Lyrics Story based on the song as sung by Loreena McKennit.

Disclaimer: These characters belong to Studios USA, Rennaissance pictures and Universal Studios, and not me, which really sucks cause things would be REALLY different if they did, believe you me, billy-bob!! Erm - yeah.

Spoilers: None, that I'm aware of. Just a lot of wank really.

Warning: Um, a couple of swears in it but nothing really full on. Just PG-13 level. I think.

Author's Personal Schpeil: Thank you Sue Ellen for these gorgeous lyrics. This lyrics challenge has been a breeze and I thank you. Hopefully I can get Little Old Lady from Pasadena finished one of these days and then I can say "I've done all the lyric's challenges".

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Come by the Hills

Traditional, arranged by Loreena McKennitt

Come by the hills to the land where fancy is free.

And stand where the peaks meet the sky and the rocks reach the sea.

Where the rivers run clear and the bracken is gold in the sun.

And cares of tomorrow must wait till this day is done.

Come by the hills to the land where life is a song

And sing while the birds fill the air with their joy all day long.

Where the trees sway in time, and even the wind sings in tune.

And cares of tomorrow must wait till this day is done.

Come by the hills to the land where legend remains

Where stories of old stir the heart and may yet come again.

Where the past has been lost and the future is still to be won.

And cares of tomorrow must wait till the day is done.

Come by the hills to the land where fancy is free.

And stand where the peaks meet the sky and the rocks reach the sea.

Where the rivers run clear and the bracken is gold in the sun.

And cares of tomorrow must wait till this day is done.

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Gabrielle waited.

It was not an unusual thing for her to do - wait. She did it a lot. She waited for Xena, she waited for the sun to set. She waited for time to pass. She waited for a time when she didn't have to fight any more. That one was a long time coming, so she wasn't holding her breath anymore. Right now however, she waited for a man she'd waited for hundreds of times.

He wasn't a tardy man by nature, just one that got lost in thought a lot. He made sure efforts to be on time.

Xena wasn't here. She didn't expect her to be, and wasn't expecting her for a long time.

The sea glistened in the late day, the sun beating her not with warmth but with the reaching light of a growing sunset. The redness of it all seemed to soak her skin, her hair. It made everything a magical hue that only existed in dreams, and the afterlife. It existed here.

Behind her reached up grand wrinkling hills, covered in the scraggly scruff of vegitation. It was bathed in the amber light of the dying day, seeming incredibly surreal to her gleaming green eyes.

How long would she wait for him here? Who knew. She'd waited for him before in this place, and she knew well enough she would wait again.

She'd seen sons, she'd seen daughters. She'd seen her mother come and go. And now at this age, she waited for him again.

The voice of Xena sung in her mind. How she missed her. How that time with her stung at her soul, wrenched her heart. It hurt too much, she put the thoughts away.

A scuff of haphazard steps shook her from her revery, and she turned her head. A smile splashed her face.

"Hi!" he scratched behind his ear, "Sorry I'm late Gab - damn I got sidetracked back-"

"Don't explain," she said, smiling, "It's okay. You know what it's like here. The past is lost and the future is still to be won."

"Yeah," he nodded comically, "Yep yeah I remember that. Sorry, I'm sorry."

She grinned, pulling him down by her side. "How've you been?"

He blew a sigh through full cheeks, "As well as can be expected I suppose, I mean, I'm okay."

She nodded, "Seen Xena?"

"No," he shook his head, "Not that I've been aware of anyway. Um - She doing anything special?"

"No," she said, now shaking her head, "Just the usual rounds."

"Aah," he nodded, "It's nice when you get that."

"Yeah," she smiled, "Bit of a break from the hard slog."

Joxer smiled brightly now, kicking his legs at the edge of the sturdy cliff they sat at that looked over the glistening gold sea. "I missed you."

She looked to him, snaking her arm around his arm and clasping his hand, "I missed you too, Joxer."

"How long have you been waiting?"

"Not long," she said, "When you come by the hills, I dunno - things seem fancy free."

"Yeah," he nodded.

"I've been remembering," she said. He rose a brow

"Have you?"

"Yes," she nodded. "I remembered a lot about us."

"Like?"

She smiled, "When we grew old, after I got you back."

He smiled, "Growing old together - that's a treat."

"A joy," she nodded. "And our children, so beautiful and so strong."

"I think I missed Virgil..."

"He came back," she said, "As our son - he was ours."

He nodded, "I feel bad for Meg though."

"Don't," she said, "She was much happier with Autolycus anyway."

"I think so," Joxer nodded, "She knew I only had eyes for you."

Gabrielle smiled, "You've always had eyes for me - even when you weren't supposed to!"

Joxer chuckled, "I know. If it's not my favourite sister, favourite brother, it's Mommy's little baby, or Daddy's little girl, or my prized apprentice or - something. I dunno."

She smiled, leaning on his arm, "Hmmm... It's nice to be like this, on this hill... Trees swaying... river falling into the sea... birds having fun, singing in the sky."

"Tell me a story," he said, "A legend of old. So it might happen again. Make our old hearts sing."

She looked up into young eyes, a sadness to them, "They won't happen again like they did before. It'll never be the same. Those cares can wait though... till tomorrow, when this day is done..."

He looked to the sun that creeped towards the hidden sapphire of the great curve of the sea that glisten fire in the hot disc of day.

"Xena will be with us soon?"

"Yes," Gabrielle nodded, "Then we can revel in old stories like she was never gone."

He nodded back at her, leaning into her cuddle. "I've always loved you. Time and time again, I've loved you Gabrielle."

She smiled gently, "I know, Joxer, I know. And you know I feel that way too."

"Sometimes I did," he said, "Sometimes I didn't, but it never mattered cause in the end, it all came together and I knew how special you are to me."

"Where is she now?"

"I told you," Gabrielle frowned at him with a smile, "On the rounds."

Joxer shook his head, pinching the flesh above the bridge of his nose, "I'm sorry," he sighed, "It's been so long. I forget-"

"It's okay," she said, squeezing him gently, "I know."

A quadrapedal scruffing filtered through the clear sweet air, and turning her head Gabrielle smiled. She stood, walking over to the dejected looking golden horse that shuffled along to the couple with a sheepish look in her large brown eyes.

"Hey Argo," Gabrielle smiled, "What are you doing here all alone? You're barely ever without your Mommy hmm? Barely ever without Xena at your side."

"You're right," chimed in Joxer, "Xena should be along soon now."

Gabrielle looked back to Argo, running her hands over the satin sheen of the animal's back. "Good Argo," she cooed, pouring affection onto the animal, "I missed you too you know? Missed you you big lug."

Argo snorted and stomped a hoof prissily.

"Hehe, don't like that do you?" the bard grinned, "Always 'Princess' and 'Darling' and 'Sweekie' when no one is looking with you and Xena hmm? Well I'm not hiding anything here missy. Come here," She pulled the horse's muzzle up and planted a kiss on the felty nose, the mare shaking her head away with much surprise. "Love you."

She turned and sat down next to Joxer again, sliding her arms around him and leaning to him conspiratorially, "I can never get a moment with that horse when Xena turns up."

"Gods damn it all - I'm never being a woman again!!"

Gabrielle turned, leaping up at the husky woman's voice, and she ran to her best friend, arms wide, eyes glinting with excitement.

"Xena!"

"Gabrielle!" Xena grinned, taking the woman in a hug, gasping with relief, "Gods I missed you."

"I hate it when we have to be apart," she looked back to Joxer, "All of us!"

Xena tilted her head, "Sometimes, you have to take what you get."

Joxer looked up, running his fingers through the seaside dirt with an amused smile, "And what did you get?"

Xena, her arm around Gabrielle, led the bard to the fool and they both sat down either side of him. Xena planted a kiss on the side of Joxer's head, scruffling his hair, "Hey Joxer."

Joxer blushed and rocked, nudging Xena, "Hey Xena."

"I got to be an old woman," Xena said, the weariness evident in her voice, "Oh, I was a young woman first, sure, but I wasn't a particularly happy one."

"Why's that?" Gabrielle frowned.

"I had a husband," Xena said, "War hero."

"Who?" Joxer asked.

"Ares, if you believe it," Xena smirked, "Bastard up and left me - went and got himself killed in the War. I mean, we were married and all but he went a-fighting and he wasn't very good at it. Prick. I won't forgive him for that one for a very very long time."

"Aah," Gabrielle nodded, "I hate losing someone young."

"Me too," Xena sighed, "So I was a lonely old woman writing books for 50 years, and then I got Argo here." She grinned proudly.

"Who was Argo?"

Xena smiled proudly, "My fluffy white persian pussy-cat! Weren't you baby? Yeah!" She cuddled the head of the horse as it dipped down to nudge her mistress happily. "Autolycus was my agent."

"Ooh!" Gabrielle broke away from a kiss with Joxer, "Was he?"

"Yep," Xena nodded, "It was an interesting ride, nothing special... just a walk round the block really."

"Told ya," Gabrielle said, nudging Joxer. Joxer smiled.

"How about you then?" she asked Joxer. Joxer blushed.

"I was um - I was a jazz trumpeter," he said, "Booze killed me."

Gabrielle shook her head, "Tough break."

"I know," he said, "Some reason the Gods thought it necessary I live and die as a overly talented guy with too much funk in his soul for one lifetime."

Gabrielle snickered and shook her head, "Yeah you're just a bag o' soul kickin' to take it to the bridge."

Joxer pouted indignantly, looking to the sun and trying to keep his offended expression as Gabrielle hugged him tightly.

"How about you then, Gabrielle?" Xena said, casting an old but beautiful smile to the bard.

"I was a horse!" she said with much pride, "I was a beautiful palemino! I lived in Australia - in Victoria, with a beautiful woman owner and children who loved me! I'd gallop for hours every day," she sighed with spread her arms wide behind her friends as a cool breeze whipped up and blustered her hair about dramaticly, "It was the most wonderful time!! I understand Argo so well now."

"Yeah," Xena smiled, "I was a horse once too - it's the best feeling in the world."

Joxer pouted, the pout beginning to look very forced and rather comical, "I've never been a horse. I've been a rabbit, I've been a bug, I've been a human heaps and heaps of times, I was even a dog once-"

A snort lifted from Gabrielle, "Yeah I believe that!"

The pout turned real, "But I was never a horse."

"Maybe you don't need to be a horse," said Xena suddenly, "Maybe you're already got the freedom in your soul that you learn when you're being a horse."

"I think so," Gabrielle nodded, "You've never been an inhibited person, Joxer. Clumsy maybe, but not inhibited. Not in all the times I've known you."

Joxer smiled suddenly, "You think?"

"I know," she smiled, touching his nose and hugging him tightly.

"So, how long will we be here for?"

"Remember Joxer," Gabrielle said, "Just for today. A night. Then we'll be gone for a while, and we'll be back tomorrow."

"Like a dream," Xena said suddenly, gazing to the sunset.

"A very long one," Joxer muttered, but smiled slowly as Gabrielle snuggled to him again.

"They're the cares of tomorrow," Gabrielle said into Joxer's chest, looking out to the sea, "Don't worry about them. Not till tomorrow anyway."

Xena smiled, patting Argo, watching Gabrielle revel in the arms of her timeless love.

"Bags not making dinner this time," she said, turning to give full attention to her horse.

"Bags not cleaning up," Joxer said.

Gabrielle sighed, "Why do I always have to clean up?"

"Dunno," Xena said, "But it's the cares of after dinner," she smirked, "Don't worry about it now."

Xena grinned as Gabrielle smacked her from next to Joxer, and snuggling back to the man she sighed.

"Sun's nearly set," she said.

"I hope I get a good dream tonight," Joxer said. Gabrielle cuddled him.

"Hopefully I'll be in it."

"If I had a choice," said Joxer, "You always would be."