a/n: And here is where the fun starts! Thank you so much for the reviews! Feel free to leave more! :) Enjoy!

Chapter 3

About a few candle marks into their journey to Athens, Gabrielle was finally able to break away with Lycea to get the story of what exactly had happened. It was easy enough to lose Xena. All she had to do was play the helpless girl afraid to March into battle when eerie noises caught the warrior's attention. Little did she know it was all part of Xena's plan.

"So...what exactly happened?" Gabrielle inquired as soon as she figured Xena was far enough away.

"Well." Lycea blushed. "We danced like crazy, the heat between us was breathtaking. At first I thought it might have been because of the drugs you took. But then I realized that it was truly you that made it such."

Gabrielle started to get into a romantic smirk across her face. "Oh, I definitely remember that."

They both blushed and strolled on.

Xena followed the two without them knowing. Her keen sense of hearing made it extremely easy to pace at a great distance behind them and eavesdrop.

"Then I took you to my place and we made such sweet love, you fell asleep and the next thing you know, someone is calling you back to the Warrior Princess." Lycea smiled. She wasn't jealous at all of the relationship that the bard and Xena shared together. She knew deep down that Gabrielle was hers in ways that Xena could never have her. Eventually, Gabrielle and Xena, would both understand that, but in time.

When the words of Lycea reached the ears of the Warrior Princess, her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach, and her hands clenched tighter around Argo's reigns. Xena was shocked at what she heard. It hurt her greatly, but right now it wasn't about her, it was about Gabrielle, and anyone who had the indecency to make love to someone who was drugged was someone to watch out for. Gabrielle didn't deserve that and she was beginning to wonder what the motives were behind the act. However, she still didn't have enough information to make a move and would leave it be.

Back at the campfire

Xena waited patiently at the camp. She kept playing out the words and actions in her mind, but stopped when she heard a rustle in the bushes.

She was quick to her sword. "Gabrielle?"

A beat passed.

"Yeah. By the God's Xena, it's just me." Xena looked at the blonde emerging from behind the brush. When it was just her she went around checking the perimeter for Lycea.

"Xena." Gabrielle reached for her arm. "It really is just me. Lycea went to go wash up down at the lake."

They both sat down across from one another at the fire.

It was an awkward silence and the fire's crackling and sizzling kept the attention of the two.

"Gabrielle." Xena broke her gaze. "Look, I'm sorry about what I said. You know it isn't true."

"Then why did you say all those things, Xena?" Gabrielle looked deeply for the answers in the warm blue eyes.

"You know all I want is to protect you, I'm never going get sick of saving you. But there are times when it is going to be too dangerous, even for me and I don't know if I'll even be able to save myself." Tears began to fill the eyes of the strong warrior.

Gabrielle was a little shocked by how much emotion Xena was showing. "But Xena..." sympathy washed over. "I chose this path, to fight by your side. Wherever it takes me; whether to our victory or to our death. I'd rather know I did what I could to try and save us both, as opposed to thinking I could have saved you or helped and did nothing about it."

Xena was reminded again how loving and good Gabrielle was. She didn't want to believe that someone as wonderful as Gabrielle would want to die defending a horrible person like herself. She didn't deserve that, and yet Gabrielle showed her so much mercy.

"So...How'd you meet this Lycea of yours?" Xena changed topics before she melted into a pile of mush. The warrior in Xena wanted to keep composure and get to the bottom of things.

"Well..." Gabrielle didn't want to lie, but she wasn't up for a screaming match either. "We met a little while after you left." She gulped. "We both had nothing to do so we kept each other company."

It wasn't a complete lie. She did meet her after Xena left and they did keep each other company...just...more then expected.

Xena stared disappointedly into Gabrielle's eyes, and knew that she wouldn't get the truth. And somehow Gabrielle could read that Xena knew she was lying, and guilt washed over.

"I lo-...Goodnight, Gabrielle." Xena took to her bed rolls and let it slide for the night.

Gabrielle lingered for a bit. Was Xena really about to admit she loved me. But then... She labeled the theory impossible when Lycea interrupted her train of thought.

"You're still up?" Lycea came and took the place where Xena had been sitting. The bards eyes lingered at the way her hair fell from her hair tie. She had such beautiful long brown hair, lighter then Xena's and more wavy.

Gabrielle blushed, "Well, yeah. I couldn't go to sleep with you still out there. It's dangerous you know."

"Oh? Are you afraid the big bad wolf will get me?" Lycea winked seductively.

Gabrielle bit her lip and broke the intense eye contact. She hoped that Lycea wouldn't be able to read all the emotions that were raging through her body.

For some reason, Lycea was able to drive Gabrielle wild with just one look. She always thought that Xena would be the only one to make her feel this way, but it turns out someone else stepped up to the plate and succeeded. Even though Gabrielle felt bad she figured that Xena just wasn't interested.

"Well when you put it that way it sounds a bit ridiculous."

Lycea got up. Reading Gabrielle wasn't that hard for her, she could feel the connection and feel the heat rising between them. She grabbed Gabrielle by the hands and lead the blonde to her bed rolls that laid across the campsite from Xena's.

"Kiss me." Lycea whispered. Gabrielle felt every hair on her body rise at the command. Without any hesitation she obliged, and the passion between them soared through the crisp night air and the whole world knew that Lycea was Gabrielle's and Gabrielle was Lycea's.

Morning

Xena felt the morning sun beat heavily on her face and it was a strange feeling to her. It meant that she had slept in longer then she was supposed to and time was against them in travels.

She got up quickly and rolled up her bed rolls, but paused when she noticed that Gabrielle wasn't laying next to her like she usually did and she took a second to collect her nerves.

Turning around she couldn't believe her eyes. The both of them, Lycea and Gabrielle, were laying naked together under the bedrolls.

That's it. Xena snapped. She yanked the brunette straight out of the bedrolls and went straight to work.

"What in tartarus do you think you're doing?!" Xena was furious and she was seconds away from taking her chakram straight to Lycea's throat.

"W-What?" Lycea was still waking up. "I didn't do anything."

"You know damn well what I'm talking about. What do you want with Gabrielle?!" Xena grabbed her chakram and pinned the woman against the nearest tree.

"I love her. What do you think?"

"That's a bunch of bull and we both kno-"

"XENA!" Gabrielle was now standing up slapping on her clothes.

You're so damn lucky, Lycea. Xena turned around but was sure to keep a good grip on Lycea.

"Put her down!" Gabrielle marched over to the warrior princess.

There was silence and no action.

"Now! Or by the gods, Xena I will leave and never come back." Gabrielle was starting to get worked up.

Xena huffed at the threat and released Lycea.

"You better run, because if I find you again...I'll kill you." Lycea did as ordered grabbing the rest of her clothes on the way out of the campsite.

Gabrielle couldn't believe what she saw. 'Wow, I knew that you would be jealous, but Xena you've gone way too far."

"Too far, Gabrielle? Too far? What? Are you so love sick that you can't see how she's playing you?"

"Playing me? How is she playing me? She wasn't the one who left me behind, Xena. You were. And even if I did love her, is that a crime? I can't have peace? You have to rip them to shreds before I can even have a chance at finding that much out." Gabrielle was so furious her bright green eyes became engulfed in red.

Xena blinked in confusion and then it clicked. Everything made sense. It made sense why Gabrielle felt so in love with Lycea and felt so deeply connected with her. It made sense why Gabrielle remained so loyal to her new companion. If Xena was right, something happened to Gabrielle, and it was the same reason that Xena wanted Gabrielle to stay put at the inn. Xena's heart shattered into a million pieces and she knew that one wrong move would cause the snap in Gabrielle. She had to find out for sure and it would require her to think quickly and stay cool.

"Okay, Gabrielle." Xena tried to deter her attention. "I'm sorry and I over-reacted. But come on..." Xena laughed. "How would you feel waking up to that?"

Xena made sure to calculate her surroundings, which tree she would flip off of to get her sword and which way she'd need to throw her chakram to lock in Gabrielle, if the tables turned out of her favor.

Gabrielle's eyes started to simmer down from red to an orange-yellow. Xena was starting to get her to calm down.

"Now after we eat, we can go back and find her if that is something you really want to do."

Gabrielle gave in. She realized Xena was right, the sight was probably shocking to see. "Okay. Deal." The green returned to the Bard's eyes.

"Great." Xena gave a convincing smile. "I'll go catch the food, if you want to finish packing." Gabrielle nodded and Xena pointing to the forest grabbed her sword and headed out.

Xena thanked the Gods that Gabrielle took the bait, but now it was time to find out the truth once and for all. Xena raced toward Argo and started her way through the forest collecting what she could to make traps on the outskirts of their campsite. She needed to know what she was dealing with and knew just the right ingredients for the job. Once she gathered them all she used the hilt of her sword to crush them together into dust and placed them in the small gourd she had hooked to Argo's saddle.

"Alright, girl. This should do the trick." She patted her horse and sent Argo off.

It was time.

She climbed up the nearest tree making sure to keep safe distance. "Gabrielle!" She called down and coaxed the blonde closer to the bullseye.

Perfect, Xena thought when Gabrielle stopped in the sweet spot and threw down the gourd causing it to break. The dust particles escaped from it and in no time at all Gabrielle was coughing and inhaling the fumes.

"Xena!" She cried for help as her lungs started to feel as though they were collapsing. It hurt so bad and felt as if every bone in her body was rotting in place and breaking apart.

Xena closed her eyes, she knew that the pain Gabrielle was feeling must have been excruciating, and it broke Xena down to tears to know that she wouldn't be able to stop Gabrielle's pain this time. "I'm so sorry, Gabrielle. I'm sorry." She repeated over and over as she waited rocking back and forth in tears.

Gabrielle finally collapsed to the forest floor and was silent. It was the queue for Xena to get a grip and pay attention. She held her breathe quietly and rested one hand on her chakram for a quick get away.

Waiting.

Waiting.

Waiting.

Gabrielle started to stir. Xena tapped her fingers along the chakram hoping she wouldn't have to use it. And then it began, the fear Xena had was confirmed. Gabrielle's body started to evolve, started to take a different form. And there on the forest floor laid a beautiful, powerful lycanthrope.

Gabrielle sniffed the air, she could smell that Xena was close by and rose quickly to all fours.

When their eyes met, Xena knew what had to be done. She threw the chakram at the Lycanthrope as it lunged and attacked.

Gabrielle managed to dodge it and scored good height into the tree with her jump attack. Xena went wide-eyed and instinctively flipped to the forest floor. Gabrielle was close behind her getting to the ground.

"Come on, Gabrielle. It's okay..." Xena backed away slowly as the now white furred Gabrielle stalked towards her.

Gabrielle jumped to attack again and Xena did a side roll to dodge, while unsheathing her sword to cut the rope to release the trap.

When she did the ropes from the trap came flying out around Gabrielle and took her to the ground. Xena took the few moments in opportunity she had and straddled Gabrielle. From her side pouch she wrestled for the small vile inside.

"Ah!" She screamed while trying to open it without spilling it every where. Once the cap was off she forced the liquid from it into Gabrielle's mouth.

Gabrielle's tongue wrapped around the vile and she snarled back at Xena. It again had the same painful feeling as the dust but this time Xena did what she could to hold the powerful Gabrielle down.

"Come on work." Xena kept muttering. Gabrielle was too powerful for Xena, she kept wrestling her down but was quickly losing her stamina. If the potion didn't work in time Xena would be good as dead.

"Xena!" The scream echoed in the air as Gabrielle's last transformation completed.

Gabrielle was now laying naked under Xena. She was beat up, torn, and defenseless. "Xena, help...my lungs." Gabrielle gasped.

Xena quickly got off and removed the ropes. She swooned Gabrielle into her arms and tried to asses the damage. "Oh, Gabrielle. I'm so sorry." She sobbed into the blonde cradling her tighter.