Chapter II

Long-awaited Reunion

It has been a day since Spartacus and the other left for Capua. The sun was shining in the sky and i was in one of the rooms inside the temple. On one side of the room was a bed that i had made from layers of cloth and on the other side of the room was a small wooden table where i had put a jug full of water and two cups next to it. I was sitting on the edge of the bed while Flavia was sleeping next to me under the covers. I ran my fingers through her hair as i watched her sleep quietly. I silently stood up and walked out of the room, putting the large fabric that i had made into a door to block the light from getting inside the room. I walked along the corridor when i heard shouts from outside. As i came closer to the shouting, i saw Naevia run toward me. "Cassandra! They're back!" She said. "Did they..." Before i could finish, Naevia said: "They have brought Crixus back!" I quickened my steps until i was almost running, but Naevia stopped me by putting her hand on my arm. I looked at her in confusion, as i saw something in her eyes. It wasn't guilt or sadness, but something in between. "What is it, Naevia?" She looked at me and said: "Crixus isn't the only one they brought here." "What do you mean?" "They also brought Oenomaus, who is seriously injured, but he and Crixus aren't the only ones they brought here." "Who did they bring?" I asked, as i didn't expect the answer she would give me. "Gannicus." I froze when i heard her. "What...?" I asked quietly as i was barely able to speak. "Gannicus is here." I could barely breath as i tried to take it in. He was here. The man who i hadn't seen in four years. The man who had stolen my heart. The man who had given me my child. He was here. I had to lean on the wall with my arms as i almost fainted. Naevia looked at me with concern. "What do you want to do?" She asked cautiously. I slowed my breath and straightened my back, looking at her. We stared at each other's eyes until i spoke. "Stay with Flavia." "Are you certain?" I nodded. "If Flavia awakens, keep her company until i come back." She nodded and watched as i slowly walked towards the shouting people.

As i walked to the temple's entry, i saw light coming from the room that was on the other side the entry. I slowly walked to the room's doorway, and when i saw what was inside, my heartbeat quickened. Not because i saw the unconscious Oenomaus laying on a bed covered in wounds and bandages. My heartbeat quickened when i saw the person sitting on a wooden bench next to Oenomaus. I could only see his back, and the back of his head, but i could recognize that sand colored hair anywhere. As i looked at him, my eyes moistened with tears and i let out a breath. The man next to Oenomaus heard it and slowly turned around. When i saw his face, the tears fell down my cheeks. He looked exactly the same. He still had those warm brown eyes that i had fallen in love with. But what i could remember best, that irresistable grin, was now absent from his face.

As i watched him with teary eyes, he stood up. "Cassia..." When i heard him call me by the name he had given me on the day we met, i cried even more and the tears now fell down my neck. He slowly stepped forward. I wanted to quickly run away, but i couldn't move my feet. As he slowly walked toward me, i couldn't look away. I was afraid that if i looked away from him, he would disappear, because i didn't fully believe what my eyes were seeing. As i looked him in the eye, i saw that he was lighting his arm. Soon his hand appeared next to my head. He looked into my eyes as if waiting me to push his hand away. When i didn't, he gently put his hand against my wet cheek. When i felt his warm hand on my cheek, i knew it was real. He was really there. He was really back. The second my mind fully understood that he was really there, i threw my arms around his neck and i buried my face into his messy hair. I felt him slowly put his arms around my waist as if to make sure i was there, until he put them so tightly around me that i could barely breath. I couldn't believe it. He was finally there. Finally back in my arms. As i held my face against his neck, i could smell the scent of sweat, dirt and even blood. The smell had never bothered me; not four years ago, not now. "I can't believe you're finally here..." I said with a quiet voice. "Neither can I..." I pulled slightly away from him and looked at him as he looked at me. "I was afraid that you were dead..." I said cautiously. "No force on this earth could kill me before i could see you again." The moment he said those words, i closed my eyes and smashed my lips against his. I could feel him put his hands on both of my cheeks and pull me even closer to deepen the kiss. As i held my lips against his, i could remember the last time we kissed with such passion. It was the night before he was set free. My hart had been broken to pieces, and nothing we could do would repair it. We wanted to be in each other's arms as long as we could before we were forced to break apart. Now, four years later, i was finally kissing him with the same passion as then. Soon, however, it became hard to breathe so we pulled apart. My lips were swollen and my cheeks were now almost dry of tears. "I was afraid that you would push me away after leaving you." He said with his low voice. "I would never push you away. Especially when you left because you were forced to." I assured him. "I truly am sorry for leaving." He apologized. I put my hands on his cheeks and looked him in his eyes. "You don't have to apologize. You should be happy that you were given freedom." "The freedom i had wasn't true freedom without you. I felt like i was a prisoner when i couldn't hold you in my arms." I looked at him as i listened to him. "I thank the gods for returning you to me." As we looked each other in the eyes, i did something i hadn't done in years. I smiled.

A few moments later, i was sitting on the temple floor onone of the corridors with my back against the wall. Gannicus was sitting beside me and he had his left arm around my waist as he joined his right hand's fingers with mine. We had sat there quietly for some time, but i knew that there was something i had to tell him about, as that something was currently sleeping in my bed under the covers. I looked at our joined fingers as i spoke. "Gannicus... There's something i need to tell you."

"What is it?" he asked with some concern in his voice. "Soon after you were given freedom, something happened." I felt Gannicus shift,as he turned to look at me. "What happened? Something bad?" He asked with more concern. "No. Nothing bad." I heard him sigh of slight relief. "But what happened, changed my life." "What do you mean?" He asked. I turned toward him and again joined my fingers with his. "A few weeks after you left, i became sick." He was just going to ask me something, but i interrupted him. "Let me tell you about it before you ask anything." He nodded slowly and let me continue. "As i said, a few weeks after you left, i became sick. I was constantly nauseous and tired. I also noticed that i could go from happy to angry in just a few moments. I thought that all of those were just because i could barely sleep after you left." I saw a worried expression appear on Gannicus' face, but continued. "At first i didn't tell anyone about my tiredness and sickness, but eventually Naevia noticed it. I told her not to worry about me and that it was just because i was tired. She let it go, but soon after Lucretia found out. Even though i was a slave, she was worried about me when she knew that usually i was hardworking but at the time i could barely walk without getting sick. She was so worried that she asked a doctor to see what was wrong. The doctor arrived the next morning. He asked me different questions about how tired i was and even about how i was eating. I answered all his questions, and a moment later he wtold me what was wrong." I looked at Gannicus who looked at me with confusion on his face. "What was it?" I closed my eyes, filled my chest with air, held it and then let it out. "I was pregnant." I slowly opened my eyes and looked at Gannicus. He was looking at me as i saw sadnessand even a bit of guilt in his eyes. "Was it mine?" He asked. "Yes." I answered slowly, as i waited for his reaction to the news i just told him. He put his elbows on his knees and rested his forehead in his hands as i heard him take a deep breath. He soon took another, lifted his head and looked at me. "Did you have it?" He asked with a calm voice. "Yes. It was a girl." i saw him take another deep breath as he tried to take in the knowledge of being a father. As he was trying to breathe properly, i spoke. "Her name is Flavia." The moment i said her name, he looked at me with amazement and slight sadness in his eyes. Then with a quiet voice, he asked me: "You named her after my mother?" I smiled and nodded. "Of course. You always spoke of your mother with so much love and respect that i wanted to name our daughter after her." I said while smiling. Gannicus just stared at me without saying anything. Was he angry that i had kept something like this from him? "I understand if you're angry with me for keeing something like this from you but i..." Before i could finish what i was going to say, Gannicus put his hands on my cheeks and gave a passionate kiss on my lips. After a moment, he pulled away, leaving me breathless. I looked at him as he looked at me with a small smile on his face. "How could i be mad at you for giving birth to my child?" I smiled at his words. "It is you who should me mad at me for leaving you alone with such a burden." "You had no choice but to leave. And neither of us even knew of it then." I told him. The smile on his face widened as did mine, as i saw that he was happy. "Just moments ago i loved you so much it hurt, but now... I love you beyond all words." He gave another kiss on my lips and then he looked back at me. "Is she here?" He asked with hope in his voice. "She's sleeping in one of the rooms here. Naevia is watching over her." We silently looked into each other's eyes when i spoke again. "If you want to, i can take you to her. She most likely awakes soon." I saw another smile appear on his face. "There's nothing i want more." I smiled at him and stood up. Gannicus stood up with me and i took his hand in mine, pulling him deeper inside the temple. Not much later, we arrived at the doorway to the room where Flavia was sleeping. I looked at Gannicus and said: "Stay here." I gave a gentle kiss on his lips and then i disappeared behind the curtain.

As i stepped inside the room, i saw that Flavia was awake but still lay under the covers and Naevia was sitting on the bed next to her. Naevia looked at me with an asking expression and i knew that she ws trying to ask if i had told Gannicus about Flavia. I smiled and nodded as an answer and she smiled back to me. She stood up, saying: "I'll go see where crixus is." I nodded and she walked out of the room. I turned my eyes on Flavia and walked to the bed. I kneeled in front of it and put my hand on top of hers. "Did you sleep well, Flavia?" She nodded. "Yeah, and after i woke up, i told Naevia what i did today." "Really?" I asked her and continued: "What did you tell her?" "I told her that i drew things on the sand and that i tried to make animals from sticks." "I saw you doing those and i think the animals you made looked perfect." "Really?" Flavia asked with an excited expression on her face. "Yes." I said as i smiled at her. I put my hand on Flavia's cheek and looked at her. "Flavia?" "Yes, mommy?" "There's someone i want you to meet." "Who?" She asked with more curiousness in her voice than usual. "He came here today when uncle Spartacus and uncle Crixus came back." "Who is he?" She asked. I was silent for a moment until i continued. "Do you remember when i told you about your father?" "Yeah, you told me that he had to leave when i was still in your belly." "Well now he's here." After i said that i could see mostly curiousness, but also happiness on Flavia's face. "Daddy's here?" I nodded. "Yeah. And he would love to meet you. But if you're not ready, you don't have to meet him yet." I told her, not wanting her to feel like i was pressuring her. She had never seen her father and i understood if she was scared. "No. I want to meet him." She said with a small smile. I smiled back at her. "Are you sure?" She nodded as an answer. "Alright. Come on. I'll take you to him." "Where is he?" Flavia asked me as i lifted her into my arms and stood up. "He's right outside the door." I said and she gave a small nod. I walked to the curtain with her in my arms, and stepped outside.

As i stepped into the hallway with Flavia in my arms, i saw Gannicus leaning against the wall and i could tell he was nervous. As i walked toward him, he heard my steps and looked toward me. When he saw Flavia in my arms, he took a deep breath. I smiled at him and he became slightly less nervous. As i walked to him, i looked at Flavia, who was intently staring at Gannicus. Then i looked at Gannicus who was now looking at Flavia. "Gannicus, meet Flavia. Your daughter." After is said that, i looked down at Flavia, who was still staring at Gannicus. "Flavia, meet Gannicus. You father." I said as i smiled at both of them. After a moment i heard Flavia's quiet voice. "Hi." I smiled and looked at Gannicus, waiting if he was going to say something. "Hi." He said with a quieter voice than usual, and i almost laughed at his nervousness. The over-confident, arrogant and sometimes rude Gannicus i knew was now gone and he had been replaced with a man who was almost scared of a little girl. After a moment, i heard Flavia's voice. "Are you really my daddy?" I smiled at her question and looked at Gannicus. He took another deep breath and soon replied with a small smile. "Yeah. I am." I smiled at his answer and he smiled wider when he saw me smile. I looked back at Flavia. "Flavia?" She turned her eyes on me when she heard my voice. "Would you let your father to hold you if he wanted?" She gave a small nod as an answer and i looked at Gannicus who stood silently for a moment, but then gathered his courage and opened his arms that he had had crossed in front of his chest. I took his movement as an answer and loosened my arms around Flavia a little and stepped closer to Gannicus. He slowly put his arms around Flavia as the girl reached around his neck with her much smaller arms. When i felt that Gannicus had a good hold of Flavia, i let go and looked at them. Flavia had her face buried in his hair and she had her arms so tight around his neck that he could barely breath. I felt my eyes moisten with tears as i saw the sight i had been waiting to see for years. Father and daughter finally meeting each other for the first time.