Chapter Three

A Meeting of Minds

"Well," Harry said. "Somebody say something."

"Who are you?" Annie asked.

"Xena's the name," Xena answered. "And this is Gabrielle. Who are YOU?"

"I already told you," Harry said, but was completely ignored.

"Xena, huh. Really?" Annie said. "So, what was your mother's name?

"Cyrene. What was your sister's name?"

"No sister. Two brothers, Toris and Lyceus. Where did you meet Gabrielle?"

"Poteidaia. What was your home town?"

"Amphipolis. What was your horse's name?"

"Argo. What was your daughter's name?"

"Eve. What was your son's name?"

"Solan. What was his father's name?"

"Borias. Who was Eve's father?"

"Callisto. Who was the King of Thieves?"

"Autolycus. Who killed Ephiny?"

"Brutus. Where did Lao Ma live?"

"Chin. Who was Iolaus?"

As Annie and Xena played Twenty Questions, both Mattie and Gabrielle began to grin. When they glanced at each, their grins got even bigger.

But then Xena asked the clincher.

"Where's your Chakram?"

"I have no idea," Annie answered.

Xena reached behind her, underneath her shirt, where the Chakram was tucked into her waistband, and brought it out.

"Mine's right here," Xena said. Gabrielle's grin got even bigger as Annie and Mattie were stunned.

"Are you sure it's the real thing?"

"It cut through the bars to get Gabrielle out of jail."

"That was you two?" Mattie exclaimed. "We thought they were just impersonators."

"No," Gabrielle said. "It was really us."

Tentatively Annie reached out for the Chakram. "May I?"

Xena pulled it back a few inches, hesitated a few seconds, then gave it to her. Annie looked it over carefully, spinning it around and feeling its razor-sharp edge. And then, in a way only known to Xena, she easily separated it into its two halves.

After a few seconds, she put it back together, but it was obvious she was reluctant to return it. Xena put out her hand for it.

"You mind if I throw, one time."

"Help yourself," Xena said.

Without hesitation, Annie threw it in a way that it circled the room without hitting anything. When it returned to her, she snagged it out of the air in one smooth motion, then begrudgingly, gave it back to Xena, who slipped it back under her shirt and into her waistband.

"Where did you get it?" Annie asked.

"From Alti."

"Don't tell me she's here!"

"No. I killed her -- again. And what was Joxer saying about Ares?"

"The name's Harry, if you don't mind," he said, but was still being ignored.

"You know, I think we need to have a talk, a long talk, a very long talk," Mattie said. "Harry, how about that food? Have you two eaten lunch yet?"

"We had cake and coffee just before we spotted Joxer," Xena said.

"It's Harry, remember?" he repeated.

"Yeah, whatever. But we could eat."

The four of them went over to the corner of the office to a sofa, two stuffed chairs and a coffee table where Annie and Mattie discussed cases with their clients. Harry brought the food over, then went to the small refrigerator. "Sodas anyone?" he asked. "Or water?"

They all opted for water. Mattie split her steak and potato with Xena, and Mattie shared her spaghetti with Gabrielle. Joxer heated up leftovers from the night before in the microwave oven for his lunch. As they ate, their stories were told, Xena and Gabrielle went first. Annie and Mattie were still telling their story long after the food was eaten. When all of the questions, for now, had all been answered, Harry brought out the chocolate cake.

After the cake was gone, Xena was looking around for the bathroom. "Gotta dump a load, y'know."

Annie pointed to the door where the bathroom was. After she was inside, Annie said to Gabrielle, "Is it my imagination or is she -- different? I don't remember being so, I don't know, insensitive to other people's feelings."

"It's not your imagination. She still has so much of the Evil Xena that Alti put into her. When we ran across Joxer...."

"Harry!"

"Harry. Sorry. We were eating cake with money Xena stole from a homeless guy. She said he was asleep when she took it, but I think she knocked him out."

"Then I guess three of us have our work cut out for us."

"Thanks," Gabrielle said with an appreciative smile. "I'm so worried about her."

Just then Xena came out of the bathroom.

"HoooWeee! I wouldn't go in THERE for a while," she said with a wicked grin, then walked over to the small refrigerator, opened it and looked in. "Got any beer?"

"No, no beer," Mattie told her. "I suppose Harry could go get some."

"Not a bad idea. Maybe I'll go with him."

Xena grabbed Harry in a loose headlock and dragged him toward door. "Come on Joxer, let's go get some beer."

As the front door closed behind them, they heard him say, "Harry! The name is Harry!"