"Er Gabrielle..." The warrior walked into the temple’s inner sanctuary to see the bard locking lips with the Goddess of love. "Gabrielle!"

"Oh, Xe..." Gabrielle raised her shaking hand to her mouth as she looked between Aphrodite and the warrior. She didn’t move her hand from the lips the Goddess had kissed. "…na."

"The horses are ready." Xena tried to hide her anger and hurt as she turned silently on her heel and headed back outside.

"Aphrodite." Gabrielle turned to the stunning blonde. "Why did you do that?"

"Cause you looked yummy." The Goddess stepped back and smiled.

"I am sure..." The warrior bard began tentatively. "I have looked yummy before."

"Oh yeah but it was the only way I could give you that second sight thing you need for the quest." The Goddess laughed. "You look yummy a lot." She licked her lips.

"Oh right." Gabrielle stepped back from the Goddess. "Sorry." She added letting her hand drop away.

"Hey if you want me to kiss you again?" Aphrodite moved a step closer. "I hear once you do Dite you never go back."

"Now you are just being your usual self." Gabrielle backed away slightly.

"I'm making it easier on you, remember that." The Goddess grinned. "Now go on, I'll be at the temple when you return with the dagger."

"Thank you." Gabrielle turned and jogged to the door.

******

Xena double-checked the tack on her horse as she impatiently waited for the bard.

"Let's go." Gabrielle said as she closed the ornate door behind her.

Xena swung up onto the horse and urged the steed off at a hard pace. Gabrielle quickly mounted her horse and spurred it on to follow.

*I can't believe she kissed Aphrodite. Five years and I've gotten nothing.*

The words of the Warrior Princess thoughts struck into the bard’s head. Which made the young blonde raise an eyebrow.

"Xe! Hold up." Gabrielle called as she pushed her horse a little harder. The warrior slowed her pace and turned her head.

"We have to hurry, Malic is making a play for the dagger." She stated the obvious.

*And you need to get back to Aphrodite!*

"Yeah I know that but we don't want to kill the horses on the way." The warrior bard replied sharply.

"Fine." Xena urged the animal down to a slow run.

*The only thing I want to kill is another Goddess!*

"Are you okay?" Gabrielle asked eventually drawing level with the warrior.

"Yeah." Xena turned to her blank faced.

*Yeah I mean hey the woman I love with all my heart, who I’ve never had the courage to say a word too just kissed the Goddess of Love. I'm great!*

"Xena?" Gabrielle repeated. "Have I done something wrong?"

"No." Xena shook her head wondering where all these strange questions were coming from.

*Gabrielle, how am I supposed to answer that? I mean saying I wish I was the one kissing you sounds really stupid.*

"Okay. So why am I getting the hard warrior brush off?" Gabrielle pressed. "I thought we were long past that."

"I'm not doing anything." Xena countered.

*Definitely not making out with other women in front of you!*

"If it's got anything to do with what you saw, it wasn't what you think. She needed to give me the gift of second sight."

"That's your business Gabrielle." Xena shook her head.

*Oh yeah, and you looked like you were so enjoying it because?*

"No, Xena it's not. It's ours because we have to fight this together." Gabrielle shook her head unable to believe the warrior’s attitude.

"I know and our business is to get two days ride over and get to the dagger and get it back." Xena tried to keep to the facts.

*Then you can make out with Aphrodite some more.*

"So I have to put up with two days of warrior mood for some unknown reason do I?"

"What mood?" Xena looked at her.

*Oh now I'm being unbearable!*

"Xena first you barge in, snap at me, then you try and kill the horses with the pace you set. Lastly you suddenly decide to revert to Xena of five years ago." Gabrielle explained.

*What am I supposed to say here Gabrielle? I'm dead jealous that Aphrodite got to kiss you.*

Xena just stared at the trail ahead for a moment.

"Oh I get it." Gabrielle said suddenly with a heavy sigh as she turned from Xena and stared at the road ahead shaking her head a little.

"Get what?" Xena turned to her again.

*Get that I love you?*

"Aphrodite." Gabrielle snorted sharply.

"Yeah, well she is pretty okay looking." The warrior slowed the horses down a bit realizing she was setting a ridiculous pace.

"Look I didn't leap at her or anything. I am sure she would choose you over me any day." Gabrielle shook her head more.

"I wouldn't touch her with a ten foot staff." The warrior laughed.

*And she's always had a thing for you... little one!* Xena laughed internally.

"Look I realise that it's been a while for you, but the scene back there wasn't anything to be jealous of." Gabrielle continued to explain though momentarily part of her wondered why she had bothered with this.

"Jealous?" Xena snorted as looked down into her hands.

*Me jealous? Damn, I am aren't I! Oooo... why is it you do this to me Gabrielle?*

"I promise next time one of us has to receive anything from an immortal I promise it can be you, okay?" The blonde vowed getting a touch angry.

"Gabrielle, it's okay." Xena sighed slightly. "It was only because of the second sight thing, I understand." She softened her voice. "So do you feel any different? Super powers wise?"

"Thank you." Gabrielle softened her voice too and then shook her head. "Nope no different at all. I wish I knew why she gave me it."

"Well that’s good, sometimes there can be a backlash to those thing." Xena smiled.

*Gods your hair looks beautiful in this light.*

"I'll tell you the only thing it does do, is kinda makes me hear what I want people to say as well as what they say. Kinda like and echo." Gabrielle mused almost to herself. "But I'm just ignoring that. As a bard I talk to myself all the time. So I am used to it."

"What?" Xena pulled the horse to a quick stop. "What are you hearing?"

"It's nothing. Xena don't worry about it." The bard shook her head. "Like I said, it's like and echo. My version of someone else’s speech."

*Is she reading your mind?* A brief panic hit the warrior.

"Echo like what?" The warrior tried to figure out what was going on.

"Just like little whispers." Gabrielle explained.

"That say?" Xena pushed. "It's just if something odd is going on we're going right back to Aphrodite for an explanation."

"Odd things, about my hair, about Aphrodite." Gabrielle tried to be vague.

*About her hair? You thought about her hair? Is she reading your mind?*

"And me telling you about it makes me think you're think I am reading your mind." Gabrielle laughed. "So that echo’s in my head too."

"Gabrielle..." The warrior's face went pale. "What is your little echo saying right now?"

*That tree is blue and orange.* She thought up the nonsense line that couldn't be guessed at.

"No it isn't X..." Gabrielle laughed briefly before she stopped and looked at Xena wide eyed.

*You're reading my mind.* The warrior didn't speak for a second.

"I'm reading your mind." Gabrielle echoed. "Sorry." The blonde apologised as an instant reaction.

"It’s not your fault." Xena smiled past her worry.

*Oh my Gods, what has she heard?*

"I could try and block it out." Gabrielle suggested.

"No, it must be part of the second sight." Xena looked the blonde up and down.

*Must keep mind focused, don't look at her hair.* She laughed nervously. *Don't look there either.*

Gabrielle flashed a quick glance at Xena raising an eyebrow.

*Oh she caught you.* Her mind snapped at itself.

"We're just going to have too..." Xena tried to think for a moment.

*You're going to have to get your feelings in check Miss. Warrior Princess.*

"Okay hold up." Gabrielle pulled at her horse’s reins and looked at the Warrior Princess.

"Okay talking and not thinking, we get to the dagger and get back as quickly as possible." She tried to cover.

"No, we are not riding another step." The blonde shook her head.

"Why?" Xena looked the bard in the eye.

*Blank mind, blank mind.* She repeated the thought like a mantra.

"Because you can't keep doing that." Gabrielle sighed dramatically.

"Keep doing what?" Xena looked nervous, an odd state for her but she was in it none the less.

*Blank mind, blank mind, Gods I love that little gold fleck... blank mind blank mind."

"That blank mind blank, wandering thought, wandering thought thing." Gabrielle replied.

"I don't mean to wander." Xena closed her eyes and swallowed. "Okay staying focused, we get to the knife."

*How can you keep your mind off the thing that you think about all the time?* The thoughts came without her wanting or biding. *You so are not bathing together tonight if she can read your mind.*

"Okay now Xena stop!" Gabrielle stared at the warrior.

"Gabrielle, it's really hard to stop thinking." The warrior felt herself growing hot under the bard’s stare.

*You have to stop this Xe, or she's going to know, she's going to pluck it right out of your head.*

"Why in the name of Zeus are you thinking all these things suddenly? Do you think you got a back wave of something from Dite?"

"Back wave of what?" Xena coughed lightly.

"I don't know, crazed obsession." Gabrielle suggested possibilities.

*She knows, but you can't lie and say it was Dite cause you never lie to her.*

"You'd better not lie to me Warrior Princess." Gabrielle said sharply suddenly.

"Crazed obsession?" The warrior's face fell at the harsh words. "Yeah maybe that's it."

*Okay she wants you to lie, she doesn't want to know this.* Her mind conceded. *Loving from afar, you’re good at it.*

Gabrielle let Xena's thoughts rest in her head unquestioned and unchecked.

"I'll try to tone it down whatever it is." Xena said softly. "Just so it's not so distracting to you."

*Just me and my broken heart over here, no worries, we'd do anything for you fair bard.*

"Maybe." The bard said looking at the Warrior Princess with a serious look. "Because this was bestowed on me by a God, then because you have the power to kill Gods, you can undo it." She said trying hard not to react to the warrior’s inner thoughts.

"But we need the power to get the dagger." Xena reasoned.

*Get the dagger, save the world, lose your bard... how bad can this get?*

"Yes but Dite can find someone else to do her dirty work." Gabrielle reasoned. "We can do all the hard work when the dagger has been retrieved."

"Gabrielle, can we really trust this to just anyone?" Xena had to be logical as her mind wagged war on itself.

*You already think I’m crazy, how am I going to fix that?*

"You said yourself this was the easy bit of the mission." Gabrielle replied carefully dismounting. "And all this echoing in my head is driving me crazy." She added looking at the warrior.

"Gabrielle, I'm sorry." Xena dismounted as well. "I'm trying to cut things down but it's nearly impossible."

*Gods I’m hurting her, I can't hurt her, I love her.*

"It's not your fault, I know that. And it's worse because I am sure that the fact that it is Dite’s second sight, they are being laced by her wishes and peculiar fantasies. I know none of this is really coming from you. It must be maddening for you too." Gabrielle reasoned sadly.

"Gabrielle, why are you so sure it's Aphrodite's thoughts?" Xena questioned.

*Maybe I’m off the hook, maybe she's not hearing me, and she doesn't know how in love I am with her.*

"It's probably a combination of a lot of things, whatever it is I have had enough of it." Gabrielle walked round till she was in front of the warrior. She looked up into blue eyes.

"Combination of what?" Xena questioned.

*Gods she looks so beautiful when she's frustrated.*

"Bardly imagination, Aphrodite love wave and just usual warrior thoughts." Gabrielle listed her main sources.

"So I’m thinking..." Xena left the question open.

*How you want to gather her up and kiss her…watch that mind Xena!* She chastised herself.

"Okay then Xena, bestowed by a Goddess in a kiss." The bard looked deeply into blue. "How do we get rid of?"

"I..." The warrior swallowed. "I..."

*Is she asking you to kiss her?*

"Come on Xena how hard can this be, just close your eyes and put your lips on mine. I will tell you whether it was the right kind of kiss when we've done it." The bard sounded a little impatient.

"Are you sure?" Xena swallowed again.

*I can't kiss her, she'll know... oh Gods I’m stuck.*

"It's the best idea I have." Gabrielle replied with a shrug.

"Okay, here goes." Xena closed her eyes and leaned down to place her lips on the bard's.

*She so soft.* She couldn't keep the thought from her mind even with the tiny contact.

As Xena moved away Gabrielle looked at her and shook her head slightly.

"No, you see Dite had her head tilted more, and her lips slightly open." The bard explained

*She's going to make me do this again?*

"Like this..." Xena smiled beginning to figure she might as well secretly enjoy this if she had too. She tilted her head as she moved into the bard and kissed her slowly with an open mouth.

"Very similar, but she had her hand on my cheek, maybe that was the important bit." The bard offered pulling pack out of the second kiss.

"Let's see." Xena smiled broadly as she put her hand up to cup the bard's cheek and leaned in again. This time feeling a little more herself she hung by the bard's mouth for a moment before she pressed their lips together. She kissed the bard slowly, her hand holding the young woman's face gently.

Beneath Xena’s lips, the bard smiled, and raised her own hands to hold the warrior’s waist. Tiling her head slightly more, she opened her lips and urged the warrior to kiss her deeply as her hands travelled up Xena’s leather clad back.

Unable to stop herself to the gently prompting, the warrior tentatively went deeper into the kiss slowing losing herself in the feeling as the contact between them became hot and frenzied.

Giving herself completely over to the kiss, Gabrielle felt her breathing change and the heat in her hands pressing on warm leather increase.

*You are so soft Gabrielle, I love you.* Xena didn't even think to monitor her thoughts.

Gabrielle slowed the tempo of the kiss slightly and then pulled away gently. She gazed up at Xena lovingly.

"So..." The warrior coughed lightly trying to regain herself. "Still echoing?"

"Oh yes." Gabrielle said with a knowing smile. "That won't go away until we get the dagger and bring it back to Aphrodite, then she will take it back. She promised it gets less annoying after a day or so." The bard grinned looking mightily pleased with herself as she moved to take her horse’s reins.

"What?" Xena stood there stunned.

Gabrielle stopped and turned giving Xena a brilliant smile.

"She told you about it?" The warrior frowned gently.

"Oh come on Xe, you were never going to admit it were you. This was the perfect opportunity." The bard said in mock innocence. She flicked the thin straps of leather playfully for a moment.

"Okay so you know I'm not going crazy?" Xena's face went into a scowl.

*She set me up!* Her mind was both angry and laughing at the same time.

"Dite was just a little frustrated that her two favourite lovers weren't actually lovers." Gabrielle watched her warrior carefully and laughed at the inner thoughts coming from her best friend’s head.

"So all that tilt your head, put your hand?" Xena stared at her demanding explanations.

"Was me." The blonde winked.

*I'm going to hurt Aphrodite!* The warrior hated the idea of being outmanoeuvred.

*Oh no you are not.* Gabrielle thought back knowing now the warrior would now be able to hear her. *Because you love me remember?* She added in her thoughts.

*Is this what I sound like?* Xena looked at her and smiled.

*Yeah, only deeper.* Gabrielle smiled back.

The warrior moved back to her horse.

*Why did you do this?* Xena turned to her seriously.

*Because I had to be sure.* Gabrielle replied keeping the warrior’s eye. *You never talk to me Xe, never share how you feel, and my love for you was driving me crazy. I had to know what the rules were in the game we were playing.*

"You could have just done your usual pin me down and make me talk." Xena let herself smile. *I can't stay angry with you, you know that.*

"Not about this I couldn't." Gabrielle shook her head.

*But now you have mentioned pinning down!* She added to Xena’s mind with a grin.

"One question is there really a dagger?" Xena took a step closer to the bard.

"Yes. Though the mission might not be as drastic as we made it sound." Gabrielle dropped the reins and moved back to face Xena.

"What is the mission?" The warrior let her eyes trace over the bard's face for the first time freely, her mind thinking uninhibited of the lips she'd just kissed.

"I'm having trouble remembering the details." Gabrielle let her eyes move from the warrior’s eyes lower.

*Gabrielle, what a vivid mind you have.* The warrior laughed as she slid her arms around the bard.

*And what a great body you have.* The blonde smirked looping her arms in turn around the warrior.

"So now that you know I love you..." Xena raised an eyebrow.

"Yes." Gabrielle nodded. "And I love you."

*And I love you* The bard’s mind and voice said in unison

*I might be out of line here...* Xena pulled her closer breathing her in. *But there is a cave just over there...*

*I brought extra animal skins.* Gabrielle raised her hand up and down the warrior’s back.

"I'm really getting the feeling I was set up here." Xena laughed as the bard's hand send a shiver down her spine.

"Only in the nicest of ways." Gabrielle defended.

*Okay, but first...* Xena leaned in, feeling and hearing every moment of the bard’s anticipation as she brought their lips together again.

*Definitely this first.* Gabrielle thought as they shared the kiss.

Gabrielle gently broke from the passionate expression of love from her warrior and gently put her hand in Xena’s, leading her to the horse. She pulled off a bundle of soft furs.

"You sure you want to." She asked just checking the warrior’s face

"Listen to my mind and my heart Gabrielle." Xena smiled lovingly at her. *I love you.* They came to the bard in unison. "I love you."

"Then let's not waste time." Gabrielle began to lead the warrior to the cave. "You have worked out why Aphrodite did this haven't you?" She asked as they hurried.

"No why?" Xena followed the bard's lead willingly.

Gabrielle breeched the entrance to the small cave and turned to her warrior lovingly. She dropped the furs and wrapped her arms around Xena’s body.

"Well the only way to remove this is with a kiss from the Goddess, so this way, not only does she get her greatest plans for you and I complete…" She said reaching up ad kissing Xena cheek. "She gets to kiss you too."

The End.