The cold winter had almost ended, but the cold wind hadn't given up yet. It felt like it was blowing trough the skin and bone. No matter how many clothes the two women put on, it still felt like they were going to freeze to death.

Xena looked down at Gabrielle, from where she sat on Argo. 

"Why do you have to be so stubborn? Why can't you just admit that it's cold and come and sit in front of me so I can help you to keep warm. You're going to freeze to death before we reach the next village."

Gabrielle kept walking. She refused to accept the fact that Xena had been right all along.  She would rather freeze then admit that she was wrong.

She could hardly feel her hands and toes anymore, but she wasn't planing on saying anything about that either, because she knew that Xena would be furious and that would only lead to an argument. And she felt too hungry and too cold to be fighting about it right now.

She just kept walking and hoping that Xena wouldn't notice how cold she really was.

After Xena had pleaded with her for what seemed like ages, Gabrielle agreed to get up on the horse. But when Gabrielle, in her near-frozen condition could not succeed at that, Xena drew Argo in to a halt. The warrior bounced off the horse's back, walked over to Gabrielle, picked her up, and put her in the saddle.

Gabrielle didn't even have the strength to argue or resist. Xena jumped up behind her and held one arm around the bard and the reins in the other. She could feel how Gabrielle was shivering from the cold, but she decided to wait with the lecturing 'till they had somewhere to be. She just didn't feel like running around in the woods, chasing an angry Gabrielle. She had too good of a knowledge to the bard's temper when she was cold, hungry and tired. The warrior could also tell that Gabrielle was trying her best, not to let it show how cold she was.

It was getting dark fast and the wind was starting to blow harder and colder. They wouldn't make it to the next village before night.

"Gabrielle, I think we have to find a cave to sleep in tonight. Both we and Argo could use the rest before we continue." 

The bard just nodded. She didn't want to show how happy she was to hear the words of shelter, warmth and food. After all, that would just underline how right the warrior had been the whole time. Again. 

A few moments passed and Xena found a nice cave by the river. Xena carried her friend inside and placed her down against the cave wall. She then walked outside to gather all their things. When she came back, she made a fire with the wood they had and put the bedrolls beside the fire so they would warm up a little before it was time to sleep. Then she turned to the freezing bard. 

"I'm just gonna go outside to try and gather some more wood. Okay?"  She looked at her friend but didn't get an answer. She knew that she wouldn't get one either, the bard would reveal her little secret if she opened her mouth. The warrior could hear the bard's teeth chatter even with her mouth closed. She just smiled to her cold bard and went out from the cave.

Gabrielle looked at Xena as she walked outside. When she was out of sight, the bard took off her gloves and looked at her hand as she tried to wiggle her fingers. She could feel a picking pain with every movement she made with her hands. The bedroll was lying next to her and she decided to roll it out by the fire so she could get a little closer, and hopefully a little warmer. But her fingers were too week and the bedroll fell back on the ground every time she tried to pick it up. The bard got irritated and yelled at the bedroll. 

"Lay there on the ground then, see if I care!!" The tears started to roll down her beautiful face, and that just made her more angry.

After a while, Xena came back in the cave with wood and fish and found her friend crying on the ground. Xena threw the things in her hand on the ground and run to the young woman. "Gabrielle! What happened!!" she said as she put her arms around the bard. "The stupid bedroll doesn't work." She managed to get out while the tears just kept falling down her cheeks.

Xena took a deep breath of relief and smiled. "Shhhh..it's okay, I'll help you with the bedroll. I'm just gonna throw a few more logs on the fire and put the fish over it first."

She kissed the top of the blond head and smiled again. She actually thought it was quite entertaining and kind of funny as well, to see the bard so frustrated. But she would never dream of telling that to Gabrielle. If she did, there would be one less warrior on the planet.

After getting the food over the fire, she turned to the bard and rolled out the bedroll by the fire. Then she took off her coat and placed it on the other side. The bard made an effort to get up, but it didn't work too well. "Xena. Could you help me up?" she asked in a quiet voice. The warrior put her hands around the bard's small body, lifted her up and put her down on the bedroll. Xena could feel Gabrielle's wet clothes.

"You'll have to get out off these wet clothes before you get sick." Xena said in a sweet and gentle voice and stroke the bard's head and cheek. 

Gabrielle just nodded and kept her eyes focused on the fire. When the bard didn't do anything, Xena helped her undress. Gabrielle closed her eyes and waited for the outburst to come, as Xena would see that her clothes were all wet. But the outburst never came, all she heard was a gentle voice saying "We have to take off all you clothes, you're soaked right through." Gabrielle knew that the warrior was right so she didn't do any resistance while Xena kept undressing her.

After she had got off all the clothes, she sat down Gabrielle on the bedroll and drew the blanket around her tiny body. The bard was so cold, that you could she her body shivering under the blankets. Xena sat down behind her and put her arms around the young blond. "Let me help you get some warmth in to that body of yours."

Gabrielle could feel the warrior's warm body, pressing against her back. It almost hurt as she started to feel the warmth spreading in her body. Just when she was about to doze off, she heard Xena's voice in her ear. "I think the fish is done. You should try and eat a little."

Xena got up and kneeled down by the fire. She picked up a fish and gave it to Gabrielle. "Here, eat this. It should help you get a little warmer as well as fill you stomach." Gabrielle didn't need any encouragement when it came to eating. Xena glanced up at her friend and smiled when she saw that there was nothing wrong with the bard's appetite.

When they had eaten, Gabrielle lay down and pulled the blankets up so that there was only the top of her head that was showing. Xena rolled out her bedroll beside Gabrielle, got undressed and laid down. The warrior could see how much the bard still was shivering. Xena moved closer and put her arms around the shivering blond. Gabrielle turned around, so that she was facing the warrior, and put her cold arms around Xena's warm muscular body. Xena hugged her closer and kissed the top of the bard's head. "Try and get some sleep. You'll feel warmer in the morning." She kissed the bard's head again and started stroking her back. Gabrielle snuggled closer in to the warrior's embrace.

When enough time had passed, for the bard to fall asleep, the warrior started to relax and getting some sleep of her own. As she was about to join the land of Morpheus, she felt the bard kissing her neck and the top of her chest. Xena opened her eyes and glanced down at Gabrielle, who appeared to be sleeping. The warrior wondered whom the young blond could be dreaming about. She knew that Gabrielle had seemed to have some interest in one of the men in the last village.

The kissing continued and the bard's hand started to caress the warrior's back. Xena heart began beating faster and she did everything possible to control her breathing. Even though this was something the warrior had wanted for so long, she knew that the bard was sleeping and it wasn't her that the bard was kissing in her dream.

Xena rolled over on her back so that Gabrielle's lips wouldn't touch her. As she lay there staring at the cave ceiling above her, she considered rolling back on her side and hopefully feeling the tender kisses on her body again. But she decided to stay in her currant position. She closed her eyes hard and shook her head a little as if she was trying to erase her intimate thoughts of Gabrielle. Then she took a deep breath, tried to focus on sleeping and keep her thoughts at anything else then the sleeping, beautiful, naked bard beside her.

When she finally got her heartbeats and mind in control again, Gabrielle snuggled up closer. She put her left leg over Xena's, her arms on the warrior's chest, holding her hand on Xena's shoulder. The bard's head was buried in the long black hair and Xena could feel Gabrielle's breathing on her neck. 'God, why are you doing this to me?' Xena thought to herself as she could feel her heartbeat and breathing get out of control again.

The warrior closed her eyes and felt tingling sparks through her whole body, every time the warm air from the beautiful blonde's breathing gently caressed her neck. The images of intimacy with the young bard started to spin around in Xena's head again and she planted a tender kiss on the blond head.

She opened her eyes again and glanced down at the beautiful sleeping bard that lay halfway on top of her. 'There is absolutely no way I'm going to be able to sleep like this and keep my hands to myself' Xena thought and put her right hand on her forehead. 'What am I going to do?' She decided to get up and go outside and hoped that the cold wind would help to cool her off. As she tried to get up, without awakening the bard, Gabrielle snuggled even closer and held a strong grip around the warrior's neck.

Xena could feel the kissing start again, just below her ear, trail down her shoulder, and she didn't manage to catch a moan before it had escaped. The bard's hand slipped down from the neck and headed down on the heavy breathing chest and stopped halfway on her breast, barely touching but enough to make the warrior shiver.

The warrior opened her mouth to make it easier to breath and struggled with her own mind if she should make the bard stop or not. She decided to make her stop before things got out of hand. She took the bard's hand and gave it a gentle kiss, then put it back on her chest and held it still.

The kissing stopped and Gabrielle lifted up her head and looked down at the warrior. Xena could feel herself blush at the thought of Gabrielle knowing her reaction to the blond woman's touch. But then she saw the deep disappointment in her friend's eyes and she began to wonder if Gabrielle had been awake the whole time or if she had just woken up. Xena's face was like a big question mark when she turned her focus back to Gabrielle and she gave a silent prayer that the bard would talk first. There was a long silence before the bard finally spoke.

"I'm sorry Xena.. I thought that you wanted this as much as I do." then rolled over to face the fire, leaving her back to Xena. The tears rolled down Gabrielle's face as she cursed herself for thinking that Xena could ever want her in any other way then as a friend. The question mark in Xena's face got even bigger as she tried to go over in her mind what had just happened.

When she finally realized that the bard had been awake the whole time, the question mark that had covered her face was replaced with a smile. The warrior turned on her side, leaning on her elbow. She took a strong grip on Gabrielle's shoulder and pulled her to her back. Gabrielle saw the smile on the warrior's face and wondered if it was because she wanted to continue what the bard had started or if it was because she wanted to let her down easy.

The bard looked in to the sky blue eyes of her friend and hoped to find the answer there. The baby blue eyes were glowing with great passion, which made the bard feel a little bit more self-conscious but she still wasn't quite sure that her feelings had been answered. Xena looked in to the sad green eyes but couldn't find the words to describe her happiness and the love she felt for her bard. She gently lifted up her hand and wiped away the tears from Gabrielle's beautiful face with her thumb.

Then she carefully leaned down and touched the bard's lips with her own and at the same time caressed her cheek. Gabrielle's hand flew up around Xena's neck, pressing her closer.  After a few moments, Xena broke the kiss and with a smile lifted up her head a little so she could see Gabrielle's face. She caressed her cheek and hair as she asked."Oh my beautiful Gabrielle. Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

A few tears rolled down the bard's face as she answered. "I wanted to tell you so many times but I just couldn't think of a reason why you would want me. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Same reason."

The warrior bent down her head to kiss Gabrielle's lips again and her hands slowly started caressing every part of the smaller woman's body. In return she got the same treatment and a few deep moans. Gabrielle began removing the rest of Xena's clothes and let her hands explore the muscular warrior body at her side. Xena closed her eyes and enjoyed every moment of the bard's treatment. The soft lips of her friend traveling from her mouth to her neck and chest and finally reached her breasts. Xena could feel herself loosing control, but for the first time she couldn't care less. She was willing to loose anything to be able to feel the way she felt right now.

Gabrielle's hand massaged one breast while the other was covered with her mouth. Her other hand was traveling up and down the warrior's side touching everything it could reach. The bard smiled and got more exited every time she heard the warrior moan at her touch. She felt Xena's strong hands around her body, massaging her back, pressing her closer. Feeling the naked, soft flesh under her sent shivers through her whole body. Xena started moving her hips against Gabrielle's leg between her own. Gabrielle slides herself down between her lover's legs and began licking her way in. She let her tongue draw long, slow strokes up and down. The Warrior moaned loudly and buried both her hands in the bard's blond hair, while her hips started moving her hips against her lover's teasing tongue.

Gabrielle moved to concentrate on the swollen clit and Xena lifted her legs up on the bards back. The bard could hear on the warrior's breathing that she was getting closer to her climax, so she decided to help out a little more. She pressed two fingers inside the warrior, moving them in and out while she continued licking all of Xena's sex. The warrior was screaming from pleasure, her hips moved faster and faster against Gabrielle's mouth and her hands grabbed the bedroll on each side of her body. As the orgasm came, Xena called out her lover's name. Gabrielle licked a little more and slowly ceased into a halt. Xena's body fell back down on the bedroll as her lover gently kissed her way back up, the same way she went down. The warrior tried to get her breathing back to normal again. 

As she opened her eyes, she saw the beautiful, smiling face of the bard looking down at her. Xena cupped the lovely face as she spoke. "You are incredible. That was the most amazing thing I have ever felt. I love you so much." Gabrielle blushed and Xena rolled her over so that the warrior was now on top and continued. "Now it's my turn to taste all of you my love."

She kissed and caressed the lovely woman under her. She let one hand guide its way between the bard's legs and felt the wetness of her lover. Her hand gently massaged the bard's clit before she pushed two fingers in side, forcing them deeper with each thrust. Gabrielle's mouth fell open and she moaned deeply. The warrior kissed her neck and nibbled a little on her earlobe before she made a trail of kisses down to her breasts. She flipped the nipple a few times with her tongue before she closed her mouth over it. The bard's hips started to move a little faster against the warrior's hand.

"Ohh..Xena..it feels so good. Please don't stop." Xena moved down a little so that the upper part of her stomach pressed against the bard's center. Both her hands were massaging her breasts and her mouth touched every part of flesh it could find. Gabrielle put her hand on top of Xena's hands, slowly let them follow the warrior's arm to her shoulders, neck and then buried her fingers in the raven black hair. "Please don't stop." were the only words that came out the bard's mouth.

She then moved down between the bard's legs and gently kissed the inside of her thighs, around the area of blond curls and then let her tongue explore all of Gabrielle's sex. The bard pressed the warrior further in between her legs as she moaned loudly. Xena gently pressed two fingers inside Gabrielle again, moving them in and out. Gabrielle moaned louder and moved her hips faster and faster against the warrior's mouth and hand.

A few moments later, the bard reached her orgasm and shouted out the warrior's name as her whole body stiffened. Xena ceased her tongue's movement 'till it finally stopped.

She crawled up and kissed the bard's lips before she lay down beside her, taking the bard in her arms and kissed the top of her blond head. When the bard finally came back to reality again, she glanced up at the warrior. "I love you so much. Please never leave me." Xena looked in to the green eyes of her lover. "You have my heart in your hands, it's up to you what you want to do with it."

Gabrielle looked into the sky blue eyes. "I'll guard it with my life."

THE END