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.

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: Umm Yeah there is sex…

Violence: Nope

Language: Mild

Other: This takes place right after the 5^th season episode Chakram.

By T.Novan

TNOVAN@aol.com

Amarice opened her eyes once again and looked across the campsite, through the campfire she saw them. She watched them. When she first met them, she wondered, but she never asked. It really wasn’t any of her business if they were sleeping together. Xena was a great warrior, someone she could learn from. Gabrielle was her Queen and one doesn’t not question a Queen about her love life.

Tonight was their first night together since they were both fully restored and tonight she definitely saw the love between them. Gabrielle was laying in Xena’s arms sound asleep, Xena was dozing, but her warrior senses had kicked in and she continually lifted her head to look and listen to the sounds of the night that surrounded them.

It was chilly and they had very little gear with them, so Xena has seen to it that Gabrielle was as close to the fire as possible and had them covered with the thin outer coat that she wore. While Xena’s head returned to the bare ground each time Gabrielle’s was pillowed on a strong shoulder so that she might be more comfortable.

The young amazon smiled as she watched them, hoping herself that someday she would be that fortunate.

Joxer moved across the camp to the spot he had chosen for his bed. On his way he stopped to warm his hands by the fire, as he did, he looked over at them. He couldn’t help but smile. He had told Gabrielle his heart and he was finally glad to be relieved of that burden.

When he watched them together after their resurrection he knew right away and wondered why he hadn’t noticed it before. He chalked it up to two things, youth and his own love for Gabrielle was clouding his vision. Now, however there was no doubt. As he turned away from his sleeping friends he was happy for them both. He knew he could never love Gabrielle like Xena did no matter how hard he might try. He took his spot near the fire and rolled over to offer them some modicum of privacy.

Morning brought the four friends out of their slumber at about the same time. Joxer and Amarice made they’re excuses heading out to hunt and try to find something for the morning meal.

Xena smiled as she still held the groggy bard close to her. She was never going to let her go again. "Cold?"

"A little." Gabrielle offered as she snuggled a little closer. "But I have the best heat source in all of Rome or Greece lying next to me."

"Under you." Xena chuckled as she hugged the bard turned warrior closer.

The blonde finally opened her eyes and looked. She was indeed very nearly lying completely on top of Xena. "I could move."

"You could, but the ground is cold. So why would you want to do that?"

"Can’t think of one reason except that I need to make a trip to the woods."

"Ah, well, then go ahead." The warrior released her then sat up herself.

Xena tossed on her coat then tended to the fire before standing and giving a good stretch.

"Still sore?" Gabrielle asked as she returned to her lover’s side and rubbed hands up and down Xena’s back.

"Un-huh. My body has a thing about being nailed to a Roman cross. It didn’t seem to find that to be an all together pleasant experience."

"Well mine wasn’t thrilled with it." The bard grinned as she continued to massage the muscles under her hands.

"Then let’s make a pact not to do that again."

"Done."

"One of the best deals we ever made with each other." Xena grinned as she lowered her head for a kiss.

As they parted, Gabrielle traced a finger down Xena’s jaw. "Umm you know as soon as we get home and find some privacy I have plans for you."

"Oh really?"

"Umm-hmm." Came the very ‘hungry’ answer with a deep green stare, so clouded with desire that Xena knew they wouldn’t have to wait for home if they could just find some privacy.

Xena smiled as she drew her knuckles over Gabrielle’s cheek. "Well be in town tonight. Maybe we won’t have to wait for home."

"Oh now that would be ‘heaven’." The blonde chuckled as she turned to the fire. "Xena what do you think it all means? I mean all our lives we’re taught to believe in Tartarus and Elysia and then we end up in places called heaven and hell. What kind of a sick joke is that?"

"Not a joke honey, just another realm commanded by another set of beings."

"Where do you think we’ll end up?"

"Do you want the truth?"

"Please." Gabrielle nodded.

"I don’t think we’re ever going to end up in either. I think that we’re going to keep being reborn over and over again. I don’t think we are ever going to be allowed to rest."

"Why?"

"Well, my old pessimistic self would say it’s a form of Tartarus that I had been condemned to for my crimes in this life and that unfortunately you would be condemned to it as well because we are soulmates and we can’t be separated."

"And now?"

"And now I think it’s because as a team, together, you and I have something to offer the world that only we can give it."

"What would that be?"

"Dunno haven’t worked that bit out yet." The warrior explained as she rubbed the bard’s shoulders.

"When you do…."

"Oh you’ll be the first to know."

Once they made the seaport, Xena and Joxer went to find a ship to carry them back to Greece. Amarice and Gabrielle scouted the town looking for warm dry accommodations that might at least put a roof over their heads for the night. They hadn’t had much success in their efforts when they met back up with Xena and Joxer.

"Did you two manage to buy us a ride home?" Amarice asked as she leaned against a post.

"Yup we sure did." Joxer grinned. "On a pretty nice ship. We even managed to get two cabins for the trip."

"Now how did you manage that?" Gabrielle eyed her partner with her arms crossed.

Xena grinned a little and shrugged.

"Spill it."

"Oh Gabrielle it’s no big deal I just traded him a couple of days of work on the ship for them." Xena shuffled a little. "Really."

"So you’re going to spend two days as basically a galley slave so that we can rest in comfortable cabins on the way home?"

"Don’t look at it that way Gabrielle." The tall woman offered as she wrapped her arm around small shoulders. "Look at as, well have a nice, warm, comfortable ‘bed’."

The word ‘bed’ was not lost on the blonde woman, but she still gave her partner a look that showed her disapproval. "You know I could do a days worth and then it would only be one day instead of two."

"No Gabrielle, you’re going to be fighting that seasickness thing and you’re going to rest."

"We’ll see."

"Gab…ri…elle…."

"Nope, don’t do it, don’t say it. We are a team."

"Okay then tell you what. To show my support for you, I’ll share your seasickness too."

"Oh now that is a deal." She grinned wishing it could really happen. * Sure we can come back from the dead for each other, but can we be sick for each other, nooooo. *

"So when do we leave?" Amarice tossed a stone in the water.

Joxer’s smile grew wider, "In about two marks."

"Tonight!?" Gabrielle turned to Xena the surprise clear on her face. "We get to start for home tonight?"

Xena merely nodded as Gabrielle threw her arms around her neck. The warrior just shrugged to her friends as she wrapped her arms around the small woman.

The ship was actually a very nice, Gabrielle was surprised at their accommodations. The cabin was small but clean and the bed took up most of the room, but that’s all they were going to need it for anyhow.

They put what few things they did have away in the cabin, taking the time to enjoy a long deep kiss as their bodies really came together. Xena’s hands moved up and down Gabrielle’s bare back. She pulled back from the kiss with a smile.

"You know I rather like this new outfit."

"Is that so?"

"Un-huh. Very umm…easy to get out of I’ll bet."

"Yeah it is, but right now there’s something else I want to do."

"And that would be?"

"I want to go up on deck and watch this place fade off into the distance as we head for home. Can we do that?"

"Oh you’d better believe it."

With one last quick kiss, Xena pulled the door open then ushered the bard out. They moved to an observation deck and as Gabrielle leaned back into Xena, who wrapped her arms around the bard’s waist they watched the shore disappear into the distance. Both of them silently were promising to leave all that happened there on those shores. Caesar was dead and now hopefully they could live their lives without his specter hanging over them.

Xena felt Gabrielle draw a deep and satisfied breath as the only thing before their eyes became the vastness of the open sea that would take them home to Greece.

"Happy?" A dark head dropped down to an ear that was just waiting to be nibbled.

"Un-huh." Gabrielle held up her forearm. "Make me happier." She groaned as she felt the first of the waves and her stomach roll at the same time.

The warrior chuckled as she pressed the point on Gabrielle’s arm that would ease her discomfort.

"Thanks. You’d think they could have taken the time to fix that little problem too." She grinned as she turned in Xena’s arms. "Now I suggest we retire to our cabin so you can further distract me from my current condition."

"Which condition would that be? You know each problem has it’s own remedy."

"I want the remedy that will cure my of the burning I’ve had in the pit of my stomach since we met up with Ares and Kal."

"Why Gabrielle," The warrior smiled. "You’re suffering from battle lust."

"You have no idea. Another night of waiting and I was simply going to have to have you no matter who was around, or where we were."

"You control it very well."

"Yeah, well that season I wasted learning how to meditate wasn’t a complete loss then."

Xena threw her head back giving a hearty laugh as they made their way down the stairs and moved toward their cabin. Just as they were about to go below deck, Amarice stopped them Xena chuckled again as she heard Gabrielle groan.

"My Queen, we have some food for the evening meal. Will you join us?"

"No thank you Amarice. Xena and I are going below deck for the evening and unless this tub springs a leak I don’t want to be disturbed."

Amarice twisted her lips to hide the smile as she nodded. "Yes My Queen."

Once safely locked in their cabin, Xena watched appreciatively as Gabrielle bent over to remove her sais from her boots. Gabrielle, in turn smiled when she heard a low growl. "See something you like?"

"You know I do."

Gabrielle didn’t turn around. She just grinned as she began unlacing her boots, making sure to occasionally flex a thigh muscle or shift her legs just so. When her boots finally came off she ran her hands up and down her calves a couple of times just to hear her partner growl again. "I love it when you do that." She offered quietly as she turned around to find the tall woman lounging back on the bed.

"What?"

"When you’re voice drops and gets all…growly. When you’re eyes turn deep blue because you’re so aroused you can barely think." She reached around to the small of her back untying the cord to her top. Ever so slowly she allowed the material to fall away from her torso. She smiled as she watched Xena, well for lack of a better word, squirm as she lifted it over her head to bare her upper body to the hungry eyes of her lover. "Yeah," A feral grin of her own crossed her lips. "When you act, just…like…that." She dropped the top to the floor.

Xena was mesmerized as Gabrielle crossed the small distance between them and crawled up the bed and her body, finally coming to rest straddling her hips. Her hands immediately went to the woman’s bare waist, then began caressing up and down as Gabrielle stared down at her. "So now Warrior…." Gabrielle began working the hooks on Xena’s tunic.

"Look who’s talking." The tall woman offered as she began unfastening the belt that held the bard’s armored skirt in place, leaving her only in her short pants. She finally pulled it up and fingered the small metal studs in the strips. "Hmm leather and brass. I rather like this. Very sexy."

"Yeah, yeah I’ve been turned on by leather and brass for sometime now." She grinned as she took the skirt form Xena and let it drop to the floor. She arched her back as Xena’s hands returned there and began a slow and sensual massage. Finally, she bent over and began exploring the expanse of neck at her lips. "Hmm so nice." The blonde murmured as she felt Xena’s pulse quicken. "Love you." She whispered as her hips began rocking slowly. "Love you so much. Have to have you. Now."

They finished undressing each other, slowly, lovingly. With many tender words and tender touches inspired to ignite passion deep within. They lay facing each other, legs intertwined as hands caressed bare skin.

"Gabrielle I love you. I hope you know that."

"I never doubted it Xena."

The smile that crossed Xena’s face was priceless. In the bard’s mind, there was nothing more beautiful in this life or the next. She leaned in and captured those lips in a kiss designed to knock the more experienced warrior on her backside, which to her great delight she did. As she rolled Xena on her back, she felt it as her pulse quicken, heard her heart beat harder and harder, low growls became long and deep moans. Breathing became ragged as Gabrielle used her hands and mouth to explore the body under her.

The smaller woman could feel her battle lust, moving from the dark place in her own soul, where she had so carefully placed it until it could be handled properly. She moved her head up and looked in Xena’s eyes. "You are mine Xena!" She growled as she pinned Xena’s hands to her side with her own.

"Yes." The warrior nodded as she licked her lips.

"You don’t belong to Ares or anyone else. You belong to me!"

"Yours. All yours."

"I will have you and I will have you now. Do you want that Xena?"

All the tall woman could do was nod. Listening to Gabrielle become so commanding, even demanding in their love making was something they hadn’t really experienced before, but the tone in her lover’s voice told her that trying to deny the little woman could be painful. Her body had no desire to experience pain at the moment. It wanted pleasure and a lot of it.

"Answer me Xena. Do you want it?"

"Yes, Gabrielle yes. Please." Her back arched the moment she felt the strong thigh part her legs and come to rest hard against her. "Unh Gabrielle…please."

"Yes my love, but not until I’m ready and I say so."

"Yes."

Gabrielle moved so that her own needs could be met by the firm strong thigh of her partner. "Oh that’s good." She growled as her hips began moving along that lovely spread of flesh.

"Yes, yes it is." Xena agreed as she felt the slickness of her own passion and that of her partner begin to coat their skin. "Wonderful." She moaned as she captured Gabrielle’s lips in a deep kiss.

Bodies moved with each other, hands investigated and mapped familiar territory as the lovers passions grew and spread through their bodies, warming them and taking away any remnant of the chill left deep in them by Brutus’ betrayal and Caesar’s murder attempt.

They loved until they were soaked and exhausted. Climaxing with each other over and over again until their bodies finally demanded rest. As the last spasm wracked Gabrielle’s body, she collapsed on top of Xena with a long and very satisfied groan.

"Gods…." She moaned quietly in the ear close to her mouth.

"Unt-huh." Xena wrapped her arms around her partner. "They had nothing to do with it. It was us my love, all us."

The knocking on the door woke them both. Sleepy green eyes met sleepy blue eyes. Xena smiled when Amarice called through the door. "She’s your amazon, you handle it." She said before she closed her eyes again.

"Well gee, partner thanks." Gabrielle grumbled as she untangled herself from her lover, grabbing a blanket and wrapping it around her body as she climbed out of bed, giving a lazy backside a smack on the way.

"Ouch."

"Complain, complain, complain." The blonde smirked as she ran her fingers through her hair. "Cover up will ya’."

Xena grinned as she took the sheet and pulled it over most of her body as she rolled onto her stomach and spread out completely across the bed.

"Don’t get too comfy there Warrior, I’m coming back."

The grumble from the bed told Gabrielle that Xena was very nearly asleep again. She always had slept like a log whenever they were aboard a ship. It was so unfair, Xena slept as if she had been drugged and Gabrielle herself needed to be drugged in order to sleep. Most of the time, then there were nights like the one before. She smiled a wicked little smile as she pulled the door open.

The young amazon was a little more than shocked when the Queen, draped only in a blanket pulled the door open.

Gabrielle growled. "I assume we’re sinking."

"Umm no my Queen." She lifted the tray she held in her hands. "I brought you a morning meal."

Gabrielle stepped aside, allowing Amarice to bring the tray in. The young amazon didn’t mean to, but she couldn’t take her eyes off the bed. One very naked Warrior Princess covered only by a small, thin sheet was even too much for her to ignore. She swallowed hard as Xena rolled over to face to wall causing the sheet to wrap even tighter around her body and move a little higher, revealing a bit of firm backside.

"She’s a little bit of an exhibitionist." Gabrielle said with a smirk as she watched Amarice take in all of her lover’s beautiful attributes. Truth of the matter was the Queen was rather enjoying this chance to show off what was hers. It pleased her that the essence of their passion lingered in the cabin and there was no question to how they had spent their first private night together.

Amaraice’s eyes darted back to her Queen. I’m…I’m sorry…I just…."

Gabrielle held up her hand to quiet the young woman. "It’s okay Amarice. We’ll be up top in a bit."

"Yes My Queen."

Gabrielle closed the door, taking the time to re-lock it before launching herself onto the bed. "Show off!" She smacked the shoulder in front off her. This drew a little laugh from Xena. "You are so bad!"

"That’s not what you said last night Gabrielle."

"Har, har."

Xena rolled over and draped an arm over her lover’s waist. "As a matter of fact I remember hearing you moan in my ear about how good I was."

"I did not."

"You didn’t?"

"Nope."

"Well then," The warrior leered as she tore the blanket away from Gabrielle’s body. "I’m just gonna have to do something about that." She moved over the small woman pressing their bodies together. "Aren’t I?"

"Yes please." She agreed very quickly as she pushed the sheet from Xena’s body. "I’m all yours."

"Good thing I’m a greedy woman, because I want all of you." Xena parted the bard legs and place herself firmly between them. "And I will have you."

"Absolutely." Gabrielle affirmed, as she felt the warmth of her lover’s body and soul surround and comfort her.

This round of love making was more intense and powerful that the one before it. As their bodies quaked and shuddered together, there were small marks, scratches and bites left behind on both bodies as they surrendered to each other over and over again.

At long last, they lay together, facing each other, legs tangled together with the sheet tangled among them as well. Xena’s touch was sweet and tender as she stroked the skin before her.

"Gabrielle?"

"Hmm?"

"Promise me something."

"Anything."

"When we get back to Greece. Promise me that that you’ll keep writing your scrolls. A talent like yours should not be lost."

"I’ll agree to that if you promise me something."

"Anything."

"You’ll read them this time."

Xena smiled and nodded as she drew her sweet warrior bard into her arms for a long kiss.

End

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