Meetings

I don't Own Xena, but maybe if I just wish real hard….

AN: Thanks for the Enthusiastic response, I had planned on delaying the posting of the next chapter, but the response was so awesome I bumped up my posting date.

"Doc. Doc!" Gabrielle snapped out of her shock, picking up her medical bag. Gabrielle then said "Go back to my cottage, get one of my cots. We're taking her to my cottage so I can treat her better. All do what I can while I wait." Gabrielle quickly ran to where the body lay. Xena was laying on her side as two arrows stuck out of her back.

Gabrielle could tell that she would need to push them through. "By the gods." Xena's head turned as she said "Gabrie…" Gabrielle took her hand and said "I'm here." Xena passed out.

Epernam arrived with the cot. They set the cot beside Xena and slid her onto it carefully and then they both carried her to Gabrielle's house.

Once in the house Gabrielle had Xena laid on a bed she had in an extra room for just such purposes. Gabrielle then said to Epernam "Start a fire, were going to need pokers. I'm going to prepare poultice for the wounds."

Minutes later Epernam said "the pokers are ready." Gabrielle nodded as the men quickly moved to where Xena lies. Gabrielle then said "Hold her while I push the arrows through." Gabrielle pushed the first arrow through difficultly as Xena's body twitched badly.

Gabrielle set it down as she said "Ok, time for the second one." Her body twitched again as Gabrielle pushed the second one through. This time Xena awoke. She said "Gabrielle?" Gabrielle replied "Yes I'm here, but hold still, we have to cauterize the wounds."

Gabrielle moved behind Xena and took the poker, shoving it into the wounds on her back as Xena screamed in pain. Gabrielle then moved to the front as Xena screamed again. This time Xena passed out from the pain.

Gabrielle examined the arrows closely. She said "poison." She told them to stay their why she went to her basement. Once in her basement she looked through several bottles checking each one, until she found the right one. "Aha." Gabrielle immediately went back to where Xena lay. She opened Xena's mouth and poured the antidote down her throat. Gabrielle then applied the poultices to the wounds.

Xena awoke again, as she said "You still have hands like a sailor."

Gabrielle shed a couple of tears smiling as she asked "How are you alive, you died."

Xena said "I was brought back… For a mission. Something bad has…." Xena passed out.

Gabrielle let her sleep as she walked out of the room. Their Ellander waited at the stairs. Ellander said "So, my love?"

Gabrielle turned to him filled with conflicting emotions "It's Xena."

"Impossible." Replied Ellander

Gabrielle replied "I thought that too. But she's here."

Ellander asked "So what are you going to do?"

Gabrielle answered reassuringly "We'll treat her, help her recover, I want her to meet the kids. But when and if she chooses to leave, I can't go with her. I can't leave Lyceus and Ephinia without a mother. That part of my life is over, I can't go back, and I won't throw this one away. I love her, but I also love you, and Lyceus, and Ephinia, so I won't leave them." Ellander understood, he knew Gabrielle was having a difficult time with the fact that Xena was alive.

Gabrielle sobbed "I can't believe she's back, I've missed her." Ellander held her tight as she cried.

8

Several hours later.

Gabrielle walked in Xena's room as she said "I've been told your awake? Except for the wounds you don't look any older than when you died."

Xena looked carefully at Gabrielle saying "Judging by the lines on your hands and around your eyes, it's been. By the Gods, seven or eight years."

Xena studied her again. "Do you have children?"

Gabrielle said "Yes, how did you know."

Xena replied "I felt it."

Gabrielle walked up to Xena grabbing her hand with her own. Gabrielle then said "I have two."

Xena said "Bring them in, I want to see them." Gabrielle turned to Ellander right away who went to get the kids.

Xena asked "Is he the father?"

Gabrielle said "Yes, I meet in Egypt."

Xena said "He is Macedonian I see."

"A merchant and a Scholar, he translates documents into Latin and Egyptian among other things." Replied Gabrielle

Xena then asked "Does he make you happy?"

"Yes he does."Gabrielle answered softly

Xena replied "That's good, I wasn't exactly feeling up to hurting him." Xena laughed and then coughed.

The two kids arrived in the room. Gabrielle introduced the first one. She with her hands on Lyceus's shoulders. "This is Lyceus."

Xena smiled "Lyceus, what a good strong name for a good strong boy, what's that, a slingshot."

Lyceus said "Yes."

Gabrielle said "Lyceus, say it right."

Lyceus said "Oh sorry, yes ma'am."

Xena said "I hope your using it kill bugs, just let the spiders be. I like spiders." The boy smiled.

Then Gabrielle brought over Ephinia. Gabrielle said "this is Ephinia."

Xena then said "What a pretty little girl."

Ephinia asked "Are you really the great Xena ma'am?"

Xena then said "I see that your mom still talks about me."

Ephinia then said "I like that story you retrieve the north star from Aphrodite."

Xena said "I like that one to."

Gabrielle said "Kids, Xena needs her rest, I need you to go play okay."

Both kids said "Yes Mama." They ran out, Gabrielle smiled as they left.

Xena said "I'm glad the fates gave you a fair shot at motherhood." Xena was thinking of hope.

Gabrielle said "I haven't told them. When they are old enough, I'll tell them. They should know so I will tell them one day." Xena nodded in agreement with Gabrielle.

Then Gabrielle asked "How did you come back?"

Xena said "As you know I died in Japan. I had said I would be with you, but I'm sorry, I wasn't able. Something happened. Not all of the 40,000 souls were innocent. One of those souls Masuke Katsui. He was a sorcerer. A very powerful sorcerer. Even in death he had great power.

He went to hell of course. But he escaped. He took with him a couple friends. So the powers that be in Japan, decided that I had atoned for my sin there and allowed me another chance in life, so long as I could send him and those who escaped with him back to hell. They restored my body and I returned to life in Anatolia, where they had recently been. I followed their trail to Greece, there I got attacked by some archers, presumably with Masuke Katsui. There were dozens, even I couldn't avoid every arrow.

But I got away. By the way Gabrielle how did you manage to have an antidote so quickly?"

Gabrielle answered "I'm the doctor here and I remember when I got shot by a poison arrow all those years ago. So I made a point once I became a doctor to collect rare antidotes. The one I used on you originally came from the Crimea. I had sent a friend their to collect it, two years ago."

Xena said "Very good. Anyway, I crawled my way here. I knew you were close, I felt it." Xena touched Gabrielle's face as a single tear ran down Xena's cheek. Xena said "I never thought I'd see you again?"

Gabrielle said with her own tears "I never thought I would see you either, I've missed you." Xena said "I need to rest awhile, you should let the city militia know that Masuke may come looking for me. It's not a problem is it?"

Gabrielle said "I chair the village defense committee, every now and then I inspect the village defenses make sure they are up to standard. I've even helped to defend this town from bandits once."

Xena said "Gabrielle, I'm proud of you. I worried you might lose yourself when I was gone."

Gabrielle replied "I almost did. Ellander saved me."

Xena said "That explains a lot. Anyway I need my rest." Gabrielle walked out of the room as Xena went back to sleep. Xena stared from the door. Her friend, her soul mate, alive. Gabrielle was happy, but she was also worried. Xena was alive but she was returned to stop another monster. What if this Masuke came here. Messed with my children. All these things continued to bother Gabrielle though she was happy Xena was alive she was also intensely worried, because she was afraid that some enemy of theirs would come and kill her children like Xena's son was killed by her enemy.