Author: NorJC
E-mail Address: norjc@aol.com, steve711@concentric.net
Title: The Section Seven
Chronicles - Daughters of the Moon
Copyrighted: October
2001
Category: Crossover/Adventure
Rating: PG-14
Spoilers: None
Keywords: Highlander/Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Xena-Warrior
Princess.
Summary: This particular story depicts a Wandererverse adventure featuring
the New Amazons and the origin of the Virtual Amazon Nation!
Highlander: All rights and
properties belong to Rysher Entertainment.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: All
rights and properties belong to Joss Whedon, Fox Studios and Mutant Enemy, etc.
The Legendary Adventures of Hercules/Xena-Warrior Princess: All rights and properties belong to Renaissance and Flat Earth
Productions.
Red Sonja: All rights and properties belong to the successors to Robert E.
Howard.
The X-files: All rights and properties belong to Chris Carter and Fox
Studios.
The Pretender: All rights and properties belong to Warner Bros.
Studios.
The Queen of Swords: All rights
and properties belong to Firework Productions, Toronto, Canada.
Any characters, whose names and descriptions are used, are the property of
their original owners, and no copyright infringement is intended or meant.
No money can be made from this story. It may be distributed freely so long as it is kept in its entirety, with all notices and copyright information
remaining intact.
The characters of Patricia Driscoll and Edwin Giles belong to Norjc.
The characters of Shaw Hunter and Maxine Thomasson belong to Tim
Knight.
The Wandererverse is a creation of Steve Pantovich. The characters of Steven St. Wolf and Mindi Whitehall belong to Steve
Pantovich.
Comments and Criticisms are appreciated, please post to the above
referenced E-mail.
Special Thanks to my Beta Readers: Carla Alfano and Tim Knight
Author's Notes: Words expressed
within < > are thoughts. Cordelia became an Amazon, along with Jenny Calendar (who did not die because Passions
did not occur in this universe), Amy, and Willow, in Steve’s Training Blues Series - How Cordelia Got Her Amazon
Groove, so don’t blame me! <G> Gabrielle of Potedeia, Red Sonja, Dana Scully, Melissa Scully, Maxine Thomasson,
Tessa Alvarado, and Andrea Parker are Immortals and Amazons. Kendra also did
not die because Becoming did not occur in this universe as well. Faith is a
good kid and didn’t go bad either.
Temple of Artemis
Ephesus, Turkey, 200 BCE
It was a good night to die.
An eerie mist blanketed the marsh grasses that swayed in the gentle night breeze below the temple mount. Livia gazed longingly at the milky white orb high in the star-filled sky for the last time. Savoring the slight evening chill, she cherished every breath she drew. Soon, Artemis willing, Livia would give her life and, through her sacrifice, save the future.
She examined the contents of the earthen pot that she had placed over her brazier. Livia gently used her gnarled fingers to sift through the mandrake, almond, mugwart, and hazel she had meticulously ground into a fine powder with her fifty-year old hands. Then, she stared at the knife of sacrifice in its bejeweled scabbard, the twin ivy wreaths, and the silver bell. As she caressed the warm scabbard, she knew all was ready save for the presence of the Guardian.
Livia had a fleeting thought she may have to go it alone until she heard the soft rustle of two pairs of legs passing through the tall grass. Even in the pale moonlight, the brilliant hues of the tall woman's flame-colored mane and the shorter woman's golden locks brightened the area.
"Livia?"
The last Sacred Priestess of Artemis smiled at the blonde woman. "Gabrielle...you came!"
"I almost didn't," the bard said. She strode over to Livia with her companion. When she came close enough for the priestess to get a good look at her face, Livia gasped. "Great Artemis! You're as young as the day you first held me on your lap, when I was a little girl! Is this the work of the Goddess?"
Gabrielle grimaced. "I have nothing to do with Artemis, Livia. You know that."
The priestess nodded. "Thank you for coming...Auntie." Livia said with a sigh. She had learned long ago not to press the Potedeian about Her. The bad blood between them ran deep.
"No need for thanks, sweetheart. We'd always be here to protect you, but-"
"No 'buts,' Gabrielle," Livia snapped gently, cutting off the bard. She reached for the blonde's impossibly youthful hands and took them into her old, weary ones. "I must do this. If I don't, our Nation will be forever lost in the mists of time. Besides, I'm not long for a world that has grown weary of the Goddess. If the price to resurrect our sisterhood is my life, that is a small price to pay to recover our heritage."
The tall red head cleared her throat and looked the priestess in the eye. "Livia, how do you know this'll work?"
The priestess graced the warrior woman with a beatific smile. "The only way one can be certain of anything in this world, Sonja, through faith."
She stared at each woman in turn, showing her clarity of purpose with her eyes and drinking in their affection for her with their sorrow. Her throat tightened as she choked down a sob. She couldn't surrender to her feelings now; she had to stay strong.
"Gabrielle, Sonja," she said, her voice trembling slightly, "you know what to do. After I light the brazier, I must meditate on the message for our future sisters. Once the mist takes me, a deer will answer my call and enter the sacred circle around the brazier. Once the deer arrives, you must protect us from any outside interference. Allow nothing to disrupt the spell." Both women nodded and Livia continued. "This spell is very powerful; it may draw familiars of male dominion seeking to stop it. You must not let them impede the spell in any fashion."
"I understand," Gabrielle said. "How much time will you need?"
"My lifeless body will collapse to the ground once my spirit journeys onward. At that point, your duties are complete. When it's over, if you have the chance, please cremate it."
"Of course," Sonja muttered. "What will happen to you, the real you, that is?"
"If all goes well...I will merge with a future sister and pass along the Lady's message, heralding the rebirth of the Nation. Then, once my task is done, I shall journey to Her side."
Gabrielle shot her a look that revealed the war raging inside the bard. Livia cocked her head to one side and smiled. Her aunt had always worn her heart on her sleeve. Then the adventurer from Potedeia grabbed Livia up in a desperate hug filled with love. "You have always given everything for the Amazon Nation, Livia. Shouldn't you think about yourself, just once in your life?"
Livia pondered on that. She had helped some of their sisters escape enslavement by the Greeks, then the Romans, by sending them on to Smyrna. She had tried to keep the temple from the degradations of the Romans and had been successful until now. She had cared for the sick and healed those who had suffered both from nature and the deprivations of man. Finally, she had maintained the Goddess' love for the people for years. Now, however, because of the Romans and their corruption of the people’s faith they didn't want Artemis any more.
She smiled sadly and kissed Gabrielle's cheek. "No reason to change now, is there, Auntie?"
Reluctantly they parted. After the three women had fidgeted for several moments, Livia took a deep breath, knelt behind the brazier, and lit the fire.
Gabrielle stood sentry, scanning the area for intruders. She glimpsed to her left and saw Livia kneeling in deep meditation, chanting softly over her bowl. On the other side of Livia, Sonja watched the darkness while her long, red hair wafted in the night breeze. The last Queen of the Amazons raked her deceptively powerful right hand through her golden hair as an errant gust caressed her forehead. It wasn’t fair, she thought, losing Xena, Amarice, Yakut, Lilla, and now her little Livia. The longer she lived, the more her Immortality had become a curse rather than a blessing. She snorted. If she felt like this after eighty years, she couldn’t imagine how she’d feel if she had lived as long as Sonja. Then she smiled. Sonja would simply say, "One day is just like any other." Gabrielle admired Sonja’s ability to live in the now, always the now, never the future or the past. In a sense, Sonja reminded her of a tigress, the consummate predator, so like her Xena in many ways, yet much simpler in her approach to life.
Gabrielle’s musings abruptly ended when the mist from the bowl snaked toward Livia. In moments, the mysterious smoke encircled the priestess. The bard squinted, looking into the mist and trying to keep sight of her niece. It seemed to drain Livia of her life force, almost like the mist that preceded the taking of a Quickening. Just then, the Amazon Queen heard the rustle of marsh grass as a deer walked unhesitantly toward Livia.
Livia reached out a gentle hand and stroked the deer’s snout. With the other hand, she rang the silver bell. Its melodic tinkle seemed to be carried by the wind into the night and somethng inside Gabrielle responded to it. Then, the deer bowed its head toward Livia, allowing her to place the ivy garland around its neck. In turn, Livia put the wreath around her neck, drew the knife of sacrifice from its scabbard, and stabbed the deer straight through the heart. As the deer fell to the ground, Livia took the blood from the knife and painted three stripes on her face, one on her forehead and the other two on each cheek.
At that moment, a howl pierced the night. Gabrielle whirled toward the sound and saw the grasses sway from the approach of something. She bent over and drew her sais out of her boots while she heard the hiss of Sonja’s sword being drawn from its scabbard. She didn’t wait long before a large, gray wolf brushed aside the border stalks.
As she faced the creature, she heard something approach from the other side. Sonja whispered, "I have a wolf over here, too. Why wolves?"
Gabrielle intensely watched the canine that snarled at her. The bard’s mind rapidly searched for a connection and immediately discovered one. "The stories say the twins who founded Rome were raised by a she-wolf, Sonja. They must represent the power of Rome."
Sonja grunted. "Makes sense, Gabby. The Romans have been busy placing statues of their politicians in Livia’s temple, defiling it. If the Amazons are reborn, they may be a threat to Rome in the future."
Gabrielle stared fearlessly at the wolf. "Well then, let’s make certain that the threat is realized."
She crept toward the wolf, making sure she stayed between Livia and the beast. The canine snarled and snapped its jaws at her. Gabrielle glanced down at her sais and grimaced. Although they were superb weapons against swords, they were too short to keep an animal at a safe distance. She dropped them and stood her ground. As she stared at the beast, she felt a drop of perspiration trickle down her forehead into her left eye. When she blinked to try to clear the stinging moisture, the wolf leaped forward.
The Amazon Queen struggled to remain calm and steadied her body. As the wolf sprang for her throat, she whipped her hands up and grasped its jaws. When the wolf’s mass and speed knocked her to the ground, Gabrielle snapped her powerful legs up to wrap around the creature’s torso. The two combatants rolled on top of the flattened marsh grass, the wolf trying to lock its teeth around her throat and the bard preserving her death grip on its slick, rancid jaws. When a fang pierced the palm of her left hand, Gabrielle stifled a scream. The pain seared through her nervous system, erasing all save her anger. The Romans had destroyed her sisters in Greece. She wasn’t about to let this symbol of the bastards ruin her niece’s last act of defiance.
Gabrielle tightened her legs around the wolf’s body and reestablished her grip on its jaws. Then she twisted her body, using her legs and hips to slam the wolf to the ground on its side. As it lost its leverage to push against her, Gabrielle flexed her lithe muscles, empowered by the grace of Artemis, the Patron Goddess of the Amazon Nation, and honed by Xena, the Warrior Princess. She began to pull its jaws in opposite directions. As the wolf tried to twist its snout to escape the Amazon Queen’s mighty grip, she gritted her teeth and redoubled her efforts. Slowly, inexorably, the distance between her curled fists and the jaws widened. The wolf continued its struggles, gagging and retching as it choked on its own saliva. Then finally, with a primordial scream of rage and triumph, Gabrielle snapped the wolf’s jaw, killing the beast by sending shards of bone from its shattered lower skull into its brain.
When the wolf lay still, she struggled to catch her breath. Then she remembered the other one and shoved the carcass aside. Gabrielle sprang to her feet and turned around with a growl.
"Crom..." she heard Sonja mutter as she saw the barbarian wipe her bloodstained sword on the fur of the other wolf that lay dead at the red head’s feet. "I haven’t seen anything that magnificent since Conan," the barbarian said breathlessly. "You look SO hot!"
Gabrielle relaxed and tried to regain her composure. "Thanks...I think." Then she turned to look at Livia and froze at the sight of the high priestess’ body lying on the ground like a broken marionette.
"No..." she mumbled and stumbled over to Livia. Gabrielle dropped to her knees next to her niece and gently turned her over. She cradled Livia’s rapidly cooling body to her own as tears streaked down her grime-coated face. Sonja tenderly gripped her shoulder as Gabrielle continued to mourn the woman she’d always remember as the little girl who’d loved to nap on her Auntie’s lap.
Sunnydale High School
Sunnydale, California
January 29, 1999 - 0955 Local Time
"I still say you ladies are nuts to flout tradition like this!"
Willow Rosenberg, Cordelia Chase, Amy Madison, Patricia Driscoll, and Oz Green cooly appraised Xander Harris while he continued his tirade as they approached their 10 o’clock class through the throng of students bustling through the hallway. "Don’t you know that a person’s final semester should only be filled by a schedule loaded with fluff courses?" When the group stopped walking and the women stared at him, Xander grimaced. "What?"
"Oh," Patty murmured, "I’m just wigged that you’d even know a word like ‘flout.’"
Willow smirked, then drawled, "Let alone how to use it in a sentence--"
"Yeah, without coming off sounding dumber than usual, Oh Lame One," Cordelia added, finishing Willow’s statement for her.
"Hey!" Xander protested. "I DO have layers, you know!"
Amy snickered. "Yeah, like Jello™ pudding."
"Yeah! What Amy said...Hey!"
Willow laughed heartily at her childhood friend’s antics. As their group entered the classroom, she grinned like a loon. When they just hanged with nice, mundane kids like Patty and joked with one another at school, she almost felt normal again. She hoped she could hold onto that feeling for awhile but didn’t want to say anything in case the Hellmouth was listening and decided to rain on her parade.
"So, Xander," Amy said, "why did you sign up for this class then? I mean, Patty, Cordy, and I wanted to because we knew a college professor was coming to teach it. We figured it’d give us a chance to sneak a peek at what to expect at U.C. Sunnydale. And Willow took it because...well...it was the hardest senior course and Willow takes all the hard classes."
"Hey!" Willow snapped as the three girls giggled. "That’s so NOT true! I’m interested in studying ancient cultures and their pagan rituals, too."
Amy stopped chuckling and smiled warmly at her. "I know, Will. Just pulling your leg." Then she cocked an eyebrow and looked at the boys. "Still doesn’t explain you two, though."
Oz said simply, "I’m with Will."
Xander cackled. "Homey, you are SO whipped!"
Oz squinted at him. "And you...?"
Xander’s laugh froze on his face as Cordelia crossed her arms and glared at him while she impatiently tapped her right foot. "I’m with Cordy," he mumbled.
Oz shot a quirky smile at the dark-haired boy, cracked a shadow whip with his right hand, and said, "Whee-pa!"
As they tried to find seats near the back of the Spartan classroom, Xander muttered, "Man, I hope they didn’t send us a geezer prof to teach..." he looked toward the blackboard and his voice faded for a moment before he babbled, "Uhmagaddewyaseawowza!"
Willow followed his unabashed stare and her mouth dropped open. At the head of the class stood the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. Although the rational part of her knew that seemed impossible considering she hung out with women like Cordelia, Buffy, Jenny, Dana, Gabrielle, Sonja, and Amanda on a regular basis, Willow didn’t care and banished that thought to the cheap seats in her mind. The woman’s long blonde hair framed her heart shaped face perfectly. Her full, red lips were pursed in a thoughtful, yet sensuous pout. She looked like she was a little taller than Willow and held herself with a dancer’s grace. At that moment, all she could think of was how she could convince this woman to frisk her, cuff her, and put her away wet.
Then Willow groaned because that train of thought resurrected a question that hadn’t troubled her since meeting her vampiric twin from another dimension. <Does this mean I AM kinda gay?>
Amy moaned. "Oh, man! This is so unfair!"
Patty groaned as her slightly olive-tinged complexion lost most of its color . "I feel a major anxiety attack coming on. Anyone know a good shrink?"
"I do," Cordelia mumbled. "He may talk funny, but he’s good. I’m first in line though; since I’m a frequent flier after I started hanging," she indicated Amy, Oz, Willow, and Xander with a sweep of her hand, "with these losers."
Oz examined the professor and said, "Hmmm."
Cordy, Amy, and Patty shared a look of horror. "Oh. My. God." Cordelia moaned. "Oz just reacted to something other than Willow!" Then she whirled on Xander. "And the way Dweeb boy went spastic over her," she said, her face showing she was going into panic mode, "should make us run screaming for our lives!"
Potential danger always won the competition for Willow’s attention. "What are you talking about?"
"Hello!! Whenever Lame-o goes gaga over some skanky ho, it’s trouble with a capital ‘T.’ Remember the Inca Mummy Girl and the Praying Mantis Lady? Do they ring any bells for you, Netgirl?"
"Although I hate to agree with her...she has a point," Xander observed.
Willow scoffed. "Right...this professor is the ultimate evil because she’s attractive. I really think you guys need to get a grip. Now if you’re done spazzing," she said, "let’s sit down," then she pointed to the first row, "up there!"
Xander shrugged and followed the red head. "Why not? We can keep an eye out for trouble better up there."
Cordy huffed. "Oh! I swear! You are SO obvious, Xander!"
After they had taken their seats, the bell rang and the professor regarded the class from her place in front of the blackboard. "Hello," she said in a low, sensuous growl that sent a warm sensation along Willow’s spine. "My name is Rhiannon Cathcart. I’m a visiting professor from Wales assigned to U.C. Sunnydale’s History Department during my stay here in your country. My field of expertise is ancient cultures." She crossed over to her desk and sat down. "This class is called Religious Practices of Ancient Cultures. We will examine several religious sites of antiquity to see how surprisingly sophisticated they were and to determine if there are some echoes from them that exist today." She smiled at the class and Willow felt like she had smiled just for her. "Now, I was told that you all are advanced and expect to be treated like college level students. So, I am certain that you did the reading that was assigned in the syllabus." Several students groaned. "Now, now," Professor Cathcart purred, "don’t fret. I won’t hurt you...much." Everyone chuckled at that. "Now, I normally use the Socratic method when I teach. That means I pose several questions to an individual who must think on their feet and provide answers or arguments to support their particular view or position on aspects of the reading. Got it?" No one responded negatively. "Fine then. Shall we have a go at it?"
Professor Cathcart looked down at her student list and ran a finger along the paper. When it came to a stop, she looked up and announced, "Cordelia Chase?"
Cordy sat up straight in her chair. "Yes, ma’am?"
The professor aimed a disarming smile Cordelia’s way. "Just relax, Ms. Chase. I won’t bite. Did you do the reading?"
"Yes."
"Good. Please stand and we can begin." After Cordy rose from her chair, the professor asked, "Many people regard the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, Turkey as one of the Eight Wonders of the Ancient World. However, some would say that Artemis was a relatively minor deity in the Greek pantheon. Do you think that’s true?"
"Uh oh," Xander muttered under his breath.
Cordy’s face clouded over with suppressed anger. "No, I think that’s whacked! Artemis was SO a major deity. She was the patron goddess for the Amazon Nation. At the height of Amazon influence, Artemis’ worshippers controlled large portions of Asia Minor, all of Libya, and portions of Greece."
Cathcart cocked her right eyebrow. "Very good, Ms. Chase. I’m surprised that you possess such familiarity with ancient Amazon cultures. Until recently, there wasn’t much academic material written about them."
The Amazon warrior snorted. "That’s because males dominated the ivory towers of academia unti–" Cordelia’s voice cut out when a ball of light blazed into existence above her head. It hung there, motionless for a second before it streaked into Cordelia’s body and knocked her to the floor.
Willow pushed out of her chair to get to Cordelia’s side and was joined by a frantic Xander. "Cordy!" he shouted, panic evident in his voice. "Are you okay? Cordy? Say something!"
When the raven-haired Amazon opened her eyes, Willow gasped and Xander muttered, "Oh, sweet Jesus..."
Cordelia’s pupils had vanished and the light from the ball was blazing where her eyes should have been.
They were shaken further when Cordelia stood up, looked at Willow, then Amy, and her lips curled in a haunting smile. She spoke in a voice that wasn’t Cordelia’s, a voice more melodious, and somehow, to Willow...more holy.
"Amazons of future time, hear me. I send these words on winds of time, by fire of my spirit and urgings of my diamon who tells me my last moon is above me now. For my life’s end, I feel no loss. Birthing, living, dying are all one in Her wisdom. But the truth of our ancestors and the sacred ways are now lost to those who follow. Soon, there will be no one left to mourn."
Xander reached for his girlfriend. "Cordelia, honey, wha–"
"No!" snapped Professor Cathcart. "Don’t touch her! She’s in a trance."
Xander whirled on her. "What do you–"
"Are you deaf? She’s in a trance. If you disturb her, you could harm her. Let it play out."
"Hear my words, Sisters! I am Livia, lover and follower of Artemis."
Oh boy, Willow thought.
"I speak to you as the last Sacred priestess of Artemis. Artemis is She who taught us the sacred ways of women and life since before memory. I send you our story, silenced with my last breath...but for you who might hear me now. The grief of this telling now brings me alone to the sacred marshes. Rage and sorrow brings me to my knees here in the dark beside the river...Let the power of my sendings now ring strong and true to your hearts beating on the far side of the Dark Times."
"Huh," Oz said.
"Honey," Willow asked, "what do you make of this?"
"Reminds me of an original Trek episode where some alien dude takes over Captain Kirk’s body."
As Willow rolled her eyes at his observation, the Cordelia-Thing continued. "This is the grievous sending, of how our history and our culture was stolen from us through greed, corruption and abuses of power. The Goddess moved me to call out to you for only through Her wisdom my words can reach you. She instructs me through this spell to send these words to reach you Amazons who are reborn at the end of the Dark Times. We, who have been keepers of the deep and ancient thresholds; thresholds of birth and death in Her name, call to you."
Amy gasped and murmured, "Oh my Goddess..."
"By the time you hear my words, the temple has long stood in Ephesus, huge of stone and grand columns, a mighty tribute to Artemis. As I speak these words the temple is now in the planning. However, by the time this wonder is completed we, the sacred priestesses of Artemis will be gone."
The Cordelia-Thing seemed to pause for effect, then said, "Hear me! Witness in the temple stone itself the testimony of our violation and our loss! The outside temple carvings are not of Artemis and her beloved Amazons, but the male hero of the Ionians Androkles."
Willow’s hand flew to cover her mouth as she gasped in horror. <What? Artemis, please say it isn’t so!> Then she felt her anger flare inside. <Those bastards!>
"The carvings were not made by Priestess artisans but indentured male stone workers brought in from Rome."
Tears fell from Willow’s eyes. <Romans?!? Inside the Temple that honored the Goddess and our sisters? No...it can’t be...>
"Inside the temple, entrance taboo to men on punishment of death by law of Artemis...will stand gilded statues of the Roman Emperor and other Romans who through wealth have purchased priesthoods from afar. Anger roars inside me but vengeance is not to be mine. She is the measure of judgment and sets the limits to all things including the span of my life. The Amazons have long since left Ephesus and rode North, heeding our sybils’ dire visions of the dark times coming. Deeply grieved were the warnings of our lost future. But She allowed me to see a vision of you, our reawakened Nation. You shall be greater than what we were for you shall bring the world hope and peace."
As Willow continued to cry, someone lovingly wrapped their arms around her from
behind. Willow could see blonde hair out of the corner of her eye and knew it was Amy trying to comfort her, to share this message of hope with her.
"Now I ring the silver bell, in answer the deer appears from the dark forest. I fashion ivy wreaths around her neck and mine that we will be borne in the spirit world to guide you who hear this sending. Eager to be on our spirit journey, the deer steps forward and I take my knife of sacrifice from its scabbard..."
"Oh, man!" Patty whispered in horror, "she’s gonna waste Bambi’s mother!"
Now, the Cordelia-Thing’s voice boomed as the sultry Amazon seemed to shudder under the strain of coexisting with Livia’s spirit. "Sisters in the future! Hear my words! Listen and envision with your hearts! In your time the Amazon Nation will be remembered. Seek Her ways in the forest. Look for us there. Remember, and go with our love..."
Suddenly, Cordelia fell to her knees and moaned.
"Cordy!" Xander yelled and dropped next to her.
"Xander...?" she mumbled, sounding for all the world like a confused and frightened little girl. Her eyes had returned to their normal deep brown color.
He hugged her tenderly and cradled her in his arms. "I’m here, baby," he cooed. "I’ve got you."
As Willow, Amy, and Patty joined Xander to help Cordelia, the taciturn werewolf apparently was the first person able to state his analysis of what had just occurred.
"Hmmm."
Princess Anne Street
Fredericksburg, Virginia
January 29, 1999 - 1305 Local Time
"The restaurant is just a little further, Cassandra."
The former Witch of the Donan Woods brushed a strand of her beautiful chestnut brown hair out of her finely chiseled face as she walked along the sidewalks near the quaint brick front shops with her friend.
"That’s good, Ingrid," Cassandra said. "I’m famished!"
Cassandra Hastings, as she called herself now, smiled at her fellow Immortal, Ingrid Sommer. The busty, Nordic blonde was an eleven hundred year old practitioner of Asatru and high priestess of Freya, whose day job was a psychology professor at Mary Washington College. Cassandra had wanted to spend a few days with the former student she hadn’t seen during the last twenty-five years, so she traveled from New York City on the early morning shuttle to Dulles Airport in Vienna, Virginia. After they had parked Ingrid’s Saab several blocks away, the pair had decided to do a little window shopping while they caught up on old times. "So," Cassandra drawled, "have you seen Freya lately?"
The brisk winter air had turned Ingrid’s cheeks the color of crab apples. "Just last year," she said with a gentle smile. "The Lady has grown stronger. I think as the number of her worshippers continues to increase, she grows more radiant."
Cassandra shook her head. "Unbelievable. I think this phenomenon is expanding. Apparently the Old Gods are returning to Earth in droves..." Then Cassandra’s voice faded into oblivion when an ebony film screened off the midday sun in the sky. As far as she could see, the town was swallowed by twilight.
Ingrid gasped. "By Odin’s beard! What sorcery is this?"
"I have a bad feeling about this..."
"Well, you’re a seer. Isn’t that par for the course?" Ingrid quipped.
At that moment three vans with black privacy windows screeched to a halt on the street nearby. The vehicles’ doors flew open and out poured a dozen vampires in game face. Cassandra grimaced and replied, "No, because if I’d seen this, I’d have stayed in the Big Apple!" The Immortal Seer reached into her leather duster for the grip of her Glock 21 pistol and growled, "Ingrid, defend yourself!"
With a well-practiced motion, the Asatru priestess reached under her long, blonde braid and grabbed the pommel of her long sword. She drew the silver blade out of the scabbard sewn in the spine of her long coat, while Cassandra brought her handgun to bear as the two women faced the undead.
The Immortal Seer sighted down her pistol at the nearest vampire as it charged them at a dead run. She fired two shots, one a blessed silver slug, the other a compressed wooden one. The vampire clutched its chest as the bullets penetrated and it died in a whirlwind of dust. Cassandra immediately whirled on the next closest target and fired again, killing that one as well.
With that second death, the survivors screeched to a halt. "She has a gun that can kill us!" she heard one scream to its fellows. As she aimed at another one, she heard another say, "Don’t just stand there! Rush her!"
Before they could move, Cassandra fired two more times and dusted another vamp. Then three more ran toward her. She waited until they were almost upon her before she dove for Ingrid’s feet. As she rolled out of her tumble into a crouch next to the blonde Immortal, Ingrid swung her blade and decapitated two of the vampires that had rushed Cassandra. However, the third, a lithe female, careened into the blonde’s right shoulder and shoved her to the ground. While Immortal and vampire struggled, the Witch of the Donan Woods brought her weapon up and fired once again at a nearby vampire. It, too, died in a virtual sandstorm.
She thought of sparing a look at Ingrid to see if her friend had the upper hand when a pleasant, male voice sighed loudly and asked, "Must I do everything myself?"
Then an indigo column enveloped her, cutting her off from Ingrid, the vampires, and the street. She could see nothing outside of her dark prison, but she felt a presence alongside her. As she strained her senses to acclimate to the darkness, someone twisted her pistol out of her grip with one hand and throttled her throat with the other.
Her assailant easily raised her up in the air and continued to tighten its grip around her neck. While she gasped and wheezed, she heard a surprisingly gentle voice say, "You truly are magnificent, my dear. I wish I would have had the chance to get to know you better. However, I am on a time table and your friend and I have places to go and people to meet." Then he sighed. "I know this doesn’t mean much, but I care enough not to make you suffer."
With that, her assailant broke her neck.
As the life poured out of her, Cassandra was barely aware of the gentle treatment her assailant provided her when he reverently laid her on the ground. Then as he carefully arranged her hair, he straightened her head and pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Sleep now, Beauty," he whispered and she saw a red haze cloud her eyesight before everything went black.
She gasped as she struggled to breathe again.
"What the hell?!? Lieutenant Osborne, come quick!" she heard a gruff sounding male voice exclaim.
Cassandra cringed inside and cursed under her breath. A mortal had seen her return from the dead. Her eyes fluttered open and she found she was looking into the face of a Fredericksburg police officer. As she sat up, he regarded her with a stunned look on his face. "What?" she asked irritably.
"You were dead!"
She grimaced. "Well, I feel like I should be dead, but obviously, I’m not. I must have been knocked out." Then she scanned the area, finding only her gun lying on the ground nearby and Ingrid’s sword lying abandoned near the spot she had last seen her former student.
As the officer helped her to her feet and Cassandra pushed down her fear concerning her missing friend, another man gently held her elbow to steady her. "I’m Lieutenant Mike Osborne, ma’am. I’ll have the EMT guys examine you to make sure you’re okay. But before I do, could you give me an explanation for these weapons we’ve found here at the scene?"
The Immortal Seer chuckled nervously. "I’d be happy to," she said. "When I come up with one."
Ballston Common Mall
Arlington, Virginia
January 29, 1999 1345 Local Time
"Fox..." Melissa Scully purred, "don’t you think this ruffle trim baby doll would look sexy on me?"
Special Agent Fox Mulder squinted at his sister-in-law and her lover/instructor. He regarded them with a wry smile as she held up the flimsy garment while they stood in the mall’s busy Victoria Secret’s shop. "I’m taking the Fifth on that one, Missy. Why don’t you ask Tessa instead," he said with a nod toward the Spanish Immortal. "After all, her opinion is the one that really matters, since you two are snugglebunnies and all."
His wife, Special Agent Dana Scully, smiled inwardly at the way her husband deftly avoided her sibling’s trap while she shot a dagger-like look at her big sister. "I’d appreciate it if you’d stop hitting on my man, Missy," she said in the mock form of her take-no-prisoners growl she had trained so long and hard to perfect. "It was hard enough to keep his mind on me after we ran into our friend’s promiscuous, bisexual, leather-clad vampiric twin from an alternate universe. Now, having two beautiful lesbians with hetero leanings under the same roof with us for several nights might make him blow a gasket!"
"Not to mention that one of them is your sister..." Mulder added with a lilt to his voice.
The Ice Queen frostily appraised him for a moment, then observed, "You’re such a pervert, Mulder."
He smiled. "Yeah...but I’m ‘your’ pervert."
An impish smile tugged at the corners of her perfect, bow-shaped lips. "That’s right, mister. And don’t you forget it," she purred as she pressed her body into his side and wrapped her arm around his waist.
Tessa Alvarado, the infamous Queen of Swords of Nineteenth Century California, graced them with her musical laugh. "If I didn’t know that you lived nearby, I’d suggest you both should get a room."
Missy snuggled into Tessa’s side. "Couldn’t they say the same about us, Tess?"
Dana valiantly fought the urge to roll her eyes as the Spanish aristocrat gave her student/lover an askew glance and whispered, "Melissa, behave! We must maintain our decorum, my dear." Tessa turned away momentarily, then whirled around, growled, "Screw that!" and deeply kissed the elder Scully sister.
Dana glared at the two women. Although Missy had always been a bit of a flake and the ‘antimatter’ version of Dana, she was happy that her sister, as unbelievable as it was, was an Immortal like her. Even though, she was certain, the odds against two Immortals being adopted into the same family were astronomical. She wasn’t so certain, however, about her sister’s choice of a paramour. Although Tessa was practical, down-to-earth, and capable of protecting Melissa and teaching her to protect herself from those headhunters who still played ‘The Game,’ the Scully family’s Catholic upbringing definitely frowned upon homosexual relationships. Although she had to try and find a way to deal with it, her husband wasn’t bothered at all. Dana snorted. Of course he wouldn’t mind, she mused. After all, he was a man; therefore he probably entertained sick fantasies involving sex with Tessa, Missy, and herself all at the same time.
As she struggled to maintain her cool demeanor in front of her sister and her lover, the buzz of Dana’s cell phone made her turn away from the two women. She drew it from her inside coat pocket and flipped it open.
"Hello. Scully speaking."
"Agent Scully?" A gruff male voice growled over the connection. "This is Assistant Director Skinner. Do you know where Agent Mulder is?"
"Yes, sir. He’s right here with me."
"Good. We just received a call from Lieutenant Michael Osborne of the Fredericksburg Police Department. He worked with you on the Jewish Ripper case last year."
Without thinking, Scully nodded even though Skinner couldn’t see her. "Right. What can we do for him?"
"Apparently, there was an abduction of a college professor in Fredericksburg not more than an hour ago. During the kidnapping there was some gunplay as well as...a sword found at the scene."
Scully gasped. <A sword!>
"Did you get that, Agent Scully?"
"Um...yes, sir. Did he say anything else?"
Skinner cleared his throat. "Yes...he also said there’s a woman who claims she tried to stop the kidnappers. She also claims she’s a friend of the victim. She was the one who asked him to contact you."
Scully pursed her lips for a moment. "Did he provide a name, sir?"
"Yes...a Cassandra Hastings. She claims to be an agent working for a covert government agency."
Scully’s face paled more than normal. "Sir, we know this woman and she’s telling the truth. We’re in Arlington right now. Could you tell Lieutenant Osborne to show her every courtesy but to keep her there until we arrive. We’ll be there within the hour."
"All right. Keep me apprised of any developments as the situation warrants."
"Yes, sir. Thank you for handling this with Lieutenant Osborne. He’s a fine officer and we want to make sure his department continues to highly regard the Bureau."
She sensed his hesitation through the connection, then heard his voice grow a bit softer. "You’re welcome, Agent Scully. Any time. Good bye."
"Good bye, sir." She pressed the ‘end’ button and flipped her phone closed.
She turned to Mulder and found him staring expectantly at her. "What’s up, Dana?"
"Road trip to Fredericksburg, Fox." Then she looked at Tessa and Melissa. "I think you two should come along."
Tessa stared at her. "Why?"
Dana said softly so only her three companions could hear her, "There may have been sword play."
Tessa and her sister simply nodded in response. As the four Immortals turned to leave the shop, each one surreptitiously reached under their jackets to verify that their swords were ready for action.
Sunnydale High School Library
Sunnydale, California
January 29, 1999 - 1100 Local Time
Willow anxiously shoved against the swinging door and entered the library with Amy and Oz on her heels. As the trio scanned the room in search of Cordelia and Xander, they found the lovebirds sitting together at a long, well-worn wooden table. When they walked over to their friends, Rupert Giles strode out of his office, carrying a fine china tea-cup and saucer.
"I’ve brought you some tea, Cordelia--" He stopped talking upon his recognition of Willow’s presence, then graced her with his shy, self-deprecating smile and purred in his smooth, cultured English accent, "Oh, hello, Willow."
Willow grinned shyly at him. Although Giles was the surrogate father for the entire gang, he seemed to have a special place in his heart both for his Slayer and the little red witch. Perhaps, she mused, it was because she had been the first person who had actually welcomed him to America. She hoped that was the reason rather than his discovery of her long-time crush on him.
The Englishman then noticed her companions. "Hello, Amy...Oz. Come to see about Cordelia?"
"Yeah, man," Oz said. "How’s she doing?"
Giles glanced at Cordelia. The young woman seemed lost in thought as she sipped her tea. "Cordelia," the Watcher asked, "how are you feeling?"
For a moment she failed to respond until she caught sight of Xander nodding toward the librarian. Then she shook her head and looked at the Watcher. "I’m sorry, Giles. I’m fine...I think."
He leaned over her, concern showing on his face. "Are you certain?"
She nodded and graced him with her thousand-watt smile. "Yes, I am. Thank you for looking after me."
Giles blushed and stammered, "Always a pleasure, my dear."
Willow sighed. The Englishman was so gentle and debonair, it nearly took her breath away. Then she heard Amy’s sigh as well and knew she wasn’t the only one who swooned over the Watcher.
"Hey, G-man! Stop horning in on my girlfriend with your English wiles! We gotta figure out what happened in there."
Willow smirked. Leave it to Xander to ruin a mood.
Giles sighed heavily. "Xander, even you should realize that showing your lovely companion a modicum of human kindness is, in no way, an attempt to ‘hit’ on her. Perhaps if you demonstrated proper decorum more often, she would not need to rely on the relatively short periods of time she spends with me to experience honourable behavior."
Everyone else snickered while Oz snorted and said, "Oohh, burn, Xander. And extra points for using big words, Giles."
Giles got down to business. "Cordelia, can you remember anything concerning your ordeal?"
She shook her head. "Nope. Nada."
Giles continued to focus on her as he asked the others, "How about any of you? Do you remember what happened?"
"Yes," Willow answered. As everyone turned to look at her, she pushed down her discomfort at being the center of attention to provide the information that could help her Amazon sister. "There was a big ball of light that hung over her head for a second or so. It entered her body and she started talking with a different voice."
Giles pursed his lips in thought. "Fascinating. Do you remember what she said after the ball of light entered her?"
Willow then recounted the entire message, word for word, from memory. When she finished, she noticed that everyone was gawking at her. "What?!?"
Amy blinked and said, "How in the hell could you remember all of that? Do you have a phonographic memory?"
Willow glanced around the room sheepishly. "Er...yeah."
Oz shook his head in wonder as the others shot her some very frosty looks. "Magical abilities, super brains, and a memory like a steel trap," Cordelia growled. "If I didn’t love you like a sister, I’d really, really hate you."
Willow smiled brightly, went to her side, and hugged the former cheerleader. "That’s the nicest thing anyone ever said to me...in a weird sort of way," she observed and finished with a frown.
After a moment or so, Xander said, "Although I hate to break this up...mostly because this brings to mind some great fantasies that start by having two women press their bodies against each other...we still need to figure out what happened to Cordelia."
After regarding the boy with a wide-eyed stare of incredulity, Giles said, "Apparently, a priestess of Artemis from the period of...let me think...yes, 200 BCE or so, sent her spirit through time and space to possess Cordelia’s body for a short while."
When Giles noticed that everyone was ogling him, he snapped, "What?!?"
Amy gawked at him and said, "You can tell the time period and analyze this whole thing just from what Willow told you?"
Giles glanced around the room, at first defiantly. "Well..." Then sheepishly. "Yes—but I also had to recall several facts from the historical record to find a solution to this problem."
Oz asked, "And did you need to go to a book to find it?"
"Well...no...you see...I...er..." he paused. "I seemed to recall it from my Ancient Greek studies."
At that, Xander stood up and wrapped his arm around Giles’ shoulders. "Don’t worry, G-man. At least you aren’t alone in your geekdom. I hope you and Will remember to send us postcards."
Giles shot a perturbed look at the young man. "Oh, do shut up, Xander," he said. "And don’t call me that!"
"Excuse me..." Cordelia drawled and regained everyone’s attention. "If the vaudeville act is over?" Both Giles and Xander had the good sense to look chagrined. "We still have to figure out if I’m okay and what this all means!"
Giles cleared his throat. "As to your first question, luv," Cordelia seemed to relax at his rare use of an endearment, which, for some reason, made Willow experience a twinge of jealousy. As the little witch caught herself and suppressed her green-eyed monster, Giles continued his analysis. "I believe you’re fine. I see no indication that you are still possessed. As to your second, I must say I’m not at all certain what it means. Perhaps we need to consult someone who may have known this Livia person."
"And who might that be?" Cordelia asked.
Giles bent over and looked deep into her eyes. "Who best to ask about an ancient Amazon priestess than an ancient Amazon queen?"
It only took a millisecond for Cordelia and the rest of the kids to catch up with the Watcher.
"So," Cordelia drawled, "does anybody have Xena’s little buddy’s number on speed dial?"
Wilshire Division
Los Angeles Police Department
Los Angeles, California
January 29, 1999 - 1213 Local Time
"Captain Randall," the desk sergeant said over the detective’s intercom. "The...specialists are here."
John Randall shot a quick glance at his partner and lover, Detective Tracy Vetter. "Ready to meet ‘em?"
Tracy smiled at her boss in the office and virtual love slave in the boudoir. "Sure. I can’t wait to see if St. Wolf was pulling our leg when he said he had someone who could pass as young, sweet, and innocent on his team of badasses."
They walked out of his office and Randall continued their conversation. "Well, that Buffy girl looked pretty innocent, too, if I recall. Yet, she took Uncle Pat down like he was a rookie. The way St. Wolf tells it, this woman may be even more dangerous than Buffy is. She’s supposed to be a virtual fighting machine. That goes for her partner, too."
"I hope so," Vetter murmured. "She probably needs to be to handle whatever snatched those girls in Westwood."
The detectives rounded the corner to find two youthful-looking women standing next to the desk sergeant. The taller of the pair had long, red hair the color of a raging fire. She stood at least six feet tall and her long, black duster hung open, revealing an impressive hourglass figure garbed in a clingy, black turtleneck shirt and black jeans. Vetter gulped. Boy, she thought, any woman would feel inadequate stacked up against her! Then Tracy examined the smaller woman.
She was perfect. The petite woman had short blonde hair that was feathered in a block cut at the back of her neck and a sweet, earnest face with doe-like eyes. Her tan-colored duster hung open to show a medium breasted, attractive figure with muscular legs garbed in a pair of tight jeans.
Randall held out his ham-sized hand to greet the women. "Ladies, I’m Captain John Randall."
The shorter woman eagerly took his hand into her smaller one and shook it. "Nice to meet you, Captain Randall. I’m Gabrielle Sirtis. This," she indicated the taller woman with a glance, "is my partner, Sonja O’Brien." After the little blonde released his hand, the red haired Amazon took his hand into her feminine, but strong hand and shook it as well.
"Glad to know you," he said. "This," he indicated Tracy with a glance, "is my partner, Detective Tracy Vetter." Gabrielle graced Tracy with a friendly smile while Sonja simply nodded at her.
The detectives led the two women to a small conference room where they had already prepared a briefing for them. Once he closed the door behind them, Randall said, "We really appreciate you coming down here on short notice."
Sonja said, "Certainly, Captain. You’re a friend of Section Seven; the Section always helps its friends. How may we assist you?"
Randall glanced at Tracy and she took up the thread. "Actually, your friend is the one who can really help us." The two women waited for her to continue, so she said, "During the last month, we’ve had four young women disappear in the Westwood area. No one has seen or heard from them. Every Friday night around nine o’clock or so, they’ve disappeared from the same area." Vetter then walked over to board with four photographs on it. "Now, take a look at these pictures of the victims." Each picture showed a close up of a blonde, sweet-faced young woman. All of them could have passed as sisters or cousins of the woman in the tan duster.
The two Section Seven women stared at the pictures for a moment, then glanced at Vetter. Sonja’s face clouded over with anger. "Are you saying," she growled, "you want to use Gabrielle as bait?"
When Tracy saw how angry the red haired woman looked, she didn’t want to say anything of the sort.
Then Gabrielle reached over to her friend’s hand and gently touched it with hers. Surprisingly, the gesture immediately calmed the taller woman. "We need to find out what happened to those women, Sonja. Hopefully, we’ll be able to save them." Then she graced her friend with a radiant smile. "Don’t worry. With you covering my back, I’ll be fine."
Sonja growled good-naturedly. "You got that right!"
Gabrielle gently clasped hands with Sonja then looked at Tracy. "I’ll do whatever I can to help find those girls and stop whatever is taking them. What do you want me to do, Detectives?"
As John presented their plan to the two Section Seven operatives, Tracy blinked several times to keep from choking up over the courage and grace of the petite woman who looked like an angel yet possessed the heart of a lion.
Somewhere in the void between Realms
The beating of wings was the first thing Livia heard once she had uncoupled from the body of the mighty Amazon warrior of the future.
Livia’s spirit opened its eyes. She found a man bathed in radiance standing before her. He bore wings on his back, filled with snow-white feathers and as beautiful as those found on any pegasi. "Who are you?" she asked, her voice overshadowed by her awe.
The handsome man smiled gently at her with beautiful, perfect teeth. "I am Michael," he said simply. "Please come with me."
He held his hand out to her and she experienced something...an energy that felt like...a wave of pure goodness. Although she didn’t know him and had been always wary of men, she took his hand without hesitation. Then, in a flash, they were somewhere else, a place filled by an all-encompassing, pure, white light, a place that felt like...home. She felt a presence all around them and watched as Michael dropped to one knee. She kneeled as well and felt this presence surround her and caress her. It made her feel whole and she marveled at it.
She shuddered when she finally comprehended who this presence was. "You...you are the One!"
HE smiled and she felt comfortable and warm like her body had been kissed by a summer zephyr. "Be not afraid, Livia. You have served both your goddess and me faithfully."
She was still afraid. "Lord, although I served my goddess, I failed to serve you for I did not believe the Israelites."
She felt HIM smile again. "But you did serve me, Livia. When you cared for the ailing children, you served me. When you joined those in marraige, you served me. When you fed the hungry, clothed the poor, and aided the oppressed, you served me. And you served me well. Now, are you willing to serve me again?"
She felt her fear leave to be replaced by love and a sense of dedication. "I would be honored, Father."
Energy swirled all around her for several moments. An eternity later, Livia felt a gentle breeze in the ether, cooling her back and looked over her shoulder to find a pair of beautiful ivory-colored wings on her back. "By serving me, dear Livia, you shall serve your mistress along with your sisters. Do you find that to be an appealing prospect?"
She smiled at the presence. "Yes, Lord."
"Then hear me, my child. It is time for the Nation to be reborn. It shall be amongst the Chosen on Earth. One day, it shall lead the people to the stars. Then one day, near the end of time, it shall birth the One who shall be at my side at the rebirth of the multiverse. That is my covenant to you, Livia of the Amazon Nation."
With each solemn promise, Livia wept openly. At the end of his covenant, the newest angel said, "Thank you, my Lord. What must I do to make this all come to pass?"
The presence smiled at her. "Persuade your mistress to repair the damage between herself and the last and future Queen. Contact her sisters to help you. But be warned. If you do not succeed, your mistress may perish and the subsequent damage to the Nation may be irreparable."
A determined look flashed across Livia’s face. "Then I shall succeed, Master. By your leave?"
After the presence gave her HIS blessing, the newest angel streaked away from the center of his Light for the long journey to the lower Realms. Then HE looked at Michael and chuckled. "Nice girl. Maybe you can learn a thing or two from her, Michael."
Michael laughed and said, "If that is your will, Lord, so be it. So be it."
Fredericksburg Police Station
Fredericksburg, Virginia
January 31, 1999 - 1515 Local Time
"Ms. Hastings," Lt. Osborne said gently, "here’s that glass of water you wanted."
Cassandra smiled warmly at the police officer. "Thank you, Lieutenant."
He returned her smile with one of his own. "Please call me Mike, ma’am."
"Only if you call me Cassandra, Mike." She took a sip of water, then asked, "So Mike...how do you know Agents Mulder and Scully?"
Osborne chuckled. "I met them about a year ago. They helped us solve the case of the Jewish Ripper. Though it was really their collar, they gave us most of the credit. Real nice folks and real pros."
Cassandra nodded. "Yes, they are quite profess–"
The "buzz" signaling the presence of another Immortal intruded upon her discussion with the officer. The sensation was overwhelming. Cassandra knew there were several Immortals nearby. <Ah, the Feds are here–>
Cassandra gasped as she was flung into the middle of a vision. She found herself in a cemetery, her disembodied essence floating in front of several new tombstones. Steven St. Wolf was on his knees next to one gravestone, sobbing uncontrollably. Cassandra looked at the marker and felt a chill sweep through her because the tombstone bore the name of Elisabeth Anne Summers.
Horror chilled her soul as she shifted her view to try to look away. Then she inadvertently spied the name on the next tombstone. Her soul grew colder when she saw the Star of David above the engraved name of Willow Rosenberg. To the right of the little red witch’s marker stood the gravestone for Cordelia Chase. To the right of Cordelia’s, Cassandra saw Amy Madison’s tombstone and next to hers stood the headstone for Jennifer Calendar, beloved of Rupert Giles.
Cassandra’s view returned to the distraught Wanderer. Just then, Gabrielle of Potedeia strode up to him. St. Wolf looked up at the Amazon Queen and said, "I killed her. Lord help me, I couldn’t control my actions. I killed her just like they killed the others. Giles, Xander, Oz, and Robin couldn’t live with themselves; neither can I. Take my head, Gabrielle. Take Buffy’s and my quickening to save them. Use the energy to avenge the Amazons and my sweet, sweet love. Use it to redeem me."
The blonde warrior nodded grimly and, with tear-filled eyes, raised her katana over her head to strike...
"Cassandra!"
The graveyard disappeared and Cassandra was back in her body sitting in a chair in the police station. She found Dana Scully standing over her. "No...please don’t let it be true," Cassandra murmured shakily.
"Don’t let what be true?" Mulder asked.
Cassandra shook her head, trying to shake the horror of her vision. As she tried to quiet the shuddering that continued to ripple through her body, she saw Dana and Fox Mulder, Mike, and two women standing nearby. "What’s wrong, Cassandra?" Dana asked.
"The children..."
"The children?" Dana asked. "What are you talking about?" The female agent gripped Cassandra’s shoulders with both hands and shook her. "Talk sense, Cassandra."
"Sunnydale..."
Dana’s eyes shot wide open. She immediately drew her cell phone from her pocket and recalled the telephone number for 317 Brandt Terrace, Sunnydale, California from her phone’s memory bank. She pressed the ‘talk’ button and the telephone automatically dialed the number.
"Hello," a strong, self-assured male voice answered. "St. Wolf here."
"Steve," she said breathlessly. "It’s Dana. Are Buffy and the kids all right?"
He chuckled. "Well, the jury is still out on Xander," he joked, "but everyone else is just fine. They’re in school right now. What’s up?"
Dana pursed her lips. "I’m not sure, Steve. We’re in Fredericksburg, Virginia with Cassandra Hastings. A friend of hers has been abducted and we’re looking into it. When we got here, she seemed to have been in some sort of trance. When she snapped out of it she seemed to believe the kids were in trouble."
"Dana..." she heard the concern in his voice. "Cassandra is a seer. She may have had a vision of the future."
She almost repeated the word ‘vision’ out loud, but was able to stop herself. "Okay," she drawled.
"You don’t sound as if you believe me."
She cleared her throat. "Well...after all that Mulder and I have experienced during the past few years, there’s not much I don’t believe in any more. However, I still have a hard time believing in things I can’t see or measure."
He laughed in response. "The Society of Watchers’ Chronicles list plenty of evidence that demonstrates her abilities in that area, Dana. Trust me; she’s the real McCoy."
"All right, all right. I’ll promise to keep an open mind on the subject. Thanks for taking my call, Steve."
She could almost hear his smile through the connection. "No trouble at all, Dana."
"Give my love to Buffy and the kids, okay?"
"Sure. Talk to you later."
"Bye, Steve." She terminated the call, flipped her cell phone closed, and turned to Cassandra. Dana saw that the beautiful witch was looking her way and carefully studying her.
"We must go to Sunnydale, Dana. Somehow, my friend’s abduction is tied to our young friends there," she paused, stared at Melissa and Tessa, then continued, "as well as with you and your companions."
Dana regarded her coolly. "So...you’re saying this may involve the ‘Artemis project,’" she murmured, hoping the others took the hint to be discrete about the Amazons’ patron goddess in front of Lieutenant Osborne.
Cassandra simply nodded.
Osborne said, "Sunnydale...isn’t that the place where that donut bag in the Ripper case came from?"
Mulder sighed. "Yeah...that town grows on you...like fungus."
"We need to get to Dulles, Dana," Cassandra said. " Iverson Air has a Fox Jet stationed there."
Dana nodded. "Do you think we can make a side-trip to New York first?"
"I believe so. May I ask why?"
"We have another ‘agent’ who should be assigned to this case. Since this may involve the ‘Artemis project,’ she should accompany us."
Cassandra pursed her lips in thought for a moment. Then she said, "If she can meet us at Westchester Airport, it shouldn’t be a problem."
"Let’s get moving then," Dana said. "I’ll call her in the car on the way to the airport. I’ll also contact our operative in Seacouver and have her meet us in Sunnydale." She turned to Lt. Osborne and said, "Sorry to run off like this, Mike..."
He smiled and said, "Don’t sweat it, Agent Scully. I hope you find Ms. Hastings’ friend safe and sound."
Mulder shook Mike’s hand. "Thanks, Mike."
As the Immortals turned to leave, Lt. Osborne said, "Hey, if you don’t mind, could you let me know how it all turns out?"
Cassandra turned and gave him a hug. "Sure, Mike. And, please call me Cassandra."
She held the hug for a few moments, then released the officer and strode out the station with the empowered Immortal FBI agent and the three beautiful Immortal Amazons.
Lear Jet
Somewhere over Western Virginia
January 31, 1999 - 1551 Local Time
He stared at the enchanting Nordic blonde who was trapped inside the coffin-sized prism. As she hibernated in stasis to keep her either from contacting her goddess or escaping, he had to admit the sleeping beauty was a sight for sore eyes. He had grown weary of the companionship of vampires, especially since the woman and her mortal friend had destroyed the fairly attractive female vampires that had participated in this mission. The trip, he mused, would have been even better had he brought the blonde’s lovely friend along, rather than snuffing out her life. He sighed. What a waste of a gorgeous woman, he thought. Then he snorted. If he had given into his baser instincts, She certainly wouldn’t have approved. After all, She was a jealous goddess.
As the jet zoomed westward, its darkened windows shielding both his undead minions and his activities from the sun, he ran his taloned hand along the surface of the prism. Soon, his loneliness would end as he and his resurrected sisters joined their goddess to spread their chaotic rule over the world. Hopefully, his new sister would inherit the impressive...attributes of this Immortal priestess.
"That would certainly be wonderful," he mused, "like Sturgeon said--incest is best. Especially if my demon sister maintains the physical characteristics of this lovely creature."
Amused with himself, and a bit aroused, he allowed a lascivious smile to creep onto his ebony face.
Sunnydale High School Library
Sunnydale, California
January 31, 1999 - 1301 PST
Willow turned toward the library’s front entrance as its left door banged into Giles’s counter.
"Hey, hey, hey, Fairy-guys and Arty-gals," barked a slightly husky, New England-accented female voice, "Slayers in the house!"
Faith Pryce, garbed in tight black leather pants and a leather motorcycle jacket, strutted into the room alongside a primly dressed Shaw Hunter. Buffy Summers, wearing a tan leather jacket with a beige shirt and red leather pants, immediately trailed the younger Slayer and the half-elf priestess. As they approached the large table, the Priestess of Mielikki smirked and added, "Not to mention a Hunter as well."
Nearly everyone in the room, save for Willow, was stunned by Shaw’s attempt at a joke. The fast development of Shaw’s friendship with Faith had caught most of the gang off guard. Shaw had always been so reserved and, although they had only known Faith for little more than two weeks or so, they figured she didn’t possess a reserved bone in her body. Willow smiled inwardly when she recalled the first meeting between the two unlikely friends.
After Amy had introduced the Dark Slayer to her cousin, Faith silently regarded the half-elf for a moment. Then she raised her right hand, parted her ring finger and pinkie from her middle finger and index finger into a "V" and said, "Live long and prosper."
For several moments Shaw said nothing and Willow considered throwing up a force field to shield Amy and herself from the extent of Shaw’s wrath. The Slayerette witches were well aware of the half-elf’s enmity for Vulcan comparisons. However, nothing could have prepared Willow for the quiet smile that spread across Shaw’s delicate features as the Priestess held her right hand out to shake Faith’s. When the two women clasped hands, Shaw said, "Thanks."
After this ‘first contact’ between Boston Slayer and the Torilian native, the two had become nearly inseparable.
Willow’s mind tumbled back to the present when Giles’s exasperated sigh intruded upon her reverie. "Why don’t you bellow a little louder, Faith? I am certain that the inhabitants in the other towns that constitute Ventura County would appreciate learning about our secret identities as well."
The Dark Slayer cocked her right eyebrow and smirked. "Now, Alfred...don’t get all worked up in a lather. Just letting the gang know we’re ready for some action. So what’s been happening here in the Batcave while we’ve been impersonating geeks in Calendar Girl’s class?"
Giles regarded her coolly. "I wish you wouldn’t call her that! And, Ms. Pryce–my name is Giles. Please use it."
She simply shrugged. "Whatever you say, G-man."
Giles cringed in response. "Faith?"
"Yeah?"
"Actually, Alfred is beginning to grow on me."
Buffy laughed and nudged Faith. "Man, it sucks to be the oldest Slayer," she mock whined. "Watcher-guy let’s you get away with murder!"
As the Slayers snickered together, Giles rolled his eyes. "Children...now that you’ve had your fun..." he said in a droll tone of voice, "can you tell me if Jenny is coming?"
"Well, G-man," Xander said, while stroking his chin, "isn’t that your department? I mean, we’re wigged that you old people actually still do the nasty—Ow!" he yelped after Cordelia slapped him on the back of the head.
"He meant coming TO the Library, you moron!" she snapped.
Xander rubbed the back of his head and winced. "Oh. Sorry."
Giles shot a look of extreme annoyance at the boy and was about to say something certain to be acerbic, when a sensuous female voice dangerously purred, "So, Ms. Chase...you seem to have confused the school library for the nurse’s office."
Everyone in the library turned to find Rhiannon Cathcart standing in the entrance.
"Jesus-Bleedin-Christ!" Giles murmured in an awed Cockney accent. "What a gorgeous bird!" Willow swiveled her head and regarded the Watcher with shock plainly evident on her face. Now she was really worried. If Giles was affected by this woman, too, maybe there was something to Cordelia’s earlier concerns.
The professor strutted into the room, even her anger doing nothing to mar her beautiful face. "If you engaged in an elaborate ruse to disrupt my class," she said to Cordelia, "I assure you, young lady, there shall be dire consequences."
Giles cleared his throat and drew the woman’s attention toward him. "Ex...excuse me," he said, then flashed his self-deprecating smile at her.
She swung her head to regard the librarian and her bow-shaped lips curved into a lovely smile. "Well, hello there," she said breathlessly. "And who might you be?"
"W-who...me?" he stammered.
She nodded.
"Why...I’m...I’m...I’m..."he babbled, obviously unable to remember his own name.
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "He’s Giles."
An embarrassed flush flooded his face as he recovered his faculties. "Er...yes. I’m Rupert Giles. I am the librarian here."
"I say," she purred, closing the distance between herself and the Watcher to almost a whisker’s length. "You wouldn’t happen to be ‘THE’ Rupert Giles of the British Museum?"
Giles did nothing to increase the distance between them. "Why, yes...yes, that would happen to be me."
She gushed. "I’ve read all of your papers! I think you are quite brilliant. I can’t believe I’m so fortunate to be able to finally meet you."
"Believe me, the feeling’s mutual," he murmured. As a stupefied Buffy and Willow gaped openly at Giles, he added quickly, "Er...uhm...Professor..."
"Please call me Rhiannon," she said softly.
"What a lovely name," he observed with a goofy smile on his face. When Cordelia noisily cleared her throat, Giles shook his head and babbled, "er...yes...quite a name," he said trying to regain his academic air. "Both the Celts and the Welsh referred to their Goddesses of the Moon by that name. She governed all things magical."
She fluttered her eyelashes at him and said, "I’d prefer to think of her more as an enchantress."
Giles almost seemed to be lost in her eyes before he closed his and shook his head. "Er...yes, well...Rhiannon, I just wanted to clear the air about Ms. Chase here. You see, I’ve studied people who may have undergone so-called regression experiences similar to the one that Cordelia may have experienced and the children were aware of my dabbling in this area..."
She smirked. "I see...and they determined this from their extensive psychological training, is that right?"
"Well...actually..." Giles stammered as he stalled for an answer. At that moment, Willow felt a tingle race through her body. She shot an askew glance at Amy and heard the blonde witch murmur a spell under her breath.
Goddess Hecate, I pray
Blind this woman to the truth
And let her accept the Watcher’s words.
Willow sensed the surge of magical energy emanating from her Amazon sister and, with her witch’s sight, detected the discharge. Amy’s white magic flew toward the professor straight and true, until, inexplicably, the magical energy bounced off an unseen barrier and rebounded right back at Amy. As the energy struck the blonde witch, it almost knocked her for a loop. If it weren’t for Willow’s surreptitious catch of Amy, the Slayerette nicknamed ‘Sabrina’ by her comrades would have been knocked to the floor.
Then, Professor Cathcart twisted around and shot a hard glare at the stunned witch. A savage grin flashed across her face for a moment before her expression morphed into a sublime look of undeniable superiority. Then, she turned to face Giles again.
"Well, I’m certain a man with your credentials would have no reason to resort to subterfuge with me, Rupert. Might I suggest that you and Ms. Chase address this matter with her ‘mother,’" she said, strongly emphasizing the last word. "It might be the best way for you to solve this little mystery."
"And what mystery would that be?" a lyrical female voice asked from the entrance to the library.
As the room’s occupants turned toward the entrance, Jenny Calendar strode into the room with the graceful motion of a born dancer. As she regarded Rhiannon Cathcart with her smoky dark eyes and an icy smile, Giles’s body became as taut as a bowstring.
While Willow steadied a still-shaken Amy, the little red witch overheard Xander softly mutter, "Oohh, the G-man is SO busted!" Then he turned to Oz. "Do you think we’ll be lucky enough to see an ‘old chick’ fight?"
Oz shrugged and said, "One can dream."
"Hello, Mr. Giles," Jenny said frostily, then stood on tiptoe to plant a chaste kiss on Giles’s cheek and the corner of his lip.
"Why, hello, Ms. Calendar," he said guardedly.
The gypsy coolly appraised the other woman as she entwined her right arm through the crook formed by Giles’s left. "Hello...I’m Jennifer Calendar. I teach school here with Rupert. I also happen to be his fiancée," she finished with a thin smile.
The other woman returned the Technopagan’s frosty smile with one of her own. "How nice for you!"
Willow overheard the boys moan, "Oohh...burn," under their breaths. She turned and shot a hard glare at them, kind of like her ‘resolve face’ but meaner. The two boys immediately snapped their mouths shut.
"My name is Rhiannon Cathcart," the beautiful woman declared. "I’m a visiting professor at UC Sunnydale. I just came here to see to one of my students from the class I’m teaching here this semester." Then her eyes swiveled back to the Watcher. "Although I must be going now, I truly appreciate having had the opportunity to meet a fellow Brit, Rupert. Perhaps we can get together later over a spot of tea and share our passion...concerning antiquities, as it were."
Giles gulped. "Er...uhm...yes, quite."
The professor flashed a sensuous smile at the empowered Watcher, turned to leave, then, as an apparent afterthought, tossed over her shoulder, "Oh, and Jennifer...so nice meeting you, dear."
After the woman from Wales had left the library, Xander whistled lowly. "Man, that was so cool! It was just like watching Dynasty—only in 3D with surround sound!"
Oz stroked his chin. "Which one was ‘Crystal?’"
Xander cackled. "Why, Jenny, of course! And Rhiannon was a perfect ‘Alexis.’ She had the accent and every..." Xander’s voice faded away when he saw the hard stares directed his way by the redheaded Amazon, the blonde Slayer and Amazon, and the brunette Slayer, Priestess, and Amazon. Then he gulped and promised under his breath to his shorter friend, "Later."
After Willow and the others turned back to face the two instructors, Jenny’s eyes narrowed dangerously as she glared at Giles. "What was that woman doing in your personal space?"
"What?"
"What do you mean, ‘What?’? Did that hussy affect your hearing, England? She was practically fondling you!"
"I...I..." the Watcher stammered.
Since she had also been affected by Rhiannon Cathcart’s presence earlier, Willow felt sorry for Giles. She decided to take him off the elder witch’s hook. "Jenny, Giles didn’t do anything wrong. In fact, he distracted Professor Cathcart from questioning Cordelia about what had happened to her during the professor’s class this morning."
When Jenny turned her attention to Cordelia, Giles mouthed a silent "thank you" to the little red witch. "Cordy...Patty told me about what happened earlier." The gypsy rushed to the former cheerleader’s side and wrapped her up in a big, motherly hug. "Are you all right?"
Cordelia smiled wanly. "I guess so, Jenny. Even though I don’t remember a thing, Netgirl gave us the blow by blow of what I said while I was under. It was wigsome to the max!"
"Hold the phone!" Faith snapped. "Can one of you Superfriends bring the professionals here," the Slayer indicated herself, Buffy, and Shaw with a sweep of her hand, "up to speed? What’s the deal with the Ball Breaker and how come Amy just reeked in here?"
Willow blinked at the term Faith used for detecting magic. Then she told the newcomers the gist about Cordelia’s experience and Giles’s analysis, the professor shirking off Amy’s spell, and how the rebound nearly fried the blonde witch.
"Nice job, Red," Faith noted. "Keep it up and you might even give the Mistress of the Recap here," she said, thrusting a thumb toward the Immortal Slayer, "a run for her money."
"Thanks, Faith," Willow said with a chuckle as Buffy tossed out one of her patented pouts. "But I wonder what she meant by stressing the word ‘mother’ before Jenny came in?"
"Well," the bottle blonde Slayer drawled, "the magic and the cryptic stuff are both SO not my forte!" Then she smiled thinly. "As for Gabrielle, I should be able to help out there," Buffy chirped. "I’m sure Steve knows how to find her." The Immortal Slayer pulled her cell phone from her purse and dialed her boyfriend’s house.
"Hi sweetie!" Buffy said with a smile. Then she asked him about Gabrielle’s whereabouts, listened carefully, then said, "Okay, got it! Thanks, honey. See you later. Love you—bye." Then she terminated the call and looked at the gang. "He said Gabby and Sonja are helping Captain Randall and Detective Vetter on a case in LA."
Jenny stroked her chin and was lost in thought for a moment. "Buffy, do you have the Captain’s telephone number?"
"Yeah."
Jenny nodded. "Good. Why don’t you call him and see if he knows where Gabrielle is or how we can contact her."
"I’m on it, Jenny," Buffy said and recalled the number from her cell’s memory bank. Once she found it, she pressed the ‘call’ button and waited for an answer. Willow saw Buffy’s expression change when she reacted to someone’s voice on the phone. "Hi! I’d like to speak to Captain Randall please. Could you tell him that Buffy Summers needs to speak with him?" The blonde Slayer listened for a moment and said, "Thanks," then waited patiently. She perked up when the other person returned. "Oh," she noted with a pout. "When do you think he’ll return?" She grew quiet for a moment, then said, "Well, thanks for trying. When he gets back could you have him call me at this number." Then she rambled off a series of numbers over the connection. "Got it? Great. Thanks so much! Bye!"
She terminated the connection and reported, "They went to lunch. The officer thinks the Captain will return within the hour."
Jenny sighed. "Oh well...we’ll try again after classes. I don’t think we’re operating in crisis mode at the present time, so we can wait until then. Now as for Ms. Cathcart–"
Giles interrupted her by clearing his voice. "Professor Cathcart, actually," he corrected, then clamped his mouth shut after Jenny shot a hard glare his way.
Amy raked her left hand through her blonde locks. "I detected no magic about her at all, yet, somehow, she turned my own spell against me."
"Do you think she’s another witch?" Jenny asked.
Amy shook her head. "I don’t think so. As easy as she handled me, she’s got to be much more powerful than a witch. Perhaps a full-blown sorceress, but even that might not do her justice."
"No matter what she is," growled Shaw, "if she ever tries to harm you again, she shall have to answer to me."
"Yeah, well, Hunter, let’s make sure she isn’t an Olympian or somethin’ ‘cause I don’t fancy taking on a goddess even for the Madison twins," Faith said with a gentle smile directed at the half-elf that belied her words.
"Look, guys," Jenny said, "let’s not jump to any conclusions. Maybe there’s another explanation for what happened to Amy. Amy didn’t detect any magic coming from her, and I take it that Faith, Buffy, and Shaw detected nothing either?" The two Slayers and the Madison twins confirmed Jenny’s suspicion. "Okay, although I don’t like that she was hitting on my man," she said and Giles’s eyes shot wide open, "she hasn’t done anything to justify having us put the Slayerette ‘world of hurt’ on her...yet."
Giles smiled and shook his head. "I must rethink encouraging your monster truck fixation, luv. Really now...a ‘world of hurt?’" he teased. She smiled at him and locked her dreamy, dark orbs onto his soft, green eyes. It appeared to Willow that Giles willingly drowned for a few moments in his Gypsy’s beautiful eyes, before he reluctantly tore himself from his lover’s gaze, turned to the group, and cloaked himself once more in the authority of his Watcher persona. "All right, you lot. Those who need to be off to class should do so. Shaw and Faith, there are some books that need to be shelved with your names on them. Let’s hop to it, shall we, ladies?"
As the seniors filed from the library while Faith grumbled something about "slave drivers" and Shaw quietly went about her business, Willow looked over her shoulder and grinned at Jenny. She received a glowing smile from her mentor as her reward before the computer teacher took her paramour’s hand and strode into his office with him. As the affianced pair entered Giles’s sanctum, Willow sighed and gripped Oz’s hand. He glanced at her, saw her mischievous smile and her slightly cocked eyebrow, and let a quirky smile form on his lips.
"Broom closet?" he asked.
Willow simply nodded and dragged her man off for a little loving as he observed in his wry manner, "Gotta admire the way the teachers here inspire Sunnydale’s youth."
Mount Olympus
January 31, 1999 - 1405 Sunnydale Time
A zephyr kissed Livia’s ivory wings as she streaked from the vortex into the azure sky. Without even bothering to glance over her shoulder, she willed the dimensional portal closed. In the distance, she spied the massive facade of columns made from the most unblemished alabaster marble. Instinctively she knew that she looked upon the home of the gods she had known when she was mortal, Mount Olympus.
The blazing sun was high in the sky and its rays gleamed off the colossal alcazar as she swooped toward it. Then she spied...a portion of light that appeared to separate from the gleaming aura of Mount Olympus rapidly approach her. She slowed her flight and came to a halt. She hovered in place as the light closed on her. Then it stopped in front of her and solidified into the form of a classic Greek male, finely muscled and youthful in appearance. His skin had a golden tone which matched the auric quality of his winged helmet and winged sandals.
The man smiled at her and said, "Hail, my lady! I am Hermes, herald of the Olympians. How may I serve you and your Lord, the Lord of All?"
Livia’s eyes shot wide open. She bowed deeply and said, "Hail, Messenger of the Gods! I am humbled by your presence."
A confused look ran across his face for a nanosecond. Then he smiled at her again, genuine warmth flowing from his expression for her. "I am unaccustomed to such deferential treatment from an Archangel. Thank you for your gentle manner, my lady. To whom may I announce your presence?"
She smiled at the godling. "I am here to see the Goddess of the Hunt and of the Moon, oh Herald. However, I have been instructed to meet with her sisters first. As a matter of courtesy, I should present myself to their father, the King of the Gods."
His smile waned a bit. "Dear lady, although it pains me to say this, Zeus has left Olympus for a short time. He is journeying through the mortal realms. If you so desire, I shall be honored to serve you by searching for him?"
She pursed her lips and pondered for a moment. "Is there another exalted one from whom I should seek intercession?"
Hermes nodded. "The Queen of the Gods may suit your purposes..." He paused, then chuckled gently. "How silly of me! Some herald I am; I failed to ask you for your name, dear lady."
She smiled a shy smile. "Please do not be embarrassed, my lord. Livia is my name."
"Livia," he repeated warmly, "a beautiful name for a lovely being. Please follow me."
The herald soared toward the marble home of the gods, closely followed by the Amazon Angel. The two beings of light zig-zagged through the spaces between the massive columns until they reached a grassy courtyard where peacocks strutted in graceful silence. On a marble bench near a fountain that sprayed crystal clear water, sat a tall, regal looking woman with striking, handsome features. As Hermes and Livia landed nearby, the Amazon saw the woman’s eyes and gasped. They were the color of star sapphires, almost white-blue in their brilliance.
"Lady Hera," Hermes announced, "I present the Archangel Livia!"
"My lady!" Livia cried out and immediately kneeled.
There was a moment of uncomfortable silence, then the regal woman said, "I do not understand, celestial one. Why do you kneel? It is I who should kneel to you. Please rise."
Livia stood up and shook her head. "Oh no, Lady Hera. You are the Queen Mother to the Olympians. As an Amazon Priestess I revered you along with my mistress."
Hera smiled gently. "Ah, that explains much. All the other Archangels have always served the Lord of All from the beginning. Yet you are the first who has been mortal prior to becoming a celestial being. You must have been special to have been exalted so."
Livia blushed. "It is kind of you to say so, my lady. I do not even deign to understand HIS plan or HIS motives, but HE offered me the opportunity to serve HIM by serving my Sisters of this Time. I could not deny HIM."
Hera’s face grew serious. "Your ‘Sisters of this Time?’ Do you speak of my stepdaughter’s New Amazons?"
Livia nodded. "I do, your Highness."
The Queen of Olympus clasped Livia’s shoulder with her deceptively strong right hand. "How can I aid you, celestial one?"
"My Lord bade me to persuade Artemis to repair the damage between Herself and the last and future Queen. HE instructed me to contact Her sisters to help with this quest. HE also said I must succeed in my mission or face the prospect of dire peril for both the Goddess of the Moon and the Amazon Nation."
Hera turned slowly and took a few steps toward the bench. Then she whirled about to face the angel again. "Hermes," she said without a glance in his direction, "thank you for bringing Livia to me. You may take your leave now."
The Messenger of the Gods bowed then streaked away. Hera stared at Livia, her brilliant eyes seeming to pierce Livia’s very soul. "Your Lord asks much, my dear. The Amazon Queen has little love for the Olympians."
"That may be so, Lady," Livia said with determination, "but I have no choice but to try."
Hera nodded. "Yes, well, I admire your zeal, but Gabrielle will be difficult–"
"Excuse me, my lady," Livia said, interrupting Hera. "The Gabrielle you speak of...she would not be Gabrielle of Potedeia?"
A confused smile crossed the Queen’s face. "Yes...yes, she is the Bard of Potedeia, the former battle mate of Xena, the Warrior Princess and friend and ally to my stepson Hercules."
Livia regarded Hera with some suspicion. "Gabrielle once told me of your feud with Hercules..."
Hera laughed heartily. "Oh my dear Livia! Hercules and I reconciled millennia ago! Trust me; I’m on very good terms with all of my husband’s children now, as well as with Xena–"
"Wait, my Lady!" Livia interrupted Hera again. "Xena still lives?!?"
Hera regarded her sternly. Livia swallowed hard. <I suppose the Queen of the Gods is unaccustomed to being interrupted during her conversations,> she thought.
"Yes, Livia," Hera said icily. "My son Ares made Xena a demigoddess. Gabrielle isn’t a deity; she is a mystical guardian of humanity referred to by mankind as an Immortal. Unless she is beheaded, Gabrielle will never age or die."
Livia whispered in awe, "Dear Lord...that explains how she looked so young while I aged and grew old."
Hera nodded. "How do you know Gabrielle?"
She peered into those flawless white-blue eyes and said, "She is my aunt, not by blood, but by her position as an Amazon Queen. My family adopted her as a princess years before I was born."
Hera smiled. "I underestimated your chances, Livia. If anyone can influence Gabrielle to reconcile with the Goddess of the Hunt, I cannot think of anyone better suited than her niece and her former mate."
Livia’s lips curled into a sly smile. "Perhaps, my lady," she said. "But I am still an Amazon and we always believe in applying overwhelming force to achieve our goal. Is the Goddess of Love here as well?"
Hera grinned. "I believe she is available, my dear." Livia heard Hera’s telepathic call to Hermes. A heartbeat later, the herald streaked into the courtyard.
"How may I serve you, Lady Hera?"
"Ah, Hermes," she said pleasantly. "If you would be so kind, my lord, I wish that you would personally summon both the Goddess of War and the Goddess of Love to my courtyard. After you accomplish that task, please inform the Goddess of the Hunt to expect a visit from a delegation of goddesses shortly."
"Right away, mistress," he said and sped away.
As the two Immortal beings waited for the arrival of the goddesses, Hera smiled and said, "May I offer you a spot of nectar, my dear?"
A short time later, two women appeared before Hera and Livia, one in a sparkle of light, the other, a curtain of flame. A buxom woman with long curly blonde hair stood before them, garbed in a dress of sheer lace that revealed her skimpy undergarments underneath. Next to her, stood a raven-haired beauty in leather armor braced with bronze metal and knee high boots. On her back was a sheathed sword and on her hip was a circular item made of a shiny blue and silver metal.
Hera smiled and said, "Welcome, Aphrodite and Xena."
While Aphrodite smiled warmly at Hera, Xena stared at the Queen with a hard, suspicious look on her face. "What’s this all about, Hera?"
"We have an important visitor, ladies," Hera chirped. "The Lord of All has sent an Archangel down to meet with us. It seems she was an Amazon Priestess in her mortal life."
Xena peered at the angel with her piercing blue eyes. "Livia?" the Goddess of War whispered.
Livia smiled and nodded.
"By Zeus!" Xena said with a huge smile and wrapped Livia up in a big hug. "It is you! I can tell by looking at your soul!" Xena pulled back a bit, reached up, and stroked Livia’s hair. "You grew up nicely, Livia! I always knew you would."
"Thank you, Aunt Xena," Livia said with a trace of tears in your eyes. "Gabrielle had told me all about you as I was growing up but she failed to adequately describe your beauty."
"Ah," Xena purred then gave her a good-natured tap to the jaw. "You’re just saying that!"
As the two women broke out of their hug, Aphrodite said, "Hey, Livia, nice to meet you! You’re an Archangel now, huh? Moving up in the world, I’d say!"
Xena looked earnestly at her niece. "I’m so happy to see you. Gabrielle had told me that your soul was time lost. We’d thought we’d never get you back."
"I sent my soul into the future, to try and rekindle the Amazon’s heritage. Yet, something wondrous happened. The Lord of All found me. He made me an angel and told me that the Amazon Nation is to be reborn at this time. The New Nation shall be the vanguard for mankind out of the darkness to the stars, the mothers of a new being that shall change everything for us all."
The three goddesses gasped. "That’s...that’s...wonderful news, Livia!" Hera proclaimed. "How can we serve HIM in this wondrous cause?"
"Well..." she paused for effect, "we must arrange for a reconciliation between Gabrielle and Artemis."
Strangely, it seemed to Livia, everything got real quiet. She couldn’t even hear the babbling of the fountain nearby, just the chirping of crickets off in the distance.
Then Aphrodite raised her right hand into the air and announced, "Check please!"
Xena seemed too stunned to even move. "Right..." she drawled, "that shouldn’t be too difficult. And while we’re at it, why don’t we get the Israelis and the Palestinians to become bosom buddies, arrange a lasting peace between the Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland, and get the Raiders and the Chiefs to hold hands and sing ‘koom-bai-ya!!!’"
"What are you talking about?"
"Well," Xena explained, "the Israelis and Palestinians have had a grudge match going for several thousand years over a slice of desert near Egypt. The Catholics and Protestants, so-called Christians, have been duking it out in a small British protectorate for hundreds of years. And the Raiders and the Chiefs have had a real nasty rivalry going for over forty years in their football games."
"Football?" A confused Livia asked. "What kind of game is that?"
"Well, dear," Hera said, "it’s a game where big, burly men wear nearly skin-tight pants that show off their well-defined bottoms and...other attributes, if you know what I mean," the Queen said with a knowing twitch of her eyebrows, "while they press their testosterone charged bodies against one another in a muscular mass of throbbing, intense, dominant," she said with a groan, her voice becoming more breathless with each word, until she saw the way the other women looked at her and caught herself. She brought her hand up to wipe the sweat off her brow and said, "Er...um...it’s a...stimulating game to watch."
Livia looked confused. "I don’t get it. Where’s the attraction in a game like that?"
The goddesses looked at her like she had horns growing out of her head for a moment until Aphrodite blew a raspberry and said, "Oh, I know what the problem is! Okay, sweetie," she offered as she placed her arm over Livia’s shoulder. "Let me put this in terms that an Amazon could understand. Let’s see," she muttered, then her face brightened. "I’ve got it! Okay. Imagine a game where big, burly women who look like Xena, Red Sonja, and Atalanta wear nearly skin-tight pants that show off their well-defined bottoms and...other attributes...?"
Livia’s mind floated on air considering those possibilities. "Oh...I understand now." Then she shook her head to remove the pleasant image so she could return to the business at hand. "What do these matters have to do with anything concerning Gabrielle and Artemis?"
Xena resumed her tirade. "Are you sure the Big Guy understands what HE’s asking here? Gabrielle really, REALLY blamed Artemis for the fall of the Amazon Nation. And she’s had nearly twenty-five hundred years to really get bent out of shape about it."
Livia stammered. "But, Aunt Xena...sweet Gabrielle will surely be willing to let bygones be—"
The Goddess of Love scoffed and interrupted the angel. "Are you nuts?!? I’m not risking my pretty little neck going to her with this! Trust me, she can be a royal BITCH when she wants to be—"
Livia tried to calm Aphrodite. "Now, my lady, I am certain that the Goddess of the Moon—"
Xena cackled loudly and derailed Livia’s train of thought. "Blondie wasn’t talking about Arty, Liv. She was referring to ‘sweet’ Gabrielle."
Livia gulped. "Gabrielle?"
"Yeah...the same Gabrielle who snapped the jaws of a giant wolf using only her bare hands the night you took your trip to the future," Xena said. "If she’s pushed too hard, she’s got a real mean streak. It’s probably due to hanging with me, her Hyborean girl-toy, and that Wanderer joker too long."
"Well," Aphrodite remarked, "both you and Red always did have anger management issues."
As Xena shot a hard look at the blonde goddess, Hera added, "Well, that is true, dear."
Livia pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes. <And I thought life would be easier after death...silly me.> She opened her eyes and stared at the goddesses. "Be that as it may," she said, raising her voice and regaining their undivided attention. "We must try."
Hera, who had regained her regal bearing, said, "Livia is right about this, daughters. We must make the attempt. I suggest we bring this matter to the Goddess of the Hunt first, then take it to the Amazon Queen."
When no one disagreed, she raised her hands and prepared to transport the four of them. Just before they disappeared in a flash of light, Aphrodite murmured, "Good plan...that way, Gabrielle can wax Arty while the rest of us make a run for–Ow!"
The sound of a warrior princess’ hand smacking the back of a blonde goddess’ head reverberated throughout the courtyard long after the women had gone.
Westchester Airport, New York
31 January, 1999 - 1805 EST
A shudder passed through Iverson Air’s Xanatos Fox Jet as the pilot lowered its landing gear. The vibration abruptly intruded upon Dana’s thoughts. Her head swiveled, bird-like, toward Mulder. He flashed a warm smile at his wife, leaned over, and gently brushed his lips against her cheek. His affection flowed through their connection, making Dana feel warm and loved. She turned and smiled at him, her eyes twinkling brightly. "This sure beats the way we normally fly, doesn’t it, Fox?"
"Yes," he said. "I could really get used to cruising at nearly twice the speed of sound on your own private jet instead of the coach class, redeye specials the Bureau usually books for us."
At that moment, the captain told his passengers to prepare for landing. Soon after the plane was on the ground, the Fox Jet taxied along the tarmac toward a small hangar. Dana peered through her window and saw the Iverson Air sign hanging over the building’s main doors. Just before the pilot wheeled the plane toward the hangar, she smiled when she spied a lean figure with close-cropped platinum blonde hair standing next to a tall man with gray hair in front of the gaping portal.
When the plane shuddered to a halt, the pilot powered down its engines, left his seat and approached Dana and Cassandra. "Ms. Hastings, Agent Scully...I’ll open the door to let our new passenger on board. Meanwhile, we’ll top off our fuel while we’re here."
Cassandra nodded agreeably. "Very good, Captain."
He smiled at the beautiful witch and pulled his lanky frame down the aisle toward the rear door. Once there, he opened the door and lowered the stairs.
Soon, a nasally, New Jersey accented voice sliced through the energizers’ whine. "Wow, Connor...ain’t this a kick? Donald Trump, eat your heart out!"
Dana stood up and turned to greet their new traveling companion. "Hello, Maxine." She greeted her Amazon sister with a hug. "Hello, Connor," she said warmly as she looked over Maxine’s left shoulder at her Immortal mentor.
"Hello, Dana." He returned her smile with one of his own.
She released Maxine and reached for both of Connor’s hands. "Are you here to see Maxine off?"
"Actually..." he said with a self-deprecating smile, "I wondered if I could tag along? From what Maxine told me about Cassandra’s vision, you probably could use all the help you can get."
Maxine snorted. "Yeah, right, Connor. You ain’t foolin’ me. I’d knew you’d find a way to come along when you heard Dana was leading this little pleasure cruise."
Dana could feel her face flush after Maxine’s comment. Then Connor’s face clouded over with anger. "Maxine, the truth is, I came along to keep you in line so you won’t drive my BEST students crazy."
"Yeah, right," the New Jersey native drawled, her gum popping with each rapid-fire chew. "Keep tellin’ yourself that...if you say it long enough, you might even start to believe it."
Dana released Connor’s hands to allow him to take his seat. She returned to her own as her husband and the other passengers warmly greeted both of the new arrivals. She cracked her neck, trying to relieve the tension from sitting for an hour in a car, followed by two hours on an airplane. At least, that’s what she told herself.
She sighed heavily. Maxine had it wrong. Although he still felt close to both of his former students, he only had eyes for one woman on board their airplane. Dana wondered when the teacher and his current student would acknowledge their mutual attraction.
"Oh well," she murmured, "I’m sure they’ll figure it out...eventually." She couldn’t worry about that now. Right now, she had other fish to fry. She drew her cell out of her jacket pocket and placed a call to Seacouver, Washington.
Seacouver Metropolitan Museum
31 January, 1999 1505 PST
Andrea Parker sighed dramatically as she rolled her eyes. "What a splendid idea, Jarod!" she drawled. "I could have been bored stiff in the comfort of my own home, but you actually managed to provide an experience even duller than watching paint dry." She slowly panned her head and saw the massive room filled with exhibits from Ancient American cultures and about five to seven other patrons.
Jarod smiled patiently at his lady. "Bored? Andrea, you must be joking! How can you be bored when you’re in the midst of all this...history?" He stared at the Aztec artifact exhibit like a kid in a candy store. "Just think...perhaps some Immortal used some of these bowls or arrowheads on display here. Maybe a thousand years from now, we’ll come back to this same museum and see something on display that we used today."
Andrea smirked. "Only if they put my Prada or Givenchy outfits on display, cowboy."
Jarod chuckled and warmly stroked her cheek with his right hand. "You know, you could always make me laugh when we were kids."
She blushed, met his loving gaze with her own for a moment, then turned away. "How come you always remember the good times when it comes to us? How can you just put all the time I hunted you behind you...behind us?"
He gently cupped her chin and brought her face back to meet his gaze. "Because it’s all in the past now. I love you. I trust you completely. You hold my heart. You are my family, all I’ll ever need."
Fighting back her tears, she mouthed, "I love you so much." He didn’t answer her with words; he leaned over and kissed her deeply.
As he gently removed his lips from her responsive ones, he nuzzled her hair and whispered in her left ear, "Don’t be alarmed, but there’s someone watching you."
She grimaced. "A little late for that, Ratboy! What do you expect when you say something like that," she groused. Surreptitiously, she turned to regard her watcher.
Andrea saw a young blonde woman across the way trying hard not to let on that she had been spying on the Immortal Amazon. Her face was attractive, in a fresh, Pacific Northwestern sort of way. Andrea couldn’t tell much about her figure since it was cloaked under a large black duster. In a light and casual conversational tone, Jarod said, "She looks a little young to be a Centre operative. I wonder why she’s interested in you?"
She spared a quick glance at him. "Who knows? Maybe she appreciates Prada."
Jarod smiled at her. "Perhaps," he purred, "or maybe she appreciates the woman under the garment."
If a black widow could smile, it would wear the deadly grin that flashed across Miss Parker’s alabaster face. "In your dreams, Sparky. Why does every hetero guy’s most treasured fantasy involve two women ‘getting-it-on’ just for him?"
The Pretender chuckled. "I was just teasing, Andrea. I don’t need fantasies since all my dreams came true when we became lovers."
She looked into his eyes and smiled sweetly at him. "Good answer, Jarod...I think I’ll let you service me when we get—"
At that moment, she was interrupted by the ‘Buzz.’ Andrea shot a quick glance at her man. "Did you feel—"
"Yes," he said, cutting her off. They looked around the massive hall and felt the ‘Buzz’ disappear when they spied a tall, dark-skinned woman staring at them from the far end of the Aztec exhibit. She appeared to be of Native American descent and wore clothing that looked as chic and refined as Andrea’s. "She’s seen us."
"Do you think she’s a headhunter?"
"I don’t know. But I don’t think she’ll start something here. It’s too public and it’d be two against one."
Andrea’s suspicious mind analyzed the situation and arrived at a particularly troublesome prospect. "Maybe not." She glanced quickly at the blonde across the way. "Could that girl be working with the Immortal woman...a mortal helper, so to speak? Maybe that’s why she’s staring at us."
Centre or not, something about the girl made Andrea’s hair standup on the back of her neck. That sensation actually concerned her more than the unknown Immortal’s presence.
Something about the tall, exotic-looking woman standing near the exhibit on Aztec pottery across the way made Mindi Whitehall’s skin crawl. At first, she thought she was uneasy because of an overdose of caffeine from the gallons of coffee she had during her drive from the family farm in Oregon to Seacouver. Yet, every time the woman and her companion came closer, the tingling intensified. Mindi shook her head and reluctantly tore her gaze away from the pair. <Okay, girlfriend, knock it off and let’s concentrate here.> She tried to focus on the exhibit that held shards of pottery found in Smyrna, the last refuge of the Ancient Amazon nation. When she had heard about the exhibit, Mindi had to come. In a way, it was a homecoming for her, a pilgrimage to reclaim her heritage. So, she had packed for an overnight stay, jumped in her car, and drove to Seacouver.
Almost against her will, she chanced another glance at the beautiful woman with dark red hair. Mindi gulped. She was looking directly at her! Mindi couldn’t fathom why, but she felt a mixture of excitement and dread. Under the other woman’s icy glare, she felt inadequate, like a barracuda in the presence of a great white shark. Although it wasn’t much, Mindi gained some comfort from the nearness of the sword she carried in the sheath sewn inside her duster. Yet something told her that the other woman was prepared to counter anything Mindi could throw at her.
Mindi had come here looking for a connection to her past. Hopefully, she prayed, she hadn’t found someone who’d end her future.
"Okay, Jarod," Andrea muttered. "I think we should divide and conquer on this one."
"How so?"
"I’ll take ‘Little Miss Northwestern’ over there. You handle the Immortal. If she tries to challenge you, tell her you don’t play the ‘Game’. If she needs further persuasion, tell her we’ll both kick her ass if she doesn’t back off. In the meantime, I’ll have a pleasant chat with our young friend and find out her angle."
"Sounds like a plan, honey." Just before she sauntered away, he said lowly, "Be careful."
She flashed a smile at him over her shoulder. "Same goes for you, cowboy."
Mindi felt her heart leap into her throat when she saw the couple separate. Omigod, omigod, omigod, she thought. She’s coming over here!
Her mouth felt parched. Everything about the woman screamed, "danger!" Yet, something about her felt...familiar and...comfortable. Mindi watched the woman’s slow, methodical strut. At first she wondered why the woman hadn’t just directly approached her. Then it hit her. The woman was stalking her.
A sense of panic welled up inside her and her first thought was to run screaming for the nearest exit. Then she found her courage, bolstered by the grace of Artemis, the Amazons’ patron goddess for several millennia. Although she had no idea who this woman was or why she made her feel so uneasy, Mindi would stand her ground.
Andrea was only a few feet away from the girl when she first realized that she had been wrong about her. She saw the look of panic on the girl’s pretty face and something inside Andrea nearly snapped at being the cause of the girl’s fear. Then, she was thrown for a loop when the girl’s fear raced off and seemed to be replaced by a quiet courage.
"Hello," Andrea said neutrally.
"Hi," the girl said.
Diplomacy wasn’t Andrea’s style, so she took the direct approach. "I noticed you were watching me earlier. Is there a particular reason for that?"
The girl appeared a little nervous but she thrust her chin forward and spoke clearly. "I apologize if I made you feel uncomfortable, ma’am. This may sound crazy, but there’s something about you that seems familiar, although I don’t think we’ve ever met."
Andrea nodded agreeably. She had felt something about the girl, too. However, that wouldn’t be enough to allow her to let her guard down. "I think you’re right about that. So is that why you have a sword hidden inside your coat...so you and your partner could take out those of us who aren’t ready for one of our own working with a mortal?"
The girl’s eyes opened wide and her face went pale. "Look, I don’t know what you’re talking about," she stammered, "but this isn’t the place for us to throw down. There are too many innocents around who could get hurt. So I’ll give you a chance to leave with your bloodsucker boy-toy."
"Bloodsucker?" Andrea gave the girl a puzzled look. "What are you talking about? I’m not a vampire."
The girl looked confused. "You’re not?"
"No. Aren’t you a headhunter?"
The girl shook her head. "No...and ewww!" Then she eyed Andrea suspiciously. "You sure you’re not a vamp? You are kinda pale."
Andrea gritted her teeth. "I was born with an Ivory-Snow complexion...so sue me."
"Well, the goddess told me pale skin was a good way to identify the undead—"
"Wait a second!" Andrea interrupted her. "Goddess? You actually have conversations with your goddess in, you know, person?"
The girl looked a little embarrassed. "Well...yeah."
"And would this goddess happen to be named...Artemis?"
The girl regarded Andrea with wide eyes. "No way! No way..."
Andrea smiled brightly and purred, "Well, hello...sis!"
Jarod approached the regal-looking woman cautiously. As he approached her, she watched him, her stoic face revealing nothing.
"Hello," he said. She simply nodded in response. "My name is Jarod Russell."
"You are wasting your time, Mr. Russell," she said softly. "I do not play the ‘Game’ nor shall I accept your challenge."
He smiled. "That’s good because I wasn’t going to offer one. I don’t play the ‘Game’ either."
She inclined her head toward him. "Is that so?" she offered in her accented voice. "Does the same go for your companion?"
"Yes," he said, maintaining his friendly smile. "Our being here is only a coincidence, I assure you."
"That is good," she said, "since I must remain in this dreary climate for another month or so. I am the curator of the Aztec exhibit. It’s on loan from the Mexico National Museum." She shook hands with the Pretender. "My name is Azora."
Jarod cocked his right eyebrow. "You’re not the Azora who was a priestess during the reign of Montezuma, are you?"
Her eyebrow lifted in response to his question. "Very impressive, Mr. Russell. I suppose since we both share the same ‘secret,’ I can be, as you say, up front with you. I serve the lady Tlazolteotl."
A sly smile flashed across the Pretender’s face. "Ah yes, the sensual goddess of the moon, and, I believe, the mistress of sorcery."
She grinned knowingly. "I am impressed, Mister—"
"Jarod...please call me Jarod."
She nodded agreeably. "I am impressed, Jarod. Most Americans have little to no knowledge of our gods. How is it that you know so much about my moon goddess?"
"Oh," he said, "let’s just say, I have an affinity for daughters of the moon."
"Really?" she said as she surreptitiously pressed her breasts against his arm. "Do you have any...significant ties... to your companion?"
Jarod blushed. Embarrassed, he tried to put a little distance between himself and the Immortal priestess. "Er...I’m sorry, but...I am spoken for. My companion’s also a daughter of the moon. Different pantheon, though."
The woman pouted prettily and said, "Such a pity. It could have been—"
Azora never had the chance to finish her statement because at that moment two double doors slammed open against the wood paneled walls on either side of the hinges. From the dark room beyond the doors stepped a beautiful Native American woman dressed in a sheer chamois that revealed her gorgeous body to anyone who cared to see. Accompanying her were a dozen vampires in game face.
As the pack approached Jarod and Azora, the Pretender chanced a glance at Azora. He saw that her face had a sneer that plainly showed the contempt she felt for the other woman.
Then the nearly nude woman spoke and regained his undivided attention. "Well, fancy meeting you here, Azora! No...wait," she said, feigning that she was considering something. "I sort of counted on finding you here. However, it must really be my lucky day to find you here with such a hunky companion!"
The priestess snarled and snapped, "You’ll be too busy dying, Tzinteotl, to use your tricks on him! If you want a fight, bitch, you’ll have one."
A wicked smile flashed across Tzinteotl’s face. "I’d like nothing more, you little slut"
"Ha!" Azora spat. "That’s the pot calling the kettle black!"
"Touché, you little tart. Fortunately for you I can’t damage the merchandise too badly and I’m on a schedule. So..." she paused for effect and signaled to her cadre of vampires. "Take her!"
It had taken Mindi a full minute to recover from Andrea’s revelation. When she could speak again, she said, "You...you’re an Amazon, too?"
Andrea smiled gently, well, as gently as the personification of a black widow spider could. "Yes. My name is Andrea...Andrea Russell."
"Mindi Whitehall. Who’s your friend, An—" She looked across the room for the dark Amazon’s companion and was puzzled by something. "I thought he was with you."
Andrea turned around and saw the Immortal woman press her breasts against Jarod’s arm. "Did you see what that slut just did?" she snapped. "Oh...that bitch is begging for an attitude adjustment and I’m just the woman to give it to her!" Andrea stormed toward her man and called over her shoulder to Mindi. "Come on!"
Before the two Amazons had taken five steps, the double doors slammed open to reveal the vamps and the scantily clad woman with them. Even as Andrea recognized the danger, she marveled at the woman’s gorgeous body. "Damn..." she muttered. Then she snapped out of her stupor and whispered to Mindi, "You’ve got your sword, right?"
"Yes," Mindi whispered back.
"Whip it out then and let’s party!"
With a fluid motion, Jarod drew his Glock 34 and sighted down his pistol at the nearest vampire as it sprang at him. He fired two shots, one a blessed silver slug, the other a compressed wooden one. The vampire clutched its chest as the bullets penetrated and it died in a whirlwind of dust. Jarod immediately whirled on the next closest target and fired again, destroying that one as well.
Meanwhile, Azora fired twin bolts of levin energy from each hand toward two vampires. Each of the eldritch bolts proved deadly to the mystical beings as the two vampires learned to their dismay. The beams sizzled through the heart of their respective targets, causing them to disintegrate in a larger cloud of dust than normal. Then she turned to face another pair of vampires that had tried to flank her, leaving Jarod to protect her back.
As Jarod looked to sight another target, the scantily clad woman approached him like a mist blowing across Seacouver Bay. He narrowed his eyes and tried to stare her down.
And was lost.
<You love me, don’t you?>
"Yes," he said.
<Then show me. Strike her. Strike her now!>
He hurried to do the bidding of his love and clubbed Azora on the back of her skull with his pistol. He immediately swung the gun over his head to strike again, but it wasn’t necessary. Due to his faerie enhanced strength, Azora groaned and tumbled like a sack of wheat to the floor.
As the remaining vampires bent to pick up the fallen priestess, Jarod barely noticed that something over his shoulder had stolen his love’s attention. She then looked at him and smiled. "Pet, be a dear and take care of those two women who are trying to hurt me, the ones with the swords. They’re behind you!"
The Pretender whirled and saw the two women who had been chasing his love. He recalled the anger, the pain he had experienced when they had chased him and couldn’t bear the thought of his love going through any of that. And they had had the nerve to send her after his love, the bitch who had made his life a living hell. He raised his gun and aimed at her. As her eyes widened, he almost felt pity for her, but he had to protect his love.
The two Amazons had been sprinting toward the melee until they had seen Jarod club the woman he had been protecting.
"What the hell did he do that for?" Mindi yelped.
A dazed Andrea shook her head. "I don’t know...but we better get over there!"
The women strode purposefully toward the Pretender who seemed to be focused on the scantily clad woman. Suddenly, he whirled. He raised his gun and pointed it at them. When Andrea saw the hatred in his eyes, she knew, without a doubt, that something was terribly wrong with her man. At that moment, she knew she was going to die and she needed to act quickly to save her sister.
"Mindi...we’ve got to throw our swords at him, take him down...now!"
"What?"
"You heard me. Do it!" Then, Andrea shoved the younger Amazon aside and charged Jarod.
Mindi’s hip struck a display that kept her from falling to the floor. As she regained her footing, she saw the man fire his pistol. The first bullet seemed to miss Andrea, but the second hit its mark, striking the tall, thin woman in her shoulder. Mindi’s heart felt like it had screeched to a halt and she gasped. The impact had knocked her sister off stride, greatly slowing her charge. Incredibly, somehow Andrea recovered almost immediately and faced him squarely again. He fired once more, striking her dead center, but the bullet seemed to have little effect on her. As she staggered toward him, he fired a fourth time. The final bullet ripped through her chest and out her back, standing her onto her tiptoes and launching her several feet through the air. When Andrea hit the floor, her eyes were open wide, staring into eternity.
At that moment, something inside Mindi snapped. Her new-found sister had just been cut down in front of her, an Amazon killed by the hand of a man. Her anger rose and pushed past her fear, her nausea, and her sorrow, leaving only one burning need, vengeance. She craned her sword over her shoulder, behind her back, then snapped it forward with a scream. As the Pretender turned toward the sound of her voice, Mindi’s sword flew straight and true and pierced his stomach with such force that he crashed into a wall several feet behind him. After he struck the wall, he slid down into a crumpled heap, limp and unmoving.
She had to force herself to breathe again. Mindi blinked. The scantily clad woman and her henchmen were gone. Obviously, they had taken the other woman with them. Mindi stumbled over to her fallen sister, the one she would never know, and fell to her knees beside the corpse. Tears began to stream down her cheeks as she hugged Andrea’s body to her.
Just before she could sob in earnest, the corpse inhaled noisily, causing a stunned Mindi to drop it.
"Ouch!" Andrea yelped as her back struck the floor. "Jesus, Mindi, what the Hell are you trying to do...kill me?"
Mindi regarded her with wide eyes and a slack jaw. "You..." she stammered, "you were...dead."
"Yeah, I know. But I’m better now." Andrea twisted her head side to side, apparently to work out some kinks in her neck. Then her eyes fully focused on Mindi. "You’re okay, right? He didn’t shoot you?"
"No," she said slowly. "I took him out," she whispered and indicated his body with a nod.
Andrea looked at him and pursed her lips. "I had to draw his fire to give you a shot. Nice throw, kid. Good to see you didn’t let the injury to my Prada outfit go to waste."
"Uh huh," Mindi muttered.
"Well, I better check on him. I’ll pull the sword out of him while you cover him with his gun. If he’s still psycho, we may have to pop him again."
"Right. Again," Mindi murmured.
Andrea squinted and examined Mindi closely. "Hey...you don’t look so good. You’re kind of pale..."
The ring of a cell phone was the last thing Mindi heard before her mind went blank and she slipped into the comfort of darkness.
Artemis’ Quarters
Mount Olympus
January 31, 1999 - 1525 Sunnydale Time
"HE wants me to do what?!?"
"Now, Sis, I don’t know why this is so hard for you to accept," Aphrodite said for the seventh time. "If you’re going to have Amazons running around down there, they really should have a queen. Look," she cooed, "we’re here for you. We’re your anchor, your Pillars of Hercules, the wind beneath your wings. You know, your support system. We’ll be right behind you, through thick and thin, sickness and health; we’ll be Tubbs to your Crockett, at the close and supportive distance of about twenty-six miles or s–OW!"
The sound of a warrior princess’ hand smacking the back of a blonde goddess’ head reverberated throughout Artemis’s expansive quarters. "Ixnay the ‘pep-talk-ay,’ Blondie," Xena muttered. Then she turned to Artemis. "Artemis, Livia’s instructions from the Big Guy were pretty explicit. If that is HIS plan, why fight it? Won’t you do it for them?"
Artemis glanced down at the floor for a moment, then stared resolutely into Xena’s piercing blue eyes. "I would do anything for them, Xena, anything. I failed their sisters long ago but I shall not fail my daughters now or ever again." She drew herself up to her full height and proclaimed, "I shall go forth and humble myself before the Amazon Queen. Then I shall—"
"Wait a second, huntress," Xena snapped, cutting her off. "Let’s be smart about this. You need something to defuse the situation and force Gabrielle to control her temper, right?"
Artemis appeared to think about that for a moment, then nodded agreeably.
"It’s simple. Have a few of the New Amazons escort her to Sunnydale for a meeting that affects the Amazon nation. Have them also tell Gabrielle that a long lost family member will be waiting for her there," Xena added, indicating Livia with a nod of her head. "That way, her own curiosity will draw her in where she has to be on her best behavior and receptive to your message."
Artemis silently regarded the warrior goddess while an awestruck Aphrodite observed, "Whoa, Xena...who’d thought you were so damn sneaky!"
A smug-looking Xena smiled wickedly and said, "I have many skills."
Artemis sighed. "Very well, Xena. I shall implement your plan. Do any of you wish to accompany me to Sunnydale?"
"I’ll go," Livia said.
"We shall all go with you, stepdaughter, won’t we ladies?" Hera announced.
The other two goddesses nodded.
Artemis suspiciously regarded her stepmother. "Why do you wish to accompany us, Hera? I thought you despised Sunnydale because that ‘peroxide blonde vampire who’s nothing but a bad influence on my husband lives there?’"
Hera gave Artemis a gentle smile. "Well, when you establish the new nation, your married daughters may wish to send some prayers my way. It would be nice to be needed again after being retired for so long."
Artemis seemed to accept that and said, "Then allow me," as she raised her hands and prepared to transport the five of them. Just before they disappeared in a flash of light, Aphrodite murmured, "And she wanted to scope out the butt on that gay football player who hangs with Arty’s gals–"
SMACK!
"Ow!"
The sound of the queen of the Greek Gods hand smacking the back of a blonde goddess’ head reverberated throughout Artemis’s quarters long after the women had gone.
Sunnydale High School Library
Sunnydale, California
January 31, 1999 1535 PST
Willow nudged the library door aside with her delicate shoulder and entered Giles’s domain. She scanned the immediate vicinity but didn’t see the librarian at all. Just as she was going to call out to him, his office telephone rang. Willow pressed her right hand down on the counter and sprang over it toward the door to his office. She entered and picked up the receiver on the third ring.
"You’ve reached the Sunnydale High School Library. How may I help you?"
"Willow," she heard over the receiver, "it’s Andrea."
A wide smile spread across her pixie-like face. "Andrea! It’s so nice to hear from you again! How are you and Jarod doing? Is he going to make an honest woman out of you soon?"
"Well..." Andrea drawled, "He might if he doesn’t kill me first."
Willow involuntarily wrinkled her nose, a trait that showed her confusion. "Huh?"
"Never mind, Willow. Is Giles there?"
"I don’t know. I just walked in and didn’t—"
At that moment, she heard footsteps approaching the office and Willow peeked over her shoulder. Giles stood in the office doorway. "Hey, Giles! Andrea is on the line for you." Then she brought the mouthpiece up to her lips and said, "Andrea, he’s here."
"Great! Do you have speakerphone capability there, Willow?"
The redhead examined the phone and saw the hands free switch. "Yes."
"Good. Use it."
Willow pressed the button and placed the headset down on its cradle.
"Rupert, it’s Andrea. I have Dana on conference as well."
"Hello, Rupert, Willow," Dana’s silky smooth voice said.
"Hello, ladies," the librarian answered and stepped closer to the desk. "How may I be of assistance to you?"
"Well," Dana began, "Mulder, Cassandra, Tessa, Mindy, Maxine, Connor, and I are flying to Sunnydale as we speak. Cassandra was involved in a kidnapping where one of her...really, really old friends was taken by the type of suspects that tend to love to sleep during the day."
Willow glanced at Giles and the Watcher’s face paled. "I see," he said.
"After we were called in to assist Cassandra, she had a vision that told her the kids might be in danger. At the time the type of danger was vague and seemed bizarre, that is, until I called Andrea to ask her if she wanted to join us in Sunnydale."
"Really?" n