Disclaimers on part 1.

New Territory
by LZClotho
originally written September 1997

CHAPTER TWO

What was that all about?" Xena asked when the two women settled by the fire that night.

"What?" Gabrielle picked at her food.

"I haven't seen you shoot down anyone so effectively since you laughed in Joxer's face outside Hestia." Xena tied off stitching in her wrist guard and carefully bit off the extra length of sinew.

Gabrielle couldn't concentrate on eating while watching Xena work. It was at night, times like this, when the warrior slowly faded into the sunset to be replaced by the woman draped in moonlight. As Xena shrugged out of each piece of armor and leather, her appearance softened. First, as always, the brass-tooled bustiere was carefully inspected and set aside. And Xena's shoulders would release the constant stiffness.

Then, the thigh-guards and boots would come off, along with the cloths she wrapped around her feet. And Xena wiggled her toes. Gabrielle liked that moment a lot. It made her see the child Xena had been. The bard would imagine a barefoot child running through the fields outside Amphipolis so long ago. While her toes wriggled, Xena always checked every inch of the leather and lacing for wear.

Gabrielle liked to tell her stories while Xena was shedding her warrior self. Tonight was no different. As Xena removed her other wrist guard, Gabrielle spoke. "Would you care for a story tonight, Xena?"

Xena looked at Gabrielle. "Is it going to be a thinly veiled lecture?"

Gabrielle was affronted. "No. You haven't done anything today to be lectured about." She grinned broadly then softened to a warm smile. "The moonlight is beautiful. I was reminded of a love story."

Xena smiled. "A love story, hmm? All right, I'm listening." She set aside the rest of her armor, sitting on the log bathed in golden moonlight. She reclined as Gabrielle began her tale.

The bard's voice slipped an octave lower. And in this narrator's voice she began:

"I shall tell you of the love of Zeus and Danae, mother of famed Perseus.

"Zeus spied a young woman walking along the shoreline of the kingdom of Thebes. He was entranced. She was golden. Smooth, sun-kissed skin, hair in riotous silky curls. He had a craving to see her eyes." Gabrielle opened her eyes having closed them to envision Danae in her head. Across the fire, she saw Xena watching her and for a moment was lost in firelit blue eyes.

Danae had brown eyes, Zeus had found when he swept down to see. But Gabrielle continued aloud, "Zeus transformed himself into a goose and flew down from Olympus. Danae offered the goose some crumbs and the god looked up into eyes as soft as the clouds and bluer than a clear sky."

Gabrielle's gaze remained on Xena as she spoke. Now her voice changed to that of Zeus, a throaty rumble. "'I am the god Zeus,' he said, transforming himself into his familiarly carved human form before Danae's gaze.

"Danae jumped in surprise," Gabrielle continued, resuming the narrative voice. "She offered a hand when Zeus held out his, and dropped a curtsey to the King of the gods. 'Who are you?' Zeus asked.

"'I am Danae, daughter of the King of Thebes,' Danae answered simply." Gabrielle's voice was delicate, unpretentious femininity defined, about a half octave higher than her own voice and with a silkier edge to the consonants. Gabrielle continued to switch between the voices of Zeus and Danae as the two conversed in her story on that beach an age ago:

"I would like to walk with you," Zeus said, offering an arm to Danae.

Danae placed her hand just below his crooked elbow. "I'd like that," she acknowledged.

The two walked down to the surf, stepping in and out of the rushing waves crashing the shore. There was laughter on the beach that day. Danae found Zeus quite talkative, not that she was all that sure exactly what she should have expected.

Zeus found a woman unafraid of her opinions and who talked not of fanciful things, but of practical things. Quite a change from his wife, Hera. Danae told him of her father's kingdom and how she wanted to correct the poverty she saw.

Zeus offered to fix it all for her, unwilling to see the frustration on Danae's face. But Danae declined. "What good will it do in the future? I must teach the people how to care for themselves."

Zeus nodded, impressed by her wisdom.

Gabrielle stopped speaking as her gaze fell on Xena. The warrior was resting her arms across her kness, gazing into the campfire. She was very still. "Xena?"

"I'm not asleep, Gabrielle. Just thinking. Go ahead with your story." Xena's eyes lifted from the flames, meeting Gabrielle's. The warrior dropped her eyes after another moment though.

"What is it?" Gabrielle asked.

Xena wrinkled her nose, then relaxed her face. Then she briefly frowned before removing evidence of that as well and returning her blue eyes to Gabrielle's face. "You tell stories like no one I've ever met, Gabrielle. I know most of the heroic tales. Who doesn't? We've all heard them since we were children. But somehow when you tell a story it's different. It's new. It's like I've never heard it before.

"Zeus and Danae in love? Who but you would have thought it? I never did. Zeus had always taken advantage of her. At least that's how I understood it."

Gabrielle smiled. "Gods love too, Xena."

"Gods feel passion in my experience, Gabrielle. Not that softer emotion." Xena sat up straighter and turned her shoulders so she was not looking at Gabrielle.

Gabrielle sobered. She touched Xena's shoulder. "Ares?"

"He wants me, Gabrielle." Xena's shoulders sagged with that admission. Gabrielle read, as always, that Xena was uncertain she could defend against the dark God of War.

The bard moved closer and said fiercely, "Well he can't have you, Xena. I won't let him."

Xena looked at Gabrielle's hand on her shoulder and then up into the bard's green gaze lit with the fire's glow. Gods above, she believed the younger woman. She shook her head. "No," Xena said,
though she wasn't sure what she meant by it.

"Xena, I love you," the bard continued with intensity. Xena realized that Gabrielle wanted her to believe. The warrior couldn't take her eyes from the bard's as Gabrielle grasped her chin. "He can't have you. I love you." Gabrielle's voice became rough, silky and she bent her head, capturing Xena's mouth beneath her own.

The kiss was brief, but made Xena shiver. Gabrielle pulled away abruptly, moving back to the other side of the campfire. She kept her eyes averted and gazed only at the flickering flames of the fire.

Neither woman spoke, uncertain what exactly had just happened. Xena was not quite sure what to make of Gabrielle's actions. The bard was passionate in an argument, always determined that Xena see her point. But a kiss? What was the point there?

She remembered leaning to kiss Gabrielle when they had connected in the brief moment when Autolycus gave Xena's spirit control of his body. That gesture had been for solace. Gabrielle had looked so lost, so alone. Xena had felt the compelling need to do something to restore her hope, to wipe away the tears.

"Thanks, Gabrielle," said Xena finally. "I feel better now."

Gabrielle blinked, a bit surprised that Xena had nothing more to say. "Umm, you're welcome." She bit her lip, still tasting Xena on her mouth. Could Xena not know? "Why don't you get some sleep? I'll take first watch."

Xena looked around assessing their surroundings. "I don't think we'll have any disturbances."

"Good. Then you should sleep." Gabrielle grabbed up her staff and walked around to the other side of her log.

Xena frowned. "Gabrielle?"

"Yes?"

"Are you mad about something?"

Gabrielle realized then as she turned around she was stiff as a tree. She consciously worked the tension out of her muscles and turned to face Xena. "No, I'm not. Well, maybe. But not at you. At Ares. I'm sorry he bothers you. I'd stop him if I could."

Xena nodded. "I've dealt with Ares. I can handle him." She looked up at Gabrielle. "He won't get me. I won't let him." She smiled. Gabrielle smiled back and returned to her blanket by the fire, setting the staff on the ground beside her.

She rolled onto her side and pillowed her head on her arm, watching Xena roll over getting comfortable. Finally the warrior rolled toward Gabrielle to find the bard watching her.

"Something bothering you?" Xena asked.

"No," responded Gabrielle. "But something is bothering you. What is it?"

"Draco. I'm worried he's going to get hurt."

Gabrielle stifled her rough tone as she replied, "Draco's a big boy. He can take care of himself. I thought you said Cupid removed the arrows' spells."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"I watched you today. You still like Draco." Gabrielle bit her lip, hearing a distinct note of jealousy creeping into her voice.

"Of course I like him, but I don't have the hots for him. I'm just concerned."

Gabrielle recanted, hoping to cover her slip. "Okay, you're right. I'm a bit concerned about him too."

"Besides," Xena commented, "Why would you care who I liked or didn't like?" Xena paused, thinking. "You weren't too crazy about Ulysses."

Gabrielle propped herself on her elbow and poked Xena in the chest. "He was married, Xena. I'm a bit old fashioned, okay? You don't go around with married men."

"Well, I don't either. I didn't think Penelope would want him. He'd been gone TEN years." Xena closed her eyes, her face softening as she dreamed. "I didn't want to think it."

Gabrielle closed her eyes against that softened look. Xena is going to be the death of me, she thought.

"Gabrielle?"

"Yes, Xena?" She responded keeping her eyes closed against seeing the warrior's face.

'Do you think it will ever happen?"

"What?" Gabrielle opened her eyes. Xena didn't sound right.

"That we'll each find someone who makes us happy? Settle down?" Gabrielle groaned. Xena mistook that for disbelief. "Don't think I'll find a man who'll see me as anything but an ex-warlord?"

Gabrielle sighed. "I don't know, Xena. Truth to tell, except for Marcus, I don't know any man you've met who wasn't as much in love with you, as afraid of you."

Xena ducked her head. "Palemon was nice, once I got him to stop being so admiring all the time," she recalled the young warrior who'd helped her rescue the bard from a fiery death.

Gabrielle blurted, "He wanted to kill you, Xena. That's not love." She tried to redirect the conversation. "What do you think my chances are?"

"Of finding someone to love you?" Xena chuckled. "Ditch me so I don't scare any away and you'll have suitors in no time."

"I'd never ditch you, Xena."

"Then be prepared to grow into an old maid."

"Hey, that's not a very flattering image."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. A man would have to be pretty incredible to make me stop traveling with you, anyway." Gabrielle smiled at Xena. "So you're stuck with me until this demi-god makes an appearance."

Xena smiled, warmed inexplicably by the thought. "Thanks, Gabrielle."

"Anytime." She rolled away from Xena and smiled into her arm. It had been an interesting pillow talk session. Maybe she could make a breakthrough soon.

The next morning Gabrielle's nose twitched and she opened her eyes to the sight of a de-scaled fish swinging in the air over her face. She screamed. Xena, holding the slimy thing by the gills, fell backwards, laughing as Gabrielle sat up.

The bard slapped at the fish. "I don't like meeting breakfast before it's cooked, Xena," Gabrielle growled.

"I just wanted to see how long before the smell woke you up."

"How long?"

"Faster than it would have taken me to roll you off the damned blankets."

"Can I help it if the sun's barest rays on the horizon aren't enough to rouse me from sleep?" Gabrielle stood, presented their frying pan and wrinkled her nose when Xena dropped the fish into it.

"It may surprise you," Xena said, wiping her hands on a cloth. "But I don't like waking up at dawn as much as you think I do."

"But - "

"I do it because I have to, Gabrielle. To keep us safe - and keep up my skills."

"I'm sorry I cause you so much concern." Gabrielle now noticed the slight sheen of perspiration glistening on Xena's skin. Wisps of bangs were wet against her face. Gabrielle felt a deep guilt for a moment. Xena must have noticed.

"Don't be. I'd be a lot more concerned if you stopped being around." The warrior touched the bard's shoulder and walked over to Argo, cleaning up the mare for the journey ahead.

Gabrielle filleted the fish and set about frying the pieces over their campfire. "Where are we off to today?"

Xena thought about that a moment and decided she'd had enough of western Greece. "Let's cross the mountains and check out the towns to the southeast."

Gabrielle nodded as she turned over a filet with her fingers. "Can I ride with you today? I'm not up for mountains."

Xena nodded.