DISCLAIMERS: The "Smelly Feet" in many a fabled Hallowe'en rhyme!
1) The characters Xena, Gabrielle and Ephiny are not mine, never have been and never will be, unless I win several Powerball Lotteries and buy Renaissance Pictures (who really own the characters mentioned) and their owner MGM/UA. Their use in this piece of fiction is not a challenge to their copyrights at all. This piece was written with no promises of financial return, re-imbursement. Come on guys. . . can't we all just get along?
2) The terms Kindred, Tremere, Brujah, Prodigals, the Masquerade, Setite, Follower Of Set, Celerity, Sabbat and any other related incidentia are the intellectual property of White Wolf Games. As above, no job or money was promised, this isn't a challenge to anyone's claim to property -- why can't we all get along?
3) The people LJ, Taz, Murphy, Bindi, Crys, Deb, Diane are all real people. They are the romantic property of their Significant Others, Wives, Husbands, Boyfriends, Debtors, Mothers, Fathers, Friends and Goats. Their use in this obvious piece of fiction is not a challenge to their claims. If it were, I would probably find myself clubbed to death in short-order by the above mentioned parties. This is my way of showing how much I appreciate what you people have done for me. If you feel slighted for whatever reason, please e-mail me privately at enoonerehwon@hotmail.com and accept my apologies.
4) "Darker Hearts" Alert! -- the events in this short story take place well after the novella "Darker Hearts", but are not to be considered official canon. This is merely a pleasant side-trip into the hazy realm of 'What If. . .?'. For those of you who are somewhat unfamiliar with the idea, I'll simply say this -- Xena and Gabrielle are vampires in The World Of Darkness. Not the Bacchae from Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, but the Kindred from the RPG Vampire: The Masquerade. I hope you have fun, even if you are unfamiliar with anything I have just said...
On With The Show. . .
Fey Night
by Enoon Erehwon
~ November 4th, 2000 ~
Gabrielle sighed as she turned the page of her book, pausing reading only long enough to untuck her blouse. Xena was running late in getting ready, but Gabrielle didn't care one bit. Every moment that delayed the inevitable was to be cherished and loved. She looked nervously at the clock. It was fifteen past eight on a Friday night. Both the Bad Blood Club and The Pit would be packed.
Feeding would be easy for Xena tonight.
It was going to be hellish for Gabrielle. Xena had several centuries to shed her humanity. Gabrielle was reaching her first anniversary a couple of weeks. Her notions of good and evil had yet to adapt to the cruelties of her new life as one of the Kindred -- the vampires.
Xena had used every single explanation that she could conjure from her vast experience. She tried to use reason: by committing these little injuries, she could spare herself and others from the larger injuries of a hunger-induced frenzy. A frenzy that would reduce the innocent song-writer into a slavering beast driven by the basest of instincts. Taking blood was no more cruel than eating a hamburger -- as the cow fulfilled its purpose by giving meat and milk, so did the humans fulfilled their purpose by giving blood.
Xena tried to introduce her to blood dolls -- people who enjoyed the rapture of the feeding. Gabrielle felt only uneasiness when thought about biting into the women who willingly offered their necks to her.
Gabrielle couldn't feed from people. If she ever needed to feed, she would head to a blood bank where she had managed to pay off the security guard. There was only one other source of blood that Gabrielle would take from willingly.
Xena. It was an act of supreme love, passion and submission among the Kindred. The bond of blood was the closest the damned would ever have to any softer emotion. Xena and Gabrielle would drink from each other when the spirit inclined them.
It didn't incline Xena tonight.
"Are you ready?" Xena smoothed out her silk shirt, making sure that everything was in its place. Xena looked down at the small woman, "Still reading Renotta? I thought you finished it last week."
"I thought I'd pick it up again. You ought to try her out," Gabrielle marked her place with a thin velvet ribbon and stood up. She fidgeted with the corner of the book, "Do we have to--"
"Yes! I told you for the fiftieth time last night, yes! We have to go out and hunt. You dragging your butt isn't going to make things any easier on the both of us," Xena snatched up her car keys, her ice blue eyes beginning to glitter with a tired anger, "Now, let's go."
"Easier for us? There is no 'us' in matters like this. There is only me and you. I've made myself very clear: I refuse to hurt another person -- a thinking, living person -- just to sustain this existence. There are other avenues for me and I am going to take advantage of them. If that some how puts a kink in your plans, well, then I am truly sorry," Gabrielle dropped back on the couch, drawing her legs under her and picking up the book, "Go out, have fun and kill as many people as you want to make yourself happy," she said icily, "If I'm going to go to hell, it's going to be for something worthwhile."
"Then try to get something fresh tonight, I hate having to wash the taste of anti-coagulants out of my mouth . . . among other tastes," she snarled. Gabrielle's bright green eyes jumped in shock.
Xena's hands shook with rage as she walked to the door. She wanted to strike her down. Smash her and remind her who was the sire and who was the childe. She could feel the beginnings of a wave rage stir. Hands clawed, then closed into fists. She turned around and began to take a step towards the blonde on the settee. Xena stopped, her whole body vibrating like a tuned violin. If I take another step, I'm not going to stop until I'm standing in front of her. Once that happens, there are no guarantees that either us are going to walk away happy, Xena ground her teeth as she opened the door. She never bothered to close it behind her. She did, however, slam the giant oak door leading out into the front yard with the force of a safe being dropped from a thirty story building.
Gabrielle took a habitual deep breath and tried to get back into the mood of the poetry. Pawing through the pages furiously, she gave up the idea and tossed the book on the floor. Jumping to her feet, Gabrielle paced about. Anger was building rapidly -- too fast for her to control. Xena had warned her about the fatal flaw of the Brujah -- emotions, especially the darker ones, were stronger and harder to subdue.
She stormed out of the room, heading for the makeshift recording studio. Snatching up a guitar from the stand, she forced a calming breath and strummed. She twisted a peg, plucking a string impatiently. Satisfied that the guitar was in tune, she strummed again, letting all the rage come out in a single pass of her hand. The sound was harsh, jagged as her finger flew up the fretboard. Her lips were curled back in a tiny snarl.
One string didn't make the right sound. Instead of a long strum, it made a tearing plink. Gabrielle stopped and watched the string parts dangle and wave to her teasingly. She continued to play, needing to channel the swirling emotions into something productive. Her hands tensed into bands of steel. One finger pressed into the neck, then through it.
Gabrielle snapped, flinging the guitar aside. Wounded, it tumbled end over end to rest in a corner.
"I am going to get through this, even if it kills me again," she began the music again, playing now with an electric guitar that had been a gag gift for Gabrielle on the event of her birthday. Gabrielle Connor, classical musician, had been given a Stratocaster electric guitar by Xena. She picked it up once, just to humor her. Now she picked it up to purge her soul in the scream of double pick-ups and whammy bars. She plugged it in with a stab and gave her feelings a full screaming voice.
And all she could see was Xena's face, lips curled in a snarl. Something in Gabrielle's soul broke.
"Fine! She wants it, she's going to damn well get it!" she slung the guitar to the floor, ignoring the keening of the instrument. Stomping up the stairs, she went into her room and opened the closets. She pulled out the tightest jeans she could find and a shirt to accentuate every advantage she could capitalize on tonight. Changing quickly, she gave her copper-gold locks a quick brushing through before she jogged out of the manse. Hopping into her Grand Am, she gunned the engine once and bolted into the night, letting loose a shrill, defiant shriek.
G
The line at the Pit was half-way around the block. Gabrielle frowned as she parked her car another block away.
"This is stupid. I shouldn't be here. I need to get my head together and head to the bank," she began to step back into her car. Gabrielle's rages were quick to build and even quicker to dissipate. She reached into her pocket to fish out her keys when a blink of red caught her eye.
A beauty cut from the cloth of night -- hair like strands of dark silk gracefully going down her neck and tapering down past her shoulders. Her skin was tan -- a perfect combination of perfect genes and an almost slavish devotion to the sun -- and unblemished. She came up to Gabrielle's height, perfect for long, slow kisses under the moon light. She was wearing a tight, sheer red shirt with a lacy bra that matched the hue excellently. Jeans that clung to every curve like a desperate lover completed the picture.
Gabrielle almost wept at the beauty, then saw the trail of adoring men following discreetly behind her. She shook her head. There was no way that a woman like that was even going to go near her, much less do anything else. She flipped the ignition key up and slumped into the driver's seat.
Another boring night on the town for Gabrielle Connor! Yee-haa! After raiding the blood bank for a quick snack, I'll run over to the Christian Science reading room and really tear me off a piece, she thought as she jammed the key into the ignition.
She was about to turn the car on when she heard a light tapping on her window. Gabrielle turned the battery on and lowered the automatic window on her side.
Her green eyes locked with a pair of fathomless brown eyes. The woman placed a delicate arm and leaned into the car. Gabrielle caught a whiff of her perfume, an exotic melange of powder and a tangy vapor that made every part of the young vampire with the double feelings of passion and hunger. A vein in the woman's neck throbbed teasingly.
"Hi. I hope you're not going to leave early," the woman said with a smirk, "The night's too young to be wasted at home with a bowl of popcorn and a sappy foreign flick. The name's Siobhan Keir," she stretched out her hand, "Yours?"
Gabrielle blinked once, then remembered the polite rules of society, "Oh... um... Gabrielle Connor," she flashed a quick smile. She was sure that her fangs were showing, if not, then they were going to burst through any minute.
Siobhan leaned closer, "Let's go inside and drive the guys wild," she flashed her own wicked grin. Gabrielle's eyes glittered as she took out the keys and opened her car door.
"Hell -- let's drive everyone wild!" Gabrielle took Siobhan's arm and the two walked quickly across the street. Behind her, Gabrielle heard various moans of disappointment and ugly epithets. She wanted to laugh out loud and yell to the crowd She's mine tonight, boys! I'll toss you the scraps when I'm done!
They crossed the street quickly. The club stood like a temple of old dedicated to hedonism of every shape, form and practice. Gabrielle took her modest place in the back of the line, stealing glances at her new found date for the evening. Hot thoughts of plunging her fangs through the soft skin of her neck made her shiver and lick her teeth nervously.
"Come on, Gabby! We can't keep those guys and gals waiting!" Siobhan wrapped herself around Gabrielle's arm and dragged her to the front, where the entrance to the temple was guarded jealously by men with thick arms, thick skulls and tempers shorter than Xena's.
Xena... I wonder where she is... Who the hell cares! I've got her! Gabrielle pushed Xena's placid blue eyes out of her mind. Tonight was for Gabrielle and Gabrielle alone.
Gabrielle skidded to a halt under the looks of the black shirted security. She had heard tales that the owner of the club, a worshipper of the dark Egyptian god Set, ghouled all of his guards. The powers that ingesting the blood of a vampire made them more than a match for any rowdy patrons. Slavishly devoted to their master, the vampire Bacchus, they made sure peace was the order for the evening.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Let's use the gifts that we were given," she whispered in Gabrielle's shell-pale ear.
If I didn't know better, I would swear up and down that she knew I was a Kindred, Gabrielle thought.
Gabrielle reached within herself, listening for the powers her blood gave her. Speed and strength that made her superior to a mortal and the power to win a crowd to her whims. She was nowhere nearly as skilled as her sire, but she was willing to experiment with what little she had.
Sensing her blood abiding by her wishes, Gabrielle let the waves of influence roll off her, "Hey guys, Bacchus told us to come on in. He's really anxious to see us perform," she could feel Siobhan wrapping her arms around the top of her chest, resting her head in the hollow of her neck.
"Yeah, and if you're good, maybe we can give you a private show? Something to tell the kids, if they're boys," whatever powers of influence Siobhan was using, they were working. The guards unhooked one of the velvet ropes and ushered them in. The crowd voiced mixed emotions ranging from cat-calls to offers of other private shows to complaints. Security silenced them with a wave and a roar as he clicked the rope back into place.
The club was a phantasmagoric array of flashing lights, crushing music and undulating people. Gabrielle had been to her share of clubs during her high school years, but this was larger than anything she had imagined. The scents of musk, alcohol, perfume and cigarette smoke threatened to knock the vampire down to her knees. It was pandemonium housed in a building two sides too small.
Siobhan's lips moved, but whatever sound was drowned out over the roar from the speakers. Gabrielle tugged her closer. Tender flesh pressed against the knuckles on her hand. If her heart still beat, it would have seized up out of passion.
"LET'S DANCE!" she had to still yell over the music. Gabrielle smiled like a wolf catching the scent of a juicy rabbit. Siobhan grabbed Gabrielle's hand and dragged her into the thick of the crowd, hopping in rhythm until they were in the center of the jubilant throng.
Siobhan whipped around, catching some of her hair in her mouth. Her eyes grabbed whatever was left of her partner's willpower and consumed it in a frenzy of lust. Never letting go of her hand, Siobhan let the music push her close as her hips ground against Gabrielle's. Gabrielle froze, taken aback by this new level of forwardness that never encountered with anyone, even during her time as a mortal.
"Let go, dear. Let the music rule you. Tonight, we are the only people here. Now -- let your passions move and sway you," Siobhan's whisper cut through everything as keenly as a blade or claw could cut through paper. Strong arms held her close and helped to guide the blonde through the motions of the dance.
Slowly, the hands guided less and Gabrielle let her body follow Siobhan's. Even with the unearthly grace that Xena had inculcated into her, Gabrielle was hard pressed to match her move for move. Hands that went around her waist began to slide up to her shoulders. The blonde let her hands drop to Siobhan's hips. One last tether was cut and Gabrielle felt herself go free of all her inhibitions. Clothed flesh pressed against each other, teasing both women with each other. Gabrielle ran her fingers through Siobhan's hair, watching as Siobhan's half-lidded eyes fluttered closed for a minute. A tiny rush of cool air came in between them. A casual brush of her thumb against a pencil eraser hard nipple told the blonde that Siobhan was enjoying herself more than Gabrielle could show without breaking the Masquerade.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that the other dancers had formed a ring around the pair. Their cheers were drowned out by both the music on the floor and the glorious rush of blood in the body pressed next to her. Leaning close, Gabrielle gently bit on the skin on the side of her exposed neck.
The gamble of a night time, she thought as she pressed her jaws gently together. If she reacted violently against it, she would mumble an apology, then make her way back to the blood bank, back to Xena and back to being the quiet, undead church mouse she was.
Siobhan's nails dug into her back and a gasp of indefinable bliss whistled through her lips. Gabrielle raised her head up, rubbing her tongue where the fangs were desperately trying to make a show of themselves.
The dark woman's heart thudding became commanding. Gabrielle was ready to do its bidding.
A discordant feeling came through the crowd, like a single off note in a symphony. The rest of the crowd began to drift away, dancing in their own little universes. Two figures stood beside the pair, forming a black wall. Gabrielle looked up, letting a little bit of the newly awakened predator peek out from behind her green on red eyes. Fangs were bared discreetly and a low growl rolled from her throat.
"What?" she snarled.
The two men were large, but not the linebacker largeness of the outside security. The black suits were cut to hint at hard muscle under the fine fabrics. Both of them were dressed in ebony suits, matching black ties and business shoes. Both had hard chiseled looks, although one of them had a tiny cleft in his chin, while the other did not. One wore his hair military short and the other one gathered back into a pony tail. They held themselves with a professionalism that came dangerously close to sociopathy. From behind dark sunglasses, they looked down at the duo.
"Our employer, Mr. Bacchus, would like to have a word with the two of you," one of them said with the thinnest of false pleasantries.
Siobhan began to quickly regain her composure, "We weren't doing anything wrong. Just a couple of girls out to have a wild time."
"That's for our employer to decide. Come with us, please," couched in the niceties of politeness was a threat. Gabrielle sized them up quickly.
And she realized there was no way on God's green earth she was going to do anything better than either rumple their suits or stain them with her flying blood.
The pair -- hand in hand -- were guided from the dance floor quickly and into the owner's private office in a dark corner.
The owner -- the vampire know as Bacchus -- was sitting behind his desk. Behind him was an array of video monitors, some connected to cameras discretely placed in corners in the dance floor, some in rooms that were reserved for a 'select', rich clientele, and some that were turned off.
Bacchus didn't seem to fit the role relegated to most Followers Of Set. He wasn't a swarthy man from the Middle East with a fascination with the times of the Pharaohs. He was a fit and trim Chinese man with an easy smile and a trusting manner. A person could sit next to him and bear his soul to his almond eyes without a second thought.
Which was how he got to where he was right now as the city's chief purveyor of vices gross and sublime. His sire was no fool -- it's the hidden knife that cuts deepest.
"Good evening, ladies. I hope that my assistants weren't too rude to you," he turned his attention to the two figures in the doorway, "Judas, Ahab -- would you close the door on your way out?"
The door muffled the club sounds to near quiet. Bacchus took a bottle and uncorked it, "Wine? If a red wine is not to your suiting, I do have a wonderful white zinfandel waiting in my cellar for a special occasion such as this," another disarming smile.
"Why are we here, Bacchus?" Gabrielle said, then regretted it. Xena's first and hard rule about dealing with anyone -- wait until they made the first move, especially with the manipulative Setites.
"I watched your little act on the dance floor," Bacchus leaned back into his seat, crossing his leg on his hip, "And I want to have the personal joy of knowing that I helped to foster such a deep and unending love."
Siobhan smiled wickedly, "Or videotape a couple of lesbians going at it like crazed weasels and sell it on the underground markets?"
Bacchus shrugged his shoulders, "Some people find pleasure in being videotaped. Not my thing, but I am the business of providing pleasure to everyone with the proper means."
"Not me. No -- I do not want to be seen on some fat fifty-five year-old's decrepit TV screen while he gets friendly with a bottle of lotion," Gabrielle made a wry face, "Come on Siobhan, we can still make the Bad Blood Club if we hurry."
Siobhan focused her eyes squarely on the other woman, "Come on. . . you've got a great body. Why not show it off? 'Let's drive them all wild' is what you said. So, let's drive them all wild all over the country. Come, my angel -- be mine tonight," she leaned in; brushing her lips against her soft, cool cheek.
"Would you mind if I talked to Bacchus privately?" Gabrielle had to get her out of the room to think clearly.
"Sure, but don't be long. Someone might steal me away," she smiled as she turned to walk out the door.
"Ahh, Miss... what was your name, again?" Bacchus stood up slowly, reaching into his suit jacket.
"Siobhan. Call me Siobhan."
"Siobhan. A lovely Irish name. Take this card," he handed the woman a small business card, "and show it to the bartender. A free drink, complements of me and the club."
Siobhan smiled as she walked out the room. Gabrielle watched with a predatory gleam as the door closed on the woman she wanted so keenly this night. When the latch clicked, she spun around to look right into Bacchus' eyes.
"No videotape. Just a private room for me and her -- name your price."
Bacchus sat down slowly, picking off a thread from his slacks, "A favor to be named later. Nothing gruesome, of course -- I would hate to see such fine hands as yours being sullied with the more. . .ahh. . . tasteless tasks we endure. How is the guitar playing? I regret that I can't come to the Cyprus as often as I wish, but I would hope to find a tape of you playing available soon. This music--", he waved a hand towards the outside, " is good at first, but after a while, it's all shouting and sampling to me."
"Maybe you'd like a private concert? A concert for a room?" she would offer him her soul at this point.
Bacchus' face lighted up, "How very generous of you, Ms. Connor. I think we have an arraignment," he stood up and opened a desk drawer, "Room number 12 on the second floor. The two of you will be alone to do whatever you want. Enjoy your unlife," Bacchus handed her a small silver key. Gabrielle snatched it out of his hands greedily and walked quickly out of the room.
She pushed, shoved and snapped her way to the bar, where Siobhan was chatting amicably with the bartender. If looks could kill, the bartender and his entire extended family would have died horrible, shrieking deaths. Gabrielle slid up to the bar, waving the key in Siobhan's field of vision.
"Hey there, pretty. Let's have fun," she whispered into a well tanned ear. Siobhan smirked and was led by the hand up the stairs behind the wall of speakers. Gabrielle squeezed the woman's hand, expecting to suddenly feel empty air. Soft and warm flesh responded in kind, sparking a wave of giddy passion. Gabrielle held the key in a trembling hand, trying to force it into the lock. After the third unsuccessful attempt, Siobhan took Gabrielle's hand and guided it into the deadbolt. She twisted it and opened the door wide.
The room was plush, lit with soft red lights and dominated by a large bed. A Victorianesque four poster bed, complete with wine colored satin sheets, lace haloed pillows, and a nightstand table. There was a chilled bucket with the neck of a magnum of champagne sticking out. In a corner was a small backed chair, tastefully modest. There was a single mirror against one of the walls, reflecting the bed and the cold fireplace.
Gabrielle whirled around quickly, grabbing Siobhan by the back of her head and crushing her to her mouth. Siobhan responded in kind, kicking the door shut as the pair stutter-stepped to the middle of the room, where the bed await. Hands explored and plundered the needful areas. Gabrielle let a small moan escape the base of her throat.
Siobhan smirked as she gently pushed the blonde into the chair. Gabrielle started to stand back up, but Siobhan's hand held her down.
"No, no, no -- you get the full show," she said as she began to sway back and forth to the muted music beyond the walls. Slowly, she eased the shirt of, dropping it on the floor. Running her fingers lightly against her smooth belly, she gave Gabrielle a knowing wink. One arm bent behind while the other reached out and touched Gabrielle's cheek, rubbing down to her lips and gracing the bowed flesh.
Her bra popped loose slowly. Holding it to her chest, Siobhan slipped her free arm through the loop, then switched arms and freed the other strap. An impish grin split her siren red lips as she lowered her arms, letting the cloth droop slowly, exposing perfect, round flesh.
Gabrielle clutched the short arms of her chair, hoping that the wood digging into her palms would keep the Hunger at bay for a few precious seconds.
A pair of fingers reached down to the snap of her jeans. The metal clasps sprung free, exposing more faultless, tender skin. Siobhan drew down the zipper, letting the jeans open up like a blooming night flower. A wispy line of brown hair began at her belly button and led a trail down to where the V of the zipper closed. Gabrielle thought she felt the rushing warmth of a blush in her cheeks.
Siobhan pirouetted slowly, letting her gyrating hips carry her. She slid her hands along waistband until the met at the small of her back. Giving a devil-may-care look over her shoulder, Siobhan worked the jeans down slowly. Gabrielle licked her lips self-consciously and crossed her legs, trying to look either world weary or any other look than anxious. The jeans made a muffled whoosh as they crumpled around her ankles. She gracefully kicked them to the side, along with a shoe.
Gabrielle couldn't help but to stare at the sleek lines in the dim light. Siobhan was perfect in every way she could be -- every muscle and limb was firm and alive. Another teasing kick sent the final shoe skittering into a shadow. She coquettishly turned around to face the seating woman. Three glass-smooth strides put her standing over Gabrielle. Gabrielle shuffled her body to lean up to kiss.
Siobhan's finger on her lips froze her, "Shhh. . . the show's not over."
Gabrielle's eyes became wide as she felt the delicious weight of Siobhan's body on her own. Tender kisses toured the hollows and softness of her neck. Gabrielle ran her hands through Siobhan's hair, gathering it and just enjoying the feel of it slipping through her fingers. She felt her shirt opening up and something working the front clasp of her bra.
Siobhan looked up, lust making her eyes glow almost like coals, "White? You don't look so innocent from where I'm sitting," she gathered a breast in her hand, teasing a nipple with a finger, "I figured you'd be wearing something a little unconventional -- maybe green or blue," she leaned down and kissed it delicately, "Purity just doesn't seem to be your thing, sweetie."
Gabrielle's tongue felt thick, "Maybe it isn't."
Siobhan smiled and continued down, moaning softly as she twirled her tongue in and out of her navel. Every one of Gabrielle's nerves were on fire, with the Hunger doing nothing than stoking the flames. The only thing she heard was the unending tattoo of Siobhan's heart. Under her hands, she could sense the wood beginning to deform under her grip. It had to be NOW! her mind was reeling and foggy. Only on the outer edges of her sensory world was she even aware that something hand opened her jeans and was trying vainly to work into the cleft between her legs.
Her hands moved under her own volition, catching Siobhan's face and tilting it up. She jumped slightly as her head was tilted to look up at Gabrielle. Gabrielle leaned down, grabbing the woman by the hips and pressing her lips to Siobhan. She picked her up roughly, standing and letting her own pants slide to the floor with a jingle. Siobhan wrapped her legs around Gabrielle's limber waist, supported solely by her strength. The pair exchanged heated kisses as Gabrielle walked to the bed, delighting in the slippery grinding of her new found lover's hips.
Collapsing on the bed, Gabrielle lunged for the neck, fangs trembling in their sheathes. She bit a little harder than she did on the dance floor -- there was going to be a mark for her to either admire or cover up in the morning. Siobhan elicited a tiny shriek as her legs and arms spasmed sharply. Moving quickly, Gabrielle raised herself off the writhing body.
Gabrielle read the look in the woman's eyes as acceptance before lunging below. Musk permeated the room and suffused her nostrils with honey sweetness. Her tongue gently explored and touched every space that made itself available to her. Siobhan's breathing became swift and labored. Something steely wrapped around her hair and held on tight. Gabrielle grunted once and quickened her pace lashing the tender core mercilessly.
"Guh. . . Gabby. . . stop. . . rest. . .," Siobhan managed to gasp as she gripped the sheets in her fists. Gabrielle leaned back on her haunches, wiping glistening liquid from her chin with a feral grin. She was ready for what really mattered.
"Roll over."
Siobhan did as she was told without hesitation, propping up her body on her knees and shoulders. Gabby crawled over and gave her lover a deep kiss. One hand traced intricate patterns across the satin expanse of her back, the other kneaded the sweet flesh on her chest. Draping her hair over her face, Gabrielle slid her lips along the hollow of her spine. A hand spidered along Siobhan's inner thigh, touching hot folds of flesh.
Roaming back to the neck, Gabrielle saw the vein pulsing and straining against the cords in her neck. Now! the Hunger commanded. Letting her fangs burst through, she let them graze against Siobhan's throat.
"Yessss . . . . yesss. . . . ohhhh. . . .," Siobhan shuddered once, her face wrinkling and grimacing in anticipation.
Gabrielle lunged, clamping her jaws tightly, thrusting both her fangs into Siobhan's knack and her fingers into her center. Warm blood sprayed the back of her throat. She gulped greedily, letting her free arm wrap around the woman's torso to keep her from fleeing.
Not that Siobhan seemed to want to go anywhere.
The first draught of blood rushed through her stomach and limbs. Muscles clenched and jolted in a faint echo of orgasm.
Something was different.
Sparks dazzled the inside of Gabrielle's closed eyes -- something that never happened with Xena. There was no gracious and soft warmth, just the electric blast of power and stolen life. The blood filled her quickly, reaching her mind and leaving her with a sense of dark vertigo. The spark of energy was beginning to fade into a gray, boneless sensation that she found both exhilarating and frightening at the same time.
This never happened before. . . what is it? Was I drugged? her mind was beginning to empty its thoughts into an abyss that was darker than death, Oh, God, am I dying?
Something pushed her off the bed. Her brain went into the ingrained patterns of catch and brace for the impact of the ground, but her muscles refused to do anything. Gabrielle tried to speak, but only a small moan came from her lips. One by one -- parts of her mind surrendered control to whatever she had consumed.
The last thing she was even aware of was Siobhan gathering her clothes, putting them on slowly. As she pulled her top on, she looked into Gabrielle's dimming eyes.
"And flights of demons wing you to your rest," she said with a twist of venom in her voice. Laughing lightly, she wiped away the blood from her neck with a holly leaf, exposing smooth and unwounded skin.
Gabrielle wanted to scream and run for Bacchus. All she could do is lay there and let the void take her.
Her mind regained control some timeless interval later. She wasn't in the room. She looked around wildly. The outside world seemed to shift like water as she stood up on legs that were too long for her. Brick and metal wavered and shadows held glittering, sharp eyes.
I'm dressed? How. . . where's my bra? Here. . . in my pocket. Why? Where?
Something skittered at the end of the alley. Gabrielle reached around for her pistol.
She was well armed with empty air.
Panic began to set in. She reached out for a board and held it before her. The shifting grew -- there were more of them out there. Calling on her blood, she felt the tingle of Celerity rush through her muscles.
"Whoever you are, come out! I'm armed!"
"And that does what for us?" the voice was strong and confident. Gabrielle whirled around.
"Where are you? I'm warning you!"
"How's the home life, sweetie? Ten bucks gets you a lickin'," this voice was familiar -- her mother.
Gabrielle began to retreat down the alley slowly, "This isn't funny, now stop!"
"Stop what, pumpkin? You had a chance to stop everything, but you blew it on a cheap apartment floor," her father's voice was harsh, Gabrielle whirled around, lashing out with the wood.
"LEAVE ME ALONE!" she swung wildly. Something stepped out from the shadows.
The looked face looked like her mother, but the skin was gray and drawn thin. A white-blonde tangle of wire hard hair was perched atop her head. Eyes moon pale stared sightlessly in Gabrielle's direction. Her clothes were torn and tattered by unkind years. Along her rail-thin arms, things crawled in and out, heedless of the drama. The night wind shifted in Gabrielle's direction, carrying with it the charnel stench of the grave. Panic stabbed its last claws into her heart. She turned to run out the alley.
Xena stepped into her path -- rotting skin on her face revealed white and sharp fangs. Her black hair had fallen out in giant clutches in her path. Fine raiment were desecrated with the soil of the cemetery. No blue eyes full of life looked down on Gabrielle, instead empty sockets with red pin-points of malice burned eagerly. The corpse-Xena grabbed her friend by the shoulders roughly and dragged her to a neglected looking box.
"Have a drink, sweetie!" it crooned drunkenly. It reached out for her, hands clutched into claws. Gabrielle swung the board as hard as her fear could permit. Xena's head evaporated in a red and gray foul mist. Gabrielle stepped back, trying to make sense of everything, It's a dream, it's not real. That woman took a drug and now it's in me. I didn't kill Xena, this is--
"Didja see that? She killed him!" Gabrielle's mother pointed to her accusingly. Lila, nothing more than dusty fabrics and bones, tottered out from a darkened corner.
"Somebody get the cops!" Gabrielle's father turned and yelled down the alley, teeth showing through the decomposing hole in his cheek. Gabrielle looked at the stick dumbly, as if it had come alive in her hands and struck the woman down. She dropped it in shock. She closed her eyes and opened them again. Her family were closing in on her and Xena's still body was laying half in, half out of a box.
"I didn't kill her. She was already dead to begin with. . .," she muttered feverishly.
"KILLER!" someone yelled from the back of the alley.
"I didn't kill her. . . this can't be happening. . . leave me alone. . .," Gabrielle's mind was spinning dangerously away from itself. She dropped the stick and began to move away quickly. The group moved in quickly, their rictus smiles frozen on their faces. Her vision was clouding over with red film -- tears of panic tried to roll down her cheeks.
Blindly, Gabrielle let horror carry her feet away from the scene. She was barely noted that she had stepped off the sidewalk and onto the road.
Bright lights.
Shrill horn.
Screeching tires.
Air and ground changing places.
Weight crashing to earth.
Gabrielle blinked away the last remnants of vertigo and tried to stand up. Below her waist she could feel nothing and her arms couldn't support her own weight without bone grinding against itself. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the corpses shuffling for her, their eyes were lit with the glee of victory. The blood sang within her, connecting bones and unsevering nerves. Feeling came back underneath her as she rose. The driver stood up, burning brightly, like a bonfire. His eyes burst like popcorn and the vitreous ran like water down his cheeks. Hair lit and waved like grass in the wind. He held out a hand to hold her down. Gabrielle the wave of frenzy rising quickly in her. The Kindred had a word for what she was feeling: rotshreck, fire-fear. Fire was one of the few things that could permanently destroy them.
Gabrielle tried to scream, but the fear had locked her vocal cords silent. She scrabbled away on the backs of her arms and legs. Her mind was reduced to the most primitive of emotions -- self-survival. The heat from the blaze was making the asphalt bubble and crack under his feet. She climbed over the curb and stood on her feet. She could hear the muttering of other people behind her. Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw a leathery wing flutter. Amber light flickered as she heard the click of claws against the glass.
"I am not damned. . . this isn't hell. . . just stay away. . . I didn't kill. . . GET BACK!" she screamed and took a swipe at the flaming man, who was getting close enough to make the air around her warm. The door opened quickly. A demon -- fat, green scaled and horned -- holding two dark red dogs on a leash stepped out.
"What's going on?" the thing asked. The dogs were straining against their tethers, dark foam and blood dripping from their mouths. With a smile, the demon let the dogs loose. They leaped into the air, snapping their teeth in anticipation. Gabrielle took three hurried steps backwards, then spun on her heels and sprinted. Anything she could get her hands on, she threw behind her to delay the hounds. Souls wailing in their torment, stones and devils all were tossed aside. Their breath was hot on her calves. Her powers were barely keeping her one step ahead. Tears streamed down her face, no doubt the scent of vitae was egging the dogs on.
To her right, she saw the stone arch that marked the entrance to Mosley Park. Veering across the streets, she dashed for Amazon territory. She knew they would help her, they had to.
Unless I'm dead again and this is hell, she thought to herself as she took the first few steps across the grass.
"EPHINY! HELP ME! THEY'RE AFTER ME!" she shrieked as loud as she could. She looked behind her once, to see if the hounds were still on her. With a thud, she plowed into something hard, tumbling to the ground. She let her fangs grow out. If those dogs are going to get me, they're going to have to fight for every bite! she thought to herself as she vaulted to her knees.
The dogs were gone. No trace in the wind, no trails on the ground. They simply ceased to exist. Something strong grabbed her by the shoulders and picked her up. Gabrielle squirmed an arm free to piston her elbow back. Whatever picked her up, blocked her move, then shoved her forward hard enough to send skidding to the ground.
"Gabrielle! It's me! Ephiny!" Ephiny held up her hands in a gesture of peace, "Who's chasing you?"
Gabrielle let the sobs come out freely, "I-I kuh-kuh-killed Xena and I'm in hell! Oh, God! My parents are here and they're not dead! Why? What did I do? Ephiny? What did I do?" strong arms held her close. She could hear several others coming forward. She looked up quickly.
"It's all right. Shush, now. It's only the other Amazons. You're on safe ground. Tell me what happened. Everything," Ephiny produced a strip of cloth out from one of her pockets and dabbed away the crimson tears.
"I was at The Pit, Xena and I had a fight over feeding and I went there to. . . to. . . I don't know why I went and I met a girl named Siobhan and we danced and Bacchus let us use one of his rooms and I drank from Siobhan and the next. . . the next thing I know, I'm being chased by Xena, but looked all moldy and decays and I-- I. . .," she couldn't finish the sentence.
"Siobhan. That's great," one of the Amazons muttered, "We should have killed that little bitch when we had the chance."
"Gabrielle, I want to know how you killed Xena. No one here will judge you, OK?" Ephiny tilted Gabrielle's head back gently with her finger.
"I swung a board at her head and it just exploded."
"OK. I want you to follow Taz," she pointed to a stocky and well-muscled Amazon, "to the pavilion," Ephiny looked back to Gabrielle, "We're going to help you, but you need to be kept safe while we decide what to do with you," she looked back to the cluster, "LJ, Murphy and Crys will go with you. Diane go get Artemis and tell her what's going on. Deb, go to the Tremere Chantry and get Hecate -- explain to her that Gabrielle has had fae blood. Bindi, go get --," she shot a careful look at Gabrielle, "you-know-who at The Bad Blood Club. Tell her to meet us all at the pavilion."
A lump appeared on Ephiny's cheek. It rolled around impatiently, bubbling below her eye socket, then moving to her temple. The skin split like aged paper, peeling back to reveal a small black spider. It skittered across her face, without the Amazon even paying any attention. Gabrielle's limbs shook uncontrollably as the spider climbed down towards Ephiny's mouth. A green tongue darted out and struck the spider, dragging it back in with a crunch.
Gabrielle screamed and struggled to her feet. Ephiny tried to hold her down, yelling at the others to help her. A well placed knee to the Amazon's stomach gave Gabrielle the time to stagger to her feet. She pistoned her feet forward, flying into the knot of women. Taz stepped forward, arms out wide to catch her. Gabrielle feinted left, then darted right -- away from Taz. It was too late for her to realize her mistake as she sailed into the arms of three waiting Amazons.
Two of them grappled with her arms, while the third dove for her mid-section. Gabrielle went pitching backward, screaming, squirming and snapping her teeth. Her fangs sunk into tender skin that tore itself away with a squeal. With one arm free, she caught one in the chin with the hard palm of her hand. She peeled the other from her arm, then slammed her fist into the Amazon's temple. Once more, she was climbing to her feet.
The remaining three Amazons were approaching her warily. One of them cleared her throat carefully, "Gabrielle, you're not in your right mind. Let us help you, please."
"STAY AWAY FROM ME!", she screeched, "I AM NOTHING LIKE YOU!"
The three looked at each other dubiously, "No, Gabrielle, you're not. You're yourself. Gabby. . .come on. . . you need help."
Wordlessly, she bolted for the tree line.
"Go get her! The rest of you have your orders!", Ephiny yelled as she gave chase. Gabrielle crashed through the growth, placing more emphasis on speed than stealth. The woods were heavy over her, blocking out any scrap of moonlight. Her senses -- as sharp as they were -- were useless in this growth. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw burning coal eyes in the shadows of boughs watching her. Something scaly reached out and tripped her. Gabrielle bounced off the hard clay once, clutching her ankle. Blood quickly healed her injuries as she stood up. No stars, no moon -- she had no idea where she was in the woods. Leaves rustled in the dry wind.
They're not Amazons, they don't know their tricks, she realized as she scrambled up a nearby oak. She hunkered down in the thick foliage. She wished she had Xena's power to disappear into thin air, but right now, the best she could do was hide. Below her, she could hear the heavy footsteps of Ephiny and the others. Amazons they aren't. Ephiny could sneak up on a cat in the woods. I can hear them all the way up here, she shifted her weight carefully. She could move from limb to limb to the edge of the woods. She was going to have to find a place to sleep safely for the day, if there were such things as days here in hell.
Something hard struck her from the back, sending her pitching back to earth. Gabrielle rolled onto her back, teeth and claws flashing. She recognized LJ as she wrestled with her. Her eyes went from the Amazon's face to the stake she held in her hand like a dagger. Gabrielle swiped her arms out, trying to catch LJ in the face to blind or at least knock her off. More Amazons came, grabbing the blonde's arms and pinning her down. Gabrielle's voice echoed in the woods with incoherent screaming as LJ held the stake over her head.
"No hard feelings, Gabby," LJ said as she plunged the wood through Gabrielle's heart. Gabrielle arched and bucked as she felt her limbs beginning to tingle as if they had fallen asleep. The sensation crept to her torso and finally up to her head, where she was pushed into the deeper blackness of oblivion.
X&G
Xena tried to hide the overwhelming feeling of boredom she was wrestling with. The man she was trying to seduce to get some fun and vitae hadn't stopped talking since she offered to buy him a drink. Maybe if the sun comes up soon, I'll get some peace and quiet, she thought darkly. She smiled on cue and looked around desperately for something to get her away from this man. A Sabbat war party . . . a lupine . . . Caine. . . anyone. . . please. . . help me. . . .
Her prayers were answered when an Amazon swung into view. She was short-haired, except for a single, long braid with a robin's feather dangling on the tip. Eyes that were almost as cold blue as Xena's swept the dance crowd quickly, then locked on her. She walked quickly over to the bar, easily sidestepping the dancers straggling for a drink. Xena hopped to her feet and met her halfway, keeping her close to the door in the event that there would be trouble.
"What are you doing here, Amazon?" she asked. While Xena's clan -- the Brujah -- held little love for the Amazons, they did claim Gabrielle as a member. Since there was only one here, it couldn't be to start a fight. Xena felt her heart beginning to sink. That was only one reason one of the Amazon's would trespass on Brujah territory.
"Something's wrong with Gabrielle. I was instructed to tell you by Ephiny. We think she's fed from one of the fae," she reached for a pager hooked on her waistband. She pressed a button quickly, "We caught Gabrielle and she is being sent to the Tremere chantry. Come with me."
Xena blinked, "Wait! You said she fed from the fae? Does the Prince know? How did she find a--"
"I don't know the details, but you are to come with me," she turned around and walked quickly to the door. Xena took off behind the woman, leaving the man confused and asking what happened.
Xena climbed into her car, gunning the engine and roaring into the night. The blood-red Mustang weaved through traffic, with a sleek gray Honda Ninja motorcycle following closely behind. This is my fault, I shouldn't have pushed her like this. She's from a different time, I have to remember that, she blinked away a threatening tear, If she's hurt because of this fae, I swear by Caine I will hunt every last one of them down and pluck out their wings!
The Tremere chantry house was an excellent example of Victorian architecture as a psychological weapon. Black with red trim, it was imposing and oppressive. Xena pulled up to the sidewalk. There was a small stack of cars in front of the house. She recognized the Prince's limousine and Ephiny's Jeep lined up ahead of her. The Prince was alerted, which might be good or it might not. By the articles of the Covenant, the fae and the Kindred were not to interfere with each other's activities -- specifically feeding. If the Prince knew of this, then he had to contact the ruler of the fae here in the city, one Duke Breasal.
Xena marched quickly up the steps, pausing to look at the twin gargoyles on either side of the door. The grotesque figures each held a giant marble sphere on their backs, "I have been called here by Hecate and I ask for permission to enter."
One of the gargoyles opened his eyes, "We have been told to give you entrance by the mistress of the house. Walk through the door and discuss nothing of what you see."
Xena nodded and opened the door. Standing in the foyer was the aforementioned mistress of the house. Like Xena and the other vampires, she was pale skinned. Her hair was the red of an Arizona dawn and gathered loosely around her shoulders. Her eyes were a hypnotizing green -- not the pleasant hypnosis of Gabrielle, but the sinister feeling that your will was being drained as effectively as blood. She was well-rounded, in her mortal days, she would have been hotly pursued by men. Now, she spent her time probing the mysteries of her existence. Crossing her arms in front her ample chest, she smirked.
"Greetings, Xena and Amazon. Your friend is below in the sanctum. Follow me," she said crisply. Xena reached behind her to check to see if her pistol was still where she left it. She hated the Tremere, that was no secret among the Kindred. The Brujah couldn't stomach, or in some cases comprehend, the Tremere's use of magick or their rigid hierarchical structure. Xena had traded blows with some of the younger members early in her times here in the city. She hoped that none of them would pop out of one of these elegantly crafted doors to try to even the score. If they did -- rules of hospitality be damned, she would put several bullets in their body. She had little time for fun and games if Gabrielle was hurt.
Hecate opened a door to reveal a stone staircase leading down. The pair walked down quickly into the sanctum, Hecate touched the door, making it glow red for a minute, "No one may leave this room without me to undo the seal. Follow me down," the woman led them to the floor, where a small cluster of Kindred were gathered. The Prince, Hercules, Ephiny and a small pack of Amazons surrounded Gabrielle, taking great care not to step into the circle.
Xena saw Gabrielle chained to a pair of pillars in the middle of a large, silver pentacle scratched into the granite floor. She was howling and straining against the thick iron chains. The others were gathered around her, looking on with a fascination that was obscene. Xena strode quickly into the thick of it, glaring at the gathering.
"My Prince," she said lowly, bowing quickly.
"Xena. Do you have an explanation for this?" he asked, pointing to the struggling woman.
"No, my Prince. I have no idea what happened."
"My Prince, if I may explain," Ephiny stepped up, "Gabrielle fed from one of the fae, named Siobhan. One of my Amazons has heard of her and tells me that this is what she does to get back at us for whatever we did or what she thinks we did."
"What of the Masquerade?"
Hercules stepped forward, "Nothing that can't be passed off as a mortal high on PCP. That story has already begun circulated with little trouble."
"Has the Duke been informed?"
"Yes, my Prince," Hercules said, "Ganymede has been sent to collect him."
The Prince frowned, "Xena, this is your childe and it is your responsibility to instruct them completely."
"Yes, my Prince," she bowed her head again, "Is there any way we can help her?"
"Yes," Hecate said opening a door under the steps and pulling out a shivering man, "I will destroy the blood in Gabrielle's veins, then she will feed on this former ghoul, who was a traitor to our clan. We get justice, Gabrielle feeds and all will be right in the world."
"No. Gabrielle won't feed from a mortal," Xena said, stepping into Hecate's path. Hecate shoved the man into Hercules' arms.
"What? She's willing to drain one of the fae, but not a mortal?" Hecate pursed her lips, "What kind of Kindred is she if she can't take mortal blood?"
"It's not a question of can't, it's a question of won't. Let her take me. She'll feed from me with no problems."
"No. She won't be in her right mind. She'll drain you completely and I will not have that in my chantry. Now step aside," Hecate moved forward. Xena stood her ground, "Stand aside, Brujah."
"Xena! Do as she says," the Prince gave her a smoking look. Xena tilted her head and stepped aside, standing next to the Prince.
"This will be torture for her. She will not do it, not even when she is starved for blood. She can't possibly take more blood than I have. My Prince, please. We are not cruel, not even to our own."
The Prince was silent. Xena turned to watch, forcing herself to see what she had done to an innocent person.
Hecate walked to the pillars, the only sound was the whisper of her robes. Gabrielle's screaming had dissolved into whimperings long ago. Hecate placed a hand on Gabrielle's chest and whispered something. Gabrielle stiffened as if struck by lightning, her mouth opening impossibly wide. Her skin sunk into her bones, making her look like a corpse with a parody of life. Her knees sagged as the chains supported her slight weight. Hands worked into claws and fangs erupted from her gums. She tried to scream, but all she could manage was a wheezing gasp. Her head lolled back with boneless ease, golden copper hair hanging in matted strings.
Hecate stepped away from the hanging woman. She made a slight motion to Hercules. He dragged the struggling man to the circle like a parent carrying a balking child.
"For your crimes, you are put to death. Let the sentence be carried out immediately," Hecate said as she began to unlock the manacles, Gabrielle pulled her head up, blinking uncomprehendingly at what was going on around her. With one arm free, she hung and swayed like a broken doll. Hercules bent the doomed man down, forcing his neck near Gabrielle's mouth.
"Drink, Gabrielle," Hercules whispered, "It's all right. He's safe. "
Gabrielle twisted her head away from the offered neck. Hercules took one claw and dragged it across the struggling man's neck. A ribbon of blood sprang up. Gabrielle shook her head, trying to back away. The cuff was keeping her in place. She mewed and whimpered, pushing the man away with her one weak arm. Xena clenched her fists as she turned to the Prince.
"Zeus, this is torture to her. Let her feed from me. I'm the only one she can fe--," she fought to keep her emotions under control.
"Hecate has spoken about this and her decision is mine. If Gabrielle can not -- or will not -- do this simple act, then we should look to end her misery," he said. looking on at the scene with a mild look of disgust. Xena's eyes bounced from Zeus to Gabrielle and back to Zeus again. She grimaced as her mind told her the only way to end this for everyone.
Xena burst forward, one hand reaching behind her for her gun, the other shoving Hercules aside. She raised her pistol to the man's head and pulled the trigger. The man dropped to the floor like a felled tree. Xena let her gun tumble to the ground, reaching for her knife.
Xena knew what Gabrielle was feeling. A couple of younger Kindred had managed to drain Xena dangerously low, but never being able to completely take her essence. She could almost feel her stomach shriveling in empathy for her lover. Xena took the knife and drew it along her arm. The blood sprang up quickly as she held her arm out to the raving woman. The scent of blood hit Gabrielle hard. She jumped up, roaring and straining against the iron cuff.
"Gabby, I'm sorry. Here. . . .," Xena took a step forward. Gabrielle broke the other manacle and launched herself vertically at the dark-haired woman. Xena caught her and fell backwards, holding Gabrielle close to her, bracing herself for the stabbing of her lover's fangs.
Gabrielle savaged Xena's neck, opening wounds without thought for tenderness or mercy. All she wanted was to get at the blood that was waiting below the skin. One more hard bite released the ruby vitae down Gabrielle's throat. She gulped greedily as Xena closed her eyes and thought about more pleasant times. Gabrielle's hands went from holding down Xena, to hooking and interlacing with Xena's slender hands. Flesh filled out and the false glow of life came back to Gabrielle. The grunts and animal growls turned into softer sounds, moans and sighs of pleasure.
After time had passed quietly by, Xena felt Gabrielle's tongue sealing the raw wounds with tiny licks. She looked up into her lover's face. The strained, crazed look was replaced by the familiar tender, cherubic smile that Xena had come to know intimately. Gabrielle rolled off of Xena's body, sitting up carefully. Hercules picked the tiny blonde carefully, helping her to her feet. Xena stood up slowly, feeling light headed from the loss of blood. She looked at Gabrielle, arching an eyebrow. Gabrielle nodded -- she was all right.
"We're even, Hecate," Xena said, not looking up as she smoothed out her shirt. Hecate bowed her head solemnly, acknowledging the payment of the debt.
"I bring you Duke Breasal, the regent of Port Michael," Ganymede, the Prince's ghoul seneschal announced as he walked down the stairs, "and the criminal Siobhan Keir."
The Duke, young, lantern-jawed and dark haired, carried himself with the dignity of inherited royalty. Siobhan followed behind, with iron manacles wrapped around her wrists. Breasal bowed to the Prince, "I wish this were under better circumstances, Prince Zeus. Under the terms of the Covenant, I have brought the criminal to hand her over to your court for justice. Please, accept my personal apologies on what has happened. I hope that this will continue the peace between us."
The Prince nodded gravely, "Thank you, Duke Breasal. As far as I am concerned, this matter is resolved and there is no more bad blood between our subjects," he turned to Xena, "As the Brujah were affected by this, they shall mete out the punishment. Since Ares was unable to be here, it falls to the next eldest. Xena? What is your punishment?"
Xena walked over to the gun on the ground. She snatched it up quickly and aimed it at Siobhan's head. She walked forward, murder was clearly in her eyes. Gabrielle stepped close to her, catching her gun arm, "Xena. Don't. There's been enough violence for one evening. Let's go home, OK?"
"You think I am afraid of a stupid gun? The bullets can't hurt me and you know it. So, go on ahead and blow my fucking brains out. Come on, big bad vampire bitch," Siobhan sneered, pressing her head against the barrel of Xena's .45, "do me!"
Xena's finger tensed. She was more than willing to scatter the dark woman's brains across the room. She glanced at Gabrielle. A look of worry played across her face. There's been enough violence for one evening, her lover's words echoed strong in her mind. Xena lowered the gun, then put it back in her holster, "No. Duke Breasal, do you banish your subjects as a form of punishment?"
The Duke nodded, "Is that the punishment you wish to give?"
"Yes."
"Does your Prince agree?", the Duke looked to Zeus.
"Yes, I agree."
The Duke walked to Siobhan and placed his hands on either side of her head. Siobhan's sneered melted away into a look of sheer panic. She tried to wrestle herself free, but she was immobilized by the brawny arms of Hercules.
"Siobhan Keir, sidhe noble, I call you outcast. No longer will my subjects give you shelter. No longer will you craft our enchantments and no longer will you join in our revels. You are nothing in my eyes, from now until the stars burn out in the sky," Breasal said with grave tones. Siobhan shook and tried to bite down a scream. It leaked out from the corners of her mouth, making Gabrielle hold Xena tighter. Breasal let go of Siobhan's head, then turned to walk away, "I will take my leave of you now. Siobhan is mortal, now and forever. Good evening, Prince Zeus," he bowed from the waist.
Zeus nodded, "I will make sure that the other Kindred of the city will know her and give her little in the way of comforts and support. Ganymede, please take the Duke back to his stronghold. Good evening, Duke Breasal. Hercules, let her go and let us take out leave," he turned to look at Xena, "I will speak to you about the wisdom of listening to one's elders. You were lucky this night, but fortune is a fickle mistress."
"Yes, my Prince," Xena bowed her head repectfully.
Hercules opened his arms, leaving the sobbing and crumpled Siobhan on the floor. Xena took Gabrielle by the arm, leading her up the steps following the Prince's entourage. Gabrielle broke out of the fragile hold, kneeling by Siobhan. She gently took the crying woman's head and lifted it up.
"Why? Why did you do this?" she asked, her green eyes searching for truth in Siobhan's dark brown ones.
"Once, I had a lover that you. . . you damned Prodigals," she spat out that word as if it left a bad taste in her mouth, "turned into your kind. He couldn't take it -- the idea of no longer being us, of being one of the fae, so he took his own life and I had to stand there and watch him burn in the sun," her eyes glittered with tears, "after that day, I vowed to kill every last one of you or die trying. I will keep that vow and I will make sure you burn like he did."
Xena took a step forward, shivering in want to shoot Siobhan in the stomach and leave her to suffer. Gabrielle wrapped her arms around Siobhan and held her close. Both Xena and Siobhan looked shocked beyond words at what she was doing. Gabrielle held the woman tightly.
"I know it won't bring your friend back, but I am sorry for what had happened," she whispered. She brought Siobhan to her feet, then turned and walked back to the equally stunned Xena, "Let's go home.
Xena nodded slowly, then ascended the staircase. As she opened the door, she looked down at Gabrielle. She reached out and smoothed an errant string of hair.
"I love you and I'm sorry for everything," she whispered.
Gabrielle smiled, "I know."
X&G
Hesitantly, Gabrielle stepped out into the cool night air. She examined the shadows around the bushes carefully, even though she knew that she would no longer be prey to the hallucinations of the fae blood. Xena hovered close behind her, protectively. Neither of them felt completely safe on Tremere ground. Once they walked the short distance from the iron wrought gate to Xena's car, Gabrielle relaxed a tiny bit.
"You probably hate me. You must think I'm an ass or something. " Gabrielle muttered into the wind. Xena smiled and gave her beloved a peck on the cheek.
"Or something. Gabby--," she started.
"Xena, wait. Let me say my peace. I did it to hurt you and I ended up hurting innocent people. I didn't know she was one of the fae, but if I did, I would have done it still. I wanted to. . . to make you suffer by suffering as well. I guess it backfired," she smiled hesitantly, "Xena, I don't think I can ever get used to this. I look at people and I think, 'He's got a wife and kids', or 'She had just stepped out for some milk'. You look out at these people and think--"
"A pint here and a pint there won't hurt?"
"Exactly. I'm not like you, Xena. I can't divorce my feelings from what I am," Gabrielle turned her head and looked down the street, "It's not just the love or the feelings I get when I feed from you. It's that you understand this and accept it. I can't force anyone else to do this."
Xena smiled warmly and took Gabrielle's other hand, "I can help you. I keep making the offer to get you in contact with some blood dolls."
"But. . . won't that be. . . umm. . . unfaithful?"
Xena squeezed her hands and took on a long-suffering tone, "Well, I might be able to if you promise not to shout out her name, I might be good enough to let this pass," she grinned as Gabrielle gave a playful shove. For a minute, she looked more like the Gabrielle she loved and not the haunted creature standing before her. Was I ever like this? she asked herself. Could I ever be like this again?
The mood deepened, as tears rolled down her cheeks, "I killed a man. I didn't want to. I thought I killed you. I'm a murderer, Xe...," she blinked and looked down, letting her tears patter on the stone sidewalk
Another squeeze, this one a prelude to a hard embrace, "I know... Honey... hey... we can do something about that," Xena felt the warm swirl of protective emotions coming to the surface. If she could, she would blot out the memory from her lover's mind, walling up behind amnesia and feed her false and saccharined memories. However, that would cause more harm than good. She had to suffer and survive this if she was going to weather the coming centuries.
"We can't bring him back!" she shuddered once, hands clawed into Xena's shoulders for support and warmth.
"No, but if you accept my help we can prevent another needless death. I can arrange something with the Prince to make a homeless shelter. I'm sure someone will be willing to put up some land in exchange for favors. Come on, let's go find some friends for you," she gently wiped away the rivulets of tears, "Promise me this: you'll never change."
"Why?" her voice was becoming more steady as she looked at her, but her grip never lessened.
"What you call weakness is a source and an inspiration for me. I've changed too much and I want to go back. You're my guide, Gabby," she let her voice go soft as she drew close, her blue eyes probing Gabrielle's green ones.
Gabrielle snorted, "I'm a sniveling, weeping, blood-o-phobic guide."
Xena held her close, "But I wouldn't trade the world or my immortality for you. Now, let's go get something before I lose it."
Gabrielle melted into her embrace, feeling safer now than she ever had, "OK. Show me these blood dolls of yours. Can I have something in a blonde?"
Grinning, she growled as she opened the driver's side door, "You'll eat what I fix and you'll like it."
The pair laughed as they drove away.
The End
64
