Chapter 6
When Xena came back to camp, she found Gabrielle sitting by the fire, looking very sad. "Hey, Gabrielle, what's wrong? I took the stuff to the temples."
Gabrielle said quietly, "Thank you, Xena."
"Is it about the yarn? Because I know you love to knit. You can keep it if you want to.
"That's okay, Xena. I'm getting tired of knitting all the time anyway."
"Gabrielle..."
"Xena, did you notice anything about the list? Is anything missing?"
Xena looked at the list. "Well, you don't have Ares' name here... But you don't like him anyway."
Gabrielle burst into tears. Xena, alarmed, took the smaller woman into her arms. "Shh," she soothed. "It's all right."
"No," Gabrielle whispered. "It's not... I'm not."
Xena looked deep into Gabrielle's eyes and saw something that amazed her. "Gabrielle. You do like Ares, don't you?"
"I love him!" cried Gabrielle.
"Oh, Gabrielle. It's okay. You can still make him something. It's not too late," Xena assured her, still in shock that Gabrielle felt something for the War God.
"That's the trouble. I did make him something." Out of her bag, Gabrielle pulled the most beautiful, soft blanket that Xena had ever seen. It was all the colors of the rainbow. "He seems so angry all the time," said Gabrielle. "Maybe he doesn't sleep well. I thought if he had a soft blanket to curl up in at night it would help him sleep. Then he wouldn't be as grumpy. At least that's what I thought... Now I'm afraid that he won't like it... that he'll get mad at me, and hate me." Tears rolled down Gabrielle's face, breaking Xena's heart.
"No, no, sweetie. I think you're right about him. He would be so happy to know that someone loves him because that's all he's ever wanted. I never knew how to love until I met you. I think if you do this and he realizes what love means... well, he can't help but fall in love with you," Xena said, but mentally adding, 'if he doesn't love you already.'
"You really think so?" said Gabrielle, a beautiful smile beginning to peek through the tears.
"I'm sure of it!" exclaimed Xena.
Xena told Gabrielle to ask Aphrodite to give the blanket to Ares and then wait to see what happened.
-TBC-
When Xena came back to camp, she found Gabrielle sitting by the fire, looking very sad. "Hey, Gabrielle, what's wrong? I took the stuff to the temples."
Gabrielle said quietly, "Thank you, Xena."
"Is it about the yarn? Because I know you love to knit. You can keep it if you want to.
"That's okay, Xena. I'm getting tired of knitting all the time anyway."
"Gabrielle..."
"Xena, did you notice anything about the list? Is anything missing?"
Xena looked at the list. "Well, you don't have Ares' name here... But you don't like him anyway."
Gabrielle burst into tears. Xena, alarmed, took the smaller woman into her arms. "Shh," she soothed. "It's all right."
"No," Gabrielle whispered. "It's not... I'm not."
Xena looked deep into Gabrielle's eyes and saw something that amazed her. "Gabrielle. You do like Ares, don't you?"
"I love him!" cried Gabrielle.
"Oh, Gabrielle. It's okay. You can still make him something. It's not too late," Xena assured her, still in shock that Gabrielle felt something for the War God.
"That's the trouble. I did make him something." Out of her bag, Gabrielle pulled the most beautiful, soft blanket that Xena had ever seen. It was all the colors of the rainbow. "He seems so angry all the time," said Gabrielle. "Maybe he doesn't sleep well. I thought if he had a soft blanket to curl up in at night it would help him sleep. Then he wouldn't be as grumpy. At least that's what I thought... Now I'm afraid that he won't like it... that he'll get mad at me, and hate me." Tears rolled down Gabrielle's face, breaking Xena's heart.
"No, no, sweetie. I think you're right about him. He would be so happy to know that someone loves him because that's all he's ever wanted. I never knew how to love until I met you. I think if you do this and he realizes what love means... well, he can't help but fall in love with you," Xena said, but mentally adding, 'if he doesn't love you already.'
"You really think so?" said Gabrielle, a beautiful smile beginning to peek through the tears.
"I'm sure of it!" exclaimed Xena.
Xena told Gabrielle to ask Aphrodite to give the blanket to Ares and then wait to see what happened.
-TBC-