The Tour

The following is a bit of alternative fiction based on certain characters from the Xenaverse. It is not meant to infringe on anyone else's rights. If you don't agree or disapprove, please go read something else.

SQUICK alert: This Tartarus for Hell's sake! Expect grodities.

Xex Alert: Yep there will be. Sizzling Hot, but later.

Remember, this is all meant in fun!

She examined her reflection, twisting her ruddy body so she could check all the angles. She brought her hands up to her chest, tracing the swirled lines that seemed to erupt from between her breast. She growled low in her throat, turning slowly. "You did that on purpose." It was a cold accusation, angrily tossed in the warrior's direction. Xena felt a chill roll down her spine and settle like a lump in her stomach, however, powerful woman refused to show fear and remained stoically silent. She kept her feet spaced apart and her body relaxed.

Gabrielle's growl deepened. "You marked me!" The demoness' nostrils flared, "I've lived one hundred and seventy three years! and no one. . .NO ONE has ever . . .ever marked me." Xena's eyebrows raised despite herself. One hundred seventy three? One HUNDRED seventy three?!!! The warriors heart skipped a beat. O Gods could this have been a mistake?

The demoness pointed a long finger at Xena and it shook unsteadily, "You!" She stepped menacingly forward, "You!! are here two days." Her fingers formed a "v," then she pointed at the olive skinned woman with them, "TWO DAYS!" she roared. It was a ferocious noise. Tok whimpered and tried to crawl under the bed. Her back claws dug into the floor. Only her front half made it under. Her tail curled around feet. The daggite shivered and kept very quiet.

Gabrielle pulled back abruptly, brought both hands up, pulled at her breasts and looked down at the dark, almost black marks on the center of her chest. The demoness huffed out a breath from her nose. Xena swore she saw sparks and she was right. Gabrielle lifted her face, her eyes, still golden with the mating impulse had also taken on a red glow.

That was her only warning.

Her shoulders and hips instantly ached from the impact against the wall. Her head snapped back painfully, but not in a damaging way. Oh good, Izzy wasn't going to kill her.

Yet.

The demoness trapped Xena's wrists so they were held up, as if in surrender. Her palms were feverish against the warrior's skin. Where their bodies touched it was so hot it almost burned. They were painfully still against each other. Xena looked up bravely and said the only thing she could think of, "One Hundred and seventy Three years??!!!"

The demoness' eyelids fluttered. Then, starting somewhere in the middle of her belly, the laugh came out. She had to let go of Xena's hands she was laughing so hard. Her hands fell to Xena's side, landing on the long woman's hips. Her head rested itself in the crook of Xena's neck. The warrior's arms came down, landing softly on the the red woman's back.

The warrior found herself picked up abruptly and hugged sharply, but not painfully. Then she was set down again. Xena found her balance by leaning against the wall and placing her hands flat against its surface.

Izzy spoke softly. "You didn't know, did you." The demoness touched Xena's face gently. Her golden eyes were soft, "Tartarus has strange. . .time zones. . .in some places. I . .fell into one." The demoness smiled limply, "I'm older than you now, Xena." The warrior didn't say anything.

"Did you know about the marking?" Xena shook her head slowly. Izzy looked ashamed and sighed. "I. . .I am very sorry. I thought. . .I thought Mylek put you up to it. I was so sure he. . ."

The warrior found her voice, "Put me up to what?" she asked in confusion.

"Xena," oh gods, how to explain this, "you used my. . ." The demoness' face took on many expressions at once before settling on the agonizing, I'm trying to explain something and I don't think it's very well, expression. "You used my original name, during the time of mating, at one of the high points. It was like. . ." she pulled back and started pacing. Her hands moved expressively, "It was like. . ." Gods, Gabrielle, spit it out, "Claiming a bit of my soul as yours." The demoness stopped her pacing and stared at Xena, "Only mates do that here. .or people who think it controls a body. .it doesn't, but they try it anyway. .I mean it does, but not that way. You have. .I mean you had it before, but now you really have a piece. ." The demoness dropped her eyes to her chest and then looked back at the warrior, "of my heart."

Xena blinked and pushed herself away from the wall. Might as well start . ."Mylek didn't. I didn't see any on.."

Gabrielle giggled, "He has 'em around his. . thing." The demoness made a circle with her fingers, "Jilith said, when they exchanged names, the three rings appeared almost instantly. They didn't realize until he slid out of course, but still . . ."

"Gabrielle." Xena's voice was soft.

"and she got a set of little boxes on her. . ."

"Gabrielle."

". . ."

All that time. All that time and she never told anyone who she was. . ."You waited for me didn't you?" She couldn't be at the portal so she waited the only way she could. She'd known Xena would come after her. Gabrielle had known.

"I had a lot of lovers, Xena. I couldn't. .I mean there was no way. .I. . " Gabrielle found that it was her being backed up against the wall this time. Xena smirked. Surely the demoness' knew better.

"mmhmm," Xena's body pressed against hers again and she trapped Gabrielle between her arms. "Yes, lovers. I see that. mmhmm." She smiled wickedly, knowingly. "I've had lovers. Or didn't you notice. . ." There was a moment of hot bliss as they held still against each other, savoring the warmth of being near one another.

"Xena?"

"hmm?"

"How do you do it? How do you figure these things out so quickly?" For an instant Xena thought she saw Gabrielle's original face. Well, one thing at a time.

The warrior grinned and said, "I think really really hard, then I guess."

The demoness smiled, then looked startled, "Uhm. .Xena. .I've got to. . .we've ... "

Xena caught the glow in Gabrielle's eyes and knew. She smiled lustfully. Too bad the bed was so far away. She would just have to take her mate here.

Tok backed out carefully once it heard the first moan and quietly slunk around the bed to examine the source of the noise. The daggite cocked her head curiously and tried to determine why the fighting one's mouth was located where it was. It came to the conclusion that she was grooming the Mistress. She could smell the scent of mating in the air. Well, maybe not grooming.

Tok waggled it's head then stretched. They would be here awhile. The daggite went back to her corner and settled her head in her paws.