A Trip in Time
Part 4
by Ri
Please see part one for all disclaimers.
Xena,Cyrene and Gabrielle set up a delicious dinner in the kitchen for their special guests. Xena felt it was best to keep curious eyes away from the strangers wearing such weird clothing.
They were eating dinner when Picard made the decision to find out about the Lion of Amphipolis.
"Xena, this your hometown, right?"
Xena’s head snapped up and she looked at Gabrielle and then her mother then her gaze finally fixed on Picard, "I was brought up here, yes." She answered quietly.
Picard nodded, "Do you know of a legend of something called "The Lion of Amphipololis?""
Gabrielle’s eyes widened and she stuck a large spoonful of potato’s into her mouth.
Xena’s eyebrow’s rose into her bangs and she gazed at her mother, "No, have you, Mom?"
Cyrene shook her head , "No, I haven’t. Why Captain?"
Picard was confused, he was sure it dated to this time frame. "In my time period there is evidence of such a legend." He replied simply.
Gabrielle’s face paled and she added more potatoes to her already full mouth.
Deanna felt Gabrielle’s distress and watched with amusement and curiosity as the young woman stuffed food into her mouth.‘I wonder what Gabrielle knows about this and why she’s acting so guilty?’ She thought as she watched the young woman continue to stuff food in her already full mouth.
"What kind of evidence?" Xena asked with much curiosity. She didn’t notice Gabrielle’s strange reaction since she was concentrating on the man across the table from her.
"I found a scroll that alludes to..."
Suddenly there was a choking sound and the scraping of Gabrielle’s chair. She was bending over so the potato’s didn’t spit all over the table. Before anyone could see the warrior move Xena was by her side. She gently rubbed her back and brought a goblet of water to her lips. "Here drink this." She whispered while helping her hold it in her shaking hands. Gabrielle swallowed the water and breathed deeply.
Her face was flushed from the choking and shame. The warrior brushed sweaty bangs from her bard's eyes and asked quietly, "Are you ok?"
"Yes, I’m sorry Xena. Thank you."
Xena smiled at her friend and said, "Mom could you take Gabrielle to our room to lay down?"
"No, I’m fine. Xena, really."
"You sure?"
The blonde nodded and smiled.
Xena turned back to Picard as Gabrielle sat back down. She sat down again in her own chair and asked, "What exactly does this scroll say?"
Picard took the piece of paper out with his notes, "It says, "I sing of the Warrior Princess..."
"What!?!"Xena’s eyes flashed and she looked at her best friend who was very pale again. "Excuse me, Captain. Gabrielle I want to see you in private. Now!"
* * * * *
Xena was sitting in their room reading the original scroll that Picard had given her. It was so precious to him that he kept it in the inside pocket of his uniform jacket in a special plastic protection unit.
Xena had explained that she was the Warrior Princess mentioned in his scroll and that she suspected that the author was her best friend who kept chronicles of their life together. Picard then gladly volunteered the original and asked that she translate it for him. Xena smiled and said she would have the author do it.
The said author stayed as far away from her best friend as she could. She kept busy cleaning up in the tavern then the kitchen to give Xena time to cool off. Then she launched into a few tales of Hercules since Xena’s tales were a little sensitive at the moment.
Quietly she entered their room. She found the warrior standing looking out the window. Xena didn’t turn around but she said, "Get ready for bed, Love." Her voice was very gentle and quiet.
"Is the baby,ok?"
"Yes, she is fed, bathed and fast asleep."
"Our guests?"
"They’re the same as the baby." Xena replied turning with a slight smile on her face.
Gabrielle didn’t smile back. She swallowed and replied, "Oh."
"Change your clothes. Then I think we need to have a little chat."
Gabrielle nodded and did as she was told. She knew that Xena was upset and she had no intention of making it worse then it already was. Xena had already changed into her sleeping shift and was sitting on the window seat looking out the window waiting patiently for the bard to change.
Gabrielle changed and sat quietly on the bed preparing herself for the yelling to begin.
"Gabrielle, I’m not going to yell at you. Calm down." Xena said quietly, still looking out the window. She could feel her love's tension from across the room. She looked at the bard then patted her lap, "Come here, Love."
Gabrielle was a little surprised but she happily obeyed. She sat down on Xena’s laps feeling the long strong arms pulling her closer to her. Xena gently kissed her neck and asked quietly," Do you want to know what does upset me about this scroll of Picard’s?"
"What?"
"That you are completely absent from it."
Gabrielle looked up into Xena’s eyes shocked to the core, "What?"
Xena nodded her head and continued, "According to this I did everything all on my own. I saved Eve and the village single handedly. Oh you do mention Mom, but for heavens sake Gabrielle, there is not a single mention of yourself. We planned this battle together. You and I. I really needed you. I couldn’t of done this with out you, My love. Yet in your scroll it sounds like you weren’t even present. That you got all your information after the fact. The writer of this is a distant observer not a participant. Why?" Xena had tears of frustration in her eyes, she was very upset.
Gabrielle was stunned and she had to catch her breath before she answered. Just as Xena was about to ask again a very quiet reply came from the bard’s lips.
"You know how hard it has been for me to write since I became a warrior, Xena. I really needed to though and I have for a long time. I needed to get it all out and so I just...well the only way I seemed able to make it flow was an observer. I have done it before and you didn’t get this upset."
"But this time you were an essential part of it..."
"I know, Xena....I love you and Eve and Cyrene so much. I have such love for this town. Its home. I’d do anything for you all....I...I’m sorry..." Tears started to spill from confused green eyes.
Xena hugged her even tighter and kissed her cheek. "Don’t be sorry, Love. I know how...we’ve had a rough patch...I...Oh Gabrielle, I love you so..." She picked up the smaller woman and carried her to their bed.
Once on the bed she kissed her passionately and deeply. Then when they came up for air,"My Bard, I just want credit to go where it is due. You are everything to me. You and Eve are my whole life. I just wish you could reflect that in your writing." She hugged her again and felt kisses on her throat and a gentle nibble on her ear turning the warrior to mush.
"Where on Earth did you get this....um...Lion...stuff frommmmmm?" She moaned as she became overwhelmed by the bard’s attentions.
"Observation, my warrior," As Gabrielle replied she happily took the warrior to the bliss she deserved.
* * * * *
The next morning after a period of delightful cuddling Gabrielle asked quietly, "You know what's weird?"
"What?"
"I never finished that scroll. Its sitting in my pack unfinished. Uh, how can
they have something that I have?"
Xena shrugged and kissed the bard's neck, "Time travel is not one of my many skills..."
"Hey, its mine." Said a smirking Ares.
Xena’s face which had been tranquil and peaceful a moment before transformed into one of pure rage, and she would of jumped out of bed naked if Gabrielle hadn’t tightened her hold on the blanket and the warrior.
"Ares, Get the hell out of our room!"
"Hey, I really didn’t want to interrupt your little intimate moment but I need...."
"I really don’t give a damn what you need! GET OUT!" Xena was furious, so was Gabrielle but she knew she couldn’t lose it or Xena would. She kept rubbing Xena’s back and whispering calming things into the warrior's ear.
Xena would have jumped out of bed and physically thrown Ares out if that wouldn’t of exposed Gabrielle’s naked body to the God of War.
"I just want a private moment of your..."
"GET OUT!!!!!"
"Ok,ok. I’m getting out. Yeesh calm down." The God of War vanished.
"I am going to kick his ass till..."
"Love, come here."Gabrielle said bringing the now rising Xena back into her arms.
"I want to..."
Gabrielle was kissing a line of butterfly kisses down her neck to the warrior's breast. Xena, feeling a different kind of heat, was slowly calming down "You want to what, Xena?"
The bard had now reached a breast and was gently sucking it, "I want to... I ....ummm....I....." Xena closed her eyes and gave herself to the bard.
Gabrielle smiled as she kissed her way over to the other waiting breast to give it the same treatment. ‘First things first.’Thought Gabrielle as she watched her love transform from warrior back to her lover again.