"I felt passionate."
Xena felt horrible for saying it because it was what Ares wanted to hear, but it was the truth.
Ares chuckled insidiously, he didn't have to ask her how she had felt during those times. He already knew, he was experienced, but he was getting a sick kick out of her admitting that.
"Xena, to me... I see you as a valuable asset. Under my direction," he saw Xena reach for her sword, "you'll be able to attain great masses of power and respect."
"I don't respect you," Xena snapped at him.
Ares ignored the comment and continued, "I know that some time ago, you were looking for those things with Borias and I know that somewhere deep down you still want them."
"They're not priorities of mine anymore. I've got other things to worry about."
"Yeah," Ares put his hands on his hips, "I guess you do." He angled his head. "Like Gabrielle and your horsey... your son..." his voice became deeper, "and of course baby number two, right?"
Xena already took a swing at his head but he caught the blade with his left hand. He pushed it away.
"Xena!" An amazon called.
Ares directed his attention towards the sound.
"Xena!" Another Amazon yelled.
Ares looked back at Xena and grimaced, "my offer will stand until you accept it, Xena. I'll be back," he held up his right hand, parallel to his face, "warrior princess."
He snapped his fingers and disappeared only leaving behind a musty grey cloud.
Xena put her sword back in its sheath and began to run at a steady pace back to the camp of Amazons.
Back to Gabrielle...
How did I get myself into this? It was the third day, afternoon actually, and Gabrielle was in the palace with a hoplite guard at each side of her. Xena and Alexander were in the book room. You couldn't see them but you could definitely hear them. They were loud and angry.
That morning, after their little make out session, they had been caught by a guard who opened the door of the secret entrance and saw them.
They're yelling subsided and the heavy door was kicked open and slammed roughly against the wall.
Xena walked out with a satisfied disposition and Alexander with a defeated look.
Alexander stood infront of Gabrielle. He glanced back at Xena, his face read: "do I have to?"
As a response, Xena shoved him roughly on the shoulder which made him face Gabrielle who seemed intimidating to him at the moment.
He sighed deeply and began, "all of this is our little secret. Understand?" He paused, "you have a descision to make. You can stay away from the palace or you join Xena everyday here."
Gabrielle's eyebrows shot up and the gears in her head began to turn. She tilted her head to the side and said simply: "I think we should let Xena decide. It is after all on her ya know... studying under you and what not."
It was like Alexander immediately jumped to the same page Gabrielle was on and it made him like her.
"I think you're right. Let's make my student choose." Alexander smiled wickedly.
"Hmm, great," Xena muttered to herself.
May 2019
Billie was sitting on the back porch of her house with her sunglasses on watching her little daughter play in the back yard.
Angela, Lisa's little clone as Billie would say, was playing in the sandbox with her miniature plastic horses and matchbox cars. Billie would smile proudly whenever she saw Angela pick up the horsey that looked like her beloved and ever so loyal horse, Argo.
Often on days like those, Angela would come up to her either one of her mothers and tell them all kinds of things about the horses or the cars.
"You're going to be a very boisterous teenager, aren't ya?" Billie thought aloud. Then she smiled at the thought.
"She probably will be. I know I was," Lisa commented and placed her left hand on Billie's right shoulder.
"I wasn't even there for the worst of it but I remember how you were. It was cute..." Billie paused.
"And? Go on now, finish your sentence." Lisa encouraged Billie teasingly.
"And adamant."
"Nice save," Lisa bent down closer to Billie and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "and you're already on my good side."
"Good side? What, the back or the front?" Billie deadpanned.
Lisa rolled her eyes and smiled at the comment, then directed her attention to the little girl playing in the sand box.
"How long have you two been out here?" Lisa asked her wife while her left hand began to wander towards the back of Billie's neck.
Instead of focusing on the question, her attention was directed on the feeling of Lisa's hand rubbing slow circles on the side of her neck. Billie tried to answer the question but all she said was: "yes" quite slowly and quietly.
Lisa chuckled and nodded once, "so it's going to be like that? Maybe I should stop and ask the girl..."
Billie craned her neck up to look at Lisa, "she couldn't answer you either, she's very busy at the moment," Billie gestured to Angela who was incredibly focused on her matchbox cars landing on a mound of sand she piled up earlier.
Lisa studied Angela and mentally agreed with her wife.
Billie exhaled gruffly and stood up only to be met face to face with Lisa, which she didn't mind one bit.
"Have a sit, mommy," Billie said that the way Angela would and patted the chair she had just sat in.
"Just a second," Lisa placed her left hand on the back of Billie's neck and her right hand on the back of Billie's head, then pulled her closer, "I need to-," Lisa wouldn't let herself finish her sentence because she felt the need to kiss her wife badly, like her life depended on it.
Billie would've liked to pick Lisa up right there and to have carried her inside up to their bedroom but she remembered that Lisa was still pregnant and how Lisa felt about being picked up while pregnant.
Once they pulled away from each other Billie put her hand gently onto Lisa's healthily protruding stomach and gave it a loving rub.
"Sit now," Billie politely commanded and Lisa did as told with a smug smile but it quickly turned into a genuine one when she saw Angela.
Billie took note of her wife's smile as she walked on into the house. I am truly the luckiest woman alive. I've got the woman of my dreams, a daughter who overflows my heart with joy and another Kidd on the way! I've got it all! Billie thought as she moved about the kitchen. She had Lisa sit down outside to watch their daughter so she could go inside and get a big glass of water for Lisa to drink.
Just as Billie shut off the faucet, her phone that sat on the counter began to noisily vibrate.
She picked it up and answered the call as she made her way to the back door to join Lisa.
"Hello?" Billie said as she opened the back door.
"Billie! I'm glad you answered at least one of my calls finally!" The excited voice stated.
"Dite, you never call. Normally you just show up at the door... How'd you get a phone anyway?" Billie asked as she handed Lisa the glass of water and then shut the door behind her.
"I've got my ways," she said with a smirk.
"Of course you do, now what is it?" Billie wasn't in the mood for chatting. She was in the mood for spending time with her family.
Aphrodite could tell by the tone in Billie's voice that she was in the middle of some quality family time so she made it quick. With a deep breath, "Gabrielle was sent back to the time you were training with Alexander and now you're alone and pregnant and looking for her and none of it was supposed to happen."
Back to Xena...
"Xena! Where did you go?" An amazon asked.
"Went to use the bushes, like I said." Xena explained calmly as if she didn't have a conversation with Ares.
"All cleared out now? That was quite a while, warrior woman." Another amazon added.
"As a matter of fact," she side eyed the amazon.
"Alright we don't need the details!"
Xena chuckled with that grin of hers and sat down with the ladies.
Back to Gabrielle...
Xena obviously wanted to keep Gabrielle around. It was plastered all over her face.
Xena crossed her arms and stared at the ground sheepishly. "Gabrielle, I would like you to be here."
Gabrielle's green eyes lit up. Not only was she going to spend time with Xena but she would also be able to study at the palace. That sounded like a pretty sweet deal to her.
Alexander spoke up, "alright so it's final. Gabrielle will be training and studying with you here. Now, I think that's been enough excitement for the day. Both of you, go home or whatever. I shall see you two tomorrow morning." He then shoved them out of the book room and closed the door behind them.
Gabrielle and Xena began to leave the confines of the palace.
"Xena, I really appreciate it but you didn't have to do that. I don't want to be a distraction for you." Gabrielle was just putting that out there.
"No, no I want you around and I know you love learning and all that. Why not take advantage of it, right?" Xena turned her head to look at Gabrielle.
Gabrielle nodded, "I guess you're right."
They continued to walk quietly side by side back to Larisa's. It had only been a few days but, they felt comfortable with each other. Comfortable enough that the silence wasn't awkward, it was peaceful. After about five minutes or so, Xena spoke up.
"Uh, what shall we do for the rest of the day?"
Gabrielle thought carefully. She wanted to do something that involved being as close to Xena as possible without pushing it. The idea finally came to mind.
"Let's go for a ride, hmm?" Gabrielle suggested. "Take me up to that spot on the mountain."
Xena chuckled because she liked the idea as well. "As you wish."
So they made a detour to the stables to saddle up Argo and with that, they rode off to their spot. Gabrielle sat behind Xena and placed her hands lovingly against her stomach just like she used to with the version she had come to know so very well.
"Tell me about the older me," Xena said.
Gabrielle raised a brow. "I'm... I'm not sure if I should do that. I don't want to disrupt your future or anything." She then rested her chin on Xena's right shoulder.
"Oh come on, how about you... share your favorite memory you have with me?" Xena pleaded.
Gabrielle smiled at her inquiry. There were many favorites, many cherished memories she had with her tall warrior woman.
"Alright... maybe just one."
Back to Xena...
That night it was particularly hard to sleep for Xena. After all she did have that little spat with Ares, Gabrielle was still missing and having to sleep near a bunch of gassy amazons didn't help her situation either. But morning did come around and she was ready to face the day.
The group set out after quickly packing up their camp. Soon they would reach a small farming town and began their search.
Day Four...
The night before, they made it to their spot on the mountain. They spent the evening in each other's arms. Just holding each other quietly. Gabrielle had decided to tell Xena about the time Ares had sent her away to Themyscira and briefly mentioned the reunion she and Xena had in the dining room. Of course it made Xena turn red from head to toe but it made her realize that she really did in fact like Gabrielle even more.
It was early in the morning now and the two were making their way to the palace. They were on time but Alexander wasn't. As usual. So there they sat across from each other at the rectangular table in the book room.
"Is he always late, Xena?" Gabrielle asked.
"Always but, I don't mind. I'm used to it at this point." Xena shrugged and then got up to get out her usual scroll to start writing in. She also handed Gabrielle one so she could follow suit.
Xena then explained what she was doing and told Gabrielle she'd better get started too.
The door slams open and a guard walks in hurriedly.
"Xena! Uh and you," he meant Gabrielle, "come quickly!"
The got up and followed the anxious guard out the door.
"What's going on?" Xena asked.
"Do you both have any weapons on you?" He asked with a shakey voice.
"Yes." They both said together.
"Good, Alexander's got some angry visitors coming. They want his head."
"Who is coming, Giles?" Xena asked.
"I can only assume it was Darius."
"Oh shit," Gabrielle stopped the group and pointed up towards the main tower. Four men were climbing the tower. "Is that..."
"That is! Let's go!" Giles exclaimed.
The group drew their weapons and began to run.
Three minutes later...
The room was empty and much too quiet. On the way up, their running caught the attention of many more guards so now they really had a group, a group ready to fight for their leader.
"Where is the basileus?" Giles asked aloud.
Xena scanned the room with her sharp vision as best as she could. "Spread out and stay quiet," She commanded.
As Gabrielle took exactly one step forward she noticed little bits of dust falling from the ceiling. She looked up. Her eyes widened out of shock. Alexander was holding himself up on the ceiling. He brought a finger to his lips signaling for Gabrielle to remain silent. He then pointed to the balcony and mouthed: "They are coming."
Gabrielle nodded to indicate that she understood. She then went over to Xena and held on to her forearm. "They're coming up from the balcony," Gabrielle whispered into Xena's ear.
Xena nodded and then gave an order for half the guards to remain at the door and the other half to border the entrance to the balcony.
Closing her eyes, Xena, in her own way, opened her ears and listened for movement outside. She sensed the four men climbing up to the balcony but she also sensed a few more coming from down the hall, about six or seven more.
Finally, noise could be heard. Whispers coming from outside by the intruders. Hands grasped to the ledge and pulled a body up. Then another and another and another. The look of oh fuck was written all over their faces. Immediately, swords were pointed at them. The four men stood completely still out of shock.
"Who sent you?" Giles, the guard, asked fiercely.
No answer.
Now the incoming group finally made it the entrance of the room but they had no intent of surrender. A loud clashing of swords erupted. The four men from the balcony took the opportunity to draw their weapons and fight for their lives.
Evidently these intruders were no match for Xena, Gabrielle and the hoplite guards. They managed to disarm each man and shackle them together.
The guards rounded up the group in the hallway. Xena and Gabrielle were the last in the bedroom and just as they were about to exit, Alexander dropped down from the ceiling and stood before the two women.
"What is up with you and ceilings?" Xena raised a dark eyebrow.
"No body expects it, my dear," Alexander simply said.
Xena replied, "It's becoming predictable. You may need to search for some new tricks to hide up your sleeves."
"I'll take it into consideration. Now, what shall we do with them?" Alexander began to walk into the hallway with Xena and Gabrielle behind him.
They caught up with the hostages being led by the guards. He ordered them to stop and they did so.
Alexander confidently walked up to one of the men. He glared into his eyes to make him dreadfully uncomfortable. "Who sent you?" Alexander asked in a menacing voice.
"Blow it out your ass." Then the man shot up a shackled hand and gave Alexander a mighty uppercut to the face.
This man made the basileus bleed and the basileus did not like that one bit. Alexander retaliated by grabbing the man by his neck with his left hand and struck him in the face several times with his right.
It was enough to leave him on the floor.
"Would anyone else like to come forward?" Alexander asked nonchalantly.
The group looked at each other. Not a word.
"Fine then, we'll do this the hard way," he paused. "Guards, take these men to... the pit. I want answers by any means necessary, no matter how long it takes." Alexander smiled like a lion then sent them on their way.
Xena and Gabrielle remained by Alexander. He turned to them and said, "shall we start the day?"
Back to present Xena...
"Don't worry Xena, we'll find her eventually," an Amazon said trying to console the depressed woman.
"I know we will. I know. We just can't give up. She wouldn't do that if I were lost. She would do anything to find me."
Xena closed her eyes and rested her head in the palms of her hands. She felt the heat from the fire infront of her. I need you, Gabrielle.