A Trip In Time
part 2
by Ri
Please see part one for all disclaimers.
Deanna woke up a few hours later in a room upstairs. She looked down and realized she was in a bed.
"Don’t worry you didn’t talk in your sleep." Said Xena with a grin.
Deanna looked into clear blue eyes and was amazed at the compassion she saw within them.
Gabrielle entered with Eve and said with smile, "She’s hungry, Mama."
"Oh is she?" Xena said with a bright smile for her best friend and their child.
Deanna was amazed by the transformation on the warrior's face. "OK, my love, its lunch time. Gabrielle would you watch over our guest while I feed the baby?" Gabrielle nodded and smiled, her eyes never leaving the mother and child till they left the room.
"She’s like another woman with you and that baby."
Gabrielle shrugged,"Well I’m her best friend and that’s her daughter. She’s in a different mode of relationship when we're involved. How are you feeling?"
"Fine, thank you. Is she a doctor?"
Gabrielle smiled and asked, "A doctor?"
"Um, a healer?"
"Yes, she’s a gifted healer as well as a warrior. She has many skills." Gabrielle said with a smirk.
"And you?"
"I’m a bard and ...uh....a warrior."
"You seem awfully gentle for a warrior..."
"So’s Xena....we fight only when we have to which unfortunately is all the time. She could be a healer, a ship's captain, a ruler of a country...she could be many things but what she is , well...is a warrior. She protects the innocent. If it wasn’t for her...well many people would be dead..."
"Deanna."
"Deanna, she is a great warrior."
"What’s your name?"
"Gabrielle. Who are you and what do you do?"
"Um, I’m a healer of the mind and other then that I can’t..."
"Good girl, Gabrielle. You got more out of her then I could, but then you always can." Xena said with a smile of appreciation toward her friend. Xena entered through another door with Eve in her arms. "Here take the baby to mother," Gabrielle smiled back, took the baby, kissed her and quietly left the room.
"A healer of the mind? In strange clothes and who’s able to make herself invisible? Very interesting." Xena said with a smirk as she sat back down in a chair by the window. "Are you a touch healer or do you use healing points like they do in Chin?"
"I’m only a healer of the mind, really Xena, I’m not allowed to tell you more."
"Not allowed?"
"Its a ...military order..."
"You work for a warlord," Suspicion enter those blue eyes again.
"No...I ...we're peaceful Xena. We must remain secret...I...."
Xena rolled her eyes at such an idea. Yet she did believe the beautiful, dark haired, woman. She was in a protective mode and she couldn’t let up yet, "You what? You're spying on Amphipolis. Why? Spying is not a peaceful act, Deanna."
"We were not spying we were observing. We're non-aggressive."
Xena smiled grimly and crossed her arms, "I have much knowledge of armies and believe me Deanna there is no such thing as a non-aggressive military force."
Deanna grimaced internally, ‘In your time that is true, my friend.’ She thought. "Well lets just say that we are an exception to your rule. We have actually have laws of non-interference."
"Spying isn’t interfering?"
"We're not spying we were observing!"
"Why?"
"Curiosity. The need to learn."
"Did you ever hear of knocking and asking?"
"Um ...well..."
"Never mind, get some rest. Are you hungry?"
Deanna nodded.
"Ok, I’ll get my Mother to make you something."
* * * *
"Will, what do you expect us to do? Storm the village? Demand they release our crewman? What about the prime directive?" Beverly asked the nervously pacing man reasonably.
"Of course not. We’ve got to do something though...Captain?" Will was pleading with his eyes to his friend and commanding officer.
Picard stood up and clamped a hand on his first officer’s shoulder. "We are going to do something, Will. But couldn’t you see that this woman was not a savage. She was...remarkable, compassionate. I know she won’t hurt Deanna, I feel that strongly. But we do need get her back before something slips out."
* * * * *
Deanna was enjoying the food that Cyrene brought her. She was amazed at the taste. She had never in her life tasted food that was so delicious. ‘There is something to be said about real food cooked by a talented hand instead of simulated food that is dispensed on a starship. I really do like this. I wish..." Her thoughts were interrupted by the sight of Gabrielle with large plate full of chocolate cake in her hand. Deanna’s eyes widened and a delighted grin crossed her features.
Gabrielle smiled, ‘Xena was right, again.’ as she brought the plate and spoon to the injured woman.
"Thank you." Said Deanna as she eagerly took a bite.
"You're welcome. So your people like chocolate too?"
"Oh yes, of course we do. I..." She looked up and gave Gabrielle an ironic smile. "My we are clever, aren’t we? Not bad to catch a healer of the mind off guard like that. Points to you, Gabrielle."
Gabrielle shrugged, "I don’t get the credit. It was Xena’s idea. Most women, Xena and I included, love chocolate so we just thought..."
"It would loosen my tongue a little?" She asked with a chuckle and a huge bite of chocolate. "Where is the great tactician?" She asked as soon as she swallowed.
"She’s feeding Eve, she’ll be up in a minute."
"That's a beautiful little girl. She must be very proud of her."
Gabrielle smiled proudly and then answered a little sadly, "She is beautiful and we are proud of her. We hope she grows up to be a special woman...Like her mother."
"Both of her mothers." Said Xena with a smile toward Gabrielle. She entered the room alone and leaned on the arch of the door.
"Do you always eavesdrop when when you enter a room or do you do it just with me, Xena?" Deanna asked as she gulped another mouthful of chocolate cake.
Xena smiled wickedly and then shrugged her shoulders and answered her honestly, "I learned to do that as a warlord. It was always best to know what's being discussed before you enter a room. It makes it easier to handle the unexpected."
"You were a warlord?"
"She was, was being the operative word," Interrupted Gabrielle frustrated that Xena even brought that up.
Xena smiled lovingly at her best friend’s protectiveness, "Yes, Gabrielle is right. I have been trying to redeem myself through the greater good..."
"And succeeding."
"Too well," She said with an ironic lift of an elegant eyebrow.
"What do you mean?"
"Never mind, Deana. could you enlighten us a little?"
"About what?"
"Who you are?"
"You know who I am, Xena. I’m a healer of the mind and my name is Deanna."
"Yes, a healer named Deanna who wears strange clothes in a fabric I’ve never seen and I used to deal in it when I was a pirate so I know fabric from all over the known world. And who fell through a wall of invisibility at my feet. Call me crazy, but I get the feeling that you're not from around here..."
"Shes not." Said a deep and unfortunately familiar male voice.
Three heads swirled to stare at the man in leather by the window. Deanna dropped the plate in shock, Ares smiled at her sympathetically and said, "Now we can’t have that, Commander....here you go." He waved his hand and the plate was back in her hand with the cake and spoon balanced.
"How did you know..."
"Your title, "He smiled at Xena and said while looking at the warrior, "I have many skills."
Xena rolled her eyes and said, "Can’t even be original, huh Ares?"
"Hey, I’ve got no reason to be original, I’m the God of War. Besides do you know how long I’ve wanted to say that line of yours?"
"Damn it Ares, what the hell do you want?"
"Just trying to help an old friend out. The Commander here isn’t going to furnish any information so I thought I’d help out.
Her name is Commander Deanna Troi of the Starship Enterprise. Her position is ship's counselor which is as she said a healer of the mind. In case you didn’t get it she’s from the future. They have a law about interfering and she does have companions here." He smiled wickedly at Deanna.
"How do you know all this?" She couldn’t seem to read him, but he read her right through her shields.
"No Deanna, your empathic powers have no affect on a God. But I can read you like an open book. Your friends are on their way here by the way, to delicately negotiate for your release. I’d hold out for the galaxy if I were you Xena..."
Xena had enough, this was Ares at his most annoying. Even though she did believe him, she really didn’t want him to attract the other Gods back on her home and her family. "Enough! Ares get the hell out of here!
I don’t need the other God’s, especially your sister Athena...."
"Don’t worry about, sis. She is in mourning and that gives us enough time..."
"Ares, never! Ever! Not in this or any life time!! Go!" Xena yelled, angry beyond endurance at his continued seduction.
Gabrielle stayed quietly seated,her eyes on Xena. She just couldn’t deal with any of the Gods right now. They all had enough of them for a very long while.
"Ok,ok I’m going, but don’t forget my offer."
"Ares." Xena growled.
"Bye, I’ll be back. Count on it." A flash and the God of War was gone.
"I sincerely hope not, " Said Xena.
"Me too." Said Gabrielle meeting the blue eyes and they smiled at each other in complete understanding.