~ A Time For Us ~
by Theodore Williams (billted)


Disclaimers: This story contains a small amount of explicit (but not graphic) heterosexual sex as well as a small amount of mildly explicit violence in keeping with the level of violence on the TV show. It also contains a very small amount of what some may consider coarse language.
 
Some of the characters and background situations in this story are the legal property of Universal/MCA. Any characters or situations not borrowed from the television show belong to me.
 
This story was completed in July of 1998.
 


Parts 7 - 10

 

Part Seven

"You did what?" Scott angrily demanded.
 
"I turned off that machine of yours that makes that string thing that keeps you guys connected to the future," Aphrodite replied in a nonchalant sing-song. "I heard you explaining about it to Xena."
 
"But how did you ... no-one can ..." he sputtered.
 
"Oh, please! I'm a goddess. Your little security thingies don't mean anything to me."
 
"You're a goddess," Scott repeated with deadpan cynicism. He looked toward Xena.
 
The warrior slowly nodded. "That's Aphrodite, goddess of love."
 
Scott leaned his forehead wearily on one hand. He should have known better than to doubt. He looked up at the smiling goddess. He thought that if he had had to imagine what Venus would look like, she would certainly be it. He had to admit it, though this was the very woman who, with a twitch of her nose or whatever, had just made it completely impossible for he and David to ever get home. And speaking of David, where was he?
 
Apparently, the question had also occurred to Xena. "What have you done with Gabrielle and David?" she asked Aphrodite threateningly.
 
"What have I done with them? Not a thing, dear," was the goddess' reply. "Now what they've done with each other -- well! That's a different story!" She shivered with delight.
 
At that moment, David and the bard emerged into the clearing. Despite the emergency, Gabrielle seemed more than a little embarrassed at having been gone all night. Xena looked at her with vacant eyes.
 
"Scott!" called David, a bit out of breath. "The tether!"
 
"I know, I know," said Scott, already tired of panic. "It's been cut." He pointed with his thumb at Aphrodite. "And there's your girl. She did it. The goddess of love!"
 
David looked at the goddess in disbelief. This was ridiculous. He had come here not even believing the gods existed. His first encounter with one had threatened to end his life, now this one seemed as though it would change his life forever.
 
He turned again to Scott. "How could she possibly have done it?" he asked.
 
"Oh, please," Scott mocked bitterly. "She's a goddess!"
 
The four mortals sighed simultaneously, which was followed by an uncomfortable silence.
 
"Hey!" Aphrodite interjected. "What's everybody so bummed out about?"
 
David looked at her. "Why did you do it?" he pleaded, his face full of confusion and despair.
 
"Why? Why?" she repeated. "Why, I did it for you, loverboy. And for you," she said to Gabrielle. She leaned in close to the two of them. "You guys were amazing out there. You could almost teach me a few things."
 
The two lovers suddenly felt as though they were naked right then and there. "Do the gods watch everything you people do?" David asked angrily.
 
"Only when it's going to be really really annoying," answered the bard.
 
"Anyway," continued Aphrodite, "I thought you two deserved a shot at lasting happiness together. And you wouldn't have gotten it with this time thing working the way it was supposed to -- whisking you off, never to return. No, that would never do."
 
David sat down on the ground and sighed. He didn't know what to think or feel. He desperately wanted to stay with Gabrielle and yet he knew he had a job to do. Until now, he was sure of who he was and where he was from. Now he was an anonymous figure in his own distant past, which had suddenly become his present.
 
Aphrodite walked up to Xena. "You know, it did cross my mind that if you had a little extra time with Scotty ..." she began, but stopped when she saw Xena's menacing glare. "I should have known better," conceded the goddess, hands on her hips. "Whew, is it getting colder? Or is it just that I'm standing next to something frigid?"
 
The warrior drew her sword and, with a fierce cry, mercilessly slashed at Aphrodite. The blade passed cleanly through her, doing no damage.
 
"Take it easy, Xena. I was only kidding," said Aphrodite with a careless wag of her head. "Methinks thou dost protest too much." Then she giggled, "One of the Muses taught me that."
 
"They need to go home, Aphrodite," Gabrielle finally said in an attempt to get back to the matter at hand. "Reverse what you've done."
 
"No can do, sweetie," the goddess replied. "With their rope to the future cut, they belong to now. Even I can't change that. I learned that from Scotty, too." She flashed a smile and a wave in Scott's direction and blew him a kiss.
 
Scott rubbed weary eyes full of exasperation and regret. "I don't believe this," he muttered.
 
Aphrodite stepped away from Xena into an area of her own and spoke as a celebrated hero accepting her accolades. "Well, you're welcome," she declared. Xena drew her chakram and hurled it at her with a fierce grimace. "Now, now, Princess," the goddess chided, shaking her finger. "Make love, not war." She then vanished just as the weapon was inches from her nose. It continued its travel, bouncing off three or four trees, then returning, as usual, to Xena's waiting hand.
 
"If she's supposed to be the goddess of love, why do I hate her so much?" Gabrielle rhetorically asked.
 
Both Scott and David were completely aghast. Maybe Xena and Gabrielle were used to things like this, but the travelers were not. They were far more accustomed to predictable destructive forces. Scott finally spoke. "There's got to be some way out of this -- some way to fix it."
 
"Not by what you told me," Xena said. "You said nothing could break a natural tether."
 
"Why does everyone have to pay so much attention to everything I say?" he lamented angrily.
 
"Look, there's no need to panic," Gabrielle said. "We'll come up with a solution. It may take some time, but we will get you connected to your machine so you can go home. We always find some way of doing what needs doing, don't we Xena? No matter how long it takes."
 
The warrior raised a doubtful eyebrow. As Gabrielle thought of David, she couldn't deny that a part of her hoped it would take quite some time.
 
"We've got ten days," David softly said.
 
The bard's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?" she asked.
 
"Ten days to find a non-existent solution to an impossible problem," Scott droned. "No big deal."
 
"What are you two talking about?" Gabrielle persisted.
 
"The pod itself is still working, and it's still tethered to the future," David answered. The women looked at David, eyes widening as they absorbed his simple statement of fact. "In ten days, that pod is going home -- with or without us."
 

Part Eight
 

 
"Xena," Gabrielle called softly, touching the warrior's arm. "Xena ..."
 
The sleeping warrior stirred slightly. The dawn had barely begun to push aside the thick quilt of night.
 
"Xena, are you awake?"
 
"Well, Gabrielle," Xena grunted as she stretched. "I wasn't when you started to ask," she yawned, "but that's all changed now."
 
"I'm sorry, Xena," groaned the bard. "I just can't sleep."
 
"Scott and David gone fishing as usual?" Xena asked.
 
"Yeah," Gabrielle answered. "I think they do that just so they can have time to think. Time to discuss what they're going to do."
 
"Well," said Xena, "it's been, what, a week since Aphrodite's little stunt, and nobody has been able to come up with a way around this."
 
"What do you think of David, Xena?" the bard asked.
 
The warrior seemed a little startled by the question. "To tell you the truth, I haven't had much time to get to know him," she replied. After a pause, she said, "He seems to make you happy."
 
"You noticed, huh?" Gabrielle said.
 
"Yeah, I noticed," Xena sighed.
 
"You don't think their chances of getting home are too good, do you?" asked the bard.
 
"Realistically, Gabrielle, no, I don't. In three days, their machine will be gone and they'll have to start making serious plans about their lives here. I don't envy them, being stranded so far from home, having to start over."
 
The two sat in the semi-darkness listening as the first of the morning sparrows began their song.
 
"Xena, David asked me to marry him," said Gabrielle.
 
"What?" Xena said, now fully awake.
 
"He doesn't believe he's going to get home either," said Gabrielle. "He's starting to think of this as his home."
 
After a long pause, Xena spoke, only now her voice was cold. "That's nice Gabrielle. So where are you two going to settle down?"
 
"Xena, I haven't decided what I'm going to say," Gabrielle said, visibly upset. "What is it with you whenever the subject of David comes up?"
 
"Gabrielle, you're thinking of marrying a man who hasn't been born yet. Don't you think that makes him a little young for you?"
 
"Very funny, Xena," replied the bard angrily. "I told you this because I thought you could help me -- give me some emotional support like you always do. I guess I was wrong."
 
"I'm not sure what you want me to say," said Xena, still clearly guarded.
 
"I know he's not supposed to be here," Gabrielle said. "But he is here. And he'll probably be here for the rest of his life. And ..." The bard looked directly at her companion, who refused to meet her gaze. "And I love him, Xena."
 
Xena's face began to soften, and now she looked into the bard's eyes. "And he loves you, too, doesn't he?" she sighed.
 
"Yes, he does," answered Gabrielle. "Very much. Xena, why are you having such a problem with this?"
 
Xena looked away again, as though she were hiding something. Then Gabrielle noticed a tear rolling slowly down the warrior's cheek.
 
"Xena," the bard said, touching her friend's shoulder, "Xena, what is it? What's wrong?"
 
"Gabrielle," the warrior began, clearly having a difficult time finding the words. "You know I'm happy if you are. That's how I felt when you married Perdicus, too. But ... saying good-bye to you was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life." She wiped the tear from her face. "I just don't like to think about having to do it again."
 
"Oh, Xena," Gabrielle said in a soothing voice, putting her arms around the warrior. "I don't even know that that's what would happen. It's different with David. He has no home here. If we got married, maybe he and Scott could just travel with us."
 
Xena, accustomed to being Gabrielle's comforter, her strength, was surprised at how easily she allowed herself to be held and comforted by the bard. It felt good.
 
"I'm not sure that would work out," the warrior said, looking concerned.
 
"Why not?" asked the bard, stroking Xena's raven hair, as the warrior had so often done when comforting her.
 
"Gabrielle, there's another reason it's been bothering me seeing you and David together," Xena replied.
 
"What is it, Xena?" Gabrielle asked, her face now looking puzzled.
 
Xena hesitated for a long time. "How long have we been together?"
 
"About three years," Gabrielle answered.
 
"Yeah, three years," Xena mused. "Sometimes, it seems like we've known each other for a lifetime."
 
"I feel the same way," the bard said in a gentle voice. "What are you getting at?"
 
Xena sighed and hesitated again, smiling slightly, almost seeming embarrassed. "I guess it's just that during the past year or so, I've begun to ..." She was cut short by the sound of twigs breaking under a man's weight.
 
"Are you two up already?" Scott said as he emerged into the clearing.
 
"We were talking," Gabrielle said to him, looking annoyed.
 
"I'm sorry," Scott said, sensing that he was interrupting something important. "Listen, maybe we can get lost for a while longer."
 
"No, no, it's alright," Xena quickly said, then whispered, "Gabrielle, it can wait."
 
Gabrielle's face wore an expression of concern and disappointment. It relaxed a little as David appeared.
 
"Good morning, Gabrielle," he said softly, and kissed her. "Is everything OK?"
 
"Yeah, yeah, it's fine," she said tentatively, looking in Xena's direction. Then she turned back toward David. "How was fishing?"
 
"Oh, we didn't really feel like fishing," David said. "We've had a lot to talk about. 'The day' is getting closer."
 
Scott jumped in. "Are you absolutely certain there's no other god, more powerful than Aphrodite, who'd be able to help us?"
 
"We've been through this," Xena reminded him. "Even if one of the other gods could help us, I don't think they'd be interested enough to actually do anything. The gods all have their own agendas. They don't care about much else."
 
The four were startled when a bright flash illuminated the early morning haze. When it was over, an unknown figure stood in the centre of the clearing. He was slightly taller than David but shorter than Scott, with hair a little longer than David's.
 
"I guess that's a fair judgment," the figure remarked in reply to Xena's statement. "I'm glad to see we're all being open and honest with each other."
 
"Am I supposed to know you?" asked Xena cynically.
 
"Does it matter? I'm here to help," he declared. "It just so happens that today, your little agenda fits in with mine."
 
"We don't even know who you are?" said Xena, folding her arms.
 
"Note how the Warrior Princess uses her body language to let me know she's not gonna back down," he observed. "Ooooh, I'm shaaakin'!"
 
"Xena, maybe this is one of the gods," whispered Scott. "You saw how he appeared. He says he's here to help. Maybe we should hear him out."
 
"I don't know," replied Xena. "I'm familiar with pretty much all the gods."
 
"I like to stay kind of incognito," interjected the stranger. "But if you're going to insist on introductions ..."
 
"We are," Xena said flatly, taking a step toward him. The others said nothing.
 
"OK, OK." Extending a hand to the warrior, he said, "I'm Methodicus -- god of Science."
 
David uttered a cynical cough. "There's no 'god of Science'," he said.
 
The god moved his hand before Xena could take it and pointed at David. "Good!" he said, walking past Xena in David's direction. "I like that. If you haven't heard of something before, you doubt it. Nice goin', Future Boy."
 
"Suppose you tell us what you're talking about," said Scott. "Are you saying you can help us get home?"
 
"Ah, first there's Future Boy, and here we have the more serious Future Man," Methodicus said in an affected deep voice, followed by an annoying, high-pitched laugh. "What I'm saying is, there might be a way for you to get home."
 
"What's in it for you?" Xena asked with a raised eyebrow.
 
"You never let up, do you?" he said to her. "What's in it for me is what's in it for all the gods. We don't want these jokers here any longer than they have to be. The only reason I had to come to the rescue is that I'm the only one who understands how this can be done."
 
"I don't get it," said Gabrielle. "If none of the gods want them to stay, why did Aphrodite break their machine?"
 
"Yeah, Aphrodite," mused Methodicus. "Let's just say she isn't one of the 'brightest' Olympians." Then, looking toward Scott, he said in a low voice, "But really, who needs brains when you look like her?"
 
Scott gave him a disdainful look.
 
The god turned back to Gabrielle. "As Wonder Woman over there might put it," he said, pointing a thumb at Xena, "Aphrodite's very into her own agenda. She's not too good at seeing the big picture."
 
"What is the 'big picture'?" David asked. "Why don't the gods want us here?"
 
"Knowledge, travelin' man, knowledge," Methodicus answered, tapping David's forehead. "The gods have a pretty good thing goin' here. They don't need you guys around with your heads all crammed full of info nobody's supposed to know yet screwin' things up."
 
David spoke softly now to the god of Science. "Then it's true, isn't it? The gods are just an advanced civilisation from another planet. Olympus is just some space station or something."
 
"C'mere, c'mere," Methodicus said, beckoning David closer. He spoke in almost a whisper as David listened intently. "I'll neither confirm nor deny that."
 
David took on an expression of disgusted disappointment and began to move away, but then stopped when Methodicus spoke again.
 
"But I will tell you something," whispered the god. "Just between you and me, I don't think this is gonna last more than another millennium or so."
 
"What do you mean?" asked David. "What's not going to last?"
 
"The reign of the other gods," Methodicus replied. "They don't understand the human race. They get their power from fear and intimidation. What they can't get through their heads is, humans hate that, and their not gonna take it forever. One of these days, everybody's just gonna say 'Enough is enough' and that'll be it."
 
"I think you're right," said David.
 
"Yeah, well that's where I come in," Methodicus continued, still whispering. "The way I see it, I'll get people to follow me by just putting my ideas into a few choice heads, then letting them spread from there. People will do anything if they think they're doing it of their own 'free will'." He laughed cynically. "If my plan goes right, the human race will eventually be so devoted to me and my way of doing things that anyone who even suggests another way of thinking will be ridiculed and exiled. And I'll barely have to lift a finger."
 
"But since you're just laying low right now, why are you concerned with getting us out of here?" asked David.
 
"My plans could get knocked up too, if you hang around here too long," answered the god. "Knowledge before its time is always a bad thing. Why do you think Ares wanted to have you killed? He was afraid of you."
 
"The god of war was afraid of me?" said David, both incredulous and strangely proud.
 
"Sure, you knew too much and he knew it," Methodicus said. "You see, the gods of Olympus can see into the hearts of men."
 
"You mean members of your species have some kind of telepathic abilities."
 
Methodicus shrugged. "You say 'potato' ..."
 
Scott cleared his throat loudly. "Are you two going to have your private little chat all day, or are we going to talk about a plan to get us home?"
 
"Your buddy's a tad on the impatient side, eh?" the god said to David. Then, he spoke more loudly. "Alright, alright, you wanna get home. It's a little complicated -- and it's not a guarantee, mind you. There are a lot of ... variable factors." As he finished his sentence, he looked toward Xena, whose face took on a questioning look.
 
"I have a question for you," continued Methodicus. "What's a thunderstorm?" After some silence, he took on an air of mock sternness. "Class, I know you don't know where this is going, but I still expect you to participate in the discussion. What is a thunderstorm? Would the young lady with the round, sharp weapon on her belt care to tell us?"
 
"Hard rain, thunder, lightning ..." began Xena, rolling her eyes.
 
David picked up the ball. "Clouds saturated with water, heavy ionisation of the air ..."
 
"ShhhhhHHHH!" Methodicus frenetically warned David. "I'd like to hear this from a contemporary perspective please. Sheesh! That's why we want you out of here. You blab too much. Quill Girl! Fill 'em in on the legend about thunderstorms."
 
Gabrielle reluctantly assumed he was addressing her. "Some say that when a thunderstorm comes, it's because Zeus is angry. His temper is the storm."
 
"Bingo!" Methodicus exclaimed. He began to slowly pace back and forth. "Now, I won't say every storm is related to Zeus having a hissy fit, but the fact is, a few of the severe ones are caused by him on a bad day. That happens once in a blue moon."
 
The four mortals simultaneously glanced at the moon, which was its usual white.
 
"So what does this have to do with us?" Scott asked.
 
"Just this, Mr. Let's Get Down To Business. When Zeus lets loose, pretty much everything is up for grabs. Weather, life, death, tethers ..."
 
David and Scott both instantly perked up. "Are you telling us that Zeus has the ability to release natural temporal tethers?" David demanded.
 
"Oh sure!" Methodicus answered. "No biggie for Mr. Big."
 
"Then why can't someone just ask him to release them for a minute?" Gabrielle wondered. "You say all the gods want Scott and David to go home." As she said those words, her heart sank at the realisation that David's proposal of marriage may very well become moot.
 
"That's true," replied Methodicus, "but Zeus is another matter. For one thing, he's at the top. Usually, he doesn't give a rat's whiskers about what the rest of us want. And for another thing, he's really not into screwing with natural things. Unless, of course, he goes ballistic about something or other."
 
"Wait a minute," objected David. "When that happens, why doesn't everything just go flying around to other times?"
 
"Because there's no other tether to grab it," Methodicus answered. "The wave of disturbance follows the storm. The tethers are only off for about a minute, when the storm is closest. After that, they take hold again and everything's back to normal. But during that sixty seconds, you guys can get grabbed by your time machine, if we time the whole thing right."
 
"So what we need to do is really tick him off somehow," posited Scott.
 
"Maybe if we loudly curse his name or something," Gabrielle said.
 
"Yes, I'm sure that would just hurt his wittew feewings so much," Methodicus mocked. "Don't be such a blonde! He's king of the gods! What does he care what anybody says about him? No, he's concerned about ..." and he slowly turned toward Xena, "bigger issues."
 
Xena cocked a curious eyebrow. "What do you mean?" she asked suspiciously.
 
Methodicus slowly walked toward her. "Xena: Warrior Princess," he said. After walking a few paces in silence, he continued. "You've had quite a past, haven't you?"
 
"What's it to you?" said Xena with quiet defiance.
 
"Did you know that Zeus has quite an interest in you?"
 
"What are you talking about?" demanded the warrior.
 
"Yeah, it's hard for me to understand, too. But it's this whole turnaround thing you did."
 
"Go on," she said.
 
"He considers you his greatest example to humanity of how a person can change from evil to good. I mean, you changed from a ruthless warlord to a defender of the weak. So that's a really big deal to him. I swear, sometimes he acts like the God of Israel."
 
Xena didn't know what to think. She felt strangely honoured, yet guardedly so. She was still waiting for the other boot to drop.
 
Methodicus went on. "The thing I can think of right now that would really break him up, really cheese him off, is if you dissed your whole goody thing -- went back to your old ways, joined up with Ares again, the whole bit."
 
Plop, thought Xena. There it goes. She said nothing. Gabrielle looked at her, trying to find some hint in her eyes of how she felt, but there was none.
 
"Kind of a sticky problem, eh, Xena?" the science god said. "Are you good enough to do good by becoming bad?"
 
As much as she hated to admit it (and as confusing as it was), Xena knew he was right. Her conscience would drive her to help, but was she willing to help by abandoning her conscience? Or did her self respect and reputation mean more to her than the lives of these men? And then there was the way she felt when Ares touched her -- when he spoke to her of their past conquests together. The Warrior Princess was getting a headache.
 
Scott broke the silence. "Listen, Methane, or whatever your name is. You're a god and this is the best you could come up with? You mean to tell me there isn't any other way?"
 
"Not one that can be planned and executed in the time we have," answered Methodicus. He pointed a thumb toward the pod. "That machine of yours has no mercy. In three days, it's gone and you guys will be spending the rest of your lives eating gyros and baclava."
 
"Well," began Gabrielle, "it's not going to happen. I guess we're stuck, because that's too much to ask. Tell him Xena."
 
"I'll do it," Xena said, no emotion in her voice.
 
"You ... you mean you'll tell him, right?" stammered the bard. "You'll tell him there's no way."
 
"I mean I'll do it. I'll go back to the way I was." The warrior was glad to be relieved of the tension of indecision. She began to feel a vaguely familiar rush of excitement run through her body. "I'll even join Ares."

Part Nine
 

Gabrielle was aghast for a moment. Then her face changed. "Obviously, she's joking. Xena, can I talk to you?"
 
Xena gave her a sorrowful, but hard look. Gabrielle walked over to where Xena stood.
 
"Xena, what's going on?" demanded the bard. "What do you mean you're going to join Ares? What are you doing?"
 
"What I should have done a while ago -- as soon as I started to ..." The warrior broke off in mid-sentence, as though having second thoughts about what she had begun to say. She started again, more softly. "Look, Gabrielle, there's something I've finally learned. It's that I can't count on you to always be there. You've got your own life and one of these days, your path might take you away from me. I don't think I could stand that."
 
"So you'd rather leave first," Gabrielle said angrily. "Is that it?"
 
"It's not just that," continued Xena. "Lately, what we're doing has just seemed kind of ... pointless. We can't save the world, Gabrielle, so why try? Why not get as much of it as we can for ourselves? Maybe you should join Ares too."
 
"That's not funny, Xena. None of this is." Gabrielle thought for a moment. Then her face changed as she tried a new tack. "How do you expect anyone to take you seriously, Xena? Here you are, claiming to revert back to being a self-serving warlord, but the reason you're doing it is to help someone else. That's ridiculous!" The bard kept hoping that Xena would burst into laughter at any moment and stop this insane, frightening joke.
 
"For one thing," Xena explained, "I told you I had other reasons for doing this. Now just happened to be a good time for it. And besides, why not make my last good deed one for the history books?"
 
"History books," chimed in Methodicus. "That's funny!"
 
"No!" cried the bard. "You can't do this! I won't let you do this!"
 
"Please don't try to stop me, Gabrielle," Xena said flatly. She looked around in no particular direction. "Ares!" she called. "Ares, I know you're listening, so you may as well show yourself!"
 
A flash of light and the god of war complied. "Xena. Well, well. So this is what it takes to push you over the edge. Why didn't I think of it?"
 
Xena turned to face him and, catching sight of his muscular build, smiled a little. "Why should you have to think when the god of science is around?" she said in an effort to cover what she was thinking.
 
Ares diverted his attention from Xena. "Methodicus," he said slowly. "You decided to come out of hiding, did you?"
 
"Just for a little while, O Master of Mayhem," answered Methodicus.
 
"This is getting very weird," Scott muttered to himself.
 
"I suppose I have you to thank for getting Xena to finally join me," Ares said to the science god.
 
"Just a lucky coincidence for you, Buffy," answered Methodicus. "We both know all I'm trying to do is get these Sultans of Someday back where they belong."
 
"Whatever," said Ares. He turned to Xena and looked deeply into her steely blue eyes as if scrutinizing. "This is the closest I've been to happy in a long time. You wouldn't kid me now, would you, Xena?"
 
"Can't you tell?" Xena seductively breathed.
 
Suddenly, her warrior's awareness was piqued. She reached up with both hands just in time to intercept Gabrielle's staff before it crashed upon her head. She pulled herself up on the staff and with a characteristic war cry, flipped through the air and landed on the other side of the bard.
 
"I told you not to try and stop me," Xena warned as Gabrielle whirled to meet her gaze.
 
Gabrielle swung the staff at Xena's head, who deftly ducked to avoid contact. "If I can just knock some sense into you," Gabrielle said, swinging again with all her might, " -- give you time to think about what you're doing." Another avoided swing at the warrior's head. "After all, it worked once before!" she fiercely grunted. Several times, she fanned the air with her staff as Xena easily escaped the intended blows.
 
Finally, Xena had had enough. As the staff whizzed by her head again, she grabbed it and wrenched it from the bard's hand with little effort. A quick swing of the staff caught Gabrielle in the knees and sent her to the ground -- a move that the bard herself was quite familiar with. Unswerved from her mission, Gabrielle began to rise, only to be struck again by her own staff, this time in the back, sending her face first into the dirt. Now Xena waited for her to stand all the way. Then, with one swift, powerful jab, she connected directly with the bard's stomach.
 
Gabrielle's body had taken far more on several occasions. But knowing that Xena meant to hurt her -- hurt her and then leave her -- was a knowledge that threatened to drown her very soul. The reality of what was happening hit home and she doubled over with pain, humiliation, and despair. She ran to the edge of the clearing and lost what remained of the previous night's dinner.
 
David ran to Gabrielle. Scott just stared at Xena in disbelief.
 
After watching Gabrielle for a moment, Ares walked over to Xena. "You really mean business, don't you?" he said.
 
Xena had been watching the bard as well. In Xena's eyes was a touch of almost sorrow, but it soon disappeared and gave way to a blue that now seemed icy cold. "I'd better not stay here any longer," she said somberly. "I'll gather my things. I've got a lot to do."
 
"I've taken care of some little details for you," said Ares. "Namely, I've already gathered an army of some of the finest warriors. They all have a lot of respect for you, Xena."
 
"They'd better," remarked Xena as she put some bundles onto Argo's back.
 
"When you arrive, they'll be chanting your name just like in the old days," he assured her. "Yours and the name of your co-commander."
 
Xena stopped in her tracks. "What?"
 
"The man who'll be commanding the army with you," Ares continued.
 
"Forget it, Ares," Xena declared. "You know I work alone."
 
Gabrielle, who was still on her knees with her back to the group, took notice upon hearing Ares' announcement.
 
"Take it easy, Xena," said the war god. "It's just for the first couple of raids. Neither of you has done this for quite some time. I want you to learn from each other."
 
"Ares ..." said Xena in a warning tone.
 
The god waved his hand and another figure appeared -- a fairly tall man of medium but muscular build, with blond hair reaching to about the middle of his back. He was wearing clothes similar to those that Ares typically wore, only with a bit more metal here and there.
 
"Xena, baby!" he said, "It's been a long time. You're lookin' almost as good as me!"
 
"I think you two know each other," said Ares.
 
Xena stared in amazement. "Agathon. It can't be! You were ..."
 
"Killed?" said the man. "Come on, Xena. Don't diss me like that. It takes a lot more than an exploding castle to kill Agathon."
 
"Ares, is this some kind of joke?" demanded Xena. "I have to command an army with this prettyboy? That wasn't part of the deal."
 
"Funny, I don't remember there being any 'deal' at all," remarked Ares. "Now are you on the team or not?"
 
Xena slowly turned her gaze from Ares and looked over Agathon as though he were a piece of merchandise. "Can he fight?" she asked.
 
"What kind of question is that?" Agathon said indignantly. "I gave you a good run for your money last time, didn't I? And the god of war has been my personal trainer since then. Check out how buff I've gotten. And do you like the hair? I've let it grow even longer." He stroked his own hair for a moment, then looking up, he did a double-take on Xena's raven locks. "But it's nothing compared to yours." Xena backed away a little as he reached out to touch the ends of her hair. "What's your secret?"
 
"Washing it once in a while," she said with a slightly disgusted expression.
 
Agathon pointed at her. "Good one, Xena," he said grudgingly.
 
She reached out slowly to touch his sword. "Is that ..."
 
"Nah, it's just regular metal," Agathon said in answer to her unfinished question. He drew the sword and inspected it absent-mindedly. "I can fight like a god with this, that, or the other thing."
 
Xena squinted at him, then spoke to Ares again. "I don't want to waste any time. Is there some kind of plan here?"
 
"Your army is ready to take Theopolis tomorrow," he answered. "Is that quick enough for you?"
 
"Then we better go," she said. She turned to the others. David, his arm around Gabrielle, was looking at Xena, his face showing confusion mixed with rising contempt. Scott seemed not to know what to think, though his face betrayed a twinge of suspicion. Xena seemed to connect with his gaze for a brief moment, then looked away. Gabrielle was still on her knees with her back toward the warrior.
 
"Goodbye, Gabrielle," Xena said.
 
"Just go," the bard answered coldly, unwilling to turn around and look Xena in the eye.
 
"Gabrielle, I ..."
 
"JUST GO, XENA!" Gabrielle cried bitterly. She closed her eyes and bit her lip in a desperate but futile attempt to hold back tears.
 
Xena silently mounted Argo, carefully guarding her own thoughts. Ares waved his hand and the three plus horse vanished, having been transported to where the army waited for their command duo.
 
There was a silence during which only the rustling of the trees and Gabrielle's quiet sobs could be heard. Then Scott spoke softly to Methodicus. "Why do you suppose it isn't beginning to storm yet?"
 
"It's my guess that Zeus isn't going to get really ticked until he knows she really means business," Methodicus theorised. "When they start the raid on Theopolis, that's when I think he'll hit the roof." After a pause, he added, "Then again, I may be wrong about the whole thing." Scott looked at him with greater disdain than before.
 
"I'm kind of surprised that Xena went for it," the god continued. "Who knew?"
 
"Yeah, that was a shock alright," Scott said. He was staring at nothing and raising an eyebrow as he had seen Xena do so many times.
 
Methodicus walked over to where David was trying to comfort Gabrielle. At this point, simply staying near her was the best David could do. "She'll be OK," said the god. "She's a trouper." David shot him a sideways scowl.
 
Gabrielle suddenly stood up, staff in hand, eyes red, and faced Methodicus. "I've lost the two people I love more than I've ever loved anyone," she said angrily. "One of them left me in order to help the other one leave me! Does that make sense, Science God? Does that somehow fit in with your orderly, logical view of the world?"
 
"Shit happens," he answered flatly. After thinking for a moment, he added, "You know, if I were you, I'd write that down." While he was speaking, Gabrielle began to heft her staff. She pulled it back over her right shoulder. When Methodicus saw what she was doing, he quickly decided to make his exit. "I'll be back when the weather changes, kids," he said, and vanished just before the bard's mighty swing would have connected with him.
 
She connected instead with a tree near which he had been standing, and which was considerably more solid than Methodicus. The jolt shook her a bit. She threw down her staff in frustration and sat down on the ground, her face bathed in a thousand different emotions, none of them pleasant.
 
"He'd better come back," Scott said to David. "Other than authorised personnel back home, apparently only the gods can activate the tether generator."
 
"He'll be back," David assured him hopefully. He slowly walked over and sat next to Gabrielle, not saying a word, again simply letting her know that he was there. He knew she was in shock just now, but he also knew that underneath, she was strong, and would be able to make a life without him or Xena. He gently squeezed her hand. He was surprised to suddenly notice that Scott had come and sat down on the other side of her.
 
Scott spoke softly to the bard. "Gabrielle, I can't pretend to know what you're going through, but I want you to do something for me." The bard silently acknowledged his words. "Don't give up on Xena just yet," he continued.
 
"What do you mean?" Gabrielle asked, her brow furrowed.
 
"I can't explain any more," said Scott. "Just please, keep on believing in her for just a little while longer." He looked into her questioning eyes. "For me?" he pleaded.
 
"I ... I'll try," she replied. She cocked her head a bit.
 
He touched her shoulder. "Thanks," he said, and got up, leaving her alone for the moment. She ran a hand from front to back through her long hair.
 
David walked over to Scott and spoke to him quietly. "I hope you're not just telling her that to keep her spirits up for now. We'll probably be gone in a couple of days. One thing she doesn't need is false hope."
 
"Dave, I agree with you," replied Scott. "Like I told her, I can't explain more. I just have a ..."
 
He was cut off by the sound of Gabrielle's voice from across the clearing. She was standing now and brushing herself off as she spoke loudly enough for the men to hear. "I'm hungry. Does anyone else want some breakfast?"
 

Part Ten
 

The sun was its usual evening shade of orange as Gabrielle and the time travelers finished a dinner of fish and bread that the bard had insisted on preparing, despite the men's offer to do so. She had barely spoken all day, and was attempting to stave off despair by keeping busy. She was trying hard to honour Scott's request of that morning to continue believing in Xena, but it was not an easy task. She felt angry and hurt and couldn't help picturing herself three days from now, completely alone. She wondered what life would be like if she went back to Poteidaia.
 
In contrast to the mood, the skies had been sunny and clear all day -- a fact which clearly disturbed Scott and David.
 
"What if Methodicus was wrong?" David said to Scott, making sure that Gabrielle couldn't hear him. "Or lying? Maybe he was just working with Ares to get Xena to join him."
 
"Maybe, but I don't think so," Scott said. "We should try not to think about it too much right now. Listen, why don't you two go for a walk. I'll clean up from dinner."
 
"Thanks, Scott," said David. "I think you're right. It probably would do Gabrielle some good to get away from here for a while."
 
David wondered how Gabrielle would feel about going for their usual walk tonight. Even after Aphrodite cut the tether, they had continued to take a walk along the beach every evening. She would read from one of her scrolls, or they would just talk, or sometimes they would just hold each other. It was on one such evening, in fact, that, believing he would never get home, he had asked her to be his bride. It all seemed like a distant memory now.
 
It took a bit of convincing, but she finally consented to go tonight as well. David was glad. She had held him up so wonderfully through those days when he wasn't sure of who he was or where he belonged. Now she was feeling that way and it was his turn to carry her.
 
The sky was still quite clear and the moon and stars shone brightly as they emerged from the woods onto the beach. They stood on the sand and faced the sea, which in the darkness, seemed to stretch beyond the infinite.
 
Presently, Gabrielle reached into her satchel and pulled out a stone. She showed it to David. "Remember this?" she said.
 
"The dove-shaped stone," he answered. "The one you found the night we first ..." His voice trailed off as she hefted the stone in her hand.
 
"Doesn't seem too much point to it now, does it?" she said cynically. "'Fighting for peace.' Please!" She rolled her eyes. "You can't believe in anything anymore."
 
"Scott said we should keep believing in Xena," David said.
 
"Yeah, well, I said I'd try, but I'm not doing a very good job."
 
David gently took her hand in his. He noticed how soft it was, as though he were holding it for the first time.
 
"Xena said it herself," she sighed. "Maybe it's smarter to just live life trying to get the most we can get for ourselves." She let go of David's hand and pulled back with her other one -- the one with the stone in it. "So much for peace," she said, preparing to throw it as far as she could into the rolling waters.
 
Just as her arm was at the top of the arc, about to let the stone fly, David caught her fist in his. "Gabrielle," he said, with a stern tone in his voice. "If you don't fight for peace, just who do you suppose will?"
 
She stared at him, expressionless. Then her eyes shifted to the ground as her face slowly became enveloped in such sadness as David had never seen. She looked up at him again, all traces of cold cynicism gone from her. "I need you, David," she whispered.
 
With his free hand, he reached out and brushed her hair from her eyes. Gabrielle opened her fist, letting the stone drop to the sand, and put her arms around him as they surrendered to each other.
 
They made sweet, tender love deep into the night. He cared for her and gave to her as never before. As they made love, they barely spoke -- a silence born not of distance, but of understanding.
 
Later, with her head resting on his lap, she fell into much needed slumber. David couldn't sleep. He just watched Gabrielle and lovingly stroked her hair as she slept.
 
As the time for sunrise approached, he woke her gently. "We never did get to watch it together," he said. She kissed him sleepily and smiled -- the first time she had smiled since the previous morning. She sat up and cuddled next to him as they watched the sun slowly change from a sliver of light reflecting in beautiful patterns over the sea to a blazing, red-tinged yellow.
 
Shifting her eyes to the sand momentarily, she noticed the dove stone lying there. She gingerly picked it up and returned it to her satchel.
 
As they quietly watched the skies, the two began to notice the beginnings of clouds gathering in the north. They could feel a heaviness in the air. It was the kind of morning that makes old folks' joints ache ... and lets them know a storm is coming.
 

Parts 11-Conclusion


The Athenaeum's Scroll Archive