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.

Child, Mother
By Kristjan Brezovnik

Another successful raid. Callisto slowly cleaned her weapons and glanced around from time to time. When she was satisfied with the cleanness of her weapons, she put them away and went to her horse.

She was about to mount the mare when she noticed that her men were laughing about something. She also heard screams and she decided to take a look. When she got closer, she noticed that a young girl, barely in her teens, was attacking her men. Callisto was confused for a moment before she noticed the reason for the girl's attacks. It was a baby which one of her men was holding. She observed how the girl fiercely attacked her men although she had no chance whatsoever to succeed. The girl was badly bruised and was bleeding, but she kept attacking her men.

"That's enough!" Callisto suddenly heard herself order.

Her men turned around, surprised.

"Callisto…"

"That's enough!!" Callisto screamed and looked murderously at the would-be rebel. "Give her back the child."

The man who held the child gave it back to the girl, who immediately started to check up on him, in spite of the fact that she needed treatment.

"Go back to the camp," Callisto ordered and watched as her men left.

When they were gone, she turned back to the girl and observed her for a few moments. Then she kneeled. The girl immediately backed off, keeping the baby away from Callisto.

"I won't hurt you," Callisto said kindly, "I promise."

The girl stared at the warlord who had just sacked her village, confused, but when the warlord didn't make any hostile moves, she started to check on her crying baby again.

"What's your name?" Callisto asked.

The girl looked at Callisto.

"Calliope," she said quietly and Callisto noticed that there was something strange about her breathing.

Callisto smiled.

"I am Callisto," she introduced herself and was surprised when she saw the girl's confused look. "Where are your parents?"

"They are dead," Calliope said quietly and Callisto saw that her eyes became wet.

"Then who is taking care of you and your sister?"

Calliope looked at Callisto, confused.

"My sister?" she asked and looked at the baby. "This is my daughter," she said and caressed the baby.

Callisto was shocked.

"Your daughter?" she asked. Calliope nodded. "How old are you?"

Calliope thought.

"Fourteen."

Callisto found herself gulping. So young and already a mother. Children shouldn't have children.

"And the baby?"

"Six months."

"And who is the father?"

Calliope didn't immediately respond and Callisto could see tears run down her cheeks.

"I don't know," Calliope finally said in a quiet voice.

Callisto gulped.

"Were you raped?"

Calliope jerked and shuddered as the bad memories came back. She nodded. Callisto thought. She knew she had sacked this village before and she tried to remember exactly when. The girl was six months old plus the nine months of pregnancy. Fifteen months. A year and three months. She frowned when she realized that the girl was raped just after the solstice.

"Was it my army?" she asked.

Calliope looked away.

"Calliope, I need to know. Was it my army?"

Calliope looked back and just stared at the warlord for a while. She finally nodded. Callisto felt rage surge through her body. Her army, she was responsible for this.

"They will pay," she said coldly. "I swear."

Calliope looked at the warlord, confused. Callisto smiled.

"Why don't I take care of you two first?"

She offered her hand to Calliope. Calliope stared at her for a few moments and then took the offered hand.

"Where do you live?" Callisto asked.

Calliope pointed at a house and started to walk. Callisto quickly noticed that something was seriously wrong with Calliope and she picked her up before she collapsed. She carried her to the house. She noticed the hostile looks of the villagers, but no one dared approach her. She looked at the man who passed near her.

"You," she said in a commanding voice and the man stopped, surprised. "Bring my horse to this house and bring me the saddlebags. Move!" she added when the man just stared at her, half confused, half afraid.

The man quickly moved and Callisto took Calliope inside. She lay her on the bed and hesitated for a moment before she caressed her. She tried to take the baby away, but Calliope didn't let go.

"I can't take care of you if you don't let go of the baby. I won't take her away, I'll just lay her beside you, so I can take care of you."

Calliope considered and then let go of the baby.

"Take care of her first," she said.

"You need…"

"No. Take care of her first."

Callisto stared at the young mother for a moment and then checked out the baby.

"What's her name?" she asked as she examined the baby.

Calliope didn't immediately respond.

"Callisto."

Callisto jerked, surprised. She looked at her namesake for a moment and smiled. She didn't appear seriously wounded, but she may have suffered a concussion.

"She's okay," she said, smiling. "She's just scared. Now let's take care of you."

She gently pressed on Calliope's ribs and Calliope groaned in pain. Callisto started to open her shirt. She suddenly heard footsteps behind her and she turned. It was the man whom she had sent to get her horse. She got up and got the saddlebags.

"I heard that Xena is somewhere in the neighborhood. Find her and tell her to get here. And tell someone to bring me a bucket of water. Move!" she added when the man just stared at her.

The man nodded and quickly left. Callisto rummaged through her saddlebags for the herbs and bandages. Then she started to undress Calliope. She was almost done when a man brought a bucket of water.

"Put it here," Callisto said after taking a glance at the man.

The man cautiously approached her and put down the bucket. He waited for a moment and when Callisto ignored him, he left. Callisto took a cloth from her saddlebag and started to clean Calliope's wounds and bruises. She gently wiped the wounds, put the herbs on them and dressed them. She was surprised that the baby's constant crying didn't bother her.

Then she took the little Callisto into her arms. Calliope wanted to protest, but when she saw that Callisto wasn't going to harm her daughter or take her away, she calmed down. Callisto felt a bit awkward at first, holding an infant for the first time, but she quickly got the hang of it. She rocked the baby and the little Callisto soon fell asleep. Then she lay her next to her mother, who was also falling asleep, and caressed them both.

Callisto observed them for a while, feeling strangely good. Then she sat down next to the bed, curled up like a fetus and thought. For the first time she felt responsible for what she was doing. She didn't feel regret or remorse, at least not yet, but she felt responsible. She didn't blame it on Xena anymore, it was her own decision, she was responsible. She remembered all the people she had killed, especially the children, and she felt the need to make it up to them. It was too late for the dead, but she could do something for Calliope and her daughter. I will, she swore.

She lost track of how long she sat there, thinking, when she heard footsteps. She looked up and saw Xena and Gabrielle. She saw that they were both cautious.

"What do you want, Callisto?" Xena asked, her sword ready.

"I want you to take a look at them. I think the girl has a few broken ribs and punctured lung and the baby might have a concussion."

Xena looked at the two lying girls and saw that the older girl was bandaged while the baby didn't seem harmed.

"Did you bandage her?" Gabrielle asked.

Callisto looked at the bard blankly.

"Yes," she said.

"Why?"

"None of your business." She turned to Xena. "Will you please look at them?"

Xena hesitated for a moment and then put her sword away. She approached the bed and gently ran her fingers down Calliope's ribcage.

"I'll wait until they wake up," she said.

"Can you help her?"

"Yes."

Callisto relaxed.

"I'll be back in a couple of hours," she said.

"Where are you going?"

"I have something that needs to be dealt with," she said and grinned evilly.

Then she left. The two friends stared after her, confused.

"Did I just imagine or was she really concerned about the girls?" Gabrielle asked.

"You didn't imagine," Xena said.

"Buy why would she care?

"I don't know."

When Callisto returned hours later, it was already dark. She was covered in blood and she was exhausted. She had many wounds.

"How are they?" she asked when she saw that both girls were awake.

"They will live," Xena said.

"Good," Callisto said and coughed.

She fell on her knees and groaned. Gabrielle knelt beside her.

"Are you okay?"

"What does it look like?" Callisto spat at her.

"Help me remove her armor," Xena said.

Callisto wanted to object, but for some reason she felt safe, being taken care of by Xena. Xena and Gabrielle quickly removed the armor and Gabrielle then quickly fetched a sheet from another room, spread it on the floor and helped Xena lay Callisto down. Xena then cleaned and dressed Callisto's wounds and Gabrielle assisted her.

"Will she be okay?" Calliope asked when they were done.

The two friends looked at her, surprised.

"Yes," Xena said.

She could see that the news calmed Calliope and it surprised her. She looked back at Callisto and saw that she was looking at Calliope with a strangely gentle look. Was it possible that Callisto was changing?

"I'll change the bandages in the morning," Xena told Callisto, who, for the first time, didn't look at her in a hostile way.

Callisto nodded. She turned to Calliope.

"Sleep," she said softly, smiling gently, and Calliope nodded, smiling back shyly.

In the morning, Xena and Gabrielle first changed their patients' bandages. Then Gabrielle brought them food.

"Where did you go yesterday?" Gabrielle asked after they finished eating.

Callisto gave her a cold look and she just glared at her for a few moments. But, slowly, her look softened.

"I went to my army's camp."

"What happened there?"

Callisto grinned.

"What did it look like?"

"You had a fight?"

Callisto laughed.

"That's an understatement!" Her eyes became murderous for a few moments. "I killed them," she said.

Gabrielle was astonished and even Xena was surprised.

"Why?" Gabrielle asked when she pulled herself together.

"Because they raped her," she said coldly and pointed at Calliope.

Gabrielle looked at Calliope and then at Xena, surprise.

"You…"

"Oh, stop asking stupid questions, will you?" Callisto interrupted her. She paused for a moment and then turned to Xena. "Thank you for taking care of them. And me." She paused for a moment and looked at Gabrielle. "To both of you."

Xena and Gabrielle both looked at the blond warrior, surprised, and then at each other. Gabrielle wanted to say she was welcome, but she decided to let Xena say it, not wanting to upset Callisto.

"You're welcome," Xena said.

"How are the girls?"

"They're fine. I fixed Calliope's ribs. She will have to rest for a while."

"And Callisto?"

"Who?" Xena and Gabrielle asked in unison.

"The baby," Callisto explained. "Her name is also Callisto."

"Oh. She's fine."

"No concussion?"

"No."

"Good," Callisto said and relaxed. "Will you…" she started after a pause, but stopped. "Can you please leave us alone for a while?"

Xena nodded and she and Gabrielle left the room. Callisto got up and went to the bed. She smiled and caressed Calliope.

"Does it hurt?" she asked softly.

Calliope nodded, still a bit afraid of Callisto.

"It will pass," Callisto said. She thought. "Would you like to come with me after you get well?"

Calliope was surprised.

"You want me to come with you?" she asked. Callisto nodded. "Why?"

Callisto was surprised. She had thought about it, but the question still surprised her.

"Because I feel responsible," she said. "It was my army who did this to you and I want to help you. I want to take care of you."

Calliope stared at the blond warlord, surprised. She wasn't afraid of her anymore. She looked into her eyes and saw a little girl captured in a woman's body. It surprised her.

"Why did you become bad?" she asked.

Callisto jerked, surprised. She gulped and thought. She finally sighed.

"Xena's army killed my family and I wanted to make her pay for it. I wanted to make her suffer." Callisto was surprised that she didn't feel angry anymore, just sad. "I held her responsible for what I did, but now I realized that it was my own choice, my responsibility."

Calliope stared at Callisto, surprised. She had seen her kill ruthlessly and now, here she was, same body, another person. She understood that Callisto had also been hurt.

"What about your army?" she asked.

Callisto grinned.

"What army? They're all dead."

She stopped grinning when she noticed that Calliope was terrified by the news. She gulped and looked down, ashamed. Calliope stared at her for a few moments and then hesitantly caressed her. Callisto jerked, surprised. She stared at Calliope for a few moments and then smiled softly.

"I would like to go with you," Calliope said.

Callisto was surprised. Then she smiled, feeling happy.

"You would?"

Calliope nodded.

"Yes."

Callisto's smile widened.

"Then we'll go away from here, somewhere where there are not so many wars, somewhere where little Callisto can grow up in peace."

Calliope smiled.

"Yes."

The End