Variables

No one said a word for a long time. David looked from Aphrodite, to Tommy, and then back at his wife.

"This is what you came up with?" he finally asked, looking back at Aphrodite and Tommy.

"It isn't as far fetched as you might think," Shilah said calmly. "There are many cases where the same souls have shared lives in this way, each one taking turns raising the other over many lifetimes before sharing one that is parallel?"

"You're buying into this?" David looked at his mentor in disbelief.

"I'm just saying that it's a possibility," Shilah reiterated. "Frankly, it's the only possibility that seems to fit the facts that we have?"

David's one good hand came up to his face and he groaned.

Gabrielle absently touched her belly and smiled, looking up at David.

"What is it?" She asked.

"I was just thinking," David replied. His voice was muffled behind his hand.

"About what?" Aphrodite asked.

"In about fifteen years, it's going to be insane," David said. "Teenagers are bad enough, but to have a reincarnated warrior princess in adolescence. God, I'd rather have my tonsils taken out through my ears."

"What?" Gabrielle laughed.

"I can just hear it now," David said. "Hey dad, can I borrow the katana tonight? Me and some of the girls are going to go out to that war camp, just outside town, and knock a few heads in? Oh, that's fine dear, just be back by ten."

Gabrielle and Aphrodite laughed, while Shilah merely smiled and Tommy looked somber.

"Always assuming you get that far?" He added.

"What do you mean?" Gabrielle asked.

Tommy sighed. "Well, it's pretty obvious that Ares wanted you out of the picture," He said, nodding at David. "Let's face it. Ares wanted you around long enough for Gabs to get pregnant. Now, he might have known about the 'loophole' as Dite put it, or he might not? It doesn't matter. The bottom line is, with you gone, and Gabby being out of it after she has the baby, it wouldn't be too hard for old Ares to sneak in and make off with her? He already knows who she's going to be. The fact that it'll be Xena is only an addedbonus. With a little gentle prodding in the right places, he might be able to finish what he started the first time around no matter who the child is?"

Aphrodite frowned and looked at him. "Man, you really know how to kill a mood."

Tommy shrugged. "I just call em like I see em?"

"No," Shilah added. "He's right." She placed two fingers on her chin and mused quietly.

"Think of it?" She said. "A child like yours would be a valuable tool for him. A warrior's spirit and a shaman's abilities? If this child had the innate talents that you both possess," she gestured to David. "And the martial skills of the two of you, mixed together? My God, it could be the most formidable individual. Now, add to it that this child will actually be the reincarnation of his protégé, along with whatever gifts shewill most likelyinherit from the two of you, and that will make her even stronger?"

"Like, a new and improved Xena?" Aphrodite asked.

"If you like?" Shilah replied easily. She turned to Gabrielle. "You told me yourself, that you and Xena had some training in the arts of shamanism in the past?"

Gabrielle's eyes widened in horror. "An even more powerful Destroyer of Nations."

"That's if Ares gets his hands on her," Aphrodite said with uncharacteristic calm. "We'll just make sure that doesn't happen, kay? We've already blown his plan wide open and stopped the first part of it? We saved David's life. I'm sure he was counting on Davie dying. That didn't happen, so he's screwed, right?"

"Maybe?" David said, unconvinced. "Or maybe it won;t make that big a difference. In either case,we'll need to come up with something that will keep him out of our lives for good, one way or another."

Aphrodite looked from David, to Tommy, to Shilah and then at Gabrielle. They all had the same, resigned expression.

"Now, wait just a minute!" she protested. "I don't mind helping throw hitches into his plans, but you guys are, like,talking about killing Ares! I'm not down with that?"

"No one is asking you to help?" Shilah replied.

"We're hoping that it doesn't come to that," David replied at the same time. "We just want to discourage him from making the attempt, that's all."

Aphrodite obviously didn't buy it. She knew the look on the faces of the humans all too well. It was the same look that Xena had worn before her war with the other Olympian Gods, and now most of them were dead.

She backed away from them and turned, running out the door.

"Tommy?' David asked.

"On it." Tommy replied and he went after her.

Once they were both gone, David looked long and hard at Shilah.

"I know what you're thinking," Shilah said. "And you know I don't approve. It's dangerous. It may not even work? If it doesn't, I can see it enraging him to the point where he might just kill you outright and be done with it?"

"Give me another option?" David asked.

"What are you two talking about?" Gabrielle asked.

"Better if you don't know," Shilah replied. There was a hint of fear in her dark eyes. Then she looked at David. "You hardly have the strength to put the necessary energy into the preparations right now?"

"I'll be ready in a few weeks," David said. "In the mean time, do you still have that Power of Attorney that I had drawn up?"

"Of course?" Shilah said.

"Then order what we need. Use the funds in my accounts, and have it delivered to the clubhouse. I'll recover there when they let me out. That will put everything where we'll need it."

"You realize that this will have to be done in a completely traditional way?" Shilah countered. "That means traditional tools and everything?"

David smiled ruefully. "I've gotten pretty good with manual tools in the last year. That won't be a problem."

"And, with this kind of magic, some of the components…"

"I know." David cut her off quickly. "Just do it. If we come up with another idea, we can always have a bonfire, but I won't go home without some kind of back up plan. The stakes are far too high."

"You know I don't condone this type of magic," Shilah finished darkly. "This goes against everything I've ever taught you."

David nodded. "As I said before: Give me another option, and I'll take it. Until we come up with one, however, I have to go with what I know."

Shilah looked at him sternly, her eyes searching deep into his. Finally, she sighed and nodded. "I'll make the calls." She studied him a moment more and then withdrew.

Gabrielle watched her go, a feeling of cold dread creeping into her belly.

"Do I want to know?" she asked, looking down at David.

David looked at her, and instantly she had a memory of another person with that same gaze, causing an uncontrollable terror to well up in her soul. She caught her breath.

"We both know that my abilities come from a very different place, Gabrielle," David said with unnerving calm. "Nickoli's heritage is still in my veins. I told you before, that my energy was, by nature, a dark energy." He sighed, looking up at the ceiling and seeing nothing. "To do what I'm planning, I'm going to have to get very, very dark."

Aphrodite pushed through the thick glass doors and stormed away from the building, tears in her eyes. Her insides were all turned around.

"Hey!" A voice called behind her. She ignored it and kept walking.

Finally, Tommy stepped in front of her, his massive bulk blocking her path. "You can't tell me that you didn't know it might come down to this?"

She looked up at him, and Tommy's eyes went wide. "You really didn't know?" He finished.

"Of course I didn't!" Aphrodite shouted back at him. "I thought we'd get David all patched up and then they could handle it together, just like they've handled everything else!"

"What do you think he's trying to do?" Tommy asked.

Aphrodite shook her head. "No! I saw the look in his eyes back there! The last time I saw that look, six mortals died!"

Tommy was stunned. "When did this happen?"

Aphrodite looked skyward and crossed her arms. "Right after I got him back to Gabrielle."

Tommy considered for a moment. "Did he have any other choice?"

Aphrodite thought for a moment, looking completely despondent. "No." She finally admitted. "They were about to kill Gabby."

"That's what I mean," Tommy said earnestly. "Now, I know Shakespeare. Granted, I never knew he had it in him to actually kill someone, but I wasn't there, so?" He shrugged. "My point is this: If there is another way, then put it on the table?"

"You don't understand!" Aphrodite cried helplessly. "The other time I saw a look like that, I lost my entire family! My parents! My sisters and brothers, cousins, everyone except Ares!" She sighed. "As lame as it sounds, he's all I got left?"

Tommy smiled. "It doesn't sound lame," he said. "But, you're going to have to pick sides eventually, and follow through with it? Right now, you chose to help Gabrielle because she's obviously important to you, right?" He gently reached out and put a finger under her chin, lifting her eyes to meet his. "Right?"

Aphrodite smiled sadly and nodded. "I – she's, like, I don't know, kind of the sister I never had? Every time I see her with David, I just know how happy she is and it makes me happy, you know? I mean, it is my job anyway, right? But with her, it's always been more than that? Now you guys are telling me that you're going to have to take out my brother, in order to save my friend?" The tears began to fall. "Oh, this is all so confusing!" she blurted out.

Tommy wrapped an arm around her and let her expend her emotions. "You can't have two families, Aphrodite," Tommy said. "Eventually, you're going to have to choose one over the other?"

"I know," Aphrodite said against his shoulder. "I just don't want anything to happen to either of them."

"Shakespeare and Gabs, or Ares?" Tommy asked.

"Yeah," Aphrodite replied, sniffling.

Tommy looked down at her for a moment and suddenly realized that he was actually comforting a Goddess. The whole idea of this struck him as strange and ironical. He had always imagined deity as being rather aloof and unconcerned. This was something completely different. He had never counted on a God or Goddess actually having feelings? Well, simple problems call for simple solutions. He pulled the cell phone out of his pocket and dialed the hospital switchboard, asked for David's room.

"Hey Gabs," he said. "Look, I'm gonna take Dite out for a drink or three. Tell Shakespeare we'll be back later, right? Cool." He spied Shilah coming out of the main doors and nodded.

"No, that's fine, I see her coming now. You two take it easy. Later." He snapped the phone closed. Shilah came up to them and smiled.

"I already took the liberty of calling a cab for myself. I'll head back up to the clubhouse, and meet you there later."

Tommy nodded and watched the High Priestess depart.

"Come on," he offered his arm. "Let's go have a drink and see if we can come up with another option, right?"

"I look totally gross," Aphrodite sulked, trying to fix her face suddenly as she wiped the tears away.

"You look fine to me?" Tommy reassured her. "But we'll find a dark little hole in the wall bar if that'll make you feel better?"

She smiled at the compliment and accepted his arm.

Over the next three weeks, David received visits from nearly everyone in the whole Zombie Squad, as well as a few others that were not affiliated with the extended family. When it was finally the day for him to be discharged, hospital patients and staff alike watched as a veritable parade of motorcycles pulled up in front of the main doors, surrounding the gleaming blue bulk of David's own pickup truck. The windows rattled from the rumbling cacophony.

There sat Dusty, astride a gleaming new bike of his own, next to the massive yellow shape of Johnny's motorcycle.

At the front of the group sat the Lady, gleaming red and sparkling in the sunlight. Gary sat astride her, smiling as he watched them bring David out in a wheelchair.

Next to him was the familiar silver Hyabusa, ridden by Derek, his olive skin shining in the sunlight. He gave Gabrielle a friendly wink.

Hospital security thought about making the massive procession clear the entrance, but given that the average size of the men on the machines was about twice that of the average security guard, they thought better of the idea.

As soon as David and Gabrielle came out into the light, all of the bikes thundered to life, roaring so loudly that the receptionist at the main desk had to hold one finger in her ear when she spoke on the phone. David and Gabrielle both flushed in embarrassment at the spectacle. Tommy helped David up into the front seat of the truck and then held the back door open for Gabrielle.

"Hey Gabby," Aphrodite said, sliding into the seat next to her.

"You seem to be feeling much better?' Gabrielle commented, looking at the Goddess curiously.

"Well," Aphrodite shrugged. "I've been seeing the sights, doing some shopping! You should see the malls in this place!" She shook her hands excitedly. "We still have shopping to do for you know who?"

Gabrielle laughed quietly. Whatever Tommy had been doing to keep the Goddess's mind off of the near future, it was obviously working.

"I learned how to ride," Aphrodite volunteered suddenly, grinning wide.

"What?" Both David and Gabrielle exclaimed in surprise. David looked at Tommy, who merely shrugged.

"Don't look at me, man?" he said. "I showed her the bikes, the next thing I knew, she had Rosie all fired up and away she went?"

"Rosie?" David exclaimed, his head swinging back around to look at Aphrodite. "Dite, if you scratched one piece of that bike?"

"Relax, studly," Aphrodite replied. "She was very helpful. I can see why you had as much fun with her as you said? She's a blast!"

David looked at Tommy critically and then put his head in his hands. "You let her out with Rosie?" he groaned.

"Did you learn to ride when you were here last time?" Aphrodite asked excitedly.

Gabrielle smiled and looked sympathetically at her husband. "Things were a bit busy the last time I was here?"

"That's okay," Aphrodite said cheerily. "I can show you."

"No!" Both Tommy and David exclaimed at the same time.

"Why not?' Aphrodite pouted.

"Dite?" David exclaimed. "Gabrielle is pregnant. All that bouncing around? Come on!"

"Oh yeah," Aphrodite looked apologetically at Gabrielle. "I was forgetting about that? Sorry?"

Gabrielle smiled. "I'll learn to live with the disappointment."

"Speaking of the baby!" Aphrodite continued. "I got an idea!"

The procession wound its way north into David's town and filed slowly down the gravel drive to the clubhouse where several other people had barbeque grills in full flame and coolers aplenty, presumably stocked with every manner of drink available. The party was in full swing! David shook his head.

"You did this?" he asked.

Tommy shrugged. "I made a couple of calls?"

He brought the truck to a halt outside the main doors. "Girls, why don't you hop out here, I'll bring David around after we park the truck.

Gabrielle and Aphrodite got out and immediately vanished in a sea of people.

The truck lumbered around back and came to a halt.

Tommy switched it off and sighed. He looked at David.

"That was smooth," David commented. "You think her plan will work?"

Tommy sighed again and shook his head. "It might, in the short term? But we both know that he'll keep coming. As long as that kid of yours isaround, he won't stop. I'm sorry Shakes, but we don't have anything more permanent, and believe me, it wasn't from lack of brainstorming either?"

"How's Shilah handling all this?" David asked.

"Well," Tommy said, shaking his head. "There is one very unhappy High Priestess, let me tell you?"

"I know," David nodded grimly. "But I think she understands, down deep, that this might be the only way?" He looked back at the building. "The materials all here?"

"Except for some of the more nasty stuff, they're in the room," Tommy said. He looked at David for a long moment. "Look, maybe I can help you out on this? You're not going to be in any condition-"

"Thanks, man," David shook his head. "But you know how this works. I have to do it, alone."

Again, Tommy sighed.

David smiled. "Come on, let's get in there and have some laughs. There'll be plenty of time for grim reality later?"

The party went on for the rest of the day and long into the night. By the end of it, even Aphrodite was feeling more than a little tipsy. She threw her arm around Tommy's neck ar one pointand smiled drunkenly.
"I'll give you this," she giggled. "You mortals sure have learned how to throw a great bash!" She waved her free hand about, taking in the entire throng. "This ranks up there with anything I've done back home!"

"Thanks." Gently, Tommy retrieved the half empty glass in her hand and sniffed it. He rolled his eyes.

"Dusty!"

"Yo!" The familiar blonde haired man slid out from beneath one of the bike racks. He leapt to his feet, in spite of his obvious inebriation.

Tommy held the glass up. "Did you do this?"

Dusty smiled a toothy grin and shrugged. "She said she wanted something that would light her fires?"

"Jack and Seven?" Tommy asked again. "Are you nuts?"

"Jack with a splash of Seven," Dusty corrected him. "And, yes I am!"

"Lord, have mercy," Tommy rolled his eyes.

"Gimme that," Aphrodite said, grabbing the glass from him and tossing the rest of the drink down. "I'm a Goddess for crying out loud! I can handle it!"

The empty glass crashed on the concrete floor and she sagged against him.

Tommy scooped her up as she was fading fast.

"Goddess you might be," he said, looking down at her drunkenly smiling face. "But someone should have told you that drinking was the Devil's game."

His eyes scanned the crowd and he found David and Gabrielle amidst a throng of people, socializing happily.

"Yo! Shakes!" Tommy called out.

"Yo! Shakes!" Aphrodite echoed, smiling.

Gabrielle and David both looked over at Tommy and they began to grin.

"I believe our guest has had enough for one night!" Tommy announced. "Hey, Mouse, mind if she takes your old room?"

Gabrielle laughed out loud and shook her head. "Not at all."

Gently, Tommy climbed up the stairs into the main room and made his way to the back hall, sitting the toasted Goddess on the simple bed that Gabrielle had used nearly a year ago. Gently, he helped her out of her leather jacket and then laid her down on the bed.

"What's the deal?" Aphrodite asked as Tommy pulled her boots off and grabbed the blanket. "Gonna get me drunk and take advantage of me?" She giggled again. "That might be fun?"

"I'm sure it would," Tommy chuckled. "Maybe next time?" He pulled the blanket up to her shoulders and then gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. "See you in the morning?"

"You're a real nice guy," mumbled the drunken Goddess.

Tommy set the small waste can next to the bed, just in case.

"Did deities puke?" He thought. "Holy vomit? Now there was a wacky concept? Better not to take the chance."

He rose to leave, but her hand caught his wrist.

"Don' go," she asked, almost begged. "I'm tired of being left all alone."

"Aphrodite?" Tommy replied, but he saw the look in her eyes and smiled.

"Okay," he said, pulling the chair next to the bed and taking her small hand in his. "I'll hang around for a little bit."

She smiled again, her eyes fluttering. "You are a Teddy Bear…" she sighed.

"Don't tell anyone," Tommy smiled.

Aphrodite made the sign of zipping her lip, giggled softly, and promptly passed out.

Tommy looked down at her and smiled. "Dusty got a Goddess drunk," he mused. "Damn, if I tell him, we'll never live this one down."

He stayed in the room with her for over an hour until he was certain that she was down for the duration, and then he quietly left, closing the door behind him.

"I'll say this much," He said when he slid next to Gabrielle and David a few minutes later. "She knows how to have a good time?"

"Oh?" Gabrielle asked.

Tommy saw the inference in her look and rolled his eyes. "Yeah right! Come on?"

The party was finally winding down and all but the most die hard party goers were still in attendance. They helped David up the steps and into the main room where he settled back into his wheelchair and rolled over by the sofa, a much needed cigar smoldering between his teeth.

"You have no idea how much I have missed these?" he said as Tommy set another drink in front of him.

They both looked over at Gabrielle, now in the midst of another conversation with Katrina and Michelle.

"Hey!" David called over to them. "You are not taking her downtown again, got it?"

Michelle rolled her eyes and waived a dismissive hand in his direction.

David turned back to Tommy. "Okay, down to business," he said, his mood sobering. "If I'm going to pull off this stunt, I'm going to need to boost my system over the next week at least?"

"Already thought of that," Tommy said, smiling. "I picked up a thing of protein shakes and Vitamin C and E supplements. I figure if we boost your immune system and start pumping in everything that your body needs to fix itself, we can get you in decent shape for when the two of you go back? I also came up with a few other little concoctions that might help?"

David smiled and looked over the rim of his glass at his friend. "I'm surprised no one has suggested that Gabby and I stay here?"

"Oh, don't think it hasn't crossed our minds?" Tommy replied. He looked at David with those knowing eyes and sighed. "But we all know that you won't, so why bother?"

He paused for a moment and then continued. "You could settle my curiosity, though? Why wouldn't you want to stay?"

David thought for a while and then smiled. "I got a life there, buddy. I built my own house and I have a job that pays pretty well."

"Job? Doing what?" Tommy asked.

"Furniture maker," David replied. "Among a few other projects?"

Tommy laughed out loud. "You're kidding? You opened your own little business, selling tables and chairs? I love it!"

David shrugged. "It pays for what we need. Besides, it's so much simpler back then. Not a bunch of rules and regulations mucking up the works. If I try something, I don't need a permit, I just, try it?" He looked wistful for a minute. "And the things I've seen? God Tommy, you wouldn't believe it! I saw the Sphinx at Giza, nose and all. I actually walked around the Great Pyramids! No tour guides, no international Terrorist threats! Just me and my wife! I've seen castles that don't exist, met people that are only legends now!"

"Yeah, Like who?" Tommy asked, sipping his drink.

"Hercules, for one?" David replied.

Tommy choked on his drink and set it down. "What?"

David grinned. "The Son of Zeus, himself. He actually helped me finish building our house?"

"Bullshit," Tommy said, not believing a word of it.

"Ask Gabrielle, if you don't believe me?" David countered.

Tommy leaned back.

"Hey, Gabs!"

The bard turned, looking at him inquisitively.

"Who helped Shakes build your house?" Tommy asked.

Gabrielle didn't bat an eye. "Hercules."

Tommy looked back at David who merely shrugged. "What can I say? I have friends in high places."

"You met Hercules?" Tommy laughed.

"Is it so hard to believe?" David countered. "We've got the Goddess of Love passed out in the spare guestroom?"

Tommy considered that for a moment and nodded his head. "Got me there."

The next morning, Gabrielle stole quietly out of the room that she and David shared, heading for the bathroom. She paused when she heard a soft groan from the room across the hall.

Smiling, she quietly opened the door to the guestroom and saw Aphrodite, lying on her side, one hand holding her head.

The first thing that Gabrielle noticed was the somewhat acrid smell. Apparently, at some point in the night, the Goddess of Love had gotten a bit ill.

"How you feeling?" Gabrielle asked quietly.

Aphrodite held up her hand. "Please. Not so loud." She begged. She rolled onto her back and kept her eyes closed. "Wow, that was one doozie of a party! I feel like my head's going to explode?"

"Welcome to the future?" Gabrielle offered. "I probably should have warned you first?"

"Yeah," Aphrodite nodded.

A voice boomed from the main room as a door opened.

"Hey kids! Anyone alive in here?" It was Tommy.

A look of sudden panic crossed the Goddess's face. "Oh, Gabby, you can't let him see me like this?" She tried to move, but the effort made her wince in pain.

"Why not?" Gabrielle teased. "He saw you pretty drunk last night?"

"He did?" Aphrodite asked with dread. "Oh no! I didn't, you know, do anything?"

"Besides pass out in his arms?" Gabrielle replied lightly. "No, not unless you were conscious when he brought you in here?"

Aphrodite paled, if that were possible, her dread becoming full blown horror.

"I don't know?" she admitted. "Oh my! Gabrielle, I don't know if anything happened? Did he say anything? I mean, you know?"

Gabrielle couldn't resist. "Well, he was gone for a while, and he had a big smile on his face when he came back out to the party?"

Aphrodite's mouth dropped open in absolute shock and then she pulled the blanket over her head and moaned. "Oh, man. Don't let him see me!"

Gabrielle laughed and pulled the blanket back down. "Relax, Dite," she said comfortingly. "Nothing happened."

There was a gentle knock on the door frame, and Aphrodite saw Tommy's shadow just outside the door. She desperately shook her head.

Gabrielle smiled even more. "Come in?"

Once again, the Goddess dove under the covers.

Tommy came in and saw the quivering bundle on the bed. He grinned.

"Is she alive?"

"More or less," Gabrielle replied.

Tommy noted the smell in the room and smiled in spite of it. He went and opened the window, allowing the cool morning air to flow into the room. Then he set a small glass bottle on the nightstand and took the soiled trash can.

"I'll just take this," he said. Then he placed a gentle hand on the shaking covered figure on the bed. "There's a bottle of iced coffee on the night stand. I think it'll help?"

Then he stepped out of the room and vanished.

"Is he gone?" Aphrodite asked timidly.

"If you're so worried about how he's going to see you?" Gabrielle asked. "Why don't you, you know, just fix it?"

"Because," Aphrodite groaned. "If I use my powers, it might get Ares attention, and then we'd be in real trouble."

Gabrielle sighed, silently thanking her for protecting them.

"You're welcome," she replied, hearing the thought.

"You need to get cleaned up," Gabrielle said quickly. "Tommy won't be back for a few minutes. Come on."

Aphrodite slowly rolled up to a sitting position, her eyes squinting at the light bleeding in through the blinds on the window.

"Where we going?" she asked.

"Just down the hall." Gabrielle offered. "You need a shower."

"You talking about the neat little hot water thingy?" Aphrodite asked thickly. "Yeah, that might help?"

Gently, Gabrielle helped Aphrodite down the hall and got her situated. Then she left her hung over friend to clean herself up. She shook her head in wonder as she went back to the main room and looked for something to drink. She found the orange juice in the cooler and poured herself a glass, sipping thoughtfully.

"Wow," she pondered. "Her first time in the future and we mortals get her totally in the bag? That's pretty impressive."

A she was placing the gallon container back in the cooler she spied several other things in the adjacent cabinet, all of them labeled 'David'. Frowning, she drew out the large white tub and the two smaller bottles. She read the labels and her frown deepened.

One of the smaller ones said Vitamin C – 500 mg. The second said Vitamin E – 800 mg, and the large one was labeled. 'Protein Booster'. In the drawer above the small storage cabinet she found several hand written notes. They were recipes for various herbal mixtures. They all had one thing in common. They were designed to help increase David's rate of healing.

The outside door opened and Tommy came in. "You know. I never knew that Gods could actually puke? It's actually quite funny when you think about it?" The words died on his lips when he saw Gabrielle looking at him, his recipes in her hand.

"Something you want to tell me?" she asked.

Tommy looked at her for a moment and then shrugged. "Actually, no."

"Tommy?" Gabrielle pressed.

The big man squirmed and then looked down the hall. "Where's Dite?"

"She's in the shower," Gabrielle said evenly. "So, spill it."

Tommy sighed and stepped to the bar, looking down at the three containers. She smiled ruefully.

"Okay," he said. "The one in your hand is a Vitamin C supplement. Vitamin C helps boost the body's immune system, allowing it to better fight of infection and disease. The other one is a Vitamin E supplement, which helps get the body going as far as healing injuries. The big one is a Protein Booster with a Calcium additive for bone structure. Now, when the body gets injured, it requires protein to help rebuild it. And bones require calcium. Most of the time, the body will get what it needs from other sources, usually the muscle tissue. This will give his body what it needs while keeping his muscle mass healthy."

"And these?" Gabrielle held up the papers.

"A few concoctions I came up with to boost his metabolism so that he heals a bit faster?" Tommy replied. He looked at Gabrielle seriously. "Gabs, in about ten day at most, you guys need to head back. If you stay much longer and keep growing the way you are, Ares is sure to see the difference and know something is up?"

"He could take all this with us and heal at home?" Gabrielle replied. "There's more isn't there?"

"Yes there is," Tommy replied.

"David told me about going somewhere dark," Gabrielle said. "What did he mean?"

"What did he tell you?" Tommy asked.

"He told me everything," Gabrielle lied. "A lot of it just didn't make sense. Why don't you explain it to me?"

Tommy smiled at the obvious bluff. "Tell me what he told you, and I'll explain it?"

Gabrielle sighed. Her bluff had been called. "Fine, then answer something for me?"

"I'll try?" Tommy replied.

Gabrielle thought for a moment. "Is this dark place David talks about a part of his magical abilities?"

"Yes."

"Are the preparations he's planning dangerous?"

"Very, but only as far as his healing is concerned." Tommy replied neutrally.

"If it works, will it kill Ares?" Gabrielle asked.

"No."

They both heard the water shut of in the bathroom. Gabrielle took a deep breath.

"If it doesn't work, could it get David killed?"

"Most likely."