Kismet?

by Del_kaidin

This story takes place instead of the episode "Bitter Suite".



Chapter 1

"I love you Xena." Gabrielle watched as a silent tear fell from the warrior's face. The crowd had dispersed leaving only the two of them watching the flames of two funeral pyres. On one Xena's son, Solon - handsome, gentle, loving and a smile that could light up a room; on the other her daughter, Hope - deceitful, treacherous, murdering and evil. Her lie had caught up with her. Staring at Xena she thought the words she longed to say "How I wish, now, I had listened to you, Xena, back in Britannia and let you kill Hope then, but no I knew better. You weren't being fair you didn't understand, I knew better. How could I have been so wrong?" Turning Gabrielle left the pyres, the village and Xena. "You're better off without me, my dearest one. I can never betray you again. I hope you can forgive me one day - for I will never forgive myself." She prayed Xena, who had so often in the past knew what she was thinking, would hear and forgive.

Gabrielle walked for hours, her only thought to get as far away as possible. Silently she berated herself with every footfall throughout the night. "Miss Perfect. Miss I Know Better Than You Xena. You can't hate me anymore than I hate myself Xena. Am I trying to destroy the person I love most? First I lie about Hope then I almost get you killed in Chin. I've killed any trust Xena had in me. I don't even know if I can trust myself anymore."

Slowly the night gave way to the dawn, the early morning rays lighting the dew still clinging to the spiderwebs throughout the low lying brush. Mist rose from a nearby lake obscuring it's surface and in the distance a deer with her foal fed. Even the beauty of the scene surrounding her could not lift Gabrielle's spirits. Then she saw it. The rising sun behind it throwing an aura of power around the temple. She recognized it. It was the temple of The Fates she and Xena had visited before. Perhaps they would help her, help Xena. She ran to the entrance praying that this would ease the ache she had placed in Xena's heart. Even if it meant her own death Gabrielle was willing to give up her life for her warrior's happiness.

The inside of the temple was as cavernous as she remembered. Candles lit for remembrances filled every alcove. Three unlit candles stood in the center. From a small box near the door Gabrielle took a candle and lit it. Moving to the three she offered the ritual. "For the Maiden, Clotho, who weaves the thread, for the Mother, Lachesis, who measures the thread and for the Crone, Atropos who cuts the thread. I light these candles and ask you to return Xena's son to life. She who saved your temple from marauders. I offer my life for his."

"Gabrielle...."

"...We can...."

"not grant..."

"Your request."

Spinning Gabrielle saw them standing on the steps, The Fates. Some found their way of speaking hard to understand. She moved towards them, tears flowing from her eyes, as they had she realized all night. "Please. It's my fault Solon died. I am willing to take his place in the Underworld. I'll do anything to ease Xena's pain."

"You don't..."

"Understand. We can..."

"not undo what has happened."

Gabrielle searched one face then the next then the next. "No! Please you have to.... I know you can.... Xena... I know she wasn't the best mother she could have been...but she loved her son... she only wanted the best for him. Surely that has to count for something... I'm the one who should be punished - Not Xena. Please. You must help me."

"We can not...."

"not bring Solon..."

"back. But perhaps..."

"Your answer is outside." The Fates smiled and faded from view.

Gabrielle stood once again alone. "Outside? What could possibly be outside?"



Serena had just finished her chores at the Fates temple when they appeared to her. The Fates were her favorite Aunts. Some laughed at her but she knew they were not the capricious beings most men thought they were. Each decision was carefully thought through, it's effects on the tapestry were weighed before any thread was added or cut. She was glad they had chosen to add her thread. "Hello my Aunts!" She called running towards them, chestnut hair flowed behind her.

"Serena, we...."

"need your..."

"help, dear."

"Of course I'll help you. But I need to let mother and father know where I'm going."

"No time..."

"dear. We..."

"will explain it..."

"To them."

"Ok what do you need me to do?"

"Visit someone..."

"make them....."

"understand what....."

"you know."

"About you?" Three heads nodded the answer. "Ok, one thing... tell Uncle Iolaus I'm sorry I couldn't go fishing with him."

"We will...."

"dear. You..."

"will meet a woman..."

"named Gabrielle."

"Gabrielle, ok is this who I'm suppose to help?"

"No dear..."

"but she will...."

"take you to the..."

"one you must help."

Serena experienced a moment of dizziness. When it stopped she was still in front of the Fates temple but there were small differences. The lake which should have been to her left was now to her right. She examined all the differences, cataloguing them as her mother had taught her a woman exited the temple. "Hi. Are you Gabrielle?"

"Yes."

"My name is Serena. My Aunts, the Fates, asked me if I would help someone and they said you would lead me to them."

Gabrielle studied the young woman in front of her. Something was strangely familiar about her. Chestnut brown hair, tall, and obviously a fighter. She had been with Xena too long not to recognize that fire beneath those gray blue eyes. "Nice to meet you Serena. Yes I'm Gabrielle. I only hope you can help my friend."

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Chapter 2 Or Back To The Library