A/N: Hey guys! This one-shot chapter was created based on the prompt word, "Painting" for a sunday challenge. I wanted to have a little fun with this one, which explains why its a little long. But I hope you like it. It's based after the "Comedy of Eros" episode and wanted to play about with a little subtext in it. This chapter is dedicated to JenesisX because she is just awesome and secretly hope to read more of her work. Any fans of Final Fantasy VII should check her out in my favs. Happy Reading Folks! :)

Xena dashed into the village astride Argo, Gabrielle clinging on tightly from behind as though she was afraid she may fall off. She was breathless; her lungs burned from the air rushing into them when she'd sped across the countryside with no other goal other than getting to her. As soon as they reached the inn, Xena slid off the side of her horse and ran up to the door, pushing it aside and almost forcing it off its hinges.

"Mother!" she shouted. Xena's stomach lurched in panic as she looked around. The inn was empty, not only of people but of furniture too. Tables, chairs, cupboards – they had all gone. There was no sign of Cyrene. "Mother where are you?"

Gabrielle burst in behind her, panting. She took a quick glance around the inside of the inn and gasped. "What happened here? Burglary?"

Xena narrowed her eyes. She stepped further inside, her eyes flicking from side to side to keep a look out for any potential attack. She stopped suddenly, shaking her head. "No, it can't be. They would have taken more than the tables and chairs. There's silverware on the counter, see it? That's worth more. If it was a burglary, mother would have tried to stop them. But there's no sign of any kind of struggle."

Gabrielle moved passed her slowly, being careful not to make any noise as she inspected the counter. "There's money behind here too." She made a face and looked back over at Xena. "I don't like this."

"Me neither."

Xena moved toward the stairs with purpose in her steps. "Moth-"

"Would you quiet down? You'll wake the neighbours. It's still pretty early you know?" Cyrene said as she came around the corner and descended the stairs with a grin.

Relief flooded through Xena at the sight of her mother alive and unharmed. But then frustration took its place. She frowned at the older woman as she walked nonchalantly down the stairs as though nothing was wrong. "Mother, what are you doing? What's going on here?" she reached into her corset and pulled out a note, waving it. "Your message said it was an emergency!"

"It is an emergency! Oh, hi Gabrielle," she said as she kissed her daughter's forehead and moved to do the same to the younger woman.

"Hi Cyrene," Gabrielle smiled. She gestured around them at the room. "What happened here?"

"All the stuff has been moved for the job I want you to do."

Xena placed her hands on her hips, pursing her lips. She arched an eyebrow at her, awaiting the answer that would justify her empty stomach, aching muscles, and mad dash across the plains. "And what job is this?"

Cyrene grinned as she reached beside the fireplace and hoisted a couple of buckets of paint into the air. "This place needs redecorating!"

~X~

Xena mumbled under her breath as she slapped the paintbrush against the wall, sending paint splattering everywhere.

"Xena, please be careful," Cyrene chided. "The walls want painting, not the floor. And just look at you," Cyrene said as she pulled out a rag. She dabbed the end onto her tongue and reached toward her daughter, wiping her cheek.

"Mom!" Xena protested, pulling away and waving her hand. She scowled at the woman. "I'm not five anymore. I don't need you to wash my face for me. And I am being careful."

Cyrene stood back to inspect the patch of wall that her daughter had started painting. Hearing her sigh, Xena turned with her eyebrow raised. "What?"

Her mother pointed randomly to the wall. "Well….nothing." she moved over to Gabrielle and cooed in delight as she watched the blonde over her shoulder as she painted. "Look at that! It's lovely, Gabrielle!"

Gabrielle blushed as she dragged the brush across the wall. "It's alright, Cyrene," she said.

"It's great. Don't you think it's great, Xena?"

Xena didn't look. Instead she just carried on swiping her own wall with her brush; making globs of paint fly everywhere. "Yeah…guess," she mumbled.

Cyrene placed her hands on her hips and frowned at her daughter. "Xena, come and have a look."

Sighing, Xena turned on her heel to face the two women. Her mother stared at her with challenge, while Gabrielle just smiled. As she approached, she felt the weight of her mother's gaze, daring her to say or do anything to express her annoyance at having to do something mundane. Xena looked at the wall and felt a small twinge of jealousy. Gabrielle had almost finished her wall and had used long, straight strokes to create an even coating, hiding all of the imperfections that had shown on the wall before. Now the wall looked completely new.

She frowned, pointing to the wall with her dripping brush. "You missed a bit," she said.

Gabrielle looked, narrowing her eyes to inspect it. "Where?"

Xena gestured to the wall, waving her brush without direction. "I saw a bit…looked…not done. What? I thought I did!" she added when Cyrene to frown at her. "Hey, you don't have the right to look at me like that. Do know just how much panic you caused us? I thought you were being attacked or something. If I'd known you just wanted us over to do some chores, I wouldn't have bothered."

"And that precisely why I didn't tell you, Xena. You wouldn't have come if I had just told you I wanted the inn decorated." Cyrene grinned broadly. "Nice to know you love your mother enough to stay regardless of such an ordinary chore."

Xena's blush worsened when she looked up and saw Gabrielle grinning while she pretended to paint, her eyes on the wall. She looked away and frowned. "Why couldn't you have just gotten one of the villagers to do it?"

Cyrene waved her hand and walked over to her counter. Xena recognized her mother's sign of frustration. As Cyrene dragged a washcloth over the counter's surface, though it was clear it was clean enough, she muttered under her breath. "Boys have gone off hunting, and the women are harvesting. I'm hardly getting any service lately. This is why I decided to use today to redecorate."

Xena knew she was lying when she heard the false note in her mother's words and the tight smile on her face. Lowering her paintbrush into her bucket, Xena went over to her. She reached out to place her hand over her mother's, stilling her frantic cleaning. When Cyrene looked up at her, she wore an expression that said she knew she was caught.

"Are you going to tell me the truth?"

The silence seemed to have caught Gabrielle's attention. She came over too, interested and curious. Cyrene sighed at both of them. She pulled her hand back and threw the cloth into the bucket of water behind her.

"Fine, I know there's no getting passed you, Xena." She took a deep breath and drummed her fingers on the counter. "Did you see the building as you entered the village?"

Xena frowned, searching her memory for the building her mother spoke of. But Gabrielle got there first.

"You mean the one with the painted sign on it? The red one?" Gabrielle pursed her lips for a moment as she thought. "The Red Rooster?"

"That's the one. It just opened up a few weeks ago. It's a new inn."

"Another inn in the village?" Xena asked. The realization dawned on her and she smiled wryly. A new inn would explain the sudden want to redecorate. But she couldn't understand why she would want hers and Gabrielle's help when she could hire anyone. They were warriors, not decorators. Though she thought Gabrielle seemed annoyingly handy with a brush. "You want to give the place a new paint job to spruce it up? I can understand that, but why us?"

Cyrene looked up seriously then. "I think the place is being run by a warlord. Since it opened, not only has it been stealing my customers, but I've seen some dangerous looking men going in and out of that place."

"A warlord?" Gabrielle echoed.

"What kind of armour are they wearing? Is there any insignia on it that might identify them?" Xena asked, patting down her own armour, and making sure her chakram still hung on its clasp at her hip.

Cyrene shook her head. "Not that I saw. They just wear studded leather armours and pants, and every single one I've seen was armed." Seeing her daughter and friend moving toward the door, Cyrene reached out and grabbed Xena's arm. "What do you think they're doing here?"

Xena arched an eyebrow. "If there is a warlord in the village and they aren't attacking it, either they are planning to, or it could be a reforming warlord. Whatever the reason, I'm going to find out."

Gabrielle grabbed her staff from where she'd stood it near the door. She leaned against it as she thought. "So, what's the plan? If it's a reforming warlord, how do we get in and find out without resorting to violence?"

Xena glanced at the two women looking at her, waiting expectantly for the answer. Gabrielle was right. If the warlord had been in the village for a few weeks and nobody had turned up dead, or there had been no news of them starting fights, it would be counterproductive for them to just waltz in and start a riot without a cause. She looked around and she grinned as her eyes fell upon the handle sticking out of the bucket she had been using moments ago.

"Shall we see if the Red Rooster needs a spot of paint?"

~X~

"What do you want?"

The man stared at them when he opened the door; eyes wide with confusion and a look upon his face that told them he didn't know what to make of the women before him. Xena though, as she assessed him, that he couldn't be older than twenty-five summers old. His long black hair was tied back at the nape of his neck and his face still held the look of a boy. The hard look in his eyes was obviously forced; as if he was trying to put on the look of a fierce warrior.

Xena noticed when his expression soon turned into suspicion when the heel of his hand moved to rest on his sword. His eyes tightened, as though some part of him knew who they were and he was trying to remember where he'd seen them.

Fearing that they would be discovered, Xena pushed her chest out and stretched her mouth into a sultry smile. She lifted the bucket she held up to the same height as her open neckline of the dress she wore, a borrowed article of clothing for their little investigation. Her mother had given them both one to wear on top of their normal attire. Gabrielle had been given one of Cyrene's old dresses; it was the colour of a lush forest, and brushed the ground with its hem. The material contrasted well with her eyes. The one Xena wore was a little shorter; the edges brushed along her knees, and the corset pushed up her chest, forcing the man to look and distract him.

"Come now. Surely you have some work for a couple of women looking for work? We would be very grateful." She caught his eyes and put on her best smouldering look, making his cheeks turn pink. Her smile grew wider. "Perhaps your walls could use a coat of paint? It'll attract more customers."

"Well…I-I…" the man licked his lips. His eyes flickered nervously at the paint, to her chest and back to her eyes again. "Maybe…they could?" he said it like a question, as if he expected her to know the answer.

Leaning in closer, Xena brought her face close to his. She could feel the heat radiating from his face and saw the pink in his cheeks grow deeper in colour. Lowering her voice to a breathy tone, Xena arched an eyebrow at the man. "Would you like me to…check?"

Apparently lost for words, the man shrugged, finding it difficult to look away. Breaking his gaze, Xena turned her head slightly and spoke to Gabrielle. "I don't think he can help us, Gabrielle."

Playing her part, Gabrielle bowed her head, double handing the handle of the bucket of paint she held. She looked up through her eyelashes at the man stood in the door way and bit her lip innocently, watching as his face turned scarlet. "Does that mean we won't be able to work? But we need money. What will mother cook tonight? We'll starve!"

Xena turned to Gabrielle, lifting her free hand to place upon her cheek. She watched, impressed as Gabrielle fell further into her role and started weeping. She knew the man was watching and smiled to herself as she heard him shift uncomfortably at their scene. She pulled Gabrielle into a hug with her free arm and brushed her fingers through her hair soothingly. "I know, Gabrielle, I know. We'll just have to go without again…"

As they started to walk away, Xena counted silently in her head. She made it to three before the man called for them to wait and, after an uncomfortable look around, waved for them to go inside. On their way back, both held back the urge to smile. Their little ploy had worked.

"I didn't think he would fall for it," Gabrielle said out the corner of her mouth.

"Never underestimate the powerful combination of a woman and her assets," Xena winked back with a knowing smile.

Gabrielle glanced at her friend's chest and quickly looked up. She shook her head with amusement as they approached the man. "Told you they were dangerous," she whispered.

The man, whose name they quickly learned to be Remus, closed the door behind them and urged them to follow. As they walked through the inn, Xena played the role of innocent farm girl, making sure to look as though she was following obediently behind, but inspected with her ever knowing eyes. In the main room, she had counted ten warriors and along the balcony, five more, all laughing and drinking.

"There are ten in here, Xena," Gabrielle whispered.

Looking up carefully, Xena gestured to the men along the balcony. "There's five more up there, totalling in fifteen that we can see."

Seeing them walk through the threshold, one of the men on the balcony caught Xena's eye and jeered drunkenly at her before burping loudly, leant too far forward, and fell with a painful crash into the main room. The rest of them laughed as his eyes closed and he stopped moving.

"Fourteen," Gabrielle amended.

Remus shook his head at the man and gave him a kick. "Idiot! That's the third time he's done that since we took ov-…bought this place." He looked at Xena and Gabrielle who just nodded their heads. But his slip didn't pass Xena.

She glanced up at him. "Are you the owner?"

Remus shook his head. "No, Marcus is. If you would just wait here, I'll speak with him and see if we are in need of your…" he looked at the bucket of paint she held and smiled. He reached up and brushed her cheek with the back of his fingers. "Services…"

Gabrielle peeked up and watched as the young soldier walked away, his cheeks flushed, but a new look in his eyes that hadn't been there when he'd opened the door to them. "Uh oh…I think another one might have fallen for you, Xena. You've got to be careful."

Xena smirked. She arched an eyebrow at the young blonde. "Jealous?"

Gabrielle frowned. "Jealous of what?"

But Xena didn't have time to reply before she felt a hand drop heavily on her shoulder. Every fibre of her being told her to throw the owner over her shoulder, but they were undercover and needed to see this, Marcus to find out what he wanted and what he was doing with the inn. Throwing a man over her shoulder hardly spoke "farm girl". Calmly, Xena turned and followed the hand up to another soldier. He swayed where he stood, and the smell that emanated from him was enough to make Xena's eyes water.

She reached up and grabbed the cuff of his sleeve. Lifting it from her shoulder, she pushed him back. "Keep your hands to yourself, if you don't mind."

"Feisty…I like it." The man took a hearty swig of his ale and burped. Xena had to close her eyes and wave her hand in front of her face to waft away the horrible stench that lingered in the space between them. The man smiled lopsidedly as he tried to focus his bloodshot eyes on her. "Lovely lady. What're ye doin' in 'ere? Lookin' for some fun are ye?""

"None of your business," Xena said, turning her attention away from the drunken lout.

"C'mon, love, show us what yer 'ere for!" the man said and landed a full handed slap on Xena's backside.

Gabrielle gasped at the man's behaviour and genuinely feared for his life when she saw a familiar fire burning in Xena's eyes. Noticing her friend tightening her hands into fists, Gabrielle stepped forward and took Xena's hand in her own, giving it a gentle squeeze. If she blew up now, their cover would be blown and they wouldn't find out what Marcus wants with the inn.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I'm afraid you will have to find your fun elsewhere," she said with a smile. She glanced up at Xena and saw her staring at her, surprised. "Right?"

Xena cleared her throat and looked back at the man. The expression on his face was one of shock. He looked how she felt. But, if Gabrielle wanted to play with her role, so could she. Loosening her fist, Xena twined her fingers with Gabrielle's and squeezed back. "Right." Xena looked at the man. "Move on. There's nothing for you here."

The man swayed where he stood again, attempting to focus his eyes on the two women before him. At first he didn't look convinced, but as Gabrielle rested her head on Xena's shoulder and smiled at the man, his own fell from his face. He frowned, waving his free hand at them. "Pah! Bloody sapphists. Shoulda known as soon as ye came through the door…" he trailed off. He downed the rest of his drink and stumbled over to the counter for another.

Gabrielle released her breath. "Phew, that was close. You almost hit him."

"I wasn't going to hit…" Xena paused, watching as Gabrielle raised an accusing eyebrow at her. "Okay, I was. But I didn't."

"No," Gabrielle lifted their joined hands and smiled. "You didn't."

"Quick thinking, Gabrielle." Xena smirked. She raised an eyebrow at the blonde. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you like role-playing." Gabrielle's reply came only in the form of a sly smile. She let go and cast her eyes toward the door which two men entered.

Xena looked too and immediately recognized the men that came back with Remus. The man next to him was Marcus. He stood the same height as Xena, and his muscles made him look as though he'd have trouble getting through the door. The last time she had seen him, he had fought alongside her on her ship when she still held the title, Destroyer of Nations. She wondered silently, as she bit the inside of her lip, whether or not he would be able to recognize her after years of being apart. Even through the disguise she wore. The last time she had seen him; his hair had been darker and longer. But now, his black hair was streaked with grey and fell around his face, almost covering the long scar ran down the left side of his face, starting at his temple and disappearing under his jawline.

"Xena?" Gabrielle whispered. "Do you know him?"

Xena swallowed. "Yeah, and he wasn't happy the last time I saw him."

"Why?"

"See that scar on his face?" Gabrielle nodded. Xena took a deep breath. "I gave him it."

Remus stopped before them first and shot a smile at Xena, one which she returned as innocently as she could. There was a chance Marcus would remember her, but there was also the off chance he wouldn't. As he approached, Xena noticed his left eye had a kind of milky film over it. It was most likely that he had gone blind in that eye, giving her and Gabrielle half a chance.

"Remus tells me you ladies are looking for work?" Marcus said in a deep, gravelly tenor. He looked to both women with his good eye, waiting expectantly for an answer.

"Well, work on the farm has been slow, and we need money to buy meat from the markets," Xena said, changing her voice slightly to give it a lighter lilt. The change wasn't lost on Remus. She noticed his eyes tighten just a little.

"We were wondering, because the inn is still new, whether you would need a couple of extra hands around decorating?" Gabrielle asked, giving Marcus the same look she had given Remus.

Marcus narrowed his eyes at both women. Xena watched him carefully, scrutinizing every flick of his gaze, every muscle twitch to judge whether he knew who they were. She almost thought he recognized her when he stepped silently towards her and reached out with his calloused hand to brush her cheek. She recognized the leering look in his eye and realized he had no idea.

Without taking his sight from her, he spoke to Remus over his shoulder. "Is this the one you told me about?"

"Aye, sir. That's the one," Remus replied. At first, when he had come in with Marcus, he had smiled at her. But now, as he looked at her and Marcus's hand upon her cheek, he wore a deadpan expression. She realized he either suspected something or he was jealous.

Marcus grinned at Xena and nodded his head. As Remus went over to her, Xena noticed Marcus turn his good eye on Gabrielle. His mouth stretched into a wide grin as he looked her over.

"Such a beautiful woman. Tell me, what is your name, young one?"

Gabrielle hesitated. She glanced over at Xena and saw her nod before she was led away to another room with Remus. She cleared her throat, making sure to remember everything Xena had told her before they had approached the inn. She smiled up at the man that stood almost two heads taller than her. "My name is Gabrielle."

"Welcome, Gabrielle, to The Red Rooster. My name is Marcus and I own this inn," Marcus said politely. He brushed his fingers across her cheek and she did her best not to flinch away. "You want a job, you say? Perhaps we could talk more in my office?"

Gabrielle glanced around at her surroundings. If she tried to escape without Xena, even with her fighting skills, she wouldn't get far. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she looked back up at the man staring down at her expectantly and nodded. "Sure."

Marcus grinned. "Wonderful."

~X~

Xena felt the weight of his gaze as she stood, her back to him, while he closed the door behind him. The sound of his footsteps echoed in the almost empty room. All that occupied the small space was a table, and oil lamp and a bed. She guessed it to be one of the inn bedrooms, and from the way Remus threw his coat onto the bed beside her, it was his.

"This room looks like it could use a lick of paint," Xena said, listening to his movement carefully. She didn't know if he suspected her identity yet, or how much he knew. She decided to keep playing to see how long she could keep it up. She brushed her fingertips along the wall. "It looks bare."

Suddenly, Remus's hands were around her waist, his body pressed up along her back. He was so close she could feel his rapid heartbeat and his hot breath on her neck. "There's only one thing I want to see bare in this room."

Turning in his hold, Xena played on his desire. She stroked his collar with her fingertips, moving them up until she brushed her hand over his shoulder. Resting his hands on her hips, Remus leaned in to kiss her, but she pulled back.

"Ah! Did you ask Marcus about any jobs for us?" Remus looked almost too far gone in his lust to concentrate on what she said. His eyes devoured her chest, his hands tightened. "Remus?"

"Yes, yes…I proposed for you and your friend work here for him," he said distractedly. He shuddered, his eyes hooded with desire. "You look too delicious to be a farm girl," he said as he leaned forward to brush his lips over the exposed skin of her shoulder.

"And what did he say?"

"He said yes. As long as you both pay a fealty to the inn."

Xena frowned. "How?"

Remus chuckled against her skin. "You're paying yours right now, to me." Moving his lips over her throat, Remus planted more kisses along her skin. He ran his hand around her neck and held her as he captured her mouth in a kiss. "Gods! You taste like ambrosia!"

Unaffected, Xena pushed. "Tell me. Is this just a normal inn?"

"What do you mean?" Remus pulled back, his eyes narrowing slightly.

She shrugged and feigned innocence. "Well, if I'm going to be working here, I need to know. So I don't do anything wrong," she added worry into her voice.

Remus grabbed her hand and made her follow him to the edge of his bed. Lifting his fingers under her chin, he made her look at him and smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. As long as you follow the rules and keep quiet, you won't do anything wrong. Marcus employs mercenaries, bandits and slave traders here. This is where they come to meet out of the watchful gaze of the town jails. He wants to build an army to take down Xena and her friends. And he is not kind, not after what she did to him. He wants revenge!"

Xena's blood turned cold. "He wants to build an army?"

Remus mistook her fear for Gabrielle's life, and the lives of her other friends and family for concern over her own life. "Don't worry, love. I'll make sure he doesn't touch you," he smiled.

As he moved in for another kiss, Xena reeled back her hand, tightened it into and fist, and propelled it toward his face, knocking him clean out. Standing, Xena glared down at the unconcious young man lying on his back on the bed.

"You won't touch me either," she sneered and left the room.

~X~

"Gabrielle? Why don't you come sit?" Marcus asked. When she looked, he beckoned her to him, crooking his index finger. He sat in a wooden chair near his desk, lounging against it as though he had all the time in the world. He held his strong chin in his hand and smiled at her hesitation. "You look like such a lost little lamb over there. Come here."

Swallowing at the dryness in her throat, Gabrielle moved slowly over to him. Movement was difficult – especially with what she carried. When she reached him, Marcus moved quickly, scooping her around the waist and pulled her up to sit on his lap.

"Ah, see? That's much better isn't it?"

Seeing the tip of the sword poking out from under the hem of her dress where it had hitched up, Gabrielle turned, pushing down the material. Mistaking her actions for something else, Marcus snaked his hand up capture her chin and force her back to look at him. "You don't have to be afraid with me, young one. You don't have to be coy either. You may look innocent, but I bet there's a bad girl just dying to burst out of that pretty dress, am I right?"

He was flirting with her! She didn't know what else to say, so instead of creating cause for suspicion, Gabrielle played her role of sad and innocent farm girl. She nodded meekly. "You said something about a job?"

"Ah, yes." Marcus moved his hand to coil around her waist and pull her closer to him. She felt it when her back pressed up against his broad chest. He was such a big man. As she sat there, his head hung over her as he watched her with his good eye. His hands almost looked big enough to be plates. They were certainly big enough to almost cover her backside. He brushed his hand against her absently as he thought. "What was it you said you were looking for? Painting my inn?"

When she nodded, Marcus laughed. "Gabrielle, by the time I'm finished with what I want to achieve, there won't be any need for this inn anymore."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, this building," he gestured around them, "will all be gone soon, along with the rest of the village."

Gabrielle thought her heart had turned to ice and settle in her stomach. "What?" she squeaked.

"Don't worry, young one. If you play your cards right, I will have a much better job lined up for you. You won't need your farm anymore, or need to scrape for food. I can make sure you are well looked after, if you come with me?"

Worry leaked into her voice. "You're going to destroy the village?" Her thoughts immediately went to Xena and Cyrene. She needed to get away somehow and warn her. Wiggling in her place upon his lap, Gabrielle tried to move away. But Marcus's hand around her and his dagger at her neck stopped her movements.

"Ah, ah, Gabrielle. You don't want to do that, and I don't like to waste such beauty. Now, are we going to come to some agreement, or am I going to have to hurt you?"

Gabrielle swallowed. She contemplated calling for Xena, but she didn't need to. As soon as she thought it, Xena burst into the room in all her splendour. Raising her chakram from its hiding place under her dress, she scowled darkly at the warlord holding her friend. "Let her go, Marcus."

"I recognise that voice. Xena?" Marcus rose from his seat, but didn't release Gabrielle from his grasp. He pulled her up with him, pressing his dagger further into her neck. "What an unpleasant surprise. I'm guessing this little woman I hold is the Gabrielle I've heard so much about over the past couple of years? The Battling Bard, hmm?" He glanced down at her, smiling. "Funny…I expected someone a little…different. She doesn't seem your type, Xena."

"It is an unpleasant surprise," Xena agreed, ignoring the rest of his statement. "I wasn't expecting to see you in my home village."

"That's what made it perfect. I made sure to keep a low profile, so that, when I wanted my revenge, you wouldn't be able to track my movements and the devastation I would deliver on your home would be so swift, you wouldn't be able to prevent it. Perfect plan, no?"

Xena bit the inside of her cheek, taking small steps. Marcus mirrored her movements, circling, neither one of them taking their eyes from one another. She stared at him, but in her peripheral vision, she saw Gabrielle wincing in pain as he dug the blade deeper into her neck. When she looked, Gabrielle caught her eyes. Speaking with her eyes, Xena warned her of her next movements.

"Yes, the perfect plan. Except you forgot one thing."

"Oh? And what is that?"

"ME!"

Before Marcus could blink, Xena threw her chakram. Playing on his weak sight, she sent it to his left, forcing him to follow the weapon, watching as it bounced off objects laid across the room. As soon as his blade was far enough away, Gabrielle reached up, knocking his arm away with her own. Rolling awkwardly away, she turned back and kicked his knee, sending him to his good one. When she was close enough, Xena grabbed her friend and pulled her to her feet roughly.

"It's about time you got here!" Gabrielle scowled, poking her friend's chest accusingly. "Where have you been?"

"Sorry about that. I was...busy. My sword – you still got it?" Gabrielle nodded, shifting awkwardly in her dress. "Good." Xena reached toward Gabrielle's chest, grabbed the edge of the clothing, and ripped the material from her body, revealing Gabrielle's normal green top and brown skirt outfit beneath, and Xena's sword strapped carefully to her right leg.

"You don't waste time, do you, Xena?" Gabrielle asked, surprised and impressed.

Xena glanced up at Gabrielle's amused eyes and, smirking, pulled her sword from its safe place on her friend's leg. "Never."

Gabrielle turned her gaze to the ripped dress on the floor and shook her head. "Your mother is going to kill you."

"She'll get over it."

Turning back to Marcus, she saw him struggling to get to his feet, using his desk for leverage. When her chakram flew in her direction, she reached up and caught it safely in her hand. Ripping her own dress from her body, she threw it to the floor and replaced her chakram to its normal place at her hip.

Moving over to him, Xena pointed her sword at his face. "You won't get away with this, Marcus. It was a good plan. But like every other warlord, you're arrogant and let it be your downfall. Get to your feet."

Marcus stared at her for a moment and laughed heartily. "Do you honestly think you're going to just walk out of here, Xena? You know me. You know I always have a backup plan." Leaving her to frown, Marcus put his fingers to his lips and whistled. Within seconds, Xena heard a stampede of footsteps and counted ten men stood in the doorway, all with mean, determined looks in their eyes and swords in their hands.

As soon as he rose to his feet, dagger in hand, he chuckled. "You forget, Xena. I served under you for years. I watched you; the way you planned, measured people and their actions – how you seemed to almost read their thoughts. I learned quickly to become unreadable, only letting you know what I wanted you to know. Even when you gave me this," – he pointed to his scar – "I never stopped learning about you. I heard of your exploits, your fight against Hercules, and the centaurs-"

"That was over ten years ago!" Xena shouted, pulling Gabrielle closer as he stepped near them. If he was going to strike, she would prefer he hit her and not Gabrielle. She concentrated on keeping him talking as she planned her next move.

"Yes, it was. But it's funny what the mind remembers, isn't it? I remembered how ruthless you were, how brilliant your mind was and how cunning. Your darkness was…alluring."

"I could have almost said that about you. But now all I see is a shadow of the man you used to be – a sad excuse for a warlord-"

"I am twice the man I was back then!" Marcus yelled. "Better! I vowed that I would get my vengeance when you abandoned me and the rest of the crew and slashed my face! I'm almost blind because of you!"

"Strange," Xena tilted her head, looking at the scar indifferently. "I always saw it as an improvement."

It all happened too fast. Screaming, Marcus lunged at her, brandishing his dagger. Before he was close enough, Xena pushed Gabrielle back toward his desk and deflected his attack, knocking the weapon from his hand with the hilt of her sword. As soon as his dagger hit the floor, she kicked it away. In an upwards motion, Xena kicked up the bucket of paint, splashing his face and blinding him. While he frantically wiped at the paint, she used the hilt to deliver heavy blows to his jaw, nose, shoulder, and kicked his chest, sending him tumbling backwards, knocking his head on a shelf behind him.

Before he had even touched the floor, the warriors rushed into the room. With quick waves of her sword, Xena quickly dispatched five of them as they surged toward her. It was clear to her that many, if not all of them, had been drinking. Barely any of them could hold themselves up, never mind their sword. They swayed, waving their swords in her general direction, hoping to land a hit. Deciding to get it over with quickly, Xena grabbed the collars of two of the nearest to her and pulled them close, bashing their heads together, leaving them to fall unconscious on the floor.

The remaining three men that stood in the doorway looked at each other uncertainly, each wearing an expression of concern. They stood there, holding their swords tightly, but the with the way their bodies unconsciously swayed, as if the earth was moving beneath their feet, told her that it wouldn't take much to take them down.

Giving them no chance, Xena rushed them. Deflecting the middle man's sword, she threw her shoulder into his stomach, instantly winding him. She dealt a punch to his jaw and tripped another, turning quickly on her knee to take out the last one with her sword, swiping it behind his ankles. He fell hard, hitting his head heavily on the floor. None of them moved as she rose to her feet again.

"Xena!"

Rushing over to her friend, Xena assisted her in tying up a semi-conscious Marcus with the dresses. "Nice use for the dresses, Gabrielle."

Gabrielle shrugged and sighed longingly as she finished off tying the material tightly around the warlord's hands. "It's a shame. I liked that dress."

"It did suit you," Xena agreed. When Gabrielle shot her a surprise look, Xena frowned, embarrassed. "What?"

"Nothing." Gabrielle smiled and looked at the men lying upon the floor, all either moaning in pain, in a drunken stupor, or unconscious. "What about the rest of them?" she asked.

Xena didn't need to look to know she was talking about the men they had seen on the balcony on their way in. "I checked. Took out two, but the rest were too drunk to remember their own names and fell asleep. I don't know if their hangovers are going to be as bad as theirs though," she said, gesturing to the men on the floor.

"Maybe not," Gabrielle grinned, she nodded to Marcus, and moved back slightly as he opened his eyes to peer up at them through hair dripping with yellow paint. "What about him?"

"I think it's time for him to visit a nice, cold cell."

~X~

Xena hitched up her shoulders, feeling her mother's glare burn holes into the back of her neck. She pretended not to notice as she focused on finishing the patch of wall before her. She kept her ears pricked, listening to Gabrielle trying to reason with her about the fates of Cyrene's dresses.

"Cyrene, it was necessary to the mission. I feel as disappointed too, I liked the dresses. But the men had swords-"

"Did they cut the dresses?" Cyrene interrupted.

"Well, no, but-"

"No!" There was a long pause before Xena heard her mother sigh in resignation. "I'm sorry. I suppose, they were old…and I really shouldn't have expected much when Xena said you were going to use them for a mission."

"Yes, it was a…sacrifice of sorts. They were important, and we'll never forget your kindness in letting us use them. Thanks to you and your dresses, we were able to sneak into the inn and find out what was going on."

Cyrene looked around the inn and smiled, watching the patrons that sat at the tables she had moved back to their places where the paint had dried. She nodded. "Everything is back to normal. You say it was a warlord then? I was right?"

Xena looked over her shoulder. "He was sent away, along with his men. They won't see daylight for a long time. He was someone I used to know."

"Why am I not surprised?" Cyrene said.

Rolling her eyes, Xena returned to the wall. After a few moments, she finished the wall with one last stroke and stepped back to admire her work. "All done!"

Unsure, Cyrene went over and inspected the wall. When she was finished, she reached up and pulled her daughter into a hug, smiling broadly. "Great work, daughter! It looks wonderful! Worlds better than it did this morning."

Xena's chest filled with pride as her mother walked away and Gabrielle took her place. "Well?" she asked the blonde, hardly able to contain her smile. "What do you think?"

Gabrielle first looked up at her, then the wall, making a show of looking it over. Xena watched as a strange looked passed the young woman's features and she stood back, her hands on her hips "What's wrong?"

Gabrielle pointed to the wall. "You missed a bit."

Eyes wide, Xena's smile fell and she glanced at the wall; looking all over for the bit Gabrielle mentioned. But no matter how closely she looked, she couldn't see anything. "Where? I can't see-" Her words broke off when she looked up and saw the blonde racing for the door, her laughter lingering in the air. When she turned, Xena saw the biggest smile on Gabrielle's face and felt one stretch across her own.

"Gabrielle!"

Thank you for reading this chapter. I hope you liked it. Any comments/reviews are welcome. If there are any issues regarding spelling, grammar, or Con-Crit, please inform me in a PM. :D Thanks for your support!