Chapter 41:Awake

Gabrielle POV

After Dite left, I remained there on the porch with Adam in my arms. He looked at me with those beautiful chocolate eyes and watching him, a tear left my eyes. How could that happen? Why? What was I supposed to do? How could I bring Xena to rest next to her brother when we were still on the run, with a 3 year old and a baby with us? What was I supposed to tell Evie? And to top it all, he just left…

"Gabby! Gabby!" Eve's piercing voice suddenly broke out. It sounded alarming and needless to say that I ran to her room as fast as my legs could carry me…She wasn't there. I panicked…

"Eve!" I yelled back.

"Gabby!"

I followed the sound of her voice, and it brought me right in front of Xena's room. I heard her cries one more time before I entered to find her all over her mother and with tears in her eyes.

"Why isn't mommy waking up? Mommy!"

"Eve..."

I came closer to her. She looked at me with pleading eyes and then she saw her brother.

"Adam...He's here…Where is daddy then?"

She quickly made the connections, forgetting all about crying for a moment. How could I tell her that her mother wasn't coming back to us and that she might have lost her father too along the way?

"Eve...what are you doing here? Weren't you sleeping?"

"I woke up…I want mommy to wake up too but she doesn't listen…Tell her Gabby…tell her!"

She started crying all over again never letting go of Xena's hand.

"Adam is hungry sweetie...you too…come eat something and then I will tell you all about Mommy's sleep, ok?"

"I don't want to leave...I want to stay with mommy...Mommy wants that too…right Mommy?"

"Sweetie…"

When I realized that it didn't make any sense in trying to convince her otherwise, I came up with a different solution.

"Ok...I will bring your food here then...Wait just a moment!"

She nodded bravely.

I got into the kitchen to prepare something for Eve to eat and to warm up some milk for Adam from a bottle that Dite had left for us. Adam was fast asleep right after he had drunk all the bottle and I put him in his basket and left him in Eve's room.

"Gabby...come quickly!" the little child yelled once more but this time I could hear her small paces on the very old trap...I warned her so many times about it…not to run too fast because she could easily break her yet fragile bones.

"Gabby!" she exclaimed once more once I got in front of her, stopping her moves…She was out of breath.

"Not so fast little lady...What are you doing...?"

"Come...mommy...you need to see her..."

She took my hand in her small one and dragged me to Xena's room. It was only when I got close enough to Xena's bed though that I could see her fingers moving.

"See?" Eve said but I could barely register...My friend was alive...

"Xena?"

Her name came out instantly and without knowing. I pinched myself to make it even truer than it was.

"Xena?" I hurriedly knelt in front of her bed when her eyes fluttered slowly open and looked at me.

"G…Gabrielle?"

"Oh Xena…I can't believe it..." I hugged her tight.

"Hey...its' my mommy..!"

Eve came fast between us and took Xena in her small arms. Her mother's hands came protectively around her daughter's back.

"I missed you sweetheart..."

"Me too mommy..."

"Are you alright Xena?" I asked still taken aback about her coming back from the dead.

"I'm really hungry."

"Good…Stay here...I will come back in a bit…"

I finished Eve's breakfast and made something from my friend too and returned to them both as fast as I could.

"Here!"

"Thanks Gabrielle!" she said while beginning to eat. Eve ate with her mother too.

"It's yummy Gabby!" Eve complimented.

"I'm happy you like it..."

"Auntie Gab makes delicious food sweetheart, you should have known that by now…" Xena added, kissing her daughter's forehead.

"Xena do you remember what happened?"

My question obviously threw her into a pensive state, and for a moment there she stopped eating.

"I…by all the gods…where is Ares? And Adam?"

"Adam is with us...he is alright, sleeping right now in Eve's room…And Ares…well…he will be happy to see you."

"Did he…did he think that...I..."

I just nodded...Her face saddened.

"He…he left…I don't know where…He will come, you will see…"

"Maybe…" she finished on a thoughtful note.

"Xena?"

"Huh?"

"How...how comes that you are alive?"

"Do you remember the time when you were pretending to be me to help Salmoneus save a village because I was enabled and poisoned by Callisto?" I nodded.

"This was just the same poison but Ares was too upset to even listen to me so he didn't know…He thought it was a mere paralysis…I just hope he won't do anything stupid…"

She got up from the bed.

"Mommy!" Eve hanged by her mom's arms.

"Sweetie...mommy will leave...I have to bring daddy home ok? I won't be gone long…"

Eve began sobbing.

"But you just came back. I want to go with you mommy…please…take me…take me…" Xena gave me a sad look.

"Baby...I can't but I will come back very soon...I promise...Take care of your brother ok?"

She finally nodded and kissed her mother on the cheeks.

"Gabrielle..."

"You don't need to say anything to me…just come back safe!"

"Thank you...Take care of them...I love you! See you soon!"

We embraced and then she left.

Me and Eve looked out the window and saw Xena galloping on Argo far away from us...She had to come back safe and sound. She just had to…