Aphrodite had backed off when she heard what the warrior had said. She glanced from the Egyptian Goddesses to the tall raven haired woman. This was not the same woman that she had last helped when it was Gabrielle's birthday. This woman had changed. A smile curled at her lip but tried to hide it as Xena had her 'warlord' look upon her face. It wouldn't do to surprise her with the knowledge that she had passed the final test with flying colors.
Xena remained standing with her arms crossed and looking the Goddesses up and down. Since she had been introduced to the two female Gods, they had yet to say a word to her. They had barely even acknowledged her existence. Not that she cared if she was ignored or not. Usually it was better when she was ignored by Gods, especially any of the Greek ones. But she had just jumped through hoops for these supreme beings and wasn't happy with how they were just standing there.
Still, she had to remain calm and not explode. This was for her Gabrielle after all. This was for her soulmate. If she had never traveled with the bard, this would all be a moot point as her life would have turned out drastically different. The warrior kept her cool mask on the outside but was sadly amused on the inside as she realized something. She never would have lived as long as she had. The 'Destroyer of Nations' had given up and was willing to take whatever punishment her mother or the villagers had deemed worthy of her.
It still got to her just how much one chance meeting not far from a small sheepherding village could have changed her life so much. Some tried to say that it was Hercules that had changed her life. While there was a small truth to that, it had been her decision to save the baby. It had been her decision to run the gauntlet knowing the consequences. It had been her that had in the end decided to fight alongside the famous demigod.
It had also been her decision to put down her weapons and attempt to start a life as a…As a what? After fighting for so many years, what was a retired evil warlord supposed to do? Quickly she had found that she could not go home. And in their first year or two of travels together, her name was not one that was praised by most of the local villages and kingdoms. Once again it went back to one chance meeting that had changed her so much and in so many ways.
What had caught her eye that day so many seasons ago? Was it that this one young girl was trying to save a small group from becoming slaves by giving herself up for them all? Was it the way that she had attempted to fight? A small little villager that had no clue as how the world worked and she was attempting to fight these hardened men? That brought an uncontrolled smile onto the warrior's face but she quickly got her emotions back under control still waiting.
It was a good thing she had patience as she continued to wait. And wait and wait…Her mind drifted back to that day. And remembered what it had truly been that had gotten her attention. It was the green eyes. There was a look of such fierce determination in those eyes. Oh there was fear there as well. Gabrielle wasn't then nor was she ever stupid. Naïve as the day was long perhaps, but her bard was intelligent and a very quick learner. It was her heart that had gotten her into trouble so many times in that first year or so as she was willing to trust anyone and see only the good in them.
The petite blond had to see good in everyone as that was the only explanation for her to have blindly followed a woman that everyone in her small village was telling her to stay away from. What was it that Gabrielle had seen in her that long ago day? Most likely she had not known who she was at first. But she had seen how almost too easily she had defeated the men that had been attempting to take her. That should have given her a slight clue as there weren't many female warriors around.
And maybe that was why Gabrielle had decided to chase after a known warlord. She had said that she had wanted adventure. That she had wanted to see the known world. But to go after someone that had been a known killer? Xena sighed as she watched the four Gods talking amongst themselves. It was starting to irritate her more than the bard ever had. While the ex-warlord had put on a good show as to how annoying the petite blond could be, truth was she had welcomed her as a distraction from her past.
While Xena had traveled the known world in her years after leaving Amphipolis for the first time, it had been a very lonely existence. There had been lovers along the way. The closest that she had ever come to actually making a true connection was not Borias the father of her son, but with Lao Ma. If only she could have let go of her anger then she would have been an entirely different person. But then, she would not have met Gabrielle.
And then it hit her harder than any roundhouse kick ever could. Both she and Gabrielle's life had to be lived the way it had been or they never would have met. Had they never met, they never would have known what a soulmate was. That went beyond having a lover to which her bard was an extremely capable one. It meant that there was another part of you that you found and it would be impossible to live without.
You should have already known that. Remember? You just gave up and didn't fight for her. That was after we'd been traveling less than two seasons together and look at how devastated she was. Could she have moved on? Would she have been happy being Amazon Queen? Perhaps. But would she have been whole? Even then she wouldn't have been. Xena sighed at all those thoughts. And it led her to very painful realization.
You did it again. You let yourself go when you could have fought. All for what? What was it that you were supposed to gain by staying dead? You got to walk in The Elysian Fields. You got to see family that you hadn't in forever. Was it worth that? Was it worth destroying the woman you claim to love and claim is the other half of your soul? Finally the warrior princess could take no more of these thoughts chastising her almost like she was a child.
A low growl escaped her throat. It was barely audible but it was enough for all four Gods to hear her. Xena straightened to her full height and gracefully made her way to stand in front of the beings that were normally a bane to her existence. "I've had enough of all of this crap." Her attention went fully on the Egyptian Goddesses. "You have the power. That's why these two brought you in. Either judge me worthy or don't." She paused for a moment thinking better of her words. "Or better yet, judge Gabrielle. She is the one that deserves this. Not me." Her voice lowered and her body slumped. "I never did deserve her and yet…"
Aphrodite came up to the warrior. If Xena had been looking, she would have seen the smiles upon all three female Goddesses. Ares had a more reserved look. It was as if he was happy that his former Chosen was going to be alive and kicking literally again but at the same time he knew that she was no longer his and wondered if there was truly ever a time that she was ever his. The pink lacy clad figure put a hand on the warrior's shoulder.
When there was not even a flinch, Aphrodite just knew that the woman standing before her was at the end of her rope. Not that she could blame her. Xena had gone through many trials. If they had been of the fighting variety the warrior would have been better equipped to deal with them. But the emotional growth that should have happened in the tall woman had been stunted when she had attempted to do a very grown up thing at only fifteen. Of course having Lyceus die at the same time was just another way that the fates had sealed the raven haired beauty on the path that she had fallen into.
The Goddess of Love wished that she could take responsibility for what the two women had forged over the years. But what Xena and Gabrielle shared was something that was older than time. It existed before there were humans, even before the Earth. It had existed waiting for a worthy couple and then had gone from one deserving couple to another but even in the past it had never been as powerful as what these two women shared. It had transcended death more times than could be counted.
How they had realized exactly what it was they had, the Goddess was not sure. Even she, the Goddess of Love had not seen what they shared when she had first met them so many seasons ago. Just before Japa, she had been almost knocked for a loop when she had felt the love and the passion that had been born between the two women. And now it was time that they were allowed to be reunited and to be able to love one another again.
Xena finally looked up into the Goddess' face. Of course before she had, her warlord face was in place. No one would know that she was struggling except for one woman waiting hopefully patiently for her. The emotions were hitting her so hard that it was making her physically weak. It was not a feeling she was used to but if it got her back to her soulmate then anything she went through would be worth it. One dark eyebrow lifted in question taking a moment to look at the hand on her shoulder and then back into the beautiful face that still paled compared to her bard.
"You passed with flying colors, Warrior Babe!" Aphrodite practically squealed in delight for her friend. While they had definitely not been close before, she now felt she knew the warrior a lot better. The rough and tumble persona that she had was not the true person. Under all the leather, whips, swords and armor was a woman that had a very large heart. And the heart belonged to one person and one person only. "Are you ready?"
The warrior looked at Aphrodite and then the other three Gods. The Egyptian ladies had a more reserved look on their face but there was still a twinkle in their eyes. Ares only shrugged when she looked at him. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Xena closed her eyes and thought of only one thing. She thought of holding Gabrielle in her arms and never ever letting her go. She realized that she was getting this nth chance because of her bard. As she was nodding, she whispered, "What Gabrielle wants, Gabrielle gets."
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
It was early evening. Gabrielle had already done her workout with Eve and a group of the men following her. While peace was the key to her daughter's teaching, even the messenger knew that there would be the need of warriors at least until peace truly was achieved. That might not be in the young woman's lifetime but she still had to try. And the bard was seeing the value of doing just that as her mind was still wondering if fighting was what she wanted to do once Xena was back.
At the moment, the bard was lying on the bed trying to relax. Something was causing her to be nervous or upset or…The petite blond was not sure exactly how to describe exactly what it was she was feeling. A stronger dose of whatever it was hit her and she could not keep herself from jumping to her feet and begin to pace. It was a restless energy that was flowing through her as well as these feelings of foreboding.
And then there was a feeling that was familiar to her, but from where she swore it came from it was unfamiliar. Now she knew that something was wrong with her because Xena was still gone, there was no way Xena would feel this kind of unsureness and there was no way that she would feel this kind of fear. The bard kept her pacing not able to understand exactly what she was going through. If her soulmate was still dead then she could not feel this kind of connection.
Even before Xena chose to remain dead she had never felt these kinds of feelings. Oh there was a connection of sorts but not to the point where she could actually feel exactly what her lover was feeling. It sent a chill up and down her spine wondering what if? What if she was feeling something that she had never felt before? What if she was feeling exactly what her warrior princess was feeling? But that couldn't be as she was no long among the living.
There was a knock at the door and Gabrielle's pacing came to an abrupt halt. Her mind was not fully on the here and now and it took a moment for her to answer the inquiry. "Who is it?" Her voice was a bit more abrupt than she had intended but she was now almost totally distracted by the feelings flowing through her body. They had begun as confusion. Then there was the self-assuredness that she knew that could only be the woman she loved without a doubt.
"Eve." It was several moments before the messenger found the door opening so that she could enter. She had another tray of food to which Gabrielle looked at and rolled her eyes. The brunette was instantly worried that her mother was having some sort of setback. The tray of food was quickly set on the desk careful not to disturb any of the parchments. "Mom, is there something bothering you?" Eve sat down in the chair at the desk to keep a careful eye on the petite blond.
Gabrielle had resumed her pacing. The feelings that were flooding her seemed to be happening at a rapid fire pace. It was making it difficult to tell whether or not the feelings where hers or if they were coming from Xena. Her instincts were that they were coming from her soulmate but that was still not a possibility. She halted suddenly once again in her pacing. Or was it? Green eyes closed knowing that her daughter was watching her intently.
It's you, isn't it? Gabrielle blocked out everything including the concerned voice of her daughter. I know you are close, I can feel you. I can feel what you are feeling. Please, Xena come home. I need you more than ever. It's true I'm doing better, but I need the other half of my soul to actually live! When she felt a hand on her cheek her first thought that it was her daughter. But the touch was too gentle and too intimate for it to be the messenger.
A tear rolled down her cheek as she took in the warmth of the touch. It was not like when she had the dream sequence and Xena had held her and told her to take care of herself until she returned. It was not like the night that she was held by her soulmate all night only to once again awake to a very lonely bed and a very lonely existence. It had given her hope but at the same time it had hurt and hurt to her very core.
Gabrielle could feel her heart begin to race and there was a buzzing in her head. It was making her extremely lightheaded. So much so that she felt her legs turn to gel. Strong arms were holding her upright. It was only a matter of seconds before she was scooped up into familiar arms. There was a hot breath against her scalp and it was all too much. Then there was the touch of lips on her scalp and it caused her to burst into tears.
Green eyes were firmly closed fearful that if she opened them that this would turn out to be nothing more than a horrible dream to tease her with her soulmate's touch so. A gut wrenching tease that was the work of Ares or…Or who? There were only two Greek Gods left and Aphrodite was never cruel. She was sometimes a dumb blond or a little selfish but as of late she had been nothing more than a true friend and had been the main reason that she had survived this long at least until reuniting with her daughter.
The world seemed to shift once again and there was movement. Gabrielle really wanted nothing more than to open her eyes and see what her body and heart was telling her. It was her mind that was refusing to allow her to truly accept that the woman she loved was holding her and was carrying her. She ended up in the sanctity of her bed but this time she was not alone. There was a solid body that was lying next to her.
The tears kept flowing as Gabrielle just could not calm her emotions down enough to open her eyes. She felt her body being shifted so that her head was on a leather covered shoulder. There was no armor and that took her by slight surprise. But there was a heartbeat, her heartbeat. It was racing just as fast as her own. In fact, it was almost like their hearts were beating as one though it was almost like a humming bird's wings flapping it was at such a dizzying pace. Strong arms were wrapped around her and it was Elysia feeling something she had known almost since they had first began sharing a bedroll together.
It was home, plain and simple. Whenever Xena held her whether it was snuggled up intimately such as they were now or if they shared just a quick embrace, her warrior princess was her everything. It was home no matter where they traveled though Greece would always be her favorite place in the known world. Though there were exotic beauties, interesting traditions and even more interesting foods, there was no place like Greece.
"Gabrielle…" That deep rich voice was music to the bard's ears. It was a voice that she never thought she would hear again at least outside of her dreams. Again, she had those two 'gifts' of seeing Xena once again. But those had only been but fleeting moments. The sound of her warrior's voice just seemed to bury itself deep within her and stirred even more emotions. Just as she thought tears were not possible, just hearing her name from that familiarly haunting voice caused even more salty liquid to be spilled.
"Open your eyes…" There was such pleading in the voice it made it almost impossible to disobey. But Gabrielle needed just a few more moments to adjust to this. Adjust to the fact that she was no longer missing her other half. For the past month, she had not been totally alone as she had found her daughter. For the past four months she had Aphrodite watching over her. But having Xena back in her life meant that a very important part of her body had grown back.
Plainly put, the bard now had her heart back. Of course it also meant that she had her soul back as well. Without either, it felt like an empty existence and why she had almost just given up. Her entire being had been craving this for so long and now that it seemed like it was real and not just a cruel dream, she wanted to savor just the feeling of the skin, the feel of the leather, the scents that made up her soulmate and the sound of a heartbeat beneath her ear.
A gentle hand was wiping away the tears that were finally beginning to slow. A thumb rubbed first one eyelid and the other with such reverence that Gabrielle almost choked on her own breath. Not many people saw this side of the warrior princess. Not many would believe that she could be so gentle. But from the very first kiss, the very first time they made love and everything in between, Xena was nothing but a caring and gentle best friend and then lover.
Finally, Gabrielle was ready. It wasn't that she hadn't enough courage to open her eyes. It had been that her mind and her heart needed to be prepared to look into those amazing blue eyes once again. The bard took a deep breath and let her eyelids flutter open. It hit her so hard that that breathing came to a standstill. Those piercing blue eyes just looked deep within her soul. They were real. Xena was real. What she had been wishing, hoping and praying for these past four months had finally come true.
"I…" Gabrielle swallowed hard not sure if she could trust either her voice or her mind to convey what she was feeling. How do you put into words the profound loss that one feels when they have lost and then gained everything that mattered to them? Even as great a bard as the petite blond was, it was difficult at best to describe all the emotions that were flowing through her. "I never gave up…" It was true, in a way. She had never given up on being reunited.
And Xena knew what her bard was trying to say. Gabrielle had never given up on them being reunited. It was in what time and what frame and what way they would be reunited. After having seen the ravages that the bard had put herself through, the warrior knew that her soulmate had resigned herself to it being in the afterlife or if not there then in whichever life they would meet up again in. That was one thing that they had ensured was that they would find one another no matter when or where.
There had been many things that had come out of their time in India. They had met a new friend in Eli that had influenced both of them, Gabrielle most of all. Little had they known that he would go on to be an influence of sorts on their daughter over twenty five years later. Their fight with Alti had been the most eye opening experience. It had shown them that they had and always would be soulmates. From one life to the next, they would find one another.
That was one of the most comforting thoughts for a warrior that had traveled alone most of her life. While surrounded by her soldiers or those that claimed to be allies, she was always alone. There was never anyone that she could truly trust, not even Borias. When Gabrielle had walked into her mother's inn so many, many years ago, it was the reaffirmation of what the warrior had felt with just one look into those green eyes even from such a distance.
Not being able to stand it any longer, Xena positioned the couple so that she could have a taste of what she had missed for so long. Those other times were just teases. This was for real. How she had come back, she was still not sure. She knew it had to do with the Egyptian Goddesses more than the Greek ones, but knew that without the interference of Ares and Aphrodite this gift that she had been granted would not have happened.
It was not a pleasant thought, most likely owing either of the Greek Gods even though Aphrodite had actually done it more for Gabrielle than for the warrior. But that was for thoughts of another time. There was a special woman that needed all of her attention. They would need to have some serious long drawn out talks about what happened, why it happened and of course never ever letting anything like that happen again.
Finally their lips met for the first time as truly reunited soulmates. It was just a simple brushing of the lips. But it was enough so that both women were assured that this was real. It was as sweet as their first kiss had been. Even more sweet as Xena was not in Autolycus' body at this time. Both pulled back and looked into one another's eyes. The warrior princess' breath caught in her throat as there was everything laid out in the sea of green looking back at her.
There was pain. There was anger. There was understanding. There was joy. There was mischief. There was desire. But above all, there was love. It took a moment to get her breathing back to some semblance of normalcy although whenever she was ever this near to the petite blond her breathing was usually slightly erratic. Xena took a deep breath still trying to get the words she wanted to say to come out the right way. "I'm sorry."
Well, those weren't the exact words she had wanted to say. There were no adequate words to express just how horrible she felt for being the one to cause so much pain both mentally and physically to her soulmate. But they were a start. Just like this felt like a beginning. But it was not like the other times that either of them had died and come back. While those too were beginnings of sort, this felt like the beginning and the end.
Xena knew that Gabrielle could not survive again without her and she knew that she herself was not strong enough to survive without her bard. If something were to happen to the other, they would both cross over and move on to the next life. It would mean leaving behind Cyrene, Lyceus, Eve and Solon behind permanently but somehow she got the feeling that there would be lots of family and lots of love in their future as well. It would be them getting together in another time another place.
Gabrielle reached out touching her soulmate's face. There was still a tentativeness in the way the bard touched the cheek reveling in how the delicate touch was leaned into. It made it more real. Feeling the breath on her fingertips and the warmth of the skin emphasized just how amazing the fact that this was actually happening was. "We have a lot of things to be sorry for." Blue eyes found green ones. "I'm sorry that I let you act for me."
Xena was about to say something and the bard quickly hushed her with another tender kiss. "I know it was your life in a way that you were willing to sacrifice." There was an understanding that she could see in the bluest eyes in Greece. "But it wasn't right. We share the same soul, Xena. I had a right to say whether you sacrificed yourself for the greater good or not." There were fresh tears in the corners of the bard's eyes but she refused to let them fall.
That caused a solitary tear to stroll down the warrior's cheek. It brought to mind how many times in her life with Gabrielle that she put the greater good ahead of her soulmate or even when she put herself ahead of her bard. Of course there were times when she put her partner first, but those times were far a few between. Especially the last time as she had thought that she was really doing what was right for everyone. But how could anything that caused the physical tragedy in the woman that she loved that she had seen only a short time ago.
"Yes, you did." Xena pulled her soulmate into a hug. She needed to feel the smaller body pressed tightly against hers. It would be even better if it was skin on skin but just to feel the body that was so much a part of her that she could not put into words just how much. "I will tell you in detail later what I had to go through to get back to you." She stroked the soft shoulder length hair getting lost for a moment in the silkiness of it. "But I want you to know the last thing I did."
Gabrielle absently started to stroke the arm of her warrior. She too was getting lost in feeling of live warm skin beneath her fingertips. But she quickly forced herself to really listen to what Xena had to say. "As you can guess, the Gods put me through a few tests." The warrior took a breath before continuing. "They were not the kind of tests that I am used to facing. They were the ones that had to do with emotions. And you know how good I am at expressing my emotions."
That got a soft chuckle out of the bard. While it was true that her warrior sometimes had trouble expressing exactly how she was feeling or how she was dealing with something, but when it came to her soulmate it seemed that she was a lot more open. That was one thing that she treasured in her life was the fact that of anyone, Xena was the most honest and the most naked when it came to her emotions and to Gabrielle.
"But the last part had to do with the greater good." A blond head looked up and green eyes met blue. "I know." Xena stroked the cheek so close to her own face. There were no more words needed to expand on how they both felt about the greater good. "I had to choose whether to help a village being raided and moving on to find you." There was little to no reaction from her soulmate knowing that the next thing she had to say was the hardest and would most likely affect where they went once things were settled in Egypt if not before.
"The second part was even more difficult to just walk away from." Gabrielle stiffened against the warrior. It was as if the bard could sense what the warrior was going through and was anticipating exactly what she was going to say. "I came across some of your Amazons. They were being held." The petite blond tilted her head in question. "That wasn't all though." Now Xena could feel herself actually break out into a slight sweat. "Lila was in the group."
There was a slight gasp from the bard that was snuggled on top of the warrior. There was a flash of anger in her eyes. But it went away quickly and a bright smile was on her face. "I love Lila and I want to make sure that she is all right. But honestly?" She looked away for a moment before looking back at her soulmate. "I'm certain at this point and time that I would have done the same thing. If it came down to choosing between my sister and you, there is no question of who I would choose. You are my everything!"
Suddenly it was too much for the warrior princess. Battles and battle fatigue she could handle. But emotions? That was something that tired her out so much so that her newly resurrected body was already shutting down. You almost gave this up. Don't ever be so stupid. Remember what it was like before Gabrielle. And not just your warlord days. Remember how lonely it was growing up in Amphipolis. Yes, you had an admirer but overall you were an outcast because of how strong a woman you were.
Xena sighed and closed her eyes once again all the emotions were just too much for her. And yet…Something stirred in her deep down. Igniting her entire body and pushing whatever fatigue she had away, she felt Gabrielle butterfly kissing her neck. Blue eyes were open in an instant but they quickly turned a deep shade of purple as the passion was coming to an inferno inside her. It was going to consume her completely if she didn't put it out with the help of her bard.
Things happened so quickly that neither one of them was sure who did what and when. All they knew was that they were now rubbing bare body against bare body and it was fanning the flames even more. Gabrielle's eyes were now the color of the dark greens of the forest. It almost, almost scared the warrior princess to see her soulmate desire her to that level. While she knew that both desired one another as well as loved one another with a fiery passion, it was not often that she saw it so clearly in the eyes she could get lost looking into for days at a time.
Legs were between the others, rubbing against a moist heat that was almost like the lighter fluid that just one spark would ignite an explosion. Hands were rubbing up and down sides and backs and grabbing buttocks. They needed to feel one another at the same time as much as they needed to finish the talk they were having. It was now that they needed, more than ever, this connection that went beyond the physical realm. It was so deep it could be felt through the fabric of time.
Lips were mashed together and soon there was a fight for dominance of the other. And yet it really didn't matter who dominated who as long as they were touching, as long as they were exploring whether it be with their tongues, lips or hands. It was just a necessity of life now as much as oxygen was needed to breathe. Breasts were mashed together almost to a painful level. It all felt amazing. It all felt real. It was something that had happened and would continue to happen in many lifetimes.
Soon hands were replacing knees. The kisses became even more passionate only separating when the need to breathe became too much. While the passion was driving them to hurry something else was telling them to slow down and take their time. So fingers slowly entered and started an almost painfully slow rhythm. It was in sync. It was meant to draw out the contact and build up the intensity to a level that neither had felt before.
But both knew that would not be difficult to achieve as it was like the first time. There was nothing like your first kiss. There was nothing like the first time you make love with someone. The firsts are filled with so many emotions that it can almost overload the brain. But in such good ways and it's so hard to capture those sensations again. But Xena and Gabrielle were. With every touch, every taste and every little move they were recapturing that first time so many years ago.
And at the same time they were blowing those feelings right out of the water. It was like something was happening beyond just the simple lovemaking. It was as if the two souls were merging even more into one and that something good and amazing would come out it. Not that every time they made love something good didn't come out of it, but it felt like something more this time. Something that was not even describable at this point but would be soon.
Finally the passions overcame the soulmates and they cried out one another's names. They were now totally physically and emotionally drained. While there was a need to talk about what happened and why it had happened, now was the time for rest. Xena reached down and pulled up the thin blanket and covered both her and Gabrielle's sweat drenched bodies. Part of both of them wanted to explore the other's bodies more but sleep quickly took them.
Gabrielle had her head on her warrior's shoulder and Xena had her strong long arms wrapped securely around her soulmate. It was silent with the exception of two soft breaths that were coming in sync. Three figures materialized in the room. Aphrodite walked up to the sleeping couple quickly followed by the two Egyptian Goddesses. "Are you sure they are ready for this? They are just once again finding one another."
There was no answer with the exception of the movement of both Goddesses. One came and stood touching the stomach of Gabrielle. The other came and stood touching Xena's chest over her heart. They then joined hands and smiled to one another. It seemed that there was a glowing that went from first Xena and through the Goddesses and then came to settle in Gabrielle. The two Goddesses then smiled and disappeared. Aphrodite came up and pushed a stray blond hair back and smiled at the sleeping couple. "I hope you guys are ready for this." With that, she snapped her fingers and disappeared allowing the soulmates to rest in each other's arms where they belonged forever.