Chapter 7
The gaseous swirl of crimson light surrounded them. Every now and then pale orange fire traced the edges of the clouds, and forces rocked the small shuttle as it pushed its way through the fabric of the now and now.
"What is this place?" Hope asked. Her anxiety was swallowed up by an overwhelming sense of awe.
David leaned his head over and peered through the port side view port. He shrugged. "If I remember the explanation rightly, it is the gap between where we are, and where we need to go."
Frowning, Hope turned to face him again. "That makes absolutely no sense."
David grinned.
After a few more minutes, Hope couldn't help herself.
"This is like being on the ocean, right?" she asked.
"Yes."
"Then how do you navigate it?" Hope continued. "There are no stars, no winds, or currents, nothing to show a direction?"
"There are currents," David replied easily. "But you're right. That's about it."
He pressed a switch beneath the small screen to the right of his control yoke, and the larger central monitor glowed to life. On the background of the swirling crimson gasses, small yellow dots appeared. One of those dots was surrounded by a soft, blinking, blue corona.
"The jump gates serve two roles," David explained. "First, they harness massive amounts of energy, allowing us to penetrate real space and travel in here. Secondly, each gate functions as a marker buoy, transmitting a signal through hyperspace, kind of like a trail that this ship can follow from one gate to another."
He zoomed in the monitor and centered on the flashing dot. It filled the entire screen and small print appeared next to it. David pointed to the string of numbers beneath the title heading.
"That is the transmission frequency assigned for that Jump Gate. Once we get in range, it'll power up and let us back into real space close to where we need to be." He finished.
Absently, Hope regretted that her mother and Sister were not getting any sleep this night. It seemed that she was not about to face the beatings she had become accustomed to. There was also a strange twinge of regret that she would not be able to try the plan that she and Xena had discussed.
She laughed softly, without really knowing why.
"Something funny?" David asked as he casually scanned the instruments for the umpteenth time.
"Nothing," Hope replied. "Just surprised."
"About what?" David asked.
"Xena and I were talking last night," Hope explained.
"I thought the two of you weren't getting along?" David asked, trying to hide a subtle smile.
Hope shrugged. "We weren't, actually. But after the beating I took last night, she sort of took pity on me."
"Really?" David replied. "That's interesting."
Hope studied David's aged face and saw the subtle nuances that would be present in any stage actor. There was the sincerity that had always been a part of his conversations. There was also the sarcastic nonchalance as well, but there was also something else this time. She perceived a sense of smug satisfaction that led her to believe that she had been a party to a much larger scheme. She wasn't sure if she should be amused or offended.
"You knew," she realized as she watched the smile tugging at his mouth beneath the gray whiskers. "You knew that I could do something to keep myself from being all torn up every morning."
"Uh-huh," David replied, the smile getting a little wider.
"You knew that I could heal myself before waking in the morning, and still retain the knowledge you passed on to me!" Hope continued, her sense of outrage rekindling.
David grinned. "Just as I knew that you, your mother, and your sister would figure it out without any prompting from me. And as I knew that your suffering would open them up to you a helluva lot faster than they normally would."
His expression melted to something more sober. "And time is kind of important right now."
Hope stared the man before her. "Because mother doesn't have much left."
"Exactly."
Instantly, the combination of outrage and understanding was subsumed by the nagging dread of impending loss.
At the same moment, the cold calculating side of her mind began to sift through all that she had learned thus far. Perhaps he was unwittingly teaching her the very things that she could turn against him at the moment he made his move.
Her eyes frosted over and part of that old darkness reasserted itself as she studied the old man beside her. She felt the old coldness settle around her heart as she studied him, looking for anything in his manner or demeanor that would signify a weak spot she could exploit. Not right this moment, no, she still had things to learn, but when the opportunity presented itself. In the back of her mind, she was repelled by the emergence of her old, cool calculating ways.
David merely smiled again, though there was no humor in it.
"Don't even consider it, sweetheart," he added knowingly. Then he looked back at her and held her icy gaze with a stony one of his own. "There are some things in this world that even you can't stop."
"Like you would understand anything about that," Hope muttered.
David's eyes flashed a sudden anger that was so bitter, so despondent, that Hope actually caught her breath.
"I know!" He said with raspy vehemence. "I know better than you could ever realize!"
He looked back out the forward canopy and took a few deep breaths.
Hope saw the pain on his face.
"Sorry," she said sincerely.
David smiled as his composure returned.
"I've kept you in dreamscapes and imaginary worlds, because I didn't want you in mine." He admitted. He looked at her intently. "I didn't think you were worthy. Still, I suppose you should know, since I already know what you're going to try."
"Remember what your friend back there on Dagobah says," Hope replied. "Do, or do not. There is no try."
"Fine," David sighed. "What you'll do then. I think you deserve to know that your mom was not my first wife."
"She wasn't?" Hope asked. She was more than a little surprised. "You were married before?"
David nodded. "For nine years."
Hope saw the pain on his face. It was as if there had been a wound on his heart that had never fully healed.
"How did she die?" Hope asked.
"People in your time call it a wasting disease, or consumption," David explained. "In my time, it's called cancer."
Hope said nothing, seeing the memories play out suddenly in David's eyes.
"The details aren't important," David went on after a moment. "The bottom line is this: I tried everything I could to stop it. I worked magicks and called upon deities, pooled every ounce of power I could tap, in order to stop it. In the end, it didn't amount to jack diddly. She still died. It nearly destroyed me, physically and emotionally. I fully expected that my life would never be the same again."
The pain subsided and was replaced by a wistful smile. "Then a couple of years later, I nearly ran over your mother in the middle of a back country road."
The monitor pinged and suddenly another massive vortex opened before them. At the end of the long, swirling tunnel, Hope could see the dark patch dotted with stars.
"Here we go," David said, coming suddenly back to life. He steered the shuttle towards the center of the swirling mass, and then reached into a deep pocket inside his robe.
He handed Hope a small, semi opaque piece of plastic with numerous markings and an image of her face.
"You'll need this for when we go through security," he explained. "Just follow my lead."
The shuttle shot through the vortex and entered the dark expanse of normal space.
Looking out the starboard view port opposite her strange benefactor, Hope saw a large brownish planet spinning lazily nearby. Silhouetted against the stark backdrop was a sight that sent her jaw towards the deck.
The thing was massive in length, spinning lazily beneath two long equally massive supports that jutted out beyond the end of the cylindrical main section, like a pair of daggers. The entire edifice was awash with brilliant swaths of pale red or blue light, and it rotated lazily as it floated through space.
David keyed a switch.
"Babylon Control," he said with an authoritative air. "This is Earth Shuttle Vagabond Drifter, requesting permission to dock?"
After a few seconds a sharp, somewhat stern female voice replied.
"Vagabond Drifter, this is C and C. Vectors transmitted. Maintain your course until further instructed." After a pause the voice returned. "Welcome back, Mister Forester."
David smiled. "Good to hear your voice again, Commander Ivanova. How are things?"
"Surprisingly quiet for a change," The commander's voice replied. "We have two freighters and a Centauri passenger ship in the pattern before you, so it will be a few minutes. Maintain your current course and hold at the outer marker."
"Understood." David nodded. "Take your time."
"C and C out."
The line went dead.
David piloted the shuttle around in a wide sweeping arc until he came to a position at the end of the long station. Several other ships held position nearby. Hope marveled at the various shapes and designs of the other craft.
"This is amazing," she said in awe. "This is from your world?"
David smiled. "Sort of."
Hope watched as a large, roughly circular ship with garish purple and gold markings began moving forward towards the station. As it neared it began spinning in time with the huge opening in the center.
"Wait a moment," Hope exclaimed as she watched the strange vessel vanish through the massive opening. "We're going inside that?"
David nodded as the com system pinged again.
"Vagabond Drifter, this is C and C," the commander's voice came over the speakers. "Release your controls and prepare to dock."
David keyed in a sequence of numbers on his controls and folded his arm.
"Controls released," he replied. "We're all yours."
"Confirmed Vagabond Drifter," Ivanova replied. "Also, the Ambassador has been alerted, she will greet you upon arrival. C and C out."
Hope felt a soft shiver run up her spine at the stern voice of the commander.
"Not a very friendly person is she."
"Who? Susan?" David replied. Then he smiled. "Oh no, you don't want to mess with her. She's all business."
The ship drifted smoothly into the station. Hope watched as a massive pair of steel doors opened before them, allowing them further entry, and the shuttle glided through into a large chamber. Hope felt the shift in the pit of her stomach as the shuttle settled gently on a pad within the room.
There was a muffled metallic boom as the massive doors shut behind the ship.
"What now?" she asked.
"Just wait," David replied.
Suddenly, the ship descended, riding the landing platform down into the bowels of the station. There was another metallic boom as a second set of doors closed above them.
Hope watched with childlike wonder as the railed platform moved down the long row of docking bays, passing ships of sizes and types too numerous to catalog.
The conveyance slowed as it neared an empty slot and rose up next to the bay. Then powerful motors on the pad slid the vessel sideways upon the actual bay floor before dropping back down onto its track and continuing forward. The whole gargantuan place was awash in gentle red light, with pale or amber lights illuminating the actual landing platforms.
"Shall we?" David asked, snapping Hope out of her stupor. He gestured to the hatch as it hissed open.
Hope heard a strange mix of noises coming through the open hatch. Loud metallic rumblings and booms, mixed with voices in countless languages.
She almost lost her footing when she emerged from the ship. Her eyes drifted upward to the distant ceiling, which was actually the massive central core of the docking system. The entire space was massive and open, almost like being outside.
"This is incredible," she breathed.
"Hope!" David called to her. She started and turned her gaze towards his voice, seeing him near a transparent hatch.
"Sorry," she called, jogging after him.
"This is amazing!" She exclaimed when she reached him.
David smiled and drew out his own plastic card. He held it up. "Have it ready."
They passed through the hatch and joined a long queue of other people, many of them so alien, that Hope was hard pressed to keep from staring.
They moved patiently through the line until they entered a lobby of some sort. At the end of the line was a tall, thin man in a gray uniform, inspecting the cards that each person carried. He was lean, in his mid to late thirties, with short neat dark hair and sharp dark eyes. His face was handsome, with deep dimples when he smiled, though, Hope noted, there was an underlying sarcasm to his smile whenever it appeared.
As they neared, she heard his voice, deep and somewhat gravelling.
"Thank you, go ahead," he said automatically, and then turning to the next person. "Identacard please?"
When he turned to face David, the first genuine smile appeared on his lips as he received David's card.
"Well," he said in a slight drawl. "Mister Forester. What brings you back to town? Business or pleasure?"
"Business this time, Mister Allen," David replied. Taking his card back. He turned and gestured to Hope. "This is my step daughter, Hope."
Hope extended the small card to the security officer.
"Hope," David continued with a disarming smile. "This is Security officer, Zack Allen." Then he frowned noting the new insignia on Zack's uniform. "Or should I say, chief?"
Zack's smile remained, though now it seemed a bit forced. "Yeah, well, Garibaldi's taking some time off."
"I see," David nodded.
"He'll be back soon though," Zack continued. "This is only temporary."
He handed Hope's card back to her and waved them through.
David nodded. "Good to see you again, Zack."
"You to," the security chief replied, shaking his hand. "The Ambassador should be in the lobby."
David nodded and gestured for Hope to follow.
"He's going to be in that temporary position till they close this place down," he said knowingly. "Just don't tell him that." He smiled.
They continued into a functionally appointed terminal lobby, with modern seats lined up in neat rows for waiting passengers, and various monitors showing arrival and departure information. An automated voice emanated from hidden speakers in the room, welcoming them to Babylon 5 and pointing out various amenities in numerous languages.
Hope was beginning to feel overwhelmed by everything she had seen. Her mind struggled to grasp it all. She could feel her heart racing as she moved, dreamlike through the scene. It was all so real. She was immersed in this place. Her understanding of reality and fantasy seemed to be blurring in this place.
David, sensing Hope's enrapturement, gently placed a hand under her left arm and guided her through the crowd of people, off toward a nearby open hatch.
They passed through into a smaller lobby, less crowded, and Hope's gaze fell back towards where they were walking, and beheld a single figure standing patiently before them. She was tall and slender, with delicate, beautiful features and gentle, deep dark blue eyes.
Her long dark hair fell over a crest that reminded Hope of a conch shell. It took a moment for her to realize that this ornamentation was not a garment, or piece of adornment, but rather, it was a part of her head.
She wore a simple, yet elegant pale white shimmering robe that was trimmed in red, blue and gold. Her hands were clasped at her waist and her expression was one of quiet joy at the meeting.
Hope could almost feel the serene sense of peace emanating from this figure. It was like a warm blanket that surrounded her.
Her hands rose and clasped before her, as if in some form of prayer. She was numbly aware that David had assumed the same posture.
"Ambassador Delenn," David said, smiling. The two of them bowed. "Good to see you again."
Delenn's smile remained when she looked back up at him, peaceful and serene.
"And you, David," she replied.
"Thank you for taking the trouble to see us on such short notice," David continued. He turned and gestured to Hope. "This is my stepdaughter, Hope. Hope, this is Ambassador Delenn, of the Minbari Federation."
Hope merely nodded her eyes still wide from amazement.
Delenn merely smiled, nodding in return. "I take it she has not been among the stars much?"
"This is her first time," David nodded. "She's a bit overwhelmed at the moment."
The smile never wavered. "It is understandable. To grow up in one place and then to suddenly realize all that is around you can be quite intimidating."
David nodded. "That it can."
"Well," Delenn continued, moving next to Hope and offering her arm. "Shall we go someplace less intimidating?"
Dumbly, Hope nodded.
Delenn took her hand and patted it reassuringly. "This way."
The trio move through a myriad of corridors and passageways until they reached a large gray hatch. Delenn slid a card into the slot to the left of the hatch and there was a series of quick beeps before the hatch slid to the side.
"Well," David said lightly. "I guess I will leave you two to talk."
Hope blinked. "You mean you're not coming inside?"
David shook his head and smiled. "This isn't about me, kiddo. Besides, I think you'll be more comfortable if it's just the two of you."
He nodded his head towards their host. "Delenn. I'll see you later?"
"Of course," Delenn nodded. The two of them bowed their heads and David withdrew.
Hope watched him vanish around a corner, another twinge of abandonment pricking at her heart, mixed with a certain amount of trepidation.
"Come in," Delenn offered kindly.
Nervously, Hope followed her strange host into a lavishly appointed suite of rooms.
All the furniture was soft and comfortable. Crystals of varying hues reflected the light in the room, softening the glare to gentle warm radiances. Here and there a candle burned quietly, releasing strange perfumes into the air which mixed and settled, bathing the room in soft scents.
Delenn moved behind a small counter and began working with a small contraption that Hope could not identify.
"Would you like some tea?" her host asked gently.
Hope was fascinated by the woman. Her every move was fluid and graceful, almost like a perpetual dance. Like the room, the air about her was one of calm wisdom and acceptance.
Hope tried to keep from staring, but she couldn't help it. It took a few moments before she realized that the willowy woman was staring back at her with almost the same mixture of wonder and curiosity as she.
"Sorry," Hope said, looking away in embarrassment. Then she looked back up, her eyes fixing on the pale bony crest encircling her head, just above her ears.
"You're, um," she stammered. "You're not, uh."
Delenn smiled and resumed working on the small appliance until it began to hum softly.
"If you are trying to ask whether or not I am human," she said as she gestured for Hope to be seated on the overstuffed couch against the wall. "Then I will say that you are partly correct."
She folded herself into the chair opposite and eyed Hope keenly.
"I am a half Human, half Minbari," she finished with a soft smile.
Hope nodded, not wanting to pry into personal matters with this stranger.
Delenn's eyes continued to study her for a long moment, and Hope was mildly surprised at how little she minded the scrutiny.
"Your teacher speaks very highly of you" Delenn resumed after a few moments. "He tells me that you have come a long way, endured much, and learned much."
She smiled. "When he speaks of you, I can often see a sense of fatherly pride."
Hope shrugged. She had never sensed a feeling of pride from David. Quite the contrary. In fact, she had always felt that the majority of the tests he had subjected her too were partly to aid her, and partly to pay her back for his demise by her hand.
Delenn continued to look at her, that soft smile on her lips.
"He also tells me," she went on. "That you are still struggling with other things."
Hope blinked. It was easy to become lost in Delenn's thoughtful gaze.
"Like what?"
Delenn considered for a moment. "You are on a journey, and yet, you have not set your feet on any one particular path."
Hope frowned. "I don't understand."
The small appliance on the counter made a soft ping, and Delenn rose and went to it, taking two long stemmed, delicate glasses from a nearby tray.
"Not long ago, there were two races," she said. "One were called the Vorlons, and the others were known to us only as the Shadows. Would you like some tea?"
"Yes, please," Hope answered.
Delenn filled the two glasses and returned, handing one to Hope and resuming her seat. She sipped at the pungent drink and sighed.
"These two races were all that remained of those that we know as the First Ones. They were left behind to safeguard the other, younger races in the universe, you understand?"
"I think so," Hope replied.
"The Vorlons and the Shadows asked two very important questions exclusively. The Vorlons always asked, 'who are you?' and with the Shadows, the question was always, 'what do you want?'"
She studied Hope again for a moment and smiled. "Alone, these two questions were dangerous, as both races discovered. Asked independently, these were powerful questions. However, when presented together, they were even powerful questions because they forced any being presented with them to reevaluate his or her position in life."
"I don't understand," Hope said, frowning.
"Your teacher asked me to speak with you, here, now, because you must decide the answer to these questions."
A lump of cold dread knotted in Hope's belly.
"How much did David tell you?" She asked nervously.
Delenn smiled. And stood again, moving to a large crystal display against the rear wall.
"He told me that you were responsible for a great deal of destruction on your home world." She said smoothly. "That you commanded great armies, and bathed the land in blood for a time. That you took his life in combat."
She turned and saw the dread on Hope's face. The color drained from the young girl's cheeks.
"If I understand all that David has explained to me, you were bred to this course?" Delenn continued.
"You could say that," Hope nodded, wondering when she would be asked to leave. The fear was so perceptible, that Delenn actually laughed.
"Would it surprise you to learn that we are similar in many ways?" she confided. She stepped toward her, her hands clasped in front of her.
"As a people," she explained. "We Minbari do everything together. We celebrate together in times of joy; mourn together in times of loss. We are deeply passionate, and at the same time, deeply religious. These passions and ideals unite us in ways that surpass any other race. Our religious caste was created to maintain a balance for our people, providing guidance and security, while our warrior caste was there to protect us, and our worker caste made it possible for the other two to provide the support and protection that we as a people required. When the three castes are in agreement on a particular cause, then the results can be glorious, or terrifying."
Hope saw a haunted look appear in Delenn's eyes, as she looked inward to an old memory.
"When we first encountered your people, a misunderstanding caused the death of our greatest leader." Delenn continued. "As a people, we went mad together, and that madness led us to sweep through the universe, wiping out your people by their thousands, all the way to your home world. Then, fortunately, in the last hour, as a people, we woke up from our nightmare together, and stopped."
Hope's mouth hung open in shock.
Delenn stared at her closely and a bitter smile appeared. "My voice was the deciding vote that sent us on that mad course, Hope."
"Yours?" Hope was stunned.
"One statement, made in moment of anger," Delenn nodded. "And three and a half million of your kind were snuffed out."
Hope couldn't find the words. How do you respond to something like that?
Delenn's peaceful expression reasserted itself and she smiled knowingly.
"As I said," she finished. "We are not so dissimilar after all, are we? Like me, you have awakened from your nightmare. Now you must decide which path you will follow."
"How do I do that?" Hope asked. "When I've done so much wrong. I could never make up for it, not in my lifetime."
Delenn smiled knowingly. "You find ways to make amends. A little at a time, day by day. But you cannot do that until you answer two very important questions."
Hope nodded. "Who am I, and what do I want?"
"Once you have answered those questions, your journey can begin."
"I know what I want," Hope said suddenly. "I want to make up for all the things I've done."
Delenn smiled. "Then you are already half way there. Who are you?"
Hope frowned.
"Hope is your name," Delenn said. "But who are you? What does your name mean to you? Beyond the simple definition."
Hope opened her mouth to reply and discovered, much to her dismay, that she had no answer. She didn't know who she was.
"I know who I want to be," she managed to say. "Who I want to be like."
Delenn smiled. "That is as good a place to start as any."
Hope smiled, suddenly a little embarrassed. "It's strange. I have so few memories of my mother. Some fragments from when I was a child, but most of it in this last week alone. All I know is that I want to be like her, but I don't really know her."
"Like your mother?" Delenn asked. "Then you must learn from her. You must walk in her shoes, see life through her eyes. Believe as she believes." Her expression was almost wistful.
Delenn set the glass down. "Tell me, what is the earliest memory that you have of her?"
Hope thought for a moment. "Her voice. A song, I think. Something she sang to me when I was real young."
"Do you remember it?" Delenn asked.
Hope shook her head and Delenn smiled. "Are you sure?"
Delenn reached out and gently placed a hand on top of Hopes. Think back to those moments. Let them come to the surface. Don't force them, just feel them."
Hope took a deep breath and closed her eyes, frowning in concentration. Nothing rose to the surface.
"Relax," Delenn said calmly. There was a softness to her voice that made it seem distant, almost hypnotic.
The tension in her mind seemed to melt away. Then, as if from a distance, she caught it rising up through the myriad of other thoughts swimming in her mind. Gabrielle's voice, soft and comforting like a blanket.
Lay your head down,
Sleep on my shoulder.
Lay your head down,
and start a new dream.
And for tonight,
The moment is over
Drift in a lullaby,
Here where the stars reside,
And angels are all we see.
And lay your head down,
The stars, they have whispered
Hear what they say,
And know what it means.
The moon is your guide.
The stars, they have kissed her.
As she rolls gently by,
Light as a baby's sigh,
Safe on a fairytale stream,
And start a new dream…
She could almost feel her mother's arms holding her, cradling her. It was warmth and kindness, filled with gentle love, and a touch of longing.
Hope truly heard it for the first time. She fell into it, feeling the melancholy, the hope, the love, the fear, all woven into one warm, sheltering tapestry of emotion.
When she opened her eyes again, there were tears in them. Delenn was smiling and nodding.
"I heard it," Hope said breathlessly. "I felt it. It was like I was there again, only without the other voices in my mind."
"That is when you will find yourself, Hope," Delenn said. "When you walk in the quiet places, when you let your mind go back to those things that bring you comfort and happiness, or when you walk through dreams. That is when you learn most about who you are."
"Dreams," Hope repeated, and then she laughed quietly. "Everything in this place is a dream. Everything I've seen when I'm with him is part of a long series of dreams. Even sitting here with you is nothing more than part of a dream. An illusion, designed to teach me lessons that I don't even begin to understand."
"The understanding will come, in the fullness of time," Delenn said patiently. "But you must want to understand in order to learn. You cannot simply walk through these places and take nothing with you. You understand."
Xena's head snapped up as she fought off the latest wave of weariness. She looked down at the slumbering form of Hope and shook her head. No new visible signs of injury had appeared on the young woman since she had fallen asleep.
She lay quietly, her breathing soft and slow, deep in slumber.
Behind her eyelids, Xena could see her eyes flicking from one side to the other rapidly. Wherever she was, whatever she was experiencing, it was obvious that she was dreaming.
Her eyes drifted over to the second form, lying next to Hope. That of her best friend and mother, Gabrielle.
For the first time, she saw how truly changed her mother was. It was like Hope's appearance provided the basis from which Xena drew.
Gabrielle's face was composed, peaceful, but careworn. The lines around her eyes and mouth more pronounced the wrinkles on her forehead, the somewhat leathery appearance of her hands and arms.
The only thing unchanged was the crystal clear green of her eyes. They were the only part of her that retained their youthful glow, in spite of all she had endured.
Xena blinked as she realized that Gabrielle was awake and looking at her.
"You said you would wake me in four hours, young lady," Gabrielle said with a knowing smile. "I think it's been about six."
Xena shrugged. "I wasn't that tired."
Gabrielle smiled. "That isn't the point, Xena. We agreed to share the burden. Besides, I really haven't been able to sleep all that well anyway."
She sat up quietly and added a couple of logs to the fire. The flames sprouted back up to consume the fresh fuel and the warmth radiated outward over them.
"Anything?" she asked as she knelt down opposite Xena and studied the sleeping girl's face.
"Not so far," Xena shook her head. "She was mumbling something a little bit ago, but no sign of any beating as of yet."
"Well," Gabrielle smiled. "Then get some sleep."
Xena shrugged. "I'm alright."
"That's nice, dear," Gabrielle replied. "Sleep."
Xena was about to protest when she saw the stern resignation in Gabrielle's eyes. There was no point in arguing, especially when she really was exhausted.
She lay down near the fire and stared at Hope for a few more seconds. Then her eyes closed and she immediately drifted off to sleep.
As soon as Gabrielle was sure that Xena was indeed asleep, she let out a long, shaky breath. In that action, she seemed to wilt a little bit, her shoulders sagged just a hint, her gentle expression hardening to certainty.
She fought the light headedness away with a few more deep breaths and looked back down at Hope. There was so much remembered pain in her slumbering expression. A hint of worry, or even fear, creased the delicate lines in her forehead.
She placed her hand gently on Hope's head, brushing some stay golden hairs out of her face and smiled.
No new bruises, no new cuts, no new trauma at all. It seemed that Hope was receiving the first peaceful nights sleep in a long, long time.
Then Gabrielle looked at Xena. Her gaze moved between the two of them, and she frowned in wonder.
Getting to her feet, she moved off to one side of the camp and turned to study the scene before her.
There lay Xena, dressed in her usual leathers, her weapons neatly arranged within easy reach of her hands, the thick woolen blanket wrapped tightly around her body. There, opposite her sleeping form was another one, motionless in slumber, oblivious to the dangers of the wild world.
There, before her eyes, lay a warrior and a young, inexperienced girl, out among the troubles of the world.
It was a unique perspective, to see Xena and Hope sleeping, much like she and Xena had done in a previous life, all those years ago. She was looking at the future, and the past all rolled into one image of two people, irrevocably linked by an unbreakable bond. Only, in this case the bond was by blood instead of friendship.
Gabrielle smiled again. "Is this what we looked like, all those years ago?" she wondered aloud.
She moved to return to her place at Hope's side, but a wave of dizziness caused her steps to falter. She dropped to the soft earth with a gasp of surprise.
Hope's eyes snapped open and she sat upright at the sound of the fall.
"Mother!" she cried.
Xena also sat up. The two of them both saw Gabrielle lying on the ground and in unison they scrambled forward to her aid.
"I'm alright," Gabriele protested as the two women helped her over near the fire. "I'm alright. Just a little light headed."
They lay her by the fire and wrapped her in the blankets.
"Just rest," Xena said with a smile, though her body was tense with sudden fright.
Gabrielle's face was gray and glistening with a thin sheen of perspiration.
"Don't you do anything silly," Hope said suddenly. "It isn't time yet."
Gabrielle smiled and closed her eyes. The anxiety left her expression and she took a deep breath, falling unconscious.
"Mom?" Xena said urgently.
"She's okay," Hope nodded. "She just fell back to sleep."
The two of them watched for a time as Gabrielle's breathing slowed to something more relaxed and her expression melted to something more peaceful. They each breathed a sigh of relief.
When Hope looked up at Xena, she found her staring back, her eyes a combination of fear and suspicion.
"What did you mean when you told her it wasn't time yet?" Xena asked pointedly.
