The Goddess smiled as the blonde turned her head and stared almost directly at her. This one was smart. Smarter then most mortals were.

No matter.

Never would she see what was to await her. Everything was set. Now all she had to do was wait and watch the cards fall.

The Goddess smiled revealing perfectly white teeth.

She would have her revenge.

Ella had convinced Gabrielle to stay at an Inn for the first time since they had started this journey, promising she had more than enough to pay for a room and for a descent meal.

Passing up a comfy cot for the hard cold ground was easy after almost two weeks of traveling for two weeks straight.

They had a descent meal at the tavern down the road. It had been along time since Gabrielle had tasted her native food, having grown accustomed to Egypt's food.

It had brought back fond memories of eating with Xena after a long day of traveling or fighting. But it wouldn't last long as she would get a brief glimpse of Joxer's armor as he joined them as he often did, and her second of happiness with turn into grief.

Her memory had been getting worse. She no longer remembered Joxer's hat or his shoes. His armor she could still remember, but even that was becoming fuzzy in her mind.

She hated it. Beginning to even hate herself for forgetting about a person that had been entwined in her life and had become a part of Xena and herself…….she couldn't forgive herself.

Gabrielle was packing her things to leave the inn and begin traveling again when Ella came into the room. Stopping in the doorway Ella seemed to wait for Gabrielle to acknowledge her presence.

Stopping what she was doing she directly looked at Ella.

"I'm gonna travel ahead for a while. I need a little bit of time to myself." Ella stated.

Gabrielle was confused. Ella had been very clingy to her since they had met……and somehow Ella traveling by herself didn't really seem to fit in how she had been acting.

Nonetheless Gabrielle just nodded her head.

It was funny how one person can change your life so dramatically. For Gabrielle it had been Xena. For Xena it had been Gabrielle. For Joxer it had been both of them.

For some reason Gabrielle thought that she was the person for Ella. Somehow she felt that Ella was meant to join her on this journey. That they were linked in someway beyond what she was seeing.

Every time she would try to think on the matter it was like a fog would obscure her from seeing what was right in front of her.

However she felt she thought it best to give Ella time to herself.

"I'll meet you at the next town." Gabrielle said with a small smile.

Ella smirked and nodded her head as she turned away.

Gabrielle let out a long sigh and rolled her head on her shoulder's.

"She's probably still feeling horrible about the necklace Gabrielle. Maybe she's going to try and find someone to fix it for you." Xena said as she walked up beside Gabrielle.

Gabrielle smiled and nodded her head.

"Your probably right." Agreed Gabrielle with Xena. Turning to look at Xena, Xena motioned with her head.

"Come on lets go check out this place. Maybe you could buy some scrolls."

Gabrielle laughed.

"I haven't bought scrolls since before…"

Both of them stopped smiling as they both remembered exactly when the last time she bought a scroll was.

"Come on. Let's just walk around." Xena suggested.

Nodding Gabrielle threw the last item into her sack before walking out of her room.

Gabrielle smiled as she watched two little girls running around playing a game as their mother yelled after them.

It reminded Gabrielle of Lila and herself when they were little.

Smelling the sweet scent of sweets being baked brought back memories of long ago.

The vendors in the market all greeted her kindly.

She had been staring at the objects for sale so closely that she found herself walking into someone.

"I'm sorry" Both said at the exact same time and both stopping as the realization at who the person was.

"Virgil." Gabrielle said as a huge smile spread across her face.

"Gabrielle." Virgil said as he to smiled widely at her.

Both went to hug each other and smiled.

"God how long has it been?" Gabrielle asked as she continued to hug Virgil.

Virgil pulled back grinning.

"Too Long." He said simply.

"What are you doing here?" Gabrielle asked curiously.

Virgil grimaced as he looked at her.

"I moved my family back here after dad died. We couldn't keep the tavern going without a cook…so we had to close it down. I've been traveling alone for a while." Virgil said as he looked at her and then down at his feet.

Gabrielle swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded her head as she too looked down at her feet.

"Your father was a great cook." Gabrielle said the compliment in a whisper.

Virgil just smirked and nodded.

Of course I run into Virgil now. While I can't even remember the way Joxer looked! After all I'm just the reason his father is dead! Gods why is this happening to me? Gabrielle thought to herself.

"Don't worry Gabrielle. Virgil will know it's not your fault. He's a good kid" Xena reassured Gabrielle.

"Soooo, what brings you to Greece? Last I heard you had traveled to Egypt." Virgil asked as he looked up with a raised eyebrow.

Gabrielle looked up at his question with a smirk of her own.

"It's a funny thing you should ask me. You don't to be anywhere right now do you?" Gabrielle asked.

Virgil smiled.

"No I don't."

With that the three began to walk back to the Inn Gabrielle had been staying in.

All were oblivious to Ella as she stared at the trio from her hiding place at the top of the trees. No one saw the angry face that graced her face either. And how her eyes burned as she watched them walk away.