Disclaimer: Xena, Gabrielle, the O'Connell's, and Ardeth do not belong to
me. They are the property of Universal, Renaissance, and Stephen Sommers.
Author's Note: I made a change to the end of the third chapter on May 9, 2003, for dramatic effect. Sorry if it confuses anyone. Thanks for all the reviews so far. It's kept my creative fires going.
Xena immediately felt a burning, searing pain in her upper arm and dropped the sword she was holding. Stunned, she looked down at her arm, which was oozing blood. Looking up again at the man she was fighting, she saw that he, too, was surprised. But his gaze shifted to the woman in the group. Xena, too, looked at her. Realizing she was her assailant, Xena reached for her chakram, but her opponent recovered his senses and grabbed her uninjured arm, holding it in a vise grip. Xena was surprised at the strength of the man, but even more surprised that he was trying to save the woman he had been attacking. Or, had he been attacking her?
Gabrielle, at the sound of the gunshot, whirled around to see Xena injured. She watched as the man grabbed Xena. Convinced her friend was about to be killed, she abandoned her fair-haired opponent and charged the tall man in the black robes. She moved to strike, but was stopped by a glimpse of another man. The man from her dream.
Alex had stepped forward, gun pointed at the blonde woman. He had never killed anyone before, but knew he would do it if it saved the life of Ardeth Bay. His face was full of determination, yet he certainly didn't relish the thought of shooting anyone, particularly a woman. When she stopped mid-charge and stared at him, he relaxed, but did not lower the gun.
"If you have any intelligence, miss," he said, "you will go no further. Drop your weapons."
Gabrielle did not hesitate. She dropped them, much to the relief of Alex, who stepped a little closer. Gabrielle looked behind her to see the man she had been fighting walk up and nod to the man from her dream. He lowered the black object he had pointed at her and then put it in some sort of scabbard attached to his waist. The man she had been fighting spoke.
"Who are you? What do you want?"
Gabrielle was puzzled by the strange accents of these people. But even more puzzling was the accent of the woman in the group, who spoke next. Hers was different.
"Rick, you won't get anywhere by being rude."
The man turned to the woman, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"You just shot one of them, Evelyn! I don't think my tone is any ruder than that!"
Gabrielle moved towards Xena, who was still being held by the man in black. No one stopped her.
"Gabrielle," Xena began, "I'm fine. It doesn't hurt anymore than a deep cut from a sword. Get some bandages from the saddlebag."
Gabrielle obeyed and, to her surprise, no one tried to stop her, although they were watching her closely. She walked back up to Xena with the bandages and began to dress the wound.
"This is not like any wound I've ever seen," she said out loud, though she'd just meant to think it.
"It's a gunshot wound," said the man who held Xena. "But only a nick," he continued. "Believe me, Evelyn could have killed her if she wanted."
His accent was stranger still. Xena watched the woman who had injured her with curiosity. And it was obvious to her by now that no one had been attacking anyone. These people all knew each other. She had barged in, assuming the worst. Guilt began to wash over her as she looked at the cut on the man's arm.
"Gabrielle, bandage his wound as well," she told the bard. Gabrielle looked at her incredulously, but did what Xena said. The man looked surprised at her words and allowed Gabrielle to take his arm. Xena took a deep breath. She hated it when she made mistakes.
"I am sorry for your injury," she told him. "But I thought you were attacking these people. I see now that you all know each other. I hope you can forgive me."
Gabrielle was shocked by her friend's speech. Xena rarely apologized to anyone, especially strangers. Then again, she rarely made a mistake in assessing a situation. And it was painfully obvious that such was the case here. She continued to wrap the bandages around the man's arm, all the while stealing glances at the man that had been in her dream.
Ardeth had released the woman as soon as she had instructed her friend to bandage his wound. Clearly, something was terribly wrong. And her speech confirmed his thoughts. He saw guilt in her eyes and shifted his gaze to Evelyn, who was obviously beginning to feel very bad indeed. She came closer.
"Oh, no. It's I who should be sorry for your wound. But when I saw you attack Ardeth and then get the upper hand, well,"
Her voice trailed off. Maybe this woman would understand. Maybe she wasn't as mercenary as she looked. Evelyn looked into her eyes and was surprised to see a hint of amusement in them. What kind of a woman was this?
"I've had worse, actually," the woman said. Her companion, still bandaging Ardeth's wound, seemed to agree with this statement. There was an awkward silence as the bandage was finished and they all stood around, looking at each other. The blond woman finally broke the silence.
"I'm Gabrielle," she finally said. "And this is my friend, Xena."
Jonathan's jaw dropped and Alex and Rick were too stunned to speak. Evelyn's eyes shone as she spoke.
"You mean, Xena, the warrior princess?" she inquired, obviously happy.
Gabrielle sighed. Not again. She and Xena had been running into fans of Xena all over the place lately. Really, it was starting to get annoying. Some of them were just absolutely obsessed. But maybe these people weren't like that. Gabrielle's hopes of a normal, everyday fan disappeared when the woman began to jump up and down excitedly.
"It's true! It's true! I knew it!" she yelled. Gabrielle looked at Xena, who rolled her eyes. First Ares, now this.
"It's going to be a long day," Xena muttered to Gabrielle, who hid a smile behind her hand.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
Okay, I know the chapters have been slow, but it's hard to figure out how to 'mesh' these two cultures together. I promise there will be more action and maybe even some romance for Ardeth. ( Please keep reviewing. I live for the reviews. Any suggestions would help, too.
Author's Note: I made a change to the end of the third chapter on May 9, 2003, for dramatic effect. Sorry if it confuses anyone. Thanks for all the reviews so far. It's kept my creative fires going.
Xena immediately felt a burning, searing pain in her upper arm and dropped the sword she was holding. Stunned, she looked down at her arm, which was oozing blood. Looking up again at the man she was fighting, she saw that he, too, was surprised. But his gaze shifted to the woman in the group. Xena, too, looked at her. Realizing she was her assailant, Xena reached for her chakram, but her opponent recovered his senses and grabbed her uninjured arm, holding it in a vise grip. Xena was surprised at the strength of the man, but even more surprised that he was trying to save the woman he had been attacking. Or, had he been attacking her?
Gabrielle, at the sound of the gunshot, whirled around to see Xena injured. She watched as the man grabbed Xena. Convinced her friend was about to be killed, she abandoned her fair-haired opponent and charged the tall man in the black robes. She moved to strike, but was stopped by a glimpse of another man. The man from her dream.
Alex had stepped forward, gun pointed at the blonde woman. He had never killed anyone before, but knew he would do it if it saved the life of Ardeth Bay. His face was full of determination, yet he certainly didn't relish the thought of shooting anyone, particularly a woman. When she stopped mid-charge and stared at him, he relaxed, but did not lower the gun.
"If you have any intelligence, miss," he said, "you will go no further. Drop your weapons."
Gabrielle did not hesitate. She dropped them, much to the relief of Alex, who stepped a little closer. Gabrielle looked behind her to see the man she had been fighting walk up and nod to the man from her dream. He lowered the black object he had pointed at her and then put it in some sort of scabbard attached to his waist. The man she had been fighting spoke.
"Who are you? What do you want?"
Gabrielle was puzzled by the strange accents of these people. But even more puzzling was the accent of the woman in the group, who spoke next. Hers was different.
"Rick, you won't get anywhere by being rude."
The man turned to the woman, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"You just shot one of them, Evelyn! I don't think my tone is any ruder than that!"
Gabrielle moved towards Xena, who was still being held by the man in black. No one stopped her.
"Gabrielle," Xena began, "I'm fine. It doesn't hurt anymore than a deep cut from a sword. Get some bandages from the saddlebag."
Gabrielle obeyed and, to her surprise, no one tried to stop her, although they were watching her closely. She walked back up to Xena with the bandages and began to dress the wound.
"This is not like any wound I've ever seen," she said out loud, though she'd just meant to think it.
"It's a gunshot wound," said the man who held Xena. "But only a nick," he continued. "Believe me, Evelyn could have killed her if she wanted."
His accent was stranger still. Xena watched the woman who had injured her with curiosity. And it was obvious to her by now that no one had been attacking anyone. These people all knew each other. She had barged in, assuming the worst. Guilt began to wash over her as she looked at the cut on the man's arm.
"Gabrielle, bandage his wound as well," she told the bard. Gabrielle looked at her incredulously, but did what Xena said. The man looked surprised at her words and allowed Gabrielle to take his arm. Xena took a deep breath. She hated it when she made mistakes.
"I am sorry for your injury," she told him. "But I thought you were attacking these people. I see now that you all know each other. I hope you can forgive me."
Gabrielle was shocked by her friend's speech. Xena rarely apologized to anyone, especially strangers. Then again, she rarely made a mistake in assessing a situation. And it was painfully obvious that such was the case here. She continued to wrap the bandages around the man's arm, all the while stealing glances at the man that had been in her dream.
Ardeth had released the woman as soon as she had instructed her friend to bandage his wound. Clearly, something was terribly wrong. And her speech confirmed his thoughts. He saw guilt in her eyes and shifted his gaze to Evelyn, who was obviously beginning to feel very bad indeed. She came closer.
"Oh, no. It's I who should be sorry for your wound. But when I saw you attack Ardeth and then get the upper hand, well,"
Her voice trailed off. Maybe this woman would understand. Maybe she wasn't as mercenary as she looked. Evelyn looked into her eyes and was surprised to see a hint of amusement in them. What kind of a woman was this?
"I've had worse, actually," the woman said. Her companion, still bandaging Ardeth's wound, seemed to agree with this statement. There was an awkward silence as the bandage was finished and they all stood around, looking at each other. The blond woman finally broke the silence.
"I'm Gabrielle," she finally said. "And this is my friend, Xena."
Jonathan's jaw dropped and Alex and Rick were too stunned to speak. Evelyn's eyes shone as she spoke.
"You mean, Xena, the warrior princess?" she inquired, obviously happy.
Gabrielle sighed. Not again. She and Xena had been running into fans of Xena all over the place lately. Really, it was starting to get annoying. Some of them were just absolutely obsessed. But maybe these people weren't like that. Gabrielle's hopes of a normal, everyday fan disappeared when the woman began to jump up and down excitedly.
"It's true! It's true! I knew it!" she yelled. Gabrielle looked at Xena, who rolled her eyes. First Ares, now this.
"It's going to be a long day," Xena muttered to Gabrielle, who hid a smile behind her hand.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
Okay, I know the chapters have been slow, but it's hard to figure out how to 'mesh' these two cultures together. I promise there will be more action and maybe even some romance for Ardeth. ( Please keep reviewing. I live for the reviews. Any suggestions would help, too.