A/N: Okay, I've been wanting to write a Xena fic for quite a while, but never quite got the inspiration. Today I got an idea for a longer piece, wrote down the basic idea, and then ended up writing this. It's a tag for Sins of the Past and is my very first Xena fic. Yay, me. Thanks to Lionchilde for betaing. :)

Xena stared into the flames, pointedly ignoring the young girl adjusting her blanket on the other side of the fire. Gabrielle was staying. It hadn't been Xena's first choice; she thought it would be better to send the girl home or lose her at the next safe village, but she had a suspicion Gabrielle wouldn't stay away. She had already caught up to Xena several times after the warrior had left her behind. And she had saved Xena's life. That wasn't something the Warrior Princess took lightly. Obviously there was more to this simple village girl than Xena had first assumed.

"So where are we headed next?"

Xena glanced at Gabrielle. "North. There's a village up that way that's been having problems with a warlord."

"Sounds like your sort of thing," Gabrielle said.

"I suppose," Xena answered slowly. She poked at the fire with a stick, watching as sparks flew into the night air. Gabrielle wanted to talk, and Xena let her. The girl didn't seem to expect Xena to answer, and the warrior was fine with that. Gabrielle didn't need any encouragement and started off on some tale about Zeus' lightning bolts. Xena suppressed a sigh and shook her head, tuning Gabrielle out and turning instead to her own thoughts.

Xena hadn't had many close friends in her past. At least not ones who loved her without asking anything in return. Good friends like that were rare. There had been a few special people who had taken a risk and reached out to the warrior woman. Those people had been the ones who truly touched her, transforming her into a better person. She still didn't understand what they had seen in her, but she was thankful for them. They were the ones who had prepared the road she walked today.

"Why are you here, Gabrielle?" she asked quietly.

Halting mid-sentence, Gabrielle looked both frustrated with the question and surprised. "I told you, Xena. There's so much I can learn from you, so much you can show me. It's a big world out there, and I can't stay home and watch it pass me by."

"But your family…"

Gabrielle smiled. "They will always be important to me. But that's not the life for me, Xena. I know I'm destined for so much more. I know it!"

"That so," Xena murmured, smiling a bit. Maybe a companion like Gabrielle would prove to be just what she needed. And who knew? Maybe after a few weeks travelling with Xena, Gabrielle would realize her mistake and go home to her family. Nothing was certain, Xena knew. But for tonight, Xena could relax and enjoy the companionship. She could listen to Gabrielle's endless stories until the girl finally tired and fell asleep. Tonight she could forget about tomorrow and just be happy.