This story is my first piece of fan fiction, so be nice!

As Gabrielle emerged from the purifying waters she spread her green-blue wings, her head dropping back and arms falling outstretched at her sides in content resignation of her new gift: the heavy, yet gentle presence of those soft wings pressing upon her.

Stepping out from the luxurious pool, Gabrielle uncurled the firmly clenched fingers of her left hand without realising the gesture. A single white feather fell from her touch, floating down to disappear into the warm mists of water vapour…

~~~

The blonde women merely looked at each other in their shared silence. Shattered revelations lay between them, laced with tears and forgiveness from the words that had been spoken.

Forgiveness. An angel's redemption, a girl's forgotten hatred, the giving of love… it all seemed so unreal.

Gabrielle raised her hand, resting her palm upon Callisto's face. All the words she had just spoken faded from her mind, leaving her feeling only the silken skin beneath her fingertips. Tentatively she traced along Callisto's sculptured jaw-line, taking every contour to memory.

Her gaze lifted, startled wonder held in her eyes as they refocused on Callisto.

"You don't feel the same," the words spilled unbidden from her lips.

Callisto held Gabrielle's eyes firmly but Gabrielle allowed her eyelids to drop, escaping the elder woman's stare. Callisto felt the gentle movement against her cheek of Gabrielle's contact, but remained intent on the slow progress made in bringing their bodies closer.

Gabrielle's eyes had remained closed as her head moved toward Callisto's, but now fluttered open to see innocent, deep brown eyes staring back at her expectantly. With deliberate ease she brought her full lips to brush lightly over Callisto's; the soft pressure made the other woman gasp faintly and their breaths mingled together as Gabrielle spoke in a broken whisper, "you don't… taste… the same."

Warm lips were then recaptured and each allowed the kiss to deepen. To Gabrielle it seemed a feeling beyond the mere passion of her physical nature, an open gesture of trust and forgiveness with the angel she held in her arms. For Callisto it was the acceptance and loving she had searched for since losing herself to revenge and deep hatred.

The honeyed aura Callisto possessed now surrounded Gabrielle within its embrace; both women could feel its touch around them and the easy presence of such a caress in their hearts. They became a complete joining of souls and flesh by the light.

The kiss ended unexpectedly as Callisto let out a painful cry of rapture, falling to her knees before the younger woman. Gabrielle was at her side in an instant; cupping Callisto's chin to raise the tear streaked face level with her own. Callisto let out a faint whimper as Gabrielle softly stoked her thumb under her eyes, wiping away the silky moisture. But there remained no anguish showing upon Callisto's face or in her eyes, beyond her single outcry of the momentary suffering of ecstasy.

Gabrielle let her fingertips trace a tender path across Callisto's damp cheeks, pursuing the tears that continued to fall from her soft, brown eyes. Those eyes then meet with Gabrielle's as her hand continued to move over Callisto's flesh; falling toward her supple neck and then reaching down Callisto's shoulder, as if to pull her into a soothing embrace.

As she felt the caress move through her entire body in an aching sensation, Callisto continued to hold her gaze with Gabrielle, waiting patiently for the other woman to finish in the contemplating search of her body.

Suddenly Gabrielle felt a softness, ever more delicate than Callisto's skin, beneath her caress. Her gaze wondered the path her hands had designed to find feathers of pure white stirred against her fingers, then spread out before her as Callisto arched her back in gentle delight. A smile tugged at the blonde angel's lips as she saw Gabrielle's face alight in gentle reverence.

A faded whisper crept past Gabrielle's lips, the only words she could find within herself as she looked upon Callisto, crowned by golden light and ivory wings.

"They're beautiful."