The shadows were stretched to their furthest with the end of the day, and Gabrielle was finishing her preparations for her dinner with Alexander. She and Xena had gone to the grove for a swim, so her hair was sill a bit damp as she brushed it. She knew it was silly, considering that she and Xena would be leaving in the morning, most likely never to see the King again, but she wanted to look her best for Alexander that night.

"How do I look?" she asked Xena when she was done brushing.

"Same as always," Xena replied with an offhand shrug, but mischief sparkling in her eyes.

"Is that a good thing?" Gabrielle demanded nervously.

"Mm, not bad," Xena told her as she looked her over slowly, teasing her.

"Boy, you sure know how to build up a girl's ego," she grumbled sarcastically.

Xena allowed the evil smile she'd been hiding to finally emerge. "How about this, then. When Alexander sees you, he's going to want to skip dinner and go straight to dessert."

"Xena!" Gabrielle protested with an outraged laugh. But the wicked humor of her comment helped to release some of the butterflies fluttering madly in her stomach. Gabrielle was sure that that was why Xena had done it. She didn't know how the evening would end, but it would begin in an easier, more relaxed fashion thanks to Xena. She smoothed her skirt one last time and looked up at her best friend, anticipation in her eyes. "See you later."

"Go get 'em, Gabrielle," Xena told her with a loving smile.

Alexander's eyes kindled with warm appreciation when he saw Gabrielle arrive. Perhaps a more unbiased man could have found a more beautiful woman in the world, but to Alexander no one else could compare. Besides, her beauty was the least of her attractions.

All right, slow down, Alexander told himself ruefully. We have all night. She'll never respect you in the morning if you lose your cool in the first five minutes. Ten minutes, maybe, but five, never.

"You look amazing," Alexander told her. Compliments were okay, as long as he didn't overdo it.

"Thank you," said Gabrielle with another of her charming blushes.

They sat down together to share their meal. They talked about the events of the last few days. The past was a much safer topic than the future, or even the present. However, they both knew that they wouldn't be able to put that subject off much longer. Alexander gathered his strength for this battle of the heart throughout dinner, and when it was done he was finally ready to open the subject with her. He took a deep breath and began.

"So, I heard from Xena that you plan to leave tomorrow. Is that true?" he asked. He knew perfectly well that it was, but he prayed that he could change her mind.

"Yes, we are," she answered him quietly.

Alexander closed his eyes and sighed. Even though he had expected her to answer him so, hearing her say it aloud pained him. But he wasn't ready to give up the fight yet.

"Is there any way I can change your mind about that?" he asked her hopefully.

"Alexander..." she began regretfully.

Alexander broke in before she could tell him no. He couldn't let her refuse him without telling her exactly how much she meant to him.

"Gabrielle, I love you. I've never felt like this with any other woman. I know we've only known each other for a short time, but somehow it feels as if I've known you all my life. The thought of spending the rest of my life without you is unbearable. You complete me- losing you would be like losing a part of myself. Please," he began, kneeling before her, "Say you'll stay and be my wife and Queen."

The words that Gabrielle had both longed for and feared hearing were finally spoken. They touched her even more deeply than she thought they might when she had imagined hearing him say them. She took his hands in hers and drew him to his feet.

"Alexander, I never thought I would ever feel this way about a man again, but I was wrong. I do love you, and a part of me wants to stay with you, but I can't. I'm sorry, but I have to leave with Xena. She's where I belong."

Gabrielle's words struck him like a blow. He turned away as he felt his heart breaking.

"Is it because of Perdicus?" he asked, unable to turn around and ask her face to face. He didn't want her to see the tears in his eyes. But he couldn't keep the pain out of his voice. "Because if it is, I'll wait, however long it takes."

His words, filled with desperate sadness, wrung her heart.

"It's not just Perdicus," she told him, though she wondered how he knew about her lost husband. "Losing him was one of the hardest things I've ever had to face, and it's been a long time since I've even been able to think about being with another man. I'm not sure if I'm ready to do that yet.

"But even if I was, I know it wouldn't matter. My life is with Xena. She's more than just my best friend, she's the other half of my soul. I love you, Alexander, but I love Xena, too, and the life that I share with her. I can't give that up, even for you.

"There's no way that it can work between us. Xena wouldn't be happy tied to one place, and you have to stay here for your Kingdom's sake. Please, say that you understand," she pleaded. Hurting him inflicted the same agony on her own heart, but she couldn't do anything else. She knew where she belonged, and that was at Xena's side.

Alexander hung his head, a tear slowly rolling down his cheek. But he had to try once more.

"Gabrielle, what you and I share is rare and precious. So many people go through their whole lives without feeling like this. Don't ask me to give up on this!" he begged.

"It is special," she agreed. "This wasn't an easy decision, believe me. A part of me will always regret leaving, wondering what my life could have been with you. But it just wasn't meant to be. I wish it was."

He knew he couldn't change her mind. He was bitterly disappointed at his failure. The Fates had delivered the love of his life to his door, and even more miraculously, she said she loved him in return. But the same Fates who had given him his heart's desire had laughed at him as they took it away from him forever.

"The Gods are cruel," he told her, turning to look her in the eyes at last. "I find the woman of my dreams, only to see her walk out of my life for good."

"I'm sorry," she repeated. She wished there was something else she could say or do to take his pain away, but all she had were those two useless words. "I know it hurts, but it will get easier in time. You'll forget me and find love again."

"Maybe I'll love again, but I'll never feel the way I do now with you. No matter how much time passes, I'll won't forget you. But that doesn't matter anymore. If I can't have love, all that's left for me is duty."

"What does that mean?" she asked. His words seemed to imply he had something in particular in mind.

"As part of King Porus' peace proposal, he wants to give me his daughter Roxanne as my wife."

"What did you tell him?" she asked unhappily. She knew she had no right to ask, but she couldn't deny to either of them that the idea bothered her.

"I told him the truth- that my heart belonged to another, and that I hoped to make her my wife. But I knew you might say no when I asked you, so I told him that if you did refuse, that I'd marry her instead. I'm a King, and I still need an heir. I agree with you that my child will need both of his parents to raise him together, so that means I need a wife. It's my duty, and that seems to be all that's left to me now."

"I understand," said Gabrielle, struggling to smother her jealousy. "You're right, of course. I hope the two of you will find happiness together."

"I'm not sure that's possible," he replied sadly. "But I guess I should happy about the rest of my blessings. At least I won't have to fight a war against my new father-in-law."

Gabrielle winced as his joke fell flat. There was no point in staying and prolonging the agony.

"I should go now. Goodbye, Alexander," she said, turning to leave.

"No, please wait!" he asked, reaching out a hand to stop her. She was walking out of his life tomorrow, but there was still tonight.

"I know I can't change your mind about leaving, and if I keep trying I'll only hurt us both. But for the rest of my life, all the love I'll ever know will be my memories of you. So I can't help asking- please, stay with me, just for tonight. I promise I won't try to change your mind. I'll even try to smile for you when you leave. Just let me have this evening to love for a lifetime."

"Alexander, you just told me you're practically engaged to another woman. It would be wrong for me to agree," she protested.

"Why? It's not as if it's a love match. Once she and I are married, I will be faithful to her. She'll have my loyalty then, but my heart is yours, and I refuse to take it back. So please, forget about tomorrow just for one night, so I can have this memory."

Gabrielle didn't know what to say. The idea of him with someone else stung, regardless of his reasons. She knew she had forfeited all right to feeling that way. She'd had the chance to stay with him and refused it. Even now, if she told him she'd changed her mind he would welcome her joyfully. She just couldn't do that. Xena was too important to her.

But all he was asking for now was a single night, and that was something she could give him, though not without a few doubts. She wasn't one to indulge in casual relations. For that matter, being with Alexander would hardly qualify as casual for either of them. She wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea of loving him and leaving, and she didn't think she ever would be.

Tonight, none of that mattered. She knew deep down inside that she wanted the memory of being with him almost as much as he did. She took a deep, steadying breath and wordlessly steeped forward.

Alexander met her, smiling with tenderness. For these few precious hours, he'd make himself forget that the new day would come and take her from him. Right now, all that mattered was that she had given herself to him.

They came together, each movement slow and gentle. They explored each other's bodies with eyes, hands and lips. Alexander laid her down on the soft furs of his bed. He joined her and their limbs intertwined, pleasure and desire building with each touch. Both wanted to make the moments last forever. After what seemed like both an eternity and no time at all, they found they couldn't wait any longer.

Alexander entered her. They moved together, each stroke bringing them spiraling higher. Within moments the pleasure became too great to be contained, and ecstasy washed over their joined bodies.

Their release left them both gasping for breath. They lay together in the darkness, holding each other tightly. It was just as deeply satisfying in it's own way to be together like that, and they savored each sweet moment in each other's arms.

Alexander's arms tightened around Gabrielle as a traitor part of his mind reminded him that all too soon this bliss would be over. He couldn't change that, so he planned to make the most of the gift that he'd been given. He rolled onto his side and spooned his body against hers, and kissed the back of her neck. He was ready to make the most of their time together yet again.

The end of the night was signaled by the changing of the camp's guard. Gabrielle dressed in the tent's darkness. When she finished she returned to Alexander's bedside, where he lay watching her movements with appreciation mingled with loss.

"I'd better be going now," she whispered, reaching out to gently touch his face.

"I know," he replied sadly, and then captured her hand to kiss her palm. But he said not a word to try and change her mind, as he had promised. He stood up to hold her one last time. They kissed, softly at first, but ending with bruising intensity, their lips saying everything that was in their hearts in silence.

Gabrielle pulled away at last. "Goodbye, Alexander."

"Goodbye, Gabrielle, my love."

She turned to leave.

"Will I ever see you again?" he asked in final desperation, in spite of his resolution to let her go without a struggle.

"I don't think your new Queen would appreciate it if I did," she said with a feeble attempt at humor. Unfortunately, neither of them felt much like laughing. She tried to leave it that way. She knew it would be better for both of them if she did. But she'd learned during her time with Xena that the future could bring anything, so she couldn't deny him, or herself, one tiny little bit of hope. "Maybe someday."

She left the tent. Maybe someday, she had said. Alexander smiled through his tears. Maybe the future would hold something for him, after all.