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The two warriors have some quiet time together. Xena contemplates Love and green eyes.

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Disclaimer: MCA/Universal/RenPics own all copyrights to everything related to Xena: Warrior Princess and I have no rights to them.

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'Gabrielle's Dance'

Xena watched Gabrielle gyrating in front of her for a few seconds then spoke up.

"Stop twirling! You're making me dizzy!"

"I'm not twirling, Xena! This is the Attic Harvest dance! A variation of the Maenad's dance! Don't you know that?"

"A Maenad, eh! So it isn't a dance at all! Just random gyrations? Like I said!"

"Xena! You can be really annoying, when you want!" Gabrielle ceased her activities and looked at her friend sitting at the table. "What's wrong with my dancing? I ain't disturbing anyone!"

"You're disturbing me!"

"How? How? Come on, tell me! How is my gentle, ladylike dancing annoying the Hades out of the strict harsh Warrior Princess, eh?"

"I'm trying to think, here! I've got a war-plan to work out for Callicrates and his army in two days time! And you're thumping and crashing around the furniture like a Maenad in ecstasy! Gimme a break!"

"Warplans! Humph! OK, so how about I take off my boots? Look! Bare feet! Now we're both happy!"

With this the young long-haired girl once more set about leaping across the floor of the room they occupied. This was the villa of the Greek Senator Callicrates, set in rolling fields just 3 parasangs from Athens. Xena was absorbed in her preparations for the conference she had been asked to attend with the honoured General; while Gabrielle was equally interested in another form of entertainment.

Two days previously; on their first arrival at Athens, Callicrates had escorted the two women to a performance in the nearby open air Theatre. There had been a great deal of singing and dancing involved in the production which had mostly gone over Xena's bored head. But her better half had drunk in the atmosphere; the rowdy and happy crowds; the literary quality of the play performed; and the beauty of the flute music which interweaved itself with the words of the masked actors. Altogether she had been enthralled with the spectacle; and this had expressed itself in a renewed need to dance here, there, and everywhere. Something that was finally beginning to get on Xena's nerves.

As the skipping girl passed a large table on the far side of the room Xena drew a long-bladed dagger from her waist sheath and, with a flick of her wrist, embedded it in the tabletop some 4 feet to Gabrielle's left.

The thump of this missile hitting its target brought the dancer to a sudden halt. She lowered her arms; looked from the quivering dagger to its owner, then back again; raised her eyes roofwards in an obvious appeal to higher forces; then casually walked across and pulled the offending weapon free.

Carrying this she came over to where Xena sat in a high-backed chair near the wall. Gabrielle, without hesitation, leaned over and pulled free a small cloth that Xena had folded in her belt. Waving this in the air Gabrielle then used it to wipe the blade of the dagger before contemplating the errant warrior; who gazed back with lifted eyebrows and pouting lips.

"Well, Warrior Woman! That was just great! Did you enjoy that?"

"Hadda stop yah somehow!"

Gabrielle pursed her own lips but silently bent down and returned the offending weapon to its sheath. Then Gabrielle lifted the cloth she held and brushed a speck of dirt from the leather top Xena wore. This was encircled, as always, by metal decorative coverings and something in these now caught the attention of the thwarted dancer.

"Look at this dress! When was the last time you oiled these leathers? When did you last shine this armour?"

Gabrielle ran a finger along the curved edge of the top; between it and Xena's skin. Xena merely raised an eyebrow as her companion continued her appraisal of the warrior's dress.

"Dusty! Dirty! And you're wearing it too tight! Look! See how it's leaving a mark along the top of your skin here? And that was a terrible throw! If that knife had missed me by much more it'd 'a landed in Macedonia!"

"Har—har!"

"And another thing! Since when did dainty innocent harmless sidekicks need daggers thrown at them? That ain't nice, Xena! Why, you mighta made me angry! And you know what that does to me! You wouldn't like to see me angry; now would ya, Xena? I mean, not really angry!"

"Oh, I don't know! Perhaps it'd be a change from dancing sidekicks!"

"Oh, yeah! Oh, yeah! I tell you, Xena, if you push me I'll happily dance on your head! How'd ya like that, Warrior Princess!"

"You mean you'd try to dance on my head, sidekick!"

"Oh! A challenge! I see. That's fine! It's a deal. And why not right now?"

With these last words Gabrielle suddenly grabbed Xena's top with one hand and lowered the other to the warrior's waist. Her intent was to pull her to her feet; but instead there was a moment's breathless blur and Gabrielle found herself lying on the bare boards of the floor with the warrior on top of her, smiling complacently into her eyes.

"What happened? Oh, you're good! Yeah! Really good!" This was not quite the result Gabrielle had expected, and she tried to wriggle free. A few seconds were enough to show the impossibility of this. So she fell back on plan B. "Now how d'ya suppose this happened? You were sitting down and completely defenceless! At my mercy, Lady! I could'a done whatever I wanted with you! I know! I must'a slipped! Yeah, that's it! I slipped!"

"Slipped my—you never had a chance, sidekick!" Xena released her hold and helped the hapless girl to her feet. "Remember, I'm the best fighter in Greece; and about everywhere else! What chance'd ya have?"

"Oh, boast—why don't you! I could'a taken you any time I wanted!"

"Ya think so?" Xena raised her brows and stared into two green lakes of passion now glittering with annoyance.

Gabrielle gave one last rub to the leather fixings of her revered companion and tucked the cloth back in the warrior's belt.

"There! A clean Princess is a good Princess! And don't throw any more hardware at me, please! I'd hate to have'ta kick your butt; however much I love you!"

Xena shook her head as the red-headed girl crossed the room to reclaim her boots. She then executed a few steps of a dance that she had clearly just thought of; arms raised prettily in the air. For a moment Xena looked at her, then returned to her chair. Though this time; instead of being absorbed in the parchments laid on the table, she regarded her companion's movements with humorous attention.

"Ya sound like a sailor doing a hornpipe on deck!"

"Oh! A sailor am I! We'll see about that!"

With this Gabrielle suddenly darted into the middle of the room and began a wholly new routine. This was fast, rhythmic, and repetitive with a lot of fancy footwork. Her boots had recently benefitted from the addition of steel caps on heels and toes; for longer wear, she had told Xena, and these now came into their own. The noise was tremendous on the bare floorboards.

Xena stuck it for half a minute then felt forced to intervene once more.

"Gabs! For the love of Athena! What a racket!"

"This is a new thing I've just invented, Xena! I call it boot dancing! Ain't that a good name?" Gabrielle grinned over at her friend without stopping; though she was running out of breath. "It'll be the new rage; just wait and see!"

"Not if I murder the inventor before anyone notices!" Xena shouted over the crashing thumps. "It'll be an act of kindness to the Human Race! Stop!"

"Yo—you—you know wh-what the trouble is, mate of my heart?" Gabrielle was now seriously gasping for air. Dancing was all very well, but it took it out of one. "You—you have no rhythm; no tempo; no cadence. What I mean is—you can't dance! But I can. It's just a gift, you know!"

"A curse! It's a curse, girl!" Xena rose once more to take a few tentative steps towards the source of her irritation. "And if you don't stop I'll be forced to take serious measures!"

For answer Gabrielle flung her chin in the air with a sarcastic glance at her love, then continued her dance, twirling and stepping hard on the boards to the beat of the rhythm in her head.

"I'm a dancer! I'm a dancer! And Xena isn't!" With this she circled round the open floor, narrowly missing the table where Xena had been sitting, to whirl past her companion once more. "Look how good I am! Gods! I think I'll start a dance academy and teach everyone how to do this!"

Xena made her play. Before Gabrielle could twist out of reach she jumped forward and clutched the gyrating girl in both arms. For a moment they both twirled across the floor before Xena planted her boots firmly and brought them to a halt.

"Enough! I've had enough!"

"I want to dance! Don't you like my beautiful rhythm? Le'me alone then. I'm gonna dance all day long! And all night—he—he! And you ain't goin'ta stop me, warrior—ha-ha!"

As they twisted in each other's arms in the middle of the floor both began giggling but Xena was determined her mutinous sidekick wasn't going to get the better of her.

"I ain't letting go, Gabrielle! Not till you promise to stop dancing!"

"Never! I'll dance all through the night! Hey! Ain't that a good name for a song? Gods, these boots are great! Listen to how loud I can thump the floor! Le'me go, Xena!"

For answer Xena grabbed the shoulders of the smaller woman and sliding an arm round behind gripped the strap of her top; reaching to catch a handgrip with which she could hold the jerking form tight in her arms. Instead; the thin cord snapped in her clutch and Gabrielle began to laugh even more. Xena felt her lover's chest heaving with mirth tight against her own body.

"Look'it that! You're tearing my clothes off! Is this the time or place for that sort'a thing, Xena?"

As they continued laughing and struggling; with Gabrielle's bare back gleaming with sweat the door to the room suddenly opened and the large form of Callicrates entered. He stared, then stopped in his tracks a foot inside the room with a foolish look on his embarrassed face.

"Thi—this ain't what it looks like!" Gabrielle managed to gasp between chuckles as she tried to break Xena's tight grip on her arms. "We're—we're just dancing, you know!"

Callicrates was a gentleman. Without attempting to question or understand the whims of his guests he simply backed to the door and made a strategic withdrawal.

"I find I have forgotten something. I will—I'll, er—come back later!"

As the door closed silently behind the retreating Senator Gabrielle finally tore herself free and stepped away, still laughing between gasps for breath.

"Xena! Xena—look what you've done! That poor man thinks you're a raving sex maniac now! You'll never live it down, of course—he–he!"

"I wonder how much sidekicks cost in the market?" Xena mused, one finger stroking her lip. "I could ditch you in a convenient alley and see what's on offer!"

"Oh! You ain't getting rid of me that easily, Warrior!" Gabrielle moved away from her companion; giving her what she meant as an evil grin. "If ya want me-you'll hav'ta catch me!"

With this she began dancing energetically once more. She had, however, forgotten the snapped cord on her top. Within seconds this had parted company with the circling maenad to fall at her feet. She gave a scream of laughter, but kept on dancing.

Xena raised her eyes to the ceiling in despair for a moment; but then focussed on her twirling companion. As she watched the uninhibited girl the light in Xena's eyes gradually turned from amusement to happiness; and from this to something much deeper and purer. Moving slowly so as not to disturb the movements of her partner Xena glided alongside then, taking Gabrielle's small nearly bare frame in her open arms, they both danced across the floor in a close embrace.

Gabrielle, in her turn, kept pace with her companion; stepping to the music in her head; confident that Xena heard the same drummer.

The End

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