A month had passed since Xena and Gabrielle had last seen Eve and Sabrina. It was time for Xena to head back home to see her daughters. When Xena and Gabrielle arrived at Cyrene's tavern in Amphipolis, they found little Sabrina now 2½ playing outside with Eve. Xena quickly got off her horse and ran up to them. As Xena ran up to Sabrina, Sabrina quickly backed away and ran behind her sister.
"Sabrina what's wrong?" Eve asked, trying to get Sabrina from behind her.
"She scared me" Sabrina answered.
"What, Sabrina don't you remember her? It's mommy" Eve said.
"Sabrina it's me" Xena said, with a smile.
"Mommy!" Sabrina replied, as she slowly walked from behind Eve and up to Xena.
"Yes, It's me, I've missed you so much" Xena said, as she picked up Sabrina and hugged her tightly.
"Remember me? I'm Auntie Gabrielle" Gabrielle said, padding Sabrina on the back.
"Auntie" Sabrina said, as she jumped out of Xena's arms and onto Gabrielle's.
"Hello mother" Eve said, as she hugged Xena.
"How are you doing?" Xena asked.
"Never better" Eve answered.
Then out through the tavern door came Cyrene, coming to see what all the noise was about.
"What's going on out here?" Cyrene asked.
"Grandma, my mommy's back" Sabrina said.
"It's good to see you two again" Cyrene said, as she went to hug Xena and Gabrielle.
They then headed inside the tavern to listen to the stories of Xena and Gabrielle's latest adventures.
As night fell Xena was tucking in Sabrina, who had fallen asleep in her mother's arms just moments before. As Xena sat down beside her daughter, Cyrene walked in the room.
"I see Sabrina's asleep" Cyrene said walking up to Xena.
"Yes, finally" Xena replied, looking at her daughter.
"That girl is something else" Cyrene said, with a smile.
"Yes she is. I hope she didn't give you much trouble while I was gone" Xena replied, as she turned to her mother.
"No she was a good girl. It was just the first week that was a little hard" Cyrene said.
"Why, what happened?" Xena asked.
"Well at first Sabrina would cry every night for you, almost none stop. But then as the days passed, I'm afraid she started to forget about you" Cyrene answered, as she sat down next to Xena.
"That explains why she was scared of me when I walked up to her. She didn't know who I was" Xena replied, as her face dropped.
"The only reason she probably forgot was, because to you only a month had gone by, but to her it feels like half a year went by" Cyrene said.
"I forgot about the effect of the dragon snake's venom on her, how could I" Xena replied.
"Don't beat your self up about it, you had to do what you thought was right" Cyrene said, as she put a consoling hand on her daughter's shoulder.
"What if what I thought was right was actually wrong?" Xena asked.
"You know it's never too late to change your mind" Cyrene said, with a smile before getting up leaving the room.
Xena sat there beside her daughter, pondering whether or not she should have left Sabrina in the first place. After awhile Xena decided to go and check up on Eve, whom was in her room about to go look for Xena.
"Eve are you in here?" Xena asked, as she opened the door.
"Oh, mother I was on my way to look for you" Eve replied.
"Guess it's a good thing I found you. Is everything okay?" Xena asked.
"Well there's something I wanted to talk to you about" Eve replied.
"What is it sweet heart?" Xena asked, walking up to Eve.
"This whole thing about leaving Sabrina with Grandmother is bothering me" Eve answered.
"What do you mean? You didn't say anything about it before" Xena said.
Eve sighed.
"I just didn't know how to tell you" Eve replied.
"Why don't you want her to stay with your Grandmother?" Xena asked.
"It's not that I don't want her to stay with stay with our Grandmother, It's just that I don't want her to grow up without a mother in her life" Eve replied.
"What do you mean without a mother in her life? I'm here for her when ever I can be" Xena said, now a little confused.
"That's the problem mother, when you can. You're not always here for her. You were gone a month, but to her you were gone half a year. What about next time, how long will you be gone then? Two months, maybe three, why not six months" Eve replied, getting hysterical.
"Eve I am only doing what's best for Sabrina" Xena said, clearly getting upset.
"That's funny because it seems to me that your only doing what's best for you" Eve replied.
"Do you honestly believe that I would ever put my self before the well being of my child" Xena asked.
"Well why not you've done it before" Eve yelled, before walking to the window, with her eyes filled with tears.
That was when Xena finally realized what was truly bothering Eve. Eve wasn't just mad because Xena had left Sabrina, no she was angry at Xena for leaving her.
"Eve you know that I love you with all my heart. I never choose to leave you, that was never part of the plan. I only did the things I did because I was trying to save you. I love, you know that" Xena said, as she walked up behind Eve, and placed a comforting arm around her daughter.
"I know but what about Solan? Your doing the same thing to Sabrina as you did with Solan" Eve replied, not turning to look at her mother.
"I was protecting him, if he had stayed with me he would have learned things a child should never know. As for Sabrina if she stays with me she'd just be in constant danger" Xena said, trying to plead with Eve.
"So Solan couldn't stay with you because for your job, and even though now you fight on the other side, Sabrina still can't stay with you because of your job. Who are you trying to fool mother, don't you see the dilemma in both cases. Each time you had to choose between fighting and your children. You choose fighting" Eve said, bitterly.
There was silence for a moment. Xena didn't know what to say. Was her daughter right ? Did she care about fighting more than she cared about her children? Tears began to fall down Xena's face, as she slowly turned around and sat down on the bed. Eve looked back at her mother silently sitting on the bed with tears flowing down her face.
She knew what she had said really hurt her mother, but she had kept it bottled in so long that she had to say something. Maybe her mother was really doing what she thought was right, maybe she hadn't consider giving up her lively hood instead. Eve wondered these things and more before finally walking to her mother and sitting beside her.
"Mother, I'm …" Eve began to say, but was interrupted by Xena.
"You don't have to apologize, you were completely right. I'm a terrible mother' Xena said, looking downward.
"No mother your not. I don't know what got into me. I guess I had some built up anger towards you, that I've been holding in since I was little. I really didn't mean those things I said" Eve replied, with tears flowing down her face.
"Yes you did and I don't blame you for feeling that way. You have a right to be mad at me , I was never there for you' Xena said.
"I know in my heart that if you could have been there, you would have been there every time. I know you love me, you're the only mother I know that would fight the gods to save their child" Eve said, with a smile.
"That's true" Xena replied, with a small chuckle.
"Mother I'm sorry this is absolutely not the way I wanted this to happen. All I wanted to do was tell you to reconsider leaving Sabrina here, and that was it" Eve said, leaning on her mother.
"I think it's better this way, at least I know how your feeling. I would rather you tell me when something's troubling you, instead of keeping it bottled up inside" Xena replied, with a smile, as she wrapped her arms around her daughter.
There was silence once again, as mother and daughter sat there still, listening to the sounds around them.
"Sabrina what's wrong?" Eve asked, trying to get Sabrina from behind her.
"She scared me" Sabrina answered.
"What, Sabrina don't you remember her? It's mommy" Eve said.
"Sabrina it's me" Xena said, with a smile.
"Mommy!" Sabrina replied, as she slowly walked from behind Eve and up to Xena.
"Yes, It's me, I've missed you so much" Xena said, as she picked up Sabrina and hugged her tightly.
"Remember me? I'm Auntie Gabrielle" Gabrielle said, padding Sabrina on the back.
"Auntie" Sabrina said, as she jumped out of Xena's arms and onto Gabrielle's.
"Hello mother" Eve said, as she hugged Xena.
"How are you doing?" Xena asked.
"Never better" Eve answered.
Then out through the tavern door came Cyrene, coming to see what all the noise was about.
"What's going on out here?" Cyrene asked.
"Grandma, my mommy's back" Sabrina said.
"It's good to see you two again" Cyrene said, as she went to hug Xena and Gabrielle.
They then headed inside the tavern to listen to the stories of Xena and Gabrielle's latest adventures.
As night fell Xena was tucking in Sabrina, who had fallen asleep in her mother's arms just moments before. As Xena sat down beside her daughter, Cyrene walked in the room.
"I see Sabrina's asleep" Cyrene said walking up to Xena.
"Yes, finally" Xena replied, looking at her daughter.
"That girl is something else" Cyrene said, with a smile.
"Yes she is. I hope she didn't give you much trouble while I was gone" Xena replied, as she turned to her mother.
"No she was a good girl. It was just the first week that was a little hard" Cyrene said.
"Why, what happened?" Xena asked.
"Well at first Sabrina would cry every night for you, almost none stop. But then as the days passed, I'm afraid she started to forget about you" Cyrene answered, as she sat down next to Xena.
"That explains why she was scared of me when I walked up to her. She didn't know who I was" Xena replied, as her face dropped.
"The only reason she probably forgot was, because to you only a month had gone by, but to her it feels like half a year went by" Cyrene said.
"I forgot about the effect of the dragon snake's venom on her, how could I" Xena replied.
"Don't beat your self up about it, you had to do what you thought was right" Cyrene said, as she put a consoling hand on her daughter's shoulder.
"What if what I thought was right was actually wrong?" Xena asked.
"You know it's never too late to change your mind" Cyrene said, with a smile before getting up leaving the room.
Xena sat there beside her daughter, pondering whether or not she should have left Sabrina in the first place. After awhile Xena decided to go and check up on Eve, whom was in her room about to go look for Xena.
"Eve are you in here?" Xena asked, as she opened the door.
"Oh, mother I was on my way to look for you" Eve replied.
"Guess it's a good thing I found you. Is everything okay?" Xena asked.
"Well there's something I wanted to talk to you about" Eve replied.
"What is it sweet heart?" Xena asked, walking up to Eve.
"This whole thing about leaving Sabrina with Grandmother is bothering me" Eve answered.
"What do you mean? You didn't say anything about it before" Xena said.
Eve sighed.
"I just didn't know how to tell you" Eve replied.
"Why don't you want her to stay with your Grandmother?" Xena asked.
"It's not that I don't want her to stay with stay with our Grandmother, It's just that I don't want her to grow up without a mother in her life" Eve replied.
"What do you mean without a mother in her life? I'm here for her when ever I can be" Xena said, now a little confused.
"That's the problem mother, when you can. You're not always here for her. You were gone a month, but to her you were gone half a year. What about next time, how long will you be gone then? Two months, maybe three, why not six months" Eve replied, getting hysterical.
"Eve I am only doing what's best for Sabrina" Xena said, clearly getting upset.
"That's funny because it seems to me that your only doing what's best for you" Eve replied.
"Do you honestly believe that I would ever put my self before the well being of my child" Xena asked.
"Well why not you've done it before" Eve yelled, before walking to the window, with her eyes filled with tears.
That was when Xena finally realized what was truly bothering Eve. Eve wasn't just mad because Xena had left Sabrina, no she was angry at Xena for leaving her.
"Eve you know that I love you with all my heart. I never choose to leave you, that was never part of the plan. I only did the things I did because I was trying to save you. I love, you know that" Xena said, as she walked up behind Eve, and placed a comforting arm around her daughter.
"I know but what about Solan? Your doing the same thing to Sabrina as you did with Solan" Eve replied, not turning to look at her mother.
"I was protecting him, if he had stayed with me he would have learned things a child should never know. As for Sabrina if she stays with me she'd just be in constant danger" Xena said, trying to plead with Eve.
"So Solan couldn't stay with you because for your job, and even though now you fight on the other side, Sabrina still can't stay with you because of your job. Who are you trying to fool mother, don't you see the dilemma in both cases. Each time you had to choose between fighting and your children. You choose fighting" Eve said, bitterly.
There was silence for a moment. Xena didn't know what to say. Was her daughter right ? Did she care about fighting more than she cared about her children? Tears began to fall down Xena's face, as she slowly turned around and sat down on the bed. Eve looked back at her mother silently sitting on the bed with tears flowing down her face.
She knew what she had said really hurt her mother, but she had kept it bottled in so long that she had to say something. Maybe her mother was really doing what she thought was right, maybe she hadn't consider giving up her lively hood instead. Eve wondered these things and more before finally walking to her mother and sitting beside her.
"Mother, I'm …" Eve began to say, but was interrupted by Xena.
"You don't have to apologize, you were completely right. I'm a terrible mother' Xena said, looking downward.
"No mother your not. I don't know what got into me. I guess I had some built up anger towards you, that I've been holding in since I was little. I really didn't mean those things I said" Eve replied, with tears flowing down her face.
"Yes you did and I don't blame you for feeling that way. You have a right to be mad at me , I was never there for you' Xena said.
"I know in my heart that if you could have been there, you would have been there every time. I know you love me, you're the only mother I know that would fight the gods to save their child" Eve said, with a smile.
"That's true" Xena replied, with a small chuckle.
"Mother I'm sorry this is absolutely not the way I wanted this to happen. All I wanted to do was tell you to reconsider leaving Sabrina here, and that was it" Eve said, leaning on her mother.
"I think it's better this way, at least I know how your feeling. I would rather you tell me when something's troubling you, instead of keeping it bottled up inside" Xena replied, with a smile, as she wrapped her arms around her daughter.
There was silence once again, as mother and daughter sat there still, listening to the sounds around them.