Plutobaby494: Ok so here is the first of many, newly restored versions of my stories! So I hope you like it! I am still a very big Xena/Hercules fan, that hasn't changed, but I also still do like Xena/Ares! Set after Solon dies but Eve never exists!

Disclaimer: I do not own XWP or Hercules so don't sue!!

ON WITH THE FICCIE

Chapter 1

The sun beat down on the land from high in the sky. The early morning birds were singing melodious tunes, chirping happily with one another.

As for the warrior princess, all she wanted to do was fling her chakram at them and rid the world of their songs once and for all. She growled and pictured a pile of feathers hoping that it would stop her from actually doing it.

The light shining down through the tress seemed to fall just on her and she groaned, grabbing her head as it pulsated with a newly formed ache. It seemed sparse when one part of her body did not ache. She sat up from her wrinkled bedroll and squinted.

Gabrielle next her yawned and slowly sat up rubbing her eyes. "I'm up" she said sleepily, her eyes glazed.

Xena ignored her and stood, almost toppling over by the force but regained her footing and balance at the last moment. A sudden muted pain from her very pregnant belly had her stomach rolling. She covered her mouth, knowing what was going to happen and ran to the nearest bush. Falling to her knees, Xena threw up her dinner from last night.

Gabrielle sighed and looked over at her friend. It had been a few months since Xena had given her the news that she was pregnant and what an interesting story that had been. The morning sickness had started a week later.

As Xena leaned over and emptied her stomach, she bit her tongue at the acidic taste it left in her mouth. She spit as soon as she was done but the nausea didn't leave. Xena took a few moments to take some deep breaths, unsure if she was going to start spewing again. As she contemplated this, she felt her long dark hair being lifted from her back and held gently, so it wouldn't fall in her face.

She knew it was Gabrielle without even looking at her. After all not many people would approach her knowing who she was, and even if they didn't, she had always held a strong aura that kept most people at bay. She was glad that Gabrielle hadn't been one of them. At first she was sure that the young blonde would get tired of always being in life or death situations and leave but Gabrielle hadn't and Xena found that she enjoyed her presence. It wasn't often that she made friends but the ones she did make stuck to her like glue.

This went on for a few minutes until her stomach settled and she sighed. Gabrielle let go of her friend's hair and gently stroked Xena's bangs down so they weren't in her eyes.

"Are you alright?" Gabrielle asked as she helped the pregnant woman up. Xena nodded and wiped her mouth, wishing that she could get the bitterness off her tongue.

"Here," Gabrielle said as she picked up the water flask and handed to her, as if she had read her mind. Xena thanked her as she took the flask and put it to her lips, drinking the water greedily.

"We need to find a village soon, were running low on supplies," Gabrielle said absently walking back to Argo and opening one of the side packs.

"Delphi is not far from here," Xena said corking the flask and handing the half empty bottle back to the blonde. Gabrielle set it in the pack and tied it back up.

"You think we should see the oracle?" Gabrielle said playfully, holding Argo's reins as they continued walking.

"Now why would we do that?" Xena asked raising her eyebrow.

Gabrielle smiled coyly, "To find out if your baby's a girl or a boy," she said.

Xena rolled her eyes. "I think I can wait till the baby's born," she said looking to the road ahead.

Gabrielle gave one final pout before giving up. She knew trying to convince Xena was like trying to teach a pig to fly, tiring and pointless. She was like a mountain when it came to what she believed in, never moving or shifting.

"Fine," she said before turning her attention to the road ahead and falling silent. Xena rolled her eyes and smiled. They continued on in silence.

&

Xena and Gabrielle arrived in Delphi a few hours later, tired and hungry. Argo was fed and stabled and the two wanderers were seated at the nearest tavern, resting their aching feet.

"Can we sleep at an inn tonight? The hard ground is giving me a backache!" Gabrielle said as the sat down.

Xena sighed and closed her eyes in thought. She was tired of the hard ground and with the constant ache and pains of having a child in your body it made it all the worse. It was especially painful when the baby wouldn't go to sleep, shifting and kicking.

"Alright, we have some extra dinars," Xena said giving into the blonde.

Gabrielle did a silent cheer and smiled, while the dark haired warrior just rolled her eyes. Xena got up to go order some dinner and left the young bard with her thought.

As the warrior princess walked towards the bar, Gabrielle stared at her bulging stomach pointing the way. Her belly was rounding out and you could now say for certain the she was pregnant, which brought her thoughts to the father and how she had reacted when she had received the shocking news.

/Flashback/

"I'm pregnant," Xena said bluntly as they sat by the fire for their evening meal. Gabrielle, who had just taken a gulp of the wine they had bought from the latest village, spit it all out over the fire, chocking and gasping.

"You're what?" Gabrielle sputtered, taking deep breathes. Xena brought a hand and pounded lightly on Gabrielle's back.

"Pregnant," Xena's face didn't falter at the bard's reaction and just continued to rub circles into Gabrielle's back.

"Who's the father?" Gabrielle asked once she realized Xena was not playing a cruel prank on her.

Xena bit her lip and shifted her weight. It looked like she was trying to evade the question. She mumbled something inaudible and her eyes darted from one place to another.

"Who?" Gabrielle asked again.

"Hercules," Xena said louder this time and Gabrielle felt her eyes bulge out of her sockets.

"What… How…." Strands of words came out as Gabrielle tried to piece together this new information together.

"It was a few weeks ago when we got into that pointless fight. When you left I ran into Hercules. Iolaus had gone off somewhere and I needed to talk to someone. We started out talking and then… well we kissed and… then it just kinda happened" Xena said not meeting Gabrielle's eyes.

Gabrielle remembered the fight the Xena was talking about. They argued over the fact that Xena bought a small bag of treats for Argo at every village they went to, even when they were strapped for money and couldn't spare the dinars. The arguments had turned into full blow shouting matches after two weeks and then they had separated, both furious at each other.

Gabrielle was silent and for a while they both just stared at each other. At last Gabrielle spoke.

"Congratulations," she said still a little shocked. Xena smiled and it was than that Gabrielle noticed something.

"Does he know?" she asked having a feeling in the pit of her stomach that he didn't.

"No, I found out long after we separated and besides I don't want him to know," Xena said in a voice so unlike her own. It was quiet and sullen.

"But Xe-

"No, I am not telling him. He shouldn't have to choose between going around and helping people or staying with me and raising this child. He can do some much good," she said in a stronger voice.

Gabrielle knew deep down the Hercules would do the right thing and stay with his child, even at the cost of leaving the world to fend for itself.

"Promise me that you won't say anything," Xena said interrupting the bard's thoughts. Gabrielle was about to say no but the cold resolve in Xena's voice and her own thoughts made her changer her mind.

"I promise" she said and Xena smiled.

/End Flashback/

Xena waved her hand in front of Gabrielle's face and pulled the young bard from her thoughts. She blinked and shook her head.

"Are you alright?" the dark haired warrior asked. Gabrielle nodded and noticed the two mugs of ale sitting on the table.

"Fine, just thinking," Gabrielle replied picking up her mug and bringing it to her lips. The bitter liquid felt good against her dry mouth.

"About?" Xena prodded. Gabrielle sighed and put the mug back on the wooden table and looking up at her best friend.

"About the night you told me about… you know" she said waving her hand around in the general vicinity of her belly.

"Oh" Xena blinked and looked at Gabrielle's twiddling hands.

"I know that I promised I wouldn't tell and I still won't but hear me out. Hercules deserves to know and I think your being really selfish about not telling him," Gabrielle said quietly. She waited for the explosion, knowing this would upset her friend.

"We've already been over this. He shouldn't have to pick," Xena said with a tint of anger and annoyance in her voice. She fell silent after that, signaling she was done with the conversation, but Gabrielle wouldn't drop it.

"So when we see him again, what is he going to say when he sees your pregnant belly or a child tagging along with us," Gabrielle said firmly. She sighed a moment later and softened her voice.

"Xena, I know you want to protect him and the world but when it gets right down to it. It's his choice to make and it's unfair of you to take that decision from him," she continued hesitantly.

Xena didn't say anything for a minute, appearing to be mulling over what Gabrielle had just said but a steely resolution filled her blue eyes.

"Drop it, Gabrielle," She said ignoring the pool of guilt that churned her gut.

Gabrielle fell silent, a brooding look on her face. She wished she could put a mirror up in front of her friends face and show her how stubborn and ridiculous she was being.

"Look, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it," Xena said promptly ending the conversation. Gabrielle nodded and took another sip from her drink. She knew this conversation was far from over. Xena may have won the battle but Gabrielle was determined to win the war.

TO BE CONTINUED

Plutobaby494: Well, what do you think? Is it not as good as or better than the first version?

PLEASE R&R