THE SIRENS CALLS Part 2b
By D.virtue
“ Our Memories? Of course we remember where Diana was, we never forgot.”
Gabrielle stated confidently, but unsure of why Elain would think otherwise.
“ But I thought?” Elain started, but Xena shook her head side to side subtly
at Elain, and Elain stopped, and only said,” You know, I guess I was wrong,
all of the things that was happening I just must have misunderstood.”
“ yes, I think so.” Gabrielle said in agreement.
After the banquet was over with, Xena and Diana and Gabrielle and Questra all
returned to the Palace to relax a bit before they turned in for the night.
Diana noticed that Gabrielle was somewhat pensive, and so she went over to
where Gabrielle was standing, looking out the window into the night sky.
“ Gabrielle?”
“ Hm...I mean yes.”
“ What are you thinking about?”
Xena and Questra had noticed Gabrielle’s pensiveness during the banquet, but
figured it would pass, now they see that it was more than that.
“ I was just thinking about why Elain thought what she did, hm....that’s funny
isn’t it, I mean I can’t see how you would make such a request, that our
memories be taken, knowing how that would make us feel?” Gabrielle said
figuring everyone was with her in her thinking.
When she didn’t hear any response, but that of silence, she looked back at
Diana who only stood with a look of uncertainty written across her face.
“ Well?”
“ Well what Gabrielle?” Diana asked hoping that Gabrielle would not continue
on the same subject, but knowing that’s exactly what she was doing.
“ You would never make such a request, right?”
Diana licked her lips as she looked down at her feet for a moment and then
glanced over at Xena and Questra, who were both trying to act as though they
were into a conversation. Diana sighed and then faced Gabrielle.
“ Gabrielle, what Elain said was true, I did ask for Seductra to remove your
memories.”
“ What? Why?!!”
“ Gabrielle I asked her to do it so that you wouldn’t spend all of your time
worried about me.”
“ Did you two know about this?” Gabrielle asked speaking to Xena and Questra?”
“ Well....”
“ Gabrielle I asked Seductra to take yours and Xena’s, and Questra’s memory,
but Xena warned me not to do that, or at the least not to her, so she was the
only one who remembered where I was.”
“ So where did I think you were, or should I say Questra and I?”
“ That I had went back to my time to help my other sisters.”
“ So you made me think that you were there, instead of where you really was?”
“ Yes.”
“ Questra, and you didn’t remember any of this either?”
“ Not at first.”
“ What do you mean not at first?”
“ I mean....I saw Xena needed someone to talk to about how she was feeling,
and I knew she wouldn’t want to talk to you about it, considering where you
thought Diana was, so Xena told me.”
“ And you didn’t think that I should be told?”
“ Gabrielle, it wasn’t my place to tell you.”
“ So Xena, you didn’t think that I had the right to keep my memory?”
“ Gabrielle, Diana did it to protect you from being hurt.”
Gabrielle now had tears in her eyes. Diana started to reach out to comfort
Gabrielle, but Gabrielle jerked her arm away.
“ So, outside of Ephiny and the Amazons, I’m the only one who didn’t know
where you were?”
Diana chewed her lip as she again looked away, and then back.
“ What?”
“ Gabrielle, Ephiny and the other Amazons all knew where I was. But I wasn’t
worried about.....” Diana started and Gabrielle stopped her.
“ So...so I was the only person in this Realm walking around looking like a
fool? Thank you. Thank you all. I trusted you all and this is what you do to
me.”
“ Gabrielle, I’m sorry, I had to do it.”
“ That’s just it, you didn’t have to do it, you did it because you all think I
am a child, well I’m not.”
“ Gabrielle, why don’t we go back to your chamber and we can talk about this?”
“ Yes, but come the morning, I’m leaving.”
“ Leaving? to go where?” Diana asked with concern showing in her face.
“ To Poteidaia.”
“ But Gabrielle, come on now.”
“ No, I need some time to think about things, I’m leaving in the morning.”
Gabrielle then put her glass down and walked out the door.
Diana stood and looked after her, but Questra set her glass down and said, “
I’ll go talk to her, she’s hurt right now.”
“ Fine, she’ll need you.”
Questra acknowledged Xena and gave a nod, and then she lifted up Diana’s chin
and said, “ She’ll calm down.”
“ I hope so.”
Questra then smiled a sympathetic smile and then she turned and headed out the
door to follow Gabrielle. Diana meanwhile, turned and looked at Xena, and Xena
gave her a supportive smile. And Diana tried and failed to return it.
“ Come on kitten, you should get some rest?”
“ Maybe I should go and talk to her?”
“ Diana she just needs some time, she’ll be alright tonight.Lord Questra is
with her.”
Diana then took on a thoughtful look, and then she turned and strided into
their bedchamber.
‘’Gabrielle?”
“ Questra I really don’t feel like talking right now, I just want to go to
bed.”
“ I understand that, but Gabrielle we have to talk about this.”
“ I know, but I just don’t feel like it right now. Good night.” Gabrielle then
turned and went into her bedchamber, undressed and got into bed.
Questra followed and got into bed with her, she rolled over to hold Gabrielle,
but Gabrielle rolled away. Questra caught the meaning and she allowed
Gabrielle her space, so she rolled onto her back, and thought for a while, and
then she closed her eyes and went to sleep.
While Questra was asleep Gabrielle eased out of the bed and packed a few
needed things and taking the traveller, she left the chamber and walking
casually down the staircase so the guards would not get suspicious, she went
down one of the corridors and stepped into an empty chamber, she then threw
the traveller in the direction of her other home and stepped through to her
parents home.
Gabrielle had planned on easing into the house and just going to her room, but
her mother and father were still up, so when she entered into the house, they
heard the door and her father came to see who was entering their home.
“ Gabrielle? What are you doing here at this time of night?”
“ I just wanted to come home and see how everyone was doing.”
“ We’re fine, Lila’s sleep though, you want us to wake her up? I know she will
be happy to see you.”
“ No, don’t wake her up, I’m not really in the mood to talk right now.”
“ Gabrielle dear, what is it.” Her mother asked when she heard her daughter’s
tone.
“ Nothing, it’s just I need to work some things out.”
“ Where’s Diana?”
“ She’s back at the palace.”
Gabrielle’s mother looked at her thoughtfully, and then she realized what it
was that was bothering Gabrielle.
“ You and Diana got into an argument.”
“ What makes you think that?”
“ You always use to become very pensive when you and she were at odds. Now
tell us what happened?”
“ Mother it’s just that they look at me as being a child who has to be
protected all of the time.”
“ This involves Xena as well huh?”
“ Yes.”
“ So what happened?”
“ well....it’s just that something big had happened, and because Diana wanted
to protect me she didn’t allow me to help her, so instead of just returning me
back, she had my memory taken for 6 months while she was away.”
“ Your memory? Why?”
“ Because she didn’t want me to know where she was.”
“ Why?”
“ Because she didn’t want me to be unhappy.”
“ Well Gabrielle, what’s wrong with that?”
“ It may me look like a fool, here I am going around the place upbeat and
happy, and people are looking at me like I lost a few marbles or something.”
“ Gabrielle I’m sure Diana did not intend for that to happen.”
“ Doesn’t matter, it did. Now I’m tired, I’m going to my room, good night.”
Gabrielle then turned and went up to her room and got into her bed and went to
sleep.
Questra rolled over to hold Gabrielle, but when she placed her arm where
Gabrielle should have been, she discovered she wasn’t in the bed. She thought
that Gabrielle just got up to go to relieve herself, so Questra decided to go
back to sleep, when she woke up the next morning intending to talk to
Gabrielle, she found she was not in the chamber.
When she spoke to the sentry outside of the door, he said that he saw the
princess last night leave the room, but not return.
“ And you didn’t think anything was wrong with that?”
“ Well....No lord Questra, I thought the Princess just went to Her Majesty’s
chamber.”
“ I see. No, I know where she went. Which way is Poteidaia from the palace?”
“ East.”
“ Fine, send a message to Lord Xena that the princess has returned to her
parent’s home, and I have gone after her.”
“ Yes Lord Questra.” The Sentry then turned and left to go and relay the
message.
Questra went and found Miki, and got her to show her how to work the traveller
and then she used it and found herself in Gabrielle’s hometown of Poteidaia.
“ Excuse me, I’m looking for the home of Gabrielle.”
“ Oh, yes it’s at the other end of town, you have to make a left at the
seamstress shop, it’ll be the house in the middle of the field.”
“ Thank you.”
“ Excuse me, but I can’t help but noticed that you.....”
“ No I’m not. Thank you for the information.” Questra then turned and headed
in the direction she was told to go. As she went she received stares, and
heard whispers, she couldn’t help smile at some of the comments she heard, but
she didn’t stop to correct anyone about their misconceptions, she wanted to
get to Gabrielle.
Questra arrived at Gabrielle’s parents home and she saw Gabrielle talking to
another young girl, she assumed it was her sister she had been told about so
often. Questra headed over to the two and Lila saw her coming and told
Gabrielle, who she thought it was, but Gabrielle turned and told her it
wasn’t.
Questra came to stop in front of the two girls.
“ Gabrielle.”
“ Hi. Lord Questra, this is my sister Lila, Lila, this is Lord Questra.”
“ Oh! Wow Gabrielle, you and Diana sure seem to be meeting all kinds of
Royalty. Lord Questra, it is an honor to meet you.”
“ The honor is all mine, Gabrielle has told me so much about you, she talks
about all of you all of the time.”
“ Really? Well I wish I could return the compliment, but this is the first
time I have heard of you.” Lila said as she glanced at Gabrielle, slightly
embarrassed that she couldn’t return the compliment.
“ Well I’m sure she has her reasons. Lila, may I speak with Gabrielle alone
for a moment?”
“ Of Course, I’ll just take this milk into mother.”
“ Thank you, and it was a pleasure meeting you.”
“ Thank you. It was an honor for me.” Lila said as she headed back to the
house to take the milk into their mother.
“ Questra what are you doing here? I told you I needed some time?”
“ Yes you did, but I told you we needed to talk, but you were tired last
night, so I thought we would talk today. But guess what I discovered? I found
out that you left in the middle of the night. I woke up last night because you
weren’t in the bed, but I thought you just went to relieve yourself, or maybe
you just needed to sit out for a while, so I decide to go back to sleep, I
wake up this morning to talk to you, and I find your still gone. Gabrielle do
you realize I was worried about you? At first I had forgotten you were here,
luckily I remembered before I went to speak to Xena and Diana. What were you
thinking about just leaving like that? Especially in the middle of the night?”
“ Sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you, it’s just that I didn’t......”
“ Didn’t what Gabrielle?”
“ Well, I felt betrayed and I didn’t feel like laying with you.” Gabrielle
cried as she turned and walked back inside of the stable. Questra stood
stunned for a moment, and then she followed her inside.
“ Gabrielle, are you telling me you think I betrayed you?”
Gabrielle looked up at Questra with uncertainty in her eyes as to whether she
should repeat it.
“ Yes. You should have told me.”
“ Gabrielle I told you last night that it was not my place to betray Xena’s
confidence. That was her decision to tell me, of course she wouldn’t have if I
hadn’t coaxed her into it. But I could not tell you anything that she told
me.”
“ Did you and her ever think once that I had the right to know the truth?”
“ Yes, but it was neither of our places to break such a confidence, especially
with what Diana was doing to help us all.”
“ You both really thought I had the right to know?”
“ Yes.”
“ Then why did Diana think I didn’t?”
“ She was just trying to protect you My Bard. She loves you.”
“ I know, but I am still VERY mad at her.” Gabrielle stated with a lighter
tone, but there was still sadness in her eyes.
“ So are we ok?” Questra asked with hope in her voice.
Gabrielle looked at her, for a moment, then she nodded her head, and went into
Questra’s outstretched arms.
“ I’m glad.” She said as she wrapped her arms around Gabrielle, and then she
pushed her back slightly and looking hard at Gabrielle, she said, “ Don’t ever
do this again to me, if you get upset and say your going to come here at a
certain time, then that’s exactly what I expect you to do, not sneak out in
the middle of the night, you understand me?”
“ Yes.”
“ Good, now show me around your hometown.”
Gabrielle smiled, and then kissed Questra, and then after a few minutes, they
broke their embrace and giving each another smile, Gabrielle headed for the
door holding Questra’s hand until they went out the door. Questra noticed but
didn’t say anything, she reasoned that Gabrielle had not told her family about
them yet, so she figured Gabrielle would do it now that they were there
together, in the meantime they would just enjoy their visit.
“ Mother, father, this is Lord Questra. Lord Questra, this is my mother and
father.”
“ Hello, it is a pleasure to meet the parents of Gabrielle, she speaks of you
often, her and Diana.”
“ Thank you, but the pleasure is really ours Lord Questra.” Gabrielle’s mother
said as she and her husband bowed.
“ That’s not necessary, I’m here just as a visitor, so please treat me as a
regular guest.”
“ Very well, I’m sure you’ve been told that you and....”
“ Yes....many , many times.” Questra answered with a smile.
“ Of course you have, are you hungry?”
“ Actually I am.”
“ Gabrielle go help your sister with morning meal and set the table. Lord
Questra, why don’t we go in and sit while we wait for the two girls to get
done with morning meal?”
“ Fine.”
After they arrived in the study, they all sat and begun talking to one
another. Gabrielle came into the room to tell them that the table was set, she
stopped to see how things were going between her parents and Questra.
Hearing the laughter, and light conversation, Gabrielle thought it was going
well.
“ Uh-hem, excuse me, I just came in to tell you that the table is set mother.”
“ Oh, good, shall we Lord Questra?”
“ After you.”
The three of them headed in to sit at the table. Gabrielle lead the way as she
kept looking back at Questra and her parents.
“ Gabrielle why do you keep looking back at us?”
“ What do you mean mother?”
“ I mean it’s like your watching us. why?”
“ Oh, I just am happy to see you that’s all.”
“ Oh, well we’re happy to see you also.”
Questra raised a questioning brow at Gabrielle, and Gabrielle blushed from
embarrassment. Gabrielle turned quickly to hide it from her parents, but just
as they entered into the room for morning meal, Lila saw Gabrielle’s flushed
face.
“ Gabrielle?”
“ Hmm...”
“ Why are you blushing?”
“ Blushing? I’m not blushing, I’m just feeling a little warm, that’s all.”
“ Three.” Questra said out of no where.
“ Excuse me Lord Questra, did you say something?”
“ Oh, yes, I was just counting to myself at how many times I thought I heard
something that wasn’t the way things really were, but I could be wrong? Isn’t
that right Gabrielle?”
“ Um....maybe.” Gabrielle said quickly, then changed the subject. “ How about
we eat, Lila made some wonderful buttermilk bread. “
“ It does smell wonderful.” Gabrielle’s father said as he helped his wife with
her chair.
“ Lila you and I will talk later.” Gabrielle said to Lila, as she turned to
head for the table.
Questra caught up with Gabrielle and just as she passed her, she whispered. “
And you and I My dear Bard, will also talk later.” Questra then went and was
helped to her seat as Gabrielle once again blushed, and exhaling audibly, she
composed her breathing and walked over and sat across from Questra next to
Lila.
“ Gabrielle, Lord Questra told us that you met a while ago?”
“ Um...yes.”
“ Well that’s funny, you never mentioned her to us, Why?”
“ I....I didn’t think to at the time.” Gabrielle answered simply, without
expanding on her response.
“ Well, she told us that Lord Xena and she had met to negotiate about merging
their two Kingdoms under Xena’s Realm?”
“ Yes, it made sense, considering all of the other kingdoms Xena reins over.”
“ Yes, it was a wise business deal, and we’re both happy with the outcome.”
“ Well that’s wonderful. So how are Diana and you getting along Lord Questra?”
“ Wonderfully, she can be quite a handful, but Lord Xena knows how to handle
her.”
“ Yes, well if anyone could, it would be her. I remember how Diana and
Gabrielle use to get into these really heated arguments, My husband thought
that Gabrielle had lost her mind, especially considering that Diana was
capable of lifting things that even a group of men couldn’t even move. So much
for standing there arguing with her. but there she was standing up to her, and
Diana treated her the same way Gabrielle treated Lila, I thought it was
wonderful to see.”
“ Hmm...so Gabrielle and Diana use to fight?”
“ Oh, yes.”
Suddenly the door flew open.
“ Gabrielle!!”
“ Diana?”
“ Yes, who else, not this is gone to far, I thought this morning you would
have woke up and changed your mind, but no.....what do you do? you leave in
the middle of the night, well I’m not just going to let it end like that.”
Diana raved as she stormed into the eating room.
“ Hello Diana dear.”
“ Oh, hi mom, dad, Lila, nice to see you all.” Diana said calmly as she kissed
the three of them on the forehead. Then turned her attention back to
Gabrielle.
“ Well?”
“ Well what?”
“ Are you going to talk to me?”
“ No.”
“ No?! I can’t believe you are acting like this?”
“ Diana....” Questra started but Gabrielle’s mother gestured for her not to
say anything, and then she stood and motioned for Questra and Lila to follow
her and her husband into the other room.
Questra looked at the two, and then stood and went out with the parents.
“ I thought you could see how they work things out between them when they were
here. It’s actually quite funny.”
Questra gave the woman a look of disbelief. “ I have to admit, I am a little
surprised that you think this is funny, your two daughters arguing?”
“ Oh, it can be downright hysterical the way they handle things between
themselves. I know you think it is not very nurturing of me to say these
things, but I learned a long time ago, that when those two argue, it’s best to
just let them work it out, because everytime me and my husband tried to help
them, they ended up not speaking to each other for over two weeks, each time
we tried to step in.”
“ What happened when you didn’t?”
“ They argued for a few days, and then they saw how silly they were acting and
before we knew it, they were running around getting into all sorts of things,
the three of them.”
“ Ok, then we’ll do it your way.”
“ I don’t need you trying to protect me! I can take care of myself!” Gabrielle
shouted as she headed for the front door and went out.
“ Gabrielle! “ Diana yelled as she stormed out the door after her.
“ You were wrong!”
“ I was not wrong!”
“ You were too, you had no right to have my memory taken from me, I can’t
believe you did it!!”
“ I did it so that you wouldn’t be unhappy!”
“ Oh, so you thought it was better that I run around the Palace laughing and
jolly, while everyone looked at me like at had lost my mind?! No wonder people
looked at me the way they did. They couldn’t believe I was so happy, when my
sister was away taking care of an obligation, that she was sacrificing
herself. It made me look as if I didn’t care, well thank you, Thank you very
much!”
“ Gabrielle I didn’t intend for that to happen, all I wanted was for you to
not be unhappy, and crying all the time.”
“ I know that, but you had no right to make that decision for me.”
“ Gabrielle, I didn’t want you and Questra’s relationship to get side tracked
while I was away, and that’s exactly what would have happened, you would have
just mope around crying and depressed. I didn’t want you going through that,
especially when it wasn’t necessary.”
Necessary?! How can you say it wasn’t necessary? You stayed with that woman as
her lover. I know that was torture for you, especially considering how much it
went against your feelings for Xena and the vows you made to her. You should
have not sent me away, I would of at least been able to take some of the
unwanted attention away from you.”
“ NO! That wasn’t even a thought, if I couldn’t do it by myself then I would
have not had any choice, but as it was it worked out that I was able to handle
it by myself. Gabrielle I am so sorry that you felt the way you did, thinking
people were criticizing you for not appearing to care about me, but I was just
trying to keep you from being depressed.”
“ I know, but you were wrong!”
“ I was not!”
“ You were to!”
“ I wasn’t!”
“ You were!”
“ Your just being unreasonable!” Diana shouted back and turned and walked
away.
“ ooOOo....” Gabrielle then charged Diana and grabbed her by her hair.
“ OW!! Gabrielle let go!”
“ No. Not until you admit you were wrong.”
“ I was not wrong! Now let go of my hair!!”
“ No!”
“ Gabrielle stop it!!”
“ Admit it!”
“ NO! Let go!!”
“ NO.”
“ Fine!” Diana shouted as she flipped over Gabrielle and grabbed her hair.
“ OWwww!”
“ Let go!”
“ NO you let go!”
“ NO. Not until you admit you were wrong!!”
“ I was not wrong. Your just acting like a child. OWWW! Gabrielle let go of my
hair!”
“ OWW!! Fine!” Gabrielle said as she threw Diana’s hair out of her hand and
Diana let go of Gabrielle’s and both women smooth their hair as Gabrielle
turned to walk away.
” Oh no you don’t , your going to get this through your head.”
“ What? That you were wrong?!” Gabrielle said sarcastically.
“ No, I was not wrong!”
“ You were to wrong! You act like your so smart, and you can do anything and
not be hurt, and no one’s suppose to have any feelings about that.”
“ I wasn’t. Stop acting like a spoil brat!!”
“ I’m not acting like a brat!”
“ You are so! Look at you! You are all upset just because I wanted to protect
you!”
“ I don’t need you to protect me! What if I don’t won’t to be protected, what
if I want to meet whatever challenge that comes my way?”
“ It’s not your choice Gabrielle.”
“ It is.”
“ it isn’t”
“ How do you figure?!”
“ Because the day we left here to go and join with Xena, was the same day I
promised your mother and father that I would never let any harm come to you,
and I will be damned if you or anyone make me break that promise! So if you
want to be mad at me, then fine, be mad, be angry, be what ever you want to
be, but don’t you dare stand there and berate me for caring, I won’t stand for
it, at least your able to make the choice. So don’t forget that!” Diana stated
through her teeth as she went to walk by Gabrielle and slightly pushed her out
of her direct path.
“ No you don’t! “ Gabrielle shrieked as she ran and dived at Diana.
Diana turned in time to see her coming, and she had a choice, she could have
easily tossed Gabrielle, but she would probably end up hurt, so she decided to
absorb the impact.
“ Umphff....” The air was forced out of Diana’s lungs, and she and Gabrielle
went flying to the ground.
Gabrielle begun to start swing at Diana, and although Diana was on the ground,
she blocked all of her swings easily, which made Gabrielle even more upset,
and she begun to shout at Diana at the same time.
“ I can do this all day Gabrielle, your the one who’s going to tire out
first.” Diana taunted, without swing back.
“ We’ll just see, you can make this easier on yourself if you just admit you
were wrong.”
“ I wasn’t...!” Diana said as she blocked another swing, in a series of
swings.
Xena had just arrived in town on her horse, and was heading towards
Gabrielle’s parent’s home, when she heard the commotion.
Xena dismounted off of her horse and whispering to her she sent the horse to
the field on Gabrielle’s family land. She then strolled over towards the
ruckus, and as she did, she begun hearing what was going on.
“ Diana? Gabrielle?” She uttered to herself, in disbelief.
The people saw her coming, and they saw the anger on her face. They all moved
out of her way like a wave moves along the surface of the water, finally Xena
and Questra made it to where the two girls were rolling around on the ground
in the middle of town, and everyone stopped to watch and some commented.
“ Diana?! Gabrielle?! What are you two doing?!” Both Xena and Questra asked in
disbelief at the sight of the two dirty face girls.
“ She won’t admit she’s was wrong!” Gabrielle answered as she continued to try
and hit Diana, only to have it blocked.
“ She’s being a brat!”
“ I am not!!”
“ You are so, brat.” Diana taunted.
Lila stood back laughing, and was hit in the face with a pile of dirt by each
of the fight young women. Lila gasped and then turned and stormed away.
“ I thought you were coming here to talk to her?” Xena directed at Questra.”
“ I did, Diana showed up and they were just arguing at first, I just
discovered them here doing this, I’m as shocked as you are.”
“ Well, this is a fine sight, two people of royal status, rolling around in
the dirt like common little rapscallions. Well enough! “ Xena sneered as she
and Questra bent down and taking each of their respective's ear, they pulled
them to their feet.
“ OWW!! Let go Xena?” Diana plead.
“ OWWWWW! Questra come on now, please let go?” Gabrielle cried.
“ No, let’s go.” Xena ordered as she and Questra pulled the two girls to the
Inn, by their ears.
“ See what you did?” Diana accused.
“ I did? it was you who wouldn’t admit she was wrong.”
“ I was not wrong.”
“ You were too.”
“ Your acting like a child.”
“ Your both acting like children, sit down!” Xena and Questra both commanded
as they pushed the two into the booth.
“ OW, you didn’t have to do that.” Diana stated to Xena.
“ Hmm...what’s going on with you two? Why were you out in the middle of town
rolling around in the dirt fighting each other, as if you too were some common
thugs?”
Xena’s question was answered with a barrage of answers, by the two.
“ Enough!” Xena commanded. “ I can’t believe you two are acting like this.”
Xena said as she was asked to step away with Questra so that she could speak
to her.
“ Lord Xena, I think we should let the two of them work this out? I think if
we interfere, then they will always expect for us to take their side of things
against the other.”
“ Yes, I was thinking that very thing, but when I saw them fighting, or should
I say Gabrielle was trying to land a strike. Besides, I happen to think that
Gabrielle is right?”
“ You do?”
“ Yes.”
“ Well I do too, but I do understand why Diana did what she did.”
“ I do too.”
“ Well, I don’t think we should get involved in this one, Gabrielle’s mother
said she let’s them work these things out between themselves, I think we
should see if they can?”
“ Hm...Okay.”
Xena and Questra stepped back over to the two arguing women and Xena informed
them that they were on their own. Then she and Questra took seats towards the
other end of the dining hall, where they could keep a discreet eye on the two.
“ May I get you two something to eat or drink?”
“ Yes! I want some fruit. and a container of water.”
“ And you?”
“ Just water.”
The servant then left and while she was gone, the two women went back to
arguing. Xena and Questra both watched in amazement at how the two could go on
and on. although Xena had seen the two argue before, but for some reason this
was different. Xena actually found herself being amused by their behavior, and
the ironicness in it, especially to the fact that Diana could just easily
handle Gabrielle, but instead she chose t argue with her.
“ They are pretty funny aren’t they?”
“ Yes, they actually are.”
The servant soon returned to the table and Gabrielle ended with, “ I’m not
going to talk to you anymore until you admit you were wrong.”
“ Oh, well I guess you’ll be quiet for the rest of the month?”
“ Hmmphff.” Gabrielle said sticking her tongue out at Diana.
Diana returned the gesture and turned herself so that she was sitting sideways
facing away from Gabrielle. The servant put down the tray f fruit Gabrielle
wanted, and then the water in the container and two mugs with some water
already in them.
Gabrielle was looking at the tray, and Diana glance over at it and smirked.
“ I guess they weren’t expecting you so they could give you mostly tomatoes,
isn’t that too bad?” Diana teased as she saw the tray of fruit.
Gabrielle looked up at her and seeing the smirk on Diana’s face, Gabrielle got
irritated, so she picked up a tomatoes and just as she was about to put it to
her mouth to take a bite of it, she threw it at Diana.
“ Arrgghh....I can’t believe you did that?”
Gabrielle threw another one at Diana, catching her again in the chest, while
she was wiping the first one from the side of her face.
“ Stop it.”
Another one hit Diana, this time on her chest again. Diana thought Gabrielle
was done, until another one came at her, just as Diana was about to say
something else, it caught her in the face.
“ Damnit Gabrielle! Quit! Look at me! I’m a mess!”
“ Here, let me help.”
Gabrielle then threw her glass of water in Diana’s face. Diana came to her
feet in a huff.
“ I can’t believe your acting like such a child!!”
“ Oh, maybe this will help.” Gabrielle chided as she begun to barrage Diana
with the fruit. Diana blocked most of it, but the softer fruit simply sprayed
her, then Gabrielle stood up and with a look of satisfaction, she said, “
There, does that help?”
“ Yes, it helps confirm what I’ve been saying, you so immature.” Diana
sneered, and Gabrielle poured the container of water over Diana’s head and sat
back down.
“ Now Diana was frustrated for more than one reason, she actually thought
about snatching Gabrielle over her knee and giving her a few good licks, but
then she decided against it and instead huffed and then turned and stormed to
where Xena and Questra were sitting.
The two were laughing almost hysterically at the scene,but when Diana turned
around, they both composed themselves quickly, although they both were biting
hard on the inside of their cheeks to keep from laughing again.
“ Wh...what is it ki....kitten?” Xena managed. despite the sight of how Diana
looked.
“ She’s completely unreasonable.” Diana said with a pout. Xena chuckled
slightly, but composed it.
“ Is that right?”
“ Yes, she thinks I was wrong for having her memory taking while I was gone,
can you believe that?”
“ Well....”
“ Well? Don’t tell me your taking her side? What am I talking about, of course
your taking her side, your in love with her, but Xena knows I was right,
right?”
Xena sighed as she now felt like she was on the spot, and the very thing she
and Questra had hoped wouldn’t happen now was and fully in the open.
“ Kitten....maybe we should go back to the house and talk about this?”
“ Talk about what? You do believe she’s being unreasonable?”
“ Well...”
“ You don’t. Do you? You think I was wrong? You both do, don’t you?!” Diana
said in shock, as she came to her feet.
“ Diana...”
“ See...even they think you were wrong?” Gabrielle said rubbing it in.
“ Gabrielle!” Questra scolded, as she noticed Diana trying to not lose her
composure.
“ Diana you know we all love yo....” Questra started, but then was cut off by
Diana turning and running out of the inn.
The two women sat there feeling guilty, especially considering what Diana had
done, and then to be told she was wrong. Gabrielle however was not thinking
about it the same way, but instead at the fact that she had won an argument
with Diana for the first time.
“ Gabrielle, that wasn’t necessary.” Questra stated with some disappointment
in her tone.
“ What? She’s the one who was wrong.”
“ Yes she was, but considering what she had been through do you think it was
that important to push the issue in her face?” Questra stated.
“ But?”
Xena now came to her feet to go after Diana, but before she did, she looked at
Gabrielle and said.
“ Gabrielle I’m not upset with you, you were right about what Diana did being
wrong, but all I ask of you is that you always remember, no matter what she
does, right or wrong, her heart is always as big as the ocean where you and me
and now Questra are concerned, she’s never had to make the type of sacrifices
she has made since being here. Gabrielle when Diana was in her time, the only
sacrifices she had to make was to take the punishment for her other sisters,
despite those men knowing that it wasn’t her, but here she has been kidnapped,
nearly overdosed by the Jobind juice of the Gods, She has to deal with my
temper, she’s been dunked into a pit of boiling oil, oil that would have
killed the everyday man or woman, now this thing with Seductra, she went
against her vows to me, and despite how much I hated that, and thought it was
a wrong as night is to day, I knew she had to do it for the greater good.
Gabrielle I know somewhere in Diana she knows it was wrong to take your
memory, as well as Questra’s, but she did it all for the right reasons, only
to protect you from pain. So no matter how wrong she is, or how right, she did
it because she loves you. I don’t know if she ever told you, but she made a
promise to your parents, and I think, no I know, she would rather rot in
Tartarus, than break that promise. Now I have to go and find her.” Xena said
as she kissed the top of Gabrielle’s head, as she saw the tears roll down the
young girls cheeks.
Xena then glanced back at Questra and then she let go of Gabrielle and
Questra embraced the young woman in her arms.
“ I can’t believe I acted like such a jerk about this, she must hate
me?”Gabrielle
said feeling embarrassed for gloating when Diana was hurting, especially when
she realized how unsympathetic she was towards Diana.
“ No Gabrielle, Diana could never hate you, I think she is just stunned that
you think she was wrong, I think she has been feeling guilty about it in the
first place, but she didn’t want to admit it, but when she discovered that
both Xena and I agreed with you, I think it hit her harder than she thought it
would, but Xena will take care of her. Come on have a sit .” Questra suggested
as she sat down and Gabrielle sat on her thigh and leaned her head on
Questra’s shoulder.
Gabrielle’s sister Lila happened to be coming into the Inn, assuming that
Diana and Gabrielle had gone there, since that was where they seemed to like
to spend time when they weren’t at the house.
“ Gabrielle?”
“ Lila!” Gabrielle said as she jumped up off of Questra’s thigh.
Questra showed no surprise, in fact she just picked up her Goblet and took a
sip of her ale. Gabrielle in the meantime stammered as she tried to play what
Lila had seen off as just a friend comforting her.
“ Why were you sitting on Lord Questra’s thigh like that?”
“ I....I....I was just upset about Diana and what happened between us and Lord
Questra was just comforting me.”
Questra raised a brow at the explanation, but because it was not a lie, she
did not say anything, she just watched her lover squirm.
“ Well Why do you need to sit there, can’t she comfort you from your own
chair?”
“ Yes, but it’s just that....” Gabrielle glanced at Questra for some help, but
Questra didn’t offer any, instead she just raised her brow and repeated the
question.