Family Matters by Cheeya

Bard's Note : This is part 12 of the 'a Life Worth Living' series. It would help if you read the other parts but you'll enjoy this anyway, I hope! The entire series can be found at www.geocities.com/cheeya_2000

Comments/ Constructive Criticism to [email protected]

Xena stood at the edge of camp and closed her eyes. She allowed herself to relax as she felt the breeze move past her, lifting her long, dark hair and cooling her tanned skin. She was dog-tired after working all day but she was satisfied with what they had got done. The Amphipolis Inn was almost half built and they had only been there for three months. There was only one thing eating away at the warrior and that was the fact that she missed Gabrielle like crazy. Her lifebond had left three days previously to go home to Potedaea and had taken their daughter, Gabby, with her. Xena sighed and walked back to sit beside her mother. She picked up a waterskin and drank deeply from it.

"Xena, you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," the warrior replied and picked at some scraps of rabbit left on her plate.

"You've been quiet all day," Cyrene went on but Xena smiled.

"I'm not exactly the talkative one in this family," she said. "Gabrielle calls me monosyllabic sometimes."

She chuckled to herself as she thought about her soulmate. Cyrene moved closer to her and leaned her head against her daughter's shoulder. Xena lifted her arm and wrapped it around her mother's shoulders.

"Are you ok?" she asked, worriedly when she heard the older woman sigh.

"I was just thinking about Lyceus and Toris. I miss them."

Xena nodded.

"Have you heard from Toris lately?" she asked. "Last I heard, he was headed for Athens."

Cyrene laughed.

"He's got himself a nice girl in Athens, Xena and I've been waiting to hear wedding plans. Funny how you got married before him."

"How so?" Xena asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I remember when you were a child, you used to tell me how you were going to be a great hero and that you'd never get married and settle down."

"For a long time, Mom, I had no intentions of ever allowing myself to fall in love, never mind get married but then something changed."

Cyrene looked up at her curiously.

"What was it that changed?"

A sweet smile rose the warrior's lips and she sighed.

"I met Gabrielle. Things were never the same after that. Slowly but surely, she found her way through the barriers to my heart." Xena paused as she remembered their first few months together. "She drove me crazy in the beginning. She was young and curious and wanted me to teach her what I was doing all the time. I was a mess back then and I'm ashamed to admit that I spent a lot of time taking my frustration out on her. I yelled at her a lot and told her to improve but it was all just a stupid act. I was trying not to feel anything for her. I was lying to myself because, deep down inside, I knew I had fallen in love with her."

"I'm surprised she stayed with you," Cyrene said suddenly. "I can’t see Gabrielle taking that from anyone."

"Not now, no," Xena explained. "But back then, she had run away from problems in her life that she wasn't ready to face. Her parents wanted her to marry a young farmer and have children to carry on the family line but Gabrielle just wasn't ready for that. She was eighteen years old and she had never experienced life. That's why she followed me. I'm just lucky that she did. I never thought I'd feel this way, Mom. I love her so much and I really miss her."

Cyrene hugged her daughter.

"I know you do, Little One. I miss her too. You know, Gabby will probably be big when she gets back."

"Yeah, gods I can’t believe she's nearly five months old."

"Wait 'til she's a teenager and asking you for dinars!"

"Ooooh, don’t say the 'T' word, Mom," Xena replied with a grimace and the two women laughed.

Gabrielle arrived in Potedaea at midday. The sun was high in the sky and she was tired from the long journey. She slid down from her horse and hitched him to the post outside her parent's house.

"Well, Gabby. We're here. Get ready to duck in case things don’t go well."

Gabrielle sucked in a deep breath and ran a hand through her hair before walking to the door and knocking on it. She waited for a few seconds and then heard footsteps approaching from the far side. She set a smile on her face but it dropped when a stranger answered the door.

"Hello, can I help you?" the woman said.

"Uh, Hi. My name is Gabrielle. I used to live here."

"Oh yes, Hecuba has told me all about you. Come in."

"Thanks."

Gabrielle followed the woman into the kitchen and lifted Gabby out of the pouch on her back and over her head to cradle her in her arms.

"My name is Arora. I've been working for your mother since she became ill."

Gabrielle's heart jumped up into her throat.

"My mother is ill?" she asked. "Why did no one send for me?"

Arora looked down.

"Your father said not to send for you. I'm sorry, Gabrielle. I don’t know what happened but your father won’t talk about you at all."

The bard flopped into a chair and shook her head.

"I know why. He didn’t like whom I chose to marry. He won’t accept Xena as my lifebond. Damn that man's stubbornness!"

"You're Xena's life partner?" the woman asked in surprise.

"Yes, why?" Gabrielle replied.

"I owe you a debt of gratitude. You saved my son's life at Troy. You probably don’t even remember him but he will be forever grateful to you, as will I."

"Thank you but I don’t need any thanks. I just did what I could."

"Is this your little one?" Arora asked.

"Yes, her name's Gabby."

Arora smiled.

"After her mother?" she said.

"Her other mother insisted on it. I wanted to call her Xena but she said she wouldn’t inflict that name on a child."

The two women laughed but Arora heard a bell ringing from another room.

"That's your mother. Do you want to see her?"

Gabrielle got up and nodded.

"Yes, I do," she said and followed the older woman into her mother's bedroom. Hecuba's eyes lit up when she saw her daughter.

"Gabrielle! What are you doing here?"

The bard sat on the edge of the bed and stroked her mother's hair away from her eyes.

"I brought someone to meet you," she said softly. "Mother, this is Gabby, your granddaughter."

"By the gods, Gabrielle. She's beautiful! She looks so much like you but wait, I can see Xena in her too…" She paused as the confusion set in. "How is that possible?"

"Xena and I petitioned Aphrodite to give us a child and she did so. She's a friend of ours."

"You're friends with the Goddess of Love?" Hecuba asked in surprise.

"Yeah, she's pretty nice actually and a lot of fun to be around. Listen, Mother, I need to talk to you about Father. I heard that he doesn’t want to see me."

"You heard right," said a gruff voice from the door and Gabrielle got up quickly. "What are you doing here, Gabrielle?"

"I brought my daughter to meet you all," Gabrielle replied, tears rising in her eyes.

"Fine, we've seen her. Now leave!"

Herodotus stormed out of the room and Gabrielle handed the baby to her mother so she could run after him. She caught up with him in the front yard and caught his arm.

"Father, why are you doing this?" she asked as the tears rolled down her cheeks.

"I told you, Gabrielle. I will never accept Xena as your… your… whatever the Hades she is and as long as you're married to her, I won't see you either!"

Gabrielle lost her temper and pulled him back.

"You are a cruel and petty man! You should be ashamed of yourself treating me like this. I brought your granddaughter to meet you and only then I find out that my mother is sick! You're a selfish bastard!"

Like a streak of lightening, Herodotus lashed out with his hand and slapped his daughter hard enough across the face to snap her head to the side but she looked back at him straight away. She lowered her voice to its deepest register and narrowed her eyes.

"I've had much worse that that, Father. I'm not afraid of you."

"You insolent child!" he yelled back at her and hit her again on the other cheek. Her eyes flashed and she wiped a trickle of blood away from the side of her mouth with the back of her hand.

"You get those two for free. The next, you pay for."

He raised his hand and swung at her again but she ducked and then straightened and spun, knocking him over with a spinning heel kick to his chin. He dropped like a sack of grain and she walked back to the house, shaking violently as he struggled to get to his feet behind her. Gabrielle went to her mother's room and kissed her on the forehead.

"I have to go, Mother. I love you," she said and lifted Gabby gently. "Say goodbye to Grandma, Gabby."

She waved the baby's hand and then smiled, wincing a little at the pain from her split lip.

"He hit you, didn’t he?" Hecuba said in a low voice.

"Don’t worry about it. He won't be doing it again," Gabrielle replied. "Goodbye, Mother. I'll try to arrange for you to come to see me when you're feeling better, ok? Our house should be built by then and you can stay with Xena and I."

"Over my dead body!" Herodotus yelled as he charged in the door. Gabrielle barely had enough time to put the baby down before he tried to hit her full force across the face with an axe handle. She thrust her arm up and her gauntlet deflected the blow but she cried out in pain as she felt the bone in her arm break.

"Herodotus! No!" Hecuba screamed but he was like a man possessed. He hefted the handle again but Gabrielle ignored her broken arm and pulled her sais out of her boots, taking her defensive stance. She blocked every blow, her face stern with concentration and then kicked out a booted foot, catching him in the stomach and sending him tumbling out of the room and into a wall. She spun her sais in her hands and then slid them back into her boots. It was only then, as the adrenaline subsided, that the full force of pain hit her. She slumped against the wall and cradled her broken arm, her face scrunched up with agony.

"Son of a Bacchae!" she hissed out through gritted teeth and Hecuba struggled out of bed to go to her. She led Gabrielle past the unconscious Herodotus and out of the house. Arora brought Gabby and they walked slowly to the town healer.

"I can't believe he did that," Arora whispered.

"Neither can I," Gabrielle replied and as shock set in, she began to shake violently. She felt her knees begin to buckle and pushed her mother away so she wouldn't take her down too. She collapsed onto her knees and held her arm straight against her body.

"He could have killed her," she whispered. "He could have killed my baby."

The sobs came then and her shoulders shook with the force of her emotion. Her mother tried to comfort her but all Gabrielle could think of was wanting Xena's arms around her.

"NO!"

Xena sprang forward and jumped up, grabbing her sword and waiting for an attack as she spun the blade in a slow figure of eight in front of her. It didn’t come and, as she slowly regained her senses, she realised she had woken from a nightmare.

"Xena! What's wrong?" asked Cyrene, pulling back her blanket.

"It's ok, Mom. Go back to sleep. I just thought I heard something but it's nothing."

The warrior went back and lay down on her bedroll. She laced her fingers behind her head and took a deep breath but the knot in her stomach didn’t loosen. Her nightmare had been about Gabrielle, that she was in trouble, but Xena told herself not to be so silly. She was safe at home in Potedaea with her family.

Next morning, Xena got up at dawn and strode through her hometown. Reconstruction was well on the way and she smiled at a few of her childhood friends as she passed them.

"Xena!"

The warrior turned and got a shock when she saw who was approaching.

"Toris!" she yelled and ran to meet her older brother. They hugged each other tightly and he held her hands out, looking her over.

"You look great, Xena!" he said. "I'm sorry it took so long to get here. I came as quickly as I could."

"I'm glad to see you, Toris. We need some help with rebuilding the inn," Xena replied, ruffling his dark hair.

"How's Mother?" he asked.

"As well as can be expected," the warrior said. "It's been hard on her lately."

She frowned as Toris looked past her and then behind him.

"Where's Gabrielle?" he asked.

"Oh, she's gone to Potedaea for a few days to see her parents. She took Gabby with her."

"Gabby?" Toris repeated.

"Our kid. Toris, Gabrielle and I are married now."

Her brother's mouth dropped open with shock.

"Married? You and Gabrielle? Well, that's one for the books. I never thought you to be the marrying type, Xena. Well, congrats, Little Sis!"

"Thanks," the warrior replied. "Go and see Mother. She'll be delighted to see you."

She watched as her brother walked away but a sudden feeling of dread came over her. She shook her head and told herself not to be so stupid. She knew Gabrielle was fine.

One emerald green eye opened sleepily, followed by the other and Gabrielle winced against the bright sunlight that was streaming into her room. The day before flooded back into her mind and she took deep calming breaths and got out of bed. Her left arm was splinted in a sling and it hurt like Hades but she went to the crib beside her and lifted her baby with her good arm.

"Good Morning, Sweetie," she said. "Let's go get something to eat, huh? Then we can head back to Amphipolis and see your other Mom. Do you miss her, Gabby? I know, so do I." Gabrielle opened the door of her room and moved into the kitchen where she was met with four sombre faces. "Hi," she said. "What's going on?"

Gabrielle's sister, Lila, walked to her and led her to sit down in a hard wooden chair. She took Gabby from her and hugged her.

"Gabrielle, Father's dead," she said quietly and a tear ran down her cheek.

"What? No! He can’t be!" Gabrielle said, her mouth open with shock.

"He is," Lila replied, placing a hand on the bard's shoulder.

"But… but… I didn’t kick him that hard. I just wanted to keep him back in case he hurt my daughter."

The healer moved to kneel in front of her.

"Your kick didn’t kill him, Gabrielle. It was when he hit the wall. He broke his neck."

"Oh my gods," Gabrielle whispered, her hand moving to her mouth. "I killed him. I killed my Father."

Hecuba went to her.

"No you didn’t, Gabrielle. It wasn't your fault. You were just defending yourself and your child."

The bard stood up and hugged her mother with her good arm.

"I'm so sorry, Mother. I should never have come here," she whispered. "I'll leave straight away."

She walked out of the room, carrying her daughter with her and started back for Amphipolis.

"Ok, lift that beam! Watch it! It's heavy!"

Xena smiled as another piece of timber was lowered into place. Toris jumped down from the scaffolding he was standing on and picked up two mugs of port. He handed one to Xena and took a long swallow from his own.

"Won't be much longer now, Xe," he said. "I think another month will see the Inn up and running again."

They walked slowly through the main street of their hometown.

"Yeah," Xena replied. "It's gone faster than I originally thought. I'm going to start on a house for Gabrielle and I as soon as we've finished with the Inn."

"You're settling down in Amphipolis?" he asked.

"Yeah. Now that we have the baby, we can’t be on the road. It’s too dangerous and…" She trailed off as she saw a horse approaching the town and squinted against the sun.

"Gabrielle?" she said softly and handed her mug to Toris. "Gabrielle's back. I'm going to meet her."

Xena ran to meet her lifebond and smiled as Gabrielle pulled up in front of her. The bard slid down from the saddle and looked at her partner with the saddest expression on her face that the warrior had ever seen.

"Gabrielle? What happened to you?" Xena asked worriedly as she saw the sling on her partner's arm.

"Xena," the bard whispered and stepped into her love's arms. Xena felt her trembling and felt the warm wetness of her tears on her chest.

"Gabrielle, Sweetheart, what happened?" she asked as she reached back to stroke her daughter's head.

"My father is dead."

"Oh, no. Oh, Gabrielle, I'm so sorry."

Gabrielle looked up at her partner and wiped her hand across her nose.

"I killed him," she whispered.

"What?" Xena asked in utter shock.

"We got in a fight. He hit me so I knocked him down. I went back into the house to get Gabby and leave but he attacked me with an axe handle. He broke my arm with it and I kicked him, Xena. I kicked him and he broke his neck when he hit the wall. I didn’t want to do it but I was afraid he'd hurt Gabby."

"Hey, it wasn't your fault, Gabrielle." Xena said softly, holding her tightly and lightly rubbing the soft skin of her back. "It was self-defence."

"I did it, Xena. I killed him."

The burden finally became to much for her and she collapsed into the warrior's arms. "Toris!" Xena yelled and her brother ran to them. "Toris, take the baby. I'm going to have to carry Gabrielle."

The older man lifted his niece gently out of the pouch on the bard's back and Xena scooped Gabrielle up into her arms. They walked back to Xena's camp and the warrior laid the bard gently on her bedroll. She glanced at Toris and saw that his eyes were glued on her lifebond.

"What's wrong?" she asked him.

He blinked slowly and then knelt down beside her, cradling the baby carefully.

"She looks so… so… different," he said.

"You haven't seen her in almost six years, Toris. She's not that person you met anymore. She's seen and done more than you'll ever know."

"She's beautiful," Toris replied, his voice tinged with awe and Xena looked at him sharply.

"Yes, she is," she growled and he immediately backed off.

"Hey, she's your wife, Xena. I didn’t mean anything by that."

"Good," the warrior replied and lifted her soulmate's head. "Gabrielle? Wake up, Sweetheart," she said, patting her face gently. The bard stirred and saw two pairs of worried piercing blue eyes staring down at her.

"Either I'm seeing double, or Toris is here," she whispered.

"Hi Gabrielle. How are you feeling?" Xena's brother asked, stroking her blonde hair back from her eyes.

"I can’t… I don’t…" She closed her eyes and tears ran from the edge of her eyes into the soft hair at her temples.

"Toris, why don’t you take Gabby to Mother. She'll get her something to eat," said Xena.

"Ok, " the man replied and briefly squeezed Gabrielle's shoulder before leaving the camp. Xena sat down on the bedroll beside her lifebond and held her hand.

"Tell me what happened, Gabrielle. Start at the beginning."

The bard told Xena everything that had happened and she saw the anger in Xena's eyes as she explained how her father had tried to hurt her with the heavy wooden axe handle. She sat up and leaned back into Xena as she spoke, drawing comfort from her strength and warmth. When she was finished, Xena was quiet for a few moments before she spoke.

"Gabrielle, what happened to you was terrible. If it had been me, I would have done the same as you. He would have killed you if he had hit you with that handle and you knew it so you tried to protect yourself and your child."

"Xena, he wasn't a warrior, or a soldier. He had no idea of my skill. I tried not to hurt him but I guess I was too much for him."

"Gabrielle, this really wasn't your fault."

The bard wiped her eyes with a shaking hand and took hold of Xena's again.

"My reflexes are that of a warrior, Xena, but I don’t know if my judgement is. Maybe I should have tried to talk my way out of it. I used to be good at that. Maybe I was too quick to pull my sais."

Xena held her face in her hands and ducked her head to look into her eyes.

"Listen to me, Gabrielle. I trust your reflexes, your instincts and your judgement ever time we go into a fight. You're one of the best warriors I've seen, Gabrielle. Don’t think that just because someone gets hurt that it's your fault. Your father knew what he was doing when he attacked you and if he had fallen differently, he might still be alive. It was NOT your fault."

"Then why does it hurt so much?" the bard whispered.

"Because, despite everything that happened, he was your father and you loved him."

Gabrielle nodded.

"I did love him," she said and then looked down at the weapons sitting in the holders along the outside of her boots. "These have saved my life on numerous occasions. I guess I just have to think about trying to use them less."

"You have to do whatever you think is right, Gabrielle and you always do," Xena replied.

"Xena, thank you."

Over the next few weeks, Xena kept a careful eye on her soulmate. She was withdrawn and quiet and the only pleasure she had was playing with her daughter. Her arm healed quickly and soon Gabrielle came to Xena.

"Xena, would you do some sparring practice with me this evening?"

"Sure, Gabrielle," Xena replied. "Are you sure you'll be ok?"

"I'm fine, really. I just… I… um… I need to see if I can still do it," she said, her voice low.

"Alright, I'll come find you later, ok?"

"Yeah," the bard replied and walked away.

"Dammit," Xena cursed. "She's not ok."

"Mom, can I talk to you?" the warrior asked as she entered the newly rebuilt inn.

"Sure, Little One, what is it?"

"I need to talk to you about Gabrielle. Mom, I don't know what to do. She's being eaten up with guilt over her father and nothing I say to her makes any difference. What can I do?"

Cyrene led her daughter to a table and sat down facing her.

"Xena, you know that Gabrielle lives by her own code. I don’t know what you can do for her. Her heart is broken and at the moment, you and Gabby are the only things keeping her going. I'm worried about her too, Little One, but I've tried to talk to her and she just changes the subject or makes an excuse and leaves."

"I'm losing her, Mom." Xena whispered. "She won’t let me touch her. We're sleeping in separate beds and she's keeping me at an arm's length all the time. I don’t know what to do anymore."

"Honey, she loves you. Give her time."

"I'm not so sure anymore," Xena replied and walked slowly out of the room.

That evening, Xena picked up their staffs from her room and went to find Gabrielle. The bard was co-ordinating the moving of supplies to the main barn of the town and she was writing on a piece of parchment when Xena approached her.

"Hi Gabrielle. Ready for sparring practice?" the warrior asked.

"Hi Honey, yeah I'm ready."

She rolled up her parchment and threw it on top of her bag. She took her staff from Xena but the warrior suddenly had an idea.

"Gabrielle, why don’t we lose the staffs and do this properly," she suggested casually, kicking at a stone.

"You mean sword and sais?" the bard asked.

"Yeah, let's have a real workout. We haven’t done this in a while."

Gabrielle looked uncertain for a second but then she nodded.

"Ok, Xena."

She pulled her weapons out of her boots and Xena drew her sword and spun it slowly in her hand as Gabrielle took her fighting stance. They circled each other warily, each watching the other for the first move. Xena decided to force the issue and swung her sword at Gabrielle's head. The bard ducked under the blow and kicked out at Xena but the warrior blocked the kick on her gauntlet. Gabrielle spun her sais in her fingers and jabbed at Xena's stomach but the warrior's sword blocked the blow and she pushed Gabrielle's back.

"Come on, you can do better than that," she said sarcastically.

She saw a flash of anger in the bard's eyes and Gabrielle lunged at her, punching her hard in the jaw and then taking her legs out from under her. Xena crashed to the ground on her back but flipped back into standing immediately.

"It'll take more than that PATHETIC attempt to keep me down," Xena cried and Gabrielle gritted her teeth against her anger.

"Shut up, Xena," she said in a low voice.

"Come on, my bard. You were Ares Chosen One. Show me what you've got!"

"STOP IT!" the bard yelled.

"Come on, Little Girl!"

Gabrielle screamed with rage and went all out, forcing Xena back several paces with the intensity of her attack. She got in several blows to the warrior's body and Xena fell back onto the ground again. She rolled out of the way as the bard tried to stamp on her chest and then, tangled her legs between Gabrielle's and knocked her over. She laughed and bounced to her feet as Gabrielle did the same. They faced off again and Xena could see the bard's hands shaking with fury and exertion.

"Come on, Gabrielle," she growled and beckoned to her with her free hand as she spun her sword slowly in the other.

The bard leapt into the air and flipped over her head, planting a boot in her face as she went by and Xena staggered back a few paces, wiping blood from her mouth. She thrust her sword over her head to stop the sai blow that was headed for between her shoulder blades and then spun, cracking the bard across the jaw with her fist. The force of the blow spun Gabrielle in a complete circle but she recovered quickly. She jumped and spun, catching Xena right in the jaw with a spinning heel kick and the warrior saw stars. She shook her head to clear her vision and blinked against the involuntary tears that rose to her eyes. She dropped to one knee and used the flat of her blade to pull the bard's legs out from under her. Gabrielle crashed to the ground and Xena knelt over her, straddling her hips and pinning her arms to the ground. The bard squirmed, but Xena's grip was too strong and she eventually gave up.

"Go on! Do it! Kill me, Xena!" she yelled.

The warrior almost collapsed with shock.

"What? Gabrielle…"

"I said do it! I deserve to die for what I've done!"

She started to sob and when Xena released her arms and got off her, she curled up into a ball and covered her face with her hands. Suddenly understanding flooded through the warrior and she knelt down beside her soulmate. She gently pulled her hands away from her face and kissed the tears away from the bard's cheeks.

"Gabrielle," she said softly. "Look at me." Watery emerald green eyes met piercing blue and held there for long seconds. "You do not deserve to die, Gabrielle. You may think that what you did was wrong and you may never forgive yourself, but you don’t deserve to die. No one does. You have Gabby to think about. She needs you and so do I."

Xena's gentle words finally penetrated the haze of Gabrielle's guilt and she reached up and drew the larger woman to her. Xena wrapped her arms around her and they just sat there in the middle of the street for a long time.

"I love you, Gabrielle. I need you. Please don’t ever leave me."

She heard a sniffle and then the bard looked up at her.

"I'll always be here," she said. "I love you."

"Come on, let's get some rest," Xena said and got to her feet, drawing her partner up with her. They walked slowly back to the inn and as they entered, Cyrene shot her daughter a questioning look. Xena smiled and nodded and then led her soulmate up the stairs to their room.

"Xena?"

"Yeah?"

"You did that on purpose didn’t you?" Gabrielle asked once they were lying in each other's arms.

"Yeah, I did. I had to find out what was eating you. I thought I was losing you and it terrified me."

"I'm sorry," Gabrielle whispered as she ran her fingertips over the already forming bruises on the warrior's face.

"In that case, so am I," Xena replied, doing the same to her partner and they both chuckled.

"Thank you for making me see what I was doing to us," the bard went on.

"You were confused, Gabrielle. I was there once but then I met you and everything became clear again. I wanted to return the favour."

"This feels so good. I missed this… missed…you."

"So did I, Love."

Xena shifted a little and Gabrielle shook her head.

"You're sore aren’t you," she said, a statement more than a question.

"A little," the warrior admitted and then blew out a long breath.

"Let me kiss it better for you," Gabrielle went on. A seductive smile rose to her face and Xena's heart soared, as she knew that everything was going to be ok. "Where does it hurt?"

"Oh, just about everywhere, Gabrielle," the warrior replied with a huge grin. "Especially here."

She touched her own lips and Gabrielle stretched up to capture them.

"Oh goodie," she whispered and melted into her lover's muscular body. They fit together perfectly, as if they were the only two pieces of a passionate puzzle and soon loud cries broke the stillness of the afternoon.

Hours passed and Cyrene was beginning to get worried so she brought Gabby up the stairs and knocked gently on the door of her daughter's room. There was no answer so she silently pushed the door open. She smiled as she saw two bodies intertwined in sleep and covered with a blanket and then breathed a sigh of relief. She knew that if they had grown apart, it would have destroyed them both, not to mention the life of a beautiful little girl who needed her mothers. Cyrene walked silently to the bed and laid the little girl down in the crook of her daughter's arm. Xena didn’t wake up but she immediately moved a protectively hand to her daughter's stomach. Cyrene kissed her on the forehead and then left the room, not seeing the pair of piercing blue eyes that opened briefly and then closed again. Xena tightened her grip on her soulmate and fell back into sleep with a tiny smile on her lips. Oh yeah, life was gooood!

The End

To be continued in part 13 'Domestic Bliss'