Chapter Twenty-Five
Running through the tall grass and the mud, Xena felt closer and closer to her son. She could hear the sounds of a small battle up ahead and she hoped to the gods that everything was going okay.
As she neared the mountain cliff, she could see her son's figure in once cage and Xenan's in the other. The centaur boy's legs were dangling out the bottom of the cage and he was gripping the sidebars for dear life.
Xena saw a few men fall over the mountain side and hoped that she could get to Solan and Xenan safely now. She hurried to the foot of the mountain, where a lot of the amazons were climbing, and she began to climb as well. She saw Ephiny at the lead of everyone else.
"Ephiny!" she exclaimed. Ephiny glanced at her and nodded. Xena climbed quickly and pulled herself up onto the next mountain level. A few other amazons did the same and they headed for the cages.
Solan and Xenan both heard people coming toward them and the looked over. Solan saw Xena and Xenan saw Ephiny.
"Xena!" Solan exclaimed.
"Mother!" Xenan exclaimed.
"It's okay sweetheart," Xena said to Solan with tears in her eyes. "It's okay now." Xena hurried over to the ropes that were tied to the cages and to levers that were stuck inside mountain rock. She grabbed onto one rope and Ephiny grabbed onto another. The other amazons helped with their strength to pull the cages up and onto the mountain ledge. Xena knew a key wouldn't be present, so she took her sword and broke the locks to both cages.
"You saved us!" Solan cried as he latched onto Xena. Xena smiled and kissed the top of her son's head.
"I've got you now. You're safe," Xena swore. She realized that with all of the commotion lately, Solan still didn't know that Xena was his mother. She didn't feel that he should know now. She just got him back to safety. She didn't want him to hate her again.
"Let's get you boys home," Ephiny said aloud. With that, everyone headed down the mountainside and toward the centaur village.
*~*
Gabrielle sat in beside the cradle in Caliopus' hut. She didn't hear anything coming from outside. She knew that either the boys were safe and Xena had won, or the boys were . . . No, Gabrielle didn't want to think about that. She picked up Gwendolyn and took her outside where she saw a huge gathering of amazons and centaurs heading toward the village. She saw Xena and Solan, side by side, and Ephiny and Xenan, side by side. She breathed a huge sigh of relief.
The baby kicked inside of Gabrielle and she laughed and cried tears of joy. She put her hand on her belly and rocked Gwendolyn with her free arm.
"She won," Gabrielle whispered. "She won."
Chapter Twenty-Six
It was late night when a large celebration was held to honor the safe retrieval of Solan and Xenan and to celebrate the impending birth of Xena and Gabrielle's child.
Xena and Gabrielle were planning on leaving the next morning and Gabrielle continued to urge Xena to tell Solan that she was his mother. The warrior just didn't think it seemed right, plus there was the fact that Caliopus would be broken-hearted.
Sitting by a huge bonfire, Gabrielle cradled Gwendolyn in her arms and looked at Xena.
"What are we going to do?" she asked. "Should Gwendolyn stay with us or should we leave her with my parents or the amazons?"
"I don't know," Xena confessed. "I just think she should have the best chance at life and she should be able to protect herself."
"She'd be safe with us," Gabrielle said. Xena nodded.
"I know, but we'll have a new baby soon, and how are we going to be sure that both children will be safe at the same time?"
"I don't know," Gabrielle said. "Maybe we should leave her with my parents."
"We could," Xena said. "You choose."
"Me?" Gabrielle asked.
"Yes. She's your niece. You choose what's best for her. I trust you Gabrielle," Xena said. "It'll be fine, whatever you choose." Xena started to stand buy Gabrielle stopped her.
"Xena, are you going to tell him?" Gabrielle asked.
"Gabrielle, I don't think I can do that," Xena replied. "It's just not the way things are supposed to be."
"How do you know that?" Gabrielle asked. "What happens when one day Caliopus dies and Solan is left alone?"
"Gabrielle, he has so many people here who love him," Xena said.
"And you are his mother," Gabrielle replied. She flipped her long hair over her shoulder. "I think you should talk to him."
"I'm going to talk to him. I'm just not going to tell him I'm his mother," Xena replied. "That's final, Gabrielle. Now, you should go get some sleep. Do it for me and for our baby, okay?" Gabrielle nodded and Xena kissed her good night. The warrior princess then stood up and went to find her son.
Gabrielle walked back to an empty hut where Caliopus had put Solan's old cradle for Gwendolyn. The child was squirming now, so Gabrielle changed her little diaper and gave her a bit of milk. She then put her down to sleep and went to bed herself.
*~*
Xena walked along the lake behind the centaur village. She remembered the last time she was there. She had that painful talk with Solan where she had to leave him. To Xena's surprise, the boy was sitting on the same log where she had talked to him last.
"Solan?" Xena asked as she walked over to him. He looked over and scooted down so Xena could sit.
"Hi Xena," he said tiredly.
"Why are you all the way out here?" Xena asked.
"I'm thinking," he said. "You?"
"I'm thinking too," Xena said as she sat down. "See, Gabrielle is urging me to tell somebody something that I don't think it's my place to tell. But, she's persistent."
"Well, I've just been thinking about everything. I don't understand why Caliopus wants me to stay here all of my life," Solan said.
"He loves you and he wants to protect you," Xena said softly.
"Yeah, but I want to explore the world like you and Gabrielle do. I want to travel with you," Solan replied.
"Yeah," Xena said. "But, it'd be much safer if you were to stay here."
"Xena, did you know my mother?" Solan suddenly asked. Surprised by the question, Xena didn't know what to say.
"What?" she asked.
"Well, you knew my father. You must've known my mother too," he said.
"I, uh," Xena started nervously. "I did know your mother. I think I understand her better now than I did then. But, she loved you and she still does."
"I hope so," Solan said. He slumped over and propped his chin on his fist.
"I know so," Xena said.
"Xena, why do you always come back? I mean, isn't it too painful to see their graves?" Solan asked.
"I come back to see you," Xena said. She suddenly realized she might have gone too far. She clears her throat. "Plus, I come to pay my respects."
"I'm glad you do," Solan said. "I just wish my uncle knew how much you cared."
"He does. He's just afraid," Xena said, stopping herself immediately.
"Afraid of what? My uncle isn't afraid of anything."
"Well, he's afraid of losing you," Xena replied. She looked at the moon in the sky. "Hey, it's getting late. We better get back to the village." Solan nodded and he and Xena stood together. They walked back to the village together, a pain in Xena's heart, yearning to tell her son how much she loved him and missed him.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Xena walked into the hut that Gabrielle slept in. She smiled when she saw her love sleeping peacefully. She walked over to the cradle where Gwendolyn slept. It was amazing how beautiful that child was. But, it was Gabrielle's niece, so it was destined to be beautiful.
Xena walked over to the bed and removed her armor and boots. She lay down and started at the bulging belly of her partner. It was hard to believe that in just a couple of weeks, the child inside of Gabrielle would be born and be a living person. Xena placed her hands softly on Gabrielle's belly and felt the child moving inside of her. It seemed it was doing flips and somersaults.
"Just like mom," Xena said softly. She kissed the belly and leaned back on her side of the bed. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep within minutes.
*~*
In the morning, Xena saddled up Argo and helped Gabrielle pack up. They were leaving without the amazons and they were going to go away to a quiet place until after the birth of the baby.
Xena was now sitting on the steps of a hut beside Gabrielle. The warrior was holding Gwendolyn in her arms.
"So, is this goodbye to Gwendolyn, Gabrielle?" Xena asked. She stared at her blonde companion. Gabrielle closed her eyes for a moment and then opened them to look at her baby niece.
"I want her to be safe and I want her protected the best she can be. I want her to grow up with knowledge and skills and I want her to be just like Lila would want her to be. Now, I know Lila wouldn't want he to be a warrior, but being with the amazons, she'd train for years and she'd become an excellent warrior," Gabrielle explained. "But, the thing is, if Gwendolyn is hurt or she dies, I'd never forgive myself for sending her to them."
"Gabrielle, she has your blood in her. She'll be safe," Xena replied.
"It's going to be hard to let her go," Gabrielle continued. "But it would be in her best interest if she didn't stay with us. Our lives are full of danger and violence. I know we could protect our child, but protecting two children is a different story."
"So, she's going to the amazons?" Gabrielle nodded and wiped a tear from her eyes. "I want her to be coronated as an Amazon Warrior Princess and I want her to grow up to be a strong, noble woman. The best way for her to do that is to stay with the amazons. I talked to Ephiny about this after the battle, and she said she'd be proud to raise her as her own daughter." Xena nodded and kissed Gabrielle's forehead.
"That's very brave of you Gabrielle," she said. "I'm proud of you."
Gwendolyn cooed and yawned. Xena smiled. She kissed the child gently and handed her to Gabrielle.
"Will we go to her coronation?" Xena asked. Gabrielle shook her head.
"It would be too hard. But, I want to come back and visit her every chance I get," she replied. Xena nodded.
"We will," Xena promised. "Every chance we get." The two stood together and walked over to Ephiny, who was talking to her son. Gabrielle smiled and handed the child to Ephiny.
"Meet your new daughter, Gwendolyn," she said with a smile. "She will be the new Amazon Warrior Princess."
"And what of your child?" Ephiny asked. Gabrielle looked at Xena and they both smiled.
"If it's a girl, she'll be a warrior princess and if it's a boy, he'll be a warrior prince," Gabrielle declared. "She or he'll take both of his or her mothers' places one day and will make a great impact on the world." Ephiny smiled and cradled Gwendolyn in her arms.
*~*
An hour later, Xena and Gabrielle were riding atop Argo and Xena was silent. She hadn't said goodbye to Solan because she knew it'd be easier to leave while he wasn't around because then he wouldn't have to see her cry. She cried awhile after leaving, but she was calm now and she and Gabrielle were riding on in silence. Gabrielle had her arms around her lover's waist and she felt that things were back to the way they were before the past few days.
"So," Gabrielle said, breaking the silence. "Our child will be a warrior anyway."
"Well, the title will be warrior prince or princess, but we can give him or her the choice. We will let our child decide and that will be the end of that," Xena replied.
"No, I think it'll be the beginning," Gabrielle chuckled as she nuzzled Xena's neck. Xena moaned gently and chuckled along.
"Where to now?" Xena asked.
"Let's just find a good place to wait for the birth of our child," Gabrielle replied.
"I know the perfect place," Xena said. She guided Argo to the west and the small company was once again searching for a safe haven.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Nearly three weeks later, on a warm sunny day, came the groan of the bard that told Xena that the child was going to be born.
Xena and Gabrielle had stopped in a very safe place, a very secluded area, deep in a forest meadow. Nobody ever came threw there and the sun shone brightly on a small pond in the center. It was the safest, quietest place Xena knew about.
Xena helped Gabrielle, who was drying off and getting dressed from a relaxing swim in the pond, sit down in a shady spot, against a tall pine tree. Xena knew her child was going to be born, but not soon. Like Aphrodite said, it was sure to be a long labor, considering it was Gabrielle's first birth.
The bard wasn't opened very far at all, just a finger wide. Xena covered her in a warm blanket, although Gabrielle insisted that she was already warm enough. Xena sat out two blankets and a clean dagger to cut the lifeline with. She put the things aside and sat beside Gabrielle and talked to her for hours. Gabrielle seemed to appreciate it, but she seemed a bit annoyed when contractions hit.
A few times out of the day, Gabrielle asked Xena to sing to her, to hold her, to tell her stories. It usually helped, but the poor woman was just in too much pain. Xena used pressure points a few times that helped ease away the pain, but it still hurt when a contraction ripped through her.
A few times, Xena had to leave for a while to gather more firewood for the fire she had made. She'd keep a pan of warm water nearby and a cloth for when the child would be born. She'd be able to cleanse and warm it.
Helping Gabrielle through labor took Xena back to the time she gave birth to Solan and it sent chills down her spine. The pain that had racked her body for hours on end made her heart pound so hard in her chest that she could feel it's pulse in her ears.
A groan from Gabrielle's lips made Xena come back to reality. She looked over the bard worriedly. She kissed the palm of her hand and smiled.
"It's going to be okay, I promise," she soothed, brushing a long strand of the younger woman's hair behind her ear. She smiled and looked around.
"How much longer?" Gabrielle asked.
"I'd say quite a few hours. Maybe not until tomorrow," Xena pointed out. Gabrielle groaned.
"I just want it to be over with," she whined.
"I know," Xena said. "I know. But, just think, after all of this pain, we'll have ourselves a beautiful child."
"I know, Xena, but it hurts so bad," Gabrielle cried. A tear ran down her cheek. Xena pressed on a soft spot on Gabrielle thigh and the bard was somewhat relieved.
"I think you'll be able to sleep now," Xena said. Gabrielle nodded and closed her eyes. Xena gave her lover's hand a firm squeeze before laying back to have a short nap.
*~*
A few hours later, Xena woke to a familiar laugh. She opened one eye and then the other. She sat up and saw the goddess of love sitting beside Gabrielle, chatting away. She looked at Gabrielle and was surprised that she was laughing and smiling.
"What's going on?" Xena asked with a yawn.
"Hi Xena," Aphrodite replied. "Long time no see."
"Yeah," Xena said. "What's going on?"
"I came to pay you two a visit. I wanted to see how everything is,"
"We're fine," Xena said. "Obviously Gabrielle is doing okay."
"I feel great," Gabrielle said. "The contractions have stopped and I feel like dancing. Although I don't want to get up."
"They've stopped?" Xena asked. She quickly put her hands on Gabrielle's tummy and felt around. The baby seemed to be moving okay, but Xena didn't like the fact that the contractions had stopped.
"What's wrong?" Gabrielle asked with a look of fear on her face.
"I don't know," Xena said. "The baby seems okay, but the contractions shouldn't have stopped."
"Xena," Gabrielle said with wide eyes. "Please, make everything okay."
"It's going to be okay Gabrielle. Just as long as your waters haven't broken yet, you should be okay," Xena declared. Gabrielle relaxed a bit and the goddess of love looked back and forth between the two.
"Well, I've got to go for now. I'll be back when the little one is born. Ta Ta!" the goddess exclaimed. With a snap of her fingers, the goddess vanished into thin air.
Xena returned her attention to Gabrielle. The woman was smiling and singing and Xena was just a little freaked out by the whole thing. She just smiled and laid back.
"If you feel anything, Gabrielle, wake me up, okay? You try to get some sleep now," Xena ordered. Gabrielle nodded and the two tried to sleep once again.
Running through the tall grass and the mud, Xena felt closer and closer to her son. She could hear the sounds of a small battle up ahead and she hoped to the gods that everything was going okay.
As she neared the mountain cliff, she could see her son's figure in once cage and Xenan's in the other. The centaur boy's legs were dangling out the bottom of the cage and he was gripping the sidebars for dear life.
Xena saw a few men fall over the mountain side and hoped that she could get to Solan and Xenan safely now. She hurried to the foot of the mountain, where a lot of the amazons were climbing, and she began to climb as well. She saw Ephiny at the lead of everyone else.
"Ephiny!" she exclaimed. Ephiny glanced at her and nodded. Xena climbed quickly and pulled herself up onto the next mountain level. A few other amazons did the same and they headed for the cages.
Solan and Xenan both heard people coming toward them and the looked over. Solan saw Xena and Xenan saw Ephiny.
"Xena!" Solan exclaimed.
"Mother!" Xenan exclaimed.
"It's okay sweetheart," Xena said to Solan with tears in her eyes. "It's okay now." Xena hurried over to the ropes that were tied to the cages and to levers that were stuck inside mountain rock. She grabbed onto one rope and Ephiny grabbed onto another. The other amazons helped with their strength to pull the cages up and onto the mountain ledge. Xena knew a key wouldn't be present, so she took her sword and broke the locks to both cages.
"You saved us!" Solan cried as he latched onto Xena. Xena smiled and kissed the top of her son's head.
"I've got you now. You're safe," Xena swore. She realized that with all of the commotion lately, Solan still didn't know that Xena was his mother. She didn't feel that he should know now. She just got him back to safety. She didn't want him to hate her again.
"Let's get you boys home," Ephiny said aloud. With that, everyone headed down the mountainside and toward the centaur village.
*~*
Gabrielle sat in beside the cradle in Caliopus' hut. She didn't hear anything coming from outside. She knew that either the boys were safe and Xena had won, or the boys were . . . No, Gabrielle didn't want to think about that. She picked up Gwendolyn and took her outside where she saw a huge gathering of amazons and centaurs heading toward the village. She saw Xena and Solan, side by side, and Ephiny and Xenan, side by side. She breathed a huge sigh of relief.
The baby kicked inside of Gabrielle and she laughed and cried tears of joy. She put her hand on her belly and rocked Gwendolyn with her free arm.
"She won," Gabrielle whispered. "She won."
Chapter Twenty-Six
It was late night when a large celebration was held to honor the safe retrieval of Solan and Xenan and to celebrate the impending birth of Xena and Gabrielle's child.
Xena and Gabrielle were planning on leaving the next morning and Gabrielle continued to urge Xena to tell Solan that she was his mother. The warrior just didn't think it seemed right, plus there was the fact that Caliopus would be broken-hearted.
Sitting by a huge bonfire, Gabrielle cradled Gwendolyn in her arms and looked at Xena.
"What are we going to do?" she asked. "Should Gwendolyn stay with us or should we leave her with my parents or the amazons?"
"I don't know," Xena confessed. "I just think she should have the best chance at life and she should be able to protect herself."
"She'd be safe with us," Gabrielle said. Xena nodded.
"I know, but we'll have a new baby soon, and how are we going to be sure that both children will be safe at the same time?"
"I don't know," Gabrielle said. "Maybe we should leave her with my parents."
"We could," Xena said. "You choose."
"Me?" Gabrielle asked.
"Yes. She's your niece. You choose what's best for her. I trust you Gabrielle," Xena said. "It'll be fine, whatever you choose." Xena started to stand buy Gabrielle stopped her.
"Xena, are you going to tell him?" Gabrielle asked.
"Gabrielle, I don't think I can do that," Xena replied. "It's just not the way things are supposed to be."
"How do you know that?" Gabrielle asked. "What happens when one day Caliopus dies and Solan is left alone?"
"Gabrielle, he has so many people here who love him," Xena said.
"And you are his mother," Gabrielle replied. She flipped her long hair over her shoulder. "I think you should talk to him."
"I'm going to talk to him. I'm just not going to tell him I'm his mother," Xena replied. "That's final, Gabrielle. Now, you should go get some sleep. Do it for me and for our baby, okay?" Gabrielle nodded and Xena kissed her good night. The warrior princess then stood up and went to find her son.
Gabrielle walked back to an empty hut where Caliopus had put Solan's old cradle for Gwendolyn. The child was squirming now, so Gabrielle changed her little diaper and gave her a bit of milk. She then put her down to sleep and went to bed herself.
*~*
Xena walked along the lake behind the centaur village. She remembered the last time she was there. She had that painful talk with Solan where she had to leave him. To Xena's surprise, the boy was sitting on the same log where she had talked to him last.
"Solan?" Xena asked as she walked over to him. He looked over and scooted down so Xena could sit.
"Hi Xena," he said tiredly.
"Why are you all the way out here?" Xena asked.
"I'm thinking," he said. "You?"
"I'm thinking too," Xena said as she sat down. "See, Gabrielle is urging me to tell somebody something that I don't think it's my place to tell. But, she's persistent."
"Well, I've just been thinking about everything. I don't understand why Caliopus wants me to stay here all of my life," Solan said.
"He loves you and he wants to protect you," Xena said softly.
"Yeah, but I want to explore the world like you and Gabrielle do. I want to travel with you," Solan replied.
"Yeah," Xena said. "But, it'd be much safer if you were to stay here."
"Xena, did you know my mother?" Solan suddenly asked. Surprised by the question, Xena didn't know what to say.
"What?" she asked.
"Well, you knew my father. You must've known my mother too," he said.
"I, uh," Xena started nervously. "I did know your mother. I think I understand her better now than I did then. But, she loved you and she still does."
"I hope so," Solan said. He slumped over and propped his chin on his fist.
"I know so," Xena said.
"Xena, why do you always come back? I mean, isn't it too painful to see their graves?" Solan asked.
"I come back to see you," Xena said. She suddenly realized she might have gone too far. She clears her throat. "Plus, I come to pay my respects."
"I'm glad you do," Solan said. "I just wish my uncle knew how much you cared."
"He does. He's just afraid," Xena said, stopping herself immediately.
"Afraid of what? My uncle isn't afraid of anything."
"Well, he's afraid of losing you," Xena replied. She looked at the moon in the sky. "Hey, it's getting late. We better get back to the village." Solan nodded and he and Xena stood together. They walked back to the village together, a pain in Xena's heart, yearning to tell her son how much she loved him and missed him.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Xena walked into the hut that Gabrielle slept in. She smiled when she saw her love sleeping peacefully. She walked over to the cradle where Gwendolyn slept. It was amazing how beautiful that child was. But, it was Gabrielle's niece, so it was destined to be beautiful.
Xena walked over to the bed and removed her armor and boots. She lay down and started at the bulging belly of her partner. It was hard to believe that in just a couple of weeks, the child inside of Gabrielle would be born and be a living person. Xena placed her hands softly on Gabrielle's belly and felt the child moving inside of her. It seemed it was doing flips and somersaults.
"Just like mom," Xena said softly. She kissed the belly and leaned back on her side of the bed. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep within minutes.
*~*
In the morning, Xena saddled up Argo and helped Gabrielle pack up. They were leaving without the amazons and they were going to go away to a quiet place until after the birth of the baby.
Xena was now sitting on the steps of a hut beside Gabrielle. The warrior was holding Gwendolyn in her arms.
"So, is this goodbye to Gwendolyn, Gabrielle?" Xena asked. She stared at her blonde companion. Gabrielle closed her eyes for a moment and then opened them to look at her baby niece.
"I want her to be safe and I want her protected the best she can be. I want her to grow up with knowledge and skills and I want her to be just like Lila would want her to be. Now, I know Lila wouldn't want he to be a warrior, but being with the amazons, she'd train for years and she'd become an excellent warrior," Gabrielle explained. "But, the thing is, if Gwendolyn is hurt or she dies, I'd never forgive myself for sending her to them."
"Gabrielle, she has your blood in her. She'll be safe," Xena replied.
"It's going to be hard to let her go," Gabrielle continued. "But it would be in her best interest if she didn't stay with us. Our lives are full of danger and violence. I know we could protect our child, but protecting two children is a different story."
"So, she's going to the amazons?" Gabrielle nodded and wiped a tear from her eyes. "I want her to be coronated as an Amazon Warrior Princess and I want her to grow up to be a strong, noble woman. The best way for her to do that is to stay with the amazons. I talked to Ephiny about this after the battle, and she said she'd be proud to raise her as her own daughter." Xena nodded and kissed Gabrielle's forehead.
"That's very brave of you Gabrielle," she said. "I'm proud of you."
Gwendolyn cooed and yawned. Xena smiled. She kissed the child gently and handed her to Gabrielle.
"Will we go to her coronation?" Xena asked. Gabrielle shook her head.
"It would be too hard. But, I want to come back and visit her every chance I get," she replied. Xena nodded.
"We will," Xena promised. "Every chance we get." The two stood together and walked over to Ephiny, who was talking to her son. Gabrielle smiled and handed the child to Ephiny.
"Meet your new daughter, Gwendolyn," she said with a smile. "She will be the new Amazon Warrior Princess."
"And what of your child?" Ephiny asked. Gabrielle looked at Xena and they both smiled.
"If it's a girl, she'll be a warrior princess and if it's a boy, he'll be a warrior prince," Gabrielle declared. "She or he'll take both of his or her mothers' places one day and will make a great impact on the world." Ephiny smiled and cradled Gwendolyn in her arms.
*~*
An hour later, Xena and Gabrielle were riding atop Argo and Xena was silent. She hadn't said goodbye to Solan because she knew it'd be easier to leave while he wasn't around because then he wouldn't have to see her cry. She cried awhile after leaving, but she was calm now and she and Gabrielle were riding on in silence. Gabrielle had her arms around her lover's waist and she felt that things were back to the way they were before the past few days.
"So," Gabrielle said, breaking the silence. "Our child will be a warrior anyway."
"Well, the title will be warrior prince or princess, but we can give him or her the choice. We will let our child decide and that will be the end of that," Xena replied.
"No, I think it'll be the beginning," Gabrielle chuckled as she nuzzled Xena's neck. Xena moaned gently and chuckled along.
"Where to now?" Xena asked.
"Let's just find a good place to wait for the birth of our child," Gabrielle replied.
"I know the perfect place," Xena said. She guided Argo to the west and the small company was once again searching for a safe haven.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Nearly three weeks later, on a warm sunny day, came the groan of the bard that told Xena that the child was going to be born.
Xena and Gabrielle had stopped in a very safe place, a very secluded area, deep in a forest meadow. Nobody ever came threw there and the sun shone brightly on a small pond in the center. It was the safest, quietest place Xena knew about.
Xena helped Gabrielle, who was drying off and getting dressed from a relaxing swim in the pond, sit down in a shady spot, against a tall pine tree. Xena knew her child was going to be born, but not soon. Like Aphrodite said, it was sure to be a long labor, considering it was Gabrielle's first birth.
The bard wasn't opened very far at all, just a finger wide. Xena covered her in a warm blanket, although Gabrielle insisted that she was already warm enough. Xena sat out two blankets and a clean dagger to cut the lifeline with. She put the things aside and sat beside Gabrielle and talked to her for hours. Gabrielle seemed to appreciate it, but she seemed a bit annoyed when contractions hit.
A few times out of the day, Gabrielle asked Xena to sing to her, to hold her, to tell her stories. It usually helped, but the poor woman was just in too much pain. Xena used pressure points a few times that helped ease away the pain, but it still hurt when a contraction ripped through her.
A few times, Xena had to leave for a while to gather more firewood for the fire she had made. She'd keep a pan of warm water nearby and a cloth for when the child would be born. She'd be able to cleanse and warm it.
Helping Gabrielle through labor took Xena back to the time she gave birth to Solan and it sent chills down her spine. The pain that had racked her body for hours on end made her heart pound so hard in her chest that she could feel it's pulse in her ears.
A groan from Gabrielle's lips made Xena come back to reality. She looked over the bard worriedly. She kissed the palm of her hand and smiled.
"It's going to be okay, I promise," she soothed, brushing a long strand of the younger woman's hair behind her ear. She smiled and looked around.
"How much longer?" Gabrielle asked.
"I'd say quite a few hours. Maybe not until tomorrow," Xena pointed out. Gabrielle groaned.
"I just want it to be over with," she whined.
"I know," Xena said. "I know. But, just think, after all of this pain, we'll have ourselves a beautiful child."
"I know, Xena, but it hurts so bad," Gabrielle cried. A tear ran down her cheek. Xena pressed on a soft spot on Gabrielle thigh and the bard was somewhat relieved.
"I think you'll be able to sleep now," Xena said. Gabrielle nodded and closed her eyes. Xena gave her lover's hand a firm squeeze before laying back to have a short nap.
*~*
A few hours later, Xena woke to a familiar laugh. She opened one eye and then the other. She sat up and saw the goddess of love sitting beside Gabrielle, chatting away. She looked at Gabrielle and was surprised that she was laughing and smiling.
"What's going on?" Xena asked with a yawn.
"Hi Xena," Aphrodite replied. "Long time no see."
"Yeah," Xena said. "What's going on?"
"I came to pay you two a visit. I wanted to see how everything is,"
"We're fine," Xena said. "Obviously Gabrielle is doing okay."
"I feel great," Gabrielle said. "The contractions have stopped and I feel like dancing. Although I don't want to get up."
"They've stopped?" Xena asked. She quickly put her hands on Gabrielle's tummy and felt around. The baby seemed to be moving okay, but Xena didn't like the fact that the contractions had stopped.
"What's wrong?" Gabrielle asked with a look of fear on her face.
"I don't know," Xena said. "The baby seems okay, but the contractions shouldn't have stopped."
"Xena," Gabrielle said with wide eyes. "Please, make everything okay."
"It's going to be okay Gabrielle. Just as long as your waters haven't broken yet, you should be okay," Xena declared. Gabrielle relaxed a bit and the goddess of love looked back and forth between the two.
"Well, I've got to go for now. I'll be back when the little one is born. Ta Ta!" the goddess exclaimed. With a snap of her fingers, the goddess vanished into thin air.
Xena returned her attention to Gabrielle. The woman was smiling and singing and Xena was just a little freaked out by the whole thing. She just smiled and laid back.
"If you feel anything, Gabrielle, wake me up, okay? You try to get some sleep now," Xena ordered. Gabrielle nodded and the two tried to sleep once again.