"Oh, dear lord, sweetie," Aphrodite called laughing as she reached across the outdoor table and placed her hand on Lao Ma's arm. "How I have missed you."

"Hmm," Lao Ma uttered at her former teammate and team administrator. Lao Ma had played for the Red Stars for two seasons with Xena. During the first Aphrodite was the team's veteran midfielder and super sub. During her second, Aphrodite had transitioned into the team's PR and media specialist, which was the first step to landing her the job with the American national team.

Lao Ma peered over at Xena, who was walking back onto the winery's riverwalk patio after taking photos with passing fans. She turned back to Aphrodite, "I do apologize that we have not seen each other more, but as you know…it has all gotten more complicated recently."

Aphrodite snickered across the table as Xena rejoined them with a slightly confused expression. "Oh, I know," the American executive stated as she took a long sip of her wine. "I am the only one who has been forced to explain it to people like Hercules multiple times."

Xena shrugged. "You choose your path, Dite."

"Uh," she called at her.

"Oh, come now, Xena," Lao Ma countered. "She was pushed onto the path for years and certainly during our final season playing together."

Aphrodite shot a pleased smile to Xena, who laughed as she finished her wine. Aphrodite lifted the bottle out of the ice bucket, and she nodded to urge her to refill her glass.

"I love the two of you so much," Aphrodite stated as she topped off her glass as well and poured the last few drops into Lao Ma's mostly filled glass. "But I am also so angry with you," she shot at them as she set the empty bottle on the table.

"Dite," Xena grumbled.

Lao Ma peered at her, realizing that her two former teammates had probably had this conversation numerous times before.

Xena angrily shook her head. "I didn't ask you to pick a side."

Aphrodite huffed at her as she raised an eyebrow in question.

Lao Ma shook her head at the both of them. "Xena is right, Aphrodite. We kept…the breakup as much of a secret at possible because we did not want anyone to feel pressured to pick one of us other the other. We have both been in the soccer world for a very long time and most people do know us both."

"We really didn't want to make it a big deal," Xena muttered.

Aphrodite nodded understandably. "Well," she said with a shrug. "I guess none of that matters now that you are back together."

Lao Ma reflectively smiled, while Xena took a drink to cover her reaction. They had decided to ignore the fight they had that morning. They both were not sure what had started it or what it was even about. But it ended with crying, emotional charged sex, and an unspoken decision to ignore it. Just like always.

Lila peered into the rearview mirror of her car as she drove down the highway to the airport to look at her nervous sister in the backseat.

"You know," Lila stated to the car, which had been silent for miles. "I think Mom and Dad have invited everyone in town to watch the game at the winery."

Gabrielle instantly blushed and shrugged. "There is no guarantee that I'll get to play."

Joxer turned around in the passenger seat and glared back at her. "Yes, there is."

"Yeah, you're the new Terries," Lila added.

Gabrielle shrugged. "They've had Minya slide over before and played with a three-back with Ephniy dropping back to help."

Lila shook her head as Joxer glared at her.

"No," he said. "Well, yes. That has happened. But that isn't going to hold up against the World Cup teams."

"Or Canada," Lila added.

Joxer nodded in agreement.

"You'll be starting, Gabrielle," Lila told her encouraging as she slowed the car to a stop outside the departure gates of the airport. "And there is going to be a winery full of people cheering for you. Remember that when you walk out there."

Lila had teared up slightly, which caused Gabrielle to do the same. She jumped out of the driver's seat as she popped the truck. She walked around to the back of her car as Gabrielle pulled her national team issued bag out of her truck, as Joxer did the same.

"I'm proud of you," Lila told her as she hugged her. "You kill it, okay?"

Gabrielle pulled away from her and tearfully nodded. "I will."

Joxer kissed Lila goodbye and she then watched him, and her sister walk into the airport.

"Welcome to Rio Tinto Stadium in Salt Lake City. I am Iolaus, joined by my broadcast partner, two-time World Cup champion Melosa. We are minutes away from the start of the U.S. Women's National Team's first CONCACAF Olympic qualify game against Panama. First ranked United States versus 10th ranked Panama. Any reason for concern for Athena and the Americans, Melosa?"

"Not at all," Melosa stated, shaking her head for the television audience. "This is just going to be a test for Athena. It has been a few months since the team's last international level game."

"And that brings us nicely into the lineup," Iolaus stated. "Only change for the Americans from what we saw during the last round of international friendlies is at the key right back position."

"Right, Iolaus," Melosa called. "Terries fractured her ankle after a hard tackle during the China friendly and is still recovering. The spot is now being filled by 21-year-old Gabrielle. Though she has an excellent track record in college player, she is as yet untested with the national team."

Cheers erupted in Potidaea Winery outside of Houston, where the parents' of the national team's youngest player and the newest medical intern for the Houston Dash had worked to gather as many people as possible.

"How you think your sister's gonna do, doc?" one of the young Australian players asked her with a smile.

Lilla shrugged. "Good I hope, or she is going to be so embarrassed by how many people are here."

"We got this," Xena called passionately in the huddle on the sideline in Salt Lake. "Nobody on this team is more important than anyone else. One of us plays like shit, we all do. One of us crushes the fuck out of Panama, we all do."

A few players cheered and screamed in return.

"Now, let's go out there and show them nobody can fuck with us."

"Though technically co-captains with Ephiny, Xena is worrying the armband tonight and steps up for the coin toss with the captain from Panama," Ialous commented.

Cyrene was distracted by the mild clapping that filled her establishment in Lexington, Kentucky. She had never intended to open a soccer bar, but she had thought with so much publicity around her daughter and her help with opening the place, it would attract more soccer fans. There were always a few die-hards that would pop in and the occasionally beer connoisseurs, who also loved women's soccer. But, overall, it was just a regular bottle shop/bar.

The night of the Panama game had been the same until a familiar face stepped through the doors. She would have stood out instantly even if the child by her side did not instantly sprint away from her toward the bar.

"Grandma!" the nine-year-old yelled.

Cyrene bent down and clasped her arms around the child as he slammed into her. "Ming," she responded lovingly. "My darling boy, what are you doing here?"

"We are going to Florida, but Mom said we could stop here," he told her, his excitement causing him to trip over the pronunciation of most of the words.

Cyrene tapped her finger on his nose and smiled. "Do you remember all the kids you went to summer camp with two years ago?"

He nodded excitedly.

Cyrene smiled. "This building used to be a school and they are all on the playground out back. Ask your mother if you can join them."

He turned to Lao Ma and asked her something in his native language. His mother replied in the same and he smiled happily at Cyrene as he ran past her toward the door marked "To Playground."

Cyrene stood and peered at her ex-daughter-in-law as she approached the bar and took a seat. Cyrene shook her head to herself as she grabbed a glass from underneath the bar and turned to tap 14 that had the pale ale from Ohio she knew she would like.

She set the glass in front of her. "Thank you for bringing him to see me," Cyrene told her. "But what are you doing here, Lao Ma?"

Lao Ma pressed her lips together and nodded. "He can read highway signs in English now. There are more between here and Chicago that say 'Lexington' than I would have thought."

"I assume you were in Chicago with Xena before she headed to Salt Lake," Cyrene said with a nod toward the television.

"Excellent recovery by Gabrielle. Cross pass lands at Cyane's feet. Quick pass forward to Varia. She has Xena in the box, Eve on the far side. Pass in…ohh goes over Xena's head and Eve isn't able to close in on it. Out for a Panama throw," Iolaus calls.

"Yes," Lao Ma replied with a casual nod. "I was."

"Was he?" Cyrene asked pointing toward the playground door with the glass in her hand.

Lao Ma shook her head. "No," she answered. "He arrived the day after Xena left."

Cyrene nodded at her as she filled an order for another customer and placed his filled pint glass on the bar. "Driving from Chicago to Florida, are you? He is a bit young for the IMG Academy."

Lao Ma pressed her lips together and smirked. "Nothing gets past you, Cyrene."

"No," she told Lao Ma as she turned and crossed her arms as she leaned back against the back ledge of her bar.

Lao Ma nodded in agreement. "It has been…harder than I thought it would be to separate him from his American family and his life here."

"Oh, excellent play by Gabrielle!" Melosa called. "That is the spunk this team is looking for."

"Sure is," Iolaus replied. "The young right back created this corner kick opportunity that Eve steps up to take."

"She is always good for an in-swinger to the far post, where Xena and Paulina seem ready to pounce," Melosa added.

"Oh," Iolaus called excitedly. "Prefect placement by Eve, swing into the box. U.S.A. connection! Goal for Xena! 2-0 off a perfect cousin connection by the Americans."

Cyrene peered up at the television pleased for a moment but then turned her attention back to Lao Ma, who had done the same but took much less time to hide it.

"I am sure that does not help," Cyrene stated.

Lao Ma shook her head. "It doesn't. It is hard to tell him his mother does not matter in his life anymore, when every time he wants to watch American soccer, there she is."

"We are closing in on 45' here in Salt Lake. The U.S. is up 2-0 but not stopping their push against Panama. Intercepted pass by Ephiny in the midfield. She is barreling forward. Varia and Xena to her left, Eve and Yakut to her right," Iolaus called. "She goes for none of them. Shot on goal!"

"Oh!" Melosa called. "Off the left post and into the back of the net! Nothing the keeper could have down about that."

"Halftime whistle by the referee," Iolaus called. "We head into the locker rooms 3-0 U.S. with a 47' goal from Ephiny adding onto the earlier goals by Varia and Xena."

Lao Ma sat patiently at her ex-mother-in-law's bar until she offered to give her a free room in the inn above the establishment that she also ran. It had not been her intention to take charity from her, but Ming Tien seemed so excited to see her that Cyrene was crossing all sorts of lines Lao Ma was sure Xena would be uncomfortable with.

"76' minute," one of the Dash players called at Lila excitedly over her wine glass.

Lila glared at her.

"Oh, come on, doc," another player chastised. "Nobody is coming back from injury, right?"

"No," Lila answered. "Not yet."

"There you go," the player called slapping her on the shoulder. "Your sis is capping 90 minutes with the fucking Americans. Get fucking excited!"

"Eve steps up for another corner, the 11th for the Americans," Iolaus explained. "Ohh, looks excellently placed. Swinging in toward the numerous players in the box. Xena, Ephiny, and Minya all going up for it. Ephiny gets a head on it. Oh, deflected by the Panama keeper! Collected by Varia, quick switch to Eve. She chips into the box. Xena jumps for it! Connects.

"Goal number two for the cousin connection!" Melosa called.

"Goal number four for the Americans!" Iolaus calls. "And…that is the final whistle. United States 4, Panama 0. The U.S. will go onto face the winner of the Jamaica-Haiti game. What an exciting conclusion!"

Xena and Eve both yelled as they ran at each other. Eve jumped onto Xena and wrapped her legs around her waist.

"Yes! Evie, Yes!" Xena called as she hit her on the shoulder as the rest of the team gathered around them.

Amid the improvised huddle, Gabrielle felt a strong slap on her back. It felt like it should have hurt more than it did. She turned around to see it as Amirace and that her gloves had softened the blow.

"You did it, bitch," the goalie called at her. "90 minutes with the senior team, Gabrielle. You did it, bitch! You fucking did it," Amirace called excited as she nearly suffocated her, clenching her face with her gloves.

"Okay," Gabrielle laughed as she pushed her gloved hands away. "Okay, I did it."