The Gathering
Sequel to Long Lost Ancestry. You need to read that first.
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Xena and Gabrielle were the first ones up. It was surprising that Gabrielle woke up with the sun, yet she had a lot of unanswered questions for her lover. Xena was grooming Argo, while Bri was busy making breakfast. Xena could clearly see that something was bothering her partner.
"What's wrong?" Xena asked Bri after she put away Argo's curry comb.
"Nothing. I was just wondering when you planned on telling me about your first born?" Gabrielle replied trying to keep it light, but wasn't able to keep the hurt out of her tone.
"Honestly, I never thought I would see her again. She was lost to me. I tried to forget her." Xena explained as she pulled Gabrielle into an embrace.
"Sweetheart, I'm sorry. That never even crossed my mind." Bri apologized." So, we going to send word to Eve, Solan, Ares, and Aphrodite? It'll take a day before they get here. The weather should clear by then." Bri asked.
"I already sent word. They'll be here by nightfall. We can head out in the morning. I love you." Xena told Bri. The others began to stir.
"You actually sleep on the ground?" Faith asked while stretching.
"Yeah, we stay at an inn when Gabrielle wants to be adventurous though." Xena replied.
"Oh, way too much information. Did not need to know about my step-mom's sexual appetite." Buffy commented as she walked to the fire. Willow went outside to see if she could do something about the rain.
"So, how long have you and Faith been together?" Gabrielle asked.
"That obvious, huh? Since she got back from Los Angeles. A month, but we've been sleeping with each other off and on since we met." Buffy answered.
"Oh by the way, you're an Amazon Princess." Xena slipped in.
"What did mom want?" Solan asked his sister as they made their way to meet up with their mother. They had been keeping an eye on some hostile situations that Ares had a hand in.
"Don't know, she didn't say. We should have dragged Ares with us." Eve answered Solan.
"Yeah, but he went to go find Aphrodite. He's the only one who can find her when she's in hiding." Solan explained.
"Hey, the rain stopped. We might make it before nightfall." Eve noticed.
"I'm a what? How?" Buffy asked.
"I am Queen of the Amazons, and Gabrielle is my Royal Consort. You are my first born daughter, making you the next in line. You and Eve are the last of the Royal Bloodline." Xena explained.
"Eve will have to be Queen because I'm the Slayer. I have an obligation to slay." B told her mother.
"Eve can't be Queen. She sold a tribe of Amazons into slavery, when she was known as Livia. You don't have to stay and rule. All you need to do is produce an heir." Xena continued.
"An heir. How would she go about that?" Faith asked in a deadly tone. 'She's a lot like me' Xena thought to herself.
"The usual way. The way I conceived Buffy. Procreation raids." Xena answered.
"No, she's not doing it. No procreation raids. Why don't you produce another heir?" Faith shot down that option.
"The next Queen has to be mortal. Any children I have will be with Gabrielle, and they'd be gods." Xena expanded.
"You don't have to decide right now. If you and Faith are serious, we can help you have a child together." Gabrielle told them.
"Buffy, what is she talking about?" Willow asked confused.
"We were going to tell you eventually, but the cat's out of the bag. Faith and I are a couple." Buffy answered.
"What about Spike?" Willow pressed.
"Faith and I have been sleeping with each other since we met, but we've been a couple for about a month. You know things have been strained with Spike, since he tried…" Buffy replied.
"Oh." Willow said in understanding.
"Since Spike tried to do what?" Faith demanded.
"He tried to rape you, didn't he?" Xena asked her daughter.
"How'd you know?" Buffy asked in disbelief.
"I have many skills." Xena replied.
"Fucking A! That bloodsucking bastard! You were with him after that?! What the hell were you thinking, B?" Faith exploded.
"It was complicated. He left, and then he came back with a soul. He was familiar, and then you came back. You saved me." Buffy told Faith, and pulled her into an embrace.
"Did you sleep with him, while you and I?" Faith asked quietly.
"Never. I wouldn't ever hurt you like that again. I know what Angel did to us. I won't let that happen again. I've loved you for so long." Buffy replied and kissed Faith tenderly.
"Hey, the rain stopped." Faith noticed, and shrugged off her weakness. (Very like me. Xena thought to herself.)
"I managed to do something about the storm." Willow told everyone.
"So, Mom tell us how you met Gabrielle?" Buffy asked.
"What's going on?" Eve asked with a smile, as she walked into the cave.
"Eve. Solan. It's been awhile. Where's the bad attitude and the ditz?" Xena greeted her children as she hugged them.
"Ares went to go find Aphrodite. They should be here before the morning. We managed to make good time." Solan answered his mother.
"What was the urgency?" Eve piped in.
"I'd like you to meet her sister and her friends." Xena told her kids.
"When did you" Solan asked curiously.
"When I was known as Lysia. Solan, Eve this is Buffy, her girlfriend Faith, and Willow." Xena introduced. They all sat down and shared the midday meal.
"So what do you guys do for fun around here?" Faith asked.
"Solan and I were stopping wars that Ares started." Eve answered.
"Gabrielle and I beat up on the local ruffians, and make daily life easier for the villagers." Xena added.
"Damn, B. You come from a fighting family. We came to the right place for help." Faith commented.
"What kind of help, lil sis?" Aphrodite asked she and Ares strolled into the cave.
"How did you know that I was…?" Buffy started to ask, but Aphrodite stopped her.
"We just know." Aphrodite told her.
"There's a fight? The wonder kids won't stop me?" Ares asked cautiously.
"Yes, there will be no interference. In fact you'll be fighting alongside of each other." Xena reassured.
"Buffy, why don't you explain to your siblings what exactly going on." Gabrielle told her wife's daughter.
"Right. We have a huge world ending war between Good and Evil. Our opponent is called The First Evil, The First for short. We are currently in the process of training a handful of potential Slayers. So far our army consists of 2 slayers, Faith and I, a witch who is afraid to use her powers, a vampire with a soul, and the potentials. I was told that Xena and Gabrielle would be able to help. So, here we are." Buffy explained to everyone.
"I normally try to rule the world when I fight, but count me in. Anything for family." Ares told his sister, surprising Xena with that last statement.
"Don't know how much help I'll be, but count me in." Aphrodite volunteered herself.
"You know you have Bri and I." Xena told the travelers.
"Eve and I are in." Solan spoke for himself and his sister. Eve nodded in agreement.
"Thanks. This means a lot to me." Buffy thanked her family.
"Like Ares said anything for family." Xena reinforced.
To
Be
Continued
