DISCLAIMER:
The characters belong to Studios USA and Renaissance Pictures and were used without permission. No copyright infringement was intended and no money was made.

WARNING:
Explicit descriptions of male/female sex follow. Also, I guess you could say that this story includes some light bondage.

First ever story, and all that, so please excuse some of the problems with it. ;-)

Send feedback to gabluvr@gabrielleandjoxer.com

You can also find stories by Gabluver at The GJErotica Archive

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Night Interludes
by Gabluver

She awoke with a jerk. She would have screamed, but the hand covering her mouth prevented it. Then she first felt, then saw the familiar shape interrupting the pitch black above her, and she knew it was him. His face does have a most interesting outline. She wanted to touch it, but Joxer was now holding her hands together above her head.

"Gabrielle, it's me!"

Gabrielle, with great dramatic flair, rolled her eyes. Very bright - he can't see you. She suddenly hoped Joxer's slightly average intellectual acuity wasn't contagious.

Is great sex worth it? Her mind mulled over the possible answers to this question, and out of one side popped the 'correct answer'.

No.

Then from the other, came a response to this notion.

Liar.

The first side then compromised.

Then it damn well better be great!

"Gabrielle, don't move your hands, I'll be right back."

She heard Joxer moving about her, but couldn't see what he was doing. Then she heard a movement to her right; Xena was stretching in her sleep again, and Gabrielle could almost visualize her rolling on her side facing towards the forest, so she would not be vulnerable to outside intruders. Even in her sleep she's the perfect warrior.

The thought of Xena caused a short burst of panic in Gabrielle as she remembered the trio's sleeping arrangements. Xena's pelt was just over a arm's length away to her right. Xena had a habit of sleeping on the end of it, so that gave her and Joxer a little more room for movement. And more importantly, space to dissipate any stray noises. But not much.

If only the clearing was bigger, she mused worriedly. Since she and Joxer had begun their - 'nocturnal activities', they had had to be careful in order to protect their secret from their friend. On those nights that Gabrielle and Joxer had decided on ahead of time, the routine was largely the same.

"How about this one?" Xena would ask, pointing to a spot next to her pelt.

Oh so innocently, Gabrielle would then make a big show of patting the ground, and frowning. "This one is too hard. It's bad for my back." If she thought the occasion needed it, she would then put her hands behind her and stretch, indicating her fragile and sore condition.

"All right then, how about this side?" Xena would point to the other side of her pelt, and at least try to make her question not sound like an order.

And then Gabrielle would begin an even more intricate performance, laying her pelt down and acting like she was getting ready for sleep. Then, as if on cue, she would moan, "This side's too soft. You know how stiff my neck gets." She would get up, and rub her neck.

"Fine, Gabrielle, then where do you want to sleep?", Xena would ask, the exasperation evident in her tone.

Gabrielle would then take one, two, three, and lastly four steps away, conveniently in the direction of Joxer's pelt. She knew she couldn't take any more than that, without Xena moving her own pelt. Leaning down, she would examine the ground, tossing away any offending rocks or other debris, and then 'try out' the spot, before proclaiming, "This is good, Xena!"

Invariably, Xena would bite her lower lip, and suppress the urge to tell her not to move that far away. That's all I need, another 'Xena, I can take care of myself' speech. She would sigh and resign herself to the new sleeping arrangements.

After flashing one of her 'I'll be fine' smiles, Gabrielle would move her pelt to the new spot, and the issue would finally be decided.

But tonight, they found themselves traveling in a particularly dense section of woods, and the clearing in which they camped was barely big enough to fit all three pelts. Gabrielle had figured that this meant her and Joxer's planned meeting was postponed until better circumstances presented themselves. Obviously, Joxer had other things in mind.

Her reverie was broken by the sound of Joxer- cutting? something above her.

"Damn." Another strange sound. "Bacchae!"

What could he possibly . . . ? "What is it?"

"I cut it too short."

This was not the answer she was expecting. "What?!"

"Shhhh. Keep it down!"

"Don't tell me that. What are you doing, Joxer?" Her whispered tone gave away the tinge of worry in her voice.

"Just a minute . . . got it!"

Gabrielle let out a small gasp as she felt rope being wrapped around her wrists, which Joxer still held down above her head. She could feel him run the rope around one, then the other, then around again, until her hands were bound in such a fashion that her wrists were held together.

Joxer could almost feel Gabrielle's pensiveness, and leaned down next to her ear. Whispering, he tried to assure his beautiful captive, "Don't worry, Gabrielle. When we, um, you know, you move around a lot! So I figured that if we, ah, well . . . tonight, then this would be the only way we could without waking Xena up. Do your wrists hurt? Is it too tight?"

Gabrielle listened intently to Joxer's explanation, and the concern in his voice helped calm her immediate sense of urgency. She nodded, knowing he could feel her face move against his.

Joxer did, and then added, "Then just hold still a minute - I'm almost done." Reaching behind him, he took the stick that he had used to cook dinner on earlier, and holding Gabrielle's arms again, he shoved it into the ground against the ropes that bound Gabrielle's wrists, so that it held her arms above her securely and close to the ground. He then leaned back down to her, and asked, "Can you move your arms?" When he felt her pull her wrists against the stick, and shake her head in answer to the negative, he smiled.

Gabrielle felt completely helpless, and even though her mind kept telling her relax, it's only my harmless adorable goofy Joxer, and smiled briefly at the thought, she couldn't stop the fear and anxiety from welling up within her. Here she was, almost completely blinded by the thick black cloak of night, her hands bound above her, nearly holding her down almost totally, save for the ability to slightly move her lower body by herself. Being held in the control of someone else was not something her headstrong and independent spirit was comfortable with. No matter how much her mind kept trying to reassure her, the fear was building into a almost suffocating suspense.

And then he began.

Joxer looked down, barely able to see even the barest outline of his Gabrielle's face, and reached his hand out, searching through the black of night for the feel of her skin. His fingers soon found the cleft of her chin, and starting there let his hand begin a long slow journey across his bard's angelic face. Joxer closed his eyes, adding to the isolation of the night, concentrating on the smoothness of his beloved's cheeks, the well defined jaw line, her perfect nose. His fingertips followed every dip and crevice, as if they were trying to memorize every feature just from the sensations.

Gabrielle literally jumped from the initial shock of Joxer's touch. But then as she felt his fingers making their way slowly around her face, she could feel the heat from his hands cutting through the cold night air that assaulted her skin. Gods that feels so GOOD. She let go of herself, and let the feathery touch of his fingers tantalize every inch of her skin. As she felt him come near her mouth, she opened it slightly and let her tongue caress his digits as they roamed.

Joxer reveled in the sensation of her hot, wet tongue on his fingers. He leaned down, almost taking her ear in his mouth, and wanted to whisper something intensely romantic and erotic. He wanted to let her know how much she meant to him, how much he wanted to give her pleasure. He wanted to do all of that. That's when he froze. What can I say?!

Gabrielle felt Joxer's weight shift, and then his hot breath tickled her ear, and she waited in anticipation for Joxer to say something.

Joxer's muffled whisper broke through the night air. "Um, Gabrielle, you, ah, that is, you sure look nice tonight."

Joxer's mind took the sentence, and objectively evaluated it's effectiveness, as it's value as a vital part of his responsibility to maintain a suitable romantic and erotic atmosphere for his partner and himself. Joxer, you are a fucking idiot. He did the only thing he could do under the circumstances, and sighed deeply.

Gabrielle's mind, upon being subjected to Joxer's profound words, gave it's own reaction. HUH?! She was about to say something like, 'well, since I can't see you, AT ALL, that's a pretty good trick, Joxer', but she fought the urge with every bit of energy she had. Snide remarks flowed from her mouth like other people's dinars' in the company of Salmoneus. But then she stopped, and giggled slightly. In a way, knowing how hard he tries to do things he knows he can't, for my sake alone, is as romantic as any of Sappho's poetry. She also felt for her Joxer, as she knew how disappointed he gets when he tries to do something for her, and fails. She wanted to hug him at that moment, but under the circumstances, that wasn't going to happen.

And suddenly she no longer cared, as she felt his lips meet her flesh, making their way down her neck, and up to the jaw, retracing the path his fingers so wonderfully traveled earlier. She felt as if her entire face was on fire, as he slowly - oh Gods so slowly led his tongue and lips around her delicate features, the heat from his mouth weaving a trail of glorious raw sensations in it's wake. Gabrielle wondered at the irony of it all; What his mouth can't do with words, can accomplish ten times over in other ways -- Oh that's soo good!

Finally, she felt his lips against hers, and she tried to lean up to capture them, but the ropes wouldn't allow her to gain any leverage. She moaned with her futility. Joxer smiled at Gabrielle's passion, and lightly lifted his face so that his lips were perched ever so close to hers, but just out of reach. He opened his mouth, and let out a single breath against her lips.

The result was immediate. "Oh, Gods . . . Joxer! Please!" Gabrielle's throaty whisper could barely be heard, yet to Joxer it was as loud as a thunderbolt.

"Please, what?" Joxer leaned down a bit more, so that his upper lip ever so lightly brushed hers. He felt her squirm beneath him as she tried in desperation to reach.

Gabrielle had never known such raw need, for something so simple. "K . . . k . . . k..iss me!"

With the confidence of a vegetable merchant in a Hestian temple, Joxer casually replied, "All you have to do is ask." Lowering his head, he gently suckled Gabrielle's top lip for barely a moment, before he allowed his mouth to unite with hers. Her need overcame his gentility, and quickly her tongue was entwined with his, trying to extract from him everything her soul needed in that one moment in time. After several long moments, Joxer pried himself from her, and gasped for breath as quietly as he could, trying to replace what she had taken from him.

"You . . . you . . . you're so damn good at that!" Joxer's muffled voice broke the silence.

"I can only get better with practice."

Joxer could practically see her smirking through the black that surrounded them. He decided to change tactics, and leaning up on his haunches, placed his hand at the base of her neck. Beginning another long, deliberate journey, his fingertips and palm traveled that delightful highway around the base of her neck, to her shoulders, and finally settled somewhere near the top lace of her top. With a pull, then another, and another . . . and the lace was still secure. Damn, why does she lace this so tight?! Okay, this one goes through this hole - but then why is it getting tighter?! DAMN!!

Gabrielle couldn't tell if Joxer was trying to remove her top, or discover a new knot. With a tiny sigh, she resigned herself to the fact that it might be a while before Joxer discovered how to get to her breasts- the big question would be whether he could do it in less time than it took to convince Xena to a night at the theater. The last time took almost half a full day. It was going to be close . . .

Meanwhile, Joxer's mind began to understand the intricacies of Gabrielle's laces, and had even gotten through one. Getting the hang of it, he undid each, until he was able to pull the fabric up, unveiling her pert breasts to the cold night air. Reaching up at her neck, he let his hands wander across her chest, feeling the soft creamy skin, and finally the hardened nubs that generated a sudden shiver from his captive when touched. Increasing his pace, Joxer's hands squeezed and kneaded, while anxious fingers alternated between rubbing and lightly pulling at her nipples.

Gabrielle's only thought was that this was the most intensely enjoyable experience of her young life. And she never wanted it to end. Then she felt Joxer's mouth clamp down on her left breast, licking his way down to the nipple, and decided that this was the most intensely enjoyable experience of her young life. As Joxer's hands and mouth repeatedly assaulted her, the friction spreading a heat that broke through the cold night, she felt her own heat spreading from her stomach. Then an equally intense feeling of frustration fell upon her, as she desperately wished her own hands were free to advance the process that had begun in her stomach and was quickly working down to a more suitable place. Without the ability to touch herself, she began to nervously twist and writhe her waist, as if that movement alone could make up for the needs of the more intimate areas of her body. Joxer's mouth then switched places with her other breast, and the cycle of exhilaration, to unbidden joy, to intense frustration began all over again. As Joxer well knew, Gabrielle had been exposed to dangers, and tortures of mind and soul that most humans could never imagine, much less survive. She had always faced any challenge with a sense of independence and absolute integrity. She had never been broken. But here, now, Gabrielle, Amazon Queen and friend to Xena the Warrior Princess, began to whimper like an abused puppy.

Tears began to form, as moisture of another sort began collecting in her sex. Joxer felt Gabrielle wiggling and without consciously knowing it, pushed down on her a little harder, making movement that much more difficult. Then he felt her begin to shudder and sob, and frightened, quickly left her breasts and rushed up to her face. He was shocked when he felt the tears streaming down her cheeks, and like a flash leaned down to her again.

"Gabrielle, what is it? What's wrong? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to . . ."

Gabrielle instinctively reached for his head, and was immediately stopped by the binds she now wanted to damn to Tartarus forever. Trying to get a hold of herself, the only thing she could reasonably get out in a controlled whisper was "Joxer . . . please . . ."

"Please what, Gabrielle? Anything, just tell me!"

"Please touch me. My clit. Oh gods, please!" With that, Gabrielle had no more energy with which to speak. It would have to be enough.

It was. Joxer went from frightened to near death for his Gabrielle, to immensely aroused, in the length of time of a average chakram throw. They had not been together very long, and 'dirty talking' was not something either had found the opportunity or courage to try yet. And here was his sweet, innocent Gabrielle, asking him to touch her. The first thought that came to him was, Would I ever!

Leaning down, Joxer placed his hand at the cleft of her breasts, and slowly began sliding it down her body, over her taunt stomach, and finally reaching the top of her skirt. Knowing he didn't need to take it off to find her mound, he slowly slipped his hand under one panel of material, then past another, and finally another, until he felt her shudder again as his fingers found her bare upper thigh. Bending down, he gave his weakening captive a chaste kiss, and began licking the salty tears from her face, as his hands explored her thighs, moving ever closer toward her center. Gabrielle found a second wind, and flicked her tongue out against his face. Understanding the unspoken request, Joxer dipped his own tongue into her mouth, and shared what he know knew were tears of pleasure with his beloved. He felt his own arousal building, and with his other hand he loosened the ties on his pants to relieve some of the pressure.

While Joxer's mouth fulfilled one need, his hand was quickly working on the other. Feeling Gabrielle writhe even more as his hand journeyed everywhere but where she wanted, he realized that she had suffered enough. Lightly, he ran the flat of his fingers, and then palm, over her mons and labia, her juices collecting on his fingers. Gods, is she wet! Then he began the serious business of pleasuring the woman he loved, by working his whole hand over her sex, randomly changing directions and pressure, bringing her even closer to bliss. Gabrielle heartily agreed with his choices, or at least that was what he figured she meant as her tongue refused to let his go.

Finally Joxer bent one finger, running it along the length of her opening. Feeling the heat and her own moisture now flowing in abundance, he knew she was ready, and slipped it into her hole, allowing it to roam freely within her flesh, helping her climb even higher. Gabrielle started to moan from the sides of her mouth, and Joxer, scared of the sudden noise, clamped his whole mouth over hers. Then Gabrielle began to buck again, and he increased the pressure on her body to slow down his beloved's excess energy. Then making sure he had claimed her mouth again, Joxer's thumb reached out to find her clit, and began circling it, sending waves of sensations through Gabrielle's already overloaded nervous system. Soon Joxer's finger was plumbing the depths of her hot tunnel, as his thumb caressed her swollen nub and his mouth stole her ability to shout out in ecstasy as she sped toward her climax.

Gabrielle was awash in a sea of raw energy. Unable to see anything through the cold dark surrounding them, Joxer's mouth clamped securely to her own as she felt his talented fingers bringing her ever closer, she could only mutter and hum into his mouth as she felt the fire race through her.

"Umph . . . Jax . . . ohhhh . . . .godddsss!!!!!"

Joxer made sure her triumphant screams died in his mouth. Then he felt her lift her lower body off the ground as the first wave took her, and he added to it as he wiggled his finger against her now convulsing muscles, letting his thumb push her even further. Finally he thought she was ready to come down, and when he was sure she wasn't going to vocalize her pleasure any more, allowed his poor hostage to drink in the cold night air.

Gabrielle's chest rose and fell as she tried to regain her composure and energy after her orgasm. Joxer shuffled his body and laid down beside her, caressing her shoulders and face. He could feel her breathing, and leaned over and kissed the side of her cheek gently.

After realizing she wasn't dead, Gabrielle turned her head and met Joxer's lips with her own. After a quick but heartfelt kiss, she leaned her head back straight and closed her eyes, letting herself recover from what Joxer had just given her. Then she realized that her first experience being tied up was having a definite affect on on her body. Without knowing it, she began to stretch and pull, in an effort to ease her tired arms and shoulders. Then she jumped again, as she felt cold hands rubbing her upper arms, shoulders, and back. Ohhhhhhhhh

Joxer silently berated himself, not knowing how hard it would be on her under these conditions. Cold hard ground, rough hemp rope, and you didn't think about how hard it would be on her?! You are a fucking idiot. After finishing up massaging her shoulders, he leaned over her again, and made sure he had her attention. "Gabrielle . . . I, I'm sorry about this. I mean, I should have known how hard this would be, and all . . . "

Gabrielle couldn't believe what she was hearing. Using some of the renewed strength she was feeling, she leaned up as far as she could and roughly attacked his lips. Joxer got the idea, and followed her mouth back down toward the ground, letting the kiss settle into a pleasantly slow pace, until she separated. Now she was sure she had his attention. "Joxer, I am yours, always. Right now I want you to do with me whatever you want. I want you to. Do you understand?"

Joxer suddenly realized he was the most fortunate man in the world, and claimed her mouth once again, trying to express his feelings to her the best way he knew how. He shifted his weight until he was covering her, and reached down and undid his pants. Gabrielle spread her legs, sending out her own silent message to her lover. Reaching down, Joxer grabbed the bottom of her skirt and lifted it until he had total access to her. Then Joxer positioned himself, making sure she was ready again, and was quickly joined with her as one.

Gabrielle let out a gasp as Joxer entered her, and rejoiced in the sensation as he stilled for a moment. Suddenly, Gabrielle became very angry at the night, as she couldn't see Joxer's face, and was robbed of looking into his eyes at that moment. But she felt a little better when Joxer leaned his head down and began nuzzling her neck and chest, just as he began a slow and steady pace. He must know he can't go any faster, because of Xena.

Joxer kept that very thought in mind, as he knew every movement meant a noise that could awaken the nearby warrior from her slumber. He concentrated on every lift and thrust, making sure neither made a sudden noise that would give them away. If he had been in any position other than buried inside Gabrielle, he would have laughed at the irony. In previous encounters, the fear of being caught in a passionate position had caused them both to move with a relentless pace, bringing each other to the brink as quickly as possible. But as it was, irony was the last thing either was thinking about.

Especially Gabrielle. The disciplined, deliberate movements of Joxer was unlike anything she had felt before, with Perdicas or Joxer. She desperately wanted him to go faster, but the fact that she knew he couldn't, combined with her already restrained position, made this torture sweet indeed. So much so, that she had to concentrate on her own noise level, and bit into her lip to muffle her own moans of passion.

Both settled into the rhythm, and let it push each other toward their climax. Soon, each was moving with the other perfectly, and could feel the heat rising within them. Gabrielle, ever so creative, used what little control she had over her body to vary her own positions, sometimes working against him for more friction, and other times working with him for depth. Soon both were frantically trying to keep their own guttural moans and hisses from escaping, as they slid and bucked and writhed against each other with a animal-like ferociousness, despite the deliberately mechanical pace. Gabrielle came first, locking her jaw shut so she couldn't scream out into the night, riding out the waves as Joxer relentlessly maintained his even rhythm. Just as she was finishing, her muscles pulling on him, Joxer suddenly broke his perfect cadence and increased his speed, until his body shuddered and erupted as he could feel his essence pouring into his beautiful bard.

Out of strength, both collapsed, and Joxer fell to Gabrielle's side, gulping in air, shivering as his sweaty body was attacked by the frigid early morning. He leaned up, and could feel Gabrielle shuddering as well, and stretched his arm across her, hoping that would warm her. He would have fallen asleep right there, if it wasn't for Gabrielle desperately trying to get his attention.

"Joxer! Please - could you untie me now??"

"Oh! Yeah. Um, I'll be right there." Rearranging his pants, he got on his knees, first removing the stick, and then tried to unwind the rope from her wrists. It wasn't working. What now?? Then inspiration struck him, and he pulled the mini-dagger out of his boot and was about to get to the task at hand, when Gabrielle figured out what he was doing by his movements, and panicked.

"Joxer!!" Gabrielle's whisper held as much command as Xena's war cry.

"Shhh! You'll wake her up!"

Gabrielle tried a change of tact. "But Joxer, dear . . . did you get out your dagger?"

"Yeah, I have to cut the rope."

"Yes, but . . . do you remember what happened when you tried to cut the fish we caught yesterday? Not even Poseidon would have recognized that it had been a fish . . . "

"Gabrielle, just relax . . . I know what I'm doing!"

And with that, Gabrielle resigned herself to her fate. Closing her eyes, she awaited to see what damage her beloved but clumsy lover might do. And then she felt shock, followed by absolute relief when she realized her arms were free again. How on earth did he do that tonight without slicing me up, but yesterday he couldn't dress a fish in the broad daylight? As Gabrielle continued to ponder the enigma that was Joxer, she stretched her now aching arms and back, trying to get blood flowing to all the proper places.

Joxer wiped the sweat from his brow, and sat back down next to Gabrielle. She then sat up, and nestled back against him, as he brought his own hands around her shoulders and held her.

Gabrielle spoke for both as she said, "Mmmmmmm."

Joxer leaned down and kissed the side of her head. "What?"

"Is it always that much fun? Being tied up, I mean?"

"Mostly."

Gabrielle considered a moment. "Have you ever been, you know, tied up?"

"Yeah, why?"

Gabrielle smiled that perfect evil smile of hers, that would have sent shivers down Joxer's spine if he could have seen it. "Just remember, that I owe you one now." After a short pause, "And Joxer - thank you."

"For what??" Unlike when he was trying to impress people, Joxer didn't handle sincere compliments very well, and began to feel uncomfortable.

Gabrielle knew this, and wanted him to know how truly special he made her feel. "That was - that was - that was just incredible!"

"Yeah, but keep it down!"

Gabrielle glanced to her right, but it was so dark she couldn't even see Xena, even though she knew her friend was but several feet away. She acknowledged Joxer by leaning forward and lightly kissing his hands, as they were joined in front of her. Then she looked into the night again, and her mind told her what her heart had known from the start. We have to tell her sometime. But how? As Gabrielle sat for a few moments, the aching in her shoulders returned, and she began to twist in Joxer's grasp.

"What's wrong?"

"It's just - I guess I'm a little stiff."

"Oh. Hey! I know! There is that salve that you guys use for aches and stuff. Um, I think it's in one of the saddlebags. Just a minute."

Gabrielle could feel Joxer standing up, and reached out to stop him. She was too late. With a urgency borne of the knowledge of a certain future, she whispered as loud as she could. "No! Joxer, you might . . . ."

. . . might trip on something, making a ruckus and waking Xena up. And that is exactly what happened. Most people would have realized that, needing almost total silence, in conditions where one couldn't see their hand in front of their face, that they should bring their feet straight up as they walked. Joxer wasn't most people. The tree root caught his toe just one step from the saddlebag, but catch it it did. Soon Joxer was on a free fall to the ground. Luckily he was going to land on his own pelt, thereby muffling the collision. Unluckily, his voice announced what was happening to the world long before he actually hit the ground.

"Woooowwwwaaaaaa!!!" The sound of Joxer hitting the ground was almost insignificant in comparison.

Gabrielle's eyes grew to the size of Xena's chakram, and her first thought was to hit the ground. Joxer laid as still as he could. Both momentarily believed that it would be okay. Then both shared the same exact thought as they heard a sword being unsheathed.

SHIT

"Who's there!" Even Xena's sleepy voice could still terrorize any man, and Gabrielle and Joxer both shuddered.

Xena looked frantically about her. She was sure she heard a noise, and a loud one at that. But her disciplined vision scanned the area systematically, and found nothing. Of course, she could also barely see anything. She strained her eyes, and realized she couldn't even make out the outline of her friends. "Gabrielle? Joxer?" Nothing. They must be really out of it. But if they didn't hear anything . . . ?

After another scan of the area, and listening for anything out of the ordinary, Xena sat back down and sheathed her sword as quietly as she could. She sighed, and her mind did it's own brief after-action report.

I woke up. But there wasn't any noise, at least nothing that would wake up Gabrielle and Joxer. I'm waking up to noises that aren't there. What does that mean? You're getting old.

With the debrief completed, she laid back down, and commanded to herself to fall back asleep. Her body disobeyed her direct order. I am getting old. With that, she turned on her side again, and resigned herself to the fact that it would be a while before she would be asleep again.

Beside her, her two companions were quickly and silently rearranging themselves for the night, grateful that they were both on their respective pelts when the accident occurred. Joxer was out in just a few moments after he realized Xena hadn't caught him, and therefore he wasn't going to die. Gabrielle stretched her arms up, and was shocked to feel the pile of cut rope still sitting just above her head. She quickly grabbed what she hoped was all of it, and stuffed it under her pelt. I'll have to get rid of that in the morning before Xena wakes up. With everything done and quiet, she closed her eyes, and settled in for the night. I only wish I could wake up with Joxer. Then another thought came to her. And I do owe him one. That could be fun. With a giggle that quickly transformed into a yawn, Gabrielle surrendered herself to Morpheus' realm.

*****

It was a glorious, almost fairytale-like morning. That is, it was until Xena woke up and realized she had slept in. Then it wasn't going to be glorious for anybody.

"It's so late. Gabrielle? Gabrielle?? The one morning I ask you to wake me up for a change. Just when I have Zantar right where I want him, I go and oversleep. Well thank you very much!" The sarcasm dripped from Xena's voice, as she announced to the world a simple fact of life - Don't fuck with me today!

Shaking the sleep out of her head, she quickly gathered herself and set about on her main task for the morning.

Let's see - gauntlets. Whip. Armor. Hmmmm.

Looking about her, she couldn't seem to find her last, but most vital item. Suddenly she picked up something that was right next to Gabrielle's pelt.

Rope! Rope? There was barely an arm's length there.

What happened to all the rope?!

Joxer turned on his side, his smile plain through his slumber.

The End

Disclaimer: The shoe wasn't the only thing that fit during the production of this fanfic.