This information had almost left the bard speechless, "Your…daughter? But…how?"
Xena could only look down at her child's face and smooth back her hair almost afraid to touch her anywhere else. It took a few moments for the warrior women to answer, "About ten years ago Ares and I had a…thing." Gabrielle's eyes widened not only did her friend have a child but she had a thing with Ares, the God of war. "Soon after we...I found out I was pregnant. I never told Ares and I started hating him after that." Xena obviously was repeating the events in her mind.
Gabrielle asked out of curiosity, "Why did you start hating Ares?"
Xena sighed, "Not long after realizing I was pregnant, I knew I had to hide it from him. Imagen what he would do with a half God child, not only that but his child." She looked into the flames and imagined the past in her mind, "I tried to go into hiding, from Ares from everyone. Just wanted to get away and have my child. Yes, I was still evil at that time but motherhood does something to you. You think only of that child growing within you." Another pause, "As you can imagen that didn't work very well. So to keep from Ares, and the rest of the Gods, from finding her and doing whatever to her I hid her. Soon after she was born I came upon a village and left her on the doorstep."
She seemed to stop as Gabrielle asked, "What happened next?"
Xena still stared into the flames, "A few months later I happened to go into this village again, only to find out that it had been burnt to the ground." She wiped a tear from her eye remembering that day, "There were some medallions that were left, Draco's army did it. However, after more digging on my part I was able to determine that Draco had no idea that my child had been there. He was just being Draco-ripping everything to spreads." She let there be silence between the two friends for a moment, "Years later though a tip came of some villagers that had escaped the attack. I finally found her-at that home where she was now. Back then she was just a little thing. But," Xena sat as tears came to her eyes, "I knew I couldn't take her with me. So I left her. Never returned till now, to afraid that the Gods might find out that she existed." Gabrielle wanted to question her more but knew her friend was in pain so she just put a comforting arm around her shoulder.
Meg awoke the next morning to pain. Every part of her was sore. But unfortunately she was used to it. Miss Sophie often taught the kids a lesson of this sort. She had never been so angry though. Meg was about ready to get up when she realized that she wasn't in the barn anymore. In fact looking around she didn't know where she was. She tried to sit up but failed.
Gabrielle, who was writing on some scrolls, turned to notice Meg was awake. Gabrielle smiled, "Well hello there. I suppose you could do with something to eat could you?" The girl looked at her blankly as Gabrielle went about removing the cooked yoke of the bird eggs from the pan on the fire that Xena had collected that morning. She presented it to the girl and noticing how weak Meg was started to feed her small bites. She spoke, "Those are good aren't they?"
Meg had never tasted anything so good in her life. She nodded upon taking another bit she started to gag. Gabrielle instantly stopped feeding her and trying to help she pulled the girl up in a sitting position to keep her airway clear, "Just breath." Gab told Meg. Meg nodded as her eyes swelled up and she followed Gab's orders and took a few deep breaths. She ended up letting some of the cooked eggs fall from her mouth onto the cave below.
"There now that's better." Gabrielle said as she sat behind Meg and let Meg put her back against Gab's front. Gabrielle had propped herself up on a near by rock. She expected the girl to pull away but she didn't. In fact Meg seemed to relax and enjoy the contact that she probably had never had.
A few moments later a figure appeared at the mouth of the cave. Gabrielle instantly knew who it was, "Joxer." She said flatly. She loved him as a friend but now did not seem like the right time for him to be popping into their lives again.
"It is I, my lady, Joxer the mighty." He entered as he took no notice of Meg at first, "Come to protect you against thy nemesis. Oh who's the little lady?" He said noticing Meg. Meg was clinging onto Gabrielle's arm scared.
"This is Meg." Gabrielle introduced, "Meg meet Joxer."
"The mighty." Joxer finished.
"Another warrior?" Meg whispered to Gabrielle.
"But of course. Joxer just sleighed another giant. And in doing so has again risen to the title of protector of the downtrodden." He bowed, "At your service."
"Well almost." Gabrielle told Meg. She gently moved Meg up so that she could sit up on her own as Gab stood up, "I'm going to find Xena. You think you can handle her Joxer?"
"But of course Joxer can handle anything."
As Gabrielle was at the mouth of the cave she looked back at Meg, "Don't be to hard on him." She winked at Meg then was off. Meg chuckled a bit like the carefree child she longed to be.
"Well my fair maiden," Joxer said taking off his hat, "What shall we do?"
Meg now got a good look at him. He did not seem in the least bit frightening in fact he almost looked like a village fool that she had witnessed one year when she snuck out. Looking at him asked, "Do you know any stories?"
Xena and Gabrielle returned later that afternoon to witness one of Joxer's heroic tales. For the first time Gabrielle and Xena heard Meg giggling wildly. The sound brought a smile to Xena's face as she saw Joxer with a sword, demonstrating moves of some made up battle he had won. Meg knew he was being silly and laughed at it. Xena noticed how her child had changed so much in so little of a time. Xena did not know who to thank for it but was glad of it.
Joxer fell onto the cave floor just as the women entered. Meg was red with laughter and coughed to catch her breath. As soon as she saw the serious look on Xena's face she stopped laughing and quieted herself down. Xena knew she had to tell the child but she didn't know how. She had just gotten her child back she did not want to lose her again.
Meg knew something was wrong. She was afraid that Xena had changed her mind and they were going to leave her there. If they did at least Meg was free and didn't have to worry about beatings. Xena approached Meg and knelt besides the child. Meg looked at her as if to ask, 'What's wrong?' Xena shock her head as she gently told her child, "Something terrible has happened." The look Meg gave her could have ripped out Xena's heart and thrown it on the cave floor.
"It can't be true it just can't be." Teary-eyed Meg said looking at the burnt down house that used to be hers. Xena stood besides her daughter with a heavy heart. A million thoughts raced through Meg's mind but all of them pointed back to her own self. She knew this was her fault for she had loved Carnation and the other boy but now they were dead. Everyone she had ever loved was now dead. She hated Miss Sophie with every being in her but Carnation would take care of her. Not anyone though. "It's all my fault." She said in a small voice.
Xena knelt besides her putting a comforting hand on her shoulder, "Hey don't talk that way. It was a terrible accident."
Meg sniffed, "Everyone I loved is dead." She sniffed some more hearing Miss Sophie's words in her ears, "I'm poison." She repeated in a low voice.
Xena drew the child to him in a hug, "Don't talk like that. That's not true and you know it." She held her while Meg cried. She tried to comfort her as best as she could. Xena wanted to tell her that everything would be alright now that they were reunited.
Megs tiny voice rung out in her ears, "I'm all alone." With that her sobs increased.
Xena held onto her unsure of what to say to comfort her but tried just the same, "Of course you're not. You have me-and Gabrielle and heck ever Joxer. We'll never leave you."
Meg started to relax as she hugged Xena, "thank you." She whispered. Xena smiled as she held onto her little girl. No one would ever take Meg away-not man nor God.
Xena finally pulled out of the hug, "Come on lets get going." She stood up taking Meg's small hand into her bigger one. She shouted at Gabrielle and Joxer who were looking around seeing if they could do anything, "Let's go!"
Meg smiled a little bit as she walked besides Xena. She usually feared warriors but Xena was somehow different. For the first time since that morning Meg felt the pain from her injuries as she started to walk. If she was good at one thing, it was hiding pain. Miss Sophie had often lashed at her with an insult or another beating if Meg let pain keep her from doing her numerous chores throughout the day. Miss Sophie said pain was weak and that the children should learn to rise above it.
For the first half mile or so Meg tried to ignore the pain in her lower legs. Then suddenly she stopped she could not ignore pain from walking anymore. She looked timidly up at everyone as they stopped to see that Meg had stopped. "I'm….I'm sorry…I can't go on."
Joxer came up with an idea, "Hey Meg, ever had a piggy back ride?"
"A what?" Meg was confused.
Joxer smiled as he came closer to her and bent down, his back towards her, "Climb on." He invited. Meg was still wondering what was going on but obeyed. Joxer stood up and started to walk faster and faster. Meg held on tight but soon began to enjoy her first piggyback ride. Xena smiled as she watched the two, she would never had guessed that Joxer would be one of the first to reach Meg.
The foursome finally reached the cave as the sun had set a while back. Now Xena was carrying Meg in her arms. For the last leg of their journey Xena had volunteered to carry the girl. Now Meg was asleep in Xena's arms perfectly relaxed. Knowing that her daughter had trusted her enough to fall asleep in her arms made Xena smile on the inside.
She walked over towards Meg's blanket and gently set the sleeping girl down. Xena watched her sleep for a while longing to tell her that she was her mother. But not now she would wait till Meg was stronger and better acquainted with her new life. Xena just hoped that Ares would not find out about her till after Xena told Meg.
After watching her daughter for a while Xena tended to the fire. A while later both Gabrielle and Joxer were laying down on blankets. Joxer was asleep and Gabrielle was reading her scrolls making a mark here and there.
Xena couldn't help herself she laid down next to her sleeping kid. She drew her daughter close to her as she stroked the girls hair. She soon noticed Gabrielle looking at them. Gabrielle gave Xena a smile. Xena smiled a bit back. Before Xena knew it she had fallen asleep with Meg in her arms.
