Standing there beside Gabrielle as the young woman laid motionless, Xena looked at the priest Hippocrates, after stopping her seemingly pointless efforts in continuing to try and bring Gabrielle back.
HIPPOCRATES
You need to let her go.
The warrior scowled.
XENA
(Angry tone) Get out of my way.
She shoved him away.
XENA
(Angry tone) You don't know anything.
Xena then returned to her pleas with Gabrielle to wake up while desperately searching all the medical knowledge she had stored in her mind for anything she could do. The seconds passing by felt like a lifetime to the warrior.
XENA
Come on Gabrielle You've never ran from anything in your whole life. Now fight!
MARMAX
Xena.
Ignoring everyone else around her and throwing away all sense of logic that she would normally have, Xena continued as she cried, not willing to let Gabrielle go. It hadn't even occurred to the dark-haired woman until right there in that temple as she stood willing to fight the gods themselves to bring Gabrielle back, just how much the young woman had come to mean to her, since coming into her life and inadvertently pulling the warrior back from the brink of her own self destruction.
MARMAX
Xena! It's time to stop now. It's over. Let her cross over in peace.
Finally turning her attention to the soldier, Xena glared at him with a mix of sorrow and rage, reflected in her piercing blue eyes.
XENA
What do you know? You've killed so many.
MARMAX
And so have you.
XENA
No... No. I can still save her.
Again Xena went back to trying to resuscitate the other woman, pressing her mouth to Gabrielle's as she continued forcing air into her.
XENA
Come on, Gabrielle. Come on. Don't leave me.
Not knowing what else to do, Xena slammed a frustrated fist down onto Gabrielle's chest.
XENA
Don't you leave me!
She raised then brought her fist down again.
XENA
Don't leave me!
Xena repeated the action again and again as with each desperate demand, more and more of her hope faded away.
XENA
Don't leave me! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!
Raising her fist once more, all hope seemed to drain from the warrior as she lowered her head and just let her hand drop against Gabrielle's chest one final time, suddenly feeling as though everything in her life had lost all meaning. Then, without warning Xena heard a loud gasp that caused her to raise her eyes as her tears changed from sorrow to joy, when she saw Gabrielle remarkably start breathing again.
MARMAX
Unbelievable.
Relieved and overjoyed beyond belief, Xena lifted Gabrielle slightly as she just stood there holding the young woman who was still getting her bearings as she looked around confused as to what was happening.
GALEN
Its' amazing, you're Aesclepius! You've come back to Earth!
The priest knelt at Xena's feet as the woman glanced down, not liking being compared to any god.
XENA
Get up, Galen. I'm not Aesclepius, you should know that by now. This was Gabrielle's doing.
A relieved smile appeared on Xena's face as she looked back at the woman in her arms.
XENA
Isn't that right?
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It was early the next morning as Xena stood watching Gabrielle, while the young woman sat and talked with Ephiny and doted over the Amazon's new baby. The chaos of the previous day behind them, as the attack on the temple had been stopped by the combination of Xena's strategies and Marmax's men. The amount of injured people being brought to the temple had finally stopped, and the patients who couldn't be evacuated during the attack were all in stable condition.
MARMAX
I've come to say goodbye. I must return to my men and start negotiations with Thessaly. I believe that with some hard work, the killing will soon stop.
Hearing the soldier's voice, Xena turned away from watching Gabrielle as she looked at the man who walked up to her.
XENA
I wish you much success.
The two grasped each other's forearms.
MARMAX
Thank you, Xena. You and your friend have been an inspiration to me. Tell Gabrielle that I did find
that peace within me, and I plan to share it.
XENA
I'm sure she'll be glad to hear that.
The man smiled as he then bid Xena farewell, and left the temple with the mission of ending the war that he now realized had cost far too many, far too much.
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
GABRIELLE
So I'm an aunt now.
Gabrielle smiled at Xena as she used her staff to help her walk out of the temple.
GABRIELLE
Ephiny said she named him Xenan. After you.
Xena smiled, happy to see that Gabrielle appeared to be recovering well as they made their way to where Argo was waiting.
GABRIELLE
You know, I wanted to thank you Xena, for saving my life, again.
XENA
I didn't do anything. It was your decision to come back.
GABRIELLE
(Joking tone) Well, how could I leave you when we have so many wars to stop, and despots to foil.
XENA
And I wouldn't wanna do any of it without you. But you're gonna have to rest up for a while. Now come on, let's get out of here.
After reaching Argo, Xena got into the saddle and helped Gabrielle up behind her before the two rode away from the temple that left Xena with a lot to think about.
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A door opened, and a bundle was dropped on the floor just inside the dark room as booted footsteps against the wooden floor followed.
XENA
Hold on, let me get some light in here.
Xena walked further into the room and found a candle. Once it and a couple others were lit, the warrior returned to where Gabrielle still stood in the doorway to the room at the inn they had arrived at just after dark, after leaving the temple.
GABRIELLE
You know we don't have to stay at an inn tonight. I'm fine to sleep outside like we normally do.
XENA
Yeah I know.
Xena picked their packs up off the floor, and set Gabrielle's on the small table that the room had and, hers on the floor beside it.
XENA
But it's been a long day and I figured neither of us are gonna feel up to setting up camp, cooking and all that.
Xena began going through their things, and pulled out Gabrielle's nightgown before tossing it on the bed.
XENA
Why don't you get ready for bed and comfortable while I go downstairs and get us some dinner?
Gabrielle leaned on her staff as she looked at the other woman, who had been even more quiet than usual since they had left the temple.
GABRIELLE
Xena, is everything okay?
The warrior looked over her shoulder for a moment, before quickly turning away so Gabrielle couldn't read what was behind the look Xena had on her face.
XENA
(Lying) I'm fine. Like I said, it's been a long day.
Finishing getting everything settled, Xena walked toward the door.
XENA
Get ready for bed and I'll be back with something to eat.
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Larter that night, Gabrielle was peacefully sleeping as Xena sat by the open window. Her thoughts of the day raced through her mind. How close she had come to losing Gabrielle... The sheer fear and sickening feeling she had when she saw the young woman slipping away. How many people had Xena lost in one way or another through the years? She had never had such an emotionally devastating reaction like that before. Afterall, she had not long before told Gabrielle that death and loss were a part of life; and that she would need to learn how to deal with it" So, why when it came to what happened to the blonde was it then different? Why did Xena refuse to let Gabrielle go? Why had she fought so much harder to save her? But of course these were questions that while she had tried to ignore, Xena already knew the answer to.
Xena wondered how it had taken until Gabrielle was nearly snatched away from her forever for the warrior to finally admit it to herself. But after all the time the two had been through together, somewhere along the way Xena had fallen for the enthusiastic young woman. However, even with this new revelation, Xena convinced herself that she and Gabrielle becoming romantically involved would never be a good idea. And that Gabrielle deserved someone who wasn't an ex-warlord or had done so many horrific things that no amount of good deeds could erase the blood from their hands. So as Xena did her best to push her thoughts of ever having anything more than friendship between them, Xena moved to lay in the other bed next to where Gabrielle slept. But, while each woman had told themselves that what they had come to feel for the other would never be anything more than wishful thinking, they were unaware that it was fate that would soon change everything between them forever.
TO BE CONTINUED...