Chapter Five
"Michelle, I'm not going to ask you again, stay close to me." Michelle nodded and took Xena's hand as they walked. They had rode horses to the remote sight in Macedonia and now they were exploring or just walking really in her opinion. She wanted to touch a feel everything.
"What are we looking for?" Michelle asked as Hercules took her left hand. His left hand held Gabby's leash.
"An old temple, I haven't seen it since the forties."
"Like that?" Michelle asked releasing her father's hand and pointing. They turned to look at the crumbling pile of rubble.
"Yes, that is it."
"Was Xena here?" Michelle asked.
"Yes, Hercules, Iolaus, Gabrielle, Joxer, Eve, and Xena were all here."
"Eve?"
"Oh that's right we never got to the fifth year of her life with Gabrielle."
"You said her and Gabrielle lived six wonderful years together."
"Yes, they did."
"Why don't we take a break and have lunch while you tell her the rest of the story in summary and save the more detailed adventures for bed time." Michelle nodded agreement enthusiastically.
"You mean camp, we're going to be here several days with this rubble we've also got to recover and set up some things." Hercules nodded and they set up camp.
"Its just like in the stories." They chuckled they had even pulled out Xena's old bearskin. Michelle was ecstatic.
"Well when I left off..."
"Xena and Gabrielle had been crucified by the Romans."
"Yes, now listen." Michelle nodded excitedly as Xena stretched in her khakis and boots while naturally cradling Michelle's head in her lap. Hercules smiled, she had such a mothering instinct and she barely knew it. "It was after they were crucified and dying on the cross like Christ just without the millions of people and the crown of thorns they went to purgatory. As they waited on top of huge rocks suspending in the middle wondering where they were a bright light appeared." Michelle's eyes were wide.
"What was the light?"
"It was the angels coming to take them to heaven. They were lifted up into the sky by these beautiful guardians, but than the demons attacked. Yes there are those who belong in hell, but they came for good souls too for the war between God and Lucifer still rages even to this day." She told her about the last two years.
"Where's the story about the ruins?" Michelle asked not missing anything.
"Ah the story of the ruins comes afterwards."
"What I don't understand is you said they were all there, but Iolaus dies, and Hercules appears only once when Eve was born. And Joxer was killed by Eve later."
"Sorry Virgil reminds me a lot of Joxer, and I get confused." Michelle nodded. "As for Iolaus he never died, he had to pretend to die, so that Ares would not see what he was doing. He built these once great ruins. Hercules pretended insanity and went to help. It was as if he had disappeared. The twenty-five year gap helped, put Ares somewhat out of commission. He was more focused on Rome than Greece."
"So, why did they have to trap him?"
"You remember there's a gap between when Gabby fell in the lava pit and Xena finding her again?" Michelle nodded.
"Well the thing is it was than the fates warned Hercules who warned Xena, but she was more focused on finding Gabrielle. After that Xena told Gabrielle that she must never write about their plans or the prophecy. The story was to be handed down in their families verbally for generations so that they might always know what they were up against in the next life," Hercules interjected.
"As you know the story goes Xena died, but Gabrielle poured her ashes into the fountain contrary to the scrolls." Gabby curled herself up around Hercules after sniffing around.
"So Xena and Gabrielle lived more than six happy years together."
"More or less. It took Xena years to recover from her injuries and from coming back to life on Lesbos. In any case now they had to get Ares into the tomb. It wasn't easy..."
"Wait, wait I thought Ares turned over a new leaf."
"They thought so too, and almost didn't go through with the plan, but the fates renewed their goal by sending another vision. It mostly had to do with what was brewing between Xena and Hercules."
"They finally got together."
"Yes, and after everything Ares gave up, he was not happy."
"I imagine so, he did love her," Michelle told her.
"Yes, he did, but she could never love him at least not the way she wanted. Her heart already belonged to his brother from the moment she first tried to make his best friend betray him." Michelle's eyes went wide.
"Such a long time not to be with the one you love."
"A very long time," Xena agreed as Hercules took her hand. "In any case using Xena as the bait Eve and Virgil lowered Ares into the tomb, once he was in they shut the door behind him. With the help of surviving Gods still believing Xena was a threat they kept him from just snapping his fingers to escape. Gabrielle and Iolaus coaxed him towards the main chamber where a coffin lay. Hephaestus built everything before his death. Something went wrong during the initial fight in the main room. Gabrielle and Iolaus were killed. It took all of Xena and Hercules strength to get him into the coffin and seal it using Hephaestus's eye. It was than that Xena's chakram was broken in half."
"I thought nothing could break it."
"Except that, it was made by Hephaestus after all. Before she died Gabrielle left her scrolls in the tomb. She was giving up her old life and starting a new just like Xena. Xena left her broken chakram with Gabrielle's scrolls before they took their friend's bodies through a third entrance, sealed it and buried them."
"That must have been an awful time for them."
"Very, you see up on that hill over yonder, is where their bodies once lay, I imagine the earth consumed them now." Michelle wasted no time in exploring the hill before she came back to them. They kept a watchful eye on her.
"So is there a chance we could find the scrolls and chakram in the ruins?"
"No, the sight was excavated in 1940 by Dr. Janice Covington and Dr. Melinda Pappas. According to them they uncovered the scrolls, but some guy from New Jersey made off with them by accident. They never found him and as for the Chakram well maybe before we head home we'll take you to the museum in England to see it." Michelle practically screamed with excitement before Xena and Hercules explored the ruins more thoroughly. There first three days yielded nothing before they concluded they would have to dig.
"How far down?" Hercules asked.
"He's very far underground, but he wasn't locked in the coffin when we left," Xena told Hercules. "I'd put money on the fact he's probably gone."
"Great just great, if only he had been." Xena nodded. She was standing over a spot when she fell through into a corridor. "You land on your feet?"
"Yeah, my reflexes are still sharp thank you very much." Hercules secured a rope.
"Mommy, are you all right?" Michelle asked a little scared.
"I'm fine sweetheart, come down." Michelle smiled and with her father's help used the rope to climb down. Hercules merely dropped down with their bag. He handed out flashlights.
"Before we go mark our entrance." He nodded and did so. Michelle was so excited to be in the tomb and excitedly asked for translations of any messages on the wall.
"I found the map," Xena told them. Hercules and Michelle walked over.
"Which way to his coffin?" Michelle asked.
"Right," Xena told her. Michelle ran off. "Michelle no there are booby traps!" They ran after her and found her with a bunch of scrolls.
"You said they were gone."
"Those are the second half of the scrolls," Xena told her. "But I told you ten times on the way here that you were to never ever run away from us. You can forget about the detour to England." Michelle frowned and her bottom lip trembled.
"Xena no need to be so harsh..." Hercules started. She turned and glared at him.
"Not so harsh, we could be looking at her dead body, I don't know about you, but I rather her calling me mommy not be a thing of the past." He nodded.
"You are to stay between us at all times Michelle, understood?"
"Yes mommy, Yes Daddy." They bagged the scrolls before continuing on carefully.
"If he didn't know we were here, he does now," Xena told Hercules. He nodded.
"Mommy I'm scared," Michelle said as she had more time to think about where she was and where they were headed.
"Oh don't be scared baby doll, Daddy's here to protect you and mommy," Hercules told her. They heard barking.
"Oh poor Gabby's all alone outside."
"Don't worry Gabby will wait at the entrance for us," Xena assured her. She wasn't partial to the dumb dog dying however. They continued walking.
"Michelle, I want you to sit right here and don't move. I want you to watch the scrolls and if your good the trip to England may be uncanceled." Michelle nodded and sat down." Xena handed her the bag. They left and went around a corner. There was huge boulder blocking the entrance and Hercules easily removed it. They were not surprised to see the coffin empty as well as the room. Xena lit the oil.
"How long?" Hercules asked. Xena bent down wiped the floor looking at the dust and for footprints. There were all covered.
"Oh I'd say at least since 1956 if not a little earlier that's for sure." Hercules nodded as he turned and near the eye was a message.
"He left us a message." Xena turned and blasted into the wall were the words: WHEN YOU GET THIS MESSAGE I'LL BE WAITING OUTSIDE FOR YOU. They heard the unmistakable sound of a dog being hurt. Michelle heard it too.
"Gabby!" She ran back following the marks Hercules had left. They ran after her and Xena jumped up through the entrance and when she landed she had a sword in her hand.
"Gabby," Michelle was crying. Xena looked around for any sign of him as Hercules appeared searching too.
"He's gone," Hercules told her as she went over to Michelle.
"Michelle honey come on we have to get out of here, mommy and daddy will get you a new dog." She carried Michelle off to the car. Hercules gathered their things and recovered the other objects before joining them at the hotel after burying Gabby.
"How are you feeling honey?" Hercules asked.
"Okay, mommy got me a new puppy, but I still miss Gabby. Mommy said all dogs that die in Greece automatically to heaven, is that true?"
"Yes," Hercules told her.
"Will I see Gabby in heaven?"
"Yes, you will and I don't think she would want you to keep being sad," Hercules told her as he rubbed her head. She was cradled a Doberman Pinscher puppy and she had yet to vacate Xena's arms unless absolutely necessary.
"I know what will cheer you up," Xena told her.
"What?" Michelle asked.
"I've arranged for a little boat to take us to Lesbos and we can visit the house that Xena recovered in after her death and than we'll go to Athens before we head to England." Michelle's face lit up. They did everything and Xena retrieved her chakram from the museum, the chakrams were once again split apart. She had to go back to the temple where the dark chakram lay to check on it. She knew Ares couldn't touch it, but she needed peace of mind.
"What the hell," Hercules said as they pulled up to their home on fire." A storm was brewing and lighting had just flashed. At first they hadn't thought much until they saw the house burning.
"All our things," Michelle cried.
"It's going to be all right honey, we needed new things." Xena didn't keep anything of value in the house anyway while they were out of the country from small trinkets to priceless pictures. She had sent them all to where they planned on staying in a year.
"Maybe we could pay them off and leave now." Xena nodded. Hercules went to a neighbor's and called the fire department. The entire house was burned down to ashes they stayed in a hotel rather than at a neighbors, and Xena did a little shopping to give them a change of clothes.
"You think Ares did it?" Xena asked.
"Oh I know he did it, I could tell from how quickly the house burnt and how they couldn't put it out until the flames and turned everything to ash." Xena shook her head as she carried a sleeping Michelle upstairs from the hotel restaurant.
"This is all my fault."
"No, its not."
"Yes, it is, I couldn't love him and now he's like this."
"Xena you can't help it that you love me, it just wasn't meant to be, and he can't help, but love you. It's cruel, but that's how the fates work." Xena nodded as she rubbed her back.
"You won't think that if Michelle gets hurt."
"If Michelle got hurt it wouldn't be your fault, and she won't get hurt because she has a warrior princess for her mother."
"And a legendary hero for a dad," Xena replied. He kissed her before he kissed Michelle's forehead. They were the two most important women in his life. As they stepped in the elevator they realized that they were nearly the only family the other had and that included Michelle. While Ronald loved her, they knew Michelle would not survive in his world. Michelle was simply too white. And while she would not identify with half her race the one she identified with would shun her. Michelle had picked her world and it was one of privilege she couldn't leave it or she would never survive not in the times they were in.
"Xena?" Hercules asked. Xena looked up from the television as he sat down beside her having checked on Michelle for the fifth time. "Be honest were people really that into our lives about having children?"
"No, no more than usual," Xena told him quietly.
"Why didn't you just tell me you wanted a baby."
"You're the one who mentioned adoption I just assumed you didn't want to do it the old fashion way."
"So why did you agree you always tell me if you disagree."
"I know, but honestly I never thought I would love Michelle the way I do. I love her like I love Eve and Solan. I knew it would be stupid to have a child with Ares posing the threat he did and chance of him escaping going up. I just thought that if things got really bad, and something happened I wouldn't hurt as much if it were our child. But she is our child and I'll never forgive myself if she dies."
"Xena." Hercules pulled her close in his strong arms.
"I want to go back to England, we have to make up some lie, I was comfortable and Michelle will be safer there." Hercules nodded.
"Janice just caused a small uproar it's been over ten years it's probably forgotten by now, and we can pass you off as an illegitimate child of Melinda Pappas if need be, you were the younger of us." Xena nodded happily. "Besides we did have that place pretty well protected. It's sealed right."
"Only Aphrodite can get in and out without our permission and mortals unless they wish us ill will. By the way Aphrodite is coming to um keep an eye on Michelle, and I called Eve, she's meeting us in England." Hercules chuckled as he thought of something. "What?"
"Your love of England is puzzling, but where is Eve?"
"Oh she's in South America in the Amazon teaching love and healing the children. I miss her so much, but her work makes her travel often."
"We could still have a baby when this is all over and you'll get what you were really after."
"I just wanted a child in the end I just wanted to coddle her and love her and have her love me. Michelle is what I wanted. I get to do for her what I've missed out on all my life."
"Mommy, Daddy are you Xena and Hercules?" Michelle asked walking in and rubbing her eyes before she climbed up on Hercules, but ended up settling Xena's inviting arms.
"Yes, sweetheart," Hercules answered a small nod from Xena. Michelle deserved to know what was going on around her.
"I knew it," Michelle said happily. "My mommy is Xena." She snuggled up against her with her eyes closed. "Mommy is Eve nice, will she like me?"
"Eve will love you, all you have to do is be yourself and you'll be the best little sister ever." Michelle smiled. "Is Solan alive too?" Xena frowned.
"No, no he's really dead."
"Oh and Gabby?"
"Gabby's really dead too, but one day she'll be back."
"I hope I get to meet her." Michelle drifted to sleep again and the family slept on the couch together.