Chapter LXIV

“Hey, Gabrielle,” Trick opened the video call she’d initiated. “You’re looking lovely,” clearing his throat and swallowing hard when Xena’s head leaned into the picture and she gave him a fierce look. “And you must be Xena,” he continued with a shaky voice and a nervous smile. “It’s nice to meet you. Gabrielle has told me so many good things about you.”

She nodded briskly but didn’t respond otherwise. She was still more than a little put out with this man who had been a friend and tried to take advantage of Gabrielle’s loneliness. Though if she was honest with herself, she couldn’t really blame him, and she was quite impressed with the restraint he’d shown… especially given his nature. She smiled when Gabrielle leaned back into her, and she wrapped a possessive arm around her middle.

“Hi, Trick!” Gabrielle greeted cordially. “What can we do for you?”

“Nothing. I wanted to let you know that you should expect an influx of Fae to your area within the next twelve hours,” smiling grimly when their eyes widened. “You shouldn’t have to do anything for them. I’ve been in touch with the local Fae - they’re going to house them for the duration, although I believe many of them will be scattered among the local tribes that are native to that area. Kenzi and I will be there tomorrow. I don’t know how much help we can be, but this seemed like something we needed to be a part of.”

“Don’t worry,” Gabrielle assured him. “You’ll be more help than you can know. And having the Fae here might give us an added advantage we never expected to have.” Her expression softened slightly. “Thank you, Trick. This means a lot to both of us.”

He smiled grimly. “I hope it makes the difference we need it to, No one wants that pretender to become some kind of real god. He’ll destroy us… or everything that matters to us.”  He shook his head. “Have you spoken to Bo… or Dyson? I haven’t heard from either of them since they left here.”

Gabrielle frowned, wondering what had caused the lack of communication. “Bo and Lauren arrived here safely yesterday. They, like the rest of the Guardians, are separated from the others to keep them as safe as we can manage until the appointed time. Dyson arrived from Storybrooke just a few hours ago. He stayed long enough to attend a funeral. I haven’t heard the whole story; just that he felt he owed it to the man who died. He should be resting at the moment - he made it here on his own… no magic.”

Trick’s eyes widened. “You mean he ran that entire way?”

Gabrielle shrugged. “He didn’t say. He did run into the camp area, though. I took him up to the cave where our two supers are residing at the moment so he could have a bit of privacy to change back into his human self. We actually have a trailer just for the guys that have come, so as soon as he was Dyson again, I took him over there. He was welcomed like an old friend, and that was the last I saw of him.”

Trick nodded. “Sounds good. Like I said, though, we’ll be there tomorrow. Should we go straight out to the battlefield area, or…?”

Gabrielle looked back at Xena, who nodded just slightly. “That would probably be best. It’s where you’ll be staying for however long you’re able to be here.”

“All right. Is there anything you need me to bring? Anything from the Dark Vault?”

Gabrielle felt the body behind her tense slightly as she shook her head. “I think we’re good here. We’ll see you tomorrow.”

“We’ll be there with bells on,” he remarked with a smirk as he cut the connection. Gabrielle chuckled and shook her head, leaning slightly forward to end the session. She turned her head to meet Xena’s eyes, then snapped her jaw shut when Xena shook her head the barest amount. Instead, she finished turning and met Claudia’s eyes as she endeavored to look busy and uninterested in the previous phone call.

“Claudia?” smiling when her head swung up. “Can you connect us to Leena’s, please? I don’t think we need to go out there, but Darius may need to come here.”

“Yes… sure!” she enthused, glad to be part of… whatever… was going on. She had her own theories, of course, but to be included like she was a vital part of the team - especially by those in charge of what was taking place - was gratifying. She rolled her desk chair over and tapped into the Farnsworth, waiting until Leena’s smiling face met her gaze. “Hey, Leena… it’s Claudia. Look, Xena and Gabrielle need to talk to Darius.”

“Are they coming here?”

“No. If anything, he’ll need to come to the Warehouse.”

“Is that a good idea?”

Claudia shrugged. “Dunno. I just know that them leaving isn’t really a good option right now,” meeting their approving gazes and smiling just the least little bit. “Can you get him on the line? They’re here waiting.”

“Oh, yeah… sure. Give me a minute; I’ll be right back.” She set the Farnsworth down and suddenly, Claudia was looking at the ceiling in the bed and breakfast. She tilted her head, amusing herself by trying to figure out which room it was, then realized that nothing could make a white ceiling in a black and white picture interesting or recognizable. She glanced up when she remembered she was not alone and caught Xena and Gabrielle watching her with slightly amused expressions. She flushed and shoved the Farnsworth in their direction.

“Here. Your friend should be on shortly.” She made a move to roll away from them, but Gabrielle caught her wrist before she could get very far. Her look of compassion nearly did Claudia in.

“Claudia,” said gently. “There’s no need to be embarrassed. Trust me - I could tell you some stories.” That got her a tiny smile. She glanced at the Farnsworth image. “Even if it was in color, the….” She tilted her head and frowned. “What are we looking at, anyway?”

Claudia chuckled nervously and wiped away the tears her blinking had caused to fall. She sniffed and cleared her throat, shaking her head. “Dunno. I was trying to figure out what room it was, but white ceiling just looks white, ya know?”

“Yeah… we know.” Before she could say anything further, Leena’s face reappeared in the Farnsworth screen Xena was holding.

“Darius isn’t here. Since my keys and my car seem to be missing, I’m gonna hazard a guess and say he’s probably on his way to you.”

She nodded. “Thanks, Leena. We’ll let you know if and when he gets here.”

Leena snorted. “Just send him back with my car when you get done. I don’t have everything I need to make cookies this afternoon.”

Gabrielle’s eyes widened, and she leaned into the picture. “Cookies?” she repeated. “Chocolate chocolate chunk cookies?”

Leena smirked. “That was going to be one batch, yes.”

“We’ll make sure he comes straight back,” Gabrielle assured her. “I haven’t had those in a long time.”

“I know - it’s why I’m making them,” getting a big grin in return. “Now, go find my car, please. I have things that need doing, and so do you.” She shut off the Farnsworth when they nodded their agreement, and they did the same, handing the device back to Claudia. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure,” she assured them, all traces of her earlier embarrassment gone. “Just make sure I get one of those cookies. Leena’s never made that kind before… at least not since I’ve been here.”

“We can do that,” said as they rose to leave. “We’re gonna go out and check on the Bi… <ahem> our friends in the Batplane. Let us know if Darius manages to sneak in by us.”

Claudia snorted. “He’d have to have some kind of invisibility cloak, since they’re literally parked at the front door of this place, but you got it.” She opened her mouth again, then snapped it shut. Gabrielle just tilted her head and waited, having a good idea of what Claudia wanted to ask. “Can I ask why you keep calling them the Birds? I’m guessing it’s code for something, but….”

“I’ll tell you what - you figure out what it’s code for, and I’ll tell you the story. Deal?”

“You better have a good story,” Claudia smirked, “because I’m the best hacker out there. I broke into this place.”

“We know,” causing Claudia to startle, even as she tried to play it cool. Gabrielle placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “We’ll be back in shortly.” Then the two disappeared out the door and down the passageway that lead to the outside. Claudia stared at the closed door for a moment with her jaw slightly dropped. Then she closed her mouth and rolled determinedly back to her desk. She had some investigating to do.

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

Darius slowed to a stop as he crested the last hillock on the road that led to the Warehouse. He could see the mountain of sheer rock that he assumed was the location to which he was headed, but it was the futuristic looking plane sitting in front of that which had brought him to a halt. He tilted his head as he studied it - it was giving off an almost living vibe, and it was a little confusing. Then he saw Xena and Gabrielle come out the tiny door in the mountain, and he knew for certain he was in the right place. He eased his foot off the brake and began rolling forward toward them. Xena gestured at him, and he saw Gabrielle look up directly at him and smile. She waved at him, and he waved back, a little relieved. No matter what else happened here, he was happy to have met them. They had treated him with respect and dignity, even when they knew of his Fae heritage. He hoped that wouldn’t change with what he had to share with them.

He put the vehicle in park and cut the engine as he reached the flat plain where they were waiting. He exited and made directly for them, casting an askance glance at the metal monstrosity sitting nearby. He shivered involuntarily and sped his walk to reach Xena and Gabrielle; the bard opened her arms for a hug, which he was glad to return with gentle fervor. Xena offered her arm, and he took it gratefully, clasping it with both hands. “So glad to see you both. We got lots to talk about.”

“You have news then?”

“Yep. And ain’t none of it good.”

Gabrielle nodded her acceptance of Darius’ words. She and Xena had already discussed the likelihood of this outcome and were as prepared as they believed they could be. Still, there was something more pressing that needed taking care of before they could go inside and confer with Darius on what he knew about the Horseman.

“We figured,” she confessed, “given how long it’s taken to find anything worth sharing.” She held up her hand when he opened his mouth to defend himself. “That’s not a criticism, Darius. It’s a statement of fact. The longer it took for you to find, the deeper you had to dig. The deeper you had to dig indicates that the forces at work here are old enough or evil enough to hide from anything less than a professional hunter. And we’re guessing that even the professionals had difficulty with this one.”

Darius rolled his eyes. “Ms. Gabrielle… you got no idea. This be somethin’….” he shivered. “We gotta beat this thing. Evil like this ain’t made for this world.”

“That’s fair. First, though, we need you to take care of Helena and Dinah.”

He frowned. “What they be needing? They’s all right when we was in New Orleans.”

Gabrielle tucked a hand into the crook of his elbow and turned him towards the back of the plane. He took about three steps before he realized where they were heading, then he stopped walking. Xena would have slammed into his back if not for her swift reflexes. She waited, trying to discover what had caused them to halt. Gabrielle, meanwhile, tugged his arm in vain to move him forward, but he refused to budge - a fact that was significant considering her immortal strength. She chanced a look at his face and recognized the discomfort and slight terror evident on his countenance. “Darius?” she questioned quietly, understanding that whatever was affecting him was very real.

He shook his head. “I’m sorry, Ms. Gabrielle, but I ain’t goin’ inside that monster. There be somethin’… not right… ‘bout that thing.”

“Are you saying it’s evil?” Xena queried.

He tilted his head. “Don’t know ‘bout that. Jus’ sayin’ it ain’t right.”

“Well, that’s where Helena and Dinah are. Do you think you might be sensing whatever’s wrong with them?”

“Dunno,” he shrugged. “But I got no desire to be inside that thing neither.”

Xena and Gabrielle exchanged glances. What a cluster, they both thought. Darius didn’t want to go into the Batplane, and bringing Helena into the Warehouse was a non-starter. Xena clapped him on the shoulder.

“C’mon. You and I’ll go back to Leena’s and Gabrielle will bring Helena and Dinah with her. The Bed and Breakfast should be neutral enough, yeah?”

He shifted until they released their hold on him and looked at them both, letting his eyes go golden as he studied them. He was a bona fide siren, but he also had a bit of gypsy blood in him, and like Leena, could sense auras… just a little bit. It was one thing that made him as sensitive as he was. He looked closely, able to see the unease and discomfort - able to sense the anger and passion that lurked just beneath the surface. It was present in both of them… much strong than it had been only a few weeks before in New Orleans. He closed his eyes and waited for them to return to their normal dark brown, then he sucked in a deep breath and released it slowly, willing his mind to peace. Finally, he opened his eyes and shook his head, then tucked a hand into a crook of an elbow on each of them.

“Nope. We’ll do this thing here. No need to be goin’ nowhere,” he replied with a light tug on their arms, sighing when they refused to move with him. He looked between them with determination. “A’ight, ladies. Let’s go get this thing done. Time’s a-wastin’ and we ain’t got the time t’waste,” and he tried to move them all forward again.

Gabrielle looked at Xena and they tightened their holds on his biceps. He sighed loudly and glared down at her. She met his eyes squarely. “Are you sure?”

He shook his head rapidly, causing his dreads to spin around his head. “Uh uh, but we got no choice. Y’all don’t need to be leaving this place; I can see that much. There’s a reason you’re not wantin’ us to go inside that mountain; I get that too. That only leaves goin’ inside that big monster.” He shrugged. “Lesser of evils.”

Xena and Gabrielle gazed at one another again briefly, then resumed their course toward the Batplane. This time, Darius went willingly.

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

Barbara and Dinah had been watching the little tableau taking place just beyond the confines of the Batplane, courtesy of all the monitors Bruce had installed - not only for security, but also as a means of collecting information. So, she had lowered the ramp at the back as they approached. Dinah looked at her.

“Should I wake Helena?”

Barbara shook her head. “Not until we absolutely need to. She’s never….”

“… never admitted to a weakness like exhaustion before?” Dinah finished quietly, smiling gently when Barbara lowered her head as she nodded. Dinah knelt until she was at eye level with Barbara and could cover her hands to keep Barbara from fidgeting. “She’s all right. Whatever else is going on, she’s not in distress and she’s resting… at the moment, at least.” She blushed slightly when Barbara’s head jerked up and green eyes bore into her blue ones demanding answers. “I didn’t go looking,” she said defensively. “Hel has a tendency to project when she’s dreaming… especially if it’s intense. I… I’ve noticed it more recently… especially when we are this close,” motioning toward Helena sleeping two feet from her.

Now it was Barbara’s turn to flush the shade of her hair. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled apologetically, knowing some of Helena’s more passionate dreams tended to be erotic in nature.

Dinah shrugged. “There are worse things to be exposed to,” not mentioning the few brown wrapped packages she’d had to invest in to help relieve some of the tension that being confronted with that fervency had caused. She was pretty sure Barbara knew about them, but she wasn’t about to subject either of them to that particular can of worms… again.

“Still,” Barbara said softly. “I know she likes to tweak you about that… about us, but we would never… if we had realized… I mean… she would never… not like….” Barbara stumbled to a halt when Dinah took pity on her and tapped the hand she still covered.

“I know, and if I had realized sooner, or this had gone on longer, I would have said something. But by the time I figured out what was going on, Gabrielle had already been in touch with Darius. I expected it would be taken care of then. No one knew then was going to be quite as long as it was.” She shrugged again. “I’m not sure I’d want to do it again, mind you, but I lived. And I learned a few things.”

“Should I ask?”

“Depends… how honest do you want me to be?”

Barbara didn’t even have time to blush again, as a clattering of footsteps on the ramp brought their attention back to the trio approaching them. Then they were facing each other, and Dinah stepped forward to face Darius. He released his hold on Xena and Gabrielle and walked until he was less than an arms’ length from Dinah, then he waited. If she wanted to slap him, he was going to give her that opportunity. After all, she hadn’t asked for this, and it was his fault… however unwittingly.

Instead, she moved into his arms and wrapped him in an embrace. Startled, he hugged her back wholeheartedly, accepting her forgiveness with tears of joy. They pulled back enough for him to cup her face in his hands. “Thank you,” he whispered, brushing a kiss across her forehead.

She caught his hands in hers. “Anytime,” she said with a smile. “Now let’s see if we can fix this, yeah?”

“Yeah,” he agreed.



Chapter LXV

He let his aura come to the forefront again, allowing his eyes to shift to their golden hue. Then he reached for Dinah….

… or he would have had Helena not stepped between them so swiftly, he hadn’t even seen her move. Her eyes were their feral golden color, and she was growling low in the back of her throat. He stopped moving completely, and three things happened simultaneously.

Xena moved in a blur and was between them almost before Helena arrived… as though she had known this was coming. She allowed her eyes to turn and her teeth to elongate - just as Gabrielle did - knowing the predator in Helena would recognize the threat and turn her attention to Xena… especially since this was a side of Xena and Gabrielle that none of them had been privy to up to this moment. And while Gabrielle might be her Queen, Xena was her mentor and teacher, and therefore the greater challenge.

Dinah turned and raised her hands, intent on showing Helena that neither she nor Darius was a threat to anyone. She sensed the change in Xena and deliberately backed into Darius, forcing them both back a step and hopefully out of the fracas if things became physical.

Barbara, meanwhile, reached for Helena’s hand, clasping it with her own and stroking the soft skin with her thumb. The motion caused Helena to look at her with confusion, but she didn’t pull away from the touch. Instead, she clenched her fingers around the warmth a little tighter, then turned back to Xena. She growled again, a little surprised when not only was Xena not properly intimidated and backing down, but she was indeed, laughing at Helena. That made Helena angry, and she pulled her hand from Barbara’s grasp, intent on teaching Xena her place in the natural order of things. It was quite the shock when she realized that Gabrielle had caught her strike and proceeded to back her up into the bulkhead.

“No, Helena,” she commanded softly, flashing her eyes and teeth for Helena to clearly see before allowing them to return to their normal countenance. “This is not you, and you know it. Darius is here to help you - you and Dinah - but you need to settle down first. You’re in control - you can do this. We can help you, but you have to make the choice.” She motioned Barbara forward, waiting until she reached them before taking the hand she still held and wrapping the hand Barbara offered her around it. Barbara immediately grasped it firmly and resumed the stroking motion, watching Helena relax into the touch. Helena closed her eyes for long moments, and when she finally reopened them, they had returned to their normal bright blue hue. They were still quite fierce, however, until they met Gabrielle’s. She titled her head and gave Helena a compassionate smile. “You all right?”

“Obviously not,” she muttered with a hint of disgust. She rubbed her hand over her forehead, then down her face. “Sorry. I haven’t been this out of control since….” She frowned. “I don’t think I was this out of control even when Quinn had me hypnotized.” She pulled her hand free from Barbara’s and scrubbed both hands through her hair. “God! What is wrong with me??”

Darius stepped around Dinah, until he could confront Helena directly… though he did stay just out of her reach. He still wasn’t convinced she wouldn’t kill him… or at least do him serious damage. “This be my fault,” he confessed, flinching when she glared at him with burning eyes, then watching in fascination as Barbara’s soothing touch calmed the fire to embers. “Wasn’t intentional, but my fault anyway. Your energies be twined together.”

Dinah stepped forward. “What does that mean? And why does it affect us differently?”

“You be an empath, yeah?” waiting for her to nod in spite of her confusion. “You been able to sense and read others for a long time,” seeing her agreement again. “But you growed beyond that - able to receive energy. That be why you can feel what she’s feelin’ when she fights. Now Helena… she be a projector. All her focus be on pushin’ her energies out, because that’s where her power is. But this?” waggling his fingers between them. “This growed beyond her control. She be takin’ in, but it ain’t her energy, and it be overwhelmin’ for her because she ain’t figured out how to harness it, ya know? Combine that with the fact that she’s a protector - your protector - and it naturally channels into her fae… no, meta-human form, forcin’ it to the forefront of her bein’.” He sighed, because this was the hard part. “This be my fault. When I healed you in New Orleans….” He lifted his hands and let them drop as he shook his head. “I didn’t know enough ‘bout meta-humans, and I didn’t consider that your physical closeness would cause you to… share… bits of your energies. You be bound together - part of each other.”

Dinah blinked slowly and turned to look at Barbara before stepping into Helena’s space. She lifted a hand to her face, cupping it gently and feeling Helena lean into the touch. She felt Barbara start to pull away, and she reached down her free hand to stop the movement. She met Barbara’s eyes again briefly before they dropped, and Dinah closed her eyes at the pain she could feel radiating from her. “Barbara… look at me,” she demanded, not surprised when the red head shook and her eyes remained on the floor. “Please, Barbara,” she pled. “I owe you an apology. I owe you both one,” causing Barbara’s head to snap up and Helena to cover the hand still resting on her face. “This is my fault. If I hadn’t been so insistent that I could go out among dead people - trying to prove I could do the same things and have the same fun that everyone else could - none of this would have happened.” She slid her hand from Helena’s and knelt down beside Barbara’s chair. “I’m sorry,” she said sincerely, tears pooling in her eyes. “I would never come between you and Hel - you know this. And I would never deliberately put her in danger. I know what she means to you… what you mean to each other.” She shrugged and gave a watery smile. “I’d kinda like to find that for myself someday, but never at the cost of what you have together.”

Barbara cupped Dinah’s face in her hand and wiped away the tears that had started sliding down her cheeks. “Oh, Dinah. It’s not your fault I get jealous. I see the two of you together, and it reminds me of everything I can’t do and can’t be. This just kind of made it crystal clear.”

“Whoa… WHOA!” Helena barked as she slipped to her knees while Dinah scooted back out of the way, clasping both of Barbara’s hands tightly in her own. “Where is this coming from, Red, hmm? Have I done something to make you think I need you to be more than who you are?”  Barbara shook her head but kept her eyes fastened on the floor in front of Helena’s knees, closing them reflexively when Helena contorted her entire upper body to catch her gaze. Helena chuckled sadly and lightly squeezed the hands she held. “C’mon, Barbara… that’s cheating. You owe me the courtesy of meeting my eyes.” Barbara clenched her eyes tightly closed for a brief moment, then sighed deeply and opened them… only to snort when she realized Helena was practically standing on her head so she could see her. “Do my nose hairs need trimming?” causing Barbara to outright guffaw and shove at her just the least little bit with their joined hands.

“You goof,” she said through her tears, though she still didn’t raise her head.

“Your goof,” Helena responded immediately. “Barbara, You are the woman I love and am in love with! I do love Dinah, but like the annoying kid sister that she is,” glaring at the light elbow that tapped her ribs, though she couldn’t hide the twinkle in her eyes when Dinah was so close. Dinah smiled and Helena winked as she turned her awareness back to the woman who was now watching her with rapt attention. “I’ve been in love with you since I was a kid. This?” motioning between her and Dinah, “is not gonna change that, all right? I won’t let it.”

Barbara reached out and grasped the back of Helena’s neck and pulled her forward into a kiss. It only lasted a moment - she was painfully aware of their audience, and she had no desire to inflict any more discomfort on Dinah. “Neither will I,” she promised, her forehead leaned against Helena’s.

“Neither will I,” Dinah avowed. “I’m sorry I got us into this mess.”

“Aw, Kid,” Helena said, turning to meet Dinah’s eyes without losing contact with Barbara. “It’s nobody’s fault… not even his,” jerking her thumb in Darius’ direction. “It was a lot of things lining up in just the wrong way.” She shrugged. “Maman used to say, ‘La merde arrive’. Shit happens - we know this. We just gotta shovel it out of the way and keep on going… maybe build a garden and use it as fertilizer.”

“That’s pretty insightful, Hel.”

Helena shrugged again. “Happens once in a while. Don’t get used to it.” She leaned forward and brushed her lips against Barbara’s, then stood and offered Dinah a hand up. “So….” looking directly at Darius. “How do we fix this?”

He shook his head. “I dunno. I ain’t sure we can… at least not right now,” holding up his hands to forestall any arguments. “First, I need to look at your auras - I need to see how twined they be. If it be a light binding, I might can separate them right now. But I be afraid they’s wrapped pretty tight ‘round one another. That would explain the sensitivity you all been havin’.”

“So we’re gonna be linked together like this for the rest of our lives? Because, as you pointed out, we’re pretty sensitive to each other, and the fact is, that sensitivity has been growing.”

Darius shook his head. “No… no. I b’lieve you can be separated from one another… leastwise mostly. The problem be, we don’t have the time to do it right ‘fore all this other shit goes down. We don’t wanna be in the middle of somethin’ when that Saligia dude comes callin’. We can’t afford no distractions.”

Now Xena stepped forward. “What did you find out, Darius?”

He shook his head again. “Nothing good. The network b’lieves that the Horseman be doin’ his biddin’. We can’t prove it, o’course, but the indications be there. We do know the Horseman been collectin’ some of the old ghosts.” He looked between Helena and Dinah before refocusing on Xena and Gabrielle. “The slave ghosts from the LaLaurie House done gone missin’.”

“Missing?”

“Missin’… like not. there. They shut down the tours because there be no hauntin’… not from any of them places that had troubled spirits.” He sighed. “There be something else. Dunno what to make of it, but…. Beaumont’s farm? You know the place you all had the bonfire and storytellin’?” waiting for them to nod. “Somethin’ be happenin’ out there. Don’t know what. There be wards all over keepin’ fae folk and other intruders from nosin’ ‘round.”

“Is that new?”

He nodded. “Yeah. Nik would always let me go out there and crash for a few days when things got a little too hot. I ain’t been able to go since that night.”

Xena and Gabrielle sighed simultaneously, then looked at one another for a long moment. Finally, Gabrielle spoke. “All right. There’s nothing we can do about it right now. Go ahead and look at their auras and see if there is anything that can be done immediately. Then we can figure out where to go from here.”

Darius offered her the slightest bow with his hands folded in prayer in front of him. Then he turned to Helena and Dinah and waited for them to give him permission.

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

Alex Cabot kept her head tucked under Olivia Benson’s neck and listened to the steady beat of her heart as she allowed her alabaster fingers to trace up and down the bare skin of the tanned stomach beneath them. It wasn’t often Alex allowed herself to be the little spoon - not because of some sort of vanity or macho ideals, but because having the lower half of her legs hanging off the bed was uncomfortable and somewhat painful… especially if they fell asleep. However, the room they had been assigned must have belonged to an exceptionally tall individual, as she could be cradled by Olivia in this very position, and not only did the bed not end abruptly before her feet and legs did, but it actually went on a few more inched beyond her toes. She wiggled the appendages in question, then smiled as she felt Olivia’s arms tighten around her.

“Hey,” she whispered, getting a sleepy smile in return.

“Hey, yourself. What time is it?”

Alex turned her head just enough to catch sight of the old-fashioned schoolhouse clock. She squinted enough to make out where the hands were positioned without needing to retrieve her glasses. “We’ve been asleep for maybe an hour.”

“So… four-thirty-ish?”

Alex shrugged. “Close enough. Why? Do we have somewhere we need to be?” smiling against Olivia’s skin, then squirming to get away from the fingers that had suddenly decided to try and tickle her a little bit. She swatted at the tanned hands, then twisted just enough to glare down at Olivia’s laughing brown eyes and smirking lips. “Will you stop that?!”

“Depends,” came the serious reply. “What’s in it for me?”

“I know what’s not going to be in it for anyone if you don’t stop,” smiling when the ticklish touch turned into a gentle caress. Alex sighed. Despite everything, she was glad to have this… for however long it lasted. She put her head back on Olivia’s chest and smiled. “So, what do you think of all this… really?”

The strokes on her side slowed as Olivia turned her thoughts inward and considered the question seriously. “Kinda mixed feelings,” she confessed. “I’m glad to be a part of this - to be a Guardian - because I think it’s important… important enough that we’d be here even without the talisman.”

“But…?” when the silence drew out too long.

“But I’d like to be a little more in the loop. I feel like we’re just sort of.. languishing here… waiting for things to happen. I’d feel a lot better if we could be proactive about this whole thing.”

“What would you like to do?” feeling Olivia tense under her touch at the question.

“I dunno. I’d like a little more information - what the plan is; what’s expected of us; what we can expect.”

“You don’t think Xena and Gabrielle will do something about that - call a meeting or something?”

“Again… I don’t know!” Olivia snapped as she pushed a hand through her hair in an effort to rake through it. She opened her mouth to continue speaking, then snapped it shut when a sharp knock sounded on the door. She glared at it, then huffed when Alex patted her belly and slid from her embrace. She straightened her clothing and pushed her hair back from her face, then cracked the door open just enough to see Claudia’s concerned face. She frowned.

“Is everything all right?”

Claudia nodded. “Oh… yeah, sure! Xena and Gabrielle just asked me to collect the Guardians so they can talk to you.”

“Do we need to bring the talisman?” Olivia asked as she stood from the bed and came around to stand beside Alex.

Claudia shook her head. “They didn’t say anything, so no?” shrugging slightly. “Let me call and find out for sure, though,” lifting the Farnsworth up so they could see her face when they answered her call. Alex and Olivia moved back to the small dressing table and collected their hairbrushes, endeavoring to make themselves more presentable. They had only just finished when Claudia turned back to them. “Xena says to bring the whole box thing with you; I don’t think she wants it out of your sight until this is all over.”

Alex and Olivia glanced at one another and shrugged, then Olivia gathered up the backpack the box had traveled in and looped it over one shoulder. “That makes sense.” She crossed to the door and held it open, gesturing for Alex to go ahead of her and for Claudia to lead the way. Olivia closed the door solidly behind them, and they followed Claudia to the next location.

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

Bo Dennis was pacing around the small room she and Lauren Lewis had been assigned while Lauren watching her with an amused glint in her eyes. Bo had been going in circles for the last fifteen or so minutes, muttering to herself; Lauren had lost her concern pretty quickly when she realized exactly why and what Bo was grumbling about. She reached up a hand to cover her mouth, and the action caught Bo’s attention. She frowned and stood up straight, planting her hands on her hips.

“Are you laughing at me??” pointing an imperious finger in Lauren’s direction. “You’re laughing at me… aren’t you?? I’ll have you know it’s not nice to laugh at your girlfriend… especially when she is going stir crazy in this little bitty tiny room.” She flung her hands out in exasperation. “Who thought this was a good idea, anyway? Where’s the fresh air?! I’m a big fan of fresh air, you know!”

Lauren scootched to the end of the bed, where she caught Bo’s hands as she paced back by her. “Hey!” she snapped. “What is up with you? I know it’s not the Ritz, but it’s a nice room. And it’s not like it’s permanent - a few days at most, yeah? We can do this,” rubbing her thumb over the back of Bo’s hands. Bo plopped down onto the bed beside her and pulled one hand free, propping her head up and it and glowering at Lauren glumly.

“I know,” She took a deep breath. “I know,” she repeated. “It’s just the thought of being stuck here without the first hint of outdoor light or air… or the ability to hunt….”

Lauren lightly squeezed the hand she still held while allowing her other to caress Bo’s face before trailing into her hair and scratching her scalp. She smothered her grin at Bo’s cat-like reaction - arching her neck into the touch and practically purring in contentment - though a tender smile still remained evident on her face. “You don’t need to hunt,” she reminded gently. “We’ve taken care of that situation, and I have plenty of the vaccine with me. We could be here a year….” feeling a shudder of revulsion as the words left her lips. She scrunched her forehead in a tight frown as she looked more closely at Bo. Despite her evident pleasure at Lauren’s touch, it quickly became patently obvious that something serious was going on beyond Bo’s drama queen antics. Her skin was pale, as though the blood had been drained from her body; there was sweat beading her brow and her hands were clammy; there was the slightest tremor skittering through her body that was desperately trying to control by clenching the fist on which her face was propped. Lauren pulled her hand out of Bo’s hair and tenderly cupped her cheek, forcing their eyes to meet briefly before brown eyes dropped to the ground in front of them. She tapped lightly on Bo’s chin, but the woman simply shook her head and clenched her eyes tightly. “Baby, look at me,” smiling sadly when the dark head shook frantically. “C’mon. There’s no shame in being claustrophobic,” causing the eyes to snap up to meet her, though nothing could hide the hint of fear or tears lurking in them. “Everybody has something they’re irrationally afraid of - it’s not something you chose… it just is.”

“Not for me,” Bo replied adamantly. “I’m not supposed to be afraid of anything!” Lauren was surprised she made no move to get away, then realized she was currently the lifeline to Bo’s sanity. She nodded solemnly.

“Okay. Can I ask what you think set this off? We’ve been in tight scrapes before, and you’ve never shown any signs of anxiousness or anger being confined to a small space like this.”

“Not like this.” She blew out a frustrated breath. “If I was going to guess,” jerking a thumb over her shoulder toward the box that was sitting on the small table by the bed, “I would say that thing was provoking me.”

“Provoking you, how?”

“I dunno, but the longer I was sitting next to it, the angrier I was getting over the whole situation. It’s why I decided to pace… you know, trying to put a little space between.” She motioned around her. “There’s just not a lot of space to put in here.” Before she could elaborate further, a knock sounded at the door. Lauren pulled Bo’s head to her lips and brushed a kiss over it, then squeezed the hand she held before releasing it and rising to her feet.

“Let’s see what this is about, then we’ll contact Xena or Gabrielle and find out if there is somewhere we could go to get a little space from this thing, yeah? I think they’ll understand the need. Pretty sure they’re closer to you in nature than they are human.”

Bo tilted her head in question, but Lauren had already turned to the door. She hoped whatever it was wouldn’t take long. She really did need to get out of here for a while.



Chapter LXVI

“Can I help you?” Lauren asked the blonde man waiting patiently at the door. He turned to her and proffered a polite smile.

“I don’t think we’ve met - I’m Jinks, and Xena and Gabrielle asked me to escort you and your partner to another location.”

Lauren leaned against the doorjamb. “Okay,” she replied casually, crossing her arms over her chest. “Why?”

“I don’t give a fuck why,” Bo answered as she came up behind Lauren and pushed both of them out the door and almost into Jinks’ arms. He reached out and steadied them both, pulling his hands back and holding them up in surrender when Bo gave him a murderous look. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Sorry. Not a fan of this whole….” waggling her finger in the direction of their room.

He shrugged. “No harm, no foul. But you need to bring your box,” not completely surprised when Bo’s head dropped in defeat. Before she could move, Lauren slipped back into the room and grabbed a long-strapped bag into which she shoved the offensive box. Then she put it across her body and motioned the rest of them forward.

“Lead the way, Mr. Jinks. Anything should be an improvement over this, right?”

He shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. “I dunno, ma’am. I’ve kinda learned not to tempt the Fates when it comes to anything in this Warehouse. It’s like asking for something to go wrong, ya know?”

Bo blew out an impatient breath. “Yeah… we know. Story of our lives.”

Jinks didn’t have a good comment to make, so he simply zipped his lips together and lead them further into the building towards their destination.

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

HG knocked on the door in front of her, then rocked back and forth on her heels while she waited for someone to answer it. Only a moment passed when the door was flung open, and a grateful looking Kate Freelander was gazing back at her.

“HG?” opening the door wider to grant her entrance. “Please… come in.”

“Oh, darling… I can’t. I’ve come to fetch you and Helen. Xena and Gabrielle have called for a meeting of all the Guardians, and I’m to take the two of you to them.” She glanced around and frowned. “Where is Helen? I thought she’d be here with you. You’re not to be roaming around the Warehouse alone - it’s dangerous.”

Kate chuckled, though the sound was distinctly lacking in humor. “Apparently not as dangerous as staying cooped up with that thing,” twitching her thumb in the general direction of the box. “It was making her… antsy.” She shook her head. “Trust me… it wasn’t pretty.”

HG looked alarmed. “Do you have any idea of where she went? And how long ago she left?”

Kate shrugged. “I don’t know where she went, though I think her intent was to return to the front area where we came in. We weren’t here very long when she left… maybe an hour?”

Brown eyes widened and dark brows slid into an equally dark hairline. “And you didn’t think it was important to let us know?” She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose.

Now Kate got a little angry. “What was I supposed to do… and who was I supposed to tell?? You’re the first human contact I’ve had since we got here. I figure she went looking for the guys. They were looking for ways to counteract the effects of the talisman on her when we came here. If you know where they are, it would probably be your best place to start looking for her.”

HG let her eyes close as she scrubbed her hands over her face and into her hair. She took a deep breath, then brought her gaze back to Kate’s, who was watching her pensively. “All right,” she finally muttered. “I’ll send word to Artie to do some checking and hope that she made it out to the battlefield. Because of her longevity, Helen Magnus is a wildcard. We really don’t need her wandering around in here. That could start a chain reaction of disasters that would make Saligia look like a misunderstood three-year-old.”

Kate’s eyes widened. “That bad?”

“Worse.”

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

Pete knocked on the door and stepped back, putting his hands on his hips while he waited. It only took a moment, and a small brunette opened the door slightly, arching an eyebrow at him in question.

“Yes?”

He clapped his hands together and rubbed them nervously. He felt a little odd playing host to so many strangers within the Warehouse walls - even Myka had commented on the peculiarity of the situation. He cleared his throat when the woman raised her other eyebrow, realizing he had been staring silently. “Um… sorry. Hi… I’m Pete, and I was asked to bring you and your friend to another location where Xena and Gabrielle are. They want to meet with all the Guardians to bring you up to date on what’s happening.”

The dark-haired woman turned and glanced at her companion who had just exited the small en suite attached to the room. “Sammy, this is Pete. He says Xena and Gabrielle want to let us know what’s going on.” She turned back to Pete. “Are we going outside? Do we need jackets and hiking boots, or…?”

“Oh… no, no - not to my knowledge. Though you do need to bring your box thing with you. They want that to stay with the Guardians at all times.”

Sam Carter picked up the crossbody bag she had tucked the box into and put it over her shoulder as Janet Fraiser sat down on the end of the bed to tie her shoes. When they were done, they turned their gazes toward Pete expectantly, who was busy studying the hallway in an effort to give them some privacy. They glanced at each other and smiled; he reminded them a bit of Daniel… especially towards the beginning of their friendship. Janet cleared her throat and Pete’s eyes swung back to them, blushing slightly.

“Are you ready?”

“Unless there is something else we need to bring, yes.” She walked out of the room and Sam followed right behind her, then Pete motioned them forward.

“It’s not far, but it’s kinda easy to get lost in here.”

“So… what is it you do here exactly, Pete?” Janet asked as they made their way down the hallway.

He scratched the back of his neck. “Oh boy.”

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

Myka smiled awkwardly when the door opened, and a dark-haired woman scowled at her.

“Yeah?”

Myka tucked a strand of hair behind her ears and cleared her throat. “Hi… I’m Myka. Xena and Gabrielle asked that I bring you to another location for a meeting.”

“What kind of meeting?”

“Um… they didn’t really specify. Just asked that we collect the Guardians so they could bring you up to date on what’s happening?”

At that moment, Maura Isles stuck her toweled head underneath Jane Rizzoli’s arm and smiled at Myka. “Hello… Myka?” waiting for her to nod. “Do we need to leave right this moment? I just washed my hair, and it’s going to take a bit of time before I’m presentable.”

“Um… I’m pretty sure they meant right now, yeah. They sent one of us to fetch each of you and bring you to the meeting,” she glanced at her phone, “and you need to bring the talisman box with you.”

“Oh….” Maura bit at her bottom lip. “That could be a problem,” pulling back from the door and moving back into the room.

Jane looked at Myka. “Give us a couple minutes. I’ll take care of this.”

Myka nodded. “Thanks,” stepping back and leaning against the wall opposite their door, releasing a deep breath as the door closed.

Maura had removed the towel from her head and was briskly drying it. “Jane, I cannot go out looking like this! Why didn’t they give us a little warning??”

Jane lifted her hands and took the towel out of Maura’s hands. “Shh…” running her hands through the wet hair. “Let me braid this for you, and we’ll go with Myka to find out what’s going on. It must be important if they’re bringing all the Guardians together.”

Maura sighed and leaned her head against Jane’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. I must sound pretty shallow to you.”

Jane kept gently combing her fingers along Maura’s scalp, feeling the woman relax against her. “No, Maur. You’ve always been very methodical. This experience is something very new for you, and we both know how you respond to things that are out of your comfort zone.” She kissed the side of the blonde head as she urged Maura to meet her eyes. “No judgement,” she assured. “I imagine it’s even more disorienting with everything else that’s happened in the last year or so.” She kissed her again. “C’mon. Grab your comb so we can make this a nice, smooth braid. I’m kinda curious to know what’s going on.”

Maura rehung her wet towel and picked up her comb from the small dressing table, then sat on the tiny seat and waited for Jane to move behind her. She handed back her comb and closed her eyes. Though she was a very attentive partner and lover, Jane only did this for her rarely, and she’d long since learned to appreciate the attention lavished on her during the process. She sighed as Jane gently removed the tangles from her hair, then gave her scalp a quick massage before dividing her hair into equal parts and braiding it tightly. Another couple twists and it was pinned against her head, and she looked as professional as she had as the Chief Medical Examiner of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Jane rubbed her shoulders for a moment, then patted her back.

“C’mon, Sweetheart. Let’s go see what this meeting is all about. Maybe we’ll get some of our questions answered.”

Maura nodded and rose from the stool, gathering the large Vuitton bag that still held the talisman box. They opened the door to find Myka on her phone, biting her lip at… something… though she immediately stopped and put the device away as soon as she knew they were there.

“Everything set?” she asked, given them a swift once-over, then turning to walk down the hall. “Dr. Isles, your hair looks lovely.”

Maura nodded and blushed. “Maura, please… and thank you; I have Jane to thank for that. Braiding is something she’s quite the expert in,” reaching back and taking her hand, rubbing the palm and feeling Jane relax under her touch.

“Well, at least you have a career to fall back on if you ever decide the FBI thing isn’t working out for you, Agent Rizzoli,” said with a grin and a hint of laughter in her voice.

Jane snorted. “Not sure how well that would work out since braids are about the only hairstyle I can do with any real competence, but it’s nice to be appreciated, I guess. Fortunately, I’m a much better Agent than I am a hair stylist - the world is safe from bad haircuts for another day,” drawing chuckles from the other two women.

“We’re almost there,” Myka announced as she turned a corner and headed down a long hallway. “Here,” she said when they reached the end as she motioned to a door. “This is where you’re meeting Xena and Gabrielle and the rest of the Guardians.”

“Are you not joining us?” Maura asked.

Myka shook her head. “Oh no. This meeting is strictly for the Guardians. We are just acting as hosts and guides to you all while you’re living in the Warehouse.”

Maura released Jane’s hand and turned to Myka with her hand outstretched. Myka accepted it without hesitation, grasping it firmly. “Thank you. We appreciate you guiding us here.”

“It was my pleasure,” she assured with a smile.

“Maybe we could get a tour of this place?” Jane commented. “You know… when this is all over?”

“I doubt it,” Myka replied honestly. “Technically, no one is supposed to know about the Warehouse or what it does. Somehow, I don’t see Artie breaking protocol to give tours… even to Guardians with top secret level clearance.”

Jane shrugged nonchalantly, though the words stung a little bit. “Can’t blame a girl for trying.” She extended her hand. “Thank you, Myka.”

Myka shook it briefly, then opened the door. “Glad to be of service, Agent Rizzoli.”

“I’m Jane. We’ll see you again soon, I’m sure.” Myka proffered a tiny salute, and they crossed into the room where the others were waiting.

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

Xena looked at her phone and frowned, passing it to Gabrielle and letting her read before they exchanged glances. After a moment, Gabrielle sighed and crossed to where Barbara had moved to one side to allow Darius the opportunity to work with Helena and Dinah. More than once she’d been tempted to intervene, or insert herself, or anything, really, that would allow her to be more than a spectator. But she’d held still, knowing that she’d be a distraction, at best, and at the moment, she wasn’t convinced that would be in anyone’s best interest… especially her girls. So she started when Gabrielle dropped to one knee beside her and placed a hand on her arm. She turned to find compassionate green eyes on her, and she smiled wryly.

“I’m pathetic, huh?”

Gabrielle gave her a knowing smile. “No. You’re a woman watching the two most important people in your life struggle without being able to make it better. It’s one of the hardest things you can do.”

“It’s going to make me crazy,” she confided, knowing Helena heard her by the upward tick of her lips.

Gabrielle chuckled. “Nothing new there,” causing Barbara to shove at her with a roll of her eyes. She sobered. “I need you to grab your talisman box and come into the Warehouse with me. Xena can keep an eye on things here after she takes care of a little errand if it would make you feel better, but we think it might be better for Darius and Helena particularly if we leave them alone to work on this. And moving the talisman away from them… especially while they’re trying to….” She waved her hands around in lieu of words. “Yeah… probably for the best.”

“Is that going to be a problem for you?” Barbara asked with concern. “I thought you were… sensitive… to the, um… vibes it put off or something.”

Gabrielle smiled sadly. “Probably. But the fact is that it’s only going to get worse before it gets better from this point on. I have a slightly better handle on it because I’ve had a very long time to practice control, and I’m consciously aware of the need to not allow the feeling to overwhelm my sense.”

Barbara frowned. “I don’t understand.”

Gabrielle rose and jerked her head toward the back of the Batplane. “C’mon. I’ll see if I can explain it better on the way.”

Barbara nodded and followed Gabrielle to the exit, brushing a touch over Helena’s hand as she passed by but not stopping until she was out onto the ground. “This could be a problem,” she commented. gesturing to the rocky and sandy surface her chair had encountered at the bottom of the ramp.

Gabrielle chuckled. “No problem,” curling her hands around the handles on the back of the chair and literally lifting Barbara - chair and all - off the ground until they reached a level, packed surface. “I’m stronger than I look,” she added with a smirk when Barbara stared at her in amazement. Barbara just shook her head and propelled herself forward into the smooth hallway after Gabrielle opened and held the door for her to pass in front. Then the door closed soundlessly behind them, and they disappeared from view.

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

As soon as Gabrielle moved over to Barbara, Xena stepped up next to Darius, who was rubbing his head. She put a hand on either side of his neck and worked her thumbs until she found the spot that was out of alignment and pushed hard. All four of them flinched at the loud pop, then Darius relaxed. “Man… that be ‘bout the best thing I’ve done felt in a looooong time. You got a magic touch,” said as he waggled his eyebrows at her. Xena rolled her eyes while Helena and Dinah hid their smirks with their hands.

“Yep… I’ve been told that a time or two in my life,” she admitted. “Listen,” growing serious and meeting each pair of eyes before speaking. “We’re gonna get outta here. Gab and I think the box is probably interfering with what you are trying to do, and the truth is, we need to meet with all the Guardians anyway.” She held up a hand when Helena opened her mouth to interject. “Right now, you’d do more harm than good. We’re pretty sure you and Dinah and Darius are all sensitive to the talismans because of your… unique… natures. Let’s try to solve one problem before taking on another, yeah? Even if you can’t be ‘unlinked’ right now, maybe you can both have some sort of barrier to help you cope a little better.”

“You’ll keep an eye on Barbara?” Helena asked as Barbara rolled by her with a fleeting caress of her hand.

“Gabrielle will. I need to go find a missing Guardian partner,” not missing the inquisitive looks that followed her pronouncement. She waved her hand. “Don’t worry about it.” She looked directly at Darius. “I’ll be on the battlefield area, but if you need me, call me. I can get back here pretty quickly.”

He nodded. “Will do. ‘f we get done ‘fore you get back, you want us to stay here or…?”

“Call me when you’re done. We’ll figure it out from there.”

“You got it, Boss,” watching as she eased down the ramp and closed it solidly behind her. Then he turned back to the two troubled young women he was desperate to help. “C’mon. I got an idea.”


Chapter LXVII

Claudia opened the inner office door before Barbara had the chance to reach the threshold. She blinked in surprise, not having expected to find her or Gabrielle there, but only a millisecond passed before she grinned and gave a sweeping bow, gesturing for both women to enter her domain.

“Great timing,” Gabrielle offered with a smile. “Thank you, Claudia.”

“No prob. I was coming to look for you anyway. Everyone but you two are in the conference room. And, um….” She leaned over to her desk and grabbed a sheet of paper. “Kara Danvers and Diana Prince are waiting for you at the Dark Vault,” flushing at Gabrielle’s raised eyebrow. “They showed me the email you sent. They assured me they’d wait outside for you.”

Gabrielle nodded. “Okay. Would you be kind enough to escort Barbara to the conference room, please? I need to go meet with Diana and Kara first, and I have to stop by our room and pick up our box.”

“Sure.” Claudia turned to Barbara with a smile. “If you’ll come with me,” stepping ahead to open the door. “You teach English, don’t you?”

Barbara’s eyes widened, but she nodded gamely as she rolled forward. It was a rather random question as far as she was concerned, but she figured maybe Claudia was just one of those people who try to talk to everyone rather than have silence. And since Barbara wasn’t ashamed of her nerdy profession, she smiled and replied. “I am. Mostly high school, but I have done a little college teaching from time to time.”

“I thought I remembered Gabrielle saying something about you being a teacher,” Claudia mentioned as she closed the door behind them. “Have you ever done any writing or editing or…?” They moved further down the hallway, and Gabrielle lost track of the conversation. She shook slightly as a cold chill ran through her, trying to steel herself for what she knew was going to be an ordeal. Then she sighed and slipped out the side door, heading toward the Dark Vault. There was work to do.

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

Claudia had been quite explicit when she left them outside the Dark Vault, and Kara was doing her best to abide by those instructions. She glanced down at Diana - who was seated in the nearest aisle with her eyes closed, meditating - and felt a stab of envy shudder through her body. She’d tried meditating as soon as Diana had suggested it, but that had only lasted seconds before she’d shot up and started pacing as far from the Dark Vault as could be managed and still be within the perimeter Claudia had set for them.

Her nervous energy had her lightly snapping her fingers in a rapid rhythm, and the almost silent tread of her sneakers on the concrete floor caused Diana to open her eyes with a sigh. She rose from her spot and stepped behind Kara, reaching out a hand to touch her before catching the fist coming at her face with one hand. She cocked an eyebrow - she hadn’t been noisy, but Kara should have heard the movement regardless. More, she should have known it was Diana approaching her… there was no one else here, and they weren’t in the middle of a fight when she would have been expecting some kind of attack.

“Hey!” Diana barked quietly, shifting her thumb to Kara’s wrist to check the swift beat of her pulse. Concern grew in her eyes and she recognized genuine terror and confusion in the Girl of Steel. She allowed her other hand to cup Kara’s face, forcing their eyes to meet. “Look at me, Kara. I need you to breathe with me all right?” waiting for the blonde head to nod. “Good girl… c’mon. In through your nose slowly and hold it,” allowing a few heartbeats to pass before she spoke again. “Then out through your mouth,” blowing out softly and watching Kara follow suit. “Again,” repeating the steps slowly several times and nodding as the tempo beneath her began to regulate back towards something more normal for a Kryptonian. They kept it up for a few more minutes, then Diana allowed herself to relax slightly. She tilted her head. “You feeling a little better?” She gently squeezed the wrist she held. “I like this cadence better than the first one,” offering an understanding smile.

“Yeah… me too,” Kara confessed softly. She looked around the Warehouse before bringing her eyes back to Diana. “Why is this not affecting you? I mean… I’m glad it’s not, you know, because this feels kind of sucky. But how is this place not bothering you at all?”

Diana smirked. “Who said it wasn’t? There’s a reason I was meditating. It probably has something to do with the fact that I’m significantly older than you. I’ve had a lot of years to learn how to tune out everything I can, and to cope with everything that I can’t. Fact is… this place is down-right creepy for people like you and me, because we can see and hear and understand so much of what’s here, and we know the damage any of these things could do if they lost containment on them.”

“Not helping,” Kara mumbled.

Diana smiled and shook her head. “Sorry. I’m not trying to make it worse, I promise. I was mostly thinking out loud.” She sighed. “I don’t think being left here of all places was the brightest idea either,” motioning toward the Dark Vault. “There’s a lot of hate and discontent in that room.”

“Yeah, and there’s a buzz around it that makes my skin hurt… like little Kryptonite needles poking me relentlessly.”

Diana frowned and looked around. “I’m not sure there’s anywhere we could go within the parameters Claudia set that would make a difference.” She snorted. “We’re both a little too sensitive for that.”

“Sometimes being a sensitive alien with superpowers sucks Twinkies without filling,” the disgust on her face making it clear exactly how much suckage that truly was. Diana clapped a hand over her mouth to keep from howling, and Kara narrowed her eyes and glared at her. “It’s not funny,” she declared seriously. “Have you ever had a Twinkie with no filling?? It’s a tragedy of epic proportions,” she proclaimed dramatically, barely keeping the laughter out of her voice, though the sparkle in her eyes clearly betrayed her mirth.

“Should I even ask how you found Twinkies without…?”

“NO!” Kara interrupted forcefully.  “No, you shouldn’t. It was horrible.” She screwed up her face in sheer distaste. “Not as horrible as trying to eat a raw Cheeto before it was fried horrible, but still not….”

“Wait… wait. What do you mean, a raw Cheeto before it was fried?? How did you even…??”

Kara shook her head. “Don’t ask.” She looked at Diana with wide eyes, lips pursed in the slightest pout. “It squeaked like a packing peanut.” She stuck out her tongue. “Kinda tasted like one too.”

“Okay… pretty sure I don’t want to know why you seem so certain of that. Any other weird food facts I should be aware of?”

Kara snorted. “Given my appetite? Probably… but nothing stands out quite like those two things, though I did try fried bologna once. That was interesting.”

“What was interesting?” Gabrielle asked as she approached them. She had heard most of the conversation - had been rather amused by it actually - but now she was close enough to insert herself into the dialogue.

“Fried bologna,” Kara replied succinctly.

Gabrielle tilted her head briefly in thought, then nodded sharply. “I’ve had that a few times in my life. It’s not bad as long as it doesn’t get too salty. Otherwise….” She simply shook her head, but it was clear exactly what she was conveying. She cleared her throat. “However, we’re not here to talk about fried bologna, and I apologize for having you wait here. I imagine a lot of things in the Warehouse make you both uncomfortable, and that can certainly be said for the Dark Vault… even from the outside.”

“So why have us wait here? We could have met anywhere.”

“Not really. As nice as the cave is that you’ve staked out for yourselves, I asked you to meet me here because this is where Pandora’s Box is kept,” watching as two sets of blue eyes widened perceptibly.

“The Pandora’s Box?”

“The only one I know of,” knowing Diana would understand how she knew that so precisely.

Kara frowned. “I remember reading all those myths and legends when I first got here. It made Alex crazy… because I was reading them in their original language.” she said with a laugh before her frown deepened. “This is the real Box, isn’t? The one you and Xena found and returned to Pandora, isn’t it?” waiting for Gabrielle to nod. “But you said it was empty… in your story, I mean.”

“It was… then. It was said to contain hope as long as Pandora did her due diligence and kept moving the lock. There was no reason to remove that hope from her or anyone else by putting the truth out into the world. I knew the Amazons would keep that secret - it was considered a sacred trust between them and me… something they shouldered with great pride and responsibility. They knew as well as I did that there was nothing to be gained by telling anyone.”

“You said it was empty then. Does that mean something has changed, My Queen?”

Gabrielle nodded slowly, glad to see they had both calmed somewhat now that their attention was focused on something other than where there were and by what they were surrounded. “Yes, but I never told that story. It didn’t seem that important - both times - and so many other things were going on that this one kind of slipped through the cracks of my record keeping.”

“Can you share?”

She motioned them toward the cart she had ridden over in, and without a word, they took seats and waited for her to speak. “You read the story of Pandora, and you know what the myth said,” watching them both nod their agreement. “Did you ever wonder what happened to the Box when Pandora died?”

“Didn’t her children have to take up the mantle? Assume responsibility for the Box?”

Gabrielle smiled. “That was the general consensus, yes. But let’s be entirely honest - even if the first generation after her took that responsibility seriously, how long do you reasonably believe that would last? Two, maybe three generations? And then what? Had the Box actually contained the hope of the world, it wouldn’t have taken too long, in the grand scheme of things, before it was forgotten, and hope would have escaped. Then where would we be? And if they found out it had all been a scheme??” She shook her head.

“No, before Pandora passed, Xena and I were already Bacchae and fully aware of our immortal nature. By mutual consent, we went and visited her. It was a little unnerving for her, because of course she remembered us - we were the only ones that had ever had possession of the Box for any length of time once she became its guardian - and we looked no different to her than we had when we’d first met.”

“How did you manage to get the Box from her? Wasn’t she convinced it had to stay within her family line?”

“She was… until I reminded her that Xena and I had already been in possession of the Box before, and that due to the… vagaries… of our very nature, we would be able to assume responsibility for the Box for the remainder of time.” Gabrielle pinched her bottom lip between her fingers and cast her mind back millennia. “I’m still not certain what convinced her to trust us, but I think at least part of it had to do with the fact that it alleviated a responsibility she was exhausted by and tired of. To this day, I’m convinced her family didn’t know the truth of that Box.” She tilted her head. “Maybe her husband did, but not the kids… who were grown adults with families of their own by this point in time.”

“So… what happened once you and Xena got ahold of the Box? I know you didn’t bring it to the Amazons. And I’m confident, from what you’ve already stated, that there is something in that Box now… something you put there.”

Gabrielle smiled. “When we first reclaimed the Box, we considered going to the gods with it for a hot second… then we realized that was just asking for trouble of proportions that neither of us was willing to risk. So we took it to the crypt in Amphipolis, and hid it in a place no one would even think to look for it. And Xena collected the types of wood she’d used to create all the other talisman boxes, and she built a new box using all the wood collectively. It was quite beautiful… truly a work of art.”

“She built a box to hold a box?”

“She did. There were still enough weak gods and warlords around that knew of the box and the supposed power it held. By crafting a new box to hold Pandora’s Box and hiding them, we made it… difficult… for anyone to reasonably find. Once that was done, we decided it might be to our advantage to ensure that there was something in Pandora’s Box… just in case.”

“What did you choose to represent hope?”

Gabrielle smiled. “A phoenix.”

“Oh, good choice,” Diana commented with a grin. “That was one of my favorite mythological creatures ever. Still is, actually.”

“I was partial to the dragons,” Kara confessed. “We had something similar on Krypton, though they were much smaller, and not all of them were mindless creatures out to eat everyone or destroy the cities we lived in. Mostly they were companions.”

Diana frowned. “You mean like pets?”

Kara shook her head. “Not at all, though I supposed in the basest definition, they would qualify as such. No - they were companions similar to the service dogs that exist on this planet. They provided companionship and aid to those in special need of such. They were very sensitive to their minder.”

“That’s fascinating. How did they communicate? Was there telepathy involved or…?” Diana stopped speaking when she heard Gabrielle lightly clear her throat and had the grace to look sheepish. “Beg pardon, My Queen. I let myself get carried away.”

“So did I,” Kara interrupted. “Sorry.”

Gabrielle shook her head. “It’s all right… both of you. I’d love to hear more about this as well; just not here and not right now. Perhaps we can find some time to sit down together after we take care of business with Saligia.”

“I’d like that,” Kara volunteered. “I’d love the chance to go back to Themiscrya when we’re done here. Perhaps I could add some of the stories of my people to your library.”

“I think that’s a wonderful Idea,” Gabrielle enthused, even as Diana spoke and said, “Please do!”

Kara’s smile was blinding, but brief, and after a moment her expression turned solemn once more. She turned to Gabrielle. “So… you were telling us about crafting a phoenix for Pandora’s Box. What did it look like? How was it made?”

Gabrielle held up a hand before Kara could go into a full-on rant. “It took a little while. We decided to make it about the size of the palm of my hand,” holding up her hand for them to see how large that was. “Then we had to collect enough silver and gold to fill that space.” She closed her eyes, remembering, and she smiled. “That took a lot of time and traveling, but we were immortal - we knew we had whatever time we needed.” Her countenance became melancholy, and she shook her head. “If we’d only known.” She let her head fall forward, and her eyes focused on her linked hands. “Xena had drawn out the diagram of how it would look, and she was in the process of carving it into the wooden mold when we got the letter from Akemi.” Her eyes flashed red as renewed anger flowed through her veins for a long moment. She took a deep breath and continued. “That fiasco left it to me to finish carving and casting, but when I was finally done, I placed the amulet in Pandora’s Box; put that Box into the box Xena had fashioned and replaced it in the crypt in Amphipolis.”

“You weren’t afraid it would be discovered there?”

Gabrielle shrugged. “I didn’t consider it to be much of a threat then. By that point, Greece no longer had the favor of the gods, and as a society, we had fallen to the wayside to allow Rome to become the dominating culture throughout the world. Since they had their own myths and legends, even though many of them were based on ours as well as the Egyptians….” She shrugged her shoulders. “When I look back now, I probably could and should have done things differently. At the time, I didn’t really care. I took care of the Box, and that was sufficient.”

“So how did it end up here?”

Gabrielle chuckled. “That was easy. I gave it to them.”

Both younger women blinked, though Diana was the first to speak up. “Um… what??”

“I discovered the Warehouse mostly by accident, though I suspected its existence for some time before I had proof of its reality. You have to remember that as… long-lived as I am, many of the things I hear about or witness, most people wouldn’t even take note of or would dismiss as a one-off. For me, though, I start to see patterns. Because whether we want to acknowledge the truth or not, the reality is that history repeats itself over and over - only the players change.”

Diana frowned. “So why bring it here? Surely leaving it with mortals… especially humans that have proven persistently to be detrimental to their own well-being as well as every other living creature on the planet… was unwise,” flushing when Gabrielle raised an eyebrow at her word choice, though she didn’t back down. “You have to know that the Amazons would have defended the Box and the token to the death.”

“That is one reason I couldn’t ask that of the Nation. The Amazons already have the responsibility of so much; I wasn’t going to ask them to take on another. The other is more base,” covering Diana’s hand with her own. “The truth is, despite their immortality on Themiscrya, the Amazons still suffer from the same pride and ego that mortal humans do,” tightening her grip when Diana would have jerked her hand free. “I speak from a place of experience, Princess. I still fight with these traits every day.”

“But why these people? What makes them better?”

Gabrielle shook her head. “Not better… different. They put measures in place centuries and millennia ago that we as Amazons never considered, because we weren’t dealing with constantly finding artifacts and oddities that were being created regularly by people in our sphere. And the measures we had in place for those things we were protecting were sufficient enough because only a few knew the truth of them.”

“So, you gave these people Pandora’s Box?” Kara asked, when the staring contest between Gabrielle and Diana became intense. Diana closed her eyes, and Gabrielle turned to meet Kara’s, giving her a small smile of thanks for breaking the stalemate.

“I did. The place I had hidden the box was in danger of being overrun and developed. So I collected the boxes with the charm, and I marched right to the front door of the Warehouse. I think it was Warehouse 5…6, maybe? I’m honestly not sure anymore.” She laughed. “I wish you could have seen the Agents’ faces when I waltzed right in without so much as a by-your-leave.”

“Did you really?” Kara asked with a laugh. “what happened next?”



Chapter LXVIII

“Wow!” Kara exclaimed, laughing, when Gabrielle wrapped up her tale. Even Diana couldn’t keep from snickering, and Gabrielle’s eyes twinkled with mirth. “They seriously thought…?”

“You have to remember that they had no idea who I was… not really. There were rumors about me - stories that most put down to myth and legend - but there was nothing concrete. Even their stories tended to contradict each other.”

“Did you do that intentionally, My Queen?” Diana asked sincerely. “We know you are a master of misdirection if it suits your purposes,” letting her expression show the humor she found in the whole situation.

Gabrielle smirked. “Perhaps a little,” she conceded. “It was much easier to make the stories fit the narrative I wanted told when life was simpler. And making certain the focus stayed on someone else?” She shrugged lightly. “I had honed that craft before I became an immortal. Immortality just made me an expert.”

“So… did they? Keep someone assigned to you, I mean?” Kara asked, cocking her head and studying Gabrielle thoughtfully, then she shook her head. “No… they couldn’t have. You could never have done all those things I read about had someone been tracking you constantly. How did you get rid of them?”

Gabrielle shrugged again. “Depended on the agent. Sometimes, it was just a matter of having a very candid conversation. Others, it required a more… forceful… approach.”

“Forceful? Like…?” raising her fists and mock-punching the air in front of her.

Gabrielle shook her head. “Oh no. That wouldn’t have made any point, except that I was better trained than they were, and I had no desire to deal with that kind of ego issue… because they would have forever been trying to best me,” causing Kara and Diana to exchange glances and roll their eyes. “Exactly. That gets exhausting, and eventually someone gets hurt… or worse. No - I made it a point to teach them that I wasn’t an artifact; nor was I a curiosity. I would disappear for an undetermined amount of time, and then I would show up randomly; help them bag and tag an artifact or two; and be on my way again. They pretty much learned then to leave me alone. Eventually - by Warehouse 9, I think it was - the Caretaker had instructions from the Warehouse about me, and we reached a detente with the Agents. In fairness, I wasn’t around a lot, but the Warehouse knew how to reach me if something came up that needed my expertise.”

“Did that happen often?”

“Once or twice,” Gabrielle replied tersely in a tone that made it clear that she didn’t intend to elaborate. Kara nodded her acceptance of the answer.

“Okay, so… you said you had us meet you here because of Pandora’s Box. Does this have something to do with the Guardians and Saligia then?”

Gabrielle nodded. “Yes. Xena and I believe that the Hope Amulet will tie all the other talismans together and with give us the edge we need to defeat Saligia.”

“You believe?”

Gabrielle turned fierce green eyes to meet Diana’s blue ones steadfastly. “Belief is all we’ve got, Diana. We’ve never actually been in this situation before. The last time we were up against Saligia, it was just me and Xena, and we took the talismans away from him. He’s coming to collect them this time, and if he manages to achieve that goal, the world is screwed far worse than anyone could possibly understand.”

“Even though the old gods aren’t really a factor anymore?”

“Even though.”

“So, why bring them all together in one place?” Kara asked. “Wouldn’t it have been better to have kept them all scattered to the winds?”

“We talked about it. But the truth is, most of the Guardians didn’t really have any idea of the responsibility they had.” She snorted. “Some of them didn’t even have the talismans in their possession until we started looking for them, and that made the talismans much more vulnerable to Saligia. With the Guardians, we can at least mount a defense to protect the charms, and together, we think they will destroy him.” She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. “The power is there - they were what he was using to remove the power of the gods. We just need to harness it correctly, and we believe that Hope will do that.”

Kara and Diana considered her words for several moments, then looked at one another before turning their attention back to Gabrielle. “What do you need from us?”

“The two of you are probably the closest to paragons of virtue and hope the human race has. We need one of you to become the Guardian of Hope.”

Gabrielle watched two sets of bright blue eyes widen comically, and she covered her mouth to hide the grin that emerged. They slowly turned their heads toward one another, then just as slowly rotated them back to meet Gabrielle’s eyes.

“Um… okay. How should we decide which of us should do it?”

In response, Gabrielle turned and made her way over to the door of the Dark Vault. She turned around and realized that neither women had followed her. She put both hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow, and they both jumped from the cart and skittered over to stand beside her. She smirked and shook her head, then turned back to the door and placed her hand on the keypad. She was one of two people in the world that could open the Dark Vault with a scan, and in only a moment, the door whooshed open in a rush of air.  She turned back and looked at them carefully, able to see their discomfort clearly. She sighed. “You two stay right here. This won’t take me but a second.”

She slipped into the Dark Vault and walked directly to the pillar upon which the Box was currently displayed. Another hand scan and a keypad slid out from beneath the flat seat the Box was perched on. She took a deep breath and punched in a long string of symbols from memory. It took long seconds before the system began to react to the code, and she noticeably relaxed when it overrode the self-destruct sequence that had initiated when she’d entered the room. Eventually, the code finished running through the podium, and there was a snick as the lock released and the Box was lifted slightly above the surface. She didn’t even hesitate; she simply snatched it up from the platform, then turned and made her way back out of the room without a backward glance.

The door whooshed shut behind her, missing her by the hair’s breadth of a gnat’s nose. She narrowed her eyes to glare at it as she raised her hand and put it against the pad, allowing it to scan her once more to lock the Dark Vault up tightly once more. Only then did she turn back to the two superheroes she was also happy to call friend - and she almost dropped the Box at what she saw.

Diana was sprawled on the floor… apparently out cold. Kara, on the other hand, was sitting beside the prone woman, knees to chest with her arms wrapped tight around them, rocking back and forth. Gabrielle dropped to her knees and set the Box beside her, then she checked Diana’s pulse, sighing when she felt the still strong heartbeat. She rolled the woman onto her side, keeping one hand on her wrist to monitor her pulse, then turned her attention to Kara. A touch on her arm made Kara look up with blazing, white-hot eyes, and Gabrielle’s own widened, though she didn’t move. Instead, she began talking quietly to Kara, trying desperately to calm her first.

It took several minutes - minutes where Gabrielle reminded Kara of who she was; of where she was from; of how they had met; and some of the adventures they had already shared. Slowly, she watched as the fire in Kara’s eyes cooled and her shaking subsided. Meanwhile, Diana started to come around, and Gabrielle began stroking the inside of her wrist in soothing circles to keep her calm. Diana slowly rolled onto her back, bringing her into personal contact with Kara. At that, Kara finally blinked the remainder of the fire from her vision and glanced between Gabrielle and Diana.

“What happened?” She noticed Diana sprawled on the floor. “Diana?! Are you all right?”

“I’ve been better,” she confessed, then turned and looked at Gabrielle plaintively. “My Queen, can we please get out of here and talk about this somewhere else?”

Gabrielle stood and extended a hand down to Kara, knowing she was strong enough to walk on her own and confident she could help Gabrielle with Diana. Kara accepted the hand and rose swiftly to her feet, then before Gabrielle could ask for aid or Diana could protest, she scooped Diana into her arms and took them both back to the motor cart in which Gabrielle had arrived at the Dark Vault.

“Ack!” Diana exclaimed at the sudden action, though she instinctively held on tighter as a measure of assurance that she wasn’t going to fall, despite knowing the unlikelihood of that action. “Kara!” she chuckled as she was gently placed on the bench seat. “I could have walked, you know.”

Kara blushed a little as she shook her head. “No,” she replied softly. “I didn’t know. I know how passing out affects Alex and how she reacts to being helpless like that, so I never give her the chance to argue about needing assistance. I just take care of it.” She looked down and shrugged her shoulders. “Sorry.”

Diana cupped Kara’s chin and lifted her face until their eyes met. “Don’t be. It was highly chivalrous of you,” proffering a small smile and seeing a tiny uptick in Kara’s lips. “It was also completely unexpected. Most people don’t react so quickly and decisively. Thank you,” patting the seat next to her and waiting for Kara to climb up to sit beside her.

Gabrielle blinked twice, a little surprised at Kara’s action, then she snatched up the Box and crossed to the cart, climbing in behind the wheel and heading the vehicle out away from the Dark Vault area. She smiled grimly as she watched the two women relax as they got further from the Vault.

“I’m glad I could help,” Kara commented softly.

“Me too,” Diana confessed. “I could have walked, but I’m kinda glad I didn’t have to. I don’t know what exactly is in that Vault, but I don’t have any desire to be knocked flat on my back again. That was draining.”

Kara nodded. “I noticed. For me, it was a little more visceral. I could feel rage just… flowing.” She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I’m glad Gabrielle was there to talk me down. I could have easily destroyed the whole place.”

Gabrielle heard Kara’s quiet words but chose to let them go unanswered. Rather, she drove until she was outside the hallway containing the conference room in which the Guardians were stashed. She pulled to a halt and turned, meeting the eyes of two very exhausted superheroes who were leaned together in support of one another. She raised an eyebrow.

“Everything all right? Relatively speaking, of course,” noting the exhaustion evident in their expressions and posture.

“Yes, My Queen,” Diana responded immediately. “I won’t pretend a nap won’t be appreciated soon, but we’re away from that horrible little room and all its accoutrements. Recovery should be relatively easy now.”

“Perhaps,” Gabrielle agreed slowly without actually committing to anything. “You should have time after this meeting to get some rest. Almost everyone we’re expecting has already arrived, and we still have a day or two before we believe Saligia will be here.”

“We have no way of knowing that for certain, though.”

“No, but it makes sense for him to want the battle to be on his terms… when he is strongest. That will be on Halloween… especially if he is using the Horseman and her recruits as part of his army.”

“Right. I knew that - sorry. I think I hit my head when I fell.” Gabrielle moved so swiftly, Diana felt the breeze before she realized that Gabrielle was gently probing her head. She winced when she hit a sore spot, clenching her hands around the seat bench to keep from jerking away instinctively. “Ow.”

Gabrielle nodded soberly and met Diana’s eyes. “Yeah… you did quite a number on yourself.” She had Diana follow her finger and checked her eyes against the light. “No concussion, though, so that’s good. A bit of sleep would probably do you good.” She turned and grabbed the Box from the seat beside her. “I’ll try to keep this brief… for both your sakes… as well as that of the other Guardians.” She turned back to them with the Box held out away from her body between them. “I’m going to open the outer box,” easing the clasp from the latch.

“And then?”

Gabrielle shook her head. “And then, we’ll see what we can see.” She met their eyes. “I really don’t know what to expect here. This Box hasn’t been opened since I sealed it millennia ago. Same goes for Pandora’s Box. The last time it was opened was when I put the talisman into it.” She watched as they both took a deep breath, and she did the same. Then she flipped the latch and lifted the top of the Box open.

She didn’t know what any of them expected - not really - but she was almost sure it wasn’t what they got… which was nothing. Nothing jumped out; no one passed out or fell down; the world didn’t stop spinning. Instead, Kara and Diana leaned forward to peek inside the Box, spotting the rather plain Box with a distinctive handprint etched into the front. They stared at it a moment, then looked at one another before turning back to Gabrielle. “Okay,” Kara drawled quietly. “Now what?”

“I’m not sure… honestly. This is uncharted territory for all of us at this point. Do either of you feel compelled to open Pandora’s Box? Or do you feel repulsed by it?”

They turned to one another for a long moment, then looked back at Gabrielle. “I got nothing,” Kara stated plainly as she reached for the Box. “It doesn’t feel like that room did; it doesn’t feel like anything at all,” lifting Pandora’s Box from the larger Box and examining it from all sides. She focused her vision on it, narrowing her eyes in reflex as she tried to scan it with her x-ray vision, then her eyes widened when she realized she couldn’t see anything. “Gabrielle? When did you say this box was created?”

“Two or three thousand years ago. Why?”

“Because it’s shielded from me. I can’t see anything beyond the outside of the box itself. But it can’t be made of kryptonite, can it? That was a long time before Krypton exploded… or before I arrived here. How is it able to keep me from seeing what’s inside?”

“That might be because Hephaestus sculpted the inside of the jar with the metal of the gods,” Diana responded. “We were taught that it was among the strongest and most precious of metals… and very, very rare outside of Hephaestus’ forge, though I do utilize a bit of it.” She smirked. “Despite what the legends say about my bracelets and tiara, there is no such thing as feminum. But it was easier to convince the soldiers that came to Paradise Island that it was something unique to the Island and the Amazons than it would have been to make them believe in the old Greek gods.”

“Seriously?!”

“Mm.”

“What makes it so special?”

Diana shrugged and looked at Gabrielle, who also shrugged. “Pandora’s Box was created long before my involvement with the gods became so… involved. And that is one of those questions I never asked… probably because I never really talked to Hephaestus, even though Aphrodite became my best friend. He mostly stayed in his forge, and I was trying to fly under the radar. Letting him know I was hanging out with his wife would’ve put them both in a pretty awkward predicament.”

“That’s fair,” Diana agreed. “So are we just going to open this and hope for the best?”

Gabrielle held out her hand for the Box, and Kara passed it over without hesitation. “I think it’s probably our best option.” She looked between them. “Who wants to go first?”

Kara took a giant step back from the Box. “Diana should. It’s her heritage.”

Diana turned and frowned at Kara. “Are you sure?”

Kara nodded succinctly. “Yes. You are descended from these people… maybe even from the gods themselves. You have a connection to them and to this Box that I cannot aspire to. I will try if you can’t open it, or if it makes you uncomfortable in any way. But you should absolutely be the first one to try.”

Diana nodded sharply and squared her shoulders, sucking in a deep breath before she stepped forward and placed her hand on the handprint that was mounted on the locking mechanism. She frowned when she realized her hand didn’t sit properly in the grooves, but she shifted it for a few minutes until she found a place that was comfortable. Then she tried to turn the palm.

Nothing happened.

She glanced at Kara, who shrugged gently, then at Gabrielle, who maintained her expression, allowing Diana to make her own decision. She sighed, then sucked in a deep breath, frowning as she bit her lip and focused on trying again.

Still nothing… only this time, she could feel the discomfort lock into place between her shoulder blades and become something stronger. She removed her hand and shook it out, glancing between it and the Box before looking up to meet her companions’ eyes.

“I don’t think I can open it,” she admitted with a hint of frustration. “It feels like it is actually pushing back against me… as though I’m an enemy.”

Gabrielle tilted her head. “You might be,” she offered slowly, causing Diana’s gaze to jerk in her direction. “You do have the blood of the gods in your veins, and Hephaestus never really trusted his family… not even his wife… to any real extent.”

Diana’s eyes widened. “I didn’t even consider….”

“Neither did I, until you couldn’t open the Box.” They both turned toward Kara, whose eyes widened as she stepped back in reflex at the fierce regard. “Are you ready to try?”

Kara cleared her throat and lifted her hand to straighten the glasses not currently on her face. She wasn’t  sure what it was about these immortal beings that made her feel more like Kara and less like Supergirl, but she figured it might have something to do with their age and experiences as immortals. She cleared her throat again and deliberately forced herself to close the distance between them, stopping only when Gabrielle placed a hand on her arm. She was surprised by the warmth emanating from the older woman, but she couldn’t help but return a nervous smile for the tender one Gabrielle was bestowing on her.

“Kara, take a deep breath and find your calm… your center. I still remember what it’s like to be the youngest in the room, feeling like you have something to prove.” She raised a hand and shifted Kara’s face until their eyes met. “You’ve proven yourself… many times over… to the planet and the people that live here. You have nothing to prove to either of us,” motioning between herself and Diana. “And if you’re uncomfortable, you don’t have to do this at all,” not at all surprised when Kara was shaking her head before the end of her speech.

“No. I want to do this. It’s just….”

“… sometimes it sucks to be the youngest in the room.”

“Yeah. Besides,” she added as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, “it’s a lot of responsibility for a maybe.”

Gabrielle nodded. “It is. And if I could think of another way….”

“No,” Kara inserted gently as she removed the Box from Gabrielle’s clasp. “This is necessary, and this is the best option.” She placed her hand on the Box. “Let’s see if I can do this.”



Chapter LXIX

Xena slowed down as she neared the encampment where she suspected Helen Magnus was taking refuge. Not that she blamed the woman for trying to escape - longevity near or inside the Warehouse had a tendency to make those of exceptional lifespans uncomfortable if left there for too long… at least until one learned how to shield against it. Helen’s problem was that she was longer-lived than most, but not long-lived enough to have developed any kind of defense, and they really didn’t have time for her to do so now. Xena released a long sigh; she wished it was as easy as waving a magic wand, but she had learned long ago there was no such thing. Even if one had the option of asking a favor of the gods - an iffy prospect at best - it rarely was worth the return cost. She drew a deep breath and knocked on the trailer she knew most of the small contingent of men that were taking part had claimed as their own.

Scud answered the door.

She blinked, slightly nonplussed to have him standing in front of her. She fully expected him to be with Janet… wherever she and the rest of the D.E.B.S. had ended up. All this raced through her mind in less than the speed of a blink, and she met his twinkling eyes with a smile.

“Hey, Scud ~ is Helen Magnus here, by any chance?”

Before he could respond, Will came up behind him. “Can I ask why you need to see her?”

“Yeah… that place really shook her up bad,” Henry commented as he stood at Scud’s other shoulder. “I can kinda feel the bad juju from here.”

Xena just kept her eyes focused on Scud, and after a long moment, Helen appeared behind him. “It’s all right, guys… thanks,” causing them to part to let her through, though the concern that emanated from both Will and Henry was evident in their countenances as well as their hesitation to move. She patted each of them on the shoulder, then stepped down out of the trailer. She met Xena’s eyes directly. “What can I do for you, Xena?”

Xena studied her a moment longer, then stuck her hands in her pockets and jerked her head. “Let’s take a walk,” surprising Helen when she headed out away from both the camp and the Warehouse and into the wilderness that surrounded them. Helen looked back at her friends and Scud for a brief moment, then jammed her hands into her pockets and stretched out her strides to catch up with Xena.

They walked in silence for several minutes… until they were past the encampment and were alone in the barren area beyond. Helen looked around with more than a hint of scientific curiosity. She turned to Xena.

“Isn’t this reservation land?” watching Xena confirm her suspicions. “Won’t we get in trouble for being out here? I was given to understand that we were confined to the encampment… or the Warehouse, of course. But anything beyond that was off limits… including the town of Univille.”

“For everyone else, that’s true. But Gabrielle and I have an understanding with the Native people here. We’ve proven our respect for them and their ways, and we have never disrespected their home on any occasion we’ve had to pass through it.”

Helen’s blue eyes lit with excitement. “Do they consider you part of them?”

Xena studied her carefully for a moment, knowing there was genuine interest as well as a desire to keep from discussing Kate or the talisman or the Warehouse. She shrugged lightly. “Perhaps somewhat,” she hedged. “As much as they can, considering how different we are from them.”

“But are you really that different?” Helen asked, tilting her head to one side as she returned Xena’s regard.

“Not as much as some believe we are, but then, that’s true for most people. And many of our core values are the same.” She shook her head and turned to regard the vastness around them. “For a long time, they were the only family I had… no matter the Nation they hailed from. I am honored they call me brother.”

Helen’s eyebrows jumped up her forehead and she snapped around to meet Xena’s eyes, before looking her up and down deliberately. “Um… brother??”

Xena’s eyes flashed so quickly, Helen was certain she’d imagined the flash of red she saw, though the anger was clear in intent. Then the blue eyes closed and Xena took a deep, calming breath before meeting Helen’s eyes once more. “Brother is the casual term associated with the warriors. I have always been a warrior - among the People or not - and they recognized that early in our… relationship. And that belief only strengthened with the passage of time and my interaction with all the Nations. Therefore, I have always been a brother when among the People.”

“Huh,” Helen commented after a moment. “That is really quite remarkable.”

Xena smirked. “It helped immensely that I had the skills to back up my claim.”

“Were you ever challenged?”

The smirk grew into a wicked grin. “Once or twice,” she acknowledged. “After that…?” She shrugged. “Word got around fairly quickly, and not just to the Cheyenne.  I never did quite figure out how the word spread to all of the Western tribes so quickly. After all, it’s not like they were all on speaking terms.”

Helen chuckled and shook her head. “No… if I recall my history correctly, many of them were at war with one another.”

“Not always,” Xena concurred, “but with a great deal of regularity. Now,” turning serious as Helen laughed at her deadpan delivery, “you wanna tell me why you’re out here instead of in the Warehouse supporting Kate right now?”

Helen straightened as her spine stiffened in reflex to the accusation in Xena’s voice, and her eyes grew hard. “That’s really none of your business,” she snapped.

Xena stepped into her personal space, and the expression on her face caused Helen’s blood to involuntarily chill. She could feel the danger oozing from Xena’s pores and realized she was on a precipice of very thin ice. She held very still as Xena moved until there was merely a hairsbreadth between them and didn’t flinch when she raised a pointed finger to Helen’s face. “Oh… you’re wrong. It is very much my business,” she hissed. “This has been my business for longer than you can imagine ever being alive, so don’t you stand there and try to bullshit with me! We don’t have time for bullshit!”

Helen cleared her throat nervously, but to her credit, she neither flinched away from Xena nor lost eye contact. After a moment, she lifted a hand and gently clasped the finger that was still in her face, removing it slowly before releasing it. She closed her eyes briefly and sighed. “Look… you wouldn’t understand.” Surprisingly, Xena laughed, and Helen’s eyes flew open in shock before she grew angry. “It’s not funny! You yourself just indicated how serious this was!”

Xena sobered immediately, her gaze hardening. “It is serious. I was laughing over the fact that a kid like you thinks I wouldn’t understand. I am immortal and a Bacchae. I was around when Greece was the epitome of civilization and was laying the groundwork for every culture that followed, including the Romans! What the hell exactly do you think you could say that I wouldn’t understand?!?”

Helen stared at her with wide, round eyes, mouth slightly open as she processed the plethora of information Xena had just shoved at her. “I didn’t….” she stammered.  “I didn’t know… I didn’t….” She trailed off as her eyes shifted to the side, her bewilderment clear. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

Xena sighed. She hadn’t intended to be quite so forceful, but she needed Helen to understand the seriousness of the situation. “Don’t be sorry,” she said with a smirk. “Just improve,” her words causing Helen to meet her eyes with startlement, then smile timidly when she recognized the twinkle in Xena’s eyes. Xena cocked an eyebrow at her. “Now… can we try this again? You wanna tell me why you left the Warehouse… and Kate?”

Helen sighed and walked over to a nearby rock formation, leaning against it casually and looking out over the reservation. “I care for Kate,” she started. “She’s very dear to me - to all of us,” motioning back towards the trailer that held her companions. “But that Warehouse….” She shivered. “It’s like there’s something alive there - something that’s not quite right or not quite good.” She shook her head. “It’s hard to explain. I just know it was wrong, and it was making me crazy… quite literally. I was getting angry for no reason; my skin was crawling and itchy; my ears were ringing off and on. And honestly, I think that was worse than them just ringing all the time. I realized when I was ready to punch Kate - for no other reason than it was her fault I was stuck in the Warehouse - that I had to get out of there. I know leaving her alone without support wasn’t a good idea, but it was a better choice for me… for us… that I go before I did something that would destroy our friendship beyond repair. I was trying to talk Will or Henry into going up and staying with her when you arrived.” She shrugged. “I think Will probably would do it, but he wants to ask a million questions in the meantime,” rolling her eyes and causing Xena to grin.

“And ain’t nobody got time for that.”

“Ain’t nobody got time for that. I didn’t figure Henry could go, even if he wanted to, and he would try for Kate’s sake. Though he’s not even as old as I am, he is older than he appears by a couple decades. Pretty sure that Warehouse would drive him crazy too, though maybe not as quickly as it did me.” She looked over as Xena joined her, leaning back against the rocks and allowing their shoulders to just brush. “How important is it that Kate not do this alone?”

“She can’t do this alone. Every Guardian has a second to stand with them. She has no chance to survive if she doesn’t have a someone willing to be her partner. I have to know if I need to find someone else to go in your place.”

“Why is it my place?” Helen asked with a hint of heat in her tone. “I’m not the only friend Kate has!”

Xena studied her for a long moment, then shook her head as she pushed off the rock and headed back toward the encampment. Helen watched her go in confusion, then scurried to catch up when Xena turned and met her eyes with a raised eyebrow.

“Are you going to answer my question?” Helen asked quietly. She could feel the displeasure wafting from Xena and was much more subdued than she had been.

“No. I’ll make sure Kate is taken care of.”

It was silent after that, Helen following behind Xena with her eyes on the ground. When they reached the edge of the camp, Xena nodded Helen toward the trailer she’d found her in, then continued on without slowing or a backward glance. Helen watched as she got farther and farther away, then she blinked and Xena disappeared. She stared into the space where she had been, struggling to find any trace of her passing, but she was just… gone.

It wasn’t long before she sensed someone coming up behind her and turned to find Henry standing several feet away with his hands on his hips. “You all right, Magnus?” She stared at him without speaking, and he dropped his arms as he hastened to her side. He put a hand on her shoulder. “Magnus?” bending down to meet her eyes. “Hey! Everything okay?”

She met his eyes briefly and shook her head. “I don’t think so. I think I screwed up royally.”

Henry let his eyebrows slide up into his hairline. “That’s kinda unusual for you. Anything I can do to help fix… whatever it is you did?”

Helen shook her head again. “I don’t think so. I think I have to take care of this myself.” She started walking away from him toward the last spot she’d seen Xena. “Tell Will thanks for me, will you? I think this is going to take a bit.”

Henry nodded as he waved. “You got it,” he shouted as she ran out of sight. He dropped his hand and turned to head back to the trailer. “Women,” he muttered, shaking his head and chuckling.

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

“So… can you really do magic?” Sam asked Regina as they all gathered around a bonfire that someone had started as darkness started to fall. They could feel the silence permeate the entire area when the words left Sam’s mouth, and both she and Regina took a moment to look around at the interested faces staring back at them. Regina smiled unconsciously when Emma came up behind her and stood sentinel to her as though she was the Captain of the Guard. A number of women wondered about their connection to one another, but these two were still too new to be asking those kinds of questions, though the one about magic was certainly invasive at the very least.

“Is there a reason you think that? Is there a reason you need to know?” Emma asked, her hand resting lightly on Regina’s shoulder. “Or are you just someone who asks nosey questions of random strangers on the regular?”

Sam blushed beet red, but instead of backing off - as Emma had expected her to do once she had embarrassed the woman - she gave them both a quirky smile.

“Well, I was a reporter in another life, so I have been someone who asks nosey questions of random strangers on a daily basis,” garner the laughter of a number of women gathered round and causing Regina to smile. “However,” she continued before Emma could get mad, “I was asking because we’ve all,” gesturing to the women surrounding them, “heard the rumors floating about you guys, and I’ve found it’s better to ask directly than make assumptions.”

Emma cocked her head to one side and studied Sam, knowing for certain she was telling the truth, but loath to give up her anger quite so quickly. Then Regina put a hand over the one covering her shoulder and patted it lightly.

“She’s got you, Miss Swan. We both know she’s right… about all of it.”

Emma huffed. “I s’pose,” glaring slightly at Sam, who held her gaze and had the decency not to look smug.

“We do have magic,” Regina replied after a long moment of silence, drawing all eyes to her. “But it doesn’t work here. In my realm, this is known as the Land Without Magic, so when we cross into it, we lose whatever magic we have.”

“Does that mean we would all have magic if we went into your realm?”

“Wait,” Emma interrupted before Regina could continue. “Remember what we talked about with Aphrodite in the vault… my God, was it only last week??” She waved her hands before Regina or anyone else could respond. “Doesn’t matter. She said we should be able to bring it with us; that she could create a charm to help us channel it here and together.”

Regina turned until she could meet Emma’s eyes. “And yet we have no amulet,” holding out an empty hand. “So how do you propose we discover this method, Miss Swan? If a way does exist that doesn’t involve utilizing a physical talisman, it more than likely would take the casting of a major spell, and we don’t have access to my vault from here.”

“You have a vault??” Sam asked in surprise.

“A physical charm,” Emma responded at the same time, shoving her hand into her front pocket and pulling a keyring from it. She held it up for Regina to see. Brown eyes lit up when she recognized the piece she had enchanted long ago to allow Emma to focus her magic when she was just learning to control her newly discovered powers.

Regina reached out a hand towards the piece, stopping short before she made contact. “Of all the things you could have packed to bring with you halfway across the country, you brought your car keys?”

Emma shook her head. “Just the key ring. I always have it. Even as the Dark One, I kept it with me. I don’t need it to focus my magic anymore, but it gives me comfort to know I can use it that way if I need to.”

“Excuse me! You have a vault??” Sam interrupted.

“Sam!” Brooke interrupted before either Regina or Emma could respond. “Leave them alone. It sounds like they need some space to figure things out. You asking questions right now isn’t helping.”

“But Brooke….” whining slightly, as she drew smiles from those around her that recognized the capitulation in her tone. Brooke held up a finger, but before she could draw breath to speak, Regina reached over and grasped Sam’s hand.

“You’ve managed to make us question our ability to help on our most basic level. If we can do this, we could help make a real difference in whatever is coming. However, once we figure out what we can do, I promise we’ll answer your questions, all right?” smiling graciously when Sam nodded. “Thank you.” She looked around at the rest of the women assembled. “If you all would excuse us, we’re going to need a bit of privacy to work this out. We don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

“Yeah,” Emma concurred, offering Regina her hand to stand. “So please - unless it’s a dire emergency - please don’t come looking for us.” Then they walked out of the circle and into the surrounding darkness. Those remaining looked around at one another.

“Now what?”

“I think we should have some more storytelling,” a voice commented from the back of the group. “Surely there are more with stories to tell… or more stories from those that have already shared with us before.”

“Who said that?” Sam demanded. “I think you should be the first.”

A man stepped forward, and Sam tilted her head, trying to figure out from whence she knew him. Then he smiled and recognition dawned. “Ian?? What are you doing here?” moving forward to embrace him lightly.

“My Mi̱téra and Dáskalos are here facing some heinous evil. You really think I would be anywhere else?”

“Your who?” pausing as she ran the Greek names through her memory and coupled it with what she knew of her friend. “Wait… you’re related to Xena and Gabrielle?”

Ian’s eyes went wide, wondering how she’d managed to jump to the correct conclusion, then he snapped his mouth closed and nodded. “How did you…?”

Sam smirked at him. “I have many skills,” causing him to choke slightly as he laughed. “So why don’t you tell us a little of what it was like growing up with them as your guardians?” His eyes widened again as the women surrounding them surged forward with interest. Then he felt his hand clasped warmly from behind, and he turned to meet warm green eyes. Sam looked around him to see what had caught his attention, and she grinned when she recognized his companion. “Casey?” stepping around Ian and giving the woman in question a warm hug. “Well, this really is like old home week.” She stepped back and noticed their entwined hands. “Wait… are you two together?”

Ian lifted the hand he held to his lips and brushed a kiss over the back of it. “We are, in fact,” he replied with a smile. “I’m a very lucky man,” smiling into Casey’s eyes as she cupped the side of his face. The entire contingent gave an audible sigh at the sweetness of the scene. Almost no one noticed when Abbie Carmichael escaped back to the trailer to which she was assigned. The pair of eyes that did made a mental note to check on her later… when she’d had a chance to recover. First though, there were stories to share.


Chapter LXX

Xena made it a point to keep from looking at Magnus when she nodded her toward the trailer where most of the men were staying. She could feel the fire in her veins and knew her eyes had shifted, even without being able to run her tongue along her elongated incisors. As disappointed in Helen’s decision as she was, she did understand… to a point… and Helen was still very young in the immortal scheme of things. So she kept her back turned, and as soon as she felt comfortably far away, she engaged her Bacchae speed to put some real space between them. Helen didn’t deserve the wrath she felt.

She slowed her steps as she got closer to the Warehouse, able to feel the change in the air around it. She stopped moving just before the last hillock and bent over, putting her hands on her knees as she sucked in a deep breath. She kept still in that position for several long moments, willing herself to a calmness she didn’t truly feel but was able to maintain, before she slowly rolled up until she was standing completely upright. As her blood cooled and her teeth shrank back to their human form, she closed her eyes and ran through several meditation techniques that allowed her to center herself and create a genuine calmness within herself. Only when she was confident that things were as close to normal as she could manage did she open her eyes and resume her movement.

At the top of the hill, she stopped, realizing the Batplane was still closed to all and sundry. She glanced at her phone and saw that Darius had still not contacted her. She jogged quickly down the hill until she was on even ground, and made her way to the ramp, where she placed her hand on the pad and hoped for the best.

She gave a sigh of relief when the ramp soundlessly began to drop open. She didn’t think Bruce had misled her about opening the craft - he understood the seriousness of what was happening, after all - but she could feel his discomfort in sharing secrets…even mechanical ones. However, he, more than most, recognized the need to trust and be trusted by Xena and Gabrielle. He had learned that early in his career as a vigilante and later as Bruce Wayne.

She waited until the ramp touched the ground, then swiftly and silently made her way inside the belly of the behemoth, closing the door behind her as she reached the top.

It was eerily still, and she remained in one spot to preserve the atmosphere, allowing only her eyes to take in the situation. Helena and Dinah were laying side by side in the largest hammock, touching along their lengths. Darius stood behind them at the head, one hand placed on Dinah’s heart and the other at Helena’s temple. His eyes glowed, wavering between gold and silver as he chanted words so softly, Xena could barely comprehend them. As it was, she couldn’t make sense of about half and made a mental note to learn Fae when this was all over.

Just as that thought crossed her mind, she saw Darius’ knees begin to buckle, and she rushed to his side to catch him before he collapsed onto the unforgiving floor of the plane. He didn’t even react for a few minutes, shaking violently as his eyes cooled down. When they finally returned to their normal brown, he tilted his head back and looked at Xena with a wide smile on his face. “Good timin’, Warrior,” causing her eyes to widen in startlement. He chuckled. “I done heard Miss Gabrielle call you that. ‘Sides, you can see it in your aura - lots of strength… bits of darkness… bits of light.”

She smirked, more than a little shaken by his easy read of her, though she didn’t quite agree with his assessment. “How’re you feeling?”

“Like I done a hard day’s work. Lord, I ain’t done nothin’ like this in a while. Now I remember why.” He smiled up at her. “Think it worked, though. They should be all right for now. They’s still sensitive to one another, but it’s more like touchin’ ‘stead of wound up together.”

“And can they maintain that? Just touching instead of binding together again?”

“Should hold long enough to get this business done. When we gots more time, we can do more… build a barrier or whatever they need.”

Xena nodded slowly. “I don’t think they want to be completely cut off from one another. Helena helps Dinah maintain her shields when there is a possibility of overwhelming crowds… especially those that project, which most people tend to do unknowingly. I don’t think she’ll be willing to give up that ability.”

“Hmm,” Darius replied as he gingerly sat up and moved out of Xena’s embrace. He smiled at her. “You gots some pretty good juju goin’ on there. I ain’t felt this good this fast in I can’t remember when.”

She snorted. “Glad to be of service.”

“As for the other,” he continued, “that’ll bear some thinkin’ ‘bout. May have to be talkin’ to Trick or some of the other Fae.”

She nodded toward the hammock. “Talk to them first; see what they want out of this. Might save you some time and effort.” She eased to her feet, then took his hand when proffered and helped him to stand beside her. “I need to get inside,” motioning to the Warehouse. “Is there anything I can do for any of you before I go?”

“Nah. I gotta get back to Leena’s. They’s sleeping nat’ral,” nodding toward the hammock. “Best let ‘em sleep it out.”

Xena frowned. “You sure you’re up to driving? I can get one of the Agents….” stopping when Darius held up a hand.

“I’m sure. I wasn’t kiddin’ ‘bout your juju. I’m exhausted but not sleepy, ya know?” seeing her nod in understanding. “‘Sides, Leena’s got cookies, and I’m starving.”

This time, Xena chuckled. She remembered more than one day ending in exhaustion and a plate full of cookies. “That’s fair,” she agreed. “But let me know when you get back there, all right?”

“You betcha. Now let me outta this monster’s belly, will ya? Still not crazy ‘bout this place.”

She pressed her hand against the pad, watching his eyes widen at the immediate response of the ramp. He hustled down as soon as it could be managed, then turned and gave her a swift wave before climbing into Leena’s car and driving off. Xena watched until he was out of sight, then she crossed back to the hammock. She studied the two young women currently lying there together, then snatched a blanket from the closest chair and covered them. Then she headed down the ramp and closed it quickly, intent on getting inside the Warehouse and back to Gabrielle’s side.

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

The Box made a loud snick when Kara spun the handprint into place, but it didn’t open automatically. She moved her hand and felt along the edge, easily locating the spring mechanism to open the Box. The lid lifted slowly, and they gasped at the intricate beauty of the crafted phoenix that rested inside the box. Kara reached inside, then hesitated, looking to Gabrielle for permission. She gave a slight nod, and Kara continued until the talisman rested in her palm.

“That’s lovely, My Queen,” Diana stated softly. “Beautiful craftsmanship.”

Gabrielle smiled in acknowledgment of Diana’s words, but she didn’t move her eyes from the small phoenix. “Thank you, Princess. I wanted it to reflect the wonder and beauty that hope gives us.”

“I think you succeeded, My Queen,” Kara whispered, her address of Gabrielle getting her looks of surprise, though she took no notice of them. “It’s amazing… and warm… as though it was actually alive.”

“It may be… at least a little. There was Bacchae blood mixed into the precious metals it was formed from.”

Both Diana and Kara scrunched up their noses at that pronouncement. “That’s a little gross,” Kara said blatantly, “but I kinda get it. And if it makes the charm stronger, all the better for us.” She gazed at it another moment before replacing it into Pandora’s Box. She closed the lid gently, listening for the slightest snick of the lock when it closed, then she turned back to Gabrielle. “Okay… so now what?”

“Now, I need the two of you to bring Supergirl and Wonder Woman into play, so we can go into this meeting with the rest of the Guardians. I know it will instill added confidence for them to know they’ll be following two of the most prominent superheroes on Earth into battle against this monstrous evil.”

“Gabrielle,” Diana cut in, laying a hand on her arm and forcing their eyes to meet. “All these women came to this place because of you… you and Xena. They’ll be following you. WE will be following you,” gesturing between herself and Kara. “Don’t discount your importance here. None of us would be here without you and Xena leading us.”

Kara and Diana didn’t see her shoulders slump, but Xena did as she came around the corner, and she frowned. “Is there a convention out here I didn’t know about?” she asked with a smirk on her lips, though her mirth didn’t reach her eyes. Kara shoved Pandora’s Box at Gabrielle - who just managed to grab it - then she grabbed Diana’s hand.

“Nope. We’re just gonna go change now,” disappearing around the corner before either Xena or Gabrielle could say a word.

“Was it something I said?”

“Mm… I think it was something I did. I implied that the Guardians would be following them into battle instead of us - to remind them of their importance as Guardians of the Hope talisman. I didn’t intend to mislead them; I wasn’t actually finished speaking when Diana reminded me that everyone here was here because of us… including her and Kara.”

“Is that why you slumped?”

“You saw that?”

Xena arched an eyebrow at her. “I felt it… just as I came around the corner.”

Gabrielle nodded. “It reminded me that the lives of everyone here rests on our shoulders. No matter the outcome - win or lose - any loss will be our responsibility.” Gabrielle looked at her hands, then clenched them into fists before closing her eyes and shaking her head. She couldn’t see the blood on them anymore - it had been a long time since she’d needed to shed blood, and even longer since she’d felt guilt at doing so - but she felt sadness and remorse for being the cause… again.

“Their choice, Beloved. Don’t take that away, and don’t assume that weight. It’s not your cross to bear.”

“Maybe, but I almost wish their choice hadn’t been an option, ya know?” Gabrielle looked at her hands once more then shifted her gaze to meet Xena’s eyes. “How are the Birds?” knowing Xena would have checked on them before returning to the Warehouse.

She nodded. “Resting. Darius feels confident that they are separated enough to be effective in the coming battle. But he says they’ll need another session when this is all over.”

Gabrielle nodded.”At least we have good news for Barbara. Any idea when they’ll wake up?”

Xena shook her head. “No idea. I imagine we can wake them when we need them, but I’d like for them to rest as long as possible. Helena especially needs whatever reserves she can accumulate to stand with Barbara as a her support as a Guardian.”

“Speaking of… where is Helen? I thought you went to fetch her back here.”

Xena shook her head. “She’s not coming. She’s not strong enough.”

Gabrielle’s eyes widened. “Really? I would’ve thought….”

“I did too, but she whined at me about finding someone else.” Xena shook her head. “We don’t have time to deal with that. We’ll find another way… someone willing who’ll stand with Kate.”

“It won’t be the same thing.”

“No… but she won’t have to stand alone either. We both know there are any number of women who would gladly step up and be her support… even without knowing her.” She looked up and out into the darkness of the Warehouse beyond the meeting room doors. “All right, you two. C’mon… we’ve got work to do, and I know it doesn’t take either one of you a hot second to change.”

The two superheroes edged forward slowly. “We just wanted to make sure you had time….”

“It’s all good,” Gabrielle interrupted Kara before she could start rambling. She handed her Pandora’s Box, and Kara accepted it solemnly. “I know I said these women would be following you,” holding up a hand before either woman could interrupt her again. “And I meant it. They will follow you, because you’ve earned that respect from them with all you’ve done, and it will give them an edge in confidence for them to know you are standing with them as Wonder Woman and Supergirl. However, they will also follow Xena and me… just as you will. I didn’t mean to imply any differently.” She held out her hands, and Diana and Kara placed a hand in each of hers. Then Gabrielle brought them together and Xena covered them. “El Mayara,” she pronounced, smiling slightly at the widening of Kara’s eyes. “We’re all in this together.”

“Gogo Gadget!” Kara replied, causing a ripple of laughter. They were still chuckling when they entered the conference room.

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

Darius picked up the phone on the first ring, though his eyes had been closed as though he was sleeping. “‘Lo?”

“Darius, my friend. How are things there?”

“Trick! Where are ya, my man?” He paused, swallowing a yawn. He was still tired from his earlier efforts with Dinah and Helena. “Things here be weird and uncomfortable. You can feel the bad juju jus’ flowin’ ‘round the whole place. Honest, I don’t know how any peoples live here a’tall. It’s no wonder the fae avoid it.” He made a face that Trick couldn’t see but that was very clear in his tone.

Trick sighed. “That bad?”

“Worse. This joint makes New Orleans look like Disney World.”

This time Trick’s eyes widened, and he blinked slowly trying to comprehend the magnitude of that statement. Finally… “Damn.”

“Yeah. I done been in touch with the local tribe here. Says this is ‘bout as bad as he’s ever seen. He’s willin’ to stand with us, though, and you was right. They’ll house the fae.”

“Why?”

“Huh?”

“Why? Why is he willing to stand with us? Not that I don’t appreciate his offer - I expected the housing. There are fae among them, and the more bodies we have in this, the better for us. But it’s still gonna be kind of a crap shoot, and I think we’ve got a fifty-fifty shot at it actually working at best… no matter how many people we pit against this guy.”

“Maybe. But he knows if we lose, him ’n’ his peoples stands to lose the most.”

Trick mulled over Darius’ words for several moments before he nodded his agreement. “Okay,” he agreed. “We just reached the border of Univille. Where do we need to come to meet you?”

Darius looked around at the bed and breakfast and the tiny plate of cookies in front of him. He cleared his throat. “How many of you there be?”

“We have a convoy.”

Darius’ eyes widened at the news, and he shoved a cookie into his mouth as he tucked the remainder into his pocket for later. “C’mon ’n' meet me at the bed ’n’ breakfast, then we’ll go on over to the res and see what we can do.”

Trick grunted his assent and hung up the phone. Then he turned to Kenzi and Ruby. “Lead the way,” he instructed. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

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

Laughter and applause broke out among the women as Ian wrapped up the story he’d been sharing. He crossed his hands over his chest and shook his head, a light flush covering his face. The women had been gracious about not asking too many questions about Xena and Gabrielle, but they hadn’t been quite as kind concerning him and Colleen… mostly because they were the ‘new kids’. He made a mental note to have a talk with his sister later about showing up for interrogations, then he was pulled out of his thoughts when Casey put a hand on his shoulder. He tilted his head in her direction, knowing she’d have to talk directly into his ear if she wanted to be heard.

“I’m gonna go talk to Abbie.”

He whipped his head around, then turned his whole body so they could be face to face. He studied her eyes, and for the first time since he’d met her, they were clear and bright when talking about Abbie Carmichael. He excused himself from his spot closest to the platform they’d rigged for storytelling and took her hand. He guided them through the crowd to a space that was relatively private and lifted their hands to his lips before pulling them to his chest. “If you’re sure.”

She nodded. “I’m sure. This is something I need to do for me… and for her. She may not deserve closure, but I do, and it won’t hurt my karma to offer her the same.”

Ian pressed a kiss to her forehead, letting his lips linger a moment. “Do you want me to come with you?”

“Yes,” she replied instantly. “But I need you to stay here. I need to do this alone.” She stepped back a pace to be able to look up into his face. I wouldn’t object to you lingering close by, though.”

He grinned. “Close as I can, Baby.”

“Let’s do this.”



Chapter LXXI

“What is taking them so goddamn long??” Bo groused as she paced back and forth in the confines of the conference room. “Surely this is important enough….”

“Why don’t you take a chill pill and relax?” Jane said with more than a hint of irritation. “Your grumbling and complaining isn’t gonna get them here any faster, and your pacing is kind of annoying.”

Before she could say anything else. Bo was at her side and lifting her from her chair by the back of her shirt, causing every other officer of the law to stand as a matter of course. “Don’t you tell me…!!”

“HEY!” Gabrielle’s voice broke through the tableau. “What the hell is going on here?” She looked at the fury on Bo’s face, and the mix of fear, anger and frustration on Jane’s. “BO!” gathering the Fae’s attention to herself. “Hey… I know this is hard on you, but you need to release Special Agent Rizzoli gently,” knowing she would slam her back into her seat if not instructed otherwise, “and go back to Lauren, all right? She can help alleviate some of what you’re feeling, if you let her.”

“How??” Bo demanded. “Nothing we’ve tried so far has fucking worked!”

“What have you tried aside from pacing and allowing your anger to make you frustrated? I know you haven’t been intimate; I doubt you’ve even been touching,” almost smirking at the crawl of red up Bo’s neck and face and the matching countenance on Lauren. “Bo, trust me. I’ve been dealing with this for far longer than you’ve been alive. Put Agent Rizzoli down and go sit next to Lauren.”

Bo studied her for a long moment, allowing her Fae senses to study Gabrielle for the truth. After a few minutes, she nodded slowly and exaggeratedly eased Jane back into her seat. The rest resumed their seats as Bo made her way around the room to Lauren, who extended her hand. That first touch eased the burning need somewhat, and Bo wondered why she hadn’t noticed it before. She released a slow breath, then looked up and met Jane’s eyes.

“Sorry. I don’t know how anyone else’s talisman works, but I swear I can feel fury and rage emanating from this fucking box, and it’s making me a little crazier than normal.”

Jane felt Maura’s touch on her leg before she opened her mouth to make a smart retort, and she turned her head to meet bright hazel eyes. Maura tilted her head and smirked slightly, causing Jane to do the same. She cleared her throat. “No problem,” she answered, feeling the sighs of relief travel around the room. “Does it make you stronger as well, or was that just you?”

Gabrielle held up a hand before Bo could answer and the meeting to get off track before they even started. “While I know you all have a lot of questions, we really don’t have time right now for a lot of extraneous information.”

Bo slapped the table. “Then where the hell have you been?? We’ve been stuck in this room half of forever!” Gabrielle turned to her, allowing her eyes to flash in warning. Bo jerked back and lowered her eyes in apology. “Sorry,” she muttered again, covering the hand Lauren still had resting on her knee.

Gabrielle closed her eyes momentarily to recover their normal verdant richness. “No. You of all people have an excuse for your anger. Had we ever suspected that a Fae would end up with a token - especially that of anger - we might have considered a little more about allowing that one out of our possession.”

Bo’s head snapped up. “That would have been detrimental….”

Gabrielle shrugged. “Perhaps, though after having all of them in our possession….” She shook her head.  “Besides, we didn’t know then how being longer lived might affect those chosen as Guardians.”

“Ya know,” Kate broke in, “not to be rude, but do you think you could clue the rest of into whatever the hell you two are talking about. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one feeling left out of the loop at the moment, and if we’re supposed to be a team, it might be good if we all understood what the hell is going on!”

Gabrielle permitted her gaze to wander around the table, seeing nods of agreement coming from everyone sitting there, though most of their expressions were patient and understanding. She nodded. “My apologies. There are so many secrets I’ve kept for so long - these among them - that I forget sometimes.”

“Forget what?” Alex asked when Gabrielle stopped speaking.

Gabrielle smiled. “Many things - I forget that you need to know; that you have a place at the table for a reason; that you all came here willingly; that we can’t do this without you, and you deserve the trust that implies.” She shrugged. “Sorry… I’m rambling, and we really don’t have time for that.” She rubbed a hand over her face, just as the door opened to the outside and Xena stuck her head in.

“You ready for us?”

Gabrielle motioned them in with her hand. “Yeah. I think our Guardians should meet the Guardians of Hope.”

Gasps went up around the table when Supergirl and Wonder Woman crossed the threshold carrying their own, larger box. Kara started to wave awkwardly before she realized it really wasn’t the time. Instead, she clenched the boxes she held a little tighter, stopping when she heard them creak beneath her grip. Diana covered her hands and their eyes met briefly. Kara smiled and nodded, and Diana did the same, then she turned back to the assembled women and cleared her throat.

“Hello, everyone,” she greeted. “I imagine you know who we are, but just in case, I’m Wonder Woman - Princess of the Amazons of Themiscyra - and this is Supergirl - Daughter of Krypton and Head of the House of El. And we are proud that Gabrielle asked us to accompany you all as fellow Guardians to meet the threat that Saligia represents to all of us.”

“Including you?” Janet asked.

“Including us,” Kara agreed. “Being superheroes doesn’t make us impervious to these feelings; it just makes us a little more aware of our reactions to them… because people could get hurt if we let them dictate our responses to them.”

“Okay… so how did you get chosen?” Olivia asked. “Not that I disagree - I think having a couple supers on our side is a great thing for us… especially if Saggy doesn’t know about you two. But all of us are here because of some legacy that started back in the Dark Ages,” not seeing Gabrielle flinch at the description, nor Xena step up behind her mate and place a calming hand on her back.

“They were chosen,” Xena enunciated carefully, “because they seemed the best to represent Hope, and Hope is what is going to tie all the rest of these together. Remember, they were all in Pandora’s Box together at one time, and Hope was the only one not lost when the Box was opened by Pandora.”

“Do you really believe that?” Sam asked.

Xena motioned Kara forward with the box. Diana took the box from Kara and opened it, then turned it so Kara could lift Pandora’s Box from inside. Gasps went up around the room as the women began to comprehend what they were seeing.

“Is that the actual…?”

Gabrielle nodded. “It is. It’s been kept in the Warehouse for… well, centuries at the very least. Probably a millennia or so,” watching as Kara put her hand over the handprint lock and turned it until it clicked, Then she triggered the spring and opened Pandora’s Box to lift out the pendant that had been placed there. All the women leaned forward for a better look.

“That’s interesting,” Maura commented softly to Jane, startled when all eyes swung in her direction. “What?” she asked, a little unnerved by the sudden attention of everyone in the room.

“What do you find interesting, Dr. Isles?” Gabrielle asked gently. Though she didn’t have Xena’s physician’s eye, she knew the damage that had been wrought to this formidable woman’s brain and how it had affected her personality.

“It’s just that… if I recall my mythology correctly… the phoenix represents renewal, rebirth and destruction, not hope. I’m curious why this symbol was chosen for hope.”

Gabrielle smiled. “Because what offers more hope than rebirth and renewal after destruction?”

Maura stared at her a moment longer, then nodded in acquiescence. “I hadn’t considered that.” She looked back at the Box and the charm that rested there. “May we see it? A little closer look, I mean.”

Gabrielle and Xena exchanged glances, then Xena shrugged just the slightest amount. Gabrielle looked around the room to find fourteen pairs of eyes watching them with interest, waiting for the verdict. “She nodded slowly. “Of course,” holding up her hands before they could surge forward. “However, I think one at a time would probably be best… not knowing how anything or anyone could react at this point.”

Quickly they formed a line, and Kara held it as they each studied it for a moment before stepping aside and allowing the next woman a chance to see. Surprisingly, none of them reached out to touch or to take; they simply observed. When they were all done, they resumed their seats and turned their attention back to Xena and Gabrielle.

“Okay… so now what?” Bo asked.

Before anyone could answer, there was a knock on the door, and Myka stuck her head in. “I’m sorry to intrude, but there’s a Dr. Helen Magnus out here. Says she’s supposed to be in there with you?”

Xena and Gabrielle looked at one another, then turned to meet Kate’s eyes. “Your decision,” Xena stated bluntly. “You need to have someone stand with you, but it doesn’t have to be Helen if you’re uncomfortable having her here after everything.”

The rest wondered, but no one spoke as Kate considered her options. She knew any of the guys would stand with her, but the truth was, Helen seemed to fit better for this assignment than any of them could. And she didn’t feel comfortable enough with anyone else to ask. She sighed and nodded. “Let her in.”

Xena turned back to Myka and nodded; she simply opened the door wider and stepped back to permit Helen to walk into the room. She colored darkly when she realized all eyes were on her, but she kept her focus on Kate. She sat down beside her and turned to face her, blocking out the rest of the room from her purview. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “I was being selfish, and that was unfair of me. I just needed a little time to get my perspective straightened up.”

“Are you all right?”

Helen closed her eyes. “Honestly? It’s a little uncomfortable in here. There’s a lot of… strong vibes in this room, and none of them are good. But I’ll manage. You need me to be here, and you deserve the best I can give you.”

Kate studied her a moment longer, then nodded her head. “Thank you, Magnus,” seeing Helen sigh in relief at the familiarity. Then she looked up to find the rest patiently waiting for them to finish. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be. This is a good thing. There’s a reason all of you have someone with you.” Gabrielle turned to Barbara. “Yours are still resting,” smiling at the relief she felt roll off the woman’s shoulders. “Darius did what he could for now; they just need some sleep.” She looked back around the room. “Now, most of you have heard the story of the talismans and how you ended up here. I think it’s time we fill in some blanks.”

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

Ian walked Casey to the area in which she’d seen Abbie disappear, then pulled her to a stop. “Are you sure about this?” he asked, concern coloring his eyes and voice. “You sure you want to do this alone?”

Casey cupped the side of his face and smiled. “No,” she replied honestly. “I wasn’t lying about that. But I really do think I need to do this alone. The fact that she came to you first to ask permission to talk to me… I think she really might be ready to give me some answers. Nothing is going to change how I feel about you… or her… but it would be nice to be able to put paid to this before we move forward.”

“No take backs,” he said, lifting her hand to his lips.

She chuckled. “You’re not that lucky,” she replied, bringing his hand to her lips and making certain to leave a lipstick print on the back of his hand.

“Marking me, Novak?”

She grinned and poked him in the chest. “I own you, Stone. You’re mine… you promised, remember?”

“I remember. Just don’t you forget that, hmm?”

“Not in a million years, Baby. Now let me do this. It’ll give us a clean slate to start with.”

“I like the sound of that.” He pulled her to him and kissed her passionately for long moments, then he eased back with small pecks. “Now, go talk to Miss Carmichael. Maybe she can find some peace.

“You’re a good man, Ian Stone. I’m glad you’re mine.” Then she turned and made her way to the trailer into which Abbie had gone.

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

Abbie hadn’t bothered with a light; she’d just crawled into the bunk she’d claimed as hers and curled up into it around her pillow. She lay there silently; she didn’t even have any tears left to spend. Those had all been cried out when she realized that Casey was gone and wasn’t coming back. Nights when she was alone in the big bed they had shared in an apartment that was strangely sterile without Casey’s warmth. Her mama had been angry and disappointed with her when she’d found out about their breakup and the true reason behind it. That had been when she’d understood just how colossal a mistake she’d made, and by then Casey had dropped out of her life so effectively, she hadn’t been able to find her for months. And when she had, it had been accidental, and it had destroyed her.

She’d been in New York for some case or other and had happened to see Casey outside a favorite deli not too far from the judicial building. She’d started to call out, despite knowing that Casey had made every effort to disappear from her life. But before she could part her lips to speak, a tall, good-looking man - whom she now knew was Ian Stone - had exited behind her and wrapped his arm around her waist, leaning down for a kiss as she met his lips with a smile and they shared a quick peck.

Abbie had turned from them and forgotten about the rest of her day. Instead, she’d gone back to her hotel and gotten falling down drunk. Then she’d finished up her case, taken a week off, and cried until she had no more tears left in her body. When she was done, she made it her mission to discover who the new man was in Casey life, and only once she was satisfied that he genuinely cared for Casey and was treating her like she should be treated did she stop digging.

She decided to be happy that Casey was happy and that Ian was the kind of man she deserved to have in her life. And she put it out of her conscious mind, knowing she’d made the bed she was currently occupying. Most days it wasn’t too difficult - she didn’t go to New York like she used to, and Casey never visited Washington, DC. Out of sight, out of mind wasn’t quite accurate, but it was as close as she could manage, and she’d been doing all right… until the convention in New Orleans. That had shown her exactly what and how much of her life she was missing and missing out on.

She’d been hoping Casey would show up there, but when she’d remained MIA, Abbie had decided to bite the bullet. She wouldn’t contact Casey directly - she’d lost that privilege- but she would instead talk to Ian and hope he was an honorable individual.

It hadn’t been a week since she’d spoken to him - it had only been a couple days, really - but so much had happened that it felt like a lifetime had passed since she’d gone to his classroom and endured his cold, polite ultimatum. She did believe he would tell Casey about meeting her, but she had no idea how Casey would respond to any of it.

And seeing them tonight - so happy together - for some reason, it had broken her heart all over again, and she’d left to try and pull herself together before someone noticed. She counted herself fortunate that her two closest friends - the ones who certainly would have noticed her disappearance - were holed up in the Warehouse doing… whatever it was that the Guardians were supposed to do. She spared a moment of thought for her lapsed Catholic upbringing… offering up a prayer for their safety. She wasn’t sure what she believed most of the time, but for this and for them, she prayed and hoped God listened.

An odd sound brought her head up off the pillow and caused a frown to cross her face. She waited, and it came again, and this time she was able to identify it as someone knocking on the door of the trailer. Her frown grew - who the hell was knocking on a door to what amounted to a barracks? You came in and went to your own bunk - you didn’t knock and wait for someone to invite you in! Then she realized that whoever was knocking probably wasn’t staying in this trailer, and she huffed as she pulled the pillow over her head, hoping whoever it was would simply GO. AWAY.

Another knock, and she growled, sitting up and slamming her pillow onto the bed. She stood slowly, careful to duck so she didn’t hit her head on the top bunk - once of that had been enough, thank you very much - and stomped toward the door…

… only to freeze in place when she heard a familiar voice call out softly. “Abbie?”

“Casey?” she whispered, unable to move for a long moment. Then she moved so quickly, she nearly tripped and fell out the door as she opened it. Casey had heard the heavy steps that had caused the trailer to shake just a bit, and she had backed away from the door as a matter of course. When Abbie flung the door open, she was distanced enough that she didn’t jump despite her surprise at Abbie’s entrance.

Abbie stood still in the doorway, drinking in the vision of the woman she had once called lover, but never anything more intimate outside the confines of her mind. Casey bore the regard kindly, allowing Abbie a few minutes to catch her breath… and her sense.

Finally, she spoke. “Hello, Abbie.”

Abbie closed her eyes and swallowed hard. “Casey,” she whispered again.

“Look at me, Abbie,” she commanded, though her stance remained relaxed, and her hands stayed loosely linked together in front of her. Abbie opened her eyes slowly and met green eyes full of compassion and caring and a hint of ire. The expression was almost her undoing and she swallowed hard again. Casey studied her, noting the thinness of her face and cheekbones; the prominent collarbones; the hip bones she could just make out under the layer of clothes covering them. She made no immediate comment; if things went well enough, she could mention them later. Instead, she offered a hand.

“I think we need to talk.”



Chapter LXXII

Abbie stuffed her hands in her pockets, and Casey let her hand fall with a frown. She moved to walk away, but Abbie called out to her. “Wait! Please….”

Casey turned to face her, just able to make out her heartbroken expression in the failing daylight. She cocked an eyebrow and waited.

“It’s… it’s not that I didn’t want to,” she explained, extending her own hand. “But I don’t trust myself, and I haven’t earned that privilege.” She waited patiently while Casey studied her, then relaxed slightly when she nodded her acceptance. “Would you like to come in?” motioning to the door behind her. “It’s not much, of course, but for now it’s private, and we would have light and heat. We can leave the door open if you prefer, but I’m not sure….”

“Abbie!” Casey cut in with a hint of frustration and impatience. “Take a breath. I came over here to talk to you, all right? Let’s go inside,” having seen the other woman shiver in the chilling air. “A little heat would be appreciated, and I’d rather not have this conversation in the dark. I want to see your face.”

Abbie paled a bit but nodded her head gamely as she opened the door and ushered Casey in ahead of her. She met Ian’s eyes from a distance, having seen him there almost the instant she had opened the door to find Casey standing there. She bowed her head slightly in acknowledgement of his presence and his place in Casey’s life, then she turned and entered the trailer, closing the door behind her. Ian stood there watching for another long minute before he felt them come up on either side of him.

“You all right?” Shaw asked, passing him a bottle of chilled water. It wasn’t what she would have chosen had there been a choice, but it was all they had. He accepted it with a nod of thanks and cracked it open, sucking down half the bottle before he winced in reaction.

“Brain freeze?” Lucy asked with a smirk. He winced and nodded. “Put your tongue on the roof of your mouth. It’ll help… I promise.”

He looked at her like she was crazy but did what she said. In a moment, he relaxed. “Thanks,” he said. He turned to Shaw. “And thanks for the water. I didn’t think about dehydrating out here. It’s not like the sun’s out or anything.”

She shrugged. “Maybe. But no humidity either.” She studied him carefully until he squirmed under the scrutiny.

“I’m fine,” he commented shortly. “I may not be thrilled about this, but it’s something Casey needs. She deserves some closure.”

“And Carmichael?”

He shrugged. “Sure, because at the end of the day, I got the girl. So I don’t begrudge her a chance to say goodbye… because giving her that opportunity was Casey’s choice.”

Lucy and Shaw both turned to look at him before their eyes met. “Casey’s a very lucky woman,” Lucy said after a long moment of silence. Ian’s smile was bright.

“Oh, I dunno. I think we’re both pretty lucky.”

“At least you know you’ll make beautiful children,” grinning when she watched the flush crawl up his cheeks. She turned to Shaw. “Can you imagine Xena and Gabrielle as grandparents?” seeing brown eyes go wide in horror. “Yeah… I’m not sure the world is ready for that.”

“Not sure any of us would survive it,” Shaw mumbled.

“Pretty sure it’s not something we have to worry about aaaaannnnnny time soon,” Ian interrupted. “There are a few steps between where we are and children.”

His wording caused both women to turn and look at him speculatively. “And where, exactly, is here, hmm?”

He zipped his lips, then smirked. They stared at him a moment longer, then echoed his smirk. They turned back to the trailer.

“You gonna stay here?”

Ian nodded. “Yeah. I promised Casey I’d stay nearby.”

“You want some company?”

“It’s not necessary.”

“Do you mind if we hang out with you for a bit then? It’s a little crowded around the bonfire right now.”

Ian looked between them, eyebrow up into his hairline. “Should I ask?”

“NO!” they chorused.

“All right,” he drawled. He lifted the water bottle to his lips and took a few swallows before looking back at the trailer. “Should probably get comfortable. I expect this is going to take a while.”

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

Casey walked into the trailer before she realized she had no idea where she was going. She stopped and waited for Abbie to enter and close the door, seeing her hesitate before she did so. It made her wonder, but before she could ask, the door was shut, and Abbie carefully slid by her without touching to wind her way to her bunk. She took a seat, pulling the pillow into her lap as she motioned Casey to the bunk across from her. “I don’t remember whose it is,” she commented offhandedly, “but I’m sure they won’t mind if you just sit for a few minutes.”

“You think this will only take a few minutes?”

“I think that’s about all I should be allowed to expect.”

Casey cocked her head and studied the woman across from her. “Abbie, what happened to you? I know what happened to us; I’m the one who made the decision to leave. But something happened to you first… because you changed… completely. Everything I knew - or thought I knew - about you changed. You became a different person… almost overnight. What happened?”

Abbie stared at her for a long moment, noting the little things that had changed for Casey too. There were more fine lines around her eyes and mouth, and though some of those could be put down to the passage of time, Abbie knew for certain that she contributed more than her share of them. She ran her hands through her hair, grabbing at it and pulling hard until she felt soft hands covering hers. She would have jerked away - tried to, in fact - but Casey’s soft hold was also steel-like. She closed her eyes and froze.

Casey eased the hands from her hair before she resumed her seat on the opposite bunk. “Abbie… look at me,” she commanded in a soft, firm voice. “You wanted to talk; you wanted to talk so badly that you were willing to speak to my f… to Ian first. Were you hoping he would tell you ‘no’ flat out? Were you hoping I would?”

Abbie’s head shot up, and her eyes opened. “No!” she squeaked, then cleared her throat. “No,” she reiterated more softly. “I figured I owed you both the courtesy after everything, but I really did want to talk to you. I would… I would like for us to try to be friends again, maybe… one day.”

Casey cleared her throat as her brows went up her forehead. “I see,” she replied after an awkward moment of silence. She nodded slowly in contemplation. “All right. I’ll keep that under advisement. But before that’s even a possibility, I want you to answer my questions. I deserve that much.”

“You deserve much more. Thankfully, you’ve got Ian now, and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt he will do everything in his power to make sure you get it.” She blew out a breath, and Casey waited patiently. “This is a lot harder than I thought it would be.” She looked down at her lap and twisted her hands together. “I was testing you,” she finally whispered, clenching her eyes closed and ducking her head as though afraid of some sort of physical retaliation.

Casey simply stared at her for a number of moments, then she finally choked out, “Excuse me?”

Abbie sighed. “I was testing you. You said you’d be there forever; that nothing could change the way you felt about me, so I decided to see how true that was.” She looked up and met Casey’s eyes squarely. “I never meant for it to go as far as it did. I never meant for it to go anywhere at all. I just wanted to know that you’d forgive me for being late; that you’d understand if I forgot an important date. I needed you to reassure me that I didn’t have to be perfect for you to love me.”

Casey’s mouth dropped open and her eyes widened almost comically. Then she forced her jaw closed with an audible snapping sound. “I thought I was doing it.”

Abbie slid from her bed and dropped to her knees in front of Casey. “You were! Oh, God, Casey… you were so amazing… so wonderful! But when I discovered that you would forgive me… that you would make allowances for my bad behavior, it started to snowball. It made me push harder - trying to find your breaking point… trying to figure out just exactly how far I could go before you decided it was enough.”

Casey tilted her head and regarded Abbie thoughtfully. “Huh,” she finally said after several moment of silence. “I guess you found out.”

Abbie flinched at the bluntness of the statement but lowered her head in acknowledgement. “Yeah… I guess I did. And it was the worst moment of my life.” She shook her head, and her voice wavered, but no tears fell from her eyes. She sucked in a deep breath. “I remember coming home… I’m guessing it was the day after you left. I had stayed out all night again without calling.” She met Casey’s eyes. “I didn’t cheat ,and I didn’t screw around,” she confessed fiercely. “I was actually alone in the office working on a case - I don’t remember… I think it was the Juarez Cartel and their ties to domestic terrorism. Whatever.” She shook her head again. “It doesn’t matter, really. What does matter is that I fell asleep. That’s not an excuse, and it’s certainly not what happened every time. Some nights, I just went out to dinner alone and got a hotel room, alone, so I didn’t have to come home. But that night, I really, truly fell asleep. I didn’t wake up until my PA came in my office to start setting up for the day.” She smiled sadly. “Pretty sure I scared the kid out of a year’s growth.

I remember packing up all my notes and stuff into my briefcase and telling Patrick I’d be back in an hour or two. Except when I got home, you were… gone. There was nothing left of you; every trace of you had vanished, and I realized right then how badly I had screwed up. I had finally pushed too far.”

“I cried for days when I left,” Casey confessed.

“I cried for days when you left too,” Abbie replied. “And then I tried to find you, but you had just… disappeared. Then I was angry for a long time before I acknowledged that the situation was solely my responsibility, and that I was the only one who could change it.” She paused, then continued. “I came to New York several months ago - okay, I came to New York regularly; you know that from before we even got together,” waiting for Casey to nod. “But that time, I came to New York specifically to look for you.” She shook her head and chuckled. “I’m still not sure what I was thinking. I mean… I suspected you’d go back there; it was more home to you than Virginia or DC ever was, despite having grown up there, and most of our friends… your friends were there. But it’s a massive conglomeration of people and places, and without having a starting place, I was kinda relying on the luck of the draw.”

Casey smirked. “And how did that work out?”

Abbie smiled sadly. “I spotted you and Ian coming out of our favorite deli. I knew right then you were completely beyond my reach.”

Casey nodded, then looked down at her clasped hands. “When you first started… going crazy… I tried desperately to get you to open up and talk to me. When you wouldn’t and your behavior got worse, I put in a call to Xena.” She looked up and met Abbie’s eyes. “She and Gabrielle have been part of the Foundation from the beginning, and I felt like she was someone I could talk to.”

“More than Gabrielle?” Abbie interrupted. “I thought she was the more sensitive and people oriented of the two.”

“She is… if you ask Xena,” Casey replied with a smirk, causing Abbie to smile slightly. “But Xena is a bona fide medical doctor, and though none of her specialties involves psych studies, she does have a fairly comprehensive grasp on the subject.”

“So you called her to have her psychoanalyze me?!” getting a little heated. “You had no right!”

“Abbie, sit down and shut up and listen, all right?” her tone and manner more than enough to make Abbie comply. “I called Xena to talk about me and what my best options were. Since you weren’t willing to talk to me, I knew I had to look out for myself. I discussed you a little, but only as it pertained to me so Xena could understand where I was coming from and give me the best advice she could for my circumstances.

When we got through it all… the whole story… she invited me to come back to New York. I was hesitant, as you can imagine - I didn’t want to run into any of the people I had left… not until I could sort my life out and meet them on more even footing. Gabrielle joined the call about then and asked about my organizational and secretarial skills.

Pretty sure she could hear the confusion in my voice, because she offered me a place with them as their PA and office manager. It wasn’t law, but it was something I could do well and proudly, and still make a difference. They gave me a place to stay until I could find my own, and they made me family. Despite how and why it happened, I can’t say it hasn’t been a good thing for me.”

Abbie couldn’t contain the gasp of pain at Casey’s matter-of-fact words, and she shrank in on herself just the slightest bit. Casey sat silently, knowing any words of comfort she offered would seem like mere platitudes, because she had told Abbie the truth. Some days she missed the law, but she could honestly say that leaving it behind had done wonders for her stress levels. And once she and Alex had gotten the Foundation up and running, it mostly ran on its own with little supervision. So, she’d been stuck in a limbo that had contributed to her dissatisfaction in DC. Still, she would have stuck it out and found something new to do had it not been for Abbie’s behavior. That had been the catalyst for her to make the changes she needed to find her own happiness. Finally….

“I’m sorry, Abbie. I loved you… so much… and it tore me apart to realize that we were never going to be forever.” She took a shuddering breath. “I was pretty torn up for a while.”

“How long did it take?” she asked in a whisper. “How long did it take for you to replace me?”

Casey shook her head. “Oh, Abbie… it wasn’t like that. You’re not someone I could replace; you’ll always have a special place in my heart… you did even when I was so angry with you I couldn’t see straight,” rolling her eyes when she saw the smirk cross Abbie’s face. “No pun intended.” She sighed. “Ian met me at the airport when I went back to New York. Xena and Gabrielle were out of the City, and Xena asked him to be their ambassador. He was nice and kind and attentive in the most subtle way I’ve ever seen. He checked in with me every day while they were gone, and when they came back, he continued. I got to know him as part of the family, and it’s only been in the last few months that we’ve gone beyond that.”

Abbie straightened and met Casey’s eyes squarely. “I can’t say it doesn’t hurt, because I’d be lying. But I can honestly say I have never seen you look so happy… so radiant.” She smiled sadly. “It’s a good look on you.” She cleared her throat. “If… maybe someday… I would still like us to be friends. I know I don’t have the right to ask, but I don’t want to lose you from my life again.” She chuckled softly. “You did not hear the dressing down Mama gave me for letting you leave.”

“Letting me?” Casey responded with a smirk.

Abbie rolled her eyes. “You know how Mama gets. But she told me if I had any sense at all, I’d do whatever it took to make sure not to let you get away.” She held up a hand before Casey could interrupt. “Now I know that we are never going to be an us again - I made sure of that with my stupidity. And I really wouldn’t want to screw up your happiness with Ian… aside from what Xena would likely do to me if I tried,” she added with a wry smile that made Casey laugh. “Right. But I would like to be friends. I think I could do that without screwing that up.”

Casey took a long moment and studied Abbie seriously. What she was asking was far harder than she could know. Not because of Ian or Xena or Gabrielle - who Casey had learned long ago could be the most formidable individual Casey had ever met - but because of Casey herself. Abbie had broken her in ways that she was still discovering, and the trust they’d shared had been shattered in shards that shredded her heart. Only time and patience and Ian’s understanding had started repairing the damage that had been done, but even now, there was still a core of reluctance to allow anyone - especially Abbie - that kind of power. There was, however, something that rang true in Abbie’s words, and honestly, Casey missed the friend she had been before they became lovers. And it was apparent from Abbie’s looks and demeanor that this had done something to her fundamentally.

Casey took a deep breath. “I don’t trust you,” watching Abbie shrink under her words. “I can’t… not yet, and maybe not ever. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to try to be friends again - it means I’m not sure if I can. I’m not sure I can trust myself to give you a fair shot at this.” Abbie pinched her lips together and nodded. “You’re going to have to give me some time. And I’m going to have to talk to Ian,” seeing Abbie slump down farther. “He deserves to know. We’ve never hidden anything from each other. I won’t lie to him about this. And truthfully, he’ll likely be your ally,” watching in amusement when Abbie’s head snapped up, and she popped her neck in her haste to meet Casey’s eyes. “If there is even one reason that being friends with you is a good thing for me, he’ll find it and make sure I know he’s okay with it.”

“You do realize he’s not quite human, right?” Abbie joked.

Casey cocked an eyebrow. “You do realize whom he counts as his parents, right?”

Abbie’s eyes widened, but before she could comment, a shriek from somewhere beyond them rent the stillness of the night that had fallen around them. Almost immediately, it was echoed by a scream from much closer… almost where they had left Ian standing watch. They both jumped up from their respective places and ran for the door.

They saw Lucy kneeling beside a prone Ian and raced out the door. They crossed the open area and skidded to a halt beside them, and Casey dropped to his side as she came even with them.

“What happened?” she demanded, even as she gingerly touched the bruising so obvious around his cheekbone and eye. “Do you do this?” she demanded, looking harshly at Lucy.

Lucy held up her hands and shook her head. “Wasn’t me. This was Shaw’s doing. Didja hear that howl a minute ago?’ seeing them nod. “Yeah, she screamed ‘Root’ and headed back toward the sound. Ian made the mistake of getting in front of her to find out what she thought was going on. She belted him out of the way and took off like she was on fire or something.”

Ian shifted and moaned as he reached for his eye. “Ow.”

“Hey, Baby,” Casey said softly. “How ya feeling?”

He grinned, though it looked more like a grimace. “Glad I’ve never tried to spar with her,” he quipped. “What happened?” He looked at Lucy. “Do we know why she ran off?”

“Not yet. Thought we’d wait til you could stand on your own two before we started looking.”

He sat up slowly. “Give me a minute; then we can go.” He turned his attention to Casey and the hovering-in-the-background Abbie. “You get things settled?”

“We’ll talk about it later. Let’s see if we can find out what set off Sameen. For all her crazy, she’s not one to go off without a good reason, and obviously she felt there was one regarding Root.”

She and Lucy helped him to stand, then the four of them turned to head back to the bonfire… and whatever had caused such an unpleasant sound.

Part 9