IN BELIEF THERE CAN STILL BE DOUBT

Xena breathed in she hadn't considered this until now but now it would be obvious that they'd be staying with Lila until she got back on her feet. A part of her was dreading that thought not so much because of helping Gabrielle's younger sister but more how Hecuba and Herodotus would be with her around. Despite that Herodotus had finally called it a truce and he was allowing her in to his house they had never really had a friendship of any kind. In fact they'd never spoken to each the last time they had was when Gabrielle had shown up in Potidaea, when Hope and her son the Destroyer had been causing chaos and even then it hadn't been a civil conversation.

She'd do what ever Gabrielle asked off her but in the pit off her stomach she had no idea where to start with Herodotus. Was she meant to ask him out for a beer? Or was she meant to do farm work for him? She had no idea what he liked, or what he didn't like or even what he respected and that made the thought of next few months difficult to think about on every level. She looked up sharply her thoughts being torn away from her as she watched Tlaloc enter the room closely followed by Amoxtli. Itzli slowly followed them in watching his older brother carefully as he came to a stop in front of Lila who looked up sharply. Tlaloc took in a deep breath. "I want to speak to the Blood Jaguar."

Amoxtli turned sharply she couldn't believe this! Why Tlaloc have to the face the Blood Jaguar right now? It just didn't feel right on any level not after all that they'd been through. "Look you don't have to do this. We are both free shouldn't we both be enjoying our freedom together instead of doing this?" Itzli rolled his eyes why oh why did his brother have to do this now? As much as he cared about him some things never changed his timing was still very bad. "Were you not paying attention when I said that she freed me brother. I mean for the love of hell she died and it was her death that started all this off." Tlaloc turned sharply. "This is important to me, I'm free I want my first act of freedom to have meaning, don't you both understand that?" Itzli folded his arms. "Facing off against Gabrielle isn't what I would call an act of meaning. She's suffered enough for the things she's done here in Mexica, can't you see that?"

Tlaloc turned sharply. "It's up to me to decide whether or not that's true." Amoxtli stepped forward. "This is not about you deciding it's an act of vengeance for all you've suffered but hurting her won't make your life better. It was Quetzalcoatl who took your life from you and made you suffer she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time." Xena breathed in deeply putting a hand on her face, great they really didn't need this right now. She should have seen this coming since this was the warrior who Gabrielle who had fought all that time ago. She breathed stepping forward only to stop she would not interfere in this she would let this play out if Gabrielle needed her she'd ask for her.

He looked at Lila whose face had turned to sadness. "This is nothing personal against you, I respect you deeply Lila it's just my self and your sister need to talk." He eyed the Blood Jaguar seeing the hint of pain as clear as day in her green eyes he felt his teeth grind together. "Come here now!" Gabrielle breathed in painfully she should have seen this coming, despite that she had won Itzli's respect and friendship it did not mean that she had won his brothers. Her actions had cost him his life and despite that he had it given back he had a right to feel angry, since it should never have been taken from him to begin with.

Tlaloc stepped closer. "I said come here, I didn't just gain my freedom for you to ignore me!" Gabrielle took a slow step forward watching as her lover stepped back along with her sister. She looked in to the taller man's enraged gaze. "I'm so sorry for everything I did to you, you didn't deserve to die the way you did." Tlaloc didn't think as he grabbed her by her halter tops front dragging her forward, he pulled her up with violent force so he could see her face. "Sorry doesn't take away the pain you caused me! Do you have any idea what it's like to die!?" Xena didn't think as she moved forward feeling the rage burn instantly.

She'd let her lover deal with her own personal battles but there was no way in Tartarus she was going to let any one touch her when she wasn't fighting back! Her voice came out in a piecing whisper as she met his dark gaze. "Let her go, right now or I'll make you let go." Lila moved forward with out thinking, she didn't need to, this was her sister. "Let her go! Please she never meant to harm you she just lost her way." Tlaloc snarled watching as the green eyes turned away from his the pain still as clear as day in them. He ignored the shock in all there faces he didn't care if the Blood Jaguar's lover wanted to hurt him he would get his answer. He felt his teeth grind together again. "Well do you?!" Gabrielle breathed in ignoring the pain as his hand clutched her halter tops front tighter. "Yes…I do."

Tlaloc leaned closer. "Oh do you well tell me what its like!" Gabrielle took in a deep breath she could stop him, she knew that but what was the point in that? She deserved this all she could do was take her punishment before her lover stepped in. She knew that she was going to because she loved her and she wouldn't have her hurt by others when she wasn't defending herself. She looked up meeting his hateful gaze. "It's cold and lonely even if the heaven you go to shines the brightest." Tlaloc sneered slightly. "You would say that you went to the hummingbird heaven!" Gabrielle turned slightly. "I don't remember being there and I didn't have any memories of who I was or even what I came to Mexica for."

Tlaloc narrowed his gaze. "Poor pathetic little you, now tell me do you get pleasure out of getting others killed!?" Gabrielle felt her eyes close for a long moment. "No I don't." Tlaloc grabbed her harder pulling her even closer seeing her feet start to leave the floor. "Oh really and tell me why that is? Because the way I remember it you delighted in it, you're killing of the twelve elite is after all legendary." Itzli eyed his brother this was bad this wasn't about honour it was all about revenge. It was a revenge which he just wanted to take out on Gabrielle because she was here. He snarled as he walked up to him he didn't care what he had to do he was going to make him stop this. "This isn't honourable! Look at your self brother this is about you wanting your personal revenge!"

He sneered slightly. "Have you forgotten that we both tricked her that day and drugged her? We tied her to the temple altar and tried to have a priest cut out her heart just because we wanted to look good in front of the sun god!" He raised his fist. "She escaped and we followed her and that brother led to both of us suffering!" Xena moved closer raising her fist she had enough of this bastard. "I said let her go or I'm going to break every bone in your body!" Lila moved closer watching as Tlaloc eyes met her own. "She didn't mean to do what she did please will you let her go!" Gabrielle opened her eyes slightly she could feel the tears coming before she could stop them. "Please forgive me….I did you a terrible wrong which I can never put right."

She lowered her gaze feeling the tears as they started to run free. "I hurt people and I didn't consider what would happen to them, I'm so sorry for everything you deserved not to have your life affected by me." Tlaloc felt himself breathe in as he watched the tears run down her face, he hadn't expected this. The pain was even clearer in her face now he blinked feeling his world suddenly freeze she wasn't fighting him, she was letting him do this to her. She could get out of his grip easily if she wanted to he knew that, but she wasn't even trying. He lowered his gaze as something hit him this act was dishonourable as his brother had said.

The first law of war was never to harm those weaker than your self or those who wouldn't fight and had surrendered to you. She was being completely submissive and that was her form of surrender. He looked up seeing the blinding rage in her lover's light blue eyes the tall woman was going to hurt him and she had every right to. Amoxtli raised her hands it was her turn to talk the man she loved out of this. "Think about this please if it weren't for her, we wouldn't have met she did a terrible thing but that terrible thing gave you back your life and brought you to me. Don't make your first act of being free all about revenge its wrong and you know it. You're a warrior of the sun god honour is what guides you it's one of the reasons I love you."

Tlaloc blinked feeling her words sink in deeply he turned looking at her as he began to gain his control over his anger. He wouldn't allow anyone to touch Amoxtli in this way, so what right did he have to do it to the Warrior Princess's lover. What he was doing went against the very freedom he had just gained. He eased his grip allowing the green eyed woman's feet to touch the floor as he let go of her halter top's front, he slowly stepped back. He could see the rage burning in the Warrior Princess's eyes as the taller woman easing her arms around her lover bringing her back so she was well out of his reach.

He eased up both his hand looking at it for a long moment before closing it and bringing it to his face. He felt light fingers caress his face in a gentle motion. He turned meeting Amoxtli's concerned gaze feeling his voice come out as a whisper as he put his larger hand over hers. "Forgive me I have been foolish." Amoxtli looked down slightly. "No you are not being foolish, every one wants revenge at some point in there life. I just don't think that anything can be gained through hurting the Blood Jaguar though. She has suffered enough as the others have said and she's going through the same thing we are, she's trying to get her life back on track."

She leaned over gently meeting his lips before pulling away. "We both need to move on in our lives and we both need to let go off these feelings we have and its going to take time." Tlaloc breathed in feeling his teeth grind together. "I hate that it hurts so much, I wish I could stop feeling this way right now." Amoxtli ran her other hand down his arm. "The fact that we both feel this way is good we have to take this pain and work through it. Otherwise we are never going to get through this." She turned eyeing the Warrior Princess who was looking down checking that her lover's halter top hadn't been torn. "I'm sorry he didn't mean the Blood Jaguar any wrong he's just hurting deep down in side, we both are."

Gabrielle took in a deep breath feeling her lovers arms wrap around her tighter she no longer felt like saying anything. She was just grateful that he'd let her go, a part of her hand come to conclusion that he wasn't going to and that he was going to hit her. If he had she wouldn't have blamed him for it, she eased up her hand wiping away her tears once more. Xena eyed her lover's clothing again pulling the thread tight again before looking in to Amoxtli eyes. Despite her anger she knew what the other woman was saying was genuine. She moved her fingers up watching as the golden hair spilt though them, she moved her hand carefully wiping away the last of Gabrielle's painful tears.

She looked up again keeping her voice even. "I know what you're both going through believe me but if he touches Gabrielle again I am going to hurt him. She's put everything she did right in Mexica she doesn't deserve any more of this pain, she's suffered enough. We all have there is not a person in this room who isn't hurting in some way." Tlaloc stepped forward slowly raising both his hands as he once more moved towards the Blood Jaguar watching as her lover's eyes bunt in to him. He met her lowered green gaze trying to keep his voice calm. "I owe you an apology, it's not honourable to harm any one who won't fight back it goes against the laws of war."

Gabrielle kept still right now she didn't want to leave Xena's arms. "You don't owe me anything." Tlaloc looked down slightly. "Look I don't like what you did to me, but the irony is that I have now through you gained my freedom, so we'll just leave at that." He breathed in feeling the guilt hit home. "Can I get you anything?" Xena eyed him feeling the younger back up more against her. "She doesn't need anything from you." Lila didn't think as she moved forward taking hold of Tlaloc's arm. "I would like a drink of that alcoholic fruit drink you have, it's called Tepache I believe. May be you can get some and we can all sit down and talk." Tlaloc felt his anger fade as he gave her a smile. "Yes I'd like that." Lila turned to her sister. "Would you like any Tepache?" Gabrielle took in a deep breath. "I don't drink Tepache, its bad for my health and my mind." Lila shook her head hearing her sisters dead pan tone, she turned back. "Bring my sister something that's not alcoholic would you?" She watched as the big man nodded.

8

Xochiquetzal walked in to her bedroom she took in a deep breath before sitting down on the bed she moved her fingers causing the doors to close. She took in a deep breath stretching feeling a deep ache in her muscles. Chantico watched her for a long moment enjoying the other woman's body with its slender curves, she stepped forward not being able to help herself. Her inner body was crying out for what she wanted and needed and she was powerless to stop it. May be it had been the battle the whole feeling off it had been pure enjoyment. As was watching this beautiful woman fight, also the time now felt so right to make things as they should be before they had both been spit apart.

She loved Xochiquetzal and that all that mattered to her, she knew now that no one could ever come between them again. The thought of that was such a revelation. There would be no more pain only the pain of what had happened before which they could work though in time. Right now she didn't want to think about it though she just wanted to be the other woman. She found herself stopping as she came to stand over the slender woman who looked up her violent gaze catching the light from the two lit torches. She leaned forward feeling her smile widen, she knew what she wanted and up un till this moment she hadn't been the right frame of mind in any way.

She licked her teeth as she moved up her fingers trying to control the fire which was seeping down in her lower body. She had been waiting for this moment for so long that now it was all she could focus on. Xochiquetzal moved her hands putting them on the other woman's upper thighs running them up and down in gentle motion. "So do you want to know about your kingdom?" Chantico stopped feeling her mind twist back in to motion she had completely forgotten about that. She moved her hand slowly through the other woman's long dark hair. "Yes tell me about my kingdom, I didn't under stand what that comment at all about. I mean it made no sense my kingdom was destroyed."

Xochiquetzal felt a smile form as she looked up she knew that now was the right time to tell the other woman. They weren't at battle any more and now they could finally have time to them selves. No god would go against Huitzilopochtli's wishes the sun gods words as king of the gods were final on every level. She raised her finger running it over the green eyed woman's bodice. "I have a surprise for you." Chantico breathed in sharply as the fingers came to rest in between her breasts. She breathed in sharply trying to keep her mind on the conversation. "Surprise…what kind of surprise?" Xochiquetzal felt her smile turn to a naughty one. "You know your city?"

Chantico felt the fingers dip lower. "Yes my city the one that got destroyed." She could feel the fire churning in her stomach and it was getting harder to concentrate. Xochiquetzal looked up. "Oh it's not destroyed, you see after it was destroyed I sent a large group of my warriors and builders over there in secrets to rebuild it and help your people." She ignored the shock as it spread across the other woman's face. "Its amazing what you can do when no ones looking, in fact they finished rebuilding it about a month ago and are now setting up new armies there. They couldn't rebuild your temple so I rebuilt it for you not long ago it looks quite good though I feel I don't have your colour scheme quite right."

She paused drinking in the utter shock in the other woman's face. "I can't get those veins of red and yellow right you must tell me how you do that it's always fascinated me." Chantico stood still she didn't know what to say, there were no words to describe how she felt. The other woman had saved her city. The thought of that was such a shocking revelation Xochiquetzal had saved her kingdom at what must have been great personal risk to her self. Why would she risk so much for her? She swallowed trying to find to her voice a part of her wanted to cry while another part of her wanted to scream with pleasure.

She felt a tear as it started to trickle down her face before she could stop it before she could even comprehend anything she found herself falling to her knees in front of the other woman. "You saved my city." It was more of statement than a question she eased the other woman's hand free from her shirt bringing it slowly up kissing it. Xochiquetzal leaned forward watching as the good green eye met her own. She moved up her other hand wiping away the tears as they started to run down the other woman's face feeling a sense of seriousness take over. "When I thought you had died I couldn't stand the thought of not being able to be with you any more."

She took in a deep breath as she ran her fingers down the scar on the other woman's face. "I had to find and have any thing that was yours, so when I saw your city in ruins and your people dying I wanted them all as my own, because they were a part of you. So I saved them all and rebuilt everything that was yours and took care of your people." She leaned forward kissing the other woman gently on her lips. "I love you to much there's nothing I wouldn't do for you. You gave me everything I wanted and you asked for nothing in return." She paused taking in another deep breath. "Your people believe you will return they've been praying for your return even the priests have had visions of it."

She lowered her gaze. "I thought there visions were them having trouble with loosing their goddess but they were all true. You were alive and they are still looking up the stars awaiting your return." She shook her head. "Even my brother believed in your return when I doubted it but then he knows more about matters of the heart than I do." She looked up only to feel the sudden force as the other woman thrust her hands against her shoulders pushing her down so her back was on the bed. It wasn't a hard push just a forceful one but she had no time to even contemplate what was happening as the other woman's body stretched over her own.

The other woman's lips met her own in an instant and she found herself being lost in the sensations of a kiss which was filled with passion and fire. It was enough to make every nerve ending in her body fire at once. She kissed back trying to keep up but she knew it was pointless once Chantico's fire started to burn she had no power to stop it. The truth was she liked it far too much and she could do nothing but surrender to it, she felt her thoughts being lost as the other woman's hands started to move all over her body as the touch became gentler. She knew where this was going and a part of her just wanted to scream out with pleasure she had wanted this for so long ever since they'd met but the time had never been right.

There had been issues which had to be dealt with as well as just getting used to the closeness of each other again. She closed her eyes enjoying the warm kisses as they moved down her neck and the feeling of the hands as began to pull her robe loose. Oh yes she had been wanting this for so long and now she just wanted to surrender to it and feel like Chantico's lover once more. She wanted to feel the way she used to feel before the darkness had come in to her life as if nothing had changed although in her minds eyes she knew it had. Despite the suffering they had both gone through it had changed them both for the better and made them stronger. They could now survive what ever Mexica's other gods had to throw at them and they both knew it, she closed her eyes finally loosing herself to her feelings.

Chantico eased the robes ties free, she didn't care anymore she had to have this woman she could no longer restrain herself and she didn't care to. She had suffered too much and now she wanted to feel her lover once more. The woman who she'd do any thing for even die, the one who had saved her city and her kingdom just for her out of love and nothing more. The woman's whose body and soul she wanted to remember all over again. She'd had to slow herself because she was being rough out of her sudden desperation and emotion and she didn't want to be that way. No she wanted to tender she wanted to remember this as all passionate and loving as well as encompassing and meaningful. She closed her eyes as she carried on her gentler motions feeling herself getting lost as she embraced the moment.

End of part 125

Silvermoonlight

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