Xena & Gabrielle: An Introduction

Author's Note: This is the introduction to the "true" story of Xena and Gabrielle. It is extremely subtext-friendly. If two women showing their love for one another is not your cup of tea, please find another story you'd like to read. This story will be submitted in several parts and is based off the series, yet the "history" has been changed somewhat to suit the purposes of this story. Not all the parts of this story will contain erotic sex scenes as there is a plot.

Also, I'd like to note that I do not own Xena: Warrior Princess, the series, or the characters and I will not be receiving any payment whatsoever for writing this story. It is intended for entertainment purposes only.

I hope you like my story....

Xena and Gabrielle : The True Story

(Introduction)

Our story begins approximately three weeks after the death of Perdicus. Perdicus was killed by Xena's beautiful but evil enemy Callisto the morning after he and Gabrielle were married. On that fateful morning, Xena, astride her mare Argo, was upon the road leaving the villiage where Gabrielle and Perdicus had been wed as Gabrielle and Perdicus were following after her on foot. The plan had been that Xena would continue her travels alone, while Gabrielle returned to Potedia with her husband, yet Gabrielle had wanted desperately to speak to Xena. Sadly however, Callisto sought to make Xena's life a living hell, and to cause Xena and Gabrielle torment. She charged out of no where, attacking Perdicus with her sword. Perdicus, who made no move to defend himself, stated he and Gabrielle were unarmed, but Callisto let out an evil laugh, driving her sword through Perdicus's chest. As Gabrielle stood over the body of her husband, sobbing in despair, Xena battled with the wicked Callisto, but to no avail. Callisto escaped, and Xena could only go to her best friend, pulling her into her arms to soothe and comfort her. As Gabrielle's tears fell unchecked, she swore to find Callisto and make her pay for having taken her husband's life.

That night Gabrielle and Xena had built a funeral pyre for Perdicus, and as Gabrielle watched his wrapped body go up on flames, she cried bitter tears. She seethed inside, wanting justice for his life being taken so needlessly. Before that time, she had only used her staff for self-defense, vowing never to take another human life, but something changed within her when she saw Callisto cruelly murder her husband right before her eyes. As Xena watched Gabrielle, she knew that she was a woman longing to avenge the death of the man she had loved. Xena vowed to help her achieve the vengence she sought, yet prayed she could protect her best friend from Callisto's sick and twisted evil.

Over the next three weeks, Xena worked to train Gabrielle and improve the bard's fighting skills. Gabrielle wanted to use a sword, but no matter how hard she tried, she could not learn how to weld it. With Xena's help, Gabrielle's fighting skills became greater as did her muscles for she was relentless in her desire to pursue Callisto and make her pay. Xena was very proud of Gabrielle and all she had learned; the young bard had come such a long way since those two summers ago when she had become Xena's travelling companion.

As the two of them followed Callisto's trail, at night Gabrielle was plagued by awful nightmares of Perticus's murder. At night she would sleep in Xena's embrace like so many nights before when the cold air had caused them to sleep cuddled together for warmth. Without Xena's gentle touch, Gabrielle might have been consumed by the grief of losing Perdicus, afterall he and Gabrielle had grown up together and had been childhood friends.

But as the days wore on, Gabrielle's guilt and pain grew and grew. She needed to talk to Xena about what was bothering her, but had been unable to find the words. Now Callisto's trail had mysteriously ended without a trace, and Gabrielle feared she might never be able to avenge her husband.

Xena watched her best friend in torment, and ached inside from Gabrielle's pain. There was something Gabrielle was not telling her, but Xena could not put her finger on what it might be. In many ways, Xena felt partially responsible for Gabrielle's suffering, afterall Callisto had killed Perdicus only because of her horrible hatred for Xena. That made Gabrielle a target, and Xena never wanted Gabrielle to be in danger. She loved Gabrielle with all her heart.... if only Gabrielle knew how deeply Xena loved her. Xena had never been able to say the words. Gabrielle had always made it clear that one day she would marry her childhood weetheart, Perdicus. If only Gabrielle was aware of how Xena wanted the beautiful bard for her own, and that every night she held Gabrielle against her under the stars, she longed to show Gabrielle exactly how she felt for the bard. But she had never had the opportunity to tell Gabrielle of her love, because just when she had mustered the courage, Perdicus had shown up, sweeping Gabrielle away and asking her if she would marry him.

When Gabrielle came to Xena with news of her engagement to Perdicus, Xena could only smile at her, although a little sadly, and tell her how happy she was for her best friend. Gabrielle had hugged Xena tightly, ever so sad, because she didn't want to leave Xena's side, but her husband-to-be was calling her away to live with him in Potedia and live closer to her sister and her parents as well. Xena and Joxer had stood up with Gabrielle and Perdicus at their wedding, although it was difficult for both of them as they were both secretly in love with Gabrielle. After they were declared married, and Joxer had gone to congratulate the happy groom, Xena had swept Gabrielle against her, kissing her softly and sweetly as she had always longed to do. Gabrielle's lips were so soft, and Xena had a difficult time ending the "congratulating" kiss. "Xena, I will miss you soooo much," Gabrielle had said.

"I will miss you, too," Xena had replied. "In fact, you will have a hard time keeping me away from your door." But despite that promise, Xena knew she would have to go... soon and as far away as possible. She couldn't stay here, seeing Gabrielle in Perdicus's arms; her pain and jealousy was just too strong.

Xena had been leaving that morning of Perdicus's untimely demise knowing she may never see her beautiful bard again. Her heart was heavy as she rode away from her best friend. It seemed she had lost so much in her life. First Lyceus, her beloved brother, who had been lost in battle when Xena was still young. Because of losing her brother and Julius Caesar's betrayal, Xena had turned evil, proclaiming herself as The Destroyer of Nations, and together with her lover, Borias, she had stopped at nothing, even killing innocents to get whatever she wanted, wealth, power, land, whatever her heart desired. But Borias had fallen in love with Xena... and despite becoming pregnant with his child, Xena could not give her heart to him. She believed he was becoming soft as he befriended the centaurs and decided to give up his evil ways. She cast Borias aside, becoming lovers with her slave girl Satrina as well as a beautiful Asian woman named LaoMa who taught Xena many of her fighting skills as well as how to use the "pinch" on her enemies. For once in her life, Xena had fallen in love, and it was with her teacher, LaoMa.

But a wicked shamaness named Alti wanted nothing more than to hurt Xena and make her suffer, so she saw to it that Xena's little slave girl was killed, then on the night Xena birthed her son, she had Borias brutally murdered, right outside the tent where Xena had birthed her baby boy. As Xena carried her child to saftely, she saw Borias dying there before her eyes, his blood soaking the earth. She reached out to him, her heart aching as he too reached out to her and the baby, crying out Xena's name. Xena never forgave herself for his death... as well as never loving him as deeply as he had loved her. Borias had been a good man, but she had been so caught up in the power she wanted to attain, she had been partially responsible for his death, although only indirectly.

Xena knew she could not keep the baby she had just bore. Sadly, she went to the centaur camp where she met up with Kaliepus, her once sworn enemy who had become Borias's best friend. She handed him her swaddled baby boy, tears of grief shining in her eyes. "Take the son of Borias, raise him as your own," Xena spoke, explaining to Kaliepus that her life as a warrior was no place for a child and she only wanted to best for this little one. She sobbed openly as she walked away, leaving a great big piece of her heart behind.

After Lyceus death, Xena had not let herself love, not till LaoMa and Solan, her son. Then when she lost Borias and had to give up her son, she guarded her heart even more, afraid to love and lose another. But two summers ago, she had met Gabrielle. Gabrielle had been fascinated with Xena and her fighting skills. She begged Xena to take her along and teach her all she knew. Xena had refused and tried to leave Gabrielle behind. Gabrielle wouldn't hear of it. One night she snuck out of the small farmhouse where she lived with her family. She kissed her little sister Lilla goodbye and with a small sack of her possessions, she followed after Xena.

The rest was history; Gabrielle had become Xena's sidekick. Every night as they rested beside the fire after their adventures, Gabrielle had written in her scrolls all about her travels with Xena, and how Xena had protected the greater good by fighting for justice whenever necessary. Gabrielle and her goodness had changed Xena for the better, and Xena had grown incredibly fond of her companion, declaring Gabrielle as her best and dearest friend. During their time together, Xena had more than once saved Gabrielle's life, even once coming to her aid when she had been captured and nearly sold into slavery. Gabrielle admired Xena's fighting skills and was fascinated with everything about her. She couldn't be sure when the feelings she had changed from pure fascination and friendship into something more. Every night when she rested in Xena's arms, she longed to tell the Warrior Princess she had fallen in love and about all the emotions she felt being in her embrace. But being nearly 10 years younger and a bit niave, Gabrielle couldn't imagine that Xena would ever want someone as youthful and inexperienced as she, even if Xena did in fact have feelings for other women, in which Gabrielle suspected from some of the past stories Xena had told her about her life, yet Xena had never quite made that clear. Eventually, Gabrielle knew she either had to tell Xena how she felt, or somehow find a way to return to Potedia as her desires and longings were now impossible to deny.

That's when Perdicus had come along, asking for Gabrielle to marry him and return to the small villiage of Potedia where they had both grown up. Gabrielle's heart was aching; she didn't want to leave Xena, but knew she couldn't remain, cuddling with her night after night, and never having the relationship with her that the bard's heart was seeking. But now, all that was passed, Perdicus was gone, and Gabrielle knew she had to tell Xena the truth. It was time to confess her feelings to the Warrior Princess and tell Xena what she had been coming to say to her on that morning after her wedding night when Callisto had struck. She only prayed Xena would understand..............

Stay tuned for the next part: Gabrielle's Confession