I was going to type up the first chapter today, but I had a nasty headache, and I never got to it. Tomorrow I'm working a double at work, so it looks like it's going to have to wait until Thursday. Sorry to all my loyal fans who were hoping to see it sooner. I'll be sure and knock it out as soon as I can, though.:)

I found the manuscript of my second Xena novel, and I'll start typing up the first chapter today. Unfortunately, all I have is a rough draft, not the finished copy, so it will need some reworking. But I went over it last night and there are only a couple of major changes I need to make, and they don't come untill later in the story, so the first few chapters at least ought to be simple. It's called "The Contested Throne". I hope you all enjoy this one as much as you did the last one.:D

I've almost gotten a new show, another Kiwi one, but this one actually made it to the States, so I have access to some episodes. It's a cartoon called Bro'Town, and I guess the best way to describe it would be a Polynesian Simpsons. I haven't actually watched any episodes yet, but I plan to as soon as I get it, and since there's a number of episodes that needed work on the cast and crew (not to mention allusions from the episode titles), I should be able to get it within the next day or so. I hadn't really planned to go for any more shows, since I have so much I want to do on Lois & Clark and La Femme Nikita, but when I saw that I'd be able to actually watch it, I figured, why not? It will be my first cartoon, as well, so that's a bit of a milestone. Of course, the real one is to make it to the top twenty-five contributor list by my birthday in April, so hopefully that will come in time as well. I'm also planning to start posting my second Xena novel sometime this week, but I'll let you know when that will be later. First I have to drag it out of storage, and I'm not entirely sure where I put it. But there's only so many places it could be, so it shouldn't be too tough.:)

I've been making a bunch of submissions for a favorite show of mine recently- La Femme Nikita- and today to my surprise, the editor maxpower03 has made me a trusted contributor! I really wanted that, but didn't want to ask just yet, and I didn't know if it would fly anyways, since there was already one person trusted for the show. But now I have the chance to really work on the show as I wanted to, thanks to max! So, yay me!:D

As you can see by looking at my profile, I've had quite a bit of experience in becoming the editor for various people here at TV.com. But recently the moderators have been rejecting submissions for completely spurious reasons, and I've had enough. I have just had two submissions in a batch of five total rejected because I listed my source as IMDb but did not provide a link to the specific page. However, the other three, from different sources, were accepted at the same time in spite of the fact that there was no link for them, either. Now, IMDb is easily searched, so why would a link be necessary for them, but a magazine article, which would take significantly more tracking down by the moderators, would not need one?! There seems to be no logic behind these rejections! I also had a bio for the model Iman rejected because I named Wikipedia as my source, because supposedly Wiki isn't always accurate. However, the exact same info from a fansite for Iman was accepted! And some additional info from Wiki that I submitted for her trivia section was also taken without any problem. The moderators have a difficult, tedious, thankless job to do, and I don't want to totally trash them out of pique. But there needs to be some consistency. I need to know what I need to do to make this site better. So, in the future I will be providing links for all submissions, in spite of the fact that 99.9% of my previous submissions were accepted without them. I have also decided not to submit bios until I become the editor of the person in question, because that seems to be the section that is most stringent in it's requirements. It's almost gotten me to stop going for people altogether, but that would be giving up, and I enjoy what I do here to much to do that. So cross your virtual fingers with me that the mods don't find some other niggling thing to reject out of the blue, and let me get back to doing what I do without any more drama.:?

I loved the show Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman when it came out in the early nineties, and when I discovered this website I knew it was a show that I wanted to revisit and submit for on a regular basis. I did a deccent amount of work on it, but I never thought I'd get the opportunity to go whole hog on it as a trusted contributor, or better still, as editor. But once I hit 100 points I got a message from the editor ntonks_tvtome who had just decided to make me trusted! I was tickled pink, and told him (as I do all the editors who make me trusted) that I wouldn't try to take the show away from him without express permission, and to my even greater surprise, he gave it! So I went for it, and am now the proud editor of my first primetime show from a major network! I love most of my shows (particularly the ones I've actually watched:lol:!), but I feel that there's something special about having one that was such a hit in it's time, and one that most people remember, even if they didn't watch it themselves. Teri Hatcher might not be a Desperate Housewife today if it weren't for Lois and Clark, and while Dean Cain has faded from sight, he was still amazing as Superman/Clark Kent. So thanks again, ntonks, for making this possible, and yay me!:D

"Evie's a fussy girl this evening," Xena commented as she vainly struggled to change her daughter's diaper.

The Warrior Princess had met every challenge life had thrown at her and conquered, but this evening, it seemed there was a changing of the guard, and a new undefeated champion to reign. Eve simply would not stay still long enough for Xena to pin her squirming, kicking daughter into a clean cloth.

Gabrielle watched mother and daughter with a tender smile on her face. One of her parents' strongest objections to her travels with Xena was that she'd never settle down and have a family of her own. But she already had that family- Eve couldn't be more her own than if she had carried her nine months herself, and Xena... well, they'd never understand all that Xena meant to her. They were all the family she'd ever need. If others joined them in time she'd welcome them gladly, but Xena remained her home and her heart.

Which was a good thing for Xena, because it looked like she was in some need of assistance with her baby.

"Whoa!" Xena exclaimed when one of her daughter's kicking feet connected with her chin as she leaned over her. Xena hadn't known that a six month old could kick that hard!

"Oo, that'll leave a mark," Gabrielle observed with a laugh.

"You definitely got mommy's legs, didn't you?" Xena said to her daughter, torn between pride and frustration. "I think it's time for the Warrior Princess to tag out and let an Amazon Queen take a shot."

"Hm, one baby, I think I can manage," Gabrielle said teasingly.

"Hey, she's not just any baby, she's my baby! I'll put her up against a Roman legion any day!" said Xena, pride winning out as she passed her still fussing daughter over to her partner.

"She's not so tough," Gabrielle said confidently. "You just need the right technique."

Xena had managed to get her naked daughter clean, so Gabrielle lay the infant on her own soft, furry bedroll. The familiar warmth of the thick fur relaxed the girl's kicking, as did the soothing sound of Gabrielle's voice.

"Okay, Evie, if you're a good girl I'll tell you a new story."

She tickled Eve's bare belly to make her laugh, and then began.

"There once was a three headed giant. Since it had three heads, it also had three names, because it could never find a name that all three liked. The head on the giant's right shoulder was named Kes, the middle head was named Eks, and the head on the left was named Sek.

"Aside from not being able to agree on a single name, they were happy. They kept a flock of sheep to eat when they were hungry, and wore their hides as clothing, They lived in the far off hills, so no one ever bothered them. They were never lonely, because they always had each other to talk to.

"But one day the Goddess Discord discovered them. She knew that they would terrify any people who saw them, so she decided to convince them to leave their hills and come work for her. She told them they were stupid for chasing after their own sheep when they could take other people's without even trying hard, and that clothes made from sheep's wool was much nicer than a bare sheep's hide.

"Kes, Eks, and Sek weren't very smart giants, so what Discord told them sounded like a good idea. After all, watching sheep all day long making sure that they weren't taken by wolves was tiring, and they had to do it no matter how hot the summer or cold the winter. Discord also described the palace where they would soon live, and while they could only picture the wonders she described as a fancier version of their own dark and dank cave, it still sounded wonderful.

"'All you have to do is listen to me, and you'll be living like kings,' Discord promised.

"They happily agreed, and did everything that Discord had told them. They went to a nearby village and threatened to beat up the people there unless they were given all the sheep they wanted to eat. They wore new clothes woven on a loom dyed in bright colors. They were given the finest house in the village as their own, and several young men and women to wait upon them.

"But in spite of having everything they ever wanted and more, soon they began to argue. No one in the village knew whether they should call the giant Kes, Eks, or Sek. Whenever one of the serving men asked, 'Are you hungry, Lord Kes?', Eks and Sek became wildly jealous. And Kes and Eks were filled with rage whenever a girl wove a green robe like Sek wanted, because they preferred red and blue. But the worst was when all the rest of the villagers always spoke to Eks first, because his head was in the middle, just like the other people, so they must have thought that that was where heads belonged.

"The three had nicer food, brighter, softer clothes, and a cozy house, but now they quarreled with each other all the time. They made each other miserable, and the people around them became three times as afraid of the quarrelsome giant.

"Then Discord returned to see how they were doing, and if they were ready to move into the big time with her. While she was happy that they were so eager to fight and scare the villagers serving them, she also knew that they'd never be really useful to her if they spent all their time arguing about foolish things. They even got angry with her when she didn't know which one of them she should talk to first, either!

"So Discord decided that if the giant was going to be of any use, it had to have only one head. She told them that she would ask each of them a question, and the one who answered best would become the giant's only head. Kes, Eks and Sek were so jealous of each other that they readily agreed, each determined to finally be the one in charge.

"The Goddess told them that she was going to ask them their question in alphabetical order, to keep them from arguing about who would go first. Kes and Sek grumbled but didn't try to insist that she choose one of them instead. Eks, on the other hand, was certain that him going first meant that Discord wanted him to win. After all, her head was in the center of her shoulders, just like him! So he waited for her question with a big grin on his silly face.

"Discord asked him, 'If I made you king, what would you do?'

"Eks thought about the question carefully. 'I will wear only blue clothes,' Eks said, knowing how mad that would make Kes and Sek.

"Discord rolled her eyes at the stupid answer, and then asked Kes the same question. 'I will make everyone I meet bow to me saying, "Yes, Lord Kes."'

"Discord was twice as angry at his answer, as were Eks and Sek. So lastly, she asked Sek what he would do, and he answered, 'I will hit everyone I meet in the head until it moves over to their left shoulder, just like my head!'

"Discord was delighted with Sek's answer, and told him, 'You win!' She chopped off the heads of Kes and Eks, and Sek had fun kicking them around the way he had seen boys in the village playing with a sheepskin ball.

"So Lord Sek became the sole tyrant of the village. He always wore a green robe, and everyone knew that they had to bow when they saw him and say, 'Yes, Lord Sek.' And if anyone was slow to do so, he did indeed hit the offending person in the head and try to send it over to their left shoulder, if only for a short time.

"For awhile Sek was happy, but as time passed he became lonely. He didn't have anyone to talk to anymore, especially since all of the villagers were too scared to say anything except, 'Yes, Lord Sek' or 'No, Lord Sek' to him. Soon he stopped wearing green clothes and wore blue to remind himself of Eks. He also told the villagers to call him Lord Kes.

"But it did no good, he still missed his other heads. So when Discord came to him and asked if he was ready to try something better, all he did was beg her to return his friends to him. Discord was furious, but she knew there was no use in arguing. She just asked, 'Are you sure you want to be with them?'

"And Sek said, 'Yes.'

"So Discord chopped off the giant's last head, and Sek joined the other two in Tartarus, where Hades had put them to punish them for being mean to the villagers and stealing their sheep. But somehow, the fires of Tartarus didn't seem as bad, now that all three of them were together again, as they should be.

"So the moral of the story is, even the worst things can be bearable as long as you're with the people you love."

As Gabrielle finished the story, she also finished securing Eve's clean diaper. The child had hung on her every word as if she understood what Gabrielle had been saying, and had allowed Gabrielle to dress her without a fight. The bard picked up Eve and hugged her close.

Xena watched them together and smiled. All was as it should be, indeed.

Xena was awake and already packed when Gabrielle got back to the tent they had shared. Her friend wanted to say something to her, anything to make this easier on her. But she couldn't find the words when she saw the bleak expression on Gabrielle's face. Words were her partner's specialty, not hers, but Xena suspected that there weren't any words that could have made much of a difference in this case. Only time would bring true comfort. Gabrielle would simply have to endure the heartache until it faded enough to be forgotten. Thankfully, she knew how strong her friend's spirit was. They'd been to Tartarus and back together, and somehow they'd always managed to pull through the worst times together.

So instead of offering a few inadequate words, Xena reached over to Gabrielle and squeezed her shoulder. Gabrielle lifted a hand and covered Xena's with her own for a moment, then went to pack her own gear. When she finished she faced Xena, her eyes full of determination.

"Breakfast first, and then we go, right?" she asked with forced cheerfulness. Pretending everything was all right helped to make it become so in reality all the sooner.

"Sounds good to me," Xena agreed gently.

They slung their bags over their shoulders and headed over to one of the cook fires. It was still pretty early, but the cooks were already hard at work preparing food for the camp. The men who'd been relieved of their watch at the dawn shift change were eager for a hot breakfast before the start of the rest of their day.

The women fished their bowls out of their packs and got them filled with porridge by one of the cooks. They found themselves a seat out of everyone's way to eat their steaming breakfast. They were nearly finished when they were approached by Damon.

"Gabrielle, can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked hopefully. He hadn't had a chance to apologize to her again, and he knew he owed it to her. If he didn't do it now, he might never get the chance.

"Of course," she replied a bit nervously. She waited with a certain amount of trepidation, Every time they talked Gabrielle ended up feeling guilty about Perdicus, and after spending last night in Alexander's bed, there was more reason than ever. She hoped this conversation would go differently. If he had something to say about Alexander, she was determined not to let it get her down this time. It really wasn't any of his business.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to make this quick. Xena and I were just about to leave."

"It won't take long," he assured her.

Xena stood up. "I'll wash your bowl while I do mine. When you're done here, meet me at the east guard post."

"Thanks," Gabrielle told her, passing her empty bowl over to her friend.

Xena took it and walked away. Gabrielle took a swig from her water bottle, then put the cork back in and dropped it into her pack, waiting for Damon to start.

"Gabrielle, I know you and I haven't exactly gotten along since you got here, and that's my fault," he said uncomfortably. "I'm really sorry. I was living in the past, and I guess I expected, no, needed you to as well. But that wasn't my only problem.

"I couldn't let Perdicus go because I felt guilty that my only brother had married and died years ago and I didn't even know. What kind of man never even tries to stay in touch with his family? So I blamed you to keep from blaming myself."

"Damon, it's not something you should feel guilty about. I know how much you and Perdicus cared about each other. You can't blame yourself for leaving home to live the life of your choice."

Damon shook his head sadly. "Gabrielle, I've only been home once in the last four years. I haven't even been in Greece for the last three! I tell myself I love my brother, but how can that be true when he hasn't been part of my life for so long?"

"Separation doesn't change the way we feel about the ones we love, and I should know. You left your home to follow your own way, just as Perdicus did for a time. He'd be the first one to tell you that you were right to do it. He forgave me when I left without even saying goodbye, so he wouldn't hold a grudge against you for leaving.

"I also know there are some things you wish you'd said to him when you had the chance, but none of that matters now. The dead can hear the thoughts of the living, so he knows how you feel. All you can do now is decide to do all the other things you know you'd regret not doing.

"Alexander is sending his army back to Macedonia. You could go home and visit your parents. They've lost one son, but maybe his loss can return their other son to them. Remember, it's never too late to start all over again."

"That's a good idea. I can see them and tell them about my promotion," he said thoughtfully.

"Promotion?" she asked.

"Yeah, can you believe it? General Craterus made me a Lieutenant. He said he was impressed by the initiative and skill I showed getting you out of your prison and bringing Hephaestion to him. Oh, and he promoted Cleitarchus, too. Now's he's got my old job," he told her, obviously just as happy and proud of his friend's good fortune.

"That's great," Gabrielle told him, pleased by his news. "I can't think of any two men in this army who deserve it more."

"Thanks," he said, slightly embarrassed by her praise.

Gabrielle stood up to go. "Well, I better get going. Xena's waiting for me, and she's a little impatient when she's ready to do something."

"Wait, there's just one more thing," he told her.

Gabrielle waited.

"I could see how close you and Alexander were getting. I hope you're not leaving because of me and what I might say or think about it. I see now that I was wrong to act the way I did. I know Perdicus would want you to find love again. So I don't want you to feel like I would blame you if you wanted to be with the King, because I won't."

Damon's words were the balm that her raw and wounded soul needed. "Thank you, Damon, that means a lot to me. I promise you, I'm leaving for my own reasons. Maybe I'll be ready to be with another man someday, but I'm not yet. And even if I was, there's still Xena. I don't know if I'll ever be able to leave her. So don't worry, I'm not going because of you. But thank you for caring. You're a good friend, and a good brother."

"You're a good friend, too," he said a bit huskily. "I guess you better get going, then."

"Goodbye, Damon," she said, kissing him on the cheek. "I'll see you around."

"I hope so," he replied. "Goodbye, Gabrielle."

His brother's widow gave him a small wave and a final smile. She walked away, and Damon watched her go. He wished he could think of something else to say before she was gone, but he couldn't. All he could do was let her go, probably out of his life forever.

Alexander, Hephaestion and King Porus were at the east guard post with Xena when Gabrielle arrived there. The three man had given the beautiful warrior their thanks again, and then went on to discuss the women's road ahead. King Porus had invited Xena and Gabrielle to his palace for a visit, though not until their return trip home, since he wanted to be there to personally see to their comfort.

"And after you get back from India, where will you be going?" Hephaestion asked Xena.

"Oh, Gabrielle and I usually go wherever our feet take us, unless we know we're needed somewhere in particular," Xena told him. "But we always go back to Greece eventually."

"Well then, you'll just have to make sure you visit us also when you get there," Hephaestion said. "I'm not sure where Alexander and I will be, but I'm certain someone in his empire will be able to tell you where we are."

"Sure we will, " said Xena with a smile. Of course, she planned to leave the actual decision up to Gabrielle. Xena had heard Alexander tell Porus that he was ready to marry the Princess Roxanne, so her friend might not might not want to make that visit.

She turned to Gabrielle, who was waiting silently, staring at the ground. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah, I'm ready," she answered her companion quietly. There was no point in prolonging the agony.

Xena extended her arm to the Macedonian King. "Goodbye, Alexander. I hope everything works out for you."

"Thank you, Xena, I'm sure it will. And as I'm certain you already know, I would greatly welcome a visit from you as Hephaestion said," he told her with only the faintest hint of pleading in his voice. He knew he'd be breaking his promise to Gabrielle if he made his feelings more obvious, but he couldn't help asking. They gripped each other's forearms for a few, meaningful seconds and then released each other.

Meanwhile, Hephaestion addressed himself to Gabrielle. "Thank you for all your help, Gabrielle. I hope you find what you're looking for in India. Have a safe journey."

Gabrielle had told him about her spiritual quest. He'd sincerely found the idea fascinating, and had asked her to share any insight she found with him. Hephaestion was curious to see if there was a better way than that prescribed by the Olympian Gods, especially since they'd be spending a lot of their time in the east and out of the Gods' realm.

"Thank you, too, Hephaestion. Have a good trip back to Greece," she told him.

Hephaestion smiled and turned to Xena. Alexander faced Gabrielle, and invoked a prayer to the Gods that it wouldn't be for the last time of his life.

"Goodbye, Gabrielle. I'll never forget you," he said with quiet intensity.

"I'll never forget you, either," she replied. She smiled one last time for him, and he did his best to match her as he had promised. Then she walked away at Xena's side.

Alexander watched her depart pensively.

"Are you going to be all right?" Hephaestion asked his friend.

"All right?" he asked. "Yes. Anything beyond that?"

There was no answer for that question yet. Only the Fates knew if his heart would ever mend.

Hephaestion clapped his friend on the shoulder and left. King Porus followed him with a knowing look on his face. Alexander remained there until the two women were out of sight. Then he turned and walked away. Duty called him. He had a meeting to attend with King Porus, and the woman that was soon to be his wife to see.

Epiloque

Xena and Gabrielle left King Alexander and the Macedonian army behind them. They quickly settled into their accustomed walking pace, traveling in thoughtful silence. Each felt as if their was an embargo on many of the topics of conversation from the last week. Luckily there were still a few safe subjects left, so once their silence had stretched to the limit, Gabrielle picked one and began a conversation.

"Xena, do you realize you just stopped a war by using words, not fighting? You always say that words are my strong suit, not yours, but I think that just proves you underestimate your powers of persuasion. If it weren't for your decision to deliver a message of peace to Porus, Alexander would be dead and Porus' Kingdom would be overrun by a bloodthirsty army," Gabrielle pointed out to her best friend.

"It wasn't really me," said Xena with a shrug, embarrassed by the praise. "Alexander and Porus were the ones who laid aside suspicion and chose peace instead. All I did was help to make sure they'd get the chance to talk things out before things got out of hand."

"Still, if it wasn't for you, there'd be war."

"And you, Gabrielle. Alexander never would have listened to me after I got back if it wasn't for his trust in you."

"Maybe," said Gabrielle uncomfortably. She wasn't ready to talk about Alexander or her influence over him. Instead she attempted to send the conversation in another, safer direction.

"King Porus was a pretty amazing sight, wasn't he? I mean, he has to be one of the biggest men I've ever seen. He was humongous! I wonder if he has any giant blood in him?"

"I don't think so," Xena replied. "But you're right, he was huge. Remember the warlord Cleon? Even he would look small next to Porus."

Xena knew she couldn't bring up Alexander yet but she figured it would be safe to ask her about Damon. Their conversation couldn't have gone too bad or the bard would have been even more upset than she already was when they left the Macedonian camp.

"So, what did Damon have to say?" she asked.

"He wanted to apologize for having blamed me for leaving Perdicus," Gabrielle told her friend. "And he also wanted to know if I was leaving because of him. I told him I wasn't. His accusations hurt, but they didn't make up my mind for me. I left because I knew that in the long run that was what would make me happiest."

"You couldn't have been happy with Alexander?" Xena couldn't help asking.

Gabrielle paused a moment before answering. "I would have been happy in some ways. But I would have been miserable in others. I know I made the right decision, no matter how hard it may be to deal with the consequences."

"Gabrielle, you may have left him for now, but it doesn't have to be forever, does it?" Xena asked encouragingly. She wanted to keep the possibility alive if it would keep Gabrielle from being crucified at her side. "You might decide to go back and see him someday."

"I don't think that would be a very good idea," Gabrielle told her friend. "When he knew that I wouldn't be staying he decided to accept King Porus' proposal that he marry the Princess Roxanne. If I did go see him he'd be the one who wasn't free to follow his heart. And I have no intention of coming between a man and his wife, even if it's only an arranged marriage. No, seeing him would just make giving each other up harder on both of us."

Xena nodded. Alexander being married did put a new spin on things. She wished for Gabrielle's sake that things could have ended differently. But at least she and Gabrielle still had each other, and not even death would tear their love apart.

They mounted a small hill near the border of Taxiles and surveyed the expanse of land ahead of them. They were about to enter a new land together and both wondered what they would find there. Only the Fates knew what India had in store for them, but whatever it was, the only thing that mattered was that they would face it together. And for both of them, that was exactly the way it should be.

"You know, this is all going to make a great story," commented Gabrielle.

"I'm sure it will," Xena agreed with a smile.

A thunderbolt rippled through the Heavens with a crash.

"Oh yeah!" Ares groaned with a smug expression. "Did the sky move for you, too?"

"Told you I could teach you a few new tricks," Discord said with a feline smile of her own.

"You are... fiendishly inventive," Ares granted her graciously. "There's no denying your many talents."

"I'm glad you think so, because I've got a new one I want to try."

"I'm there!" Ares told her a bit too eagerly. The God was insatiable, whether for love or war.

"That's not the talent that I'm talking about," she informed him with a pout. Men's minds had only one track, but she had hoped that the foreplay would have derailed him for at least a few minutes! "Don't worry, you'll like this better. I have the perfect way to spark off that war you wanted between Athens and Sparta. Think of it, the two biggest cities of Greece fighting for control of the rest! All the little cities will be swept into picking sides, and you know Corinth, Argos and Thebes will be just waiting for their chance to do a some backstabbing to make their own way into power , and that means even more wars!

"They'll be falling like dominoes!" she exclaimed, more passionate, more excited by the prospective bloodbath than she'd been moments before in Ares' bed. Fortunately for the macho God's ego, he was just as enthralled by the thought of all that carnage and didn't notice. But the afterglow was already fading.

"I hate to break it to you, but as much as I enjoy playing naked twister with you, it's not enough to get the job. You know I already told Strife and Deimos that this war was their baby."

"That was days ago, and there's barely even been a few harsh words spoken between the two cities! I haven't even see a Spartan dog chasing an Athenian cat! Come on Ares, give me a shot at it. You know I could do this for you ten times better than both of those losers together!"

"Discord, while I appreciate your... enthusiasm, this is a done deal. Strife promised he'd have the Athenians attacking the Spartans at Sphacteria by this very afternoon, and Deimos has General Brasidas poised to strike Decelea at the same time. So it looks like your afternoon will be free, if you'd like to find another way to prove your talent to me..."

Discord was too furious to answer. She disappeared with a flash. Ares gave a mental shrug as he reclined back on his silken sheets. It wasn't as if he was hurting for companionship, after all. He snapped his fingers and his deliciously naughty head priestess entered the chamber wearing a few crimson straps of leather, stiletto heels, and little else.

"You wanted me, Ares?"

Ares grinned. It was good to be an Olympian God.

"It's not fair!" Discord snarled to her reflection in the Olympian Powder Room. "I give Ares my all, and it's never enough!"

"Do you know what your problem is?" Aphrodite asked as she lounged in a bubbling hot tub.

For once it didn't sound as if the Goddess of Love was attempting to wage a war of words with her, so Discord decided to listen to what she had to say, though she was ready to trade insults at the first sign of hostilities.

"Your problem is that you give Ares too much. He's totally taking you for granted! He knows that all he has to do is whistle and you'll come barking."

"Where did you hear about that?!" Discord demanded with outrage. Probably Deimos sneaking and peeking again. It was as close as the drip was ever going to get to getting any!

"Ew, never mind that," Aphrodite said with a shudder. That was the last time she tried using a metaphor on Discord. There were things the Goddess of Love really didn't need to know.

"Look, if you really want to get Ares' attention, cut him off! No more nookie 'til you get your cookie, or whatever."

"You know, that actually sounds like a good idea," Discord mused.

"Of course it is!" Aphrodite exclaimed. Talk about a Goddess not getting her props! Not everything people said about blondes was true! Oh, the having more fun part, and gentlemen (and not so gentle men) preferred them, but the dumb part? As if! The Goddess of Love wasn't a total ditz! She played dumb once in awhile to make some man do what she wanted so that she didn't have to risk her own dainty little fingers, but Discord should know that manipulation takes tons of brains! Well, maybe not in Discord's case, but still!

The Goddess of Mayhem couldn't have cared less about stroking the other Goddess' ego. She was too busy sending her twisted little mind down the labyrinthine paths of mischief. But soon she groaned aloud as she realized it couldn't really be that easy.

Strife and Deimos already had Ares' full attention, and all they needed was one crumby little war to keep it indefinitely. Discord could tell Ares where to stick it all day long and the God wouldn't care less. Truthfully, he got off more on carnage than carnality.

"It won't work," Discord told Aphrodite. "Ares is going to be so wrapped up in this war between Athens and Sparta that he's never going to notice if I'm not around."

"Then you're just going to have to stop the war from happening," Aphrodite told her with a shrug. By the Heavens and her own very Heavenly Body, did she have to do all of Discord's thinking for her?

"Stop it? How?!" Discord asked in wonderment. It was such a novel idea. She'd started hundreds of wars in her time, but she'd never prevented one from taking place. She was Discord, after all! But she loved the idea, strange as it was. There'd be discord aplenty if she get make Strife and his idiotic twin screw up Ares' plans. Then the God would have to admit that he should have listened to her!

"If you want to get a man's attention you have to prove to him that you're the one holding the leash," Aphrodite said.

"I thought you said you didn't want to talk about that..."

"That's not what I mean!" Aphrodite hurriedly broke in. "I mean that what works on Ares will work even better on the Athenian and Spartan men, especially if I amp up their libidos with a my Powers. You know their women don't want their men away fighting some stupid, pointless war, so get them to help. Tell them all to refuse to let their men have any until the declare Peace."

"That's... brilliant!"

"Thanks," Aphrodite preened. "I've been saving that one for a special occasion. But I'll let you use it if you tell Ares that this time, you're working for me. He's such a chauvinist pig, it's time we cut him down to size with some gurrl power!"

"You got yourself a deal!" Discord told her with a fiendish grin, extending her hand so that they could shake on it.

Aphrodite hesitated for a heartbeat before clasping the lesser Goddess' hand. She knew where it had been, after all. But she could fumigate it later. Right now it was more important to show solidarity with her temporary partner.

"You go, gurrl!" she told Discord brightly.

Discord's feral grin widened, and she popped out of sight accompanied by the sound of an alley cat's snarl. She had a busy day of mischief ahead of her.

Discord gathered all the women of Athens and Sparta together and told them of their plan to stop the war. Except for a few weary women who had secretly been viewing the absence of their "Lord and Masters" as a vacation, they all agreed to help out. There was even a bawdy house madam who looked astonishingly like Ares' favorite warrior bimbo that volunteered her services, and that of all her girls.

Discord had jumped at the proposal. Nothing like having the easiest lay in town telling a guy to forget about it to drive this particular point home!

"All right, do you ladies know what to do?" Discord asked the band of trollops Meg had collected.

"Oh yeah..." breathed one of the tarts as if she had a customer in front of her jingling a pouch full of dinars at her.

"No sweat, me and the girls know how to handle this," Meg assured the Goddess.

"No! No handling, capice? The idea is to drive them wild and leaving them hanging! They need to be revved up with no place to go," Discord repeated. She couldn't believe that she was risking everything on these good time girls. But desperate times called for desperate measures, and this time they had brought her the strangest bedfellows of all.

"Don't worry about getting them revved up," Aphrodite told the lesser Goddess. "After all, they'll have all the help they need from moi."

An entire army, while undoubtedly full of horny guys who would love to celebrate life the old fashioned way before leaving to fight, could easily hold onto their discipline even in the face of Meg's finest. But with Aphrodite zapping the men's libidos so that the more the girls said no, the more desperate they'd become to score, it was a cinch. They'd lay down their arms in order to get laid themselves, and agree to anything the Goddesses demanded for the privilege. The poor saps had no choice.

Discord marshaled her troops, splitting the tarts into two phalanxes, one aimed at the Athenians, and the other at the Spartans. Aphrodite popped out to start zapping the soldiers into a frenzy of horniness even as the ladies readied themselves with their best dresses and perfumes.

"All right, move out" Discord ordered when she finished inspecting their ranks.

"Onwards Virgin Soldiers, marching as to War..." the tarts sang as they marched down the street. It seemed strange that these trollops knew the words to Hestia's favorite hymn, but they certainly sang it with gusto!

"Hey boys, whatcha doing with those really, really big spears?" one of Meg's floozies called out to the soldiers marching by. The Lieutenant in charge started to order his men to keep their eyes to the front and ignore her, but he was suddenly overcome with an irresistible urge to respond to her instead.

"Well, we got us a little business to take care of with Sparta, but since it might be the last time some of us get the chance to... talk with such beautiful girls, I guess we can put it off for say, half an hour?" he told her, jingling his pouch meaningfully. His men cheered at the unexpected but welcome suggestion of their commanding officer, but it seemed that they let out that ejaculation prematurely.

"Don't forget what them Goddesses said!" Syrinx whispered to her fellow working girls.

The others nodded. None of them were stupid enough to want to risk the wrath of Aphrodite or Discord. Who knew what fiendish punishments they'd inflict if they blew it? Fortunately, not blowing it was all they had to do.

"Sorry fellas, but we're all under strict orders. All soldiers are off limits. If you want to get laid, you have to lay down your swords," Syrinx said.

"Yeah, sheath those swords!" Auleto told them.

"That's what we're trying to do," one of the soldiers piped up to declare, but the girls knew that this was their cue to leave. They sashayed away, making sure to shake their money makers so that the men's regret would grow upon then tenfold. Between the sight of so much fragrant, tender flesh, the lure of the unattainable, and Aphrodite's spell, the men were all stiffer than tent poles, and no likely means of relief seemed handy. One fellow excused himself to say hello to the bushes, and was further dismayed when the second half of Aphrodite's curse became rapidly apparent. It seemed that anyone who tried to take matters into their own hands found no relief, just increased frustration. It seemed the only possible satisfaction was to be found in a woman's arms, and they weren't interested!

With nothing better to do, the troop continued their march to the Athenian camp, only to discover that they weren't the only ones to find themselves afflicted. Phalanx after phalanx marched in with their spears quivering at the ready. The entire male species seemed to be affected by the Goddess' curse!

The Athenian General consulted with his officers, then decided to send a herald to request a temporary truce with the Spartans. His men were in no fit shape to fight, and the thought of mounting his horse was too much to bear.

The herald soon discovered that the Spartans had been hit with the same affliction, though at first they attempted to claim that what he was seeing beneath their chitons was merely the herald staff all Spartans carried to help decode secret messages. The Athenian laughed and said that he must be a Spartan, too, because he had a herald staff just as ready for duty as theirs. There was no denying it, so a truce was declared, pending a resolution to their mutual problem.

The two Generals each went separately to one of Aphrodite's shrines to petition her favor (as well as the favors of some of her devotees!), but she told them that she would only listen to them if they petitioned her together. She knew there's never be a lasting peace if they tried to cut a deal with her individually. They hear to hear each other admit defeat to take it seriously.

So Generals Cleon and Brasidas reluctantly agreed to meet at Aphrodite's main temple. She popped into the shrine with Discord by her side, and the spell they were under made the Goddess' manifest charms almost more than they could bear. They quickly began bidding for their favors.

"Isn't there some way we can come to an agreement, most wonderful of Olympian Goddesses?" General Cleon begged. "Say, ten percent of all our new revenues off Spartan territory?"

"I vow fifteen," Brasidas declared laconically.

"A man of few words, and one who knows what a girl wants. I'm flattered, really. But no can do, stud muffins. I'm the Goddess of Love, and sometimes love hurts," she told them as she glanced downwards at their obviously painful state. "And by the way your soldiers are standing at attention, I'd say it's gotta be hurting pretty bad right now!"

Discord snickered. "You boys are just going to have to decide which sword you'd rather play with."

"I know you boys like to have it both ways, but a girl needs commitment. So, what's it gonna be? Love, or War?" asked Aphrodite.

The two Generals looked at each other helplessly. War meant power, wealth, and fame, but what did all that mean if they'd never get laid again? Or were able to achieve some "self preservation"? A man could still be a man without a sword, but not without "his sword"!

"You win, Aphrodite, Discord. It's time to give peace a chance."

"Ditto," the Spartan agreed, nodding his shaggy head.

"And now, can we please get some?!" the Athenian begged shamelessly, clearly in dire need of immediate relief.

Aphrodite smiled smugly and snapped her fingers. A dozen of Meg's finest appeared as if from a dream, cooing and petting the Generals until they thought they'd go mad. But this time was no tease, as they found to their immense satisfaction a short time later.

"You incompetents! You'll never become real Gods if you let a little obstacle like that stop you."

"Oh, it wasn't so little with that Spartan, Unc" Deimos giggled with a wide gesture at his crotch. "He could have taken on an entire phalanx with that pike of his!"

Strife, being marginally smarter than his twin, gave him a sharp elbow to the ribs. He knew that Ares really didn't want to hear about the General's equipment, he wanted to know how they planned to get the men back on the battlefield where they belonged.

Unfortunately, Strife had no idea how he was going to make that happen. The Athenians and Spartans were in the middle of a week long debauch in honor of Aphrodite. Their swords were going to be sheathed at every chance they got for days at least, and not one man seemed to be thinking about everything else.

"Get out of my sight!" Ares thundered. The nitwits had not only failed him, they'd made him look bad in the process! What self respecting God of War wanted to be told by his supposedly most devoted followers that they preferred conquest in the bedroom to the battlefield, and that they feared the wrath of the Goddess of Love more than him?!

He heard someone clear her throat behind him.

"Told you that you should have given me a chance," Discord purred from the doorway of Ares' bedroom. She was wearing a lacy black negligee she'd copied from one of Aphrodite's vanity drawers. She turned around, and sauntered back into the bedroom. "Coming?" she called back teasingly over her shoulder.

Ares glared at the little minx's retreating backside, but even he couldn't fight a war all by himself. Discord had won this round in the battle of the sexes, but Ares was confident that in the end, he'd win the war. In the meantime, they could both share the fruits of victory, Ares thought as he loosened his sword belt. He had a sword ready to be sheathed, as well.

The shadows were stretched to their furthest with the end of the day, and Gabrielle was finishing her preparations for her dinner with Alexander. She and Xena had gone to the grove for a swim, so her hair was sill a bit damp as she brushed it. She knew it was silly, considering that she and Xena would be leaving in the morning, most likely never to see the King again, but she wanted to look her best for Alexander that night.

"How do I look?" she asked Xena when she was done brushing.

"Same as always," Xena replied with an offhand shrug, but mischief sparkling in her eyes.

"Is that a good thing?" Gabrielle demanded nervously.

"Mm, not bad," Xena told her as she looked her over slowly, teasing her.

"Boy, you sure know how to build up a girl's ego," she grumbled sarcastically.

Xena allowed the evil smile she'd been hiding to finally emerge. "How about this, then. When Alexander sees you, he's going to want to skip dinner and go straight to dessert."

"Xena!" Gabrielle protested with an outraged laugh. But the wicked humor of her comment helped to release some of the butterflies fluttering madly in her stomach. Gabrielle was sure that that was why Xena had done it. She didn't know how the evening would end, but it would begin in an easier, more relaxed fashion thanks to Xena. She smoothed her skirt one last time and looked up at her best friend, anticipation in her eyes. "See you later."

"Go get 'em, Gabrielle," Xena told her with a loving smile.

Alexander's eyes kindled with warm appreciation when he saw Gabrielle arrive. Perhaps a more unbiased man could have found a more beautiful woman in the world, but to Alexander no one else could compare. Besides, her beauty was the least of her attractions.

All right, slow down, Alexander told himself ruefully. We have all night. She'll never respect you in the morning if you lose your cool in the first five minutes. Ten minutes, maybe, but five, never.

"You look amazing," Alexander told her. Compliments were okay, as long as he didn't overdo it.

"Thank you," said Gabrielle with another of her charming blushes.

They sat down together to share their meal. They talked about the events of the last few days. The past was a much safer topic than the future, or even the present. However, they both knew that they wouldn't be able to put that subject off much longer. Alexander gathered his strength for this battle of the heart throughout dinner, and when it was done he was finally ready to open the subject with her. He took a deep breath and began.

"So, I heard from Xena that you plan to leave tomorrow. Is that true?" he asked. He knew perfectly well that it was, but he prayed that he could change her mind.

"Yes, we are," she answered him quietly.

Alexander closed his eyes and sighed. Even though he had expected her to answer him so, hearing her say it aloud pained him. But he wasn't ready to give up the fight yet.

"Is there any way I can change your mind about that?" he asked her hopefully.

"Alexander..." she began regretfully.

Alexander broke in before she could tell him no. He couldn't let her refuse him without telling her exactly how much she meant to him.

"Gabrielle, I love you. I've never felt like this with any other woman. I know we've only known each other for a short time, but somehow it feels as if I've known you all my life. The thought of spending the rest of my life without you is unbearable. You complete me- losing you would be like losing a part of myself. Please," he began, kneeling before her, "Say you'll stay and be my wife and Queen."

The words that Gabrielle had both longed for and feared hearing were finally spoken. They touched her even more deeply than she thought they might when she had imagined hearing him say them. She took his hands in hers and drew him to his feet.

"Alexander, I never thought I would ever feel this way about a man again, but I was wrong. I do love you, and a part of me wants to stay with you, but I can't. I'm sorry, but I have to leave with Xena. She's where I belong."

Gabrielle's words struck him like a blow. He turned away as he felt his heart breaking.

"Is it because of Perdicus?" he asked, unable to turn around and ask her face to face. He didn't want her to see the tears in his eyes. But he couldn't keep the pain out of his voice. "Because if it is, I'll wait, however long it takes."

His words, filled with desperate sadness, wrung her heart.

"It's not just Perdicus," she told him, though she wondered how he knew about her lost husband. "Losing him was one of the hardest things I've ever had to face, and it's been a long time since I've even been able to think about being with another man. I'm not sure if I'm ready to do that yet.

"But even if I was, I know it wouldn't matter. My life is with Xena. She's more than just my best friend, she's the other half of my soul. I love you, Alexander, but I love Xena, too, and the life that I share with her. I can't give that up, even for you.

"There's no way that it can work between us. Xena wouldn't be happy tied to one place, and you have to stay here for your Kingdom's sake. Please, say that you understand," she pleaded. Hurting him inflicted the same agony on her own heart, but she couldn't do anything else. She knew where she belonged, and that was at Xena's side.

Alexander hung his head, a tear slowly rolling down his cheek. But he had to try once more.

"Gabrielle, what you and I share is rare and precious. So many people go through their whole lives without feeling like this. Don't ask me to give up on this!" he begged.

"It is special," she agreed. "This wasn't an easy decision, believe me. A part of me will always regret leaving, wondering what my life could have been with you. But it just wasn't meant to be. I wish it was."

He knew he couldn't change her mind. He was bitterly disappointed at his failure. The Fates had delivered the love of his life to his door, and even more miraculously, she said she loved him in return. But the same Fates who had given him his heart's desire had laughed at him as they took it away from him forever.

"The Gods are cruel," he told her, turning to look her in the eyes at last. "I find the woman of my dreams, only to see her walk out of my life for good."

"I'm sorry," she repeated. She wished there was something else she could say or do to take his pain away, but all she had were those two useless words. "I know it hurts, but it will get easier in time. You'll forget me and find love again."

"Maybe I'll love again, but I'll never feel the way I do now with you. No matter how much time passes, I'll won't forget you. But that doesn't matter anymore. If I can't have love, all that's left for me is duty."

"What does that mean?" she asked. His words seemed to imply he had something in particular in mind.

"As part of King Porus' peace proposal, he wants to give me his daughter Roxanne as my wife."

"What did you tell him?" she asked unhappily. She knew she had no right to ask, but she couldn't deny to either of them that the idea bothered her.

"I told him the truth- that my heart belonged to another, and that I hoped to make her my wife. But I knew you might say no when I asked you, so I told him that if you did refuse, that I'd marry her instead. I'm a King, and I still need an heir. I agree with you that my child will need both of his parents to raise him together, so that means I need a wife. It's my duty, and that seems to be all that's left to me now."

"I understand," said Gabrielle, struggling to smother her jealousy. "You're right, of course. I hope the two of you will find happiness together."

"I'm not sure that's possible," he replied sadly. "But I guess I should happy about the rest of my blessings. At least I won't have to fight a war against my new father-in-law."

Gabrielle winced as his joke fell flat. There was no point in staying and prolonging the agony.

"I should go now. Goodbye, Alexander," she said, turning to leave.

"No, please wait!" he asked, reaching out a hand to stop her. She was walking out of his life tomorrow, but there was still tonight.

"I know I can't change your mind about leaving, and if I keep trying I'll only hurt us both. But for the rest of my life, all the love I'll ever know will be my memories of you. So I can't help asking- please, stay with me, just for tonight. I promise I won't try to change your mind. I'll even try to smile for you when you leave. Just let me have this evening to love for a lifetime."

"Alexander, you just told me you're practically engaged to another woman. It would be wrong for me to agree," she protested.

"Why? It's not as if it's a love match. Once she and I are married, I will be faithful to her. She'll have my loyalty then, but my heart is yours, and I refuse to take it back. So please, forget about tomorrow just for one night, so I can have this memory."

Gabrielle didn't know what to say. The idea of him with someone else stung, regardless of his reasons. She knew she had forfeited all right to feeling that way. She'd had the chance to stay with him and refused it. Even now, if she told him she'd changed her mind he would welcome her joyfully. She just couldn't do that. Xena was too important to her.

But all he was asking for now was a single night, and that was something she could give him, though not without a few doubts. She wasn't one to indulge in casual relations. For that matter, being with Alexander would hardly qualify as casual for either of them. She wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea of loving him and leaving, and she didn't think she ever would be.

Tonight, none of that mattered. She knew deep down inside that she wanted the memory of being with him almost as much as he did. She took a deep, steadying breath and wordlessly steeped forward.

Alexander met her, smiling with tenderness. For these few precious hours, he'd make himself forget that the new day would come and take her from him. Right now, all that mattered was that she had given herself to him.

They came together, each movement slow and gentle. They explored each other's bodies with eyes, hands and lips. Alexander laid her down on the soft furs of his bed. He joined her and their limbs intertwined, pleasure and desire building with each touch. Both wanted to make the moments last forever. After what seemed like both an eternity and no time at all, they found they couldn't wait any longer.

Alexander entered her. They moved together, each stroke bringing them spiraling higher. Within moments the pleasure became too great to be contained, and ecstasy washed over their joined bodies.

Their release left them both gasping for breath. They lay together in the darkness, holding each other tightly. It was just as deeply satisfying in it's own way to be together like that, and they savored each sweet moment in each other's arms.

Alexander's arms tightened around Gabrielle as a traitor part of his mind reminded him that all too soon this bliss would be over. He couldn't change that, so he planned to make the most of the gift that he'd been given. He rolled onto his side and spooned his body against hers, and kissed the back of her neck. He was ready to make the most of their time together yet again.

The end of the night was signaled by the changing of the camp's guard. Gabrielle dressed in the tent's darkness. When she finished she returned to Alexander's bedside, where he lay watching her movements with appreciation mingled with loss.

"I'd better be going now," she whispered, reaching out to gently touch his face.

"I know," he replied sadly, and then captured her hand to kiss her palm. But he said not a word to try and change her mind, as he had promised. He stood up to hold her one last time. They kissed, softly at first, but ending with bruising intensity, their lips saying everything that was in their hearts in silence.

Gabrielle pulled away at last. "Goodbye, Alexander."

"Goodbye, Gabrielle, my love."

She turned to leave.

"Will I ever see you again?" he asked in final desperation, in spite of his resolution to let her go without a struggle.

"I don't think your new Queen would appreciate it if I did," she said with a feeble attempt at humor. Unfortunately, neither of them felt much like laughing. She tried to leave it that way. She knew it would be better for both of them if she did. But she'd learned during her time with Xena that the future could bring anything, so she couldn't deny him, or herself, one tiny little bit of hope. "Maybe someday."

She left the tent. Maybe someday, she had said. Alexander smiled through his tears. Maybe the future would hold something for him, after all.