Disclaimer: I do not own Spartacus: Blood and Sand whatsoever. If I did, Varro would still be alive and not with his wive. *wink* Because of other reasons. I do own the plot along with Apollonia and her mother, and this is my own take on Spartacus but, it takes place after Barca and his Lover are killed off though before Sura is killed. I love those Three and cried when they died!

Please enjoy the story! I put a lot of heart into this and this will keep me busy until the new season!

And please, no more Mary Sue bashing.. Apollonia's going to get better through out the story...

I was on my way to stay with my Uncle Quintus Batiaus and Aunt Lucretia, at their Villa in Capua. My mother, Callidora was Quintus' younger sister. But sadly, she was murdered by my stepfather. I sent word to my Uncle what had happened and he instantly insisted that I come and stay with him, fearing for my safety. Though he's clueless of what happened that I have kept to myself.

Anyway, my mother loved the God Apollo because on his feast day, she met my blood father whom was already married to another, a slave in the House of her Father. So she named me Apollonia, which fits since my tanned skin glows like the sun when the light is right.

I got to my Uncle's villa and while my things were being brought through the front, I snuck around though the back way where the Gladiators were being trained, the Ludus. I wanted to see someone that I've been dying to see again. Someone very close to me.

Getting to the gate, I looked through the bars to see the Gladiators training and their trainer driving them. Fiddling with the lock, I opened it and went through. Only for when I closed it, I heard a whip crack in the air.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" A deep male voice asked, angry. I turned around to see the dark skinned trainer. It was Doctore.

"Hello Doctore, remember me?" I asked back, with a smile. The anger in his black eyes changed to happiness. It had been eight years since he had last saw me.

"Apollonia?" He asked, and I nodded in greeting as he did the same back. Knowing that he didn't want the others to think him weak, I figured that he would give me a proper welcome later.

"Let me get Ashur to take you to your Uncle." Doctere told me, about to raise his voice but I stopped him. I nodded my head at the Gladiators, whom were still fighting.

"No, I want to watch." I said, looking at them with my green eyes while the sun shined on my brown curls and light bronze skin.

Doctore chuckled, shaking his head slightly.

"You are too much like your Father." He said with a ghost of a smile, making me laugh heartily.

"Mother always told me that. Especially, when you would train me." I said back, looking up at him. I was hard headed and wanted to fight among the Gladiators while outside the arena, I was a proper 'Roman' lady. Sort of.

I went over to where the weapons were and stood there, watching Gladiators train. There were a few that I remembered from when I was a child but, most of them were new to me.

Down the first line of Gladiators training, I did recogniz Crixus, the former Champion of Capua. I would be brought the to Games whenever my bastard of a stepfather would allow me and my Mother to come along. Hearing some laughter, I looked over to see two men. One with curly blonde hair and the other with short brown hair and rough facial hair.

My mind went blank as my eyes looked back at the blonde. I had seen men that looked simular to him before but, he looked like he was created by Venus herself. To tantlize mortal women.

"Apollonia!" Doctore scolded me, with a crack of the whip to make me jump and the others stop. An idea popped into my head.

"Is it all right if I join them, Doctore?" I asked, dying to pick up a sword. I was not rusty or anything, I just liked the art of fighting.

Before he could answer, I was untying the long skirt part of my blue dress for a short version. Which revealed my fine legs up to my mid thighs. That earned me whistles and calls of encouragement to take off more, which made me roll my eyes.

I grabbed two wooden swords and went over to the large group of Gladiators.

"So, which one of you wants to fight me?" I asked, with a smile looking at them to see which one would step forward. There was a curly haired blonde man that looked at me as if I was crazy while the man next to him had a slight smile on his face.

After a while, Crixus stepped out of the group with a smile as he chuckled.

"I will fight you, little one. I'll be gentle." He said, making me frown and roll my eyes. It was obvious that he didn't remember me. That and I was only a little girl last time I saw him.

"Let us just see if you still think that of me, when I have you on your back." I told him, with a smirk. Some of the other men in the group seemed surprised when I said that. Doctore just watched with a smile.

"Well, ladies first." He said back, for me to start.

I laughed softly, before lunging at him and he blocked the two swords with his one. He shoved me away, making me stumble back and I ducked when I noticed his sword coming at me.

While I was down, I swiped my leg behind his and made his land on his back. Thinking that he was going to stay down, I was going to get him. But, he got up quickly and the fight continued on.

Few minutes later, I did the same thing I did to him before and this time, he did not get up as quickly as before. I got on top of him with the tip of my wooden sword at his throat. I smiled down at him as he looked up at me confused and surprised that he was taken down by a young girl.

I smiled down at Crixus, looking in his black wide surprised eyes. I could tell that he wasn't used to being brought down on his back. The other Gladiators were either trying not to laugh or were all ready laughing. Laughing loud enough to bring out their Dominus.

"Who dares let a woman in my Ludus?" A familiar voice boomed from the balcony from above. Looking up as I stood up, I saw it was my 'beloved' Uncle Quintus. I saw his eyes look over to me and saw them grow wide.

"Apollonia?" And next thing I see is him, running over the railing and his footsteps rush on the stairs and I saw him come from the hallway out onto the sand.

Moving me away from Crixus, Quintus embraced me, greeting me.

"It is wondrous to see you again, my child." He said, with his hands on my shoulders having me at arms length.

"And I you, Uncle. I just wish that it was not under these circumences." I said back, trying my best to cover my sadness in my voice. But, it didn't seem to work since I could hear the leather of Doctore's whip being gripped tighter.

"Yes, I will make sure that he is put to justice for the pain he has put you and my late sister through." He told me, as I nodded. He, then, lead me away from the sands to see Aunt Lucretia up in the villa. Not before I grabbed the long skirt of my dress and tied it back on.

/Varro's pov

I watched the young girl fight Crixus, with the true skill of a Gladiator. She was more voluptous then Aurelia, with her hips and bust and a lot stronger psychically then her, as well. And she is the first woman I have seen to joke around with Doctore. Or at least know him and not be afraid.

"Yes, Apollonia is an odd one." I said, making Spartacus look at me strangely.

"You know her?" He asked, as Doctore directed everyone to get back to training. Sounding a lot more angerier then usual.

"No but, if you would have paid more attention to her name and not on her body, you would have heard it." I joked, knowing better of him. He hasn't even glanced at another woman since he has a deal with Batiatus, to get his wife back.

Apollonia was a beautiful young woman but, was young and seemed naive.

"I was not thinking about her that way. I would want to keep my head attacted to my body since Doctore looks like he would cut it off if one of the others just so tried to do anything." Spartacus told me, looking over at the trainer.

"For a chance at that, I would risk any part of my body. She may be young but, she has the body that even Venus would be envious of." I said back, watching the young woman be lead into the Villa by her Uncle.

Both of us had a good laugh before continuing our training. But, my mind kept wandering to those green eyes of Apollonia's.