Untitled

Disclaimers: same as in Part 1.

Part 4

It seemed like a life time, or several life times, when a good battle was fought and won by the warrior princess. The past few decades, she had a very peaceful time with Gabrielle, and in the recent past few years with Justin.

Just as the other woman was about to strike the warrior princess with a right cross, Xena, with her lightning speed, put her famous pinch on her neck, making her fall to her knees before she could say ‘boo’.

“I’ve just stopped the flow of blood to your brain. You’ll be dead in thirty seconds unless you tell me what this is all about.”

“I… uuuhhh….. was sent by…. Callisto… nghuuu…. to bring Justin back. She said nothing is to stand in her way of having her again.”

Xena needed to find out what exactly was going on, and that meant finding out the truth about Justin and her relationship with Callisto. “Justin, I’m only going to ask you this once. Will you tell me what’s going on and why this woman came after you? Because if you don’t, then I’ll have to make her tell me.”

The tears streamed down her face, almost unstoppable. “Yes, I will tell you everything.”

Xena took off the pinch on the woman and gave her a message. “Go, and tell Callisto that Justin stays with us. If she wants her that bad, then she’ll have to come and get her herself.”

With that, the woman left, running up the stairs and jumping onto the motorcycle that she came on.

The tall, raven haired woman slammed the door in front of her and quickly turned to Justin. “Do you want to tell just me? Or would you rather tell Gabrielle?”

“I feel maybe it’s time to tell the both of you, …everything.” The tears still streaming down her face. “First thing’s first. If you’ll excuse me. I need five minutes alone. I promise, I won’t be leaving and I won’t do anything to harm myself. I give you my word.”

“Alright. Then, we’ll meet you back in the dining room.” She turned and walked down the hall, back to Gabrielle and their guests.

Justin stayed standing up against the wall from behind the door. Her fists clenched as she began to recall what was said, and what was done at her first encounter with the other blonde, the demigoddess known as Callisto of Cirri. Even with her eyes shut tight, the tears continued to stream like a river out of control. She gathered her thoughts of that time before she met up with Xena and Gabrielle. She was embarrassed, ashamed, and so hurt by all that she had gone through. Suicide was not the answer, she knew this. And now that she was made immortal made it more difficult for her to bare all the pain that she had buried and now was about to lay it all out on the table in front of her mistresses and their descendants. Her heart hurt to the point where she mentally went elsewhere before she started down the hallway.

She first went into the bathroom, which was the second door on the right, just across the dining room. Justin needed to wipe away the tears and the guilt she carried from not telling a sole of everything she was about to mention to the four women waiting for her.

Meanwhile, in the dining room, Xena explained that handy girl was about to tell them everything. “Gabrielle, she’s going to need our support and understanding. She’s scared.”

Her bard had her eyes locked with a look of understanding of what needed to be done. “I know. I had a feeling that she would need to speak to us about something. I just thought that she would have told us in her own time.”

Justin had wiped her face clean of the tears that stained it moments before. Then, she crossed the hallway and slowly entered the dining room. “I apologize for all that has happened. I am sorry that I had not told you what I am about to say. I have never talked about it before. So, please, bare with me. And don’t interrupt, for I fear I will never speak of this again.” The room became silent. Gabrielle offered her the chair at the head of the table. She sat, holding her hands in front of her on her lap. Dr. Pappas sat to her left. Dr. Covington, to Melinda’s left. Gabrielle to Justin’s right, while Xena stood to her lover’s right.

Their helper, almost lost in thought, looked at Janice, then looked over to Gabrielle. “I was looking for a job. I needed to work because I had no more money and I wanted to stay in Cairo. So, I went into town. Anywhere and everything I would have done just so I could stay. I found this place to be very interesting, and intriguing. One day, I saw a sign in the window of little museum, looking for assistant to aid in lifting, arranging, etc. As I went in, I saw this big man, working on some parchment trying to decipher its contents. His name was Mushon. He had a brother that worked with him, Makal.” Memories of her running for her very life flashed before her, as a tear began its way down her left cheek. Her mouth was open, but no words would come out quick enough for her to tell her tale and be rid of this nightmare that taunts her at almost every waking and sleeping moment.

At that point, put both her hands on the table to reach for a glass and the pitcher of water. Her hands trembled that she could not even pour the water. Melinda reached over to hold the pitcher and pour her a glass. As she was about to say something when she quickly remembered how hard it was for her to talk about something she was never really quite over. Sometimes, it’s better not to say anything at all. Okay, so maybe it’s just better to wait to say something when the time is right., she thought. Her face sullen with sympathy, understanding how difficult it is to speak of your past. She put her hand on Justin’s forearm a gently squeezed, curving her lips in a smirk of understanding.

She drank half the glass, then threw the rest in her face. Justin needed to remind herself where she was and that it wasn’t going to happen while she spoke of it. “Mushon took me to a back room. There was another girl there with his brother. She was tied to the bed, crying, wanting to scream.” Her words trailed off, her head lowing to the glass in front of her. “I ran over to the bed and couldn’t believe my own strength, but I pushed the big man off the girl to where he fell on the floor with a big thud. His brother said that I was going to pay for that. I saw a shiny sword leaning against something by the bed. I grabbed it and swung it as Mushon came at me. The stench of his guts pouring out, and the smell of blood did something to me. It changed me forever. As Makal got up, I went to swing again. He must have anticipated it because he ducked. Then he punched me in the stomach. I don’t remember how many times he might have hit me, but I was bloodied all over my face and in my mouth. Next thing I remember was being in the bed, tied up to the posts.” She looked up at Gabrielle. In her eyes, she could see the compassion for her pain. “She was blonde. Her eyes were blue.” She looked up at Xena and could see why she found it easy to make herself useful to these two. The immortal felt it was her destiny to meet these two. Later on, she would find out why.

“Makal was on top of her and I tried so hard to break free. But the restraints were too much for me. I couldn’t even move my legs. And while Makal was inside her, He was beginning to climax. He had his hand around her throat. I tried to tell him that he was going to kill her that way and that if wanted, he could whatever he wanted to me as long as he let her go. He paid no mind to me. The girl turned her head to me and looked me straight in the eyes, almost to my very soul, pleading for her life and for me to do something to stop this madness. She couldn’t speak because she was gagged. But, I could see it in her eyes and face. My eyes could only relay an ‘I’m sorry’ to her as she breathed her last breath. I screamed so loud I thought I would have lost my voice and any chance of someone coming to our rescue. So angered, I spat into his eye with precision. I’m good at that.” She looked up at Janice and said, “at spitting, I mean.”

Realizing that the archeologist was also a blonde, more tears welled up in her eyes, and began a slow and steady stream down her face once again. She could do nothing but look straight ahead to the empty chair at the end of the table. She closed her eyes as the rest of the women at the table looked at each other, not really knowing if that was all, except for Xena. The warrior could feel that there was much more to come.

When she opened her eyes, she could see Makal’s face as he was on top of her. She could hear his laughter in her ear as he was cumming. “The young blonde girl was dead, her eyes still open, fixed on me. He got off her frail body, and climbed onto me. He laughed while he came. When he was done, I asked if I could go to the bathroom. I went, vomiting while trying so hard to stay standing. All I could remember was hitting him and kicking him, then running into the desert. I didn’t know where I was headed, but I needed to get away. I ran until my body gave out. I knew he was near. I knew I didn’t have a chance, but I had to try. Later on, we were back to where he started in again. The girl’s body was still on the bed. The heat had made the room smell of her deadness.

Next thing I know, there was this light in the room. I thought it might be an angel coming to rescue me. She was strange for what I thought to be an angel, an angel of death who did harm to others.”

“What do you mean, an angel?” Xena had interrupted.

Gabrielle intervened, “Xena, please. Let her finish.” Turning to Justin, “please, continue.”

“Well, she asked him why he didn’t invite her to the party. She was sarcastic and evil. Yet, there was something else about her that I can’t put my finger on. There was a bolt of lightning that shot out from her finger killing Makal.

Next thing I know, she had moved closer to the bed and we were both freed.” More tears welled in her eyes making it hard to see what was in front of her. “I guess I couldn’t accept the fact that the young blonde girl was dead because I wrapped her in my arms and prayed to the gods, any god, that she would wake up. I asked the other blonde if she would please help her. She said she couldn’t do anything for her. So, I held her for another moment and cried some more. She said that she was better off gone anyway. Then she said, ‘Oh well. At least there’s still you.’ And then, everything faded to black.

”I remember waking up in some strange place. It was a cave, well decorated, very comfortable, very odd. I was in a very compromising situation.” The tears now subsides. She wiped her face with some of the water from another glass, and dried it with a cloth.

Janice asked, “what kind of compromising situation?”

“I was under the covers with nothing on underneath.” Her face began to flush, then it turned pale. “She was lying next to me, in the same manner. Then she asked me if it was good for me like it was for her. I wanted to get up, get out and run, but I wanted to take the covers with me. She held me back and gave me an ultimatum.” Her face never turned this pale before. She could feel herself getting sick and her own body remembered everything that was done to her and everything she was made to do. She held her hand to her mouth, looked at the other women at the table, got up and ran to the back of the house and out the back door that was at the very end of the hallway.

“Gabrielle, I need to know what happened while she was with Callisto. Do you think it’s possible to put her through that ceremony to make her remember without her feeling what’s going on? It seems like Callisto probably put this girl through Tartarus and more.” Xena’s concern for the young one was well shown in her eyes.

The bard began to ponder the thought, her eye brows wrinkled towards her nose. “I understand. But, I’m gonna need your help.” As she got up from her chair, “Melinda. Janice. We’re going to need your help on this as well.”

With that, they went into a big room that was just next to living room to discuss the process. After all was said and done, Janice went out to see Justin. The immortal, the young one was sitting by a very old tree. Its branches reached out and up as if to stretch itself, reaching for something. But,, the shade was comforting. She sat with her legs crossed in front of her. In her hand, she held a piece of cloth that seemed to have some stain. She was rubbing it with her thumb. A single, small tear lingered at the edge of her eye lashes. The memories hurt too much to bare alone. Yet, she could not tell anyone of the horrors, of the anger, of the shame, of the guilt of not being able to help this poor, young sole. She ached of the memories, of the nightmares that kept her awake at night, that would torment her every time she would see Gabrielle.

She heard someone approaching, but felt it wasn’t menacing enough for her to get up. “Dr. Covington. I apologize for my behavior.”

“May I sit here?” She waited for her answer. Justin nodded. “There’s no need to apologize. I can understand what you must have gone through.”

“How could you ever understand, unless you’ve been there, unless you’ve gone through the same, unless you’ve been in my shoes, of which I doubt very much.”

“You see. That’s where you’re wrong. Too recently, in fact, it was just before we left for the airport to come here was I in a situation similar to yours. You see, Callisto had been following Mel and me since we saw each other again back at the museum by the college where we both have been teaching. She followed us all the back to Mel’s house where she attempted to get the better of me. Well, actually, she did. Just don’t tell her I said this. She whooped my butt a bit. No matter how many times I tried getting back at her, and knocking her unconscious, she still got up and whooped my butt some more. The worst part was the fact that got a hold of Mel. And that pissed me off. She had her in quite a compromising position. That’s something I would never do to any woman, especially if she’s a lady like Melinda Pappas.” She bowed her head knowing that for the first time she would admit to have been beat.

“Callisto almost fucked her. She was kissing her and touching her where no one should touch her unless… unless it was by someone that she wanted to be with. The bitch had flung me across the room, knocking me out. I don’t know how long I was out for, and she won’t tell me. But, let me tell you, it brought back nightmares of another time when…” she got up and started to walk away, but stopped. She turned back around and walked right up to Justin, and picked her up by the collar of her shirt. “A friend of mine died in front of me. I must have been sixteen. It happened at one of my father’s digs. She was only fifteen! A couple of the guys thought that we were their entertainment for the evening. They raped us both. And no matter how loud we screamed, no matter how bad I wanted to save that girl, I couldn’t because they had us both pinned down. She spat in the face of one of the guys on top of her. He choked her to death while he came inside of her. They made me watch while I, too, was being raped.” She could no longer contain the tears. They streamed down her face.

Meanwhile, Melinda watched on from a window with a clear view. She took off her glasses and wiped her face from the single tear that ran down her face. She was moved by the courage and bravery of both women to tell their tales of horror. There was determination in their voices of righting the wrongs that others had done to them and to others. Knowing how Justin met Xena and Gabrielle, she wondered what ever did happen to that girl.

Right behind her was Xena, standing only two feet away from her. “Are you going to okay with this?”

“I most certainly hope so. For her sake. For both their sakes.”

“And for yours too.” She placed a hand on Melinda’s shoulder in acknowledgement of what she might have gone through but had yet to tell Xena or Gabrielle. Well, at least not just yet. Seeing the young girls go through the emotions she knew all too well were painful, and traumatizing to most. Nonetheless, they would all get through it, somehow. They had to.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Dr. Covington, I do so apologize for my behavior. It was totally uncalled for. I just…” Her face hardened at the thought of all these men doing these horrible things to all of these women. “It pains me to think of what has happened to some of us. It has been quite a toll on some of the young girls that I have met in these past few years. I was wondering, how hard has it been for you? I mean, it is none of my business, and I would understand completely if you didn’t wish to talk to me about it.” Her face softened as she looked into the archeologist’s green eyes. She extended her hand out to her.

Janice took her hand, and Justin gently squeezed in recognition of the pain she saw. “I know and understand what you must have gone through. I can see it in your beautiful brown eyes that you too can see it in my eyes, too. It’s okay to talk about it. I’m sorry if it’s just that I get so pissed off too. Seeing someone being raped and killed in front of you can leave very traumatizing after affects. It’s something that can easily be dealt with alone.”

She took Dr. Covington’s hands in hers. She felt the warmth and kindness that emanated from her. This was it. She would tell this woman everything, then she would go back to Callisto to avoid having her mistresses and their guests be harmed in any way. It would be easier that way. “Dr. Covington. Please, what I am about to tell you, you must not, under any circumstances, tell the others. I couldn’t do that to my mistresses. I would rather go to hell, or Tartarus and back a few dozen times before any harm came to any of you ladies.” Janice was a bit taken by being called a lady. Funny, I never would have thought of myself as lady. It’s ironic that she would even consider me to be one. Humph.

“I could never betray my mistresses. You must believe me. I would rather die, and lose my immortality than to have hurt them, or you and Dr. Pappas.”

Xena was able to slightly hear that Justin seemed to be near spilling the truth to Janice. She asked Mel to stay put, and ask Gabrielle to stay by the door until she gave her a signal. The warrior sneaked around and up the tree to have a closer hear at what their helper was saying.

“And please, Justin, call me Janice.” She gave Justin a warm smile of invite.

“Okay.” She took a deep breath that seemed to last forever. “Callisto told me that I had a choice. Either I could help her once again become a goddess, and in turn she would keep me immortal but give me extraordinary powers to fight off the evil in this world, or… Or I would be her play thing forever and she would find ways for me to be tortured and tormented, like the ways she wanted to do to Xena. I can’t let her do that. I really don’t know what to do. Then again, I had already prepared myself for the worst and that it would come to what I have to do. I must give myself to Callisto and let her do her will.”

“No! What? Are you crazy? And then what are you going to do? Be her play thing for all eternity?”

“Yes! Please, you don’t understand!!! I owe them so much. Callisto said that would be someone, someday that would find a scroll that contains the location of Xena’s sword and Gabrielle’s staff. Further into the same scroll, would be directions in finding the broken chakram in a cave where Ares is said to be entombed. It’s been said that he or she who finds the sword of Xena will posses great powers because of Xena being the daughter of the God of War! There is no way in Tartarus that I’m going to let her get away with finding out about any of this. Please understand, I too was nearby watching Dr. Pappas’ moves. I saw that she found the scroll. That scroll must be destroyed. No one should be able to find those articles. It could mean another whole world war, besides the one we happen to presently be in. Please, I need to do this.”

Janice saw that Justin was attempting to get up off the ground, so she grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back down. “if anything, I’m going with you. But, I’m going to plead for your life.”

“Please, Janice, don’t. Don’t do that for me. I am not worthy of such an act of suicide. I won’t allow it.” She made Janice let go of her arm. They both got up, and the blonde grabbed a hold of her once more.

Justin started walking away, as Janice saw Xena leap from a branch just above and a slight bit behind her. The archeologist was about to take off after her when she felt a hand on her shoulder. “Let her go. She won’t leave just yet.”

“If you heard what she said, why didn’t you try to stop her?”

“Because, right now, she needs a little bit of space and time to think through what she’s about to try. She knows she’s going to need our help. It’s more likely she’ll go to Gabrielle first, then ask her to promise not to say anything. Knowing Gabrielle, she’ll try to talk her out of it, and if not, she’ll at least put her in a trance to postpone the inevitable.”

ššššššš

(continued in Part 5)