Revelations by DKG

ONWARDS:

Eve sat quietly, leaning casually against a wall as she greedily read scroll after scroll of her mother's adventures. The detailed descriptions of Xena's actions of the six years that the Warrior Princess had spent trying to earn redemption were definitely inspiring for the once Champion of Rome. To know for herself that her own path to salvation was one that had been walked by her mother was very reassuring.

Plus, the fact that the author of the scrolls had written these stories with such love of her subject made it an even better read. Eve was desperate for other adventures of the duo, and she hungered to know more. She'd read everything she could, going thoroughly over the stories of Xena's pregnancy, and of the birth amidst the threats of the gods. She'd read about the battles that Xena and Gabrielle had fought just to keep their daughter safe, and Eve felt ashamed that she'd ever doubted the love her mother had for her. She read of the plan that Xena had concocted to trick the gods, to fake the death of the trio. She'd read of the bond that she had once had with both Xena and Gabrielle, and she ached for its return.

She knew that there were more scrolls. She knew that Gabrielle had held some of the scrolls back, citing personal reasons. But Eve was desperate to know more. The two women she now travelled with were a wealth of information, and Eve wanted to know everything.

From her vantage point against the wall, Eve could see where her mother and Gabrielle were sitting in the small tavern, talking quietly. Gabrielle was grinning wickedly, and the half-smile on Xena's lips said it all.

Eve couldn't help but smile herself. It was a heady feeling, seeing such love first hand. The household she'd been brought up in hadn't encouraged feelings of love. She'd had no respect for the notion, believing that love was merely a word to try and justify weakness.

But she was a believer now. Not just in the Way of Love, but in all forms of love. She'd read about it and seen it in so many ways between Xena and Gabrielle, and she longed to know more.

Certain that her mother and Gabrielle were going to be occupied for the foreseeable future, Eve carefully snuck out of the dining room and made her way upstairs. She moved silently, using the stealth she'd once always used, and made her way to Gabrielle's saddlebags.

Eve sucked in a breath. There they were. Eight scrolls, carefully tucked at the bottom of the bags. She hesitated a moment, struggling with her conscience, and with her desire for more of the adventures that she was totally obsessed with.

She resisted a moment more before her curiosity finally won out. Her hand struck into the bag like a viper, and she grabbed three scrolls, certain that they would keep her busy for the night. She could return them in the morning, and Gabrielle need never know about it.

She hastily put everything back as it had been, and left the room silently, moving to her own quarters. She unrolled a scroll, and settled back to enjoy another adventure. She was certain that Gabrielle had been holding back something epic, and wonderful. As long as there wasn't too much detail about romance, Eve would be happy. There were some things that she could do without knowing about her mother and surrogate aunt.

'I sing of Hope; of love, of agony, and torture. I sing of the woman I betrayed, and the daughter I killed.'

Eve's eyes widened, and she re-read the sentence, wondering if the light was playing tricks on her. She swallowed hard. Maybe she shouldn't be reading this. Her heart beat heavily in her chest, but once more, she couldn't stop.

'Beware the web of lies. It catches you easily, and ensnares those closest to you. Where did things go so wrong? Did it start when Xena and I came across some Romans with prisoners? Did it start years earlier, when Caesar so casually betrayed a young warlord, whose heart was even then still so fragile?

'This tale of woe perhaps begins with a young man, Khrafstar. We thought him to be a man of religion. He spoke of the 'one true god'. He spoke so calmly, with such authority. Now, having met some of the Greek gods, I couldn't say that I believed in this 'one true god'. But the ideas that he spoke of touched my heart. He spoke of peace, of love, of unification. I can't deny that to this day, I still wish for these things.

'Captured by Romans, Khrafstar was being marched by Centurions to stand trial. Xena, not one to allow justice to be ignored, was ready to continue on. And then the word 'Caesar' was mentioned. And so easily, the manipulation began.

'We rescued Khrafstar and travelled with him to Britannia, back to his people who were at war with Caesar. Xena and I were separated, and without going into details, Caesar used our friendship to try and conquer the Warrior Princess. Strapped to a makeshift cross, a centurion aiming a hammer at my legs, and swinging back, Xena jumped to my rescue. I should never have doubted her ineffable ability for perfect timing.

'Reunited for merely hours, our paths diverged once more, but this time by choice.

'I followed Khrafstar to the temple of his one god, fascinated by a ritual that was to take place. But the manipulation continued. Tricked into losing my blood innocence, and killing a woman, whose face still haunts my nightmares, I fell into the first of the neatly laid traps set for me. Xena was nearly a league away from the temple, and settled into the Britannic war against Caesar.

'Khrafstar's one true god was no god at all. Dahok, a demon, cast to the depths of Tartarus, could only be released with a blood sacrifice by an innocent. With blood staining my hands, the world turned dark, and I knew nothing more than insanity until I heard the Warrior Princess calling my name. I collapsed in her arms, and ached for death.

'But worse than this soul-tearing event was what would happen next.

'Dahok, with a sacrifice of blood, could gain purchase in this world. The evil demon couldn't take solid form, but he could manipulate the elements.

'Trapped by fire, lifted with air, I found myself caught. And then there was only pain surrounding me, entering me, tearing me apart piece by piece.

'Khrafstar was 'honoured' by his one true god, and transformed into a demonic entity, the Deliverer. The Warrior Princess fought ferociously, anxious to stop whatever was happening to me. But it was too late. Dahok had finished with me, and the temple began collapsing around us.

'Days later, I discovered the truth of what Dahok had done to me. I was pregnant.'

Eve stopped reading. She fought with her conscience, knowing that she shouldn't be reading this. Gabrielle had kept these scrolls hidden for a reason, and Eve was starting to understand. But she was compelled to keep going. Stopping now would be impossible.

And so she read. Of the flight through a banshee-filled forest. Of the agonising birth merely days after first discovering the pregnancy. Of the rapid growth of a beautiful baby girl named Hope. The murder of the knight from the Order of the Pierced Heart. Gabrielle's desperate attempt for safety, running away from Xena, desperate to save her child.

By the time Eve was up to Xena's vehement argument to kill Hope, Eve was in tears.

Reading about Gabrielle's sacrifice, placing Hope in a reed basket and sending her down river was heart-breaking.

And then to read that the non-mortal child returned months later as a pre-teen in a Centaur village was something of a shock.

To learn that she had a half-brother that she hadn't even heard about was even more surprising. To find out about Solan's death at Hope's hands was difficult. To keep reading about Gabrielle poisoning her own daughter was soul-numbing. She continued on.

A declaration of love, followed by silence. A three-day stint in a purification hut. A frantic dash by the Destroyer of Nations, and a badly injured bard dragged behind a horse for several leagues. A cliff face. A declaration of hatred. And the sudden decision that death had to be better than the pain of life without their children, and with their hatred for each other. A journey through Illusia. Forgiveness, love, strength. And the ache that settled within Gabrielle, forever darkening her spirit with the knowledge that she was capable of killing her daughter, and betraying her beloved friend.

Eve was shocked. This couldn't be real! Gabrielle was the most loving person she'd ever met. Yes, the small woman was a warrior, but Eve had always been impressed by how much wisdom tempered the woman. The love Gabrielle had for Xena was as plain as the sun in the sky. To hear that they had torn each other apart and nearly killed each other wasn't what she'd been expecting.

Eve sat quietly, meditating on what she'd read. And why Gabrielle had kept these scrolls from her.

And then Eve began seeing something that she hadn't during the first read through.

A child conceived by other-worldly means. A child turning to evil. The decision from the Warrior Princess that the child had to die. For the Greater Good, the warrior had said. No child so evil could be allowed to live.

Eve was shaken.

And yet, it began explaining things that she'd been trying to ignore. It explained the wistful looks that Gabrielle gave her every so often. The sadness that radiated from the bard-turned-warrior whenever Xena referred to Eve as a child belonging to Gabrielle as well.

A child borne of the gods, turning to darkness. No wonder Gabrielle had kept these scrolls hidden.

Eve was startled to feel anger boiling up within her. She hadn't felt real fury since Eli's god of love had touched her spirit. But this?this was aching hatred.

She rolled the scroll and darted out of her room, stomping down the stairs. She glanced around the dining room, but found that her mother and Gabrielle had both left. After a quick question to the inn-keeper, she found herself in an abandoned field, where Xena and Gabrielle were playfully sparring with one another, sword against sais.

Xena grinned as she saw her daughter approach. And then she frowned, noticing the determined gait and the angry expression.

"Eve?"

"Gabrielle, could you give mother and me a minute?" Eve asked, carefully controlling the anger in her voice.

Gabrielle was hesitant to leave, when Eve was so obviously angry. She looked to her partner for reassurance, and when Xena nodded, and hastily retreated.

"Eve, what is going on?" Xena asked, tying to be gentle with her angry child.

"Tell me something, mother; does justice not apply to our family?" Eve asked.

"Eve, I know that you have a lot of things to come to terms with from your past, but, you've changed!"

"So that makes it better? That makes everything I've ever done just?disappear?" Eve demanded.

"You're trying to earn redemption. Putting you in prison, or executing you isn't going to help," Xena argued.

Eve began pacing in front of her mother, trying desperately to keep calm.

"If you had known how I would turn out, that I would become Livia, the Bitch of Rome...if you had known what I would be capable of just after I was born, would you have killed me to stop me?" Eve asked.

Xena was stunned. The question seemingly came from nowhere that she could understand.

"Eve, I love you. I could never choose your death. Yes, you hurt a lot of people, but I know you will do good things with your life now. You're in a position to do extraordinary things, and I wouldn't change a thing."

"So, even if you had known that I would slaughter thousands of innocent people, even if you had known that I would be a true Roman, a race that I know you despise, you would still have let me live?" Eve asked.

"I would have done anything for you Eve. If I'd known?if I'd known what you would become, I -"

"Could you have done it? Tell me!"

Xena closed her eyes. She could still see Eve as the tiny baby girl that she had nursed, that she had rocked in her arms, and sung to each night. The tiny infant, completely helpless, totally dependent on Xena for everything. And she had her answer.

"No."

"Why not?" Eve demanded.

"Because you are my child!"

Eve laughed sardonically. "Sound familiar?" With that sarcastic remark, she threw the scroll to Xena and walked away.

Stunned at the confrontation, and still incredibly confused, Xena looked down at the parchment in her hands. It was one of Gabrielle's scrolls, she knew that. She unrolled it carefully and felt her breath catch in her throat at the mention of Hope.

Eve's sudden confrontation was making far more sense.

000000000000000000000000

Eve stormed back towards the inn, but was stopped from going inside by a strong hand on her arm. She very nearly punched Gabrielle, at the shock of being held so firmly, but managed to keep her fists to herself.

"Stupid question, I know, but are you okay?" Gabrielle asked.

Eve could feel the tears in her eyes threatening to fall, and she desperately needed to escape to a private place. She needed to think more on what she'd discovered. Perhaps spend some time talking to Eli, even if she didn't hear a response. She needed to find her balance once more. All she could feel at that moment was uncontrollable guilt.

"How can you even look at me?" Eve murmured softly.

Without waiting for the question to even sink in, Eve walked into the tavern, leaving Gabrielle incredibly confused and more than a little hurt. Not just from the words, but from the feeling that she'd managed to hurt their relationship even further. Of course, it was hard to top stabbing the girl in the back with a sais, but Gabrielle worried that perhaps things had taken another disastrous turn.

The small warrior glanced between the tavern and the open field, and eventually she followed her heart, and wandered down to where Xena still remained.

The Warrior Princess had lost the will power to remain standing and was kneeling in the grass, clutching Gabrielle's scroll tightly in her hands as she read the words her soulmate her written so many years ago. Each word was like a knife wound, and Xena couldn't help but wonder how it was that her bard had even managed to maintain a spark of her bright soul.

"Xena?"

Xena jerked forward, so caught up in the words on the parchment, that she hadn't heard her stealthy partner approaching.

"Xena!" Gabrielle couldn't help but notice the tears on the warrior's face. It wasn't often that the Warrior Princess was reduced to tears, and seeing her so distressed always startled Gabrielle. "What happened?"

Gabrielle dropped to her knees beside Xena, one hand gently rubbing Xena's back in an effort to comfort the warrior. It was then that she noticed the scroll in Xena's hands. She glimpsed over it, noting the familiar hand-writing. One particular passage caught her attention.

'We have to go. She'll hurt you. She'll take you away. She'll never stop.'

She'd whispered those words to her tiny daughter after a brief break for food and water. She'd been running on pure adrenalin by that stage, and the fear of losing Hope had strengthened her resolve. She'd needed to keep running. Away from Xena.

Gabrielle closed her eyes, knowing that despite how much time had passed, and how far she and Xena had come since that awful time, it was still able to affect them so intensely.

"Where did you get that?" Gabrielle asked softly.

"Eve was snooping I think," Xena replied, her voice hoarse from tears. "She was pretty damn angry."

Gabrielle's head lowered in shame. No wonder Eve had been so angry. After seeing Solan in Tartarus, and sending him onto the Elysian fields, they'd never spoken about him again. Gabrielle had been hesitant to broach the subject, and Xena hadn't seemed keen to tell Eve about the older brother that should have been there to watch her grow. He'd have been thirty-four if he'd lived.

"Xena, she just found out she had a brother who I got killed. I'm not surprised she's angry with me. I'd be angry if I were in her place. And despite following the Way of Love, anger is hard to let go of."

Xena shook her head. "No, Gabrielle, she's angry with me, not with you."

"You? Xena, what happened back then?it was my choices that led to Solon's death. You had nothing to do with it."

"I tried to kill Hope."

"Xena -"

"No, Gabrielle. What I was asking of you was impossible. Eve just asked me, if I'd known what she would become, know she'd be Livia, and slaughter thousands of people?could I have killed her before anyone could get hurt. And do you know what my answer was? I couldn't have done it. I wouldn't have. Even knowing that she would kill thousands of people, I would have let her live."

Gabrielle felt tears in her eyes. She hated thinking about Hope. Hated even contemplating what her life would have been like if she'd taken Hope and run as far and as fast as she could. If she'd taught Hope to love and be loved in return. If Hope could have been touched by Eli's God the way that Eve had been blessed only weeks ago.

The blonde inhaled shakily, unsure how to even answer. It hurt to think about, let alone to talk about.

"Xena, what happened with Hope, it was so different. Dahok was evil incarnate. And Hope?"

"She had bits of you in her, Gabrielle," Xena said. "I know she did. I saw the trust she had for you. I remember the little girl in the centaur village who looked to you for a sense of family. I remember the woman who sought your love. Gabrielle, I had no right. Compared to Livia, Hope was practically innocent."

"It's not a matter of comparison," Gabrielle whispered. It didn't bare thinking about. There was no point to this. Thrice, she had killed her child, and even now, so many years later, her heart ached at the thought of her daughter who'd never really had a chance. Hearing this apology from her soulmate was not what she'd been expecting.

"Hope killed three people! Three! Eve slaughtered thousands on a whim! And it never even occurs to me that my daughter isn't so dissimilar to yours after all. How do you do it, Gabrielle? How do you manage to look at Eve and not think of Hope?" Xena asked, her voice strained with soul-deep agony.

Gabrielle breathed in deeply. She blinked back tears.

"I try not to," she admitted. "When we first met Eve, when she was still Livia, it hurt. Gods it hurt. My heart just ached. Mostly for you. You gave up everything to save Eve, and she turned out to be worse than any warlord to roam Greece."

"You can say it, Gabrielle," Xena said quietly. "She turned out worse than me."

"For no reason," Gabrielle countered. "You were young, and you were hurt. You'd lost your brother, your mother disowned you. You started off by trying to protect your village. Things got out of hand after that, but you started with your heart in the right place. Livia began a life of war because she liked it. She enjoyed killing people. It took you a long time to get to that stage."

Xena sighed. Gabrielle may have been right, but it still didn't make things any easier.

"Xena, we've had to make a lot of choices. And one of the choices that I made when I first started travelling with you was accepting the consequences of whatever we came across," Gabrielle said. "I swore an oath to the gods that I would take the good with the bad, and after everything that happened in Brittania, and in Chin, I swore another oath. That I would never knowingly or purposefully hurt you, or betray you again. Part of that oath meant protecting your daughter. When she retook the name Eve, I tried to look past who Livia had been. Just like I learned to look past the warlord you once were."

Xena closed her eyes, trying to gather her thoughts. Slowly, she looked up at Gabrielle, whose green eyes reflected nothing but love and concern for her.

"I wish things had been different," Xena said softly. "I wish I could go back and change how I reacted to Hope. Maybe...maybe she could have been good."

"And maybe nothing we could have done would have changed a thing. The same could be true of Eve," Gabrielle replied. "Xena, 'what ifs' will drive you crazy. It's in the past, long in the past. We forgave each other a long time ago. And maybe Eve is meant to be a second chance for us both."

Xena was quiet, her heart clenching with pain. The day had started out so promisingly. She took a shuddering breath and laid her head against Gabrielle's shoulder, allowing herself to feel the comfort of her soulmate.

Six years travelling at the side of a warrior had certainly changed her young friend. Some for the better, and some for the worse. The pain and suffering that Gabrielle had gone through had tempered her, like a sword being forged, hammering and shaping it into the final product. And like the sword, Gabrielle was truly a work of art, one that Xena often forgot to see.

She'd been blind for years of the ache that Gabrielle must have felt. Reading through the scroll 'Maternal Instinct' had certainly given Xena a new understanding of what Gabrielle had been up against. What Xena had asked Gabrielle to do had been impossible. Even now, as a fully trained warrior, deadly with a blade, or her bare hands, Gabrielle still wouldn't have been able to kill a child. Especially not her own child.

"I'm sorry for all the times I didn't treat you right," she whispered softly.

"You still bring out the best in me," Gabrielle replied, remembering the last time Xena had whispered the same confession. "I meant it then, and I mean it now."

Xena sniffled and breathed deeply, feeling the same calm that she'd felt the last time she'd been absolved of her sins by Gabrielle's tender touch.

Gabrielle combed her fingers through her partner's hair, and gently shifted Xena's face upwards. She kissed the warrior's lips softly, an affirmation of everything they shared. Xena smiled, grateful that they'd managed to weather the storm so easily. Not even three years back, not including the 'Ice Incident' or course, they'd have retreated to separate corners to mope for days.

"We'll talk to Eve tonight. She's stubborn, and she'll fight like Tartarus but, I think she'll forgive us," Gabrielle said.

Xena laughed softly. "She got that from you."

Gabrielle scoffed, her eyes widening. "Me? Oh no, I don't think so. Stubbornness is definitely from your side of the family."

Xena smiled. "No arguments there. I meant the forgiveness part."

"Oh." Gabrielle smiled, sometimes still surprised that the warrior had such an incredible way with words. "Well, of course she got that from me. Oh, and her cooking skills are definitely mine. And did'ja ever notice the way she cocks her head to the side when she's reading, that's just like the way I sit to read. And there's also the way..."

FADE OUT

END