Part 12
I awoke at sunrise the next morning. I was never woken up by the sound of my new daughter crying. I woke up to find Dawn sitting up in her little bedroll. She was rubbing her little eyes. I smiled at her. I looked over at my baby's bedroll and my eyes grew wide. She was sitting up and she had grown since the night before. She looked about Dawn's age.
"Faith?" I asked, calling her by name for the first time. She smiled at me and waved.
"Mama!" she exclaimed. I looked over at Xena who was sound asleep, as were Gabriel and Ivy. I picked Faith up and sat her in my lap. She had blonde hair, blonde like mine, and she had green eyes. This was my baby. Every time I looked into her eyes, I could see that was my baby.
"What happened to you?" I asked. She just grinned and giggled. I knew, that for Xena, this would be the last straw. I had to do something before Xena awoke. I bundled up Faith and carried her out of the clearing. I took her down to a river, where, luckily enough, I found a basket. I put my daughter in that. "I'm sorry. If Xena found out you'd grown, she'd know she'd been right, and she'd think you were evil. I don't know if you're evil or not, but if your destiny was to be with your mother and be evil, then, that might not happen now. I love you Faith. Please, be good." I put the basket in the water with my little girl in it. She looked at me and her green eyes seemed to glow. I could hear a little whisper in my mind.
"You'll see me soon." Is what I heard. I breathed a sigh and looked back at my baby girl who was drifting off to sleep. I started to cry as I waved to my little one. I was so afraid that Xena was right. What if I had brought evil into the world? Now, I knew, I'd never see my daughter again. Maybe it was for the best. What was I supposed to tell Xena?
I ran back to the campsite. I was hurting because I'd let my daughter go and because I had to lie to my best friend.
"Xena!" I exclaimed as I ran back into the campsite. Xena opened her eyes and sat up quickly.
"Gabrielle?" she asked. She stood. "What happened? Are you okay?"
"Faith! My baby! She's gone!" I exclaimed.
"What?" Xena asked tiredly.
"I woke up and Faith was gone. She wasn't here." I lied. "I don't know where she is!" Xena hugged me softly.
"It'll be okay, Gabrielle." Xena said softly as she kissed the top of my head.
"If you want, I'll help you look for her. I know . . . I know the things I said last night, but you're my best friend, and I will help you." Xena said.
"There's no hope in finding her. She could've been gone since last night." I said, tears welling in my eyes. Xena nodded.
"It's up to you." She said. I sighed and bit back a cry.
"Maybe, one day, she'll have a good home." I said. Xena was about to say something, but decided against it. "Maybe it's best, if we just don't talk about her." Xena looked at me strangely. I knew she didn't know that I would've ever said that. I sighed. "It hurts to much to talk about it. I gave birth yesterday, and my baby was taken from me. That's all we know. Let's leave it at that." Xena nodded slowly and we didn't talk for the rest of the morning.
I awoke at sunrise the next morning. I was never woken up by the sound of my new daughter crying. I woke up to find Dawn sitting up in her little bedroll. She was rubbing her little eyes. I smiled at her. I looked over at my baby's bedroll and my eyes grew wide. She was sitting up and she had grown since the night before. She looked about Dawn's age.
"Faith?" I asked, calling her by name for the first time. She smiled at me and waved.
"Mama!" she exclaimed. I looked over at Xena who was sound asleep, as were Gabriel and Ivy. I picked Faith up and sat her in my lap. She had blonde hair, blonde like mine, and she had green eyes. This was my baby. Every time I looked into her eyes, I could see that was my baby.
"What happened to you?" I asked. She just grinned and giggled. I knew, that for Xena, this would be the last straw. I had to do something before Xena awoke. I bundled up Faith and carried her out of the clearing. I took her down to a river, where, luckily enough, I found a basket. I put my daughter in that. "I'm sorry. If Xena found out you'd grown, she'd know she'd been right, and she'd think you were evil. I don't know if you're evil or not, but if your destiny was to be with your mother and be evil, then, that might not happen now. I love you Faith. Please, be good." I put the basket in the water with my little girl in it. She looked at me and her green eyes seemed to glow. I could hear a little whisper in my mind.
"You'll see me soon." Is what I heard. I breathed a sigh and looked back at my baby girl who was drifting off to sleep. I started to cry as I waved to my little one. I was so afraid that Xena was right. What if I had brought evil into the world? Now, I knew, I'd never see my daughter again. Maybe it was for the best. What was I supposed to tell Xena?
I ran back to the campsite. I was hurting because I'd let my daughter go and because I had to lie to my best friend.
"Xena!" I exclaimed as I ran back into the campsite. Xena opened her eyes and sat up quickly.
"Gabrielle?" she asked. She stood. "What happened? Are you okay?"
"Faith! My baby! She's gone!" I exclaimed.
"What?" Xena asked tiredly.
"I woke up and Faith was gone. She wasn't here." I lied. "I don't know where she is!" Xena hugged me softly.
"It'll be okay, Gabrielle." Xena said softly as she kissed the top of my head.
"If you want, I'll help you look for her. I know . . . I know the things I said last night, but you're my best friend, and I will help you." Xena said.
"There's no hope in finding her. She could've been gone since last night." I said, tears welling in my eyes. Xena nodded.
"It's up to you." She said. I sighed and bit back a cry.
"Maybe, one day, she'll have a good home." I said. Xena was about to say something, but decided against it. "Maybe it's best, if we just don't talk about her." Xena looked at me strangely. I knew she didn't know that I would've ever said that. I sighed. "It hurts to much to talk about it. I gave birth yesterday, and my baby was taken from me. That's all we know. Let's leave it at that." Xena nodded slowly and we didn't talk for the rest of the morning.