DISCLAIMER AND AUTHOR'S NOTE: All Xena stuff is the legal property of MCA/Universal and Renaissance Pictures. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fiction. All other characters that appear belong to me. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Copies may be made for private use only and must include this copyright notice and disclaimer. This story is the continuation of my story Lila.

The Birthday Wish
By Kristjan Brezovnik

It was evening when someone knocked on the door. Alcmene opened and froze. It was Callisto.

"Hello, Alcmene," she said. "I came to visit my daughter."

Alcmene pulled herself together.

"Come…"

"Mama!"

Alcmene stepped aside and Insanity jumped into Callisto's arms. Callisto's face brightened.

"Hello, Insanity."

"Will you stay here for a while?" Insanity asked.

Callisto lookde at Alcmene questioningly.

"I have a spare room. You can stay there," Alcmene said.

"Thank you," Callisto said and put Insanity down. "Oh, I put my horse in the barn."

Alcmene nodded.

"Come, I'll show you to your room."

Callisto followed her, holding Insanity's hand.

"This is your room. You can undress and fresh yourself. Come, Insanity, let's go pick some clothes for your mother, she can't run around in that uncomfortable armor."

"Okay," Insanity said and turned to Callisto. "I'll be right back, Mama."

Callisto nodded, smiling, and looked around the room. It was nothing special, so she slowly started to undress herself.

Several minutes later, Insanity returned with a bunch of clothes. She nearly walked in unannounced, but she remembered in time to knock.

"Come!" Callisto said, who was in her underwear.

Insanity entered.

"Grandma gave these clothes for you."

"Who?" Callisto asked, confused.

"Grandma. Alcmene."

"Oh."

"Why don't you put on this one?" Insanity asked and picked a dress.

Callisto took it and examined it.

"Okay," she said and put it on. "How do I look?" she asked skeptically.

"Great! Come, Grandma is making dinner."

Insanity took Callisto's hand and led the way.

After the dinner, Callisto tucked her daughter in.

"Good night, sweetie," she said softly and kissed Insanity on the forehead.

"Good night, Mama."

Callisto caressed her and left. She went to Alcmene.

"Alcmene?" she said hesitatingly.

"Yes?"

"Thank you for taking care of my daughter."

"You're welcome."

"Ah…" Callisto started, but stopped hesitatingly.

"Yes?" Alcmene encouraged her.

"Insanity's birthday is in two days and…"

"In two days? It's her first, right?"

"Yes," Callisto said, confused.

"Then we'll make her a surprise party. I'll invite the children tomorrow. The next day you will take her riding and I'll prepare the house."

Callisto stared at Alcmene, surprised.

"Then I can stay?" she asked.

"Of course you can, for as long as you want. You're Insanity's mother and you're always welcome."

"Thank you," Callisto said, feeling like she really belonged here.

"Now, go to bed," Alcmene said. "Insanity's going on a trip in the morning and you will help me prepare the decorations. Okay?"

Callisto was surprised. She really liked Alcmene.

"Okay."

The next day, Insanity left in the morning and Callisto helped Alcmene prepare the decorations. She felt like at home. She really missed these things. When they were done, Alcmene taught Callisto how to cook.

Finally, at noon, Insanity returned.

"Mama!" she called as she burst into the house.

"Over here!" Callisto called from the kitchen.

"Go, be with her," Alcmene said, "I can manage."

"Okay. Thank you."

Alcmene smiled and Callisto cleaned her hands. Just as she turned around Insanity came in. Callisto picked her up.

"Hello, sweetie," she said and caressed her hair. "Did you have a good timie?"

"Oh, yes, we went…"

"Wait. Let's go to your room and you can tell me all about it."

In the afternoon, when Alcmene was out inviting the children for the next day, Hercules and Iolaus came. Because Alcmene was nowhere to be found, they decided to ask Insanity. They went to her room, from which laughter was heard.

Hercules was about to ask a question when he frowned. There were two people playing in the room, Insanity and a young blond woman whose face he couldn't see. For some reason that blond hair gave him a very bad feeling about the identity of the woman.

Insanity imediately noticed him.

"Uncle Hercules!" she said and ran to him.

Callisto turned, surprised.

"Come here, Insanity," she said, looking around for something to defend Insanity with if necessary..

Hercules and Iolaus stared at Callisto. They were just as surprised as she was, especially because she wasn't wearing armor or weapons but a dress instead. Hercules found the dress familiar. What surprised them even more was the fear in her eyes. It wasn't fear for her own life but for Insanity's.

Insanity returned to Callisto, confused. She felt that her mother was afraid. Callisto, who got up in the mean time, took her hand.

"What are you doing here?" Hercules asked.

"What does it look like? I'm visiting my daughter."

"Do you know where my mother is?"

"She went shopping. She should be back soon."

"Oh."

Hercules and Iolaus left. Insanity hugged her mother. Callisto looked at her. She smiled and caressed her.

"I would never have believed if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes," Iolaus said when they got to the main room. "Well, I still don't."

"I know what you mean," Hercules said.

"She was actually…"

"Hercules! Iolaus!"

The two friends looked.

"Hello, mother," Hercules said and hugged her.

"I assume you've met Callisto," Alcmene said when she saw their faces.

"Oh, yes," Iolaus said.

"Are they still in Insanity's room?"

"Yes."

"Well, tomorrow is Insanity's birthday. Will you stay?"

"Her birthday?" Iolaus asked, surprised.

"Yes, her first."

"Of course we'll stay," Hercules said.

"Good. You will help me prepare the house tomorrow while Callisto and Insanity go riding."

"Okay."

Next day, when Callisto took Insanity riding, Hercules and Iolaus helped Alcmene decorate the house and then the children started coming.

A little before Callisto and Insanity returned, someone knocked on the door.

"Father, what are you doing her?" Hercules asked, who opened the door, surprised.

"It's my granddaughter's first birthday. You didn't think I'd miss it, did you?"

"You knew about it?"

"Of course. By the way, Insanity and Callisto are already in the barn."

"They are? Mother, they're coming!"

Alcmene silenced the children and then they waited.

"Did you like it?" Callisto asked her daughter as she took off the saddle."

"Yes, it was great," Insanity said enthousiastically.

"But?" Callisto asked, sensing something in Insanity's voice.

"Well, you have to enslave the horses."

"That's easy for you to say," Callisto said and smiled. "You just wave your hand and you're where ever you want to be. We, mortals, have to walk, you know. It's much faster with horses."

"Yes, I know," Insanity said and smiled.

"Come, let's go inside."

Callisto took Insanity's hand and they went into the house.

"Surprise!!" everybody, including Callisto, called when they entered.

Insanity was surprised and excited.

"Happy birthday, dear," Callisto said.

Mother and daughter hugged each other and Callisto kissed Insanity.

"Go, make a wish."

Insanity ran to the cake. She thought for a moment and then blew out the only candle.

Everybody clasped and then started to give her presents. Callisto smiled at the sight, but frowned when she noticed Zeus. Zeus nodded kindly. Callisto nodded back, but she still kept an eye on him.

As she observed Insanity and the children, she rememberd her own birthday parties. She felt the need to cry and she went to her room.

She stared through the window, her arms crossed, and thought about her family.

"Are you okay?" Iolaus suddenly disturbed her.

Callisto jerked.

"Of course I am," she said, annoyed.

"Okay," Iolaus said and left.

Callisto quickly dried her tears and went back toward the main room. On the way, she met Insanity.

"Are you okay, Mama?" Insanity asked, concerned.

Insanity smiled.

"Yes, I am. I was just remembering my own birthday parties," she said and caressed her daughter.

"Oh."

"Listen, I'm sorry I didn't get you any present. I will…"

"It's okay, Mama," Insanity interrupted her. "I have you and that's the best gift I could wish for."

Callisto was moved.

"Oh, Insanity," she said and hugged her daughter. "Thank you," she whispered in tears.

"I love you, Mama."

"I love you too, Insanity."

"Come," Insanity said and took Callisto's hand, "let me introduce you to my friends and then you can play with us."

"Uh, I…" Callisto started to object.

"Please, Mama, it will do you good."

Callisto sighed.

"Okay.

"Great!"

Insanity took Callisto back to the main room.

"Everybody," she called, "this is my mama," she proudly introduced Callisto.

The children looked at her curiously.

"What's your name?" a boy asked.

Callisto thought.

"Cally," she said.

Alcmene brought her a plate with a piece of cake.

"This one is yours."

"Oh. Thank you," Callisto said and took the plate.

She tried the cake. It was an eternity since she had last eaten a cake. She liked it.

"Insanity!" Zeus called his granddaughter.

Callisto watched closely as Insanity talked to him.

"Yes, Grandpa?"

"What did you wish for when you blew out the candle."

"I thought that was supposed to remain a secret," Insanity said, confused.

"It is," Zeus confirmed, "but maybe I can make your wish come true."

"You can?" Insanity asked, excited.

"Perhaps. It depends on what you wished for."

"I wished that Mama could visit her family in the Elysian Fields and Gabrielle her sister."

Zeus was a bit surprised.

"I'll see what I can do," he said.

"Thank you," Insanity said, excited, and hugged him.

Then she returned to the children. Callisto hesitatingly joined them and Alcmene motioned Hercules, Ioalus and Zeus to follow her out of the room.

"Mother?" Hercules asked in the kitchen.

"I just wanted the children to be undisturbed."

"Then why did you let Callisto stay with them?"

"In case you haven't noticed, she is a child."

"She has a point," Iolaus said.

Next morning, Callisto got up early and went to the barn to practice with her sword. She wasn't wearing armor nor did she have any other weapons.

Suddenly Hercules entered. Callisto stopped in mid step and slowly lowered her sword. They stared at each other for a few moments.

"Good morning," Callisto broke the silence.

"Good morning."

Hercules went to the small cart so he would take the grains on it to the market. Callisto observed him thoughtfully.

"Hercules," she suddenly said.

"Yes?" Hercules asked and stopped.

"Your mother si a wonderful person. You can be really proud of her."

Hercules was surprised.

"I am," he finally said, confused, and left.

When he was gone, Callisto continued to practice.

Insanity was just having breakfast when Zeus came. She didn't need to eat, but she liked the feeling.

"Hello, Grandpa."

"Hello, Insanity."

"Zeus?"

"Hello, Alcmene. Where are the others?"

"Hercules and Iolaus went to the market and Callisto is in the barn, practicing."

Zeus sat down.

"Well, Insanity," he said, "you got your wish."

Insanity stopped eating.

"I did?" she asked, excited.

"Yes," Zeus said and smiled.

"They can go to the Elysian Fields?"

"Yes."

Insanity got up and ran to the door. She nearly bumped into Callisto.

"Mama!"

"Good morning, sweetie," Callisto said softly and caressed her hair.

"Mama, you can go to the Elysian Fields!"

Callisto stared at her daughter, confused. Then she looked at Zeus. Zeus nodded.

"That was her birthday wish. She wished that you could visit your family."

Callisto was astonished.

"No," she finally said.

Insanity, Zeus and Alcmene were astonished.

"Don't you want to visit your family?" Insanity asked, confused.

Callisto looked at her and smiled.

"More than anything, but I want Gabrielle to visit her sister instead."

"Oh, don't worry," Zeus said,"she will. That was the other part of Insanity's wish."

Callisto was surprised.

"So we can both go to the Elysian Fields?" she asked hopefully.

Zeus smiled.

"Yes."

Callisto was speechless. Finally she hugged her daughter, crying.

"Thank you, sweetie," she said. "I love you."

"I love you too, Mama."

"Can she come with me?" Callisto asked Zeus when she and Insanity stopped hugging.

"Of course."

"But Mama, don't you want to be alone with your family?" Insanity asked.

"You are also a part of my family. You introduced me to your friends and now I want to introduce you to the rest of the family."

Insanity hugged her mother, and Callisto caressed her.

"Can we go now?" Callisto asked Zeus.

"Of course."

Zeus got up, waved his hand and they disappeared.

Xena and Gabrielle were just having lunch when Zeus appeared.

"Zeus, what are you doing here?" Xena asked distrustfully.

"Bringing Gabrielle a present. May I join you?"

Xena and Gabrielle looked at each other, surprised. Finally, Xena motioned him that he may join them. Zeus sat down.

"Yesterday was Insanity's first birthday, you know," he started.

"Her birthday?" Xena asked.

"Yes. Hercules was there and Iolaus and her friends and… her mother."

"Callisto?" Xena and Gabrielle asked in unison, surprised.

"Yes. You should have seen her, she had really changed. Anyway, Insanity made a wish and I arranged for it to come true."

"And what did she wish for?" Gabrielle asked.

"She wished that Callisto could visit her family in the Elysian Fields and you your sister."

Gabrielle and Xena dropped their jaws, astonished.

"When I told Callisto that she could visit her family," Zeus continued, "she declined and wanted you to visit your sister instead."

Gabrielle's and Xena's jaws dropped even lower.

"Well, you can both go to the Elysian Fields."

Gabrielle and Xena stared at him, speechless. Zeus patiently waited.

"When?" Gabrielle finally asked with a trembling voice, her eyes wet.

"Whenever you want," Zeus said.

"Now?"

"If you want to."

Gabrielle looked at Xena.

"I'll wait for you here," Xena said.

Gabrielle looked back at Zeus.

"Will you thank Insanity for me?"

Zeus smiled.

"I will. Shall we go?"

Gabrielle nodded. Zeus waved his hand and they disappeared.

The End