Family Reunion Part 8 by Cheeya.

 

 

Xena shaded her eyes from the sun and let her intent, blue gaze sweep across the opposite hill. "Damn," she murmured softly, feeling a slight shift as Gabrielle leaned a little more against her. The warrior lifted her arm and settled it over her partner's shoulders, kissing her temple briefly before returning to her thoughts.

 

Gabrielle sighed and wrapped an arm around Xena's waist, needing the comforting bulk of her partner to keep her sane. She felt off-balance, worried and more than a little scared. "Xe?" she whispered.

 

"Mm?" Blue eyes lowered and visibly warmed. "You ok?"

 

"No," the bard replied. "I'm not ok. Can we just leave and go back to Amphipolis now?"

 

Xena hugged Gabrielle tightly, rocking her a little as she felt her trembling. "I wish we could but, Gabrielle, this has to end here. Dahak cannot be allowed to enter this world."

 

"Know what?" the bard asked as she peeked up at her tall lover. "Sometimes, the greater good sucks."

 

Xena smiled wryly, understanding perfectly where Gabrielle was coming from. "C'mon, let's get back to the village. There's nothing we can do here."

 

They waved a goodbye to Tyldus and Xenon before mounting Argo and heading back to the village.

 

**

 

Sitting in an armchair, Hope watched Thalia and Solan as they talked animatedly, catching up on the past few years. Emotion flowed through her as she thought about the love the twins had received while she, herself, had had none. Finally, she couldn't take anymore and stood abruptly, silencing the brother and sister.

 

"I have an errand to run. I'll be back later," she stated and then headed out the door.

 

Thalia and Solan shrugged and went back to their conversation but only a few moments later, Gabrielle and Xena entered the hut. "That was quick," Thalia laughed, looking at the blonde queen.

 

"What was quick?" Gabrielle asked. "We've been to the Centaur village and back."

 

"No, the errand you said you had to run."

 

The queen looked at the twins as if they'd lost their minds. "What are you talking about?"

 

Solan stood. "You were here a moment ago and said that you were going to run..." He stopped then, his face blanching. "Oh gods."

 

Suddenly, Xena's sword was in her hand and she ran to the door to look out, then shut it and shoved the bolt into place. Gabrielle was standing, shell shocked, in the centre of the room, slowly shaking her head. "Solan, was she dressed exactly as Gabrielle is now?" Xena asked.

 

"Yes," he replied. "Exactly. Same short hair, the whole lot. She was carrying a staff though and didn't have sais. I thought it was kinda strange for a moment but didn't really give it too much thought. I didn’t expect Hope to just walk in here."

 

"She has the perfect disguise," Gabrielle spoke, her voice hoarse. "They'll all think it's me until it's too late."

 

Xena knew there was nothing she could say to make her lover feel better so she just kissed her gently and left the hut to warn the other Amazons. She called the sisters to a meeting in the centre of the village and stood on the ceremonial dais to address them. "My sisters," she began, her voice ringing out clearly across the open space. "We have an impostor among us and she looks exactly like Queen Gabrielle. We must be on the lookout for her and..." She stopped suddenly as a warm hand rested on her back and looked to her left to find Gabrielle there.

 

"Xena, there's something I have to do," she said softly. The warrior just nodded and stepped aside.

 

"Xena's right," Gabrielle explained to the crowd. "The impostor is my daughter who, right at this moment, is roaming the area looking for a way to capture me, kill Xena and get rid of the Amazons once and for all. I will NOT allow that to happen, therefore, I'm giving you a decree. No one is to follow any order given by me. I'm passing my right as queen to my new regent, Chilapa." Xena shot her lover a look that asked what she was doing. Gabrielle replied with one that asked the warrior to trust her. They both nodded a little. "Chilapa, come forward please."

 

The dark skinned Amazon came forward and bowed before the Queen, as shocked as everyone else in the group. "My queen."

 

Gabrielle lifted her mask and stepped down from the dais to give it to Chilapa. "I'm counting on you," she whispered. "If anything happens to me..."

 

"It won't," Xena growled. "Don't get too used to that mask, Chilapa."

 

The Amazon nodded her understanding and accepted the mask with honour. The crowd cheered their new regent as Gabrielle slipped away. "I need some time alone," she told Xena softly. "I need to think."

 

"You can’t think with me near?" the warrior asked, a little hurt that her lover wasn't talking to her.

 

Gabrielle smiled, softening the blow a little. "Not this time, Honey," she replied, patting the warrior gently on the side. "I love you more than anything, but this time, I need to be alone."

 

"Alright," Xena replied. "Be careful, ok?"

 

"I will."

 

Gabrielle turned and wandered out of the hut before heading for the river with a heavy tread.

 

**

 

"General Philinius." Hope turned to the leader of her army, her green eyes cold. "Xena and my mother are down there and I'm sure that warrior bitch is going to try to stop me from bringing my father into the world again. She doesn't know that I'm much more powerful now and I can use that to my advantage."

 

"Yes, Mistress," the man replied. "What do you want us to do?"

 

Hope smiled cruelly. "I want you to destroy everything that is dear to my mother... starting with Xena's children. Bring me their heads."

 

Philinius bowed and, without another word, exited the command tent.

 

Hope threw back her head and laughed.

 

**

 

Gabrielle smiled as she looked up into a tree and watched a bird hopping from branch to branch chasing a prospective mate. The lovers danced around each other teasingly and reminded Gabrielle somewhat of the way she and Xena had been for a long time.

 

Sitting down on the leaf strewn ground and resting her back against a rough tree trunk, Gabrielle thought back to the looks and touches they'd shared. For a while they'd been innocent but, as they grew closer, had become more of a need. Gabrielle had simply needed to touch the warrior and it seemed that the oftentimes-prickly Xena had felt the need to let her.

 

The bard closed her eyes and remembered a particular time. It had been raining non-stop all day and they'd stopped for the night in a cave, the location of which Xena had dredged up from the recesses of her memory...

 

Looking up at the sky, Gabrielle pulled her thin cloak tighter around her bare shoulders. It was at times like these that she wished her brief Amazon garb was a little less... brief. Goosebumps raced across her skin and her teeth were chattering so hard that she couldn't even speak.

 

"Gabrielle?" Xena was peering at her. "Are you ok?"

 

"Y-y-yes. J-j-just c... co... cold." The bard lifted her eyes as the warrior moved closer, keeping eye contact with her. For a moment, Xena just stared but then, very slowly, she reached out and pushed Gabrielle's dripping blonde hair back from her forehead. The bard grinned. "Th-th-thanks."

 

The warrior chuckled and caught a few drips of water as she gently ran her finger over her friend's cute nose. The nose wrinkled and Gabrielle blushed slightly, still trying to really understand this extremely complex and confusing woman. Then Xena turned and shucked her cloak, laying it over a rock to dry overnight, before striding to the ring of stones in the centre of the cave and starting a large fire. "I'm glad I left this wood behind the last time I was here," she murmured, more to herself than to her friend. "It'd be a bitch trying to find anything dry around here."

 

"Bet you could do it though," Gabrielle replied, smiling as a pair of surprised eyes snapped up to peer almost warily at her. "I've come to believe that you can do anything."

 

Xena straightened slowly and then looked down at her boots. "Together..." Her eyes lifted. "We can do anything," she replied very softly. Finally she sighed and went to their saddlebags before returning to her friend. "Take off your clothes, Gabrielle," she said, handing her a blanket. "You should put them out to dry before you catch the coughing sickness."

 

"Thanks," the bard smiled, turning and quickly removing her skirt and top, and wrapping the blanket around her petite, still-shivering body.

 

Gabrielle turned then to find Xena watching her but the warrior cleared her throat and pointed at the fire. "Go get warm."

 

"I'll start some dinner," the bard said softly as she crossed the sandy cave and took a seat next to the fire. But she was suddenly surprised to find Xena sitting down next to her. Xena never sat next to her but rather across the fire from her so she looked at the warrior, a questioning eyebrow raised.

 

Then Xena was scooting closer and lifting Gabrielle into her lap to wrap her arms around her. "Let's just get warm first. Then we can eat," she whispered.

 

And suddenly, Gabrielle felt incredibly warm pressed against Xena. She snuggled closer and before she even realised it, she was dozing, her head resting against the warrior's chest as Xena's hand gently stroked her hair.

 

The memory spread warmth through Gabrielle's heart and bolstered her strength. "My strength..." she murmured, thinking back to her partner's distant words. "Is my love for Xena. Together, we can do anything."

 

And she really believed it.

 

To Hell with Hope.

 

**

 

Xena was getting worried. Gabrielle has been gone two candlemarks and, even though she knew the queen could take care of herself, she still had a bad feeling that something was going to happen. The warrior was on the prowl, making constant sweeps of the village from the surrounding trees along with the other Amazon guards on duty. But then she spotted Gabrielle. She frowned. Or was it Hope?

 

With a growl of frustration, Xena leaped out of the tree and flipped in mid air, landing with a little bounce in front of the walking woman and drawing her sword. "Hi," she said warily.

 

Gabrielle cleared her throat and nodded. "Hi." She scratched her neck. "Fancy meeting you here. You know, I should have thought of this 'cos now you don't know whether I'm Gabrielle or Hope."

 

Xena shrugged. "Either way, you ain't moving until I get proof."

 

Gabrielle smiled a little. "Ok. You've got the cutest little birthmark right under your left breast. And you also still have the mark from a hickey I gave you the other night right on your..."

 

"Gabrielle." Xena growled a warning as she felt the other eyes on them.

 

The queen threw her hands in the air. "So NOW I'm Gabrielle," she laughed and went to her partner for a much-needed hug before pulling back a little and looking into her eyes. "Xena, I love you more than my own life," she said seriously.

 

To hell with the other eyes. Xena ducked her head and kissed her lover, running her fingers slowly along her cheek. They were both a little breathless when they pulled back to smile at each other. "I love you too, Gabrielle," Xena replied. She draped an arm over her partner's shoulders and they turned in the direction of the village.

 

**

 

Thalia shook her head as she watched her brother pacing up and down the hut. "Hey, Solan, relax, ok? Mom and Gabrielle will take care of everything."

 

The young man stopped walking and sighed. "I don't know, Thalia. I'm scared. Mother hates Hope so much. I'm afraid that Hope will come between her and Gabrielle. Like last time."

 

Thalia stood and went to him, clasping his shoulder. "She won't. Mother won't let anything come between her and Gabrielle. Besides, Gabrielle is going to stop Hope once and for all. I heard her say it."

 

"Oh you did, did you?"

 

The twins spun at the sound of an unfamiliar voice and a man, holding a long, glinting sword appeared before them. Thalia drew her sword and faced him with a look on her face that was every bar of her mother. "Whoever you are, you'd better get out of here before Xena gets back."

 

Solan was backing up and then, at the top of his voice he yelled. "MOTHER! HELP!!!!"

 

Philinius laughed and shook his head. "You think the warrior bitch can hear you from where she is? I've never heard anything so ridiculous in my..."

 

Xena tutted and perched her hands on her hips as the man slumped to the floor onto his knees. "I've cut off the flow of blood to your brain. You have thirty seconds to live unless you tell me who you are and why you're in my hut with my children."

 

Just then, Gabrielle vaulted in through the window, breathing hard. She'd given up trying to keep up with her partner. Xena winked at her and then set her icy mask again. "Twenty seconds."

 

Philinius choked and coughed, his eyes open wide with fear. "Hope...." he gasped. "My mistress is Hope. She sent me to bring back the heads of Xena's children."

 

Xena released the pinch and grabbed the general by the front of his tunic, yanking him unceremoniously to his feet. "Why does she want my children dead?"

 

Philinius took a moment to get his breath back and then rubbed his forehead. "She wants to destroy everything precious to her mother."

 

Gabrielle shook her head and trudged to a chair to sit down. She buried her face in her hands and exhaled shakily as the words sank in. Xena's heart almost broke at her soulmate's distress and she let go of the general, her lip curling into a feral snarl as she poked him in the chest. "You tell Hope this. If she touches even a hair on my family's heads, I will spend eternity making her pay." With a nod, Philinius picked up his sword and then shimmered away, leaving Xena staring with her eyebrow raised in surprise. "Is that how he got in here?" she asked the twins.

 

Thalia nodded. "Yes, Mother. He just... appeared."

 

"Good," Gabrielle replied. "Now I won't have to kick the feathered Amazon butts of whoever was on lookout."

 

At that, Xena actually chuckled and moved to crouch next to the queen, resting her hand on Gabrielle's thigh and rubbing the soft skin with her thumb. "How are you doing?"

 

"I'm ok," Gabrielle replied with a sigh. "Xena, I'm going to say something and you're not going to like it."

 

The warrior's hand stilled and her eyes lowered. "You want to go after Hope alone."

 

Gabrielle wasn't surprised that her lover knew. Xena knew her better than anyone else. "What are you thinking?" she asked.

 

Blue eyes shone with love as they looked deeply into her soul. "I'm thinking that it's your decision to make and that I'll be right here if you need me."

 

Tears welled in the bard's eyes and she threw herself at her partner, hugging her with all her strength. "Thank you," she whispered.

 

"I love you. Be careful," Xena replied. Then, she watched as Gabrielle gathered her things and left to face her daughter.

 

Alone.

 

**