Prologue

The year is 2043. For over one hundred years, the world has been ruled by Nazi tyranny. The Japanese are an acknowledged power within the Reich, but they concede the supreme leadership of the Fuehrer. The United States, because of its choice to remain isolated during the conflict that was World War II, is now an occupied territory of the Nazi regime. It is also home to the Resistance. This is the story of their fight for freedom.



Chapter I

"Goddamnit, Chase! What the hell's wrong with you?!" The man yelling grabbed the blonde woman by the arm and swung her around to face him. She jerked her arm out of his grasp, and the fire in her green eyes prevented him from reaching for her again. She glared at him another long moment before turning and striding back towards the P-40 Curtiss Warhawk Flying Tiger airplane that sat tarped and hidden near the tree line. He ran to catch up.

"Dammit, Annabelle!" flinching when she grabbed his ear and twisted. They stopped walking. "Owowowowow!!! Sorry, Chase. It's just you move really fast when you put it in gear. C'mon now... let go. Please?"

"Hans, you can't go with me. I can't let you go. You're too important to the movement."

Hans snorted. "*I'm* too important to the movement? Chase, you're all that holds us together aside from a bit of spit and some string. I'm just...."

"You're just the only one of us who is German. You're also one of our top scientists with ongoing projects. With Ty and Jen out west, Mitch and Shep still busy up north, I'm the only one left here qualified to go. Don't worry about it." She put a placating hand on his arm. "You know why I have to do this, and you know I'm the most capable to do so. Relax... everyone here knows what to do in the meantime, and I'll be back before you know it."

Chase motioned to number of people who stood around the compound trying desperately to look busy while they strained to hear the obvious confrontation between the two. They were both the best at what they did, but it put them at odds more often than not and provided the entire rebellion with some much needed levity.

"I hope so," Hans answered soberly. "I have a bad feeling about this."

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

<Sputter>

"C'mon, c'mon, dammit!

<Cough, sputter>

"C'mon, start, damn you!"

<Cough, sputter, choke>

"C'mon baby! Start for mama!" Chase pleaded quietly, then sighed when the motor finally rolled over and caught. "Thata girl. I knew you wouldn't let me down." She revved the engine, listening to the roar and smiling when it turned to a smooth purr. She looked up when weight landed on her left wing.

"Here," Hans yelled over the rumble of the engine, handing her a package wrapped in oilskin. "It's a long flight. You're gonna need something to eat."

Chase took the parcel and gave Hans a smile. Despite everything, he was one of her dearest friends and she appreciated having him in her life. There were definitely times she wanted to throttle him, but most of the time she was glad he was around. And she was pretty sure he felt the same way about her.

"Thanks, Hans. You're the best."

He looked her directly in the eyes and said with all seriousness, "So are you. So please don't go and do anything stupid, all right? We need you here, and I'd miss having you around to fight and argue with."

Her grin turned rakish and Hans couldn't stop the smile that formed on his own lips. "I'd miss me too," she said patting his hand. "Don't worry. There and back. We need that information or I wouldn't bother. Keep working on...."

"I will! I will!" he broke in, waving his hands to get her to stop talking. "Geez, you think I'm dumb or something?"

"Or something," Chase answered cheekily, shifting in the seat and reaching back to close the canopy. "I should be back in a couple days. Try and stay out of trouble, will ya?"

"You just be careful and get back in one piece. We've got things to do, and we need you here."

"You got it. Wish me luck."

"Always... you know that." He hopped off the wing and returned her wave. Then he watched her taxi down the runway and take off, following her flight until she was a mere speck on the horizon.

"Guess I better get back to work," he said to himself, turning his back on the runway and noting the activity in the compound had resumed. "I'd like to have something to show her when she gets home," determined to think confidently about the outcome of Chase's mission despite the knots in his belly.

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

"Has she said anything yet?" the queen asked her head healer. Though the Amazons of Paradise Island were immortal, from time to time they still had medical issues arise that required the skills of a trained physician. Usually these occurred after a tournament and a few times because of outrageous weather. But for the most part, Drea's skills were called upon to nurse the soul. Such was the case now.

"No, Majesty. Not a word. She continues to act as though we don't exist. She doesn't speak or respond - not to anyone or anything. She spends her time fighting, practicing, honing her skills to a degree I would not have believed possible were I not witnessing it with my own eyes. The only time she leaves that room is when she takes her runs around the island. The anger within her burns deep and I fear for her sanity if not her very life."

"Perhaps I have let this continue too long. Perhaps it is time to force the issue." The queen commented as she stood, only to hesitate when Drea placed a hand on her arm.

"My queen, please don't do anything rash. I don't think there is anything you or anyone else here on the island can do for her."

"But...?"

"Mala has foreseen. One is coming. One who will, as you say, force the issue. She will either accept her fate or...." The healer trailed off when the queen turned anguished blue eyes in her direction.

"I could lose her for good."

Drea swallowed. Some days she hated her job. "Hippolyta," finally addressing the Queen as the old friend she was. "The Princess is already lost to us. This may be the only chance we have of regaining her. You cannot, *must not* interfere. If she chooses to go, she will need your blessing and support."

"As I should have done years ago," the queen said sadly. "I miss her so much," she said softly, leaning into Drea's body and sighing when the healer's still strong arms wrapped around her in wordless comfort. Her face creased into a smile when she felt lips brush her hair in a ghost-like kiss.

"We all do, my queen. The princess has always been sought out for her favor. It's a wonder the Nation has not fallen ill from the hearts she's broken... even before her self-imposed exile."

Hippolyta tilted her head slightly to look up into Drea's brown eyes. "Thank you, my friend. I'm sorry to put all this on you...."

Drea covered the queen's lips with her fingers. "It is my duty as head physician and my honor as your friend." She bent and brushed Hippolyta's cheek with her lips before releasing her hold and taking the queen's hand in her own. "Come. Let us talk to Mala. With a little luck, she should be able to tell us about this one who is coming. And I think we are due for a little luck at this point."

Hippolyta blew a breath out and her bangs fluffed out in reaction. "I hope so. I would rather lose Diana to the world of men than to whatever inner demons she continues to fight. At least there she would stand a fighting chance."

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

"DIE, YOU FUCKING BASTARD!!!" Chase screamed even as she banked the plane hard to the right. She'd spotted the Nazi plane a mere second before he'd seen her. Unfortunately, the son of a bitch wasn't flying alone, and now she was out gunned by a ratio of three to one. She'd already eliminated the first.

The second Nazi plane started trailing smoke and flames, and Chase would have pumped her arm victoriously had she not been so preoccupied in trying to avoid being shot down herself. She dove hard, knowing they'd follow her down and hoping she could pull up fast enough while causing them to crash.

What concerned her just as much, though, was the fact that this little dogfight was eating into her fuel - fuel she was going to have difficulty replacing to get home. She was confident enough in her fighting prowess to believe she'd be the sole survivor of this little adventure, but there was nothing those skills could do for her if she ran out of gas.

What the hell were they doing here anyway? We haven't had any recon showing them out this far. Did someone tip them off or did I just get lucky enough to run into a random patrol of the bastards? OW, Shit!! What the fuck??

Searing pain in her right shoulder brought Chase out of her thoughts and she realized she'd been hit by the remaining Nazi aircraft that was currently heading directly for her. Her useless right arm fell away and she grabbed the stick with her left. The plane responded sluggishly, and Chase fought to hold on long enough to take the son of a bitch down with her. If she had to die today, she was damn sure going to take him too.

Closer and closer until she could see the look of terror on the man's face. Then she popped the canopy, feeling the impact as their planes met nose to nose. She jerked the cord of her chute and felt a searing pain cut across the middle of her body and into her left thigh. Then all she knew was merciful blackness.

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

"My queen," Paula raced into the temple where Hippolyta and Drea sat talking with the Priestess Mala. She bowed her head in respect. "I beg pardon for interrupting, but...."

The queen waved her hands. "Nevermind that, Paula. What news?" Hippolyta knew the island's chief scientist would never disrupt a meeting, especially in the temple, without good cause. Something important had happened, and by the prickling of her skin, the queen was fairly certain this was the event the priestess had foretold.

"My queen, there is activity outside the shield."

The queen's features creased into a frown. "Yes, Paula. There is always activity outside the shield. Humanity continues to exist around us."

The scientist shook her head. "No, my queen. I mean, yes, my queen, I know that. You don't understand. There is violent activity taking place just outside the shielded area, above us. It is very likely we could see some serious fall-out from it."

"How serious?" Drea asked.

"At the very least, we could be discovered by any and all survivors. Worst case? They bring their fight to us and Amazons get hurt."

"How can they bring their fight to us, Paula?" Hippolyta asked. "They cannot see us through the shielding."

"No, my queen, but they appear to be the same fighting air machines we saw so long ago. And you remember the damage those caused. We already saw one break up and fall to pieces in the ocean."

Hippolyta nodded. "Sound the alarm. Make sure all the women are under shelter until the danger has passed." Paula nodded.

"How many were there?" Drea asked again, thinking ahead to the number of facilities she would need if there were injuries. Her assistant Rina would need to prepare everything necessary for the possible extensive damage they could encounter.

"We counted five," Paula was saying. "Four to one odds, it looked like. But the single was not the one shot down because the fighting continued when I left."

"This is the one," Mala said without fanfare. "This is the one we have waited for."

Paula looked confused, but both Hippolyta and Drea nodded at the priestess' words. Drea touched the queen's arm, and Hippolyta nodded her dismissal. The healer squeezed the queen's arm in encouragement, then took Paula by the elbow and led her out without a word.

"You're sure?" Hippolyta asked.

The priestess nodded. "I have foreseen. Have faith, my queen. There is still hope."

Hippolyta nodded and turned her attention out the window, knowing if her daughter kept to her schedule, regardless of the alarm that sounded across the island, she should be passing by on the beach below very soon. And somewhere out there in the heavens above them, Diana's savior was rushing to meet them.

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

Diana silently moved through the corridors of the palace. She had long ago learned to tune out the existence of everyone and everything around her. She could account for each and every sound indoors and out, and knew there was no danger to her here. The alarm didn't slow her steps. She wasn't changing her routine for some threat, perceived or imagined. She didn't give a shit - at least if something happened, it would be something new to experience.

She stepped out onto the grounds, feeling the guards' eyes on her, but knowing they wouldn't stop her. Many had gotten hurt in the beginning learning this lesson - they knew better now. Diana went down the slope and out onto the beach, running with a freedom she didn't express anywhere else. This was the one place she allowed herself to feel again - just a bit. For a little while every day, things were good and she was happy.

It was a familiar whining hum that brought her out of the meditative trance she had fallen into to block the annoying sound of the alarm. She fell to her knees as she was assaulted by images and memories she could no longer live with yet was unable to purge.

Pain, darkness, betrayal....

The sound was coming ominously closer and her dark head jerked up as a crash reverberated across the sky followed by a thunderous explosion. Blue eyes found the smoking mass easily against the blue and white background. Then her attention was caught by something else.

A single figure emerged from the smoke and flames, wrenched upwards by the billowing parachute. Diana watched as the chute wobbled and whirled out of control and it dawned on her that whoever it was attached to was likely unconscious and unable to control or direct it. She thought briefly of calling for help, then decided against it. She would follow its downward path, and once assured she could locate it again, she would then seek out assistance. For the first time in nearly a century, Diana felt alive again, and she relished the feeling as it coursed across her skin and through her veins.

The figure swayed listlessly in the breeze and Diana watched helplessly as a gust of wind yanked the chute straight up then collapsed it, allowing it and the person attached to it to plummet into the sea with frightening strength and speed.

Without thought, the princess stripped and dove into the water, strong strokes rapidly carrying her to the spot the chute had struck with such force. There was nothing visible and an unreasoning fear gripped Diana's heart. She took a deep breath and dove, blue eyes flinching at the sting of salt. Though she had long since given up worshiping the gods of her birth, she whispered a prayer for the strength and wisdom to find the individual who had fallen into her life, however unintentionally.

Lack of air drove her to the surface, and she gasped, drawing air deep into her lungs before plunging beneath the waves and resuming her search. Almost by accident, her hand brushed against canvas and she curled a fist around it, yanking with adrenaline-enhanced, supernatural strength. As she rose to the surface, she gave a yell and heaved the figure to the surface with her. She wrapped an arm around the woman's... woman? Since when did women fight in the world of men? Had so much changed? Diana put such thoughts out of her mind and pushed the water out of the woman's lungs, careful of the cut across her belly. When the woman coughed weakly, the princess unbuckled the harness and resumed her strokes towards shore. She noted the large crowd gathered there including her mother and the healer and sighed in resignation.

Diana was happy when her feet hit sand and she gathered up her failing strength, forcing herself to stand and cradle to limp body she'd rescued from the sea. She strode forward, willing herself not to stumble and ignoring the minions who rushed into the shallow waves to help her. Diana accepted the towel draped around her shoulders by simply not shrugging it off, but she failed to acknowledge it or the Amazon who draped it over her either. She glared at the woman who reached out towards her trying to look at the wounds that covered the body she carried. She smiled grimly when the hand was removed but the woman continued her visual examination.

As soon as she reached dry land, Drea pushed forward, ignoring the princess's icy stare as she beckoned the minions to bring the stretcher they'd brought with them. The blonde woman had been badly wounded and was still losing blood sluggishly. They needed to move quickly to give her the best chance for survival.

Taking a gamble, she clasped Diana's face in both hands, waiting until the blue eyes focused on her face. Drea didn't even flinch when the expression turned to ice. She simply held on until she was sure Diana's attention was focused on her.

"You did a good thing here, Princess. Thank you. Now you need to let us care for...." A glance down at the lax figure. "Her."

Diana didn't acknowledge the words. When she was sure the blonde was safely supported on the stretcher, she dropped the towel and snatched up her clothes from the sand. The Amazons gathered did their best to give her privacy, though many of them snuck a peek from beneath lowered lashes. Diana ignored them as she always had, slipping into her clothing and walking away from them without either a word or a backwards glance.

Hippolyta watched her daughter make good her escape with a heavy heart. The princess had not acknowledged her presence at all. She wasn't even sure she'd acknowledged Drea, but to her credit, she hadn't hurt the healer either. There had been a time when Drea would have been on the ground in intense pain. Hippolyta was glad Diana no longer had that sort of immediate reaction - she just wished she would get past the indifference as well. Mala came up beside the queen and grasped her hand, squeezing lightly to show her support as they watched Diana disappear around a corner of the island.

"It has begun, my queen."

Hippolyta squeezed the priestess's hand in return, thankful for the unspoken support.

"It certainly has. I can only hope this turns out better than the last."

"Indeed," Mala agreed, knowing she'd seen two distinct futures in her visions... and one was enough to give even the strongest Amazon warrior nightmares. A lot depended on what happened here in the next few days. The priestess just hoped both Diana and their mysterious visitor were ready for the challenges that lay ahead for them. They were going to need each other to survive.

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

Diana waited until she was positive she was out of sight before dropping into the sand in exhaustion, her mind unable to cope with her physical actions. It had taken every bit of remaining willpower she possessed to continue standing and moving on her own two feet. But there had been no way in the seven levels of Hades itself she was going to let anyone, especially her mother, see weakness.

She was alone now however, and she let her body curl into itself as her muscles clenched in agonizing spasms. They hadn't been used and abused in such applications in more than a century and regular exercise didn't produce the same results. And it would be the only way her body would remember what happened. Her eyes burned harshly for their prolonged exposure to the salt water of the sea, and there wasn't one spot on her person that wasn't screaming for mercy. Even her hair hurt in sympathy for the rest of her parts.

Diana focused on breathing, on simply being, encouraging tight and knotted muscles to relax. Her eyes closed and she felt immediate relief from the action. Without warning tears rolled silently down her cheeks and she let them fall, unable to reach up and wipe them away. It had been so long since she'd allowed herself this kind of release, she wasn't sure what the reason behind them was now. So she let them fall without examining the *why* behind them too closely. If nothing else, her logical mind figured, it was the easiest way to clean out the seawater. Then she put rational thought to one side and let her mind float away into a restful oblivion. She never even realized when she fell asleep.

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

Pain. Rather intense pain.

Darkness.

Warmth.

These were the first sensations Chase became aware of. She moved her head from side to side slowly, trying to orient herself without causing herself any more pain in the process. A cool hand felt her forehead and she leaned into it slightly, feeling her mother's touch in the contact. A soft voice, not her mother's but not unfamiliar spoke into the quiet of the darkness.

"Drink."

A straw was raised to her lips and Chase did as she was told. If she were in enemy hands, they would need her to be lucid before she could answer questions and she would need to be strong to escape. If not, she had found friends, and that was even better. For now though, she struggled to open her eyes.

"Wh...?"

"Shh," the voice commanded. "You're safe here, but you need to rest and heal. Sleep now. All will be explained in the morning."

Chase sighed and fell asleep once more, her normal breathing rhythm assuring the healer that stood by her bedside.

"Fetch the queen," Drea said to Rina. "And call together the council. We have some decisions to make."

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

"She's not an Amazon."

"No, but she is a woman under my care. I cannot allow her health to be jeopardized because of prejudice. We wouldn't even force a man to leave in the shape she is currently in."

Gasps made the rounds. Prejudice was fairly unheard of on Paradise Island though they did understand the concept. The queen held up her hands to stave off the argument she felt coming.

"Ladies! Ladies, please. The question on the table is not whether she can stay. Of course she will stay until Drea releases her from her care. What we need to consider is *why* she is here and *how* we can return her to her home. I hesitate to have one of our Amazons escort her, and yet I highly doubt, given the circumstances that surround her arrival as we know them, that she will wish to remain with us."

"But she can reveal us to the world."

"Not necessarily," Paula spoke up. "It is highly unlikely she knows where she is given the ferocity of the fighting we saw. Besides, there are herbs and drugs to assure that part of her memory is not a problem."

"We can discuss that when the time comes. There is much we need to know first before any sort of decision is made."

It was quiet as everyone contemplated Hippolyta's words. Finally, Drea sighed.

"Well, the first order of business is to get her well. After that, well, the young lady in question may have some ideas about everything else herself."

The queen nodded. "Mala?"

The priestess nodded her agreement. "Let's get her well, then we can talk. I imagine she will wish to have some say in what happens to her and how. And she will be able to answer our questions without all this unnecessary speculation."

Hippolyta looked around at the faces of her council. Rarely had they had to meet for anything more than social issues, and she could see how this issue was going to divide them. There was no help for it now though. Diana had followed her heart when she'd pull the young woman out of the sea, and regardless of the consequences, Hippolyta was happy to witness a return of the daughter she knew. Now it only remained to see how those actions would change things for everyone involved.



Chapter II

Chase held herself very still as she came to the second time, focusing on keeping her breathing deep and regular as she struggled to discern many things in the darkness that surrounded her. She was chiefly aware of the pain, mostly in her left thigh, but also from her belly, her right shoulder and her head.

She heard the soft, odd sounds of machinery, and.... Someone else was in the room - a presence more felt than heard, though she could just barely pick out the sounds of soft, regular breaths.

Musta been one hell of a landing, she thought groggily. She remembered the dogfight and without warning, her breathing sped up exponentially as she started reliving it. Her hands clenched the sheets and she grit her teeth, a fact which didn't go very far towards alleviating the pounding behind her eyes and in her skull.

Warm hands were placed over her clenched fists, coaxing them to relax. Then the coolness of a wet cloth wiped her face, reminding her again of her mother's soothing touch. The same voice from before, the one that sounded like her mother and yet was not, spoke again into the darkness, willing her to listen and obey.

"Come, child. Open your eyes for me. It's all a memory... a bad dream. I need you to open your eyes and let me see how you are really doing. Come on, now. Open your eyes."

Chase's eyes still felt so heavy, but that voice was very compelling and she struggled to obey. Her eyes open but closed again immediately against light they received as too bright. Drea caught the reaction instantly and called out in a quiet voice, "Lights dim."

Though they had only been at half-intensity, the lights fell to half again what they had been and Drea looked around to make sure it was safe for her patient to try again.

"Try again," she asked. "I don't think the light level will be a problem now," though it may drive me crazy. Drea liked being able to see. She figured it had a lot to do with her being a healer, but she just felt more comfortable with the lights turned up. However, she was more concerned with getting the small woman's eyes opened for now. They could work on re-brightening the room later.

Chase blinked rapidly at first, as much to moisturize her eyes as to get them accustomed to the new light level. It was much more manageable now, though still considerably brighter than total darkness had been. She let her eyes look around without moving her head, still afraid that too much movement would cause it to roll right off her shoulders. She hadn't had a headache like this since her first - and only - hangover. It made her stomach roil in sympathy just thinking about it.

The room was... not what she expected. It was austere in its furnishings as she expected a hospital room to be. Yet it was something beyond that as well. The walls and floors seemed to be made from marble - not the linoleum and plaster she'd expected. The machinery tucked discretely behind and to either side of the bed was beyond anything she'd seen before. She didn't appear to be a prisoner - the wires and tubes from the machines were attached to her body and looked as though they were monitoring her body's functions. They in no way hindered her from leaving the bed in the sense that she could remove them. Her arms and feet were not bound.

The most peculiar thing in the room, though, was the woman who spoke in the low, melodic voice. She wasn't dressed like a nurse... or a doctor for that matter. Hell, she wasn't dressed like anyone Chase had ever seen. Her brow furrowed as her puzzle became just that much more convoluted. No medical personnel Chase had ever dealt with wore flowing robes or looked so comfortable. Drea smiled gently, sympathetic to her patient's confusion, but anxious to learn more about the blonde woman as well.

"My name is Drea, and I'm the head healer here." She reached out a hand and smoothed the hair off Chase's forehead. "How do you feel?" Chase shifted again, biting back a groan when she pulled on new stitches. She swallowed, and Drea offered her a cup. "Slowly," the healer cautioned. "You've got a nice cut across your stomach and you don't want to have to throw up because you drank too fast."

Chase accepted the straw and gingerly sipped the cool liquid, noting fuzzily it wasn't just water, but something almost tingly. A few swallows and she turned her away, exhausted by the effort and disgusted by how drained she felt.

Drea set the cup to one side and smiled at Chase. "You'll have to finish it, but we'll go slowly. In the meantime, do you feel up to answering a few questions?"

Chase closed her eyes. She didn't sense any danger but something was making alarm bells ring in her mind - something familiar in her surroundings - which did nothing to help the headache that was pounding behind her eyes. On the other hand, it didn't feel threatening. Whatever else, the pilot didn't think she had fallen into enemy hands.

"Okay," she finally answered. Drea had seen the expressions crossing Chase's face and wondered about the thoughts behind them. The healer didn't even realize she had been holding her breath until she exhaled at the single word. Drea patted her hands comfortingly, then gestured to the side of the wide bed.

"May I?" Chase motioned with her hand, unwilling to risk moving her head until the pounding eased somewhat. "Thank you... um...?"

"Chase."

"Just Chase?"

"For now," the blonde smiled as rakishly as she could manage. "We really don't know each other sufficiently yet for anything else."

Drea smiled. The woman certainly was enchanting; the healer could see how easy it would be for any number of Amazons to be swept away by her charm. She nodded her acceptance of Chase's answer; she could clearly see the wariness and distrust in those green eyes.

"I like it... it suits you somehow," said with a smile. "Now," getting briskly down to business. "Do you remember what happened? What brought you to us?

"Whose side are you on?" Chase answered one question with another. At Drea's look of confusion, she continued. "In the fight against tyranny, whose side are you on?"

Drea shook her head, unwilling to reveal the Amazons and their location to Chase at this point in time. "We, um... I guess we are neutral? We're so far removed from everything and everyone that we really don't have a side. But I'd like to think we'd come down on the side of right if given a choice."

Chase stared hard into the brown eyes looking back at her. She'd learned as a very young child how to gauge when a person was lying to her and that skill had served her well since that time. She saw nothing but honesty and a bit of hesitant fear reflected back to her.

"All right," Chase replied, relaxing back into her pillows with a barely concealed groan. Drea picked up the cup and offered it again, and Chase sipped on it gratefully - both for the wetness it provided her poor throat and because she felt her headache easing off. She had the distinct impression the tingly feeling was behind that.

Drea waited patiently. She had dealt with this kind before and knew that pushing Chase would result in nothing - no answers for them and no trust between them. And Mala had already stressed this woman's importance to Diana... and Diana's importance to the Amazons. No one would be happier to see the fulfillment of Mala's prophecy more than Drea. So she continued to wait.

Chase let her mind wander, even as she processed her impressions of this place. Everything told her she was safe here, and yet there was still something setting off niggling alarms in the back of her mind. She decided it was safe enough to give this woman Drea an abbreviated accounting of what happened. She knew she couldn't get information without giving some, and she needed this woman to help her get well enough to go home.

Hans is gonna kill me.

"Well," Chase started, clearing her throat gently. "I was on my way home when I got spotted by a patrol of Nazis. Though what they were doing out this far...." she mused to herself and grew silent as she pondered that puzzle for a long moment. Chase didn't see the widening of Drea's eyes at the mention of the Nazis. She drew a deep breath and resumed speaking.

"Anyway, they saw me and gave...." Here she smiled sheepishly. "Chase. I started shooting." The pilot turned her attention full on the healer, and Drea was impressed by the presence the small woman focused her way. "Did any of them survive?"

Drea shook her head. "Not to our knowledge. You were the only one we saw escape from your flying machine."

"Hmm... I remember popping the top just before I hit the last man. The explosion was...." She shuddered. "Horrific," finished in a whisper. Chase closed her eyes, willing the images away. She could still visualize the terror on the young man's face, and she wondered as she watched him explode if he was even old enough to shave. That was the worst part of the rebellion. Chase could still see clearly every single person she'd been force to kill, and sometimes that burden got so heavy. But she had decided long ago that living with oppression and tyranny were worse, so she locked that memory away as she had so many others throughout her lifetime, knowing they would only come back to haunt her in the darkest part of her dreams.

Drea sat quietly, not wanting to disturb Chase's thoughts, though it was apparent they were unpleasant. When the green eyes blinked open again, the healer offered her some more water, which Chase gladly accepted. Her headache had eased off to the point of being almost non-existent, and the rest of her body was starting to relax from the pain as well.

"Anyway, I remember the explosion, which was way too close for my tastes, and being hit in the stomach and thigh. And after that.... Did I hit my head on something?"

Drea nodded. "The water, we think. You came down in it pretty hard. You seemed to have caught an updraft that dropped right out from under you while you were still a little way up. We were just glad you were over water and not earth. Gaia is a little less forgiving than Poseidon."

The blood drained out of Chase's face as she understood the implications of what Drea was telling her. The healer realized what her words must have sounded like to the pilot and hastened to reassure her.

"The drop did no residual damage aside from your headache. All your motor functions react normally to stimuli and nothing is broken. All your wounds appear to be from your combat experience." Drea touched Chase's shoulder. "We took a bullet from here, and shredded metal from here," moving her hand to Chase's thigh. "Your stomach had a clean cut across it. The only explanation we could come up with was a piece of one of the exploding airplanes caught you as you ejected."

Chase nodded tentatively, inordinately pleased when her head didn't fall off. "I think you're right. I remember some rather intense pain before I blacked out." She paused. "You say I fell in the water." Drea nodded. "Who pulled me out?"

"Our very reclusive princess."

"Does that mean I won't get to meet her? I mean, I'd at least like to thank the woman who saved my life."

"Probably. She's not inclined to be social very much," Drea said honestly, thinking back to a time when that wasn't true. "But you never know. Stranger things have happened." And her rescuing you would be one of those things. Never thought we'd see that hero again. "But," Drea continuing to speak aloud as she rose from the bed and tucked the cover around Chase. "I want you to get some more rest. When I come back it will be with something to eat."

Chase's belly rumbled in response and she blushed and grinned awkwardly. "I think that sounds like a great idea. I can't remember the last time I ate." Drea grinned in response.

"I'll bring plenty."



Diana woke in the dawn disoriented, her abused body screaming in agony. Her face was pressed into the sand, and her body was curled into a fetal position. She deliberately stretched as far as she could, working through the pain of aching muscles and allowing her thoughts to wander.

Why do I hurt so badly? I'm not in bad shape, thinking of the rigorous exercises she did daily. Why am I on the beach? It appears I spent the night here, but why? And who got close enough to cover me without my noticing? She pushed the thin blanket aside and stood. Already she felt better. Evidently she had remained in one position too long, letting her muscles atrophy after some apparently harsh exertion. But what? And why couldn't she recall anything after heading out for her run?

She shrugged and picked the blanket off the sand, shaking it out and meticulously folding it neatly. Then she moved back towards the palace, determined to discover what had happened the previous day.

Diana noticed a subtle difference in the Amazons' attitudes towards her and her curiosity grew. They were looking at her with eyes full of admiration and awe, something she'd accepted as her due once upon a time, but no more. Not since her mother....

Here her thoughts grew cold and hard, and she ignored the respect they paid her. Diana placed the blanket on a chair just inside the palace, moving with sure, silent steps towards her rooms.

"Diana?" Her mother's voice... a voice she studiously ignored. "Daughter!" seeing the princess stiffen but not slow her steps or acknowledge the queen's presence. "Diana, we need to talk." Hippolyta reached out a hand, and found it caught and held in a nearly painful grip.

Diana didn't speak, simply looked at her mother for a long moment. Then she threw the queen's hand from her and resumed her trek to her room.

Hippolyta stood frozen in the middle of the hallway, torn between anger at her daughter's impudence and despair at what she had seen so clearly in those expressive blue eyes. She started after Diana when she heard her name called from the other end of the hallway. Turning, she saw Rina, and the assistant healer's winded condition caused her immediate concern.

"Rina?" moving towards her.

"My... my queen. Drea... requests your presence... immediately. It seems our... patient spoke to her... this morning."

Hippolyta cast one last glance towards her daughter's room, then strode with Rina out the other end of the hall. Drea wouldn't call her this early if it wasn't a matter of some urgency.

"Do you know what she said?" Hippolyta asked. She never saw Diana glance out of her room nor the princess' shoulders slump when she saw Hippolyta moving away from her. Diana's resolve hardened again, and she refused to allow the tears to fall. Instead she moved to the shower, wanting to rinse away the sand and all the aches and pains she had accumulated... inside and out.



Hippolyta waved the assembled Amazons back to their seats, glad they had been gathered so quickly. She would soon understand that most of them had been working overtime since Chase had been pulled from the water. And in Paula's case, since they'd spotted the aerial dogfight in the skies above them.

"Hello, Ladies," watching with mischievous glee the outraged expressions that turned her way. They were Amazons - first, last and always - and Hippolyta knew that was the surest way to not only get their complete attention, but break up some of the tension in the room as well. "Drea, you have the floor," taking a seat and motioning to her best friend.

"Majesty," accepting with a nod and rising from her chair. "I spoke with our guest just a short while ago. She doesn't trust us... yet anyway. Not that I can blame her after what I found out. For now, she goes by the name of Chase. It's all she would share with me about herself."

"Okay, so...?" Hippolyta asked, knowing there had to be more if Drea summoned the council.

"She also gave me an abbreviated account of what brought her to us... specifically the air fight that took place."

"How do you know it's abbreviated and how can we be sure she gave you accurate information?" asked Nubia. She was one of Hippolyta's most trusted advisors, and she was the biggest skeptic on Paradise Island. She had been after the queen, the healer and the priestess to push Diana out of what she perceived as a childish funk. She was well-respected for her forthrightness, if not well-liked for her harsh outlook and ruthless tongue.

"If you'd let me finish," the healer said pointedly. She and Nubia mixed like oil and water, and there were days - this was shaping up to be one of them - when Drea wanted to send Nubia far, far away. The dark-skinned Amazon nodded her head magnanimously, and gestured for the healer to continue.

"Thank you," turning back towards the queen. "What she told me about... what she said...." Drea rubbed a hand across her face. "It's the Nazis... again. Or still." Gasps around the table, followed by whispers and low chatter. Drea held up her hands for silence before she continued. "Paula started doing research as soon as she realized what was happening yesterday, and I gave her the information Chase gave me immediately. She's been going non-stop on this." The healer turned to the scientist. "She came to me as soon as she gathered enough information to make a preliminary report." Drea sat down and Paula stood, chewing her lip nervously. Sometimes she hated her job. She cleared her throat and began to speak.

"When we noticed the air fight over the island, it was... familiar. And Chase's arrival... it reminded us of... well, it was very similar to what happened when Steve Trevor dropped in on our home." The council as a body held their breaths and eyes turned furtively towards the queen. That had been the turning point in Diana's life and left them with the nearly unrecognizable woman who was now their princess. Paula swallowed and went on.

"We started doing some checking and when Drea came in with her information, it gave us something specific to look for. What we found was... disturbing."

Paula stopped talking and looked at Drea for support. The healer was the only one who knew what they had found out as she had been standing in the research lab when the information came through. Drea nodded and Nubia nearly slapped the table in frustration until she saw the serious expression on Paula's face. Nubia had a soft spot for the scientist and knew without asking that whatever she'd discovered had very bad connotations.

"Paula?" Hippolyta's softly spoken word broke the silence that had fallen.

"I'm sorry, my queen. The next part is, um... hard to tell. I feel like it is partly my lack of vigilance that allowed this to develop like it has."

Hippolyta stood from her seat and moved around the table to take Paula's hands in her own. "Paula, if anyone bears responsibility and guilt here it will be me. You have always faithfully served the Nation. No one here questions your loyalty or vigilance. Now, tell me what you found out."

Paula focused on the queen; it was easier that way.

"Take your time," Hippolyta said, seeing the hesitation and feeling a cold shudder travel down her own spine. Paula nodded, and looked down at their still linked hands for a long moment, drawing strength from the trust she felt flowing from Hippolyta.

"Diana didn't lie to you, my queen. The Nazis apparently won the war they were waging a hundred years ago." She swallowed hard enough for the room to hear it. "And it looks like they had help... Amazon help."

The silence that fell in the room at Paula's pronouncement was so still even the wind stopped blowing. Hippolyta paled at the implication of Paula's words, her hands tightening reflexively on the scientist's.

The sound of a chair scraping across the floor broke the spell and Hippolyta looked around, gratefully noting Drea's presence behind her almost immediately. She leaned back into the healer's embrace while maintaining her grip on Paula's hands.

"You mean, Orana...?"

Paula nodded. "Yes, my queen. Though I cannot say so with one hundred percent certainty, all indicators we have found point to her being the reason for the Nazis' success."

"Oh, my gods," the queen muttered. She never heard the excited chatter - the buzzing in her ears blocked the sound, and then the world went blissfully black.



Diana wondered at the odd silence that seemed to be hovering around the palace. The outside guards were in place, but no one appeared to be inside. In a completely inexplicable change in behavior, the princess was roaming the corridors, seeing what she could see instead of holing up in her room as was her habit.

The palace was more than a home for her and her mother. It also housed several public areas - the library, a music conservatory, the scientific research laboratories, the infirmary and the hothouse gardens. It was also home to several other Amazons aside from the royal family, but their quarters were in a separate wing. Many of the Amazons had their own homes with yards and gardens spread across the island, but all were welcome in the public areas of the palace.

Today, however, no one was about. No one that is except for the small, unknown woman who lay sleeping in the infirmary.

Diana stood in the doorway for a long moment studying her intently. She wondered who the woman was and where she'd come from. There was a familiarity that tickled the edges of her senses though she knew for a certainty that the woman was a stranger to herself and the island. And ever more curious - how she'd come by the injuries she had so obviously sustained. Diana had absolutely no recollection of her own efforts to save Chase, and no one was around to answer her questions or tell her the story. She never saw Rina, who was monitoring Chase from one of the observation rooms and who maintained her distance on strict orders from both the queen and Drea.

The princess walked quickly through the palace and outdoors, realizing immediately where all the Amazons had disappeared to. They all sat in the outdoor theatre next to the palace and the queen was addressing them. She wondered why she had not been summoned, then shrugged. It was obvious to her that the only reason she was part of this society at all anymore was because she had nowhere else to go - either by choice or by design.

So Diana chose not to bother and went to sit in her favorite thinking tree.



Chase felt someone staring, but just couldn't seem to open her eyes. Whatever the healer had given her packed quite a punch and though she felt much better than she had the first time she'd awakened, she was unable to pry her eyes opened. Instead, she floated in a comfortable twilight, aware of sounds and sensations around her, but powerless to do more than listen to them.

She turned her mind back to the Drea's words, and wondered again what she was missing. The healer wasn't being totally open and honest, though Chase couldn't really blame her. The pilot wasn't completely forthcoming with information either.

Chase felt the presence leave as silently as it came, and she wondered if she was going to be some sort of freak sideshow. Though in all fairness to wherever she was, this was the first observer Chase was actually aware of having. Cool your jets, Chase. You don't need to be making snap judgments - especially since you're not in a position to do anything about anything until you're healed a little more.

She wondered at the silence, though. In her brief snippets of conscious and semi-conscious memories, there had always been a soft scuffling of footsteps, the crackle of moving material and the whisper of breathing. Right now, there was nothing, save her own breathing and the whirr of machinery in the room. With a mental shrug, Chase put it out of her mind. She couldn't do anything about it, so she let herself slip out of the twilight state and back into a deep, healing sleep.



"My sister Amazons," the queen began. "Many of you...." She paused, knowing the truth. "All of you are aware that we have a visitor from the outside. A mortal woman who literally fell out of the skies and into our backyard. While I know you are all intensely curious about her and the circumstances surrounding her appearance here on Paradise Island, I am asking for your patience. She was badly injured before she hit the water, and Drea has indicated she will need sufficient time to heal before she can have any visitors. And even when Drea releases her to have visitors, I am asking you all to be kind to the young woman and don't interrogate her. The council and I will endeavor to find out all we can and will pass along any pertinent information, but please - we want her experience to be something she will remember as a beautiful dream."

After Paula's words had sunk in, the council decided not to share the implications with the general Amazon population... at least not yet. There were still too many unknowns, and they felt there was no reason to stir things up any more than Chase's appearance already had until they had more facts. The queen, when she'd regained her senses, had ordered Paula to get some rest while the remainder of the council discussed her findings quietly. It confirmed a good many things that heretofore had made no sense to them. It didn't, however, bring them any closer to a decision.

The only thing they agreed on was the fact that no one wanted to start a panic or a revolt - both of which were possible if the council went off half-cocked. So it was decided that the queen would make an announcement, and the council would proceed from there. There had to be an answer, and it was up to them to find it.



Mala didn't attend the queen's address to the rest of the Amazons. She felt the need for prayer and fasting. This whole situation was becoming much more than she'd initially seen, and she wanted to ask for guidance and wisdom. The priestess wondered if any of the goddesses would answer, though. They had been unusually silent, as of late... ever since the fiasco with Diana, in fact. Mala shrugged. Perhaps they would make an appearance now. Change was in the wind, and any goddess worth her salt was going to want to be in the forefront of that change.



On Olympus, there was a conclave of another kind going on. Hera, Demeter, Hestia, Athena, Artemis and Aphrodite sat at their own round table discussing possibilities. For too long, Ares had held the world in the palm of his hand and used it for his own advancement. The time had come to change that, and opportunity was knocking at their door. The only decision they had to reach was the best way to utilize the chance they had been given. Life was fixing to get very interesting for the lot of them, and they were merely supporting players. They were looking forward to watching events unfold for the others who were now involved in the drama which would eventually determine the fate of the world. Sometimes, it just totally rocked to be a goddess.



Chapter III

"What did you find out?" Hans asked the tall man as he stepped into the room. Shep just cast him a look and took a seat, waiting for the other leaders of the rebellion to file in behind him. Hans had literally accosted him as soon as he and Mitch had returned from up north. It had been bad enough that he and Jen had been separated for the better part of a month while they were being utilized in different areas of the rebellion. But to come home and find that Chase had disappeared... so much depended on her. She was a pain in the ass, but she was *their* pain in the ass. Not only was she a capable leader and an excellent pilot, she also had a knack for bringing people together and a way of making things seem possible. Of course, sometimes that had as much to do with her ability to kick ass and take names as it did with anything else. God knew they'd all gone the rounds with her on more than one occasion. Better than that - she kept Hans from driving the rest of the crew nuts.

So Shep was already in a sour mood, and Hans' nervous energy wasn't helping matters at all. Fortunately, the other rebel leaders were only a pace or two behind him. Ty patted his shoulder as she passed behind him, knowing the scientist tended to rub Shep the wrong way. Jen nudged Ty out of the way with a smile and the two women teasingly elbowed each other like kids for a minute before taking their seats. Mitch and Hans slid into their seats and waited for Shep to speak.

"The news isn't good. She made it to the southern base and picked up the packet. From there things seemed to go downhill."

"What happened?!?" Hans demanded impatiently. Shep glared at him, and Hans folded his on the table and sat back. "Sorry," he muttered.

Shep nodded and cleared his throat. He knew the German man was simply concerned - they all were. But his impatience wasn't going to help what appeared to be a complete calamity.

"It appears she ran into trouble once she took off. Apparently there was an ambush waiting for her. Now," he held up his hands when the mutterings started.

"Damn it, Shep! That means we've got bigger problems than Chase missing."

"I know," the man said quietly. "But can I finish this first?"

Mitch nodded.

"Thank you. Now, as I was saying, we don't know what happened from there - except that all five planes disappeared over the Devil's Triangle." Gasps around the table. "I know, but there is a possibility that Chase is alive."

"So what do we do? Surely we can't just leave her there," from Hans.

"The southern base has a patrol out looking for survivors - Chase or the Nazis. My odds are on Chase having shot them all down and then being drawn into the Triangle." The gasps turned to grins and nods of affirmation. "For now, though, we've got work to do. Not having the packet changes things, so we're gonna have to implement some alternative plans and methods of attack."

They opened their planning books and pulled pencils from the cup at the center of the table. Jen chuckled as she flipped to an empty page and all eyes turned to her.

She returned their gazes evenly, the mirth twinkling out of her brown eyes. "I was just thinking - I know that this is serious, but I'm glad I wasn't the one to bring Chase down in the triangle, and I'm real glad I won't be the one finding her. You *know* she is gonna be spitting mad, especially if she is stuck riding in a life boat out in the Triangle."

Laughter went round the table for a minute, each of them well able to picture the blonde fury tearing through the Nazis and then the Devil's Triangle trying to find a way out.

"So, you think she's alive?"

Jen reached out a hand and patted Hans' arm. "Not only do I think she's alive. I'd put good money on her getting out of the Triangle by herself and coming home to kick our collective asses for leaving her there to find her own way out."

"Guess we'd better get to work then. I don't want to be accused of slacking off when she gets back."

Five sets of eyes widened at Hans' words, then they turned their attention to their planning.



When Chase opened her eyes the next time, the curtains had been opened allowing a minimal amount of light in the room through the slatted shutters. It bothered her eyes though, so she squinted as she looked around the room again. Nothing had changed - it still reminded her of a hospital though there were several pieces of equipment she didn't recognize.

The pilot sat up, wincing as she pulled against the injuries in belly, shoulder and thigh. Chase cursed the aggravation they caused her, but was happy to note her head was much better though it did spin when she changed directions. She looked down, glad to see that this institution didn't have the standard, ass-baring hospital gown.

It was actually... well, she wasn't sure exactly what it was. It would have been a toga in Roman times, she suspected, though the material was silk, not linen. Chase rubbed its softness between her fingers and thumb. It reminded her greatly of the silk scarf passed down from her great-grandfather. It was the last reminder she had of the man who had been a hero to many, but whose efforts had in the end ultimately come up short.

Chase spared a wistful thought for it now, wondering where her clothes were and if the packet was safe. She assumed that whoever now had it in hand had opened it and read it. So her first order of business was going to be to get out of here and find her clothing and the packet. Then she'd need to find a way to escape.

She stood slowly, breathing deliberately to move past the pain and holding onto the rail when the world started to spin unmercifully. Chase bit her lip until it bled and closed her eyes, willing her body to co-operate. She took a step and would have hit the ground had it not been for the warm hands of her arms keeping her upright.

"You shouldn't be out of bed yet," Rina chided. "Come, let me help you back to bed, and I'll get Drea."

"Nono... I need...."

"You need to get back in bed," the healer asserted firmly. "Please, you're bleeding."

Chase allowed the young woman to help her back to bed, moaning when she banged her leg into the rail. "I'm going to get Drea," Rina said, pointing a finger at Chase. "You stay put." She grabbed a glass and pitcher that were sitting on the bedside table and filled the glass nearly to the brim. "Here. Drink this slowly. I'll be right back."

Chase closed her eyes and concentrated on not throwing up.



"Are you sure about this, Paula?" Hippolyta was looking through the reports the scientist had just handed her passing them on to Drea and Nubia as she read them. The three had withdrawn to the Queen's study discuss the development Paula had presented them with about Orana. They were deep in discussion, having reached a consensus on the need to work together when Paula knocked on the door. The look on her face was one of confusion, and the queen bade her enter. Now the trio understood the look - they were bewildered as well by the new information they now held in their hands.

"Yes, my queen. I have run the information three times. It comes up the same every time."

"This makes no sense. Granted, humanity doesn't have the same level of genius available to us here on Paradise Island," with a nod in Paula's direction, "but they should have made some sort of advancements in the past century."

"Thank you, my queen," the scientist responded to the subtle compliment though they all knew who was responsible for most of the innovative progress the Amazons enjoyed, including the sleek, slim-line computers and holography technology apparent even here in the queen's private rooms.

"So in a hundred years, there has been no significant evolution in mankind's development? No scientific advancement - not in medicine or mechanics or technology?" Nubia asked. The thought of such a stagnant society made her mind hurt.

Paula shook her head. "Not in anything, it seems. Their music, clothing, way of life remains the same. Even their standard of living hasn't altered significantly."

"But why?" Drea asked. "It makes no sense. Surely there should be some sort of progress somewhere."

Paula shrugged and scrubbed her hands through her hair, making it stand up on end more than it usually did. "I don't have any answers for you. Every time I start looking for answers, I find something new that just makes more questions."

"So do we know more about our guest? And what about Orana?"

"I am still working on getting things into place to find the facts we need about Orana. I can't believe I missed this... that I let this get by me so easily."

"Paula, don't do this to yourself. We had no reason to suspect...."

"Yes, we did, my queen," the scientist cut in unexpectedly. "You know we did - Diana warned us...."

"Paula!! You overstep your bounds!" Nubia roared, and Paula cringed inwardly though she didn't flinch on the outside.

"Not this time, Nubia," she replied quietly. "How long did Diana and I work together on many of the luxuries the Amazons now enjoy as part of their everyday lives? I got to know the princess better than most of you. I knew she wasn't lying and I should have kept a closer eye on what was going on in man's world."

"Let her be, Nubia," the queen added tiredly. "Just because the truth isn't what we'd like it to be doesn't make it any less the truth. *I* knew Diana wouldn't lie to me, but I was so angry...." She took a deep breath and shook her head. "Ultimately the responsibility for this lies on my head alone and I will be the one to fix it when the time comes."

"What of our guest?" Drea asked, breaking a silence that was becoming unbearable in its strain.

"That was much easier," Paula replied, switching to another screen. "She hasn't gone to the trouble of trying to hide from us, and breaking into that primitive system was child's play."

"Annabelle Chaser - age...." Drea turned her head towards Paula. "Is that accurate? I would have guessed at least five years older given her maturity and bearing."

"Well, that is the age she claims to be, at any rate," causing a small smile to ripple among the immortals. They had long since given up being precise about their ages. No woman wanted to admit to being millennia old, even if she perpetually looked like she was in her mid-twenties. "But her birth date does confirm that to be an accurate number, yes."

"Hmm," Drea mused. "Height, weight, schooling... wow." She turned brown eyes back to Paula who smiled and nodded.

"Yes, she is something of a genius herself."

"Religious affiliation, family backgr...." She closed her eyes. "Oh, please tell me I am reading this wrong."

"What??" Nubia said, reaching for the electronic report. Drea pushed the pad where all of them could read from it. Hippolyta's eyes widened and she glanced at each woman in turn.

"Oh, dear... this complicates things immeasurably. Thoughts on how to proceed?"

"I think we need to let her reveal what she is comfortable revealing in her own time at this point. She's already very wary of us and if she discovers we know all about her, she'd going to trust us even less."

"And how are we going to get her home? Judging from that packet she was carrying, she's pretty important to the rebellion. She's going to want to go back as soon as she's able."

Silence fell - everyone knowing the answer but no one wanting to be the one to say it aloud. Finally Nubia took a deep breath.

"We all know what... or rather *who* the best solution is going to be in this situation."

All eyes turned to the queen. "Now all I have to do is convince a daughter who no longer has any respect for me that she has to be something I denied her a hundred years ago."

The hush that fell the second time was broken when Drea pushed back her chair and stood. "I suppose I'd better...." Her words were cut off when Rina knocked then entered the room without waiting for an invitation.

"Apologies, my queen," she said with a nominal bow in Hippolyta's direction. "I am sorry for intruding, but Drea is needed back at the infirmary immediately."

"Chase?"

Rina nodded. "She woke up, then decided to get up without help. She tore the stitches in her leg."

"Did you...?"

"No, you told me to let you know as soon as she was awake. Besides, I think she trusts you more. It took all she could do to let me help her back to bed."

The two started walking at a hurried pace towards the door. "By your leave, my queen." Drea said as they reached it. Hippolyta gave them a wave of the hand, effectively dismissing them. They were gone before her hand dropped back into her lap.

"You let her get away with too much, my queen," Nubia spoke from her side. Paula wisely moved from the table.

"She has always shown me respect, Nubia, in and out of our private lives. She has never tried to take advantage of what we share in the bedroom in a public manner, so I'm not sure I understand your concern."

"She only asked for your leave when she was gone, majesty. Surely you deserve more consideration...."

"Nubia, I have always counted you as a dear sister and friend as well as my closest advisor. Take care where you go with this. Drea's first responsibility to me and to the Nation involves healing our guest. It is right that she put the young woman's health above niceties and protocol. Honestly, the only reason she felt the need to observe them was because you and Paula were still here."

Nubia looked abashed as the queen quietly and politely dressed her down. "My apologies, my queen. I feel... I'm not sure what my problem is."

"Come," moving away from the conference table and into the comfortable chairs at the fireplace. "Let's talk. Maybe we can figure things out together."

Hippolyta nodded her head at Paula who motioned to the door. Then Hippolyta sat down to help her friend work things out, the scientist's departure unnoticed by both women who were totally engrossed in their conversation.



"Was it worth it?" the soft voice caused Chase to crack her eyes open to see Drea standing beside her bed. She turned back to her assistant. "Rina, I need...."

"I'm on it," the Amazon said on her way out the door.

Drea shook her head and turned back to Chase with a smile and a twinkle in her eye. "I'm not sure how I ever got along without her. She's always right on top of things." Chase didn't comment and Drea became the consummate professional in the blink of an eye.

"Now, let me take a look," noting the blood now staining Chase's gown. Her hands were sure and impersonal, and the pilot eventually relaxed into the touch. It wasn't something she was used to - the rebellion's doctors were good at what they did, but they were rough, almost callous. This was something beyond that; it felt comforting without being invasive.

"Rina, we're going to need a new gown also please," Drea said when the assistant healer returned with a tray full of instruments and supplies. "Thank you," she added when Rina set the tray down and nodded her acquiescence to Drea's request.

"Please," Chase broke in quietly. "Do you suppose I could have a shower first? I feel... grungy."

Drea looked at her seriously for a long moment. "Let me get you re-stitched and then we'll see. I imagine we could manage to arrange something for you."

"Thank you," Chase replied.

"So," Drea resumed speaking when the silence began to drag on uncomfortably. "Why did you get up? Surely you knew it was too soon." She didn't mention the few scars the younger woman's body bore as a testament to her fighting, but it was obvious to Drea that Chase had been in this type of situation before. Besides, she endured the repair process stoically and unflinchingly, only her eyes bearing witness to the pain it cost her.

"I needed... I... look, I appreciate the hospitality and the help. I mean, ya'll have been very kind, and I'll never be able to repay you. But I've got responsibilities I've got to get back to."

Drew nodded. "I can understand that. I have responsibilities of my own, and I take them very seriously. But Chase, you have to show a little sense here. If you're not well, can you really fulfill those responsibilities? You've only been here a couple days. Give yourself a little more time to heal before you start running races, all right? Trust me to let you know as soon as you are able to get around safely?"

Chase gazed into gentle brown eyes for a timeless moment. She was inclined to trust this woman instinctively though her rational mind told her that sort of trust was stupid. Those gut instincts had never let her down, but....

"Why?"

Drea nodded to herself as though she expected the question. "I am a healer. I have sworn an oath to do no harm. That includes allowing you or others to harm you. I don't want to spend my time making you well only to have you hurt yourself because of your impatience. You will get better; it's just going to take a little time." Drea waited until she saw acceptance in those green eyes. "Now, come. We'll get you into the shower and then arrange for you to have some food." She scooped Chase up negligently in her arms, not missing the startled look that crossed the pilot's face.

Chase automatically put her arms around the healer's neck in reflexive response. "You're not an Amazon, are you?"

Drea noticed the dark expression settle on Chase's face, clouding her normally brilliant eyes. She decided discretion was the order of the day. "Why would you ask that? Aren't they a myth?"

Now the eyes grew cold in memory. "No," starkly. "They are very real and brutally evil. They are also incredibly, deceptively strong." Chase bit her lip. "On second thought, I'm sorry. You may be strong, but you don't strike me as evil."

They crossed the threshold into the bathing room and Drea deposited Chase on a seat in a large tiled enclosure. She turned her attention to adjusting the water temperature to the proper setting while the blonde woman struggled to undress. When she was satisfied, she moved back to help Chase disrobe. Her touch was impersonal and detached, and it was that attitude that permitted Chase to allow the healer to help her.

Drea noted almost clinically that Annabelle Chaser was a beautiful young woman - more sculpted than most of the Amazons who resided here, though there was plenty of feminine softness and curves. It was a tribute to the fact that she physically worked her body hard and not simply exercised it. There was only one here who rivaled her musculature, yet Diana's did not show the abuse that Chase had obviously suffered in her fight for freedom. That thought brought the pilot's previous comment back to mind.

"Have you seen enough evil to be able to recognize it?"

Now Chase looked her directly in the eyes, and what Drea saw there scared her. "Oh yes," she said flatly. "I have seen evil face to face and lived to tell the tale."

The healer swallowed hard and nodded. "Perhaps you will share the tale?" She handed Chase the soap and moved around the wall to give the young woman a bit of privacy without having to leave the room.

"No," Chase answered vehemently. "It's not something that should ever see the light of day."

Drea nodded again, sensing that pushing Chase would be the wrong thing to do at this point. She had a gut instinct telling her that the pilot held information that they needed, and there was no reason to anger her - it would make Chase clam up and then they'd get nothing. Instead, she'd work on the trust angle, and hopefully the Amazons would gain allies and the rebels would as well. It had been a long time since the Amazon warriors had seen a good fight.



Chapter IV

The sun was setting. Diana languidly stretched from her place in the tree, having reached a level of meditation where she was comfortable in her body and in her mind. Diana was still uncertain about the stranger among them though she believed she should know... something. However, now she simply wanted to be left alone to enjoy the beauty of the colors as the golden light of day became crimson, then violet and finally black. She realized that wish was not to be granted her when she heard the footsteps of the priestess approaching.

Mala didn't say anything for a while, content to sit beneath the tree and take pleasure in the display laid out so grandly before them. Usually she was in prayer at this time of day, as this was the time when the goddesses tended to commune; so sunsets had been a rare treat for her. Even when it seemed like the goddesses had abandoned them to their fate, Mala continued to fast and pray, hoping something would change - hoping they would speak to her again and offer some sort of guidance.

Today, however, she felt the need to watch the sunset, and seeing the form of the princess in the tree soaking in the sunshine and fresh air gave her reason to suspect divine machinations behind her own desire.

Diana noted the priestess' presence but decided to ignore her. It wasn't any different from her normal behavior towards Mala or anyone else, and though there were any number of other places the priestess could have gone to watch the sun set, Diana was content to share as long as no socialization o was required on her part.

Slowly the sun slipped beneath the horizon and the colors Apollo left in his wake were truly spectacular. Diana sighed, knowing the storm that would follow such a breathtaking display would be equally phenomenal. She had long lost her fascination with storms, knowing they kept everyone inside, and that tended to work her nerves as it was usually when her mother made some inane attempt to communicate with her. Right now, though, she had to deal with a priestess who seemed to have made herself comfortable for the duration. And despite Diana's disdain for everything around her, she hesitated to completely disrespect the priestess.

Mala had counted on that facet of Diana's personality to work in her favor. Though the princess rarely gave any indication of attention or response, she was also unfailingly polite to the priestess in that she would not simply walk away from her. Diana didn't show much tolerance for any other Amazon, but Mala had been her mentor and the only one who had stood up to Hippolyta for Diana when the princess had competed for the honor of becoming Wonder Woman. So Diana settled back down for the duration and kept her eyes on the horizon, knowing Mala had something to say. She wasn't disappointed.

"You did a good thing yesterday, Diana. It was nice to see the princess I remember again." Mala felt Diana stiffen at the implication, but more importantly, she caught the look of confusion that flickered across the princess' face at her initial words. Interesting, was her thought, though those weren't the words she spoke aloud.

"The young woman you rescued - her name is Chase. Annabelle Chaser actually, but she has asked to be called Chase. Very nice girl. Extremely bright and from all we have been able to find out about her, she is both strong and stubborn. Though given the world she lives in, I suppose all those qualities are necessary for survival."

Mala paused, allowing the words to sink in. Diana might not speak, but Mala could almost hear the thoughts that were being processed. Obviously, from the bewildered expression that the mention of Chase had cause, Diana had no recollection of her actions. The question was... why? Why would she forget something like that? Mala decided that would need further investigation, but for now....

"Man's world is still at war with itself, and Chase seems to be at the heart of the rebellion. We're going to have to get her home, though gods know she would make an exceptional Amazon."

Diana didn't answer verbally, but for the first time she turned her face and met Mala's eyes directly. The priestess held herself tightly, unwilling to let Diana see her flinch at the pain and lost look those blue eyes held. Mala rose and extended a hand towards the princess, hoping she wouldn't be rebuffed. Diana didn't withdraw or stop the touch, but she twisted her head back to the horizon, unwilling to refuse the comfort and unable to accept it as well.

Mala could feel the tension in the muscles beneath her hand, but she left it, knowing she was being permitted a greater liberty than Diana had allowed in more than a century.

"When you are ready to hear the whole story, come see me, my friend. I have missed you, and I think the time has come for you to return to us. You are meant for more than what you have become, princess."

Mala left her hand in place for several heartbeats longer before patting the strong back and walking back towards the temple. She felt sure that she would be having a visitor sooner rather than later, and she wanted to be ready. With any luck at all, she would be entertaining more than one, and though she relished the idea of the goddesses returning to them, more than anything she looked forward to the return of the princess and friend she had known from her conception.



Diana sat still and unmoving as twilight turned to total darkness. The peace she had achieved only an hour early had evaporated, leaving nothing but confusion and disarray in its wake. She thought she was content with what had become her lot in life and yet the priestess's words had sparked... something in her soul - something she had not allowed herself to feel in a very long time.

Several somethings, in point of fact, and her curiosity was at the forefront of the burning urge that would ultimately push her forward into the world of men.



Chase was much happier after her shower though the effort it took to bathe herself was more draining than she'd imagined it could possibly be. With very little fanfare, Drea helped her dry off and dress before negligently swinging the pilot back into her arms and carrying her back to her bed.

"Let me check your stitches once more," the healer said as she moved to do just that. "Then Rina can bring your breakfast. Then if you're feeling up to it after a bit of a nap, we can get you up and around a little bit," Drea looked directly at Chase and pinned her in place. "But with a little *help* this time."

Chase bit her lip, trying to stop the blush she felt crawling up her skin at the evident scolding. Then she frowned. "Whaddya mean, a nap?? I gave those up when I was two."

Drea eased Chase back onto the bed, fluffing her pillows and tucking her in before motioning to Rina. "Perhaps, but I doubt you were recovering from bullet wounds and surgery when you were two," not missing the shadow that crossed the pilot's face. But Drea continued without missing a beat. "And as your healer, I am authorizing a nap to stimulate your healing. After and only after you rest again will we go out for a while."

Drea motioned to Rina who came in with a loaded tray. "You remind me...." the thought trailed off. Chase took a good look at the tray which contained delicacies she had read about but hadn't seen before. "Where did you get this stuff? I've never seen food that looked or smelled so good. And I'm not sure I know what half of it is."

"Trust me when I tell you that not only is it all good, it is all good for you. Now, eat up. Your body has a lot of rebuilding to do. I want to see your plate clean when I come back in to check on you." The healer turned and took two steps towards the door when Chase spoke again softly.

"Do you treat all prisoners of war so well?" needing to know where she stood with the people who now held her life completely in their hands.

Drea stopped and walked back to Chase's bedside, covering the pilot's capable, well-worked hands with her own softer ones. "Chase, you are not a prisoner here. You are our honored guest. And when you are ready to go home, we will do our best to get you there. I am hoping you will learn to trust us and share what is going on in the world outside, but even if you never reach that stage, we will still do everything in our power to insure you make it back to your world."

"I'm not sure I understand."

Drea smiled and patted the hands she held before she stood up. "I know, but you will eventually. Now, eat before it gets cold. I'll be back shortly."

Chase picked up her fork and gingerly took a bite, letting the flavors burst across her tongue before scooping up more and chewing enthusiastically. Drea moved the hair back out of Chase's eyes and the younger woman smiled as the motion evoked yet another memory of her mother.

The healer smiled in sympathy then left the room and Chase turned her full attention to cleaning her plate.



"Diana! DIANA!!" Hippolyta wasn't fond of yelling to be heard, but her daughter made any other choice impossible. Unfortunately, it drew everyone else's attention as well.

Diana conveniently ignored her mother, just as she had every other time the woman had spoken to her since.... Her mind turned away from the time of her disgrace and humiliation. Instead, she continued on to her rooms, ever mindful of the guards that stood outside her door.

Hippolyta reached out a hand and grabbed Diana by the arm, flinching when the princess whirled on her but unwilling to give up the tenuous hold she had on Diana's attention. Then flinching for an entirely different reason.

Blue eyes blazed with anger, hatred and resentment and burned into eyes equally blue, but filled with regret, despair and pain.

Without a word, Diana lifted her mother's hand from her arm, squeezing until tears ran from Hippolyta's eyes. The guards approached, but were stopped by a hand signal from the queen. Diana threw Hippolyta away from her - not hard enough to make her fall, but with force enough to make her stumble backwards several steps. Diana gave her a look of complete loathing and turned and entered her room.

Now the guards moved forward, ad Hippolyta again waved them away, cradling her damaged hand tenderly before rising on unsteady legs and making her way out of the palace.



Hippolyta was on her knees at the altar when Mala returned to the temple. The priestess hesitated, not wanting to interfere if the queen was in prayer. When Diana had returned to the Amazons changed, Hippolyta had come to the temple to pray for her daughter's soul only to learn that the goddesses were furious with her. Because of that fury, they no longer deigned to appear bodily to any Amazon, though they still extended their protection over all who lived on both Paradise and Transformation Islands. Further evidence of their presence lay in the occasional appearance of a new tribe member. Otherwise, however, they remained silent, and in defiance of what she perceived as their abandonment of the Nation, Hippolyta had refused to bend a knee to them again... until today.

Now the queen lay prostrate before the altar, hard sobs convulsing her body as she cried out her rage, frustration and sorrow. Finally she had been beaten and broken, accepting responsibility for a great many things that until that moment in time she had not acknowledged her role in.

Mala covered the queen in a soft, thick blanket, and brought water for her to wash in and water to drink. Then she moved to an alcove to wait for things to unfold. She could feel the change in the air, and wanted to be witness to what was happening.

Eventually, Hippolyta ran out of tears and she sat up, noting for the first time the items that had been placed out for her needs. The washing water was still warm, and she gently cleaned her face, wincing when it stung and burned. Then she poured a glass of cool water and drank it swiftly, nearly choking in her haste. But it was soothing and she poured a second glass, sipping this one and appreciating the feel of it on her raw throat.

Hippolyta wrapped the blanket more tightly around her, feeling the chill after the rush of emotion just passed. She removed the tiara from her head and studied it intently before she placed it on the altar. Then she stood as though she bore the weight of the world itself on her shoulders and shuffled listlessly towards the backside of the altar.

Mala rose from her spot in the alcove, moving to intercept the queen when she realized her intention, only to be stopped by two invisible hands on her shoulders.

"Let us handle this," Hera said. "We have let this go on too long, and it's time to resolve this and bring unity back to the Nation and peace back to our chosen."

"Diana?"

"Yes," replied Demeter. "She has suffered much for too long, and the time has come to make amends."

"And the queen?"

"Watch," Hestia answered, and turned the priestess back towards the altar... offering her a front row seat for the drama that was being revealed.

Hippolyta leaned on the top of the altar and closed her eyes. Then she reached for the hidden drawer - known only to the queen, the priestess and artisan who had crafted the altar itself. Hippolyta opened her eyes and gazed at the ceremonial knives that were housed in the hidden compartment, letting her mind drift back millennia to the time when the Amazons had originally left Greece.

They had been scrambling for days trying to crate as many artifacts and as much of their history as they could find. When the goddesses had come to them, offering to move them to a safe place, free of war and disease and men, Hippolyta had been more than slightly skeptical. After all, for years the deities had been silent while not only the Amazon Nation, but women in general suffered cruel and unspeakable fates. It was quite a stretch for them to accept such sudden interest in their well-being.

However, the Amazons had not survived wars, pestilence, hatred and discrimination without learning a few things. One of those things was when to go with the flow - and they had decided by popular vote that this was one of those times. Even if the goddesses did not come through, it was time for the Amazons to leave Greece and find a new home. The surprising offer had just given the Nation the impetus it needed to take action.

Personal belongings and medical supplies had been packed first so everyone could help with the things that belonged to them as a people. So now they were packing up the temple and the library. There were scrolls numbering in the thousands - scrolls that told their history and folklore; scrolls that gave instruction; scrolls that remembered their greatest warriors and heroes. One entire section of scrolls was dedicated to the writings of one of their most treasured queens - a young bard who had stumbled into the Nation by her willingness to sacrifice herself for a stranger princess. A young woman who with her champion befriended the Amazons and helped them to survive until they could rebuild. The writings of this bardic queen were favorites of everyone, and they were now carefully packed and stored for the move.

While many in the Nation carefully handled the history, Mala pulled Hippolyta aside to deal with something a little more dangerous.

The priestess and the queen walked back to the alcove where their sacred items of worship were secreted when not in use. Mala touched a spot in the wall and a hidden panel slid sideways to reveal a concealed cache of ceremonial weapons, including some of rare pieces that had come into the Nation's possession.

Hippolyta's eyebrows rose. Even as queen, she had been unaware of this collection of arms. She turned questioning eyes to Mala, waiting for an explanation. The expression on her face was clearly indicative that she was completely in the dark about the accumulation of weaponry before her.

"We were asked... we were instructed to keep these things here. They each hold special significance to our history in some way or another."

Hippolyta nodded, recognized a few of the pieces from her studies. "And the dryad bone daggers?"

"They were crafted and hidden here after two feuding, newly-minted goddesses nearly destroyed the village. It was decided it was necessary to defend against gods and goddesses as well as humanity, and our queen's champion went out and got the necessary parts and actually created the knives that were left in the hands of the high priestess."

"Why did they become a well-kept secret?"

Mala shrugged. "I don't know," she answered honestly. "The secret was always passed from high priestess to high priestess. I had assumed it also went from queen to queen until I observed your face when you saw them."

Hippolyta reached out a hand towards them but hesitated before she actually reached the smooth, sharp blades. "And they kill gods?"

Mala nodded. "And immortals. It was documented."

Hippolyta nodded. "Very well. Pack them with the other sacred items... things you alone handle. We will build a new hiding place for them when we reach our new home."

And they had. The goddesses had kept their promises and whisked them to an island of safety Hippolyta had named Paradise. Cleo, their master sculptor, had fashioned the altar complete with the hidden tray. She never saw what went into but she knew of its presence and was the only Amazon outside of the queen and Mala to be aware of it.

Now Hippolyta opened the drawer and removed the dryad bone daggers from their hiding place. Even after millennia of residing in the hidden niche, they remained as razor-sharp as they had been the day they had been crafted. The queen admired them for a long moment before lifting the blade to her eye level. Mala jumped forward, only to be stopped again by the hands on her shoulders. She glared at her captors, only to have her face turned back towards the altar.

Hippolyta had collapsed again, the knife lying clean and untarnished on the floor beside her. She didn't even flinch when she felt gentle hands stroking her loosened hair.

"Why?" Hippolyta whispered. "I am no longer worthy to be queen and I am obviously totally unfit to be a mother." She looked up into compassionate blue eyes. "Especially Diana's mother. She hates me."

"And giving up will help you how?" Hippolyta moved her attention from Aphrodite to Artemis. "Hippolyta, the fight for Diana's soul has just begun."

The queen jerked away from the love goddess' touch and glared in the hunt goddess' direction. "JUST BEGUN?!? We have been fighting for well over a century." She stood up and moved away from the altar where three goddesses now sat in repose. "I realize on the immortal scale that is a drop in the bucket in the grand scheme of things. But living it day to day, watching her hate me more and more, seeing her close herself off to everyone and everything and grow distant from the world, the last hundred years has been an eternity."

Athena rose from her spot and moved behind Hippolyta, placing her hands on the queen's shoulders and kneading gently. Hippolyta flinched but Athena held on and gradually the queen began to relax. "It does seem like an eternity, Hippolyta, but things are just now falling into place to make things right again. And it may take a while from a human perspective for balance to be restored, but it will happen."

The queen stood still and unmoving in thought. Finally she pulled away from the goddess' hands and turned to face the three of them. "Why? Why did you let this happen? What is the point of everything that has happened... to us," motioning between herself and them. "To Diana... to man's world? Why didn't you do something to stop it?"

There was no anger, no accusation in her voice; only a world-weariness and heartsoreness that could not be hidden. All six goddesses came forward now and Mala followed, not wanting to miss the story she felt sure was coming.



Chapter V

"We all bear the responsibility for what happened to Diana, Hippolyta - you as well as us. And until now, there has been no real way to rectify the situation our actions created."

"But...."

Athena held up her hands. She had been given the difficult task of being the spokeswoman for this particular tale and wanted to get through it without interruption. It was hard enough to tell without them. Because here was something they had done together as a group - something they had done to grant a request of people they had come to love and cherish as their own children, and it had gone horribly, tragically wrong for everyone, but especially for the one that was their chosen.

"Please, Hippolyta. Let me tell this without questions or comments. It's hard enough."

The queen swallowed hard and nodded. She had seen a sadness in the eyes that met hers that was reflected in her own. She could only imagine the goddesses' feelings of guilt, given what she knew hers to be even without knowing the whole story yet.

"Thank you," Athena replied. "This story actually starts several thousand years ago, when we decided to offer sanctuary to the Amazons and to those women who were slaves and worse at the hands of men. We didn't consider the fact that your science had not progressed enough to create life without men or the fact that things would become stagnant without the ability to procreate and bring new life and fresh ideas into the world."

"So when you called upon us as a people asking for the blessing of a new life, it was one we were happy to grant. And we gave the child everything we could; every god and goddess of the Pantheon was anxious to bestow on the child a gift - well, every god except one, and he figures into this tale as well, just not yet."

"We only made one small mistake when we granted your request, Hippolyta, but it was one that would haunt us and you, but especially Diana. You see, when you asked for a child and we agreed, we knew the child would need a soul. So we searched far and wide for a soul that was deserving and that could fulfill every potential we offered it. And we found that in a soul that was known to the Nation, both as a Destroyer and as a Champion."

Athena stopped talking for a moment, closing her eyes and breathing as though collecting her thoughts. When she opened them, her eyes glistened with tears, but she blew out a breath and continued.

"We wanted to give her a second chance. What we didn't figure was that taking her soul out of the karmic circle was going to disrupt... everything."

The silence that fell then lasted so long Hippolyta felt compelled to break it.

"How so, Athena? I don't understand."

The goddess shook her head. "No I'm sure you don't. We didn't either for a long time, and by the time we figured it out things were in motion that would have to be played out to their bitter conclusion."

Aphrodite placed a comforting hand on Athena's back, rubbing in a slow circular pattern. The war goddess looked up with pleading eyes into Aphrodite's, and the love goddess kissed her sister on the forehead before resuming the tale.

"We chose the warrior's soul because it seemed so perfect for our needs, even with its flaws. She possessed skills and strength and beauty and was already intelligent enough to have conquered half the known world with a rag-tag army she'd put together from her home village."

"What happened? What changed her that she'd become a champion to our people?"

Aphrodite smiled. "Love. She found her soulmate and things balanced. And for a while, that was enough. But things were never easy with them and eventually they were separated, but it was with the knowledge, or at least the belief that they would find one another again in their next lives."

"So when you removed Diana's soul...."

"We messed up the balance, and removed the possibility of them finding one another again. But Diana didn't know that and her soul kept searching."

A light dawned in Hippolyta eyes. "Steve Trevor - was he her soulmate?"

Aphrodite shook her curly blonde head. "No. Right family line, wrong soul. But she made a connection, felt the familiarity...."

"And my actions...."

"Your actions made a bad situation intolerable," Dite stated bluntly.

"Oh, gods!" the queen moaned, covering her eyes. Though she'd thoroughly believed her harshness was completely warranted given her daughter's disobedient actions, she suddenly realized not only what she had done, but why Diana hated her, instead of merely resented her.

"What happened to Diana when you disgraced her is her own story to tell," giving a shiver which raised the goosebumps on her skin. "Or not, as the case seems to be. You can't force her to share with you. But Hippolyta... it was bad. Very bad."

"Can I help her without knowing?"

"You're going to have to," Hera said softly. "She no longer trusts you, and earning that back may take longer than you actually have."

"Things are coming together again...finally. And your mysterious visitor is at the heart of things."

"Is she...?"

"That will be for her and Diana to determine, and it's going to be a long, rocky road regardless. For now, you need to focus on salvaging some sort of relationship with your daughter. She will never admit it, but she needs your love and support. The loss of that cut her deeply."

Silence fell again while Hippolyta girded her loins for a question she figured could anger them again, but she needed to know.

"Why have you come back now? Why did you abandon us for so long?"

It was Hestia who answered this, standing and taking the queen's face in her hands. "We never, ever abandoned you. But think about the timing, Hippolyta. I think you know the answer to your question."

The queen's gaze went inward for a long moment. "You did to me what I did to her."

"Something like that, yes. We pulled away from you, hoping you would see your mistake, but we never abandoned you."

"My gods, what have I done?"

"You have been a mother, but by holding on too tightly, you lost all you held dear. Perhaps you can learn from it and do better... much like we did. We've all made mistakes, Hippolyta. The important thing is what we learn from them and what we do with that knowledge."

"My queen," Mala spoke up for the first time, making Hippolyta aware of her presence. Hippolyta wanted to be angry and embarrassed, but instead all she felt was gratitude and relief that she didn't have to go through this alone. No one, not even Drea, knew her like Mala did. There positions in the Nation insured that there were very few secrets between them, and not once had they betrayed one another. Only once had Mala stood publicly against her, and Hippolyta had long since understood her reasons for it.

Now the queen motioned her forward and the goddesses parted to let the priestess into their inner circle.

"I spoke to the princess earlier. It is my firm belief that she has no short term memory. I don't know how far back the problem extends, but it is highly likely, given her lack of response to our questions and probing, that she does not remember anything that happened to her after the competition."

Hippolyta's brows rose into her hairline. "You think she's misplaced more than a hundred years worth of memories?"

Mala shrugged. "I think they are hidden from her, for whatever reason. She doesn't remember rescuing Chase." She held up her hands to forestall comments. "I've promised her the whole story when she is ready to hear it, and I think that will be sooner rather than later. I also believe it could be a key in helping her regain her memory."

Hippolyta dropped her head and her shoulders slumped as well. "I don't think her regaining her memory is going to gain me any points in the endearing mother department."

"Probably not," Mala replied frankly, unmindful of their still watchful audience. "But it is necessary and probably the only way we are going to recover the princess we all fell in love with."

"A little honesty will go a long way towards healing, as will your love and support."

"I never stopped loving her," Hippolyta stated fiercely. "Not once."

Aphrodite cupped her cheek. "But she doesn't know that," said with compassion. "Not anymore. You're going to have to show her until she believes it again."

Finally, after a century of pain and defeat, a passionate determination entered Hippolyta's eyes. "I will - even if she beats me black and blue. I am going to force her to listen to me and I will make her understand."

"Whoo hoo! You go girl!" Dite cheered before becoming serious again. "Just remember that this rift, as ugly and as lonely as it is for her, has become comfortable and well-known. She's not going to give it up without a fight."

Hippolyta nodded. "She's going to leave again, isn't she?"

"Yes," Hera answered. "And she's going to need your blessing this time."

Hippolyta chewed her lip. "I can do that... I *WILL* do that."

"Good. And don't be surprised if sparks fly when she and Chase start butting heads."

Hippolyta chuckled. "I think I will look forward to that."

The goddesses and Mala joined in her laughter, a release for tensions that had finally been dispersed.

"Oh babe," Dite said, flinging an impromptu arm over Hippolyta's shoulders while still giggling heartily. "I'm not sure the world is ready for all those fireworks, but I gotta tell you *I* for sure am looking forward to this reunion. It has been waaaaay too long."

Athena shook her head. "Little sister, I worry about you sometimes."

Hera muttered, "So do I." Their renewed laughter was the last thing that was heard from them as they faded back to the Olympian plain



Chase blinked open her eyes with a squint again, truly surprised she'd fallen asleep so easily after breakfast. She hadn't believed she could be so tired from doing so little, but her senses told her she'd slept a good portion of the morning away. She knew two things for sure - her butt was tired from her inactivity and she had to pee very badly. However, she'd learned her lesson quite plainly that morning, and searched around for something that would get her some help before she embarrassed herself.

Fortunately, Drea chose that moment to stick her head in the door.

"Ah. You're awake."

"Yep, and badly in need of the privy. I don't suppose you'd be willing to help me walk there, would ya?" pointing in the general direction of the facilities.

Drea smiled. She understood the effort it took for the independent young woman to ask for help, but was glad she'd finally managed to impress the seriousness of her injuries on Chase. Half her battle was over if she'd accomplished that much.

"I certainly will. Then if you feel up to it, I will take you around the island a bit... get you out into the fresh air and sunshine for a while."

"I like the sound of that," Chase nodded gingerly. The headache she'd had before had come back with a sudden, blinding intensity as her equilibrium shifted from horizontal to vertical. She extended a hand towards Drea and used the healer for support as they walked together towards the bathroom. Drea got her to the toilet and turned to leave to extend her a bit of privacy. Chase reached out a shaky hand.

"Do you think I could have a bit more of that fizzy water you gave me yesterday... yesterday? Whatever it was settled my stomach and took my headache away."

Despite Chase's position on the toilet, Drea knelt in front of her and took her face in smooth hands. "Chase? Are you in a lot of pain?"

"Yeah, my head, actually," said in a whisper. She bit her lips to hold back the groans that wanted to erupt from the back of her throat. "The light is killing me."

Drea held her head a moment longer looking intently into her eyes. "I need to take a good look at your eyes. Let me go get you some... um, fizzy water. Don't move til I get back please?"

"Thanks, Drea," Chase said softly. "I'm not sure where this came from," dropping her head into her hands.

Drea rushed out and motioned Rina over to her. A few whispered words between them and a quick nod of her head and Rina disappeared to do Drea's bidding. The healer returned to Chase's side and helped the struggling woman without drawing attention to her actions. Rina returned with the water and unobtrusively took a position on Chase's other side while Drea helped the young woman drink.

"Better?" the healer asked after a few minutes of silence.

Chase nodded. "Yeah, thanks. I don't know what happened."

"Come. I want to examine your eyes."

Chase felt an uneasy chill skitter up her spine at those words. "My eyes?"

"Yes. You shouldn't still be feeling the effects of your fall into the sea unless you've done more extensive damage than we first believed." They got her to the bed again. "Is the light still bothering you?"

Chase laid her head back carefully. "Yeah, but not as badly."

"Good. If you're okay with it, I'd like to ask our head scientist Paula in as a consult. She might have some ideas. She helped develop all the medical equipment here."

"That's fine," Chase replied wearily. "Do you think we could go out afterwards?"

"If you'd like to try, absolutely. We'll find a way to protect your eyes."

"Thanks, Drea," Chase nodded before falling back into a light doze. The medicine was supposed to give that effect and the healer was glad to see it work so quickly and effectively. Rina had already summoned Paula and as soon as Chase went out, the three women fell to work with a will.



"There's nothing wrong that we can find, Chase. We have run every test we know and then some. But we're going to keep trying. Something is giving you those headaches and making your eyes so sensitive to the light."

"What are you saying, Drea? Is there a problem with my eyes or not?"

Drea took Chase's hands in her own and chafed them lightly. "I think so. I just have to find it. But I will," she added with such determination that Chase forgot her upset and smiled.

"Drea, I hope you won't take this the wrong way since you can't be more than a couple years older than me if that much, but you remind me so much of my mother."

Drea returned a genuine, full-faced smile and took a seat on the edge of the bed. "Do I really?"

"Yeah, ya do. I'm not sure why - a lot of things really... same soft voice, same look of compassion, even some of the same mannerisms." Chase shrugged and dropped her eyes, a little embarrassed. "Maybe it's just you're the nicest doctor I have ever met."

Drea chuckled. "I'll have to remember this - most of my patients don't like to be here. But thank you, Chase. I think it is sweet I remind you of your mother. I must come by it naturally, though. I have very few memories of my own."

"Me either," came the soft reply. "And I miss her."

"I understand." It got very quiet and solemn for a long moment before Drea slapped her hands on her thighs and stood up. "Now, let's see about getting you some fresh air and sunshine."

"That's about the best offer I've had all day."

That caused laughter to flow from Drea and Chase joined in, feeling better than she had since she'd run into the Nazi ambush.

They didn't go far... just outside the hospice and down to the beach. Paula had crafted a special pair of glasses for Chase to use to protect her eyes and it made the experience most pleasant. For her part, Chase was glad to get outdoors and though she wanted to get out and explore, she was just happy to be out of the bed for a while. Drea had promised exploration would come with healing and healing would come with time. Already she felt better.



It wasn't until later that evening that Drea and Hippolyta finally had the opportunity to exchange stories.



Chapter VI

"Are you all right love?" Drea asked as she and Hippolyta prepared for bed. It had been the first time they'd seen one another since Drea had been pulled out of their meeting earlier that morning. It seemed impossible that it had only been that morning so much had happened in the meantime, but the sundial confirmed that only a single day had passed.

Drea came up behind her and pulled Hippolyta into her arms, surprised when the queen collapsed into her. Never in their life together had Hippolyta shown weakness like this, not even when things had gone so badly with Diana.

The healer wondered what had happened, hoping that Hippolyta would be able to share. Drea knew that the queen and Mala had a few secrets that were kept between them and she sincerely hoped this wasn't going to be one of those times. It was hard sometimes, knowing that Hippolyta couldn't share everything with her after the lifetime they'd been together, even when her mind understood and accepted the reasons behind it.

Hippolyta clung to her tightly and Drea maneuvered them under the covers, situating them comfortably. Neither woman released her grip and it took a good deal of effort, but eventually they did wind up curled together in the middle of the big bed.

Hippolyta didn't cry or sob; her tears had been shed in the temple. She had yet to utter a sound. Instead, she simply held on to Drea and accepted the warmth and comfort the healer offered her, holding on fiercely. Drea returned the embrace, muttering nonsense words of love and affection until Hippolyta's grip on her loosened and she was able to look into the queen's blue eyes.

"You ready to talk to me now?"

Hippolyta shifted in Drea's arms until they were nearly nose to nose, eyes crossing to maintain contact. She moved her hands to cup the healer's face and spent a long moment tracing gentle curves and planes she knew by heart. Then Hippolyta dropped a light kiss on Drea's lips and settled back into her arms.

"I love you. I just wanted you to know that right up front. Despite everything you know, despite everything I have done wrong, you have never criticized me publicly or been judgmental in private, even when my decisions went against your very nature. Your belief in me means everything to me - I can't believe I was so blind... so selfish."

Drea bit her lip, trying to control the shaking she could feel trembling throughout her body. She eased away from Hippolyta slightly. "Pol, are you breaking up with me?"

Hippolyta whipped around so swiftly she nearly fell off the bed in shocked surprise. She grabbed Drea's hands and held them to her lips. "WHAT?!? NO!!! Nonononononono!" Hippolyta kissed Drea's knuckles again before using their hands to lift the healer's chin so their eyes met. "No," she reassured more softly, if with no less vehemence. "This is a forever kind of thing for me, until and unless you decide otherwise, my love. Even after millennia together, you still fascinate me."

Now Drea blushed deeply. "You're a sweet talker, my queen."

Hippolyta stroked Drea's face tenderly. "Not with you, sweetheart. Only the truth between us."

"So truth then... what happened? As much as I appreciate your words, I'd like to understand what's behind them."

So Hippolyta told her - told her of the assembly of goddesses in the temple and the things they had shared; of the responsibility they all bore for the situation they now found themselves in... in the world in general and for Diana particularly.

"But you are not alone to blame, Pol."

"No, but it is ultimately my fault, Drea. I messed up so many things... so many things I would have done differently if I had known...."

"Pol, there are things ALL of us would do differently if we known the things we know now. Don't regret your coulda-woulda-shoulda's. Let's just move forward from here and make the best of what we have now."

"Well, I know what I *need* to do. The question is how to do it."

Drea smiled. "That is something we can work on together, if you like."

"I like. And maybe we can also figure out where Ares is in all this... aside from the obvious, I mean."

"We can definitely do that, and I imagine Chase could help with that if approached correctly."

"Hmm... good point. How did things go with her? Was Rina right to be so concerned this morning she nearly caused Nubia to have a fit?"

Drea rolled her eyes, causing Hippolyta to chuckle. "As a matter of fact, yes. That young pilot is the most stubborn, independent woman I have ever met, and since I live on an island *full* of stubborn, independent women, that is saying quite a bit."

Hippolyta's eyebrows rose into her hairline. "Merciful heavens! You mean to tell me she outdoes the entire Amazon Nation?"

"In spades," Drea answered solemnly.

Hippolyta patted the chest her head was resting on. "My condolences, love. I'm not sure I could manage."

Drea chuckled soundlessly. "Years of practice, my queen... years and *years* of practice."

Hippolyta poked Drea's ribs, causing her to jump. "I resemble that remark, you know."

"Yes, I do," eliciting another poke and another round of giggles. "Stop. I'm trying to be serious here."

Hippolyta pulled herself up but not away from Drea in fine royal fashion. "Indeed, madam, you are not. You are being a perfect scoundrel."

Drea wiggled her eyebrows. "No, I'm saving that for later." Her expression changed and became totally serious. "I'm worried, Pol. Chase is healing, and she's trying to trust me. I think she wants to. She told me today I reminded her of her mother."

Now they separated far enough to look at one another while they spoke, though they never lost tactile contact with each other. Hippolyta took one of Drea's hands into her own. "Does that bother you, sweetheart?"

Drea smiled sweetly. "No. It was somewhat flattering actually. I want you to meet her soon."

"I am looking forward to it in fact. But why is that worrying you?"

"That isn't. Trust takes time - we all know that, and it's only been a couple days since she arrived here. Given the history Paula has found out about her, it's a wonder Chase can trust at all, but I imagine she'd also developed quite an instinct for that sort of thing as well."

Hippolyta nodded. "Agreed. So what is bothering you?"

"Something else is wrong with her - something that is giving her severe headaches and trouble with her vision. Aside from the fact that she is the key to Diana recovering herself, I like her, Pol. She's someone I would like to have as a friend. And I am at a complete loss of what else to do for her." She turned to look the queen more directly in the eyes. "We tried every test we could think of and then some. Paula developed some special glasses specifically for her to be able to tolerate the brightness of the sun for a while, just so we could get her out in the fresh air."

"Are all the results in?"

"All but two. I am beginning to suspect it might be psychological, but regardless, it is very real. I have never seen anything like this before. At least not since we arrived here."

Hippolyta eased Drea onto her belly and gently began rubbing the healer's tight shoulders. "Wow, this really does have you tied up in knots, doesn't it, love?"

"Yes. I've put a soothing salve on Chase's eyes and covered them for the night, but I'm not sure what good if any that is going to do." Drea turned her head slightly until her eyes could meet Hippolyta's. "This is bothering me, Pol. There has to be something I can do... some way for me to make this better."

The queen leaned over and placed a kiss at the nape of Drea's neck. "You can't fix everything, Drea. Didn't you just tell me that? But we'll work on it together. Surely with all the outstanding minds here on Paradise Island we can find a way. And then we can even figure out how to reach Diana and return our princess to us once more."

Drea rolled onto her back and pulled Hippolyta into her, savoring the warmth between them. "I like that idea. I'd like to see her happy again." She kissed Hippolyta's forehead and lowered the lights. "I will be curious to see how Chase fits into all of this."

Hippolyta yawned. "I have a few theories, but Aphrodite indicated there would be some serious head-butting between them. Guess we'll have to wait and see. I'm just glad things are changing again," she added on a soft breath.

"Me too, love. Me too. Night," whispered as their breathing patterns deepened into the regular rhythm of sleep, and their thoughts became their dreams.



Chase's dreams were strange and unsettling. Nothing made sense to her rational mind and being essential blind only served to heighten that perception. All she saw were odd, disjointed images - her great-grandfather's twinkling eyes, her mother's lips fashioned in a grim smile, Hans as he reached for his notes. Nothing made sense and it was unnerving in the extreme.

She woke with the same feeling of upset, her head pounding again and her sixth sense telling her she was not alone. Chase reached a hand up to the bandages that covered her eyes, heedless of the healer's cautionary words. If there was a threat, she wanted to face it head on. Instead, strong hands caught hers and a soft voice rumbled into her darkness.

"Leave them. Nothing will bother you here."

"Who are you?"

"No one," came the reply. "No one at all," said with a sadness that touched Chase in a deep, unexpected place. "Will you let me try to help you?"

Chase reached out and caught the hands that were moving towards her. They were soft and warm, but the pilot could feel the strength in them and the calluses that marked their owner as a warrior of great skill.

"Why?"

The hands tried to pull away, but Chase held on. Eventually they relaxed and she heard confused resignation in the voice that answered.

"I don't know, honestly, except it seems like the right thing to do."

Chase considered her position, knowing the woman who had spoken could have just come in and done... whatever. This place was strange - the doctors here did not act like most medic and corpsman she had met in the rebellion. They certainly weren't like the Nazi doctors, and she couldn't stop the involuntary shudder that ran through her slight frame in memory. The hands holding hers tightened their grip briefly before releasing entirely.

"I'm sorry," the voice apologized. "I should go." And she moved away before Chase could react.

"No... I'm sorry," Chase whispered into the dark emptiness. "The Nazis... bad memories."



Diana stood at the doorway still and silent. She wasn't sure what had brought her here, other than what she had told the young woman... it seemed like the right thing to do. Then her breathing stopped completely as Chase's low words hit her hearing.

Without hesitation, Diana crossed back into the room. "What did you say?" she ground out harshly. She couldn't explain the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach nor that anger and agony the welled up from the depths of her soul.

Chase flinched, more from her visitor's unexpected return than the violence of her question. She was fairly certain it was directed at something other than her. Diana reached for Chase's hands again, pleased when the other woman accepted her touch without hesitation.

"What did you say?" she repeated more calmly.

"I said I was sorry. My thoughts went away from here. I didn't mean to be rude."

"The Nazis?" feeling a chill settle on her skin as another shudder rippled through Chase's body.

"Don't," came the flat statement in a hardened voice. "I will not suffer through their atrocities again... even in my memories."

Flashes of images flickered through Diana's mind - nothing solid, nothing she could even focus on for more than a transitory moment. But the feelings they left her with made the blood burn hot in her veins. She shook her head to clear it of the disturbing dregs of haunted memory that remained.

"I'm sorry. Will you let me help you? I think I can relieve some of your pain."

Chase lifted a hand to her head. "How did you...?"

Diana's shrug went unseen. "I read your file, and you are very pale. Drea gave you something to help you sleep, and it is possible that is making it worse. Will you trust me?"

Chase lay silent for a long moment, letting the words flow over her and focusing strictly on the whispered voice that spoke them.

"Yes," then moaned as strong hands manipulated several pressure points until the pain simply vanished. The release was almost orgasmic.

"Thank you," Chase mumbled allowing her body to relax into the contentment Diana had created.

"Rest now," came the quiet response. Diana reached a hand out to smooth back the blonde hair, but stopped just short of touching. She waited until Chase's breathing evened out in sleep before turning and leaving the pilot's room.



Nubia remained out of sight until Diana passed from the hospice area to the private residence of the palace. She had been unable to sleep and had wandered down to check on their guest, only to find the princess in Chase's room. She had waited out of sight but within hearing, nearly swallowing her tongue when Diana spoke for the first time. She couldn't help the thrill of joy that course through her at the sound and the possibilities it conveyed.

Now she gazed down at the young face that had caused the change. If Mala was right, and it appeared very likely that she was, the Amazon Nation would owe a great debt to the woman who was sleeping so soundly before her. Nubia considered waking the queen with her fortuitous news, but decided it would wait until later in the morning. Regardless of how welcome it would be, there was nothing any of them could do to force the process, and she figured Hippolyta would relish a few more hours of sleep.

For herself, she had found newfound hope, and she was able to head to her own bed for the first time since Orana had left them filled with optimism and anticipation for what the future held.



Diana entered her room, not even taking notice of the fact that there was no longer a guard stationed right outside her door. Her mind was conflicted and she shed her garments before sliding into bed naked. Blue eyes closed, only to have her inner eye battered by images she didn't understand.

All night, barrage after barrage of impressions assaulted her senses and she remained in the grip of a feverish nightmare she couldn't seem to escape from.

Daylight came, and Diana stayed in the bed unmoving, something unheard of since her birth. Always she had arisen in the gray mists of pre-dawn, wanting to greet the arrival of every new day. Even when she'd lost her joy and grown angry and resentful towards everyone, she had coveted that time of day. So her unprecedented sleep-in set off all sorts of alarms across the island. Then Drea discovered Chase and life got really interesting for the women on Paradise Island.



Chapter VII

The dreams were much more pleasant this time, though they made no more sense than they had in her first attempt at sleep. Chase saw things that were as clear as memories, but her conscious mind knew for a fact they couldn't be real. She hadn't lived in ancient times and she certainly had never dressed *that* way. Her mother would have tanned her hide but good for exposing so much of herself to the world. She chuckled in her sleep, remembering a time her mother *had* taken a switch to her backside for taking her shirt off in front of the boys... or tried to anyway. Chase's nickname hadn't been solely derived from her last name.

Still, the dreams were good ones and she enjoyed them, allowing the pictures she saw to bring a smile to her face - even in the depths of her sleep.

In fact, she was so deeply asleep that Drea feared for the pilot's life when she first walked in the room. There was no sound of breathing, no visible rise and fall of her chest. Drea hurried to Chase's bedside, calling out for Rina in the process.

"Rina, NOW!"

The assistant healer rushed in almost on Drea's heels, but long enough for the healer to have reached Chase and assured herself that the young pilot was still with them among the living. There was the tiniest hint of a smile on her face, causing Drea to wonder where Chase's mind had escaped to in her dreams. That wasn't her primary concern at the moment, though.

What troubled her now was the profundity of sleep Chase seemed to be in... still. Despite the sleeping draught she had been given, Chase shouldn't have reached a level of sleep so deep, especially maintaining such a depth for so long. Even the commotion she and Rina had caused rushing into the room had done nothing to disturb Chase or bring her up out of her sleep.

Now Drea began a thorough examination, wondering what had happened to have changed things so rapidly overnight. Carefully she let her knowledgeable fingers trace over Chase's skin, looking for anomalies she could possibly have missed in her earlier examinations. What she found....

"Rina, help me turn her over. There's something...."

"Drea?" Rina rolled Chase's body to her and held her while the healer continued her examination.

"Rina, did you notice any marks we hadn't already accounted for?" Drea reached for Chase and together they lowered the pilot onto her back once more. Rina picked up the chart they kept at the end of the bed and flipped back to the initial examination. She moved over to stand next to Drea and they studied the chart together.

"No," Rina finally answered. "There's nothing new here."

"Except there is," Drea replied. Rina looked at the healer expectantly. "Her pressure points have been manipulated."

"Huh?" came the intelligent response. Rina waved her hands at Drea's expression. "No, I understand what you said, but who? And why?"

Drea shrugged. "I can think of several 'whos', but the real question is why?"

"Well, we can figure that part out easily enough just by marking what got adjusted." Drea nodded.

"Let's get to work. One thing," the healer said as she and Rina prepared for the exam. "At least I don't think Chase will even notice us, she's so deeply asleep." Drea paused as her words sank in and she and Rina looked at each other for a long moment. "You don't suppose...?"

"No way. That's just too easy."

"Well, there's only one way to find out. Let's roll her onto her stomach first and the we can...."

"Drea! DREA!!!" The Amazon running into the hospice stopped to catch her breath even as the healer moved to meet her. Drea put her hands on the younger Amazon's arms and waited, knowing the effort to speak when so winded was mostly useless. She felt a chill skitter up her spine in premonition, though. No one on Paradise Island had had cause for upset like this since Diana had returned to them, if one didn't count Chase's arrival. Suddenly, they seemed to be almost overwhelmed with excitement lately.

"Charis, take a deep breath. Now another and tell me what is wrong. What made you come running in here like the hounds of Hades were on your heels?"

Charis did as she was told and swallowed hard for good measure. "Drea, you've got to come quickly. The queen...."

Those words lent fear to the healer's heart and wings to her feet - except for the hold Charis maintained on her arms.

"Charis, let go. If the queen is in trouble...."

"Drea, it isn't the queen."

"But she... you... she...mmph...." The healer glared at the young Amazon, but got the point. She nodded her head, letting Charis know she understood and would remain quiet to hear out.

"Thank you. The queen asked me to come fetch you with a med kit. The princess...."

"Oh gods, Diana? Charis, what's wrong with Diana?"

"That's just it, Drea. We don't know. She's still asleep."

"Excuse me? Charis, she's never slept past dawn. It's one of her favorite times of day."

It was all Charis could do not to roll her eyes and she released Drea's arms to allow the healer the opportunity to gather up the med kit and other supplies she needed and to give instruction to Rina who had been watching the interplay.

"Rina, get Anya in here to help you with Chase. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Yes, Drea."

"Come, Charis. Let's go see if we can help the princess."



Drea and Hippolyta had spent their time over breakfast discussing Diana. They knew Hippolyta needed to approach Diana alone first, but the queen seemed to be at a loss on how to reach her daughter after such a long, painful separation.

"I'm sorry generally works wonders."

"Drea, I don't think 'I'm sorry' is going to cover a hundred years of anger and estrangement... especially if she doesn't remember why she's angry." Hippolyta took a bite of her food and shook her head slowly as she chewed. "Do you think she even noticed I removed the guards from her room?"

"Well, the princess doesn't miss much, my queen, but somehow I doubt that is going to be enough." Drea reached across the table and took Hippolyta's hands in her own. "Pol, you remember what Mala told you? Diana's going to fight any sort of reconciliation between you. Fighting, distrust and anger are all she's known with you for the last century. It's not easy to let go of the known and familiar... even if it is painful. Bur you've got to start somewhere. Go talk to her. Make it a point to talk to her every morning, every afternoon, every evening - whatever it takes to get through to her. Even if she ignores you, even if she doesn't seem to respond, it will wear her down. It is just going to take time."

"Time we really don't have right now. Drea, why did I let this go on for so long? I know I was so angry with her in the beginning, but then... it just hurt."

"Only you know the real answer to that, my queen, but Hippolyta," squeezing the hands she held gently until blue eyes looked up to meet her brown ones. "You've got to put the past behind you. You can't change it. You can't make it rosy. It wasn't, and no amount of wishing will produce a different result. Move forward, Hippolyta. I'll walk beside you and the Amazons will stand behind you. But it is time to fix this - time for Diana to take her place in the Nation and in the world."

Hippolyta nodded her agreement, blinking the tears from her eyes rapidly, though not fast enough to keep Drea from catching one that rolled down.

"Scared?" the healer asked softly.

Hippolyta nodded. "A little."

"Of Diana?"

The queen shrugged. "A little," she repeated, "but mostly of failing. I seem to have gotten in a rut as far as Diana is concerned and...."

"That's enough!" Drea didn't raise her voice, but the force she put behind it more than got Hippolyta's attention. "You are not the only one to blame here, but you're not going to start with the self-pitying business either. Now get over it."

Hippolyta blinked again, but this time it was in astonishment. Seldom had Drea spoken to her in such a manner, but always with good reason and to good effect when she did. She straightened her shoulders purposefully and smiled at the healer.

"You are absolutely right, my love. I am so glad to have you in my life to help me see things clearly. Now," she continued, lifting Drea's hands to her lips and brushing a kiss across the knuckles. The action got her a broad smile that she cheerfully returned. "I need to go see my daughter, and you have a patient to check on."

"Yes, I do, but Chase will wait a few minutes if you need me to accompany you."

"No, you go on. I will put together a tray of Diana's favorites and wait for her to return from her morning run. I wouldn't stop you from coming by as soon as you are done at the hospice though," Hippolyta added nervously.

"I wouldn't miss it, my love," Drea said confidently. "And I shouldn't be long... unless something drastic has happened. My main goal is to put a fresh batch of cream on her eyes and then rewrap them so they can rest for the remainder for the day. The remainder of her body is still healing - I will probably get her back out into the sunshine for a while after lunch."

Hippolyta nodded. "Sounds good. Perhaps I can come with you to meet her then."

Drea nodded and leaned over for a kiss. "I will see you shortly then." She leaned her forehead against Hippolyta's. "Good luck," whispered.

The queen stole another kiss. "Don't need luck; I have you." Her eyes opened wide. "That was an incredibly sappy thing to say, wasn't it?"

Drea laughed. "Yes, it was, but I promise not to tell anyone. I'll meet you at Diana's rooms in a little while." Then she disappeared out the door, knowing Hippolyta's eyes followed her every step until she turned the corner out of sight.

Hippolyta stood in the doorway a moment or two longer after Drea disappeared before she shook herself from her absorption and pushed off the jamb. "Let's go, queenie. You've got things to do and stalling isn't going to help you get them done any faster."

Still, it took her quite some time to find what she was looking for in the kitchen. It had been so long since she'd done anything like this for Diana that she hoped she was choosing correctly. Several of the Amazons who were on kitchen duty that week offered to help, but Hippolyta gave them each a firm shake of her head. So instead, they pulled back and simply watched.

The queen rummaged through cabinets as she searched her memories for a time when she still knew her daughter. Gradually, the tray began to fill up with food as well as pleasant memories and the Amazons returned to their work.

One of the more astute and daring Amazons brought a vase filled with fresh-cut flowers and set it on the edge of the tray. Hippolyta smiled her gratitude and lifted the tray, heading down the hall to wait for Diana to return from her run. What she found was disturbing.

The queen crossed the threshold into Diana's rooms, noting for the first time the sparse furnishings and barren feel in what had at one time been a warm and lively place. She set the tray down carefully on the table in the center of the main room and glanced around slowly. Gone were all the reminders of Diana's heritage as the princess of the Amazon Nation. All that remained were her books on science and literature. Hippolyta had a passing thought to wonder what had happened to all the old histories that had once enthralled Diana, then she continued her perusal.

There were no personal objects in the room any longer - nothing remotely connecting Diana to the Amazons... or anything else. Instead, it was a very sterile environment - a place Diana existed for brief periods of time and nothing more.

Eventually, Hippolyta grew weary of pacing back and forth waiting for her daughter's return and she seated herself on the long, extended couch she and Diana had spent hours crafting together when it became apparent that the princess had outgrown not only her mother, but most of the Nation as well. So they'd created furniture to accommodate her longer frame comfortably,

Hippolyta wiped her eyes at the memories of better times. She couldn't understand how she had let things get so bad between them, or stay bad so long. She shook her head, refusing to allow the maudlin thoughts to overtake her mind again. She had determined to put things right between her daughter and herself and to do that, she had to keep her focus on the present and future, not the past.

The queen folded her hands together, concentrating on centering herself for her coming encounter with Diana. It was an odd noise that got her attention originally. There shouldn't be any noises coming from the bedroom if Diana was out running. And the princess *should* be out running - that hadn't changed since she'd learned to walk. At first it had been part of Diana's curriculum; eventually it had become a part of her daily routine that Diana took great joy in.

A second noise made Hippolyta's head pop up. There was definitely someone in Diana's bedroom, and it didn't sound pleasant. In fact.... Hippolyta cocked her head to listen intently. In fact, it sounded like Diana, and it wasn't the kind of noise the queen expected to hear from her daughter.

There were low whimpers and a murmuring, then the noise of soft sniffles were carried to Hippolyta's ears. The sound lent wings to her feet and overrode her mind's logical assertion that she could be interrupting something a mother didn't need to be exposed to in her child's life. What she saw broke her heart.

Diana lay on her side, completely tangled up in the sheet and wrapped around a pillow. Tears rolled down her face and the only sounds were the quiet sobs that escaped her lips as she breathed.

Hippolyta walked swiftly into the room and knelt beside the bed, smoothing the dark hair away from Diana's forehead. The princess didn't flinch or stir. Instead she remained in the throes of whatever nightmare had her in its grasp.

Hippolyta took both shoulders in a firm grasp and shook gently, then harder when there was no response from Diana at all. Had it not been for the fact that Diana continued to breathe audibly, Hippolyta would have panicked at her lack of reaction.

As it was, she eased her daughter into a more comfortable position, then moved to the door to find someone to fetch Drea. Hippolyta retrieved a cool, wet cloth from the bathing room and sat down next to Diana to wipe her face while they waited for the healer to join them.



Drea rushed into Diana's quarters and immediately noticed the sounds of Hippolyta moaning in pain.

"Charis, wait here," she commanded the younger Amazon following her before continuing on. She picked up her pace into the bedroom, only to come to a screeching halt at the scene before her. The princess was sitting straight up in bed, her eyes completely vacant and void of life and her torso naked and uncovered. The queen was cowering in the corner, cradling her arm and biting her lip.

The healer looked between them and headed for the queen, but was stopped by a shake of Hippolyta's head.

"No... check Diana... first. I don't...." Hippolyta sucked in a breath when she moved the wrong way suddenly. "Ow. I don't think... she... is even cog... nizant... right now. I think she... is still... sleeping."

Drea looked hard at Hippolyta before nodding her agreement and walked to Diana's bedside. A glance told her that the princess was indeed completely unaware of her surroundings. With soft, gentle words, Drea spoke rhythmically, allowing her voice to soothe Diana and lull her further into a hypnotic state. Diana eased back onto the bed and curled around her pillow again at Drea's coaxing, and her eyes closed in sleep.

The healer watched her for a moment longer before covering her with a sheet and turning her attention back to the queen.

"What happened?" Drea asked as she took Hippolyta's arm in her hands. She twisted around to catch the attention of the Amazon still waiting in Diana's living area. "Charis, go to the hospice and fetch my kit. Ask Rina; she'll know where it is."

Charis nodded and rushed out, eyes wide with what she had seen.

Drea waited until the sound of footsteps faded before her attention refocused on Hippolyta. "Pol, what happened?" She tended the arm carefully, easily finding a break in the bone. "Sweetheart, this is broken. Did she...?" knowing Diana's anger had never manifested itself quiet so violently before, even towards her mother.

Hippolyta nodded, but she spoke before Drea could comment. "Yes, but I think... it was my fault. She was having... a... a nightmare. I tried to... I tried to wake her." She looked up at Drea with tears in her eyes. "I know...." She hissed when Drea pushed the pressure points to alleviate the pain so she could set her arm. Then Hippolyta blew out a breath and smiled up at Drea when the healer moved her hair out of her face. "I know it was a stupid thing to do, but Drea, she looked so miserable. I had to do something."

Charis came running back into the room with Drea's kit, careful to keep her eyes on her hands. There were some things it was better not to study to closely or understand too well. Everyone knew of the difficulties between the queen and the princess, but that was enough. Everything else was considered their private affair and Charis, for one, did not want to change the status quo. The knowledge wasn't worth the responsibility, and she breathed a sigh of relief when she was thanked and dismissed.

In minutes, Drea had Hippolyta's arm set and braced. Then they rose together and walked to Diana's bedside. The princess appeared to have left her nightmares behind her and was now sleeping deeply, peacefully. They watched for a long moment before Hippolyta spoke.

"Let's call Mala and have her sit with Diana until she wakes up. I think I may need her help."



Chapter VIII

Mala walked across the threshold just as Drea stepped from Diana's room. The healer stopped in startlement and the priestess continued until she was standing by Drea's side. She took Drea's arm and turned them back towards Diana's room.

"Mala? What... how did you...?"

The priestess snorted and stopped short to look directly into the healer's brown eyes. "You have got to be kidding me, Drea. How long have you been an Amazon?" She shook her head. "The princess is in bed past dawn for the first time since her birth and you think it doesn't make headlines around the island? Please, Drea."

Drea laughed, despite the seriousness of the situation. "Good point. Come, Hippolyta wants you to stay with Diana," moving them into Diana's room. "I need to get her to the hospice and check on our guest."

"You think the princess needs to go to the hospice?" Mala frowned and focused her attention on the sleeping princess before movement from the window caught her attention. "My Queen!! What happened? Are you all right?"

Hippolyta smiled painfully. "I'll be fine, Mala," she replied, patting the priestess' hand that was clutching the upper pat of her broken arm. "I promise to explain everything to you later, but for now I need you to keep an eye on Diana. Please?"

"Certainly, my queen. You know it will be my pleasure."

Hippolyta nodded. "Thank you, my friend. We'll be back shortly. And if anything changes...."

Mala squeezed the queen's good hand. "If anything changes, Hippolyta, I will notify you immediately."

Drea put her arm around Hippolyta's shoulders and clasped Mala's hand briefly before steering Hippolyta towards the door. "I'm going to take the queen to the hospice, Mala. But I'll be back shortly to check Diana out more thoroughly."

"Go. I'll be here."

"Thank you, Mala," Hippolyta said as Drea headed them out of Diana's room and to the hospice. The walk was at once the longest and shortest Hippolyta could remember. Without fanfare, the two women found themselves escorted by members of the Royal Guard. Two of the contingent were dispatched to remain outside Diana's rooms in case the priestess required assistance while alone with the princess. Already rumors of what had happened were making their rounds. Hippolyta frowned, vowing to put a stop to it immediately.

They crossed into the hospice and Hippolyta immediately headed for Chase's room. She was quite anxious to meet the young woman, as she had been since her arrival. But now that it seemed she'd influenced Diana's memories in some way, the queen's desire had become more of a quiet demand. Drea had agreed, feeling in her heart that it was important to all of them to understand what had happened between them so far. Perhaps then they could begin to repair the damage that had been done.

Drea walked over to the side where Rina waited to give her report on the findings they had made on Chase. It had been an interesting discovery. Drea moved to the herb cabinet, removing things they hadn't used in a lifetime or more. She began sorting, nodding her head at Rina to proceed.

"You were right. Her pressure points were manipulated to ease her pain and send her into a deep, healing sleep. A sleep she is still enjoying, as a matter of fact."

Drea nibbled her lips and concentrated on carefully mixing the herbs correctly. "Hmm...." she finally replied. "Do we know who? Since obviously it wasn't you or me. And did it help her eyesight? Did the final two test results come back?"

Nubia strode in and Drea bit off a groan. Of all times and of all people to show up, this had to be the worst combination the gods could have come up with. She didn't have time to voice her disdain, however, because at that moment Nubia approached her with a cross between shock and delight - the likes of which Drea had not seen from Nubia in a very long time. It was completely disconcerting.

"Drea," came the excited whisper. "I have news... good news. Where is the queen? I was told she was here."

The healer could feel Nubia shaking in excitement and wondered what could possibly have caused such a reaction in the normally stoic advisor.

"She's in with our guest," nodding in that direction. "Nubia, are you all right? You're shaking."

Nubia raised her hands and closed her eyes, focusing on her breathing. When she felt she had some semblance of control, she opened her eyes and reached out to clasp Drea at the elbows.

"I'm... I'm a little overwhelmed, honestly. I saw something... heard something last night I never expected to experience again." She paused, then jerked her head in the direction of Chase's room. "Come. You deserve to hear this as much as Hippolyta does."

Drea's brow creased in confusion. She couldn't imagine what Nubia would find so exciting she would want to share with her, but her curiosity was piqued and she nodded. "Let me finish mixing this up for Hippolyta. I don't want her to suffer any longer than she has to."

"Suffer? What happened?"

Drea sighed. "Come. Let me take care of Hippolyta. Then you can share your news and we will bring you up to speed on what happened this morning."

Nubia nodded. "All right. Sounds intriguing."

"More than you know, Nubia... more than you know."



Hippolyta crossed to Chase's bedside, cradling her arm gently. She gazed at the young woman her daughter had rescued and let her mind drift back over the goddesses' words. Hippolyta brushed a bit of blonde hair off Chase's forehead and wished she could see Chase's eyes. There was something so familiar about this woman. Something that reminded her of the stories that had been her favorites millennia ago as a girl growing up in the Amazon territories of Greece. The queen decided she needed to go back and reread the histories of her people.

"Who are you, Annabelle Chaser? And what Fate brought you to us on Paradise Island?"

Hippolyta walked around and took the stool that was there for Drea's benefit and sat down, grateful for the extra support the action provided her arm.

"You see, I know that the Nazis were the instrument. But this goes so far beyond them. Soon, I hope we can talk. I think you are going to make a huge difference to both my daughter and the Amazon Nation."

A rustling caught her attention and Hippolyta turned her head to see both Drea and Nubia entering the room together. The healer extended her hand and Hippolyta accepted the cup. She downed the contents with a grimace and returned the cup to Drea.

"Ew, Drea! What was that disgusting mixture?"

Drea chuckled and offered the queen a second cup which she took gratefully, gulping the sweet juice with relief.

"Pain killer," the healer answered dryly. "Don't you feel better?"

"Pain killer?" Nubia queried. "My queen? What's wrong? Why do you need pain killer?"

Surprisingly, to the queen anyway, it was Drea who took Nubia's arm and extended her hand to Hippolyta who took it with a smile.

"Let's get some breakfast and go back to Diana's. I think Mala needs to be part of this discussion."

Two sets of eyes turned to her in confusion, but Drea blithely ignored them. She was certain it would all make better sense when they put together the new pieces they each held.



Mala wasn't surprised to see them return fairly quickly, but she was a little stunned to see Nubia accompanying them. Especially since Drea had a smile on her face and a hand on Nubia's arm. Everyone knew of the tension between the queen's advisor and her consort. Mala wondered what had effected the change, then figured she'd find out soon enough. There weren't many secrets that affected the Nation that she wasn't privy to.

However, she didn't comment on it. The first words out of her mouth were about Diana and were directed at Drea, though they were for the queen's ears as well.

"There has been no change. Diana is still sleeping peacefully."

Drea nodded and continued to Diana's room. Hippolyta kept her hand in the healer's and accompanied Drea to the princess' bedside. Nubia took the hint and walked over to take a place beside Mala on the couch to wait until they returned.

The healer carefully scrutinized Diana who now slept so deeply that she never flinched as Drea's hands ran over the princess checking any physical damage. Looking for mental and psychological damage was going to be something else again and would require more than the cursory examination she was able to do at the moment.

Hippolyta, meanwhile, sat near Diana's head as far out of Drea's way as she could be and still maintain physical contact with her daughter. She whispered quiet words to Diana, and though Drea couldn't understand them, she was confident she could guess what Hippolyta was saying. Now that the queen had decided to get her daughter back, she would be single-minded in both her focus and her purpose.

Finally, patient brown eyes caught questioning blue, and Drea hastened to reassure the mother she saw looking back at her. "She is fine, Pol. She is merely asleep... resting comfortably."

"You're sure?" Hippolyta blushed with the asking. "I'm sorry, Drea. It's not that I doubt you, it's just that...."

"It's just that she's your daughter...."

"She's our daughter, Drea," Hippolyta interrupted. "You've always been her second mother."

"Perhaps," Drea answered, patting the hand that still rested on Diana's shoulder, unable to hide the hurt in her eyes completely. "Though I don't think the princess has ever thought so. I have been happy to have been her confidante and friend. She has always been your daughter, Pol. And it's natural that you're concerned, especially given the circumstances."

Hippolyta lifted her hand from Diana's shoulder and clasped Drea's hand in her own. "I am so sorry, love. I never knew... never suspected...." She took her free hand and dropped her head into it. "Gods, I have been so blind." She looked up with pained eyes. "I mean, I knew she was my daughter and I guess I just took it for granted that you thought of her as yours as well."

Drea squeezed Hippolyta's hand. "Pol, I do. I just don't think Diana looks at me that way, and I'm all right with that."

"Well, *I'm* not," Hippolyta answered fervently. "And we will take care of that once we get Diana back."

Drea leaned her forehead to the queen's and kissed her gently. "You are something else, you know that?"

Hippolyta chuckled wearily. "Yes. The question is what." She turned her head to gaze at Diana again. "You're sure she's all right?"

"Yes, my queen. The princess is sleeping peacefully right now. I think we can leave her alone for a bit while we go have a council meeting in her living room."

Hippolyta stood and extended her hand to Drea who accepted it with alacrity and rose to stand beside her. "I don't know why you put up with me sometimes," the queen commented quietly as she stepped away from Diana's side.

Drea stopped and held Hippolyta's hand to keep her from falling over from the abrupt motion. "Even if I didn't love you with every fibre of my being," the healer replied as she pulled Hippolyta into her arms, "there are a few perks to being the consort of the queen, you know," said with a silent chuckle she knew the queen would feel.

"Oh really?" Hippolyta replied, feeling her good humor return. "We'll have to discuss these perks in length later."

"It would be my pleasure," the healer purred in her ear, pleased that Hippolyta had relaxed against her with their easy banter. "Now, let's not keep Nubia waiting. She seemed very excited this morning."

"Yes. I cannot tell you how amazed I was to see the two of you getting along so well. What an unexpected surprise!"

"For me too," Drea agreed, and they stepped out into the living room to find Mala, Nubia, Paula and breakfast waiting for them.



"Wait," Drea said, holding up her hands. The table held empty dishes scattered over its surface and her the five women seated around it were too deeply engrossed in their conversation to be worried about their unusual lack of neatness. Nubia's report had been nothing short of astounding, and had held them spellbound for the better part of the meal. The latter portion they had spent in silence, digesting both food and words until Drea's exclamation disturbed the silence.

"You're sure, Nubia? You are positive you heard the princess speak?" She held up her hands again as a dark shadow crossed the advisor's face. "Wait - let me rephrase that. What did you hear Diana say?"

"Nothing. I mean, I didn't hear the words, only the sounds, but it was the princess' voice I heard. That I am sure of."

"Even as a whisper?"

"Especially then," Nubia confirmed. "That was her preferred voice during war games." She chuckled in memory. "It wasn't something you could forget once you heard it in your ear while she had her arm around your throat."

Laughter flitted through the small group. They had all, at one time or another, gone up against Diana in the war games, and lost. But only Nubia had been quite so up close and personal during a kill. Hippolyta had lost to swordplay; Drea to chobos; Mala and Paula to long distance weapons - one to an arrow and the other to a catapult.

"Well, at least now I know who reworked Chase's pressure points." Drea looked back at the four pairs interrogating eyes. "When I went in to check on our guest this morning, she was in a sleep so deep, I feared she was dead. Rina checked her when I was called here. She discovered the pressure points were manipulated to provide Chase with less pain and a peaceful sleep."

"Why had you not used these already, Drea? It's not like you to let someone suffer needlessly."

The healer turned her attention to Mala. "Because I was still waiting for the results from some of the tests I had ordered. She's losing her eyesight and I cannot pinpoint a physical reason for it. I am waiting for the final two tests to be completed, but I think she is having a psychological reaction to being here... on Paradise Island. I already know from our brief discussions that Chase has some deep-seeded loathing for the Amazons and I suspect it has something to do with Orana... and the Nazis."

"The Nazis?" Nubia repeated. "I heard some mention of that from the other young woman. It brought Diana back into the room."

"I wonder what they talked about and if that conversation is what gave Diana the nightmares," Hippolyta questioned.

"I would say that the odds are good on the second," Mala answered. "We have no way of knowing what happened to her when she went to the world of men a century ago until and unless she decides to share, but given what we have learned so far, it is highly probable."

"It is more than probable," Paula finally spoke. "I have been doing research on the Nazis since Chase's arrival. Their records are poor, spotty at best, and there has been an obvious effort to purge them. But...." Paula consulted the information in her hands. "We have found both Diana's and Chase's names buried in their database."

"Any more information?"

Paula shook her dark head. "Not yet. But we're still digging."

Hippolyta nodded. "Good, good. I know I can count everyone's discretion about this. Rumors are already running rampant after all the excitement this morning, I'm sure. I don't want to add any fuel to the fire, especially with only blurred facts and speculation. I'll make some sort of statement later today and try to diffuse some of the talk."

Four heads nodded their immediate agreement. "I'll keep looking into Nazi records to see what else we can uncover," Paula said, rising to her feet. Nubia stood as well.

"I would like to help, if I could be of service," the dark advisor said almost shyly.

Paula blushed lightly but nodded. "Certainly, Nubia. I would appreciate your insight."

The three remaining women exchanged amused glances but said nothing. Instead, they rose and began to gather the strewn dishes onto the tray to remove them from Diana's room. Nubia lifted the tray.

"My queen, I'll drop this off in the kitchen on the way to the lab. If you will excuse me...."

Hippolyta nodded absently. "Thank you, Nubia. I need to...." She broke off, torn between her need to lie down and rest and her desire to stay with Diana until she woke. Mala came to her rescue.

"I would like to stay with the princess, my Queen. If she wakes up, I will call you immediately."

"That sounds like a great idea, Pol. Come, I'll walk you back to our rooms before I head back to the hospice. You need to rest at least for a little while. Mala will keep an eye on Diana."

"You'll come get me the moment she awakens?" the queen asked the priestess.

"I will do better than that, my queen. I will send one of the Royal Guards if you will leave one outside the door. That way Diana won't need to be left alone before you can get here."

Hippolyta smiled. "Thank you, Mala. I know she'll be in good hands."

Drea put her arm around the queen and led her out of Diana's rooms and down to their own quarters. Mala turned and went back to sit beside Diana, gently riffling the dark hair away from the princess' angular cheekbones.

"Oh, Diana... what happened to you, child? What happened to the confident young woman I knew to give her such intense, deeply hidden nightmares?" Mala blew out a breath. "And what place does Annabelle Chaser hold in your mind... and in your heart?"



Chapter IX

The darkness was comforting and the images of her dreams were so vivid they felt more like memories than the illusions she knew them to be. Chase was loath to give them up for a reality she knew was painful, though less so now than it had been. Still, it was a bit of a struggle to unwrap herself from whatever spell the mysterious woman had woven over her; she had never known the lassitude she'd felt after the woman had pressed several odd spots on her body, and she couldn't remember ever feeling so rested. The rebellion was not encouraging of deep, healing sleep. There just wasn't time or personnel to cover such things.

So Chase lay dozing, trying to separate in her mind the real from the imagined. Eventually she hoped to work her way up to opening her eyes, but for now, they were still heavy and she was content for them to remain closed.

It was the odd words piercing her lethargy that finally forced the issue of waking. At first it was an anomalous hum, like bees buzzing in and out of hearing. Chase forced herself to concentrate, hoping to make sense of what the bees were saying. Gradually the buzzing formed words, though her understanding of those words was few and far between the noises she was trying to decipher.

"... princess...."

"... Hippolyta... broken....

"Amazon queen...."

"... Diana... ...Orana... ...Nazis...."

The last words set of alarm bells in Chase's mind and body, but she couldn't grasp any of them long enough to make coherent sense of them. Something, though, was niggling at the back of her consciousness and she knew if she left it alone long enough, it would simmer to the top and reveal itself to her. She just needed patience. The question was whether or not she had that kind of time.

A voice she knew and recognized crossed her hearing after what seems eons of struggling to comprehend the bits of conversation around her and to finally open her eyes. The voice was sharp and it made the buzzing recede into the background and stop. The silence was a blessed relief and Chase settled back into the quiet with a moan. She hadn't realized the strain she had been putting on her body to force herself to focus so hard.

Her mother's touch once again brushed the hair back away from her forehead, and that voice became her entire focus. "Chase? Chase, it's Drea. Come... you need to try to wake up for me, Chase. Can you do that?"

Chase allowed that voice to coax her closer to true awareness, and she shifted uncomfortably, sensitive to the fact that she was still healing. Surprisingly, instead of the pain she expected to experience, she only felt a lingering soreness over most of her body.

Drea's voice continued to speak to her, gently coaxing and encouraging her to come up from the deep sleep she'd been in. Finally, she blinked her eyes open and saw... nothing.

"Drea," Chase called out, though her voice was little more than a croak. She reached for her eyes, but found her hands caught.

The healer slipped an arm beneath Chase's sturdy shoulders and helped the young woman sit up. Then she held her in a hug to allow Chase's equilibrium a chance to catch up to her body.

Chase tried to clear her throat and noted with some dismay that it was completely dry. She had a passing thought to wonder just how long she had been asleep and what sort of spell that mystery woman had placed on her when she felt a cup pressed into her hands.

"Drink," Drea said calmly. "You been asleep for a good many hours, so I imagine you must be quite thirsty by now. Your eyes are still wrapped. When you're a little more awake, we'll remove the bandages and see what we can see."

Chase swallowed, noting it was simply cool, clean, sweet water and she drank again until it was gone. She felt the silent chuckle run through the healer and smiled in response, despite the unnerving fear that was skittering through her body.

"Would you like more?" Drea asked politely.

Chase nodded. "Please," was her whispered response and she cleared her throat again.

She couldn't see, but she heard everything clearly, anticipating the full glass before it arrived in her hands. She sipped it more slowly, leaning into the body tucked beside her. Chase finished her water and straightened up.

"Thanks, Drea. I feel a lot better." She shook her head gingerly. "My head has stopped hurting and I think I'm finally awake now," she added with a smile. "What'd ya'll do to me anyway? I've never slept like that before."

Drea shifted until they were facing one another and she took Chase's hands in her own. "Like how, Chase? How would you describe your sleep?"

Chase removed one of her hands to scratch her forehead. "Well, you said I was asleep for hours and hours. Asleep, not unconscious, correct?"

"Correct," Drea answered cautiously.

"Usually when I sleep, when I'm healthy, that is, I sleep very lightly and in short spurts - three to four hours at a time max. According to you, I've been asleep for quite a while longer than that, and I was so deeply asleep that I had dreams. Dreams that were so vivid I almost remember them... and I do remember the feelings of contentment they gave me. They were almost... familiar."

She banged her fist on her knee. "I wish I could remember." Chase turned her head, wishing she could see Drea's expression. "So what did ya'll do to me anyway?"

Drea stood and casually started unwrapping the bandages while she spoke. "Um," uncharacteristically hesitant. "Actually *we* didn't do anything. Tell me, did you have any visitors after I left you last night?"

Chase's furrowed brow was apparent even under the binding that Drea was removing. "Yes, actually... a woman." Chase paused, something occurring to her and blending with the other things she had heard that morning that she would process later. "She, um... she came in and we talked briefly. Then she... she touched me and whatever she did released the pain." Chase whipped her head around towards Drea, causing the healer to drop the bandage she'd been patiently winding as she unraveled it from Chase's eyes. "Do you think what she did caused me to sleep? To dream those odd dreams?"

Drea nodded in contemplative thought, forgetting for a moment that Chase couldn't see her reaction. She looked up startled when the young woman grabbed her arm somewhat frantically.

"Drea?!"

"Sorry, Chase. My apologies. I was thinking and forgot to answer aloud." Drea looked Chase, whose eyes were still hidden by the pads placed protectively over her eyes. "Can you show me which pressure points were manipulated and in what order?"

Chase obliged, and Drea's eyes widened with the skill Diana had used in relieving the young woman's pain. She closed her own eyes in memory of the times she and Diana had spent together in this very room learning and experimenting with new treatments. The course the princess had chosen was one that they'd never had the chance to test on a real patient before instead of one another, and Drea was gratified to know it had done just what it was supposed to with no apparent harmful aftereffects.

"To answer your question, Chase, yes. What Diana did was allow you to relax and sleep while at the same time stimulate the healing of your body. That is why you feel so much better today."

"And it caused those weird, but very pleasant dreams?"

Drea shrugged, a little baffled by the dreams. That hadn't been a side effect of the treatment when they'd been experimenting, but Chase was a whole new mix into the equation they had used. It had been one reason, the main one but certainly not the only one, that she had been hesitant to try the pressure points. Now that she had the final test results on Chase's eyes, she knew Diana had made the right choice. She felt a fleeting wish go through her for the friendship she had once shared with the princess. Then she blinked, realizing that her patient was waiting not-so-patiently for an answer.

"Honestly, I am not sure, but I would have to guess yes. We've never actually had a reaction like that before." Not adding that Chase was the first to need that particular treatment.

"Hmm," Chase replied after a long, thoughtful moment. "Well, at least they were pleasant... all warm and kind of, I dunno... comfortable, I guess."

"Much more pleasant than nightmares would have been for sure. Too bad you cannot remember the specifics."

"Yeah," Chase said absently. "I'd be interested in knowing what exactly caused that sort of feeling. Nothing consciously comes to mind to invoke that."

Drea smiled. "Well, if you feel up to it, perhaps we could try hypnosis. We have quite a.... Chase?!? Whatever is wrong?"

The pilot had gone completely pale; even her lips were ashen, and she was close to hyperventilating. "No," spoken with fervent vehemence. "No hypnosis. No mind games."

Drea took the ice cold hands in her own and chafed them tenderly until she felt a bit of warmth return to them. "All right, Chase. All right. No mind games. I would never, ever force you into something that obviously made you so uncomfortable." Then they sat quietly together until Chase's color and breathing returned to normal. "Better?" Drea finally inquired.

Chase nodded, somewhat embarrassed by her outburst. "Yes," came her quiet reply.

"Good. Now," she continued briskly as though nothing out of the ordinary had taken place. "I am going to remove the pads from your eyes and take a look. But first...." Drea got up from the bed where she had been sitting and closed the blinds. The apprentice healers had opened them as a matter of course and since Chase couldn't see them to be bothered by them, she'd left them open. Now, however, she didn't want the shock of nearly midday sunlight to cause more problems to the already unexplainable one she had on her hands.

"Chase, I've made it quite dark in here, so don't be too alarmed if you have trouble seeing. *I* am having trouble seeing right at the moment," she joked lightly, feeling an uneasy tension roiling in her gut. "We will gradually alter the light's brightness to allow your eyes time to adjust to it."

"So everything should be all right now? I should be able to see normally again."

"I was unable to find a reason for you not to," the healer hedged. "There is no physical damage at all to your eyes."

Chase weighed the carefully chosen words in her head and understood that Drea wasn't sure of the outcome. She sighed. "Well, let's get this over with," she said bravely. "Nothing much I can do about it either way until we know something," she added pragmatically.

Drea nodded, knowing she spoke the truth, but wondering where she got the fortitude to accept possible blindness so casually. She had no way of knowing that Chase was shaking like a leaf on the inside, contemplating her future if things turned out badly.



Diana struggled to come up from her dreams. They bordered on weird and felt oddly disconcerting. She remembered darkness and anger and pain, and then that had morph into something... unexpected. Something that was warm and comfortable and almost... familiar. Something that somehow connected her to the woman she had seen in the hospice. But that couldn't be true, could it? She'd never seen the woman before. Surely she would have remembered her... wouldn't she? But she couldn't deny the truth that more than anyone or anything Diana had experienced in her long life, the mysterious woman felt like home.

Too many confusing thoughts and feeling finally pushed her up from the depths of sleep she'd fallen into. When blue eyes opened, Diana blinked around in confusion. Bright sunlight streamed into the room from the windows that had been opened for the first time in.... Just what exactly was going on here? She never slept past dawn, and she hadn't opened up her room like this since her mother's disgrace of her at the games. What fresh air and sunshine she got came from her morning and evening runs and that was enough.

Diana closed her eyes, suddenly conscious that she was not alone in her quarters. She fumed - now she wasn't even allowed privacy in her own rooms. Was there no end to the humiliation her mother would heap on her head for what she perceived as inexcusable behavior?

She pushed back the cover, heedless of her nakedness and rose, heading for the door with single-minded intent. She yanked the door opened, then paused on the threshold when she realized who was in her rooms, cleaning and singing somewhat off key to herself.

Mala turned at the sound of the bedroom door opening and just as quickly whipped her head back to her task. "You know, princess, the gods were extremely kind to you when they created you. You could kill an old woman strutting around in your all together like that," said with a hint of a smile in her voice. Not reprimanding since she was the intruder, but asking in her own soft, subtle way for a bit of modesty from one she loved as a daughter.

Diana took the hint gracefully and disappeared back into the confines of her bedroom briefly, before returning clothed in a comfortable, casual short toga. It was well-worn and Mala recognized it from before what she referred to as 'the late unpleasantness'. She reached out a hand towards it, but stopped before she actually made contact. Instead she offered Diana a smile.

"I always liked this one on you, princess. It brings out the color of your eyes so well."

Diana made no verbal response but Mala could see the questions and confusion lingering in the back of her eyes.

"I guess you are curious as to why I am here. You gave us quite a scare this morning, Diana. Never since your birth have you slept so long or so deeply, and I volunteered to watch you so your mother could rest." Mala couldn't miss the hint of bitterness that crossed the beautiful face in front of her. "Don't judge too quickly, princess. You'll find her reasons for not being here instead are not entirely selfish."

Diana just refrained from rolling her eyes in derision. Nothing Mala or anyone else could say would convince her that Hippolyta was more than a selfish, hypocritical bitch with no though or regard for anyone other than herself.

"Besides," the priestess continued blithely, knowing full well the thoughts going on behind the mask Diana wore whenever her mother became part of any discussion. "I felt a little decorating was in order. It was just too Spartan in here to be a comfortable living space. What do you think?" motioning to the walls and waiting for Diana's reaction.

What she got was not what she expected. Rage flamed in the back of those ice cold eyes, but Diana calmly rose from her seat and walked into her room, closing and locking the door with a chilling finality. And with that perfect timing that all humans, immortal or not, are sometimes blessed with, Hippolyta crossed the outer threshold just as the lock snapped into place.

"Where is she, Mala? Where is my daughter?"

The priestess' shoulders slumped and she gestured to the closed door. "I don't know that I would try to approach her right now, my queen. I think I made a very grave error."

"You, Mala? What did you do?" the queen asked, concerned as much for her despondent high priestess as she was for the daughter she was now determined to recover.

Mala sank into a seat on one end of the couch and Hippolyta took the other. Mala waved at the walls and shelves where now a myriad of artifacts and scrolls resided, including the masked that marked Diana as the Amazon princess. "I think I may have pressed a little too hard, a little too fast."

Hippolyta reached out with her good arm, clasping Mala's forearm with sure strength. "I don't think so. I think we... *I*... have let this anger fester long enough. The time has come to force the issue." She squeezed gently, then released her hold. "Leave it. Let's wait and see what Diana does with it before we start questioning ourselves. She's going to have to come to terms with everything - including the fact that I am her mother who loves her and she is still the Amazon princess."

Mala shook her head. "It's going to be a long, uphill battle. Do you wish me to stay for moral support for this first skirmish?"

Hippolyta smiled. "Would I like you to? Absolutely. Do I think you should? No. I think this is going to be something we have to handle privately as much as possible until Diana is ready to resume her place here again. But I wouldn't object to your being fairly close by. I think when my daughter decides to open up, it's not going to be to me; It will be you and Drea who have always been friends and confidantes to her."

"Well, then, I will go to visit Drea at the hospice and perhaps she will introduce me to our young guest. I would like to get to know the young woman who is already a hero to so many, and who will soon write herself into the chronicles of the Amazons."

Mala rose from her place on the couch and extended a hand to her queen. Hippolyta accepted it and stood, flinching a little at how the motion pulled on her injured arm. Mala raised the hand that she held to her lips and kissed it, offering a blessing for the upcoming encounter. Then she met Hippolyta's eyes in understanding. "Good luck, my queen."

Hippolyta smiled and ducked her head gracefully. "Thank you, my friend. I think I'll need patience more than luck."

Now Mala smiled mischievously, trying to lighten the atmosphere just a bit. "Perhaps, my queen, but I learned years ago never to pray for patience. Bad things tend to happen when you do. I'd rather have good luck myself."

Hippolyta chuckled, appreciating the truth in Mala's words. "Right," she answered. "Good luck."

Mala released her hand and strode purposefully towards the door. Only when she was completely out of sight did Hippolyta turn and face the closed door that led to Diana's room.

"Well," she said to herself firmly. "We have to start somewhere, and I know I have to be the one to make the first step." Still she remained rooted to the spot, hoping for a sign of some sort - though she wasn't sure what - and looking for a courage she'd never expected to need.

"Let's go, Hippolyta," she coached herself. "This is your daughter. The daughter you prayed and asked the gods for." She felt a tear slide down her face as she began to understand the price her daughter had paid for that request. "Time to start setting things right... for everyone."

Hippolyta walked to the door and stood looking at it for a long moment before raising her hand and knocking soundly. "Diana? Diana, it's me... your mother." Then she rolled her eyes at how lame that sounded. "Diana, may I come in please?" She tried the doorknob, only to find it still locked firmly against intrusions - against *her*.

She had no way of knowing that Diana was no longer in her room.



Chapter X

The sun was warm... warmer than she was accustomed to anymore and Diana found herself sweating freely as she made her circuit of the island. Of course, the fiery rage coursing through her veins that was pushing her harder and faster had nothing to do with that consequence, she mentally told herself. No, it was simply that the temperature was much warmer at midday than it was at dawn.

Consciously, Diana forced her mind to push the anger aside and concentrated solely on the motion and effort required to complete the task she'd set herself to. So she increased her speed and let her thoughts move away from the twisted reality she'd woken up to.

The guards placed casually around the island watched in amazement as she completed her regular circuit and began another. They'd all heard the rumors, of course, of what had happened between Hippolyta and Diana, but they had had no change in their orders, so they allowed the princess to run without escort to her heart's content.

All the way around she went the second time, allowing nothing into her consciousness but the feel of the wind on her body and the burn of her muscles as she forced herself to start a third circuit. Now a silent alert went up among the guards still watching her exercise. It was completely unheard of and they fully expected her to collapse from the overexertion she was forcing upon herself. More than one of them wondered if she was punishing herself for whatever had happened between herself and the queen.

Finally, after completing her third lap, Diana slowed, breathing hard. None of her previous exercise had prepared her for the limits she had pushed and her body was more than happy to remind her that being an immortal guaranteed neither painlessness nor brilliance. And right at the moment, she was inclined to go with immortality going hand in hand with stupid ideas as muscles over-used and highly abused began to protest loudly at their treatment.

Gently, she stretched her legs until she felt the knots loosening and relaxing into their normal position. Then she did the same with her upper body as her breathing steadily returned to normal. With a tired sigh, Diana began walking, making for the tree she favored for watching the sunset, even though sunset was still some hours away. She gradually noticed the guards watching her, but dismissed them with the practice borne of a hundred years, knowing her meditation would dismiss them from her mind completely in short order.

With a sense of relief, Diana approached the tree. For reasons know only to them, the guards respected the tree as her space and she was grateful. More than her rooms in the palace, this one place on the island felt like hers. With a wistful smile, she leaped into its welcoming branches, balancing precariously. She spent untold minutes just enjoying the art of balancing, focusing her mind on something beyond the horizon.

Without warning, unwelcome images assaulted her mind. Vicious, ugly images of a lifetime before. So sudden and unexpected was the onslaught of memories, Diana's physical reality got lost in them and she lost her grip on her physical reality. She didn't even feel when she hit the ground.



"Open your eyes, Chase," Drea instructed. The healer held her breath as she watched the green eyes blink slowly and struggle to focus. "What do you see?" she finally asked in a subdued voiced.

The blonde head shook negatively and her shoulders slumped. "Dark shapes, a little light, but nothing clearly." She lay back down and curled around her pillow. "I think I'd like to be alone now."

"Chase, I...."

"Drea, please. I don't blame you for this, honestly, but you don't know what is wrong or how to fix it. I just need a little time alone to adjust to it, all right? Please?"

Drea ran her hands through Chase's hair, then cupped her cheek tenderly in one hand. "Don't give up yet, Chase, because I certainly am not. We will figure out what happened and we will make it right. I promise to keep trying as long as you promise to keep the faith."

Chase smiled reflexively; she couldn't help it. The determination in the healer's voice was contagious. "I'll do my best."

"Good girl," Drea commented, brushing the blonde hair back once more. "Now, I will leave you alone for a bit while I go do a little research. There has to be something I am missing. And I am going to find it and fix this. Are you hungry?"

Chase nodded hesitantly. "Um... a little, I think."

Drea nodded her approval. "Good. I'll have Rina bring something light from the kitchen for you to snack on for now. Then when you feel up to it, we'll take you outside for a bit of fresh air and sunshine. In the meantime, though...." The healer broke off and walked to the windows, pulling back the coverings and throwing the casement open wide and feeling a breeze immediately begin to blow through.

"There," she said aloud. "That is much better. We will bring it in to you until then." She breathed deeply, her satisfaction evident in the sounds she made. A soft chuckling brought her out of her obvious appreciation. A dark brow rose in question and she cleared her throat with some embarrassment.

"Are you laughing at me?" she asked Chase, though she couldn't keep the laughter out of her voice, and Chase was quick to pick up on it.

"Not as much as you are, it seems," she answered cheekily. Then she smiled sadly. "I was just noticing how much you seem to enjoy such simple things as fresh air and sunshine, and wondering when the last time was that I even noticed them. Lately, it seems that everything has just...." Chase broke off and stretched out. Drea returned to her bedside and took a tentative seat on the edge of the bed.

"Is it something you would like to talk about, Chase? I don't really know anything about what you have been through except for what your body has shown me, but I do know you have suffered."

Chase stiffened. She'd never considered herself a great beauty, and time and the rebellion had done nothing to change that view of herself. But to be reminded of the scars she bore by someone as lovely as the healer....

"No, thank you," she said coolly. "Do you think I could have my clothes back?" she continued without pause, feeling the sympathy emanating from Drea, even without being able to see her expression. "I mean these toga things are great and all," she said with a deprecating smile. "But I feel a little underdressed."

Drea smiled sadly, glad Chase was unable to see her face. Paula had given her an electronic report on the young pilot and it had broken her heart to just skim through it. She hadn't even shared the bits of her findings with Hippolyta yet. She had hoped Chase trusted her enough to share some of the burden she carried, but it was obvious that not only was the trust not there but Chase felt uncomfortable? Ashamed? It was hard to pinpoint the exact emotion Chase was trying to hide.

"Of course, Chase. I'll bring them to you as soon as you eat." Drea turned at the noise Rina made coming into the room. "Ah, here is your snack. I shall return shortly."

Chase smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes. "Thank you, Drea."

The healer left with a nod at her assistant, determined to take a little time to read the complete file that Paula had given her. Surely there was an answer somewhere which would give her a clue to the cause of Chase's blindness. Might as well start at the beginning of her research.

Rina set the tray down in front of Chase, and stepped back slightly. "Is there anything else you require, Chase?"

The blonde head shook. "No, but... um, if you could tell me where everything is?" She turned green eyes towards the apprentice healer and Rina noticed for the first time the completely lack of focus in them.

"Oh, surely," describing everything on the plate. " Would you... would like some... help?"

"No thank you," Chase answered shortly, and heard Rina's intake of breath. "Sorry, I don't mean to sound ungrateful, because I'm not. I'm just...."

Rina patted her hand. "Don't worry about it, Chase. Things are probably much different here than what you are accustomed to. Perhaps you'd rather a bit of company and conversation instead?"

Chase really didn't want company, but the innate, inbred manners her mother had worked so hard to instill in her came to the fore instead. She patted the bed beside her. "Sure. Have a seat. You can tell me about this place and the people here."

"Certainly. Amazon history is a fascinating tale and you're the first visitor we've had on Paradise Island in over a hundred years that we could share it with."

Only a well-practiced poker face kept Chase from reacting to Rina's words and she calmly kept chewing the fruit pieces that she'd been given to eat. "Amazons?" she questioned with only the slightest edge in her voice. "I thought they were a myth... a legend."

Rina laughed. "Oh no. We are quite real. But it was our move here to the island that saved us as a people and as a culture."

"Really? How so?" Chase asked, infusing as much interest as she could into her voice.

So Rina told her... of their enslavement and decimation in the world of men. Of the goddesses' directives and protection. Of the things they had learned and the advancements they had made since their settlement.

"Has anyone ever left?" Chase asked with studied casualness. She chewed her food so hard she grit her teeth together in an effort to keep her expression as impassive as possible. Rina didn't notice Chase's jaw clenching since she looked down at the hands clasped together in her lap. But Chase could clearly hear the pain in her voice.

"Twice," she answered tersely, but she didn't say anymore. Finally, the silence grew uncomfortable even for Chase, and she reached out towards Rina.

"I'm sorry," she said honestly. "I didn't...."

Rina patted Chase's hand and rose from the bed, gathering up her tray and neatly stacking everything together. "I know you didn't... how could you? It's just not something we talk about. It has been very painful, but especially for Diana."

Chase cocked her head. "The princess, right?"

Rina smiled sadly. "Right." She looked back at Chase who wore a look of polite interest. "Now," she continued briskly, changing the subject. "Would you like some more to eat? You did everything but lick the plate clean," with humor in her voice. Chase chucked.

"My mother accused me of that on more than one occasion. But I'm good for now. Thanks for asking though."

"You're very welcome, Chase. Perhaps next time you'll share with me about your culture."

Chase nodded, but didn't answer verbally. She knew there wouldn't be a next time... not anytime soon.

"I'm going to take the dishes back to the kitchen. Will you be all right here alone for a bit?"

"I'm fine, Rina, thanks. Besides, I imagine Drea will be back shortly. She promised me fresh air and sunshine."

Rina clapped her on the arm. "Her favorite prescription."

"What?" came a voice from the doorway. "Exactly what am I being accused of?"

Rina laughed. "Nothing you're not guilty of. I'm going to take these to the kitchen. You need me to come back and help?"

Drea placed Chase's clothes on the bed. "I believe Chase and I can mange all right. What do you think, Chase?"

Chase blinked, her eyesight still nothing but light and shadows. "Well, I think I can get dressed, but you'll have to help me get to the beach. I'm not sure how much fresh air and sunshine I can stand before it kills me," she added with a smile.

Drea and Rina both chuckled. "You must be feeling better."

Chase smiled weakly. "Well, no pain right now at least. I'll take my blessings where I can find them."

"I like that philosophy." Rina took the tray and walked out and Drea focused on Chase. "Would you like some help getting dressed?" fairly certain what the pilot's response was going to be.

Chase went rigid for a moment before she forced herself to relax. "I appreciate the offer Drea, but...." She shrugged sheepishly.

Drea chuckled again and patted Chase's shoulder. "Don't worry, Chase. I expected as much, but I had to ask. Taking the best care I can of my patient you know."

Chase nodded. "I know. You've been great. I wish I could stay here. I've never been treated so well, and I've sure never had medical treatment like yours." She smiled wryly. "I'd love to take you back with me so you could teach the medics what a good bedside manner is."

Two phrases caught Drea's attention and held it. "Are you planning on leaving us, Chase? You're not nearly healed enough for me to release you from my care yet."

"I know, but I'm gonna have to leave sometime, Drea. I've got work I've got to get back to. I've been gone too long already."

"But it's only been three days."

"A lifetime when it comes to war. Things are so different on the outside. I... it's hard to explain. I just wish my friends could experience the kind of care I've had here. I really appreciate it."

"I am sorry you needed my care, Chase, but I thank the gods for bringing you to us. You have reminded me of so many things...." Drea broke off, not wanting to say too much, knowing how Chase felt about Amazons. "I will leave you to dress in peace. Just call me when you are ready, and we will get you outside for that fresh air and sunshine."

"Your favorite prescription."

"Ah, so that is what Rina was telling tales about. Well, I'll tell you a secret, Chase. I have found that spending a little time everyday soaking in those two things make all the difference in my daily outlook." She crossed the threshold and looked back. "Just call out when you're ready. My office is right next door."

Chase sat still for long moments, listening to Drea's footsteps fade around the corner. Then she continued to sit quietly, willing her eyesight back and growing frustrated when nothing changed. She had a real good idea what the problem was, but she didn't know how to correct it and she didn't have time to wait for it to fix itself.

Chase stretched, then winced as she pulled the stitches in both her shoulder and her leg. It was a firm reminder she was nowhere close to being healed, but she was determined to get away from this place. Aside from the fact that she had to get back to the war effort, she couldn't stomach the quandary she now found herself in.

Chase eased from the bed, carefully testing her leg before setting her weight onto it. She was pleased when it didn't collapse under her and dropped the toga with an expert twist before sorting through the clothes Drea had left for her.

Her forehead creased. Given the cut of the cloth and the patches she could feel, she was fairly confident they were her clothes. But the feel of them was off, as though they were now made of silk. And they smelled... beyond clean. Chase shook her head and reminded herself to be thankful for small blessings. Then she struggled into underclothes before shrugging into her shirt and sliding into her pants. It was a relief to button and zip. As much as she'd enjoyed the freedom and comfort of the garment the Amazons provided, this was real for her, and Chase was glad to return to the known and familiar. She wiggled her feet into her socks and boots.

A few pats assured her that her pads were secure, and she gave a breath of relief. That made things so much easier for her. "Drea?" she called softly after savoring the feeling of normality she felt. The healer was quick to respond to her summons.

"Wow," the healer commented. "You look quite imposing."

Chase's head dropped. "Um, do you have the scarf I had on? I feel kinda funny without it."

"Oh, yes. I'm sorry. I didn't think you would want it to sit out in the sun."

"If it's not too much trouble...."

"Not at all," Drea said. "Be right back."

True to her word, Drea returned almost immediately, and Chase accepted the scarf with alacrity, wrapping it around her neck and tucking it into her shirt. Then she closed her eyes briefly and sighed.

"Thank you, Drea. This means a lot to me, and I...."

"It's all right, Chase. You don't have to explain. I think I understand. I'm glad you have it back. You look... quite dashing. I imagine you are quite the sensation at home; you've certainly made an impression on everyone here that has had the pleasure of seeing you." She put a hand around Chase's good arm and handed her a walking stick. "Here, you'll need this to help you balance. Remember to go slow... we have as long as it takes. We're not running a race."

Chase chuckled, trying to put her inherent hate of what this woman was aside and focusing on the fact that not only did she owe Drea her life, but that she truly liked the woman as a person. Damn shame she's an Amazon. However Chase wanted to be fair and was making an effort. Drea felt the struggle, but was clueless as to what Chase's internal fight was about.

The healer backed off a step, but kept her hand on Chase's arm. Then she caught the wry smile on the pilot's face and cocked a brow in question.

"I'm sorry," Chase said as she accepted the walking stick and gingerly took a step. "I was snickering at what you said. You must have some of the world's worst patients."

Drea gave her a full, genuine smile. "Aren't all patients the world's worst when they are healed enough to be mobile but not enough to get around by themselves? And here... trust me, you haven't seen egos until getting well becomes a race." She shook her head and grabbed a basket she had left sitting near the door as they approached.

"I had the kitchen pack us a lunch... that is, if you wouldn't mind sharing. I thought maybe we could talk a little bit if you felt up to it.

Chase stiffened warily, then relaxed. She could talk. Maybe she could worm enough information out of Drea to figure a way off the island. "I'd like that," she responded cordially. "Maybe we could walk a little as well? I feel like I have been lying down for days."

Drea looked at her in concern. "Let's get you down to the beach first. If you still feel like walking, I'm certain we can manage a short walk." And they walked out of hospice area and into the great outdoors, acutely aware of the multitude of eyes and the whispers that followed them.



Chapter XI

"You do realize you're the most interesting thing that's happened around here in forever, don't you?" Drea asked with a smile in her voice. She was gently guiding Chase down the short steps that led from the palace to the beachfront. She watched with a smile the look of wonder and joy that Chase couldn't contain behind the mask she had been struggling to maintain with very limited success. A look that changed drastically as her words sank into Chase's consciousness.

She turned to Drea with a smirk. "Things that boring around here for ya'll?"

Drea laughed. It was an outlet for any number of emotions that had been building since the pilot's unexpected arrival in their midst. "Well, not boring, but certainly routine."

A frown crossed Chase's now expressive face. "What's that like?" she asked honestly. "I mean it's so different here... so peaceful. I can't imagine that kind of routine."

"What's it like for you, Chase?" Drea replied, throwing the query right back at her. "I cannot remember having had excitement like we've had in the last few days."

"Well, this is normal... I mean, unexpected events, attacking and attacks, people being hurt or dying...." She spoke dispassionately, but her eyes clouded over and her words trailed off. "There are always plans to make and crises that arise and things that have to be taken care of," Chase added after a bit of silence. "It's just very different from what I've experienced here."

She turned her head and looked at Drea directly, even though she still could not see the healer. Drea felt the weight of Chase's stare and returned the gaze. Finally Chase turned away and returned her eyes to the horizon she couldn't see.

"What is it, Chase?" wondering what was causing the conflict she could feel running through the pilot's wiry frame.

Chase struggled with her words, trying to let go of a hatred she'd long held, but unable to completely forgive the atrocities that had been perpetrated on her and the rest of the world because of these people. She bowed her head.

"I hope you never lose what you have here, Drea," she finally commented. "I hope the war never comes to this place."

Drea realized what an admission that had to be given the source and she patted Chase's hand lightly before speaking. "Thank you, Chase. I hope so too."

The sound of running footsteps caught their attention and they both looked in the direction they heard them coming from. Chase blinked as her vision seemed to clear just slightly and the dark blob became the shape of a woman. She blinked again, hoping it would help and growling silently in frustration when nothing changed. The footsteps came to a halt in front of them and the young woman stood bent over trying to catch her breath. Drea laid a hand on her arm.

"Rina? What is it? What's wrong?"

"Drea, you've got to come quickly. It's the princess. She fell out of her tree and...." She winced when the grip on her arm tightened uncomfortably around her bicep.

"What did you say? Diana FELL out of her tree?" Rina nodded her head. "Rina, that's not possible. She has the most flawless balance of anyone I have ever known, bar none."

"Well that may be, Drea, but several guards were witness to it. Said she simply lost her grip and slipped right off the limb she was sitting on." She loosened the healer's hold on her arm, wincing at the visible mark Drea's hand had made. "C'mon," she added, tugging on the hand she now held in her own. "We've got to get back there and check on her. Mala is sitting with Diana and the queen."

"Oh my," Drea said, pushing her immaculate hair back away from her face where the wind had teased it loose. She turned to Chase. "Will you be all right here alone for a bit, Chase? I can leave Rina if...." She stopped when Chase shook her head negatively.

"I'll be fine Drea. What can happen to me here? Ya'll go and take care of your princess."

Drea smiled gratefully. Not knowing what was wrong with Diana was troubling and she really wanted Rina's help in figuring out what was wrong. Between the two of them and Paula, they would find the problem and hopefully, a way to fix it.

"Thank you, Chase. I will send someone out to help you back to the hospice shortly if I cannot come myself."

"Don't rush on my account, Drea. I'm enjoying your favorite prescription. Now, go on," making a shooing motion with her hands. "Go see to your princess. I am perfectly content to stay out here for a good while longer."

Drea squeezed her arm in thanks and she and Rina left on a run. Chase closed her eyes and focused on the sounds around her. This was a golden opportunity and she had learned early in life to take advantage of each and every opportunity afforded her.

She listened carefully and heard the birds and the sounds of the leaves crinkling in the wind. Beyond that.... There were no sounds of any human presence nearby. She frowned in concentration then her face creased into a smile. But there was the distinct sound of water slapping against wood, and that meant there was a good chance there was a boat nearby.

Chase sighed, wishing heartily that she felt better or at least that she could see clearly. Instead, she leaned down and felt around for the basket, grasping the handle firmly when she finally found it. Then she lifted it with a wince and headed down the beach in the directions her sense told her to go. She only hoped it would be a short walk.



Drea rushed into the hospice with Rina on her heels. She was amazed at the number of people keeping vigil outside the room the princess was occupying, then realized that the entire contingent of Royal Guards made up a majority of the large group. When she was spotted, they let her through immediately and Drea passed into Diana's room and stopped. Mala and Hippolyta rose from either side of the bed and moved back to give the healers the access they needed to work.

The princess lay on the bed, still and white as a sheet. The only bit of color visible was her dark hair and a cut on her forehead that was bleeding sluggishly. Drea crossed over and pulled back the sheet that had been tucked around her body.

"Rina, check her for cuts and abrasions. I'm going to start here," motioning to Diana's head. They worked in tandem without words, each knowing what to do and what the other needed. It wasn't long before they were done and Diana's head wound was dressed. Drea moved away from the bed and signaled the others to join her near the window.

"She has a bump on the head - you saw that. It seems to be her only injury. I believe she was already in some sort of meditative state when this happened. I cannot find another reason for her to be unconscious - the damage is not that bad."

Mala nodded. "Given what the guard told me, I think that is a safe assumption. You think she will be all right when she comes out of her meditative state?"

"Except for the headache she's going to have, yes."

"Drea, what caused her to fall?" Hippolyta asked with concern. "Even meditating, that shouldn't have happened. Especially then, as she becomes even more aware."

"I do not know," the healer answered honestly. "And we may not know if she chooses not to share with us. We will simply have to work with what we know, which at this point really isn't very much."

Hippolyta nodded. "Is there anything we can do to speed this along? Anything *I* can do?"

"We can sit with her, maybe talk to her. She can hear and understand."

"She might wake up faster just to get us to shut up and leave her in peace," Mala joked. The others laughed at the truth of her words. At that moment, Nubia and Paula slipped into the room.

"We came as soon as we heard," Nubia commented. "How is she?"

Hippolyta sighed. "I suppose I need to go make an announcement to the Nation. I'm sure this has made the circuit already."

"If the presence of the Guard is any indication, the entire island knew before we got in here to treat her," Drea commented. "Why don't you stay here with her? I can make the announcement."

"Actually," Paula cut in unexpectedly, "Perhaps Rina could? I have some things we need to go over," with a pointed look at both the healer and the priestess.

"I can do that, certainly," Rina replied.

"And I would like to stay here," Hippolyta added. "Can I be brought up to speed later, perhaps?"

"Oh, absolutely," the scientist confirmed quickly. "Nothing that won't wait. The princess is more important."

The queen nodded, but Drea's brow rose into her hairline. She wondered what was in the report that Paula didn't want to share with Hippolyta. Then they separated - Hippolyta back to Diana's beside where she started talking to her in low tones; Rina to the waiting area to give the Amazons a status report and collect as much information about the incident as she could; and the council retired to Drea's office to discuss Paula's latest findings.



Finding the dock had been easier than she expected considering her blindness, and now Chase stood considering the best way to escape unseen. She was simply going to have to take the boat farthest out that she could reach and hope she got lucky enough to find something she could handle alone. There was no way she would survive going in and out of each vessel looking for the ideal transportation. Given her handicaps, there wasn't one, but she knew without a doubt she had to get off the island. She suspected her being here was causing her blindness, but regardless, the Amazons were the enemy, despite their care and treatment of her. There were some things that couldn't be canceled out, no matter what good was done. And producing the mastermind of the Nazi regime was at the top of that list.

Slowly she made her way down the dock, carefully feeling her way to keep from falling into the water. When she reached the end, she poked around, eventually finding a large sailboat and the ropes which held it tied to the pier. She placed the basket onto the deck and stepped in vigilantly, not wanting a slip to cause her to be discovered. Chase loosened the ropes and let the boat drift away from the dock, glad the current and the tide were working in her favor.

When the pier was not even a dark splotch in her vision, Chase reached forward and raised the sail, catching a good wind and hoping she was moving in the right direction.



Hippolyta looked at her daughter and a wave of remorse flowed through her. She took Diana's hand in her own, bringing it to her lips before gently stroking the knuckles. "Drea said for me to talk to you, and I don't even know where to start. I have so many things I need to say to you... so many misunderstandings to straighten out. I'm not even sure where to start, especially since anything I say to you now will have to be repeated when you're actually able to comprehend and acknowledge what I say to you."

She paused and looked at her daughter with a sincere sigh. "I guess the first thing I need to say to you is I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what I did to you... for what it cost you... for letting the situation drag on like it has. The truth is I knew as soon as the words were out of my mouth they were wrong, but you were so angry - *I* was so angry. And when you left anyway despite everything...." Hippolyta mind traveled back to that first fateful day in the year of man nineteen hundred forty-two.

Steve Trevor had landed unceremoniously on their island six days prior and his arrival had caused a stir among all the Amazons. Some, a small minority, were furious at the thought that a man was not only polluting their island, but receiving treatment as well for injuries obtained by violence. Most though, were curious about the presence of a species they hadn't seen in twenty-six hundred years.

The conversations had gone back and forth about how he had come to be there, the violence he had both perpetrated and had done to him, and the problem of retuning him to his own world without disrupting their own. Hippolyta decided to be fair that her Amazons would compete for the responsibility of returning Steve Trevor to the world outside their domain.

The athletic contest had been... spectacular. Each of the Amazons who had vied for the privilege had surpassed any expectations the council had had for them. Even so, two had stood out above the rest, and though they weren't tied, they were close enough that Hippolyta had decided to have a final challenge between the two of them. Everything had come down to bullets and bracelets.

Orana had taken aim first - all six shots neatly deflected by the mysterious number thirty-three. The watchers screamed enthusiastically. Number thirty-three was the crowd favorite - not only was she ahead of Orana, whose attitude had become increasingly and unbearably smug. But number thirty-three was also a mystery, and the amazons hadn't had a good mystery amongst them in years.

Rumors had flown, of course, about the spectacular argument between the princess and the queen when Hippolyta forbade Diana to participate in the games. More than a few suspected the truth of number thirty-three, but no one spoke their thoughts aloud.

Instead, they cheered wildly when number thirty-three kept every bullet from getting by her. Then she lifted her revolver and waited for Orana to position herself in from of the statue of Athena.

Orana glared and took her place, nodding her readiness to her opponent. She had thought... had expected... with the queen's disqualification of Diana, that she would be a shoo in for an easy victory. Instead, she had been outdone by this interloper who wouldn't even show her face.

It wasn't that she disliked Diana - on the contrary, Orana considered Diana her best friend. But it had become progressively more irritating to always be coming in second to someone she had trained and mentored. Just once she'd wanted to be on top again, and with the princess out of the running, Orana had been sure she would easily win. Though it would have been a hollow victory, it would have been a victory nonetheless.

Now Orana waited for the mystery competitor to take her best shot, confident in her ability to do as well as the other woman had.

Five for five she went and her self-assurance grew. Then the sixth shot got by her and Orana flinched, anger growing in her eyes. But she played the good sport, congratulating the mystery woman on her win. Then unexpectedly, they were both called to stand in front of the queen and her council.

Here Hippolyta's voice faltered. "I knew Orana had grown jealous of you, but I didn't realize how bad it was. I still wouldn't know if it hadn't been for the young woman Chase coming into our lives. I cannot believe how blind I was to her... and to you. I was just so... angry. And if I could go back to one moment... gods, Diana... I would give anything to change that one moment."

Orana and the mystery woman stood before the council and the Nation, and Hippolyta stood on the dais, her face wreathed in smiles. It had been a long time since the Amazons had had this much fun and she made a note to schedule more athletic contests. They had become a little lazy and complacent, and Hippolyta decided it was time to put a stop to that.

She raised her hands for silence and quiet fell. "Amazons, today we have witnessed a magnificent display of strength and endurance and sportsmanship. And all of our contestants have outdone themselves showing a degree of prowess seldom seen even among athletes as skilled as Amazons." A cheer rose across the yard and Hippolyta let it ring for a while before lifting her hands. The Nation quieted again.

"But there can be only one Amazon crowned the winner of the games. And it gives me great pleasure to announce the games' champion and our Wonder Woman... our mystery contestant, number thirty-three."

Another cheer rang out as Hippolyta raised the winner's arm up in victory. Drea handed the belt of strength and the lasso of truth to the queen and Hippolyta accepted them with a smile. "Please," the queen said to the victor. "Remove your mask so the Amazons can be introduced to their victor."

Slowly, a hand raised and removed both mask and blonde wig. The gasp that escaped Hippolyta's lips was masked by the shouts and applause that erupted when Diana's face was revealed.

Unceremoniously, Hippolyta jerked the belt and lasso out of Diana's hands. "DIANA!! How dare you?!? How could you?!?"

A hush fell over the crowd, so quiet not even breathing could be heard.

Diana stepped up towards the platform with her hand held out beseechingly. Hippolyta shifted back away from Diana and turned towards Orana, extending her hand to the other Amazon.

"Mother, you can't!!"

Without warning, she ripped the trappings of Wonder Woman away from Orana as well and threw them behind her before she stomped over to stand in front of Diana, face flushed in fury and eyes flaming.

"I most certainly can!"

"Mother, please! I did it for you... I did it for us!"

"No, Diana," she growled between clenched teeth. "You did it for yourself! You did it because you feel something for that man! You lied and you cheated and you disobeyed me!!"

Diana flushed with embarrassment but she stood her ground and straightened to her full height. "I *never* lied and I *never* cheated! I won fair and square!"

"But it doesn't change the fact that you disobeyed me, does it?"

Drea stepped up behind Hippolyta and placed a calming hand on the queen's back. "Perhaps we should take this to a more private venue?" she suggested quietly.

"NO! Diana wanted to humiliate me by making a mockery of this competition." She turned her furious eyes back to Diana. "We'll finish this here!" She took a visible breath to calm herself, though her anger never seemed to lessen.

"Now," she said a little more evenly. "You did disobey me didn't you? After I forbade your participation in the games, you hid your identity and competed anyway."

"Yes, I did," Diana admitted. "Because I am the best qualified." Her voice became plaintive, pleading for something she didn't fully understand. "Mother, I proved myself. On your terms. Why can't you let me have the victory I earned??"

"Because it isn't yours, any more than that man is." She yanked the belt and lasso from Drea's hands and slapped it into Orana's hands who accepted them with a smug look. "Orana will take Steve Trevor back to the world of men, and will remain there as the Amazon representative Wonder Woman."

Hippolyta turned her attention back to Diana. "As for you, daughter, you are confined to your rooms in the palace until further notice. No running around the island, no visits to the hospice, no walks in the temple gardens... nothing. You will learn the price of disobedience!"

And that had only been the beginning.



Chapter XII

"Now, you have to realize this is incomplete," Paula said motioning to the reports that rested in front of them. "This is what we have been able to cull from the rebel databanks and Chase's personal diary. The databanks are so old and outdated that the information is spotty at best."

"How does Chase's diary help? She is too young to have any knowledge of what happened to the Princess."

"Personal knowledge, yes. But don't forget who her great-grandfather was."

Drea rubbed her eyes. Already this day seemed years long, and now it seemed like she was betraying a young woman she wanted to believe in and have believe in her. "This seems so wrong."

Nubia sighed. "We need to know, Drea. The princess is unwilling and unable to share, and Chase doesn't trust us enough to do so. And according to Mala, we are running out of time."

Mala's hand covered Drea's and she nodded her agreement. "That is correct. If things play out the way I believe they will, then Diana will leave us when she awakens. It is in our best interests to be aware of what happened to whatever extent that we can manage. And thanks to Chase, we finally have a window into that world and those events."

Drea agreed. "I know. It's just...."

"Why this sudden crisis of faith?" Nubia demanded. Mala answered before Drea could draw breath to speak.

"You've come to care for the young woman." Drea nodded again. "That is a good thing." Mala faced the healer and met her eyes with stark sincerity. "Drea, I know Chase has and will make a difference for Diana and for us. But I believe we can also make a difference to her and the rebellion as well. But we need all the facts we can get before we send our sisters off to war."

"I know, and I'm not trying to be difficult really. Rough day."

Mala chuckled. "You are a master of understatement, my dear." Even Nubia had to laugh at that. "Now, Paula, my dear... what have you found for us?"

Paula was still smiling when she motioned to the reports once more. "It took us a little while to get all this together. Get comfortable. It's going to take a little while to go through it as well."



Chase was cursing herself on any number of levels. She had forgotten the glasses Paula had crafted for her and surprisingly, so had Drea. She was entirely frustrated by the lack because even though her eyesight had not nearly fully returned, the sunlight was still overwhelming in its intensity out here on the water.

Aside from that, the effort she had made putting out to sea had torn open both her leg and shoulder again and they hurt like hellfire and damnation itself. Her stomach, thankfully, just ached, but she was fairly certain from the lack of telltale burning that the stitching still held.

She was happy for the food Drea had packed for their lunch. With carefully rationing, Chase was confident that she could make it last for several days - hopefully long enough to either reach land or recover her eyesight and at least be able to steer herself in the right direction.

Chase laid back and closed her eyes, hopeful that rest would bring better results when she woke up.



"The first information comes from the Nazis because it is the briefest. They went to a lot of trouble to insure that Diana's name was erased, but they didn't count on our ability to ghost the records. Still, what we got is spotty at best and really makes no sense... until you add Chase's diary and the information the rebels have obtained."

"We know the lengths Diana went to leave here, but what happened after that...."

Hippolyta had been livid. Six of her Royal Guards were laying in the hospice with varying degrees of bodily harm done to their persons. Diana had be exceedingly careful not to kill, but she had made her unspoken point to both her mother and the rest of the Nation. The note she had left for her mother had done little to dispel the fury, worry and frustration Hippolyta felt.

***Hippolyta, (it read)

"I know you do not or will not understand my fascination with the man Steve Trevor, but the fact is that something in him calls to my soul. I do not understand it myself, but I cannot ignore the truth. And the truth is I belong by his side... or he by mine.

I could forgive your lack of understanding had it not been for your deliberate effort to humiliate me in front of the entire Nation. Regardless of how you felt, and regardless of the fact that I disobeyed you for the chance to compete, the truth is I won on my own merit. That should have counted for something. But it didn't - all you could do was disgrace me publicly.

Therefore, to remove any sense of embarrassment you may still have, I am leaving Paradise Island. I will make my own way in the world of men. You may consider yourself free from any obligation you may have felt towards me as I no longer regard myself as part of the Amazon Nation or your daughter.

Diana***

Her lack of titular respect and obvious disdain for everything Amazonian caused Hippolyta to feel her first twinges of guilt and remorse over the way she had handled Diana. Not that she believed she hadn't been justified in her anger, and not that she didn't feel vindicated by forbidding Diana's victory. But the truth was she handled the entire situation poorly, and it had cost her not only her daughter on many levels, but also a measure of respect amongst the women of the Nation. Regardless of how they felt about her need to discipline Diana for her actions, none of them agreed with her doing so publicly.

And now it appeared that even if she recovered Diana from the world of men, things would never, ever be the same between them again.

Hippolyta went to the temple for council with Mala and to pray. What she found was that Mala was furious and the goddesses were silent. When she arrived home, disheartened, she found Drea waiting for her and was honestly surprised.

"Why are you here?" she blurted out. Drea's brows jumped into her hairline.

"Um... I live here? Unless you'd rather I live elsewhere," said with only the slightest degree of uncertainty. Drea gave an inaudible sigh when Hippolyta shook her head.

"Not at all, love, but I am pretty unpopular at the moment."

"Well, you should have expected that, Pol. What you did to Diana was uncalled for on several levels and way over the top," Drea offered bluntly.

"So you don't stand behind me in this either?" Hippolyta turned away and gazed unseeingly out the window. Drea came up and deliberately stood beside the queen at the window and turned slightly, enabling her to see Hippolyta's silhouette. "I think what you did was grossly wrong and unfair - I do understand your reasoning... I just happen to disagree with them. Doesn't mean I have or ever would forsake you, Pol. I love you."

Hippolyta turned from the window and shoved the note in her hands. "It would appear that you were right and I was wrong," she said before retreating to the bathing room for a respite. Drea read the letter and left.

"That was such a horrible time," Drea remembered with her head now cradled in her hands. "The only one worse was Diana's abrupt return home."

Nubia nodded her agreement to Drea's statement. "That is the truth. I never expected so much... hatred from the princess. Certainly not directed at her mother and her own people."

"At least now we have an understanding of *why* that hatred exists - above and beyond what happened to her at the games," Paula acknowledged. "If you keep reading, this is where Chase's diary and the writings of Steve Trevor begin to come into play." She swallowed hard. "I will tell you that it gets very ugly and violent as we get further into history. And some of it is quite graphic."

07 September 1942

I still have holes in my memory apparently. The general and Etta both assure me I was MIA for just over a week after we lost radio contact over Bermuda. I remember flying out to stop the Nazi plane and I remember the dog fight, and then... nothing. And there is no good explanation for how I got back to Washington. We've investigated every possible avenue and clue we could find, but no one has seen the mystery woman who it appears rescued me and dropped me off at the hospital for treatment. It's a shame, that - I would have liked to have thanked her, talked to her a little bit. Maybe she'd have an idea about some of the odd dreams I have had since then.

On the other hand, I like my new yeoman, Diana Prince. She's jumped right in to the war effort with enthusiasm, and has made my life in the War Department much easier. My wife Mary treats her like a kid sister.

I will continue to search for the mystery woman. Maybe she can explain where the dreams of Amazons and Paradise came from.

12 October 1942

Something serious is changing in the Nazi party. Hitler still appears to be in power, but there is a new power behind the throne. And rumors make it out to be a woman. We have people investigating. With luck we should have some news within the week.

27 October 1942

Not only has luck deserted us, but we've lost several of our top agents acquiring the top secret information about the new Nazi threat. All we know is that her name is Orana and that she showed up on the scene about four months ago. No other data is available, so we don't know who she is or where she came from or how she has managed to obtain such a position of authority in such a short period of time, especially as a woman. I may end up doing some undercover work behind enemy lines myself very soon.

One odd note - when my yeoman Diana heard the woman's name, I thought she was going to be sick. I have never seen the blood drain from a tanned face so quickly, and she broke into a sweat. From her reaction, I would have guessed that she *knew* this Orana person, but that's not possible... is it?

This will bear some more checking out.

12 November 1942

Mary told me today she's pregnant!!! We're expecting a child!! This is probably about the worst time in history to bring a child into the world, but I won't lie and pretend I'm not excited!!

We're going to have a baby!!

28 November 1942

I am being sent into Nazi Germany on 01 December. It is hoped that I can learn more about this new leader behind Hitler. We have lost a number of good operatives trying to find out more about this woman, and I'll admit to being scared of the same - especially now with a baby coming. But it is my duty, and I will do it to the very best of my abilities.

"This was the last entry written by Steve Trevor. The next record we have is the telegram from the War Department to his wife Mary telling of his death at the hands of the Nazis."

"Do we know what happened?" Mala asked. Paula nodded.

"We've been able to piece it together by culling various sources - some of them the Nazi guards who were there. We don't have all the details, of course, so we've had to make some educated guesses, but it gives us a good idea, and it explains a whole lot more... including how and why Diana returned to us. Please keep in mind that most of this was ghosted from their purged records, so there are some pretty big holes in the actual recorded history."

It took several weeks of undercover travel before Steve and Diana entered Nazi Germany. Diana hadn't been part of the original plan, but she had convinced Steve and his superiors of the need to blend, and being part of a couple made him much less conspicuous. The fact that she was fluent in fourteen distinct languages was also a distinct advantage.

After twenty-two days of traveling, Steve had a full beard and they were both a bit bedraggled and worse for wear. In other words, they looked like every other European citizen, and they used that fact to their advantage.

Getting into the country had been insanely easy, and they slowly, carefully made their way towards Berlin. The closer they got, the stranger the stories and rumors became, though they were only spoken in whispers in the dead of night.

Diana had long wrestled with the sick feeling in her gut, sure of what they would find at the end of their journey and knowing it was her responsibility to get Orana home. Better to have no Wonder Woman at all in the world of men than to have one who had ultimately sold out and chosen the wrong side. And from everything Diana had seen and heard and learned from her relatively brief time in the outside world, the Nazis were definitely the wrong side.

For his part, Steve felt a growing trepidation. There was something about the whole situation that was just a little too familiar for comfort. And Diana was getting more withdrawn the farther into enemy territory they got. Overall, it didn't bode well for their coming activities. Sooner or later, they were going to have to venture into the bowels of the Reichstag and find the truth.

As it happened, it was sooner rather than later, and they didn't have to find their way into it. The way discovered them and they found themselves captured by their enemies. All that was left was for them to face Orana.

"Are you sure the queen can't be here for this?" Nubia asked Drea quietly. She noticed the healer shaking as they read the reports and the clenching and unclenching of her fists wasn't an indication of a calm and stable individual, though privately, Nubia admired Drea's fortitude.

Though the advisor had been involved with Orana at one time, she had long since moved past feeling responsible for Orana's abandonment of her or the Nation. Any guilt for her actions lay at Orana's feet alone, and Nubia had finally been able to put that part of her life into perspective. Her talk with the queen mere days ago had gone greatly towards healing that, and Paula's quiet acceptance of her attentions had set her heart and mind at peace.

But what Drea and ultimately Hippolyta now had to deal with was so far beyond that. Their grief involved a flesh and blood daughter who had obviously suffered untold horrors and it was something they work going to have to work through. To add to that, there was also the matter of Orana to deal with, and since she had apparently maintained her immortality away from Paradise Island, it had become a massive Amazon problem.

But first things first - Drea and Hippolyta needed to know and understand what Diana had seen and suffered, then they would have to try to help her heal from whatever tragedies had befallen her. Nubia was of the firm opinion that Drea and Hippolyta supporting each other through whatever ugliness was coming was the only way any of them would survive it. The look on Drea's face before she spoke confirmed she heartily agreed with Nubia.

"I don't want Diana left alone, Nubia."

The dark woman nodded. "I'll go sit with her. I know I'm not her mother, and certainly not the first choice for a companion, but I think Hippolyta needs to be here - for both of you. At least with Mala and Paula here, there will be some support for you both."

Drea turned and looked at Nubia directly, surprised by the offer from someone who had been her greatest antagonist for most of their twenty-six hundred plus years of living side by side. She wondered what had wrought the change, finding only stark sincerity in the black eyes facing her.

"Thank you, Nubia. I appreciate the offer, but...."

"Drea," Mala cut in. "Let Rina sit with the princess for now, and let's go over this together. It will be easier if we don't have to do it more than once, and you deserve the support of your sisters... you both do."

Strangely, it was Paula who objected. "Respectfully, I disagree. These are hard, ugly facts and the reality of them may be overwhelming for the queen. It might be better to let Drea hear them alone. Then she can decide whether or not and what to share with the queen."

It was Drea who addressed this statement as it threw the entire council into a state of shock. Never before had Paula taken such an aggressive stance, and never, ever had anyone ever suggested the queen needed dissimilation to handle any information relevant to the Nation - even if it directly involved her daughter. However, Drea was the first to recover her senses and she thought she knew, or she hoped she did anyway, what Paula was getting at. It wouldn't be pretty if she guessed wrong.

Drea rose from her seat slowly, making her way to Paula's seat and kneeling at her side. She covered the scientist's hands, then gently Drea cleared her throat and met Paula's eyes.

"You love the queen, don't you Paula? She has always been kind to you... treated you as a member of her family." Paula nodded slowly, her expression a mix of dread, confusion and pain. "And Diana, she was always a good friend, someone who loved and appreciated science like you did." Another nod. "And you feel like you let them down by not knowing what happened to Diana, or what Orana had become. And you want to protect them both now that you can, don't you?"

Paula's eyes dropped and she found her chin caught in Drea's firm, gentle grip. The eyes that met here were full of compassion and understanding. She nodded and bit her lip nervously. Drea gave her a small smile.

"Oh, Paula... my friend, you cannot protect the ones you love by keeping secrets. This whole situation is proof of that. The queen has to know the truth, all of it, no matter how much it hurts her. It is not going to go away or get easier just because we don't want to see her or Diana hurt anymore. And it may be that knowing will help heal the wounds that have been festering for a hundred years."

"Drea, it's brutal. What happened to Diana was horrible. But if you think the queen should hear then blunt truth...."

"I think she needs to, Paula. If it will make you more comfortable for me to tell her privately, I will do that, but she's still going to need to hear it all."

"No. If we are going to give the queen the entire story, then Mala and Nubia are right. Let us be here to support you both."

Drea squeezed Paula's hands. "Thank you for caring so much, Paula. And I want you to know something... to believe it with all your heart. What happened was not your fault in any way. You couldn't know what would happen - none of us could have guessed."

Paula smiled wryly. "My head knows that. I just...."

"You just have a good heart," Hippolyta cut in from the doorway. "I consider myself lucky to be surrounded by such wonderful, caring women." She crossed the room and squeezed Paula's shoulders before extending her hand to Drea. "Thank you, Paula." Hippolyta gave her a shaky smile. "Thank you for caring so much." She turned to Drea. "And thank you, love," cupping the healer's cheek. "Thank you for doing the right thing, even if you'd rather protect me."

Hippolyta looked around the room at her friends before taking a seat at the table. "Come," she commanded. "Let's get this done."



Chapter XIII

"Shep, it's only been four days. We can't stop looking yet!"

"Hans! Will you sit down and stop whining?? You are giving me a headache and if you don't get a grip on yourself I'm gonna smack you into next week just to get a little peace!" Hans glared at him, and Shep returned it measure for measure until Hans flopped into the chair across from him.

"Now, I am well aware of how long we have had planes searching. I am also aware of Chase's approximate location when she went down, and I am further aware of just how big the Atlantic Ocean is. We will give it another three days, and then I'm gonna have to pull the plug on this rescue."

"You can't...."

"Goddamn it, Hans! You think I *want* to do this? Huh? You think I like having this laid in my lap, knowing that I'm condemning Chase to die if she hasn't already?? You think I want to be responsible for all the shit that Chase takes care of around this joint???"

Shep was screaming by this point and Hans understood just how this was tearing Shep... and all of them... to pieces. It was amazing to realize just how true his words to Chase had become. She really was the glue that held them all together and without her....

Hans stood and leaned over the desk. Shep raked his hands through his hair and looked up into eyes he expected to be antagonistic and found instead sympathy and understanding. "She's my best friend, Hans."

"I know, Shep. She's mine too. I'm not sure what we'll do without her."

"We're gonna hope we don't have to find out. We still have three days." Shep rubbed his eyes. "We have to believe we'll find her."



Chase blinked. It was dark, or at least she hoped it was. The heat and the steady motion of the boat had coupled with her over-abused and still healing body in lulling her into sleep. She awoke feeling more refreshed, more sunburned and very thirsty. She was also more than a little disoriented and what felt like totally blind.

She felt around on the bottom of the boat, searching for the food and water she'd brought with her. Chase uncapped the water and took two long swallows, knowing she had to drink sparingly. Then she felt her way through the food, snagging a slice of bread and some cheese. Not enough to satisfy her hunger, but at least enough to slack it for now.

She leaned back, enjoying the taste of the food and the rhythmic motion of the waves as she drifted in the direction the wind blew it. She just hoped it was blowing her towards land. She was more than a little anxious to return to the base camp and get back to the rebellion.

Chase studied that thought for a long moment. Paradise Island had been something new and unexpected, and given other circumstances, she could have been happy living there. But there were too many factors against that possibility... not the least of which were the Amazons.

They were something of a conundrum to Chase. The few women she had encountered on the island had been kind and helpful - women she would have been proud to have called friend. Especially Drea - the healer, despite her youth, reminded Chase so much of her mother, and Chase couldn't find it in her heart to think poorly of someone who had shown her so much kindness.

But on the flip side, she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the woman she'd encountered in Germany was an Amazon - the same Amazon who'd tortured and killed her great-grandfather - Steve Trevor. Something didn't add up.

Her mind shied away from that experience and she turned her attention back to Paradise Island. Chase let her mind review what she knew about the area she had gone down in and she knew there was nothing listed on any chart she'd seen. And she knew them all by heart.

So where had Paradise Island come from and how had the Amazons managed to stay hidden? Chase chewed her food slowly as the rote motion helped her to focus her thoughts. She wished she could have stayed and learned more about their culture, but knowing what she did, staying had become an unthinkable option.

Her head started to hurt as her thoughts began to trail one another in rapid succession, and she closed her eyes and gave herself up to the healing oblivion of sleep.



It was daylight when Chase opened her eyes again, and she was devoutly thankful for the ability to see light again. Not only could she see light, but she could sort of almost see blue sky, she thought. She squinted, but that didn't seem to help - it only made things fuzzy. So she closed them again, and then blinked them open slowly.

This time she smiled - she did see blue sky. She inched up slowly, not wanting to lose the sight she had with any sudden movements. She wasn't sure where her logic came from, but she felt comfortable with it regardless.

Chase eased into a sitting position, and blinked again as she took in her surroundings. There wasn't much for her to see, save water and sky, a few clouds and the sun. But they were all a welcome sight after her blindness and she smiled. With a little luck, she'd have a direction soon, and would be steering her way home.

She reached for the water jug, downing a goodly portion to slake her overnight thirst while she took a look around the boat. Everything was still less than clear, but at least she could distinguish shapes and forms now. It certainly beat trying to sail completely blind.

The ship was good-sized, though not large, and as she walked slowly around the masts and riggings, Chase realized that is was made to accommodate a single sailor. The wood was tight and well-sanded and below decks was a tiny cabin, complete with miniature head. Chase stroked her chin while she contemplated the possibilities, then decided to take advantage of the opportunity.

With her morning ablutions completed, Chase made her way back above deck, blinking rapidly in the bright sunlight. Then she snagged an apple from the basket and started to determine how to get home.



By mid-afternoon, Chase was equal parts content and frustrated. Her content stemmed from the fact that she had determined that she was indeed headed the right direction. Her frustration was born on the truth that her progress was slower than she would have liked and worse, there was, if her squinting eyes could be trusted, quite the storm brewing to her east.

The wind it was likely to bring would be well appreciated if it blew her closer to land, especially if that land was anywhere close to home. But knowing her recent luck, the wind would blow her in circles and the rain would sink her. However, Chase was nothing if not determined, and she hadn't been the leader of the rebellion as long as she had without learning how to survive.

On the far horizon, she saw what she thought... what she *hoped* was a bit of land. It wasn't in the direction she actually needed to go, but any port in a storm, right? With any luck at all, she could at least restock her meager supplies, and with real luck, it was inhabited and the natives would have a short-wave radio that she could use to contact Shep or Hans and let them know where she was.

She looked back at the ever-increasing black line and realized it was going to be a race to get to the hoped-for land in the distance.

The first rumble of thunder was nit unexpected, but it was unwelcome as it was immediately followed by a deluge of water. Chase was already exhausted by her efforts to stay ahead of the storm, and when she knew her efforts were futile, she'd dropped the sails and done her best to steer along the edges. Unfortunately, she'd banged her thigh twice, and ripped the stitches in her shoulder trying to haul in the mainsail.

So now she was bleeding somewhat profusely from both spots and now with the pouring rain, her eyesight was back to nil again. Still, she held on to the rudder, doing her damnedest to tack through the worst of the storm, hoping to be alive on the far side.

She was doing quite well, considering her circumstances when she was blindsided by a swamping wave that washed over the starboard side of the boat. That alone wouldn't have been so bad had the following wave picked the little craft up and dropped it like a ton of bricks. The resulting jar left Chase scrambling for a hold.

She managed to find one on the rudder again, though it was short-lived. Her damaged shoulder left her with little strength to maintain her grip as the storm grew exponentially worse.

A bump underneath her brought her travels to a grinding halt, and she almost breathed a sigh of relief to be relatively still while the storm continued to surge around her. Chase brushed the rain and hair out of her face and took a deep breath. She figured she had hit a sand bar, and there wasn't much she could do about it until the storm either blew itself out or pushed her off and back into the churning sea. Frankly, she was glad to be still for a moment.

It was seconds too late that she understood her stillness made her a primary target for whatever deity appeared to have it in for her. She felt the crackle of electricity travel from the tips of her toes to the ends of her hair before she realized she hadn't been struck directly. Only the crack of the wood alerted her to the danger as the mast split in two and fell.



There were swirling colors and bright lights and melodic sounds in her awareness, but nothing she could capture or understand. Chase shifted trying to follow where they beckoned her, but the movement caused pain and confusion to rip through her being without mercy and she lost the trail. She gave herself back up to merciful blackness once more.



The voices were vague and fuzzy and strangely, they reminded Chase of so many angry bees pursuing one another in a fight over a prized pot of honey. She blinked, glad she still had her fuzzy vision and not the darkness she'd half-expected. Then a wash of pain swept through her head and she clutched it, moaning as she curled into a small ball. The buzzing ceased and a warm hand landed on her back, rubbing soothing circles. Chase felt herself relax with the touch, and gradually, the pain began to recede.

"Better?" a soft voice asked.

"Mmm," was the best Chase could manage, but the voice seemed to understand. Chase heard the smile she couldn't see with her eyes still closed.

"My name is Aaron," the man continued quietly. "My son and I found you stranded on the sandbar when the storm was over and brought you to our home. We've been caring for you since then. You gave us quite a scare."

"Than' you," she mumbled. She accepted the liquid he offered knowing she wasn't in a position to do anything else. Once more she was dependent on others for her care, and she sighed in sheer frustration before easing her head back down on its pillow. "Sorry... where? Ho' lon'?"

"You reached Bermuda, and you're lucky we found you - that's a fifty/fifty proposition on this island. You've been here since the day before yesterday, and spent most of the day yesterday with a high fever. We were a little concerned," downplaying the hours his family had spent by her bedside doing everything they could to break her fever. "We, um... we contacted your friends as soon as we knew who you were. They've been looking for you for nearly a week."

Chase slowly sat up as the pounding in her head eased off and Aaron's words penetrated her thoughts. "Than...." She cleared her throat and tried again. "Thank you, Aaron. What happened to the boat I was on?"

"We scuttled it... made it look like the storm had destroyed it, which was pretty close to being true."

Chase nodded. It was a shame, but it was also necessary. She certainly didn't want people getting hurt or worse for helping her. And here on Bermuda, as Aaron had indicated, helping a member of the rebellion, especially her, was a considerable risk. There were plenty of Nazi spies who'd give their eyeteeth to get their hands on her again. She shuddered in memory and forced her attention back to her current situation. First things first.

She slipped from beneath the sheets, glad that Aaron or whomever had taken the time to preserve her modesty with a bit of cloth which, come to think of it, covered more than most hospital gowns she'd seen.

"Aaron, I need my clothes, then I need to contact my friends and get off the island as quickly as possible. I appreciate all you've done for me, but I can't continue to put you in danger with my presence in your home." She stood and swayed on her feet. Aaron remained close by, but he didn't reach out to help knowing she had to do this on her own.

It took a few moments, much longer than Chase was happy with, but eventually her equilibrium returned. "This just has not been a good week," she muttered to herself, deliberately setting aside the good memories she had of Paradise Island. Instead she focused on the here and now.

"I'd have to agree," Aaron said, "having seen the damage the storm did to you and your boat. "My wife will bring your clothes and I will go fetch your friend." Then he left before Chase could question his words.

Aaron's wife was a round, little woman who had numerous laugh lines despite the wariness the war had put there. As Chase listened to her, she realized that the Anna found happiness and pleasure in the simplest things and she didn't allow the Nazis or anyone else to rob her of that joy. Anna was very careful as she helped Chase dress, nor wanting to rip the stitches she had put in the younger woman's body. She and Aaron knew from the boat and the care her body had already apparently received that someone else had cared for her also, but it wasn't their business, so they didn't ask questions. In war, one learned to pick and choose, knowing any information they held could be turned against them. What they didn't know or ask questions about couldn't come back to bite them or the rebellion in the ass, so they were content to remain ignorant.

Chase was breathing heavily by the time she finished dressing and she cursed her weak, injured body. She didn't have time for this, and neither did the rebellion. As it was, she was unsure if they would be able to use the information that had cost her so dearly. And all she wanted to do was crawl back in that semi-comfortable bed and go back to sleep until she felt better. That didn't appear to be an option currently so she settled for sitting when Anna hand on her well shoulder urged her to do so.

"It will take Aaron a little while to contact your friend. Drink this," handing Chase a cup, "then get a little rest. The rebellion will wait another hour or so, and I will wake you when Aaron returns."

Finally, Chase understood. "Wait, you mean someone actually came here to get me? Are they insane? I'm not worth more than the rest."

"Yes, you are, Chase." When Anna called her by name, Chase met the other woman's eyes. Anna nodded. "Even here we know of Annabelle Chaser and the hero she is to the rebellion. Don't discount your influence, Chase."

Chase shrugged. "I'll try, but I'm sorta used to being one of many."

Anna smiled and patted her knee. "You may be one of many, but you are a leader among those many. You may not have asked for it, but that's the way things are. Now rest," Anna chided before Chase could say anything more. "Responsibility will return to you quickly enough."

Chase closed her eyes, glad to give herself up to the oblivion of sleep if only for a little while.



"You're sure she's all right?" Shep asked as he gazed at Chase's relaxed features. She was entirely too pale and much thinner than he remembered. Something in the picture she presented didn't make sense to her being on the open water for the better part of a week, but he was so glad to have her found and alive that he put his questions aside. For now they were far less important than the fact that Chase had not only returned, but she still had the cache of papers she'd risked so much to retrieve.

"She's exhausted," Aaron answered honestly. "And she lost quite a bit of blood. The storm tore open several old wounds. She could use a week's worth of sleep to help her recover. Otherwise?" He shrugged his shoulders eloquently.

"Well, I'll see what I can do once I get her home, though getting her to slow down there is nigh unto impossible. Chase is like a whirlwind." He smiled as he said it and looked up to meet their matching smiles. "I can't begin to thank you...."

Both Aaron and Anna held up hands to keep Shep from saying anything more. "We were glad to be able to have been the ones to have found her. Sometimes we feel completely out of the loop out here. It's nice to be able to contribute to the effort, though this wouldn't have been our first choice."

Shep nodded. "Mine either, but I'm glad you were all in the right place at the right time," nodding to their son Adam who was going to help them get back to the hidden airfield. "Things would have gone down hard for Chase if she'd fallen into Nazi hands again."

Three sets of eyes widened at his words and Aaron said questioningly, "She was a prisoner of war and lived to tell?"

Shep nodded, his eyes hard with memories. "Yes," he answered briskly, but did not elaborate. "Can ya'll help me get her awake? We need to get going and she's going to have to walk on her own til we get to the plane. Then I can tuck her in to sleep on the flight home."

"Not the way you fly," Chase mumbled, though the smile in her voice was obvious. "You get me to the plane and *I'll* fly us home."

"Uh uh," Shep teased. "I know what happened that last time." Chase glared at him.

"Hey! I won, ya know!" Shep smiled and brushed her sleep-tangled hair back from her face.

"I know, and I can't wait to hear about it, but it's gonna have to wait til we get home. This is a bad place for us to be right now. I think this is like the primo Nazi vacation spot and if they get a look at you...."

"We're all dead meat. Gotcha. Help me up."

Shep extended an arm and helped Chase to stand and get her balance before her released her. She turned to Anna and Aaron. "Thank you both. I know it doesn't sound like much, but I really appreciate the help and the risk you took. Thank you."

They both accepted her gratitude, knowing she needed to say it. Aaron took her hand in a string clasp and Anna kissed her cheek. Then Chase and Shep snuck out the back with Adam in the lead. Then Anna and Aaron started erasing any evidence of Chase's presence in their home... just in case.



Chapter XIV

It was a fairly quick process to bring the queen up to speed on what they had already learned about Diana's foray into the world of men a century before. There was no need for discussion between them on the second round of readings. It sickened the queen to realize what her daughter had suffered through already, knowing far worse was yet to come.

She'd felt Paula's upset when the scientist had asked for a meeting of the council, and she'd felt the dread grow as they continued to meet after several hours with no break. She'd talked to Diana and saw no response, and reliving the first of their bad history coupled with the fact that she had a good idea just exactly what was going on in that council meeting made Hippolyta drained and antsy.

When it appeared that Diana was going to remain unconscious for at least a little while longer, Hippolyta called Rina in and asked her to sit with the princess, then she went to find the council. She was touched by their concern and only a little annoyed that they felt she needed to be protected. Given her actions where her daughter was concerned, though, she couldn't blame them for looking out for Diana, even if that meant protecting her as well.

Now Hippolyta blew out a breath and took a drink of water before looking up at the faces that were watching hers. "All right, Paula... let's proceed. We need to know... *I* need to know the worst. Then maybe I can figure out what the Hades to do to fix this."

Hippolyta raked her hands through her in frustration. Drea reached over and took Hippolyta's hands in her own, chafing them lightly until the queen's breathing settled and evened out. Hippolyta held Drea's eyes with her own until she felt a sense of balance return.

"I beg pardon, ladies. Paula, please continue."

The scientist swallowed and nodded. "We had left off right before Diana and Steve Trevor were captured by the Nazis. This is the most piecemeal section, as we had to cull the information from the Nazi's purged files and the few entries we could find in the rebels' database. And those reports are all second and third hand from the people who tried rescued Steve Trevor and Diana."

The ease with which they were captured coming into Berlin made them acutely aware of a traitor in their midst, though they never knew exactly who it was. In the end, it didn't matter, as the knowledge couldn't change the outcome of what happened.

Diana woke with a splitting headache, trussed to the wall spread-eagle and naked. Steve was lashed to what appeared to be an ancient altar, anchored by chains driven deep in the stone, equally spread-eagle and naked.

Time was non-existent and the darkness only enhanced the feeling of displacement. They were able to converse, barely, as Steve was wheezing from broken ribs and Diana had to talk with a clenched, broken jaw and busted lips.

Finally, the door opened and not surprisingly, Orana walked into the room. Diana knew who she was before the light switch was even flipped - there was an Amazon awareness that Diana recognized, skewed as it was.

Orana walked around Steve, sparing him a cursory glance before slamming him into unconsciousness. Then she made her way to stand in front of Diana. She made a thorough perusal of the woman she had once called best friend as she removed the cape that covered her from neck to knees, revealing sharp black trousers, pressed white shirt with shiny silver lightning bolts and crisp swastika armband.

On her waist were the belt of strength and the lasso of truth.

Diana clenched her jaw tighter, focusing on the pain to keep the betrayal she felt out of her expression. But her eyes told a story that would never cross her lips.

"Well, well, Princess," Orana began without so much as a sneer in her voice. She actually managed to convey concern, and had Diana not been able to see her eyes, she might have almost believed her. "Fancy meeting you here. I never expected to be visited by an Amazon... especially not you. Tell me, does your mother know you're here, or did you disobey her yet again?"

Diana kept her focus straight ahead, refusing to give Orana the satisfaction of knowing how those words burned.

Now Orana smirked. "I figure you had to have disobeyed her, given that you're here with *that man*. Tell me, Di... is he really so great in the sack that you'd give up everything to be with him? I mean, come on... it's not like you'd have lacked for sexual partners on Paradise Island if you'd given any Amazon an indication their attentions might be welcomed." Now her voice was bitter.

"What do you want, Orana?" Diana finally broke her silence, not justifying the other Amazon's petty accusations with an answer.

Orana laughed cruelly. "I have what I want, Diana. They don't know it yet, but I am going to be the leader of the Nazi party. Adolf has some... interesting... ideas, and I know how to make them work. I can correct the mistakes they have already made, and I will bring order to the world with them. And then, I will rule the world."

"You don't think they might object?"

"They won't be in a position to."

Diana blinked. "You've betrayed everything we stand for, betrayed your oath as an Amazon...."

Orana snorted. "And you haven't? Give me a break, Diana. Your presence here means you did what you wanted despite the rules... again... just like your competing in the games was what you wanted to do. The only reason you care about me breaking the rules is because I have something you don't."

She caressed the belt and ran her fingers through the lasso. "These have made me invincible, Di, and nothing and no one is going to make me second best ever again." Orana looked at Diana again, and this time her hatred and jealously shown clearly from her mad, brown eyes. "The only thing left for me to decide is what to do with you both. Trevor will be executed for the spy that he is, but you... I have something special in mind for you. Imagine what Hippolyta will do when you return home and finds out you've been screwing a man." She clucked her tongue in mock sympathy. "Maybe I should cut his dick off first - seems like a fitting punishment for deflowering the Amazon Princess."

"I haven't," Diana bit off. "Steve is happily married with a baby on the way. He is merely my boss and my friend."

Orana laughed again. "Ooo... You take orders from him... from a man? Oh, Diana, how far you have fallen," shaking her head. "Why are you following him around like some sort of love-sick puppy then?"

The conversation had suddenly taken an intensely personal turn and Diana clamped her jaw painfully shut on the words she wanted to allow to spill out. Orana no longer had the right to know her thoughts and feelings... especially this.

Without warning, a whip lashed out and bit into the skin of her belly, nearly causing Diana to cry out. She bit her lip to keep from making a sound. A second lash criss-crossed the first and Diana felt blood ooze from the welts and trickle down her skin. The third lash brought taunting.

"Come, Diana... I can't believe you are into the whole pain thing. You're really not the type. Answer my question."

Silence was its own statement, and Orana continued to punish her until Diana's belly was raw and bleeding, yet the princess never uttered a sound. She slammed a fist into Diana's ribs in frustration, listening in satisfaction for the cracking sound she knew would follow. Air whoosed out from between the princess' lips, but she gave Orana no quarter and took several more hits to her body before Orana's eye widened in sudden understanding.

"You think he is your soulmate, don't you? You genuinely believe in that load of bull Mala sold you as a child, don't you?" Orana shook her head in sympathy. "Oh, Di... you know, I almost feel sorry for you. You'd think after twenty-six hundred years you'd have caught a clue to just how bogus that whole idea was. Honestly, don't you think if it was really possible, someone would have found it by now? Half of a whole? Give me a break. There is no such thing."

Diana never said a word, but Orana could easily read the truth in her eyes, and suddenly she felt an odd mix of disgust, sadness and pity. She looked at the princess and shook her head, knowing there was only one way to win - only one way to break Diana's spirit.

Orana slapped Steve's face hard - once, twice... until the third time he came to with a moan. His eyelids blinked rapidly as he tried to adjust to the harsh light, but Orana never gave him the chance as she grasped his chin and pulled his face towards hers.

"Hello, Steve," she greeted smoothly. "Long time, no see."

He squinted at her, trying to reconcile her familiarity with a vague impression of a memory, but nothing made sense.

She grinned at him and the sight made a chill skitter up Steve's spin unpleasantly. "Don't try to figure it out, Major. You wouldn't remember me, but I most certainly remember you. You were my ticket to freedom, and know you're going to be my ticket to power... the great American hero captured, interrogated and executed by a woman. And don't worry - I'm going to record everything for posterity so you'll be remembered for the traitor you are."

Her questions started off easily, as did her punishments for non-cooperation - a slap on the face, a punch to his body. Then it got harder.

Orana started by breaking his toes, then graduated to his feet and legs, taking special care with his kneecaps. Diana pleaded with Orana, but the sound did nothing but egg her on to do worse. By the time she started cutting off his third finger, Steve Trevor was screaming every secret he'd ever been entrusted with - from the fact that little Peggy kissed all the boys in kindergarten to the latest bomber weapon the War Department was developing.

Diana had long since stopped speaking, recognizing that Orana reveled in the sound, and Orana didn't know whether to be pleased with the fact that she'd driven the princess deep into herself or angry because she was no longer playing the game.

"Watch, Diana. Watch as I bring to an end your belief in soulmates!" Steve Trevor had lost consciousness moments before, though it was impossible to tell if it was due to pain or blood loss. Still, when Orana brought the knife up and plunged it into his stomach, he screamed. Diana kept her mind tucked away inside itself, unwilling to hear the tortured sound any longer, and unable to watch as his entrails spilled to the floor.

Orana nodded in satisfaction when his chest stopped moving and she moved to one side of the chamber, stripping of her now blood-encrusted clothes. She stepped into the shower that resided in a recessed corner of the room, then retrieved her cloak and covered herself. She snatched up the lasso and belt and left without saying another word to Diana.

Eventually, a young corporal came in, ignoring both the dead man on the altar and the barely-alive woman who still hung from the walls. He picked up the blood-soaked clothing and walked out of the room again.

Throughout the night Diana hung there, aware of the dead friend who shared the room with her. She had lived with an odd aching in her soul from the early days of her childhood, and when she'd first seen Steve Trevor, she'd gotten her first glimpse of possibilities of completion. Now, there was an emptiness in her soul, but it remained the same as it had been when she'd discovered Steve Trevor to be a happily married man... different from the soul loneliness she'd always been aware of, but less than a breaking of soulmates. Now, she expected to feel the same emptiness until time stopped. She been given her opportunity in this lifetime, and as an immortal, she didn't expect to get another chance.

Diana was only aware of the passage of time because of movement she could hear in the corridor as the guards made their rounds. Finally, the door opened and Orana stood in it again, dressed once more like the Nazi she had so obviously become.

She signaled two rather dapper young men forward, and they moved quickly to remove Diana from the wall. They weren't particularly careful and she dropped to the floor, scraping her knees and hitting her head. She lay there dazed, and could just make out Orana's words.

"Take the body and burn it. I have taped his confession and it will be played at tonight's rally."

"What of her?"

"I have special plans for her, don't you worry. She will never bother us again."

The men nodded and saluted, then retreated from the room to find something to get what remained of Steve Trevor down to the incinerator. Orana lifted Diana up and tossed her over her shoulder, hearing the bones grind together. She smiled grimly and moved out into a secret hallway, headed for her invisible plane.

It was a relatively short trip given the speed she was able to achieve and within a few hours, she was settling down on the beach. Orana had taken care to remove all traces of her Nazi attire and had resumed her Wonder Woman costume, and she was greeted warmly by the Nation... until Hippolyta got a look at her daughter.

"Diana?! Orana, what happened?" Hippolyta sighed and signaled for the healers to come forward, and Drea did so with tears in her eyes. She had only held off because she hoped the queen would show more compassion, but she knew Hippolyta was still dreadfully upset with the princess for leaving. Apparently forgiveness was still a little ways off.

Orana shook her head. "I found her this way, my queen. I suspect the enemy was involved. I believe Diana was in league with them and that trust was betrayed." Truth, mostly, even though it was Orana's own twisted version of the events which had occurred.

"Orana," the queen asked with a second look at her daughter's condition, flinching at the obvious damage that had been done. "Can you stay a while? Tell us of the world of men?"

The Amazon shook her head regretfully. "I'm afraid not, my queen. I risked a lot to come here and bring Diana home. I've got to get back before I am missed and my cover gets blown. There's a lot at stake."

Hippolyta pursed her lips and nodded. "I understand. Go back with my blessing then, and do the Nation proud. We are most pleased to have you representing us in the world of men."

Orana accepted the compliment with a graceful nod of her head. "Thank you, my queen," she said as she stepped back into the plane. "I will do my best, and I will return home when I can." Then she shut the door and taxied down the beach, disappearing into the horizon before Hippolyta turned her steps to the palace and her increasingly wayward daughter.

"Oh, Diana, my child... what have you done? What have I done to you?"

Before Paula could finish reading, Hippolyta had risen from her chair and rushed into the bathing room. The sounds of her retching could be plainly heard and as her own memories of that time flooded back, the clenching in her guts increased exponentially. How cold... how heartless... the gods should damn me to Tartarus....

The cold floor was chilly against her clammy skin and it took her a moment to feel the warmth of Drea's hand stroking her back. Hippolyta curled into her lover's body, greedily accepting the comfort she offered.

"Oh gods, Drea... how could I...? How could I have been so cold and heartless? How could I have treated my only child that way? No wonder she hates me."

"You can't worry about your mistakes, Pol, except for looking for ways to make amends. We can't change what happened then, but we can change how we act now."

"Oh Drea... I don't think Diana will let me make amends, not knowing what we know now. Given my anger and callous behavior...."

"My queen, do you remember what you said to me just the other day?" Nubia cut in from the doorway. "About letting go of the past and moving into the future with confidence and optimism?"

Hippolyta almost smiled. "Different circumstances, Nubia, though I appreciate the sentiment."

Nubia shook her head and pushed off the wall, kneeling beside the queen and the healer. "The circumstances don't change the truth if the words. You and Diana are going to have to both face the past and overcome it at some point. But for you to recover any sort of relationship with one another, you're going to have to let go of it and forgive yourselves and one another. There's plenty of responsibility to go around, and we bear some as well. But for healing to take place, we are going to have to move beyond the guilt."

Silence reigned for a few moments before Hippolyta looked up from her place on Drea's lap. "When did you get so smart, Nubia?"

The dark advisor laughed. "I've always been quite brilliant," Nubia replied snootily, but with a distinct twinkle in her eyes. "It's nice to finally have it noticed," allowing a bright smile to cross her lips.

Hippolyta chuckled, feeling an irrational lightening of spirit accompany the action. "You are incorrigible, my friend," the queen commended. Drea gave her a grateful smile Hippolyta could not see. Nubia just looked inordinately pleased with herself.

"Thank you, my queen," Nubia replied with a sardonic grin. "With your recognition of that little facet of my personality, I have finally achieved my lifelong goal. Now what am I going to do with myself?"

Hippolyta extended a hand. "Help me get up off this cold floor," she answered regally.

Nubia stood and accepted the hand, then Drea gently eased Hippolyta into a sitting position so she and Nubia could help the queen back to her feet. Once she was safely standing, Nubia went back into the council room and left the two partners alone. Drea turned and gently bathed Hippolyta's face, then offered her some water to rinse her mouth out and some mint to settle her stomach.

"Come. Let's go back into chambers and see what else Paula has for us." Drea simply nodded her agreement and took Hippolyta's arm in her own so they could walk together.

"My apologies for the delay, ladies," Hippolyta said as they crossed back into the room. She was still pale and shaky, but now she felt an urgency to finish their meeting and get back to her daughter. "Paula, please... continue."

The scientist nodded solemnly. "The next bit is about Chase and it is much more thorough as we were able to access both her diary and rather complete Nazi records. They didn't feel the need to erase her as I suspect they never thought she would ever be brought to our attention like she has. I will warn you that this is very similar to what you have already heard. Time has not made Orana a kinder, gentler dictator."

She picked up her pad and opened her mouth to resume reading, when a member of the Royal Guard rushed into the room.

"My queen," the young woman said, bowing. Hippolyta gestured for her to continue. "Forgive the intrusion, but the young woman Chase has disappeared."

Drea shook her head. "No she hasn't, Erilani. She is down on the beach outside the hospice. I took her out for a bit of sun and was called back to attend the princess. She should still be there."

Erilani's blonde head shook rapidly. "That's just it, Drea. She's not. And one of the boats has gone missing."

Before anyone could move, Rina rushed into the room. "My queen... It's Diana. We have a problem."



Continued...