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Xena: Choose Your own Adventure #2

By Allison

Xena put up her hands. "I’m sorry," she apologized.

Darius looked at the ground. "No, you’re right, I’m wrong. I’m sorry," he said quietly.

Xena took a deep breath and looked around.

"Well, this will be a good place for the wedding," she said, changing the subject. Darius nodded happily. "I’m going to go make out invitations now," he said.

Xena found herself watching his every move on his way out. She realized that she really loved this man, and that she was happy with him and his children. Then she thought about Gabrielle. As Xena untied Argo to go graze in the field, she thought about her adventures that she would miss, and thought about the bard that she would miss.

"Hey!" a voice called out from behind her. A young man dismounted a horse and handed Xena a scroll. "You’re Xena, right?" he asked.

"Yes," she said hesitantly.

"This is from Gabrielle of Potedia," the man said.

"Thank you," Xena nodded as the man got back on his horse and rode away. Xena opened the scroll. It said:

Dear Xena,

I know that you are wondering where I am. I am home now, in Potedia. I think it is better this way. You and Darius are perfect together, and I am just a friend. I will visit the day after your wedding. I can’t visit before then - Lila, my sister, is getting married, too.

Your best friend,

Gabrielle

"No, Gabrielle, you’re wrong," Xena gave a small smile to the scroll.

"You’re not my best friend. You’re my sister."

"Taco?" a man asked the traveler as he walked past his road-side cart.

"Falafel, don’t you have a home?" the handsome man asked, rolling his eyes. His blond friend chuckled.

"Hercules! You can have two tacos! For free - just tell all of your friends!" the thick accent started to get on Hercules’ nerves.

"Haven’t we gone through this already? I mean, no offense, but your food is... is not edible!" Hercules threw up his hand. "Come on, Iolaus," Hercules motioned to his friend.

"If my food isn’t edible, then why am I catering a wedding?" Falafel asked proudly.

"Depends. Who's wedding?" Iolaus asked curiously.

"My cousin’s! He is getting married to the Warrior Princess Xena!" said Falafel matter-of-factly.

Hercules’ eyes opened wide. "Who is your cousin?" he asked.

"Darius," Falafel said, scooping more road kill into a crisp corn shell.

"Where does he live?" Hercules asked.

"I won’t say unless you admit that my food is delicious!" Falafel raised his chin.

"Hercules won’t lie," Iolaus said, his arms crossed. Hercules elbowed him.

"You can come along with me the day of the wedding," the chef decided.

"When is that?" Hercules asked.

"Tomorrow."

"Xena! You look beautiful!" Sarita said. Sarita and Xena were alone in the barn, getting dressed for the Big Day.

Xena’s heart was beating fast, and she was sweating.

"You look gorgeous," Xena picked up Sarita. They were both wearing white dresses with lace. Darius offered Xena his late wife’s wedding dress, but Xena refused. When Xena made her own, Darius watched in awe. Xena’s response was:

"I have many skills."

Xena walked over to her bouquet and picked out a daisy.

Xena put the small flower behind the flower girl’s ear and opened the barn door.

It was a small wedding, with mainly Darius’ relatives. The only person Xena knew was her mother.

"I’m so happy for you," her mother hugged Xena. Xena hugged her back, the feeling different from what she had ever felt before.

The ceremony began, and ended with Darius’ kiss to Xena. Xena felt like an entirely new person.

At the small party after the wedding, Xena walked over to the food table. There, a dirty-looking man stood there, scraping what looked like road kill off his outside stove.

Xena made a face and moved along the table.

"What? Are you just going to cut in front of me?" a familiar voice spoke out in front of her.

"Hercules!" she cried happily as she hugged the huge man.

"Now, what is this? I had to have the cousin of the groom invite me along?" Iolaus popped up from behind the half-god.

"Who’s the cousin?" Xena asked.

The two men looked at the clumsy chef. They all laughed.

"So, who is this Darius," Hercules smirked as he crossed his arms.

Xena started to explain when she was tapped on the shoulder.

"Did you fix me something to eat?" Gabrielle smiled. She looked tired and nervous, and not her usual happy self. Xena felt a lump in her throat. She felt guilty of something that she shouldn’t feel guilty for - marrying Darius.

"Lila says ‘hello’", Gabrielle said as she hugged the new bride.

"Who did she marry?" Xena asked.

"Some guy I don’t know," Gabrielle muttered. Xena grinned. There was the familiar over-protective Gabrielle she knew.

"Xena, are you going to eat that?" Iolaus spoke up, pointing to Xena’s plate of fruit.

"No. Here," Xena shook her head and smiled, handing her plate to Iolaus.

The two men took that as their cue to leave. Gabrielle looked over at Darius. He was talking to friends and relatives.

"Xena, are you sure that—" Gabrielle started.

"A little late for second thoughts," Xena grinned. "I thought you said you would be here tomorrow.""Yeah, well, they eloped," Gabrielle gave a half-smile. Xena laughed.

"You’re acting like—"

"Like a mom?"

"No, like a worried best friend." Xena and Gabrielle stared at each other.

"I have to leave tomorrow. I have to keep watch over our house back home," Gabrielle sighed.

"I’ll be ready by dawn," Xena said.

"Alright—" Gabrielle agreed before she realized what was going on. "No, Xena. I said I am."

"We’ll see," Xena said slyly.

The next day, Gabrielle woke up at dawn and walked down the road and over the bridge. It wasn’t until noon that she realized that she was being followed. She turned around cautiously when she came over a hill. Her staff prepared, she called out to the follower.

"Hey! Show yourself!" the bard’s voice shook.

"Mind if we join you for a family honeymoon?" Xena asked. The three children were riding Argo, and Xena held Argo’s lead rope in one hand, and Darius’ hand in the other.

Gabrielle grinned and set down her staff. "It’ll be good to have some company."

THE END