Unable to believe her eyes, that the bard was actually standing right there before her, Xena smiled as she moved toward Gabrielle and pulled her into a tight embrace.

XENA
You're alive. You're alive and you're here. I thought I had lost you.

The blonde smiled as she wrapped her arms around the taller woman.

JOXER
Gabrielle?!

The young woman pulled away from Xena, and looked at Joxer as he whipped a few joyful tears from his eyes.

JOXER
I don't believe it. You're alive, and you're here. You're actually here!

GABRIELLE
I've missed you, too.

She hugged Joxer, placing a small friendly kiss on his cheek before pulling away. Joxer laughed awkwardly at the unexpected show of affection, as his face turned visibly red and his eyes rolled, and he fell straight to his back as he fainted as Xena just shook her head and picked up a cup of water from a nearby table and dumped on the unconscious Joxer to wake him.

After the initial shock of the rude awakening, Joxer stood and tried to recompose himself as he saw the look in Xena's eyes as her attention shifted to Gabrielle.

JOXER
Yeah, I'll… um, I'll let you guys catch up. I'm gonna go check out the sights.

Taking his leave, Joxer left the two women to talk as they smiled at one another and just as Xena was about to kiss Gabrielle, the blonde quickly fell into her arms once more.

GABRIELLE
I've missed you so much, Xena. I can't believe you're here.

A soft smile crossed the dark-haired woman's lips as she put her arms around the bard.

XENA
The gods, themselves, couldn't keep me away.

GABRIELLE
I was so worried. When you didn't answer my messages, I thought…

XENA
What messages?

The two separated.

XENA
I never got any messages. I thought you were dead, and I had lost you forever.

GABRIELLE
You nearly did.

The bard looked down sadly.

GABRIELLE
It was a nightmare, Xena. We just kept falling straight toward the lava. I had no doubt I was gonna die when, on the way down, Hope pushed me away from her and I got knocked into a niche in a wall. But Hope…

The bard paused as she shook her head.

GABRIELLE
The screams. It was so horrible.

Xena placed a comforting hand on the blond woman's arm as she continued listening to the harrowing tale.

GABRIELLE
I don't know how long I was out. When I came to, I tried to call out for you, but I couldn't do anything but just lay there for I don't know how long.

XENA
You were in shock. It's understandable you wouldn't know what to do. Most people wouldn't.

GABRIELLE
Yeah, It took me for a long time, even after I made it out of there and came back here, before I was completely myself again.

The bard paused as she suddenly thought of something.

GABRIELLE
Wait a minute, if you never got my messages, then how did you know I was alive? Or where to find me?

XENA
It's hard to describe, but it was like a vision of some kind. It was somewhere in the future and I saw you there. So that was when I knew and came to find you. And as for where to find you, I figured if you weren't with me, this would be the next most obvious place you would be.

Gabrielle smirked

GABRIELLE
(Joking tone) The future, huh. Don't tell me, along with everything else, you're an oracle now too.

XENA
Well, if I am, I must not be a very good one.

She looked out at the happy villagers going about their business as usual as she continued.

XENA
Because the general feeling I got definitely didn't reflect the peace and quiet of Poteidaia.

GABRIELLE
But you're right.

The warrior looked back at the young woman as she felt her lightly grab her arm.

GABRIELLE
Something horrible has been going on here.

Xena was about to ask the bard what she meant, but was interrupted when she heard Joxer's voice, and turned to see the man with a very pale and disturbed look on his face.

JOXER
Hey, so, I found something that I really think you guys had better come take a look at.

WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

In a tall tree on the edge of town, a man's body was strung up among the branches, his entrails spilled out and being used to keep him suspended. Though her years of experience on the battlefield in this situation wasn't doing much to desensitize her to the gruesome sight, Xena maintained her composure as she stepped toward the mutilated body to investigate.

GABRIELLE
(Sad tone) Dear gods, that's the worst one yet.

The warrior looked back at the other woman.

XENA
There have been others?

GABRIELLE
Sheep, cows, a horse. But this is the first time it's ever been a person.

WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

A short time later, Xena, Gabrielle and Joxer made their way to the bard's family's home, where the warrior received a not so warm welcome from the young woman's father.

HERODOTUS
We wondered when you'd show up around here, Xena. Though personally, I hoped it'd be never.

Xena scowled at the man who had never liked her as he blamed the woman for Gabrielle leaving home and always being put in some sort of peril.

XENA
(Sarcasm) It's nice to see you too.

The two glared at each other for a long moment. The warrior not caring much for Herodotus in return, due to his seemingly purposeful reluctance to see Gabrielle for the person she was, capable of making her own choices. And instead seemed to rather leave his own daughter feeling trapped in a life he knew she didn't want.

Seeing the tension building between her husband and Xena, in an attempt to prevent things from boiling over, Hecuba quickly spoke up.

HECUBA
So, Gabrielle, I don't believe we've met your other friend here.

GABRIELLE
Oh, right.

She motioned to Joxer.

GABRIELLE
This is Joxer. Joxer, these are my parents, Hecuba, Herodotus and
my sister, Lila.

Joxer smiled as he introduced himself, and soon after became distracted by what Lila was cooking at the fireplace. Meanwhile, Hecuba and Gabrielle struck up their own conversation as the bard's mother mentioned her approval of Joxer and led her off as they talked, leaving Xena alone with Herodotus.

An awkward moment or two passed before Xena broke the uneasy silence between them.

XENA
So, how's she been?

The man scowled at the dark-haired woman.

HERODOTUS
Better since she hasn't been around you.

Sending her own sour expression back at the man, but for Gabrielle's sake, Xena held her tongue for what she actually wanted to say.

XENA
(Irritated tone) I meant, after everything she's been through.

HERODOTUS
(Irritated tone) So did I. What with you seducing her away from home
with your heroics? Filling her head with all sorts of strange and ridiculous
Ideas. So I'll tell you exactly how she's been. And that's changed forever,
because of you.

WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

A rumble of thunder rang through the barn that sat across the yard from Gabrielle's family house, as later that night Xena and Gabrielle sat inside watching the open doorway as an animal carcass hung from the ceiling to try and bait whatever had been using the village as a hunting ground.

XENA
It's almost dawn. Damn storm.

Xena stretched her back that had grown slightly stiff from sitting in one spot for so long.

GABRIELLE
You're not giving up, are you?

XENA
Of course not.

GABRIELLE
Of course. I should've figured.

The young woman smiled as she continued.

GABRIELLE
You never give up on anything. No matter the odds, the cost, the pain. You always find a way. I missed you, Xena.

XENA
Back at ya.

A smile of her own crossed the warrior's lips as she offered the open spot beside her in an invitation that appeared to go unnoticed as Gabrielle reached into the bag beside her and pulled out an apple before walking to sit on a bale of hay across from the other woman.

XENA
Still, hunting the thing in the daylight might be better, anyway.

Gabrielle
But I thought you wanted to get it someplace confined.

Gabrielle took a bite of her apple as the warrior explained her logic.

XENA
I do. But it'd be much better if we can track it down to its lair.

Suddenly, a loud thud caused Gabrielle to jump slightly as the candle they had lit blew out, and on instinct, Xena immediately snatched her chakram from her hip as she leapt to her feet. Then turning around, she saw that the noise had just been caused by one of the side doors to the barn being blown open by the storm. So, replacing her weapon at her side, the woman sighed as she walked over to the large door and shut it, making sure it stayed closed before turning back to go sit down only to stop dead in her tracks as she saw that the animal carcass that had just been hanging in the main doorway just a moment ago was now gone.

Drawing her chakram again, Xena began looking around in the darkness as she began slowly walking toward the front entrance of the barn. A small rustling sound caught her attention, causing her to quickly turn around, only to see no one but Gabrielle nervously holding her staff, watching for whatever was lurking around. Returning her search in the other direction, the warrior turned toward the barn's main entrance yet again and was met with a large monster that, with one swing of it's claw, threw Xena backwards, knocking her chakram from her hand as she was slammed into a support beam where she slumped to the ground as the creature began slowly stalking toward her.

TO BE CONTINUED…