A Moment in Forever
by StarWarrior (Rie)

Gabrielle smiled as she stepped closer to Xena. "I missed you." She said
quietly. "My life seems so empty without you."

"Gabrielle." Xena said throatily. Her breath catching at the bard's
words. She pulled the smaller woman in for a hug. " You know I hate being
away from you." She looked down at the sparkling green eyes that had
captured her heart. "But I had no choice. These villagers were scared
half to death. You have a talent for erasing those fears." She gave her
lover her famous half smile. "I just instill fear, besides by leaving I
was able to track down the monster that was terrorizing them and put an end
to the threat."

"Instill fear?" She laughed and grinned knowingly at the warrior. "Xena,
they worship the ground you walk on." She wiggled her eyebrows and wet her
lips suggestively. "They set up a hot tub in that cute little hut they
said we could use."

"Oh?" Despite her exhaustion Xena smiled at the thought of the warm water
and her bard in her arms. "Lead on." She said haughtily, waving a hand in
the air. Gabrielle laughed, and Xena smiled at the pure joy the sound
wrought in her heart. Less than a half a candlemark later the two women
sighed with relief as they settled into the hot tub.

Gabrielle leaned back until she was resting against Xena, and closing her
eyes contentedly.

Xena lost her breath at the small, curvaceous body that settled against
hers. Gently she wrapped her arms around the bard. "Feel good?"

Gabrielle sighed as Xena's voice rumbled in her ear. "Feels great." She
replied opening her eyes, as she turned into her lover's embrace.

The feel of lush breasts pushing against her own gave Xena an instant rush,
She forgot to breathe as Gabrielle's arms wound around her neck. "My
love." She murmured as she pulled the bard onto her lap.

"Yes love." Came the instant answer. "All yours…only yours." Gabrielle's
voice was soft and gentle.

Xena ached to taste the words on her lips. "I need you." The words
escaped from her own full lips as she lowered her head to meet Gabrielle's.

Gabrielle snuggled in closer to Xena. The water rested at the boundary
just above her navel, as she settled on her knees between Xena's legs. Her
breath caught in the back of her throat as Xena reached out and caressed
her shoulder, brushing the red gold hair aside.

Gabrielle lifted her arms, pulling Xena in for a quick kiss. "I love you."

With a groan Xena caught her up, lifting her high, nearly out of the water,
and then let her down sliding her wet body against her own. She was tiny,
but oh so perfect. Her breasts cushioned against her chest as her hands
spanned the bard's waist. The curvaceous flare of Gabrielle's hips fit
neatly against her as the smaller woman wrapped her legs around her middle.
And then her mouth tilted and caught her moan, slipping across her lips
with wet precision.

"I've never wanted or needed anyone in my life the way I want and need you
Gabrielle." Xena admitted quietly. Her hands slid around her, tracing the
path of her spine as the water enveloped them. She shuddered.

Gabrielle smiled into her lover's eyes. "It's mutual…very mutual." She
lifted her hand and traced Xena's jawline, trembling as the warrior turned
her face and gently kissed her fingers. "Why do you think I left Potedaia
and followed you?"

"Truth love?" Xena looked away. "I've never figured that one out, just
thanked the gods and goddesses that you did."

"Oh yeah…" Gabrielle turned Xena back, forcing the older woman to look at
her and smiled seductively. "One look into your baby blues and there was
no turning back. I knew I belonged at your side."

Xena's eyes widened in surprise. "B…b...bb…but you kept going on about
those boys and finding your tree." She stuttered in shock.

Gabrielle grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, well I was a bit nervous and didn't
think you liked females…didn't want to give you any more excuses to get rid
of me."

"You mean you new from day one how you felt and kept it a secret from me?"

"Are you mad at me?" Gabrielle asked in a small voice.

Xena stopped to think. It was unexpected and gods would have saved me a
thousand ice baths, but…she grinned. "No, I'm not mad. Just thinking of
all the time and anguish that could have been saved if only…" She paused,
suddenly remembering Perdicus. Her eyes darkened.

Gabrielle sensed the sudden shift in her soulmate and lifted worried eyes
to the warrior's. "What?" She swallowed her fear. "What just made you
sad?"

Xena searched her lover's face and sighed heavily. "Just if you loved me
from the first…" she bit at her lower lip, "Why'd you marry him? Why'd
you leave me?"

Gabrielle looked away ashamed again of her actions. Actions that had led
to the death of a man she had grown up with. She swallowed her shame and
looked into Xena's eyes. "I thought you didn't need me. I thought you'd
never want me. And I couldn't handle it anymore. Then when he threw down
his sword and I realized someone needed me…I," She looked down, rubbed a
hand over her face and hid her eyes. "I chose to go with him cause I was
tired of waking alone with you on one side of the fire and I on the other.
I used him and now he's dead because of me."

"No love." Xena felt her heart snapping. "Don't she gathered her lover in
close. Cradling her much as a mother would cradle a new born baby.
"Hush," She rocked her gently in the water as the bard cried. "It's not
your fault., Things just happen like that. Callisto would have killed him
just for walking on the road if she was in a bad mood…you know that." She
kissed the top of the bard's head. "Love it's too late to do anything for
him…I was to late I am sorry."

"No, it wasn't your fault." Gabrielle looked at her lover through tear
stained eyes. "I realized something a while ago…when I still blamed us…for
his death." She half laughed. "I blamed me for marrying him, and you for
not being there. I was wrong…every now and again I still blame me, but
not you." She reached out and stroked the warrior's cheek. "I really
couldn't blame you, how could I? You weren't to stay at my side anymore
and protect me…that was his job now." She swallowed the sudden pain at
knowing just what she'd given up to marry her child hood friend. "But he
refused to even protect himself. If she hadn't killed him…" Her eyes got
dreamy, "…if I had had a child…and raiders came." She shuddered. "He
wouldn't of protected us either." Her eyes hardened. "And we both know
what that means." She shook her head. "He knew how to protect himself and
me…after all he was a Captain in the army at Troy. Neither of us are to
blame. He chose his path and sealed his fate."

Xena lowered her head 'til her forehead touched Gabrielle's. "My love, I
am sorry he died. He was a good man, but I am not sorry you are with me.
My life was empty and incomplete without you at my side." She kissed her.
"I love you." She kissed her again a little longer this time. "I want
you." A third kiss longer and a bit harder. "I desire you." A fourth
kiss this she wrapped her hands in the bard hair and played at her lips
with her tongue until Gabrielle opened her mouth. She slipped inside and
explored the warm cavern with wanton pleasure. She pulled back
breathlessly and murmured three more words. "I need you." She returned
her attention to the bard's mouth, before moving down her neckline.

Gabrielle moaned. Her body arched, parting water as she anchored herself
to her lover. The movement thrust hr breasts up and out, enticing and
taunting and Xena couldn't resist. Her mouth swooped and she encircled the
tight little bud at the center of one breast, relishing the hard throb of
her pulse beneath her tongue. She rolled it gently between her teeth and
felt Gabrielle's body buck as the teeny pain sent shafts of pleasure
throughout her system. She laughed once, low and distinct, and than drank
from the droplets in the shadowy valley between her breasts, as she
journeyed across to the other side.

Gabrielle's hear pounded. She throbbed with need. The water was nothing
but a silken torture, lapping and teasing with ever constant movement.
Xena's hands slipped below the surface and between her thighs, parting the
with gentle persuasion as she opened for her.

The water rocked her gently as Xena slipped a single finger inside. She
moaned once and Xena nibbled at her neck before slipping a second finger
into her. She tightened her grip on the warrior's neck and muffled a moan
into her shoulder.

Slowly at first and then with increasing speed and depth Xena took her
young lover right to the edge. "Gabrielle," she whispered. The bard
opened her eyes and looked into blue passion and lost control..
She burst from the inside out. Bubbles of pleasure shot out to every nerve
ending and then drifted lazily throughout her limbs, making her bone weak
and unable to stand even if her life depended on it. Grateful for the
warrior's support she smiled, "Xena." She said with a reverence due a
goddess and a worshipping smile plastered on her face.

"What?" Xena asked softly , lifting the bard out of the water, and bending
down to taste the smile. It was warmer than she had expected. She
smoothed hair and water from her eyes and blessed the corner of her lips
with a kiss. Slowly and carefully she moved the few short steps to the
corner off the room where two cots had been pressed hastily together for
them. She laid her precious cargo down on the bedding and lowered her head
to lick the water droplets from her beloved's body.

Gabrielle pulled the warrior down. Xena fell with a smile on top of the
bed, spraying the bard with droplets of water from her hair. Blue eyes
danced with laughter and the warrior carefully supped at each water droplet
that had fallen onto the bard.

Gabrielle smiled and returned the favor, drinking from the droplets that
lingered on Xena's mouth. Letting her tongue rasp over the hard jaw
clenching at her touch. She felt the rhythm of her breathing change. She
carefully slipped sideways so Xena lay beside her. She slid her cheek
against Xena's ribcage and felt the rapidity of her heart beat. Her
breasts were lush and soft. Her mouth slid down across the tops of rock
hard thighs and sampled the textures than paused. Her breath on Xena's
skin a warning of where she was about to go.

Xena's eyes fell shut, heavy with passion, as Gabrielle moved into her with
mouth and her hands. She gasped. And than conscious thought disappeared.
Nothing existed outside of Gabrielle…her mouth…and what she was doing with
her hands. It was all she could do to focus on breathing. Everything
Gabrielle did seemed to make it stop. Every stroke of her tongue sent
shock-waves of sensation rocketing through her, and every caress of her
hands turned her war hardened body to liquid fire.

Gabrielle felt the impending rush building beneath her touch. Every gasp,
every moan Xena uttered made her crazy with a need of her own, but she
chose to ignore her own needs and wants to concentrate on her love. She
quickened her pace. Sweet heat burst in her hands, she shuddered feeling
Xena's passion as surely as if it were her own. And then it was. She
moved upward, capturing the warrior's gasps of pleasure and tasting her cry
as release spiraled within her.

Spent and content the two lovers lay entwined in the small hut. "Thank you
my love." Xena said with a low rumbling tone.

Gabrielle grinned into her lover's shoulder. "No, thank you love." She
waited a moment certain the older woman would protest, and laughing lifted
her face as Xena began to speak. She pressed a finger against the love
bruised lips. "Shh." A smile on her own face as she spoke. "Beloved, you
think I deserve thanks for bringing you pleasure, right?" She waited and
Xena nodded with a sudden wariness in her gaze. Gabrielle continued
smiling. "And I think you deserve thanks for bringing me pleasure." She
stroked the warrior's cheek. "How about if we both accept the fact that it
takes the two of us…" Here she paused for a brief second, and her smile
got larger. "…and we both agree to never leave each other."

Xena's eyes lost their wariness, she pulled the bard in close and whispered
in her ear. "Agreed."

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