Disclaimers: Standard disclaimers apply. MCA/Universal are getting rich. I’m just having fun.

While I do have a pretty good idea how things work on a production set. I claim absolutely no working knowledge of how things are actually done on the set of XWP. Therefor, everything stated here is pure assumption and logical thinking.

This is part seven in The Truth...series and MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR 6^TH SEASON X:WP.

By T.Novan

Xena stood back, behind the first unit camera crew and watched the scene being filmed. She sipped her coffee, letting a bittersweet smile cross her lips.

Glancing to her left when she felt the hand come to rest, rubbing small, soothing circles on her back.

Gabrielle looked to her partner with a sad smile and unshed tears lying in her eyes, threatening to fall at any moment. She sniffed once and turned to watch the filming as well.

The warrior took a moment to appreciate the beautiful day and thank whatever God or Goddess had made it possible. The sky being clear and blue and the temperature being warm and comfortable, truly a gorgeous day.

She also noticed that everyone else was being exceptionally still and quiet and the dialog being delivered was heard loud and clear by everyone.

Soon the rubbing to her back ceased and she felt her partner slip her arm around her waist, leaning against her. Xena raised her arm, wrapping it around the bard’s shoulders, she placed a kiss to the top of Gabrielle’s head, letting her lips linger there, closing her own eyes and allowing a tear or two of her own to fall.

Her solemn mood was broken when she heard her other favorite blonde blow a line, which caused the rest the rest of the cast and crew to dissolve into a round of the giggles. The tall woman snickered a bit as they reset the scene just a bit.

They kept rolling and the proper line was delivered again. Xena smiled when they got past the line that had caused a problem before. She knew these two well enough to know that if one line caused a problem it usually caused a problem until they found a way around it or reworded it so it wouldn’t keep tripping up the guilty party.

The call was made for a cut and a print and then to set up for the next scene. The warrior watched as everyone moved dutifully to fulfill what needed to be done and the leads slipped into the robes that were always just an arms length away.

They looked to her and the bard and she gave them a smile and a wink. One waved and the other nodded, the same sad smile gracing her normally beautiful face. Gabrielle gave them a strong ‘thumbs up’ and nodded and they smiled back with bobs of their own heads.

Over the years, this form of silent communication between the four had become so natural no one paid it any attention any more.

The air was most certainly different today. The Fates knew it was the end. The Gods knew it was the end. It would be time for this family to break up soon and the warrior and the bard would once again be moving on.

These last six years was one of the longest stretches they had actually stayed in any one place. But this felt right. To be here, to be with these people and to watch their story, albeit a little rewritten here and there, be told.

They had found another family here, they had bonded with these people and these women and it would be hard to say good-bye. Over the course of the last six years they had shared illness, birth, and death. Celebrated marriages and anniversaries, mourned over breakups and lost love. They had come to do everything a family did. They cherished every memory.

The next scene was set and everyone moved to their mark. The bard tugged the warrior into a new spot and they perched together on the sidelines on a large fallen tree that had long served as a bench for those not filming a scene. It had become such a part of the set, as a matter of fact, that it had all the names or initials of about every cast and crew member carved into it somewhere.

At one point Xena had carved ‘Xena loves Bri’ into a heart somewhere on the back. When it was found everyone thought it was a joke placed there by a subtext loving cast or crew member, but there were four people who knew the truth and they just grinned every time someone visited the set and pointed it out.

Xena took a deep breath. There was magic here in this place. It’s one of the things that had drawn this amazing group of people here. The warrior knew very well the impact that had taken place around the world because of this simple television series.

Friendships had been formed. Relationships had been started. The Muses had been inspired once again. Hundreds of thousands of people had found a common bond. Even if they couldn’t agree what side of the subtext fence to stand on, at least they all agreed they loved the show, and over the course of the last few years they had come to nearly worship the leads.

It had its ups and downs, its highs and lows. Spectacular moments that would live forever. And a few less than spectacular moments that should just curl up in the corner and be quiet.

The tall woman grinned when she saw them goofing off before the cameras started rolling again. They were bound and determined not to let this last day be a complete downer. They had vowed to end it with a bang and they were going to do just that.

Gabrielle sighed, then actually moved up and stretched out on the tree with her head in Xena’s lap, looking to her partner for permission, which was given without hesitation.

Xena looked around at all the people who were standing off to the sides watching. There were more people here today than necessary. Staffers who hadn’t needed to come in today were here anyhow. No one wanted to miss the last day. It was just as special, if not more so than the first day had been.

The last scene of the series had actually been filmed a few days ago and Xena had spent the better part of that day keeping herself busy and away from the set for that. She wanted to watch the tape when it all came together. Gabrielle had watched it when it was filmed, but the warrior had sworn her to secrecy. She really didn’t want to know and had even purposely removed the last few pages of her script form its binder.

She knew she was kidding herself more than anything else. She had found another home and another family here and she loved them all. She didn’t want to leave and she didn’t want it to be over. But after thousands of years she had come to understand that everything had a life cycle and this series had come to the end of its cycle.

They would sell the house. They would pack up a few personal things and she and the bard would indeed move on. They would recreate themselves again and settle down for a time being, just had they had done here, but it wouldn’t be the same. They wouldn’t find the same magic. They wouldn’t find the same kinship. But they would do what their blood song called them to do. Go back to the road.

The warrior felt Gabrielle chuckle, and glanced up to watch some of the silliness breaking out on the set. She smiled. It was going to be a long day, but like so many before it, it was going to be a fun day. At least until he called cut and wrapped. Then all bets were off.

When they broke for lunch, the four of them sat together for a few moments. None of them mentioning what was just a few hours off. As a matter of fact it was pretty apparent they were all desperate to make small talk to keep from thinking about it.

"We’re pitiful." Xena finally sighed, picking the label from her water bottle.

"Pathetic." Gabrielle agreed with a sigh of her own.

"We’re acting like we’re never going to see each other again." Renee reached out and took the warrior’s hand. "That’s just silly. We’re friends. Friends stay in touch."

Lucy’s hand found it’s way into Gabrielle’s and she smiled as they looked at each other. "Absolutely."

"Gabrielle and I will be leaving New Zealand in a couple of weeks." Xena said softly. "We’ve already had an offer on the house."

"Well then," Lucy sat up straight and stared at her real life counterpart. "You’ll just have to let us know where you land next."

The bard nodded and sniffed a bit. "We’ll do that." She licked her lips, fighting back the tears she didn’t want to be the one who got everyone else started. "That’s what email is for, right?"

"Right, and if that doesn’t work you can always try picking up the phone." Renee grinned. "They still have those you know."

The warrior chewed the inside of her lip for a moment then finally said quietly. "Thank you both. Thank you for allowing us to be here and to relive some old memories."

"But most of all," The bard added quickly. "Thank you for letting us make new ones."

Renee leaned over placing a soft kiss in Xena’s cheek. "Thank you for having such a wonderful story to tell."

"And for allowing us to tell it." Lucy smiled, even as the first tear slid down her cheek.

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