Stevie sighed uncomfortably, the arduous journey from sleep to consciousness taking far too long for her liking. She woke feeling out of place. It took only a second to realize that after four months of absence, the sensation of Sarah sleeping sprawled across her was a little unsettling. The stuntwoman was sleeping soundly in the very dark room; her breathing sending measured warmth across Stevie’s chest. Moonlight was no longer streaming in through the windows and Stevie guessed she’d not been asleep more than a couple of hours.

She tried to shift, to encourage the Sarah to roll over on her own without much success. The stuntwoman murmured, moving slightly and nuzzling the Egyptologist in the neck. “God you smell fantastic,” she murmured.

“Sarah, wake up,” Stevie said shaking the woman’s shoulder.

“Huh?” Sarah murmured sleepily, pushing herself up off of Stevie. She continued to look down at the blonde woman, straining with sleepy eyes in the darkness to make out the features framed by blonde hair. “What happened?” she asked.

“You were sleeping on me.” Stevie explained, still able to feel the tips of Sarah’s long hair brushing against the skin of her breasts through her thin t-shirt. It was more than a little distracting.

“You woke me up because I was sleeping on you?” Sarah asked dubiously.

“No,” Stevie explained patiently. “I woke up because I had a nightmare. You happened to be sleeping on me and I won’t be able to fall back asleep unless you move, so I woke you up. It’s a subtle difference, but worth noting I think.”

“You really do smell awesome.” Sarah muttered ignoring her, leaning in close once more, nuzzling her hair.. “What is that?”

“Never mind,” Stevie said pushing against the stuntwoman’s shoulders that wouldn’t budge. “I started wearing it after we broke up.”

“I like it,” Sarah whispered and leaned in to kiss Stevie’s mouth. “I really like it.”

Stevie resisted at first, continuing to press against shoulders and a chest that was leaning in closer, not moving away. But the touch was familiar, comforting and a million things that the Egyptologist realized she craved. In moments she was responding fully to the kiss, her hands threaded through soft black hair, holding the stuntwoman’s face close. In a familiar dance tongues gently dueled, hands roaming over expanses of skin, getting reacquainted.

Stevie’s sense of conflict dueled with her ignited passion. A ritual played out more than once before; she longed for something familiar and safe, a harbor to protect her from the storm of her dreams. Wantonly she responded to Sarah’s kiss, knowing exactly what to do to ignite the same sort of desperate passion that she felt. Sarah’s hands caressed her breasts as she slipped her hands under the stuntwoman’s t-shirt, slowly dragging her nails down a warm and muscular back.

It was only when Sarah’s hand slipped below Stevie’s waist that the blonde turned her face away, her voice pleading. She shoved with a strength that surprised her.

“Sarah, please! We can’t do this.”

Startled, the stuntwoman moved away, frustrated. “Then why are you acting like you want to?” she demanded.

“Because I do want to, you oaf,” Stevie shot back. “That doesn’t mean we should. Jesus!”

Sarah rolled over onto her back and stared into the darkness. “Maybe we should rethink things?” she said quietly. “Maybe we’re not supposed to be broken up?”

“Maybe we weren’t supposed to drink four bottles of wine tonight,” Stevie said, rolling onto her side to face the dark haired woman. “Come on Sarah. How many times have we done this? Two? Three? We’ve had too much wine, we’re desperate to feel connected and we’re convenient. When the sun comes up you’ll be asking yourself what you’ve gotten into and we’ll have to start this thing all over.”

“I don’t think it has to be like that,” Sarah replied, rolling onto her side as well. “You always see the downside, even when you’re buzzed. Why don’t you focus on the positives, like how good we can make each other feel?”

“Because one of us has to be the grown up,” Stevie answered a little sadly. “And neither of us is cut out to be fuck-buddies.”

“Is that really it?” Sarah pressed, reaching out a strong hand and gently touching Stevie’s hair; pushing it away from her face and enjoying the texture of the soft tresses.

“Mostly,” Stevie allowed. “I guess I’m still drunk enough to think there could be other possibilities.”

“The fact that we are dealing with a profoundly haunted family isn’t bothering you?” Sarah asked curiously.

“With the way I spend every night?” Stevie replied with a slight laugh. “I’d trade nightmares for actual ghosts any day.”

Sarah moved close once again. Immediately Stevie’s body stiffened and the stuntwoman grunted. “Relax Blondie, I’m just holding you.” She wrapped her strong arms around the smaller woman and held her close, enjoying the fragrance and connection and telling herself that it was enough.

“You realize that you’re the only person I let call me ‘Blondie’ don’t you?” Stevie murmured sleepily, relaxing into the embrace.

“Yeah, I kinda like that.” Sarah admitted.

“You’re going to wake up in a hell of a mood,” Stevie warned as Sarah’s arms squeezed a little tighter.

“I’ll take a cold shower in the morning and I’ll be fine.” The stuntwoman grumbled. Even though she couldn’t see it, she could feel Stevie smile.

“I won’t remind you that you still have a bit of a thing for me,” the Egyptologist whispered.

“I would appreciate that,” Sarah whispered back, kissing the top of Stevie’s head.

As she drifted back to sleep Stevie wondered if she was indeed drunk enough to think there were possibilities with Lizzy. Her encounter with Lizzy’s grandmother still fresh in her mind, as was the warning imparted, she wondered if her complicated relationship with Sarah was indeed all that life had in store for her.

The two women woke several hours later to the sound of a door slamming loudly. “What the hell was that?” Sarah asked, eyes flying open and squinting at the sunlight streaming through the window.

“The front door I think,” Stevie replied, inwardly wincing at the splitting headache left by the red wine the night before. “What time is it?”

Sarah checked her watch. “It’s ten-thirty, too early for any of us at the séance to be up. That must have been the Hendersons.”

“Well I think everyone is up now,” Stevie grumbled, massaging her temples.

Sarah looked at her and smiled. “Been awhile since you’ve had that much to drink,” she commented.

Stevie nodded. “I don’t know why, but talking to dead people always goes better for me with a few bottles of wine. You know,” she added looking at the stuntwoman sternly, “you threw the moves at me this morning.”

Sarah blushed. “I’m not sorry about it if you’re looking for an apology. I suppose you and Jane discussed that this might happen?”

“I’m not looking for an apology, and yes that conversation did come up,” Stevie replied smiling in spite of her headache.

“Did I follow the script?” Sarah asked, with a sigh.

Stevie shrugged. “Pretty much, it’s not like I don’t know you, what did you expect?”

“I dunno, I just hate it when you talk about me in therapy,” the stuntwoman groused.

“You should be flattered,” Stevie countered. “If I didn’t care, you wouldn’t come up.” She studied her friend a moment. “We still good?” she asked.

“Yeah,” Sarah answered with a nod. “We’re still good, but we could be better,” she added with a leer and then laughed. Try as she might Ms. Montgomery seemed to be the only woman alive who could resist her charm and make it look effortless. “Do you think we check in too much?” She asked absently, getting out of bed.

“For two people who are broken up? Absolutely. For us? No, I don’t think so. If you haven’t noticed, we’re different.” Stevie answered following suit. “Lizzy invited us to a Halloween party tonight,” she continued, running a brush through her hair. “I told her we’d go,” she added quietly.

“Are you guys having a date and I’m just tagging along?” Sarah asked, studying Stevie’s reflection in the mirror. It seemed a little odd to the stunt woman, they’d gotten dressed side by side countless times, seeing each other in varying degrees of undress and here they were again only this time they were talking about someone else. Someone that Stevie was obviously interested in and someone she might be interested in as well. The strangest part was, she didn’t feel a sense of competition with the Egyptologist. Like there was some unspoken understanding that like it or not, however it ended up, the other would have to be a good sport. Unfortunately sportsmanship was not one of Sarah’s strong suits.

“No, I don’t think so,” Stevie answered after a moment’s consideration and remembering her dream. “Her grandmothers joined my nightmare last night and made it crystal clear that Ms. Covington is off limits.”

Sarah smirked, “I wonder if Ms. Covington got that memo?” she wondered. “What kind of party is it?”

“Historical, that’s why Lizzy asked us. She’s made some costumes that she’d like us to wear,” Stevie replied.

“Would these three outfits have anything to do with her research?” Sarah asked, remembering a conversation that she’d overheard Mel and Epphie have the previous day during Practical Magic.

“Yeah, they’re a Xena, Gabrielle and as she now realizes a Callisto outfit.”

The stuntwoman stopped brushing her hair and looked dubiously at Stevie. “She had a Callisto outfit and didn’t know it?”

“She mistook it for a Xena outfit from some unknown period. Janice Covington’s research was thorough, but not perfect. I found a number of artifacts and story references to Callisto that were mistakenly attributed to Xena,” Stevie said with a shrug. “I tried the costume on yesterday and it fit. From the looks of it yours will too. I could tell it’d mean a lot to Lizzy if we’d do this.”

“So what does the Xena outfit look like?” Sarah asked, curious.

“It’s leather, you’ll look stunning, and you’ll love it.” Stevie replied without emotion.

Sarah shrugged, “I’m game. But have you considered that if we really are the reincarnations of these three people and we don their outfits, what’s to keep some age old flame from reigniting and Lizzy and I from falling madly in love with each other?”

“Absolutely nothing.” Stevie said, picking up her bath towel and walking to the door. “And it scares me, but like I said this would really mean a lot to Lizzy, so we’re going.”

Sarah stared at the now closed door thinking about Stevie’s selflessness. Unbidden the image of her being buried under a pile of boulders came to mind.

A loud bang woke Lizzy Covington with a start. Blinking she looked around her bedroom; nothing was out of place. As if in answer to her silent question, Solari called from down the hall, “In here Lizzy.”

Lizzy pushed open the door to her office that served on occasion as a guest room. The small futon couch had been extended and Solari was sitting up in bed, looking at the bookshelf behind Lizzy’s desk. “What happened?” The archeologist asked.

“The urn with your grandmother’s ashes fell off the shelf, didn’t uncork I’m happy to say, but they’re still riled up,” Solari explained as Lizzy stooped to pick up the urn. “At one point I almost went to sleep downstairs they were so noisy, but I really hate your couch – no offense.”

“None taken,” Lizzy replied with a smile, setting the urn upright on the floor.

“I’m hearing that you didn’t inform your blonde houseguest that you had a spare bed?” Solari asked teasingly.

“I really think dead people should mind their own business,” Lizzy replied with a frown at a picture of her grandmothers that was sitting on her desk. “Sarah was passed out on the couch and you and I know this is the most haunted room in the house – why on earth would I make Stevie sleep in here.”

“I think Janice expected you to sleep in here and give Stevie your bedroom.” Solari explained with a shrug.

“Something tells me Janice would have done the exact same thing I did if it were Melinda.” Lizzy insisted. “When on earth did she become so prim and proper?”

Solari followed Lizzy down the stairs into the kitchen where a pot of coffee had finished brewing. “It isn’t about propriety.” Solari explained, accepting the steaming mug gratefully. “Janice is beside herself that you’re not enamored with Sarah. It’s all about Xena and Callisto for her. She is convinced that whether Stevie knows it or not she is going to be a danger to you or to your family. Janice doesn’t believe anything good could possibly come from associating with her. She also thinks that for the last several millennia Sarah has been your soul mate and why monkey around with a good thing.”

“And what about Melinda?” Lizzy asked thoughtfully taking a sip of coffee.

Solari shrugged. “She doesn’t necessarily disagree with Janice. However, she thinks that this sort of challenge is for the living to work through and that the two of them should really stay out of it. Obviously she’s feeling a lot of remorse right now for all of the things she’s learned that Callisto endured that were indirectly Xena’s fault.”

“Is she surprised I’m not infatuated with Sarah?” Lizzy pressed.

“I don’t think so?” Solari asked thoughtfully. “She thinks that you don’t really know the stuntwoman as well. Even though she’s tortured, Stevie is pretty upfront about who she is, in some ways Melinda thinks that Sarah is less trusting; that it will take longer to get to know her. She thinks that if you do, you’ll feel just as drawn to her and then not be able to make up your mind about who or what you want.” The Medium studied her friend for several long moments. “Why are you asking this?”

Shrugging Lizzy refilled her coffee cup. “I think some of what’s happening here is out of habit. I see and respect their wariness of Callisto, but I think grandma Janice is more upset about me not being drawn to the same things as she was. Like that’s the proper order of nature. Ever since I was small and she figured out where my prolocavaties were heading she made assumptions about me. Grandma Melinda always spoke about the mystery of finding the right person and that was always a broad picture. Male, female, tall, short whatever. Grandma Janice spoke more absolutely, tall, dark hair, blue eyes etc… I think she’s having a hard time letting go of her assumptions.”

The Medium shook her head. “Maybe, but I don’t think she’d be this upset if you and I were hooking up,” she observed.

“You have long dark hair,” Lizzy replied with a grin. “So you’re halfway there. Grandma Janice always did have a soft spot for you. You don’t remind me of my grandmother but you’re like my sister…eew, and married.”

“I wasn’t propositioning you,” Solari said flatly with a frown. “Besides, Rick is very understanding about his wife’s desire to sleep with women on occasion. I just think that Janice isn’t trying to keep you single, she’s just trying to keep you away from Stevie.” She smiled seductively, “Make it easy on yourself, and see what happens with Sarah.”

“You’ve been talking to Melvin, haven’t you?” Lizzy asked with a frown.

“Of course I have, Epphie and I are extended family and he’s a hopeless gossip. But it isn’t like its news. All of us want to see you find someone.” Solari said as she tousled Lizzy’s hair in a spot on impersonation of her cousin. “Want me to hang around for a couple more days and help out?”

“Not staying at my place you’re not,” Lizzy warned. “I’m not getting anywhere with anyone with a house guest. Besides,” she sighed a bit sadly, “if something doesn’t connect at the party tonight, it’s not going to. They fly home tomorrow evening.”

“Fair enough, I’m sure I can crash at Mel’s if need be, unless he gets his head out of his ass and realizes that Epphie is as crazy about him as he is about her,” the Medium said with a wry grin.

“Is it difficult going through life knowing exactly how everyone feels about everyone else?” Lizzy asked with mock seriousness.

Solari shrugged. “Sometimes, but usually it’s interesting enough to be worth it.”

Stevie and Sarah descended the stairs dressed in sweat suits for a morning run. Everyone was up quietly eating breakfast around the kitchen island. As Sarah predicted, the Hendersons were not present.

“What the hell was that this morning?” Sarah asked, cutting to the chase and pouring a cup of coffee for Stevie then herself.

“We had words with Bob and Mary,” Dave explained. “They are most put out that we’re not…participating in their planned activities for tonight.”

“What he means is, they’re not up for any witch-hunts this evening,” Jeff explained.

“Given that you’re seriously out-numbered by the witches, I think that’s wise,” Stevie observed, helping herself to a glass of orange juice.

“They mean well…” Susan tried to explain.

“There is no ‘meaning well’ when your point is someone else doesn’t have the right to freely exist,” Phil said, not unkindly, but sternly. “They’re planning to protest people having fun downtown tonight and they are out of bounds to do so.”

“What they’re trying to do is spread the word of God to people they think need to hear it,” Susan replied. Her voice was gentle, not angry but clearly she was torn between agreeing with the Hendersons on principle and disagreeing with them on the details. “No one is saying anyone else doesn’t have the right to exist. If anything they’re trying to promote existence and life.”

Sarah frowned, “I don’t mean to sound flip but your church isn’t a secret. I doubt there is anyone left in this country who doesn’t know what a Christian is. I think anyone who is interested or curious about your faith doesn’t have far to look to find out more. Bringing banners and signs to someone else’s party are just bad manners.”

“We’re going to take a jog around town,” Stevie cut in, feeling her temper rising and wanting to extrcate herself from a religious debate. “We’ll be back in a bit.”

On the front porch Sarah turned to her. “What was that about?” she asked hotly.

“I didn’t want to watch you get sucked into a religious debate, that’s all.” Stevie replied not being completely honest but happy to be away from the confrontation. She started a slow jog up the street away from the guest house.

Sarah thought a moment as she matched the smaller woman stride for stride. “Why is that? You’re not the type of person to shy away from intellectual debate. Hell, I’m arguing with her and I’m a Methodist. You’re agnostic, aren’t the Hendersons making you crazy with their evangelical fervor?”

“Of course it’s making me crazy.” Stevie agreed, turning a corner and heading down another block. “I think freedom from religion is as important as freedom of religion, but I don’t want to argue with these people about it. It’s not like anyone is going to change their mind,” Stevie said picking up the pace a little.

“I’ve got to disagree with you there.” Sarah pressed, wanting to get at what was really bugging Sevie. “Have you seen how much Susan and Dave have changed in the last couple of days? They’ve practically adopted Jeff and Phil. I even heard Dave talking to Jeff about some free-lance engineering work for his company,” the stuntwoman shook her head. “Sometimes I think we’re spoiled, living in Southern California, there are places where people don’t run into gay, ethnic, or whatever people every day. We really take diversity for granted.” As she spoke, she quickened the pace a little, their jogging rivalry kicking in ever so subtly.

“Yeah, they also don’t get to see actors and writers posing as waiters every day either,” Stevie teased, taking off at a sprint.

Sarah chased her through a number of Salem streets. There was very little car activity and most of the shops were just opening. They stopped to catch their breath near a grammar school that was beginning its Halloween parade through town. Two by two, small children walked through the gate and down the sidewalk, holding hands with their partner dressed in their Halloween costumes. As they passed Stevie and Sarah, the kids waved and wished them a happy Halloween.

“Now that’s what I’m talking about,” Sarah said as two little boys headed down the street. One was dressed as a mutant ninja turtle, the other as a power ranger. They held hands and waved happily. Both Sarah and Stevie waved back. “If the Hendersons were hear you’d know they’d pitch a fit at those little boys holding hands.”

“Probably,” Stevie agreed. “But you’re not saying that’s an example of our kind of ‘diversity’ are you?”

The stuntwoman shook her head, “not at all, but if it is – it makes no damn difference. Hey! That’s the House of the Seven Gables,” Sarah said turning around and noticing the large dark building behind them.

“How did you know?” Stevie asked as they walked around to the front of the building.

“Totally, I remember it from The Salem Saga on Bewitched.” As they rounded the building they saw the large sign out front.

“It amazes me the things you pick up from strange places, like sit-coms,” Stevie said, impressed.

The stuntwoman beamed, “life is nothing but a learning experience,” she replied. Turning to Stevie she gently put the palm of her hand against the shorter woman’s cheek. “You know, I’ve always been really grateful that you’ve never treated me like I was ‘less than’ for not having an extensive formal education.”

Stevie chuckled. “You’ve got to be kidding, right?” she said with a light laugh. “You’re a brilliant woman Sarah or I wouldn’t put up with you. So what if you don’t have umpteen letters after your name. Yeah, you’re a TV junkie but so what? More than once you’ve figured out how to flip a car for a spectacular effect and walk away unscathed. There’s more to life than books.”

“A lot of people that are scary-smart like you don’t feel that way,” Sarah pressed.

Stevie looked up at her companion and smiled gently. “A lot of people like me who supposedly have their ducks in a row are a fucking wreck and I know that. Show me someone who seems to have it all and I know there’s a body buried somewhere. Nothing, not education, money or anything else protect you from life.”

Sarah smiled, looking down at her friend. “I learned something else on TV, from Buffy The Vampire Slayer,” she said softly.

“And what was that?” Stevie asked looking up curiously.

“The hardest thing in the world is to live in it.”

“That was from the musical episode, wasn’t it?” Stevie asked putting her hand over Sarah’s.

“Yeah, but it was said in the earlier episode when Buffy died for the second time,” the stuntwoman replied with a grin.

Stevie let go of her hand and smiled. “I would have found the concept of dying more than once preposterous before this trip,” she said getting a bearing of where they were and where to jog to next.

“So you’re really buying into this stuff? You really think you’re Callisto? That we were arch-enemies once?” Sarah shook her head in disbelief, bending over and stretching out her legs. “Knowing you as I do, nothing can convince me that we’ve ever been anything except for people who had each other’s back.”

“Oh no,” Stevie objected, stretching out her legs as well. “More than once we’ve been at each other’s throats. I’ve seen it in my dreams night after night a very intense focused hatred. I’ve felt you stab me I’ve looked into eyes that looked very much like yours and seen nothing but profound hate.” She stood and shook out her limbs and then began to stretch again. “Do you remember the trip we took to Big Sur. When we hiked through the forest and at sunset came out on the cliff overlooking that amazing expanse of Pacific Ocean. You said to me then that even the perfection of the cliffs, the sparkling waves, the sunset and the infinite expanse of everything couldn’t match how perfect we were together. Do you remember that?” Sarah looked at her nodded mutely, her eyes misting over a little. “Well, you’ve hated me to the exact same degree that you loved me in that moment. And you had every right to.”

Sarah blinked, stung. “Tell me about Xena,” she whispered.

Stevie stretched a bent arm across her back and pulled on her elbow to stretch out her shoulders. “Do you want Janice Covington’s perspective? Or Callisto’s?” she asked.

“We’ve got time for a long run, give me both,” Sarah replied with a wink and headed off again.

They returned to the guest house a couple of hours later to find everyone still in the kitchen, only engaged in the activity of pumpkin carving. Working in pairs they were hallowing out the squash, separating the seeds for roasting and carving jack ‘o lanterns. Music was coming from the sitting room and the mood was festive. Sarah opened a cupboard and extracted two large glasses. After filling both with water, she handed one to Stevie.

“Grab a pumpkin and dive in,” Mel said happily. “Lizzy called looking for you guys. She and Solari are working on costumes for tonight, if you remember how to get to her place you can head over there at five o’clock.”

“Early party?” Sarah asked, confused.

“Nah,” Mel replied shaking his head. “Party doesn’t start until eight. You’ll have to get dressed, and it isn’t Halloween in Salem until you’ve spent some time walking around town. It’s awesome.”

“You’ve got enough pumpkins here for a whole neighborhood,” Stevie said teasingly. “Does everyone go this crazy?”

“He’s got to keep up with the Talbot family two streets over.” Epphie explained, holding a pumpkin down while Mel scooped out the seeds. “They have only three or four pumpkins each year but they’re huge. Mel makes up for it with quantity.”

“So how are you guys feeling after the séance last night?” Jeff asked, concern in his voice. He was holding his pumpkin steady while Phil drew a face on it with a Sharpie marker.

“Hung over,” Stevie replied with a pained smile. “The run and the water are helping though.”

The stuntwoman surveyed a collection of uncarved pumpkins on the floor deciding on one that was oblong and would rest nicely on it’s side. “I don’t know how much of it I buy into,” she said. “I mean I totally think Epphie and Solari are on the up and up when it comes to talking to dead people, I just find this whole Xena thing harder to swallow.”

Mel nodded in understanding as he washed the pumpkin guts of his hands and forearms over the kitchen sink. “Grandma Janice had a really hard time with it as well, although I think it was the ‘sidekick’ angle that gave her fits.” Instinctively everyone turned their heads in the direction of the china cabinet in the dining room. “Relax guys, the grandmothers follow Lizzy around, they aren’t hear right now. My dishes are safe.”

“I know I’m not supposed to believe any of this,” Susan said as she carefully carved her pumpkin, “but there were too many details for me to think this is fake. I’m really left believing that this is part of God’s plan as well. That He’s given people unique gifts to comfort others.”

“How comforted do you feel?” Epphie asked Stevie with a wry smile.

The blonde woman shook her head. “I feel like I gave more answers than I got,” she said remembering her conversation with Janice. She could imagine herself in the role of a young man in the 1950s asking the father to date his daughter. While the questions didn’t involve Lizzy specifically they did have a great deal to do with Stevie’s upbringing, how she viewed life and her work. More than once she suspected Janice was trying to trip her up in her archaeological knowledge. She enjoyed the chance to present a perspective from someone on the cutting edge of archeological science and technique. While there wasn’t anything explicitly adversarial about their conversation, Stevie felt like she held her own. In a way she was grateful for the added opportunity to talk to Janice ‘face to face’.

“It’s not every day you get quizzed by dead people,” Sarah quipped with a grin, reading her expression. Carefully she cut into the pumpkin with a knife, making a hole to scoop out the insides. “Do you want to scoop or carve?” she asked.

What was left of the morning and early afternoon passed in a blur. Everyone worked diligently on carving the numerous pumpkins Mel had bought and by lunch time a row of orange sculptures lined the dining table awaiting their display on the front porch. Stevie and Sarah headed upstairs to shower and dress before heading over to Lizzy’s. Both women grabbed a fresh towel from under the dry sink in their room and headed to the bathroom at the same time. Reaching the bedroom door together they stopped and looked at each other.

“You want the first shower?” Stevie asked and her eyes narrowed noting the slight crimson tinge coloring Sarah’s cheeks. “Or did you forget we don’t shower together anymore?”

The stuntwoman sighed. “Old habits are hard to break,” she protested. “You know it’d save time if we just…”

“Shower together?” Stevie supplied. “Having sex in the shower, again on the bed, then having to shower again and the whole vicious cycle repeating itself. Tell me how that is saving time.”

“You have such a negative view of everything,” Sarah complained, knowing full well that everything Stevie said was accurate.

“I warned you that you’d be in a mood today, don’t blame me.” Stevie shot back. “Go ahead, take the first shower. It takes longer for your hair to dry anyways.” Tossing the towel back onto the bed Stevie headed back downstairs to the kitchen.

Mel and Epphie were the only people remaining in the kitchen cleaning up the last remnants of the pumpkin-carving event. Both looked up and smiled at Stevie’s arrival.

“Forget something?” Mel asked curiously.

The Egyptologist shook her head. “Sarah and I are still working out the kinks of being broken up, that’s all. Had to negotiate the separate shower business.” With supreme amusement Stevie noted the blush creeping into Mel’s cheeks, clearly he’d painted a mental picture. Epphie was smirking in amusement as well and reached for a mug to pour Stevie a cup of coffee.

“Lizzy is right in that you guys get along really well for exes,” he mentioned casually.

“You’re thinking ‘too well’, aren’t you?” Stevie asked, nodding her thanks to Epphie as she accepted the offered steaming mug.

“Maybe,” he agreed honestly.

Stevie shrugged. “I can’t argue with that I guess.” She admitted. “I know it hasn’t kept Sarah from moving on and dating up a storm, but I guess that’s one of the reasons I keep putting it off. It’s like trying to explain my crazy aunt who’s going to drop by from time to time to someone who barely even knows me.”

“As long as you’re not putting anything off because you still have feelings for Sarah.” Epphie said, clearly for Mel’s benefit.

“Nope. Not how you’re thinking at any rate. Obviously we still have strong feelings for each other but we’re friends. Strange entangled very close friends who really shouldn’t get drunk together, but that’s it.”

“If you don’t mind my saying so, you both seem interested in my cousin?” Mel asked, taking note of Epphie’s disapproving frown.

“Enough not to bet on her love life?” she challanged with the slightest edge to her voice. “Surely that doesn’t surprise you?” She took a sip of coffee. “She’s got a lot going for her Mel.”

“He’s being the protective cousin and doesn’t want to see Lizzy hurt,” Epphie explained although she knew it was obvious.

“I’d be just as protective if she were my cousin,” Stevie agreed. “Fortunately she isn’t and I can enjoy the experience of being immensely attracted.” She took another sip of coffee with a smile. “Unfortunately I get the distinct impression that your dead grandmothers would pitch a fit if anything happened between Lizzy and I.”

“Distinct impression?” Epphie chuckled. “Anything besides the fit they pitched last night?”

Stevie nodded. “They showed up in my dream last night – or rather I should say at some ungodly hour this morning.”

Mel’s eyes lit up with excitement. “You talked to them?” He asked, nearly falling off his stool and bumping his cast against the kitchen island. Epphie smiled indulgently as she helped him regain his balance. “How were they? Are they okay?”

Stevie found herself smiling in return, Melvin Cabbot’s enthusiasm was infectious. It was clear that these two women made quite the fond impression on their grandchildren. “For two dead women they looked very healthy,” she said gently. “I think they were in their early thirties maybe, like the picture I saw in Lizzy’s kitchen of them dressed in tuxedos. That wasn’t what they were wearing though. Dr. Covington was in her dig clothes and Miss. Pappas was wearing a black skirt suit with a cream blouse. The style looked like the late forties or early fifties to me.”

“What did she tell you?” Mel asked, curiously leaning forward.

Stevie took another sip of coffee and sighed. “In short, to stay away from your cousin. She had me see for myself how Xena and Gabrielle died and the part Callisto played in that. I still think much of it has to be a metaphor since Callisto was already dead by that point, twice if you listen to her account. But I saw what I saw and it was tragic and the message was very clear.”

Mel was quiet a moment, as if debating with himself before taking his crutches and hobbling over to a curio cabinet in the living room. He extracted something and came back into the kitchen. “I loved my grandmothers very much, everyone in our family did,” he explained. “And I have nothing but respect for them, but they weren’t perfect.” He handed Stevie an old worn deck of cards. “Janice taught all of us how to play poker and this is the deck she’d use.” Stevie opened the deck and looked at the well-worn cards. She looked back to Mel, not getting the point. “They’re marked,” he said.

Brown eyes widenened in surprise. “Janice Covington would cheat at cards with her own grandkids?” She said, stunned.

Mel nodded. “She taught us not to gamble. She played for money and early on the kids learned that gambling meant losing one’s allowance. She caught Lizzy’s father with one of her cigars when he was about twelve. Made him smoke the whole thing and he was sick for two days. He never smoked again after that. When something mattered to her she could be very manipulative to get the end result she thought was right. Usually she was right, but not always.”

Stevie ran her index finger across the smooth surface of the deck then put the cards back in the box. “Are you telling me to ignore your grandmother’s warning?” She was not surprised to see a blush creep into the cheeks of Lizzy’s cousin.

“I’m not exactly saying that.” He said quietly.

“What I think Mel is hinting at,” Epphie added with a warm smile to her blushing friend, “is that Janice and Melinda might not have a complete picture. She could feel very sure about what should and should not be from her perspective, but maybe she isn’t seeing everything? She was absolutely convinced that all of the armor she’d collected belonged to Xena. She knew of Callisto to be sure, but she didn’t believe in a million years that she had any of Callisto’s artifacts. Not knowing for sure never kept Janice Covington from believing she was right. It was part of her charm.”

Stevie heard the door to their room open and close and knew Sarah was finished in the shower. “Well, it’s something to think about at any rate.” She said as she headed back to the stairs.

“I’m not trying to complicate stuff between you and Sarah,” Mel called after her.

Stevie stopped and turned back to the kitchen. “No worries, we take care of that end of it all ourselves,” she said with a laugh and headed upstairs.

Melvin looked after her a moment then turned his gaze to Epphie. “Twenty bucks says Lizzy will go for Sarah,” he said with a wink. “I think Stevie is going to listen to Janice and steer clear.”

“You’re betting with a psychic?” Epphie replied rolling her eyes. “No wonder you never had any allowance as a kid. You don’t know when to quit.”

Shortly before five Stevie and Sarah left Mel’s guesthouse and walked the short distance to Lizzy’s place. They’d opted to wear sweats since they knew they’d be changing into costumes anyway. Stevie brought her purse with some makeup not sure what would be appropriate for the costumes. It was chilly out, but keeping a brisk pace not uncomfortable, already town was buzzing with excitement. Every house they passed had people putting last minute touches on their halloween decorations, and placing pumpkins outside waiting for their lit candles. Before long they’d reached the cheery yellow house of the archeologist.

Lizzy greeted them at the door already dressed in her Gabrielle’s Amazon outfit. Her porch was adorned by several pumpkins, glowing merrily from the lighted candles witthin. A bouquet of Indian corn was fastened to the front door and a sexy witch on a broom was hanging from the tree in her front yard. The archeologist was pleased and flattered as the two Californians stood and stared at her for long moments before remembering to say hello.

“That is some costume,” Sarah said not even attempting subtlety as her eyes roamed over Lizzy’s body. The costume was made of soft brown leather and consisted of a short skirt that rode low on Lizzy’s waist and was decorated with feathers. Her midriff was exposed, the top covering her breasts without much more modesty than a bra. It had intricate stitching, which was mesmerizing to look at, although absently Sarah had to wonder if it was the costume or cleavage that was more appealing. She wore armbands made from the same soft leather, festooned with feathers as well as ornate stitching. Soft boots and a feathered necklace completed the ensamble.

Stevie responded to the costume as well, but not in the same way Sarah did. While she very much enjoyed looking at the expanse of Lizzy’s skin now on display and appreciated the movement of firm muscles beneath that skin, something about the Gabrielle as Amazon costume was unappealing. It didn’t take much soul-searching to admit that any sort of Gabrielle outfit would have probably sparked the same reaction for Stevie. Even though she knew it not to be the case, it was hard not to think of Gabrielle, at least in some sense, as an accomplice in Callisto’s ongoing torment. She shook her head and forced a smile to her lips, determined not to let any of her Callisto baggage interfere with her enjoyment of time with Elizabeth Covington.

“Thanks,” Lizzy replied with a self-conscious smile. “Grandma Janice made one and I copied it when the original started to fall apart. She tried to tell me it was age, but the outfit looked rather well worn to me. I really try not to think about that aspect of my grandmother’s lives though.”

“Oh I hear you,” Stevie said agreeing whole-heartedly. “There was a horrific night out with my mom when the conversation turned to vibrators over dinner I really thought I was going to spontaneously combust. Some things should stay theoretical.”

Sarah smirked, as she put her jacket on a peg just inside the door. “I always enjoyed those conversations with your mom,” she teased.

Stevie turned to Sarah, her brown eyes blazing with mischief. “What about the time you walked in on your parents…”

“Okay, okay…” Sarah said holding up her hands in surrender. “Point taken,”

“Apparently mom’s a screamer,” Stevie said with a wink as she passed Sarah and followed Lizzy inside.

“I’ve brought the outfits over from the museum,” Lizzy explained as they made their way into her living room. “We’ll get dressed here and tour the town before heading to the party. Who wants to get dressed first?”

“I will,” Sarah volunteered, stepping forward.

“Would you guys like something to drink: tea, wine, anything?” Lizzy asked as she pulled a large plastic bin from under the coffee table.

“Not wine…at least not yet,” Stevie said, even the word making her head swim with memories of the inebriation of the previous night.

“I’m with Blondie,” Sarah agreed. “How about tea?”

Stevie frowned at the nickname but decided a reaction was probably what Sarah was hoping for. “You kids get started and I’ll fix the tea,” she said not taking the bait.

Lizzy smiled and told her where she could find everything then turned her attention to Sarah. She extracted a leather bodice from the bin and held it up for Sarah’s approval and the stuntwoman smiled. She was going to enjoy this. Stevie rolled her eyes and headed to the kitchen. An evening of Sarah full of herself was not unbearable, but not her favorite thing either. Still the request was Lizzy’s and that made it worth doing.

Even as those thoughts formed in her head the broom next to the refrigerator fell, only Stevie, who was expecting it caught it halfway down. She carried the broom across the kitchen and leaned it in the far corner, positioning one of the kitchen chairs in front of it so it couldn’t fall. “Don’t you ladies ever quit?” she asked softly as she prepared tea.

She glanced around the kitchen quite approving how neat and tidy it was. Nothing had really changed from the dinner they’d had here, but she felt less self consious taking it in with the other two preoccupied in the living room. There were a couple of dishes in the drying rack on the counter, but everything else was put away. Some of the cabinets had glass fronts makding it easy to see where the plates and glasses were kept. She couldn’t help but notice that a number of pint glasses had different logos on them from various breweries. Remembering Lizzy’s instructions she opened the cabinet to the left of the glassware and found the tea.

She had to smile as she opened the tea cupboard. As expected, there were far more choices to be had than strictly necessary. Absently she wondered if there was such a thing as a lesbian household with only one or two kinds of tea. After putting the tea kettle on the stove, she found a small tray on top of the ‘fridge and got the tea cups and saucers ready. She considered checking on the progress of the other two, but decided that they both might be less self consious making adjustments to the costume without her there. Lost in thought, she stared at the tiles of Lizzy’s kitchen counter until the whistling of the tea kettle brought her out of her reverie. She finished preparing the tea and picking up the tray headed back into the living room.

Two steps into the room and she froze. She might have dropped the tea tray were it not for Lizzy’s lightning reflexes. In an instant the archeologist was at her side lifting the tray from her grasp even as Stevie felt her fingers go numb and her blood run cold.

It was as if her dreams, or nightmares rather had indeed come to life. Now standing next to Gabrielle was Xena in the flesh. “What do you think?” Sarah asked hopefully, not sure how to read the stunned nature of Stevie’s expression.

“You look just like Xena,” Stevie said although the ambivalence was clear in her voice as to whether that was a good thing or not.

Sarah wore a leather dress with short skirt made of armored lambertens; heavy strips that provided armor and ease of movement of the legs. She had boots on with armor that came to her knees. She wore gauntlets on each arm that had hammered bronze scrollwork as well as a matching armband around each bicep.

She wondered why she didn’t want to flee and realized that deep down inside she knew that win, lose or draw, Callisto never fled from Xena. Tonight would be no different.

“I need you to help me with the chest armor,” Lizzy said holding up a large hammered bronze chest piece as well as shoulder and back pieces.

“Sure,” Stevie said taking a step forward, determined to keep her voice casual.

“Hold on,” Sarah protested then leaning forward, made a not so subtle adjustment of her breasts in the tight fitting leather bodice. Stevie rolled her eyes and then glancing over at Lizzy saw a now familiar pink tinge to the archaeologist’s cheeks.

“Girls corralled properly?” Stevie asked innocently as she and Lizzy positioned the armor.

“Hey,” Sarah protested. “It’s not like this dress has a built in bra.”

“Nope,” Lizzy agreed. “But wait until we get this metal thing in position.” She explained. “Better than ‘cross your heart’ protection.”

In moments the two blonde women had attached the shoulder piece to the armor on the front and back of Sarah’s outfit. Sensing Lizzy’s apprehension, Stevie reached around and with familiar hands on the stuntwoman’s body, attached the hooks that connected the front to the back at her sides. The final touches were sword and scabbard hooked onto the armor at her back, and round chakram placed at the hook at Sarah’s hip. The stuntwoman’s transformation into Xena was complete.

Sarah took a few experimental steps across the room and moved her arms. She smiled in satisfaction. “This is surprisingly comfortable,” she said with a warm smile at Lizzy. “Fits like a glove too. Maybe there is something to this Xena thing.”

Lizzy smiled in return and Stevie felt her stomach sink at the obvious sparks flying in-between the two. In moment though, the archeologist had collected herself and turned to Stevie. “Next victim,” she said with a smile.

Stevie watched as Lizzy pulled the second plastic bin from under the coffee table. She kicked off her running shoes and noticed as she prepared to slip off her sweat pants that the archeologist became preoccupied with the contents of the bin. Stevie looked at Sarah who winked. With a shrug Stevie slipped out of her sweats noting the blush creep into Lizzy’s cheeks. While the archeologist may not appear to be watching Stevie undress, she could apparently still see her skimpy black satin underwear from her peripheral vision. Sarah had attached the clasps to the armored skirt in the back before Lizzy stood up carrying the black leather breast armor.

“This outfit is almost as skimpy as Lizzy’s is,” Sarah observed looking at the top. “Are you guys going to freeze tonight?”

“It’ll be warm in the museum,” Lizzy assured her.

Stevie pulled the sweatshirt over her head and heard Lizzy’s breath catch. She’d not given the archaeologist enough warning to distract her with looking at something else.

“The bra is going to have to go isn’t it?” Sarah said, matter of factly, looking at the leather top and at Stevie’s lacy black bra.

“Um…yeah…it should,” Lizzy said between several not so subtle gulps. “I can ah…leave…oh my,” Lizzy stammered as Stevie undid her bra and tossed it onto the couch with the rest of her clothes. Sarah chuckled to herself and helped Stevie into the top.

“Why don’t I hold the front while you fasten the back?” Sarah offered knowing full well that if she’d suggested the opposite the archeologist would have fainted, she’d have laughed out loud and Stevie would have never forgiven her.”

“Um…right, good idea.” Lizzy said and moved behind Stevie.

The Egyptologist could feel a slight tremble to the hands that moved her long blonde hair from her shoulders. Warm soft fingers manipulated the buckles and straps that tightened the armor around her and settled everything in place. The same warm hands that fastened the straps that held the arm pieces in place and finally the armor above her knees and the boots below. When sword and dagger were in place, she was finished.

Sarah looked at Stevie appreciatively and whistled. “You look hot in black leather,” she said, stating the obvious.

“Well you both look stunning in brown,” Stevie replied, it dawning on her that indeed she was the only one wearing black.

Lizzy blinked a couple of times, looking at Stevie. As before, in her workroom at the Peabody she was stunned by the transformation of Stevie in Callisto’s armor. She looked lithe, dangerous…deadly. It conflicted on every level with the woman she’d come to know over the past several days. But something very deep within her screamed in warning and was afraid. Shaking her head, she pushed the negative thoughts from her mind and focused on the present. Sarah was quite stunning in Xena’s armor and stood quite naturally with her hands on her hips.

“I really think we should revisit you getting your belly button pierced,” Sarah said, still examining Stevie. “That would look awesome with that outfit.”

“Wouldn’t be very authentic, now would it?” Stevie said with a smile at Lizzy and a pointed look to the small piece of body jewelry that the archaeologist had pierced through her own belly button.

“Yeah, well,” Lizzy said bashfully taking a sip of tea. “There was this party in Greece a few years ago and ah…well the people at the thing tonight won’t know if Gabrielle had a pierced belly button or not.”

“Fair enough,” Stevie said and reached for her purse. “As long as we’re not striving for complete authenticity…” She withdrew some eyeliner, mascara, and lip color from her bag. She spent a few moments working on Sarah – focusing on her eyes. When she turned around to face Lizzy the archeologist couldn’t’ believe that the pools of blue light had become even more intense. Sarah was stunning.

“Next victim,” she said and turned to Lizzy who was only too happy to receive the gentle attention of the Egyptologist. It was a relief to experience something that reminded her this was indeed Stevie, in spite of her outfit. As before she applied a bit of color around her eyes, some eyeliner and mascara and a touch of blush at her cheeks, not that her cheeks needed any help in coloring. She ended with her lips and Lizzy was convinced that she could endure Stevie touching her lips all night. Still, there was something a little distant about her touch though as if the taller woman was refusing to let herself enjoy the connection as she had before. Lizzy wondered if it could be the last remnants of the hang over left by the previous nights drinking or the presene of a centuries dead psychotic woman hanging around like a shadow.

With her two companions ready to go, Stevie took a couple of moments with her own makeup. Lizzy was stunned at how efficiently and proficiently she worked with a small hand held mirror. In moments she was ready to go as well, looking breathtaking and dangerous.

“How do you feel?” Sarah asked, as the three of them stepped onto the sidewalk outside of Lizzy’s house.

“Like the evil stepsister going to the ball.” Stevie replied flatly as she looked up at Sarah. Even her perspective was alien. Often she wore heels and Sarah didn’t so she could usually gaze into the stuntwoman’s eyes directly; the fact that all three of them were in flat boots made the differences in their height striking.

“So you don’t hand out candy at Halloween?” Sarah asked as the trio walked up the street.

Lizzy smiled. “A lot of people do, but there is so much going on in town, it’s not unusual for people to not be home on Halloween. That’s one break we get for turning into ‘Halloween Town’. I just leave a bowl on the front stoop and hope for the best. Why don’t we drop in on Mel before heading to the Peabody. He’d love to see you guys dressed up.”

“I’ve no doubt about that.” Stevie muttered under her breath remembering how much Lizzy’s cousin had blushed at the thought of she and Sarah in the shower. She had no doubt that the sight of the three of them dressed scantily in leather would send his thoughts spiraling in new directions.

They walked through a few neighborhood streets and Lizzy conversed easily with the people she passed. She seemed to know everyone and everyone seemed to have genuine affection for her. Several inquired as to the state of her cousins’ leg and she stopped a couple of times to give well-wishers an update. For the houses that were receiving trick-or-treaters everyone pulled out all the stops. Scarecrows, jack ‘o lanterns, witches, monsters and every sort of fall decoration imaginable decorated the yards, porches and doorways. Many people were in costume as they handed out goodies from the typical wrapped candy to small tooth brushes, toys and even some home-made treats. For those homes it was clear that parties were underway with families who knew each other – no one was handing out baked goods to strangers. One family had put up a ghost piñata in their back yard, another had a tank to bob for apples in a yard swirling with movie fog.

It was it was brisk out, but no chance of the freak snow from the previous day. Even so, Stevie was surprised that she wasn’t colder considering how little she was actually wearing. The weather was warmer in Greece, she heard herself thinking.

“Woah,” Sarah breathed as they turned a corner. Two neighbors had gotten together and were throwing a party. Both homes were two stories and the upstairs window of one house was facing a large expanse of wall of the neighbor’s house. They made the most of it by facing a movie projector out the upstairs window and showing the original Dracula movie on the neighbor’s wall. Sound was coming through a large speaker system and Sarah stood transfixed.

“That is the coolest fucking thing I’ve ever seen!” She said as she watched in awe the huge face of Bella Legosi as he welcomed all to his castle. “Why don’t we do cool shit like this at home?” she wondered aloud.

“Because we don’t live in Halloween Town,” Stevie said, amused. “Tell you what, next year I’ll help you build a graveyard in your front yard.”

Sarah nodded; appreciating the idea and taking mental notes of the fake graveyard they strolled through to the next set of houses.

“Here’s the Talbot’s.” Lizzy said as they reached the next house. “This is really going to blow you away.”

It was not an understatement. As they entered the white picket fence, festooned with a myriad of fake spider webs, they came upon the largest pumpkins either of the Californian’s had ever seen. They were easily three to four feet tall and three feet across at the largest part. One of them was so huge Sarah thought Lizzy could have easily curled up inside of it, although she doubted that would be an enjoyable experience.

“Hey Gordy,” Lizzy said, greeting the middle aged man holding court on his stoop. “Biggest pumpkins yet I see.”

He grinned and gave Lizzy a hug. She introduced her friends and he offered them all a warm cup of warm apple cider. “This was a good year at the pumpkin patch,” he offered. “That small one over there was four hundred pounds and this big one,” he pointed to the pumpkin to his left, “was five hundred. The other three are somewhere in-between the two.”

“How long did it take you to carve them?” Stevie asked noting that the lights in the pumpkins were several large pillar candles, four to six inches wide.

“Put the whole family to work since breakfast this morning.” Gordy said with a laugh. “Cleaning them out is the worst as you can imagine, but after that a big butcher’s knife makes quick work of it. Nearly didn’t finish that little one though before it got dark.”

“I guess once you figure out where you’re going to put them they stay put?” Sarah asked her mind reeling at the difficulty of moving something so large and heavy around.

“Oh yeah. Not worried about anyone nicking my pumpkins. Not that the carving is all that. You have to keep the faces simple.” He explained. “When the skin is six to nine inches thick, you don’t get too intricate.”

Sarah took a few pictures and the trio continued on to Mel’s. Certainly what Mel’s pumpkins lacked in size they did make up for with artistic vision and execution. There were a wide variety of styles and designs to the dozen or more pumpkins that decorated Mel’s front porch and front yard. In the dark of night the smiling or scowling faces danced merrily from the flames inside.

The three stepped onto the porch and Lizzy dutifully rang the doorbell. They could hear him hobble over. He opened the door holding his crutches in one hand and a big bowl of candy in the other. Fortunately Epphie was standing right next to him to catch the candy bowl as he lost his balance.

“Woah,” he breathed, eyes wide taking in Sarah and Stevie, “you two look amazing.”

“Hello!” Lizzy said annoyed, “I’m standing right here.”

“Oh yeah,” Mel said, barely glancing at her, “you look fine sweetie.”

“Your cousin has a thing for leather I see,” Epphie teased warmly. “But not on his cousin. Seriously though, you three look wonderful.”

“I don’t know if wonderful is the word I’d use,” Stevie said, feeling a little out of sorts as she stood on the porch. She wasn’t sure though if it was coming from the brisk air, or something on the inside.

Mel shook his head, clearly trying to focus his thoughts. “And I thought Solari came up with an amazing costume…” he muttered, clearly not able to wrench his eyes from Sarah and Stevie.

“Are my dates here?” Solari called from inside the house.

She joined Epphie and Mel at the entry way and Sarah felt her mouth go very dry. The Psychic was dressed in an elegant kimono with her hair pulled back in a delicate bun.

“Who…who are you?” Sarah asked, trying to sound casual and failing.

Solari smiled warmly. “Lao Ma, a historical figure from Japan, same time period as you three.”

Stevie glanced from Sarah to Solari and back reading the stuntwoman’s expression like a book.

“You sure you guys don’t want to join us?” Lizzy asked her cousin and Stevie was grateful that the archeologist hand’t noticed that Sarah stood unblinkingly staring at her friend. Tactfully Stevie slowly stepped on Sarah’s foot and the stuntwoman shook herself, obviously clearing her mind.

Epphie held up the bowl of candy she’d rescued from Mel. “I’m going to help your cousin hand out candy.” She also nodded to her extended belly, “Besides, I don’t really have a costume for ‘pregnant historical woman’.”

Mel shrugged but Lizzy noticed the smile on his face. “Didn’t have an outfit for historical gimp either,” he said, with a nod to his crutches.

“We’ll leave you to it then,” Solari said with a confident laugh. “Have a good time kids, but don’t wait up for us.”

For long moments the foursome walked up the street. Lizzy and Solari were in front and Sarah and Stevie brought up the rear.

“Do you feel alright in that costume?” Sarah asked Stevie quietly.

Stevie shrugged, torn between being honest with Sarah and being overheard by Lizzy. “It takes some getting used to, I think.” She said evasively.

“Maybe that’s it,” Sarah muttered. “I feel kinda weird.”

“Well, you seem perfectly intrigued by Solari’s costume.” Stevie whispered to Sarah, making the stuntwoman frown.

“I think you’re imagining things,” Sarah replied, a bit too defensively. “You’re just jealous.”

Stevie nodded dramatically, “Oh yeah, that’s exactly it,” she said with a laugh. “I’m jealous because you can’t make up your mind between the two of them,” she nodded in Lizzy and Solari’s direction.

Something in Stevie’s voice made Sarah stop. For several long moments she searched the Egyptologist’s face and could find no trace of duplicity. “You’re not jealous, are you? Of either of them?” Stevie shook her head. “Okay,” Sarah muttered heading to catch up with the other two, “now that is strange.”

Activity bustled everywhere around them. Downtown had indeed transformed itself into one giant block party. Traffic had been blocked off in all directions and everywhere you looked were costumes of every description. Peope were buying and selling the usual food and tourist trinkets in the street and groups of people strolled among the stalls or hung out on the sidewalk. A couple of Jedi, complete with light sabers were chatting amiably with a knight in armor. A gaggle of witches laughed at a bawdy joke made by someone in an Elvis costume. Sarah noticed several people dressed as the President, one wore a dunce cap, another carried a coloring book that said “What Would Cheney Do?” and another carried a sign that read “fixing elections since ‘00”. Jack Skellington and Sally were chatting on the corner with a man wearing Gandalf costume and a group of school kids were wearing the different house colors from Hogwarts. Stevie was hard pressed to think of anything she’d ever seen that even came close.

“This totally reminds me of the Halloween we spent in West Hollywood,” Sarah said, snapping pictures and grinning from ear to ear.

“Oh yeah,” Stevie said puzzled that she’d not remembered that party two years ago. Strangely a lot of memories seemed more distant to her at the moment.

They turned a corner near the Peabody museum and found a small group of people holding a large sign. It was declaring any number of immoral things people could burn in hell for, from homosexuality to abortion and drug use. In fact the sign protested so much and the type was so small that it was impossible to read all of the things these people objected to. There, at the front of the group standing silent vigil with lighted candles were Mary and Bob Henderson. Even more surprising than seeing their small group, Stevie quickly counted only six participants, was a much larger group of young teenagers standing around them chanting “bullshit, bullshit, bullshit.” A number of passers by stopped to chuckle at the scene of Christians getting bullied for a change.

Several of the boys had been riding bikes and stood, straddling their bikes, lifting the handlebars to slam the bikes down in time with their chant. Several of the Christians looked a little frightened. A number of the teenagers looked intimidating in their demonic masks and grunge costumes. One boy started making very rude gestures to a small Asian woman standing next to Mary and she seemed on the verge of tears.

Without thinking Stevie stepped away from her companions and headed into the center of the group. “What do you think you’re doing?” she yelled, scolding the largest of the boys. “Standing here just screaming at them? You’re all behaving no better than they do.”

“They started it by bring that lame sign downtown,” the boy protested.

“True enough,” Stevie agreed, “but what are you proving by being as narrow minded as they are?”

A large muscle bound boy laughed, continuing to pound the ground with his bike. “Who asked you bitch?”

Stevie took three steps until she was right in front of him. With a lightning fast hand she pushed him in the chest and he fell backwards off of his bike. Before it fell, Stevie caught the bike and threw it a good fifteen feet where it landed on the grass in front of the museum. She took several slow steps until she stood over the boy. “What did you call me young man?” she asked sweetly.

The boy instantly backed up, scooting across the asphalt on his butt until he was far enough back to stand. Without saying a word he ran for his bike and took off.

“Anyone else want to be disrespectful?” Stevie asked the now silent mob of boys.

In seconds the band disbursed, disappearing in ones and twos into the street and shadows. In seconds Mary Henderson was at Stevie’s side. “Thank you dear,” she said relief etched on her features as well as the other five. “I’m so glad you’ve had a change of heart.”

Stevie turned and glared down at the woman, who immediately withdrew her hand from the Egyptologist’s arm. “My heart hasn’t changed one bit,” Stevie said coldly, aware that many of the teens were listening and watching in from the safety of shadows. “I don’t want kids following your intolerant, narrow minded example,” she explained icily. “You people deserved this, but those kids deserve more than to be like you.” With a glance she quickly read the protest sigh. “I hope every fetus you save is a black, gay, Wiccan Democrat.” She said and walked back to Sarah, Solari and Lizzy.

“Ho-ly shit,” Sarah breathed, with an expression every bit as stunned as that of Mary Henderson. “Have you been working out?”

“Bravo,” Solari beamed, and applauded enthusiastically.

“Do you feel alright?” Lizzy asked, more than a little nervous.

“Actually I feel kind of strange,” Stevie admitted, not sure where her rage came from although it didn’t scare her as much as she might have expected. “My head is kind of spinning.” She flexed her arm, unaware of where she’d found the strength to throw the bike so far. “And I think I may have pulled something.”

“We’re almost there,” Sarah said, noting the small queue of people at the museum’s entrance. “We’ll get you something to drink inside.”

“No alcohol,” Stevie muttered absently as she allowed the other three to lead her inside.

When the names had been checked against the guest list, each were given a printed wristband that would serve as their pass into the party. Once inside the doors, they made their way past the reception area that had been decorated in Halloween finery. A long table with finger sandwiches and sushi dominated the space. At one end was a large punch bowl with large chunks of dry ice floating in a neon green liquid, giving the room an eerie fog. Several fog machines were also spewing smoke from under the tables. A live band was playing in the main space, with more tables and some chairs on the patio outside. Velvet ropes had been set up to keep the party revelers from getting too close to the artwork and Lizzy was pleased to see a security guard every where she turned her head. She would have been surprised that Sarah and Stevie’s weapons were allowed inside were it not for the fact that Belinda, someone she worked with on a daily basis had been the one to check them in.

“I’ve just seen Gennette,” Solari said to Lizzy enthusiastically. “I haven’t seen her since College. I’ll catch up with you kids later.” In moments her kimono was disappearing through the partygoers in search of her friend.

“I’m going to stop in the bathroom,” Stevie said “I just need a couple of minutes…”

Sarah nodded, knowing the solitude of the bathroom was probably what her friend needed to collect her thoughts. She nodded to the patio. “We’ll be out on the patio, fresh air and all.”

Stevie nodded, “That’s perfect, I’ll meet up with you guys there.”

Sarah watched as Stevie moved through the crowd until she disappeared behind a Julius Caesar talking to an Abraham Lincoln. Sarah couldn’t understand why, but she instantly disliked the Caesar fellow.

“Are you going to check on her?” Lizzy asked as they made their way to the far side of the patio near a large tree. The party was just getting started with most guests continuing to mingle near the entrance or around the artwork. The patio was deserted and while the band could be heard, the music was distant and soft.

“Sometimes she just needs a little space,” the stuntwoman reassured her. “Maybe the outfit is making her feel a little out of sorts. It’s not like her to hurl a bike across the street.”

Lizzy arched her eyebrows. “The clothes do have an odd effect. What about you?”

“I’m not sure,” Sarah admitted, grinning. “It’s almost like a comfortable pair of jeans that’s been hidden in the back of your closet.” For a moment she studied Lizzy, unabashedly letting her eyes roam over the smaller woman. “What does the Amazon outfit do for you? Feel like a homecoming?”

The archaeologist shook her head. “Not at all. My grandmother’s leather jacket and hat – now that’s comfortable. This feels…feels like I’ve got big shoes to fill and I’m a size or two too small.”

“I don’t think so,” Sarah said seriously. “I think your ancestors would be very proud of their progeny all the way down.” As she spoke she let her eyes roam again over Lizzy’s toned form.

Lizzy felt the blush creep into her cheeks and looked away from Sarah’s vibrant blue eyes. Something about this arrangement was compelling, but unsettling as well. Elizabeth Covington has inherited much of her grandmother’s personality, especially the streak where she knew her own mind and acted upon it. Here she felt as if she were being guided or pulled by forces she couldn’t name and that alone was unsettling, and unwelcome.

“You alright?” Sarah asked gently, reading the confusion that darted across mist green eyes.

“Yeah, like I said this isn’t entirely comfortable. Maybe I’m just used to wearing more…” Lizzy said, fumbling for excuses and then instantly regretting she’d said it. Almost like throwing tinder on a sparking fire Sarah’s vivid blue eyes flared with awareness. She shifted a bit making the leather bodice creak. Distantly Lizzy remembered the sound, almost as if stumbling across an old faded photograph of a dear friend.

The stuntwoman took a step closer and gently touched the feathered necklace around Lizzy’s neck. Instantly goose bumps appeared across the archaeologist’s chest and arms. “Did you make all of this yourself?” Sarah asked quietly.

Lizzy swallowed, hard, realizing that she could feel the heat radiating from the stuntwoman’s body less than a foot away. In fact there was more heat coming from Sarah than the propane heater behind her. “Grandma Janice made the necklace,” she explained. “I recreated the rest from her patterns.

“And mine?” Sarah whispered, moving a bit closer. Mutely, Lizzy nodded. The stuntwoman smiled, warmly. “I’m no expert on historical authenticity,” she explained, “but this feels dead on.”

Lizzy smiled, Sarah’s warm low voice wrapping around her like a caress. “I’m glad,” she said quietly.

Without another word the stuntwoman leaned down and claimed Lizzy’s lips with her own.

Lizzy responded realizing even as she did so that she was acting on instinct and habit. Still the body leaning over her was warm and the arms that had wrapped around her were strong and familiar and it felt good. Very good. Therefore, it wasn’t with much surprise that Lizzy realized her hand had made it’s way to the back of Sarah’s neck with her fingers threaded through soft dark hair. Her other arm wrapped around Sarah’s back where she could feel the scabbard that held Xena’s sword. Xena. That awareness, that this was not Xena and she was not Gabrielle startled her enough to break the kiss and take a step back.

“Are you alright?” Sarah asked quietly; an all too familiar twinkle in her eye.

Lizzy nodded, with a casual glance to the patio entrance that seemed very far away at the moment. “I um…I just startled myself.”

“Okay,” Sarah said, suspecting there was something more.

“And Stevie will probably be coming out here soon,” Lizzy added noticing that the stuntwoman’s eyes darkened somewhat at the mention of her ex-lover’s name. “It’s also strangely warm out here. Are you warm? Do you want something to drink?”

Sarah smiled, amused and delighted at the flustered woman in front of her. She could have gone without the mention of Stevie’s name, but wondered to herself what her ex would have though seeing the two of them kissing. Would she decide that indeed, Gabrielle belonged with Xena and any other arrangement was unnatural? “I’ll get us some drinks,” Sarah said smoothly, gently brushing the back of her knuckles across Lizzy’s cheek. “We’ve got some catching up to do.” With a broad smile she turned and headed for the party entrance and the punch bowl.

Standing silently in the shadow of a large bronze statue near the doorway, Stevie watched as Sarah walked right past her. She’d walked up as they’d embraced and felt her stomach sink even as she knew it was to be expected. Deciding not to interfere, she turned and made her way into an adjoining gallery.

With a satisfied smile on her face Sarah headed over to the large crystal punch bowl. She’d picked up a plastic cup when Solari walked up next to her. The Medium picked one up as well and dipped the ladle in the misty neon green punch.

“You’re going to have to let her go, you know that, right?” she said conversationally.

Sarah looked down at her, eyes slightly narrowed. “Let who go?” she asked evenly.

The psychic smiled warmly, unfazed by the stuntwoman’s stern expression. “Who is it you’re holding onto?”

Rolling her vivid blue eyes, Sarah took a sip of punch. “Well I’ve already broken up with Stevie and I haven’t really gotten started yet with Lizzy so I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.”

“And if I tell you that you don’t end up with either?” Solari asked.

“I’d say it isn’t up to you, it’s up to Lizzy,” Sarah replied. Cocking her head she studied the psychic for several long moments. “Are you telling me it’s already decided? Because I don’t buy that.”

“I wouldn’t say anything is decided,” Solari demurred, “but I will say that life is often a puzzle and I think Stevie has what it takes to sort out the combination of her current problem.”

“And if she figures out the puzzle, she wins Lizzy?” Sarah demanded, albeit quietly. “That’s crap.”

“She doesn’t win anything,” Solari clarified. “Except maybe the tolerance of two determined dead people.”

Sarah shook her head, laughing. “Lets say I take all this past life stuff at face value?” she asked, watching the psychic intently. “Why on earth, after all this time, would Stevie be better suited for Lizzy than me?” She shrugged her shoulders, “I’m the Xena. I belong with the Gabrielle. Callisto certainly doesn’t.”

“Maybe,” Solari agreed. “But maybe this ‘Gabrielle’ doesn’t belong with you,” she said softly. “I think we can agree that Gabrielle’s central core was very much about love and forgiveness. She loved you with all her heart and soul; many, many times – more lifetimes than I could possibly count. She forgave you before that first nail was hammered in on that cross.” Sarah involentarily flinched at the memory. “There was never a moment’s hesitation. Her soul has followed yours for over a thousand years.” She took a sip of her punch and looked thoughtful. “She said she forgave Callisto I’m sure. The question is, do you think she meant it?”

The stuntwoman opened her mouth to speak and stopped. With a sigh she closed it. “I doubt it,” she whispered.

“That would only be human,” Solari agreed. “But moving on for the soul is about more than being human. It’s about moving beyond what our humanity tells us is possible; that last selfless act, that instant of sheer heroism. Can you think of a more complete way for Gabrielle to forgive Callisto than to take this journey with her? It’s how you forgave her isn’t it?”

“Wait a minute…” Sarah said, startled and then considered. She shook her head in disbelief. “Stevie and I got together because we just did. We had chemistry and it clicked and while it worked, it fucking rocked. It wasn’t about forgiving her anything. I didn’t even know she was Callisto. Neither did she.”

Solari smiled. “And now you know, do you forgive her?”

Sarah frowned. “Well of course, but that’s beside the point. Frankly I’m not so sure Lizzy is any better suited for Stevie than I am.”

The Medium shrugged. “Lightning strikes, maybe once, maybe twice.”

“Don’t even quote Stevie Nicks to me,” Sarah said irritatedly. “Fucking cryptic songwriter,” she muttered under her breath. “Stevie hates it when people relate Stevie Nicks songs to her and I’ll bet Lizzy wouldn’t even get that reference.” She her eyes bore into the hazel gaze of the kimono clad woman. “You see, she wouldn’t even know how to be what Stevie needs,” she said realizing she was grasping at straws even as she said it.

Solari smiled kindly, “and that is why you have to let her go.”

Not knowing what to say the stuntwoman filled a cup with punch for Lizzy. “Take this to Lizzy, will ya?” she asked. She felt angry, confused, hurt – feelings she could no more decipher than determine where they came from. Her urge was to smash the buffet table in front of her, then she thought about Stevie throwing a boy’s bike across the street. Knowing she was wearing the hardware to make kindling of the table, she decided that removing herself from the temptation would be the better choice. “I’m going to get some air,” she said and headed for the front entrance.

Stevie took her time in the small gallery, choosing to ignore the appreciative glances she’d received from several men who were chatting with their dates. She emerged and glanced back to the open patio where she’d stumbled upon Sarah and Lizzy. Lizzy was still standing near the large tree and for an instant Stevie considered joining her. Upon reflection she decided against it. She didn’t want to be there when Sarah returned with romance on her mind. It didn’t really surprise her she reminded herself. There was enough buried memory stirred by the outfits that indeed made sense that the two remembered each other. Xena ended up with Gabrielle and Callisto ended up under a pile of rocks. It was the way of the world. If she couldn’t change the Xena end of the equation she could at least see what she could do about Callisto’s pile of rocks. With determination she told herself that was enough. She made her way to the buffet table even though she wasn’t hungry. She saw Solari at the punch bowl and joined her there. She didn’t want anything to eat, but hoped that something to drink might help settle her raging thoughts.

“How’s the punch?” she asked reaching for a cup.

“Not bad, a little on the sweet side,” Solari replied filling her glass. “How are you feeling?” She noted Stevie’s puzzled expression and smiled. “You had a lot to drink last night? You threw a bike across the street…”

“The wine, oh yeah,” Stevie replied with a nod. “I’ve felt better, but I’d say I’m alright. I usually don’t drink that much. I can’t explain the bike thing.” Solari nodded understandinglyd and Stevie added, “Callisto didn’t drink at all,” wondering why she even bothered to say it or why it was important.

“She couldn’t afford any slip ups,” Solari agreed. “Her life depended on it. Good thing you’ve got more flexibility now.”

The Egyptologist nodded absently. “What are these outfits doing to us?” she asked.

Solari smiled kindly. “Reminding you of who you were I suppose. Who you were, who they were, how things were, all of life’s past-imperfect.”

“Well it sucks,” Stevie said flatly.

“For you I don’t doubt it,” Solari agreed. “Still, you’re in the armor, you’ve been having the dreams, why don’t you surrender to Callisto for the evening…see where that takes you. It is Halloween after all, a time when all of us can step outside ourselves.” The psychic smiled warmly. “Just don’t kill anyone,” she added.

Stevie rolled her eyes, “Well where’s the fun in that?” she asked sarcastically surprising herself by the foreign tone in her voice.

“You might surprise yourself,” Solari said wryly. “Look, do me a favor…Sarah asked me to take this cup of punch to Lizzy on the patio but I spotted another friend from college,” she said, putting the cup of green punch in Stevie’s hand. “Sarah went for some air out front and I don’t want to lose sight of Marty…”

Stevie nodded absently wondering why Sarah left Lizzy on the porch. Briefly she considered checking on her ex and decided against it. What ever was happening between Sarah and Lizzy was indeed for the two of them to sort out.

Carrying two cups of punch Stevie made her way back to the patio. Lizzy was no longer alone, several couples and a small group of people gathered at a couple of the tables. They were chatting animatedly, enjoying the festive atmosphere and crystal clear albeit brisk weather. Lizzy looked up as Stevie approached and for the briefest instances looked guilty.

“Expecting someone else?” Stevie asked, not unkindly but with a hint of challenge to her voice.

“Not exactly, Sarah said she was going for drinks.” Lizzy said accepting the offered cup of punch. “This stuff looks dreadful.”

“It’s alright, a little on the sweet side. Solari asked me to bring it to you.” Stevie studied the shorter woman, not at all surprised Sarah had thrown the moves on her. She looked amazing. The outfit of the Amazon queen suited her, still her short hair seemed a little out of place. It was a variation however Stevie was happy to put up with.

“Are you feeling better?” Lizzy asked after taking a sip of punch.

Stevie nodded. “I’d say I don’t know what came over me, but we’d both know that isn’t exactly so.” Lizzy looked up at Stevie and not for the first time was startled by the woman standing in front of her. Something was amiss and one didn’t have to be psychic to figure out what that was. “Your friend Solari thinks I need to surrender to Callisto’s skin for an evening.” Stevie cocked her head and watched as her words registered with the archaeologist. She felt an unusual sensation of power as her words caused reaction in the shorter woman. Surprise, fear and distaste all registered and were quickly gone from Lizzy’s expression. “Do you think we should surrender to our costumes?” she asked quietly, directly.

Once again the briefest glimmers of guilt flashed in Lizzy’s eyes and was gone. Of course it made sense now, Lizzy thought. That was what was going on between her and the stuntwoman. Talking to Stevie, it wouldn’t have been too much of a stretch to think that she was indeed talking to the centuries dead warrior. “Maybe some of that fantasy can’t be helped,” she admitted quietly.

Lizzy tried to remember a single moment when she felt as conflicted as she did in this instance. Part of her screamed danger, urging her to run as far away from the woman standing in front of her, calmly sipping green punch. Another part of her noted the six-pack on Stevie’s abdomen, legs toned from running and how the blonde’s fair skin contrasted starkly with the black armor. Even movement as simple as bringing the punch cup to her lips caused muscles of a toned bicep and forearm to move seductively, only when her eyes felt dry did Lizzy remember to blink. She wanted to run away from Stevie every bit as much as she wanted to run towards her, wrap her arms around her and have her way with the Egyptologist right here on the museum’s patio. As a result, she couldn’t move.

The band inside began a new song with an easygoing tempo. Stevie smiled, arching a dark eyebrow and her lips parting to reveal gleaming white teeth. “Would you like to dance?”

Lizzy swallowed once casting a furtive glance around her. If she were a dancer, which she wasn’t, it would have been no big deal to dance out here on the patio or even inside on the dance floor. They were surrounded by colleagues and their guests, and it wasn’t as if she’d ever made any sort of effort to hide exactly who she was. But she also knew that Stevie was reading her like a book. She’d already somehow detected that something was going on with Sarah and she didn’t feel comfortable about just how much she’d give away were she to even attempt a dance. “I’m not much of a dancer,” she said with a smile. Trying to further lighten the mood she added, “I’d suspect that Callisto isn’t much of one either.”

Stevie grinned again, her delicate pink tongue slipping from between her lips to move enticingly over her top lip. She smiled again and leaned in close so her breath fluttered against Lizzy’s ear. “Callisto isn’t much of a dancer,” Stevie whispered, “but I’m just wearing her skin, remember? And for the record, Gabrielle was a hell of a dancer. Very in tune with her body and loved that feeling, maybe that is something you want to think about surrendering to?” As she spoke she drew the tips of her fingers across Lizzy’s bare stomach, pleased at the sharp intake of breath it caused. “I learned everything I need to know about your body,” she said moving back a little. “I learned it just now, in this instant. When you want to dance, look me up.”

Lizzy looked up at Stevie stunned. There was a brazenness and honesty to her words that couldn’t be denied, but it was out of character for the generally polite yet playful Egyptologist. Before she could say another word however, the moment was broken by an intruder.

“Lizzy Covington, is that you?” An older man called as he made his way onto the patio. “I was hoping to see you here, my dear. That is quite an outfit…”

Without waiting for an introduction Stevie winked at her stunned companion and walked back into the museum, leaving her to chat with the newcomer unassisted.

Stevie walked back over to the buffet table a little surprised that her appetite had returned. In fact she felt better in this moment than she had in some time. There was no doubt in her mind that she was indeed acting strangely, uncharacteristically confident and aggressive. The normal feeling of uncertainty, wondering if all possible needs had been met all around her was absent. “I should be asking ‘Stevie Montgomery is that you?’” she muttered to herself popping a sushi roll into her mouth. She leaned against the buffet table surveying the room with her eyes as her taste buds surveyed the tuna and crabmeat wrapped in cucumber instead of seaweed. Both were stunning. The party was in full swing now, museum guests filling the main hall and many dancing in font of the band. Others were studying the artwork, chatting to each other and still more gathered on the patio outside as well as the near the front entrance. Her eyes landed on an attractive man who was fixated on her outfit, or rather her bust. With a smirk she pushed off from the table and walked the ten feet or so over to him.

“Lancelot, I’m up here,” she said pointedly glaring at him. “Besides, you can’t afford what I’m not selling.” With a frown he turned and walked away. The only thing Stevie realized she was missing was the ability to zap him in the ass with a fireball as he retreated. In some small ways, feeling a little Callisto was indeed handy. After experimenting with several more sushi rolls, Stevie decided to find Sarah. If for no other reason than to tell her the sushi was good.

It took several moments but Stevie found Sarah on the grassy area in front of the museum. She stood just outside the warm glow of the twinkling lights from the party. It was cooler out here, lacking the propane heaters from the courtyard, but it was still comfortable. “You okay?” Stevie asked, handing Sarah a cup of punch and sushi roll.

The stuntwoman shrugged. “I guess so. But I feel really strange, conflicted.” Sarah explained. “I needed some air, it’s like nothing makes sense right now.” Absently she popped the sushi into her mouth. “How are you doing?” she asked around a mouthful of sushi.

“I know what you mean about feeling strange,” Stevie agreed, “The clothes make the women as they say.”

“That’s crazy,” Sarah said, rolling her eyes. “I’m not buying into the past life shit and even if I did, that was so long ago.”

“Crazy enough for you to kiss Lizzy two seconds after we got here?” Stevie asked pointedly. “Yeah, you’ve had your eye on her but didn’t throw a move until now?”

Sarah blinked at her in surprise. She shrugged. “It seemed like the thing to do.” She offered without regret. “You pissed?” She took a sip of her punch and smiled at Stevie, a bashful expression on her face.

“Surprisingly, no.” Stevie answered. “I’ll call it the Callisto factor. Besides, something tells me that she’s only responding to you because of your outfit, and how can I blame her for that? Xena was fucking hot.”

“And Sarah isn’t?” Sarah asked defensively, then sighed. “I mean, ‘and I’m not?’” she corrected. “This is weird, I feel like I’m thinking with an echo in my head; two similar voices talking just out of synch. WWJD?”

“What would Jane do?” Stevie said, amused that Sarah remembered the joke she’d made after first learning of Stevie’s stint in therapy. “Honestly, I think she’d tell us both to let go for a moment. You’re hearing Xena’s voice in your head, so be Xena. Solari told me to let go and own my inner Callisto as it were. It’s just us; I’m not going to tell anyone you’re nuts. If Xena and Callisto have unfinished business, let them finish it.”

“You realize that when I roll-play I prefer to be the elf.” Sarah deadpanned.

“Very funny,” Stevie countered. “It’s like walking out of one room and into another. Surely you’re not afraid to come out and talk to me?” she asked sweetly, her voice tinged with challenge.

Sarah’s eyes narrowed, icy blue points of light boring into her. She also seemed to stand up a little straighter, the line of her shoulders growing larger and more business-like. “No, no,” she said smoothly, easily. “I’ve got nothing to fear from you.”

“I shouldn’t think so,” Stevie said. “Every time Callisto and Xena met in battle I got my ass kicked.”

“Except that last time,” Sarah replied quietly.

Stevie looked up in surprise. There was a lot of hurt and sadness in Sarah’s voice. “Yes,” she acknowledged “I am sorry about that,” she said sincerely.

Blue eyes widened in disbelief. “You’re apologizing to me?” Sarah asked, stunned. “After everything I’ve done to you?”

Stevie cocked her head and thought, “Yeah, I guess I am.” Turning, the Egyptologist led them a short distance from the museum to a small stand of trees where they could talk more privately. They were surrounded by darkness, the lights from the party dancing merrily in the distance. Stevie sat down with her back to the large tree trunk, and Sarah followed suit. Out of habit, both women removed the swords from the scabbards on their backs before sitting. Each rested the blade on its side within a hand’s reach.

“I’m the one who should be apologizing to you,” Sarah said, blue eyes searching brown.

“I accept your apology, if that makes you feel any better,” Stevie replied. “Look there is plenty of blame to go around in the ‘who fucked over who’ game with us. I forgive you, if you forgive me, we can move on now, right?”

Sarah shook her head. “How can you blithely forgive me for creating you? That makes absolutely no sense.”

Stevie smiled sadly. “Because I’ve tried hundreds of years of not forgiving you and that hasn’t gotten me anywhere either. I’m ready to try something different. I feel like things are…I don’t know…aligned maybe. Things are in the right place so maybe this time, if I do forgive you, maybe I can finally get the peace I was looking for the second time you killed me.”

“Sarah and Stevie? Is that the alignment you’re talking about?” Sarah asked curiously.

“All of it,” Stevie replied with a nod. “Lizzy, Stevie’s mom, the dogs, the job and of course you – Sarah I mean. Maybe everything is in place and I can finally put my rock down and walk away from it. Frankly I’m sick of carrying it, it isn’t worth it any more, it just isn’t.”

Sarah looked at Stevie and then gazed off into the distance past the party. She listened to the sounds of night, noticing how different the sounds were in such a populated area. “Do you remember the time we sat by the fire and you asked if we’d bonded?”

Stevie nodded. “Yeah, you said we hadn’t.”

“I lied,” Sarah said, not looking over at Stevie.

“I know,” the Egyptologist replied.

“Callisto, I made you. I killed your family, destroyed your life…” Sarah began.

Stevie turned and put two fingers over the warrior’s lips. “Yes, you did. And I killed your son, ended your life blah, blah, blah. I am telling you that we have damaged each other in equal measure. I’ve gotten that from Stevie. I need to believe that. I want to see what happens when we let go. Really let go.” She lowered her fingers, but brown eyes didn’t budge from blue.

Sarah sighed heavily. “Alright, we leave the past in the past. I forgive you and accept your forgiveness of me.” she said. “But don’t hurt Gabrielle,” she added, the threat in her voice gentle but unmistakable.

“I forgive her too.” Stevie said simply. “I won’t lie, there is always something irresistible about taunting that woman- teasing her about what she really wants- but I’ve no interesting hurting her. This isn’t about revenge for me and I don’t blame you for thinking that it might be. Honestly, I’m not interested in Lizzy, you know that interpersonal relationships aren’t my strong suit. That’s strictly a Stevie thing and I’m not about to butt in.”

Sarah shrugged then turned to face Stevie. “Maybe so, but I’ll be watching anyway.”

Stevie nodded. “Be my guest, there are already a couple of dead women doing that, I’m sure they’d appreciate help from the living.”

“What are you going to do about them?” Sarah asked.

“Again,” the blonde replied, “it’s Stevie’s problem. They hate me, so what? They aren’t the first. I’m sure Stevie will think of something, if she wants to that is.”

Sarah smirked, “You think she still has it bad for Sarah?” she asked confidently.

Stevie looked over at her friend and centuries old enemy smiling sadly. “No Xena, she doesn’t. She doesn’t love Sarah like that, she hasn’t for a long time. But she’s not moving on until Sarah is ready to let go. I’m not a ‘people expert’ but even I can see that.”

Sarah Moorehead’s eyes narrowed. “I distinctly remember two failed attempts at reconciliation, nearly three if you count two o’clock this morning. Besides I’m the one who broke up with her- you!”

“Yes.” Stevie replied quietly. “To date you’ve broken up with me a total of three times…”

“Because I kept reconciling,” Sarah finished the sentence as reality came crashing in. “Oh fuck. I’m so sorry Stevie,” she said sadly. “I’ve accused you of being clingy and all this time it’s been me who can’t let go.”

Stevie smiled gently, the harsh edge gone from her features. “I guess you didn’t want me to be without someone and couldn’t figure out why that someone wasn’t supposed to be you.” Stevie reached over and held onto the stuntwoman’s hand, squeezing affectionately. “I guess I can see now why you were beating your head against that particular wall. Neither of us knew. You wanted to fix me and thought that was how you were supposed to do it.”

The stuntwoman shook her head, frowning a little. “That isn’t all of it,” she said quietly. “It wasn’t just for you. It was how I felt too. I couldn’t let go because I couldn’t let go.” She took a deep breath and continued, “I never told you this before but when I was on that shoot in Romania there was a bar where we’d hang out when we weren’t on call…”

Stevie nodded. “You told me about the bar. It had the lame jukebox with old American songs that you guys were crazy about to get a taste of home.”

Sarah nodded. “The part I left out was that there were two Stevie Nicks songs on that jukebox: The Edge of Seventeen and Stand Back. The crew hated me for it but I played those two damn songs every night. Every single night, sometimes more than once.” She shrugged and plucked at a few blades of grass. “It made me feel closer to you.”

Blinking back tears, Stevie wondered if she’d ever heard anything as sappy, and heart felt come from the stuntwoman’s mouth in the more than three years she’d known the woman. “You don’t even like The Edge of Seventeen…”

“Well the lyrics are fucked up,” Sarah countered. “The clouds never expect it when it rains, what the fuck kind of lyrics are those?” Sarah demanded with exaggerated bravado, making Stevie smile. “Still it was what they had in Romania so I went with it.”

Stevie sighed. “As long as we’re confessing things…you know that I make a point of not taking Stevie Nicks’ lyrics personally, right?”

Sarah nodded. “Yeah, it’s too cliché. It ticks you off.”

“Well the beginning Destiny Rules makes me think of you.” The Egyptologist admitted shyly.

The stuntwoman grinned. “You relate to a Stevie Nicks song because of me? I think you’re getting soft Stevie.”

“Don’t gloat,” Stevie warned.

“Although I’m surprised it’s not If You Ever Did Believe? Doesn’t that have the ‘baby don’t leave me’ at the end?” she teased and grinned more broadly as the blondes eyes narrowed in annoyance.

“Don’t push your luck Moorhead, I have enough Callisto in me to know how to wield this sword.”

“Okay, okay,” Sarah said, chuckling, how does it go?”

“You have the Say You Will album, listen to it when you get home.” Stevie replied, stubbornly.

“Oh come on, just fucking tell me or I’ll make you sing it.” Sarah insisted.

Stevie sighed, realizing that the battle was already lost. “Maybe we were together in another life,” she said reciting the lyrics. “Maybe we are together in a parallel universe. Maybe our paths are not supposed to cross twice. Maybe your arms are not supposed to go around me.

“I hear about you now and then, I wonder where you are and how you feel. Sometimes I walk by and look up to your balcony, just to make sure that you were real. Just to make sure that I can still feel you.

“When I see you again, as I always do, it appears to me that destiny rules and the spirits are ruthless with the paths they choose. It’s not being together, it’s just following the rules, no one’s a fool.” She shrugged when she was finished and looked at Sarah. A single tear slid down the stuntwoman’s cheek but otherwise she looked calm.

“I guess this is it then,” she said quietly. “I do have to let you go.”

“Only if you’re ready to,” Stevie countered. “I’ll always be sort of crazy about you.”

“That’s just because you’re sort of crazy.” Sarah replied with a smile. “I guess we should go back to your future girlfriend’s party.” She said standing up and extending her hand to Stevie.

“I think you’re putting the cart before the horse but fine,” she replied taking the offered hand and standing gracefully.

“So you actually got over me?” Sarah asked trying to mask her disbelief as they walked back to the party.

“Never,” Stevie said with a grin. “You broke my heart in seventeen places and I’m making a good show at trying to carry on.”

Sarah grinned. “That’s okay then.” They flashed their wristbands at the party entrance inside and the stuntwoman put a restraining hand on Stevie’s forearm before they moved any further. “Seriously, I want you to see where this thing with Lizzy will take you. I want you to be happy.”

“I know that,” Stevie reassured the taller woman. “But it isn’t you or anyone else that will make me happy. I have to do that myself for Callisto and me. But honestly, any happiness I find you will always be a part of so stop being sappy.”

Sarah nodded and led the way to the dance floor. They spotted Solari and Lizzy just off to the side chatting and enjoying the music. “Where have you guys been?” Lizzy asked, concern in her voice as the two walked up to join them.

“We were just outside chatting,” Sarah explained. “Not to worry, Stevie didn’t pick on any thugs while we were out there.”

Stevie rolled her eyes and smiled when the band began a new song. With the haunting sound of a pipe organ, the band began to play the waltz from Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion. The minor chords and melody added a new layer of ghostly atmosphere to the Halloween party. Couples enthusiastically paired up and headed to the dance floor. “Would you like to dance?” Stevie asked Lizzy, the Callisto edge completely gone from her voice. The archaeologist’s cheeks flushed pink and her eyes grew wide. She had the look of a woman really wishing the earth would open and swallow her whole.

Sarah read her panic and tapped Stevie on the shoulder. “This dance is mine,” she said possessively. “For old time’s sake at least.”

Stevie smiled at Lizzy a little sadly but took Sarah’s hand and walked to the dance floor. As they turned, Sarah winked at Lizzy, smiling warmly as she turned her attention to Stevie.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Solari whispered.

“I can’t fucking dance,” Lizzy explained defensively. “I suck at it. There aren’t a hell of a lot of opportunities to learn that skill out on a dig, is there”

“Do you honestly think that matters to Stevie?” Solari insisted. “Something tells me that she’d be more than happy to do the leading. You can count to four and you can stand up so you can dance!”

Lizzy watched as the two armored women swayed with the music. They were both proficient enough to do a proper waltz to the music with Sarah leading. They received the casual glance from some nearby dancers but with the variety of costumed dancers occupying the floor, two women wearing leather dancing together really didn’t seem the least bit out of place.

“Damn, she’s hot.” Lizzy muttered under her breath.

“Which one?” Solari asked, staring at the two women as well. “They’re both PETA’s worst nightmare if you’re trying to explain the evils of leather.”

Lizzy chuckled. “Do I detect a bisexual mood swing?” she asked playfully. “It’s been a couple of years hasn’t it?”

Solari grinned. “Three to be exact, which is beginning to seem a bit too long.” She studied the dancers for a couple more moments as if coming to a decision. “I’d say you owe me sweetie but you really don’t.” With that she kissed Lizzy on the cheek and headed onto the dance floor. Lizzy watched as Solari walked up behind Stevie and dutifully tapped her on the shoulder. Both women stopped dancing. Words were exchanged and seconds later, Sarah was waltzing with Solari and Stevie was headed back to Lizzy.

“I’ve never been ‘cut in on’ before,” she announced with a grin as she returned to the archaeologist’s side.

“Does it deserve a drink?” Lizzy asked, leading the way back to the punch bowl.

“Why not,” Stevie replied. “Still no alcohol though. I still feel enough of Callisto rattling around in here that anything stronger than punch is a real turn off.”

Lizzy nodded in understanding. “It’ll go away when you take the armor off,” she explained.

“I’ll be ready.” Stevie replied.

Lizzy looked up, concern etched on her features. “Is something wrong?” she asked. “Because if you’re not cool with this…”

Stevie put a gentle hand on Lizzy’s forearm, noting how warm the shorter woman felt. “Everything is totally okay,” she said. “I’m just saying that I’m used to dealing with Callisto in my sleep, and doing that while awake is a disconcerting experience. I was a jerk earlier, that sort of thing. And I apologize for that by the way.”

“I don’t think you were a jerk,” Lizzy disagreed. “Just assertive, and that isn’t a bad thing,” She swallowed as Stevie arched an eyebrow, interested. “I mean I know its just Callisto…”

She didn’t get a chance to continue because several more people from the museum recognized Lizzy and walked up to chat. This time however Stevie stood next to her, graciously met the museum folk and was more than happy to chat shop. With a wry smile Stevie noted how the archeologist relaxed with her as the focus shifted to antiquities and away from the dance of courtship.

Before long Solari and Sarah returned and the foursome continued to enjoy the party and each other’s company. Sarah and Solari had devised a game of predicting the various professions and personal foibles of different party-goers. Lizzy warned the stuntwoman that any guessing game with a psychic was folly but Sarah didn’t seem to mind. It was nearly midnight when Stevie decided that she was ready to part company with Callisto’s second skin.

Lizzy had excused herself to use the bathroom and Stevie followed. Sarah watched her walk across the gallery.

“You’re going to be fine.” Solari said, following Sarah’s line of vision.

“You sound certain of that,” the stuntwoman replied.

The psychic grinned. “Oh I am.”

Stevie was glad no one else was in the bathroom and she waited quietly for Lizzy to exit the stall. Lizzy jumped, startled when her eyes landed on Stevie.

“I didn’t hear you come in,” she said, washing her hands.

“What can I say, you made a quiet outfit,” she said with a grin. “A lovely outfit, but one I think I’m ready to part ways with.”

Lizzy nodded looking a little confused. “You want to head back to Mel’s?” she asked quietly.

Stevie cocked her head and studied Lizzy in the bathroom mirror. “Yeah, to change. But…” she said taking a step closer and looking at Lizzy directly, “I thought I might bring the costume over to your place. Something tells me you might not be having a house guest tonight.”

“That would be great,” Lizzy blurted and tried for something less eager sounding. “I wouldn’t want the armor to get damaged or anything.”

Stevie couldn’t help but chuckle, considering the numerous piles of rocks that Callisto’s armor had been buried under over the years. “That sounds good. I’ll meet you at your place in about forty-five minutes?”

Before she could answer or lean in for the kiss she knew Stevie was considering, the bathroom door opened and Belinda from the museum came in. She smiled and nodded to the two women, oblivious as to what she’d just interrupted. Stevie winked at Lizzy and left. Lizzy stood for a moment staring at the closed stall door and for the briefest instant considered having Belinda fired.

Stevie caught Sarah’s eye as she left, the stuntwoman dancing once again with Solari. Sarah grinned and flashed her the ‘thumbs up’ sign. Stevie chuckled to herself that it was a little unclear as to which situation she was promoting; hers with Lizzy or her own with the psychic. While she wasn’t the least bit psychic herself, she predicted that there would be two women sleeping in the witch’s grotto that night, both brunette.

As promised, Mel left the door unlocked. Stevie opened it quietly and could hear the sounds of conversation and laughter coming from the other room. Silently she made her way upstairs and considered what to wear. Oddly it was Callisto’s voice in her own head that answered her; calculating, but disinterested.

“Look irresistible,” the voice said, “but let her take charge. It’s the only way those two dead hags won’t disassemble the house with you two in it.”

“Janice and Melinda are not hags,” Stevie muttered sternly. “And isn’t ‘irresistible’ not really letting Lizzy make a choice?”

“There is a chance she’ll petrify herself into making the wrong choice,” Callisto’s voice said matter of factly. “She needs to make this seduction, not you, doesn’t mean it won’t scare her whitless. If it’s coming from her the dead women will have no choice but to support her. Look, I don’t care if you get laid or not. But I suspect you care and I’m telling you how to make that happen if you don’t want to spend the night cleaning up broken dishes. The psychology of dead people is something I know a little about.”

“Alright, alright,” Stevie said, surrendering to the voice in her head. “I’ll wear the leather pants.”

“No,” Callisto answered. “Black dress, heels, perfume, no jewelry, just your watch. You’ve been wearing leather all evening and it will just remind her of me.”

Partly out of stubbornness, partly out of the sense of security it provided, and feeling like she knew more about accessories than a centuries dead warrior, Stevie donned her small silver crescent moon necklace. “Why are you helping me?” she asked as she took her short black dress from the closet.

“Because you’re trying to help me.” The voice answered and was silent.

Stevie Montgomery thought about Callisto’s words as she walked back to Lizzy’s house. Much of the night was a jumble with so many unfamiliar thoughts and feelings coursing through her. She was relieved to be wearing clothes again that felt as comfortable and familiar to her as she knew the warrior’s armor felt to Callisto. Taking a deep breath, she knocked at the door.

Seconds later the door opened and Lizzy stood at the entry, smiling broadly.

“You look amazing,” Lizzy said as she stepped to the side and allowed Stevie to answer. “Please, come in.”

“You look pretty fantastic yourself,” Stevie said easily as she handed off the bag of armor and the sword in the scabbard. Lizzy was wearing black slacks with a silky green blouse. She was wearing a little makeup, smelled wonderful and the hair at the base of her neck was still damp, clearly she’d just showered.

Lizzy put the bag of armor on the floor next to a chair in the living room and gestured for Stevie to take a seat on the couch. “Can I get you something to drink?” she asked.

Stevie smiled, the archaeologist’s level of nervousness already palpable. That would certainly have to be addressed. “I think I’m ready for a glass of wine now,” she said gently. “If you think your grandmother’s will put up with that.”

Lizzy grinned and looked around the living room. “I’m hoping for the best,” she said. “I’ll be back in a minute with our wine. Please make yourself at home.”

Lizzy poured two glasses of wine and paused at the kitchen doorway, looking at the broom propped up against her refrigerator. She was sure she saw the rustic wood broom vibrate slightly. “Please let me do this,” she whispered to her grandmothers. “You’re not going to scare her off. Look into our hearts, if she doesn’t care about me or if I don’t care about her then feel free to make all the noise you want. But if you see how we feel about each other and it’s real, then let me have tonight. I’ve never asked this of you before, but I’m asking now, because this is worth it.” She looked at the broom again satisfied to see that it was as still as a tomb.

“Glass of wine?” She said offering the glass to Stevie. She put the bottle down on the coffee table and took a seat next to Stevie on the couch.

“Thank you,” Stevie replied graciously, softly clinking her glass to Lizzy’s. “Here’s to getting carried away.”

Lizzy blushed remembering the night she’d spent with Stevie and where the evening was headed. “You spent a lot of time with Sarah tonight, is everything okay?” she asked, and then inwardly flinched. She suspected that on the top ten listing of How To Get Somewhere With Women, discussing her previous ex-girlfriend wasn’t mentioned.

“Stevie and Sarah needed to have a chat,” Stevie said, taking a sip of wine. “So did Callisto and Xena. This whole past life thing is as exhausting as it is confusing.”

“I know the feeling,” Lizzy agreed. “Did you get anything resolved?”

Stevie smiled, favoring Lizzy with soft brown eyes that held a world of promise. “Yeah, I think we did. I think Callisto really forgave her for what happened to her family, I think Xena forgave Callisto for…well… for everything. As for Stevie and Sarah,” she sighed, “it’s hard but we really had to let go; realize that admitting we aren’t the One for each other doesn’t mean we love each other any less. We’re always going to be close, we’re never going to let go, but knowing that intellectually and really feeling it can be two different things.” Stevie took another sip of wine. “She’s got her own stuff she’s dealing with. Her relationship with me aside, I know there is a very big part of her that doesn’t understand why you and she aren’t drawn to each other and why you and I are; the way the two of you have been lifetime after lifetime. I think it’s her Xena-sized ego, and on some level she might agree. She actually sent me off with her blessing tonight and gave me strict warnings about hurting you and bringing down the wrath of Xena for another few thousand years.” Both women stared into the fire for a moment, each considering her own thoughts. “What about you?” Stevie asked. “How are you doing?”

“I won’t lie,” Lizzy replied, knowing full well the flush to her cheeks would make that impossible. “I was a mess earlier; I felt really conflicted. It’s a strange place to be when what you see communicates one reality and what you know is another. Seeing you dressed like Callisto tonight really scared me. It dredged up feelings buried for who knows how long? But at the same time I’m not Gabrielle, I’m me and seeing you in Callisto’s armor brought up feelings of an entirely different sort; you looked powerful, you looked dangerous, you looked beautiful and I very much felt like…like…” Lizzy tried to find the words to match her feelings.

“A village ready to be pillaged?” Stevie supplied helpfully remembering Amazon’s look of desire. The broom next to the ‘fridge fell over and the two women looked at each other, smiling sheepishly. “A bad analogy I know.” Stevie murmured.

“But entirely accurate,” Lizzy had to agree. Sitting this close to Stevie Lizzy was aware that the feeling of wanting to be pillaged hadn’t lessened any. While she’d rushed home to shower and dress, she knew that Stevie hadn’t had the time. She’d changed her clothes and looked stunning, but she still carried the faintest scent of leather mixed with her intoxicating perfume. She’d retouched her makeup and Lizzy was helpless to do anything but be captivated by her guest.

“So where would you like to go from here?” Stevie asked glancing at the archaeologist shyly. She’d taken her conversation with Callisto to heart and decided that this would indeed be Lizzy’s night. Especially here, in this house, the seduction would be Lizzy’s. Stevie had no doubt that would be they only way to move things along and keep the house in one piece at the same time.

Lizzy took a sip of wine and asked, “Would you like to dance?”

“I’d love to,” Stevie replied warmly. “I didn’t think you wanted to earlier.”

“I felt out of my element before,” Lizzy admitted, color rising to her cheeks once again she had no doubt. “I still do to be honest, but I don’t mind being out of my element with just you.” She stood and walked over to her CD player.

“I think that’s probably one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me,” Stevie replied, beaming.

“I…ah…” Lizzy wasn’t sure how to broach the subject and tried for the direct approach. “I don’t have any Stevie Nicks CDs,” She admitted. As she expected the Egyptologist frowned in disapproval. “But I do have this,” she added holding up the Practical Magic soundtrack hopefully. She put the CD in the changer and selected the track then held out her hand to Stevie.

“This will do nicely,” Stevie said knowing what the selection would be before the song even started. “We can work on your music library later.” She accepted Lizzy’s hand as she put her wine glass down at the edge of the table with Lizzy’s and joined her in the center of the small living room, the fire casting warm glowing shadows all around them. The song began and the two began to dance. This was not a dance between people who had shared each other’s space for centuries, instinctively knowing each other’s steps and movements. This was a dance of discovery; neither quite leading, neither quite following.

Do you always trust your first initial feeling?
Special knowledge holds truth bears believing
I turned around
And the water was closing all around
Like a glove
Like the love that had finally, finally found me
And I knew
In the crystalline knowledge of you
Drove me thru the mountains
Thru the crystal-like clear water fountain
Drove me like a magnet
To the sea

They held each other close, brown eyes gazing down into green, happy in the discovery of each other’s details from this close proximity. Stevie felt warm in Lizzy’s arms, warm and soft. As Lizzy looked up at her she tried to recall the fear she felt only a couple of hours earlier. These were the same eyes, the same tousled platinum blonde hair, the same rich voice. Only now the voice sounded gentle and soothing to her hears, not threaded with danger and deceit. Her eyes were soft and welcoming and not the windows into the soul of a killer she’d mistakenly imagined earlier, and her hair no longer seemed wild and unkempt, it smelled divine and promised to be very soft to the touch.

How the faces of love have changed turning the pages
And I have changed oh, but you…you remain ageless
I turned around
And the water was closing all around
Like a glove
Like the love that had finally, finally found me
Then I knew
In the crystalline knowledge of you
Drove me thru the mountains
Thru the crystal-like clear water fountain
Drove me like a magnet
To the sea

Stevie watched Lizzy study her. She didn’t mind, she was happy to have the ocean green eyes roam wherever they’d like as long as she was looking at her. She suspected she was comparing her appearance now with how she must have looked dressed as a psychotic warrior. Stevie looked down at Lizzy realizing that she did indeed look very much like a modern-day Gabrielle; her short hair softly framed her face and eyes that held a promise of passion as well as mischief.

They slowly came to a stop as the song ended and leaning up Lizzy covered Stevie’s lips with her own. Finally here and now, with no danger of interruption Stevie fully surrendered to the kiss. Lizzy’s lips were soft and warm and in moments parted for her. Stevie accepted the invitation even as she felt a strong but gentle hand reach up and thread it’s way through her hair touching the sides of her neck and face.

Lizzy could not imagine a more complete sense of bliss as Stevie responded to her kiss. In seconds wonderfully gentle arms had surrounded her with a soft, warm hand caressing her throat. “I could kiss you all night,” Lizzy murmured as she tilted her head for a new angle.

“I intend to let you,” Stevie murmured softly before lightly brushing her tongue across Lizzy’s bottom lip.

The archaeologist’s eyes flared with desire and she pressed her lips more firmly against those of the taller woman. As she walked Stevie backwards toward the couch she bumped into the coffee table. While she didn’t hear them fall she had no doubt that she’d knocked over the two wine glasses sitting on the table’s edge and she’d have wine stains on her rug. In that moment she couldn’t have cared less. Surprisingly gracefully Stevie sat down with Lizzy’s lips still firmly attached to her own. Moments later both women broke for air and glanced at the coffee table. Lizzy was shocked to see both wine glasses, still half full sitting in the middle of the table. With a broad smile on her lips Lizzy glanced upstairs to the room that housed her grandmothers’ urn and uttered a silent ‘thank you’.

Still grinning she returned her attention to the Egyptologist and kissed her again. For long moments she did nothing but enjoy the sublime sensation of warm lips and tongue sliding against hers and the silken fingertips brushing against her face. This was so much better than the dancing. In time though unwelcome thoughts began to intrude into Lizzy’s consciousness. Not unlike the nagging nervousness she felt just before Stevie’s arrival. It occurred to her once again that she had no idea what she was doing, no idea where this was going. Was there some sort of ritual she should be following? How would she know when to make the next move? Was she moving too fast as it was? Too slow? Should she invite her upstairs to her bedroom? Would it happen here on her couch? Did Stevie know she felt completely and utterly out of her element? Her heart couldn’t beat any faster because it was already pounding with desire, but even so the tightness in her chest came from feelings much more sinister than passion.

She told her self that her panic was stupid, but that didn’t really help. Knowing a thing and feeling a thing can be miles apart. She’d had sex with men, how different could this be, but even as she thought that she knew that this too was miles apart. This was someone she really cared about and didn’t want to blow it.

Lizzy stopped and took a deep breath fully aware that her cheeks must be flushing crimson.

“What’s wrong?” Stevie asked, clearly sensing the other woman’s distress and being concerned about it.

Lizzy closed her eyes and opened them, scarcely believing she was going to say out loud what she’d been thinking. “I don’t know what I’m doing,” she said simply. “I want…I want…very much for things to move to the next level, but I don’t know how to do that.”

Stevie studied her silently for a moment and then leaned back on the couch. She reclined after picking up her wine glass and crossed one leg over the other. As she moved her short black dressed hitched up a bit revealing more of her thigh.

“Next level?” she teased gently her voice low and kind of sultry. “Do I look like a video game to you?”

Lizzy smiled, finding the humor in what she’d said and regretting she’d said it. “I feel like you know what should be happening next and you’re not telling me.” The archaeologist said quietly.

Stevie took a sip of wine and considered her words carefully. “Sweetie, if I thought you were one bit off track, I’d tell you. Seriously. If you were trying to do anything I wasn’t comfortable with, I’d find a gentle way to stop you.” She studied her companion for a moment, her eyes direct, but not unkind. “Maybe I’m feeling completely at ease and absolutely enjoying myself – which is what you should be doing. This isn’t a race you know, do I seem like I’m in a hurry?”

Lizzy shrugged. “I just figured, because you’ve been with…” She couldn’t finish her sentence because a tender index finger was resting on her lips.

“Please don’t,” Stevie said quietly, leaning forward. “Everyone is different. I’m not comparing you to anyone else and I’d appreciate it if you don’t compare you to anyone else.”

Lizzy nodded and looked at Stevie for several moments. Certainly she’d spent enough time between sleep and consciousness fantasizing about how this moment would be, and actually in it – it wasn’t what she expected. While she was never inept in her fantasies, they didn’t have the scent of the Egyptologists perfume or the silky texture of her skin. As she starred her eyes caught the small silver necklace that dangled enticingly at the top of Stevie’s cleavage.

“What are you thinking?” Stevie asked curiously seeing the distraction on Lizzy’s face.

“That’s a really beautiful necklace,” Lizzy answered. Taking the other woman’s encouragement to heart, she reached out and touched the delicate silver strand that held the small crescent shape. Tracing the necklace with her fingertip she followed the silver path up across the Egyptologist’s collar bone. Once there, she traced the prominent bone lightly with the pad of her finger and passed across the delicate hallow at the base of Stevie’s throat to the collar bone on the other side. “I’d really like to kiss you there,” Lizzy said quietly, her finger resting above a thrumming jugular vein on Stevie’s neck.

“I’d be disappointed if you didn’t,” Stevie whispered back.

Lizzy smiled as she leaned in, enjoying once again the indescribable scent of the Stevie’s perfume. Lightly she kissed the warm neck, pleased at the sound of the sharp intake of breath from the other woman. There was something in that sound that made Lizzy feel seven shades of wonderful. Knowing the sound was an involuntary one of pleasure and that she’d caused it did much to belay her own feelings of clumsiness. She kissed her way up the Egyptologists neck, delighted in the softness and scent of the blonde’s long hair. “Would you like to go upstairs?” she whispered, amazed that she’d found the courage to ask such a thing.

“Only if you kiss me first,” Stevie said turning her head and claiming Lizzy’s lips with her own. There was promise in that kiss, the invitation to discover her and in turn be discovered.

“Are you going to make any other demands on me?” Lizzy asked playfully as she stood and extended her hand to Stevie.

“You can count on that,” The Egyptologist replied, her eyes twinkling. She accepted the offered hand and followed the archaeologist upstairs. At the top of the stairs she gently put her hand on Lizzy’s forearm, forestalling the other woman’s progress to the bedroom.

“Would you show me where you keep your grandmother’s ashes?” She asked quietly.

Lizzy blinked, surprised at the question. Thinking about it made sense; if Stevie could be in a room with the remains of her grandmothers and not have things flying off the shelves would be a pretty good indicator that she had the dead women’s blessing. With a nod Lizzy turned away from the bedroom and took three steps to the door to the study.

“Their will was very specific,” Lizzy explained as she pushed open the door and stood aside so Stevie could enter. “They wanted to be cremated and have their ashes added to the urn that held the ashes of Argo, Grandma Janice’s first dog.”

Stevie looked around at the study. One wall was entirely covered by books. On a shelf near the top was a very old looking urn, and next to it was a black and white picture in a simple frame. There was a stately wooden desk next to the wall by the door and just inside the door was a hatstand upon which rested an old brown fedora, a brown leather jacket, a canvas bag and a coiled bullwhip. The only thing that didn’t look like it’d come out of the 1940s was a futon couch against the back wall. Stevie’s eyes returned to the potograph once more. The photograph was of the two women, obviously taking a moment from their activities at a dig site and the large dog that Stevie had seen in the picture downstairs. Stevie studied the picture with a sad smile on her face. She’d heard the story from Dr. Covington herself of course, but it seemed important to Lizzy to tell it. “She must have loved that dog very much,” she said softly.

Lizzy nodded. “Very much,” she agreed. “Dogs weren’t cremated back in those days,” she explained. “Grandma Melinda told me that when Argo died, Janice went out back and built a funeral pyre. Auntie Pandora’s sons offered to help, but Janice wanted to do it alone. She worked through the night out in the orchard then they had an Amazon funeral for her. Janice kept her ashes in that urn. She had other dogs after Argo, but there was something special about that animal.”

Stevie nodded in understanding. “I know exactly what you mean,” she said. Her attention was drawn to the heavy wooden desk that took up a large part of the room. “Was this her desk?” she asked, touching the surface reverently. Lizzy nodded even as she noticed a slight wobble in the urn perched on it’s shelf.

“Why did you want to see them?” Lizzy asked curiously.

The archaeologist took a deep breath and spoke. She tried to keep her tone light but had only intermittent success. “I wanted to make sure that we didn’t have a scene from Carrie with everything flying off the shelves,” she began. “Also I wanted to tell you something, and I guess I wanted to say it in the presence of your grandmothers so there is no confusion.” She looked at Lizzy and smiled. “I really care about you, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t. Obviously I don’t want you to do anything you might regret,” she explained. “That said, I still have to go home tomorrow and I do live on the other side of the country…and…well I just didn’t want there to be any confusion as to what is going on here.”

Lizzy nodded slowly, trying to find the hidden meaning of the blondes words if there was one. “Are you worried I’ll get too attached or something?” Lizzy asked. She forced a casualness to her voice that she didn’t really feel. She already was attached to the tall blonde.

Stevie smiled and chuckled to herself. “If anything honey, I’m worried that I’ll get too attached. I don’t do casual well,” she admitted. “I’ve tried, lord knows with Sarah I tried and you see how we are.” She shook her head. “I’ll tell myself that I’m not that attached and the next thing you know I’m saving printed emails and attempting to fix dinner which is always a disaster for me.”

Lizzy smiled back. “You know you can always do take out,” she offered.

“That seems so uncaring,” Stevie replied with a soft smile.

The archaeologist shrugged. “If you put it in your own dishes and told me you made it, I wouldn’t suspect a thing.”

Stevie arched an eyebrow. “Are you inviting yourself over for dinner Ms. Covington?” she asked, with a careful glance to the urn on the shelf.

“Well, until I get your email address, it seemed like the thing to do.” She took a step towards Stevie. “Would you feel any better if I got attached first?” she asked gently taking Stevie’s hand.

“You know I have horrid nightmares, I’m in therapy, and I’m the reincarnation of a vicious psychotic killer,” she said.

“So I won’t let you sleep,” Lizzy whispered, placing a soft kiss on the inside of the Egyptologist’s wrist. “There are worse things in life than being in therapy,” she said kissing the bend of Stevie’s elbow. “And technically I’ve had experience with vicious killers,” she added placing a soft kiss on Stevie’s neck. “Theoretically I could be the perfect woman for you. Except I don’t have any idea of what I should be doing with a woman, so if you put up with my issues I’ll put up with yours.”

Stevie’s lips found Lizzy’s ear and she whispered, “You’re about to find out.” Both women smiled as Lizzy led them down the hall to the bedroom, away from her grandmothers’ ashes.

Lizzy held Stevie’s hand as they entered the room. “Just a sec,” she said quietly, leaving the Egyptologist standing at the foot of her bed. Quickly she turned on a couple of lava lamps and lit some candles before turning off the overhead light. Instantly the room was bathed in a soft warm glow as shadows danced on the walls from several flickering candles. To Stevie’s estimation, this room felt more comfortable than any other place in the house. While she appreciated the scholarliness of the office and living room, the sense of history, of work and research this room didn’t have that vibe. Sure, there were a couple of books on the a nightstand next to one side of the bed, but this room didn’t look like part of a libarary or museum. The furniture had clena sparse lines, more modern looking than the rest of the house. The bed was an elegant four poster with a quilted comofrter. Art dominated the walls not booksheves. There were some framed posters for bands Stevie hand’t heard of and a couple of framed photographic prints in black and white.

“That’s better,” Lizzy said to herself as she returned to Stevie and wrapped her arms around the Egyptologist’s waist. Looking up into soft brown eyes she smiled.

“This room feels so much different than the rest of the house,” Stevie said, wraping her arms around Lizzy in return and smiling at her. “I don’t know how I missed it before.”

Lizzy shrugged, “It was very late and your best friend was very drunk.” She glanced around her bedroom before continuing. “Most of the house is pretty much the way my grandmother’s had it. I saw no reason to change it when it came to me. It’s nostalgic, keeps them close. But the bedroom is a different matter. There was no way I could sleep night after night in my grandmother’s bedroom.”

“In case you had company?” Stevie teased gently.

Lizzy smiled. “Well now that you mention it, there is this hot blonde I’ve been after and I’d really like to make her feel wonderful.” She squeezed her arms around Stevie’s waist. “Care to give me any pointers?”

“I see.” Stevie replied arching an eyebrow. She gently ran her fingers through Lizzy’s short blonde hair and brought her hands to rest on strong shoulders. “Are you sure this woman knows you’re interested?” she asked innocently enough.

“I think so,” Lizzy replied seriously then dropped her voice to a husky whisper. “I went for some soft ‘mood’ lighting and if there was any confusion I was going to ask if she wanted to slip out of her sexy black dress.”

Stevie leaned down and brought her lips to rest next to the archaeologist’s ear once more. “Maybe she’d like you to undress her,” she whispered.

Lizzy swallowed hard and moved closer to the Egyptologist. Once again her lips found a responsive neck and as she lightly kissed the taller woman’s throat, she drew her hands up Stevie’s back; her palms gliding over the soft, black material. At the top she found a tiny snap and a zipper. With the snap undone, she slowly drew the zipper down, her hands now gliding over soft warm skin and a sheer bra. Bringing her hands to the front, she stepped back so she could see as she eased the dress over Stevie’s shoulders and let it fall to the floor. She couldn’t help but grin even as she knew she was blushing at the sight of the gorgeous woman standing there in her lacy black bra, matching panties and black stiletto heels. Aside from her creamy skin, the only points of color came from her blood read fingernails, red lips, silver necklace, platinum blonde hair and soft brown eyes. “Wow,” Lizzy breathed. Reaching out, Lizzy lightly traced the lace trim of Stevie’s bra. “Black is definitely your color,” she said.

Stevie smiled a bit bashfully and took a step towards the archeologist, deftly stepping out of her heels as she moved. While she seemed a bit shorter now, she was still a good five inches taller than the archaeologist. “My turn,” she said softly.

Lizzy stared in awe as long graceful fingers reached out to touch her green silk blouse. Stevie ran her hands over Lizzy shoulders and across the planes of her back enjoying the texture of the fabric before slowly bringing her hands to the top button of the blouse. “So, this girl you’re after,” she said conversationally, as she undid the first two buttons. “What do you have in mind for her.”

Lizzy gasped as warm fingers brushed across her skin under her blouse on their journey to the next button down. “Ah…” she said having a hard time keeping her voice conversational, “I’d like to kiss her some more, and ah…” she was distracted by the hands deftly undoing her belt and pants.

“And?” Stevie pressed as the pants fell to the floor and she eased Lizzy out of her blouse.

“And get acquainted with every square inch of her body.” Lizzy said, a hungry expression now coloring mist green eyes. “She claims to know everything about my body and I’d like to catch up.” She stepped out of her pants and wrapped her arms around the taller woman’s waist once more. Leaning up she kissed lips only too eager to bend down and meet her half way. For long moments they kissed delighting in the rising passion between the two of them. Equal parts fierceness, and tenderness tongues dueled in a dance of familiarity and discovery. Gently Lizzy pushed Stevie back towards the bed. As her legs met the resistance she felt the archaeologists warm hands making quick work of her bra fasteners. Someone’s shyness did indeed seem to be subsiding. “This is gorgeous, but has to go.” Lizzy husked as she tossed the bra in the general direction of Stevie’s black dress. “I want you to lay down,” she asked quietly but without the slightest bit of hesitation in her voice. Her eyes roamed over the now exposed breasts as the Egyptologist complied; stretching out on Lizzy’s bed, face down. Lizzy grinned at the unspoken challenge, she didn’t much care which expanse of skin she got acquainted with first since she planned to discover every inch.

“This will do for now,” she said softly. Undoing her own bra with one hand she tossed it on the floor and joined Stevie on the bed. For the first time since she met the Californian she really felt in her gut that everything was going to work out okay. She wasn’t worried about lack of experience or what the other woman might be thinking. For whatever reason, Stevie had chosen to be with her and in doing so had given her an invitation to discover her. Elizabeth Covington had accepted that invitation and without reservation intended to do just that.

She started with the planes of Stevie’s back, smooth expanses of soft skin that responded to her touch. Her strong hands moved gently over the warm planes and angles that were illuminated in the softly lit room. Her hands roamed over the tightly muscled back and across strong shoulders and arms. “Your skin is so soft,” she murmured, stretching out next to the Egyptologist, “and you smell amazing.” Acting on impulse Lizzy leaned down and planted a series of soft kisses down Stevie’s spine between her shoulder blades. She was satisfied by the sharp intake of breath that she heard and emboldened by the gooseflesh that followed in her wake. Moving soft blonde tresses out of the way, Lizzy kissed the back of Stevie’s neck and even nipped gently at the taught flesh of her shoulder.

“Yes,” Stevie hissed with a sigh of pleasure.

It was an interesting sensation, Lizzy considered, having a warm responsive body to discover that was acutely attuned to her own. In some distant part of her memory this was familiar, soft skin moving against same, knowing where to touch and how. More vividly though this was quite different from her clumsy attempts with men where things played out more like a full contact indoor sport. There was a heated quietness to this moment that Lizzy wanted to remember forever.

Reaching with her hands she covered Stevie’s hands with her palms and slid over the body beneath her. Her breasts brushed against skin and her legs moved over strong legs. She eased her body down and shifted her position to run the pads of her fingers down Stevie’s back, over the minimal amount of lacy fabric that served as her underwear and down muscled thighs and calves. The archaeologist kept her fingernails very short so there was nothing to keep questing fingertips from responsive skin.

“That feels wonderful,” Stevie murmured with a contented groan.

“It absolutely does,” Lizzy agreed as she hooked her index finger in the waistband of lacy panties. With a gentle tug she pulled and in moments they joined everything else on the floor of Lizzy’s bedroom. Covering Stevie’s hand with her own once more, she leaned in close, nuzzling the soft blonde locks and enjoying the fragrance as much as the closeness. “I’d love you to roll over,” she whispered thickly as her lips found the thrumming of a pulse once more.

Slowly, Stevie rolled towards Lizzy, brown eyes catching green and burning with desire. “I want you to have everything you desire,” the Egyptologist replied. Without hesitation Lizzy kissed her, letting her hands roam around newly exposed expanses of skin. She unpinned Stevie’s hand and was rewarded with the sensation of two lean arms wrapping themselves around her. Long nails teased the skin of her back as they gently scratched their way down her spine. There was no escaping the gasp of pleasure that Lizzy felt at the contact. She’d had no idea long nails could be so magnificent. Every nerve ending she had sang at the contact and she wanted to completely immerse herself in the body beneath her.

As they kissed Lizzy’s hands explored the smooth skin at Stevie’s waist and flat stomach. Moving her hand up she gently cupped a soft breast, delighting in how perfectly the Egyptologist’s body seemed to mesh with hers. “Would you mind if I kissed you here?” She asked, as her fingertip moved over a very firm nipple.

Strong hands moved from Lizzy’s back to thread inbetween the soft strands of blonde hair as Stevie turned Lizzy’s face so she could look into her eyes. “Please kiss me there,” she said, brown eyes positively smoldering. There was power and confidence in that kiss as well as trust. Only now did Lizzy understand Stevie’s words from earlier, that one could learn all the secrets of a body in an instant. There was no doubt in the archaeologist’s mind that her companion felt as fantastic as she did. There was no doubt that Stevie was enjoying the sensations Lizzy evoked as much as she was enjoying Lizzy’s journey of discovery.

Lizzy kissed a trail down the Egyptologist’s neck once more, across her breast bone and to the breast she’d just been caressing. Still delighting in the feel of the pliant flesh in her hand she explored with her mouth, kissing along the side before enclosing her lips around the waiting nipple. Stevie’s back arched and she groaned then gasped in delight at the contact. One of her hands was still threaded through Lizzy’s hair and pressure was applied to the back of the archaeologist’s head to keep that mouth exactly where the Egyptologist wanted it. For long moments Lizzy’s tongue swirled around the nipple, very pleased at the involuntary contractions she was causing. There was movement in her peripheral vision and out of the corner of her eye she could see that Stevie’s other hand had moved to the breast she wasn’t kissing. Stevie was lightly massaging her neglected breast, on occasion pinching or pulling at the nipple. With a smile Lizzy kissed her way across the other woman’s sternum and closed her lips around that nipple as well. With delight she could feel the nipple tighten even as it was still pressed in-between two of Stevie’s fingers which were captured in her mouth as well. A strong hand held her head firm and she wasn’t going to stop licking and sucking any time soon. Gently she let her teeth lightly scrape over the sensitive nub and was rewarded with another gasp of breath.

“Lizzy, that feels fucking amazing,” Stevie breathed arching into the smaller woman once more. “Don’t stop what you’re doing to my body.”

“Not a chance,” Lizzy mumbled, releasing the nipple and simply sucking on two of Stevie’s fingers instead. She was pleased at the sight of the gorgeous body beneath her, twitching involuntarily in pleasure.

“Your mouth is so warm,” Stevie murmured. “Wet and warm.”

Lizzy heard her speak, but it was as almost as if it were from a distance, distracted as she was by the sight of the body beneath her. The soft lighting was working it’s magic and Stevie’s body was bathed in shades of blue. She didn’t have much of a tan, and her creamy white skin only showed the faintest hint of tan lines from a bikini. Her breasts where firm, perfectly proportioned and inviting. Thin and fit, the muscles of her abdomen rippled slightly as she moved. Her gaze traveling further down she saw trim hips and a neatly trimmed patch of brown pubic hair. Stevie Nicks Montgomery was not a natural blonde.

Unable to help herself Lizzy smirked a little and looked up to Stevie’s face to apologize. There was no need. The Egyptologist was grinning right back at her. “You’d think my eyebrows would make that obvious,” she said simply.

“You are positively beautiful,” Lizzy said, smiling back. “And I believe you gave me permission to get acquainted with you everywhere.”

“I believe I did, and honey you’re on track so far.” Stevie gave a small chuckle, “are you sure you haven’t done this before?”

Lizzy shook her head but smiled proudly. “Must be in my genes I guess,” she said as she lightly drew her fingers across a muscled abdomen.

Stevie reached up and tousled Lizzy’s crown of short blonde hair then slowly drew her hand down the archaeologist’s front. “My turn?” she asked quietly.

Lizzy bit her lip at the seemingly impossible choice; to continue to explore or be explored in return. After a moment’s hesitation she shook her head. “Soon,” she said caressing a thigh strong from miles of running. In the dimly lit room, little light was reflected off of Stevie’s eyes. Even so, Lizzy was certain she could see her pupils dilate as her hand moved to the juncture between the other woman’s legs. Stevie threw her head back with a sigh of delight and as shadows played across the elegant neckline, down erect nipples and across muscled planes and angles, Lizzy was certain she’d never seen a more gorgeous sight in her life. Stevie Montgomery was a symphony of need waiting with strained patience for Lizzy to give her release.

In an instant though she was brought back to her own body and the sensations it was reporting. Her fingers had found Stevie where she was liquid desire. While it was hardly the first time she’d touched a woman, being well acquainted with herself after all, it was unlike any experience she’d enjoyed alone. Here she was feeling only half of the equation. She could feel Stevie, the radiating slick warmth and softness and see as well as hear the other half of the equation.

“Please,” Stevie panted, her voice thick with need.

“I was about to say the same thing,” Lizzy whispered, beaming at her lover. “Please let me,” she said as she slowly pushed two fingers inside.

“Anything you want,” Stevie gasped in reply. Brown eyes looked up in panic as Lizzy withdrew her two fingers. The panic subsided somewhat as Lizzy put those two fingers in her mouth and smiled broadly.

“I think I’ve wanted you from very nearly the moment I met you,” Lizzy said returning her fingers to the warm wetness once more. “And at every turn you are more magnificent than I could possibly imagine.”

Lizzy was certain that Stevie would have replied had she been capable of coherent thought, but clearly she’d stripped that ability from the Egyptologist with her rhythmic movement. Pleased beyond measure and feeling more alive than possibly she ever had, she lowered her face so her lips and tongue could join her fingers. What for Stevie felt like the most languid, patient journey to white light for Lizzy felt like paradise ending all too soon. The archeologist was not surprised that vaginal muscles held her in a vise like grip, aside from Stevie’s breasts she didn’t think there was an inch of flesh on this woman that wasn’t muscled, what did surprise her though was the indescribable connection she felt. She could feel the other woman’s heartbeat and nearly thought she could read her thoughts as well. She knew when to push, when to slowly bring her lips and tongue to the top of the cleft that made Stevie arch her back anew. She felt the rising tide and wanted to take it all in, consume every bit of the woman she was making feel so fantastic. It was nearly Lizzy’s undoing when she felt the strong hand at the back of her head, gentle – not commanding but perhaps suggesting. Being given anything she wanted, Lizzy was all to happy to give the other woman everything she needed. An instant later Stevie cried out in release and was still.

Had she been given more time to think only now would Lizzy have been faced with indecision. What was the proper etiquette here? She was literally soaked; more than just her face as she was supremely turned on, but what should she do? She wanted to continue kissing the Egyptologist

“Come here,” Stevie purred in a low husky voice that brokered no argument. “Stop obsessing.”

As Lizzy stretched out along the statuesque body next to her she wondered if indeed something had happened. Had what just transpired given Stevie the ability to read her mind? To see into her very soul? There was no time to think about that as her lover kissed her soundly, not the least bit concerned at the slickness passing between them. Lizzy would have sighed with relief had she not been skillfully rolled onto her back with Stevie’s thigh casually resting between her legs.

“You are fucking amazing,” Stevie said as she let her hands roam over the body beneath her.

“I really like the sound of you swearing,” Lizzy replied with a chuckle.

“Oh really?” Stevie said, with mock surprise as she gently moved both of the archaeologist’s hands over her head and held them in place with her left hand. “I think there is a sound of yours that I will enjoy even more,” she said. “Do you know what sound that is?”

“God, I hope it’s the one I’m thinking of,” Lizzy replied with a gasp as Stevie’s lips found her neck.

It was almost too much information to process Lizzy decided. A warm tongue was moving across her neck and sharp teeth were not being overly gentle in their attention. There was a roughness to what Stevie was doing that excited Lizzy to no end. Yet an instant later there was tenderness as well in lips that lovingly kissed her mouth, then pulled back just out of reach, teasing her. She hadn’t even been touched yet and Lizzy was certain she’d explode.

Stevie looked down then smiled in understanding and Lizzy knew she was lost. Stevie knew exactly what she was doing. Long blonde tresses leaned over her, and the small necklace dangled enticingly. “The way you’re feeling right now…” Stevie husked. “How much you want me, how much you need me to touch you…” She leaned close so her breath fluttered across Lizzy’s skin. “I need you, need to make you feel this good, that exact same amount.”

With the seemingly casual shift of Stevie’s hip Lizzy feared she’d pass out from need and bliss but in only moments more Stevie relented and touched her, loved her, everywhere she needed it.

“Is there anything you don’t want me to…” Stevie began as long delicate fingers made their way down the archaeologist’s torso.

“Fuck no!” Lizzy replied a tad more strongly than she would have intended.

“Alrightie then,” the Egyptologist replied with a chuckle, lowering her lips to an impatient breast. For long moments Stevie kept Lizzy pinned not letting the woman beneath her do anything but feel. After a bit she released the hands she held but was satisfied that the smaller woman remained too preoccupied to notice. She wanted Lizzy to do nothing but feel, to not be distracted by touching her, and was immeasurably pleased that she was indeed doing nothing but that.

At the lightest touch Lizzy’s thighs parted for her and Stevie kissed her way down the archaeologist’s stomach at the invitation. “You are so beautiful,” she murmured between kisses. “Everywhere.” She breathed gently across soft curls and Lizzy groaned in delight and expectation. Any experience she’d had before faded enough in comparison that this indeed felt like the first time she’d been with anyone. Softness, wetness, the scent of perfume and musk the sounds of her own desire ringing in her ears, there was not a sensory system she possessed that wasn’t taxed to the very limit of endurance.

All too soon the power and force of Lizzy’s orgasm took both women by surprise. Stevie was still for several long moments but didn’t move her mouth then, gently – very gently she moved her tongue once, then again this time adding her fingers and sent Lizzy on the roller coaster once more.

Sated, content feeling at peace with the universe for the first time in ages Stevie dozed, her head resting on Lizzy’s chest, her body sprawled across the smaller woman and the bed. It might have appeared awkward to some, the taller of the two sleeping on the shorter, but Stevie couldn’t recall feeling so comfortable. An hour or two may have passed and the Egyptologist was roused by a gentle caress of her hair. She simply lay there for several moments enjoying the sensation of being touched. Gentle fingers moved from her hair to the skin of her neck and across her shoulders. It felt lovely. As her brain caught up to the rest of her, she fluttered her eyelashes and was awake.

“Please, let me love you again,” Lizzy whispered, her voice gentle but insistent.

Stevie smiled, all too happy to comply. “As much as you want,” she whispered back, returning the kiss of the hungry lips that had found hers. “For as long as you want,” she thought to herself as she surrendered to the body rolling her over and pinning her down so sweetly.

Chapter Seven

“Are all those tears necessary
For all that pain that you carry
You just send those tears away
Come in and out of the darkness
It’s a beautiful day

I’m just at the other end of your night
I’m always in and out of your light

Right down the middle of all your dreams
Oooh, in your dreams”

In Your Dreams – Stevie Nicks

Stevie blinked her eyes against the strong California sun. The waves sparkled a short distance away and the sand was the color of light caramel. It was warm but not overly so, as a cool breeze came off the ocean. She stopped a moment at the end of the Santa Monica pier happy to see the picnic basket and fishing poles where she’d imagined they’d be. Picking them up she walked along the wooden planks enjoying the scent of the sea. Passing the vacant amusement park, shops, restaurants and sunglasses kiosks, Stevie soon saw Callisto standing at the far end of the pier. The warrior was dressed in her usual armored attire, while Stevie was wearing comfortable shorts, a tank top and running shoes. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail and she wore a baseball hat to keep the sun out of her eyes.

“What’s going on here?” Callisto asked dubiously, eyeing the picnic basket and fishing poles with suspicion.

“I’ve figured some things out.” Stevie replied with a warm smile. “Or I should say you figured some things out.”

“You must be suffering from exhaustion,” Callisto shot back. “What is it? Six o’clock your time? You’ve been fucking all night. Clearly you’re not thinking right.”

Stevie shrugged with a broad smile. “Maybe so, did you miss me?” Callisto rolled her eyes. “I followed your advice with Lizzy dearie,” she said imitating the warrior’s tone dead on. “Don’t blame me that it worked like a charm. Is the problem that she was once Gabrielle?” the Egyptologist asked. “Because that would make you as biased as her Grandmother who was also once Gabrielle.”

“The problem, dearie,” the warrior replied with a frown “is that you’re setting yourself up to be hurt. Look what Xena did to you. What makes you think this will end any better? If you’re going to come here looking for a shoulder to cry on, you’re crazier than I am.”

Stevie smiled and handed a fishing pole to the warrior. “Actually I had a reversal of that in mind.” She looked out over the ocean, amazed at the brilliant azure color her dream provided. While the sea was never ugly, Santa Monica was not the most picturesque stretch of coastline that California had to offer. Awake she’d never dream of fishing off of this pier, being too worried about what the fish might be carrying living so close to storm and sewage drains, but here, in her dream the ocean and beach were as pristine as they should be, which was a start. “You told me when you were a little girl that the sea was special to you,” Stevie continued. “That your mom would pack a lunch and that a group from the village would spend the day at the beach.”

“So?” The warrior asked.

Stevie shrugged. “I thought we could talk about that. Swap beach stories, have a normal conversation for a change. Who knows, maybe we’ll become friends or something.”

Callisto was speechless, which was not a common occurrence. “You want to relive my childhood? Oh you have got to be kidding.”

“I’m sure it doesn’t work that way.” Stevie replied. “But I see no reason why you can’t experience a different life, now, even though you’re dead. I can’t redeem you Callisto, I can only redeem me. You’ve forgiven Xena and I think that’s a huge step. But there is a bigger one. I think that was the piece missing that my previous lives didn’t get. You have to be forgiven, not by Xena, not by me – but by you. You have to really forgive yourself from the very beginning- for not being able to save your family, and you have to forgive yourself for everything you’ve done since. You’ve never had a friend, until now…”

“I’ve never had want or need of one, including now.” Callisto said flatly.

The Egyptologist chuckled. “You might change your mind when you see how well I can cook in my dreams,” she replied. “Honestly, would you have shown me all that you have, lifetime after lifetime if you weren’t looking for a way out? You forgave Xena. How many lifetimes has it taken for you to do that? You’re going to tell me that isn’t a step in the right direction? And honestly, giving me pointers with Lizzy last night was a very ‘friendly’ thing to do. Don’t blame me if I choose to take you up on it.” Stevie put the basket down and opened the lid. From inside she withdrew a small Tupperware container of hot dog bits. She withdrew a piece of the…for lack of a better term… meat and put it on the hook of her fishing line. Casting out a short distance from the pier she watched the bobber dance merrily on the ocean’s surface.

“What is that?” the warrior asked.

“Hot dogs,” Stevie replied. “But you’ll learn more about those when we do some sort of Memorial Day barbeque. For now, consider it bait.”

“I don’t think so,” Callisto said as she withdrew a chunk of meat from the container. Instantly it turned into a large worm that moved sluggishly in her hand.

“That is so cool,” Stevie said. “You can do that because you’re a god?”

Callisto baited her hook, not flinching as the worm twisted and struggled. “I can do this because you’re dreaming. After everything you’ve seen and you’re impressed with a worm?”

“You have a point,” Stevie said, casting out her line. Casually she glanced over at the warrior who had also cast out her line.

“You want to talk so talk,” Callisto said without looking at her. “You know how much I love chit-chat.”

Stevie chuckled; she was not about to be intimidated by her twin. “My childhood was pretty good,” she said conversationally. “My mom took me to the beach every summer as well to stay with her sister. We’d build sand castles, and make sand candles, plaster castings of fish with sea shells as the scales, all kinds of things. I remember falling asleep to the sound of the waves crashing on the sand. To this day I can’t think of anything more relaxing.”

“Sounds nice,” Callisto agreed watching her fishing line. “So what are you going to do with the Gabrielle?” she asked after a few moments of silent contemplation.

Stevie smiled. “Everything I can possibly think of.” Callisto rolled her eyes and Stevie coughed reconsidering the question. “Honestly I don’t know. We’re just at the beginning. We live on two different coasts, there isn’t much that could keep us together with all practicality.”

Callisto smirked, clearly enjoying her own thoughts. “You’d be surprised with the things you find yourself doing when you want something badly enough,” she said quietly.

“I guess love and revenge have something in common that way,” Stevie allowed with a nod. “I’d really like this to work out,” she added quietly.

The warrior shrugged, “the odds aren’t very good.” She watched a group of pelicans flying in formation just skimming the ocean’s surface before climbing higher. “Still, it’s clear she’s crazy about you. Or at least just crazy. We know what side of the family she gets that from.”

Stevie smiled. “I’ll admit she’s got it bad for me, which is a wonderful feeling I must say. Not that anyone would say my family tree is perfectly sane. Still, some of what she likes I think I get from you and I don’t think that has anything to do with her lineage,” she said softly her mind filling with images of only several hours previously.

Callisto turned brown eyes narrowing and faced Stevie. “Just because I’m not actively killing someone right now, don’t mistake who you’re talking to. I am not a set of qualities that you’ve absorbed and use to bed women. I’m not some bear you’ve domesticated and can now feed hot dogs,” she said coldly with a pointed glance at the picnic basket. “I am a memory that has driven you to any number of horrific deaths. I am your depression and I am driving you mad.”

Stevie looked back, her eyes every bit as cold and hard. “Not today sister,” she said, her voice ominous. “That may have been how we’ve played this forty-two times before, but it stops here. Maybe that was our problem, too many of my former selves let you bully them, but not me. We are going to talk, you are going to grow and if I have to put up with this shit in my sleep for the rest of my life, then so be it.”

“So you’re a therapist now?” Callisto shot back acidly. ”You and I both know that in spite of the amount of hours you’ve spent in therapy you’re hardly qualified. Are you really going to deconstruct me?”

Stevie didn’t budge. “I’m not, we are. I am finished with spending night after night doing nothing but reliving the horror that was your life. You’ve told me yourself where that road leads and I don’t want to go there. I am not you, but if I’m a reincarnated you, then in a way I’m related to you. I felt it when I wore your armor. There is a fearlessness, confidence and aggression I can touch just below my surface and that is you. I have a temper, I’ve been known to throw the occasional plate and Sarah has a scar on the back of her head to prove it. That is also you. I am going to deconstruct you to see where I fit. Not as a shrink, because frankly you don’t have the money for that, but as a friend because I’m completely qualified for that. You can talk to me, see what I have to offer or you can go away and sulk. The choice is yours. You’ve told me that I’m in charge of my dreams and that’s what we’re doing.”

Callisto cocked her head not looking surprised as much as impressed. “You’re not the least bit afraid of me,” she said.

“How can I be afraid of myself?” Stevie answered. “Maybe that was the mistake we’ve made before. The other lives trying so hard to keep you separate from them. I’ll own the fact that I was you, in all your horror all those centuries ago. I will own the things you did and the choices you made. But I am not my past. Still, in my line of work I obviously know the value of one’s past and I can learn from it, understand it, and grow. You are more than a relic Callisto, much more.”

Just then there was a tug at her fishing line and Stevie reeled in a fish. It was large and fought like hell but in a few minutes she’d brought the fish onto the pier and removed the hook from it’s mouth. She looked at Callisto uncertainly. “I’ve no idea what kind of fish this is,” she admitted.

The warrior smirked. “Seabass,” she replied.

Stevie’s eyes grew wide. “You’re kidding, I love seabass!”

“Imagine that,” Callisto said rolling her eyes amused. “Now how could that possibly happen?”

The two continued to fish and talk about the sea and their various memories of it until the breeze took on a distinctly cold chill. They’d each caught a fish and the ocean had shifted from azure to indigo. The sun began to make its way across the sky, playing hide and seek with some white puffy clouds when the two began to walk back down the pier. Callisto carried the poles and fish while Stevie carried the picnic basket. They were halfway down the pier when they spotted two familiar women at a sunglasses kiosk.

Janice Covington was trying on various styles of sunglasses, deciding which went best with her hat. Melinda Pappas was trying on straw hats, occasionally nudging the archaeologist for her opinion.

“Dr. Covington, Miss Pappas,” Stevie said, surprised in spite of herself.

“What are you doing here?” Callisto finished looking down at the archaeologist with disdain.

Stevie shrugged, “Obviously I’d have said that more politely.”

Melinda nodded. “We understand, hon.”

Janice took the pair of sunglasses she held and put them in the pocket of her jacket. “You’ve ravaged my granddaughter for god knows how many hours and you don’t honestly think you’ll get a visit from me?” she asked.

“We weren’t watching,” Melinda quickly explained putting the straw hat back on the rack.

“But we couldn’t help but overhear, we are just down the hall,” Janice added.

“Maybe you should tell her to move the ashes and that fucking broom to the basement,” Callisto suggested as she started down the pier once more knowing full well she’d read Stevie’s thoughts.

“Relax kiddo,” Janice replied smoothly to Stevie, “You’re going home today, it’s not like we can travel to California…or can we?”

“You can’t,” Callisto said flatly. “You said yourself that getting to Mel’s place was a stretch.”

Janice shrugged. “So what’s for dinner?”

“Who said you were invited?” The warrior shot back then realized she’d given the archaeologist the rise she wanted. Annoyed she picked up the pace heading off of the pier and down the beach towards the sand. Stevie watched her walk on ahead, noticing that Melinda, with legs every bit as long was having no trouble keeping up with her. Moments later the Southerner ha’d taken the fishing poles from Callisto and was helping her find a good spot on the beach to fix dinner.

“What’s going on there?” Stevie asked, curious watching Melinda and Callisto.

Janice shrugged. “She’s a Xena, remember? That little scene with you and the stuntwoman last night had her sobbing. Xena forgives her so Melinda forgives her.”

“And still you don’t?” Stevie asked, knowing the tone in the archaeologist’s voice.

“Gabrielle never forgave Callisto and as much as she loves you, Lizzy hasn’t forgiven her either so it remains to be seen.” Janice said, taking a cigar out of her pocket and lighting it.

“Don’t you think declarations of love are a bit premature?” Stevie said lightly.

Janice stopped in her tracks. “No, I don’t,” she said, green eyes glaring up into brown. “I think she loved you from the second you put make up on her in the bathroom of that resturant. She isn’t playing around here and if you are…” her hand went ominously to the whip at her side.

Stevie put the picnic basket down and crossed her arms over her chest. “First, I think it’s totally creepy that you follow her everywhere. Jesus Christ no wonder she hasn’t found anyone yet. Who the fuck wants to put up with the shadows of two nosy old ladies who are DEAD! Second, no I am not ‘playing around’ with your granddaughter. If she wanted that Sarah would have been the obvious choice. And third,” she stopped a minute, the fight having drained from her.

“Yes?” Janice pressed.

“I’m torn between wanting what I want, and protecting her from what I want,” she said with a sigh.

Janice stooped to pick up the picnic basket and continued down the pier. “So you’re in love with her too then?” she asked. She smiled sadly, “I guess it can’t be helped, Covington’s are outrageously charming people.”

“Honestly, I’m not finding you all that charming,” Stevie said absently. “Lizzy yes, you, not so much. You still forbid me to see your granddaughter?”

The archaeologist shrugged, “For all the good that’s done me? No. It’s too late now. Lizzy made her choice and I hope to god she didn’t make the wrong one. But it’s for you two to sort out now.” They were silent for several moments as they walked down the beach to the spot where Callisto and Melinda had been collecting driftwood for a fire.

“What makes you think this approach will work with Callisto?” Janice asked.

Stevie shrugged. “I have no idea that it will, but nothing else has worked, so why not? I’ve heard that living a good life is the best revenge. She didn’t know that when it would have mattered, but maybe she can learn that now. I guess I’ve got the rest of my life, however long that is. Who knows, maybe by the time it’s all over she’ll be in place where she can forgive herself. If she can’t, we come back and start this thing all over again in my next life.”

Janice looked from Stevie to the warrior and back. “For your sake kiddo, I hope you live a very long time.”

“I’m beginning to hope so too,” Stevie answered with a smile.

“That’s a nice necklace,” Janice commented looking at the sterling silver crescent moon as they rejoined the other two.

“Thanks,” Stevie replied helping Janice with the blanket the archeologist had pulled from the picnic basket. “It was from my grandmother. I never met her, but my mother passed it on to me. She had new-age interests for her time, palm reading and the like. I think that’s where my mom got her start in it.”

Blanket set, Melinda and Callisto had finished piling wood for the fire which Callisto lit with an impressive fireball. Archaeologist and warrior prepared the fish while the other two got everything else ready. Stevie was not surprised to find an extra two cold Caronas at the bottom of the basket. They ate mostly in silence, each woman lost in her own thoughts. As Stevie watched the waves she considered her twin, sitting slightly apart focused on the ocean as well. Something the warrior said rang true. She was not domesticated. Stevie had no illusions that she was enjoying this time, this experience of normalcy. She was tolerating it out of desperation. She simply had come to the end of her choices, everything else having failed her. Stevie would have to consider that moving forward. She would have to be mindful of how hard she pushed, what she chose to show her. There could be limits to exactly what the warrior would tolerate. Thinking of this didn’t make Stevie fear her twin, but rather respect her.

When conversations did ignite between the four it was mixed. She enjoyed talking shop with the Doctor or chatting with Melinda about her life. Often though it was with Callisto and Janice shooting barbs at each other with Melinda often coming down on the warrior’s side. There was a change in Mel, clearly she was feeling more protective of the warrior, which annoyed Janice. Janice understood it, but didn’t like it. Callisto didn’t seem to care, but Stevie knew better. As the sun set over the Pacific and Janice finished her last cigar she stood, announcing it was time for them to go and helped Mel stand. Stevie and Callisto stood as well.

“This is probably it for us kiddo,” Janice announced looking at Stevie.

“Until the next time I visit Salem?” Stevie asked.

Janice shook her head. “No. Mel and I have been talking and we think maybe it’s time to move on. Let the family make their own mistakes and find their own way.”

Melinda smiled bashfully, “It’s time for Lizzy to have some real privacy, She and Melvin are grown now…we can go.”

Janice chuckled. “As distasteful as it is for you to think of your grandparents having sex – its every bit as bad from this end.”

“Janice! Please!” Melinda implored, as Callisto chuckled in spite of herself. “Now that Lizzy and Melvin have found someone, y’all don’t really need us looking out for you. We’ll still visit sometimes, birthdays, holidays and such.”

“Halloween,” Janice added with a nod.

“Melvin?” Stevie asked, still surprised Janice brought him up and wondering for the briefest of instances if Sarah had in fact satisfied her curiosity with Lizzy’s cousin.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Janice said, reading her mind. “Epphie of course, but you probably won’t find that out until tomorrow.” Janice turned to Callisto and took off her hat, wanting nothing to get in the way of the warrior seeing her eyes. “I don’t know what to make of you,” she admitted. “And lord knows I’m not half the woman that Gabrielle was.” She shrugged. “A part of me thinks that if she couldn’t forgive you, then there is no forgiveness to be had, but…” she glanced at Stevie, “I also see what you’ve become and that isn’t for nothing. The central thread of a life doesn’t change in spite of the strands that come and go; for you to end up as this,” she said with a nod to Stevie, “then there had to be good in you all along.” Stevie studied Callisto’s face and remembered a similar expression when Xena confessed her crimes in the village square. “I know you don’t need or want anything from me, but it is my sincerest hope that this road you’re on leads to redemption for you. Stevie may very well be what would have befallen Callisto had Xena not entered Cirra that day. You had a world of promise as a child and I know now that you never lost it, just buried it perhaps. It is indeed amazing what you can find if you dig in the sand, and believe me I know. Good luck to you Callisto and for what it’s worth, you have my forgiveness as well.” With that she extended her hand and Callisto accepted it, albeit uncertainly.

“Thank you,” she said quietly, shaking the archaeologist’s hand.

“You’ll be fine honey,” Melinda added, reaching out and hugging the warrior and kissing her on the cheek.

Stevie smiled at the obvious look of discomfort and surprise on the warrior’s face. With a gentleness that surprised the Egyptologist, Callisto pushed Melinda away and moved back a bit.

“Perhaps not hugging,” she said, “But thank you.” Mel smiled, no offense taken.

“As for you,” Janice said turning to Stevie.

Stevie held out her arms, “Oh I’ll hug you, no problem.” Melinda chuckled and Janice blushed looking very much like Lizzy in that moment.

“I may not be watching you,” she said, “But if you hurt my granddaugher, your plates won’t stand a chance.”

Stevie nodded. “That is a threat I’m prepared to live with. I mean this when I say it has been an honor to meet the two of you. Not just professional, you both are amazing women.”

Janice mumbled something unintelligible and brought her hand to the back of Stevie’s head. She pulled the taller woman down so she could kiss her forehead. “Be good to her is all I ask.”

“Be good to yourself too,” Melinda added, hugging Stevie warmly and kissing her cheek as well. “Be good to Callisto.” Stevie nodded.

As they turned to go the Egyptologist stopped the archaeologist with a gentle hand on her shoulder. Janice looked up questioningly. “Janice,” Stevie said, “I hope Argo finds you soon. I really do.”

The shorter woman’s eyes immediately misted over and she nodded, swallowing before she could speak. “Thank you,” she whispered gratefully and turned to walk down the beach hand in hand with Melinda Pappas.

Stevie and Callisto watched them go. Their forms receded in the distance then eventually vanished. Both women sat back down on the blanket.

“What do you think?” Stevie asked. “Is this going to work for you?”

Callisto shrugged, listening to the waves crash on the sand for a moment. If she pretended it could almost be Cirra. “I honestly don’t know. I guess we will have to see. But you’re right, in your dreams your cooking isn’t half bad.”

Stevie smiled. “Does this mean we’ve bonded?” she asked.

Callisto turned to look at her and smiled. “Yes,” she replied.

Light came pouring through an unstrategically placed drapery in Lizzy Covington’s bedroom splashing Stevie’s face with warm brightness. She blinked a couple of times and sighed. A warm body was cuddled against her with one arm curled under hers and the other stretched across her torso gently cupping her right breast. Stevie smiled. That hand had been affixed to her breast for most of the night, waking her on occasion with a reflexive squeeze. She didn’t mind; there were certainly more worthwhile things to do than sleep. As if reading her mind, the hand gently squeezed once again and soft crown of blonde hair nuzzled into the crook of her neck. Stevie let her hand brush across the warm planes of Lizzy’s back, enjoying the contrast between soft skin and firm muscle.

“Don’t tell me it’s morning,” Lizzy murmured, her voice thick with sleep and exhaustion. “It can’t be morning.”

“I’m afraid so,” Stevie replied.

“How long did we sleep?” Lizzy asked, blinking and trying to adjust her eyes to the daylight. “What time is it?”

“I think we slept maybe an hour or two,” the Egyptologist replied with a wry smile. “As for the hour, I’ve no idea. I think I’ve got a bit of time before I have to head back. Our flight doesn’t go out until evening.”

“Really?” Lizzy replied her mood brightening. In an instant though something crossed her mind and she seemed uncertain. “Ah…you want breakfast or something?” she offered. “I could make coffee.”

Stevie smiled and rolled her eyes. “You hungry?” she asked. “That legendary Covington ‘food thing’ kicking in?”

Lizzy blushed but didn’t mind. “I can honestly say I’m not the least bit interested in food. As for hungry…”

With a light laugh Stevie rolled over and sat perched on her lover’s hips pinning her to the bed. “Hungry for?” she teased affectionately.

“Ah, If you don’t know,” Lizzy replied, “then clearly I wasn’t doing something right last night.”

Stevie chuckled, “Honey, you did everything right last night.” She quickly surveyed the bedroom “and your house is still standing, so I think that’s a very good sign.”

Lizzy looked around as well, then concern crossed her features. “Something feels different,” she said.

Stevie released Lizzie’s arms and slid off of her hips stretching her toned body alongside that of the archaeologist. “They’ve left for now,” she said soothingly. “They said so in my dream. You and Mel have earned your privacy, although they did mention the occasional visit on special occasions.”

“That explains the house feeling a little empty,” Lizzy said, clearly having mixed feelings about it. Her eyes grew wide as she stared at Stevie, or rather Stevie’s chest. “Where’d your necklace go?” She began to look around the bed when Stevie reached over with an elegant finger and touched the necklace now hanging around Lizzy’s neck.

“Janice commented that she liked it,” Stevie said. “I guess they can do that trick from Ghost,” she added with a chuckle. “She seems to feel that you should have it and I’m not going to argue with her. Think of it as a gift from one grandmother to another.”

Lizzy looked down, surprised at the delicate silver crescent now hanging just at her cleavage. The archaeologist smiled, although a bit sadly. “In a way I’ll kind of miss them, but as long as I’ve got some privacy…” she leered at her companion who smiled encouragingly.

The morning passed in the same fashion as the night before but without the awkwardness. If anything the archaeologist had grown exponentially in her romantic self assurance. “So is what Sarah said true?” Lizzy asked inquisitively, playfully pinning her lover to the bed, “about phone sex,” she added.

Stevie rolled her hips surprising the archeologist. In a smooth motion she pinned the her with one hand holding both of Lizzy’s arms above her head, leaving her other hand free to wander. She leaned down and whispered into a receptive ear, letting her voice go low and husky. “You live far enough away that I expect you’re going to find out. I hope you have a head set for your phone, you may want your hands free. You also might want to download Skype onto your laptop – you’ll save a fortune on phone bills.”

“I can honestly say,” Lizzy replied happily, “that the phone bill is the farthest thing from my mind.”

Stevie smiled, then got busy; using her hands and mouth she made Lizzy feel not of this earth in all of the exact right places. Some time later they both lay sprawled across the bed, too content to move, happily exhausted once more.

Lizzy propped herself up on her elbows and smiled at Stevie. “I’m going to make a seemingly bizarre request, and you’re going to just go with it, okay?” she asked.

“Does it involve handcuffs?” Stevie asked dryly, amusement threading her voice.

As expected Lizzy blushed. “Ah, no,” she said “Um, at least not right now,” she added hopefully. “I want you to wait here for ten minutes, then come down stairs. Don’t bother getting dressed, just come down stairs in ten, oaky?”

Stevie looked at her curiously but agreed to wait.

Lizzy got out of bed and bounded down the stairs, sounding like she took them two at a time. Stevie laughed in spite of herself, absently wondering when she’d done that last. She also thought about the house and the hostile chill she’d encountered previously. It was completely gone. She took stock of herself emotionally. While she couldn’t remember feeling this good for some time she also knew she had a fair amount on her plate to manage. She thought about Callisto and instantly regretted doing so. She’d need some boundaries emotionally, when in the presence of the living she wanted to focus on that. There would be plenty of time to consider her former self but not at the expense of living as her present self. She thought about Lizzy and how best to handle what would undoubedly be a difficult and unplesant experieince for her. She checked the time on her phone, that plane flight was hours away, she could enjoy the present for awhile yet.

True to her word, she headed down the stairs exactly ten minutes after Lizzy departed. The house didn’t feel cold and she saw the embers of last night’s fire had been brought back to a cheery blaze. She half expected to see Lizzy in the cozy kitchen, making breakfast perhaps, but the archeologist was no where to be seen, so she called out for her.

“Head down the basement stairs,” Lizzy’s voice traveled up from an open door just off the kitchen.

Stevie walked down the narrow wooden stairs a short distance to a small basement. The room wasn’t large, it had a wine celler on one side and a very large claw foot bath tub on the other. In the corner was a large insulated water heater. The room was paneled in wood on the floor and walls with a simple light illuminating the space from above. The room smelled faintly of cigar smoke, but not in an unplesant way. If anything it gave this simple room some charm.

Lizzy was grinning, putting the finishing touches on a steaming hot bubble bath. “Care to join me?” she asked with a smile as she pressed the play button on her iPod. Soft music filled the basement.

Grinning, Stevie couldn’t ever remember feeling quite so decadent as she sank into the hot fragrant water. She leaned back againt Lizzy and was still able to stretch her legs. The bath smelled faintly of eucalyptus and mint with a touch of lavender. Lizzy’s hands carassed her and ‘bliss’ was the only word she could think of to describe the sensation. The archeologist’s hands were calloused from her work in the field, posessed a tenderness that more than made up for some rough patches on her fingertips.

“How do you not live down here?” Stevie asked, her voice barely more than a purr. She felt Lizzy chuckle.

“I kind of do,” she replied. “I put in a circulator on that water heater, I’m not taking any chance with frozen pipes,” she said.

The minutes passed away in contented quiet as the women enjoyed the bath and music. Several times Stevie asked what was playing, happy to hear something new and learn more about her companion.

“I can’t believe you haven’t heard of Adele,” Lizzy said with a chuckle as she squeezed a sponge over Stevie’s shoulder, letting the hot water trail back into the bubbled surface of the water.

“Of course I’ve heard of her,” the Egyptologist clarified, “I just haven’t heard her.” She could feel the smaller woman smile behind her as her hands continued to gently wander over her body.

“Hey, what’s this?” Lizzy asked, her fingers touching something that felt out of place on the Egyptologist’s left arm. Stevie took a deep breath and let it out slowly, allowing Lizzy to lift her arm out of the water.

Several thin but prominent scars made their way from the inside of Stevie’s wrist to her elbow. “Do you want to tell me about it?” Lizzy asked gently.

Stevie shrugged. “The first thing you need to know is they’re old. The second thing you need to know is this is what it’s like dealing with a profoundly depressed person. Some of it’s downright unplesant.” Stevie moved away from Lizzy and turned in the tub so her back rested against the other side, so she could face her. “I have three more scars on my left breast” she said, brushing off the bubbles. Lizzy could see that this was in fact true.

“Why?” she whispered and then stopped herself. “I mean…you don’t have to explain this to me or anyone else…”

“You’re very sweet, and kind to say so,” Stevie said, “But yeah, I do have to explain it to you.” She reached out, taking Lizzie’s hands and looking into the green eyes that were trying so hard to understand. “It is possible to feel so incredibly bad that you just can’t tolerate it. You absolutely, positively can’t. The pain has to go somewhere. A number of years ago I cut myself in order to transition that pain to something physical, something that I could process, something that could heal like a normal person.” She hoped she was making sense but didn’t fully understand it sometimes herself. “It wasn’t a cry for help, it wasn’t an attempt on my life, nothing like that. It was a solution to a problem, the only one I felt I had at the time.”

“Do you think you’ll do it again?” Lizzy asked, not knowing if she wanted to hear the answer or not.

Stevie considered her answer carefully. “I can’t say. I don’t want to, I don’t think I will, but you never know. I can say that I actively work on finding other solutions. That’s part of why I run, why I endure therapy every week even though half the time I suspect it makes me crazier than if I didn’t go at all.” She shrugged again, “It takes discipline to take care of myself and at this point I’ve gotten pretty good at that. But I won’t lie to you about how dark or ugly it can get.”

“So Callisto has been around a lot longer than you realized,” She said simply.

Stevie nodded. “Yeah, I think that’s true. I never knew where these feelings came from, the rage and sadness, now I do.” She squeezed Lizzy’s hands tighter. “I wish I could say that knowing where this comes from will make it all go away, but I don’t know that. I don’t know if this will make it easier to sort out, hopefully it will, but I’m not going to promise you something unless I know for sure.” Her face saddened like she realized she may have frightened the archeologist off for good. “I could still be a mess for a long time to come,” she said quietly.

Lizzy looked at Stevie for long moments considering her response. She considered the last few days and how often she’d felt less worldly, less experienced than the two women she’d met. She considered all her awakwardness and how graciously Stevie had accepted that, never once making her feel like there was anything wrong with her lack of experience. Gracefully she turned in the tub and leaned her back against Stevie and lifted up her left arm, she brushed some bubbles away revealing a four inch scar across her left bicep muscle.

“Grandma Janice suggested I wear long sleves when I learned to use her damn bullwhip,” she said. “But I wouldn’t listen. This is where it bit me. Scars are like history Stevie,” she said softly, “The trick is not to repeat it.” She decided that maybe she’d said the right thing when she felt Stevie’s arms wrap around her, holding her close.

It was some time later before the two women managed to get clothes on and actually keep them on. But in time they did migrate to Lizzy’s kitchen and brew some coffee. Lizzy gazed for long moments into her cup and then looked over at the Californian shyly. “Is this going to be awkward?” she asked. “I really don’t want this to be awkward.”

Stevie smiled, running a slender index finger over the archeologist’s hand that was resting on the table. “Parts of this are going to sting I’m afraid. But if your head might be going there, this doesn’t feel like a fling…at least not to me.”

Lizzy smiled. “I’m glad to hear that,” she said.

“But I can’t say I’m moving to the east coast in winter either,” Stevie added cautiously.

“No U-hauls. Got it,” Lizzy replied with a grin. “Maybe I’ll come visit California sometime.”

Stevie nodded with a warm smile. “That would be nice.”

The archaeologist was quiet for a long moment before asking, “Is Sarah going to be okay with this? I mean, whatever ‘this’ is. I know you said you talked things out and I totally feel like I’m babbling again…”

“Sarah will be okay, or if she isn’t we’ll work that out. As my mother says…” Stevie began.

Lizzy nodded. “Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham got it together so you can too.”

“Exactly,” Stevie agreed. “Besides,” she added with a warm smile, “your babbling is adorable. I guess the bigger question, for me at any rate is; are you going to be okay? Most people don’t have one of their exes as their best-friend.”

“You guys came as a package deal,” Lizzy said with a shrug. “It’s cool. She cares about you a lot, and I can’t help but respect and appreciate that.” She was quiet for a few more moments. “I don’t know if it’s my past life talking, but I feel like I’ve got a fair amount of insight into Sarah and how she thinks. It’s more of a comfort to know she’s got your back than anything I’d worry about.”

Stevie smiled wondering if indeed she was kidding herself, or if perhaps her ever-present depression did feel a bit lighter. “And what does your past life tell you about me?” she asked playfully.

Lizzy’s eyes narrowed a bit and she grinned, green eyes sparkling. “You, my dear are indeed an unknown. A mystery. And if there is one things we Covington’s find irresistible it is a mystery.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Stevie replied with a wink.

They chatted longer, trying to put off the inevitable but when it was time to go, Stevie stood and put their coffee cups in Lizzy’s sink.

“So I’ll head over to Mel’s with you?” Lizzy asked, the sadness clearly evident in her voice as the time was winding down when she’d be in the Egyptologist’s company.

Stevie shook her head. “No sweetie,” she said. “You should stay here. The whole car driving away thing really sucks and I don’t want you to see that. I want you to go back to bed and actually get some sleep.”

Lizzy nodded. Not because she knew that Stevie was right, but because she suspected tears would be involved and she really didn’t want her cousin to see her crying, or Stevie for that matter.

“Oh,” Stevie added, “I remember your grandmother’s telling me about Mel and Epphie, so don’t be surprised when you go to his place and she’s still there.”

The archaeologist smiled, “’bout damn time,” she said. “He’s been crazy about her since high school.”

Standing at the doorway Stevie smiled. “Just to be sure here, you’re certain you’re not suddenly feeling interested in men?”

Lizzy chuckled. “Hard to believe it was possible, but I’m feeling even more gay than I did yesterday morning.” She reached to the coat peg behind her and picked up Stevie’s leather jacket. It was soft, almost warm to the touch and smelled of that intoxicating mix of leather and her lover’s perfume.

The Egyptologist accepted it but then draped it around Lizzy’s shoulders. “I’ve grown rather fond of seeing you in it,” she said. “Please keep it.”

The shorter woman grinned. “How ‘bout I hold on to it until I see you next. You might need to recharge it then so it smells like you.”

Grinning, Stevie leaned down to kiss her one last time. “You have yourself a deal sweetie,” she said softly. “I’ll call you when I get home, see how you’re doing.”

Lizzy nodded, “I’ll go download Skype,” she said lightly, determined to keep herself together.

Stevie winked and then turned, walking down the street. She didn’t look back until she got to the end of the block and even from that distance could see the ache in Lizzy’s face. Forcing a smile to her face, Stevie blew a kiss waved and with strength she was a little surprised she had, managed to keep walking.

The distance to Mel’s house seemed longer this time. She couldn’t keep from replaying wonderful scenes in her mind from the night before as well as absently trying to figure out what it was she had, or where it might lead. You’re over thinking. A now familiar voice said in her mind.

“I don’t recall asking you,” she muttered to herself.

“You’re the one who wants to be friends,” the voice replied.

Stevie shook her head. “So what do I do?” she asked out loud.

“Beats me,” the voice said.

“Oh you’re really helpful,” Stevie fumed.

Inwardly she shrugged. “If you ever want to play ‘truth or dare’ with her I’ll help. Is that better?”

Determined to think of something that might drown out the sound of Callisto’s voice, Stevie decided to ponder the first Stevie Nicks song that came to mind.

For no special reason
I am leaving you for awhile tonight
I'm flying far above you
Still I love you
You make things right

I've been with you before
I'll be with you again
I'll come back for more, yea
The story has a strange ending

She wasn’t exactly sure why this song came to mind but as the tune went through her mind she saw a variety of images. Many of them were of Lizzy, the last twenty-four hours certainly proving to be a preoccupation. But there were other images too.

Well, you know me I'm a nomad
I can't feel bad
About the way I am
I've been rolling around
My whole life
You're my candlebright in the window

You guide me back again
And I come when you shine
You are not my friend, no
But I am something of a dreamer
I am something of a dreamer
I am something of a dreamer

She thought of Sarah and how far the two of them had come, even in just the last week. So much felt more settled and grounded than it had the week before. There was no concern that the stuntwoman wouldn’t be in her life. And not that that had ever been a worry, she’d often wondered what boundaries they’d have to reach where they could stay and be positive for each other. She thought about her dogs and her mother and the long flight back, absently wondering when she’d be able to arrange a trip back east again.

Well, you know me I'm a nomad
I can't feel bad
About the way I am
I've been rolling around
My whole life
You're my candlebright in the window

You guide me back again
And I come when you shine
You are not my friend, no
But I am something of a dreamer
I am something of a dreamer
I am something of a dreamer

She also couldn’t help but think about another addition to her life. Not a friend certainly, not at this point at any rate; but someone who was important and needed her help. In an odd way she’d grown to respect Callisto; disagree with her choices certainly, but she decided not to judge. Would she have made different choices? Would they have gotten her killed? Or would her life have been better? She couldn’t say and while she wouldn’t ignore or overlook Callisto’s bloody past she did feel it wasn’t the appropriate prism to measure her ancestor.

Still I love you
My candlebright
You are not my friend
But still I love you
You're my candlebright
Still I love you
But you are not my friend
But still I love you
I can't feel bad

As the song finished playing in her head she walked up the steps to Mel’s guest house. She pushed open the unlocked door and immediately smelled the comforting scent of fresh baked toll house cookies. Inside she found the usual crowd gathered around the island in the young man’s kitchen either putting cookie dough on baking sheets of moving cookies from the oven to cooling racks or from cooling racks to a plate.

“Look who’s here” Mel said in a friendly tone, waving his hand that held a spatula and gesturing that she should join them. “We were wondering if you’d gotten lost?” His tone was playful, like one he might use with a younger sister or other family member. Stevie could feel herself blushing as she accepted an iced cold glass of milk. Epphie was sitting on a stool at Mel’s side scooping raw cookie dough from the bowl with a melon scoop and placing them on the baking sheet. Solari was on the other side moving the baked coolies from the hot trays. With a graceful movement she passed one to Stevie. None of the other boarders were present.

“We’re the last ones,” Sarah said, wiping the milk moustache from her mouth with the back of her hand seeming to either read Stevie’s mind or her expression, she wasn’t sure which. “I packed for you, so you owe me the isle seat on the flight home.”

“To be honest, I don’t think the Hendersons could get out of here fast enough,” Epphie added with a smirk. “They didn’t even wait for their bag of cookies.”

Sarah nodded, “Yeah, I don’t think they’ll be back next year. Must’ve been something they heard,” she said all to innocently.

Mel grinned. “That’s a couple of customers I think I can live without.”

“What about Jeff and Phil?” Stevie asked, a little sorry she didn’t get to say good-bye to the two men.

“They tried to wait around for you but had an earlier flight. Doug and Susan were sad to see them go and I’ve no doubt those four will be keeping in touch.” Mel said conversationally. “If I do the guest house thing next year they said they’re interested. Even gave me this cookie recipe as a bribe which is really out of this world.”

Stevie tried her cookie and had to admit that while little can compare with a piping hot chocolate chip cookie, this was indeed the best chocolate chip cookie she’d ever tasted. “My god, what did you put in these things?” She asked, astounded.

Sarah smirked. “I told you she’d go crazy.” She muttered to the room. “Those are toffee bits instead of nuts. I swear, it’s not so much as a cookie as some new form of cookie/candy hybrid. I can’t stop eating them.”

The Egyptologist chuckled. “For you that isn’t saying much.”

Solari chuckled and Stevie arched an eyebrow knowingly.

“Did you have a nice night?” Sarah asked hurriedly, her face open, inquisitive, and all too happy to move the attention back to her friend. “I mean Lizzy’s house is still standing, right?”

Stevie looked at her for a moment to see if there was any jealousy behind the question. Deciding that there wasn’t she quickly scanned the faces of the others gathered around the kitchen island. Mel looked like he wanted to know, but more for his cousins’ sake even though any answer she could give would embarrass him terribly. Epphie looked like she already knew and Solari, sporting a collection of bite sized bruises on her neck looked too exhausted to even fathom the question. “The house is fine, and we had a very nice time.” Stevie said before taking another bite of cookie. “But I suspect I’m not the only one in this room who had a plesant, if not exhausting time last night.”

She let her gaze linger on Mel who, catching her drift, blushed furiously. “How the hell did you know?” He asked, startled. He looked at Sarah. “Did you call her?”

Sarah grinned. “Dude, you weren’t that loud. Solari and I didn’t even know for sure, but we suspected.” She looked at Stevie. “How did you know?”

With a shrug Stevie replied, “your grandmothers told me.” She was quiet a moment more before adding “they also said they were going to move on. Just visit on special occasions, that sort of thing. Lizzy didn’t sense them this morning”

That got the attention of both psychics who gave Stevie their undivided attention. “Is Lizzy okay with that?” Epphie asked.

“She’s rather fond of them,” Solari added.

Stevie nodded, “It isn’t like there is anything she can do about it. I think it’ll be hard at first, but she agreed that living on her own might not be a bad thing. She might be feeling lonely a little later though. When it sinks in,” she said almost more to herself. Glancing at the plate of cookies she smiled. “Still, you might want to check on her later. Take her some cookies or something.”

Mel smiled, understanding etching his features; Stevie had Sarah, but Lizzy was on her own. “There is little in life some quality chocolate can’t fix?” he asked.

Stevie nodded. “Yeah, something like that,” she said softly.

Jet engines roared as the plane sped for takeoff. “You going to be okay?” Sarah asked casually, scrolling through the myriad of songs on her iPod. Her voice was almost indifferent, like any answer would be okay, but Stevie knew better. Sarah wanted her to be alright.

“I miss her already,” she replied with a sad sigh. “Well, since stepping out her front door,” she amended. Changing the subject she asked, “what about you and the psychic?”

Sarah shrugged indifferently but smiled warmly. “We were just passing time,” she said. “You weren’t there after all and she had the time. She’s happily married and that’s cool by me. It’d been awhile since she’d been with a woman and was happy to have no strings attached.”

Stevie nodded. She tried to picture strings and if any were attached to her. If there were, then what did they look like and was it a bad thing?

“What’s up with Callisto?” Sarah asked, now blue eyes firmly gazing at her friend, concerned.

Stevie smiled. “We are what we are,” she said. “We’re trying to come to an understanding. I can’t pretend to understand her, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have a sense of understanding her if that makes any sense? I can’t fault her for choices I never had to make. She had a very rough hand to play and at first anyway, did what she thought was best. This will take a long time to sort out Sarah,” she added quietly. “I think I need you in my life for that. I can talk to you in a way I can’t talk to anyone else.”

The stuntwoman blushed. “How did you know I was feeling replaced? And how did you know exactly what to say?”

“You think I don’t know you Sarah, but I do. Sweetie, you aren’t half the mystery you think you are.”

Sarah glanced away and then chuckled. “You can’t help but be honest with me, can you?” she asked as the Egyptologist grinned in reply. “That’s why we had to break up, you know. You’re too damn honest.”

“You have enough fan-girls,” Stevie answered. “I wouldn’t be your centuries dead arch nemesis if I wasn’t honest with you, now would I?” she asked with a warm smile.

Sarah rolled her eyes. “And Lizzy, she’s totally fallen for you, hasn’t she.”

Stevie nodded. “I’m afraid so. But the falling is kind of mutual,” she said. “I’m still not quite sure what to make of it, but…” she shrugged, at a loss for words. “I guess it’s good I have therapy after I get home. I have a lot of stuff to work out. But you – I want that to be okay. I don’t want to work on us. Are we okay?”

Sarah was quiet for a long moment gazing at her iPod. “I think I know why Stevie and Lindsey worked out their shit,” she said.

An eyebrow arched, “and why is that?” the Egyptologist asked.

The stuntwoman nodded at her iPod. “The song Silver Springs. Stevie says she’ll follow him down until the sound of her voice haunts him. She tells him that he’ll never get away from her. She was right. Do you know how often you could hear her on the radio in those days? My god, when Bella Donna and then The Wild Heart came out? It must have driven him crazy. He couldn’t turn on a radio without hearing her voice everywhere he went.”

“Is that us?” Stevie asked. “Are you worried I’m going to haunt you?”

It was Sarah’s turn to smile warmly. “I don’t think being haunted by you is such a bad thing. Whatever you have to work out, it isn’t me. I’m still not sure what I think of you moving on, but I’m going to be all right with it. Maybe I don’t want gory details about Lizzy or Callisto but I have your back on both counts.”

“I love you too, Sarah.” Stevie said.

The stuntwoman smiled a bit bashfully passing Stevie a pair of headphones. “Here, just listen to our damn song.” She plugged her own headphones into the splitter and leaned back closing her eyes. Stevie squeezed her hand warmly and followed suit. In moments she was transported by the majestic sound of piano, guitar and bass and drums. Then followed a voice she knew as well her own.

You could be my silver spring
Blue-green..colors flashin'
I would be your only dream
Your shinin' autumn
ocean crashin'

And did you say that she's pretty
and did you say that she loved you?
Baby, I don't wanna know.

I'll begin not to love you
Turn around, see me runnin'
I'll say I loved you years ago
Tell myself you never loved me
.No....

And did you say that she's pretty
And did you say that she loves you?
Baby, I don't wanna know.
Oh no.

And can you tell me...was it worth it?
Really, I don't wanna know.

Time cast a spell on you
That you won't forget me
I know I could've loved you but you would not let me

Time cast a spell on you
But you won't forget me
I know I could've loved you, but you would not let me
I'll follow you down 'til the sound of my voice will haunt you
You'll never get away from the sound of the woman that loves you

I'll follow you down 'til the sound of my voice will haunt you
(Was I just a fool?)

You'll never get away from the sound of the woman that loves you
(Still I am a fool)

I'll follow you down 'til the sound of my voice will haunt you
(Give me just a chance)

You'll never get away from the sound of the woman that loves you
(Never get away, never get away, never get away)

You could be my silver spring
Blue-green..colors flashin'

Epilogue

“Like a ghost through the fog
A ghost through the fog
Close to the fog
The ghosts are gone”

Ghosts are Gone – Stevie Nicks

Elizabeth Janice Covington groaned against the pounding of her head. Groggily she opened sore and swollen eyes to the realization that the pounding was actually coming from her front door downstairs. She glanced over at the clock by her bed, a bed that seemed very cold and empty at the moment and realized she had indeed slept several hours. Stevie would be in the air right now and not calling her for several hours more. Grabbing a pillow she pulled it over her head to muffle the pounding. She wasn’t ready to wake up from her dream just yet and face the reality that was undoubtedly her cousin.

To her supreme disappointment she heard the awkward sound of a man on crutches trying to navigate her narrow twisting staircase. Mutterings of “fucking tiny colonial people!” could clearly be heard outside her bedroom door.

“I’m naked,” she growled in an effort to keep him on the other side of the door.

“Were you any lesbian but my cousin I’d be all over it,” he replied opening the door and hobbling in anyways “however since you are my cousin, I’ll have to forgo my own repulsion and come in for your own good. Ah, look at that, you were lying.” He said taking a seat on the side of her bed. He took the pillow from her face and used it to prop himself up against the foot-board. “So that’s where my hard rock café t-shirt went. I got that in Maui on my surfing trip.”

To her surprise a plate of cookies and glass of milk were sitting next to her bed. “If I promise to return it, will you leave?” she asked, her voice sounding more miserable and dejected than she wanted.

“Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to bring that stuff up here?” he asked, ignoring her comment. “A plate of cookies, glass of milk and two crutches! I swear I should be in Cirque de Soliel, I’m such a contortiounist..”

She rolled over, “Thank you, but I’m not ready to talk.”

He sat quietly as the smell of warm cookies filled the room. Her stomach grumbled, it was already evening and she hadn’t eaten all day. Finally it was too much. The archaeologist rolled back and picked up a cookie in one hand and the glass of milk in the other. Mel beamed at her.

“So I hear our grandmothers have moved on?” he asked, shaking his head when Lizzy offered him a cookie.

She nodded. “Stevie said they had, and the house does feel empty.” She shrugged. “I guess I’ll have to start locking my doors or something.”

He nodded. “Epphie said it felt empty to her too.”

Lizzy arched an eyebrow. “Yeah, Stevie mentioned she might be hanging around for a bit.”

Mel blushed and Lizzy couldn’t help but wonder if that was how she looked to Stevie. There was a vulnerable charm to her cousin. If she looked half as adorable to the Egyptologist, blushing might indeed be something to be grateful for.

“Do you think I’ll be a good dad?” he asked quietly, smoothing a wrinkle from down comforter. “I mean it’s not to say I would be, we haven’t talked about anything like that but…”

“How could you be anything but a great dad?” Lizzy asked in return. “Seriously Mel, you’re a wonderful guy. Epphie would be lucky to have you and she’s my friend, you’re just a cousin. I’m glad the two of you finally came to your senses. Lord knows it took long enough.” She drank some milk before taking another warm cookie off of the plate. “I take it that she’s going to stay in town for awhile?”

He shrugged and absently brushed the blonde hair from his forehead. “She said she’d stick around for a few days, there isn’t anything in Boston she needs to get back to right away. Which got me thinking…” He grinned and fished a folded piece of paper from his shirt pocket. “Epphie is going to help me get around the house until my cast comes off week after next.” He nodded at his crutches. “I said I’d cut you in for helping me with the guest house so here is your cut.”

He headed the folded piece of paper to his cousin who unfolded it and scanned its contents. “This looks suspiciously like an airline reservation.” Lizzy commented looking to her cousin for explanation. “To California; LAX to be precise. It leaves tomorrow morning. And I see it’s a one way ticket.”

Mel shrugged. “Unfortunately the red-eye was booked for tonight. Besides, there isn’t anything you need to hang around here for. You’re not going back to Greece for a few months anyway. Some California sun might be just what you need. I just wasn’t…ah…sure of exactly how much California sun you needed so I left it open ended. I’ll spring for your flight back too.”

Lizzie sighed. “You don’t think I’m going to come across as a bit of a stalker if I show up on her doorstep the day after she leaves Salem?”

Mel looked at his cousin with a rare seriousness creasing his features. “Lizzy honey, not everyone gets the second chance I did. We don’t have unlimited chances to let people know that they’re important to us, that they matter. Which would you rather do, err on the side of playing it cool and not having her feel like she matters? Or being too clear about how much she matters? Is that really such a bad thing?”

Lizzy studied the cookie she held in between her thumb and forefinger as if searching for her answers among the chocolate chips. “It’s a bad thing if I scare her off.”

Mel laughed favoring his cousin with a broad smile. “This woman was Callisto of Cirra who knows how long ago. Do you really think she scares that easily?” He playfully tugged at Lizzy’s foot beneath the down comforter. “Think about last night and tell me if she’s worth making a total ass of yourself?”

Now it was Lizzy’s turn to smile. Green eyes sparkled with delight as she sat up in bed. “I’d better get packing then.”

“Now that’s a Covington,” he said proudly, moving out of the way. “I called Sarah and left a message on her cell phone. She will be expecting you. I thought you might want to leave it a surprise for Stevie.”

“Is there anything you didn’t think of?” Lizzy asked playfully.

He blushed again. “That really isn’t a fair question to ask your cousin when it involves two hot lesbians. Now if you want to talk about Solari and Sarah I’m all over it.”

Lizzy’s head snapped up in surprise. “What happened with Solari and Sarah?”

At that point Mel really wished he hadn’t said anything.

Stevie Montgomery walked up the steps to her front porch missing the crisp, cold air of Salem. That was only the beginning of what she missed and had spent most of her fifty minutes in therapy explaining that fact. She’d touched on how things went with Sarah, how they’d grown and where they stood and had even brought up her evolving relationship with Callisto. It didn’t take a rocket-scientist to read Jane’s expression to see that the information was clearly being filed away to be discussed in more depth in future weeks. No, most of the session had been spent on her amazing discovery – that here was a woman who’se unconscious charm penetrated the fog of her depression like a light-house. “Do you think it’s too much if I call her ‘She Who Shines Brighter Than The Sun?’ Stevie had asked her therapist. “I mean, would you find that off-putting?” the Egyptologist pressed. “It could be SWSBTTS for short.” Jane had cocked her head a moment then laughed; it had been some time since Stevie had been playful in therapy.

Still, after leaving her appointment and pausing in her car to read an email from Sarah canceling their plans for the night, Stevie was feeling very much alone. She’d called Lizzy upon landing at LAX and gotten her machine. She assumed it was due to the lateness of the hour, but her call the following was also unanswered and unreturned. The possibility was beginning to set in that she could indeed be out of sight and out of mind.

With a heavy sigh she pushed open her front door, surprised that she didn’t immediately hear the sound of large dog feet on hardwood floors. Instead she heard conversation as the most amazing scents assaulted her nose.

“Welcome home,” Lizzy said, stepping out from the kitchen. “I hope you like roast, asparagus, potatoes and French onion soup.”

As she spoke, two Great Danes came running out of the kitchen to greet Stevie, licking her hands affectionately and gently nudging her in the leg. As she was wearing jeans and a sweater, the Egyptologist didn’t mind.

“You’re 10 minutes late, traffic?” Sarah asked matter-of-factly pouring wine into the wine glasses at the dinner table set for three.

“How on earth?” Stevie asked, dropping her purse and crossing the room to hug Lizzy and kiss her warmly. Smiling, Sarah rolled her eyes but said nothing.

“Well, you were right about Mel and Epphie. He gave me the ticket, I think he wanted me out of town for a few days while he entertains his company. You know how ‘small town’ Salem is.” She grinned up at her lover happy to feel that sense of connection once again. “I decided to spare you the whole cooking drama, so after Sarah picked me up from the airport, we hit the grocery store on our way over.”

“You were in on this?” Stevie asked, pleased and surprised. She took a couple of moments for each dog, petting them warmly and scratching behind their ears. On her knees she had to look up to make eye contact with the two large animals.

“Mel left me a message on the cell when we were in the air. When you think about it, it makes perfect sense. Lizzy hasn’t been to Disneyland, California Adventure, or Magic Mountain and you still have a four days left of your vacation,” the stuntwoman explained. “You’ve got the clout to easily extend that to a week or more. They love you at the Getty.”

“Or we could not leave this house?” Stevie suggested, appearing to have heard little of what Sarah had to say. Standing up once again she added, “Did I mention I have a hot tub?”

“Oh come on,” Sarah protested, shooing the dogs from the dining room with hand signal as she put a plate of asparagus and potatoes on the table. Lizzy carried a gorgeous roast. And three bowls of soup had already been set on their plates for the first course. “I’m not spending the night, I’ll leave after dinner but you guys are not going to hole up here for the rest of my vacation.”

Stevie turned to look at her friend, “Sarah, you’re between projects right now so technically you’re unemployed not on vacation. Besides we were going to use our extra days to vegetate at our own houses. Separately.”

“Well,” Lizzy interjected smiling warmly, “as nice as it is to have the two of you fight over me, I do owe Sarah. She picked me up from the airport, helped cook dinner AND kept your dogs from eating me alive. I feel like I owe her. Besides, it would be nice to spend time with you, out of the bedroom as well as in it.”

Sarah looked pleased with herself as she carved the roast.

“Yoko and Dakota are cupcakes,” Stevie protested, glancing at the two large dogs laying down in the kitchen, their eyes never wavering from the roast sitting in the middle of the table.

“Yeah, cupcakes when you get to know them.” Sarah said. “But what do you think they would have done to a stranger holding a roast?”

Stevie glanced to the kitchen once again and had her answer. “Thank you for keeping Lizzy alive,” she said with a grin to Sarah.

“And don’t think you don’t owe me. You’re paying for Disneyland and DCA tomorrow. I’ll leave right after dinner, well after we clean up. But I’m going to be back here at 9am tomorrow and I expect both of you ready to have an awesome day.”

“I hope you weren’t expecting a relaxing trip?” Stevie asked Lizzy, resigned to her fate.

Lizzy glanced over to Stevie, green eyes catching brown and holding them for a moment. “I’ve got an open ended trip,” she said softly. “If we can’t tire Sarah out with amusement parks, we can always get her drunk. I promise we’ll get to spend some time relaxing before I have to head home.”

“I’m really glad you’re here,” Stevie said.

“Me too,” Lizzy replied.

Sarah shrugged, putting a slice of roast on to each of their plates. “For what it’s worth I’m glad too,” she said. “If we have anymore past life crap to work out, I can’t think of a better place to do it than Disneyland.”

Stevie looked at Sarah then to Lizzy and had to admit that deep down, she was inclined to agree with her.

The End.

Author’s note: A special ‘thank you’ to Stephanie Lynn Nicks for saving me…again. Another ‘thank you’ to Hudson for her portrayal of Callisto – that more than anything else inspired this story. And finally, a special ‘thank you’ to some people in and out of my life; you might not know who you are, but I do. We are molded by our successes, our failures and our demons if only to realize what we can have and what we really deserve. I guess I feel philosophical about the things I’ve gotten right and the things I’ve screwed up. Hopefully on balance there is more of the former than the later. If not…well I’m still young. It seems strange to say but I also need to thank my alter-ego. While she may have been quiet for awhile, it is nice to know that she’s still there when I needed her, not unlike my therapist, Jane.

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