Suddenly Gabrielle slid to a stop clutching her aching ribs as sobs finally escaped and tears spilled out of her eyes. Her heart hurt so much more than anything she had to compare it too. In a swift motion Gabrielle turned to Xena who now stood behind her. Without a second's hesitation Xena opens her arms and pulls an extremely grateful Gabrielle into her calming embrace. Xena stood stoically still for a moment trying to convey a steady presence in Gabrielle's seemingly out of control and top heavy life.

From the safety, comfort, and warmth of Xena's chest Gabrielle starts pulling herself together enough to at least soften her all out sobs to an occasional rapid inhale that breaks the warrior's heart with each painful burst. Her tears still falling landed on the warrior's silk clad chest, chilling the warrior to the bone. Unbothered by the cold Xena continued to run a soothing hand along Gabrielle's back holding her carefully close.

Unable to help herself, the queen turns her nose to the top of Gabrielle's head and breathes in the tempting scent. Her lips softly kissed the top of Gabrielle's head offering as much comfort as an affection starved warlord could. Xena was actively praising the unbudgeable desire to be there for Gabrielle as the woman finally gained control over her breath and the tears began to slow.

"How could they be so hateful? They said they would love me no matter what. Instead they throw me away to slavers the first time I step out of line."

Xena scrambled to think of the right words to say, not wanting to discount the bard's hurt feelings but needing to address what she had discovered from her conversations with the family thus far. First she wanted to confirm a suspicion that had formed after Lila said that he had changed so suddenly.

She started slowly, "Gabrielle, do you know if Herodotus suffered some sort of head injury about a month ago?" Xena's soft voice rumbled through the bard's nervous system further soothing the ache in her broken heart.

"Yes." Gabrielle nodded in the affirmative, pulling back only enough to look in confusion to the plotting blue orbs of the queen, "He got hit in the head by a horseshoe that someone had accidentally dropped from the upper level of the barn. He was dropping his horse off at the stables in Potidaea."

"That's what I suspected." Xena was thoughtful while trying to figure out how to explain her new plan, "I think that your dad might have sustained a serious head injury during the incident. I have seen soldiers' personalities become completely different after such an injury. A lot of them become a lot more angry about little things that previously wouldn't have bothered them at all."

The recognition in Gabrielle's eyes was infinitely obvious to the astute queen. Her voice was full of fragile hope when she asked, "That sounds like what happened to my father. Xena, do you think that he can be treated?" Her heart was hammering in her chest with the possibility of what the queen was saying.

"I have an experimental medical facility a few miles south from here that specializes in wounded warriors with the same kind of affliction. I want to send Herodotus there to see if they can rehabilitate him. Would that be alright?"

"By all the Gods, yes. Please send him." Gabrielle shook the arms that held her as though it would shake the idea further into the hardened warrior's mind.

"I will as soon as the royal guard gets back. After the ambush I'll have to put together a large escort to make sure he not only gets there safely but that he is guarded for the duration of his stay." Xena gave an assuring grin, hypnotized by the bard's persuasion.

"Thank you so much Xena!"

"Don't thank me yet. It isn't a sure thing." Seeing the hope dim slightly Xena affirms, "There is a reason to hope."

"Xena? Do you really think he could be my dad again?" Gabrielle's words came out as though she were but a lost soul slowly being fed by hopeful dreams that seemed so near to impossible.

"I can't make that promise. What I can do is tell you that they have made remarkable advancements in the field." Xena needed to give caution because she didn't want to give false hope, but at the same time she knew that Herodotus would certainly improve within the healing walls of the medical facility. 'I opened the facility long before I dominated the world. I haven't checked in a few years but who knows maybe they've figured something else out.' Still the knowledge that he would likely never be the same man that he once was weighed heavily on the empress. The odds were stacked against him at the moment but anything was possible.

Gabrielle claimed the warrior's body in a tight stifling hug that stung her own jarred ribs, "Do you have any secret experimental medical facility that could help fix my mom?"

The warrior thought about it for a moment before the answer hit her. Xena was shocked to discover that she had been unwittingly preparing to help Gabrielle's parents for the last seven years. Ever since she lost M'Lila to a strange illness. When she had first fallen ill Xena the then ruler of most of the world had dispatched hundreds of healers to her aid. None of whom could even give a name for the sickness let alone provide a cure.

After the hard loss Xena had gotten really into advancing medical knowledge in honor of her past teacher and subsequent lover. And now it would help the love of her life which made her feel even more connected to her former teacher.

"I actually might. Although hers can be handled in the castle."

"Really?"

Xena smirks as she enjoys the sparkle slowly returning in Gabrielle's eyes, "I have people who have studied the human psyche. With a few dedicated years of careful study they are able to come in and listen to the person. Afterwards they are often able to offer sound advice on a person's particular problems. I keep a few employed in the castle for the royal guard and their family members. I'll arrange for a meeting with her and we'll see what they can do. I'll assign one for Herodotus as well on the off chance that it could help him."

"You are the most incredible person I have ever met. Thank you so much for everything you've done." Gabrielle sighs and snuggles back into Xena's warm embrace.

Xena placed a sweet kiss on the top of Gabrielle's soft hair. Before she could stop herself she admits, "No thank you for being you. I can't possibly express how grateful I am to you for that."

"I can't go back out there Xena. I just can't."

"That is more than alright." Xena softly stroked Gabrielle's tense back, "I honestly didn't expect you would want to go back out there. I'll instruct one of the guards to entertain Hecuba and if you want I could arrange to have Lila brought to us. If you want to stay in the sun we can…"

Exhausted and filled to the brim with pain Gabrielle admitted to herself that Xena might have been right to caution bed rest, "I think I just want us to go back to bed for a while. My ribs are hurting more than I want to admit."

"Okay. Let's go." With that the newly worried empress returned to the bard's side and offered as much support as she could. Drawing a small appreciative smile from the still sad advisor who not only accepted the helpful arm wrapping around her but she absolutely sank into the warrior's body with a hug of her own.

Xena guides the woman the rest of the way to the hall Gabrielle had been running to. On either side of the entrance were two guards. The duo pauses as they pass by so that Xena could say to them, "There has been a change of plans. Lila and Hecuba will be staying in the spare rooms in my apartments. In the meantime I want you to make sure my guests are entertained, cared for, and secured. Give them free access to the castle and the amenities."

Then as if on second thought she says, "After they finish lunch, offer to take Lila to the royal guard's children's school and take Hecuba up to visit with Martha for a few hours. Make it happen."

The guards tightened their bodies even more and gave a respectable salute, while acknowledging their acceptance of their duty by assertively saying, "My queen!"

With that finished Xena began ushering her advisor back to bed. As they walked their bodies moved as one. Xena heard the shrill whistle from the guard calling to relay her orders to someone who would see her orders through. In the back of her mind she knew that the guards tasked with the family's protection would certainly grow larger if it hadn't already, as would the guards around her apartments.

Xena also knew that Gabrielle was fragile from everything that she had undergone and she toyed with the newly forming plan to also have Gabrielle and Lila also talk to the psychiatrist themselves. She wanted them to have everything they needed to start to work out some of the mental anguish they had all undergone due to Herodotus' injury.

Xena had hoped to be and do whatever it took to fully heal the bard's mental health but she also knew that she was stumbling around in the dark trying to do that for Gabrielle. Xena wasn't exactly the definition of supportive. These feelings brewing inside of her were all so new to her. The last thing she wanted was to exacerbate the situation.

In a stunning development Xena was even flirting with the idea of talking to one of them herself if for no other reason than to get some advice of her own on how to help Gabrielle. She was so convinced of the detriment of her own personality archetype.

Almost back into the comfort of their shared room Gabrielle draws Xena out of her deep thought to say, "Thank you Xena."

For a stunned moment Xena looks down at the bard. Xena tries to shake off the warm feeling wrapping around her normally chilled heart to no avail. Giving up quickly Xena says with teasing but still fully empathic eyes, "Gabrielle, you don't have to keep thanking me for everything." With a smart smirk she jests, "I'm not thanked for the things I do."

"Well… Maybe it is time for that to change. You have given back to the world in so many impactful ways." Gabrielle was speaking of the steady advancement that she drove the people to, "Maybe I was sent to help you ease into that fact."

Xena smirked at the bard as she opened the door to their bedroom, "That's pretty confident of you Gabrielle. I like that."