

"I'm an Amazon Queen, Cyrene, remember? There's a Regent who rules in my absence. Her name is Chilapa and I'm sure she'd be delighted to marry Xena and I. She's a good friend of ours."

"Do you have to go to an Amazon village for the ceremony?" Cyrene inquired.

"Yes, we do, but my tribe will welcome any guests we choose to invite," the bard replied. "Speaking of which, do you want to invite Hercules and Iolaus, Xena?"

"Well, I don’t know. Iolaus is going to be devastated that you're marrying me."

Gabrielle grinned and slapped the warrior gently on the arm.

"I don’t know what you're talking about," she stated.

"Don’t think I didn’t see that kiss after we freed Prometheus, Gabrielle," the warrior teased.

"Well, hang on a minute here. I seem to remember seeing a certain Warrior Princess in a lip-lock with a certain demi-god. In fact, I recall you telling me about more… Mmmhmmm"

She tried to pry Xena's hand away from her mouth and Cyrene laughed.

"If you two are done teasing each other. We should get ready to go to the Amazon village… I mean if you don’t mind me coming."

Xena looked sceptical.

"We don’t mind you coming, Mom, but things are very different in an Amazon village. Relationships are very… open… and I don’t know whether…"

Cyrene shook her head and sighed.

"I'm a grown woman, Xena. I can handle it. Besides, I might find myself a good looking Amazon, like you did."

Xena's eyes grew wide and she almost choked on her drink. Gabrielle doubled over with laughter and placed a hand on the warrior's shoulder to steady herself.

"She's joking, Xena!" she exclaimed. "Gods, the look on your face!"

Cyrene got up from the table and smiled.

"Actually, I wasn't joking. Where do you think you got your… tendencies… from, Little One?"

It was Gabrielle's turn to choke on her drink. Xena almost passed out peacefully.

The next morning, the three women set out at dawn. It was going to be a four-day ride and they would have to camp each night. Xena and Gabrielle were used to it but the warrior was worried about her mother.

"Mom, are you sure you don’t want to turn back? It’s not going to be easy on the road."

"You do it every day, Xena," Cyrene replied.

"I've been doing it for fifteen years and Gabrielle been doing it for almost six. We're used to it."

"Thank you for your concern, Little One, but I'll be fine."

"Mom, do me a favour?"

"What is it?"

"Don’t call me Little One out here, ok? I don’t want to draw anymore attention than necessary."

"I understand, Xena," her mother replied and kicked her horse, trotting ahead.

"I think you hurt her feelings, Honey," Gabrielle said softly.

"Damn!" Xena cursed and kicked Argo to catch up with her mother.

"Hey, Mom! Wait up!"

The Warrior Princess drew level with her mother and slowed them both down.

"Look, Mom. I'm sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. Please understand that when we're on the road, it’s dangerous for Gabrielle and I. We face thieves, thugs, mercenaries… all the scum of the earth and I don’t want to put us in any more danger than I have to. You calling me Little One will tell any attackers that you're my mother and I don’t want you to become a target, ok?" Xena paused to gauge her mother's reaction and saw her face soften. "Besides, Gabrielle finds more than enough trouble to get into out here without you doing it too," she teased and received a genuine smile.

"I'm sorry, Xena. I'll try to remember what you said. I never realised what you and Gabrielle face every day."

She stopped as she saw the faraway look in her daughter's eyes.

"Son of a Bacchae!" Xena growled and Cyrene looked in the direction that the warrior was staring in. She saw twelve mounted men coming toward them and took a deep breath.

"Trouble?" she asked in a low voice.

"Maybe," Xena replied but she grinned as her partner caught up with them. "But here's trouble-times-ten so we're ok."

Cyrene laughed and Gabrielle was confused but she didn’t ask.

"Who's up for a little morning spawwing?" Xena asked, putting on her 'Priestess Leah' voice.

"I sink zat I am," Gabrielle replied in her Marquessa accent, waving her hand regally and Cyrene just frowned in confusion.

"Mom, hide in those trees, ok? Gabrielle and I have some scum to clean up!"

The soldiers were drawing close and Xena stood up in her stirrups to make sure that there were no others behind them. "Hmmm, a nice even number," she commented. "Six each, Gabrielle."

"Uh… Xena?"

"Yeah?"

"Let's wait and see if they actually are scum, ok, Honey?"

The Warrior Princess looked annoyed with her partner.

"I hate it when you're right," she said and then smiled.

"I'm always right, even when I'm wrong."

"Oh, I know that, Gabrielle," Xena replied and then ran her hand over her chakram as the first men approached. "Good morning," she said with a nod.

"'Morning, Ma'am. Where you headed?"

"Next village. We're looking for shelter for the night."

"You won’t find anything much between here and the mountains, Ma'am. There's a cave not too far ahead though, just big enough for you 'n' the lass." He grinned at Gabrielle revealing yellow, rotting teeth. "She your daughter?"

Xena shook her head indignantly.

"No! She's my travelling companion. We'll be on our way now. Thanks."

"Travelling companion, huh? So you have no claim over here?"

He leered at the bard and licked his lips. Xena glanced at Gabrielle and then shook her head.

"She's also my best friend and I don’t like it when people aren’t nice to her," she growled.

Gabrielle moved her horse alongside Argo and placed a hand on the warrior's thigh.

"It's alright, Xena. Let's just keep going, ok?"

The soldier backed off immediately.

"Did you just call her Xena?" he asked.

"Yep. She's Xena, Warrior Princess. Now goodbye, Gentlemen."

The soulmates rode on until they rounded a bend in the road and then waited until the soldiers were out of sight before going back for Cyrene. She was sitting on a log at the side of the road, tapping her foot nervously.

"Are you two ok?" she asked worriedly as they approached. "I heard the whole thing. Those men were pigs."

"We come across too many of them," Gabrielle said with a sigh. "They think that women travelling alone are easy targets. They always get a shock when they meet Xena and I though."

The warrior looked at the position of the sun and dropped cross-legged onto the ground.

"Let's stop here for something to eat. We can stay in the shade until it gets cooler."

Gabrielle looked surprised and then realised that Xena was trying to make things easier for her mother.

"Yeah, I'm glad we never travel during the early afternoon. It’s so damn hot and dusty," she said and received a grateful look from her partner. They pulled some trail rations out of their saddlebags and sat in the shade. Xena propped herself up against the log and Gabrielle sat between her legs, leaning back and using her as a leather pillow. The warrior stroked her fingertips rhythmically across the bard's taut stomach muscles, feeling them shift gently under her tanned skin, as she ate her lunch. She leaned forward to whisper in her ear.

"Gabrielle, if we were alone, you know what we'd be doing right now, don’t you?"

The bard chuckled and half-turned to look at her partner.

"Probably what we do regularly at this time of the day, huh?"

"Yep. We'd be…"

She detailed everything in a whispered narrative, feeling the bard's heart pound in her chest and her breathing quicken.

"Xena, stop," Gabrielle moaned softly. "Or I won’t care whether we're alone or not."

The warrior chuckled and kissed her soulmate on the temple.

"I'm sorry. Just wanted to make sure you didn’t forget, that's all."

"You tease! You knew exactly what you were doing!"

Cyrene looked around at the bard's statement and smiled.

"You tell her, Gabrielle. Leave my Cute-Stuff alone, you big bully!" she exclaimed at her daughter. Xena held up her hands in mock surrender and raised an elegant eyebrow.

"I didn’t do anything," she said truthfully.

"It's not what you did, Xena," Gabrielle replied. "It’s what you said, or whispered, I should say. Hey, why don’t you explain to your Mom how you use that…"

Once again, Xena's hand clamped over her mouth and the warrior chuckled hard.

"Alright, Gabrielle, you win. I'll be good."

"No, Honey, please don’t," the bard replied huskily, gazing into her soulmate's piercing blue eyes and drowning in them. Xena leaned toward her and kissed her, flicking her tongue over her lips and moaning softly as the lips parted for her. Gabrielle reached up and ran her hand through long, raven-black hair, cradling her lover's head and deepening the kiss. Cyrene tried to look away but she was enraptured by the passion emanating from the two women. Gabrielle sucked lightly on the warrior's lip and then ended the kiss, breathlessly.

"I love you, Xena," she whispered and leaned her cheek against her soulmate's shoulder. "I can’t wait to be your wife."

"Me neither," Xena replied quietly and then glanced at her mother. Cyrene immediately looked all over the area and Xena chuckled softly. "Maybe we should get back on the road, huh?"

"Good idea," Gabrielle replied and released her partner.

They were soon back on the dusty trail and Xena thought about the location of a nearby cave. She trawled through her considerable knowledge of caves and campsites and frowned as the information eluded her.

"Gabrielle, do you remember the last time we passed through here, when you had the coughing sickness?"

"How could I forget," the bard replied. "I was laid up for a week. Why?"

"Do you remember where that cave was?"

"Yeah, I think so. Wasn't it up that hill, around to the right and under the natural stone arch?"

Xena patted her on the arm.

"Thanks, I couldn’t remember exactly where it was. It's too much like another cave I know. I kept thinking of the other one."

"Don’t mention it. Are we staying there tonight?"

"Yeah, I don’t want to push Mom too hard on her first day. We can cook a meal and get some sleep."

Gabrielle smirked as an idea came to her.

"You know, Xena. That cave has two separate chambers. We could be alone tonight. You know, two separate campfires, a double bedroll… It’s your choice, Honey."

"I think you've convinced me," Xena replied and turned to her mother. "Mom, we're going to stop soon for the night. Gabrielle is going to bring you to a cave and I'm gonna catch us something for dinner."

"Ok, Little… uh… Xena. I'll cook whatever you bring back."

Gabrielle chuckled and then saw the confused look on the older woman's face.

"Sorry, that's usually my job. Xena catches the food and I cook it. It means that we eat well and avoid food poisoning.

"Cooking is not one of my many skills," the warrior explained. "But I can catch a rabbit or two."

Cyrene's face took on a faraway look.

"You were never interested in learning things like that," she said quietly. "You were always practising sword fighting and hand to hand combat with Lyceus."

Xena looked down and studied her boots, resetting them in her stirrups.

"I guess I wasn't the perfect daughter," she said softly. "I'm sorry, Mother. The thing I regret most from my past is all the pain I caused you. I was so lost. I didn’t know how to come home." She looked at Gabrielle and saw the gentleness in her eyes. "It’s funny, you know," she went on. "When I made the decision to come home six years ago, I was more scared than I was when I faced a battle. Seeing you made it all worthwhile… the fear I mean."

"And I treated you so badly," Cyrene whispered. "I didn’t trust you."

"You didn’t know what had happened to me. You couldn’t have known. Meeting Hercules changed my life. I wasn't capable of looking inside myself and even though I knew I was an animal, I didn’t care. It wasn't until I was drummed out of my army and joined Hercules that I saw a glimmer of hope for myself. I was at the end of my rope back then. I was tired of life and I was just about to give up when I came across some slavers trying to kidnap a group of women coming back from doing the wash. I saw a young girl, so innocent and beautiful, fighting back against those men and I realised that I could help. So I did and I've never looked back since."

"Who was the girl?" Cyrene asked.

"It was me," Gabrielle replied and stroked her partner's cheek. "I've never looked back either."

"I never knew how you met. You just turned up in Amphipolis, Gabrielle and I assumed you were a friend of Xena's. You saved her life," Cyrene said.

"She was my friend. She just didn’t realise it at the time, did you, Honey?"

Xena chuckled and took the bard's hand.

"I realised it soon enough," she replied. "Gabrielle, why don’t you and Mom go ahead to the cave and I'll be back in a few minutes with something to eat, ok?"

"Yes, Boss," the bard teased with a grin and beckoned to the warrior's mother. "C'mon, Cyrene."

Xena rolled her eyes as she watched her bard disappear up the hill with her mother-in-law right behind her and found herself loving her all the more. By the time she returned to the cave, a campfire was burning cheerfully and Cyrene was perched on a rock, reading one of Gabrielle's scrolls. She looked up as the warrior entered and smiled.

"Have you ever read Gabrielle's scrolls?" she asked.

"Once or twice," Xena replied, dropping two rabbits on the ring of stones surrounding the fire.

"You can see her love for you in this. You're a lucky woman, Xena."

"Yes, I am. Which one is that?" the warrior asked.

"It's called 'Cradle of Hope'. It's about a King called Gregor and a baby that you and Gabrielle found in a basket by the river… Xena what's wrong?"

She had glanced up and seen the shocked look on her daughter's face.

"I never realised…" Xena whispered.

"Realised what?"

"That she knew… that she loved me then."

Cyrene rolled the parchment and placed it carefully on the ground beside her.

"When did that story happen?" she asked.

"It was only a few weeks after I met Gabrielle for the first time. I never knew, Mom."

"You couldn’t have known, Xena. You weren't looking for a relationship at that time. You wouldn't have seen it."

"No, Mom. You're wrong. I fell in love with Gabrielle the first moment I saw her in that clearing outside Potedaea."

She closed her eyes and thought back to that moment.

'Take me and let the others go!'

She remembered the look of determination on Gabrielle's face as she stood up to the slavers and had respected her for it instantly. She wanted to help her, was drawn to her and loved her all in that moment.

"Wow," she breathed. "I don’t know what to say. I wish she had said something."

Gabrielle appeared out of a side passage and sat down beside her partner.

"Said something about what?" she enquired.

"About the fact that you fell in love with me shortly after we met."

"Oh, that… yeah… but I was a kid back then, Xena. I didn’t understand what I was feeling. Naïve should have been my name back then."

She paused thoughtfully for a moment.

"I knew, though, when I left you to go to the Academy. I cried myself to sleep every night, I missed you so much and when I found you again, I was so happy."

"I beat up a couple of trees over those few days," Xena admitted. "I was missing your voice and your laughter and I took my frustration out on them."

Cyrene laughed and shook her head.

"Well, all I can say is I'm glad that you're together now or I might be holding you off each other by now! You would have eventually come to blows! Now why don't you two relax while I cook those rabbits."

"Thanks, Mom," Xena replied and stood up, stretching her back. "Fancy a swim, Gabrielle?"

"Why not. I'll just grab some soap and some towels."

She rummaged in their saddlebags and pulled out the required items before following her partner to the small lake nearby. After a cold bath and a swim, they returned to the cave to find the rabbits cooked and ready.

"I'm starving," the bard exclaimed and attacked her meal with her usual enthusiasm. They talked and laughed over dinner and then turned in for the night.

"Mom, if you need anything, just yell," Xena said and then kissed her mother goodnight. "See you in the morning."

She followed Gabrielle into the adjoining cave and grinned as she saw the campfire and bedrolls laid out.

"Nice job," she praised and Gabrielle pulled her in for a kiss.

"Alone at last," she sighed and began to slowly undress the warrior. She pushed her back onto the bedroll and kissed her, loving the feeling of Xena's hands on her body.

"I love you," she whispered.

"Me too," Xena replied and closed her eyes as her lover caressed her and set her body on fire.

Cyrene lay awake on her bedroll and grinned as she heard the low moans floating to her in the almost silence of the cave. Her eyes grew wide and she clamped her hands over her ears as a loud cry startled her.

"YES! XENA! GODS! YES!"

The Warrior Princess stifled a yawn behind her hand and glanced back at her mother.

"You ok back there?" she asked.

"I'm just fine," the older woman replied and looked back to Gabrielle. "So, anyway, Xena climbed that tree and, as the other kids watched, she crawled out on a branch and got that apple. Unfortunately though, winning the bet cost her because she lost her balance and fell out of the tree. She didn’t tell me until two days later and even then, it was because she had no choice. Her wrist was broken and I had to take her to the healer."

The bard chuckled and shook her head.

"She hasn’t changed. I have to be really careful to make sure I ask her if she's hurt. She never just tells me. She rode thirty miles with three broken ribs one time to meet me in a village for a festival. She danced with me, fought off two guys who tried to grab her and then almost collapsed from the pain. I was so angry with her but she just raised that eyebrow of hers and said, 'I'm sorry, Gabrielle. I just didn’t want to worry you.' How can you stay mad at that?"

"You can’t," Cyrene replied with a sigh. "She was always just too damn cute!"

"Who was cute?" Xena asked as she lagged back to ride beside them.

"You were and still are," Gabrielle replied. "Your Mother was telling me the story about you climbing a tree to get an apple and win a bet."

The Warrior Princess chuckled.

"I had to beat that guy who kept picking on Lyceus. I taught him a lesson. He was…" Xena trailed off as her sharp ears picked up the sound of far away thunder. "Aww Hades! It's gonna rain. Gabrielle, stay with Mother, will ya? I'm going to find us some shelter for the night. It's getting pretty late anyway."

"Sure. Don’t be long, ok? I'm not very familiar with this area."

"I'll be right back," the warrior replied and kicked Argo, taking off into the woods. Gabrielle and Cyrene stayed on the road and felt some light drops of rain begin to fall. The drizzle suddenly got heavier and Gabrielle led Cyrene under some trees for shelter. Lightening forked across the sky and the bard began to get worried.

"This is not a good place to be during a lightening storm," she muttered. "Cyrene, we should move away from the trees. I know we'll get wet but it's better than having a tree collapse on us."

"Yeah," the older woman replied and followed the bard out onto the road again. After a few minutes of walking their horses again the pounding rain, a bolt of lightening, suddenly hit a tree to Gabrielle's left. It sliced through the trunk and the tree fell over, heading right for the two women. Gabrielle threw herself against Cyrene and knocked her out of the way but a heavy limb crashed down on the bard. The last thing she saw was the branch heading for her head and she raised her arms to protect herself.

"Xena!" she cried and then her world went black and silent.

"Gabrielle? Hey, Gabrielle," said a voice that cut through the haziness in the bard's mind. Her head began to pound and she lifted her hand to it to try to stop the little guy from hitting the big hammer against her brain.

"Ugh," she groaned and heard a sharp intake of breath. She slowly opened her eyes to see Xena leaning over her, tears in her eyes and a look of absolute relief on her face.

"You've been giving me way too many frights lately," the warrior said, gently stroking her soulmate's short blonde hair away from her eyes.

"Cyrene. Is Cyrene ok?" Gabrielle asked hoarsely as she suddenly remembered what had happened.

"She's fine, Gabrielle. Just a little shaken up. How do you feel?"

"I'm aching a bit but apart from that, I'm ok.

She tried to sit forward but regretted it immediately as a wave of dizziness and nausea moved through her. She groaned and lay back down.

"Easy," the warrior said. "You have a concussion. Try not to move around too much."

"Damn tree," Gabrielle growled. "I moved away from them to stop this from happening."

"I saw it all. You didn’t have much choice, Gabrielle. I saw the way you pushed Mother out of the way. Thank you."

"I couldn't let anything happen to her. Where is she?"

"She's cooking some dinner. Think you can eat something?" Xena asked.

"I'll try. My stomach doesn’t feel so hot though."

After a quick meal, the three women turned in for the night. Xena lay next to Gabrielle and pulled her gently into her arms.

"You're a goof," she said with a chuckle.

"Why?" the bard replied, her eyebrows skipping up to almost meet her hairline.

"You scared me bad, Gabrielle. Please don’t do that again."

"Oh, I won't," Gabrielle said with a chuckle and snuggled closer to her lover. "'Night, Honey."

"'Night."

The rest of the trip was happily uneventful and two days later, they arrived at the edge of Amazon territory. They rode in silence through the forest and Gabrielle smiled at Xena as she heard a slight rustling above her. The warrior nodded and looked at her mother.

"Follow our lead," she stated. She let go of her reins and clasped her hands above her head in the Amazon symbol of peace. Gabrielle followed suit and winked at Cyrene as she copied them. Suddenly, four ropes dropped out of the trees and a group of Amazons landed softly in front of them. They all had masks covering their faces and they knelt in front of Gabrielle with their heads bowed. The bard smiled.

"Arise Amazons and greet your Queen," she stated in the traditional Royal greeting. They all got to their feet and removed their masks.

"Welcome back, my Queen," said a well-muscled, dark-haired woman.

"It's good to be back, Solari. Hello, Eponin. Where's Chilapa?"

"She's back at the village. She's negotiating a trade agreement with a nearby village at the moment and she sends her apologies for not coming out to meet you," Solari replied. Then she glanced at Xena and grinned. "I see you brought your champion with you," she said.

"Of course I did. Who else will protect me from all you guys? I suppose you expect me to do some sparring while I'm here."

"Me? Protect you? Hah!" Xena jumped in. "You're gonna kick these ladies' butts!"

Xena saw Solari bristle and grinned good-naturedly. "I was joking Soli!"

Eponin approached and clasped hands with the warrior.

"Good to see you, Xena and who is this lovely lady?" she asked, waving her hand at Cyrene.

"This is my mother, Cyrene. Mom, this is Eponin and Solari. They're old friends of ours."

Solari shook her head and chucked the warrior on the shoulder.

"Less of the old please," she stated and Xena laughed.

"C'mon, let's get to the village and get settled in. Gabrielle and I have some news to tell you."

The End

Continued in part 8 'The Joining'