First I would like to thank you, my readers, for your support, kind words, reviews and private messages. I am sorry I kept you waiting but life kinda got in the way of my writing and I couldn't get back to it. Enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think of the story and of my writing.

Every opinion is well appreciated, trust me.

Sammie

They had no idea about how many hours have passed. They kept talking throught the whole night not feeling any signs of tiredness. Even sleeping seemed to be something they could avoid. Gabrielle's way of talking kept Xena focused and energized. Gabrielle was happy that she could share what she has learned long time ago with someone who desperately needed it. Gabrielle knew that only by sharing experience, knowledge and a certain way of life it is possible to help others and make the world a better place. It was beneficial not only for the listener but also for the one who was in the role of a teacher. At the beginning, when Gabrielle found out that it was Xena who she had to take care of, she struggled. Nobody would have guessed the situation could turn out this way.

Xena was a good student. Gabrielle knew it, she felt the change in Xena. Her intuition has never failed her and this time it was no different. Her body filled with warmth and Gabrielle felt like her hospice was a good place to heal all wounds people suffered. Not only the superficial wounds could be cared for in this sacred place, but also the wounds in people's hearts and souls. Not everyone was willing to open up and show their scars. One must be brave enough to dig deep inside and not everyone is fine with being vulnerable in front of other people. Under the solid wall Xena has built around herself there was a beautiful human being whose only way of protecting herself after everything she has been through was violence towards others so nobody could harm her again. It is a protective mechanism every human being tends to use if hurt. Gabrielle's compassionate behaviour gave Xena a chance to let go and finally tear down all the walls she managed to build over the years. She felt safe with Gabrielle.

„Your wounds seem to heal well," Gabrielle jumped away from their talk about letting go of the things that happened in the past and her fingers moved slowly around one of the biggest wounds on Xena's leg. Xena shivered.

„Are you cold?" Gabrielle added and started looking for a blanket.

„No, it is ok," Xena answered and caught Gabrielle's hand before she could stand up and continue her searching for something to cover her.

„I think your touch caused it," she said sheepishly, then she smiled into Gabrielle's eyes and Gabrielle blushed. She sat back on her chair and connected her eyes with Xena's. She opened her mouth to continue but was disturbed by one of her nurses.

„Gabrielle! The storm is coming!" the young nurse said and Gabrielle noticed the concern in her eyes. The nurse looked at Xena and nodded as a sign of noticing her presence and as a wish of a good morning. Xena returned the nod and smiled lightly. The people in the hospice knew that there was something going on in between Gabrielle and the warrior. They still feared her but respected Gabrielle's choice.

„Then we need to secure the hospice. Please, close all the windows, doors and make sure that all of our patients are inside. We can't forget to warn the people in the village. Go there and tell them to prepare for the storm. Thank you," Gabrielle gave orders and got up from her place to help the nurses to take care of the place. Xena slowly stood up and managed to take few steps before Gabrielle's hands touched her shoulders.

„What do you think you are doing?" Gabrielle asked her patient. She knew the answer but waited for Xena to speak up for herself.

„I want to help," Xena said and tried to get out of Gabrielle's grasp. Oh dear, she was strong! Gabrielle was very persistent, she slowly turned Xena back to her bed and helped her to sit down.

„You stay here, I will be back," the blond healer promised and sealed her promise with a deep look into Xena's eyes. Gabrielle left. Xena took a deep breath and lifted her eyes to the ceiling saying a silent thank you to whoever was up there for giving her a second chance.

Her wounds healed well and she was almost ready to leave the place, join her army and leave this land. The feeling of lightness that filled her heart a while ago when she was talking to Gabrielle was now replaced by the feeling of loneliness. When she imagined her future days without her healer, she felt lost, empty, alone. What was really going on? Was she thinking of sending her men back to their homes and asking Gabrielle if she could stay here with her? Xena closed her eyes, cleared her mind and went deep inside her soul to search for what was real and what wasn't. Gabrielle told her to trust her own intuition and it was just the thing she would do.

„Don't try to understand everything, don't try to reason with yourself. Trust your own feelings and let them come, let them be felt and they will show you what to do or where to go," Gabrielle's voice sounded in Xena's mind. Her warrior mind was still strong and didn't want to give up that easily but Gabrielle gave Xena something that she thought she has lost a long time ago. Courage to look inside and accept everything she has ever done and more importantly accept herself just the way she was. Xena knew it was going to take some time to deal with everything but according to Gabrielle's words the first step was the most important and also the hardest to take.

Her heart skipped a beat when she thought of the days spent without Gabrielle, without her teacher, her friend. The emptiness that filled her heart scared her like nothing before. Even when facing her biggest enemy she feared less than she did now. If nothing else should give her some answers this told her everything she needed to know. The decision has been made. She's gonna stay.

The storm was close and the wind got stronger and kept striking against the hospice walls. The nurses managed to close all the windows so the people inside didn't feel it that much and the air circulation was quite smooth and peaceful inside the building.

Her warrior mind was strong and kept fighting against the new way of thinking but at the moment she was glad that it did. It kept her senses sharp. Her eyes opened suddenly when a creaking sound reached her ears followed by a loud thump and a scream. After listening to Gabrielle's voice the whole night Xena knew immediately whose scream it was.

„Gabrielle!" Xena shouted and got up from her bed. Ignoring the tension of her skin at the places where her wounds were she made her way towards the room she heard Gabrielle's voice from. The hospice was now filled with dust. Nurses were confused, patients were scared. Some of them ran away and the ones who couldn't run stayed in their beds hoping that someone would save them.

Screams and shouts reached Xena's ears again. When she reached the room she believed Gabrielle was in she gasped and couldn't catch her breath. What she saw terrified her. The ceiling of the room collapsed because a huge tree fell down. The wind was strong and the trees were old, it was only a matter of time before something like that happened. But why now? Xena didn't know what to do. Should she save the patients first or try to get her friend out of the room as long as there is still time to at least try?
„Gabrielle? Are you there? I am coming for you!" Xena decided to help Gabrielle first.

„I am ok, Xena. Please, make sure that everyone is safe before you help me. It's important to me!" Gabrielle said and coughed as the dust got into her lungs.

„And you are important to me!" Xena answered and was eager to enter the damaged room and begin the search for her blond healer. Before she took another step something in her mind stopped her. She really should take care of the people in the hospice first. She took a quick look at the ceiling and the walls of the room. It looked like it was going to stay this way for a while so there still was time to take other patients out. She was quick. Xena used all her strength to motivate some of the nurses who were waiting outside the hospice to come in and help her with the patients. Every single patient was safe so now Xena moved back to the back room and carefully entered the damaged space.
„Gabrielle?" she called her friend but got no answer. Another creaking sound filled the space and a piece of the wall fell down with a loud noise.

„Gabrielleee?" Xena screamed. Her feet carried her into this dusty hell and when she wanted to cross one part of the fallen ceiling something hit her head and she fell down, unconscious.

The whole room collapsed and covered both their bodies with dust, wood and rocks.

TBC