One Against An Army

When Gabrielle produces a little stick figure of Xena, Xena puts in in her mouth an kinda nibbles on it, while watching Gabrielle talk. Xena tells a "Spartan" "I don't give my heart to just anyone" and there is a cut to Gabrielle, looking at Xena. Xena tells Gabrielle, referring to some plan of hers, "You can tell me about it later. Years from now, when we're old and grey." This, to me, implies some sort of lifelong commitment. Gabrielle tells Xena, "I want so much to be like you." "And I want to be like you," she responds. Gabrielle wakes up and looks at sleeping Xena, and slowly strokes her hair. Xena tells Gabrielle, "I'm done paying for my past mistakes. My responsibility now is you." Gabrielle tells Xena "A long time ago I accepted the consequences of our life together," once again implying a lifelong commitment. "Even in death, Gabrielle, I will never leave you" says Xena as she and Gabrielle interlock hands. "Your my source, Gabrielle. When I reach down inside myself and do things I'm not capable of it's because of you" Xena later confesses. Gabrielle tells Xena of a dream she had. "Always looking out for me, huh?" asks Xena. "Always" responds Gabrielle. Xena tells Gabrielle "All I want is to be with you right now. Your my best friend. My family. I love you Gabrielle." They hug. "I love you, Xena." Referring to their imminent deaths, Xena says "We'll be together." Finally, Xena finds an antidote and rubs Gabrielles lips with her fingers. Then she lays down next to Gabrielle, exhausted.
Jennifer pointed out to me: "After Xena moves Gabrielle to the higher level of the shed (or whatever), the hug and exchange I love you's, of course. But, at the end of the moment, Xena says,"Til the other side then." I think that is a VERY strong showing of a lifetime commitment."
Cisca also points out: Xena did play with it in her mouth, but from what I remember, when Gabrielle took the stick-figure back she stuffed it down her top into her cleavage. How's that for subtext for you?
Another viewer points out: While Xena chews suggestively on the little stick figure, Gabrielle says, "Don't distract me." Hmmmm. Also this is (not that I've seen all the episodes) the first episode where Xena is so indecisive and torn between saving Gabrielle or the entire world as they know it - Athens. Gabrielle is the world to Xena?
CGarcia points out: If you watch the scene where Xena touches Gabrielle's lips-to give her the antidote-of course ;) you'll notice Gabrielle slightly kisses her fingers and you hear a tiny little kiss sound-check it out I swear I'm not making this up!
Rezina points out that when Xena brings Gabrielle upstairs, Gabrielle says "Now I have a better view," and she is looking at Xena.

Here is a brilliant review of this episode by Jen:

The episode starts on the morning after a night of lovemaking. This is made clear by the playful verbal exchange of the pair and by Gabrielle's desire to impress the warrior, no doubt because Xena impressed the bard the night before. When Gabrielle produces and then puts away the little Xena figure, she places in her shirt by her left breast, by doing this she is saying, "This is where I always keep you, next to my heart."

On the road, after the bard has injured her ankle, Xena is showing the perfect mixture of concern and "I told you so", showing that the partners have moved past the overly protective, alarmist stage and into a more sensible regard for each other's safety and health. While interacting with, first, the Marathon runner, and second, the treachorous Dorius, the women make no attempt to hide the nature of their relationship. As mentioned earlier, there is no need for physical interaction once it has become "old hat" and the chemistry of to people in love is so blatantly obvious.

Later, after Gabrielle has been wounded and Dorius has gone off to betray them, the lovers settle into the temporary safety of their little fortress and armery. The bard is growing worse at a rapid pace, and Xena is now fearing for her partner's life. In this intimate setting, it is now unnecessary for either of them to hold back how they are feeling toward each other, with time growing short, honesty is the only option.

During Gabrielle's hallucination of times past, reliving the first time she and Xena met, she no longer contains the enthusiasm of the young, energetic girl begging the warrior to take her away from a life that she knows, but does not belong in. Instead, it becomes a litany of her choice, desire, and need to be with her lover, speaking with words from long ago, breaking through the mists of time.

After Gabrielle dreams of Xena's demise, she awakes with a start, frightened, fearing it was truth, relaxing only after she turns to see her partner in her proper place, sleeping by her side. She regards her warrior with a look that is a combination of relief, fascination and awe, that this gorgeous woman lying next to her is hers, and will always be, until death. This thought haunts the bard as she reaches up and touches the back of Xena's neck, stroking a strand of hair verifying both of their existences, before falling back asleep, safe in the presence of her love.

After the battle, and the administration of the poison's antidote, Xena settles down next to Gabrielle in the loft, physically and emotionally drained, she can now rest knowing that the bard will live to see another day at her side. The women fall asleep into what will become a tender embrace, and wait for the next light to come.