Moth to the Flame By Leonie Kelley Disclaimer: All characters belong to MCA, Universal, Renaissance Pictures and others, no copyright infringement intended. Timeline: Post season five Warnings: None Feedback: kelleonie@hotmail.com Gabrielle stared into the firelight and slowly reached out her hand. She felt the heat barely scorched her hand just as it was roughly pulled back. She looked up and saw Eve looking down at her with a puzzled frown. "What were you doing?" Eve turned over her hand and looked at the red welts left by the fire in concern. She was relieved to find that although the hand will probably be painful for a while, the fire had not caused any serious injury. "I don’t know. It was just a little accident." Gabrielle pulled her hand away and avoided her eyes. "That was no accident Gabrielle, what is wrong with you?" Eve sat down beside Gabrielle on the log and gently placed a wet cloth over her sore hand. "There is nothing wrong with me." Gabrielle gave her a weak smile and turned her attention back to the flames. "Come on Gabby, you’ve been abnormally quiet lately. Even mom had noticed it." When Gabrielle did not answer, Eve saw to her surprise that she wasn’t even listening. She was focusing all her attention on the burning fire. "What are you staring at?" "Do you see that moth Eve?" Gabrielle pointed as a moth flew closer and closer to the fire, finally consumed by the flames. "Yes, but so what?" "Have you ever felt that you are like a moth, drawn to the fire, unable to reason, unable to think logically?" Gabrielle asked in a low voice. "I don’t get it." Eve said honestly. "Moths are attracted to the flame, even though that’s what kills them. People are like that too; we share the same self-destructive characteristics as the moths. We rush head on into danger, we feel the flame, we sense the risk, we know it will devour us, yet we cannot turn away from it. We let our emotions and feelings dictate our actions, and the result…we get burn just like a moth the flame." The low whisper sounded hauntingly eerie in the night. "I didn’t understand it before, the need, the pull, the attraction of the flame to the moth, but I see it so clearly now." "Gabrielle, what’s got into you? You are not sleeping, you’ve barely ate anything, and now I find you sitting here burning your hand and comparing yourself to a moth?" Gabrielle looked at Eve and it’s like for the first time realized that she wasn’t alone. She swallowed and turned her attention back to the fire, at the same time letting her hair provide a convenient curtain for her face. "Stop trying to analyze me. I’m just having one of those days when I have more questions than answers. There’s nothing the matter with me. Go back to sleep Eve." Eve sighed, she knew that tone well enough; she often heard it from her mother. Knowing that she wouldn’t be getting any more answers, Eve reluctantly got up and walked back to her bedroll beside her sleeping mother. "Why don’t you come back to sleep too?" "I want to do a little writing first. I’ve been sort of neglecting that lately." There were a million questions that she badly wanted to ask but was afraid to do so. This Gabrielle was a stranger to her, and she didn’t know how to reach her. It was like she was trapped inside her own miserable world with no way out. Eve so badly wanted to just reach out and hug her and make everything okay for her, but…by the look on her face, Eve knew that she had once again shut her out. "Will you at least promise me that you won’t hurt herself again?" "Yes, I promise, don’t worry about me. Now go to sleep." Eve got inside her bedroll and slowly lay down. She watched Gabrielle for a while and saw that true to her words, she had picked up her scroll and started to write. Finally decided that there was nothing more she could do tonight, Eve let herself drift back to sleep. He does not understand my reasoning, He does not understand my pain, I pray for the day of reckoning, To know it is not all in vain. I would swallow my pride, I would not seek to hide, But your heart belongs elsewhere, And I cannot go there. I see you two together, I see the look in your eyes, I can no longer wonder, For all that’s left are good-byes. The price I had to pay, The words I did not say, I will love you always, Forever and a day. My heart has surrendered, As my soul is torn asundered, I have no one to blame, For I’m drawn like a moth to the flame. "Just exactly who is he?" Eve turned to her mother as she slowly rolled up the scroll. Xena looked at Gabrielle who is now tucked inside her bedroll. Gabrielle had gone to sleep still clutching her scroll. Trying to find some answers, Eve had taken it and read it out loud to her mother. Xena slowly shook her head, "I don’t know, but whoever he is, he is bad news." "But mother, surely you must have an idea. Did you know that she deliberately burned her hand last night? She was acting so strange and hopeless; it was like she was dead inside. Are you telling me it’s all because of some man that she’s in love with?" Eve tapped the scroll angrily against her palm. "I do have an idea Eve, but I hate to think that she’s hurting because of him." "Well, just who is he?" When Xena did not answer, "I want to help her mom. She has done so much for me and you." "I want to help her too, but I don’t think Gabrielle would want us to interfere. Besides, I’m not even sure if he is the right god for her." Xena said sadly. Realization set in and Eve turned and looked at the sleeping figure with sympathy. Mesmerized by your bewitching smile, Seduced by your innocent wile, I see beyond your flawless beauty, Your soul holds me in captivity. You are the child of light, I am the god of night, I curse you for wanting to take flight, Even when I know you are right. I tried to let you go, I tried to let you be free, But my heart says no, If you could only see. I need to have you beside me, To be all that I could be, I can no longer deny destiny, For my love is my testimony. You turned and walked away, You left me out in the cold, Whatever price I will pay, Just let me touch that hair of gold. "So who is this girl with the hair of gold? I thought he was into Xena." Cupid asked his mother. "So did I, but it doesn’t totally surprise me that he is interested in her." Aphrodite said with a satisfied smile. She and Cupid had found a scroll in Ares’ den and could not resist reading it. "I’ll like to know when did he start to write? This child of light must be something special." "Believe me, she is." Aphrodite quickly read the scroll again before rolling it up and tying the knot on it. "So who is she?" Cupid demanded. "She, my son, could very well be his salvation." Aphrodite answered as she put the scroll back where they found it. "Now let’s get out of here before Ares comes back. I don’t think he would be very please with us if he knew we were snooping." The End