AN: Another one of the number requests, which was this time requested by xxale313xx! Their request was 313, "You need to eat something." It turned into a bit of Gabrielle and Argo bonding time over angst, which was kind of fun to explore a little bit. Thank you very much! I hope you enjoy! :D

Disclaimer: I do not own Xena.

"You need to eat something."

A quick glance, a non-committal noise, a slight shift in stance- that was all she got. An in truth it was more than Gabrielle had been expecting. These last few days, she'd been ignoring her, turning away whenever Gabrielle tried to stand in front of her, her ears seemingly deaf to anything she said. Nothing Gabrielle had done over the last few days had managed to get her attention. At least this was a start.

"Please. It's been two days. You have to eat."

Another look. Longer this time, almost defiant- Gabrielle knew she didn't want her, but what else could she do? Let her waste away, let her turn into nothing but skin and bones? She knew she was mourning, Gabrielle was too, but what could she do?

She couldn't bring the dead back to life, as much as she wished she could, but she could keep the living alive. If she could get her to eat.

She held out the dried apple and took another step closer, her free hand held out in a sign of peace. When she didn't move away, Gabrielle let out a small, quiet whistle- just enough to be heard, just enough to let her know where she was without her having to turn and look at her. Her ear twitched, but she gave no other movement as Gabrielle approached.

When she was standing before her, Gabrielle held out her hand, the offering in her palm, her voice almost pleading as she spoke.

"Please. I can't lose you too."

Gabrielle wasn't sure it would work. She had never seen her eyes so empty, had never seen such a deep sadness dwelling within her gaze. It was one she was sure matched the hurt within her own heart, within her own broken soul.

They were all that was left. All they had were each other. And Gabrielle couldn't lose her too.

And it seemed she agreed, leaning her head down, her mouth closing over the small morsel Gabrielle had offered. She didn't flinch away when Gabrielle began stroking her nose, nor did she try to move when Gabrielle's hands fisted into her mane. It wasn't until Gabrielle began to cry that she gave any other acknowledgement of Gabrielle's presence, nuzzling against Gabrielle's cheek and chest, her own words unspoken but clear.

I miss her too.

"Will you try to eat some more for me, Argo," Gabrielle asked, after she had managed to calm the sobs that had fallen from her throat and dried her tears, wiping them as best as she could from where she had pressed her face against Argo's neck. "There's some hay I think you'll like, a bag of oats for later if you eat that. Will you try?"

Gabrielle wasn't sure if Argo understood her, or if she understood anyone, really. But when she came back later that night to check on her, the trough was empty and Argo just stood there and glared until Gabrielle refilled it with the oats she had promised earlier.

And before she could leave, Argo pressed her face against Gabrielle's chest and just stood there, as if she was drawing some kind of comfort from the contact.

Because with Xena gone, all they had were each other.