An Appointment

by Anelle Lee

This is a story of what would happen if Xena took over the entire world. It also dives into a what if scenario where Gabrielle has a homophobic father.

12. A Family Lunch

Gathered at the table the once ambitious teen now sat in the safe waters of familiar foods. Her mind, eyes and stomach were unable to agree on the overwhelming sights and smells of what might as well be the continental meal laid before her. She had only ever seen this much food in one place and that was at the new school that Xena commissioned.

The students were given two meals a day just for attending with the option of a third meal they could take home that was generous enough to feed any family members at their home was provided free of charge if they kept good grades. Lila always received three meals but the food there was never as fancy as this.

Finally Lila embraced her talkative gene and questioned the queen, "Xena you have been a queen for a few years now. What would you recommend to someone who wants to try sugar for the first time?"

Before Xena could even think of an answer Gabrielle was on the move grabbing the unmoving warrior with her soft hand on Xena's forearm. Xena grinned before sitting back to lovingly enjoy the wholesome moment between sisters. When Xena was a lot younger she really wanted a sister of her own and she sometimes even slightly envied others for having one.

That is until one day after she had protected a young woman named Flora from a group of bullies. After that Flora had followed her around almost obsessively. At first Xena had done her best to deter the younger stalker. That is until she had figured out that she could adopt her as the younger sister she always wanted. It became a symbiotic partnership with Xena imparting her wisdom and Flora filling the sisterly void. Xena had tried to teach her how to rely on herself but she always had her back if the going got tough.

"Lila!" Gabrielle lunged forward and picked up one of the sugary treats on the table. Ignoring her jarred ribs she stood up and leaned over the table to hand the teen the dessert, "Try this."

Lila looked at Gabrielle skeptically, "That does not look edible."

Gabrielle, glaring at Lila, insisted, "It is!"

Lila wrinkled her nose at the odd dark brown color of the square treat, before cautiously taking it. She brought it to her still wrinkled nose and sniffed it. She brought it back down and examined all sides. Lila licked her lips but the color was off putting to her, and to make matters worse the substance was starting to pool on her fingertips, "Ew! Why is it melting?"

Gabrielle rolled her eyes and flapped her arms up in disbelief, "Because you're not eating it fast enough. Just trust me!"

Lila again turned her attention to the warrior, "Xena, is Gabrielle pranking me? You should be made aware that Gabrielle loves to pull those stunts at any given opportunity."

Filled with disbelief Gabrielle looked back at Xena with a wide eyed, don't believe her smile, she shook her head in the negative to reinforce her unspoken lie. Xena smirked as she looked at Gabrielle with an arched brow filled with teasing. She hadn't figured that piece of the Gabrielle puzzle out yet but it made her absolutely joyous because she too enjoyed a good prank war. Turning thankful eyes to Lila she says, "You're safe. That is what I would have recommended."

"Ok good. Thank you Xena."

"No problem. Thank you for the tip."

Lila paused for a thoughtful second to spare the warrior queen a conspiratorial smile, before she narrowed untrusting eyes at Gabrielle. Bravely she took a bite of the oddly melting square. After a moment the brunette's eyes lit up.

"Oh my gods! What is that?" Lila offered her mom half and after she tried it Hecuba also seemed to dissolve to the delightful taste and for a brief moment the treat pulled her from her sullen thoughts.

"It's a mixture of milk, sugar and a new bean called cacao. Xena calls it chocolate. She found it in the new continent, and she is planning on making it a city staple. She just needs her scientists to figure out how to get it to grow here." Gabrielle boasted proudly doing her best to win her family over on the queen's behest.

"That is so good." Lila said, reaching for another of the tasty squares.

"Lila." Hecuba scolded her youngest with a small grin, "Don't fill up on that." She had heard tales of how sweets can ruin an appetite.

"I won't." Lila said happily around a mouth full of chocolate.

Lila seeing her mother's mood again souring turned her attention back to Xena. She wanted to tell her, "This chocolate stuff will make you the most beloved queen of all time." Instead Lila was instantly blown away by the hypnotized look yet again in the warrior's eyes. It was nice to see how often Xena got caught up happily gazing at her sister's smile. Lila could only hope that one day someone would look at her the way Xena helplessly admired Gabrielle.

For Xena time slowed down from the second Gabrielle had stood up. Her eyes were instantly drawn to Gabrielle's giddy expression. She found Gabrielle's ability to embrace her own happiness despite the obvious pain so enthralling. Xena tried not to laugh as Gabrielle's squirrel-like energy took hold and made the blond bounce in her immense enthusiasm with her ongoing conversation with her younger sister. A feeling made all the more intense every time Gabrielle sent that warm smile in her direction.

By the middle of the conversation Xena's perspective widened to fully take in her advisor body. Her heart quickly became so fierce that she could feel the steady pulses in the sides of her neck. With a small smile Xena admitted to herself that she loved the shape of Gabrielle's body. Even though most of the woman was now shrouded behind the silk robe, Xena could easily visualize every straining muscle and every sexy curve.

It didn't help that Xena could still feel the bard's hands caressing her body from the hot exchange they had shared just before the family had arrived. When Gabrielle gave an excited wiggle to emphasize her excitement for her mother and Lila's delight at such a flavorful experience. The warrior shook her cloudy head forcing herself to look away only to land in the playfully accusing eyes of Lila.

Lila instantly began chuckling at the shocked expression taking over the queen's beautifully stunned face. Xena chanced a look to Hecuba who had yet again resumed her angry glare in her direction. Gabrielle looked to Xena trying to determine what her sister had been teasing the still stunned warrior about only for Xena to look guiltily at her plate. The busted expression caused Lila to laugh even harder than before. Much to the chagrin of the confused bard.

Gabrielle huffed a laugh at the odd interaction and sat next to the warrior. Gabrielle arched her eyebrow while her eyes narrowed expectantly. Not having to wait long before Xena once again looked back to Gabrielle with an innocent expression. Trying her winning smile to gain sympathy for her silently pleading case. It didn't work.

"What did I miss?" Gabrielle asked with a hesitant grin.

"I'll tell you later." Xena muttered. There was no way that Xena was going to say she got caught staring in front of Hecuba, not when there was an off chance that Hecuba was just being angry for some other reason. No matter how perplexed Gabrielle's face was becoming.

Luckily Gabrielle didn't have to wait that long because she was able to figure it out from Xena's embarrassed state, rushed breathing, and hungry eyes that willingly gave herself up when the queen let her eyes take in Gabrielle's body once more. Xena's lifting eyebrow makes Gabrielle smile as the realization dawns on her.

'Lila caught Xena checking me out.' Gabrielle felt extremely flattered by the frequent times when she herself had caught the warrior looking at her as though in study. Often watching her at times when she thought Gabrielle was distracted. Gabrielle couldn't hold it against the warrior because she also found herself fascinated by the queen and becoming trapped in the very same breathless state was her own favorite pastime. A look at Lila's smiling face confirms her wild speculation.

Lila laughed once more when Gabrielle finally fully caught on. She could tell by how Gabrielle suddenly turned bright red. Urgently looking to ensure that her mother hadn't also figured it out. Seeing the mother looking angrily off into the garden was somehow completely horrifying. Gabrielle was worried about her mother and even her father for that matter.

Saddened by dark thoughts of her odd acting parents Gabrielle reached for Xena's receptive hand on the table between them. Without a word Xena wrapped around the warm hand and offered a shy apologetic smile. Seeing Gabrielle taking strength by her presence bolstered the nervous warrior's overall resolve.

'I'm glad I stuck around even though it surely means that I have become softer than a newborn.'

As lunch wore on, Lila and Gabrielle fell back into their rapid conversation and a conflicted Xena rapidly fell out of it. It was overwhelming to the once lonely ruler. Instead Xena opted for self reflection turning inward much like Hecuba was doing in her separate angry moment. Xena was still trying to come to terms with what was becoming of her rapidly changing life.

Any other time Xena would have happily led her soldiers into battle without any form of hesitation. Now her unstoppable driving force was clearly pointed in a singular direction. Protecting the family she was desperately trying to build. It was her only priority. Though Xena couldn't help but to question the strange desire. Wondering why her own dark side was so silent about this seemingly odd need that she felt burning deep inside her heart and soul.

Xena watched anxiously as the security forces all around them tripled. Xena rolled her eyes at first thinking that she would have a stern talk with Ephiny after the captain returned. Still it was with a fair amount of pride that Xena watched the fresh platoon enter the garden. By the time the large group had made it to their individual posts Xena had written off the need to dress-down Ephiny. The need was replaced by a drive to thank the woman for protecting Gabrielle as she had previously commanded.

'Leave it to the captain to overreact. No doubt she is simply protecting herself by protecting Gabrielle.' For a moment Xena smirks, happy to see her protection orders in action.

With a single look at Gabrielle's animated and smiling face her smirk became a full blown smile quickly becoming lost in sweeping waves of abundant joy. Xena was the happiest she had ever been. Finally Xena acknowledges that Gabrielle was the source of it.

Xena grinned when her eyes inevitably landed back on the cheerful woman beside her. Remembering the day her happiness had been sparked back to life in the street that fateful day. Thoughts of Gabrielle's brilliant smile taking over her bruised face as she had watched the children play in spite of everything the bard had undergone instantly drew the sad warlord in like a moth to a flame.

Xena was always driven mercilessly to learn about things she didn't understand and she never wanted to learn a lesson more in her entire life. She wanted to learn how to be happy again and she wanted to learn from the best. She had so much to learn from Gabrielle.

Although the short reprieve was nice, Xena looked at her plate. With the absence of Gabrielle's smile it didn't take long for the strategic mind of the conqueror to pick back up her previous thoughts, 'If I left now I would be completely assured of Gabrielle's safety. Gabrielle has her family now so she probably would be alright emotionally as well. What is wrong with me? I know a week ago I would have already leapt up and fully relished the battle. Knowing that Gabrielle is my successor and that the Amazons will protect their new queen with their lives even if I die should allow me to have a little fun. So why am I not in the fight?'

The anxious and torn queen pulled uncomfortably at the neckline of her own outfit. What would she give to be wearing her armour and leading the charge into battle? The answer was still nothing, 'I don't just need to stay but I truly want to. Choosing to be with Gabrielle over what has been my favorite pastime my entire life is crazy.' Xena sneered as she wrestled with the fact that she only desires to protect the woman and her family.

Xena attempts to soothe herself by thinking, 'At least I didn't hesitate to kill that assassin before she could strike. The look on Callisto's face when the dagger intended for me instead clattered on the floor. Ah, it was absolutely priceless. '

For a moment Xena's thoughts were drawn back to the night she had killed Callisto. Xena's eyes narrowed once more. Something had been bugging the warrior queen about it ever since it happened. Her lips tight with concentration she re-watched the guards dragging the dying but still very angry looking Callisto from her sight.

As they had turned the corner in the hall one of the guards had looked back for just a second. Now in Xena's mind that moment was paused, zoomed in on the face of that soldier. Xena did her best to determine what the look the guard had given her was all about.

' Why were they in such a hurry?' Xena sighed she knew in the back of her mind that the two attacks were connected. For a moment she regretted killing the attractive assassin without a proper interrogation. The irony of Marcus' own slip up was not lost on the strategic conqueror. In fact even in the moment Xena knew she had been yelling at herself more than she was at Marcus.

All that it took to break her from that line of thought was the soft touch of Gabrielle's absentminded hand instinctively reaching for and caressing the warrior's inner thigh. Xena sat back with a bite of her lower lip looking at Gabrielle in shocked desire. Gabrielle for her part continued to talk back and forth with her sister. Oblivious to her own hands, careful exploration and the flurry of bodily reactions that came with such delicate touches.

Before Xena fully lost herself to the moan building deep inside of her chest she reached under the table and took the troublesome hand in hers. The duo shared a warm look even as the sister across from them continued to tell Gabrielle about every mundane detail of the days they had been separated. Gabrielle playfully leaned into the smirking warrior's arm as she rolled her eyes in playful jest. Though the evident joy in Gabrielle's eyes was truly undeniable.

Xena knew she had done the right thing by bringing them to the castle and it felt really good seeing Gabrielle so happy. If nothing else, having the family there also helped to ease Xena's overwhelming desire to take her bard back to their bed before she had the needed time to heal. Although it wasn't doing her much good while looking into Gabrielle's eyes now.

"Did you hear me, Gabrielle?" Lila sounded irritated and she had half a mind to pick up some of the mashed potatoes on her plate so she could throw it at her sister. The only thing that stopped such an impulse was the fact that her sister was pretty much snuggling with the deadly queen.

Gabrielle was smiling even while she playfully rolled her eyes again. Making Xena smirk in return before the sisters again went back to their conversation. Meaning that Xena was left once more with her own thoughts and the plate full of food in front of her. As she resumed eating her thoughts intruded.

'I should want to be out there with my soldiers but I really don't want that at all. Is it because I'm afraid of what Gabrielle would think of me if I went out for a little bit of warfare and viciousness? It's not like she hasn't heard of my cruelty. I think she would understand my need to let out a little of my aggression.'

Then like a wave the warrior was hit with the practically irrepressible desire to partake in the coming battles. In her mind she could picture herself smiling in what should be a patented crazed smile. Her vicious sword in hand hacking, slashing, and even plunging into the enemy warriors.

The vivid imagery was enough to make a bloodthirsty warrior salivate, and had it been just a week earlier Xena would have been. Even still Xena could almost taste the carnal craving for a real battle. Her stomach was already tightly clenched ready to take a blow in the throws of a fight that she was denying herself the pleasure of.

Thanks to her vantage point from across the table with the queen. Lila had quickly picked up on the fact that the empress was very nearly about to jump out of her own skin if it only meant she could be in two places at once. Lila was seconds away from kicking Gabrielle under the table to focus her attention to the worried gestures Lila was actively giving to get Gabrielle to look at the distant warrior.

Gabrielle had noticed as well and she wasn't about to let it go this time. After a courage wrangling breath she says, "Xena."

Xena smiled euphorically because now her hand was sinking back into the warmth of Gabrielle's sudden embrace. It was like Gabrielle had said the magic word and done the magic things crushing her battle lust instantly. Her whole heart and soul surfacing openly on her sleeve as she returned her suddenly pleased eyes to Gabrielle.

She could hardly wait to hear the next profound conversation, knowing that she was certain she'd enjoy it, "Yeah."

"I have my sister now. I'll be alright while you go and do what you need to." Gabrielle was able to hide every bit of her petrified emotions.

Xena narrowed punitive eyes to her own stature not approving of how much she was wearing her feelings on her sleeve. With an unsure smile she returned to look into Gabrielle's eyes, "As a ruler I've learned when to delegate. I was just strategizing."

"Do you want to talk to your advisor about it?" Gabrielle smirked in response to the warrior's playful smile. She really missed hearing Xena's deep voice and the way it soothed and filled her heart.

"Now that you mention it. What would my advisor say if I wanted her family to stay in the castle with us? Just until we figure out what that attack was all about. I'm sure they thought I was the one in the carriage but until I know for sure I don't want to take any chances." A fact that Xena held back was the suspicion of the royal guards from the other night.

"I think she would be extremely grateful to her warrior queen." happiness and gratitude filled Gabrielle's expressive face. All the while her eyes stared longingly at her queen's lips. 'She is such an amazing kisser. The things I would give to the gods if those lips were to take mine now.'

In a fit of rage Hecuba stood up, "Enough of this nonsense. This is all just so shameful Gabrielle. Do you even know where she has your father?"

Xena leaned forward to accept responsibility for all of her actions against the man but a hand on her leg stopped her. After looking into Gabrielle's eyes she sat back and let Gabrielle take the lead as the sensitive bard's eyes had asked her to. Gabrielle places her palms flat on the table in front of her and looks at her angry mother. For a thoughtful moment she resolves to try and keep calm in spite of the heavy conversation looming ominously ahead of her.

"Xena has him in a cell beneath her palace." Gabrielle states matter of factually. Feeling all of the indignity of her forced confrontation. Xena for her shocked part reached out to the trembling hand on the table between them. Offering her support and strengthening Gabrielle's fragile defensive resolve. For a moment Gabrielle squeezes that hand thankfully.

"Is that all you have to say about that? She put Herodotus on the rack for crying out loud!"

Gabrielle and Lila looked at Xena in shock, "Xena?" Even now Gabrielle did not let go of the warrior's insecure hand, not even when Xena shamefully tried to pull it away.

'He is lucky that I didn't stretch him apart after what I witnessed him doing to your daughter. He is a vile creature that deserves far worse.' Xena thought venomously.

"I carried out justice as the ruler of the world. One of the first laws I made was for the protection of women. It would have been just as unlawful of me to standby while a woman is beaten to death in front of me as it would have been unlawful for me not to punish him for his actions. Civilization needs consequences or the world will descend into madness." Xena explains.

After a calming breath Xena turns to face Gabrielle carefully asking for her understanding with her expression. Knowing that she probably wouldn't receive forgiveness. She knew she took it way too far in regards to Herodotus but in the moment she had held back considerably. Gabrielle couldn't help the sudden short laugh that burst out unexpectedly.

"Xena tortured your father! That makes you laugh? He is still your father! You should hate her! Where is your loyalty?"

"My loyalty is right where it belongs and it belongs to Xena. Look at what he did to me! How do I sympathize with the man who attempted to murder me and how in the world could I ever hate the woman who saved my life?"

"She has you brainwashed!" Hecuba accused wildly.

"Now that is nonsense, if anyone here is brainwashed it is you."

"So instead of standing by your dad and I, you are going to carry on like a foolish child with the woman that tortured him."

"Xena was protecting me."

"What she did in the street was to protect you. What happened in the dungeon was all her. The destroyer of nations. The woman is responsible for the lives, deaths, and torture of countless people."

"One thing you said is correct, many people do owe Xena a debt of gratitude for their lives. I might add that she is painstakingly filling those lives with peace and happiness one day at a time." Gabrielle blinked as tears gathered, suddenly weighed down by a sullen thought, "Would you rather he had been allowed to kill me than to have him in a dungeon?"

Xena's jaw lowered in horror, she looked at Gabrielle then to the nearly growling Hecuba Xena's blood rushed. She displayed every warning sign she knew from her hand falling palm down finger up on the table, to her narrowing glaring eyes, right down to the forward leaning energy that swept over the warrior. Doing everything in her power to warn Hecuba off of her current path however her opinion held little meaning to the warring mother.

Hecuba trembled while her long bottled rage began spilling free and speaking from that state she shouted, "I don't even know who you are anymore! You were poisoned by that friend of yours in the village and I fear her corruption has led you straight into that demon's arms. If you are asking me to choose between the man I've vowed to honor and love over a corrupt harlot…"

Xena and Lila both stood up at the first tear they saw building in Gabrielle's eyes. While a mortified Lila rushed around the table to hold her sister and give emotional support. Xena was enraged. Fully prepared to leap over the table to clap her hand over the woman's egregious mouth. Needing to stop her before she could further damage the bard's psyche.

If Hecuba failed to heed her following demand she most likely would follow her initial instinct, "You shut your foul mouth! How you two managed to raise the angelic woman sitting next to me I'll never know." frozen before she could get out anything else by her own growing protectiveness, 'I might be overstepping here.' Xena closed her mouth attempting to gather her composure.

"How dare you?!" Hecuba pointed her finger at the queen like it was a magical wand that would break the fiendish spell the queen had cast on her once respectable eldest.

"No! How fucking dare you?!" Xena spat back, if her finger was to point lividly back at Hecuba it would have felt more than appropriate to the engrossing moment, but Xena is a queen and she instead placed a soothing hand on Gabrielle's shoulder all the while standing defensively beside her. Still Xena was just barely able to keep her free finger in check from such child-like antics.

Xena had more than enough of the ill treatment of such a remarkably gentle woman. Thankfully Xena was more than up to the task when it came to defending her advisor. Gabrielle wanted to stand up next to Xena but feeling drained she settled for placing her hand on the warrior's tensed arm slightly calming the inferno burning beneath her touch even though Xena's eyes remained fixed on Hecuba. A part of Xena worried that the unpredictable mother might lash out and hurl any number of things at Gabrielle. Xena needed to be ready to act if she did.

"She is my daughter. Do you understand that?"

Xena glared at the mother with all the anger in the world leaking from her venomous silver blue eyes, "Right now? No." Xena answered directly and to a startling point, the part of her that was a born ruler insightfully says, "Pull yourself together and try to act like a mother. You should be defending Gabrielle after what that beast did to her. I will not standby while you run Gabrielle into the ground. She had nothing to do with what happened to Herodotus. If you have to be spiteful, take aim at me. I'm the one who put him in the cell after all. I'm warning you now though I will not tolerate you hurting Gabrielle for even a second longer."

Hecuba finally saw the effect of her own evil words on her crying daughter. With a shocked expression Hecuba fell numbly into her seat, she was still angry at Xena but to Gabrielle she said, "I'm sorry Gabrielle."

With a calming breath Xena fell into the seat next to Gabrielle sending a thankful look to Lila who was holding and crying with her sister. Xena wanted to hug the bard more than anything in the world but she worried the show of affection would drive Hecuba back into her psychosis and she would resume trying to tear Gabrielle down.

Instead she rubbed the woman's back and held her hand. Xena had no words; she was too worried that she had overstepped her bounds by nosing her way into a mother daughter conversation. No matter that it was destined to happen with the horrible way it was going. Xena was doing her absolute best to bury the gnawing urge she had to send Hecuba to bed like the pestilent child she was portraying herself to be. That battle would be fiercer than the one the royal guard was about to undertake.

"Xena. I want to thank you for being so good to my sister. I don't know what happened to our parents last month but they aren't normally like this. I honestly am sorry about their behavior." Lila's apology seemed so mature to Gabrielle it was a vast difference from the jovial teen that she normally was.

Xena saw the heartfelt tears in the eyes of the teen and she felt moved to comfort her, "It's alright Lila. You don't ever have to apologize to me for anyone else's actions. I know that your mother isn't herself right now."

Gabrielle had never in her life felt so thankful to anyone like she was to the warrior now. She knew for a fact that she wouldn't have survived a second more of her mother's outburst. Feeling detached to the world a lost Gabrielle forced herself to look at the table. It was taking everything Gabrielle had not to express her sullen gratitude by hugging the tempting warrior beside her. The only thing that stopped the gesture was the new fear Hecuba had just unlocked that she would reject her just like her father had. A look at Hecuba reveals that she was once again glaring at Xena. Gabrielle couldn't put to words how that made her feel. She could feel fiery tears gathering behind her eyes and she did her best to fight them off.

They would have been the oddest tears ever to be cried if they made it past the final blockade. With equal parts of happiness from falling madly in love as they would have been sad for the loss of her parental support system. A part of her wanted to be mad at her parents but she just couldn't get past all of the sad. Never in a million years would Gabrielle have thought that they would ever turn on her the way they so clearly have. Gabrielle had rightfully thought they would always be there to love and accept her. Much like they had frequently boasted they would throughout her childhood.

Gabrielle had cried so much lately that she had no interest in doing it yet again. Unfortunately she was seconds away from doing just that. Seconds away from sobbing harder than ever before. Had it not been for a gentle squeeze of her held hand she would have lost her battle. Xena patiently waited with a reassuring smile while Gabrielle took a calming breath and finally looked at her with a weak trembling lip smile.

Xena leaned in, bringing her lips next to the bard's ear, Xena questions softly so only the bard would hear, "Do you need a moment?"

Gabrielle nodded her head in the positive not trusting her words or her voice. This day had been hard on her emotionally and she could really use one of Xena's amazing hugs. The thought of just kissing Xena there and then just to be done with it crossed her mind when she looked across the table at the woman still glaring at her sweetheart of a queen.

Xena gave a hand gesture above her head and by the time she had stood and helped Gabrielle to her feet a large contingent had closed in all around them. Gabrielle didn't say a word as she turned away from the table and made her way to the veranda steps.

Xena's eyes widened as she watched Gabrielle all but run away before she could even explain the sudden departure to the women seated at the table. Thinking fast and her body already walking backwards after Gabrielle Xena speedily says, "Gabrielle and I won't be long. The guards will ensure your safety in our absence."

Xena spun around surprised to see Gabrielle already halfway across the veranda. In an instant Xena rejects her previous route and opted to take a shortcut via a quick spinning leap over the veranda's bush and guardrail. Xena took off at a run after the fleeing bard. Not wanting the bard to be startled when she realizes that she ran off without her protective warrior queen by her side. Xena could feel a cold panic when she saw that the bard opened and cleared the veranda door before speeding up even more. Xena dug deep and began catching up with the injured bard.

Flying through the open door at a slight angle, blinded by the sun's disappearance and with such immense speed Xena very nearly ran into a couch's side table. After narrowly avoiding the perilous obstacle with an off balance whirl Xena slid to a brief halt on the shiny marble flooring. Xena's eyes recovered quickly to the dim lighting and spotted Gabrielle on the other side of the large parlor about to turn down the long hall that would lead the bard back to the room they shared. Xena burst back into the chase glad to see that the bard wasn't bolting out of the front door.

Although she was more than happy to continue following Gabrielle wherever she ran, Xena calls out, "Gabrielle, I think we lost them. Wait up."