Chapter Four

Home Sweet Home

Xena was sitting on the sofa, bored with the newspaper and magazines Annie had given her to keep her occupied while she worked on the computer.

"Is it going to be much longer?" Xena asked.

Annie looked up at the clock, it read 4:25. "Not too much longer. I'll be finished here in a few minutes."

Xena picked up a magazine, then threw it back down. "Why don't you have a TV?" she asked.

"Because this is a place of business. We don't need one here. I'm almost finished."

Xena glanced over at Gabrielle and Mattie. They were sitting at Mattie's desk and she was showing Gabrielle how to use the computer and how to look for things on the internet.

"Okay," Annie said as she sat down next to Xena. "Another half hour and we'll close up and go home."

"I don't understand this obsession everyone has with doing things exactly the same time all the time."

"It's not that different from when we were living in Greece. Everyone had to wait until dawn before they could start their day. Same thing here, just more precise."

Xena got up and went to the small refrigerator and got out her eighth beer. Annie wasn't particularly happy about how much she was drinking, but said nothing about it. After Xena sat back down next to her Annie asked, "Have you and Gabrielle talked much about the days way back when?"

"Hell no. We've spent all our time trying to find enough to eat and someplace to sleep, and finding clothes to wear. This past week has been worse than a trip to Tartarus. Why, have you and Red?"

"Actually, we have. Of course there are things I remember that she doesn't. And there are things she remembers that I don't. And things we remember differently."

"Like what?"

"She doesn't remember I almost killed her when she was under the influence of the Furies and she stabbed Eve while were in the old tavern fighting the gods. She said she does remember Aphrodite was wearing black but I don't remember that."

"Well, that's ancient history. Who cares about that anyway?"

"I do. I wish I knew what happened to Eve. Mattie said after she left Japan instead of going to Egypt, she took my ashes back to Amphipolis to put them in the family crypt. She said she tried to find Eve but she never did. She said she heard she was traveling with Hercules for a while. And she was in India, and China, and then in Britannia. But she never was sure if it was really her."

"She traveled around a lot that's for sure. Just had to get the good word of Eli spread around. What about Gabrielle? What happened to her?"

Annie smiled at her sudden interest. "She said she went back to Poteidaia for a few years. Then stayed with the Amazons a couple more, but never could find someplace, or someone, to settle down with. She said she remembered getting very sick one winter and things kind of faded out, so she probably died then."

"Probably so. You know, there is something I'm curious about -- how did Alti get my Chakram? I wonder if she had something to do with Gabrielle dying, and then she took the Chakram and her remaining scrolls and hid them until she needed them again."

"That's possible. I never thought about that."

"Maybe Alti hastened her death, or even killed her."

"Who killed who?" Mattie asked as she and Gabrielle walked over to them. But before Annie could answer, Harry stuck his head inside and informed them it was five till five and he was ready to go. Mattie had already turned off her computer, so while Annie was turning hers off, Xena got the rest of the second six pack of beer from the refrigerator and Mattie started turning off the lights.

A half hour later they pulled up in front of their house. Harry checked the mail as the rest of them went inside. Annie gave Xena and Gabrielle a quick tour of the house, showing them the kitchen, living room, dining room, bathroom, her and Mattie's bedroom, Harry's bedroom, and the one Xena and Gabrielle would be in.

"It's smaller that Harry's but the double bed is more comfortable than his. And you're closer to the bathroom."

Harry began fixing supper, Annie set the table, and Mattie gave Gabrielle a couple of towels, a wash cloth, and a toothbrush, and showed her where the shampoo, soap, and toothpaste were so she could take a shower. She also gave her a robe to put on and told her she would find clothes for her.

Xena turned on the television and opened another beer.

After supper, while Harry and Gabrielle did the dishes and Mattie put clean sheets on the bed, Annie took Xena into her bedroom to find clothes for her.

"You know, Mattie looks kinda sexy with that red hair," Xena said.

"It does look good on her."

"I've noticed you keep looking at Gabrielle. It's been a long time since you've seen her with short hair. Remember how much we liked it? And how easy it was to find that spot on her neck that drove her crazy?"

Annie smiled at the memory. "Yes, I do. And I can still find it. Your point?"

"Well, I was thinking, why not switch for the night? You know, you sleep with Gabrielle and I'll sleep with Mattie."

"What? What makes you think I'd want to do that? Or Mattie, or even Gabrielle would?"

"I have to tell you I REALLY find that red hair sexy. And it's not like we'd be cheating, not really. Come on, why not? You know you want to."

"Even if I did, there are still two other people involved here who might not be so receptive to it."

"So we'll wait until it's dark, make some excuse to get up, like going to the bathroom, and you get into bed with Gabrielle and I'll get in bed with Mattie. They'll never know the difference."

"Oh, I think they will. And I think we've exhausted this subject."

Xena followed Annie into the living room, where everyone one else was watching television, but she hadn't given up yet. A half hour later, during a commercial, Mattie went into the kitchen to pour a bag of chips into a bowl and Xena followed her.

"So, how's it going?" Xena asked her.

"Good. It's funny, but I feel about Gabrielle like I did about Lila when we were young, like we're sisters. But it's so odd calling her Gabrielle even though it's not my name now."

"Yeah. Look, Annie and I were talking. And we came to the conclusion that you two are as sexy as you can be. I especially like your red hair. And she's remembering when your -- Gabrielle's, hair was first cut so short. And she thought it would be -- fun, if we changed partners for the night. What do you think?"

"Annie said that? She thinks Gabrielle's butch haircut is sexier than mine? And she'd rather be with HER?"

"Just for tonight, just to see what it's like. And wouldn't you want to reminisce about what it was like to be with your dark-haired warrior princess again? Remember the wild times we had right at first?"

Mattie gave Xena a dirty look then went back into the living room where she set the bowl down on the coffee table a bit too hard.

"I'm going to bed," she said to no one in particular, then left the living room.

Annie gave Xena a hard look, knowing she said something to anger Mattie. Xena shrugged her shoulders with a look of ignorance on her face, then popped open the can of beer she had gotten from the refrigerator and dropped down on the sofa.

"I think I'll turn in too," Annie said. "It's been a long day." She then followed Mattie to their bedroom to try to undo whatever Xena had done. It was just after eight thirty.