Oil & Water (GirlXGirl) ?

Venus had not been doing all right.

After Xena had dropped her off, she entered her empty apartment, changed out of her clothes and collapsed on her couch. This was where she had been ever since.

Venus had gotten no sleep that night. She was exhausted but just couldn't sleep, her mind wouldn't let her. It was running in circles; she was spiraling all over again.

Venus desperately wanted to drink, but she remembered what had happened last time. She could even still vaguely smell the stench of puke mingled in with alcohol when she walked into her kitchen. So she didn't, knowing that if she started drinking she most likely wouldn't be able to stop.

Hence, Venus remained there. Staring at the ceiling, her word seemed to spin around her and she didn't know what to do. Lately it had felt like everything in her life was catching up to her, slowly eating her up from within, and there was nothing Venus knew to do to stop it.

She had thought getting another job would fix things. But it didn't. All it did was add to the faces that sometimes floated in Venus' mind. It all just added to her long list of nameless victims.

All of a sudden, Venus no longer felt as if she was powerful. She no longer saw herself as someone that demanded respect, but rather, someone to be feared. She was nothing more than a monster. A heartless, cold-blooded killer.

Venus thought of her past a lot more these days. She wondered how different things would have been if her parents hadn't abandoned her, if her parents actually wanted her. Maybe Venus would have a regular life. After all, she was only twenty-one, yet had killed more people than she could count on her fingers. Most people her age were still in college, their biggest worries were probably exams they hadn't studied for. Venus wished that could be her.

But the reality was that Venus could never be any of those people. Her life was too different. In the first place, there was no college she could get into, she barely even had a high-school education. The only thing she was 'educated' in was how to be an Assassin, and for the longest time, this had been fine for Venus. She was okay with solely having that education, but lately, Venus didn't feel that way anymore.

There were other things that she wanted to learn. There were things she wanted to do, that she was curious about.

All these thoughts went through her head as she laid on the sofa quietly watching the sun come up, having still not slept a wink.

There was a light knock on the door. At first Venus thought she had imagined it, she thought it was a lack of sleep playing tricks on her, but then she heard it again.

Getting to her feet, Venus made her way over to the door of her apartment. Her legs were stiff and were tingling with pins and needles but Venus ignored it. She was more concerned with whoever it was at her front door.

Venus opened the door, revealing Xena casually leaning against the door frame holding what appeared to be a box in her hand.

"Hi."

Venus didn't think she would ever get used to the sudden appearances that Xena made in her life.

"Hello." Venus replied, her voice sounded even distant to her as she stared up at the taller woman.

Xena looked down at her, her eyes gently scanning her face. Venus wished she could know what it was that she was thinking, but Xena didn't seem to give out much. It appeared to Venus that she was a bit closed off, in her own way.

"I came to check up on you. You know, because of the events that happened at the club last night."

Venus swallowed hard as pain shot through her. Xena had come here because she was worried about her after last night. If only she knew who she really was. A shiver ran through Venus as she stared up at the face of the woman, unblinkingly.