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.

Family Ties
By Kristjan Brezovnik

Then.

Peleus heard a strange noise and he stopped. He listened and the sound was soon repeated. He looked around the barn and tried to home in on the source. He soon found it. He approached the little girl that was hiding in the hay, holding on to her doll, but the girl backed off, scared.

"Lychorida!" the man called. "Lychorida!!"

His wife soon came.

"What is it, Peleus?" she asked her husband when she saw him staring at the hay.

"Come," her husband motioned her to come closer. "Look."

Lychorida came closer and looked.

"Gods," she said and shuddered. "Hey, little one," she said softly and kneeled in front of the girl, "how are you?"

The girl moaned. Suddenly Lychorida noticed the round belly. The girl was not fat, but her belly was abnormally big.

"Are you pregnant?" she asked.

The girl nodded and moaned as the baby kicked again.

"Let me see," Lychorida said and slowly reached toward the girl.

The girl wanted to back off and Lychorida stopped for a moment. When the girl moaned again from pain, Lychorida gently ran her fingers across her belly.

"Has it been nine months?" she asked.

The girl shook her head.

"Let's…"

The girl screamed and Lychorida hugged her and caressed her blond hair.

"Lychorida, she's getting wet," Peleus suddenly noticed and pointed at the girl's skirt.

Lychorida removed the shirt and looked.

"Her water broke. Get some warm water and some sheets. Hurry!"

Peleus ran out and Lychorida removed the girl's makeshift underpanties. The girl screamed again as more throes hit her.

"Easy, child," Lychorida said, taking the girl's hand, and hugged her, "everything will be all right."

Peleus soon returned and after several excruciating hours the girl gave birth to a girl.

"It's a girl!" Lychorida announced and turned the baby to her mother.

The girl just stared at her and shivered.

"Help me wrap her, Peleus," Lychorida said.

Then she together with her husband cleaned and wrapped the baby.

"Here," she said when they were done and offered the baby to her mother.

The girl stared at the baby for a few moments and then pushed her away and cuddled up like a fetus. Lychorida was surprised.

"Don't you want to hold your daughter?" she asked.

The girl shook her head, obviously terrified.

"Come, let's go into the house," Lychorida offered and wanted to take the girl's hand, but the girl shook her head. Lychorida sighed. "Peleus, stay with her, I'll take the baby into the house," she decided.

Peleus nodded and Lychorida left with the baby. When they were gone, Peleus wanted to clean up, but when the girl wanted to back off every time he approached her, he decided to wait.

The girl soon fell asleep, exhausted, and he covered her with the sheets.

When the girl woke up, it was dark outside. She looked around and noticed that Peleus was sitting by a candle, doing something. She sneaked out of the sheets and was almost out of the barn when Peleus finally noticed her.

"Wait!" he called and ran after her, but the girl ran away.

When Peleus got to the barn doors, the girl was gone.

"Come back!" he called, but there was no response.

He waited for a bit longer, listening into the night. Finally he sighed and returned to the barn to clean up. He picked up the sheets and the bucket and noticed the girl's doll. He picked it up, extinguished the candle and went to his wife to report the bad news.

Nine years later.

Peleus watched the fight from a distance. A large group of bandits was attacking a blond warrior woman. Peleus was astounded to see how the woman disposed of the bandits one by one. Unfortunately, there were many bandits and the woman was already covered with blood.

Finally all the bandits were dead and Peleus could see that the woman staggered. He ran to her to help her. He saw that the woman had noticed him and was holding her sword, ready to fight him. Peleus doubted that she would be able to stand that long.

He was right. When he got to the woman, the woman was kneeling on the ground, forcing herself to remain conscious. She finally collapsed. Peleus carefully examined her wounds. They were mostly cuts and bruises, but the wound that ran across her chest was serious. Peleus put the sword on the woman, carefully picked her up and carried her to his house.

"Lychorida!"

"Peleus? Gods! What happened?"

"She was attacked by some bandits. Help me put her on the bed."

"This way," Lychorida said and led the way.

When they got to the room, she quickly got some sheets and threw them over the bed. Peleus laid the woman down.

"I'll get the water and the bandages," Peleus said and hurried away.

Lychorida started to remove the upper armor.

"What happened to her?"

Lychorida turned.

"Maera. She was attacked."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"Will she be okay?"

"I hope so. Do you want to help me?"

Maera nodded and came closer.

"She is beautiful," Maera said.

Lychorida smiled.

"Yes, she is. Now, put your doll away first and then you will help me clean up her wounds, okay?"

Maera nodded and did as her mother told her.

When Callisto woke up, her whole body hurt. She opened her eyes, but her vision was blurry. She blinked her eyes and her vision slowly focused. She turned her head and noticed a chubby girl sitting on a chair, staring at her curiously. Callisto recognized the type of chubbiness, the girl was retarded. Suddenly she noticed the doll which the girl was holding. She jerked as bad memories returned. She grabbed the doll.

"Where did you get this?" she demanded.

The girl didn't respond, frightened, trying to free her doll.

"Where did you get this?!" Callisto demanded again.

"What… Ah, you're awake," Lychorida said as she came into the room.

Callisto looked at the newcomer and she forgot all about the doll, surprised, as she recognized the woman.

Maera used her confusion, freed her doll and ran to her mother.

"Are you okay, sweetie?" Lychorida asked and caressed the girl.

"She tried to take Hippolyta," Maera said and pointed at Callisto.

Lychorida smiled.

"Who… Who are you?" Callisto finally asked, still confused.

"I am Lychorida and this is my daughter Maera."

Callisto glanced at Maera and then looked back at Lychorida. She didn't recognize the name, but the woman looked very familiar.

"Lychorida?" Peleus asked when he saw his wife.

Lychorida looked at her him.

"Our guest woke up."

Peleus came closer and Callisto's eyes opened even wider when she saw him.

"This is my husband Peleus," Lychorida introduced him.

Callisto stared at them, shocked. Suddenly she remembered and stiffed when she remembered another thing. She looked at Maera and stared at her for a few moments.

"How old is she?" she finally asked.

Maera's parents looked at each other, surprised.

"Nine," Lychorida said.

Callisto did some quick calculation and gasped when she got the result. She slowly lay back and stared at the ceiling, remembering. She finally shook her head and pushed the bad memories away.

"Come, Maera," Peleus said, "let's see what Mama is preparing for lunch."

He gave Maera his hand and they left. Lychorida entered the room and approached Callisto's bed. She hesitated when she saw that Callisto was thinking about something.

"How do you feel?" she asked.

Callisto jerked and looked at her.

"I'm fine," she said after staring at Lychorida for a while.

Lychorida smiled.

"Let me check on your wounds," she said and removed the blanket.

Callisto looked down on her body and saw that it was carefully bandaged.

"How long have I been here?" she asked.

"Peleus brought you in yesterday."

Callisto didn't respond.

"I'll change the bandages after the lunch," Lychorida declared. "Are you hungry?"

Callisto thought for a moment and then nodded.

"Okay, I'll check up on you later. I suggest you don't move much."

When Callisto didn't respond, Lychorida left.

After the lunch, Callisto had fallen asleep and when she woke up, she felt that something was lying next to her head. She looked and saw that it was the doll. She took into her hands and stared at it, confused. She shuddered as memories came back and she threw the doll away. Then she stared at the ceiling and thought.

"Why did you throw Hippolyta away?" Maera suddenly asked.

Callisto looked at the girl.

"I thought you didn't want me to have it."

Maera was confused.

"You wanted to take her away from me."

"And now you gave it to me?"

"No. I put her there so she would protect you. I named her after Hippolyta and she was an Amazon queen."

Callisto lifted her eyebrows and returned to staring at the ceiling. Maera stared at her for a few moments, thinking.

"What is your name?" she finally asked.

Callisto opened her eyes and looked at her.

"Callisto," she finally said.

Maera smiled.

"What's so funny?" Callisto asked.

"It suits you," Maera said.

Callisto lifted her eyebrows, but didn't comment. She stared at the girl for a while, having a very bad feeling about who the girl was.

"Go away," she said.

The girl stared at her, confused.

"Go away," Callisto repeated. "Go to your mother."

Maera was confused, but she left. Callisto returned to staring at the ceiling.

The day passed quietly and although Maera came by several times, she never entered the room and she left as soon as Callisto looked at her. Lychorida also came by to bring her food and to change her bandages.

The next morning Callisto woke up with a scream. She had a nightmare, but it wasn't quite the same, it was a bit different, longer, and she kept seeing Maera's face.

"Are you okay?" Lychorida asked.

Callisto jerked and looked at her.

"Yes," she said and looked away, but Lychorida could hear her voice tremble.

"Mama?"

Lychorida looked at her daughter and smiled.

"Good morning, sweetie."

"What was that scream?"

"Callisto had a bad dream."

"Oh."

"Come, let's get dressed," Lychorida said, took her daughter's hand and took her away.

After the breakfast, Lychorida changed Callisto's bandages again. Callisto then lay for several hours and thought about the nightmare. She was disturbed. Although she had a strong feeling that Maera was her daughter, she had to make sure of it. She finally got up and left the house.

Lychorida finally found Callisto. She was in the barn, staring at a specific spot and Lychorida knew exactly which spot that was and what had happened there.

"Gods, it is you," she said as she approached Callisto.

Callisto looked at her and then back at the spot.

"I should have killed her then," she said after a few moments.

Lychorida looked at her, astonished.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I would have saved her the miserable existence."

Lychorida grabbed Callisto's arm and turned Callisto around.

"Listen to me," she said determinedly, "Maera may be retarded, but she's happy and we love her like she was our own! She's a part of our family and you would also be if you hadn't ran away then. She's your daughter and also your family. You…"

"I have no family!" Callisto said angrily and left.

Lychorida stared after her, surprised, and then sighed and left the barn.

On the upper level, hidden in the hay, Maera heard the conversation and she was confused. She knew that something was wrong, something about her mother, but it was all so very confusing and her mind was not quite capable of comprehending how the woman so hostile toward her could be her mother and the two loving people who took care of her just some strangers.

"Maera! Where have you been? We've been worried about you," Lychorida said when Maera finally got home several hours later.

Maera didn't respond and she went straight to her room. Lychorida immediately knew that something was wrong and she followed her daughter.

When she got to her room, Maera was sitting on her bed, caressing her doll.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" she asked and kneeled in front of her daughter.

Maera didn't respond and she kept caressing her doll. Lychorida sat beside her on the bed and hugged her.

"If you don't tell me what is wrong, I can't help you," she said and caressed her.

Maera finally turned her head and stared at her mother silently for a few moments, thinking what the correct question would be.

"Is Callisto my mama?" she finally asked, unsure.

Lychorida was taken aback.

"What do you mean?"

"Is Callisto my mama?" Maera repeated the question.

Lychorida took a deep breath.

"Were you in the barn?"

Maera nodded and Lychorida sighed. She hugged her daughter, kissed her on the head and caressed her.

"Yes, sweetie, she is," she admitted.

Maera was confused and she did not understand how that could be so. Lychorida caressed her.

"We found Callisto in our barn nine years ago and she was pregnant. She gave birth to you and then she ran away. We took care of you like you were our own."

Maera thought.

"Why did she run away?"

"I don't know, sweetie."

Maera thought, trying to sort out the mess in her head.

"Listen, sweetie, Callisto may have given birth to you, but we are the parents who took care of you and to us you will always be our daughter," Lychorida said and caressed Maera.

Lychorida sat with her daughter for a while and she was about to leave when Callisto returned. Lychorida noticed that her bandages were red and that she was obviously in pain, although Callisto didn't say anything. She caressed her daughter one more time, got up and followed Callisto to her room.

Callisto lay on the bed and closed her eyes. Lychorida came closer and carefully touched the bandage that was covering the chest wound. Callisto winced involuntarily and opened her eyes.

"What were you doing?" Lychorida asked. "You were supposed to be resting, not jumping around."

Callisto didn't respond and Lychorida shook her head.

"I'll get new bandages," she said and left.

After Lychorida had changed her bandages, Callisto slowly fell asleep. When she woke up again, she noticed that Maera was sitting on the chair, staring at her. She appeared to be confused.

"What do you want?" Callisto asked.

"Why did you run away?"

Callisto didn't understand.

"What do you mean?"

"Why did you run away?" Maera repeated the question.

"When?"

"After you gave birth to me."

Callisto frowned.

"What are you talking about?"

Maera was confused, she thought she was clear enough.

"You gave birth to me and then you ran away," she rephrased. "Why?"

"Whatever gave you that idea?" Callisto asked.

"I heard you talking to Mama."

"Now, if I was talking to your mama, then how could I have given birth to you?"

Maera didn't understand.

"She is not my mama," she finally realized.

"Then why are you calling her that?"

"Because she is my… She took care of me."

"Parents do that."

"But you gave birth to me."

"Mothers give birth to children and she is your mother."

"But I…"

"Oh, stop it, will you?" Callisto said angrily, not wanting to continue the conversation. "Go to your mother and leave me alone."

"But…"

"Go!"

Maera flinched, frightened. She stared at Callisto, but Callisto had closed her eyes. Maera left. When she was gone, Callisto opened her eyes again and stared at the ceiling. It was time to leave.

Several minutes later, Lychorida came to her.

"Why did you yell at her?" she demanded.

"Why did you tell her that I'm her mother?" Callisto asked in return.

"I didn't, she overheard us in the barn."

"You could deny it."

"She may be retarded, but she is not stupid. Besides, I don't have the habit of lying to my daughter."

"Your daughter," Callisto stressed. "Just keep her away from me."

Lychorida thought.

"Don't you love her at least a bit?"

"I'm not capable of loving," Callisto said, "but I do care enough about her that I want her as far away from me as possible."

"Why?" Lychorida asked, confused.

"What do you think?" Callisto asked and closed her eyes. "Just keep her away from me," she added. "I'm leaving tomorrow."

"But you're not well yet."

Callisto didn't respond. Lychorida stared at her for a few moments and then left.

The next morning, Lychorida was awoken by the sound of Callisto packing her stuff. She got up and went to her. Callisto heard her, but she ignored her.

"You don't have to leave," Lychorida said.

Callisto looked at her.

"I do," she said and checked if she had everything.

"And Maera?"

"She is your daughter," Callisto said and stepped past Lychorida.

Lychorida stared after her, feeling sorry for her.

It was noon when Callisto got to the next village. She saw that a battle had recently taken place. She stopped a near-by man and asked him what had happened.

"Slavers," the man said.

"Where did they go?"

"That way," the man said and pointed in the direction.

Callisto called up the map of the area in her head and tried to figure out where the slavers would go next. Not that she cared, but she wanted to know where such a large military group was. She quickly found the most likely destination and she frowned. Suddenly she felt the urge to go back and protect her family. She stood still, confused. She didn't care about the villagers, but she felt the urge to protect her family. She couldn't do it when Xena had attacked Cirra, but she could do it now. She finally made a decision and turned around.

It was late afternoon when she returned to the village and she was just in time. The slavers had already started to capture the people and they killed the weak. Callisto saw some slaver hit Maera's father and another Maera. Callisto's look became that of an enraged demon. She screamed her war cry and attacked. She was pissed off, no one messes with her family.

The slavers looked, surprised. Callisto ran to the slaver who was threatening Maera and decapitated him. She looked at Maera and saw that she was wounded.

"Are you okay?" she asked, worried, as she kneeled.

Maera nodded, scared. She was wounded and she was crying. Callisto hugged her.

"Everything will be okay," she said and looked around for Lychorida.

She soon spotted her and carried Maera to her. Then she went to the bandit who was harassing Peleus. The man defended himself, but Callisto quickly killed him.

"Okay, boys, party time's over," she said with an evil glee and attacked the leader of the slavers.

The man was a better fighter than his men, but he was no match for Callisto and she quickly impaled him. Then she threw her chakram, freeing the slaves, and engaged the rest of the slavers. The slavers fought, angry, but when their number rapidly decreased, they retreated.

The freed slaves were jumping around from joy and the villagers started to take care of them. Callisto looked around for Maera, but she was nowhere to be seen. She went to the house and entered. She listened and went to Maera's room, where Lychorida was taking care of her wound.

She quietly stood in the doorway and observed them. She couldn't believe that she was worried about Maera. She remembered Maera's look when the slaver hit her, she was confused and she didn't understand what was going on. When Xena attacked Cirra, she at least knew that they were burning down the village, while Maera had no idea of what was going on.

"Mama."

Callisto snapped out of her reverie and looked at Maera. For a moment she thought that she was calling Lychorida, but when she saw that Maera was looking at her, she realized that she was calling her. She wasn't sure how she should react.

Lychorida turned and when she saw that Callisto didn't know what to do, she moved aside and motioned Callisto to come closer. Callisto stared at her for a moment and then slowly approached the bed. She hesitated for a moment and then kneeled beside it and took Maera's hand. Although she hated to admit it, the girl was her family, her only family, and she had saved her. She took a deep breath and smiled.

Maera smiled back.

"Will you stay, Mama?" she asked.

Callisto bit her teeth and her smile vanished. A part of her wanted to stay, but she knew that it wouldn't be safe for the girl, for her daughter.

"I can't."

Maera's smile faded.

"Why not?"

Callisto thought how she could tell Maera the truth so that she would understand.

"I have done many bad things and many bad people are trying to hurt me. Some would even hurt you and if they did, then they would also hurt me. Do you understand?"

Maera thought and finally nodded. Callisto smiled and hesitantly caressed her.

"I'll come and visit you. I promise."

Maera smiled.

"Okay, Mama."

"Will you stay until your wound completely heals?" Lychorida asked.

Callisto looked at her and thought for a moment.

"Yes."

The End