"Come on Nat - you have to help me - this is all your fault!" said the voice. "Oh, yeah - big uptown MD. Well, if it weren’t for you, I could have called the police when I hit her - you’re the one responsible for me losing my driver’s license. Never mind that - I don’t need the damn pills - just get over here - she’s hurt and I don’t know what to do - if I end up in jail, think what a scandal it will be for your big career - I can see the headlines now, ‘Prominent Physician’s Cousin Kills Woman’ details at eleven. Okay, I’ll see you in a few. Thanks, Natalie."

She wasn’t sure how much time had passed when the door opened again and the light burst upon her, wrenching her from the trance.

"Xena!" she cried softly, wrapping her arms around the woman who sat beside her on the strange bed.

One eyebrow raised, the woman gently disentangled herself from the embrace.

"Kate, is this one of your weirdo internet friends?" asked the woman, rising angrily.

"Natalie, I swear I have never seen her before tonight," said Kate, pacing, an unlit cigarette between her fingers.

"Told ya," said Kate, grinning.

"I do not look like that half-clad Wonder Woman wannabe," said Natalie, annoyed.

"Okay, look," said Natalie, patiently. "My cousin - who is not supposed to be driving - hit you with her car. I am a physician and I am only here to make sure that you’re alright - you want to sue her or press charges, that’s fine by me. Now, do you know your name?"

"What was so important you had to go driving, anyway?" said Natalie, rising. "I just brought you some groceries."

"I was out of smokes," said Kate. "You won’t bring me those and the corner store was closed."

Natalie rolled her eyes. "That figures," she said, rising. "Well, you’re lucky - both of you. I can’t even find a bruise, though you’ve got some pretty scary scars. What do you do for a living?"

"You know, how do you pay your bills? Are you an actress?" asked Natalie, eyeing the long tunic and woolen trousers.

"Hey, hold on," said Natalie, sitting back down and feeling with gentle fingers along the priestess’s neck and head. "Headache?"

"Migraine," said Natalie, opening her bag. "Are you allergic to anything?"

"Xena again," said Natalie, shaking her head. "Well, I’m not going to give you opiates until I’m sure you don’t have a concussion, but I think Kate has some aspirin."

"In the bathroom - I’ll get them," said Kate, leaving.

"Okay, truth - did Kate put you up to this? No way have you been hit by a car," said Natalie.

"Look, I love my cousin - that’s the reason I reported her to the DMV for the seizures," said Natalie. "So if this is some crazy scheme of hers to get back at me for that ..."

"What?" said Natalie, shaking her head slightly. "Okay, maybe you have a head injury."

"How could I?" asked Natalie. "Where do you live - really?

"Okay," said Natalie, with a sigh. She took her cell phone from her pocket and began pressing buttons. "I’m going to make arrangements for a CAT scan at the hospital - "

"No!" cried Kate running in with a bottle of aspirin. "You can’t do that, Nat - please?"

"Kate, she’s either crazy or she has a concussion - or something," said Natalie. "I can’t keep covering for you."

"Natalie ..." With a frustrated groan, Kate went into the other room while Natalie made her call. Kate returned shortly with a triumphant grin.

"Never mind Nat - Grandma’s coming over. She said she’ll handle everything from here," she said, lighting the cigarette between her fingers.

Natalie stared at her for a moment, then angrily told the person she had been speaking with to never mind and hung up. "Fine - why didn’t you just call her to begin with?" she said. "And put that thing out until I leave, if you don’t mind."

"Grandma’s not a doctor," said Kate, stubbing out the cigarette in an overflowing crystal ashtray. "I just needed to make sure I hadn’t killed her - Grams says she’ll handle it from here, so I’m to send you back home, Miss Grouch."

"You’re welcome - but if I were you, I’d leave before our grandmother gets here," she said, rolling her eyes. "When those two start plotting, it’s not safe."

"Never mind her," said Kate, shaking her head as Natalie left. "Great Aunt Mel says she’s just like herself - before she met my grandmother. They raised us. I’m Kate, by the way - Kate Covington."

"When you first saw Nat, you said something about Xena. What do you know about her?" asked Kate, quietly.

"Well, before Grams gets here I should tell you, she reacts kind of funny when she hears people talk about her," said Kate. "Listen, I also need to tell you that Grams and Aunt Mel are ... well, they’re partners ... I mean, they’re ... Look, you’re not like some religious fanatic, are you?"

"Oh, of course - I should have recognised the accent," said Kate nodding. "You’re from somewhere around Russia, aren’t you?"

Just then, a woman came in. Kate ran to her, hugging her tightly. Her long blonde hair was generously laced with silver and hung down her back in a single braid. On her head was perched a beat up brown hat and she wore a brown leather jacket, equally well-worn and aged. Her boots were scuffed and her jeans were faded and soft with wear. Clamped between her teeth was a cigar, unlit and well-chewed. She tossed a pack of cigarettes on the bed.

"There ya go, Katie - no more nightly excursions, ‘kay? You need something, you call me or Aunt Mel," she said, then released Kate and stuck her hand out to the priestess in greeting. "Hi, Janice Covington. And you are ... ?"

"Okaaaay," said Janice, rolling her eyes. "Hey, Katie I’m going to use the facilities. Be right back."

"That doesn’t bother you?" said Kate, delighted.

"Okay, great," said Kate, quickly glancing at the bathroom door. "She and my Aunt Mel worked together looking for the Xena scrolls. They had ... an experience in Macedonia that really freaked them out. Apparently, they found out that they are the descendants of Xena and Gabrielle."

"I’m not sure. I know they found some of the scrolls in this tomb, Uncle Jack - that’s Jack Kleinman, a friend of Grams and Aunt Mel’s - got some of them and his grand-son took them and sold them to some TV producer. Really pissed Grams off, but the show was a huge success - even I love it. So does Aunt Mel, but that’s beside the point," said Kate. "They got the scrolls back and Aunt Mel found out the translator Uncle Jack hired screwed up. See, Grams is an archaeologist and Aunt Mel is her translator - she knows all kinds of ancient languages. Anyway, it’s a real sore spot with Grams and she’s still looking for the rest of the scrolls. Every so often she gets a lead and off they go."

Just then Janice came out of the bathroom. "Hey, now - you’re not planning on making any trouble for Katie here, are you?" she said, her green eyes narrowed.

"Okay," said Janice. "It’s Tuesday, June 12."

"Themis - okay, what’s going on here?" asked Janice, hands on her hips.

"There is no queen and there is no Themiscyreia - not any more, at least," said Janice.

Janice shrugged. "Rome absorbed Anatolia during the Ist century BC," she said. "The Amazons were long gone from the region before them - according to ancient sources, they went looking, but there were no Amazons there. They took over the whole known world at that time, including Thrace - "

"Yeah, the Athenians lost Amphipolis to Philip of Macedon first - " began Janice.

"Toris?" said Janice, her eyes narrowing.

"Yes - Xena’s brother - "

"Yeah, I know - what do you know about Xena?" asked Janice, her eyes widening and beginning to glitter with interest. "Wait - let me call Mel to come over - Katie, put on a pot of coffee. I have a feeling we’re going to have a long night - you’ve seen the scrolls, haven’t you?"

"Whaddaya mean Gabrielle has the originals?" she said. "And all those places with copies no longer exist."

"No, they don’t," said Janice.

"Um, okay - you had me right up until now - what do you mean, ‘get back there’?" said Janice.

"Dahak? He’s still around? But the scrolls say that Hercules killed him," said Janice.

"Whoa - okay, Hope had a son - the Destroyer," said Janice.

"Oh, wow - wait’ll Mel hears all this - none of this was in the scrolls!" said Janice.

"Uh, well, I wasn’t sure how you liked it, so I just made yours the same as mine - lots of cream and sugar," said Kate, blushing under the compliment.

"Well, I’m a writer," said Kate, modestly. "Novels - not like Grams and Aunt Mel." She pulled one book from a shelf and handed it to the priestess.

"An Alternative History of the Amazons," said Janice, eyeing the royal purple dust jacket. "Not our best work, but it’s Kate’s favourite."

"Great High Mucky-Muck of the Amazons," muttered Janice, rolling her eyes.

Disappointed, Janice sat back against the couch. "What else did Miss Grumpy have to say?" she asked.

"Now, now - she told me everything - Katie, Honey, you call us from now on if you need anything," said Melinda, her soft voice tinged with worry. "Least till we get this thing straightened out with the DMV and get your license back."

"That’s impossible," said Kate, sitting in a chair across from the older women with a sigh.

"Don’t be too sure about that - your Grams and I have many skills," said Melinda, pushing the glasses back up on her nose before turning her attention to the computer before her. "And many contacts. Ya’ll are just lucky no one was seriously hurt - fact is, Natalie still thinks it was a ruse to get back at her for pullin’ your license."

"It isn’t," Kate protested.

The Amazon looked on in wonder at the coloured picture before her, then shook her head. "I don’t see it," she said. Melinda looked and typed for a moment.

"There!" she said.

"Uh, huh," said Melinda, pulling out a battered notebook and pencil and writing for a moment, before turning back to the screen. "Modern day Kalmucks still use the term ‘aemetzaine’ to describe a strong or independent woman, just as ancient writers used the term ‘antianerai’ - "

Melinda looked at her, sharply. "What about the Sarmatians?"

"Fascinating," said Melinda, pulling a scroll from the briefcase. "Can you read this?"

"I’m sorry," said the priestess. "It’s Phoenician, but other than that, I can’t decipher a word."

"Oh, yes," she said, softly. "This is one of Gabrielle’s - well, a copy. This one was kept in the library in Themiscyreia - see, it’s in Amazonian and here, in the corner, is the transcriber’s name - it’s a tiny bit faded, but you can still make it out. Sajae."

"Janice! Do you know what this means?" said Melinda, excited.

"No?" said Janice, one eyebrow raised.

"It means that the Amazon language is not derived from Indo-European! It’s completely independent from any other language of that region," said Melinda, taking the scroll back and replacing it in the briefcase with reverence.

"So?" said Janice.

"Never mind," said Melinda, smiling fondly at her partner. "The implications will hit you later. In the meantime, you say this scroll was housed in Themiscyreia?"

"Janice do you remember where we found this one?" said Melinda, eagerly punching keys on the computer.

Melinda looked at her partner, one eyebrow raised so far it was hidden by her bangs. "So was Macedonia," she said, pointedly.

"That’s different," Janice muttered.

"It’s a long story," said Janice, shortly.

"Oh, come on Grams - I want to hear it, too," Kate piped up. "All my life, I’ve heard about something happening in Macedonia, but you and Aunt Mel won’t say what it was. Please?"

"Alright, but Janice should be the one to tell it - my memory of it’s a bit fuzzy," said Melinda, nudging the reluctant Janice.

Janice sighed, resigned, then spoke, her eyes taking on a far away look as she traveled back in memory to the most extraordinary event in her life ....

"It was 1942. The second world war was raging and I was in a damn hurry to find the scrolls and get them to the safety of the States. I didn’t care how I was going to muddle through customs with rare antiquities. I just knew that bastard Hitler was mad about collecting anything ancient and rare - and I also had heard he had this ‘thing’ about Amazons. I wasn’t about to let him get his slimy hands on the scrolls.

"My father had invested his very soul in this cause - finding the scrolls. I was carrying on his work. We had been at the dig site for months and I was on the verge of opening this tomb when Mel showed up - so did John Smythe and his goons. And so did Jack. Thanks to Mel, we got the tomb opened up. We managed to ditch Smythe and goons temporarily. Mel found the scrolls and half of Xena’s chakram and we decided to get the hell out of there before any more nasties showed up.

"All of a sudden, Mel got this funny look on her face and started walking off like a zombie. It was as if she couldn’t hear me telling her to stop. Jack and I went after her but Smythe appeared, holding the other half of the chakram, laughing at us - at me. He demanded the scrolls and the other half of the chakram. All of a sudden, Mel was walking toward him, the chakram - I thought she was gonna just hand it over - but no. The two halves came together and Mel hit the floor, unconscious. The next thing I knew ... "

Janice hesitated and looked to Melinda, who smiled and patted her arm in encouragement.

"Ares was there," said Melinda. "This is the part that’s still fuzzy. Evidently, he told Jack and Janice they were descendants of Joxer and Gabrielle - respectively. Somehow he had been trapped in that tomb - I believe by the other gods, but the glyphs on the walls were so faded the legend was a little hard to make out. It would take a descendant of Xena to release him. Well, I guess he thought I was some dumb Southern Belle who would just about bend to his every wile and whim."

"That’s when Xena Xena showed up," said Janice, taking up the tale.

"Yeah - she was in Mel’s body, but it was her, alright - there could be no mistaking it - there was a power .. . a presence," said Janice, her voice quiet, the memory still inspiring a certain awe.

"Yeah," said Janice, looking sharply at the priestess. "Anyway, to make a long story short, Ares tied up Jack and me and set some sort of pendulum thing swinging to try and force Xena to release him from his prison - seems he wanted to help the damn madman in his ‘cause’. Xena fought him, we escaped and then she left Mel - for good. She hasn’t been back since - has she?"

Melinda chuckled. "You’d be the first to know, Honey," she said.

"Janice put that thing away before you hurt someone!" cried Melinda at the same time Kate jumped up, crying, "Grams, no!"

All of a sudden, there was a tension in the air and the women found it difficult to breathe, as if a strong wind was blowing directly in their faces and Melinda stood there, removing her glasses, one eyebrow raised, her face stern.

"Xena," she said, tears streaming from her eyes.

"Where’s Melinda?" asked Janice, clicking the safety on and slipping the pistol back in its holster in her jacket.

"She’s here, too," said Xena, calmly.

"Okay," said Janice. "I’m sorry - I just ..."

"Right, then," said Xena. "In the meantime, stay strong - and remember I love you."

Melinda shook her head, then smiled. "See Janice? I told ya you’d be the first to know," she said.

"Livia!" said Melinda, grinning. "We have that scroll."

"Ewww! Do not go there!" said Janice, grimacing.

"And Xena ... chose to be with you?" said Melinda, gently.

"I am a descendant of ... " Janice shuddered. "Joxer, too?"

"Very tactful, Sugar," said Melinda, winking.

"That’s true," said Janice with a small sigh. "And it could be worse - I think. I could be carrying Dahak’s blood."

"Never know, Sweetie - maybe ya are," said Melinda, pointing to the hole in Kate’s wall.

"Uh, yeah," said Janice, scratching her head. She looked sheepishly at Kate. "Sorry, Honey - I’ll have that fixed for you first thing in the morning, okay?"

"Okay, Grams," said Kate, yawning. "Meantime, I need to get to bed."

"Night owls - sure can tell you two are related," said Janice, yawning and shaking her head as she made her way to Kate’s guest room. Melinda continued typing on the laptop, then pulled the Amazon Scroll back out of the briefcase.

"Would ya’ll mind reading this one to me?" she asked, a little shyly. "I haven’t been able to find the key to translating the language - maybe if I had an idea what it says, I could figure it out."

"Like Kate’s seizures," said Melinda, shaking her head, sadly. "Her mother - my daughter - had ‘em too."

"Nah, nothing like that - used to call ‘em ‘petit mal’ - that’s French for ‘little bad’ - now Natalie calls ‘em ‘absence’ seizures - more fittin’, really. It’s like she’s not there, just stares off into space for a time, then when she wakes up, she’ll just pick up conversation like it never happened," said Melinda.

"Yes, like a trance," said Melinda. "Only Natalie, bless the child, after she got her medical degree, was so gung ho and by the book she decided that they were seizures. She ran tests and made the diagnosis and reported Kate to the DMV so now poor Katie can’t drive anymore. It’s not that much of a hardship, but it does take from her independence, so Janice and I have been as supportive as we can. Nat gave Kate some pills and said if she takes them and has no seizures for a couple of years, she can get her license back, but Kate won’t take ‘em. Says she gets her best story ideas when she has the trances and she doesn’t think they’re anything more than intense daydreams."

"Melinda, you said that Kate’s mother was your daughter? But Kate said that you and Janice were together. What happened - if you don’t mind telling me? If I am intruding - " said the priestess.

"No, not at all," said Melinda, with a sigh. "Back in the day when Janice and I first met, women just didn’t go together - well, I know some of them did, but it was only in great secrecy and at a great risk."

"I ... don’t know what made the people think the way they did back then - perhaps it was because the predominant religion at the time said it was a sin," said Melinda. "Leastways, that’s what my mama told me when she first suspected - threatened hellfire and brimstone and when that didn’t work, she threatened confinement in an ‘institution designed for girls with my special problem’."

"Insane asylum," said Melinda.

"Yes it was, but Mama didn’t know any better," said Melinda with another deep sigh. "It was one thing for me to go off to Macedonia - see, I found a telegram Janice had sent to my daddy, asking for him to come and do some translatin’. My daddy had just died and Mama figured I was reactin’ to that, so she didn’t say too much. After all, I had graduated from the University with a degree in Ancient Writin’s - Mama figured I may as well get puttin’ it to use out of my system so I could settle down and give her some grand-children. But then I didn’t come back until after the war - I told Mama travel wasn’t safe until then, but really, Janice and I had followed leads all over Eastern Europe lookin’ for the rest of the scrolls. We finally had no choice but to come - politics bein’ what they were, the United States could no longer guarantee our safety overseas. We both came home and married men. I had a daughter, Janice had a son and we didn’t see each other until fifteen years later. By then, Janice was a widow and I was divorced."

"It was a very sad time," said Melinda nodding in agreement. "But we found each other again in the end - all due to my daughter. See, my daughter Margaret was a wild lil’ thing - ran off with a Gypsy boy when she was about nineteen. I couldn’t find her and her daddy was no help, so I called Janice - first time we spoke in so many years and yet ... it was still there. Janice had a boy, Gabriel, but he was on his own at the University, studyin’ archaeology, just like his mama so she and I went to go look for Margaret. Janice still had all these contacts overseas and through them, we found my daughter in Bulgaria, living with the boy’s Tribe. He himself had left her there with his mother and grandmother. She was pregnant with Kate."

"No," said Melinda, sadly shaking her head. "She refused. She kept hoping the boy would return for her. According to their customs, no man - not even him - was allowed to be in her presence while she was pregnant and she believed that was why he left her with the women of his Tribe. As it turns out, I can only thank the gods she was carrying Kate or he would abandoned her altogether over there. You see, since there was no bride price paid, they were not really considered married."

"I know," said Melinda, raising one hand and smiling slightly. "But it has a place in their culture and I have learned through my travels to always respect another culture whether I agree with it or not - with a few exceptions."

"Well, Gabriel married another archaeology student, Sharon," said Melinda. "Janice was a little disappointed - she wanted him to finish school before he married, but it was a strange and unsettled time. They had little Natalie, but Sharon continued to go to school. We kept Natalie when they went on a dig in Colombia. They were both killed in a cave in and Janice was awarded custody, since Sharon’s parents were both dead."

"Ah, because Kate didn’t come to us until she was three-years old," said Melinda.

"Yes, you see her other grandmother was - and still is - very fond of her," said Melinda. "In fact, we still keep in touch. Poor little thing didn’t know what to call Janice and me. It wasn’t until Natalie started coming to visit that she called us anything at all and then . - "

"Of course," said the priestess, gently unrolling the parchment. "By the way, the Phoenician scroll?"

"Yes?" said Melinda, one eyebrow raised.

"This is one of the first scrolls," she said, smiling. "‘I sing of Xena, the Warrior Princess. In a time of Ancient gods, warlords and kings, a land in turmoil cried out for a hero. She was Xena, a mighty princess, forged in the heat of battle. I sing a tale of power. I sing a tale of passion. I sing a tale of danger. But mostly, it is a tale of friendship and of love. I, Gabrielle of Poteidaia, sing of Xena ..."

"It seems strange that the day was so ordinary to begin with for this day was to mark the beginning of the very best part of my life - the day I walked away from all that I knew and set out to follow Xena. My sister Lila and I walked to the market to get some things for mother. Had we stayed home that day, I would never have encountered the most amazing woman I will ever know ... "

The women were almost reduced to tears when Gabrielle described her disappointment as Xena refused to take her away from Poteidaia, but rallied with the young Gabrielle’s determination as she set out in the middle of the night to find the woman who had touched her very soul so deeply in just that brief encounter.

"‘I knew that this was ordained by the gods or maybe even the Fates,’" Gabrielle had written. "Sometimes, the gods test us - I knew that this was just such a test - if I meekly accepted Xena’s rejection, I would not be worthy to be her apprentice or ... I hesitate to dare think it - her biographer, chronicler of her path to redemption. I had heard the stories, of course - any Bard worth her ink listens and collects all the stories she can - but I had faith in Xena, somehow. Hadn’t she saved my own village? I knew she would backslide, but I wanted to be the one to pull her back on the path of light. Maybe that was selfish, but I don’t care. As soon as her eyes - those eyes as blue as the Aegean - caught mine, I knew what I wanted and it was to follow Xena. As if she were a goddess and I her worshipper - whatever the price I would pay it just to be near her ... ‘"

"Well this is a damn pretty sight!" Both women jumped, startled, and saw Janice standing in the hallway, looking at them, hands on her hips, but a grin was tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Do you have any idea what time it is?" They looked to see pale light oozing through the gaps in the blinds at the window.

Melinda raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. "Really, Grams? How’d you do that?" asked Kate.

"The Amazon language is not derived from the Indo-European family," said Melinda, excitedly. "Which is highly unusual, though not unheard of, for a civilization which was founded in Anatolia, as the Amazons were reputed to be. I can’t quite determine which family it is from, though."

"Scythian?" said Melinda.

"Never mind," she said.

"No, I don’t think so," said Janice, lowering the paper. "What ‘powers’?"

"Spit it out," growled Janice.

"And supernatural powers?" said Janice.

"Because my nature is such that ... it requires mortals’ faith in me to perform the greater magics," she said, softly.

"Are you a god?" asked Kate, eyes wide.

"Like Hercules," said Kate, smiling in delight.

"No," said Kate, surprised. "How did you guess? Most authors of that genre do have a dragon-slaying."

"Were you there?" asked Kate.

"Doing what - rescuing a dragon?" snorted Janice.

"Never mind," said Janice, shaking her head and going back to her paper. Suddenly she closed the newspaper with a snap and jumped to her feet, glaring at the clock on the wall. "Let’s go."

It was dim and smoky inside. Odd smells assaulted the priestess’s nose, which wrinkled in distaste. The women were approached by a large bald man dressed in a tailored suit which seemed out of place in the apparent squalor of the place.

"Ladies, perhaps you are lost?" he said, his voice quiet, but firm.

"Nope - I’m here to see Merlin," said Janice, lighting her cigar. Melinda frowned, but said nothing.

"And you are ...? asked the man politely.

"Lancelot. I have an appointment," said Janice, squinting through the cigar smoke.

"Follow me," said the man, leading them to a quiet and considerable cleaner - by the smell, anyway - room. "If you will have a seat, I will have some refreshments sent in while you wait. Ah ... ‘Merlin’ is occupied at the moment, but he will be with you shortly."

"Great," said Janice, standing, even as she indicated for the others to sit. "I’ll have a beer."

"They’re fine," said Janice, sitting at last and the man left them. A few moments later, a young woman brought a pitcher of beer and a glass, setting them on the scarred wooden table.

"On the house," she said, shyly when Janice offered her cash.

"Yeah, I know," said Janice. "Take it and get the hell outta this place, willya?" The girl looked at the bill and her eyes widened as did her smile. Tears welled up in her eyes and she nodded her thanks, leaving quickly.

"What’s this, Dr. Covington?" asked a man as he entered the room through another door. "Have you cost me yet another employee?"

"You’re hiring them way too young again, Nick," said Janice, flicking an ash to the floor. "What is she, thirteen?"

"Fifteen," Nick corrected her, sitting in the empty chair across from Janice.

"You’re gonna lose your liquor license," said Janice, casually. Again, Nick laughed.

"Yep," said Janice. Nick leaned back and whispered to one of the men, who nodded and left, returning moments later with another man. The newcomer looked as seedy as the establishment.

"Rico - full set, including passport - U.S.?" said Nick, looking to Janice.

"Of course," said the archaeologist, looking around for a place to put out her cigar. Melinda had managed to get her to quit actually smoking the things years ago, but Nick always made her tense - maybe it was the resemblance to Ares or the fact that Dominick Martino was head of the most powerful underworld organisation in the region. An alliance with him was risky, but Janice had pulled his ass out of the fire too many times to not take advantage of his warped sense of honour and genuine gratitude and respect when she was this desperate. The trick, she believed, was to hide that desperation. It wouldn’t do to ever let Nick know she needed him. In truth, Nick’s charming personality and genuine affection for both Janice and Melinda nearly won the archaeologist over. Nearly. She would never completely trust him.

If he just didn’t look so much like Ares, thought Janice. Actually, that’s probably a good thing after all. He just too goddamn charming.

"But I do not work that way," said Rico, shaking his head.

Her eyes were glazed over as she spoke. "No you are not he, but you are of his blood," she said, softly. "Stay away from the restaurant tonight. Do not go home in the sun-coloured chariot, I beg you."

Nick was startled. His driver had called in sick and he had been planning to take a taxi to dinner at a restaurant he owned. He gave into his superstition and mentally changed his plans. His dark eyes followed the women out the door, then he rose and gestured to one of the bodyguards.

"You’re driving tonight," he said, leaving the room. The man nodded, following Nick to the silver Lexus SC430 and drove his boss home.

"Okay," said Janice, clamping a fresh cigar between her teeth and chewing it into a comfortable position. "Now, I have reservations for the five of us - "

"Oh, no!" Kate groaned, looking pleadingly at Janice. "Not Natalie!"

"Yes, Natalie," said Melinda, firmly. "Now, Katie you know we always go together - and we need her. She’s part of Janice’s plan."

"Which I suppose, you’re not going to tell me," said Kate with a sigh. "As usual."

"Good guess, Katie," said Janice, champing a bit on the cigar. "Come on, we have to go and pick her up. Don’t feel so bad - she not only doesn’t know the plan, she doesn’t even know she’s going."

*************

Natalie felt the wind blowing her long, dark hair back. She felt the horse’s strong muscles moving under her as they galloped together across the pasture towards the woods. This was her early morning ritual, moving with the horse as one creature. Horses had always been a passion of hers, even when she and Kate were children. Since their childhood had been spent travelling, Natalie had not had the opportunity to develop a relationship with her own horse, though Janice and Melinda had bought her one when she completed a course of riding lessons. Both she and Kate had taken the lessons, but Kate rode with a casual enjoyment, while Natalie put her whole being into the experience.

Natalie had first earned her degree in veterinary medicine, but she couldn’t bear it when had to euthanise animals and so she had gone back to school and earned her medical degree. She now had a successful and thriving private practice. She had hired on two physician’s assistants to help out with her patient load. She had bought this ranch and some horses, hiring some experienced handlers and landscapers to help keep it as beautiful as it was, though she preferred to do as much of the work herself as she could. Working the ranch made it hers more than the cash she had laid out in an ineffable way that Natalie herself would never understand. The ranch gave her a sense of security and permanence which she had felt was missing from her childhood.

She rode to the woods and dismounted, tethering her mare to a post she had installed just for that purpose, then wandered through the trees, seeking serenity. She walked deeper into the trees, shedding the cares and concerns of both her practice and her family as she went. The trees themselves whispered comfort as the wind blew through their leaves. She could feel the earth beneath her feet, a firm foundation, grounding and centring her, preparing her to face the rest of her day. Finally, her mind quiet and her heart calm, she left woods and re-mounted her horse, galloping back to the stables. She hadn’t known it at the time, but she would need the serenity she gained this morning.

*************

Normally Nick hated interruptions during his dinner, but this evening’s phone call was the exception. His bodyguard drove him home, stopping at the corner delicatessen for dinner. He went home, changed from his designer silk suit into sweats and took his meal in his study.

The woman Janice brought to him that day was foremost on his mind. She intrigued him, much as Janice’s partner Melinda had intrigued him when first they met. There was even a very slight resemblance. Ah, if only Ms. Pappas were a few decades younger, thought Nick, chuckling to himself. Then he laughed out loud, shaking his head - it was quite obvious that no matter what their respective ages, he would never have had a chance with Melinda. "Mad Dog" Covington would have ripped his eyes out of his head if she even thought he was looking at Melinda that way.

Nick had disliked Janice Covington from the first time they met. He found her abrasive and annoying as hell, but after that embarrassing incident in Madagascar ... well, Janice and Melinda had pulled him out of a very sticky mess relatively unscathed and his respect for the archaeologist grew. Over the years, the two women had "rescued" him from several minor scrapes which, taken individually seemed inconsequential, but cumulatively - Nick owed his life and the few legitimate businesses he owned - his baby steps out of the organisation- to the women. They didn’t know that and if Nick could help it, they never would. No, Melinda would be off-limits - out of respect for both of them - even if she weren’t too damn old for him.

The other "Ms. Pappas", now - the one they were calling Melissa - when she touched him, something happened. Nick wasn’t sure what it was, but it had been a powerful something. Just how powerful remained to be seen ...

Nick’s dinner was interrupted by a phone call. He frowned at the interruption, but his guards and assistants knew when to take a message - or handle a problem themselves. Nick picked up the receiver.

"What?" he said.

"Mr. Martino, there’s a problem," said a nervous voice. Nick’s associates and employees hated to be the messengers of bad news.

"Solve it, Tommy," he said, shortly, all the while knowing that if Tommy could solve it, he would have already, even if just to avoid this phone call.

"The Dante is gone," said Tommy, quietly. "There was an explosion and - "

"What?" said Nick, sitting up more attentively. The Dante was Nick’s restaurant - one of a growing number of legitimate enterprises owned by Nick and his organisation.

"Yea - uh, yes, Mr. Martino," said Tommy. "There was an explosion in the kitchen. The fire marshal is here now. I think you should come down here, sir."

"No, that won’t be necessary," said Nick, quietly. "You can handle it, Tommy. I want to know what happened, though - and call in Calvin and Frank - I want them to go and have a talk with someone."

"Yes, Mr. Martino," said Tommy. Nick hung up the phone.

"She knew," he said quietly. "Somehow she touched me and she just ... knew." Nick picked up the phone again and dialled. "Rico, you put a chip in that new passport - the Pappas one?"

"Yeah?" said Rico. "You want a trace?" Rico was a disgusting little worm, but he was a genius. He could create official papers which would never be questioned by an official of any country. He could also put a micro-micro-chip behind the picture in a passport, virtually undetectable to anyone, but which he could trace through his computer. It was a tracking system many governments would give anything to have. Nick was considering the sale of this and several other items of military interest, but he wasn’t stupid - no matter how high the profit, he couldn’t spend the money if the country who bought the things blew up the planet.

"Not ... yet," said Nick. He wasn’t sure why he hesitated. He didn’t know what he had in mind, but he wanted to keep tabs on the women, just in case. Whatever had happened in that grungy little room today, if it wasn’t just a random thing, it could mean profits - huge profits. "I’ll let you know." Nick hung up the phone. He sat back in his chair, hands folded behind his head and closed his eyes to think.

*************

Natalie left the exam room to go and write a prescription for the four-year-old’s ear infection. Her nurse accosted her on the way to her office, a smile playing about the corners of her mouth.

"Hey, June, go ahead and discharge the patient in room - what?" said Natalie.

"I’m sorry, Dr. Covington," said June after bursting into a fit of giggles. "Your grandmother is just so funny!"

"Is she here?" asked Natalie, worried.

"Oh, yes - the whole family is - I put them in room four," said June, taking the prescription hastily scribbled by Natalie and going to discharge the patient as Natalie went to room four.

"We need you to check our vaccines for Turkey," said Janice, chewing a bit on a fresh cigar. It was tough - she should never have lit that one earlier.

Natalie looked at them, stricken. "You’re going again?" she said, quietly, looking pointedly at Melinda.

"Yep - and so are you," said Kate, glumly.

"No, I am not," said Natalie, firmly. "I have my patients and I have my horses to take care of."

"Your colleagues and assistants have already agreed to cover your patients and you have people on the ranch to care for your horses," said Janice.

"You went behind my back and - " began Natalie, angrily.

"Nope, just asked ‘em if they would be willing," said Janice. "We’re going."

Natalie sighed. She knew from experience when her grandmother took that tone, there was no arguing. She looked to Melinda.

"Uh, assume she doesn’t need any shots," said Kate, smiling, slyly.

"Look, I can’t - " began Natalie.

"She’s from the area, Natalie," said Melinda, gently. "She doesn’t need any immunizations."

"Okay," said Natalie. "I guess I’ll finish seeing patients and then go home to pack - " She looked at Janice’s grin, and shook her head. "I guess you’ve taken care of that, too." There was a knock on the door and Natalie opened it for June.

"Dr. Covington, Dr. Harris is here," she said. "He’ll be taking over this afternoon?"

"Yes, indefinitely, June. Schedule accordingly," said Natalie. The nurse nodded and left and Natalie turned back to Janice. "Do I at least have time to go back to the ranch and change?"

"Of course," said Melinda, interrupting Janice’s impatient fluster with a gentle hand on the archaeologist’s arm.

On the ride to Natalie’s ranch, Kate told her cousin the long-awaited story of Macedonia.

"Oh, come on," said the physician, incredulous. "You can’t expect me to believe that Aunt Mel somehow ... channelled Xena! And that the god of war was alive and active - no, I’m not buying it. There’s no real proof that Xena ever actually existed."

"We have the scrolls!" insisted Janice. "Well, some of them."

"And what makes you believe that they’re accurate representations of true facts?" asked Natalie. "They could be Ancient Greek fairy tales. There is no actual archaeological proof that Xena and Gabrielle were real."

"Natalie, I held the chakram in my hand," said Melinda.

"Yes, but you left in the tomb - which Grams blew up - so there’s still no proof," said Natalie, stubbornly folding her arms across her chest.

"I had to blow it up or Ares would have escaped and helped the Nazis!" said Janice.

"Ares escape - he is a mythological character," said Natalie, patiently.

"Nick is a descendant of Ares?" said Janice, excitedly. "That’s why he makes my skin crawl."

"You were with Nick Martino today?" said Natalie. "Why? He’s scum."

"Yeah, you oughta know - you dated him," said Kate, snickering.

"We all make mistakes," muttered Natalie, looking pointedly out the window, effectively closing the subject of Dominick Martino. Natalie still felt a certain attraction for the crime lord - which she likened to a moth’s attraction to flame. He was dangerous, though and Natalie had the good sense to avoid danger - self preservation was a valuable lesson instilled within her by the two women who sat in the front seats of the Explorer.

"Yeah, well, I believe it," said Kate.

"Of course you do," said Natalie, still stinging from her cousin’s announcement about Nick. "You live in a world where it’s a possibility - unlike most of us."

"How would you know?" asked Kate, defensively.

"I read your books," said Natalie, quietly.

"You ... you do?" asked Kate, smiling.

"Of course I do," said Natalie. "Ordinarily it’s not my ‘thing’, but you write really well, if a bit unrealistically."

"Thanks," said Kate. "But it’s supposed to be unrealistic. People who read for pleasure want to be taken to different worlds for a while, I think."

"Maybe," said Natalie, shrugging. "Anyway, where exactly are we going?"

"Back to Macedonia, where this all started," said Melinda, her voice quietly excited. Natalie sighed and sat back in her seat, silent until they arrived at the ranch.

She changed quickly, grabbing the bags which one of her employees had packed for her under Janice’s direction and left explicit instructions for the care of the ranch and especially her horses. She glanced longingly towards the stables as Janice honked the Explorer’s horn impatiently, then, resigned, turned and put her bags in the back of the car and buckled up for the ride to the airport.

*************

Nick’s phone rang and the guard picked it up, then handed it to his boss in silence.

"Mr. Martino, I got a flag on the Pappas passport," said Rico.

"Really, Rico? I thought I told you to hold off," said Nick, mildly irritated with man.

"Yes, Sir, but it’s one of the new chips I’ve been developing - it automatically triggers a flag when the holder goes through customs," said Rico, proudly. Nick swallowed his annoyance before speaking.

"Very well, Rico - where is she headed?"

"Istanbul," said Rico.

"Interesting," said Nick, nodding. "Thank you, Rico - the information you have provided - while unsolicited - may prove to be of value, after all." Nick hung up before the other man could say any more.

*************

"Kate’s gettin’ attached to you," said Melinda.

"No, I meant ... well, never mind," said Melinda. "I don’t think Kate sees you as a mother-figure, though."

"Honey, you breathe - to Katie that’s all the encouragement she needs," said Melinda.

"Don’t worry about it," said Melinda, kindly. "Let Kate handle her own feelings."

"We’re flyin’ in to Istanbul ‘cause Janice and I know some people who will make the rest of this trip a lot easier," said Melinda.

"I’m afraid so," said Melinda. "Relax, they won’t harm you so long’s you’re with us."

"No, I s’pose not," she said. "Xena probably taught you how to defend yourself."

"Mothers? Plural?" said Melinda. "I know that the Amazons were ... not so uptight about such things from the scrolls, of course, but I thought ...."

"That’s just what Janice and I have tried to teach the girls," said Melinda. "Naturally, they had a rough time of it with other children - when we were in the States. It didn’t seem to matter on a dig. The workers always treated Janice as ‘one of the guys’ and respected both of us for our knowledge and skill."

"Of course," said Melinda, proudly.

"Well, of course she was inspired by the scrolls - that’s plain to see," said Melinda. "Janice and I used to tell the stories to the girls all the time."

"Really? How is that possible?" asked Melinda, only mildly surprised.

"You don’t think that maybe she’s Gabrielle, re-incarnated, do you?" asked Melinda.

"Well don’t be so mysterious - who is it?" asked Melinda.

"If Ares was still around, then it makes sense that she would be too," said Melinda, thoughtfully.

"Well, like I said, the legend on the wall paintings was pretty faded, but from what I could make out, he put there by the other gods - maybe out of revenge for his allowin’ Xena to kill Athena and the others?" said Melinda.

"Then what?" asked Melinda.

*************

Nick looked at the three men standing before him, one of them being held up by the other two. He sat behind the desk in his study, feet propped up in deliberate casualness.

"What happened to him?" he asked, his voice mild.

"We found him, just like this," said one of the two men, nodding towards the third between. His head lolled and he began to cough, violently.

"This man is ill," said Nick.

"Yeah, but you said to bring - " said the other of the two men.

"I said to go and check on him and if he was alright, to bring him to me," said Nick, swinging his feet to the floor and rising in one swift move. The hapless driver looked at Nick through glazed eyes.

"Boss, if you’re gonna kill me for somethin’, please - make it quick?" he said.

"I’m not going to kill you," said Nick, his voice just this side of a growl "Unless I catch whatever it is you have - get him out of here."

"What if she’s not human?" he said aloud, very softly to apparently no one. His hand reached for the special phone in his office. No one had the number to this phone and it was untraceable by any government agency. Suddenly it rang, startling Nick. He picked up the receiver and placed it hesitantly to his ear, but said nothing.

"Nick," said a voice Nick knew well - this was the only person in the organisation’s hierarchy to whom even Dominick Martino answered, even though he had never laid eyes on the voice’s owner. "Don’t even think about it." The connection was severed with a soft snick and the line was quiet. Nick hung up the phone.

*************

The women landed in Istanbul where Janice rented a car and drove them through winding narrow streets, finally parking before a whitewashed building. She told the others to wait, then emerged from the place, a smug grin on her face.

"Okay, let’s get to a hotel," said the archaeologist. Kate and Natalie looked wide-eyed at her, but Melinda merely smiled.

"Yes, well, Miss Smarty-Pants," said Melinda turning around. "We don’t have to get a permit this time."

"How far east?" asked Janice after they had been driving for a few hours. "We’re going opposite to the direction we need to end up."

"Okay," said Janice. "But we need to stop and get some gas and food - and probably another car - a jeep or a Rover, I think. We’ll go to Sinop - I hope we have enough fuel, ‘cause there’s nothing between here and there."

*************

Nick paced in his study, uneasy with his own anxiety about leaving his house. If only she were here to tell me it was safe, he thought, then shook it off, feeling more foolish than afraid now. "This is stupid," Nick said aloud, angry that he was startled by the sound of his own voice. He hadn’t gotten where he was by being afraid and he wasn’t about to give in to fear now. He strode over to the phone and cautiously raised the receiver to his ear, but heard only the expected dial tone. With a relieved sigh, Nick dialled and started making travel arrangements. Whatever was drawing those women to Istanbul, he wanted a piece of it, too. Whatever the "Boss" may have to say about it, Nick was going.

Hours later, he hung up the phone in frustration. He had been able to make reservations to fly into Samsun - but only just. It seemed all flights to Istanbul had been cancelled. Nick would fly to Samsun and drive to Istanbul. If the Covingtons were headed there, then Nick surmised they had a damn compelling reason for it - and he suspected that the mysterious "Melissa Pappas" was that reason. Nick was going to find her and after that ... he didn’t know what he was going to do, but the need to see her and speak with her again was beyond all reason for him. He would take Mack and Andy as bodyguards, but would tell no one else of his plans. That should keep the old monster from finding me, thought Nick, thinking bitterly of the voice on the phone.

*************

"Where are we headed?" said Janice, striding into the room.

"Why there?" asked Melinda.

"Lykastia?" said Janice, trying to control her excitement. "That’s just now being explored. I know where to go to find Lykastia - I think."

"Why Lykastia?" asked Melinda, gently.

"Giresun Island?" said Janice, one eyebrow raised.

"Oh," said Janice, scratching her head. The archaeologist shrugged. "It’s as good a place to go as any, but we need to get to Macedonia - they’ve re-opened the old site and are excavating a certain tomb."

"Janice you did a job on that tomb - I don’t believe anyone could get in there again," said Melinda.

"Maybe not then, but the field has a lot of new technology, Mel," said Janice.

"Well, I still doubt they’ll open it anytime soon - I don’t think there’s much of the structure left," said Melinda.

"It was underground, Mel," said Janice. "All I did was close any entrances. They can always dig down past the debris. And if that happens ..."

"Ares gets out," said Melinda.

"She’s right, Janice," said Melinda. "Maybe we should - "

"No, I have to go back - just make sure," said the archaeologist.

"Oh, no," said the priestess. "I never eat this soon after waking up."

"Neither does Mel," said Janice, eyeing the translator. "Okay - let’s go collect the girls and be on our way - I managed to get a Land Rover - not as comfortable as my Explorer, but it’s better than that little tin can we drove here in."

"Where are they?" Janice said with a growl.

"They’re here, Janice," said Melinda, calmly.

They got into the Rover and Janice set off, going east.

*************

Nick drove the rental himself, Mack in front and Andy in the back. He easily navigated the streets of Samsun, looking for the route to Istanbul. It may have been easier to take a train, or even a small plane from the Samsun Airport, but Nick had felt uneasy all the while he was in the air. He needed to take control of something for a while, even if it was a car.

He had an idea where Janice would head first in Istanbul - they had several mutual acquaintances and Nick knew Janice well enough to know that would feel naked without some kind of weapon. So the first place he stopped was a gun dealer’s house. He needed to replace the weapons they hadn’t been able to take on the plane anyway.

"Tabari," Nick greeted the man who answered the door.

"Dominick!" said the other man, smiling. "What can I do for you, today?"

"I was supposed to meet Dr. Covington here in Istanbul, but we got separated," said Nick, jovially. "Have you seen her?"

"Yes, she was here just yesterday," said Tabari, nodding. "She didn’t mention meeting you, though."

"Hmm, yes, well we had set up a meeting place, but my ... plane was delayed," said Nick, feigning polite regret. Inwardly he was seething. A whole day’s head start to wherever they were headed. "Ah, well, my friend - I need to ... ah ... do some business here, anyway." Nick allowed the man to see a roll of cash before slipping it back into his pocket. Tabari’s eyes widened and a smile tugged at his lips.

"Yes, of course - please, you and your companions, please come in and refresh yourselves before continuing on your journey," he said, stepping aside to allow the men to enter.

He led the men to a small sitting room and bade them sit and be comfortable. He left them for a bit and returned bearing a tray. Small cups of coffee, along with cream and sugar were on the tray and Tabari served them himself.

"So, Dr. Covington was here yesterday?" asked Nick, suppressing the face he wished to make at the thick, bitter coffee.

"Yes, yes - Janice, she does not buy from me so much as she rents my wares," said Tabari, with a chuckle. "Always, she buys and then upon her return, she sells back to me - at a discount, of course."

"I imagine so - especially now with airport security what it is," said Nick, amiably.

"Ah, yes," said Tabari. "Me, I am small and I do not sell to those I do not know well. Only for personal protection, I sell my wares."

"Yes, I know," said Nick, setting down his empty cup and hoping Tabari did not offer more. "Speaking of which, we should get down to business - I really must find Dr. Covington. She didn’t mention where she was going?"

"No, I am sorry," said Tabari, rising and taking the tray. He stopped, and turned, a delighted smile across his pleasant face. "But she did ask me about conditions across the Strait."

"The Bosporus Strait?" asked Nick excitedly.

"Yes, of course," said Tabari, puzzled. He turned and took the coffee things away, then returned with a large black suitcase. "Now to business ..."

Tabari opened the case and Nick’s eyes shone at the scent of gun oil and the black steel, gleaming softly before him.

"Yes," he said, softly. "To business."

*************

"Hey," said Kate softly to her cousin. "Is that what I look like?"

"Yeah, pretty much," said Natalie.

"Jeez, no wonder you thought I was nuts," said Kate, worried. "She looks ... catatonic ... or something."

"I don’t think you’re ‘nuts’, Katie," said Natalie, turning to Kate. "It’s just ... brain activity gone awry. That’s a simplistic explanation, but - "

"Whoa," said Kate, smiling.

"Where?" asked Natalie.

The archaeologist pulled off the dirt track and stopped the Rover. "What’s here?" she asked.

"This is all that’s left of the palace of Themiscyreia," she said, shaking off the trance. "I don’t know what I expected, but ..."

Melinda put an arm around her waist to comfort her. "What did it look like before?" asked Janice, eyeing a freestanding arch expertly.

"Rue?" said Natalie, curious at the word stables.

"This is still good - rain water was collected here and saved incase of a siege," she said. "We can fill the bottles and canteens here for the trip back."

"Wow," said Kate. "It’s like ... coming home."

They made their way back down the hill and by dusk were driving towards Giresun. They arrived in a few hours and checked into a small bed and breakfast where Janice knew the owner. At first the woman didn’t want to give them a room, but Kate stepped in and began speaking to the woman in Romany, her father’s language which she had learned from her grandmother. With a smile, Kate announced to her family that the woman had made a mistake and that there was one room available.

"Where are you headed so late?" asked the woman, smiling at Kate.

"Aretias - Giresun Adasi," said the woman, nodding. "You have the look of those women."

"What women?" asked Janice.

"They go there to dance around the stone - it is said, that if you dance about the Hamza Stone three times, your wishes will be granted. There are those of us who still honour the old ways," said the woman, nodding. "Some of us more than others. There is a group of women trying to revive the old ways here, though it must be done in secret. They meet often in the circle of Stones on the Isle of Ares."

"Yes, that is what it was called for many years," said the woman, nodding. "But we know it’s true name, don’t we?"

"What have they done?" she whispered at the sight of offal in the water. The friendly fisherman clicked his tongue and shook his head in sympathy.

"It’s terrible, I know," he said. "But the governments are trying to clean it up. Sure hope they hurry - the fish are scarce and day to day, I never know what will come in my nets."

"It’s still alive," she said, mildly comforted. "But for how long ... Still, the ancient rites are attempted here."

"For a while, yes," she said. "But not in my time. The Priestess-Queen, Leilae put a stop to it - and Hekate purified and re-consecrated this island when my daughter, Neiromei was presented to her here."

Natalie looked around. "It’s ... peaceful," she said, relieved that she felt no residual pain or fear from the horses sacrificed.

The priestess made her way to the centre of the stones and stood quietly for a moment. All of a sudden, her head was thrown back and her arms stretched outward, as if in supplication, her eyes closed. Natalie rushed towards her, but was held back by an unseen wall. The women looked on, aghast by the priestess’s pose.

"What’s happening?" Kate cried, as the earth beneath her feet began to vibrate, thrumming with power. She did indeed feel it moving throughout her body, as did all of the women.

"She’s re-charging the land," said Melinda, excitedly. "I read of this ... somewhere - in one of the Ancient texts. She really is a priestess."

"Okay, Mel, that’s great," said Janice, frowning. "But how long is it going to take? We have to get to Macedonia ..."

"Mother!" she cried, running to the figure seated in the throne. Hekate arose and embraced her Chosen.

"I can do all things," said the goddess. "But I have an important task for you first."

"Be sure you mean that before you say it," said Hekate, smiling.

"I know - but I have a task for you which only you can accomplish," said the goddess. "When you were taken to this place, your own time suffered. Your brother and sister, who were tacitly in charge of the other remaining Olympians, were overthrown by them and imprisoned."

"Had you taken your place as their queen, this would not have occurred," Hekate chided her. "But that is not the point now. You must release your sister, Aphrodite."

"Do you really believe that a simple explosion and rock fall would keep him confined, Little One?" as soon as that chakram hit the Eye of Hephaestus, the conditions for his release were met - a descendant of Xena released him from the curse which bound him. Aphrodite, now, must be released by a descendant of Gabrielle."

"Then why did you say I -?"

"You carry the blood of Zeus - it takes an immortal to see your sister’s prison," said Hekate, gently.

"Yet," said Hekate, pointedly. "If you do not accept this responsibility, Chaos will reign in your place - that is why Love and War were imprisoned and the balance was upset for so many thousands of years. If you do not accept this responsibility, you will not be able to release your sister from her prison and War will wander the earth unchecked by the balance of love - you see what has happened in just the few decades Ares has been free without Aphrodite to temper his ways?"

"Yes, I already know what you ask and it shall be granted, My Child," said the goddess, smiling proudly. "You would live out your life with those you love."

"The scrolls are with Aphrodite, sealed in her prison," said Hekate, sadly. "The gods of Olympus told Aphrodite that since she was so fond of the mortal Gabrielle, she could have her company in the form of the scrolls for eternity - or until one of her descendants released her."

"How would you expect her to be?" said Hekate with a sigh. "But for now, my daughter, you must look to your companions."

"Melee, what ... what happened?" asked the woman she called Tai’. "What’s happening? I don’t ... I am not Tai’ this time around."

"Are you a ghost?" asked Tai’.

"We are trying to keep the Amazon Nation alive," piped up one of the women, angrily. "What were you doing in there?"

"We weren’t attacking," said another woman.

"I do now, but when the memory of who I was - am - recedes - as it’s bound to do, will I still know that?" said Tai’, troubled. "In this life, I am a school teacher, not a priestess."

"This will not do. I really must get back there - Tai’, where was Aphrodite imprisoned?" she asked.

"Listen, Melee, they do the best they can with they know," said Tai’, defending the women.

"You just fed the land," said Tai’, nodding in acknowledgement.

"Would it help if they - if we ..." began Tai’, biting her lip.

"Kora, what’s with all the talk?" yelled one of the angry women. "Get ‘em out of here."

"Hey - this is public land!" Janice yelled back.

"What ‘Prophecy’?" she said, frowning.

"A legend has been passed down from mother to daughter in all of our families for as long as memory holds that the last great High Priestess of the Amazon Nation never died, but would return to us when we needed her," said one of the women. "Are you she?"

"What are we waiting for?" she asked, planting a fresh cigar between her teeth. "I’m ready to meet the goddess of love - I have a lot to thank her for." She looked back at Melinda and grinned. "Her influence may be weakened behind her walls, but it’s still there and working."

"Yeah, well, I’m ready to meet him again, too," said Janice, with a growl.

"Be careful what you wish for," the priestess admonished her. "With my family, usually you’re sorry you get it."

"Family?" said Janice, one eyebrow raised.

"Uh, huh - later, Priestess," said the archaeologist.

"Melee, there is one thing I would ask of you before you go," said Tai’.

"Would you lead the ritual tonight?" asked Tai’.

"Aw, we don’t have time - we have to get to Macedonia," said Janice.

"How do you know that?" asked the archaeologist.

"Why would he do that?" asked Janice.

*************

As Nick drove west towards the Bosporus and Macedonia, his mind wandered. He couldn’t seem to stop himself from thinking about Melissa Pappas. The more he thought, the more he realised there was something familiar about her, but he couldn’t quite ...

Slammed out of his reverie by a near accident, Nick stopped the car and allowed one of his men to take over the driving, retiring to the back seat to continue his thoughts uninterrupted by the need to watch for other cars. He re-lived that moment when she touched him over and over, but still couldn’t remember where he had seen this woman before. He no longer felt threatened by her; instead, he was drawn to her.

They drove for hours, but Nick, lost in his thoughts, only noticed when they arrived in the small town just outside the perimeter of the dig site, founded by Janice Covington over sixty years ago. He got out of the car, shaking off the dream-like state which had caused his attention ... his focus to wane. This was not a good sign. Nick hadn’t stayed alive this long by daydreaming when there was business to take care of. He still held out to the notion that there was long-term profit potential in this endeavour. Chuckling at his unconsciously made pun, Nick approached one of the workers at the site to inquire after the foreman. They had some things to discuss.

*************

Janice was cursing under her breath - another habit, like the cigars, she had tried to break, or at least keep under control in Melinda’s presence.

"Trying to emulate the Amazons?" asked Melinda, taking mental notes about the upspringing of the Amazon-like cult for a future book.

The longer you’re here, the harder it will be for you to get back - Hekate has told me this, Tai’ replied. She will not allow you to risk draining more of what little reserve of power you have left to speak with her directly - she has said that you will need it when you go to rescue Aphrodite.

"Did they?" said "Kora", feigning surprise.

Blessed Mother, are mortals really so ... ‘un-magical’ in this time? she thought to herself. Of course. They have polluted the earth and the water so - whatever power is left there is soured and perhaps cannot get through human disregard. And human garbage ...

"Mother, we honour you," she said.

"Great Goddess, you do not slumber," she said.

"In the souls of those who do not - or will not - believe in me, I do," said the goddess, sadly.

"You are wakened in my soul, Lady!" cried one of the women, others echoing her words.

"That was her, wasn’t it? The goddess of the Amazons?" she said, quietly.

"Don’t worry about her, Honey - she’ll go off and smoke that thing and then come back feelin’ a whole lot better," said Melinda.

"And stinking to high heaven," said Natalie, approaching the women. "What’s going on, Aunt Mel? Was there some kind of hallucinogen in that fire? I didn’t smell anything, but - "

"Natalie, can’t you just take anything on simple faith?" said Kate coming up to the group, her eyes shining. "What, everyone in the group had the same hallucination?"

"Oh, for crying out loud, Natalie - you are hopeless!" cried Kate, walking off with her cousin to continue their "debate" elsewhere.

"No," she said, quietly. Melinda looked worried for a brief moment, then spoke very softly.

"Ares and Aphrodite are your brother and sister - you’re Zeus’s daughter?" she asked.

*************

Nick Martino surveyed the dig site from his tent. It was hot and sticky, but his men stood by in their designer suits, enduring the discomfort. Nick looked up from the paper he was writing on and saw them perspiring profusely, one of them, Andy was already looking burned in the sun. Nick called them into the tent and had them change into the clothes he had purchased for them in the village just outside the site. Nick himself was cool and relatively comfortable in linen. It wouldn’t do him any good to kill his men here - one of the reasons Nick inspired such loyalty was that he was known for taking care of his people. Andy and Mack’s job was to protect him; they couldn’t do that if they were suffering heat exhaustion. Nick decided they had been intimidating enough for the time being.

His thoughts drifted back to the Covingtons. He had copies of Janice’s original journal, describing her discoveries in this place. They were deceptive, though. Dr. Covington had determined that her original assessment of the historical value of this site, which she originally thought to be the ancient town of Amphipolis, was erroneous. She had written that she was mistaken and that she had found no artefacts of any historical or cultural value.

"So why blow it up?" Nick mused aloud.

"Boss?" said Mack, looking up from something he was examining in his hands.

"What have you got there, Mack?" asked Nick.

"Aw, just this piece of clay - I wanted to take it home as a souvenir - the workers said it wasn’t valuable and I could have it - is that okay, Mr. Martino?" said Mack.

"Let me see it, Mack," said Nick. Mack handed him the shard. Nick looked closely at it and privately agreed with the workers. "Sure, Mack, you can keep it."

"I don’t see how they can think it isn’t valuable," said Mack, taking back his shard, his face like a happy little boy who has just found a "treasure", valuable only to him. "I mean, someone a long, long time ago took the trouble to make the thing that this was once a part of - someone from olden times, with a name and maybe even a family, held this. Don’t they want to know about that someone?" Mack scratched his head and continued to gaze at the shard.

"Of course they do, Mack," said Nick, good-naturedly. "That’s why they’re here - maybe they just can’t find out about those things from that particular piece and that’s why it isn’t valuable to them."

"Yeah, maybe - but to own something like this, to be able to touch it with my hands, and know that someone a long time ago touched it, too - that’s pretty special, isn’t it Sir?" asked Mack, earnestly.

"To you and me, maybe, Mack, but these people need more, I guess," said Nick, going back to Janice’s journal.

Why did she blow it up? he thought to himself. Janice was one of those people who would have thought the piece of pottery worthless in the greater scheme of finding something bigger. Melinda, now, she would have treasured that bit of clay just as Mack apparently did and for much the same reasons. Nick himself was known to cast aside things of lesser worth in pursuit of greater things - and greater profits.

His mind wandered to Natalie. She was not a cast off. She had dumped Nick, an experience he wasn’t accustomed to and certainly didn’t want to repeat. It was all that Kleinman kid’s fault, Nick believed. Ted Kleinman was a goofy, nerdish boy. Nick had to put him in his place more than once. The last time was the trigger for Natalie to dump him. Nick had believed that Natalie only befriended the kid, who was a few years younger than they, out of family loyalty - their grand-parents were close and had been for years. It was only after Nick put Ted in the hospital that he realised Natalie genuinely cared for the boy - in a purely platonic, fraternal way, of course. She never did see the adoration in those blue eyes, hidden behind coke-bottle glasses as they followed her every move.

Even if she had, it wouldn’t have mattered to Natalie. She was focussed on her studies - until Nick came along and seduced her, that is. It hadn’t been an easy conquest, but Nick was all the more aware of the sweetness of his victory for that fact. He had courted her and finally won. What Nick hadn’t realised - or planned for - was that he fell for her - and fell hard and fast. He still loved her. In fact, she was the reason Nick had begun to acquire more legitimate enterprises for the organisation. He planned to get out and then go back and try to re-win Natalie’s affections. He had paid for Ted’s medical bills of his own volition and had apologised - in public, no less - to Ted. He had even tried to befriend him, despite his annoying habit of making a song out of everything he did.

Ted was full of stories about some heroic ancestor of his. He even hinted that he had proof of this Jerkster’s - or whatever the name had been - existence, but would reveal nothing more, saying it wasn’t yet the time to share his discoveries. Then, after he graduated from the University’s Film school, he went public with the Scrolls and what followed was that "Show". Nick watched a few episodes and was hooked - the eye candy was irresistible to him, but more than that, something about the whole thing drew him in. He was discrete about this obsession, of course, for he was on his way up in the organisation. It wouldn’t do for his superiors to suspect that he was a "fan" of anything, especially a campy television show with scantily-clad women doing impossible acrobatics.

At any rate, Nick kept his interest in perspective. This was the first time he had followed a hunch this wild. He still wasn’t certain what the outcome would be, but he was long overdue for a little personal time and .... suddenly, his cell phone rang, startling him. Nick had no idea who would be calling him here, but he answered anyway.

"Hello?" said Nick.

"Dominick, Dominick, Dominick," the familiar voice said, with a disappointed sigh. "I told you, did I not, to forget about this?"

"Not in so many words," said Nick, sweating even more profusely.

"True," said the voice, then a chuckle. "Well, since you’re here, I have a job for you. And this time, Nick, do not disappoint me."

"No," said Nick. "I won’t. What do you want me to do?"

"I need for you to go to where they’re digging. They’re about to break through to the tomb. There’s something I need for you to get there for me," said the voice.

"What is it?" asked Nick.

"You’ll know when you see it," said the voice. "Get it and then get the Tartarus out of there. And Nick, don’t show up empty-handed. And do not send in one of those idiots you use for bodyguards. You get it yourself. I will meet you later to ... ah, retrieve the object."

"I understand," said Nick and the connection went dead. He arose from his chair, signalling his men to remain. Nick wandered with studied casualness over to the site where workers were digging. Suddenly, there was a shout and the foreman rushed over. They had broken through the debris created by Janice Covington’s destruction and by time itself. Nick approached more quickly and started down the shaft. The foreman, stopped him with a hand on his chest.

"Mr. Martino, please - it is not yet safe. We have to shore up the shaft and - " he began. One look from Nick and the man dropped his hand and stepped aside. Nick grabbed a flashlight and entered the shaft, ordering everyone to stay back.

He flipped the torch on and began to walk, cautiously evading piles of rubble. It seemed hours before he reached the centre of the cavern. Then his light flickered and went out. Cursing, Nick slapped the torch against his thigh, but to no avail. All of a sudden, torches flared in their sconces along the passageway where Nick stood, trying to get his light to come back on. Nick shook his head, pondering the wisdom of going on. The memory of the voice, however, was motivation enough. He walked through the passageway until it opened up into a broad chamber. There, Nick could still see evidence of a fight. Two swords lay on the dusty stone floor and Nick reached down to pick one of them up, thinking they must be what his employer wanted - until his eyes caught another sort of gleam.

"Nah, it couldn’t be," Nick whispered to himself, then went over to the object. In disbelief, he picked up what appeared to be Xena’s chakram, only it was broken. Tucking the half he had located into his shirt, he began to make his way back in the direction from which he had come, then thought twice - if one piece of this was still here, then it followed that the other would be, too - and Nick didn’t want to disappoint that voice. He wandered around a bit longer, finally spying the other half beneath a large metallic ornament of some kind.

Nick tried to lift the ornament, but it was too heavy. No way was he going to leave this tomb without the other half of the chakram, though. He looked around then grabbed up one the discarded swords to lever the thing off of his prize. He managed to slide the sword under the thing, but when he started to lift it, the blade snapped - cut through by an edge of the ornament. Cursing, he leaned forward, trying to get a better look. Suddenly, the metal inside his shirt grew uncomfortably warm, then burning hot. Nick jumped back as the piece of chakram against his chest began to vibrate. The piece under the heavy ornament began to shudder, then slide of its own volition out from under the thing, screeching and grating as it went. All of a sudden, it flew up from the floor, straight at Nick. Moving quickly and using reflexes he hadn’t even known he had, Nick put up his hand and caught the other half of the chakram before it flew into him.

Nick looked around for something to wrap the pieces in. He saw a pair of women’s pumps from a more recent age than anything in this place should have been, but little else except dust and rubble. The he spied a tiny piece of burgundy-coloured linen. It would have to do, he decided, picking it up and wrapping the half of chakram he held in his hand.

"As long as I keep them from making contact," he said to himself, then tucked the wrapped piece into his trousers, arranging his light jacket so that the bulges in his clothing were hidden.

Nick walked back through the passageway towards the opening of the tomb. The torches went out and his flashlight came back on. Nick shook his head, deciding he would think about that later, then emerged from the tomb, carefully arranging his face into mien of disappointment. The foreman greeted him eagerly.

"Mr. Martino, did you see anything?" he asked.

"Nope - sorry, fellas, but Dr. Covington was right - anything that might’ve been there is gone. Just a lot of dust," he said. The foreman’s face fell.

"Very well," he said. "We will stop for today." He signalled his workers and they all began to walk away, dejected.

"I’ll be off, then, too," said Nick, trying not to sound too eager. "No point in my hanging around with nothing to see."

Nick went to his tent and got his men to take everything down. Even though he was eager to be out of the place, Nick didn’t want to raise suspicion by just leaving the expensive gear behind. Soon, the men had everything packed up. Nick waved at the foreman as they drove off.

"Where to, Sir?" asked Andy, who was driving.

"Anywhere fast," said Nick, settling back in the back seat. The chakram dug painfully into his skin, but he wasn’t about to take it out just yet; they were still too close to official eyes. He could wait, he decided.

*************

Suddenly Melinda grew pale and began to tremble. She pulled of to the side of the road, parked and put her head in her hands for a moment.

"Mel, are you alright?" said Janice, instantly awake and alert.

"Yes," said Melinda, raising her head again. "I just felt ... somethin’ strange for a minute there. I’m alright now."

"Ares?" she called. The god appeared, a wry grin on his face.

"Hey, Sis’," he said, folding his arms across his chest. "Long time no see - what’s it been? Couple of millennia?"

"Oh, yeah - for you maybe," said Ares, laughing bitterly. "For me it’s been an eternity - first, trapped in that damn tomb, and now exiled from Olympus."

"Too little too late!" Ares yelled, pointing at her. A bolt of fire flew from his finger tips and the priestess was forced to expend precious power to deflect it.

"And let you cast your spells on me again? Oh, no - I don’t think so," said Ares, his eyes literally flaming.

"Your emasculating, ‘be a good little god, now’ spells," Ares spat, advancing on her. "I’m back and I’m baaaaad ... and I like it! Aphrodite stays where she can’t interfere with me ever again."

"Wait, wait," said Ares, taking a step towards her. "That’s it? Just like that, you give up?"

"We don’t have to be," said Ares smiling, slyly.

"Oh, I dunno - couple thousand years trapped in a tomb?" said Ares, oozing sarcasm. "Gives a guy time to think."

"About family, responsibility - you know, all that crap you preached to me, made me believe in - before you walked away from all that, turned your back on it all and left the rest of us hanging for Chaos," said Ares, darkly.

"You refused godhood - you refused the responsibility of leading the rest of the gods of Olympus and because of that Chaos took over and Aphrodite got locked up," said Ares. "You with your sanctimonious words and your superior attitude - your family isn’t good enough to identify or associate with. What, is it because of Zeus? Because you’re an Amazon and Amazons don’t count the father or his kin as family? You denied your own family."

"Oh, going to be like that, huh? Well, which betrayal are we talking about here? Was it when I let Xena kill the other gods by letting her daughter and best friend live - giving up my own immortality in the process? Or was it when I let Xena live after she killed them?" said Ares.

Seeing the foundation of everything she and her foremothers had built, all the hopes and dreams for the future of the Amazon Nation crumbled away to forgotten dust under the sliding sands of time and having Ares all but tell her outright that she was responsible for that happening was more than she could take. She closed her eyes and willed herself to inward calm. Her head was throbbing under the strain, but she could afford to show no weakness to Ares.

"Yes, that one - if you want to lay blame, Ares, you need look no further than the mirror," she said, firmly. "You sired Anaxilea with Hope - she released Dahak again, and it was Dahak who sent me here - after he couldn’t kill me, that is."

Ares looked at his sister. He saw the throbbing vein in her temple and remembered her headaches. He knew that sign meant that the headache was well under way and she was in a lot of pain now, but she wasn’t showing it. His respect for her returned slightly. He mused over her words for a few moments, then laughed.

"Good point," he said. "Okay, cut me some slack, alright? It’s been a few days for you, yeah, but I’ve had a hell of a lot longer to stew about things. The truth is, while I believe that if you had been in charge, that tomb thing would have never happened, there’s no guarantee you could have stopped them."

"Love you, too, Brother," she said, meaning it, as she made her way back to the car. She was still smiling as she got back into the Land Rover. The others looked at her in silence until she buckled the harness and looked expectantly at Melinda who was still in the driver’s seat.

"What was that?" asked Janice.

"There’s more," said Melinda, quietly. "The chakram has been found."

"How do you know that?" asked Kate.

"Oh come on - this ... fantasy has gone too far. It’s getting out of hand," she said. "This is ridiculous - Grandma, Aunt Mel, you are both too old to be running around the world like this and Kate - Kate doesn’t need this kind of stimulation to her already overactive imagination."

"Natalie shut up!" yelled Kate. "Why can’t you just open your mind a little - just a tiny crack? Would it hurt that much?"

"This is ludicrous!" cried Natalie. "Why don’t you just step into the real world for a split second and just ... look at this situation?"

"Alright, that’s enough!" yelled Janice. "What’s the matter with you two? You both need to grow up and stop bickering with each other."

"Don’t talk to me like I’m a child!" Kate yelled, glaring at her.

"Then stop acting like one," said Natalie, rolling her eyes.

"Katerina Maria Kiraly Pappas-Covington, you do not speak to your grandmother like that," said Melinda, sternly.

"You’re my grandmother - she’s just your lover," said Kate.

That stopped the quarrel cold as Kate’s mouth dropped open, shocked at her own words. Great tears welled up and began to roll down her cheeks. "I - I - " she began before dissolving into heaving sobs.

"What ... what was that?" asked a contritely quiet Natalie.

"Well," said Natalie. "We may as well go somewhere rather than just sitting her by the side of this rode. I guess Olympus is as good a place as any."

"How are we going to stop him?" asked Melinda, adjusting her glasses. "Is that why the chakram was found? Will Xena need to ... ah, ‘borrow’ my body again?"

"I hope not," Melinda chuckled. "Last time I had aches in muscles I didn’t even know I had - and I was young then. She also ruined a perfectly good linen suit and lost my brand new shoes."

"I know whatcha mean," said Melinda, chuckling. "At any rate, if she needs me, well, here I am."

"Let’s go, then. I -" Janice words were interrupted by Kate, wrapping her arms around her and crying, "I’m so sorry, Grams! I didn’t mean that - I have never felt that way about you! I love you."

Janice smiled and affectionately patted Kate’s back. "I know, Monkey," she said. "It’s okay - I didn’t think that sounded like you. Come on, Mel - I’m driving. We need to get to Aphrodite."

With Janice behind the wheel, they made good time and got to their destination within a couple of hours. She pulled up to a hotel and left the Rover in the capable hands of a valet. "Let’s go," she said.

They walked to front desk, where Janice produced a credit card. "We need rooms," she said.

The clerk picked up the plastic, eyeing the group warily. "Have you reservations?" she asked.

"No," said Janice. Melinda pulled a card from her bag and presented it to the clerk.

"Here," she said, smiling. "Does this help?"

The woman looked carefully at the card, then smiled widely.

"Oh, yes, Dr. Pappas! Why didn’t you say so? Of course, we will have rooms for you - you are doing some work for the University now?"

"We are always working to expand knowledge," said Melinda, smiling as the clerk handed the card back to her.

"This is your crew? They will each need a room?" asked the clerk, turning from them to a computer and typing.

"Nah," said Janice. "They can bunk together - Mel - uh, Dr. Pappas and I will share as well."

"So much change," she said softly.

"I know," said Melinda. "That’s why Janice does most of the talkin’ - I find myself slippin’ more easily into the older dialects and that gets a lot of funny looks, believe me."

Porters arrived shortly to show them to their respective, adjoining rooms. Janice went to the concierge desk to arrange for equipment and a guide up Mt. Olympus. She paid for the rentals and the guide fee, then went up to the suite of rooms. Whistling, she looked around the luxurious suite.

"I told you affiliatin’ with the University in Thrace might come in handy," said Melinda, smiling.

The priestess sighed. "I don’t even know where we’re going yet," she said.

"Okay - what do your ‘divine’ senses tell you?" asked Janice, arms folded across her chest.

"Well, let’s just see," said the priestess, weakly. She went to the desk and produced a black glass ashtray, the pulled a bottle of spring water out of Natalie’s open pack and poured a small amount into the ashtray. She took another deep breath, and whispered a fervent prayer in Amazonian,

"Kate, I need you to record what I say - most of the time, I don’t remember after this is over," she told her, knowing that author would have paper and a writing implement handy. Sure enough, Kate pulled out a pencil and small notebook, nodding to the priestess that she was ready to go.

Suddenly the water began to swirl before her eyes and the trance deepened without her willing it to do so. Xena’s face floated to the surface. The warrior opened her eyes and smiled.

"I don’t understand, Xena," said the priestess.

"Never mind - listen, you have to get to Aphrodite - now," said the warrior.

"How did that happen?" asked the warrior.

"Damn! That complicates things," said Xena. "You’ll have to climb the mountain, then."

"I know - and I can’t even help you because ... I don’t dare ‘borrow’ Melinda for something so strenuous," said Xena.

"I suppose I could try," said Xena, musing. "She has a ‘thing’ for you, though."

"Nothing - I just wanted to bring it to your attention - you might want to let her know her great-great - ad infinitum grandmother was our daughter," chuckled Xena. "That ought to cool her off."

"I know," said Xena. "Do you think you can convince her before it’s too late?"

"It’s going to be a toughie without your powers - she has to see, feel, taste, hear, and smell something before she’ll acknowledge it’s ‘real’," said Xena.

"Who, ‘Ryn? I know - I’ve been working on her to - " began the warrior.

"I miss you, too, Love," said Xena. "Remember - you have no time to lose - you’ll have to work on Natalie on your way up the mountain."

"Well?" said Janice.

Janice muttered a curse and started back down to the concierge’s desk.

"Natalie!" cried Kate.

"Natalie, enough," said Melinda, softly.

"No, Aunt Mel - I really want to know - what is it about her that makes you do whatever she says - no matter what the cost?" asked Natalie, tears starting to form in her sea-green eyes. "This hike could kill you, you know."

"Natalie, Aunt Mel is probably in better shape than you or I," said Kate, impatiently.

"No, Katie, she isn’t," said Natalie.

"Natalie, that is enough," said Melinda, warningly.

"No, she needs to know - Aunt Mel has a bad heart," said Natalie. "That’s the only reason I agreed to come on this stupid trip - because she and Grandma were going regardless and all because of her. So, what is it? What makes them believe in you so totally that they would agree to what is essentially a suicide mission?"

"Aunt Mel?" said Kate, her voice quiet. "Is it true?"

"I just have a stray flutter now and then, Katie," said Melinda. "Nothing for you to worry about."

"It’s a lot more serious than that," said Natalie.

"Natalie, you’ve said quite enough - it’s my choice," said Melinda, sternly.

"So, what, priestess? If Aunt Mel collapses on the slopes - as is quite probable when we get to some altitude - are you going to resurrect her?" asked Natalie. "Why do they believe you?" The last was an anguished cry.

"I want to," said Natalie, looking away, her voice barely above a whisper. "Why is it so easy for them? All my life, the scrolls, Xena and Gabrielle, the Amazons - they had all of those things, but I ... didn’t. They had belief in those and joy and conviction in their belief. All I had was dust and clay and ... pieces of pottery that didn’t fit together. And I had them, Grams, Aunt Mel, and Kate."

"What do you think?" asked Natalie, frowning and brushing away her tears with an angry fist.

"I’m going - of course," said Natalie, resigned. "But don’t get your hopes too high. I don’t think I’m gullible enough to fall for your ... whatever it is. Been there done that. I learned the first time."

"That’s not - how did you ... you read my mind?" said the physician.

Natalie looked at her doubtfully for a moment. "If that’s the case, then you should know I really don’t want to see him - ever," she said.

"Okay, we got the equipment and transportation as far as it goes to Olympus," said the archaeologist. "This is going to be a very expensive lark if things don’t pan out."

They took the hotel shuttle - a charter trip which had cost, according to Janice - five times as much as it would have had they waited until morning - to the ferry which would take them to Litochoro, a village at the foot of Mt. Olympus where Janice was hoping to find a guide to take them ... wherever it was they were going. She eyed Melinda with concern, wishing she had the guts to order her to stay behind with Natalie and wait for them Litochoro. With a sigh, Janice realised that she would rather face Zeus and the rest of the Olympians than Melinda after ordering the translator to do anything.

"Come on," she told them, gazing up ahead. "If we follow this trail, we should be able to make the Muses’ Plateau by nightfall."

"Okay," said Janice, relieved. "There’s a climbers’ refuge there. We can spend the night, catch a meal and maybe meet some other climbers who can sort of guide us the rest of the way."

"What do you mean?" asked Natalie.

"Ares is out to stop us," said the priestess. "I know my brother - he will stop at nothing to keep us from releasing Aphrodite."

"Your bro- ...," began Janice, eyes wide. "Aw shi-, um crap, it figures! You’re Zeus’s kid!"

"Yeah? So one of those many was Hercules," said Janice, grinning at her.

"So, why don’t you call him - or better yet, just ... zap up there, or something?" asked Janice.

"Melinda, I need your help," she said softly so that only the two of them could hear. Melinda nodded, expectantly. "I need you to keep Janice at the shelter tonight. I have to take the girls up there - alone."

"I understand," said Melinda, disappointed. "I was really hopin’ to meet Aphrodite ... but you know what you’re doin’, don’t you?"

They made to the shelter just after sunset. Janice was grateful to see that they made it just in time to take the remaining beds available. They settled in and sat down to a hot meal before retiring.

Just then, the door burst open and there stood Nick Martino and his guards.

"I’m sorry, Sir, the shelter is full," said one of the attendants.

"Make room," said Nick, smiling. His guards pulled out guns. "Now."

"Aw for crying out loud, Nick," said Janice, rising. "Take our camping equipment. Come on, don’t make trouble."

"I am trouble," said Nick. "What are you doing here, Dr. Covington - and Natalie? What’s going on?"

"We’re on holiday?" said Kate.

"Yeah, right," said Nick, his eyes narrowing. He grabbed Melinda and held a gun to her head. "What’s going on here? You don’t expect me to believe that you’re climbing Olympus for fun - at your age?"

"How rude!" said Melinda, stomping on Nick’s foot and elbowing him in the groin. He dropped the gun and released her. Melinda quickly scooped up the pistol and held it on Nick, then she chuckled. "Nick, you had no intention of shootin’ me - the safety’s still on." The guards looked at him, surprised. Their boss was going soft. Nick glared at Melinda.

"I can’t get information from a dead woman, now can I?" he said, thinking fast. The guards looked relieved.

"Oh, I doubt that very much," said Nick, gazing at her. "Especially where you’re concerned. I’ll bet you’ve got a lot of information I would find ... useful."

"Okay, now just wait a minute," said Melinda, emptying the clip of the pistol and handing it back to Nick without the bullets. "You boys put those things away now." She nodded to the guards and Nick sighed, signalling them to do as she asked. "I have an idea - why don’t we play for the beds?" She produced a deck of cards from her purse and winked.

Janice grinned eagerly. "Hey, I’m in - winner sleeps inside, loser camps - come on, Nick. You got the ba-

um, guts?"

"Yeah, I got a feeling you aren’t kidding," said Nick, turning his attention to the game. "I want more than just a bed though - I want information."

"Fair enough - I want something you have, too, Nick," said Janice. "I have reason to believe you may have a certain ... artefact."

"Hey, I remember that suit!" said Melinda. She started to reach out to touch the fabric, but Janice stopped her with a gentle hand on her arm.

"Remember last time, Mel," she said, softly.

"Oh, that’s right," said Melinda, smiling and pulling her hand back.

Nick sighed and pulled out the other half, setting it some distance from the first, but still well within his reach.

"Alright - here are the stakes," said Janice, lighting up a fresh cigar and squinting through the smoke. Nick reached for the pack, and raised one eyebrow. Janice grinned and nodded her assent. Nick withdrew a cigar and Janice lit it for him. "Winner takes the chakram and beds down here for the night."

Janice sighed. "You’re not gonna make it easy, are ya Nick?"

"Hell, no!" He laughed. "If there’s one thing I’ve learned about you, Dr. Covington, it’s that everything you do has profit potential. Must get that from your old man."

Natalie scowled and started to speak, but Janice laughed. "That’s not the only thing I got from him," she said, shuffling and cutting the deck in a rapid and impressive pattern of moves. She slapped the deck down in front of Nick. He looked up at her expectantly. "You still haven’t agreed to my terms."

"Yeah, okay," said Janice, reluctantly. "On one condition - if we find any scrolls, they’re mine - uh, ours, Mel’s and mine, I mean."

"This is about the scrolls?" said Nick, incredulous. "Again? I thought they’d all been found and translated already."

"Nah," said Janice, waving away some smoke. "You think Kleinman found all the scrolls? He had some copies - I’m talking about the mother lode of scrolls - the originals, all written in Gabrielle’s own hand."

Nick looked dumbfounded for a moment, then threw back his head and laughed. "Do you have any idea how many people follow that TV show? It’s almost a ... religion, for crying out loud. And it’s based on fake scrolls?"

Janice looked annoyed for a moment. "They weren’t exactly fakes - they were just copies," said Janice. "I have no reason to believe that some - maybe even most - of the stories in them weren’t true."

"You’ll never convince people of that," said Nick, wiping his eyes.

"If I have the chakram, I will," said Janice, gravely. "So what do you say, Nick? Let’s get it on." She tapped the deck and Nick cut.

"Is he really your brother?" asked Kate.

"Fine - keep it - there’s not much in there, anyway," said Ares with a shrug. "Besides, you’re not going to get to Aphrodite."

"What are you going to do, fight me?" Ares laughed. "Snow Leopards are all but extinct - besides you don’t have the stuff to bring it out anymore."

Natalie looked at the god in disbelief. "You!" she said. "You’re the one who makes Nick do all that rotten stuff!"

"Yeah, Baby - and you’re the one he’s trying to mess it all up for," said Ares, glaring at her. "Aphrodite may be locked away, but some of her gooey love crap still manages to get out and it got all over my boy."

"What do you mean?" asked Natalie.

"Well, you don’t think all the legitimate business crap came from me, do you?" said Ares. "Just like Draco - the idiot’s nearly no better than that lovesick twit was when Bliss hit him with the arrow - and leave it to Xena to make Cupid leave it on him." Ares shook his head. "I lost a perfectly good warlord to that mess, let me tell you. Nothing I did could counteract Cupid’s arrow. To the day he died, Draco was trying to impress Gabrielle with his good deeds. Poor sap didn’t even know she wasn’t around to hear about them anymore."

"Where was she?" asked Kate, awed by the god’s presence.

"Yep," said Ares. "Anyway, Missy, once you’re gone, I’ll have Nick back in my fold."

"Game over already?" said Ares with a chuckle. "What a surprise."

"Yeah," said Janice, grinning as she pulled both halves of the chakram out of her pack. "All of a sudden, your boy just folded - he had a royal flush, too - all hearts."

"What?!" Ares roared, his eyes flaming. "I told him to hold!"

"Guess it was a bad connection," said Natalie, smiling smugly. "That can happen in the mountains, you know."

"Quick, Grams! Put the chakram together and call Xena!" said Kate. "Like before - you know, in Macedonia."

"What? Not Xena’s - Oh, my!" said Melinda. Suddenly the translator grew pale and clutched at her chest. She fell to the ground and Natalie rushed to her, frantically searching for a heartbeat. With an agonised cry, she began CPR on the older woman while the others watched, tensely. Kate grabbed Natalie’s cell phone and tried to call for help.

"It’s no good - the phone won’t work here!" she cried.

Janice knelt beside her and caressed Melinda’s face, tenderly, then stopped Natalie’s life-saving attempt.

"Let her go, Nat," said Janice, quietly, tears welling up in her sea-green eyes and spilling over her cheeks.

"Nothing ever changes here, does it?" she said. "You gods have been all but forgotten for centuries and still you manage to play with mortals’ lives - are you happy now? Are you god damn happy, you ... you ..." Overwhelmed, Natalie sat down beside Melinda’s body and wept bitterly. All of a sudden, Nick ran up to her, wrapping his arms around her heaving shoulders.

"Come on, Nat," he said, gently.

"Can you ... either of you ... do anything for her? Please?" she pleaded.

Ares shook his head. "No way - last time I did that ... no, I can’t," he said, backing off from the scene.

"Nice try, Ares," said the priestess. "But that’s not the way this works. The only way I can get home is to release Aphrodite in this time and you said yourself you will never let that happen."

"Maybe I lied," said Ares.

"Nitroglycerin won’t work now," said Natalie.

"What is it?" asked Kate, looking hopeful through her tears. Janice looked in wonder at the priestess.

"Food of the gods?" she whispered.

"That’s not possible," she said, her voice wavering a bit. "She was dead. I’m a physician and I know it wasn’t a mistake. She was dead, irretrieveably dead."

Ares looked at Nick and growled. "You! You nitwit - I told you to draw two and hold - not fold," he said. Nick’s eyes widened, then he straightened his shoulders. "I know," he said, shrugging. "What can I say? I have a thing for her." He smiled at Natalie, who turned and smiled back, hesitantly at first, then wider.

"What you did ... what you sacrificed ... I have never seen anyone - " said Natalie.

"Still, I’d like to make it right somehow," said Natalie. "I wish I could help you get home."

Melinda chuckled. "Well, my eyes have never been what you’d call exactly efficient, but I’ll do what I can," she said, adjusting her glasses.

"You need a descendant of Gabrielle to open it," said Janice.

"But what?" said Janice, suspiciously.

"So, where do I look?" asked Melinda as they started up the trail. Nick lagged behind, talking quietly with Natalie while Kate forged ahead, holding the flashlight.

"Damn, damn, triple damn!" yelled the archaeologist, as Natalie declared her ankle was broken. Natalie splinted it and put a chemical cold pack from the first aid kit on it.

"Guess I’ll have to wait here," said the archaeologist, glumly. "Did you know this was gonna happen?"

"I’m going, too," said Nick, eyeing the climb warily.

"Actually, Nick, would you mind terribly waiting here with them?" asked Natalie, smiling at him. "Just in case Ares comes back."

"Oh, yeah, sure," said Nick, doubtfully, though secretly, he was relieved; that climb looked dangerous enough without doing it in the dark and while Nick believed that Natalie was somehow immune to the danger, he wasn’t at all sure about his own chances - especially since he now suspected that his "patron god" had deserted him.

The two began their ascent carefully while the others all trained powerful torches on the wall of the mountain they were climbing. It helped only a little, but it was better than nothing.

"You really think she can hear you?" asked Natalie.

"Actually, yeah, I do," said Natalie surprised at her own certainty. They made it to the narrow ledge and stopped.

"Now what?" asked Natalie, unhooking the climbing gear and looking all around the depression in the rock wall.

"How about this?" asked Natalie, brushing her fingers over a group of raised bumps. As she brushed, bright jewels appeared from under the layer of soil. They were too perfect to be raw.

"So ... what do I do now?" asked Natalie. "I mean, do I press them like buttons, or ...."

Suddenly, Natalie grinned. "Oh, I get it - look!" she scraped away more of the soil and revealed a hand print and more of the gemstones underneath. Placing her hand in the depression, she turned her wrist, moving the entire panel until the gemstones were all lined up, matching.

There was a loud grating noise, matched by shouts and cries of triumph from the observers below and the rock slid back to reveal a very dark cave.

"Is she here?" asked Natalie.

Suddenly, she stopped the flashlight, training it on an ornate gold sarcophagus. The priestess grinned. "Roccoco - figures," she said, shaking her head. She and Natalie made their way to the casket.

"She’s not ... " said Natalie, swallowing hard.

"Looks like you have to do this one by yourself," said the priestess. Natalie rolled her eyes good-naturedly. Then she hesitated.

"Um, what’s the catch?" she asked.

"Yeah, don’t these things have booby traps? I remember once when Grams opened a tomb in Iran ... never mind," she said, shuddering at the memory.

Natalie rolled her eyes. "I’m afraid I don’t have much experience in that department," said the physician.

"Oooh, you precious thing!" said Aphrodite, transferring her affection to Natalie. "I am like, so glad to be out of that thing - you know mean the family was? They put those dumb old scrolls in the pretty box and stuck me in that old thing."

"We wouldn’t call off the search for you - we looked for like, a thousand years and I guess they finally just ... well, it doesn’t matter. We’re here now."

"I know, I know," said the goddess. "Believe me, I know just how long I was in that thing - hey, my dress isn’t like, wrinkled or anything, is it?" She turned around and tried to look at her own backside.

"Whew," said Aphrodite, with a giggle. "Anyway, let’s get out of this dreary old place."

"Oh, alright - I’ll zap you down there, and then we’re going to the Great Hall and kick Apollo’s butt, right?" said Aphrodite. She looked down and pouted, then noticed Natalie’s shoes. "Nike has shoes named after her? Oooh - like she has any style!" The goddess stamped her foot. "Wait’ll I get my hands on Apollo - "

"Without me?" said Aphrodite, eyes widening. "And there’s a world left?"

"Only just," said Natalie.

"Okay," said Aphrodite. "I can already tell I have my work cut out for me, cleaning up after Ares."

"Oooh, you go, Little Sister," said the goddess. "Just wait’ll Olympus hears - the Queen is back and kickin’ butt!"

"Oh, you mean I get to be like, your regent? Like you Amazons have when the queen has to to do something somehwere?" said Aphrodite, excited.

"I guess, if I’ve learned anything, we can’t be one without the other - everything gets all messed up when that happens, huh?" she said.

"Aw, by then, you’ll be back in your time and there won’t be any good reason to do that," said Aphrodite, with a sigh.

"That’s true," said Aphrodite, brightening. "Okay, let’s go!"

The goddess used her magic to transport all of them, including the scrolls to where Janice, Melinda, Kate, and Nick waited for them.

"Aphrodite!" said Melinda, smiling and rising to greet the goddess. Nick also stood, but Janice grimaced at her attempt.

"Awww," said Aphrodite, leaning forward and gently touching the archaeologist’s swollen ankle. There was a pinkish glow and Janice stood up, her ankle healed.

"Um, thanks," said Janice, blushing.

"Oh, my, Janice - I’ve never seen you do that before - leastaways, not in public," said Melinda, grinning at her.

"Aw, gee, Mel," said Janice, turning a deeper shade of pink. She looked at the overflowing packs of scrolls. "Are those ...?"

"Yes - all of them," said Aphrodite, smiling. Melinda had already opened one and was scanning it, a delighted smile on her face.

Janice sighed, a little sadly.

"Why Janice, what’s wrong?" asked Melinda, looking over at her partner with concern.

"Well, it’s just ... what will we do now?" said the archaeologist.

"We’ll retire and live happily after, just like Xena and Gabrielle did," said Melinda, showing Janice the scroll. Janice read, her lips moving slightly as she translated. A slow smile spread over her face.

"Well that’s a hell of lot happier ending than that TV show came up with," she said, grinning.

"Ah, heh, heh," Apollo laughed a bit nervously and walked over to her. "Um, I ..."

"He’s down on earth," said Apollo, rolling his eyes. "Helping mortals, of all things."

"Ah, never mind," said Apollo, looking away from the intensity of those dark green eyes. "Um - "

"The world? They’re mortals - who cares?" said Apollo, with a shrug. "You know what I mean, Sis’ - right?" He looked up at her through his long, curling lashes, his golden cap of hair shining in the torchlight of the Great Hall.

"You ... you’re not mortal," said Apollo, laughing heartily. "Good joke, my Queen."

"Uh, Apollo - she’s not joking," said Ares, grinning at his brother’s discomfort.

"What?" said Apollo, suddenly seething. "Get her!" he shouted at the assembly of gods. The others remained in their places, looking at one another and murmuring.

"Did you hear me? I said, get her!" said Apollo. "And these two as well - we’ll put them back where no one can get them out!"

"Apollo, I’m not too hip on locking up my own mother," said Cupid with a shrug.

"You wimped out the last time, too," said Apollo, sneering in contempt.

"Oooh, Cupie!" said Aphrodite, hugging her son. "I knew you wouldn’t have anything to do with all that."

"Oh, shut up, Cupid," Apollo said with a snarl.

"You want to make me?" said Cupid, his wings flapping in annoyance.

Apollo dropped the smile and his foot simultaneously. "Look, I’m sure we can straighten all of this mess out," he said, earnestly.

"Oh, I’m afraid I can’t let you do that," said Apollo, this time his smile was anything but charming. "You see, I quite enjoy things the way they are."

"Hey, what I can say?" said the god of war. "I wasn’t thinking clearly. I forgot how much smoother things go when you’re in charge."

"Smooth, huh? That would be a nice change," said Hermes, approaching the throne. "Sorry, Apollo, but I’ve had enough."

The other gods murmured in agreement.

"What is this, mutiny?" whined Apollo.

"Oh," said Persephone, immediately grasping the situation. "Well, I say if he wants to stop you, then let him face the consequences - I know that most of Olympus is pretty tired of the pretty boy here."

"Hey!" said an indignant Apollo.

"Well, it’s true," said Persephone. "You’ve been nothing but a petty tyrant up here - haven’t you noticed how few of the older gods ever even come here anymore? And haven’t since your treachery against Ares and Aphrodite."

"It was not ..." began Apollo heatedly, then he took a breath and re-set his face into gentler lines. "I did what I thought was for the best of Olympus at the time. If I was wrong, then I most sincerely apologise."

"I - " Apollo began, then looked up as Demeter, Hestia, and Hera appeared.

"He - Hera?" said Apollo, flustered. "We ... I ... thought you were ..."

*************

"What’s that for?" she said.

"For coming back," said Xena. "Don’t you ever do that again."

"Hey, Mel," said Janice, walking into the office they shared. "What are you doing? I thought you finished translating those scrolls. Come on, Love we have to prepare the presentation - and it has to be good, too. I’m worried that Nick may be right - after the popularity of that TV show, no one is going to want to believe that these are the real thing, even if most of the stories are the same."

"Oh, Janice!" cried Melinda, holding onto the archaeologist. She took off her glasses and wiped her eyes. "This is just so ... touchin’!"

Janice took the scroll and frowned, scanning the words, her lips moving ever so slightly.

I am so sorry we didn’t get a proper farewell, but I have a feeling that by the time your time on earth comes to be, I will be with you anyway - one way or another. My love and blessings be upon you and your descendants, always.

Janice smiled and hugged Melinda closer. "Yeah - and I have a feeling we won’t have to worry about people not accepting these as authentic after all. She’ll see to that." She raised her eyes and whispered, "Thank you."

The End

(for now - actually, the series will continue after a brief hiatus. Until then - blessings upon you and please - keep reading! )