***Disclaimer*** See Chapter One :-)
"Where have you been!...No don't answer that, I know where you've been." Michael paced back and forth trying to control his temper.
"I had to go, don't you see. My mothers are in trouble, they needed to be warned."
"Eve, please don't do this, you must stop going to the land of the living." Michael shook his head in disappointment. "Do you have any idea what happens each time you go to the other side?"
Eve had tears in her eyes. She walked down the grassy hill towards the waterfall and sat down on a nearby rock. Michael held back before finally following her.
"Eve" he said lifting her face to look into her saddened eyes. "You must stop this, we should not interfere with the living."
Her eye's flashed angrily towards him. "Really Michael, well tell me this...look at all the times you've interfered with my mother. So it's all right for you to, but not for me...two sets of rules, is that how it works?"
"No Eve, I am an Archangel, you're not. I have permission to go under extreme circumstances...you don't! Eve you don't understand, here in the Elysian Fields you should be happy, however you're not and I know why that is."
"So do I, my mothers are in trouble and they need my help!" Tears of built up anger were now flowing down Eve's cheeks. She swiped at them about to continue when Michael let fly and yelled at her.
"Eve you are the cause of them being in trouble! You will be the cause of their death! You Eve, have caused a rift in this realm. That rift should not exist!" Michael began to pace in front of her once more. His eyes locked onto hers, and for once he believed he was getting through to her. He lowered his voice and continued.
"That is why you are not happy here, because you are keeping in touch with the living, your emotions are being compromised from being at total peace to feeling every other human emotion. Eve, here in the Elysian Fields you should never experience heartache again, you are to be at peace with yourself and be happy."
She sat thinking about what Michael had said, trying to comprehend his words. She looked at him as he stood in front of her, noticing his pleading eyes. Eve knew she had done wrong the first time she had crossed over into the world of the living trying in earnest to find her mother and warn her. Her emotions at the time were under control, she felt nothing as she ventured across, all she knew was that it was the right thing to do, to try and warn her. Now her emotions were raw and painful as the living was like a stain and was seeping into her soul.
"The more often I cross over, the more my emotions are becoming as before...like the living." She cast her eye's down as she thought. She raised her head once more, feeling pain within her chest from his words.
"Michael, why would you say that I would be the cause of their death? I don't understand, what is happening? Have I done something wrong, well um besides causing a small rift." Her face now going a nice shade of red with embarrassment.
"Oh Eve, you have no idea. Come walk with me."
"Gabrielle...oh Gabrielle, what have I done." Xena stared at the spot where her daughter had just been standing. Her arm was pull with force by her very annoyed wife.
"Xena, no, just don't!" The bard stood pulling the warrior up with her, before spinning around and pointing her finger at her. "Don't say another word Xena! This is not your fault, even if it was, we can't dwell on the past. What is done, is done. Please honey, just don't go there."
Xena's eyes welled up with tears. "I've done it again haven't I...I've upset you." She took in a deep breath and sighed before smiling. "You're right Gabrielle, enough is enough, no use dwelling on the past."
She ran her hand over her wife head and pulled her in for a hug. "I want us to think about our future sweetheart and begin our new life together." She pulled back and looked in Gabrielle's eyes, "however, Eve warned us of danger, we must find out what that is sweetheart. I-I won't have our lives cut short so soon."
Xena brushed her lips over the blondes, and finished her sentence with a heartfelt kiss.
"Well that was easier than I expected."
"Hmmmm, I wonder if mother would be proud. Oh of course she would be."
Savis stood over a huge bowl of steaming hot water, talking to no one but herself. Her hands red and swollen from the heat of the soapy water as she continued to scrub her medical instruments clean. It had been a very long day and she was totally exhausted from lack of sleep. Her day started early when a flood of injured people came seeking her assistance, from the crack of dawn till now, almost a full day later. Twenty in total came streaming in, half could walk, the rest were carried, so close to death that a few during the day didn't make it.
A town not far from the hospice was ransacked by a few of Draco's men, who in all their wisdom decided to split from serving the warlord and go their own separate ways. They were a ruthless bunch of only eight men, but would cause havoc wherever they went leaving death and destruction in their wake.
Savis hummed to herself, very pleased with the outcome of earlier events. She was certain that her mother would have been proud if she were still alive, for dealing with issues that arose out of nowhere.
Wiping her hands on a towel, she picked up the clean instruments and placed them back in the cupboard where they would stay until required once more. She had no doubt that they would be used as the Gin had told her of more danger to come.
"Ah food!" Savis spun around in time to see her assistant bring in her meal. It was almost dawn, yet she still hadn't had dinner. She was starving from not having eaten for so long she picked food off the platter before it was placed on the table. It consisted of freshly cooked meat and potatoes and other roasted vegetables.
"mmmm good!" she continued to shovel the food into her mouth.
"More spices on the meat next time." She said with her hand grasping the chunk of meat, as she pointed it towards her assistant "I like my meat heavily spiced."
"Um..Savis, excuse me but would your friend like some food."
"Friend?...Oh Sarah, no, no she is longer with us." She took another bite of her meal. "How long did you cook this?" her face screwed up a little as she inspected the meat in front of her.
"As soon as you gave me the meat, I pounded it and spiced it then roasted it for hours, slowly like you told me." she looked nervous and upset waiting for Savis to respond.
"Oh it's alright, just a little tough, maybe needed more time that's all. Thank you, come back shortly and take over from me and tend to the sick, say one candlemark."
Her assistant smiled "Of course Savis."
"Lila!" Xena screamed as she ran flat out towards her sister in-laws house, while Gabrielle ran towards the barn. The dark haired warrior yelled once again as she spotted Lila on the front porch sweeping.
"Lila!"
The older woman's head jerked up. "Xena, what's wrong."
Xena came to a screaming halt in front of her. "It's Sarah,...Lila where is she?"
"Sarah...I don't know, um..." confusion was evident on Lila's face as she thought.
Xena took the broom from her hand locking eyes with hers before she spoke, a small smile playing on her lips to try and lighten the mood. "Lila sweetie, Sarah wasn't at our ceremony, Gabrielle and I were wondering where she was. I mean Lila, it's not like Sarah to miss our wedding when she knows how much it meant to Gabrielle."
"Oh Xena." She giggled, "Sarah was there but left while you and Gabrielle were kissing."
"Ah no she wasn't Lila, we never saw her at all yesterday and certainly not at our wedding."
"Think Lila, did she say she was going anywhere?" Xena almost pleading, she needed answers to her question.
"Um, come to think of it, she did mention something, um something about finding out the truth." She playfully slapped Xena on the arm.
"That's right, she said she was going to see Savis." Lila smiled at Xena, "you know Xena she has a girlfriend, a healer at that." Lila puffed her chest out showing how proud she was of her daughter to have found such a catch.
"Huh, ...ah yes Lila, we know." Xena frowned. "Are you alright, you seem to be...well not yourself today. Is everything okay." The warrior showed concern as she spoke.
She smiled coyly. "Of course it is silly, everything is fine."
Gabrielle now joined the two women as she hitched Argo's reigns to a post.
"Xena, honey we're ready, what's going on...Lila.." the bard said as she looked on at her wife and saw worry etched on her face. Xena held up her hand to cease any further comments and beaconed her wife closer.
"Xe?" Gabrielle looked puzzled and mouthed the words "what's going on". Xena shook her head and placed her arm around the smaller woman waist, pulling her into her side. She bent her head and whispered, "something is wrong, I don't know hon, but Lila's not right."
The bard pulled away from her wife, her eyes darting from her to her sibling. "Lila?"
"Hey sister, what are you doing here?" Lila looked genuinely surprised. "You never told me you were coming?"
"What? Um Xe?" The bards eye's grew wide before looking back at her wife as Xena took a deep breath and continued.
"Lila, listen we were talking about Sarah and where she was. You said she went to see Savis..."
"Yes!..Oh Yes, she has a girlfriend you know, her name is Savis." Lila started to sway. Her face becoming bright red as perspiration began to bead on her brow. "Sarah said she needed to find out something, um truth...that's it she said she needed to find out the truth no matter how hurtful it was!"
Her eyes were beginning to bug out of her head as the perspiration now started to trickle down her face.
"Hurtful truths! is what she is looking for and for that to happen, she shall see Savis! Hahahah"
With that said Lila's eyes rolled back in her head and she passed out hitting the ground with a thud.
It was a dark place, the stench unbearable as the blonde curled up in pain. How long had she been there, she had no idea, how did she get there…the same, no idea. She shifted her weight and pushed herself up against a blood soaked wall, her body screaming for her to cease. She was surrounded by corpses, rotting, stinking corpses. A place she never had been. She was in hell, she was sure of it, for no place on earth could ever be so cruel. Her death must have been swift for she could not recollect it, even so, she was certain she was dead and hoped that this was not her final judgement...her sentence to endure eternity in hell.
Sarah lowered her head and cried.
A/N: Well that's it again, until my warped mind thinks up more. Have a great day ;=)