AUTHOR'S NOTE Yes this is a sad chapter. Don't ask me why Autolycus lives in a tree, because I don't know, and I don't think Rythematically is a word either. ENJOY!

Secrets of the Past

DDR

They left early the next morning. It was a day and a half's ride/walk to Corinth. There was a heavy down pour of rain when they got there. When they asked for directions to find Autolycus, they were told to find the big tree. Autolycus was living in a big tree. It had a door and a window. It was unusual, but Autolycus was the King of Thieves maybe he thought it was a disguise or something.

They went up to the door and Xena knocked. Autolycus answered, he smiled uneasily at them.

"Oh, hi there Xena, Hercules, Gabrielle, Iolaus… I didn't take it, I swear."

Xena and Hercules looked at each other.

"You didn't take what?" asked Hercules, knowing better than to believe him.

"Ah, you don't know. That's good. How can I help you?" He asked urgently changing the subject.

Xena tried not to glance at her friends, this was a big thing for her.

"We're here to see you about a little girl." She said.

Autolycus tried to look confused.

"Little girl? What little girl?" He asked casting worried looks around at the three.

"It's alright Autolycus, I told them." Xena said

"Oh, In that case, come on in." said Autolycus stepping aside and letting the four of them enter.

"Can I get you something to drink?" He asked as everyone went over to the table and had a seat.

"Sure." they replied.

Autolycus brought drinks.

The main room of the house was small but it had a high ceiling and there was a flight of wooden stairs leading to the second floor.

"It's funny that you would come to see Samantha now." Autolycus said, he didn't look happy.

"Why?" Xena asked concerned.

Autolycus frowned, how was he suppose to tell them?

"I'm afraid that Sammy is really sick. The town's healer told me that she will probably… die."

"Die?" said all four guests, shocked. Autolycus shifted uncomfortably.

"Yeah. She fell into the river a couple of days ago. She was barely alive when I got her out. Then she came down with this really bad cold, and now things aren't looking so good."

Hercules wrapped his arm around Xena's shoulders. And Autolycus went on.

"The funny thing is, the last couple of weeks she's been going on about how her mother and father were coming to visit. It's almost like she knew."

"How can that be? She doesn't even know you." Gabrielle asked.

Xena and Hercules turned to her.

"Maybe because she's a quarter god." Hercules said

"Yeah. That makes since." said Ioluas.

"Can we see her?" Xena asked Autolycus hopefully.

"Sure, right up those stairs. Call her Sammy."

Gabrielle and Iolaus decided not to follow as Xena and Hercules headed up the stairs.

Upstairs was one room with two beds and a table with two chairs. In one bed was a little girl around four winters old. She had dark blonde hair and baby blue eyes. Xena and Hercules each grabbed a chair and went over to the girl's bed.

"Sammy?" Xena said, she was very nervous.

The girl turned to them and smiled.

"You're my mother and father. I knew you'd come!" the girl said proudly.

Xena looked at Hercules, both were smiled.

"I heard that you're sick." Hercules said

Samantha frowned. "Yeah. The healer said that it doesn't look good. I wasn't suppose to hear that, but I wanted to know."

This was definitely their daughter.

"Have you been fighting the bad guys?" she asked her parents

"Yes. We have. But we thought it would be fun to come and see you." Xena said. Then they were silent for a long minute. The rain pounded against the house rhythematically. Xena ran her fingers through the girl's soft hair.

"Do you know what?" Samantha said

"No, what?" Hercules asked.

"I love you guys." replied the girl.

Xena smiled. "We love you too, Sammy." She said comfortingly.

DDR