Disclaimers: The characters of Xena: Warrior Princess and all other associated with the television series of the same name are owned by MCA/ Universal Pictures. This is a work of fan fiction and no copyright infringement is intended. All music mentioned here is property of the Elvis Presley estate and was used without permission.

Subtext: I guess with my writing so far we'll just quit calling it subtext and call it maintext. Yes they are in love with each other.

Sex: None

Violence: None

Language: Mild. There is one use of the ‘f’ word.

Other: Okay I got a lot of request for a sequel to the original. This one doesn’t take place on the set and has nothing to do with X/G helping L/R out on the set. This one is about four friends getting together for dinner. Hey, I had the house to myself and Elvis up REAL loud on the CD player. It was another whim.

Homepage www.zoomnet.net/~kg8rj/kim

Comments TNOVAN@aol.com

The stereo was up so loud that Gabrielle very nearly didn’t hear the doorbell and she knew damned good and well Xena hadn’t. How could she, she was actually in the room with the stereo. As Elvis blasted through the house, Gabrielle made it to the door and opened it with an exasperated smile.

Renee stood on the other side of the storm door with two bags of groceries in her arms and a silly grin on her face. Gabrielle motioned her friend into the house.

"Is there a party I’m not aware of?" Renee asked as she handed one of the bags off to Gabrielle.

"Uh no that would just be Xena. She does this when she cleans the house. She just gets carried away sometimes. I’ve gotten used to it, but I’ll tell her to turn it down."

"No it’s okay leave her be. I just didn’t think about Xena and music…I mean Elvis?"

"Oh yeah Elvis." Gabrielle said rolling her eyes. "She loves Elvis."

As "Don’t Be Cruel" echoed through the house the duo made their way to the kitchen. They sat the bags down on the counter and listened to the music for a moment before busting out laughing. They had both caught a glimpse of the great warrior dancing with the sweeper. They got their laughter under control and had even managed to wipe away the tears before Xena came into the kitchen and deposited a few dishes in the sink. Renee and Gabrielle both just gave her silly grins as the music turned slow and melodic with the beginning of "Love Me Tender ".

Before Gabrielle could protest and with a wink to Renee Xena pulled the bard into her arms and began singing to her. "Love me tender. Love me sweet. Never let me go. You have made my life complete and I love you so."

Renee watched as their eyes locked on each other. It was like a scene out of some of the fan fiction she had read while poking around on the Internet one night. ‘Boy if those folks only knew the truth’ she thought as she watched her friends. They were completely lost in each other’s eyes as the warrior continued with the song.

"Love me tender. Love me true. All my dreams fulfill. For my darling I love you and I always will. Love me tender. Love me long. Take me to your heart, for it’s there that I belong and will never part. Love me tender. Love me true. All my dreams fulfill. For my darling I love you and I always will. Love me tender. Love me dear. Tell me you are mine. I’ll be yours through all the years ‘til the end of time. Love me tender. Love me true. All my dreams fulfill. For my darling I love you and I always will."

With music fading into the background Xena leaned over and gave Gabrielle a soft kiss and released her from her embraced. Turned winked at Renee again with a great big grin and was gone back the way she had come. The music started back up with the much faster "Too Much."

"Well that was something. She seems to be in a really good mood today." Renee said with a little clearing of her throat as she began unpacking the groceries.

"Ah yeah." Gabrielle replied a little embarrassed. "It’s just that um…well…he wrote that song for us. And every time it plays she sings it to me."

"You knew Elvis?"

"Quite well actually. Who do you think taught him to dance like that?"

"You mean?" The actress asked as she jerked her thumb over her shoulder.

"Un-huh." The bard smiled.

"Boy I learn something new about you two every time we get together."

"Hey you asked for it. You got it." Gabrielle laughed as she put the groceries on the counter and folded the bags.

"Yes, yes I did. So you really don’t mind all my questions?" She pulled four nice steaks out of the butcher paper and began spicing them.

"No. We don’t do this often, but the circumstances are different with you and Luc."

"Yeah I guess it would be. You know we really hate it that we can’t show what really…"

"Hey it’s okay. To be honest I think you’re doing a great job with it. You guys are real troopers. Besides there are some things better left to the imagination. Here use this." She handed Renee a homemade mixture of spices. "Xena’s favorite." She added as she began preparing the salad.

"Hmm yeah…" She said with slight embarrassment.

"What?"

"Have you guys ever checked out the Internet?"

"Oh yeah. One of Xena’s favorite games is to get on and fuck with ‘em."

"You’re kidding?" She said with a laugh. "Luc did that once and it didn’t work out very well."

"Yeah I know they still talk about it from time to time."

Renee looked up with a grin, "Ever read any of the fan fiction?"

"Some of it’s not fiction." Gabrielle said with her own grin.

"I never should have asked. More information than I needed thanks." She said as she sprinkled the steaks before her with a spice mixture Xena was fond of.

"All Shook Up" was vibrating through the house when the doorbell rang again. "That must be Luc." Gabrielle stated as she headed for the door, yelling for Xena to turn the stereo down. It didn’t happen. She opened the door to find Lucy there with a bottle of wine and the same silly grin Renee had when she had arrived.

"Lemme guess…" She said as she stepped inside.

"Do you really need to?" Gabrielle responded with a giggle.

"Guess not. Ren’s here already huh?"

"Yeah she got here a little while ago and has all ready been subject to Xena singing "Love Me Tender". She said as they headed for the kitchen.

"Oh I wish I hadn’t missed that." She placed the wine on the counter and gave her co-star a little squeeze around the shoulders. "How goes it?"

"It goes. Xena’s in a very playful mood today watch out for her."

"Thank for the warning. Anything I can do to help?"

"Actually I think we’ve got everything under control here…" Gabrielle said as Xena bounced into the room, dancing to the cabinet and retrieving a roll of paper towels and then bounced out again. Leaving the three women quaking with laughter as they watched her. "Well most of us anyhow." Gabrielle finished as she once again wiped the tears from her eyes. "I have no idea what has gotten into her today. This is very rare."

"Boy Ren you were right."

They finished preparing for dinner as "Teddy Bear" rang through the house. Occasionally they heard her singing with the music, which just sent them into fits of more laughter. Gabrielle motioned for them to follow her as "Jailhouse Rock" started up. They grabbed their wineglasses and followed as they all took seats on the steps leading down into the rec room to watch. They did their best to hold back the laughter as Xena turned around to face them. Without so much as missing a beat, she simply came over and pulled Renee to her feet and began dancing with her and singing to her.

"Let’s rock! Everybody let’s rock…" She sang as she and Renee danced around the room. Renee was doing a good job of keeping up and following the movements which where in perfect rhythm with the heavy drum and bass beat of the music. Gabrielle and Lucy basically collapsed on top of each other in hysterical laughter.

Xena had a wide grin on her face as she looked at the two laughing women on the stairs and turned to Renee, she extended a hand and continued, "Number forty-seven said to number three. You da’ cutest jailbird I ever did see. I sure would be delighted with your company. Come and do the jailhouse rock with me…"

Renee took the offered hand as they continued to dance in sync to the music. She watched as Xena moved in perfect time and tried to follow. She looked up at her comrades and shrugged as she continued dancing with the warrior.

As the music ended Xena moved to the stereo and turned it down to acceptable levels for the first time that day. She turned to Renee and smiled. "You’re pretty good kid." She said as she wiped sweat from her forehead with the palm of her hand.

"Well gee thanks. So Gabrielle says you actually taught him how to dance."

"One of my many skills." She said as she moved over to the step and took her wife’s wineglass and took a sip. She handed it back with a wink, "Thanks."

"My pleasure warrior." The bard said as she took her glass back.

"Who would have thought." Renee giggled.

"Whaat?" Xena asked as she arched the eyebrow.

"I never thought of you as the dancing type."

"Oh is that so?"

"Well yeah I mean. You’re so… focused all of the time…" Renee offered.

"Centered." Lucy chimed in as her giggles began to subside.

"Tight assed!" Gabrielle yelled before she bolted from the steps and headed back to the kitchen. Lucy and Renee found themselves in another fit of laughter as the warrior vaulted up the steps after the bard. The shriek from the kitchen told them she had been caught. Very soon they reappeared. One bard slung over the shoulder of one warrior.

"Xena put me down!" She yelled as the warrior walked to the center of the room. Renee took a seat on the steps. "Put me down!" The bard yelled again and began to wiggle.

This earned her a firm slap on the behind. "Hold still."

"Xena we have guests…"

"They’re not guests they’re family…"

"Xena please." Gabrielle sneered at her unsympathetic friends on the steps who where shaking with silent laughter. "Oh gee thanks for all the support guys." Her line of vision changed abruptly as Xena swung around.

"You guys don’t mind do you? Sometimes I have to remind her exactly who is in charge here." The warrior asked of the two who had suddenly found very straight faces.

"No please go right ahead." Lucy said with a wave of her hand. Renee simply nodded in agreement.

Xena turned back around. Gabrielle looked up at her chuckling friends again. "I hate you both. Just so you know and there is no doubt in your minds."

It was going to be a long night…

The End

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