The Legend of Xena

by Bugmouthga

Set twenty years after the series finale, Gabrielle, along with Xena's spirit, travel to Ireland to find a long lost relative. The journey they embark on becomes a "life altering" event...

Prologue

"Where you go, I'm at your side…"

Gabrielle heard her partner, best friend and soul mate, issue that promise to her years ago, not long after she had died. After so many years, Xena had still kept that promise. Xena had been with Gabrielle when she had gone to the land of the Pharaohs, seeking to do some good and to explore an entirely different world from the one she already knew. It had been a magical, albeit sometimes deadly place, and while the young bard, always accompanied by her invisible companion, had helped some people and did that good as she had wanted to, she became so terribly homesick for Greece, that in less than a winter's time, she traveled back.

This was something that had not happened to Gabrielle in many years, not since going home once during the first few months of her travels with Xena, back when she was just out of childhood and had frozen in fear while under attack. It had been inexperience and insecurity that had sent her running for home back then. This time was different, however.

Both Xena and Gabrielle had found it strange that the bard would react in such a way. Neither of them had felt homesick in the longest time, mostly because, they were always together and they considered being with each other as 'being home'. It upset Gabrielle, and she felt ashamed of her feelings, wondering if, deep within her heart, having Xena with her in spirit only and not in human form was not enough for her. She loved Xena; she always had and always would. Their souls were forever intertwined. So why was it then, having Xena's soul with her was just not adequate in keeping Gabrielle's interest in traveling active?

As for Xena, she came to the realization that, while her presence in Gabrielle's life was comforting and familiar, things were obviously not nearly the same as when she had been living. That shook the Warrior Princess to the core of her spiritual being. She had even briefly debated whether or not she should let go of Gabrielle and this life and surrender to the heavens that beckoned her, allowing herself to be claimed at last, and to be reborn into her next life. But alas, one look into her partner's sad, green eyes and Xena could not bring herself to do it. She knew Gabrielle would be heartbroken if she were to lose her completely. What's more, so would she. One did not have to be living in order to feel the loss and devastation that comes from the separation from one's soul mate.

So, they traveled back to Greece. Gabrielle felt a strong pull to return to Potedia to visit with her sister, Lila and her niece, Sarah. And Xena, who in death, was not so restless anymore, and in spirit, who was bound to her soul mate through love and devotion, was content to stay with her there in the knowledge that they would be together and that would make things okay.

On the way back to Potedia, they encountered many of their loved ones and friends. One by one, they all learned of Xena's demise through Gabrielle's teary-eyed retelling. Aphrodite, ever Gabrielle's Olympian guardian, was sympathetic to her 'little one', but also grieved for the loss of the Warrior Princess. Virgil, Autolycus, even Hercules, were all kind and comforting for the heartbroken bard, but were also trying to deal with their own grief at the same time, so none of them stuck around for long. Ares took it the hardest and disappeared from Olympus altogether, never to be heard from again.

The person Gabrielle most dreaded telling of her partner's demise to though, was Eve, the Messenger of Eli and daughter to Xena. When Gabrielle finally found Eve, she was merely a few days away from Potedia. The young woman was traveling with a group of Eli followers who were on their way to Amphipolis. She had greeted Gabrielle warmly enough, but Eve's eyes had darkened when she had asked where her mother was. Gabrielle could feel her partner's invisible hands upon her shoulders, gripping her with tenderness and offering her a sense of steadiness and emotional support. And taking Eve's hands in her own, the woman she loved as her own daughter, the bard told Eve of her mother's fate.

The Messenger of Eli had looked blankly into Gabrielle's face, as if not seeing her but looking through her or beyond her. She slowly pulled her hands away from her second mother's gentle grasp, suddenly unable to look at her at all. Then Gabrielle silently gave Eve Xena's ashes so that she could take them with her to Amphipolis and place them in the family mausoleum. Eve took them without speaking, then excused herself from Gabrielle, as well as the members of her group and decided to go off on her own for a while.

Xena had whispered into Gabrielle's ear that she would go talk to their daughter. She was gone from her soul mate for nearly a day and returned to her while Gabrielle was setting up her campsite for the evening. When the bard asked her beloved if Eve was all right, she got barely a nod out of her. Asking as to whether Eve could even see or hear Xena, she got a little more of an explanation. Eve could see Xena because there was a direct blood tie between them. Their relation made it possible for Eve to see and hear Xena's spirit. What Xena did not go into specifics about, but Gabrielle somehow suspected anyway, was that their daughter, while preaching the path of love and forgiveness, was incredibly angry at both her mother, for willingly allowing herself to die, and at Gabrielle, for allowing it to happen. It was not a subject either Xena or Gabrielle would discuss much thereafter; not for many years.

When they arrived in Potedia, Gabrielle had collapsed gratefully into Lila's arms, and through nearly incoherent tears, told her sister of Xena's death. Lila held the bard close, stroking her soft, blond locks and comforting her as best she could. Lila's feelings for Xena had always been mixed. She had always resented the warrior for taking her big sister away from the family so long ago. But Xena had saved her life on numerous occasions and had even aided in rescuing her daughter, Sarah, from the infamous and deadly Gurkan several winters before. She also realized that Xena had been her sister's best friend and true love, and had made Gabrielle a better person; a happier person. The two of them had been a part of each other for so long, it was shocking and heartbreaking for Lila to see Gabrielle all alone. She did not know that Xena's spirit was tethered to the earth by Gabrielle's heart and soul, and when the young bard tried to explain as much, Lila naturally mistook it to mean that Gabrielle kept Xena alive in her heart and that she stayed with her only in her memories.

It frustrated Gabrielle that her sister could not seem to understand what she was trying to explain. It was simple enough to her! Xena had finally told her to just give it up. She told her it would be most likely impossible for anyone to understand without having had a deep connection with the Warrior Princess. Most thought of her not as living on, literally, in spirit with her soul mate, but rather as dead and turned to ash.

That first night at Lila's had been strange to Gabrielle. Here she was, in her parents' old homestead, her niece Sarah and her new husband living in a house just down the road, Lila dwelling within their parents' old room. Gabrielle slept in their old room. She had shyly made a joke about sleeping beside Xena in her childhood bed and it made Xena chuckle and wink at her most mischievously. After a long and emotionally exhausting day, Gabrielle had fallen asleep in Xena's arms, laying a top the bed she used to dream in as a kid, which now seemed like a lifetime ago.

That first night turned into two, which turned into weeks, turned into moons, turned into full winters and summers and all the seasons in between. Though Xena didn't think Gabrielle was truly happy there, she dutifully stayed with her at her sister's place for seventeen winters, becoming the town healer and resident bard, entertaining weary travelers in the town's only tavern for an extra dinar here and there. She realized that her soul mate needed to feel close to someone again- someone amongst the living, that is- and her sister was really one of the only people she had left. And as usual, Xena had accurately read Gabrielle's needs.

The bard, while usually bored to tears at her childhood home, was at least comforted to have her sister with her again, and to have her niece close by. Sarah was now married to a fine man, a local boy named Bonreal. Not long after Gabrielle had arrived, Sarah had given birth to her first child, a little girl whom Sarah had lovingly named after her Auntie Gabrielle. The second and third were sons whom she called after her late father and her late grandfather, both of which had been killed when trying to rescue her from the clutches of the evil Gurkan. Her last child, another daughter, a little spit fire with dark hair and a mischievous grin, Sarah had named 'Xena', one of her saviors from a life of slavery, and her beloved auntie's soul mate. Unlike Lila, Sarah had no begrudging feelings for the late Warrior Princess. She was merely a hero to her and as beloved an aunt figure as Gabrielle was.

Gabrielle was ecstatic over Sarah's choice for naming her youngest- and even Xena had to admit it as well, she was pleased and honored. She would watch her namesake as she played in the yard with her siblings over the years, watched the children grow up before their eyes, and watched them, one by one, marry and leave home to start their own lives.

Even with all the love she held for her great nieces and nephews, Gabrielle suffered from melancholy emotions. She loved her sister. She loved her niece and her children, but there was a sadness there, too, knowing that she would most likely never have any more children of her own, nor any grandchildren. As it was, she rarely heard from or saw her own daughter- well, Xena's daughter, that is. In spite of Xena's continual insistence to the contrary, Eve, as well as the rest of the world, regarded the Messenger of Eli to be the daughter only of Xena, Warrior Princess. There was never a mention of the Battling Bard of Potedia, or her involvement in Eve's life whenever she was discussed.

Over sixteen years into their exile on Lila's farm, Gabrielle had been in the barn, doing some practice work with her Sais, which she'd kept up all those years, at Xena's urging. Xena watched her, giving her pointers and encouragement and just enjoying watching the woman she loved using her skills, watching the sinewy muscles move beneath the soft, pale skin. Lila never bothered her when she was in here. In fact, they no longer cared for sheep, so the barn was otherwise empty and free for Gabby to enjoy her workouts, and for Xena to enjoy watching Gabby's workouts. So they were both startled when a knock came on the barn door, making all conversation cease and the two women to look at each other in confusion. Xena had not even noticed another person approaching, something she was nearly perfect at while alive, and perfect at now that she had passed away. How is it she did not detect this newcomer? She nodded at Gabrielle, then de-materialized, staying invisible for the moment, while the bard had gone to the barn door and opened it up to reveal…

… their daughter, Eve. Xena reappeared, smiling from ear to ear, at the sight of her beautiful offspring. She gave Eve a bear hug and kissed her forehead, and before Eve could say a word, Gabrielle pulled the woman into her arms and hugged her tightly. Regardless of how Eve might have felt about her, she thought of Eve as her daughter, too, and always would. This time, Eve surprised Gabrielle, by hugging her back as tightly as she'd been squeezed.

Eve smiled at both of them, the spirit and the living woman, and she told them that she had come to bid them farewell. She said she had been planning on traveling with a small group of Eli followers well beyond the borders of Greece, to spread the good word of Eli and the one God. She would be going to Britannica and Rome, as well as many other lands in the surrounding area. She would preach to whoever would listen to her, she told her mothers, and she admitted she did not know when- or if- she would be back in Greece. She told them that before she left Greece, she was planning on visiting Amphipolis one last time, to visit the family mausoleum, and pay her respects to her grandmother, uncles and, of course, her mother.

Gabrielle had asked her if she would like her and Xena to join her on her travels, and Xena perked up a bit, thinking that a road trip might do her soul mate some good, but Eve declined the offer. Xena pretended not to be disappointed and Gabrielle pretended that she wasn't hurt. Eve was quick to explain that she had some… unfinished business to deal with and she required some privacy in which to deal with it. Both her mothers knew better than to ask her about it, especially considering Eve's violent past and all the terror she had once inflicted in Greece and Rome and beyond.

Though still hurt at not being included in Eve's travel plans- or in her life, if she had to be honest- Gabrielle wished her well, giving her some food to take with her, as well as some of her scrolls; these were more personal in nature than most of the scrolls she had written and were mostly about the most painful- and sometimes, the most pleasurable- times of Gabrielle's life with Xena. She wanted Eve to know her mother- both her mothers- and she wanted her to have the stories that affected them most, the love letters they had written to each other, the poetry she had created, with Xena, her greatest love, as inspiration. She also included some scrolls that featured portraits. Long ago, while in Thebes on her birthday, Gabrielle had begged Xena to pose for an artist who had set up shop just outside of the stadium where they just missed seeing Sappho reading her poetry. She had one painting of the Warrior Princess, holding sword in hand, her trusty Chakram on her belt. She cut quite the impressive figure, and it always took Gabrielle's breath away looking at the painting. She'd also had one portrait made of the two lovers together, and of course, Xena had insisted she sit down and pose for a portrait, too. Though Gabrielle loved the artwork, she decided to give them to Eve, as well, as a remembrance. After all, she knew what she looked like, and she had Xena with her all the time and she could see, hear and touch her, so she hoped the pictures would be a comfort to Eve.

It was with a heavy heart, Gabrielle embraced her daughter, sobbing uncontrollably as she bade the woman farewell, knowing, somehow, that she would never see her again. Then she stood back and watched Xena embrace her child, telling her she loved her, warning her to be careful. All packed up with food and portraits and scrolls and memories, Eve smiled at the two women, and walked away, traveling down the road alone, as she was to meet up with her fellow Eli followers in Amphipolis. Xena and Gabrielle waved her to from their place on the front porch, smiling and offering encouragement, until the slim woman disappeared from sight.

Gabrielle had then fallen into Xena's arms, sobbing quietly against her partner's capable shoulder. She could feel the cool, strong fingers running themselves through her blond locks, which she'd grown long again over the years. She did not mention to Xena the feeling that she would never see their daughter again. She just couldn't. Not only did she not want to worry her spirit lover, she also just couldn't bring herself to say it. She would soon come to regret her decision…

Some moons later, Gabrielle awoke to the feeling of Xena sitting up in their bed beside her, in the middle of the night. Concerned and confused, she looked over at her partner and asked her what was wrong. Xena did not answer her query, but instead told her she had to go away for a while, which scared Gabrielle even more. Xena wiped tears from the small woman's cheeks, then kissed her tenderly on the mouth, assuring her that she would soon return. After several more hugs and kisses and promises, Xena was gone and Gabrielle had never felt more alone in her whole life.

It felt like grieving for her all over again. Xena was gone, only this time, even her spirit had disappeared, leaving Gabrielle feeling empty inside. Lila and Sarah could see a change come over their sister and aunt, but neither seemed able to console her or find out what was the matter. They tried to placate her with stories and extra hugs and lots of nut bread, but the dark depression Gabrielle was trapped in would not cease.

After two full moons, Gabrielle had lain in bed, crying herself to sleep for the countless night, when she suddenly felt the familiar, cool, gentle fingers running through her soft locks. The bard had gasped in surprise and relief, then sat up to find her beloved sitting beside her on the bed, tears clouding her beautiful blue eyes, but she was smiling, nonetheless, so happy she was to finally be reunited with the woman she loved.

Gabrielle had fallen into her arms, kissing her passionately, then resting her head on the strong, capable shoulder she had come to rely on so many years before. They were quiet for a long time, but Gabrielle soon became aware that Xena could not stop crying. And she could easily tell they weren't just tears of happiness at coming home to her. Something was very wrong.

And finally, the moment of truth had arrived. Gabrielle knew that whatever Xena had to say was going to be devastating. She also had the horrible feeling that it had to do with Eve. But she couldn't hold off asking any longer, so she did.

After sighing sadly, Xena kissed Gabrielle's forehead, then squared her shoulders- an old habit she'd retained from her "living" years- and looked her soul mate in the eye… and told her that Eve, their beloved daughter, was dead. Regardless that Gabrielle had sensed it beforehand, the news hit her with the force of a typhoon. It felt like a cold, hard fist hitting her in the pit of the stomach and for a moment, she was sure she was going to be sick.

The woman and the spirit had held each other tightly throughout the night, in Gabrielle's childhood bed, sobbing, grieving, comforting each other. It would be hours later before either of them was ready for Xena to explain what had happened to their daughter.

Apparently, on the way to Amphipolis to meet her friends, Eve had stopped in a fledgling town nearby to gather a few supplies. When she did not meet up with her group at the rendezvous point, they went looking for her. They found her on the road to Amphipolis, half dead, with a terrible knife wound in her chest. She would fight valiantly to survive, but she would never recover from that wound, and two moons later, she had succumbed to death in her grandmother Cyrene's old tavern, surrounded by fellow followers of Eli, and with the spirit of her mother by her side. When the time came, Xena was there to help her cross over and welcome her with open arms.

After she had died, Eve told Xena that she had been killed by the hand of zealots, but she did not wish to talk of the circumstances surrounding her death. Instead, she spoke of regrets and penance. Eve had hurt many people in her lifetime, before she had become the messenger of Eli, and she had regretted every mistake she'd made, every person she had wronged. But there were two regrets that had stood out with her that she'd wanted to make right. First off, she had regretted the lack of closeness she had experienced with Gabrielle, her second mother and a woman who had a heart as big as the sky above, a woman who had known him personally and was once herself, a student of Eli's teachings.

Her other big regret, much to Eve's great shame and to Xena's great shock was that, at a very young age, not quite a teen at the time, Eve had fallen in love with a young, Roman soldier by the name of Ramos. He had disappeared later during a battle and had been presumed dead. So, he was to never learn that young Eve bore his child. At barely thirteen, Eve had traveled to Ireland, where there had been little to no Roman or Greek interference, and she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl that, while she loved her dearly, Eve had realized that, for a number of reasons, she would be unable to keep her. She had given the tiny newborn to the midwife and her husband, who had never been blessed with a child of their own. Before she had died at the hand of the zealots, she had been planning on going to Ireland to seek out her child, who would now be a grown woman. She had wanted to make peace with her daughter, to reach out to her and get to know her.

Eve had described how the little infant, all squalling and pink, had looked to her as beautiful and delicate as a flower, so she had given the babe to the midwife and her husband under the condition that they call her Rose. The couple had agreed to this.

Xena then told Gabrielle that after Eve had shared this information with her, an angel appeared to take Eve to heaven. Before leaving, the angel relayed the fate of the couple who had taken baby Rose. They had been on their way back to their village when their cart had overturned, killing them both. The baby had miraculously survived the accident, but since they had been strangers in the area where the accident had occurred, no one knew who they were and the baby had been taken to an orphanage. The child was now grown and living in the nearby village of Tara.

Eve had embraced her mother before leaving with the angel. She had asked for her mother's help, as well as Gabrielle's. She wanted her child found and told of her true parentage. And most of all, she wanted the girl to know what was left of her family- namely, the Battling Bard of Potedia, Gabrielle.

The Warrior Princess had relayed all of this information to her soul mate, and they had held each other and cried together and both of them vowed to travel to Ireland and find their granddaughter. They would get to know her and, if she wanted to, they would bring her back with them to Greece.

And so, the next morning, a teary-eyed Gabrielle told her sister that she had received news during the night of her daughter's death, as well as the discovery of a long lost grandchild. Though Lila couldn't believe what she was hearing and though she honestly feared for her sister's life, Lila gave Gabrielle her blessing- as well as a lot of supplies, including nut bread- and she had embraced her sister, and then sent her on her way into the unknown. Lila had seen how melancholy Gabrielle had been living there with her. Actually, she felt most of her discontent had come from the fact that her sister had never fully recovered from Xena's death. At least searching for some long-lost grandchild had given Gabrielle a sense of purpose again.

Gabrielle had then traveled across Greece, and she had finally reached the border. On her last night in Greece, she and Xena had lain together on her bedroll, staring up at the night sky. There they studied the stars and talked with excitement about meeting their granddaughter, wondering what she looked like, what her views of the world were, and what kind of life she was leading. They both still grieved for Eve, but she had left them with the hopeful gift of finding a grandchild to love.

As they had talked, and watched the stars, Gabrielle's eyelids began to droop and she yawned, smiling when she felt a familiar hand stroking her hair. Just before falling asleep, she felt the need to make sure Xena wouldn't leave her again and that she would always be with her.

"Where you go, I'm at your side," Xena promised the small bard, kissing her brow, as the blond woman drifted off to sleep…

"The Legend of Xena"

By Bugmouthga

Gabrielle had made it to Ireland and, along with the spirit of her soul mate, Xena, was traveling the beautiful Irish countryside, searching for the small village of Tara. It had been nearly a year since they had left Potedia and the bard was running out of steam, and patience.

"Come on, Gabrielle," Xena urged her tired companion onward. "There's another village just up ahead. I see the sign post for it."

Riding atop of Argo III- bred from Argo II, who had passed away some years back- Gabrielle nodded. She saw the sign, and groaned because it was written in Gaelic. "Wish we knew what it said…"

"Yeah," Xena agreed, scratching her chin as she walked beside the horse. "That would have been really helpful."

Gabrielle rolled her eyes. "I thought you told me you could read Gaelic."

Xena shrugged. "I'm dead, so I assumed I could."

This elicited a chuckle from her partner. "Well, so far, the locals have been happy to help. Of course, most of their accents are so thick, I can barely understand them."

"Yeah, but to their ears," Xena reminded her, "you're the one who talks funny."

The bard laughed again. "True. Hey, I suppose our granddaughter will have an Irish accent, too!"

"I would imagine so," Xena agreed. "Only I think they call it a 'brogue' around here, Gabrielle."

"Well, either way, won't that be so cute?"

"Probably. But just remember, my love, we're not looking for some cute little kid. Rose is… she's got to be at least thirty winters old, or more. Nearly as old as you, well, as old as you appear to be," she added, realizing that she and Gabrielle had slept in suspended animation for twenty-five years, so her beautiful soul mate was quite a bit older than what she looked.

"I know," Gabrielle dismissed the thought with a wave of her hand. She had to admit, she already had a picture in her mind as to what their grandchild would look like. She knew she would love the woman regardless of how she looked or what she sounded like, even if she had already built up expectations. "She'll still be our grand baby, though, no matter what. Oh, Xena, I can't wait to meet her!"

The Warrior Princess chuckled. "Well, don't start baking her any cookies just yet, 'Grandma'. We still have to find her!"

Once they got into the town, the two soul mates kept their conversation silent. Xena was able to read Gabrielle's thoughts, as well as speak into the bard's mind. It made conversing together in public a lot easier, not to mention safer, particularly for Gabrielle, who tended to look like a bit of a loon when outsiders saw her having what looked like a one-sided conversation with herself. After that had happened a few times on the way to Egypt not long after Xena had died, the two had devised their special, secret way of "talking" around others.

Gabrielle hopped off of Argo III and led her over to a public stables. She asked the man in charge there what village she was in and he replied, "Be gorrah, lass, we here be in the great township of Tara!"

Her inner voice shouting in triumph with Xena and exchanging mental high-fives, Gabrielle smiled cordially at the man and paid to board her horse there for the next few days. Then she and the- invisible to everyone but Gabrielle- spirit of the Warrior Princess set off to find their granddaughter in the small village.

They wandered the town for hours. Every time a woman who looked to be about the right age passed by, both of them would give her an eager once over before mutually deciding that she wasn't "the one".

The pretty bard got plenty of attention though. Not only was she a newcomer to Tara, she stood out with her blond locks and funny accent. Most people there had some variation of red hair. The rest were mostly dark-haired, with blue or green eyes. Occasionally they would see someone with brown eyes, but it was rare. Most had a ruddy to rosy complexion, a result of country living. Gabrielle's smooth, fair skin and blond locks made her the talk of the town. Several strapping young men followed her around, looking like lovesick puppies, until she shooed them off. One had even picked her a flower and presented it to her, much to her embarrassment.

"I'm starting to get a little jealous here, Gabrielle," Xena admitted, chuckling quietly.

Don't be, Gabby assured her, speaking in her mind. If you were still alive, I'm sure you would be getting all of the attention. You always did turn heads.

"That's not what I meant," Xena retorted. "Too many well-muscled Irish lads are making eyes at my soul mate!"

I reiterate, don't be jealous, Xena, Gabrielle assured her. My heart belongs to a tall, blue-eyed warrior with the noble heart and the legs that just won't quit.

If it would have been possible, Xena might have blushed. While, as a spirit, physical love was merely a memory, that didn't stop the feelings behind the sensations. The very thought of Gabrielle and the love they shared always kept the home fires stoked and burning bright. It was wonderful to know that even after all these years, even considering the fact that she was dead and had been for decades, even though they could no longer indulge in physical pleasures, Gabrielle remained as in love with, and as loyal to Xena as she was to her.

They continued their leisurely, yet thorough tour of Tara, and Gabrielle stopped at a vendor's market, where she began to haggle over a piece of fruit. She noticed a beautiful woman walking by; tall, with long legs, long black hair and piercing blue eyes. Whoa! Did you see her, Xena? she questioned.

"Yeah," Xena replied. "It was like looking into a mirror, well, some twenty years ago."

I'm going to follow her for a bit, Gabrielle told her and she walked after the lady, keeping a safe distance. Xena, of course, was with her the whole way.

They saw the woman walk over to another woman's cart. She called out, "Mum! I'm here!"

Mum? Gabby pondered.

Xena mulled it over. "Well, she could have been adopted out of the orphanage. Still, something doesn't fit here…"

How do you mean?

"I don't know," the Warrior Princess admitted. "This just feels… off to me, somehow."

They walked over to the vending cart, which was set up with rugs and clothing to sell. It was very nice looking handiwork, although neither Xena, nor Gabrielle took much notice of any of it, their attention focused elsewhere. As they approached, they could see the young woman standing behind the cart, conversing with a woman who looked a lot like her, only older. It was quite obvious that they were related. This was the woman that had been addressed as "mum" moments before.

Gabrielle sighed in disappointment. Guess it's not her, after all. If that's her mom, she couldn't be adopted. They look too much alike. And I thought for sure…

"She does look a lot like me," Xena agreed. "both she and her mother."

Hmm, you don't have any other long lost Irish relatives, do you, Xena? Gabrielle wondered.

"Not that I know… of…" Xena said, then her voice trailed off and she raised her eyebrows. Gabrielle noticed at once.

What is it?

"I sense… something…" came the cryptic reply.

Seconds later, a commotion startled everyone in the vicinity, as a short, chubby, dark-haired woman was plucking a few apples from the cart Gabrielle had just been standing at, and she had accidentally grabbed one that caused the rest of the apples to come tumbling down to the ground at her feet. The vendor rushed over, glowering at the small woman.

Xena perked up, a goofy grin appearing on her face.

Oh, Xena, Gabrielle sighed, don't tell me that's…

"Our girl," the spirit finished for her, smiling proudly. "Can't you feel it?"

"Damnation, Kathleen!" the vendor shouted at the little lady. "I swear, ye be a curse to this village!"

"Sorry, sir," came the humble reply, as the short female averted her gaze in humiliation.

Ah, yes, I can feel it now, Gabby agreed. She's definitely one of us!

"Would ye like me to help ye pick up the-" the woman began.

"Nay!" the vendor bellowed. "Just be off with ye!"

"But I was goin' to buy some," Kathleen, as she was called, protested. "Already have some in me basket!"

"How many?"

"Two."

"Then just take 'em and be gone with ye! And don't ye bother me no more!"

"Yes, sir," Kathleen whispered, looking near tears, and she trudged away, her shoulders slumped, a wounded expression clouding her features.

Hey, that guy was really rude to our granddaughter! Gabrielle muttered, giving the man in question the 'stink eye'. It was only an accident.

"Yeah, what a jackass," Xena agreed.

I think we should teach him a lesson…

"Now, hold it. Don't get your Irish up," the spirit laughed. "Come on, let's just follow Rose."

"Right," Gabby said aloud, and hurried to catch up with their long lost grandchild, Xena at her side.

They had lost sight of her for a while, then saw her walking towards what looked like a tavern. Gabrielle quickened her pace and she was soon just a few feet behind her.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Xena egged her on. "Talk to her!"

Gabrielle suddenly seemed tongue-tied.Uh… what should I say?

"Nothing too revealing right now," Xena cautioned her. "Just engage her, make small talk. No one can talk someone's ear off better than you can!"

M-my throat feels really dry, Gabby admitted and Xena could see how nervous her partner was. She ran her hand up and down the bard's back; a comforting gesture.

"Come on, Gabrielle, this is your area of expertise, and this is our grand baby. Don't lose this chance."

I know, I know, Gabrielle sighed, looking up at her partner, who suddenly de-materialized from sight. Before the bard knew it, she walked right into Rose, who had stopped to look in a tavern window, and who'd been somewhat aware that she was being followed. Both women stumbled a little before catching and righting themselves.

Rose glared, but then her expression changed as she got her first real look at the person who'd been trailing her. She held a look of plain shocked recognition for a split second, before her face changed again, this time looking fearful and resentful. "Ye got an issue with me, lady?" she asked quietly.

"Uh… an issue? Um, no, not really," Gabrielle stammered.

"Well, then, there be plenty of room across the road, miss. Perhaps ye should walk over there?"

Gabby's green eyes narrowed. "Is that the Irish way of telling me to get lost?"

The woman shrugged and smirked at the bard. "I thought it would mean that in any language, lass." Then she turned on her heel and resumed her walk, heading towards the tavern's front door.

"What the…?"

Xena reappeared at her shoulder just then, chuckling. "Well, you were right," the warrior commented, smiling. "She does have an Irish brogue."

Gabrielle grumbled. She's a little shi-

"Yeah, she is a lot like you," the spirit laughed, then received a dirty look from her partner. "And did you notice how she looked at you?"

You mean before or after she insulted me? Gabrielle huffed.

"Before, when she first saw you."

Gabrielle nodded. Yeah, almost like she recognized me, but that would be impossible, of course. And hey, thanks for disappearing on me back there.

"Sorry, but I… I just think I should for now, when we're around her. She will most likely be able to see me, you know. That whole blood tie thing…"

That's right. You don't want to scare her, Gabrielle reasoned.

"You calling me 'scary'?"

Xena…

"Just kidding. Let's go. You need to try again. She may be a little snot, but she's our little snot, and I want to know her."

Me, too. Hmm, I think she just went into the tavern.

"Hope she's not a drunk."

Xena!

"I'm kidding! Come on!"

The Warrior Princess de-materialized again, so even Gabrielle could not see her, although she could still hear and feel her near. When they walked into the dimly lit tavern, they nevertheless spotted their granddaughter right away, over by the bar, arguing with the proprietor.

"Jeez, does our kid get along with anybody?" Xena wondered.

Wouldn't that make her more like you, then? Gabrielle teased her, and they crept closer to listen in on the heated conversation.

"Hey, Kathleen, I am not goin' ta buy his crops no more! He charges too much; a lot more'n either Griffin or Liam."

"But Reilly," Rose pleaded, "Paxton depends on yer business. Iffen ye quit him, then he'd lose the farm!"

"That's not me problem," Reilly muttered.

Gabrielle narrowed her eyes and started over, but Xena's invisible hand on her arm stopped her.

"Not yet, my love. Let's listen and find out more about her before we step in and intervene here."

The bard nodded and begrudgingly took a seat at a nearby table. Xena hovered behind her, her hands resting on her soul mate's shoulders. Both continued to watch and listen to the conversation.

"What can I say to make ye change yer mind?" Rose asked the man.

"Ye know damn well what ye can do," Reilly told her pointedly.

What does he want from her? Gabrielle wondered suspiciously.

"Just wait," Xena advised her again, her voice calming. "I'm sure we'll find out sooner or later."

"Reilly, ye know I canno' do that," Rose told him with a despondent sigh, all of which made Gabrielle twitch with impatience, as she grew more suspicious.

Xena could feel her partner growing more tense and anxious and she knew that the bard was just itching to get over there and defend their granddaughter's honor. It made the Warrior Princess chuckle. At least she knew that Gabrielle- the only one of the two that was actually alive and therefore, the only one able to draw Rose in for the moment- was already very attached to their descendant.

"Well, I don' see why not, girl. Ye know Paxton is so drunk off his head, he ain't never know where ye be, anyhow. What's an hour or two a day? Just here in the kitchen before we open?"

Gabrielle's green eyes went wide. Is this jerk soliciting our kid? she demanded to know.

"Eh… I don't know," Xena had to admit, although it certainly sounded that way. She forced herself to stay calm and not make any assumptions as of yet. No need for both of them to get their dander up.

"Iffen I got caught, it'd be me head," they heard Rose mutter. "Sorry, Reilly."

"Then ye can tell Paxton that we're done doin' business," Reilly spoke up with finality.

"But Reilly-"

"No! Now be gone with ye!"

Again, Rose started walking away, with slumped shoulders and a pitiful expression.

"Quick!" Xena shouted into her soul mate's ear. "Say something! Get her attention!"

But Gabrielle felt all tongue-tied again. What should I say?

"Who cares? Just say something!"

But I don't even know what to say!

"Just get her attention!" Xena shouted, and she gave her partner a pinch on the bottom, making the younger woman yelp and leap up from her chair.

"Son of a Bachae!" Gabrielle exclaimed angrily. "Xena, what the hell is your problem?!"

The Warrior Princess remained silent, giving Gabby's sore bottom a gentle pat. Not only did the bard now have Rose's attention, she had everyone's attention in the tavern.

Reilly walked up to Gabrielle, a look of disapproval on his ruddy face. "See here, girl, are ye drunk?"

Gabrielle's green eyes narrowed for the countless time that evening.

"Hoo boy," Xena whispered softly, realizing Reilly was about to get an earful.

"No, I am not drunk, and I'm hardly a girl! I'm a grown woman who-"

"Who talks funny," Reilly finished for her. "Ye ain't from 'round here, are ye?"

The small blond rolled her eyes. "No kidding," she muttered, and tried to push by him to get to Rose, who was currently making her way towards the tavern door.

"Don't ye be rollin' yer eyes at me, wee lass," Reilly scolded her, grabbing her arm to keep her in place. "We don' take kindly to strangers who come in to our village and behave so disrespectfully towards our citizens, do we, folks?"

The loud murmur of the crowd replied in a resounding, "Aye, Reilly!"

Xena sighed. Well, this is another fine mess that my ass grabbing and her temper has gotten us into…

Gabrielle, too, was aware of the potential trouble she was in. In her mind, she said to Xena, If you weren't already dead, I would murder you right now!

"Sorry," the Warrior Princess whispered apologetically, which only made Gabrielle groan in annoyance.

"Are ye sick, girl?" Reilly asked, his look of anger changing to fear and disgust, and he let go of Gabrielle's arm.

"Gabrielle, tread lightly here," Xena warned her.

"Quiet!" Gabby grumbled at her partner. "I need to think."

"Sure'n ye do, lass, but I think ye have lost yer mind!"

"Excuse me?"

"She's touched in the head!" one patron shouted in alarm.

"Be gorrah! She be possessed!" another said.

Gabby's little face was getting redder and angrier by the second. Xena had not seen her this angry in years, not since long before she'd died. This was not going to end well. But then she noticed their granddaughter walking back into the tavern, into the center of the drama, an unreadable expression on her face, as she stared at Gabrielle.

"She's a devil!" a drunken fool yelled across the room, before burping and falling off his chair, passing out on the floor.

"Take 'er to the asylum!" a woman declared and received a dirty look from the bard in question.

"We don't have an asylum, wench," Reilly reminded her.

"Well, throw 'er in jail, then," the same woman shot back. "Lock 'er away before she hurts 'erself or anybody else!"

"Aye!" the crowd cheered.

"Son of a Bachae," Gabrielle muttered under her breath again. She glared in the direction that Xena's invisible spirit dwelled. "This is all your fault, you know!"

"I know," Xena replied contritely.

Rose suddenly looked over in the same direction that held Gabrielle's attention, peering closely. She saw nothing, but for a second she thought she heard something. Xena noticed this, as well.

"Aye!" Reilly agreed, roughly yanking Gabrielle by the arm. "Off to the loony bin with ye, then!"

Gabrielle leaned down, preparing to grab for her Sais, when she felt Xena's hands cover hers. "Wait."

But Xena, they're going to throw me in the hoosegow!

"Trust me."

Begrudgingly, Gabrielle stopped her action, just in time to see Rose step forward. Everyone stared at the small brunette in surprise.

"Nay," Rose said. "This one isn'a for the loony bin. She's not damaged. A little daft, perhaps, but she be harmless, I say."

"Ye say?" Reilly laughed. "And we're to go by yer word, Kathleen? Yer rather a nutter yerself!"

"I'm not," Rose stated quietly, but with conviction. Though her eyes were as dark and as gentle as a fawn's, there was a fierceness in them now; a look of cold, steely determination. "And ye will not harm this wee lass."

The quiet tone of her voice and the hard glare unnerved Reilly. He had known Rose for most of her life and he had never seen her stand up to anyone, much less him. He released his grip on Gabrielle's arm. "Ye will take responsibility for this stranger, then, Kathleen?"

"Aye," the small woman replied softly. She took a step towards Gabrielle and slowly outstretched a hand to her. She was visibly trembling, but she furrowed her brow and did it anyway.

Smiling gratefully, Gabrielle reached back, but then Reilly grabbed her again, holding her in place. "Yer sure 'bout this, girl? Iffen she turns violent or wreaks havoc in any way, it'll all be on yer head, Kathleen. Ye understand?"

Gabrielle looked back in alarm at Reilly, wishing like mad that he would just shut up. She was afraid that he would spook Rose out of helping her.

But the little brunette with the dirty face and the torn peasant's dress merely softened her expression as she looked at her grandmother and reached out her hand again. "I know," she replied simply.

With a shove, Reilly sent Gabby over to Rose, who warmly grasped her hand. He shook his head, believing them both to be daft. "Get her outta here, then, girl."

Rose frowned, ignoring Reilly's instruction. "Have ye eaten anythin' today, lass?" she asked her grandmother.

"Er…" In truth, Gabrielle had eaten a big breakfast that morning, but it was now evening and her stomach started to growl at the mere mention of food. "Not in a while…"

With a nod, Rose led Gabby back over to the table she had been sitting at moments before and pulled out the chair for her. "Stay here," Rose instructed her quietly. "I'll be back verra soon. And please, don't do anythin'… daft while I'm gone, okay?"

Gabrielle could hear Xena softly chuckling. "Uh, sure," she sighed.

The Irish woman was off in a shot and running up to Reilly again. The bard watched them argue and haggle for a moment. At first, Reilly did not want Gabrielle remaining in his establishment for another second, let alone to stay for dinner. Rose had a few coins she was trying to bargain with. Reilly snatched the coins from her small hand, then pointed to the kitchen behind the bar area. With a resigned sigh, Rose nodded at him and went back there.

Gabrielle gasped. Surely her granddaughter would not have allowed herself to be used and degraded just so that she could eat dinner there? She looked up as Reilly approached the table. He had a rather sour look on his ruddy face as he looked down at her. "Look-a here, girl, Kathleen is wantin' to pay fer ye to eat here. I ain't happy 'bout it, but payment is money and good fer business. All's we got here to offer ye would be some stew with bread and some mead."

It was on the tip of her tongue for Gabrielle to tell the man to go sit on a sharp stick and bounce, but she remembered all the trouble Rose had gone through just to get her a meal, and it made her pause. She did ask, "What do you have her doing in the kitchen?"

"Why, bakin', of course," Reilly said. "Kathleen may not be good fer much, but she's ace at makin' fruit pies. I've been tryin' to get her to work fer me fer years. Figure sellin' pies here might increase business." He paused, then looked down at Gabrielle again. "What the devil do ye care, anyway? Sure'n ye are touched in the head!" He sighed and stomped off.

Well, the food might be good here, Gabrielle surmised, glowering at Reilly's retreating form as he disappeared into the kitchen, but the service leaves something to be desired!

Xena chuckled. "Not a place to come back to, eh?"

Not even close!

A moment later, Reilly returned with a decent-sized bowl of stew and a big chunk of bread. Next to it, he plopped down a pint of mead, which sloshed up and splattered a little bit on the exposed skin of Gabrielle's neck and upper chest. As she hurried to clean herself off, spouting protests and curses, Reilly smiled and left her alone to her meal.

"The scumbag did that on purpose, Gabrielle," Xena hissed quietly.

Gee, ya think? Gabby thought sarcastically. She glanced around. Hey, I wonder why Rose isn't eating out here with me…

"Maybe she's only working off your debt," Xena surmised. "Too bad Rose didn't ask if you had any money, since your pockets are full of it. Oh, and another thing, her name is Kathleen around these parts. Try to remember that."

I'll try, but it will be difficult. I already think of her as our 'Rose'. Then she took a tentative sampling of her stew.

"Afraid it's too hot, or afraid that it's poisoned?" Xena cracked.

Actually, I was worried someone might have spit in it, but thanks for the thought. Now I have to worry about poison, too?

"No worries, Gabrielle," Xena assured her. "Reilly is a big jerk, but he doesn't seem like a murderer."

"So, no poison?" Gabby murmured aloud, taking a big bite.

"No, but there might still be spit, though…"

Gabrielle nearly choked on the food. Thanks a lot, Xena!

She took her time, eating slowly and watching the kitchen door, waiting for Rose to come out. After quite some time, the Irish lass meandered out, her face tired and her nose and cheeks dusted with flour. Both Xena and Gabrielle warmed at her visage, smiling. They watched their granddaughter as her tired eyes sought out Gabrielle. Once she spotted her, she averted her gaze and meekly approached the woman, who had barely finished her meal. Gabby had eaten slowly because she'd feared that Reilly would have thrown her out once he noticed she was done eating. And she had wanted to stay so she could see her granddaughter before she'd had the chance to sneak out.

Rose stood before her, looking not at Gabrielle but at the wall behind her. "Hey, wee lass. Are ye finished with yer meal yet?"

"Yes."

"Was it satisfactory?"

"Oh, yes, it was thank you."

The brunette nodded, seemingly satisfied. "Aye, so it had better be. I made six pies in there so you could have the good stew." She looked over at the bar where Reilly stood, pouring a drink and watching them out of the corner of his eye. The proprietor and the little peasant girl regarded each other with mutual animosity.

"Maybe we should leave now," Xena suggested and Rose spun around, looking in the exact spot where her spirit hovered at Gabrielle's shoulder.

"What did ye say?" she asked, looking a little confused.

"Uh… I said maybe we should leave now," the bard replied, thinking quickly, and she felt her soul mate patting her gratefully on the back for the nice save.

"Perhaps yer right," Rose agreed. "Ol' Reilly be giving me the stink eye as we speak."

Gabrielle stood up and she gently reached up to dust the flour off of her granddaughter's face, which made the girl blush bright red and look away. Gabby was surprised, but she ignored the awkwardness. "Oh, believe me, Rose," she said, "I think that 'stink eye' was meant for both of us."

"Eh… maybe so. But, um, me name is actually Kathleen, lass." She held up a tentative hand, as if she were afraid Gabrielle would spurn the greeting.

Quick to assure her, Gabrielle gripped her arm and they shook. What she really longed to do was to pull her grandchild into a tight embrace, but she didn't want to scare her off. "I'm Gabrielle and it's an honor to meet you. I want to thank you for helping me out back there- twice!"

Rose blushed again, and looked down at her shoes. "'Twas nothin'. I only did what any decent person would'a done."

"You'd be surprised how little a decent person might do when faced with ridicule or resistance. I thought you were very brave, Rose- er, Kathleen. So, thank you again."

The younger woman was clearly embarrassed and unused to receiving praise. She turned to leave, Gabrielle walking behind her, wanting to stop her, but unsure of what to say. So, Rose helped out once again.

"Say, lass, do ye have a place to stay for the night?"

"Um, actually, no. Could you recommend a place? Are there any inns here in Tara?"

"Nay," Rose responded shyly. "I… if you're a quiet sort, though, I could let ye stay with me. I mean iffen ye would even want to…"

"Yes!" Gabrielle exclaimed happily, with a big feeling of relief on the side. "I would love to stay with you. Thank you, Kathleen."

"Aye," Rose replied quietly. "Well, it's a bit of a walk just outside of town. And it's gettin' dark, so iffen ye don' mind, perhaps we should start out."

"Right, of course," Gabby agreed with a smile. "Please lead the way."

The Irish woman nodded and started out down one of the roads out of town, towards the farm lands. Gabrielle dutifully followed her, but she felt a tug on her arm, and realizing at once that it was her soul mate, she smiled and lagged a little behind. "Yes?"

"So, am I forgiven for my earlier transgression, or what?"

Of course, Xena. I mean, it all worked out, anyway, didn't it?

"Yeah, it sure did. I can't wait to see where our girl lives."

Oh, me, too! Can't wait to learn all about her.

"Just remember not to reveal anything about us too soon," Xena reminded her.

Gotcha. But what shall I do in the meantime?

"Go with your natural talent," Xena told her, smiling. "Talk her ear off."

Gabrielle smiled back at her soul mate. Right! Then she quickened her pace to fall in step with her granddaughter "Hey, Rose, I mean, Kathleen- wait up!"

OOO

Gabrielle had chattered on and on the entire walk to the farm where Rose lived. And Rose had kept silent the entire walk, glancing back to raise an eyebrow at the pretty bard from time to time, after listening to some crazy tale.

After over a candle mark's walk, half of it in darkness, as the sun had set some time back, Gabrielle and her very quiet companion came upon a small farm house out in the middle of seemingly nowhere, and quite far from the village of Tara.

The place had that slightly rundown look, but it was kept up enough to at least appear livable. Gabrielle, trying to remain upbeat, smiled at her granddaughter and generously offered, "It's nice. So, this is your home, Rose- er, Kathleen?"

"Nay," Rose mumbled, the first word she'd uttered since they had embarked on their journey out of town, "but I live here." She nodded in the direction of another, larger building behind the house. "This way, please."

Gabrielle had to admit, she was a bit confused, but dutifully followed the younger woman without question. She observed Rose's gait as she walked in front of her. Rose took shorter strides and lacked any self-assuredness, but her walk was remarkably similar to Xena's. It made Gabby smile at the familiarity.

Rose opened one side of the barn door, held it open for Gabrielle to enter before her. It was very dark and the quiet sounds of resting animals could be heard… and smelled, Gabrielle noted, her nose wrinkling involuntarily. She'd never minded sleeping in barns, but it had always taken her a moment or two to grow accustomed to the scent.

Next she saw a small flicker of light that steadily increased and she realized Rose had lit several candles. The barn finally came into view for her. Gabrielle saw a cow in a stall to the left. Several goats and a dozen chickens meandered freely throughout. She heard an owl rustling and hooting gently from the rafters above her head and saw an old dog curled up in the corner, whimpering and kicking its feet out while dreaming. The simplicity and normalcy gave Gabrielle a feeling of warmth and she smiled, turning to face her new companion. The Irish lass didn't smile back, but instead awkwardly averted her eyes.

"I hope you're not afraid of heights," she mumbled in her Irish brogue.

For a split second, Gabrielle wondered if Rose had been making some sort of short joke, but decided she wasn't. Not only was Rose a good three to four inches shorter than she was, this young woman definitely did not seem like the joking type. And what a pity that was, considering how much Xena had always loved to joke with and playfully tease her. Of course, she also remembered Eve, Rose's mother and their daughter, and how quiet and serious she had usually been- even after being reformed. Perhaps Rose took more after her.

Gabrielle glanced over at the woman in question, who was staring at her with an imploring expression that was bordering on impatience and suddenly the bard recalled that she had been asked a question. "Oh, uh, no, I'm not," Gabby replied, still sounding entirely too chipper next to her somber hostess. "Why?"

"Well, I sleep up in the loft," Rose told her, gesturing to a rickety, wooden ladder that led up to the loft. "Did ye wish to sleep up there as well?" She averted her gaze again, looking rather embarrassed for even suggesting it.

If she had to be honest, Gabrielle was not too keen on the idea, especially considering the shoddy look of the loft and the rickety look of the ladder that led to said loft. "Why do you sleep up there?" she asked instead.

Rose kept silent for a long moment and it was plain by the look on her face that she was wrestling with some internal conflict. When she finally answered, she did her best to appear nonplussed. "Er… the higher up ye are, the less likely ye are to get pecked at or pooped on." And she pointed to the animals.

Intuitive that she was, Gabrielle let her granddaughter have that and she smiled appreciatively at her. "Well, when you put it that way, the loft sounds great! After you, Rose- eh, Kathleen."

The younger woman eyed Gabrielle in confusion for a moment, then shrugged and scurried up the rickety ladder, her blond companion at her heels. Treading lightly on the old boards, which, upon closer inspection looked as if they had been patched up and reinforced a number of times, Gabby watched as Rose reached for the ladder, then hauled it up to the loft, gently setting it at the edge, making it impossible for almost anyone to get up there after them.

This action made Gabrielle seriously wonder over what was going on. First, Rose didn't sleep in her own house, but rather, in the barn. And to find out she sleeps up on an unstable loft, as if to hide or keep others at bay was more than curious. What is our girl hiding from, Xena? she thought, her brow furrowing in dismay. Xena did not reply, but she felt a light, invisible touch caress her shoulders and it calmed her.

Rose moved cautiously across the floor boards, but with speed and efficiency, as she retrieved some bedrolls and fur skins, laying them out parallel, but with a good six feet between them. She placed the candle holder on a small, makeshift table at the head of the rolls, then she dug under some hay and removed out a wooden box, about a foot long, half as wide, and about as deep as it was wide. It looked old and a little chingered up, but it had been polished with oil recently and wore ornate carvings that were typical Roman motif. Having spent quite some time in Rome during her travels with Xena, Gabrielle recognized the style right away.

As Rose opened the box, Gabby couldn't help but to ask, "Where did you get that?"

"I didn'a steal it," Rose promised with conviction.

"Of course you didn't," Gabrielle replied sensibly. "I never would have thought that, honey. But it's Roman design. Just wondering how it would end up in Ireland."

With a shrug, Rose removed some contents from the box in question- small amounts of fruit, cheese and bread. "I dunno where it came from or how it came to be with me," Rose admitted quietly. "I've just always had it. Even back at the orphanage, it was the only thing that was mine."

"So, you were in an orphanage," Gabrielle sighed sadly, recalling Xena telling her as much. She had just hoped it hadn't been true.

"Aye," Rose replied. "I grew up there… well, through me first eleven winters, anyway. That's when…"

"When what?" Gabby pressed.

Rose shook her head. "Nothin'," she murmured. "And here, take this." She handed the bard one of the apples she had gotten in town that day.

"For me? Thank you. Is this for dessert?"

"Well, it's just that sometimes apples can freshen yer breath a little," Rose remarked quietly, averting her gaze once again. Gabrielle could swear she saw a smirk on the woman's face. "Ye know, like after ye have eaten somethin' rather… potent, like… like…"

"Like the stew I had for dinner?" Gabrielle asked with a smile. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she could hear Xena chuckling at her expense. "Are you saying that my breath is bad, Rose- Kathleen?"

"Uh…" the younger woman stammered. "I didn'a say it."

The pretty bard rolled her eyes, but dutifully took a bite. "It's all right. I can take the hint." While she ate the apple, she watched Rose imbibe on a small piece of cheese and some stale bread. It was gone rather quickly, polished off by a small apple of her own. She tossed the core out the second story window, then snatched Gabrielle's finished apple out of her hand and disposed of it in the same manner.

"The birds can have the rest," she explained.

Gabrielle smiled over her companion's thoughtfulness. "That's very sweet of you."

Rose shrugged off the compliment, clearly not comfortable in receiving them. "Well, it gets rid of it, anyhow, eh?"

"Right," Gabrielle agreed, trying to sound sensible. In her mind, she was wondering over her granddaughter's aversion to any kind words. The girl avoided eye contact, deflected compliments, and seemed to shy away from any intimacy or warm, friendly interaction.

She reminds me a bit of you, Xena, back when we first met, Gabrielle thought in her head.

Xena responded in a whisper, "She's quite a bit like me in that respect, Gabrielle. It's pretty obvious she's been damaged by something or someone, but she can be saved, just as I was."

Do you really think I can help her? Gabrielle asked the inner voice.

"I know you can, just as you helped me," the reply came softly, like a whispering wind. "Just as you helped Eve."

Gabrielle nodded. She then became aware that Rose, sitting crossed-legged before her, was staring at her and wearing a most peculiar expression.

"Rose… ah, Kathleen, are you all right?" Gabby asked, reaching out a hand.

"I was goin' to ask the same of ye, lass," Rose spoke, jumping up and deftly avoiding her companion's concerned touch. "Ye know the people in town did say ye were… touched in the head and talkin' to yerself. But I thought I just heard…"

"Heard what, honey?" Gabrielle demanded to know. The truth was, neither she nor Xena had uttered a single word aloud. It had all been mere quiet murmurs in her mind- not her favorite way to communicate, but it served a purpose, especially when witnesses were nearby, witnesses that could potentially become a lynch mob in a matter of moments.

"Whispers," Rose blurted, before shaking off the recollection like a dream and said, "Never mind." She turned away in embarrassment.

"What did you hear?" Gabrielle pressed, standing up next to the red-faced woman. This time, she managed to get close enough and be quick enough to lay a cool hand against the skin on Rose's arm.

Rose jumped at the touch, as if struck by lightning. She stared at Gabrielle for a moment, instinctively pulling away from the woman, her confused expression now intermingling with fear. "Nothin'…" she avowed in a shaky tone. "I heard nothin'…" Then she walked away to regain a sense of composure.

"Ease up, Gabrielle," Xena whispered inside of the bard's mind. "She's not ready for this."

Gabby sighed in understanding and dutifully changed the subject. "So, Ro- eh, Kathleen, do you think I'm 'touched in the head' like everyone else in town?"

"Oh, no!" Rose assured her, turning around to face her. "Yer a little daft, perhaps, but definitely not 'touched'."

"Daft, huh," Gabrielle repeated, and she could hear her soul mate chuckling quietly in her mind. "Well, I guess I can live with that. I've been called worse."

"I find that hard to believe," Rose murmured quietly, and Gabrielle was truly surprised, as the young woman's tone held no sarcasm or flippancy and she knew to take it at face value.

Taking another chance, Gabby laid her hand on Rose's shoulder again. "Thank you."

"Yer… welcome," Rose stammered, blushing furiously, but she did not pull away as abruptly as she had before. Instead, she allowed Gabrielle's caress for several seconds before clearing her throat and asking, "Are ye ready to turn in for the night, wee lass?"

"Certainly," the blond replied and she meant it. It had been a long and exhausting day. "Which bedroll shall I use?" She eyed them on the floor of the loft. One had several extra blankets and a thicker animal skin. She was not surprised in the slightest when Rose shyly gestured her towards it. She could easily see that the granddaughter of Xena was a kind-hearted person, even if she very shy about it. Just like Xena…

Knowing better than to argue with Rose, because it was also pretty obvious by now that the girl was as stubborn as her mother and her grandmother before her, Gabby nodded and waited for her hostess to settle in on her own bedroll first, before she did. Once Rose was lying down and covered up, Gabrielle pulled her bedroll several feet closer, so that she was smack dab next to the Irish lass. Then she settled in and smiled over at the quiet brunette, who stared at her incredulously.

"There," Gabby said, smiling over at her companion. "Isn't this nice? Snug as a bug in a rug."

"Ye've got bugs?" Rose exclaimed, scooting slightly away.

"Relax," Gabrielle chuckled, scooting closer again. "It's just an expression… probably not one said around here though, I guess."

Rose shrugged, staring up at the ceiling, noticing a hole in the roof that would need patching up. "I dunno," she yawned.

"You're not really friendly with the townspeople, are you?" Gabby mentioned, trying to sound casual.

"Nay," the younger woman admitted, her eyes closing. "To them, I'm as much of an outsider as ye are."

"But haven't you lived here for…"

"Since I was eleven," came the short, sleepy reply.

"You're not much of a talker, either," Gabrielle said, smiling as she watched her companion's eyelids flutter.

"S'okay," Rose replied, her voice slurred. "Ye talk more'n enough for the both of us…" And then she was out.

Xena's laughter could be heard, and this time, she appeared, materializing next to her friend on her bedroll. "She's such a little punk, isn't she?" The Warrior Princess remarked proudly, gazing down at Rose.

"I take it you approve?" Gabrielle asked, already knowing the answer.

"What can I say?" Xena said, smiling. "She's a real chip off the old block."

"She's definitely inherited your tight-lipped approach to conversation," Gabby agreed. "And your sense of humor. 'Wee lass', indeed! Hmph! Does she not notice I'm taller than she is by a good four inches?"

"What are you talking about, Gabrielle? You've got two inches on her, tops!" Xena cracked, and when her pretty, blond soul mate sulked at her, she reached out and ruffled the soft locks that fell over her forehead. "See? She gets a lot from you, too. She's stubborn and grumpy and short!"

"Oh, thanks, a lot!" Gabrielle muttered. "But I don't see how you can say that. I'm at least… three inches taller!"

"Maybe, but you're still short," Xena replied, smirking. "But you know, Rose didn't just inherit your height. She's also very giving and caring. Where do you think she got that from?"

"Huh? Xena, she's your grandchild, not-"

"She's ours, Gabrielle," Xena interrupted, her voice going soft. "She's from Eve, who is of me. You're my soul mate. That makes you as much a part of me. Therefore, Eve- and Rose- are a part of both of us and the kid is half yours."

"You truly believe that, don't you?" Gabby asked, her green eyes misting over. She reached out a hand to cover Xena's, which was as solid and as strong to her as when the warrior had been living. The tall woman nodded, smiling, and she intertwined their fingers. "Then I believe it, too," Gabrielle concluded. "Rose is ours."

Xena shifted on the bedroll, then guided her companion into her loving arms, spooning in behind her. "And what do you think of our Rose, Gabrielle?" she whispered into her ear.

"I love her," Gabby yawned, leaning back into the embrace and relaxing at Xena's touch. "I can tell she's hurting though, hiding from… something. I want to save her, Xena. I want to take her away from here and bring her home with us. We could take her to Amphipolis and all live together at your mom's tavern."

"I want that, too," Xena responded, the timbre of her voice deep and soothing and lulling Gabrielle into slumber. "And we will. I'm not exactly sure why, but I get the feeling that Rose is a big part of our future."

"Mmm, okay," the bard mumbled in her sleep. "I love you, Xena."

"I love you, Gabrielle," Xena whispered, kissing the top of her companion's blond head. She then reached across her friend and lightly ran her fingertips through Rose's dark locks. "I love you, too, squirt."

Rose stirred in her sleep and she turned over, one eye opened. For a moment, she could have sworn she saw a shimmering figure lying behind Gabrielle, but in the blink of an eye, the image was gone and her addled brain surmised she was merely dreaming. She was back asleep before another cognizant thought could pass through her mind.

OOO

Rose awoke at her usual time, early the next morning, before the sun was even up. She yawned and stretched, then turned over to find Gabrielle, the strange newcomer to town, snuggled up against her side, her green eyes closed, her mouth hanging slightly open and emitting a quiet snoring sound. Without the risk of being witnessed by anyone- or so she thought, as Xena was there and observing her granddaughter with great interest- Rose allowed herself a quiet chuckle at the sweet, comical sight her new friend made.

Reaching out tentatively, her small hand pulled the animal skin up around the bard's shoulders, as one could still feel the chill of the morning air. "What a nutter," she snickered softly, an expression of beguilement upon her tired face. Then, as quietly as she could, Rose stood up from her bedroll and folded it up, storing it away.

Xena, remaining invisible, stood beside Rose, watching her watch Gabrielle, while attending to a few morning chores. The young woman bore little resemblance to her, or even to Eve, but there was no doubt in Xena's heart that this was her family. She could just feel it. Even if Eve had not told her of Rose's relation to her, Xena still would have sensed instinctively that Rose belonged to them.

The thoughts of her daughter, and all the missed chances and all the lost time, filled Xena with renewed regret. She startled as she sensed Eve's presence, very faint, not visible, but speaking to her much the way that she spoke to Gabrielle in her mind when others were around.

Eve's essence soothed her mother and assured her of no ill will harbored between them. Please, mother, there is no need for regret between us. There is only today, only now… Just help Gabrielle save my daughter. She's a good girl. She doesn't deserve this life…

"I will, sweetheart," Xena's spirit vowed. "We will."

OOO

Gabrielle awoke several hours later. She had just gotten into town after traveling a long distance and was tired. She had always been used to Xena waking her, ever since they had begun traveling together, all those years ago, when the Warrior Princess had been a young woman looking to redeem herself and she had been a precocious teenager looking for adventure. In recent years, since traveling on her own, Xena's spirit had become her own personal wake-up call every morning. This morning, however…

The sun was already peeking through the cracks in the roof of the old wooden barn and shining in from the window at the top of the loft, creating beams of light that danced and reflected off of the dust particles floating through the air. That was the first thing Gabby found herself focusing on, as she adjusted to wakefulness. She finally wiped the sleep out of her green eyes, then noticed Rose beside her, resting on her haunches and holding a mug full of something hot and steamy in her small hands.

"Mornin'," Rose said shyly, offering up a smile. "Ye sure do sleep late."

Gabrielle offered up her own sheepish grin, which was interrupted by a yawn. She could not believe she had slept so late. Xena had never let her sleep in like that. "Uh, sorry. Guess I was more tired than I realized."

"S'okay," Rose said with a shrug, watching as Gabby sat up with a groan. She handed her the mug. "Here. This should wake ye and warm ye at the same time."

"Thanks," the bard replied, and took a drink. Inside the mug was some of the most delicious hot cider she had ever tasted. "Mmm! This is good!"

Rose blushed. "Oh, well, I made it, but it's not me recipe, or anythin'. It was me husband's mother's. It was left here after she passed on."

"Your husband?" Gabrielle choked and sputtered on her cider. "You're married?" she exclaimed. Xena, did you know about this?

"No, I didn't," Xena's voice echoed through her head. "I don't know any more than you do about her, really."

"Er… aye," Rose murmured, her voice barely an octave over a whisper. "He's what took me from the orphanage when I was a child."

"You mean he sort of adopted you and then you married him?" Gabrielle pressed, horrified by the very notion.

"Nay," the younger woman corrected her, Rose's jaw jutting out in clear disgust, not even bothering to hide it. "He- he bought me. He wanted to raise me to be a… 'proper wife', as he called it. Unfortunately fer both of us, I never conformed to his ideal."

Gabrielle fought hard to keep her tears of sadness and anger at bay. She could feel a cold shudder come from within the depths of her soul and she knew that Xena was weeping. Her first instinct was to grab little Rose up into a tight embrace, to never let go and to vow to love and protect her and take her away from this place. But she remembered how skittish her granddaughter could be and she made the difficult decision to hold back. Instead, she managed to ask, "Unfortunate how?"

"Unfortunate fer him that he never got the adorin', obedient wife he so longed fer…"

"And unfortunate for you?" Gabrielle pressed.

Rose was silent for a long time, and Gabrielle could see the emotion swirling and churning in the depths of those dark chocolate brown eyes. "Eh… just different reasons," the younger woman finally mumbled, then squared her shoulders and turned away, busying herself with some mindless task.

But the truth was clear that her husband- a grown man who had bought her as a child, to ensure a well-trained wife; basically slavery- was abusive towards her in some way. The pain had been evident in her haunted, dark eyes. It made Gabrielle feel absolutely sick inside.

"She may try to keep quiet about her pain, like I always used to, but like you, Gabrielle, she's horrible at concealing it," Xena whispered into the bard's mind. "Our child is in trouble here."

"We'll save her, Xena, I promise," Gabby whispered aloud, needing to hear it spoken herself.

Rose could hear the blond bard talking to herself again, just as she had heard some incomprehensible whispers a moment before, but she made a point not to let on that she had heard anything. She's definitely more than a bit daft, Rose decided. But that thought did not lessen the affection she already had for Gabrielle in the slightest. If anything, it made Rose feel more protective of her. The pretty blond who talked to herself and talked too much in general- the 'wee lass', as Rose now thought of her- had somehow toppled through the wall of isolation the lonely Irish woman had constructed around herself so many years before. This newcomer had brought about a tender, almost maternal feeling from the shy, introverted village girl. Gabrielle was beguiling, endearing and Rose found her utterly appealing to be around- not that she would ever admit to such a thing, but the fact remained- the feelings were there, had always been there inside of her, really, but had been awakened by the arrival of a mysterious stranger with a knack for pissing off the locals.

"I have to leave ye here for a while," Rose announced abruptly, startling Gabrielle out of a thoughtful internal conversation with her partner. "I have food and supplies set up fer ye here, in the barn. I… I take it you'll be leavin' soon. Goin' out of town and onward with yer journey?" As much as she tried not to, the Irish woman could not hide the sadness in her eyes at the prospect of Gabrielle's departure from her life.

Considering Gabrielle's sentimental nature, she got a little teary-eyed herself. Taking a tentative step forward, she reached out a hand to her granddaughter. Rose tensed visibly, but held her ground and watched as her new friend cautiously came closer. Resting her hand gently upon Rose's shoulder, Gabrielle smiled and said, "Well, if it's all the same to you, I was thinking of sticking around for a while. I'm hoping you wouldn't mind if I stayed here… with you."

"I… of course not," Rose replied, relief flooding her dark brown eyes. "I'd be… honored to look after ye."

Gabrielle could distinctly see and hear Xena in her mind, both chuckling and rolling her eyes. "What a couple of saps," the Warrior Princess muttered good-naturedly.

"What about saps?" Rose repeated in confusion.

"Uh…" Gabrielle stammered. She couldn't stop herself from whispering, "Xena, can she really hear you?"

"Xena?" Rose exclaimed.

"Apparently," Xena replied inside of Gabby's mind. "We need to tone it down. I'll talk to you again when we're alone." Then she was silent.

"Oh, you've heard of Xena?" Gabrielle inquired, changing the subject.

"Aye, who hasn'a?" Rose said, a dreamy look taking over her gentle features. "She's the world famous Warrior Princess of Greece!"

"Really? She's famous out here in Ireland, too? That's amazing!" the bard remarked. She was more than a little proud of her soul mate, as well as somewhat proud of herself. After all, it was her scrolls that had been circulating the known world and teaching new generations and people of every walk of life about Xena's legacy.

As if to confirm Gabrielle's thought, Rose went on to say, "Sure'n she is! I think just abou' anyone who can read has seen one of those scrolls that the Battlin' Bard of Potedia wrote regardin' her."

"Hmm, well, do you know anything about the author of those scrolls, Kathleen? The Battling Bard?" Gabrielle asked innocently.

"Aye. She be prominent in those stories, too. She's not as good a fighter, but she had her own talents to get by on."

Gabrielle felt another rush of pride course through her, this time for herself. She could feel that Xena- who continued to remain silent- was proud of her as well. "Did you ever happen to catch the name of that 'Battling Bard'?" she inquired.

"Well, sure, it was Gabri… elle… huh, just like ye," Rose looked at her in realization. "Were ye named fer her, lass? Was she family to ye?"

"Uh… in a manner of speaking…"

"KATHLEEN!"

Both women stopped all conversation and stared at each other in complete terror. For Gabrielle, that blood curdling scream was unexpected, an unknown threat. But Rose seemed to know exactly the source it came from and she began to tremble.

"I gotta go," she exclaimed, scurrying over to the ladder she had since put down. "I'll check on ye soon, lass. Be sure 'n' pull this up and stay here till I return fer ye."

"But Rose- eh, I mean, Kathleen, who was that?" Gabrielle demanded to know.

At this, Rose paused on the bottom rung of the ladder and looked up at her new friend, who was standing at the top of it peering down at her. "That's me husband," she replied dully. "Now stay here!" she instructed firmly before scampering off in a hurry.

Gabrielle could hear the bellowing man cursing and calling her granddaughter dirty, hurtful names. Her blood began to boil and she started down the ladder.

"Easy there, 'battling bard'," Xena said, appearing suddenly at the top of the ladder and taking a firm hold of her partner's arm.

"Xena, let me go!" Gabrielle exclaimed. "Didn't you hear that monster? I have to make sure Rose is okay!"

"Wait a moment," Xena replied calmly, keeping her spectral grip on the woman's arm gentle but firm. "We're not entirely sure what we're dealing with here."

"But Xena, he's-"

"And we don't want to act too hastily," the spirit reminded her. "You might spook Rose and then she may not agree to come with us when we leave for Greece."

"Are you nuts?" Gabrielle snapped. "She already trusts me, I can feel it. Plus, she's heard of you, and she seems to respect your accomplishments, so-"

"Gabrielle," Xena interrupted gently, "I know what a wonderful person you are. I know how much you have helped enrich the lives- and deaths- of the women in my- our- family. I know that you and Punky-"

"Punky?"

"Nick name," Xena explained before continuing, "… you both have already began to bond, but it's all still so new to her. Rose is very fragile right now emotionally. Trust me. I was that way once myself."

"I see," Gabrielle remarked in wonderment. "Wow, Xena, I cannot believe how sensitive you've become and how adept at recognizing emotional cues. That's just so… so…"

"So you?" Xena teased, smiling and rubbing her hand up and down her companion's back. "Yeah, I know. Sickening, isn't it?"

"Very funny," the bard retorted, making a face. "And I guess I was about to leap head first into a situation without thinking it through… like you used to do."

"I always thought things through, Gabrielle," Xena replied haughtily. "Don't be daft."

"Hey, I'm not daft!"

"Maybe not, but you are a 'wee lass'," Xena laughed, doing her best to imitate Rose's Irish brogue.

"Ugh! Horrible accent, Xena! Don't quit your day job."

It was just as Xena had gotten a hold of Gabrielle in a headlock and was applying a good dose of noogies when they heard the screaming again, this time louder, closer by.

"Ye call this breakfast?" a booming male voice with a thick, slurred accent demanded to know. "There's not enough here to feed a dog, much less a grown man!"

Gabrielle looked over at the food Rose had placed out for her and suddenly felt very bad. If that girl got beaten just so she could eat… the very idea made her feel nauseous.

To Xena and Gabby's surprise, they heard Rose shout back, "Well, I have to eat, too, ye know! I do most of the chores 'round here, so I feel I deserve more food!"

Both grandmothers were more than a little shocked over Rose's declaration. The young woman seemed so skittish and timid, hearing her stand up to someone- especially one so overbearing and aggressive- was downright miraculous.

Glancing out the window from the barn's loft, they watched Rose rush out of the house, a large, muscular, angry man close at her heels, reaching for her arm. "Don't ye turn away from me, ye insolent pup!"

"I am sorry, Paxton," Rose replied, returning to the meek and cowed woman her grandmothers had come to know. They saw her hang her head low.

"That didn'a sound too convincin'," Paxton growled and he walloped the small woman across the face with such ferocity, that it sent her flying several feet back.

"I'm sorry…" she whispered, barely able to speak now. She cowered at the feet of her tormentor. Her reward was a swift kick in the gut.

"Xena…" Gabrielle hissed, her small frame visibly trembling in fury.

"Yes, intervene!" Xena readily agreed this time and she watched her partner leap down from the loft into some hay down to the ground floor of the barn. She quickly materialized down below as well, just in time to see Gabby charging through the door. "Be careful!" she called. And to herself, she muttered, "It's times like these, it truly sucks to be dead!" For there was nothing she would rather be doing than assisting her partner in pummeling the buffoon currently beating up their granddaughter.

OOO

Rose was nearly unconscious when her addled brain registered a small flurry of motion circling around her husband, buzzing about like a tiny bird, just as fast and twice as swift.

"Why don't you pick on someone who can fight back?" a voice that sounded distinctly like Gabrielle's shouted in anger.

She looked like she held weapons of some kind, but Rose's eyes were quickly swelling shut and she was on the verge of drifting into a cloudy haze of unconsciousness.

"Who are ye, woman?" Rose heard her husband ask in confusion. Then his tone turned to suspicion and hatred. "What are ye? A sprite? A wil-o-wisp?" he screamed and lunged for the small bard.

"No," the small Irish woman murmured helplessly, and she could hear someone falling to the ground with a thud, just as everything faded into darkness…

OOO

While drifting in and out of consciousness, Rose could feel her body being gently lifted- with great ease- and she surmised in her dazed and confused state that her husband, Paxton, had killed her new friend, Gabrielle, which made her chest ache with grief, and he was now planning on tossing her into the barn… or worse, taking her back into the house and hurting her further while she was unable to fight back or scramble away into a dark corner. But never had Paxton been this gentle with her before, taken such care at her comfort and this only caused her more confusion.

She felt warmth overcome her, and could hear the animals milling about, and Rose concluded that she was indeed, in the barn. Strangely, she could hear not one, but two voices speaking over her battered and muddled head, both of them female. One sounded just like Gabrielle, which seemed impossible, as the Irish lass assured she had to have been killed. The other voice was less immediately recognizable, but just as familiar in some way. It was a voice that had haunted Rose's dreams as a small child, but that which had been silenced after moving in with Paxton… until the arrival of the mysterious, beautiful blond woman that is- she talked to herself, and had conversations so loudly in her head, Rose could hear them, as well.

Sharp pains that were building in her head and stomach brought Rose out of her thoughtful reverie and more into the here and now. As much as it hurt to concentrate, she did her best to listen to the voices talking around her.

"You think she'll be all right?" she heard the voice that sounded like Gabrielle's ask.

"She'll be hurting for a while, but she's going to pull through okay," the dream voice replied in a soothing tone. Rose could feel long, cool fingers tenderly brush back her bangs.

Something very basic and childlike and human filled the injured woman's heart and she choked back a sob. The voice and the soft caress took leave of what senses she had left, and suddenly, Rose felt like the little girl she'd been in her dreams, all those many years ago at the orphanage. "Mum…" she murmured, unable to open her eyes, unable to reach for the source of the comfort, but calling out to her just the same. "Mum," she pleaded, "it hurts…"

The unseen hand with the long, cool fingers continued to gently sweep across her battered face. "Shh, it's all right, Punky. You're safe now. I promise."

"But the wee lass," Rose sobbed, struggling to awaken fully, struggling to open eyes that were swollen shut and turning black and blue. "He hurt her… she's-"

"I'm right here," Gabrielle called to her in assurance and Rose immediately felt another set of fingers, smaller and warmer, cup her cheek carefully. "I'm okay, Rose. I- mean, Kathleen. Open your eyes, honey. Come on, try for me, please?"

Her eyelids felt heavy, as they were clearly already quite swollen, but Rose managed to flutter her baby browns open and struggled to focus. For the briefest of moments, she could have sworn she saw a beautiful, dark-haired woman with crystal blue eyes kneeling beside Gabrielle and leaning over her, but in an instant, the vision was gone and so Rose concentrated on her new friend's sweet face, which looked concerned, but which also appeared hopeful and was smiling. The bard reached out and scooped up Rose's hand. "Hey, Kathleen, how are you feeling?"

"Like somebody beat the tar outta me," came the weak answer, but the Irish woman did manage a small smile.

"Yeah, well, that actually happened to you, so that's a perfectly understandable response," the pretty blond replied good-naturedly, trying to keep Rose's- as well as her own- spirits up. She pulled gently on the hand she held and kissed it.

"I thought ye would be…"

"What? Dead?" Gabby finished for her.

"Well… aye, sure'n I did. I mean, I thought Paxton would have killed ye and … oh, no! Where is he, lass? Paxton? He'll kill us both when he finds us!"

"Hey, don't you worry about that sorry excuse of a human being for one second," Gabrielle assured her. "He's currently… out of commission."

"What does that mean exactly?" Rose demanded to know, trying to sit up. She winced when her head and stomach objected to the movement.

Gabrielle carefully guided her to lie back down. "Now, don't move for a while. You probably have a concussion. Either way, you packed quite a wallop back there and you're going to need to take it easy for a day or two."

"But Paxton-"

"Don't worry. We have him tied up out back behind the house. He's unconscious. He won't be bothering anyone."

"Wait, we tied him up?" Rose asked with a confused expression. "I… I don't remember doin' that."

"Oh, I meant to say that I tied him up," Gabrielle was quick to correct herself.

"Ye mean, after ye beat the livin' snot outta him?" Rose asked and Gabrielle laughed appreciatively, reaching with her free hand to tenderly caress her granddaughter's brow.

"That's right."

"But yer so… so…"

"Daft?" Gabby teased her, and Rose smiled.

"I was gonna say 'tiny'."

"Tiny?" Gabrielle huffed.

"How did such a wee lass beat up Paxton though? Sure'n he's as big as a bear, he is, and twice as mean!"

"I've fought bigger and meaner in my day," the bard assured her, wisely ignoring the distant chuckling in her head; her partner was amused at her being called a 'wee lass' by someone even smaller than she, yet again.

"Really? Like what?" Rose asked, then winced as a sharp pain erupted in her head and worked its way down through her entire bruised body.

"Do you remember what we were talking about before?" Gabrielle asked quietly. "We had been discussing Xena, and the scrolls and the… author of those scrolls?"

"Sort of…"

"The Battling Bard of Potedia."

"Aye, Gabrielle, she was. Didn'a ye say she was a relation to ye?" Rose asked, again trying to sit up, again failing and resigning to lying back into the comfortable pile of hay she'd been placed upon. She practically cooed like a baby when Gabrielle carefully ran her fingers through her matted, dark locks. It was a soothing gesture.

The bard smiled and her maternal instincts kicked in. She lay beside her grandchild and wrapped a loving arm around her. Once they were both warm and cozy, she began her tale. "As a matter of fact, the Gabrielle of the Xena scrolls and I are more than just some distant relation."

"She's yer mum?" Rose asked, her voice going an octave higher in awe and wonderment.

"No, she's… me," Gabby explained, her voice sounding more bardic than Xena had heard in a long time. It made the Warrior Princess feel as squishy and as lovey-dovey as the rest of her family, which in turn, made her groan in annoyance over her own sentimentality. No one had ever been able to draw out that side of her quite like Gabrielle.

"Ye are she?" Rose exclaimed in disbelief, then clutched at her sore noggin from the pain that her movement and exclamation had induced. Gabrielle rubbed gently on the woman's temples with her fingers. "But that's impossible," Rose mumbled as she relaxed into the tender touch. "Ye are not old enough to be Gabrielle, the bard, lass. Sure'n ye canno' be much older than I, if at all."

"You might be surprised," Gabrielle replied, smiling at the compliment, as she pulled Rose closer to her so the small brunette could rest her head on the bard's capable shoulder. "Lie back now, and close your eyes, and I shall tell you about a remarkable journey, a wondrous adventure that spans decades, and of a love that never dies."

Rose did as she was told, settling in against her grandmother's shoulder, as she closed her brown eyes and smiled. "Tell me, lass, please."

"I sing of Xena, the Warrior Princess of Amphipolis, and of her best friend, Gabrielle, the Battling Bard of Potedia…" Gabrielle began, her tone turning deep and rich, steeped with history and reverence and love.

Xena herself listened in, becoming as mesmerized by Gabrielle's melodious voice and poetic prose, even though this was her own history that she was listening to and even though she had lived it all before. Somehow, it all seemed so fresh and new, coming to her with a much different perspective as she listened to her soul mate tell her story to their grandchild.

Over the course of several hours, Gabrielle held her injured granddaughter and told her a very condensed version of she and Xena's history together from the first time they had met in Potedia, to the last moment, as Xena's spirit refused to let her be resurrected all those years ago, in Japan, as she faded into the setting sun, while they held each other in love and regret.

Rose fell in and out of consciousness many times, her body requiring sleep in order to heal, but she still heard and retained every word Gabrielle spoke to her. Knowing that the younger woman was unable to see her surroundings in this dream like state, Xena materialized behind Gabrielle, holding her in her arms and listening to the tale her beautiful bard was relaying.

The afternoon sun was coming in through the open door to the barn, warming it and all its occupants. The quiet noises of the animals and Gabrielle's soft, mellow voice finally led Rose into a full slumber. Tired and worn out from the day's events, Gabrielle soon followed the girl into dream land.

Even Xena, who as a spirit, did not require sleep, lulled about as well, enjoying listening to the sounds of Rose's slight snore, or feeling Gabrielle's warm body pressed against her own energy, the blond woman's chest rising and falling in the steady rhythm of the dreamer.

This is the calm I always sought, but could never seem to find, Xena mused as she leaned over to kiss the sleeping bard gently across the lips. This is what life is all about… or in my case, what death is all about. Xena smiled at the irony, even though a part of her still longed to walk amongst the living; to experience the simple pleasures in life, even the things that used to annoy her would have been a joy to see and hear now.

Xena closed her blue eyes, then sighed at the futility of the action. Even with her eyes closed, as a spirit, she still saw everything around her, which made sleeping pointless, too. She didn't sleep, didn't eat, didn't belch, or spend a half hour in a bush trying to expel an undercooked meal… okay, maybe she didn't entirely miss that last thing.

She looked at the shadows shifting against the open barn door. She was so in tune with the world now, she could even hear Paxton struggling against his bonds out behind the house, grunting with effort and crying for help, although she also knew that no one was within a five miles of here besides Gabrielle and Rose, so no one would heed his call.

Stretching, which she did solely from habit, as she no longer needed to do so, Xena leaned over and nuzzled Gabrielle's neck with her nose, her own loving way of waking her partner. When Gabby did not awaken- did not even stir in her sleep- Xena gently nudged the bard's shoulder. That failed to garner any response either. Xena growled in frustration and she tickled the tip of Gabrielle's nose with her finger. That actually got her hand swatted away, but still, Gabby remained asleep.

"Oh, for crying out loud," Xena groaned, then flicked her soul mate on the nose. This action, of course, did bring an immediate reaction.

"Ow!" Gabrielle woke up grumbling, sitting up and rubbing on her sore nose. She looked over at Xena, who wore her most innocent expression, whereupon the bard narrowed her eyes. "Did you just punch me on the nose?"

"Shh, keep it down," the warrior advised. "Punky is still asleep. And no, of course I didn't. I'd never punch my best friend's nose…" She couldn't tamp down the mischievous twinkle in her crystal blue eyes.

"You flicked it, didn't you?" Gabby stated matter-of-factly and accusingly, albeit more quietly than she'd spoken before.

"Just a little flick," Xena promised, grinning and she stood up, then held out a hand, pulling Gabrielle up with her.

The bard groaned, her joints popping in several places. "Oh… I am getting too old for this…"

"Too old for what? Hanging out with your granddaughter?" Xena cracked, as she watched Gabrielle roll her neck. They both could hear the popping sounds.

"I'm talking about sleeping on the damn floor," she muttered.

"Nonsense," the Warrior Princess assured her. "You're still in your prime."

"Riiight… oh, Xena, it stinks getting older."

"It beats the alternative," the spirit shrugged.

"You know what I mean… er, maybe you don't, well, since you're, um…"

"What? Dead?"

"I was going to say no longer amongst the living," Gabby vowed.

Xena smirked. "How politically correct of you, Gabrielle. But I am a little hurt. You haven't noticed that I've been projecting myself as aging right along with you, so you wouldn't feel too, you know, self-conscious about your…" and she playfully ran her finger over some of the fine lines that had formed around Gabrielle's mouth and eyes over the years.

"Oh, hardy har har, Xena," Gabby muttered, playfully smacking the spirit's hand away. "Aren't you just so thoughtful?"

"That's what they called me," Xena joked, poking her soul mate in the ribs with an elbow.

"There's something else I'd like to call you right now," Gabby retorted, making a show of rubbing her sore nose.

"You kiss your granddaughter with that mouth?" Xena teased her, giving the small blond's hair a rough tug. Before Gabrielle could protest, Xena added, "And speaking of granddaughters, we need to get her up and check her injuries, get some food into her, make her as comfortable as possible. Then we'll need to tend to the animals- including the one tied up in the back of the house…"

"And of course, when you say 'we', you mean 'me'," Gabby put in, rolling her eyes.

Xena shrugged. "Give me a break. I'm dead, remember?"

"Well, being dead hasn't so far stopped you from getting me into plenty of sticky situations… and hey, you did carry Rose into the barn, yet I had to drag her dumb ox of a husband around back!"

"Gabrielle, be nice."

"Huh?"

"There's no ox alive as dumb as the sorry son of a bitch tied up out back."

"You kiss your granddaughter with that mouth?" Gabby teased her.

"I'll kiss you if you'd like," Xena responded with a wink and was pleased at the pretty flush that appeared over Gabrielle's fair skin. "The point is, I can only be seen by and touch people who have some sort of connection to me. Like you, my soul mate, and Rose, our-"

"Our granddaughter," the bard finished for her. "That must be why she can hear you when you speak to me, even in my mind."

"She's perceptive," Xena agreed, "like you," she added, throwing in a compliment and making her partner smile sweetly, which warmed her heart. "Look, to prove I can do more than just delegate, I'll go check on the monster out back, although if he needs any tending to, you'll have to take care of it later. Why don't you wake Rose, get her something to eat and drink."

"But she's sleeping so well…" Gabby protested.

"Yeah, but with her head injury, it's good to rouse her now and again, make sure she responds."

"Oh, that's right," Gabrielle remembered. She hadn't nursed anyone with serious injuries in quite a long time, although it had happened on a regular basis when Xena had been alive and they had fought in so many battles.

"I'll be around, so call if you need me," Xena said and was about to dissipate, when Gabrielle stopped her.

"Hey, Xena…"

"Yeah?"

"I would like," she told her, offering the spirit of her soul mate a ravishing smile. And Xena knew exactly what she'd meant.

"Later," the warrior promised, and then faded from sight, grinning from ear to ear.

Gabrielle walked over to Rose's sleeping form, knelt beside her and peered into her face. It was slightly swollen and already purple with a big bruise on her left temple. She lightly touched the area, Rose winced in her sleep, and Gabrielle moved her hand to the other side of the young woman's face, whereupon she stroked her cheek with tenderness.

Rose merely swatted her hand away, as if it was a fly, and she turned over, away from the concerned bard. Gabby smirked. She contemplated flicking her granddaughter on the nose, just as Xena had done to her moments before.

Nah, that would be way too mean, she thought to herself, knowing that Xena would hear her and be scoffing somewhere in the distance.

"Rose… eh, Kathleen…" Gabrielle sweetly sing-songed near the sleeping woman's ear. "Time to wake up, my dear."

"Shove off!" Rose muttered in her sleep, snuggling into the pile of hay she slept upon.

"Why, you little… Xena!" Gabby muttered in annoyance.

Rose awoke with a gasp, staring at a very startled Gabrielle. "H-how did ye know that?" she mumbled, barely coherent.

"How did I know what?" Gabrielle inquired in confusion.

"'bout Xena… 'bout me dreams…" Rose continued to stare in wonder at Gabrielle's confused face. "I… I had the dream again. I hadn'a had one like that since…"

"Since when?"

"Since I was bought from the orphanage as a child," Rose finished sadly.

"You used to dream about Xena?" Gabby asked in surprise. "But how did you…?"

"Er, I don't remember," Rose said evasively, and it didn't take a genius to see that she was lying through her teeth. It was obvious to Rose, as well and she quickly added, "Just the silly dreams of a child."

"How did you come to hear about Xena and me at the orphanage?" Gabrielle pressed, for the moment, allowing her the denial.

"One of the nursemaids who tended to us had copies of some of the scrolls," Rose didn't mind answering. "They told of remarkable stories of a brave warrior and her equally brave bard companion and their adventures savin' people and doin' good wherever they went. Is that right? Is that how it happened?"

Gabrielle nodded. "In a nutshell. Of course, any life is much more complicated than that, but yeah, we had many missions together, helping out wherever we were needed."

"She's really dead, isn'a she?" Rose interrupted.

"Yes," Gabrielle replied softly, nodding thoughtfully, "she is." The woman watched as her granddaughter's face fell into a look of despair. Sitting down next to her in the hay, Gabby wrapped an arm around her. "You knew that though. But hey, she's not really gone, Kathleen. She lives on inside of me and all who love her."

Rose frowned. "That sounds like one of those sugar-coated answers, lass."

"I know, but it's actually true in this case," the bard avowed. She leaned in and whispered, "I can see her and I talk to her all the time. She is always with me."

"Ye see and talk to her?" Rose asked incredulously.

"Of course."

"And… she talks back to ye…?"

"Oh, yes!"

The Irish woman smiled gently and reached out to touch Gabby's shoulder. "So, yer still good friends with a dead woman, are ye?"

"Best friends," Gabrielle corrected her. "Well, more than that. We're soul mates!"

"Daft," Rose muttered under her breath and the bard made a face.

"Hey! I heard that!"

"Well, of course ye did, lass. Never said there was anythin' wrong with yer hearin'."

"You really are a little punk, aren't you?" Gabrielle chuckled, recalling Xena's nickname for their granddaughter.

To be called this endearment was not lost on Rose. She remembered this name from her dreams as a child. But she wouldn't let on. Instead she mumbled, "Thanks!"

The blond laughed sweetly, then bent down to give her granddaughter a quick kiss, before Rose had a chance to pull away. "All right, smart mouth, guess we'd better see about supper."

"Aye, lass. I'll do me best," Rose agreed, and sat up slowly, her face the epitome of concentration and resolve against the pain. Gabrielle knew that look well. She'd seen it all too often on the face of her soul mate during their travels together.

Gabrielle shook her head. The girl was as stubborn as she was chivalrous and just like a tall, blue-eyed warrior that she knew. "No, Rose- uh, Kathleen. You need to rest. I'll take care of everything."

"I need to get up, anyway," Rose insisted, grabbing hold of the bard's arm and pulling herself to stand on unsteady legs. "I never sleep like this!"

"Give yourself a break, honey," Gabrielle said, putting a hand on the Irish woman's shoulder, only to have it brushed off. She followed her as Rose stumbled out of the barn and into the late afternoon sun. "I mean, you just took such a beating…"

"Not the first I've ever had," Rose muttered with a shrug, unable to look her friend in the eye. "Not even the worst I've ever had. And I dare say it won't be the last."

"I dare say it will be!" Gabby stated with certainty as she took hold of Rose's hand and wrapped it around her own arm, offering support and halting the dark-haired woman where she stood. "Xena and I will see to that."

Rose sighed sadly. Her friend had spoken with such heart and conviction, but the Irish woman knew how futile such words and sentiments were. "Look, wee lass, I don't see how ye can make such a promise. Xena's dead, yer daft and unless ye are plannin' on livin' in the barn with me and fightin' off Paxton ever' time he gets a hold of me, there's nothin' ye can do!"

"We won't be staying here," Gabrielle began, but Rose cut her off, her dark eyes fighting back tears.

"That's right, then. Ye will leave and all will be the same as before, if not worse… unless ye plan on killin' 'im before ye go!"

"Rose," Gabby tried again, reaching for her granddaughter to pull her into a warm embrace and explain her plans. She did not get the chance.

"It's Kathleen," Rose informed her, pulling away, her swollen face purple and red from bruises and anger. "And if yer not plannin' on stayin' here with me, ye should probably go soon- maybe in the mornin'."

"But what about Paxton?"

"I'll deal with 'im. I'm used to 'im. This is me lot in life, Gabrielle. Ye'd do best to find yers and leave me be." And with that, she rushed as fast she could away from the bard and into the old, rundown farmhouse.

Gabrielle sighed, wiping away a few stray tears, feeling heartbreak and frustration. "Oh, that girl!"

Xena appeared instantly beside her and wrapped her arm around her, her celestial skin cool and soothing in the warm afternoon sun. "Hey."

"Xena, Rose is… she just… I don't even know what to say to her…"

"I heard everything," Xena cut in gently, so Gabrielle knew she didn't need a recap on the despairing conversation. "She gave you some trouble, huh?" She kissed the top of her friend's blond head.

"She wants us to leave, Xena," Gabrielle told her, sounding hopeless. "Well, she wants me to leave… she thinks you're merely a figment of my imagination, so I guess it doesn't matter to her what you do…"

"Well, in all fairness, Gabrielle," Xena replied in a loving tone, as she rubbed the bard's back soothingly, "you are coming off as just a little bit crazy."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Gabrielle demanded to know, giving the warrior a shove.

"Now, don't get mad," Xena stated calmly, knowing she had spoken before thinking- which irritated her. Shouldn't death put an end to stupid mistakes like that? She knew how sensitive her partner could be, as she watched the woman turn her back on her, muttering to herself. Coming in behind her soul mate, Xena wrapped her arms around her shoulders, using a loose grip in case the bard was not feeling receptive to the embrace. Gabrielle did not pull away; she leaned back into Xena's solid but spiritual form, taking refuge in the loving touch.

"That was a jerky thing to say to me, you know," the bard commented quietly, as she reached up, ran her fingers over her soul mate's arm.

"I know, and I'm sorry. It just didn't come out right. All I meant was, you've only just met Rose and you're already all sweet on her, which, while understandable to us, is not so much to her. You keep trying to show her affection, which she's obviously not used to getting and unable to accept it… you call her by a name she does not recognize… you tell her that you're the legendary Gabrielle of Potedia, which she can't understand, since you appear far too young to be her… er, you. And then, you go on claiming that you can see dead people, so…"

"So… Oh, jeez, I do sound like a complete lunatic!" Gabrielle groaned in realization. "I'm surprised she hasn't run me off her farm already!"

"Not a lunatic, just a little… daft, perhaps," Xena joked good-naturedly at her partner's expense, before adding some salve by kissing the woman's cheek.

"Very funny," Gabrielle retorted, wanting to be angry but unable to do so having seen the humor of the whole situation. She smiled in spite of herself, then turned in Xena's embrace and rested her head on the spirit's shoulder. "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

"Oh, how's the little maggot out back doing?"

Mention of Paxton made Xena chuckle, a devilish smile forming on her face. "He's… just fine."

"Xena," Gabrielle said knowingly. "What's going on?"

"Let's just say I've been keeping him on his toes- metaphorically speaking, of course."

"Xena…?"

"I've been haunting him."

"Haunting him? What are you talking about?"

"I've been spooking the animals in the yard around him, getting them riled up. I've told you how they can sense my presence. If I concentrate hard enough, I can cause a strong breeze and make things like shovels and planters fall over on him, too. You know, 'haunting' him."

Gabrielle shook her head. "I knew you'd find a good use for your current state. So, how is he taking all of this?"

"Not well," Xena said, mock solemnly. "He cries a lot, usually for his 'mommy'." Both of them laughed.

"Hmm, Xena, maybe you should ease up a little on him. It's hardly a fair fight."

"Neither is it when he wails on our granddaughter."

"Good point."

"And speaking of which, Gabrielle, don't you think you ought to go inside and smooth things over with the punk?"

With a sigh, Gabrielle nodded. "Yes, but I don't even know what to say to her anymore, not without seeming too smothering… or daft."

Xena smiled. "I'm sure you'll figure it out. You're the most intuitive person I know. You figured me out."

"And that wasn't easy, believe me" Gabrielle reminded her. "You were a tough nut to crack."

"A nut? Well if that isn't the lunatic calling the kettle nutty!" She winked at her friend.

"Oh, you're just so hilarious today, Xena!" Gabrielle muttered sarcastically at her, while Xena chuckled. "But why not go in there yourself and talk to Rose? That might convince her I'm not crazy."

"Or it might feel as though she is," Xena said. "I don't think she's quite ready for that yet. Don't want to spook her, or scare her, or… send her screaming, terrified, from the house."

"I see your point," Gabby conceded begrudgingly. She stood up tall, reluctantly pulling out of Xena's embrace, and squared her shoulders in determination. "Guess that means I'm on my own then."

"You're never on your own, Gabrielle. You know I'm always with you…" and Xena couldn't hide the smirk as she added, "in spirit."

"Oh, ha ha ha, Xena! Seriously, I think you've missed your true calling as a court jester. Ow!" Xena had smacked her hard on her bottom, and sent her towards the house.

The spirit watched her soul mate enter the house, then, with a wicked smile on her face, she decided to pay another visit to Paxton out back. Her laughter could be heard as she de-materialized from sight.

OOO

Gabrielle wandered through the small homestead, and easily found the kitchen. She just followed the aromas of fresh bread baking and what she assumed might have been some savory Irish stew. It made her mouth water and her stomach growl in anticipation. Of course, she didn't even know if she was still welcome to eat with Rose, after the last words spoken between them. Plus, she felt a trifle guilty, realizing she was more looking forward to (hopefully) sampling the good food than having another heart-to-heart talk with her granddaughter.

She watched Rose as the small brunette bustled back and forth, fixing this, checking that, adding spices here and there. She couldn't help closing her eyes and inhaling all of the wonderful smells the food was producing and it took the bard back to her own childhood, when she and her sister used to help their mother make meals in the family kitchen. She could even hear her sister giggling when they would throw flour on each other after making a pie crust, could hear her mother's gentle, but firm voice scolding her, "Now, Gabrielle, you're the eldest. You need to set a good example for Lila, honey. Are you listening to me? Gabrielle? Gabrielle…"

"Gabrielle… lass?" came a voice from the present. The bard opened her eyes to see Rose standing before her, a small slice of potato in her hand. "Are ye all right?"

"Uh… yes, I'm okay," Gabby replied, a little embarrassed.

"What were ye doing there? It seemed like ye were miles away."

"More like years away," Gabrielle explained sheepishly. "I was enjoying the scents of the kitchen and it made me think back to my childhood home in Potedia, making delicious food with my mother and sister… making messes… getting into trouble…" She smiled fondly at the memories.

"I always try to stay out of trouble and avoid makin' messes," Rose murmured quietly, as she stared beyond Gabrielle, recalling a memory of her own. The tortured look on her face told the bard just what kind of memory she was recalling.

"Well, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. I-"

"Would ye care for a samplin'?" Rose interrupted, not really sure if she wanted to hear what Gabrielle had to say. She offered up her hand, where the roasted potato slice rested.

Gabby took the morsel, said 'thank you' and popped it into her mouth. "Mmm, you're a good cook, Ro- Kathleen," she told her and she meant it. Rose's culinary skills rivaled her own and she remembered Xena saying that their granddaughter took more after the bard. The idea of having someone following in her footsteps made Gabrielle feel pleased. She gave her grandchild a big smile.

"It's not me recipe, or anythin'," Rose was quick to say. "'Twas Paxton's mother's. Found it here in the house when I arrived. Paxton said I didn'a make it as good as his mum did…"

"Yeah, well, Paxton's an idiot, so who cares what he says," Gabrielle announced cheerfully, and was thrilled at the quiet giggle she'd managed to elicit from Rose. "So, you need any help in here?"

Rose turned away, knowing her expression had changed from merriment to melancholy. "When are ye leavin'?" she asked glumly, figuring this was what Gabrielle had intended to talk with her about.

"Hmm, well, Xena- eh, I was thinking maybe early in the morning tomorrow or the next day. No reason to stick around here anymore, right?"

The Irish woman did not reply to the query. Instead, she said, "I made an extra loaf of bread. Ye may take it, if ye like."

"Ooh, indeed, I would! Should be enough for two for the next couple of days."

At this, Rose gave her a look. "Xena eats food, now, does she?"

"No, she can't. Well, I mean, I'm not sure if she can or not, but she certainly doesn't have to."

"Where are ye goin'?"

"Back to Greece."

"That's where ye and Xena are from?"

"Yes. It's time we all went home."

"Ah… well, I wish ye a safe journey." Again Rose looked away, trying to keep her disappointment and heartbreak hidden. She was failing miserably. She returned to the stove, busying herself with stirring the stew, adding a few more ingredients.

Gabrielle now understood what the problem was. She came up behind Rose carefully, then rested her hands on the smaller woman's shoulders. It still made Rose flinch, but she did not pull away. Met with no resistance, Gabrielle gently turned Rose round to face her, gazing into her lovely dark eyes. "Kathleen," she said, "you do realize that you're included in these travel plans, don't you?"

A look of pure joy flooded Rose's face, but she hid it well after just a moment. She was too used to disappointment to ever truly let herself rejoice. "Me?" she asked doubtfully. "Why?"

"Yes, you," Gabby happily told her. "And because you're my grand- eh, my… grand little friend, Kathleen. And because you don't deserve to be treated the way Paxton treats you. And I already love you a lot- certainly too much to leave you here in this hell hole."

"But I don't live in a hole, I live in a barn."

Gabrielle chuckled over the confusion. "Sorry, Rose, it's just an expression. But you are being abused here and you can never truly have a good life under Paxton's rule. With Xena and me, you can. So, what do you think?"

"I think ye are very kind to want me to come with ye… but… I canno'. I mean, what of Paxton?"

"What of him?" Gabby groaned, wondering over the woman's concern about a man who treated her like dirt. "He's a big boy- a very big boy. He can take care of himself."

"But iffen I leave here, he'll track me down and find me. He says I belong to him, that I'm his property. Iffen I run away, he will hunt me down and…" Her voice trailed off, recalling a promise Paxton had made to her the day he'd brought her to his homestead, warning her against ever running away. It hadn't sounded pleasant in the slightest.

"Rose- eh, Kathleen, you're not a child and you're not his slave. You belong to no one but yourself. You don't need to run away. You're simply leaving this life behind you to come with me."

"Gabrielle…"

"The Battling Bard of Potedia," she reminded her.

"Who talks to dead people."

"Hey, she does talk back, you know!"

"Yer not helping yer case any, lass."

Gabrielle swatted Rose playfully on the arm, but instantly regretted it when the younger woman flinched instinctively and the blond wondered if her granddaughter had ever been treated with love and tenderness before they had found her.

"Come here, Rose- I mean, Kathleen."

"It's all right, lass. Ye can call me 'Rose'."

"Really?" the bard asked hopefully.

"Sure. I mean, ye never get me name right, anyway," the woman replied with a smile.

It was on the tip of Gabrielle's tongue to tell her, "But Rose is your real name," but she refrained for now and instead, she grabbed hold of Rose's hands and tugged her closer, enveloping the dark-haired woman into a tight embrace.

Rose remained stiff in her arms. "Uh, what are ye doin'?"

"Hugging my gran- my friend," Gabby replied and she kissed her granddaughter about the face several times in rapid succession.

"Stop!" Rose laughed, trying to pull away. "Yer slobberin' all over me!"

"You want slobbery? I'll give you slobbery," Gabrielle crowed playfully and she blew raspberries against the uninjured side of Rose's face.

"Oh, for the love of…" Rose chuckled, ticklish as ever and unable to push the relentless blond bard away.

It took several minutes of this silliness, but Gabrielle finally got what she'd set out for, a hug from her granddaughter. Gabby squeezed her tightly, kissing her forehead. After a tentative start, Rose hugged her back, just as tightly, if not more so.

Strong little girl, Gabrielle marveled proudly.

"I love you, Rose," the bard said sweetly, her heart showing plainly on her face.

"Yer really weird," Rose replied, shaking her head and awkwardly disengaging herself from the embrace. "I need to finish up with dinner now, lass."

"Hmm, well at least she didn't call me daft," Gabrielle murmured quietly with a smile, then she followed after her granddaughter, offering to set the table.

OOO

That evening the two women enjoyed a delicious meal at the kitchen table in the house. Gabrielle had taken some food out to Paxton just before they'd sat down for their own dinner. He had struggled against his binds and had yelled at her, trying to grab her, trying to intimidate her, anything, but Gabby, unlike the meek and brow beaten Rose, thought nothing of him, and just ignored his blustering. She merely set his plate down in front of him, where she knew he would struggle to reach it and left him alone.

During dinner, Gabrielle dazzled her granddaughter with more stories about adventures that she and Xena had shared together over the years. Rose listened with rapt attention.

Strangely, Gabby did not see, hear or even feel Xena with her the entire time spent in the house. That concerned her a bit. Oh, she knew she was nearby. She could sense her presence. But she wasn't right there in the room with her or even right outside the door, and if she had to admit it, the bard didn't like the feeling.

Once everything was cleaned up and put away, the two women had made the decision to leave in the morning, despite Rose's injuries. At first, Gabrielle had been reluctant to agree, but Rose swore to her that she was much better and she seemed more than anxious to leave the farm. Even with Paxton being kept at bay, the idea that he was close by made the Irish orphan feel ill at ease. After a great deal of pleading, needling and begging, Gabrielle finally saw it her way and agreed with her new traveling companion that they would leave tomorrow.

Gabrielle suggested they bunk in the house for that last night, thinking her grandchild might enjoy getting the chance to really sleep indoors for once, but Rose again insisted on sleeping in the barn.

"But honey, you don't have to sleep in the barn anymore. Paxton can't make you now."

"Paxton never made me, lass," Rose informed her quietly. "It's just… it was the only place I could sleep where he'd leave me alone."

The bard instantly understood. She wondered how many years this woman had endured unwanted advances, clumsy fumblings in the dark… rape. She swallowed the lump in her throat and tried not to cry. "Okay, Rose," she agreed, running her fingers through the dark locks of the younger woman's hair. "We can sleep in the barn. It's… cozier in there, anyway."

"Well, if ye would prefer," Rose began sadly, "yer welcome to stay in the house-"

"I'd rather not," Gabby told her. "If it's a bad place for you, then it is for me, too. Besides, if I stay out here with you, I can tell you a bedtime story about Xena before we fall asleep."

"Bedtime story?" Rose chuckled. "Aren't I way too old for that sort of thing?"

"Not at all," Gabrielle replied, unable to hide the glisten in her eyes, filled with unshed tears. She had not gotten as attached to anyone as fast as she had to Rose since she'd met Xena so many years ago. "And anyway, I'm a bard. That's what I do. I tell stories." She smiled sweetly.

Rose made no mention of Gabrielle's emotional state, although it did have an effect on her. "All right, then. To the barn!"

Once there, Rose went for the loft and Gabrielle put a halting hand on her arm. "Uh, why not sleep down here, on the ground floor… where it's less likely to collapse?"

"Because I still don't want to get pecked at or pooped on," Rose reminded her, and she made her way slowly, painfully, up the ladder to the loft, the bard following closely behind her.

"I have a horse boarded at the stables in town," Gabby said as she fixed their bedrolls. "She's a little long in the tooth, but pretty strong. Still, I advise traveling light. Only take the necessities, like food, some needle and thread, a change of clothes…"

"May I take this?" Rose asked hesitantly, holding up the wooden box carved in Roman design. It was about a foot across each way and a little less than a foot deep.

Gabrielle could tell it held special meaning to her and she remembered that Rose had mentioned she'd always had it, even back at the orphanage. She rightly assumed that it had been Eve's, who had left it for her with her adoptive parents. Somehow, after the cart accident, it must have survived and was taken to the orphanage along with the infant Rose. She smiled at her granddaughter's sentimental side. "Of course, Rose. It will be handy to keep food and small items safe. Very functional. Good idea."

Rose smiled back, blushing furiously. She was not used to compliments or kindness and Gabrielle had been giving her a steady dose of both since they had met. "Thank ye."

"Let's get settled. I'll tell you a story and then we need to get some sleep."

"What about Paxton?" Rose asked suddenly.

"I'm not telling him a story!"

"No, I mean, when we go away tomorrow, if we leave him tied up, he- as well as all the animals- will eventually die. No one really ever comes out here. But if we untie him before we leave, he'll try and stop us, probably try to kill us. And as angry as he is bound to be, he'd probably succeed at that."

"Hmm, I see what you mean…" Gabrielle's brow furrowed in contemplation for a moment, then her green eyes brightened with an idea. "Oh, we'll simply conk him over the head, knocking him out, and then we'll untie him before we leave."

Rose nodded her approval over the plan. Very shyly, she approached her grandmother and, in a rare moment of intimacy, she touched the woman's arm. "Lass?"

"Yes, honey?"

"Would it be all right iffen I… um…"

"What is it, Rose?"

"Can I be the one to whack him over the noggin?" she blurted, looking rather ashamed of herself but unable to suppress her desire to express her request.

For the briefest of moments, Gabrielle was worried. After all, Rose was the daughter of Eve, formerly known as Livia, the Bitch of Rome. And Eve was the daughter of Xena, who was once known as the Destroyer of Nations. Even after reforming, both women had struggled with their dark side on a regular basis. But when she stared into Rose's dark brown eyes, which were as gentle as a puppy's, her fears subsided. Rose was different from the generations before her. While she must have longed for revenge against a man who had been abusing her since childhood, there was no lusty glint for blood in her eye, no malicious grin upon her lips. Gabrielle remembered, again, Xena telling her how much Rose was like the bard instead.

And she really is, she marveled, feeling almost giddy. She's really as much mine as she is Xena's. "Yes, Rose," she told her, with a warm expression and reaching out to squeeze her granddaughter's hand. "I think it's perfectly natural for you to want to, and it's fitting that you be the one to do it."

Rose averted her gaze from the bard's face, unable to handle the emotion she saw there, nor the emotion such an expression elicited from her. "Thank ye," she said again, her voice barely a whisper. She wasn't proud of how she felt about doing this to Paxton, but she was relieved that Gabrielle seemed to understand and did not hold it against her.

Then the moment had passed, and the Irish woman settled into her bedroll. Just as the night before, Gabrielle scooted hers closer to Rose's. She watched as the younger woman suddenly leapt up and ran to where the ladder stood and she pulled it up into the loft with them, before she returned to her bedroll and snuggled in under the covers, looking at Gabrielle expectantly, awaiting that promised story.

"Rose, that's not necessary anymore."

"Just in case," the brunette replied. It was obvious that she was still incredibly nervous about the whole situation with her husband.

"Okay," Gabby humored her, knowing that it would probably be a long while before Rose would feel safe sleeping at night. For some people that have gone through such a trauma in their lives, that secure feeling never did come, but the bard was determined to make her grandchild feel as safe and secure as possible from here on out.

Patting the Irish woman's shoulder in a comforting manner, Gabrielle snuggled in next to her, wrapping a motherly arm around her. Even though Rose was physically nearly the same age and even though they were close in height- give or take three inches- Gabrielle felt as though she were being given a second chance at motherhood. This is what she never got to experience with Hope, who of course, turned out to be evil incarnate and not much for cuddling. This is what was cut so terribly short with Eve as a baby, too, and although she and Xena had saved their daughter from the dark side, things were never to be quite the same. Eve as an infant had responded in a favorable way equally to both she and Xena. But Eve as a young woman and beyond had definitely preferred her mother when it came to seeking comfort, guidance and affection. Xena used to always call Eve their daughter, but it hadn't really felt that way till the end.

Gabrielle had to admit it. She'd felt jealous of the relationship Eve sought with Xena but had never seemed to want with her. She and Eve had loved each other, of course, even if they were not particularly close. And Gabrielle never begrudged Xena of the loving rapport she had formed with the girl. But the jealousy over it all; it was something she'd been struggling with for a long time, only to be tempered over guilt, angst and later remorse over lost chances.

This time out, with little Rose, who was nearly ready to drift off to la-la land on her shoulder, after hearing only one brief story about Xena and her battle with Gareth the giant, Gabrielle was determined to do two things differently: One- she would not allow any jealousy on her part get the better of her, no matter how close Rose and Xena might eventually become. And two- she would do her very best to create a strong, loving bond between she and her precious grandchild; something she'd failed to do with Eve and was never allowed to create with Hope.

Running her fingers through Rose's messy dark locks, Gabby concluded, "…and so Xena slayed the evil giant, Gareth, repaying a debt to her friend, Goliath, and saving the village of Laurel as well as stopping Zagrias and his army from looting Piedmont."

"And ye finally managed to hit her on the nose with yer stick-"

"Staff."

"Aye, staff?" Rose yawned.

"Aye- I mean, yes, I did," Gabrielle admitted. "Probably not one of my finer moments."

"But ye bested her," Rose mumbled against the bard's shoulder. "Isn'a that what ye were tryin' to do all along?"

"I suppose so… but I never thought I'd actually hit her. Plus, I felt horrible for it, smacking my best friend on the nose."

"I bet ye looked as shocked as she did," Rose chuckled sleepily.

"That's not funny," Gabby scolded her, trying not to giggle.

"Sure it is."

"Well, maybe a little…" the blond relented reluctantly. "Still, I wish I'd never done it."

"But if Xena was the kind of person ye say she was, I'm sure she forgave ye."

"Yeah, she did," Gabby recalled, smiling. "She's a wonderful woman. You're going to love her."

"Riiight…"

"Oh, believe me, you will," Gabrielle promised.

"Daft," Rose whispered, then she was down for the count.

Gabrielle muttered something under her breath, just as Xena's spirit materialized beside her, laughing quietly.

"Oh, so now you show up," the bard snapped at her friend. "Where have you been, Xena? I've been worried."

"Gabrielle, relax," Xena told her, lying down and lounging contentedly next to her partner. "I'm dead, remember? You don't need to worry. The worst that can happen already did."

"That's not funny," Gabby protested for the second time in minutes, but she was much less amused this time than she had been with Rose's antics.

"Sure it is."

"Xena!"

"All right, I'm sorry. Just calm down before you wake the punk," the Warrior Princess was quick to apologize. She didn't often make her partner angry anymore, but when she did, she always regretted it, not out of fear of facing the consequences, but because she did genuinely hate to hurt Gabrielle's feelings. She reached out to caress the bard's beautiful face. "I forget how sensitive you are about my death, even after all these years."

"Well, of course I'm sensitive to it," Gabrielle snapped, before her voice softened. "And it doesn't matter how many years have passed. I always will be. I will always feel hurt by it."

Xena could tell that in her current emotional state, her best friend was on the verge of a meltdown. She did not wish for this to happen. She loved this woman like she loved no other and it had not been her intention to make her angry or sad by her flippant remark moments earlier. "Oh, Gabrielle," she whispered soothingly, her voice as sweet and smooth as honey, "come here…" She held her arms open.

"I don't want to wake Rose," Gabby replied stubbornly, a scowl on her face.

"Are you kidding? She's out for the night, trust me," Xena informed her knowingly. "Besides," she added in a gentler tone, "your soul mate needs you…"

She didn't like being manipulative, but Xena knew that Gabrielle would have no choice but to respond to her request now. And, as expected, she did. The small woman released a world weary sigh, then slowly wriggled her way out of Rose's sleepy grasp, careful not to wake her, and turned, finding herself immersed in the spiritual embrace of Xena. She reveled in it, burying her face in the crook of Xena's neck. She inhaled, then remembered that as a spirit, Xena no longer held a scent, at least, not the way she had before while she'd been a living being. Strange as it seemed and as grateful as she was that she could still talk to, and cuddle with the woman she loved, Gabrielle still missed those little things. Even Xena's embrace, as loving and familiar as it remained, still felt somewhat different to Gabrielle, although she could not explain how or why, only that it was.

"What are you thinking about, Gabrielle?" Xena asked her, running long, cool fingers through her partner's soft blond locks. "And more importantly, what are you feeling?"

"I thought you always knew," came the muffled reply, as the bard's face was still hidden in the crook of Xena's neck.

"Not when you shut me out," Xena explained. "And you can, you know, whenever you feel you need to. I'd never intrude."

Gabrielle turned on the bedroll a little, so that she could gaze up into Xena's face, which looked concerned, almost troubled. "I wasn't aware that I was shutting you out." Another surge of shame and sadness enveloped her nearly as fully as Xena's embrace.

"Negative thoughts and feelings, Gabrielle," the Warrior Princess murmured, "they have a way of keeping me out. But if you talk about it, maybe I can help you. We can get back to normal."

"What is normal, Xena?" Gabby blurted suddenly. "I mean, you're dead and you follow me around the world, but no one else can see you and if I try to tell anyone about you, they think I'm nuts- including our own granddaughter…"

"I meant normal for us," Xena explained. She wore a smirk, but it faded as she became aware at how upset her partner really had become.

Surprisingly, Gabby chuckled. "I suppose what's outrageous for most is normal for us…"

"Gabrielle…"

"Our lives have always been so strange and uncertain."

"Gabrielle-"

"I- sometimes, it's just…"

"Gabrielle, what is wrong?"

"Xena…" Gabrielle began to sob and she rested her head on Xena's shoulder, her tears absorbing into her soul mate's spirit. The tears saddened the Warrior Princess greatly, and they clung to each other.

The spirit wrapped her arms even more tightly around her partner. "Gabrielle, please talk to me," she whispered, kissing the smaller woman's brow.

"I… sometimes I just get to thinking about things, especially what with everything that's going on right now with us and Rose…" Gabrielle sniffled. "And that always gets me recalling past regrets, moments lost, things that could have been. And I feel shame for petty thoughts, I feel as if I'm almost competing…"

"For Rose?" Xena asked knowingly.

"Um…"

"Gabrielle, I think I understand what you're going through. I remember how it was with Eve and us back when she was a baby. You were as much her mother as I was."

"But after being… out of commission for twenty-five years, we woke up to a very different world and-"

"And a very different Eve," Xena finished for her. "But we did thankfully rehabilitate her."

"Yes, we did, and I'm happy we did, but things were just never the same, Xena, for Eve and me."

"She regrets that, Gabrielle," Xena told her. "We've talked about it, her and I, after she crossed over. She wishes she had gotten to know you better. She wishes you two had been closer. You're not the only one harboring those regrets, my love."

"She was so distant, especially after I'd had to tell her of your death. I think she must have blamed me for it. She thought I should have protected you better than I did." Gabrielle wiped her eyes.

Xena took her hand and kissed it reverently. "Gabrielle, no one could have stopped me from doing what I needed to do. Not you, not Hercules, not even Ares. I knew my duty and nothing would have stopped me. Eve finally understood that. And she regrets all the missed opportunities to be close to you. I think that's at least partly why she sent us to Rose. She wanted you to have someone to love. She wants you to be happy."

"I am happy, mostly," Gabby assured her, her green eyes shining brighter in the dark, her small face lighting up with pure love. Even Xena was in awe of this beautiful woman who had saved her soul many times over. "I don't want to mess up with Rose," the bard went on. "She's my last chance to even be a mother, Xena, well, a grandmother, anyway. I'm so ashamed for feeling as though I'll have to compete for her love with you. Once she meets you, I know the same thing will happen again…"

"No, it won't," Xena promised. "This is a completely different situation. And the two of you already have a bond so strong, no one could come between you, not even me; not that I ever would."

"I know you never purposely would," Gabrielle replied, kissing her best friend's cheek. "But you're very lovable, you know. Don't sell yourself short."

"You're pretty lovable, too, Gabrielle, so don't sell yourself short, either. But don't worry. Rose has a big heart. I'm sure there will be more than enough room for both of us in there."

"I'm so sorry, Xena. I… I shouldn't even be having these petty, jealous feelings anymore. Not after all these years, not after all we've shared and been through."

"Hey, you're only human, Gabrielle," Xena assured her, giving her a squeeze. "And I was human once, so I know where you're coming from. But just try not to block me out anymore, okay? I feel so lonely when you don't let me in."

"Xena, I swear I didn't mean to-"

"Gabrielle, it's okay," Xena assured her. "It's just… you're all I have, you know."

The two women, one wholly human, blood coursing through her veins, the other, a completely spiritual being who was only able to be seen and touched by another through remarkable will power, laid there together on the bedroll next to their sleeping grandchild. The moonlight shone down on them through the loft window. A breeze caressed the skin of the living and embraced the spirit of the ethereal. In the distance one could hear an owl hooting, a wolf baying, and Paxton, still tied up in the back of the house, whimpering for his mother.

Beside them, Rose's gentle breathing lulled Gabrielle into relaxation, while Xena took comfort in the rhythm of her companions' beating hearts. She could feel the pulse of life emanating off of her soul mate, lying so contentedly in her arms. The moon glow made the bard's skin positively shimmer. Never had she looked more beautiful to Xena than she did at that moment. It made her pause, and send a prayer of thanks up to the heavens above at being allowed this rare gift of staying tethered to earth at her soul mate's side. This was not a usual occurrence, this much Xena knew, although she had never shared that fact with Gabrielle.

The Warrior Princess shifted, vying to make the bard more comfortable, and to keep her from being pressed too tightly against her. Earthly delights had become but a memory to her. Still, she felt grateful that she could talk to Gabrielle, touch her, hold her, kiss her… but just as with the need to eat and sleep had fallen by the wayside, so, too, had her ability to do anything beyond simple gestures of affection. It frustrated her to no end. She could still feel passion, lust, need, but she could not satisfy it. Perhaps it wasn't that she truly felt those things, just as she could no longer really smell a campfire or taste a fine meal, but that her memories of these experiences were so strong and vivid that they lived on, haunting her, just as she had haunted Gabrielle for all these years…

And that's when it dawned on her. She was haunting Gabrielle! Xena's blue eyes went wide at the realization and she turned to face her soul mate, who coincidentally- or maybe not- turned to look at her at that same moment. It was on the tip of Xena's tongue to ask Gabrielle if being haunted by her dead partner upset her, or was even really good for her, but the small bard spoke before she could utter a word.

"Xena, can I ask you something?" the blond asked, looking serious and thoughtful.

The ghost of the warrior felt instant apprehension. "Uh, sure," she murmured, almost reluctantly.

"How is it that you have stayed with me for so long?"

"Because I love you," was the simple reply.

Gabrielle smiled gratefully at the answer, as well as the soul that provided it. She squeezed her partner's hand. "I know that, and I love you, too. I only meant, well, we've both experienced death before, both been to heaven and to hell. We were to be reborn, the angels told us. In India, we learned of future destinies. We even became arch angels at one point…"

"I remember," Xena replied, and she could see those occurrences as if they had only happened yesterday. Time stood still when one was dead. "Who'd have thought Xena, the Warrior Princess would ever rank angel, much less arch angel? I basically bullied them into letting me become one, you know. But I would have done anything to bring you back to me, to save you from hell and damnation. I'd do it all over again, too, regardless of the outcome."

The bard felt another pang of guilt. Xena had literally gone to hell to save her from becoming a demon. When Gabrielle's own turn to be an arch angel had come around, she had done so, not to save Xena, but to stop her from overtaking heaven with the rest of the demons. She tried to push past the heartbreaking memory and focus instead on what she wanted to say.

"I know you did, and I know you'd do it all again for me, Xena. Thank you. But I…" and Gabby hesitated for a moment, "what I'm trying to figure out here is, why didn't you cross over or get reborn after you died?"

A melancholy shadow cast over the moon and onto the two women below. Silence ensued for several moments, Gabrielle nervous and curious, Xena feeling unsure and quite sad. After some discernment, Xena finally decided to reveal that which she had never before shared with Gabrielle.

"I was given the chance to cross over," the tall, sleek spirit quietly spoke, not looking into her partner's eyes, but up at the moon. "I was given a choice to go or to stay. I was told this could possibly affect future lives, future destinies. I chose to stay."

"Because of me," Gabrielle whispered knowingly. It was not a question.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Why did I choose to stay with you?" Xena asked, sounding almost incredulous.

"Yeah."

"How can you even ask me that, Gabrielle?" Xena looked as hurt as she sounded.

"Xena…"

"You would have done the same for me, right?"

"Of course," Gabrielle replied without hesitation.

"Then I don't understand why you'd even need an answer. We're soul mates, Gabrielle," Xena told her, still unable to look at her. "It's not just a matter of wanting to be together, we need to be together. So, as you can see, there really was no choice at all."

"I guess I do understand."

"Do you disagree?"

"No, I don't," Gabrielle assured her. Neither woman would look into the eyes of the other.

"That's… good."

"But what happens when I die?"

"That won't be for a long time."

"But when it does?"

"Then we will face that road together, Gabrielle. I will be there with you, just as I was there for Eve. Together, Gabrielle, always."

"I…"

"Are you dissatisfied with my decision, Gabrielle? Unhappy?" Xena finally got the nerve up to ask.

"No, of course not!" the bard was quick to reply. She turned finally and looked into her soul mate's eyes. Both knew this was a conversation they should have had years ago. It was good to have finally gotten it over with. Tears glistened in green eyes, mirroring that of blue. "I'm actually relieved that you feel this way, Xena. I love you. I need you with me. I always have and I always will."

Xena was suddenly hovering above her partner, leaning down and kissing her full on the mouth. By the time she pulled away, Gabrielle's eyes were closed, and she wore a blissful smile. She sighed dreamily. The sight brought more tears to the warrior's eyes.

"Go to sleep, my love," she whispered, caressing the younger woman's face. "We've got a busy day tomorrow."

"Xena…"

"Mmm?"

"Where were you all evening?"

"Mostly messing with Paxton. Why?"

"I don't like it when I can't feel you near. Please stay closer to me from now on."

The spirit grinned happily in spite of herself. "I do have to keep quiet and unseen around Rose for the time being, but I promise to keep close, let my presence be known. I'll make sure that you can feel me." And Xena's hands roved enticingly over her partner's supple body.

"By the gods, Xena!" Gabrielle gasped.

"You're telling me!"

Rose stirred next to them and all talk and movement ceased. Xena was content then to wrap her arms around Gabrielle as she rocked her to sleep.

OOO

Gabrielle awoke early the next morning, to a distinctly ticklish feeling on her ear. Turns out it was Xena- her own personal time teller- gently blowing against her earlobe.

"Time to wake up, sunshine," Xena chuckled and Gabby nodded, then yawned and stretched and tried to come to life.

She turned, preparing to wake up Rose, but her granddaughter was not there. She was nowhere to be seen, in fact. Gabrielle frowned. "Xena, where's Rose?"

"Last I saw her, it was nature calling, not too long ago. She's an early riser. Wakes up before the sun does."

"She gets that from you," Gabrielle muttered, then sat up with a groan.

"That's right," Xena stated proudly. "She sure doesn't get it from you." Gabrielle made a face at her, then jumped when Xena gave her a hearty slap on the knee. "Come on, Gabrielle, time to get up!"

The bard rolled her neck, trying to get the kinks out. After having spent the majority of the last two decades living on her sister's farm, sleeping indoors in a comfortable bed in the spectral arms of her soul mate every night, she wasn't so used to roughing it anymore. Though she enjoyed being back out on the road again, traveling with Xena, she was well aware how much older she was now and that things she used to do without any trouble, often had certain repercussions on her body now; sleeping on the floor in the loft of a barn being one of them.

"You two all packed up?" Xena inquired, giving her partner a quick neck massage.

"Ooh, yeah, right there, Xena," Gabby moaned appreciatively, then replied, "And yes, pretty much. Need to stop in town and fetch Argo III and then we'll be on the road."

"A nice, long journey will do us all good. We'll really get to know the punk by the time we return to Greece," Xena said, smiling in anticipation. Her deft fingers traveled downward and worked out the knots in Gabrielle's back and shoulders.

"When are you planning on revealing yourself to Rose?" Gabrielle asked, gently disengaging herself from her friend's grasp, a signal that she was good to go now.

"That sounds a little bit perverted, Gabrielle," the Warrior Princess joked.

"Oh, ha-ha, Xena, you know what I meant. When are you going to let Rose see you?"

"Not sure yet. I guess when the time is right."

"But how will you know when the time right?" Gabby pressed.

"Right fer what?" asked a voice from the edge of the loft.

Gabrielle could see the ladder moving slightly, signaling that Rose was climbing up.

"Later," Xena whispered, winking at her and disappearing from sight.

Rose's dark head appeared over the loft, and soon she stood beside her new traveling companion. "Are ye all right, lass?" she asked, handing the woman a mug of hot cider.

"Thanks," Gabrielle replied, accepting gratefully. The cup warmed her hands and she took a tentative drink. It wasn't too hot, but hot enough to make her feel warm all over, both inside and out. "And yeah, I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"Thought I heard ye talkin' to someone," Rose said with a shrug. "Guess I didn'a."

Gabrielle wisely did not answer that. Instead she asked, "So, you all ready to go? Remember, we need to stop in town and get our horse before we truly can hit the road."

"Aye. All packed up. Got a hot breakfast on the table iffen yer interested."

"Very much so. We'll eat, then be on our way."

"But what about-"

"Don't worry, Rose. You can clobber Paxton just before we go. Then I'll untie him and we are outta here! Sound like a plan?"

"Aye," the younger woman replied with more enthusiasm than Gabby had ever seen come out of her.

"Oh, speaking of 'eye', how is yours? And your head? And your stomach?"

"Ever'thing still hurts a bit, but I'll live."

Gabrielle rubbed Rose's back. "Great. Now, let's go eat!"

OOO

After breakfast, Rose had cleaned up the kitchen, more out of habit than anything else and she was just wrapping up the rest of the nut bread when Gabrielle came in, carrying a shovel. "You ready yet, honey?"

"Almost. Just packin' up the nut bread- well, what's left of it. Ye ate quite a bit there, lass."

The bard blushed. "I never could resist good nut bread."

"I've always heard, ye are what ye eat," Rose cracked.

"Are you calling me nuts… or doughy?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "What's the shovel fer?"

"Huh? Oh, I thought you could use it to clobber Paxton over the head with."

"That's the shovel I use to clean out the goats' poop…" the younger woman observed.

"Well, that seems fitting. Come on, kiddo."

Gabrielle turned on her heel and marched purposely towards the door. She looked back to see Rose hesitating. "Hey, you all right?"

"I… I'm scared lass," she admitted.

"Of Paxton?"

"Aye, but tis more'n that."

"Scared of traveling with me?"

"It's not the ye part, but the travel part that's scarin' me. Lass, I've been in an orphanage and here, and the day's journey it took to bridge the gap between those two places. I… I've never been anywhere else."

"It'll be okay. I'll protect you, Rose, I promise."

"Aye," Rose whispered, smiling at Gabrielle's earnest expression. Still, it didn't stop her from worrying. With a tentative step, Rose reluctantly followed the bard out of the house and around back.

The two women found Paxton where Gabrielle had left him, tied up like a bad dog in the back of the house. He was awake, but groggy from lack of sleep. What neither of the girls knew was that Xena had visited Paxton quite often the day before, as well as after Gabrielle had fallen asleep last night. She had spent the better part of the night making his miserable life even more miserable.

And it showed. Paxton's face was pale and gaunt, his stubble was rapidly becoming a beard now and his eyes were bleary and frankly… haunted. It made Gabrielle shake her head and mentally cluck her tongue at her soul mate, who, of course, was currently nowhere to be found and would be completely remorseless at any rate.

Paxton perked up when he saw Gabrielle coming towards him, carrying a shovel and he was planning to threaten her into untying him. And if that didn't work, he was prepared to beg, plead or bargain his way out. But when he noticed little Rose cowering behind Gabrielle, his blood began to boil and he started fighting against the ropes he was bound by.

"Ye, girl! I will kill ye, Kathleen, when I get out of this! Do ye hear me? Kill ye!"

Gabrielle glared at him. "What makes you think you're ever going to get out of this, Paxton?"

He looked up at her in surprise and fear. "Devil! How do ye know me name?"

Rose narrowed her eyes. "She's no devil, she's an angel! She's saved me from the likes of ye!"

"Shut up, ye wretched child, and untie me! Yer due for some discipline!"

"You will not be harming my girl ever again," Gabrielle told him, advancing on him in a threatening manner. She looked beyond furious.

Paxton flinched, which shocked Rose to no end. She had always seen her husband as strong, controlling, dangerous. She was used to seeing him as the aggressor in most situations. But here he was, scared of the gentle-as-a-fawn Gabrielle. She wondered what was the woman's secret, to be so strong and confident, as to intimidate the boorish Paxton.

Gabrielle handed the shovel to her granddaughter. "It's time, Rose."

"Rose? She's no rose!" Paxton roared. "She's just a bloomin' idiot!"

"Shut up!" Gabrielle told him in a tone she reserved for scum buckets like him. She returned her attention to Rose. "Do it, honey."

"Do what?" Paxton demanded to know, staring with some apprehension at them both.

"I told you to 'shut up'!" Gabrielle warned him again. "Go ahead, Rose, let him have it."

Rose stood before Paxton, holding onto the shovel's handle with her slender fingers so tightly that her knuckles went white. She was visibly trembling.

"Oh, so that's what this is," Paxton spat in disgust. "Only way to get back at ol' Paxton is to tie 'im up, then conk 'im over the head. Ye little cowardly thing, Kathleen!"

"Quiet!" Gabby shouted into his face. "Come on, Rose. Just get this over with!"

Rose nodded solemnly at Gabrielle and slowly raised the shovel high into the air. She stood motionless for several seconds.

"Bet ye can't do it, ye little wench!" Paxton hissed.

This should have given Rose the motivation she needed to give the man a good whacking, but behind the bravado and cruelty Paxton exuded, she could clearly see the fear in his eyes. "I… I canno'," she said quietly, and slowly lowered the shovel.

"Ha! I knew it!" Paxton cackled tauntingly, although there was a real look of relief on his face. "Ye couldna do it! Ye don' have the cobbles!"

"I do," Gabrielle said, and she quickly retrieved one of her Sais and cracked it sharply over his head with the handle. Paxton's eyes had gone wide for a split second as he stared in surprise at Rose, before they rolled into the back of his head and he slumped over, out faster than a candle in the wind.

Rose just gawked at his fallen form, a look of horrified fascination on her gentle face. She seemed glued to her spot, unable to move or to speak.

Gabrielle replaced her Sai on the side of her boot, then laid her hand gently on Rose's shoulder. She was expecting the younger woman to jump from the touch as she usually did. To her surprise and concern, Rose didn't move a muscle; just continued to stare, dumbfounded, at Paxton's unconscious body.

"Rose," Gabby said, shaking the girl. "Hey, you in there? Rose! Honey, snap out of it!"

The brunette shivered, coming out of her reverie and looked, glassy eyed, at her companion. "I'm sorry, I couldn'a…" and she gestured towards the lump lying at their feet.

Wrapping her arm around her granddaughter, Gabrielle guided her away from the scene. "It's okay, Rose. You're a such gentle soul, I know that. And not everyone could just knock a guy over the head like that. Not everyone needs to be a warrior."

"Nay, I'm not any kind of soul," Rose whispered, her voice dripping in self-disgust. "I'm a nothin'. I'm a coward, just like Paxton said."

Gabrielle couldn't help rolling her eyes. "Rose, you're not a coward, but can we talk about this later? We really need to go. Get your pack now."

"Don't forget to untie him," Rose murmured sadly.

"Okay, just go get what you need."

Rose nodded and shuffled back to the barn to retrieve her necessities.

Gabby blew out a breath, then untied just one of Paxton's hands, leaving the other bound to his feet with triple knots. It should take him hours to get that undone. It never hurts to be cautious, she reasoned. The bigger head start they had over this man who had beaten up his wife and threatened Gabrielle, the better. Afterward, the bard rushed into the house to retrieve the food bag Rose had prepared for them. Then, she ventured into the barn to fetch her granddaughter and begin their trip back into town.

The Irish woman had just finished feeding the animals in the barn and was now attempting to clean up their mess.

"What are you doing?" Gabrielle exclaimed in amused frustration.

"Just wanted to tend to the animals before we left."

"Did you feed them?"

"Aye."

"That's fine. Give them food, leave the poo, and let's get out of here."

"I don't like to leave a mess."

"Rose!"

"What?"

"Move it! No time to spare. Paxton is going to wake up sooner or later and we need to get as far away from this place as possible in the meantime!"

"Okay," Rose sighed as she fondly patted the old dog on the head and tossed him a few more scraps. She still looked terrified to be traveling, especially under such circumstances, but she dutifully did as she'd been told and grabbed up her pack and the Roman box she cherished so much and followed Gabrielle off of the farm to the road leading into town.

Xena had been milling about the property, keeping an eye on her girls, as well as on Paxton, all the while, remaining invisible, and spooking the animals whenever she was near. She saw Gabrielle and Rose start out down the road into town. She watched as Gabrielle looked back in her direction, as if beckoning her soul mate to join them. The Warrior Princess sent a wave of warmth and love into Gabrielle's thoughts and a promise that she would join them momentarily. But she felt the need to linger a bit longer, as she watched Paxton struggling to regain consciousness.

Narrowing her eyes, Xena came closer to him. Tough old bastard, she thought, glaring down at him. Stubborn, too… Concentrating as hard as she could, using all the energy she could summon, Xena managed to make a flower pot that was setting on the window sill above Paxton's head fall off and hit him in the head. The man groaned, then was silent and unmoving, but still breathing.

Satisfied she had just bought her family a few more candle marks of Paxton-free worry, Xena smiled and quickly whisked her soul to where her family was, already quite far down the road on the way into town. Keeping herself invisible to the human eye, she lightly ruffled Rose's hair- which the youngster tried to rationalize as the wind, even though there was nary a breeze- and then she gave Gabrielle's bottom a playful smack, which actually made the bard stumble a little in surprise and inwardly mutter at her mischievous soul mate.

They arrived in Tara just as the town was waking up and its citizens had begun milling about, opening shops and starting their day, the crisp, morning air urging everyone onward.

Gabrielle stopped at a fruit cart, wanting to pick up some choice apples for the trip. Rose nearly choked when she saw all the money in the blond's pockets. "I'll take ten, please," Gabby was saying to the vendor, who eyed her warily, as he'd heard about the disturbance in the tavern concerning this stranger, along with the clumsy Kathleen, who'd knocked every apple out of his cart several days before.

"Where'd ye get all that money?" Rose gasped.

The bard shrugged. "I've saved up over the years."

"I made six pies in less than a candle mark so ye could have dinner the other night," the Irish lass groaned, rolling her eyes.

"And I thank you from the bottom of my heart," Gabrielle replied absently. "Do you have any bananas?" she asked the fruit vendor, who shook his head.

"Why didn'a ye tell me ye had all that cash?"

"You didn't ask."

Rose chuckled in spite of herself, then patted her new traveling companion's shoulder. "Aye. That makes perfect sense. Well, lass, keep that money closely guarded. Occasionally we get thieves round these parts, 'specially while travelin' down the road."

"I'm not worried," Gabby told her, wearing a serene expression.

"Why? 'Cause ye got yer own ghost lookin' after ye?"

The vendor stared from Rose to Gabrielle and back again, his eyes growing wide.

"Ix-nay on the ost-gay," Gabby whispered.

"Huh?" Rose asked in confusion.

Gabrielle blew out a breath. "Don't talk about Xena in front of people," she groaned in exasperation.

"Ohhh, well why didn'a just say so, lass?" the younger woman groaned right back.

"Are ye ladies done here now?" the vendor asked nervously, anxious for them to be on their way and far away from him and his fruit carts.

The bard gave him a dirty look. It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him that he'd just lost a sale for his rudeness, but she really liked these apples. Instead she shoved a coin into his hand, put the apples in her bag, and grabbed her granddaughter's hand. "Come on, honey, let's get Argo III."

"Why did ye name yer horse Argo III?"

"Because she was in the wrong generation to call her Argo IV," Gabby joked. She glanced at her companion, who just gave her a look. "She's the granddaughter of Xena's horse, Argo," she told her, then recalled that she was talking about Argo's granddaughter to Xena's granddaughter. It made her smile.

"Ye couldn'a think of somethin' more original?" Rose quipped.

"Are you going to complain the entire trip?" Gabrielle asked her point blank.

"Ehhh… I dunno," Rose finally replied. "Never really been on a trip before, not like this."

"Great," Gabby sighed. "Come on."

"Aye, we should hurry," Rose agreed. "Who knows when ol' Paxton will awaken."

"Shh, don't bring him up, either," the bard scolded her as they walked through town.

"Why not?"

"Because, we don't want to bring any undue attention to ourselves while we're here."

Rose smirked. "Lass, yer a pretty blond stranger with a reputation fer being off yer rocker. I'm the town misfit, married to the town drunk. We're hangin' 'round together, buyin' stuff and bickerin' and goin' after yer horse, 'Argo the third'. I think we're beyond the point of worryin' 'bout bringin' attention to ourselves."

"I see your point," Gabrielle chuckled, noticing every passerby they came across giving them a look. "You really think I'm pretty?"

The younger woman rolled her eyes. "Aye! Now, let's get outta here. I've got a hankerin' for Greek cookin'!"

They retrieved Argo III, Rose badgering her grandmother to hurry every step of the way. Even once out of town, when nature called, Rose was pestering Gabrielle while she was in the bushes, asking her, "Are ye done yet?"

Not too far out of town and back on the road going to and from Tara, Rose paused in the middle of it, Gabrielle halting on Argo, trying not to run her over. "Whoa, there. Rose, what is it?"

"This is the farthest I've ever been away from the farm," she stated quietly and matter-of-factly.

"Well, if you take just one more step, you can break that record," Gabrielle told her with an encouraging smile.

Rose glanced back at her new friend and returned the gesture. "Aye." She took a purposeful step.

Gabrielle cheered her on. "You did it, Rose! Now, let's take some more steps and explore some new places. Want to ride on Argo III with me for a while?"

"I've never been on a horse before, really…"

"Then I'd say it's time for your first lesson," Gabby replied and she reached out a hand to her.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Rose squared her shoulders in determination and grabbed her grandmother's hand. With Gabby's help, she hoisted herself up a top Argo III, behind the blond bard.

An old memory drifted through Gabrielle's mind, back to when she'd only just met Xena and the first time she had ridden with her on Argo the First. It made her smile, brought a tear to her eye. It felt nearly the same, too, except for the fact that it was she who was now the experienced warrior and her granddaughter was the wide-eyed innocent, off to see the world for the first time.

None of that was lost on Xena either, who, though remained invisible and silent during Rose's waking hours, could see and hear all that was happening. Gabrielle had been but a child when they'd met, so young and full of wonder, and chatty as hell. Now she was a strong, beautiful, confident woman, who could take charge in any given situation. It was a beautiful memory for Xena, as well, smiling at how she and her soul mate had come so far, how much they had grown and how much they had grown closer to each other.

"Yes, I see the similarities, too, Gabrielle," she whispered faintly in her partner's mind. Gabrielle felt an invisible kiss planted on her cheek and she reached up to touch the spot with love and reverence.

"Comfy back there?" she asked her granddaughter, patting the arm that was wrapped tightly around her waist.

"Aye, lass," Rose responded, sounding nervous and she managed to tighten her grip on the bard even more.

"Then hold on and let's get ready to fly!" Gabby shouted gleefully, giving Argo III a gentle but insistent nudge with her knees and the mare whinnied and fired off in a full-on gallop.

To Rose, it really did feel like flying. She actually laughed into the wind, which delighted both of her grandmothers to no end, Gabrielle in particular. She found the dour, solemn shell Rose had built around her after years of abuse begin to break away little by little, just as Xena's shell had broken away piece by piece so many years ago. These familiar feelings made Gabrielle feel misty-eyed and nostalgic, as well as hopeful for their future together as a family.

Argo III rode hard for several miles before Gabrielle stopped her to rest and they all had some lunch. For the horse, it was some fresh hay and one of those shiny apples. For the ladies, it was some dried jerky and the rest of the nut bread. Rose sat back in amazement, watching Gabrielle scarf it down.

When she noticed she was being stared at, Gabrielle wiped the crumbs from her lips and offered an embarrassed chuckle. "Have I told you how much I love nut bread?"

"Aye, many times," Rose replied with a smirk. "Most recently as ye smacked me hand away to get the last piece."

"Oh, um… sorry about that," she laughed again, her cheeks turning pink.

"S'all right, it was funny to see so I didn'a mind."

"Funny, huh?"

"Aye."

"Well, that's better than just being daft, I suppose."

"Oh, I still think yer daft."

"Thanks a lot!"

"Think nothin' of it, lass."

Gabrielle could hear Xena chuckling quietly in her mind, whispering, "What a punk!"

"I saw a stream nearby, Rose. I'm going to freshen up a little. Want to join me?"

"Let me gather up our supplies and I'll meet ye down there when I'm finished. I'll bring the water skins, too."

"Thanks. See you there."

The bard meandered down to the stream, grateful for the reprieve from clean up duty. She immediately felt a little guilty for having such a thought about her granddaughter, regarding her as something akin to hired help. She felt a hand settle firmly on her shoulder.

"Relax, I know you don't think of her that way," Xena told her, giving that shoulder a squeeze. "Now, let's spend a little quality time together before the kid gets back."

Grabbing her hand, Xena took off running and Gabrielle had no choice but to run with her. "Xena! Xena!" she laughed breathlessly. "Slow down a little!"

"What's the fun in that?" the Warrior Princess retorted. "I'll slow down when I'm dead- oh, yeah…"

"Very funny!"

The woman and her spectral soul mate reached the bank of the stream, which ran steadily, but was less than two feet across and about a foot deep.

"So much for a relaxing swim," Gabrielle sighed in disappointment.

"Well, how about a back rub?" Xena suggested brightly.

"For me or for you?" Gabby joked.

"For you, of course, Gabrielle," Xena replied sweetly- a little too sweetly in her partner's estimation. "I'm a ghost, remember? I don't technically even have a back anymore. I'm merely a floating ball of energy, who can assume the shape of my former self."

"You make it sound so creepy when you put it that way," Gabrielle snorted. "Besides, you're so much more than that." She sat down on the bank's edge, removed her boots and soaked her feet in the cool water, just as Xena's legs straddled her from behind and she began working her magic on the bard's shoulders and back.

"Feel good?" Xena asked, tickling Gabrielle's ear with her lips.

Gabby responded with a loud moan of satisfaction.

"Careful," Xena cautioned her, wearing an amused expression. "You're likely to attract animals in heat with a sound like that."

Gabrielle leaned back and poked Xena in the ribs. "Hardy har har. Just don't stop. Ahhh…"

"Turning me on here, Gabrielle," Xena cracked and gave the blond's hair a playful tug.

"Sorry…"

"Don't be; I just wish there was something I could do about it…" Xena stopped talking and stood up in a hurry, looking alert.

"Xena? What is it?" Gabby whispered, standing up next to her. She could literally feel the crackling of energy her partner's form emitted, never more so than when she was sensing possible danger.

"Don't know yet," Xena admitted quietly, "but it's small, dangerous… not human…"

Gabrielle's eyes darted back and forth, searching for a snake or maybe a poisonous insect, or a rabid critter. She saw nothing. "I can't find anything…"

"Be gorrah, lass, but did ye ever give me a fright!" came a voice, very small but sharp and with a thick Irish brogue from the other side of the stream's bank.

Seeking more so by sound than sight now, Gabrielle followed the voice, which was too thick in the tongue of the Gaelic to be her granddaughter's, until she found the source of which it came. Gasping in alarm and surprise, Gabrielle's disbelieving eyes focused on what appeared to be the tiniest human she had ever seen in her life. He stood less than a foot tall, had vivid red hair with a beard to match it and was dressed in clothing that kept it well camouflaged in the forest. He wore a funny little hat, made out of twigs and a leaf, and he tipped it graciously at her.

The bard stumbled backwards in surprise and it was only Xena's quick thinking to steady her that she didn't fall down the bank and into the stream. "What… Xena, what is that?"

"Uh… not sure," Xena admitted in a whisper. "Something magical… and not very nice."

"Not very nice?" Gabby blurted.

"'Not verra nice'? Well, I like that!" the little creature protested, holding his wee arms across his tiny chest.

"You do?" Gabrielle squeaked, dumbfounded. She felt Xena's grip on her arms tighten.

"No!" the little guy shouted in annoyance. He shook an itty bitty fist at her, then to both Gabby and Xena's surprise, he did a little jig, which only lasted for a moment. "I'd say ye were daft, little one, but ye can talk to wood sprites, so I don' see why ye canno' tell what I be!"

"Wood sprites?"

"Aye, lassie, tha' tall, gorgeous creature standin' behind ye. She's no more human than I am."

"But she's not-" Gabrielle began, only to have Xena give her arm a painful squeeze, instantly shutting her up.

"Just play along for now," Xena advised in a whisper, "till we can figure him out."

"Oh, right," Gabrielle was quick to agree. To the miniscule person- or whatever he was- she said, "Oh, well, I… I've studied wood sprite lore for years. But you- eh, your kind, that is, I am unfamiliar with. If you don't mind my asking, what are you… exactly?"

"As a matter of fact, I do mind, but seeing as yer too much of an ignoramus to know any better, I-"

"Watch it," Xena warned him, trying to affect an Irish accent. "This is my human yer talkin' to. Don' ye be insultin' her!"

"Ach!" the little guy hissed, covering his ears. "Ye soun' horrendous! Who ever heard of a wood sprite with a speech impediment?"

"Hey!" Xena shouted again, not appreciating the insults he was flinging her way, either.

Gabrielle put a calming hand on her friend's arm. "Eh… she's a wood sprite, but not from this particular neck of the woods. She's just, uh… speaking in a different dialect. No need to be insulting, if you please, sir."

The little man stopped to consider this, and did another little jig as he contemplated it all. He seemed pleased by the fact that the blond bard was being so polite to him.

In the midst of being alert and getting incredibly irritated by the little snot across the stream, Xena still had to marvel at Gabrielle's ability to talk their way out of most problems. Mostly though, she was rather excited to be able to converse with another individual, besides Gabrielle, that could hear and see her.

"Well…" the little creature considered Gabrielle's words. He looked her up and down quite carefully. "Yer not from around here, either, are ye, lass?"

"No, sir, I'm from Greece. It's a far off land to the-"

"I be familiar with it, girl," he snapped at her.

"Sorry. Of course you are."

"My, but yer a polite wee lass," he complimented her, tipping his homemade hat again. "Rare in a human."

Gabrielle bit her lip. It had been on the tip of her tongue to tell him that he was in no position to be calling her a 'wee' anything, but seeing as how he was marveling at her polite demeanor, she thought better of saying anything. Xena, after all, had said that this thing was magical, and she didn't want to do anything further antagonize it. Still, she had to wonder about the Irish and their delusions of grandeur. Even the people- and creatures- that were much shorter than she seemed to be under the impression that she was smaller than they were (and yes, that included her granddaughter).

"So, ye want to know what I am, do ye?" the creature asked, and in three quick hops, he was across the stream and standing directly before the woman and her spiritual soul mate. Gabrielle jumped back a little and even Xena seemed unsure of what to do. She just kept a tight grip on Gabby's arms, which was beginning to hurt.

"Uh, yes, sir, I certainly would like to know," Gabrielle replied cheerfully.

"So, why don' ye ask yer wood sprite, then?" he challenged her, giving her a toothy grin.

"Um…"

"I encourage me human to learn things fer herself," Xena told the tiny man, doing her best to speak in the brogue fitting the country. "Makes the lessons more…. Satisfyin' fer her… uh… Ach!"

"Bless ye," the creature admonished, much to Xena's chagrin and Gabrielle's amusement. "And verra commendable, me dear. I must say, yer smarter than the average wood sprite."

"I have many skills," Xena said with a smile.

"Oh, I bet ye do, me beauty," the tiny man practically purred. "Ye know, I could verra easily climb up those long legs of yourn and-"

"No!" Gabrielle protested, jealousy and more than a little revulsion taking over her senses at the very idea of that strange little guy touching her soul mate in any way, before remembering her manners and that they seemed to be so important to him. "Uh, I mean, sir, please. The wood sprite is with me!"

"Ye should keep better rein on yer human, me dear," he retorted and he swatted Gabrielle on the shin.

"Ow!" Gabby looked down to see a cut on her leg, the blood already starting to drip. "Why, you little-"

"I'll remember that," Xena talked over her angry partner, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze that told the blond she'd handle it. "She's… verra spirited, ye see."

"I'll say, be gorrah, she's a dandy. Now then, I suppose I could tell ye what I be, but first, ye need to answer me riddle."

"What riddle would that be?" Gabrielle asked, trying to ignore the stinging sensation on her leg.

"If ye can answer correctly, I'll take ye to me pot o' gold," he further enticed her.

"Pot of gold?" Gabrielle repeated in confusion. "What are ye- er, what are you talking about, sir?"

Xena's eyes widened in recognition. She recalled a long ago conversation she'd had with a traveler in a tavern during her years spent ravaging the Greek countryside. The stranger had come from Ireland and he made claim that there was a race of little creatures, appearing as tiny humans, who liked to trick weary souls traveling through the woods, enticing them with promise of gold and jewels and riches galore, if they could only solve a simple riddle. The riddles always turned out to be impossible to solve, and the unsuspecting travelers usually ended up being tossed over cliffs or drowned. Few lived to tell the tale of facing one of them, but of those that had, they had always been cursed or magically changed or altered in some terrible way. But what was it the man called them? she tried to remember…

"Gold, lass," the creature said, touching Gabrielle's injured leg. The small wound healed instantly and the bard looked down at her shin, then at the little fellow in complete shock. "Ever'body loves gold. Isn'a right, lass?" His voice became mesmerizing, hypnotic and the bard was enchanted by it.

Xena noticed this immediately and it scared her. She could see the strange light shining in her partner's eyes. It wasn't the normal glow she could see in them usually, but something different entirely. Something foreign.

"Um…" Gabby stammered.

"Ye love gold, don' ye, lassie?" the small being whispered, his own green eyes swirling with magic and light as he bored into Gabrielle's.

"I… love gold…" she agreed mindlessly.

"Leprechaun!" Xena blurted suddenly, recalling finally what the traveler had called them years before.

The leprechaun in question began hopping from one foot to the other, looking incredibly angry and howling like a banshee, muttering curses and swearing up a storm, causing Gabrielle to snap out of her enchanted state and gawk at him. Xena smiled in satisfaction at having foiled its plans of possibly harming her innocent partner.

"Damn wood sprites, always out to spoil a good time, aren't ye?" the leprechaun hissed at her.

Xena shrugged. "Who me?"

"Aye, ye beautiful she-demon!"

"Leprechaun," she spat back at him.

"So, ye still wantin' to hear me riddle, blondie?" the little person asked Gabrielle. "There's somethin' in it fer ye, if yer interested."

"Well, I…" Gabrielle stammered, trying to avoid his direct gaze. Instead, she glanced back at Xena, who gave her a look that told her in no uncertain terms that playing the leprechaun's game would be a very bad idea. She was still staring at Xena when her soul mate's eyes grew wide in surprise and she suddenly disappeared.

"What was tha' about?" the leprechaun muttered. "Tha' was verra rude!"

"Oh, um… sorry," Gabrielle said, not sure what was going on or what else to say. "I think something suddenly came up for her."

The leprechaun seemed unfazed by Xena's quick and unexpected disappearance. In fact, he was pleased, because it meant he'd have Gabrielle all to himself, without distraction. "So, do ye want a chance at me pot o' gold, or nay, lassie?" he demanded to know.

Before Gabrielle could answer, she witnessed a flurry of movement and a large tree branch came down from behind the creature, squashing the leprechaun into a puddle of green goo.

"Leprechauns," Rose spat, holding the branch in her hand and staring at the mess in disgust. "Nasty little buggers!"

"R-Rose?" the bard stuttered in shock.

"Ye all right, lass?"

"Uh… yeah…" Gabby said, though she wasn't entirely sure how true that was by that point.

"Need to steer clear of those things," Rose instructed her friend. "Those leprechauns, they make people believe they're gonna be rich, but usually they just end up bein' killed by the wee devils! Well, unless ye can kill it first." She smiled at Gabrielle, looking as though she were quite proud of herself.

"Right, um, good job, Rose."

"Thank ye, lass. Oh, I cleaned up at camp. And I've already filled the water skins, too. Are we ready to go now?"

"Yes!" Gabby exclaimed, happy to leaving the area. She reached out a hand to her granddaughter and pulled her across the small stream that separated them. She gripped Rose's arms tightly, as much to reassure herself that she wasn't going crazy as she did to make sure that the young woman was all right.

"Sure'n yer all right, Gabrielle?" Rose asked again, shyly putting her hand on the bard's shoulder in concern.

"I'm okay, honey, really. I just want to put as much distance between us and this leprechaun laden forest as possible."

"Aye, they're a troublesome group, aren't they? Of course, they're pretty tame compared to the fairies…"

"Fairies?" Gabrielle gulped, glancing around in fear, although she had no idea what to look for. "What are fairies, exactly? What do they do? Do they put spells on people? Kill them? Bite them?"

"Relax, lass," Rose assured her, a twinkle in her eye. "They're not common to these parts. Probably won't see any anyway, so long as we stay out of the woods at night."

"Great!" Gabrielle grumbled, snatching the water skins and taking a big swig out of one of them, before dipping it into the stream again. "Jeez, Ireland is full of weird things!"

"Hey!"

"I didn't mean you, Rose. Um, why don't you run ahead, get Argo III harnessed. I have to put my boots back on. I'll catch up in a moment." She sat down on the stream bank to reclaim her footwear.

"Yer sure yer all right?" Rose asked again and was answered with only a nervous nod. "Aye, I'll go get Argo ready, then." And the young woman was off in a flash.

Gabrielle moved closer and stared at the dead leprechaun, which greatly resembled a squashed bug. "Eww."

"Be gorrah!" Xena blurted in her ear and scaring the bejesus out of her partner.

"Xena!"

"Sorry," Xena chuckled, resting a hand on her partner's shoulder. "I couldn't resist." She, too, looked down at the flattened creature. "Hmm, not so pretty up close, are they?" she joked.

"That's disgusting," Gabby scolded her.

"So was what he could have done to you," Xena reminded her. "Rose is right. From what I've heard, these leprechauns are nasty little buggers."

"Rose squashed him."

"I see that," Xena agreed proudly. "Nice to see our girl has some spunk after all. Hey, you'd better catch up to her. I'll be with you, but we won't see each other again till tonight after she's asleep."

"Right," Gabrielle sighed, giving Xena's hand a squeeze. She turned, felt her partner's form begin to shimmer out of sight. "Xena?" she asked quickly, turning back around.

Xena's visage returned. "Yeah?"

"What do you know about fairies?"

The Warrior Princess pondered, wearing a devilish grin. "Fairies, huh…"

"Xena…"

"We'll talk about them tonight, Gabrielle. Now you'd better get a move on."

"But-"

Xena disappeared from sight.

Shaking her head, Gabrielle hurried back to the camp site where she was sure her granddaughter would be worried about her and anxiously awaiting her return.

OOO

Weeks of traveling turned into a moon, then two, then four. The days began to blur into each other. During this time, Gabrielle told Rose, in depth, of her travels with Xena. She tried to recall every detail of every mission they went on, every adventure they shared. To her surprise, Rose knew quite a bit of their history. When asked how, Rose would merely shrug and avert her eyes, telling her that she'd listened to the nursemaid reading her scrolls out loud.

It was also during these moons on the road that Gabrielle kept hinting to Rose about her true heritage. If Gabrielle had been expecting the Irish farm girl to squeal ecstatically and leap into her open arms, sobbing, "I love ye, Grandma!" she was to be sorely disappointed.

Firstly, Rose always brushed these conversations off as mere nonsense. When the bard would try to corner her and fully reveal the truth, Rose would dismiss her as having a 'daft' moment. They would have this same type of conversation almost every night until Rose would simply shut down and ignore her friend, while Gabrielle would be red-faced and frustrated and nearly ready to tear her own hair out.

Xena would always whisper to her to let it go for the time being, and reluctantly, when it would get to that point, Gabrielle would, allowing her granddaughter to fall asleep as she stoked the campfire for the night. And while Rose would slumber peacefully, Gabrielle would pace back and forth, usually quietly arguing with Xena about showing herself to their grandchild. Gabby felt that if Xena appeared to Rose, she would finally believe everything. But Xena thought that showing herself before Rose believed and understood what she'd been told might be too traumatic for her, and she cautioned her soul mate that the young Irish woman had already been through enough trauma in her life.

Every night they would have this argument, while Rose would dream by the fire, and every night, Xena would win the argument and nothing would change. And the frustration and heartbreak Gabrielle felt over the rift only set the tone for everyone's mood.

One night Gabrielle had just gotten to sleep, lulled by the sounds of Rose's deep slumbering breaths and by the feel of Xena's cool fingers running through her blond tresses, when she heard her granddaughter whimpering and she sat up with a jolt. At first she had thought it had been Argo III whinnying, or perhaps another dastardly leprechaun- or worse, one of those nasty fairies Rose had often told scary stories about- lurking by the campfire, but no, it had definitely come from the sleeping Rose. She and Xena exchanged a concerned glance before crawling over and surrounding the young woman.

"She's having a nightmare," Xena spoke to her telepathically. "I'm going to see what it's about."

Can you do that? Gabrielle asked in her mind.

"Of course. I've been soothing you out of your nightmares for years."

Really?

Xena put a spectral hand on her granddaughter's forehead.

Can you show me, too? Gabrielle asked her.

"I can try," Xena replied, closing her eyes, and she reached for her partner's hand with her free one. "Quiet now. Concentrate…"

Gabrielle nodded, then closed her eyes, as she'd seen Xena do. All was dark, then very gradually, a moving picture, much like recalling a memory or having a vision, began to form in her own mind, becoming more clear and vivid within seconds. The images moved quickly, much faster than people or time normally moved, but such was the way with dreams.

Both Xena and Gabrielle witnessed Rose's nightmare, watched her undoubtedly relive the horrors of her own past. They saw Paxton hurting her, over and over again; hitting her, beating her, raping her… they saw her struggling to fit in with the townspeople of Tara, who always treated her with mistrust and annoyance. They saw her as a small child, scrawny, dirty and always sad and frightened, living in an overcrowded orphanage, clinging only to hope and to that carved wooden box of Roman design. They watched as Rose found a secluded spot in the yard and lifted up a false bottom in the box, to hide something that they could not clearly see. Then they watched as she was rushed back into the orphanage to do some more chores, being yelled at by the head mistress for wandering off for the countless time.

Gabrielle awoke from the reverie with a gasp, the connection having been broken by Xena. It took the bard's green eyes a few seconds to focus properly and return to the here and now. Xena was nowhere to be seen, although she could sense her presence nearby and Rose was sitting up in her bedroll and staring at her with wide, dark eyes.

"Oh! Rose, you- you startled me. Are you okay?"

"Aye. Are ye okay, lass?"

"Of course. Why do you ask?"

"I've never seen anyone asleep sittin' up before," the youngster admitted.

"Um… I was kind of… meditating," Gabrielle fibbed.

"What's that?" Rose asked, blinking sleepily at her in the dark.

"Meditation? Well, it's sort of a state of quiet reflection," the bard explained, sounding almost like an instruction manual scroll. "It's designed to help you achieve inner peace."

"Oh, well, ye don't look verra peaceful right now, lass," Rose blatantly pointed out.

"Um, I guess I got startled by your nightmare," Gabby thought quickly.

"How would ye know iffen I was havin' a nightmare?" Rose challenged her and Gabrielle groaned at the Irish woman's relentless questions, even half asleep.

"You were whimpering," Gabby stated truthfully.

"Oh. But I've got a sour stomach," Rose told her. "Those wild berries we had at dinner didn'a agree with me." She stood up and stretched. "I'll be right back." She started over towards a bunch of bushes.

"Did you need help with anything?" Gabby blurted and felt immediately silly for doing so.

Rose chuckled. "Eh, no. I think this is something I can handle all me self." She smirked at the woman.

"Oh, right," Gabrielle laughed in embarrassment. "Sorry."

Xena reappeared after Rose ventured into the bushes. "Meditation, huh?" she teased her partner. "Nice save, Gabrielle."

"Oh, leave me alone! I had to think of something! What would you have said?"

"Dunno," Xena replied with a shrug. "Something more believable, less lame."

"Lame?" Gabby huffed. "Meditation, or using it as an excuse is not lame!"

"Sure it is."

"You never understood the practice," Gabrielle retorted, folding her arms across her chest.

"Yeah, I did."

"No, you didn't."

"Yes, I did!"

"Didn't."

"Did!"

Gabrielle shook her head in annoyance, changed the subject. She knew she would never win this argument, so there was no point in even trying. "So, do you think this is just an avoidance tactic on Rose's part?"

"What? Pooping in the bushes? No, I think that's more on account of the wonky berries you served at dinner."

"'Wonky'? You never told me they were 'wonky'!"

"Well, I warned you against eating them."

"No, you didn't."

"Yes, I did."

"No, you didn't."

"Did."

"Argh!" Gabrielle muttered. "Well, I don't think it was the berries. I mean, nothing happened to me."

"Gabrielle, you've been gassy all night!"

"No, I haven't!"

Xena gave her a look.

"Okay, fine, but you could have told me they were bad!"

"How am I supposed to know that? I'm not an oracle!"

"Well, you're dead," Gabrielle reminded her. "Shouldn't that make you more in tune with nature, or something?"

"Hey, I might be able to spook animals or hear the wind in the trees. Wonky berries in a foreign country, however…"

"You're impossible sometimes, you know that?" Gabby grumbled, shaking her head.

"Am not."

"Are so."

"Not!"

"Ah, jeez! What are we fighting about again?"

"Haven't a clue," Xena mumbled, motioning her over to where their packs lay. "Come here…"

"What are you doing, Xena?"

"Let's find Rose's box. I want to see what's underneath that false bottom."

"Are you sure we should? I mean, I don't want to invade on her privacy or anything."

"Good point," Xena agreed. "Open the box and I'll just look."

"But-"

"Come on."

With a sigh, Gabrielle retrieved the box from Rose's pack and set it before the spirit of her soul mate. "Well?" she asked.

"Hey, I'm a ghost, remember? You'll have to open it."

"Xena, no…"

"Gabrielle…"

Going against her better judgment, the bard reached into the box and found a small hitch that clicked and opened to reveal the false bottom. Inside was a rolled up scroll. She removed it from the box and offered it to Xena.

"Open it!" the Warrior Princess urged.

"No, way, you do the rest yourself," Gabrielle huffed, unwilling to go any further into betraying their granddaughter's trust. "You told me that you moved a flower pot to knock over Paxton's head. If you can do that, you can open up a scroll."

The spirit growled at her, then concentrated hard and reached out. She managed to unroll the parchment and she stared at it for a long time, her crystal blue eyes beginning to mist over.

"Xena, what is it?" Gabrielle asked in spite of herself, surprised at how it had affected her partner.

"I thought you didn't want to infringe on her privacy," Xena replied absently, continuing to stare at the scroll.

"Come on, Xena, let me see!"

Using more energy than usual, Xena held the parchment up in the firelight for Gabrielle to see. On it was a child's drawing, nothing fancy, but the subject matter was surprising. On it was a simplistic version of both Xena and Gabrielle and a much smaller figure, with dark, unruly hair. It didn't take a genius to see that the small figure was Rose as a youngster.

"Aw…" Gabrielle sighed, feeling all squishy inside. "Xena, that's us!"

"I know," the spirit replied quietly. "Gabrielle, our kid has been waiting for us to find her for a long time, I think…"

Gabrielle looked into her soul mate's eyes, could see the tears pooling up there. This, in turn, made her weepy eyed as well. She scooted closer and took the picture from Xena's hands.

"By the gods, that's amazing. How could she have known?"

"I have no idea," Xena admitted.

"Do you think she's an oracle?"

"I'm not sure, but I don't believe so."

"But then, how…"

"I don't know…"

"What should we do?"

"I…" Xena's eyes suddenly widened and she whispered, "Sorry, Gabrielle."

"Sorry? For what-" but the Warrior Princess disappeared from the space beside her.

"Oh, gods, those berries were more cursed than a leprechaun's gold!" Rose announced, returning to the campsite.

"Son of a Bachae!" Gabrielle muttered to herself, trying to get everything put back in the box. She was none too happy with her partner.

"Gabrielle?" Rose asked, staring down at her grandmother in disbelief. "What are ye doin'?"

"Uh…"

"Ye went through me private things?!"

"Well…"

"I canno' believe ye did that!"

"I didn't," Gabby insisted, even as she held the drawing in her hands.

"Oh, ye didn'a, eh?" Rose muttered, narrowing her eyes and yanking the picture out of Gabrielle's grasp. She also took the box and replaced all of the objects in it before shutting it with finality. "So, who got into this then, hmm? Who was it, then? Who? Xena?"

"As a matter of fact, yes, it was Xena," Gabrielle told her, taken aback by her companion's sarcastic tone.

Rose rolled her eyes. "Daft!" she shouted.

"Quit calling me that!" Gabby demanded.

"I will when ye stop actin' that way," was Rose's retort.

"Excuse me?"

"Never mind!" Rose snapped. She didn't want to fight with Gabrielle, in spite of the fact that she felt betrayed by her. "I jus' want to go back to sleep now."

"Fine."

"Fine!"

"Good."

"Good!"

"Fine…"

The two women settled angrily into their respective bedrolls. Gabrielle wasn't too surprised when Rose purposely moved her bedroll a good five feet away from hers. She wasn't surprised, but she was hurt by the action. She liked the closeness and the warmth it offered. She also felt protective of her granddaughter and preferred to keep her within reach, in case anything should happen.

Rose went to sleep rather quickly, grumbling under her breath about nosy, daft bards until her voice became nothing more than a soft snore. Gabrielle sighed and started to do some grumbling of her own, when Xena appeared next to her, lying on her side. She had the most apologetic look on her face.

"Gabrielle, I am so, so sorry," she began.

The struggle between anger and understanding showed itself plainly on the small blond's face and although Xena had witnessed the same struggle many a time with her soul mate, she had to admit to herself she had no idea which emotion was going to come out on top this time.

"Xena, how could you-"

"It was an accident!"

"She positively hates me now!"

"Now, don't say that-"

"Please just show yourself to her."

"I can't; not yet."

"By the gods, Xena…"

"I really am sorry, Gabrielle," Xena said again, displaying her most pathetic look ever.

With a resigned sigh, Gabrielle accepted her soul mate's apology. "I know you are. I know the predicament you left me in was accidental. But I really do fear that my relationship with Rose is damaged, quite possibly, beyond repair. You know all the trust issues she has." She rested a weary head on Xena's shoulder.

"No, that's not true. We can fix this."

"Oh, we can? How?"

"Apologize to her."

"I already did that, remember?"

"Maybe if you owned up to what you did, instead of blaming me," Xena suggested innocently.

Gabrielle sat up, looking clearly appalled. "But you did it!" she exclaimed, causing Rose to stir.

Xena yanked her back down onto the bedroll and shushed her. "Look, I know that, and you know that, but Rose doesn't know that, and she wouldn't believe it anyway!"

"So, you want me to lie to her?"

"It's not really a lie."

"Yes, it is!"

"Well, you did help me…"

"No, I didn't!"

"You got it out for me and handed it to me."

"So?"

"You looked at it, too!" Xena shot back accusingly.

"Only after you made a big deal about the picture," Gabrielle groaned in frustration.

"Well, see there, you co-conspirated!"

"What? Is that even a word?"

"Does it matter?"

"Ugh!" Gabrielle muttered. "Sure, Xena, whatever you say."

"I knew you'd see it my way," Xena replied with a sweet smile and narrowly missed her partner's punch on the arm. "Hey, that would have hurt!" she protested.

"No, it wouldn't have. You're dead, remember? You don't feel pain."

"It would have hurt my feelings," Xena groused.

"Xena-"

"Come on, Gabrielle, don't be mad. This is the only way to handle the situation at this time."

"Fine, I'll apologize to Rose in the morning," the bard grumbled defensively.

"Good… Gabrielle?"

"What?"

"Do you forgive me?"

"No."

Hiding a chuckle, Xena asked, "Do you still love me?"

Gabrielle folded her arms across her chest. "Maybe," she pouted.

"Can I have a kiss?"

"No!"

"Aw, come on…"

"Leave me alone, Xena."

"Gabrielle…"

"No!"

"Please?"

"No!"

"Don't make me make you."

The blond snorted. "Oh, yeah? And just how are you planning on doing that?" She bit her lip, instantly regretting having said that. The Warrior Princess had never been one to back down from a challenge. Death had not robbed her of that virtue.

Before she knew what was happening, Xena had Gabby in a headlock and had gotten a hold of her arm, and was making the bard gently but repeatedly smack herself in the face with her own hand.

"Stop hitting yourself! Stop hitting yourself!" Xena taunted her naughtily.

Gabrielle fought against it, but even as a spirit, Xena was still the strongest in the land.

"Fine!" Gabby muttered, after smacking herself in the nose for the countless time. "Xena, if I kiss you, will you let me go to sleep?"

"Maybe."

Rolling her eyes, although deep down she was enjoying this silly exchange, as it reminded her of the good old days and their playfulness, Gabrielle went to kiss Xena's cheek, only to blow raspberries on her instead.

"Why, I oughta…" Xena declared and she tussled with her partner, rolling her over and landing on top of her, trapping her. They stared at each other for a good long while before Xena dipped her head down and captured Gabrielle's lips with her own. Within seconds, the bard's anger melted away and she found herself wrapping her arms around her partner's shoulders, kissing Xena back with great enthusiasm.

"What in the world…?" a voice said, effectively breaking the mood.

Gabrielle opened her eyes to find Xena had disappeared, making it look like she was puckered up to nothing but air, although the feel of her partner's lips still lingered. In the firelight, she saw Rose sitting up in her bedroll, gawking at her.

"Are ye kissin' the air?"

"Uh…" Gabby stammered. "I was, um, dreaming."

"Must have been some dream!"

"Aye- I mean, yeah. It was just that Xena and I were-"

"No need to explain, lass," Rose interrupted her, chuckling and, holding up a hand. "Some things are better left unsaid." The young woman couldn't hide a smirk, feeling as though she had just confirmed something she'd only speculated about before.

"Just as some things should remain private," Gabrielle sighed sadly, oblivious to her granddaughter's pondering. "Rose, I am sorry that I invaded your privacy by looking into that box. I never should have done that without your permission. Can you forgive me?"

Rose sat there on her bedroll for a moment, looking quite stunned. She seemed to be considering. "No one has ever done that before."

"Looked in the box?"

"Apologized to me," Rose explained quietly.

"Oh. Well, we should- I mean, I should. I did wrong by you and I'm sorry."

Tears glistened in the Irish woman's dark brown eyes, and reflected off the glow of the campfire. Gabrielle dared to edge closer to her. She rested a tentative hand on her grandchild's arm.

"Rose?"

"How did ye know to find the false bottom in the box?" she asked in a tiny, faraway voice.

"Uh… I don't…"

"Because I had been dreamin' 'bout it just before I awoke. I do remember that."

"Really?"

"Ye knew I was havin' a nightmare, too…" Rose contemplated, staring at her grandmother with a thoughtful expression.

"It was just a rational assumption," Gabrielle assured her.

"Nay, I don' believe that, lass," Rose argued, finally looking the woman in the eye. "It was intuitive, not rational. Are ye… magical in some way?"

"Me?" Gabrielle said and she chuckled at the absurdity of the very thought of it. "No, Rose. There's nothing magical about me."

"But ye always seem to know things, and ye act all weird-like."

"'Weird-like'?"

"And ye can talk to leprechauns and live to tell the tale. And ye know so much about me. Are ye sure yer not somethin' other worldly?"

"Pretty sure."

"But not verra sure?"

"No, I'm very sure."

"So, what did ye think, then?"

"About what?"

"The picture I made, lass. I drew it when I was a wee girl, still livin' in the orphanage."

"It's amazing!"

"I didn'a think so," Rose replied shyly.

"I mean your subject matter is amazing."

"So, ye think the actual picture itself is lackin' in technique?"

"I didn't say that-"

"But yer not sayin' it was good," the younger woman pouted.

"I didn't say it was bad either," Gabrielle pointed out. "And considering you drew it when you were a child, I'd say it was very good!"

"'Considerin' I drew it when I was a child'?" Rose repeated. "So, yer sayin' it could only be considered good if a kid drew it?"

"Um…"

Rose threw up her hands in the air. "Ever'one's a critic!"

Gabrielle laughed. "That's not what I meant. But I still don't understand how you could draw us so accurately all the way back then before we ever met, just from the scrolls' descriptions. Are you sure you're not magical?"

"Me? Nay. I just… well, that is to say, I'd already seen ye both before… in me dreams…"

"Your dreams? You've dreamed about Xena? About me?"

"Aye."

"Even back when you were a child?"

"Even back then."

"But how…?"

Rose shrugged. "I dunno."

"Did you dream about the stories you heard from my scrolls?"

"Nay," Rose replied, shaking her head. "Well, I mean, sometimes. But mostly, no. It was like a whole other world… a whole other life fer me."

"What do you mean?"

"I- well, it's hard to explain. And kind of stupid, I guess."

"I doubt it's stupid."

"Just a child's impossible ideals," the Irish woman sighed wistfully. She looked away from Gabrielle, just wanting this line of conversation to end.

Gabrielle understood this and tried a different approach. "When we first met in the market place in Tara, did you recognize me? Because, it kind of seemed that way."

"Sort of. I mean, not right at first because ye knocked into me and I thought ye were some jerk tryin' to mess with me or embarrass me, but when I got me first good glimpse I… well, ye did seem verra familiar to me."

Gabrielle smiled, grabbed her granddaughter's hand and squeezed it. "I knew you instinctively, too, Rose. We're family, you know."

"Then why do ye always call me 'Rose', instead of me real name?"

"I've got news for you, honey; 'Rose' is your real name. It's what your mother named you."

"Me mother?" Rose asked, looking visibly affected by this information. "Ye knew me mother?"

"Of course, I did. I've been trying to tell you this for the last few moons! Your mother's name was Eve. She was Xena's- she was our daughter. We're your… your grandmothers, Rose. That's why we came looking for you."

"But ye canno' be," Rose murmured, shocked by the admission that Gabrielle finally felt ready to tell her. "Yer not even old enough to be me mum! An older sister, maybe, but barely even that!"

Gabrielle smiled. She'd been expecting such an argument. "Don't you remember the scrolls I've been reading to you, Rose? How I told you about the time Xena and I slept for twenty-five years in the ice cave?"

"So?"

"So, we didn't age at all during that time. Ares basically froze us in time as we were."

"Ares? The Greek god of war, Ares?"

"One and the same." Gabby sighed wearily. "You know all of this already. I've been trying to tell you about our past since we've been out on the road!"

"Sorry," Rose said sheepishly. "It's just all the stories seemed too fantastic to really believe."

Gabrielle chuckled. "Yeah, for you and me both, and I actually lived through those adventures."

"You really were tellin' the truth?" The younger woman looked incredulous to say the least.

"You thought I was lying?"

"No, I thought ye were daft."

The bard rolled her eyes. "And now that you know the truth and that I'm not lying, do you finally believe me?"

"I… suppose I do."

"Still think I'm daft?"

"Aye, and it's catchin'."

"Very funny," Gabby groaned, giving her granddaughter a playful shove.

"Could ye tell me about me mother?" Rose asked her quietly, looking up at her with hopeful, puppy dog eyes.

"Well, why don't we talk about that in the morning?" Gabrielle suggested. She did not want to get into such a topic in the middle of the night.

"But what was she like?"

"Um…"

"Did she look like me?"

"Well…"

"Why didn'a she want me?"

That last question really made the bard want to cry, made her want to scoop her granddaughter up in a tight hug and never let her go. "I don't think there's a simple answer to that, Rose. And I do believe that she did want you, but she wanted to do what was best for you."

"By dumpin' me in an orphanage?" Rose exclaimed accusingly.

"It's a long story, honey, one that is too long for this late hour, but no, your mother did not dump you in an orphanage."

"Did she just abandon me somewhere?"

"No… listen, Rose, like I said, it's really late and it's a long story-"

"It may be just a story to ye, lass, but it's me life," Rose replied, her large brown eyes focused intently on Gabrielle. She reached out, grasped the bard's hand. "Please, Gabrielle. I need to know."

"All right," Gabby finally relented, patting the bedroll next to her, "come here. Let's get comfy."

The two women lay side by side on the bedroll. Gabrielle cleared her throat to begin, then paused and looked at Rose. "So, um, do you forgive me for rummaging through your stuff?"

"Aye, lass," Rose assured her with a smile.

"Shouldn't you be calling me 'grandma'?"

"That would be weird."

"Can you give me a kiss?"

"That would be weird," Rose repeated with a smirk.

Gabrielle saw the smirk on her companion's face. "Grandmothers just love kisses…"

Rose rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help the grin forming on her lips. "All right, lass." She leaned over and planted a quick kiss on Gabrielle's cheek. It was the first kiss she had ever given her and it made the bard feel like a million dinars. Then, she surprised the woman by snuggling in close to her, resting her head on the bard's shoulder. "So, tell me about me mother."

"What would you like to know?"

"Ever'thing!"

Gabrielle chuckled. "Well, that's certainly understandable. All right, let's start at the very beginning… a very good place to start… I sing of Eve, daughter of Xena and Gabrielle, mother to Rose of Ireland…"

Xena, still invisible, but very much there, sat back and listened with rapt attention to her soul mate as she told their grandchild about her mother. She knew Gabrielle could feel her presence. She also suspected that Rose could sense her being there, as well. Still, she didn't feel it was yet time to show herself to the young woman. But it would be time soon, especially now that Gabrielle had admitted the truth about Rose's heritage and was now telling her about her mother, their beloved daughter.

Trying to be as open and honest as possible, Gabrielle told Rose of Xena's mysterious pregnancy and miraculous birth, doing so amongst a battle of gods. She told her how the Olympian gods were all out to kill Eve, believing her birth brought about the twilight that would end their reign on earth. She told Rose about the trickery on Xena's part to make the gods believe they had all died, and how Ares had believed the lie and out of love and respect for the Warrior Princess, he had stashed the two heroes away for twenty-five years, asleep in an ice cave, while Rome raised Eve into Livia, who followed in her mother's footsteps and did many evil things. She told her what she knew of how Livia, as a young girl of thirteen, after having had a whirlwind romance with a young Roman soldier, had gone to Ireland, seeking anonymity and a safe haven to give birth to the child she and her soldier had conceived. Fearing the rejection of her adopted family and possible ridicule from her people, also knowing that any child of hers would be targeted as a useful tool to pit against her, Livia left her precious baby girl, whom she'd named 'Rose'- because she thought her to be so pink and delicate and beautiful like a flower- to live with the midwife and her husband, who were childless themselves and who had promised to raise the child as their own in a safe environment, far away from the constant warring nation of Rome. As a remembrance, she had left the carved Roman box with the baby, to recall half her heritage, and as a token of her mother's love.

Rose asked why she wasn't still with the couple who had agreed to take care of her, and Gabrielle related what Eve had told Xena, that they had been killed in a road accident outside of Tara, and since no one had known them, and there had been no way to know the identity of the baby, they were buried in a paupers' grave and the baby had been sent to live in an orphanage.

"So, me adoptive parents are dead, too?" Rose asked glumly, and she saw Gabrielle nod an affirmative. "Just like me real mum and dad…"

"Well, no one knows what happened to your biological father, really. Eve assumed he'd been killed in battle." Gabby rubbed her granddaughter's back sympathetically.

Rose yawned, snuggled in deeply to Gabrielle's embrace. The sun would be coming up in a few candle marks, but neither of them had yet been to sleep. "I seem to be bad luck to ever'one I come into contact with. Are ye sure ye want me travelin' with ye, lass?"

"Absolutely," Gabrielle assured her. "There's nothing bad about you, Rose. You've been the victim of some horrible circumstances, that's all. But you're my family. I don't have a lot of close relations left, seeing as I've outlived most of them. I feel very blessed to have found you."

"Ye feel blessed?" The younger woman sounded very surprised by the revelation. "To have found me?"

"Of course, I do! How many grandchildren do you think I have?"

"I dunno."

"Well, allow me to clarify for you. I have you, that's all."

"Oh. Sorry. I mean, I'm sure I'm a disappointment to ye."

"Why would you even say that, Rose?"

The brunette shrugged. "I… I didn'a do anythin' great with me life, like ye and Xena did. I'm just a failure, really. And nobody even likes me." She turned away in shame.

"That's not true."

"Which part?"

"Any part of it. Rose, don't you realize that you have managed to survive quite a few terrifying situations over the years? And you still have retained your humanity and a sense of kindness and decency that many people living in more favorable circumstances don't possess. You have shown nothing but courage and endurance in the face of adversity. That doesn't sound like a failure to me. And as for no one liking you, I know that's a lie."

"How do ye know?"

"Because Xena and I both love and like you. I mean, what's not to like?"

The moon glow shone down enough on them for Gabrielle to see the blush that colored Rose's cheeks. It made her smile.

"So, me mother… she died, and then her spirit came to ye and told ye about me?"

Gabrielle could see Rose was still struggling to believe certain aspects of her claim. Not that she could blame her. To the average person, it did sound a little insane. "No," she corrected her, "Eve came to Xena, who in turn, told me."

"Aye, and like Xena, Eve went a wee bit bonkers for a while there?"

"Bonkers?"

"Crazy bad."

"Oh. Well, yeah, that's one way of putting it, I suppose."

"Is that why ye were sent to find me, lass?" Rose theorized. "Are ye here to stop me before I turn into a baddie, like me mother and grandmother before me?"

"I…" and Gabrielle paused. Surely, that wasn't the true reason why. "No, of course not," she told her, although now she was beginning to wonder herself. Rose was such a sweet, docile person, but the fact remained, she was Xena's granddaughter and Eve's daughter. Both women had once done terrible, evil things. Could Rose's possible legacy be to follow in their footsteps? Was Gabrielle's real reason to find her was to save the young woman from such a life, or at least stop her from becoming some sort of blood thirsty tyrant?

"No, Gabrielle," Xena's voice, barely a whisper in her mind, assured her. "Just look at her, you'll see the truth." So Gabby did as she was told. She looked into Rose's dark brown eyes, eyes as innocent as a fawn's. For the briefest of moments, through Xena's doing, she could see into her granddaughter's very soul. She saw nothing but purity and love there. It had a great calming effect on the bard and she grinned from ear to ear. She could feel a true bond between her granddaughter and her. She understood their connection, that it transcended even a blood relation. It was similar to the connection she shared with Xena.

"Xena thinks you tend to take more after me," she explained, brushing the hair back out of Rose's eyes. "You've got a very pure spirit."

"I take after ye?" Rose repeated in confusion. "But…" and she hesitated, because she did not want to hurt her companion's feelings; it was true, she loved her. "… Are we even related though… in that sense, lass?"

"Maybe not by blood, but by something even greater; stronger. I am your grandmother's soul mate. I was a second mother to Eve. I am a second grandmother to you. And spiritually, you and I are very connected, too. By extension, we walk the same spiritual path and our souls are in sync with one another. So we are actually related in the strongest way possible."

"So… essentially what yer sayin' is that blood may be thicker 'n water, but spiritual connections top 'em all?"

"Exactly," Gabrielle said, smiling appreciatively. It was true; Rose was a thinker, a philosophizer, just like she was.

"Told you so," she could hear Xena whisper into her mind. "She's a real chip off the old block- yours! And she is as much your child as she is mine."

The realization brought tears to the bard's eyes. Rose was to her what Hope or even Eve could never be; a true descendant.

"Did Xena tell ye that?" Rose asked innocently, but she looked doubtful.

"As a matter of fact, she did."

The younger woman smiled at her. "Splendid. Well, I suppose we should try and get some sleep. The sun will be up soon enough."

"Right." They both laid back and settled in, this time close and side by side. "Good night, Rose."

"Good night, wee lass…" Rose yawned. "Say good night to Xena for me."

"Just say it yourself. She can hear you."

"Ah, yes, well… good night, Xena," Rose replied with a smirk. What she did not know was that Xena, invisible to the human eye, was leaning directly over her and looking at the devilish grin on her granddaughter's face.

"Good night, punk," she whispered, just loud enough for Rose to barely hear it, and she playfully tweaked the young woman's nose.

"Ahhh!"

"What's wrong, Rose?" Gabrielle, already half asleep, mumbled.

"Eh… nothin'. Rolled onto a rock. Uh, good night, lass."

"'Night, Rose."

Xena slid into the narrow space between them and instinctively wrapped her arms around Gabrielle's waist, pulling her close. She closed her eyes and listened as her loved ones quickly fell asleep. Though she did not sleep, though she did not need to close her eyes, she did so anyway, enjoying the feel of her family so close to her and sleeping safely.

OOO

Weeks later, the travelers were nearing the border of Greece. Gabrielle and Rose had grown tremendously close, but the bard was still bothered by a couple of things. Rose still didn't want to confide in her too much; especially about those mysterious dreams she'd claimed to have had since early childhood. Gabby thought they should be passed harboring secrets from one another- after all, she was her grandmother- and she felt that Rose should spill the beans about those dreams.

At night, after the Irish woman fell asleep, Xena would try to soothe Gabrielle, and assure her that, yes, Rose did trust her, but no, she still wanted to keep memories that might be painful to herself, as if swallowing her feelings made her seem stronger. She would remind her frustrated soul mate how hard it used to be for she herself to confide and discuss her innermost thoughts and desires with her at first, too. She would further remind the bard that Rose was her grandchild, too, and bound to pick up at least a few of her traits- even the bad ones, like holding in her feelings.

The other thing that bothered Gabrielle was that Rose, while conceding to the fact that Xena truly was her grandmother, still did not believe that the spirit of the Warrior Princess lived on and had been with them through their entire journey together. Deep down, Xena felt Rose knew the truth, but she was merely in denial about the whole thing.

But this niggling fact is what Gabrielle would argue about with her partner more than anything. Xena still did not feel it was the right time to show herself to their granddaughter, because the warrior felt it would freak the girl out. But Gabrielle insisted that Rose would never truly believe that Xena was with them until she had tangible proof, such as seeing, talking to and touching the spirit of her remarkable grandmother.

The arguments started taking its toll on all three of them, and disquiet had invaded their little family circle. After a while, none of them talked much to each other at all. Rose tried to avoid fireside chats with Gabrielle because it always inevitably led to some sort of therapy session where she was strongly encouraged to spill her guts about every single thing that had ever happened to her and every single feeling she had ever felt. It finally got tiresome for her, so she would verbally and emotionally shut down, eating her meals quietly, saying nothing except for things like, "Please pass the bread" and "Thank ye for the meal."

For Gabrielle, who was quite the talker and who thrived on closeness and intimate conversations, this was a form of torture. Conversation and emotional connections gave the bard her sense of well-being. Xena recalled some long ago spat where Gabrielle had proudly stated, "I do the sensitive chats." And it was true. Even more than being a bard or a warrior, Gabrielle's forte' was being a good friend, and a good listener. She was the kind of person that someone would flock to if their soul was in need of healing. Xena could attest to that. But the big exception to the rule seemed to be their granddaughter.

Things were going to change for all of them, though soon enough, and in a rather alarming way…

OOO

After crossing the border into Grecian territory, Rose seemed anxious to shed her Irish farm girl persona. Though her style of dress also resembled a peasant's attire from most places Gabrielle had ever been to, she understood that her granddaughter wanted to dress in local clothing as soon as possible; she wanted to blend in, immerse herself in the culture of her family and forget about the atrocities she had suffered while in Ireland.

They came to a town and Gabrielle took her grandchild shopping. She hadn't shopped with- or for- anyone in such a long time, it gave the bard a little thrill. She was surprised, however, when Rose strode out of a dressing room wearing a simple blue tunic with matching pants and short, black boots. This was a style of dress typical of a boy or a young man, not usually seen on girls or women. It made Gabby smile. Rose was a bit of a rebel, like her dark-haired grandmother… just as she was also someone who followed her own heart… like her blond grandmother. Besides, recalling all of the crazy outfits she herself had worn over the years during her travels on the road, Gabrielle felt she had no right to criticize.

Rose had noticed her grandmother looking at her thoughtfully, had also noticed a few other customers giving her a disapproving look before going on their way. She shrugged. "This is more practical fer travelin'," she stated logically. "I kept trippin' in that long dress I had."

Gabrielle nodded. "I remember doing that as well," she said, smiling. "Back when I first started my journey with Xena, I wore an outfit with a long skirt. It wasn't always easy to get around in on the road."

"Is this… okay, lass?" Rose asked quietly. "I mean, I don't want to cause any trouble, or embarrass ye…"

"You could never embarrass me, Rose," Gabrielle told her sweetly, then watched as her granddaughter blushed, turned away and ran into a table holding beads and material. The stuff went flying everywhere.

"Oh, oops," the young Irish woman mumbled, as the shop keeper came rushing over to salvage what he could. At least he didn't yell at her the way the townspeople of Tara always had. And he accepted the woman's help and told her, "No hard feelings, kid."

Gabrielle grinned from ear to ear. "Our girl," she chuckled softly.

She could suddenly feel cool, invisible fingers caress her arm, and full lips tickling her ear as she heard, "She gets that from you."

"Bite me, Warrior Princess," Gabby snickered, then felt pressure against her shoulder. "Ouch!"

The shop keeper and Rose glanced over at her. "Ye all right there, lass?" Rose asked in concern.

Rubbing her sore shoulder and vowing to get back at her soul mate somehow, Gabby smiled and said, "Just fine, honey. See if there's anything else you might need. And here," she handed the girl her Sais. "Get these sharpened, while I find myself something to wear that's more… practical, too, for this warmer weather."

"Aye, lass," Rose agreed, holding the weapons with a look of awe. Gabrielle had allowed her to look at her Sais before, and Rose had always approached them with reverence and respect.

A short time later, Gabrielle emerged from behind the dressing curtain wearing an outfit that was far more suitable for the warmer weather, and far more revealing at that. It did not fully cover the large dragon tattoo on her back, which had Rose- as well as everyone else in the place- staring in surprise, just as her boot did not fully cover the tattoo on her leg. Though Gabrielle had told Rose about the tattoos and why she had them, this was the first time her granddaughter would ever see them.

The shop keeper, who was sharpening her Sais for her, nearly took off his finger, he was so busy ogling her. Several more customers gave her an appreciative eye and Rose looked mortified.

"Va va va voom," Xena whispered into her partner's ear, nearly growling.

"Thought you'd appreciate the wardrobe change," Gabby whispered, smiling.

Rose came up, embarrassed by all the skin her grandmother was showing off. "Um, are ye cold, lass? I could find ye a jacket or… somethin'…"

Gabrielle laughed. "I'm just fine, sweetheart."

"I'll say," said a gruff looking man, as he exited the store.

"Hey, ye ruffian, that's me grandma-"

"Rose, it's okay," Gabrielle told her. "He didn't mean any harm."

"I'd have let her kick his ass," Xena muttered quietly.

"Did ye say to kick his arse?" Rose asked hopefully, hearing Xena and mistaking it for Gabrielle.

"No! I mean, seriously, it's over and done with. No harm, no foul."

"Ye can really see yer chests," Rose squeaked, pointing.

"It's not polite to point, Rose."

"Tell that to yer chests," the Irish woman retorted and they both heard Xena's laughter, which made Gabrielle groan and Rose walk away, pretending she hadn't heard.

"Out of the mouths of babes," Xena whispered. "And speaking of which, you trying to get arrested in that outfit, babe?"

"What do you mean?" Gabby whispered back.

"Because it should be a crime to look that hot, Gabrielle."

"Xena…"

"Just sayin'…"

"Want me to find something else?"

"No, no. Don't do that on my account."

"Uh huh…"

The bard and her invisible partner glanced over to where Rose stood in front of a weapons rack, admiring some of the hardware.

"What do you think of this prospect, my love?" Gabrielle asked quietly.

"Well, she's our kid. She's bound to want to learn the art of sword play. Plus, traveling on the road can be dangerous, so…"

"So, you think I should buy her a weapon?"

"Yeah."

"Which kind?" Gabby asked, eyeing some staffs over along the far wall.

"Let her choose, Gabrielle."

"All right." The bard walked over to their granddaughter, who was running her fingers carefully over a dagger with a jagged blade. "Hey, sweetheart, see anything you like?"

"Aye, lass," Rose admitted. "There be some… interestin' weaponry here." She reached out to pick up one of the swords, then thought better of it and pulled her hand back.

"It's all right, miss," the shop keeper- who was watching them closely, or rather, watching Gabrielle in her skimpier outfit closely- assured her. "Handle everything with care though. You break it, you buy it. You cut a finger off, I can't sew it back on for ya."

Gabrielle gave the man a look, but Rose didn't notice or care. Grinning, she asked, "Really?" sounding like an excited child. Of course, she reached for the largest sword she could find. She took it off the rack and it fell, with a thud, to the floor, narrowly missing the woman's foot. "Wow," she murmured, "feel the heft!"

Gabrielle laughed appreciatively. "I think that's a little too much heft for you, honey."

"Ach, surely ye jest," Rose scoffed. She tried to lift the sword, struggled and then turned, knocking over another display of chains and maces. "Oops…"

"Hey, there, short pants, you put that sword down before you take your eye out with it!" the shop keeper scolded her.

Properly chastised, Rose did as she was told, but added quietly to Gabrielle, who was barely stifling her giggles, "I wouldn'a taken me eye out. Don't think I could have held it up that high!"

Gabrielle looked at her with pure love in her eyes. She reached out to ruffle the dark hair. "Would you like to try a staff, instead, Rose? I initially honed my skills with one. And they have some over there." She gestured to the far wall where she'd spotted them a bit earlier.

"Uh…" the brunette stuttered and on her face, Gabrielle saw a flicker of fear and pain; a memory being relived before the bard's eyes that was so clear, she could practically see it. And somehow, she just knew that Paxton had beaten the girl with a staff before. "I probably wouldn'a be good at it, like ye are," Rose was mumbling, struggling between bad memories and wanting to please the woman who had given her a chance at a new life. "I mean, I could try, iffen ye wanted me to…"

"No, it's okay," Gabrielle told her, gently squeezing her granddaughter's shoulder. "I want you to choose something that you like." Rose smiled, admiring the hilt of another huge sword that was nearly as long as she was tall. "But I want you to choose something that you can comfortably handle," Gabrielle added, trying to assert her authority as grandmother, and giving the girl a wagging finger and a stern expression.

Rose just stared at her. "I thought ye said pointin' wasn't nice," she stated challengingly.

"Don't be belligerent, young lady," Gabby scolded her, putting her hands on her hips.

"Gabrielle," she heard Xena whisper into her ear. "I don't think this is the right approach here…"

"'Young lady'?" Rose brushed her off, rolling her eyes. "Lass, yer nearly as young as I am! Don't treat me like a wee bairn!"

"Hey, you know I'm not as young as I look," Gabrielle reminded her, "but regardless, I am still your grandmother, so don't give me any sass!" She swatted her grandchild on the behind, then watched as Rose glared at her and stormed off to look at another weapons rack across the room.

The shop keeper had been watching the exchange with some trepidation. He did not want a scene in his store. As much as he'd been admiring Gabrielle's lovely figure, he had also noticed that the pretty blond talked to herself a lot and said some weird things. He glanced at Rose, an unsure expression on his face. "Everything all right there, miss?"

"Oh, don't mind her," Rose spoke to the man, trying to downplay the fact that she'd just been spanked in the middle of a public place by a woman who barely looked older than she. "She's just a wee bit da-"

"It is so important to your future that you do not finish that sentence," Gabrielle warned her, giving her another look, this one twice as stern and somewhat angry.

Both of them could hear Xena chuckling again, but neither of them acknowledged it. Rose didn't want to believe she was there, and even if she did, she was too embarrassed to talk to anyone, and Gabrielle was just plain pissed off.

The shorter woman made a face at her grandmother, but only when she was sure that Gabrielle wouldn't see her. Xena saw her though and she swatted the Irish woman lightly on the back of her head, and Rose could feel her hair moving. "Behave, young lady," she could hear Xena's faint whispering, although she would never admit to it.

She continued to peruse the store while the shop keeper presented Gabrielle with her Sais and she promptly paid him dinars for the clothing and sword sharpening. She ignored his attempt at small talk as well as his proposition of ditching 'the kid' and going off to have some dinner with him at the nearby tavern. She turned him down flat and walked away from him, and he muttered to himself it was just as well, seeing as she was such a nut. He didn't notice that Xena had managed to make a flour sack fall over and he tripped over it, crushing the sack and getting covered in flour. Had he been more perceptive, he might have heard the spirit of the Warrior Princess sniggering and telling him to keep his mitts off of her soul mate.

"She's never acted like that before, Xena," Gabby whispered quietly. She knew she should have been speaking only in her mind to the ghost, but she'd let herself talk out loud, albeit quietly, since returning to their homeland of Greece. Xena knew she would remember herself soon and go back to playing it safe.

Xena saw her partner fold her arms across her chest and sigh in frustration as she watched her granddaughter looking over miscellaneous items she had no need for, and realizing that she was doing anything and everything she could in order to not have to talk to her.

"Gabrielle," Xena whispered soothingly, "forget about it. She's just a little punk. And this whole 'family' thing is new to Rose, you know that. Besides, you did come on a little strong back there, don't you think?"

The bard actually growled, not in her head, but out loud for all to hear, drawing another blatant stare from the shop keeper and another eye roll from Rose. "I came on too strong? Xena, just whose side are you on here?" she demanded to know quietly, but with much intensity.

"I'm not on anyone's side," Xena began and Gabrielle began to fume. She had given the wrong answer. "Uh… what I mean is, I'm on both your sides…" It looked as though smoke was going to come out of the bard's ears any second. "Okay… what I really meant to say was, yes, I'm on your side, of course!" Xena vowed, although she knew it was going to take a lot more than a simple declaration to appease her angry soul mate at this point. It wasn't often Gabrielle got this angry, but when she did… "Look, Gabrielle, I love Rose, you know that. But even if she decided to leave us tomorrow and head out on her own, I would still be here for you and you alone. You're my soul mate, the reason I'm still around. It's your love that keeps me grounded to this world and-"

"Xena," Gabrielle whispered, already growing misty-eyed and feeling squishy inside, and the Warrior Princess knew she had her.

"I love you, Gabrielle. I know that Rose loves you, too. You just need to… lighten up a little when it comes to dealing with her. I know we're her grandmothers, but she's not a little girl."

They both looked over at Rose, who was staring at some dolls, made in the old style of Senticles, and running her hand carefully over their pretty dresses with a delighted expression. "In a lot of ways, she is," Gabrielle murmured, smiling at the younger woman.

"Well, yes, she's very innocent and hasn't a clue on what to do in the real world. I agree she still needs looking after. But she doesn't necessarily see it that way. I think you- we need to tread lightly around her for a while, maybe. What do you think, my love?"

"You're already doing that," Gabby retorted. "You won't even let her see you."

"Oh, for the love of Eli, but you're stubborn, woman," Xena huffed at her. "Let's not rehash that right now!"

"Fine," Gabby grumbled, snubbing her nose at her soul mate and turning on her heel, walking off to look at the swords.

The spirit of the Warrior Princess had thrown her spectral hands up in the air in total frustration. "Why do we always fight when we're on vacation?" she muttered.

Gabrielle glanced back in the direction of the ghost, even though she could not see her, rolling her eyes.

The shop keeper stared at the bard, his fascination with her now bordering on fear of her obviously loony mind, rather than appreciating her beautiful curves. "That girl," he commented quietly to Rose, who stood nearby at the counter, handling another pair of Sais, similar to her grandmother's, "is a real nut job if you ask me."

Rose scowled at the man. "No one did ask ye, mister. And that's me grandmother ye be insultin'!"

"Ha! Now you're sounding as crazy as she does! If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were a couple of kooks!"

"Well, no offense, mister," Rose hissed at him, "but what ye don't know could fill a canyon!"

"What the…? Listen, young lady, if you can't behave in a civilized manner, then you'll need to leave my store!"

"Iffen that's the rule 'round here, I think ye need to leave! Yer the only one bein' rude!"

"Why, you little-!"

Gabrielle noticed the commotion and approached cautiously. "Everything all right here, Rose?" she asked in concern.

"Aye, lass… say, did ye already pay for ever'thin' we got here?"

"Yes, I did. Why?"

Rose ignored the question. "Good. Let's head out then, shall we?"

"But Rose, I thought you wanted to purchase a weapon."

"Nay. Not here, anyway," the younger woman replied, glaring at the shop keeper. "I don't care fer the atmosphere…"

"Um… okay…"

Rose took a hold of her grandmother's hand and she led her out of the store, glancing back at the shop keeper once to give him another dirty look.

Glad he had gotten some money out of them for the clothing and the sharpening of Gabrielle's Sais, the shop keeper was still disappointed that he'd lost money on a weapons sale, which would have brought in a lot more dinars.

"Stupid kooks," he muttered.

Xena, who had lingered for a bit, concentrated her hardest and managed to knock over the same table that Rose had a few moments before.

"What the…? Dammit!" the man grunted in confusion and annoyance.

With a smile, Xena left the shop to catch up to her family.

OOO

Gabrielle and Rose had found a small, clean and surprisingly quiet tavern to have lunch in, so they decided to let someone else do the cooking for a change. It was nice to get a home cooked meal, with all the trimmings, after having lived off the land for so long while traveling. Gabrielle thought it would be good for them to eat at a tavern or restaurant every chance they got, especially knowing they would be back to roughing it by that evening.

As the two women enjoyed some fruit and cheese for dessert, the conversation once again turned to weaponry.

"So, what kind of weapons did Xena carry?" Rose asked in a hushed whisper, leaning in close across the table, and Gabrielle wasn't sure if the girl was just in awe of the subject or merely wanted privacy from passersby.

"She had a few weapons amongst her arsenal that she always had on her," Gabby said, reaching out to pat Rose's hand, and glad to be talking and sharing with her again. "Xena knew how to use most weapons, but she always kept a sword on her person. She was well adept at sword play. Actually, that's a gross understatement. She was a bona fide master at it."

"Really?"

"Yep. Not that she even required a sword to overpower an enemy. She could just as easily defeat most men with her bare hands."

"Wow! So, she could really do that pinchy thing-a-ma-bob, eh?"

"Huh? Oh, the pinch. Yes, I saw her do that many times. She taught me how… well, in the end…" Gabby's voice trailed off sadly.

Rose sensed the change in mood. She tried to downplay it, but she didn't like seeing her 'wee lass' looking so sad. She grasped her grandmother's hand. "Could ye teach it to me?" she asked hopefully.

"Oh, honey, I haven't used it since, really. Not sure I'd even remember how to do it," Gabrielle admitted.

"Oh. Well, that's all right…" Rose paused, trying to hide her disappointment. "Hmm, what about that do hickey thing that she threw at the baddies, eh?"

"Her Chakram?"

"Aye! That round whatchamacallit! That's it! Do ye still have it?"

"I do," Gabrielle replied brightly. "I keep it here in my bag. Would you like to see it?"

"Sure'n I would!" Rose exclaimed, unable to contain her excitement. She startled the patrons sitting at the next table, who gave her a disapproving stare. She merely stuck her tongue out at them when Gabrielle wasn't looking and they turned away in disgust.

The bard smiled at her grandchild. She glanced about, making sure no one was looking, and secretively retrieved Xena's legendary Chakram as Rose stared at in in complete and utter awe. She couldn't hear Xena, but she knew she was there with them, and that she was touched by Rose's reverence.

"Whoa…" the small brunette murmured. She instinctively reached out her hand to touch it, but paused and glanced at Gabrielle for the go ahead first.

And she received it. "Go ahead," both she and Xena stated at the same time, and their granddaughter gingerly took it from Gabby's hand.

"She killed gods with this thing?" the Irish woman asked, although she already knew the answer.

"A few," Gabrielle replied and she could hear Xena retort, "More than a few!"

Rose studied the weapon closely, turning it over more than once in her small hands. "How does it work?" she asked quietly. "Ye throw it, right?"

"Well, yes, but one has to know how to throw it properly, has to know the correct trajectory. Otherwise, it would be useless, or worse, it could be very dangerous to even the one throwing it." She recalled once, long ago, Princess Diana, a member of royalty who looked remarkably like Xena, throwing it innocently and nearly killing a group of people, including themselves and her own father with one toss. The memory made her smile, recalling a more innocent time in her life.

"Have ye ever used it?"

"A few times," Gabby admitted sheepishly. Though she had instinctively known how to throw it in a pinch after watching Xena throw it so many times, she had never truly felt comfortable using it. It was a weapon best suited for a real warrior- which Xena had always been, and Gabrielle never felt she was. But more than that, using it had always been a painful reminder to the bard that the true owner of the weapon was no longer around to use it herself. So, while it was a cherished memento from her life with Xena, Gabby very rarely even handled it or took it out of her bag, except maybe on 'special occasions' like her partner's birthday, or the anniversary of her death.

"May I throw it?" Rose asked, her hand still touching Gabrielle, as she rubbed gently on her arm. "I mean, not now, but later, when we're back out into the wild?" She seemed to sense what her grandmother was thinking about, and her tone had grown soft, tender.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea, sweetheart."

"Let her," Xena whispered.

At the same time, Rose said, "I bet Xena would let me."

"That's spooky," Gabrielle muttered to herself and her partner. She looked at the young woman seated across from her at the table wearing the hopeful expression. "Well, Rose, you are right. Xena says that it's A-Okay. So later, when we're alone and far away from any sort of civilization, or people, I'll let you try throwing it… once!"

Rose just beamed. "Oh, thank ye, lass!"

"Don't thank me," the bard told her, taking the Chakram back and replacing it in her pack. "Personally, I'm against it."

"Oh…" Rose replied. "Well, thank ye, Xena, then," she stated in an exaggerated tone, looking upward at the ceiling and rolling her eyes at the absurdity of the situation.

Xena, invisible to all, smirked at her punk of a granddaughter and whacked her lightly upside the head. "You're welcome, twerp," she whispered into the younger woman's ear.

Reacting over the smack, as well as the whisper, Rose simply froze for a moment, an odd look on her face. Gabrielle noticed it immediately.

"Rose? You okay? I told you not to eat so much cheese."

"No, I'm fine," Rose lied, responding too quickly to be believed. "Hey, are we done here? I noticed a blacksmith down the street. I think he was sellin' weapons, too. Can we look there? Please, lass?" She gave the bard her best puppy dog eyes.

"Of course," Gabrielle promised with a smile. "And yes, I'm done here if you are."

"Aye!"

"Well, let's head out. I just have to leave some-"

Gabrielle was whisked away in mid-sentence and barely had time to leave a modest tip for the barmaid before being accosted by her overzealous granddaughter.

Once out the door, the two travelers headed down the street to where the blacksmith resided in a bustling area, just between a butcher's and a brothel. This was the only blacksmith in the small town, so he did a tidy business. But the man was good at what he did and somewhat well renowned in these parts. He not only shoed horses, he made weapons and sold them. His selection was not as vast as the shop they had visited earlier, but they were of better quality.

As soon as they entered the establishment, Rose went right for the longer swords, some of which were as long as she was tall, and it made Gabrielle sigh and roll her eyes.

Xena was there, of course, and she whispered in her partner's ear, "Me thinks she must be compensating for something," making the bard giggle in spite of herself.

The blacksmith eyed Gabrielle, the pretty blond with the shapely form, as she kept giggling to herself, constantly glancing over her shoulder and whispering as if in conversation with some invisible person. It made him look askance, but he never said a word about it. He knew better than to scare off potential customers, no matter how odd or weird or crazy they seemed to be. Besides, she had requested that her horse- who was currently taking a break in the stables across the street- get re shod, so it looked to be a double sale and he had dinar signs in his eyes, which far surpassed any trepidation over crazy, beautiful women laughing and talking to themselves in his store.

"How about this one, lass?" Rose asked, struggling under the weight of a sword that was bigger than she was.

Before Gabrielle had a chance to open her mouth, the blacksmith beat her to it. "Oh, no, no, no, young lady!" he said. "That sword isn't fit for such a shor-" and he paused, when she gave him a look. "Er, I mean, it's not fitting of an Irish woman, like yourself. See, this here is the sword for you, my dear…" And he handed her a short sword.

Rose made a face. "But that's downright puny, mister! Looks like somethin' a leprechaun would carry."

Gabrielle and Xena chuckled together, both endeared by her sulky expression.

"This is a much better fit," the blacksmith insisted in a no nonsense tone. "I wouldn't even feel right selling you that there big sword."

"Hope she sees the light and gets the little one," Xena commented to Gabrielle.

I hope so, too, Gabby agreed, but she is pretty stubborn.

"She gets that from you," Xena cracked and Gabrielle responded with an indignant huff.

"Just feel the weight of it in your hand, miss," the blacksmith was saying as he handed Rose the short sword. "It'll be the best fit for you, I promise."

Rose looked back at Gabrielle for confirmation and approval, which gave the bard a feeling of pride. "What do ye think, lass?"

"I think you should listen to the man, honey. He knows what he's talking about."

"That's right," he added, trying not to sound too smug. "I happen to be an expert."

The brunette pondered that thought for a moment, then asked, "Hmm, have ye got any Chakrams?"

"Any what?"

"Never mind. I'll take the sword."

"Excellent choice, miss. That'll be one hundred dinars, please."

"One hundred dinars?" Rose repeated in disbelief.

"It's a good quality sword," Gabrielle told her, approaching them and taking a look at the weapon in question. "Very good quality, well worth the price." She opened her purse and handed the blacksmith the money for both the sword and for Argo III's new shoes. "Don't be such a cheapskate," she whispered into her granddaughter's ear.

Rose shrugged. "I've got no money, lass. That's really the only way I can be."

"Well, we have plenty of money now, so don't worry about it."

The blacksmith offered some change and the transaction was complete. He polished the sword for free then presented it to its new master. "Here you are, miss. Use it in good health."

Rose looked down at her weapon with a new found confidence. She even thanked her grandmother profusely, and kissed her cheek, which of course, Gabrielle loved.

"You're very welcome, sweetheart," she replied, beaming with grandmotherly pride.

Then the two women were off. The entire time, Rose stabbed at invisible warlords and imaginary evil gods with her short sword, swishing this way and that and nearly knocking into people passing them by on the street until Gabrielle convinced her that it would be safer for all concerned if she were to refrain from "killing" all the bad guys until they were well out of town. Begrudgingly, Rose did as she was told (for once), but after they retrieved Argo III, and the moment that no one was within a six foot radius, Rose started up again, this time even more exuberant than before with her swipes, adding more flourish and shouting words of the warrior- or at least, words she thought a warrior would say- into the mix.

Gabrielle laughed appreciatively over her granddaughter's antics, watching her gallivanting back and forth from one side of her to the other. She was a strong woman, but she did not mind playing the damsel in distress that Rose had to save from all the imaginary "baddies", as she called them.

"Oh, no, look, lass! Thar be pirates!" Rose shouted, leaping onto a fallen log. "Don't ye worry, mi lady! I'll protect thee!" And she leapt back off the log, stabbing at the air, reigning victorious over her phantom antagonists. Then she bowed to Gabrielle. "See, I told ye I'd save ya!"

"That you did," Gabby played along, curtseying to her gallant warrior. She remembered many similar games she and her sister Lila used to play, all the way up until the time she'd left home all those years ago. It was rather fun to be a kid again. Rose made her feel young. "Thank you, my gallant hero," she said, kissing the younger woman's cheek.

Rose blushed. "Well, I'm not really a hero. Not like ye and Xena! What kind of warrior was Xena, lass? I always heard that there was none who could match her strength or cunnin'. I heard that she was the best of the best! Is all the hype surroundin' me grandmother really true?"

"And then some," Gabrielle assured her and they sat on the fallen log together, so her granddaughter could catch her breath after all of her swashbuckling. "Rose, your grandmother Xena was not only a great warrior, she was smart and clever. She fought with her heart, you see. And she was fierce and brave. She was incredibly tall, so tall… and extraordinarily beautiful- both inside and out- and so strong and kind-hearted, sentimental, sensual, loving, sweet, sexy…" she sighed dreamily. "… did I mention beautiful?"

"Both inside and out," Rose said with a smile, gently patting Gabrielle's arm. She could see the wistful longing showing plainly on the blond's face. "Ye really miss Xena, don't ye, lass?"

"Well, she's always with me, but yes, there are certain… aspects of our life together that are no more and that I still miss so much it hurts."

Right away, Gabrielle could feel long invisible arms encircle her waist from behind. "I miss it all, too, Gabrielle," Xena whispered into the bard's mind, and she kissed the woman on the cheek.

Rose unwittingly witnessed the entire display, and even though she could not technically see Xena, she heard the voice, she could detect the sensual rush that went through them and she could even see Gabrielle's cheek indent slightly from what could only have been invisible lips. In her surprise, she fell backwards off the log, then jumped up quickly to her feet, her eyes wide, her jaw slack, as she continued to stare at Gabrielle, who watched her with concern.

"You all right, honey?" Gabby asked, reaching out to take her granddaughter's hand.

Rose squeezed the hand briefly, then pulled away, anxious to change the subject and hopefully forget about what she'd witnessed. "So, uh… may I please play with the Chakram now?"

Gabrielle sighed. She had been hoping the youngster would have forgotten the request over the excitement of getting a new sword. "It's not a toy, Rose," she informed her, standing and reaching into her bag for the weapon.

"I know. Sorry, I didn'a mean it like that. I only meant-"

"Here," Gabby interrupted her, still feeling uneasy about letting the brunette throw it, or even handle it any more. This was Xena's weapon. It belonged to no one else. She didn't even like handling it.

"Thank ye, lass. I'll not let anythin' happen to it, I swear."

"Don't swear. Just be careful. And don't kill any… thing."

"I won't."

"You won't be careful?" Gabrielle asked in alarm.

Rose rolled her eyes. "I mean, I won't kill anythin'."

"Oh."

Walking into the middle of the clearing they were currently standing in, Rose put distance between herself and Gabrielle and Argo III. She aimed in the opposite direction, over at a dead tree at the apex of the forest. Taking her time, she did a great deal of calculating in her head, closing one eye to gauge the distance, even wetting the tip of her finger and holding it up to account for the wind.

Gabrielle shook her head. She was about to decide that the girl had chickened out, when she heard her granddaughter let loose with a cry that sounded remarkably like one of Xena's and she turned to watch as Rose let the Chakram fly from her hand. She watched the weapon as it flew and hit its target, chopping off several branches from the dead tree, then ricocheting off a rock, the fallen log and then it was on its way, careening back towards them and aimed right at Rose's head.

"Oh, gods!" the bard exclaimed in dismay and she took a step towards her, but an invisible hand rested gently but firmly on her shoulder, halting her in her place.

"Just wait, Gabrielle," she heard Xena whisper.

"But Xena-" Gabrielle began, and she was tempted to look away, but she obeyed, putting her trust in her soul mate and did not intervene. To her complete surprise, the Chakram came back and landed safely in Rose's hand. "What the…?"

"Now, go," Xena urged her partner, and she gave her a little gentle shove forward. Gabrielle raced over to her granddaughter and stared at her in amazement.

"Whoa…" she could hear Rose murmur to herself, sounding rather amazed as well.

"Are you all right?" Gabrielle stammered in disbelief over what she had seen. "I mean, how did you…?"

Rose handed the Chakram back to Gabby. "Yer right, lass. 'Tis a dangerous weapon. And it's Xena's, not mine."

"But how did you know how to throw it like that? Or better still, how did you know how to catch it?"

The Irish woman shrugged, in a daze. "Dunno, lass. It just sort of happened. Verra mystical, to be sure."

"Mystical?"

"Aye."

"So, you're okay?"

"I think so."

Gabrielle put the Chakram away, and then gave her granddaughter's arm a squeeze. "Well, then, should we move onward?"

"Couldn'a we camp here tonight?"

"I suppose so, but there's still a lot of daylight left for traveling. We could go another few hours at least."

"Oh, but it's me first night in Greece, lass. I just thought it would be nice to enjoy the evenin'. Cook a fine meal over an open campfire, relax, chat, and sleep under the stars…"

"You want to practice with your new sword, don't you?" Gabrielle asked knowingly.

Rose blushed. "Aye."

"That's fine, then." Gabby indulged her with a smile. "Help me unpack and then you can practice against all the imaginary warlords and wood sprites you can find."

"Could ye teach me some moves with it?"

"Never did much with a sword," Gabrielle admitted sheepishly, much to Rose's disappointment. "I used a staff to start out with, and of course, I have these," and she indicated her Sais, strapped to her boots. "Don't worry though. Xena is tops with a sword, as you know, and she's also a very good instructor. She can teach you everything you need to know… if she will ever bother to show herself to you, that is!"

The bard was rewarded with a smack on the bottom from her invisible partner and another eye roll from Rose, the non-believer.

"Oh, right," Rose muttered sarcastically, "Big ol' Xena will show me the way."

Gabrielle pointed a finger at the girl. "Do not piss off your grandmother."

"Quit pointin'," Rose said, pushing the blond's hand away. "And which one are ye talkin' 'bout, now?"

"'Big ol' Xena', that one," Gabby informed her. "Trust me, kiddo. You'll be sorry."

The Irish lass groaned. "What's she gonna do from beyond the grave? Spank me?" Rose chuckled at her own joke.

"Hmm, maybe," Gabrielle teased her. "If I recall, Xena always did have a fondness for spankings…" She could feel Xena behind her now, whispering something naughty in her ear and making her blush.

Shuddering, Rose said, "Ach! That's more'n I ever needed to know about!" She turned, pivoting on her heel and an invisible foot stuck out, and she found herself falling to the earth. She landed in a puddle of mud, still quite squishy from a recent rain.

"And I wonder why Eve didn't name you Grace," Gabrielle couldn't help laughing.

"Ugh! I think I landed in some sort of poo!" Rose screeched.

"It not poop; it's just mud, Rose. Don't be such a baby. Come on." Gabby helped her granddaughter to stand. "Told you not to piss her off."

"Who? Xena?" Rose exclaimed. "That was not Xena who tripped me, Miss Daft! I merely tripped over a fallen tree branch, or turned me ankle on a rock, or…" Both women looked down to see nothing of the kind where they stood. In fact, the ground was level and devoid of any debris.

Gabrielle folded her arms across her chest. "Told ya," she reiterated. "So, who's 'Miss Daft' now?"

"Still you," the smaller woman retorted, brushing off her clothes. She looked up to the heavens. "And Xena, yer a big, mean grandmother, ye are!" She stomped off towards the forest.

"Where are you going?"

"Down to that stream we passed by earlier. Goin' to clean me self off a bit. Then I'll collect some firewood fer dinner and when I return, I'll help ye unpack."

"All right, but be careful."

"Why? Is Xena plannin' on pushin' me into the water and drownin' me?"

"I wouldn't give her any ideas," Gabrielle joked, but Rose still shuddered, then scurried off.

As soon as she was out of sight, Xena materialized next to Gabrielle, chuckling heartily.

"What a punk," she cackled.

"Wonder which side of the family she gets that from?" Gabrielle teased her.

"Oh, that's all me, Gabrielle," Xena assured her. "Surely it's obvious."

"It is obvious," Gabrielle agreed. "And please don't call me 'Shirley'."

Xena glanced over at her partner, who in turn, glanced back. They both began to laugh.

OOO

That night, Gabrielle sat by the campfire, sipping some cider and watching her granddaughter dance about, practicing with her short sword. She was shouting and calling out to imaginary villains, laughing triumphantly like a child, but her moves actually held quite a bit of promise. Occasionally, Xena would whisper to Gabrielle about changing her stance, or how to parry the sword and Gabby would relay the information. By the evening's end, Rose did not look like a novice at all.

"The kid's got talent," Xena told her. "She'll be easy to train… I mean, if she chooses that life."

"Oh, she will, I'm sure of it," Gabrielle whispered out of the corner of her mouth. "She's your granddaughter, after all."

"She's yours, too, Gabrielle," Xena gently reminded her. "And like you, she's got a tender heart and a gentle spirit. She may possess some of my talents, but she's got your soul."

"Aw, Xena, I… I don't know what to say."

"Say 'bout what?" Rose asked, approaching from the other side of the campfire. She was tired and sweaty, but she was grinning like a fox. Sitting down next to Gabrielle, she deftly snatched the woman's mug full of cider from her and started to gulp it down.

"Hey, get your own!"

"Oh, please, lass! I'm parched!"

"All right, then," Gabrielle relented, taking pity on her. "Just don't drink it all…"

Rose handed her back the mug. It was empty but for a drop. Gabby sighed.

"What? I saved ye a drop. It's not empty!"

"Thanks a lot!"

"Yer welcome."

"Now, go drink some water. It's the best thing for you after a workout like that."

"There's none left."

"Go down to the stream and get some more then."

"Aw, why me?" Rose whined.

"What are you, ten? Besides," Gabby pouted, "I filled the water skins the last time!"

"What are ye? Nine?" Rose cracked. "All right, then. I'll be back… unless, of course, I die of exhaustion along the way…" She made puppy dog eyes at her grandmother, knowing full well how it affected her.

But it didn't work this time. "Don't worry. I'll be sure to bury you in the morning, should that happen."

"Yer mean!"

"And you drank all my cider!"

"Fine!" Rose got up and on a huff, she left, carrying two water skins with her.

As was customary by that time, Xena would materialize next to Gabrielle the moment that Rose left the vicinity. She wrapped a proud arm around the bard's shoulder. "Well, I think you won that round."

"She's nothing if not willful, isn't she?" Gabrielle sighed tiredly. "I think that's another trait she gets from you."

"Oh, no, no, no, no," Xena replied in amusement. "She definitely inherited that from your side."

Gabby smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, I guess I used to be pretty stubborn sometimes."

"What do you mean, 'used to be'?"

"Oh, ha ha, Xena. You know, now that I think about it, you're more than adept in the art of stubbornality!"

"Stubbornality? Is that even a word, Gabrielle?"

"It is now."

"I tell ya," Xena chuckled approvingly, wearing a mischievous grin. "My family is just so full of-"

"Hey!"

"I was going to say talent." And the beautiful spirit winked at her soul mate. But the smile quickly turned into a concerned frown. "There's something…" She stood and pulled her companion up with her.

"Yeah, I sense it, too," Gabrielle agreed, grabbing Xena's hand. "Whoever or whatever it is, it's close."

"And getting closer," Xena muttered, narrowing her eyes.

"By the gods, Xena!" Gabby gasped in realization. "Rose is out there! Please find her and bring her back! Hurry!"

"But Gabrielle, I sense the danger is coming this way-"

"Please, Xena! Just find Rose!" The bard's grip tightened on the warrior's arm.

With a reluctant nod and a worried expression that matched her partner's, Xena disappeared. Gabrielle began to pace around the campfire, awaiting her grandchild's safe return.

OOO

Rose sat down on the bank of the stream, filling the skins with one hand, while she let the other swish leisurely through the cool water, her trusty new sword lying beside her on the bank. Once the chore was done, she didn't rush back, but lingered there, breathing in the night air, until she coughed.

Despite the cold air, it was a clear, beautiful night. The full moon shone above her, its reflection rippling in the water below. The stars, too, were in abundance and twinkled merrily in the night sky.

"This is lovely," Rose whispered aloud, smiling at the water's surface as it captured the image of the sky behind her and her own reflection. She had wished Gabrielle had come with her after all. She knew the bard would have been enchanted by the magic of the evening. These were things that Rose noticed and enjoyed. Gabrielle was the first person she had ever known that took delight in the same types of things. They were both creative souls, cut from the same cloth. She began to ponder that perhaps Gabrielle had really been telling the truth when she claimed they were related in a spiritual sense. Rose certainly hoped it was true. She couldn't imagine feeling closer to anyone than she did her grandmother.

As she let her mind wander over the vast possibilities of this world, and her place in it, she glanced down at the water again and noted the stars and the moon and the trees in the clear liquid. She saw herself, her round cherubic face staring back at her. And she saw a figure shimmering in the water, standing behind her, that of a tall, beautiful woman with eyes a brilliant blue and hair as black as night.

With a startled gasp, Rose spun around, but the figure was nowhere to be seen. When she turned back to look back at her reflection in the water, the figure was there, but disappeared quickly.

"Rose," she heard her name being whispered by a hauntingly familiar voice, "there's danger here. Go to Gabrielle, now!"

Spooked and alarmed, Rose didn't waste any time. Grabbing her sword, she raced back towards the campsite, as fast as her wobbly legs would carry her.

OOO

Gabrielle had been packing everything up and strapping it to Argo III, intent on leaving the area as soon as Xena and Rose returned. She had just finished loading up her granddaughter's special box, when she saw Xena appear before her, on the other side of the horse. Her face looked ashen and distressed.

"Gabrielle!" she cried suddenly. "Look out!"

The bard turned just in time to get a fist in the face and she went down.

Paxton, Rose's so-called husband, stood over her, a satisfied grin on his ruddy face. "There now. Not so tough when yer opponent isn'a tied up, are ye, wench?"

He spat on her fallen form, kicked her in the head, then lifted the pitch fork he'd carried with him all the way from Ireland, high above her, preparing to split her skull open like a melon.

Xena was instantly overcome with uncontrollable rage. She knew she couldn't physically hurt the man, but she managed to distract him by riling up Argo III, who in turn, kicked up her back feet, effectively knocking Paxton backwards.

"Damn beast o' burden!" Paxton shouted hatefully. "Ye worthless excuse of a horse! I'll teach ye a thing or two after I finish off this wife stealer!"

Again, he raised the pitch fork over Gabrielle's head.

"Paxton!" came the shout from behind him, and he spun around to see Rose fast approaching, wielding a sword and dressed like a boy.

The large, gruff man began to laugh, half amused and completely disgusted with what his wife had become in so short a time. "Oh, so there ye are, Kathleen, ye nasty, little wretch! I was wonderin' if ye were still travelin' with this harlot."

"Gabrielle is not a harlot! And me name is Rose!"

"Yer name is mud, ye bold little bitch and yer gonna wish ye were dead by the time I get done with ye!"

He started towards her in a menacing manner, pitch fork raised to strike. Rose held her sword at the ready, but she was clearly petrified and Paxton effortlessly knocked it away. He then proceeded to smack her to the ground with his farmer's-tool-turned-deadly-weapon, before dropping it and then sitting on his wife's chest, punching her with his bare hands.

Xena, who had been holding Gabrielle in her arms, trying to sooth her, wake her, watched in horror as her beloved granddaughter took the pounding of her life.

"Noooo!" she screamed in agony. She was about to try spooking the horse again so that it might once more kick at the vile Paxton, but she noticed that the man, after giving his wife one final slap across the face, left her lying in the grass, crumpled and broken, had stood up and came running at Gabrielle, pitch fork in hand.

In a brief moment of panic, Xena thought her granddaughter was dead, but then she sensed her life force still pulsing and she sighed. She gently set Gabrielle on the ground, and prepared to do some spiritual battle with the monster coming after her beloved.

"You'll never take a man's wife again!" Paxton shouted, getting ready to swing at the unconscious blond, unaware that the spirit of the Warrior Princess was channeling all of her energy, and honing it at his head.

Before he could make the fatal blow, before Xena could send him packing with a spectral attack, they both were shocked when he fell to the ground, his legs buckling under him. Looking above him, he saw his poor excuse of a wife, barely able to stand, staring down at him, carrying her short sword again.

"Rose…" Xena murmured in surprise and she rushed back to her soul mate's side, holding her protectively, planning to move her away from the action.

"Why don't ye pick on someone who can fight back?" she hissed, echoing Gabrielle's own words to him nearly a year before, and she hit the large man over the head with the hilt of her sword.

He went down, but not out. He touched his hand to his head in stunned wonder, marveling at the blood flowing from the wound his tiny, insignificant wife had managed to inflict upon him. But the wonder soon turned to fury and he turned over on his back, swinging the pitch fork at Rose's head. To both their shock, she deflected it easily with her weapon of choice, and it flew from his hand, landing yards away.

"Paxton," Rose growled, "ye have hurt me fer the last time!" And before he could get a word in edgewise, she pounced, landing hard on his stomach and she began beating him within an inch of his miserable life, using both the hilt of her sword, as well as her tiny fists, that seemed to have ten times the strength they should have. She took pleasure in seeing the blood spurting from his face and all the bruises already forming all over his head and torso. She then used her sword to break one of his kneecaps.

"Stop!" he cried out in agony, unable to get a hold of her, she was moving so fast, in a frenzy, above him. "Kathleen, nooo!"

"It's not Kathleen!" she spat at him, her dark eyes full of fire. "It was never Kathleen! I am Rose! Do ye hear me?! It's Rose!"

She hit him so hard against his arm with the flat side of the sword, she could hear the bones cracking and he began to whimper like a baby. Standing up, she raised her sword high over his head, ready to strike the final, blow.

Xena watched, invisible, but very much aware of all that was happening. She wanted to appear, she wanted to slay Paxton herself and then take her granddaughter into her strong, protective embrace and never let go. She did not want this girl to lose her blood innocence. The fact that Gabrielle had suffered a similar fate because of their travels together hit home with the Warrior Princess. Her partner had lost that innocence so long ago. She could not bear the fact that their child would, too, now. But she could not seem to move, could not interfere, she knew that. Instead, she could only observe, realizing that right now was Rose's defining moment. Had she still been living, she would have held her breath.

"Don't kill me," Paxton pleaded, sobbing. "Please don't… Rose…"

The small woman slowly lowered her sword. "No, I wouldn'a. Yer not really worthy of me blade, anyway."

"Thank ye," he whispered, trying to regulate his breathing.

"But I don't ever want to see ye again," Rose warned him, pointing her sword in his face, a mere inch from his nose. "I don't ever want ye to hurt me or me family again!"

"Okay," he readily agreed.

"And don't try followin' or trackin' us anymore, neither! Iffen I ever see ye again, I won't spare yer life next time. Get it?"

"Got it!"

"Good!" Rose noticed that Gabrielle had packed up all their stuff before she'd been attacked. She must have anticipated trouble, the young woman reasoned. Well, no need to deviate from her plan… "I'm leavin' ye here now," she said to the panting, terrified Paxton. "If ye survive, ye may go in peace. Go back home, and be a good man fer a change! Don't ever hurt another woman again! She just might end up bein' like me!"

"Yes, lass, er, ma'am…"

Rose looked surprised at the new-found respect Paxton had given her. "Good. And one other thing, dear husband…"

"Aye?"

"I do so have the cobbles!" she announced, then whacked him with the sword hilt over his skull and effectively knocking him out. "Consider this our divorce!"

Xena, still invisible, rushed over to her granddaughter and wrapped phantom arms around her. "I love you, Rose…" she murmured.

Rose felt the embrace and heard the message of love on the winds swirling around her. It made her shiver in a pleasant way. "Grandmother?" she began, but was distracted by Gabrielle moaning in her unconscious state a few feet away. Both Xena and Rose raced over to her.

Xena stroked her soul mate's face tenderly. "It's all right, my love," she whispered soothingly.

"Xena?" Gabrielle mumbled, stirring, but not quite awake.

"Yes," the warrior replied, leaning her mouth down to the bard's ear.

At the same time, Rose gently squeezed the woman's hand. "Nay, lass, tis I, yer Rose. We're gonna get out of here, I promise."

"I love you…" Gabrielle murmured before passing out completely.

"I love you, too," both Xena and Rose replied together.

Rose put out the campfire, then stood, still aching terribly from her own beating, looking down at her unconscious grandmother with a weary expression. She was exhausted, bloody and badly injured, but she knew Gabrielle needed her help. Crouching down, she took strength in her need to keep the one person who loved her safe, and she managed to get her arms underneath Gabrielle's sleeping body, and lifted her with surprising ease. She was actually very impressed with herself as she gently carried the bard over to Argo III, propping her up in the saddle, before wearily climbing up behind her and wrapping one arm around Gabby's waist. The other hand kept hold of the reins.

What she did not know was that Xena, still invisible, had assisted Rose in lifting and carrying Gabrielle to Argo III. She had even helped by giving Rose's bottom a boost as well, although the young woman had been too weary and in pain to even register the feeling. But regardless of all her help, Xena was amazed at her grandchild's remarkable strength and courage, as well as her restraint and self-control. Rose could have easily killed Paxton, but she hadn't. Xena felt the woman's ability to resist the temptation of revenge, even when justified, only proved that Rose was more of Gabrielle than of the Warrior Princess.

She traveled along with her soul mate and their granddaughter, keeping invisible and silent and so very grateful that her family was going to be all right.

Rose rode onward for about a candle mark. She did not want to subject Gabrielle to a lot of jostling and she was frankly in a lot of pain and exhausted herself. Unbeknownst to her, Xena was there and assisted her in taking Gabrielle off of the horse, and carrying her over to a grassy area. Xena watched as Rose unrolled a bedroll, and then gently put the unconscious woman on it.

Taking great care, Rose covered her up with a blanket, then bent over her and kissed the bard's forehead, gently brushing her hair back out of her eyes, just as Gabrielle had done for her months earlier after a similar run in with Paxton.

Xena watched as Rose examined Gabrielle's wound, checking on its severity. She paid close attention to that goose egg on the back of the blond's head. She has a healer's eye, Xena observed about her granddaughter, a healer's instincts. She reasoned sadly that most of Rose's experience had probably come from having to tend to her own injuries after regular beatings from her rotten husband, just as Xena herself had learned most of her own healing techniques out of necessity while out on the battlefield. Still, the natural talent was there. Xena smiled, knowing that her beloved soul mate was in good hands.

Gabrielle whimpered in her sleep and both the woman and the spirit were by her side in an instant, soothing her with caresses and quiet murmurings of love. Once she calmed, Rose kissed her grandmother again, then got to her feet, somewhat unsteadily, and set about unpacking any supplies she felt might be needed for the night. She started another campfire, trying her best to keep her grandmother warm.

Xena could see Gabrielle was finally sleeping peacefully, and although Rose was looking a little worse for the wear, she seemed okay for the moment, too. So the spirit of the Warrior Princess decided to go check on Paxton, just to make sure he wasn't in any shape to come chasing after her loved ones again. She kissed Gabrielle softly on the lips, ran her fingers through her grandchild's hair, causing the young woman to pause in confusion, before plopping down at the base of a tree near her companion. Once they were both settled, Xena sent herself back to their previous campsite.

Paxton was no longer lying in the place they had left him. She was very surprised, considering how hard Rose had hit him. She looked for crawl marks on the ground, but was even more surprised to realize there were none, but there were some disorganized footprints. The bastard had somehow managed to stand up and walk away! And unfortunately, his tracks were leading off in the direction that Rose and Gabrielle had traveled. He was still following them!

Her blue eyes narrowing, her lip curling into a snarl, Xena set off to find him, determined to never let this monster hurt her family ever again. She found him quickly enough, too, seeing as she was a spirit who could travel on the winds and he was a mere mortal and one who'd been severely injured. He was moving, slowly, using his pitch fork on one side and a large tree branch on the other to help him stay upright and to walk. Xena's eyes turned stormy and her expression darkened. It was time to take out the trash, in a manner of speaking…

Xena sensed the presence of a variety of animals close by in the forest. Utilizing her many skills, she spooked the animals, sending two deer sprinting passed Paxton in a flurry of motion, causing him to fall over. He had nearly righted himself when a murder of crows flew at his face, knocking him over yet again and getting him turned around in the wrong direction.

Concentrating, Xena turned her focus on what miniscule bond she had with the scumbag. Knowing he was technically her grandson, by marriage, she willed herself to be heard by him, all the while, she continued to direct the animals to knocking Paxton over and leading him towards a cliff not far away.

Paxton was in pain, disoriented and blinded by rage for his good-for-nothing wife and that nasty woman she'd taken up with, but all of that fell by the wayside in favor of his abject terror. He could not comprehend why the forest animals were behaving like maniacs. He'd never witnessed anything like it before, and he had gone camping out in the wild many a times in his lazy youth. But as freaky as the animals were acting, what scared him more was the sound of laughter resonating all around him. The brute tried to run, but his shattered kneecap made that impossible, and he found he could only hobble feebly with his two crutches, even though he hobbled as fast as he could, trying to dodge the woodland creatures and escape the haunting laughter, which seemed to coincide with his plight.

He had long since lost sight of Rose's trail, or any trail at all, but at that point, he didn't care. He just wanted to get out of there. He could see that he was coming upon a cliff or steep precipice. He turned around, trying to get away from the dangerous area.

Xena, meanwhile, had focused all of her energy and concentration into one specific act. When Paxton spun around, he saw Xena, who had managed to make herself visible to him, and she gave him a wicked grin and said, "Boo!"

Screeching, Paxton stumbled, lost his footing and fell over the cliff. Xena nodded her head in satisfaction. Her work here was done. Still, showing herself to him had taken a lot of her energy. Though she did not need sleep, she occasionally required some down time, especially after such a remarkable feat. She let herself go limp and let the winds carry her back to her family.

OOO

Gabrielle awoke to the first light of day. She could not see Xena, but she could sense her presence beside her, encircling her shoulders in a loving embrace, which reassured her. When she tried shifting her position, her head immediately began to pound, and then she began to recall what had happened the night before. It was all very vague. She remembered danger… sharp pain… and… "Rose!" she exclaimed, trying to sit up, but her head made that impossible for the moment and she lay back down, feeling her soul mate's grip on her tighten.

"Relax," she heard Xena whisper soothingly, as the spirit materialized next to her. "She's right over there."

Forcing her eyes to focus, Gabrielle saw her granddaughter propped up against a tree trunk, just a few feet away. She was asleep yet still kept her sword in hand. Her mouth was hanging open and she was drooling slightly. It made the bard smile… until she got a better look at fresh bruises and dried blood crusted all over the young woman's face.

"By the gods, Xena! Is she-"

"She's going to be all right, Gabrielle. I've been checking on her during the night. Like you, she, too, had an unexpected run in with Paxton last night."

"Paxton?" Gabrielle shuddered, squeezing Xena's hand tightly. "What? How did he find us? What happened last night?"

"He must have tracked us all the way from Ireland," Xena surmised. "Who'd have thought he was that intelligent?"

Trying to sit up again, Gabby winced in pain, her head still throbbing, she let her partner help her a little. "Oh… he got me good, didn't he?"

"Gabrielle, I'm so sorry," Xena apologized, guilt weighing heavily in her tone as she gently tugged her soul mate closer, letting the blond head rest in her lap. "I tried to warn you, but I didn't get back quite in time and I… um…"

The bard reached for her partner's hand again and kissed it. "Xena, you did warn me. You wanted to stay with me, but I insisted you go find Rose. I'm not blaming you at all. I'm just glad that in the end we all survived relatively intact. It certainly looks like Rose got the worst of it though."

"Rose kicked Paxton's ass, Gabrielle," Xena replied, her chest puffing out in great pride.

"She what?"

"She beat him within an inch of his worthless life and all after he did all that damage to her!" Despite the fact that watching the scene unfold was horrific for the warrior, she had to admit, telling the story later, especially considering the outcome, was quite the thrill. Her granddaughter certainly had the chops to be a warrior, even if her heart was more of a philosophizer like her partner.

"Huh," Gabrielle remarked, feeling dutifully impressed and just as proud. "I guess she finally found the courage to stand up for herself against that monster."

"She did stand up to him, but you were the catalyst for her actions, Gabrielle. He was about to kill you, split your skull open with a pitch fork when she sort of went a little bonkers and just wailed on him. She busted bones and everything!"

"Bonkers?" Gabrielle asked, getting an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach, as she recalled an earlier conversation between her and Rose and the possibility of the girl ever going 'bonkers' and becoming evil, like Xena and Eve had once done. "Xena," she asked, "where is Paxton now?"

"He's dead," Xena replied, her voice bitter, even as she tenderly ran her long fingers through Gabby's matted hair.

The bard's heart skipped a beat. "He's dead? Y-you mean that Rose actually-"

"Oh, no. No," Xena assured her. "Rose actually showed that jackass compassion and she let him go. The last time she was with him, he was still alive, although she had knocked him unconscious. Then I helped her lift you onto Argo III and we rode for about a candle mark before she made camp again, here. She tended to you pretty well, before she had to rest, too."

"But how do you know that Paxton is dead then? Who killed him?"

"Once I saw that you two were safe for the time being, I wanted to check on him, make sure he was heading home just like Rose told him to do, or hopefully he was still passed out and unable to do anything else. But no," the Warrior Princess went on bitterly, "when I found him, he was awake and using his pitch fork and a large tree branch for crutches and the bastard was up and following your trail again. He probably would have tried to kill you both in your sleep had he found you before I found him. I had to stop him."

"But how did you stop him, Xena?"

"The forest animals helped me out a lot. They were darting around him, left and right, freaking him out and making him confused. He got so turned around, he didn't know which end was up!"

"And I'm sure you helped them along with that little dance, didn't you?" Gabby asked with a smirk.

The Warrior Princess gave her an innocent expression and her soul mate chuckled. "I may have had a hand in the choreography…"

"So, what happened then? Did a wolf eat him? Did a bear rip his innards out? Did buzzards circle and swoop down to peck at his eyes? Did-"

Xena stared at her partner in surprise. "Whoa. Got blood lust, Gabrielle?"

The blond smiled sheepishly, looking up into the beautiful face of her beloved. "Well, it would be no more than he deserved."

"True, but alas, you'll have to settle for ol' Paxton meeting his grisly end by falling over a cliff."

"That's it?"

"Well, it was a big cliff."

"Did an animal push him off? An angry deer, perhaps?"

"No, I sort of… I mean, I concentrated as hard as I could and I appeared to him, Gabrielle, and spoke to him, then he jumped back in fear and fell over the edge."

"You appeared to him?" Gabby gasped. "But I thought only those with close family ties could ever see you."

Xena shrugged. "I guess if I concentrate enough… of course, it took a lot out of me. I was pretty weak for a while afterward. It's not like when you and I are together. That's effortless."

"Hmm, interesting… so, what did you say to him, anyway?"

Xena grinned like the cat who'd caught the canary. "Boo!"

"'Boo'?"

"Yep, 'boo'. Then he screamed and down he went." Xena gestured with her hands and made a low whistling sound to emphasize the point.

"Wow…"

"He won't hurt our child- or any child- ever again, Gabrielle."

The bard nodded. "Good. It's strange but I feel no remorse at all for his death."

"Perfectly understandable considering the circumstances," Xena assured her.

"Does that make me… bad?"

"No, that makes you human. That son of a Bachae had abused our granddaughter for most of her life, not to mention how he hurt you so badly last night…"

"Yeah, you're right about that, I suppose."

"You suppose?"

"Xena, don't be a jerk."

The spirit kissed the top of her partner's head. "Go check on our granddaughter. I'm just going to have a look see in the surrounding area. Last night's events left me feeling a little… apprehensive."

"I hear ya."

The Warrior Princess helped the injured bard to her feet. "Be back soon." She gave Gabrielle a to-die-for smile, then vanished.

As always, Gabby experienced a feeling of melancholy whenever her friend went away, even though she knew all she'd have to do is think of Xena's name and her love would return to her in an instant.

She approached her sleeping grandchild quietly, then tentatively touched her arm. Rose awoke with a jerk (no, it wasn't Gabrielle) and gasped in alarm and pain. Her expression changed to one of worry and tenderness once she focused on Gabrielle's face- which wasn't easy on account of her swollen eyes.

"Lass! Are ye all right?" she asked, reaching up to gently cup the bard's cheek.

Gabby chuckled. "I was going to ask the same of you. I haven't looked in a mirror or anything, but I get the feeling you look worse than I do this morning."

"Do I?"

"How many black eyes do I have?"

"None."

"Yeah, well, that's two less than you have, sweetheart."

"Oh… ach! Is that why I feel so horrible?"

"That among other things," Gabrielle said, gently kissing her forehead. "Paxton got me good, too."

"I'm sorry I didn'a stop him in time."

"Rose, you did. Otherwise we wouldn't be sitting here comparing injuries. You saved my life."

"Ye have done the same for me," Rose said shyly, blushing furiously.

"That's what family does, honey. We're there for each other, especially in times of great need."

Rose looked away in embarrassment, but squeezed Gabrielle's hand affectionately. "Ye know, we should probably leave here. There's no tellin' iffen Paxton will listen to me warnin'. Iffen yer hungry, we've got that dried fruit, but we ought to eat it en route so-"

"It's okay, Rose," Gabrielle replied with a knowing smile. "I don't think ol' Paxton will be bothering us anymore."

"How can ye know that, lass? He's verra stubborn."

"Uh… well, didn't you beat the tar out of him?"

"Eh, I guess so. Hey, how did ye know about that?"

"Xena told me."

"Riiight… daft…"

"Don't start with me, young lady. It's too early and I've got a head injury."

"Sorry… but Paxton is a tough old goat. I may have knocked 'im down, but he won't stay out fer long." The younger woman looked truly worried about it.

"Rose, just… don't worry, okay? Trust me."

The brunette shrugged. "Aye, sure. Still, I wouldn'a mind gettin' out of here. Where exactly are we headed to, lass?"

"Amphipolis."

"Xena's home town?"

"That's right."

"What's it like?"

"Well, I haven't been there in many years, but last time I was, it was still a nice place, peaceful, for the most part, and prosperous. Xena is regarded as a true hero there."

"So she should be. Do… do ye think they will accept me there?"

"Rose, you're the granddaughter of their greatest citizen, and you're a bright, beautiful woman with a heart of gold. They'll love you, honey."

The Irish woman blushed again and averted her eyes. "Well, what are we waitin' fer then, lass? Let's go home!"

Gabrielle sighed dreamily at the prospect. "Yeah… home…"

OOO

They didn't travel very far that day, considering that both women were pretty banged up from their face off with Paxton the night before. Gabrielle had become concerned over her granddaughter's quiet, pensive mood, one that had begun not long after they'd taken to the road and had grown steadily ever since.

She had assisted Gabrielle in preparing dinner, not talkative at all, and the meal was consumed in utter silence. Gabby asked Xena in her mind if she knew what might be wrong and Xena had simply retorted, "Aren't you the one who does the sensitive chats?"

With a roll of the eyes over her partner's smart ass remark, the bard approached Rose, who had busied herself with cleaning up the dinner mess, scraping out the frying pan with the spatula and making some horrible noise. Gabrielle put a hand on her arm, startling the woman.

"Rose, can I talk to you?"

"I'm kind of busy, lass."

"The dishes can wait."

"But ye don't want the crud to set in."

"Crud? Hey, I made that dinner!"

"I didn'a mean it like that, lass."

"Oh. Well, anyway, it's not a big deal. We can clean up in the morning if need be."

Rose shrugged. "Sorry. Just habit, I guess. If I didn'a get me chores done in a timely manner before, I would get beat- eh, I'd get into some big trouble fer it." She looked down at her shoes, unable to look her grandmother in the eye.

Gabrielle stroked Rose's cheek. "Those days are long over, honey. I promise."

"Thank ye," the Irish woman stated with awkwardness, but sincerity.

"You're welcome. Now, put the pan down and come sit with me."

With a world weary sigh, Rose did as she was told. "What is it then, wee lass?"

"Well, first off, why do you always call me a 'wee lass' when I'm clearly taller than you are?" Gabby blurted, surprising herself and Xena as well.

"What do ye mean?"

"I mean, I'm quite a bit older and way taller than you, so-"

"Are ye?" Rose asked, keeping a straight face, although her dark eyes were twinkling wickedly. Gabrielle hadn't noticed, but Xena certainly had and she smirked at the younger woman, shaking her head and trying not to laugh.

"Yes, I am!" Gabrielle insisted.

"Doesn'a seem like it," was the innocent reply.

"Yes, it does!"

The bard was starting to sound more than a bit miffed and Rose knew it was time to ease off her a little. And here she thought she was too sensitive. "Eh… well, that doesn'a change the fact that yer small."

"But I'm a good four inches taller than you!" Gabby pouted.

The angry blond could hear Xena chuckling quietly now, while Rose dared to laugh in the woman's face. "Oh, come now, lass. Ye have an inch on me, two at best!"

"Three!"

"Yer daft."

"I am not!"

"And I think yer harborin' unresolved issues about yer diminutive height…" Rose went on, scratching her chin and reminding Gabrielle very much of Xena when she was trying to get a rise out of her.

"Huh?"

"Ye feel inadequate 'bout yer tininess," Rose reiterated.

Xena busted a gut laughing then and Rose wore an uncomfortable expression having heard it.

"Shut up!" Gabrielle snapped at her soul mate.

"Well, I only be speakin' the truth!" Rose retorted. "No need to be a poop about it."

"I wasn't talking to you and I am not a poop!"

This time Rose was confused. "Huh?"

"Maybe you should stick with your originally planned conversation, Gabrielle," Xena whispered into her ear and was swatted away by the annoyed bard.

"Fine," Gabrielle grumbled.

"What's fine?" Rose asked.

"Nothing! Let's just talk about something else now, okay?"

"Ye know, 'denial' isn'a just some river in-"

"Rose!"

"All right, all right," the younger woman snickered. "So, what's on yer mind then, lass?"

"I… jeez, I don't even remember anymore," Gabrielle muttered, blowing out a breath of frustration.

"Must'a been so important," Rose retorted like a true smart ass and was rewarded with a dirty look from her pretty, blond grandmother, as well as an invisible hand making contact with her bottom for a quick swat that left her backside stinging and her mind reeling about how her other grandmother was so fond of spankings. "Ow!" she'd yelped like a puppy.

"What?" Gabby asked.

"Uh… nothin'. Well, I suppose I'll be finishin' with the dishes now…"

"No, wait!" Gabrielle exclaimed with sudden clarity, and the younger woman dutifully halted and looked back at her expectantly. "Rose, I just… wanted to know why you've been so quiet today. Are you all right?"

"Aye."

"Then why have you been so distant?" Gabby pressed, looking into ebony eyes with a pleading expression in her green ones.

"I've just been doin' some thinkin'," Rose replied vaguely, looking down at the ground, kicking some dirt around with the toe of her boot.

"About what?"

"'Bout stuff and things…"

"What kind of 'stuff and things'?" Gabrielle went on, but realized she was pushing and she let it go when her granddaughter merely shrugged and avoided eye contact. "You know, that's all right, Rose. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry. I respect your privacy, I just wanted to know that you're okay."

Rose looked visibly affected by her grandmother's concern and she got a warm feeling in her chest. "I am, lass," she assured her. "Thank ye fer carin' 'bout me. No one else ever did, ye know."

"I know," Gabrielle agreed. "But that's not how it's going to be from now on. I love you, kiddo. You're my top priority." She reached out, kissed the brunette's cheek, then walked over to the campfire and prepared their bedrolls for bed. Xena was proud of her partner's restraint in this instance. She knew Gabrielle was a touchy-feely kind of person but that Rose suffered from abandonment and trust issues. It would take time to bridge the gap.

Sometime later, both women were lying side by side, staring up at the beautiful night sky. Gabrielle could feel Xena on the other side of her, could feel her phantom hand playing in her long, blond locks. The bard yawned contentedly. She was already feeling better and she had a fantastic view of the nighttime sky- something she hadn't realized how much she'd missed after all those years of living with her sister on the farm. Nuzzling against the gentle hand running through her hair and taking a hold of her granddaughter's hand and giving it a loving squeeze, Gabrielle was surrounded by family. It was blissful.

"Good night, sweetheart," Gabby whispered. "I love you." She yawned once more and closed her eyes.

"Lass?"

"Mmm?"

"I'm ready to tell ye now… 'bout me dreams…"

Gabby nearly sat up in her bedroll in surprise and excitement, but she managed to keep her emotions under control. She had been pestering her granddaughter to tell her about those dreams for the better part of eight moons, just as Xena had been pestering her not to push Rose, that she would come to her when she ready. Apparently, the time had finally come and the bard had to really hold back, so she didn't scare Rose off with her exuberance.

"Well, I'm ready to hear about them, then," she replied, trying to sound as nonchalant as she could. She knew Xena was smirking at her. "Go ahead, honey, I'm listening."

There was a long silence and Gabrielle was now accustomed to this, realizing how thoughtful and sensitive Rose could be and that she was carefully discerning what she wanted to say and how she wanted to say it. But Gabrielle was patient. She knew she had to be.

"Growin' up in an orphanage, ye learn quickly to not get too attached to anyone," Rose finally began. "Not to the ladies who tended to us, because even the kind ones usually only saw ye as nothin' more'n a job to do. Most of the workers would quit after a short time, anyway. Maybe to get married or move away. Didn't matter the reason, it's just ye never really got to know 'em.

"Likewise with the other orphans. Ye could have a friend there, but it was dangerous gettin' close to someone because that friend could verra well be sold or even die at any given time. One day, ye could be playin' in the yard together, the next day, ye'd be all alone and… hurtin' again… It was just always easier to keep to yerself. Less painful iffen someone left ye."

"Rose, I'm… sorry," Gabrielle whispered, stroking back her granddaughter's unruly bangs. She was already near tears.

The brunette smiled sadly and took her grandmother's hand, before continuing. "Dreams were a dangerous thing as well. I mean, aspirin' to anythin'. Because most of us realized how futile such a thing to do was. Most of us knew that we'd rot there in that orphanage till we were of age, or till we died. Times were tough and people were poor. Hardly anyone could take in an orphan- not unless the child could earn their keep, usually through hard labor, or… worse…" She shuddered involuntarily.

Gabrielle repeated the action. "You mean like what happened to you with Paxton?" she asked gently.

"Aye," Rose murmured. "I'm sure I'm not the only one who went through somethin' like that. Although, I'm sure most kids weren't as lucky as I am, either."

"Lucky?" Gabrielle asked in confusion, knowing that all that the woman had faced in her life already.

"Aye, lass," Rose nodded, looking into Gabby's eyes. "I am lucky. After all, I found me family. I found ye." She squeezed the woman's hand held in hers, her dark eyes alight with love and gratitude.

"I wish I'd found you sooner," Gabrielle whispered, squeezing back, tears cascading down her cheeks.

"But ye did find me, lass, and that's what matters," Rose assured her. "And ever since ye saved me, I've been able to dream again. The dreams that I had in the orphanage. The kind of dreams that happen when yer asleep, so ye canno' help havin' 'em."

"Rose, what are you talking about?"

"As far back as I can remember, before I even heard of yer Xena scrolls, I used to dream ever' night of two women warriors who were me mothers- at least, in me dreams, that's what I used ta think ye both were. And we all lived and traveled together 'round the world, rightin' wrongs and doin' nice things fer people. It was me separate dream life. Those dreams gave me hope that one day I'd find me a real family and we'd finally be reunited… and we were, well, mostly."

Gabrielle realized she was speaking of Xena. She only hoped her soul mate was listening closely so that she might finally consider allowing their grandchild to actually meet her. Then Rose's dreams could fully come true.

"So, what kind of stuff did we do in the dreams?" Gabby asked. "And when you dreamed of us, were you a child, or all grown up?"

"Whatever age I was at the time of the dream was the age I was in me dream, so I sort of grew up with ye," Rose explained. "And I have recollections of different adventures over the years, but what I can recall most easily, what stayed with me all this time, were all the lil' things we did together."

"Like what?" Gabrielle asked, fascinated.

"Like… sometimes Xena would lift me up and put me in the saddle in front of her atop Argo, and she would take me ridin'. We'd run through meadows and the forest, in the sunshine, or even in the snow. And ye and I would make up adventures together and write 'em down on the scrolls. I'd paint a lot, too, and ye and Xena would pose fer me. Ye would tell me stories by the campfire while ye brushed me hair at night and Xena would sing to us while she tended the horse or mended the leathers. And at bedtime, when it was dark and spooky, Xena would wrap me up in her arms and hold me tight. And ye would lie at me back and I… I would feel warm and protected and… and loved… but then, I'd awaken in a cold, dark orphanage, and cry. And when Paxton bought me, I… stopped dreamin' altogether…"

"Oh, Rose…"

"… until we found each other again, that is. Lass, thank ye fer savin' me. Thank ye fer lookin' after me. I love ye verra much and I hope ye know, I'd do anythin' for ye- anythin' ye'd ever ask, I promise."

"I know that, honey," Gabrielle sobbed, pulling her granddaughter into her arms and hugging her tightly. "And I love you and would do anything for you, too."

"Because we're family," Rose murmured into the soft blond tresses. She kissed the woman softly on the mouth. "Well, I suppose we should get some sleep now. I'm verra tired. And we're gettin' so close to Amphipolis, so maybe if we get an early start in the mornin' we'll get there even sooner."

"Sounds like a plan," Gabby agreed, rubbing her nose against Rose's.

"Good night, lass," the younger woman chuckled at the action, still a little unused to affection in any form and still somewhat embarrassed by it. She shyly kissed Gabrielle's cheek once more then turned away, facing opposite of her companion and closing her dark eyes in contentment.

Gabrielle reached out to touch the dark, unruly hair. "Rose?"

"Aye?"

"I've got your back," she said, then spooned in behind the girl, a protective gesture, just as she done in a child's hopeful dream.

Both were asleep within a moment.

OOO

Gabrielle awoke in the early morning before dawn, and she could feel Rose's small form against her chest and stomach, warm and still sleeping contentedly. At her waist, Xena's invisible arms were wrapped tightly around her. Gabby smiled. She was crowded, but she was loved.

"You awake, finally?" Xena whispered, materializing and appearing behind her.

"What do you mean 'finally'?" Gabrielle yawned. "It's not even light out yet."

"I've been blowing in your ear for nearly an hour now to wake you," Xena admitted sheepishly.

Gabrielle turned around in her embrace to face her soul mate. "Well, that would explain the dream I had then," she smirked.

"Ooh, was it hot?" Xena asked, waggling her eyebrows at her.

"No, it was cold. I was dreaming I was stuck out in a wind storm." She smirked back.

Xena made a face. "Isn't it way too early for you to be this funny?"

"Apparently not. So, what's up… besides us, I mean?"

"Ba-doom ching! Well, I just thought you might like to discuss what happened last night with the rug rat. You fell asleep so quickly, you and I didn't get a chance to talk."

"I'm sorry, Xena. I've just been so exhausted these last couple of days."

"Don't be sorry, Gabrielle," Xena replied sympathetically, pulling her closer and nuzzling into her hair. "I know how sore and tired you are." She kissed the blond head, then lowered her face, trying to capture Gabrielle's lips with her own…

… only to have the bard yawn in her face. Gabrielle smiled apologetically. "Sorry," she chuckled. "Now, what is it you wanted to talk about?" She moved in and landed a quick kiss on Xena's eager mouth.

"Rose," Xena said to her, "and her dreams."

"Yeah, those dreams. So weird, aren't they? Almost… spooky. What do you make of them, Xena? Do you think she might be an oracle?"

"Didn't we already cover that possibility, Gabrielle?" she said, reminding her partner they had pondered over that very thought when they had found the picture she had drawn of them in the secret compartment in her Roman box.

"But how else do you explain those dreams?"

"They're prophetic, maybe," Xena theorized. "I mean, they were… maybe."

"You think they described the future?"

"Not exactly. I think… I think they represented the life Rose would have had if we'd found her at a young age."

"I wish we had," Gabby murmured sadly.

"So do I… But hey, we've got her now, so we won't lose out on anything else."

"Yeah…"

"Still tired? Want to go back to sleep?"

"I wouldn't mind," Gabby mumbled with a smile.

Xena chuckled. "I've been told my shoulder makes an excellent pillow…"

"Who told you that?"

"You did."

"Oh. I knew I heard it somewhere."

Gabrielle fell asleep against her long time partner's shoulder. Xena hummed contentedly, playing in Gabrielle's hair and watching the sun make its slow ascension into the sky.

OOO

Rose was having the time of her life! She was horseback riding with Xena, the Warrior Princess. She could feel the woman's strong arms around her waist; she could feel the wind whipping through her hair. She could taste the salty sea air and see the ocean from a distance. She could hear her grandmother's laughter and encouragement from behind her.

They rode for what seemed like miles, happy and free, then finally settled into camp, where Gabrielle awaited them with a smile and a hearty meal. They all dined together, talking and making each other laugh with silly jokes and stories. Gabrielle taught Rose how to play a game where she was to act out a play or a legend so that the others could guess as to what it was. Gabrielle was the best at it and Rose fared all right herself. Only Xena seemed to be lacking, but that was because, Gabby would surmise, she just wasn't putting in the effort.

Afterward, they all pitched in to clean up the dinner mess, and Xena and Rose kept burping and Gabrielle would scold them, but then she would let loose with a big belch herself and Xena would point and laugh at her while Rose would snicker and ask her if she was aware what a hypocrite was.

At bedtime, the three of them set out their bedrolls, and assumed their usual positions. Rose lying between her two grandmothers and the three of them snuggling up together, like peas in a pod and grateful for the warmth their closeness afforded. Rose was grown, but she still craved the attentiveness and protectiveness her grandparents showered upon her.

Snuggling into Xena's embrace, Rose asked, "So, Gran, how far away are we from Amphipolis?"

"Not far, Punky. We've less than a moon and we should be there."

"If we don't dawdle," Gabrielle added, cuddling up against Rose's back.

"But dawdlin' is half the fun, lass," Rose chuckled, then squealed when Gabby playfully poked her in the side.

"So is that," Gabrielle retorted. "Which route are we taking though, Xena? It's hard to determine an arrival date without knowing."

"We'll take the Strident Pass," Xena said decisively. "It's the most direct way."

"Oh, but then we run into several villages and settlements," Gabrielle reminded her. "That can slow us down considerably. What if we just skirted around and followed the river?"

"Talk about taking too long," Xena argued. "Gabrielle, that would simply take us too far out of our way."

"Not if we don't dawdle," Gabrielle said again.

Rose lay between her grandmothers, feeling safe and content. The sound of their bickering soothed her and lulled her into a peaceful slumber…

OOO

After what seemed like mere minutes, Rose awoke to the sound of the same heated discussion regarding which path was best to take to Amphipolis. The familiar voices of her grandmothers yammered on and Rose, her head still thick as cotton in that state between the dream world and the waking one, grumbled like an angry bear who'd been disturbed during hibernation.

"Oh, fer cryin' out loud, can't ye two quiet down? I'm tryin' to sleep here, ye know?"

The loud discussion abruptly stopped, to be replaced by urgent whispers and then, for a long moment, silence. The silence is what made Rose realize that she was no longer dreaming and she had definitely heard two eerily familiar voices. Keeping her eyes shut, Rose forced herself to slow her breathing and tried her best to feign sleep. It seemed to have worked, because not long after, the two voices started talking again, albeit more quietly than they had before.

With the stealth that would rival her grandmother, Rose slowly opened her eyes as wide as she dared. The talking continued, with the occasional giggle (usually Gabrielle) or innuendo (the other voice) thrown in for good measure. Since the conversation went on, Rose wisely reasoned that she had not been noticed. Very slowly, she rose up on her bedroll, partly out of necessity at babying her still tender body and partly to not draw attention to herself.

She saw Gabrielle sitting on a fallen log by the now smoldering campfire, stoking it with sticks and preparing breakfast. She was facing the direction of the bedrolls where Rose currently was. Standing in front of the bard, her back to Rose, was a tall person, female if the figure was any indication, with long, raven-colored hair. At once, Rose recognized the figure as being the one who had appeared to her in the water's reflection in the woods before Paxton attacked them. She also looked strangely reminiscent to the grandmother she had grown up with in her special dream world. But that couldn't be… could it?

Standing up, she crept closer until she was nearly touching the mighty figure. Gabrielle noticed her finally and nodded, smiling, until she realized the situation and her green eyes went wide.

"Who is this?" Rose asked, her voice dry from thirst and nervousness. She was almost afraid of the answer, but she had to hear it. She had to know the truth.

Gabrielle was dumbstruck. "Uh…" she mumbled incoherently. She could not believe it. The moment of truth had arrived at last. She looked up at her soul mate, who winked at her, letting her know this was for real and all would be okay.

"Well, that was eloquent," Rose muttered sarcastically at the bard who usually never shut up. Suddenly she couldn't form a cognitive sentence? "Where are yer manners, lass?"

Finally regaining her composure, Gabrielle narrowed her eyes at her smart mouth grandchild and folded her arms across her chest. "Where are yours?"

"Uh, sorry," Rose replied sheepishly, still distracted by this mysterious new comer. She walked around to stand beside the blond. That's when she got her first good look at the dark haired woman. It made Rose gasp. The tall woman glanced down at her, raising an eyebrow. She was the most beautiful woman Rose had ever seen- except for her lass, of course- and she looked strong and lean and muscular and she had the most exceptionally intense blue eyes… This was the woman in her dreams. "Wh- who are ye?" she stammered.

"Sooo… you can really see her?" Gabrielle asked, still in disbelief that this moment had finally come.

The Irish woman rolled her eyes. "She's standin' right in front of us, isn'a she, Miss Daft?"

"Who do you see…" Gabrielle wanted to be completely sure. Either that or she wanted to keep pushing her granddaughter's buttons.

As expected, this refusal to answer her question only irritated Rose further. "Sheesh! The lady, fer cryin' out loud! The tall, beautiful lady with the blue eyes and the funny lookin' clothes!"

"Who are you calling 'funny looking', punk?" Xena asked, her arms folded in a similar fashion to Gabrielle's, her eyes twinkling, her face doing its best not to crack a smile.

"Uh, no offense, ma'am," Rose began, but she stopped short. "Wait a minute… 'punk'?" Rose's eyes widened. For as long as she could remember, the Xena from her dreams had referred to her as a punk. Her breathing went shallow and she paled visibly.

"Rose?" Gabrielle asked, standing up and putting a motherly arm around her. "You all right?"

"Um, no…"

"Well, snap out of it, honey," the bard chuckled. "There's someone here that I want you to meet." Rose was trembling by now and trying to get behind Gabrielle, who would have nothing of it, and she pulled her back out into the open. "Rose," she went on proudly, "I would like you to meet Xena: Warrior Princess… your grandmother."

"B-b-but that's impossible," Rose exclaimed, gaping up at the towering form before her. "I mean, Xena is… well, she's dead."

Xena offered her a devilish grin. "Yeah, I died. What a bitch of a day that was."

"Xena!" Gabby scolded in annoyance over her partner's choice of first words to their grandchild.

"Dead people canno' talk," Rose argued, in spite of the evidence presented in front of her. The young woman's eyes were the size of dinner plates and she was clutching onto Gabrielle's hand tightly.

"You ever met one before?" Xena challenged her, taking a step closer and the momentarily scared speechless Rose could only shake her head. "Well, then, how would you know? Now, come here and give your grandmother a hug! I've been waiting for this moment for a long time!"

Rose's feet seemed unable to move. She appeared rooted to the spot as she continued to stare. Disengaging from her vice like grip, Gabrielle helped her out by giving the girl a little shove in Xena's direction. Rose tripped and would have fallen on her face, but Xena intervened, caught the young lady in her arms, which made Rose gasp in surprise and pull back.

"I can touch ye and feel ye!" she stammered. She looked about ready to pass out from shock.

"Yeah, well, if you can do all that then you're perfectly capable of giving me a hug, so c'mere for a cuddle!" Xena grabbed a hold of the small woman again and pulled her into her tight embrace. It felt so wonderful to hold her grandchild. She was a living link to her daughter Eve and someone to share and to love with her soul mate. The spirit got rather teary eyed as she bent down to kiss the dark head, currently smooshed up against her bosom. "I love you, kiddo," she whispered.

Rose couldn't breathe, so overwhelmed was she by the tremendous emotion- not to mention the tremendous bosom- she found herself facing. She pulled away, just a little so she could look up at the beautiful woman who held her. "Ye are really her? I mean, ye are Xena?"

"That's me."

"But how can this be?" the brunette murmured, in a daze. She reached up to touch the cool smoothness of Xena's cheek. It felt identical to the woman's who had raised her in her dreams. The shock began to wear off and realization set in. "By the gods," she sobbed, her dark eyes spilling tears over rounded cheeks.

Gabrielle, loving, intuitive person that she was, couldn't help but to burst into happy tears at witnessing the emotional scene unfolding before her. This was her family. Her family. And they were all together at last.

"Oh, come here, you big baby," Xena said, aware of her soul mate's blubbering and she grabbed the blond woman up and held her just as tightly.

Gabrielle rested her head on Xena's shoulder and glanced over to Rose, who was looking incredibly pale and more than a little queasy. She hoped the youngster didn't decide to puke all over them.

"Rose," Xena went on, squeezing her granddaughter even more tightly, "it's true, I am dead; at least, my body is dead, from some twenty odd seasons ago. But my soul lives on. Now, since my soul is so closely connected with Gabrielle's, I was given the option to stay with her, rather than be reincarnated into another person. And since you are our grandchild, you have an automatic bond to me, which allows you to see, hear and touch me as well."

"Touch ye," Rose repeated, running her hand over Xena's arm in wonder. "Just like Gabrielle?"

"Well, not just like Gabrielle," Xena responded without thinking. "She and I sometimes like to-"

"Xena!" Gabrielle exclaimed, turning as red as a beet.

"Eh, it's a different kind of relationship," the Warrior Princess explained.

"Aye…" Rose murmured, still trying to wrap her mind around this new turn in her life. She could not stop staring at the spirit, which looked and felt as real to her as Gabrielle did. "Um, Xena?"

"Wait, don't call me that. I'm your grandmother, you know."

"But she's me grandmother, too," Rose squeaked, jerking her thumb the bard's direction, "and I call her Gabrielle."

"No, you don't," Xena reminded her. "You usually call her your 'wee lass'." She had tried- and failed- to affect an Irish brogue. "And ye canno' call me that, either!"

Both the smaller women wrinkled their noses in identical distaste over Xena's lame attempt. "Ugh," Rose muttered, "I won't iffen ye promise me never to speak like that again!"

"Everyone's a critic," Xena muttered and Gabrielle laughed and leaned up to kiss the spirit's cheek.

"Told ya," she whispered into her ear and was swatted back down.

"So, um, what should I call ye, then? 'Grandmother'?"

Xena caressed her face. "Nah, that sounds way too formal."

"How about 'grandma'?" Gabrielle innocently suggested.

"No!" Xena protested, making a face. "That makes me sound old!"

"Well, technically, Xena, you are old," Gabby pointed out.

"Not to mention, dead," Rose added and Xena flicked her nose. "Ow!"

"No, I just don't see myself as 'grandma'," Xena explained.

"Yeah, me neither," Rose agreed, rubbing at her nose. She looked up at the warrior with a devilish grin. "Should I call ye 'granny'?"

"Not if you want to continue living," came the amused reply.

"What about 'nana'?" Gabrielle offered up. "Or 'mema'?"

"No!"

"Uh, what about 'grammy bear'?"

"For the love of… no, Gabrielle!"

"Me mother of a mother?" Rose supplied.

"That sounds kind of obscene…"

Gabrielle rolled her eyes. "We're running out of ideas, here, Xena. There's only so many names people call a grandmother, you know."

"What about…" and Rose hesitated for a moment, because this entire situation was becoming more and more spooky and surreal by the moment. "How about 'gran'?" This was what she had always called her in her dream the night before.

"'Gran'," Xena contemplated. "Hmm…"

"Sounds a little plain to me," Gabrielle mentioned.

"Exactly, which is why I like it," Xena said, beaming. "Okay, so 'gran' it is!"

The three women nodded in agreement and shared another group hug. Xena got a little overzealous.

"Ach! I canno' breathe, Gran!"

"By the gods, Xena!"

"Oops," Xena chuckled. "My bad. I'm just… really thrilled to have you two with me . You're my family."

"Gran?"

"Yes, Punky?"

"I love ye."

"Aw, I love you, too, kiddo."

"And I love ye, lass."

"Love you, too, honey."

"Um… Gran?"

"Yes, Rose?"

"Was that ye that kept trippin' me and makin' me fall?"

Xena grinned. "Heh heh, yeah. Pretty funny, wasn't it?"

"Oh, aye, hilarious!" Rose agreed, smirking. "And that was ye who kept makin' me knock stuff over, right?"

"Nope. That was all you, kid."

"Oh…"

"You have the grace of your wee lass, me thinks," Xena joked and Gabrielle smacked her arm.

"You're such a turd," Gabby laughed.

"I do my best."

"Umm… hey, Gran?"

"Yes, Rose?" Xena sighed, slightly exasperated over all the questions.

"Could ye stop squeezin' me so tightly? I really kind of have to pee."

Xena and Gabrielle both let go of their granddaughter quickly. They watched fondly as she scurried off to find the nearest bush.

Wrapping her arm around her partner again, Xena smiled happily. "There goes our little one, Gabrielle."

"Yeah…"

"Ouch!" they heard a scream from the bush. "This damn thing has nettles!"

"Watch your language, Punky," Xena called to her in a motherly tone. "Yep, that's our baby…"

Gabrielle laughed. "We're the weirdest family in Greece, aren't we?"

"What? Just because I'm a dead warrior with a little blond girlfriend and a short, smart mouth, Irish punk for a grand kid?" Xena joked.

"Crap on a cracker!" they heard Rose exclaim. "Thar be a snake in this here bush!"

"Your gran is coming, Puddin'!" Xena promised, racing in after their distressed grandchild.

"Yep," Gabrielle chuckled. "The weirdest!" And she dutifully followed after.

OOO

Traveling to Amphipolis by way of the Strident Pass- yes, Xena had gotten her way, as usual- the three women spent a lot of time walking together, talking, joking around, and sharing. They bonded and became close. It was a lot more fun and easier for everyone now that Xena and Rose were officially acquainted and Xena didn't have to disappear every time Rose was around. Gabrielle had felt a huge strain lifted from her shoulders, not having to be so guarded when interacting with her soul mate, or trying to convince their granddaughter that she wasn't insane.

"Well, at least now you know that I'm not daft, huh," Gabby had commented with a smirk to Rose.

The brunette had sniggered and patted the bard's arm, replying cheekily, "Oh, lass, trust me, yer still daft!"

Gabrielle had swatted at her, and Rose had easily side stepped the attack, but then got smacked on the bottom by Xena, a surprise attack.

"Don't be a punk to your grandmother," the spirit had scolded her.

"Damn women, tag teamin' me!" Rose had grumbled, rubbing her sore butt.

The trio bickered and teased each other and of course, there was that occasional swat on the arm, or the back of the head, or the rump, but it was all in good fun, and all three of them were happy and content to be together.

The blond bard, now getting to see her partner and their grandchild interact together, realized just how much they were alike. In spite of Rose's gentle soul and tender heart, she could be as competitive and into rough physical play as Xena had always been. They also shared the same sarcastic- and sometimes raunchy- sense of humor. Gabrielle sometimes felt a little overwhelmed by the two of them. Just one smart ass in the family was more than enough, but both of them together had her laughing at their wickedness in delight one moment and wanting to rip her hair out over their antics the next. Xena was more like her old self than she had been since before her death all those years ago. And Rose had really opened up, become less somber and brooding with Xena there to either cheer her up or kick her in the butt whenever she needed it. Sometimes the warrior ghost and her Irish grandchild wouldn't get along and Gabrielle, ever the peace maker, would have to intervene to get them talking again. Other times, they would gang up on her and tease her so mercilessly, it was all she could do not to slap them both silly and set up her own camp somewhere down the road.

There was no denying it, by the time they made their way towards the last village before Amphipolis, the trio was truly a loving, albeit boisterous, close-knit family unit, as Gabby would have put it. Rose said they were like three peas in a pod, and Xena corrected them by exclaiming they were as thick as thieves.

The town they were approaching- the last obstacle between them and Amphipolis- was a large city called Xenith, and had to have been a fairly recent development within the last fifteen years or so, because it had not been there the last time Gabrielle had been out this way, nor had she heard of it.

Rose seemed increasingly anxious, the closer they got to Amphipolis, worried about how everyone would regard her. But more than that, she was incredibly excited to see the town where her grandmother had been born and raised, to see where her family had all been laid to rest. This was her history and it was important for her to see and learn all she could. She was so excited, in fact, she was especially annoying to her traveling companions, never more so than the night before reaching Xenith.

"How long will it take us to get there?" she pestered Xena for the countless time, who was lying back on a bedroll and staring up at the stars.

"How long will it take before you get your butt over here and help me with these dishes?" Gabrielle called from several feet away, over by the gentle river they had set up camp next to.

"Go help your 'wee lass'," Xena instructed her granddaughter sternly.

With a world weary sigh, Rose did as she was told. Still, the slightly wider distance between her and the Warrior Princess did not deter her interrogation. "I'm helpin' her, see?" she said, making a big show of it. "Now, tell me, Gran, when will we get there?"

"Oh, jeez Louise!" Xena groaned. "Who knew any granddaughter of mine could be this annoying? She gets that from you, Gabrielle."

"I don't think so," Gabrielle argued, feverishly scrubbing out the pan from dinner.

"Well, weren't ye repeatedly referred to in yer scrolls by others as the 'irritatin' lil' blond'?" Rose responded brightly, eliciting a chuckle out of Xena and a glare from Gabrielle.

"You get that smart ass sense of humor from her," the bard muttered, gazing pointedly at her soul mate, who locked eyes with her and laughed even harder.

"Well, duh," both Xena and Rose told her, and the blond rolled her eyes at them.

Rose shook her head, doing a hasty job on cleaning off the dinner plates. "So, accordin' to ye both, I got the worst traits from each of ye."

Xena sighed in mock disappointment. "Yep, that's usually how it works."

Tossing the last dinner plate into the pile of clean dishes- that Gabrielle would later have to re-wash- Rose leapt from her spot and tackled Xena on the bedroll. "So, when are we gettin' there, Gran?"

"You never stop, do you?" Xena chuckled, trying to shove the smaller woman off of her.

"It's called tenacity and it's a good thing," Rose explained with a smile. "I wonder which of ye I got that from?"

"Me!" Xena and Gabrielle responded in unison, causing Rose to chuckle.

"Look, Punky, we'll probably make it to the village of Xenith by late afternoon tomorrow," Xena finally told her.

Rose looked disappointed. "Well, what if we left at first light?"

"That is leaving at first light," Xena groaned. She smiled as Gabrielle finished up the dishes and came over to lie down beside her.

"But what if we left before first light then?" Rose prodded her.

"Well, hey, why not forgo sleep altogether and just head out now?" Xena suggested, mimicking her grandchild's exuberant tone.

"Really?"

"No!"

The small brunette harrumphed and she flopped down heavily across Xena's stomach, which of course, did not hurt the spirit, but she made a startled noise that sounded like, "Oof!" And then she muttered, "Watch it, punk!"

"What do ye care, anyway, Gran?" Rose protested. "I mean, ye don't even need to sleep!"

"No, but I do require some down time. Besides, Argo needs to rest, Gabrielle needs sleep, and so do you, for that matter. Speaking of which, isn't it past your bedtime, squirt? Your grandmothers want to cuddle."

Gabrielle blushed as Rose made a face.

"Oh, puke! And ye canno' tell me to go to bed."

"Sure I can. I believe I just did."

"But I'm not a child!"

"You're my child."

"Technically, I'm yer grandchild."

"Same thing."

"I thought grandmothers were supposed to bake cookies and darn socks and spoil their grand kids," Rose muttered, folding her arms.

"What the hell are you complaining about?" Xena muttered right back, pulling Gabrielle a little closer into her embrace while staring up into the mischievous face of her granddaughter. "Gabrielle made you those dumplings just a few days ago, and I showed you how to mend the tear in your tunic yesterday. Trust me, you are spoiled- as in rotten!" Then she caught the small woman off guard, tickling her belly and shoving her off. "Now, go to sleep, brat!"

After weeks of sleeping in the same manner as they had in her dreams, with her lying contentedly in between them, feeling warm and safe, Rose stared down at her two grandparents, who were snuggling and lying close together with no room for her to wriggle in. She just sat there, wondering where she was supposed to rest her head, not wanting to choose one over the other and cause any hurt feelings.

Xena glanced up at her and groaned. "Oh, for the love of Eli, just pick a spot and lie down, Punky!"

Xena's snarling made Rose's decision much easier, and giving the Warrior Princess a look, she laid next to Gabrielle, snuggling in against her, fighting off the chill of the evening as well as giving her comfort. Xena said nothing, but smiled inwardly. She'd been hoping Rose would choose to cuddle up to her soul mate. The two of them needed each other. As a spirit, she could offer love and comfort but no real warmth.

And Gabrielle sighed in contentment, pleased by the arrangement. This was the way they used to sleep before Xena had decided to allow Rose to see her. It was blissful. "Ahhh…" she murmured, "this feels so… so…"

"Cramped?" Xena finished for her.

"She's the meat in an idiot sandwich," Rose replied, and Xena had reached over Gabrielle to flick the insolent pup on the nose. "Ow! Stop it, Gran!"

"Please, don't argue," Gabby sighed wearily, giving each of them a little shove. "You're both right."

The Warrior Princess and the Irish orphan guffawed over her retort. Then the three women were quiet for a long time, all lying on their backs and staring up at the magnificent night sky. Gabrielle was just about to drift off…

"Gran," Rose said, predictably breaking the contented silence, "is the village of Xenith named after ye?"

"No, I doubt it," Xena told her, closing her eyes and letting her fingers find Gabrielle's silken hair, running them gently through her golden tresses.

"Well, who knows, Xena, it very well could be," Gabrielle yawned. "After all, you're the best known citizen of their sister town of Amphipolis."

"Aye, that be true," Rose agreed, enthusiastically.

"Don't encourage her, Gabrielle," Xena groaned. "Nah, it's probably just a coincidence. I'm sure most people have forgotten about me by now."

"No, they haven't!" Rose insisted, getting her Irish up and sounding quite defensive. "The wee lass here wrote hundreds of scrolls about ye! I've heard the stories, even read 'em me self while stuck in an orphanage in another country! To say that ye have been forgotten is an affront to the great bard, Gabrielle!"

The great bard in question was touched that Rose had stood up for her, even though it hadn't been necessary. Xena hadn't meant anything by her comment. She and Xena exchanged a glance.

"Oh, Gabrielle, I'm sorry to have affronted you," Xena said teasingly.

"That's all right, Xena," Gabby chuckled.

"Next time, I'll go for your rear!" the warrior cackled, making Gabrielle gasp in surprise when she goosed the blond on her bottom.

"Yer a jerk, Gran!" Rose snickered.

"Takes one to know one," Xena retorted good-naturedly.

"I'm more of a punk than a jerk," the small brunette argued.

"Shut up, both of you, and go to sleep," Gabby sighed.

"I don't sleep, remember?" Xena ever so sweetly reminded her.

"And I'm much too excited to sleep," Rose added, scooting up and resting her chin on Gabrielle's shoulder.

"Fine," the blond muttered, wriggling her way out of the cramped space on the bedroll. "You two can stay up all night farting around, but I need to get some sleep!" She grabbed her blanket and set it up across the campfire, a good ten feet away from them.

"Nice going, punk," Xena grunted, giving her granddaughter's arm a punch.

"Ow! Hey, I'm not the one fartin'!"

"Well, don't look at me," the Warrior Princess insisted. "Ghosts don't fart."

"They don't?" Rose asked, sounding genuinely disappointed.

"We don't have to, although… I might be able to, if I concentrated hard enough."

"Try it!" Rose urged.

Gabrielle sighed in exasperation, unable to sleep, and listening to the sounds of tooting and laughter well into the night.

OOO

Early the next morning, Gabrielle awoke with a splitting headache and with the surprise that she had somehow ended up back next to her beloved. Xena lay beside her, gazing at her with a loving expression, gently stroking her hair with cool fingers.

"Good morning, starshine," Xena whispered, smiling.

"Don't know what's so good about it," Gabrielle grumbled. "I feel like I'm suffering from a hangover, only I don't recall having a drink last night…"

Xena assumed the proper apologetic look. "Well, that feeling can also be caused by head injuries, followed by lack of sleep due to your punk of a granddaughter and your ass of a partner. I'm sorry, Gabrielle." She kissed the woman's forehead.

"Oh, it's all right, Xena. I know you both are just excited to spend time together. And speaking of punks, where is Rose?" Gabby asked as she hadn't seen the girl.

"She's over here," Xena assured her and let her form go invisible for a moment so Gabrielle could see their grandchild tucked snugly against the spirit's side, a snore emitting from her slightly opened mouth. She wore a contented expression.

Gabrielle's heart swelled and she smiled, reaching over Xena to caress the smaller woman's cheek. "She's so cute when she's asleep."

"Quiet, too," Xena added, rolling her eyes and making her partner giggle. "Guess we don't have to wonder where she gets her chattiness from, do we?" She playfully nudged the bard.

"Yeah, I was pretty chatty," Gabrielle admitted, chuckling. "I used to never shut up."

"What do you mean 'used to'?" Xena teased, an old joke they often shared between them.

"Ha ha," Gabrielle snickered, swatting at her friend's arm. "You know you have a singular wit about you, Xena."

"Only one, huh?" the Warrior Princess pondered, smiling brightly. "That would explain a lot. Speaking of wits, you must be at your 'wit's end', am I right?" She winked playfully.

"Wow," Gabby retorted, shaking her head. "There it is, again."

Xena laughed quietly and gave the bard a quick kiss. "Can you guess what my singular wit is thinking about now, Gabrielle?"

"Something naughty?" the blond asked hopefully.

"Yes, but not in the way you're thinking. For crying out loud, Punky is lying right next to us." She waggled her eyebrows at her.

Blushing, Gabby snagged another kiss for herself, then said, "So, what's your idea then, you wicked warrior?"

"Wicked warrior?" Xena chuckled. "I like the sound of that… but I was actually just contemplating the best way to wake up Rose."

"Uh… gentle nudging?" Gabrielle suggested.

"Nah, that little punk kept us both up half the night with her incessant giggling and all of her little challenges. I swear, if I'd still been alive, I would have shit myself at least twice last night."

"Lovely, Xena," Gabrielle groaned, wrinkling her nose.

"So, I'm thinking… being tickled mercilessly, or a bucket of cold water in the face, or a nice loud shout in the ear, or maybe we should just toss a few oats on her tummy and let Argo nibble on her."

"Jeez, Xena. Rose was right. You are a big, mean grandmother."

"Hey, what's a few pranks between family members?" Xena defended herself. "I think I'll go with the old cold-bucket-of-water-in-the-face trick. It never fails."

"Well, it will today, because I'm awake and yer a big, fat jerk, Gran!" Rose muttered from her place beside Xena. She sat up with a groan. "Ach! I feel like I slept on me face!"

"Yeah, it kind of looks that way, too," Xena cracked, smacking the small woman heartily on the back.

"Leave me alone, Gran!" the Irish lass whined, before giving the spirit a hard shove. "Gabrielle isn'a this mean in the mornin'."

Xena shrugged. "I'm not Gabrielle."

Rose stuck her tongue out at her grandmother, then tumbled over her so that she could lie next to Gabrielle. She's snuggled in against the bard's side.

"Good morning, sweetheart," Gabby yawned. "Rough night?"

"Are you sayin' me face looks slept on, too, lass?" Rose asked in mock horror, and Gabby groaned at her.

The bard wrapped an arm around her granddaughter, and they exchanged kisses and looked up at Xena, who was now sitting up and looking over them and shaking her head.

"You know, you're as big as she is," and Xena paused when Gabrielle gave her a dirty look, "almost. You two look like baby cats snuggling up in a basket!"

"They're called kittens, Xena," Gabby retorted, giving her granddaughter another kiss, her maternal instincts swelling inside of her.

"Like I care," Xena scoffed. She loved picking on her favorite people.

"I don't care, either," Rose piped up, "'bout lookin' silly, or anythin', I mean. The wee lass is me grandmother- the nice one- but all things considerin' I think of her like the mother I never knew, or the big sister I never had an' always wanted."

"Aw, really, Rose?" Gabrielle asked and Rose nodded, giving her a sweet smile. Xena rolled her eyes. The Irish peasant definitely had the bard wrapped around her little finger.

"Aye, really, lass."

"And what about me?" the Warrior Princess demanded to know, crossing her arms.

"Yer the big sister I never had and never wanted," Rose cracked and she gave Xena's booted foot a swift kick. Gabrielle giggled, in spite of herself. After all, someone had to give it to Xena as good as she gave, once in a while.

"Thanks a lot!" Xena growled.

"Ah, I was just joshin' with ye, Gran," Rose said, after laughing against Gabby's shoulder for a second or two. "You're still the coolest grandmother in the world, even bein' dead can't stop that."

Xena's chest puffed out with pride, her ego sufficiently soothed. "Yeah, I… I am pretty cool."

"Well, let's start the day then, Ms. Cool," Gabrielle suggested, stretching, then sitting up. "I'll make us some tea."

"Why don't we just go back to sleep?" Rose suggested instead. "I mean, the sun's not even up yet."

"This coming from our early riser?" Gabrielle asked in mock astonishment.

"Yeah, what happened to leaving before first light?" Xena teased her.

"I'm too tired for that," Rose muttered grumpily.

Gabrielle affectionately ruffled her granddaughter's messy hair. "That's what you get for staying up so late. Next time, get to sleep when you're supposed to."

"Meh," Rose replied, still not liking being scolded, especially by the bard, whose approval she longed for. She begrudgingly stood up and retrieved her sword, tucking it into her belt. Then she walked over to the campfire where their supplies were and said, "I'll make the tea for ye, lass."

"You don't have to," Gabrielle started to say.

"Let her, Gabrielle," Xena urged. "Who knows when she might offer again?"

"I'll take over makin' breakfast from now on, iffen ye want," Rose said, smiling sweetly at Gabrielle, before shooting Xena a look that was much less sweet.

"Why?" Gabby asked, somewhat suspiciously.

"Why argue with her?" Xena put in. "Unless she's a terrible cook. Are you, Punky?"

Rose scoffed at the accusation. "I do all right. And what do ye care anyway? Ye don't even eat!"

Xena shrugged. "Just looking out for my soul mate." She offered Gabrielle a loving look, and it was wholeheartedly returned.

"She's actually a great cook," Gabrielle said proudly. "That she definitely gets from me."

"No arguments here," Xena agreed, smirking.

"But you don't have to take over all the cooking, Rose," Gabrielle went on, turning back to her grandchild.

"I want to," Rose insisted.

"Why?" Gabby asked again, looking pointedly at the younger woman. Something seemed a little fishy here.

Rose shrugged and began to squirm under the close scrutiny of both grandmothers. "I just want to make ye happy."

"I am happy, Rose," Gabrielle assured her. "I have my soul mate and my granddaughter with me. Nothing could make me happier."

"Really?" Rose asked doubtfully.

"Not having to cook every morning might aid in that happiness, too," Xena mentioned casually and Rose stuck her tongue out at her.

"Xena," Gabby sighed, shaking her head at her partner before turning back to their granddaughter. "I appreciate the help, Rose and it would be nice to take turns, but you don't have to take over all of the responsibilities."

"But will ye still love us, then, and yer not too annoyed by our antics and keepin' ye up last night?" Rose asked hopefully.

The two warriors exchanged a glance. So this was the real reason behind the sudden eager attitude. Gabrielle gave Xena a little wink and said, "Oh, I was plenty annoyed about last night…" And she paused, watching her granddaughter's face turn slightly ashen. "But I was never annoyed enough to get sick of my two favorite people."

"Really?"

"Well, you did come close, but yeah, really," Gabby joked.

Xena stood beside Rose, dropping an arm around the youngster's shoulder. "Hey, Punk, are you afraid of us getting mad at you?"

Rose averted her eyes. "Maybe."

"Well, don't sweat it, kid, because it's bound to happen- a lot!"

"It will?" Rose asked fretfully.

"Well, sure, you're pretty damn annoying…"

"Xena!"

"Just kidding. Look, Rose, Gabrielle and I still annoy the hell out of each other; we squabble all the time, get on each other's last nerve…"

"Ye do?"

"Yep! And I manage to do that even from beyond the grave," she decried in a spooky voice.

Gabrielle nodded. "Rose, even the people you love most can get on your nerves. Sometimes they even do it purposely," and she gave a pointed look at her soul mate, who offered up one of her famous 'who, me?' expressions. "But that doesn't mean we stop loving each other. Nor does it mean that we would ever walk out on each other- or you."

"That's right," Xena reiterated. "I mean, I'm dead, but I'd still never leave Gabrielle."

"But what if I do somethin' awful?" Rose asked in a panicky tone. "What if I'm… bad?"

"I don't think people are really truly bad," Xena said, giving her granddaughter a loving squeeze on the shoulder. "At least, not the ones who actually worry about it. I believe sometimes people just make mistakes, but that doesn't mean the person who made the mistake is horrible."

"Good people sometimes do bad things," Gabrielle agreed. "And if you do, your family might be upset with you for a while, but… they love you, so they'll forgive you, even if it takes a little time."

Rose took a moment to mull all that over, standing in Xena's embrace, internally having some sort of discussion with herself. What they were telling her was a direct contrast to how she was brought up, especially once she had been placed in Paxton's care. For however flippant she might have acted that morning, that niggling fear that Gabrielle might be angry with her had worried her a lot.

Gabrielle glanced at Xena and they both knew instinctively what their grandchild was going through, and that she was philosophizing over it all. This was definitely a trait she'd inherited from the bard's side of the family.

"I still want to help ye, lass," Rose said finally. "Ye deserve to be treated well."

Tears glistened in the small blond's eyes. "Thank you, sweetheart. I gladly appreciate your help. You deserve to be treated well, too." She walked over and kissed the brunette's cheek.

"Group hug!" Xena announced, pulling the two small women into a tight, warm embrace that got increasingly tighter.

Rose looked up at them, an amused expression on her tired face. "Is every mornin' goin' to be a big love fest?"

"Ah, yes," Gabrielle sighed happily, while Xena replied, "Usually. You got a problem with that, punk?"

"Nay, Gran," Rose told her, squeezing them both even tighter. "It's sure an improvement over what I was raised in."

Xena cupped the small woman's face in her hand. "You will never have to go through that again, Punky. I promise."

"Yeah, you're with us now, and we're all about the love," Gabrielle stated proudly.

"Ooh, yeah, the love," Xena said, making goo goo eyes at her soul mate.

"Oh, fer cryin' out loud," Rose muttered, trying to disengage herself from the embrace. "Ye two can do that when I be sleepin', all right?"

"We can do it when you're awake, too, see?" Xena said, bending down to kiss Gabrielle.

The two women rubbed noses and laughed.

Rose rolled her eyes to the heavens. "Aren't ye two such bad ass warriors?"

The trio smiled at each other, then reluctantly let go so that they could feed Argo III and start making their own breakfast.

OOO

"What's that say?" Rose asked her millionth question of the day as she pointed to a sign just on the outskirts of the next town.

Both Xena and Gabrielle groaned simultaneously. Rose may have claimed that she was not a child, but her confined upbringing- first in the orphanage and later living with Paxton on his farm- had left her innocent and unfamiliar with most of the world. She had childlike wonder for every new experience, which both her grandmothers found endearing, but her incessant questions were driving them a little batty. Even Xena had to admit that Gabrielle- or "Chatty Gabby", as she used to secretly refer her as during their first few months of traveling together- had never been this talkative.

"You used to call me 'Chatty Gabby'?" Gabrielle had asked in disbelief and irritation when Xena had let it slip earlier that morning.

"Well, not to your face," Xena had graciously explained, "and only because you would never stop talking."

Xena had gotten the silent treatment from her partner for most of the afternoon.

But now, by early evening, Gabrielle was too exhausted to be holding a grudge and she was back to commiserating with the Warrior Princess over their grandchild's relentless string of questions.

"What's it say?" Rose pestered them again.

"It says for you to shut up," Xena grumbled.

"No, it doesn'a!" the Irish woman shot back.

"It says, 'Welcome to Xenith'," Gabrielle replied, trying to keep the peace.

"Can't you read?" Xena huffed.

Rose shrugged. "Gaelic, sure, but this is all Greek to me." She smirked and made both of her grandmothers chuckle.

"Ah, you've got a good sense of humor, punk," Xena conceded, tousling the dark hair until it resembled a mop top. "I knew there was a reason to keep you around."

"Verra funny," Rose countered. "Guess we know I get me sense of humor from the wee lass then."

"What do you mean?" Xena didn't mean to brag, she had to admit that she was pretty damn funny.

"Because yer sense of humor is so bad, Gran!" the young woman cracked and she and Gabrielle had a laugh at the warrior's expense.

"Ooh, burn," Gabrielle chuckled.

"Oh, sure, go ahead and gang up on the dead woman," Xena remarked, doing her best to look pitiful.

"Hey, check that out!" Rose exclaimed as they came closer to the town. "Looks like a Chakram, don' it?"

They were coming up to the first building in the village. It had a sign out front which read, 'Weapons and More' with what looked just like a picture of Xena's Chakram painted on it.

"Well, I'll be," Xena murmured.

"I think that is a Chakram, Xena," Gabrielle whispered in surprise.

"Hey, shouldn'a be makin' yerself invisible now?" Rose reminded Xena, as they already saw plenty of people walking up and down the street and in and out of shops.

"Nah," Xena brushed off the warning. "You and Gabrielle are the only ones who can see me, squirt."

"Squirt?" Rose repeated, wrinkling her nose and resembling her blond grandmother while doing so. "I think I like 'Punky' better, Gran."

"Do you?"

"Aye. 'Squirt' sounds rather obscene."

Gabrielle had taken a swig of her water skin and promptly choked on it, spitting it out all over herself.

Xena chuckled as she patted her partner on the back. "So, whose sense of humor did she inherit?"

"Yours," Gabrielle muttered, wiping her chin with the back of her hand, watching the Warrior Princess smiling in satisfaction.

"If they sell Chakrams, could I get one, lass?" Rose asked hopefully.

"No."

The small brunette groaned and she looked to Xena instead. "Could I get one, Gran?"

"Eh…" she was about to say, 'sure', when Gabrielle spoke up, another one of those stern 'mommy expressions' taking hold of her features yet again.

"Oh, no you don't, young lady," the bard scolded her granddaughter, having no qualms about chastising a woman who appeared to be nearly as old as she was. "You are not going to pit us against each other when you want something." She looked at her partner. "Xena, we need to form a united front in these types of situations."

"Um, okay," Xena replied, not really sure what her soul mate was blabbering on about now.

Gabrielle's stern face returned its gaze to Rose. "I remember Lila and I used to do that to our parents when we were kids and we wanted something."

"So, are ye sayin' I get me manipulative nature from ye then, lass?" Rose asked innocently.

"Must be," Xena replied. "When I wanted something bad enough, I just took it. I didn't ask my mom."

"Figures," Gabrielle sighed.

"Hmm," Rose contemplated.

"No way, Rose," Gabby warned her again. "You're not too big to take you over my knee, you know."

"Yes, I am."

"Well… that may be, but Xena could still-"

"All right, lass," Rose interrupted her. "I won't buy or steal a Chakram. Don't have a minotaur, jeez!"

"Good," the bard replied, satisfied that she'd won another hard earned victory. "Now…" and she turned back to face Xena, "remember to keep quiet and speak only when need be while others are about."

"I know the drill, Gabrielle," Xena sighed, looking down at her granddaughter. "Listen here, punk, I can talk to you inside of your head, and you can actually answer me internally, as well. No need to speak out loud at all while we're in town. It can get you into trouble if you do."

Putting two and two together, Rose's eyes lit up in realization. "Ah, that's why ye almost got thrown in jail back at me old village, isn'a lass?"

"Well, yeah, but that was purely orchestrated by Xena and I. Well, mostly by Xena," she added, staring accusingly at the woman she loved.

"That's ancient history now, Gabrielle," Xena groaned. "Besides, we needed to get the kid's attention, didn't we?"

"You could have warned me."

"There was no time!"

"Or you could have thought of something else."

"Again there was no time!" Xena tried to rationalize to her partner. "The punk was leaving and we had to get her attention."

"Are ye talkin' 'bout me? Gettin' me attention?"

"Yes."

"Couldn'a just walked up and said, 'Hello, I'm Gabrielle'?" Rose asked sensibly.

"See, I knew that would have worked," Gabby exclaimed.

Xena shook her head and felt a change in subject was in order. "Hey, I'm going to go ahead of you guys, check things out. Why don't you meet me in the tavern in a few minutes? You can get something to eat."

"There's a tavern here?" Gabrielle asked. "Where?"

"I don't know," Xena admitted, "but that's the one place all the larger villages seem to have. I won't be long, so don't drag your feet, all right?"

"All right."

"Gabrielle, keep an eye on Punky. And Punky…" Xena whispered as Gabrielle headed for the weapons shop, "Keep an eye on Gabrielle." She winked at her granddaughter, who nodded and winked back.

The spirit watched her two companions as they headed across the street and she smiled at them, love swelling in her heart. They could sense her watching and looked back at her to see her disappear before their eyes.

"Would ye look at that," Rose marveled, not yet accustomed to having someone she knew use the ability to materialize in and out so effortlessly. "Quicker'n walkin' I suppose."

"Come on, let's go check out the weapons shop and see what they have," Gabby urged her wide-eyed descendant, grabbing her hand and giving her a gentle tug.

"Does Gran really think that I'm a punk?" Rose wondered aloud, following along and taking in all the fantastic sights of the large village.

"No, of course not," the bard assured her. "She loves you so much."

"Then why does she call me 'punky'?" Rose questioned, recalling that Xena had been calling her that in her dreams since she could remember.

"Eh, it's a term of endearment."

"Then what does she call ye, besides yer given name?"

"Um…" Gabrielle thought for a while, trying to come up with something that wasn't a very private nickname, used only between them during their most intimate moments. "Well, she called me a goober once."

"Once? Wait, a goober?"

"Yeah…"

"Hmm… Goobrielle?"

"Don't even think about it, Rose," Gabby warned her. "Now come on. I'd like to get you a scabbard for that new sword of yours."

"Really? Thank ye, Goobrielle!" Rose replied ecstatically.

"Call me that again, and I won't," the bard sulked.

"Oh, so-rry! Sheesh!"

The two women entered the weapons store and both were surprised by what they found there. Every weapon that was for sale and displayed were replicas of Xena's and Gabrielle's weapons, including poor quality Chakrams, swords, whips as well as staffs and Sais. Leather armor and breast plates, similar to Xena's own outfit, hung on racks for sale, right alongside of some of Gabrielle's old outfits- they even had replicas of her Amazon Princess garb! A large mural hung on the far wall, depicting a decent likeness of Xena and Gabrielle fighting against Caesar and his Roman army.

"Be gorrah!" Rose exclaimed, sounding giddy and excited to be surrounded by so many things that reminded her of her grandparents. "Is that how the battles really looked, lass?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Gabrielle murmured quietly, trying not to draw any attention to them, as there were quite a lot of people milling about in the large shop.

On a display counter, there were dozens of different replica scrolls, telling of Gabrielle's tales regarding Xena, the Warrior Princess. Though they had mostly been rewritten in another's hand and voice, what little of it Gabrielle cared to read sounded pretty accurate. It caused her to shiver involuntarily. They even had a Junior Bard Scroll Beginner's Kit for sale that Rose begged Gabrielle to buy for her, but the woman adamantly refused. This commercialism of her and her soul mate's life together was angering her and making her feel more than a little uneasy. She'd be damned if she was going to use her own money to buy something that was bastardized from her own collection. She mollified her granddaughter by promising to buy her a new set of scrolls and quills once they reached Amphipolis.

The two women split up for a moment or two, to look about the place, Rose marveling at all things Xena and Gabrielle and the bard feeling more and more creeped out by the instant. She became nearly ill when she spotted several smaller pictures up on the wall behind the merchant's till, interpreting she and Xena's likeness in various, intimate poses, that were also, embarrassingly enough, surprisingly accurate. Turning bright red, she found Rose and skirted her granddaughter to another part of the store, hoping that the youngster had not seen the artwork.

Whoever had created this store and all its merchandise had obviously known them, or had done some damn fine research. All of the facts rang true, even if the merchandise did not. The only person she could think of who would have entertained such an enterprising notion would have been Salmoneous, but as their friend, she didn't think he would have gone through with such an endeavor without permission. Besides, she had heard of his passing several years back, so she doubted he would have been responsible.

Taking Rose by the hand, Gabrielle whispered to her that they urgently needed to get outside and the two women left the weapons shop in a hurry, without having purchased a thing.

OOO

Meanwhile, Xena walked down the main street of the town and was rather unnerved when people would smile at her or tip their hat or stop to compliment her costume. This confused the Warrior Princess who was clearly dead and had been for the past twenty years, and who had effortlessly wandered amongst the living all that time without being seen or acknowledged by anyone other than Gabrielle, Eve and Rose. Sure, she had managed to let Paxton see her right before he'd died, but she'd had to concentrate and use up a lot of energy doing so. But now, it almost seemed as if people might be able to see her without any effort at all…

"Good evening, ma'am," one man said. The young boy who was with him gave her a long look, his large blue eyes growing larger.

"She looks so much like her, Papa. Is she the real Xena?"

"Of course not," he interrupted his son. "The real Warrior Princess wasn't so tall and she was much more feminine!"

"Oh…"

"Excuse me?" Xena muttered in disbelief as the man and his son walked on. She watched them for a while in complete shock and dismay. "Gabrielle…" she murmured, sensing trouble. Then louder. "Gabrielle!"

Several young women, all dressed as Gabrielle at various stages in their travels together, turned to her and said, "Yes?"

"I'm in trouble…" Xena whispered to herself and she took off running down the street. Along the way, she nearly ran into dozens of other Xenas and Gabrielles and even a few Joxers. She kept calling and searching for her beloved, but she felt suddenly as confused and disoriented as she ever had when she'd been living.

She turned to look back once at the tavern, which had a large sign up that read Now Playing: The Chorus Line of the Dancing Xenas! Beneath that sign was another that read Third Annual Gabrielle Bard Awards: Final Round Tonight!

Xena shuddered- something else she had not done since before she'd died- and turned back, running smack dab into another Gabrielle. At first, she thought it might have been another wannabe but the real Gabrielle's soul was as familiar to her as her face was, and besides, this Gabby looked older, wore a more modern outfit and was currently arguing with their granddaughter over purchasing a Xena costume. The Warrior Princess sighed in relief.

Gabrielle stopped and turned to look at her partner. "Oh, thank the gods! Xena, you are not going to believe what we saw in the weapons shop! It had-"

"It's fantastic, Gran!" Rose butt in. "They've got this huge picture of ye two, fightin' against Caesar and his army. Oh, and they have plenty of Chakrams and I wanted to buy a Xena suit, but the lass wouldn'a let me, so can I-"

"Shut up, Rose," Xena interrupted her. "Gabrielle, I think we need to leave this place."

"What's wrong?"

"They can see me!" Xena whispered, her blue eyes wide in fear.

"Told ye! Should've made yerself invisible," Rose told her, with crossed arms.

"It shouldn't have mattered," Xena growled. "In all the years I've been dead, I can count the number of people who have seen my spirit on three fingers- Gabrielle, Eve and the Punk!"

"Well, four," Gabrielle corrected her, "remember Paxton saw you just before he died."

"What?" Rose exclaimed in surprise. "Paxton is dead? But how-"

"Not now, Rose!" both women shouted at her and she quieted again, sulking.

"How do you know someone saw you? Did someone look right at you? Perhaps they were more likely looking right through you," Gabrielle suggested.

"Gabrielle, they spoke to me!"

"Hmph! Maybe they were just talkin' through ye," Rose muttered under her breath, still hurt by their dismissing her.

"Don't be a smart ass," Xena warned her.

"Can't help it," Rose retorted. "It runs in the family."

"Why, you little-!"

"Rose, what do you think?" Gabrielle asked, trying to keep the peace between them yet again, especially in light of the dilemma they currently found themselves in.

"Well, when we were in the store, and I was over by the dirty pictures hung up on the wall of ye and Gran, I-"

"What?!" Xena snapped, while Gabby turned white, but Rose ignored them and went on.

"There was a scroll set up by the till and I asked the proprietor what it said. He seemed more'n happy to tell me all about it."

"And?" Xena asked impatiently.

"And the wee lass was right- Xenith is named after ye and it was founded by admirers of ye and our favorite bard. That's why ever'thin' round here looks like Xena-Land, I would imagine."

"But that doesn't explain why people can see me!" Xena grunted at her, making the young woman scowl.

"Xena," Gabrielle intervened gently, resting a calming hand on her arm.

"I'm sorry, Punky," the warrior sighed, apologizing sincerely. She tousled her granddaughter's hair.

"S'okay, Gran. But I think I might know why people can see ye here."

"Why?"

"It's because they're true believers of the Xen faith."

"The- the what?"

"The Xen faith," Rose explained. "The people who live here and their foundin' fathers and mothers, who created this place, they…"

"What?"

Rose couldn't hold in the giggle. "Well, they… they worship ye, Gran."

"Me?" Xena stammered in disbelief.

"Aye, and the wee lass," Rose added. "Well, apparently, she's some sort of saint in the faith, a prophet of sorts, while yer looked upon and worshiped kind of like a god!"

Gabrielle began to laugh and Rose happily joined in, while Xena stood there with a dumbfounded look on her face, which quickly turned to perturbation.

"Yep, get it out," Xena muttered at them. "Laugh it up! Get it all out of your system, because once you're through, it will be time to get the hell out of here!"

"But why?" Rose asked. "I mean, what does it matter if they can see ye? Nobody seems to care or think much of it."

"Hmm, and why is that, do you suppose?" Gabrielle added.

"Are ye kiddin'?" Rose exclaimed. "The place is lousy with Xenas and Gabrielles! They probably won't pay ye any mind, Gran, so long as they don' walk through ye or somethin'. If anyone sticks out like a sore thumb 'round here, it would be me!"

"You? Why?" Xena demanded to know.

"Because the lass wouldn'a let me buy a Xena outfit!"

"Oh, please," Gabrielle groaned. "They weren't at all worth the prices they were charging. Did you see what poor quality they were?"

"I just thought they were neat, is all."

A couple walked by, then stopped and gaped at the three women, who looked like they'd just been caught with their hands in a cookie jar.

"Wow! Great costumes, ladies! Really authentic," said the man.

"Uh… thanks," Gabrielle said with a friendly wave.

"Too bad she's so tall and not feminine," the woman commented, pointing at Xena. "Otherwise, you two would be a shoe in for the look-a-like contest."

"What the…?" Xena stuttered.

"Hey, jerk face," Rose shouted as the couple walked away, "she isn'a too tall!"

"Rose, shh honey, just let it go," Gabrielle urged.

"No, no; let her rant," Xena seethed through gritted teeth.

"Xena," Gabrielle said, lovingly rubbing her partner on the back. "That woman doesn't know what she's talking about. You know that you're beautiful, right?"

"She never said I wasn't beautiful," Xena pouted with her arms crossed. That had been the second time in a matter of minutes that she'd been called too tall and unfeminine.

"Well, you're also the perfect height and as feminine as they come," Gabby soothed her, "as well as being beautiful."

"How can ye doubt it, Gran," Rose added, gesturing a thumb in the bard's direction, "when she tells ye often enough."

Xena smiled and she made eyes at Gabrielle, who in turn, blushed most pleasantly and smiled right back. Rose grinned at them and said, "All right, ladies, kiss-kiss and then maybe we should be leavin' before Gran here loses all her self-esteem."

"Bite me, kid," Xena groused, then bent down to kiss Gabrielle, before they fled the scene, heading down the street to retrieve Argo III at the post they had tied her to next to the trough. None of them, not even Xena herself, who was leading the way, noticed the man dressed in priest's robes, watching them intently from afar.

On the way out of town, Gabrielle noticed an inn which also boasted of private baths available to rent. One merely had to pay for a candle mark's worth or two, and they were free to bathe in peace, quiet and privacy. She looked hopefully at Xena.

Xena looked back at Gabrielle. She still suffered from headaches and muscle pain. And little Rose still had bruises on her face and body that were just barely starting to fade to yellow. Xena took pity on her companions and she told them to take a little time and relax before they had to go back on the road. Amphipolis was still at least a week away. She wanted them to have one final hurrah of civilization before going back to roughing it.

Rose at first had argued against stopping, but after looking into Gabrielle's weary eyes, she relented and stopped fighting against the idea. She put Gabrielle as top priority, with Xena coming in second, mostly because she was a ghost and didn't worry about the niggling trivialities of the living.

They tied Argo III to the post in front of the large building and ventured inside. Xena told them to go on without her and she'd be back soon. She had wanted to check out the Temple of Xen, which they'd passed by in the center of town, and she promised she'd be right back. Giving each of her family members an affectionate peck on the cheek, Xena nodded and excused herself, subtly de-materializing as she passed back out through the main door.

Xena noticed the priest walking around outside of the bathing rooms and she stared at him suspiciously for a few moments. He stiffened, almost as if he sensed her presence, even though she was currently invisible and could not be seen by the human eye. Eventually, the man ventured into a large meeting hall a few doors down from the bath house, then Xena whisked herself over to the Xen Temple of Worship to see what all the fuss was about.

Upon entering the temple, she felt a strange feeling come over her. It was hard for her to register what that feeling was exactly, only that it felt something like a very tight embrace, one that was on the verge of being stifling. Her spirit felt heavy, almost lethargic in there and she longed to leave the place at once, but knowing she was there for a reason, Xena wouldn't abandon her task over a little discomfort, no matter how disconcerting it felt.

She sent her essence floating over every nook and cranny of that temple to learn all that she could about the Xen religion, its philosophies and about the followers who practiced in the faith. Just like in the weapons shop the girls had described to her, there were large murals painted on the walls of her and Gabrielle and their adventures. She was also surprised and incredibly embarrassed to find murals depicting her and Gabrielle's lovemaking- quite accurately- and she found copies of many of the more intimate scrolls, letters and poems Gabrielle and sometimes she had written to each other.

"How in the hell did anyone find any of these?" Xena wondered. "And why would anyone even care about our sex life?"

Xena knew that many of Gabrielle's scrolls had been left in several places over the years. Some had made their way back to her family in Potedia; some had been left in Amphipolis. She knew that Joxer had kept some of them, which was now in his widow Meg's and their son, Virgil's care. She knew their daughter Eve had kept some as well, at Gabrielle's insistence. Copies of the scrolls' greatest adventures had found their way around the world, sharing thrilling tales of danger and adventure, of friendship and sacrifice, but none of them had been so intimate as to give details about pet names or love letters or preferred sexual positions. She had a hard time believing that Gabrielle would have written any scrolls of that nature- at least none that she would share with anyone else. Still, she could not deny the evidence, displayed so openly in the temple dedicated to her.

Shaking her head in confusion, the spirit continued to look for more information. She found beneath the altar, a leather bound book, appropriately titled The Bard's Book of Xena. Skimming through, she saw only minimal mention of their daughter, Eve, who was described as a 'misguided follower of Eli' and 'blasphemer to the Xen faith', according to the person or persons who had put the book together. Xena found that quite odd, considering Eve was the beloved daughter to the 'sacred ones', namely she and Gabrielle. And speaking of the bard, she had been described as some sort of prophet of the Xen way, and consort to the almighty goddess, Xena. This tidbit of information both amused and perturbed her. She had never thought of her beloved as a consort, but rather an equal partner. And of course, Xena certainly did not care for being thought of as a godlike being, even if it gave her soul mate and their granddaughter a good laugh.

What is it with people? Why do they feel so compelled to worship something when they should be putting their faith in themselves and each other? That was the kind of mentality that Xena had never understood, not in life and not even after death.

She also noted that, while people had been following the exploits of her and Gabrielle for years, this whole full-blown Xen faith was rather new, started up only within the past couple of years, according to the records.

Hmm, this all started around the same time Eve left this Earth, Xena observed solemnly. And not long before Gabrielle and I began our journey to find Rose… She wondered if this was all a coincidence or not, but she had the weird feeling that it was all related somehow. It was a fascinating riddle, albeit creepy and disturbing, but Xena was intrigued. Needless to say, this definitely wasn't a place that she wanted to stick around in for much longer. The sooner she got her family safely on their way to Amphipolis, the better.

Though her mother was long dead, as was Lyceus, and even her elder brother, Toris, the black sheep of the family had died about a decade ago, Xena still had a few relatives living there; cousins and a nephew from Toris's brief marriage. Plus, her mother, brothers and Eve were all buried in the family mausoleum, and her own ashes rested there as well. There was even a space reserved for her beloved, Gabrielle, when it came time for the earth to claim her human body. It had actually been Gabrielle's own idea, wanting to lie with the woman she called family. Xena had roots in Amphipolis and she could think of no better place for her loved ones to reside, to grow and to thrive and be happy while she watched over them.

But they were still a week away from the town, and stuck in the strange village that worshiped Xena like a god. With a feeling of trepidation, the Warrior Princess decided to head back to the bathing facility and enjoy some quiet time with Gabrielle and Rose before they had to leave.

OOO

Gabrielle sighed in relaxation and contentment, thoroughly enjoying the hot bath she currently resided in. Across the small community tub, which was round and about five feet in circumference, Rose sat stiffly, neck deep in the steamy, sudsy water, her arms draped self-consciously over her breasts. She was not washing, she avoided any sort of eye contact and she was most definitely not relaxed.

"Rose, would you pass me the soap, please, honey?" Gabby asked absently, letting loose with another satisfied sigh.

"Er…" the Irish woman replied nervously, "not sure where it is…" She didn't move a muscle except for what it took to utter her reply.

The pretty blond eyed her companion in confusion and some concern. Rose certainly did look uncomfortable. "Maybe you're sitting on it," she joked, recalling an innocent memory from what seemed like a lifetime ago.

"I'm not either!" Rose retorted, her cherubic face offering up a scowl. Her arms pressed even more tightly across her chest.

Gabrielle chuckled, determined to retain her good mood, in spite of her granddaughter's surly demeanor. She glided easily over to Rose's side of the tub, unashamed of her nudity. "Well, maybe I ought to check for you," and she gave the younger woman a hard goose on her rear end.

Yelping in surprise and dismay, Rose's scowl turned into an expression of pure fury and Gabrielle almost laughed in her face, the look reminded her so much of Xena.

"Keep yer hands off me, lass!" Rose exclaimed. "Ye canno' touch me there!"

"Would you rather I touch you here?" Gabby asked, tweaking the girl's other buttock.

"Ach! Get off, Gabrielle!" Rose practically growled, doing her best to stay under water, to keep her arms over her breasts and to get away from her grandmother. So much multitasking wasn't easy, but the indignant young woman did her best.

"You gonna make me?" the bard challenged her, wearing nothing but a smirk.

"Be sure'n I will… just as soon as we're both fully clothed and out of this damn tub, that is," Rose muttered, sitting back and sulking.

Xena suddenly appeared, lounging at the edge of the tub, just behind the two women. She gave Rose's ear a hard tug. "Watch your language, Punky," she scolded her.

Rose rolled her eyes. "Oh, great, more witnesses to me bath!"

"Well, it is considered a community tub," Gabby pointed out.

"But we paid fer privacy… although I had no idea that I was expected to share with ye," Rose sighed.

"Aw, but we're family, honey," Gabrielle told her, coming closer and giving her a kiss.

Rose remained stiff and uncomfortable by the close proximity. "Lass, ye know I like yer affection, but do ye hafta do that when we're naked in a tub together?"

Both her grandmothers cracked up laughing at her discomfort, which made Rose even angrier. "Ye guys are such jerks!" she grumbled, and they only laughed harder.

"What's wrong, Rose?" Xena asked, feigning innocence. "Don't enjoy a nice hot bath?"

"It's not that. I just don't enjoy sharin' a nice hot bath with other people!"

"We're not people," Gabrielle reminded her again. "We're family." She winked at Xena, who winked back.

"Look," Rose sighed, "maybe ye Greeks like to bathe with a friend, but we Irish prefer our baths to be private!"

"Well, technically, you're not Irish, Rose. You're half Greek and half Roman and trust me, we are people who definitely love community bathing, so get over it," Xena replied easily. "Besides, it's nice to have someone wash your back for you, isn't it, Gabrielle?"

"Oh, yes," Gabby was quick to agree, smiling at her soul mate, a devilish look in her green eyes. "Want me to wash your back, Rose?"

"No, thank ye!" Rose huffed, feeling more uncomfortable and exposed by the second.

Gabrielle recalled the first time she and Xena had done the bathe-with-a-friend thing. They'd only been traveling together for about a week, when they'd come across a crystal clear lake. Xena had taken one look at that pristine water, sniffed her arm pit, then made the split decision to strip down naked and dive right in. The cool, blue water enveloped her long, sleek form and she relished the feel it gave her. When she resurfaced, she'd been about to yell to her young companion on the shore not to be shy, but to join her, when she became aware of the small, lithe form, naked as the day, treading water beside her…

The memory made her giggle a little, and Xena knew exactly what she was recalling and she smiled, her blue eyes twinkling mischievously. It was definitely a cherished memory for both of them.

Looking over at the pouting Rose, squished as far back and as far down in the water as she could be, looking incredibly uncomfortable, Gabrielle tried to coax her over. "Come on, honey, and wash my back."

"Nope," Rose refused, not noticing the grin on the bard's face. She did glance over and happen to notice Xena sitting on the sideline and laughing it up at her expense. "And why do ye have to sit there, watchin' us at the edge of the tub? That's really creepy, Gran!"

Xena shrugged, ever so happy to accommodate, and her form shimmered, disappearing completely, only to turn up instantly again, this time in the tub, scrunched up between her granddaughter and her soul mate. Her form appeared unclothed, keeping up with the whole 'tub' theme. "This better, kid?" she asked, wrapping her arms around her smaller companions with a wicked grin.

Gabrielle shivered in delight at the feel of her, and leaned against her friend, so glad that death had not really separated them at all.

"Oh, fer the love of…" Rose groaned in annoyance, trying to push her grandmother away, only to have an arm clamp down over her shoulders with ferocity. Even as a spirit, Xena was stronger than anyone else.

"Better?" Xena asked again, pointedly.

"Oh, sure," Rose muttered sarcastically from beneath the spirit's very solid armpit. "Nothin' better'n bathin' with me wee lass, unless it's bathin' with me wee lass and me dead, naked grandmother!"

"Excellent," Xena remarked, nodding in satisfaction. She loosened her grasp on the young brunette and easily found the bar of soap that had been so elusive to everyone else. Concentrating hard, she lifted it out of the water. "Now, who wants me to wash their back?" she asked.

"Me!" Gabrielle exclaimed, just as Rose announced, "Not me!"

Xena gave her granddaughter a quick smack on the behind. "What's the matter with you, Punky? You want to stink up the place?"

Rose rubbed at her sore bottom. "I can wash me own back, thank ye verra much," she muttered and, once her two companions were otherwise occupied flirting and washing each other, she faced the opposite way and tried to remain as modest and inconspicuous as she washed her own body clean with the extra bar of soap she had, indeed, been sitting on.

"So, did you learn anything about this place?" Gabrielle asked, moaning happily as Xena rubbed the bar of soap over her back and shoulders in slow, sensuous circles.

"Yeah, but… we'll talk about that later, okay?" Xena remarked quietly, not wanting to discuss anything until they were far away from this town.

Gabrielle looked back at her, raising a concerned eyebrow. "Everything all right, Xena?"

"I'm sure it's fine, but I… I would just prefer to wait before we talk about it."

"Why?" Rose asked sulkily, keeping her back to them. "Ye find more of them dirty pictures of ye and the lass?"

"As a matter of fact, I did-" Xena began, but Rose stopped her.

"Can't ye talk 'bout that when I'm asleep?" she whined.

"Hey," Xena smirked, "you asked."

"Just… talk 'bout somethin' else," Rose begged.

With a shrug, Xena went on, "Hey, Gabrielle, don't you think Rose has the cutest little birthmark right on her-?"

"No!" Rose protested, turning bright red, while her grandmothers both laughed at her expense. "Look," she went on, unable to look either of them in the eye, "ye may have changed me mother's diapers, and maybe ye even changed each other's, but ye ain't never changed mine, and I'm too old fer ye to be lookin' at me… bits and pieces!"

Both women busted out laughing even harder, making their granddaughter nearly blow a gasket at their inconsiderate behavior regarding her modesty. She gave them the evil eye and started grumbling to herself.

There was a commotion outside. All three women heard the ruckus and it startled them. They perked up in concern instantly.

"What was that?" Gabrielle asked, suddenly feeling very naked and vulnerable.

"You two stay here, get dressed- quickly!" Xena advised. "I'll go check this out. Just be ready…" And in an instant, she was gone, leaving her two companions to scramble for their clothing.

"I sure hope she doesn't ferget she's naked," Rose sighed, pulling her shirt down over her head.

OOO

Xena, keeping herself invisible, ventured out and observed what looked like a mob gathering just outside of the bath house. There were men, women and children there, some of the men carrying weapons. Nobody looked particularly angry or upset, but rather excited about something. But the biggest surprise of all was that the priest Xena had noticed and followed for a bit earlier that evening was at the head of the mob.

This made Xena just want to groan. A mob was bad enough, but add religion into the mix and it was a surefire catastrophe. She wondered why things could never go smoothly for her family. And of course, it was at that moment Gabrielle and Rose had raced out of the building, having no idea what they were going to come across.

"Son of a Bachae!" Xena shouted in frustration and was surprised that every person there, not merely Gabby and Rose, reacted to her scream. Everybody looked around, seeking the source of the shout, but only Gabrielle could sense Xena's exact location. She stared at the bewildered crowd and subtly tried to edge herself and Rose closer in her soul mate's direction.

"You, there," the priest spoke, pointing his finger at the bard. "You are Gabrielle of Potedia, are you not?"

"Uh…" she mumbled, unsure of how to answer that. She got the feeling that no matter what she said would get her into trouble somehow.

"You are the Battling Bard of Potedia!" another priest spoke up, staring hard at the small blond. Both he and the leader began to press forward towards the two women and several other priests, along with the general crowd, followed suit.

Xena nearly growled in frustration at the new and troubling development and she floated above the melee, still invisible, hovering protectively over Gabrielle and Rose.

"Please answer us," the leader said in a gracious tone, bowing before the bard.

"Eh, who wants to know?" Gabby replied vaguely and she heard Xena whisper, "Be careful, my love…"

"We are the high priests of the Xen faith. We have been awaiting your return for many winters!"

"Oh, well, sorry to disappoint you, but no, I'm not her."

"You are!" the leader exclaimed, trying to keep any accusation from his tone. He did not wish to anger the holy one.

"She's not!" Rose shouted at him, taking a step forward and shielding her beloved grandmother from the mob. "I am!"

"I don't think this is going to work, Punky," Xena whispered into Rose's ear, but she was grateful for the effort. Her grandchild obviously loved Gabrielle nearly as much as she did.

Gabrielle smiled, equally grateful to the small brunette for trying to take the heat off of her, although she knew it was not going to fool these people. She rested a loving hand on Rose's shoulder.

The leader scoffed and most of the crowd chuckled at Rose's announcement. "You lie, girl! We all know that the Gabrielle of legend was fair, slender and beautiful!"

Rose raised her eyebrow at him. "So… I be dark, fat and ugly, then?"

"I… er… no, that's not what I meant," the leader stammered for a moment, while both Xena and Gabrielle smiled at their granddaughter, who seemed to have a knack for flustering others.

Chip off the old block, they both thought proudly.

"Then how do ye know that the Gabrielle of legend didn'a change the description of her appearance in her scrolls?"

"Why would she?" the leader, a man named Urodious, challenged her.

"Poetic license," Rose shot back without missing a beat.

"But why bother disguise herself at all?" the priest put forth, crossing his robed arms across his chest.

"Probably to avoid situations like this," the brunette responded with a smirk and mimicking his stance, which gave the man reason to pause.

He glared at Rose. "We already know that this woman," and he pointed to Gabrielle, "is the legendary Bard of Potedia!"

Rose rolled her eyes. "Well, iffen ye already knew all that, then why'd ye bother askin'?"

"Enough!" Urodious signaled to a couple of the villagers, who eagerly stepped forward. "Take this insolent little whelp out of my vicinity at once!"

They grabbed for her, and Gabrielle sprang into action, drawing her Sais, just as Rose drew her short sword. They stood back to back and looked like quite the formidable pair, ready to rumble. Xena was impressed.

Rose's spirit and gumption filled the Warrior Princess with pride and tenderness. And watching Gabrielle go from unassuming bard to fierce warrior in a matter of seconds really turned her on, so she tried to brush her pride and her longings aside, in order to assess the situation and hopefully help her family get out of it unscathed.

"Don't you dare touch her!" Gabrielle hissed, returning an earlier favor, and standing in front of Rose, protecting her from the grabby hands of the villagers.

"What is this blasphemy?" Urodious cried, unable to hold back. "You have replaced your lover?"

"What?" Rose asked, her eyes wide.

"Pardon me?" Gabrielle inquired, sure she had heard wrong.

"Eww!" Rose declared, finally understanding. "The wee lass is me grandmother, not me girlfriend!" She looked ready to barf.

"Rose!" both Gabrielle and Xena sighed. Neither felt that telling this mob of Rose's heritage was a particularly good idea.

"Oops," Rose whispered, instantly regretting her outburst.

"You are a granddaughter of Gabrielle?" the high priest asked, staring at her incredulously. The crowd gasped at the revelation and gaped at the young woman.

"Uh…" Rose mumbled, looking over at Gabrielle for guidance.

"But the Bard of Potedia only gave birth to Hope, daughter of Dahak, who then gave birth to the demon child, the Destroyer. Her line died when Xena killed the creature," a short priest recalled, reciting a passage from their holy book, word for word.

It was on the tip of Rose's tongue to reply that Gabrielle didn't have any grandchildren except for her, when she peered into her grandmother's face and noticed she had gone pale and was on the verge of tears. This made Rose's blood boil.

"Hey, robe-guy, do not make me wee lass cry! Where do ye come off makin' accusations such as that?"

"Rose," Gabrielle whimpered.

"It's simply awful," the Irish woman went on, oblivious to her grandmother trying to get her attention. "You all act like ye love her and plaster pictures of her and Gran all over the place, but then ye make up lies like this and-"

"Rose, it's true," Gabrielle said sadly, and she instantly felt Xena's invisible hand on her shoulder, a gesture of love and support.

"What?" Rose exclaimed in disbelief. "But lass, ye said that I was yer only grand kid…"

The leader watched the two women closely and listened carefully and he realized something that had been said and his face lit up in realization. "You!" he proclaimed, pointing his finger at Rose. "You are the granddaughter of Xena the Warrior Princess!"

The crowd gasped again, as Urodious's eyes twinkled in absolute delight. This of course, made Xena, Gabrielle and Rose all very suspicious and more than a little nervous.

"Um, no, I… take after this one," Rose tried, jerking a thumb in Gabby's direction. "See, look how short we both are!"

"Grab her, now!" the high priest shouted and all at once, the entire town, it seemed, was upon them.

Rose had natural talent, but she was a novice to fighting, especially against so many. Gabrielle was more experienced, but even she, excellent fighter that she was, just could not hold off an entire town. That was more Xena's forte'… or at least, it used to be.

Xena was going out of her mind watching her family being charged at by people who supposedly worshiped her. She did all she could and in her anger, a wind started whipping through the streets, hitting full force into the crowd and knocking people over.

"Come on," she shouted over the melee, grabbing each of her family members by the arm and yanking them upward. Everyone in the crowd with the exception of Urodious and his second-in-command, stopped dead in their tracks, gasping at the sight of the two women seemingly flying through the air by some unseen force. Some of them dropped to the ground, bowing, praying, some were sobbing in fear and awe. Urodious closed his eyes and began to chant.

"Xena, are you all right?" Gabrielle asked, wondering how her beloved could perform this feat in front of so many witnesses.

"This is taking a lot out of me," Xena admitted. "I'll set you down over there by Argo. Grab her and then we'll-"

Both Gabrielle and Rose fell to the earth. Thankfully, they had not been that high above the ground. Rubbing her sore head, Rose murmured, "What happened?"

"Xena?" Gabrielle asked in concern and for the first time since her soul mate had died, she could not feel her presence, did not get an immediate response to her call. It chilled the woman to the bone and the coldness spread all through her body.

Rose could see the distress her grandmother was in and she gripped the bard's hand. "Lass? Uh, Gabrielle… what's wrong?"

"Xena's in trouble!" Gabrielle whispered, barely able to breathe. "Rose, come on, we've got to find her and save her!"

"Save her? But she's dead! I mean-"

"Just come on!" the bard shouted and Rose leapt to her feet, reaching out a hand and yanking Gabby up with her.

"Where do we go?"

Gabrielle narrowed her eyes and, keeping hold of Rose's hand, raced over to Argo. "I'm not sure," she admitted. "But I have a pretty good idea…"

OOO

Xena couldn't understand it. One moment she was flying through the air, delivering her life-partner and their granddaughter to safety, the next minute she was back amidst the townspeople and those arrogant high priests of the Xen faith.

It took a moment to realize all that was happening. She could hear the leader and the other high priests chanting. She noticed most of the people surrounding them held their hands up high into the air and were swaying back and forth.

Suddenly, she realized she was visible, and in chains, secured to the altar at the Xen temple. Within a minute, Gabrielle and Rose raced in and they saw her there, then ran to her.

"Be gorrah, Gran!" Rose exclaimed. "What's goin' on here?"

"Xena!" Gabrielle gasped in horror, seeing the love of her life chained up to the altar in the hideous temple named for her.

"Gabrielle, you and Rose have to leave- NOW!" Xena warned her.

"I'm not leaving you," Gabrielle protested, beginning to cry. She tried to tug at the chains that had ensnared her partner, but her hands went right through them. They were of the spiritual realm and she was helpless to remove them.

"Rose," Xena pleaded, "get your wee lass out of here! You're both in terrible danger!"

"But what about-"

"I'll be fine," Xena said easily, although truthfully, she did not know the answer to that question. "Get to Amphipolis and I'll meet you there!"

"But I-"

"Just do it!"

Rose nodded, but wore a pained expression, looking near tears herself. She grabbed hold of Gabrielle's waist and gave her a hard tug. "Come on, lass. We've got to go!"

"No!"

"Gabrielle, do as I say!" Xena commanded, but it was to be all for naught.

"Stay where you are, all of you!" the high priest said, coming up towards the altar, and all three women froze in grim anticipation. "We shall finally have that which we have worked for these many years!"

The temple was soon awash in followers, who filled up every last space, while all the high priests surrounded the altar. Unsurprisingly to Xena, many of them held ceremonial daggers at the ready.

Every person in the place, with the exceptions of Gabrielle, Rose and the leader, seemed shocked and in awe of Xena's presence in the room. The fact that they could see and hear her just amazed them all. They gasped, they knelt down in prayer, they cheered, they fainted. This gave all the captive women a moment of confusion and reflection.

"What the devil is goin' on here?" Rose whispered, gripping Gabrielle's hand tightly. Though she had lived her own private hell for years in sadness and isolation, she had never experienced mass hysteria or blind faith before. It terrified her.

"Stay close to Gabrielle, honey," Xena told her, blue eyes boring into brown. The Warrior Princess did not know exactly what these high priests were planning, but considering the way they had treated them hence, she knew it couldn't be good. She wanted their grandchild protected at all costs. She knew Gabrielle felt the same.

"Let me assure you, my dear, there is nothing of the devil in or around this temple!" the leader said to Rose, coming closer and gently running his fingers across the smooth line of her cheek.

Rose balked at the touch, shoving the man's hand away in a violent manner. Gabrielle was at the ready, but by that time, the high priest had closed in even further on them and she knew any rash movement could end up in her or Rose getting stabbed… or worse. Her body tense, she regardless kept very still and kept hold of Rose's other hand.

"What's goin' on here is evil!" Rose shouted fearlessly and the crowd gasped in unison, horrified, while many of the priests merely chuckled at her accusation.

"Oh, innocent child of Xena, we are celebrating the lives of your precious grandmothers. How is that evil?" the leader replied, again trying to stroke the young woman's cheek.

And again, she pulled away, her face contorted in outrage. "Celebratin' their lives?" she exploded at him. "And ye do that by chainin' up me Gran's spirit and holdin' the wee lass and me captive in a temple surrounded by slack-jawed, glass-eyed zealots and threatenin' us with menacin', knife-wieldin' priests?" She scoffed at him. "Ach! I think ye all need to rethink the whole idea of what celebratin' is!"

"Silence!" the leader shouted, losing his patience with Rose's insolence. "You are being blasphemous!" his voice boomed at her, silencing the chatter of the crowd.

"This is a temple that worships me grandmothers, am I right?"

"It is, yes."

Rose glanced over at first Xena, then Gabrielle. "Were either of ye offended by what I've said here?" she asked.

"Not at all," Gabrielle replied instantly.

"Not even a little," Xena added.

Wearing her best smart-ass expression, Rose smiled at the leader. "Nope, I'm not bein' blasphemous."

Some of the townspeople began to laugh, which only fueled Rose's resolve and angered the high priest even more.

"Hush, child!" he shouted at her, trying to regain control of the conversation.

"Quit tellin' me to shut up!" Rose retorted with a scowl. "I am no child, but I am the granddaughter of the holy ones. Ye should be more respectful, ye know!"

Both Xena and Gabrielle rolled their eyes.

"Oh, you are quite special… Rose, is it?" the leader told her with a vicious smile.

"Special?" Gabrielle asked. "How so?"

"Ye don't think I'm special, lass?" Rose pouted.

"Well, yeah, but why should he?" Gabrielle replied.

"Wait, what do ye mean by 'special'?" the Irish woman demanded to know.

"If you would shut up, I would tell you!" the high priest muttered. He looked at Gabrielle. "I see she was not kidding when she said she took after you."

"Don't insult me grandmother!" Rose growled.

"What do you consider special about her?" Xena cut in, glaring at the weasel of a man.

"She is a child of Xena!" he explained.

"Technically, I am a child of Eve," Rose informed him.

"You have Xena's blood coursing through your veins," he said matter-of-factly. "Therefore, you are a child of Xena!"

"And what of it?"

"Your blood will bring about a new dawn!" the leader said euphorically.

Rose shuddered. "Oh, I don' like the sound o' that…"

Gabrielle gripped Rose protectively by the shoulders. "What are you talking about?"

"A holy child to give their life, so that Xena, the Warrior Goddess may live again!"

"Huh?" Xena asked.

"What?" Gabrielle exclaimed.

"Um, I'm not really all that holy," Rose vowed, taking a step back towards Xena, who, being bound by spiritual chains, could not even move, much less help her.

"Don't you dare touch her!" Gabrielle shouted, and in that instant, the high priests pounced on the two women, holding them down.

Gabrielle leaped up, her Sais drawn, and she began fighting off the men as well as she could. Rose soon joined in the fight.

"Didn'a we already do this?" the young woman asked, sighing wearily and barely escaping a punch to the jaw.

"Xena, we could really use your help, right about now," Gabrielle shouted through gritted teeth.

"Working on it," Xena replied, tugging at the spiritual chains that bound her, although it was a futile gesture. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, and she concentrated, visualizing herself free of the chains, she envisioned her Chakram in one hand and her sword in the other. She did not know why exactly, such an idea would come to her, although she had the feeling divine intervention had something to do with it. She could feel her essence begin to pulsate.

"You cannot escape, almighty Warrior Princess," Urodious told Xena smugly. "And we shall resurrect your body and you shall govern the land as our goddess queen, with Gabrielle at your side, and I, Urodious, as your humble servant and chief advisor. Together, we shall rule the world!"

"Sounds like you might want some of that ruler ship for your own self," Xena hissed menacingly.

"Nonsense," he told her. "I am merely a vessel for you to use as you see fit. A tool to aid in your leadership." He seemed unfazed by her accusations.

"My 'humble' servant, huh?" Xena challenged. "Well, if that's so, then release me and my family and let us leave in peace."

He shook his finger at her. "No, your holiness, I cannot do that. You must first be made flesh before you can rule."

"By sacrificing my child?" she seethed.

"You are not seeing the larger picture here, my queen," Urodious stated boldly. "Eve thought this way as well."

Xena felt a heaviness lay upon her soul. She felt so cold and she glared at the man. "Eve? Eve was here?"

"Yes, just several winters ago, as a matter-of-fact. We… asked her for her help. We thought she would willingly give herself up for your cause. She told us, as a follower of Eli, there was only one true god and that we were being blasphemous for choosing to worship you- a mere mortal! We could not believe her insolence, her disregard for her own mother's godhood!"

"That's because I am not a god!" Xena growled, rage flooding her mind and heart. "I tell you what I am, though. I am a really pissed off spirit! What did you do to my daughter, you bastard?"

"Forgive us, o holy one," he went on, seemingly as if he had not heard a word she had said to him, "but we elected to sacrifice her, anyway. Things would have gone so much better had she been more agreeable. As it was, she gave us nothing but trouble and actually managed to escape during the ceremony and ran away even after being… injured. We searched for her, but never found her or saw her again."

Xena recalled that Eve had died from wounds that were nearly a month old, but had never healed. She just now realized, Eve had been killed by vicious zealots- not in Eli's name, but her own! These people had killed her daughter and were now attempting to kill her granddaughter.

The spirit's fury grew, as did her determination and her power. She looked down at her still chained arms, and in her hands, spiritual weapons had formed there. Weapons of God or of some other power, she was not sure. At this point, she was not sure she cared. All that mattered was the safety of the woman she loved and their grandchild. And she knew she must offer up justice on Eve's behalf. She felt her heart breaking all over again upon realizing how and why her daughter had been robbed of her life.

"You killed my daughter, you rotten son of a bitch," she spat, the rage steadily building, like the pressure of a geyser. "She later died from those wounds you inflicted on her! I am not going to let you do the same to my granddaughter!"

"Xena!" she heard Gabrielle call desperately. She had been doing her best to keep the enemy at bay, but now many of the townspeople had joined in the battle and the bard was becoming overwhelmed. Rose had already been taken over and was now being chained to the altar beside her grandmother by several of the priests.

"Gran… I'm sorry," the young woman sobbed, looking back at her briefly before closing her eyes in defeat. Xena could tell that Rose's fear of dying was outweighed only by her fear of disappointing Xena and leaving her beloved 'wee lass' behind.

"Don't!" Gabrielle shouted, enraged over her inability to overpower the foe and rescue her granddaughter.

"We will sacrifice the young woman so that you may live again, my queen," Urodious said, bowing and grinning from ear to ear. He had received a book on resurrection under serious circumstances several years back and had only to wait for Xena's descendants in order for him to try.

"Over my dead body!" Xena seethed.

"Not for long," he chided her, then stepped back and took his place at the altar and raised his dagger over Rose's head.

"Rose!" Gabrielle cried, her heart beating wildly in her chest.

"No!" Xena screeched in agony and the energy that had been surging through her was now at its zenith, the spiritual weapons now fully formed and at the ready. Flexing, she broke through the chains that had bound her and she leapt high into the air, her high pitched war cry on her lips, as she descended upon the altar.

"By the Goddess!" Urodious exclaimed in surprise, then received a very solid kick to the face, courtesy of one pissed off spirit, which sent him reeling across the floor down the main aisle, rendering him dazed and confused.

A lot of the townspeople scattered, which gave Xena and Gabrielle the edge they needed and they both went into butt kicking mode, trying to get everyone back and away from the altar, especially where Rose was still chained and struggling.

Gabrielle amazed with her trusty Sais, and Xena flabbergasted all by utilizing her many skills in battle. Neither her sword nor her Chakram killed anyone, but they did their fair share of non-lethal damage, and quickly evened the odds in their favor. The bard couldn't help but to stop and stare for a moment, having nearly forgotten how spectacular in battle her soul mate could be, having been so long since she'd seen her in action. And Rose, for her part, stood there, slack-jawed, and momentarily unconcerned with the danger they faced, so in awe she was of her grandmother's power and finesse. Dead or alive, the woman was practically a goddess to her, especially while in her element, that of a warrior.

"Wow…" the young woman murmured and Gabrielle glanced back, smiling with an amused, 'I-told-you-so' expression.

They were all so preoccupied in the battle, they did not see Urodious crawling on his hands and knees, still stunned by Xena's kick, as he worked his way over to Rose, coming towards her from behind, where she could not see him.

Rose had, by then, managed to free herself from the shackles. They had been fastened to her as tightly as they could, but she had small hands and wrists and she had finally managed to pull out of them, ignoring the chafing and the torn skin. Just as she had freed her second hand, and began rubbing at the sore wrist, she heard a now familiar voice behind her say, "In the name of Xena, I claim you!"

The Irish woman turned just in time to see Urodious coming at her with his ceremonial dagger, aimed right for her heart. She cried out in alarm and deflected the blade with her hand. Urodious inadvertently stabbed her in the hand and it bled profusely.

She whimpered in pain, the blood dripping all over her, Urodious and the altar. Thinking quickly, she grabbed a candle stick from the altar and pummeled the man with it, then tugged on her tunic, ripping off a fair sized piece of cloth, and making a hasty job of wrapping her wound to keep the blood from flowing. A moment later, she spotted where she'd lost her sword on the floor near to where she'd been overtaken and she made a dive for it. Grabbing it up, and feeling a little woozy from the blood loss, Rose nevertheless jumped right into the battle, alongside her brave grandmothers. Both women watched her, somewhat surprised at the fury she displayed in battle. Xena had not seen her this fierce since she had beaten Paxton that fateful night not so long ago. The Warrior Princess knew the girl was fighting for all of their lives… well, not hers, since technically she was dead, but for her safety. Still, the young Irish woman kept her wits about her and only wounded and disarmed people. She did not kill anyone. Truthfully, none of them had; they had all done only what was necessary to get each person to stop coming after them.

Urodious stood again and he was about to chase after Rose, when he noticed her blood had spilled on the altar, some of which was dripping down over the side. With a clever thought and a wicked grin, he grabbed the sacred bowl and collected as much of her precious blood into it as he could. Then, he began to chant the prayer of renewal, hoping beyond hope that this would be sufficient.

Meanwhile, Xena, Gabrielle and Rose had managed to hold back everyone there, working together and the townsfolk finally backed off, realizing they were sorely outmatched. The high priests, who had fought more furiously than the civilians, were all lying on the temple floor, in pain, or passed out from their injuries.

The people who had not joined in the fighting, mostly women and children and the elderly, were now cheering on Xena and her family. The warrior shook her head at them. "They sure switch sides fast around here."

"Yeah, "Gabrielle remarked, "I'm not sure I like the idea of our 'followers' being so fickle." She grabbed for Rose, giving her grandchild a tight hug, only to see her wince, as her injured hand had gotten trapped between them.

"I think they were always on your side, grans," Rose mumbled to them both. "Which is more'n I can say about those damn priests! Looka what that head jerk did to me hand!"

"Bastard!" Xena grunted in hatred and she carefully took her granddaughter's hand into her own. "We'll need to tend to that, honey."

"Later," Rose told her. "Once we're out of town. No offense to either of ye fine ladies, but I don't really care fer the town of Xenith or the religion made in yer honor."

"Me neither," Xena agreed.

"I think it's unanimous," Gabrielle added. "Let's blow this pop stand!"

The bard took Rose by the uninjured hand, then rested her other hand on Xena's strong bicep, urging them onward.

Urodious continued his chanting, his beady eyes closed, as if communing with the spirit world. He stopped suddenly, gasping loudly and he opened his eyes wide in astonishment.

In that instant, Gabrielle could no longer feel her lover's arm beneath her fingers. She looked over and saw that Xena had disappeared. Nor could she feel her presence, so it wasn't merely a matter of her making herself invisible. She glanced over at Rose, who held the same confused expression that she wore. In another instant, Rose doubled over in pain, clutching her stomach, moaning and writhing.

"Rose?" Gabby asked. She looked around for Xena once more, panic beginning to form in her heart. "Xena?"

"It hurts, lass," the Irish woman groaned, and she fell to the floor.

"Honey, what's wrong?"

"I… I don't know… ohhh…"

Lying on her side, Rose looked to be in tremendous pain and she reached a hand out to her grandmother. "Lass, help me, please!"

"What's happening?" Gabrielle shrieked, grabbing her granddaughter's hand and giving it a squeeze. She spied Urodious creeping closer, a look of horrified fascination on his face, as he stared at what was transpiring. Reluctantly letting go of Rose's hand for a moment, she approached him, grabbed him by the scruff and got into his face. "What did you do to my kid?" she demanded to know.

"Uh… I merely completed the ceremony, as according to the book of holy resurrection," he replied, unable to take his eyes off of Rose.

"The book of the holy… huh?" Gabrielle stammered. "What is happening to her?" She let go of his robe and returned to Rose's side.

"I don't know," Urodious admitted. "I've never completed the ceremony before today, and the fact that she was not sacrificed, I… I couldn't fathom as to what she's going through."

"Oh, Xena," Gabrielle sobbed, then stared at the man again. "Where is she? What happened to Xena?"

"I do not know," he admitted. "She was supposed to have been made flesh, but-"

"Ach! Lass!" Rose cried out in agony. "It hurts!"

"What hurts, sweetheart?" Gabrielle asked, her full attention brought back to her ailing grandchild.

"Stomach," the small woman whimpered.

Gabrielle rested a tentative hand on Rose's midsection, then jumped when she felt something move beneath the clothing. Gingerly, she pulled up the young woman's tunic and looked at the soft flesh on her belly. She watched as it began to move and grow of its own accord.

"By the gods," she whispered, her green eyes wide in surprise.

"I feel somethin' movin' inside me," Rose screamed, clutching tightly to the bard, and gritting her teeth against the pain. "What's happenin' to me?"

"Ummm…."

Urodious looked on with great interest. "Why, it appears as though you're about to give birth!" he exclaimed excitedly.

"To what?" Rose shrieked in alarm, before another wave of pain took over her.

"It's growing so fast," Gabrielle murmured worriedly. "What is in there?" she asked the leader pointedly.

"I'm not sure," he said. "Perhaps it is… I mean, we can only dare to hope that-"

Rose interrupted his thoughts with a blood curdling scream. Her stomach was now so distended, it looked as if she were carrying a full-term baby in her womb. Whatever was in there looked ready to come out.

This experience hit too close to home with Gabrielle. The last- and only- time she had witnessed any sort of birth similar to this was when she had gotten raped by Dahak, then became pregnant and given birth to Hope, all within a couple of days. It scared her to even contemplate the possible evil that could have taken hold of her grandchild. Then again, there were key differences in the two situations, as Rose had not been assaulted the way she had been, and her 'pregnancy' had elevated to emergency status in a matter of minutes, unlike the days Gabrielle had suffered.

"Mama, help me!" Rose cried, gripping Gabrielle's hand so fiercely it hurt. "What do I… oh, ach!"

"Push, honey," Gabrielle instructed, shooing people away, and making preparations, which included pulling pants off of the girl and grabbing a candle from the altar to sterilize a dagger she had found lying nearby. She then demanded Urodious give up his robe, which looked cleaner than any other piece of cloth she could find and he did so. She draped it over Rose's legs to give her some sense of privacy. She recalled herself giving birth to Hope so many years ago, as well as Xena giving birth to their beloved Eve sometime after that. She allowed Rose to hold her shoulders in a vice like grip, just as Xena had done, even though it hurt terribly, because she could tell that whatever the outcome, this birth would soon be over, it was all happening so fast.

Rose, her body tense and in tremendous pain, her skin red from straining in effort, her face contorted in agony and uncertainty, dutifully continued to push, her eyes choosing to focus on Gabrielle's sweet but worried face, her knuckles white from gripping her grandmother's shoulders so hard, she was sure she would leave an indelible mark. She screamed, she writhed, she cried, but she did not stop pushing.

Gabrielle finally pulled out of Rose's grasp and moved down to check out what was going on between her legs. She paused long enough to glare at Urodious, who remained a healthy distance away, but continued to stare, then reached under the robe to see what was going on.

The bard gasped when she saw a small head beginning to crown. The head looked human and was covered in dark, silky hair. "Oh, gods…" she breathed in surprise.

"Lass, it burns!" Rose grunted.

"Honey, I know, but just keep pushing. You have to! You're almost done, love, I promise."

Rose was already bone tired, but she dutifully did as she was told, knowing she did not have a choice, and suddenly, Gabrielle was holding a beautiful, dark-haired, blue-eyed, blood-covered- not mention healthy lunged- newborn girl child in her arms.

"Sweet mother of Zeus!" she breathed, looking down at the infant, who seemed to calm at the sound of her voice and looked up at her. "This is…"

"What? What is it?" Rose asked wearily, but still frightened.

"It's… Xena…" Gabrielle proclaimed. She grabbed a discarded cloak that had been lying next to the altar where Rose lay, and she wrapped the babe in it, cleaning her off as best she could and giving her a kiss on her tiny, baby nose.

"Ye… ye… mean I just gave birth to me own grandmother?" Rose whispered. "Am I the only one who feels more than a wee bit disturbed by this? Oh…"

Gabrielle noticed that Rose was about to deliver the afterbirth. With true love and tenderness, she set the infant version of her soul mate down on the floor beside her, trying to keep one eye on the baby and the other on the task at hand.

"But… this was not supposed to happen this way!" Urodious muttered in disappointment and disgust as he stared down at the wriggly baby, while Gabrielle helped Rose get dressed.

"What did you expect, scumbag?" Gabrielle growled at him, never taking her eyes off of Rose or baby Xena. She herself was not sure how to feel either. How many times had she prayed for Xena to live again? Yet the baby lying and mewling at her feet was not the wise, powerful, sensual woman she had fallen in love with. This was an innocent babe, pure and helpless. Though she had always dreamed of having children with Xena, this was not exactly what she'd had in mind.

"It still burns down there, lass," Rose admitted in a whisper.

"I know, sweetheart," Gabby soothed her. "But just be brave. As soon as we can, I'll make you more comfortable. But we have to get out of here."

"What about me bairn?" Rose asked in a panic. "I need to see her. Can I hold her?"

"Of course. I'm sorry, honey."

Gabrielle turned to pick up Xena II. At the same time, a villager shouted, "Look!" He pointed at the baby. Gabrielle watched in confusion and fascination as the cloak the small baby was swaddled in began to get kicked aside.

"What the…?"

"Lass!" Rose cried. "What is it? What's wrong with the child?"

"Um…"

Rose struggled to sit up higher and she and Gabrielle watched as the infant's small body began to contort and writhe.

"No! Me babe!" Rose screamed in horror.

Soon, the women understood what was happening to baby Xena. She was growing! Just as Rose's pregnancy carrying the Warrior Princess had happened within minutes, the growth of Xena II was coming lightning fast before their disbelieving eyes. Rose, Gabrielle, Urodious and all of the wide-eyed villagers looked on as the infant quickly transformed into a toddler, then a child, a pre-teen, teenager, young adult…

"Is she ever gonna stop growin'?" Rose murmured, barely coherent and still in pain and shock. She wasn't entirely sure what she was witnessing was real, or just some pain-induced hallucination.

"I have no idea…" Gabrielle admitted. It amazed Gabrielle to watch her partner grow up in front of her. As Xena hit young adulthood, she recognized the woman she had met so many years ago, on the outskirts of Potedia. It took her breath away and she gasped, putting one hand to her lips, while the other held tightly onto her granddaughter.

"This is insane," Rose whispered, unable to take her eyes off of the baby she had just given birth to, which now stood nearly six feet tall.

"Oh, yeah, definitely," Gabby agreed, watching now as Xena II's changes became more subtle, losing the round youthfulness in her face, as fine age lines began to show up, in no way marring her beauty, but merely making it evident that she was no more a youngster.

Just as suddenly as it had begun, the aging process finally stopped. Xena II stood up on wobbly legs, naked and vulnerable. Her beautiful face bore some wrinkles, but she remained as stunning to Gabrielle as the day they had met. Her naked form made more than a few mouths water, including that of Gabrielle, who reluctantly left Rose's side and tentatively walked towards the nude figure. Xena II stood in the center of the temple with a look of wonder and fear on her lovely face.

"They sure grow up fast, don't they?" Rose remarked to herself, a goofy grin coming through her pained expression. She was simply dumbfounded over all that had just transpired.

"Xe- Xena?" Gabrielle whispered, coming towards her from behind. She had no idea if Xena would remember anything, or if this was, in fact, the same Xena at all. When the woman did not reply or acknowledge her, Gabby drew even closer and gently touched a naked shoulder. "Xena?" she asked again.

The beautiful warrior spun around, her blue eyes growing wide in astonishment. "I… I'm alive, Gabrielle… I … am… also very… naked!" She wrapped her arms around herself, aware of all the eyes staring at her.

Gabrielle knew that Xena had never been much embarrassed over nudity- hers or anyone else's- but she realized this was a strange circumstance, to say the least. Just as she reached down for her cloak to wrap it around her partner, Urodious came forward, his face aglow with euphoric joy.

"By the goddess, you have returned to us, my queen," he beamed. "I am but your loyal servant." He gave her a sweeping bow.

"You tried to kill my kids, you bastard," Xena snarled at him, recognizing the high priest immediately, "and you managed to succeed with one of them!" She punched him across the face, and he went flying and hit his head against the stone altar, landing unconscious.

Gabrielle's green eyes flooded with tears of joy. "You- you mean you can remember everything from… before?" she asked, wrapping the discarded cloak Xena's shoulders and then tenderly cupping the beautiful woman's chin in her hand.

"I remember you. I remember this," Xena told her, and grabbed her soul mate into her arms, dipped her back and kissed her with great love and passion. The crowd began to cheer.

When their passionate kiss ended, Gabrielle nearly swooned; her head was swimming in emotion and sensation. She could see the woman she loved for so long, feel her real flesh beneath her fingers, could even detect the old familiar scent that she had never forgotten. She clung to her partner tightly, tears falling freely down her silken cheeks. "Xena," she whispered, "this feels like a dream…"

"A dream come true," Xena agreed, caressing the bard's beautiful face with her fingertips, wiping away the tears. "Gods, I've missed this and you… I love you, Gabrielle!"

"I love you, Xena!"

"And I love ye both," came an agonized plea behind them. The two women spun around to see little Rose, still hurting and lying at the foot of the altar where she had just given birth to the miracle now standing so gloriously for all to see. "But I be hurtin' and bleedin' somethin' awful over here."

"Oh, Rose!" Gabrielle exclaimed, feeling ashamed that she had momentarily forgotten about her granddaughter's plight during her tearful reunion with the woman she loved.

"Aye, 'tis me, lass, the lady who just gave birth to me own grandmother!"

Xena and Gabrielle raced over to their grandchild, both considering her to be a testament of their love, both eternally grateful for her, as she had been an integral part of Xena's rebirth. The Warrior Princess pulled the young woman gently into her arms in a tight embrace.

"I love you, Punky. Thank you."

"Love you, too, Gran," Rose wheezed in the nearly suffocating embrace, "but yer crushin' me… and well, yer… naked under that cloak…"

The reborn woman laughed heartily as she scooped her granddaughter up into her arms and stood up. Though she retained her great strength, she marveled now that it did take real effort on her part. Being a living, breathing human being after being dead for twenty years was going to take some getting used to… but she would relish every moment of it.

"Gabrielle," she said, "Come on. We're getting out of here." She glanced down at Rose in her arms, who was pale and trembling. "We'll get you to feeling better soon, kiddo. I just want to put some distance between us and them," and she jutted her chin in the direction of all the townspeople and the temple priests.

"I hear that," Rose weakly agreed. She snuggled into her grandmother's embrace, then remembered the woman was currently naked, save for the cloak Gabrielle had given her and tried to pull back a little. "Ye know," she went on, wincing as Xena shifted her position, "there's a store just down the street where ye could maybe buy some clothes?"

"Quit your squirming," Xena chided her affectionately. "And I'm really kind of liking the feel of the air against my skin right now. Actually, the feeling of anything against my skin. I actually have skin!"

"Aye, but yer chests are touchin' me," Rose muttered.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Gabrielle blurted without thinking. Her cheeks grew rosy, until she and her soul mate exchanged a lusty glance.

"Oh, please!" Rose groaned, rolling her eyes. "Now, don't start that stuff- not right now! I know it's been a while, but-"

"Twenty damn years," Xena interrupted, exhaling slowly and now unable to take her eyes off of her partner. Her stare was so intense and full of unabashed need, it made Gabrielle blush again.

"Look, will ye just get me out of here?" Rose pleaded.

One of the priests for the Temple of Xen came forward nervously. He had been watching the proceedings with great interest, and kept a healthy distance from the unpredictable goddess, until he noticed the exchange between his hero and her lover. "Uh… if it pleases your highnesses, you may now fornicate on the altar. We would be most honored."

"What?" Gabrielle exclaimed, scandalized. She was absolutely crimson by now.

"No!" Rose groused, making a face.

"Oh, I bet you would," Xena growled at the young man, taking a menacing step towards him, and enjoying watching him cower before her and nearly wet himself. "You little pervert!"

"Oh, no, no, my goddess," he assured her, turning even redder than Gabrielle. "It's just… well, it's a sacrament for our church."

"Not for me, it isn't," Rose shuddered. She was tired, worn out and in great pain. She had no desire whatsoever to watch her grandmothers 'getting busy' on the altar she had nearly been sacrificed on less than a candle mark before.

"Sorry, kid, but we don't subscribe to your religion," Xena told him, pushing past him.

"But, my queen, you are our religion!" he stammered.

"Not anymore, I'm not," she told him in no uncertain terms. "Now, I don't want you to take this the wrong way, and it's great to be amongst the living again, I assure you, but I have a problem with all that you do and all you find holy, so my partner and I are taking our granddaughter and we're leaving and if any of you try to follow us, you'll be very sorry. You got that?"

"Uh… yes, your holiness," the young priest gulped.

"Don't call me that," Xena snapped.

"Oh, sorry, your… um…"

"Xena will suffice."

"… Xena?"

"That's my name, don't wear it out. Now get the hell out of my way. And once we leave, I want this temple disbanded. In fact, you ought to just tear down the whole damn village!"

"Yes, ma'am," he agreed, quaking in his sandals.

"Good boy," Xena hoisted her granddaughter up a little higher on her shoulder, then took hold of Gabrielle's hand and walked down the center aisle of the temple, towards the door. If any one dared look her in the eye, she glowered at them and, properly chastised, they looked away. Once the trio of heroes had left the temple, the group as a whole heaved a sigh of relief.

Then the conversations started…

"That's the real Xena?"

"Gabrielle doesn't seem as sweet as she should be…"

"Their granddaughter is a little brat!"

"They sure were ungrateful!"

"I thought she'd be more feminine…"

"What a bunch of jerks!"

At this point, Urodious awoke from his place by the altar, and he sat up with a dopey grin on his face. "What did I miss?" he asked groggily.

OOO

Xena, now dressed in her old leathers, which Gabrielle had found buried all those years ago in Japan and had kept, situated Rose a top of Argo III. This horse had never known Xena as anything other than a spirit, but she knew her instantly in the flesh as well and responded favorably to her. The warrior affectionately patted the mare's neck then kissed her on the nose.

"You okay up there, sweetheart?" Gabrielle asked, gently squeezing Rose's leg.

"Still really hurts… down there," Rose muttered.

"Well, they don't call it 'labor' for nothing," Xena cracked, smirking up at her with white, perfect teeth.

"Oh, ha ha," Rose retorted. "But I was hopin' since me labor and birthin' ye went by so quickly, me recovery would, too."

"Could be true," Gabby said, smiling encouragingly at her. "I mean, you just gave birth less than a half a candle mark ago. Give it a little more time."

"That makes sense," Rose agreed then she looked down at Xena and her face brightened. "Hey, does this make me yer mum now? Ye could call me-"

"It makes me very grateful," Xena interrupted her. "But I'm still your 'gran', and you're still my little 'punk'!"

Rose rolled her eyes. "Ach!"

Xena patted her knee. "Bless you. You know, you're the best kid a grandmother could ever have, Rose. Not every grandchild would birth their granny into a new life. That was pretty special."

"It was amazing!" Gabrielle added.

"It was weird!" Rose informed them. "But I'm glad it happened. Gran, I would have willingly sacrificed me own life fer ye, but I'm so happy I got to meet ye, in the livin' realm, I mean."

"Me, too, Punky," Xena told her with a meaningful smile. "Me, too."

Taking the reins, Xena led the gentle mare down the road towards Amphipolis, Rose dozing a top of the horse and Gabrielle coming up to wrap an arm around her partner's waist. Xena, in turn, wrapped her free arm about the bard's shoulders, pulling her close and squeezing her tight.

"Xena," Gabby murmured, "I still can't believe that you're back!"

"Well, believe it, my love."

"Xena, it's… it's really you, isn't it…"

"It's really me, Gabrielle."

"Do you… feel the same as before?" the small blond asked, looking up adoringly at her.

"In some ways," Xena admitted.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I remember everything about my life before. I remember the good and the bad stuff. I remember my past. I remember family, friends, people, places… most of all, I remember you, my soul mate." She gazed so tenderly at Gabrielle, it brought tears to the smaller woman's eyes.

"So then, what's different?" the bard asked, blushing slightly.

"Me," Xena admitted. "I feel… lighter somehow."

"Ye mean ye've lost weight?" Rose asked from her perch on Argo III, half asleep already, her eyes closed.

"Quit eavesdropping, punk," Xena chuckled. "And no, that's not what I mean." She turned to look into her partner's beautiful green eyes again. "I mean," she went on, "that all the guilt and pain and hate I've ever harbored in my heart is gone. I may have been reborn into the same tired body, but my heart feels so free, so new…"

"So you truly were reborn," Gabrielle marveled, rubbing her hand up and down her partner's back. "Xena, I- we've seen so much, witnessed so many amazing things in our travels together, but to me, having you back is the biggest miracle I can ever imagine!"

Xena chuckled. "Yeah, I'd have to rank it pretty high up there myself."

Gabrielle burst into tears, but Xena was relieved to see that they were happy tears. "Gods, it feels so good to have you back here with me like this."

"But I never left your side, Gabrielle," Xena reminded her. "Not even death could keep me away from you."

"I know and I'm so very grateful for that, too. Our love is… well, nearly indescribable and it will bind us together forever. The last twenty years have taught me that. But it wasn't quite the same as…"

"I know," Xena had to agree. "You don't realize how much I've just missed us walking down some familiar road like this, experiencing all my senses, feeling everything! Gabrielle, it is wonderful watching you fall asleep in my arms, but when I was dead, I couldn't join you in slumber, I couldn't fall asleep in your arms, no matter how weary I might have been."

"I think I can understand that," Gabrielle replied, halting their leisurely pace to wrap both arms around the warrior, holding her tightly and standing up on tiptoe to press her lips against Xena's. It was a slow, lingering kiss, tender but with an underlying sense of passion and urgency.

As Gabrielle slowly lowered herself down, Xena's lower lip slowly pulled out of the bard's mouth, wet and glistening, and immediately both felt bereft by the loss of each other's intimate touch.

"Oh… Xena," the bard sighed breathlessly.

"Oh, yeah," Xena whispered, equally breathless. "The sex. I really missed the sex!"

Gabrielle turned a very pretty shade of pink.

"I'm still awake, ye know!" Rose muttered, her eyes shut tightly against the romantic scene.

"Then go to sleep!" Xena grumped at her, and noticed that her partner's hue had turned scarlet and it made her smile. "The kid has no couth whatsoever, does she? Something else she inherited from me, I'm sure." The warrior winked at the bard.

"Definitely," the furiously blushing blond had to agree.

"Still happy to have me back?" Xena teased her, picking up the reins in one hand, and Gabrielle's hand in the other, she resumed their walk.

"More than ever," Gabby promised, smiling radiantly.

OOO

They had not traveled for very long when Xena found the deep cave that she remembered hiding out in during her turbulent youth and later as shelter with her army. Glad to find it was not inhabited by man or beast, the trio set up camp for the night. Argo was brushed and fed and stabled in the large entrance to the cave by Xena, while Gabrielle started a campfire just a little further in, then tended to Rose, giving her some herbs and hot tea, and trying to make her as comfortable as possible. Xena had stitched up her wounded hand, and then worked with some pressure points, which took away some of their granddaughter's discomfort from giving birth.

Xena then hunted them up some dinner. It had taken her a while and she realized there were many things she was a bit rusty at doing- not that she was complaining. It felt wonderful to hunt again. The feel of the breeze running through her long, dark hair, giving her skin goose bumps, it was absolutely invigorating! Likewise, the smell of the rabbit stew cooking on the fire after her successful hunt. Gabrielle had added some herbs and spices to give the stew a little kick. Xena inhaled deeply, her heightened sense of smell picked up each scent; the rabbit, the different herbs and spices, the campfire itself, making the soothing crackling noises that had lulled her to sleep many an evening. She could detect Argo III's scent from the entrance, as there was a slight breeze blowing in. She could even detect Gabrielle's, Rose's and her own. It made her smile. Made her feel happy to be given the opportunity to delight in her senses again.

While Gabrielle spoon fed Rose the stew's broth in between taking her own spoonfuls, Xena heartily scarfed down her own meal with great gusto, her taste buds practically dancing in ecstasy over her first meal since being reborn. She hadn't realized just how much she'd missed her partner's cooking. Needless to say, Xena enjoyed a second and third helping and ate up most of the bread loaf. Thankfully, Rose wasn't up to eating much and Gabrielle was so thrilled that Xena was alive and home with her again, she could have cared less if her partner wanted to eat all her scrolls and everything in Argo's feed bag.

Not long after dinner, while Gabrielle was cleaning up, Xena sat down next to her granddaughter, stroking back the young woman's dark hair from her eyes. "How you holding up there, Punky?"

"Not bad, considerin'," the Irish woman replied, feeling drowsy and relishing the effects of some of the herbs Gabrielle had administered to her. She smiled up at her grandmother rather dopily and it made Xena chuckle. "Tis kind of weird, though…"

"What is?"

"Well, ye know… givin' birth, but not… not havin' a baby to hold in me arms afterward."

Xena smirked at her, booped the girl's nose. "Want me to sit on your lap, 'mom'?" she teased her.

"Don't even think about it, Gran," Rose retorted, giggling and seemingly soaring higher than Xena's flying parchment of old. "Sheesh! Good to know some things never change. Yer still a jerk!"

"And motherhood hasn't made you any less of a punk," Xena laughed and they hugged warmly, snuggling together by the fire.

The sight of her family members being so affectionate and having this precious moment together- in their own unique way, of course- brought tears to Gabrielle's eyes. She tried to hide her emotions but both her partner and their grandchild knew her too well and they enveloped her in a loving embrace. Before too long, they ended up falling asleep huddled together next to the fire.

Until…

Gabrielle awoke several hours later, one of Xena's hands gently nudging her awake. The bard sat up in alarm, unsure of what could be wrong. "Xena! What is it?"

"Shh," Xena whispered, "just come with me." The warrior stood, then reached for Gabby's hand and pulled her easily to her feet.

"Is anything wrong?" the bard asked, once they were a reasonable distance from the slumbering Rose.

"Not at all. Come on, Gabrielle." Xena kept a gentle hold of Gabrielle's small hand and led her further into the cave, carrying a torch with her to light their way.

"Where are we going, Xena?"

"Not far. There's just something I want to show you…" the warrior replied vaguely.

The two women soon found themselves at the mouth of another room to the cavern.

"What's this?" Gabby asked, smiling in puzzlement.

"An adjoining suite," Xena told her, grinning like a fox and she led her in. There was a natural hot spring further back by the cave wall. "… with a tub."

The light of the torch lit up the small area fairly well and the cave glittered, crystals embedded into the walls.

"Oh," Gabrielle breathed, "Xena this is beautiful!"

"So are you," Xena whispered, finding a crevice to hold the torch before taking the smaller woman into her arms. She leaned down for a long, passionate kiss.

"Xena," Gabrielle sighed dreamily after their lips parted, "gods, I've missed you… I mean, I know you were always with me, but-"

"I know, Gabrielle," Xena interrupted her. "And I… I've missed you, too, so much. I love you, Gabrielle." Her hands shakily moved up and down the length of her partner's arms. Gods, Xena mused to herself, I'm as nervous as a virgin on her wedding day. Then again, I've been reborn. I guess I am a virgin…

Gabrielle, intuitive that she was, especially when it came to her soul mate, seemed to understand Xena's nervousness and she took the lead. "I love you, too, Xena. And I know it's been a long time since we… well, it's been a very long time. But this is us, you know? We're soul mates, we're forever, meant to be. I…" she gazed into Xena's blue eyes and saw true love shining in them for her. True love and a great amount of anxiousness. "And I'm talking too much, aren't I?"

"Of course," Xena teased her, chuckling, "but I would expect nothing less from the woman I love."

Gabrielle laughed, feeling a little silly. That feeling soon passed, however, when Xena gave her another kiss, this one even more passionate than the last.

Then Gabrielle simply melted in her partner's arms, and Xena smiled in satisfaction. I have you now, my love. With their lips still pressed together, Xena slowly lowered her beautiful soul mate to the floor of the cave. The rest came naturally.

OOO

Rose awoke early the next morning, her senses coming alive as her sleep addled brain began to function. She could hear Argo III snorting in satisfaction as she munched on some oats. She could hear the crackling of the campfire; she could feel the warmth it offered. She could smell it, as well as breakfast cooking over it. And she could hear her grandmothers talking quietly overhead. She heard giggling and naughty jokes and words of love being exchanged. It made her sigh happily and gave her a warm and fuzzy feeling.

She slowly opened her dark eyes and Xena's smiling face came into focus. Rose understood now that a lot of the warmth she felt was not from the campfire, or even her blanket, but from her grandmother, who was holding her tenderly in her arms. Rose's head was resting upon the warrior's thigh.

"Good morning, Punky," she said, grinning down at her and brushing back her hair. The morning sunlight that reached into their neck of the cave reflected beautifully off of her vivid blue eyes, giving the resurrected woman an ethereal glow that Rose found enchanting.

"M-mornin', Gran," the Irish woman replied with a yawn.

Gabrielle came over from her place at the campfire, her face glowing and euphoric. She knelt beside the invalid and ran her fingers through the dark, messy locks. "Good morning, sweetheart. How are you feeling?"

"I'm all right, I think," Rose murmured, reaching out a hand to caress the bard's arm. "Still a wee bit sore, but nothin' compared to last night."

"That's fantastic!" Gabrielle exclaimed happily, glancing up at Xena to share a smile, then taking a hold of Rose's hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. "Those herbs and a good night's sleep must have helped."

"That and the fact that she comes from a long line of fast healers," Xena added proudly. "Why, did you know that your great-great grandfather once cut off four of his fingers while chopping wood and after bandaging his hand up, he fed his fingers to the dogs and then went back to chopping?"

"Eww!" Rose cried, wrinkling her nose.

"Xena, that did not seriously happen," Gabrielle chided her. "Did it?"

The Warrior Princess laughed heartily, patted Rose's head and gave her partner a wink. "Okay, it was only one finger- just the tip of it. And he didn't feed it to the dogs." Both women sighed in relief, before Xena continued. "He just tied a string on it and wore it around his neck as a reminder to pay more attention while he's chopping wood!"

"Disgustin'!" Rose commented.

Gabrielle shook her head. "Why is it I do believe that version?"

"Because it actually happened," Xena promised, looking up at the bard as she stood up to fetch their breakfast from the frying pan.

"Our family is gross," Rose sniggered.

"I don't know what you're talking about, kid," Xena retorted, managing to keep a straight face as she first belched then pretended to pick her nose.

"Jerk!" Rose giggled and Gabrielle stifled a chuckle of her own.

"It's breakfast time, people," she announced.

Xena helped Rose to sit up and the three of them shared a simple meal, taken from the land, and enjoyed each other's company. Both Xena and Rose complimented Gabrielle on her fine meal, then spent the next candle mark joking around and flinging playful insults back and forth. Gabrielle sat back and kept mostly quiet, watching them bond in their own special way.

"What's that, yer third helpin' o' breakfast?" Rose teased her gluttonous grandmother.

"That's awful tall talk coming from someone who makes Gabrielle look like a giant!" the warrior volleyed.

"Yer a big, fat jerk with poop breath!" Rose took it up a notch.

"Oh, yeah? Well you sound like a leprechaun with dysentary!" Xena shot back triumphantly.

"Yer a dorky, fartin' booger-"

"All right, that's quite enough… children," Gabrielle finally cut in, sighing and trying not to laugh. "If you two are done insulting each other for the moment, and if you're feeling up to it, Rose, I'd like to get the breakfast mess cleaned up and then we can get a move on."

"Sounds like a plan," Xena agreed.

"You ladies go right ahead," Rose replied, lying back on the bedroll and lounging like a pampered queen. "As for me, I'm still on the mend, so…"

"Bite me, Punk," Xena chuckled. "You know, Amazon women are often out on the battlefield less than a day after giving birth."

"How unpleasant for them," Rose retorted, completely unfazed. "But in case neither of ye have noticed, I'm not an Amazon."

"Sure you are, on your wee lass's side, isn't that right, Gabrielle?"

"Technically, yes, it's true. In fact, I'll have to give you my right of caste."

"Really?" Rose asked, eyes wide. She remembered the stories her little blond grandmother had told her over the past season concerning the strong and proud race of Amazon women. ""But are there even any more Amazons left?" she wondered sadly.

"A few scattered tribes," Gabrielle admitted, sounding equally sad. "It's no secret that they're dying out. But as long as any are still around, it's so important to keep their traditions alive."

"I completely agree," Rose said, nodding vigorously. "So, what does bein' an Amazon queen entail, lass?"

"Oh, nice try, squirt," Xena said, shaking her head. "Diverting Gabrielle's attention with your interest, but you still need to get up and help with clean up."

Rose made a face and sat up with a groan. "Fine, I'm up. Ye happy now?"

"As a clam," Xena said with a cheeky grin. "It's good to move around after giving birth anyway." Mindful of the discomfort she knew her granddaughter must still be in, she gently swatted her bottom. "Puts hair on your chest!"

"Gross!" Gabrielle stated.

"Well, in that case," Rose added, sitting back down again and folding her arms across her chest.

"I'm kidding, you punk," Xena groused, picking up the young woman by the scruff and setting her carefully on her feet. "Go! Help!"

"Okay," Rose sighed in resignation. She walked over on unsteady legs to the campfire where Gabrielle now crouched, scraping out the breakfast bowls, while Xena ventured out to saddle Argo III.

The bard was humming to herself, her fair skin looking rosy and healthy and she appeared so truly happy. Rose painfully lowered herself down and knelt beside her, smiling knowingly.

"Ye happy, lass?"

"Happier than I think I've ever been," Gabrielle admitted, wearing a goofy smile. "I have my soul mate back- completely and in the flesh…" she blushed when she said the word 'flesh'. "And we have a beautiful granddaughter to love," she added, reaching up to caress the small brunette's cheek.

Rose warmed at the touch. For too long, the only human contact she received in her life was violence and ridicule. Traveling with her grandmothers for the last season had finally made her see the beauty in humanity, the true love of family. She took hold of her grandmother's hand and kissed it reverently and Gabrielle's soft heart melted even more…

"And then there's all that matin' ye did last night," the Irish woman mentioned innocently and the bard nearly choked. "I'm sure that put a smile on yer pretty face, lass."

"Wh- Rose, what do you mean?" Gabby stammered, trying to maintain a moniker of decency and decorum. "We were nowhere near you- eh, I mean, we didn't… do… um…"

"Lass," Rose snickered, smiling, "I have to say that ye aren't as quiet as ye think ye are…" The bard turned pale before going back to pink. "And besides, we're stayin' in a cave. Voices tend to carry… echo… reverberate off the walls." The brunette winked at her.

"By the gods," Gabrielle mumbled in shock. "I am absolutely mortified!"

Rose patted her shoulder. "Hmm, perhaps ye should drink more milk or somethin'. Well, I'll take these out to the creek and wash 'em for ye, lass." And she kissed Gabrielle's cheek, then ventured off outside, carrying the breakfast bowls.

She met up with Xena on the way out and they exchanged friendly insults- "Fart face!" "Butt breath!"- before Xena came in and sat beside her soul mate. She wrapped a loving arm around her. "Hey."

"Hey…" Gabrielle replied, clearly distracted.

"Argo has been brushed and saddled and she's ready to go when we are."

"Sure…"

"Gabrielle, are you all right?"

"I…"

"Gabrielle?"

"Rose heard us last night," the small blond blurted, covering her face in her hand, clearly embarrassed beyond belief.

Xena chuckled. "Well, you do get pretty vocal."

Though one would not have thought it possible, Gabrielle went from pink to red to nearly purple, she was so scandalized by the whole incident. "Oh, gods," she groaned, resting her head on Xena's shoulder. "I truly am mortified!"

"Isn't there a salve for that?" the Warrior Princess joked good-naturedly, patting her partner on the knee. "Well, come on, Gabrielle, daylight's a-wasting here." She stood up and pulled Gabrielle right up with her.

"But Xena, what about Rose and-"

"Hey, you wanted kids, so I guess you're just gonna have to grin and bear it." She waggled her eyebrows at her.

"Very funny!"

"Yeah, it is. Besides, it's good for the punk to see true love- or, in this case, at least hear it." Gabrielle moaned again, blushing furiously. "Think about it, Gabrielle, her marriage was nothing of the kind- it was more like slavery. She's never been privy to a good relationship like ours before."

"I… suppose that's true," Gabby reluctantly agreed, but was unnerved by the mischievous grin that appears on the warrior's face.

"Good, I'm glad we agree on this," Xena went on. "So, you won't mind if I do this in front of her," and she goosed the bard, making her jump.

"Xena!" Gabrielle yelped. "And no! Don't even think about it!"

"Think 'bout what?" Rose asked, reentering the cave. She took one look at her grandmothers and immediately smirked. "Ach! Can't ye two ever give it a rest?"

"No," Xena snickered, while Gabrielle continued to look mortified.

"Listen, young lady, our… love life is none of your concern," she scolded her, but as usual, all attempts at coming off as stern and commanding fell flat with Rose, who folded her arms in defiance and faced her.

"It is when it keeps me up at nights," she said, doing her best to keep a straight face.

As much as she thought she'd tried to hold back, Xena laughed at her granddaughter's smart Alec defiance, as well as her partner's put upon expression.

"Why, you little-" Gabrielle started, looking like she was ready to pounce on Rose, but Xena put a calming hand on her shoulder.

"All right, I think I get it now," the tall woman proclaimed, giving her partner's hair a quick tug. "Rose, if you've got questions or observations to make about love and all the ooey gooey stuff that goes along with it, go to Gabrielle."

"Naturally," Rose agreed, smirking.

"But if you're interested in talking about sex and the fun stuff, come talk to me."

"That's obvious," Rose agreed again. She and Xena exchanged wicked grins.

Gabrielle suddenly found herself bombarded with images of Xena and Rose telling raunchy jokes and singing dirty barroom ditties that she just could not shake. "Uh, no, that's all right, Xena. I am perfectly capable of having… the talk with our granddaughter, or answering any questions she might have about a… um… intimate nature."

"Did ye all ferget that I was married… well, sort of," Rose reminded them, then looked away, feeling shamed for a moment.

"What you were was not married, buttercup," Xena told her kindly. "You were…"

"I know," Rose said, anxious to return the conversation to a more mirthful topic. "And 'buttercup'? Seriously?"

"Yeah, that was kind of…"

"Yuck!"

"Hey!" Xena protested, "I meant well."

"So, about the talk," Gabby interrupted, feeling up to the challenge. "Go ahead, Rose ask me anything."

"Uh, Gabrielle," Xena began, feeling that her partner was overestimating herself in this area, especially considering Rose's sense of humor definitely ran more along the lines of ribald, just like hers.

"No, no, Xena, it's fine," Gabrielle assured her soul mate and Xena shrugged, then waited for the ball to drop. "Come on, Rose, ask away! I can take it. Give it your best shot!"

"Oh," Rose said, a thoughtful look momentarily taking over her angelic features. "Well, let's see now… Ah! So, lass, were ye gentle when ye deflowered Gran last night?"

"Son of a Bachae!" Gabrielle exclaimed, surprised and humiliated and turning beet red before their eyes. Xena's laughter didn't help matters any.

"You asked for it," Xena whispered. "And yes, for the record, she was, squirt," she added to Rose and they shared a knowing glance.

"And, oh, lass," Rose went on, grinning from ear to ear, "can I ask ye what they mean when they say 'he's hung like a'-"

"All right, already!" Gabrielle interrupted her, throwing her hands up in the air. "From now on, just… go to Xena!" She grabbed some of their supplies and glared at Xena. "She seriously got her obnoxious side from you!"

"I'm not arguing with you," Xena easily agreed, trying to look innocent. It wasn't working.

"You two are incorrigible!" the bard muttered, still red-faced and she took the supplies out to pack into Argo's saddle bag.

Xena and Rose watched after her before looking towards each other.

"Never saw anyone look that red before and I grew up in Ireland," Rose observed, eliciting a chuckle from her grandmother. "Man, we really are punks, aren't we?"

"I was gonna say jerks, but yeah…"

"Is she incredibly angry?" the young woman worried.

"Well, she's embarrassed as hell, so yeah, she's probably angry, too."

"Probably like she's not goin' to talk to us for a few days, or probably like she's goin' to poison our dinner tonight?"

"Neither," Xena assured her. "Gabrielle is too sweet to ever poison our dinner. And she enjoys talking too much to ever let being mad at us stop her in that respect. Nah, she'll probably just make us suffer by pretending she's not angry at us and let us get eaten from the inside out by our own guilt."

"That's harsh! Guess she's got a bit of a mean streak, too, huh?"

"Only when it's warranted."

"And I suppose it's really warranted…"

"Damn straight," Xena agreed. "We were jerky punks… or is it punky jerks?"

"So… suckin' up and doin' extra things for her it is, then?"

"Yep! Oh, and flowers. She loves flowers."

"Gotcha!"

"I'll go finish packing for her then."

"Right. I saw some daisies growin' by the entrance of the cave. I'll go pick some fer her."

"See you in five…"

OOO

It would take another few days to reach Amphipolis. Because Rose was still not a hundred per cent healed, they traveled slowly, so as not to cause her any extra discomfort. During that time, Xena and Rose were so kind and loving and well behaved to Gabrielle, it was nauseating. She nearly told them to knock it off and go back to being their old rotten selves, but she bit her tongue and let them make fools of themselves, falling all over her in their need to kiss up to her. She was sure that it made them feel better, even if they often did so with gritted teeth. Besides, she found it amusing.

At night, by the campfire, Rose would bring up questions, most of which, to Gabrielle's relief, did not involve sex, but that were, much to both her grandmothers' disdain, tough to answer, nevertheless. The first night they discussed the demise of Paxton, how he meant to continue following them and how Xena had found him. They told Rose how he had perished. To their surprise, Rose had appeared saddened by the news, although she tried to hide her feelings from them. She did not cry, but her dark eyes had clouded over with unshed tears.

Later, while washing up at the creek their campsite was near, Gabrielle asked Rose if she was all right.

"Aye, lass. Just… thinkin' 'bout Paxton."

"You're sad that he's dead, aren't you?"

"I don't know that 'sad' is the right word fer it. I just feel… some regret, I suppose."

"But… he hurt you for most of your life," Gabrielle reminded her, stroking back the younger woman's dark hair. "He was going to kill me and then take you back to Ireland and make your life even more miserable than it had been before- or worse!"

"Aye," Rose agreed. "I don't regret what had to be done with him. I just regret that he couldn'a rise above it, he couldn'a just left well enough alone and gone home and learned how to be a human bein'. But he just… couldn'a… That's what makes me so sad, lass."

Gabrielle gave her granddaughter a hug. "You're a good woman, Rose. A smart one, too. Too bad Paxton was too short-sighted to see that."

"Thanks, lass. Ye know, if all of what ye say 'bout me is true-"

"It is!"

"Then I really must take after ye."

"Aw, I think you do, too," Gabrielle agreed, her green eyes going all misty and soft. She embraced her granddaughter, but had to add, "Of course, your obnoxious sense of humor is all from Xena!"

"Aye, that it is, lass," Rose chuckled, finally offering a smile that melted her grandmother's heart.

The following evening's fireside chat would be an even more difficult discussion. Rose, burning with curiosity, yet sensitive to Gabrielle's feelings, hesitated, but Xena and Gabrielle could both tell there was something on her mind and they urged her to speak. It was then, unable to look either of her grandmothers in the eye, she asked about what had been mentioned on the night that Xena had been reborn in the temple of Xen; the 'devil baby' one of the priests had claimed was Gabrielle's grandchild and which she herself had admitted was true.

Gabrielle still had a hard time even thinking about anything to do with Dahak, Hope or that vile creature that was technically her grandchild, but with Xena sitting next to her, wrapping a supportive arm around her shoulder, and then looking into Rose's puppy dog eyes, full of love and compassion and without judgment, Gabby managed to get through telling the tale of the Destroyer. She was an exhausted mess by the time she was through, but Xena took her into her strong arms and, stroking back her golden locks, whispered soothing words of comfort to her, while Rose knelt at her feet, her head resting on the bard's knee, sobbing against her bare skin and vowing that they would never need to bring it up again.

Late that night, after Rose had fallen asleep and was snoring contentedly away, snuggled up to Xena's side, the Warrior Princess turned towards Gabrielle and gave her a sad smile. "Gabrielle," she whispered, "I'm so sorry that all those zealots knew about that awful part of our lives, or that Rose had to find out that way."

"I'm just wondering how they did learn about it," the bard sighed. "I wrote only one scroll on the subject. It wasn't one I copied or showed around to anyone."

"You gave it to Eve, didn't you?" Xena asked, rubbing at her tired face.

"I… yes, now that you mention it, I believe I did," Gabrielle recalled, her eyes filling with tears at the mention of their daughter. "It was just before she parted ways with us to embark on her last journey as Eli's messenger. I guess I just wanted her to have something of us to take with her. I included a few of my most private scrolls… as well as some poetry and letters we had written to each other. And portraits I'd had made…"

"That's how the zealots knew so much, Gabrielle," Xena surmised with regret. "All the intimate details of our lives, from our most painful to our most… pleasurable," and she reached out to give her partner's knee a good squeeze, which made Gabby jump, before stilling the warrior's hand with her own. "They stole our stories and pictures from Eve, when they tried to sacrifice her."

"Xena, I'm so sorry. I guess I shouldn't have-"

"No, it's not your fault, sweetheart," Xena assured her. "It's not Eve's fault, not little Rose's fault either. If anyone is to blame, it's me."

"What?" Gabrielle exclaimed, causing their granddaughter to momentarily stir. She waited a beat, until Rose settled again, then continued in a quieter voice. "Xena, how can you blame yourself? Not only did you not give Eve the scrolls, but you've been, well, dead for the past two decades. How could you be held responsible for any of this mess?"

"Because," Xena replied with a guilty conscience, "it all boils down to me and to who I was. I used to kill for gain- even for fun- and in the process, I hurt and shamed my family. And even after Hercules led me to the truth- and you guided me through it," she added, wanting to reiterate to her partner that Gabrielle was just as, if not more so, responsible for her path to righteousness and redemption, "I would still end up hurting someone, or screwing things up, either because of my past or just because of who I was. I just… can't seem to stop causing pain, no matter what I do. Even these zealots, these followers who claimed to worship me, they hurt people, they killed our daughter, almost killed our granddaughter, and all in my name! Dammit!"

The bard squeezed the warm hand that currently rested on her knee, then brought it up to hold against her heart. "Xena, I thought you told me that being reborn had absolved you of the guilt you harbored from your life before."

"It did. I think this is all brand new guilt I've got to deal with…" With tears in her beautiful blue eyes, Xena leaned over to kiss the dark head of the slumbering Rose, before turning and burying her face in the crook of Gabrielle's neck. The hot, wet tears finally found their way to the surface, and she sobbed quietly in her soul mate's arms for quite a long time.

Gabrielle tried whispering soothing words to the Warrior Princess, but she knew that actions often spoke louder than words- especially to someone who was such a physical person. She held the woman tightly against her, ignoring her tear-soaked shoulder as she stroked the raven hair back out of stormy, blue eyes. She kissed the heavy eyelids as they blinked sleepily against the light of the moon.

Just as she felt the warrior's breath begin to deepen, near slumber, Gabrielle whispered softly into her ear, "You can only be held responsible for your own actions, my love. You are not responsible for the actions, or words, or thoughts of others. You have no control over that. No control… do you understand?"

"I understand," Xena murmured quietly, sniffling and wiping her nose against her soul mate's arm.

"I love you, Xena," Gabrielle yawned, wisely ignoring the action. This had been an emotional night for all of them. She just wanted to close her eyes and forget about it, until the sun came up.

"I love you, too, Gabrielle," Xena replied, snuggling in closer and falling asleep almost instantly.

OOO

They were less than a day away from Xena's home town of Amphipolis. Though it was merely early evening, the three women decided to camp for the night, have a leisurely dinner and relax. Then they could start out again at sun up and arrive in Amphipolis just in time for dinner.

Xena marveled over Rose's insecurities at coming home to the place where her grandmother, the legendary Xena, Warrior Princess, was born and raised. She feared that, as a foreigner she would not fit in. But she also feared that she would not live up to the standards of what she envisioned a child of Xena and Gabrielle should look or act like.

The warrior also pondered over Gabrielle's firm belief that they would all be welcomed into town with loving, open arms of townspeople who had grown up listening to tales- most of which came from the bard's own scrolls- of the mighty hero Xena and her companion, the Battling Bard of Potedia! The thought of such acceptance, however exaggerated as it might well be, still made Xena smile, her soul mate's sunny outlook warming her heart.

Xena herself tried not to speculate too much on what kind of reception they would receive once they got to Amphipolis. The townspeople may have heard more stories about Xena's violent past than of the later good things she had done before she'd died. Or, in spite of how wonderful Gabrielle's scrolls were, they may have thought it better to forget the Warrior Princess altogether, choosing to wipe the slate of their town clean. She only hoped that she would not find the village turned into something as hideous as Xenith had been. The very idea made her shudder.

That evening, while it was still light out, since Rose was feeling so much better, Xena had promised to show her some moves in the art of swordplay. Gabrielle had misgivings, not because she feared Rose would one day take her lessons and use the knowledge for evil, but because she did not want her getting hurt. She still wasn't fully recovered from giving birth to her grandmother less than a week before and her hand, while healing nicely, was still rather sore. Plus, as much as she didn't want to admit it, she thought of Rose as her 'baby' and she had already seen the young Irish woman go through so much, and get hurt so many times. But before she could protest, she got a look of the excitement in their granddaughter's eyes, and a look of pride and purpose in her partner's, so she ultimately held her tongue, realizing this was another way for the two of them to bond… and it beat listening to them insult each other, or worse- embarrass her with their off-color jokes and remarks.

Gabrielle sat back, content to sip some tea and watch her life- and death- partner sparring with their grandchild, using a careful hand and wearing a proud, affectionate expression on her beautiful face. Rose, on the other hand, gave it her all, her round face and dark eyes focused and determined to impress both her grandmothers, and she managed to push Xena back a few times of her own accord and not simply because the Warrior Princess had let her. Of course, Xena might have been just slightly out of practice, having not fought or sparred or even held a real sword in her hand for twenty years. As a spirit, she'd had no need to.

"I almost got ye that time, Gran!" the bard heard Rose announce boldly, laughter in her voice and a look of complete adoration on her face for the wonderful woman sparring with her.

"Not even close, Punky!" Xena teased her, scoffing playfully and looking content in her element.

It brought tears to her eyes, Gabrielle was so touched by the moment. She also recalled similar sparring sessions with Xena when she was young and just learning the ropes on being a hero and getting to know her new warrior friend. To an outsider, it might have seemed too rough, but it was actually a great way to bond with Xena, as she opened up and reigned over each lesson with a firm but gentle hand.

Rose took another swipe at the almighty Xena and forced the woman to back off for a moment. "Ha! Nearly got ye again, admit it, Gran!" she crowed, puffing out her chest. She looked over to the small blond woman who sat by the fire watching them. "Didja see, lass? I almost bested Gran!"

Gabrielle's heart nearly burst with emotion. Rose looked to her with the innocence of a child seeking approval from her mother. And in her eyes, that same look of adoration remained. Xena isright, the bard reasoned, as she smiled and nodded approvingly at her granddaughter. Rose has a big heart and enough love in it for both of us…

She paused briefly, missing the mental connection she and Xena once shared, so used to hearing her partner answer her in her head. But at that moment, the warrior looked at her and they shared a look that seemed to convey all that needed to be said, and Gabrielle realized their connection, was still strong and as prominent as ever. She offered the tall woman a radiating smile that lit up her whole face and made Xena melt… and nearly get nicked in the arm by her instantly apologetic granddaughter…

After a full two candle marks of working up a sweat, the two women returned to the campfire, each taking up residence on either side of Gabrielle, who had to fight them both off from stealing her tea. Instead, she threw them each a full water skin, which she had filled a while ago in anticipation of just this sort of situation. Both women drank thirstily, wiped the sweat from their brows and thanked Gabrielle in perfect unison. This made the bard chuckle, much to their confusion.

"You two really are so much alike," she explained.

"Nah," Xena said, reaching around Gabrielle and giving Rose a playful shove.

"I'm more like ye, lass," Rose assured her, sticking her tongue out at Xena in response.

"Well, I never enjoyed sparring like you do, Rose," Gabby told her. "And you're a natural with a sword, just like your Gran."

"Plus we both love dirty jokes," Rose added sensibly.

"You got that right," Xena agreed and they exchanged high fives over the bard's head.

Gabrielle rolled her eyes. "Lovely."

"But you're still more like Gabrielle," Xena went on, eyeing her soul mate with a goofy grin. "You both have such sweet eyes and cute little noses and the most beautiful smiles…"

Rose shook her head and crossed her 'sweet' eyes at the warrior's waxing poetic. "Oh, puke!"

"That's beautiful, Xena," Gabrielle replied, of course, reacting the opposite way to Xena's pretty prose.

"And, you're both shorter than leprechauns!" Xena finished, cracking herself up and slapping herself on the knee, guffawing loudly.

"Bite me, Xena!" Gabrielle muttered good-naturedly.

"You're a jerk, Gran," Rose chuckled.

Xena grinned in satisfaction, pleased to have gotten the desired rise out of them both. She leaned over Gabrielle to pinch her granddaughter on the cheek.

Being sandwiched so tightly in between the two, Gabrielle got a good whiff, only it wasn't so good at all. "Gods, you two stink!" she declared.

"I thought ye said I was good," Rose replied, a pout forming on her face.

"No, I mean that you both smell awful!" Gabrielle was quick to assure her, although that was an insult all its own. "How about a quick bath in the creek before dinner?"

"Ye mean all of us together?" Rose groaned. "Oh, lass, that is so gross!"

Gabrielle gave her an indignant huff, while Xena blew raspberries at such a proclamation.

"You calling us 'gross', young lady?" Gabrielle demanded to know, barely hiding a smirk.

"No, I'm callin' us all bathin' together gross," Rose was quick to clarify.

"Really?" Xena asked, pushing all the buttons, not bothering to hide the laughter in her eyes.

"A little bit, aye…"

"Psht," Xena brushed it off. "The family that bathes together stays together!" Gabrielle chuckled.

"Neither of ye find it even the least bit weird about takin' a bath with yer granddaughter?"

"Nope."

"Nah…"

"Well, it's really weird to me, takin' a bath with me grandmothers!"

"But at least we don't look like your typical grandmothers," Gabby pointed out. "Doesn't that make it better?"

"Nay, I think it makes it worse."

"What do you suggest then, Punk?" Xena asked, sighing dramatically.

"How about I go bathe while Gran hunts dinner and the lass can get the food stuff ready?" Rose suggested innocently.

"And isn't it convenient how you get out of helping with dinner in that scenario?" Gabrielle replied with a knowing grin.

"Yeah, we see what you did there," the Warrior Princess added teasingly.

"I will gladly do all of the clean up after dinner," Rose promised.

"I don't know," Xena said, feigning doubt. "Seems like an awful lot of trouble just to get out of bathing with your grandparents."

"Ugh, Gran!" Rose muttered as her two grandmothers grinned at each other. "Look, I'll go bathe, then when I get back, I'll watch over the dinner while the two of ye can have a jolly romp in the creek with each other, if ye know what I mean." And she winked knowingly at them.

"Can't argue with that logic," Xena replied with enthusiasm, giving Gabrielle a smoldering look, which made the bard turn away, turning bright red.

"Oh, gods," Gabby sighed, unable to stop her blush. "So, according to our 'Irish lass', bathing with one's grandmothers is gross, but making innuendos about their sex life is perfectly acceptable?"

Rose shrugged, trying to keep a straight face. "It's a cultural difference."

"Riiight…"

Xena laughed heartily, stood up, grabbing Rose by the scruff and lifting her to her feet. "All right, stinker, go get your bath so you can get back here and keep an eye on dinner. I'm feeling rather… dirty myself." She waggled her eyebrows at Gabrielle.

Shaking her head, the blushing bard stood up and looked around for some more firewood, her fair complexion absolutely crimson by this time. "You two are going to drive me insane!"

"Well, yer already daft, so it isn'a real big stretch, now is it?" Rose joked, kissing her cheek, grabbing a bar of soap and a sponge from the saddle bag, then disappearing into the forest, whistling cheerfully.

"What a punk," Gabrielle murmured, echoing Xena's sentiment of their grandchild.

"That's my little pervert," Xena said proudly. "Uh, I mean, 'warrior'."

"Some warrior!" Gabrielle retorted. "She left her sword over here by the fire."

"Gabrielle, she went to take a bath. Where's she gonna put it?"

"I'll tell you where you can put it, Xena," Gabrielle scolded her, playfully swatting the warrior's arm. "I swear, Rose is a little pervert and you are the big pervert who encourages her entirely too much."

Xena shrugged. "Hey, everyone needs a role model."

Gabrielle groaned. "Just go find us some dinner, please?"

"Joyfully," Xena said, smiling like a fox. She kissed her partner on the forehead and headed cheerfully into the opposite side of the forest where Rose had gone but whistling the same happy tune.

The bard's heart swelled yet again. She adored her family and while she missed her sister, her niece and their family, she felt, nearly as much as Xena did, that she was going home by traveling to and settling in Amphipolis. At least, settling in Amphipolis had been their initial plan. Now that her beloved was back amongst the living, she was not sure what Xena would want to ultimately do. The Warrior Princess was twenty years older than what she had been the last time she walked the earth with a beating heart, so perhaps she would finally be ready to slow down, settle into home and hearth and be content with that. Then again, she was Xena, the Warrior Princess, who loved the land and preferred wandering on it, doing good wherever she felt she was needed.

By the time she had the fire burning hotter and had gotten all the cooking utensils and her herbs and spices out, Xena returned, coming from the direction of the creek, still whistling and carrying three fish on a stick for their dinner.

"What? No rabbit?" Gabrielle asked. She'd been prepared to make another stew.

Xena shrugged. "Eh, thought we'd have something different tonight. Hey, where's the punk?"

"Didn't you see her down by the creek?" the bard asked, already growing concerned.

"No, actually," Xena admitted. "I thought she'd already gone and would have been back by now." She, too, had a worried look on her normally stoic face.

"She should have been. Our granddaughter isn't known to have a fondness for long baths."

"Great… terrific… shit!"

"I want to go look for her."

"Me, too. Let's go now." Xena picked up her granddaughter's short sword, squeezing the hilt tightly in her palm. When Gabrielle looked at her, Xena murmured, "The kid shouldn't be without this. In case she did run into trouble, this will be her first lesson on always keeping it with her. I guess… I guess the people in our family are just destined for trouble... and danger." She looked regretful and guilty.

Gabrielle slid her hand into Xena's larger one. "Don't talk like that. Let's just go find Rose now, okay?" she said gently.

Xena nodded solemnly and they started out in the direction Rose had gone over a candle mark before…

OOO

Rose was running, running as fast as she could. She had since lost her bearings on where she was, plus the sky was now dark. The moon had not yet risen into the sky and the darkness loomed in around her with menacing ferocity. She tripped over tree trunks and stones and got hit in the face and body by low hanging branches that scraped up her skin and tore up her clothing. She did not stop. She couldn't. She was running for her life.

Down at the creek, just moments before undressing could occur, Rose had become aware that she was being watched. At first, she'd thought it was one or both of her grandmothers, coming to sneak up on her and give her a scare.

She had pretended she was oblivious to their presence and waited till they had crept closer, then she had spun around to startle them, but she had been the one with the big surprise. Instead of turning around to see her two mischievous grandmothers, she discovered the lead priest, Urodious, from the Temple of Xen, surrounded by about twenty more priests. All of them were armed. None looked too pleased to see her.

"Well, if it isn't the goddess queen's unruly offspring," Urodious had spat at her.

Rose had frowned, trying to hide her fear, unable to hide her confusion. "Hey, robe guy, what are ye doin' here? What is yer business with me?"

"My business here, child, is to seek revenge upon the person who ruined our temple, our town and our way of life in the Xen faith." He glared pointedly at the small woman.

The Irish lass actually looked behind herself for a moment, expecting to see someone else standing there as the one responsible for the leader's troubles. When she saw no one, she stared back at him in disbelief. "Ye mean me?" she stammered and he'd nodded. "Ach! Who was the 'Chosen One's' descendant in her line? Who was the one who gave up the blood ye needed to perform the ritual? And who was the lady who gave birth to yer goddess?"

"Well, uh... you were, technically, but-"

"No buts 'bout it, robe guy, and I still have the stretch marks to prove it!" Rose had lifted her tunic up to give them all a brief look at said stretch marks.

"Um... oh, sorry," Urodious had stammered at first, before his eyes had narrowed. "But you refused to die and give your blood in sacrifice, so while our goddess was made flesh, she was not... she did not fulfill the prophecy!"

"I refused to die, eh?" Rose had repeated, raising her eyebrow. "Aye, tis true. It's sort of a habit I have. So, what, then? Xena's already back, ye know. Not much ye can do 'bout it now, mister."

"That's not entirely true, my dear," he had informed her. "We can perform the ceremony again, do it right this time."

Rose had rolled her eyes. "Well, what's the point, robe guy? Xena, the Warrior Princess, already lives!"

The leader glared at the insolent pup. "Not if we kill her..." And Rose's face paled in shock. "Then we shall sacrifice you properly while performing the ceremony again, spilling your blood and giving life to our goddess in the way it was intended!"

"Over me dead body!" Rose protested.

"That's the idea," Urodious stated coolly. "My brothers, grab her- NOW!"

Then Rose had slipped out of their grasp and the chase was on...

Soon though, in her effort to lose the freaks chasing her, she had become disoriented and had lost her way. Lucky for her, she had Xena and Gabrielle for grandmothers. In fact, in her haste, she ran smack dab into Xena, the warrior's breast plate nearly knocking the small brunette out entirely.

In the dark, and feeling a bit addle-brained after taking such a hit, Rose tried to pull away, unsure of who she had collided with, but Xena lifted her up and held her close, while Gabrielle rubbed her back and said, "Shh, honey, it's us. We are so glad to see you!"

"Yeah, punk," Xena agreed, kissing her granddaughter on the brow. "You all right? You were running like the wind."

"It's the... those weird priest guys in the brown robes," Rose explained, trying to catch her breath, and snuggling into Xena's embrace. "Ye know, from the Temple of Xen. They tracked us here!"

"But why?" Gabrielle asked in confusion.

"Why, indeed?" Xena grumbled. "I'm already alive, in case they forgot. Did they track us down to beg me to rule them again?" She sighed at the thought of it.

"Nay," Rose told her, clutching desperately at the woman's larger hand. "Gran, they wanna off ye, so they can sacrifice me proper and then bring ye back again! They seem to be under the impression that doin' so will... 'fix ye', so ye'll be their goddess the way they planned it."

"Are you kidding me?" Gabrielle exclaimed, shocked and simply fuming over the cold-heartedness and their sheer audacity.

"What a load of centaur dung!" Xena seethed, narrowing her crystal blue eyes, which currently looked as cold as ice. "It wouldn't matter if they did that or not. Either way, I would never serve as their queen!"

"Good to know," Rose said with a slight smile. She struggled in her grandmother's arms till the taller woman set her on her feet. Then she took both of them by the hand. "Now, Gran, I want ye to go on to Amphipolis. With just ye and the wee lass ridin' Argo, ye should arrive before first light." She turned to look at the bard. "Lass, try to keep Gran hidden. Go through the woods. Stay off of the established trails."

Xena lifted the Irish woman's chin up and looked into her ebony eyes. "And what, pray tell, will you be doing through all of this, Punky?"

"I'll act as a decoy," Rose explained rapidly. "The arses will be lookin' fer me and I'll just zigzag through the forest to keep 'em runnin' ragged."

"But what if you get caught?" Gabrielle challenged her, not liking this 'plan' one little bit.

"Then it won't matter," Rose told her. "They won't perform the ritual unless Gran is dead, so they'd have no reason to kill me. Besides, I won't get caught, lass. I'm pretty scrappy, ye know."

"Oh, we know," Xena agreed. "And it's actually not a bad plan." Gabrielle stared at her partner in shock, while Xena went on. "Too bad it won't work."

Rose scowled. "But why wouldn'a ?"

"Because I'm not going to risk my granddaughter's life in order to save my own," the warrior explained and Gabrielle heaved a sigh of relief. "My life wouldn't be worth a lick anyway, if I ever put it above another's- particularly someone that I love so dearly."

Gabrielle started getting weepy-eyed at the sentiment and Rose blushed so brightly they could even detect it in the darkness.

"But I love ye, too, Gran," Rose spoke up, choking back a few tears of her own, "and I know that the world needs the two of ye more'n it would ever need me."

"That's not true," Rose," Gabrielle told her, cupping her granddaughter's face with her hand. "We all need each other."

"And the world's a better place with all of us in it, punk," Xena added.

Rose sniffled, unable to stop it. "So, then no one plays the martyr here?"

"Nope," Xena and Gabrielle promised in unison.

"Then what's the new plan?"

"The new plan is we face them," Xena told her.

"And...?"

"And if they give us any trouble, we kick some ass!" the Warrior Princess muttered, her face turning hard.

Rose looked up at her tough-as-nails grandmother, awash in adoration. Gabrielle herself was beginning to tingle. It was true, her soul mate was a force to be reckoned with. And seeing her preparing for battle just took her breath away. It had been so long since she'd been privy to this.

"Ready, my lovelies?" Xena asked her companions, now in true warrior mode, something she had not really experienced in twenty years.

"Aye," Rose murmured reverently.

"Oh, yeah," Gabby agreed, her voice going sultry.

Xena exchanged a look with her beloved. "Let's do it," she purred.

All of the flirting and heaving chests made Rose roll her eyes. "Seriously? Can we save the victory lovin' till after we kick their arses?"

Xena gave Gabrielle a quick kiss on the mouth, then nodded grimly, resting a strong hand on Rose's shoulder. "Lead the way, kid."

"Oh. Um..."

"What is it, Rose?"

The young woman blushed again. "Uh, I don't know where I am, exactly..."

"Right," Xena sighed, then glanced over at her soul mate. "Well, she obviously gets her sense of direction from you, Gabrielle."

"Hey!"

"So, there you are!"

The three women turned around to see some of the high priests closing in on them, their swords at the ready.

"Found them!" Rose announced.

"Oh, Rose," Xena groaned.

"That's terrible," Gabrielle chuckled.

"Where's Urodious?" one of the priests asked.

"He was coming around from the other way," the man standing closest to him answered. "He should be here any moment."

"Are we to start the ceremony without him?" another one asked.

"Shh, we're not supposed to say anything. All we need to do is keep them here and subdued."

"Should be easy enough," a cocky young priest declared and the rest of his group stared at him as though he were growing a second head.

"Did you ever even read the scrolls?" his buddy asked, shaking his head in disbelief. Almost all of them realized just how dangerous a woman Xena could be.

And she was happy to reiterate that fact. Standing in front of her companions, as head of the family, she drew them in close, quickly slipping Rose her short sword. She leaned in toward Gabrielle, kissed her briefly. "You take the three on the left. And Punky," she whispered into Rose's ear, "take the two little ones on the right."

"But I can handle more'n that," Rose protested.

Xena rolled her eyes. "I tell you what, I'll give you more responsibility as soon as you stop getting lost in the forest." She swatted the young woman on the butt.

"Fair enough," Rose grumbled.

"What are we waiting for?" an older priest announced. "Grab them before they get away!"

"Oh, we're not going anywhere!" Xena hissed at them, and all three women pounced on their unsuspecting victims.

Unsurprisingly, it took very little time for the terrific trio to disarm all of the priests. A few fled, screaming into the woods, while the braver- i.e. stupider- ones stayed and were promptly beaten and battered into submission.

"At least they didn't get away..." the older priest muttered, before passing out on the forest floor from his injuries.

Xena shook her head at the misguided men lying about at her feet and stepped over them, bringing her two companions along with her. They barely made it passed the unconscious priests when Urodious burst onto the scene, breathless from running and searching for Rose. He saw the three women, and smiled wickedly. The girl had led him directly to his primary target- Xena.

"Ah, my magnificent queen," Urodious said, bowing graciously. He turned to Gabrielle and gave her a slightly less reverent bow. "And, our Lady Gabrielle, consort to the goddess. How beautiful you look this fine evening."

"Hmph," Rose pouted. "Doesn't say a thing about me."

He glared at the younger woman.

"I'm sorry, did you just call me a 'consort'?" Gabrielle asked, raising her eyebrow at the priest.

"Well, yes, I did. Is that not what you are, dear lady?"

"Gabrielle is my 'partner', my compass, my soul mate, my equal," Xena informed him in no uncertain terms. "Consort doesn't even begin to cover what she is to me."

"Yeah, what are ye, an idiot?" Rose sneered.

"Shut up, you," Urodious muttered, pointing his sword in Rose's general direction. At first, sacrificing the younger woman was just a necessity. Now he had to admit, he was looking forward to it. That little smart mouth deserved to be silenced forever.

"Do not tell my granddaughter to shut up," Gabrielle hissed, her green eyes narrowing at him. It was bad enough to be called a 'consort', but for him to order their kid around like that, he had really pushed her to the edge of her patience.

"I beg your pardon, milady," he apologized, resting a hand over his heart. "I did not mean to offend."

"You did not mean to offend?" Gabrielle repeated in disbelief. "Your intent here is to murder my love and then sacrifice our grandchild?"

"Um, well, yes..."

"And you don't think that offends me?"

"Uh..."

"Ye really are an idiot," Rose sighed, shaking her head.

The leader brushed off the nonsensical conversation with a wave of his sword. "None of this silliness shall matter in the end. Now, my queen, once the ceremony is completed- properly this time- you may choose a new title for your bard lover, all right? So, if you would like a moment to bid your lady a temporary farewell and a good riddance to your smart-mouth granddaughter, we can commence with the sacrifice." He smiled at her.

Both Gabrielle and Rose looked at the man, completely disgusted and speechless, but Xena merely gave him a grin- a very dangerous grin.

"Oh, how very thoughtful of you," she hissed at him, her eyes narrowing to crystal blue slits.

"Anything for you, your grace," Urodious replied, oblivious to the sarcasm and the danger he was truly in.

Xena wrapped an arm around each of the small women, kissing Gabrielle full on the mouth and Rose on the top of her dark head. "I'll handle this myself, girls," she whispered, grinning like a fox. Then she glanced back to Urodious. "All right, we're ready now." She offered him a smile that she usually reserved for things she was about to enjoy killing.

"Very good, my queen, our loving goddess," Urodious said, giving her yet another reverent bow. While his head was bent in respect, Xena hissed at him, Gabrielle made a rude gesture and Rose stuck her tongue out at him. They all had innocent looks once he stood upright to look at them. "I am so grateful that you have chosen to embrace your destiny and let us give you another resurrection. Now, do you prefer death by hanging or by sword?"

"Oh, sword, definitely," Xena told him, still smiling as she reached back for her sword again.

Urodious smiled back. "But of course, you being a warrior, nothing else will do for you, your highness." That's when he noticed that Xena had her sword in her hand, Gabrielle had both her Sais at the ready and Rose had her short sword pointed at his heart.

"You said swords, right?" Xena asked innocently.

Urodious looked more than shocked and his eyes grew wide. "What is the meaning of this?" he demanded to know, drawing out his ceremonial dagger.

"Well, come on then," Xena taunted him, gesturing him closer. "Assassinate me!"

"Oh, we shall!" the leader grunted at her, narrowing his eyes in determination. "It is your destiny, my queen. We will do our duty!"

"Who is 'we'?" Gabrielle asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"My brothers and I..." he began, then glanced around and saw that most of them were lying on the forest floor just behind Xena and her companions, knocked unconscious. "Pathetic," he whispered in disgust. "Very well, I shall have to do this all myself, then."

"Do what?" Xena challenged him. "Kill me?" She smirked at him.

"Well, yes, my queen. That was the plan.."

"But I would stop you," Gabrielle spoke up, pointing her Sais at him.

"Then I will kill you first," Urodious reasoned.

"I wouldn't let you," Xena told him. "Besides if you resurrected me without having my soul mate here to welcome me back, do you honestly think I would do anything but incur my wrath?"

"Er... good point," Urodious conceded. "All right, I shall merely incapacitate our lady, Gabrielle before killing you, dear goddess."

"How are you going to do that?" Gabby asked.

"Aye," Rose added. "The wee lass isn'a too easy to incapacitate."

"I'll... tie her up."

"Before or after you kill me?" Xena asked, making the man feel more than a little pressured.

"Um..."

"And don't ferget I'll be here, too, doin' me part in seein' ye get nowhere with either killin' or incapacitatin'. And ye can't kill me either, well, not till after ye kill Gran, so it look like ye've got quite the dilemma, eh?" Rose informed him.

"I... uh... huh..." Urodious was weighing his options and suddenly came to the conclusion that he didn't really have any.

"So, what's it gonna be then, Urodious?" Xena hissed at him, sneering at his name.

"This isn't over," Urodious told her finally, pointing the tip of his sacrificial dagger in Xena's direction. "I will find you again my queen, with more reinforcements. You will return as our ruler, as the prophecy states!"

"Don't bet on it," Xena muttered at him as she punched him across the face, effectively knocking him out.

"Did ye kill him?" Rose asked, looming over him to see if she could still see him breathing.

"Nah..."

"Well, shouldn't ye?"

"Rose!" Xena exclaimed.

"Xena," Gabrielle put in, "what if he really does what he promised? What if he does come back with more priests and tries to get you?"

The Warrior Princess re-sheathed her sword and shrugged. "Hey, I kicked his ass. Do you really think I need to finish him off, Gabrielle?"

"Um, well, no, that's probably not the best way to start off your brand new life," Gabrielle admitted sheepishly.

"Technically, ye didn'a kick his arse, Gran," Rose was quick to point out. "Ye merely punched his ugly mug."

Xena walked over and gave the unconscious man a swift kick in his posterior with the toe of her boot. He groaned, but remained out of it.

"There. Is that better, Punky?"

"Aye, Gran, much!"

The warrior shook her head at her family, then urged them to toward her, which they both eagerly did, each taking up residence on either side of her tall, lean form. "Come on, let's get back to camp. I'd ask you to lead the way, Punky, but then we might end up traveling back to Ireland, what with your sense of direction."

"Yer the biggest jerk ever, Gran!" the young woman muttered.

"Thank you."

"But Xena, if he ever does come back...?" Gabrielle asked again, still unsure of their future as long as this zealot felt compelled to follow them.

"If he does, then we'll take care of him, one way or another," Xena assure her. "Relax, Gabrielle. It will all turn out all right. I didn't come back after twenty years to let some idiot priest take me out again." She leaned down to give her soul mate a big hug.

Gabrielle's nose wrinkled involuntarily at her partner's less than fresh scent. "Jeez, you both still stink!"

"Thanks, we love you, too," Xena laughed. She led her brood towards the direction of the creek.

"I'm really starvin'," Rose sighed, her stomach grumbling quite audibly, making her grandmothers both laugh.

"Hey, she's got your appetite, Gabrielle!" Xena teased.

Gabrielle had to agree as her own belly began to rumble. "That she does."

"So, we gonna go back to camp and eat now?" Rose asked hopefully.

"Not until you two have had a bath," Gabrielle informed her. "You're both a little too aromatic for my sensibilities right now. Why don't you go take a quick dip in the creek while I work on dinner? Should have it just about ready by the time you'd get back."

"Good idea," Xena replied.

"But-" Rose began to protest.

"See you in a bit," Gabrielle squeezed Xena's hand, then ruffled Rose's hair before heading back to their campsite.

"You think maybe bathing with just one of your grannies might not be so weird?" Xena chided the younger woman.

Rose rolled her eyes. "I think it might be even weirder..."

Xena slapped her heartily on the back and the small brunette flinched at the action. "Hey, if you feel awkward about it," the warrior said, undressing quickly and walking, naked, to the bank of the creek without a bit of shame, "just remember this: There is safety in numbers!" Then she jumped in, knees tucked up into her chest, landing in the cool water that rose up to her shoulders, and splashing her granddaughter, who stood on the bank.

With a perturbed look on her round face and a curse on her lips, Rose stripped down to her birthday suit and dove in after her, splashing the Warrior Princess mercilessly.

OOO

They ate hastily that night, and because Rose seemed a little uneasy by the unexpected return of the priests from the Temple of Xen, Xena and Gabrielle made the decision to pack up camp and ride through the night to get to Amphipolis early the next morning.

Though she was now human again, Xena still had more stamina than either of her companions, so she had Gabrielle and Rose sit a top Argo III, while she took the reins, acting as a sentry, a guide, and most importantly, a protector to her cherished family. She would glance back up at them often. Rose, who was sitting in front, had fallen asleep quickly and leaned back against Gabrielle. The bard, though basically the same size, held her gently, and without complaint. She would always smile lovingly at Xena whenever their eyes met. After a few hours, though, even she was dozing off and Xena would look to see the blond head bobbing backwards as the green eyes closed, her arms still securely snaked around their granddaughter's waist. The sight made Xena grin from ear to ear and gave her even more incentive to keep moving.

As daylight broke, Xena had gotten them through the woods and she could see Amphipolis in the distance. Rose and Gabrielle had awakened by that time and they insisted that Xena ride the rest of the journey and they would walk beside the horse. Xena had told them she wasn't tired at all, and they nearly believed her... until she yawned in their faces. After much gentle nagging from Gabrielle and annoying whining from Rose, Xena finally relented and rode Argo III for the rest of the trip. She was asleep within minutes. Both her partner and her granddaughter smiled affectionately at her, then trudged onward, munching on nuts and dried fruit for breakfast, while they kept feeding Argo III apples.

Several hours later, they had arrived in Amphipolis! Gabrielle gently patted her soul mate's knee, rousing her from well needed slumber, but she knew better than to let the warrior sleep through this. After all, this was Xena's home town, the village she'd been born in and had grown up in. It had gone through sieges and battles, even once becoming a portal to hell, but still, it had prevailed!

Sort of like Xena herself... Gabrielle marveled, glancing back at her groggy-eyed partner as she hopped down from the horse. Xena came up next to Gabrielle, and wrapped her arm around her.

"Honey, we're home," she whispered into the blond's ear, kissing her cheek.

"In more ways than one," Gabrielle chuckled, wrapping her arm around Xena's waist.

"It's been built up a bit since we last saw it, wouldn't you say?" Xena commented, looking around.

"Well, it's been over twenty years," Gabrielle recalled. "We haven't been here since... since..."

"Since long before Eve brought my ashes here," Xena finished for her, knowing just how insane it all sounded.

"Ye mean the remains of yer old body are here?" Rose gasped.

"Yep," the Warrior Princess replied. "Kind of creepy, isn't it?"

"I'd say it's more surreal," Gabby corrected her.

"Nah, I'm gonna have to go with creepy, too," Rose sided with Xena. "Could we... um, I mean, would ye mind iffen I went to see them? Yer remains, I mean? And then I could also see me mum, and great-grandmother and me great-uncles."

Xena shrugged. "Why not?"

"Why would you want to see Xena, though?" Gabrielle asked.

"Well, to pay me respects, I guess," Rose murmured shyly.

"But she's right here!" the bard reminded her.

"Yeah, and you never even pay me any respects in this body!" Xena smirked.

Rose stuck her tongue out at her. "I do so. I just... I don't know why I want to, exactly. I just do. So, would it be all right, then?"

"Sure," Xena agreed. "At least you don't have to worry about my ghost haunting the place, right?"

Both Gabrielle and Rose rolled their eyes at her terrible joke.

"Very funny," her partner sighed.

"Yer a real laugh riot, Gran," Rose added.

"Yeah, I totally am," the warrior replied with a fox like grin. "Well, come on, girls. Moment of truth time, isn't it?"

"Yeah..."

"Aye..."

The three women approached the town. Little by little, the citizens of Amphipolis began to notice the unusual trio. Right away, Xena and Gabrielle were recognized and welcomed by the community, not in a sick, worshipful way like in Xenith, but with excitement, wonder and a healthy amount of reverence.

Rose stood back, apart from the others and watching the townspeople embrace her family. She was very proud of them and so very proud to be a part of such a family. For a moment, she felt lonely, and distanced from them, but then Gabrielle sought her out and extended a hand, pulling her into the tight circle of friends and Xena put a loving arm around her shoulder as she introduced to the good people of Amphipolis, their granddaughter. Never had Rose been given so many handshakes, pats on the back and hugs in all her life.

And at least, she felt that she truly belonged...

Epilogue

Three weeks later...

Xena was just finishing packing up their food into Argo III's saddle bag. As a surprise, she had asked Rose to make some nut bread for Gabrielle for the upcoming trip. Of course, Rose had been happy to do so. What Xena did not know was that Gabrielle had come to Rose just after and secretly asked her to make some jerky for Xena and, with a smirk, Rose had readily complied. So both of them were in for a treat.

Gabrielle- who had already sent word to her sister in Potedia that she, Xena and Rose would be visiting them at Solstice- had been packing up the rest of their necessities and rushing around the old tavern Xena's mother, Cyrene, had once owned, making sure she wasn't forgetting anything. The three women were living there, at least temporarily, in the tavern. Though the deed had belonged to Eve, since she had passed on, it now went to Rose, as her heir. Some of the townspeople, a few old enough to remember Xena and her family, had been taking care of it.

After just a couple of weeks staying there, Xena had grown anxious and restless, wandering around aimlessly and annoying Gabrielle, Rose and everyone who worked or patronized the place. It was then that Gabrielle suggested they all go on a little camp out trip. And just after that, Rose had suggested she stay in Amphipolis and help with the inn, so Xena and Gabrielle could have some time to themselves.

Xena had delightedly jumped at the chance for some quality alone time with her partner and had kissed the top of her granddaughter's head and said, "Thank you, Punky."

Gabrielle, while excited at the prospect of reacquainting herself with the 'live action' Xena, still felt a bit guilty about leaving her grand kid alone in a strange village with people she did not really know.

But Rose had been insistent to the point where she had to tell the blond bard that she herself needed a little quiet time to reflect on all of the drastic changes in her life.

The bard certainly understood this, and of course, the very idea of roughing it out in the forest, living off the land and spending her nights wrapped up in Xena's arms... both sleeping and not sleeping... she still wanted to keep her granddaughter close, too. She took her role as grandmother, caregiver and nurturer to Rose very seriously.

So, with some misgivings, she had agreed to leave her granddaughter behind to spend some time alone with her soul mate. Xena and Rose both knew how torn Gabby was, so they both did their best to reassure her.

A tall, elderly woman, named Maisa, who was actually a distant relative to Xena, stood behind the diminutive Rose, putting a motherly hand on her shoulder, smiling at Xena and Gabrielle. "Don't you two worry none about your grand baby, my dears. I'll keep a good eye on her while you're away."

Xena pulled the waif-eyed, smart alec woman into her arms for a tight embrace, hugging her close and distributing her share of kisses and noogies. She was cheerful, but she, too, had to admit, if only to herself that she was going to miss her granddaughter as much as Gabrielle would. Determined to keep her spirits light and happy, Xena swallowed the lump in her throat and smiled down at the sweet, round little face that was looking up at her.

It wasn't easy, because, for a moment, Rose let her guard down and there was genuine sadness in her eyes when she said, "Ye- ye won't ferget me, will ye, Gran?"

Xena pulled her in for another hug. "Don't be a jerk, Punky. Of course we won't forget you. We'll be back in less than a moon."

"Promise?" Rose mumbled, her face currently crushed against Xena's ample chest.

"I promise, Rose."

Before Xena knew what was happening, an emotional Gabrielle had shoved her aside and taken Rose into her eager arms, where the tears and the hugs and the kisses and the promises of a swift return tumbled out of her faster than a raging river. Though Rose rolled her eyes a few times, the truth was, she reveled in the attention and gratefully accepted all the affection that her wee lass had to offer.

And about a candle mark and hundreds of kisses later, Xena and Gabrielle were both riding a top of Argo III, heading out of town.

Rose waved at them from the door to the tavern until their figures disappeared into the forest. Then she looked up at Maisa and took her offered hand and went back into the tavern.

Gabrielle wrapped loving arms about the warrior's waist squeezing her in a happy hug. "How's it feel to be back?" she whispered into the dark hair.

Xena squeezed the arms wrapped around her with great love and affection. "It feels like the best feeling that anybody ever felt!"

The bard laughed. "That good, huh?"

"Hey, you're the one with the way with words."

The Warrior Princess could feel the smaller woman behind her leaning against her in a warm embrace. It made her heart race. "And you're the one who defeated death!" Gabrielle chuckled. "Well, after twenty winters, or so..."

"What can I say? I'm a slow learner," Xena joked, making her partner laugh harder.

"I love you, 'slow learner'."

"I love you, too, Gabrielle."

"Where are we headed?"

"Wherever the wind takes us," Xena replied, laughing with glee and she urged Argo III into a full gallop, enjoying the wind on her face and the warmth of her beloved soul mate at her back.

It was good to be alive!

The End

by Bugmouthga

03/19/2013