Thanks: To Phil for sticking around to beta read for me. She’s picked up all kinds of dropped letters because Pink and Fluffy tend to leave a trail of them. All errors belong strictly to me.

Special Thanks: To the many of you that have taken the time to send your kind words about the Valiant Series thus far. I greatly appreciate your feedback and your patience in waiting for this installment. I was actually writing this and Brave New World concurrently, and I appreciate both your patience and your indulgence.

Author’s Notes: Words and music used belong to Martina McBride. No money is being made from it and no copyright infringement is intended. The rest of the author’s notes will follow at the end of this story, though the Storyteller’s Cardinal Rule is finally back in effect. J

"No! It’s not supposed to be like this, dammit!! You’re supposed to call on me to join you so we can rule together, Randi. You’re not supposed choose that irritating little blonde over me and you’re certainly not supposed to die!"

"C’mon! C’mon!" Ares growled as he continued to watch Tiny and Lacey fight to keep Randi’s body alive. Then everything came to a screeching halt when Gwen sat up in the bed with a single cry....

"RANDI!!!"

"Oh, no!" bellowed Ares. "No! It is not going to end like this between us, warrior! You’re mine now! I own you! You don’t get to choose your path!" And with that pronouncement, Ares disappeared in a shower of blue fire.

"I’m sure, Geoff. We’ve done all we can do. It’s up to them now. There’s nothing we can do except wait and hope."

"How long?"

Rosie shrugged. "There’s no way to know. It depends on them and...." Whatever she had been going to say next was interrupted by the shimmer of dark sparkles that filtered into the room as Ares materialized next to the bed. Everyone shifted into action and what happened next was like a blur in super slow motion.

Ares lifted his hand to move Gwen off Randi’s body. Reed, Lacey and Rosie scrambled towards the bed as a single unit to protect them. Ares sent a burst of energy towards the three, knocking them across the room and into the wall. Tiny, meanwhile, headed directly for Ares, only to find himself thrown into Sky who was following behind him and together they slid down the wall next to the other three.

Fury lent strength to Geoff’s legs and the distraction of the rest allowed him the chance to slide into position covering Gwen and Randi with his own body. Then he screamed in agony when Ares’ hand landed on his back, but he refused to move from his place protecting them. Jill ran towards Geoff only to find herself physically assaulted when Ares backhanded her away from him, putting all of his anger and frustration into the blow.

Before he could turn to finish her off, he found himself being transported put of the palace against his will. "NOOOOOOOO!!!" he screamed, catching a glimpse of his three sisters connecting together to send him out of the palace. When he was able to see again, he didn’t recognize where he was; but he knew instinctively it wasn’t anywhere close to the palace.

He growled and orbed back to his temple on Olympus, intent on finding a way around this latest complication to his victory.

Aphrodite, Artemis and Athena looked around at the carnage Ares had created. The five human beings slumped against the wall were slowly starting to stir, and Artemis crossed over to check on them. Athena went immediately to Jill who lay face down on the floor some distance from the bed. Blood trickled from her ear and onto the carpet beneath it.

Dite moved to the bed, anxious to check on Gwen and Randi, but also concerned about Geoff’s stiff, unmoving form. He seemed frozen in agony, and when Dite touched him he simply collapsed away from the pair he had been so desperate to protect.

"Athena! Athena, NOW!"

"I can’t, Dite! She’s dying!" motioning to Jill with her head. Both hands were occupied with trying to heal her. Ares had done serious deliberate damage and Athena wasn’t sure she could heal her completely, not with the time factor working against them. She had to get to Randi and Gwen.

"The, I think he is dead already," Dite insisted, wanting to be grossed out but not really having time for it.

"Well, check, Dite!!" But she didn’t have to. Artemis had been successful in getting the others to their feet, albeit shakily, and Tiny stumbled to Geoff’s side with Lacey right behind him. The rest were a little slower, but they followed as quickly as they could manage.

By then, Tiny had scooped Geoff up in his arms and was moving him over to the couch. Lacey was quick to move over to help, opening his shirt and visibly flinching at the amount of physical damage Ares had done to Geoff. She exchanged a glance with Tiny and shook her head slightly, but still proceeded to start resuscitation and regen processes on him.

Dite’s focus immediately went to the two women still wrapped around one another on the bed, completely unaware of the drama being played out around them. She placed a hand on Randi and the other on Gwen, trying to sense them. Artemis walked over to Athena and checked on Jill’s condition before she allowed Sky to pick Jill up and move her over to the couch with Geoff. Athena continued to channel healing to her and Artemis lent her strength to help Athena.

The restrictions placed on them and the rest of the Pantheon made everything more difficult, and that was never more apparent or more frustrating than it was at this very moment in this time and place. It should have been so easy, and yet they were forced to allow things to play out to their conclusion with only a minimum of interference. Their only mission here was simply to protect Randi and Gwen until Randi could make her own decision. The rest was a calculated risk, and only the fact that the damage was done by a god made it even possible.

"Goddess, is there anything we can do to help?" Rosie asked, directing her question generally.

Dite pulled her hands away and shook her head. "There is nothing any of us can do," she said quietly. "It really is all up to them now." She blew out a deep breath. "Let’s go see if we can help them," motioning to the small group on the couch.

"But what about the antidote?" Rosie asked. "Surely we can...."

"We found it, but it’s here on the physical plane. They have to be awake... here... for us to make the offer. We have to wait for them to come to us... or not," said Artemis.

"Rosie, were you able to set up a perimeter when you moved here?" Athena asked as Jill continued to heal ever so slowly. She wondered if Jill were resisting the healing because of her husband’s condition or if Ares had done irreparable damage.

The shamaness nodded vigorously. "Apparently Geoff rounded up all the local military and Sabre members he could contact, and we sent the People out as soon as Gwen demanded we move her back here. I’m not sure what happened after that, except that the People knew to reset a perimeter here as tightly as they could manage. I’m not sure how you or Ares were able to penetrate it, in fact."

Reed answered. "They weren’t focused on keeping gods out here since we never expected an attack from Ares against Randi. We figured he would target Gwen, though given that obvious error in judgment, maybe we need to change that," gesturing to the mess around them. "They were simply trying to bolster our strength." Reed looked around. "Let me go take care of that." She slipped out of the room and the rest went over to see how the Goldmans were doing.

Reed took a deep breath as she walked out the door. Her defenses had taken quite a beating once she had lost direct support from Rosie, though her barriers were more intact than she’d had any reasonable hope of expecting given the current situation. Still, it was good to get out of that room and into the strong support she could feel flowing from the People in waves. She realized that the military and Sabres that Geoff had managed to gather together had been interspersed among the people and were doing their best to follow the example of those around them, and there were so many that they were within touching distance of one another.

Reed stopped at each person to thank them for the support and to give them new instructions on changing their focus. Some of the regular military members didn’t understand, but they were willing to try. Fortunately the Sabres and the People did understand, and they would be able to redirect the rest. When she was finished, she took a deep breath and crossed back into the bedroom.

Rosie met her at the door, taking her hand immediately, and providing her with some much needed relief. "How are you doing, my friend?" Rosie asked as her eyes began to glow once more as she channeled the enormous amount of power she was able to gather from the room into Reed.

Reed nodded. "Better now," she acknowledged. "This hasn’t been anything like I thought it would be. Thank you for being here, Rosie. I wouldn’t have survived this without you... none of us would."

Rosie bowed her head slightly to acknowledge the compliment, then looked around. Lacey and Tiny continued to work over Geoff’s unmoving form; Sky cradled Jill while Athena healed her and Artemis provided support for them both. Only Dite sat apart from the group, her focus totally taken by the two who remained motionless on the bed.

"What is up with them, Reed? Can you sense... anything?"

Reed shook her head. "Only a residual trace. It’s like they have gone somewhere beyond themselves – probably... hopefully, they are in Randi’s safe place in her mind." She blew out a breath and glanced over towards the bed before looking back at Rosie. "The thing that concerns me – the two things, actually – are that Randi’s physical body is only being kept alive by Lacey’s machines and the fact that I can’t seem to reach Gwen. I feel like we’ve let them down."

"Faith, Reed. Gwen knows we’re here and when we can help, she’ll let us know."

"I hope so, Rosie."

Gwen struggled to look around the darkness. When Randi’s chest had stilled here in the Empress’ safe place, everything had been plunged into a thick, inky blackness. Now as Gwen searched with her hands, she realized that Randi had moved out of this room, and Gwen knew of only one other place she could have gone. Unfortunately, she wasn’t sure how to find Randi’s other safe place without at least the smallest amount of light, and even wishing for a light hadn’t garnered her any.

So she closed her eyes against the blackness and simply let herself feel, hoping her heart would lead her to Randi despite the darkness. After concentrating for a long moment, Gwen felt the warmth she had been searching for. She slid off the marble slab and followed where her heart was leading her.

She walked for a while, remembering from her previous walks that time and space here was a fluid thing. Her thoughts and concerns were focused on Randi and why she had disappeared from the Empress’ safe room. Her pace was quick but not rushed, not wanting to miss anything coming from Randi, and the warmth she felt flowing meant Randi was alive here.

Her greatest concern was the fact that Randi, at least for a few brief moments, had stopped breathing here. She could only imagine the havoc that was causing in the real world.

The warmth didn’t get weaker, but it didn’t get any stronger either. So it was an unpleasant sensation, though not an unwelcome event, when she literally ran into the second marble slab. Her groan caused a gasp and an echoing moan from the form she fell into, and immediately a light appeared to illuminate the small area around them.

What Gwen saw there was nothing short of shocking, and it rendered her momentarily speechless. It was Randi – not unexpected given their current location in her mind – but it was Randi twice over again – very unexpected in any case.

Randi lay with her head in the Empress’ lap, curled up into a fetal position to try and alleviate the ache in her chest. Her breathing was slow and shallow as though she were hanging onto her life by the barest thread. The Empress’ hands gently combed through Randi’s hair, trying to offer comfort without adding to her misery, both still feeling the lancing pain the separation had caused them.

Gwen simply gazed at them for what felt like a very long time, trying to wrap her mind around the fact that Randi was no longer whole... again. Then she took the Empress’s hand in one of her own and placed the other on Randi’s chest, just barely able to fell the irregular tempo of her heartbeat. She met the Empress’ eyes seriously, finding pain and true fear lurking in those stark blue depths. Gwen moved her hand up to cup the Empress’s face, gratified when she leaned into the touch.

"Sweetheart, what happened here? Why are you two separate personalities again?" The Empress shrugged gently so as not to disturb the woman cradled in her lap. Her blue eyes dropped back to herself and she watched as she combed long fingers through her own dark hair, realizing in a dark, far-off way just how surreal the whole situation was.

Fingers under her chin lifted her face and she brought her eyes up to meet Gwen’s, finding only love and concern in those green depths and wanting to fall into them. "It’s not my fault, Gwen. I didn’t do this... she did."

"Love, I’m not blaming the warrior or the woman for this – I’m not blaming any part of you at all. I’m just trying to figure out what happened so we can try to fix it. If we’re both still here, then we must still be on our spirit walk. We need to finish it and get out of here, and I think to do that, we have to make you whole again. I felt you die, Randi...." She drew a sobbing breath. "Oh God, I can’t live through that again. I can’t." The last was a bare whisper, but in the silence of the stillness around them, it was as if she shouted it from the hilltops.

Everything was tranquil and still for a long moment then Gwen gasped when she felt the Randi that lay unconscious reach up and cover the hand that rested on her aching chest. Gwen tore her eyes from the Empress’ and glanced down, but Randi’s eyes remained closed and her breathing uneven. Gwen turned her attention back to the Empress.

"Randi?"

"We don’t want to die, Gwen... not like this. But we’re not sure how to fix this either."

"Tell me what happened or at least what you remember."

The Empress considered the request thoughtfully. "I remember you leaving us - talking about it here... well, in my space." She gave Gwen a small smile and Gwen returned it. "We talked – you and I; and we forgave each other even though I am still not sure what I was forgiving you for. I know, I know.... this was us, but it was mostly me – even if Ares did cause it. I was so tired... both parts of me were and it just felt like we were fighting each other – still."

"The pain was just... overwhelming. It hurt so much and the realization of what I had done as the warrior just finally...." The Empress motioned to the part of herself that remained unconscious in her lap. "It was too much for the woman in us to hold together. We’re afraid... *I’m* afraid that Ares will win after all if I can’t figure out how to get us back together again. We can’t defeat him apart like this."

"Are you choosing to die here then? Are you choosing to give up instead of facing him together with me in the real world?"

"No, love, NO! We would choose to stand with you under any circumstances. But I don’t think we can defeat him as a ‘we’ entity. We need to be a single whole person to stand with you as the single whole you and I are together."

Gwen straightened up, though neither Randi released their grip to allow her to move away from them. "All right. Have you tried... you know, like we did before? Laying down and merging yourself together?"

The Empress nodded. "As soon as we separated. We were still whole while we were in my safe place, but we were struggling... I was so tired and she was – it felt like she was dying inside me. Or I was dying inside her. We kissed you and closed our eyes for a little rest and when we opened them we were here in her safe place, and we had gone from being one person to two distinct personalities."

"So since she was already laying on the slab here, I tried to lay in the same space. But something went wrong – it nearly killed her. I felt her stop breathing, and the pain.... The pain was excruciating. My chest... my head... God, Gwen, it hurt so badly. The only good thing was she started breathing again as soon as I was expelled. Then... we just waited, here, just like we are now. We knew you’d come looking for us. You promised you would."

Gwen cupped the Empress’ face once more, then brushed their lips together in the gentlest of kisses. "You’re absolutely right... I did. And I meant it, Randi – I always have. Wherever you go, I go. However, that being said, the only place I want to go right now is out of here."

Gwen caught and held the Empress’ eyes with an intensity she seldom employed outside the intimacy of their bedroom, even when they were alone. It got her attention instantly as it always did. "Randi, I need to know if you can carry her out of here," motioning to Randi’s unconscious self.

The Empress held Gwen’s gaze, then looked down at her other self and nodded. "If it’ll get us out of this goddamn darkness, I’ll carry her back to reality."

Gwen chuckled. "Not that far, love. I just want to go to the glade... to the safe room in my mind."

"Is that a good idea? I mean, given what happened the last time...."

"We’ll make it secure for both of us. Trust me, sweetheart. I think it’s what we need. I think you need the peace of that place to be whole again."

The Empress looked into those eyes that held the mirrors of her soul and trusted. Then she slid her arms around herself and scooped Randi into her embrace, groaning a little as the full weight hit her. She exchanged glances with Gwen. "Remind me I need to go on a diet when all this is over. I think I may give myself a hernia."

Gwen snorted. "Sweetheart, it’s not fat that’s making you heavy. That is pure, unadulterated Valiant muscle. And I like it just the way it is."

The Empress glared, though Gwen could easily see the twinkle that lurked in the back of those eyes, even in the dim light of this place. "You play dirty."

"Yes, but I play to win. Now, c’mon. I want fresh air and sunshine."

The Empress sighed, but obediently followed Gwen, noting she refused to lose contact with either part of Randi. And they slowly made their way from the darkness into full-blown light.

When they crossed into the glade, the Empress slid to the ground – not under the weight of the burden of self she bore, but more from relief of being out of the darkness at last. She looked around with new eyes, as though she had never seen this place before, and for a few minutes, Gwen was content to allow her the luxury. Then the unconscious woman began to stir at last and both of their attention was taken by her.

Without losing contact with the warrior, Gwen brushed the woman’s hair back from Randi’s face, gently caressing her skin and getting the tiniest smile out of Randi for her actions. "Hey," she called softly. "How ya doing?"

"Hurts," Randi replied in a whisper. "Hurts."

"I know it does, sweetheart. I know. But you have to let yourself be whole again. It’s the only way you can heal. You need the warrior’s strength as well as the woman’s. You need her clarity of mind and judgment as well as your compassion and mercy. You need to be whole to heal, love, and I need you whole so we can go kick Ares’ ass, remember?"

Randi nodded and then shook her head. "Tried... already. Can’t."

"Do you trust me, Randi?" Two heads nodded simultaneously. "Then you can do this. This is our place – yours and mine, and there is an energy here that is just us. Do you feel it?" Both incarnations nodded again. "It’s healing energy, Randi. This is what I feel when we come to our glade together – refreshed and revived and renewed. Trust in it, and let it heal you and make you whole again. Accept that you need what you perceive to be both your strengths and your weaknesses from both parts of yourself, love."

Randi and the Empress looked at each other for long moments, measuring the other’s worth. Finally, they nodded, and the Empress gently placed Randi on the soft grass with her head in Gwen’s lap. Randi moaned in pain then breathed out, trying to force herself to relax.

Gwen put her hand on Randi’s shoulder, and Randi reached up to cover it with her hand. Then Gwen took the Empress’ hand in her own and squeezed it lightly. "I love and believe in both of you – with all my heart."

"Will you hold us?" the Empress asked as she prepared to try to merge into Randi once more. Gwen brought the hand to her lips and kissed it.

"For as long as it takes."

Then the Empress took a deep breath and lay down on her body. Gwen watched in fascination as the features melded back into the woman she knew and loved.

Reed gasped and froze, nearly hyperventilating as sensations cascaded over her. Rosie was instantly at her side offering support, and the rest moved as swiftly as they could manage. They had done all they could for Geoff and Jill; now it was a matter of waiting, which they were mostly content to do – until Reed had reacted so violently to whatever had hit her senses.

Tiny took her hands in his, chafing them lightly. Lacey moved over to check on Randi and Gwen as the monitors and sensors on them started whining bare seconds behind Reed’s response. Sky took her other side, hoping between him and Rosie, Reed would be able to feel the energy they were able to channel from the abundance that was being conducted to them.

Only the goddesses remained still, Athena and Artemis supporting Aphrodite in much the same way the others were sustaining Reed. Then they waited for Reed to speak. Tiny was talking to her quietly to offer comfort and to give her a few minutes to collect her wits from whatever corner they had been scattered to when Randi and Gwen had done whatever they had managed to do.

Finally Reed took a deep breath and swallowed, meeting his gaze. "Sweetheart, are you okay?" he asked, refusing to let his hands loose from hers, and she clasped his gratefully. She nodded and turned her head towards the bed.

"Lace?"

"They are... Randi is breathing on her own. Her pulse is stronger, though still weak, and I think she might be healing finally, though at the rate it is happening, we’re still gonna be here a while."

"What about Gwen?" This from a groggy Jill who was lying next to Geoff. She had been sleeping until the commotion in the room had stirred her from her deep slumber, and though she still couldn’t open her eyes or dredge up the will to move, she had to know how her daughter was fairing in all of this drama.

"If she curled around Randi any tighter, they’d be sharing the same skin," Lacey replied with a smile. "She’s doing great – deep, even breathing, strong pulse, nice color. Whatever Reed sensed has been a good thing for both of them."

"Reed?" Tiny said, curious to know what had caused such fierce reaction.

"It was... I felt... it was almost like their souls merged or something." She shook her head. "Whatever it was, it was powerful and intense."

"Was it bad?"

Reed shook her head. "Not bad in a painful way... not like it has been. It was just overwhelming and unexpected. But for the first time in what seems like forever, it feels like they are back to being part of one another again."

She let her gaze go inward, then blinked and drew a deep breath. She made a move to stand, and the three around her stood with her as a single unit, unsure what she had in mind, but unwilling to lose contact with her even briefly.

"Reed?" Tiny asked.

"Turn me around, Tiny. I want to see their auras."

Tiny kept his eyes locked on hers, reading, not apprehension, but excitement and expectancy. For the first time in a long time, Reed was anticipating something good between Randi and Gwen instead of the searing pain that had long since accompanied these looks.

Rosie clasped one arm, and Sky took the other and they walked in a solemn circle and allowed Tiny to turn them in a circle so they never lost contact with Reed. When they were facing Randi and Gwen, Reed closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then she opened her eyes and looked, pushing her body into Tiny’s behind her for support. She couldn’t stop the flow of tears. Tiny tightened his embrace and looked down into her face.

"You all right, baby?"

Reed smiled and nodded her head even through the tears. "Oh yeah. I haven’t hurt this good in forever it seems like. This is awesome."

Tiny squeezed her again, and only then did he notice that Sky had his eyes clenched shut, shaking slightly. "Sky?"

"Even I can see it from here, Tiny," the chief whispered. "They are so in tune with one another, it is impossible to tell them apart. They are indeed a single whole together once more."

"So you can sense their life force again?"

"Yes, and it’s a beautiful thing," Reed smiled. "It is so strong. Randi is... Randi’s body is still damaged, but her soul is a single entity again. I don’t feel the struggle for power inside her that has been present since Gwen’s kidnapping and especially since she assumed command of the Sabres. And Gwen is simply melding into her. I wish you could see this; it’s amazing."

The three goddesses listened, but didn’t comment directly. When Dite had felt Randi’s body die, she had lost any connection to them whatsoever. So the only information the three of them were allowed now was whatever their human counterparts could share with them. Instead, Artemis brought up the issue that wasn’t far from any of their minds.

"Can you contact her? Can you let them know about the antidote?"

Reed shrugged. "I dunno. I can try..." starting towards the bed when a shake of Lacey’s head stopped her. "Or I can wait," she added, a frown creasing her forehead at Lacey’s action. "What’s wrong, Lace?"

"Their aura may be strong, but I’m not sure their physical bodies are up to that sort of effort yet. I’d rather not take the chance on doing damage that we could avoid by waiting for them... especially Randi... to heal a little while longer. Reed, I’m afraid it would kill them."

"Can we afford to wait?" from Athena.

"I don’t think we can afford not to," was Lacey’s stark answer. "Killing them due to our impatience would sort of defeat our whole purpose in being here trying to protect them."

"Besides," Reed broke in before the goddesses could get angry for any sort of perceived impudence on Lacey’s part. She had always been a straight shooter and tended to speak bluntly. Made for an interesting trait in a healer, but it was perfectly suited to the Sabre she was. "We have the barriers set up against Ares to keep him from popping in again. Aside from that, there really isn’t much we can do until Randi is well enough to return to consciousness or Gwen lets me know they need something. I can go back to monitoring them again."

Reed looked around the room at that suggestion, finding every head, Lacey and goddesses included, agreeing with her suggestion. "All right then. We need to get set up. Um... what about Geoff and Jill?" motioning to the two figures still reclining on the couch motionless.

"I have monitors set up for them," Lacey said, "But I’ve done all I can for them at the moment. Jill needs rest and Geoff...." She shook her head.

Reed blew out a breath. They would have to worry about those consequences once Randi and Gwen were back in this reality with them. First though.... The four of them – Tiny, Sky, Rosie and Reed – moved as one body towards the bed, not wanting to lose tactile contact with each other. It was a bit of a struggle, but they managed to get Reed situated so she was able to monitor Randi and Gwen without losing the support the rest provided.

Reed closed her eyes and let her mind wander, following the warmth she could feel between them and searching for her own safe place to observe and wait.

Then everyone settled in, hoping with a little luck, they would get a good ending to all of this soon.

Gwen smiled at the sight. "What are you smiling at?"

"You. Do you know just how beautiful you are?"

Gwen blushed. She couldn’t help it. When Randi looked at her with the combination of love, lust and passion that burned out of those bright blue eyes, it set her very soul on fire. And it had been so long since she had seen it focused in her direction, Gwen found she was somewhat taken by surprise by it now. She cupped Randi’s face in her hand and gave into her desire for a kiss – a kiss that she quickly lost control of when Randi took passionate possession of her mouth.

Gwen leaned back when it was over, blinking and breathing before she cleared her throat to speak. "Ahem... well, that certainly answers that question."

"What question... how beautiful you are?" Randi teased, waggling her eyebrows to good effect.

"No, you goofball. You’re the only one who sees me that way. No, I was going to ask you how you felt, but I think your response to that kiss said plenty."

Randi tangled her hands in Gwen’s lengthening hair and pulled her down until their lips were just touching. "First of all," she growled low, "I’m certainly not the only one who thinks you are beautiful, love. I’m just the only one who gets to enjoy it privately."

This time Gwen took control of the kiss, and only stopped reluctantly when Randi nipped her bottom lip. "Air... I need air, sweetheart. I’m still having...."

"Oh, God, Randi! Did I hurt you? Are you all right?"

Randi captured the hands that were wandering over her torso checking the damage. It tickled and was stimulating and painful all at the same time. "I’m fine, Gwen, really. Coming here has worked wonders for me. I feel whole again... for the first time since Ben infected me with whatever that was. I’m not fighting with myself anymore, and that feels so wonderful."

"Does it feel different than what happened before?"

Randi nodded and slid up until she was partially sitting and could rest her head in the crook of Gwen’s neck. "It’s very different. Before I could still feel both parts, and though we weren’t fighting one another, we could only merge so far... sort of whole, but not."

"Is that why you weren’t healing?"

"Probably. The more we read, the harder it was for the woman in me to hear what the warrior in me had done, especially in my actions towards you. That caused it to get worse and the darkness we were held in only exacerbated the problem. Being here, with you, in the light, has made all the difference. I can see the good I did as well as the bad now."

"Can you really?"

"Uh huh. It’s kinda hard to explain."

"Would you try?"

"Um... sure, but I don’t know if I can make it make sense. See, as I accepted responsibility for everything I’ve done in the last year, the injuries Ares inflicted on me spread, because I was focused on the bad. Accepting responsibility meant acknowledging the deaths I had committed and the misery I had caused... especially yours. I took the guilt for my actions on all of me... not just the warrior part. Since Ares had already tried to blow the snot out of me, doing that weakened me enough to force the Empress and me to split into two distinct personalities again."

"Okay, so how is your merging different this time? How do we know this will stick?"

Randi chuckled... a painful venture, but well worth the answering smile it brought to Gwen’s face. "Well, for one thing, there is only me now. I am the Empress as well as the woman... the lover and the fighter. Look into my eyes love. This close, you’d be able to see the parts of my soul if it was still fractured."

Gwen did so and the sight brought tears to her eyes. Randi wiped them away gently with her thumb, understand all too well where they were coming from.

"Do you know," Gwen whispered as she tightened her arms around Randi while still trying to keep from doing more damage to her slowly healing upper body. "Do you know how wonderful... how amazing it is to see you... all of you looking back at me again? To see that love and strength and desire all in the same glance?"

"I know how fantastic it feels to be able to do that again. It’s one reason I believe the merging will stick. I think it means whatever poison Ares used to infect me is gone, because before, I had to fight to feel anything beyond rage and hatred for the rebels. I should have destroyed them... I was originally going to and I didn’t. That’s another reason I think this merging is permanent – I did good, Gwen. I can actually see that now. Before, I could only see the ugliness of my actions, but there have been a lot of positive consequences as well. I think it is safe to say I have expunged the poison from my being – body and soul. "

"There is an antidote... at least Artemis had top Amazon scientists working on one. I know they were close, but I don’t know if it is done yet. Do you think you still need it?"

Randi shrugged, then winced at the pull on her chest. "Gotta remember not to do that for a while yet. As for the other, I honestly don’t know, love. I don’t think so, because I feel clean and whole. On the other hand if it is ready, would it hurt? Maybe it would help me to heal faster."

"Well, not a lot we can do about it here, and I’m not ready to leave yet. I like it here with you; besides, you have to get stronger before we can go. I want you to be able to kick Ares’ ass, but mostly I want you to see how I see you. And you’re going to need every bit of strength and fortitude we can muster for that."

Randi frowned. "Why? Are you planning to take me back into that room?" remembering the lights and colors and music she had briefly glimpsed in the open corridors of Gwen’s mind.

"Yes," Gwen said frankly. "It is the only way for you to see yourself through my eyes and I think it’s important that you do. We will take every precaution, but this means a lot to me."

"We’ll see what we can do, love. I don’t want to do any more damage to either of us. But for now I am perfectly content to remain right here with you. It is lovely and peaceful and totally refreshing."

They passed a bit of time in contented silence before Randi spoke again. "Kinda late for me to worry about this, I suppose, but I’m not hurting you, am I? Because I’m not sensing the warmth from outside us that I did before, which means you’re not getting any extra strength even though you are sharing yours with me. Wonder why we lost it."

Gwen brushed a light kiss over Randi’s temple and gently started tracing the familiar planes of Randi’s face. "No, sweetheart. I am relishing the experience of having you in my arms again. In fact, when we get out of the spirit realm and back to the real world, I see everything taking a backseat to some serious ‘us’ time. We have a lot of make-up cuddling and tracing and snuggling to do."

"Please do not forget about the make-up sex. I figure we may get a chance to come out of the bedroom after the first fifty years or so."

Gwen blushed again but decided to turn the tables on Randi. "I hate to break it to you, Stud, but I’m not gonna have had my fill of you by then, so if you want a turn, we’re gonna be in that bedroom for a lot longer than fifty years. I may let you be on top after fifty years if you’re lucky."

The rejoinder was so unexpected, even the tips of Randi’s ears burned beet red. "Ahem, well, that is more than sufficient motivation for me to hurry up and get the hell out of here so we can kick Ares’ ass and go home."

"Do we get to go home, Randi?"

"I think it depends on what we want to do, sweetheart. We have the world by the tail now, as it were. We can do what we want with it."

"But can we really do that? Your becoming Empress means you accepted a responsibility for the world and the people of it. Can you just walk away from that? Do you want to?"

Randi tilted her head. "Well, when I took the job, I did so with the understanding that the responsibility was a temporary one for me... much like the job of Sabre Commandant. I did what I set out to do with them, accomplished the goals I set for myself. I quelled the rebellion and brought peace back to the world. The threat is gone."

"Yes, but just two nights ago you promised to stay. You said, and I quote, ‘Since it is the will of the people, I will accept the responsibility to continue as your Empress until such time as we feel the peace is well established enough to maintain itself without my governing.’ You just accepted the position; last night was your Coronation Ball, for heaven’s sakes! That doesn’t sound like something you can just walk away from at a whim."

"If it’s a choice between going home with you and staying here to rule alone, there’s no contest, Gwen. I’m not giving us up again... not for anything. I can’t believe I gave it up to start with... not given how goddamn hard I had to fight for it in the first damn place." There was more than a little disgust in her voice and Gwen moved a hand from around her shoulders up to cradle her face.

"You never gave us up, Randi... not once. You fought to protect me, to keep me safe. Just because I didn’t agree with the way you went about it doesn’t mean you gave us up, sweetheart. You fought for us harder than I did. I didn’t do anything but give you grief."

"On the contrary, you gave me a reason. Without you, I would have slaughtered the rebels. Without you, innocents would have died. Because of you, the rebels got a choice... a second chance, and the Amazon Nation is reestablishing itself. Don’t you dare discount your worth... to me or to anyone else. You are the reason the world is changing."

"I... but... um, really?"

Randi grinned charmingly, enraptured of the stunned expression on Gwen’s face. "Yeah... really."

"I never... um, I never actually considered... I never thought... wow!"

Randi chuckled. "I love you, ya know."

"I know. That makes me the luckiest woman in the whole damn world. And I love you too... so much."

It was quiet for a while after that, because those words needed an unspoken affirmation, and they took their time and enjoyed the connection between them. When they finally broke apart for air, they spent a long moment simply gazing into one another’s eyes. Then they smiled.

"God, I’ve missed this," gently tracing the planes of Randi’s face. Randi smiled and raised her hand to trace Gwen’s lips.

"So have I, and it feels so good. Even better, I can sense the healing happening... almost feel things mending inside me when we kiss. Your love... our love is healing me."

"Does this mean we should keep kissing?"

"Um hmm... for the greater good, you understand."

"I see," Gwen said, easing out from behind Randi and lowering her gently into the soft grass. Then she stretched out beside her and propped her head in her hand and looked into Randi’s face with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. Gwen let her fingers trace around Randi’s collarbone and down into her cleavage, watching Randi’s breathing hitch as she circled a nipple without touching it. "So," Gwen said, clearing the huskiness from her throat, "if kissing can heal you slowly, do you suppose escalating our physical activities might speed the healing process even more?"

Randi didn’t deign to answer verbally; instead she let her fingers do the walking, sliding them into Gwen’s clothing and making skin on skin contact. She felt Gwen’s gasp as sensations began to cascade between them and grinned fiercely, then she was too busy feeling... for what seemed like the first time in eternity.

Reed gasped. The sensations she felt between them were overwhelming, but she almost welcomed the burn. It, even more than their aura, signified a true return to the strength of their bonding. A strength that she welcomed gladly. It made the tears run from her eyes.

"Reed?" Tiny lifted one hand to wipe the tears from her eyes and Reed smiled at him with blinding intensity.

"Oh God, Tiny. It hurts so much, and it feels so good. They’ve re-knit the bond between them, stronger than it was before." She took Tiny’s hands in hers and opened her mind, willing him to see what she did. She knew the moment he saw – he simply froze all movement. Then his mouth dropped open and his eyes bugged out, forgetting to blink and forgetting to breathe. She cut her eyes at Sky who understood her unspoken directive, and moved to intercept Tiny when Reed removed her hands from his. Sky held onto him gently as Tiny came back to himself, blinking rapidly as his body tried to catch up to the experience his mind had seen.

"*That’s* what Randi has been living without for the past few months?? Damn! No wonder she’s been pricklier than a hedgehog in heat!"

The small group, even the goddesses, chuckled at his pronouncement. Despite its innate truth, it was a great stress reliever, and everyone appreciated the chance to laugh. Lacey stopped first, though her smile remained big as she looked around the room.

"You want even better news? Whatever they are doing to repair their bond is also working to heal Randi’s physical injuries. I can almost see it repairing itself in front of my eyes."

That announcement made everyone shift in her direction, though no one, Reed especially, got close enough to touch. What they saw made them all gasp.

As Lacey had indicated, Randi’s healing could almost be seen taking place with the naked eye. It was obviously clear that the damage Ares had done to her was getting better. Athena looked at Lacey. "Are you sure this is them and not the regen unit finally doing its thing?"

"Oh yeah... I’m sure. The regen unit isn’t even on. Sky removed it at my instruction just before we arrived. We thought since her wounds were inflicted by Ares that perhaps trying to regen her was making her worse instead of better. So whatever is happening... whatever is causing her to heal... is them alone. We’re not doing anything at all to make a difference. We’re not even channeling strength their way right now. They are completely on their own except for the outside monitoring we’re doing."

"Why? Why aren’t you channeling strength to them?"

"Same reason Reed isn’t trying to contact Gwen right now. It’s not safe for them... or for her, for that matter."

"I don’t understand," Dite piped up. "I mean, I know I totally lost them when Randi died, but...."

Lacey took a deep breath. "When we moved Gwen and we got them physically together again, they literally pushed all of us out of their space. To try to reestablish a connection with them, without an invitation, means disrupting whatever they have going on between them. And since whatever they’re doing is working for them, distracting them from it could kill them... and us." She looked at Aphrodite. "It could even do serious damage to you."

"Okay, dying would majorly suck." She looked between Reed and Lacey. "Any idea how long this healing biz will take?"

Reed and Lacey exchanged glances and shrugged. "Best guess physically speaking... if she keeps healing at her current rate, I’d say within the next two hours."

"And then they’ll be all right? Everything will be back to normal for them?"

Reed smirked. "What’s normal for them?" The rest returned her look, exchanging smiles with one another. "The fractures to their auras are already healed, mended as though they never happened. Their bond is stronger than it has ever been. I think the only reason they haven’t finished their spirit walk is because Randi’s physical self is still healing. When they are ready, they will return to us. Then the real work begins."

"How do you figure?"

"Well, Randi is still the Empress, Gwen is still the Amazon queen and the rebels are still in the process of being reeducated. Then there is the fact that the people really want Randi as a leader; they like what she has done in the few months she has been in command of the Sabres and control of the world. It’s a safer place than it has ever been and they are informed like they haven’t been in their lifetimes. She promised them she would stay until everyone was satisfied that the peace was in place, and we all know that could take a while. Mankind’s track record in the peace department is pretty sorry."

"It gets more complicated," Tiny chimed in.

"Of course it does," the rest answered in chorus.

"We all know that neither of them will stand for that sort of demand on them for very long. They have fought too long and too hard to be together to allow that sort of intrusion into their lives more than briefly. That means they are going to be looking for a way to return home alone. Randi has always been an extremely private individual; she won’t stand for any sort of public scrutiny for long."

"Neither will Gwen," Reed assured him. "Despite her status as a celebrity, Gwen is a very private woman and has always safeguarded her privacy fiercely. She won’t tolerate the examination of every little detail of her life either."

"So what can we do? Regardless of whatever support we provide for them, we are still simply support for them. They are the names and faces the world knows and wants. We can’t just jump in and take over now that things are more stable. No one knows us... that could cause Gwen and Randi far more problems than it would solve. And none of us want that."

"That’s true, Lace... but I think we need to be proactive about this – anything to make this easier."

"What about Ares?"

Tiny shrugged and looked at Aphrodite. "That will be up to Randi... or more to the point, it will be up to both of them. But I’d imagine, all things considered, that is the one thing she will insist on taking care of personally. The rest... well, it would be nice to figure out a way to go ahead and get the ball rolling. The sooner we have a plan of sorts figured out to present to Randi, the better off things will be for them... and for us."

"All righty! So we need some radical plan of action, right? I think we should totally look into some food first then, babe. I know if I’ve got the munchies, the rest of you must be way starved." Artemis and Athena exchanged glances and shook their heads, but acknowledged Dite probably did have a point. "Wicked. Let’s see what we can whip up for these bodacious dudes and dudettes."

"All right, Dite. All right. We’ll go figure out something good to feed them, and they can get to work figuring out what they can do to speed things along, as it were."

"This is my favorite place in the whole world," Gwen said sometime later. She was curled up in Randi’s arms with her head resting over Randi’s heart, listening to the strong rhythm of her heartbeat. Her hand traveled over every bit of skin she could reach, lightly tracing familiar patterns and feeling the goosebumps follow behind her touch. Randi squirmed a little, then turned her head and brushed a kiss over the blonde hair.

"You’re tickling me," she stated matter-of-factly. "And I wouldn’t have you be anywhere else, love. I have missed this with you so much. I have missed *everything* with you so much."

"Ditto, Stud. I can’t tell you how good it feels to just lay here like this with you and just be."

"You don’t have to, sweetheart. I know."

Silence reigned for a while before Gwen eased her head up and turned to meet Randi’s gaze. "How do you feel?" gesturing to Randi’s torso. "I mean, it looks healed, but here I am laying on it and it could still be painful for you." She stopped talking when a hand cupped the back of her head and positioned her on Randi’s chest again listening to her heartbeat. Gwen smiled. "Guess that means you’re feeling better, huh? God, I’m glad."

"Me too, though I suppose that means we have to head back to the real world. And that means we’ll be separated again, at least for a little while."

"Why? Do you need me to go away from you again?"

Randi brow creased in a frown. "Again? Gwen, sweetheart, you already left. Remember? That’s what started this spirit quest in the first damn place." She drew a shuddering breath and her voice dropped to a whisper. "You gave me back your ring and you left."

"And I have already made the return trip back to the palace." Randi shifted so they were both lying on their sides, facing one another. She stared into Gwen’s eyes searching for answers. Gwen put on hand on Randi’s cheek and cupped it lightly. "I had Reed move me back to the palace a while ago. You were dying here in the spirit realm as well as on the physical plane. I wanted physical contact with you. I hoped it might help you heal."

"Gwen, that could have killed you."

"Randi, if you had died here, it wouldn’t have mattered. I would have been dead anyway. Where you go, I go, remember?"

"But...?"

"Shh. It’s the truth and you know it. It always has been; it just sometimes takes a little longer to remember that promise than it does others."

"I’ve been thinking about that... a lot actually. And about what to do about Ares. I want this to be the end with him, Gwen. We have been through the karmic cycle over and over again throughout history – for thousands of years - and in every lifetime, he’s been there... teasing me, tempting me, trying to separate us. Sometimes he has been subtle, and sometimes he’s been blatant, but always, *always* he has been some part of our lives together."

"So what do you wanna do, love? I know you’ve been thinking about this for at least a little while."

Randi nodded and sat up, leaning against their tree and pulling Gwen’s naked body into her own, relishing the simple sensation of skin on skin contact. She wrapped her arms around Gwen’s middle and smiled when not only did Gwen cover her arms with her hands, but she leaned back into Randi’s chest with a sigh of absolute contentment.

"In the short term, I am going to demand a code duello with set conditions. As the one who has been wronged repeatedly, it is my right to do so and I believe it will be easy enough to get my demands met... if not by Ares’ choice, then on command of a higher authority. You know there are a number of gods who would stand for us. More than anything, Ares cannot afford to lose face over this, and if he refuses to accede to my demands, the rest will view him as weak."

"Playing on his vanity, huh? You’re pretty damned smart." Gwen felt the silent chuckle behind her. "Do you think you can beat him though, love? I mean... he is a god after all. And I don’t want him doing damage to you again like he did today."

"Ah, but I’ve already thought of that. See, one of the conditions will be that he will have to lose the god powers to fight. Not just have them bound or whatever, but have them completely stripped away. He has to fight as a mortal, with only the skill he possesses. It’s not going to be a fight to the death either. I only want to make him yield."

"He’ll never go for it, Randi. He can’t stack the odds that way."

Randi smiled. "I know. But I will make it a very public challenge if I have to – so not only will the entire worldwide pantheon of gods know about it, but the entire world will. He will have to accept just to keep the followers he has, because who wants to follow a war god who won’t accept a challenge?"

"Won’t he lose face when you beat him?"

Randi’s smile turned melancholy. "You’ve never lost faith in me, have you? Even when you left tonight, you did so knowing I would choose you," letting her fingers trace over Gwen’s smooth skin. "As for the other, yes – that is why it’s a win/win situation for me no matter what he chooses to do. He’s going to have to choose one or the other."

Gwen caught Randi’s fingers in her own and tangled them together in a light clasp. "I had my doubts," seeing the immediate hurt in wide blue eyes, "but not in you or us. My doubts had more to do with Ares and what he had done to you." Her eyes dropped to their still joined hands. "I’m sorry for the doubts though. He just stacked the decked against you so high; I never expected you to choose me so quickly. I didn’t know you were fighting him so hard or so long on your own."

Randi brought their hands up under Gwen’s chin and lifted it until their eyes met. "I know... and I’m sorry for that. I was fighting so hard it made everything else nearly impossible, especially talking about it. I’m just glad you forced the choice. I think it was the kick in the pants I needed to confront Ares."

Gwen smiled tremulously into Randi’s eyes. "Guess we make a pretty good team, huh?"

"Damn straight," then stealing a kiss.

"Okay, you said that was short term. What’s the long term plan, or is there one yet?"

Randi nodded slowly. "There is one, sorta. It kinda depends on you."

"Me?"

"Uh huh. I figure the short term solution will buy us peace in this lifetime. The only way we’re gonna have eternal peace is to remove our souls from the karmic cycle... completely."

"Completely?" Gwen sat still staring blindly ahead for a long moment considering Randi’s words, then she blew out a breath. "Wow. That’s... I never thought about.... Why haven’t we done that before now?" She leaned her head to one side so she and Randi could gaze into one another’s eyes.

Randi shrugged. "Probably because he’s never pushed us so hard or so far. He hasn’t been this involved in our lives since our original journeys together millennia ago. So we’ve never really had a reason to make a decision like this; his participation has been minuscule or so completely detached that it was nearly impossible to trace anything back to him. This lifetime, he was blatant."

"Is that what you want to do, love? Doesn’t he win if we quit?"

"I guess it depends on your point of view. I don’t think so, because we would be doing it on our terms; it would be our decision. I’ll be honest with you, Gwen – I’ve been thinking about this a lot, especially lately." She looked down the length of their bodies then back in Gwen’s eyes. "I’m tired, Little One. More tired than I have ever been before. It’s selfish of me to say this, but I really don’t know that I want to keep doing this anymore."

Gen sat up and turned around in Randi’s lap, straddling her legs and resting her arms on the broad shoulders beneath her. She twined her hands together in the dark hair and tilted Randi’s face up to meet her gaze. They stayed that way for a long moment; spending that kind of quality time together in the past few months was something they had both sorely missed, and it was apparent they were going to indulge that need very often in the foreseeable future.

Gwen brushed her lips over Randi’s but didn’t allow the contact to deepen. "I’m gonna keep saying this until you catch a clue, all right? Where you go, I go, warrior. In life, in death, in the afterlife, to the moon or another plane of existence... it doesn’t matter. I promised you forever. In each and every lifetime we have shared together, I have always promised you forever, and that has never ever changed... not since we first exchanged vows privately between us, nor anytime since then. God, Randi... I love you so much. You are the best part of who I am and who I want to be. I will walk with you anywhere. You got that?" capturing the lips just beneath hers passionately until she felt Randi’s hands start to wander indiscriminately.

They separated on an uneven breath and Randi smiled – a smile that started in the depths of her blue eyes and worked its way outward until it consumed her entire expression. "I got that. I got you – FOREVER - and that makes me the luckiest human being to ever walk the face of this planet. However," tilting her head for another kiss, "you can always keep reminding me this way. I’ll never, ever get tired of hearing it."

Gwen laughed. "I’ll bet. We could debate the lucky part, but we’ll have to save that for another day. Just like we probably need to table any other life-altering decisions until we get out of here. As long as we understand one another and know that regardless of what we decide to do, it will be us together forever, the actual decision of what we do can wait until we get back to the real world. But Randi, I’ll be happy to stop going and settle down. I’m a little tired too."

And Randi looked deep into those deep green eyes, and saw the truth in Gwen’s words.

Unexpectedly, Gwen stood up and offered her hand to Randi, who accepted the gesture automatically and allowed herself to be hauled to her feet. They spent a few minutes dressing, then Gwen extended her hand again.

"C’mon," she said with a tingle of excitement in her voice. "One quick trip and then we’ll head back."

Randi nodded, and slowly they walked to the door that would take them into the orderly chaos that was the creative side of Gwen’s productive mind.

The three goddesses exchanged glances and Dite snorted. "As if. But, if you really want it, I guess we could manage to like, sit down together when this totally over and see what we can, you know, figure out. Shouldn’t be too hard, huh?"

"After this... *nothing* should be too hard ever again."

"True that," Dite agreed. "So you have some sort of gnarly plan worked out to show Randi?" She and the other goddesses had left the five awake and aware humans to pour over ideas and details to present to Randi and Gwen when they awoke, because they had already interfered more than was actually allowed by the rules they now operated under. It was bad enough they couldn’t fix the damage that had already been wrought by Ares. But they knew even better than Reed did how Randi and Gwen would covet all the time together that could be managed.

Tiny shrugged. "Sorta. More like a few suggestion and options. We can’t do much until we know Randi’s state of mind. If the Empress returns, we can only offer ideas. If we get any other part, well, we’ll work with it when the time comes."

His wording got Athena’s attention. "Do you see her as more than one person, Tiny?"

Tiny considered his answer carefully. "No," he said at last. "I see her as having many facets. It’s just that her focus has been so intense lately that first the Commandant and then the Empress have dominated everything else."

"Which facet do you think will return? If Reed is right and she and Gwen have been on their spirit walk together, do you think the Empress or the Sabre will be in charge? Or will Gwen find the woman she fell in love with and bring her to the fore? I’m asking because if Reed is right, and we all believe she is, then I think it is safe to say that Gwen is not going to let this spirit walk end until she... until they... have been successful in returning Randi to a more complete sense of self than she has had lately. That would explain why it is taking them so long."

Tiny cleared his throat. "If you think I’m betting against either of them in this, you are out of your mind... no offense intended."

Athena chuckled. "None taken. We learned a long time ago not to rule out any possibilities where these two souls are concerned."

A gasp from Reed stopped any further conversation and Tiny rushed back to her side. She had wandered closer to the bed after their repast. They had moved away to eat, knowing there was little they could do for Randi and Gwen and content that the monitors would alert them to any physical changes that took place in the meantime.

"Reed?"

She reached out a hand blindly, knowing that Tiny would comprehend her need. He intercepted it and held on tightly, moving to wrap her up in his arms. After a moment, she stopped shaking and took a deep breath. Then she relaxed in his arms and turned to smile at him.

"Thanks, honey. I needed that."

"What happened?"

Reed shrugged. "A surge of energy between them. They actually seemed to glow for a brief moment."

"Do you think...?"

"I dunno, Tiny, and I am past guessing with these two. I am too tired to try."

Tiny chuckled wearily. "I know exactly how you feel, and I’ve only been a supporter through all this. Wonder if we could get a vacation out of this when it’s all over."

Reed smiled. "Well, if not a real vacation, I’ll bet we could probably borrow some of the holo programs Gwen was telling me she and Randi had collected." Her eyes twinkled in pure mischief.

"That good, huh?"

"Better," Reed assured him.

A wailing noise caused them all to jump and Lacey to come skidding over to check the machines that had started screaming bloody murder in tandem. She looked up at Reed and Tiny in alarm, but before she could say a word, Randi and Gwen sat up with a gasp, clinging to one another. Then they fell back to the bed, blinking rapidly and panting for air, before curling completely into one another and falling into a deep healing sleep.

"What the hell was that all about?? Lacey, what’s going on?"

"I don’t know! I’m not sure what happened between them to cause the monitors to go haywire, but they’re sleeping naturally now. In my expert opinion, I’d say their spirit walk is over."

"Waitaminute... that’s it?!? That’s how it ends? What a total bummer!! Where’s the drama??"

Rosie laughed. "Aphrodite, take a chill pill! You’re gonna hurt yourself in a minute." The goddess looked so flummoxed by Rosie’s words that she goggled at her, causing the rest to laugh as well. She started to get angry, then decided it was a much needed stress release for everyone and joined in the laughter.

"Okay, so what just happened here? Surely that’s not it??"

"No, it’s not. Their spirit walk is over, but their work has just begun. We might get to hear about their walk together, but then again, we may not. You know how closed mouthed they can both be about things between them and this was intensely personal."

Now Dite crossed her arms and pouted. "Well, that just bites! I wanted to dish... ya know? Get some details from these babes." She sighed deeply. "All right then... I guess if we’ve gotta wait, then we’ve just gotta wait." She looked around at the five men and women who had been up all night long keeping an eye on Randi and Gwen.

"Why don’t you rockin’ chicks and studs take off and get some shut-eye? The three of us can keep and eye on those two," motioning towards the big bed, "and those two," gesturing to Geoff and Jill. "Ya’ll have earned whatever fab rest you can find... especially if more work is rolling down that nasty pipeline for ya’ll. So g’wan... shoo now, ‘kay?"

They all grinned tiredly in her direction. Sky stood up from the chair he’d been sprawled in. "I have to admit that sounds like a wonderfully decadent idea." He turned to Reed. "I can’t begin to imagine how you feel."

"Good," she answered, looking at Randi and Gwen wrapped together once more before leaning back into Tiny’s embrace. "I am exhausted and seeing them together again is painful, but I haven’t felt this good in a long, long time. C’mon, baby. Let’s go get some sleep. We can worry about the consequences of all this tomorrow... or at least much later today. The world will just have to manage on its own for a few hours."

"What about the shielding? The People and the military are not gonna be able to keep that up indefinitely."

Sky and Reed closed their eyes simultaneously only to have them pop back open a moment later so they could trade startled glances. "They won’t have to," Reed said softly. "Randi and Gwen have their own shielding in place."

Lacey looked between them before voicing the question on everyone’s mind. "Um... what does that mean exactly?"

"It means," Athena replied when no one else answered, "that at some point in the future, Randi and Gwen are going to challenge Ares’ claim and actions. It means that they will have to invite him in for him to do anything else to them."

"WHAT?!? Wait... just... if they could do that all along, why wait til now? We know they’ve already paid a terrific price to be together," indicating the spot where Gwen’s parents were. "Everyone here has suffered with and supported them through it for the past few months. Why did we go through all the pain and suffering and shit first? Why did they? Why not do it as soon as they knew the truth?"

"Because, Lacey, even for the gods, everything happens in its own time and its own way. The truth is, they couldn’t do it all along – they did it as soon as they could. Their bond is unbreakable now; ask Reed... it is stronger than it has ever been. They had to suffer, to know separation, to know the rending between them like they did before. They had to make a conscious choice to be a part of one another again and to determine the cost they were willing to pay to be together – the cost they are willing to exact from Ares for his repeated interference in their lives. Not just in this lifetime, but in every lifetime they have shared together since they found one another all those millennia ago. Whatever happened to them in that spirit walk, they had to experience it alone together. *That* is how they were able to finally seal their bond again."

"I wonder what the cost was for them and what it will be for Ares."

The silence that followed was staggering.

Gwen stopped when they reached the door. She could feel Randi’s rapid heartbeat through their joined hands. She turned to look at Randi and watched as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening her eyes and allowing their gazes to meet.

"You all right there, Stud?"

Randi’s head nodded yes, but her eyes weren’t as confident in their answer. Gwen reached over and took Randi’s other hand in hers and just held them for a long moment, chafing Randi’s pulse point until she could feel the pounding beneath her touch slow to a more normal rhythm. Finally, Randi took a second deep breath and blew it out slowly.

"Sorry... I’m a little nervous. After what happened before...."

"I know, love, and I’m sorry about that. I didn’t know it would be as overwhelming for you as it was. I didn’t know you were still fractured. But this time you are going in whole. Both parts of you have melded and blended to become one again and you and I are more a part of one another than ever. Can you feel the difference?"

Randi considered Gwen’s words then nodded her agreement.

"Trust me, Randi. Together we have the fortitude to do this again. We need to do this... we both do. I need you to see what I see when I look at you, and you need to see it. I know you think I only see the darkness, love, and I know it is there. It’s an integral part of who you are; it’s where your strength comes from. But it is not all you are, and it is certainly not all I see."

"How can you not, especially after all that has happened between us lately?"

"How could I, especially after all that has happened between us lately?"

Silence for a long moment while Randi let the peace and warmth of Gwen’s words soak into her, then she squeezed the hands she still held. "All right," she said with confidence. "Let’s do it."

Gwen put her hand on the door, then hesitated briefly. "If it starts to get overwhelming again, focus on my voice and my eyes and my touch. That will ground you until we can get back here."

"I’m gonna be all right, sweetheart. You’re gonna be there with me, and I’m ready for this. You’re right... I do need to see this, as much as you need to share it." She reached over and put her hand on Gwen’s so that together they could open the door. "Let’s do it."

Randi kept her attention on Gwen, not allowing her eyes or hearing to stray beyond that focus. She was peripherally aware of the sight and sounds and scents that surrounded her, of course, but she did not let it overwhelm her senses and she found it a much more pleasant experience than the time before. It was warm and comforting and familiar and strangely enough, soothing to her battered psyche. It occurred to her to wonder why; instead, Randi decided to simply enjoy the sensations.

They stopped walking and Gwen turned to find Randi’s eyes fixed intently on her. She blushed and swallowed and Randi grinned ferally. "Well, I was gonna ask how you were doing, but, um... I think I can guess. Are you ready?"

Randi nodded, but didn’t take her gaze from Gwen. Gwen slid around to stand beside her. Randi’s eyes followed her; then Gwen reached out and turned Randi’s chin away from her form and toward what appeared to be a mirror.

She watched in fascination as her reflection faded and in its place....

The warrior facing her was dark and intense, but Randi could see an aura of light surrounding her. Even as she watched, the reflection changed and morphed – she lost the dark, gleaming armor she wore and became a woman as well as a warrior. There was strength and purpose in her body and determination in her stance. She was a warrior to be both feared and admired. But it was her eyes that Randi took note of. They twinkled and glowed with unbridled love and affection and even from where she stood, Randi could feel the love and desire she felt both for and from Gwen.

For a long time, Randi just stood looking, amazed at the image looking back at her. Finally, she turned back to look at Gwen, the wonder clear in her eyes. "Is that really how you see me?"

"Yep," she said with a little smile. "It really is."

"That’s... um, wow, Gwen. I... I never... I... hmm...."

This time Gwen chuckled. "Speechless much there, love?" Long fingers reached over and tickled Gwen’s ribs, eliciting a squeal.

"With you, it’s a constant state of being."

The words were so unexpected Gwen sucked in a breath and just held it, staring into Randi’s eyes for a timeless moment. Then she wrapped her arms around Randi’s neck and pulled her down for a deep, passionate kiss. It went on until they broke for air, and when it was over they gasped, ending their spirit walk and sending them both into a natural, healing sleep.

It was still raining when Gwen woke up, though not with the ferocity it had stormed the previous night. She eased her head up off Randi’s shoulder and looked around, noting with distinct pleasure that she and Randi were not only sharing the same bed for the first time in months, but they were curled around one another possessively again.

She couldn’t stop the tears that flowed down her cheeks, but for the first time in forever, they were happy tears. Gwen let her fingertips gently trace the planes of Randi’s face, learning the harsh changes the months had wrought on Randi’s features. Her cheekbones were more pronounced and the planes were sharp. She let her touch wander down Randi’s body, feeling her ribs more prominent than they should be. Her fingers clenched into light fists in anger at the damage their separation had done to Randi and then she felt the touch of fingers on her face, tenderly wiping away her tears.

"Tears, Little One? I thought waking up together like this was a good thing," she teased lightly. She was concerned, not because of the tears since Gwen had been known to cry on occasion when she was happy. More, it was that she had felt the fists clench as well as the touch of anger that had flowed through Gwen.

"Waking up like this is an incredible thing, Stud. I just can’t tell you how much. These are happy tears," leaning up so she could look into Randi eyes. Then, just because she could, she leaned down and brushed their lips together, smiling into the kiss when Randi deepened it. Only the clearing of a throat brought them back to an awareness of the present... and the fact that they were not alone.

Randi sat up and tucked Gwen behind her... or tried to at any rate. She gave it up when Gwen simply wrapped around her like an octopus and held on tightly. Aphrodite stepped into the light, wincing when Randi glared at her. She shifted her gaze to Gwen and returned the small smile of contentment Gwen wore. She shifted around to Gwen’s side of the bed and lightly touched her face, studying her face before exchanging a long look with Randi.

"It is so fab to have you two back again! How’s it hanging?"

"Well, technically speaking, it’s not hanging at all," Randi smirked, enjoying the light blush the banter got her. Then she laughed at the smack it earned her on the belly, enjoying the rub that immediately followed. "We’re doing good, Aphrodite. In fact, better than good; we’re absolutely fantastic."

Aphrodite clapped her hands together and hopped in place just a little. "That is so cool! So what happened? C’mon... tell Dite all about it!" Unseen, Artemis and Athena just covered their eyes and shook their heads. Leave it to Aphrodite to stir the pot unthinking very first thing.

"Excuse me?" Randi’s eyebrows went into her hairline.

Dite dropped onto the bed. "What?? C’mon, dish a little."

Gwen wrapped her arms more securely around Randi’s frame, soothing her with a gentle touch. Randi turned and met Gwen’s eyes, feeling her gaze soften. Gwen arched an eyebrow in question and Randi gave her a tiny, crooked smile. Gwen smiled back brightly before turning her attention to Aphrodite. "No, Aphrodite."

"Huh?"

"No. We’re not gonna share what happened between us there... at least not now. Maybe not ever."

"But...."

"Dite, what happened to us on our spirit walk - it’s intensely personal and extremely private."

Dite pouted and picked at the covers. "All right, all right. Fine. But we still need to talk. Ya’ll so need to know what’s been, like, going on here during your righteous walk together. We’ve hit a few bumps while ya’ll were busy."

The seriousness of her tone caused both Randi and Gwen to straighten up. It was then that they realized that Athena and Artemis were in the room as well as they chose that moment the make their way over to the bed. Randi tightened her hold on Gwen, feeling the tension mount when the other two goddesses arrived.

Dite reached for Gwen’s hands and Artemis sat behind her with her hands on Dite’s shoulders. Athena stood behind both of them to lend her strength. Gwen gripped Randi’s hands and looked at her in alarm. Randi brushed a kiss across Gwen’s temple and murmured in her ear, "I love you." Then they held stares for a long moment, until Randi saw Gwen smile just the tiniest bit. The embrace became a brief hug, and they turned their attention to the goddesses.

"All right... what kind of bumps?? Where is everyone?"

Dite gave Athena a plaintive look, and Athena cleared her throat. Randi’s eyes sharpened into steel points and Athena took a deep breath and started to speak. "We sent most everyone to bed to get some rest. They had been working all night and were exhausted. We stayed here keeping an eye on the two of you. You’ve been sleeping for a full day... and so have they."

They blinked at each other, then Randi spoke. "You said most... what happened?"

"First of all, I need you to both understand that no one was ready for you to begin your spirit the way you did. Nothing was in place like it was supposed to be... especially as far as Randi was concerned. There was no shielding here because of course Ares knew where to find Randi – she called on him twice before she fell into the state which started your walk."

"When Gwen and her contingent arrived from the cabin, you were dying. You did in fact stop breathing for a few moments shortly after they arrived, and in that time...." She took another deep breath. "We were not here and the People were still setting up a perimeter – when Randi stopped breathing, Ares was furious. He saw it as her way of cheating him out of the prize he felt was rightfully his to claim. So he came back to seek vengeance. He was determined to take his due."

"And...? Get to the point," Randi growled impatiently. Athena arched her eyebrow and in any other situation, Randi might have been contrite for her impatience, but not this time. She was tired and cranky and despite what she had told Gwen, sore from the damage Ares had inflicted her body. She hadn’t had many reserves left going into this ordeal and this had drained her almost dry. So Randi just returned Athena’s look and waited.

"And," Dite broke in with a somber tone, "everyone that was here tried to protect you from him... both of you. Rosie, Reed and Lacey moved towards you first; they were the closest. Ares flung them against the far wall. He did the same to Tiny and Sky when they tried to tackle him."

"Oh, God... are they all right?" from Gwen. "He didn’t hurt them too badly, did he?"

Dite shook her head and looked down at the blanket. "No... a few bruises. They’ll probably wake up sore and stiff this morning, but nothing a little time with the regen unit can’t cure." Silence fell again until Randi broke it impatiently.

"Okay... and? I mean, ya’ll wouldn’t be acting like somebody died if...." Gwen gasped and Randi stopped as realization dawned. "Who died?? Who else was here??" a bit frantically. Gwen took Randi’s hands in her own and turned her body until she could look directly into Randi’s eyes. She felt a strange sense of calm and peace envelop her.

"My parents were here, love. If they did what I asked them, they were here to offer you and the rest of our friends whatever support they could."

Randi searched Gwen’s eyes, knowing her words for the truth. Then she turned to the goddesses. Aphrodite wouldn’t meet her eyes and Artemis’ glance offered sympathy. Athena extended her hand, and Randi unwound herself from Gwen then knelt down in front of her, clasping their hands together.

"I need to know, sweetheart. I need to see for myself what Ares did. Do you want to wait here or come with me?"

"Would you like some privacy to grieve in first or would you like my support?"

Randi reached up one hand and cupped Gwen’s face, marveling at her composure and the tranquility in her expression. "Even the warrior in me would like you to be there with me to face whatever is waiting for us together. But what I really want is to make it all go away so this didn’t happen and we, and especially you, don’t have to suffer through the possible loss of your parents."

Gwen covered Randi’s hand, and turned her head to brush a kiss across her palm. "Randi, my folks and I talked about this possibility. They knew the risks... everyone that was involved in this did. Even without Ares involvement, spirit walks can be dangerous undertakings," here she smiled wanly. "The common consensus was that since we were involved, things would probably get complicated."

"And yet they all stuck around anyway," Randi whispered.

"Yes, they did. It was important to them and imperative for us." Gwen took a shuddering breath unexpectedly and released it, her voice dropping in pitch and wavering just slightly. "I don’t want anything to have happened to my parents Randi. I love them both dearly and I’d like to have them around for the rest of my life. But I did ask them to stay with you once I left, knowing you would need some support and they were more than willing – they were glad to do it."

"But...."

"Shh.... They know what we mean to each other and they knew what was at stake. They wanted to be a part of this, love."

"But why?"

"My father continues to be in a lot of pain and it bothers him; this was something he could do despite the pain. My mother still feels guilt about what happened with... um, with Ben. She was hoping to be able to start making up for it by helping here. Randi, I only asked them to stay here with you; they decided to do the rest on their own."

Gwen turned back to the goddesses who were patiently waiting. "What did they decide to do anyway? What happened to my parents?"

Athena answered. "Ares was completely distracted because of the interference the others caused, and Geoff was able to get to the bed and cover you both just before Ares tried to claim you. Jill was only a step behind him and Ares physically knocked her across the room. We arrived bare moments after it happened and we sent him to the far reaches of the earth. But it was too late."

Gwen bit her lip and held on to Randi’s hands tightly. Knowing something was likely wasn’t quite the same thing as having it confirmed. Randi returned the clasp and met Gwen’s eyes squarely.

"I’m sorry, Little One," she said, her shoulders slumping. "I have hurt so many people I care about because of this. I wouldn’t have had anything happen to Geoff and Jill for the world."

Gwen smiled sadly. "Oh, love... don’t do this. No guilt over this." She held up her hand before Randi could speak. "No, Randi. This was their decision... their choice. No matter the outcome, this was what they wanted. Don’t dishonor them by taking that choice away from them."

Randi stood then and helped Gwen do the same, then holding hands, they walked to the small couches where Geoff and Jill lay.

Geoff was hooked up to all manner of medical equipment including two full-sized regen units, but it was obvious that there was no practical function from Geoff’s mind or body despite the intrepid efforts of the variety of machines surrounding him. Jill, on the other hand, appeared to merely be sleeping. Randi and Gwen looked at Athena for an explanation and she walked to them before she spoke.

"By the time we got here, Geoff was already dead; his soul had passed on. Almost as though he knew it was safe for him to go. "But your friends wouldn’t admit defeat, and hooked his body up to these machines, hoping it would do some good."

"What about my mother?" Gwen asked. "What happened to her?"

"I healed her as well as I could; the rest is up to her. I’m sorry, Gwen. It’s like Ares was deliberately targeting her... them... once he figured out they were going to protect you - like he expected the outcome to turn them against you... or each other. He purposefully inflicted as much damage to both of them as he could."

Athena looked at Gwen then, expecting to see sadness in her eyes. What she found was a fire so bright, she felt scalded. Gwen held her eyes for a moment, then turned and wrapped herself in Randi’s embrace.

"Randi?" the word a mere vibration that flowed through Randi’s chest.

"Hmm?" kissing the blonde head tucked beneath her head.

"Before you kick Ares’ ass to kingdom come, I want one good shot at him. Who knows? Maybe we’ll have war god on a stick."

Randi couldn’t help it... she burst into laughter. She knew it was an emotional release for both of them, feeling Gwen laughing in her arms, but it was also just the least little bit funny. Not just picturing Ares hoisted on a stick, but the calm manner in which Gwen presented it. Besides, it chased the tears out of her eyes – tears which returned with fervor when she felt Gwen’s laughter evolve into sobs.

The outburst only lasted a moment before Gwen pulled back just slightly and looked into Randi’s eyes. Randi wiped the wetness from Gwen’s cheeks and felt the touch reciprocated. "He died on his own terms, Gwen. He died as a warrior."

"I know, love. He found his peace. I was crying because I’m gonna miss him. He was a constant friend during my childhood. And I’m crying for my mother. She is gonna miss him even more than I will. They have been together for so long; I’m not sure how she’s going to do, living without him. And I was crying for you, beloved – because I know that no matter what I say and no matter what you know to be the truth, somewhere, somehow you’re going to take responsibility for this on your shoulders. And you shouldn’t have to live with that guilt."

"Not guilt, love, but responsibility. You’re right – their participation was their choice, and I won’t dishonor them by taking the choice away from them and feeling guilt. But I do bear a certain responsibility here, and I own Geoff a debt of honor now."

Whatever response Gwen might have made was cut off by the soft moan that came from the second couch where Jill was lying. Immediately, Randi and Gwen knelt beside her and covered her hands with their own. Then they waited to see if she was going to come to.

Long moments passed in silence while they waited. Aphrodite and Artemis joined Athena in the small sitting area, taking the seats they had occupied during the night and through the long day while everyone slept. Though they couldn’t interfere, they could observe, and all three were anxious to see how this part of the saga would end.

Finally, Jill moaned again, shifting her head slightly and grimacing at the pain that lanced through her head at the movement. She reached for it, only to find herself unable to lift her hands. She wondered vaguely if the harm Ares had done had paralyzed her in addition to causing her acute pain. Then she realized there was another sound besides the roaring in her ears and she strained to listen to it, hoping it would give her some insight into what had really happened.

The words made no sense; they were nothing more than so much sound. But the tone was familiar and warm, and the touch she felt on her face was one she recognized. Jill forced herself to concentrate, and ever so slowly, she opened her eyes.

And had to give the tiniest smile to the unexpected sight that greeted her.

Randi and Gwen sat in front of her wrapped around one another so tightly, Jill doubted air could pass between them. It made her want to cry, knowing that whatever she had lost because of Ares, the balance had been restored. Instead, she smiled at them, and tried to speak.

She was too dry, though and the sound she made was more of a croaked whisper and Dite reached over their shoulders with a cup in her hands. Gwen smiled up at Aphrodite and accepted the cup. Randi moved from behind Gwen and slid beneath Jill, gently easing her up into a semi-sitting position so Gwen could help her drink. After a few swallows, Jill turned her head away and Gwen lowered the cup. Randi started to move out from behind Jill when a hand on her wrist stopped her.

"Thanks, Randi. It’s so good to see the two of you right again."

Randi nodded, but let her eyes drop. Jill’s glance went to Gwen and she saw the residual tears and the sadness in her eyes. "Your father’s dead, isn’t he?"

Gwen nodded, and Randi tried to slip out from behind Jill, figuring Jill would blame her for Geoff’s death. The hand on her wrist tightened and she froze and looked down into Jill’s eyes. Jill smiled sadly at her. "No, Randi. I don’t blame you for Geoff’s death. It was his choice; we talked about things. He wanted to die as a warrior, and he did." Now she teared up, but she didn’t lose her grip or her tiny smile. "I am going to miss him, Randi... a lot, and I’ll probably get mad at him for being gone. But I wouldn’t have denied him the right to be whole again... to be a Sabre again... or Gwen’s father."

"I wouldn’t have had this happen, Jill... not for anything."

Jill patted her hands and then added Gwen’s to theirs, watching when Gwen’s and Randi’s fingers twined together as naturally as breathing. Then she covered their hands with hers. "I know, Randi. I’m just glad it was worth it. It was worth it, wasn’t it? Everything is all right again?"

Gwen’s smile was reassuring. "Everything is better than all right, Mama. Everything is wonderful, fantastic, amazing, incredible...." Jill chuckled and halted Gwen’s descriptive words mid-stream.

"I think I get the picture, Gwen, and I’m so glad. It is nice to see the sparkle in those eyes again, little girl. I’ve missed it."

"Thanks, Mama."

"C’mon, Jill. Let me get you settled on the bed, and then Gwen and I have some things to take care of together." A pause. "Would you like us to start making arrangements for Geoff or would you like to do it yourself?"

Jill didn’t answer, having fallen back into a light doze. Gwen covered her up and then extended her hand to Randi. "C’mon, Stud. Let’s go get cleaned up. Then I’d like to say goodbye to my dad before we take him off the machines."

They walked into the bathroom together and silence fell over the room.

Gwen set the water temperature and started to undress, then realized Randi was still frozen in the same spot. She dropped her shirt in the hamper and crossed to Randi, reaching out cautiously, a little uncertain at Randi’s lack of movement.

"Randi, love? Is something wrong, or...?"

Randi shrugged and rubbed the back of her neck. "I dunno... it’s so – normal. I don’t know if I remember how to do this... do normal."

Gwen started to drop her hands, unsure now if Randi would welcome the touch. Randi reached out and clasped the hands, pulling Gwen closer, then blinked as though she had just realized the Gwen was standing inches from her clad in a sheer, lacy bra. Her eyes were pulled inexorably to the well-rounded cleavage and she licked her lips unconsciously.

Gwen smiled, suddenly reassured by the lust she felt shiver through Randi’s frame. Gwen reached for Randi’s face, smiling when Randi’s hands naturally fell to her waist, gently rubbing the sensitive skin there with the pads of her thumbs while her eyes never strayed from Gwen’s breasts. Gwen cupped Randi’s cheeks and brought Randi’s eyes to meet hers, inhaling sharply at the blue deepened by desire to almost black.

She took one of Randi’s hands and shifted it up to her breast, closing her eyes momentarily when Randi traced just the exposed tops with a light, teasing touch. Gwen slid one hand into Randi’s hair, lacing her fingers into the locks and tugging gently, until their lips were a hairsbreadth apart.

"I think you’re doing normal just fine there, love."

Then their lips met and conversation stopped. Only the sound of water running in the shower brought them back to reality and a smile crossed both faces as they took in their state of near undress. Randi cleared her throat and smiled crookedly at Gwen.

"I guess I am," she agreed. "C’mon," shedding the rest of her clothes and stripping Gwen of hers before ushering them both into the shower enclosure. Randi grabbed the soap and started lathering them indiscriminately, hoping to cool the fire raging in her blood. She felt a little uncomfortable with the burning desire she felt towards Gwen, knowing Geoff was being kept alive only by Lacey’s machines in the very next room.

Gwen turned in Randi’s arms, eyes that only moments before had been darkened in desire were now tear-filled. She wrapped her arms around Randi waist and squeezed. Randi returned the embrace, kissing the top of Gwen’s head.

"Is it wrong to feel so much love and desire for you when my father is...?" Her whispered words turned into silent sobs that Randi could feel. Her own eyes teared up but she refused to let them fall, instead choosing to focus all her love on the woman in her arms. After a moment, Gwen stopped crying and pulled back with a watery smile. "Thank you, Randi. I love you."

"I love you too, Gwen... so much. And no, it’s not wrong; it’s perfectly natural. Aside from what we just went through together and what we’ve been going through for months, death makes us long for an affirmation of life. It’s completely normal. And after what we’ve been through.... But I think first we should go pay our final respects to Geoff and give him the send off to the next world he deserves. Then what do you say to dinner tonight, maybe some candlelight, soft music, sexy lingerie and just you and me together in this plane? I think your dad would understand."

Gwen smiled, thinking of her parents’ relationship, glad Geoff and Jill had always been openly demonstrative about the love between them. While it had been embarrassing for Gwen as a child, it was something she had come to rely on and even appreciate as an adult. "I think they both would."

Randi bit her lip thoughtfully. "You think we should plan to stay with your mother instead?"

Gwen shook her head. "No, I think mama is gonna need some time alone to adjust." She stopped and blew out a breath, closing her eyes as memories washed over her. "I remember...." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I remember... all I wanted was to be left alone. It’s easier to grieve and get angry and cry when there’s no one there to see. We’ll know when she wants company... she’ll tell us."

"I’m sorry, Gwen," feeling that burden of guilt settle squarely on her shoulders again. She moved to shut off the water and Gwen grabbed her arm. Randi smiled sadly. She does know me well realizing that Gwen knew she was trying to pull away. She turned the water off then twisted around to face Gwen, only to find Gwen gazing back at her with complete understanding.

"You know better than that, Randi. I won’t let you pull away from me and I won’t let you shoulder that guilt again."

Randi reached around and snagged a towel from the rack, reaching for Gwen and starting to dry her off. When she was done, she tucked the ends in, letting her touch linger on the soft skin. Gwen cleared her throat and Randi looked up with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

Gwen took the second towel and repaid the favor. When she was down on her knees drying a long length of leg, she spoke quietly. "Randi, I want you to understand something – I never, ever want to go through losing you again... I won’t, because I’d never survive it. But I also want you to know that what happened gave me a deeper appreciation of our life together as well as more sympathy for people that I didn’t have before. So while I would never have chosen to walk that path, I have learned to find the good in it, love."

Randi pulled Gwen to her feet, wrapping the towel around herself before pulling Gwen into a tight hug. "Only you would find good in that, Little One. Thank you."

"Anytime, sweetheart. Now, c’mon. I need to say goodbye to my daddy, and I want you there with me."

They stepped from the bathroom and immediately Randi realized that Jill was no longer in the bed, but had moved over to sit beside Geoff on the couch. Jill was combing her fingers through Geoff’s hair and even as Randi watched, she put her head down on his chest A quick glance around showed her the goddesses were no longer in the room, at least visibly, and Randi turned away as well to give Jill a modicum of privacy to say her goodbyes in. She followed Gwen into the closet and they slowly dressed. Finally, their eyes met and by common unspoken consent they walked out of the closet and into the bedroom.

Jill was back in the bed, the pain on her face written in the tear tracks still visible. Her eyes were closed and her breathing even though, so Randi decided to leave her alone in her grief for now. Instead she reached for Gwen’s hands and they walked together to Geoff’s side.

When they reached the couch, Randi released Gwen’s hand to allow her a minute of privacy with her father....

... only to have Gwen keep a firm grasp on her wrist. She looked at Gwen even as the bard knelt and pulled Randi down beside her.

"Gwen? Love, I only wanted to...."

"I know, Randi. But we are one – body, soul and spirit. And Daddy knows that. I don’t think he would object to us saying our goodbyes to him as one."

Randi nodded and resumed her grip on Gwen’s hand, only this time she wrapped an arm around Gwen’s waist before clasping their fingers together.

Gwen reached up with her other hand and grasped Geoff’s, surprised that it still retained a measure of warmth. "Hi, Daddy," she said softly. "It’s Gwen and Randi, Daddy. We’re together again, Daddy. It worked... just like it was supposed to." She smiled at him wanly. "Well, maybe not *just* like it was supposed to," she joked feebly. "This is *us* we’re talking about, after all."

Gwen felt Randi’s silent chuckle and laughed a little herself. She turned to glance at Randi briefly, drinking in the strength of her before returning her attention to Geoff.

"Thank you, Daddy. I never thought...." She took a shaky breath. "Well, I wish you were here to see the fruits of your efforts. She’s all mine again, Daddy. Ares has no hold on her anymore, and no hope of ever having any again."

Gwen shifted slightly and Randi released her hold, knowing instinctively Gwen needed some freedom of movement to finish her goodbye. Gwen leaned forward and brushed a kiss across Geoff’s cheek. "Goodbye, Daddy. I love you, and I’m gonna miss you so much." A tear ran down her face and she let it. "And if you’re not too busy, could you maybe look in on us once in a while? I’d like to know you were still keeping an eye on your little girl."

She kissed him again then moved to take her place at Randi’s side. Then Gwen waited patiently for Randi to speak, hearing her swallow several times before her voice came out as a hoarse whisper.

"I’m sorry, Geoff. You shouldn’t be lying here, but I will always, *always* be indebted to you for what you did – for Gwen and for me. If there was any way for me to fix this, I want you to know I would do whatever it took. I never meant to take you from your family." She paused and cleared her throat. "I’ll take care of your little girl, Geoff... whatever it takes."

She stared at Gwen for a long moment before turning back to Geoff one final time. "God speed your journey, my friend, and reward you well for your sacrifice. And um... you might wanna look up my folks when you get to the other side. I know they would love to meet you. Ya’ll could probably swap some interesting stories."

This time it was Gwen who chuckled silently and she leaned over to rest her head on Randi’s shoulder. "Um, sweetheart? You do realize that if my father gets together with your folks, we may have to leave eternity just to get a little peace from the ragging they’re gonna do to us?"

Randi bit her lip and nodded. Then she leaned down to whisper into Gwen’s ear. "Except we have a hideaway that no one knows about... no one except us, remember?"

Gwen pulled back just slightly to watch Randi’s face for a long moment before comprehension struck. Her eyes lit, but before the expression could reach her lips, she tucked her head back into the crook of Randi’s neck. Her lips tickled when they moved to speak. "We’re going home?"

Randi nodded. "I think it’s time."

They were silent for a little while after that, then Randi eased Gwen away from her body. "Little One? I think it’s time we let his body join his soul in finding peace. Do you... do you think we should wake your mom up or...?"

Gwen shook her head. "No. She said her goodbyes. I think she wants us to do it. I think Daddy would prefer that too. That way, he really does go as a warrior."

"That is so important to him?"

"Wouldn’t it be important to you, love?" A beat. "Randi, my father was a Sabre, just like you. Well, not just like you because there has never been anyone else even close to being who you are, but he is just like the other Sabres I have met. Despite his handicaps, he was bred a Sabre. I think he’d want to be remembered as one.

Randi nodded. "Then let me do it, love. He isn’t the first, and I doubt he will be the last, and I will honor the sacrifice he made as a warrior’s gift."

So saying, she reached up and flipped off the machines that were keeping his body alive. Then together they watched as the monitors flat lined one by one until the room was left in silence, the wail having been silenced before it could even begin to sound an alarm.

"Goodbye, Geoff. Thank you."

"Goodbye, Daddy. I love you."

Jill kept her eyes closed but the tears slid down her face as she whispered her last private goodbye to the man she had spent the better part of her life loving and living with. Then she prayed for sleep to come, just to get a respite from the loneliness she already felt in her heart.

When Randi opened the door, the guards snapped to attention, then they bowed as she and Gwen exited their suite with joined hands and headed for the huge office area she had commandeered that also served as her conference room. They had tucked Jill in and decided to call everyone else together to let them know what was going on. Their friends deserved that much, and in honesty, Randi and Gwen felt they deserved more. But for now, disclosure would have to be enough.

Yuri, who had assumed the job of her personal assistant, snapped to attention as Randi and Gwen crossed the threshold. He bit his lip to keep from smiling over the obvious change between them. Though is had only been spoken of in hushed tones, he was aware, as were all who were in the household, of the fractured tension that had been between them – a tension that had obviously been dissolved by whatever had taken place in all the excitement two nights previously.

Yuri bowed his head. "Empress... Consort...."

"NO." Gwen had frozen at the title, and Randi’s word cut through the stillness. "No, Yuri. Gwen is many, MANY things, but she is not now nor will she ever be my consort. Make sure everyone is aware of that before the end of the day."

"Yes, Empress." He turned to Gwen. "My apologies, Co...." He gave her a beseeching look, unsure how to address her.

"Gwen is fine, Yuri."

"But her title is that of Queen."

"Yes, Empress," he nodded. "My queen," with a bow in Gwen’s direction. Gwen rolled her eyes and shook her head, slapping Randi lightly on the belly.

"You’re a troublemaker."

Randi grinned and wrapped her hands around Gwen. "You’re just now realizing that? You’re getting slow there, beautiful. Besides, as you so aptly pointed out, you are my equal, not my lesser and the world needs to know that. You deserve the respect the title garners you."

"The only title I want to wear is that of your soulmate, wife and lover. Everything else is just so much window dressing."

Randi smirked. "I suppose it would be useless to point out that you actually named three so-called titles."

"No, you weren’t paying attention. Same title, different words."

Randi was enjoying their banter so much, she opened her mouth to retort when she stopped and thought about what Gwen had said. "Damn, sweetheart, you’re right." She chuckled and kissed Gwen’s nose. "I love you."

Gwen smiled. "I know. I love you too." They stood gazing into one another’s eyes, enjoying the renewed warmth that flowed between them. A throat clearing nearby brought their attention away from one another and back to the room... and Yuri.

"Congratulations, Empress... my queen. It is wonderful to see you so happy together again."

"Thank you, Yuri. It is wonderful to be so happy again." She and Gwen crossed the foyer area arm in arm, stopping only when they reached the door to her office. "Yuri, please call my staff together. We have a lot to talk about."

He motioned to the door, but before he could answer she opened it – then stopped dead when she saw her staff sitting around the large conference table set to one side of the room with coffee cups and Danishes, waiting patiently for her arrival. When they saw that she and Gwen were together, and how together they were, bright smiles broke out across the room and they cheered.

"Nevermind, Yuri," Randi threw over her shoulder before she and Gwen entered the room and shut the door behind them. It didn’t keep the sound of cheering from resonating across the room, nor did it stop the smile on Yuri’s face from growing into a grin. He scurried to his desk and began to prepare the ‘consort’ memo; he was fairly certain no one wanted to be on the receiving end of Randi’s ire if that slip was made again.

The door closing brought utter stillness to the entire group. Reed had reached out to Tiny and Rosie before the door even opened, and the only movement was her hands clenching theirs. Randi slid Gwen around in front of her and wrapped her arms around Gwen’s body, relishing the connection, especially when Gwen linked their hands together as naturally as breathing.

They stood regarding their friends... friends who had risked everything to make sure things worked out for her and Gwen. Friends who continued to be there, even knowing things would never be easy where Randi and Gwen were concerned, just because that’s the way things were with them.

"I’m sorry about what happened to Geoff, Gwen," Tiny said, breaking the silent tableau. "We all are. If there had been anything else we could have done...."

"I know, Tiny and I appreciate it. He died as a warrior and that meant everything to him."

"There aren’t words... there’s nothing we can say that could convey...." Randi bit her lip and stopped speaking. Gwen squeezed the hands she held.

"Thank you all. What you did for us is beyond price."

At Gwen’s words, Reed rose slowly and the rest followed suit, never losing contact with her or each other. She more than any of them had suffered with Randi and Gwen – first by their joining, then through their rending and now through a bonding so complete, even Sky and Rosie could sense their union with little effort. Gently she eased her hands from Tiny’s and Rosie’s, sensing their reluctance and hoping she had guessed right.

Reed looked at each of them and nodded slightly. They released her, though Tiny followed right behind her as she walked from the table to stand two steps from where Randi and Gwen remained near the door. For a long moment, they simply looked at one another, then Reed reached out a hand towards them. Gwen hesitated, knowing the pain their bond had always caused the seer before and unwilling to hurt her again.

"Please?" Reed asked, her eyes glowing silver with the power that was flowing between them. Slowly, Gwen extended her hand and waited for Reed to grasp it. Randi and the rest watched and waited, fascinated by the drama playing out.

Reed took a step forward and clasped Gwen’s hand firmly. Then she smiled broadly and raised her eyebrows in question, extending her arms. Gwen tapped lightly on the hands around her middle and Randi freed her hold on Gwen. Gwen stepped into Reed’s embrace, hugging the seer with all her might. Eventually, they pulled away from one another and Gwen cupped Reed’s face in her hands and placed a kiss on either cheek. "Thank you, Reed," she whispered. "What you did...."

"What I did, I did out of love and genuine friendship. The fact that it was for the greater good was a really nice benefit, but I would do it again for you both alone in a heartbeat. You changed the world, Gwen, and I’m proud to have been a part of that."

"Waitaminute. What the hell is going on here?? Reed, what happened?" Tiny was ultimately the one who dared to voice the question, having been stunned out of his silence at her words. "Did we finally channel enough strength to you to make your barrier against them impregnable?"

Reed shook her head, letting go of Gwen’s hand and capturing both of Tiny’s instead. "No. This is all them. Somehow, the barrier they have enacted against Ares is also serving to protect me. It is channeling their aura into something I can manage. It’s incredible."

"Wait..." Randi broke in. "We’re doing this? How?"

"Yes. When you healed your relationship during the spirit walk, you were able to strengthen the bond between you to the extent that you are able to keep Ares out. When you get ready to confront him, you will have to invite him in. He can’t reach you otherwise."

"But Reed, she hasn’t had the antidote yet."

"She doesn’t need it, Gwen. The millennia’s worth of good karma you have built up together has finally synched up in this lifetime to protect you both."

"Okay, not that I’m not glad to hear it on several levels, and we’ll certainly have to discuss this in greater detail later, but what does that have to do with you now? Because you’re not feeling any pain here are you?" This from Randi.

"No. The barrier that is keeping Ares out is also keeping the strength of your connection in... just between the two of you. So while I can see how bright your auras are and I can sense how strong your bond is, all the feelings associated with it are completely yours."

"That’s amazing," Gwen said. "I’m so glad, Reed."

Whatever she might have answered was lost when Randi stepped forward and took Reed in her arms for a timeless moment, simply rocking them back and forth. No words were spoken, but none were needed; the embrace itself spoke volumes. When they separated, Randi smiled at Reed and spoke simply. "Thank you, Reed."

The softly spoken words were the impetus the rest needed move forward and claim hugs of their own, and Randi and Gwen were happy to comply. For a while, the only sounds in the room were the whisper of cloth, the occasional sniffle of tears and the quiet murmur of voices exchanging condolences and gratitude. Eventually, the group made its way back to the table, and everyone resumed their seats. Despite their happiness over the turn of events, there was still work to do, and the sooner they got down to business, the sooner they could be done and go home. And that was something they were all looking forward to.

"All right," Randi said as she took her seat, then noticed Gwen was still standing. "Shit!" she muttered with chagrin, to some serious tittering from her staff. Randi popped back up immediately and crossed to her desk, pushing her chair from behind it and over to the table. It made quite the statement since she could have easily asked them to move, or taken one of the two empty chairs already at the table.

Even more significant than the use of her personal chair – one she’d had custom made for herself here – was the fact that she put it beside the other chair at the head of the table. Gwen started to slip into the original chair, only to be stopped by Randi’s hand on her arm. Gwen looked at Randi with a question in her eyes.

For answer, Randi held the chair she’d pulled from behind her desk and waited for Gwen to take a seat. Then she pushed it up to the table next to the chair she’d been seated in and resumed her seat there. Everyone at the table, including Gwen, was aware of the significance of her actions. Randi reached over and took Gwen’s hand in hers.

"All right," Randi said again. "Now that we’re *all* seated," with a grin at Gwen. "I want some ideas on what we can do to solidify the peace. Gwen and I are ready to go home, but I made a promise two nights ago and we want to do the best we can – BUT – we are not going to do this for very long. We have other things we want to be doing. Ruling the world was never in my plans."

"Gods be damned!!! *I’ll* be damned!!" Ares screamed at the top of his lungs. He was storming around in a favored temple, periodically destroying things and causing his priests to go scurrying for cover. He stomped back and forth as he ranted and raved and the priests had long since learned to stay out of his way.

Ares strode back over to the alcove that held his scrying bowl, the one area of the temple that remained unscathed. He stopped in front of it, willing there to be more there than just water and cursing virulently when it remained dark.

"You can’t keep me out, Randi. I’m going to find a way to get to you, and when I do, YOU *WILL* BE MINE!!!"

The priests wisely found somewhere else to be, leaving the war god to his madness.

Randi had not released Gwen’s hand the entire time they had been sitting, and their thumbs gently caressed the soft, inner skin over one another’s pulse points. Now she looked around the room, meeting everyone’s eyes individually. "These are good ideas... good suggestions, guys. Thanks. I think there is a way we can make these ideas work, but it’s gonna take a little time to work everything out."

"At least we have time now," Sky commented. "I have sent the People back to the village as it appears we no longer need them here to provide a barrier for anyone."

"How long will this new barrier last?"

Rosie and Reed exchanged glances, then shrugged simultaneously. "We don’t know, Cam. This is a totally new area for us. The barrier is protecting Reed from Randi and Gwen’s energy, but it’s also keeping her from being able to scan more than just the exterior – she can’t get in. So we’re pretty much stuck with guessing at this point."

"So what’s the guess?" Brenda asked. She, Cam and Jess had been part of the barrier effort that protected Gwen and Randi in the palace and she finally had an inkling of what Reed had endured as a seer. Though she had always considered Reed a friend, she’d never pretended to understand her gift. Now she had a sympathy that went beyond friendship. She hoped the guess was in Reed’s favor.

"Well, since Randi and Gwen pushed everyone, friend and foe, out of their space when their auras merged and became one, the assumption is that they have some sort of control. At least they appear to have the ability to protect themselves until the time comes to confront Ares."

"When will that be?" Tiny asked, looking at Randi. "Do you know?"

"If we do it on our timetable? It will be our final objective – the last thing we do before we go home."

"You have a plan then?"

Gwen nodded and answered this time. "Yes, we do... for Ares at least." Her eyes grew hard and everyone sat back in their chairs in surprise. Her fury was a surprise even while it was not completely unexpected. They’d not thought to see it among them, at any rate. "However," she continued, softening her expression at their reaction, "if he is able to force the issue sooner, we will deal with him. This fight will be on *our* terms."

Silence reigned for a few moments as everyone considered the implications of Gwen’s words. Finally, Randi cleared her throat to speak again.

"Tiny, please let the staff know that today is a day of mourning for Gwen and I. We will be having a pyre for Geoff tonight if any of you would like to attend the service."

"Is there anything we can do?"

"No, thank you, Reed," Gwen answered. "Lacey is preparing – him; Randi took care of the arrangements this morning."

"Actually," Randi broke in, "if someone could make sure that Tommy and Ella are taken to their room when they turn up and could notify me of their arrival, I would appreciate it." She was more than a little curious as to why they hadn’t already been here, but it was one of the many things she and Gwen hadn’t had time to talk about yet.

"We’ll do that," Reed assured Randi, taking Tiny’s hand.

"I’d like to go sit with Jill a while if that’s all right?" Rosie looked between Randi and Gwen. Randi turned to Gwen, leaving it up to her. Gwen stared into Rosie’s eyes for a long moment, seeing an unexpected sympathy and understanding glowing in the back of Rosie’s eyes. She nodded mutely, and Rosie covered Gwen’s hand with her own in silent comfort.

After a moment, Gwen cleared her throat. "Thanks again, ya’ll. We would never have defeated the rebellion and achieved the peace we have without each and every one of you. And Randi and I certainly wouldn’t be here now without all your support. There is nothing we could say or do that could ever express our gratitude for your friendship and your devotion to us, but I promise you all we’ll try."

"Gwen, the fact that ya’ll are together again and Randi is back to normal is thanks enough," Tiny said, then gave an evil smile, "though normal for her is...." He cleared his throat when he caught Randi’s glare in his direction and turned his attention back to Gwen. "But I don’t think anyone would object to a good party and some good music," with a wicked glance in Randi’s direction, "when things settle down a little bit."

Randi growled and Gwen chuckled. "I think we can manage that, Tiny."

"Good. Now if you’ll excuse us, I think we all have things we need to do." They rose as one and started towards the door, then Tiny turned back to Gwen and Randi who were still sitting together at the head of the table. "What time tonight?" asked quietly.

"Sunset," Gwen replied. "In the garden."

"We’ll be there. C’mon, you lot," Tiny said, capturing Reed’s hand in his and ushering the rest out the door ahead of them. He looked at Jess who was lagging behind; she gave him the slightest shake of her head and he and Reed left her with Randi and Gwen, closing the door soundly behind them.

Jess looked up at Randi and Gwen, and cleared her throat to speak. "I’m sorry about your father, Queen Gwen, but I’m glad you’re all right."

"Jess? I know we’ve only just met, but you can call me Gwen. What you’ve done...."

Jess shook her head violently. "No, I can’t. As a card-carrying Amazon, you are my queen. As the wife of the Empress, you are still my queen. I just wanted to ask your forgiveness."

Gwen frowned and looked at Randi in consternation squeezing the hand she still held. Randi shrugged. She was as lost as Gwen. They turned back to Jess.

"For what, Jess? We’ve only just met."

"Because it’s my fault you were put into danger... my fault Lenore died. It was my responsibility to let Reed know when the attack was going to take place, and I wasn’t able to. There was no time, my queen... honestly. I tried when we arrived in the village, but because of the way the circumstances played out, the attack happened before I was able to reach Reed."

Jess bowed her head. "I’m sorry, my queen. I have no excuse, but I am asking you to forgive me."

Gwen stood up and released Randi’s hand. Then she walked the table length to where Jess still sat with her hands clasped together and her head bowed. Jess didn’t look up when Gwen took the chair beside her.

"Jess? Jess, I don’t blame you for what happened and neither would Lenore. Everything happens for a reason, and Lenore would be the first to tell you that. If you need me to forgive you, I will, but you did your duty, Jess. There is nothing to forgive you for."

Jess smiled and looked at Gwen. "Thank you, my queen. Empress," she said, standing and bowing her head briefly towards them before she too made her exit from the room. Gwen and Randi looked at one another in silence, and Gwen stood and waited for Randi to join her. When Randi reached her, they took one another’s hands again and headed back to their suite.

Gwen, however, didn’t understand the nuances of protocol Lacey was working under, and was visibly concerned by her behavior. She looked around frantically, trying to figure out why Lacey was so anxious... until Randi took her hands and waited for Gwen’s attention to focus on her.

"It’s all right, love. She is simply trying to give us an update so she can get back to Geoff. Sabres do things a little differently when it comes to burying one of their own. Lacey’s on a deadline."

"Of course Sabres do things a little differently when it comes to burying one of their own," Gwen agreed wryly. "Sabres do *everything* a little differently... not that I’m complaining on any level right now," she added with a mischievous smile in Randi’s direction. Lacey just shook her head. Despite the lack of time, the two of them were simply too precious together again, and she wasn’t about to discourage or interfere with them. They had all fought too hard to get them back to this point.

Gwen turned to Lacey with a look of chagrin. "Sorry, Lacey. It’s just...."

"No need to explain, Gwen. It’s wonderful to see. BUT... I had Jill moved back to her room and gave her a sedative to help her rest. She has physically healed from the damage Ares did to her, but she will be recovering from the after effects for another few days. She’s a tough old broad – her words," Lacey chuckled, "but she’s got some seriously hard days ahead of her. Otherwise, there’s not much else I can do for her until and unless she asks for help."

Gwen reached for Lacey’s hands, feeling Randi slide around behind her to support her. "Thank you, Lacey. Thank you for taking such good care of my parents. Is there anything I can do?"

"Not with the preparations, no. As for your mother," Lacey shrugged. "Take your clues from her. She’ll let you know what she needs from you... and when. Now, if you’ll excuse me... I still have a few things to do before sunset. Do you have the service prepared?"

"Yeah, I think so. And what I’m not sure about, Randi has covered. Thanks, Lace."

Lacey squeezed the hands she held before releasing them. "I’d rather not have to, but I’m glad to be able to do it." She turned to Randi. "The workmen are waiting for your authorization before starting their work. See you both at sunset."

Then she disappeared out the door.

Gwen turned in Randi’s arms and put her head down just over Randi’s heartbeat. She felt the strong arms tighten around her. She tipped her head back to look into Randi’s eyes without losing the sound of rhythmic thudding. Randi reached a hand up and tenderly caressed Gwen’s cheek, wondering where the suddenly lost look had come from.

"Sweetheart?"

Gwen shook her head and buried her face in Randi’s chest, greedily absorbing the scent that surrounded her. "I have missed being here in your arms... so much. This has always been the safest place in the world for me and I am so very glad to be back here... in my place. Yet, I feel guilty about being here." She didn’t move out of Randi’s embrace though, and Randi realized Gwen was looking for reassurance.

She scooped Gwen into her arms and moved out of the bedroom and into the living area of their suite. Randi dropped onto the couch there and stretched out, smiling when Gwen automatically shifted until she was curled up in her favorite position half on Randi’s body with her ear centered over Randi’s heart. Randi ran her hands up and down Gwen’s back and arms, feeling Gwen’s body relax more fully into her own.

"Comfortable?"

"Um hmm," patting Randi’s chest.

"Feel better?"

"I can’t help but, being here," she said softly. "But...."

Randi’s fingers covered her lips. "Gwen, don’t you think Geoff would want you to be happy... to know that you were back where you belonged... that his sacrifice was worth the cost? Your dad knew what he was doing, love, and he did it willingly – for you and for us. If I can’t dishonor him by taking responsibility for his decision, then you can’t dishonor him by feeling guilt because of it."

It was silent for a while as Gwen considered Randi’s words, then Randi felt Gwen smile against her. "You’re pretty smart, you know that?" feeling the surface beneath her face shake with silent laughter. "Keep reminding me of that, will ya?"

"Of my brilliance? Absolutely... oof!" sitting up slightly to glare down at twinkling green eyes. Randi kept up her glare though she couldn’t keep the mischievous sparkle out of her eyes.

"You’re such a goof. God, I’ve missed that, too," squeezing Randi around the middle.

"Me too," returning the hug. "And I’ll keep reminding you if you keep reminding me."

"For as long as it takes," Gwen said with a smile and tilted her head up for a kiss. It was a leisurely exploration that was as much a reaffirmation as it was about love and passion. Slowly they pulled back from one another, relishing the renewed warmth and connection between them. Gwen smiled and watched its answer form on Randi lips. "You’re really good at that, you know?"

"Umm... yeah. I’ve got this amazing practice partner. She rocks."

Gwen grinned, and tangled her hands in Randi’s hair and brought their lips together again. This kiss was a little more intense and would have lasted longer if a knock on the door hadn’t separated them. Gwen’s brow furrowed and Randi smoothed out the lines, even as she called out.

"Come in."

The workman didn’t blink twice at the position he found the Empress and her Consort... no, her Queen in, remembering the instructions he’d gotten from Yuri. He figured it wasn’t his business anyway, and besides, if they were happy together, it had to bode well for the rest of the world, right? So he bowed his head and waited respectfully for Randi’s instructions.

Randi and Gwen exchanged confused glances. Finally Gwen shrugged and spoke. "Um, can we help you... with something?"

"I await your orders, my Queen."

"I beg your pardon?"

Now the man looked up. "I’m sorry. I was told I needed authorization to begin the rework here. Was I mistaken? Should I...?"

"Oh, God... sorry." Randi struggled to sit up and Gwen shifted so they could sit up together. Gwen slid up to the sofa arm and leaned into Randi, wrapping her arm around Randi’s shoulders. Randi leaned into Gwen and motioned for the man to take a seat. "You’re Jake, right?"

"Yes, ma’am. I just need your go ahead, and we’ll get started."

"Did Yuri give you your instructions?" Jake nodded. "Then please... go with my blessing. But Jake, you need to be done an hour before sunset, so...."

He nodded and nearly ran out of the room. Randi and Gwen exchanged glances.

"So what’s he gonna do?"

"Change a few things, but that’s not important now. However, I am curious to know why Tommy and Ella weren’t here." Randi bit her lip. "Is Tommy still angry at me?"

"Oh, baby... Tommy was never angry at you. He didn’t understand the violence or your joy in it, but he was never, ever angry at you, love. He wasn’t here because I asked him to stay away." Gwen blew out a breath. "I didn’t know what we were going to get into, and I didn’t want anything to happen to them... especially Randall. I wasn’t going to give you that kind of guilt."

Randi reached up and cupped Gwen’s cheek. "Always looking out for me, huh?"

Gwen covered Randi’s hand with her own. "Always. Somebody’s gotta watch your back."

"Glad I’ve got the best," Randi confirmed with a smile and then cleared her throat. "Can I interest you in a picnic? There’s um... there’s a small wooded area beyond the garden. It’s nothing like home... nothing like our glade. But it is cool and shaded and right on the river."

"What about Tommy and Ella?"

"Reed will see to getting them settled and will advise me when they arrive. But I think we need a little time apart to process what’s happened and to prepare for tonight. We can be strong for the family tonight and for the world tomorrow, but for right now, I would really like to be alone with you."

Gwen nodded, then a knock on the door made her groan softly and drop her head onto Randi’s. "I thought we were supposed to have the day off," she muttered. Randi squeezed her knee and called out for the second time, "Come in."

Jill stood in the doorway as it slid open, and Randi and Gwen stood to meet her. "Mama? I thought you were resting."

She looked a little dazed and Randi wondered how and why she’d forced herself to function through the sedatives Lacey had given her. She moved to Jill’s side immediately and put and arm around her waist.

"C’mon, mom," she said gently. "Let us tuck you back into bed. You look wiped and you want to be rested before the service tonight." Randi began to lead Jill back toward her suite of rooms with Gwen sliding in on her other side. "That’s it," Randi soothed. "You and Geoff took good care of me and Gwen. Let us take care of you now."

The mention of Geoff’s name made Jill stop walking. "Geoff? Geoff is why I was coming to see you. He left you a holo-chip." She smiled sadly and allowed Randi and Gwen to continue their escort to her set of rooms. "He said he made it just in case, but I think he knew he was going to die. I think he hoped he would."

Randi and Gwen exchanged horrified glances. Randi wondered how much of Jill’s speech was truth, and how much was based on drug-induced delusion, though she knew that even the delusion had to have some foundation in truth. But before they could comment, Jill slumped and only Randi’s swift reaction kept her from hitting the floor.

The door slid open at Gwen’s behest and Randi crossed through the small living area into the bedroom. They wondered briefly where Rosie was, then Gwen straightened the cover on the bed, and Randi gently placed Jill back in the bed. Carbon merely lifted his head and whined at them, then he gently nuzzled Jill’s neck and face before curling up at her knees. Gwen covered Jill’s body then they stood together by her bedside for a long moment. Then Randi took Gwen’s hand in her own and together they walked back into the living room.

"Maybe we should postpone our picnic," Randi suggested.

"How about if we just move the location? Instead of the river, what if we just sit in the garden? I’d like to get outside alone with you for a while, but I don’t want to go too far away from Mama."

Randi smiled. "I like that compromise. Would you like to go to the kitchens and put it together ourselves or would you prefer to call down and have something prepared?"

Gwen gave Randi a look. "Sweetheart, if I have my way, we’re going to get rid of the staff and do for ourselves like we do at home. I don’t plan for either of us to be here long enough to get accustomed to being waited on like we rule the world or something."

Randi snickered. "Well, my queen, tomorrow you can make any and all changes you think we need to make here. And we’ll start making plans to get out of here as quickly as we can. But for now...." She tugged on the hand she still held. "C’mon. Let’s see if we can find the kitchen in the damn place and go outside for a while."

"God, I am so tired," Reed said as they left the conference room. "I’d like to take a vacation now, please and thank you very much."

Tiny chuckled and wrapped his arms tightly around her. "Soon, baby. I promise. How about some of Rosie’s barbeque for now? I understand she was heading down to the kitchens to run everyone out and take over. She told me last night she was over this plastic food they kept trying to feed her."

Reed laughed. "Oh, she would have loved eating Sabre rations." Then she laughed harder at Tiny’s exaggerated grimace. "C’mon, big boy. You and I have a hot date with some really good barbeque. Maybe then I’ll feel like going back to work."

"Nah... when Randi declared today a day of mourning, I made it across the board. Except for essential personnel, everyone has the day off. We can pick up the work tomorrow; it’s not gonna go anywhere... unfortunately. At least not for a while. One day off, more or less, isn’t going to make much difference for us in the long run."

"I’m sorry for the reason behind it, but I love you."

Tiny smiled. "I love you too. Now c’mon,

woman... I’m starving and I can hear your stomach growling from here."

They started down to the kitchen, already able to smell the difference with Rosie in the kitchen. Then Reed’s Sabre alert went off and she dropped her head on Tiny’s chest. "Augh! What happened to my day off??" Then she read the message. "Oh... never mind. I like this kind of news. C’mon." She turned and headed in the opposite direction.

"Honey? Hooooneeey??" Tiny wailed as he scurried to catch up to Reed. "Reed... what about lunch?"

"I imagine Tommy and Ella might like some lunch as well."

Tiny’s response was cut off by the vibration of his own alert bracelet. He looked down and grimaced.

"What?"

"Someone asking for permission to enter the perimeter. Someone who isn’t on the clearance list." He blew out an exasperated breath. "Go meet Tommy and Ella. I’ll try to meet ya’ll in the kitchen in a few minutes. Hopefully this won’t take too long."

"Who is it, baby? Why do they want to come in?"

"Um...." He looked at the information scrolling across his wrist pad. "Something about an honor guard for Gwen. The request is coming from someone called Lorac."

"Let them in, Tiny. Lorac is the Amazon weapon’s master who was teaching Gwen when we were in the village and she is the temporary regent until Gwen gets back to the Nation."

"Temporary? Does she think Gwen is going to return to the Nation to stay?"

"No. They know she isn’t. She told them so up front when she accepted the position of queen. But they are in the process of setting up a new form of government, though I got the distinct impression that they would be perfectly content to remain with a monarchy style if it could be managed... and if they could get Gwen to settle down with them."

Tiny took a deep breath to speak. The thought that the Amazons would even think about trying something like that, after all it had taken to get the two of them back together, made him madder than a wet hen... especially knowing what the cost would have been, not only to Randi and Gwen had they failed, but to the rest of the world. Reed’s hand on his arm caused him to pause.

"They do understand, Tiny... they really do. It’s just a vain hope, and they know that. Doesn’t keeping them from hoping, though. The rest of the world is doing the same thing about Randi remaining Empress, honey, and the truth is, if I thought she’d do it, I’d be wishing for the same thing. She has a way of making things happen... good things."

Tiny nodded. "I know. I’d already had the same thought. But you know she’d never go for it. She never wanted that kind of power."

"I know – it’s one of the things that makes her so perfect for the job. Doesn’t hurt that she’s already managed to defeat Ares once of her own free will either. Her sense of duty and responsibility will keep them both here for a little while, but if they are here for their first anniversary, I’ll be amazed."

Tiny chuckled and took Reed’s arm, heading them both towards the secured landing area. "Six more months?!? Honey, I never realized that you were such an optimist. If they are here until the equinox, it will be a miracle. In fact, if they are involved in any part of anything other than themselves by that point, I’ll be shocked."

"Three months? You think they will be out of here in three months?"

"No, baby. I think they will be out of *everything* but each other in three months. I’ll be surprised if they last here in the palace – here in the capital as Empress and Queen for more than a month."

Reed blinked at him in astonishment, and Tiny just shook his head at her.

"Reed, why are you surprised at this? You’ve been around both of them to know that are completely absorbed in one another."

"But they haven’t been, Tiny. I know they were; I guess I just need to readjust my thinking. I’ve been so focused on how they have been and trying to get them back to what they are supposed to be that I’ve sorta forgotten what that means to them and for us."

"Yeah, you’ve had it more than a little rough lately, haven’t you?"

"Yeah, but it was worth it, Tiny. What it would have been like had we failed...." Reed shivered in reflex.

"So what do you see when you look at them now?"

"I can see their bond as a strong, solid wall, but I can’t sense any more than their own feeling of satisfaction and well-being. I can’t get past the barrier they have protecting themselves, and their bond can’t seem to get past it either. I have to tell you, it’s nice to be able to be around them without my senses screaming. I can actually enjoying being friends with them instead of simply enduring it."

"I’m glad."

"Me, too."

At that, Tiny opened the door that led to the shuttle pad and he and Reed split up to meet the waiting occupants of the two newly arrived shuttles. Reed waved at the waiting Amazons and kept going to greet her arrivals as Randi had asked.

"Tommy! Ella!" Reed said opening her arms for a hug.

"Weed!!" The three adults exchanged glances and burst into laughter at the unexpected address. Finally, Reed cleared her throat and knelt down to Randall’s level.

"Hi, Randall. Aren’t you just a cutie?"

"Yes," Randall replied matter-of-factly. "Go to Wuv now?"

"Well, I don’t know, Randall. Randi and Gwen were busy earlier," easily deducing who he meant, "but I do know that Rosie is in the kitchen and she’s cooking up some barbeque and fried apple pies."

"Nummmm," Randall commented.

"Nummmm," Tommy echoed.

Ella and Reed just laughed. "C’mon," Reed gestured with her head. "Randi asked that I get ya’ll settled in, and Tiny and I really were on our way to lunch with Rosie when I got the alert that ya’ll were here. I know she’ll be almost as glad to see you as Randi and Gwen will be."

"Reed, how are they? And how is Jill?" Tommy insisted on carrying their luggage and motioned Reed to lead the way. Ella took Randall’s hand and together they walked beside Reed into the palace.

"Jill is... Jill is still in shock, actually. She’s been pretty calm about it; Lacey thinks the truth just hasn’t sunk in. But her reactions seem to me that she almost expected it to happen. They knew going into that room that there were no guarantees, but...."

"But?"

Reed shrugged. "I dunno. It’s just a feeling, but I really believe she and Geoff were both prepared for this eventuality. I think they expected... something... to happen, and I honestly believe Geoff hoped that if anything did happen, it would happen to him. His one desire, barring a total regaining of his mobility, was to die a warrior. That’s part of what caused him to cover them like he did – it was an instinctive reaction we all had. He just had stronger motivation than the rest of us... that of both a father and a warrior. So he died the warrior he wanted to be, protecting his daughter and Randi in the process, insuring their recovery. So I think Jill is just adjusting to the fact that he’s gone."

Dumbfounded silence. "Poor Jill. Even knowing it’s coming doesn’t make it any easier."

"I know, and I could be wrong, but I don’t think so. Painful as it is, I think Jill will have an easier time of it because she and Geoff talked about possibilities and about his desire to be a warrior again."

"I hope so. She’s been through so much the past couple years." A beat. "How are Randi and Gwen doing?"

"Randi and Gwen are phenomenal."

"So everything is all right with them now?"

"Everything is better than all right. They have... it’s hard to explain, but it’s like their soul has merged. They have literally become a single soul... a single being."

A sound made Reed stop walking and she turned to back to see Tommy standing still with the suitcases piled up around him and a look of shock written clearly across his face. Ella dropped Randall’s hand, rushed to Tommy’s side and took his face in her hands. "Tommy, sweetheart? What’s wrong, baby?"

His jaw worked fruitlessly a few times and he stared into space. It took him a moment to bring his mind back to the present, and he blinked as Ella came into focus. By that time, Reed and Randall had walked back to where Tommy still stood gobsmacked.

"Tommy?" Reed said softly, taking his chin in her fingertips and turning his face towards her. "Tommy, what’s wrong? What did I say?"

"Reed, do you know the Legend of the Soulmates? Not the stories that Gwen tells but the actual legend about them?"

Reed shook her head. "I guess not. I only know anything about them because of the stories I’ve heard... the stories Gwen has shared."

Tommy nodded. "That makes sense, I guess. Gwen has revealed a lot about the soulmates through her stories, but she hasn’t really shared the truth about who and what they are." Tommy drew a breath and picked up the luggage, deciding to try a different tack. "C’mon, take us to our room and I’ll see if I can make sense of this for you."

They walked in silence for a little while, except for Randall’s chattering. Finally, they reached the rooms Randi had chosen for them, and Reed led them inside. Tommy set the cases down and immediately Ella took Randall to the bedroom to unpack. Tommy gestured for Reed to take a seat and sat at an angle to her.

"Reed, what do you see when you look at Randi and Gwen? What does your seer’s sense tell you?"

"Now? Very little. Their merging has given them a barrier that keeps everything except the most basic, topical scan out."

"And before?"

"Before – aside from being physically painful for me – they were more... blended, I guess you call them. One and yet still separate and apart from each other. Despite their bond, I could still sense both parts of their shared soul."

"And you don’t sense that now?"

"No. The little I am able to see shows me one – one heart... one soul. Is that important?"

Tommy shrugged. "Depends on how much stock you put into the legend, I guess."

"Well, you obviously believe in its importance, Tommy. Why don’t you share it with me and we can go from there?"

Tommy studied Reed for a long moment. He could easily see the exhaustion in her eyes and the remnants of lingering pain. Despite the unwritten rule about keeping this story in the family, she deserved to know. They all did – all those who had risked so much to insure the prophecy was fulfilled. He nodded his agreement.

"All right," he said, settling himself more comfortably. "But you have to understand that this legend has been passed down through both families for untold generations. It was the only story the warrior side helped preserve. It was that important. And though it isn’t forbidden, it has rarely been shared outside the extended family; you’ll understand why when you hear the story."

Reed sat back and waited for Tommy to tell his tale.

"Hi, Lorac?" Tiny said hesitantly, extending his hand in greeting. "I’m Tiny, the Empress’ second. I understand you and your warriors are here to offer an honor guard to the queen?"

"Yes. May we see the queen?"

Tiny shook his head. "Not today; she and the Empress are taking the day to mourn and make preparations for the service tonight. I’m sure she will be glad to meet with you tomorrow." Lorac nodded. It was much as she had expected, especially since Gwen hadn’t contacted them herself about Geoff’s death.

"How is the queen doing, I mean, with her father’s untimely death? I got the feeling from the report that we received that it was an unexpected occurrence."

"May I ask how you found out? Not that it is wrong that you were notified, but if Gwen didn’t contact you, who is sending you reports about her?" Tiny saw her hesitation and continued. "Please, Lorac – Gwen and Randi’s safety is my top priority and if we have a leak I need to know about it."

"It’s not a leak, per se, Tiny. We couldn’t in good conscience allow our queen to go off without an escort, and yet Queen Gwen wouldn’t allow us to send anyone with her. So, Jess agreed to act as our eyes and ears here, so the Nation could keep an eye on our queen."

Tiny nodded. "I can understand that, I suppose. Perhaps, though, you and I could sit down and work out a better agreement between us. Because if the Empress found out information was going out without her knowledge...."

Lorac chewed her lip and then nodded her agreement. "I believe we can come to an understanding." She offered Tiny her hand again. "I think we will make formidable allies." They shook and then Lorac introduced him to the Amazon traveling with her.

"Let me get you settled and then we can go get some lunch. Rosie is cooking up barbeque and I, for one, am starving."

The four Amazons grinned at each other and followed him into the palace.

"I apologize for the accommodations. Ya’ll were unexpected arrivals, and we are pretty full. So I’ve had to put you into two rooms. They are across the hall from each other, but it was the best I could do on short notice."

"So, how did you get elected to meet us and take care of all this?" Lorac asked as Tiny led them down the short hallway. "Not that we don’t appreciate it, because we do, but...."

"But you already knew Reed and Jess and I’m not a woman, right?"

Lorac shrugged sheepishly. "Something like that, yeah."

"Well, Reed and Jess were both given other assignments this morning, and that didn’t change because you all arrived. Besides, I really am Randi’s second and protocol demanded that I clear your arrival."

Lorac smiled. "I’m glad you did. It’s always good to find allies and make new friends. And we appreciate the consideration. I know you didn’t have to let us land or give us a place here, despite who we represent." She paused. "Why did you?"

"Because we’re all on the same side, and I think your being here will be good for Gwen."

"How is she? You never did say."

Tiny shrugged. "Randi is taking care of her," as if that said it all. And as far as the Amazons and Tiny were concerned, apparently it did.

Randi and Gwen exchanged glances, stopping in surprise when they realized Rosie was alone in the kitchen, and she was obviously cooking. Gwen closed her eyes and just stood there breathing. Rosie turned around and caught the beatific look on Gwen’s face and the one of absolute adoration on Randi’s as she gazed at Gwen.

"Ahem." Her slight throat clearing caused the spell to be broken and Gwen opened her eyes at the same time that Randi turned to look in Rosie’s direction. "What are ya’ll doing in my kitchen?"

Randi’s eyebrows both shot into her hairline and her expression was on of surprised amazement. Rosie met Randi’s look with one of her own and a snort.

"Don’t you even try to give me that look. I have had all the plastic food I can stand. No wonder you look like you haven’t eaten in months – I’d have stopped eating food if all I was getting was rubber chicken and burnt beef. My gracious, if that’s what you military folks consider good grub it’s a wonder there hasn’t been a revolt before now."

"Um, Rosie, not to put a fine point on things, because we will certainly enjoying eating your barbeque and fried pies again, but I thought you were going to sit with Jill. What made you decide come in here and run everyone else out so you could cook instead?"

"Two things, actually – one, I really am tired of eating <ahem> what the people who were running this place considered edible meals... or at least it seems that way since we moved with Gwen from the village. Even the Amazons of old had it better than this, and I *saw* those recipes." She shuddered and Randi and Gwen bit their lips to keep from chuckling.

"The second," Rosie continued, growing more serious, "is because Jill asked me for some barbeque. I figured she wanted to be alone more than anything, but I was happy to do whatever I could to ease her pain."

Gwen stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Rosie, Squeezing tightly and holding on for a long moment. "Thank you, Rosie. You have done so much for us. We will never, ever be able to repay you."

Rosie pulled back just enough to cup Gwen’s face in her hands. "There’ll never be any repayment, Gwen. What we did, we did out of love for you two and for the greater good. I’d do it all over again... we all would. Besides, it’s a really good feeling knowing that we did something that made a difference... to you and to the world. So thank you for letting me be a part of that."

"Now," Rosie continued, stepping back from Gwen and clapping her hands together before stirring the pot bubbling softly on the stove. "What are ya’ll doing in my kitchen?"

This time Randi did laugh. "Rosie, don’t you ever go changing, all right? We just came in to *your* kitchen to get some things for a picnic. We thought we’d go sit in the garden for a while and just be for a few minutes."

Rosie nodded soberly, understanding only too well the peace they wanted to find together. "All right, then... let me put something together for ya’ll," scurrying around the kitchen collecting items. In less than two minutes, Rosie had a nice lunch put together and was pushing them out the door. They looked at her askance.

"Trust me on this, you two. If you wanna get a little time alone together in the garden, you need to get outta here before folks figure out we’re having barbeque for lunch. ‘Cause if they find you two in here...."

Randi and Gwen exchanged glances. "Point taken. We’re outta here. Thanks, Rosie. We’ll be back."

"Enjoy, you two. I’ll make sure Jill gets something to eat before the service this evening."

"Thanks, Rosie. You’re the best."

Then they slipped out the back door and down the hallway that led to the garden. They just missed the contented mob that descended on Rosie’s kitchen.

There really wasn’t any other way to tell this story, so Tommy scrubbed his hands through his hair and blew out a breath, then decided to just start. "First you need a little background to understand what the legend is based on. When the soulmates originally found one another millennia ago, they thought their bond was unbreakable. Not only did they love one another deeply and passionately, but they were best friends who genuinely liked one another. They never thought anything could come between them – never thought anything could break them apart."

"But...?"

"But they found out that wasn’t true. They found out that lies and circumstances and time could come between them and that there were gods and men who would take advantage of their separation and mistrust. It nearly tore them apart forever."

Reed nodded. "That’s about what happened to them this time."

"Yeah it is. Except... when it happened to them originally, they were targeted for destruction very much like this time, only there was a complete lack of trust between them that they had to overcome. And when they came back together, they were able to form an unbreakable bond... something that nothing – not gods, not man, nothing short of death itself – was able to destroy."

Tommy took another deep breath, not seeing Ella come to the door and lean on the jamb to listen better. This was a story she hadn’t heard before and she really wanted to.

"Unfortunately, they were unexpectedly separated by a gruesome death, and it took them some time after that to return from eternity back into the karmic circle, and it was upon that return that the legend began."

"So what’s the legend?" Reed asking, having a very good idea what Tommy was going to say.

"The legend stated that when the soulmates returned for their final trip through the circle, they would suffer again as they had before and that their unbreakable bond would return to protect them from the influences that were so eager to rip them apart. That barrier would allow them to succeed over those influences."

"How do you know it hasn’t happened in *each* of their lifetimes?" Ella asked, turning their attention to her. "I mean, I realize what the prophecy says, but you know as well as I do that there have been lifetimes where those two souls have suffered greatly together. They’re in the stories Gwen allowed us to read." Ella looked at Reed. "Those are the stories she has never shared publicly."

Reed nodded. "I understand. Gwen and I got to have some interesting talks while we were in the village and she shared bits about her storytelling. So I know there is a lot that will never see the light of day, and a lot more that gets severely edited before it does."

"Because never - not once in the stories that have been handed down through Gwen’s line - never once has there ever been a mention of an unbreakable bond or a barrier that could protect them from a god. And given the bard’s line’s propensity for detail, it would have been recorded. Besides, the legend was passed through both warrior and bard lineage. If it had occurred before, both sides would have known."

Tommy turned back to Reed. "I’ve shared this with you in confidence. I hope you will hold it in trust until I can share it with those of you who stood beside them through this whole mess." Reed shook her head and Tommy cocked an eyebrow at her. She patted his knee and held up a hand before he could have a conniption.

"Don’t," Reed said simply. "Don’t share this with folks. Shh," she cautioned before he could interrupt. "Hush a minute and listen to me all, right? I want you to hear what I am saying to you." He nodded and Reed took a deep breath to speak again.

"It’s an incredible story, Tommy, and I am inclined to believe it for several reasons I won’t even bother to explain. But if it’s true, and we think that it is, then it’s really not fair to Randi and Gwen for you to be the one to share it. Because you *know* what it means. And honestly, I don’t think it’s fair to those who helped bring them together for it to happen. That knowledge makes the good they feel they have done become a burden instead."

"How do you figure?" Ella asked, coming to sit down beside Tommy and taking his hand in hers.

"You’ve spent the last few months living on the fringes of the upheaval Gwen and Randi have been living through, yes? You know how bad things have been for them."

Ella nodded. "I have an idea, yes."

"Okay, those few of us who have been right near the center of things, especially the last few days – what we did was not only for Randi and Gwen, but also for the greater good. The world would have been destroyed if Randi and Gwen had not survived. Now, imagine how you’d feel if you knew that your act of helping preserve the greater good and incidentally, your friends, had been the catalyst to end their karmic cycle."

Ella’s face scrunched up in pensive thought. "Ew... I never thought of it that way. That makes it... that is a horrible feeling."

Reed agreed. "It really is. And even though they could live another fifty years together, that knowledge casts a pall over everything; always in the back of your mind you know that their departure from the circle is imminent. And it’s saddening because you know that there is no chance of seeing them or the bond that they share, ever again."

Tommy dropped his head in his hand. "God, Reed. I’m so sorry. I didn’t think of it like that. I just thought those of you who had struggled so hard to keep them together should know that... well, now I’m not so sure what I intended at this point. I wonder though...."

"What?" Reed asked, sitting back in her chair and trying to rid herself of the sudden tension that was flowing through her body.

"If they are leaving the karmic circle anyway, why was the outcome of this spirit walk so important? Whether it is a day, a year or fifty years from now, they will still be gone, not to return."

"That’s true," Reed said. "But if they hadn’t succeeded, had they not rejoined one another and merged to form that unbreakable connection, Ares would have won. He would have claimed Randi... forever. Gwen and Randi would never have been reunited – not here or in eternity. They would have destroyed everything searching for each other."

"So you’re saying...?"

"I’m saying that they have come full circle and they have earned their eternal rest together. But I think the decision to share that with folks should be theirs and no one else’s."

"I agree," Tommy concurred, "but I don’t know if...."

"I can take the knowledge away from you... from you both... if you’ll trust me."

Tommy and Ella exchanged a long glance, then turned to Reed and nodded simultaneously. She held out her hands to Ella, palms up, and waited for her to take them. Then Reed closed her eyes and let her mind move in Ella’s. Even as tired as she remained, this wouldn’t take much effort or mental energy – especially compared to her output recently.

It was fairly easy to erase it from Ella’s mind as she had only just found out about it, and when they were done, Ella didn’t even remember Reed’s presence. A call from Randall caused her to excuse herself and move back into the bedroom. Then Reed extended her hands to Tommy.

"No pain?" he asked softly, and Reed had to smile in reassurance.

"No pain. You won’t even know I’m there. It will take me a little longer than it did for Ella though. Your knowledge is old, not recent. Do you remember when you heard the legend?"

"Eighteen. It was passed on to each member as they reached adulthood."

She nodded her understanding then closed her eyes with him as she moved into his mind. Reed was careful where she went and what she saw, focusing only on finding that one tiny piece of information and removing it as neatly as a surgeon would, leaving nothing behind to mark her presence there. And it was done.

Reed slid her hands out from under Tommy’s and he opened his eyes slowly. Randall’s excited voice preceded his footsteps and he ran into Tommy’s leg. "I’m hungry, Pa."

Tommy leaned down and pulled Randall into his lap. "You are? You think we should go see Rosie... get some barbeque?" hugging his son to him.

"N’apple pies," Randall said emphatically, drawing a chuckle from the rest.

Reed opened her eyes slowly and slid to the edge of her chair before standing. Tommy looked at her in concern, noting the strain in her eyes and the tired lines around her mouth.

"Reed? You all right?"

Reed nodded and stood. "Yeah. It’s just been a while since I ate and I’m a little hungry too." She held out her hand to Randall. "Whaddya say, big guy? Wanna walk to the kitchen with me?"

Randall jumped from Tommy’s lap and grabbed Reed hand, tugging her forward firmly and with purpose. "YES!" Tommy and Ella followed at a much slower pace, silently laughing all the way down the hallway. Some memories were best left alone, but others were simply priceless.

"Wow... something smells *really* good," Lorac commented as they followed Tiny through the corridors towards the kitchen.

"Yeah, I’m really glad Rosie got tired of plastic food, ‘cause it seems like forever since I had a good home cooked meal."

"Waitaminute... you mean to tell me the queen has been eating bad food since she came here??"

"Well, let’s just say that what we’ve been having is a step above military rations but well below what most of us are used to. We had more important things to worry about and we let it slide. So don’t be surprised when you see her... she’s lost some weight."

"How much? Is she in danger?"

"No... no. She’s all right, but it’s noticeable and I didn’t want you to be upset by the change. Although, in all fairness, I don’t think it was the food. I think it was a loss of appetite."

Lorac nodded. "I noticed some of that at the village, though at least the food was decent enough that she picked at it."

"Yeah, that wasn’t a real choice here," he chuckled, "though I did notice we were suddenly going through a lot more fresh fruit." He pushed open the hinged door and the Amazons looked at him in amazement. "What??" he said with a shrug, motioning them ahead of him.

"This is a very odd house," Lorac commented as she walked in. "Hello, Rosie. It’s good to see you again."

Rosie crossed from the stove and she and Lorac embraced briefly. "Come in, Lorac and introduce me. Lunch is nearly ready." Five stomachs growled in tandem and they all looked at one another and blushed. Rosie just laughed and clapped her hands together. "That is the highest compliment you can give to a cook." She gestured them around the table and moved back towards the stove just as the door swung open again to admit Reed and Randall, then Tommy and Ella.

"Hail! Hail! The gang’s all here!"

"Not quite," Tiny said, having been notified of Sky’s imminent arrival. "But we will be soon." He rose and crossed over to where Reed stood, wrapping an arm around her even as he offered a hand to Tommy, then Ella. Tiny tousled Randall’s hair and guided them all to the table.

The Amazons had risen and Tommy initiated introductions while never losing contact with Reed. She returned his embrace, grateful for the added support he was providing her with. She had never expected the two short mind walks to drain her so badly. Rosie immediately put down the food she had been carrying and took Reed’s hands in hers.

"Reed? Are you all right? You look terribly pale."

Ella rose and walked to the stove to finish bringing food to the table, glad when the rest followed her example to give Reed and Rosie the moment they obviously needed. She had no way of knowing that the Amazons had seen it all before. So it was easy to make conversation between them when they returned to the table; they were all making an effort.

"So, Lorac, you’re the Amazon regent now, correct?" Tommy asked. "Are you still the weapons’ master as well?"

"Temporarily, I am the regent and I have a group of advisors of whom Nebula is the chief elder among them," motioning to the older woman who had taken a seat next to Randall. "Cheyenne is our weapons’ master in my stead and Coop is here because you never know when a scout will be needed. Besides, I figured just seeing her smiling face would raise Gwen’s spirits... literally." Lenore chuckled at the shocked faces around the table. "You don’t understand – Coop’s job was to teach the queen to walk through the trees."

Now the rest of the table winced wryly and chuckled, understanding all too well the challenge that particular skill could present to any of them. "Can you share with us a little about Amazon life and how it is changing with the unification and Gwen’s return as queen?" Ella asked as she prepared a plate for Randall, who was being remarkably quiet in light of all the strangers suddenly around him.

Lorac nodded and the door opened again, admitting the rest of the Sabre team leaders. Jess was welcomed by the Amazons with open arms and then moved to make introductions. It was enough to keep everyone’s attention from Reed, and she was thankful for that. Once the conversation started, she turned her attention back to Rosie.

"I’m fine, Rosie," squeezing the hands that she held. "Just a little tired. Tommy and Ella brought an unexpected wave of nervous, almost negative energy with them, and it kinda wiped me." She didn’t want to lie, but there was no way she was going to share the truth.

"Come and sit down. A little good food will go a long way towards making you feel better. And the company and conversation won’t hurt either."

Reed smiled. "Rosie, just knowing you did the cooking is making me feel better."

Tiny’s stomach growled again. "Me too. Now let’s eat, woman! I’m starving!!"

With laughter, they joined the melee at table, and Reed felt some of her strength returning, just being among friends.

Randi took a deep breath as she and Gwen stepped outdoors together, blinking in the bright sunlight. It was nice to see the sun after the storms of the previous couple days. Even more, it was the first time in forever they had been alone together in the light of day, and it felt soooooo good... so right. Finally things were back to the way they were supposed to be, and despite the sadness they both felt over Geoff’s death, they couldn’t help but revel in the completeness they were experiencing again once more.

Gwen reached over and tucked her hand in the crook of Randi’s arm and sighed, squeezing lightly on the muscled arm beneath her grasp. She closed her eyes and stood still, soaking in the newness and freshness of air and sunshine and holding Randi in place with her light grip.

Randi looked down to find out why Gwen had halted them, then caught her breath at the vision she found standing beside her. "My God, you’re beautiful!" she whispered reverently. Gwen opened her eyes slowly and smiled up into Randi’s eyes, then felt her own breathing catch at the love pouring out of Randi’s eyes that made the blue literally glow from within.

"Wow...." Gwen sighed.

Randi blinked. "What?"

"You are so beautiful, and when you look at me... I wish you could see what I see when I find you looking at me like that... again. It is so amazing."

Randi let the basket slip from her hands, glad the polymer would protect both food and dishes from the drop. With her now free hand, she cupped Gwen’s face. "I know what you see, love. It’s the same thing I see when I find you focused on me. I’m not really sure what you see when you look at me like that, but your eyes tell me... everything."

Gwen didn’t answer verbally; instead she let her eyes speak for her. Then she wound a hand into Randi’s wild, dark hair and pulled her down until their lips met. And she let her lips do the talking for a long peaceful moment.

They separated slowly, licking their lips in tandem then leaning their foreheads together to simply breathe in one another. The peace was shattered when their stomachs protested their abuse and distinct lack of sustenance loudly, and they broke into soft laughter.

"Talk about ruining a mood," Randi muttered as she reached down to retrieve their basket. "C’mon."

They walked slowly across the garden, pausing to admire the various flora and fauna that grew throughout. When they reached the place where the pillars had been placed to receive Geoff’s body for the service, Gwen stopped and looked around.

It was a small open space, surrounded by old, stately trees that shaded it without making it dark. Along the perimeter of the meadow area beyond the trees, were flowering shrubs and Gwen nodded in approval. "Daddy would like this. It’s beautiful and peaceful, so full of life and color and fragrance." Randi nodded but didn’t answer, unable to stop the wash of guilt. Gwen tightened her hold. "Don’t."

"You felt that?"

"Yes. Please don’t." Gwen tugged on the arm she still held and they headed into another area of the garden that also had trees but contained wildflowers. Randi set the basket to one side of the tallest tree and they spread the blanket out together. Then Randi seated Gwen and handed her the basket and took a seat beside her.

"Sorry. I didn’t mean to. I just...."

"I know, love. We will probably both have some guilt over this for a while. But ya know what?" accepting a glass of honey mead and passing Randi a full plate. "I’d be willing to bet you that when Mama gives us the holo-chip Daddy made, it will go a long way to assuaging the guilt both of us feel about what happened. Because I really do think he made an active choice to save us knowing what the consequences would likely be. Besides, you know and I know he would have done it even knowing the outcome to have gotten the results we did."

"That’s true. And I think Geoff is probably at peace now. I know he’s walking again and out of pain." Randi’s head dropped to her chest and she sighed loudly. "And with my luck, he has already met my parents and they are planning all sorts of interesting things for our afterlife."

"Well, warrior babe, I’d have to say you were pretty much dead on the money there. They are so rocking eternity right now."

Dark and light heads popped up at the first sound and Gwen looked for the source while Randi focused her eyes on one spot just in front and to one side of where they were sitting and waited patiently. A huff preceded a fading in of glaring blue eyes followed immediately by pouting lips and the skimpily dressed body of the goddess of love.

"You totally take the fun outta being a goddess sometimes, ya know?"

Randi chuckled. "Of course. Why do you think I do it?"

"Bitch," Dite muttered under her breath, causing a snort of laughter from Gwen, followed immediately by her clapping her hand over her mouth when Randi cut her eyes in Gwen’s direction.

"I beg your pardon?" returning Aphrodite’s glare tenfold.

"Oh, Randi... chill, babe. It’s just a figure of speech."

Randi held the expression for a long moment, then gave Dite a crooked grin. "Whatever. I had ya going there though."

"As if," Dite denied and Randi crooked and eyebrow at her. "Okay, maybe a little. Can we get on with the reason I came or is this gonna be a not so gnarly ‘pick on Dite’ visit?"

"Should I remind you who was trying to sneak up on whom in this little scenario? Hmm?" Randi was now enjoying a bit of teasing herself, knowing she could fluster Dite so easily by doing so. Beside her, Gwen was chuckling in silent laughter.

Aphrodite pouted. "I hate you guys. You’re so mean to me. Here I came to let you know how Geoff was doing and you wanna pick on me? How bogus is that?" But she couldn’t help but see the renewed strength of their bond and the love that flowed between them again like a rushing river instead of the trickling stream it had been for too long. She clapped her hands together and squealed.

"Ooooh... ya’ll are just so radically fab together again. I can’t tell you how happy.... Actually, I can. It’s why I’m here." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, fanning herself rapidly before opening her eyes to speak. "Okay... okay... okay... see...." Dite blew out a breath and took another deep one in an effort to calm herself. "What happened between ya’ll a couple nights ago was just awesome. The vibes were delish and they rocked the world... all of it."

Randi and Gwen exchanged glances, each hoping the other had a clue as to what Aphrodite was talking about. She realized they weren’t following her and closed her eyes again, centering herself to calm and allowing the more serious side of her demeanor to speak.

"All right... let me see if I can be a little clearer. The reunion of your souls the other night was a such a powerful phenomenon that was felt on Olympus, throughout the underworld and even to some extent, here on the mortal plane. That vicious storm...? That was a physical manifestation of what was happening between you."

Dite nodded when they blinked and looked at one another. "*Everything*... present and future was riding on the outcome of your spirit walk together. And when you won...." She shivered. "Oooooh man! It was totally bitchin’!!"

"So what does that have to do with Geoff?"

"His death provided the final impetus to seal your bond, and he knows that. He couldn’t be happier with how things turned out. And he is immensely proud of his role in your coming together again. Though he misses Jill, and will continue to do so until it’s her time to join him, he is content in the afterlife he has now. He is no longer in pain, he is young and strong again, and he has had the opportunity to meet Bobby and Renee Valiant. That last has already given him a lot of fun."

Randi dropped her forehead onto Gwen’s shoulder in a gesture of defeat. "I am so doomed."

Dite laughed aloud. "Nah... it was just like you said it would be. Your parents received him warmly and welcomed him home. They are well on their way to becoming real friends beyond the forced acquaintanceship of being in-laws."

"Already? We just released his soul from his body this morning."

"Yes, already. They have been taking him around, showing him how things work in the afterlife. It was how he knew ya’ll were feeling guilt for the decision he made to die for you. He told me, and I quote, ‘Please tell those two that it was my choice... my decision, and if I had to do it all over again, knowing what the outcome would be, I’d do it a hundred times if I had to.’" Dite scrunched up her forehead in thought. Then she made a face and continued. "He said, ‘Live as a warrior, die as a warrior, and if the sacrifice you make is for those you love the most, then it is worth the cost. Tell Randi I understand a little better what makes her the Sabre she is, but I’m glad my sacrifice was more personal. It makes it seem like hardly a sacrifice at all.’"

Silence for long moments while Randi and Gwen absorbed the words that Aphrodite shared. Finally... "Thank you, Aphrodite."

"Anytime, babes. We are so rocking up there, but this gave Geoff the last bit of closure he needed."

"Did he say anything to my mother... leave some sort of message for her?"

Dite shook her head. "No, Cutie. He sure didn’t. He said they had settled everything between them before they ever left their room and came to yours."

Gwen nodded. "That makes sense. And it certainly goes a long way towards explaining Mama’s reaction to everything... or lack thereof.

"Aphrodite, what about Ares?? I know ya’ll sent him away, but I also know better than to think he won’t eventually turn up here again ready for battle."

Aphrodite bit her lip pensively. "He’s already tried, but Reed was exactly right with what she said about your bond now. It has formed a barrier around you two, shielding your souls – your very essence – from his machinations against you. He cannot get near you now, physically or spiritually, without your conscious permission; even the good guys are blocked from more than a basic read on your well-being," said with a small smile.

"So you think he’ll quit now, knowing he can’t get in?"

"I wish I could believe that, Gwen, but he’s bet everything he has on this gamble. He pissed off a lot of deities with his manipulations and intrigues. And if he loses... he loses big."

"Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy," Randi mumbled. "He’s gonna lose, Dite. We’re gonna taking him down."

Dite shrugged. "I figured as much. Can’t say I’ll be sorry to see him pay the price for his arrogance."

"Can’t say I’m sorry to be the one collecting it either." Randi cleared her throat and tried to erase the fierceness from her expression. "Now, would you like to join us for some lunch? It’s barbeque, and Rosie made plenty."

"Ask me another time and I will. I wouldn’t have disturbed ya’ll today if it hadn’t been important. But you both needed to hear the message from Geoff."

Gwen held out her hands and took Dite’s in hers. "Thank you, Dite. Even though we knew it in our heads, hearing it from you makes it easier to believe in our hearts. Tell Daddy we love him."

Aphrodite kissed Gwen forehead then squeezed her hands before releasing them. "He knows, and he’ll be keeping an eye on you two. ‘Cause that’s just something Daddies seem to do for their daughters. Ya’ll be good, and I’ll be in touch... later!"

Then she was gone before either of them could answer her, leaving a mess of petals in her wake. They looked at one another and laughed, scattering the fragrant softness before resuming their meal together.

But in the deep, sinister recesses of Ares’ darkest, most powerful temple, the god of war worked feverishly mixing and measuring, knowing the focus of his fight had to change and that everything was riding on the outcome of his work here.

Randi tightened her hold, simply glad to have Gwen in her arms again. She couldn’t believe she had let this slip from her grasp for any length of time and it made her cherish the preciousness of it now. Without thought, Gwen let her hand track upwards from Randi’s torso to gently trace the planes and hollows of her face. Randi smiled at the renewed intimacy the sensation caused to course through her.

"Yeah," she agreed softly. "It really has. I could do this with you for the rest of our days together and never grow tired of it... never wish for another thing from life."

Gwen shifted, sitting up enough to lean on one elbow and look down into Randi’s face. Randi cracked one blue eye open just a slit to return Gwen’s gaze.

"What?"

"You’re serious, aren’t you? You’d give everything up again...."

Randi nodded. "It’s not worth the cost for me to remain a Sabre. As much a part of me as it is, it’s not nearly as much a part of me as you are. I can live without the excitement of being a Sabre as long as I have the peace of being with you."

Gwen cupped Randi’s face and spent a long moment just staring into her eyes. Then she leaned down and captured Randi’s lips in a long, passionate kiss. It went on until their hands started to wander and air ran out. Then Gwen simply transferred her attention to Randi’s jaw line, nibbling up to her ear. Randi tilted her head, making sure Gwen had plenty of room to work with and felt the bard smile with her movement.

"I love you, Randi."

"And I love you, Gwen... so much." She slapped the ground. "I can’t believe I nearly lost this. I can’t believe I nearly let you get away from me."

Gwen returned her hands to Randi’s face, turning it gently and stroking Randi’s cheeks with her thumbs. "Randi? Look at me."

It took a moment, but finally Randi blinked her eyes open and Gwen’s heart wrenched at the profound sadness she saw there. "Don’t. Don’t even think about going there."

"But...."

"Do you really think I was going to let you go... especially when we have fought so hard to be together?? Randi, I stayed away because you needed me to, but I was never far away. And I always, *always* kept an eye on you as much as I could." Gwen smiled wryly. "Poor Reed... I think I must have driven her half insane. We owe them a lot for sticking with us through all of this, you know."

"I know. I’m planning to give them all some time off now, before we have to start the last of our work here. We’ll need their help then." Gwen couldn’t stop the grin at Randi’s use of plural pronouns where the two of them were concerned. That, as much as anything else, marked a fundamental change in Randi’s attitude – before it had always been singular... a solo responsibility.

"We are, huh?"

"Yeah," not picking up Gwen’s excitement immediately. "We’ve got a lot of work to finish in as short a time as we can manage. I wanna go home."

Gwen dropped her head onto Randi’s chest and hugged her hard. Startled, Randi returned the embrace instinctively and kissed the top of the blonde head. After a few minutes of silence, Gwen relaxed her hold just slightly and she fell into a half-doze to the rhythmic beat of Randi’s heartbeat beneath her ear.

"Gwen?"

"Sleepin’" she mumbled, then frowned when Randi chuckled soundlessly. She swatted futilely at the moving surface she was resting on. "Still, mattress... sleepin’ here." Randi’s chuckled became an outright laugh and Gwen couldn’t stop the gasp that the sound caused any more than she could stop the tears from springing to her eyes or the smile from spreading across her lips.

"I love that sound."

Randi smiled. "It feels good to be able to do that again." She squeezed Gwen’s body gently, reveling in the sensations that caused to ripple through her. "Gwen?"

"Hmm?"

"Did you really? Did you really keep an eye on me?"

"Yep. I sure did."

Randi blew out a breath. "I’m glad. Even though I didn’t know it then, it’s nice to know you were looking out for me in spite of everything. I felt...."

"What, love?"

"I... not abandoned, exactly – especially since I sent you away – but I was so lonely. Even once you were here again, I was so alone."

"Why didn’t you tell me you were struggling so hard, sweetheart? You know I would have done anything I could have to help you."

"I know." Randi shrugged. "I’m not sure really. I don’t know if it had something to do with whatever it was I was fighting or it was just warrior pride or.... I dunno. It was... I’m not sure how to describe it. It felt like... if I told you, I failed. I couldn’t protect you if you knew. It’s... I dunno," she said again. "It doesn’t make much sense if I think about it now, especially trying to explain it. But it was so clear to me then. I need you to understand that, Gwen. I didn’t do anything maliciously."

"Oh, I know that, Randi. I’d have kicked your ass pronto if I’d thought otherwise." A beat. "I did wonder if you still loved me a time or too, but...."

"I never stopped loving you, sweetheart. You have to believe that."

Gwen patted the chest underneath her ear, feeling the rapid beating slow perceptibly with just her tactile reassurance. "I know, love. Aphrodite had to remind me once or twice, but in my heart and in my soul, I knew."

It hurt, knowing Gwen has suffered a loss of faith in her... in them... even briefly, but Randi really couldn’t blame Gwen either – not with what they had been through. It wasn’t like she had been able to explain things to Gwen... especially her own crisis of faith. It only served to strengthen her resolve to get them out of the circle. They deserved whatever peace they could find.

"I’m sorry," Gwen whispered, bringing Randi’s attention back to the present. "It hurt me so much to think that, even though I knew better."

"S’all right, love. It’s past and we have the rest of our lives to look forward to here. And that’s just the beginning for us."

Gwen didn’t answer verbally, but she tightened her hold on Randi. For a long while, they watched the effects of the breeze as it danced across the grasses and flowers and trees. It was a lovely symphony... soothing and relaxing and it caused them both to fall back into a somnolent state. It was comfortable in the way so many things hadn’t been in a long time.

Eventually, Randi stretched a little beneath Gwen’s body and patted her gently on the back. "Gwen, sweetheart? C’mon. Nice as this has been, we need to get back to the palace and prepare for Geoff’s service." She waited, then smiled when Gwen clenched her fists and mewed before she stretched and blinked her eyes open. Gwen tilted her head up to meet Randi’s amused blue eyes gazing back at her affectionately.

"Hey, beautiful. We need to get up and head back." Gwen stretched again and nodded, but settled right back down on Randi’s chest, drawing a smile from the warrior. She let them remain that way for a few more minutes, then slowly edged into a sitting position, bringing Gwen up with her. Gwen tilted her head back enough to look at Randi, a distinct frown on her face.

"I was comfortable where I was, ya know," she complained, but there was a definite twinkle in the back of her green eyes.

"I know," Randi agreed. "So was I. But I’ve got to get into that uniform to pay my final respects to your father and it takes me a few minutes to get into it. Besides, I have a surprise for you."

"You do? What kind of a surprise?"

"A nice surprise, but we have to get up and go back to the palace first."

"All right," Gwen grumbled, "but this better be good."

Randi chuckled and shook her head, standing and bringing Gwen up with her. Then they gathered up the blanket and the remains of their picnic supplies and headed back through the gardens.

The air was sweet, the heat of the day having pulled the fragrance from the flowers and left it hanging heavily in the garden itself. Even the light breeze didn’t disperse it too much, although.... Gwen took a deep breath, tasting a particular sweetness on the back of her tongue with the inhalation. She turned to Randi with a tiny, incredulous smile.

"Honeysuckle?"

"Um hmm. They thought I was nuts when I told them I wanted hedges of the stuff. But I glared at them and they planted it anyway." Randi shrugged sheepishly when Gwen laughed at her admission. "I needed it here... as a sort of promise. It reminded me of you."

"Ya know... even though we’re not going to stay here very long, I’m glad you took the time and effort to do this. This is actually my favorite part of the whole palace."

"Mine too," Randi said, maneuvering them back towards the kitchen. "I was out here a lot while you were gone. Made me think of better times."

Gwen didn’t have a response to that, so she merely gripped Randi’s hand more firmly before they crossed the threshold into the palace and then to the kitchen. There was no one there, which was a little surprising given the time of day, but Randi could see both Ella’s and Rosie’s handiwork left behind. She made a mental note to thank them later, then put the basket and blanket back where Rosie had taken them from while Gwen grabbed up the few dirty dishes and washed them. Within a few minutes they were done and headed down the long, twisting corridor to their suite.

The guards snapped to attention at their approach and Randi stopped before entering the room. "Report," she commanded quietly.

"Empress," the senior non-com said, bowing his head slightly in respect. "It’s been quiet. The workmen left about twenty minutes ago and word is that everyone has returned to their rooms to prepare for the service. We did get a report of some unrest in the rehabilitation compound, but Tiny went over to check things out and we haven’t heard anything since."

A frown crossed Randi’s features. "Has he reported back in?"

The guard nodded. "Yes ma’am. He is in his quarters. Shall I summon him?"

Randi nodded. "Please. Have him report to me immediately."

"Aye, sir," popping off a salute and receiving a snappy one in return. He reached for his comm unit even as Randi opened the door and guided Gwen inside... until she stopped completely just passed the threshold. Randi had to ease her forward a couple steps just so she could close the door behind them. Then she leaned down to catch the stunned look on Gwen’s face.

"You like?"

Gwen nodded mutely while her eyes continued to roam around the brand new room. Everything had been changed or replaced, except the tile floor. There was new paint on the walls, new curtains at the windows, new rugs on the floor and new furniture throughout. And it was all similar to what they had in their home – no more of the garish, vulgar pretentiousness that had been the décor. Gwen turned to regard Randi with astonishment.

"How...? Why...?"

A knock on the door saved her from having to answer immediately. "I’ll answer, I promise; just let me speak to Tiny real quick first, all right?"

Gwen nodded, dropping Randi’s hand to wander around the room, amazed at the changes. Randi watched her a minute before she turned back to the door and bade the guard to open it.

"Ma’am? Tiny is here to see you."

Randi nodded. "Please, come in, Tiny." The chief was dressed casually and Randi could tell he’d dressed rather quickly probably right out of the shower. She motioned him to a chair and took one herself. "I’m sorry, Tiny. If I had known you were in the shower, I would have asked them to wait until you were done. It wasn’t that critical."

Tiny smiled. "Well, I was just stepping out when the message came – it’s why you got bare feet and a tropical print shirt, sir. It was the first thing I grabbed, though if Reed sees me wandering around in public with this thing on, she’s liable to burn it and kick my ass. "

"She hates it huh?"

"With a passion," Tiny replied solemnly and cleared his throat. "Is there something you needed from me, Empress?"

Randi shuddered, but before she could speak, a light touch on her shoulder made her look up into compassionate green eyes. Without ever breaking contact with Randi, Gwen responded softly. "Tiny, I know it’s probably against every rule, regulation and protocol the Sabres have, but do you think, at least when it’s just us together... not in public, maybe we could be Randi and Gwen to ya’ll? We’re not going to have these titles for very long, ya know."

Tiny smiled, and though they couldn’t see it, they could hear it in his voice. "As my queen commands, so shall it be."

They turned to him simultaneously, then they each popped him on the leg. "Smartass," they mumbled together. Tiny burst into delighted laughter.

"God, I have missed you two. Now," becoming more serious. "Was there something you needed, my friend, or did you just want to see what kind of outlandish civilian clothes I have?"

"Actually, I was wondering what you got called over to the rebel compound for. The guards said there was some sort of unrest?"

Tiny relaxed and gave them a reassuring smile. "Nothing bad, I promise. Apparently Gwen has made such a dramatic impact on the folks in rehab over there, that when they found out her father had passed away, they asked for permission to attend the service for him this evening."

Gwen gasped and Randi covered her hand in support. "What did you tell them?"

"I explained the venue, told them about the limited space, but I also told them they would be welcome until space ran out, BUT if there was any trouble they would be made to leave. We will have a large enough military presence there that we will be able to handle any outbreaks of trouble. I have already handed out instructions to that effect."

"Are you expecting trouble then?" Gwen asked. "Tiny, I don’t want Daddy’s service disrupted. I can’t do that to my mother."

"No, Gwen... actually, I’m not. But we believe in being safe instead of sorry. They were very courteous and understanding about the whole thing. They just want to show their support. I suggested they have a candlelight vigil they could all attend after the service was over. I thought Gwen might possibly stop by for it," turning his attention to Randi.

Randi nodded. "I think we could both stop by for something like that," turning her head to Gwen. "If you want to, I mean."

"I’d like that."

Tiny nodded and rose from his place. "All right. I’ll make sure to tell the folks over there. But now I’ve gotta go get dressed before Reed sees me in this shirt. I’d hate to lose it. I got it on my very first shore leave, too many years ago to count now." He scooted out the door before either of them could comment.

Gwen held out a hand which Randi accepted with alacrity, pulling a startled Gwen into her lap. Gwen giggled and wrapped her arms around Randi’s neck, giving and receiving a long hug. "Well, this certainly wasn’t what I was intending when I offered you my hand... not that I’m complaining," she added when Randi’s eyebrow arched into her hairline.

"So what do you think of your new boudoir, my queen?"

Gwen swatted at Randi, then tucked her head under Randi’s chin. "I love it," she said. "You knew I would. I figured out the how... that was Jake, wasn’t it?" Randi nodded, her eyes twinkling. "But, honey... why? I mean...." motioning around her.

"Because you hated it, and honestly, so did I once I saw it through your eyes. Yuri did what I asked him to – it presented a front I wanted people to see... opulence and power. But it’s not what we’re about." She shrugged. "Since we do need to stay here a little while longer, I figure we may as well be comfortable in surroundings that don’t make us want to scream for mercy."

Gwen chuckled. "Yeah, that about sums up the way I felt in here before. I wanted to take my staff and start hitting things. It wasn’t pretty."

Randi smiled and kissed the top of her head, then they gently stood from the chair. "C’mon, love. Let’s get dressed."

For Gwen it was a lot like déjà vu. She dressed slowly in the same black suit she had worn to Randi’s memorial service fifteen months previously. Only this time, Randi was getting dressed beside her and it wasn’t pouring rain outside.

It didn’t take Gwen long... she twisted up her hair and applied minimal make-up before adding earrings, then she slipped into her suit. Then she sat down on the bed to watch Randi transform into the Empress and Sabre Commandant.

Every movement was precise and not a motion was wasted. The hair went into a braid with a wry smile as Randi remembered Geoff’s reaction to her leaving it down for Gwen. Then came the T-shirt and the trousers, then Randi sat down and pulled on the boots, standing again to stomp them into place. The sound made Gwen smile sadly; it reminded her of the first time she’d heard it – on the night that Randi had kissed her for the first time... when Randi had disappeared from her life for fifteen months.

Randi gazed at the tunic for a long time. It held a lot of memories – a lifetime of them. She didn’t even realize Gwen had moved until she felt a hand on her shoulder. She met Gwen’s eyes and held them even when Gwen slipped the jacket from her hands.

Gwen held it opened and waited patiently for Randi to extend her arms. Randi stood silent and still for a long moment, the implications weighing heavily on her shoulders. Gwen folded the tunic over one arm and gently rubbed Randi’s back until she felt Randi relax into her touch.

"C’mon, sweetheart," opening the jacket again. "Daddy was always proud when you were a Sabre; he said it was a kinship he was thrilled the two of you shared."

Randi didn’t answer, but she extended her arms and took the tunic, shrugging it into place. Then she reached for the buttons, only to have her hands slapped away by Gwen who had circled around in front of her. She looked down with a raised eyebrow though she couldn’t hide the twinkle in her eyes.

"My privilege," Gwen assured Randi and Randi let her arms fall back to her sides. Gwen buttoned the jacket to Randi’s neck, then Randi did the clasp that kept the neck closed. She slid her sais into her boots and looked at Gwen before picking up the sabre. She offered it to Gwen who gladly accepted it reverently and wrapped her arms around Randi’s slim waist to fasten it on her uniform. Then Gwen stood back to appreciate the picture Randi presented, seeing the presence Randi wore like a cloak. Randi flushed under Gwen’s regard and Gwen blushed in return.

Clearing her throat, Randi broke the tableau and snatched up her gloves, pulling them on then picking up her cover and tucking it under one arm. Then she offered her arm to Gwen, who glanced down at her bare feet.

"One sec," she said, before Randi pulled her to a halt. Gwen tilted her head in question. "Randi?"

Randi strode into the closet and picked up Gwen’s shoes, then knelt at Gwen’s feet. Gwen balanced her hands on Randi’s shoulders as Randi slid the shoes onto her feet then stood.

"I feel a little like Cinderella," Gwen said softly.

Randi gave her a crooked smile. "Does that make me Prince Charming?" extending her arm to Gwen again. Gwen tucked her hand into the crook of Randi’s elbow and smiled up at her as they made their way out the door, picking up an honor guard on their way to Jill’s room.

"I hope not," Gwen said seriously. "I married the most beautiful, charming woman in the world, and she’s the Empress. It’d be a real let down to find out she’d transformed into a male prince."

Randi blinked, caught completely off-guard by Gwen’s pronouncement, though part of her was rather tickled by it. In light of the circumstances, though, and in an effort to maintain a solemn air, she merely nodded gravely, then leaned over to whisper in Gwen’s ear. "I’m fairly certain it would be something of a shock to me as well." She kissed her cheek and straightened to knock on Jill’s door.

There was no immediate response, so she knocked again, even as Gwen called out, "Mama? Can we come in?" Randi jiggled the door and found it unlocked, so she opened it slowly and stuck her in head around the door, not surprised to feel Gwen’s head rub against her arm. They looked around, but didn’t see Jill, so Randi motioned to the guard to stay put and she and Gwen entered the room. It was empty.

Gwen and Randi exchanged glances. "Why did she go ahead without us?"

Randi shrugged at Gwen’s question, though she had a fairly good idea. "I dunno, but nothing we can do about it now. C’mon. It’s time to honor your father’s sacrifice and send him on his way."

One of the guards closed the door silently as they couple made their way slowly down the hallway towards the garden door. Gwen turned to Randi, a frown furrowing her brow. Randi cocked an eyebrow at her. "What’s wrong, love?"

There was a long pause and they crossed the threshold into the garden before Gwen spoke.

"Well, I was just thinking... why are we doing this? You know and I know that Daddy’s spirit is already in the afterlife; Aphrodite told us so. So why are we going to all the trouble to send him on his way? He’s already there."

Randi smiled, glad the guard was discrete and far enough away not to overhear their conversation. "Sweetheart, you know why... this isn’t for Geoff. It’s for us - a chance to say goodbye... a chance to celebrate his life and our part in it." Randi frowned. "You already know all this, Gwen. Where’s this coming from?"

"I dunno. I just feel out of sorts... like something’s not right."

Randi pulled them to a sudden halt and the guard reacted instantly, forming a perimeter around them. "About Geoff’s death? Gwen, that’s only natural, especially given the circumstances surrounding it."

"I dunno," Gwen said again. "I’m probably just being silly."

"Nope, you’re never silly. You’re my queen, remember."

Gwen snorted and leaned into Randi’s body, relishing the embrace that swaddled her whole being. "I’m gonna remind you of that some day," she said with a smile. "Now let’s go. I want to talk to my mother... see how she is doing and why she left without us. I thought we were supposed to walk in as a family."

"I think she went ahead because of our status, love. It’s the only reason I can think of for her going off alone without us since she is supposed to be the one who arrives last."

"Our sta... bu... wh... Who’s idea was *that*?!?"

Randi held up her hands. "Not mine! It was probably Jill’s, but honey, remember that she’s having a rough time right now. If she says she did it out of some twisted idea of respect, just let it go, all right? We can make sure she understands the truth about things later."

"I just wanted to be there for her," Gwen whispered. "I know what she is going through."

Randi wrapped her hands around Gwen’s body and cradled her gently. "Then you know that sometimes you just do what you have to do to get through the day. Despite her happiness for us, and I really do think she is happy for us, Jill is having to cope with the knowledge that not only was Geoff *willing* to die for us... he *did* die for us. On some level – deep down – she resents him and she resents us. She’s likely to push us away, just like you did."

Gwen nodded, recalling all too clearly how she’d felt when Randi had died. "I know."

"Well, we can only take things one step at a time," Randi said, releasing Gwen from their hug and taking her hand. "For now," she continued, moving them again towards where everyone else was already gathered. "The sun is just touching the horizon. It’s time."

There was a path cleared for them and everyone present, except Jill, stood as they approached. Gwen gripped Randi’s hand tighter as she realized what was going on, but together they made their way to the front. When they reached the coffin, Randi stood back a step and allowed Gwen a minute alone with her father. Gwen placed her hands on it and leaned down to whisper briefly, then brushed her lips over the top. Then she leaned back into Randi’s body absorbing her strength for a long moment before reaching for Randi’s hand once more.

Randi took Gwen over to Jill and seated them next to one another. Then Randi knelt down in front of Jill in spite of the spotless white trousers she wore. She didn’t say a word, but took one of Jill’s hands in both of her larger ones. Jill took her free hand and cupped Randi’s cheek in an oddly comforting manner, lifting her chin enough that Jill could look into the blue eyes nearly hidden by the cover Randi had donned when she and Gwen stepped outdoors. Then she nodded and directed Randi to the podium with a glance.

Randi rose and took her place on the elevated platform and gestured for everyone to take their seats. Then she cleared her throat and began speaking quietly.

"My friends, we are gathered here this evening to pay tribute to a man was known and loved by many, as is testified to by the presence of so many gathered her. I was lucky – not only did I count Geoffrey Goldman as a fine man and a good friend, but I also had the great fortune to call him family. And Geoff died as he lived – a warrior and a hero to those who knew him best and he died protecting those closest to his heart."

Her words made many wonder, as only those who had been in the room knew the true circumstances surrounding Geoff’s death, but most assumed that she was making a metaphorical reference to his career as much as anything specific.

Randi drew a deep breath. "So we have gathered to celebrate his life and send him into the next life with our good memories and Godspeed." Then she stepped back from the podium to allow those who wanted to share their memories of Geoff the opportunity to do so. She took her place at the coffin’s head, standing at attention as speaker after speaker rose to pay tribute to their fallen friend and colleague. Jill listened in amazement as many friends she knew, and so many more she didn’t told of how Geoff had touched their lives in one way or another.

The sun had long since set and twilight was but a memory when Gwen rose to tell her story, sharing bits of her memories of Geoff as a loving father. When she was done, Randi returned to the podium and without a warm-up, began to sing the song of the People meant to guide his spirit to the next plane. Those who knew the melody joined her and those who didn’t kept time with their feet and hands. And the bearers took their positions and committed the casket to the fires while the honor guard saluted.

When the polymer box was fully engulfed in flames, Randi took Gwen’s hand in hers and together they walked over to where Jill still sat, eyes glued to the blaze that surrounded Geoff’s remains. For a long moment, they thought she was going to ignore them. Finally, she met their eyes, tears in her own. Randi extended her hand and Jill took it with a watery smile. Then they headed out of the garden, leading the rest back towards the palace and the planned wake.

They stood with Jill at the door of the ballroom, greeting old and new friends as they arrived. When the deluge became a trickle, Randi turned to Gwen with a raised eyebrow and she answered with a nod of her head. Then Gwen turned to Jill.

"Mama?"

Jill met her eyes with a sad smile. "This is amazing, baby girl. I think your daddy would have been proud to see all the people that came to pay their respects... especially on such short notice."

Gwen returned the smile with one of her own. "I know he would have. Mama, Randi and I have to leave for a few minutes, but we’ll be back. Sky and Rosie said they would stay with you until we do, because we don’t want you to be alone here. Please, Mama. It would make us both feel better to know Sky and Rosie were keeping you company until we returned."

Jill looked into Gwen’s eyes and then Randi’s and nodded her head. "If it will make you feel better," she agreed softly. "Can you give me some time after this is over? I’d like to talk to both of you."

"Absolutely."

"Of course."

The answers came simultaneously and brought a real smile to Jill’s face. "All right, then. You two go take care of whatever business you have. We’ll be here when you get done, and then we’ll go talk."

Gwen leaned down and kissed one cheek and Randi the other. Then with a discrete nod, Sky and Rosie made their way over to stand with Jill and Randi and Gwen left for the rehabilitation compound, accompanied by a small circle of Sabre guards.

Tommy and Ella stood with Tiny and Reed and watched them leave together without drawing undue attention to themselves, though Tiny noted most of the eyes in the room followed them naturally. It was just the way of things with them.

"Wish I could be there to see this," Tiny commented wistfully, but he and Randi had agreed it was important for him to stay with Jill.

Tommy smiled. "You will. I reconfigured the security monitors. It is all being recorded."

Tiny smiled and the four of them circled the room to talk to Jill. Tiny figured she might like to know what was going on. He figured she would appreciate the gesture on several levels, but was also confident Gwen would play down her part if they had even bothered to share their reason for leaving. And he had promised Geoff to look out for all his girls. This would be a good place to start.

Randi smiled but said nothing, choosing instead to wrap an arm around Gwen's shoulders to guide their steps together. It was late and it was dark, but Tiny had assured her the rebels were waiting, so they had decided to honor their request.

"You know something else?" Gwen asked softly, though she was content that their guards were more intent on their surroundings than they were in listening to whatever conversation the Empress and Queen were sharing. If there was one rule Sabres understood very well, it was that of discretion.

"I have tried not to know too much, love. Every time I think I know something, it just gets me into trouble. However, that notwithstanding," feeling Gwen's silent laughter along her length where they were touching. "You apparently know something you want to share. Please... share."

"You're too much sometimes, you know that?"

"That I do most assuredly know, my bard, but I am almost sure that is not what you were gonna say a minute ago."

"You're right... it's not. What I was going to say was it's a little odd to be surrounded by people like this. Always before, it's been just us. You've been able to handle whatever came at us – no question and no hesitation. What changed?"

Randi sighed. "I became the Empress, and that entails certain protocols... including an honor guard."

"Does it bother you?"

Randi shrugged and nodded hesitantly. "Some," she said honestly. "In some ways, it feels like my skills are being questioned - like I can’t be a warrior anymore. I think it’s one reason I keep pushing so hard to maintain my level of proficiency... well, that and I couldn’t stand coming home to an empty bed." A beat and Gwen stayed silent, though Randi could hear the unasked question pulsing between them. "Then I couldn’t bear the thought of sharing a bed with you and having you turn away from me anyway. It was better not to even have that be a possibility."

Regardless of their escort, Gwen pulled them to a halt. Immediately, the honor guard spread out even further and turned their backs, keeping their eyes on the area around them. Gwen took Randi’s hands in hers and waited for the blue eyes to meet hers.

"Randi, I can’t say that it would have been easy – I was so angry at you for pushing me away... for treating me like I was a responsibility instead of your partner...."

"Are you still?" Randi cut in. "Angry, I mean."

Gwen shook her head. "No. It still hurts me to think what happened between us; it will for a long time, I imagine. But I understand now and that understanding made the anger sorta disappear; it even made the pain our fighting caused lessen because of the real reason behind it. But I have to tell you - in hindsight of course - I think no matter how angry we were, our hearts and our bodies would never have accepted it."

Randi’s brows creased and Gwen reached up with one hand to smooth out the furrows her frown caused. "Are you saying...?"

"I’m saying that I reached for you every night you weren’t there – here, in the village... it didn’t matter. Despite everything – despite the hurt and anger and aggravation and any other number of not so nice emotions, I still wanted you beside me, especially when I closed my eyes to try and sleep. I wanted to be in your arms every night." She chuckled and Randi raised an eyebrow in question. Gwen smirked. "Look at how our bodies reacted to one another - not just in the dreamscape, but the minute they were put into the same space in this plane."

"Yeah, that was kinda nice."

This time Gwen laughed out loud and she wrapped herself around Randi, soaking in the pure joy the embrace created. They resumed walking towards the compound and their guard reformed around them instantly. "You’re a master of understatement, did you know that?"

Now Randi laughed. "Yeah, I’ve heard that a time or two before." She paused and Gwen looked up at her expectantly. "It was fantastic; it always is."

"Ooo... you sweet talker, you."

Gwen didn’t see the reaction, but Randi felt the smiles ripple around the small group of guards. Discretion was their watch word, but sometimes a Sabre just couldn’t help hearing things. They just knew how and when to keep their eyes and mouths shut.

They reached the compound and realized that every single member of the former rebellion must have been waiting for their arrival. The courtyard was packed with bodies, each holding a lit candle. When their entrance was noticed, a small pathway was created that allowed them passage to the center where the rebels had hastily erected a small platform. Heads nodded in obeisance as they passed through since kneeling in such close quarters with lit candles was not prudent.

A lone woman waited for them there and they mounted the steps to join her while the guard spread out around the stage. The Sabres were more than a little nervous about the situation, truth be told, but Randi knew there was a matter of trust that needed to be established. And though it took things to an extreme level, she believed in the goodwill Gwen had wrought here with these people.

When they reached the center of the platform, the woman knelt. Randi released Gwen’s hand and took the woman’s, urging her gently to stand. Then Randi turned to face the crowd. "Thank you all for coming here to show your support in our time of mourning the loss of Gwen’s father. We appreciate the acknowledgement of my position as Empress and Gwen’s as Queen. But please, no kneeling, bowing or scraping. A simple nod of the head will suffice."

The woman nodded. "Thank you, Empress. We weren’t sure of the protocol and decided to err on the side of caution."

Randi smiled and extended her hand. "Been there, done that more than once in my life. And you are...?"

The woman accepted Randi’s hand and returned the smile. "My name is Billie. And I was um... selected to greet you both and offer you our sincerest condolences." She turned to Gwen. "We were very sorry to hear about your father, my queen. He must have been a good man."

"Thank you, Billie." She looked out over the gathered congregation all around them, the lights from the candles lighting the entire courtyard. "Thank all of you. You didn’t even know my father, and yet...." raising her arm and waving towards them when words failed her.

"Yes, but we know you, my queen. And that’s enough for us."

Randi stood silent, having moved to stand behind Gwen in her customary position of support. Gwen leaned back into the firm body, absorbing the love and encouragement she could feel flowing from the woman behind her.

"Thank you. I don’t...."

Billie smiled sadly. "You don’t have to. We have... we’d like to offer up a song for the safe passage of his soul." Gwen nodded. "It’s not really traditional anymore, but it was the one song we all knew and could agree on." Bobbie turned and focused on a mixed group of people standing to just one side of the stage.

The pipes began playing a hymn that had been old when it was written, and slowly a chorus of voices swelled to echo throughout the courtyard. Gwen felt the rumble, but it was Randi’s voice she heard joining those of those who had once been enemies as they sang Geoff’s soul to its final rest. That was the sound that brought tears to her eyes.

When the song was finished, Gwen wiped her eyes and faced the crowd once more. She didn’t speak, but they cheered anyway. Gwen waved her appreciation and then Randi escorted her down the stairs. The crowd parted and took up the hymn once more as they made their way out of the courtyard and back to the palace.

They were silent in their passage, only the quiet whisper of cloth to betray their path. When they reached the palace entrance, Randi pulled them to a stop. "Are you all right? Do you feel up to going back into the wake?"

"I feel... drained, but we need to go back in. We pretty much promised my mother we’d be back in and it’s not fair to leave her in there to cope alone."

"She’s not alone, Gwen, but you’re right – family is important, and we’re her family now. I just don’t want to put you at risk. You’ve been through so much lately."

"*We’ve* been through so much lately, love. I’m just tired."

"All right, sweetheart. I can certainly understand that sentiment. Let’s go circulate at this thing for a few minutes, then we’ll get your mother alone and see what she needs from us. Then I’m going to tuck you into bed for some much needed rest."

"I thought we had a date planned for tonight."

Randi smiled a Gwen and wrapped an arm around her shoulders as the moved towards the ballroom. The team scattered, spreading out more now that they were back inside the palace. "We did," she confirmed, "and any other time I would take advantage of the opportunity to be intimate with you... especially with how long it’s been since we’ve been together in this plane and what we’ve been through to get here. Please trust it’s not a lack of desire on my part, but my love for you that’s speaking. You’re exhausted, and honestly... so am I. I think we’d both be better off waiting until tomorrow."

"Will you be there to hold me?"

"All night long, Little One. For the rest of our lives."

Gwen squeezed Randi with the arm she had wrapped around the warrior’s waist and felt the kiss Randi brushed across the top of her head.

"That will be enough for a start. Let’s get this done, because you’re right – I am exhausted, and we’ve still got things to do here before we can go home to stay." The doors opened for them as if by magic and they reentered the ballroom with as little fanfare as they could manage.

Jill was easy to spot – she was actually holding court of sorts, sharing tales and reminiscences of Geoff with a number of the folks who were in the room. For the most part, all eyes and ears were on her, and Randi and Gwen were able to sneak over to the buffet table practically unnoticed. It was nice to be observers, for a change, instead of the focus of attention.

Randi and Gwen walked the length of the tables, picking up bits at random. Then they moved over to the dais to watch the rest of the activity while still out of the way of the action. Jill was smiling, though it was a sad expression that didn’t quite reach her eyes. Still, it was apparent to the two watchers that she was enjoying the opportunity to tell stories about her husband, but also to hear tales from others who had known him – friends both old and new.

As the hour of midnight approached, Tiny began circulating the room, encouraging people to take their leave. Nothing pressing, but most had been waiting for his cue and with relief, made their way towards Jill to offer final condolences and wish her good night.

Finally, the only people left in the room were those that had been directly involved in the spirit walk and Tommy and Ella. Lacey, Sky and Rosie were the first to bid her goodnight from their little group, followed immediately by Tommy and Ella since Ella and Rosie had plans to restructure the kitchen. Their day would start early; they figured they would let Randi in on their plans once they had the details worked out between them. One less thing she needed to concern herself with but would appreciate being taken care of.

Tiny and Reed wished Jill a good evening, then they approached Randi and Gwen who were just leaving the dais area they were seated on. Tiny bowed his head and Reed mimicked his action until they both felt Randi’s hand land heavily on their shoulders.

"All right, you two... cut it out."

"As you say, Empress... my queen."

Randi’s eyes narrowed. "Ya know, Tiny... I know where you live." Gwen bit her lip to keep from laughing out loud. Tiny and Reed didn’t show her restraint and chuckled, guffawing when Randi squeezed their shoulders and snorted herself. "I don’t know why I put up with you two."

"Because you luuuuuuuuuuv us," Tiny drawled.

"Uh huh," Randi agreed in a slow, skeptical tone. "I love you so much I am sending you away. I want you out of my hair and on vacation starting tomorrow. I want you to take a week or two off and go... I dunno. Go do something that makes you both happy. Go home and check on the dogs; take a trip somewhere you’ve never been together; see a play; visit a holodeck. I don’t care. Just go do something for the two of you... something wild and crazy and completely outrageous."

"Really? You’re serious?"

"Yep. It’s not much, but.... Without the two of you, we never would have defeated Ares... Gwen and I wouldn’t be together anymore," the last said in a whisper. "You deserve a lot more, my friends, but a couple weeks is the best I can do for now. Thank you both."

Tiny reacted instinctively and gathered Randi in what should have been a crushing hug. Instead, Randi returned the favor and Tiny heard his spine realign itself in her grip. He moaned aloud and Randi chuckled in response.

"How do you do that? Even the Sabre doctors can’t put me back in place like that."

Randi shrugged. "I have many skills," she deadpanned.

Tiny shook his head disgustedly. "I shoulda seen that one coming."

The three women laughed at his apparent repugnance at having given Randi an opening like that. Jill came up behind Randi and Gwen, putting her arms around their shoulders and poking her head between them. "So, is this a private party or can anyone join in?"

Tiny opened his arms and Jill walked into his embrace. They stood locked together in a hug for a long moment before he released her and she turned to Reed. They hugged for another long moment before Jill pulled back and took their hands in hers.

"Thank you, both. You have been such good friends. I want you to promise to keep in touch." Jill couldn’t see the furrow that her words etched into Gwen’s and Randi’s foreheads, but Tiny and Reed could. So they nodded and bid the rest goodnight, leaving Randi, Gwen and Jill alone in the ballroom aside from the honor guard stationed periodically throughout. As soon as they moved to leave, the guard formed up around them and escorted them through the hallways to Jill’s room.

"It’s late," Gwen commented softly as they stopped in front of her door. "Would you like to wait until tomorrow to talk? You look tired."

Jill shook her head and opened the door, ushering them into her room with a wave of her hand. "No," she said as she closed the door behind them. "I’m going home in the morning, so I’d like to talk to you both tonight."

"Mama?"

Jill motioned them to sit, taking a chair for herself and leaning her head against the back. She closed her eyes in exhaustion and Randi got up to get her some water while Gwen knelt beside the chair and took Jill’s hand in her warmer one. Randi touched Jill’s shoulder, having removed her gloves with a sense of relief. It took a moment, but finally Jill blinked her eyes open and offered Randi a small smile as she accepted the glass.

"Thank you, Randi. Have I mentioned how dashing you look in uniform? You and Gwen make such a lovely couple anytime, but when you do the formal thing together, you’re simply stunning."

Randi couldn’t stop the blush that crawled up her face, but she smiled lightly. "I think you just like the uniform... all the colorful ribbons and sparkly bits."

Jill chuckled. "Well, I will admit to having a thing for a man in uniform, but the two of you are something else altogether. Why do you think Sal is always pestering me to get you into the studio for a new round of pictures? You’re just two incredibly beautiful women who compliment one another totally. And when you go formal...." Jill left the thought hanging, content with the astonishment on the face of *both* her daughters.

"Ahem... well," Randi said after clearing her throat. "What can we do for you, Jill? I’m pretty sure you didn’t bring us in here just to embarrass us – at least not completely." She moved an ottoman around to the side of the chair where Gwen was kneeling and seated both of them on it. Randi wrapped an arm around Gwen’s waist even as Gwen reached for Jill’s hands again. Jill just looked at them for a long moment before meeting Randi’s eyes directly.

"First, is there a reason you don’t call me Mom anymore, Randi? I know we’ve had some ups and downs, but I thought.... If I’ve done something...." She stopped speaking when Randi held up an unsteady hand.

"It’s not you, Ji... mom. I just didn’t think you’d want to hear that from me after everything."

Jill captured the shaking hand in one of her own, unconsciously completing a circle between them. "I need to hear it now more than ever. I’ve already lost part of my family this week. Please don’t ask me to give up any more."

Randi nodded and squeezed her hand, but she didn’t say anything. Gwen leaned into the warrior and nuzzled her neck before depositing a kiss in her wake. Then she turned her attention back to her mother.

"Are you sure you need to go home in the morning, Mama? I mean, you just got here a couple days ago. We haven’t had much of a chance to visit together."

Jill looked down at their conjoined hands and sighed deeply before looking up again to meet their gazes. "I’m sure, baby girl. Despite the fact that your daddy and I talked about this possibility, I still need a little time alone to process the fact that it is my reality. You can understand that."

"All too well," Gwen agreed. "I just... I can’t help but be concerned – about you being alone; about how you feel about us now. I *know* what you’re going through, Mama. I know about being angry and hurt and resentful. I don’t want you to resent us... or Daddy."

Jill shook her head. "I don’t, Gwen... honestly. Geoff and I really did talk all this out before we came here and certainly before we offered to help Sky during the spirit walk. We knew the dangers." Jill drew a deep breath and paused, formulating her thoughts. "Your father would never have quit... never have given up on his own. But he was miserable, Gwen and in an enormous amount of constant pain. He was even before he went to help rescue you from Ben; that merely sped up the degeneration. It would have come to that eventually."

Randi and Gwen sat quietly, wanting to let Jill finish and fairly confident she wasn’t done. They were right. "Randi? Could you activate the holochip please?" gesturing to the small piece of plastic resting on the table in front of the warrior.

Randi leaned forward and activated the chip and leaned back as it flickered to life. All three women held their breath as Geoff appeared in front of them. He wore his Sabre uniform, sitting proudly in his hover chair. He looked down at his hands and frowned, then made a decision. He cleared his throat and looked back at the vid cam.

"All right... business first, I guess. "I, Geoffrey Goldman, being of mostly sound mind and fairly decrepit body, do hereby declare this to be my last will and testament." He stopped and flopped back in his chair and propped his head on his fist.

"Hmph," he snorted. "That has got to be about the lamest.... All right, let me try this again. Computer, I’d like to begin recording again," not realizing he had never stopped recording. He sat up straight and folded his hands, smiling into the camera this time.

"Hello, my beautiful girls. If you’re watching this, then I obviously I am no longer alive and cannot relay these words and thoughts to you in person. However, there is something I want you to understand right off the bat, though – if I have been very lucky in regards to my death, I got to go out as a warrior. And with any luck at all, I did so protecting those I care about the most."

Randi paused the recording and turned her attention to Jill. "He knew something," she stated flatly. Jill nodded.

"He thought he did," she replied simply. Randi let it rest for the moment, hoping the holo would give her the answers she needed. She signaled the chip to proceed and Geoff’s hologram came to life before them once more.

"I want you to know, though... no matter what... everything has been my choice. And despite the pain and the consequences, it has been worth it. It has *all* been worth it. Jill understands and on some level, she even agrees with me. Don’t regret my actions or dishonor my choices. Make the most of the opportunity you’ve been given."

"Randi, I’m trusting you with one of the two most precious things my life. Gwen is now in your care and keeping, Marine. Don’t misplace my trust. She needs you, Randi, as much as you need her. So take care of yourself as well as her. You need one another."

"I also need to ask a favor of you, from one Sabre to another. Jill is strong woman, but she needs someone to be there for her, kinda keep an eye on her. I know you’d look after her as a daughter, but I am asking you to accept the responsibility as a Sabre."

This time Jill leaned forward and paused the hologram, then turned to Randi. "What does that mean, exactly? I understand the part about keeping an eye on me; that...." She paused to clear her throat and her voice wavered when she spoke again. "That was always something of a running joke between us. But why ask for your word as a Sabre? I don’t get that at all."

Randi covered the hand that Gwen still held and looked Jill in the eye. "Family is an obligation... something you have to do. Taking responsibility as a Sabre means there is a willingness or a desire to take care of you – to look after you better than family."

Jill looked into Randi’s eyes and saw the truth there. She covered Randi’s hand for just a moment, then restarted the chip. "Thank you," she whispered as Geoff started speaking once more.

"Gwen, my precious child – I don’t know if I have ever shared with you just how proud I am of the woman you have become. You’re amazing, and I’m glad to have known you and had some small part in guiding you to becoming the person you are. I realize I can’t take much credit and neither can your mother; so much of what you have become is simply the culmination of all that you are. I do know I couldn’t have chosen a better mate for you if I had designed Randi myself. Take care of one another and love each other long and well. What you share together is precious and rare and meant to be protected and preserved. Don’t let anyone or anything take it away from you."

"Now I will share a little secret with you. I have had the same dream for several nights running; hence the reason for my recoding this will, such as it is."

"In these dreams, I am able to walk again without pain or impediment. I was young and strong... a Sabre once more. I was fighting an unknown enemy... always unknown, always just beyond my reach. The fighting was always a little different, but the enemy was the same evil darkness. The ending was always the same too. Always it would end with me covering a comrade whose face I couldn’t see – whose presence I wasn’t aware of until then."

"I think this is someone’s way, whether it be a god or my own subconscious desire or what, but I think this is someone’s way of showing me what is coming... what I need to do to protect my family. I want you both to know I do this willingly and with both eyes open to the possible consequences."

He paused and it was apparent to the watchers that he was debating his next words, and when they came, only Jill showed a distinct lack of surprise.

"To be very honest, girls, I am looking forward to death in a very basic way. I’m tired... tired of hurting like I do. I know it’s not going to get better, despite my best efforts. I can feel it getting worse, even when I seem to be making progress. Everyday it gets a little bit harder, a little bit worse. And even though I will cherish every moment I am given, I am looking forward to not hurting anymore."

"So please don’t mourn for me, girls. I’m not in pain anymore, and I’m in a much better place. Besides," he added with a wicked grin and a twinkle in his eye. "I’m looking forward to finding Bobby and Renee Valiant and swapping stories with them. I have a feeling there is all kinds of mischief to be learned about." He chuckled and Randi covered her eyes and groaned.

"I am so doomed." Her martyred tone added just the levity they needed, and the three of them exchanged glances and burst into laughter.

Geoff had continued speaking, and they had to stop the chip and run the hologram again. "The bulk of my estate, such as it is, of course goes to me beloved wife, Jill. We have shared everything together, so most of it already belongs to her anyway. However, I have a small collection of hardbound, printed books that I collected that I want you to take, Gwen. It will be something you can give to your child one day," his blush matching hers. "Your mama knows where they are."

"Randi, I do have a few odds and ends in both workshops, things that don’t belong to the military but that you might find... um, interesting. You’ll know what they are when you see them. They’re yours – enjoy them."

He paused and they watched in silence as his brow furrowed in thought. "You know," he said looking back towards the vid cam and staring directly at them again. "I never thought about how to end this ridiculous thing." He scratched his chin. "Be good to one another and love one another long and well. And remember that I’ll be watching over you all. I love you."

He sat still for another moment before his image faded from their sight.

The three of them sat for another moment before Randi leaned back and the spell was broken. Jill drew a deep breath. "Well, do you understand now? More than anything, Geoff wanted you both to understand what he did and why he did it. He wanted to assure you that it was his choice; it was *our* choice. And it was worth it."

"Do you really believe that, Mama?"

"I really do, baby girl. As much as he loved me and lived for my sake, I knew your Daddy was in excruciating pain – towards the end especially. I would never, ever hold him to life knowing he was so miserable. I miss him... I will always miss him, because he was the best part of me for such a long time. But I will join him again – maybe sooner, maybe later – but until then, I will live without his physical presence, knowing that he is still with me here," she added, covering her heart. "And knowing that his sacrifice made a difference."

Randi stood then, content in the knowledge that Geoff and Jill had indeed talked this through thoroughly and Jill understood as much as one human being could understand the thoughts and motives of another. And that she was comfortable with the knowledge she held.

Randi extended her hand down to Gwen and waited for her to accept it. Then she tugged Gwen to her feet and together they turned to Jill. "How long would you like, Jill... mom?" At her questioning look, Randi continued. "How long would you like to grieve in peace before...."

"Oh! A month perhaps? I just need to adjust to being alone. It’s been a very long time since I was."

"Can we call you? You know... just to check on you? I’m gonna worry a lot otherwise," Gwen commented softly.

Jill smiled sadly. "How about if I call you?" she compromised. "Once a week, maybe on Sunday evenings?"

Gwen nodded. "That would work." She took her mother in an embrace and hugged her tightly. "Thank you, Mama."

"You’re welcome, baby girl. I’ve been where you are. Oh, by the way," changing the subject before Gwen could feel guilty. "I know you only loaned him to us to help with Geoff’s therapy," motioning to the nearly grown puppy now lounging comfortably across the foot of the bed. Only his ears gave any indication that he was alert. "Would you like to take him with you?"

The question itself was casual, but Randi could see the importance of her answer in Jill’s eyes. Almost without consideration, she shook her head. "No. He’s yours now. I think he will be a good friend."

Jill couldn’t stop the tears from coming to her eyes, though she didn’t let them fall down her cheeks. "Thank you, Randi. He already has been. He is a wonderful confidant. And he seems to approve of you again – I haven’t noticed him growling at you lately."

"I have a theory about that."

Randi’s eyebrow crawled up her forehead as she realized Gwen had spoken the words with her. Randi grinned at her and Jill smiled in response to their unexpected playfulness. "Do you now?" Gwen nodded. "Well, what is your theory? You share yours; I’ll share mine."

"I think he knows that you’re you again."

Randi blinked and nodded. "Yeah, that pretty much sums up my thought."

"Well, while the two of you are summing and thinking, I think I need to get some rest before the night becomes morning. And I think you need to do the same. I won’t leave without saying goodbye. Besides," she smiled gently. "Rumor has it that Ella and Rosie have taken over the kitchen and are going to teach the military types here how to *really* cook. I’m not about to miss that."

Randi chuckled. "Yeah, I only *thought* I charge here. Apparently, whoever rules in the kitchen, really rules the world. I’m just glad they get along so well. It could get ugly in there otherwise."

That visual made Jill laugh. "Oh, no kidding. That’s actually a scary thought." She took the hand that Randi offered and stood, then accepted and returned their hugs fervently. Then she accompanied them to the door.

"Goodnight, my children. Sleep well and in peace." Jill brushed a kiss across each of their cheeks and gently pushed them out the door, closing it quietly behind them.

They looked at the closed door a moment longer before exchanging glances and making their way down the corridors back to their suite. It had been a long day and they wanted nothing more than to end it safely together in one another’s arms.

"Gwen? Sweetheart, is something wrong?" Randi croaked out drowsily. "Why aren’t you sleeping?" And why am I? When did you start watching over me like this?

Gwen lifted their linked hands to her lips and kissed each knuckle before tucking Randi’s hand into the hand she hadn’t been tracing with and resumed the light touch across Randi’s face. "Nothing’s wrong, love. I missed this with you and I just decided to indulge myself for a little while. I’m sorry I woke you up, though. That wasn’t my intention."

Randi smiled lazily and raised their hands to her lips, repeating Gwen’s earlier actions. "I’m not. I’ve missed this with you too. It has always been something very precious to me." She closed her eyes again and Gwen resumed her gentle tracing, smiling when Randi hummed in contentment.

For a little while, Gwen was satisfied with running her fingertips over Randi’s face and down her neck. Gradually, however, she let her touch wander down the torso beneath her, circling firm breasts and tracing well-defined abs before tickling Randi’s navel. She smiled when the muscles jerked in reaction, then laughed out loud when blue eyes opened and glared at her.

Her laughter stopped rather abruptly when the glare became a smoky glance filled with fiery intent.

"No more teasing," Randi growled, rolling them over until she was covering Gwen’s body, gentle touches denying the gruffness of her voice or the surprise of her actions. "I want more than our dreams, love. I want reality... here and now."

For answer, Gwen reached up and threaded her hands into Randi’s hair, pulling her full weight down onto Gwen’s body and their lips into the lightest contact. It was all the encouragement Randi needed.

Randi let her fingertips trail the length of Gwen’s body, reacquainting herself with the smooth skin and familiar contours that she had only been allowed to touch in her dreams for what seemed like forever. She was slow and deliberate, holding Gwen’s eyes while tracing across Gwen’s shoulders and down her arms before shifting over to her hips and up her torso. Randi smiled when Gwen’s breathing hitched and sped up as she reached the soft fullness of Gwen’s breasts.

"I love the way you respond to my voice," Randi whispered in Gwen’s ear, watching the goosebumps follow in the wake of her words. Her fingers circled nipples begging for attention, then she cupped Gwen’s breasts in her hands. "The way you respond to my mouth," suckling gently and briefly at each breast before kissing a path down the centerline of Gwen’s body, then moving back to capture Gwen’s lips until Gwen was forced to pull away for lack of air. Randi’s hands stayed in constant motion and Gwen’s back arched when her interest focused on Gwen’s breasts once more. "The way you respond to my touch," letting her hands glide along Gwen’s body from shoulders to knees until Gwen was writhing beneath her attentions.

Then there were no more words; only the sounds of the love they shared between them. It was well past dawn when the awakened the second time that morning.

It was the smell of fresh cinnamon rolls wafting through the air that brought Randi and Gwen to full wakefulness, exchanging chagrined looks when they realized how late it was and how much teasing they were in for. Then the expression changed to a knowing smile and they let their lips meet for a good morning kiss.

"We’re never gonna hear the end of this, you know... especially if Jill delayed her trip home to say goodbye."

Gwen stretched against Randi, rubbing their bodies together sensuously. "Can I be honest here and admit I really don’t care? Besides, we all worked too damn hard for us to be together again; do you really think anyone is gonna give us a lot of grief about wanting to spend time alone together?"

Randi smirked. "Probably not, especially if they know what’s good for them." She assumed a snooty air and continued. "I am the Empress, you know. I could just banish them all to Mars."

Gwen’s shudder was genuine and she shook her head adamantly. "No, please. These people are our friends and I’d like to see them remain that way."

Randi’s expression turned to one of concern. "Speaking from personal experience?" Gwen nodded but didn’t elaborate. "Will you share it with me some day?" The blonde head nodded hesitantly and Randi cradled Gwen tenderly in protective arms. "Whenever you’re ready, love," hoping it would be soon. "C’mon. In the meantime, we should probably take a shower and get to the kitchen before all the cinnamon rolls are gone."

Gwen’s stomach chose that moment to protest the very idea of going hungry when there were cinnamon rolls to be had. She tilted her head up at Randi plaintively. "Are you sure about that shower? My stomach is asking for immediate action."

Randi made a huge show of sniffing the air between them, then did the same to Gwen’s body, causing her to twitch in laughter at the teasing, ticklish touches Randi’s effort caused to skitter up her sides. Finally, Randi pulled away slightly with a rakish grin.

"Well, if you don’t mind going out there smelling of sex and sweat, I’m game. I didn’t know if you wanted to flaunt the fact."

Gwen blushed adorably from head to foot as Randi had known she would, but she kept her teasing to a wicked twinkle in her very blue eyes. Still, Gwen saw it and color suffused her skin once more. "Hmm, well... when you put it that way.... You wanna join me?"

"Thought you’d never ask." They slipped from the bed and walked into the bathroom together, holding hands like the newlyweds they still were.

Lorac bowed her head in acknowledgment when they crossed the threshold into the kitchen and Rosie motioned them over to the buffet where a few cinnamon rolls sat plated in solitary splendor. Sky poured them each a cup of coffee and offered them a smile, but didn’t comment on the lateness of the hour. Jill rose from the table where she had been in conversation with Reed and Tiny and took first Gwen then Randi in her arms for a hug.

"I wondered if I was going to get to say goodbye before I left," chuckling when twin blushes flushed the faces of the two women facing her. Everyone else might leave it alone, but nothing was sacred to a mother it seemed. Jill hugged them again. "I would have waited; it is so good to see... to know...."

"Mush, mush, mush," Tiny cut in. "You’re giving me a sugar overload."

His words cut the awkwardness in the room and laughter followed his pronouncement. Randi stepped up and smacked the back of his head lightly.

"I know where you live, buddy! Besides, aren’t you supposed to be on vacation somewhere already? What are you doing hanging around here?"

"Like I was going to miss fresh cinnamon rolls or pass up the opportunity to rag on you a little bit," Tiny snorted. "Being Empress made you daft?"

Randi raised an eyebrow. "You’re feeling feisty today."

Tiny laughed aloud in pure joy. "I feel good. No... actually, I feel great! I feel like a burden finally has been lifted, and it feels wonderful."

Randi clapped him on the shoulder and squeezed. "I know," she agreed. "It really does. Now, go on and get outta here. I’m hoping for a quiet week while you’re gone."

"Does that mean I can borrow the holochip?"

"Sure... which one do you want?"

"Um...."

Randi chuckled. "Nevermind. I wouldn’t subject Reed to extremes with you. C’mon, I think I have what you’re looking for in the office." She turned to Gwen and Jill. "Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be right back."

Gwen nodded and brought the remaining cinnamon rolls to the table before sitting down across from Reed. "So are you excited?"

Reed nodded and conversation at the table turned to their upcoming time away. And for the first time, Gwen realized that everyone was leaving and by that evening, she and Randi would be alone together for the first time in months. She couldn’t stop the thrill that ran through her. In all honesty, she couldn’t wait.

"Are you excited?" Tiny asked Randi as they entered the office. Yuri just nodded at their waves and turned back to his work. Tiny closed the door while Randi crossed to her desk, her handprint allowing her access and unlocking the safe built into it.

"About what? You’re the one going on vacation."

"Yeah, but by this afternoon, we’re gonna all be out of your hair for a while. Except for the standard honor guard, you and Gwen will be all alone in this big house. And don’t think I don’t know how far away that honor guard will be banished while I’m gone either," smiling wickedly.

Randi snorted. "Be thankful I won’t be making them leave the grounds completely," giving him a look. "In some ways it’s a little insulting that you think I need them."

"They’re not for you, actually," Tiny stated emphatically, causing Randi to raise an eyebrow in his direction. He shrugged. "They are there for my peace of mind. I know you could handle yourself, *but* if something *was* to happen, and it could – however unlikely, *I* would be the one that would have to face Gwen. And on the flip side to that," before she could interrupt him, "if something was to happen to Gwen that could have been prevented by a little vigilance on my part," he cleared his throat. "I gotta be honest, Randi... I don’t think either of us could live with it."

She held his eyes unblinking for a long moment, acknowledging the truth. Then she turned her attention back to the chips in the safe.

"Besides," he added, shrugging again. "I haven’t done anything but make up a schedule."

"Come again? I’m not sure I understand what you’re saying."

"There is no honor guard unit, Randi. Everyone who serves does so on their off time as a volunteer."

Randi jerked her head up so quickly, Tiny heard the vertebra in her neck snap back into alignment with the motion. He winced reflexively. Randi didn’t say anything, but proffered her hand to him. Tiny extended his and she placed the holochip in his palm.

"Go on, Tiny. You and Reed deserve some time together. That chip has all the old happy place haunts I could find in the archive. You can alter each place to be as full or as empty as you want, but I wouldn’t make it empty. It’s a little spooky."

She was serious as she said it, but Tiny saw the twinkle in her eye and returned her look with a grin. "Spooky, huh? I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks, boss lady. We’ll see you in a week or so." Tiny waited for Randi to come around to the front side of the desk then took her in his arms for a bone crushing hug. "Ya’ll try to behave while we’re gone, all right? I mean I don’t wanna have to come back early to...."

A glare cut him off and he chuckled nervously, backing away from her slowly. He glanced towards the door quickly, trying not to lose Randi in his peripheral vision. "Heh, heh. Time to go!" And he dashed out the door, squealing. Randi’s laughter followed him down the hall.

"Are you sure you need to be leaving so soon, Lorac? You only just arrived, and we haven’t exchanged much more than a hello." Despite her eagerness to be alone with Randi, she knew she had a responsibility to these women beyond any friendship they shared.

The regent nodded. "Yes, my queen. We only came to pay our respects to your father. There are still so many things we need to do to make the mountain into a home and the tribes into a single Nation again. We wouldn’t have come now, if...."

Gwen clasped Lorac’s arm. "I’m glad you did," then looked around at the others. "All of you. I’ve already spoken to Randi. As soon as we can get things settled here, we will be out to visit. I am anxious for the Nation to know her."

"She is already a legend among our people, Gwen," Lorac addressed her informally and tilted her head in confusion.

Gwen gave her a gentle smile. "I know. I want you to know the woman that she really is."

Understanding dawned and Lorac returned the smile and nodded. "We would like that very much. In the meantime, however, it is time for us to leave. We will look forward to seeing you again soon."

With a salute, the Amazon contingent boarded their shuttle and was soon on their way back to the Nation. Jill came up to stand beside Gwen as they watched the shuttle disappear into the horizon. "An Amazon queen, hmm? Things really have come full circle."

Gwen was silent for a long moment. "In some ways." She turned to Jill. "I am going to miss you, Mom."

Jill smiled and wrapped an arm around Gwen’s waist. "I will miss you too, daughter... both of you. But it’s good to know you will have one another. And I’ll be calling you soon, I promise. I just need a little time to process."

Gwen nodded, unwilling to let her mind wander into painful memories. Then Jill’s unexpected laughter pulled her attention in a completely new direction. Gwen hadn’t laughed when Randi died. She turned her head in the direction Jill was looking with her hand shading her eyes and broke into laughter as well.

When they had gone to retrieve Jill’s luggage, Carbon had jumped on Randi. Not maliciously, but with a distinct desire to play; with Geoff dead, he hadn’t had much fun or exercise for a few days and he remembered her scent as that of a playmate. He had pounced and joyously licked her face, and with a sheepish look and a shrug, Randi and Carbon ran out the door and into the garden.

Now they returned to the landing area, the dog’s tongue lolling out one side if his mouth and Randi looking a little worse for wear. There was a dirt smudge across one cheek and what looked like a rip in her shirt. Gwen cocked an eyebrow in her direction.

"Who won?"

About that time the dog dropped down at Jill’s feet and closed his eyes. Randi sauntered up to wrap Gwen in a sweaty embrace.

"Ew... honey, I love you, but you need a bath."

Randi leered in her direction. "That is not what you said this morning."

Gwen flushed ten shades of red and slapped at Randi’s arms. "RANDI!!"

Jill laughed. "That would be my cue, I think." She opened her arms and Randi released Gwen so mother and daughter could hug goodbye. Gwen brushed a kiss across Jill’s cheek as she pulled back.

"Please let us know you got in safely."

Jill nodded. "I will." Then she turned and opened her arms to Randi, who looked down at her dirty, sweat-covered self. Jill waved her forward. "Randi, dirt hasn’t killed me yet. I don’t think it’s going to happen today."

Randi smirked and shook her head. Then she gently cradled Jill for a long moment before stepping back and picking up Jill’s bags, ignoring her exasperated sigh. She remained stoic even when Jill rolled her eyes and Gwen muffled a chuckle, waiting patiently for Jill to lead the way to her shuttle. Carbon actually snorted in disgust at the lot of them and flopped on the floor of the vehicle as soon as he made his way inside. Randi settled Jill’s bags and then she and Gwen stepped back to allow the door to close. Their last glimpse of her had her blowing a kiss to them, and then she was gone.

They watched the shuttle out of sight arms curled around one another possessively, dirt and sweat forgotten. Then they turned towards the palace to make the short walk back.

"So, are we all alone yet?" Randi asked. "Aside from the military and the rebels, of course," said with the slightest hint of a smile and a hint of melancholy in her voice. Gwen shook her head, knowing Randi already knew the truth.

"Noooooo," drawing the word out. "You know Tommy wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye. But Sky and Rosie left about the same time that Tiny and Reed did. Rosie was muttering something about having troops to train and I think Sky was just looking for a bit of peace." She cut her eyes in Randi’s direction. "What did you do to Tiny anyway? He couldn’t seem to stop chuckling and Reed was smirking when they literally snuck out of here."

"I glared at him. He was being a wiseass."

Gwen rolled her eyes. "Oh, there’s a big surprise."

"It wasn’t my fault."

"Uh huh."

"What?? It wasn’t."

"I know, honey," Gwen said straight-faced with a teasing hint in her voice. "It never is. C’mon. Let’s get you cleaned up and go find Tommy and Ella," as they reached their room.

"Gweeeeeeeennnnn!!!" Tommy heard Randi’s whine in his room and he and Ella exchanged glances before they started laughing.

Randi actually had a couple scrapes along her ribs where Carbon’s nails had ripped through her shirt. But they didn’t hurt much and after Gwen kissed them, they didn’t hurt at all. They were good; they didn’t dawdle knowing Tommy and Ella were waiting for them.

"Ya know," Randi said, pulling a fresh shirt over her head. "I wish we could go home with them."

Gwen shrugged nonchalantly, though she couldn’t hide the momentary sparkle that flashed in her green eyes. "Why can’t we? Why can’t you be Empress there?"

"I wouldn’t be," Randi answered honestly. "When we go home, we are going home to live... as Randi and Gwen - not as Empress and Queen or anything else. I have no self delusions in that regard; and I don’t want that in our home."

Gwen came up behind her and kissed Randi’s back before resting her head between strong shoulder blades. "I don’t want that either, love. But at least we’ll have this place to ourselves for a little while. Despite everything we have to do, I am looking forward to some time alone with you, Randi."

Randi grinned. "Me too," she replied simply.

They found the Steele family in the kitchen, not that it was a great surprise. Randall squealed when he saw them walk in and ran straight for Randi. She scooped him up off the floor and blew raspberries on his belly before lowering him down so he could wrap his body around hers in a hug. Randall squeezed with all his might and gave Randi a sloppy kiss; then he reached out with one hand towards Gwen.

She grabbed his hand and tickled his palm, grinning when he squealed. He leaned over and planted a sloppy kiss on Gwen’s nose. The trio turned towards Randall’s parents who were enjoying the interaction with fond smiles.

Randall tugged on Randi’s hair. "Go," he commanded imperiously, pointing towards his mother. She arched an eyebrow towards him.

"Excuse me?"

"Pwease, Wuv? Go Mama."

"How do you resist that much cuteness?" Tommy asked.

Randi walked to Ella and placed Randall in her arms. "Apparently, I can’t," she said sardonically. Then she crossed to the refrigerator and grabbed a couple bottles of water. She looked a question at Tommy and Ella, but both shook their heads.

"Maybe you shouldn’t," Tommy said into the sudden silence as Randall’s attention was suddenly absorbed by a picture book Ella put in front of him.

Randi seated Gwen, then pulled out a chair for herself and dropping into it. "Huh? Maybe I shouldn’t what?"

"Maybe you shouldn’t try to resist all that cuteness."

Randi gave him a frown of complete confusion. "Tommy, evidence to the contrary, it is too early and I am running on too little sleep for you to be talking in riddles. I didn’t resist Randall’s cuteness. I brought him to Ella just like he asked."

He shook his head. "No. Maybe you two should have one of your own. Someone else whose cuteness you couldn’t resist."

"NO." This from Randi, her tone firm and implacable.

"But...." Ella put her hand over Tommy’s and shook her head.

"But...." he tried again.

"No, Tommy," Gwen said kindly. She bit her lip as she considered her words. She and Randi didn’t plan to make a general announcement about their decision to leave the circle... at least not this close to the spirit walk that had assured their place in the cycle. "We are too much of a target in this lifetime. Ares has made it very personal this time; he wouldn’t hesitate to use our child against us." She paused, then continued. "We already worry about the people who are closest to us; we couldn’t bring a child into the world, knowing...."

Tommy slid his hand out from under Ella’s and covered Gwen’s hand. "I’m sorry, Gwen. I didn’t think about it like that. I didn’t mean to bring up an unpleasant subject – I just... watching you tell stories to the kids, seeing you both with Randall...."

"Tommy, it’s okay. It’s something we’ve already discussed; we have peace about it."

Tommy gazed into Gwen’s eyes, then turned his focus to Randi. This close he could see the truth and realized they really had no desire to have a child together. He felt a bit of sadness about it; he had secretly hoped they would give Randall a playmate. He thought they would make extraordinary parents. A memory tickled the back of his mind, but it was nothing but a shadow. Shrugging, he let it go and nodded at them both.

"All right," he nodded. "Now that I have managed to butt in yet again," he started, clearing his throat. Randi laughed.

"Tommy, that has been one of the few constants in my life. I would miss it if you didn’t butt in regularly, though we should really work on your timing," watching his face turn six shades of red.

He scrubbed his face. "I hate you," he muttered, causing another round of laughter. "Anyway," glaring in Randi’s direction, which was mostly pointless since she returned glare for glare. He gave up and turned his attention solely to Gwen; that got him a snicker from Randi and Randi a slap on the leg from Gwen. "When things settle down for you here, but before you come home, can we do a children’s storytelling session here?"

"Absolutely. I think the kids here would love to be part of something like that."

"Good. When you’re ready, let me know and we’ll get a crew up here. I’ll work on what details I can from Midas. Do you have an idea on when...?" looking back at Randi.

She shook her head. "Nothing definite yet. At least a few weeks. We have a lot of things to put into place before we can leave here, and Gwen wants to visit the Amazons before when settle at home for good. But I’m gonna push things as fast as I can."

He looked at her, seeing a lot in her eyes he had never expected to see there. Despite the walls she still had in place, she was more open to him than she had ever been. He couldn’t stop the reaction that widened his eyes, but he didn’t say a word about it. Instead he turned back to Ella.

"Whaddya think, babe? Time to head home?"

"Yes." She looked towards Randi. "Rosie and I are gonna give your cooks a crash course in good cooking. No wonder you’ve been so unhappy if that’s what you’ve been stuck eating for the last little while. We’ll do what we can in the next week or so to make sure your meals are edible."

"Well, it’s not like Gwen and I can’t fend for ourselves."

"I’m looking forward to it actually," Gwen said with a smile.

"So am I," Randi added softly with an eyebrow wiggle.

Tommy groaned. "That is definitely our cue to leave. The mush levels are rising to unbearable proportions in here."

"I know where you live, buddy," Randi growled.

Tommy laughed. "That’s okay; I know where you live too."

Randi growled again and threw in a glare for good measure, lunging across the table just as he jumped out of her reach. Randall yelled in excitement, "Go, Pa!!!"

Tommy ran and Randi gave chase. Gwen, Ella and Randall simply sat back and enjoyed the entertainment, cheering and clapping until Randi and Tommy collapsed back into their chairs. "More, Pa! Go!!" Randall screamed. Ella shook her head in exasperation, chuckling as she rose and took two bottles of water from the fridge and placed them in front of Tommy and Randi. Tommy was red-faced and winded, and sucked half the bottle down before thanking Ella. Randi sipped hers and wound an arm around Gwen’s shoulders.

"You’re such a brat."

"Yeah, but I’m *your* brat." Tommy just dropped his head on the table and groaned.

It didn’t take them long to get things squared away; Ella showed Gwen the few treats she’d put together for them, receiving a hug for her efforts. "Some of these are new recipes, so you’ll have to let me know what you think."

"I always do."

Ella grinned. "I know. You’re probably the most honest critic I’ve got." She looked down at her hands. "I’ve really missed having ya’ll home. I’ll be glad when you come home to stay."

"Me too," Gwen agreed fervently, just as Tommy and Randall came out of the bathroom. He immediately ran over to Randi who picked him up and swung him up high before wrapping him in a hug. "I’m big boy, Wuv!"

"You sure are, love muffin. You’re growing up so fast," she added sadly. "I’m missing so much."

"Good," Tommy replied emphatically as he came up beside her just in time to hear her last whispered words. "Maybe that kind of motivation will bring you home faster."

"I’m doing the best I can, Tommy," she growled, carefully expunging her language for Randall’s sake. Tommy didn’t miss the true anger and upset so clear in her eyes, but before he could apologize, Gwen was beside Randi, gently rubbing her back and glaring at Tommy. He ignored the burning green eyes and pulled Randi into a grudging hug that Randall was quick to protest. Tommy shifted, but didn’t release the hug.

"I’m sorry, Randi. We just miss you and want you to come home. That’s all."

She nodded, but didn’t answer. Instead, Gwen spoke for both of them. "We’re trying, Tommy. Please don’t make it harder for us."

"You’re right. I’m sorry."

"PA!"

"Can anyone get in on this hug?" Ella said in an effort to cut the tension she could still feel. Gwen and Tommy opened their arms and Ella stepped in, making it a true family embrace. The anxiety level dropped and after a moment, they all stepped back a pace. "We miss you guys and will be glad to see you come home. But for now, ya’ll stay safe and keep in touch, all right?"

Randi nodded to Ella’s words. "Thanks... both of you. I know it comes from love and caring."

"And I know better than to push," Tommy admitted sheepishly. "Now, c’mon. We’ve got a shuttle to catch. And ya’ll have some couple time to catch up on." He picked up their bags and motioned them towards the door. "I am so, SO happy things worked out for the two of you, despite everything else. Gwen, if you ever need to talk... I still remember what it felt like to lose my mother."

"Thanks, Tommy. Just remember that the vid phone works both ways. We expect to hear from ya’ll regularly as well. And just as soon as we can, we will come home to stay. I promise."

Tommy put the bags in the shuttle, then turned and brushed a kiss across Gwen’s cheek, then Randi’s. He took a loudly protesting Randall out of her arms and climbed aboard the shuttle to strap him in. They exchanged a last hug with Ella, then stepped away once more to allow the door to close. They watched the shuttle out of sight before Gwen turned to Randi with a wicked smile.

"We have the house to ourselves… except for the guards."

"Actually, we have the inside of the house to ourselves. The guards have agreed to keep their patrols and posts outside until Tiny and Reed return. So when we’re not working, we can just be us."

"Oooh... well, in that case, can I interest you in some decadent Gwen and Randi time?"

"What’d you have in mind?"

"I feel daring. How about a little skinny dipping now and a little fondue later?"

For answer, Randi turned them back towards the palace, casually tugging her shirt from shorts. Gwen smiled and did the same to her own. The guards saw them coming, and decided it was safer to back their outdoor zone up about a dozen feet even though they were not yet aware of Randi and Gwen’s specific plans. Anything that could be construed as an invasion of privacy now wasn’t worth Randi’s ire later. When they heard the splash of pool water and the squealing laughter that followed, the guard moved back another five feet. Better safe than sorry.

Tiny scratched the back of his head, unwilling to meet Reed’s eyes. He couldn’t blame her for being furious; the man had been a total jackass. But he couldn’t let Reed blame Randi for something that wasn’t her fault.

"She didn’t."

Reed’s head snapped around hard and fast. Her eyes glowed silver and she glared at Tiny. "Are you telling me *you* did this? You programmed that asshole??"

"Well, sorta, but not exactly. I just left the parameters broad and random. I’ll be more specific next time."

"Next time I’ll be more careful," Tiny said again, looking properly contrite.

Reed snorted. "Next time, I’ll do the programming."

It was quiet in the capital city cottage - more so than Jill had expected it to be, especially since it wasn’t home. Geoff had never been an overly loud person, but the house without him echoed the silence. She walked through each room slowly, realizing there was very little in this place she would have to pack. The Sabres had provided the furnishings, for the most part, and they would also be responsible for cleaning out the workshop she’d had built. Only the few personal items Gwen had brought down for their comfort would need to go back north with her and those only took a very brief time to pack. Then she re-boarded the waiting transport and sped off towards home.

Randi rubbed her eyes. Their day spent in the sun had been a wonderful reprieve, but it had worn her out and she was making up the time now. She was making progress on her work, but it wasn’t doing a thing for her eyes. Gwen came up behind her, glasses perched on her nose. She put her hands on Randi’s shoulders and leaned forward until their faces were almost even.

"How’s it going?"

Randi scrubbed her hands over her face. "Not bad. It would probably be going better if my eyes didn’t burn so bad." She turned to look at Gwen and met her gaze at very close range. Randi grinned; she really did like the look of Gwen in glasses. They just seemed to fit her somehow... especially when she was in bard mode, as she was now.

They had decided to postpone fondue and try to salvage a little of the work day. It had been pleasant, working together but separately in the same room. Gwen was actually pleased with her progress; everything she and Randi had been through seemed to have spurred her muse in the ass and she had been writing steadily since they’d come indoors. But after the third time she’d watched Randi rub her eyes, Gwen had put her journal away and come to stand behind her.

"Maybe you need glasses... or corrective surgery."

Randi reacted so swiftly Gwen was cradled in her lap before she realized she’d moved. "No," she said succinctly, easing the glasses from Gwen’s face and planting a fingertip on her nose. "I need to stay out of the sun for hours on end; and I need to stop trying to focus on everything but how cute and sexy you look in glasses."

Gwen’s nose crinkled adorably when she smiled. "You think I look sexy in glasses?"

"In glasses, in jeans, in silk, in nothing at all... I have yet to find anything you’re *not* sexy in."

"I think you are sexiest when you smile," Gwen said, tracing the full lips that creased at her touch. She let her fingers wander across the planed cheekbones and over the arched eyebrows. "Especially when it twinkles out of the depths of your eyes."

Randi couldn’t stop the faint blush or the light twinkle that sparkled when she smiled. She cleared her throat. "If I didn’t know any better, my queen," her fingers tickling a path up Gwen’s ribs, "I’d have to say it seems like you are trying to distract the Empress from her official duties."

Gwen grinned. "Depends... is it working?"

"I shouldn’t let it, but ya know, fondue sounds really good right now."

"Yeah, it does," Gwen agreed. "Besides, the work will be here tomorrow. Maybe I can help. I’ll bet together we can figure something out."

"The sooner, the better I’m thinking. I’m ready for the smell of sea air and the sound of waves and the view from our living room windows."

Gwen smiled wistfully. "That sounds wonderful. There is still so much I want to do in this lifetime, especially since it’s our last. But for now," she said with her own twinkle, "how about some fondue? I’m starving."

Randi would have answered, but a rumble from both their bellies spoke louder than any comment she could make. Gwen chuckled and sat up in her lap, then stood and held out her hand.

"C’mon. It’s all ready except for the heating part. The rest of the day is ours, love."

Gwen started the pot heating while Randi brought the raw food to the small table, thankful she’d had Yuri include a tiny kitchenette in their suite. Then they sat down next to one another and waited for the oil to get hot. "Ya know, I knew how precious each day we had together was – I really did, even before we were an us. It was sort of hard not to; even without knowing our actual history as soulmates, my life as a Sabre made me very conscious of how fragile life is... especially after...."

Gwen nodded when Randi stopped speaking and covered Randi’s hand, stroking her knuckles with a thumb. She didn’t speak; she couldn’t. The thought of Randi’s death still brought a lump to her throat but thankfully, she didn’t tear up this time.

"But it’s like I have a heightened awareness about it now. It’s not like it is at the forefront of every moment, but the feeling is always there at the back of my mind."

"Maybe it’s reminding you this is our final trip through the circle and that makes every minute more precious."

Randi looked down at the heating oil before she looked up to meet Gwen’s eyes. "Does that bother you, Gwen? This being our last trip through they karmic cycle, I mean. That’s twice you’ve mentioned it in the last few minutes."

"No," Gwen agreed without hesitation. "I just... I think it is affecting the way we are thinking... reacting... to things now. It puts everything in a different perspective and it makes us more aware of life going on around us." She paused, then tilted her head, nose crinkled in an adorable smile. "To be completely honest, I am looking forward to an eternity of peace with you. I think we’ve earned it." Another beat. "I just don’t want to miss anything while were here either."

Randi smiled and speared a stuffed mushroom, dipping it and dropping it into the now hot oil. "Then we’ll have to make sure we do everything we possibly can."

Gwen chuckled evilly and rubbed her hands together. "I see some holodeck time in our future. I still have to experience all those initials, ya know," reminding Randi of the extreme sports chip she had introduced Gwen to several months prior. Randi grinned.

"Whenever you’re ready, sweetheart. And if you get bored in the holosuite, we can always do some traveling as well." She waggled her eyebrows.

"Anywhere, sweetheart – as long as I’m with you."

Randi caught her breath and glowered. "That’s not fair."

Green eyes widened and Gwen gave Randi an anxious look. "What’s not fair?" glancing around to find what was amiss.

"You can’t make statements like that when I am not in a position to respond," motioning to the table and hot oil between them; then jumping when Gwen’s foot rubbed up her bare calf. Randi glowered when she discovered pure mischief lurking in Gwen’s sultry expression. "I’m gonna get you for that."

"Promise?"

Randi smiled indulgently, loving the playfulness. She took Gwen’s hand in hers and rubbed her thumb over smooth knuckles. "Guaranteed, Little One." Gwen covered the hand holding hers and they waited in peaceful silence for their food to cook.

"Did you join the pool?" Ella asked as Tommy opened the door for her when they got home. Randall spotted Ditto and they rolled together on the floor in playful abandonment. The look Tommy wore was supposed to be one of beguiling innocence, but a cocked eyebrow from Ella made him grin sheepishly and Tommy nodded in obvious guilt.

"How much and when?

"Twenty and sixteen days."

Ella laughed. "Twenty and three weeks. I figure they will probably spend a week with the Amazons. Otherwise, I would have gone with two weeks."

Now Tommy laughed, a sound so surprising, Randall and Ditto stopped playing and looked at him before Randall squealed and joined in. Ditto made her contribution with a loud series of barks. Ella just covered her eyes and shook her head.

After a few moments, Tommy’s laughter wound down to chuckles and he looked at Ella just shaking his own head. "Ya know, it’s really not funny that we’re betting on how long it takes them to give it all up and come home."

"No, but it is really funny that no one is giving them more than a month – even if you give them time to go to the Amazons like I did."

Tommy smiled. "I’ll just be glad to have them home. I’m looking forward to a little normality."

Ignoring the obvious smartass remark she could make, Ella smiled and took Tommy’s hand, tugging him to the glass doors that looked out over the water. "I think they are too," she finally said. "And God knows they deserve it."

Gwen lifted her head and peered into the darkness, trying to figure out what had brought her out of a deep sleep. Then Randi shifted and Gwen knew what had awakened her. She frowned then, wondering why she had awakened instead of joining Randi in the dreamscape. Then Gwen put her hands on either side of Randi’s face and started kissing her lightly over every bit of skin she could reach. She felt Randi struggling and then Randi called out in her sleep.

"No... NO!" A pause and a deep breath. "Gwen, NO!!" Randi sat up so quickly Gwen nearly bit her lip trying to get her head out of the way, but she managed to maintain her hold on Randi’s face. So when Randi’s eyes popped open, her first sight was Gwen. Randi clutched at Gwen’s arms, holding them tightly while catching her breath and letting her eyes roam Gwen’s body to assure herself that everything was all right.

Gwen gently stroked Randi’s face, brushing her hair back from her eyes and combing through it in a relaxing motion. Randi’s breathing gradually slowed and she closed her eyes and swallowed hard. She released on of Gwen’s arms and moved a shaking hand up to Gwen’s face, tracing her features with a trembling touch.

"You all right, love?" letting her fingers linger on full lips as they creased into a tender smile. Gwen captured her hand.

"Isn’t that supposed to be my line? You scared me. Everything okay?"

Randi swallowed and nodded. "It was... strange."

Gwen waited but when Randi didn’t continue speaking, she shifted them until Randi’s head was cradled against her chest. Gwen didn’t say anything, but was content to hold her and felt the strong body gradually relax against her. Only when Randi was completely limp against her did Gwen whisper into Randi’s ear.

"You wanna talk about it, love?"

Randi sighed. She had spent the minutes relaxing going over in her mind the residual odd images and feelings left from her dreams. Gwen kept up a soothing touch on Randi’s back and arm and waited. Randi nuzzled into her neck and took a deep breath.

"It was strange," she repeated again. "Like memories... but not. This hasn’t happened; I’m sure of it."

"What, sweetheart? What did you dream?"

"You... and the Amazons... and fighting. Someone challenged you and you accepted the challenge, I think. But it was... wrong somehow. Something was off." Her brow scrunched up thoughtfully.

Gwen leaned her cheek on Randi’s head. "Off how?"

"I dunno." She thought a moment. "Maybe because I wasn’t in the picture? I’d just like to know where the dream came from... and why. It was just... too real – like it was actually happening. Only I had no control of what was going on around me at all. It’s kinda hard to explain. It’s mostly just feelings... images."

"Do you think you can sleep now, sweetie?" brushing a kiss over the top of dark hair.

"Can we stay like this?" content to remain in Gwen’s arms indefinitely.

"If we shift to a more prone position, absolutely. I’m gonna wake up with an awful crick in the neck otherwise," Gwen admitted with a small chuckle. Randi tilted her head back slightly to see the awkward position Gwen was sitting in and realized she wasn’t kidding. She’d probably end up with a crick in her entire spine.

Randi nodded and pulled away just enough for Gwen to shimmy into a laying position before reclaiming her spot in Gwen’s arms. She closed her eyes in contentment and her lips creased into a smile. Gwen hugged her more firmly and whispered into her hair.

"What are you smiling about?"

"The sound of the beat of your heart... it’s like music to me. I can feel it in my body. It’s amazing."

The soundless chuckles earned Gwen a poke in the ribs and a raised head complete with glare from Randi. The poke made her jump and the glare made her laugh out loud.

"Hmph!" Randi pouted, but she didn’t relinquish her place and in fact snuggled that much closer to Gwen. Gwen stroked her hands through Randi’s hair and felt Randi relax into her. She turned her lips into Randi head and whispered.

"I know – why do you think it’s my favorite place in the whole world?"

Randi didn’t answer; she just hugged Gwen tighter and soon the only noise in the room was the solitary sound of their breathing.

"Aphrodite?"

The goddess looked up from the screen she had been intently studying and removed her glasses. Though she knew it completely changed her look and added a dimension of seriousness to her character, the fact was she actually needed them more than she was willing to admit. She rubbed her eyes and smiled warmly at her visitor.

"Morph, dude!! Long time, no see, babe. Whassup?"

Morpheus blinked. He only very rarely ventured out of his domain and he tended to forget about the peculiar quirks of each member of his family in the interim. Coming face to face with them again was always disconcerting at first. Then he smiled at her welcome and took her outstretched hands in his, squeezing them in greeting before releasing them.

"Hello, Aphrodite." His expression became serious. "Do you have a moment? I think we might have a problem."

Dite rubbed her forehead with one hand and let the other wrap around his arm. "C’mon, Morph. That so sounds like I’m gonna need a drink." She poured two glasses of nectar and motioned to a chair. "Have seat and tell me what’s up."

"Someone is interfering in Miranda Valiant’s dreamscape."

Aphrodite gulped her nectar and got up to refill her glass, bringing the carafe back to sit on the table between them. "Of course." She ran her hand through her curly hair. "Is it Ares?"

"I think so; I am still doing some checking, but everything points to him."

Dite and Morpheus exchanged a long gaze before she spoke. "He’s totally over the edge with her, isn’t he? He has lost every last bit of his mind."

Morpheus nodded. "I’m afraid so." He sighed and swallowed half his nectar before he spoke again. "I will erect barriers to keep him out from now on, but I thought you would like to be aware. Perhaps you can warn Randi."

"Oh you bet your sweet ass I will... though she is so majorly pissed with him right now, this may – well, I’m radically glad I’m not gonna be in his shoes when she gets him."

"You really think she will? He is a god after all."

"It won’t matter. She’s gonna come collecting and he’s gonna have to pay up."

"She has a plan?"

"She has a plan."

"Good," Morpheus said, finishing his nectar and standing. "He’s gone too far this time." He leaned over and brushed a kiss across her cheek, blushing when she returned the affection. Then he strode out the door and headed back to his own realm.

Aphrodite waited til he was gone, then she screamed, stomped her feet and banged her fists on the table. After her brief tantrum, she dropped her head on her arms and closed her eyes. And then there were those days when being a goddess just sucked.

Athena and Artemis came running at the first sound of screaming. A light touch on her shoulder caused Dite to jump and she glared at Athena before grinning sheepishly. "Sorry," she mumbled.

"We heard you scream, Dite. Are you all right? Is something wrong?" Artemis asked, looking around for anything amiss.

"I’m cool, babe, but something is so.... Ares is a... he’s... ARGH!!!!" she screamed again. "If Randi doesn’t totally whip his ass, I just might have to."

Artemis and Athena exchanged startled glances, then turned back to Aphrodite with extreme concern. "Would you like to start at the beginning, Dite, or would you like us to start guessing?" Athena asked. She motioned to the half empty carafe of nectar on the table. "Is it that bad?"

"Pull up a glass, then you can tell me."

Randi lay quietly wrapped in Gwen’s arms, gently running her touch from breast to knee. She had no desire to bring Gwen out of her peaceful sleep state just yet, so she kept her contact light and soothing. But Randi needed the connection, so she allowed herself the comfort being in Gwen’s arms stroking her flesh brought her. She thought about the odd dream she’d had the night before. It bothered in a number of ways.

The reality of something she *knew* was only a dream was disturbing. It made Randi wonder if it was a premonition or.... It was the ‘or’ that bothered her the most, because in all likelihood that meant Ares was making another effort against her again and this time he was using the Amazons to do it. The question was could she do anything to stop him before Ares destroyed the Amazon Nation.

"What are you thinking about so hard, love?" Gwen’s sleepy voice burred its way through Randi’s hearing. She felt the subtle rumble and it made her smile despite her misgivings about everything else. Randi had never felt as secure in their love as she did at this moment and realized that the feeling was growing stronger with the passage of time.

A hand riffling through her hair brought her back to the present and she shifted just enough to look into green eyes filled with so much love it made her heart ache to see it reflected back at her. Randi pressed a kiss between the breasts she had been pillowed on. Then she shifted to capture those lips that were smiling at her just the least little bit and that went on until Gwen wrapped her arms fully around Randi’s body and pulled her down to Gwen’s.

"Good morning," Randi said softly. Gwen grinned fully.

"Yes, it certainly is. Now, what were you thinking about so hard?"

Randi grinned rakishly. "What makes you think I was thinking hard? I’m in bed with my beautiful, sexy, naked wife and lover. I’m not sure I see where thinking would be required." Gwen gripped her face and gazed seriously into blue eyes. Randi sighed and dropped her eyes momentarily before moving her eyes back up to meet Gwen’s. "I was thinking about my dream."

Gwen nodded; she’d suspected as much. Truth be told, it had been occupying her thoughts as well. "And did you come to any conclusions?"

Randi slid to one side of Gwen’s body, allowing her leg to keep Gwen pinned in place and resuming her light stroking touch along Gwen’s torso. She smiled as she watched goosebumps follow in the wake of her fingertips, but her eyes were serious when they met Gwen’s.

"Not really. I still don’t know if it’s a dream or a premonition or just a piece of undercooked chicken from last night. I think you should contact the Amazons... ensure we do not need to be there immediately. If we don’t, I will push through today’s agenda and try to finish up the plans for the new schedule of service we want to implement so we can go out there tomorrow. If we do need to go today, well, we’ll go and play the rest by ear."

Gwen smoothed the worry lines that creased Randi’s forehead. "You’re really worried about this, aren’t you?"

Randi nodded. "I think it is Ares. I think he’s gonna use the Amazons against me if he can."

Now it was Gwen’s turn to frown. "Why? Why the Amazons? They are protected by Artemis."

"No," Randi shook her head. "Artemis is their patron, but the goddesses do not protect – at least not like that. Besides, that would just be added incentive as far as Ares is concerned at this point. The fact is, with the dissimilation of the rebellion factions, the Amazons are about the only separate warrior society left for Ares to stir to war."

"But, Randi... the Amazons have been at peace for as long as the world has been. They were signers of the treaty; they have been players in keeping the peace. Not like the Sabres, of course, but they have served in the military, participated in...." Gwen glared when Randi’s fingers covered her mouth.

"Sweetheart, I know all that. But the fact remains that – one... the Amazons are a naturally warrior society, and the only one that exercises those skills outside the regular military; two... Artemis is their patron and they have sects devoted to Aphrodite and Athena as well; three... you are their queen. He has lost every other way with me; he has nothing to lose by destroying them trying to insure his success against me."

"He has lost his mind!"

Randi nodded seriously. "I really believe he has. He honestly never expected me to reject him so completely. I think it pushed him over the edge."

"Why? Randi, since our first trip through the karmic circle together, no matter the lifetime, no matter the circumstances, you have never been his. Why would he think it would be different this time, especially since we were already together and the relationship consummated?? You came back from the dead for me in this lifetime, even before we admitted our love to one another!!!"

"Yes, but he cheated; he stacked the cards completely against me to guarantee his victory."

Gwen snorted. "Asshole," she muttered under her breath, then blushed slightly at Randi’s silent chuckle and shrugged. "Well, he is. So what went wrong if everything was in his favor?"

Randi smirked, the sexy kind that gave Gwen tingles up and down her spine. "You did."

Blonde brows flew up into Gwen’s hairline so fast, Randi waited for them to fly right off. "I did?!? What do you mean, *I did*???"

Randi leaned down and kissed Gwen with fiery passion, possessing her in a way no one else could. "Before the love, before the sex, before the vows we made to one another, there was always you – in my heart, in my soul, in my mind. He could never, ever defeat that. And he could never understand that... never grasp that there was nothing he could offer me that could measure up to what we had together – even when we were just friends."

"And before we met?" They didn’t talk about this much and Gwen wasn’t going to let the opportunity pass them by. She knew there had been other lovers in Randi’s life before she had entered it; she suspected Tiny was one of them and Poppy was another, though she had never asked. In some ways, she was glad Randi had not been completely alone during the years she had been an active duty Sabre. On the other hand, she didn’t have green eyes for no reason, and jealousy was an ugly emotion – not only to experience, but to be caught having.

"Before we met?" Randi frowned. "Before we met, I wasn’t vulnerable."

Green eyes widened with hurt. "Are you saying I made you vulnerable?? I made it possible for Ares to lay claim to you??" Gwen would have pulled away had it not been for the leg holding her in place and the arm that tightened significantly around her waist.

"Shh... just listen, love," before Gwen could protest. "Yes, you made me vulnerable because you made me feel; and it was so... wonderful. Ares couldn’t tap into my passion because it wasn’t there. I had a few lovers before you came into my life," acknowledging Gwen’s unspoken question. "But they were friends... people I trusted enough to find release with. My heart was not involved; my soul certainly wasn’t. It wasn’t until I met you that I started to feel." A beat. "I wouldn’t trade that vulnerability for anything, love. It made me feel. And that made us invincible."

That got Randi the grin she had been searching for. "Really?" Gwen asked shyly.

"Oh yeah," Randi guaranteed. "Now c’mon," she added, rolling away from Gwen and off the bed. "The sooner we get started, the sooner we can be done." She extended a hand which Gwen took with alacrity, sliding from the bed and tugging them both towards the bathroom.

"I’m looking forward to that."

Randi chuckled. "I’m looking forward to kicking Ares’ ass. The look on his face will be satisfying."

Gwen laughed. "Your boot print permanently embedded will be even better."

Ares remained blissfully unaware of their plans; he was too busy celebrating his latest conquest to be monitoring their activity at the moment. And with any luck, not only would Randi be his very shortly, but he would also spawn an army of immortal warriors created in his image. He looked down at the woman who shared his bed and laughed, the evil sound echoing throughout the mountain complex the Amazon Nation now called home.

"What’s wrong, Arty, and how can I help?"

Artemis spared a brief moment to be thankful for Dite’s perceptiveness. This was going to be awkward enough without getting into the squicky details.

"It’s Ares. He’s completely over the edge. You said Randi was ready and capable of taking him down?" She waited for Aphrodite to nod. "I think she needs to do so now."

"But...."

"No, Dite – listen. Ares is manipulating the Amazons; I think he plans to use them to create a race of warriors in Randi’s image."

Aphrodite’s eye opened wide and she just look at Artemis for a long moment. "You mean he is... ew – grody to the max, babe. I so did not need that visual this morning."

"Yeah? Well, imagine how I felt when I figured it out."

"Wait," combing her fingers through her disheveled curls. "Can we start this gnarly conversation over? ‘Cause I am getting a major headache from this. Whaddya mean – when you figured it out?"

"Can we get Athena in on this? I would prefer not to have to say it twice. I think she is...."

"ATHENA!!!!"

Artemis chuckled wryly at Dite’s bellow. "Of course, that works too." Athena popped her head around the corner almost instantly.

"Gods, Dite! You scared a year’s worth of eternity out of me! What is so important??"

"Come in and siddown. We gotta talk." Athena looked from Dite to Artemis and back again and sighed. Without a word, she popped in a bottle of wine and three glasses, then fell into a chair and waited for someone to give her the bad news.

"Randi?"

Randi looked up when Gwen’s head came around the door to her office. She turned away from her computer screen and spun her chair around to face Gwen. She was gratified when Gwen came around the desk and sat down in her lap.

"So... what’d you find out?" smoothing out the frown lines that were crinkling Gwen’s forehead. The expression made her guts churn, just a little.

"I’m not sure. It was very strange."

Now a frown crossed Randi’s features. "How so? Did you speak to Lorac?"

Gwen nodded slowly. "Yeah, but she was... I dunno – off. Almost like a pod person or something." She blew out a frustrated breath. "She didn’t act like there was a problem; she was even enthusiastic about our coming out there soon. Said they were planning a surprise fit for a queen. It was just weird, but I can’t put my finger on what’s wrong."

"Do you think it is critical? Do we need to go out there today?"

Gwen bit her lip pensively and considered the questions seriously. "No. I think we need to take care of the rest of the world first. We’re too close to a resolution and if we truly want to go home and have peace, we need to finish. But I wouldn’t object to stepping things up and getting out there sooner than we had originally planned either."

"All right," Randi said in agreement. "I think I have a rudimentary workable plan. We just need to get the details settled and put into place. You wanna take a look? With a little luck we’ll have this ready to implement by the time Tiny and Reed get back next week."

Gwen shifted in Randi’s lap to take a look at the desk screen. Randi angled the desk a little more to accommodate Gwen’s added height, then sat back and let Gwen read in peace. Her hands delicately stroked the body within her reach which coincidentally contained a majority of Gwen’s erogenous zones. Randi wasn’t even conscious of her actions until Gwen grasped her hands lightly and turned pleading eyes to meet Randi’s.

"Whoops! Sorry," Randi said sheepishly.

Gwen smiled and stole a quick kiss. "I wouldn’t mind except it’s very distracting. You make it very difficult to concentrate."

Randi stood, lifting Gwen to her feet at the same time. "Tell ya what... I’ll go find some of the guys who are around and go do some sparring. Then you can read in peace; don’t look at me like that. If I stay, I’m just gonna keep distracting you and we both know it’s the truth."

Gwen smiled sheepishly and nodded. "Yeah, but it doesn’t mean I won’t miss you while you’re gone."

Randi’s turn to steal a kiss, only hers was by no means quick. "I love you," she finally said when they separated on an uneven breath. "I’ll be back to pick you up for lunch. Then we can start working on the details."

Gwen nodded. "Be careful, Empress. Don’t beat up on the troops too much, all right? I have plans for you tonight and they don’t involve you being black and blue or too tired and sore to move properly." Randi arched an eyebrow, but her eyes twinkled mischievously. Then she jumped unexpectedly when Gwen smacked her firmly on the butt. "Go on and get outta here, love. I know you wanna go play with the boys and I’ll get done faster if you do. Just don’t run them too ragged."

"No promises," Randi quipped and with another swift kiss, she was out the door and Gwen sat down at the desk to continue her reading. She liked what she had been able to take in so far; the idea certainly had merit and she could easily see it working for everyone if they could just work out a way to implement it properly. She started making notes as ideas occurred to her and soon Gwen was completely immersed in her work.

Meanwhile, Randi had no lack of volunteers once word got around of her presence in the rec room. No one could resist the challenge, especially once Randi made it clear she was taking all comers. Soon the room was filled with the sounds of hand to hand combat and the thud of bodies as they hit the mats... one by one.

It was the growling of her stomach that pulled Gwen’s attention off the computer screen and focused it on the clock. Her eyebrows shot into her hairline. Surely Randi wasn’t still sparring; it had been hours. Gwen rolled her eyes, knowing the truth. She locked the computer and lowered the desk back down to a flat position. Then she got up and strode out of the room, intent on finding her wayward soulmate. First, she had to make a stop by their suite.

Sabres were scattered across the room in various states of disrepair discussing form and technique as Randi sparred with yet another of their number. But when Gwen opened the door and crossed the room towards Randi, silence followed in her wake. A number of Sabres grinned. They had heard from their Amazon mates about Gwen’s prowess with the staff, and several of them had seen the bard in action here in the compound. At the very least, it would be entertaining.

The Sabre facing off against Randi was distracted by the silence and hesitated, giving Randi the chance to drop him to the mat. Then she looked up and understood the reason for the quiet that now draped the room and gave Gwen a chagrined smile. Randi had been having such a good time sparring, she hadn’t realized how late it had gotten.

"Oh shit!" she muttered, but not low enough not to be heard by the troops, causing a ripple of grins to race around the room. "Guess playtime is over, boys and girls. I promised to take Gwen to lunch, so if you’ll excuse us...."

"Not so fast there, Stud. Get your staff."

"Gwen?"

"C’mon, Empress. You made me wait for lunch; I think you owe me a round of sparring."

Randi cocked an eyebrow and her blue eyes twinkled in pure fun. "Oh you do, huh? You think I owe you?" She held out a hand and momentarily her staff was placed in it. Gwen nodded and backed up a pace, trying to clear space for their match. "Then by all means, my queen," twirling her staff into a ready position and giving Gwen an evil smile, "let’s spar."

The sound of wood clashing solidly together was loud and echoed in the otherwise silent room. The Sabres watched in awe as the staves met and separated in motions so smooth and rhythmic they could almost be classified as a dance.

Gwen and Randi smiled ferally at one another. Though they were both quite serious about their skills, this was something they took great joy in sharing with one another and both of them had missed this time together. The hits increased in speed until they were merely a blur; the Sabres just blinked at the furious action they were privileged to witness.

For long moments the battle went back and forth between them, neither woman gaining or losing ground to the other. Finally, as if someone gave an invisible signal, they wound up with a flourish, staves crossed inched from their faces.

Their breathing was increased but not harsh and for a few stunned seconds, it was the only sound in the room. Then the Sabres started to cheer. When Randi leaned forward and captured Gwen’s lips, they whooped. Gwen blushed. Randi just grinned like a Cheshire cat.

"Right, then..." Randi said as the sound died down. "*Now* if you’ll excuse us...." A chuckle went around the room and they made a path so Randi and Gwen could leave the rec room together. A trail of Sabres followed them out, then went their own ways to get back to their duty stations.

"Did you have fun?" Gwen asked as they made their way to their rooms. Gwen wanted to put her staff away and Randi was dying for a quick shower. Gwen squealed, closed her eyes and held on tightly when without warning, Randi picked her up and spun them both around in a circle. When they stopped spinning, Gwen opened her eyes and stared down into sparkling, bright blue orbs. She couldn’t help the smile that crossed her lips or crinkled her nose.

"*I* had a blast!! I’ve missed that... especially with you. How ‘bout you... did you have fun?"

Gwen squeezed her arms tightly around Randi’s neck and licked the drop of sweat that was dangling on the tip of Randi’s nose before depositing a kiss in its place. "I," she said, resting her forehead on Randi’s and forcing their eyes to cross. "I had a wonderful time today, *and* I think I may have figured out some of the kinks in the plan."

"Oh?" Randi said as she pulled back enough to actually see Gwen’s face. She was suddenly serious and very interested in the conversation. "Do tell."

"Uh uh... not until we get something to eat. Otherwise I will starve to death before I get food."

"That bad?"

"No, but it’s gonna take more than two minutes to explain, and I’m hungry. C’mon, love. Put me down so we can get done and get back to work." Randi squinted at Gwen, then turned and resumed her stroll to their quarters. Gwen instinctively held on tighter. She drew a deep breath to protest, but a single, pleading glance in her direction made Gwen simply tuck her head into Randi neck for the remainder of the short trip to their room. Randi smiled and pressed a kiss to Gwen’s head.

A short time later, they were once more clean, fed and back in Randi’s office. This time they were sitting side by side at the desk as Randi read through the proposal with Gwen’s comments and modifications. They were good and Randi turned and smiled at Gwen who slipped her glasses off her face and refocused her eyes on Randi’s.

"What?" self-consciously setting her glasses on the closest flat surface.

"These are good ideas, Gwen. I think they will streamline things for everyone... especially me. Now I just need to write a program to make it all work together. Making the mix random is good and I think three to six month tours per station are a great idea. It won’t get everyone exposure to everyone and everything, but it should be enough that people start recognizing similarities."

"Are you gonna extend service times... go to five years instead of two?"

"Yeah, I think we need to. Maybe eventually mankind will be smart enough to survive without a military, but for now I think it is still necessary. I’ll make sure there are back-ups and fail-safes in place, but the fact is mankind is either gonna have to grow up and be responsible for each other and this planet, or they are going to end up destroying everything."

"Does it bother you, love... walking away, I mean? We’ve been doing this for a long time, Randi – lifetimes. And it took us a few tries to get it right. Can we just walk away without regrets?" She paused and took a deep breath. "I know I keep asking; I just want you to be sure that giving up the chance to rule the world isn’t something you’ll be sorry for later."

Randi took Gwen’s hand. "No, sweetheart; it really doesn’t bother me. I’ve thought about this a lot." She blew out a deep breath and looked down at their clasped hands. "We’ve done all we can do, Gwen. We’ve arrived at a crux in human history – a pivotal point where the choices made will affect the way humanity will live... or die... together. We’ve given them every opportunity to choose wisely." Now she looked back up and met Gwen’s eyes. "But unless we want this responsibility for eternity, we have to let mankind make the choice and live with the consequences. It should be easier for humanity once Ares is out of the way, even if we have been his main focus for a while. And speaking very selfishly – I’m tired. I don’t wanna do this anymore. I think we’ve earned our rest." She smiled. "Besides, I have all I want in the palm of my hand," lifting their joined hands to her lips and kissing them.

Gwen couldn’t stop the blush, but she returned the kiss with a possessive squeeze of the fingers entangled with hers. "I just don’t want you to regret...."

"No regrets, Gwen – not about this anyway... especially if we can make this program work like I think we can. Let me get started on this program; the sooner I get it done the sooner we can get a team together to work the bugs out while we go visit the Amazons."

Gwen nodded. "I’ve got some writing to do."

"You wanna work in here with me?"

A brilliant smile was her answer. "Let me go get my journal."

"Are they coming?"

"Not yet. I told her we were planning a surprise for her, but I indicated it wasn’t ready yet so there wasn’t a need for them to rush out here yet."

"Good, that will give me a chance to try to make a few more immortal Amazon babies."

Lorac smiled slyly. "Well, I know of a few Amazons that are hoping the first try doesn’t take. They’d like another go with the god of war."

Ares smirked. "Only a few?"

"Yeah – not all of us are into men, but not all of us are strictly into women either." She frowned. "Of course, I haven’t heard anyone complaining." That struck her as very strange; there were a number of Amazons who had no desire to be with a man and yet they had been as anxious as the rest to sleep with Ares. Then there were those that didn’t want children, and yet they too had been eager for Ares to give them a child. Something was wrong with this picture; then Ares trailed a hand up the inside of her thigh and the thoughts went to the wayside.

"What about you, Lorac?"

"As many times as you want, Ares," then her mind was lost in the passion and bloodlust she felt coursing through her veins. Nothing else mattered besides the touch of his hands and lips on her body. Ares smiled cruelly. The domination he felt over these women was almost enough to make him forget his need to own Miranda Valiant... almost.

Rosie had gone home, glad for the chance to check on her barbeque stand and found that her daughter was very happy running the small roadside restaurant. It was a little surprising; Rosie had never expected her to be so enthusiastic about it, but she was glad to see it. It meant she could take a little time off. After everything that had happened recently, Rosie felt the need for a bit of a break to rejuvenate body and spirit. The last few weeks had been completely draining – to the point that even her daughter mentioned it and shooed her out of the kitchen. Rosie had laughed and went into the private area of the restaurant, glad beyond words for a child like she had and a chance to rest.

She woke up with a bit of a start; her dreams had been... disturbing... and Rosie looked around trying to orient herself. Something had woken her up, but what? There was no one in the room with her and the rest of the house sounded just as quiet. She closed her eyes and searched her feelings, not able to find the cause for her sudden waking, only knowing that something was off. The question was – what? And how did it affect her?

"Oh my GOD! Who in the hell came up with that harebrained idea?" Tiny asked as he collapsed on the ground at the bottom of the hill after he literally fell out of the plastic bubble. "Damn, I think I’m gonna puke."

Reed snickered though truthfully, she wasn’t feeling much better. "You’re the one that wanted to try zorbing, honey."

"Never again," Tiny mumbled as he focused on breathing to keep the contents of his stomach where they belonged. "I hope they found an appropriate death for whoever decided that was a good idea. I can’t believe Randi put something that sickening on a holochip that is supposed to be for fun."

"I dunno, baby – remember those... what were those things we rode? The roller coasters? Some of those were more than a little disorienting."

He cracked an eye open to look at her. "You think this is a plot by Randi to get us for something?"

Reed chuckled gingerly, not wanting to disturb her equilibrium too much. "No... I think she just has a twisted idea of what fun is. I think we need to research everything else on that chip, though. I don’t think either one of us can handle anymore surprises like that one."

"I think we need to give the holodeck a rest and take a time out in the real world." Tiny waited for a response from Reed, and when he didn’t get one, he turned his head slowly to face her. Her eyes were closed and her breathing slow and deep and he realized she was meditating. She reached for his hand almost unconsciously and he extended his own without thought.

They lay there in silence for a few minutes and Tiny felt his stomach settle. Without warning, Reed clenched his hand almost painfully and he wondered what had caused that reaction. He rolled over carefully, unwilling to risk upsetting his stomach again.

"Reed? Honey, you all right?"

It took a few more minutes of deep breathing before Reed answered and then it was so soft Tiny had to strain to hear it. "I dunno – I feel a little off kilter."

"From the zorbing or...?" Tiny zoomed in on the problem immediately; Reed would have already mentioned if her imbalance was related to their holodeck activities. He suspected this feeling was from something else entirely.

"I don’t think so. It was a weird ripple." She shrugged. "It’s getting better."

"Is it Randi and Gwen? Do we need to cut our vacation short?"

"I don’t know; I don’t think so," she said again with only the slightest hesitation. "Besides, you know and I know Randi will kick both our asses if we go back early for no explainable reason. Maybe we should call them later though – check in."

"Sweetheart, neither Randi nor Gwen would ever discount your feelings. You know that – they better than anyone else on Earth understand and respect your feelings... well, except maybe me," he added with a crooked smile. She returned the look gratefully. "I think we should head back for the capital," he continued, sitting up slowly. "We could always tell them we need a break from our vacation; personally, I think it’s killing me."

Reed chuckled again and eased up into a sitting position. "Me too," she agreed. "And after today, I think I have the bruises to prove it. C’mon," she said, standing up and offering him a hand. Tiny took it and kissed it, then pushed himself upright.

"Computer, holodeck off," feeling better with the disappearance of the zorbing ball. "C’mon, honey. Let’s go and see what kind of trouble we can find. Knowing Randi and Gwen, it shouldn’t be hard and it should be interesting."

Reed smirked and followed Tiny out of the holosuite. "It always is."

Jill walked around the house slowly. She had expected to feel lonely and bereft here, but instead she felt Geoff’s presence like a tangible thing – a warm blanket that wrapped her in his love. It made her smile.

There were so many memories here... so many pieces of their lives together were contained in the walls of this home. A knock on the door interrupted her musing and Carbon barked; Jill frowned. She wasn’t expecting anyone and she had thought to have a bit of time to adjust to being alone here before friends and neighbors came to call.

When she got to the door, she leaned her forehead on it and took a deep breath, hushing the barking dog with a motion. Then she opened the door to the young Sabre who had made regular visits to Geoff’s workshop, especially as Geoff’s health had deteriorated and they had spent more and more time in the capital city.

"Hello, Matt."

"Hello, Mrs. Goldman. I apologize for my poor timing, but we need to sweep Geoff’s workshop as soon as possible and I wanted to make arrangements that would suit you best."

Jill was a little put off, but she nodded. The sooner he was done, the sooner she would be left in peace. And he was a polite young man; she didn’t blame him for wanting to do his duty as quickly as he could manage.

"What would be best for you, Matt?"

"No ma’am," he replied quietly. "I meant what I said. Geoff was an extraordinary man and a good friend. I volunteered for the assignment because I am the most qualified and could do it without infringing on your privacy too much. I didn’t realize I was going to be sent here so quickly."

"It’s all right, Matt. Come in, please."

He shook his head. "No, thank you, ma’am. If you could just tell me when the best time was for you, and if you would prefer for me to take care of things alone or if you want a full team in here." He paused at the confusion in her eyes. "If I bring in a full team, there will be about a half dozen of us and it will take less than a day... probably two to three hours at the most. If I do it alone, it will take me at least two or three days."

Jill thought about it a moment. "I think I’d rather you do it by yourself, Matt. Geoff was proprietary about his work and you were the one he chose to share that with. I respect that; you understand his work and know the value of what he was doing. You still have the code to the workshop, yes?" Matt nodded. "All right. You can get started whenever you want to in the morning. I’d appreciate it if you let me know when you are done."

"Yes ma’am. Again, I’m sorry to have had to bother you about this...."

Jill held up a hand. "It’s all right, Matt. I may not get all the ins and outs of the Sabres, but I have learned enough to know there is a reason for their expediency. You do what you need to do, Matt."

"Thank you, Mrs. Goldman. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," she replied, closing the door behind him. Then she looked around the house and she and Carbon headed for the study where their pictures and holo-memories were waiting for her to go through them. It was going to be a good night for remembering.

Randi stretched and grimaced as the bones in her spine realigned themselves in a cacophony of popping sounds. It made Gwen look up from her journal with concern.

"You all right there, love? That sounded ugly."

Randi shifted her shoulders to loosen them a little more and smiled in Gwen’s direction. "Yeah... just a little sore from sitting in the same position without moving for so long. I know better – I just got caught up in what I was doing." She stood up slowly and crossed to the small sofa set against the nearest wall, climbing over the back and sliding in behind Gwen until she was wrapped around her bard. Randi was gratified when Gwen closed the journal and set it aside, then leaned back into her body with a sigh of relief. "How’s the writing coming?"

Gwen angled her head and brushed a kiss on Randi’s jaw line. "Well enough. I’m writing down what I remember from our time in the dreamscape together – from our spirit walk."

Randi’s eyes widened though she knew Gwen couldn’t see the reaction. "Wow! That’s um... that’s some pretty intense stuff."

Gwen nodded. "Pretty personal too. But since I’m the only one who will see it.... And I don’t want to forget."

"You think you would... forget, I mean?"

"Not the big stuff, no, but I wanted to get the details down while they were still fresh. I want to remember how things felt and smiled and sounded; the look in your eyes when you saw your reflection in my mirror. Seeing you as both warrior and woman and our reunion of both body and soul. I don’t want to forget any of it – even the parts that hurt."

Randi held on a little tighter and smiled when Gwen tangled their fingers together. "I’m glad you’re writing it down, love. Even if it’s just for us, I’m glad we’ll have it to remember." They sat in silence for a little while before Randi spoke again. "You know, when we get back from the Amazons and before we go home, we need to go back to the village and talk to Sky."

"Okay... why?"

"So they can make us part of the tribe – if you want to, of course. They did invite us and we finished our spirit walk...."

"... even if it wasn’t exactly the way that Sky expected it to be," Gwen said with a chuckle.

Randi echoed the sentiment silently, though Gwen felt the vibrations against her back. "Yeah, I’m sure we’ll hear about our unorthodox method for taking a spirit walk for some time to come. But we still need to decide what, if anything, we want to share about that, because you know eventually someone is gonna ask."

Gwen sighed. "Personally, I don’t see the need to share any of the details with anyone. It is very intense and very personal, and I would like to keep it that way. Am I being selfish?"

"Nope, not as far as I’m concerned. I feel the same way. There really isn’t a reason for anyone to know the details of what we went through together. They know we survived; that will have to be sufficient. The rest is for us alone."

Another short silence which Gwen broke. "So how’s your work coming?"

Randi nodded. "Pretty good. I’m satisfied we’re on the right track."

"How do you think people are gonna react?"

Randi shrugged. "I dunno; right now I just wanna make it work. We can worry about the reactions when they happen. But we’re not gonna stay here – I’m not gonna be Empress forever."

"I’m glad," Gwen said simply. "I like having Randi all to myself." She leaned back as Randi bent down and their lips met for a timeless moment before separating. "C’mon," Gwen said as she pulled back slightly. "We’ve been at this for a while. Let’s take a break and go get something to eat."

"That sounds like a good idea. Steak and eggs?"

"Yeah... then maybe we could take a little trip in the holodeck?"

"Sure, where ya wanna go?" pushing Gwen off the couch and standing up behind her.

"I dunno. Let’s go see what we have to choose from; I know there are still a lot of things on those chips we haven’t tried yet."

"All right... anything but zorbing. Just reading about that makes me sick."

"That bad?" as they made their way out of the office and to the kitchen.

"Yeah... that bad. I’d rather shoot myself."

Gwen’s eyes widened. "Oooookay – note to self... no zorbing." Then they walked into the kitchen and they started preparing their dinner.

"Vacation was killing me, Yuri. You gonna open the gate and let us in?"

"Yes, come on up. I’m in the office."

"Where are Randi and Gwen?"

The Empress and the queen have retired to their quarters for the evening."

Tiny laughed. "Randi hears you referring to her like that, she may just unretire to kick your ass, ya know."

Yuri giggled. "It would be worth it."

Tiny scowled. "Why? Is something wrong? We’ve only been gone for three days."

"Oh no! She and Gwen sparred together today - *after* the Empress took on better than half the unit in hand to hand combat. It was something of a spectacle... all the way around. The queen is quite impressive – can hold her own with the Empress with a staff."

"I missed this?!? Tell me someone got vid of this."

"Yeah," Reed chimed in. "I wanna see this."

Yuri chuckled again. "Well, come on up. I’ll have it waiting for you by the time you get in here."

Reed and Tiny turned to look at one another when Yuri disappeared from the screen. "I can’t believe we missed that," Tiny said with a whine in his voice. "I can’t believe that did something like that while we were gone!! We shoulda been here for that!"

Reed couldn’t help it; she laughed. Tiny glared at her, then gave her a sheepish grin.

"All right, all right," he conceded as he brought their transport to a halt. "I know I am being ridiculous. It just woulda been nice to have been here and experienced it after all the bad we have seen them suffer through."

"Don’t worry, honey. I imagine if you ask nicely, Randi will be happy to kick your ass sparring. And if you ask *really* nice, she might let Gwen do it too."

Outraged brown eyes met amused gray. "You’re yanking my chain," he growled.

"Yep, I sure am," Reed agreed with a giggle. "It’s so much fun and you make it so easy." They grabbed their bags from the small trunk and headed inside. "Are we gonna go say hello before we turn in tonight or do you just want to wait until tomorrow?"

"I think we’ll wait unless Yuri has already let them know we’re back. If they have um... retired for the evening, I’m not sure I wanna interrupt. You know as well as I do the multitude of possibilities those words cover."

"Very true," Reed agreed. "I’m so glad their shielding is in place. Life is much more pleasant for me."

Tiny wrapped an arm around Reed’s shoulders and kissed her temple. "Me too. I hated watching you in such misery. It’s nice to be able to be friends with them and to be able to enjoy it. C’mon," pushing the door to the office open and lifting a hand to Yuri in greeting. "Let’s go see what all the buzz is about with them sparring. I have a feeling this will be a lot of fun."

"Oh it was," Yuri agreed, "and if we’re really lucky, they’ll do it again." He extended a hand to each of them and then frowned. "Wow, your vacation really did beat you up, didn’t it?" examining the odd bruises that covered each of them. "You want to share?"

"Let’s see the vid feed first, then we’ll tell you about the holodeck vacation from hell that nearly killed us." Yuri’s eyebrows almost popped off his forehead and then he motioned them to a chair. Given their battered appearance, he couldn’t wait to hear the details.

"That was... incredible," Gwen said as she slipped the helmet off her head. "I never thought I could fly like a bird. Being connected to you while I was doing it was a great bonus."

Randi dropped her helmet, and loosened the straps that held them together. She was a little surprised when Gwen immediately stepped away from her. Randi shimmied out of the straps and buckles only to find Gwen suddenly wrapped around her like an octopus.

"Well, hello there," Randi said with a rakish grin, tightening her hold and feel Gwen’s spine pop back into place. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Ugh," Gwen groaned and let her head flop forward into Randi shoulder. "God, that feels good. HEY!" she squealed and straightened. "Whaddya do that for?" glaring at Randi who smirked, then snared her lips in a long, passionate kiss. Randi caressed the spot on Gwen’s ass she had just pinched and felt Gwen melt into her touch and embrace. "Hmm... what was I saying?"

Randi grinned. "You were saying we needed to get out of here and go to bed."

Gwen giggled. "Did I say that? I don’t remember saying that."

"Computer... door," Randi called out as she carried Gwen out of the holosuite and back into their rooms. "Do you really want to argue about it?" kissing the full lips on a level with her own again.

"What I want to do," Gwen growled when they separated for air, "is to tie you up and have my way with you for the rest of the night."

Randi’s eyes widened and she swallowed hard at the pure desire in Gwen’s voice and the lust that burned hotly in her green eyes. "All right," she agreed numbly, then found herself drowning in new sensations when Gwen began to make good on her desires. They never even heard the comm unit buzz for their attention, and Yuri wasn’t about to find out why. He knew they were alone together – and that was reason enough to let them be.

"Are you okay, sweetheart?" Gwen asked, gently stroking all the bare skin she could reach on Randi’s body. "I wasn’t too rough?"

Randi stretched slowly, making sure she rubbed up against Gwen before she turned them and spooned up behind her. "I am wonderful, thank you. And you were incredible."

"You’re sure?" Randi felt the heat of Gwen’s blush and eased up on her elbow enough to look down into Gwen’s face. She ran the backs of her fingers along Gwen’s cheek until those green eyes turned in her direction. Then Randi smiled as Gwen captured her hand.

"I’m sure," she answered seriously. "I trust you, Gwen... completely. And to know that you share your trust with me – to feel comfortable enough to take charge and express your needs and desires.... I never thought I’d feel like this – never thought I’d be so willing to surrender."

Gwen didn’t answer verbally. Instead she pulled the hand she held to her lips and kissed it, then placed their joined hands between her breasts with a smile. Randi brushed her lips over Gwen’s cheeks and pulled the smaller body into her own more firmly. Then both closed their eyes and settled into a blissful sleep.

The dream returned with a vengeance and Randi was sitting up breathing hard before Gwen even blinked her eyes opened. But she held on to Randi tightly even in her sleep and slowly Randi’s heartbeat slowed as she felt the surety of Gwen’s love surrounding her.

When she caught her breath, she looked down into sleepy green eyes filled with concern. She cupped the blonde head and kissed the top of it. Gwen tightened her hold. "You all right, love?"

Randi nodded. "Yeah... just that dream again. I think... I dunno - it’s never been the gods’ style to hide behind dreams where I’m concerned, but it’s almost like they are trying to send me a message."

"Unless it’s not them."

"What?"

"Well," Gwen said, blinking the sleep out of her eyes. "What if it isn’t the goddesses? You know and I know that if they had something to say, they’d do so face to face at this point." Randi slowly nodded her agreement. "So what if it is someone else trying to get your attention? Or what if it is accidental?"

"Accidental how?" Randi asked with a frown. Gwen bit her lip, not wanting to put her thoughts into words just yet. "You think it’s Ares? He’s up to something that is giving me these weird dreams?"

"I think it’s possible."

"But why give me dreams? Why give me any warning as to what he’s doing?’

"I doubt he’s doing it on purpose." Gwen sighed. "I do think we need to go to the Amazons – today. Whatever is causing this – they are obviously involved. We’re not going to make any more progress here if we’re sitting here trying to figure out what is happening there."

"What about your surprise?"

Gwen’s answer was interrupted by a shower of sparkles and rose petals as three goddesses coalesced into solid form around them. Randi frowned and pulled the sheets up to cover her and Gwen’s nakedness. Then she noticed the seriousness of the goddesses’ expressions and pulled the covers up over their heads as they fell back into the mattress.

"We need to talk," Aphrodite said in all seriousness. Randi and Gwen groaned, knowing they weren’t going to want to hear what was coming.

"Can ya’ll give us a few minutes to get a shower and get some clothes on?"

Athena was herding them out of the bedroom before Aphrodite could formulate a response. Gwen chuckled soundlessly and Randi waited until she heard the door snick closed, then threw the covers off of them and rolled off the bed.

"C’mon, love. I have a feeling it’s fixing to be a long, LONG day."

Breakfast was on the table when Randi and Gwen stepped into the main room. They exchanged glances and took their seats, not surprised when the three goddesses took seats beside them. Randi looked at each of them and picked up her fork, digging into the food they had provided.

"All right," she said once she had swallowed. "Spill it."

Now that the time had come, the goddesses looked at one another, each hoping the other would speak up first. Randi glowered and growled. Gwen laid a calming hand on the tense forearm and pinned them with a stare.

"Let me tell you what we have figured out and then ya’ll can fill in the blanks, all right?" The three nodded simultaneously and Gwen took a swallow of juice before she spoke again. "Ares is making what is probably at this point a last ditch effort at reclaiming lost glory or some such similar bullshit, thinking he will be able to persuade, cajole or otherwise bribe Randi into joining him in his quest for world domination. And in some twisted sense of warped justice, he is somehow planning to use the Amazon Nation to do carry out his plan. Are we close?"

They nodded, relieved Randi and Gwen had already figure out the crux of the problem, even if they didn’t have all the disgusting details yet. Artemis closed her eyes and licked her lips nervously before opening them and beginning to speak.

"Ares has given the Amazons the serum he gave to you, Randi, only he was more successful with them than he was with you. He has turned them into his warriors." She clenched her hands together tightly and covered her lips, frowning intensely. Athena, knowing how hard this was for Artemis particularly, picked up the thread.

"It gets worse, of course. Not only has he managed to secure the loyalty of the Amazon Nation by the use of drugs, Ares is also intent on creating a race of immortal warriors in his own image. And he is using the women of the Nation to do it... willingly, I might add, because of the drugs."

"Are you telling me Ares is impregnating the Amazon Nation??"

"He is trying to. Fortunately, he doesn’t seem to know and they either don’t remember or don’t really want him to know despite everything that they cannot get pregnant on a whim like that anymore."

Randi nodded. When laws had been put into place limiting children to one per family unit, scientists had worked night and day to insure a way to stop the cycles of female ovulation and male sperm production, and they were wildly successful – to the point it had been almost impossible to reverse at first and mankind had nearly succeeded in becoming extinct. Eventually, though, they worked all the kinks out and it became easier to restart the reproductive process of those who wanted to have children.

In the case of the Amazons, however, things were a little different. Many, though not all, of the women of the Nation were not inclined to seek a male partner for mating or reproductive purposes. Instead, the decision was made to give that jurisdiction to Artemis. That way she could bless a union and insure that mothers were given strong, healthy daughters to insure the continuance of the Nation.

What Ares didn’t know, and what no one had shared with him, was the fact that because of that decision by the Amazon Council many years before and the rituals they had performed, only Artemis could unlock the womb to allow the one who had been chosen to bear the child to receive the gift of life and blessing from the child’s other mother... or in some cases, the child’s father.

"So you can even block...?"

"Yes. Usually when a couple decides to have a child together, they come to the temple to seek my blessing. In the course of the ritual ceremony, I open the womb and they make love in the hopes of creating a child. It doesn’t always work the first time, and sometimes they forget that the ritual has to be observed each and every time they want to try for a child."

"Sounds like an awful lot of work and effort for a child – especially when the science is in place to allow two women or two men to create a child between them without such a struggle."

"Yes, I know, and it is, but when the covenant was made between me and the Nation, it was the best of all possible options. Now it may be the only thing keeping Ares from impregnating my warriors and creating an immortal race of his own."

"How did you discover it... about Ares, I mean?"

"We set up a system to notify me when a couple was preparing to have a child, and it was also programmed to alert me if they had tried and failed and were copulating again. Sometimes in the midst of lovemaking a partner would remember and call out for a blessing. It helped if I was prepared for that eventuality, as it happened more often than not. So when I started getting hits on the board from absolutely everyone, including those who had adamantly insisted they had no interest in childbirth or anything that went along with pregnancy, I was immediately alarmed, and rightly so. I went searching for answers, and they led me here."

"And what is it you would like for us to do?" Randi asked, pushing her empty plate back and taking a large sip of coffee.

"We’d like you to force Ares’ hand, once and for all," Athena answered firmly. "Dite told us you have a plan to defeat him."

"We do," Randi affirmed. "But there are a couple things we’ll need to make this work."

"Anything we can do, warrior babe. I think we are all ready for a radical break from all his crap. He has gone way off the deep end this time. He wasn’t this bad when you went through the karmic cycle the first time; I totally think each subsequent lifetime has pushed him just a little closer to the edge until he finally fell over into madness."

Athena nodded. "I am inclined to agree. I’ve never seen him so obsessed with you... with owning your soul, and that is saying so much, all things considered. He’s always been quite – passionate – where you are concerned."

"Randi, what are your conditions? What do you need from us?"

"I need for the gods to be willing to strip Ares of his powers and immortality when I challenge him and to stand behind his punishment when I defeat him."

"And you’re sure you will be able to... defeat Ares, I mean?" Athena asked. "Even without his powers, Ares will still have the knowledge and strength of his godhood behind him. He knows your weaknesses and he will try to take advantage of that."

Randi smiled, a feral expression that didn’t actually reach her eyes. "I’m counting on it."

Aphrodite nodded. "There are a radical number of gods from around the globe that are totally in your corner already." She snickered. "Some of them would absolutely surprise you, given the gnarly history your soul has with most of the gods throughout your lifetimes." Then she sobered. "Ares has finally crossed a line none of us are willing to accept. This could have totally destroyed... everything."

"All right, but I want to be sure. We’re not gonna get a second chance at this. I won’t need one as long as the gods can agree to stand together on this."

"Gwen," Artemis cut in abruptly. "Did you study all the historical texts Lenore gave you?"

"Yes," Gwen answered with a nod and a frown. "I’m pretty sure I did."

"Did you read one on shamanism and what later became known as Wiccans within the Nation?"

The nod was emphatic this time. "Yes, I remember that one clearly because we spent more than one night discussing it... fascinating stuff. That is where the priestesses come from, isn’t it?"

"Yes; I would like you to talk to Rosie before you go. I think there are things from that sect of the Nation that you especially, Gwen, will be able to use."

"No moon howling, right?" Gwen asked skeptically. "I read about that in the archives, ya know."

Artemis couldn’t stop the chuckle that bubbled up at Gwen’s obvious scorn. "Um," she said, clearing her throat and straightening her expression. "No... no moon howling. But there are some things you can do that will help the Amazons accept the antidote they will need to free them from Ares influence. And there should be a way to mask your approach from a god."

"All right... I’ll call her before we leave."

"Yeah... I’ve got to get in touch with Tiny and bring him up to speed on things. I hate to drag him off vacation, but.... What??" she asked when Dite started shaking her head.

"They’re so not on vacation anymore, babe. They came back here to chill last night... something about zorbing?" watching Randi’s face take on a distinct tinge of green. "Yeah, that was about the way Tiny looked when he started telling that other gnarly dude about the wicked bruises he had."

"I wonder why Yuri didn’t let me know."

Dite cleared her throat and had the grace to blush. "He tried; you were, um... tied up at the time."

Randi and Gwen exchanged knowing glances. Sheer determination kept the blush from suffusing Randi’s face, but Gwen wasn’t quick enough to get hers completely under control and Randi smiled at the delicate color that spread over Gwen’s neck and face. Personally, she thought it look quite charming on Gwen, but she didn’t mention it. She had no desire to further embarrass Gwen than she already was by drawing attention to it. Instead, she turned her focus to Dite.

"So what will ya’ll be doing in the meantime?"

"Whatever we can, which unfortunately isn’t very much," Athena replied. "We will have the antidote ready for you to give them and we will be lining up the gods who will stand behind you when you challenge him – do you know when that might be, by the way?"

Randi shook her head. "Sooner rather than later I expect. I will set something up with Tiny that will allow a worldwide broadcast from the Amazon Nation. If I were to guess, though, I’d say within the next seventy-two hours, depending on the situation we find at the mountain."

"All right," Athena nodded. "We will get things taken care of on our end. I know Zeus will strip Ares’ powers without hesitation when Ares agrees to your challenge; he has more to lose than the rest of us do." At their questioning looks, Athena sighed and continued. "If Ares had been able to gain control of the world, the rest of us would have faded greatly, but we would not have died. We would just sort of... be. But Zeus – he would have died. Ares would have destroyed him to ensure he and not Zeus remained the reigning king of the gods."

"Wow."

"Yeah," Dite chimed in. "That about covered it for us too. So we’ll get jamming and you babes let us know what’s shaking as soon as you’re set. We’ll be keeping an eye and ear out for your signal. Toodles." The three shimmered out before Randi or Gwen could answer. The two of them blinked at one another for a moment before moving towards the kitchenette.

"I’m gonna go call Rosie."

"Right," Randi nodded. "I’ll be with Tiny if you wanna come join us when you get done."

"All right. I’ll be right behind you; hopefully this won’t take very long."

Randi grinned. "Talking to Rosie or visiting the Amazons?"

Gwen returned the smile wryly. "Both, honestly. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy talking to Rosie, but I hate to interrupt her vacation. God knows she and Reed definitely earned some time away from us."

"And the Amazons?"

Gwen blew out a breath. "I don’t like it, but it has to be done. Randi, they’re good people and I hate that Ares is using them for his own purposes." She was glaring. "They deserve better and so do we."

"They’ll get it, sweetheart, and so will we. We have way too many things left to enjoy together in this lifetime to let anyone or anything ruin it. Now, c’mon. The sooner we get started...."

"... the sooner we get started." Randi’s brow wrinkled in a frown.

"I thought it was supposed to be finished."

"For everyone else in the world maybe," Gwen replied impishly. "For us, the sooner we get started on the work, the sooner we’ll get started on the living."

"Good point," Randi agreed with a quick peck on Gwen’s lips. "So let’s go... hustle!" Gwen popped Randi on the ass then scampered back to the bedroom laughing. Randi let her go and shook her head. "Paybacks, Gwen... there are always paybacks."

Gwen stuck her head out the door. "I know – I’m counting on it."

Randi left and headed to her office, knowing when a strategic retreat was in order. There would be plenty of time for teasing later. First, she needed to talk to Tiny. There were things that needed to be taken care of while they were gone.

"So why didn’t you use the regen unit, Tiny?" Lacey asked as she looked him over carefully. "It wouldn’t have taken but a few minutes to fix these bruises."

Reed chuckled while Tiny put his shirt back on. "We wanted Randi to see we really were getting beaten up on vacation first. That way she knows we weren’t making up a reason to come home. Why are you still here anyway? Weren’t you supposed to get some vacation time as well?"

Before Lacey could respond to Reed’s question, a knock sounded on the door and Tiny crossed the room to find Randi leaning against the doorjamb. An eyebrow arched gracefully when she took in his battered appearance. "Is this the reason you came back early?" motioning to his bruised body.

Tiny smiled wryly and motioned her in. "Pretty much. Vacation was killing us; Sabre duty was easier on my body that some of those <ahem> fun things you had on that chip."

Randi scratched the side of her face and gave him a sheepish look. "Yeah, I probably should have told you to research some of it before you tried it. Even I don’t do zorbing."

Tiny glared. "Uh huh. Now you tell me," punching her shoulder, then shaking out his hand. "Damn, Randi... what the hell have you been doing lately. That hurt!" He dropped into a chair.

She smirked at him. "You try keeping up with Gwen."

"Yeah, don’t think that isn’t the very first thing we heard about when we got back last night. I can’t believe I missed that!"

"He’s been moaning about it all morning," Reed chimed in, rolling her eyes and shaking her head. Randi snorted and took the arm of the couch as her perch.

"Don’t worry, Tiny. I imagine it’ll happen on a regular basis from now on. Being Empress means everyone wants to spar with me... especially the queen."

"Nah... she was sparring with you long before you were the Empress. Your being Empress just means the rest of us get a chance to watch you spar with someone who might actually be able to kick your butt. At the very least, she holds her own... God, that was incredible!"

This time Randi laughed. She wasn’t about to share with him *how* incredible. Instead she said, "Yeah, she has a natural flair for it. She always has had. She was my very best student."

"Was?"

"She’s my equal, Tiny. With the staff, she can hold her own against me or anyone else."

"Even Ares’ warriors?" this from Lacey.

"Especially Ares’ warriors," Randi corrected. "The motivation is different, and she has something they cannot defeat now. How goes the research?"

"We’re done; it hasn’t been tested in battle yet, but we think we have developed a serum that will protect a person against vulnerability to Ares’ loyalty drug. We cultivated it from the antidote and have tested it every other way we know how."

"When does widespread manufacturing begin and how long before it will be ready for distribution? And do we know how long it takes to become effective and how long it lasts?"

"As soon as you give the order; twenty-four hours after that; that we’re not sure of, but our best reasonable guess is within four hours – it is made to speed through the bloodstream; and that is entirely unknown to us, though preliminary reports have put it as permanent."

"Really? That is exceptional. Excellent work, my friend."

"Thank you, Empre... Randi," Lacey corrected herself seeing the glowering look she was getting. "My team has been working on this round the clock since we started looking for an antidote for you. We figure it is only a matter of time until Ares tried to use it on a more widespread scale once he realizes you are completely beyond his reach. The only question is why he hasn’t before."

"Well, I can’t answer your question – yet – BUT... he has tried to introduce this on a more widespread scale." Randi blew out a breath and the rest assumed listening positions, understanding this was a mission brief. "Gwen and I are heading out shortly to the Amazon Nation. We suspected, and the goddesses have confirmed, that Ares has moved in and is currently controlling the population with some sort of drug. We are assuming at this point it is the same loyalty drug he has been using on warriors for a while. We don’t know how far gone they are at this point; I know it was a much subtler, more gradual process for me than it appears to be for them."

"How serious is it?"

"Serious. Though we haven’t seen symptoms like mine, they have allowed Ares to become a part of the tribe. He’s trying to create a race of immortal warriors in his own image by impregnating as many Amazons as he can. Fortunately, he seems to be unaware of the safeguards that were put in place for population control, and as of yet, no one has seen fit to enlighten him. The consensus, however, is that he has slipped over the edge into madness."

"Randi, you and Gwen can’t go out there alone. Amazon Nation or not, world domination not withstanding, the fact is Ares is fascinated with *you*. You’re the one he wants. You can’t just waltz in there and give that to him."

"Tiny, I’m the one thing he can’t have. What Gwen and I have between us assures us of that. He couldn’t have me before – he certainly can’t have me now. Besides, I’ll be taking a team to sit in reserve and wait for my orders once we have a better grasp on the situation. But...." hesitating, knowing he wasn’t going to like what was coming. "I need you to stay here."

"WHAT???" jumping up from his seat. "You can’t be SERIOUS!!! Why the HELL would you leave me out of something this important, Randi?? Haven’t I earned the right to be at your side??" The explosion was hot and fast and Randi let it run until it burned out. Reed and Lacey remained silent, knowing this was between Randi and Tiny and hoping it could be resolved quickly. He fell back into his chair with a conspicuous lack of grace.

Randi looked him squarely in the eyes, willing him to see the honest sincerity in hers. "Tiny, other than Gwen, there is no one – NO ONE, not even Tommy – who I trust to watch my back like I trust you. But I have to have Gwen with me on this and I need someone I trust with my life to assume the responsibilities I am leaving here. Tiny, given what it has cost to get us to this point, I can’t chance leaving to take care of Ares if you’re not here taking care of the rest of the world."

He glared at her for a long moment, then sighed. "You don’t fight fair," he grumbled.

"No," Randi admitted. "But I do fight with honor and I fight to win. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important, Tiny."

Tiny sighed again. "I know. And it bites – I just want you to know that. Only for you," he added.

"I know, my friend, and I appreciate it more that you can know. Trust me, Tiny. I understand your frustration better than anyone else in the world. But on the plus side, we have managed to get the framework for the new government figured out. Even most of the details have been taken care of; it’s pretty much a matter of putting the programs into place. Let me tap the members of the Sabre team so they can start their mission prep, then I will show you what we’ve gotten done and what is left to do. With a little luck, we will all be able to go home. I want to live like a normal person for a change."

Tiny snorted and stood, unable to resist the perfect set-up and wanting a quick getaway. "Don’t you need to *be* a normal person first?" he joked, snatching the door open....

... only to run right into Gwen’s raised fist poised to knock. He fell back flat on his ass. When he looked up, Randi stood over him, hands on hips and a sardonic expression on her face, complete with raised eyebrow. He cut his eyes over at Gwen whose posture mirrored Randi’s, except her expression was questioning. Tiny covered his face.

"Someone shoot me now, please." This got laughter from all quarters and a hand up from Randi.

"You’ll get yours," she promised with a purr.

"Yeah," he snarked, "but at least I’ll still be normal."

Now all four women howled, even Gwen who had missed the beginning of the exchange. "Never in a million years, baby," Reed assured him. "Never in a million years." His pout only made things worse.

"In theory, anyway," she replied dryly to Tiny’s enthusiasm. "We haven’t tried to put it into practice yet."

"Yes, but I think people will work to make it work... especially now that there is a better perception of what peace really requires. Learning about one another can... working together with those that you think are different from you... can only help foster understanding, right?"

"I hope so, Tiny. I just want peace."

"Well, the immunizations should help that." A beat. "Randi?" Tiny queried, still focused on the plans in front of him. "Why now? I mean," going on quickly at the look of confusion on her face. "Ares developed this serum a long time ago to ensure the loyalty of the warriors who swore an oath to him. Why did Ares finally decide to go looking for warriors now? And why go to the Amazons – he knows they are protected by Artemis. Why didn’t he take advantage of any of the rebel forces before they were defeated?"

Gwen cleared her throat softly, drawing their attention to her. She removed her glasses, chewing absently on the earpiece for a moment before speaking. "I think I might know; I’ve been doing some research on that since we learned about the Amazons and I talked to Rosie this morning."

"You mean there’s a reason besides Ares has finally lost his mind?" Randi asked sardonically.

"I’m not so sure he has," Gwen replied seriously. The certainty on her face made Randi move from where she stood behind Tiny at her desk to sit on the arm of the couch where Gwen had ensconced herself with her journal and small computer. Tiny remained still and silent.

"What makes you say that, love? Even the goddesses think he’s nuts."

Gwen nodded. "Yes, but what if that is what he wants everyone to believe? Give me a minute.... I want you to think about this," she added, running her hands through her