Chapter 17

They'd been traveling nearly non-stop since they talked with the man at the stables in Pella. The story he told about the small blonde and the way she broke the wild stallion made Xena grin from ear to ear. Eponin wasn't sure if it was pride, she saw in her friend's face, or sheer happiness at the notion that Gabrielle had been seen, alive and well.

Xena felt driven, but she had a goal now. She felt Argo's muscles moving underneath her, the sound of the other horses hooves pounding in her ears. She'd been doing nothing but thinking about Gabrielle, not just her wife, but also their life together. Xena had always been the one in control, even after she met Gabrielle. Her bard trusted Xena to take care of them in every way. Now, their lives were changing, had changed. They lived in a place where Gabrielle took care of them. Xena wondered if she ever really thought about that until now. Her need for control was great and now she truly had to relinquish that need. Now, she had to do more than say, she could do this; she had to prove it.

"Son of a Bacchae!" Xena broke out of her introspection, just in time to avoid trampling a child who came running into the middle of the road.

The warrior brought up Argo hard, the mare skidding to a halt in front of the terrified youngster. The child cried hysterically and pointed toward the river. Xena and the Amazons heard the water break free, knowing a flash flood could be a devastating thing, should anyone be caught in the riverbed.

The child had short blonde hair and her eyes were the color of Gabrielle's. The youngster's cry brought Xena up short.

"Come now…please, help Bri!"

Xena lifted the child up by her shoulders and looked into the tear-stained face. The warrior knew. There could only be one person in the known world that sent that particular chill up her spine. One woman whose heart called out to Xena in such a way that the warrior just knew she was near.

Xena held the child to her and jumped into Argo's saddle, spurring the animal toward the river. The warrior's actions were swift and smooth. She came to the edge of the river, close to the spot of the large bridge that looked as though it had recently been destroyed. Reining in Argo, Xena slid from the saddle and deposited the child safely on the ground.

Xena took it all in at a single glance. As she rode to a halt before the river's edge, the warrior saw the wagon in the middle of the river, white water rushing all around the precariously tilting vehicle. A blonde head struggled to stay above the water's surface.

The warrior didn't have to think; her response to the situation was as natural as breathing.

"Gabrielle!" Xena screamed.

Xena ran for the river's edge, making it in half a dozen strides. When her feet hit the edge, she launched her body into the air, hitting the water below. The warrior sliced through the surface of the churning water fighting the rushing torrent to reach the wagon.

"Gabrielle," Xena called out breathlessly, pulling even with the wagon and grabbing the leaning cart.

"Xena?" Gabrielle looked around in confusion. The cold water was affecting her; it had to be. The small blonde could have swore she heard--

"Xena?"

Gabrielle came face to face with brilliant sapphire orbs. It was quick, an instant and no more. Gabrielle realized that no matter how far she ran or for how long they were apart, looking into those loving eyes would always be like coming home.

"Oh Gods, Xena!" Gabrielle's tears began again.

"Gabrielle," Xena cradled her wife's head in one hand, kissing the lips that she had begun to fear would never be within her reach again. "Baby, we have to get you out of here. Hold on to me."

"Xena, I can't. My foot…it's caught. I can't get loose."

"Hang on, baby, let me take a look."

Xena took a deep breath and dove under the water. The water was thick with dirt and sand, preventing Xena from even opening her eyes. She felt Gabrielle's foot, wedged between the spokes of the wagon wheel. The Queen's foot was buried up to mid calf in the mud at the bottom of the river. Xena tried digging away the silt, but as soon as she scooped a handful away, the water settled more over that spot. The need for air brought her to the surface again.

Already Eponin had three Amazons in the water, ropes tethering them together and anchored at the river's edge. They quickly made their way to the wagon, attempting to use their combined strength to return the wagon to an upright position. Just when they thought they could fight the water and upend the wagon, Gabrielle screamed.

"My leg…" she cried out to Xena.

Another dive into the icy waters and Xena saw her wife's predicament. Gabrielle's leg had been buried when the wagon was on an angle. Her foot was so firmly entrenched in the mud of the river bottom that each time the Amazons tilted the wagon to its normal upright position, it bent the young Queen's leg to almost a breaking point.

Perhaps a quarter of a candlemark passed. Xena noted that the water, which had been up to Gabrielle's neck, now came to just below her chin. Xena stared at the water line, her wife's shivering voice breaking her from her reverie.

"I'm not going to make it, am I?" she couldn't keep the tears from taking over once more.

"Don't say that! Don't you dare say that. I'll think of a way, Brie…don't I always?" Xena brushed away the tears and cupped Gabrielle's face in her hand, holding the tear-streaked face upward to keep her from swallowing any more water. Xena wrapped her arm around the smaller woman in an attempt to keep her from freezing; the Queen's lips already a dusky hue.

"Gabrielle…baby, use your ring, the one Apollo gave you. Call him for help."

Gabrielle shook her head, even though Xena held it firmly in her grasp. "It won't work…it's a long story," she answered Xena's furrowed brow.

"It might…at least try," Xena pleaded.

"You'll have to use yours," Gabrielle sputtered as a rush of water tossed a wave in her direction. "Mine fell off when I tried to pull my leg free."

"Oh Gods, Brie," Xena exclaimed. The warrior looked into Gabrielle's eyes, the warrior's own filling with tears. "Brie…I left it at home when I went hunting. I…I didn't want to lose it."

Gabrielle chuckled under the disastrous circumstances. "It's all right, love. Maybe it was meant to be this way." The blonde hadn't meant to sound defeatist, but the water was so cold and she was getting very tired. Her brain wanted to fight, but her body just kept telling her to give up.

"No! Damn you Gabrielle, we lost our daughter, I will not lose you…not again!"

"Xena…Xe," Gabrielle said in a softer tone. "It's okay, really it is. I'm just so happy I got to look into your eyes one last time, kiss you, and tell you how very much I love you. I'm sorry, Xe…I never meant to hurt you…"

"I don't want to listen to you talk this way, Gabrielle," Xena's voice broke. "I won't let you give up."

"You might have to, Xe."

"No! I won't let you go, Gabrielle." Tears streamed down Xena's face, washed away by the waves that swirled and splashed into their faces. "I won't be without you…I'll follow you. I won't live this life without you. I can't, Brie…I just can't…not without you, my heart."

"No! Xena, I made a promise and it's up to you to keep it for me."

The river was past the small woman's chin and she spat out the water as she spoke. Xena tilted her wife's head up further, but soon the warrior knew; it would be too high for Gabrielle to breathe.

"Xe…" Gabrielle watched as the blue eyes before her darted around. Gabrielle could sense her warrior trying to devise a plan in her head.

"Xena, look at me!" Gabrielle called out sharply.

Xena focused all her attention on the small woman in her arms. "Brie…when the water gets too high, let me give you a breath of air. We can do that to buy some more time," Xena finished, watching the Amazons around her repeatedly diving beneath the surface to dig the mud away.

"Xe, I need to say this," Gabrielle struggled to keep her mouth above the water line. "The girl…on the shore. Her name is Tai…she has a baby sister in the bushes."

"It's okay, Gabrielle," Eponin said breathlessly. The Amazon had just resurfaced and was breathing heavily. "We found the baby…she and the little girl…they're okay…Maris is with them."

"Thanks, Ep…for everything," Gabrielle said quickly. "Ella…" a new flood of tears began and Gabrielle coughed as she swallowed more of the river water. "Xe, their mother has been such a good friend to me. We were both trapped here and she gave her life so I could live to raise her children. I promised her, and now I need you to promise me," Gabrielle looked up expectantly.

"No, don't ask me to promise you that," Xena returned.

"I am asking, Xe. I'm begging you. Take care of these children. I promised Ella that I would raise them and no one else. Don't you see, love? You are me. We are one, in life as well as death. I know in my heart that if I leave these children with you, it will be the same as raising them myself. You will be a wonderful mother, Xe."

The water had risen too far and Gabrielle could only look on as her wife cried tears of pain and frustration.

"I…I don't want to do any of it without you, Brie," Xena said in a soft, child-like voice.

Gabrielle could only look on, watching as Xena turned a head toward the riverbank and gazed at the small blonde-haired child that cried in an Amazon's arms. The warrior turned back to Gabrielle, blue eyes so intense, and simply nodded.

"On one condition…you have to hold on a little longer for me, Brie."

Gabrielle started to shake her head back and forth, but Xena shook her by her shoulders.

"Yes! You at least have to try…for me. Now, I'm going to breath for you."

It took only heartbeats to explain the procedure to the Queen and soon Xena and Gabrielle were trading off breaths. In between breaths, Xena took a large gulp of air and dove beneath the water's surface. Their actions and the water's movement disturbed the riverbed so much that she couldn't see a thing. The silt hung heavy in the water, obscuring her sight. She felt along the river bottom, sifting the top layer through her fingers. The warrior concentrated along the area closest to Gabrielle's foot.

Xena didn't have time to find out why Gabrielle thought her ring wouldn't work in summoning the small blonde's father. She searched for the band, hanging on its promise as her last hope. When Gabrielle was ready for a breath, she would tug on the warrior's shoulder and the whole process would repeat itself.

Please, Apollo, Artemis, Athena…Gods, please…Ares, I'd get down on my knees to you, just please don't let me lose her…not my heart…

Xena prayed as she repeatedly dove into the freezing water. She didn't care to whom she owed what. The warrior would gladly pay any price to keep this light alive.

Please just let her live…just let her live…

**********

"Oh, my…that was some trip," Bedilia took a deep breath and let go of Hades' arm.

"It's about time you showed up …" Ares took one look at the ancient looking woman on his uncle's arm and weakly finished the sentence. "…with reinforcements? Who is she?" Ares raised his voice in pitch as well as strength. "I just knew it! The one and only time I try to do something good and you guys are gonna get me killed for it."

"Ares!" Apollo called out to his brother. "Take it easy…we know her."

Bedilia stood before the illusionary prison, feeling the raw power the simulated bars gave off. They shimmered and sparkled, but appeared to hold strong.

"Hello, Bedilia," Apollo offered a weak smile to the old woman.

"Hello yourself," she smiled back at the handsome God, ignoring Ares leaning over her shoulder. "In a bit of a jam, I believe your daughter would say."

"You saw her?" Apollo's expression turned to one of pain as he thought about his daughter and the unbearable sorrow she was going through alone.

"Oh, my yes…that girl," Bedilia chuckled. "She is her father's daughter, Apollo. Why do you know--"

"I do hate to interrupt, but we're kind of on a time table here," Ares broke in.

"You always were the most impatient one of the lot, Ares," Bedilia remarked without taking her eyes off the bars in front of her. "Even as a child."

Ares blanched at the sound of that, clearing his throat, and then blushing slightly.

Apollo smiled in relief at the old woman's words. "Where is she? Does she know what's going on? Hera's spell…did you remove it?"

"Calm down my friend," the old woman answered. "Gabrielle is on her way back to the Amazon Village. She is aware of some, but not all of what has been happening. She does know I was on my way to see you. I thought my sisters told me that Hera forced you to watch through her scrying bowl?"

"It seems it only worked when Hera wanted me to see something," Apollo indicated the hammered brass bowl with a nod of his head. "It's bad enough I can't free myself or Morpheus, but my powers have all but disappeared in here."

"We tried, but our powers don't seem to work from out here either," Ares and Hades both acknowledged. Ares spoke slowly and loudly, considering the old woman's age.

"Is he simple?" Bedilia whispered to Hades.

The dark-haired God laughed loudly and laughed even more and the indignant look on his nephew's face. I'll bet he never thought being on the good team would humiliate him so much, Hades thought to himself.

"Well, first things first," Bedilia responded. With a wave of her hand, the restraints suddenly dropped from the wrists of both confined Gods.

"Whoa," Ares tilted his head to one side. "How did she do that?"

"Then," Bedilia passed her hand before the opening of the cavern again.

A steamy mist rose from the scrying bowl, a hissing sound emitted from the metal. The liquid swirled about as Apollo strained to see past the bubbling brew.

"Whoa, how'd she…hey, how'd you do that?" Ares asked in awe.

"Nooo!" Apollo cried out, peering into the scrying bowl, the window to the mortal realm. "Gabrielle! Bedilia quick, get me out of here!"

"Removing this spell so Hera isn't aware it's been broken requires something other than speed," the old woman answered.

Bedilia opened her mind to the vision the God was staring at in the bowl. She could see Gabrielle, under water, but her Consort wouldn't concede the battle for the young Queen's life.

"Hera has found out that Gabrielle is free of the mind control. She can see where the young woman is. We can still have a modicum of surprise on our side, but we'll have to act quickly."

Bedilia spoke in rapid tones. A small inflection in her speech appeared when she spoke quickly like that. Her vowels rolled off the tongue, giving away the fact that she'd grown up speaking a dialect more ancient than even the Olympians themselves.

"One of you must go to Gabrielle. Even now, the Warrior Princess is about to call you to her Apollo. If you used the spell on that ring that I think you did, it will draw you to Gabrielle before you have a chance to object. Your essence will shatter into a thousand pieces as soon as it passes through these prison bars."

All eyes turned to Ares.

"Oh, nooo! No, no, no! She'll fry me…Hera will cut me up into tiny pieces and serve me with a cream sauce on the side!" Ares paced behind the old woman.

Bedilia cried out as the bars sparked, small flames of molten lava falling to the cavern floor. "Go now!"

"No! No! N--aw, shit!" The God disappeared in a blue flash.

"Please, Bedilia…I know you need time, but…it's not that I don't trust Ares, but he--"

"Apollo!" Bedilia uttered sharply, her eyes closed in concentration. "It took me a millennium to develop the spell to keep Gods out of this room. I would think that you could afford me a dozen heartbeats to see to it that we can get back in."

The sandy-haired God lowered his head, but the old woman saw his hands wringing together out of fear and frustration.

"Don't worry so much, Apollo…how like your daughter you are…how much you two manage to feel. She opened one eyelid and peered at him. "Besides, your brother will be a more than adequate surrogate. I suspect that after this, he may be unable to keep the true nature of his relationship a secret much longer."

The old woman's words took Apollo's mind off the impossible task of waiting patiently when his daughter so desperately needed his help.

"Gabrielle will be furious at me for not telling her," he said.

Bedilia chuckled. "If you think your daughter will be angry…just wait till the Warrior Princess finds out. Then we will truly learn the meaning of mortal displeasure."

Bedilia continued to smile with her eyes closed. The majority of her concentration focused on the ancient words, blending the threads together and mixing the incantation like a true witches brew. A small part of her mind, however, found these mortals, even the Gods who constantly dabbled in the humans' lives, wildly amusing. The happiness and the tragedy, it all completed the circle. She grinned from ear to ear, splitting her concentration among the tasks at hand.

"What are you smiling at, old woman?" Apollo asked suspiciously.

Bedilia chuckled again under her breath. "Things that keep me young."

**********

Xena broke the surface of the water, even as she was slipping the ring on her finger.

"Fa--"

A hand clamped across her mouth and strong fingers plucked the golden ring from her fingers. Xena felt herself pushed aside, losing her hold on Gabrielle. The warrior looked on in horror as Ares stood in the freezing water, eying the ring and pushing it into his shirt pocket.

"Aresss!" Xena screamed, throwing an uppercut into the God of War's chin.

Ares' head rocked back under the force of the blow, the God acknowledging the fact that there weren't many mortals with the power to do that to him.

"Xena! Get a grip, woman!"

Then Ares did something Xena never thought she would ever see. The God raised a hand and instantly the rushing water stopped and with another wave of his hand, the surging river pushed itself up river. Gabrielle took one long gasp as she brought much needed air into her lungs. The young Queen fell over into Xena's arms, the small blonde's body trembling with cold and fatigue.

Ares grabbed the wagon with both hands, gently lifting the wooden cart up from the mud, the suction carrying Gabrielle's trapped foot to the surface also. Xena reached down and extracted the bard's foot from the spokes of the wagon wheel, while a band of stunned Amazons looked on with their mouths hanging open. They all knew about Xena's past with Ares and the times the God of War put their Queen's life in jeopardy, simply to further his own quest to regain the Warrior Princess as his own. Even Xena seemed a little bewildered at Ares' actions.

"Well, are you all gonna stand there and stare at me all day or get her out of the river?" Ares shouted impatiently. "Geez, you'd think I never do anything good," he muttered under his breath.

The Amazons scrambled to the shore, but Xena had eyes only for the woman she now held closely to her body, cradling Gabrielle's shivering form in her strong embrace. Eponin helped Xena us the steep embankment with the Queen. Gabrielle was nearly blue, unable to control her trembling body.

"Get a fire started…now!" Eponin shouted as the warriors around her rushed to gather wood.

Xena grabbed two nearby blankets and wrapped them around her wife's body, rubbing her skin to circulate some warmth into the slight frame.

"S-S-So c-cold…" Gabrielle's thoughts trailed off as she closed her eyes tightly, trying to fend off the sleep that threatened.

Ares walked up to the camp just as the Amazons tossed the gathered wood into a pile.

"Xe…I-I'm really c-c-cold," Gabrielle's teeth chattered together loudly.

"I know, baby, we're--"

Suddenly the pile of logs and dried wood burst into flames, nearly knocking Eponin backwards. She glared at the God of War, but Ares gave up his best innocent look.

"Hey, it wasn't me," he pointed out, raising both eyebrows in the Queen's direction.

All eyes turned toward Gabrielle.

"Brie?" Xena questioned, only half believing. The warrior knew her wife was half Goddess, but she never saw Gabrielle demonstrate any abilities like this.

"I-I'm sorry, Xe…I d-didn't mean it, but Gods, I w-w-was so cold," Gabrielle answered.

Xena laughed aloud and pulled her wife closer. "Don't worry, baby. Hey, look at it this way, camping out is going to be way easy now," the warrior grinned.

Gabrielle flashed a weak smile at Xena, holding onto the warrior as though someone threatened to tear the two apart. The small blonde thought of Ella and her promise to her friend. The Queen put her feelings in a safe place until she could deal with them later, knowing she would have to make time to reflect and mourn later.

Ares watched the pair, especially the small blonde in whom everyone seemed to hold so high a regard. Grudgingly, the God had to admit, that the kid grew on him. When his brother came to him, right before Gabrielle was born, and asked him for a favor, Ares never knew it would be this one. Once he found out that Gabrielle was fated to capture the Warrior Princess from him, acquiring not only the warrior's heart, but also her very soul, Ares was livid. He accused Apollo of trickery and refused to carry out the sacred tradition. The God of War tried a number of ways to rid himself of Gabrielle's presence, but he could never really hurt her. He got pretty close on a few occasions, but his bond to the girl was a sacred one and like a hundred before him, man and woman, both mortal and God, he found himself a willing prisoner to her compassionate ways, easy charm, and unassuming grace.

Ares casually raised a hand and with a warm rush of air, the party found themselves in dry clothing. Gabrielle looked down to find that she was not only warm, but her hair was dry as well.

"Ares!" Gabrielle said sharply to the God.

Ares was trying to blend into the background without actually leaving, but Gabrielle's voice brought him back to center stage. He fixed a bored look onto his face and stood in front of the seated woman.

Gabrielle reached out her hand and took Ares hand within her own. "Thank you, Ares…for everything," she said in a soft voice.

Xena couldn't hide her smile any longer when she noticed what her wife was wearing. Ares caught one look at the smiling blue eyes and had to smile himself.

Hey, she may be family, but the girl is still damn hot!

"What are you grinning at?" Gabrielle asked suspiciously.

"Um…" Xena motioned with her hand toward Gabrielle.

The Queen looked down at her own body and blushed. So, he does have a sense of humor…and I thought he was all libido. The small blonde was dressed in the green top and skirt she wore for seasons as she and Xena traveled across the countryside. Gabrielle found out, many seasons later, Xena always had a thing for the top, even though the warrior took every opportunity available to comment about its hideous appearance. Now, the top and skirt were about half the size they should have been and Gabrielle looked suspiciously like the women who danced in those taverns she passed when she and Xena last visited Athens.

Gabrielle couldn't help her own ironic smile. "You're pathetic," she chuckled as she dropped Ares' hand. "You'll never change."

With another wave of his hand, he returned Gabrielle to a more modest version of her old outfit. "Hey, can't blame a God for trying," Ares quipped.

"I can," Xena responded flatly, arching an eyebrow at her former mentor. The warrior's voice softened, as did her expression as she pulled Gabrielle to her once more. "Thank you, Ares. Hey," she looked down at Gabrielle, "what do you mean, thanking him for everything?" Xena teased.

Gabrielle looked up at Ares, remembering when the God refused to let Gabrielle harm herself. To the young Queen, it seemed as if it were a season ago, not just a week. She looked back at her wife and pressed herself into the warrior's warm body.

"I guess we have a lot of talking to do, huh? Xe, I--"

"Bri! Bri!" The youngster's body followed Tai's voice as the small child sped toward the Queen, leaping into the familiar embrace.

"I'm sorry, My Queen," Maris walked up behind Tai. "She fell asleep, but when she woke up and didn't see you…" Maris' voice trailed off.

Gabrielle shook off the apology from the Amazon and noted Emery, sound asleep as usual in Maris' arms.

"I found some baka fruit for her," Maris explained to the Queen. The sweet, milky juice of the baka made an excellent short-term substitute for mother's milk. "I found enough to hold her till we can get to the Village."

"I think this must be one of those things we have to talk about, eh?" Xena indicated the children, watching the blonde-haired child in her wife's lap, even as the girl eyed the warrior with a slight air of distrust.

"Yes," Gabrielle answered. "Tai, honey…this is Xena, my wife. Remember, I told you about her?"

Tai had her arms tightly wound around Gabrielle's neck as she turned her head to look over at the dark-haired woman. Xena gave her a little half smile. The youngster openly stared at the strong woman, spying the hilt of the sword strapped to Xena's back.

"Ooh…a warrior," Tai said reverently.

Xena grinned. "Yeah."

"Me too," Tai responded, pointing out the wooden sword strapped to her waist."

"I would have been able to tell right off," Xena answered in a gentle voice. "I bet you were a big help to Brie." Xena had no idea how the child came to call Gabrielle by the warrior's own pet name for her wife, but Xena's heart went out to the child for whom Gabrielle had somehow become protector.

"I didn't help too much," Tai answered shyly. Turning back to Gabrielle, matching green eyes stared at one another. "Mama's gone." Tai said in her childlike voice.

"Uh, huh," Gabrielle nodded, her own eyes filling with tears. "I'm so sorry, Tai, but yes, she's gone."

The girl tightened her hold on the Queen, burying her face against Gabrielle's neck. "Will you go too?" she asked tearfully.

Gabrielle wanted to crush the girl in her strong arms, offering up a promise right then and there. She thought of her wife and knew she wasn't alone anymore. What if Xena didn't want a ready-made family…someone else's children? What would Gabrielle do then?

The small blonde raised her eyes and met the powerful emotions directed at her from the blue gaze next to her. Xena's own eyes sparkled with unshed tears and the warrior, like she did so many times in the past, offered Gabrielle an answer without words. The expression was a familiar one to the Amazons who couldn't help but watch the interaction between their Queen and her Consort. They saw the look bestowed upon the small blonde many times and for many reasons. The warrior's expression said that she would do anything for Gabrielle. No request would be too small, no danger too great…in life or death, near or far. Anything…anything at all is what Xena would give to keep this light in her life.

Xena raised a hand, first to gently touch the backs of her fingers to Gabrielle's cheek, then to place the same hand on Tai's small head.

"Bri isn't going anywhere, Tai," Xena said to the youngster who turned her tear-stained face to the warrior. "She won't go…not without us," Xena smiled at the girl, and then reached over to place a gentle kiss against her wife's forehead.

"Okay, I think I'm going to be ill now," Ares said with a heavy sound of sarcasm. "Is the love fest over yet?"

"Tai," Xena said drawing the girl to sit in her own lap. "That's what happens to bad warriors," Xena pointed to the God of War.

"Ooh," Tai used her favorite expression, settling comfortably in the warrior's embrace.

"So, that's the thanks I get. I turn up and play hero and all I get is to be the butt of Warrior Princess jokes. After everything I did today…do you know how long it takes leather to dry?" he indicated his pants.

"Awww," Xena drawled for Ares' benefit.

Tai's head went back and forth from the warrior holding her, to the giant man standing in front of them. She watched as the two traded insults back and forth.

"Excuse me!" Gabrielle spoke up. She leaned closer to Tai. "They really do like each other," she said to the youngster. Then, looking up at Xena and Ares, "see how they can shake hands and be friends…even when they disagree about things?"

Xena opened her mouth to refute that idea completely, but watched as Gabrielle gave her the look. The warrior sighed in resignation and handed Tai back to Gabrielle, rising to her feet, a slight look of disgust on her face.

Ares looked down at Gabrielle just as the Queen silently mouthed the word, please. Suddenly the God's expression matched the one on Xena's face. He reluctantly extended his hand, refusing to look at the warrior. Xena turned back to Gabrielle once more and saw a raised eyebrow. Then she looked at the earnest expression on Tai's face and realized immediately, she would be making a great many concessions in her life from here on in.

The God of War and the Warrior Princess clasped hands in a, none to gentle, handshake. Their eyes turned feral, but the pleasant smiles remained fixed upon their faces. Each of them stood their ground, while trying to assert their strength in the form of an iron grip, neither one of them willing to concede and pull away.

"Whipped," Ares muttered under his breath.

"Asshole," Xena hissed through her teeth.

Gabrielle jumped up and with a smile on her own face, pushed the two physically apart. "See?" she said to Tai, throwing a look of caution at both Ares and Xena.

"Bri…I'm hungry," Tai piped up.

Gabrielle looked over at the youngster and smiled at the girl. Tai had already gone through so much in her young life, but she appeared to have an unusual ability to accept life as it came. The Queen only hoped that what lay ahead for all of them would be easier to bear than what they'd experienced recently.

Continued

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