"Relax sweetpea, I'm well
aware of my brother's attempts at manipulation. I was planning
to tell him all this anyways." She pouted. "I'm a
little hurt that you're on his side, though. Haven't I been
much nicer to you than he has?"

"We have a deal."
Gabrielle explained with a weak smile, shoving down the anger that
those words invoked in her, knowing that her temper would be much
more controlled in other circumstances. The goddess nodded her
comprehension – deals were something all gods understood and lived
by – and turned back to her brother.

"It's no good trying to
trick me out of anything, Ares. I have no idea why your powers are
gone – i just know it's something you did, not us." He
gave her a disgusted look.

"Some help that is." His
sister put her hands on her hips.

"Go wait outside, Ares… Gabby
and I have some girl things to discuss, and you're not going to
get anything else useful from this conversation." He stared at
her darkly for a moment, then scowled and stalked out.

"Oh, little one…"
Aphrodite's voice was almost trembling with sympathy. She held
her arms out for a hug, and Gabrielle fell into them with a half
sob.

"I didn't even get to say
goodbye." She whimpered into the Goddess' shoulder, and
felt the arms tighten around her, hands stroking her back
soothingly.

"Gabrielle…" The
goddess' voice was quiet. Aphrodite was a shallow,
self-absorbed woman, there was no denying it, but beneath
that was the omnipotence of a goddess, and the bard had realized
some time ago that that shallowness was a unique brand of wisdom.
"She's in Elysia, you know. You'll see her again
eventually." The blonde managed a laugh through her
tears.

"I'll have to throw a few
I-told-you-so's into my thoughts for her to hear."
Aphrodite looked thoughtful.

"Do you love her,
sweetpea?" She backed up to stare at the Goddess,
wide-eyed.

"Of course. She's been my
best friend for three years."

"That's not what I mean,
and you know it." Her voice was gently teasing. "Are you
in love with her, Gabrielle? I'm not asking out of curiousity.
I'm the goddess of love, remember? Love is my domain; if
you're in love with her, I can help you."

Was she in love with Xena? She'd
asked herself that a thousand times, and never really been able to
tell. She wasn't entirely sure she knew how to feel the
difference between hero-worship, friendship, lust and love, and it
seemed like which one she thought she was feeling changed
everyday.