Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Xena and Gabrielle. They belong to the people at MCA Universal and all those other people that own them. The song extract is also not mine, it is from Understanding by Evanescence.
Subtext: Subtext is kinda maintext in this. Xena and Gabrielle are lovers but there is no graphic depiction of sex, only brief mentionings of it
Lying beside you
Listening to you breathe
The life that flows inside of you
Burns inside of me
Hold and speak to me
Of love without a sound
Tell me you will live through this
And I will die for you
Cast me not away
Say you'll be with me
For I know I cannot
Bear it all alone
-"Understanding", Evanescence
"Gabrielle! Wake up! Come on, wake up, please," The warrior frantically called to her fallen partner.
Slowly the green eyes opened and looked up into the frightened blue eyes of her best friend.
"Gabrielle," Xena said again, quieter this time, now that the bard was awake, "you were hurt in the fight and it would be best if you just lay still for the moment, alright?"
"Alright, what happened Xena?" the bard asked in a weak voice, "I remember we were fighting that group of thugs and I knocked one out with my staff and then I remember feeling a sharp pain and after that nothing...until you woke me now."
"We were fighting those men, there were a dozen of them, shouldn't have been too difficult, but most of them charged me at once and I was distracted, I saw you knock one out then another came up behind you and managed to stab your left side with a dagger, I tried to get to you but when I did you were already unconscious. I'm so sorry I couldn't get there in time. I was afraid I was going to lose you."
Gabrielle gave her a weak grin, "You know, I don't ever think I've heard you talk that much in one go. Ever."
"Very funny bard. Just don't you ever do that to me again."
"I'll try. It hurts too much to do on a regular basis," she moved a little and grimaced in pain, "what happened to the rest of them?"
"Dead or unconscious."
"Xena-"
"No Gabrielle, don't worry, most of them lived. Unfortunately. The one who stabbed you though, well he didn't make it."
Gabrielle decided it would be best to just leave it at that. "Are we still in the same place?" Gabrielle asked, trying to look around.
"No, not quite, we're just in a clearing a little further along the road. I've stitched you up already but you were out for quite some time and I was getting worried, you lost a lot of blood. I was worried you hadn't already woken."
"How could I possibly leave you? You'd be lost without me," Gabrielle smiled at the warrior and then yawned.
"You need to rest Gabrielle. Like I said you lost a lot of blood and it's going to take a bit of time to heal. Get some rest alright. Oh and how does your side feel? Hurt much?"
"No. I'm fine," the bard said, then winced when she shifted her position.
"Liar," Xena gave her a hard look, before softening and letting a small smile grace her features, " Come 'ere," she said pulling the bard towards her a little and letting Gabrielle's head rest in her lap, " now just go to sleep and you'll feel better when you wake up."
"Xena," Gabrielle said in barely more than a whisper as Morpheus began to claim her.
"Yes Gabrielle?"
"Thank you, for saving me. I love you."
"I love you too Gabrielle, and you were right, I'd be lost without you."
"So much for the big tough ex-warlord, huh?" Gabrielle yawned again and snuggled in closer to Xena.
"Yeah," Xena whispered back, gently stroking the red gold hair until the bard fell into a healing slumber.
As the bard lay asleep in her lap Xena thought back to the fight that could have claimed her love's life.
Xena had been riding Argo, Gabrielle walking beside her, it was around midday and they were going to stop soon for lunch when Xena sensed company. She had slid out of the saddle and drawn her sword, Gabrielle had readied her staff. Suddenly the men had appeared, coming out of the forest on each side, effectively surrounding them.
It should have been an easy win. Xena would fight them off, Gabrielle handling any that went her way and watching the warrior's back.
Unfortunately their opponents had been smarter than Xena had given them credit for.
They saw Xena as the bigger threat and more than half the group had charged her at once, rather than the usual scenario of 8 people charging her one at a time, distracting her from looking out for Gabrielle. She had almost gotten rid of them all, when she finally got a glimpse of Gabrielle, the bard was fighting well, a few unconscious men scattered at her feet, another one going down as Xena watched.
It was then that she noticed another man coming at Gabrielle from behind, dagger drawn. Xena tried to make a run for it and reach the girl, but the only other remaining opponent got in her way and she quickly disposed of him, desperate to get to her partner before it was too late.
She started toward the bard just as Gabrielle's attacker pulled the dagger from her side, Gabrielle gripping her side in shock before falling to the already body littered ground in unconsciousness.
"Gabrielle!" Xena had screamed, then she ran straight at the man who nearly killed her love and ran him through on the end of her sword.
When she was sure there was nobody left she gathered the bard in her arms, mounted Argo and balanced Gabrielle in front of her in the saddle, then rode off, stopping a short time later to tend to Gabrielle's wounds.
Xena cleaned and stitched the bard up, then sat and watched her, time passing slowly by until she started to panic as Gabrielle lay there showing no signs of regaining consciousness any time soon.
At first she spoke quietly to Gabrielle, willing her to wake, but before long she was screaming the girl's name, begging her not to leave her.
And then Gabrielle woke up.
Xena had been so relieved when her love had regained consciousness, it had taken all her willpower not to grab the girl and wrap her in her arms. The only reason she hadn't was for fear of causing her more pain. There would be plenty of time for that later, when Gabrielle was feeling better.
She was brought back to the present when she felt Gabrielle stir in her lap. Laying a hand on her love's forehead she looked down in concern after feeling the unnatural warmth to the bard's skin.
"Gabrielle?" Xena called softly, causing the bard to slowly blink her eyes open, "You've got a bit of a fever love, I'm going to go mix up some herbs for you to drink, will you do that for me when I come back?"
Gabrielle winced as she shifted her position then nodded at the concerned warrior.
Xena slid out from underneath Gabrielle's head and made her way over to their bags pulling out a pot, setting some water to boil. Then after rummaging around a bit she found the herbs she was looking for, put them in a mug and waited for the water to finish boiling. When it was done she poured some water into the mug and let it cool for a moment before taking it over to her companion.
"Here you are Gabrielle, I'm going to lift you up a bit so you can drink this," Xena propped the bard up against her chest and helped her take a sip. The bard almost gagged on the stuff. "Don't spit it out Gabrielle. I know it tastes like centaur crap but you gotta drink it. All of it." When Gabrielle had finished Xena put the cup down and let the bard relax against her.
"I think centaur crap's an understatement. That's gotta be the worst thing I have ever tasted Xena."
"Well then my bard you know it's gotta be good for you."
Gabrielle lightly slapped the warrior's leg before settling herself in to go back to sleep. It was still dark and would be a while before the sun rose.
"How do you feel?" asked Xena lying down on the bedroll, Gabrielle still tucked up against her chest.
"Sore, but otherwise alright."
"Good. That medicine should help with any pain, as well as bring down your fever. By morning you should feel fine."
Gabrielle just nodded sleepily, before snuggling in closer to her warrior and falling back to sleep.
Xena was not too far behind.
The sky was just beginning to lighten when Xena woke the next morning. She moved one hand a little to feel her love's forehead, relieved to feel the skin normal to the touch, with none of the heat of the previous night.
Just then Gabrielle stirred and said in a voice heavy with sleep, "Xena, do you mind, your hand's kinda cold."
Xena smirked and moved her hand away from Gabrielle's face, "Glad to see you're feeling better."
"Yeah, better. And hungry," the bard's stomach chose that moment to make itself known, letting out a loud grumble of hunger.
"Y'know, for such a small woman I really can't work out how you can make such loud noises. Come to think of it I still haven't worked out where you put all that food you eat either my bard."
Gabrielle smiled at the pet name the warrior used and then turned to face her love smiling, "I have many skills," she said laughter spilling from her throat.
"Hey that's my line," the warrior pouted before letting her face dissolve into a grin.
Xena sat up, pulling the bard up along with her, "Do you think that you can set some water to boil while I go get us something to eat?"
"Sure Xena," said the bard slowly moving to fulfil her warrior's request, a slight grimace marring her features as she pulled at the wound in her side.
"And go easy Gabrielle, or else you'll pull open the stiches. I'll be back soon," then Xena strode off through the trees to catch their breakfast.
Gabrielle moved over to the saddlebags and picked up a full water skin, deciding not to walk to the stream that she could hear nearby. Her side was hurting her a lot more than she let on to Xena, not wanting to upset her soul mate anymore than had already happened the previous day. The bard set some water to boil and gathered some herbs and other things that were in the bags to make a stew. When the bard was done she sat down beside the fire and waited for her warrior to return. While she waited she let her thoughts drift back to the day she and Xena had confessed their love to one another just over a moon ago.
They had stopped for the night at an inn, both women wanting a break from sleeping on the ground, and a hot bath.
Gabrielle had been at the bar getting a drink for Xena and herself when she was approached by a young man, probably a summer or two older than herself, who introduced himself as Bardylis. She had been talking to him for a short time when she looked over to Xena, planning on signalling to her friend that she would bring her drink over in a moment.
The bard her been surprised to see Xena glaring at Bardylis, and at the look of utter despair on her friends face.
Gabrielle quickly excused herself and grabbing their drinks proceeded to walk back towards the warrior.
"Xena, what's wrong?" Gabrielle had asked.
"Nothing Gabrielle, why don't you go on back to your new friend over there?" Xena had growled back.
Gabrielle sighed in frustration, "Xena I'm going up to our room. I'm tired and I just want to get some sleep. So, goodnight."
Gabrielle had walked off and up to their room puzzled as to what was wrong with her friend.
Xena had almost seemed as if she were angry Gabrielle was talking to someone. Maybe even jealous.
'That's ridiculous Gabrielle,' she scolded herself, 'Xena doesn't feel that way for you, no matter how much you wish she would.'
She sat down on the bed in their shared room and began to take off her boots when she heard the door open, looking up she saw Xena walk into the room.
"Listen Gabrielle, I'm sorry about before. I don't know what came over me," Xena had said, still with that look of sadness on her beautiful features.
"Xena it's alright. I just wish you'd tell me what was wrong. You look so sad." Worried that she had said too much Gabrielle ducked her head down and looked at her feet, one bootless, the other still with the boot attached.
Xena had moved closer, she still stood back and away from the bard but she was closer than she had been.
"Gabrielle, I don't know how to tell you this," started the warrior of few words.
'Oh no, this is it. She's going to leave me, she's going to tell me she's had enough and she's leaving me,' thought the bard in a panic.
"But," continue Xena, "I just have to get this out, so that you can make your decision. Because if you want to leave me after this I'll understand," Xena took a deep breath and steeled herself to speak, "Gabrielle, I'm in love with you. I have been for quite some time. I know you couldn't possibly feel the same way, but I just had to tell you. It dawned on me tonight that you're going to want to start a family at some point and find someone who loves you, and you deserve that. You deserve more than I could ever offer. So it's up to you whether you want to leave now after hearing this. I really won't blame you if you do."
Gabrielle had looked up at the warrior, who looked so vulnerable at this moment and smiled a smile that seemed to light up the entire room.
"Oh Xena, I could never leave you. I love you too."
"Are you sure Gabrielle? I mean-"
Gabrielle silenced the warrior by quickly standing and wrapping her arms around Xena's neck, laying a soft kiss on the taller woman's mouth.
Xena had responded to the kiss and soon the two women were lying on the bed holding each other long into the night, professing their love for one another through both their softly spoken words and their passionate actions.
"Gabrielle?"
"Huh?" the bard was snapped back to reality at the sound of her lover's voice, "Oh sorry Xena, I didn't hear you."
"That's alright, I didn't mean to startle you. What were you thinking about anyway?"
"Um, actually I was thinking about the night you told me you loved me."
"Oh really? Well let me give you a reminder."
Xena knelt down in front of the bard and claimed Gabrielle's lips with her own in a searing kiss.
After a few moments they both pulled away, Xena wrapping her arms around Gabrielle's waist.
"Come on my bard, time for you to cook us some breakfast."
"Yeah that's the real reason you keep me around isn't it," the bard playfully asked, "to cook for you, because if I didn't you'd kill yourself with your pathetic attempt at cooking."
"Hey, that's not true. If I didn't have you, I'd find somebody else to cook for me," she smirked at her lover, "But I don't think I'll get rid of you anytime soon, I love you too much."
Gabrielle leant against Xena for a moment before sighing and getting up to prepare their breakfast.
When the two women were done with their meal Gabrielle sat beside Xena who was leaning against a log near the fire. Soon she was lying against Xena's chest, being lulled to sleep by the steady breathing of her lover. Gabrielle looked up at Xena with sleepy green eyes, silently asking permission to give into the sleep that called her so persistently.
"Go on love, sleep now. You need it. I'll still be here when you wake up."
Gabrielle sleepily smiled her thanks to her lover and lay back against Xena's breast, quickly falling into a deep sleep.
While the bard napped, Xena's thoughts turned to earlier when she had startled the bard out of reminiscing about the past. The night Xena had confessed her love to the bard, Gabrielle had told her, was what she had been thinking of. Now, looking at the slumbering beauty in her arms, Xena thought back to that night too.
She knew she should never have snapped at the bard. It upset the girl so much when she did. And she really hated to see Gabrielle hurt, especially when it was she was the one who had hurt her.
Really she hadn't meant to. But seeing Gabrielle with that young man, just brought painful thoughts to Xena's mind, Gabrielle had already left her once, when she had married Perdicus, but, because of Callisto, that marriage had been very short lived indeed.
Tonight though, reality had checked in and made her think of the possibility that the bard would surely want to leave and settle down soon.
'Enough of that Xena,' she scolded herself, 'either tell her how you feel, or just accept the fact that one day you're gonna have to let her go.'
So she had swiftly made her way upstairs to their shared room, and nervously entered. She had spied the bard immediately, she was sitting on the bed, one bare foot, the other still encased in her boot, staring at her feet.
She began to approach when the bard looked up. This was it. Now or never. 'Oh go on and say something, you big dumb warrior!'
Finally she spoke, "Listen Gabrielle, I'm sorry about before. I don't know what came over me."
'Well it's a start I suppose, but now for the real deal.'
But before she had a chance to voice the words she desperately needed to say, as much as it frightened her to think she would scare the bard away, Gabrielle's soft voice spoke to her.
"Xena it's alright. I just wish you'd tell me what was wrong. You look so sad."
Xena was still watching Gabrielle, and after saying this, the bard ducked her head down so Xena could no longer see the beautiful face.
From there on, the warrior had spoken of her true feelings towards the bard, and in turn, to Xena's great relief, Gabrielle had told her of her own feelings towards the warrior. Finally, when they were both through talking, the two women had spent their first night truly together. And had been that way ever since.
Slowly Xena dragged herself out of her memories and looked down at the still soundly sleeping bard. She was loathe to wake the girl, but she wanted to know if Gabrielle was feeling well enough to ride on a little today, or if she would prefer to stay put until the next morning.
Looking up at the sky, Xena saw it was only about mid morning and if they left soon, they could travel for a fair few candle marks before they would have to stop.
Slowly the warrior moved her head down so that it was equal with Gabrielle's ear.
"Gabrielle," she whispered into the ear, "time to wake up love."
Ever so slowly the bard shifted, turning her head away from the warrior's mouth.
Xena smiled at the sight and leant in again, this time softly kissing the bard's cheek before speaking once more in quiet tones, "Gabrielle, sweetie, come on and wake up. Before I get rough on ya," she finished, the smirk gracing her lips evident in her voice.
"Alright, I'm up," the bard said sleepily before letting out an enormous yawn. Then she stretched a little, wincing at the tug on the stitches in her side, before leaning back against her warrior once more.
"Don't fall asleep again love."
"Mm, I won't."
"How're you feeling? Think you're up to a little travelling on Argo?"
The bard tilted her head so she could look up at Xena, "I guess so, actually except for when I move the wrong way, I feel pretty much alright. Do I really have to ride then?"
"Good to hear. I wasn't sure how you'd be feeling. You did lose quite a bit of blood. And yes love you do have to ride, because even if you feel alright lying here, if you walked today you'd probably start to feel a little dizzy, and I really don't need an unconscious bard on my hands."
"Oh, ok then I guess I better ride, can't have that now can we," the bard relented, "But you gotta ride too."
"I wouldn't have it any other way," Xena said, her voice muffled as her face was buried in the strawberry blonde hair of her partner.
"Then I guess we should be going?"
"I suppose. You sit here while I go pack up camp."
Gabrielle just nodded her head as the warrior rose from her place behind the bard.
Xena moved about camp quickly packing away their bedrolls and clearing up the rest of their things. Soon she back at her love's side and easily pulled the bard to her feet.
"You alright?"
"Yeah, I'm ok Xena. Stop fussing," Gabrielle said playfully before leaning against Xena's side, one arm wrapped around her lovers waist.
When they reached Argo Xena scooped Gabrielle up in her arms, eliciting a small, surprised giggle from the younger woman, and placed her in the saddle of the tall war horse.
"Do you wanna be in front or behind Gabrielle?"
"I get a choice? Um, in front I think. I'm still a little tired and I don't really wanna fall off Argo by dozing on her back."
Xena smiled at Gabrielle's comment. Once when they were travelling atop the horse, the bard had done just that. She had been so sure that she could never, ever fall asleep whilst on a moving horse, especially one as large as Argo, but she had, surprising both Xena and herself. Xena had been unprepared for the bard to take a nap and hadn't been paying attention, suddenly she had felt Gabrielle's grasp on her loosen and then Gabrielle had slid right off the horse, waking with a jolt when she had hit the ground. Since then the bard was careful about doing a repeat performance.
"No, definitely wouldn't want that now would we Gabrielle."
Xena then mounted the golden war horse, settling herself into the saddle behind her partner.
Gabrielle quickly got herself comfortable against the warrior's chest and once again let herself be lulled to sleep by the rhythm of Argo's smooth gait.
They had been travelling for about a candle mark when Gabrielle awoke. She at first began to struggle, being a little disorientated after waking up on the back of a horse, but when she felt the warm, comforting presence of her lover behind her she soon settled back, her body moulding into that of the warriors.
"Hey there sleepy, how are you feeling?" The warrior asked when she felt Gabrielle settle once more.
"Um, ok, I guess. A bit sore, but I guess that's to be expected huh? Anyway, I'm not so tired now either."
"That's good love. Do you want to stop for a bit? We've been going about a candle mark now, but if you want we can stop so you can rest."
"I'm fine Xena. Stop fussing. I've slept the whole time anyway, I don't need a rest."
"Alright, alright. In that case we'll ride a bit longer."
"That's more like it."
"Since when do you like riding anyway?"
"Oh, I don't really like riding, but I gotta admit that it does have some perks to it," the bard replied, moving in closer to her partner if that was at all possible.
"Ah, I see what you mean," Xena smiled, although she knew that Gabrielle couldn't see it, she always seemed to be able to sense when the warrior smiled.
Gabrielle chose that moment to turn around in the saddle and catch her love smiling, to her it was one of the most beautiful things in the world. Gabrielle smiled back at her and went to reach up and claim a kiss. But as she stretched she let out a groan of pain.
"Gabrielle, are you alright?"
"Yeah, just give me a sec." She turned back around and leant against her warrior. "I guess I just stretched a little too much," she said after a moment.
"Well are you sure you're alright?"
"Yes Xena. I'll be fine."
Xena wrapped her arm around the bard a little tighter and turned her focus back on the road.
It wasn't long before Gabrielle realized that something was wrong. Her side had become painful when she turned, but the pain had not receded yet, in fact it seemed to have gotten worse.
She reached up and rested a hand against her side and felt that it was warm to the touch and hurt like Hades. She took in a strained breath and winced at the pain.
Xena noticed the change in her lover and became worried about her. She didn't want to upset the bard again though by asking how she was, but after a few minutes she gave in and, pulling the bards hand from her injured side she felt the wound to see if there was a problem there that she could fix, of at least attempt to.
"Xena, what are you doing? I'm fine, really," Gabrielle protested as Xena began probing at her side.
"Gabrielle, no you're not. There's something-Hades! Gabrielle, you've busted some of the stitches! The wounds seeping again, you had already lost too much blood and now it's started to soak through the bandage. Why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't realize Xena. I'm sorry." Gabrielle leant back into her lovers chest, finding warmth and comfort there that she so desperately desired.
Xena wrapped her arms around her love once more giving her a quick squeeze, but careful to avoid her wound. "I know sweetie. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have yelled at you then, you're already hurting enough. We'll head off the road so I can restitch it, alright?"
"I don't really have a choice in this, so I guess so."
The warrior smiled and directed Argo off the road and into the woods a little way to a place where she could check Gabrielle's side and stitch her back up.
"Ouch!" the bard yelled in complaint.
"Gabrielle," Xena admonished her, "I haven't even done anything yet."
Gabrielle looked up at her lover sheepishly, "Um, I know that...I was just um, warming up."
"Sure thing love." Xena replied with a hint of a grin forming on her lips. "You ready now?"
"I suppose. Just get it over with."
Xena carefully removed the bandages covering her love's side and winced in sympathy for the pain she knew the girl was in. The wound was seeping and 4 or 5 stitches had been broken, the area surrounding those stitches red and raw looking.
"Gee Gabrielle, when you do something, you do it well don't you?"
Gabrielle looked at Xena, feigning hurt, "Xeenna..."
"Don't start Gabrielle. What exactly did you do that caused you to break the stitches anyway? You haven't done much of anything other than sleep."
The bard looked thoughtful for a moment before replying. "Well, I know when I woke up on Argo I was struggling a bit, I think I might have pulled them a bit there, and I know that it hurt when I turned to kiss you earlier..."
"Gabrielle! Why didn't you tell me then? I could have fixed this earlier. Now there's a higher chance of infection."
Gabrielle averted her eyes from her lovers piercing baby blues and looked at the ground instead.
Xena finished up on the bards side and moved over to her lover. "Sweetie, I'm really sorry. Just ignore me, okay. I just worry about you love, and I hate seeing you in pain, especially pain that I could have fixed earlier." Xena leaned in to give the bard a gentle brush of her lips, the bard melting into her and when Xena ended the chaste kiss Gabrielle leaned her head to rest on the warrior's shoulder.
"I know Xena. I'm sorry too. I should have told you, guess I can be just as stubborn as a certain warrior princess I know." Gabrielle lifted her head to smile at said warrior princess.
"Gabrielle?"
"Mm?"
"Do you need to rest here longer, or do you want to move on?"
"Lets go. Maybe we'll come across a village and get a nice soft bed to sleep in tonight."
"Yeah, maybe," the warrior said in a soft voice.
"Anything wrong Xe?" The bard looked at her love with concern.
Xena seemed to come back to reality at the sound of Gabrielle's voice and the concern within it. "Oh no I'm fine sweetie. Let's get going." The warrior stood, leaving the bard on the ground while she packed up her medical gear. When she was through she helped Gabrielle to stand then helped her up into the saddle of the pale warhorse. When she was sure the bard was comfortable, or as comfortable as she could get whilst on a horse with a wound in her side, Xena mounted behind her, letting Gabrielle lean back against her once more.
As she moved Argo into a walk to start with as they were in no real hurry, Xena reminded herself not to let the bard turn around up here for any reason, even it was to kiss her.
They rode for another two candle marks, the bard staying silent and the warrior doing the same.
Gabrielle was mad at herself for upsetting the warrior by not telling her she was in pain earlier, and Xena didn't speak thinking the bard was angry at her for yelling earlier on.
Finally though the silence from the usually chatty bard got to the warrior.
"Gabrielle?"
"Yeah Xena?"
"Um, I really am sorry about before. I never should have yelled at you."
"Oh Xe, I'm not upset about that. I know I should have told you earlier, but I know how much you hate to see me hurting and well, I didn't wanna upset you anymore."
Xena squeezed the bard as tightly against herself as she dared and kissed her softly on the head.
"Next time I think we should just talk rather than beat ourselves up unnecessarily. Whaddya think?"
Gabrielle leaned into Xena and simply nodded her head.
"You about ready to stop for the day? I don't want you pushing yourself. We won't make it to a village tonight anyway, so we may as well start looking for a camp site now."
"Yeah sure Xe. I'm kinda tired anyways," the bard replied punctuating her statement with a yawn.
The pair rode a little longer before finding a suitable campsite. There was a nice clearing near a convenient stream and they chose to settle there for the night.
Xena dismounted first then helped the bard down.
"You ok Gabrielle?"
"Xena, I'm fine. Go look after your horse, Argo's looking rejected standing over there."
Xena smirked and went over to Argo, retrieving their bedrolls and saddle bags off the horse and taking them over to the bard.
"I'm going to brush Argo down, then I'll get some fire wood and dinner."
"Alright Xena, I'll just sit here and watch the grass grow," the bard dead panned.
"Funny Gabrielle. Why don't you work on your scrolls?"
"It's fine Xena, I was planning on doing that anyway.
Xena gave her lover a quick kiss before moving over to her horse for their nightly ritual.
While Xena groomed her beloved horse, Gabrielle pulled out some parchment and her quill, and stared at the parchment. As much as she was trying, the bard of Potidaea just didn't seem to be getting any inspiration from her usually faithful muse. Finally getting frustrated with the lack of ideas, even though she'd only been trying for about a quarter candle mark, Gabrielle rolled up her scroll placing both it and her quill in her bag.
Xena was soon back at the camp, having finished tending to her horse, and saw the bard putting her things away.
"That was quick. Or didn't you feel like writing?"
Gabrielle looked at her soul mate a moment before answering. "Nah, the muse just doesn't seem to be with me tonight."
The warrior smiled then looked at the sky before speaking again. "Gabrielle, it'll be getting dark soon, so I'm going to go and get some fire wood so I can set up camp properly. After I bring it back, can you start a fire while I go get us some dinner?"
"Of course, but I can go get the fire wood and you can go hunt now if you like, my side feels fine and it's not like I have anything else to do."
"Don't even think about it bard. You aren't going anywhere. I don't care if you say you feel fine, you already ripped that open once I'm not risking that happening again."
The look on Xena's face would have stopped anyone else protesting further, but not Gabrielle.
"Xena, it's getting fire wood, not fighting a battle. I'm not gonna hurt myself any more by doing that."
Xena placed one hand on the bard's shoulder. "Gabrielle, you know I'm only doing what's best for you, and I'm doing it because I love you and hate to see you in pain. Besides, you tore the stitches while you kissed me, the gods only know what will happen if I let you get the firewood."
Gabrielle gave Xena a mock glare before wrapped her arms around her in a warm hug and relenting. "I know, but I hate feeling helpless. I know you only do things because you care. Okay, enough mushy stuff, go get some fire wood and food 'cause I'm hungry."
Xena let go of the bard and smiled at her. "I'm going, I'm going, wouldn't want the beast to have to wait for a feed."
"Funny warrior," Gabrielle said just as the 'beast' let out a loud growl making Gabrielle look down in embarrassment.
Xena laughed then set off into the forest.
Xena walked through the forest, not really too worried about trying to catch their dinner. The warrior's acute hearing was picking up the sounds of a number of forest creatures going about their business and she knew she could easily catch something as soon as she was ready.
"Gods Gabrielle, what am I going to do with you?" she sighed to herself softly as she made her way between the trees. "If you don't start telling me things like that you're gonna get hurt and I could lose you." The warrior continued to walk through the forest thinking about her beloved when she spotted movement. "Dinner," she whispered.
Gabrielle sat in front of the fire awaiting the return of her warrior quietly talking to herself.
"When is she gonna realise I don't need to be babied anymore? For Gods' sake we're lovers! After all this time you'd think she'd know that I don't need her to watch every move that I make." She shook her head before continuing. "Then again, maybe if I stopped doing stupid things, like ripping open my stitches, she wouldn't feel the need to go so overboard with her protectiveness. Then again, this is Xena and she has a habit of trying to protect what she loves, and I guess that means as long as she loves me I'd better just accept she's always going to want to protect me."
A few moments later the warrior walked back into camp carrying an already skinned rabbit. "You're dinner my lady," Xena said, presenting said rabbit to the bard and bowing.
"Gimme that," said the bard as she took the rabbit from her lover and prepared to make it edible. Xena accepted that Gabrielle could cook, as she didn't want to kill Gabrielle with her cooking, of herself for that matter.
"It's just something simple tonight Xena, hope that's ok with you," Gabrielle said after she had the food cooking.
"Gabrielle, of course that's alright, I'd prefer if you weren't cooking at all, but I thought it best since you're already injured that you weren't subjected to my cooking."
Gabrielle laughed and just shook her head as the finished preparing the meal.
A short while later the two had finished their meal and Xena collected the dishes.
"Gabrielle, I'm just going to go down and get us some more water and wash up alright. You stay here and rest, please?"
"Sure thing Xena. I'm feeling kinda sleepy anyway. I might just work on a scroll while you're gone."
"Alright, I'll be back soon," Xena gave the bard a quick kiss and then left their camp site.
After Xena was out of sight Gabrielle stood and retrieved her scroll case form her bag. She then settled down on her bedroll and got ready to write in her journal.
"Where to start?" the bard muttered to herself before yawning. It was then she realised just how tired she was. "Gods, I've barely done anything all day except for sleep, what's my problem? Ok, I guess I know what my problem is but still, this is so ridiculous. It's a minor injury. Alright Gabrielle, stop talking to yourself and write. Or sleep. Actually sleep seems like a very good idea at the moment."
"Y'know Gabrielle, you really shouldn't talk to yourself so much. It can't be healthy for you."
Gabrielle looked up from her scroll and saw her warrior standing on the edge of the clearing and smirking at her.
"Oh shut up would you," the bard laughed in return.
Xena made her way over to the love of her life and sat down beside her on the bedroll.
"You feeling ok?" she asked, her playful manner now replaced with concern for the smaller woman.
"Yeah I'm fine Xe, just tired," Gabrielle punctuated her sentence with another yawn.
"Alright, are you in any pain?"
"Nothing too serious that I can't handle," she smirked at her partner.
Then Xena pulled Gabrielle towards her in a loving embrace. "I was so scared I was going to lose you today sweetheart. I don't know what I'd do if-"
Xena was cut off when Gabrielle quietened her with a soft and loving kiss.
"It's alright Xena, I'm alright and we're still together."
"I know love, now I think you should get some sleep." Xena lay down and pulled the bard down along with her, Gabrielle cushioning her head on Xena's shoulder and falling asleep within a few minutes. "Í love you Gabrielle, goodnight." The warrior whispered, her lover simply snuggling in tighter to her and falling into a deep healing sleep.
A/N: I know it's not very good but don't be too hard on me. I justhope it wasn't too painful to read lol.