A/N: There is a part in this chapter that sounds a lot like Lil' Kim's song 'How Many Licks' that is because I thought it'd be funny when I wrote this, so whatever other thoughts you may have you can stop. Now I do not own that song or its lyrics by the way.

Chapter Two

They went through some trees and came out on an animal made path. Footprints of animals all over it. There was a hard to see ditch on the rode, and it was very easy to get stuck in it and twist an ankle. In fact Xena had one time. It's what led to them finding this secluded place in the first place. They traveled for a day or so before they started into the forest again and went sort of up hill a bit. They found a clearing and made camp. They were silent. The whole trip they had been laughing and talking of old times. But now they were so close to their spot. The place they had first really undoubtedly made love among other things.

"Rabbits ready." Xena said. She had managed to pick to fairly good pieces of rabbit. Hercules ate some after thanking her.

"You know I don't know why you say you can't cook. Your cooking is good to me." said Hercules.

'Maybe because your the only one I've ever really cooked for.' Xena thought.

"I don't know maybe something's wrong with your stomach." Xena said. They laughed a little bit. Xena was known to be horrible at cooking. She could bake though better than her mother even. But truth be told she could cook, and besides her mother once when she first started. Hercules was the only one to taste her good cooking. He loved her peach cobbler more.

"No, I just think your a good cook when you either want to be or have to be." said Hercules. Xena shrugged. Still something was being left unsaid. Hercules knew it too.After dinner as they sat watching the stars he had to know. It was burning him up inside not to know. But Xena asked something else that was being avoided. He didn't know she knew.

"Could you pass me that stick." Hercules said trying to distract her. He was afriad she'd ask if he came up here to mourn Serena, which he had.

"So when's the last time you've been here?" said Xena not at all put off.

"After...after...Serena's funeral and we parted ways." said Hercules. He looked away from Xena.

"Hmm..I see." Xena said handing him the stick.

"Xena, I'm sorry I know you can't wait forever." Hercules said poking the fire.

"It's fine." said Xena staring down at the book she had just taken out. She never got much reading done when Gabrielle was around for some reason.

"No, its not. Your ready to take our relationship off hold and I go..." started Hercules.

"Marry another woman when we were technically still courting no I take that back not even courting because you gained my love." Xena said with a little venom.

"Yea, then I go and mourn for Serena in our place."said Hercules."I'm sorry and I suppose I just wanted to be near you again, but you were mad at me."

"Its over and done with now."Xena said. She looked at her book and realized she didn't feel like reading anymore.

"Xena...?" said Hercules. There was a couple of seconds silence. He thought it felt like an hour before she answered him.

"Yes?" Xena finally said. Hercules took a deep breath. It was the most important unasked question of the night.

"Xena do you still love me?" Hercules asked. He took another deep breath. He dared to look at her. He could see no emotion displayed on her face. After what seemed like an eternity had gone by she took a breath.

"I'm going for a walk." She pretended not to hear him. Xena stood up and left the campsite. She found another clearing and sat on the rock in the middle. She looked up at the stars. She thought about how they had parted until she was ready to be with him again. They had gone through a hard time and than when she was finally ready to be with him again he announced he was marrying Serena. That had hurt her so much. Gabrielle hadn't noticed to involved in her story. She had made it a point not to let her see the sadness or the heartbreak on her face or in her eyes. Than she had rejoiced when Serena died, but he had been so devastated so she'd had to wait. When she found out he had mourned that bitch in their special place. She was pissed, and she almost got over it only because she started to feel sorry for the bitch.

She had to give him another chance. She loved him to much not too. She loved him so much it hurt to be away from him. She lusted after him too. No man she invited into her bed when her and Gabrielle had different rooms could satisfy her the way he could. They didn't have his roughness or his gentleness at all. In any event she was left even more unsatisfied except that one man. He had a hurricane tongue like another guy she knew, and a big dick to rival even Zues's.

Before him she'd been a lot of places and seen a lot of faces. Ah hell she even fucked with different races. A ottoman boy his name was John. He had warrior women rules tattoo on his arm. He asked her if she'd be his date for the prom and he'd buy her a sword, horse, and a farm. Than there was a greek boy from down south use to like her to spank it and come in his mouth. Anthony he was roman he didn't give a fuck that's what she liked about him. He use to eat her from dark until the morining. Wrote to his girl and told her they was bonin'. Now this spanish papi use to be priest now he be suckin' her off during the week. And that dark dude she mentioned He asked her to call him King Kong. He had a dick like Mt. Olympus, and a hurricane tongue.

Now she was head over heels and only he could satisfy her. Or maybe she was just longing for him to satisfy her. Than she thought about it and realized her standards were just high for what was good sex. But she was off topic what she was trying to decide was whether or not she really wanted to risk heartbreak again. She did, but she would use their time together to evaluate him.

"To bad we'll probably be having sex by the second day." Xena whispered to herself. She sat for a few hours trying to strengthen her will to resist the temptation for awhile. She returned to camp without saying a word to him. She took out her bedroll and went to bed.

"Goodnight." She said. He didn't reply for a few minutes having been staring into the fire and hadn't notice her return.

"Goodnight." Hercules said realizing she was back.