Xena was sitting in a chair in front of a table in one of the cabins of the ship. I approached slowly, without saying a word, watching the sad look on her face.

I hatedhim. Not because he took her from me, no. But cause he made her suffer. If I was the kind of person who killed, it probably wouldn't be much left from him right now.

However, as cruel as this may sound, I was relieved. Now we could go back on being best friends and…whatever we were above that.

There was a thin line that related my feelings towards her, and even I couldn't say what feelings actually were these.

"Xena?" I called; she seemed to wake from her thoughts and stared at me.

"Gabrielle!" She opened one great smile that I couldn't understand. Then, she got up and put her arms around me "I really needed to speak with you."

"With me? About what?" she took her arms off of me and hold my hands, caressing my fingers with her thumbs.

"I realized something, after all of this" she gazed at me with those perfect blue eyes "No one is ever going to take your place."

"My place?"

"Gabrielle, you are a part of me. Ever since you followed me that day, you never left me. And I know you were about to sacrifice your feelings for me, but… I wouldn't stand to see you do that" her fingers went through my hair in a warm and gentle way that got me a little soft. "Okay, so I felt something for Ulysses, but he didn't have even half of the story that I have with you. I'm not sure about what I feel for you, but it makes me want to protect you. And it makes me care about your feelings, Gabrielle. I told you, you taught me how to love, but the truth is that you made me love only one person".

Then, I felt her soft lips going against mine. But this time couldn't even compare to the other feel times that this had actually happened. This was an apology kiss; everything she meant to say was in that moment, in that kiss.

"Xena" I said when we separated and came back to staring at each other "I know that...this" I made a move with my head, indicating us both. "Is different from any other thing, but...I believe that if we have to stay together, everything will be okay at the end. We both came back from death through each other. Who can overcome this?" I moved my shoulders up and down, smiling and feeling all the insecurity and fear I had before leaving my body. Xena smiled back, putting me in her arms again.

"I love you, Gaby" I got soft by the way she called me.

"So do I. Always"

Then, the bard and the warrior became one again.

Ulysses? He was just another test.