Xena: Warrior Princess, Gabrielle, Argo and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Xena: Warrior Princess, together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of MCA/Universal and Renaissance Pictures. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction.

This story depicts a love/sexual relationship between two consenting adult women. Enjoy the power, the passion and the glory.

To my beta-reader Antigone and all my special friends in the Xenaverse. This story is inspired and dedicated to Deb, a Warrior Princess in her own right.

By the Gods You Look Like Xena

zeta@sierranv.net

Attempting to focus her attention, Shannon stared at the stack of telephone messages on her desk, but she couldn’t keep her mind off the previous night. Image fragments played across her mind and she thought again of what happened…the lips she had kissed had tasted so sweet.

Her daydream came to an abrupt end when her boss, Lee, yelled, "Shannon…Shannon, snap out of it girl. We only have a week to cast this movie. I just got another fax from Breakdown Services and we only received the script this morning."

Shannon Gibson was one of the best casting directors in the business and had worked for Lee Casting in Los Angeles for five years now. She had an eye, ear and nose for talent and instinctively knew who was right for a part. Being the best in the business, she expected the best from everyone she worked with, which garnered her a reputation of being a bitch. In the industry, women were labeled as bitches for striving for excellence but men were applauded. Nonetheless, she would not compromise her standards and could hold her own with the best of them.

Lee threw the paper onto Shannon’s desk in such a manner that it genuinely woke her up. She knew she had to focus and get back to work. "Okay, Lee. I’ll get right to it."

As Lee looked over her shoulder, Shannon began reading. The name of the movie was "The Secret Journey." One of the principal characters was Melinda Pappas. Hmm…that name sounds so familiar, thought Shannon. As Shannon looked for a description of the character, this is what caught her eye - it read - Melinda looks exactly like Xena.

"Xena?" Shannon was intrigued.

"Yeah, that’s right, Xena. I know how much you adore that show, to put it mildly. This should be a breeze for you." Lee knew that not only did Shannon idolize Xena, she was obsessed with her. She had a Xena screensaver and wallpaper, a Xena web browser, Xena icons, and a chakram cursor on her computer and even a Xena mousepad. If that wasn’t enough, she also had all kinds of dolls, photos and memorabilia scattered about her office. Lee would never admit it, but she too had a weakness for the show, especially the bard.

"And if you’re wondering about Gabrielle, take a look at this." Lee threw another fax on Shannon’s desk. The second principal was Dr. Janice Covington and the character description read - Janice looks exactly like Gabrielle. Then it hit her on the head like a ton of bricks, Mel and Janice from the Xena Scrolls, of course.

"Lee, why didn’t you tell me we were casting this movie?"

"Well, I’ve been negotiating for months, but I didn’t tell you in case we didn’t get the booking. I didn’t want you to be disappointed." Disappointed? Shannon was ecstatic but tried not to jump out of her skin.

"You know Shannon, I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone that looks more like Gabrielle than you – the short blonde hair, the green eyes, the athletic body, a little butch but not much. You just might be casting yourself for this part," the attractive woman smiled wryly at her companion.

"Oh Lee, you know I have no desire to act." A little butch?

"We’ll just see about that, Shannon. Seems to me, you are quite the drama queen…I mean Amazon Queen."

"Well, what god on Olympus do you think you are, Lee?"

Lee flashed a mischievous smile. "Don’t you mean goddess?"

As Lee stood there with her arms crossed under her voluptuous chest and her long curly blonde hair cascading over her shoulders, Shannon had a vision of the goddess of love before her.

Shannon shivered with disbelief and refocused her eyes, "Well, if you will excuse me goddess, I have work to do."

"It’s about time, Amazon Queen. I’ll disappear." Lee waved her godly hand in a tantalizing motion and walked out of the room.

Shannon shook her head and muttered under her breath, I have been watching entirely too much of that show.

Shannon called every actor’s daily and put out a casting call for the parts of Mel and Janice. She made it crystal clear with the ad rep to bold the words - Must look like Xena and Gabrielle. Since she had just received the script, she knew it would take her most of the evening to read it and went home.

After a quick bite to eat, she settled on the couch with a Corona, marveling at her good fortune. She was a hard core nutball fan of the show since the beginning, a Xenaholic so to speak. She had every episode on tape, but still watched the reruns on television practically everyday.

She had even met Xenites from all over the world on the Web who shared her obsession. There were literally thousands of Xena sites and she was a frequent visitor to numerous ones. She visited one site almost nightly and was grateful to be part of their warrior family.

The fans admired the show so much they began writing their own fan fiction. Shannon’s favorites were the alternative stories. In alt fanfic, Xena and Gabrielle were much more than friends - they were lovers. She had secretly written some stories herself and posted them on the Web. Pretty erotic stuff too. What intrigued her about "The Secret Journey" was that a fanfic writer penned the tale. The producers liked the story so much they decided to make a movie out of it. She didn’t know about destiny, but she deserved to cast this movie - she knew more about the show than practically anyone in the Xenaverse did.

The intrigue of the previous night was eclipsed by her excitement about the upcoming project. She took the script out of her briefcase and read until Morpheus called her to sleep. Like most nights, as she drifted into slumber, she was having one of her glorious Xena fantasies. She imagined Xena was there sharing the warmth of her bed. She had to cut it short though or she would never get any rest.

Not tonight, Xena, she grumbled and surrendered to the god of dreams.

Shannon usually had a hard time getting out of bed, but this particular morning she beat her alarm clock. It was open auditions for the parts of Mel and Janice and she had never been more excited about casting a movie.

It was her usual practice to look at headshots and resumes prior to auditions, but this once she decided to forego her usual casting methods. Most actors had crummy photos anyway and she didn’t want to be swayed by them. She wanted to meet everyone face to face. Then and only then would she know who would be right for the parts. Besides, this would be fun; it would be just like attending a Xena convention.

She phoned her assistant, Martha, and asked her to send in the first audition. Unexpectedly, this screaming Xena burst through the door throwing a chakram and it barely missed Shannon’s head. "Next."

Battle cry in full force, the next Xena back-flipped into the office, landing smack dab in front of Shannon’s desk. Shannon observed something peculiar about this one. In fact, she was the ugliest Xena look-a-like she had ever seen. Then, she realized that this warrior princess was a man. Exasperated, Shannon muttered under her breath, "This day is going to be longer than I thought."

Over the course of the day, endless streams of Xena wannabes had wandered in. She had interviewed a vampire Xena, a Star Trek Xena and a Spice Girls Xena who sang the lyrics to "The Love of Your Love" from the musical odyssey, "The Bitter Suite." The cutest Xena she has seen all day was the Twin Xenas. The Gabrielle hopefuls had included a Buffy Gabrielle, a munchkin Gabrielle, and then she thought she had seen it all when Crustacea slithered in, fins and all.

The interviews were just about over and no one was right for the parts. Extremely frustrated, Shannon was about to pray to the gods when suddenly the phone rang. It was Martha, her assistant, "Shannon, I have a Miss Deborah Grey here and I’m positive you’d like to see her."

"Martha, this had better be good. Send her in."

Martha opened the door and the personification of the Warrior Princess herself strolled confidently in, dressed in leather, with silky dark hair and piercing blue eyes.

Extending a hand, she said, "Hi, I’m Deborah Grey and I’m here to read for the part of Mel Pappas."

Shannon’s mouth dropped wide open and her green eyes bugged out their sockets. She was in the state of shock and for once in her life, speechless.

"Are you okay", asked Deb standing there with her hand still outstretched.

Realizing that the foolish schoolgirl performance might interfere with her credibility as the number one casting agent in the business, Shannon attempted to regain her composure and reached for Deborah’s firm handshake. However, all she could say was, "By the gods Deborah, you look like Xena!"

"That’s what they all say. Please, call me Deb." She even smiled like Xena.

Shannon realized her hand was still locked in Deb’s and abruptly drew it away. "Deb is it? Please have a seat."

Shannon needed a diversion to collect her thoughts. "May I see your headshot and resume?" Deb handed the matte photo to Shannon who hadn’t taken her eyes off of her since she walked in the door.

Their hands brushed in the exchange and sparks ignited. "Ouch, you shocked me," screeched Shannon.

"Yes, I seem to have that affect on people."

"Hmmm…."

Shannon put on her reading glasses and motioned for Deb to take a seat. She carefully reviewed Deb’s materials. "You definitely have the look and quite a presence, but this picture does not do you justice, you are much prettier."

"Why, thank you. I just haven’t had the funds to invest in a good photo shoot." Shannon had heard that a thousand of times before.

"Your resume needs a lot of work as well. What about your skills? I see you do a lot of conventions, but have you ever studied acting?" I wonder if she can even act, thought Shannon.

"Only in college. I’ve been working as an artist since then, but I’ve been getting a lot of bookings lately." As if she could read Shannon’s mind, Deb added, "Can I act? Well, I have many skills!" That registered a laugh and a visible nod from the flustered casting director.

"I’m assuming that Martha gave you the script when you checked in?" Deb nodded her head yes. Let’s take a minute and read over the scene." This is what it said:

(Mel and Janice left Macedonia. Worn out from their adventures, they drive to the Aegean Sea for some rest and relaxation. They bask in the sun on the beach and Janice takes out some of the Xena scrolls and reads them.)

"Well, let’s see what you can do. I’m going to put you on tape for the producers to review in the morning. Needless to say, you read Mel’s part and I’ll read Gabrielle’s. Are you ready, Deb?"

Deb cleared her throat, "Absolutely."

Glancing in Deb’s direction, Shannon could sense that Deb was already in character, a warrior eager for the challenge. She turned the camera on, "Action…"

"You know Mel, I think Xena and Gabrielle were much more than friends."

As Shannon read that sentence aloud, she couldn’t help but think, "No kidding!"

"Oh, you mean they were soulmates, don’t you doctor?"

"Well, yes, but listen to this."

"Yes, certainly sounds like they were soulmates alright." Mel was nodding her head.

"Soulmates? Okay, I’ll give you that, but listen to this. It’s from the scroll "It Takes an Amazon Village."

"Awww, how sweet." Mel folded her hands into her heart.

"Sweet? Well, this one should convince you."

Deb’s thoughts strayed for a moment, "Well, I certainly don’t need any convincing."

"Gimme that." Mel grabbed the parchment and continued reading. "Oh…my! They were much more than friends, they were lovers."

"Cut!" Shannon seemed pleased with the audition reel and approvingly glanced in Deb’s direction.

Deb had a pensive look on her face as she asked, "Have we met before? You seem so familiar."

"I don’t think so, I would have remembered you. I never forget a face, especially yours." Shannon wouldn’t admit it, but besides looking like Xena, there was something familiar about Deb as well – the sound of her voice, the way she moved. She brushed it off as some kind of sins of the past life mumbo jumbo.

"By the way, are you free on Monday?"

"I believe so, why?"

Shannon got up from her desk and went over to where Deb was sitting, "Pending the approval of the producers, you got the part and rehearsals begin on Monday."

"Oh, thank you." In her excitement, Deb jumped up and embraced Shannon. At that point, Shannon didn’t know if she was in the arms of Deb or Xena. After the reading, Shannon felt remarkably close and attracted to Deb. Moreover, she had fantasized enough times about feeling the strong arms of the warrior around her and she didn’t want the sensation to end.

Suddenly, the door exploded wide open and in burst Miriam Davidson.

"What do you think you are doing with my niece?"

Shannon pointed to Deb and asked, "This is your niece?"

"No, Nita is my niece and she told me the two of you are sleeping together. Is that true?"

Suddenly, the events of the night before came flooding back to Shannon, pushing her dim feelings for this young actress aside. Shannon was stunned, but she knew she had to think quickly and try and make the best of the situation. "Miriam, can’t you see that I have someone in my office? Take a seat and I’ll be with you in a minute."

"I prefer to stand." It was obvious that Miram’s blood was boiling.

She walked over to Deb feeling as if someone had kicked her in the stomach, "Deb, will you leave your number with Martha and I will call you first thing in the morning. Again, congratulations."

Deb appeared concerned, yet cautious, "I look forward to working with you. Talk to you in the morning and thanks again." Deb walked out with Miriam’s angry eyes upon her.

Shannon took some deep breaths in an effort to prepare herself for Miriam, who was frantically pacing back and forth. "Is it true? Is it true?"

"Miriam, sit down and calm down. I didn’t know Nita was your niece, but she is exaggerating. Thus far, we’ve only had drinks. Even so, she has the right to see anyone she wants to."

"Thus far? Well, Shannon, did you know that Nita was married?"

"Married? Absolutely not. Are you sure?"

"Shannon, we’ve been friends for too long. Don’t you think I’d know if my own niece were married? She may be my niece, but I’m gonna warn you, Nita is trouble with a capital "T". If you get involved with her, she’ll eat you up and spit you out and don’t say I didn’t warn you. So, what are you gonna do about it?"

Shannon thought carefully. It’s true, they had been friends for many years and Miriam would never lie to her. Swallowing her pride, she said, "Well, I certainly didn’t know that she was your niece or that she was married. Simply put, you can rest assured that I will not see her again. You have my solemn promise, but you must assure me that you will talk to your niece and tell her to leave me alone. Now if you don’t mind, I need to get back to work." Shannon looked at her watch hoping Miriam would get the hint.

Miriam seemed satisfied, "Done." She had one more thing to say though, "Shannon, I’ve known you for a very long time and I’m worried about you. You never mentioned that you were into women. Are you sure this is the path you want to take?" At that, she left the office.

Her thoughts whirling terribly fast, Shannon wearily collapsed in her office chair and buried her head in her hands. Are you sure this the path to want to take? As far back as she could remember, she had been attracted to women, but she was afraid of her obsessive feelings. She was afraid of the way some women made her feel - emotional, passionate, sexy, and out of control. She had never felt that way with men. If she choose this path, she wouldn’t be able to pretend anymore. She would have to deal with her intimacy issues and risk falling in love. Could she do that? Scorpio’s didn’t like to take risks you know. Hence, she denied her feelings and night after night, the torment continued.

Then, last night, by some remarkable coincidence, one of her gay co-workers invited her to a charity benefit at Warrior Lesbian, one of the local women’s bars in the valley, and Shannon jumped at the chance.

As she sat at the bar, the bartender placed a drink in front of her. Pointing to a woman across the bar, she said, "This drink is from her." Shannon mouthed thank you and the women started to walk in her direction. Shannon was very nervous but knew it was time to come out of the closet, she couldn’t live with the torment a moment longer. Besides, this woman was drop dead gorgeous and she’d be an absolute idiot if she chickened out now.

The woman came to sit next to her. "Hi, my name is Nita." Nita was dressed in white gauze pants and a midriff top with a rose in her auburn hair.

"Nice to meet you, I’m Shannon. How are you?"

"Better than most." Nita seemed so sure of herself and Shannon liked that. So sure in fact that Nita blurted out, "I don’t believe in wasting time, I think you’re sexy. It’s been one year since I’ve been with a woman and I want to go to bed with you. Will you be my lover?"

Shannon choked on her drink. How did I manage to avoid women before this fateful night if that’s all it takes? Things were going a bit faster than she had anticipated and she knew she had to do slow down the pace, even though the temptation to say "yes" was almost overpowering.

"What do you think I am, a pushover? Slow down, girlfriend. How about dinner and a movie first?"

"Okay, I can play that game. Listen, I’m in kind of a rush, give me your phone number and I’ll call you this weekend." Shannon jotted down her number and nervously handed it to her. Nita downed her drink and gave Shannon a fiery kiss, "I’m gonna be the best lover you ever had."

Nita left in a rush and Shannon turned to the bartender, smiling in anticipation, "I think I’m gonna pass out and have a heart attack."

"That’s okay," said the bartender. "I know CPR." They burst out laughing.

Surfacing from her daydream once again, Shannon realized she was still at the office. She was drained, and decided to call it a day. She fished for her Xena keychain and was about to lock the door only to hear Lee say, "Hey, Amazon Queen. You wanna dance, you gotta pay the band." Obviously, Lee had overheard her conversation with Miriam. Lee was no dummy and knew exactly what was going on. Besides, Shannon had confided in Lee about her lesbian tendencies and was relieved that Lee had been so understanding and supportive.

Nonetheless, she could play too, "Hey Lee, I’ll remember you in my nightmares."

Overwhelmed by the consequences of the past few days, Shannon retreated to the safely of her attic bedroom. She lit some candles and incense, took a nice warm bath and hopped into bed. She couldn’t turn off her thoughts though - Nita’s spine tingling kiss, Deb’s electrifying embrace. She finally felt free and this was the only path she could see.

Before she closed her eyes that night she thought, yes, perhaps she had met Deb before, but who knows where or when.

At the office the next morning, Martha gave Shannon her messages. There were numerous messages from the endless Mel/Xena and Janice/Gabrielle wannabes that had auditioned, and then the one she wanted to see, from Deb.

She rang the number and a voice at the other end said, "Good morning, Amazon Regency Hotel."

"Amazon Regency Hotel? Shannon marveled, Is the entire world Xenacrazed?

"Yes, that’s right. May I help you?"

"Could I please have the room of Deb Grey?"

"I’ll connect you and have a grand day."

Shannon heard a sleepy voice say, "Hel…lo."

"Morning Deb, this is Shannon from Lee Casting. Did I wake you?"

"Oh, hi Shannon. I needed to get up eventually."

"Late night at the Amazon Regency?"

"Yes, there was this great band in the lounge last night called The Furies. We all got a little crazy and partied all night."

Party girl, huh. In her casting director voice, Shannon commanded, "Be at my office at 2:00 today."

"See you then."

Shannon wondered why the thought of Deb and The Furies bothered her. The Furies? The Amazon Regency? If I didn’t know better, I’d swear the gods were at work. Shannon decided it was best not to even go there and escaped into her work.

It was almost 2:00 and Shannon had cast the entire movie except for the part of Dr. Janice Covington. She had interviewed a lot of Janice wannabes, but none had the look or spark of the character. She had a meeting with the powers that be in the morning and she had hoped to cast the part prior to the meeting.

Martha rang. Deb had arrived. "Send her in."

Shannon had that look of awe on her face again as Deb waltzed in dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, her raven hair flowing over her shoulders. In or out of costume, nobody on the planet looked more like Xena than Deb did. Shannon could not deny an attraction, but she never mixed business with pleasure and as hard as it was, she decided it was time to get down to business and gestured for Deb to take a seat.

"Once again, I want to congratulate you."

Deb’s sapphire eyes lit up, "Why thank you."

"Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever cast someone so right for the part. You have the look, you have the skills, and most importantly you have that powerful Xena attitude. There are a few things I want to get straight though. I am the best in the business and I expect the best from everyone I work with. Therefore, I expect you to work hard, be on time, get your rest and look good for the camera each morning. When we start rehearsals on Monday, you won’t be able to close down the bar anymore. Do you understand, cause I can be the biggest bitch." Shannon was dead serious, but Deb appeared unfazed.

"Don’t worry, I won’t let you down. Umm…I do have a slight problem though."

Gods, here we go, probably a prima donna, thought Shannon. "What is it?"

"I read the script and I have never kissed another woman before."

"Do you have a problem kissing another woman?" Shannon then remembered her own reluctance.

"No…it’s just that I want to be believable."

Shannon almost laughed with relief and it was all she could do not to offer to teach her, but she wasn’t exactly a master herself. "Don’t worry, I have every confidence that you can pull this off. After all, it’s only acting."

"I suppose you’re right. Say, have you cast the part of Janice yet?"

"No, I haven’t. Why?"

"I know someone who would be perfect for the part."

"Who?"

"You! You look like Gabrielle and the chemistry between us is already there."

The chemistry is already there? Shannon felt a flush of heat in her cheeks, "Listen, I am a casting director and I have absolutely no desire to act. We’ll cast the part soon and I’ll have them read with you to make sure the chemistry is there. Production begins on Monday and we will be shooting for about a month. Do you need to fly home before we start?"

Ever so self-assured, Deb said, "No, I knew I would get the part. I’ll be staying at the Amazon Camp…I mean Regency, until I make other arrangements."

"Okay, spend the next few days memorizing your lines and getting in character and I’ll see you on Monday."

"I won’t have any trouble getting into character, but I was hoping you would have dinner with me tonight so we could run some lines. Memorization isn’t one of my strong points. Please?"

There was that smile and those baby blue eyes again, "Sure, I’ll pick you up at 6:00."

"Oh, thank you." Deb got up an gave Shannon a little peck on the cheek, "By the way, my room number is 2525."

Never kissed another girl? "As in Cleopatra?" The feisty blonde subconsciously licked her lips.

"Yes, isn’t it too much? See you later." Deb batted her baby blues and left.

Later that night, as Shannon was leaving the office, Lee hollered, "You haven’t cast the part of Janice yet, have you?" Shannon stormed out the door. When is she going to lay off?

As she knocked on the door, Shannon was thinking, So, she thinks I look like Gabrielle?

"Come in, the door is open. I’m in the bathroom."

It was only a hotel room, but Deb had hung all sorts of Xena relics about the room. Shannon was looking at a chakram when Deb waltzed into the room, "I made that myself, it’s really a Frisbee." She was wrapped in a towel and her hair was dripping wet.

A current of desire swept over Shannon and she picked up the first thing she could find to resist being seduced by the beauty, "I see you have a really big sword too?"

"I have three swords, and many skills." They both laughed then Deb went into the bathroom and got dressed.

"So where are we going for dinner," inquired Shannon. "Well, I hope you don’t mind, but I took the liberty of ordering in and I hope you like pizza. Practice makes perfect and I want you to be pleased with my performance. Besides, I can be a bitch too you know." As Deb stood there with both hands on her hips, Shannon could have sworn it was Xena in the flesh, she refocused her eyes, "Ummm, sure."

They sat on the couch and Deb handed Shannon a Corona. "I love Corona," commented Shannon. "I know…I mean, I thought so," said Deb.

"What are you drinking, Deb?"

"I love plum wine." Deb put the wineglass to her lips and took more than a few sips. "Would you like a taste?"

I’d rather have a taste of you, thought Shannon but she knew she had to snap out of it. "No thank you. You know, before we begin, I would like to apologize for what happened in my office yesterday. I’m sorry you had to see that and I hope you will keep it to yourself."

Deb gently touched Shannon’s hand and said, "My lips are sealed and know that you have a shoulder to cry on if you need it…"

Deb seemed sincere, but Shannon wasn’t one to confide in strangers and abruptly cut her off, "Okay, let’s get to work."

Ever so tenderly, she heard Deb say, "You are more beautiful than the first time we met."

Shannon was puzzled. What did she just say to me? "Excuse me?"

"You are more beautiful than the first time we met."

"What?"

"That’s what Janice is saying to Mel." Deb pointed to the script, "It’s on page 15, that’s where we left off."

"Oh, that’s right, the script. Good job!" Shannon was flushed again. Stuffing a piece of pizza in her mouth, she hoped she could talk her way out of this one. "Besides being a dead ringer for Xena, why do you watch the show, Deb?"

"For a lot of reasons, but I think I watch the show because of the love shared between Xena and Gabrielle."

Love? Well, that didn’t work and Shannon was sure her uneasiness was showing. "Okay, enough about the show, let’s get to it." Shannon began to read the synopsis aloud, "Mel and Janice leave the beach, check into a hotel and decide to get something to eat. The person at the front desk recommended a place called Threadgill’s. Okay, Deb, let’s rock and roll it…"

"Janice, look at this." Mel pointed to something on the menu.

"What is it, Mel?"

"They have a drink called Ambrosia of the Gods. Care to have one?"

"I say bring it on."

(They finished dinner. Mel had downed one Ambrosia after another saying they tasted so good. She was sloshed.)

"Boy, for being the reincarnation of Xena, you sure can’t hold your alcohol," laughed Janice.

"What do you mean I can’t hold my alcohol?" At that, Mel’s head plopped into Janice’s chest, she was out like a light.

"Some Warrior Princess you’d make," Janice mumbled under her breath.

(As Janice helped the inebriated scholar to the truck, it begins to rain and they both get soaked. When they finally reached the room Janice tossed Mel on the bed. As she removed her wet clothes, she heard a soft voice.)

"Why is the room spinning?" As Deb read her line, she was beginning to feel a bit woozy herself.

"Does Ambrosia of the Gods ring a bell? Mel, you’ve had too much to drink. Now get out of those wet clothes and let’s get some sleep."

"I can’t move, can you help me?" She passed out again.

"You are so helpless."

Janice put on her sleeping shirt and climbed on the bed. As she took the bobby pins out of Mel’s hair, she couldn’t help but feel how wonderfully soft it was as it fell upon the bed sheets. She removed Mel’s jacket and blouse, and couldn’t help but notice how strong her commanding arms were. She removed her skirt and marveled at the woman’s long muscular legs.

As the light of the candle danced wildly about the room, she stopped for a moment and sat up on the bed. She gazed upon the sensual sleeping beauty clad only in her slip now, and a wind of desire swept over her. What is happening to me? Even Mel’s sleep possessed a powerful aura of attraction. Gods, she is beautiful! Unconsciously, Janice ran her fingers down Mel’s soft neck into the generous cleavage of her chest.

The realities of the hotel room seemed to fade away, and somehow, impossibly, Shannon had the feeling she was right there with the action. What is happening to me?

Feeling the doctor’s delicate touch upon her, Mel opened her eyes.

"What are you doing?"

Suddenly, brilliant lights swirled and flowed all around them and a mysterious stream of erotic energy passed between them. Drifting through time and space, they surrendered to the sensual serenity. Their bodies burning with bliss, Xena drew Gabrielle into her and seductively kissed her scarlet lips.

Shannon opened her eyes and found herself lost in Deb’s lips. Abruptly, they jerked apart but they were still dizzy and disoriented from the closeness and the kiss.

"What just happened," asked a flustered Shannon.

Deb was equally perplexed, "I don’t know, but did that remind you of The Quest and Déjà vu All Over Again all rolled into one?"

"Yeah, only this time Joxer was nowhere to be found."

In unison they laughed nervously, "Thank the gods!"

Surfacing from her altered state, reality smacked Shannon in the face. Was Deb an enchantress? Shannon looked conveniently at her watch and remembered she had an early meeting with the producers, "It’s late and I must go. I don’t think we need to run any more lines, you are perfect for the part." She was feeling out of control and didn’t like it. She knew she had to beat a path out of there in a hurry.

As she got up to leave, she heard, "Shannon?"

"Yes, Deb?"

"I never thought I’d enjoy kissing another woman, but I enjoyed kissing you." More than you know, thought Deb.

Shannon had a strong policy about never getting involved with the talent and she had crossed the line. Besides, she wasn’t accustomed to feeling so vulnerable.

Nonetheless, she couldn’t resist saying, "Me too. See you on Monday." Monday couldn’t come soon enough.

In the middle of the night, Shannon heard a voice cry out.

"Gabrielle, where are you?"

Gabrielle looked but could only see a dark silhouette through the hazy fog. "Who are you? Let me see you."

"I wait for you…I long for you…I ache to reach you," the voice said.

"What do you want," pleaded the bard.

"Let me feel you…let me hold you…let me kiss you," the haunting voice said.

The spirit began to kiss Gabrielle sensually, passionately.

Shannon bolted upright as the energy of a thunderstorm broke loose and a crack of lightning woke her from the haunting passion.

"This is all in my mind," she reassured herself. Tossing and turning, she tried to get back to sleep, but her frustration and rage continued to illuminate the stormy nighttime sky.

As Martha escorted the producers into the conference room, Shannon and Lee were already there. Shannon had her head buried in some paperwork.

"I’d like you to meet Shannon, our head casting director," said Lee. Shannon lifted her head and took off her glasses, exposing her emerald eyes. The producers were amazed and couldn’t resist staring. Lee knew why, but Shannon was oblivious to their stares. "Nice to meet you."

Troy, the producer, began shaking Shannon’s hand and wouldn’t let go. "I thought you were the actress cast for the part of Janice. Did anyone ever tell you that you look like Gabrielle?"

Shannon glanced at Lee who had that all-knowing I told you so grin on her face. She was furious with Lee’s complacency, but she had to be nice for the film’s sake, "Yes, I’ve heard that before, but we haven’t cast the part of Janice yet. However, pending your approval, we have cast the part of Mel and I’d like you take a look at Deborah Grey’s audition reel. Martha, would you roll the tape please?"

"Deborah Grey? Say I think I’ve heard of her from the convention circuit," interjected Troy. "Yeah, and I’ve visited her website, why didn’t we think of her," added one of Troy’s associates.

Shannon immediately turned off the light, knowing that Deb would definitely take their minds off of her.

As soon as they saw her they all said, "Oh my god!" Shannon had anticipated their reaction and it was her turn to grin. As Shannon focused on Deb, everyone else was immersed in both of them. They acted with such ease and the chemistry was undeniable.

The tape was over and the producers sat back in their chairs, shaking their heads. "Unbelievable, said Troy. "Lee, I am so glad we chose your agency. It must have been fate." Lee nodded a gracious thank you. "I have only one request," he asked. "What’s that?" Lee already knew what he was going to say. "Shannon, you must cast yourself for the part of Janice."

Shannon began to form a "no" on her mouth and Lee quickly jumped in, "Gentlemen, would you give us a moment?" She grabbed Shannon’s hand and practically dragged her out of the room. "Shannon, you know they are right. You have already cast the principal parts and I can cast the extras. You were destined to play this part; that’s one of the reasons I went after this movie. Please do this for me, you stubborn Scorpio?"

Destined to play the part? Well, Shannon wasn’t sure about that, but she owed Lee a lot and she had never asked for anything. That wasn’t the only reason though, but she couldn’t explain it. Her words seemed to have a mind of their own now, "Okay Lee, I’ll do this for you."

They went back into the conference room and shared the good news. Everyone was thrilled and broke out in applause. After wrapping up some loose ends, the producers left excitedly, "See you on Monday then, Janice…I mean Shannon."

There sat Lee with that almighty god-look on her face again, "You only have two days until production begins. I want you to give Deb a call and run your lines all weekend."

"And I thought I was bitch," quipped Shannon.

"Well just remember princess, I taught you everything you know." Shannon knew Lee was right. Everything she had learned about the business and being a bitch, she had learned from her. However, she wasn’t about to give her the satisfaction of knowing. One good deed for the day was enough.

She went to her office and gave Deb a buzz, "Deb, this is Shannon, guess what?

"The producers have cast you for the part of Janice."

"How did you know that?" Shannon was perplexed.

"I knew it from the moment I saw you. You said I was perfect for the part. Well, so are you."

"Hmmm….Lee wants us to run our lines all weekend. Are you up for that?"

"I’ve been waiting for your call."

"How about I pick you up at 2:00 and we rehearse at my place? It’s such a beautiful day, bring your bathing suit as you need to get a tan for the part."

"We’ll pick up from where we left off. Sounds lovely."

As they hung up, Shannon was beginning accept her fate. Now that she didn’t have the responsibility of casting, she could relax. We’ll pick up from where we left off? I think I might enjoy this more than I had imagined? Praise Hestia! Did I really say that?

As they walked through the sliding glass doors to the pool, Shannon offered, "Make yourself at home." Throwing her wild hair from side to side, Deb shed her clothes and looked as if she had just walked off the cover of Rolling Stone Xena in her sexy black bathing suit. Her sensuality beamed outwardly and in the way she moved.

"Do you think I need to lose a few pounds, Shannon?"

Shannon took in her desirable co-star’s remarkably fit and proportioned form, "If I had a body like yours, I’d be naked all the time." They laughed, but Shannon could see that Deb was pleased. "Now, let’s get to work. You might not have any trouble getting into character, but this is my first acting gig and I’m nervous as hell.

"I guess you’re gonna get a taste of your own medicine."

"Yeah, and speaking of medicine, I made us some mudslides. Here have a sip." Shannon handed the drink to Deb.

"Now this is what I call ambrosia of the gods - heavenly."

"I thought it would help us get into character. Okay, now where were we…"

"Well, Janice had just taken Mel’s clothes off and we were kissing…I mean Mel and Janice were kissing… I mean Xena and Gabrielle were kissing. Gods, this is getting confusing. Speaking of which, don’t you think it’s time that Xena and Gabrielle shared an onscreen kiss?"

Shannon agreed wholeheartedly, "Absolutely. It’s long overdue. Of course, they have been lovers in the Xenaverse for years."

"I know, I’ve spent many nights reading alt fan fiction and I particularly enjoy the first timers."

"I’ve written a few of those myself."

"You have? Can I read them sometime?"

"Perhaps."

"Okay, I have one more question, why do think there are so many stories out there about Xena and Gabrielle making love?"

Shannon wanted desperately to put an end to Deb’s curiosity and show her why, but they had just begun and she couldn’t give in to temptation this soon. In fact, she couldn’t give in at all, she had to concentrate and keep her wits about her.

"Well, those fanfic writers are such romantics. Now, let’s get to work."

"Great, but I need to cool off first." Suddenly, Deb jumped into the pool and swam its length underwater. Surfacing, she said, "Can we just have one hour in the sun? After all, Xena does have an awesome tan." The sun always aroused Deb and she needed to cool off.

"Okay, but just one hour." Following suit, Shannon dove into the water. She was hot too.

As Deb swam, she thought of when Xena had cooled her own desires in that cold lake.

Perched at the side of the pool, Shannon glanced at Deb from a distance, floating on a raft.

"Shannon, would you be a dear and put some sunscreen on my back? I don’t want to burn."

Shannon swam over, "Ummm…sure," she stammered. Trembling, she began to rub the lotion on Deb’s body and didn’t want to stop. It was something way beyond attraction. Gods!

"You have a nice touch, Shannon. Say, would you unfasten my top, I don’t want to get any lines."

Shannon had fought long and hard to resist Deb. Add to that the endless fantasies she had about Xena - she was afraid of her feelings and had had enough. That’s it you big tease. Shannon lifted the raft and threw Deb into the water.

"That’s enough sun for now, you can catch some rays after we rehearse."

As Deb surfaced, she said, "Whatever Shannon wants, Shannon gets."

"Very funny." They jumped out of the pool and dried off.

Shannon picked up the script and realized that matters had gone from bad to worse. She wished she had never let Lee talk her into this, but it was too late. She swallowed hard and said, "We’re going to have to rehearse the love scene…in bed."

Deb seemed unfazed, "No problem." Nevertheless, Deb was a bundle of nerves but hid it well.

As they walked in silence to the room, Deb noticed a sign over the door that said Potadeia and as she had expected, Shannon’s room was a virtual Xena shrine. She picked a Xena doll, "Oh, how cute."

"We don’t have time for this." Shannon positioned herself on the bed and commanded, "Okay Deb, you lie here." Deb could sense that Shannon was in casting director mode. She obeyed and jumped into bed.

"Now, I’ll put my hand around your waist and you put yours on my cheek." As Deb reached for Shannon’s cheek, she smacked her in the nose.

Shannon winced, "Ouch!

"I’m sorry." She reached for Shannon’s cheek and caressed it with the palm of her hand. Deb was amazed at how soft Shannon’s skin was.

Weakened by her piercing blue eyes, Shannon grew aroused. How on earth am I gonna get through this? Her resistance was breaking away. Gods, help me, she prayed.

The phone rang. By some remarkable coincidence, it was Lee. "How are rehearsals going?"

"Lee, I don’t know why I let you talk me into this. Have you read the script yet?"

"Yes, what’s wrong?"

"Well, I don’t think I can do this."

"Sure you can. Shannon, put Deb on the phone."

Shannon handed the phone to Deb and lay back on the bed. She couldn’t imagine what Lee would have to say to Deb. She closed her eyes and listened to the steady pounding of her heart.

She heard Deb say, "Okay" and hung up the phone.

"What did she say?"

Deb turned to Shannon with a puzzled look on her face.

"She said - Open your hearts to the universe and trust that something wonderful is going to happen. She said - embrace your destiny."

"What kind of cryptic talk is that?

"She also said - love is the way."

Suddenly, traces of brilliant lights swirled and flowed all around them and caressed them. There was no more Shannon and Deb, no more Janice and Mel. They gazed at one another in disbelief at first. Reunited with their former selves, their true spirits emerged. They were Xena and Gabrielle, the Warrior Princess and the Amazon Queen.

"Gabrielle?" It’s been a long time."

"Forever, Xena."

"I’ve missed you, Gabrielle."

"I’ve missed you too."

"Let me hold you."

Gabrielle sighed and buried her head in the warrior’s dangerous chest. Oh, how she had missed feeling the woman’s strong-arms around her, her warm body next to hers. Cherishing the sensation, they lay for a candlemark lost in one another’s loving embrace.

Xena whispered, "Gabrielle, I’ve waited a long time for you to return to me." The young one lifted her head and their erotic eyes met like tiny flashes of lightning.

"Xena, you are so beautiful."

At long last, Xena sought out her lover's mouth and tasted the sweetness of her tongue.

"Oh, how I’ve longed for your mouth, Xena." Their kisses were tender at first then wild and hungry.

The passion intensified and Xena ran her fingers down the curve of her beloved’s back, delighting in the feeling of her velvety skin. Gabrielle willingly surrendered to her provocative power as Xena’s touch went everywhere, arousing every bit of flesh.

"Make love to me, Xena." The warrior’s excitement increased and she fervently kissed every inch of her lover’s body and bit into her soft, young flesh. Then, Gabrielle nearly lost consciousness as the warrior sought out her breasts.

Sensing Gabrielle’s longing for fulfillment, the warrior fell lower on her lover’s body. She tasted her joy until pleasure permeated throughout Gabrielle’s entire being and she called out her name in passion, "O h, X e n a!"

Yet, the beauty cried out for more, "I want to feel you inside of me." Beyond excited, Xena thrust her fingers inside her and Gabrielle opened her body to her. "Harder," she begged. The warrior gave her what she wanted. With each hot and hard thrust, Gabrielle buried her nails into the mighty shoulders, leaving marks.

Xena’s hunger was insatiable this night. Taking possession of Gabrielle’s body, she made love to her through the night until the delicate flower collapsed into the fulfillment of her beloved’s embrace.

In the closeness, Gabrielle could hear the Destroyer of Nation’s hot flesh cry out, begging to be satisfied. It was time to put out the fire. Raising her head and looking into Xena’s sapphire eyes, Gabrielle began kissing and drinking in her lover’s mouth.

As they kissed, the warrior commanded, "Touch me." Obediently, Gabrielle’s hands encircled her desirable companion’s entire body with delight, feeling how wonderfully warm and wet she was. "More than ever…I want you, Xena."

Xena yielded to her lover’s young mouth as it passed along the satiny curves of her body. Her nipples hardened, as Gabrielle tasted her breasts. Then, Xena’s entire body arched as the beauty vanished into the richness of her hips. Trembling with immense pleasure, the warrior cried out, "G a b r i e l l e.

Strong but gentle hands lifted Gabrielle up and kissed a tear from the corner of her lover’s eye.

"I love you Gabrielle."

"I love you Xena."

Gabrielle slipped into her lover’s side and Xena closed her hands around her sweet breasts. A tired wave of tenderness washed over the lovers and the misty and magical night breathed softly now.

The next morning, Shannon unconsciously reached over, and felt no one there. Her eyes shot open and she bolted upright.

Who am I and what planet am I on? She had no idea.

Suddenly, the phone rang.

"Good morning, sweetie." There was no response. "Shannon…are you there? It’s Lee."

"Lee? Well, I remember Lee, I guess that’s a start. "Oh Lee, I am so glad to hear your voice."

"What’s wrong, Shannon. You sound like you’re really out it."

"I had the strangest dream last night."

Suddenly, Deb appeared at the bedroom door.

The receiver fell from Shannon’s hand and Lee heard a distant voice say, "That was no dream, Gabrielle…"

"Xena…."

Grinning ear to ear, Aphrodite hung up the phone. "Awesome." She nudged her bedmate who was still asleep, "Angel, wake up."

The woman’s fair hair crept sexily across one eye as she lazily sat up and stretched out, "Morning, honey. What’s up?"

"I haven’t had this much satisfaction since the good old days."

"That isn’t what you told me last night," her dreamworker said with a devilish grin.

Aphrodite gazed upon her angel of the light, "You know I can’t remember a time, and we’re talking a very long time, when I’ve been better satisfied."

"You haven’t lost your potent charm either. What is it then, Dite?"

"Well, you were right, that ambrosia of the gods love potion woke them up alright."

"At last! I didn’t think they’d ever get out that deep freeze."

"Yeah, and you did a great a great job writing that script, but I don’t think they’re going to need it anymore. They finally remembered the secret of the journey – love is the way. Thanks to you, Angel, the Warrior Princess and the Amazon are together once more."

"Awww…now isn’t that a match made in heaven…or should I say Olympus. Now get over here and let me worship you."

Aphrodite pushed her back and leapt upon her. "Oh Callisto, I do like you better when you’re bad."

Her lover’s softness excited her, "Just don’t tell Michael and the other angels, okay?"

Brushing back her lover’s golden halo of hair, Aphrodite smiled invitingly, "Never! That’s our everlasting secret."

(I hope you enjoyed my story – Love is the way)

Part 2? Perhaps.

zeta@sierranv.net