Blood and Roses Realm | Fan Fiction Site |Home Page
This page was last updated: 060299
(c)June 1999
URL: willow21.html(Also housed at Sharon Bower's Site!)
The following is a bit of alternative fiction based on certaincharacters from the Xenaverse It is not meant to infringe onanyone else's rights. If you don't agree or disapprove, pleasego read something else.
This story is part of an Altaverse based on Bite Me and theFonder Heart. It can be found, along with other such stories,at The Realms of the Xenaverse, under Blood and Roses. Xena is Ares' Daughter and Gabrielle is Bacchus' Daughter
Characters from Buffy: Vampire Slayer have also been borrowed for the purposesof this story. All of this is written with the utmost affection and the no desire forrenumeration (except for possible emails). The same above disclaimer is in effect. There are certain changes that have been made to accomadate this particular Xenaverse. Buffy's Vampires are really part of the Kin, renamed for purposes of this story
Xex Alert: Yes, there definitely will be, between two consenting immortal women even. Maybe even more
Violence Alert: Yes, probably, given that this is a story involving slayage and Xena.
"Why do I find it hard to believe that anything destroyed Xena the first time around? Only an idiot would hang around for the second time to roll around." Buffy shook her head as she cruised down the halls with Willow. After Gabrielle had revealed that Xena wasn't... well, Xena... sort of-- she hadn't really understood that part-- the warrior had strode away with an indifferent swagger that Buffy knew meant the dark woman was hurt.
She understood. It was the same walk she used herself when cornered.
Willow was aghast. Xena was... well, she really was the prostitute that her aunts and uncles had said she was. Only not. Kind of. Did that make what she had seen last night...? It made the teenager's teeth ache to contemplate the situation any further.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't the Superhero trainees," Cordelia's voice cut through the usual hallway noises of lockers slamming and cheerleaders gossiping. Her eyes flickered over Buffy dismissively but landed firmly on Willow. "How's life among the undead?"
Buffy opened her mouth to reply, but shut it quickly when she noticed the unfamiliar glint in Willow's eye. Apparently Wills wanted to lead this particular dance.
"You know, Cordy," the redhead began, "It used to bother me that you picked on me and my friends all the time."
Cordelia only snickered and rolled her eyes.
"But then I realized that you have to pick apart other people's lives because you don't have one yourself. It's a shame that the one thing you really need-- Daddy's credit cards can't buy."
Buffy's glance darted from her friend to their antagonist and was surprised to see that the color had completely drained from Cordelia's expensive tan. The dark-haired girl shifted her books so that she was clutching them press against her chest.
But Cordy was no fool, her mother had always taught her that the best defense was a good offense. "Well, maybe I would have a life if I hadn't started hanging out with you losers. Now I'm getting attacked by her ex every ten minutes." She gestured at Buffy scornfully. "Did you tell her about lover boy's latest antics? Not to mention how you kept Auntie Fangs from getting rid of him. Thanks a lot, Willow. Now we can all just sit around and wait for him to do it again." Turning on her heel and ignoring the heated catcalls of the football players nearby, she stormed down the corridor.
Willow squinched her eyes shut, hoping that Buffy wouldn't ask the next, inevitable question.
"Will-- what's she talking about?"
It really wasn't that hard to find Xena... Gabrielle just followed the rich scent of blood that her lover left trailing in her wake.
Xena's scent was so distinctive, so different from any that the bard
had ever known. And yet, it still wasn't the completely unique smell of
her warrior from all those centuries ago.
It had unnerved her at first. Made her believe that her stumbling across
the beautiful, dark haired, blue-eyed whore was just one of those astonishing
coincidences that happened once every century or so. But this doppleganger
had proven different from all the others, had remained through everything--
through the revelation of Gabrielle's lineage, through the knowledge of
what she was supposed to be, until one dark night...
A horrible night, filled with thunder and darkness. An art gallery reception. No different from all the others Gabrielle attended as patron. During this one, however, an employee of hers had made a play for Xena-- thinking the tall woman no more than one of Gabrielle's temporary playmates. It made the fair-haired woman shudder to remember that she'd had something of a discreet reputation as a womanizer in certain circles. Somehow that man had been a part of those circles.
And Xena had paid the price for it.
That night had begun the long road of remembrance, until Xena had finally reclaimed her immortality and won acknowledgment from the remaining Olympians of who she was. Still, her lover had been mortal born, and her path had never been easy.
Especially at times like this.
"Hey there," she said softly, spying the dimly outlined form at the top of a set of bleachers in the school's gymnasium. It made sense that Xena would retreat here, where the smell of sweat and desire and effort could never be eradicated from the floors and walls. "Whatcha doing?"
"I went to a school like this." A pause. "Well, for a little while anyway."
The bard's breath caught in her throat. Xena had always resolutely refused to discuss her mortal heritage.
As if that would take away from what she truly was.
"I was never very good at academics. Not like your Willow..." Her voice trailed away for a moment. "But I was good at sports."
"Makes sense."
"Why? Because I'm a big, dumb warrior?" Xena's voice tensed, and Gabrielle realized with a sinking heart that the familiar teasing words they had used in the past were really double-edged weapons.
She thought quickly. "No. Because you're at home in your body."
The warrior snickered evilly. "Nice save, Bard. You sound so sincere."
"Xena..." Gabrielle shook her head in the twilit gym. "Don't do this."
"Do what?" The shadowed form rose from its seated position and loomed ever larger as it descended the bleachers, Xena's square-heeled boots ringing hollowly on the metal seats. "I mean, I think you've done plenty this morning."
The bard was shocked into silence. "Wha... What are you talking about, Xena?" she asked, genuinely perplexed.
"You just about told everyone in that library that I was nothing more than a delusional whore." Xena's voice had reached its lowest, most menacing register. "'Acathla's the demon that destroyed Xena...' What the fuck does that make me, Gabrielle?"
"Xena..."
The dark woman brooked no interruption. "Your whore. That's what it makes me, Gabrielle. Nothing more. The only difference between me and the others is that I could learn the party tricks you wanted to teach me."
This close the Sunwalker could smell the sweet metallic aroma of her lover's blood, mixed with the scents of rage and fear. One simple statement had laid bare all her lover's insecurities and pains. The immortal bard had a silent moment of recognition-- of a time when she had been the student and Xena the teacher. No doubt about it, the tables had turned.
How had Xena managed this those millennia ago?
But whereas Gabrielle had leaned on her more experienced lover, sought out the shelter that Xena's wisdom provided, this Xena... her Xena, she reminded herself... recoiled from that dependence, interpreting it as weakness.
The dark woman loomed over her fair-haired lover, but Gabrielle stood her ground resolutely. The question of physical violence was moot between them anyway. Both women knew that with one sweep of her hand, Gabrielle could do irreparable damage to her much younger partner.
"No, Xena..." A simple denial. It wasn't true.
It couldn't be...
"What did you think you could possibly turn me into?"
"I didn't turn you into anything, Xena. I didn't dare dream that..." Knowing the words were a mistake as soon as they left her mouth.
"That I might actually be your lover from those thousands of years ago." The dark woman snorted derisively. "I may have fooled your gods... but we both know the truth." She moved swiftly, as if to brush by her lover.
"Stop..." An iron grip locked itself around Xena's arm. Gabrielle knew she was pushing matters, but she had no idea why an admittedly stupid comment had brought all her lover's insecurities into such vivid relief.
"Let me go, Gabrielle." More a growl than anything. "Or we'll find out right now just who is the immortal in this relationship."
The shock of hearing those words issue from Xena's mouth rather than the explicit threat in them caused the bard to drop her hand and let the darkened figure sweep past her into the daylight ahead.
Buffy and Willow had retreated to a secluded glen just outside the library. There were trees and a few small benches-- meant to encourage studious habits, but in truth they had become the grottos reserved for budding lovers seeking a lunchtime grope.
Which meant that during classes-- like right now-- the place was pretty deserted.
Willow couldn't help but glance nervously over her shoulder, looking for a stray passerby. She had never seen Buffy's eyes so dangerously dark. It was as if her best friend had disappeared, replaced by some stranger-- some strange slayer, to be precise. In her current incarnation, it wasn't hard to believe that Buffy was capable of staking anything that crossed her path.
"Wha... What do you mean?" She stuttered, more unnerved than anything.
"I mean, this morning, Will. You know, when you showed up at my doorstep bearing sugar and caffeine. When you hugged me and told me everything was going to be all right?" Buffy's tone was scornful, and Willow burned at the warm memory of Buffy-- her slayer-- rested contentedly in her arms.
Between Buffy, Xena, Gabrielle and Xena-and-Gabrielle; the poor hacker's senses were on overload with shockingly unfamiliar sensations. "But... but..."
"But what, Willow? What reason could you possibly have for not letting Gabrielle stake him?" The slayer took a step towards the redhead, who involuntarily found herself stepping back.
"You love him," Willow replied softly, bowing her head. A silence was born between them in that moment, and Willow waited.... for the denial, for the anger, maybe even for a blow.
Instead there was silence, broken only by the whispering sound of Buffy brushing by her and walking away.
Buffy emerged from the grotto, her brain reeling. Angel, death, and Willow were all tangled in her thoughts in an incomprehensible mass. Some primal instinct took over, telling her only that she had to move, escape the burning pain that filled her lungs and heart.
She turned the corner towards the back of the school, and only her reflexes saved her from colliding with the tall, dark figure that came hurtling out of the shadows.
"Whoa! Pay attention to where you're going much?" she snarled before recognizing the stranger. "Hey, it's you. You practicing your gymnastics routines down there or something?" she asked, nodding at the squat gym building.
Xena's pale eyes arced towards her, and one eyebrow rose appraisingly. Buffy felt every moment of the perusal as if it were an eternity. "No," the warrior replied curtly.
"Not much for small talk, are you?"
"Don't see a need for it."
Buffy considered the statement. The woman had a point-- who wanted to stand around and talk about the weather when the energy crackling off Xena's long form threatened to engulf everything around her? The warrior could, in a way, be considered a force of nature.
The blond slayer had learned painfully that you can't fight nature.
You bend with it.
"Hey--" Xena's low voice snapped her back to reality.
"Yeah?"
"You wanna get out of here?"
Buffy had classes; she had obligations; she had a test
in fifth period math for god's sake. She took one look into Xena's eyes.
"Let's go."
Blood and Roses Realm | Fan Fiction Site |Home Page
This page was last updated: 060299
(c)June 1999
URL: willow21.html(Also housed at Sharon Bower's Site!)