“storytext”> 

They'd
spent a whole week together, putting the house in order and
spending the afternoons talking. It was their first real time alone
and they were enjoying it for all its worth. But they both knew it
wasn't going to last forever. One evening the sidekicks were
seated side by side in front of a fire, simply enjoying each
other's company. Gabrielle had her legs spread out across the
sofa, nearly hitting Iolaus who had his own feet propped up on a
table. They were so comfortable together, neither of them wanted to
move.

“Well, I
guess we should be getting back soon," Iolaus observed as he
stared into the fire. Gabrielle looked at him surprisedly.
"Xena and Hercules will probably be coming back
soon.”

"Oh,"
she sighed as she laid back. “I guess so.”

“Funny.
It’s been so long since I’d been here last, now I
don’t want to leave.”

“Me
neither.”

“storytext”>“Gabrielle, would you ever consider,
maybe…”

“storytext”>“What?”

“Well,
did you ever think of just calling it quits with Xena?” he
turned to look her in the eye.

“Oh, I
don't know. Maybe, someday, perhaps. I'd like to get
married sometime and I suppose Xena and I would have to stop
traveling if that ever happened.”

“But you
two are such great friends.”

“Oh that
won’t ever change. She and I will always be friends. You
know. Like you and Hercules.”

“storytext”>"Yeah," he sort of sighed. Gabrielle sat
up.

“What
about you, though? Think you’ll ever get married,
Iolaus?” she asked casually.

“Who me?
Sure. Someday," he smiled at the fire.

“Just
haven’t met the right girl yet?”

“storytext”>“No,” he was playing with a piece of
parchment and avoided having to look her in the eye. “I
wouldn’t say that.”

“So you
have met her?”

“I think
so,” he looked to the fire. “I just haven’t asked
her yet.”

“storytext”>“What’s keeping you?” she said with a
smile. This conversation was getting deeper by the second and they
both knew it.

“I
don’t know,” he said as he stretched out.
“I’ll get around to it.”

“Think
she’ll say yes?” she pressed on.

“I hope
she does. But, see, she’s got this life of her own that
really doesn’t involve me at all. I don’t know if
she’d really be willing to set it all aside and settle down,
you know?”

“Yes. But
that’d be up to her, right? She may be more ready than you
think.”

“storytext”>“Really?” his eyebrows arched in
surprise.

“Only one
way to find out.” Gabrielle fixed her green eyes upon him. It
was a definate dare.