DISCLAIMER:
Xena: Warrior Princess, Gabrielle, Argo and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Xena: Warrior Princess, together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of MCA/Universal and Renaissance Pictures. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Copies of this story may be made for private use only and must include all disclaimers and copyright notices.

NOTE:
All works remain the (c) copyright of the original author. These may not be republished without the author's consent.

WARNING:
This story depicts scenes of graphic violence and/or their aftermath. Readers who are disturbed by or sensitive to this type of depiction may wish to read something other than this story.

This story depicts a love/sexual relationship between two consenting adult women. If you are under 18 years of age or if this type of story is illegal in the state or country in which you live, please do not read it. If depictions of this nature disturb you, you may wish to read something other than this story.

A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:
As always, I really appreciate comments about my work. Let me know what you think!

"Selia, please make me the happiest man in all of Greece - Marry me?" The would-be groom was on his knees, with a ring in one hand and a bouquet of beautiful, red roses in the other. His hoped-for bride giggled, accepting the flowers, then extending her hand to allow him to place the ring on her finger. "Oh, yes Anzio, I'll marry you!" He slid the ring on her finger, then stood and swept her into his arms and the two exchanged a passionate, joyous kiss. "I want to go tell my parents, right away!" Selia said. As she turned to go home, a carriage, decorated with red and white roses, pulled up in front of her. The driver got down and opened the door, motioning her inside. Anzio smiled and moved to assist her into the flower draped transport. "I thought you might want to, so I arranged a ride for us." Selia beamed at him, then stepped through the door, followed by her future husband. The driver urged the horses into motion and the carriage moved away through the crowded marketplace toward her parent's home...

Gabrielle and Xena were standing a few feet away, by a stall in the marketplace. They'd been shopping when the leatherworker's son had asked his love to marry him and Gabrielle was caught up in the moment of happiness that she witnessed. "Oh, Xena - Wasn't that so romantic?" She turned her smiling face toward the Warrior Princess - To see Xena examining a leather halter on the wall of the shop.

Gabrielle's smile was replaced with a look of mild irritation. "Xena - Did you even hear what I said?"

"Uh-huh," Xena replied, as she continued to look over the harness, checking for any defects in workmanship.

"Xena, we just witnessed one of the most romantic things I've ever seen and all you can do is look at a halter and say 'Uh-huh'?" Gabrielle had a wistful look in her eyes, as she watched the carriage disappear into the distance. "Y'know, sometimes I wish you could be more romantic too, Xena."

"What do you mean?" The dark-haired warrior asked, as she began looking over a set of reins to go with the halter.

Gabrielle just rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Nevermind, Xena. I'm gonna go shop around some. You just go ahead and look for things for your stupid horse." She turned quickly and walked away toward the booth across the street, as Xena continued to examine the riding gear in the leather shop.

Gabrielle was looking at the bottles and trinkets lining the peddler's stall, but she wasn't really seeing them. She was thinking about how insensitive Xena could be, at times. "I love her so much," she thought, "but sometimes I wish that Xena would treat me the way that Anzio treated his bride. I know she loves me - I just wish that she..."

"You love her?" A voice said.

Gabrielle looked up to see the merchant smiling, as he nodded his head in Xena's direction. The bard looked at the wrinkled, elderly man, trying to size him up. How had he known what she'd been thinking? "Yes, I do," she said. "How did you know?"

"Oh, I've seen it many times before," the old man said. "The look of a woman in love, with a partner who doesn't return it. I have something that can help you."

"She loves me," Gabrielle said. "She just has trouble showing it sometimes. You know how warriors are..."

"No romance, huh?" he asked. "You want flowers and wine - She likes swords and halters? I saw the way you were looking at those two sweethearts out there. Well, I have just the thing for you - Something that will put the spark back into your love life. It's guaranteed to rekindle the romance that you once had, or start it when it was never there." He reached down, rummaged through a box beneath the counter, and came up with a small bottle of pink liquid - Which he handed to Gabrielle. "Here you go, little lady."

The bard held the bottle up to the light, trying to look though the liquid inside. "What is it?"

"What is it? Why it's a love potion - And not just any love potion. This one was made by the great alchemist Zerosta. He concocted it using pearls from the same bed that gave rise to the shell that Aphrodite emerged from the sea in, all those years ago. This potion is part of the most powerful batch he ever made. Many rare and perfect pearls were ground up to make this batch - Giving it a most powerful effect to stir the romance in anyone. This is the last bottle that I have."

"It sounds wonderful," Gabrielle said, "but I don't think I need it." She handed the bottle back to the man and started to walk out of the stall to meet Xena - Who was now looking at saddles... The bard turned back toward the old man. "How much do you want for it?" she asked.

"Well, for a pretty young thing like you," he replied, "only fifty dinars."

"Hah. No thanks," she said, as she turned to leave.

"How about forty?" He asked. Gabrielle kept walking away. "Thirty?" he called out to her.

Gabrielle stopped and walked back toward him. "Make it twenty-five and you've got a deal." She looked at the bottle of liquid in the old man's hand. "On second thought, I can't do this," she said. "It isn't right." She turned to leave once more and saw Xena still looking at the leather goods for horses...

Gabrielle tucked the small vile containing the potion into her blouse as she walked back across the square to where Xena stood. The warrior had a new halter and some reins for Argo in her hand. "Where ya been? she asked.

"Oh, just looking around," the young bard replied. "Are you ready to go make camp? The sun will be down soon."

"Let's go get Argo from the stable and we'll camp down near the lake, on that rock cliff we passed coming into town. It looked like it had a nice view."

"OK. That sounds great!" Gabrielle was thrilled! She began to silently reconsider her decision about the potion. "Xena wants to camp by the lake and she's interested in the view. Maybe she has some romance in her after all and..."

"Yeah," Xena said, "with the enemies I've made in my life, a clear view on all sides is a definite advantage."

The bard's hopes came crashing down. "So much for romance," she thought.

CHAPTER 2: A LITTLE ROMANCE

They had set up camp near the edge of the high cliff and the sound of waves lapping on the shore came from below, as Gabrielle prepared a stew for their evening meal. Xena was, as usual, rubbing Argo down while Gabrielle did much of the mundane work around camp. She'd gathered most of the firewood, set up the bedroll, and begun preparing their food. As she sat stirring the stew, the sun was setting over the water and spectacular colors painted the clouds of the western sky. Gabrielle looked up at the incredible scene as the sun slipped down to meet the horizon. "Oh, how beautiful!" she said, as she gazed at the colorful display. "Xena, come sit with me and watch the sunset - Please?"

"Sure, Gabrielle," the warrior replied, without even looking up, "just let me finish trimming Argo's hoof - OK?"

Gabrielle sighed loudly. "Alright. But hurry!" She continued to watch as the sun settled lower in the sky...

Twenty minutes later, after the sun had set and the colors had begun to fade, Xena finally walked up and sat down beside her young lover. "OK - All finished." She looked over at the now darkening horizon. "It's nice, but I've seen prettier," the warrior quipped, as she put her arm around Gabrielle.

"You should have seen it twenty minutes ago, when I ASKED you to join me!" the bard snapped. She stood up, pushed Xena's arm off, and moved to stir the stew again. "This is ready, if you have time to eat it - Or does Argo need to be fed first?"

"No I fed her already," Xena replied.

"I'm not surprised," Gabrielle said, under her breath.

"What was that?" Xena moved to her saddlebags and began rummaging through them.

"Oh, nothing," Gabrielle replied. She filled a bowl with stew, moved to hand it to Xena, then stopped. The frustrated bard watched the Warrior Princess as she pulled out her sharpening stone. "That's it!" Gabrielle thought. "I've tried and tried. Maybe I do need some help from another source." She set the bowl down and reached into the pocket on the side of her pouch, retrieving the magic liquid. She glanced over, to make sure Xena wasn't looking, and then poured the entire vial into Xena's stew. She stirred it in as she walked over to where her lover sat. "Here you are, Xena - Nice and hot, just like you like it."

"Just set it down," Xena said, "I wanna sharpen my skinning knife before I eat."

Gabrielle straightened up and put her hands on her hips, giving her lover an angry look. "That does it!" she said, loudly. "I cook this just like you like it, make it with those special spices, and bring it to you piping hot - And you want to sharpen your knife first?" She spun on her heel and marched over to her pack, taking some clean underclothes and a towel out of it. "I'm going down to the lake to bathe. You can eat your stew or not. I don't care!" She turned and began walking quickly into the darkness, following the steep path down to the shoreline.

Xena watched her move off into the shadows. "Gabrielle, what's the matter?" she called out. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"NO, I DON'T!" the angry bard hollered back. "Your HORSE might get lonely!" She continued walking down the trail, wiping away a tear as she made her way to the lake.

Xena reached over and picked up the bowl of stew that Gabrielle had left on the ground. "I wonder what's wrong with her?" she thought. "Maybe she just needs some time alone." She began eating the stew as she thought about what might be troubling the young bard...

Gabrielle made her way back up the steep path toward camp. She felt better now that she'd had a cool bath, but she was still angry with her lover. "I wish Xena could be just a little romantic," she thought. "Maybe that potion will..." She shook her head and laughed, inwardly, at herself. "Yeah, right - That thing wasn't worth the glass the bottle is made of. How stupid could I be?" She began unwrapping the towel from her hair as she walked back into camp. Gabrielle looked around the fire-lit area, as she set her clothes down, but saw no sign of Xena.

"I'm back," she said, peering out into the darkness. "Xena - Are you here?" She walked over to where Argo was standing, among some bushes at the edge of the firelight, but the warrior wasn't there either. "Hello?"

Suddenly, a pair of hands reached out from the shadows and grabbed the bard! The hands covered her eyes, as a warm, soft, but muscular body pressed against her backside.

"Guess who?" A voice said - Xena's voice.

Gabrielle responded, hesitantly. "Uh... Is it Ephiny?"

"No..." The voice said.

"Ummmm... Callisto?" Gabrielle replied, with a giggle.

"Definitely not," the voice answered. "It's someone who loves you more than anyone else in the world."

"Mom!" Gabrielle said. "What are you doing here?" She laughed again, then stifled it as the hands moved from her eyes to run down across her face, gently. They proceeded to slide down her neck and over her breasts, stopping to tease her nipples, lightly, through the thin shift the bard wore. The hands then proceeded down across her muscular stomach, slipping gently over her hips, and then stopping - Directly over her womanhood. Strong fingers then began to rub lightly, in a circular motion - Stimulating her in that special way that only her lover had. They continued rubbing for many minutes, through the filmy underclothes that the bard was wearing, until she began to moan softly and squirm in her lover's grasp.

Gabrielle shuddered, as spasms of pleasure shot through her body, causing her knees to buckle - But those strong arms and that muscular frame supported her, while she writhed in ecstasy!

"No... It's definitely not... My mother!" she said, as she let out a gasp of pleasure.

"I'm sorry I was ignoring you earlier," Xena said, as she wrapped her arms tightly around the bard and gave her a hug. "I have no excuse. Please forgive me and let me make it up to you."

"Oh, Xena," Gabrielle said, turning to face her lover, "I forgive you, I just wish that..."

The young bard stopped talking and stared open-mouthed at the sight before her! Gone was the leather-clad Warrior Princess. In her place was a vision straight out of a dream sent from Aphrodite. Xena stood there, wearing a sexy, red dress - Low cut at the bust and split high up the sides, revealing her shapely legs to great advantage. A gold band held her hair up in a formal style, a matching belt was around her waist, and gold-colored sandals adorned her feet - Running up her calves in the style of the Romans. Gabrielle drew in a breath, as she beheld her lovely partner wearing the outfit that the bard had picked out for her months ago, but Xena had never worn.

"You look incredible!" Gabrielle said, her mouth still hanging open.

"Thank you, My Love," Xena replied. "Why don't you let me help you get dressed and we can go sit by the fire and talk for a while, then take a walk along the beach together, before we go to bed? Oh, and we can have some of this too." The warrior, who certainly didn't look like one at the moment, reached into Argo's saddlebag and pulled out a bottle of wine. They'd been carrying it for the last few weeks, but Xena always preferred port, to wine. "I'm sorry there's no glasses," Xena said, as she set the bottle on a rock, near the fire. "We'll have to make do with these." She pulled a pair of cups from behind the stone.

"Uh... That's OK, Xena." Gabrielle couldn't believe what she was hearing - Or seeing, for that matter.

"Good," Xena said, as she smiled sweetly at her lover. "Now let's get you into something that will show off that lovely body and gorgeous face a little better." She took Gabrielle by the hand and led her over to their packs...

In a short time, Gabrielle was dressed in the slinky, green dress she'd gotten for herself on the same day she'd bought Xena's outfit. It was very much like Xena's, down to the headdress and sandals. Xena stood back and looked at her, as Gabrielle brushed her hair by the light of the fire.

"Oh, Gabrielle," Xena said, "you look so fabulous! I'm the luckiest woman in the world to have someone so beautiful and kind as my lover." She turned and picked up the bottle of wine, poured them both a cup, and handed Gabrielle hers. "Now come and sit by me and let's talk." Gabrielle walked over and sat on the boulder, beside her lover, and Xena moved right up against the bard, putting her arm around her...

They sat and talked for hours, Xena letting Gabrielle pick the topic and then discussing it with her while listening to everything her lover said with complete interest. They drank the entire bottle of wine, as they talked and giggled. Just after midnight, when the full moon had risen high in the sky, Xena suggested that they go take a walk on the beach. She and Gabrielle walked and talked, holding hands and stopping to kiss often in the moonlight, til the wee hours of the morning. They then made their way back to the camp, undressed each other very slowly and playfully, and made love for a long time - Finishing only when the sun had begun to break the horizon...

CHAPTER 3: TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE

Gabrielle awoke with the afternoon sun shining on her face, as she lay on her side. She closed her eyes, to shield them from its intensity, and pulled the blanket over her head. She couldn't believe that Xena had let her sleep this late. Normally, they were up with the sun, or shortly after, and on the road. Gabrielle suddenly had an image of Xena in that red dress. Had all that been a dream? She called out as she lay under the blanket.

"Xena..."

"Good morning," the Warrior Princess said, cheerily. She'd been behind Gabrielle, as her lover stirred from her sleep. Xena moved around to the other side of the bard, setting a plate down in front of her.

"What's this?" Gabrielle asked, as she looked down at the food before her.

Xena, clad in her normal armor now, smiled as she knelt down. "It's quail's eggs." She placed a cup on the ground next to the plate. "Here's some fresh milk to go with it. I know how you love it with your eggs. I got it from town this morning and chilled it in the lake, so it's nice and cool, just like you like it."

Gabrielle smiled broadly. "Xena, you didn't have to..."

"Yes I did," the warrior replied, cutting her off. "I wanted to make up for my rudeness yesterday, so I thought breakfast in bed would be a good start." She moved behind Gabrielle, helped her to sit up, then placed a pack and a folded blanket behind her, so she could lean back comfortably. Xena walked over and grabbed something from the bushes. She came back and placed a small vase, full of wildflowers, beside the bard.

"Now you just eat all that up and look at these flowers I brought you," Xena said. "I'm gonna go gather some herbs to use with dinner tonight. I've got something really special in mind for you." She smiled, gave Gabrielle a quick kiss, then moved off into the nearby woods, carrying a small basket with her.

Gabrielle leaned back against the pack and watched her lover go, smiling to herself the whole time. "I've never seen Xena be so romantic and so attentive," she thought. "That potion has worked better than I could ever have hoped! I wonder how long it'll last?" She took another bite of her eggs and washed them down with a cool drink of milk as she admired the beautiful flowers that her lover had gathered for her...

Gabrielle had finished her eggs and milk, when Xena came walking back from the woods - No, she wasn't walking. Gabrielle closed her eyes and rubbed then, then opened them once more. She really did see what she'd first thought! Xena: Warrior Princess was SKIPPING as she made her way back to the campsite - Skipping like a young girl at play.

"Hi Gabby," she said, as she sat down the basket and knelt beside the young bard. Xena leaned forward and pressed her lips to Gabrielle's. She gave her lover a sweet, slow kiss, then pulled back and sat down beside her. "Isn't it a beautiful day? I was gathering things for dinner tonight when I had a wonderful idea. Why don't we go on a picnic today? There's a great place down by the river. It's not far from here and it has a waterfall, a really pretty shade tree, and I'll bet some ducks or geese too. Do you wanna go? Please? It would be so romantic."

Gabrielle just smiled...

They had packed up their things and ridden Argo to the small glade beside the river. Xena had been right. The waterfall was beautiful, the shade tree was a perfect place to spread a blanket for lunch, and there was a small flock of ducks frolicking around in the water. They had a picnic beneath the spreading limbs of the old oak, eating berries, nuts and cheese, washed down with cool water from a nearby spring.

For most of the meal, Gabrielle had been leaning back against Xena, as she sat against the base of the tree. Xena had one arm wrapped around the bard and fed her berries, dropping them into her lover's open mouth and, as often as not, giving her a kiss with each one. Gabrielle reached down and rubbed her warrior's arm lightly. She was so happy with Xena's newfound romantic nature. The bard had never been so spoiled, pampered, and made to feel important.

"Gabrielle, would you like to feed the ducks?" Xena asked, smiling down at the bard, as she lay with her head on the warrior's lap.

Gabrielle rose up and grabbed some of the bread from her pack. "That would be fun," she said. She and Xena walked over, sat by the river, and tossed pieces of bread to the hungry birds. As they did, Xena was constantly stopping to give her lover kisses and hugs. She got up, at one point, picked some flowers, then sat back beside the bard and began placing the blossoms in her hair. "Gabrielle, you are the most incredible thing that's ever happened to me," she said, as she squeezed her lover's hand. "I have something that I wanna show you. May I?"

"Sure, Xena." the bard answered. "What is it?"

"I wrote a poem for you this morning," the warrior replied, with a shy smile. "Would you like to hear it?"

"She wrote a poem?" Gabrielle thought. "That must've been one strong potion." She nodded her head and her lover reached into her nearby pack - Pulling out several sheets of parchment.

Xena smiled at Gabrielle. "Now promise you won't laugh." she said.

"I promise."

"OK." Xena cleared her throat, then began reading. 

Gabrielle had tears in her eyes. The poem wasn't very good, but just the idea that Xena had written it for her touched her so. "Oh, Xena - That's so beautiful. It was sweet of you to write it for me."

"Oh, good," Xena replied. "I'll read the rest of it then."

"The rest of it?" Gabrielle asked.

"Oh, sure. That was only the first paragraph," Xena said, with a smile. "I've got 12 pages to go." She began reading again.

Gabrielle just smiled weakly at her...

CHAPTER 4: TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING

Fifteen minutes later, Gabrielle interrupted Xena. She'd run out of patience. All the times she'd wished that her lover would do something like this seemed far away - She'd had about all she could take of this monotonous rhyming. "Xena, why don't you finish it for me later? Maybe we should get on the road now?"

"Oh, OK my love," Xena replied. "That's such a wonderful idea. It'll give me time to add some more before I read the rest of it!" The warrior shoved the parchment back into her pack, then stood, offering her lover a hand up.

Gabrielle gave her a half-hearted smile, as she let Xena help her to her feet. "Great - You do that," she said. In her mind, she was thinking, "Oh, gods - Maybe I shouldn't have used the whole potion!"

"Have I told you how beautiful your hair looks today?" Xena asked.

"About three times in the last couple of hours," Gabrielle replied. "Xena, Maybe we should go back to town and get a room for the night?" Hopefully, a good night's sleep would allow Xena to get some of this romance out of her system.

"You're just full of great ideas today, Sweetie," Xena replied. "No wonder I love you so much." She leaned forward and kissed Gabrielle, lightly, then pulled her into a warm embrace, as she began to rub the bard's back.

"Sweetie?" Gabrielle thought, as her lover began to run her hands all over the bard's body. "I can't believe Xena said that!" By now, the warrior was beginning to undo Gabrielle's top.

"Let's make love before we go," Xena said. "I just have to have you. Your beauty makes me a captive in its spell." She was kissing Gabrielle's neck gently, one hand caressing her breasts as the other slid up between the young girl's thighs, circling her pleasure center in that way that she had...

Three hours and several dozen orgasms later, Gabrielle pushed Xena's head away from her hips, gasping for breath. "Xena - No more, please! I can't take it!" She was totally breathless and spent. Never had she been made love to so selflessly and for so long, but she simply couldn't stand another minute!

Her lover sat back and smiled at her. "Did I make you feel good?"

Gabrielle began laughing as she lay her head back down on the blanket. "Gods, yes! But we need to get going. It'll be dark soon and..."

"You're right Gabrielle," Xena said. "You're always right. I'm so lucky to have you. I love showing you how special you are to me." She smiled and leaned forward again, lowering her head back between her lover's thighs.

"NO!" Gabrielle said, as she put her hand on Xena's forehead, trying to keep the warrior from getting started again. "We'd better get going." She rolled to the side and stood - Her legs wobbling as she did. Gods, she was tired!

It took them the better part of an hour to get dressed and get on the road. Gabrielle was constantly having to accept flowers, compliments, and kisses - And she was desperately trying to keep Xena's hands off of her. "What have I done?" she thought, as they finally started on their way. "I've created a monster." She made Xena ride Argo, while she walked alongside.

"Oh, I know," the warrior said, as she dug through her pack while she rode. "I can finish reading my poem while we go to town." She retrieved her sheets of parchment, and began reciting it once more...

They reached town just at sunset and went to the inn of the Red Dragon. It had been all Gabrielle could do to get them here. Her lover had suggested that they stop and 'relax' over a dozen times on the way. Xena got down and tied Argo to the hitching post in front of the entrance. Gabrielle grabbed her pack from the horse's back, making sure she went to the opposite side from which Xena dismounted. "I'll get us a room, while you take Argo to the stable," she said.

"She'll be alright here, my love," Xena said. "I don't wanna leave you for that long - I don't think I could stand it." She smiled at Gabrielle and began moving around Argo toward the bard.

Gabrielle walked behind the horse, wanting to keep Xena at a distance. "But shouldn't you put her in a stable? You know how you hate for her to be out in the weather."

"Sweetie, she's just a horse," Xena said, with a giggle. "You're so much more important to me." The warrior kept walking around Argo and Gabrielle kept going too - Trying to keep the horse between them.

"Just a horse?" Gabrielle thought. "Oh great Zeus in heaven - It's far worse than I thought." When she got to Argo's head, she made a break for the door, pushing it open quickly and running up to the counter. "We need a room, please," she said to the grey-haired man behind the counter. Xena came up behind her, standing so close that Gabrielle could feel her body heat.

"That'll be five dinars. You want one bed or two?" he asked.

"One!" Xena said, as she pinched the bard's behind. Gabrielle jumped and swatted the warrior's hand!

"Two!" Gabrielle said, quickly.

"Which'll it be?" the innkeeper asked, in an annoyed tone.

"Two!" Gabrielle said, as she slapped five dinars down on the counter.

"Two it is," he said, taking the money and handing the bard a key. "Second door to the left upstairs."

Xena leaned down and whispered into Gabrielle's ear. "Spoilsport."

"Can we get something to eat first?" Gabrielle asked the old man, trying to delay their trip upstairs until she could think of a way to cool Xena's ardor.

"I've got something you can eat." a voice said, from across the dining room. Two men sat by the fire laughing - One slapping the other on the back for his comment.

Gabrielle turned to see who had said it - And saw Xena already heading toward the men. Something about the warrior's body language made the bard move quickly after her!

Xena walked up to them - And slammed a booted foot into the chest of the man who'd been congratulating his friend for the comment! The force of the blow tipped his chair over, making him hit his head on the wall and knocking him out! Xena grabbed the other man by the collar and began punching him in the face, repeatedly, before drawing her boot dagger and raising it over her head!

Gabrielle flung herself, bodily, on Xena - Grabbing the warrior's arm with both hands! "NO, XENA - DON'T!"

Xena had a look of hatred on her face, but as soon as she turned to look at the bard, a smile replaced it. "Anything you say, My Love." She turned back to the man, whose nose was broken and bleeding - And the look of hatred returned. "You so much as look at Gabrielle again, and I'll KILL you!" she said, with a snarl, letting him drop to the floor.

Gabrielle was shocked! She'd never stopped to think that such powerful love could breed so much jealousy - Enough to make Xena kill for something so simple! "Maybe we should get our stuff and go up to bed after all," she said, pulling Xena toward the door.

"Anything you say, Sweetheart," Xena replied, as she sheathed her dagger and put her arm around the bard. They went outside, collected their things from Argo's back, and went upstairs to their room.

Once they got inside the room, something in it caught Xena's eye right away. "Oh, look Gabrielle - A tub! I can give you a bath and a nice rubdown."

"Um... That's OK Xena," the bard said. "I think I'd like to go right to bed."

"Even better," Xena replied, giving her a lascivious look. She started removing her armor, as she walked toward her lover.

"On the other hand," Gabrielle said, "a nice, hot bath would be good." How was she gonna get out of this?

Xena hollered downstairs for someone to bring up some warm bath-water and, in minutes, two boys began lugging water into the room. They gave Xena a wide berth as they filled the bath, then left. Xena patted the edge of the tub, once the two boys were gone. "Come on over," she said, with a smile.

Gabrielle sighed, inwardly. "Well, I got myself into this. At least she can't hurt anybody up here." She began to remove her clothes and Xena walked over to help her. After a few minutes, during which Gabrielle fought a losing battle to keep the warrior's hands at bay, she was undressed and in the tub. Xena sat beside the tub and washed Gabrielle's hair for her, then began washing her lover's body all over and massaging her - Spending a lot of time on certain areas...

"Are you ready for bed now, Lover?" Xena asked, looking down at Gabrielle. She'd already pushed both beds together and gotten undressed, except for her shift.

The bard had run out of excuses. "Yes, I guess I am," she said, resigned to her fate. Xena draped a towel over her as Gabrielle got out of the tub. The dark-haired warrior dried her off and Gabrielle didn't even try to stop Xena's hands this time. What was the use? After a few minutes, she was dry, so Xena helped her into her sleeping shift, then lay the covers aside to let the bard crawl into bed. Xena pulled the sheet up and walked around the beds, getting in on the other side. She moved over, snuggling up next to Gabrielle and kissing her on the neck as her hands explored the young bard's body once again. Within minutes, Xena's lips had moved down her lover's neck, paused for a while at her breasts, then traveled down her rippled stomach to their ultimate destination...

Over two hours later, covered in sweat, and utterly exhausted, Gabrielle finally managed to persuade Xena to stop. She'd never imagined that she could tire of sex with her beautiful lover - But this was like nothing she could've ever foreseen! Xena moved up to lie on her pillow and pulled Gabrielle to her. The tired girl curled up, buried her face in the warrior's bosom, and fell asleep in seconds...

Gabrielle awoke an hour later, as she felt Xena's lips sliding across her stomach. "Oh, no - Not again!" she thought. Then her lover's untiring tongue began once more...

Much, much later, Gabrielle lay on her side, awake, despite being more tired than she could ever have imagined. She was trying to think of what she was going to do. Who could help her to stop this love potion gone mad? "The merchant!" she thought. "He might have an antidote or something. I'll go see him in the morning." She tensed as she felt Xena's hands begin to slide down her waist and caress her hips.

"Gabrielle, are you awake?" Xena asked, cheerfully. She began to slide down under the sheets, as she turned Gabrielle over on her back.

"Oh, gods above!" the bard thought, "No more! This is the fifth time tonight. I may never get any sleep again..."

CHAPTER 5: THE CURE FOR LOVE

Gabrielle lay awake, watching the sunrise through the open window. Xena had finally fallen asleep just a few minutes earlier, but the bard wanted to make sure she stayed that way...

Gabrielle awoke again and looked out the window once more. Judging by the angle of the shadows, it was about noon. She reached over and shook Xena. "Wake up," she said. "We've got to go see a merchant right away, Xena."

The Warrior Princess slid over and reached for the bard with a smile.

"No, Xena!" Gabrielle said, as she slid out of bed. "We have to go now. We've got to find that merchant and try to get an antidote for the love potion I gave you." She proceeded to get dressed, making sure she stayed on the opposite side of the bed from her lover.

"Love potion? Okay, Gabrielle. I don't know what you're talking about, but whatever you say," Xena replied, as she began to get dressed...

After they loaded their things on Argo, they went to the merchant's stall, making their way through the crowded marketplace - But it was empty! Gabrielle asked around desperately, but no one knew anything about him, until she spoke to an old woman in the stall two places down from where he'd been. "Excuse me," She said, "what happened to the man who was selling potions here two days ago?"

"Oh, he left this morning," she said.

"No! He couldn't have!" the bard exclaimed. "Do you know where he went?"

"I think he said he was going to make his way toward Athens, so he'd probably be on the south road now. You might catch him outside of town, if you hurry." She went back to cleaning her goods on display.

Gabrielle looked up at Xena, knowing they'd have to ride Argo to have any hope of catching him. She put one hand on her hip, shook her finger at her lover, and gave her a serious look! "Xena, I'll have to get up behind you, but no touching me, or kissing me, or anything else - Got it?"

"Awww, Gabrielle," the warrior said, a pouty look on her face, "You know how hard that'll be for me? I..."

"XENA!" the bard said, both hands on her hips now, "PROMISE ME!"

Xena hung her head. "OK... I promise," she said, with disappointment in her voice. She reached down and helped Gabrielle up behind her, then started out of town, urging Argo into a fast pace...

They rode hard for the next two hours, down the dusty road, looking for the old merchant's cart. They topped a hill and Gabrielle saw a wagon in the distance. As they approached, she recognized the old man sitting on the driver's bench. "That's him, Xena!" They caught up to him and Gabrielle called out for him to stop. She got down off of Argo, as the old man pulled on his team's reins, bringing them to a halt. The bard ran up to the cart and Xena dismounted, following behind her.

"Well, hello, young lady," he said, as she looked up at him. "How did the potion work?"

"Too well," she replied, "That's why I'm here. Do you have an antidote for it?"

"An antidote - Why would you want one?" he asked.

"You have to have one!" she said. "I can't go on like this any longer!"

The merchant shifted on his seat. "Well, when did you use it?"

"Two nights ago," Gabrielle replied.

"Oh, well, there's no problem then," he said. "It only lasts til the second sunrise from use, so it's worn off by now. I hope it added the spark you needed." He winked at her, then urged his team on and left Gabrielle standing by the roadside.

"The second sunrise!" Gabrielle said. "So it wore off this morning? That means..." She spun around as she heard a chuckle from behind her. "XENA!" She started walking, slowly, toward her lover.

"Now Gabrielle," Xena started, "I didn't figure out what had happened til you told me about the potion after we got up today." She started backing away, laughing, as the bard approached, then she turned to run...

A herd of deer was grazing peacefully on tender, young grasses, raising their heads on occasion to sniff the air for enemies. Suddenly, they broke and ran as Xena and Gabrielle came tearing through the field! The bard was chasing the Warrior Princess as Xena laughed and ran ahead of her.

"Hey, I'm the one who should be mad," Xena said. "You're not the one who got fooled and drugged. I just thought it was funny to watch you sweat it out this morning - Afraid I was gonna ravish you some more. She waggled her finger and mimicked Gabrielle's voice as she ran- 'No touching me, kissing me, or anything else'." Xena broke into fresh laughter all over again. "Geez, Gabs - Can't ya take a joke? I thought ya LOVED me?"

"Sure I do, Xena!" Gabrielle said, breathing heavily as she ran, "Why don't ya stop and let me show ya how much?"

Xena slowed down and let her lover catch up to her. When she caught the warrior, Gabrielle tackled her, and they both fell into a clump of bright yellow, sweet-smelling flowers. "Worry me, will ya?" Gabrielle said. She reached under Xena's armor skirting...

"Oh, no, Gabrielle - No fair!" Xena said. She began to laugh and squirm as the bard reached under the armor with both hands now. "Hahahahaha, Wait, haha...Please, no, hahahahaha...Oh, gods, STOP! Hahahahahahah..."

Gabrielle continued, for she knew something that many a warlord would pay handsomely to know. The Warrior Princess was ticklish and as helpless as a newborn baby when tickled in that certain spot, known only to the bard.

"Say you surrender!" Gabrielle said. She too was laughing.

"Never! Hahahahah...I never, Hahaha...Surrender, Hahahahaha...Hahahahh...OK, Hahaha...OK, Hahahahahaha...I SURRENDER! Hahahaha...NOW STOP!"

Gabrielle quit tickling her lover and lay over on her side. She placed her hand to her face, using her elbow as a prop, then looked over toward Xena. "You haven't even heard my terms yet," she said.

Xena wiped tears from her eyes and looked over at her lover. "OK. What are your terms?"

"For one," Gabrielle said, "you have to be more romantic - And not like the last couple of days. I just want you to be more attentive to the kinds of things that I like."

"Fair enough," Xena replied, as she reached over and began to stroke her lover's hair.

"The second thing," the bard said, "is that I get treated at least as well as your horse." She smiled at Xena and began to rub the warrior's arm, gently.

"That's also very fair. I'm sorry that I've been paying too much attention to Argo and not enough to you." Xena broke off a flower and stuck it in Gabrielle's hair, then began rubbing the bard's face, softly.

"Another thing," Gabrielle started, "you leave the poetry to me!" She smiled broadly as she said it.

"That bad, huh?" Xena asked. "You've got a deal."

Gabrielle raised her lover's hand to her mouth and nibbled the warrior's fingers. "One last thing," she said.

Xena grasped the bard's hand, squeezing it tightly. "What else?"

Gabrielle gave her a pained expression. "No SEX for a few days - I'm raw as all Hades!" She broke into a grin, then laughed aloud.

Xena laughed with her and pulled her close. The two women exchanged a passionate kiss and embrace - Then held each other while they watched the sky take on beautiful colors, as the sun set behind a far off range of mountains...

THE END
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