Usual disclaimers apply.

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Chapter 18

"Sam, over here." Rory waved to me and I happily joined her and a group of girls who were standing near the school's practice area.

"What's up?"

"Not much, Sam. I hear you had an interesting time in the other village."

I shrugged, "I guess you can say that, Rose."

Rose shook her head at me, "Yeah, leave it to you to downplay everything." Her blue eyes twinkled as she looked at me. "Look it's all over the village, Sam. Your friend at the healer's, calling out Ares…" Rose trailed off as heavy footsteps joined us.

"Hello girls," Mama's deep voice greeted and I held in my chuckled at the look on Rose's face.

Mama was greeted by all and I finally looked at her, "What brings you here, Warrior Princess?"

Tugging my braid she smiled, "It's time for a little impromptu sparring lesson with your swords and me."

"Damn."

"Damn? Usually you can't wait for these lessons, Sam." Rory looked at me as if I'd lost my mind.

"Usually I'm not working with a handicap," I snipped.

"Handicap?" Rose asked.

Mama sniggered and walked to join Laurel as she finally reached the school. "Sore ass," I finally admitted. "The whole calling Ares out is never a good idea no matter the reason."

Laughter rose up around me and by the look on Mama's face she knew exactly why my friends were laughing.

Raising my sword again I attacked my opponents with a vengeance. I had had more than enough of the teasing about the state of my backside and I decided to finish it for good. Disarming two of them I flipped over a third and grabbed my staff from where I had laid it against the fence. I preferred it to the sword and placed my sword in my sheath quickly turning I disarmed another opponent.

Looking around me I noticed that there were a few of us still in the ring while Mama watched our moves. I had managed to show my skills like usual and realized that the final three in the ring wanted to take me on at once. "Well girls, are you just going to stand there all day or do you want to play?"

Hearing a groan I blocked out Rory's comments and allowed the girls to charge me. All were close to my height and build and were pretty good at sparring in their own right. It hadn't hurt that all the girls in my age group were trained in swords by Mama as well as any other age group I had worked out with growing up. We were probably the only village with so many underage girls that were pretty proficient in most major weapons.

Smiling I took two of them out by holding the staff horizontally and shoving it. Moving quickly I utilized a move I'd see Mom do numerous times when using her staff. Planting it in the ground I supplemented the movement by flipping over the remaining opponents and kicking her to the ground.

Doing a handless cartwheel I then retrieved my staff from the ground and stood upright. "Come on, you're still standing," I taunted. "Ready for more?"

"I'll take you on." Mama's deep voice made me cringe and I ducked my head.

"Damn," I muttered hearing Mama chuckled and Rory taking bets on how long I would last this time sparring one on one with Mama.

Mama and I took our time circling one another. Each of us held a staff and had our swords on our backs. Mama finally made the first move and I held my own as we sparred. We countered each other's moves and both of us stepped up our game as our moves came quicker and harder. I had managed to counter or block all of her moves so far as she had mine and I noted a bit of surprise in her eyes as one of the usual moves she used on me was easily blocked.

"Been practicing without me, little one?"

"Maybe," I raised my eyebrow and tried a new move on her. Planting the staff I used it as a pole vault and flipped over Mama's head kicking her back as I landed. Rolling as I landed I managed to do a backflip and pick up my staff once more to counter the strike that was coming at me.

"Impressive," Mama acknowledge before stepping up her game once more. Watching as my staff flew from my hands I hissed at the now forming bruise on my knuckles from the strike before pulling my sword and flipping backwards to get my bearings.

Tossing her staff to the side Mama then pulled her sword and I heard the excitement in the crowd as Rory began to take bets on whether or not I would get a strike on Mama before the match ended. Focusing on the threat in front of me, I used all the skills I had to keep the sparring going. Feeling myself tire I decided to go for the hail Mary play and using the move Ares taught me, I decided to combine it with a move I'd learned from Artemis when practicing the staff. Adjusting for the difference between the staff and sword I flipped forward and then did the cartwheel managing to get a swipe on Mama's upper arm.

Feeling my sword go flying from my hand a moment later I had the wind knocked out of me as I looked up into steel blue eyes. "I yield," I gasped out before Mama had even asked.

Taking the hand offered me I slowly got up and took a few deep breaths. "You had to take me down that hard?"

"It was time to show you one of my moves, little one." Mama winked at me and then put her arm around me before rubbing her knuckle on the top of my head.

"Mama!" I protested.

Hearing the laughter around us I noticed the thumbs up from Rory as she patted her nonexistent pocket on her hip. I figured we'd cleaned up in dinars and merely shrugged as Mama raised an eyebrow at me. "I won't tell your mom, but if you get caught betting…"

I held up my hand, "I'm not planning to get caught, Mama, but if I do your name will not be mentioned."

Laughing Mama grinned at me and pulled me towards her again, "That's all I ask, little one. Come on, let's head to the pond and get cleaned up."

"Sounds good, but aren't you supposed to use the bathing hut now?" I asked.

"Your mother does not need to know that we're bathing in the pond."

"Alright, I'll keep your secret but if you get a cold, Mom will kill us both."

"I can handle your mother," Mama reassured me giving me a slight shrug as I burst into laughter.

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Walking into the hut ahead of Mama I stopped short at the sight of my short, blonde mother with her hands on her hips tapping her foot. Knowing that someone was in trouble I decided to play stupid until she let us know which one of us was about to feel her wrath.

"Sam, what's the big idea, I almost walked into you." Mama's voice dropped as she too noticed Mom's posture. "Gabrielle." Mama smiled and moved to kiss Mom on the cheek.

"Xena, Sam." Pointing the couch she eyed both of us. "Sit."

Looking at each other we were quiet deciding not to give out any information until she let us know why she was angry. It was never a good idea to give her too much information at the beginning otherwise you were sure to really get burned.

"Gabrielle, what's…"

Mama was cut off by Mom's hand in the air. Sitting on the coffee table in front of us I noticed her set glare and gulped. "What in the hell were the two of you thinking?"

Looking at each other again we remained quiet knowing that Mom would fill in the blank sooner rather than later. "Sparring, full out? In your condition?" She pointed at Mama's belly. "And you!" Turning her attention to me I wisely held my tongue, "Getting a strike on your mother and going all out on her. What were you thinking?"

Saying nothing I jumped when Mom smacked my knee, "Answer me, Samina."

Gulping I took a slow breath, "I was thinking that Mama was going full out and I needed to defend myself and try the hail Mary of moves in my arsenal because if it worked I knew the match would end rather abruptly."

"Do you see what you've done?" Mom turned to Mama. "Your damned warrior ethic and never giving anything but your best. You decided to go all out with our fifteen year old daughter in your condition and she has no choice but to respond in kind. Have you lost your mind, Xena?"

"Pregnancy brain?" Mama tried as I snorted.

"Sam, go to your room," Mom directed.

Happy to get out her line of fire I stood up only to be pulled back down by Mama, "Don't leave me alone with her," she hissed at me.

"You'll be fine," I hissed back. "You're carrying her child, she won't kill you."

"There are worse things than death, Sam," Mama said as I stood again.

"I don't want to know," I admitted running to my room and closing the door as quickly as I could. Sitting on my bed I tugged off my boots and giggled before turning on my tummy and rubbing my bottom. If this was how Mama handled Mom we were both doomed if she ever found out about the pond and the gambling.

Pulling out my music player I decided to use it to keep out Mom and Mama's voices as they began the discussion about today's sparring.

Moving to sit next to her wife on the couch Gabrielle leaned into the taller woman and sighed. "Seriously, Xena, what were you thinking?"

Xena shrugged and put her arm around Gabrielle. "I wasn't. Sam was showing some amazing skills, Gabrielle, and I wanted to see how far I could push her."

"You're pregnant."

"And sparring with my daughter is not going to hurt me. The gods know I was doing a lot more than that when I was pregnant with Eve."

"Things you shouldn't have had to do," Gabrielle looked up into those pools of blue and then laid her head on Xena's shoulder. "This should be an easy pregnancy for you. One with no worries other than how you're going to tie your boots in the morning."

"Easy," Xena teased. "You'll tie them just like you did with Eve."

Slapping Xena's knee Gabrielle gave a small growl, "You know that isn't the point, Xena."

"I know," Xena sighed. "I'm sorry, Gabrielle, but this is part of who I am, and you know that. I can't just sit around and watch things while I'm waiting for this little girl to make her appearance."

"And I'm not asking you to," Gabrielle laid down and put her head in Xena's lap. "I am just asking that you be careful and not go head to head with our fifteen year old who has been trained by us, Eponin, Ephiny, Artemis, and Ares. That's asking for trouble, Xena. And we have enough trouble coming at us without asking for extra."

"I'll try."

"You'll do more than try, warrior, or I'll make sure your mother moves back in."

"You wouldn't," Xena said, panicked.

"I would," Gabrielle's voice was even ass Xena began to run her fingers through Gabrielle's hair. "She seemed to do okay keeping you and the girls in line while I was gone."

"Only because she basically grounded me!" Xena huffed. "A grown pregnant woman under her mother's supervision."

"From what I've heard you deserved every time out and lecture," Gabrielle teased.

Chuckling Xena bent down and smiled as Gabrielle raised her head until their lips met, "Yeah, I did. But don't tell her that."

"Your secret is safe with me, warrior."

"I love you, Gabrielle."

"I love you too, Xena."

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