Gabrielle stood awaiting their arrival outside her hut. Piri was flanking her on one side, grumbling that bed rest meant just that, and Aella was on her other side. They watched the blonde being escorted into the village escorted by two perimeter guards.
"Thank you Chilapa and Kelsa. That will be all." Aella dismissed the guards and they nodded to Gabrielle and turned their horses around.
Iolaus swung his leg around and despite dismounting gingerly he could not hide his discomfort on landing. Gabrielle walked up to him. She saw his saddened face and the message from the guards announcing his arrival had mentioned how distressed he appeared.
She wrapped her arms around him. He remained stiff at first and then did likewise. She stepped back and asked, "Have you eaten?"
He shook his head. Gabrielle grasped his hand and led him to her hut asking Aella to send Iolaus some dinner along. When they reached the inside she ushered him to a chair and immediately went to get some wine, apple juice and mugs.
As she approached the table she stopped as she noticed his eyes were fixed on her bump. She quickly sat down and poured him some wine and herself some apple juice.
"So you know?" she said gently patting her stomach.
Iolaus nodded dumbly. Gabrielle was unsure at how to continue, but Iolaus found his voice and blurted out, "It was my fault."
Gabrielle snorted. "How? I got you involved. I dragged you to the camp." She paused. "You didn't rape me," she added quietly.
"But if it wasn't for me, he wouldn't have." Gabrielle looked at him confused.
"Claudine said that you agreed to it, to save me." Iolaus looked away from Gabrielle. How could he face her?
"Is that what she said?" Said Gabrielle quietly. "There was no deal, nothing. She probably said that to torture you. He never said a word about you."
Iolaus turned back to face her. He looked at Gabrielle's eyes and realised she was telling the truth. "Are you sure?"
She nodded and placed her hand on his. "Your fault? Nothing could be further from the truth. Do you honestly think he wasn't going to do it? Do you think they would have spared us, if Hercules and the amazons have rescued us?"
"She was so convincing. I thought it was because of me."
"I wish you'd told me Iolaus. You must have suffered so." Gabrielle looked at her troubled friend who gave a half sob as the relief flooded his body.
They sat there quietly for several moments, both lost in thought. Iolaus looked up. "Thank you," he said quietly. "I just wish-"
"I know." Gabrielle paused. "Thank you. I never said that. If you hadn't have been there after… that night, I would have given up."
The small man looked embarrassed and gave a little smile as he considered Gabrielle's words.
There was a knock at the door and Gabrielle rose to answer it. She took the offered plate and set it down by Iolaus.
He attacked it with gusto and Gabrielle could sense his good nature returning.
"You'll stay tonight?" He nodded. "Good you can tell me about Hercules part in retrieving the oil. I don't know much about that."
"He got it from Artemis," said Iolaus his moth full of the tasty stew. "Did you know about the temple north of Renwa? Well it's special as most people can't see it as…" and Iolaus continued long into the night.
Xena, Epinon and Ephiny sat listening as Tyldus spoke about the success of the visit. Epinon blushed as Tyldus congratulated her on the success of her drilling practices. After he had finished talking the music started and the wine and ale began to flow. The centaur smiled as he approached the three women, holding hands with his grandson.
"Thank you ladies, as always a great success. I am only sorry that Queen Gabrielle couldn't make it," Tyldus bowed his head slightly.
"Can Aunt Gabrielle come next time, Mother? And Aella?" Xenon was circling his mother excitedly. Epinon and Xena exchanged an amused glance.
"Not sure about Auntie Gabrielle, sweetie," said his mother.
"Your Aunt is having a baby," said Xena with a hint of pride that Ephiny detected and smiled to herself. About time, she thought. "How would you like a little boy or girl cousin to play with?"
Xenon screwed his face up and thought for several seconds. "A boy would be good. If it's a girl maybe Aunt Gabby could change it." And with the laughter of the adults ringing in his ears he trotted off to play with some friends.
"So how is Gabrielle? Glowing, as pregnant women do?" asked Tyldus.
The three women all looked off into the distance with the identical dreamy expression and it was several moments before Epinon spoke in a wistful voice, "She's gorgeous, glowing and softer. She's getting subtle curves. Pregnancy suits her, she just needs to regain the weight she lost and she'd be perfect." Xena shook her head and saw her friends still gazing absently.
"Ahem," she said sternly and the amazons turned to look at her both blushing. Xena raised her eyebrow up and was just about to say something when two men came running into the village square.
"Fire!" shouted one. "The barn at the North End."
Immediately everyone sprung into action.
"And I think a couple of the houses there are catching," said the other, leaning over panting.
"Do you know if anyone is in there?" Asked Hercules who had appeared out of no where.
"There are animals, horses, cows, but I don't know."
Xena was by Hercules' side and they looked at each other and then went sprinting off. In the square Epinon and Ephiny were organising the amazons to start pumping water, and Joxer had raced inside his hut to get his medical supplies ready.
Hercules and Xena reached the barn. They called out several times, but could hear nothing over the roar of the flames and the animals increasingly panicked cries. Both rushed into the barn. The smoke was pouring out and Xena immediately felt choked and her eyes were beginning to run with tears. She went to the first stall and shooed a goat to the exit. Hercules did the same to a donkey in the next one. The next two stalls contained very frightened horses, and she was leading them out when she thought she heard a cough. Shooing the horses out she strained to listen and again she heard a cough.
"Hercules, Herc," she shouted, but she could barely make herself heard.
She looked up and did a flip to the next level. She found an empty waterskin discarded and threw it at Hercules. It made him look up and his eyes widened when he saw her there. She was coughing now, and the flames were licking closely around her. She called out, but there was no answer. She bent at her waist and moved slowly around. She could feel the heat around her, and at one point her hair caught fire and she patted it down quickly sustaining a small burn on her hand. As she looked at it, a green colour, similar to Gabrielle's favourite top caught her eye.
She crawled under some fallen timber and digging furiously under the smouldering straw she found a young boy of eight or so. Grasping him in her arms, she crawled back to the edge. As she did, she heard the cough again, but not from the boy. She stopped and looked around. Nothing. She reached the edge and saw Hercules waiting patiently, waving his hand around trying to fan the smoke away. She dropped the boy down into his waiting arms.
"Xena come on," he called.
"There's someone else," she said and turned around, not sure or caring if he heard her or not.
It was even more treacherous and she knew that within minutes the whole barn would collapse on itself. Her lungs burned with every breath. Another timber fell, missing her by inches. She swallowed. She did not doubt her hearing, but she wondered if she was too late. But no, there it was again and this time it was enough to give her a location. She crawled, and there was another boy, slightly younger. This one had several burns to his arms, but was still breathing. She turned to go back but a timber fell across her path. She picked the boy up in her arms and stood up. She could hear the creaking of the wood and she knew the barn was coming down. She held the boy tighter.
Hercules carried the boy out of the barn and deposited him by Joxer. Already there were people throwing water ineffectually on the flames. However most of the effort was on the nearby houses in order to stop them from catching alight and the fire spreading.
He turned to run back in the barn, when Tyldus ran in front of him. "You can't go back there. It's coming down in a minute."
"But Xena is still in there," said Hercules, exasperatedly. "I need to go in."
There was a creaking noise from the barn, and everyone instinctively looked at the source. That gave Tyldus the opportunity to push Hercules back a little. The demi god looked at the centaur angrily and was about to protest again, when the barn started to collapse in on itself.
"BACK! BACK!" came the cries.
Hercules watched in horror as the barn fell like a pack of cards but his horror turned to amazement as through the air came Xena. She spun several times and landed a safe distance away from the burning barn, clutching a child. Hercules nodded his head and smiled, and watched as Xena handed the child to his grateful parents.
She wandered over to him. He noted the singed hair and couple of burns on her arms and hands. "What took you so long?" he asked.
"Grand exit," she said nonchalantly. Ephiny and Epinon reached her, and both looked at her with a sense of awe.
"Enjoy the view?" asked Epinon.
Xena nodded but her burns were beginning to sting.
"Let's get you to Joxer," said Ephiny, and led the warrior princess to Joxer's hut.
Ephiny struggled to keep up with the pace set by the palomino and its impatient rider. She rolled her eyes and exchanged a look with Epinon who shrugged. Epinon urged her chestnut mare on and became level with the raven haired rider.
"Xena could you slow the pace down, some of the elders are having a little trouble keeping up." Xena turned a puzzled look towards Epinon and after hearing an indignant "Hey" from Ephiny smiled and gently tugged on Argo's reins.
"How about a break, elder one," she said with a trace of humour. She caught sight of Ephiny's face as she slowed Argo down to a halt and said, "Eph didn't your Mother ever tell you if the wind changes you'll end up with a face like that?" Ephiny practically snarled at the warrior princess as she and the other amazons also dismounted. Xena and Epinon had made their way under a large tree and were sitting down sharing a water skin. As Ephiny approached they offered her it and she slid down next to them.
"Sorry," said Xena giving a lopsided grin. "I guess I was forcing the pace a bit."
"You guess right," said Epinon. "We'll be back soon enough."
"I know," Xena said and she looked out in the distance, her face etched with pain for a moment.
"Are your burns hurting?" asked Ephiny quickly. "Do you want me to look at them?"
Xena shook her head. "They're fine. It's not that. "She looked down and mumbled, "I don't like leaving her too long." Xena smiled weakly. "I haven't been away from her for a night since, you know. It was harder than I thought, especially as we stayed longer than scheduled." Xena stared at the ground her hands shredding a leaf she had found there.
"I know, me too," said Epinon sympathetically. Xena looked up at her friend's face and saw the same look of pain that she had worn.
"It's not been that long. Give it time," said Ephiny sympathetically. She knew what was playing on her friends minds. "We'll be home soon enough." She stretched out her legs trying to relieve the aches in them.
"Yeah, I guess," said Epinon and mentally shaking herself she said in a brighter tone, "Still it was a good trip. Despite the fire."
"And the reality was it would have been dangerous to go home in that storm, Xena," said Epinon making the argument she had made countless times that day. Xena sighed and shrugged her shoulders. She knew it would have been foolhardy to attempt to go home yesterday but she hated leaving Gabrielle even longer.
"At least that storm helped to douse the fire. Artemis knows how else that barn would have been put out," said Ephiny.
"It's lucky there were not too many injuries. Those boys and Xena. Oh and Joxer's foot," said Epinon with a snigger.
"Poor Joxer." They said in unison. The healer had dropped a large tub of salve on his foot as he was treating Xena, and now walked around using Iolaus' crutch.
"You two are so whipped, not wanting to spend a few nights away," said Ephiny laughing as she rose. A thought came to her. "And Pony, elder? I'm younger than you. I'm younger than you both." She said indignantly.
"We're not whipped," said Xena then stopped and then broke out into a big smile. "Well I guess we are."
"And we love it," said Epinon as she held out a hand for Xena. She helped to haul the warrior up and the three made their way to their horses as did the rest of the guard accompanying them.
"Lucky you," said Ephiny quietly as she mounted her horse. "Come on lets get home before these sad women become too love sick to ride." The amazons grinned especially as Ephiny cantered off leaving two fuming dark haired women to mount their horses.
"I'll get you Eph, believe me," said Epinon and she cantered after Ephiny only to be overtaken by a palomino. She grinned as she watched Xena launch herself onto the back of Ephiny's horse and bent over with laughter as she saw her friend and regent land in a muddy puddle and Xena raise her arms aloft!
Gabrielle was waiting in the village square as the riders came in. She desperately tried to maintain the dignity that befitted a queen but she knew she failed as Xena dismounted and she saw the bandages that adorned her arm and hand. She quickly approached her and after giving a hug to Argo and a whisper of thanks to her for bringing her mistress home safely she launched herself into Xena's arms.
Despite the slight sting of her wounds Xena hugged her lover tight. She closed her eyes and breathed in her scent. This was the moment she longed for so many days. They parted and Gabrielle, remembered that she should greet the other women. Several of their partners were hugging their returned loved ones and Gabrielle slipped her hand into Xena's un-bandaged one for a few seconds and gave it a squeeze. She then clapped her hands together.
"Amazons, we welcome you home. Yet again you have exceeded expectations. What was meant as a visit to further strengthen our ties with the centaurs has made them unbreakable. You performed admirably in helping with the fire. Be proud my sisters. For we are of you."
The crowd clapped and cheered and Gabrielle spoke to Ephiny and Epinon giving them both warm hugs, and she questioned the muddy state of Ephiny to the amusement of Xena and Epinon. She turned to Xena. Argo was being led off to the stables, and so Gabrielle led Xena off to their hut.
Gabrielle had a cold spread prepared and she pushed Xena towards the table. Then she knelt at Xena's feet and started to look under the bandages.
"They can wait, Bri," said Xena.
"You always think of yourself last, Xena. Let me do this for you." The bard started to unravel the bandages and then she applied the salve, with Xena trying hard not to wince. Gabrielle re-bandaged the wounds but Xena felt a few drops of water on her leg. She looked down and saw that Gabrielle was crying. She waited for Gabrielle to finish, and then she wrapped her arms around her and pulled her on to her lap.
"Hey what's wrong?" Gabrielle turned her tear streaked face to look at Xena's anxious one.
"I was so worried when I heard about the fire. And you were injured. I was so scared." Gabrielle buried her face into Xena's shoulder.
"I'm fine, they are tiny burns." Xena smiled. "Mood swings?"
Gabrielle nodded. Xena chuckled and they sat there for several moments enjoying their closeness.
"Feel better?" Xena asked and Gabrielle nodded again and turned to face Xena. Xena moved her face down and their lips touched, gently at first and then with increasing passion.
"If that's the welcome back I get, maybe I should stay away more often," said Xena laughing.
Gabrielle rested her head against her chest and shut her eyes, feeling safe and comforted at last. She was drifting off to sleep, when Xena's voice stirred her. "I hope you have been resting."
Gabrielle kept her eyes shut. "Aella and Piri are worse than you and Eph. I could barely lift a scroll without them fussing. They were so mad at Iolaus for turning up."
"Everything alright I take it? We met him on his return, he appeared happier."
Gabrielle opened her eyes and told her of their conversation regarding the events at the camp. Xena's face became tight and expressionless. Gabrielle saw this and gently stoked her arm. "Xe, its fine. Old news."
Gabrielle lifted herself up and started to prepare a plate of food for them both. Xena watched her lazily, and her eyes rested on Gabrielle's bump. Her tentative first tries to be more enthusiastic about the baby had given her unexpected pleasure. Sharing the news with Xenon, and asking Iolaus if he would make a few items as a surprise for Gabrielle had appeared minuscule happenings yet for Xena it was a change in mind set.
"How have you been? The two of you?" Gabrielle put the plate on the table and Xena put her hand across Gabrielle's stomach. Gabrielle looked down at it and looked at Xena with a hint of surprise. She was even more surprised when as the baby kicked; Xena broke into a wide smile.
"Thank you," Xena whispered, "for being so understanding." Gabrielle knew what she meant and smiled and placed her hand over Xena's.
They ate their dinner and shared their news, and when they had finished Gabrielle took Xena's hand and pulled her to the bed. "How are you feeling?"
Xena raised an eyebrow. "Depends on what you had in mind?" she purred. She leant into Gabrielle and started to kiss her lips as her hands started to remove the bard's clothes.
"Are you sure your hand will be ok?" asked Gabrielle worriedly.
"What hand?" said Xena as she nibbled along Gabrielle's neck, and moved the hand in question to caress Gabrielle's breast. Gabrielle's only reply was a whimper followed by a moan.