GENERAL COPYRIGHT/DISCLAIMER: Xena: Warrior Princess, Callisto, Joxer and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Xena: Warrior Princess, together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of MCA/Universal and Renaissance Pictures. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Copies of this story may be made for private use only and must include all disclaimers and copyright notices. NOTE: All works remain the © copyright of the original author. These may not be republished without the author's consent.
Redemption Story
CHAPTER 10
Xena's mind was troubled, thoughts had been racing through her head non-stop ever since she left the Temple of the Fates, all she could think of was Callisto's situation and why she had to be the one to help her.
"There is no way Callisto will allow me to help her or even try for that matter. Her hatred was too great. Besides that girl's brain was mush from the infection of insanity that had been there for so long." Xena thought to herself.
She'd rode along lost in thought for so long she lost track of time and before she knew it the farm was in sight. She decided that there had been enough happen already today to attempt any kind of contact with Callisto now. She would make camp and get a good night's rest and approach her in the morning.
Once she made camp and settled down for the night, looking up at the stars, Xena couldn't help but wish that Gabrielle was there. She could use her advice on how to handle this thing with Callisto. She always seemed to know what to do or say.
Just getting through to Callisto will be a major challenge. Callisto….it was still unbelievable to think of her having a child. Xena wondered who the father was. Was it the man she killed at the farm today? Callisto went berserk when he died. Maybe he was the baby's father. Did Callisto love him? Did she just kill someone else Callisto loved? That thought was sickening.
Callisto sat looking out of the window, unable to sleep. She could not figure out how she felt about all this that was happening to her. She was angry that the rapes had caused this. She felt scared. The thought of being responsible for this small life inside her terrified her. Could she ever learn to love this child? She thought about what Octavia had said. How she had a family again. It was true; this baby was her new family. How was she going to be able to protect a child from Xena and the soldiers? If she was captured, her child would not survive in prison. If she was killed the child's life would end too. It all seemed hopeless.
Xena would be back tomorrow. She had no doubt of that. She knew Xena too well. She would have to fight her again. This time she would have to defeat her. It was not just her own life now; her baby's life depended on it too. Callisto's thoughts were interrupted when she felt another tiny kick. She smiled and whispered to herself, "My family…."
Xena woke up before dawn after a restless night. Frustrated at not being able to sleep she tossed the blanket off her and got up. It would be light soon and time to head to the farmhouse to confront Callisto. Xena had fought her many times before, but she hoped that this time she wouldn't be forced to. She felt very concerned about Callisto's baby and did not want to be responsible for anything happening to that child. Sighing…. She gathered her things and prepared to saddle Argo.
Dawn was approaching as Callisto watched the sunrise. Octavia entered the room preparing to cook breakfast. "Good morning Callisto did you sleep well?"
"Not really, I had a lot on my mind." She replied reaching for her sword and dagger.
The old woman replied, "Well a nice breakfast will make you feel better."
Callisto just walked to the door without saying anything.
"Where are you going, Callisto?"
"Xena's coming. Stay inside."
"Callisto, you shouldn't!"
"Don't argue! Stay here!" The blonde warrior replied sharply and went out the door.
She looked around carefully, and there was no sign of Xena yet. She sat down on the edge of the porch to wait.
A few minutes later she heard the sound of hooves approaching. Xena rode up and stopped, getting off her horse, tying the animal to a tree.
Callisto waited until the dark-haired woman started walking slowly towards her; before she spoke.
"Good morning, Xena. What a lovely sunrise. Don't you agree?" She said, fixing her gaze on the warrior.
"Yeah, I suppose it is rather nice." Xena replied cautiously. What was Callisto up to? She was just sitting there. Then she saw Callisto reach for her sword. Xena quickly reached behind her pulling her own sword from its scabbard, expecting Callisto to attack.
Callisto pulled her sword and just stuck it in the ground. "I'm not fighting you Xena. Not today. I thought we might have a little chat instead."
Surprised and relieved at Callisto's actions, sticking her own sword into the ground at her feet Xena replied, "Alright, talk."
"Well, where shall I start? Should I list all the reasons I hate you? No, that would take too long. I'll just give you the condensed version with all the most important details, ok. Oh wait! First I should bring you up to speed on what I've been doing for the last six months. Would you like to hear about that, Xena!" Callisto said, her voice starting to crack with anger.
"Callisto….." Xena started to speak, but Callisto cut her off.
"NO! I talk, you listen! Now let's see, ahh yes, the last six months. Well I was a very popular girl there in that prison, Xena. Yes, it seems being the only female earned me all the guards' attention. Yes, Xena I got visited everyday by them. Oh they had lots of fun with me too, Xena! Hummm how to describe it…" Callisto drummed her fingers on her chin.
"Ahh…Imagine yourself on a cold stone floor, chained to a wall by your arms and legs where you could barely move. Naked, and being beaten and raped by these pigs EVERY…SINGLE …DAY! That's what I've been doing Xena! Do you know what that is like? Do you know how much being beaten and raped every day HURTS, XENA? No, you couldn't know that because it's never happened to you has it? Has it Xena? HAS IT?" Callisto screamed, trembling with anger and emotions.
"No….it hasn't. Callisto, if I had known they would do that to you I would never have…."
"Shut-up!" Callisto spat. "The only thing you cared about was that self-righteous sense of justice of yours! You didn't give a damn about what they would do to me. What little piece of a soul I had left was destroyed in there. That is why you will NEVER take me back there. Do you understand Xena! NEVER!"
Xena just looked at the blonde woman with tears starting to form in her own eyes. "Callisto, if there was any way I could take away your pain from what happened to you I would."
"Can you make the nightmares stop, Xena? You see I get to be raped again every night. Over and over again, I can feel them beating me every night Xena! Can you make that go away? Oh, and it seems that one of those filthy pigs got me pregnant too, Xena! Do you have any suggestions on what I'm going to do about that? Let me explain how this is a lose/lose situation for the kid, Xena. If I have to go back to prison, my baby dies. If you or the soldiers kill me, my baby dies. So please explain to me why my child has to be doomed to die without ever getting a chance to live? This child is my chance to have a family again. To replace the one you killed, Xena! When you killed my family, you killed my ability to love and find peace within myself. I want to know how to love again, Xena. I want to be able to love my child!" Callisto sank to her knees and started sobbing and said no more.
By now Xena was weeping too. She looked at Callisto and said, "You will have a chance to love your child, and I want to help you get that chance if you will let me."
Callisto, sniffling back her sobs, raised her head; the two women just stared at each other and said nothing.
Octavia had been watching out of the window and heard everything Callisto and Xena had said. Her heart broke for Callisto. The things she said about the prison and about wanting to love her child. The old woman was surprised when she heard Xena offer to help her. She only hoped that Callisto would be able to put aside her hatred and let the warrior woman help.
The two women outside still just stared at one another in silence. Octavia wanted to go out there and comfort Callisto, but remembering her sternly telling her to stay inside, she decided against it.
Callisto finally spoke, "You want to help? Don't you dare pity me Xena!"
"I don't Callisto. I sincerely want to see you have peace in your life and be able to raise your child and be happy. I know that you'll never forgive what I've done to you and I don't expect you too. I know that it's probably unlikely we could ever even be friends. We've both had too many bad things pass between us. The best I can hope for is that you would allow us to have a truce. No more fighting. We could peacefully coexist and you allow me to help you on your path to changing your life. I can offer you my experience in doing that.
Callisto looked at her for a minute then walked toward Xena extending her arm offering the warrior's handshake. Xena clasped her arm and shook it saying, "Truce" Callisto clasped Xena's arm in return and replied, "Truce"
"Callisto, you don't have to worry about me trying to take you back to prison. After knowing what happened to you there, I would never do that again."
"Well, I believe you, Xena, but the soldiers are still looking for me and I don't think they see it the same way we do."
"Yes, they are still looking and will find this place soon. We need to think of something, we have to figure out a way to keep them from finding you." Xena said.
"I don't know how much longer I should be fighting." Callisto said.
"You can fight some only if you have to for a few more months. I did with Solon. You just have to be very careful. I will take up the slack as much as I can for you. But it's still best if you can avoid it." Xena replied.
"I want to stay here with Octavia as long as I can. I don't want to leave her here alone. She has helped me so much. I want to make sure she is going to be alright." Callisto said looking toward the farmhouse where the old woman was.
Xena couldn't help but smile a little, when Callisto said those words. She was showing concern and caring for another person. It was a start.
"Well, let's go inside. I'd like to meet the woman responsible for this lump on my head" Xena said, rubbing her still sore head.
Callisto pushed the door open and walked into the house. Octavia met her and embraced her. "Are you alright?" she asked.
"Yes, I'm fine." Callisto replied. She sat down at the table as the old woman set a plate of salt pork and eggs in front of her.
"Xena, if you are hungry sit down. Octavia, could you fix Xena a plate?"
The old woman didn't say anything. She still didn't quite trust this dark-haired warrior. She filled Xena's plate and set it in front of her giving her a wary look.
As they were eating a flash of light appeared revealing Ares once again. "Well! What a nice cozy scene we have here! Xena having breakfast with her old pal Callisto down on the farm."
"What do you want now, Ares?" Xena asked. "Food? Oh, that's right Gods don't eat. Well I guess you'll be going then. Bye!"
"Aww now, Xena don't be that way. Besides this is Callisto's house it's her place to be rude to her guest."
"You're right Ares. You can leave now. Bye-bye" Callisto said in a sarcastic tone.
"What? Leave and miss this! My two favorite mortal women actually being civil to each other! I'm in awe!" Ares mocked.
Xena looked at Octavia and asked, "I wonder if that frying pan of yours is as effective on a God as it was on me?"
The old woman looked at Ares for a minute then said, "We can try it and see!"
Ares looked at Xena and said, "Don't turn her too good Xena; somebody needs to keep the excitement going around here." He shook his head, waved his hand and was gone.
"Must have scared him with the frying pan." Octavia chuckled.
Xena gave her a wink and laughed. After that little exchange at Ares expense, Octavia felt more at ease with Xena.
Callisto sat back taking it all in. Maybe it won't be too bad having Xena hanging around. It would be hard trying to not be angry and wanting to fight her all the time. But maybe it would work. She had to admit she did need help and Xena was the best one to get that help from. After all she did turn her own life around.
But she still felt such hate for the Warrior Princess. That would be the hardest part of accepting her help. If she could only get past the hate. That was the first step and she would have to do it, if she was going to succeed on this road to redemption.
AN: I'm not sure where this story is going. I'm just taking it one day at a time. If I can see it happening in my mind, then I write it. I realize that some of you want to keep Callisto evil, and some want her to turn good. I've gotten pm's with suggestions for both from a few readers and I do thank you all. Here are my thoughts on the subject.
I don't see her as ever changing as MUCH as Xena, But...I do see her mellowing out and clearing her head. I can see her eventually having inner peace. That's why I'm keeping her mortal. So she can grow and change in a more human way. I'm going to let her experience life in all its complicated glory. Stay tuned…