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 was inspired by From Where I Sit by Melissa Monson and is set after the Xena - Warrior Princess episode The Bitter Suit. Callisto, however, had escaped from the cave.

Mama
By Kristjan Brezovnik

Callisto was sitting by the fire. She was alone. She stared at the fire, thinking. She had succeeded in her revenge. Xena's son Solan was dead and Gabrielle had killed her daughter Hope which caused the two best friends to part. She thought about Hope. She missed her, because she was just as insane as herself. She also despised her, because she hated her own mother, but at the same time she envied her, because she could do without her mother. Callisto was confused, she could never kill Mama.

Mama, she thought. Gods, she missed her. A tear rolled down her cheek and she dried it. No, no tears, never again.

Down in the Elysian Fields Arleia heard her daughter think of her and a tear rolled down her cheek.

Persephone was walking among the inhabitants of the Elysian Fields when she suddenly felt that something was wrong. She immediately located the source. It was Callisto's mother. She went to her.

"What is wrong?" she asked her.

Arleia looked at her, sad.

"Callisto," she said.

Persephone understood, but was surprised that the woman was sad again in spite of being in the Elysian Fields. She went to her husband.

"Dear," she said and kissed Hades.

"Hello," Hades said and noticed that something was troubling Persephone. "What is it?"

"I thought everyone was supposed to be happy in the Elysian fields."

Hades was confused.

"Yes," he confirmed.

"Well, that is not true anymore."

Hades didn't understand and he checked it out.

"Callisto's mother," he said. "Again."

"Yes."

"Well, I'm afraid there's nothing I can do."

"Can't you talk to her?"

Hades thought. He looked at his wife and she gave him a sweet smile.

"Okay," he said.

"Thank you," Persephone said and gave him another kiss.

Together they went to Callisto's mother.

"Hades," the woman said, surprised, when she saw him.

"Persephone told me that you were not happy."

Arleia looked down. Persephone nudged her husband. Hades glanced at her.

"What is troubling you?" he asked Arleia.

Arleia looked up again and sighed.

"My daughter," she said and paused. "I sit here, surrounded by calm, lush, green fields and watch as my dear sweet daughter is consumed with undying hatred and rage. I never taught her how to hate or live in fear or how to overcome it. I hear her thoughts and remember how she clutched my skirt with her tiny little fingers, terrified. I feel her pain." She paused. "My oldest daughter joined me here in these calm, lush, green fields, but I fear that my youngest will never walk with us." She paused again, crying. "I wish I could protect her, absorb her pain, but I can't from here. I would go to Tartarus if it would guarantee her a place in the Elysian Fields."

Hades and Persephone were astonished by this confession. When Persephone pulled herself together, she nudged her husband and they left.

Back in Hades' office they were both quiet for a while.

"Hades, I wish to talk to Callisto," Persephone finally spoke.

Hades was surprised.

"No," he said.

"Please, I have to. She won't hurt me. Please."

She hugged him and her eyes pleaded.

"Oh, okay," Hades reluctantly agreed. "But I'll be watching."

"Thank you, dear," Persephone said and kissed him.

Callisto was still staring at the fire when she heard someone approaching. She glanced in the direction and was surprised when she saw that it was Persephone. Since she was no threat she continued to stare at the fire.

Persephone slowly approached, not wanting to alarm Callisto. She stopped a couple of meters from Callisto and sat.

"What do you want?" Callisto asked, still staring at the fire.

"Talk to you."

"We have nothing to talk about."

"We do. It's about your mother."

Callisto jerked and looked at her furiously. Persephone felt uncomfortable and she gulped.

"What about her?" Callisto asked.

"She is unhappy," Persephone said.

Callisto was surprised.

"What do you mean? She is in the Elysian fields."

"I know."

"Then how could she be unhappy?"

"She hears your thoughts, Callisto, and it makes her sad. Hades gave her peace several times, but it doesn't help, she still thinks of you." She paused. "She said she would go to Tartarus if it would guarantee you a place in the Elysian Fields."

"If Hades agrees to that, I promise I will make Tartarus look like the Elysian Fields in comparison to what I will do to him and to you," Callisto said icily.

Persephone gulped. She had a feeling that Callisto would find a way to keep her promise. It scared her.

"Don't worry," she said, "Hades won't do that."

Callisto didn't respond and continued to stare at the fire.

"Would you like to see your mother?" Persephone finally asked.

Callisto jerked. She thought. She missed her mother so much and she wanted to see her, be with her, but she felt ashamed. She was confused because shame wasn't on her list of emotions.

"No," she said silently.

Persephone left.

"You did what you could," Hades tried to soothe her.

"Not yet," Persephone said.

"What do you mean?"

"You could let her mother talk to her."

"What?! You know…"

"I know, I know, but if she succeeds, you won't have so much work and we could spend more time together."

Hades was speechless.

"Okay," he reluctantly agreed.

"You will have to give her a body," Persephone said.

"What? Why?"

"So she can touch her daughter. Touch is very important."

"And which body do you propose I give her?"

"Mine."

"What?!! Out of the question."

"I'm the only one available. Unless you want to call Hercules and ask him if you could borrow his body again."

"Ah,… Okay, okay. Let's go talk to her."

Arleia was surprised when Hades told her that she could see her daughter.

"Yes," she said.

"Good. You can borrow my wife's body for the duration of your visit."

Callisto was still staring at the fire when suddenly a figure appeared on the other side. She got up, thinking that Ares came to annoy her. But when she saw who the figure was, she froze, shocked.

"Mama," she finally whispered.

"Callisto," her mother said and reached out with her hand.

Callisto approached her and stared at her. She slowly reached out with her hand to touch her mother. She almost touched her, but her hate for Xena was stronger than her love for Mama and she withdrew her hand and turned away. She had been tricked too many times and she had tricked too many times herself to trust her senses completely in cases like this.

Persephone appeared behind Arleia.

"This really is your mother, Callisto," she said.

Callisto ignored her.

Her mother approached her from behind.

"I love you, Callisto. Always," she said and caressed her daughter's hair.

Then she turned to Persephone and nodded. They disappeared.

Callisto turned around and reached for her mother, but she was gone.

"Mama," she whispered.

A tear rolled down her cheek but this time she let it.

The End