WARNINGS AND DISCLAMERS

When Xena returned to the fire and sat down Gabrielle spoke to her although she never looked at her. "Xena I want you to know that I’m really sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused you."

"Do I need to tell you again? You’re my best friend Gabrielle and I love you. You're no trouble and I wouldn’t want it any other way." Gabrielle let a wary smile cross her face. "Do you think you’ll need any of the pain medicine or is the wine helping." Xena said giving the bard a consoling smile.

"No… I’m fine. I think the wine is working." Gabrielle said as she started to lay back on her bedroll.

"Sleep well my bard." With that Xena picked up all the dirty dishes and returned to the fire to straighten up and work on some of her repairs to her armor while the young woman slept.

Xena had expected Gabrielle either not to care that she read her journal or to definitely be mad. The warrior was puzzled by the way that the bard had just seemed to back off from her without really seeming to be mad. The raven-haired goddess was having trouble understanding why the bard had acted the way she did.

Xena had tried to wake the bard for the noon meal, but Gabrielle had made sort of a growling noise at her and had covered her head so the warrior decided to let her sleep since that seemed to be what she wanted to do anyway. Xena just ate some cheese and bread not wanting to leave her bard alone.

A couple of candlemarks later the warrior's ears were ringing from the bard's scream that was bouncing off of the cave walls. Xena hurriedly rose and went to the small woman and scooped the bard up into her arms. "Gabrielle it's all right… calm down, please you're safe. Everything is ok." The warrior spoke to Gabrielle quietly as she also brushed feather-light kissed across the bard's face, kissing away her tears.

Gabrielle awoke looking startled and immediately pushed away from Xena. "Xena leave me alone, I don't want your pity." The bard said hotly.

"Gabrielle, what are you talking about?" the warrior said confused by Gabrielle reaction.

"Xena you read my journal and felt sorry for the little 'girl' and made love to me out of pity." The bard said as she continued to try to push herself out of the strong arms of the warrior.

"Gabrielle please stop fighting with me." Xena might have thought Gabrielle was kidding except for the level of anger that was evident in the smaller woman's voice. "Gabrielle, I don't pity you, I…" the bard's words had started to sink in making the bard's actions from earlier easier to understand. Gabrielle was continuing to struggle.

Xena shook Gabrielle's shoulders slightly. "Gabrielle stop it… stop it right now!" the warrior said as anger to the bard's words flared in her voice. Xena cupped Gabrielle's chin pulling her head around so she could look into the jade green eyes of her lover. "Gabrielle… I will have to admit that I've used sex for my own personal gains in the past and for my own selfish needs and I'm not proud of that, but I've NEVER had sex with anyone out of pity." Tears brimmed in the warrior's eyes as the hurt of Gabrielle's words spewed from her mouth.

Gabrielle eyes widened a little at the tears and tone of anger evident in the warrior's voice. "Xena I'm…."

"Gods Gabrielle how could you even think such a thing? Do you think I could or would take your virginity from you because I felt PITY for you?" the warrior said as a few tears slipped down her cheek. "Gabrielle I've never loved anyone the way I love you and I wouldn't make love to you out of pity! If I wasn't so damn in love with you I wouldn't have even considered taking you virginity… you know how I feel about that!"

"Xena I'm sorry I didn't mean to hurt you. I love you… I've loved you for so long. I guess I'm just having trouble believing that you could actually love me." the bard said in hushed tones as she stared into the tear filled blue eyes of her love.

"My bard… BELIEVE it. I've never loved anyone the way I love you and there's just no way that any part of it has anything to do with PITY." Xena said with an intense sincerity as she looked deeply into the bard's eyes.

Xena pulled Gabrielle up to her and kissed the bard's soft lips tenderly, trying to let her lips convey the depth of the love she felt for the bard. The intensity of the kiss took the bard's breath away and both parted breathing raggedly.

"Would you like something to eat since you slept through lunch?" The warrior asked still holding the bard tightly. "Then after we finish eating how would you like to take a bath and soak in the pool for a while?" She asked the bard playfully watching for her reaction out of the corner of her eye. All of the bard’s injuries were healing nicely, but Xena was hoping that the warm mineral pool would help the bard with the stiffness and soreness she was still dealing with from her injuries.

"Gods, would I ever. Bathes out of a bowl are not my favorite." The bard said with pure joy in her voice as she looked at the pool.

Xena got them both something to eat and some tea to wash it down with.

Since they weren’t going to need the campfire for heat Xena had only built a small fire and decided to let it burn down on its own. The warrior picked up some candles along with the soap, cloths for drying and some cleans shifts and laid them by the pool, all the while keeping an eye on the bard as she removed her clothes.

Xena then started removing her leathers while she continued to watch the bard’s progress. The warrior hated to interfere since Gabrielle liked to prove she could do things for herself. Xena watched but refrained from saying anything to her and hoped that Gabrielle would ask for help if she needed it.

Gabrielle was having a little trouble. Her hands were still a little sore from crawling around and the arm she'd dislocated still wasn’t responding well without some pain. She'd made some progress, but was starting to look a little frazzled. Finally the bard shot a side-glance at the warrior but said nothing.

Xena realized that Gabrielle wasn’t going to ask her for help, so she walked over to her on her way to the pool. Xena looked down at her, "Would you like some help?"

Gabrielle looked up at Xena with a pouty-look, "I guess so… my arm and hands are still a little sore."

Xena bent over and started to help her remove the remainder of her clothing. When she’d finished she looked over at the bard and realized that Gabrielle was taking in her naked body and then her eyes lingered on the warrior’s breasts. When Gabrielle looked up into the deep blue eyes of the warrior who was looking at her she blushed a very bright crimson. Gabrielle started to stammer "I… I don’t… I’m sorry I am such a bother, could you also help me into the water."

The sexual intimacy of their relationship was still new to both of them and Xena could feel the awkwardness between them. She thought she knew something that might take the edge off. "Wait a minute I want to get something." Xena walked over and picked up the wineskin and the one of port and headed back to the pool.

Xena laid the wine and port on the edge of the pool and then walked back over to the bard. Without saying another word she picked Gabrielle up in her arms. As suddenly as she picked her up their flesh came into contact and the bard exclaimed a little loudly. "OHH GODDSSS!" Xena looked at the woman in her arms, the bard’s eyes were wide and her face was red.

Xena was startled and worried. Had she hurt the bard? She didn’t think so… but… "Gods Gabrielle are you all right? Did I hurt you?"

Gabrielle’s voice was shaky and cracked. "Nn... nno…no Xena… it just… I’ll be fine."

Nearly instant realization swept across the warrior's face and she smiled down into the jade green eyes of the bard in her arms, as her own skin felt like it was on fire from the touch of the bard's. Xena hadn’t noticed the bard shaking when she picked her up, but she was shaking now and was still making some unintelligible noises as she continued to carry her into the warm water.

Xena waded in until the water came just above her waist. She lowered the small woman into the warm water and loosened her grip on her so she could float. When Xena seen that Gabrielle was all right, she let her go. The warrior moved over a little and started to float and relax a little herself.

As Xena tried to relax her thoughts traveled to the small woman in the pool with her. As she thought of Gabrielle and the events of the last few days she also remembered the bard’s journal she’d read. As the thoughts of Gabrielle’s journal filtered through her mind, the contents of the journal came back as well.

Xena tried to remember when it was that she'd became aware of the bard growing into womanhood. It's seems that her hormones or libido knew before her mind became aware of it or would accept it. Xena just knew that she'd really started to enjoy the end of the day when the bard would help her remove her armor and sometimes comb out her hair. Gabrielle’s touches were always so gentle and subtle. She'd also discovered that she not only wanted the touches of this woman but felt a need for them. Any reason to touch or be touched by the bard brought pure joy to the warrior’s heart.

It took a while, but Xena finally realized that she’d started to feel more for the bard than the love for one’s sister. It was only when the warrior could no longer dismiss these feelings that kept cropping up that she'd recently had to take a really good look at this girl that she’d traveled with for over two cycles. Only then did Xena realize that the ‘young girl’ she’d started out with had grown into a woman somewhere along the way.

Xena’s thoughts of the bard continued to play through her mind as she floated and it stirred her passion and the longing in her loins. The warrior decided if she was going to get a bath that now would probably be a good time before her thoughts and hormones carried her completely away. Xena moved to the side of the pool and got the soap and started to bathe. When she ducked under the water to rinse the soap out of her hair she felt the bard move up beside her.

She turned and looked at Gabrielle and the bard again blushed. Xena could still feel the awkwardness and decided that maybe now would be a good time to get some of the port. Xena wasn’t at all comfortable with her feelings that felt like they would overwhelm her at any time; she’d been a warlord and had stood before royalty and gods and had never felt the way she did around this very small passive woman. Xena reached for the port and took a drink.

Xena held out both skins to the bard as a gesture of question and to her mild surprise the small woman took the skin of port and drank. The bard gasped and coughed with her first swallow. Xena took the skin back as she looked at the woman doubtfully. "Gabrielle if you’re drinking that because you’re hurting I can put some powder in some tea for you, you don’t have to drink this."

"No… I’m not hurting that bad." Although blushing at not even being able to take a drink without choking and coughing like a kid who’d just taken their first drink, she continued. "I just remember how well I slept last night. It might be a little strong but it’s better than the powder anytime." The bard said with a quirky-smile.

Gabrielle reached for the skin in Xena’s hand. Xena handed it to her but was very skeptical about the results of the bard’s determination to drink the port instead of the wine. Gabrielle didn’t cough this time although her face did flush a little from the alcohol. Xena grinned and took the skin for another drink.

Xena watched as the bard laid down in the water at the edge of the pool. She put her head on the side of the pool and closed her eyes. Xena continued to watch the bard out of the corner of her eye and had seen Gabrielle watching her as she finished bathing herself. Xena didn’t want a repeat of the earlier awkwardness when she’d caught Gabrielle looking at her breasts, so she continued to act like she didn’t notice.

When Xena was finished bathing she moved back to the edge of the pool laying the soap down and again opened the port. She took a drink and felt a hand on her arm, she looked and Gabrielle held out her hand for the skin. Xena handed it to her and Gabrielle took another drink and handed the skin back to Xena, and Xena took another drink before putting the cork back in.

Gabrielle picked up the soap to finish bathing herself and Xena moved back off to continue enjoying the port and let the bard finish her bath. Being that close to the bard's nude body was too much for the warrior. To stay that close without doing something about it was impossible.

Xena moved on around the edge of the pool and after taking another large swallow corked the skin and laid back in the water to relax some more. As she laid there her thoughts again drifted back to Gabrielle. Xena’s thoughts were soon interrupted by the sound of Gabrielle’s voice. Xena opened her eyes and turned to the bard. "Sorry I guess I wasn’t paying attention, what did you say?"

Gabrielle blushed a little. "I was wondering if you’d mind washing my back... my arm being sore has sure created its share of…" the bards paused as her face turned a little redder, "… uh… interesting problems."

Xena turned and picked up the skin of port, chuckling to herself at the helpless look on the smaller woman’s face. She took another drink trying to compose herself before turning toward the small helpless looking woman. She didn’t want the bard to see the amused look on her face; she wasn’t laughing at the bard only the look on her face.

Xena finally turned and started back toward Gabrielle only to be caught by dazzling green eyes that were locked onto her own, she shut her eyes and took another larger swallow before offering the port to Gabrielle.

Gabrielle handed Xena the soap and took the port.

Gabrielle took a drink of the port as Xena moved around behind her to wash her back. As Xena touched Gabrielle’s back she felt her shudder slightly. She looked around to try to get a look at the bard’s face and could see that she was biting her lip. Xena smiled quietly to herself knowing that she must be having the same effect on the bard as the little woman was having on her.

"Gabrielle I’m not hurting you am I?" Xena questioned… just to be sure.

"No… no it feels good." Gabrielle slightly turned toward Xena and had what Xena could tell was a very controlled smile on her face.

Xena was enjoying the effect she was having on Gabrielle, but the enjoyment was becoming short lived, as her own problem burned even hotter from touching the bard's bare flesh. As Xena rubbed her hands across the small woman's back, she started to lean back into the warrior. The warrior had controlled her desire as long as she could and now slowly slipped her hands under the bard's arms and around to cover the small woman full taught breasts, kneading and squeezing them softly. The bard moaned as she closed her eyes and let her head fall back on the warrior's shoulder. Xena pulled the small woman up tight against her groin and the bard started to slide her soap covered back against the warrior's own hardening breasts. The warrior couldn't help but shudder and moan from the intensely exquisite feeling of the bard's bare soft flesh moving against her.

Gabrielle opened her eyes and looked deep into the warrior's soul that been laid bare before her. "Xena I need you… please make love to me!" the bard pleaded with her love as her fire became a raging inferno that only the touch of the warrior could extinguish.

Xena lingered over rinsing the soap from the bard's body enjoying the feel of the soft skin shuddering to her touch. The bard continued to moan softly at the ministering hands of the warrior. "Gods, Xena I need you." The warrior smiled down at the woman in her arms and stood up picking the bard up in her arms as she stood. She walked from the pool holding the honey-blonde tightly to her enjoying the heat from the small woman's body and the musky smell of arousal already evident.

Ó Copyrighted January 1998 by DelShannon