AN: I split the last chapter into two parts so this story will have a total of three chapters.
Chapter 2 – Gabrielle's Twins
Gabrielle choked down her tears as she gazed upon her friend. We don't have time for me to wallow in my grief.
"Mom, give me your knife," she said, frantically as she thrust her hand out.
The older woman rapidly slipped the knife from her belt and handed it to her.
The blonde swallowed the lump in her throat and quickly moved the woman's clothing out of the way. I can't possibly harm her any further. Gabrielle uttered a quick prayer to Eli's God, to steady her trembling hands as she began. I have to do this quickly. The sight, of the blood as it seeped over her hands and onto the bed, made her mind reel. She bit her lip in concentration, trying to focus solely on granting Alesandra's last request and not at the sight of her clumsy butchery.
Cyrene sat, mouth agape, alternately repulsed and fascinated at the same time. She wanted to help but felt frozen with indecision.
A pain in her abdomen made Gabrielle think, I wonder if I'll be the one on the other side of the knife soon? I hope I'll have someone much more skilled than I am. I've made such a horrible mess of this.
Cyrene watched with horrid fascination as Gabrielle lifted the child from the womb. Was all of this business a waste? Will we have to bury her next to her mother and grandfather? It's difficult to keep a child alive after the mother dies in childbirth.
Gabrielle quickly cleaned the child's mouth and nose then desperately massaged her small limbs. "Breathe!" she hissed under her breath. She placed her mouth tightly over the infant's nose and mouth and blew two quick, shallow breaths. Her heart leapt in her chest when the baby finally started to mewl.
"You did it!" Cyrene marveled as she picked up the baby, finished cleaning her, and wrapped her in a blanket.
The bard huffed, emotion choking her words, "In a way, Xena did it. Everything I did, I learned from her." Gabrielle ran her finger over the baby's tiny fist, "I promise you, little one, we'll love you like our own." She surrendered to her feelings of sorrow and relief and collapsed into a fit of tears. I'm so sorry, Alesandra, I wish we could have saved you, for her sake.
==O==
Eve was tired of waiting outside and glanced across the yard toward the house. It's no fun sitting here. She slowly peered out from under the furs and looked out. The absence of everyone, as well as the quiet, made her bold enough to push further out from under the furs. I hope Mimi or Yaya come outside soon. It's cold out here and… creepy. She exhaled loudly. I'm supposed to say here. She thought she heard nickering and turned toward the sound. What's that noise? Ooh, there are probably horses in the barn. Mimi said not to come in the house but no one said anything about the barn. It would be warmer in there than out here. The young child jumped out of the wagon. I'm a big girl; I should int… interva… investa… check it out.
Eve walked towards the barn and pulled mightily to open the barn door.
Two strong arms seemed to come from nowhere, one scooped her up and the other was clamped around her mouth.
She saw a smug looking man holding a bag of dinars.
"Whoa, ho! What have we here?"
Unfortunately, she'd encountered the remaining group of bandits in the barn.
==O==
Xena was on her way back home. She'd stayed just long enough to help Hercules and Iolaus by ensuring Holeidas would never lead another bunch of goons or anyone else ever again. She'd given them a brief abashed explanation for her need for a rapid departure and mounted her horse. After accepting their hearty congratulations on the pending addition to their family, and on the streak of domesticity, she left. It's been a very long time since I've been teased like that. I miss it. It was almost like being with both my brothers again. She sighed. Now I just have to hurry up and get home. If I had Argo, I'd probably be home by now. I can trust her to stay on the path while I take short catnaps. Gabrielle's horse may be good, but she's never been trained as a warhorse. An error on my part, I'll have to rectify it as soon as I get home. Argo could have shaved precious time off my return trip.
The warrior smiled and almost laughed when she realized she missed her horse almost as much as she missed the rest of her family. She sobered for a moment. Let me be wrong… but I have this feeling that something is wrong at home. That thought spurred her on.
==O==
Gabrielle flinched as she felt another contraction. She felt sick as she lay in the back of the wagon and tried to sit up. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly in an attempt to keep from being ill. It's bad enough to be jostled continuously but add on shivering in the cold while in labor and this really takes the cake. I wish Xena was here… I'm sure I have a fever and I don't have the proper herbs to cure it. Dammit, if things were different, I could have taken out those four goons with my staff, even with Eve hostage.
The blonde wriggled in her furs in an attempt to get more comfortable. Why can't I give birth at home like other women? First a barn and now a wagon... Xena probably won't be back for at least another few days. Will she find us in time before they kill us or sell us to the slavers? No, they'll keep me alive, at least for now. They'll need me to feed the babies. At least until they find a wet nurse. And here I thought my fears were absurd. But I never could have imagined this. Please, if I die during this ordeal… let it be beneath the stars I love so well.
Cyrene hopped up into the wagon and looked at the younger woman with concern, reaching over to put her hand on her forehead. Gabrielle opened her eyes. In spite of the cold, her skin was warm and her face was covered in a light sheen of sweat.
The older woman looked at her with concern, "Honey, are you okay?"
"No," Gabrielle groaned. She tried a weak smile but instead leaned over the side of the wagon and was sick. Ugh, that stew those idiots fed us didn't taste all that great going down, let alone coming up. "Mom, do you think this baby is coming tonight?"
"That would probably be the best thing right now." Cyrene used the water skin and a strip of cloth to help the blonde rinse her mouth and wash her face. "Have you noticed, sweetheart? We're taking the path away from the village that passes close to the farm. Ultimately, that should help Xena find us."
==O==
"Looks like this little side trip of Delios' for his personal bit of revenge was a good idea, huh? And you thought it was a big waste of time. Lucky for us, that stupid fool got himself killed while settling the score! I hate sharing the spoils."
The other henchmen snorted and one laughed heartily. "Just think of the dinars we'll fetch for this bunch on the slave market! Soon we'll have two babies to auction off!"
The guards continued laughing and making plans as the wagon traveled down the main road.
==O==
Gabrielle paced unsteadily around the makeshift camp, using her staff in her right hand for support as she leaned against mother-in-law on her left.
The older woman supported the bard while rocking Alesandra's baby in her arms.
"I'm glad you managed to convince the guards to stop." I feel so crummy.
Cyrene huffed, "It wasn't my persuasive powers. If I hadn't reminded them that it was in their best interest to protect their investment they would have ignored me or perhaps run me through with a sword and continued traveling." She needs to deliver that baby soon before she gets much sicker. This weather and stress can't be good for either of them. And being kidnapped isn't any good for any of us…
"Mom, are you sure all of this walking is supposed to help?" Gabrielle asked wearily.
"Uh huh." She bounced the baby in her arms in an attempt to quiet her. "I think this one is getting hungry again. I managed to feed her some softened bread, soaked in water, earlier but that won't hold her for long. I don't have any soup nor any cow or goat's milk. But you should nurse the baby, it will make your labor progress a bit faster."
The younger woman stopped and looked at her incredulously.
"Her suckling will help your pains progress. It's an old midwife's trick. Here let me help you." The older woman shifted the baby to her other shoulder and helped the blonde lean against a nearby tree. She used the blanket draped around her to give the younger woman a modicum of privacy.
The bard looked exhausted, "I really wish Xena were here to help with… Ow!" The blonde gasped when the baby latched on.
After a few minutes the baby stopped suckling and seemed to drift off to sleep. Cyrene helped Gabrielle adjust her clothing and took the baby back into her arms again. "Maybe you should lie down in the wagon. I'll go talk to the head… er, moron."
The bard graced her with a small smile in acknowledgement of her mother-in-law's small attempt at humor.
The older woman suddenly realized that she hadn't seen Eve for several minutes. She left to make use of the bushes. Could she have gotten away? Maybe she can get some help. We're so close to home from here. The longer I don't draw attention to her, the better. Run, Evie run!
One of the goons walked up to them and gestured toward the blonde's mid-section. "Do you think you could… pop it out already? We need to make better time now that the weather is getting better." He turned his head, spat and then wiped his face with his arm.
Gabrielle looked up, the fury that flickered across her face made him take a small step back.
Cyrene angrily stepped in between him and the pregnant woman, interrupting Gabrielle's pending tirade to add one of hers. "Look, buster…" She punctuated each you with a punishing jab to his chest. "If you think it's so easy, you've got another thing coming. Don't you dare bother her or you'll answer to me!"
The man stood there a moment, blinking fuzzily in confusion. As he shuffled away he thought, what happened? I use to be so… intimidating.
Cyrene walked over to the thug sitting by the wagon as she jiggled the baby on her shoulder. I've got to get them to move the wagon closer to the fire. Gabrielle should give birth off the cold hard ground. Her mind drifted to Xena for a moment. Every minute we delay gives her more time to find us. Please find us honey. Her earlier optimism, about Eve, was short lived.
The small voice was only a few feet away from the bard when she heard the angry retort.
"Hey, get your hands off me!"
Both women turned from their separate vantage points and watched in dismay as a small figure, was held up by the collar kicking and squirming.
The burly henchman sneered, "I'll show you what we do to those who try to escape."
Eve was like a whirling dervish as she persisted in trying to bash at the man but her shorter arms failed to make contact.
The blows seemed to echo across the camp as he struck the child repeatedly in retaliation for her insolence.
Gabrielle was beyond livid. She didn't think; she reacted. I'll be damned if I watch a grown man beat my daughter.
He tossed Eve aside when he saw the blonde take a swing at him.
The bard used her staff to jam the man in the stomach and then knock him to the ground. She managed to land an additional few blows but was over balanced in her zeal. The brute grabbed the end of her staff and used it to knock her off her feet. The pregnant woman grunted loudly as she as she landed hard on her side.
The oaf speaking with Cyrene turned to look at the commotion. He yelled out to his companion, "Hey remember, don't damage the merchandise!" He started running toward the melee.
The older woman slammed her shoulder into the goon, shoving him toward Argo. Then she made a clicking sound, as Xena had taught her to do, to signal the warhorse. Argo's hoof connected with his temple, killing him instantly.
Before he could finish hitting the ground, Cyrene placed the baby down in the wagon. She grabbed the axe as she ran past the woodpile.
Gabrielle instinctively tried to curl herself up into a ball, drawing her legs up, and wrapping her arms around her torso. The thug's first two kicks landed on her back as she tried to roll out of his way. She continued to resist his attempts to subdue her and was able to succeed in using her feet to knock him off balance.
He recovered before she could completely scramble out of his reach and managed to inflict one last punishing blow to her head.
Gabrielle lay still as her world went dark.
AN: I viewed several sources regarding nipple stimulation/breast feeding to stimulate labor as well as one on infant feeding before formula was invented (Encyclopedia of Children and Childhood in History and Society)
