The dust had already begun to settle back to the dry earth as the grimy wannabe warlord gloated and praised his efforts. "Another day another dinar," he grinned. "Consider your dinar spent" was all he heard as darkness filled his vision and the ground rose to meet his face. Xena had her trademark pinch on him before he knew what hit him. " I've just cut the flow of blood to your brain..you will be dead in a matter of seconds unless you..." "XENA...HE...LP..." The warrior princess turned to see Gabrielle...the sword...the blood and the bard falling. The bastard was not alone...I should have known better... "GABRIELLE!!!" she cried out ignoring the now fading pinch interrogation. As she stood, her rage grew more... The man with the sword and the smile was dead. He just didn't know it yet. With a battle cry, Xena tore through the air as she landed right behind him and the battle began. The scumbag had some skill true but nothing can withstand an angry warrior princess...and although he was a lucky little son of a baccae that luck ran out fast as he obviously underestimated Xena's speed. As he sunk to the dust cursing the bard and Xena and that coward of a son of his for running... With his last breath..." dinars don't spend when covered with your own blood."

As Xena rushed to Gabrielle's side, she saw the wound it was going to scar but it was not as bad as she had first thought. "Gabrielle...GABRIELLE..." she ran her hand over the young girl's cheek..." come on wake up... for me..." Damn it. Wake up...she had seen the bump on the girl's head but it wasn't bad...why won't she wake up! She whistled for Argo, and removed the water skin from her saddle...as she tilted the bard's head to drink...two sparkling green eyes fluttered and opened to see a VERY worried warrior princess and a slightly snobby warhorse looking down at her. " Xena? What's going on...hey...I'm...I'm...ow...I'm slightly damaged I guess..." she smiled as she rose to her feet. "Yeah, you'll be ok though..." Xena forced a smile to show all was ok and that put her dark and deadly front right back up where it belonged.

" So, I guess we need to get back to the road, right?" no matter what Xena told herself don't look at her, she will give you her little pup look and her eyes will say let's make camp and rest even thought it's still early. Then you're a goner. Sure enough, she turned to see that plucky little blond right there staring and sure enough the look, just as dangerous as her warlord stare was tearing away at her. "No, we ...will...make camp. I know a place near here"...damn it Xena...you are getting soft...you know you both could have gotten at least another 2 miles or so but no. you gave in... "Oh, that's great. You know I'm glad...I really want to just rest and catch up on my scrolls... and ..." There she goes...off on another yap-fest...still no matter I do love to have the company and her voice is...well...entrancing. The young bard talked all the way to the stream about this and that and of course food.

As they both worked together to set up camp for the night , Xena noticed the bard was still favoring her right arm and the bump was a little larger now...her cut had been stitched first thing as they made a nice fire, so it was clean and bandaged but still something was not quite right. Maybe it's not her maybe it's...me. Once again Xena's thoughts were running and all she could do was listen to the mass of confusion and try to sort out the best info at the time. So many thoughts of Gabrielle and what she meant to her, she knew that she loved the girl but that was just not a possibility. Not now not ever...Gabrielle was...too...well perfect...she could never imagine or understand some of the things Xena had thought about and dreamed about it was just not a option. And it hurt, the whole thing made a coal that burned in her heart. But, Xena was strong and had told herself long ago to have her as a friend is better than to not have her at all, and by the gods that was that.

"Hey, the stew is almost done." Gabrielle said as she stirred the simmering pot. The smell was enticing. "Let's hope I don't have to lick the pot to get any at all," Xena laughed as Gabrielle passed her a bowl. "Very funny, just for that I might just keep the rest for myself." The young girl laughed as she turned to walk back to her seat next to the fire. "I thought so", Xena beamed as she tossed a chunk of potato from the stew at Gabrielle's back. "HEY! Look WARRIOR PUSHOVER...I am not a lil bar wench you can toss food at!" she tried to look menacing, to look dangerous...gods help her she will make Xena respect her for more than some little kid tag along! She is trying to intimidate me...oh that is cute...she looks about as dangerous as a butterfly really. I can't laugh. If I do she will get upset I had better play along. " Yes, Gabrielle, you're right you are not a bar maid...you're my stable girl !" Xena caught the waterskin about an inch from her face...what do ya know the kid's got a good arm. She couldn't resist. She had to poke back. But the look on Gabrielle's face tore her to the bone. She saw the tears and as she rose to apologize, Gabrielle turned from her and ran.

Gabrielle stopped running. She could still see the smoke from the fire, but was far enough away to feel alone. "Great, just great as if she didn't think I was a kid before I go stomping off into the night like a 3 year old, why, cause I couldn't handle it...I couldn't handle her thinking that..." She talked to herself as she sat down under the shadow of a tall tree to let the tears fall and to think. "I want her to see...to see that I love her...I love her." The words she had wanted to say for so long, they sounded like a chant spell or a forgotten song she had kept hidden in her mind. "By the gods, I can't...I can't let this burn into me anymore...I have to tell her...tonight"

With a new look of determination, Gabrielle rose and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and set off back to the camp. "She loves me?" Xena peered back through the trees. She had heard Gabrielle talking to herself, and silently followed the sound, just as she was ready to step out of the shadows and talk to the girl she heard it. Those three words she had heard in her dreams, in her heart, but never said. She ran back to camp and sat down before the fire just as Gabrielle came strolling back in. " Xena, we need to talk." She had said it with every bit of fire she could muster at that moment. Act casual, you know the routine, Xena told herself as she looked up at the bard, " Ok, talk?" she tried not to smile, not to let her eyes sparkle and shine, but she knew and if she didn't play her cards right she would ruin the hand all together. "Xena, I have to tell you something... and I don't want you to...", she didn't have time to finish her thought, the warrior princess had stood and captured her with those crystal blue eyes and the softest pair of lips on the face of the earth. "I love you, Gabrielle, I always have and always will, you are my soul, you are my heart and you are NOT my stable girl!" as she spoke all the confusion...the pain...the hurt it all came to a grinding halt as those sweet lips that had told of her journey to all as they traveled together, those lips were like velvet and had all controlling power over her now. That was all it took, as their eyes locked onto each other their hearts intertwined and the bond was set.

The night had passed too quickly and even Xena, being the early bird she is didn't want to wake up...it was a beautiful dream, as she looked down she saw the bard lying across her and remembered the night they had shared. "It wasn't a dream this time. From now on, I will dream with my eyes open and my heart bound with yours" Gabrielle was asleep up until she heard her love speak. The words coming from her warrior princess we unlike anything she had heard before and no matter what the future held for them. All her dreams will come true...

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