Written February 1997

Scully was sitting at her desk,listening to a discman. Rocking her head from side to side, she was singing to the music she heard. Mulder smiled. Leaning over his desk, he tapped her shoulder to get her attention. She takes off the headphones and smiles at him.

"Good music,hmmm?" He could hear the unusual combination of rock music with Dorian chants. It drew him in."Who are you listening to?"

"Warrior's Heart. Their lead singer is a woman named Sera Findley." She holds up the cd case to show a picture of a beautiful woman with long black hair and ice blue eyes on a golden mare,sword drawn. Mulder looks at it inquiringly.

"This her?" He points to the picture on the case. Scully shakes her head.

"No, that's her model for the live show they perform. This is Sera." She unfolds the picture booklet to show a picture of a beautiful red haired woman in white leather with a blue shirt.

They listen to the cd for a while until the phone rings. Mulder answers and after a few minutes of 'Yes' 'No' 'We'll be there in an hour.' Scully looked at him concerned.

"What is it?"

"Well,it looks like your going to get to see your new band upclose. It seems an 'accident' has befallen a member of the band. Let's go." After an hour, they arrive to see Sera crying,in the arms of the 'model' on the album cover Mulder saw earlier. He makes a note. They approach Sera and the 'model' looks at them icily;"What do you want? No press!" she states coldly. Mulder and Scully are put back by her words. Mulder approaches them and squats down to look them in the face. He tries to look unintimidated by the raven haired woman, but he can't pull it off.

He cleared his throat"Look, we're not the press. We're Agents Scully and Mulder of the FBI. We're here to help. Miss Findley? Can you speak now?" He stands to give the woman some room.

She falters a bit as the taller darkhaired woman steadies her."It's okay,Rylan. I can do this." She looks up into Rylan's eyes and seems to draw strength from her friend. She then leans forward and kisses the taller woman on the lips. Scully darts a look at Mulder as he shrugs.

"Agent Mulder? I can answer your questions now." A look over her shoulder to Rylan and a quick interlacing of their fingers tell the agents that these two are special."Where do I begin?" Mulder snaps into reality as he looks at the two women.

"Yes,what was the band member's name? When did you start receiving the notes mentioned by the police department? And how long has your band been together?"

"Jake Mills, he was our remixer and one heck of a guitar player and sound mixer. The notes came after our first concert. The band has been together for 3 years." She looks back at Rylan, a weary look on her face.

Mulder notices, but Scully asks the question on his mind first."When did Rylan get in on the act?" Rylan squirms a bit as Sera smiles at her.

"After our second tour of playing clubs and bars. Rylan saved me from some guys in the back alley. She was like an amazon warrior from out of the stories,so strong,sure, capable. Beautiful. She said she wanted a job. At the time? I could only give her room and board,travel and some pocket money. Then one day,I had a dream for a live action show with my amazon warrior as the center of attention. We were a hit. Rylan didn't like it at first,she just wanted to be my bodyguard. Eventually she gave in." Rylan gets up and walks to her friend and rubs her shoulders.

Flatly,Rylan explains,"You're done. She's answered your questions. She's been put through enough. Come on, Sera. Let's go home." Mulder places a hand on Rylan's shoulder to stop her from helping Sera up. She eyes him warningly,he withdraws his hand. She walks Sera to the door and steps out first.

Scully whispers to Sera before she leaves:"You're lovers aren't you?" Sera looks at her annoyed. She shakes her head and looks at her.

"Is this part of your investigation,Agent Scully? If it is? The answer is 'Yes'. If it isn't? The answer is 'None of your damn business!'" Sera is pretty peeved. Scully looks at the floor and looks back to Sera, apologetically. Sera smiles,"I'm sorry,this thing has me spooked. Especially the notes."

Mulder is picqued,"Why? What's in them?" Sera shuts the door and leans over to Mulder.

"He isn't after me,or my band. But Rylan. This guy is a real sicko. He sees me as a threat to his happiness with her. He beleives she's this warrior princess I've created. I haven't told her. She'd be terrified to know he might try to kill me."

Across town...

"XenaXenaXena. You didn't think you and that brat could get away did you? You will be mine again. I swear it!" The figure throws a knife at the press poster of Warrior's Heart, nailing the picture of Sera between the eyes.

At the FBI precinct, Scully has conducted an autopsy of Jake's body. "9:23 p.m. Subject's body is in good physical condition. No puncture wounds of any kind. No blows struck to the body or head. Only sign of tissue damage is a burn directly over the heart. After research have deduced the markings to be the Sigil of Ares, the Greek mythological God of War. The burn appears to have been drawn on Subject's chest by right index finger of assailant. End report. 9:27 p.m."

That night, Sera and Rylan made love, but it was out of desperation, to reassure one another that love was always there for them. Sera was afraid for Rylan getting hurt if this sicko got her,and Rylan was terrified of the killer getting the only person she ever loved. The next day, Mulder is at the door. Rylan extracts herself from her sleeping lover's embrace withou waking her. After an hour of arguing,he and Rylan have come to an agreement that Sera is top priority. Rylan goes to their room and pulls out the gun she'd gotten from Sera on her birthday. She hated firearms,but she wasn't taking chances with Sera's life,so she put the gun in it's shoulder holster and went down to the studio. Sera was finishing the vocals to her latest cut for the new album, a song she called 'A Day in the Life'. Rylan loved listening to her sing. Sera looked up and saw her standing on the other side of the studio glass. She continued singing as she walked over and pressed her left hand against the glass as Rylan did the same. Mulder watched the exchange and went on to the stage. Sera came out of the studio smiling as Rylan grabbed her into a feirce hug.

"Whoa! I take it you liked the song,Love?"A look into Rylan's eyes tell her 'Yes'. Her hands go over her lover's shoulders to feel the gun snuggly against Rylan's abdomen. The gravity of the situation is finally sinking in.

"Shhhh! Don't worry. It's for just in case. You know how getting upset ruins your voice. Besides,we've got a video to shoot today. You've got to be in topform. Now let's go!" They arrive at the video location at the abandoned junkyard,a zigaurat has been erected with some actors set up to attack the 'Warrior Princess'. The sound crew starts running the pre-recorded track through as Sera works out her choreography for the video.

Rylan's in her dressing room,preparing for the shoot. 'Breast armor,Humph! I think Sera had too much fun coming up with this outfit!' She then went to get the horse for the shoot. Scully met her at the trailer,"Rylan? Why are you fighting us? We just want to help Sera,too." Rylan sighed heavily,"Because she's the best thing that ever happened to me? She took me in when no one else would? You see, I had no home before Sera, and now? Sera is my home. I couldn't take it if something happened to her. It would kill me if I failed to protect her." Rylan rode the horse to the set and the production began. Scully was enjoying the production and the way Rylan and Sera would play off each other as she danced in front of Rylan and caressed her cheek. Rylan snapped her fist up over her shoulder to 'knock out' an 'attacker'.

After the video was shot,they wrapped up and got ready to go. Mulder and Rylan were waiting outside Sera's dressing room for 20 minutes. Rylan was getting concerned,she knocked on the door. "Sera? Hey,gorgeous! What's taking so long?" No answer. After 2 minutes of silence,Rylan kicks the door off its hinges. They rush in to find a message on the wall in lipstick and a flashy looking discus on a dagger in the wall.

"If you want the bitch back,come to the compactor behind the piled-up cars. She'll be waiting,so will I,Xena."

"Xena?" Mulder is curious,Scully dashes in.

"She's the character Sera created for the show, I'm going." Rylan grabs the discus and swoons from an onslaught of memories. "Gabrielle? Where?" She shakes her head and looks at the poster and sees Sera [a dead ringer for Gabrielle] and herself.

"Gabrielle? No. Sera? Where are you?!" She turns to the stunned agents and makes a fist. They wave her down. "Whoa! We're on your side! We'll take you to her, okay?" Scully offers and they head out the door.

They get to the compactor and see Sera on acrucifix, unconcious,held aloft on a crane. "Sera!?" Ryaln/Xena starts to move forward when a figure in a black leather duster walks out in front of them.

"Well,Xena, it's been over 5,000 years. Still a beauty,and still hanging with a loser!" Ares cocks a thumb over his shoulder at Sera and a fiery aura encircles her. She begins to scream in agony.

"NO!! Ares,if you don't let her go,so help me I'll---"

"Oh Xena. You forget,I'm still the god of war. No threat you make could hurt me,I've been reincarnated as well! This mortal's body has an amazing ability with fire. If you want your lover to live,you'll come back to me now! If not? The aura that surrounds her is only drawing her body heat from her,slowly,painfully. I can redirect her body heat,burn her alive. Even if you could save her,she'd be scarred for life. Could you sleep with her then? Much less make love to her? I think not!"

Scully is in position behind Ares;"Freeze! FBI!" Ares turns on her and laughs.

"You think that will hurt the god of war?"Scully fires a few rounds of hollowpoints into his chest. He slams back against the wall of the compactor and slumps to the ground. The aura around Sera fades and she's unconcious again. Rylan/Xena does a high somersault to land in front of Ares,she grabs him by the throat and lifts him against the wall,one handed! She then jabs a finger into his throat,she smiles;"Since you're mortal,you'll appreciate this. I've just cut off the flow of blood to your brain. You'll be dead in-I don't know. How long does it take the blood to swell in a god's brain?" Ares begins spasming and falls over dead.

Rylan falls to her knees,but recovers quickly. Mulder tries to help her,but she shrugs him off. Scully heads for the crane.

"Help me get her down!" Rylan orders. Scully lowers the crucifix to the ground. Rylan literally rips the ropes off Sera as the singer collapses in her arms. Sera unconciously kisses her lover on the lips and opens her eyes.

"Babe? Are you going to be okay,Sera?" Rylan is concerned as Sera closes her eyes.

"C-c-cold. S-s-so c-cold."She begins shiverring as Rylan holds her close. Scully and Mulder turn away to give them a quiet moment.

"Was that really Ares?" Scully is unsure if she wants an answer.

"No. Just a pyrokinetic with an unhealthy fixation on a rock-n-roll fantasy. That's all." As they walk away they can hear Rylan chanting; "Free. We're finally free." Rylan kisses Sera's forehead,going down to her lips.

At that moment,in the past...

"What is it,Gabrielle?" Xena looks down at her lover whose stroking her left thigh as she snuggles in closely. She looks up and kisses Xena on the lips.

"Have you ever dreamed of us being together forever?" Gabrielle asks, desire in her voice.

"Yes. Everynight since we've met. Why?"Xena's embrace around the bard's right shoulder pulls her up to kiss her again.

"I just had one of those dreams. We're meant to be together forever. Aren't we?"

"MMmmm-hmmm" was all Xena could get out as Gabrielle began kissing her way down the warrior's neck.

The End

Disclaimer, Neither Sera Findley,or Rylan are related to the characters Professor Janis Covington, or Professor Melinda Papys.