Author's Note:
So this is the end of our little story. Thank you so much to all of you that favorited and reviewed! It might be awhile till I'm back with another XWP story but I've written for many pairings and many fandoms so if you like my style of writing, please don't hesitate to check out my other works :)

CHAPTER XIII
Trial

Varia knew it would end this way.

She knew and yet she flirted with chance time and time again so no, the fact that it all came tumbling down around her did not surprise her. Nothing in this village was soundproofed, so it was ridiculous to assume every single time they spoke about something like that that no one could hear them. They had gotten too comfortable, had once again become wrapped up in each other's orbit, and stopped seeing anything outside of themselves.

It had been foolish, and it ultimately became their undoing.

Eve was sitting in the corner of her cell, her shoulder leaning against the bars that separated them, because of course Marga didn't want them in a cell together. It was close enough though as Varia sat on the other side of said bars, her hand slipping through to hold Eve's. Neither of them said anything as they listened to Xena yelling at Marga outside; it was loud and it was furious and Varia honestly expected the woman to come barging in there regardless of what the queen wanted. However, it seemed that Gabrielle eventually got her to calm down; she explained to Xena that she would have a chance to speak on her daughter's behalf at their trial, and reminded her that they should do this in the most nonviolent way possible, because the Amazons were their friends.

Varia doubted it'd make a difference though.

Marga hadn't seemed ready to hear Varia's reasons for doing what she did, and she didn't think one more day would make her more open to the idea. She understood how she felt though; they were friends, Marga trusted her, had given her her rite of caste, and yet… she did this. But what else was she supposed to do? She couldn't have condemned Eve to death by revealing who she was outright; not after she had saved both her and her sister. But then again, it wasn't like Marga knew about that either.

Maybe keeping all of these secrets hurt more than it helped after all.

Eventually, the woman who was meant to be guarding them left, and Xethaedra entered, no doubt to take over the other Amazon's duties. She wouldn't look directly at Varia, but the other woman straightened her spine anyway, knowing that if she was going to get answers out of anyone, it would be her.

"Xethaedra," she called to her, yet was ignored. Untangling her hand from Eve's, Varia got to her feet and crossed to the other side of her cell, saying her friend's name again. Nothing. "Xe!" she shouted, which finally made the other woman look at her.

"What?" she asked, trying to sound angry and yet falling incredibly flat. She was upset, yes, but it wasn't because she was furious with her; she was sad that it had come to this, and that's what tore Varia up inside.

"Xe, you know I would have never done this if I didn't think Eve was a different person now. I would never purposely endanger any of you. You must know that. This tribe is my family."

"What I know is that whatever happened in Rome, it fucked you up," Xethaedra responded, her brow creasing as she looked at Varia like she was wondering if she was even the same person she once knew. "I've heard of people falling in love with their captors as a way to cope with their enslavement, but you never seemed…" She trailed off then, her gaze landing on Eve in the corner, her expression turning blameful. "Not until she came along."

"She's not brainwashed."

Eve sounded offended by that, and rightfully so. Still, Varia held up her hand to her lover, halting her words momentarily as she pleaded, "Please, just let me—Xethaedra is my friend, and without an explanation I'm sure it… it seems that way. But it's not," she insisted, her attention turning back to the other Amazon. "Xe, it's not. Rome was… complicated, I'll admit that, but we weren't lovers and I definitely did not feel for her in that way."

Xethaedra scoffed, her upset making way for her anger. "Don't pretend that you weren't fucking her before. Don't lie to my face like that, Varia; I heard you. I know."

Varia inhaled a sharp breath at that, the pit of her stomach sinking as she realized that the entire reason they were even in this predicament… was because of her friend. Xethaedra clenched her jaw, shaking her head before she averted eye contact. She still looked angry, but another part of her looked ashamed of herself.

"I was just… taking a walk," she admitted, although still wouldn't look Varia in the eyes, "to clear my head. I wasn't even looking for you, or for her, and when I came across you both I was just going to leave and give you both privacy, but then… then you said something about that woman taking your virginity, and it didn't make sense because I thought you both had just met, so I stayed. I listened." Her eyes went downcast then before she admitted, "A part of me wishes I didn't. I didn't want to be the one to do this to you, regardless of this whole… Livia bullshit, because I wasn't even part of this tribe back then, and I didn't feel like it was my place."

No, Xethaedra had not been there when Livia's army had attacked. She didn't even grow up an Amazon; she was a runaway from Thebes, and Marga had taken her in when she expressed interest in joining. They needed to rebuild their tribe, and so Xethaedra was not the only non-Amazon who had joined later. Still, because of this, she had been very disconnected from the horror Livia had inflicted upon them, which must have put her in an awkward position after what she overheard. She didn't want to do this to her friend, but she also had a duty to her tribe.

She had to choose her loyalty and, honestly, she had chosen right. Varia couldn't deny that. Xethaedra had no idea of the history between them, had no idea how much Eve had changed, and so it would have been stupid for her to choose her friend over bringing a murderer to justice, especially since she thought Varia was just brainwashed from her enslavement.

"I did sleep with her," Varia admitted, not wanting to lie to her friend; she had done enough of that as it was. "Once. If you ask Eve, she'll tell you that she took advantage of me, but I still made a choice; a choice that I may have immediately regretted, but a choice nonetheless. I wasn't in love with her though, and I definitely didn't do it just because I wanted her attention or affection; in all honesty, I barely fucking tolerated her, so believe me, none of this was because I was 'brainwashed'. I just… she just showed up here, and she was different; she was something I knew she could become long ago, but assumed she never would be because she didn't have the strength to actually follow through with it. I'm glad I was wrong."

Xethaedra didn't say anything for a long moment, but she did eventually find her friend's gaze once more. "I don't know what to believe, honestly," she finally admitted, and Varia's stomach sank a little deeper. "But it doesn't even matter what I think, so you shouldn't waste your breath on me. You'll have your chance to say your piece tomorrow for the Council; they'll be the ones to figure out what to do with you, so I hope for your sake you have a convincing story, Varia. I really, really do."

For both of their sakes Varia hoped she did as well, but even as she thought it, a part of her knew that it'd be a miracle if only one of them come out of this unscathed… let alone both of them.

[x]

Their trial was held the next morning in the queen's hut. Varia and Eve were silently escorted from their cells to the large column in the center of the room, being roughly bound back to back on either side of it. Most of the tribe now looked at them like they were vermin, and it sliced Varia to pieces because this was her family. This place, these people… they were her entire world. Xethaedra was about the only one who didn't look at her like she was something foul, but her gaze still wasn't kind or understanding either. Even Ysope, who at one point held actual romantic feelings for her, now looked at Varia like she couldn't believe that she had ever seen her as anything other than somebody traitorous and horrible.

In the corner of the hut, Varia could see Xena, her expression set into a deadly glare that the Amazon was certain would turn into something violent should Eve be sentenced to death. Gabrielle seemed to realize that too, as she stood next to her lover and placed a comforting hand on her forearm. She didn't want her to do anything rash; at least, not yet. In the end, despite Gabrielle's place amongst them as a Amazon queen, Varia didn't have any doubt that if she needed to, she would get Eve out of there the hard way.

She was glad for that, at least. Varia didn't want anyone to get hurt over this, but she couldn't just stand back and allow her sisters to murder Eve either.

Marga sat down on her throne, her expression unreadable as she stared at the two prisoners. Varia swallowed hard, feeling ashamed of herself for what she had done to her friend. "Eve, formerly known as Livia, you are charged with the murder and enslavement of an Amazon tribe. How do you plead?"

Eve's gaze fell away from her mother, only to land on the ground. "Guilty," she responded softly, because despite everything else that had happened since, she still was very much guilty of those crimes.

Marga's expression did not change, and it unnerved Varia a little. "Varia, former Princess of the Amazons—" Former. So that was how Marga was going to tell her that she had stripped her of her rite of caste; in front of everyone, like it was nothing. Varia felt sick. "You are charged with treason, how do you plead?"

"Not guilty," Varia responded strongly, starting to grow angry and upset with all of this. She didn't endanger them, she didn't. A strong murmur of confusion and outrage swept through the hut, but Varia just continued to look her queen dead in the eyes as she told her, "I didn't allow Livia to walk amongst us. I didn't allow someone who was dangerous to coexist with us; Eve is the messenger of Eli now, a messenger of peace. She's trying to redeem herself for all the horrible things she has done, and if you kill her for that, then it'll all be for nothing! She was fucking prophesized for the Gods' sake—"

"Yes, by the One God, whom Amazons do not follow," Marga reminded her strongly. And yes, that may be true, but just because they didn't follow the One God, didn't mean they should dismiss his servants either. "Her relation to Eli and his God is meaningless to us."

"Her God is the reason we don't have Gods anymore!" Varia exclaimed strongly, needing Marga to realize the magnitude of that. "You may not follow the One God, but you should at least respect him, because he is far more powerful than ours ever were. How can you not fear what he will do to you if you kill his messenger?"

Some of the Amazons began to look a little worried, but then Eve had to open her mouth and ruin the entire thing.

"The One God isn't vengeful," she contradicted, apparently more concerned with how the Amazons viewed her God over her own life. Varia closed her eyes and banged the back of her head against the pillar she was tied to. Of all the times for Eve to finally start preaching, why did it have to be now?"He is love, he is goodness—"

"He had her murder Artemis," Ysope interrupted, shooting a blameful look towards Xena. Apparently, not everyone was alright with the changing world order. "And many more of our Gods. He is a murderer, just like you are. People say the One God is Light to Dahak's Darkness, but they seem about the same to me."

"Don't—" Gabrielle began furiously, her entire expression changing into something dark and furious and sad at the mention of Dahak. Varia didn't know why, but whatever it was, it certainly was not good. "Don't talk about Dahak," Gabrielle told Ysope slowly, dangerously. Xena's hand went to the small of her lover's back in a silent attempt to calm her."You weren't even born when he had power; you weren't there for the pain and the devastation he caused. Eve's God is not like that; not even close."

"Eve's God is not on trial here," Marga reminded them all sharply. "She is. Eve… Livia, has admitted her guilt; therefore it is not in question. Sentencing will be decided after we get a verdict on Varia, and since she seems to think she has done nothing wrong, we are obligated to hear her side of it and decide for ourselves."

Everyone looked to Varia then as Marga demanded, "What really happened in Rome, Varia? I want the truth this time."

Varia swallowed the lump in her throat. She always knew, in the back of her mind, that the truth would eventually come out, and today seemed to be that day. So she straightened her back, looked towards her queen, and told her. She told them that originally she had only been kept as Livia's personal servant as a punishment for trying to kill her, and because Livia somehow got some twisted fun out of having someone who wanted to assassinate her become a constant in her life. She told them that she was chained, she was beaten, and she was psychologically fucked with during their voyage back to Rome, but that Ares had eventually convinced Livia that her petty vendetta was foolish, and so when they got to their destination, things changed.

Varia spoke of the strange way that Livia wanted her to act; that she didn't want her submissive or subservient to her when they were alone, but instead wanted her to be brutally, unapologetically honest with her, because no one else in her life was. And while there had always been a part of Varia that didn't want to give Livia what she wanted, in the end she still found something freeing in not having to pretend to respect her. She was free to tell her that she hated her and that she wished she was dead.

"And I tried to," Varia admitted, needing them to realize that she hadn't just laid down and accepted her life as a slave. She didn't just abandon her roots as an Amazon, nor did she instantly forget or forgive what the woman had done to her tribe. "Kill her, I mean. Once on the boat to Rome, and another a few months later. But Livia said nothing to anyone; instead, she just punished me herself, because she knew that if anyone else knew that I had tried that I would be put to death and, for some reason, she didn't want that. I didn't understand it at first, but… as the years went by, I began to realize how lonely she was. For better or for worse, I was the only source of company she had who wasn't trying to kiss her ass or get something out of her. It made her… dependent on me, for lack of a better term, regardless of my obvious dislike of her. Because of this, she offered to free me in two years, so long as I continued to be what she needed."

Marga's face was still unreadable, and Varia wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing. "And was one of the things she 'needed' sex?" she asked, probably wondering now if Varia had just begun to whore herself for her freedom. "Xethaedra told me she overheard you say that you lost your virginity to that woman, and yet you're still claiming you did not like her. I fail to see how that correlates, unless you were merely doing it to be set free one day."

"I seduced her," Eve interrupted, shifting the blame onto herself. She sounded ashamed of herself, of what she had done. "I never required my slaves to service me sexually; that was a cruelness I would never inflict on anyone, because I… I know how it feels to be stripped of your choice in that way." The admission was soft, quiet, and Varia saw Xena stiffen in the corner.

"But I was drunk that night and I… I said some terribly lewd things to her, I touched her in ways I never had before, and she… did what I manipulated her into," Eve told them, her tone remorseful. "It was not her fault. She was young, she was confused, and I just… I had been told that I could no longer lie with women if I wanted to become Empress, and since Varia was always in my chambers, I knew no one would know if I lied with her. I used her, and it was selfish."

"Stop saying that; I told you I made my choice, and I meant that," Varia told her, not allowing Eve to paint herself into more of an awful person, as most everyone in the room already saw her that way anyway. She looked to her queen then, telling her, "You need to understand something, Marga. I was kept in Rome for years in that palace. I didn't see the outside world. I barely knew what was going on, or what Livia did when she was gone. Instead all I saw was this broken, miserable person day in and day out. I knew she was horrible, I knew who she was, but after a while… it just didn't connect as well as it used to."

"So yeah, I lied with her… but it wasn't because I grew to care for her, or because I somehow tricked myself into believing she was better than what she actually was," Varia explained, because it wasn't that simple. Nothing was. "Regardless of how hard it was for me to connect with my anger towards her back then, I still had it. I still felt like I deserved something from her because she had ripped everything away from me in the first place, and so when she offered me a 'trip to the Heavens' I took it, and gave her nothing in return. It was supposed to be some backwards form of vengeance but in the end, all it ended up doing was making me feel sick with myself."

"After that, I offered to release her from my personal service for the duration of her contract," Eve told Marga, making the queen's gaze rest on her instead. "It was obvious she didn't want to be around me anymore, at least more so than usual, and it… hurt, honestly. But it didn't matter anyway, because a couple days later was when…" She trailed off though, unsure if she should be the one to tell it. Marga's brow rose.

"When what?"

"When I escaped," Varia told her, filling in the blanks. She gently chewed on her bottom lip though, finally admitting the truth. She knew Marga wasn't going to be happy that she had lied, but maybe she would understand the reason why now. "Or… rather, when I was rescued. I didn't leave Rome on my own Marga; I couldn't. That place was a fortress. I know—I know what I said, but I lied because… because if I told you that she saved me; that she saved me from the noose because Ares wanted me dead, that she cut down her own damn soldiers just to allow me to live… you'd wonder why. And I couldn't—I couldn't tell you that we slept together, because I knew you'd get the wrong idea. Eve just… she got attached, and honestly I'm glad that she did, because if she hadn't, I wouldn't be standing here right now, and I would never be able to see the kind of amazing person she has finally allowed herself to become."

Varia felt Eve's fingers gently brush against hers after that, their tied hands not allowing much movement. Eve still tried though and hooked one finger around hers, trying to silently thank her in the only way she could in that moment for her words. Varia meant it though; she may have regretted what they had done immediately after, she may have hated Livia for how she looked at her and how she acted towards her after they had slept together, but in the end, it was Livia's strange attachment to her that saved her life.

Marga still had more questions however, and her brow knit as she asked, "Why did the God of War want you dead?" Because yes, it probably seemed strange; after all, Varia was nothing but a slave. Why should she mean anything to him?

"Because she made me weak," Eve answered for her, voice soft. "Because I was starting to learn compassion, I was starting to care about another human being other than myself and my own ambitions and he… he had no use for that. He needed me angry and alone, and entirely dependent on him."

"Believe me," Xena interrupted, causing all heads to turn in her direction. "Ares is good at manipulating people to his own ends, but he needs them isolated to do so. It's why he's always hated that I have Gabrielle, because she keeps me grounded."

Marga was silent for a moment, considering their story. But it was another council member that spoke up instead, addressing Eve as she asked, "Why did you come here? You must have known what would happen. Because the… angry part of me wants to believe that it was just to gloat; to see how badly you destroyed us and thinned our numbers when you came here so many years ago, but you… instead, you helped us in battle. You tended to our wounded, helped us hunt and gather for our feast. I don't understand."

"I didn't know these were your lands," Eve admitted, glancing over towards her mother and Gabrielle. "If I had, I would have never come. I know I have no right to be here, but while I was, I wanted to… I needed to do something to help. And I know nothing I could do could ever make up for the horrible things I've done to your tribe, but that doesn't mean that I wasn't still going to try. I know so many of you see me as a monster, and I know that I deserve that, but I really am trying to be someone better; I'm trying to correct the wrongs that I made as Livia, because I am sickened by the person I used to be. I fucking hate myself for what I've done, and I know I will for as long as I live."

The council seemed to be considering her words. Some looked convinced, but others still did not. Varia held her breath, looking towards her queen. Marga took a moment before deciding, "Varia's guilt is still in question. Before we convene with sentencing, we must decide whether or not she is guilty of treason. Those of you who believe that she is guilty, stand and be counted."

There was a noticeable hesitation. Then, finally, out of the twelve council members… only two stood. Varia exhaled the breath she was holding, hardly able to believe her eyes. Even Marga didn't stand, and Varia hadn't thought for a second that she was even willing to really hear what she had to say, let alone accept it.

"This is ridiculous," Ysope exclaimed, as she was one of the two who did stand. "Varia is guilty of treason; that isn't a matter of opinion! She slept with the enemy and willingly and knowingly let her into our home!"

"Treason is committed with ill-will towards the tribe; what Varia did was not," Xethaedra countered strongly to her peer. "She honestly believed us to not be in any danger with Eve around and… frankly, I believe her. I know I wasn't here when Livia did all those terrible things, but Eve has been here for nearly half a fortnight and all she's shown us is kindness and help. Besides, the only reason you're so pissed off, Ysope, is because Varia broke your heart. That's not fair, and I move to dismiss you from this trial based on your biased opinion."

"What? You can't—!"

"Motion approved," Marga responded immediately, which only made Ysope's mouth drop open, aghast. "I'm sorry Ysope, but you haven't made it any secret how you feel about Varia, and how slighted you felt after she apologized for making a mistake and sleeping with you. Xethaedra is right; you should not be here."

Ysope looked furious, but she did turn away and stomp out of the hut after Marga dismissed her. In the end, she was still a member of this tribe, and when her queen gave an order, it was expected for her to follow it.

"By majority, Varia is found to be innocent; all charges are dismissed. Release her," Marga ordered, and it was Xethaedra who was first to get up, quick to untie her friend. Varia felt relieved, thankful, but this was only half the battle; Eve's guilt was not in question, and so she still needed to be sentenced. As there was little chance that Marga would pardon her completely, anxiety began to pool in the pit of the Amazon's stomach.

"Varia," Marga addressed her, causing Varia's eyes to tear away from Eve to look upon her queen. "Understand that just because your charges have been dismissed, that does not mean that you will reclaim your rite of caste. That is a privilege that I bestow on someone, and until I feel as though I can trust you completely again, you will not have it back."

Varia's gaze hit the ground at those words, but she nodded her understanding. The controversy surrounding this wouldn't allow her to lead anyway; there would always be people who did not trust her, or did not like her, so Varia was not surprised. Maybe… in the end, it was for the best.

Only time would tell.

"The law is clear," Marga addressed the council then, regarding Eve's sentencing. "Death or banishment for crimes committed against the Amazon Nation. If you believe the accused deserves death, stand and be counted."

Xena stiffened, readying herself for a fight. Gabrielle's hand went to her lover's forearm, squeezing it tight, and Varia held her breath and tried not to vomit as she watched the Amazon council look around at each other for a long moment.

Nobody stood.

Not a single soul got off their chair, and Varia nearly collapsed in relief as tears began to fill her eyes. They were going to let Eve live. They were going to let her live.

"You are not the same person you were," Marga told Eve, who looked almost as though she couldn't believe that she wasn't going to die today. Gabrielle's arms were wrapped around Xena then, who finally looked as though she was able to breathe. "We can see that. That does not, however, mean that you are forgiven. Do not come back here, Messenger of Eli; because next time, it will mean your death." Her gaze rested on Xethaedra then, and she ordered, "Release her."

Xethaedra did as she was told, and Varia wasted no time wrapping Eve up into a fierce hug once she was released. She didn't want to think about what banishment meant in that moment, because Varia knew that would ache just as badly. Right now, all she cared about was that she wasn't going to be put to death. Right now, all she cared about was that they had survived this, because Varia never thought they would. Not in a million years.

"You have until nightfall to leave the village," Marga told her as she finally stood from her throne. Her gaze shifted to Varia then, noticing the look on her former second in command's face. "Be sure to say your goodbyes before then."

Goodbye. Varia didn't want to say goodbye to Eve, but what other choice did she have? In the end, this was better than the alternative, but either way, it meant that Varia would never see Eve again, and that did not sit well with her.

That did not sit well with her at all.

[x]

"I'm trying to be happy," Varia breathed sadly as they sat in her hut, their hands clasped together as they leaned into one another's forms. They still had a few hours until the sun went down, and so the two of them decided to hide themselves away from the world in order to spend their remaining time together. "I know this is better than death, but…"

Eve gently leaned her forehead against her lover's, a sympathetic expression crossing her face as she weaved their fingers together. "I know. And I know it may be madness, how attached I've become to you over such a short period of time, but maybe this had just always been a long time coming; at least on my end. I just… I just wish we had more time."

"Me too," Varia breathed before she pulled away to look in the other woman's eyes, her hand untangling from hers so she could reach up and delicately place an errant piece of hair behind Eve's ear. She shot her a sad smile then before she leaned in, gently kissing her as she tried, with everything that she was, not to cry.

Because Eve was right; this was insane. They shouldn't feel this kind of attachment to one another, not after such a short time. And perhaps it was just their shared past that allowed them to skip a couple steps, or the realization that they really could have something good and real with one another, so long as they had the time, but Varia didn't want to let her go. It just seemed like she would be throwing away something that she had waited quite a long time for.

But she was an Amazon, and Eve was not. She was here, and Eve was banished. So how…?

Outside of her hut, Varia could hear another woman spit and accuse, "Traitor," as she walked by, and Varia pulled away from Eve, sighing heavily. An innocent verdict clearly did not sit well with everyone, and because of that, Varia was concerned about her place within the tribe. She wanted to be able to earn her rite of caste back, but would that even be the best thing? How could she lead, when not everyone trusted her?

And if she couldn't flourish here, if she couldn't become the person she wanted to become, then what was the point of staying?

Varia froze a little at that thought, turning it over in her mind a few times.

What was the point of staying?

"Just ignore them," Eve gently pleaded, taking the other woman's hands in hers once more. "They don't know you; they don't know what's in your heart. Please don't let it bother you; they're just trying to make you feel like you don't belong."

"No, I…" Varia began, a solution beginning to form in her mind as she looked over at the woman beside her. "No, but that's the thing, isn't it? I don't belong, not anymore. I may still have friends here, but I don't think any of them trust me fully anymore. And I—I wanted to be somebody, Eve; I wanted to make a difference, but because of all of this… I know I won't ever be granted a position of real power again. No one would trust me with it."

Eve's brow knit, her eyes searching hers. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying…" Varia began slowly, making sure she really meant what she was about to say. And, after a short moment, she realized that she did. That, in the end, if she wanted to live the life she wanted, that this was the only viable solution. "I'm saying I think I should leave. Some Amazons travel between tribes, and I can… I can find another, settle down there and maybe make something out of my life. I can… I can make something out of my life somewhere where—where you could actually come visit, from time to time, if… if you'd like."

Varia's gaze hesitantly met the other woman's, and all she found was this emotional look of amazement and disbelief as Eve stared at her, hardly able to believe that Varia would even consider that an option. "Are you… you're serious?" she asked breathlessly, needing to double check.

"It's not just for you," Varia told her, needing Eve to know that no matter how badly she did wish that they could continue pursing whatever it is that they had started with one another, that she wasn't basing huge life decisions on it. "I just… I need to be somewhere where I can make a difference, and I don't… think that's here anymore. And it sucks and it hurts but… that's just the way it is. I'm not trusted here anymore, and I can't be somewhere where people look at me like I'm something vile."

Eve seemed to understand that, and she covered the Amazon's knee with her hand as she leaned into her. "I'll come with you," she offered, not wanting her to be alone on this journey. "Just… until you find somewhere, if you want. It's dangerous to travel alone."

Varia smirked, placing her hand over the one that Eve had atop her knee. "You don't even pick up a sword on your own behalf anymore, so it's not like you're offering extra protection or anything." Eve just shot her a look like she was being dumb.

"I know that, but I'm not the only one that would be coming. You didn't think my parents would let me wander off with you alone, do you? They seem to feel the need to protect me, to keep me safe, so wherever I go… they go. Is that—are you okay with that?"

Eve sounded a little unsure that Varia would be, but Varia just chuckled a little, squeezing the other woman's hand. "Yeah," she told her. "Yeah, I'd be okay with that."

Eve smiled wide before she bit her lower lip and then rose up a little, placing a gentle kiss on Varia's cheek. "So we're really doing this?" she asked, sounding amazed that her life played out in a way that wasn't awful for once. Varia felt the same, as she was certain this road didn't have a happy ending attached. Maybe though, for once, she had been wrong. "Are you scared?"

Because this was a big change, a big step, and there was so much unknown on the other side of it that it did, honestly, give Varia a lot of anxiety. But then she looked at Eve, looked at the reassuring smile the other woman had on her face, and suddenly those anxieties calmed, only to be replaced by new ones that were just as terrifying, but bore the chance of becoming something greater than she had ever known.

So Varia smiled, brought their clasped hands up to her lips, and kissed the other woman's knuckles. "Fucking senselessly."

And Eve seemed to understand that she wasn't talking about the change of tribe, or the vast unknown that was out there waiting for them, because her smile matched Varia's then, breathing, "…Me too," as she squeezed their hands together and leaned into her shoulder.

It was a risk, but it was a risk they were taking together, and as Varia looked down at the woman whose head was now on her shoulder, Varia smiled, for she realized she wouldn't want to take this kind of risk with anyone else.

THE END