Chapter 26 – Family Ties

This takes place immediately following "Who's Gurkhan?" as the ship approaches Greece and the group prepares to return Sarah home to Lila.

There was a sense of relief for nearly everyone as the ship began its last leg of the journey home to Greece. It was clear that Sarah was still feeling unsettled. She had only been a child when she had been ripped from her parents in Potedaia. As far as she had ever known the sister that her mother had always adored was dead. Lila had spoken often of Gabrielle. Gabrielle was her hero. She had been devastated at the news that her sister had been killed. Her grandparents never wanted to discuss the matter. It was as if Gabrielle had always existed in Potedaia and somehow just faded away. It was her father who had always told her the adventurous tales of her aunt, the bard and her best friend, the warrior princess. When Gabrielle revealed that she and Xena were alive and were there to rescue the young woman, she thought for a moment that her death had already come. There was no possible way that this could be happening.

Gabrielle was not exactly as Sarah had imagined as a child. The truth was, as much as her family had seen the changes in the bard, they never truly wanted to admit them. Gabrielle was young, only several years older than her niece. That alone seemed impossible after all of the years that had passed. She was also much stronger and a much more commanding and confident presence than Sarah had imagined. Sarah sat on a large crate and watched her aunt and the warrior who were sitting across the way. She had been watching hem for days. She watched them sparring playfully – Gabrielle with her sai and Xena with her sword. She couldn't stop watching them. It also helped keep her mind off home. Potedaia was a long way away from North Africa and Gurkhan's harem; in more ways than one. Sarah had learned how to survive, how to shut off all emotion, obey every whim of her master and preserve her life and sanity. Now, she was headed for a world that had become completely foreign to her. She was a woman now and in many ways only a shadow of the person her mother remembered. The thoughts made her tremble.

Eve had been sitting with her mother and Gabrielle and had noticed that Sarah was preoccupied with them. So much so, she did not even look away when Eve caught her stare. She understood so much of what the young woman must be feeling, but she wasn't certain what the woman was thinking.

Gabrielle had some concern as well. Sarah had gotten very quiet the closer that the ship came to its final destination and the reality of her reunion with Lila set in. "I hope she is all right," Gabrielle confessed.

"Eve," Xena started, "Maybe you should go and talk to her."

Eve looked a bit surprised at her mother's suggestion. Xena continued, "I am sure she has a lot of questions," the warrior offered. "And, she might not want to ask Gabrielle. We're ghosts to her- still."

Gabrielle looked at Xena and sighed. "I'm not sure what she is thinking. I can't imagine… if I were her…"

"Exactly," Xena said.

Lila had nearly lost her ability to stand at the sight of her sister a few weeks before. If it hadn't been for the strength of Gabrielle's embrace she most certainly would have hit the ground from the shock. But, for Lila; she had lived through Gabrielle's adventures for years. Little about her sister's life could truly surprise her. In fact, learning the nature of her relationship with Xena all those years ago had probably been more surprising than the idea that Gabrielle had slept for twenty-five years. Sarah was a different story. Gabrielle wasn't even certain what her niece knew; about her life with Xena, about Eve, about their trouble with the Gods, or even about the issues within the family. Perhaps a peer would be best.

Eve shrugged in agreement. "I'll try," she said.

The warrior and the bard watched her as she made her way across the boat deck. "They should have grown up together," Gabrielle said watching intently as Eve perched herself on a smaller crate next to Sarah.

Xena was watching just as curiously. The same thought had crossed her mind more than once. Had their plan to trick the Gods worked as they intended; the girls might have had the opportunity to be great friends, and maybe the tragedies that befell both would not have happened. She was past her anger, but there remained a certain sense of regret that she had not even shared with Gabrielle. She still found herself wondering how in their effort to protect their daughter, they had unwittingly caused her so much pain for so many years. They had not been there to protect Cyrene or Sarah, or Gabrielle's parents for that matter. Watching these two beautiful grown women across form them; Xena felt just a shade of regret. She tried to picture them as children – innocently laughing, hopeful about their futures, the world a loving and safe place.

Gabrielle looked at the warrior and noticed the far away expression in her eyes. She had a solemn smile as she took Xena's hand. "Hard to believe, isn't it?" she mused as she turned her attention back to the two young women they had missed so much with. "Even after everything," she paused, "I still can't believe it."

Xena felt her eyes beginning to get moist. She was so grateful to have Eve now, but it was true, they had missed so much. It seemed that every reunion they had gave them some painful reminder that their absence had made those they loved the most even more vulnerable.

Eve caught a glimpse of her parents and suspected what both were thinking.

"What's it like?" Sarah asked.

"What?" Eve asked never removing her stare from her parents who were now engaged in a somewhat tender moment; a moment she had seen many times with them; Gabrielle caressing the warrior's face and her mother looking at the bard with affection and amazement.

Sarah motioned to the women.

Eve smiled. She watched them for another moment feeling so thankful that they were here; that they were hers.

"It's like being a child," she said. "Sometimes it makes me crazy," she giggled a bit at the admission. "I've fought armies, slept with a God, but with them…."

Sarah was looking at her curiously.

"With them… it's like I am five years old," she laughed.

"You mean they treat you like a child?"

"No," Eve thought about that for quite a long time and then turned her attention to her new friend, "No. They don't treat me like a child, but they love me that way. I feel that way. Like I am five."

Sarah looked over at the pair and nodded. "I don't understand."

"You mean how they are here, now.." Eve paused, "It's a long story….. It doesn't really matter. I', just glad they are."

"What did you do? I mean, what did you say to your mother?"

Eve could sense the fear in Sarah now about her reunion with Lila. She smiled, "I didn't have to say anything…. I was awful – mean. Hurtful. Angry. Angry at her. Angry at them…."

Sarah looked at Eve in surprise. "I still haven't told them that. They left me. They saved so many people… at first, well…. I couldn't understand why they didn't save me. But… the truth is they did."

Sarah looked at her feet, "My mother is not a warrior. She's a farmer's wife. I don't think she will understand."

Eve looked squarely at Gabrielle who caught her glance and smiled. "Sarah," she began slowly and quietly, "She doesn't have to understand….. You are her daughter."

"You don't know my family," Sarah responded.

Eve took the woman's hand, "Sure I do."

Sarah was puzzled. "You are my family," Eve smiled.

Sarah was even more confused.

"Look, Sarah," Eve said delicately, "When we reached your mother's house…. I was so happy. We had been to my grandmother's… and she was gone. I saw my mother and Gabrielle…their pain," she took a moment and contemplated how she wanted to explain to Sarah that time had changed everything except the love between them all. "Gabrielle was so happy when she saw your mother. There was this light between them. When your mother told Gabrielle…"she stilled herself and considered her words, "About what had happened to you, to your father… to Gabrielle's parents….I have never seen such anger – such pain. She was so excited to learn she had a niece and in an instant…."

Sarah looked at Eve imploring her to go on, "She was determined to find you… to save you…they both were… just as they had been me."

"You mean both Gabrielle and Xena?"

Eve nodded, "Of course. You are their family."

"I don't understand, they don't even know me."

Eve's gaze became very narrow and intense, "Sarah…." She stopped for a moment, "I sat with your mother that night. Gabrielle was enraged. Mother went after her…..I talked with your mother for hours; Virgil and I. We just sat and she talked… about you… about Gabrielle… about how much she had missed you both… I told her that Gabrielle couldn't wait to see her and that I knew they would find you…" Sarah sat frozen as she listened to Eve, "And then, your mother took my hand and said she was happy to see me… to see her niece finally after all of these years. She said she wished we had played together. That Gabrielle's parents could have seen me, seen Gabrielle with me…..we are family, Sarah. She will just be happy to have you home."

"But I am not that child anymore," Sarah anxiously admitted, "I can never be again."

Eve smiled. "So, you don't feel a bit like a child with them?" she motioned to her parents.

Sarah snickered. "They aren't much older than us," she laughed with an acknowledgement that as strange as the truth was, yes, she felt very much like a child around them.

"I know," Eve laughed, "It's weird. I mean.. it's REALLY weird," they both laughed. "But somehow your parents, well…. They are always your parents…to them I am still the baby they left behind… "

Sarah looked at Gabrielle and Xena. Gabrielle seemed to be nodding off with her head on Xena's shoulder while Xena sat untangling the knot in a rope. "I don't…"

"Well, you have a mom… and you will feel the same way, believe me… and the strangest part is you will be happy to feel that way…. My mother, she is everything I could have imagined.. "

"And my aunt?"

Eve smiled widely. "I am just glad they are mine…"

Sarah understood. She was still feeling nervous, but sitting with Eve she began to feel like part of something bigger. Time seemed to evaporate. "Do you think it's weird for them?"

Eve laughed. "MMM… It doesn't get any weirder… " She saw Xena fidgeting with the knot in her hand and becoming more frustrated as Gabrielle smacked her hand to stop moving and disturbing her rest, "Parents…" she rolled her eyes like a teenager embarrassed by her parent's affections.

The two started giggling like small children. Their reality was beyond absurd and in that moment they felt as though, maybe they were back in time somewhere. The laughter continued as Xena nudged Gabrielle to take note. Sarah and Eve seemed to be completely lost in whatever moment was occurring between them – Eve had started laughing so hard, over nothing and over everything that she slipped off the crate and landed on the deck with a bang. Tears of laughter were streaming from Sarah as she unsuccessfully tried to help Eve to her feet.

Gabrielle struggled to focus her eyes and as the sight before her became clear she felt a warm wave of hope wash over her. Xena looked back down at her knot and rolled her eyes, "Kids…." She muttered.