This story will contain the following: two women as life partners and mothers, spankings to minor children, and anyone else whom the author deems needs it.

The rights of Xena, Gabrielle, Cyrene, Argo, etc. belong to REN pics and whomever else makes a profit from using them. I own nothing.

All that said, enjoy.

***XENA***BARD***XENA***BARD***XENA***BARD***XENA***

"Oh for the love of God!" Xena growled as all eyes turned to stare at her as she strode through the village.

She was trying to ignore the whispers as well but damned if her bionic hearing as Sam called it wouldn't stop allowing her to focus. Was it really her fault that Eve came by the nickname Trouble so naturally? Was it her fault that Emily and Zoe seemed to aspire to be just like their big sister?

Feeling the baby in her stomach kick Xena stopped. "Don't you start yet, young lady, I have my hands full with your sisters." Feeling the little girl inside her calm down Xena ran her hand down her face and turned. "Ephiny."

"Xena, we need to talk."

"Oh?" An eyebrow arched and deadly blue eyes stared into light brown. "What else do you possibly have to tell me?"

Ephiny gulped and took a step back, "First and foremost know that I am only the messenger and I would prefer not to be killed."

"Noted. Continue."

"Trouble has taught the usual suspects how to stage mini-ambushes. They've gotten rather good, actually, but some of our fellow sisters are getting tired of picking mud balls out of their hair and armor."

Xena shook her head, "I'll take care of it Ephiny."

"Thanks." Ephiny smiled at the warrior. "You know, she's gonna make a hell of a warrior one day."

Xena smirked, "Eli's god, path of peace, remember?"

"Learning peace in a warrior nation. Ring any bells?" Ephiny countered quickly sprinting off before Xena could do anything other than smirk at her friend.

Blue eyes looked uncertainly into blue, "Are you sure about this?" A young voice asked.

"Yup. Try it. Aim right there and I promise it will be worth it." The deeper voice answered.

"Okay," A mud ball was picked up and sent flying. It hit its intended target square on and the yell that resonated caused all noise in the village to cease.

"Xena! Eve!"

"Mama?"

Picking up her daughter Eve saw the flashing of her mother's eyes as she began to pick the dried mud from her hair. "We run, Trouble. Fast!"

"But your belly…."

Xena merely nodded and shifted so Eve could get situated on her mother's back her arms around the warrior's neck. "Hold on, Trouble. Hold on."

"Are we safe?" Eve asked as she and her mother sneaked back into the village.

"We should be unless…."

"Damn." Eve looked up at her mother. "I think our other pranks went off without a hitch, Mama."

"Yeah, I think you're right."

"Run?"

"Oh yeah," Xena agreed lifting Eve onto her back again and making it to their hut before Ephiny and a few other Amazon warriors could reach them and make their displeasure known for the pranks.

Closing the door behind them Eve slid off her mother's back, "That was close, Mama."

"I'll say." Turning around Xena stopped short. "Damn."

"Did you have fun, girls?" Cyrene's sweet smiled did not meet her eyes.

"Mom, what are you doing here?" Xena tried.

"Oh, I've decided to move in until Gabrielle gets back. I can see that taking care of your three little ones while pregnant is harder on you than you're letting on."

"Mom that really isn't necessary."

"Oh, but it is." Cyrene smiled once more. "Xena I think you could use a rest. Go to your room and I'll be there to talk to you in a few minutes."

"Mom…"

Cyrene raised an eyebrow and Xena hung her head in defeat. "Damn eyebrow." She muttered.

"Mama, don't leave me alone with her!" Eve pleaded trying to stay hidden behind her tall mother.

"Eve, your mother needs a rest and you and I need to talk."

"Talk or chat?" The almost six year old raised her own eyebrow and Cyrene shook her head.

"Just like your mother." Cyrene nodded to Xena and the woman sighed heavily.

"It'll be okay, Eve. You know that Yaya loves you."

"Okay Mama," the girl sighed and climbed onto the couch. "I'm ready to talk, Yaya."

Xena quietly disappeared into the bedroom as Cyrene sat on the couch. Pulling Eve into her lap she gave the girl a kiss to the top of her head. "You are so much like Xena at your age, Eve. I had almost forgotten some of the things your mother did, but then you do something similar and I remember."

"Am I in trouble?" Eve asked not really understanding her grandma's reminiscing.

"Not too much," Cyrene chuckled at the confused look. "I know that you were teaching your friends what you thought were good warrior skills, right?"

Eve nodded, "You have to be able to ambush people. Sam says surprise is important."

Cyrene nodded and made a mental note to talk with her oldest granddaughter. "It is, but throwing mud balls at warriors might not be the best way to practice. It just makes them upset."

Eve sighed, "That's what Mama said."

"It is? Then why did you throw that mud ball at me, little one?"

"You aren't a warrior. You're Yaya and besides Mama said it would be funny to get you with one. She was right."

Cyrene pursed her lips and nodded, "I see." Looking at the girl on her lap once more Cyrene finally gave a small smile. "Well, I didn't enjoy it either, so let's not do it again, alright?"

"Alright." Eve finally agreed with a strong head nod.

"You go play in your room while I check on your mother."

"Okay Yaya. Can we have cake tonight?" Eve asked as she slid off her grandmother's lap and headed towards her room.

"Not tonight, little one, maybe tomorrow."

A bright smile met her eyes and Cyrene watched as the girl skipped happily to her room. Steeling herself Cyrene then marched towards her daughter's bedroom. "At least there's no need to announce myself this time." She mumbled as she knocked gently and opened the door before Xena could reply.

Closing the door behind her Cyrene sat on the end of the bed next to her daughter. The former inn keeper was quiet and her hand immediately wrapped around Xena as the woman leaned her head onto the shorter woman's shoulder. "We need to talk, little one."

"Yeah," Xena sighed. "How is a pregnant warrior with four daughters of her own and a fifth on the way is made to feel like a teenager again by you?"

"Where do you think you get your many skills?" Cyrene teased.

Xena shrugged, "I figured I just grew into them." She teased back.

"Oh Xena, what am I going to do with you?"

Sitting up Xena looked at her mother in confusion. "Nothing good ever came of a conversation you started like that."

Cyrene chuckled, "I remember those days, little one. You were so angry so much of the time. And at others, you and Lyceus did nothing but have fun and get into trouble. You always had such a fun side with Toris bearing the brunt of most of your inspiration."

"And then Cortez came and everything changed," Xena linked fingers with her mother. "I hope that my girls never have a Cortez in their lives."

"Sam already has had her share of struggles but she has you and Gabrielle to guide her. Eve will have her own obstacles and again, you and Gabrielle will be there for her."

"I know we will. Eve has so much of me in her at that age," Xena grinned. "She loves having fun and has such a sense of right and wrong."

"She does," Cyrene agreed. "So what do you think it does to her when her own Mama decides to tell her that it's okay to throw mud balls at her Yaya because that's funny even if she shouldn't do it to the Amazons in the village?"

"That her Mama is willing to have fun with her and teach her when and how mud balls should be used?"

"Xena," the one word and how it was said still made shivers go down Xena's spine. "And the pranks?" Cyrene continued.

"I miss Gabrielle," Xena pouted.

"And the village is missing Gabrielle as much if not more than you are right now."

Looking at her mother once more the woman grinned. "She's one of the two people who can keep you in line when you get into one of your moods."

Xena gulped not liking the way this conversation had started to turn. "What do you mean, mother?"

"I mean, little one that I am moving in until your wife and eldest daughter get back. I think that it will be safer for you and the entire village this way. Not to mention that Ephiny needs a break, poor woman. I still can't believe you taught Eve the prank with the wild berries."

Xena chuckled, "I think that Elise looks good with dark purple hair."

"Be that as it may it was quite a shock to her for her graying locks to suddenly be turned purple."

"People pay big money in the future for that look," Xena protested hearing the warning in her mother's tone.

"Did Elise ask for a new look, Xena?"

"No," Xena answered suddenly feeling all of twelve years old.

"Yet you chose to give her that look and let your almost six year old daughter help you with giving her that look."

"Yes." Xena folded her hands on her stomach thankful for the belly that seemed to make itself known overnight. There was no way her mother could take her over her knee like this.

"Exactly. I think after you tuck the girls in tonight you'll need to go to bed as well."

"But it's still light out when they go to bed," the warrior protested.

"I think you must be tired, Xena. After all your judgment is slipping just a bit by what I've seen today. Yep, an earlier bedtime tonight and tomorrow should help you catch up on any sleep you've been missing."

"Mom, that's not fair!" Xena whined and then groaned remembering many of her teenage years up until Cortez. "That's not fair" had almost been a mantra for her in regards to Cyrene and her rules and punishments.

"I know, Xena. I'm just awful." Cyrene chuckled. "Let's get Eve and then we'll go get the twins before heading to dinner." The older woman kissed her daughter on the top of her still bowed head. "I love you, Xena and this too shall pass."

Xena groaned again, "Oh not that speech, Mom please. I'll do anything!" Getting up from the bed as fast as she could Xena smirked at her mother. "Just you wait until Sam comes to complain to you about me and that speech."

"She already has." Cyrene deadpanned standing and giving her daughter a swift swat to the backside as she left the room.

***XENA***BARD***XENA***BARD***XENA***BARD***XENA***

I know this chapter is a bit short (for me) but I wanted to get it out as it seemed like a good stopping point.

I also wanted to let folks know that the second book in the Mockingbird Chronicles is available at Stormy Night Publications, Amazon, Blushing Books, etc… The title is "The Art of Discipline: Running Toward Trouble". This book has things that were never posted to FF and Stardawn and I are happy finally share it with you. Enjoy.

Also- again- thanks to all who are still reading and enjoying this story. Hope this one is enjoyed as well.