Disclaimer: I don’t own Xena, Gabrielle, Eve or Cyrene. They belong to renpics. Lyena however is all mine.

Spoilers: This story contains some spoilers for the end of Season 5.

Xena, Gabrielle and Eve stood on the hill over looking Amphipolis, Xena’s home village. It looked very much the way it had the last time they were here 25 years ago. Before the battle against Athena that is. A few new buildings, but other then that it was basically the same, the children still ran around playing well the women worked in the fields singing the same rhythmic song they had when Xena was one of those children running around. 

"Gods Xena, it has hardly changed!" Gabrielle put a voice to the warrior’s thoughts.

"No it hasn’t." Xena agreed. "Look, Mom’s tavern is still there." She added pointing to the building that had been her home growing up. There was a sparkle of hope in her voice that the tavern was still there. A moment later sadness hell over the Warrior Princess. Just because the tavern was there didn’t mean that Mother is still alive or even Toris.

Gabrielle saw the emotions cross her friend’s face and lightly placed her hand on the warrior’s arm. Xena’s hand came up to cover Gabrielle’s as their eyes met. They didn’t have to say a word; their eyes said all that needed to be said.

Eve was again amazed at how these two women could say so much to each other with just a look or touch. After giving them a moment she spoke up and attempted to lighten the mood.

"So are we just going to stand here or you going to show me where the Great Xena Warrior Princess grew up?"

Xena looked at her daughter and gave her a smile. "How about I show you where your mother grew up instead?"

"Even better." Eve answered as they started down the hill. Walking down the Main Street they got many looks. Xena was the most famous person to ever come from this village. Through the stories they all knew what she and the bard had looked like. They had also all heard the stories that the Warrior and the Bard were back, could these three women really be them? The three women finally stopped outside of Cyrene’s Tavern. Xena looked at her best friend and her daughter took a deep breath then walked into the tavern with the two close behind. Stopping right inside the door Xena looked around the Tavern. She didn’t notice the little changes that had been made, all she noticed were the people in the room hoping to see a face she knew. Her heart sank when she didn’t see any, there where only strangers.

"Xena?" A female voice came from Xena’s right as a young woman was coming out from behind the bar. The woman was not more 22 or 23 summers old so she knew she had never seen her before yet she looked familiar. The Bard saw the resemblance right way, the blue eyes and raven hair. There was no question in her mind that this was a relative of Xena’s.

"Yes?" The Warrior asked, still trying to place where she had seen the girl. Then it hit her when she noticed the hair and the eyes. The young woman looked almost exactly like Xena did at that age.

"It’s really you." The young woman could not take her eyes off the older woman. She was always told she resembled her aunt but this was just weird.

"Who are you? How do you know who I am?" Xena asked

"I’m sorry, my name is Lyena. I am your niece."

"M-My niece?" Xena asked the younger version of herself.

"Yes, I am Toris’s daughter. I was born only a few years after you…um…died." Lyena explained as she and the warrior shared a brisk hug. Then her eyes moved to The Bard "You must be Gabrielle." She stated with a smile. "Yes, it’s nice to meet you Lyena." The Bard smiled back at her.

Lyena’s eyes moved to Eve with question. The Warrior saw this and spoke up.

"Lyena, this is my daughter Eve, your cousin." She said introducing the two.

Lyena’s smile grew even wider as she hugged her cousin. "I should have guessed. Who else would be coming here with the two of you? The stories of your returns really are true. Grandma is going to be so happy, she always said you three would return."

The meaning of the words sank in to the three new comers as Gabrielle griped her friends arm. Cyrene was alive after all.

"Mother’s alive?" Xena asked hardly above a whisper. 

"MmmmHmmm" Lyena said with a huge smile.

"Where?" Gabrielle asked first.

"In the back…" was all she got out and the Bard and the Warrior were already on their way to the kitchen door.

She just looked at Eve who smiled and said. "They really missed her."

"Awwwwwww and I thought it was me." She smiled then continued. "Come on cuz, want to go meet Nanna?"

"That’s why I came." Eve said as the two headed off in the direction Xena and Gabrielle just had, only slower.

Xena and Gabrielle had stopped just before crashing into the door. They knew they could not just go rushing in the room under the conditions. They looked at each other, took a deep breath and Xena slowly pushed the door open and poked her head in. There sitting at the table, like Lyena had said was Cyrene, only 25 years older. Her once chestnut hair was now gray; her face was now covered with wrinkles and her back was hunched with age.

"Mother" Xena said in a small voice as she fully entered the room followed by Gabrielle.

Cyrene’s head spun around and her eyes met her daughters for the first time in 25 years.

She could not say a word, just cry as Xena fell into her open arms. It had been so long since she had held her daughter. She had always known deep in her heart that she would be back but it had taken her 25 years to get here. That was twice as long as she had been out of her life the first time. The old woman closed her eyes and let the tears fall as did her daughter and Gabrielle who was watching the happy reunion.

"Little one." Cyrene got out as she held her daughter tightly, her old hand softly stroking Xena’s hair. "I knew you were not dead, I knew it. I knew you would be back." Xena could do nothing but hold her mother. When Cyrene opened her eyes she saw Gabrielle standing there. Her smile grew even larger, if it that was possible.

"What are you doing over there girl, come her and give me a hug too." Gabrielle wasted no time wrapping her arms around both her friend and the woman she thought of as her second mother. She was so happy Cyrene was still alive. Not only for Eve and Xena’s sack but also for her own. The tavern owner had always been there for her, treating her like a second daughter, Cyrene was her family too.

"We were worried that we had been in that ice tomb too long, and that we would not get to see you again." The Bard explained through her own tears.

"Oh no no no, there was no way I was going to leave tell you all returned home." The old woman stated evenly. Then she pulled back a bit and asked. "Eve?" Xena and Gabrielle both smiled and The Warrior answered. "She is alive and well, and here with us. She was not frozen with us so she is the age she should be." The Grandmother just smiled "Gabrielle, I think there is a story I need you to tell me, but later, now I want to see my Granddaughter."

"She is right here nanna." Lyena spoke up letting them know that she and Eve had entered the room as she stepped aside as did Gabrielle and Xena. Even though she had been warned, Cyrene was still shocked. The little baby she had held all those years ago was now a full-grown woman.

Eve couldn’t believe it. True she knew there was a chance that she had a living grandmother but even with the warning it was still overwhelming. I HAVE A GRANDMA!!!!!!! Her mind yelled out as she started to make her way to Cyrene. "Grandma" Eve whispered as she hugged her grandmother for the first time. "Nanna" Cyrene corrected her. "Nanna" Eve said with a huge smile.

Xena smiled at the scene before her and placed an arm around her friend. Gabrielle looked up at her friend and wrapped her arm around the warrior’s waist. They were home.

Maybe

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