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Tears of a Clone

By

AngelRad

Gabrielle crumples the plastic wrapper and puts the remains on the nightstand as she reaches for another Twinkie.

"These beat nutbread, no contest" she says to her companion who is seated on the edge of the stiff hotel bed, remote clutched in her strong hands, narrowed blue eyes pinned to the television. A CNN news anchor is droning through the financial news.

"And chocolate….we need to get more of that…."

Xena nods, reaching around to absently pat the bard's foot. "Uh huh…"

Curtains are drawn over the small windows. The air conditioner hums and sputters underneath it. It's a small, utilitarian room, not quite antiseptic enough to lack a seedy charm. A king sized bed occupies most of the tiny space. Graffiti scratched into the headboard and the numerous, though undetermined, stains spotting the nondescript carpeting attest to the kind of neighborhood beyond the flimsy door. A loud shout followed by the resounding crack of a gunshot breaches the thin walls. Neither of the occupants are accustomed to these noises, but have learned in the past weeks not to flinch at the sounds. Just the way they have learned that the glowing box called television has much to teach them about the culture of this place.

"And they call these 'Doritos'. These are fantastic. You've gotta try these." The young bard playfully pokes the warrior with her toe. No response. "Xena, you're not hearing a word I'm saying."

"Mmmm"

Gabrielle crawls to the foot of the bed, sheets drawn up to cover her nakedness, and peers over the shoulder of the motionless warrior.

"And if I told you that they cloned Callisto too and she was bouncing off the headboard your response would be?"

The dark head silhouetted by the ambient blue light of the television screen nods again. "Um yeah, Twinkies are good."

The bard frowns, then shivers and pulls the thin, floral bedspread over her head. Candy bar wrappers spill onto the floor.

She settles back onto the piled up pillows, lips pursed. A thought occurs and then lips curve into a devious grin.

"And if I told you I've been thinking about Najara a lot lately? She was a much better kisser than you, I think. I probably should have done the hospice thing with her…maybe adopted a cat. What do you think?"

The television winks. CNN cuts to a commercial on feminine hygiene. The warrior, clad in dark denim, stands, stretches languorously, chin on shoulder as she smiles back at the tousled blond head peeping fearfully out from under the blanket. "I think it's time you got dressed. And you've got whipped cream on your nose

Gabrielle finishes off the last of the Twinkie and frowns, wiping her face with the edge of the blanket. "It's like talking to the wall. I think you've said five words to me in the last few days." A blush creeps across her cheeks. "Not that I've minded some of the not talking. But don't you think we need to discuss what we're going to do now? This place is so different. I just feel sort of adrift. Don't you?"

Xena picks up the room key off of the low dresser, tosses it in the air and catches it. A wicked grin slides across her face. "Meet me outside. I've got a surprise for you."

The door closes before Xena can see the lines creasing Gabrielle's brow.

"I worry when she says that," the bard mutters and then reluctantly hauls herself off the bed to enjoy the novelty of a steamy shower.
A jumble of thoughts crowd Gabrielle's brain as the vibrating showerhead pummels her sore muscles into relaxation. Innate curiosity is slowly becoming tempered with apprehension. On the one hand, the young bard can't wait to get out there and explore this strange but tempting place with Xena. And on the other, she knows, with a keen sense honed by years of living just waiting for the next attack, that here was an environment a thousand times more dangerous and bloody than ancient Greece, her home, her time. It was funny to even think of Greece in those terms. Ancient. And yet still here.

Like me.

She switches off the shower and towels herself off. Once dry, she dresses in the jeans and sweater so kindly but too eagerly provided by Dr. Polly. The jeans were a bit tight. They molded to her slim form. And the sweater was also a bit snug and a little too short. It only reached a little below her breasts, revealing a large expanse of toned midriff.

"And they thought my other outfit was revealing," Gabrielle snorts as she looks at her reflection.

After sliding her feet into what Dr. Polly called Sketchers, (strange word for boots, Gabrielle thought) she hurries out of the room.

She rushes through the lobby with its odd greenish lighting and the grim, Indian man behind the counter, pushing through the dingy glass doors to the parking lot beyond.

Evening had descended upon the city outside. To Gabrielle, it doesn't seem dark enough. Lights everywhere make it look like dusk the whole night through. Gabrielle feels uneasy, as though the inhabitants, burdened with too much light, never stopped to rest and so neither could she. She closes her eyes, trying to imagine the night sky as she used to see it, vast and black and dusted with bright stars. She finds herself longing for the scent of wood burning instead of the acrid smell of this place. A roaring sound causes her to start and open her eyes.

And there was Xena sitting casually in the front seat of a gleaming red object that was all curves.

Because she and Xena had watched hours upon hours of television, Gabrielle knows that this is a car, what the commercials lovingly called a BMW convertible. She also knows that this is an expensive thing, something that costs many dinars. Dollars, she mentally corrects herself.

"Wha…Where did you get this?" she breathes, amazed. Unbidden, she trails a hand along the vehicles sleek exterior, enjoying the smooth, cool feel of the metal.

But Xena is in full enigmatic mode. She smiles and pats the passenger seat. "C'mon. It's not like Argo. It won't bite you."

Gabrielle shakes her head. "I'm not getting in that thing. Xena, you were hell on wheels driving a chariot. What makes you think you can drive one of these things?"

Xena shrugs. "It's easy. C'mon….I've got chocolate." Xena reaches inside her coat pocket, pulls out a Snickers bar and waggles it temptingly in the air. "And anyway, I can't show you your surprise if you won't get in."

Gabrielle crosses her arms over her chest. "No deal, Xena? Not until you tell me what's going on."

Two very dirty, very shady looking men pass by, eyeing the car and Gabrielle with equal lust. Xena's eyes narrow.

"Let's go, Gabrielle," she growls.

Gabrielle raises an eyebrow in response.

"Fine," Xena sighs, tossing the candy bar away. It pings off the fender of a nearby truck and then ricochets off the lobby doors, whacking one of the shady characters in the back of the head as he steps inside. Xena leans across and opens the passenger side door. "I'll tell you everything...on the way. Just get in."

Gabrielle smiles, savoring her little victory, and slides into the soft leather seat. With a rev of the engine and a loud, appreciative cry from Xena, the BMW peels out of the parking lot, leaving the smell of burnt tires in its wake.

A half an hour later, a windblown Gabrielle hangs her head out the passenger side as six Twinkies and countless candy bars slowly creep up her esophagus.
"This is worse than a sea voyage," she mumbles, frantically clutching the sides of the seat as the BMW squeals around another corner.

"Oh, but it's so much quicker," Xena replies, her tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth as she concentrates on passing a line of slower moving cars.

Gabrielle is trying very hard to focus on the scenery. But the colored blur of lights, people and places only makes her more nauseous.

"Are we there yet?" she implores.

"Almost."

"Why are you torturing me," Gabrielle wails after another skidding turn. "It's not my birthday yet."

"You'll love it."

"If I live that long." The bard squeezes her eyes shut and tries to remember which god to pray to.

After what seems like an eternity, the BMW screeches to a sudden halt. Gabrielle opens one eye. Xena is watching her expectantly.

"Well?" the warrior says.

Gabrielle opens the other eye and gives their surroundings a sweeping glance.

"It's so beautiful," she breathes. "Is it a temple?"

Xena gives her a lopsided grin. "In a way."

In front of the car, an expanse of green, well-manicured lawn climbs a gentle slope. Long beds of red and yellow flowers and rows of trees lit by spotlights stud the hem of it like embroidery. At the fringes of the lawn, broad, white buildings crowd together, replete with Corinthian columns and steps of marble. And, at the crest of the gentle hill, a veritable crown, a beautiful building, a graceful structure that could have been transplanted from Athens itself.

"What is it?" Gabrielle asks, turning to Xena.

"It's like an Academy. They call it University." Xena gets out, gesturing that Gabrielle should do the same. "C'mon. You haven't seen the best part."

They cross the expanse of lawn, climb the marble steps and stop in front a pair of tall bronze doors. Xena pushes them open. Gabrielle passes through. Her breath catches in her throat. When she can breathe again, she inhales deeply.

"I'd know that smell anywhere," she sighs.

Books. A profusion of books. A towering mass of books. They line the walls straight up to the ceiling high above them. The room is vast, divided by tall shelves, all stacked with books of every shape and size. In an open area in the center, people sit at long wooden tables. They look up quickly at the intrusion and then their heads drop back down over their work. The room is hushed, the air full of studious concentration.

For the first time since opening her eyes on this new world, Gabrielle feels herself relax. This is a place she can understand.

"I love it," she says over the lump in her throat. She turns shining eyes on the Warrior Princess, eyes that can convey more than words ever could. Xena nods, her own throat constricting.

"I knew you would."

Gabrielle wonders over to a shelf, trailing a finger over the leather spines. The titles stamped in gold lettering confuse her somewhat, but it is a challenging feeling. She resists the urge to grab a stack and dive right in, gobbling up every word. Looking over her shoulder, she whispers, "Thank you. It's a wonderful surprise."
Xena smiles, shaking her head. "But, this isn't the surprise, not all of it anyway."

An answering smile spreads across Gabrielle's face. She likes Xena's surprises... most of the time. Then a dawning suspicion arrests the smile. The bard cocks her head and studies the warrior princess, searching for telltale signs of trouble yet to come. Xena leans against a bookcase, quite relaxed, arms crossed. She looks quite at home in the modern garb, Gabrielle notes, unconsciously appreciating the way the denim shirt accentuates the blue of the warrior's eyes. The expression in those silvery depths is unusually warm this evening, looks of affection more frequent and openly displayed. This sets off another alarm in Gabrielle's head.

She's never this easy-going, Gabrielle thinks. She puts her hands on her hips and says with a little half-smile, "What's going on with you? Why are you being so... romancy? It's not... normal. You're planning something, aren't you?"

An older woman at one of the tables looks up sharply. "Sssshhh!" she hisses at them.

"Sorry," Gabrielle whispers, earning another dagger-like glance from the woman.

Xena motions for Gabrielle to follow her. They step back outside. Finding a bench under one of the trees, they sit; Gabrielle demurely, hands gripping her knees and Xena sprawls, arms stretched out across the back of the bench.

The cry of a siren breaks the tense silence. Gabrielle squirms, waiting for Xena to speak first.

Xena inhales deeply. "I really like this place," she says with a contented sigh. "There is a...what do you call it? Vitality. Yes, that's it. A vitality and an energy to it. You can even see it in the people." She shrugs. "I like it." She sits up, leaning forward to search Gabrielle's face. "Don't worry," she says in answer to the frown she sees there. She reaches out and strokes Gabrielle's hair, chuckling. "I don't always have an ulterior motive, you know."

"Ha! That's a good one. The Warrior Princess takes a day off. Right. Since when? You were always three steps ahead. Why should it be any different now? What's the plan?"

But rather than provoking a heated response, Gabrielle is surprised to see embarrassment and chagrin on Xena's face.

"Don't call me that anymore," Xena says. "I'm starting fresh. As of now, it's just Xena, okay?" She stands and walks a few steps away, her back to Gabrielle. When Xena turns, Gabrielle is shocked to see tears glimmering in her ice-blue eyes.

"I just want to do things right this time," Xena whispers, her low voice quavering. She spreads her arms. "I wanted to give you this, send you to the academy like you always wanted. Maybe your name could be on one of those books someday." She smiles weakly. "It's all arranged." Coming back to the bench, she goes down on one knee in front of Gabrielle, taking the stunned bard's hands in her own and looking up at her imploringly. "For these last few weeks, I've been watching, learning. And do you want to know what I found out? This time, this place, they don't need a Warrior Princess. They don't need someone to bash heads or lead armies. They need people like you, people with compassion."

Gabrielle shakes her head. "That's not true," she insists. "You've seen the violence, the crime. The people need a warrior now just as much as they did then."

Xena nods slightly, grimacing. "Yeah, well, that never seems to change. Oh, I'll be there. I will never ignore someone in need. But this time, they come second." She stands again, her face lighting up suddenly. "I've got another chance. We've got another chance. And I'm not making the same mistake I did then." She whisks Gabrielle off of the bench, holding her in a close embrace. She places a soft kiss on Gabrielle's forehead, then, breathing in the scent of her hair, trails tiny kisses from her forehead to the nape of her neck. Gabrielle is breathlessly bewildered, but too dazed to protest much. "Xena," she finally whispers. "People will see us."

"I don't care."

Gabrielle pulls back, surprised. "You don't?"

"No, I don't," Xena declares, looking down solemnly. "What's important is right here, right now. This isn't about anyone else. I want this life, this chance, to be about us. I want to make you happy."

Gabrielle stares, a torrent of emotions flitting across her expressive features. "... I don't know what to say," Her bottom lip trembles then she smiles. "No, I do know... "
Xena chuckles, her chin nuzzling the bard's hair. "Oh, for a second, I thought I'd accomplished the impossible--leaving the Battling Bard of Potadeia speechless."

"No. Don't. I'm serious. I think I see what you're doing." She gently cups Xena's face in her hands. "Xena, you don't have to do this. I won't have you doing penance for all the wrongs you think you did, no matter how pleasant it might be for me. You don't owe me anything. I'm with you because I want to be, because I love you."

Xena shakes her head. "I'm not doing this to appease my conscience, Gabrielle. That was the old me. I'm the new and improved version, remember? Gods, I don't know. Maybe, I'm just tired of taking the lead. Maybe, I just want to see you live up to your potential. And anyway, I deserve an early retirement, don't I?"

"Okay," Gabrielle disengages herself from Xena's arms and takes a seat on the bench next to her. Her still youthful face is somewhat sceptical. "You've more than earned some time off from the warrior business. But what will you do with yourself while I'm here reading all those books? I can't see you just sitting around and watching Oprah all day."

"Don't worry about me," Xena says, tilting her head to one side, a deceptively innocent smile twitching the corners of her mouth. "I've got a few plans." She stuffs her hands into her back pockets and then nonchalantly shrugs. "Well, I thought I might check out this place called Congress. They seem to need help there. But other than that, yeah, I thought I'd just hang out, as they say." Suddenly, Xena's brows knit together in worry. "All of this is okay with you, right? Is this what you want?"

The bard thinks for a moment about this momentous change in the one she loves. Strangely, it's not as frightening as some of the traits she's noticed in Xena over the years. She looks back at the cluster of buildings behind them, a strange longing surfacing in her heart. Yes, there is a part of her that wished for this. "Yes," she says looking up at the sky. A single tiny dot of light gleams through the smog. It's the North Star, still there as it was over a thousand years ago. Gabrielle smiles. "It's exactly what I want."

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