Gabrielle's Journal Series: The Love Of Friends
by Murphy
Disclaimer:
You
know who the Ladies belong to! I hate this disclaimer stuff,
but I am told to do it. Thank you to my beta team. Becky Lovall, Sam
Ruskin, and LJ Maas. Deb! Love Ya!
Poem by Susanne B. Simmons.
This is number three in the journal series. More fluff! Ex-Guards!! Thank
you all for your support!
Journal
Entry:
Where
There Is Friendship:
Where
there is friendship,
there can be no loneliness;
how sad can we be
in the presence of a friend?
Where there is friendship,
there can be no poverty;
how poor can we be
when we have a friend
to share our day?
Where there is friendship,
There can be no failure;
How defeated can we be
when we have a friend
to encourage and comfort our heart?
Where there is friendship,
there is hope for the future.
How hopeless can we feel
when we have a friend
who stands by us and sees our potential?
Friendship is the gift of sunshine on a cloudy day.
A helping hand that makes us laugh our cares away
And brings us courage to face another day.
Thank you for always being there for me;
Thank you for being my friend.
Hello.
My poor wife is so tired, I had to take a minute out before bed to write and
tell you what a wonderful day today was. We are still in Amphipolis. Cyrene is
all healed and in top form. Xena's birthday was only a month away so I talked
tall, dark, and deadly into just staying. Mom could use the help, so Xena has
been fixing things and bouncing the rowdy people out, while I cook, tell
stories, and serve.
Wonderful
thing about this, is watching Xena and her mother grow closer together. To know
she does have somewhere that is a home. Mom and I have also been planning Xena's
surprise party, which is not easy to hide from Miss Many Skills.
It's
been a blessing to watch Xena relax for once. I even finally got her out of her
leathers and armor with the help of one child. Zach is a three-year-old boy that
just loves a certain warrior. He follows her everywhere with puppy dog eyes. Who
can blame him? He loves when Xena picks him up or just plays with him. One day
she hugged him and he pulled back rubbing his head telling her, "Your
boobies hurt." That is when one red-faced warrior lost the armor and
gained a very attractive dress.
Zach's
mother, Anna, is one of the women that helps mom with the Tavern. Her husband
was killed in a farming accident a year ago. Mom took her in, gave her work, and
hope. He is a good child, stays out of the way, and plays with other children
when Xena is busy. Cyrene has a good thing here. Women with no husband or just
need to work to help provide can do that here.
Mom has a special room for the children with toys to keep them busy while
their mothers work.
I
think Xena knows that mom and I were up to something. So, to distracted her, we
invented jobs that would keep her very busy. I snuck out and sent several
messengers to our friends. Eponin, Ephiny, Hercules, Autolycus, Iolaus,
Salmoneus, and Joxer. Then we sent Xena and Toris on a trip to pick up supplies
for the tavern. With a big grumble, and a slap to the back of her big
brother’s head, they were on their way.
One
by one, our friends made it. It was so good to see then all. We got the place
ready for the party and waited for her return. Toris knew what was up, so he got
them back just in time. Smart thing was, no one wanted to be in front when we
yelled surprise. Dark room, edgy warrior, not a good time to shock her. So we
all did the next smartest by hiding behind the bar so no one would be killed.
Right
as planned, we saw the wagon pull up with a grouchy warrior. We doused the
lights and ran like Tartarus behind the bar. I heard her asking Toris,
why is it so dark. Then I heard her take out her sword. I was praying to the
Gods above that no one would be killed. I made sure she didn’t take her
Chakram, smart little bard that I am. Heard the door open, Joxer lit the lantern
and we all yelled,
SURPRISE!! The look on her face
was priceless.
Her
friends and loved ones gathered around her and after a minute or two she picked
her chin off the floor and smiled. The party went well, but I had a wifely
feeling that something was just not right. It was the look in her eyes. I
promised myself that I would have a talk with her afterwards.
She
was very happy with all her gifts, weapons. The woman is a walking arsenal now,
and they give her more. As Ep put it, "What
else would you give a warrior?" Gods help me! I got her more herbs for
medicine, and new boots. Silly me!
We
ate, drank, and laughed until early morning. We were all just having way too
much fun to stop. I sat back and watched my warrior. She was happy. That is a
new thing for her, it made my heart swell with joy. Then I looked at all these
people in the room. How much they all added to both our lives.
Each
one of them has touched or added something to Xena and I. That is why they are
called friends. That is what makes a person’s life rich. You can have all the
dinars in the world, but without friends or someone to love you, what do you
truly have?
After
the laughter died down and the party was well over, Xena and I sent Cyrene off
to bed with the rest. She had to be up in a few hours to start the day again.
So, Xena and I started to straighten up the place a bit. Tomorrow was another
busy day for the tavern, had to get it ready for mom, she would let us sleep in.
I
was so busy cleaning I didn’t notice right off that my partner was nowhere to
be found. It was the perfect time to ask what was wrong. I went outside to find
her; I had a feeling I knew where she was.
She was sitting under the old Oak tree by the lake. It was her favorite
place to be. She used to come here with Lyceus and play in the water, now it is
used to think and find some peace with herself. When I got close to her, I had
to stop and catch my breath. The sight of her under the tree with the moon
shining on her took my breath away. I just had to take time to enjoy her beauty.
My love, how lucky I am.
I
was so mesmerized I didn’t hear her speak. She asked if I was just going to
stand and stare or join her. I did the next best thing and stuck my tongue out,
then came to her. I kneeled down and noticed her face was wet. She is getting so
mushy. I wiped away her tears and asked what was wrong. She looked at me and
said that she never in her life thought she would ever have friends, family, a
home, people who love her. She was very overwhelmed with that. She also thanked
me for giving her that. I told her, I couldn’t give her something she already
had. She always had the heart of gold; it just took her some time to see it. We
stayed there, holding one another for about a candlemark and headed back.
I
promised her a night’s passion, well what was left of it. I let her get
cleaned up first, then I came to bed to the sounds of snoring. So much for the
night of passion. So, I am off to bed now, but before I do. Thank you for my
wife, family, and my friends.
Happy
Birthday, Xena.
Until
Tomorrow,
Gabrielle