Thank you all for your reviews and support. Dear Pobar, I hope you will enjoy the new chapters. Thank you for encouraging me to keep writing. Enjoy this one.

P.S. I noticed that my story is more from Gabrielle's point of view so I decided to write this one from Xena's perspective. I guess that me being a health worker (I work in a pharmacy and I am a nurse) has a great influence on this story and I am sure that it is the reason I am closer to Gabrielle. I apologize for not giving Xena as much of the „screen" time as I give to Gabrielle. I tried to make it up to you, Xena fans, this time. Enjoy the story. Sammie

Gabrielle's words echoed in her mind. She couldn't sleep, she couldn't get them out of her head. They were like tons of chakrams always coming back no matter how hard she tried to throw them away. In the last few days when she's been in the hospice there was something that shifted inside her. To protect herself her warrior heart built a very solid wall around the core but to no use. This little blond healer always found a way to get to her and tear the wall down. Being a tough warrior she used to hide all her emotions because she thought it was a weakness.

Everything has changed.

All that she has been fighting for seemed to fall apart. She had a reputation, she was someone. A warlord like her was feared and respected. Whatever she had set her mind on she got or conquered. Now it was a huge mess. Xena's life seemed to be shaken. Everything she thought she was felt like a lie now. So who she was then? Xena kept asking this question for a few moments now. These few moments took her the whole night, she didn't even notice that the sun was already rising. Her head turned and her eyes looked into one of the windows. Her eyes searched for the light coming into the room and as soon as the light reached her cheeks she closed her eyes and enjoyed the warmth.

„We all are capable to feel love..." she heard Gabrielle's voice again and remembered how vulnerable her eyes were, full of love, compassion and hope. Was it for her or was she just disappointed by her? Now, thanks to Gabrielle, Xena finally started to think about her life, about the reason why she became like this and where is the edge of her darkest emotion. Where would she be willing to go to get what she wants and how cruel she could be to fulfil her needs or greed? The thoughts made her shiver. She wanted to get up, put all this behind and go back to her army. Was this a test? Was it Ares who tried to lead her away from something interesting or important? It was always easier for her to blame someone else for whatever she felt and couldn't figure out? Was it too scary or painful to find the way back to her own self? And where, by the gods, should she start looking for her own self?

„I wonder what this Gabrielle would be capable of when she managed to get to me like that!" she mumbled. Now she was back in her spacious warrior mind thinking about the possible use of this healer in her army. Interrogation? Getting under the enemy's skin to get some vital information? Her private healer or just someone to play with. Xena's lips curved into a crooked smile and she growled. Xena wasn't ready to give her devilish part up that easily. It helped her to stay alive anyway. It was something that made her who she was. Who would she be without it? Nobody or just a village girl suffering under some other warlord's ownership fearing her own death. It felt way better to be the warlord who had control over the village people who feared her.

Gabrielle woke up early to give herself enough time to prepare everything she needed for the day. She collected the washed bandages, took some new ones, prepared the healing herbs. She was already thinking about the things she had to do or take care of and which of the patient's to check first. Her decisions were quick. As a healer she sometimes had to think and decide very quickly in order to save lives. Xena's body healed very well and quite quickly, only her broken leg gave Gabrielle nightmares. It seemed the growing of the bones was not going as smoothly as she wished. As Xena's healer she always did her best to provide the best care with as less time loss as possible. The warrior's leg will probably take more time to heal so she should prepare Xena to the idea of spending another few days in her hospice. She was ready to go for rounds when she heard some noise. Voices of people filled the air and she heard a crack.

„Die, you devil!" she heard people yelling and another crack reached her ears.

„What is going on?" she asked herself silently and ran toward the sounds. When she came to the room where Xena rested on her bed her eyes opened widely and filled with tears. The whole area around Xena's room was on fire. There was a burning torch on the ground and few stones that the people from outside threw in. Gabrielle didn't hesitate. She saw Xena how she was trying to get up and push herself up to her feet. Her broken leg gave in and Xena almost fell down. She enjoyed the bed rest for too long and now her fluctuating blood pressure made everything harder. Her broken leg didn't help the situation. Gabrielle put everything she was holding in her hands on the table in the hallway.

„Help! Fire! Bring water!" she yelled. Gabrielle wasn't a heroic type of a woman and also has never been into danger but this time she felt like she had to save the warrior woman. Like everything depended on it. Once she has made a decision there was nobody or nothing that could stop her. She felt the same this time. Her legs made their way to Xena. She jumped over the fire and covered herself from the flames. When she got to Xena, she put her arm around her waist and wanted to help her to walk out of there. Xena was surprised by Gabrielle's act and stared at her for a moment. What was it that made her come back every time she was in trouble? Even after how cruel and evil she was, Gabrielle always found her way back. She was there when needed the most. Xena put her arm around Gabrielle's neck, leaned against her body and used her as a support. They safely walked out of the flames and as soon as they reached the hallway a few young boys from the village ran inside and started to put the flames out. Gabrielle pushed one of the chairs closer to Xena and helped her to sit down. They were safe now. The boys won their fight with the flames and returned to Gabrielle with sad looks in their eyes.

„The damage is not that bad but the hospice will need some repairing," one of the boys informed Gabrielle about the situation. Gabrielle felt sad. Not about the hospice being burned but about how people could be cruel and inconsiderate. Xena hurt a lot of people and they have their own reasons to feel hate and the need of vengeance but the hospice had no role in any of this. This was not the time to think about it. Gabrielle was happy that she saved Xena from the burning room. She turned to the warrior woman who has been staring at her the whole time.

„Why?" Xena asked simply.

„Are you ok? Are you hurt?" Gabrielle asked trying to turn the conversation away from Xena's question. Her hands began to check Xena's body for any injuries or burns. Xena's hands caught the little hands running over her body. She clasped them tightly to give Gabrielle a sign that her question was serious and that she demanded an answer.

„Why?" she asked again with a bigger emphasis. Gabrielle was standing in front of Xena looking into her blue eyes and was totally lost in her emotions. She knew what she felt but had no words to describe it.

„I just couldn't let you die," she whispered, her eyes still connected to Xena's.

TBC